ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries 596/C&RL N ew s • June 2001 C o l l e g e & R e s e a r c h L i b r a r i e s News New librarians and job hunting Patience is a virtue by Philip C. Howze P icture this: Y ou are finishing up your course w ork and exam s so you can graduate from library school next w eek. You sent your résumé to a number o f academic libraries advertising positions in C&RL News months ago, know ing that applying early would ensure you a job after graduation. As you walk to the bookstore to pick up your regalia, you wonder if you are going to get a job before your first student loan payment comes due. About four years ago, I wrote a piece for C&RL News entitled, “10 Job-Hunting Tips for New Librarians.”1 In the article, I mentioned ten rules to follow w hen applying for a posi­ tion in an academ ic library. Having contin­ ued to serve on search committees since then, it has been good to see that much o f this advice has b een follow ed by a number of candidates. So now, while trying on your cap and gown to make sure they are the right size, you begin to think that applying for that job with the public library isn’t such a bad idea. After all, one o f your classmates applied there last week. The classmate was interviewed two days later, and hired then and there, on the spot. Faistrated, you may ask yourself, “What’s wrong with me?” The likelihood is that noth­ ing is wrong with you— getting a jo b in aca­ demic libraries takes time. Here are some of the process issues that eat up time. A look at the process • Watch for the cutoff date for receipt o f applications. Every job advertisement contains language that signals the cutoff for submitting applications, w hich is interpreted by the applicant(s) to m ean that review o f applications will begin shortly thereafter. Pay close attention to the language in the adver­ tisement. D oes it say “Applications must be postm arked by (d a te ),” “A pplications re­ ceived by (date) will be guaranteed consid­ eration,” or “Review o f applications will b e ­ gin (d ate)”? If any o f these firm, cu toff statem ents appear in the ad, the likelihood is that the hiring library wants to move along with the search process, and probably has also indi­ cated a starting date for the position in the advertisement. If you have a n eed for speed, however, watch out for jo b ads containing the sen­ ten ce, “Review o f applications . . . ivill c o n ­ tin u e un til th e p o s itio n is filled ." It is not being suggested that you avoid applying for posi­ tions for w hich this caveat is included in the advertisement; however, it is important that you understand what it means. In short, the library reserves the right to continue to re­ ceive and review applications, and even in­ terview candidates, for q u it e a lo n g tim e— as long as it takes, in fact, to find som eone suitable for the position. D oes this mean that About the author Philip C. Howze is associate dean for Public and Collection Development Services at Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, e-mail: phowze@Hb.siu.edu mailto:phowze@lib.siu.edu C&RL News ■ June 2001 / 597 your application, which you dutifully sub­ mitted long before the due date, could still “come to life” at any time, even though it’s b e e n m ore th a n th ree m onths an d you h av e n ’t h eard anything? D on’t hold your breath. Well, maybe. • T h e la r g e r t h e s e a r c h p o o l , t h e lo n g e r it ta k e s to d e c id e w h o m to in te r ­ v ie w . Entry-level librarian positions attract greater numbers of applicants than positions for which experience is required, and each application (cover letter and résumé) must be read carefully by a num ber of people w ho have other things to do, such as prac­ tice reference, catalog books, and develop collections. B efore th e ap p lica tio n s are placed in the hands of the search commit­ tee, the personnel officer ensures that all applications in the pile are complete. This is w here applicants themselves slow dow n the process. It never ceases to amaze me that there are soon-to-be- m a ste r’s-d e g ree-h o ld in g li­ brarians w ho genuinely think that the information requested in the job ad was meant for everyone else but them. If the job ad calls for a letter of in­ te re st, a ré su m é , a n d th e nam es o f th ree re fere n ces w ith com plete m ailing a d ­ dresses, telephone numbers, and e-mail addresses, believe with all your heart that leav­ ing anything out will result in a call or a letter asking you to supply the missing informa­ tion. Unfortunately, the w hole pool of ap­ plicants suffers because of the folly of a few. • F ailu re t o a d d r e ss e a c h a n d e v e r y o n e o f th e jo b r e q u ir e m e n ts s lo w s d o w n t h e se a r c h . Having tried my best to avoid writing a “ru le” for this tim e-consum