#yes i'm back to one piece it was available at my local library

[iris-nonsense]

They're two idiots

[missmickiescorner]

As someone who both works in a library and is finishing up their first semester of library school I'm so very glad you asked! Let's break this down with some frequently asked questions:

Library School Prerequisites

One of the best things about library school? There are no prerequisites that would keep you from applying for the Masters in Library Information and Science (henceforth, M.L.I.S.) Like yourself, I also have a Bachelor's in a degree adjacent to English and had been out of school for six years (working in a library for three) before I began my pursuit of the degree. Intimidating? Yes! Impossible? No!

The Library (and Information) Profession

An important thing to note is that while the M.L.I.S. has become synonymous with the profession of librarianship, it is NOT the end all be all. Which is to say, completing the degree won't necessarily make you a librarian (for that, you'd need to actually hold the title/position of "librarian") but it will make you an information professional who is qualified to work at an information organization (such as a library!)

And Speaking of Qualifications...

Before I continue, I would be remiss if I didn't break down the word "qualified." When I say that completion of the M.L.I.S. qualifies you to become a librarian, I am strictly speaking in terms of on-paper qualifications because frankly, the validity and necessity of the degree has not only been questioned by aspiring librarians, information scholars, and current library professionals repeatedly over the last quarter century, in some places systems have eliminated the qualification entirely.

In Conclusion

There is an old saying that goes, "libraries must change, yet must stay the same," and I think it's one of the best pieces of knowledge to pass on to aspiring library professionals at any level (Page, Aide, Technician, Specialist, Librarian) because it embodies the complexing paradox that is the foundational mission of (almost) every information organization currently in existence.

Across international borders, the goal of information organizations is to serve their communities by providing access to materials and developing services and programs that meet their information needs. Which is a gratuitously academic way of saying wherever you may be in the world, information organizations (like libraries) exist to freely (no charge!) and unbiasedly (no censorship!) meet the information needs of their communities in both physical and virtual spaces.

So long as you care about your community and believe in having free access to information (and it sounds like you do ) then I think you'll make a fine information professional.

Resources to Get You Started

First, check out the American Library Association's directory of accredited Library and Information Science programs.

Second, after you've checked out the directory, if there are any schools that interest you, check out their post-program performance rates. For example, here are the stats from my school.

Third, look into your city's (or surrounding cities') job listings and see if there are any entry-level library positions available at your local branches as it's very easy to romanticize work that's related to your interests. One way to ensure that pursuing the M.L.I.S. is right for you is to actually try your hand at library work to see what working in the environment is like. Additionally, going back to that "qualifications" point, working at a library before you pursue the degree gives you the practice needed to understand/conceptualize the theory that you will be learning in library school.

Finally, here are some books that might serve you well as you navigate your potential journey to library school and librarianship.

Information Services Today: An Introduction

I Work At a Public Library: A Collection of Crazy Stories from the Stacks

What You Are Looking For Is In The Library

If On a Winter's Night a Traveler

The Library Book

Bibliography

Kirschner, T. (2022, January 18). We All Win—Training and Advancement for Non-MLS Library Workers. Public Libraries Online. https://publiclibrariesonline.org/2022/01/we-all-win-training-and-advancement-for-non-mls-library-workers/#:~:text=library%20systems%2C%20like%20Hayward%20Public,from%20entry%20level%20through%20managerial.

Huggins, M. (2022). MLIS Required? Rethinking the Skills and Knowledge Necessary for Managing in a Public Library. Journal of Library Administration, 62(6), 840–846.

Hirsh, S. (2022). What it Means to Be an Information Professional Today. In Information services today : an introduction (Third edition, pp. 3–14). essay, Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Incorporated.

Hey there,

So I'm a newbie interested in pursuing Library Science. I have a Bachelor's Degree in English and have been out of school for several years. The idea of working with the community and helping people access information and resources in a one on one setting really appeals to me; the happiest I ever felt at a job was when I was a tutor in college.

Would anyone in the field be willing to direct me to some resources? Or just offer some advice to someone with 0 experience considering the long path to becoming a librarian?

Thanks so much for taking the time to read this, Tumblr.