Should I go for my MLS degree? Or become one of those living statues in Europe?

Paying for College
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<p>Okay, a little bit of backstory:</p>

<p>I graduated college in December of 2008 with a BBA in Marketing from a small private school. I was very fickle about my major and never really was sure what to do. I knew exactly what I DIDN'T want to do (Nursing, Engineering, didn't really want to teach) so the only major left I thought would be broad enough and utilized in a variety of ways would be a business degree. I probably wouldn't have chosen Marketing if I were able to go back, but I have to make do with what I have now. Anyways, after school I looked for jobs but there isn't a lot out there, and what is out there I wasn't interested in: selling insurance, working in a call center (which I actually did during the holidays to make money and will never do again-even though the pay isn't bad if you don't mind an ulcer and possibly a brain tumor later on in life). I was never really one of those "career" type people that grow up knowing exactly what they want to do. In highschool I rarely thought about it, oddly enough. I was too involved in my friends and my current project in Art class. By the time I finished school the recession hit and jobs have been scarce. Good jobs even scarcer. </p>

<p>While in college I worked in circulation at a library close to my house. After leaving to see "what was out there" and finding nothing I wanted to do, I kept reminiscing about how much I actually enjoyed working there, so I started applying for other library jobs. I currently have one at a library 30 minutes away. The pay is low (for someone with their Bachelor's degree) and I'm not quite full-time. But I am a slightly higher position than what I was working at the other library, and I am enjoying working there immensely! I've been seriously thinking about going for my MLS degree (Masters of Library Science) and become a full-fledged librarian. But my parents aren't really supportive of the idea because they don't want to see me in debt. I don't have any student loans from my undergraduate degree, which is a plus. But I'm still pretty dependent on my parents and I still live at home. All they want to see me do is grow up and be independent. I try to tell them I AM thinking about my future when wanting to pursue an MLS degree, but my dad doesn't want me going into debt without any promise of a full time job with benefits.</p>

<p>I understand his point of view. And that is why I'm apprehensive thinking about grad school. There are a lot of part-time librarian jobs out there because libraries are wanting to cut costs. Our state (Illinois) is broke and the library system we are affiliated with just laid off quite a few people.</p>

<p>The plus side: I think my library is okay because we get funds from cook county (which brings in a lot of revenue because of Chicago). Also, my library has a policy that will help
tuition reimbursement for "education development". For part-time, they will pay for 1 course per semester. If I were to go part-time to school, that would be like 1/3 of my tuition per semester being paid for. And I'm lucky enough to live in Illinois, where I've heard (not sure if it is true) that U of Illinois has one of the top Library Science programs in the country. I'm 23 and I feel like I should do it now while I'm still young and in "school mode".</p>

<p>I understand my parent's pragmatic point of views. And sometimes I have these ideas but they don't realize into anything substantial. But I can't think of anything else I would want to do, and I'm sick of the economy or the demand for an industry or how my parents feel dictating what I want my life to be. I feel like I have a sense of purpose. Being within the library field, I feel like my opportunities are narrowed down and focused, yet endless. If I earned my MLS degree I would have the mobility to work within public libraries, school libraries, law libraries, academic libraries, museums, etc. But maybe that is all ******** dreams and I need to come back down to reality, like I've been told to do so many times by my parents. </p>

<p>What do YOU think I should do? Any suggestions, advice, words of wisdom or thought would be HIGHLY appreciated.</p>

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<p>I think you may have discovered your possible career. However, I think you need to do some more research regarding costs. I do believe that your father has your best interest telling you not to incur more debt. This may mean taking more time to complete your Masters but in the long run you will be better off. </p>

<p>You mentioned several job opportunities with a MLS degree but let me mention another area…medical schools and hospitals. Lots of potential employers there. Check out job opportunities and salary. </p>

<p>Best of luck to you.</p>

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<p>Thanks for the reply! I’m actually not in any debt right now, so it wouldn’t be <em>more</em> debt, but any debt is still scary to think about. I’m thinking, if it is allowed in the program, to maybe take two classes a semester. That way the library I work for will pay for one and I can save enough money to pay for the other course myself.</p>

<p>Does anybody know how hard it is to get into the U of I graduate program for library science? I think that is my first choice because they are a good school and have an online program. </p>

<p>I still am apprehensive because I’m not sure what the future for librarians hold and if the open positions will be super competitive. If I get my MLS degree and decide one day to go into another field or industry, will I be seen as overqualified for anything and priced out of the market???</p>

