Thank you! This series is exactly what I was looking for. I just applied to an MLIS program and I was interested in seeing what people recommend when you're just getting started.
I'm glad you liked it! Things are definitely a bit different now because of the pandemic, but largely the content you'll learning should be the same :) still looking for a librarian job right now but trying to stay optimistic!
Thank you so much for creating this video. Im am making a career change and my soul searching keeps leading back to jobs that require a MLIS. This has really helped me to understand what will be involved. Thank you again!
I have been very fulfilled by my decision and I'm only halfway done with the program! I hope to make more videos about my experience in the coming months as I get back to school.
This is such an interesting video! A MLIS program was my second choice as a master, and I still feel like it would have been a good one. I am 1 and a half year into a master to become a speech language pathologist, and I am loving it, but MLIS sounds sooo interesting.
I will be starting my MLIS online program in the fall of 2019. I have just started the process for applying and getting my checklist done. I hope I can learn a few things from you. Some of my friends who are already librarians have encouraged me to pursue this career path, and I believe that it is the right direction to go, since I spend so much time in libraries, and want to help people. I used to be a university circulation clerk for about 2.5 years, but that was a life time ago. I currently volunteer once a week at my local library, and really enjoy being there, and contributing. There are many possibilities. I wish you good luck in your journey, and look forward to seeing your progress.
Thanks! I wanted to make a video retrospective about my main takeaways from my first semester, but I've been really busy :( I hope to talk more broadly about what I learned in my first year this spring. I can answer questions in the meantime, though! I think your background at the circulation desk is a great foundation for the profession. This degree is really about preparing us to be ready for managerial positions within libraries, and understanding how to manage, plan programming, budget, etc. If you like library work, I think you'll do great!
I just finished my degree in Literature and History. I'll start my master in Information Sciences this fall. I worked four years as a "technician" in a library and It was so clear that this was the perfect job for me. Thank you for doing this video! :)
What an interesting time for this video to pop up, I'm considering applying to MLIS programs right now! I just got a MA in English and my thesis was, in summary, on ethical information in literature, so I think getting an MLIS would be a good next step for me. I think it's great you differentiated the MLS and MLIS with the power of studying information and what that means. I think my only drawback is that it seems the programs I'm looking into have assistantships that aren't as present as say, having a TA opportunity in a PhD program (my other consideration). I know you mentioned being a research assistant I think, and my friend was also one during her time in her MLIS at UA in Tuscaloosa. But my biggest takeaway from my friend is when she told me, as you say, that librarianship is social justice. Looking forward to this series!
I would say that it's less important to have an assistantship in the program than experience in the actual profession. The university library is a great place to get experience or you can look for a place relevant to what you want to get into (museums & archives, schools, etc.) I got two years of experience as a Graduate Reference Assistant at my university library and took on more responsibilities as my degree progressed and that put me in a great place compared to some of my other classmates who didn't have that real world experience.
I really think it depends on the professor. My research is largely self-guided, but will mostly likely result in me having published work and things I could potentially present at conferences. We have also discussed maybe producing videos and podcasts, which are also great skills to have in general. I went for an assistantship because it halves my tuition (!!! this should not be understated, it is a huge deal and is saving me from years of additional debt) and was pretty selective, so it looks good on a resume, and it is also paid, which is really really nice. There are certainly pros and cons to what you choose to do, but I'm happy with what I'm doing so far. I know a lot of my classmates are working as clerks at the library, which is some hands-on experience, just in a different way. I think both paths are completely valid and valuable. It also depends a lot on the electives you take, which will give you specialized knowledge and skills in the fields that particularly interest you. I expect that whatever internship I get will be the big thing that provides me with hands-on job training. An internship is a requirement of my program, so I will have to get one no matter what. Happy to make a video all about this, too!
This is awesome! Thank you so much for making this video. I'm a week out from starting my online MILS program and watching these videos are easing some of the anxiety and stress. I also studied English in undergrad and took a year of Japanese! But I can't say I remember much of Japanese from my freshman year, lol. I am so excited to start classes soon and dive head first into this program.
