Librarian Mock Interview
Master 21 Librarian interview questions covering collection management, reference services, and digital systems.
Question 8 of 21
Tell me about a difficult time you had while helping someone research a subject.
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Audra Kresinske is an educator with over 7 years experience teaching English and employment readiness skills.
Think about your experience as a librarian and share a time when a particular research topic left you stumped. Share several different resources or tools you shared as you tried your best to exhaust all options in helping out a patron. Be open and honest and share how you provided your very best customer service and relied on tricks up your sleeve to ultimately help out or provide advice. Assisting with research is a common ask of a librarian, so make sure to demonstrate your excitement about challenging research and helping people. Share a brief anecdote of a recent time you assisted someone with a research dilemma.
Audra Kresinske is an educator with over 7 years experience teaching English and employment readiness skills.
"I love a good challenge when it comes to research. These days, challenges typically involve helping people find appropriate books to support their research needs. Many high school and college students approach me because book resources are required for their projects. They are so much more fluent with the vast online resources and research that are so easily accessible, so when it comes to finding book sources, they often don't even know where to begin. Sometimes, it can even be challenging for me to direct them to a book that best suits their needs, but I always search with extra keywords and look into other libraries in the area to help them find the best books for their research. This happened a few weeks ago when a student required a very niche book on plants; I was able to locate a book that met the criteria at a nearby library and have it sent over to my library for the student to pick up the next day. I love being able to assist in any way I can."
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