Librarian careers

Parent Cafe
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<p>I am considering getting a Master’s in Library Science as a way to make a late mid-life career change. I love books, am an experienced researcher, am attracted to the quiet atmosphere of a library, and this is a career option that would allow me to find employment in a small town or even overseas with the federal government. There are several universities that offer the degree 100% on-line, which is important because Virginia doesn’t have any ALA accredited MLS programs. Some of these schools, such as Florida State, offer in-state tuition through the Academic Common Market, so not terribly costly (about $12,500) or time-consuming (36-credit hours). Florida even accepts old GRE scores (I have a master’s in public affairs), so easy application process for a spring 2009 start date.</p>

<p>My questions are as follows:
*There seem to be numerous job postings for librarians, but how open would people be to hiring a newly credentialled 50+ year old person with no previous library experience?
*Are librarians generally happy with their careers? What is a typical day like for any of you librarians out there. I know it differs a lot depending on type of library and specialization, which is another thing I need to figure out. Right now I am thinking academic university setting.
*Many of the academic setting job postings seem to emphasize teaching. While I have a lot of public speaking experience, I don’t enjoy it so wouldn’t want teaching to be the primary focus of the job. I prefer to do research, with only moderate to light direct people contact. </p>

<p>What else should I be thinking about? I have just started looking into this, so will do more research on my own and talk to our local librarians, but cc posters have a wealth of knowledge that I also want to tap into. Tks.</p>

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<p>My D’s best friend’s mother got her masters in library science last year. (I don’t know what her undergrad was in.) She immediately got a job as a media specialist in a public school. But she was already working in the school - perhaps as a media assistant (which I don’t think requires any particular degree, but is a relatively low paying job.) Any chance you could get some experience concurrent with getting your degree? Even as a volunteer or part time work?</p>

<p>I don’t have any answers to your questions, especially those that involve university settings. But I think the idea sounds fascinating. Good for you for tackling something new. Good luck.</p>

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<p>I work for a medical university/hospital and have heard that there is need for medical librarians…(not sure of the correct term)…obviously, medical schools have need for lots of research based, journal based library needs…</p>

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<p>Hi Analyst!</p>

<p>I’m doing the very thing you’re contemplating. I’ll finish my MIS through Drexel in March via distance education.</p>

<p>To answer some of your questions:</p>

<p>1) library experience is vital. You’ll need some hands-on just to get through your coursework–at least if you want the stuff you learn to make sense. Your best option is try and find a paying paraprofessional position. Your second best is to volunteer. I did the latter and now work both in an academic setting and for a private corporation. I’ve also volunteered in a state office library (Office of the State Engineer) so I got to see a range of professional options (academic, private, government). It has helped me decide my field of specialization. (Technical services and archival managment.)</p>

<p>Some coursework may require you to do hands-on at a library, bookstore or other information center–and you will need to arrange this yourself if you are a distance student. For example, this coming term I’ll be taking a course in scientific and technical resources so I’ve arranged to do my field work at the Centennial Science and Engineering Library at the state U.</p>

<p>I’d also strongly recommend you join your state library assoc. It’s great way to network plus I got a significant tuition discount in return for $25/year student membership.</p>

<p>2) Yes, every librarian I’ve met so far likes his/hers job. Several have enthusiastically mentored me, supplied me with letters of rec (for admission to I School and scholarships), and gave me heads-up on potential jobs. You should know, however, that because of the stress of the job, the relatively low pay, the limited chances for advancement and continual funding cutbacks, there is fairly high burn-out rate—very similar to teachers.</p>

<p>3) Academic positions are extremely competitive. Because these positions are actually faculty positions at universities, you will have teaching contact. The amount varies widely by school and program. At some schools, teaching duties may be as simple as client-contact, at others it may involve teaching UG and grad classes. I will warn you that when it comes to hiring for academic positions, you will find that your age and your lack of experience will definitely be held against you.</p>

<p>If you want light client-contact and more emphasis on research, consider corporate librarianship. It’s the hottest area for hiring right now. </p>

<p>I have lots of opinions and advice–feel free to PM me.</p>

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<p>My mother in law got her MLS in her fifties. She had volunteered and then worked at a private school library where her kids had attended. They hired her as head librarian. She loved her work. I don’t think her particular position paid that well. </p>

