Fiction_L Archives RA interview test? Dates: 2/25/00,10:08 AM  through  2/29/00,2:22 PM  (6 postings) Search for: Select one or more indexes to search: 2011-current     2009-2010     2004-2008    1995-2003    (Matches from each index will be displayed separately in the results page.) Return to February 2000 thread menu   |   Fiction_L Archives Menu

FROM: "Roberta S. Johnson" <[removed]@nslsilus.ORG>
REC'D: 2/25/00, 10:08 AM

We're going to be interviewing for three full-time Readers' Advisory positions (whoo
hoo!) next week here at Des Plaines. These positions do not require an MLS. We're
making up a matching test of popular authors and genres, and asking candidates to
suggest read-alikes for a few of those authors. Does anyone else have a useful and
quick test for RA applicants? We are also going to ask them to write a book
annotation.

Thanks!

Roberta


Roberta S. Johnson
Adult Services Librarian
Des Plaines Public Library
[removed]@nslsilus.org
www.fictional.org
Opinions my own.

FROM: "J Heuer" <[removed]@itol.com>
REC'D: 2/25/00, 11:06 AM

Why don't you see how they do the "reference interview." How would they
answer the patron who says " I need a good book to read." What do they say
to this person, how do they find out what the patron means by "a good book."
It's different with each one. Do they ask the customer, for instance, what
was the last book you read that you liked, etc...

--
Jeanne Heuer
Brown County Library
Green Bay, WI
[removed]@itol.com

"Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes, Art is knowing which ones
to keep." -anonymous

----------
>From: "Roberta S. Johnson" <[removed]@nslsilus.ORG>
>To: [removed]@maillist.nslsilus.org
>Subject: RA interview test?
>Date: Fri, Feb 25, 2000, 10:13 AM
>

> We're going to be interviewing for three full-time Readers' Advisory
> positions (whoo
> hoo!) next week here at Des Plaines. These positions do not require an
> MLS. We're
> making up a matching test of popular authors and genres, and asking candidates
to
> suggest read-alikes for a few of those authors. Does anyone else have a
> useful and
> quick test for RA applicants? We are also going to ask them to write a book
> annotation.
>
> Thanks!
>
> Roberta
>
>
> Roberta S. Johnson
> Adult Services Librarian
> Des Plaines Public Library
> [removed]@nslsilus.org
> www.fictional.org
> Opinions my own.
>

FROM: "ROBIN BEERBOWER" <[removed]@OPENGOVT.OPEN.ORG>
REC'D: 2/25/00, 11:37 AM

Roberta,

We had a genre test we give applicants for positions in outreach,
bookmobile, and the branch library. It's pretty basic (and I think
very simple), but I've been surprised how unknowledgeable some of the
interviewees are. I'll have to dig it out and fax it to you if you
are interested.

Robin Beerbower
Salem (OR) Public Library
[removed]@open.org

>>> "Roberta S. Johnson" <[removed]@nslsilus.ORG> 02/25/00 08:13am >>>
We're going to be interviewing for three full-time Readers' Advisory
positions (whoo
hoo!) next week here at Des Plaines. These positions do not require
an MLS. We're
making up a matching test of popular authors and genres, and asking
candidates to
suggest read-alikes for a few of those authors. Does anyone else have
a useful and
quick test for RA applicants? We are also going to ask them to write
a book
annotation.

Thanks!

Roberta


Roberta S. Johnson
Adult Services Librarian
Des Plaines Public Library
[removed]@nslsilus.org
www.fictional.org
Opinions my own.

FROM: "Mary K Chelton" <[removed]@pop.mail.rcn.net>
REC'D: 2/27/00, 10:00 AM

I always suggest asking applicants to pick a book they read and liked
during the last month and tell the interviewer about it to try to get
them interested in reading it. I also ask them to talk about what
they loathe to read and why.

Mary K.

