To MLIS or not to MLIS
May 14, 2017 7:12 PM Subscribe
Hi. Thanks to everyone who helped with my last question, about acing my library page interview--it paid off, because I got the job! Now: do I pursue an MLIS or not?
I got into SJSU, which, from reading old questions, I gather is not that difficult, nor is the program that impressive. However, these questions were from 2011 and before. But from what I gathered, a lot of people were quite dissatisfied with the school. And in those old questions, everyone basically said the market for librarians is incredibly oversaturated, and jobs are few and far between. Is this still true? I looked at the postings for California on the CLA website just to see what was there, and there is not a lot!
My husband works in San Francisco, and ideally we would like to stay in the Bay Area for at least the next 3 years, if not longer. We also just got a puppy in February, and while it is getting easier, he requires a fair bit of work. The page job is 20 hours a week spread among 4 days. It pays $21 an hour and offers health insurance (!), but I do have to work 5 hours on Sundays. :( I just took this year off after teaching for 13 years (since I was 22), and fell into a major depression/anxiety spiral over not working. I am thinking that maybe I should give the page job a try and see if I even like library work at all before jumping into a grad program that may not even be a good choice as it is...but since I got in, I also have anxiety about not accepting now, only to possibly apply sometime later (would not accepting and then reapplying later be a strike against me?). I guess another issue is that I REALLY still don't know what I want to do as a career...maybe being a page will be fulfilling as is for the next several years? I don't feel like I have a lot of passions in life. I adore reading, but I know that's not a totally appropriate reason to go to library school. I think I want to do something a bit less extroverted than teaching, but with nice coworkers. I am introverted but have good people skills. I have a teaching credential in CA, but not sure if I'd want to go the teacher/librarian route. I am sorry this question is all over the place--my brain is all over the place! And please be kind in your answers, as I am still experiencing depression and a lot of anxiety (getting treatment for both). Thank you!
I got into SJSU, which, from reading old questions, I gather is not that difficult, nor is the program that impressive. However, these questions were from 2011 and before. But from what I gathered, a lot of people were quite dissatisfied with the school. And in those old questions, everyone basically said the market for librarians is incredibly oversaturated, and jobs are few and far between. Is this still true? I looked at the postings for California on the CLA website just to see what was there, and there is not a lot!
My husband works in San Francisco, and ideally we would like to stay in the Bay Area for at least the next 3 years, if not longer. We also just got a puppy in February, and while it is getting easier, he requires a fair bit of work. The page job is 20 hours a week spread among 4 days. It pays $21 an hour and offers health insurance (!), but I do have to work 5 hours on Sundays. :( I just took this year off after teaching for 13 years (since I was 22), and fell into a major depression/anxiety spiral over not working. I am thinking that maybe I should give the page job a try and see if I even like library work at all before jumping into a grad program that may not even be a good choice as it is...but since I got in, I also have anxiety about not accepting now, only to possibly apply sometime later (would not accepting and then reapplying later be a strike against me?). I guess another issue is that I REALLY still don't know what I want to do as a career...maybe being a page will be fulfilling as is for the next several years? I don't feel like I have a lot of passions in life. I adore reading, but I know that's not a totally appropriate reason to go to library school. I think I want to do something a bit less extroverted than teaching, but with nice coworkers. I am introverted but have good people skills. I have a teaching credential in CA, but not sure if I'd want to go the teacher/librarian route. I am sorry this question is all over the place--my brain is all over the place! And please be kind in your answers, as I am still experiencing depression and a lot of anxiety (getting treatment for both). Thank you!
Best answer: I strongly suggest holding off on the MLIS until you get a better feel for working in a library and have a clear decision in your mind that you actually want to be a librarian (this is different than working in libraries). Getting into SJSU is not hard and I'm reasonably certain you could defer a year to get more experience under your belt. (There are also other distance programs to look at.) I think this will not only help you get more out of the program if you do enroll, but will give you some real practical experience that will help you get a job.
