As someone who worked full time in a library while in library school, I absolutely second the get a job thing and not just because the job market is scary. I was able to use my job for school projects and it became a veritable playground for my burgeoning librarian skills. But, don't get me wrong working full time and schooling full time is intense. My health definitely suffered and at one point I took a semester off from school, but it was absolutely worth it. I just landed my dream job not three months out of school. Yay!
I held onto this video in my "watch later" list for years, and here I am watching it on my first day of library school. My life has changed so much since this video was published, but my desire to be a librarian has not. Thank you for this video to start this new chapter in my life.
Watching this as someone who is hoping to start school again after a 9 year hiatus, then (hopefully) getting into the MLIS program. Thanks for the wealth of helpful information about Librarianship and becoming one.
So so much the sleep thing! I found working part time helped with that too, having a routine made it easier to make sure I was mostly getting enough sleep
I earned my MLS back in August of 2011 and was at the top of my class. I worked as a library clerk for almost a year part-time. Then the budget came out for the city for the new year and they still had no full-time openings, and I couldn't afford to continue part-time, so I had to quit. I've never been able to get a job as a librarian. These days I work in insurance. It pays the bills. Grades definitely don't matter; job experience does. I enjoyed your video! I wish I'd known this back then.
I am going to be starting Library school in a few months. Now I'm apprehensive as not only am I older (late 40s) but I'm coming off a 22 year career as basically a glorified secretary. It's a big step but I'm ready! Scared too. I subscribed to your channel so I know what I am getting into switching careers so late in life.
Hey, that's super exciting and definitely (understandably) scary! What led you to decide to do a career swap? Also, you might be heartened/surprised to find that lots of folks switch to librarianship later in life, so you're in good company :)
I began the program last year (2021), just before turning 53, after being a library assistant for over 20 years. Good Luck, and keep moving towards your goals; it's never too late.
Watching your videos has immensely lowered the amount of anxiety about starting school again. I really hope you realize just how much your videos and you are appreciated. Thank you for the guidance!
I've only submitted applications at this point but I really appreciate these kinds of videos. I'm a non-traditional student (29, undergrad finished in 2013 for studio art, currently working as a graphic designer and social media coordinator in advertising) and I admit I'm a bit nervous to be returning to school. Every once in a while I get these "why am I doing this to myself" "I don't belong in grad school" "I'm basically starting over" feelings and this was very reassuring. Thanks!
I'm thankful to have stumbled upon your channel a few years ago when I began looking at different MLIS programs. I was anxious because I would be the first person in my family to pursue a master's, although I did receive some pushback that I would be wasting my time with an MLIS. Last fall I took a chance and applied to one school and thankfully I was accepted into their Archival Studies program. The difficult part for me was being honest about why I want this degree and if I'll be happy. I know it's too soon to say but watching your videos and talking to folks about their experience made me feel a lot better. Thank you for everything, Peter.
Thank you for the thoughtful video Peter! Your first point hit home for me- I just started my program, taking two classes (online) and also working full time and I’m a manageable amount of overwhelmed (the validation that I’m supposed to be here helps!). Because I’m not in a traditional classroom, it can feel like I’m not really a student, or not really doing the work like I “should be”. As much as I’d like to totally take my time and be ok with failure, I have a lot of external forces which inform my experience and are not within my control. Between the GPA requirements of my scholarship and my job (they may or may not assist financially if I do well) I’m hard pressed to keep my grades up, even if I sacrifice some of the great things that can come from flexibility of performance.
Oh, I feel ya -- I finished up my undergrad degree with a mix of in-class and online courses. It's easy to feel, especially when the path you take doesn't fit the mould that everyone else is taking, that you're doing it wrong. But the important thing is that *you're doing it.*
I hear this! I actually think that grades are sometimes detrimental to real learning, and financial pressures are almost always detrimental to real learning, because so many of us need to maintain a high GPA and a busy work schedule just in order to have the opportunity to pursue the degree. It would be wonderful to feel like I had the freedom to take my time and to challenge myself! I'm in a very fortunate situation. I am employed, full-time, in a dream library job. It's wonderful. I get to do everything - even programming. The downside is that my lack of MLIS means I don't earn a living wage. We have high school age patrons earning more than I do. That means that I have a huge amount of financial pressure to just power through and get my degree done, while working full time, so that I can graduate and do the same job for a wage upon which I can live. I really think we need broad reforms in our entire culture so that cost wasn't such a significant barrier to education and so that all jobs, even in the non-profit sector, pay wages that can reasonably support human beings.