<p>I worked (without an MLS, but I had lived in Africa and worked in libraries in college) as the head librarian for a professor’s private collection of Africana at Caltech. He bought the books, but I did everything else. Shelving, cataloging, clipping files, and pulling out reading materials for the lectures and helping kids find materials for research papers. It was one of the best jobs I’ve ever had. This particular job (20 hour weeks) was not at all stressful.</p>

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<p>Great feedback. It sounds like my next step may be to try to get volunteer or paid work in a library before actually pursuing the degree, both to get relevant references and to make sure I do like the work.</p>

<p>Mathmom, your experience is the kind of thing I am thinking. I was first attracted to the idea when I noticed that the federal government has a lot of overseas postings for librarians in places that I would enjoy living, such as Aviano. I traveled there while in the military and love that northern alps part of Italy. Lots of great hiking.</p>

<p>The low pay isn’t a problem. It’s more a matter of finding an interesting activity in semi-retirement. The one thing I don’t want is stress, if I can help it. When I was working on the trading floor, they used to give the salesmen extra phones because they would routinely break their phone by banging them on the desk. Lovely environment. WayOutWestMom, could you elaborate on what librarians find most stressful about their jobs? I looked at the Drexel program but it is a lot more expensive than the Florida State option, so being the frugal type went for the cheapest. I guess I need to follow up on reputation of each program a little more.</p>

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<p>I’m thinking of doing this when things settle down around the house. I know that I’ll be looking for a children’s librarian emphasis in a distance learning program. Thanks for the info!</p>

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<p>Where in Virginia are you? If you’re close to DC, Maryland has an excellent Library Science program.
My sister graduated there and her connections and GAship there afforded her many opportunities close and far from home. She really likes her career.
I understand Maryland, Wisconsin, Illinois, UNC, Catholic and I’m sure others offer a lot of positions to its MLS students. An online program may not offer these opportunities.</p>

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<p>I recommend the University of Southern Mississippi program in the summers. It is attended by many international school teachers wanting to increase their skills, get masters and they have the MLIS degree as well. The cost is an attraction and it is an interesting area.</p>

<p>I love library work! Yes, there is a need for medical librarians. BUT, I love the school environment. It is creative work but you have to like and understand children. It is also a social job. Tech services is more geared to the quiet-minded. Since I am a K-12 librarian, I get to do it all including cataloging, reading to 3 year olds (my fav now), research classes, film-making, book fairs and author visits, whatever I can cook up. I am about ready to start another year. It is exciting.</p>

<p>I am considering going back to get a certificate in Archival work. I am thinking ahead. I would like to get it from one of the larger respected programs like University of Illinois. That would be so much fun.</p>

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<p>There are only 57 ALA accredited programs in the country, with nothing in the state of Virginia. While Maryland has a program, they don’t have the distance learning option, which is only offered at 14 of the 57 universities. I’m in Richmond, so it’s too far to commute. </p>

<p>I need to talk to some of the librarians in our area and ask about their hiring practices. There may be a favorite school and I can find out how they feel about the distance learning issue. I can also talk to career counseling at Florida State and find out about their placement efforts for distance learning students. The University of Tennessee also has a distance learning option. The University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee campus has distance learning but not the Madison campus, which is on-site only.</p>

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<p>The top school is University of Illinois and they do have distance learning.</p>

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<p>Thank you Overseas. It makes sense to go to the best, if possible. I have a strong academic record (4.0 undergrad and grad school) and good professional recommendations including a lot of work analyzing health care credits (fixed income debt). I may be able to parlay the health care or public finance work into a specialty librarian role. I will work on getting some direct library experience next, perhaps at VCU. One of the analysts who used to work for me got her masters in health administration from VCU and as I think about it I have a lot of contacts at both the hospital and university I could call on. </p>

<p>This feedback has really helped me focus. Thanks everybody.</p>

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<p>The stressors include: </p>

<p>shift work–typically required for public and academic libraries. You probably will be working some nights and weekends.</p>

<p>budget crunch-- academic, school, government and public libraries are all seeing lots of budget cutting with the subsequent loss of jobs. There are fewer people to cover more duties. The constant scramble to write grants, make do with not enough equipment/personnel, justify expenditures, squeeze money out of unsympathetic boards of directors is disheartening and wears people out. </p>

