Libraries and the Job Hunt

I'm back from Charlotte and have much more that I want to say about what I learned at the Baker & Taylor vendor summit. As you know, B&T is a major library wholesaler. So as I worked the vendor fair yesterday, many of the people stopping by the table were librarians or people who sell to librarians. I cannot count how many people said "Oh, resumes and job search are hot right now. A lot of libraries have job search centers in them." Of course, we've been reading that in the media. But it's good to hear it validated over and over again.

After the fair, Tom (our rep) and I had time to kill before our flight. So we drove to downtown Charlotte and hit the streets. Serendipitously, we walked right to the main branch of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Public Library (love the reading-related quotes from Samuel Johnson and others on the pillars outside). Immediately we saw a sign pointing us to the career center. It was a huge space with lots of resources and computer terminals, as well as a medium-sized collection of job search books (including a good representation of ours, thank goodness). It wasn't overrun with people, but it was being used.

We walked around a bit more and found another area with computers for public use. Standing behind 36 users and looking at their screens simultaneously drew a gasp from me. "Tom, they are all on Facebook," I said. "I think we've got a national epidemic on our hands. I can't wait to go tweet about this!"

I'm not sure what conclusions to draw; maybe only that Facebooking was a more popular activity than job hunting in Charlotte yesterday. Certainly, there is value in any sort of networking. But there are so many distractions online. Hopefully all those people already have jobs.

Baker & Taylor Vendor Summit Meeting

Hello from North Carolina, where library distributor Baker & Taylor has spent the day filling me (and hundreds of other publishers) with good food and great information. Our trade sales rep, Tom Doherty, invited me to come along to the summit to learn more about doing business with B&T, and to talk to librarians about our books at tomorrow's vendor fair.

Baker & Taylor is the #1 distributor to library and academic markets, retailers, and international accounts. They do business with 82% of all public libraries, 95% of academic libraries, and 15% of school libraries.

The first two hours were overall introductory remarks from the senior management team, where we learned about trends in the library business ("flat is the new up"), value-added services that B&T offers (such as collection development), and other branches and initiatives of the company. Among nonfiction topics, they cited Business & Economics (our category) as the second-largest-selling category. They even went so far as to point out that "Resumes and job search guides dominate, with emphasis on social network[ing]."

Later we learned about their new e-book reader software, Blio, which works on all hardware platforms and enables publishers to easily and cheaply add video, links, and other amazing interactive features to their e-books. I think it might be just what we have been looking for. So when I get back, I'll start working to get approval to get some of our titles converted and distributed on Blio.

It was very interesting to see how they have ramped up their marketing efforts to push our titles into the hands of libraries. This apparently new strategy seems aggressive and sharp, and it was interesting to hear the steps they took toward rebranding the company.

Then tonight was the vendor appreciation dinner, peppered with 10 best-selling authors, with David Baldacci topping the bill. His books really aren't my preferred genre, but he was highly entertaining and charming, telling stories of what happens when a best-selling author goes out in the world, mingling with Italian mayors, presidents, and more than a couple loonies. Top it all off with some Baked Alaska and you've got a really great day.

Looking forward to meeting our customers directly in the booth tomorrow. I scoped out the exhibition hall earlier and we will be among the who's who of trade and academic publishers. Should be entertaining.

Job Hunting? "Look to Your Library"!

Hooray for the King County Library System in Seattle, which is doing its part to help job seekers by opening an hour early every day this week, demonstrating job search tools, putting together a list of job search books and online resources (see here), and responding with vigor to a community that needs help. Have you hugged a librarian today? If you live in Seattle, I think you should!

Thanks to @danschawbel via NWjobs.

Publishers Are from Mars; Librarians Are from Venus

If you've been following my updates on Facebook, you already know that my trip to the Career Management Alliance conference came to an abrupt cancellation due to an ill-timed bout with a stomach virus. I am still disappointed about all the missed connections; however, I took advantage of the tweets and followed the highlights anyway.