I am an academic librarian. I volunteered at an Art Museum in order to get my start in libraries. I worked with librarians in the community to "loosely"organise the collection. I don't know if this is an option for many but the museum just could not get anyone interested in dong the work, not realising you needed a degree (i think) to learn collections. I gained experience by moving from Archives & Records Center to Libraries to Museums which helped with getting some range in the information age.
Hi Peter, I’m going to be starting a Library Technician online program at a college next month and your videos are really interesting and helpful! I’m a mature student and very excited to learn! :)
1000% agree to (if at all possible) work in the field in some capacity before and/or during your MLIS program. Everything you learn will make so much more sense if you can see the practicle application!
All very good advice! I would say don't go into library school at all if you aren't able to get a job at the same time, either as a grad assistant or as a library assistant. Experience is as important as the MLS. Also if your job is tied to student status, taking it slow with classes can mean more time to job hunt those last two semesters. Don't be like me and be unemployed 9 months after graduating. Go into weird projects. I was really interested in Wikipedia and free information, and I worked in Special Collections as a grad student. I even did a directed study course where I was Wikipedian-in-residence for our department. Now I do Scholarly Communications work. And on that note: learn about scholarly communications if you're interested in an academic job. As far as I know, from talking to our practicum students, you won't be learning about it in class but it's a fast-growing field and so if you want to find a job that knowledge can help.
YESSSS SCHOLCOMMM SHOUT-OUT! I was at the library publishing forum here in Vancouver this past spring and it was so great. I've actually been doing some scholarly communications work in a side hustle and I can verify: it's super cool.
I have a bachelors degree in film studies under my belt. I was thinking about going for a masters degree in the fall, and I want to pursue one in either English, History, or Library Science. I have to be honest, I'm feeling really nervous about entering this field, and it still keeps me up at night as to whether it's worth it to be in student debt over a field I'm not sure if I can get into. Thank you for your videos, Peter. They're very informative
Hello! Thanks for all of your videos, I find them very helpful. Not sure if these are the types of questions that have any simple answers, but- my situation is a little complicated. My background is in art, I have a BFA in painting/printmaking. That said, as a student assistant I worked in a book and paper arts program, and am very interested (and have a bit of knowledge of) special collections, including artists' books. Later I also worked as a digital imaging specialist, and a graphic designer, in the publishing field. I am very interested in image archiving and art librarianship. I am somewhat of a non-traditional student, and have not got a lot of actual library experience. So I applied to one program, and didn't get accepted. Now I am afraid to apply to other programs. My grades as an undergrad were not always what they could have been- I had what would be considered a disability (chronic illness, type 1 diabetes) and was not aware that I could have sought more support when I was in school. (Is this something I could/should explain in a written statement?) I am quite certain I have the skills and the interest in being in a service type of role, as well as the type of focus that library school and/or a career in library/information science would require. Mostly, I am not sure if I should apply to more programs. Any advice would be sincerely appreciated! Thanks again!
Hi Amy, great questions! We're all non-traditional students when it comes to going to library school, I think, and that's one of the strengths of the professions. On my end, I have a BA in Chinese -- and not literature or anyhting, just Chinese language. I never worked in a library before becoming a librarian either; I worked in an information field -- but it sounds to me like you have a bit more relevant experience than I did with your time in the publishing realm. It can definitely be scary to apply for another program, especially after doing so before and not getting accepted, but if this is a field you're truly interested in, consider applying again and definitely explain in your application any relevant circumstances you have. On my end, my transcripts were filled with D's and F's for my first few years of college for various reasons, and it took me 9 years to finish my undergrad, so I made sure to provide the context in my application about why that was, and the growth I'd experienced between starting and finishing. Of course, I can't make this decision for you -- there's a lot that goes into it. But I hope that this gives you something to think about. :) Best of luck!
Hey, Peter! Thanks for uploading this! I'm one month into my MLIS and I am having a great time so far. I'm sure it's going to get harder the longer I go, but for now I'm just happy to be doing what I've wanted to do for so long. The advice you gave about job experience is right on the nose - I've been fortunate enough to have several library positions as an undergrad, but I'm still worried about how competitive this field is. Do you think it's beneficial to vary your courses over several emphases or should I be working on specializing in one particular area (what are libraries looking for?) I love your channel and thank you again for making this video!
