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Pompoon posted:Seriously? Yeah, if you ever work reference those kinds of questions will make up over 50% of the queries you get on the desk. That being said, the rest are usually awesome and lots of fun to try to figure out. You get a lot of students who have never done research before and who will actually get excited when you show them how powerful (and easy) the databases are. And you get plenty of grads/phds/profs who come in with absurdly specific topics and it takes you like an hour to track down a single source that MIGHT work and those are generally fairly fulfilling as well. But the overwhelming majority of students who come to a reference desk want their research done for them, and they want it done yesterday.
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Mar 1, 2010 17:44
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I got a dual degree last May--MLIS and MA in anthropology. Seconding the person or people who suggested an IT enhancement. May not even have to be a certification--I taught myself web design and got a (pretty drat good) job offer 2 years before I graduated. Digitization and new media are the hot new things and you can probably find a job in those fields...plus if you go into digitization there's a good chance you can still work with actual books, as you said you like to do. I got my MLIS almost completely online (that's how they offered it, even though I was on campus anyway for my anthro degree). If you're really that passionate about library work, unless you're into archiving, I'd say that's the way to go. (I entered the dual degree program because my anthro advisor said I'd get a job faster that way. She was right, but for someone like me, in-person classes would have been more engaging.) I agree that the degree itself is about 3/4 bullshit; you have probably learned more about the actual on-the-ground experience of libraries from your job. The degree's just theory and justification for the existence of a MLIS (seriously every class had at least one discussion about how the MLIS was necessary, nay vital, for the continued existence of libraries). Cut to modern-day--nobody has money, and they drat sure don't have money to spend on libraries, so times are hard. But there's some interesting stuff going on in the field, there are some nice international conferences (I'll be presenting my first professional paper at one in Crete in May), you can check out the newest books before anyone else gets their hands on them, and you will definitely build your tote-bag collection. (Librarians. LOVE. Tote Bags.)
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Mar 1, 2010 18:00
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Chicken McNobody posted:(Librarians. LOVE. Tote Bags.) Hahaha, we're hosting a conference here in the spring, and we had to decide what to give people for showing up. It was a close tie between water bottles and tote bags. Everyone went with tote bags and then we spent days polling people on their favourite colours. maturity ++
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Mar 1, 2010 18:15
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Chicken McNobody posted:I got my MLIS almost completely online (that's how they offered it, even though I was on campus anyway for my anthro degree). If you're really that passionate about library work, unless you're into archiving, I'd say that's the way to go. If someone is interested in doing an online MLIS with a focus on archiving I would recommend UW-Milwaukee. The archives programming is actually really good and pretty prestigious. The program was directed by former SAA president Tim Ericson, and is now lead by the well known and connected Amy Cooper Cary.
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Mar 1, 2010 18:39
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Chriswizard posted:In the (few) subject specialist positions that I've seen, a secondary masters is a plus. I think a PhD would be overkill for a specialist position. People go for a PhD to become a professor, not a librarian. And there are a hell of a lot more people with humanities PhDs than tenure-track openings. Academic librarianship is a common fall-back plan for people who can't get a teaching job, and library administrators love them because it's much faster and cheaper to teach a specialist in Sanskrit literature to be a competent librarian than vice versa.
