1. Step into the Future with New Career Choices Dr. Sandra Hirsh, Professor and Director San Jose State University School of Library and Information ScienceFebruary 4, 2011

2. Changing Times Ive come to think that managing our uncertain future is about achieving fitness: adapting to change, staying relevant. - Stephen J. Bell

3. Agenda Current job situation New opportunities for information professionals Strategies for pursuing new career paths

4. LIS Jobs: Average Growth Librarians (Best career 2009), Archivists, Conservators and Curators Job growth is project to be average through 2018: US: 8% Canada: 6% The retirement level is expected to rise over the next decade.

5. So why is it difficult to find a job? Geographic location Economic conditions for different library settings, especially in state and local governments Experience/Skill Levels required

6. New opportunities

7. LIS Skills are in demand… Agencies outside of libraries experienced an increase in reported placements from just over 15% (2008) to over 27% (2009) - Library Journal Placement and Salary Survey 2010

8. Opportunities outside of libraries U.S. News & World Report listed these as top 30 careers in 2009: Usability/User Experience Specialist Systems Analyst

9. Opportunities outside of libraries Database development Reference tool development Information systems Publishing Internet coordination Marketing Web content management and design Training of database users - Occupational Outlook Handbook 2010-2011

10. Emerging Job Titles Emerging Technologies Librarian Web Content Manager Information Architect Usability Analyst Information Specialist Digital Collections Metadata Librarian Virtual Services Manager Digital Assets Librarian Escobosa, C. (2010). Library and information careers: emerging trends and titles.

11. Highly requested skills Teaching/instruction Web design and maintenance Knowledge of metadata standards for digital content Knowledge of integrated library systems Ability to create online tutorials Escobosa, C. (2010). Library and information careers: emerging trends and titles.

12. Think broadly about LIS skills LIS skills are good currency in this world – but only for those with the flexibility and insight to exploit the opportunities. - Stephen Abrams

13. Case Studies

14. Case Study: Head of New Center for Digital Learning and Research Founding director of the CDLR at Occidental College in 2009, which focuses on enabling student and faculty success in the rapidly changing world of digital scholarship. Assembled a group of technology, library science, and media experts who could help the faculty use technology in their teaching… Learn how to podcast Publish on a digital scholarship platform Master the intricacies of Moodle, an open source learning management system.

15. Case Study: Learning Resource Exchange European Schoolnet Work as a semantic interoperability expert for the European Schoolnet to manage their Learning Resource Exchange (LRE) for schools, a portal of open educational resources. research and writing in the field of metadata standards and semantic interoperability. develop and document the LRE metadata application profile liaison with the LRE development team to improve tools and develop new ones manage controlled vocabularies administer different semantic interoperability tools, such as LRE metadata application profile registry and vocabulary bank for education

16. Case Study: Digital Archivist Stanford University Stanford's First Digital Archivist to develop best practices for acquiring, capturing, processing, and describing born-digital materials. making backup copies of a collection that had some born digital files in a personal computer. lobbied to expand the scope of his job to do further processing of the digital files, such as migrating ones in obsolete formats to long-term preservation formats and separating files with restricted information. merging the metadata of a map collection and processing a born digital collection with 200,000 files in a full-text search format to facilitate finding the program listing and correspondence related to the computer game Adventure.

17. Case Study: Senior Analyst Adobe Systems Senior Analyst, Information Resources/Research Portal Manager, Adobe Systems Develop and maintain company-wide research and information portal. Drive the technology roadmap for the portal, manage vendors and consultants, conduct user research and surveys, and maintain extensive taxonomy structure. Regularly write for the groups Markets and Research blog, Manage collaboration tools including blogs, wikis, eRooms, and shared servers. Create marketing materials and provide trainings in person and via web conference. Perform custom research and inquiry work for employees worldwide.

