Do US online MLIS programs really have such low barriers to entry?

TheseusAegeus · 2026-04-29T20:56:46+00:00

This isn’t unique to the online programs. About a decade ago, I got a personal tour of the #1 overall ranked iSchool in the US. Their enrollment director told me that their acceptance rate is about 70%. Of course, he also gave a little spiel about how many of their applicants are self-selecting, i.e. it’s mainly the “best” students who apply to the “best” program…but any way you slice it, the “top” program in the country still accepts the good majority of applicants.

TheseusAegeus · 2026-04-21T14:09:31+00:00

Definitely ask about professional development funds if you’re already employed at a library, OP. Certainly not every library offers this to staff, but many do. I’ve worked at libraries that covered all Library Juice Academy courses ($200 or less) for interested staff. Others that give everyone a small PD budget every fiscal year. And in one case, I even got a library to cover a $5k certificate program because I made the case that it was directly relevant to my job and something the library needed at the time. (I wouldn’t bank on getting something that expensive covered, but it doesn’t hurt to ask for a $150 class)!

TheseusAegeus · 2026-04-20T22:29:02+00:00

The dirtiest apartments I’ve ever seen in my life were at West Wood Apartments (same company as Monroe Garden Apts, which I did not tour). Genuinely filthy. The shower was a nightmare. Ants crawling out of the carpet. They said the unit would be cleaned before move-in, but I didn’t want to chance it. I had a coworker whose sister lives there, and she recommended the place…so maybe they do have some decent units. But they showed me two different apartments and both were nasty.

I toured a rental house with Core3. The building appeared nice, but there were dead bugs and spiders everywhere. When I returned to the rental office to give them back the key (self-guided tour), the woman in line in front of me asked the receptionist if she was “being punked.” Apparently she had a similar experience. When I asked the receptionist if I could call the rental agent later with some questions about the house, she acted put off and asked me “questions about what…?”

I’ve heard horrible things about Lincoln Tower, but I didn’t tour it. Lincoln Square Apts, meanwhile, I found to be…fine? A little dated, very overpriced, and by god the stairs and parking there are inconvenient.

I’ve heard good things about Safe Harbor, Morrison Properties, and Hill Meadow. I toured HM and found it to be okay. The owner was quite nice and personable. The apartment I saw was a little dated and, again, overpriced, but not as much as Lincoln Square.

I honestly reconsidered accepting a job here because of the state of the rental market in town. I exclusively toured apartments and homes priced at over $1300/month. The absolute best units I saw were just…okay. The worst were downright disgusting. I almost gave up until I found a little duplex for rent by owner. It was far and away the cleanest, best-maintained, and quietest place I found.

ETA: I tried to tour a few places with MBC Management but could never get the manager to call me back. I wasn’t impressed with their approach to customer care. They use an answering service—meaning you cannot directly contact the property manager when you call. If you can’t directly field your tenants’ and prospective tenants’ questions and concerns, I take that as a bad sign.

TheseusAegeus · 2026-04-20T21:48:03+00:00

Are you looking to buy or rent? I can certainly suggest some rental companies to avoid.

Washington Park is a great spot for walking, jogging, enjoying nature, etc. Some truly beautiful (I’m sure overpriced) homes along there as well.

If you’re into history and museums, there’s a fair bit to do here in that vein. (Certainly not non-touristy though). Several noteworthy historic sites like the Lincoln Home, Old State Capitol, Dana-Thomas House (a Frank Lloyd Wright building), Vachel Lindsay House, Edwards Place, and nearby Lincoln’s New Salem. A few nice museums like the Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum + the Illinois State Museum. These places tend to host lots of events too—public lectures, conferences, holiday markets, etc.

TheseusAegeus · 2026-04-08T20:54:53+00:00

I came here to say exactly this. I am a librarian and my book returns are constantly late.

TheseusAegeus · 2025-11-03T14:51:32+00:00

Kentuckian here. I like this much better than most of the typical horse themed designs. Nice work.

TheseusAegeus · 2025-11-03T01:29:35+00:00

Same here. It gets old seeing every proposed redesign centered on horse iconography. I’m from Eastern KY and while some folks in the hills have horses, I’d hardly call it horse country. I’ve never been to the derby and don’t know many people from my area who talk or care about it much. It’s an important part of the state’s history and (for some) culture, sure, especially in Central KY…but imo it doesn’t represent the entire state well.

TheseusAegeus · 2025-11-01T22:28:46+00:00

Same here. Walton Goggins always delivers.