<p>politics–librarians are in the front lines regarding freedom of information issues, privacy rights, censorship, public access to meetings, etc. There can be lots of local conflict on these issues.</p>

<p>(I know the last 2 items are things that library management deals with, but about 65% of all MLS degreed librarians end up in management within 5 years.)</p>

<p>low pay/ lack of respect for the profession/ limited chances for professional advancement</p>

<p>dealing with the public</p>

<p>–</p>

<p>And if what you’re looking for is more in the line with what mathmom is talking about–you don’t need a MLS to do that. Knowledge in the subject area is more valuable than the formal library training. And for government library service, alot of it is in records management where computer skills are the thing needed.</p>

<p>And overseas-- Southern Mississippi has an excellent archival program! </p>

<p>U of Ill has a excellent library program but it’s options for distance learning are not the greatest. There’s a significant on-campus requirement each semester. For me it was just too time consuming and expensive to travel to Champaign. It killed me too because I went to U of Ill for grad school and would have loved to have gone back for library school.</p>

<p>I work part-time as an archivist for a small non-profit. It’s interesting work and I enjoy it very much. (Plus I get to handle “The Right Stuff” photos from the early days of aviation medicine. It’s very cool.)</p>

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<p>Analyst–</p>

<p>One of my colleagues at the non-profit did her degree at UW-Milwaukee and was quite happy with it. She was granted some credit for her previous Masters (in meterology! She used to be a TV personality/weatherperson, but got fired for turning 40…) and was able to finish quite quickly…</p>

<p>BTW, it’s been my experience that most places could care less where you got your MLS from, or if it was an on-campus or distance education degree. They are more interested in references and experience.</p>

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<p>I knew Southern Miss had a dual MLIS and History degree. Interesting. I don’t mind going on campus for the summers. That is kind of my idea for now and I would like to attend one of the top schools. My idea will be to do part-time work. I am getting close to be able to retire, but i don’t really want to retire. I just want to do something different and part time and move home as well. This is an interesting discussion for me.</p>

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<p>Tks WOWM. The reason I want to get the MLS is because the federal jobs all require it and I want to have the opportunity to live overseas again at some point. Plus, it just seemed like re-credentialling would be the easiest way to transition in an entirely new direction. Every time I break away, I seem to always get sucked back into doing what I’ve always been doing. It’s like this vortex that reaches out and grabs me. I’ve told my kids to be really careful what job they take when they graduate because it sure sets you on a path that may not be that easy to leave.</p>

<p>My husband graduated from UW-Madison and we have family in Milwaukee. He would love it if I found permanent work in Wisconsin once our youngest is out of school, but it’s a little cold for me. I graduated from UT-Austin, so have that Texas connection as well. It sounds like there are lots of exciting choices.</p>

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<p>A number of federal library positions are hired through private contractors–and not just through the feds. (Like those at federal research institutions or on military bases. I know I just went through the process for a job at the AF’s Research Lab on the AFB here in town. Didn’t get the job, btw.) These job are not posted on the federal jobsites.</p>

<p>Anyway, good luck with your explorations. There are lots of options.</p>

<p>Now I suppose I really ought to get back to the budget paper I’m supposed to be working on for my INFO 640 “Managing Information Organizations” class. LOL! iSchool is nothing like I expected. Not a single course about literature or books. Lots of computer skills (including web programming, Oracle, SQL and database administration)and lots of ethics and business management classes.</p>

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<p>Getting the degree is different now than what most people think of library work. One of the things librarians do is to preserve culture. It’s a job that has been around for a long time but computer work is now a major part of the training. Management skills are important as well. If you want to study literature get an English MA. Many librarians have double masters. It goes with the territory. I ended up with teaching certification, MA in English and then the MLIS degree.</p>

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<p>Hi </p>

<p>I love this discussion!</p>

<p>Any recommendations for a good (inexpensive) distance learning program without an on-campus requirement? </p>

<p>I’m volunteering at an elementary school library (mainly to see if I like it). Would this be valuable experience?</p>

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<p>FresnoMom, the American Library Association website lists the accredited programs and also allows you to search those that are 100% available on line.</p>

<p>[ALA</a> | Directory of Accredited Programs](<a href=“ALA | Directory of Accredited Programs”>ALA | Directory of Accredited Programs)</p>

<p>I think your library experience is very important. That’s the next step I need to take.</p>