Any librarians out there?

[Pigeon]

Thanks for all the incredible and honest feedback. My computer servers been down for a few days -- UGH! Otherwise, i would have responded sooner.

In answer to some of the questions, I have a BA in Mass Communications. No teaching degree, which means I can't go in the school system libraries. I am in Long Island, which makes NYC reachable for me and a bigger job market.

You would get the school library media certification, which would enable you to be a librarian in the public schools, as part of library school, if you opt for that track. It would include internships.

 

[bookgirl]

I don't know who it is who has been spreading all that rot about librarian shortages.

IN my state a lot of bigger school districts will help pay for your masters if you agree to get the Library Media Specialist cert, I was leaving the system to become an Academic/Public librarian, so I paid for mine, but I will tell you that in Academic/Public there is NOT a shortage. I worked 5 years as a half timer before getting my full time position.

Get ANY job at a library, then get your masters and you'll have a better chance.

Considering your background I would look at Materials Selection in some of the larger systems and colleges or Interlibrary Loan. You don't need a MLIS for that and with your background you'd be a natural. Then once you got in system you could go back to school.

 

[can84]

Thanks for all the incredible and honest feedback. My computer servers been down for a few days -- UGH! Otherwise, i would have responded sooner.

In answer to some of the questions, I have a BA in Mass Communications. No teaching degree, which means I can't go in the school system libraries. I am in Long Island, which makes NYC reachable for me and a bigger job market.

I've spent the last 20 years marketing children's books and I'm just trying to find some way to stay around. Working in a bookstore doesn't pay more than unemployment at this point so I'm still exploring my options.

thanks again to all and I'll continue to scour for opportunities. Who knows, I might event find a job I LIKE! HA!

I'm in the same area, so if you have any questions about the library schools feel free to PM me!

 

[NotUrsula]

Materials selection (bibliographer as it used to be known) is primarily an MLIS position in academic libraries, but it's a dying specialty now. I don't know any full-time bibliographers anymore. Academic libraries I worked in started doing away with those positions over 20 years ago. What's still done in-house tends to be parceled out among the reference librarians.

Big public systems tend to outsource their selections process now, especially in kiddie lit. The jobs are there, but not in libraries; those are vendor jobs, and they are mostly nowhere near NYC. Library jobbers like to work in cheaper markets: Brodart is in Williamsport, PA; Baker & Taylor is in now in Charlotte; and Ingram is in La Vergne, TN. (All of them have some positions open right now, BTW. I don't know any vendors who absolutely REQUIRE the MLS. They tend to find it useful, but don't require it.)

Bowker has a marketing opening right now. They are in New Providence, NJ -- still a bit too far to commute, but not completely out of the area.
(Bowker are the folks who bring you ISBN's, among other things.)

If you go to www.librariansyellowpages.com, you can find all of the vendors based in a certain state. Open an advanced search, put a period in the keyword field and then choose your state.

 

[Pigeon]

I'm a bibliographer at an academic library, and I don't feel like dying any time soon.

We also do reference and may do instruction. I team teach a course with a faculty member from one of my academic departments.

 

[bookgirl]

Materials selection (bibliographer as it used to be known) is primarily an MLIS position in academic libraries, but it's a dying specialty now. I don't know any full-time bibliographers anymore. Academic libraries I worked in started doing away with those positions over 20 years ago. What's still done in-house tends to be parceled out among the reference librarians.

Big public systems tend to outsource their selections process now, especially in kiddie lit. The jobs are there, but not in libraries; those are vendor jobs, and they are mostly nowhere near NYC. Library jobbers like to work in cheaper markets: Brodart is in Williamsport, PA; Baker & Taylor is in now in Charlotte; and Ingram is in La Vergne, TN. (All of them have some positions open right now, BTW. I don't know any vendors who absolutely REQUIRE the MLS. They tend to find it useful, but don't require it.)

Bowker has a marketing opening right now. They are in New Providence, NJ -- still a bit too far to commute, but not completely out of the area.
(Bowker are the folks who bring you ISBN's, among other things.)

If you go to www.librariansyellowpages.com, you can find all of the vendors based in a certain state. Open an advanced search, put a period in the keyword field and then choose your state.

In my public library system (18 branch county system) and most of the others around here a material selector is in the department who reviews purchases, is responsible for selecting books to supplement our standing orders from vendors (as in responsible for certain sections ie 100's, fiction, audio etc). Finding books that fit with in those Dewey Catalogs, then inputing them into our catalog. Think Purchasing which her background is suited too.

Technical processing is responsible for intaking the mass volumes of books, putting on lables (that the material selectors assign straight from the Dewey Decimal reference) and routing those books to the branches. Either one of these jobs does NOT require an MLIS degree.

I think your thinking of catalogers, who do need a lot of background in LIS, but those are specialized positions and not what I was suggesting she apply for.

 

[Kickapoo Joie Juice]

my childhood friend has an undergraduate degree in anthropology and a masters in library science, and she works for a law firm with a large library. Nobody else had mentioned it so I thought I would. She makes a good living.

 

[NotUrsula]

I'm a bibliographer at an academic library, and I don't feel like dying any time soon.

We also do reference and may do instruction. I team teach a course with a faculty member from one of my academic departments.

Not to be flip, but you've proven my point. You do other things in addition to selection. There are of course a lot of people who still do what you do, but most of them don't have your title anymore, at least not formally. The former bibliographers that I know were mostly moved to Reference or BI positions; they are now Subject Specialists whose duties include public services. (In one memorable case one of them ended up in Cataloging, but he was a jerk, and I can see why a Public Services position would probably not have been a good fit for him. To be honest the Cataloging position wasn't a good fit for him, either. He thought it was beneath him, and never hesitated to let people know it.)

I wasn't thinking of catalogers, as I was one for a very long time. Library associates of all stripes don't need the MLIS, but I honestly have not encountered very many libraries where associates have selection duties, unless they use professionals VERY sparingly. (I got around a lot in the 10 years when I worked for a systems vendor. It took 6 months on average to get a system installed, and I got very familiar with the staffing structure of the various libraries I was handling; I needed to so that I could help set up the system security levels.) I do know of a couple of large public systems that only have a handful of professionals in managerial roles, and they do use associates for selection, but they outsource it on probably 95% of what they buy, so there really isn't much to have to select.

 

[Kristi1357]

I seriously need a career change and was/am considering becoming a school librarian. In NH, you need a bachelor's and 2 LS classes. I have the bachelor's, but am leery about spending tons of money on the LS classes to maybe get a job. I really would love a job in the school system and this is about the only position I can see myself in, and enjoying.

Thanks for the all input!