HIT: Interviewing questions--LONG

["Jeannine Towler (JJ)" <jjtowler@PEN.K12.VA.US>]

> I had many people who asked me to post the results to my query
> about interivewing questions for LMS applicants.  I received
> many responses and below are just a few of the great ideas I
> lam presenting to our interview committee:
>
> -----------------
> Questions we have used when seeking a Library Media Specialist:
>
> 1.   What are the goals of an effective library media program?
> 2.  As the LMS in a MS/HS (Elem) Library Media Center, what are
> your roles and
> responsibilities?
> 3.   How would you utilize technology in the LMC?
> 4.  What experiences have you had with the Internet?
> Electronic databases?
> CD-ROM?  On-lline Public Access
>       Systems?
> 5.  How would you teach students to access, evaluate, and use
> information
> effectivley?
>
> A new one might be:  Have you read Information Power:  Building
> Partnerships
> for Learning?  How do you plan to incorporate the nine
> Information Literacy
> Standards for Students in your library program?
>
> -------------------------
>
> Interview Questions
>
> Assembled by Phyllis Humphrey from suggestionsR> from LM_NET
> members
>
>
> Interviewing for a job in this "new age" of librarianship can
> be a
> daunting experience. Below are examples of the wide-ranging
> questions you
> might face from interviewers. As the Boy Scouts of America
> advise, "Be
> Prepared."
>
> Have you seen the book, Reinvent Your School's Library, a Guide
> for
> Principals and Superintendents in the Age of Technology, by
> David V.
> Loertscher. The one I have is the California edition from Hi
> Willow
> Research there are some wonderful questions on page 56.
>
> Getting Personal
> What is the name of your favorite book?
> Name one of your hobbies and tell how this can help you as a
> librarian.
> Are you organized?
> Summarize what abilities you can bring to this position.
> What would you like to tell us about yourself that we would not
> find on a
> resume?
>
> Collegial Attitude
> Name committees that you have been a member of that would help
> you in this
> position.
>
>
> Nitty Gritty
> How would you help reluctant readers or low achievers?
>
>
> Collaboratively Speaking
> What can you do to assist a classroom teacher with a lesson?
>
> -----------------------
>
>      We recently interviewed several candidates.  Questions
> used:
>
>      1. How do the new standards impact the role of the library?
>
>      2. You are entering your ideal library.  Describe it.
>
>      3. How do you handle the student who comes down with class
> and is
>      totally unmotivated?
>
>      4. How do you handle a table of talkative students who
> have only come
>      to the library to socialize?
>
>      5. A teacher comes to you saying her lesson on _____ is so
> uinspiring
>      and asks for your help. Describe the steps you take.
>
> ---------------------
>
> I was on a committee last week. The questions were
> 1. Please tell us what you would feel comfortable about sharing
> about yourself a
> nd about why you became a school librarian. (Asked by the
> principal)
> 2. What is your philosophy of librarianship. (Asked by a lead
> librarian from ano
> ther shcool in our district)
> 3. If I come to you about a teaching a class together, how
> would you work with m
> e? (Asked by a science teacher)
> 4. How would you plan curriculum development with an entire
> department? (Asked b
> y an English teacher)
> 5. Tell me about a lesson you created that you really like--who
> did you work wit
> h, what did you teach, why was it good? (me)
> 6. What YA books do you recommend for fiction? (me)
> 7. How will you work with the other librarians in the school?
> (another librarian
>  in our school)
> 8. What would you like to ask us? (principal)
> Hope this is of use to you.
>
> ------------------
>
> As Dept. Chair for a district with seven libraries, the first
> queston I
> ask is (and I phrase this a little differently) "are you a
> shameless
> self promoter?"  I really need to hire someone who is plenty
> confident of him/herself, the job we do for kids and adults in
> our
> buildings and isn't afraid to be out there promoting!  I also
> like to
> create scenarios to see how fast an applicant can think on
> her/his
> feet.  As all of us in the trenches know, some days the only
> thing
> that keeps us upright is being able to think fast!:)
>
> ---------------------
>
> The following are interview questions we used to interview for
> 2 librarian
> openings we had last year and we plan to use them again.  They
> were for
> elementary positions, so may need some revising.
>
> INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
>
>         1.  Tell us a little about yourself, your personal
> background,
> your educational experience, subjects and grade levels
> taught and any other information that might be relevant.
>
>         2.  What do you believe to be the components of an
> effective
> teacher?  Which components do you believe are your
> strengths?  What are your goals for growth?
>
>         3.  What would students/teachers/administration say
> about you as
> you leave your present position?
>
>         4.  Describe what computer platforms you are
> comfortable with and
> what software you could teach.  How much experience have
> you had on the Internet?
>                 a.  What experience have you had with library
> automation
> systems?
>                 b.  How do you plan to go about teaching
> students, teachers
> and library assistants how to use an
> automated system or other on-line resources?
>
>         5.  Describe a project, lesson or program which you have
> administered about which you feel proud. (Does not have
> to be a library project)
>
>         6.  What do you see as the role of the librarian/media
> specialist
> in the school setting and what do you hope to bring
> to the libraries?
>
>         7.  On what basis do books/materials most often become
> targets of
> censorship,and how would you handle the issue
> of censorship?
>
>         8.  What is your vision of what school libraries will
> be like in
> five years?
>
>         9.  What is your definition of \263information
> literacy\262 and how
> would you implement your plans to teach it
> in a school library setting?
>
>         10.  How much experience do you have supervising others
> in a job
> situation?
>