ing, search-killing behavior, it simply cannot be helped, so here it is: if you cannot address the job requirements, either in your cover letter or your résumé, think long and hard about w hether the position is for you. In my last writing, applicants w ere advised to write only to the job description. What may not have been clear is that the job description, and the requirements, applies to all appli­ cants, including you. Frustrated, you may ask yourself, "What's wrong with me?" The likelihood is that nothing is wrong with you—getting a job in academic libraries takes time. By way of explanation, w hen the search committee receives the “pile” of résumés (in­ cluding yours), each m em ber also receives a grid sheet with each and every qualifica­ tion listed in the advertisement on one axis and the nam es of the applicant(s) on the other. Not all forms are designed the same, but the point is that each and every qualifi­ cation is listed on every type of form. If you do not m eet all, or most, of the required qualifications, know that you are likely com­ peting with those w ho do. And here you are approaching graduation without having heard anything. Hmm. By the way, the grid sheet previously m entioned lists only one absolute qualifica­ tion that I know of—possession of the ALA- accredited MLS. As far as a search commit­ tee is concerned, if you d o n ’t have one, or w o n ’t have one by the start date for the p o ­ sition, you are out of the pool. It’s that simple. The jury is still out on w hether it is help­ ful for a new librarian to list course w ork taken; take your cue from the position de­ scription and the required qualifications. All 598 / C&RL News ■ June 2001 Who and how we hire will have a tremendous impact on what libraries are to become in the new century. other qualifications are subject to interpre­ tation. • A m b ig u o u s p o s i t i o n r e q u ir e m e n t s c a n s l o w d o w n a s e a r c h . Ambiguous job requirem ents slow d o w n a search, largely because there h asn ’t b e e n a m eeting of the minds concerning w hat they really m ean. If you, as the applicant, are having a hard time with w hat “sensitivity to th e vital relation­ ship betw een the library an d com puter ser­ vices” really m eans, rest assured that there is som eone o n the search com m ittee w h o also h asn ’t a clue. That such phraseology is used in a job ad to cue an experienced li­ brarian about a political land m ine notw ith­ standing, th ere simply are som e req u ired qualifications listed in a job ad that the search committee cannot possibly k n o w ab o u t you without m eeting you first. T hey include: 1) aw areness a n d /o r understanding o f national and international issues an d trends; 2) ex­ cellent oral an d interpersonal com m unica­ tion skills; 3) analytical skills; 4) ability to organize w ork and w ork w ell u n d er pres­ sure, and, the “biggie”— 5) ability to m eet criteria for prom otion an d tenure. The ad requirem ent d id n ’t indicate that you h ad to come tenure-ready, w ith te n articles p u b ­ lished in refereed journals an d service as an ALA councilor, only that you possess the ability. So, h o w can o n e k now such a thing during prescreening? • W ill t h e r e b e a q u iz later? There are also som e required qualifications listed in a job ad th at the search com m ittee can n o t know ab o u t you w h e th e r they m eet you or not, unless a test is given. They include dem ­ onstrated skill in planning, organizing, and coordinating the w ork o f others, or d em o n ­ strated skill in a n y th in g for th at m atter. “K now ledge o f” re q u irem en ts c a n n o t be checked on the grid for you unless you write the statem ents from th e job ad in your cover letter or résum é. The search com m ittee can­ not read into y o u r résum é that w hich is not there, even if you possess the skills required. “K now ledge o f” skills also serve as a w arning to the applicant that he o r she can expect to be asked to dem onstrate know l­ ed g e of, or at least discuss intelligently, the issues enu m erated in the qualifications. If th ere is a presentation, w h e th e r a topic is assigned or not, the candidate n eed s to find a w ay to cover som e o r m ost o f these items during the presentation. Many search com ­ m ittee m em bers will take careful notes and u se them to fill in any blank areas o n the grid. It also helps to address, an d clarify, job requirem ents during th e question-and- answ er p erio d following the presentation, as well as during any m eeting with the search committee. • P r e fe r r e d q u a lific a tio n s . Many library job ads list preferred qualifications. Preferred qualifications are s u p p o s e d to assist the search com m ittee to further narrow d ow n the list of applicants to only th e best-quali­ fied people. This rarely h