[OT] Conan, the Librarian

[Kesh]

Thanks, folks. That does help me a bit. Unfortunately, none of my local schools seem to have a Library Science degree, and UK would require relocating.

Maybe in a year or two... ah well. Thanks for the help again!

 

[Kesh]

Suggesting that a Louisville boy go to UK is like, dangerous man... Real dangerous... You have no idea of the rivalry..

TRAITOR RICK! TRAITOR RICK!! TRA...

Sorry, Basketball season and all that.

-- UK Fan Mikey...

*snicker*

Luckily, I'm not a Louisville boy, I just live here. However, relocation is out of the question until summer, at the earliest.

 

[Eridanis]

Eric is The Man on library matters, of course, but here's my two cents.

I've spent about five years working in libraries (four of which as a student assistant, albeit with a broad range of responsibilities & powers). I loved it because I got to work with old books, maps, and things on a daily basis, and helped others use those resources. Nothing charges you up like holding a book of which only one or two copies exist in the world!

But the library industry has changed a lot in the last decade. One could hold a library degree and not have a job touching books at all, by dealing more wit hthe information technology aspect. As for me, the library life was just a bit too staid for me; I'm too much a capitalist, I guess, and so working in an antiquarian bookshop was the PERFECT job for me. Two years of my life I'll never forget. You get to hold all the cool stuff, AND make money from it, too!

Good luck, in whatever you do.

 

[craftyrat]

I'm also a librarian with 10 years experience in public libraries, and now a special (government) library. I still think it's a great job, very interesting work with ok (not great) pay. Feel free to email me if you have any questions.

Peter (craftyrat@hotmail.com)

 

[Cthulhu's Librarian]

Thanks, folks. That does help me a bit. Unfortunately, none of my local schools seem to have a Library Science degree, and UK would require relocating.

I understand you problem completely. I'm actually not YET a librarian, I just play one at work.

I work for the library at the University of Virginia, and plan on getting my MLS in the next couple of years. Only one problem: there are no schools in Virginia that offer an MLS. That really sucks, because the library is willing to pay for some of my schooling to get the degree, but to get the degree I'd have to either drive 2.5 hours each way twice a week to Maryland, or leave my job. Another option is an online program (which several of my co-workers are getting), but I function better in a traditional classroom setting. (which is kind of odd, since I do IT work 75% of the day).

As others have said, there is a wide variety of work within the library field. Public, academic, and school libraries are all very different places, and have different functions. Within those libraries, the jobs get even more varied. Preservation, acquisitions, cataloging, IT, reference, administration, etc. I have friends in different areas at the library, and our jobs are all VERY different. Some I wouldn't mind doing, others I wouldn't take if it was the last job available. If you have any specific questions, feel free to email me at antelope2001_at_hotmail.com and I'll try to answer them for you.

 

[Desdichado]

Although I've not done it in several years, I also worked (as staff, not faculty, natch) as an ILL guy at an academic library (Texas A&M) for several years. Although the pay for that particular job was a pitance, it was a fun job, and for someone finishing his undergrad, working fulltime and gearing up to start my MBA program, it was an ideal job. I wouldn't have made a career out of it without getting an MLIS degree though.

 

[Dinkeldog]

*snicker*

Luckily, I'm not a Louisville boy, I just live here. However, relocation is out of the question until summer, at the earliest.

Kesh, now is the time to think about these things. You'd be starting in the summer at earliest, most likely fall. Start ironing out things like financial aid and the like early.

 

[John Crichton]

Although I've not done it in several years, I also worked (as staff, not faculty, natch) as an ILL guy at an academic library (Texas A&M) for several years. Although the pay for that particular job was a pitance, it was a fun job, and for someone finishing his undergrad, working fulltime and gearing up to start my MBA program, it was an ideal job. I wouldn't have made a career out of it without getting an MLIS degree though.

ILL seems pretty fun. It is a huge (and growing) part of most major libraries. I work at the main library at Yale and it is amazing how much the internet has really opened up different avenues of getting materials for people. In the 2 years I've been here, I am continuing an coordinated effort between 2 departments (that started before I got here here) to move books quickly between all Ivy League schools (except Harvard).

This is just one of the areas of Library Science. You don't need an MLS to start working at a library. I am a manager here and have never had any specialized library in my life. But if I wanted my MLS, I could get it while employed here. That is something you may want to consider. Many of my contemporaries have degrees already and are working towards their MLS.

You may want to try working part-time at a library to see if you like it. Many folks do that, too.

:: edited formatting - must learn to complete thoughts ::

 

[Desdichado]

ILL is a field that's quickly moving to requiring an IT degree rather than LIS.

 

[John Crichton]

I can't dissagree with that.