Interview questions for Librarian Job

Q. 1: Tell me about yourself.
Answer: Thank you. I am Robert Nero. I have been playing the role of a librarian in a school for last five consecutive years. I have completed my studies from a reputed public university. In my personal life, I have got married and the proud father of two daughters. I prefer to lead a simple life and reading books is my greatest hobby. Besides, I also prefer to participate in different indoor and outdoor sports and games. Before becoming a librarian, I was appointed as a journalist but books attracted me more than journalism. So, I left the job and turned into a librarian to get into the profession.  

Q. 2: What are your qualifications for the job of a librarian?  
Answer: I have completed my graduation in History and joined at a daily newspaper. But when I decided to change the profession and be a librarian, I took the MA on Library Science. Besides, I have been playing the role of a librarian for a school for the last five years which is more than your requirement for the position. Moreover, I am highly skilled in managing a library in different formats and take care of the books and other necessary documents.

Q. 3: What is your opinion on a career as a librarian?
Answer: I believe that there should be no hesitation over any profession as they are meant to live on. A person should feel proud of his profession and career as a librarian is also valuable. When a man in always in touch with books, the realm of knowledge expands and the earned knowledge could be implied on real life situations. It is the librarians who only have such scopes. Since they are always in touch with books, they could read them without any trouble and they have enough time as well to read different other books. So, the career of a librarian is adorable to me.
 
Q. 4: Tell us about your qualifications for the position of Library Media Specialist.
Answer: Library is a vast collection of books and I have a master's degree in Library Science. There I learnt how to manage a library, make codes for the books, sort them into different categories, how to add media with library and many others. So, if I am appointed with the position of Library Media Specialist, I am confident enough to undergo all the necessary responsibilities and execute them smoothly.

Q. 5: What is your role in the educational system as a librarian?
Answer: Taking care of the library is the very first responsibility for me. I will also be responsible for issuing books, receiving the books in due time, take care of the books on shelves, organize the books based on their categories, issuing serial number for the books, sorting different genres and much other tasks.

Q. 6: Tell us about your qualifications for the position of Library Media Specialist.
Answer: I have completed a one year masters in Library Science and there I was taught about different aspects of library maintenance. The presence of media on library was one of the most important topics taught in the course. Thus I also got familiar with the issue of media and library. So, if I am assigned for the post of Library Media Specialist, I have to prepare audio-visual equipment for the library. I am well familiar with the collections of films, tapes and other related elements required for a library in modern aspects.

Q. 7: How could you, as the school librarian, connect what you do in the library to today’s emphasis on student achievement and the Common Core standards?
Answer: Standard is a term that has different meanings in situations and achievements come only after a hard efforts. But the schools have set a standard and the students are to go through the standards to cross the barriers of school. When they will work hard, I mead study a lot, they would be able to create a standard of their own or will be qualified for the common core standards. To make it come true, as a librarian, I have to inspire the students to read more books and will also make them realized that they would do far better if they read the external books more rather than the prescribed books.

Q. 8: What is your collection development and maintenance strategy? 
Answer: I usually try to meet the needs of the people and students as part of my collection development. I try to replace the old books or worn out books with newer ones and maintain a strict rule so that the newer copies remain in healthy state. The strategies for maintenance are
not always same and thus they depend mostly on the situations.

Q. 9: What types of library material have you worked with in the past?
Answer: Mostly I have worked with two types of library materials in my career and they are – physical materials and digital materials. The physical materials included the books, furniture, paper documents and other things that could be used directly. On the other side, digital materials included database, book list, films, tapes etc.

Q. 10: How technically sound are you? Are you comfortable with library management software?
Answer: Yes, I am well versed with the technical issues related to library. It will be a privilege for me if I am allowed to use software to maintain a library as manual maintenance is more difficult than it is supposed. When everything is automated with technical supports, works become easier and the output level increases.

Q. 11: Do you think the physical attributes of the library make a difference to the students?
Answer: No, I own a different view in this case. If the students are unwilling to attend library, then the physical attributes would be of no use actually. At first, a sense of readership should be build inside them.

Q. 12: Tell me about a job you held where you had to multitask. How did you handle successfully completing each task?
Answer: When I was at the news agency, I was assigned to different tasks at a time and I had completed each of the tasks successfully. I was assigned to compose the news articles, edit them and often I had to check the proof as well. Sometimes I was assigned to receive news from different sources and make them readable to the readers.