I don't know if it's better to take a broad variety of courses or specialize in one specific realm; I suppose it depends on how sharply you know what you want to do after graduation. I would suggest though that taking a breadth of courses now is your chance to explore things you won't be able to once you start working. And who knows? Maybe you'll discover something you didn't realize you loved. :D
Well, no library school for me (unless someone else wants to pay for it, I've already got loans for my MPS to deal with), but high five for folks that are starting their grad school adventures. You can do it! The advice here applies more broadly than just for library school, too. Good, solid points (not that I'm surprised, but it doesn't hurt to give you the positive feedback anyway). To avoid a very long tangent, a short prompt/question - do you have/have you had time to process observations on being a non-traditional student? Also, for some of us, YOU still count as "kids these days". Oh, to be a spry 32 again (I just turned 39 :-P).
Hello! I love this video so much. Thanks for your help! I’ve been a high school English teacher for the past six years, but I’m looking to become a high school librarian/media specialist. I’d love your advice! 😍
Hello Peter. I love the channel's topics and your style of presentation. I am a teacher (23 years) transitioning to librarianship. I completed my MLS in one calendar year three years ago and I'm looking for work as a librarian while teaching. I realize the pandemic must have affected hiring. I'd like to work as a public librarian in the Brooklyn, Queens, or New York City [Staten Island, Manhattan, and the Bronx, combined]) public systems because I live in NYC and these systems don't require civil service. I love volunteering weekly for NYPL as a reader for the visually impaired but have never worked in a library otherwise. Is there any advice you could give me, please? Thank you.
So while I'm not starting library school, it is applicable to my maths undergrad. If you're wondering, subbed for a combination of the queer content and just maths geeky interest (found u thru the dr doe video). Cause I know you said try projects that stretch urself, and while historically I can point to a number of projects that I've done that with and learnt so much from them, I also have a habit of not finishing them (or not finishing them in time). Like you said, it's about respecting your own limits. I know I've also got the advice in the past to aim for the pass, but use that extra time to do all the stuff you mentioned (volunteer, network etc). I guess it stems from the same thought as the extra term with slightly different goals. Anyway, lovely thought provoking video
This is very helpful advice. I've been on the grad school train before when I was getting my master's in history and yes I was working full time so I took only two classes a year. Now, in the fall, I'm starting my MLIS degree and I'm deciding to take three classes a semester since that's considered full time. I'm also working full time too so I'm kinda wondering if I am pushing myself too much with three classes. Hopefully I can work this out. Fortunately, I do have library experience because that's where I work. I've been working at a university library for 14 years--the first four was as a library assistant and then the last 10 years as a full time associate so I want to get my MLIS and pursue being an archivist of sorts. All your advice is very helpful, especially the first one because yeah, I don't feel like I belong sometimes--the whole imposter syndrome so it's important to know that I do. Anyway, I'll follow this channel for more information. Thank you :)
Most employers require a Masters in Library and Information Science, or equivalent, from an institution that's accredited by the American Library Association.
Thank you for this insightful video! I'm an irregular student shifting from Computer Engineering to BLIS. You actually inspired me to take LIS because I did not realize how interesting and in line with my passion the course is for me. The video was very helpful even if you're pertaining to MLIS. May I ask some questions? Is there an international community within the Library environment? I'm planning and pushing myself to take MLIS in another country (I'm from the Philippines). Are there opportunities for me in an International Library and Information Science School? Maraming Salamat!
Hi, thanks for the question! In fact there is a sizeable LIS community around the world. You may want to start by looking up two things: 1) the International Federation of Libraries and Archives, aka IFLA, and 2) The iSchool Consortium. If you truly have your heart set on doing a master's in LIS, It might be worth considering staying in computer engineering and then bringing that knowledge and experience with you to the master's program. A lot of folks who go into LIS generally don't have that level of tech experience, which is a shame because understanding how technologies work would be a great asset in making them more people-driven. That said, if the BLIS is what calls to you, then chase it down.
@@StacksFacts Thank you for responding! Actually, I already processed my student profile this semester and won't be in computer engineering for now. I did not like the field as it was more electrical engineering heavy than what I have anticipated. You are right though regarding being technologically-savvy being an asset in LIS,. Since libraries are evolving, I think I'm off to a good start :) P.S. My school is actually affiliated with iSchools, and I will definitely check them out! Thank you again!
