Do you have a yen to see the world? Experience other cultures? Perhaps your career needs a recharge? Would you like to feel you are making a difference? Do you believe that libraries are key cultural institutions, as necessary as food and health care? When you read this, is your heart rate picking up? Are you ignoring your coffee and cheese danish? (Well, that might be too much to ask….)

These are all excellent reasons to consider going international: for a short-term volunteer stint, an exchange, a two-year contract, or a lifetime career. According to the American Library Association (ALA) member list, there are currently 500+ American librarians employed outside of the United States. There are always positions listed on the library jobs sites, and at least 85 school librarians are recruited annually through agencies.

As an international librarian with 14 years’ experience in nine different countries, Sarah P. has spent the majority of her career watching the market and living the expatriate life (expat for short) as well as answering questions from other librarians who would like to try it. In this era of knowledge at our fingertips, information about international librarianship should be easy to locate. Unfortunately, this is not the case. Most of what can be found is in the form of academic papers from organizations which support international cooperation and librarianship and a few sporadic articles and outdated webpages. Though interesting to read, it is not practical information such as current opportunities, employee reviews, or advice on how to obtain a position. Which is why Sarah has written this book. Her goal is to share her in-depth knowledge about international library work and also to encourage other librarians to try it!

For more information about Sarah P. and for current international library job listings please visit her blog The Traveling Librarian.