(I think the reputation of SJSU really depends on the individual, which is to say that because they enroll and graduate so many students, there are some awesome people and some duds. I think a big factor in this is the lack of actual library experience in many of the students.)
And jessamyn is right about the job market. I see the hiring of librairans and regularly hire library staff. For my last staff position half the applicants were either enrolled in SJSU or just graduated and applying for a circulation position with no experience in the areas I needed but were applying for entry level library staff (not librarian) positions because they wanted some kind of library job. Starting off as a library page is a pretty good way to get that experience. Also in addition to the SJSU grads (and other distance MLIS grads in the area), you do get librarians moving in from around the country for a whole variety of reasons. We don't seem to have that many entry level positions around the Bay Area, which will make it hard to break into.
And I hear you about the work environment. Libraries can be really nice atmospheres, or not. Another reason I think you should work as a page and possible move into a tech position before investing in the MLIS is to get a better sense of what working in libraries entails. A lot of people want to be librarians for their love of reading and books. Why do you like reading? Why do you want to help people read? Why do you want to be a librarian? I know that having a CA teaching credential can open up doors for school libraries, so that could be a good thing. Would you be open to that or would you rather work in a public library?
I would really urge you to be a page a little bit longer before spending the money on the degree though. If you want to learn more about working in libraries while you page, check out the Diablo Valley College Library Technology program or the San Francisco City College Library Information Technology program. You might also want to check out BayNet for jobs and events. They are focused on the Bay Area and encompass a variety of librarians (public, academic, government, corporate). They have librarian and library staff job postings.
I could go on for a long time about this, and I don't want to discourage you from getting the MLIS if that's really what you want to do, but I think taking some time to figure that out would be a good step. Library school will always be there when you're ready and it's usually pretty easy to get in.
posted by kendrak at 9:06 PM on May 14, 2017 [5 favorites]
(I think the reputation of SJSU really depends on the individual, which is to say that because they enroll and graduate so many students, there are some awesome people and some duds. I think a big factor in this is the lack of actual library experience in many of the students.)
And jessamyn is right about the job market. I see the hiring of librairans and regularly hire library staff. For my last staff position half the applicants were either enrolled in SJSU or just graduated and applying for a circulation position with no experience in the areas I needed but were applying for entry level library staff (not librarian) positions because they wanted some kind of library job. Starting off as a library page is a pretty good way to get that experience. Also in addition to the SJSU grads (and other distance MLIS grads in the area), you do get librarians moving in from around the country for a whole variety of reasons. We don't seem to have that many entry level positions around the Bay Area, which will make it hard to break into.
And I hear you about the work environment. Libraries can be really nice atmospheres, or not. Another reason I think you should work as a page and possible move into a tech position before investing in the MLIS is to get a better sense of what working in libraries entails. A lot of people want to be librarians for their love of reading and books. Why do you like reading? Why do you want to help people read? Why do you want to be a librarian? I know that having a CA teaching credential can open up doors for school libraries, so that could be a good thing. Would you be open to that or would you rather work in a public library?
I would really urge you to be a page a little bit longer before spending the money on the degree though. If you want to learn more about working in libraries while you page, check out the Diablo Valley College Library Technology program or the San Francisco City College Library Information Technology program. You might also want to check out BayNet for jobs and events. They are focused on the Bay Area and encompass a variety of librarians (public, academic, government, corporate). They have librarian and library staff job postings.
I could go on for a long time about this, and I don't want to discourage you from getting the MLIS if that's really what you want to do, but I think taking some time to figure that out would be a good step. Library school will always be there when you're ready and it's usually pretty easy to get in.
posted by kendrak at 9:06 PM on May 14, 2017 [5 favorites]
Also a librarian, thirding the above advice.
With the page job, you'll be in a good position to see how the library works (and once you're settled in there, to see about whether it's possible to spend an hour or two shadowing specific positions at the library on your own time, and see what they do. A lot of librarians are fine with this for someone considering library school, especially that they're already familiar with.)
