Emerging Leaders

I had been in a PhD program and decided it wasn't for me and I left with a Master's degree. I took a year off and worked in a bookstore. People used the bookstore as if it were a library, so I thought I'd give that a try as a career. I did work in my college library as a work-study student, so I had an idea of what it would be like.

When I thought about library school, I went back to the university where I had done my previous grad program and talked with a career counselor about my options for getting into libraries. She didn't know much about the field, but she gave me the great advice to work in a library before diving back into another graduate program.

I do wish that she had some additional information for me. She didn't suggest any websites or industry magazines for research. Luckily someone in my program had recently made the jump over to libraries, so I was able to pick his brain a bit.

I think there's a huge market to reach out to graduate students in the sciences and humanities to make the move to library science if they want something different than becoming a classroom professor.

1) How did you become interested in the library profession?

I actually volunteered at the library as a kid and really liked it. Then, when I was in college, at a liberal arts school, I came to the realization that being a sociologist wasn’t really going to cut it, career-wise, so I thought about librarianship. I’ve always really liked libraries and reading and doing research, so I thought it would be a good fit.

2) What tools did you use (print, Web, or in person) to find out more about the profession?

I was lucky in that, when I was in college, I was able to work at the library there with a bunch of librarians that really wanted to help me and give me a lot of opportunities. I talked quite a bit with my direct supervisor and the library director about where to go to school, what paths they had taken, etc. Then I looked at the ALA website and found more information and schools, jobs, etc. I also read American Libraries and other publications from the field while I was a paraprofessional. I got my information from many sources.

1) When I had completed my BS in Education, I realized teaching wasn't the right job for me, but I wanted to stay in a school. That thought led me to libraries, specifically school libraries. Although I did not end up in school libraries, it was a realistic progression. I know a lot of teachers who would make great librarians.

2) I spoke with librarians, both in school and public libraries, as well as a librarian in a special library.

I am a lifelong library user. I love libraries and have used them in every city and town I've lived in. I never thought about being a librarian until I was working in the administration office of the Lexington Public Library and one of the directors told me about a fellowship at University of Kentucky. So I quit and went to school full time and now I work for the Lexington Public Library as a librarian and I love it.

1) I've lived in libraries my entire life, but I never considered librarianship until I had graduated from college. My friend's mother and sister worked in libraries and they always encouraged me to consider it as an occupation. I believed the stereotypes about librarians and I didn't think that I would fit in.

Right out of college, I worked for Planned Parenthood as a community educator. I would visit middle school classes and the kids would ask me questions that I would need to do research to answer definatively. I found that I loved the research. I enjoyed working with kids, but didn't want to work in the school system.

I remembered the encouragement of my friend's family and realized that being a librarian would be a great profession.

2) I used advice from librarians and I used the internet a great deal in researching librarianship and library schools.

1) How did you become interested in the library profession?

I was a volunteer at my local library in high school, and I would love to say that's where my interest in the profession began, but I can't. I volunteered for two years, graduated high school and promptly forgot everything I ever did at the library. Luckily, I magically landed a job as the assistant to the director at that same library where I volunteered, and that's where my interest in the profession began. I got the job after two years bouncing around from a grad program in journalism to various dead-end jobs. After two weeks, I knew that I wanted to be a librarian, and a Young Adult one at that!

2) What tools did you use (print, Web, or in person) to find out more about the profession?

I mostly used in-person tools in the form of my supervisor and other librarians where I work. I had the director available to offer advice, and I certainly took advantage of it! I also used my library school's website, librarycareers.com or something like that...ALA's site, basically anything I could get my hands on to tell me about the profession. Honestly, I was one of those people who thought that everyone who worked in the library was a librarian. Deciding to get my MLIS meant really learning what it meant to be a librarian and why I would need a master's degree!

1) How did you become interested in the library profession?

