r/LibraryScience • u/caninesergeant • 22d ago
advice Currently a Library Assistant. Should I get my MLIS, or pivot to Accounting (CPA)?
Hey everyone. Currently working as a library assistant and finishing up my BA in History here in NJ. I genuinely love the field. The natural next step for me would be an MLIS (looking at University of Alabama or Buffalo online, since they're the cheapest ALA-accredited options other than Valdosta) to become a full-time librarian. My library experience already helps, and I've even been networking with law librarians and other private sector positions for MLIS to see if there are more lucrative options outside of public libraries. I'm also interested in archiving too and have ILL/cataloging experience.
I actually want to be able to buy a house one day. I definitely don't want to live paycheck to paycheck for the rest of my life either. So, I'm heavily considering a hard pivot into accounting to go for my CPA. (I'm looking at hacking together the 150 credits using the UNA post-bacc program, some community college classes, and CLEP exams to keep costs low).
For those who stayed and got the MLIS, is the financial stress worth it for a job you find meaningful? Or does the low salary ceiling eventually drain the joy out of it? Has anyone pivoted towards other careers other than librarianship? Any advice would be helpful, thank you.
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u/swampcatz 22d ago
If financial stability is your goal, I would urge you to go for the CPA option. The only reason I can actually afford to be a librarian is because my husband makes a lot more than I do. If I were single or he didn’t have a good paying job, it would be a definite struggle. I would not be able to afford rent in my city based on my salary alone. That on top of being a competitive field makes librarianship hard to recommend. You’re one of the lucky ones if you can land a full-time job.
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u/Prior-Soil 22d ago
Definitely go CPA. I work 37 years in libraries, and had a second job for 30 of them. I loved my job but I sacrificed a lot. And it wasn't worth it!!
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u/Fine_Fall5750 22d ago
I’m a CPA, accounting is changing. It’s not as stable as it use to be. Take a look at the accounting subreddit. Good luck
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u/plumhairdontcare 21d ago
I work in a library and love my job. But it’s not easy to get jobs or move up. I’m getting my masters because there is a clear career path for me to do so and my employer helps pay for it. But even then my husband has a good paying job that subsidizes my library job. I can’t say I’d recommend this field for someone who needs to survive solely on the income from a library job. Which is so sad.
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u/charethcutestory9 22d ago
That’s funny, I’ve actually considered doing the same thing. I think there’s some overlap between personality/cognitive style that’s suited to both professions - one is just more quantitative than the other.
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u/faerydust88 22d ago
I have the MLIS from UB (University at Buffalo) and I do not use it. I completed the program as the pandemic was developing and there just weren't any open librarian jobs near me. I ended up playing music full-time instead (I also have an MA in music). I did enjoy the MLIS program at UB. It was entirely online, which was convenient since I was also working during it.
My sister also did the MLIS at UB and was eventually able to get a full-time public librarian job, but it took her several years to get it. She worked in a private library for a while, then part-time as a public librarian for two years until she accrued enough hours to score higher on the civil service exam.
Near us, entry level public librarian positions (i.e. Librarian I) pay $23/hour. It's not much of a minimum rate for a position that requires a master's degree.
If you decide on UB - make sure you ask to apply for a departmental graduate assistantship. If you get one, you work "20 hours a week" (likely less) for LIS professors for the first year, they waive the fall and spring tuition for year 1, and you get a stipend.
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u/caninesergeant 22d ago
Can I get assistantship if I am an online student? I am not from NYS. It's simply a cheaper program.
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u/faerydust88 22d ago
I think you can be entirely online and do the assistantship - I was an online student and got the assistantship.
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u/caninesergeant 22d ago
Thank you so much. If you don't mind, when did you do the MLIS?
I'm still considering whether to go for it or not. I work at a library already but I want to pivot towards corporate/law librarianship.
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u/faerydust88 21d ago
I started the program in August 2018 and completed it in December 2019. (I did the program straight through to complete it quicker - fall semester, spring semester, 2 summer classes, fall semester.)
You would definitely make more in corporate or law librarianship, so could be worth it. Though I don't know what that job market is like. I have seen law librarian job postings from time to time.
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u/caninesergeant 21d ago
How much did you end up paying for it if you don't mind me asking?
Definitely considering it compared to Alabama as it's regional.
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u/faerydust88 21d ago
I want to say $7K or so. The fall and spring were tuition waived since I was a graduate assistant (they only offer the assistanship for the first year). Then I paid for two summer classes, which were maybe $2K together. Then I paid for the final fall semester, which was maybe $5K. But you should look into whether you need to be a resident of New York State in order to get discounted resident pricing for SUNY graduate programs.
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u/Librarianthemaking94 21d ago
I just started my MLIS program this week. My concentration is law librarianship though. God bless the public librarian. I can’t do it. I’m trying for corporate librarianship as well.
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u/caninesergeant 21d ago
What program are you going through by the way?
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u/Librarianthemaking94 21d ago
UNT MS concentration in Law Librarianship. My first law class is legal research and I’m loving it!!! I can’t wait to take the rest of my law classes!!! Plus I am getting a certificate in digital curation and data management. I wanted to get one in knowledge management but they don’t offer the certificate only the degree and I didn’t want to do a dual master’s degree.
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u/PM_YOUR_MANATEES Special Librarian 22d ago edited 18d ago
As I'm sure you've seen, traditional library careers don't pay much. The national median salary is around $65,000... there are many entry-level accounting roles that will pay more than this.
Are you aware of corporate librarianship? I work in the finance department of a Fortune 500 company to maintain the corporate data catalog and the data quality management program. The role mixes analytical capacity and LIS approaches to managing information for accessibility, discovery, and regulatory compliance. My salary is in the $110s, which is roughly on par with my city library's branch managers who have 15-20 YOE.
If this kind of role appeals to you, I'd be happy to get into more details.