>Why don't you see how they do the "reference interview." How would they
>answer the patron who says " I need a good book to read." What do they say
>to this person, how do they find out what the patron means by "a good book."
>It's different with each one. Do they ask the customer, for instance, what
>was the last book you read that you liked, etc...
>
>--
>Jeanne Heuer
>Brown County Library
>Green Bay, WI
[removed]@itol.com
>
>"Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes, Art is knowing which ones
>to keep." -anonymous
>
>----------
> >From: "Roberta S. Johnson" <[removed]@nslsilus.ORG>
> >To: [removed]@maillist.nslsilus.org
> >Subject: RA interview test?
> >Date: Fri, Feb 25, 2000, 10:13 AM
> >
>
> > We're going to be interviewing for three full-time Readers' Advisory
> > positions (whoo
> > hoo!) next week here at Des Plaines. These positions do not require an
> > MLS. We're
> > making up a matching test of popular authors and genres, and
>asking candidates
>to
> > suggest read-alikes for a few of those authors. Does anyone else have a
> > useful and
> > quick test for RA applicants? We are also going to ask them to
>write a book
> > annotation.
> >
> > Thanks!
> >
> > Roberta
> >
> >
> > Roberta S. Johnson
> > Adult Services Librarian
> > Des Plaines Public Library
> > [removed]@nslsilus.org
> > www.fictional.org
> > Opinions my own.
> >


Home: Work:

35 Mercury Ave. Grad. School of Library & Info Studeis
East Patchogue, NY 11772 Queens College
631/286-4255 254 Rosenthal Library
65-30 Kissena Blvd.
Flushing, NY 11367
718/997-3667 direct voice
718/997 3790 general office voice
718/997-3797 fax

FROM: "Vivian Mortensen" <[removed]@park-ridge.lib.il.us>
REC'D: 2/29/00, 10:18 AM

I think you have to decide what you are looking for in an entry-level
applicant. When I review candidates, I interview them looking for
enthusiasm, a personality that has spark, someone that I and the others in
the department can work with, someone who can handle a workload and
responsibility, etc. When I give them the written test, I'm looking for a
general background in fiction and genres. Since many of our applicants are
straight out of school, I accept either a knowledge of older fiction and
classics OR a knowledge of current titles (students are usually too busy
reading for school and are not aware of current stuff).
I can train staff to do booktalking, book discussions, figure out read
alikes, but I can't train them to enjoy reading and have a "backlog" of
reading knowledge. When you ask candidates, "Do you like to read?" they
always respond yes even if they are fudging. Thus we have a written test
and ask them at the interview to discuss a couple books they have recently
read.

Vivian Mortensen
Park Ridge Public Library
Park Ridge, IL


-----Original Message-----
From: [removed]@maillist.nslsilus.org
[<A HREF="mailto:owner-fiction_l@maillist.nslsilus.org]On">mailto:owner-fiction_l@maillist.nslsilus.org]On</A> Behalf Of Roberta S.
Johnson
Sent: Friday, February 25, 2000 10:14 AM
To: [removed]@maillist.nslsilus.org
Subject: RA interview test?


We're going to be interviewing for three full-time Readers' Advisory
positions (whoo
hoo!) next week here at Des Plaines. These positions do not require an MLS.
We're
making up a matching test of popular authors and genres, and asking
candidates to
suggest read-alikes for a few of those authors. Does anyone else have a
useful and
quick test for RA applicants? We are also going to ask them to write a book
annotation.

Thanks!

Roberta


Roberta S. Johnson
Adult Services Librarian
Des Plaines Public Library
[removed]@nslsilus.org
www.fictional.org
Opinions my own.

FROM: <[removed]@aol.com>
REC'D: 2/29/00, 2:22 PM

All this talk about written tests is making we wonder: Are these legal? I
recall attending several management training sessions in my "supervisory"
days that stressed that any sort of oral or written test given at interviews
was strictly forbidden, unless that test had been "validated" -- that is,
unless it had been proven that high performance on the test translated into
high performance in the job. To validate a test takes a long time and a lot
of money, so the advice was not to use tests.

This applied to job interviewing in any sort of institution that received
Federal money of any kind, which pretty much includes every public library.
Is anyone else wondering about the legality of these tests, or have things
loosened up?

Sherri McCarthy

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