• Why did you decide to enter the field of library and information science? OR What motivated you to seek a library degree?
  
• What kind of position are you looking for when you graduate?
• Why did you decide to apply for this position?
• What are your strengths and weaknesses?
• List three of your most important/proudest accomplishments.
• What kind of work environment do you prefer?
• What motivates you? ALSO Have you used these motivators with others?
• How are you qualified for this job? OR What qualifications do you have that make you think you will be a success at this job?
• What supervisory experience have you had?
• How would you characterize your supervisory style?
• What would you do about implementing the provisions of the American with Disabilities Act (or some other new policy) in our library, and how would you prioritize this among your other duties?
• The person in this position needs to be innovative and proactive. Can you describe some things you have done to demonstrate these qualities?
• How would you rate your communication skills and what have you done to improve them?
• What do you feel is the place of bibliographic instruction in the library? Have you ever taught in a classroom setting? Would you be comfortable teaching BI courses?
• What else besides your school and job experience qualifies you for this job?
• What is your experience with collection development?
• What experience do you have dealing with academic scholars?
• What is your experience with automated systems and with computers in general?
• What have you read lately, and what are you reading now?
• While this position involves some specific skills (language, computer, cataloging, etc.), it is more of a generalist position. How do you feel that your background fits into this?
• What are the personal characteristics and qualities that you would bring to this position that would be particularly helpful in fulfilling the responsibilities of this position?
• Why did you choose X University for your graduate education in library and information science?
• Tell us about yourself. ALSO Tell me about yourself -- why did you choose this type of work?
• Tell us about X University's online catalog.
• What professional groups are you a member of, and how active have you been in those groups?
• You have just had a short tour of this library. Did any aspect or anything you saw or heard about this library surprise you? Would you change anything about this library?
• Why do you think more students are going into public services than technical services?
• Tell us about your experience with online searching.
• How do you work in groups, and what experience have you had working in groups?
• What appeals to you about this position?
• Why do you want to move to this area?
• How do you feel about providing general reference services for undergraduates or for high school or junior high school students?
• What are some aspects of your present position that you like?
• What are some aspects of your present position that you dislike?
• What do you see yourself doing five or ten years from now? OR Where do you see yourself going from here?
• What is your cataloging experience?
• What do you think a reference librarian's duties should be?
• Tell us about your subject background and about your coursework outside of library science.
• How will your other experiences outside of librarianship aid you in this position?
• What is your opinion of X University's approach to holisitic librarianship? How well is the system functioning?
• How are governement documents handled at X University?
• What is your interlibrary loan experience?
• What experience have you had using the Internet?
• Do you have the skills necessary to create and maintain our WWW home pages?
• What do you see as the future of the Internet as a reference tool?
• How will libraries mesh use of print and electronic resources?
• What do you see as the budget implications of increasing use of electronic resources in libraries?
• Can you install software on computers and perform basic maintenance on them?
• What courses (college/graduate school) did you find most satisfying? Least satisfying? Why?
• What would you say you learned from your college/graduate school experiences that you see being carried over to your life today?
• Do you plan to continue your education?
• What kind of people do you like to work with?
• What kind of people do you find it most difficult to work with? What do you do to improve the situation?
