SLQ Preservation Labs Tour

Part One: Cleaning, Repair and Digitisation

The State Library of Queensland preservation labs are a study in ordered chaos. Everything is catalogued - twice - with an exhibit reference and artefact number. Team members are responsible for particular artefacts and they keep their stations prepped with tools of the task. Rolled-up maps await repairs and flattening, many of them already drycleaned and ready for the more meticulous restoration processes. Japanese paper is in regular use to "infill" tears and holes, where more similar paper cannot be found. The paper is coloured to match as closely as possible to the original document. If pieces survive, they are kept with the document to ease repair work.

Drycleaning paper is just one of the processes the SLQ's donated maps will undergo, and it's hard on your hands so task-switching is a must. Too much drycleaning can also be bad for the artefact, obscuring or erasing pencil marks. Graphite smudges, though, get special treatment. A Staedtler white eraser is grated, then brushed over the surface of smudged paper with a lightly weighted bundle of lead wrapped in cloth, which cleans without rubbing out intentional pencilled notations. Often these notations are the most interesting part of the map or plan - signatures, notes, measurements, dates. An old-fashioned shaving brush is used to gently sweep away the eraser.

How to Get THE Job

It’s time for practicum applications and job hunting, so with that in mind, I thought I’d share some point-form notes from a workshop I attended in Perth. In “How to get THE job” (September 16th, ALIA's NLS5 weekend) Karen, Michelle, and Emma shared their tips on resumes, selection criteria, being prepared, and staying positive.

Resume
Use the CCR model – be Clear, Concise, and Relevant.
Include an overarching statement (some call this a summary or snapshot) that gives the employer an idea of who you are.
The first half of the first page is the most important. Don’t be generic – make it stand out!
Include professional memberships and highlight key skills, tech skills, and achievements.
Adding “contact details available on request” alongside names & job titles of your referees is better than the standard “References available on request” because it shows you have people on hand as referees, but if they call you to ask for their phone numbers, you’ll have the advantage of knowing they’re interested!

Selection Criteria
Provide evidence of how you can meet the criteria with previous experience. Use the STAR method – Situation, Task, Action, Result.
Use the same language as the potential employer. Imagine them going through your selection criteria with a highlighter.
Be reflective.

Before the Interview
Prepare, prepare, prepare!
Research the company/industry
Have examples ready for job situations – they’ll look for how you handle problems in the workplace
Remember, you’re interviewing them as much as they’re interviewing you
Have questions or comments ready for them – it shows your interest, respect, and thoughtfulness
Have a “wrap-up” comment or pitch ready for the close of the interview
Presentation: be early/on time, dress well, use non-verbal cues like a smile and a handshake.
I asked whether you should meet the interviewer on their level if they are more casual in their approach or dress, but Michelle said to maintain professionalism.
If you don’t get the job, call and ask for feedback (but be respectful and polite).

Other Tips

• Highlight your transferable skills and consider life experience as skills
• Don’t forget the cover letter, and tailor it closely to the application/company every time – it tells the employer why you’re applying
• Call ahead and ask questions; eg, What software do they use, or why is the position vacant
• It’s okay to say you’re open to training if you don’t have the qualification they’re asking for
• If they ask about your greatest weakness, turn it into a positive and mention an area you’re working on
• Take a pen and paper with you so you can take notes – it’s terrifying to receive a double or triple-barrelled question and be unable to recall the whole question when you’re halfway through replying!
• Don’t underestimate or undersell yourself

Looking Dorky for Science...Library Science!

I got some funny looks today as I went around town. A sticker on a bus stop bench caught my eye - The Red Hot Chilli Peppers and an asterisk-shaped QR code, which I’d never seen before. How clever to make their logo into a stylised QR code! I took out my smartphone and selected my QR code reader. Kneeling down, I lined up the camera with the sticker and waited for the sound that indicated a successful scan. A passerby clearly wondered what on earth I was doing down there. The scan resulted in a website URL, http://www.rhcpqr.com, that announced the release of their new album. There's an article with more here, but the poster shown has way more detail than the sticker.

A little later, at the train station, I saw a very arresting poster for author Richelle Mead’s new release, “Bloodlines.” The bottom left-hand corner featured a (square) QR code, but it was tricky to crouch and train the camera on the code before the JCDecaux frame slid another poster into the slot. (If it were me designing the poster, I would have put the code in a less awkward spot! I felt really dorky waiting for the poster to come back into place when my first scan was unsuccessful, and the last thing a YA reader wants is to feel like a dork.)


As a future librarian, I was excited that
a) a book had a large glossy poster to advertise it, and
b) the publisher was hitting their target market (young adults) by using a QR code that pointed to a YouTube video with an “unlocked” video from the author.

Also, I have never read any Richelle Mead, but I might now!

Want to learn more about QR codes? Try the Common Craft intro.