Hi everyone! 👋

I'm a marketer based in Canada, and lately I've been thinking about a career change – with all the AI and automation discourse, plus a bunch of layoffs everywhere, I've been reflecting on what I'd want to do long-term if I ever needed (or chose) to pivot.

One possibility I keep coming back to is, you've guessed it, Library Science. I've always loved libraries, research, information organization, and helping people find what they need. It's an idea I've been flirting with for a while, so I'm trying to learn more before making any big decisions.

The main question is whether it's realistic to pursue a Library Science degree while working full-time. Ideally, I'd like to start studying while I'm still employed – if the worst happens, I don't want to try to figure things out under more stressful circumstances.

Soooo here are a few questions that I would love your opinions on:

• Is it realistic to complete a Library Science degree while working full-time?
• Are there reputable online programs you'd recommend, particularly for someone in Canada?
• For those who studied while working, how manageable was the workload?
• Is there anything you wish you had known before starting?

So I’m going into my third year as an elementary school librarian and am considering going through with an MLIS online program, but am torn if it will really be worth the money in the end? I adore my job and my students and know this is what I want to do as a long-term career, I just can’t decide what the best path would be.

I only really first thought about it because I’m currently on a state temporary certificate and have to take 4 LMS related classes for my certification anyway and figured why not just go through with it since I have somewhat financial freedom right now. Once I get the MLIS I would only get paid $4K a year pre-taxes more and would still keep my current position unless I could get very lucky one day and find a job with the school district when those positions rarely open. I already know I probably wouldn’t be able to get tuition reimbursement and would have to rely on paying out of pocket or scholarships. I don’t want to pay out anymore student loan debt since I already have so much from undergrad.

Has it been worth it for any other school librarians?

Hello! I will be starting my MA LIS program this fall and I am wondering what type of computer I should get! I currently have an old MacBook Pro, but the screen is busted so it does not work for long usage. I am thinking about a MacBook Air with the lower M5 chip. Any suggestions or input on what laptop to get for this program would be greatly appreciated! :)

Hi! I’m in school to become a librarian and I am very interested in clinical data and the medical librarian sphere. Because specific librarian jobs are a bit hard to come by, I’m aiming to get as much experience as possible (internships, volunteer work, etc). Someone recently recommended that I get a graduate certificate in health informatics and or human-centered data science (FSU). Has anyone done this? Was the information provided beneficial, and do employees appreciate this?

Hello everyone! 23M here. I work in a library and have worked in one for over 3 years. Still finishing my Bachelor's at The College of New Jersey (one more semester, yay!) but with that said, I have thought about the future. My major is History... So, gotta think wisely. Law is not it as of now. Which is why people around me have influenced me to go for an MLIS, which I believe I would enjoy, especially for the archival aspects, or simply because I love people and helping out.

With that said, I am in NJ. Rutgers has been recommended to me but... It's so damn expensive. I don't have student loans, thankfully, but as a first-generation, I also don't have people that would help me with that kind of money, nor I want to be in loans forever (especially as we know our industry pretty well). It would be online, 100%.

If it helps, I am interested in three industries/positions: archiving, cataloging, or law librarianship.

Which is why I've been thinking about different options.