• Do you prefer working alone or in groups?
• Starting with your last job, would you tell me about some of your achievements that were recognized by your superiors?
• What are some things you would like to avoid in a job? Why?
• What are some of the things on your jobs that you feel you have done particularly well?
• What does success mean to you? How do you judge it?
• What are some of the things about your last job that you found difficult to do?
• What are some of the problems you encounter in doing your job? Which one frustrates you the most? What do you usually do about it?
• How has your present job developed you to take on even greater responsibilities?
• What do you have going for you that might make you successful in such a job?
• Who or what in your life would you say influenced you most with regard to your career objectives?
• What would you say there is about you that has accounted for your fine progress to date?
• What traits or qualities do you feel could be strengthened or improved?
• What motivates you to put forth your best effort?
• What kinds of things do you feel most confident in doing? Somewhat less confident in doing?
• What are some of the thing you are either doing now or have thought about doing that are self-development activities?
• Tell me about a time when you had work problems or stresses that were difficult for you.
• Customers frequently create a great deal of pressure. What has been your experience in this area?
• What types of pressures do you experience on your current job? How do you cope with these pressures?
• Describe a time when you were under pressure to make a decision. Did you react immediately or take time in deciding what to do?
• What types of things make you angry? How do you react?
• How do you react when you see co-workers disagreeing? Do you become involved or hold back?
• Do you prefer to have a job in which you have well laidout tasks and responsibilities, or one in which your work changes on a frequent basis?
• In your current position what types of decisions do you make without consulting your immediate supervisor?
• What types of experiences have you had in dealing with difficult customers?
• Describe a problem person you have had to deal with. What did you say or do?
• What have been your experiences in dealing with the general public? When have people really tried your patience?
• What important goals have you set in the past, and how successful have you been in working toward their accomplishment?
• Do you do personal planning? If so, what are your goals?
• What things give you the greatest satisfaction?
• How would you describe yourself?
• In what ways do you think you can make a contribution to our department?
• What two or three accomplishments have given you the most satisfaction? Why?
• Describe your most rewarding experience.
• In what kind of work environment are you most comfortable?
• What do you know about our library? university? community? company?
• You mentioned you enjoyed your last job. What did you enjoy most? Least?
• Why do you think this library should hire you?
• What will your last supervisor tell me are your two weakest areas?
• If you were hiring someone for this job, what qualities would you look for?
• How do you feel about your ability to write, spell, and communicate? What kind of feedback have you received about your writing ability?
• Describe your experience in creating documents, proposals, research findings, or any other form of written copy.
• What does the term two-way communication mean to you? When have you successfully used two-way communication?
• Some people get to know strangers quickly, while others prefer to take their time letting people get to know them. Describe how you entered relationships when you were "new" on a job.
• Some people have the ability to "step into another's shoes." When has this skill been required of you?
• How did you organize your work in your last position? What happened to your plan when emergencies came up?
• Describe how you determined your priorities on your last job.
• Describe how you schedule your time on an unusually hectic day. Give a specific example.
• Are you a person who likes to "try new things," or "stay with regular routines"? Give an example.
• What is your philosophy of reference?
• What are your 3 (or 5) favorite reference books? OR If you were on a desert idland, which 3 (or 5) reference books would you want to have?

