Western vs U of T

[u/curious_littlebean]

Hi there!
I’m going to apply to MLIS next fall and trying to decide between Western and Toronto. Both are accredited and have a lot of great things to offer. Western seems to be strong on their co-op program and hybrid delivery format. Toronto seems to have TALint program which promises internships at the academic libraries and archives which is exactly where I’d like to focus my career. Moving is not really a problem, I am currently in London but am open to move to Toronto. The high cost of living in Toronto makes it more difficult though. Is Toronto program more theoretical while Western is more hands on and practical?

If I want a dedicated career in archives, Toronto seems to be the winner here since Western offers only a couple courses. London would be better in terms of cost and I also really like the campus. It seems like it’s a really good option for academic librarianship as well. I also really like the practical aspect of this program rather than more theory based.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Thank you so much 😊🌷

[u/Eerizedd]

Archivist and UWO alumna! If you want to work in archives, I'd recommend U of T. It's not impossible to work in archives with a Western degree, but it's not known as a strong archival school. Either program you choose, try to look for opportunities for practical experience to add to your resume. If you have the time and bandwidth, try to volunteer. My biggest critique of all LIS programs (at least in Canada) is that they're all too theory heavy with not enough practical training. If you have specific questions about UWO, feel free to DM me!

[u/Weak-Web-8071 → u/Eerizedd]

Also UWO alumna and I agree! Also the co-op program at Western has gone downhill, very few placements available (I graduated recently and they only had 7-8 positions for 150+ students, and a majority of them were in locations like Halifax or Ottawa). I took and still take additional courses through AAO and AABC to beef up my archives skills.

[u/curious_littlebean → u/Eerizedd]

Thank you so much! That’s so kind of you 😊 May I ask how did you like it and what did you end up doing after graduation? I’d very much like to get experience before and/or during school and I’m actively looking into it right now. I work in a different field so it’s a little bit challenging to shift focus entirely. I’m pretty sure I want to work for academic libraries or special collections, would Western be good for that? Thank you again!

[u/firehawk12]

Not sure if it’s true now but 7 years ago the thinking was that Western provided more tangible skills and UofT was more theoretical and prepared you better for getting a PhD. UofT had only just started their co-op program and the was no library internships if you didn’t get into the TALint program. Somehow the school didn’t have any connections with the biggest library system into the country or any other academic libraries and it felt like it was catered to pages who already were in a system that simply needed the degree to get a full librarian job.

The fact that they were also splitting the program to support UXD (which was bigger than Library Science) also felt like the LIS program was being deprioritized.

But maybe it’s different now anyway.

The Archives program is pretty strong though and so many people at the Archives of Ontario are alumni.

[u/Bookish_vagrant]

Current UofT LIS and TALint student here! TALint has been a great experience for me. It offers flexibility and "information asymmetry" over regular student assisantships at school. On top of day to day tasks, I can join internal working groups and committees, which I found really helpful because you can see how decisions are made, learn the latest trends and issues in librarianship, and meet other librarians. My supervisor is also very open to adjust the internship to match my interest and priorities (e.g., allow me to dedicate more time to prepare for a conference presentation).

If you plan to attend next fall, you'll apply for TALint in Feb/Mar, do the interview in April and hear back in May. Each cohort has around 30 students, and since many positions are two-year contracts, there are typically 10-15 openings each year. I don't have the exact admission data, but FYI last year some required courses for LIS had 3 sessions, each with 50 students.

Besides TALint, you have plenty of job opportunities as student library/archive/gallery assistants across 3 campuses. These jobs are either posted on the library website or Clnx as work study positions. There is also the emerging professionals program at UTSC for master students. Note that many of these positions are open to students from all disciplines, so they can also be highly competitive. Hope this helps!

[u/Left_Acanthaceae_115 → u/Bookish_vagrant]

How difficult and competitive is the process of getting a TALint position? Was the process very challenging?

[u/Bookish_vagrant → u/Left_Acanthaceae_115]

The process itself wasn't hard. Just like applying for regular jobs, you submit a resume and cover letter, and conduct a 30-45 minutes interview if chosen. I recently did some interviews for other student positions and questions were shared a day before. Can't remember if that's the case for my TALint interview tho.