Published: May 23, 2025 by Aryn Prestia

For some, job hunting can be a full-time job in itself. While
there are dozens of library-specific
search sites that can help make your search more
effective, there is no set timeline for finding a job in the
information space. Whether your search takes days or months, it’s
important to keep up the momentum and remind yourself why you
want to work in a library or archive. Whether you have work
experience in information science or not, using the gap-time in
your job search can be a great opportunity for honing your
skills. 

For example, consider these options:

Volunteer

Volunteering can be the simplest way to fill your time and while
it makes sense to seek out a volunteer opportunity at your local
library, your volunteer work doesn’t necessarily have to be
library-related. Since many information professional skills
transfer to other industries, local groups in need of volunteers
may be a great way to gain some professional experience. Whether
at the local historical society, with a church group, or even the
League of Women Voters, there are multiple groups that could use
your unique skillset.

Start a Side Project

Think through your courses during your time at the iSchool. Most
likely you’ve been spending a lot of time thinking about them as
you completed your e-Portfolio. Were there any projects or
assignments you particularly enjoyed? Using this previous work as
inspiration, you can develop a fun side-project to help show
potential employers your specific interests and skills. Whether
it is the creation of an oral history project, a blog devoted to
manga, or a social media account that makes book trailers, taking
your favorite projects from the iSchool out into the real world
can help give you even more evidence of your ability to put your
skills to work to discuss at future job interviews.

Conduct Informational Interviews

During your job search, aim to conduct at least one informational
interview a week. Worried about facing resistance from potential
interviewees? Clarify that you’re not asking them for a job but
that you’re seeking to understand more about their job area. This
is the single best way to learn more about specific librarian
roles like medical librarianship, reference librarianship,
children’s librarianship, and more. To learn how to ask for an
informational interview, check out our post here. 

Become Active in a Membership Organization

Every sector of information science has an industry-specific
organization. Becoming a member gives you access to job-seeking
resources, professional development opportunities, and a member
base you can draw from to source informational interviews. A
membership also proves to potential employers that you are
dedicated to the profession and excited to grow! In addition,
many LIS associations have steeply discounted membership rates
for students and recent graduates.

Any of these activities offer new talking points for interviews
or even new items that can be added to your resume. This kind of
active engagement makes it clear that you weren’t just hoping
that a job would show up. Making the most of your job search down
time will help ensure that you are maintaining your iSchool
momentum ahead of landing that full-time role.

Two More Things!

Don’t forget to keep up to date with job openings on Handshake.

Also, remember that internships can be an especially valuable
part of your learning experience at the iSchool while also
helping you when it comes time to look for jobs. Learn more about
the iSchool’s internship program here,
where you can check out the INFO 294 Student Handbook as
well as the Internship Sites
database.