Monday, October 25th, 2010

LibraryThing is hiring: Are you bookish and social-media savvy?

madinkbeard‘s beloved “We Heart LibraryThing” entry in a 2007 photo contest.

LibraryThing is hiring a bookish, social-media savvy employee. We want someone passionate about books and about book lovers, and excited to take social cataloging and bookish social networking to the next level. LibraryThing takes a different approach to social media, and the job is a step above the usual “social media manager” position with its overtones of being “the face” of a company, and of manipulation and fakeness.

This is a Portland, Maine position exclusively. We want someone who can come into the office most days. If we find the right candidate, we will help you relocate. Portland is a great place to live.

You must be:

  • Deeply familiar with social media
  • Able to write well and quickly
  • Able to work and set goals independently
  • Able to think big, but also handle details
  • Hard-working, smart, driven, optimistic, organized and productive
  • A passionate bibliophile

We’d appreciate:

  • LibraryThing membership, familiarity
  • Librarian, bookseller, publishing or other book-industry background
  • Experience designing software features or interfaces
  • Technical skills (HTML, CSS, SQL, PHP, etc.)
  • No cheese allergies

Duties:

  • Write newsletters and blog posts
  • Suggest and help develop new features and projects
  • Look for new opportunities and set priorities for yourself and others
  • Work with publishers, authors and other actors (eg., coordinate and expand the Early Reviewer program)
  • Attend trade shows and so forth, at need
  • Maintain LibraryThing’s presence on Twitter, Facebook and other social media

Compensation:

Salary plus gold-plated health and dental insurance. We require hard work, but we are flexible about hours.

How to apply:

Resume is good. Don’t send one of those overboiled cover letters, but a brief introduction would be good, followed perhaps by recapitulating the bullets above and saying briefly how they do or don’t fit you. Send emails to tim@librarything.com.

Labels: jobs, member input, member projects, social cataloging, social networking

61 Comments:

  1. melanie says:

    Living in Portland, Maine is at the top of my list of Life Dream Goals. Also I love cheese.
    How does one apply?

  2. EllieMurasaki says:

    Oooh shiny. *emails application*

  3. shoshana says:

    i am almost all of those things! and i love cheese! how does one apply?

  4. Sounds great! How does one apply?

  5. Amy says:

    Hi LibraryThing,

    I love the site, and I’d like to apply for this position. Where can I send my resume? and to whom?

    Amy

  6. Richard says:

    Maybe see if Zoe wants the job…? It sounds like you’re writing a description of her!

  7. Zoë says:

    Nah, I write slowly 😉

    Seriously, though, I almost hope the person you choose doesn’t stay forever and you have to search again in a few years.

  8. nomadreader says:

    Application has been submitted and fingers are now crossed.

  9. Jen says:

    Wish I lived in Maine. . sad face.

  10. Lorle says:

    Wish LT was located in FL! I would apply! This Florida girl can’t handle snow!

  11. Fernanda says:

    I wish you were in Canada!

  12. I live in Maine and am not looking to apply for this job. I just want to say how exciting that this job is going to be filled by someone! I can’t wait to see how things evolve!

  13. Tim says:

    Hello from Scarborough, Maine. I’ll throw my hat in the ring…you’ve got two Chris(s) so why not two Tim(s)??!!

  14. drmike says:

    Can you take the train each day from Boston? 🙂

  15. Catherine says:

    ooooh. I’m so tempted! I already have some ideas! (any single, straight, cute guys in Portland?)

  16. Elizabeth says:

    I am currently working full-time and would love this job, but can’t do it right now.

    Some lucky person will have fun.

    I love to write reviews and am a computer specialist in a Pennsylvania school district….maybe when I am retired in a few years, I can apply or at least help out.

    Best of luck to the folks applying.

    Elizabeth

  17. kim konikow says:

    Great opportunity… but don’t hire anyone who is asking where to apply!
    Cheese rules, even for a lactose intolerant person!

  18. Anita Perez says:

    I have recently (5 weeks ago) moved to the Oxford Hills area, approximately one hour’s drive from Portland. I worked my way through two years of college working in the library, and I am very familiar with social media. I also write well, and LOVE books. Reading is a passionate pursuit for me, and I really enjoy talking about books and the ideas embedded within them. I think we should talk.

  19. Shawn Weisser says:

    Oh man! I just took a job in Nashville. Hubs would love to be back in ME! How about a telecommuting geek whose wife is a librarian? He would love this job! We smell books as we buy them! Granted, his are techy books and mine are, well, anything! 😉

  20. Anna Kitson says:

    Too bad I have no experience in designing software features, my HTML skills are basic at best, and though I’m studying to become a librarian I have no work experience in any book related field. Everything else fits me perfectly, and I’ve always dreamed about living in Maine.

  21. BibliophileG says:

    I love that it tells you how to apply! However, everyone is jumping up and down is SO excited they did not read where the post tells you how to apply (by email, to Tim).

    I love you all, settle down kiddies, it’s all in there. The only reason I caught it is because you lost me at Maine (I dress in layers…in CA!). What a cool opportunity-pick a winner LT!

    Lactose intolerant and I still eat my dang cheese, just TRY to stop me.

  22. Nanette says:

    Sounds like my ultimate dream job. I live in the land of the cheeseheads and, although I would miss the prestigious cultural ambiance that this title suggests, I would be willing to relocate to Maine.

    Am willing to bring a carton of foamy cheeseheads for all interested LT staff.

  23. joan mckniff says:

    I’m amazed and depressed by number of people who have asked how to reply when brief, couldn’t be clearer instructions are provided in posting. Similar to throngs who post omments based on headline only, skipping the article or full posting. As a loyal reader, please do not hire someone who is unwilling and/or unable to read. Thank you.

