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[–]kenzlo 3 points4 points  (0 children)

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Be yourself. Relax. Breathe. Smile. Be honest. Don't recycle the answers you think they want to hear. Ask them questions. Ask why they like their job. Ask what's expected of you. Ask about anything you have a question about. Dress nice. Be kind. Shake hands. Look people in the eyes. Thank them for the interview. Send a thank you card to the interviewer. And best of luck.

[–]p4nic 3 points4 points  (0 children)

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To be honest, the interview for that position is more to see if they think they'd get along with you and think you might fit in at the workplace. That you even got the interview means that they think you're qualified, just try to relax and be friendly and get to know them. Ask questions (you have to make sure you want to work with /them/ after all!!)

I think this applies to most jobs, actually in my experience, most people can do most things when they're motivated.

[–]princess-smartypants 3 points4 points  (0 children)

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You should stress your computer literacy. If you haven't worked in a library, you haven't likely used their particular software, but if you are familiar with various interfaces, say so, and that you pick up new tools quickly. If you can't use a mouse, or reboot the computer, you are in trouble.

Customer service is important. You are often the only personnel link the patron has with the library, so you need good people skills.

Read through the job description a dozen times. Make sure when you answer their questions, that you demonstrate how YOU fit that job description. If the questions don't cover what was listed in the description, make sure you point out that you are qualified for all the duties listed.

When they ask you if you have any questions, ask them what they think the greatest challenge of this position is. You follow up with how you would meet that challenge. Good luck.

[–]cats_or_get_out 2 points3 points  (0 children)

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Library front staff must have strong customer service skills. If they are wise, they will ask you about times you dealt with a difficult customer and how you resolved it, etc. You will probably get a bunch of the standard greatest strength, biggest weakness type questions, too.

Having sat in on an interviewing panel, my advice to any prospective employee is to be clear and concise. Please don't ramble on for 10 minutes on each question. Read the body language. On our (interviewer) end, it's death by boredom. Let your natural and professional personality shine.

(And please, for the love of God, don't fidget, play with your rings, or use excessive hand gestures. That's more of a personal pet peeve though...)

Here's another secret: Genuine enthusiasm goes a long way to filling in gaps in a resume. This will help answer the question, will this person be here for a long time or will we have to go through this God-awful interview process again soon?

[–]skellytor 1 point2 points  (0 children)

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It's good that you have some library experience and are familiar with Dewey/Library of Congress. I think an important thing to stress is customer service. As a library clerk, you are often dealing with people of all types and ages, and it isn't always the easiest thing to keep a smile on your face when things get hectic. Try to let them know that you like working with people and enjoy new challenges.

[–]mlisforthis 1 point2 points  (0 children)

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Like others have said, two of the main things I look for are customer service and computer skills. Because you don't have much library experience, you will definitely need to highlight how your previous positions have prepared you to work with the public.

Make sure you have a well thought out response to "why do you want to work for this library?" or "why did you apply for this job?" I've been surprised by how many people stumble over this question. Personally, I think going on about how much you love books is not an appropriate answer to this question. It's probably going to be one of the first questions they ask so just make sure you're prepared.

Good luck on your interview tomorrow!

[–]LittleLarry 0 points1 point  (0 children)

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Not the exact position, but I helped conduct an interview for a school library assistant and we were looking primarily for someone who was personable and not afraid of technology since there would be a lot of on-the-job training with our specific online catalog software. Dress professionally (some people take themselves out of the running before they even open their mouths since they're not dressed appropriately) and look in their eyes when you speak and just let them know you will hit the ground running and be flexible to their needs. Good luck!

[–]librarian45 0 points1 point  (0 children)

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1) Dress Well 2) Stress your Customer services expertise (whether or not you have any) 3) Be sure to explain your flexibility and willingness to do "duties as assigned" 4) Ask several questions at the end.
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