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Are library jobs hard to find even if you're willing to move? I'm starting MLIS school in the fall, and this thread is certainly disheartening. If I focus on something like database management or cataloging, is the degree flexible enough to where I could find similar work outside of libraries if there aren't any jobs available?
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Feb 27, 2010 23:50
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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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Does volunteering count as work experience in the library field? They say that having at least two years of experience greatly helps someone get a job, and it would give me two years of experience once I graduate.
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May 10, 2010 21:31
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manguero posted:If anyone wants to stick up for an MLIS program in jeopardy, search for "Save LSU's SLIS Program" on facebook. By the by, I'm trying to get in for the fall (transferring from English), and hoping that if the program does get closed, that I'll at least get in for the last semester they accept new enrollments. (I think they will let everyone enrolled as of the decision finish their degree.) The chancellor of the university broadcasted an email with his recommendation to cut the program and some other stuff (to the tune of $1 million), but it hasn't gone before the Board of Supervisors one way or the other. If you have to go to an out of state school, you can probably qualify for the academic common market if no other schools in Louisiana offer the MLIS program. It's an agreement among states that allow students to attend the online programs for in-state prices. This is a link with more information. http://www.electroniccampus.org/student/scripts/acm/acmintroduction.asp
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May 26, 2010 21:07
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What type of library job is easiest to find now?
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Jul 15, 2010 23:39
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Would being a male actually help in the hiring process, since there are so few males in the field? Also, if worse comes to worst and there are no jobs one can find in libraries, can a MLIS be helpful in getting a job in another field? I just don't want to be stuck with 30k in debt with no job prospects.  I'm volunteering at a local branch as a page, which I hope will lead to a paying job soon. It pays minimum wage, but any type of experience should help when I start to look for a job. I also hope that I can use my volunteering to count as "experience."
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Jul 16, 2010 21:45
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When exactly is the change to 3 years going to take place for A+ certification?
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Aug 20, 2010 19:46
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I really hope volunteer work counts as experience, because I can't find any type of paying job, and I'll be hosed in terms of experience if it doesn't count.
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Sep 15, 2010 00:10
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One of my professors has pictures of LOL cats on every lecture slide.  On Monday I applied for a librarian assistant job that's perfect in pay and hours. I'm an eternal pessimist, so I'm not expecting to get it. However, if anyone knows the temperament of personnel departments in libraries, when would be a good time to send a follow up call or email to check on the status of my application?
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Oct 21, 2010 01:41
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Ugh, one of the people in my class groups made an error when submitting an assignment through Blackboard, so the TA didn't receive it until a couple of days after the due date. I hope the professor or TA is forgiving, because it is really going to gently caress my grade if not. I loving hate group work.
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Oct 21, 2010 17:39
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No, only one person is supposed to turn it in. I would have turned in a copy if I could. I'm paranoid and don't trust anyone.
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Oct 21, 2010 17:50
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I just got word that it won't count against us, thank Christ. But yeah, gently caress Blackboard, especially its digital drop box.
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Oct 22, 2010 00:02
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Can anyone list any good strategies for finding entry level jobs for a student? I'm a distant education student, so I can go anywhere. I don't want to graduate without any paid experience, and I'm getting desperate.
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Oct 26, 2010 23:07
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VideoTapir posted:Pay is laughable. *is every library opening* Indeed.com seems to be a good resource. I'll finish my cover letter tomorrow and send some applications. I'm going for primarily full-time library assistant jobs since many of those only require a high school degree, and I couldn't afford to live on my own on a part-time salary.
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Oct 28, 2010 02:27
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Since I've been applying to entry level jobs out of state, I've begun wondering if out of state applicants are even considered. I've heard some companies throw out applications from out of state, but are libraries more willing to hire out of state talent, especially for jobs in the 20-30k salary range?
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Oct 29, 2010 01:33
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I'd rather work in Canada than the US. I'd assume their funding is more consistent, and you wouldn't have to worry about far right radicals like Rick Scott coming into office and wrecking everything. Does anyone have any experience with the Student Temporary Employment Program? I just applied for a job as an archives assistant through that program, and am wondering how competitive those jobs are. Lee Harvey Oswald fucked around with this message at 15:12 on Nov 9, 2010 |
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Nov 9, 2010 15:08
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Well, I finally got my first email informing me that I wasn't being considered for the job I applied for. It can only go up from there. 