18. My Career Path University of Arizona (Academia)HP Labs (R&D)Microsoft (Product Development)LinkedIn (Product Development)San Jose State University (Academia)

19. Moving into industry – untraditional library position Scenario Professor at University of Arizona Need to leave job for family move No academic jobs available in the Bay Area Strategies Leveraged network Created opportunity Took a chance

20. Moving into industry non-library position Scenario Decided it was time to diversify Strategies Explored different industry job titles to find best fit – chose User Experience Attended local professional events- networked Identified transferrable skills

21. Moving from industry back into academia Scenario Ready for a job change Planned to come back to academia, but…when? Strategies Continue scholarly activities Maintain LIS professional involvement Take on advocacy for public libraries Maintain connection to LIS education

22. Strategies

23. How can you extend your career beyond libraries? Set goals for career growth Translate LIS terms Leverage transferr- able skills Articulate career narrative Network Network Network Develop your personal brand

24. Bridging Terminology Cataloguing Metadata Reference User needs Library Systems /Databa ses Technical Skills Library Outreach Social networking

25. Transferrable Skills LeadershipCreativityInnovation CollaborationFlexibility/AmbiguityPassion CommunicationProblem-Solving

26. Develop/Build Key Skills Get Experience Take a course (See LIS Career Resources)LIS Career Resources Find a mentor Perform informational interviews Read books, articles, blogs Read broadly for trends (in libraries, business, general)

27. Networking! Participate in discussion groups Attend conferences and professional events Build online profile & professional network

28. Develop your personal brand Develop online portfolio, professional profile, website, resume Be visible Blog, post to discussions, answer online questions Speak out Package your skills, experience, personality (online & offline) Tell a story (career narrative) Volunteer, take on leadership roles, write, publish, present Be professionally engaged

29. Manage your online reputation According to a Microsoft survey of more than 1200 hiring managers in December 2009, 79% of companies and recruiters reviewed online information about job applicants and 70% had actually rejected candidates based on what they found. - Information Today, Nov. 2010, p.1

30. Takeways LIS skills are marketable and can be applied in many settings! Think broadly about your own skills and how you could use them in different contexts You own your career – chart it out Build and nurture your professional network Keep current and fill in gaps in your skill set

31. Questions? Thank you! Sandy.hirsh@sjsu.edu

32. LIS Career Resources Books Professional organizations Job sites LIS Blogs Listservs and Forums Continuing education

33. Books Doucet, E. (2010). What they dont teach you in library school. Chicago: ALA Editions. Haycock, K. and Sheldon, B., eds. (2008). The portable MLIS: insights from the experts. Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited. Lawson, J., Kroll, J. and Kowatch, K. (2010). The new information professional: your guide to careers in the digital age. New York: Neal-Schuman. Murray, R. and Shontz, P. K. (2007). A day in the life: career options in library and information science. Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited.

34. Professional Organizations ALA – American Library Association (includes Canada) http://www.ala.org/http://www.ala.org/ ALA Divisions Listings http://www.ala.org/ala/ourassociation/divisions/divisions.htmhttp://www.ala.org/ala/ourassociation/divisions/divisions.htm ALISE - Association of Library and Information Science Education http://www.alise.org/index.html http://www.alise.org/index.html ASIST -American Society for Information Science and Technology http://www.asis.org/index.html http://www.asis.org/index.html IFLAI – International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions http://www.ifla.org/ http://www.ifla.org/ List of Professional Associations in the Information Sciences http://slisweb.sjsu.edu/resources/orgs.htm http://slisweb.sjsu.edu/resources/orgs.htm

35. Job Sites American Library Association Job List http://joblist.ala.org/http://joblist.ala.org/ Career Direction Research – http://slisweb.sjsu.edu/resources/career_development/careerdirection_resea rch.htm http://slisweb.sjsu.edu/resources/career_development/careerdirection_resea rch.htm Combined LIS Job Postings List http://www.lisjobs.com/jobs/index.asphttp://www.lisjobs.com/jobs/index.asp LibJobs.com http://www.libjobs.com/http://www.libjobs.com/ Library and Technology Association Jobs http://www.lita.org/ala/lita/litaresources/litajobsite/newthisweek/newweek. cfm http://www.lita.org/ala/lita/litaresources/litajobsite/newthisweek/newweek. cfm Library Journal Job Zone http://jobs.libraryjournal.com/http://jobs.libraryjournal.com/ LISCareer.com – Career Strategies for Librarians http://liscareer.com/index.htm http://liscareer.com/index.htm