One thing to think about is what you want your long-term plans to be. You say you want to stay in the Bay Area for a couple of years, but if you're thinking of moving elsewhere after that, you might want to make some specific choices about what you do about further library stuff. Another factor to consider is whether you think you might want to continue part-time work rather that full-time. (It's probably easier to find part-time work that doesn't require the MLIS than part-time work that does: there are often page, circulation staff, or some kinds of technical services jobs where they can be part time, though not always at great times of day.
If, on the other hand, you wanted to aim at the MLIS you could use some of your time now to build skills that would make you a stronger candidate for jobs when you got to that point. Working in a library is great, but being able to demonstrate you can do more of the MLIS-type tasks is very helpful, technical skills are awesome, and your teaching skills can be very helpful, depending on what age you taught and what age group you might want to work with in the future. Figuring out ways to develop whatever those things are (projects or activities you can either demonstrate or talk about well in interviews) will help a lot longer term if you decide on the MLIS.
posted by modernhypatia at 5:38 AM on May 15, 2017
With the page job, you'll be in a good position to see how the library works (and once you're settled in there, to see about whether it's possible to spend an hour or two shadowing specific positions at the library on your own time, and see what they do. A lot of librarians are fine with this for someone considering library school, especially that they're already familiar with.)
One thing to think about is what you want your long-term plans to be. You say you want to stay in the Bay Area for a couple of years, but if you're thinking of moving elsewhere after that, you might want to make some specific choices about what you do about further library stuff. Another factor to consider is whether you think you might want to continue part-time work rather that full-time. (It's probably easier to find part-time work that doesn't require the MLIS than part-time work that does: there are often page, circulation staff, or some kinds of technical services jobs where they can be part time, though not always at great times of day.
If, on the other hand, you wanted to aim at the MLIS you could use some of your time now to build skills that would make you a stronger candidate for jobs when you got to that point. Working in a library is great, but being able to demonstrate you can do more of the MLIS-type tasks is very helpful, technical skills are awesome, and your teaching skills can be very helpful, depending on what age you taught and what age group you might want to work with in the future. Figuring out ways to develop whatever those things are (projects or activities you can either demonstrate or talk about well in interviews) will help a lot longer term if you decide on the MLIS.
posted by modernhypatia at 5:38 AM on May 15, 2017
I agree with the other posters; hold off on the MLIS program.
As someone without an MLIS who has worked in libraries for 9 years (add on a few more if summer internships and work-study jobs count), paraprofessional work in libraries can be very fulfilling. If you enjoy the work you do as a page, see what opportunities there are to learn more about the software, the system, the different positions. Are they willing to train you to do other projects (changing the status of books, working on a guided weeding project, book displays, clearing old holds off the hold shelf, inventory & looking for books marked missing or long in transit, book repair)? Do you like any aspects of these better than others? Circulation and reference work can be very demanding socially; I'm also introverted and find my public desk hours to draining, but sometimes quite fulfilling. Cataloging is much more behind the scenes in many places, and in a small library, much or all of the cataloging is copy cataloging and done by non MLIS holders.
posted by carrioncomfort at 8:56 AM on May 15, 2017
As someone without an MLIS who has worked in libraries for 9 years (add on a few more if summer internships and work-study jobs count), paraprofessional work in libraries can be very fulfilling. If you enjoy the work you do as a page, see what opportunities there are to learn more about the software, the system, the different positions. Are they willing to train you to do other projects (changing the status of books, working on a guided weeding project, book displays, clearing old holds off the hold shelf, inventory & looking for books marked missing or long in transit, book repair)? Do you like any aspects of these better than others? Circulation and reference work can be very demanding socially; I'm also introverted and find my public desk hours to draining, but sometimes quite fulfilling. Cataloging is much more behind the scenes in many places, and in a small library, much or all of the cataloging is copy cataloging and done by non MLIS holders.
posted by carrioncomfort at 8:56 AM on May 15, 2017
The job market for librarians is still saturated. I'm a little gobsmacked by how high the pay is for your page job and that you get benefits. In other words, that's a good library gig and you should work it for a while to see if you actually like what goes on in libraries. The insider view can be very different from the patron view.