Thank you for this helpful video! I had a couple of questions. How were you able to enroll as a student half time? Did you make the decision before or after being admitted to your program? You mention the saturated job market for librarianship. If possible, could you do a video on that topic? Thank you again!
At my University, it was... Complicated. To keep things simple, I enrolled half time by simply registering for two courses in a term, rather than the full course load of four. The way my University worked, as long as you were a grad student enrolled in at least one credit of courses, they would classify you as "full time" financially and academically since grad students would often be pursuing a thesis rather than taking courses. The only time this was an issue was in the very first term, where everyone had to take four "core" courses. If this wasn't possible for you, you could register as a "part time" student, but this led to some financial complications for some of my classmates later on. Your mileage may vary, so it's important to check with your school on what enrollment requirements are and how that impacts eligibility for scholarships, financial aid, etc...
I’m going to be starting my MLIS this fall and I’m a bit nervous about the availability of volunteer positions and internships due to the worsening pandemic. I’m excited to start the program but I’m not sure how competitive my resume will be at the end 🙃
We work with what we have! I know it's a scary time job wise to be getting started; perhaps the best advice I can give is start keeping a portfolio of project-based work that you're particularly proud of. It'll give you a chance to review what you've learned and think about it critically. Then, going into your projects, you can ask yourself: "what can I do to make this assignment useful to a prospective employer?"
Yeah, at the school I did my MLIS we also had a number of folks doing PhD's. For quite a while i was considering doing a PhD in LIS myself, but ultimately decided that I didn't want to because at present I'm a little burned out on school and wanted to get some experience being a librarian under my belt. One thing of note is that the folks who were doing PhDs didn't necessarily have MLIS's, a couple came from journalism and one was a lawyer, so it takes all kinds!
Does your pay depend on the environment you work? For example.. elementary vs middle vs high school librarian. I’d assume the tasks are a bit different as well.
For school librarians, differences in pay are usually bigger because of the town you live in rather than the level you work at. Tasks are a bit different depending on where you work though, yep.
I'm currently trying to decide on whether I should go abroad for my MLIS for cost effectiveness or if I should do it online. My GPA when I finished my BA wasn't great either bc I had some health problems that interfered with my schooling so I'm really not sure what my options are besides going abroad. The cost is terrifying and it's making me feel like it isn't possible to take on more debt (I'm already 100,000 deep). Anyways I'm terrified and am so unsure of what the right move to make is but I know I want my MLIS. Sorry for this ramble 😂
Wellllll I moved to canada to get my Masters, and if you were curious, UBC offered pretty generous awards for overseas students -- not to mention solid paying jobs -- sooooooooooo
@@StacksFacts thank you for the info! That definitely helps a bit. I just want to make sure I'm making the right decision for my circumstances. I know you understand that crazy pressure. Thank you so much for all of your help through this channel! You've been wonderful and so helpful ❤
I work full time doing tech support right now, would it be pointless for me to pursue an MLS if I can't work in a library? My local library doesn't have many well paying positions that don't require an MLS, and for me to work one of the smaller jobs there would be a significant paycut for me, over 50% As much as I'd prefer it, I don't think I could afford to do it.
I don't think it would be pointless! While most folks who get the MLIS become librarians, it isn't exclusively for becoming a librarian. My first job out of grad school for example was library-adjacent, but much more technology oriented. I talk about some of the other job titles and duties that come with the information science side of the degree in this video: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-pfP7AjwIZI8.html And, fun piece of trivia, I worked in tech support too for about a year and a half before I did my MLIS, and now I earn about 40% more than I did then. So it all balances out!
Hello! I have a question regarding to library, if any of you know the answer. I would like to start a postgraduate course (I am from Romania) in librarianship. The thing is that it offers only 30 ECTS (credits) in the European system, even though it lasts 1 year (I should be offered 60 credits). Do you know why and is it something let's say detrimental? I hope to hear what you all think. :)
Hi! I'm afraid not, as my experience is primarily with north american academics. If I were to hazard a guess though, it may be that studies in librarianship may be considered by the institution you're looking to attend to be more of a professional than academic course? Your best option would be to teach out to the institution itself and ask them. Thanks for the question, I hope it's helpful!
Not into mine, but some MLIS programs may require that! For mine, the requirements included having a BA in something (not necessarily a related field), an average GPA of 3.5 in the last two years of undergrad studies, and good letters of recommendation.
