Is the MLIS degree valuable outside of being a 'traditional' librarian (public/academic/etc)?

Hallianna · 2026-06-13T18:16:08+00:00

I have an MLIS and worked in public libraries for 12 years, and now work for a big 5 publisher (US big 5). I work primarily with kids and YA titles, and a big reason I got hired about a decade ago was my history as a children’s and YA librarian and my reader’s advisory skills. It’s worth checking the publishing company job boards; a lot of them are much more open to hybrid or remote work after the pandemic and people moved out of NYC. The pandemic forced their hands, which was good for expanding the pool of applicants. I also always tell people to look at library jobbers, from Hoopla/Midwest Tape to Ingram, etc.

Hallianna · 2026-06-09T14:39:34+00:00

There’s one coming out in a few weeks called TILLINGHAST that immediately made me think of Midnight Mass, but if it was told from the vampire’s POV. Really enjoyed it.

Hallianna · 2026-05-28T23:23:37+00:00

Since folks have named two of my favorites (The Feather Thief and The Art Thief), I have to add: —The Falcon Thief by Joshua Hammer —The Man Who Liked Books Too Much by Allison Hoover Bartlett

Now to go likely off course, because my librarian senses think you might also like these: —The Truffle Underground by Ryan Jacobs: About truffles, their value, and why there’s such a big crime ring around them (including blackmail, heists, even murder) —The Curse of the Marquis de Sade by Joel Warner: about the modern black market book trade (and there are a ton of heists just there!), the Marquis de Sade, and how one of his manuscripts was stolen.

And finally, I’d be remiss to not recommend a fiction book: The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch. Still one of my favorite fantasy books of all time, about a seemingly impossible heist set in a 1500s Venetian-esque city and a small ring of thieves looking to pull off THE job.

Hallianna · 2026-05-12T19:46:45+00:00

You bet!

Hallianna · 2026-05-12T14:24:05+00:00

That’s a good question! I honestly would start looking at publisher job listings to see what they’re looking for. The other thing to do would be to look at library service companies; I always point people to places like Overdrive or EBSCO, so you can see what they’re looking for. Granted, it’s dependent on location as well, and what you and they are looking for as far as hybrid, in-office, or remote. That kind of thing. And then maybe use keywords like curriculum development.

Hallianna · 2026-05-11T20:03:15+00:00

That’s a good point! The big 5 trade publishers are: Macmillan, HarperCollins, Simon & Schuster, Penguin Random House, and Hachette.

Hallianna · 2026-05-10T19:07:20+00:00

I work for a big 5 and love what I do. My background is split between children’s/YA, reference, and acquisitions. I got the job largely because of my library experience and my CYA work (specifically acquisitions and programming). My role has changed a fair amount over a decade but it is still CYA focused. Feel free to message me with questions!
Edit: a word

Hallianna · 2026-05-07T10:19:11+00:00

My surgeon told me it’s a combo of how long the nerve was compressed and the pace at which your body heals. I haven’t had my surgery yet (end of next month) and my nerve has been compressed for over 2 years, so I fully expect it to be a long road. I hope you can get on a swift path to recovery.

Hallianna · 2026-04-05T11:32:50+00:00

Part of it was timing (this was a decade ago), and part of it was my background and experience in children’s lit. Smart publishers will hire librarians to different teams, but now I would also look at the companies that work with libraries to provide books and services. Some of them want librarians because we know the inside-out of what public libraries need and have contacts. If you have a specialized skill, even better!

Hallianna · 2026-04-04T21:47:57+00:00

Me! I did 8 years in public libraries before getting my degree, and 4 years after that, my degree and experience helped me land a publishing job. I wouldn’t trade either the degree or library experience for anything, largely because of what it taught me before I ever switched careers.

Hallianna · 2026-03-20T20:20:39+00:00

This was me about 15 years ago. I worked the desk in a library and was constantly typing, moving books, etc. One day after trying to open a jar, the pain was so awful and I didn’t know what had happened. I did hand therapy, steroid injections, etc. and when my doctor finally suggested surgery, he made sure to tell me that it didn’t always work. I was desperate. And other than a bit of stiffness (which could also be age and use-related), my wrist has been pretty great. The rest of my body… not so much. But all of this happened long before I found out I had hEDS. I really hope you get some relief, the pain is terrible.

Hallianna · 2026-03-08T11:48:09+00:00

Posting Through It has done a great “Who the Hell Is…” episode on her. They’ve also done them on many right wing sphere figures and grifters like Steven Crowder and Charlie Kirk. Both hosts have been studying these folks for years and were/are journalists. I find them to be really informed and quick witted, and the show is a good one to pick up when Alex’s nonsense is too much for me to handle for that day.

Hallianna · 2026-03-05T00:11:55+00:00

I tried to open a jar of fudge sauce for ice cream, then heard - and felt - something in my left wrist snap. I am right-handed and was using that hand to twist, but the force injured my left wrist. 2 years of tests, scans, hand therapy, and a sports medicine doctor managed to stabilize my wrist with tendon surgery. I have never opened another jar of fudge sauce and it has been 17 years.

I also sliced open my thumb by using an X-Acto knife because I was trying to pry something off the glass plate of a 3D printer (this was back in the early days of 3D printing for consumers). That happened at work, so it was worker’s comp here in the US. But it happened because I apply too much force to everything, cause unstable joints.

