Tips for Library jobs

Hmm71

I found out this morning that I haven't even got as far as the interview stage for a library assistant's job with the county council. It's not the first time I've applied, I've been trying for twenty years to get a library job, ever since I moved to where I live now.
I apply for every job that comes up and I have never even been able to get an interview. I just hoped that this time might be different as I now have twelve years full time employment experience but no .
Does anyone out there work for a library? Can you give me any tips for the next application that may or may not come up?
I did go to the library and offer my services as a volunteer but they weren't interested.
Do you think I should just take the hint and stop applying for library jobs, even though working in the library is what I always wanted to do?
They used to want A-levels for library assistant jobs which I didn't have so I went to college and got them, then the first library job that came up after I'd finished college they weren't asking for them any more and I still didn't get that job.
I just don't know what the stumbling block is as far as the library service is concerned as usually I do at least manage to get an interview if I apply for job; it's the interview I normally manage to muck up.
Sorry to ramble on, just feeling quite gutted today as I'd felt really hopeful about the job this time.

agrinnall

I think that you are likely to struggle to get any library job if you don't already have some library experience, there are just too many people ahead of you in the queue who tick more boxes. I have a Masters degree in Information and Library Studies but with no direct experience in a library I have also failed to get any interviews, and I'm now working in a different field. I would say your best chance is to keep trying to get a volunteer position and hope that it either leads to a paid job or gives you the experience you need to bolster your application form.

Hmm71

Thank you agrinnall, I'll keep on trying.

maninthestreet

Perhaps you come across as too out-going and loud??

Hmm71

Ha! I wish, I've always been moaned at for being too quiet. Perfect for a library you'd think.

dizzyrascal

You need to be able to stress the customer service aspects of your current role to get into a library assistants job and as has already been pointed out you will be up against graduates and possibly post graduates trying to get a foot in the door.
The main problem is that in order to do the post graduate qualification, many jobs require that you have some work experience at the same level that you are applying for.
This does not make it impossible but it will be difficult, especially as many councils had had to make extreme cutbacks in their library services.
Is there a volunteer organisation that you can work for where you might need excellent organisational skills and can show that you work well with customers. look at http://www.do-it.org.uk/ for something in the information field.
Also, get your digital skills up to date as this is the future for libraries. You need to be able to show that you have good IT/Information skills. There maybe a part time course at your local collage or university. You will need to have up to date skills anyway so it won't do any harm to look for a course.

tigertrap

I had a library service job about 10 years ago, and I started at the bottom, as they almost 100% of the time promoted from within. So if a Library Assistant position came up, it nearly ALWAYS went to a shelver instead of an outside hire.

I can tell you that we liked to take volunteer librarians, so if you can go volunteer for free at a school for a few hours, that makes you much more likely to get a job, and will put in you in the right network.

I'd also reccomend applying for low level positions in the library and work your way up.

Additionally, at least in my library, when city positions were slashed, they nearly always just slotted extra positions into the library, which made it ever harder for outside hires.

Goodluck!

Hmm71

Thank you so much everyone for the excellent advice and tips. I'll try to follow it all and see where it leads.

dizzyrascal

tigertrap wrote: »

I had a library service job about 10 years ago, and I started at the bottom, as they almost 100% of the time promoted from within. So if a Library Assistant position came up, it nearly ALWAYS went to a shelver instead of an outside hire.

I can tell you that we liked to take volunteer librarians, so if you can go volunteer for free at a school for a few hours, that makes you much more likely to get a job, and will put in you in the right network.

I'd also reccomend applying for low level positions in the library and work your way up.

Additionally, at least in my library, when city positions were slashed, they nearly always just slotted extra positions into the library, which made it ever harder for outside hires.

Goodluck!

Any organisation that normally pays staff should not be getting your time for free. I was suggesting that the OP volunteer at some scheme where they need good organisational and information skills such as a charity or community group.

Hermia

I work in a library and we do get a lot of applicants for library assistant jobs. It's hard to know where you are going wrong. You shouldn't treat library jobs as any different to customer service jobs generally really. There is this perception that you need to be a shy book-loving introvert to work in a library. We get people who come in, sidle up to the desk whilst blushing and staring at their feet and say, "I love reading so my mum/friend said I should get a job in the library". Arg! I think the things you need to do are...

1) Really emphasise any customer service/retail experience you can have. To work in a library you need to be assertive and able to cope on your own. Urban libraries, especially city ones, get all the problems associated with urban areas (drunks, druggies, angry people, mentally-ill people) and you need to be able to deal with those problems. Rural libraries are often single-staffed some of the time so you need to be someone who can cope on their own.

2) If you have any library-related interest or can bring some extra skills/talents to the job then make that clear on the form. There are the core library tasks, but there are lots of other ones you can get involved with (teaching computer classes, reading stories during storytime, running family history sessions, working with special needs/mentally ill people). If an applicant helps with reading at their kid's school, has some training experience or has worked in social care settings I am interested in finding out more about them.

3) Are your computer skills up to scratch? ECDL or equivalent is a good start. So much of library work involves computers. Library assistants who just stand there like lemons when a customer needs help on the computer are a pain. Now we have electronic resources/books/journals computer skills have become even more important.

4) Make sure you are aware of what is happening in the library world. Applicants who know what libraries now provide and are aware of current projects or related news stories are always good. We have applicants who don't realise that libraries now have computers or e-resources or can help with family history enquiries. If you use a particular library resource try and find a way to mention it on the form.

LittleMax

The only thing to add is to make sure, as with all applications for Council jobs, that you have demonstrated all aspects of the person spec.

Make sure you have the person spec out when you are completing the application and for every point, explain how you meet that criterion and give a good example of when you have demonstrated this.

When shortlisting they will generally pick out certain items on the person spec and then score each candidate as to how well they meet each of those criteria.

In my own area we have made an awful lot of librarians redundant and many of the opening hours at the smaller libraries are now being covered by volunteers.

Have you looked at Universities and Colleges they also recruit librarians, and often stewards. The steward jobs are very often taken by current students, so there tends to be a good turnover of staff each year as they leave. Often there are evening and weekend posts available and you could possibly consider fitting this around other paid employment to give you some experience.