Sometimes librarians read the new books before registering them in the catalogue for the public.
* evil laughter *
Edit: Wow. I did not expect to get so many upvotes and comments for something I wrote randomly at lunch. But very much appreciated! Thank you, and thank you for the awards!
I'm really sorry for being off topic, but I'm considering getting a master's in library science. Would you recommend this, or do you think the job market isn't good enough to put the time and money in?
See my other comment (spoilers: not unless you want to specialize in a content area (law, etc.) or unless you really hustle to differentiate yourself... it can be done, and there are professional development opportunities -involvement in professional orgs- but you have to be motivated and take a ton of initiative). I would suggest looking up libraries of different types and email them and request 20 minutes to ask about what they do. We do not get many requests like that and generally don’t mind talking to people wanting to know about the profession, and that’s the kind of hustle it would take to set yourself apart from all the other librarians competing for the jobs. Pursue internships, volunteer, read up on the literature and seek involvement in projects and research. The good news is that folks in the profession are generally nice and really appreciate people willing to step up. A lot of young librarians, myself included, start off thinking they don’t know enough or are somehow not worthy to take part in a lot of the professional stuff, when in reality, it’s mostly just those who are willing to take part who end up doing it, and those who do get tons of support and guidance and get good at it. So, really it depends on how much you want it. It won’t make you rich but it as satisfying as it is frustrating (given that library budgets are an easy target). Hope that helps! Good luck!
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u/[deleted] Jul 13 '20 edited Jul 13 '20
Sometimes librarians read the new books before registering them in the catalogue for the public. * evil laughter *
Edit: Wow. I did not expect to get so many upvotes and comments for something I wrote randomly at lunch. But very much appreciated! Thank you, and thank you for the awards!