I wanted to be sure and share this article from Library Journal, in which a librarian attempts to bridge the gap between the people who make the books and the people who facilitate their use. I felt like the part told from the editor's point of view was a pretty accurate depiction of the challenges we face. And I enjoyed hearing about the issues that librarians deal with. All of these problems are constantly evolving. You'd think we'd figure out better ways to work with each other. Can't we all just get along?

My New Hero: Swiss Army Librarian

Brian Herzog is a reference librarian at a public library in Massachusetts. In his awesome blog, Swiss Army Librarian, he chronicles the adventures of an intrepid public servant on his quest for sometimes-impossible-to-find information for his grateful patrons. It's very entertaining to see the lengths to which he will go to get answers for people, and the joy he expresses upon achieving his objective.

What compelled me to finally share him with you was this post that somehow bubbled to the top today, in which he talks about the ways he learns about new books to buy for the library. Yes, he still thumbs through Library Journal and publisher catalogs, just like Miss Judy used to do at EVCPL 22 years ago. But he also has some more creative and high-tech ways of discovering new titles, including those that don't ever get reviewed in LJ (which is most of them).

Three cheers for Brian, who shows that technology plus old-fashioned information passion equals one handy person to know.

The Most-Borrowed Career Books from Library Journal

A nice surprise this morning: The release of Library Journal's list of most-borrowed career books. Of course, no surprise to see Parachute in the top spot, and all those pesky Knock 'em Dead titles hanging around in the top 6. But JIST has captured the #3, #4, #7, #8, #10, #11, #14, #17, and #20 spots with a gaggle of reference titles and a couple of our best trade hits, including

• Next-Day Job Interview
• 150 Best Recession-Proof Jobs
• 100 Fastest-Growing Careers
• Top 100 Careers Without a Four-Year Degree
• Best Jobs for the 21st Century
• Gallery of Best Resumes for People Without a Four-Year Degree
• 200 Best Jobs for College Graduates
• Top 100 Computer and Technical Careers
• Federal Resume Guidebook

The Haunted Library

Since 1930 the legend has circulated about the mysterious "Grey Lady" who supposedly has been haunting the historic Willard Library in my hometown of Evansville. The private library has made the most of the rumors by installing live webcams for ghost viewing. The various sightings have also landed the library on national TV on programs such as "Ghost Hunters."

So who is this mysterious lady who moves books around, touches people's hair, and leaves a whiff of perfume as she passes? She is rumored to be Louise Carpenter, the daughter of library founder Willard Carpenter, who was angry that most of his estate was left to the library rather than to her. And if you don't believe she exists, how do you explain the fact that she has her own MySpace page?

I visited the library a few times in my school days and never saw a thing, although I've seen some pretty convincing photos. The library isn't the scariest place I've ever been in that town, though. They used to stage a haunted house on the grounds of the 19th-century insane asylum that pretty much put me over the edge.

Simmons College Career Resources for Publishing and English

This morning the trusty Google alerts turned up the fact that Simmons College in Boston has a special section of its library devoted to career resources, with corresponding online help as well. So check out this great list of links provided by the Miller/Knopf Career Resource Library.

Simmons Librarian Julie Waddick also keeps a fantastic blog. She's reporting that today is National Punctuation Day; however, I have it on good authority that it's not until September 24. So I'm holding off on fixing that question-mark-shaped meatloaf until next month.

The Return of an Old Friend: The Library

Blogger Holly Hoffman on the Brazen Careerist blogging network recently extolled the virtues of visiting the public library. If everyone these days is too broke to buy books, borrowing them from the library is an acceptable alternative in my mind (granted, we don't make as much money, but at least people are still reading).

Like Holly, for a long time I forgot about the library. If I wanted a book, I just bought it. I put them on my Christmas lists because, aside from cash and peppermint bark, that's all I want. But if you don't mind waiting until the "hot" new books cool off and drop off the wait lists, you can have just as much fun with a borrowed book than a new one from the store. Some commenters on Holly's post say used books are even more fun because they've "been places."

I did notice on a recent visit to the local library that their job search books are about 12 years out of date. So if you're looking for current how-to information, you might still have to spring for a new book.

