Gail Currier

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Exercise 1: Professional Roles in the Organization of Information

In order to search for professional roles in librarianship, I selected the website of the
Oklahoma Department of Libraries and its Jobline which was accessed at
http://www.odl.state.ok.us/fyi/jobline/jobline.htm. Featured section tabs, including the career
center, were positioned at the bottom of the web page. They were highlighted in yellow so they
were easy to locate, along with other directory tabs. There was also a place to post library jobs in
addition to the job search link. I was most attracted to jobs related to environments and settings
that align with my interest in public librarianship. The selection tabs of this site featured a
section on library careers which takes you to current openings in Oklahoma or to an additional
link with regional positions. Those listed regionally also provided supplementary websites that
were specific to particular states and areas. Although a position of director would very much
interest me following graduation, there were none available in Oklahoma. Therefore, I decided to
peruse library positions listed in Oklahoma for this assignment.
Advertisements for the various positions were displayed in paragraph form as you scroll
down the page and dates were listed for application deadlines. In addition, it was noted that all
positions were available until the announcements expired. Links were placed at the end of each
listing to seek further information. There was not a search box for particular jobs or to plug in
keywords, but the positions listed included part-time librarian, information desk positions, adult
engagement supervisor, access services manager, children’s services manager, collection
development and reference librarians, and two science librarian positions. The listings were not
catalogued in any particular order, so I continued to scroll through the jobs until I found a title
that suited my career path. I noted two postings for library branch managers. One was in Altus,
Oklahoma for the Southern Prairie Library System and the other was in Moore, Oklahoma for
the Pioneer Library System. I decided to pursue the Library Branch Manager for Altus Public
Library.
As a user of information, I found the arrangement of listings easy to navigate because
there were not many to read. However, it would have been an improvement to have a category
box or menu available to select or type keywords for positions that interested me. The list was
not defined or limited to professional positions and included part-time work as well. I would
have preferred the ability to narrow selections to meet specific criteria and education. In The
Organization of Recorded Information, the authors mention the importance of description while
implementing attributes and keywords when users search for information (Joudrey and Taylor
2018). This would improve searches and help target specific areas of interest and listings. It
would also differentiate those positions that required additional education from those that were
more basic.
As noted in the details of the library manager position, the first word listed was
“organizes.” I find this detail a perfect example in the job description and how it relates to the
organization of information and knowledge that I would need to develop and demonstrate for
consideration in being interviewed or hired. The explanation continued to include “directs,
promotes and implements the activities of the branch library.” These tasks also require
knowledge of information and understanding the connections of those employees responsible for
various departments in the library (Abbas, 2018). The ability to understand how collections are
managed and maintained is crucial in the professional role of knowledge management.
“Maintains library collections” was another skill required for the position of the library director.
Information systems would have to be explored and understood if they are not the same as those
I am currently using. This may require additional training. Procedures and systems may also
need to be examined for familiarity. Additionally, it would be important to connect with the
community and understand the mission of the library.
Currently, I am responsible for organizing the area of public relations and marketing for
the Southern Oklahoma Library System (SOLS). My position requires motivation and the ability
to guide a team of 22 in promoting library services from implementation to execution. I must
also demonstrate methods of order by keeping track of calendars and arranging programs among
eight library branch locations. By combining my skills in managing the publicity for
programming and outreach, I can integrate my experience and leadership with the skills needed
for the position and generate the qualifications that are essential for the job.
The two important skills listed for the position were “organization” and the ability to
“maintain a collection.” The relationship to Buckland’s definition of “information as
knowledge” can be noted as the library position would require the ability to inform or
communicate needs with staff members (Buckland, 1991). This is a continuous process and
performance could assist in the method of delivering the information. Buckland also states the
meaning of “information as a process” (Buckland, 1991). By maintaining a collection of books
and resources, the job would require a continuation of preserving and sustaining knowledge
materials in this approach. Finally, “information as a thing” connects the activity of organizing
and maintaining the collections (Buckland, 1991). This is another supporting attribute necessary
in the role of successful management. The physical collection of the library requires maintenance
and preservation to sustain its ability to serve customer needs. All of these requirements can be
met by the right candidate.
The search experience was subpar in my opinion when considering the organization of
the positions available. As Buckland mentions in his definitions, this “process” needed more
choices and selections for accuracy (Buckland, 1991). It was not until I begin to unfold the
activity that I realized the lack of options. Moreover, as I decided on this particular career center,
I wanted the ability to provide personal details and data to the existing information listings.
Characteristics of things such as years of experience, education, and proficiencies would
generate progressive findings in the job search. More informative instructions would lead to
better results. I think this would provide a better experience. The arrangement and organization
of information for job searches can definitely impact the outcome of anyone investigating places
of employment. It would be in the best interest of employers and those managing job site
resources to provide search tools to enhance the job seeking process.
 References

Abbas, June. 2018. Educational PowerPoint for Organization of Information Knowledge.

Buckland, Michael. 1991. “Information as Thing.” Journal of the American Society of

Information Science 42, no. 5. (June 1991): 351-360.

Joudrey, Daniel N. and Arlene G. Taylor. 2018. “The Organization of Recorded Information.” In

The Organization of Information, 4th Edition, 1-66. Santa Barbara, CA: Libraries

Unlimited.