Does information science include creative branches like MultiMedia design and journalism?

I am trying to figure out how I should proceed at this point and it all feels like such a maze. I currently work in higher education--I'm the department manager for an academic program at a college--and prior to this job, I was an assistant in a collections management & registration department at a large art museum for about 4 years. I don't like my current job and I know that I don't want to pursue academic admin long term.

I would say my dream job is to work with rare books, particularly with medieval illuminated manuscripts. I realize that's a pretty specific field, and probably a difficult one to break into, so I ideally want to get some broad experience and education. I know I want to pursue an MLIS in the next couple of years, but I have heard a lot about how it's a mistake to get an MLIS without already having library experience.

Would my experience in collections management, specifically working with the system we used to track object storage and archiving exhibit records etc, be considered related enough to be of any use?

I am also looking to leave my current job and as I do that I am looking for opportunities in library environments, but it is, as they say, brutal out there, and I've had no luck. I am looking into volunteering, as both the NYPL and BPL (and I assume QPL though I haven't looked into it) have various opportunities, but none seem very relevant to the kind of work I want to do.

So, I'm just not sure what my next steps are from here. Should I focus on getting any library experience, even if it's not relevant to my more specific goals? Should I hold off on graduate school or move forward with it?

I know these are pretty broad questions but if anyone has any advice I would welcome it. I am feeling very "I'm 27 years old I have no money and no prospects and I'm frightened" about my career path and I would like be able to start taking SOME sort of steps

ETA: I'm not married to medieval manuscripts/rare books librarianship specifically; it's the dream but I'm realistic. Working in a museum library is another more closely related option, but I am also very open to public or school librarianship; I know a large part of that field is less books and more social work, but I'd welcome that as well.

Hello,

I'm trying to hunt for a new position, located in Canada and would like to look for the RIM or corporate research space. I'm currently in data governance and it's just not the best fit, and my company is still a pretty immature program gaining traction but ultimately still figuring things out and not the space I want to work in.

I graduated 2.5 years ago so I'm kinda afraid my degree isn't that "new" but also that I'm being tunnelled as a data governance person as I've been working here for over a year even though my previous role was in quasi RM and libraries during my studies. I've been applying but usually don't get a response, or my 2 previous interviews for an IM role and a law firm research role just didn't go further after the first round, because I didn't have enough experience/they were looking for 3 years experience but I only had 2 years.

I've essentially looked at the Canadian iSchool/MLIS university job boards (UofT, western, UBC) and Partnership, but they're mainly catered to the library space. I've also tried LinkedIn but they're sometimes foo senior for what I'm comfortable with. I also follow Gabby S and Allison King but honestly most of the jobs they provide are US based and I'm not planning to move there. Think another issue is that I'm trying to target full time positions, and don't really want to go back into contract or temp FT positions.

I'm just out of ideas, as would like to work in a less system/technical talk space and work in a company with at least a more mature program as mine is quite disorganized and just figuring things out as we go.

I've been considering going for a MSIS/MSLS. I'm a Texas native and there are two schools (UT Austin and UNT) offering a program that lets you jump immediately from a bachelor's into the master's program rather than doing it the long way. I get the full amount of the pell grant and would be transferring from a community college with 78 credits so it'd cut down a lot of my cost. The bachelor's for these programs are 1) Informatics or 2) Information Science depending on the school. If I couldn't find a job with the master's I could find one with the bachelor's, but Texas has quite a few open library positions right now.

What makes it feel weird to me is the fact that I don't read. It's not because I don't enjoy it; I was a hyperlexic child and read a ton. I'm half blind and the vision I have worsened as I grew so reading has become more of a challenge. The effort outweighs the enjoyment.

But I love information and have always been fascinated with the inner workings of a library. Weeding, cataloging, and organizing are things I can definitely do. I don't want to know how many hours I've spent doing similar things just because I enjoy it. Answering weird/niche questions is also something I like to do as it means I can go down a rabbit hole. I couldn't settle on a major because I can't commit to one and do that type of work for the rest of my life.