The questions above about why you want to be a librarian are also important to contemplate. I would defer the MLIS for at least a year so you can experience working in a library, and if you can get into a higher ranked school at a later date, do that.
posted by purple_bird at 8:59 AM on May 15, 2017 [1 favorite]
The questions above about why you want to be a librarian are also important to contemplate. I would defer the MLIS for at least a year so you can experience working in a library, and if you can get into a higher ranked school at a later date, do that.
posted by purple_bird at 8:59 AM on May 15, 2017 [1 favorite]
Hello! Current online library student here dropping some info from the trenches:
1. There are a not-insignificant number of people in my classes who are there because they have been working at a library as a page or clerk for awhile and wanted to take the next step in the career. If you're not 100% sold on going for your MLIS just yet, your job as a page has you in a good position to test the waters and see if this is a good working environment for you. Don't rush into it if you're still on the fence--grad school is expensive! You can definitely defer enrollment for a year or so if you're still weighing your options.
2. That said, assuming that the page job is your sole position right now (apologies if that's an incorrect assumption), and that you and your husband would be staying in the Bay Area for at least the next three years, it does seem as though your life is ideally set up to go full- or part-time to library school right now, if that was something you really feel like you want to do. I am doing part-time school, full-time job right now, and it is a REAL ASS SLOG, lemme tell ya.
3. If you started soon, then three years from now when you said you might be ready to relocate out of the Bay Area, you'll have your MLIS as well as three years of library page experience under your belt, and that combination of degree and experience will make you more employable than some other recent grads. I don't know how flexible your husband's job is, location-wise, but if you've got some mobility, it would be much easier to find library jobs the farther you move away from library school hubs. The timing seems like it would match up really well.
4. I cannot stress enough that you should NOT throw money at this if you're not at least 90% sure this is what you want to do. The only reason I ultimately went back is because I had something akin to an actual, honest-to-dog epiphany on the matter and it absolutely felt like a thing that I HAD to do, and even then, I would not have gone if I wasn't able to do it without taking out private loans. This is, in all likelihood, NOT a degree that is going to pay for itself--it is a necessary credential for entering a career field that is notoriously undervalued and underpaid, despite being arguably more relevant than ever. Knowing this, do you still want to do it?
5. Scholarships, dude, ESPECIALLY if you're thinking about school librarianship (which you're already well placed to get involved with!) One of my friends got a not-insignificant scholarship to help fund her MLIS that was specifically targeted towards school librarians. I'd do a little digging to see what's out there! Also, I found this on the ALA website:
"The California State Library coordinates the Public Library Staff Education Program, a grant program for public library and county law library employees pursuing a graduate library education degree." Could be something?
CONGRATULATIONS! And best of luck! I hope some of this info helps you make the right decision for you, but please feel free to MeMail me if you want to chat about it some more.
posted by helloimjennsco at 9:04 AM on May 15, 2017
1. There are a not-insignificant number of people in my classes who are there because they have been working at a library as a page or clerk for awhile and wanted to take the next step in the career. If you're not 100% sold on going for your MLIS just yet, your job as a page has you in a good position to test the waters and see if this is a good working environment for you. Don't rush into it if you're still on the fence--grad school is expensive! You can definitely defer enrollment for a year or so if you're still weighing your options.
2. That said, assuming that the page job is your sole position right now (apologies if that's an incorrect assumption), and that you and your husband would be staying in the Bay Area for at least the next three years, it does seem as though your life is ideally set up to go full- or part-time to library school right now, if that was something you really feel like you want to do. I am doing part-time school, full-time job right now, and it is a REAL ASS SLOG, lemme tell ya.
3. If you started soon, then three years from now when you said you might be ready to relocate out of the Bay Area, you'll have your MLIS as well as three years of library page experience under your belt, and that combination of degree and experience will make you more employable than some other recent grads. I don't know how flexible your husband's job is, location-wise, but if you've got some mobility, it would be much easier to find library jobs the farther you move away from library school hubs. The timing seems like it would match up really well.