The Inside Story from a Mystery Book Editor

People love a good mystery. When I worked at the library, we had patrons who literally devoured mystery books, one after another. I myself confess to being a Trixie Belden fangirl in the '70s (Nancy Drew was a bit too uppity for me). The recent "CSI" craze is just a more grotesque manifestation of this same phenomenon.

So there's good news for aspiring editors who love mysteries: A mystery editor has a blog and is talking about what his job is like. Mysterious Matters: Mystery Publishing Demystified has begun a series on "The Days and Nights of an Editor." The writer/editor of this blog is kind of a mystery himself because his "About" page doesn't work. He goes by "Agatho," though. There's great information and excellent writing here. Check it out!

Back to the Grind--and a Rant

Well, I didn't win the lottery--and I'm guessing you didn't either. So back to work we go. Did you know that Web searches on job search topics spike on Sunday nights and Monday mornings, when people start contemplating another week on a job that for one reason or another doesn't thrill them? It's true. But with the economy about to tank again, people will start thinking about battening down the hatches at their current jobs and riding it out.

Meanwhile, I had a bad library experience yesterday. For many years, I haven't spent much time in the library. As a book maker, I felt I was doing my civic duty just buying books instead of borrowing them. But now that I have a four-year-old, I want her to have the same fond memories of going to the library that I do. So we got a card a few weeks ago. She's picked out books that look interesting, and we've had fun reading them and then going back for more.

But yesterday I got an e-mail that I was about to have an overdue book. But it was one we returned last Saturday. So I called them. After enduring voice-mail jail, I finally was connected to a clerk. When I explained my situation (very nicely, I thought), he switched into bureaucrat mode: "Well, have you ever had a 'claims returned' before?" "Huh?" I asked. He repeated it. "What does that mean?" I asked. Finally he explained his library jargon--have I ever claimed to have returned a book that the library can't find. "Oh, no, I haven't," I said. I refrained from launching into the "I worked in libraries for years and never heard such a nonsense term" schpiel that I felt welling up in my throat.

So in a nasal and somewhat accusatory tone, he launched into what the process would entail: They would send a "page" to check the shelf (why not just say "someone"?). If it wasn't there, they'd put the book on a list and look for it once a week on Tuesdays for a month. Then they'd call me and ask me to pay for the book (which, by the way, was a stupid little picture book that neither of us enjoyed, anyway).

Meanwhile, I keep checking online (at a site that requires me to retype a 43-character nonsense URL and a 14-character user ID each time) and the fines are mounting up. Me! A straight-A, type-A, never-paid-a-late-fee-for-anything perfectionist who's been working with books for 20 years. I stand accused of mismanaging public property. When I know I put it in the drop box with several other books. Aaargh!

I worked the front desk at a big public library for nearly two years. Only once do I ever remember this happening to a patron. We had just started using a computerized system. And still, it worked better than this one, 20 years later.

OK, I feel better now that I got that off my chest. Anyone else ever have a problem like this with the Hamilton East Public Library (where, by the way, the resume and travel books are decades old)?

Are You Interested in Indexing? by Cheryl Lenser

Many thanks today to Pearson indexer extraordinaire Cheryl Lenser for providing this detailed and interesting look at the job of an indexer. She's been at Pearson for as long as I can remember, and she's one of the best indexers I know!

I rather lucked into the publishing field, mostly because I couldn’t find a library job in central Indiana. Library jobs are really hard to come by! I have a bachelor’s degree in political science and a master’s degree in library science, with the thinking that that would get me a good job in a place I enjoy. However, I ended up taking an administrative assistant position in a healthcare facility until I could find something more in line with my education. As it happened, my now ex-husband was hired as a proofreader at what was then Macmillan Computer Publishing. That sounded intriguing to me, plus I knew that MCP was hiring by leaps and bounds, so I sent my resume in, intending to apply for a proofreading position. Someone saw “Master’s of Library Science” on it, so they forwarded my information to the indexing department. I was sent an indexing test, took it, and was hired a month or so later. Aside from one class in library school, which thoroughly confused me, I had NO IDEA what indexing entailed. Good thing MCP offered six weeks of production department training (primarily page layout, but also a good amount of proofreading and indexing) at the time! I’ve now been with Pearson (MCP was bought by Pearson several years ago) for nearly 13 years as an indexer.

