Finding the Right Address

Its an interesting time for School Librarians who are job hunting. On the one hand, librarians remain undervalued in many schools. On the other, the shortage of qualified school librarians means that applicants may receive many job offers. How can you be sure that a specific position is right for you? Here are some questions for the interviewer that will help you decide.

1. What do you think are the most important challenges facing this school? If this question doesn't come up, be sure to ask it. The position may offer a genuine opportunity for you to contribute if the challenges involve reading, information literacy, and technology. If these aren't the challenges, then you need to think about what limits there might be on your involvement.

2. What role do you see for the library in addressing these challenges? This is a great follow-up question, because the principal's answer will determine if his notion of the library is in line with yours. If he's inarticulate about the role, you might want to think about whether this is the place for you.

If he asks you about the library's role and seems responsive to your answer, you may get a sense of how flexible or open he is to new ideas.

3. Where do you rank professional collaboration? This will give you a glimpse whether the principal supports the idea of you working with other faculty members. If you get a positive response, a follow-up question might address what the principal sees as the ideal teacher/librarian relationship.

4. How is the library program evaluated? This may help you determine the extent to which the principal understands the contributions your program will make in the future. If the answer is unclear or is only a minor variation on classroom evaluation criteria, this could be a danger sign.

5. What's the basis for judging success? In other words, what are the criteria by which you will be evaluated? Find out how closely the realities of the job actually match the written job description. The answer may also suggest whether the principal recognizes that your work is qualitatively different from that of a classroom teacher. You might think you're hitting the bull's-eye every time, but it won't matter if you and your principal are looking at different targets.

6 . Has there been dissatisfaction with the library media program in the past? If the answer is no, it might be worth finding out the program's greatest strength. That way, you'll know what to preserve. If there has been dissatisfaction, you'll know where to concentrate your efforts when you begin.

7. How can the library and I be of specific assistance to you? This sends the message that you're thinking a little outside the box. It suggests that you're concerned with the totality of the school's operation and not just with the library. It also lays the groundwork for a collaborative relationship with the principal. It's good to have an answer to this question in case he says, "I hadn't thought of that. Do you have something in mind?"

You probably won't get a chance to ask all of these questions—and you may not want to. But be sure to ask some questions. To have no questions implies a shallow professionalism, and that can only hurt your chances of being offered the position. But it's not only their impression of you that's important. Equally important is your impression of what it would be like to work there. No collection of answers in an interview will give you a complete picture—the length and nature of the job interview simply won't allow you to gather enough information. But the impression you come away with will certainly allow you to better evaluate the position. In the long run, that's good for everyone.