Re: interview for media specialist
Posted by NYLibraryMediaSpecialist on 4/25/08

Here are some sample questions. Many don't pertain to school
libraries, but they're close:


Frequently Asked Interview Questions

1. Describe your strengths and weaknesses.

2. Considering your education and work experience, why do
you feel you are qualified for this job?

3. What do you see as the value of belonging to
professional organizations?

4. Why did you apply for this job?

5. What is your philosophy of collection development?

6. Do you like working with people?

7. Do you have any experience with audio-visual materials?

8. Do you have any experience in setting up displays?

9. How do you feel that your education has prepared you
for this job?

10. Where do you expect to be professionally in five years?

11. How would you handle a person who objects to a sex
education book on the shelf?

12. How would you handle a question over the phone that
you canít answer immediately?

13. Is there any time that you would refuse to answer a
patronís request?

14. If we ask your present supervisor what your present
strengths are, what would he/she say?

15. Why should we hire you?

16. Name two books you have read within the past two
months and describe one of them as though you were recommending it
to a patron to read. Why would they want to read it?

17. What qualities do you think we should look for in a
prospective reference librarian?

18. Considering your working career, tell about the most
stressful event you ever faced, and how you coped with it.

19. Picture this: It is 5:00 PM and you are relieving the
day shift. You are the only reference librarian on the desk and
the following are waiting for help. In what order would you answer
them and why?

a. A young child with a homework assignment

b. A trivia question; the contest is on now.
c. A woman who has just read Jannette Daileyís latest book and
wants a recommendation for a similar book. d. An elderly couple
wanting advice on how to do their genealogy.

e. The city managerís office is on the telephone.

20. What did you do to prepare for this interview?

21. What is your style of leadership?

22. Describe your ideal job.

23. What was your most challenging supervisory experience?

24. What do you like most about archival work?

25. Describe differences among patrons in a public
library, an academic library, and a special library.

26. If you were assisting a person at the reference desk
and the telephone rang, what would you do?

27. After you have eliminated the backlog, how do you see
this job as challenging to you? What will motivate you to come to
work?

28. Why did you elect to attend the University of South
Carolina?

29. Why did you choose librarianship as a career?

30. Can you tell us about a particularly tense or chaotic
situation at the reference desk and how you handled the incident?

31. What would you do if you heard a staff member provide
a patron with an incorrect answer?

32. Tell us about a team or group project you have worked
on and how you have contributed to it.

33. Tell us about your experience with information technology.

34. Why are you interested in this particular career?

35. What strengths do you bring to a reference position
and what areas would you like to improve?

36. What are the things you particularly like about your
present job?

37. What was your most important work-related
accomplishment in the past year?

38. What contributions could you make to our library?

39. How would you describe your management philosophy?

40. What type of management style do you prefer?

41. What sorts of people do you enjoy working with most?

42. What kinds of situations do you find stressful?

43. What would you do if you were at the desk and both the
phones were ringing and there were three or four patrons already
waiting and a demanding professor interrupted?

44. Outline your science background, including: science
coursework, library school coursework in science reference, and
science library experience.

45. What is your public service experience, including
bibliographic instruction, reference desk, and collection development?

46. What is your knowledge and/or experience of library
technology?

47. How does this position fit into the career path you
have set for yourself?

48. Give us an example of a time in which you felt you
were able to build motivation in your coworkers or fellow students
in school.

49. Describe the most significant achievement or written
project/presentation/report which you have had to complete.

50. What are your strengths and weaknesses as a librarian?

51. Give us an example you did in a former job that
contributed to a teamwork environment.

52. What would you do if you were unsure of how to answer
a reference question?

53. What are your current research interests?

54. The role of the reference librarian and the reference
department has changed a lot in the past five years and will
probably continue to change. How do you see reference service
changing in the next five years?

On 4/20/08, glynette wrote:
> Deb you don't have to take the TExES? What is the gallup?
> I am a classroom teacher and am considering going back to
> school to be a librarian.glynette
>
> On 4/10/08, Deb wrote:
>> On 4/08/08, Josi wrote:
>>> I need some advice for an upcoming interview for a media
>>> specialist position. I'm a classroom teacher at the
>>> elementary level and I'm sure that the interview questions
>>> would be different then interviewing for a teaching
>>> position. Does anyone know of what kinds of interview
>>> questions to prepare for??
>>> Thanks,
>>> Josi
>>
>> Hi Josi
>> I am applying for a media specialist position as well. I am
> in
>> Texas. I am required to take the Gallup or insight exam, I
>> have also had phone interviews. All of the questions so far
>> pertain to teaching and NOTHING has had to do with a
> library.
>> I have not taught since 2001 and things have changed! I am
>> just curious when asked questions such as "can all students
>> pass the TAAKS? ( it is the standardized test in Texas) is
> the
>> answer simply Yes?
>> Another question I was asked, "Whose fault is it if a child
>> fails a test?" Is the correct answer the teacher's fault?
>> Another is " Do you require recognition for what you do?"
>> I am concerned my answers may not be correct because they
> seem
>> to need more than a yes or no as they can be situational?
>>
>> Please give me some advice from your perspective? I think
>> failure in school can be part everyones' fault if the student
>> does not care, am I wrong in thinking this?
>>
>> I like to receive recognition but I also know the principals
>> do not always have the time to recognize every
> accomplishment,
>> so is the answer yes or no?
>>
>> I am concerned I may never get past these standardized exams.
>>
>> Thanks,
>> Deb
>> Thanks

Posts on this thread, including this one

• interview for media specialist, 4/08/08, by Josi.
• Re: interview for media specialist, 4/10/08, by Deb.
• Re: interview for media specialist, 4/11/08, by Kathy/WA.
• Re: interview for media specialist, 4/20/08, by glynette.
• Re: interview for media specialist, 4/25/08, by NYLibraryMediaSpecialist.