INALJ

Posted November 11, 2013 by Sarah Barton

A GSLIS graduate and former GSLIS Admissions blogger, James Fox, emailed me last week asking if I had used INALJ.com in my job search. Looking at the URL, at first I thought the site would display in another language, then assumed it contained a typo, and finally decided that it was one of those shortened URLs that you sometimes see in Tweets. Having come to that conclusion, I pasted it into my browser and hoped for the best. As it turns out, INALJ is an acronym for “I Need A Library Job,” and the site is pretty cool. It compiles job postings from across the United States and Canada (and even some internationally!), success stories of folks who have found library jobs, and links to general library-related blogs and articles. It serves as a virtual community for both employed and unemployed librarians – everybody wins!

It is somewhat surprising that at some (very low) point in my job search I did not, in the midst of a frustrated stream of consciousness moment, type “i need a library job” into Google and discover this site. If that were the case, I would have found the INALJ community in my time of need, and perhaps taken some solace in not being alone in my quest for employment. Plus, it aggregates job opportunities by state, province, or country so you can really get a feel for what’s out there. Whether you’re actively looking for a job, thinking about getting a job, or applying to GSLIS, INALJ is a great resource for checking out the job scene.

A challenging aspect of finding a library job is knowing where to look, and INALJ seems to have that pretty well covered. It goes without saying that INALJ is not meant as a panacea for all job woes and does not guarantee employment, but the community was established to help the process go a bit more smoothly. I am not affiliated with INALJ, but the site made me realize that someday I might be able to help GSLIS students gain employment. After all, I was an employment-seeking GSLIS student just two months ago!