Special Libraries Association
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Careers in Special Librarianship
The profession of librarianship is changing as rapidly as the technology upon which the profession is becoming based. This section suggests resources that provide insight into LIS as a career in general, and more specifically about the field of special librarianship as a career and some of the non-traditional options available for MLS/MIS-degrees. For specific job listings, see the Job Search page.
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Non-Traditional Jobs for Librarians
Resources at UNC and on the SLA Web Site
General Librarianship
Occupational Outlook Handbook - Librarians
Trends
in Internet-Based Library Recruitment: An Introductory Survey
An article investigating the realities, impact and future of online
recruitment in the library and information sector.
Non-Traditional Career Opportunities
Non-traditional
jobs for special librarians
A chapter from the "Special Libraries Management Handbook:
The Basics" website written by students in CLIS 724 (Special
Libraries and Information Centers) at the University of South Carolina
College of Library and Information Science during the Spring 1999
and 2000 semesters. Provides an analysis of the variety of jobs
available for special librarians.
Alternative
Careers Workshop
An overview of a series of presentations given at the Catholic University
of America on the subject of alternative careers for librarians.
The presentations address the nature of the speakers current work,
reasons for entering their current profession, positives and negatives
of their career choice, relevance of their library degree to their
work, and the state of the job market for new M.L.S. graduates in
their respective fields.
Resources at UNC and on the SLA Web Site
SLA Career
Information Center
You must be an SLA member to access this section, which includes
feature articles; career, interview and resume writing advice; international
careers.
SLA
Salary Surveys
You must be an SLA member to access this section, which publishes
the results of a survey summarizing salary levels both geographically
and by position. An older edition is available in the SILS library:
Reference Z682.4.S65.S58.
UNC
Career Services
This site has a ton of general but relevant links, and the center
offers workshops on resume writing, interviewing and job search
strategies.
SILS
Job Listserv
If you are not already a member, choose "join sils-jobs"
and follow the instructions.
Good Articles
Bates, Mary Ellen. "The Newly Minted MLS: What do we need to know
today?" Searcher. May 1998 v6 n5 p30(4). Available through UNC's Online Journals.
Wein, Terren Ilana et. al "Job Power: Career Management Resources for Librarians" Information Outlook Vol 7 No. 1 January 2003. Also available through UNC's online journals.
About Us
The SLA was created to allow librarians in specialized disciplines and non-traditional careers to share advice and network. With the growing diversity of library positions, the SLA encompasses a wide variety of careers.