off topic- looking for librarians

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-21-2004
off topic- looking for librarians
2
Mon, 12-27-2004 - 8:47am

Hi everyone, this is really off topic, sorry... but I know that someone here is a librarian.. I couldn't remember your screen name. I plan on going back to school soon (when our debt is gone and I can pay cash!) and I interested in library studies. I want to be a librarian or something along those lines. I love books, reading, writing, and organization. Where did you go to school? what type of degree do you have? Do you know of any online programs? I cannot for the life of me, find a school that offers library science! what about information systems? is that the same? I need some real help here,I hope you can give me some guidance!!!

thanks so much, and sorry to the rest of you who had to read this!!

kel

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
Mon, 12-27-2004 - 12:33pm

I work for a historical collection and we employ several librarians, as well as archivists and museums people.
There are a lot of good programs out there. Here are a few to start you off:

Rutgers (NJ) and Fordham (NYC), University of North Carolina Chapel HIll, University of Illinois, University of Indiana. You can do an internet search for "library science" and your state to find something local. I am not sure if anyone offers complete degree online, but there are many distance courses offered.

You should consider what kind of librarian you want to be as you are looking into different programs. Reference, childrens, university, public, cataloger, digital, etc . . . Believe it or not, there are actually a lot choices within the field. And as my staff members are fond of pointing out . . . 66% of librarians will be retiring in the next 10-15 years, which leaves the field wide open for them.

The American Library Association probably has information on different programs too. And it never hurts to make friends with your local librarians. You do not necessarily need a degree to get an entry level (shelving usually) type job, and every bit of experience helps!
Good luck!
Sandra

iVillage Member
Registered: 05-30-2003
Mon, 12-27-2004 - 4:49pm

That'd me me, probably! I am a 'junior' librarian at our town's library.

I am currently going to school (local community college) to get my associate's in Liberal Arts, then it's onto the bachelor's in Business Management. I am doing the Business Management because that's how I look at the library-as a small business. I figure we're in the business of 'selling' books. Not to keep (hopefully), but if a patron likes a book that I recommend, they will ask for more. The more circulation we get the better! I may or may not take Library Science, but that's for a variety of reasons. The library system I work for requires at least a 2 year degree to even be considered for the small branch head librarian (which is what I'm shooting for). I asked what they wanted me to major in and they said they didn't care, as long as I had that 2 year degree. Because I will not have a MLS (Master of Library Science), I have to do the Minnesota Voluntary Certification program too. I'm almost done with that, in fact, all I need to do is sit down and finish my final project. I have to do ongoing certification workshops, but all in all, right now it makes more sense to do that instead of getting the MLS. There's no way that I'd ever get paid what the degree cost me, and I really do NOT want to work in a library setting that would do so. I like the small town library, and truthfully, I'm too much of a non-conformist to be able to be happy in a "Real Library"!

I do know that some of the librarians have gotten their MLS online, and I think that the school of choice is University of Texas(not positive, though). There's a school here in the Twin Cities (St. Catherine's) that also has a program, but I don't know if it's offered online or not. Library Science and Information Systems are not the same thing-I think Information Systems is computer-related.

I didn't set out to become a librarian. In fact, the profession grabbed me. I was extremely fortunate to be in the right place at the right time with a fabulous mentor. My mentor was the first to tell me, "Hey-you have a gift for this, and I think you have what it takes to do it. Now, here's what you need to do..." Without her, I highly doubt that I'd be doing what I'm doing.

You might check into financial aid for going-don't put your dream off! I get grants and do work study as well. Start small-a friend of mine takes one or two classes a term, paying as he goes.

It is good to know what exactly you like about the library thing before you get too deep, though. If you can, volunteer at a library, and try to do as many different things as they let you. You may find that you truly dislike working with kids, in which case being a Children's Librarian isn't for you. You may find that you like the orderliness of cataloging, which is a non-public interacting position. I like ordering books, but am not fond of cataloging them. I like interacting with patrons, but hate reading for storytime. I know all this because in a one/two-person library, we have to do most all of the duties ourselves!

Another thing to keep in mind-I love to read too. Unfortunately, most of the time I USED to spend reading, I'm now working at the library! I tell our patrons that I read vicariously through them, so they need to tell me if the book was any good or not so that I can warn/recommend to others.

So, there you have it. I'm not the most traditional librarian (big surprise there, LOL), but I hope that this helped some.

~Lisa