I think....I want to be...a librarian when I grown up!!!

[Mom2jnb]

I enjoy "research". I research trips, family journeys, thoughts, topics etc. I think that becoming a librarian after my kids are grown and *gone* may be the career path for me. Do you know how to become a librarian? I have tried Googling librarian science degrees and I cannot figure it out. Maybe I am just not *clicking* tonight. Does anyone have any advice or experience.....

TIA,

Alison

[happykids]

looked into it. You would need to get a masters in library science. There does not seem to be any other degree other than this.

I don't think I want to go back to school after all these years, so I probably won't pursue it.

Sounds like it would be fun, though!

 

Sabrina in NY

[Rhonda in TX]

I almost got a master's in library science years ago. I even got accepted into the program at University of Texas, but it didn't work out. At that time, I wanted to do research. Now I want to be a children's librarian.

[dangermom]

Hi there! What you need is an MLIS, a Master's in Library and Information Science. It's often a pretty hands-on, practical program, and since a whole lot of people move into the librarianship field as a career change, the programs are frequently designed for evening and weekend classes, distance learning and so on. I was one of the youngest people in my program at 24, and a majority of students were in their 40's+.

 

So if you wanted to, you could probably start a program while your kids are still at home, depending on where you are.

 

I'm not familiar with Michigan schools, but Wayne State U. offers MLIS programs in Detroit, Oakland, and Macomb County. That's just from Google, so I don't know anything more about it. But maybe it will get you started.

[Mom2jnb]

Thank you everyone.....

 

Keep the ideas coming. I am going to start taking this seriously if I can do it in the evening and online. It would be wonderful transition when my children have *left the nest*.

 

Thank you so much...

Alison

[Jenny in Atl]

I'm interested in this too! But I would rather work in some sort of research or college library, than local. I would guess the degree is the same? I still love the idea of a used bk/cd store. But by the time I would be ready to do this, we might not use either. It will all be hand held devices. :tongue_smilie:

[Nestof3]

I actually plan on working in a library when my kids are grown up. I have even had a librarian tell me I would be a fabulous librarian. :D

[dangermom]

Jenny, if you want to be an academic librarian, most schools are looking for someone with another Master's degree besides the MLIS. It's not necessary, but it's pretty expected that you'll have a specialty. (That said, I think I could probably get a part-time job at the local university library if I really wanted to, and I don't have a second Master's. But I live in a small city.)

 

There are lots of employment opportunities at a public library if you don't have the MLIS. Library assistants don't have the degree, but do a lot of the same work. (Our cash-strapped library employs only LAs in the children's room, and they're great--they may not have the degree but they have the experience!) And clerks have a pretty good time too, up at the checkout desk and all that stuff.

 

You don't get paid as much without the degree, though, and no one gets an MLIS for the money.

[KidsHappen]

It requires less education and pays more money. I also think that it is more exciting and would be more fast paced and interesting. I think that there is a larger job market as well with less compition. Not many people want to work retail hours. I might start part time to build time and experience so that I can move up if it is ever required. Maybe someday I could own my own store but it is had to compete with the big box book stores these days.

[Guest Lorna]

I'm interested in this too! But I would rather work in some sort of research or college library, than local. I would guess the degree is the same? I still love the idea of a used bk/cd store. But by the time I would be ready to do this, we might not use either. It will all be hand held devices. :tongue_smilie:

 

 

My friend works at Yale in the special collections. She has a degree in English literature from Smith College and I think she did postgraduate afterwards. She loves it, although she has found that the further she progresses in her career the further she gets from the manuscripts she loves.

[JumpedIntoTheDeepEndFirst]

To be a librarian requires a Masters Degree in Library Science. They have many different acronyms and names depending on the institution. The other option is a Masters in Education as a Media Specialist (if you want to work in a K-12 environment). Furthermore, for higher end jobs, you may need a second masters but your degree should be from an ALA (American Library Association) accredited institution. That said-head to Ann Arbor. The University of Michigan's School of Information is one of the top programs in the country. There is an enormous selection of specialities, from K-12 education to Archivist to many computer related fields (in addition to being a traditional librarian). Once upon a time-when I was a student there-you could attend courses just during the summer and simply take longer to graduate or you could work intensively for 12 months straight and graduate quickly. Yes, there are other jobs in libraries that do not require a degree but to be a librarian, to have promotion potential, work in any academic institution, etc. you must typically have a Masters Degree. And, I found the education to be more fun than I could have imagined!