• Describe your strengths and weaknesses.
• Considering your education and work experience, why do you feel you are qualified for this job?
• What do you see as the value of belonging to professional organizations?
• Why did you apply for this job?
• What is your philosophy of collection development?
• Do you like working with people?
• Do you have any experience with audio-visual materials?
• Do you have any experience in setting up displays?
• How do you feel that your education has prepared you for this job?
• Where do you expect to be professionally in five years?
• How would you handle a person who objects to a sex education book on the shelf?
• How would you handle a question over the phone that you canít answer immediately?
• Is there any time that you would refuse to answer a patronís request?
• If we ask your present supervisor what your present strengths are, what would he/she say?
• Why should we hire you?
• Name two books you have read within the past two months and describe one of them as though you were recommending it to a patron to read. Why would they want to read it?
• What qualities do you think we should look for in a prospective reference librarian?
• Considering your working career, tell about the most stressful event you ever faced, and how you coped with it.

Picture this: It is 5:00 PM and you are relieving the day shift. You are the only reference librarian on the desk and the following are waiting for help. In what order would you answer them and why?

• a. A young child with a homework assignment
• b. A trivia question; the contest is on now.
• c. A woman who has just read Jannette Daileyís latest book and wants a recommendation for a similar book.
• d. An elderly couple wanting advice on how to do their genealogy.
• e. The city managerís office is on the telephone.
• What did you do to prepare for this interview?
• What is your style of leadership?
• Describe your ideal job.
• What was your most challenging supervisory experience?
• What do you like most about archival work?
• Describe differences among patrons in a public library, an academic library, and a special library.
• If you were assisting a person at the reference desk and the telephone rang, what would you do?
• After you have eliminated the backlog, how do you see this job as challenging to you? What will motivate you to come to work?
• Why did you elect to attend the University of South Carolina?
• Why did you choose librarianship as a career?
• Can you tell us about a particularly tense or chaotic situation at the reference desk and how you handled the incident?
• What would you do if you heard a staff member provide a patron with an incorrect answer?
• Tell us about a team or group project you have worked on and how you have contributed to it.
• Tell us about your experience with information technology.
• Why are you interested in this particular career?
• What strengths do you bring to a reference position and what areas would you like to improve?
• What are the things you particularly like about your present job?
• What was your most important work-related accomplishment in the past year?
• What contributions could you make to our library?
• How would you describe your management philosophy?
• What type of management style do you prefer?
• What sorts of people do you enjoy working with most?
• What kinds of situations do you find stressful?
• What would you do if you were at the desk and both the phones were ringing and there were three or four patrons already waiting and a demanding professor interrupted?
• Outline your science background, including: science coursework, library school coursework in science reference, and science library experience.
• What is your public service experience, including bibliographic instruction, reference desk, and collection development?
• What is your knowledge and/or experience of library technology?
• How does this position fit into the career path you have set for yourself?
• Give us an example of a time in which you felt you were able to build motivation in your coworkers or fellow students in school.
• Describe the most significant achievement or written project/presentation/report which you have had to complete.
• What are your strengths and weaknesses as a librarian?
• Give us an example you did in a former job that contributed to a teamwork environment.
• What would you do if you were unsure of how to answer a reference question?
• What are your current research interests?
• The role of the reference librarian and the reference department has changed a lot in the past five years and will probably continue to change. How do you see reference service changing in the next five years?
• When you have to choose between on-time and totally accurate, which do you pick?
• Tell us about a time when you attempted to elicit feedback from your colleagues in the profession but were unsuccessful. Why didn't it work and what could you have done differently?

1. Give us a brief introduction on what brings you here today.
2. What role does the media center play in a school?
3. What is your role in the school community?
4. How would you envision yourself interacting with staff?
5. How will you help the Planning Team in developing curriculum and the program of studies?
6. Describe the atmosphere you would find most appropriate for a high school media center. For example, if students were in the media center for a study hall, would you expect silence, quiet talking, or anything goes?
7. What types of activities would be appropriate for students to be engaged in during this time?
8. Talk about how you would handle a student who was creating a disturbance.
9. There has been a lot of talk about technology replacing books and libraries becoming obsolete. What is your opinion on this? Which do you feel is most important for you to promote in the media center?
10. How would you go about selecting an opening day collection? What tools and resources would you use?
11. With a limited budget, how will you make decisions about where to spend your money?
12. In your Library, what percentage of the materials would be novels or books, what percentage would be on-line licensing for reference materials, what percentage would be hands-on reference materials and what percentage would be print periodicals?
13. Are there additional methods you could use to obtain materials once the budget has been expended?
14. What are the three most important things for you to do in getting a new media center up and running?
15. What is your favorite Young Adult book or author?
16. How can you assist other teachers when they are looking to infuse technology into their lessons?
17. Can you use a Smart Board?
18. What library automation systems are you familiar with?
19. On a daily basis, where would your priorities fall among the following tasks: shelving books, assisting students, processing books, planning with staff, working with classes on various aspects of research projects?
20. How would you react if a parent calls you and has a problem with a text or book in the library and wants it pulled from the shelves?
21. If you had to describe yourself, what 3 words would describe you?
22. What questions do you have of us?


