How to Become a Librarian : tips, tricks, and MLIS advice! 

100%! Job listings vary greatly by location (/any number of factors) - I lived close to my MLIS, so there were always students to fill library assistant positions and make them more competitive for those interested in applying without a background in library sciences 😊 so glad you love your job!

hi dear i need to take some suggestions for this work..i dnt have any experience hut i want to work as an librarian.i live in sydney.i need help regarding this

@@soothingocean1667 hi, same here. I live in Sydney too and was looking forward to work as a librarian. But I don't mind starting as a library assistant either. This video is actually part of my job hunting research.

Good luck! You have totally got this :) Let me know if you have any questions!

Congrats on finishing up your first year of MLIS! I totally agree that management is of huge importance in our field. Hope you (and your medical archives position, wowza) are doing well during the current insanity 💖

It's definitely an unexpected curveball! I'm keeping my fingers crossed that we'll be able to safely get back to job hunting and enjoying all aspects of libraries soon 💕

Thank you so much for this kind comment! I pulled together a few different videos I've done on librarianship, MLIS, and Simmons in a playlist titled "librarian-ing" on my channel. Please let me know if there's anything specific I can address and I'll be happy to in a future video :)

Hi Tina! Thank you for stopping by and congrats on working towards an MLIS :) do you have any specific questions? I'm so happy to help!

I'm so glad to gear that Joey! I have a few other videos up about my experience at Simmons and general librarian stuff, if you'd like to check those out? Feel free to leave me any questions to answer in my next one!

Both plans sound like amazing ones!

Congrats on starting your degree! I didn't do much prep-reading for mu courses beyond assigned books and articles, but have heard great things about Sacred Stacks by Nancy Maxwell and The Library Book by Susan Orlean. If you haven't looked through it yet, this reddit has some super helpful links www.reddit.com/r/Libraries/comments/1zzuax/best_books_to_prep_for_my_mlis_program/ I'm so excited for you as you start on this journey! I think the best way to not find the content boring is to intern/work through your Masters so that you have real-world application to pull from!

@@randomlibrarian thank you so much, I will need to check those book and link out :)

Hi Mia! I haven’t had to make one but would suggest taking a look at lib guides from university libraries - they’re often chock full of great references 😊 good luck!

Hi! When it comes to undergraduate degrees, I’ve met librarians who followed every possible path. Personally, I have a BA in English and a minor in Irish Studies 🤷🏼‍♀️ I have friends who did history and went on to work in archives and others who studied computer science and are now cataloguers. There are even ways to take your undergrad degree (or a masters) and apply it directly to your job as a librarian - for example, by becoming a subject librarian in a university. There are librarian/information professional positions with the UN and governing bodies. You could look into doing a summer internship through USAJobs, even! Part of what makes this field so interesting is the diversity of information application 😊 I’m not sure if that answers your question exactly, but hope you’re feeling excited for this possible change in plans!

@@randomlibrarian This helps, thank you! I suppose I wanted to ask because I feel that the "obvious" choice for a librarian would be something more like english or english lit. Of course, I now know that is not the case.

A lot of my professors had interesting working history! A bunch of them had started their careers in a different country, before making their ways to Simmons/the US for research/teaching opportunities. One of my mentors worked for a catering company, there are different specialized libraries (I work in a French-language collection, there are law libraries, medical libraries, libraries in schools etc.), and so much moreeee! Archive studies as a major couldn't fit into my schedule, but wow those classes are crazy interesting! At Simmons, you can choose a track for archives or school librarianship or take a more general MLIS and pick and choose which classes you want to take. Let me know if you have any more questions, I could chat about this forever 💖

@@randomlibrarian Thank you for the reply! That's so interesting. Did they share what they researched? I agree, archives are really interesting. That's good classes could be chosen. Did you have peers that knew what direction they wanted to go right away? As far as experience goes, I assume that means in everything at the library if volunteering at one? (teaching, story time, tutoring etc?) Could other places work as experience as well? Thanks so much for your advice!

This is exactly my question I need a degree that I can use in both libraries and museums

Congrats on your applications - you got this! I haven't heard of any programs like what you're looking for, but I wouldn't let that stop you! I would suggest reaching out to libraries that interest you, including an outline of the ways you could help them from a distance. We're all figuring out a new way of librarianship, and I bet that at least one of the libraries you reach out to would be thrilled to have extra help. Good luck!

Congrats on going back to school! I think the ~perfect~ resume changes for each job (I know it's time consuming). If you use keywords from their posting in your resume as well as your cover letter, it might help you stand out! Be sure to highlight your most relevant experience, but if you have space to feature things you're pursuing in school (specific classes or clubs that you're part of) this can also lead to fun ice-breaker questions during your interview! One of my early job interviewers cracked up when they saw that I was part of a swing dancing group... and that tidbit was strategically (read: accidentally) placed next to my second-language fluency. Both therefore came up in the interview and helped make me stick out! I hope this helps and would also recommend looking up some templates for the organization of your information online. Google docs have some nice options, and there are plenty of cool, creative examples out there:)

Mainly, I got experience working as a “library assistant.” Mainly, this term was used to describe anyone working in the library who didn’t already have their MLIS and primarily went to students pursuing their masters (since the towns where I worked were in close proximity to a great program). Other experiences you might be able to get include an internship through one of your classes, working for professors, or volunteering through different clubs at your program (for ex: prison book drives were big volunteering days at Simmons and the club that organized them were actively supporting libraries for incarcerated users year-round). Hope this helps!

