Published: February 28, 2025 by Aryn Prestia

An updated resume is arguably the most important aspect of your job search process. Regardless of the information science sector you choose to work in, you will be asked to provide an updated resume. But what exactly should you include in a resume for a library-specific position?

Organization 

A library resume is all about showcasing your unique combination of domain knowledge and soft skills. A well-organized resume can help your potential employer quickly see whether your values align with theirs. Plan to keep your resume clean, meaning that the top should simply include your name and contact information (no need to include your address). There is also no need to include a picture of yourself or an objective statement. Rather, you can include information relevant to your career objectives in your cover letter. 

Instead, lead your resume off with a section titled “Relevant Professional Strengths,” “Professional Strengths Summary,” or something similar. This section should be made up of 4-5 bullet points that are 1) strengths that you’d like a hiring manager to know you possess and 2) relevant to the job for which you’re applying. So, for example, your top section might look like this:

Relevant Professional Strengths

• 5 years of public-service library roles, working with highly diverse constituencies
• Experienced in creating and presenting successful STEM-related programs for youth
• Adept at quickly adapting to new information technologies and training both colleagues and patrons on those technologies
• Fluent speaker and reader of Spanish

Next, lead with your experiences rather than your education – you are not a student anymore but rather a professional in the information space. Unless your work history is incredibly short, only relevant job or volunteer experience should take up valuable resume real estate.

Wording

Each previous job experience listed should include between 2-3 bullet points that identify your responsibilities and/or accomplishments for that particular role. Relate your relevant skills to the job description. Did you serve in a public-facing capacity? Were you a part of a highly collaborative team? Use your resume to provide a narrative of who you are now and the experiences that have led you to be a good candidate for the job. Remember that “experience” doesn’t have to solely entail paid positions. Volunteer roles where you were very active or even memberships, such as the American Library Association, can show your dedication to the field.

Resume Maintenance

Whether you are currently looking for a job or not, having an updated resume is an important part of building a professional career. You’ll want to update your resume every six months or so to ensure that you are capturing all relevant experiences.  A previous career blogger recommended the notion of creating a “living resume” where all job experiences could be recorded in one document. This is an excellent way to keep all of your past work experience in one spot so that updating your resume and customizing it to specific job postings will become easier and faster over time. Having set bullet points can also provide a helpful starting point when working to match your skill sets to those being sought by potential employers.

Review

Once you feel good about the resume you’ve crafted, take advantage of the resume review services offered by the Career Center or any of your membership organizations (such as ALA) to make sure you have crafted your best possible resume. Receiving feedback is often the only way to know how you can improve and prepare yourself for the job search process.

Two More Things!

Don’t forget to keep up to date with job openings on Handshake, here are a few that might be of interest!

• Systems and Technology Librarian – Texas A&M University – Laredo, TX
• Congressional Papers Project Archivist – University of Iowa – Iowa City, IA

Also, remember that internships can be an especially valuable part of your learning experience at the iSchool while also helping you when it comes time to look for jobs. Learn more about the iSchool’s internship program here, where you can check out the INFO 294 Student Handbook as well as the Internship Sites database.