Current Conference Placement Services

Welcome to the ALA Placement Service!

For more than 30 years, the American Library Association's (ALA) Placement Service has provided opportunities for employers and job seekers to meet, network, and achieve success in reaching their employment goals.

Designed to give employers and job seekers access to information on a year-round basis, JobLIST is the official ALA job site. Résumés and job openings should be posted here.

Events and activities in the ALA JobLIST Placement Center are designed to help job seekers retool their skills and prepare for job searches. They are intended for people at every stage of their careers--not just new graduates. Employers are encouraged to interact with job seekers at every level.

Upcoming Events

2012 ALA Annual Conference Placement Center
Location: Anaheim, CA
Conference Dates: June 21–26, 2012
Placement Center Dates: Saturday & Sunday, June 23–24, 2012
Times of Operation: 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
For information on conducting interviews at the conference, contact Beatrice Calvin at (800) 545-2433, ext. 4280.

Information for Employers

Information for Job Seekers

Placement Center Activities

Career Counseling

Recharge your career by meeting with a professional counselor. The counselor can guide you in strategizing for the next phase of your career, solving a problem in your current job situation, defining goals, and/or rejuvenating your career. Each one-on-one session is 20 minutes, and is completely confidential.

If you have never experienced career counseling, or just haven't used this type of service in a long time, this is the perfect opportunity to introduce yourself or reaquaint yourself with a service that can be useful throughtout your career. Take advantage of the opportunity to talk with a knowledgeable professional about your career concerns. This service is free and available whenever the Placement Center is open.

Appointments go quickly. Sign-up now.
Orientation

Orientation will be held on Saturday at 8:30 a.m. in the Placement Center for the Midwinter Meeting and the Annual Conference.
Open House

Employers will be available to talk to conference attendees about their institutions on Sunday from 10:30 a.m. to noon. No appointment necessary. Job seekers are free to walk around and talk to any employer. Employers should request a table in advance of the conference. Contact Beatrice Calvin to reserve a table.
Résumé Critiques

If you need help getting your résumé polished up, stop by the Placement Center while you are at conference. Come and discover the best way to show your most recent accomplishments with an updated résumé. The résumé critiquing service is free, and available whenever the Placement Center is open. Come early to the Placement Center to sign-up for an appointment.
Workshops at Conference

A variety of career-guidance workshops will be held in the Placement Center. The current list of sessions can be found on the Conference Workshops page of JobLIST.

Employers

Employers who want a recruitment booth on site in the Placement Center should complete the space reservation form and fax it to (312) 280-3256. The cost of a booth is $625.00. Please review the form for information on what is included in this fee.

We are planning on holding an Open House in the Placement Center on Sunday from 10:30 a.m. to noon. Representatives from various library and library-related companies will have an opportunity to talk with conference attendees about work environments as well as activities in and around their institutions (i.e. sports, arts, music, community involvement, etc.). There is no cost to participate in the Open House. Employers interested in participating in the Open House should contact Beatrice Calvin no later than 3 weeks prior to the conference.

Employers who want to post job positions, should register and post them here on JobLIST. In addition to the regular 60-day online ads, specially priced 2-week placement ads are also offered on JobLIST during conferences with a face-to-face Placement Center. Rates are listed on the Advertising Rates page.

Employers can also review résumés of registered job seekers with active profiles with an active online ad on JobLIST. Once your ad is active, you will have access to the résumés. To arrange interviews before and during the conference, employers can contact job seekers directly, if they have opted to include access to their personal contact information within their JobLIST profile or résumé, or within JobLIST using the Communication Tool.

Employers who want to use the on-site interviewing facilities in the Placement Center must have either an active 2-week placement ad or an active regular 60-day online ad on ALA JobLIST at the time you schedule the interview and during the conference period.

It is the employers' responsibility to reserve interview tables. Job seekers cannot do this. To reserve interview space, employers should first confirm the date and time of your interviews with candidates. Then contact Placement staff for a table assignment. You can send an email to bcalvin@ala.org. You should be prepared to give the candidate's name along with the day and time of the interview. You may also go to the onsite Placement Center to get a table assignment.

Employers who have a recruitment booth onsite in the Placement Center will not need to get table assignments. You can conduct interviews in your private interview space. You have control of your own scheduling.

Employers who have contacted job seekers directly using the JobLIST Communication Tool (or chosen to include a link to it in their ads for job seekers to contact them) should login to JobLIST on a regular basis to check for messages in the period leading up to and including the conference.

Employers who will be recruiting or meeting with potential candidates at the next conference with an ALA JobLIST Placement Center should be sure to update their JobLIST account information, ticking the checkbox indicating that "This employer will be represented at the next conference" to ensure that your JobLIST ads will be tagged appropriately.

If you have questions, concerns, or need help feel free to contact ALA JobLIST Placement Center Manager, Beatrice Calvin at bcalvin@ala.org or (800) 545-2433 ext. 4280. You may also email JobLIST staff at joblist@ala.org.

Job Seekers

Job seekers should register and search for jobs on JobLIST. All services are free to job seekers.

Free registration on JobLIST is not required to view job postings, but it can be to the job seeker's advantage to do so. Registration and activation of a free job seeker profile will give actively hiring employers access to your résumé information. It will also allow for direct communication between you and the employer. If you see a position that you are interested in, you can contact the employer directly as they instruct in their ad, or send a message directly to the representative through the JobLIST Communication Tool if the employer has opted to use it.

If you plan to attend conference, be sure to indicate this in your job seeker profile by ticking the appropriate boxes in the "Placement Service" section. After you register on JobLIST, be sure to log in often and check your messages. Employers who will be attending the conference may contact you using the JobLIST Communication Tool regarding interviews.

If you need help getting your résumé polished up, stop by the Placement Center while you are at conference. The New Members Round Table provide résumé critiquing service to conference attendees. The service is free.

There will also be a number of free workshops on interviewing, résumés, cover letters, etc. at conferences. Check on the Career Development Resources page of JobLIST for the final dates, times, and locations. Go to the Conference Workshops page for the latest information.

There are several podcasts which were developed specifically for library workers on the General Career Information page of JobLIST. Some are directly related t o preparing for and making the most effective use of conferences as an active job seeker.

You will also find numerous other resources on various job hunting topics on the Career Development Resources page of JobLIST.

If you have questions, concerns, or need help feel free to contact ALA Placement Service Manager, Beatrice Calvin at bcalvin@ala.org or (800) 545-2433 ext. 4280.