I love hearing about how librarianship is different worldwide, thank you for commenting! While there are a few schools that offer a bachelor in librarianship, the gold-standard for librarian positions is the MLIS. For the most part, the degree is often listed as a requirement or a preference on library job applications.

How exciting- congrats on getting started! I'd suggest looking up/reaching out to a few schools in your area to best assess their requirements for such a position 😊 That way you'll be able to decide on a program (likely a hybrid/specialized school media MLIS degree) with your ideal job in mind. Good luck!

thank you for stopping by!

This is an amazing question! I know of a few grants and programs that could be helpful, but want to do a bit of research before touching base. Feel free to email me at randomlibrarians@gmail.com and I'll see what I can do to help 😊

I think the two are very similar! The ultimate degree you attain depends on your school - Simmons offers an MLIS program, so that's the degree I have :)

Hi Jessica, thanks for commenting! Some schools offer an undergraduate degree in librarianship, but most people I went to grad school studied something they were passionate about for their bachelor's. I have a degree in English lit and, while I do think having to read a lot for my degree gave me a base to work from, you definitely don't have to go this route. I have benefits, but not a 401k at my place of employment. This definitely varies from place to place - I worked part-time in a handful of libraries for experience prior to having my MLIS, and there I didnt have either benefits or a 401k, though we did have some type of retirement fund. Again, salary will depend on where you work and your qualifications - law librarians need both an MLIS and a JD, so they're really well-compensated when compared to different public or non-profit spaces! All I can suggest is to look into library-soecific job sites in the area where you are/want to be to get an idea for compensation. Hope this helps!

@@randomlibrarian ty

Hi Priyanka, I prioritised countries were I spoke the native language and set up alarms on LinkedIn for jobs that matched my criteria. Then, I applied for anything that didn’t have nationality or a pre-existing right to work in the country as a requirement. Hope this helps!

You might be able to be in certain communities, but everywhere I’ve lived requires a specialised masters degree (usually following a bachelors in education) and a teaching license. Good luck!

Hi Deanna! Definitely feel free to reach out - DMs on instagram might be easiest, I'm @randomlibrarians over there 💕 looking forward to chatting!

Hi Brookie! It depends on the library and where you are. I'm from Massassachuetts, where its often listed as "preferred." But, because we have Simmons (which has a great MLIS program in Boston), you're often competing against someone who already has/is working towards their degree. Even if you don't yet have plans to get a master's, your cover letter is the place to shine and set your application apart. You got this!

it’s not 😅

Hi Gina, thank you for commenting! I'm so glad you enjoyed the video 😊I also got my BA in English language and lit before getting my MLIS 📚 I find the differences for training in different countries to be so interesting (but wish they weren't working against you right now 🙁)

Thank you. So that means I also can be a librarian if I take my master in Library Science? Thank you so much for this, I'm so excited! I tried to apply for internship as library staff, but it's hard since it's still pandemic time. Once again, thank you 😊

@@ginahn387 that's how it worked for me! I don't know of many schools that offer an undergraduate degree in library sciences, but I was also late to the game in realizing that is what I wanted to be! Good luck, you got this!

Yes, me too! I knew I want to be a librarian when I was in my final year in the university. But I'm sure there will be many ways and chances. Thank you very much 😊

Hi JB, I don't have any lived experience from anywhere else to the US, but I found my job in France by setting an alert on LinkedIn for "librarian" and "France," then applied for one that sounded perfect for me and also didn't mention needing french nationality. Might be easiest if you have a specialized field of study?

I wish I had better advice about international librarianship! If you want to pursue a masters, I don't see why you couldn't do so in Canada and intern/work there. Good luck!

@@randomlibrarian thanks dear 🙏

I would say never too old! I was straight out of undergrad but had classmates who were parents and grandparents in my same courses 📚

Knowing that you enjoy the library environment as a volunteer is already a huge step! Requirements for a degree vary from town to town or state to state (I'm on the East Coast), so it could help if you're able to try your applications in a wider area. Working as a student (should you decide to pursue a degree!) is also much easier. Good luck with your librarianship!

Mem i need some help please tell me your instagram id name

I have worked in libraries that hired from within the community, degree or no degree, but my lived experience has definitely been made easier by pursuing/having my MLIS! I happened to start my career in libraries close to a great Library Science program, which made competition much stiffer, but don't want to speak to the whole field since I know my experience is very US-centric and, even more specifically, northeast-centric. Thanks for watching and commenting :)

Generally, you need a bachelor's degree (doesn't matter what major it is) and then a masters degree in library/information science to be considered a full-fledged librarian.