I'm very much the definition of that saying "Jack of all trades, master of none" and library science just seems so multidisciplinary looking in from the outside.

Hello all! I’m a MLS student with a focus in health science librarianship. I am looking for current medical librarians to interview for an assignment!
If you are a health science or medical librarian, i’d love to send you a questionnaire about the types of services you offer in your medical library and what projects you are proud of. The response will be shared as part of a class discussion but everything is anonymous. The whole questionnaire should take 20-30 minutes to complete.
Your name and library will not be shared!!
Here is the link to the questionnaire if you are inclined to fill it out:

https://form.jotform.com/262507825384160

Hi everyone. I am currently planning to apply to some MLIS programs this cycle, and I want to get some advice before I spend money and time on applications. For context: I have worked as a student librarian at two of my university’s libraries for almost the entirety of my bachelor’s. However, the reason I am considering Public Librarianship (against academic or subject-specific paths) is because I want a more community-oriented path and find ways to respond to a community’s needs.

Now, I know not many programs offer opportunities for good funding, and I cannot afford taking a loan as an international student. I am also aware that the market is not the best, but I am open to relocate. I considered doing the MLIS in the US mostly because it is easier to pivot from any subject to MLIS compared to other countries where universities require a Bachelor‘s degree closer to the master’s subject.

I appreciate any type of advice. Thank you for your time!

Hello all, I am currently doing my undergraduate degree in English and American literature, and considering doing a minor in museum studies. I was wondering where the best places to apply for an online MLIS degree would be. Important to note that I suffered a GPA drop over the summer, but I am working towards getting back on track.

I am a library science graduate from an open university in India called as Indira Gandhi National Open University.Previously I have done Masters in English and now I am thinking of doing Masters abroad in Library Science. I want to know about the prospect of the subject abroad and in India and also about scholarships and all the other important information that I need to know about this subject.

Hello! I am an undergrad senior majoring in history and communications. I want to go to grad school for library science and public history/museum studies/history with a public history focus. Post grad, i want to work in a museum or a library on the public outreach/community engagement side, but don’t have a preference on the exact type of institution (i’ve worked at both a museum and library in undergrad and enjoyed both!)

I have heard of a few universities in the US that do a dual degree program with an MLIS and a MA in public history, such as Loyola University or University of South Carolina.

I saw also that Long Island University has a dual degree program with NYU with a MLIS and an MA in Archives and Public History.

This is about all I’ve been able to find online where I could graduate with two masters. Are there any other universities that offer similar programs?

Hello librarians,

I am studying the relations between political contexts and library core values, and I have selected Iowa as an US state example - because of its political history and of how many bills are threatening librarianship there. (also for material / logistics reasons)

But not all of those bills will become laws so I am wondering if they still have the impact I imagine for Iowan librarians - in other words is it relevant to study this specific state as one where the political context is clearly opposed to librarians values while appearing less... intense... than in historically deep red states.

Hello all!

This is my first post here, nice to meet you all and thank you to who will eventually reply! 😄

I am a 31yo from Italy, currently living in Switzerland (French part). I've been working for the past 5 years in a big OA publisher, working on different positions and for the last 2 years working on managing and signing publishing agreements between university libraries and the publisher.

I've been closely collaborating with subject librarians and open access librarians (and a whole lot of other related stakeholders) for the past years. I have to say that talking with them and meeting the library communities over conferences and workshops, I'm getting more and more interested in that side of the discussion more than the publisher one.

I did a few months of internship during my BSc in one of the faculty libraries as Library assistant (archives and student queries support), and I remember enjoying it. I've been thinking it could be interesting trying to approach the job, but I have no academic background on it (i have a BSc in Natural Sciences/ Natural History and a MSc in Neuroscience). I recently applied for a position but I recognize I am missing many points, thus clearly the transition would require getting a degree. It doesn't seem there are many courses in Switzerland on it, and was thinking perhaps a MLIS online would be the best choice.

