While there are increasing opportunities for library diversity fellowships, there are relatively few career librarian positions that are open to candidates who do not have prior experience in similar roles. This session will share the work at the UC Davis Library to recruit three STEM librarians, using a revamped recruitment process designed from the outset to be more open to librarians who are at the beginning of their library careers.
Participants will learn about specific aspects of the recruitment process, including: designing required criteria that are measurable yet inclusive, thinking about translatable experience, creating transparent deliberation and decision making structures, moving away from experience-based questions to scenario questions to demonstrate critical and imaginative thinking, conducting individualized outreach to candidates from underrepresented communities, designing and measuring rubrics, assembling a diverse hiring committee, offering webinars for potential candidates, and grounding recruitment conversations in data.
Participants will also learn about the key components to include in a rigorous onboarding and training program, including mentorship, peer cohort groups, conference attendance, professional training, annual goal setting, and incremental growth in position responsibility over time.
