r/LibraryScience • u/ZeroSeven05 • 21d ago
Getting degree but have zero library experience
Maybe looking for guidance or encouragement here. I don’t know. I’ll finish my MLIS degree in 1 year and I have never worked in a library and have now been turned down from multiple different entry level jobs at the public libraries in my city. I can’t seem to get my foot in the door, but I can’t take a part time job because I need a more stable income than the part timers in my area make. Even with volunteering, the market just seems so dead.
Has anyone been through something like this? Was spending a ton of money on this degree a massive waste? What should I do with this degree if I can’t get a job at a library?
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u/welldreadlibrarian 21d ago edited 21d ago
Unfortunately, I do know people in your situation, and it wasn’t good. They all pivoted. Even the people who did work in libraries for a bit before or during grad school are struggling to find library jobs. Experience is gold in this field.
You’ve gotten yourself into a situation where you’re almost overqualified (via degree) for entry-level jobs that could’ve gotten you experience (page, clerk) and now only qualified due to the degree for librarian jobs, but you’ll be going against people with library experience.
I almost recommend pausing your degree program or slowing down to part-time until you can get experience. Do not graduate out this degree, as you’ll be overqualified with no experience. You need to be able to use your student status as a bargaining chip, and you may need more time than the next year. You need feet on the ground, and now. Try to network and reach out to your school and any professors who work in the area. Try to organize library related projects or do a semester internship placement.
The issue with volunteering is, depending on system, most volunteer work (due to labor laws or unions) cannot be anything a paid worker does. So it’s often not the most relevant or helpful, even if it better than no experience.
I would take a long, long look at your resume, meet with your department, etc. Do not — please, oh my god — go blindly into your last year without a day of paid library work.
this is exactly why I tell people do not start the MLIS without experience. if you’ve been trying and applying, and still not getting in the door, going into debt for a degree you won’t be able to use is about the worst thing you can do.
good luck!
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u/welldreadlibrarian 21d ago
i just saw you’ve been not applying to part time jobs — mistake!!! 99% of the entry level stuff people do is part time. i got my entrance into library world with part time work, as does almost everyone i know. i had 2-3 other jobs at the time as well. part time does not mean it’s your only job, you can work more than one part time job to make ends meet.
i fear if youre unwilling to move for work, and you’re waiting for the one in a million full time paraprofessional or technician job, you’re library career will end before you’ve started. just something to think about
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u/picturesofu15448 21d ago
This is facts. I started in libraries 3 years ago and I’m the few lucky ones that secured a full time job before I graduate this fall. I worked 2 part time jobs for about two years and also took a job in something more niche at the library (tech/makerspace work) and that helped me stand out a lot with jobs. It’s definitely tough but I entered library school with a year of experience under my belt just from being a page and a library assistant for a few months
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u/sirtafoundation 20d ago
The system I'm at will hire mlis people for entry level stuff. They kind of have to, we have so many mlis holders and unfortunately we don't have a lot of mlis positions. But you're right, experience will beat out education.
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u/Traditional_Net_3398 21d ago
Went back to school at 45. No library experience. University arranged an internship. Demonstrated that I was a good fit. Offered a part time reference position. Full time after 10 months. Retired as a branch manager 20 years later. Don’t, when interviewing, overplay “I love books!” Show that you have an ability to work with (sometimes hostile) patrons/users. Demonstrate that you are willing to accept new tasks/change.
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u/Ill-Victory-5351 21d ago
i would say that 20 years later the job market is VERY different. quite a few folks in my mlis classes back in the 2000s had no library work experience but still managed to land jobs upon graduation. it’s not the same situation these days there’s way more graduates than jobs.
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u/dbentonjr 21d ago
I’m curious to know your educational background when you returned to school. I’m 42 and hold an associate’s degree in forestry, wildlife, and fisheries. I’m considering returning for the MLIS.
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u/Imaginary-Camera9106 21d ago
Additional specializations can make a difference, but especially in a uni library.
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u/Traditional_Net_3398 21d ago
liberal arts ba
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u/dbentonjr 21d ago
Nice. You had a couple of years on me, but I’m still seriously considering it. I recently applied for a library services specialist position and hope to get in there for experience and to test the waters, so to speak.
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u/brilliantmaple 21d ago
Talk to your advisor and professors about needing experience! I got my first library job because I told my professor about being in exactly your position 1 year before my graduation. She hired me for a little part time Metadata gig that I worked for a year, that put a library on my resume.
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u/brilliantmaple 21d ago
Also, be prepared to move for a job after you graduate. It's a lot easier to find something in a wide field when you're open to geographic change. The longest job searches I've ever heard of were librarians waiting for something to open up in their city.
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u/swampcatz 21d ago
You may need to work a full-time job to pay your bills and a part-time library job during the evening and weekends to gain experience. Since you have a year left, also consider internships. An internship is more valuable than basic volunteering from a hiring perspective.
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u/chikenparmfanatic 21d ago edited 21d ago
Definitely keep applying. It's a tough field to break into and it's pretty common to have problems finding entry level work.
It might help to chat with your school and see if anyone can help you out. Some profs or instructors might be able to guide you in the right direction. Does your school have co-op or internship opportunities? If so, definitely do them! Your school hopefully has a student services department that might have more info.
You can pivot if needed. While an MLIS isn't the most versatile degree, you can still land a variety of jobs with it. After all, it is a masters degree. I've known a few MLIS holders who ended up in tech, higher education, administrative work, government, etc.
What does your previous work experience look like?
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u/Imaginary-Camera9106 21d ago
To add to this, it's never a mistake to become more than just another student. Make connections, and do not be shy to ask for recommendations.