1. How would you handle discipline?
2. How will you go about collaborating with teachers, even some reluctant ones?
3. How will you promote reading in the library/ media center?
4. I had someone once ask me in an interview to describe one of my weaknesses. Who wants to admit that? I would suggest giving a weakness that is a really a compliment...
5. They will ask you about Boys who don’t Read and how you would combat that.
6. How can you get middle school students to read?
7. Lastly - middle schoolers thrive on competition - use this hook to get them reading and class by class competition etc.
8. They may ask why you want to work for that district
9. what will you do to promote the library
10. what do you consider your strengths
11. how will you handle disruptive students
12. how will you encourage collaboration with faculty
13. What is your level of technology knowledge, can you set up a web page or trouble shoot technology problems?
14. What automation systems are you familiar with
15. They may ask about your student teaching experience.
16. They will ask you things like--scenario: a student is asking you a reference question, another student needs help finding a book, a teacher is standing at the desk wanting you to pull books for her class (emergency), the phone is ringing, and another class is coming in for research, who do you help first?
17. What are your weaknesses?
18. What job(s) do you like doing the most in the library? What do you like the least? SERVING STUDENTS!
19. Be prepared to name your favorite authors and titles
20. How will you get parents involved...literacy night, invites to book fairs, volunteer opportunities, creating a parent bookshelf, offering parent workshops?
21. Also, what book was I currently reading or recently read
22. What will you bring to our staff/ smile every day and willingness to work as a team
23. The principal asked me what I needed from her to do the best job in the library. I had a lot of trouble with that question b/c I had only thought of what I would do…
24. They may ask you collection development questions, acquisitions questions...
25. Do you have a favorite book that you would recommend to a reluctant reader?
26. What is the best part of this job?
27. Why should we hire you?
28. What would be some goals for the library?
29. What would you do in a book challenge? (know the steps to take)

1. Make sure and ask about the technology in the library.
2. Ask them about the budget, such as how much do you get yearly
3. Ask them about the curriculum. Talk to them about integrating the library into the curriculum and planning lessons with teachers.
4. Ask to see the library (I'm sure they'll give you a tour). Ask about the technology available to you.
5. Ask what catalog is in use and whether it's a Union catalog.
6. Ask about a book club.
7. What is the budget for libraries district-wide?
8. What types of resources are available to students, school-wide and district-wide (databases, online encyclopedias, etc)?
9. How much (or how little) responsibility does the librarian have in regards to computer software and hardware (maintaining computers, ordering software, etc)
10. How much opportunity is there for collaboration in the librarian's schedule (fixed or flex) and do the teachers usually collaborate with the librarian on lessons or units?
11. You might want to know why the person in the job now is leaving. If there has been a turnover in librarians in the last few years it could raise a red flag
12. What would your hours be? Are they the same as faculty? Are summer hours required or allowed?
13. Is there a flex or fixed schedule?
14. Is there an aide assigned to library? or is this person shared with another dept.?
15. How is the library budget managed?
16. Research Middle School Concept.

17. I brought a printed out version of my previous school library webpage to show them what I did in the previous school. It wowed them because students could email me, ask for a book hold, request books for the library to buy, print out or email me a student survey, etc.
18. Since this is your first job, I would take a portfolio of only the BEST, most creative things you've done with students. My first job, I brought copies of my school's literary magazine--I was the advisor, copies of "books" students wrote for 2nd grade readers, that kind of thing.
19. if they teach specific research skills like Big 6 through all grades
20. do they support and practice Sustained silent reading (ssr)
21. what programs are in place now in the library
22. what is your vision for the library program
23. is there an orientation class every year?
24. how many books are grades required to read each year
25. what is their summer reading program
26. Tell them that you believe that the LMC should be the HUB of the school.
27. Tell them that you want to have a book club and have contests etc.
28. If you are technologically savvy, tell the interviewers that you want to teach the students to do PowerPoint presentations as an alternative to written reports since it gives the student the opportunity to improve speaking skills and also Microsoft Publisher because it is a marketable skill, and helps students with writing skills.
29. I asked of them what would be my greatest challenge here, do teachers have a positive view on collaboration.

1. How will you promote the use of the media center by both teachers and students?
2. Describe the atmosphere you will create in the library.
3. Why do you want to work at this school?
4. Tell us about yourself.
5. Why would you like to be a librarian?
6. What qualities do you feel are necessary to have when working with students?
7. What do you feel like are the 3 most important qualities of a good librarian?
7. What do you think your greatest strength as a librarian would be?
8. How will you evaluate the library services?