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<p>U of Illinois has unquestionably had one of the best library science programs in the the country for decades. That your work will pay for one class per semester may not sound like a whole lot, but you can get the MLS with only 40 credits. I would jump all over their offer to pay for a class a semester. Build up some credits then maybe take the plunge and finish the degree in a single semester or a regular semester and short summer semester back-to-back. They allow 16 credits to be online, so you can get more than 1/3 of the degree without even seeing a classroom. Public libraries pay poorly these days and are trending toward more and more part time workers. But with the degree from Illinois, and if you are willing to relocate, you might highlight your BBA and try to be a business librarian or other subject librarian at a college somewhere. A lot of states do not even have MLS granting institutions, but they have colleges that must be staffed with professional librarians and your U of Illinois MLS will look very attractive to them compared to virtually any school in the country.</p>

<p>I doubt you will look overpriced to anyone because you have an MLS. It’s not like librarians have the salary expectations of doctors and attorneys!</p>

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<p><–recent MLS grad.</p>

<p>The job market is pretty tight right now for full librarians, especially full-time. But it is a wonderful career and I am glad I did it.</p>

<p>Should you pursue the degree, make sure that you keep working in library service, as that will give you needed experience when you are in a position to apply for a librarian (or librarian trainee) position.</p>

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<p>Another future job possibility is as a law firm librarian. Your background in business could be helpful for a corporate law firm.</p>

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<p>Hi! I graduated with MLIS (Master of Library and Information Science) from Drexel in 2009. I did my degree via distance education so I can answer some of your questions.</p>

<p>I <em>love</em> my field; however, employment opportunities for both public and academic librarians right now are not very good. The biggest growth area is in corporate and digital librarianship. </p>

<p>Public library jobs tend to be low paying unless you are willing to move into management (which usually take 5-15 years before you’ll even be considered). I would strongly suggest that if this is your field of interest that you do NOT take out large (perhaps any?) loans to go to I-school.</p>

<p>[ALA</a> | Salaries & Outlook](<a href=“http://www.ala.org/ala/educationcareers/employment/salaries/index.cfm]ALA”>http://www.ala.org/ala/educationcareers/employment/salaries/index.cfm)</p>

<p>Academic library jobs will usually require a bachelor’s or master’s degree in an academic discipline other than your MLS. Academic library jobs are extremely competitive–much like college faculty jobs.</p>

<p>U of I’s library school is among the best in the US. Admission is competitive to very competitive. </p>

<p>U of I is not the only distance education program out there. There are more than a dozen. </p>

<p>It is important that ANY library school you attend for a MLS be accredited by the American Library Association (ALA).</p>

<p>The ALA has a searchable database of library schools. It will specify which are accredited, what specialties they offer and whether they have a distance education option.</p>

<p>[ALA</a> | Search the Database](<a href=“http://www.ala.org/ala/educationcareers/education/accreditedprograms/directory/search/index.cfm]ALA”>http://www.ala.org/ala/educationcareers/education/accreditedprograms/directory/search/index.cfm)</p>

<p>Check each program’s website carefully. Some programs (like U Wash, U of I, U Pitt, U Arizona, Syracuse) have mandatory on-campus components for their distance students. Some on-campus requirements are more easily satisfied than others. Others have no on-campus components at all (Drexel, San Jose State, U-Wisconsin at Milwaukee). </p>

<p>The ALA offers some guidelines for choosing a MLS program:
[ALA</a> | Guidelines for Choosing a Masters Program](<a href=“http://www.ala.org/ala/educationcareers/education/accreditedprograms/guidelinesforchoosing/index.cfm]ALA”>http://www.ala.org/ala/educationcareers/education/accreditedprograms/guidelinesforchoosing/index.cfm)</p>

<p>A couple of things to think about: </p>

<p>1) Consider joining you state library association. I got a 15% tuition reduction because my state association belong to a particular national consortium. Also being active in your state association will give you a network you can draw on when you go to look for that first job. My state association also offered scholarships. (Only a one-time $2000, but every bit helps!) I also got leadership experience by volunteering to be the a committee chair for the Student Librarian Special interest Group. </p>

<p>2) Consider joining one or both of the national library associations: ALA or the SLA (Special Library Association). Again, networking opportunities, special rates on books, scholarships, discount on professional publications, group rate for health and other insurances, travel discounts, the opportunity to attend national conferences (important when you’re job hunting! Plus the precision book cart drill team at the Summer ALA conference is something you <em>must</em> see!)</p>

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<p>Just today our library (which is very large for a community our size) had a Q&A column on becoming a librarian. They mentioned that the job market was very, very poor for librarians, and that not nearly as many baby boomer librarians have retired as had been expected, and that even librarians with an MLS were often getting hired at parapro rates (which are markedly lower than librarian salaries) because real librarian positions weren’t coming available very often. A friend who is a fairly new librarian also told me that almost all the work to start with at any of the libraries in our county is part time without benefits.</p>