36. LIS Blogs ACRLog - http://acrlog.org/ News and professional issues for academic librarianshttp://acrlog.org/ Library of Congress Blog - http://www.loc.gov/blog/ Written by Matt Raymond, Jennifer Gavin, and Erin Allenhttp://www.loc.gov/blog/ Librarian in Black-http://librarianinblack.typepad.com/ Current news and updates for tech-savvy librarianshttp://librarianinblack.typepad.com/ LISNews - http://www.lisnews.org/ Articles, links, reviews and interviews on the latest LIS happeningshttp://www.lisnews.org/ Annoyed Librarian - http://blog.libraryjournal.com/annoyedlibrarian A librarian weighs in on controversial LIS issues in a thought-provoking manner.http://blog.libraryjournal.com/annoyedlibrarian Blogwithoutalibrary.net - http://www.blogwithoutalibrary.net A continually updated look at what libraries are doing with blogs.http://www.blogwithoutalibrary.net The Young Librarian - http://younglibrarian.blogspot.com/atom.xml Chronicles of a recent MLIS graduate seeking employment.http://younglibrarian.blogspot.com/atom.xml

37. LIS Blogs Infomancy - http://www.schoolof.info/infomancy/ A weblog about information, libraries, and technology by a school library system director from New York State.http://www.schoolof.info/infomancy/ Information Wants to be Free - http://meredith.wolfwater.com/wordpress/ Meredith Farkass blog, specializing in using social networking tools in an LIS settinghttp://meredith.wolfwater.com/wordpress/ Librarian.net - http://www.librarian.net/ Links to pertinent alternative web sites of interest, presented by Jessamyn West.http://www.librarian.net/ The Shifted Librarian - http://www.theshiftedlibrarian.com/ Library weblog intent on "making librarians more portable" from Jenny Levinehttp://www.theshiftedlibrarian.com/ Threnody for the Public Domain - http://pdthrenody.blogspot.com/ Tracking the current state of copyright and related issues.http://pdthrenody.blogspot.com/

38. Listservs and Forums ALA Discussion Lists http://lists.ala.org/wwshttp://lists.ala.org/wws International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions LIBJOBS http://infoserv.inist.fr/wwsympa.fcgi/info/libjobs http://infoserv.inist.fr/wwsympa.fcgi/info/libjobs Info Career Trends - LISjobs.com's Professional Development Newsletter http://www.lisjobs.com/newsletter/ http://www.lisjobs.com/newsletter/ iProJobs Information School Professional Jobs List http://mailman.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/iprojobs http://mailman.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/iprojobs LIS Career Options – http://www.linkedin.com/groups?home=&gid=3126663http://www.linkedin.com/groups?home=&gid=3126663 NextGen Librarians – Facebook Group http://www.facebook.com/group.php?sid=7f4beb04efc2e5aaf439abf80951b41 5&gid=2240728154&ref=search http://www.facebook.com/group.php?sid=7f4beb04efc2e5aaf439abf80951b41 5&gid=2240728154&ref=search

39. Continuing Education ALA – Education and Careers – Continuing Education http://www.ala.org/ala/education/ce/continuingeducation.htm (Includes searchable database of ALAsponsored continuing education opportunities) http://www.ala.org/ala/education/ce/continuingeducation.htm CLA (Canadian Library Association) – Continuing Professional Development http://www.cla.ca/conference/continued.htm http://www.cla.ca/conference/continued.htm ALA – State and Regional Chapters – List of Professional Associations http://www.ala.org/ala/ourassociation/chapters/stateandregional/stateregional.htm http://www.ala.org/ala/ourassociation/chapters/stateandregional/stateregional.htm Infopeople – Federally funded grant project providing a wide variety of training to LIS workers http://www.infopeople.org/ http://www.infopeople.org/ IS/Continuing Education (ACRL) – A wiki listing online continuing education opportunities for academic librarians http://wikis.ala.org/acrl/index.php/IS/Continuing_Educationhttp://wikis.ala.org/acrl/index.php/IS/Continuing_Education Simmons College GSLIS Continuing Education – On-site continuing education courses for LIS professionals http://alanis.simmons.edu/ceweb/teach.phphttp://alanis.simmons.edu/ceweb/teach.php Trendy Topics (T2) – Online conferences on hot topics in the LIS field http://www.trendytopics.info/http://www.trendytopics.info/