appens, however, because preferred qualifications, with the ex­ ception of a specified n u m b er of y ears’ ex­ perience, are also often stated so vaguely that it is difficult to k n o w w h e th e r som eone has the trait w ithout m eeting the person. Also, th ere tends to b e som e am biguity about h o w preferred qualifications are used. Fairness, from an affirmative action stand­ point, seem s to be evident w h e n only those persons m eeting all of the required qualifi­ cations are then exam ined for preferred ones. However, it does h a p p e n that a perso n w ho m eets all of the preferred qualifications, but few o f the required ones, is invited for an interview anyway. • S o m e l e s s o n s a r e le a r n e d w h i l e t h e s e a r c h i s i n p r o c e s s . Some libraries d o n ’t really k now w hat they w ant, from either the applicants or the position itself, particularly if the position is new ly created. Watch out for snappy, vogue position titles, such as professional developm ent librarian, digital librarian, m etadata librarian, o r diversity li­ brarian. T hese are often experim ental posi­ tions, w ritten to select individuals or to be symbolic see d planting for future organiza­ tional change. Also, w e w h o w rite job descriptions have a long w ay to go in honing o u r craft. After all, there is a g roup of you out th ere w ho n e e d jobs, an d a lot of academ ic libraries n e e d librarians. We n e e d to begin to w ork C&RL News ■ June 2001 /5 9 9 with new language in our job ads in order to m eet dynamic, interesting, and friendly people w ho love librarianship, w ho are not fried or otherw ise impaired, and w ho u n ­ derstand, agree with, and are willing to ful­ fill the requirem ents o f the professorate. In­ stead of asking for vague qualifications that are not easily dem onstrable, w e should be looking for people w ho like people. That w ould cure our diversity w oes, once and for all. We should be looking for people w ho like finding things. That would bring our col­ lections to life. We should be looking for people w ho are friendly and approachable. That w ould single-handedly revitalize refer­ ence. We should be looking for people w ho love to learn and love to teach. That would en d all antipathy tow ard faculty status and tenure for librarians. Instead, w e reuse old job descriptions that do not reflect the de­ gree and type o f change experienced by a given library over time. W ho and how w e hire will have a tre­ m endous impact on w hat libraries are to b e ­ come in the new century. • A d d it io n a l o b s e r v a t i o n s o n w h y s e a r c h e s ta k e t o o lo n g . O ne of the main reasons searches seem to take so long is that applicants often go w eeks, an d sometimes months, w ithout hearing anything about the status of their application. Why does this h ap­ pen? The short answ er is that the search is still active. W hat does this m ean to the a p ­ plicant? Nothing. What does this really m ean from a library standpoint? It m eans many things. The library may be experiencing difficulty with scheduling search committee meetings. It also may be having difficulty scheduling candidates for interviews (som ething you probably d o n ’t w ant to hear at this point). A university-m andated hiring freeze, glitches with paperw ork to secure the required p er­ missions (most common), or som e new in­ sights gained by the library, such as w hat the job or person hired for the job should be like, may be occurring. The search could be at a standstill (stalled because no quali­ fied applicant has been identified and no new applications have been received), or w hat your gut tells you has happened, the position has been offered to som eone else. And so you may ask, “If the position was If you are reading this article, you … just happened upon one of the best sources for job listings in the business. offered to som eone else, w hy did it take so long to notify me?” The naked truth is that until an offer is extended, accepted, and ap ­ proved by the university administration, the search is far from over. In fact, the process could fall apart at any point along the way, and som etim es does. W hen searches fall apart, som etimes over som ething as rudi­ mentary as the frontrunner changed his or her m ind or accepted another position in a library that responded faster with an offer, the library wants to keep the pool as “clean” as possible in order to continue selecting from the remaining candidates. Does this m ean that you should avoid applying for jobs in academic librarianship? Of course not. If you are reading this article, you probably already have one, or just h ap ­ pen ed u p o n one of the best sources for job listings in the business. Be forewarned, how ­ ever, that getting a job takes time. Librarians w ho are n ew to the profession should be