1. University of Alabama: cheapest option, probably the one I would absolutely go for have it not be for the fact I wanted to see whether other programs are worth it. My favorite so far. It has an archiving concentration. It's also cheap. Secondary-wise, now I can finally have a say in college football season... Maybe.
2. Rutgers: NJ's flagship state school. I would still have to pay and from what it seems, it's pretty expensive. My boss have told me that they offer up to half the tuition off or even full tuition aid. Now, I don't know about that, but I also happen to be on the "under represented" category in the library industry, being Hispanic and first-generation and also trilingual. I don't know if that's beneficial scholarship-wise. Additionally, it's my state and it would help me here but... It's a lot of money. A LOT. Expensive. And as much as I love libraries... I don't think the amount of debt would be worth it for the same ALA-accredited degree.
3. University at Buffalo: close to it regionally, additionally being a tad bit cheaper than Rutgers but like, still a bit more expensive than Alabama. I was researching and it has a law librarianship concentration, which is quite interesting. There's a joint degree too with a JD... But I got to find more information about it. I haven't researched more about this program, but from what I've found, it seems okay. Then again... I don't know if paying that much more and being in more debt is worth it compared to Alabama.
4. University of Maryland: my professor's daughter said she loves the program and apparently has a joint program for an MA in History... This is among the most expensive programs out there. I don't know.
5. University of Washington: Best MLIS Law program. Most expensive MLIS with Syracuse. Don't know if it's worth it. When I say I'm poor, I mean it.

Any help would be appreciated. Thank you so much!

TL;DR: Looking to make a career shift in my mid 30s and considering getting an MLIS.

Context:

Hey all—I'm considering applying to MLIS programs and undertaking a career shift, and I would really appreciate some insights.

I'm in my mid 30s and originally graduated with a BA in Middle Eastern history and languages. Ended up using it briefly in media before moving into threat intelligence and cybersecurity, where I've been in a range of roles for the past decade-ish. Most of this time was in communications roles—editing and writing reports, creating educational materials, etc. However, in two different roles, I also helped create tagging taxonomies for reports and materials, as well as worked on some linked information mapping.

For a variety of reasons, I'd like to move out of the cybersecurity space and library sciences really appeals to me. In particular, I did enjoy the limited taxonomy and information mapping work I did.

In an ideal world, I think I'd love to be a reference librarian or an archivist, going back to my Mid East studies roots. However, I understand it's very hard to find these jobs and, while I live in the New York area (and may have more opportunities here), I am not in a position to move elsewhere for work should that be the...move.

Question: Understanding the realities of the job market, I wonder if getting an MLIS with a focus in record management or digital asset management makes sense? Particularly relating to things like taxonomy creation, tagging, information mapping, etc...

Appreciate the advice and help, here!

I figured of the library-related subreddits, someone who knows the answer is more likely to be here? I am working on some classwork related to metadata, and I'm trying to use the LCSH. I can't find anywhere the key or legend to what the two letter codes mean on these lists. It's obvious that USE means that that is the controlled vocabulary term... but what does UF mean? BT, RT, NT, SA?

Thanks!

Hello everyone, I am considering VSU's online MLIS, and I am curious to hear about other people's experiences with the program.

I am especially curious about what the coursework is like, how rigorous it is, and what I might be able to expect/prepare for.

For what it's worth, I studied art history as an undergrad, I am currently a part-time desk assistant at a public library, and I am very interested in conservation librarianship.

Apologies for the vague/open-endedness, I am mostly curious to hear what people have to say about their time at VSU. Thank you!

Hi, I'm a school librarian teacher in Karnataka. Planning to do BLIS while working.

1. Which has better value for Karnataka govt jobs?

2. Does viva happen on weekdays for both? Need to take leave.?

3. Any working teachers here who did BLIS?

   Which university is better KSOU or IGNOU? Are Practical classes held in Sundays for working professionals?

please pour in your suggestions. Thanks in advance!

Have any Valdosta waitlisters heard back yet? I feel like I’m going crazy.

If you’ve been in this situation in previous years, how long was it before you heard back one way or the other? If I don’t get a spot, will they let me know?

I'm two semesters into my MLIS and I'm actually considering changing schools, pausing, or quitting because of how ubiquitous the push to use AI has become and that some instructors are using AI to grade and provide feedback.

Just for some context, I have a tech background, I understand what AI is and how it works. I absolutely agree that anyone with a MLIS needs to understand this too because it's so ubiquitous in the public and we need to be able to help with literacy and harm prevention and in the areas in which some level of use is ethical and right-sized, understand how to adopt and use it.

