Joel Rane

Experienced Virtual Librarian and Published Author

Greater Los Angeles Area

Current
Past
Education
  • University of California, Los Angeles
  • University of Southern California
  • University of California, Berkeley
Connections
66 connections
Industry
Libraries
Websites

Joel Rane’s Summary

I am a reference librarian, used to working with diverse populations, and have managed and supervised a branch library, done community and school outreach, and provided bibliographic instruction at the university level. I am also a published fiction author. I am interested in bringing information literacy into the future, by teaching staff and the citizens of my community the wealth of knowledge now available to all, through social networking, wikis, and virtual worlds; and to promote the mission of the public library as both a repository of physical and digital information, as well as a publisher and service provider to the local community.

Joel Rane’s Specialties:

Reference, collection development, social networking, young adult and children's services, editing and writing, information literacy and bibliographic instruction, literature and fiction, film history, California history


Joel Rane’s Experience

  • Associate Librarian

    City of Inglewood

    (Government Agency; 1001-5000 employees; Government Administration industry)

    April 2008Present (1 year 4 months)

    Serials/Government Documents Librarian. Collection development/acquisitions of periodicals, magazines, government documents, and legal materials. Provide reference services at the public desk of the Main Library. Use numerous online databases and a unique Polaris ILS system. Teach an introductory class to the Internet, Facebook, and MySpace.

  • Reference Librarian

    City of Burbank

    (Government Agency; 1001-5000 employees; Government Administration industry)

    February 2008December 2008 (11 months)

    Provided reference services at a busy public desk and assisted in collection development, gift processing and maintenance of the departmental wiki. Responsible for the Braille Institute and government documents depository.

  • Library Consultant

    Works on Paper

    (Fine Art industry)

    September 2007February 2008 (6 months)

    Prepared an art library of 3000 volumes for moving and retrospective conversion through reorganization and weeding. Sorting, space planning, appraising for insurance, and selecting materials for archival storage or binding. Created an Internet catalogue using Library Thing and OCLC WorldCat.

  • Substitute Librarian

    Los Angeles Public Library

    (Government Agency; 11-50 employees; Libraries industry)

    May 2006February 2008 (1 year 10 months)

    Provided on-call reference services, often on short notice, to over thirty branches in three distinct regions of the city library system: Hollywood, the San Fernando Valley, and the Northeast. Used over one hundred networked databases, the Internet, and an in-house CARL OPAC system.

  • Librarian II

    City of Los Angeles

    (Government Agency; 10,001 or more employees; Government Administration industry)

    June 2001April 2006 (4 years 11 months)

    Provided specialized reference services in the Literature and Fiction Department of the city’s Central Library to a diverse population, in person, by telephone, e-mail, and via the statewide virtual reference service. Responsible for purchase and weeding of young adult materials, and maintenance of selected parts of the general collection. Used over one hundred databases over a network, the Internet, and an in-house CARL OPAC system for research. Designed the Department web page, as well as maintaining Department bookmarks, a list of hot links and a monthly literary calendar.

  • Librarian II and Acting Senior Librarian

    City of Los Angeles

    (Government Agency; 10,001 or more employees; Government Administration industry)

    July 1999May 2001 (1 year 11 months)

    Managed the Cahuenga Branch Library of nearly 50,000 volumes and supervised a staff of eleven in the absence of a Senior Librarian. Provided reference services at a busy neighborhood library to a highly diverse population. Organized young adult programming; also provided outreach to the community, including visits to local middle schools, high schools, community centers and local businesses. Budgeted and purchased all young adult materials, and all adult materials in consultation with the adult librarian. Used various databases over a large network, the Internet, and an in-house CARL OPAC system. Assisted in regional planning, the design of the Los Angeles Public Library web pages, community meetings regarding expansion of local library service, and other neighborhood issues concerning the City.

  • Librarian I

    City of Los Angeles

    (Government Agency; 10,001 or more employees; Government Administration industry)

    January 1997June 1999 (2 years 6 months)

    Provided reference services at the busy Exposition Park Regional Library to an underserved population. Organized and often performed children’s programs and story times; also provided outreach to the community, including visits to local elementary schools, preschools, and other child-care centers. Budgeted and purchased all children’s literature and media. Used CD-ROMs over a large network, the Internet, and an in-house CARL OPAC system. Assisted in regional planning and design of the Los Angeles Public Library web pages.

  • Senior Assistant Librarian

    California State University, Los Angeles

    (Educational Institution; 501-1000 employees; Higher Education industry)

    March 1996December 1996 (10 months)

    Provided reference services at a large, multicultural university library. Some informal bibliographic instruction. Used an innovative library network that integrates CD-ROMs, on-line services, the Internet, and an Innopac OPAC system through the library’s web page. Assisted in development of on-line resources.

  • Reference Librarian

    City of Monterey Park

    (Government Agency; 201-500 employees; Government Administration industry)

    March 1996December 1996 (10 months)

    Provided reference services at a busy public library with an extremely diverse population. Some informal bibliographic instruction, collection development, and inventory. Used and installed many CD-ROMs, and a unique Chinese/Japanese/Korean Innopac OPAC system.