Hi there! I've been watching all of your videos in this series and i'm super grateful for the information. I'm considering going back to school to get an MLIS but my undergrad and career so far have been totally unrelated to librarianship (BA in Studio Art and working as a graphic designer for almost 8 years now). So I'm basically considering a complete career change with this degree. Have you come across older students in your program at all?
A lot of my classmates took a small gap in between university and graduate study. Most of my cohort are in their twenties. However, there are some students who are going back to school for a full career change, or to help develop and further their career skills. So yes, you would be outnumbered by younger people/people in their first career, but I don't think it's likely that you would be the only one.
Unmanaged Mishchief, Thank you for the video. I was a philosophy, literature, and history major in my undergrad years (it was three minors merged into one major) and I am trying to transition into web design/ development or, Front/Back-End Development. My wife told me to look into MLIS program at Pratt in New York since it would allow me to keep with my initial track whilst learning to work with digital databases. What are your thoughts about pursuing a degree in MLIS with the aforementioned interest in mind? Any response is appreciated.
An MLIS is suited to a lot of disciplines. It sounds like your majors are well suited to the work. I also think knowing code and understanding technologies is really valuable. I've been repeatedly shocked at how technologically behind the field feels in comparison to the tech field, and I think more people like us need to jump in and help pull it into the 21st century. As long as you're interested in information, how it is created, preserved, shared, and accessed, I think the field may be a good fit for you. It's a bonus if you're interested in working with people and helping them, but you may look into something like archival work if you're less interested in interfacing with people directly. I do want to make more videos in this series, I've just been really busy with schoolwork! Happy to answer questions though.
@@bookishsabrina I'm actually trying to learn to code. I am using online resources to teach myself HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. How did you learn to code and is there anything you would recommend? By the way, thank you for taking the time to respond.
I can't really say specifically as I don't know what you learned in your degree, but the field is really interdisciplinary, so I think no matter what you studied, if you are interested in information, how it is organized, how it can be used, and helping people use it, then you're probably a good fit.
Good Evening, I am considering venturing into librarian science. I have to admit you are correct in regards to helping the community. However, anyone can become a librarian without a degree. The laws that govern this industry says that a qualified librarian must hired if the population is greater than 12K people. The librarian is essential is achieving and retrieving information, librarians are educators and experts in information sciences.
I thought about it, but I am disappointed that it will take up all of my electives. I'm still in the process of figuring out what I want to do, so I don't want to overcommit myself to something I know very little about. It's not a definite no, but a lot of the other electives sound really interesting.
I took one class. Got my only B of my degree. Decided that was definitely not how I wanted to spend all my electives: frustrated and confused. So I moved on. I learned by taking Managing a School Library, that I really do not want to be a school librarian. I've worked 13 years in public libraries, so that's comfortable. My internship is in an academic library and I like that too. I figure I've got pretty good options.
As an alum of the program (and now an instructor there) I would recommend taking only the classes you want to take - those that look interesting - and throw yourself into those, rather than working toward more letters after your name. I did get the CAS, but that was because all of the CAS courses worked for me. Incidentally, if you're interested in datbase development, I might know a guy who teaches that class online who is an alum of the iSchool LIS program!
So glad you’re making this series. I’ve been considering pursuing an MLIS (interested in both library and archival work) so this is really helpful!
Thank you! This series is exactly what I was looking for. I just applied to an MLIS program and I was interested in seeing what people recommend when you're just getting started.
I'm glad you liked it! Things are definitely a bit different now because of the pandemic, but largely the content you'll learning should be the same :) still looking for a librarian job right now but trying to stay optimistic!
Thank you so much for creating this video. Im am making a career change and my soul searching keeps leading back to jobs that require a MLIS. This has really helped me to understand what will be involved. Thank you again!
I have been very fulfilled by my decision and I'm only halfway done with the program! I hope to make more videos about my experience in the coming months as I get back to school.
