Guidance for Librarians Transitioning to a New Environment

Guidance for Librarians Transitioning to a New Environment offers practical advice for those hoping to transition into a different type or size of institution. Written by librarians who have successfully navigated such changes, the book encourages consideration of unexplored opportunities.

Drawing on the authors’ own experiences, as well as surveys and interviews conducted with those working in different types of libraries, the book will provide librarians with a fi eld guide for surviving and thriving in their new environment. It will do so by making suggestions for how librarians can orient themselves to their new library, add context to their CV or résumé, get started with presenting and publishing, and manage culture shock and emotions. Each chapter will also provide the opportunity for the librarian to refl ect on relevant aspects of their own situation and move forward with the help of action items.

Guidance for Librarians Transitioning to a New Environment is essential reading for librarians who are considering or in the process of making a career move, as well as those working on career planning. The book will also be helpful for library science school faculty and career counselors who are advising current students and library managers who want to help their new hires transition in the most effective way.

Tina Herman Buck is the Electronic Resources Librarian at the University of Central Florida. She has worked in public libraries of widely varying sizes, a multi- type library cooperative, a very small university, and a very large one, all in the United States. All her jobs have been in technical services, with varying percentages of public services mixed in.

Sara Duff is the Acquisitions and Collection Assessment librarian at the University of Central Florida. Before that, she worked for seven years as a librarian at Gulf Coast State College. Though she focuses in acquisitions now, she’s done quite a bit of public services work at the community college level.