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I'm going to be entering my last semester of college next
September. I will also be taking classes this summer. As I get
closer to graduation Im geting worried about the future. My major is liberal arts.
By liberal arts I mean that I've taken courses from a vareity of subjects such as history, English
Sociology ,political science ,art history,philosophy, humanities ,information studies ,music ,film studies
Biology and geography. I know that a this kind of major is good because of the skill
set a person develops but I've been reading a lot online about how liberal arts
grads never find work and are paid very little. I've thought about grad school but I don't
if I would have the GPA to get in and I've heard rumors that my desired field
(Library Science) dosent have a lot job prospects now and I worry that the library might be
shrinking. If there is anyone who was liberal arts major or who is a librarian can
you please shed some light on this.
I'm going to be entering my last semester of college next
September. I will also be taking classes this summer. As I get
closer to graduation Im geting worried about the future. My major is liberal arts.
By liberal arts I mean that I've taken courses from a vareity of subjects such as history, English
Sociology ,political science ,art history,philosophy, humanities ,information studies ,music ,film studies
Biology and geography. I know that a this kind of major is good because of the skill
set a person develops but I've been reading a lot online about how liberal arts
grads never find work and are paid very little. I've thought about grad school but I don't
if I would have the GPA to get in and I've heard rumors that my desired field
(Library Science) dosent have a lot job prospects now and I worry that the library might be
shrinking. If there is anyone who was liberal arts major or who is a librarian can
you please shed some light on this.
This. I worked as a library page when I was a senior in high school. One of my top two favorite jobs. I would love to have spent at least a few years working in a library under a more professional capacity after college, but most require some kind of library degree. The problem with getting a degree like that is that there are too few jobs in that profession and the degree itself is not flexible.
Spoken like somebody who clearly has NO clue what a librarian actually does...
OP, get used to this kind of ignorance if you choose our profession! You do get used to it, and learn to field these questions with a smile - but I must admit, there are times I want to knock out the next person who asks "you need a Master's to be a librarian??" Oy vey.
This. I worked as a library page when I was a senior in high school. One of my top two favorite jobs. I would love to have spent at least a few years working in a library under a more professional capacity after college, but most require some kind of library degree. The problem with getting a degree like that is that there are too few jobs in that profession and the degree itself is not flexible.
As a former page, I hope you at least understand WHY the degree is needed. Guess who selects, orders, and catalogs those books? And who plans the programs, supervises the para-professional staff, conducts the outreach, assists patrons, creates every written document in the library, etc? It is a wonderful job, though, and I promise you wouldn't regret going for the degree! It's only two years, and I actually had a lot of fun doing it. Also, there is more flexibility than you might realize.
P.S. If you really don't want to go for the MLIS, most libraries will hire Library Assistants (does very similar work to a MLIS, just with their supervision) with any Bachelor's Degree.
Now to actually answer your question, mimsja... as you obviously know by now, I am a librarian (teen & adult services at a public library). And while it's true our state budgets are shrinking, most libraries are still alive & well thanks to local-level funding. I work in the Bay Area, and we have a VERY healthy budget with frequent recruitment for new staff - in fact, we're hiring for a full-time librarian position right now. I've never been without work for long, even had to turn down a few offers over the years.
Do you mind sharing where you live, and are you willing to relocate? Big cities will always have the healthiest budgets/salaries, but rural areas tend to be more desperate for qualified candidates. The one time I was struggling to find work, I relocated from San Francisco for a lower-paying job in a rural town... put in my time there for 18 months (while simultaneously job-hunting), until I was offered a much better position where I am now. So you might have to sacrifice something in the beginning, but once you find a SOLID position, you can literally hold on until you die. Seriously, I've worked with some old librarians.
I hope this eases your worries a bit, and I personally give my recommendation to go for it. Do you know what kind of library services you would be interested in doing? My specialty is teen services, and I've found that is a highly desirable area - also bilingual services, archivists, and anyone with excellent technical/computer skills. Libraries have changed over the last couple of decades, but we are still far from obsolete. We've just had to adapt with the times!
Haha... the less snarky reply, which is what I usually offer.
I did my studies at San Jose State, and yes it is a rather extensive curriculum. There is so much involved in librarianship, and most people have no clue what goes on "behind the scenes." Here are the courses I had to take (a few changed/added since I attended): Descriptions | SJSU - SLIS
Many people who did not put in the time and effort to earn a college degree will attempt to denigrate the value of said degree in order to make their own choices seem more reasonable and appropriate. Yet, most of these naysayers would jump at the opportunity to earn a degree if it was made easily accessible to them.
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