Professional Development
1. Would you be able to attend the training in June?
2. Describe a recent learning experience – other than your coursework for certification – that would help you in this job. (In other words – is the candidate a life-long learner?)
Could include state Association conferences, in-service workshops, regional library consortium programs, etc., in:
• Technology applications, including library automation systems, website development, etc.
• New resources, including book examination and review programs, online database training
• Curriculum and information-literacy issues, including cyber-ethics, collaboration strategies,
• Marketing techniques, book repair, etc.

Technology
1. There has been a lot of talk about technology replacing books and libraries becoming obsolete. What is your opinion on this? Which do you feel is most important for you to promote in the media center?
2. What automation system(s) are you familiar with? What age do you feel it is appropriate for students to learn to use the OPAC?
3. How comfortable are you with creating a web page? What is your experience with creating and maintaining web pages?
4. What do you do to keep current in the field of library science, children’s literature and/or technology?
5. Tell us about your knowledge concerning technology. How would you work with teachers and students to integrate computer skills in to the curriculum? What are your troubleshooting skills?
6. What experience have you had with the Internet? Should Internet access be monitored?
7. Rate your computer skills on a scale of 1-10 with 10 being the most skilled. What programs are you comfortable using?

Candidate should be able to discuss web-design skills, rationale and strategies for developing and uploading pathfinders; e.g.,: selection/evaluation of useful links, etc. In other words: has the candidate done any research about this library’s programs/services? Have they looked at the school website? The Library website?
1. Many of our students think they just need to go online and Google for information. What else do YOU think they need to know, to be effective web-searchers?
Developing essential questions to focus their research; difference between free web and invisible web. Value of using quality/authoritative sources such as subscription databases Boolean search strategies Comparison of web vs. print resources
2. How would you make sure that all students develop critical web-searching skills?
Possible Info-skills cycle course to ensure that all students continue development of info-lit skills taught in lower grades. Ongoing collaboration with grade level teams to ensure that skills are developed sequentially and utilized across the curriculum in both simple and complex research activities.

Collaboration Collaborating with teachers; developing authentic inquiry-based learning activities, teaching effective info-lit skills
1. Give an example of an integrated project you have worked with a teacher on.
2. Give an example of a project that didn't work well and what you learned from that project.
3. How will you get teachers to collaborate with you?
Try to find ways to connect to the classroom curriculum. I would highlight how you see yourself making the library program integral.
4. We have block scheduling for library classes, are you familiar with block vs. open scheduling? Which do you think you would be more comfortable implementing?

Library Management
1. How would you manage the daily work: checking books in/out, shelving, reports, maintaining the computers and automation system?
2. How would you handle a student who is a consistent behavioral problem?
3. What are the three most important things for you to do your first month of work?
4. You will have a full-time assistant at each of the schools. What would be the role each of you would play? How would volunteers fit into the equation?
5. This LMC is a one-person operation: how would you prioritize all the responsibilities of managing a library program for a school this size?
Note: it is important for candidates to know – up front – if there is no library support staff!
6. How would you envision a typical day or week, having to split your time between two buildings?
7. Describe the routine and strategies you feel are necessary to promote a smooth-running library.
8. What kind of atmosphere would you like your library to have?
9. Request to see a copy of the past year's library schedule. Ask who determines the library schedule and what the degree of flexibility is.