>         11.  Most of the library assistants with whom you will
> work have
> been in their libraries for several years.  How
> would you handle a situation in which you and the library
> assistant did not
> agree on a library procedure?
>
>         12.  How much experience do you have answering
> reference questions
> using the Internet and how does this compare with
> other searches from other sources?
>
>         13.  Please name some of the professional organizations
> to which
> you now belong and explain how you will keep abreast
> of new changes in school librarianship in the future?
>
>         14.  Do you have any questions you\271d like to ask any
> of us?
>
> ----------------
>
> As a new library media specialist who has been out on
> interviews I can give you some questions that I have
> been asked:
> 1.Tell us a little about yourself.(classroom and library
> media experience).
> 2.Which model of information literacy do you prefer?
> 3.How would you help apprehensive staff members overcome
> their nervousness about using technology?
> 4.What examples can you give of incorporating software
> in your lessons?
> 5. What experience have you had with the Internet?
> 6. Who is your favorite children's author?
> 7. How would you introduce that author?
> 8. How would you encourage recreational reading among
> our students?
> 9. What opportunities would you provide for parent
> involvement in your program?
> 10. How would you handle an unruly student?
> 11. How would you handle a child who was having trouble
> with a research project?
> 12.Do you have any questions for us?
> Hope this helps.
>
> --------------------
>
> I have just finished interviewing, and I was hoping to be asked
> some =
> intelligent questions.  Here are some you'll always hear
> (classroom =
> teacher questions), "how do you handle discipline problems, how
> do you =
> feel about parents in the classroom, etc....standard questions
> that are =
> asked always....but what needs to be asked are things like
> 1.  How would you approach the teachers/admin. in your effort
> to =
> integrate your program into the curriculum?
> 2.  What is your idea of "use" of the media center (answers:  a
> place to =
> find, use, and share information)
> 3.  What presentation software are you familiar with ( k-5 =3D
> KidPix, =
> PowerPoint, Hyperstudio, etc)
> 4.  What are some of your ideas about sharing
> literature.....favorite =
> authors...etc.
> 5.  What professional conferences/organizations ?  ALA, AASL, =
> local...etc.
>
> ---------------
>
> Please describe your current library situation: duties, budgets,
> levels of staffing, flex/fixed scheduling, size of collection,
> student body, etc.   (I want to know size of budget/collection/
> population candidate has experience with, as well as amount of
> clerical support candidate is accustomed to and has been able to
> juggle.  Is the candidate used to centralized cataloging, or to
> doing it himself?  etc.)
>
> Tell us about your experiences with technology.  Platforms?
> Networks?
> Internet?  CD-ROMs?  Automation systems?  Which of these are in
> place in your current library?
>
> What is your position on Internet filtering, and how does it
> align
> with ALA's?  (Double-loaded question; does candidate KNOW ALA
> position, etc?  Is he abreast of current issues in
> librarianship?)
>
> Have you had any incidents in which a student visited an
> inappropriate
> Internet site?  If not, how have you prevented it?  If so, how
> did
> you handle it?
>
> Describe one project you completed which demonstrated your
> creativity.
>
> Given the constraints of a defined budget, how would you go
> about
> selecting materials for acquisition?
>
> How would you go about getting more faculty involved in library
> programs?
>
> What would you do to increase level of student reading?
>
> Tell us about some of your favorite children's literature
> appropriate
> for this age.
>
> What are you currently reading, or have recently finished?
>
> What title would you recommend to an educational colleague as a
> "must read?"
>
> What professional organizations do you belong to?  (I'm looking
> for
> LM-Net or some listserv like YA-Lit or Child-Lit or EdTech or
> copyright, or SOMETHING in addition to standard Local/State/ALA
> type answers)
>
> Have you been able to increase your collection in ANY creative
> ways
> besides standard budget allocations?  (Book fairs?  Birthday
> donation
> programs?  Grants?  Begging PTA?  Soliciting bookstores'
> support?
> Student book swaps?)
>
> What committes have you served on in your present position?
>
> How would you handle a student who came into the library with an
> open can of soda and refused to leave?
>
> What is your favorite aspect of the job?  What is your least
> favorite
> part of librarianship?  (I'm hoping "students" are more
> favorite than
> "books."
>
> How would you handle a parent's complaint on the photographs of
> the
> nude pregnant woman in "The Good Housekeeping Book of Pregnancy
> and
> Child Care?"  (or bottle of wine in Red Riding Hood's basket, or
> any other level-appropriate example.)
>
> Do YOU have any questions to ask of us?  (I WANT intelligent
> questions,
> not none.  None indicates candidate is not truly thinking about
> how he/she will fit into the experience.  For example, "What do
> YOU see as the greatest challenge I might face here:
> poverty-level
> students?  a faculty entrenched in current lessons who might be
> resistant to new ideas?  budgetary constraints imposed by
> property
> tax issues?"  or "Can I have a brief tour of the facility and
> meet
> the aides presently working in the library?" or some such
> question.
> I do NOT want to hear: "What time is the school day over?" or
> "How many
> sick days do I get?"
>
> -----------------------
> JJ Towler, Library Media Specialist
> Henley Middle School
> Crozet, VA 22932-9369
> jjtowler@pen.k12.va.us

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-==-=
    All postings to LM_NET are protected under copyright law.
To quit LM_NET (or set-reset NOMAIL or DIGEST), send email to:
 listserv@listserv.syr.edu         In the message write EITHER:
 1) SIGNOFF LM_NET 2) SET LM_NET NOMAIL or 3) SET LM_NET DIGEST
 3) SET LM_NET MAIL  * Please allow for confirmation from Listserv
 For LM_NET Help & Archives see:  http://ericir.syr.edu/lm_net/
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=--=-=-=