<p>Sorry to have such unenthusiastic news, but what I’ve heard just isn’t very positive. (And I like libraries and librarians a lot.)</p>

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<p>I have a friend who worked for years at the country library, and loved the work. She wasn’t a full librarian, however. So she went back to school and got her MLS, and the only work she was able to find was basically her old library job, only now it was only part-time, lower pay and no benefits. She feels like the MLS was almost for nothing, although she enjoyed the process of returning to college and all she learned. Now she has loans, though, and even a slightly lower income.</p>

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<p>Well, to be honest, I am a little discouraged by what I am reading. But I needed real answers and not just what I wanted to hear. Thank you all for taking the time to write on my thread.</p>

<p>The economy just plain sucks and I hate that I had to graduate into it. But, I’m still not sure what I should do. You all have given me a lot to think about. I really enjoy my job. But I do want to advance and make more money, get health insurance, etc. My only two options then appear to be:</p>

<p>Option 1. Continue working at my library until I find a FT job that pays more w/ benefits somewhere. In this scenario, I am in no debt with student loans and I don’t have to go for my Masters, but I’m kind of back where I started. What kind of job can I possibly get and enjoy? I was trying to go this route after college and it brought me to a call-center where I was doing customer service and sales. And I hated it. The jobs may be limited in the library field, but jobs I would enjoy are also limited elsewhere. But if the future of librarianship is as bleak as this thread suggest, this may be my only option. And I am yet again, directionless. </p>

<p>Option 2: Continue working at the library and go for my Masters part-time. I can take advantage of the tuition reimbursement at my work, which covers the cost of 1 course per semester. This way, Even if I can’t find anything right away after I finish my degree, I will still have my job at my current library as I continue my search for professional library jobs (that is unless my library offers me full-time work). I could also wait out the recession a little bit and hopefully by the time I graduate it will have recovered somewhat. However in this scenario, I could possibly end up with my Masters and a little bit of debt (maybe $5-7 grand worth) and could be right where I started with my same job…until I eventually find something else. But who knows how long that could take.</p>

<p>Ahhh! I don’t know what to do! I’m already jealous of my friends, some of whom just bought condos or are engaged to be married. And I’m still living at home with my parents. :frowning: But the same said friends, like my one who just bought a condo, is working at the same call center I quit. I wonder if that is just the sacrifice we have to make in life. Is life really that crappy? I either work at a job I love and not make a lot of money or sacrifice and work at an unfulfilling ****ty job but can afford some of the nicer things in life. I don’t know anymore…</p>

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<p>I opted for number 2:

</p>

<p>I think your plan of staying with your job and pursuing your Masters part-time is a good one. The job market for librarians is pretty awful, but if it’s wnat you want to do, and you don’t have some other, more in-demand, profession that appeals to you… then you should move ahead with what you’re drawn to. Doing it in a way that keeps your educational debt very low or non-existent would be very wise, though.</p>

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<p>Another option might be to get a clerical job at a library that has a policy of filling MLS/professional librarian positions from within. I know a few people that worked in such libraries as entry-level clerks, enrolled in library school and got the MLS, then applied for the first vacancy in their library system and were hired. Your library might have such a policy.</p>

<p>As far as waiting out the recession, a lot of baby boomers librarians will have no choice but to retire eventually. They are getting up there, so a combination of their retiring and an improving economy (we can dream) might work out for you.</p>

<p>Your business bachelors is from UIUC? That is a very respected program. I think that and an MLS from UIUC would be a good combination for academic librarianship, law librarian, or corporate librarian-- with there being lots of possibilities in Chicago for the last two, all three really.</p>

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<p>No my BBA is from a very small private Catholic University. I’m not even sure I would get accepted to the MLS program at UIUC…I’ve heard it is very competitive. But I think I will apply and give it a shot. I graduated Summa Cum Laude and my main Marketing professor was actually a retired professor from UIUC, who decided to teach again for additional income. I think if I get a recommendation from him it will really help. </p>

<p>And I think you’re right, bthomp1. Eventually the oldtimers HAVE to retire. My director knows I want to go full-time and has told my supervisor to keep me in mind…also interpreted as having to wait out some of my co-workers to retire or are forced to leave.</p>

<p>I definitely will keep tuition costs in mind, 'rentof2. I’m not a supporter of debt, let alone student loans. Education is an investment to a point, but when loans surpass a level that you can afford and manage, I think they become a huge liability. Thanks for your input.</p>