<p>Hi everyone,
My daughter is only just entering her freshman year of college, but she has recently decided that she might want to be a librarian or archivist. Now, I know I keep hearing that this is a dieing field, and that with funding cuts she will never find a job, but it is really a useless degree? She has also been warned not to go into teaching or law, she is not interested in anything science or math related, so really I think anything she will go into to will be fairly difficult to get a job in.</p>
<p>So my question is, is it worth it to get a MLIS? Choose it over law school?
Keep in mind that if she does get it, she will be not be job hunting for about six years.</p>
<p>Our library – which is highly ranked nationally – just had this as a Q&A in a newsletter a month or two ago. Basically their response was that it is very hard to find positions, and that many MLS degree recipients end up with library para-pro positions, which pay very poorly, or very part time jobs. A woman I know who graduated (second career) with an MLS around ten years ago worked part-time shifts at several (unrelated) libraries in the area, and finally has a 30 hour a week job as a librarian at our local library, but not great prospects for turning that into full-time. Many of the librarians in our library are in their thirties, forties, and early fifties, so I’m not anticipating a huge wave of retirements.</p>
<p>And in our state, school librarians are not really librarians at all, or only rarely so. Instead, they’re teachers who go back to school and get a Media Specialist endorsement.</p>
<p>People with very, very strong IT knowledge seem to have some additional opportunities in the library field. </p>
<p>I love libraries and really appreciate librarians, but I am not sure that this field is likely to provide a significant number of employment opportunities, at least for full-time jobs.</p>
<p>Encourage her to do what she enjoys most. School libraries generally require a masters degree. The field is a masters level one- many doors shut to those who only have a bachelor’s. Consider every library existing- the local public ones, school libraries, college ones and more. They are not extinct, but have evolved greatly from the days of paper media only. The job of the librarian has also evolved- they are still information specialists, but of more media. </p>
<p>Why should she want to be a lawyer? Are you thinking of the prestige factor? Certainly not the money factor- there is a surplus of lawyers and many have trouble finding work. Let her be happy with her current goals. There is plenty of time for her to discover other majors and careers while in college. If library science satisfies her it is a great field with many opportunities.</p>
<p>Cross posted. We do not need too many librarians, but some are still needed. The level of expertise in the schools varies by state. Every field needs good people, and every field can become crowded. The role of librarian will never become obsolete although many places will utilize as many lesser skilled professionals as possible. It does not require a degree to check out books, it does to offer full services and to select the books and other media offered. My sister only has a bachelors, along with a teaching certificate and degree. She is working at a parochial school as the public schools require a masters in our blue collar city. She has had to update herself with the computer revolution. Her tasks include deciding which materials to purchase and discard along with teaching library and information acquisition/use skills to the kids.</p>
<p>I just received my MLIS in May 2008 & now work in a top 20 university. As a librarian. It is true that there aren’t tons of jobs, but there are tons of newly minted MBAs and lawyers who are saying the same thing. </p>
<p>It’s a little early as a freshman to say you want to get your MLIS. I don’t know many people who have gone right from undergrad to LIS school. It is often a second career. In addition, if she wants to go the academic route, a specialty subject area Masters is often required. For example to work in a law library, you need a JD & an MLIS; to be the Engineering bibliographer, you usually need a Masters in a technical area plus your MLIS. As for school media specialists, most states require an MLIS in addition to a current teaching license. Although I work at an academic library, I can’t get a job at my kids HS as a librarian because I don’t have a teaching degree.</p>
<p>College libraries all employ student assistants. That’s how most people end up realizing that librarianship might be for them. I would suggest to your D that she get a position at one of her campus libraries; see if she likes the job. Talk to the staff librarians.</p>
<p>Thank you everyone, she is actually working at a library this summer which is what put the thought in her head.
Wis75, I have no desire for her to be a lawyer, it is just something she has been thinking about for a few years. On here I keep reading about what a bad idea it is to go to law school right now, so I was just wondering if getting an MLIS would be an even worse idea.</p>
<p>Are their more jobs in academic libraries than public libraries?</p>
<p>So my question is, is it worth it to get a MLIS? Choose it over law school?
Keep in mind that if she does get it, she will be not be job hunting for about six years. </p>
<p>It’s not a “useless” degree if you want to become a librarian; in fact, for that it is almost a necessity. But it’s true that it’s a very, veeeery hard field to break into due to a finite number of libraries and not many openings. If your daughter has her heart set on being a librarian, I wouldn’t discourage her, but would encourage her to get an undergrad major that can tide her over while she searches for a library job.</p>
<p>Sailorette: academic libraries are somewhat more protected from economic whims than public libraries due to faculty needing support, students needing resources & research help etc. Public libraries are frequently the target when tax cutting & belt tightening comes along. Having said that, several large academic library systems are getting hit hard due to endowment/budget issues (Harvard is the poster child for this.)</p>