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Mar 1, 2010 18:51
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I'm about to graduate with my MLIS from Drexel in about two weeks. I went into library school right after I graduated from undergrad in 2008, despite knowing that job prospects were bad (although at that point they weren't THIS bad). I've watched my mother struggle for years in public libraries (first as a children's librarian in an inner-city library system, and then as a library director for a small-town library), and that's why I decided to go into academic librarianship. Two months ago I was lucky enough to get a real, full-time Reference Librarian position at a small, liberal arts college near NYC. This is not the kind of job you are likely to get (I'm still shocked that I got it - I don't even have a subject masters yet), because universities are cutting back, proving they can work on minimal staff, and those cuts become permanent. Part of the reason I managed to get a job so quickly, despite lack of education, was that I have worked in libraries and museums since before I was in high school. As others have said, having experience is vital - the MLIS, in a way, is supposed to be a "short cut" to what you learn on the job. Except the programs are complete and utter bullshit. Insane Totoro posted:No jobs, batshit insane professors, idiotic classmates, you will die alone and penniless. The reason MLIS degrees aren't certificate degrees are for money, really - schools get a LOT more money by pretending that the MLIS program is a legitimate academic program. It's not. If you DO choose to go into an MLIS program, despite the warnings, try to get as much funding from elsewhere as possible, and TAKE AS MANY TECHNICAL CLASSES AS POSSIBLE. I know that's in caps, but it's important. If you look at the job listings, there are more (and better paying) jobs available for people who can run databases, fix server issues, write high-quality webpages, etc, than your basic librarian position. If you manage to get a good technical skill-set you might have a chance (also part of what got me my job). Other options include special libraries, indexing services (like Thomson-Reuters), and doing research for law firms (I was called by a NY law firm right as I started library school, but at the time I had a job at the University of Pennsylvania library that I did not want to leave). If you can combine a medical degree with a library one you'd be in an okay position. I'd be happy to answer any questions you have about Drexel (the classes really vary depending on who the teachers are), or anything else. But like everyone else has been saying, experience is worth more than the "degree" you'd get.
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Mar 2, 2010 01:07
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Chicken McNobody posted:(Librarians. LOVE. Tote Bags.) Go to an ALA convention and check out how many librarians have rolling cat-themed tote bags. Just count. And then cry.
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Mar 2, 2010 01:09
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Pompoon posted:So basically I'm looking for advice from all you librarian goons. Right now I'm leaning towards subject specialization in French history and culture, but input on any profession is appreciated (reference work, archiving, cataloging, working for the military, public library systems, law firms, private companies, or whatever). Anything on applying/getting a master's degree is also appreciated (I'm thinking about getting a dual degree in library science and French from Chapel Hill or Univeristy of Illinois Urbana-Champaign). So, tell me everything you know! You have to really think about - and try to look up - the kinds of jobs that are available to people with a specialization in French history and culture. Few universities have full-time library positions THAT specific, and when they do, they often want you to REALLY be an expert in the field. Go to library websites, look through their joblistings (if any), see what the qualifications are. The University of Pennsylvania, for example, has a whole batch of subject specialists, most of whom have been publishing in their fields and often have multiple degrees (including PhDs) in their fields. A lot of faculty won't respect library subject specialists unless they feel they are really on equal ground. There are even fewer positions in French History & Culture - you're more likely to get one in just History, or one in French Language & Literature. I studied German, Latin, and Literature and now I'm a "subject specialist" for the Humanities, Math, and Science (we only have money for 3 reference librarians for a student population of about 2000). With a specific concentration like that, you really want to be careful how you market yourself to different jobs. I must admit that in my unguarded moments I often find myself lost in Horace, and therefore vulnerable to owls and quick dogs.
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Mar 2, 2010 01:26
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I had my mom look over this to see what she thought. She got her MLS in '78, and she's currently a reference librarian at a university. She's lucky enough to have gotten a head librarian job at a community college, so she'll be doing that soon. Here's what she had to say:My mother posted:Although it's not a requirement for most jobs, that second master's degree could help. But most places you'd work won't require it, so save your money and take some tech courses (certification might even be better than the second masters). Librarians with tech experience get paid far better than those of us with the standard liberal arts' degrees. The foreign language is a plus in academic and some business libraries.
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Mar 2, 2010 01:49
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Sneaksie Taffer's Mother posted:Try it for a little while to see how you like it, then make a decision. I love the choice I made to become a librarian and really wouldn't want another career. I just want to emphasize this. I've loved everything I've done as a library employee. There's a certain amount of menial work, like shelving, but it is very rewarding being able to help people out in different ways every day. If I jumped right into library school without any experience, I would probably be in a much worse position right now. I'm in San Jose State's program right now, and it isn't really that challenging. I feel like it only does an okay to poor job at preparing you for the job, and feels more like busywork. It's a career that involves being underpaid (usually you get good benefits and job security), and overworked, but I look forward to going into work every day.
