Grow Your Library Career: Developing Soft Skills from Networking to Negotiation

Library school teaches you formal terminology. You learn the basics of cataloging, collection development, policy writing, budgeting, and management. To be successful in a library career, however, new graduates and working librarians also need to master the soft skills that are required in the workplace.

What are these seemingly intangible skills? There are many: interpersonal skills, the ability to work independently, the ability to lead, the capability to work in a team environment, analytical skills, attention to detail, and even high emotional IQ (yes, this is sometimes a job qualification!).

In a readable and entertaining style, this book teaches soft skills that truly can be learned, put into practice, and used every day at your library job. From how to be a good colleague to networking, timing, and knowing when to say no, Melissa Lockaby teaches librarians how to apply business soft skills to librarianship, a proudly service-oriented profession.

Melissa S. Lockaby is a collection management librarian at the University of North Georgia.