Owning Organization:
Organization Type:
For-profit
Library Journal Year Founded:
1876
Contact LJ:
The Library Journal (LJ) is a trade publication for librarians of all stripes. Therefore, as a researcher of specific information, the Library Journal can be an overwhelming resource to sift through. However, with careful curation, LJ is a fantastic source of authoritative information.
Depending on your information goals, you will want to use the LJ website in different ways. Skip to the topic your interested in to see how the LJ can further your knowledge:
The Library Journal has a massive treasure trove of information and can be difficult to parse through their resources. The following is a targeted subset of LJ information that has been selected to help you quickly and efficiently go through the process of learning how to find the "right" LIS program.
Prior to selecting the best LIS program, we want to learn a couple different things.
This can feel like a committing juncture; however, pivoting is always a possibility. The idea is to simply do your best in trying understand what type of work environment might suit you best.
To begin, read the following article from the Library Journal:
Take notes as you read through this article in a live document that can be easily edited, added and subtracted from. Provide headings for career paths and write down notable information that either pulled you toward or pushed you away from specific career options.
Create another live document that can be easily edited and take notes about the aspects of an LIS program that seem to be most important to you while reading the following article from LJ:
The next resource listed from the Library Journal is a great addendum to the previous resource. Assessing the type of program that might fit your career needs is the first step toward deciding on a specific program. It’s also very important to weed out programs that have unsavory characteristics, such as a lack of funding, an exorbitant price tag, or low graduation rates. The following resource will help you better understand some under the surface aspects of programs and their schools that may lead to an unsatisfactory overall experience.
The Library Journal is, for the most part, a news source. However, to the benefit of professional librarians, the journal is well categorized and is easily explored from the perspective of a professional librarian looking for inspiration.
A great place to explore as a veteran or new librarian in most any library or collection setting, is the “Upcoming Events” category of the Library Journal. You’ll find various events typically based around educating professional librarians in new technologies, methods of categorizing or advancing topics such as minority inclusion.
This is a link to bookmark and explore periodically to see what is in their events pipeline:
We have found the Library Journal’s “Leadership” section is a great place for librarians to gain inspiration and also see where their library is lacking. You can explore opinion pieces and in depth research in a variety of topics organized by standard librarian leadership duties and roles.