4. I cannot stress enough that you should NOT throw money at this if you're not at least 90% sure this is what you want to do. The only reason I ultimately went back is because I had something akin to an actual, honest-to-dog epiphany on the matter and it absolutely felt like a thing that I HAD to do, and even then, I would not have gone if I wasn't able to do it without taking out private loans. This is, in all likelihood, NOT a degree that is going to pay for itself--it is a necessary credential for entering a career field that is notoriously undervalued and underpaid, despite being arguably more relevant than ever. Knowing this, do you still want to do it?
5. Scholarships, dude, ESPECIALLY if you're thinking about school librarianship (which you're already well placed to get involved with!) One of my friends got a not-insignificant scholarship to help fund her MLIS that was specifically targeted towards school librarians. I'd do a little digging to see what's out there! Also, I found this on the ALA website:
"The California State Library coordinates the Public Library Staff Education Program, a grant program for public library and county law library employees pursuing a graduate library education degree." Could be something?
CONGRATULATIONS! And best of luck! I hope some of this info helps you make the right decision for you, but please feel free to MeMail me if you want to chat about it some more.
posted by helloimjennsco at 9:04 AM on May 15, 2017
Oh, for the love of god NO. Do NOT waste your time and money getting an MLIS. The profession is rapidly getting deprofessionalized, and IMO just the fact you're already working in a library gives you a leg up on other candidates for higher-level jobs (eventually). I wholly agree with the person upthread who said you will need to bring something "special" to land an MLIS job in a super tight market--your library experience will be that thing.
In conclusion, I got my MSLIS in 2007 and never got a library job. Learn from my mistake.
posted by scratch at 12:53 PM on May 15, 2017
In conclusion, I got my MSLIS in 2007 and never got a library job. Learn from my mistake.
posted by scratch at 12:53 PM on May 15, 2017
Response by poster: Wow, friends--not to threadsit, but these answers are REALLY helpful so far. Thank you so, so much to all of you who have taken the time to write such thorough replies. I will probably be memailing those of you who invited me to, too. And please keep the answers coming if you can!
posted by bookworm4125 at 1:11 PM on May 15, 2017
posted by bookworm4125 at 1:11 PM on May 15, 2017
The deprofessionalization of libraries is a real thing, which is why it's important to think about what kind of library work you want to do and why you want to go through the hassle of getting the MLIS. I was a circulation manager for a few years before I went to school, so I had an idea that I wanted to make a career of libraries but also wanted to be involved in some of the programmatic decision making and strategizing at my library - roles that required the MLIS for MPOW. The degree requirements can vary from place to place for different roles, so there's that to consider. I know that for circulation and tech services, like cataloging, there's a big shift away from requiring an MLIS for positions. This is probably out of keeping wages low to save money, but also not all jobs need the MLIS. One of my former colleagues had worked in libraries for a while and thought about going to SJSU for their MLIS but decided they didn't actually want to be a librarian. They have enjoyed a fruitful career as a paraprofessional in the area.
(You can also MeMail me if you like!)
posted by kendrak at 1:29 PM on May 15, 2017 [1 favorite]
(You can also MeMail me if you like!)
posted by kendrak at 1:29 PM on May 15, 2017 [1 favorite]
This thread is closed to new comments.
Unless you bring something really special to the area (being bilingual, experience with library tech, experience with specific service populations or collections), the Bay Area is going to be difficult specifically because SJSU turns out a lot of grads who don't want to move. The job market in librarianship isn't super saturated in the US for people who are flexible about location and can take entry-level work, and that page job sounds like a remarkably good deal for "keeping your hand in" so to speak while you try to think a little more about that you think you really want. Library school is expensive if you're not sure it's what you want. You could, however, easily (I think) defer your admission for a year and see if an idea coalesces a bit more about what you want.
I believe that if you don't care about a status position but just want to work in some library somewhere, that where you go to school isn't as important as doing well in school, managing debt and making connections with other people and being professionally active. There are good and bad teachers at SJSU and you can get a good education there if you direct yourself.
posted by jessamyn at 7:41 PM on May 14, 2017 [7 favorites]