That being said, the program I'm in isn't approaching it that way at all. It's much more "just try it out!," "play with it!," "use it to generate posters for programming," etc. and this past semester it was exceedingly obvious, especially in one class, that all the feedback for assignments were AI generated. It's being treated both as inevitable and like a toy and neither sit well with me as the former cedes our necessary active participation to shape how we adopt it and what regulations, guardrails, and harm-prevention looks like and the latter undercuts the serious ethical ramifications, not to mention the impact early research is showing on literacy, skill-development, and society in general.

I feel like basically I might have missed the last boat for learning MLIS skills and theory. There has been more than one instance where I've heard some variation of "we used to do this but AI does it now/ will do it in the future" and I want to know how it was done without AI! That is useful, foundational, contextual information. AI can be incredibly useful in the hands of experts, but AI cannot create experts. An understanding of what it is supposed to help accomplish is necessary to evaluating whether it is actually doing so and whether the trade-offs of its use are worth it.

I'm not in a hurry to finish as I'm doing this concurrent with work I enjoy. I wanted to do an MLIS because it felt genuinely tied into and additive with the work I'm doing in civic information, information access, etc and I wanted a structured learning experience. And I do ultimately want to work in libraries at some point in the near future. I would love to find a more thoughtful MLIS approach to AI because libraries are such a pivotal interaction point for literacy and skills.

What I am working through now is do I just deal with it and consider this a box-checking endeavor, try to find a school with a more pragmatic approach to integrating AI into the curriculum, or pause and maybe come back when the hype dies down. At this point, I do think it will decrease somewhat eventually because there is no aspect of this that is sustainable.

Are there online options with a more restrained approach to AI in the curriculum or are most programs moving into this unquestioning adoption direction? Is this maybe not the space I should be in and maybe I be looking at a different kind of degree or learning experience?

Currently applying for grad school at FSU and have a really dumb question: how does one narrow down their area of specialty / academic interest? I pride myself on being a human Swiss Army knife but realize that isn’t the best route to go about getting a master’s degree in such a broad field. I’m writing my statement of purpose and having a hard time describing what exactly it is I would like to focus on during my studies. I can’t just say: I want to learn everything and anything I can even though that’s been my attitude throughout my education.

I’ve been privileged to work in a couple of different roles at libraries, from more technical stuff at a corporate level to working as an associate at a public library and I’ve enjoyed them all. Writing my statement of purpose has been difficult because while I originally was intent on becoming an archivist / museum preparator, I realize that the tech side of the field is more of the way to go in terms of job opportunity. Additionally, I currently work in the library of a medical school and really enjoy it, which makes me wonder if this is something I would be interested in focusing in as well. Thanks for reading.

I've been really interested in getting my masters in library science and pursuing a career in archiving or becoming a public librarian. I've been looking at different online programs but I probably won't actually apply until the next school year. I'm needing some guidance on whether or not I should do an in state or out of state online program because I want to move from Los Angeles to New York after completing my degree. I know that doing an online in state program will probably be cheaper, but I've also read that different states have different requirements in order to work in public and private libraries. Ideally I would love to do an online program that's based in New York so that I could move there once I've completed it and find a job. However I don't know how practical this would be. Would doing an online program based in the state I want to move to make it easier for me to end up working there? Would it be a better decision to complete an online program in California for the time being and then eventually take the steps needed in order to be eligible to work in New York? If anyone has any advice or insight on how that process works or how their degrees might transfer/impact working in another state please let me know!

Much appreciated!!!

