“Demystifying the Hiring Process”: NLDG meet-n-greet a huge success

Co-sponsored by the ACRL/NY Mentoring Program and METRO, the NLDG’s February 7th panel discussion about academic library hiring committees drew thirty-four attendees (17 ACRL/NY members and 17 non-members), with students, early-career, and mid-career librarians more or less equally represented. The panel of four brought together librarians from a diversity of institutional contexts—Sebastian Derry (College of Mt. St. Vincent), Beth Evans (Brooklyn College CUNY), Susanne Markgren (Purchase College, SUNY), and Jean Uhl (LIU-Post)—to talk about how hiring committees do their work and about their experiences as members and chairs of these bodies. Several attendees shared information from their own perspective as applicants, candidates, and new hires, and there was a lively dialog about expectations and procedures. Hoping to build on the enthusiasm and interest of the group, chair of the NLDG, Linda Miles, and Mentoring Program coordinator, Susanne Markgren, are already discussing possibilities for a follow-up event this spring.