prepared for the prospect that a response to your résum é will rarely be immediate. Now, having covered some o f the reasons why searches take time, there is a more o p ­ timistic view of the world vis-à-vis the time it takes to get a job in academic librarianship. So, before you give up on w hat could be a great career, read this: Far more often than not, much of the process involving the es­ tablishment of your viability as a candidate doesn’t really take very long. And that’s w hat most applicants w ant to know —that they are still in the running for a position. It’s the “not hearing anything” that’s so nerve-wracking. • H o w d o y o u k n o w i f y o u ’r e i n th e r u n n in g ? There is only one sure way to know if you are a finalist for a position: You receive a call from the personnel officer in­ forming you that the library wants to invite you for an interview. Beyond this, the rest is guesswork. Here are a few “educated” guesses, or indicators (hint, hint), that your application is, at the least, not dead yet. 1) Your refer- 600 / C&RL News ■ June 2001 So, if it takes two to three months to hear anything, don't be surprised; things are probably progressing at a normal rate. ences have b e e n contacted only days after the search officially closed. This is a g ood sign because it usually m eans you m ade it through the first, an d in som e cases the only, cut. Or it m eans that references are being contacted for everyone in the pool. Either way, the fact that th e search com m ittee is moving so quickly is a g o o d sign. 2) You receive a call from the p erso n n el officer or chair of the search com m ittee asking if you are still interested in the position. A lthough it is possible that such a call is being m ade to everyone in th e pool, it’s highly unlikely, especially if th e caller takes the time to o u t­ line the search process a n d the tim etable. Take this as an o th er g o o d sign; contact is better th an n o contact. 3) You receive a call from the chair o f th e search com m ittee ask­ ing if you are available for a prelim inary telephone interview. This is also a g o o d sign because the indication is that you are defi­ nitely on the short list an d th e re ’s a 50/50 chance th e com m ittee m em bers will like the sound o f y o u r voice. Life can b e su ch a crapshoot, at tim es, especially for p e o p le with regalia a n d n o jobs. Advice for new job seekers Now th a t y o u u n d e rs ta n d so m e o f th e re a ­ s o n s w h y g e t t i n g a jo b in a c a d e m ic lib raria n sh ip tak es tim e, th e fo llo w in g a d ­ vice is o ffe re d for p ro sp e c tiv e jo b s e e k ­ ers. • Start e a r ly . It d o e sn ’t h u rt to develop a search strategy. Plan w h e n to sen d out résum és by acting as if th e search com m it­ tee w ants to m ove along w ith th e process. Take n o te o f th e closing d ate for ap p lica­ tions, a n d p lan y o u r interview ing schedule four to six w e ek s after th e closing date. This is b ased o n th e assum ption that the search is m oving along quickly, w hich m eans al­ lowing for a m o n th to h old search com m it­ tee m eetings, re a d ré su m é s, re ceiv e a n d evaluate references, a n d secure the n e c e s­ sary adm inistrative approvals. A dd tw o w e e k s’ lead time for th e p u r­ chase o f a plane ticket at a c h e ap er fare than it w o u ld cost if you w ere o n the n ex t flight out. In the sam e tw o w eeks, a d d having a hotel room b o o k e d for you an d arran g e­ m ents m ade to have m ost (if n o t all) o f the staff o n stan d b y for a w h o le business day to fe ed a n d interview you. We’re talking light­ ening fast, ev e n th o u g h to you it’s b e e n six w eeks. So, if it takes tw o to three m onths to h e a r anything, d o n ’t b e surprised; things are p ro b ab ly progressing at a norm al rate. • B e w i l l i n g t o tr a v e l, a n d c o n s i d e r b o t h p r iv a t e a n d p u b lic i n s t i t u t i o n s . A w ide n et catches m any fish. Some n e w li­ brarians ex p erien ce job search anxiety b e ­ cause they are unw illing to travel. G o w h e re the w o rk is, particularly if a n u m b er o f p osi­ tions are b ein g advertised by th e sam e insti­ tution. Also, d o n ’t forget y o u r privates! Many private institutions have the ability an d re ­ sources to m ove along w ith a search faster than a lot o f public institutions, particularly if they identify a p erso n w h o meets the quali­ fications. • B e p r e p a r e d t o p a y n o w a n d b e r e ­ i m b u r s e d l a t e r w h e n i t c o m e s t o e x ­ p e n s e s . O ne o f th e first, a n d m ost lasting, shocks o f my professional life w as w h e n I w as politely inform ed th at I w as b ein g in­ vited for an interview , w ith th e expectation that I h a d to p a y my o w n ex p e n ses a n d su b ­ mit all receipts