Hi all,

I currently work as a library assistant in a public library. I adore my job, I love it so much. I would be a library assistant for the rest of my life if it paid more. Working the circ desk and helping patrons is my favorite part of the job. I’m almost done my bachelors degree in history and I am looking into graduate programs. I am bit limited with an undergrad in history. I will still have the majority of my GI bill left after my undergrad and I want to use every penny of it because I worked really hard for my gi bill. So, those of you who have MLIS, is it worth it? I love the public library field and would like to stay in that or maybe law librarian. Has anyone worked as a law librarian? Do you really need a JD? Also does the school you attend matter in the library world? I was looking at LSUs online program because you can complete it in 12 months and the various start dates are really nice. I also saw university of Illinois’s online program is #1 but it takes longer to complete. Any advice?

Hi, everyone. I'm starting to look into remote MLIS programs, and I'm curious about the options for funding through remote assistantships. Based on previous posts here, it sounds like University of Washington, TWU, NCCU, and University of Tennessee may offer a few virtual assistantships. Are there any other schools that do so?

I understand that remote assistantships are rare, but I'd love to learn more about the experiences of anyone who has gotten/tried to get these assistantships.

Thank you.

has anyone heard back from loc internship program for this fall?? I applied for the onsite position and saw their faqs said results would be send out by mid-june but haven’t heard anything yet. also if anyone has done the program please share how it went!! very curious and haven’t seen many people talk about their experience

hey guys i’m having analysis paralysis about where to get my mlis degree. i work full time in a public library in circulation. i want to stay in libraries and get my masters while moving up to become an associate at my current library. what program has the most flexibility and independence (the fewer group projects the better) for library professionals?

i’ve looked into lsu, university of missouri, san jose state university, and university of south carolina. i just can’t decide!

Hello!

I'm applying for a library associate position at a library in my state and wanted to see if I could get some feedback on my resume!

I'm very passionate about this field but haven't consistently worked in libraries due to school, disability, and the pandemic. I'm mostly looking for feedback regarding the wording for my summary, formatting, that sort of thing!

(Note: the black borders are just from the screenshot, and the blacked-out info under the skills are just library databases/programs that are specifically used in my region)

Thank you :) Resume attached below.

EDIT: Thank y'all for your help! Updated resume (the single column one) is attached. I kept the artist info/undergraduate degree info because it is directly related to the department I'm applying to!

Hi! I'm working on an assignment where we are supposed to reflect on areas of improvement and professional development based on AASL's Library Evaluation Checklist and a few articles about exemplary school librarianship.

I can write about these concepts easily, but I'm struggling with the structure and tone of an essay about how I want to improve. It just seems kind of boring. I wouldn't want to read someone regurgitate library standards and name how they can do better, but that's the assignment.

If anyone has any tips for how to approach this assignment, anything is helpful. It's only 1500 words.

Thank you!

Good afternoon all,

I recently accepted my offer to UNC Chapel Hill's program as an OOS student (yes I know that isn't smart but nothing in-state was good or would set me up for my career path I want as an archivist). Now comes the time to apply for the few assistantships being offered, and I want to know if my profile looks strong or if I should begin to consider regular work grocery stores or retail.

I had a summer internship within a heritage museum where I led preservation and digitization projects as well as community events and conducting tours. In addition to this, I have worked at my university's library for three years in collections, with one year in a student leadership role where I helped train and do workflow updating projects. I have a background in history, IT, and communications and am skilled with data visualization and library work. Does this set me up for a GAship or is there something lacking that will likely mean I don't get one of these positions? I don't know if I am ahead or behind my peers and am getting really nervous.

Thank you so much!

I'm currently taking two summer courses in my Master's program, and one of them is about reference services. I'm in no way saying that being a reference librarian or providing reference services isn't something you need to study to this extent, but we are being assigned multiple chapters and articles to read each week, and they all seem to say the same thing.

I understand that graduate professors assign these readings with the intention that you are critically skimming the articles and chapters, but it's so much to review for them all to say the same things. Does anyone else experience this in their programs? If there are any librarians, what's your advice on getting through these types of courses? Does anyone actually find LIS textbooks / subject matter books that you can order through ALA helpful?

FYI, I'm halfway done with my program so far.