RCLS Professional Collection: Your Career

An MLIS can provide the skill set needed to get a library job, but building a library career means knowing how to maximize your potential every step of the way. Benefiting those fresh out of library school as well as experienced professionals, career librarians from every corner of the profession offer a personal, down-to-earth view of "what it's really like out there." Filled with valuable insights into how to better launch and manage a library career, this book addresses important topics like: How to work and adapt at a new organization; What management expects and how to view everyday activities from that point of view; How to make suggestions for change; Advice on navigating the cyclical nature of a librarian's work year; The rewards and challenges of professional organizations; Why a library degree is valuable outside a traditional library setting.

This work covers a variety of library topics that are truly relevant to the day-to-day job, such as management, administration, and marketing.

Updated and expanded version, with more resource information on cross-cultural communication, including new applications of communication principles and the latest research-based material on communication in general, this comprehensive manual covers: Fundamental skills such as listening, speaking, and writing; Reading others' nonverbal behavior; How to integrate skills, with tips for practicing; Sense-making, a theory of information as communication; Common interactions like speaking one-on-one, working in groups, and giving presentations; Training others in communication skills, including a special section on technology-based training.

An encyclopedia filled with facts, tips, lists, and resources essential for library professionals and information workers of all kinds, all carefully handpicked to reflect the most informative, practical, up-to-date, and entertaining examples of library literature. Selections include: Facts and figures on library workers; Bookmobile guidelines; 100 great libraries of the world; Job search and recruitment techniques and advice on how to deal with tough economic times; Tips on writing articles and book reviews; Fun with cataloging rules; Famous librarians' favorite books.