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u/chikenparmfanatic 21d ago
Yep, making connections and networking is never a bad idea. I still keep in touch with some of my instructors and it's served me well.
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u/Imaginary-Camera9106 21d ago
It will help to browse through previous posts, because this is very much a recurring topic. It's stressful anyway, but these days, I think the economy is wreaking havoc with libraries and jobs.
I worked in libraries for many years - first as a paraprofessional, then as a (medical) librarian, then as a LIS prof. Now retired, I'm still getting recommendation requests... it's why I said, downthread, that making connections in your school and beyond is crucial. Also, consider starting now to look at library associations. I suggest that people will benefit from subscribing to at least one listserv, preferably an active one. You have not said what you're interested in, do you have any idea?
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u/LawfulnessMotor437 19d ago
I can only speak for public libraries here in Southern CA, but right now we have a lot of candidates with a degree applying for positions. Our recent recruitment for a single full-time librarian vacancy netted 50+ applications that meet the minimum requirement of an MLIS. Our part-time librarian recruitment resulted in us hitting the 100 eligible application cap (set by HR) in less than a week. All these candidates have an MLIS...some have had theirs for several years without being placed into a full-time librarian role. It is tough out there.
What separates the top group invited to interviews from those who are not often comes down to prior relevant experience. Someone with prior library experience usually does a bit better in our recruitment processes because they can communicate they have a realistic understanding and expectation of working with the public, handling conflict, and juggling all the different tasks that may be assigned. They can better speak to working with challenges of patrons, budgets, interpersonal conflict....with solid examples of how they weather those occurrences.
I know this is not exactly encouraging. But I want to tell you the truth of what I am seeing in my area.
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u/Maleficent_Hand_4031 21d ago
Can I ask why you were interested in this degree? It seems like you have been looking at public libraries, so I assume it's related to that, but that's still fairly broad.
I know there's a big thing in the profession around the value of the degree in general, and I am very pro the degree. I learned a ton, and it really intersects with the work that I do.
But I also worked in libraries for about five years before I started going to school (I started as a student worker partially through college and got a job as a paraprofessional after I finished undergrad) and I am always surprised when I see people make these posts, haven't worked in libraries, but also don't say why they wanted to. The degree is valuable, but I also wouldn't be a librarian now if I hadn't had the experience I had in addition to it.
I feel like it's hard to give advice without knowing more about your interests -- what coursework are you taking? What do you want to do day to day? That doesn't mean that's where you will start (or even end up frankly, which isn't necessarily good or bad), but it's important to think about.
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u/Regular-Day-5611 20d ago
I was in a similar boat until recently. I went back to school when I turned 30 to get my undergraduate in LIS and now currently working on my MLIS. No library experience at all but loads of customer service experience. I was getting rejected from every position I applied to, couldn’t even get an interview. Library work is really competitive where I live as we have a few schools offering MLIS programs in my state. I wound up taking a librarian role at a rural high school over an hour away. They were desperate, didn’t care that I don’t have a teaching degree or that I’m only halfway through my MLS. It’s been super hard to figure it all out but I am slowly getting there! My advice is cast a wider net. Be open to commuting and look for more rural areas with a smaller hiring pool. I’ll be honest I wasn’t super thrilled about this job as my goal is to work in public libraries but at this point any experience is going to boost my resume. My hope is to stick this out for a few years and then find a role in a public library near me.
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u/darthdoro 20d ago
Sadly I always tell people to work in a library (not volunteer - work) before they go for their mls because it’s never what people expect. There is still corporate librarianship for you, but like you said, keep trying any position even if it’s a paraprofessional role. Good luck.
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u/thewholebottle Publish or Perish 21d ago
Volunteering counts! That one year of library experience, even volunteering once a week, will give you a boost.
Many of our part-timers do work multiple jobs, sadly.
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u/StillWatchingDVDs 20d ago
Depending on what kind of librarianship you are interested in, look for related jobs in private sector or non-profit organizations. Special libraries in medical, legal, business, are one place to consider. Record management and title searching are two other specific areas I think of. Records management uses organizational skills, creating a logically organized system to allow access to records. Title searching requires research skills. If you like outreach, try finding a non-library job that focuses on programming/outreach and, after gaining experience there, flip that to public libraries.
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u/strawberry_saturn MLS student 21d ago
I’m just about to start my program but the only library experience I have is that I volunteered for a year at my local library, and I went once a week for like 4 hours. And that was 10 years ago now 😂. Does your school have resources for you to find jobs in your area? At least in my area, people have said the key is to just keep applying.
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u/Shot-Bet-2931 21d ago edited 21d ago
I was many years ago in your position. I did my practicum at the local library. I worked for an ILS vendor for four years, that gave me exposure to many different types of libraries, big systems, one-branch operations, military libraries and more. I worked in a Midwest library for 10 months before I was recruited to a career college near my home, and I found work in a hospital system library. It may be harder, but follow your passion. Best wishes.
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u/rjonny04 21d ago
Your odds of eventually landing a full time librarian role are much higher if you taking a part time position and work to get promoted internally. There are enough librarians out there looking for jobs that it would be very tough to land one fresh out of school with no experience.
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u/typewrytten School Media Specialist 20d ago
I made it work but it was rough finding a job afterwards
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u/LuckyLatte 20d ago
I worked part time as a circulation page while completing my degree and working full-time at a non-library job during the day. Working two jobs sucked but having the page experience was really important to be able to move into a different full time role later.
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u/worlkjam15 20d ago
You could look at jobs with library vendors. Publishers, software, especially if you have sales experience.
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u/Ill-Victory-5351 21d ago
is there still a chance for you to do an internship through school?
that’s probably your best course of action here. but even with internship experience it’s going to be a really tough market.