I decided to take the GREs right after college even though I wasn't interested in any more school right at the time. When the test asked for the type of graduate study I was interested in, I filled in the blank for library science. I loved the library at my undergraduate institution. I loved doing research for papers, but always hated the actual reading of materials and writing the report! That's when I thought that working in a library could be a good thing.

2) What tools did you use (print, Web, or in person) to find out more about the profession?

I was old school in a lot of ways. I was considering graduate school right before the Web took off as a marketing tool, social space, etc. (mid 1990's). I had a in-person interview with a professor at the library school I was interested in, and then I applied and agreed to pay the horrendous tuition. That was it.

Like many who've posted, I'm a lifelong user of libraries. I also worked in a university library throughout my BA and then after I graduated. Later I thought I wanted to be a professor in French, but realized that I could enjoy the college atmosphere and have more fun if I worked in the library instead (I was working in a university library at that time too), as a reference librarian/liaison to the language department. I was place bound, but fortunately the Emporia program was coming to Nebraska, so I applied.

Like someone else suggested, I second the idea of targeting folks in humanities/social sciences programs who might be wondering what to do with their degree.

PS - Rebecca, I'll be moving to Lexington in July! I accepted a position at SLIS. Funny how I ended up a professor after all. I'll come by and say hi once I'm settled. The PL there is gorgeous!

1) How did you become interested in the
library profession?

Becoming a librarian was not my first choice right out of college. I taught middle
school for a year and enjoyed teaching, but
for many reasons I quit my teaching job late
in August before the next school year. I
was unable to find another teaching job this
late in the summer and ended up being a
para-pro in a high school library. I had
to start classes towards a Masters to keep
my teaching credentials, absolutely loved it
in the library so started my MLS. I quickly
became excited about the profession, what
it stood for and what I would be doing
as a librarian.

2) What tools did you use
(print, Web, or in person) to find out more about the profession?

I talked with the
librarian I worked with and did some
research on the web, using the ALA website
to lead me to a Grad School in Michigan.

I wish I would have known more about the
profession while getting my Bachelors. It
never crossed my mind, I never sought it
out and it was never really 'marketed' to
me as an exciting option to pursue.

1) How did you become interested in the library profession?

I grew up going to the public library every Saturday with my Mom. When I was 9 I put due date cards in my books and would play library with kids in the neighborhood (I still have one of the books with a due date slip of November 30th, 1983 -- Boy is that one overdue!) So I have always been interested in libraries. The possibility of librarianship as a career began to interest me while I was earning my M.A. in Russian. I spent a lot of time at the library and realized that I really loved the challenge of doing research.

2) What tools did you use
(print, Web, or in person) to find out more about the profession?

I asked some academic librarians that I knew lots of questions. I visited the School of Information Resources and Library Science at the University of Arizona and spoke with the program coordinator. I also looked at the Occupational Outlook Handbook, the US News and World Report College Rankings, and the online Directory of Institutions Offering ALA-Accredited
Master's Programs in Library and Information Studies.

1) After completing my undergrad degree in English, I worked for Barnes & Noble for about 5 years. I have always been a huge lover of books, but my parents never took me to the library, and when I got older, I never really went on my own, either. I guess the beauty of getting books for free somehow escaped me! I was a Department Manager at Barnes & Noble, and I wasn't making very good money. An acquaintance of mine had just started working as a school librarian, and she said "Becky, why don't you become a librarian? You love to read." And I was like, "Gee, I never even CONSIDERED being a librarian." But then I looked into it.
2)I found out from her that I needed a graduate degree from an ALA-accredited school. Most of the other information I needed I got from Syracuse University's web site. I think that there is definitely a need to publicize the whole librarian profession more. There are a lot of "humanities" majors who are at loose ends after graduating. I think that if we made school counselors (and graduating seniors) more aware of the librarian option, quite a few of them would rush to join our wonderful profession.

1) How did you become interested in the library profession?
I liked to read. It's lame, but there it is. I thought of becoming an English Prof but then I realized I would never find a job because the market was/is so terrible. I finally decided I would get an MLS and hang around books and computers all day.

