SLIS alumnae Aisha Hallman (MLS '06) recently started as Adult and Teen Librarian at the Bartlett Public Library District in Bartlett, IL. She discussed her new job in the following email interview.
Interview
Tell us about the current position. What do you like about it? What do you find most challenging?
I'm at the Bartlett Public Library District in Bartlett, IL. My job title is Adult and Teen Librarian I. I've only been here three months, but I'm already doing a lot.
I serve on the reference, readers' advisory, and teen desks. I'm also responsible for the purchasing and weeding of the 000s, 300s, and Science Fiction areas of the collection. I also serve on the Marketing Committee. We will soon be looking for a new catalog system and I've been asked to join that committee. I just scheduled my first programs and will start virtual reference later this week. I might be teaching computer classes starting next year. I've created displays. I've also been working with our Teen Librarian on the teen pages on our website.
I was really lucky to find a library that encourages and pays continuing education; I attended Illinois Library Association conference for two days in Chicago and have attended other workshops.
I think what I like the most and what I find the most challenging is the same thing: the variety. Because I have various responsibilities, I am rarely without something to do. I don't have much off-desk time (no one here really does) so I have to really prioritize my reference duties with everything else. Learning what the busy times are have helped; I know I can do purchasing at a certain time in the day because we have fewer patrons. At other times, when I know we will be busy, I do less involved tasks so I can be available to patrons.
What SLIS course(s) have been most valuable to you?
L570 Online Information Retrieval has helped a lot in helping me search faster and more effectively for things online and in my library's catalog. L622 Library Materials for Adults has been helpful because I had to read science fiction for the course and I'm now purchasing science fiction. I'm not as wary of it as I had been before the class and I'm more open to reading genres I wouldn't normally read. One of my last courses was L595 Career Strategies. It helped me a lot because I started interviewing right after I graduated and already had a solid resume and cover letter. I felt prepared for interviewing and negotiating. I also took an internship (L596 Internship in Library and Information Science), which was valuable in getting more customer service experience and it's much easier to answer interview questions about how you would handle a difficult patron or a book challenge when you have some experience.
What advice would you give to current SLIS students?
I was offered the first job for which I interviewed but didn't take it. There is this idea that there aren't many entry-level jobs out there, and after I turned down the job, I did start to feel that. But you want to find the job and location and community that are right for you so don't feel you have to jump at the first offer. Do interview preparation and research. There are many websites with interview questions; read them, write answers down, memorize them. You don't want to sound like a robot, but you don't want to sit there stumped when your interviewer asks you a question. The first interview I went on was for a Librarian I position at one of three branches. I didn't know which branch I would be offered so I visited all three branches the night before. When I went into the interview, I casually mentioned I had visited the branches the night before, and I could tell they were impressed. Doing the research helps you out in knowing if you really want the job and can help tip an interviewer in your favor.
Posted December 07, 2006