These sites are from a library technology class I took at a local community college. I did not know some of these sites existed, and they can help with researching topics. The class was nice, but I decided library technology is not a major for me. The jobs you can get in the field are limited, and the classes were very similar to computer classes. It seems better to study computers. If you want a job after your studies you should study something in the medical field like radiography or basic nursing assistant (BNA, sometimes referred to as a CNA or certified nursing assistant). They used to train you on the job to be a BNA, now you have to complete and pay for the training before you apply but the odds are good at finding a job. It is required to be a certified BNA if you want to be a unit secretary at a hospital.  From the library technology course I discovered much of the information you are looking for is probably already published out there. It is a matter of finding the information, which is a skill, and library assistants and librarians have training in classifying and organizing and locating information. When you go to the library they know things I would not think of that are helpful in finding good information. Here are some library links:

1. COLT (Council on Library/Media Technicians, Inc.) – founded 1967 and an affliate of the American Library Association (ALA) and covers technical education and even gaining respect for library technical assistants, also has a job line section http://colt.ucr.edu/
2. American Library Association (ALA) – might actually be the oldest library association in the world, in the United States a librarian is more a profession and requires schooling whereas other countries one of which is Japan there is no degree or training in the field, site also has an employment guide and American Libraries section http://ala.org/
3. Internet Public Library – a good place to research topics ipl.org
4. LibrarySpot – collection of reference and research materials, has links to dictionaries, thesauri, phrase-finders, and related resources, has/had a Librarian’s Shelf section http://www.libraryspot.com
5. SirsiDynix – did not know this existed looks like a company or resource to help libraries deliver ebooks and audiobooks to patrons http://www.sirsidynix.com/
6. Library of Congress – states is mission is to support the Congress and promote knowledge for the benefit of the American people, has scanned copies of American historical documents and much more such as history links on things such as cuneiform tablet pictures from the BC days with info and supplementary materials loc.gov
7. Illinois State Library – has digital archives and looks like a nice place to visit in Springfield, Illinois can find more info at cyberdriveillinois.com
8. New York Public Library (NYPL) Digital Collections –  over 275,000 digital images including historical maps, vintage posters, illustrated books and more http://digitalgallery.nypl.org/nypl.org/nypldigital/index.cfm
9. C.Berger – library consulting and staffing firm, provides answers to issues libraries and information centers face cberger.com
10. Library Job Postings on the Internet –  looks interesting libraryjobpostings.org
11. O*Net Occupational Information Network – can search and research info on various occupations http://online.onetcenter.org/find/
12. Bureau of Labor Statistics – a premier source for career information, part of the United States Department of Labor and has an occupational outlook handbook http://www.bls.gov/oco/
13. Beyond the Job – has professional development opportunities for librarians, articles, job-hunting advice and more. http://www.beyondthejob.org/
14. Library Mosaics – magazine for support staff, can obtain through community college’s library remotely or in-person, to check out books at a local community college library, must be a student or maybe just have an ID card, might be open to alumni http://www.librarymosaics.com/
15. Library Journal – respected library publication that includes reviews, technology and policy reports http://www.libraryjournal.com/
16. ACRL’s Blog – Association of College and Research Libraries blogging for and by academic and research librarians http://acrlog.org/
17. Library Stuff– weblog for professional development and keeping current librarystuff.net
18. College of DuPage Weblog – looks like a great resource with good information http://www.cod.edu/library/research/searchTools/
19. “Will Fair Use Survive? Free Expression in the Age of Copyright Control” – a good read for everyone, honestly have not read this pdf yet unfortunately http://www.fepproject.org/policyreports/WillFairUseSurvive.pdf 
20. Educators’ Spotlight Digest – online publication for information literacy, has some good posts, looks like a simple site, maybe the following site is the wrong site but again it has topics that touch on information literacy sosspotlight.com
21. Library Support Staff Interest Round Table – the research guide section looks helpful lib.colostate.edu

Please forgive me if any of the links are wrong as things change and I will work to correct the mistake. You can contact me anytime about the issues or with any other suggestions or comments. Possibly the site no longer exists and or it is a new address or you can find information with a Google search on the name of the site.

Published: Tuesday, February 26, 2013