Collection Development
1. How do you go about choosing books/media for your collection? What do you look for?
Books: review journals such as School Library Journal, Library Media Connection, VOYA (for middle and/or high schools) annual Best Books programs from nationally-known presenters, Regional Library consortium’s Book Evaluation meetings.
Subscription databases: review journals such as Library Media Connection, Classroom connect. Should test (use free trials) databases with student AND teachers before purchasing!
Websites: Librarians’ Index to the Internet, Surfaquarium, Classroom Connect, LM_Net
2. How will you handle controversial subjects in the media center?
3. What happens when you get a letter from a parent raising a concern over a book in your collection?
4. What is your favorite picture book/author and chapter book/author?
5. Please name some recent young adult books/authors that are of high interest to this age group.
6. With assessments and standards becoming increasingly important in schools, how would you structure the library programs to accommodate this?
Importance of balanced collections to support the curriculum to meet the standards - and "that is where I would need your aid for financial and administrative support." I would have discussed the role of the librarian as a team player and a master teacher.
7. Do magazines circulate?

Collection development to meet curriculum needs; having new materials available as soon as possible, letting teachers know what is available for use

Since reading is so important, I would talk about how as the librarian we usually read hundreds of reviews and generally know what's the best that's out there and can provide teachers with great read aloud selections, ideas for author studies, our school does a lot with character development, interesting language (writing traits) so I really try to locate books that will meet those needs for the classroom teacher who really doesn't have time.

Information Literacy
1. Teachers have been complaining that kids are just copying stuff off the Web, and then handing that in as ‘research.’ What would you suggest for dealing with this problem?
Teach cyber-ethics, as part of all computer skills and research activities
Collaborate with teachers to design projects that require critical and creative thinking skills, not just regurgitation of facts.
2. How can you help teachers develop effective inquiry-based learning activities?
Knowledge of: multiple learning styles; core content curriculum standards; teaching resources that offer project ideas Skilled at teaching the research process. Collaborative attitude Describe some of the ways you would promote a love of reading to students in general, and specifically to boys.
3. How would you correlate AR with our state’s Reading Initiative?
4. How do you feel about being a resource person?
5. Explain what you do to teach information literacy skills beginning in preschool. Where is your portfolio? What kind of activities and lessons does it display?

Lesson Planning
1. Why do you want to work with these grade levels?
Possible responses: Knowledge of middle school curriculum, philosophy, developmental stages of early adolescence.
2. How do you see (middle school) philosophy impacting the library’s mission and goals?
Providing resources and materials to meet personal, non-academic needs and interests; range of reading levels, variety of formats, etc. Providing instruction in independent learning skills; providing a non-judgmental haven for exploring new ideas.
3. Describe what a thirty minute visit to the library with a class of first graders might look like.

You might want to think about presenting a mini lesson. The principal may ask what would make a perfect lesson. You can mention collaboration, meeting standards, engaging students, using technology, etc. Take a book or two with a prepared a "mini" lesson.