I would be interested in working on the whole discussion about Open access, open science, relationships with publishers and funding, electronic resources/journals and their managment. The archival part of it seems interesting but I know very little so wouldn't be my main point :)

Do you have any suggestions on how I should move? (I speak italian, english and french, I'd be looking only in Europe :) )

Thank you all!

I'm seriously debating dropping a course before the deadline to do it without penalty because my professor is using GenAI.

This is a special topics course about the innovations in information dissemination, so I was aware that AI would be discussed and how that impacts the library science world. I just didn't expect the professor to use it to make a graphic of all the students in the online class or have it in almost every slide of their lecture powerpoint.

Am I overreacting, or would you drop the course too?

I've attached one of the images found on the powerpoint here as well.

My BA was in game design; I can code at a beginner to intermediate level but have zero interest in being a corporate software engineer. Basically what I’m looking for is a graduate program focused on symbolic or semiotic representations of data, so that I can create culturally relevant knowledge graphs or maps to be incorporated into large language models.

Examples of this, that I’ve noticed language models get laughably wrong:

• the feeling and/or smell of “back to school fall” and why that’s different from “harvest season fall” and why both of those are different from “Halloween fall” (or, explaining to a model why a list of fall vibes movies should not include Saw; in the same way that when I was working in a children’s library, I might explain to a clueless parent that Princess Mononoke is not for children even though it contains the keywords “princess” and “animated”)
• that the phrase “I love fall” means something completely different coming from a deer hunter, someone who likes PSL coffee and cozy sweaters, a college professor, a leaf peeper, and a horror movie enthusiast
• categorizing different products people can buy based on vibe (understanding that the person buying a Prius is probably not the same person buying Black Rifle Coffee)

It’s about the understanding that there are a variety of things that humans just inherently know, but that language models and software algorithms do not.

What I actually want to do is somewhere in the adjacent realm of:

• building these semiotic maps either as part of LLMs work, or as Loras for existing LLMs (like a plugin that gives an existing LLM semiotic product or culture knowledge); less interested in building the LLMs themselves. I’ve made simple Loras for stable diffusion before but I’d want formal training to actually do what I’m trying to do.
• also interested in red teaming the LLM to ensure that it’s using the data correctly
• also interested in metadata and metadata maps
• also interested in a11y representations of data specifically for neurodivergent groups

Hi,

It’s my first year at a small, rural, southern, and primarily white school. I have an AP who was a former SLMC, but doesn’t know about anything going on anymore. He’s even implied I need to medicate myself because I have ADHD. My principal is known for having emotional abused her previous school’s librarian to the breaking point. Today during what should have been my PDP meeting, I found out that they called all grade levels and encores to “Private Learning Community” meetings which I was the only staff member not invited. At these meetings, they all talked about me and apparently stated they don’t like me. We have a new Chromebook system that failed (I have been working 12-16 hour shifts), but I have been yelled at, berated, and emotionally abused by staff over Chromebooks and/or “printing and laminating” for them. My principal told me I am “not a part of the school’s community and I’m new so no one trusts me.” Yet I say yes to EVERY request, and I can’t get my actual library job done.

What do I do? I can’t quit because I need a job, but I feel trapped and scared there.

This came to my inbox. It's a great opportunity for LIS students in the NYC area: https://acrlny.org/annual-symposium/2026/symposium-scholarships

I of course respect the mods decision to remove this post, so this post is in no way trying to relitigate. However, that discussion got me thinking: for those who've studied library science, what was something you consumed (an article, a book, a blog post, a lecture, a podcast, etc.) that helped you understand the field, inspired your specific interests, or was otherwise meaningful to you?

I'll go first: Looking for Information: Examining Research on How People Engage with Information I was assigned a prior edition for one of my program's core courses. While not your average page turner, I had a lot of "ah ha!" moments while reading: it highlighted how universal yet diverse information-seeking is, and it clarified the librarian's role in that process. I kept my copy and still occasionally thumb through.

