MetaChat - Who's a librarian?

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09 May 2006

Who's a librarian? Who has a library degree but is not currently working as a librarian? Who works in a library but not as a degreed librarian? What's your speciality/type of library? Reveal yourselves here!

post by: matildaben at: 14:21 | 33 comments

That means you, mlis, croctommy, initapplette, and of course, jessamyn!

posted by matildaben 09 May | 14:22

Harrumph. I work as the assistant manager of a public library branch. Also, I'm ABD in an MLIS program, and (very slowly) working on my thesis.

posted by box 09 May | 14:27

I, sadly, am not a librarian. I do have books and I do organize them, but I am a rank amateur at best.

posted by richat 09 May | 14:28

What sort of thesis does one need to do for a library science degree?

posted by mullacc 09 May | 14:30

One really doesn't need to do one at all. There are quite a few library science programs these days that accept things like practicums in lieu of theses.

The most common library science degree is probably either a literature review or a piece of survey research, though the possibilities are fairly open, as these things go.

posted by box 09 May | 14:36

I really really wish I had become a med or law librarian. A good friend is one (med), and she loves it, and I considered getting a library science degree and doing that but I just... didn't.

Sad.

posted by gaspode 09 May | 14:45

Oops, not the most common library science degree, the most common theses. You know what I mean, though.

posted by box 09 May | 14:46

*makes notes of people to hassle for research help*

posted by cmonkey 09 May | 14:47

I'm not a librarian, but I do play the home game in my own little mini-Alexandria.

posted by Eideteker 09 May | 14:55

Yeah, but rats are cool as well.

posted by flopsy 09 May | 14:58

I have an Information Studies degree, working on the MS, thinking of switching over to pure MLIS.

posted by tetsuo 09 May | 15:11

It's never too late, gaspode!

I have a MLIS degree but am currently working in the software field. I still wear librarian glasses, though. Because they're hot.

posted by matildaben 09 May | 15:11

I really really wish I had become a med or law librarian. A good friend is one (med), and she loves it, and I considered getting a library science degree and doing that but I just... didn't.

Sad.

posted by gaspode 09 May | 15:17

What's with the weird double posts?

posted by box 09 May | 15:18

that's quite odd.

posted by gaspode 09 May | 15:29

I have no degree in any thing and am thus useless. Don't ask me fer nuttin'.

posted by jonmc 09 May | 15:38

I went to library school for one semester back in the 80s. Hated it. I've also worked in a law library and for about 4 dreadful months in a public library. It seems I like libraries and librarians but I hate library patrons.

posted by JanetLand 09 May | 15:38

I have my MLIS -- same school as Matildaben -- and very much do not work at a library. Which really sucks, 'cause that is what I want to be doing -- government documents ROCK!

I currently work at the Evil Empire and daydream of patrons looking for "that red book, you know, the one that came out last year?"

posted by croctommy 09 May | 15:40

I'm glad I now understand mlis' username.

I was a library page in high school and then a work-study library aide in college. I unpacked boxes, checked invoices and applied bookplates. That doesn't count, though.

posted by Miko 09 May | 15:42

I work in a large academic library, though I don't have my library degree yet. I do have a master's in biology, and it's a science-oriented position. I basically work reference, and do librarian stuff, but go to fewer meetings and get paid less. I'm applying to schools in the fall.

posted by unknowncommand 09 May | 15:43

I love croctommy dearly (and he's my favorite thing I picked up in library school), but I certainly do not share his love of reference patrons. If I ever work in a library, it'll be in the back room, talking only to books and computers.

On preview, I was a library helper pretty much through my entire high school and college career.

posted by matildaben 09 May | 15:43

i have an mls and an ma in lit (i also have a mansion and a yacht). i work (for the time being) as a managing editor for scholarly/medical journals. i've been volunteering at the law library at KU for the last few months for the experience. i would like to do archive work, but anything besides cataloguing is OK by me, even working at a law library. i mean, i have to deal with academics all day, how hard can it be to deal with a lawyer?

posted by sleepy_pete 09 May | 16:39

Sleepy! Say hi to your lovely wife for me, willya?

posted by matildaben 09 May | 16:57

Graduated with MLS and extra bonus MA on Saturday.

posted by nonane 09 May | 17:17

Here I am! I was off doing library things earlier.

Nonane, congratulations!

I have the degree but have been working as a paraprofessional cataloger in an academic library for the last four years. Was looking for just the right situation, which came my way last week. As of June 1, I will be Reference Cataloging Librarian at a small academic library (yay me!)

Apparently, I am an odd case in librarianship -- I love the desk and working with people, but I am equally as happy staring into a monitor as I catalog the items that patrons will later ask me to help them find. (Most people like doing one or the other, but not both.)

posted by initapplette 09 May | 19:39

Apparently, I am an odd case in librarianship -- I love the desk and working with people, but I am equally as happy staring into a monitor as I catalog the items that patrons will later ask me to help them find. (Most people like doing one or the other, but not both.)

I love doing both as well. Having done both, I found that it helped be do both better: working the reference desk helped my with my backroom tech stuff by keeping aware of how people were looking for information and what they were looking for; and working the backroom tech stuff really helped when it came to helping patrons learn how to use catalogues and, of course, helping them find stuff...since I new how it was "hidden" in the system in the first place.

Sigh...

posted by croctommy 10 May | 00:00

I am not a librarian. The glasses are hot. I did take an information science coordinated studies program in college for a quarter. The glasses are hot. One of my good friends, who was in that coordinated studies program with me, just finished the UW program two years ago. The glasses are hot. He's an archivalist now, and wears glasses. Hot.

posted by safetyfork 10 May | 06:38

Hi! I've been trying to add all the librarians to my MeFi profile as "colleagues" so you can check out my user page there (I think?) and anyone listed as a colleague has mentioned being a librarian at one time or another. I don't actually work as a librarian now, I mostly just help librarians learn to use computers. I went to school with Matildaben and croctommy. Congrats on the job initaplette!

posted by jessamyn 10 May | 07:16

Congrats to those who got new jobs! I hope some of your luck rubs off on croctommy....

posted by matildaben 10 May | 09:00

croctommy, where are you looking?

posted by initapplette 10 May | 09:35

I'm a librarian. With an MLIS and a job.

posted by willpie 10 May | 13:45

More specifically, a job in a library.

posted by willpie 10 May | 13:49

croctommy, where are you looking?

At this point, pretty much anyplace except Texas and Florida, in academic and/or public libraries. Working on a new batch of applications at the moment. My big problem is I've been in the corporate world for a while and need some refreshing -- folk look at where I am and then go hire a fresh face straight out of library school.

posted by croctommy 11 May | 01:25

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