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PhD to LIS: How to Make the Switch
1. PhD to LIS
How to Make the Switch
Amy Hildreth Chen
English and Communication Librarian
University of Iowa
@amyhildrethchen
Branko Collin, “Rails near Naardermeer,” Creative Commons.
18. LIS folks work not only public and academic
libraries but also in government archives and
libraries, historical societies, museums, companies,
and even with private collectors.
22. Common specialties include academic department
liaison, archivist, collection development, data
curation, digital humanities, metadata and
cataloging, outreach and engagement, research
services, subject specialist, special collections
curator, and scholarly publishing.
24. Academic Hierarchy Knowledge
Archival Research
Editing
Foreign Languages
Information Literacy
Project Management
Programming Languages
Student Life Knowledge
Subject Expertise
Teaching
Web Design
Writing
27. Read more on the topic:
Transferable Skills and How to Talk About Them
https://connect.mla.hcommons.org/resource-transferable-
skills-and-how-to-talk-about-them/
29. Ideally, you’d choose to focus on library positions
during your PhD, settle on a specialty, and pursue
work experience years before you graduate. But that
does not have to be the case to be successful.
37. Contact a librarian in your intended specialty at your
institution, request a thirty minute meeting, and
then ask them a set of prepared questions.
39. To write your questions, look up their institutional
website presence, their social media, their personal
website if they have it, and/or their CV.
41. Talk to at least three people in different types of
locations, such as a large public university, a medium
sized private university, and a small liberal arts
college.
42. While specialties cover the same content from
location to location, duties vary based on
institutional context.
55. American Library Association
Association of College and Research Libraries
Chronicle of Higher Education
Code 4 Lib
Council on Library and Information Resources
56. Digital Humanities Job Board
Digital Library Federation
Higher Ed Jobs
Rare Book and Manuscript Section
Society of American Archivists
State Library Associations
59. Look for positions that accept the MLS/MLIS
or an equivalent graduate degree.
If positions require MLS/MLIS and you do not
have one, you may apply, but know that HR
requirements may prevent you from becoming a
candidate.
61. Research the institution, library, and department.
Know their history, the demographic they serve, any
recent news, and their overall web presence.
63. Professional positions may be tenure track or non-
tenure track. They are generally nine-to-five jobs but
they include time and money for professional
development.
68. Under each job requirement, list your relevant
experiences, skills, and anecdotes.
69. Revise the job requirement into a topic sentence
that contains the language of the requirement and a
summary of how you meet it.
70. Revise your lists into concise paragraphs that each
include specific skill summaries and an illustrative
anecdote.
71. Add a paragraph at the beginning introducing
yourself, naming the position you are applying for,
and an outline of your suitability for the position.
72. Add a paragraph at the end expressing your
willingness to be contacted for further questions
regarding your interest in the role.
81. Appointments
List academic and library positions chronologically.
Under each role, bullet point 2-5 key responsibilities.
Include evidence of success.
Start each bullet point with different action verbs.
82. Skills
Subdivide your skills based on type.
List skills separated by commas, not bullet points.
Try to have more than one skill per type.
Be specific (schema, standards, programs).
83. Associations
List both academic and library associations.
Become active in your library associations by joining
sections and volunteering for committees.
84. Recommendations
List three recommenders by their name, title, university, address,
phone, and email.
Ask each recommender if they will perform this role for you.
Send each recommender the job ad and your application
materials.
Coach academic recommenders to speak to your interest in
library roles by preparing bullet points of your motivations.
85. Formatting
Do not include your photo.
Do not use non-standard fonts or colors.
Ensure readability by using headings and
subheadings.
Do not use fonts below 12 points.
86. Ask a librarian you have a relationship with to
critique your cover letter and resume. Revise
these documents based on their feedback.
90. This interview will be short and direct.
Prepare to answer why you want this role at this
particular institution.
Know who will call and research their role and
background. Prepare a few questions for them.
93. Be prepared to explain, with examples, why you are
suited for the job.
Anticipate questions that address your weaknesses
as a candidate and prepare answers accordingly.
Keep answers succinct to allow multiple
interviewers to engage with you.
96. Transportation
Communicate any delays or changed circumstances
during travel.
The interview begins with the airport pick up and
ends at the airport drop off.
97. Meals
Follow the precedence of those scheduled to eat with you.
Do not drink if they don’t. If they do, then feel free, but be careful to stay
professional.
Public universities will not reimburse alcohol expenses. Pay your own way
if you chose to imbibe.
Choose foods that are not expensive and are easy to eat.
Remember your priority is talking to your future colleagues.
Bring snacks so that you aren’t hungry during meals.
98. Presentation
Ask about the room’s technology.
Answer the prompt directly.
Integrate local colors, examples, and images.
Pull in information from peer institutions.
Finish a few minutes early.
Practice and time the presentation to meet the requirements.
Answer questions succinctly.
99. Interviews
Become familiar with standards and emerging topics in your
specialty.
Request a list of interviewers, research each individual, and
prepare questions for each person. Also identify how you can be
an asset to them. While you should assume you will only use a bit
of your preparation, realize that the process will make you more
confident.
100. Interviews
People like those who listen. Try to get others to talk.
Prepare to address diversity and inclusion issues.
Don’t assume your ideas are new.
Express your willingness to work together and learn.
101. Interviews
You are interviewing them, too!
Ask questions whose answers will help you decide whether this
employer suits you.
Pay attention to the answers but also the non-verbal signals a
prospective colleague provides.
102. Tour
Remember the location of key services and offices.
Find where you would work.
Observe how people dress, decorate their offices, and other
outward signs of workplace culture.
103. After
Immediately write a unique thank you email to each
individual you spoke to that succinctly states your
appreciation for their time and develops one
additional point based on the conversation.
112. Understand promotion expectations and timelines.
Some libraries provide tenure to librarians, some do not,
but what tenure and/or promotion means varies by
institution and position.
Remember tenure requirements look different for
librarians than academics.
113. Identify non-salary negotiation points such as
moving expenses, other perks (for example:
furlough, research time), professional development
funding, and spousal hires, but only use these if
there is no budging salary.
114. Recognize the difference between one time and
recurring expenses for the institution.
For example, moving costs are one time while
salaries are recurring.