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Nov 24, 2010 22:36
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I wish I lived in a country where retarded conservatives didn't have so much power.
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Nov 25, 2010 15:06
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Well, I still haven't found any luck in getting entry level work. I'm thinking of moving near my school's campus next year and going for a TA so that at least I won't have to pay tuition for my last year. I thought being a distant student would make the search for work easier, but it turns out that UTK only has about 15 or so on-campus students enter each semester, while the 50 to 60 other students are distant. Does anyone have experience working in their school's library while being a student in a LIS program, and is there a preference for LIS students for jobs in the library over other students?
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Dec 15, 2010 20:40
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I've been volunteering at a local library since May, and am thinking of asking the librarian about paid positions. Is it common for volunteers to be hired in the libraries they work, and would it be considered kosher for a volunteer to ask about paid positions? I guess I'm the stereotypical timid librarian personality.  And I don't want to brag, but I think I'm the fastest shelver they have. 
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Dec 28, 2010 22:42
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Well, I had an interview with the library I volunteer with for a minimum wage part-time page job, and didn't get it. I'm just about ready to give up on this profession and use my masters for something technical, because I'm getting tired of this bullshit.
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Jan 8, 2011 21:46
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gently caress, gently caress, gently caress. Now I see UTK bursar's office has instituted a distance education maintenance fee, which seems to double my tuition for the semester. This better be an error because the bursar's office explicitly states that the distance fee is only $46 per hour. Of course I find out about this the day before fees are due, and my classes will be canceled unless I pay the difference, which I don't have because I can't find a loving library job in the first place. Those cocksucks better not cancel tomorrow because of snow, or they better extend the deadline for payment or I'll be hosed. Maybe this is a sign to get out of this bullshit. I'm getting really tired of academia.
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Jan 11, 2011 00:06
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Man, I forgot how angry I was at the start of the year. I don't handle the Holidays well.  Anyway, I've seen some postings from Canadian librarians in this thread. Do any of you know if Canadian libraries are willing or reticent to hire American graduates of library schools? I'd like to expand my potential job base as much as possible. I know that Canadian libraries accept ALA accredited degrees, but that's about all I know about the hiring process.
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Jan 31, 2011 20:46
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I'm not really picky about location. I'd be perfectly willing to work in Bumblefuck America or Canada; it's just nice to know that I have a whole other country to consider employment, especially since teabaggers will probably be taking over the American government soon and further gut library funding.
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Feb 5, 2011 17:46
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Might as well just buy the book for those prices.
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Feb 22, 2011 17:07
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Speaking of collections development, do any librarians with experience know whether libraries actually heed the advice from those purchase request forms? I just requested a book I want to read that I can't afford myself.
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Feb 22, 2011 22:43
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I've thought of leaning towards academic libraries, but I don't want to have to deal with the political bullshit of being designated faculty or staff, and I don't want to get a second masters degree. Do community college libraries have the same issues as universities?
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Feb 23, 2011 15:44
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Yeah, even as a volunteer I've seen some of the bullshit librarians have to go through. I suppose my biggest questions concerns the second masters degree at community colleges. Are they generally encouraged or required at that level? The book I requested is ~$40 and is about the history of slasher films. I somewhat doubt they'll go for it. Here's the link to the book for reference: http://www.amazon.com/Going-Pieces-Rise-Fall-Slasher/dp/0786412275/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1298490557&sr=8-5 I'm going to request some leftist books if I have luck with this, but I'll submit they anonymously to avoid being put on some list. Ha Ha
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Feb 23, 2011 20:50
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Could some of you employed in libraries give any advice on your experiences in getting hired in a library? How did you get your foot in the door to finally get a job. I've met people in my MLIS program who have some good jobs without a masters, and I'm left wondering what they're doing that I'm not doing. I've been volunteering for a little less than a year and graduated with a degree in Information Technology magna cum laude, but I can't even seem to attract any interviews for minimum wage page jobs with high turnover. I've only had two interviews in the past year for those positions. I've only had one paying job in my life for several months, and I'm thinking that's really holding me back. I shouldn't have been so lazy during my undergraduate studies.