  24. Paul says:

    Any applicant that asks ‘how do I apply?’ clearly needs to learn to read a little more closely…

  25. Andie says:

    That sounds like a dream job for me! I’m a librarian, a blogger, a Tweeter, and, OMG, cheese!!!!!!!! Unfortunately, I can’t relocate from California. I know you’ll find someone who is awesomely amazing, though!

    Good luck to all applicants! You have some fun, hard work ahead of you. 🙂

  26. marcus says:

    when will you open your german office? 😉

  27. Betsy Smith says:

    I currently live in the Portland area. This would be a most interesting position and would certainly be worth exploring.

  28. Ellesee says:

    It sounds like a great opportunity for some lucky cat, but I really wish it was in the PNW (I’m a Washingtonian true and true).

    As a teacher-librarian (and classroom teacher), this would be a dream job. *sigh* But, it’s all about location, location, location.

    Plz consider offering something in the PNW. With computer technology one can tele-commute anywhere.

  29. Diane says:

    Maine is too cold for me although I love to go there around the time of colors!!
    I have been talking about it since I joined. I think it is so much fun.
    It sounds like the dream job for someone.
    I will keep passing the word free of charge.

  30. FYI: When the post was originally posted, there weren’t instructions on applying, they were added later. So those of us who asked early on aren’t as stupid as we appear!

  31. When I read this I saw, “gold-plated dental insurance”…obv I read too fast disqualifying me from this position. I just thought it would be kind of cool if your employee was able to get all gold teeth 🙂

    -ryan

  32. Brianna says:

    This sounds great. Too bad I have no experience, the most I have is my on going degree in library science. DH and I would love to relocate.

  33. Lisa says:

    Come to Houston!

    Good luck to all applicants!

  34. Astrid Octavia says:

    Wish this job can be done overseas 😉
    I lived in Jakarta, Indonesia

  35. Chuck Gilbert says:

    Oh well…at least I love cheese (swiss,munster,cream)…

  36. John Carter says:

    Oooooh, I love books.
    And I love Portland. And have been looking for an excuse to get the frak out of Florida.
    But, *sigh*, I hate cheese.
    🙁

  37. KT says:

    So excited to see this, I may have just died!! Thank goodness, I’m still here, so I can apply!! We spend summers in Kennebunkport, only about 20 mins from Portland…this is my DREAM JOB!!!

  38. Katy Kiernan says:

    Please hire bug_girl – she would be awesome!

  39. Jori says:

    I now wish that I lived in Maine! This sounds like my dream job!

  40. heidi says:

    Hire bug_girl! I’d tweet it if I wasn’t boycotting tweeting… She’s made of literary awesome =D

  41. maddog says:

    Dear @librarythingtim: Please Hire @bug_girl. Kthxbai.

  42. Dear @librarythingtim: Please Hire @bug_girl. Kthxbai.

  43. Beverly says:

    Just curious to find out whether this position has been filled yet. However tempted I may be to apply, I’m not sure I could leave my large Victorian house which is crammed full of books collected over the years. Then again…

  44. bunkie68 says:

    I don’t live in Maine, but for this job, I’d move there!

  45. urbantchr says:

    It says how to apply above. Email your resume!

  46. Jon84 says:

    Like Beverly, I’m curious as well. Is this position still open? Can we still apply, or are you already getting in touch with people who got their applications in early?

  47. Mark says:

    For those that keep asking how to apply, read the entire post. Obviously that would seem like those asking don’t qualify.

  48. Tim says:

    It’s still open. I’m still swimming my way out of resumes. In general, however, I’d discourage it unless you were local, planning to be local soon, or the best damn candidate in the history of the world. With so many good local options, I’m not considering any but stellar non-local candidates.

  49. Tim says:

    Waiting with bated breath. Good thing I’ve been working on my Pranayama lately.

  50. lgw says:

    If we get to eat Standard Baking Co. baguettes with that cheese, I’m applying.

  51. Rhea says:

    I bet you were flooded with resumes.

    I live in Texas, so I’m obviously not local, and I’d like to think I’m stellar, so I threw my hat into the ring. I’m optimistic like that.

  52. Matt says:

    Not sure if Concord, New Hampshire would be considered local, but as a Cataloging and Tech. Services Librarian, freelance writer, blogger, columnist, and husband of someone who has an open offer to return to Unum Insurance, this amazing position would not only fulfill my bibliophiliac fantasies, but would be ideal for someone in my situation. We’ll see what happens. Resume submitted last week.

  53. Matt says:

    Oh yes, and as a follow-up to my last email, my wife and I are former residents of Portland, Maine, and we are planning to become so again, should this opportunity work out!

  54. Jim says:

    Oh darn. I’m allergic to cheese.

  55. adriennefriend says:

    what’s the cheese thing all about?

  56. Tammy Alford says:

    I would love to have this job. Love BOOKS, work in a library now. I can’t tell you how many times I am putting books away and find TOO MANY i would love to read.

  57. Kathy Marsh says:

    So did you find someone? and what’s up with the cheese allergy statement?

  58. Susanna Boni says:

    I live in Italy, but have been greedily reading books all my life and, being a traslator and English teacher, I would like to apply for any translating task you need, if any. Your site is amazing and newletters always welcome.
    Ciao everybody!!

  59. Faith says:

    *sighs wistfully*

    *continues living in Canada*

  60. MerryMary says:

    Who’s leaving that needs replacing??

  61. Jenn Corey says:

    Are you still hiring?

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