Heck yeah. I support this. :D
I'm super excited to follow your journey! Like other commenters, I've also been thinking about applying to a MLIS program. Great timing!
This is such an interesting video! A MLIS program was my second choice as a master, and I still feel like it would have been a good one. I am 1 and a half year into a master to become a speech language pathologist, and I am loving it, but MLIS sounds sooo interesting.
I'm glad you enjoyed it and I hope the videos are helpful even though it wasn't the path you chose :)
I will be starting my MLIS online program in the fall of 2019. I have just started the process for applying and getting my checklist done. I hope I can learn a few things from you. Some of my friends who are already librarians have encouraged me to pursue this career path, and I believe that it is the right direction to go, since I spend so much time in libraries, and want to help people. I used to be a university circulation clerk for about 2.5 years, but that was a life time ago. I currently volunteer once a week at my local library, and really enjoy being there, and contributing. There are many possibilities. I wish you good luck in your journey, and look forward to seeing your progress.
Thanks! I wanted to make a video retrospective about my main takeaways from my first semester, but I've been really busy :( I hope to talk more broadly about what I learned in my first year this spring. I can answer questions in the meantime, though!
I think your background at the circulation desk is a great foundation for the profession. This degree is really about preparing us to be ready for managerial positions within libraries, and understanding how to manage, plan programming, budget, etc. If you like library work, I think you'll do great!
My goal is to become a librarian and this is so perfect! Thank you!
This is a great idea for a series. I'm currently doing my B.A and thinking of going down the archive/ conservation route. 💜
I just finished my degree in Literature and History. I'll start my master in Information Sciences this fall. I worked four years as a "technician" in a library and It was so clear that this was the perfect job for me. Thank you for doing this video! :)
Congratulations! I hope your program is awesome :)
What an interesting time for this video to pop up, I'm considering applying to MLIS programs right now! I just got a MA in English and my thesis was, in summary, on ethical information in literature, so I think getting an MLIS would be a good next step for me. I think it's great you differentiated the MLS and MLIS with the power of studying information and what that means. I think my only drawback is that it seems the programs I'm looking into have assistantships that aren't as present as say, having a TA opportunity in a PhD program (my other consideration). I know you mentioned being a research assistant I think, and my friend was also one during her time in her MLIS at UA in Tuscaloosa. But my biggest takeaway from my friend is when she told me, as you say, that librarianship is social justice.
Looking forward to this series!
I would say that it's less important to have an assistantship in the program than experience in the actual profession. The university library is a great place to get experience or you can look for a place relevant to what you want to get into (museums & archives, schools, etc.) I got two years of experience as a Graduate Reference Assistant at my university library and took on more responsibilities as my degree progressed and that put me in a great place compared to some of my other classmates who didn't have that real world experience.
I really think it depends on the professor. My research is largely self-guided, but will mostly likely result in me having published work and things I could potentially present at conferences. We have also discussed maybe producing videos and podcasts, which are also great skills to have in general.
I went for an assistantship because it halves my tuition (!!! this should not be understated, it is a huge deal and is saving me from years of additional debt) and was pretty selective, so it looks good on a resume, and it is also paid, which is really really nice. There are certainly pros and cons to what you choose to do, but I'm happy with what I'm doing so far. I know a lot of my classmates are working as clerks at the library, which is some hands-on experience, just in a different way. I think both paths are completely valid and valuable. It also depends a lot on the electives you take, which will give you specialized knowledge and skills in the fields that particularly interest you. I expect that whatever internship I get will be the big thing that provides me with hands-on job training. An internship is a requirement of my program, so I will have to get one no matter what. Happy to make a video all about this, too!
This is awesome! Thank you so much for making this video. I'm a week out from starting my online MILS program and watching these videos are easing some of the anxiety and stress. I also studied English in undergrad and took a year of Japanese! But I can't say I remember much of Japanese from my freshman year, lol. I am so excited to start classes soon and dive head first into this program.
I hope you love it! If you ever want to reach out to chat and whatnot, hit me up on Twitter or something. :D I hope your program goes well. Good luck!