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Feb 25, 2011 22:02
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I will after I graduate. I can live with having no money for a year by mooching off my folks, but I'm just concerned that nearly every job asks for a couple of years of library experience. I'm volunteering as a page and am also volunteering at my city's Local History Department in helping them scan newspapers and other items for the digitization of those resources. Will that volunteer work count as relevant work experience, so I can say I have about two years of experience, or does it have to be paid work to fall under that criteria? Basically, since every job asks for experience, it seems to be a catch 22 in getting your first library job. I just don't understand how people can get pretty lucrative jobs with just a bachelors degree, and how they got their feet in the door for those jobs.
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Feb 27, 2011 18:15
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What are the best strategies for networking? I suppose I can volunteer at more libraries in the summer. Ugh
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Feb 28, 2011 18:23
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Is there a difference between practicums and volunteering? I know you get course credit for practicums, but I don't see how it's all that different from what I'm doing at the Local History Department scanning newspapers for its digital collections. I've been enjoying this the past few weeks because I'm scanning some right-wing rag from the '90s that features Vince Foster conspiracy stories in every issue. And concerning internships, how too are they different from volunteering? You mentioned the GI bill. If worse comes to worst, could I enter the military as an officer to become a librarian, or are those standard civilian type jobs? The only knowledge I have of them is from the movie Idiocracy.
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Mar 3, 2011 03:30
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Thanks for the information. Reading the other thread, I've heard cronyism is a major problem with the USA jobs site. I guess that's a problem everywhere, though.
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Mar 3, 2011 18:11
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I may have asked this before and don't remember, but it seems that when I browse job sites like indeed.com for library jobs, there are far more openings for academic libraries than public ones. Are those jobs easier to get, or am I not looking in the right places for public positions?
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Mar 4, 2011 21:54
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Any advice on the best ways separate yourself from the cat ladies if you can't find paying work?
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Mar 7, 2011 18:10
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nesbit37 posted:What type of library position are you looking for, exactly? From your posts I can't tell if its public library, specifically reference services, or just whatever you can find. Well, I'm leaning towards special collections, but the second part of your question is applicable as well since I am pretty desperate for any type of library work. Sorry to keep asking questions, but I'm in the middle of registration for fall courses. Anyway, I'm doing a practicum next semester and was thinking of performing it at my local university's special collections department to broaden my experience. I could perform it at the public library's Local History Department where I volunteer, but I was thinking that having experience in public and academic special collections could perhaps give me a leg-up, and would give me potentially more references. Should I get this diverse experience, or should I just focus on public libraries exclusively and perform my practicum at my Local History Department? And about publication, which journals seem to be more open to student publishing, and what are some good topics for students to focus on when writing articles?
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Mar 7, 2011 19:56
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I don't have a platinum account, so I can't send a PM, but if you don't mind an email correspondence, I listed one of my email accounts under "Interests" in my profile. If you want, just email the post you just made and I'll respond with some of my questions. Thanks for the offer, and I'll understand if you don't want to communicate through email.
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Mar 7, 2011 22:01
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So, I'm going to have a meeting about my practicum goals at my local university's special collections department. Does anyone have any suggestions about what goals to seek in such a practicum? I want to gain experience with metadata and preservation techniques, but I may need more specific goals when submitting my proposal to the practicum coordinator.
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Mar 16, 2011 20:06
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I've been thinking of aiming low after I graduate if unable to secure a "librarian" job. There seem to be a lot of full-time "library assistants" openings with only associate degree requirements on sites like indeed.com and the like. Are those jobs easy to get with an MLIS or do a lot of MLIS graduates apply for them? I'm trying to set my expectations low to avoid disappointment. I saw one school say that 90% of its graduates procured library jobs within one year of graduating, even those without previous library experience. Either a lot of them are working as janitors, or I'm smelling the faint scent of bullshit.
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Apr 11, 2011 19:46
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Yeah, that's what I was also afraid of: being overqualified. Damned if you do, damned if you don't
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Apr 12, 2011 02:46
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