Rethinking Information Work: A Career Guide for Librarians and Other Information Professionals / Edition 2

by G. Kim Dority

Overview

A state-of-the-art guide to the world of library and information science that gives readers valuable insights into the field and practical tools to succeed in it.

As the field of information science continues to evolve, professional-level opportunities in traditional librarianship—especially in school and public libraries—have stalled and contracted, while at the same time information-related opportunities in non-library settings continue to expand. These two coinciding trends are opening up many new job opportunities for LIS professionals, but the challenge lies in helping them (and LIS students) understand how to align their skills and mindsets with these new opportunities.The new edition of G. Kim Dority's Rethinking Information Work: A Career Guide for Librarians and Other Information Professionals gives readers helpful information on self-development, including learning to thrive on change, using key career skills like professional networking and brand-building, and how to make wise professional choices.

Taking readers through a planning process that starts with self-examination and ends in creating an actionable career path, the book presents an expansive approach that considers all LIS career possibilities and introduces readers to new opportunities. This guide is appropriate for those embarking on careers in library and information science as well as those looking to make a change, providing career design strategies that can be used to build a lifetime of career opportunity.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781610699594
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	02/22/2016
Edition description:	Revised
Pages:	288
Product dimensions:	7.00(w) x 9.90(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

G. Kim Dority is chief content officer for WebPsychology.com as well as founder and president of Dority & Associates, Inc.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments
Introduction to the Second Edition
1—Rethinking Information Work
Change Happens
Lifetime Employment vs. Lifetime Employability
Career Competencies
Designing Your Career
Beginning Your Career Jourbanal
Starting Your Exploration
Your Value Statement
Resources
2—Self-Knowledge: Your Career Starting Point
Who Are You?
Finding Out about You
Information Aptitudes
Preference Filters: How Will You Work?
Job-Specific Considerations
Exploring Your Career Preferences
How Preferences Shape Career Paths
Resources
3—Traditional LIS Career Paths
Public Libraries
Exploring Public Library Careers
Why You Might Love Being a Public Librarian
School Library Media Centers
Exploring School Library Media Specialist Careers
Why You Might Love Being a School Librarian
Academic Libraries
Exploring Academic Library Careers
Why You Might Love Being an Academic Librarian
Types of Jobs within Traditional Libraries
Is a Traditional LIS Career Path for You?
Resources
4—Nontraditional LIS Career Paths
Building a Nontraditional Path
Workplace Environment
Types of Work
Salary and Education
Exploring Nontraditional LIS Careers
Why You Might Love a Nontraditional Career Path
Resources
5—Independent LIS Career Paths
What Work Would You Do?
How Would You Work?
What Market Would You Target?
What Would You Charge?
How Would You Get Clients?
How Would You Create and Maintain Your Support Community?
And Don't Forget to Think About
Portable LIS Careers
So You Want to Start a Research Business
Income and Education
Exploring Independent Career Paths
Getting Started as an Independent
Why You Might Love Being an Independent
Resources
6—Understanding, Describing, and Documenting Your Value
Understanding Your Skills
Describing Your Skills
Repurposing Your Skills
Transferable vs. Translatable Skills
An Initial Process for Mapping Transferable Skills
Creating Your Portfolio Career—and Career Portfolio
Reviewing Your History
Designing Your Portfolio
Growing Your Portfolio
Benefits of a Portfolio Approach
The Art and Science of Landing the Job
Resources
7—Thriving on Change
Positioning for Opportunity
Thinking about Change
Creating Your Change Strategies
The Learning Edge
Your Education Map
Resources
8—Building Professional Equity
Building Your Network—Your Community of Colleagues
Nurture Your Professional Ties
Maintaining Your Professional Network
Micro-Networking: Making Small Talk
Establishing Your Professional Reputation
Branding for Beginners: What Assets Are You Taking Public?
Building Professional Equity through Associations
LinkedIn, Networking, Branding, and Your Career
Professional Equity Equals Opportunity
Resources
9—Getting from Here to There
Career Map Components
Assembling Your Career Map
Sample Career Maps
Setting Agendas
Putting Your Career Map in Play
Using Your Career Map to Achieve Your Goals
Asking the Critical Question
Resources
10—Improvising Your Resilient Career
What Does a Resilient Career Look Like?
Actions for a Resilient Career
Attitudes for a Resilient Career
Self-Leadership
Getting Unstuck
Taking Charge When You're a Student
The Fine Art of Career Improv
Freedom to Choose
Resources
Appendix A—Special Interest Groups
Appendix B—Career and Employment Resources
Appendix C—LIS Blogs and Social Media
Index

Editorial Reviews

This book is interesting and valuable reading for librarians, especially school librarians who might be facing district cuts, and would also be of interest to educators considering a career change to librarianship.” —VOYA

“Rethinking Information Work can be useful to LIS students, new librarians, and mid-career professionals alike. . . . A librarian who is in a stable, fulfilling career could also benefit from this book, especially if their position requires them to supervise other librarians. Supervisors could use this book as a resource for staff members who may still be finding their place in the profession. . . . This book is highly recommended for all library and information professionals and students.” —Technical Services Quarterly

From the Publisher