Career Development Plan 2020-2022
My current position is working as a Content Data Analyst for Ebook Central, a ProQuest product. I serve librarians on a daily basis, answering their questions about the availability of ebooks on our platform. At this point of my career, I would like to change the corporate office environment to the one working with patrons at a university library. I am interested in a position of an Electronic Resources Librarian or Serials Librarian at an academic library. Over the course of 20 years I have been with ProQuest, I have had an opportunity to learn the internal systems and processes for such products as 360 Knowledge Base, Ulrich’s Periodicals Directory, Books in Print and Ebook Central.
I would really enjoy learning how these and other online products work for our customers, the librarians, and their libraries’ patrons. I think I have a lot of expertise and knowledge in the field of online resources to offer to a Library that would like to employ me.
Job Hunting Plan
Is this your first professional position?
It is not my first professional position since I have been working for ProQuest for the last 20 years.
If no, what is this move about?
I have only worked for a company that serves libraries as a vendor, but not for an actual library, so I would really like to explore this new career opportunity.
Do you want to relocate or change employers? Where?
Even though I will be glad to find a job in New Jersey, I am open to move and change the state where I currently live. I will search employment opportunities at such states as North and South Carolina and Georgia.
What strategies will you use to identify employment opportunities?
I will monitor job postings at NJ Library Association, Glassdoor, LibraryLinkNJ, ZipRecruiter and Indeed.com.
I will update my LinkedIn profile by adding my skills and experience from my newest position of a Content Data Analyst.
I will e-mail my resume and cover letter for a position of Electronic Resources, Digital or Serials Librarian to the HR departments and hiring managers at the university libraries.
I will keep updating my resume by emphasizing the skills I learned in MLIS program at Valdosta State University and during 20 years of working for ProQuest.
Summarize your approach for contacting potential employers:
I will keep updating my resume by adding the skills I learned in MLIS program at Valdosta State University and during 20 years of working for ProQuest.
Once I find a job that I am interested in, I will create a Cover Letter that fits this position and demonstrates the skills that the employer is looking for.
I will also research information about the potential employer before submitting my application.
If and when I am invited for an interview, I will prepare myself beforehand by reading the description of the position and making sure I look and act professional during the interview.
I will follow up the interview with a thank you note for considering me for the position.
Describe activities that will help you keep your skills up to date:
Attending professional conferences (ALA, NJLA) and other professional events (e .g., last year I went to a Book Industry Study Group annual meeting in New York).
Taking part in professional training and seminars (for example, I recently attended EDItEUR's 42nd International Supply Chain Seminar online and a series of webinars about ONIX at work).
Participating in Book Expo in New York and other Book Fairs.
I will continue reading professional library journals to stay informed about the latest news in the library industry and newest technological trends and products in the library market.
I will travel to a conference as I did in 2013 when I went to Moscow to make a presentation about Ulrich’s Periodicals Directory.
Include long-term goals and aspirations:
Another advanced degree? I would like to attain another Master’s degree, in the field of Management and/or Administration.
Getting published? Yes, if I continue to work for an academic library, I would like to become a faculty librarian. This position requires publishing articles in professional library journals, so I would definitely be interested in conducting research and publishing the results of my investigation.
Joining organizations? I will become a member of an American Library Association and New Jersey Library Association.
Moving into Management or Administration? Once I start working for an academic library and have a few years of experience, I will apply for a higher position of a Manager of Electronic Resources or at another department.
Advocating for Libraries? I think that, in general, people have a lot of misconceptions about libraries. Most of my friends and acquaintances think that libraries will be extinct in a few years. They do not realize the value of libraries to every level of the society and to school and university students worldwide. I would like to keep de-bunking these myths about libraries and proving the importance of libraries by posting on social media and doing marketing outreach while I work at a library.
Vision Essay
I have been enrolled in Master of Library and Information Science Program at Valdosta State University since 2015. I have really enjoyed studying for the Program which allowed me to explore the world of public and academic libraries from within.
Over the course of the last five years, I took twelve different classes, such as Library Management, Collection Development, Organization of Information, Online Searching, etc. These classes helped me gain a lot of practical and theoretical knowledge in the field of Library Science.
For example, when I was taking the Library Management class, I interviewed a Library Director and Manager of Electronic Resources for one of my projects which helped me learn more about their library’s budget. The Director described to me what was the annual amount of their budget, and how they had to get approval from the Board of Trustees for it, as well as what were the priorities for spending library’s funds and what resources were purchased as an addition to the essential ones.
Working on a project for my Collection Development class allowed me to interview another library’s personnel so I could gain first-hand experience in how to create and maintain a collection of print and electronic resources on a specific topic at a library.
