i think there will be fewer librarians in the future – but i don’t think the needs are dying

Paramaribo market scene. Women and men. 1922.This anonymous interview is with an academic librarian who has been a hiring manager and a member of a hiring or search committee. This person hires the following types of LIS professionals:

systems, web, digital library services

This librarian works at a library with 200+ staff members in an urban area in the Midwestern US.

Approximately how many people applied for the last librarian (or other professional level) job at your workplace?

√ 25-75

Approximately what percentage of those would you say were hirable?

√ 25% or less

And how would you define “hirable”?

appropriate skills, experience, and credentials, coupled with the right kinds of personalities/professionalism.

How are applications evaluated, and by whom?

All S&S members see all applicants. We use a scoring matrix – required and desired elements…the process ensures some degree of objectivity while allowing for subjectivity as well on the part of each committee member.

What is the most common reason for disqualifying an applicant without an interview?

lack of credentials, *required* years of experience, lack of experience in university setting

Do you (or does your library) give candidates feedback about applications or interview performance?

√ Other: rarely and only on request

What is the most important thing for a job hunter to do in order to improve his/her/their hirability?

read requirements, communicate well, match job to skills

I want to hire someone who is

talented and professional

How many staff members are at your library/organization?

√ 200+

How many permanent, full time librarian (or other professional level) jobs has your workplace posted in the last year?

√ 7 or more

How many permanent, full time para-professional (or other non-professional level) jobs has your workplace posted in the last year?

√ 5-6

Can you tell us how the number of permanent, full-time librarian positions at your workplace has changed over the past decade?

√ There are fewer positions

Have any full-time librarian positions been replaced with part-time or hourly workers over the past decade?

√ Yes

Have any full-time librarian positions been replaced with para-professional workers over the past decade?

√ Yes

Does your workplace require experience for entry-level professional positions? If so, is it an official requirement or just what happens in practice?

No.

Is librarianship a dying profession?

√ Other: it’s an evolving profession – i think there will be fewer librarians in the future – but i don’t think the needs are dying

Do you hire librarians?  Take this survey: http://tinyurl.com/hiringlibjobmarketsurvey or take other Hiring Librarians surveys.

For some context, look at the most recent summary of responses.

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Filed under 200+ staff members, Academic, Midwestern US, State of the Job Market 2015, Urban area

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