Book indexing comes in two different “flavors:” embedded and standalone. Embedded indexing means putting tags into documents before the final folio (page numbers) is set. Standalone indexing means getting final pages, either as hardcopy or PDF, and writing the index from those. I do primarily embedded indexing because it fits into our workflow better—the indexing can be done earlier in the production process and doesn’t have to wait until the last minute before the book is printed. [See the end of this post for a breakdown of the two different types of indexing.]

Indexers spend the vast majority of their time working in front of a computer screen. Basic computer skills are a must; the only software skills required are Microsoft Word and possibly specialized indexing software, at least for those doing standalone indexing. Embedded indexing requires proficiency in whatever software the publisher wants the indexing tags inserted into. At Pearson, that’s usually Microsoft Word, although it sometimes requires QuarkXPress or Adobe InDesign.

In addition to computer skills, indexers need to have excellent reading comprehension skills and organizational skills. Indexing requires reading a text and determining the major themes and all the little bits of important information in that text. Then the indexer must figure out what index entries to write to best serve the reader who wants to find information in the text. The indexer’s job is to serve as an advocate for the reader, both the potential reader and the returning reader.

Finding an in-house indexing position is an ideal way to learn how to index, but that happens very rarely. Most publishing houses (except for some computer/technical publishers) use freelance indexers who write standalone indexes. Many freelance indexers are either self-taught or take an indexing class through the USDA Graduate School (www.grad.usda.gov) or the American Society of Indexers (ASI) (www.asindexing.org). The preeminent book on indexing is Indexing Books, Second Edition by Nancy Mulvaney (University of Chicago Press, 2005), although there are also many other good books for learning indexing. Check the ASI website above or Amazon.com to find recommended books on indexing.

If you’re interested in learning more about indexing as a profession or learning how to index, check out the ASI website, subscribe to an indexing mailing list (many are listed on the ASI site), read as many indexing books as you can (Mulvaney is a great start), and practice indexing your own books at home or books borrowed from the library. It usually takes a long time to get established as a freelance indexer, but once you have a few published indexes you’ve got a great start on a career.

Embedded Indexing

• Can be done at any of several different stages in the production process
• Tags in the files can be re-used if the document(s) is published in a different format (online, ebook, revised edition, etc.)
• Requires use of whatever software the source files use, usually Microsoft Word although can also be done in Adobe InDesign, QuarkXPress, Adobe Framemaker, among others
• Depending on the software, the indexer usually cannot see the index as it’s being built but must instead keep the index structure in his/her head or written on paper

Standalone Indexing

• Must be done after the book is folioed (has page numbers)
• No tags are embedded in the source files; index is completely separate from rest of book
• Requires use of dedicated indexing software for all but the most basic of projects
• The “index-in-progress” is fully visible in the indexing software

Butler University Children's Literature Conference

A week from Saturday, the campus of Butler University in Indianapolis will be abuzz with people who make--or aspire to make--kids' books. The big draw for this year's Children's Literature Conference seems to be an appearance by Arthur Levine, billed as the American editor for the Harry Potter series. Although the other speakers are impressive as well, I'd love to hear what he has to say in particular. (But I have a standing gig at home, reading Curious George to my own kid-lit fan.)

It's $85 per person to attend the events, plus another $45 if you want Mr. Levine and others to critique your manuscript or portfolio. The general public is invited to attend the free Meet the Authors Gala on Friday night (1/25) at the new Central Library.

Librarians Who Blog

Meredith Farkas has written a substantial and interesting article for Library Journal about librarians who write blogs. She managed to track down 839 librarian bloggers and survey them about their demographics and their motivations. It's good information to know, especially the examples she points out. I will definitely want to check out several of these blogs.

