The Adventures of an International School Librarian

This post was introduced to me by a college friend. Frankly it was a position that I hadn't even been aware of. Librarian posts in International schools. It has been difficult researching the actual requirements that are expected from you, it varies from, all you need is your MLIS, to, you need to have a teaching diploma/certificate/degree etc. So be prepared when looking at job specs. 'Going International'  a fabulous article from the Library Journal by Sarah Prescott, answers questions about the international librarian posts. It has a wealth of links to job sites, articles etc. An absolute must read. Another equally great read is 'A Well Kept Secret: How to become an International School Librarian'   by Laura Sanders {and originally posted on the terrific Hack School Library Blog}, this was the article that initially lead me to researching the role of an international librarian. A number of International Teaching career fairs take place around the globe, b...

So today, after a weekend of tearing my hair out and convincing myself that I hadn't been successful in the interviews the previous Friday, I finally heard back from them. To recap, on Friday I had two job interviews for 4 positions in Trinity College Libraries. Firstly it was an incredible honor to be selected for these interviews, and secondly, to me, this seemed like the make or break it opportunity. A kind of a one shot chance. My feelings were, if I wasn't successful in the interviews, then Canada would definitely become a reality. The interviews went well. Actually they went bloody fantastic. Each interview consisted of a panel of 3 people. All 6 interviewers were ridiculously nice. I had been quite daunted by the fact that I had never been interviewed by that many people before. The maximum number had been 2. But 3, I mean where do you look? You kind of always, ultimately phase out one person, so that was quite tricky. Anyway, they went ridiculously well. But doubt...

So today is the day where my future as a librarian hangs in the balance. Two HUGE interviews for a prestigious college. It's been great to have the week off. I've had ample opportunity to prepare. But more importantly RESEARCH. I've come to learn that it is incredibly important to research the place that you are interviewing for. Be it the position, the company, what they do there, what happened in the past, and most importantly what they are planning to do in the future. Looking at the libraries strategic plan is always a great resource, and generally by a rule, all libraries have one, or are working on one. The questions below*, are ones that have cropped up again and again in interviews. When preparing your answers, always always have an example to back it up, to show how you demonstrated your skills etc. Why did you decide to enter the field of library and information science? OR What motivated you to seek a library degree? Why did you decide to apply for this ...

It's been incredibly quiet on the job front. Only a new internship by FAS for 2 positions in Tipperary. This morning I woke up, and for some unknown reason, my brain was telling me to research libraries in embassies. I haven't found much job wise, but it's an avenue I hadn't even considered before. I don't if there are any actual librarians working in Irish embassies. But here's an interesting article I found on American ones. I'd love if my intuition actually proved me right for once! Over the next week i'll be posting job interview tips. I have 2 big job interviews next Friday, so I plan on researching the hell out of it, in order to prepare. I feel like this is my biggest opportunity yet, and I can't waste it. So bring it on. Hopefully some new jobs will appear next week. Fingers crossed.

Just for those searching for jobs in the States & Canada. Library Sites is a great website, more so for US libraries . It's divided into states, click on the state and it provides you with Public Libraries, Universities & Specialist libraries. They have a Canadian subsection too which is good but not half as comprehensive as the American version. Reason I mention them, is I've found it's easier to go through the Public libraries and see what job opportunities there are in those particular branches. They usually list positions such as 'Page' and 'Shelf Stacker' etc, as well as part time library assistants, which aren't often advertised on LisJobs . So yes, it is time consuming, but also worth it. Though the interface is really quite dated, Library Job Postings  is a great data bank for jobs in the States {less so Canada}. Links: Library Job Postings Canada  Library Job Postings US LisJobs {US} Library Sites {US} Library Sites ...

For those registered with FAS and that have been on JobSeekers Allowance for 3 Months, there are a few opportunities out there. A few based in Dundalk, Cork, Roscommon, Ennis & Dublin. This Librarian  post via FAS closes in 2 days time {5th Oct}, it's a job in Special Needs school in Sandymount, Dublin and is also associated with the Job Bridge Scheme, so applicants need to make sure they are applicable before they apply. So far these are the only jobs, i've been able to locate online. In other news, i've decided to give Ireland 6 months, and then it's off to Canada for me. I figure it gives me enough time to get myself a job in retail, save some money before the big move. There are jobs in Canada, esp in the library field, they aren't half as frequent as the jobs from the States. The reason I've decided not to do the year long J1 visa, is purely on the fact that it is expensive. At least in Canada, whilst waiting for the perfect Library job, you ca...