Another very useful class was Online Searching during which I learned about comprehensive methods of information retrieval used in commercial databases (such as EBSCO Host, for example) and on the web (Google Scholar). We gained more experience in such advanced search strategies as Boolean operators and keyword commands.
Over the course of Integrated Library Management Systems class I learned about fundamental concepts of integrated library systems and electronic resource management processes. This was a very interesting experience which pertained to my job for ExLibris, since I worked for the Knowledge Base. KB feeds metadata into Alma, a very successful cloud-based integrated library services platform. Alma provides libraries with the cost-effective library management solutions.
When I was taking the Information Policy class I learned a lot of very useful information about professional values and ethics of a librarian. For example, one of the ethical principles of the American Association of Law Libraries specifies that a librarian should “avoid putting personal interests before those of their patrons, colleagues, and employers” (https://www.aallnet.org/about-us/what-we-do/policies/public-policies/aall-ethical-principles/).
I think that it is very important to be devoted to your profession, loyal to your employers and to serve your library’s patrons in the best possible way. One of ProQuest’ main principles is to satisfy customers’ needs and to go out of your way to make sure you complete their request in a timely manner and to the best of your abilities, which is applicable to a librarian’s job as well.
I think that a job at a library incorporates a certain degree of selfless dedication to the needs of the patrons. It is very important to always remain polite, emphatic, and genuinely interested in fulfilling their inquiries. Even if you are experiencing some personal issues, you should always remain positive and friendly at work and make patrons feel welcome and comfortable at the library.
Another important professional characteristic for a librarian is "to use sound analytical methods and best professional practices to maximize the value and utility of the employer’s resources" (American Association of Law Libraries). If I get a chance to work as a professional librarian, I will strive to learn new technologies, develop additional technical skills and further educate myself by attending various webinars, training sessions, presentations at conferences, etc. Library is a field that has so much potential for new technological advances, such as discovery services, management solutions, research tools, collection management services for handling library's various print and online assets. A new Electronic Resource Management System can save thousands of dollars for a library's budget by analyzing all available collections and providing usage statistics. Therefore, librarians should always stay on top of new products and trends in the Library and Information Field.
Another belief that I strongly support is that a librarian should "oppose discrimination based on immutable and personal characteristics, including but not limited to race, color, religion, ancestry, age, sex, gender, gender transition status, immigration status, marital status, protected veteran status, military service, national origin, physical or mental ability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, or socio-economic status" (American Association of Law Libraries). A library in a truly democratic society should be a home to a citizen of any ethnicity, sexual preference or financial situation. A librarian should always remain open-minded and unbiased towards patrons of diverse groups, such as, for example, new immigrants for whom English is a second language, older adults, persons with mental or physical impairments, homeless and impoverished, members of LGBTQ community, or prisoners.
My Goals for the Next Two Years
When I envision my future career path, I am hoping to be working at a university library as a Digital Resources Librarian. I think that I have already gained a lot of expertise in the areas of print and online resources (including serial publications, books and various online databases) which I will be glad to offer to my potential employer.
Over the next two years, I am planning to boost my professional development and continue my education by attending workshops, webinars, training seminars on various topics in the Library and Information Science field. I would like to learn more about such topics as MARC and other cataloging codes, cybersecurity, emerging technologies, ERMs, etc. One of my goals is to become a Certified Alma Administrator so I could have a deeper understanding of this Library Management System.
I will also participate in the annual conferences of American Library Association and New Jersey Library Association. I would like to expand my professional network and meet other librarians to make connections with them. As soon as I graduate in December of 2020, I will apply for a New Jersey Librarian Certification. I will also keep monitoring all NJ county websites for new positions. I will add my name to the librarian substitute positions. If I am not able to find a position of a librarian due to my lack of professional experience, I will start looking for a job of a volunteer at a library on weekends. This way, I will be able to gain my hands-on job skills.
I would also like to find a position which can utilize my language skill since I speak and write Russian, Ukrainian and Polish languages. My interest and strength lie in interpersonal communication with the customers, as well as publishers and aggregators, and my ability to build strong and lasting relationships with them. I would love to make a transition from a corporate environment into educational one and gain experience fulfilling the library’s patrons information needs. If possible, I would also really appreciate an opportunity to become a member of the Library Faculty and develop professionally in that field as well. My eventual goal is to keep gaining new insights into the profession, stay on top of newest technological trends and make sure I provide the best possible service to the library’s patrons. I am very passionate about libraries as gateways to knowledge and culture and their extremely important role in contributing to the education and innovation of our society. I would love an opportunity to serve in this noble profession.