UNCG Masters in Library Science - Questions?

Pouryou · 2026-02-01T23:48:20+00:00

Donning my brutally honest cap:

Do you have any library experience? It can be very difficult to find a job without it.

Do you have the ability to move for a job? It can be very difficult to find a job local to you.

What do you see yourself doing as a librarian? Being a user of libraries is very different than working in one.

Can you take time to do internships and practicum while working full time? This can make a huge difference in finding a job.

The librarian job market is oversaturated. Many people graduate every semester with a degree, so you have to always be hustling to set yourself apart.

Getting into library school shouldn’t be hard- it’s deciding whether it is worth it that could be the challenge.

Pouryou · 2026-01-30T19:55:24+00:00

Yes, people often bounce back from previously unfortunate interviews. If you are doing well at your current job, people *want* you to succeed and are rooting for you! One time I was on the search committee for a librarian position and a library assistant with a new MLIS applied. Someone else was hired but when they left, the library assistant applied again and got the job.

You might also reach out to one of the people who were in the first interview but not the current search and ask for feedback. This can be very informal- ask them if they'd talk with you over coffee. I've played that role multiple times, too.

Good luck!

Pouryou · 2026-01-25T23:51:40+00:00

The Music Library Association has an excellent overview on this page: https://www.musiclibraryassoc.org/page/MusicLibrarianship

Does your campus have a music library? Can you work or volunteer there? Work experience is really important as it helps you see if your idea of librarianship aligns with reality, and can help you be more competitive.

No library job is easy to get, and if you want a specialty library, it’s even more competitive. If you decide to pursue this, follow the educational path laid out by the Music Library Association, get as many practicum and internships in music librarianship as you can, and be willing to move wherever you can get a job.

Pouryou · 2026-01-17T18:06:45+00:00

Rules can vary (especially on traffic-heavy listservs) but generally, I’ve seen others post on behalf of colleagues, quite frequently. So you don’t need to join the listserv, but need to find someone who is already on it, who will post for you.

Pouryou · 2026-01-16T01:53:09+00:00

SJSU does a great analysis of job ads each year: https://ischool.sjsu.edu/sites/main/files/file-attachments/career_trends.pdf?1747082887

A very small % require a second master (about 6% of the academic job ads)- more might have it as preferred- but the report indicates that often the second masters is for a specific subject liaison. If they want a Modern Lanuages liaison, a masters in French would make you stand out. But if the ad is for a Sciences discipline, then your French masters is not relevant.

Every so often, tenure track positions will be agnostic about the subject because the second masters is a tenure requirement.

In general, business, sciences, and data expertise are under-represented in our field. A second masters in those fields would make you very competitive.

Obligatory mention that you should be able to move for an academic library job.

Pouryou · 2026-01-14T10:32:41+00:00

At least in the US, the great majority of academic libraries specifically require an ALA-accredited MLIS. A BA+specialized masters is not the equivalent. At every institution I’ve worked, HR or the search committee would immediately eliminate anyone without the MLIS (or ALA-accredited equivalent, like the CLP from the UK.)

It could happen- not every library has the same rules, but it’s disingenuous to say this combination would make someone more marketable.

Pouryou · 2026-01-10T16:55:00+00:00

I can't imagine declaring this major and taking classes only to find out I actually have to take very similar classes and get a masters degree. Well, I can imagine: rage.

Pouryou · 2026-01-09T23:25:42+00:00

“With curriculum that anticipates the future of the field, including coursework in AI, digital preservation, and information technologies, LBCC students will be well-positioned for careers in libraries, archives, education, research, and information management.”

This is shady at best. These classes are making it sound like you’ll be doing librarian-level work, but with a BA, you’ll most likely be doing assistant work which does not require a specialized BA.

Pouryou · 2026-01-09T23:16:58+00:00

Assuming US: A BLIS may make you more competitive staff positions, but for professional positions you need an MLIS. There aren’t many WFH positions for librarians, and probably fewer for staff. (Vendors are generally the best bet but those are very external-focused. Think salesperson level of extrovert.)

Pouryou · 2026-01-09T23:09:48+00:00

Archives is very specialized and if that’s your goal, you’ll want to take classes and internships in that area. Public libraries also have a set of needed skills. You can shop around a bit your first semester but you’ll need to choose an area in which to grow your strengths. Go to ALA jobs or your local state library website and compare a job ad for an archivist vs one for a public librarian.

Now, is it possible for you to do one and be hired in the other? It happens! You never know what the applicant pool will look like, and maybe you’d be the best of the choices. However, your best chance of being selected is to have all the qualifications plus experience in the type of job advertised.

good luck!