Q. 13: Tell me about a time when you had a conflict with a coworker. How did you handle the situation?
Answer: I experienced a conflict with a coworker over the organizing of the books at the shelves. She was performing in a wrong manner and I told her to change the style which made her angry. Then I showed her the catalogue to organize books on the shelves and then she realized the issue. Initially she thought that I was asking her to do that after my will and since she was a new recruit, she had less knowledge about this.

Q. 14: What would you be doing differently as a librarian?
Answer: Usually the librarians are responsible to take care of the library only but I try to inspire the students on reading books. Majority of the librarians pass their time without doing something fruitful but I try to use my time by reading books and novels. I usually apply the gathered knowledge on my real life situations.

Q. 15: Do you have experience handling books and maintaining them in good shape?
Answer: Yes, I do have experience in handling books. Often I have to maintain the books to keep them into a good shape in the library currently I am working in. I have been doing the work for last five years at the school I am working in.

Q. 16: What would you do if you were unsure of how to answer a reference question?
Answer: In that case, I would like to take some time to know over the reference and then answer the question. I think expressing ignorance over something is not something to be ashamed of rather it shows the real benevolence. If I provide any disinformation to the people, there are chances that they may get damaged with the wrong information. So, I would better take my time to know the answer.

Q. 17: Imagine you heard a staff member provide a patron with an incorrect answer. What would you do?
Answer: I will try to make the answer correct if I experience such situations. Besides, I will try to provide the correct references related with the answer so that there should be no chances of mistake again over the same issue.

Q. 18: What would you do if you were assisting a person at the reference desk and the telephone rang?
Answer: I will ask the person to excuse me for a moment and attend the phone call. By the same time, I will try to complete the call properly and then get back again to the person I was assisting for a reference at the desk.

Q. 19: How would you integrate technology into your work with teens and children?
Answer: Technology helps to maintain the balance at work. I will use the latest inventions at the library and also teach the teens and children to use the technology. They may register themselves online and while taking books at home, they will enter the details by themselves. By this way, they would be familiar with the technology and my tasks would be easier.

Q. 20: How would you recommend promoting reading for secondary school children? 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.
Answer: Usually the children of secondary level do not want to read books and instead love to play. So, if I could arrange for a book reading program at the school, I think they would be interested to participate at the event.

I have read The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood and White Fang. I think the first one is a great one for the children of secondary school. They would come to know about the adventures of Robin Hood, the legendary hero of England. The book is illustrated with numerous images and the stories are also adorable. The stories show how Robin Hood served the poor and became a villain to the king of the country.

Q. 21: Do you have any experience with audio-visual materials?
Answer: Yes, I do. In my school, I used to arrange for movies made based on novels. The initiative was highly appreciated among everyone who attended there. The movie show was held once in a week and particularly on the last day of the school.

Q. 22: Do you have any experience with setting up displays?
Answer: Yes, I can set up displays. When I used to arrange for the movies at the school, I had to set up the projector and screen for displaying the movie before the audience including the students and the teachers.

Q. 23: How do you connect what you do in the library with the classroom curriculum?
Answer: Often I have to take classes and in that case, I try to reflect on the importance of reading books in the class. I try to make the children realize that the more they will read, the more they will be smart. Sometimes I ask them to read books on different issues and often I suggest names of the books for them that I have read on the library.

Q. 24: Tell me about a team or group project you have worked on and how you contributed to it.
Answer: I had to work as a team in the school after being assigned as a librarian. I had to work with the other team mates and often I used to contribute them with innovative ideas about decorating the library. In fact, I was the idea pool for them and always served them with ideas necessary for the development of the library.

Q. 25: Tell me about a presentation you recently gave at work or school. How did you prepare for the presentation?
Answer: I presented a paper on a book named – Peter Pan. I searched the internet for the presentation and collected some special information about the book. I also attached some images of Peter Pan so that the presentation becomes attractive as most of the audiences are reluctant to observe a presentation with texts only. In fact I had to work hard for a night to make the presentation colorful for the audience.

Q. 26: How would you explain the importance of a library to a potential donor? 
Answer: I will highlight the important aspects of library towards building a civil society. Education is the key to prosperity for a nation and if the numbers of libraries are limited, then a standard education may not be found which will develop the society and the nation. So, if the potential donor donates on the library, it would be considered as a good contribution for the nation building. I will elaborate the issue to the potential donor.