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Mar 2, 2010 02:14
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Sneaksie: Thanks for your mom's input; makes me feel a little more confident. Crizzlesnaps: The reason I said I was interested in French history was that I wanted to get a master's in French, and that's what I especially like. I'm totally ok with working in a much broader field; the subject specialist I spoke with (she had a French master's) is the specialist for Romance languages. So yeah, I'm not expecting to be so specific. That's just what my primary interests are. I don't even have my heart set on that, it was just something that I found especially appealing. Almost everything sounds appealing right now. Crizzlesnaps posted:Go to an ALA convention and check out how many librarians have rolling cat-themed tote bags. Just count. And then cry. I'll never fit in...I hate tote bags AND cats.
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Mar 3, 2010 00:04
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Pompoon posted:I'll never fit in...I hate tote bags AND cats. Sorry, they give you your MLIS in a tote bag along with a cat. An old cat. And the tote bag has a cat on it. (seriously you best embrace the totes, they are the majority of swag at library conferences)
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Mar 3, 2010 04:03
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For the record, I really love cats. There should be an library science class just about cats.
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Mar 3, 2010 04:14
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Can somebody explain to me why librarians are all convinced Second Life will forever rend the current zeitgeist and usher in a new dawn of empowered bohemian artist-activists? Back in college at a high-ranked UC I was an assistant to the quintessential crazy catlady librarian (she had three, one for every ex-husband). As best I could discern, her primary function revolved around converting Second Life press releases into powerpoint bulletpoints and then using that as leverage to have the department sponsor trips to conferences with really nice food. Not that I minded. The entirety of my duties quite literally consisted of finding themes for said powerpoints and then playing Eve Online at my desk for 7 hours straight. I would've retired in that job if I could have.
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Mar 3, 2010 05:51
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Insane Totoro posted:For the record, I really love cats. There should be an library science class just about cats. Yeah, my mom loves cats and tote bags just like all librarians. She keeps pushing me to get a couple of kittens. Pompoon posted:I'll never fit in...I hate tote bags AND cats. How do you feel about sweatshirts with literary quotes on them? Or buttons with quotes to pin to your tote bag?
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Mar 3, 2010 11:20
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tirinal posted:Can somebody explain to me why librarians are all convinced Second Life will forever rend the current zeitgeist and usher in a new dawn of empowered bohemian artist-activists? Because they want to be "with it" when it comes to technology and the Internet. And since they have little to no IT skills, they improvise with pre-made technologies such as Twitter and whatnot. You know, instead of meaningful change such as updating archaic software and making catalog searches painless. So let's create a virtual library world! And yes, they missed what Second Life is really about. (flying penis attacks)
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Mar 3, 2010 15:24
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Insane Totoro posted:instead of meaningful change such as updating archaic software and making catalog searches painless. WORD to this right here...we are in the process of choosing a new discovery tool and it is like pulling teeth to get the librarians to understand that THEY can have their catalog and search it too while users (you know, who the library's FOR) get to actually find the stuff they want. (there should be a smiley for "touching a nerve")
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Mar 3, 2010 15:34
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I swear I've only seen cat ladies at my local libraries. Are there any other people that work in libraries?
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Mar 6, 2010 21:33
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For some reason, loving books seems to go hand in hand with loving cats. I don't really get it; why would you want a pet that thinks it's so much better than you? Again, thanks everyone for your advice!
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Mar 6, 2010 21:54
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Lee Harvey Oswald posted:I swear I've only seen cat ladies at my local libraries. Are there any other people that work in libraries? I am a man who works in a library. However, I own a cat. Also, most of the women in my office have cats, love cats, want cats, or are grieving over dead cats.
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Mar 6, 2010 22:41
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[post removed]
Mian fucked around with this message at 19:17 on Aug 14, 2013 |
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Mar 7, 2010 00:13
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Pompoon posted:For some reason, loving books seems to go hand in hand with loving cats. I don't really get it; why would you want a pet that thinks it's so much better than you? I am a man and I dislike cats, but a lot of my coworkers like them.
