Oly Reads discussion

Biggest biggest piece of advice I can give you- volunteer! It really helps if you are a known quantity at one of the branches. Timberland generally gets over 100 applications for even the page positions, so anything you can do to stand out is good. If you have bookstore or previous library experience, that can help too. I applied for five jobs at Timberland and never got anything. It wasn't until I got my MLS that anyone paid attention to me. I'm sure others will weigh in too, but there's my two cents. PS- the sub jobs are a really great way to get your foot in the door, so it's good that you aren't ruling them out. They do deter some people who need more consistent hours, so there are generally a few less applicants for those jobs.

Hi King, I also work for Timberland. I applied two or three times for page positions before I got an interview - it's tough! For a page position, I would emphasize any office or clerical experience you have, since a lot of the job is shelving books and being able to file accurately. They don't necessarily expect you to have library experience, since it's entry-level, but in an interview it can really help to be enthusiastic and to have thought about why you want to work in a public library - beyond just liking to read, which is a fairly common thing they hear in interviews.

If you want any more specific advice, please feel free to message me -
Meghan

Good luck! Let us know how it goes. If you want to volunteer, I always need help with my Saturday morning computer classes. :)