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GENERAL CAREER EXPLORATION RESOURCES
This is just a sampling of the many general career exploration sites
available. All sites listed will provide information specific to libraries. They
are also quite useful for general career information.
Advancing Women, by Lawrence K. Jones: http://www.advancingwomen.com
This site focuses on resources for women in the world of work and will appeal
to the majority of library workers. It includes articles and resources on
networking, careers, and business. This is a useful tool for LTA job seekers as
well as for the library patron searching for job information.
The Career Key: http://www2.ncsu.edu/unity/lockers/users/l/lkj/
A good place to begin the search process for jobs. This is a basic
self-assessment tool based on the Holland personality types test. Included is a
list on career help on the internet, and links to the Occupational Outlook Handbook online. It can be helpful for
library technical assistant students, as well as general job searchers.
Occupational Outlook Handbook: http://www.bls.gov/oco/
This government publication is a tried and true resource. LTA students can do
a keyword search on library technicians and link to the government description
of their job as well as receive job projections for the next five years. This is
useful for preparing to request a salary upgrade. Job seekers and students will
also find this the source for a wide variety of job descriptions and salary
projections.
State Occupational Projections: http://www.dws.state.ut.us/bls/
Check by state to see the number of LTA's employed, the employment
projections for 2006, and percent change predicted in employment. Searchable for
all states and most occupations. Also, search the nation as a whole for
occupations and projections.
WEB SITES FOR JOBS
One of the goals of the LTA program is to assist the student in
finding a good job. Included in this section are sites to locate general job
annoucements. These are useful for all occupations. Most of the sites also have
library jobs. See "Sites and Resources
for Library
Jobs" for very specific library job information. You may
also use these sites to search for library patrons, family members, and
friends.
America's Job Bank: http://www.ajb.dni.us
America's Job Bank is a partnership between the U.S. Department of Labor and
the state operated Public Employment Service. Employers may post jobs, and job
seekers may post resumes. To receive more in-depth services, you must register.
This would be a great resource for your library reference department.
Career Path: http://new.careerpath.com/
Find a job, post a resume, find information about a company here. This
includes thousands of job adds collected from newspapers all across the country.
LTA's could use this at the reference desk or to do research to see what
libraries, or other occupations, are paying in similar jobs in a variety of
geographic areas.
Monster.Com: http://www.occ.com/
This is one of the most well known national and international job sites. It
includes real-time job postings, company profiles, resume skills screening,
sample resumes and more. You will be asked to register. A good site for research
and the serious job seeker.
Overseas Jobs: http://www.overseasjobs.com
Lets think globally! Not too many library jobs are listed here. So many
library patrons or associates are moving to other countries. This provides a
good overview of what the global market is like for non-citizens of particular
countries. A good resource for research and the global perspective.
COVER LETTERS, RESUMES, AND INTERVIEWING
Every LTA student will be required to produce a resume, cover letter, and
will hopefully have success at interviewing. This is a collection of useful
sites for these important job seeking activities.
Getting Assistance with Cover Letters, Resumes, and Interview Skills: http://www.psu.edu/career/assist.html
This web publication has been produced by and in some ways is specific to
Penn State University. However, it contains some good concise information for
interviewing and resume writing. Don't forget to check the College of DuPage
Career Center (located on the second floor of the SRC building) for similar
information specific to the DuPage area.
Preparing a Resume: http://www.rpi.edu/dept/llc/writecenter/web/text/resume.html
Here is a good example of one of the many sites that assist in writing the
resume for the first time. Collect your resume information and give it a try.
Rebecca Smith's eResumes & Resources: http://www.eresumes.com
When searching for a job in today's market, the first thing you might be
asked is to email your resume. It helps to have all your ducks in order. Rebecca
Smith provides step-by-step instructions on how to prepare your resume in ASCII
format. Don’t even think of starting the job search or helping others without
studying what is contained in this site!
SITES & RESOURCES FOR LIBRARY JOBS
The sites listed below provide very specific information for library related
jobs. Most of the general sites in this webliography have some library job
listings and are very useful for assisting job seekers. These sites provide
specialized resources not easily found in any of the other lisitngs.
