There are a number of traditional and web-based bibliographies available detailing library career resources. This is a list of career break / job seeker / library return resources that I have found useful, and have read on my library returner journey.

The bibliography will be added to on an on-going basis.

Career advice

Alboher, Marci. The Encore Career Handbook: How to Make a Living and a Difference in the Second Half of Life. Workman Publishers, 2012.

Bolles, Richard. N. What Color Is Your Parachute? A Practical Manual for Job-Hunters and Career-Changers 2020. Revised ed. Crown Books for Young Readers. 2019.

Smedley, Keren. Live the Life you Love at 50+: a Handbook for Career and Life Success. McGraw-Hill Education, 2013.

Taylor, Denise. You’re Hired! Find Work at 50+: a Positive Approach to Securing the Job you Want. Trotman Publishing, 2016.

Career break and career return

“Academic Career Breaks: The Perceptions, Implications and Experiences: A Study about Returning to Academia.” jobs.ac.uk, 2016. Jobs.ac.uk http://www.jobs.ac.uk/media/pdf/recruiters/resources/academic-career-break-research-report.pdf

Ang, E. K. Career Break or Broken Career? Mothers’ Experiences of Returning to Paid Work. 2007. Massey University, PhD dissertation.

Brzezinski, Mika and Ginny Brzezinski. Comeback Careers: Rethink, Refresh, Reinvent Your Success–At 40, 50, and Beyond. Hachette Books, 2020.

Clark, Bekki. The Mum’s Guide to Returning to Work. Beamington Publishing, 2010.

Cohen, Carol Fishman and Vivian Steir Rabin. Back on the Career Track: a Guide for Stay-at-Home Moms Who Want to Return to Work. CreateSpaceIndependent Publishing Platform, 2008.

Cohen, Carol Fishman. “How to get Back to Work after a Career Break.” Ted Talk. November 2015. https://www.ted.com/talks/carol_fishman_cohen_how_to_get_back_to_work_after_a_career_break

McGivney, V. Returning Women: Their Training and Employment Choices and Needs. Leicester: National Institute of Adult Continuing Education, 1999.

Nicks, Leonie, Hannah Burd and Jessica Barnes – The Behavioural Insights Team. Returners Qualitative Analysis: Organisations’ experiences with returners. Government Equalities Office, March 2019.

STEM Returners. STEM: The Hidden Workforce. STEM Returners Survey 2020 https://www.stemreturners.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/STEM_-The-Hidden-Workforce.pdf

Unwin, Lisa and Deb Khan. She’s Back: Your Guide to Returning to Work. Urbane Publications, 2018.

Wolfin, Diana and Susan Foreman. Back to Work: A Guide for Women Returners. Robson Books, 2004.

Career break librarians

Crawford, Alice. “Getting Back In: Returning to Libraries after a Career Break.” Impact (Journal of the CILIP Career Development Group), December 2007, pp. 73-75.

Cutshaw, Oliver. Recovery, Reframing and Renewal: Surviving an Information Science Career Crisis in a Time of Change. Chandos, 2011.

Stout, Jennifer. A Study of the Effects of Career Breaks on the Aspirations of Men and Women in Library and Information Services. 2009. The University of Sheffield, Masters dissertation.

Career break librarians with career change

Katzenstein, Lisa. “My Career Crossroads.” Texas Library Journal, vol. 98, no. 2, 2022, pp. 66-67.

Career development services in the library

Levy, Hope. “Encore Career Search Strategies: Help your Patrons Find their Way to Meaningful Work.” Infopeople. November 15th 2018. https://infopeople.org/civicrm/event/info?id=805 [Click on View Webinar Archive and add brief registration details to access the free webinar.]

Luppert, Aileen and Michelle Simon. “No Job Seeker Left Behind: Library Services to Meet their Need.” Webjunction. July, 9, 2009. https://learn.webjunction.org/

Career planning

Cohen, C. F. Returning professional “internships”: a new strategy for employers to access high calibre talent and for professionals to reenter the workforce. Retrieved from: https://t7-live-irl.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/irelaunch.com/files//Sept27%20Returning%20Professional%20Internships%20Cover-TofCnts.pdf 2012

Cohen, C. F. The 40 year old intern. Harvard Business Review, November.  Retrieved from: https://hbr.org/2012/11/the-40-year-old-intern 2012

Employment law

Brearley, Joeli. Pregnant then Screwed: The Truth about the Motherhood Penalty and How to Fix it. Gallery Books UK, 2021.