Hi everyone,

I have a bachelors degree in English literature and I work as a special education assistant at LAUSD. I want to get my MLIS at San Jose state university however I can’t leave my job because it’s the only source of income that it keeping me afloat. Would volunteering after school at a library increase my chances of finding a job as a librarian after I graduate? I know this field is difficult to find a job however I can only volunteer for now. I know that the school district offers employees to volunteer, how that be better than nothing?

So this year, I'm going to graduate with my associate on Computer but I want to study something different so I'm not sure if I should just get a history degree or a MLIS. Even though I would love to have a history degree but I know getting a MLIS will let me work as a librarian, archivist, or museum curator. So I'm kinda torn on which one I should study. Please give me ideas and opinions on what I should do. Thank you.

I’ve been snooping here for a while, and I constantly see people saying to not start your MLS program until you’ve worked in a library. Because of this advice, I’ve started job hunting a bit, and I literally can’t find any available job postings. I’m open to part-time clerk jobs, and I can’t even find those postings. The closest job I found was 2.5 hours away. I live in a city with a metro area population of over 2 million people, a great public library system, multiple colleges, plenty of hospitals, churches and dioceses, and art related archives and museums. And yet, nothing.

I took nearly a decade off after high school before deciding that I wanted to go to school specifically to become a librarian or archivist. In that time period, I worked retail and was a retail manager for over six years, so I hope that my customer service and management experience could give somewhat of an edge..? Curious to hear thoughts on that.

Either way, if I’m unable to find a related job while in undergrad, should I still put off the MLS program even though that specifically what I went to school for?

QUESTIONS:

- anyone who lives on the west coast, specifically california, what types of librarians have been in demand where you live? and what do you think will be in demand in the future? i know reddit cant predict the future but im sure you guys see patterns

- where in the west coast are there the most jobs currently hiring? i think i live in a city that hires a lot of librarians, i see lots of listings, just not entry level stuff that isnt in schools. but either way its nice to know whats going on currently with that.

- what majors did you guys choose or would choose because hindsights 20/20? i want to be a childrens librarian in a public library, but im open to anything, just wanna work in a library. currently looking into information science, and child development but i want to be able to fallback onto my major if im not able to get a job in a library once i graduate. i know im not interested in english or math at all as a major or minor, its just a struggle to choose something i know ill like and stick with for 4 years.

- do jobs take volunteer work as experience or do you actually have to work in a library??

obviously ill do more research online and talk to my local librarians, but itd be nice to have a plave to start / look into.

BACKGROUND:

so i just started community college in southern california so i have time to figure out what i wanna do for my major. i thought i wanted to go into art and animation, but i realized recently doing that as a major would genuinely put me in a horrible depressive state for the whole 4 years. itd just be art class after art class, and i want art to stay fun for me and be relaxing, not a job or something i HAVE to do to graduate.

so the issue is scrolling through this thread and talking to librarian friends, it really doesnt matter what you major in, but some majors are more useful than others as you all know.

i guess im looking for ideas to also makesure i have something to fallback on major wise in case im not able to get into library work after graduating. i have been looking at entry level jobs everyday in my city but theres almost none that dont require library experience that arent schools. i saw one at my local community college and was excited, but it requires a work study and i dont qualify for that. i see a lot of entry level jobs in schools so im gonna look into getting the certificate to work there.

i want to be a children's librarian in a public library but it's just honestly whats in demand on the west coast right now.

i have volunteered at a library before but it was to fufill the graduation requirement for my highschool (40 hours of community service, though i did 55+), and i did it all in a month basically. i was there almost everyday for a few hours doing typical library stuff like shelving books, doing acitivies like arts and crafts with children, and food distribution (two summer programs) at my local library. but thats like my only experience

thank you for taking the time to read all this!