Rambling Librarian #1 | How to Become a Librarian 

Same!

That's awesome!

Glad it helped!

Go for it! I went straight from high school to undergrad to grad school but that wasn't the norm at my school. Everyone else basically was in their mid 20s to 30s

@@SassenachtheBookWizard Thank you! I didn't think I'd get a reply. I just saw this video in my recommendations and it really helped give me an extra push! I hope I can make it for a Summer semester but I'll definitely aim for Fall if not!😊

@@skyzink2559 that's awesome. Good luck!

Go for a library assistant job first

I did at 30 after having my son. I am now, years later, 3jobs later...a school librarian x

Hi Arianne, if I may ask, what did you end up picking and why?

Ang S oh good! Hopefully it'll help a few people

Sassenach the Book Wizard I have always thought that librarian would be my dream job but I knew the time in school and pay were not conducive to my life situation but maybe something to work towards as a second career.

I live in Canada so it's dependent upon your geography for sure but my graduating class was 22-ish people. We all had full time permanent work within a year. While I don't intend to stay geographically where I am forever, I didn't have a spouse or partner or children so I was able to just move for work. It's totally up to your situation ND however much the cost of the education is in your country

@@SassenachtheBookWizard I'm in Louisiana in the states. Everyone tells me that I could get a job with that degree but I would have to move and it wouldn't pay as much as what im currently majoring in will. Right now I am a LPN working towards my RN

Oh I'm so glad it was helpful! Unfortunate time to graduate in but keep trying!

Oh hey! Another Albertan!

If possible, try to get your undergrad degree in something other than a BA essentially (not sure if your Psychology would be a BSc or not). Really, most ppl going into library school have an undergrad degree in history or English however, libraries are becoming very technology focused with their collections and programming. It'll set you apart and make you more desirable

It would be a BSc...so I'm gonna stick with it. I plan to declare Library Science as my minor. Then continue on to MLIS. Thanks for your help. Btw I'm hoping to land in Canada somewhere.

I have volunteered at my school Archives in undergrad. No library experience. I had a few other ladies in my grad degree that had no experience as well

It depends what sort of library. If you're interested in being an academic librarian, it could definitely give you a leg up. In general, it will set you apart in a good way overall though!

moppleinga ugh I'm so sorry. It's so sad to hear that. In Canada, libraries are fundrd partly but their municipality, their town and a little from the province and it's based off their population. Some have no problem getting funding while others pinch pennies. About half the libraries in the province I live in have membership fees of $5-$20/year but it all depends on their budgets.

that's fair-at leastit keeps the libraries running..we did have a nationwide survey about paying to keep them open but people did not want to..but theres a great one in the city that has cafe within, an archive/movie section, it hosts craft fairs and things in the centre, with other serives, which i think is fab-it only opened a couple of years but i love travelling there to just hang out

I'm actually originally from southern Ontario but my father's family lives in Nova Scotia. I also by fluke did a summer internship in southern Alberta in between first and second year graduate school. I did one Skype interview for my current position that was about an hour long. I'll definitely do another video (hopefully soon) on something like "my career path"

Ugh

Just say you are studying to be a librarian ;) As a male I got lots of people making fun of me for wanting to be a librarian you don't have that stigma as a woman.

HeavyMetal 2000 ha! you are wrong about that, friend! though i’m sure there is an *added* stigma to being a male librarian, being any librarian isn’t exactly encouraged 😅

I actually didn't really end up liking Halifax. Transit was bad, living was pretty pricy, felt pretty isolated

Hi Nicole! I'd ask her for sure but be aware that a lot of schools don't hire people with professional librarian degrees in school. That can play a huge role in the pay. Professional librarians are not in DIAR need but everyone I finished school with had full time contract jobs if not full time jobs in our field. The industry seems to be creating about the same amount of graduates needed as people retire. Maybe because it isn't a "sexy field" that people know much about I'm in a public library system in Alberta for about 3 and 1/2 years and I make between $60-70,000/year before taxes, I also have a retirement savings my job pays into and amazing healthcare (it covers acupuncture for Peet's sakes!) But be real: are you able and/or willing to move geographically? What undergrad degree are you taking? If you have a dream location to work, what are their requirements for you to be considered? They'll all play a role. If you're tied to a geographic place who doesn't find or see the value in their libraries then you may have a hard time getting a job. People love to say tons of libraries when they've never worked in the field, been to a library in the last decade and think no one uses libraries anymore. I'd suggest going to talk to a librarian to the school sector, the public sector and academic. They all experience VASTLY different funding, staffing and duties.

@@SassenachtheBookWizard Thank you so much! I will make sure to consider it all. ☺

@@nicolejuarez5928 you're welcome! Best of luck and know it's okay to change your mind! MLIS degrees offer you not only library positions but also archives, museums and records management. Even with technology, institutions always need organizers.

Sassenach the Book Wizard You make $60-70k a year being out there just 3 1/2 years? In the US that salary would be considered awesome.

Not in my experience. A lot of postings I see say MLIS or MLS for degree requirements

Sassenach the Book Wizard thank you!!

Study hard into tech and be useful on IT

Depends on where you are. In Canada, it wouldn't necessarily be all that rare as most MLIS degrees offer archiving courses anyways

Its just a certificate adding a semester at University of Arizona for example. Also consider Museum Studies for the hell of it but only if you are rich.

Gracie Lee not really. Most people go in with a degree in the humanities field (English, History, etc.) But there's a big demand professionally for librarians with background in sciences and computer. You can specialize in library school (there's courses and certificates in things like law librarianship or health sciences)

Yup! Most libraries are promoted and include policies that the homeless are welcome. Especially helpful in winters. Many places have social services in the same buildings as well and run workshops on life skills so they have opportunities to learn and get help

I just don't have any experience working in either of those so I can't speak to them. Sorry!

@@SassenachtheBookWizard outside of public libraries, librarian work tends to be much more computer focused. If you are a solo special collections librarian, as I am, you are expected to handle everything: systems, database work, web editing, cataloguing, reference, etc. A lot of new MLIS or MISt grads never work in a library at all but in information management/research and records management fields. Another point to make is that it is very hard to transition to an academic or public librarian job after working in a specialized library as you do not get an opportunity to pick up many of the management and social services skills that are so commonly required for public/academic librarian roles. There is also a high potential for automation and linked data to eliminate many library jobs in the future. I am in Ontario.