Extended leave of absence

Weak, Emily. “Further Questions: Should Candidates Address Gaps in Employment?” HiringLibrarians, June 10, 2022 Further Questions: Should Candidates Address Gaps in Employment? | Hiring Librarians

Weak, Emily. “Further Answers: What Did You Do To Stay Professionally Relevant During Your Break?” HiringLibrarians, Feb 1, 2013 Further Answers: What did you do to stay professionally relevant during your leave? | Hiring Librarians

Weak, Emily. “Further Questions: How Can Someone on an Extended Leave of Absence Stay Professionally Relevant?” HiringLibrarians, Feb 1, 2013 Further Questions: How Can Someone on an Extended Leave of Absence Stay Professionally Relevant? | Hiring Librarians

Weak, Emily. “Further Answers: What Happened When You Decided to Return to the Workforce?” HiringLibrarians, Feb 8, 2013 Further Answers: What happened when you decided to return to the workforce? | Hiring Librarians

Hiring practices

Weak, Emily. “Using Search Advocates to Mitigate Bias in Hiring: An Interview with Anne Gillies.” Library Leadership & Management, vol. 32, no, 2,  (2022). Library Leadership & Management, https://llm-ojs-tamu.tdl.org/llm/article/view/7537 

Library and information career

A Day in the Life: Career Options in Library and Information Science. Ed. Priscilla K. Shontz and Richard A. Murray. London: Libraries Unlimited, 2007.

Career Transitions for Librarians: Proven Strategies for Moving to Another Type of Library. Ed. Davis Erin Anderson and Raymond Pun. Rowman & Littlefield, 2016.

Dority, G. Kim. Rethinking Information Work: a Career Guide for Librarians and Other Information Professionals. 2^nd ed.  Libraries Unlimited, 2016.

Eberts, Marjorie and Margaret Gisler. Careers for Bookworms and Other Literary Types. 4th ed. McGraw-Hill, 2008

Gordon, Rachel Singer. What’s the Alternative?: Career Options for Librarians and Info Pros. Information Today,  2008.

Hakala-Ausperk, Catherine. Renew Yourself:  A Six-Step Plan for More Meaningful Work. ALA editions, 2017

Jones, Elizabeth and Charles Oppenheim. “Glass Ceiling Issues in the UK Library Profession.” Journal of Librarianship and Information Science, vol. 34, no. 2, 2002, pp. 103-115.

Markgren, Susanne and Tiffany Eatman Allen. Career Q & A: a Librarian’s Real-Life, Practical Guide to Managing a Successful Career. Information Today, Inc., 2013.

McDermott, Elizabeth. “Barriers to Women’s Career Progression in LIS.” Library Management, vol. 19, no. 7, 1998, pp. 416-420.

O’Brien, Terry and Helen Hayden. “Flexible Work Practice and the LIS Sector: Balancing the Needs of Work and Life.” Library Management, vol. 29, no. 3, 2008, pp. 199-228.

O’Hanlon, Robin. Ace the Interview, Land a Librarian Job. Libraries Unlimited, 2016.

Living longer

Gratton, Lynda and Andrew Scott. The 100-year Life: Living and Working in an Age of Longevity. Bloomsbury, 2017.

Mari, Daniela. Breakfast with the Centenarians: the Science of Ageing Well. Atlantic Books, 2019.

Mentorship

Eidson, Jacquelyn Irene. Mentorship, Identity, and Self-Efficacy in Mothers Returning to the Workforce After an Extended Leave. 2022. Grand Canyon University, PhD dissertation. ProQuest Dissertations Publishing Online . Available at: Mentorship, Identity, and Self-Efficacy in Mothers Returning to the Workforce After an Extended Leave – ProQuest

Professional registration / Career portfolio

Owen, Kath. Building your Portfolio: the CILIP Guide. 3^rd ed. Facet Publishing 2015.

WordPress

Plumley, George. Teach Yourself Visually WordPress. 3^rd ed. John Wiley & Sons, 2015.

 

Returner fiction

Pearson, Allison. How Hard Can It Be? HarperCollins, 2017

 

Please send me your career break / job search / return to work bibliography suggestions.