The JKM Library Blog

January 2011

If you’re a college senior looking for a career, it’s almost too late. If you’re a junior, there’s still some time – barely. That’s according to Pittsburgher Justin Driscoll, who should know. Working for the local technology council, he’s had many conversations with employers about what kind of workers they want. He knows that to rise to the top of their resume tower, you need to start early in your career planning. You’d better have a resume long before you see the job ad, have some mock interviews under your belt, and start making contacts in your field. In this economy, where more people than ever are applying for jobs that they’re overqualified for, that’s just the beginning. Daunting? Never fear. Driscoll has summarized what you need to do in his book 7 Things I Wish I Knew … Before I Graduated. You can find it at the library under 331.115 D75 2006. While you’re on the second floor, we also suggest you peruse: You majored in what?: Mapping Your Path from Chaos to Career (650.14 B766Y) The 2007 What Color is Your Parachute: A Practical Manual for Job-hunters and Career-changers (331.115 B637w 2007)

January 2011

The Spring 2011 edition of Library News is now available. Read about all the great materials and services being offered by the JKM Library, including: A new, easier way to track down full text articles; Three great new databases: Global Road Warrior, Counseling & Therapy in Video, and American History in Video; News from the Chatham University Archives; And much more!

January 2011

You probably know that if you’re a woman in the U.S. you get paid less (on average) than a man. Women are earning about 80 cents to every man’s dollar. So what’s a few cents? A lot. The wage gap for a female college graduate in the U.S. really adds up: some estimate that over her lifetime she will earn $1.2 million less than men of her age group. What are you going to do about it? One thing you can start doing now is negotiating your salary. (If you don’t have a salary, you can still prepare by thinking about how you’re going to ask your future employer for adequate compensation.) Linda Babcock, who teaches right around the corner at CMU, has joined with Sara Laschever to write Women Don’t Ask: the High Cost of Avoiding Negotiation – and Positive Strategies for Change. Their book offers examples of how other women have failed or succeeded at salary negotiation, and what to do if your boss responds angrily when you ask for more money. They also say that beginning to negotiate at home with your partner – about laundry, child care, and so on – can really prepare you to negotiate at work. You can find Women Don’t Ask, call number 158.5 B234W, on the second floor of the library.

January  2011 

Jennie King Mellon attended the Pennsylvania Female College, now Chatham University, in the late 19th century. She married Richard Beatty Mellon, the brother of the established Andrew W. Mellon, and raised two children, Richard King Mellon and Sarah Scaife Mellon. Jennie King Mellon and her family resided in a 65 room mansion on Fifth Avenue in Shadyside in the area which has since become Mellon Park. Her spirit and love for nature are still seen today seen in the two large gardens facing Beechwood Boulevard. The Mellon family is also well-known for their philanthropical efforts through charitable foundations, including the Sarah Scaife Foundation and Richard King Mellon Foundation, which primarily support culture and community development in the Pittsburgh region.

January 20, 2011

The JKM Library has started a blog to keep you up-to-date about everything going on in the library. This includes: general library news, such as holiday hours, special events, and more; new library resources; reminders about existing library resources; responses to any suggestions or comments you make using the library’s suggestion box or online form; updates on any issues with accessing library resources; and much more! We hope you find the information useful!