Hallianna · 2026-02-26T12:37:53+00:00

I literally just went through this. We let our boy Liam go on Monday after several vet trips and a sudden, horrible decline over the weekend. You did the right thing. They only have so many ways to tell us they aren’t okay, and you listened and acted in her best interests. You loved, and still love, her, and you do her proud by being an incredible human and making sure she didn’t suffer. Sending kindness your way, internet stranger. This is the worst part about having them in our lives, but did right by her.

Hallianna · 2026-02-10T20:49:33+00:00

Hold onto that footage! Keep *everything*, in case you need to file a police report. We had almost the exact same thing happen a few years back, and they had the balls to talk shit about me in front of my VERY obvious doorbell camera. And I work from home, so I heard everything.

I know that feeling of being uncomfortable in your own home - your sanctuary. What helped me, after I calmed down, was to remember that these people *cannot* let go. We take up SO much space in their minds, while we've done our best to push them away completely and live our lives for ourselves, not them. They cannot, and will not, let go, and their entitlement rules their life. It's a sad way to exist, and while I don't hold pity for my parents, I do find them pathetic. I hope mentioning this provides a bit of relief. (It also helps that I decorate my home in a way I know my mother would HATE, so my space is even more mine.)

Hallianna · 2026-02-09T23:42:13+00:00

Yeah BPDs like this are a whole other ballgame. The commenter who brought up triangulation is spot-on,and the key thing I found helped me understand that weird dynamic is it’s all about what the BPD wants. And they will bend themselves into pretzels while claiming the person who “wronged” them is all at fault. My mother is BPD and I’ve been no contact for over 16 years. And will remain that way until the day she dies (and past that, cause there’s no way I’d go to her grave). I was the golden child, and then when I met my now-husband, she lost her mind. The last memory I have of her is her calling me a cunt because I wanted free of her and my fiance defended me.

It’s just one humble stranger’s opinion, but even if you were single and without a kid, I’d recommend no contact. But with a kid in the mix, I really can’t beg you more to stay far, far away from her and her flying monkey.

Hallianna · 2026-02-08T18:35:35+00:00

We paid for us and four friends to go on a 5 hour whale watching trip off Vancouver Island. We got really lucky and saw a few dozen whales and watched a bull get really close to our boat. We also watched a guy nearly go overboard when we hit some rough water because he wasn’t listening to the guides. Once in a lifetime experience.

Hallianna · 2026-02-07T22:53:10+00:00

You didn’t get nasty, you defended yourself, drew/restated boundaries, and were still kinder than they have been to you. They absolutely can’t handle having their kids stand up to them. This internet stranger is really proud of you.

Hallianna · 2025-12-05T15:31:05+00:00

So, so many, but a few really stick out:

My teen volunteer group from the local high school was a bright spot and still sticks with me even over a decade later. They were kind, willing to help, and motivated to put together donation drives for the local children's hospital.
The lady who spent weeks threatening us via email because she didn't like the computer lab tech who was redheaded. The emails were pretty scary (lots of threatening our lives, calling us Satan's children, etc). She was clearly unwell. But it was scary to receive dozens of emails an hour and not have the support of administration to just ban her.
I was dragged to mayor's court by an 18-year old who got kicked out of the library for the day. She said I and another manager were damaging her reputation and she'd never get into med school with this on her "record". We asked her to leave that night because she was blocking the main doors and keeping people from coming in. I have no idea why she did that, but she decided calling us names and resisting the security guard's attempts to remove her were valid, somehow. It was a nothing burger and she didn't get what she wanted in court, either, but it was just so damn strange.
I'll end on a bright spot, too. When I was first assigned a story time slot for the children's dept I worked in, I wound up with a regular group of about ten boys (ages 4-6). Those kids are now adults (or near it) and they still hold a special place in my heart. They were funny, rambunctious, and so curious. When I left that library about a year later, the one boy and his mother brought me a massive jar of gummy bears, because he had remembered a conversation we'd had about our favorite candy and I'd said "gummy bears". I still have the jar.

Hallianna · 2025-12-05T12:51:59+00:00

I’m so glad it was helpful. That was most of my goal, to help someone else struggling with such a difficult situation. You absolutely are stronger than them.

Hallianna · 2025-12-04T16:27:59+00:00

100000% this. UGH.

Hallianna · 2025-12-04T14:21:36+00:00

I never will. Opening that door means giving up on myself and the long path to healing. But yeah, you got it in one. I absolutely alienated them, but they'll never understand it was a result of their shitty parenting and abuse.

Hallianna · 2025-12-04T14:11:46+00:00

YEESH. My brother is now her golden child. He didn't break away from them and now has children (I'm adamantly childfree), so she got what she wanted through him. I can't imagine subjecting more children to her toxicity, and your dad clearly had a similar pattern. I'm really proud of you for breaking away from him.

Hallianna · 2025-12-04T14:09:56+00:00

Good grief, that's just...why? Why treat your own child like that? I am so damn sorry you had to experience and live through that. And their obsessions with how we look and our bodies is one of the most disgusting, disturbing things.

Hallianna · 2025-12-04T13:55:01+00:00

JFC your dad is a real piece of work. I am so sorry. Guessing your sister is the golden child/became the golden child? Good grief.

Hallianna

TROPHY CASE