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Mar 7, 2010 01:12
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The best way to make sure you never pass an interview for a librarian position is to mention your dog.
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Mar 7, 2010 01:28
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I can confirm the cat love. My immediate supervisor has two, another coworker has one. It may be because the cat lovers are the more vocal about their pets. The youth services librarian has a dog, and the rest of my coworkers have none as far as I know.
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Mar 7, 2010 02:01
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No one at my branch is really into cats except for one dude who has seven, so I guess it averages out.
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Mar 7, 2010 02:13
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Current Pitt MLIS student checking in. I loved reading this thread just because it validates everything that I have seen myself (stupid classmates, stupid coursework, no jobs, need for networking, etc.). I would not recommend Pitt as an option for you. Their online program is great, in that you get the exact same experience as the on campus students (often to the detriment of the on-campus students) so I would say that if you have to sit through the bull poo poo you might as well do so in the comfort of your own home. If you're going to pay out of state tuition anyway, why waste money on relocation and city rates on living expenses? A friend of mine and I graduated from the same undergrad at the same time. I took a year off and he went straight to Pitt's program (which is only 3 semesters long) and graduated from that in August. He is still looking for a job. Not only that, but he posts about his rejection letters constantly on his Facebook. Not fun to read every day. I currently have a job as a page (shelving, circulation, etc.). I started out as a volunteer but because the director found out that I was getting my MLIS she kept me in mine for the page position when it came open and she called me. Not only that, but our outreach librarian went on maternity leave for 3 months and while she was out, I got to replace her. I now work one hour of reference on Saturdays (without being trained, scary, though I've since become more experienced and a lot more comfortable with it) too. It's really all about who you know and networking. You have to know the person who likes you and will let you know when you can move into a position. As much as I like the public library where I work now, I will never work there as more than what I am now. I know this because they're already planning for the retirement of some full time staffers by saying they're going to just replace them with a couple part time people. And our director isn't exactly too sharp either. She was talking to one of my co-workers and was wondering if I would stay on working there after I finished my degree. My co-worker just looked at her sideways and said "She'll have her degree, I doubt she'll continue to work at minimum wage for 19 hours a week." By the way, out of 22 employees at this library, 3 have their masters. I feel kind of bad, because I am the stereotypical MLIS person. Just got her undergrad in English and nothing else. I don't feel like a failure though who is only going to library school because I couldn't find a job. I had planned to apply to grad school for an MA in Renaissance Lit but found out way late that I loved getting the books, not writing the papers. Wow, this was really long, but I think I'm just excited that I've finally found other people who realize that this poo poo is easy and there's more worth in working than in paying $40,000 for "education".
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Mar 7, 2010 04:30
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My library actually has a resident library cat
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Mar 7, 2010 08:53
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Mian: I'm afraid I don't have PM, what with me being a cheapass and not having a platinum upgrade. How hard is it to get into Urbana-Champaign's program? Like how hard for a University of Chicago graduate with prior library experience? And a question for everyone: Just what kind of technical courses do you recommend? I'm willing to take plenty of them, but I have no idea which will be useful at work/convincing employers I'm useful.
