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CaptainCearis t1_j95lcb3 wrote

There are a lot of jobs you can do at a library that don’t require an MLIS, but if you want to be a librarian, you need one. That’s not necessarily true in all states. Some states, especially in small towns, have people without MLIS degrees working as librarians.

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ultimate_ali t1_j95xem0 wrote

Hi, MLIS holder here. I don’t work in libraries anymore, but the degree does come in handy with my work.

You don’t have to have an MLIS to work in a library. to be a part of ACLA (Allegheny county library association) libraries need at least one person on staff that has a MLIS or a bachelors degree and a provisional library certificate . Which is a 12 credit certificate. A few local colleges offer that online, I think Clarion.

I wouldn’t recommend getting the MLIS unless you want to be a library director or work for Carnegie library of Pittsburgh, and even then I’d get a low level job there first and get the cert on the side.

Happy to answer questions!

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duker_mf_lincoln t1_j95oj85 wrote

Wow, I never would have imagined that a masters degree is required. My son Nico said this is a hard degree to obtain.

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HomicidalHushPuppy t1_j95q3zy wrote

It tends to pigeonhole you career-wise as well, and it takes an eternity to see a return on the investment. I started mine and then bailed when I realized you don't really need it. It's just industry gate-keeping and I didn't want to be part of it.

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MrChichibadman t1_j98uulc wrote

What is the pay like?

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HomicidalHushPuppy t1_j98wn3q wrote

It's been at least 4 years since I left the program and quit job hunting in that field, so I really can't accurately say. But it wasn't enough to justify the cost of an undergrad and masters. Just like teachers who need special degrees/certifications for relatively shitty pay, many library jobs require MLIS degrees but don't pay nearly well enough to justify the cost unless you luck into an admin role.

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tarsier_jungle1485 t1_j95wpea wrote

At universities, 75% or more of the work in the libraries is performed by people w/o MLS degrees for peanut wages. They only hire MLS holders for a handful of high level positions. Those people are considered faculty.

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mmmmkyeah t1_j97z8dd wrote

Not all univ libraries give librarians faculty status.

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arguchik t1_j98wxip wrote

True. I was a union organizer at an R1 university and consulted with librarians there who were determined to win either a union or faculty status. (Because of state law if they got faculty status they would not be able to form a union because the law requires all faculty of all ranks to form one union. So adjuncts also can’t form their own union there, which absolutely sucks.)

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robin_terrae t1_j95wma9 wrote

It depends on the sort of library you are looking at. I’m a library assistant for the state and I needed a bachelors in something.

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