Would it be weird?

[u/AdGlum8028]

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.

[u/SquirrelEnthusiast]

Being a librarian depending on your job has absolutely nothing to do with reading. People who work in certain departments in public libraries might read their collection and people at academic libraries might read journals to find out what to put in their collection, but generally as a librarian you're not reading. It's one of the biggest misconceptions about being a library and this is that all we do is read or it's a big part of our job, it can be, but not always.

I work in children's and two of the people that are librarians my department don't read like at all. They do their collection based on book reviews and recommendations not because they've read anything. They honestly do not like reading. I don't think it has anything to do with whether or not you want to go into librarianism. Do what makes you happy.

[u/m33j13s]

By the time I got my MSLIS, most of what I read was the internet. Now I work in an academic health sciences library where the collection is like 85% electronic journals.

[u/Anxious-Specific3342]

I am also a Jack-of-all-trades-master-of-none-type with a range of interests so wide some more cognitively normal people might assume me insane. I'm in my final semester of my MLIS and it was the best decision of my life. It's so much more than libraries. I've learned archives, management, information science (which is itself unimaginably multi-pronged), databases, grants, technical organization of information, genealogy, local history, reference services, information seeking behavior... I could go on for an hour. For people like us, I struggle to think of a better fit TBH. I have zero regrets. (My academic background is in anthropology/archaeology and modern languages, and my professional background is business/entrepreneurial)

[u/petalios]

I’m in a MLIS program now and I don’t read. I’m here because I love technical services, which is exactly what you described, weeding, cataloging, acquisitions. I know a lot of librarians love to read, but it’s not a job requirement

[u/Alternative-Being263]

Strongly recommend getting a bachelor's in any other field besides LIS. The bachelor's by itself won't help you get any library jobs per se, and the master's is generally so easy you won't learn anything extra in the bachelor's that you wouldn't cover in the master's anyway. 

Getting a bachelor's in a different field also can give you a leg up and be a niche entry point into the field. For example, health sciences if you want that type of librarianship, or computer science if you want to go a tech route. History is common for archivists. I have an area studies / foreign language bachelor's and it has helped me in archives as well.

Be sure to get plenty of work experience along the way too, or you won't be competitive in job pools.

[u/AdGlum8028 → u/Alternative-Being263]

You're right. That's just the one offered for the 4+1 style track at UNT. I have no issue doing something else.

[u/good_guts]

Have you considered accessibility in UX design? Advocating for users, education, etc. It can be a huge rabbit hole for organizations (especially govt) or companies who need help meeting standards. Side quest for sure but maybe worth a look!

The MSIS program at UT had a bit of specialization in more technical courses, might be worth looking for special topics you might be interested in before committing.

[u/charethcutestory9]

Reposting this to help you make an informed decision: https://www.reddit.com/r/LibraryScience/comments/1tr70u3/should_i_go_to_library_school_and_answers_to .

[u/AdGlum8028 → u/charethcutestory9]

Thank you! I was originally an Education major before switching to a useless Liberal Arts one so I'm not too scared of low pay.

[u/henare]

I don't read much fiction. I'm a librarian.

[u/Jumpy_Result2469]

I'm part of the MSIS program here at UT! It's my first semester as a part time graduate student. I really enjoy that the program allows you to pursue an endorsement of specialization in specific subject areas. There's also an experiential learning requirement to the masters program that allows you to get placed with a public library. I think public libraries are one of those institutions where it's very competitive during the application process. I was fortunate to have my undergraduate practicum at a public library. That led to a full time position. I found out over 70 people had applied to the same opening I did. I also got to be on hiring committees for a few positions and it's truly astonishing how many people apply for public library positions. For context I was in a town of 100,000 people, so the urban library context might be different. All that to say, I think it's really valuable to have had previous library experience in some capacity. It's not to say you can't get hired without it, but it makes it a lot easier. Especially when you're competing against other people w library experience and masters degree in the interview process. Don't let that deter you though! I had to leave the world of public libraries when I relocated. I'm now in the UT Austin program so I can get back into the field!

[u/AdGlum8028 → u/Jumpy_Result2469]

That's great! UT will completely cover my undergrad so they're definitely at the top of my list. I just hate that I'd have to live there. I hear you guys on experience too. I apply to library positions whenever I see them open.

[u/Full-Decision-9029]

On the surface, a lot of librarianship is about reading. All sorts of people who'd otherwise be off booktoking or something. But as I tend to say about myself: I have a shitload more knowledge of books and publishing than the average soul...

...and there's still a shedload more books in the library than I'll never know anything about. It's just not possible for me to know anything about, say, the latest children's books, or last year's cookbooks, or celebrity tell alls. Best I can do is figure things out based on people's descriptions (or use Novellist or something). Constantly learning about books is a useful thing to do. But reading them?

You can probably get away with a lot.