for reim bursem ent. This was particularly troublesom e for me, given that all I h ad to m y nam e w as m y regalia— an d ev e n that w as rented. W hen I got over the shock, I p a id my expenses. And th e n I su b ­ m itted the receipts an d patiently w aited for re im b u rse m en t. A nd th e n I w a ite d som e m ore. T hank goodness, m ore libraries are b e ­ co m in g se n sitiz e d to th e n e w lib ra ria n ’s plight, an d m any d o p re p a y p lan e tickets an d o th er ex p en ses for candidates. Still, be p re p a re d to face the reality that m any places ex p e ct you to p ay first. • D o n ’t s l o w d o w n t h e p r o c e s s . P ro­ vide all of the inform ation re q u ested in the job ad, such as a cover letter, résum é, nam es o f references, transcripts, a n d so on. Watch o u t for spelling errors a n d typos, an d be advised that y o u r cover letter is the only evi­ d e n c e , in m o s t c a s e s , th a t th e s e a r c h (c o n tin u e d on p a g e 634) C&RL News ■ June 2001 / 607 “ I am s t i l l l e a r n i n g . . . ” — M i c h e la n g e l o L I T E R A T U R E R E S O U R C E C E N T E R J O IN S F O R C E S W IT H T H E M O D E R N L A N G U A G E A S S O C IA T IO N There’s no way Michelangelo could have comprehensive research in one database with known the impact his paintings would have. these benefits: But he did know that even with so much • Simultaneous searching and results accomplished, there’s always more to do. We • Links to more than 145 full-text literary agree. The Gale Group announces that its journals — many of which appear in the Literature Resource Center is now available MLA International Bibliography —with the premiere tool for academic a Gale Group exclusiveresearchers in the humanities — the Modern Language Association (MLA) International CONTACT USBibliography. For more inform ation on how to TRANSFORMING RESEARCH order Literature Resource Center with Making research more convenient wasn’t the MLA International Bibliography, enough. We wanted to revolutionize please call your Gale Group Representative research. For the first time anywhere, at 1-800-877-GALE or visit us at Literature Resource Center users can conduct www.galegroup.com. I N F O R M A T I O N I N T E G R I T Y http://www.galegroup.com 634 IC&RL News ■ June 2001 Science and Technology (STS) Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect: William M. Baer (109); B a r to n M. L e s s in (188). Secretary/Member-at-Large (2-yearterm): N ancy J. Butkovich (184); Teresa U. Berry (111). Slavic and East European (SEES) Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect: Nadia Zilper (17); J a red S. I n g e r s o ll (26). Member-at-Large (1-year term): Diana Greene (15); M arek Srok a (28). University Libraries (ULS) Adoption of Proposed Bylaws (Article IV) No (28); Y es (9 1 1 ) ADOPTED Adoption of P roposed Bylaws (Article V) No (32); Y es (8 4 6 ) ADOPTED Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect: Frank Andraia (398); L o u ise S. S h e r b y (507). Secretary (2-year term): Mary H. M unroe (358); B arbara E. K e m p (470). M em ber-at-L arge (3 -y e a r term , 2 to be elected): B e ts y B a k er (535); Phelix B. Hanible (297); D o r is A n n S w e e t (381); Linda K. Terhaar (372). Western European Specialists (WESS) Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect: G o rd o n B. A n d e r so n (57); Beau David Case (52). Secretary (1-year term): Bruce W. Swann (39); S arah G. W e n z e l (68). Member-at-Large (1-year term): Richard R. Ring (37); Sam D u n la p (71). Women's Studies (WSS) Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect: D o lo r e s F id is h u n (100); Write-In Candidate (2). S e c r e t a r y ( 1 - y e a r t e r m ) : S u e A . M c F a d d e n (99); W rite-In C a n d id a te (0). M em ber-at-Large (1 -year term ): Ju lie Ann N a ch m an (49); B r it a S e r v a e s (55). ■ ( “New librarians . . c o n t.fro m p a g e 600) committee has to judge the excellence of your written communication skills, or lack thereof. And for heaven’s sake, please do not list as references people w ho cannot b e contacted (library school professors during the summer, for example) or people w ho have not given you permission to use their names. • J o in ALA a n d N e w M e m b e r s R o u n d T ab le. Take advantage of the student m em ­ bership rate, and plan on attending a Mid­ w inter or Annual Conference before or w hen you graduate. The Placement Center is one of the m ost efficient and effective places to m eet potential employers, and m any o f our num ber have b ee n hired on the spot. While y o u ’re there, stop by New Members Round Table. You’ll find y o u ’re not alone, in so m any ways. And the socials are a blast— regalia optional. Note 1. Philip C. Howze, “10 Job-H unting Tips for New Librarians, ”C&RL News (July/Au­ gust 1997). ■