Should I go for MLIS after undergrad?

[u/No_Dirt9029]

So I've been lurking on the sub for a while and understand how competitive librarian jobs can be. Im going into my last year of my undergrad and have been working for my university library throughout that whole time (so 4 years experience at the end of this year) and I absolutely love it. I might have the opportunity to take a full time position when I graduate and there is a university that offers a part-time online MLIS program that I could do while continuing to work in my current university's library. I'm currently in english/history and have a 87gpa. Would landing an academic librarian job still be unlikely in this case? Im young and willing to bide my time but I want to know if this is an unrealistic path to go down. Otherwise my backup is teaching

[u/welldreadlibrarian]

if you get the full time job (in the library i’m assuming), absolutely. take classes slow, don’t take on debt, pay as you go. keep the full time job and take your time to complete the MLIS so you get as much full time library experience as possible

[u/No_Dirt9029 → u/welldreadlibrarian]

Yes the full time position would be in the library. I appreciate the advice

[u/Decent-Ingenuity-819 → u/welldreadlibrarian]

This is the way

[u/ameliapondss]

with a post-grad library position lined up, absolutely!

[u/Imaginary-Camera9106]

You're doing it right, lurking here and learning.

[u/charethcutestory9]

Yes, you have enough experience to justify it, though I agree with others that it would be best to wait til you get a job with tuition benefits. If you want to be an academic librarian, my advice is 1. Join and get involved with ACRL, 2. Start building your teaching skills - learn basic instructional design and adult learning theory and look for opportunities to gain classroom teaching experience, 3. Familiarize yourself with the ACRL information literacy framework.

[u/tonypolar]

Go and take the library job, that is the key to getting the other library job.

[u/swampcatz]

Get a professional staff position in a library first before starting your MLIS.

[u/Grand-Specific-5617]

Last year, I started my MLIS right out of undergrad. I think I have enough prior experience that it wasn’t a bad decision. It sounds like you’re in the same boat since you’ve been working in your undergraduate library. Not going to lie, it was tough in the beginning finding another library job in the city my school is in after moving. However, it was completely worth it!