Whether you are planning to enter the field of librarianship or are a seasoned veteran, your success requires conscious planning. With its big picture approach, this guide shows you how to manage your career to optimize professional fulfillment. This book is a practical and straightforward approach to finessing your practice, with easy-to-implement takeaways. Covering topics that range from determining a career vision and cultivating relationships to using narrative to make connections and employing mindfulness, compassion, and self-forgiveness; this book will help librarians at all stages of their careers to take charge and forge their own way in the vast and shifting landscape of information science. You will discover new perspectives, gain knowledge, and prepare to take decisive action to further your professional practice. You also will be prompted to consider new ways of thinking about your current practice as well as where you want to go. By developing a deliberative approach to building a practice, you will come away ready for action and with a new perspective—on yourself, your work, your organization, and the community your serve.

How to Thrive as a Solo Librarian is a compilation of chapters by librarians offering advice to colleagues who must work alone or with very limited help. The contributors come from schools and colleges, special and corporate archives, public libraries, and seasoned LIS faculty across the United States and abroad who are familiar with the vigor, dedication, and creativity necessary for solo librarians. As noted in the Foreword, "In many ways, solo librarianship demands more communication and collaboration than librarians might experience in larger multi-employee libraries." Despite the fact that most of the authors are currently working alone in their library or archives, they do not work in a vacuum. These chapters aim to help librarians thrive in the demanding environment that exists for the solo librarian. Topics covered include time management, community involvement, public relations and marketing, professional development, internet-based ideas, administrative tasks, assessing and moving collections, and general overviews. How to Thrive as a Solo Librarian will be useful for all professionals and students in the field of librarianship.

As budgets for libraries continue to shrink, the key challenge facing the 21st century librarian is finding how to do more with less. Learning how to increase productivity within the constraints of a difficult economy, librarians can benefit from the insights of fellow professionals and others who have succeeded in making the most of what they have. Time and Project Management Strategies for Librarians features more than thirty essays that provide valuable tips for the professional who must cope with increasing demands upon their resources. Librarians will get tips on how to: identify the most important tasks for the library eliminate non-essential functions and processes increase reliance on volunteers, interns, and students optimize daily routines and schedule staff effectively increase productivity through the use of social media and email increase project and time management skills and personal productivity through setting and meeting goals With productivity tips for all librarians—from the newly hired to the most seasoned veteran—this volume will help libraries provide better service to their users and also show librarians how to give this service without losing their personal lives and their sanity.

Are libraries extinct? In these times of economic downturn and digital availability, what could provide libraries with a reason for being? In order to provide a vital presence on Facebook and Google+, you must provide a true sense of connection with the library's friends.

What if you were a public librarian and then you wanted to become an academic librarian? How different are those worlds and how would you know what kind of skills or experiences you need to get your foot into the academic door? Career Transitions for Librarians: How to Get a Job in Another Type of Library explores the multifaceted roles of the librarian profession from personal narratives of professional librarians who have successfully worked and transitioned from one type of library to another. Learn the successful strategies and stories of librarians who transitioned from public to academic libraries, school media to academic libraries, public to special libraries, print to digital worlds, among other ones. What kinds of skill sets and experiences were they able to transfer or draw on from their previous work experiences? How can you make these successful transitions as well? From interview tips to developing relevant and transferable skill sets, this unique guide offers testimonials with a targeted advice and job strategies for readers interested in making these successful transitions during a time when there is a huge difficulty in securing a library job.

This book shows how LIS schools and professional organizations can help information professionals to continue their education after finishing formal programs to keep up with the growing demands of the field. As technology rapidly advances, the need for continuing education increases at an accelerating rate. Within 10–12 years of completing formal education, most information professionals' knowledge and skills become out of date, leaving them only half as able to meet the new demands of the profession. Additionally, the increase in online education programs for LIS students can limit their connection with practicing professionals and, in some locations, their engagement with diverse populations. LIS schools and professional development organizations, however, can support professional development in new and exciting ways. Readers will learn how faculty in LIS schools are innovating their courses and providing continuing education experiences. Taking advantage of the benefits of online, digital, and experiential learning projects, they are creating meaningful, collaborative learning opportunities between students and practitioners in the field. The book also addresses how social media tools can help online students experience interactive community learning and network within the profession before they start their positions.