LIS CAREERS & PERSONAL OBJECTIVES

 

Vacancy Advertisements Search

         I am interested in positions that are related to the Japanese language and culture.  The position titles I came across during my search can be grouped into three categories:  technical services, public services, or a combination of the two.  Some of the titles were:  Japanese cataloger, metadata specialist, Japanese rare book project librarian, Japanese studies librarian, and East Asian studies librarian/bibliographer-cataloger. 

         The salaries range from about $34,000 to the $70,000s.  Some of the ads do not give an amount, but rather, state Òsalary to commensurate with qualifications and experience.Ó  Some of these positions require or prefer at least two yearsÕ experience (either in a particular aspect of library work or in an academic library in general).

         All these jobs require a high level of proficiency in the Japanese language in addition to having good English language skills.  Many of the jobs also list knowledge of either the Chinese or Korean language as desirable.  (In fact, one of the jobs also lists cataloging Korean materials as one of its secondary responsibilities.)

         While jobs appear to be scarce, there do seem to be more cataloging positions than other types of jobs.  The skills listed for many of these cataloging positions include knowledge of USMARC, LC subject headings, and the LC classification scheme.  Also, familiarity with the different types of databases (mainly RLIN and OCLC) is highly desired.  The catalogers hired for these positions are responsible for original and copy cataloging and some are also responsible for supervising/reviewing the work of paraprofessionals.

         For jobs in the public services, the skill mentioned most often is good interpersonal skills.  As many of these positions involve collection development and management, knowledge of the trends in Japanese studies and of the Japanese book trade is also essential.  The job descriptions may also include the following:  reference service, donor relations, administrative duties, and library instruction.

         Some of the organizations of which people in this field are members are:  Association for Asian Studies (AAS), Council on East Asian Libraries (CEAL), and North American Coordinating Council on Japanese Library Resources (NCC).  CEAL has a closed listserv called ÒEASTLIBÓ and subscribers receive information on materials related to China, Japan and Korea.  

         One thing about jobs in this particular field is that one has to be willing to relocate.  The number of jobs is limited and positions I came across were located all across the U.S. as well as a few in Japan.  It would be difficult to get a job here in Hawaii, simply because there are more people with the qualified skills applying for this type of position than there are positions available (nationwide as well).  Also, the timing of when a position becomes available is crucial when it comes to jobs like these.

         Job postings may be found in journals such as:  Chronicle of Higher Education, CEALÕs Journal of East Asian libraries, and ALAÕs American libraries.  Also, CEALÕs EASTLIB members post job vacancies when they become available.  The CEAL homepage also has job postings by language. 

An Interview with the Japan Specialist Librarian at UHM

         To find out more about Japan-related librarianship, I conducted an interview with Tokiko Yamamoto Bazzell, who is the Japan specialist librarian at the University of Hawaii at Manoa.  Tokiko was very helpful and she gave me much insightful information.  (This interview was conducted during her shift at the Asia Collection reference desk, which also provided an opportunity to observe one part of her job.)

         Tokiko described her job as having six main components, which can be broken down into smaller parts.  The six main components were:  collection development, collection management, public access, reference services, instruction, and administration/management. 

         Collection development involves selecting and acquiring (either through purchase or gift/exchange) both print and non-print materials.  These could be either new or retroactive acquisitions.  Also, some of the materials are acquired through grants, and therefore, this involves grant management (grant-writing).       

         The collection management component involves managing both the general collection as well as the special collections.  It requires thinking about how the collection is to be preserved and reviewing the materials for handling by the preservation department.  Space planning is also crucial for this component. 

         Creating and maintaining the Japan Collection web page is considered part of the public access component.  The librarian also works on other materials (e.g. pathfinders) for users seeking a certain type of material.  

         Closely related to that is the reference services component.  Reference services are provided both in-person and via e-mail.  (Reference services, in the Asia Collection, require the librarians to also have general knowledge about other countries in the Asian region.)  Tokiko also does individual consultations and writes referral letters for people needing introduction to other institutions or specialists in the field. 

         The librarians also do bibliographic instruction as well as course instruction.  Every two or three semesters, they teach a class called Asian research materials & methods (LIS 705), which covers reference materials on the different countries in Asia. 

           The final component, the administrative/management component involves a whole range of duties.  Tokiko is responsible for creating job descriptions for the student assistant positions, hiring, and supervising both student assistants and the volunteers.  Budget planning and cultivating donor networks are important parts of this component.   

         In addition to all the aforementioned duties, she is also involved in numerous committees that are related to her job (both locally and nationally), she does presentations, writes articles and reviews, and also puts up displays and exhibits.  She also has to keep up with the current trends by attending professional development sessions.

         I asked her about the ways she prepared for her current job.  She answered that the experiences that she gained at her previous jobs was what helped her most.  She worked as a solo librarian and was required to do everything (acquisition, collection management, reference services, etc.).  This helped her to learn to multi-task. 

         Tokiko also said that networking with colleagues was what helped her the most when she began her job as the Japan specialist librarian.  Such networking provides opportunities to exchange information (about good resource materials, programs, etc.) and keep current with what is happening in the field.  Being a member of a professional organization is great for this reason.  It creates a mentorship among the librarians.

         I asked her if she thought that her LIS courses were very helpful in preparing her for this job.  She said most definitely.  Then I asked her about what she wished her LIS program had covered that was not covered.  She responded that the courses do not cover in detail the handling of rare materials in special area collections.  Ideally, she said that she wished a course in Japanese studies librarianship could have been offered. 

         I also asked her about her thoughts on what kinds of characteristics/skills were essential for this kind of job.  She said that flexibility was important, and along with that, being able to multitask is a must.  One must also be detail-oriented, have good decision-making and prioritizing skills, and have good interpersonal and communication skills.  Being innovative is a good trait to have for this job.  Tokiko also mentioned that it is important to have a sense of curiosity (wanting to learn more) and having an interest in the tasks you undertake.

Personal Reflection

         After reviewing the ads and doing this interview, I realize that there are so many different skills that are required.  First, I need to read more Japanese materials so that I can keep up with current events in Japan and also to increase my language level.  This is something that will have to be done conscientiously on my own time.

         Second, I am doing an internship this semester to learn more about digitization.  I hope this will help me learn more technological skills so that in the future I will be able to do a variety of tasks.  This would also allow me to use HTML coding and to learn about metadata.  

         Third, I would like to be able to catalog materials in all different formats and be comfortable doing so.  This will require actually doing the cataloging of materials in other formats.  I must also keep current with the AACR2 and with changes made by the Library of Congress and various authoritative organizations. 

         I would like to Òcross-trainÓ and learn about other aspects of librarianship.  I am looking at doing another internship in the future.  I am undecided on whether to do it in preservation or in the Asia Collection. 

         One piece of advice that I got from Tokiko was to make the most of the opportunities to learn and make use of your experiences.  Nothing is wasted.  I plan to be a ÒspongeÓ and to absorb as much as I can in my classes and on the job.