AP News: "Jaded With Education"

[apl68]

I see your well thought-out points, as always, but I do notice that you have not answered my hypothetical, namely, were you, as a library director in  your state, to receive an application from a recent MLS holder from, say, Connecticut, one who also had internships prior to getting the degree, perhaps, but had no ties or background to your state, or really to any state nearby to yours, would you hire that person?  And even if you were willing to do so, what might your library board think about that idea?  Remember that the candidate is not saying, in a cover letter, that he plans to work for you for two years and then high-tail it out of town, and if you interview him, he may actually say that he is willing to consider staying long term....

If we were trying to fill an MLS position, I'd be glad to consider the application.  I believe the Board of Trustees would also.  It's not unprecedented for public libraries in our state to interview and hire candidates from multiple states over.  I've had colleagues among librarians in the state from as far away as the Great Lakes and Canada.  I don't know of one as small our ours ever hiring from that far away, but then libraries our size have a hard time advertising very widely.

Local libraries and library boards do tend to be somewhat idiosyncratic.  I can well imagine some Boards being insular enough not to consider a candidate from out of state, or out of the South, or from a large city.  But only some.