Q. 27: What do you feel is the most significant development in the field? What impact will it have on the future of the profession? 
Answer: The implementation of audio-visual elements like films, tapes and others are the most important development in the field. It will have a great positive impact in future of the profession. To seek reference, the librarians do not need to seek out large volumes rather they could bring out the reference within few mouse clicks. As a result, the saved efforts could be used for some other purposes.

Q. 28: What do you see as the role of the librarian in the school setting and what do you hope to bring to the library? 
Answer: A librarian is the caretaker of the library set in the school premise. The librarian is also responsible for the right management of books, maintenance of the library, collect resources and donations etc. I think, if the works are done sincerely, the library could be a place of excellence and will also be enriched with numerous books of varied interests.

Q. 29: What is library automation?  How do you use and maintain a library automation system?
Answer: Library automation refers to the use of computed to make the typical activities automated. With the use of a computer, the librarian will make index of the books, register the new book arrival or issuance of the books to the students or to the members. Besides, this is also a good way of cataloguing books and organizing them after the genres. I use the system with a highly configured computer. The school authority has installed the system on the computer for the betterment of the library activities.

Q. 30: How would you promote reading?
Answer: Generally I inspire the students in reading by several ways. A weekly competition over reading is held in the school where many of the students participate and answer different questions. The highest scoring students are awarded. Besides, I also ask them to share their reading experiences and when they share, they feel proud than the other ordinary students. This brings a change among the other students who do not read. This is in fact a trick for me that I use to promote reading. Moreover, when the students come to library, I entertain them with different attractive books and allow them flexible time to complete the books.

Q. 31: How do you develop and maintain a library collection that will meet the needs of our students, parents, and staff?
Answer: Actually I have divided the school library in some sections and also have pasted label on the sections so that the visitors could identify their respective needs. I try to enrich the collection of books based on the sections and have found that mostly the parents look for novels and references. So, I have enriched that section with novels of different authors. Again, the children want to have thrillers and comic books and accordingly I have fertilized their section with such books. Almost all the available thrillers in the country will be found in their corner. When it is about school staffs, I have noticed that they are fond of different magazines about health and fashion. So, I took necessary measures for them and filled the corner with different foreign and national magazines.

Q. 32: What type of schedule would you set up for library classes?
Answer: Typically, the children do not prefer to attend in library class in the beginning of the day. So, it would be better if the class is scheduled after the break or in the afternoon when they will be more energetic after having their meals. I think they would concentrate more on that time.

Q. 33: What kind of library attracts students, staff and parents?
Answer: A well decorated, enriched and automated library attracts all types of people including the students, parents and staffs. Besides, the inner environment of the library should also be clean, illuminated and silent. The books should be covered with special covers and most importantly there should be no old or torn up books. The accommodation system should be modern so that the visitors feel at home inside the library.

Q. 34: Do you use an internet filtering software in your library?
Answer: Yes, I use such software in my library. The software restricts the use of internet. I have to use the software to refrain the visitors from using internet inside the library. In fact they visit the library to read books or prepare their assignments. So, if they use internet instead of their respective work in the library, I think the aim of establishing a library will wind up and they would not be benefitted at all.

Q. 35: Which is the best website for historical information?
Answer: History is a vast thing and only a single website is merely enough to provide historical information to the users. So, I would like to suggest a couple of names like – history.com, britannica.com etc. 

Q. 36: What online resources would you suggest for an entry-level college student?
Answer: The entry level college students should collect information over the issues they are going to be taught in their classes. I think they should learn about history, geography, general science
subjects, a general idea about mathematics, literature etc. They may collect the information from online and there are a wide number of websites available to provide them with the necessary resources.

Q. 37: What is ISBN?
Answer: ISBN refers to International Standard Book Number and this is a unique code for a book. The number has been introduced since 1970s and may vary based on the publication year. It also defines the publisher of the book and the number also varies based on the size of the publishing industry.

Q. 38: What is ISSN?
Answer: Typically the ISSN refers to International Standard Serial Number and this is an eight digit code used for newspapers, magazines, database or websites. It actually is a unique serial for
publication. The use of ISSN began in the 1975s and the number changes even for the same publication in different mediums.

Q. 39: How many times have you read your favorite book?
Answer: A House for Mr Biswas by V. S. Naipaul is my favorite book and I have read it for many times.
Each of the times I read the book, I turn familiar with different aspects of life. The book was
composed in 1961 and deals with the events of Mohun Biswas. It is considered that the main
character of the book is a shadow of Naipaul’s father. The novel also shows many other aspects
of a dominated life and how to overcome the domination to fulfill the dream.