Acing the Library Interview

Make sure you answer the questions they ask you! Group hiring teams often have to use rubrics for scoring so make sure you answer exactly what they ask before expanding your answer to highlight other things.

In the same vein, when asked to prove AN example, candidates need to provide ONE (1) example. In some places, if you provide 2 examples the panel will only score one of them to make the grading consistent, which means you wasted half your answer time.

This is so important. Many an excellent candidate, perhaps even the best person for the job, lose the position because rubrics can be so unforgiving.

This is particularly important if you’re not a “librarian” with a masters of library science.

Look at the library’s webpage, their policies, their strategic plan if it’s publicly available, their mission. Be ready to ask the interviewers questions based on this research.

We see way more uninformed interviews at the entry level. The biggest mistake I have ever seen interviewers and new coworkers make in this job and in the interview process as well; is just treating it like retail, or telling whatever stories you have from a store without changing your lens.

Libraries first and foremost are a public service. Unless you are a university library with restricted access, you’re going to be dealing with people that have a wide variety of living situations and technology access, and you need to be able to create a space that they do not feel uncomfortable asking for help, and give them quality service for whatever they may need: without judgement, every time.

Make sure you understand the role of libraries in your community AND that you articulate this role in the interview itself.

I was told by a manager that I did not get a public library job because I did not brag enough about myself. They knew I could do the job.

If you’re worried you don’t have enough experience to brag about get creative: find activities in your personal life you can use as examples — and tie them back to libraries — or become involved with library organizations.

Consider pitching a blog to Storytime Solidarity or brag about how much you’ve connected with the great number of library resources you’ve familiarized yourself with since deciding this was the job for you.

A time you handled a tough situation well, a time you handled a tough situation poorly — and what you’d do better, a time you just had the best interaction with a patron/customer/client and what made it so successful.

Also, any activities/crafts/birthday parties/events you’ve planned, or presentations you’ve given can be great examples if you can’t think of library examples to share or don’t have a lot of job experience yet.

Don’t just tell me why you want to work at a library. Tell me why you want to work at THIS library and in THIS position. Check out our website & social media presence ahead of time and tell me what it is, specifically, that makes you a good fit for our mission & goals. (Oh, and don’t tell me it’s because you love to read. Lots of horrible people love to read. You can mention that, but you need to go way beyond that.)

Study/memorize the Mission Statement, Vision Statement, and also Strategic Plan (if publicly available)… align your answers to them as much as possible. I would go a step further and explain how your skills and experience match their mission and vision. You want to make sure your service philosophy aligns with theirs. If there’s a 5-year plan or other public document for the library system: read it.

If you can read some of the library board meeting minutes, often available online, those can be helpful too. They can help you see the direction the library wants to go, the goals they have, and things that your experience or ideas can speak to.

Always familiarize yourself with the demographics in the area, especially if it’s a system with lots of neighborhood branches, knowing that the socioeconomic makeup of the area right around where you’re interviewing can help inform different suggestions you can make. Most public schools publish their demographics on their websites. So that’s the homework portion.

One of my favorite things is when they ask you if you have any questions, ask “Why do you like working here?” It shows you’re thinking and it gets the interviewer talking.

Try to talk about what you can do at the library you are interviewing at and not only the work (or workplace) you have previously done.

Question: give an example of an innovative program you think would be successful at this library.
Answer: I’d love to create a “fill in innovative program name here” or series here at “town name library.” I have some experience with this type of programming and previous “accomplishment here.”

Elaborate and customize of course. An interview team can benefit from your descriptions of how they should see you in the position!

In the interview make sure you talk up what you think is important from your experience and resume, do not assume they’ve really read and paid a lot of attention to it. Bringing or providing direct links in a chat to illustrate specific experiences as their questions lead there can also be great, “Here’s some pictures of displays I’ve created”, “Here’s some pictures of a program” etc… I’ve brought 3D items I’ve created for or in programs before.