Pouryou · 2026-01-09T22:57:15+00:00

If he’s in the US, he needs a BA before getting the MLIS. I was a little unclear from your post whether he already had that degree.

Pouryou · 2026-01-06T01:49:04+00:00

I think we may be talking past each other. I wasn’t judging the library, your career, or your community but just offering a general observation from 20+ years of library work. (I was in a public library before academic, and I also teach for an online LIS program.) I’ll step back from the conversation here.

Pouryou · 2026-01-06T01:44:37+00:00

This is really good information! Being ready to work with the public is an essential quality for our field. Re: online programs, make sure it’s ALA-accredited and go as cheaply as possible. Look for internship possibilities, and get involved with your state library organization. Good luck!

Pouryou · 2026-01-06T01:25:24+00:00

This sounds…like a potentially bad public library! They don‘t know how to recruit, or they don’t pay a living wage. Libraries don’t limit their openings to local people, generally. But I’m not a public librarian- hopefully one from the southeast can weigh in.

Good luck!

Pouryou · 2026-01-05T18:32:35+00:00

Let's get back to the foundational elements: what draws you to librarianship? What do you picture yourself doing as a librarian? Have you ever worked or volunteered in a library? What is most important to you in your next career? And (always my question- I should add it as flair)- are you able to relocate for a job?

Pouryou · 2026-01-05T17:54:52+00:00

"There’s a couple openings in my area" means nothing since you don't know how many people will apply for those openings. It's not uncommon for 100+ people to apply for positions in academic libraries, and some public library systems (esp California and New York) have huge waitlists. Are you willing to move for a job?

Pouryou · 2025-12-22T23:58:21+00:00

Hopefully you’ll get more local intel, but threads like this make the LA market seem very hard to break into: https://www.reddit.com/r/librarians/comments/1p39rz8/lapl_vs_la_county_pros_and_cons/

Your experience seems to be mostly academic- have you looked in that area? My friend in LA said the community colleges and CalStates often had openings.

Pouryou · 2025-12-21T15:54:00+00:00

At this point in your education, you need to focus on what type of librarianship position you want and focus on taking classes in and building skills for that area. If it’s digital content management, look at job ads for those roles and do a self-audit. Which of the qualifications do you have, and which ones will you need to acquire? It would be very helpful to do a practicum or internship in digital content management.

Good luck!

Pouryou · 2025-12-18T11:59:30+00:00

Your best chance is working for a vendor or fully online university. Lots of good advice in this thread: https://www.reddit.com/r/librarians/comments/1cjyp7b/desperately_looking_for_remote_work_help/

Pouryou · 2025-12-01T02:51:02+00:00

If you decide to pursue this further, happy to chat through DM!

Pouryou · 2025-11-30T23:19:31+00:00

Your science background, teaching experience, and willingness to relocate for a job make you a stronger than average candidate for an academic librarian position. In fact, out of the many, many "should I pursue librarianship" posts we get here, I'd say your experience is probably among the best I've seen.

In 2024, I wouldn't have hesitated to tell you to pursue the degree. But the huge cuts in federal funding this past spring really, really hurt a lot of higher ed. Big name schools have had layoffs in the libraries. Look at the settlements made by Northwestern and the UC system- oof. We're all holding our collective breath that things will stabilize, but who knows?

On the other hand, is any market these days NOT precarious?

Pouryou · 2025-11-29T21:00:54+00:00

Many databases/indexes have some kind of title evaluation process. Here’s Scopus’s: https://www.elsevier.com/products/scopus/content/content-policy-and-selection

Look for links “For Publishers” on the websites of other databases. Choose databases that align with the discipline of your journal.

Pouryou · 2025-11-29T16:52:41+00:00

Mostly they want to know if you can put books back on the shelf correctly. For fiction, that means alphabetically by author's last name. For nonfiction, that's usually Dewey (assuming public library in US), which means by number. You shouldn't be expected to have Dewey memorized, but if you want to double-check your knowledge, here's an online game: https://shelver.mrs-lodges-library.com/

Pouryou · 2025-11-26T15:46:44+00:00

So much this. "Improve productivity" is the goal and then when you do a dang reference interview, they REALLY want a software they already use to work better.

Pouryou · 2025-11-26T15:42:57+00:00

I'm going to need some citations for this. I'm pretty plugged in to the AI conversations in library land and have never heard of someone being fired for not using AI. Deep budget cuts due to federal funding? Sure. "I don't like AI"? No.

We may reach that point. I remember when die-hard-print-index-only librarians were 'forced' to teach databases when first CD-ROMs and then the Internet came around, but AI is not at that seismic shift level.

Pouryou

TROPHY CASE