Library Support Staff Resource Center-Library Employment Resources: http://www.lib.rochester.edu/ssp/jobs.htm
This is the "mecca" for all types of information relating specifically to
library technical assistants. Don't miss looking at this site. Some of the
listings are exclusively for LTA's - a very hard-to-find commodity. After
looking at the library job listings, be sure to check the "Miscellaneous Job
Search Resources" section. Here you'll find general information for all types of
careers.
C.Berger And Company: http://www.cberger.com/
If you live in the Chicago metropolitan area, this is a fabulous resource. C.
Berger is a temporary employment agency specializing in placing library workers.
At anytime there are 10 to 20 library specific jobs listed. You may fill out an
application online. C. Berger could mean "job security" for many library workers
at different points in their careers.
ALA American Library Association: http://www.ala.org/
Choose "Employment" from the ALA home page to link to the very latest in
library jobs all across the country. Some library assistant jobs are listed here
as well, although the majority are for librarians. You may also view and print
the latest issues of American Libraries. The American Library Association
has done a great job of compiling what is important to the profession in one
neat package.
Library Job Postings on the Internet, compiled by Sarah Nesbeitt, Maxwell Library, Bridgewater State College: http://topcat.bridgew.edu/~snesbeitt/libraryjobs.htm
Check this site to see a map of the U.S. appear before your eyes. It is a
fascinating process to click on a state and be connected to job resources and
descriptions from any part of the country. Libraries may also post job notices
to this site. Canada is also included. Use this to help prepare for your next
performance and salary review.
The Librarian's Job Search Source: http://www.lisjobs.com/
This brings so many library employment guides together. You might even want
to start with this site. Be sure to investigate the link to Dominican University
if you are searching for local library jobs.
Occupational Outlook Handbook - 1998-99: http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos113.htm
Have you checked your job description lately? Do you have a job description?
The U. S. Government has put together a detailed and quite accurate description
of the work of library technicians. They provide salary information and a better
than average outlook for the profession. Move from library technician to any
other occupation. Don't forget to check the charts on their home page. This will
be useful for LTA's, job seekers of all types, and students doing occupational
research assignments.
Illinois Library Association: http://www.ila.org/
The older "ILA" telephone job line still exists, but why write down all the
information? The jobs in the Illinois Library association listing are updated
weekly. Also included here is a wealth of information about libraries in
Illinois. You may even download the latest "ILA Reporter", the publication of
the Illinois Library Association.
PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
Support Staff Interests Round Table: http://www.ala.org/ssirt/
There is a place for library paraprofessionals in the American Library
Association called SSIRT. Check here for recent meeting reports, their current
stand on the issue of certification, and membership information.
ALA Divisions, Units, and Governance: http://www.ala.org/alaorg/
This section of the ALA website lists and provides links to the variety of
divisions within the institution. The same page also leads you to important
documents that every library worker should know about such as the "Library Bill
of Rights", "The Freedom to Read Statement", and "The ALA Code of
Ethics".
Community and Junior College Libraries Section: http://www.glendale.cc.ca.us/cjcls/
There is a new section of "CJCLS" called "The LTA Educators" section. Check
here for the latest reports and recommendations of this section. Provide input
as we help shape the future for library educators.
GENERAL REFERENCE TOOLS
Every library worker needs a "tool box" of good print and online resources to
be at hand at anytime. Here are two good places to go to begin the process of
finding information for all types of reference questions.
College of DuPage Library Home Page: http://www.cod.edu/library/
The College of DuPage library web site can serve as your guide to the
sometimes confusing world of the internet. When you click on "Internet" from the
COD home page, you are led to the best in web search engines, useful reference
sites for everyone, course and subject related web sites, job and career
sources, and resources for colleges and financial aid. Always think of the COD
web site as a good "first place" to start your internet search.
The Internet Public Library Reference Center: http://www.ipl.org/ref/
The first thing you will see here is a "virtual library". Simply click on a
subject area to proceed to those resources. The University of Michigan School of
Information has done an exemplary job of pulling together a virtual reference
collection.
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