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Mar 10, 2010 16:52
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Pompoon posted:And a question for everyone: Just what kind of technical courses do you recommend? I'm willing to take plenty of them, but I have no idea which will be useful at work/convincing employers I'm useful. The biggest three things you want to be able to put on a resume are: 1. HTML/CSS/PHP 2. MySQL 3. CMS (usually just called "Web design" although if you see that on a job posting, make sure you ask in the interview whether they mean actual coding or just back-end stuff, like fixing links, hosting files and playing around with layouts) But I'll also just quote myself from earlier in the thread: Astfgl posted:Everyone should take courses in tech fields (basic web design, database architecture, content management systems, etc.) because even though you'll rarely need to do any coding in the job, being able to say you're familiar with those three things on your CV will put you ahead of your competition. Plus, library school isn't hard, so don't worry about getting in over your head. The tech courses are very basic. But to get more in-depth, here are some samples of what you might learn in the more tech-oriented courses (this will be poorly formatted because I just copied and pasted from the technology section of my school's ugly website): Managing Information Technology in Libraries 1. Overview of library automation systems. A short historical context. 2. Systems analysis for library automation: hardware, software, networks. Relevant technical standards. Information technology planning and the relationship to general planning. 3. Information needs for management information systems (MIS); relationship to organizational structure; consideration of client needs; distributed vs. integrated systems in large or small libraries. 4. Data, databases and MARC. 5. Acquisition of library automation systems: request for proposals; contract negotiation; retrospective conversion. Structure of the library automation industry. 6. Overview of the major LAS subsystems: circulation; inter-library loan; acquisitions and collections management; serials; cataloguing; OPAC services; reference. (Major functions and interrelationships: technical standards.) 7. Development of Library Networks: internal and external networks; network functions. The digital library. 8. Roles in planning and acquisitions of systems: Library staff, senior management, library systems personnel, other librarians. Vendors. Consultants. Managing Internet Information Services 1. Joining the Internet: IP numbers, domain names, protocols; selecting an ISP; estimating server loads; selecting appropriate local hardware. 2. Some other aspects of the structure, growth, and governance of the Internet. 3. Network management tools.* 4. Server configuration issues; determining who gets to do what. 5. Policy development: content, coding, etc. 6. Content management.* 7. Managing list servers.* 8. Legal issues: copyright; laws of Canada and other jurisdictions. 9. Accessibility standards. 10. Security: backups; denial-of-service and other attacks. 11. Publicity: registering with directories and search engines, etc. 12. Evaluating Internet information services: usability; log file analysis*; channels for user feedback. 13. Future trends: IPv6, etc. Internet Broadcasting for the Public Sector 1. History of Internet broadcasting (webcasting, podcasting, Pointcast, etc.) 2. Audio production tools and software 3. Video production tools and software 4. Encoding of audio for the Internet 5. Encoding of video for the Internet 6. Internet distribution methods (RSS, multicasting, hosting services, servers) 7. Client software 8. Intellectual property and copyright. Creative commons licensing and fair use. 9. Regulatory issues Digital Libraries 1. Overview of digital libraries 2. Information architecture and digital libraries. 3. Indexing and classification for digital libraries 4. Design process for digital libraries 5. Media formats and software for processing media 6. User interface design and evaluation 7. Usability testing 8. Authoring standards 9. Electronic publishing technologies 10. Content Management Systems 11. Databases and content 12. Evaluation criteria for digital libraries 13. Server and networking technologies Web Design & Architecture 1. Major evaluation criteria for Web sites. 2. Defining your audience. Critiques of existing sites. 3. Site creation tools: FrontPage. 4. Export capabilities of other types of software (spreadsheets, DBMSs, word processors, etc.). Cleaning up and postprocessing. 5. What is information architecture? 6. Naming and organizing conventions: file, directory, server, and domain names; page titles and descriptions; form of links; redirection from obsolete URLs; when to divide and combine pages; applicability of classification theory. 7. Graphics formats and software: Photoshop. 8. Color schemes and site themes; iconography and metaphor. 9. Style sheets; downloadable fonts. 10. Scripting options: proprietary scripting languages; Java; Javascript; Perl; PHP. 11. Search engines and site indexes. 12. Accessibility issues. How does your site look in a text-only browser? What happens if the browser does not accept scripts, Java or ActiveX, cookies? 13. Other special problems: multilingual sites; multilingual pages; special character sets. 14. Discussion of student projects in Web site design. Database Management Systems 1. Relational DBMS table creation, queries, and reports. 2. Entity-Relationship diagrams. 3. Designing a database from an Entity-Relationship diagram. Normalization. 4. Programming/scripting. 5. Mounting a database on the Web. SQL. 6. Comparison of DBMS and IR packages. Not saying you have to take all of those courses, but you may want to pick and choose courses that cover at least SOME of those skills. I don't know what your pre-existing skillset is (so for instance Internet Broadcasting might be old hat to you while database infrastructure might be completely new), but I had almost no tech experience and have managed to squeak by after only taking two of the above courses (the first two, to be exact).