Rachel Singer Gordon, Librarian Turned Editor

Today I'm happy to introduce you to Rachel Singer Gordon, a technology-oriented librarian whose career has evolved into editing books for librarians. Rachel has for many years been the voice of the "new" library--one that uses information in all forms, not just books, to help its patrons.

Here's her story of how she got from the reference desk to the editor's seat:

Before my son was born in 2002, I was working as a computer services department head in a smaller public library. At the time, I'd begun both publishing in the library literature and presenting occasionally to library groups. I chose to scale back to part-time reference desk work in order to be home with my son, while continuing to pursue writing and other freelance work that could be done from home.

My freelance career began taking off, and in mid-2005 I found myself having to choose between scaling back on freelancing or quitting my part-time job. The freelance work easily won out; I enjoyed writing, enjoyed having the opportunity to meet and work with librarians from around the country, and was somewhat burnt out on reference work. Around the same time, my publisher, Information Today, Inc., wanted to expand its library publishing program. I began as a consulting editor with them that fall.

As a consulting acquisitions editor, I seek out authors for ITI's book publishing division, encourage and work with them on submitting proposals, serve as their liaison throughout the writing process, edit their final manuscripts, and serve as another pair of eyes on their galleys. I also attend two of ITI's major conferences each year (Computers in Libraries and Internet Librarian), which gives me a chance to meet many of my authors in person for the first time and to find new ideas and inspiration from the conference sessions. As I've continued giving workshops and presentations on topics from library management to writing for publication, I get further opportunities to connect with colleagues around the country when I travel for conferences and other events.

I also continue to write for publication in the library field, and have several ongoing commitments. I coauthor a department in Computers in Libraries magazine, write monthly computer book review columns and a quarterly prepublication alert column for Library Journal magazine, and contribute a monthly column on writing for publication to Library Link, an online portal for librarians. Right now, I'm finishing up my ninth book (on alternative careers for librarians); my eighth, an edited collection on technology and the future of libraries, comes out next month.

My career portal for librarians, LISjobs.com, remains the most highly trafficked library job site, and integrates with my writing and other activities. Much of my writing focuses on career development issues, and I continue this focus online with LISjobs.com, its associated professional development newsletter, Info Career Trends, and with my two blogs, Beyond the Job and The Liminal Librarian. So, although I'm not currently working in a library, I still consider myself a librarian at heart--which I hear also from many of the people I've been talking to for the book on alternative careers. Librarianship provides a fantastic foundation, no matter where our careers take us.

Need a Part-Time Job? Get Thee to the Library!

If you're in college and need to work a part-time job at the same time, I can highly recommend a stint working at the library. A work-study job in the campus library is convenient, but it might be easier to get a job at the local public library.

When I was in college, I spent over a year working behind the circulation desk at the Evansville Vanderburgh Public Library system's Central Library (see photo at left). My job was circulation clerk. I helped people check out books, sign up for library cards, put materials on hold, and find older books that were hidden away in the scary "stacks" (think Ghostbusters). For variety, I was also responsible for reshelving returned books in the building's east wing, including philosophy, religion, politics, social science, and (oddly) test prep.

And since we were just converting to a computerized system (it was, after all, 1987), I got to enter thousands of patron records into the system. And if there was just nothing else to do, I could go to the workroom and wash books and repair them with tape.

So how does this help you get to a publishing career? I think it helps demonstrate that you love books, and is certainly more relevant than most fast-food or retail jobs. Also, I learned things there that have helped me identify with librarians, who are now our customers.

Although it probably won't pay more than minimum wage, it does pay. And although you'll work with the public, you likely won't encounter the kinds of unbelievably bad customer behavior that you would in restaurants and retail. It's less physically and emotionally taxing, and the hours are generally regular and sane.

If you find you like the library so much that you want to stay a while longer, you can get a master's in library science and become a reference librarian.

The American Library Association's website has a section about library careers. You can also browse specific job postings by state at LISjobs.com, a site managed by former librarian Rachel Singer Gordon, whom I hired a few years ago to contribute to Best Career and Education Web Sites.