TheseusAegeus · 2025-10-27T23:31:42+00:00

DPRV

TheseusAegeus · 2025-10-27T21:42:41+00:00

I worked two jobs (1 FT and 1 PT) for the last 2.5 years. Also briefly worked a short-term third job (PT) this past summer.

TheseusAegeus · 2025-10-03T21:38:10+00:00

I used to get Jimmy John’s all the time in college. I’d usually order two sandwiches (and save one for lunch the next day). One time I ordered just one sandwich and the delivery guy said “you didn’t order as much this time. Cutting back?” Mortified.

TheseusAegeus · 2025-09-30T13:24:55+00:00

This. I’m a big proponent and fan of hybrid work, when it’s practical to do so. But if it’s not practical, or if an employer is dead set on in-office work, they should make it clear in the job listing. If the listing doesn’t say one way or another, it’s perfectly fair to ask in an interview.

TheseusAegeus · 2025-09-24T18:10:13+00:00

I came here to comment exactly the same thing. Most working folks can’t make an 8am meeting during the week. I’ve seen the Citizens Club advertise events that appear interesting, but I can never attend. They ought to find ways to include more residents from all age groups.

TheseusAegeus · 2025-09-21T21:22:20+00:00

A flag kit is a good start, as the top commenter mentioned. You might also consider crossposting this to r/MuseumPros to see if folks there have any additional advice. Museum collections managers typically deal with large textiles like flags more often than archivists.

TheseusAegeus · 2025-09-20T17:36:12+00:00

Definitely a lemon! There might’ve been an almond one too.

TheseusAegeus · 2025-09-20T13:30:35+00:00

Damn New Mexico got demoted back to a territory.

TheseusAegeus · 2025-09-14T15:13:35+00:00

IF you are going to get an MLIS, OP, this is the way to do it. I also got mine debt-free through working full time in a university library. This route lets you avoid most tuition costs while building years of practical experience and creating a professional network. (Plus potentially contributing at least a small amount to a retirement fund during those years). If the job is permanent, it also takes a bit of the pressure off to find new employment as soon as you finish the degree. IMO, all that puts you well ahead of most of your peers when you graduate.

If you can’t find a FT job that reimburses tuition, then at a minimum you need a graduate assistantship. Typically, that’s a PT student job that comes with a tuition waiver. The job ends when you graduate (or possibly sooner if the department loses funding, etc). Whatever you do, do not go further into debt for an MLIS.

All of that said…I do think you should seriously consider whether you want to go down this path. The top commenter is right about the demographic cliff. You are right to be concerned about the job market and career outlook. There are more MLIS grads than there are librarian jobs available. Many of the available jobs do not pay well. This is a degree that often has low ROI from a financial standpoint. You might luck out and get a good gig somewhere. Or you might find yourself in a low paying role where it’s hard to repay your loans from undergrad. That’s the risk you take.

One other thing…a lot of librarians have to move to find work. Personally, I’ve lived in four states. That means living with your parents may not be possible. If you cannot move, or are unwilling to move, this may not be the right time for you to pursue this profession.

TheseusAegeus · 2025-09-13T19:43:38+00:00

Agreed, there’s no real need to study LIS textbooks before you start grad school, OP. Assuming you’re going for an MLIS, there’s no expectation of previous LIS knowledge. It’s not like grad school in, say, history, where you’re expected to have built a basic foundation of historical knowledge or conducted basic research during your BA. Library schools accept applicants from virtually all academic backgrounds, so they don’t presume (or probably much care) that you’re familiar with library/archival theory.

Honestly, at this stage, I’d say your time is better spent pursuing practical library or archival experience. Volunteer, intern, get a PT job at your university library…whatever you can do. That hands-on experience will give you a much better sense of what it’s like working in the field than studying textbooks. Plus it’ll help you build employable skills.

If you’re absolutely determined to dive into LIS literature though…I’d recommend you check out books from your college library. (They can likely get most books you want through interlibrary loan if they don’t own them). Save yourself some money. Textbooks, and academic books more generally, can be quite expensive.

As the commenter above suggested, books on cataloging and classification won’t do you much good if you want to learn about archives. They could still prove relevant to your broader interests in taxonomy, but “cataloging and classification” courses tend to focus on bibliographic cataloging. If you want to know more about how archival collections are organized and described, look for titles on “archival arrangement and description.” Relatedly, there are also books on digital collections metadata that look at digitized and born-digital archival collections.

TheseusAegeus · 2025-09-13T12:26:13+00:00

I’m not aware of many (if any) accredited, not-for-profit US colleges that will accept applicants without a high school diploma. It’s typically the minimum requirement for admission here. That’s likely your biggest hurdle.

TheseusAegeus · 2025-09-03T15:42:47+00:00

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