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Mar 10, 2010 18:08
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drat, that was nice and straightforward. Thanks!
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Mar 11, 2010 16:55
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I am another man who works in a Library (University) and I love Cats. I don't own a Cat (alas, mine died some years back), but I live with my GF and her two Cats and one Dog.  Our Director has two Cats, my immediate boss (Head of Circ.) has a Cat. I have lobbied for a Library Cat, but that will never happen.  I'm going to invest in a pillow Cat or something, hehe, a Library should always have a Cat.I don't have a degree, and am not a Librarian. I just supervise the night shift. I used to work at our local Public Library as a Page, so that helped me get this job. I'd be making more money if I were a Librarian, but the ones who work here have to show that they are worth keeping every year, when they come up for review. What classes did they go to, what other stuff have they been doing to improve themselves, etc., pray to God nobody with any clout complained about you. I am glad I have a more secure job than that, but the money difference is pretty large. Our Library seems outside the norm from what I am reading in this thread...NONE of our Librarians check books out, or shelve anything. Reference will sometimes send people over to me for answers, since the Librarians are so out of touch with what goes on here (like, where are the books in the History Collection, Barometer?). I have even had to complain about one of our Librarians trying to get me to do her work. I love Cats, but am not into Totes, so I think that explains why I am not a Librarian. I also love books, and I really enjoy working here. The Patrons will always be the most annoying thing about working in a Library, those quotes earlier about Printers and Computers are spot-on! "Where are the bathrooms?", haha, I hear that every night. Anyway, don't get discouraged, Pompoon! Libraries are a great place to work, as long as you like the people you work for/with. Good luck!
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Mar 12, 2010 01:56
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Thanks, Barometer! Quick question: what you said about the Librarians coming up for review every year, is that common in most libraries? A spot at the Law library at my University just opened up, so I've applied for that...basically I'd be doing the same job there as my bosses do at my library. I know I'm qualified for it, but they got an assload of applications, and I've been emailing the personnel office so they don't forget about me...I even told them I'd spent the past week learning HTML (just for them!)
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Mar 13, 2010 07:05
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Pompoon posted:Thanks, Barometer! Quick question: what you said about the Librarians coming up for review every year, is that common in most libraries? He can correct me, but I believe that only applies to university libraries where being a librarian is almost an academic position.
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Mar 13, 2010 07:36
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tirinal posted:He can correct me, but I believe that only applies to university libraries where being a librarian is almost an academic position. Truth. Some academic libraries treat librarians like staff, but others treat them like faculty, many of them actually do have tenure track positions. So, just like professors, their performances must be evaluated for the better, or they lose their contract.
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Mar 13, 2010 14:20
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Is it possible to get (fully?) funded to get your MLS degree? If so, where? I am just finishing my MA in English at a very rigorous program, having decided not to continue on to the PhD. I've been fortunate enough to have been on a very generous fellowship for the last two years; because I can't stomach the idea of taking on a huge amount of debt, I decided that I'll only pursue the MLS if I don't have to pay (much) for it. Is this possible? If stipends are out of the question, are there any schools where I could get my tuition covered? Do programs offer TA positions? Also, is anyone involved with Digital Librarianship? Is there a "hot" or "up and coming" area of library studies? Thesaurus fucked around with this message at 19:37 on Mar 14, 2010 |
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Mar 14, 2010 19:34
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There are TA positions for on campus programs (at least there were at UW-Milwaukee) and the TAs did grading and such for onsite profs who had online classes, but no TAs for the online only professors. There were not many TA positions however, so if your plan to fund your education hinged on it I wouldn't go expecting you will get one for certain. Other than that, the only thing I am aware of is to just go straight to Phd or get a job that will pay for you to get the degree over 4 or 5 years.
