Post It #1 ~ Muppet Archivist

  With school starting and my new job I know that there will be times when I won't be able to post as often as i'd like. I've noticed that other blogs have reoccurring segments and I have always enjoyed and envied them. Thus my segment (that I just came up with in the past 5 minutes) the Post It!

Post It Terms & Conditions

 - 1 mini post every other week - NO EXCEPTIONS

                    - Twitter-like brevity (140 words MAX instead of 140 characters)

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Post It #1: Muppet Archivist

image may be subject to copyright

In Library school you tend to stick to thinking about the typical environments in the field; primarily Schools & Universities, Museums, and Public Libraries. But if you use your info science skills to dig deeper you can find a whole world of interesting places that need information professionals. Which brings me to the topic of this Post-It : The Jim Henson Company wants Library and Archive Interns! The company behind the Muppets, Labyrinth, Fraggle Rock, and the Creature Shop! A reminder to all that information professionals can go anywhere...so it wouldn't hurt to find out if there are positions waiting for you in organizations that harbor your other interests. 

Other Muppet related news: Two weeks ago a cover album of Classic Muppet Songs was released. Listen free on NPR's website.

How to Apply for a Job at NYPL ~ Response

So in my last post three weeks ago I was wondering what it would take to get a job at the New York Public Library ...civil service exams, academic qualifications, etc. So I went to the NYPL website and Asked them. The library system has an "Ask NYPL" section on their website that allows you to call, email, or text them a reference question. I filled out the email form and got a prompt answer...(two days later).

This was their response:

"Thanks for your interest in working at The New York Public Library!

Here is The Library's Employment Opportunities Web page, which lists available positions and all necessary qualifications to apply. Using this, you can apply for jobs directly online. Note that none of NYPL's jobs (librarian or otherwise) require a civil service examination:
http://jobs-nypl.icims.com/jobs/intro

For information on job searching in general (not just in NYPL) be sure to visit the NYPL Job Search Assistance Web page:
http://www.nypl.org/help/getting-oriented/for-job-seekers

Also, the Science, Industry and Business Library keeps Job Search Central (http://www.nypl.org/locations/tid/65/node/40820):
188 Madison Avenue
New York, NY 10016
e-mail: sibleref@nypl.org

We hope this helps and wish you all the best with your job search!"

 No Civil Service Exams?! How refreshing! Thanks NYPL! <3

Thing 10 (from a US/NY perspective) & 11

Thing 10: Graduate Traineeships, Master's Degrees, Chartership, Accreditation 


  Living in the United States... I felt a little left out by this section because I don't apply for chartership and there aren't trainee-ships. I took a look at the CILIP website. To earn chartership from the CILIP in UK you have to prepare a portfolio that details your plans, your experience, your hours of service, and your professional development skills. CILIP members must also have a mentor. As intimidating and tough as these qualifications look I really like how the UK holds their librarians up to a rigorous and standard professional guideline. I wish librarians in the US were held up to these types of standards....why? 2 Reasons:
   Reason 1.) I feel that many people in the United States think that any person off the street can be a librarian. A program like CILIP's would show people that Librarians work and train hard to be professionals at their job.
    Reason 2.) In the US every state has a different standard, different state testing & requirements to place for public library jobs, and different levels of schooling they require. A country wide standard would definitely make things less confusing. The ALA helps a little with this but there is still are a lot of different channels to go through.


Here's is what I have to do to become a qualified & hopefully successful public librarian in the state of New York:

• Earn a Master's Degree in Library and Information Science (LIS) or an Master's of Science in Information Science (MSIS) from an American Libraries Association (ALA) accredited program

• Become New York State Certified 
• (see New York Librarian Associations helpful wiki to find out how)

• Fill out the appropriate paperwork and pay a fee for each city and/or town, and/or county I wish to apply for work in ...the paper work is very similar for each but still tedious
• Since I live in Albany right now here is an example of the different forms I would have to fill out to work in Albany: 



NY Counties

• city form
• this form allows me to apply for jobs at any of the Albany Public Libraries
• county form   
• this form allows me to apply for jobs at Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk Community Library and the Bethlehem, Guilderland and Voorheesville Public Libraries

This makes me wonder how much paper work I will have to fill out to get a library job when I move to New York City...in a year or two.....?

Like a good MSIS student I decided to consult a librarian. I sent an email to the reference librarians at the New York Public Library.... I hope to post the response soon :)

Thing 11 Mentoring 
   Unlike the CILIP program, library students in NY are not required to find or build relationships with a mentor but it is encouraged. Personally, I try to learn from professors or supervisors at my internships or volunteer locations...but I am to shy too bluntly ask someone to be my mentor...If I knew someone who advertised themselves as one.. I'd like to think that I would grab the opportunity.

Last semester I went to an "Get a Job! Panel" held at my school where we could ask professionals about job hiring and experiences. I met a librarian there who offered me her email and told her I could talk to her if I had any questions. I plan to hold her to that. Also, there is a woman who works at the museum where I intern who I hope will teach me about grant writing.

Library Day in the Life Project

For those of who have a library job, want one, or want to know more about them...There's an event for you!

The Library Day in the Life project is a semi-annual event in which those with library jobs come together to share from a day to a weeks experiences about their day to day lives using blogs, pictures, twitter, etc. Go to the site to sign up for the July 25th-31st session or to view past events.

Bobbi Newman

To learn more about the person responsible for starting this event visit Bobbi Newman at her blog Librarian by Day. She is a library blogging super-star! and her blog archive offers lots of helpful advice. I am currently working through her archive section called "So You Want to Be a Librarian? A Guide for those Considering an MLS, Current Students, & Job Seekers"

....On a somewhat related note, when checking out this project I found out about site called Twapper Keeper. Twapper Keeper is a site that archives twitter feeds. It can be helpful when used with an online program like cdp23 or The Library Day in the Life...or for individual use if you want to keep abreast of certain twitter topics.