The document provides advice for career success in the library field. It encourages the reader to stay positive, embrace unpredictability, develop short and long-term goals, engage mentors for support, focus on their strengths, maintain a good reputation through positivity and solution-oriented work, and consider non-traditional career paths in order to bring library skills to new settings. The overall message is to enjoy the journey towards one's goals through flexibility, community, and passion for the profession.

1. enjoy yourself on the way
Tiffany Lora Mair, MLIS
Program Assistant,
Capitol Impact, LLC

2. success can be very simple…
given a little strategy, diligence, luck,
& a flexible definition of success.

3. you can get where you want to go
∙ stay positive
∙ many will tell you how hard it is to get a job
∙ choose not to listen

4. you don’t know how to get there
∙ embrace the unpredictability of the future
∙ be willing to take many paths to get to where
you think you want to go
∙ be flexible about where you’re going & the
journey’s distance

5. get prepared
∙ dream (important at all times in your journey)
∙ find library & otherworldly heroes who have
their own quests
∙ create short- & long-term goals

6. get a crew
∙ engage your heroes in conversation
∙ find friends to create with you (think tanks,
events, innovations, presentations, websites)
∙ #makeithappen = magically makes enthusiasm

7. get your head straight
∙ the biggest factor in whether or not you get
the job you want or not is you
∙ that is good news
∙ luck likes eager, positive, knowledgeable,
& fun people

8. get to know yourself
∙ what do you bring to the table that is unique?
∙ find what you have to give & begin to
distinguish yourself

9. how to be: easy steps to stand out
∙ show up
∙ be open
∙ connect with others
∙ do something useful or funny or both

10. reputation matters
∙ library land is a very small place & everyone
knows your business
∙ be positive & decide to stop complaining
∙ create solutions
∙ offer to help & follow through

11. you are a librarian,
wherever you are,
whatever you do.
be creative with what that looks like to you….

12. bring the library outside itself:
everyone needs researchers, writers,
& information managers

13. a different route
∙ be open to working in non-library settings
∙ be willing to work harder to stay connected &
in the mix
∙ do what it takes to attend conferences,
especially if you don’t currently work in a
library

14. along the way
∙ stay true to your values & be flexible with
everything else
∙ be there and know something | Darcy Rezac
∙ help one another on your journeys & career
paths

15. hoping you enjoy your way,
Tiffany Lora Mair, MLIS
@tiffanylora
tiffany.mair@gmail.com
slides available at infodetective.info