2) What tools did you use (print, Web, or in person) to find out more about the profession?
Most of the information I found using the ALA website, which is amazing in itself. I did all of my research on the web. I talked my local library into letting me volunteer and talk to some of the librarians to make sure I was making an informed decision. I believe that I did.

I'm actually not sure how I became interest in becoming a librarian (or at least studying library science). The idea was always suggested to me by others, because I read a lot, but I didn't seriously consider it until recently, when, in a kind of serendipitous moment, and in desperate need of a career change, it just occurred to me that it might be a good option.

I've found most of my information online, from listservs, websites, and blogs, but I also spent some time talking with the Dean of Admissions at the school I'll be attending. She recommended several books as well, which are unfortunately EXPENSIVE so I haven't read them yet.

1) How did you become interested in the library profession?

I began working in libraries when I was an undergrad, but while I entertained the idea of going to library school and making it a career, it just didn't stick in my head. After years of bouncing around, working various "English major" jobs (bookstores, teaching ESL), I found myself working at libraries again. This time, I decided libraries was where it's at, so I got my degree and got serious about the profession.

2) What tools did you use (print, Web, or in person) to find out more about the profession?

Mostly I talked to degreed librarians about library education and library careers. While in library school, I used the Web a lot to learn more about the varied jobs available to librarians.

On the first question, I worked in libraries as an undergrad, but I never thought I would be a librarian then. I was a circulation clerk. Like Keri C. above, I later found myself in a PhD program that turned out not to be for me (complicated story involving unsavory politics). At the time, I was working in the campus library in their instruction unit. All it took was one librarian to tell me I would be a good librarian, and I packed my bags for library school. Have not looked back since.

As for the other question, mostly talked to people. I talked to that one librarian. In Indiana, there is only one library school (the one at IUB), so the choice was pretty obvious if I wanted to stay in-state.

P.S. I tried to put the URL to my blog here, but apparently there is some error message about it not being a valid URL. Someone may want to look into that.

Thanks, Angel. This is a known issue that we're still working on (sorry).

1. I was first interested in the library profession in 1994 when I getting my BA in English & Philosophy and my roommate was going to start library school. My grades weren't good enough to be considered for UW-Madison's grad program, and at the time, I really thought I wanted to be an editor. So I moved to NY. I worked as an editor for five years, and then as a computer programmer (on a publishing related system similar to an ILS) for another three. I was unhappy as a programmer, but thought about all the skills I was learning and how they applied to librarianship. I took the GRE and got into Rutgers library program. I graduatedin Jan 2006, and have never been so happy in my life.

2. I actually did most of my searching online. Using ALA's site to find schools, the individual school's site to get information on specific programs, and I started reading library blogs in the Spring/Summer of 2004 to get a handle on what was happening in the field. I didn't talk to many librarians--other than my old college roommate and contacting a few of the bloggers--about the profession. Somehow I just knew it was the right fit for me.

1. I met a librarian who was doing some great research in the subject area I was specializing in. After talking with her, I started volunteering with her and in my local public library to get a feel for library work. I enjoyed it and when an opportunity to pursue an MLIS presented itself to me, I jumped on it.

2. Volunteering, talking with as many library staff as possible, taking many varied positions while in school, and reading blogs.

1. I wanted to be in service, but for a non-profit. I wanted to have one-on-one daily experiences with helping people and be part of a community. When a came across librarianship it was perfect. Walking into a public library and being around people and rich & diverse resources never bores me and always reminds me of the limitless opportunities out there to learn. I have to admit that I worked in my college library for a semester and it was the boringest job I ever had.
2. I decided to become a librarian in 2002 and looked in the large online job databases like monster, looked at university employment sites, visited my local library (and it did not dawn on me to become a librarian until looking online).

I think that marketing our career at libraries would be a great thing. Many, many undergrads and graduate students visit and work at their school's library, why not invite them in?