Coming Soon!
Grow Your Library Career
Developing Soft Skills from Networking to Negotiation
by Melissa S. Lockaby
January 2025, 135pp, 6 1/8x9 1/4
1 volume, Libraries Unlimited

Paperback: 978-1-4408-7465-9
$55, £43, 48€, A76
Available for purchase 30 days prior to publication.
eBook Available: 978-1-4408-7466-6
Please contact your preferred eBook vendor for pricing.

This book teaches library students the soft skills needed to obtain and get ahead in a job.

Library school provides the technical knowledge to do a library job—but you also need soft skills to be successful at work. This practical book teaches everything from networking to email etiquette—all in the context of your library career.

Library school teaches you formal terminology. You learn the basics of cataloging, collection development, policy writing, budgeting, and management. To be successful in a library career, however, new graduates and working librarians also need to master the soft skills that are required in the workplace.

What are these seemingly intangible skills? There are many: interpersonal skills, the ability to work independently, the ability to lead, the capability to work in a team environment, analytical skills, attention to detail, and even high emotional IQ (yes, this is sometimes a job qualification!).

In a readable and entertaining style, this book teaches soft skills that truly can be learned, put into practice, and used every day at your library job. From how to be a good colleague to networking, timing, and knowing when to say no, Melissa Lockaby teaches librarians how to apply business soft skills to librarianship, a proudly service-oriented profession.

Features

  • Learn strategies for effective communication and networking
  • Discover how to balance timing to accomplish professional goals
  • Come away knowing when to say no
Melissa S. Lockaby is a collection management librarian at the University of North Georgia, with experience in both public and academic libraries. Starting in a career in human resources that transitioned into HR information systems, she decided to make a career change and found a home in libraries. Supervising librarians, teaching students, and serving on hiring committees, Lockaby is interested in supporting librarians who are looking for their first job or who want to find a new career path in libraries. She holds an MPA from the University of Arkansas and an MSLIS from Drexel University.
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