This document provides advice for PhD students interested in transitioning to a career in libraries and information science (LIS). It discusses remembering that LIS requires specialized training, reflecting on transferable skills and potential specialty areas, learning about the field through informational interviews and additional education, locating job postings, applying for positions by creating strong application materials, interviewing effectively, and negotiating salary and benefits if offered a position. The overall message is that with research and effort, a PhD can transition successfully to a career in LIS.

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.

2. Millie Jackson
Senior Associate Dean
University Libraries
University of Alabama
With thanks:

3. Jen Teitle
Assistant Dean
Graduate Student Development
University of Iowa
With thanks:

4. Brady J. Krien
Doctoral Student
English
University of Iowa
With thanks:

5. John Russell
Associate Director
Center for Humanities &
Education
Penn State University
With thanks:

6. Melissa Barton
Curator of Prose & Drama
Collection of American
Literature
Yale University
With thanks:

7. Shannon Supple
Curator of Rare Books
Smith College
Chair
Rare Book & Manuscript Section
With thanks:

8. Lynn Eaton
Director
Special Collections
George Mason University
With thanks:

9. Elizabeth Ott
Curator of Rare Books
University of North Carolina
With thanks:

10. Katherine Chandler
Project Manager
Library of Congress
With thanks:

11. Mattie Taormina
Director
Sutro Library
California State University
With thanks:

12. Remember
Reflect
Learn
Locate
Apply
Interview
Negotiate

13. REMEMBER

14. Librarians and archivists have their own degrees,
specializations, conferences, journals, and
professional culture.

15. A research background provides insightful
perspectives, but not professional experience as
a librarian or an archivist.

16. REFLECT

17. What types of places could you work?

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.

19. Those employers all provide excellent
opportunities!

20. However, this presentation focuses on
academic libraries.

21. What types of positions should you pursue?

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.

23. Transferable Skills

24. Academic Hierarchy Knowledge
Archival Research
Editing
Foreign Languages
Information Literacy
Project Management
Programming Languages
Student Life Knowledge
Subject Expertise
Teaching
Web Design
Writing

25. Transferable Qualities

26. Communication
Drive
Empathy
Endurance
Flexibility
Life Long Learner
Networker
Self Motivated
Warmth

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/

28. LEARN

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.

30. Job

31. Seek out opportunities to work or volunteer in your
intended specialty at your academic library.

32. Identify a mentor you would like to learn from, a
project you want to contribute to, or a skill you are
interested in acquiring.

33. (Yes, you would do this work on top of whatever
academic responsibilities you have in order to
complete your degree.)

34. Skills to seek out:

35. Altmetics
Archival Description
Cataloguing
Collection Development
Database Management
Data Curation
Data Visualization
License Agreements
Librarianship Principles and Terminology
Metadata Schema
Project Management
Rare Book Description
Reference Interviews
Technology
User Experience Testing
Vendor Negotiation

36. Informational Interviews

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.

38. Make your questions specific to the person.

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.

40. Then, contact another person in your intended
specialty at different institution.

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.

43. Additional Education

44. Read the about the field:

45. Listservs
Library Journals
Library Organization Websites
MOOCs (HarvardX)
Online Syllabi and Reading Lists
Social Media (especially Twitter)

46. Seek enrichment opportunities.

47. Work/volunteer over breaks or open semesters
in a different location.

48. Apply to attend summer programs:

49. Antiquarian Book Seminars
California Rare Book School
Rare Book School

50. I am not addressing whether you should
acquire an MLS/MLIS either during or after
your PhD.

51. LOCATE

52. Look for full-time, grant-funded, postdoctoral,
and term appointments.

53. While some appointments follow the academic year
(postdoctoral roles), the majority do not.
There’s not a “hiring season.”

54. Check the following places for positions:

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

57. Library positions are competitive too.

58. Be willing to consider a wide variety of locales.

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.

60. APPLY

61. Research the institution, library, and department.
Know their history, the demographic they serve, any
recent news, and their overall web presence.

62. Library positions generally are either
professional or non-professional.

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.

64. Non-professional positions are nine-to-five jobs
without time and money for professional
development activities.

65. Make sure you understand what type of position
you are applying for and if it will suit your goals.

66. Cover Letter

67. Retype position requirements into a new
document in the order that they appear.

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.

73. Congratulations, you have a rough draft.

74. Make sure the letter is two pages or less.

75. Edit and proofread it. Multiple times.

76. Enlist the help of friends, faculty, and centers
devoted to writing and graduate student success.

77. Resume

78. Resume, not CV
While CVs may be used, resumes are generally
preferred, especially for entry-level positions.

79. Header
List your name, address, phone, email, and website.
Keep your website updated and relevant.

80. Education
List degrees, university, and graduation year.
Do not include thesis/dissertation title or advisor.

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.

87. INTERVIEW

88. Interviews may include phone, video, and
campus visits before you are given an offer.

89. Phone

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.

91. Video Conference

92. Dress appropriately.
Test the technology you will use.
Choose a professional location as your background.

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.

94. Campus Visit

95. Itinerary
Transportation
Meals
Presentation
Interviews
Tour
After

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.

104. Evaluations combine ability & likeability.

105. NEGOTIATE

106. Compare the cost of living between your current and
future locations.

107. Look up salaries in the library department you aim to join
as well as other PhDs in the library.

108. Not all institutions post salaries.

109. Examine the ARL Annual Salary Survey.

110. Argue for more than the minimum salary based on
your skills and experience, not your degree.

111. Set a target goal and an acceptable range.

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.

115. Initial salaries set your earning potential for life.

116. Do not assume you will be able to re-negotiate.

117. Raises usually come only at promotion and are
added to or based on a percentage of your current
salary.

118. Write down the reasons you identified for your
target salary.

119. Practice with a trusted individual over the medium
in which the negotiation will occur (likely the
phone).

120. Get everything in writing.

121. You must negotiate.

122. Questions?
Keep the conversation going on Twitter
@amyhildrethchen