Thank you for taking the time to film this!
Thank you so much
This video is a godsend
I appreciate that! :)
Thank you
Hi there! I've been watching all of your videos in this series and i'm super grateful for the information.
I'm considering going back to school to get an MLIS but my undergrad and career so far have been totally unrelated to librarianship (BA in Studio Art and working as a graphic designer for almost 8 years now). So I'm basically considering a complete career change with this degree. Have you come across older students in your program at all?
A lot of my classmates took a small gap in between university and graduate study. Most of my cohort are in their twenties. However, there are some students who are going back to school for a full career change, or to help develop and further their career skills. So yes, you would be outnumbered by younger people/people in their first career, but I don't think it's likely that you would be the only one.
Hi ma'am
Am Mlis student 3rd semester continue and am internship librarianship your library, your teach me , am from Pakistan
Neat series idea!
Unmanaged Mishchief,
Thank you for the video. I was a philosophy, literature, and history major in my undergrad years (it was three minors merged into one major) and I am trying to transition into web design/ development or, Front/Back-End Development. My wife told me to look into MLIS program at Pratt in New York since it would allow me to keep with my initial track whilst learning to work with digital databases. What are your thoughts about pursuing a degree in MLIS with the aforementioned interest in mind? Any response is appreciated.
An MLIS is suited to a lot of disciplines. It sounds like your majors are well suited to the work. I also think knowing code and understanding technologies is really valuable. I've been repeatedly shocked at how technologically behind the field feels in comparison to the tech field, and I think more people like us need to jump in and help pull it into the 21st century. As long as you're interested in information, how it is created, preserved, shared, and accessed, I think the field may be a good fit for you. It's a bonus if you're interested in working with people and helping them, but you may look into something like archival work if you're less interested in interfacing with people directly. I do want to make more videos in this series, I've just been really busy with schoolwork! Happy to answer questions though.
@@bookishsabrina I'm actually trying to learn to code. I am using online resources to teach myself HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. How did you learn to code and is there anything you would recommend?
By the way, thank you for taking the time to respond.
Hy i am from india what are the requirements to work as a librarian in any foreign country
I have done my MLIS
know I am looking for librarian job.
Me too! Congrats on finishing!
Nice video. Could help me with some site or article about library science? I am new in this field actually
Did you set up your own internships or did the school facilitate that?
I found them on my own!
Would a technical writing degree transfer over well?
I can't really say specifically as I don't know what you learned in your degree, but the field is really interdisciplinary, so I think no matter what you studied, if you are interested in information, how it is organized, how it can be used, and helping people use it, then you're probably a good fit.
Love you from Bangladesh 🇧🇩
Good Evening, I am considering venturing into librarian science. I have to admit you are correct in regards to helping the community. However, anyone can become a librarian without a degree. The laws that govern this industry says that a qualified librarian must hired if the population is greater than 12K people. The librarian is essential is achieving and retrieving information, librarians are educators and experts in information sciences.
Have you considered a certificate in data science with your Masters? I considered it.
I thought about it, but I am disappointed that it will take up all of my electives. I'm still in the process of figuring out what I want to do, so I don't want to overcommit myself to something I know very little about. It's not a definite no, but a lot of the other electives sound really interesting.
I took one class. Got my only B of my degree. Decided that was definitely not how I wanted to spend all my electives: frustrated and confused. So I moved on. I learned by taking Managing a School Library, that I really do not want to be a school librarian. I've worked 13 years in public libraries, so that's comfortable. My internship is in an academic library and I like that too. I figure I've got pretty good options.
As an alum of the program (and now an instructor there) I would recommend taking only the classes you want to take - those that look interesting - and throw yourself into those, rather than working toward more letters after your name. I did get the CAS, but that was because all of the CAS courses worked for me.
Incidentally, if you're interested in datbase development, I might know a guy who teaches that class online who is an alum of the iSchool LIS program!
^^ Professor of record of the aforementioned class. I don't blame him.
It's not about social justice and activism.. but ok.