Questions to ask
1. Do students check-in/out their own books?
2. Is Accelerated Reader (AR) a big or small focus?
3. Will I be on curriculum committees?
4. What are the expectations of the administration? The teachers?
5. Will I be able to present staff developments (ex. Big6 skills, copyright, etc.)?
6. Meet with grade level teams?
7. Does the media specialist have the opportunity to serve on curriculum and leadership committees? Which district committees does the media specialist have the opportunity to serve on?
8. School-wide programs (discipline, character, etc.) that I need to be aware of?
9. What is expected of you/staff/faculty support for the library program...both in the school and in the library?
10. What is the philosophy of the administration regarding the library?
To find out if they truly understand what libraries should be doing--- most will say the library is the 'heart of the school'--but you might want to follow-up with a question such as, "Exactly how does the library become the" heart" of the school?"
11. What professional development schedule and opportunities exist?
Is there is a committee on professional development in the district that you could sit on, what the past history and/or policy is of district allowing employees to attend conferences and workshops, whether they have a push in or go out philosophy or if there is in-house professional development, also who decides if and when people attend them and who pays for it, including expenses. Let them know that you are serious about keeping abreast of new developments and up to date in your skills so you can better serve your population.
12. When would you plan with the teachers?
13. How have the teachers and the librarian(s) worked together in the past?
14. Are teachers collaborative? How?
15. How much planning time does your librarian have?
16. Is a substitute provided when your librarian is absent? Library clerk?
17. How dependent (the LMS is) on the computer teacher and vice -versa.
18. How many students, how many classes, how often the classes come to the library.
19. What other duties are expected to be performed?
20. What are the administrations' long-term goals regarding the library program?
You will want to know if they even have any goals or if they just need a warm-body in the library. If they have goals, you should find things like: student involvement in literary activities and research, teacher-librarian collaboration on activities, providing resources that reflect the curriculum, providing services that help students achieve success in areas of reading, research, and / or academic achievement through teacher-librarian instruction.
21. What are some of the best projects that YOU (as an administrator) have seen regarding collaborative efforts?
This will give you an idea of IF they are even aware of what is happening or IF the teachers and librarian(s) have worked together.
22. What would a daily / weekly schedule for the library / librarian look like at this school?
They will give probably give you hours, but you will want to know how many classes they expect you to "cover"--what types of extra assignments you will need to provide for the teachers—if you are babysitting for teachers, then there's a good reason for some librarians to leave.
23. Do you have a part-time/full-time assistant? Do you have any parent volunteers?
If you have to be the librarian AND the teacher AND the disciplinarian AND the clerical assistant, then burn-out it a probable cause for the turn-over.)
24. What extra duties will be required of the librarian?
If you're doing bus duty, hall duty, study-hall, etc., then you're a para-professional within the classroom, not the librarian!
25. Who will be evaluating you as the library media specialist? Will that person be using a librarian evaluation form or a teacher evaluation form?
If they say "teacher evaluation form," then suggest that they use a form that truly reflects your job duties AND provide them with one—many available through LM_NETters!)
26. Who would you speak to regarding budgets, purchases, disciplinary problems, etc?
There should be two or three different key people involved. Also, when you bring up the area of purchasing materials, you might also want to ask if the materials will be approved based upon YOUR qualifications as the librarian in the selection of those materials--"Will my requests for purchases need to be approved line by line or merely by amount?"—sometimes if an administrator wants to oversee EVERY item, including books for the library, there are problems. You should be given the professional authority to make purchases based upon professional qualifications and your budget NOT by the judgment of an administrator who wants to oversee every title.)
27. Ask if there are disciplinary problems within the library? What are the rules regarding discipline problems? What are the procedures?
If there are no procedures (you take care of the problems), then explain that you will need to also write a policy regarding "disciplinary procedures while in the library" for the students.
28. Budget, size of budget.
What are the areas of "need"?—If budget is small and needs are large, then there are problems. If there is no plan to increase the budget or ideas for ways to assist the librarian in this area, you also may have problems--perhaps librarians have been forced to meet goals without the financial support needed to help them.
29. What are your hours? Do you have to work longer than the teachers? Days after regular school session is over? Coming in earlier than the teachers?
30. What is your vision for the future of the library and what is my role in any changes?
31. How will you help me, and the faculty, integrate Gardner's Intelligences in all the assignments?
32. If the present librarian is there; ask what program they developed or put a lot of time and effort into that they would want to see continued with the next person.
33. What is the philosophy of the administration regarding the library?
34. What are the administration's long-term goals?
35. How long was previous librarian there? Why did they leave?

General Helpful Hints Brush up on the four areas of the SLMS position as outlined in Information Power. Be prepared to highlight one or two strong accomplishments, present yourself as thoughtful and enthusiastic. Let the principal know how recent studies indicate that school librarians, supported by a healthy budget, a full-time professional librarian, and an assistant have significantly positive effects on student achievement. If you intend to fully integrate information skills within the curriculum by collaborating with teachers, let the principal know this.


1) Describe what you like to read: authors and/or subjects.
2) If a patron approached you about their objections to a book, video or other item from the library collection how would you handle their objections?
3) Describe computer skills that you have and software that you have used.
4) What has been your most successful accomplishment at work?
5) What do you see as effective ways to involve the library in the community?
6) What experiences, job skills, and talents do you possess that will help you be successful in this position and in particular in these areas:
* Directing and supervising staff
* Budgeting
* Responding to customer needs
* Programming, Children & Adult
* Collection Development