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Mar 14, 2010 20:09
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maskenfreiheit fucked around with this message at 03:07 on Nov 29, 2013 |
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Mar 14, 2010 20:12
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Pompoon posted:Thanks, Barometer! Quick question: what you said about the Librarians coming up for review every year, is that common in most libraries? As covered by tirinal and innocent_deadly, I think it does vary from place to place. This being a fairly large University, we have five Libraries (Law, "Main", Math, Health Sciences and another one that doesn't seem to have an "area", per se). The turnover rate of Librarians here (Health Sciences) has not been very large. I've been here about five years now, and have seen one retirement and one firing, ahem, letting go and another Librarian who was super part time (one day a week for a few hours on Reference) was not re-upped. One new Librarian (who came up from a position similar to mine) and apparently we have a new one coming in sometime in the near future, to replace our retiree. I never discussed it with the Librarians at the Public Library, so I really don't know if they were under the same kind of pressure or not. Nobody around here seems very stressed about it, but I imagine that is because our Director is pretty laid back. GregNorc An actual Librarian could tell you more, but much of it depends on what your boss expects of you, and where you work. Our Librarians are each in charge of a different group of topics, and are expected to keep our Library up to date with the most recent books/Journals pertaining to their areas. They each have to do some reference work (sit at the Reference desk for four hours a day) and go to various meetings (oh, the pain!) and workshops, etc.. I think the tech skills would be helpful as hell, again, depending on where you go. Our Website is maintained by one of our Librarians. I don't know how common that is, though.
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Mar 14, 2010 20:57
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The library system I'm set up in is like that too-the giant main one (technically Humanities, but it has everything really), law, sciences, math, and social sciences/services (and we're building a big underground one since the main library is really overcrowded). I work in the giant main one. I would love nothing more than to work in this system forever, since we have a massive budget, millions of books, and the work environment is great. It's pretty much the best 
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Mar 15, 2010 04:05
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| # ? May 6, 2024 04:09 |
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I caught up in this thread while delaying writing an essay on AACR2R for my cataloging midterm. I go to Dominican University GSLIS in River Forest, IL. I don't recommend it unless you want to live in Chicago, and have a car because the near 2 hour commute sucks. I know because I don't have a car. The program isn't bad, I actually like the work I do but all the comments about morons and soccer moms in your classes are 100% true. And man do they LOVE to talk. Though my main issue with them isn't that they say stupid stuff it's that they are SUPER idealistic about the work they will be doing. I worked as an adult reference aid for a year before I moved up to Chicago for this program. My only regret is that I don't still have that job. But there was no way I was going to stay in Kansas and go to Emporia, and online classes aren't my thing. Mian is totally right about IL. It also sucks if you live in the city and can't get to the burbs to volunteer. The Chicago Public Library system is unionized so that means volunteers can't do the work of staff, even pages. This caused a real mess when the union voted to fire most of the pages from the system instead of having the librarians take a few days less a month. Books on carts. I'm actually delaying my graduation a year hoping that CPL gets its act together. But I'm willing to relocate, though more than likely I'll find something in the burbs. They don't have the money issues the CPL has. The thing about library jobs being scant is true. But it's hardly a unique problem. Chicago is face something like 6 people to every job opening. Besides the freezing of jobs as people leave or are fired it's true that the old ladies who love petting cats in second life aren't retiring. However, when they do the flood gates will open. It's going to be an exciting time to be a librarian because the generation that is setting all the rules (and forcing second life on you) will be replaced by younger generations with new ideas. I'm currently focusing on multilingual services and reader's advisory (which is unlikely to really make a come back but it's a cool thing to know as an adult reference librarian). I'm also going to be taking tech classes because it is a safe wait to make yourself desirable. I highly recommend that you join any associations relevant to your goals. I'm a member of the ALA, PLA, and the ILA. We had someone from the ILA (IL Library Association) visit us in one of our classes. She made it clear that at the library she does the hiring at you will NOT get an interview looked at if they see that you are not an ILA member. The field is highly political so get noticed by getting on some committees and if you can find a mentor you're all the better for it. It's going to be a rough next decade but it's also going to be exciting and fun. Just have realistic views and hopes, one of my classmates (soccer mom) actually thinks she'll make 100k as a school media librarian. I'm a male library student who loves his cat and carries his groceries home in a tote (I got it from CMJ not a library conference so it's hip, right?).
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Mar 15, 2010 07:29
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