HIT: Questions to ask Aide applicants

[Melissa Davis <mbdavis@flex.net>]

I received 38 responses to my question. Thank you all for your help. Six
were requests for a HIT and 32 were suggestions. My original question
was:

>On Wednesday I'll be interviewing applicants for the Library Aide
>position. What questions would you ask? What competencies should I look for?
>
>I have had a Library Aide for the past 3 years.  This person needs to
>have computer skills, filing skills, organizational skills, and be able
>to work with all types of people.
>
>I haven't had to do this for about 9 years and the old set of questions
>just isn't applicable anymore.

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Some of your responses were narratives of what you expected and some
were lists of questions. I've broken the HIT into 3 sections: the
competencies you suggested; the questions you so graciously provided;
and the questions I actually used.  Anyone who wishes to see the
complete text of the responses please email me and I will send it to
you.

                         COMPETENCIES:

ability to notice what students are doing (read "up to").
cheerful and patient
like/respect the age group you serve (*very important*)
tuned in to the kids
efficient with the clerical chores.
detail oriented
comfortable with learning new things
can see a job that needs to be done and do it?
flexible
physically able to bend up and down shelving books
computer literate
willing to learn new programs and routines
readers/library users (because they are used to using libraries so it is
        not hard to show them what to do)


                        PRACTICAL TESTS:

Write a paragraph or pretend thank you letter for donated books.
Sort and put in order a stack of 3x5 cards with call numbers.

(Keep a written record of each applicants score, in case you're ever
questioned)


                           QUESTIONS:

WORK EXPERIENCE / WORK ETHIC:
- Tell us something about yourself, experience, especially as it relates
to
        working with children and adults.
- Tell us about your background, education, and work experiences that
qualify
        you for this job?
- Please describe your training and work experience.
- Why are you applying for this job?
- Why do you feel you're the right person for this job?
- Describe your work philosophy.
- Describe a "typical" day in your current work environment.  What
        responsibilities are you entrusted with?
- What do you believe is the most important job of the library aide?
- Are you willing to ask questions if you don't understand how to do
something?
- How many personal calls do you receive during the day.
- How would you handle a teacher or acquaintance who comes into the
library and
        wants to chat for more than a minute or two?
- What do you do when you have finished all your tasks?

ORGANIZATIONAL ABILITIES:
- What process do you use to plan and organize your day and how do you
react to                unexpected changes in your planned schedule?
- You'll often have several tasks to do.  How would you determine the
order in
        which to do them?

PHYSICAL:
- Can you stoop, bend, reach and lift easily?  This job involves
shelving and
        getting materials from bookshelves at floor level as well as at waist
        and shoulder height -- will this be a problem for you?

CREATIVITY:
- Describe a project that you have completed that used your creativity.
- Characterize your ability to conduct storytelling/booktalking and tell
us how
        you would do it.

TECHNICAL / COMPUTER:
- Describe your experience using computers or other AV-type equipment.
- What is the last new piece of hardware or software you learned,  when
was that
        and how did you go about learning it.
- Are you comfortable with computers?  Which kind?
- Since the [middle school] library is fully automated, tell us about
any
        experiences you have had with library automation systems and also about
        your computer experiences in general.
- Are you willing to learn new equipment?

READERS?:
- Tell us about some of your favorite authors and outstanding literature
for
        students of this age.
- ask them if they borrow books from the public library, or take their
children,
        if any, to the library
- Have they been library volunteers
- A student wants to check out a book on a topic you loathe- what do you
do?
        (to find out if the person has any strong biases in any one direction
as
        far as types of books they either love or hate- if there is an agenda
        lurking there)
- Tell me about a favorite book of yours.
- What are you reading now (or have just finished recently)?

DISCIPLINE:
- The librarian is not there when an angry parent comes in and demands
that a
        book either be removed or will not pay a fine no matter what the
records
        show. What do you do?
- What is the most important thing to remember when you are discipling a
child?
- Do you really like/get along with kids this age?
- Can you handle discipline, so I don't have to rescue you?
- How would you handle a student who came into the library with an open
soda can
        and did not want to leave?

CLOSING:
- is there something else you think we should know about you
- Do you have any questions for us.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Here are the questions that I chose to use. The interviews were set up
by my
principal, who was trying to fill 3 aide positions including mine. Each
applicant interviewed with me, the principal, and the Special Ed dept.
As a result each of
us had only 20 minutes scheduled with each applicant. That limitation
determined
the number of questions I included and there really were still too many
for
20 minutes. I also would have preferred to include the sorting of call
number cards.
                                      - Melissa


Applicant's Name: _______________________________           Date:
_________

                        PRACTICAL TESTS:

Write a pretend thank you letter for donated books.

                           QUESTIONS:

WORK EXPERIENCE / WORK ETHIC:
- Tell us about your background, education, and work experiences that
qualify
        you for this job?
- Why are you applying for this job?
- Why do you feel you're the right person for this job?
- Describe a "typical" day in your current work environment.  What
responsibilities
        are you entrusted with?
- How do you feel about school employees making or receiving personal
calls
        during the work day.
- How would you handle a teacher or acquaintance who comes into the
library and
        wants to chat for more than a minute or two?
- What do you do when you have finished all your tasks?

ORGANIZATIONAL ABILITIES:
- What process do you use to plan and organize your day and how do you
react to                unexpected changes in your planned schedule?

PHYSICAL:
- Can you stoop, bend, reach and lift easily?  This job involves
shelving and
        getting materials from bookshelves at floor level as well as at waist
and     shoulder height -- will this be a problem for you?

CREATIVITY:
- Describe a project that you have completed that used your creativity.

TECHNICAL / COMPUTER:
- Are you comfortable with computers?  Which kind?
- Describe your experience using computers or other AV-type equipment.
- What is the last new piece of hardware or software you learned, when
was that
        and how did you go about learning it.
- Do you program your own VCR?
- What experience do you have troubleshooting equipment problems?

READERS?:
- Do you borrow books from the public library, or take your children, if
any, to
        the library?
- Have you ever been a library volunteer?
- Tell me about a favorite book of yours.
- What are you reading now or have recently finished?
- A student wants to check out a book on a topic you dislike- what do
you do?

DISCIPLINE:
- Do you really like kids this age?
- Are you comfortable assuming the role of disciplinarian?
- How would you handle a student who came into the library with an open
soda can
        and did not want to leave?
- The librarian is not there when an angry parent comes in and will not
pay a fine
        no matter what the records show. What do you do?

CLOSING:
- is there something else you think we should know about you
- Do you have any questions for us.


--
        ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
        Melissa Davis                   Librarian
        Splendora Middle School         Splendora I.S.D.
        26175 FM 2090                   Splendora, TX 77372
        Internet: mbdavis@tenet.edu     PHONE: (713)689-2853
                  mbdavis@flex.net      FAX: (713)689-8702
        ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~