  • Reference Librarian

    City of Redondo Beach

    (Government Agency; 501-1000 employees; Government Administration industry)

    June 1996December 1996 (7 months)

    Provided reference services using state-of-the-art technology at the central branch of a sophisticated small public library. Some informal bibliographic instruction. Used numerous CD-ROMs, the Internet, and a Dynix OPAC system.

  • Temporary Librarian

    Library Management Systems

    (Privately Held; 11-50 employees; Libraries industry)

    March 1991March 1996 (5 years 1 month)

    Worked numerous library positions, including Torrance and Pasadena Public Libraries (see above). Other positions involved organizing and moving several different law libraries, serials management, and organizing special libraries.

  • Reference Librarian

    City of Torrance

    (Government Agency; 1001-5000 employees; Government Administration industry)

    March 1991March 1996 (5 years 1 month)

    Provided reference services at a busy public desk, and occasionally worked in Periodicals or Audio/Visual services (Sundays only). Used numerous CD-ROMs and a DRA OPAC system.

  • Library Consultant

    Woodbury University

    (Educational Institution; 201-500 employees; Higher Education industry)

    September 1995March 1996 (7 months)

    Organized workflow, documented procedures, and participated in a retrospective conversion project. Analyzed records and prepared them for OCLC conversion. Substitute reference librarian for one of the oldest design and architecture schools in the Los Angeles area.

  • Reference Librarian

    California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

    (Educational Institution; 1001-5000 employees; Higher Education industry)

    August 1995March 1996 (8 months)

    Provided reference services at a large university library. Some informal bibliographic instruction. Used numerous CD-ROMs, stand-alone and on a LAN, on-line services, the Internet, and an Innopac OPAC system.

  • Library Consultant

    Mary Star of the Sea High School

    (Educational Institution; 11-50 employees; Religious Institutions industry)

    June 1995August 1995 (3 months)

    Prepared library for a retrospective conversion by weeding and doing a thorough analysis of the collection. Selected an automation vendor (Winnebago) and assisted in LAN development. Wrote several reports on collection development. Served on the interviewing committee to select the full-time librarian.

  • Librarian

    Saint Michael's High School

    (Educational Institution; 11-50 employees; Religious Institutions industry)

    August 1994June 1995 (11 months)

    Provided reference services, collection development, and technical services, as well as all audio/visual needs. Worked closely with faculty and administration. Researched Internet access and networking; supervised the library network and dealt with difficulties due to lack of funds. Used Follett UNISON system. Supervised several student aides, and often proctored classes and tests. SAT supervisor.

  • Reference Librarian

    Rio Hondo College

    (Educational Institution; 201-500 employees; Higher Education industry)

    January 1994May 1994 (5 months)

    Provided general reference services and collection development in literature; solicited strongly for faculty input. Provided legal reference. Conducted informal bibliographic instruction and did research for faculty and administration. Some minor cataloguing and use of the Internet. Used the CORE Internet system, numerous CD-ROMs, Melvyl, and a GEAC OPAC system. In charge of closing in the evening.

  • Reference Librarian

    City of Pasadena

    (Government Agency; 1001-5000 employees; Government Administration industry)

    August 1993December 1993 (5 months)

    Provided reference services at a very busy public desk and also telephone reference. Used OCLC, Dialog, and a GEAC OPAC system.

  • Assistant Archivist

    Reeves Entertainment

    (Privately Held; 11-50 employees; Broadcast Media industry)

    August 1991December 1993 (2 years 5 months)

    Maintained a collection of videotape, film and audiotape for a large television production company. Dubbed and edited videotapes, shipped and conducted inventories. Assisted in the development and implementation of a specialized catalogue system using Dbase IV.

  • Library Assistant

    American Film Institute

    (Privately Held; 51-200 employees; Information Technology and Services industry)

    January 1990November 1990 (11 months)

    Maintained vertical files, main collection, and special collections for the Louis B. Mayer Library. Provided reference services by phone, in person, and by mail. Researched and wrote short biographies for guest lecturers.


Joel Rane’s Education

  • University of California, Los Angeles

    MLS , Library Science , 19911993

  • University of Southern California

    MPW , Professional Writing , 19871989

  • University of California, Berkeley

    BA , Rhetoric , 19831987

    Graduated with departmental and college honors.


Additional Information

Joel Rane’s Websites:

Joel Rane’s Interests:

Creative writing, California and western North American history, video editing and photography, travel

Joel Rane’s Groups:

California Library Association, Los Angeles Conservancy, The Planetary Society, Co-op America

  •    University of California, Berkeley Alumni of Los Angeles
  •    The Official USC Alumni Association Group
  •    Writing Professionals
  •    Information Science and LIS
  •    Library Society of the World
  •    USC MPW Alumni
  •    code4lib
  •    LinkedWorking Los Angeles
  •    California Library Association (CLA)

Joel Rane’s Contact Settings

Interested In:

  • career opportunities
  • consulting offers
  • new ventures
  • expertise requests
  • reference requests
  • getting back in touch

Public profile powered by: LinkedIn

Create a public profile: Sign In or Join Now

View Joel Rane’s full profile:

  • See who you and Joel Rane know in common
  • Get introduced to Joel Rane
  • Contact Joel Rane directly

View Full Profile