To stifledlibrarian (comment #20): the word ‘churning’ just got to me because that is the exact word that a snide HR director used when discussing my educational background in a recent phone interview. He was looking over my resume and said something like “Ahh, another UCLA graduate. UCLA is sure churning out library students these days”, or something along those lines. I was quite stunned by this statement and only until I stumbled upon this blog did I realize that he was just stating the reality. It still doesn’t excuse the fact that it was a rude, not to mention unprofessional thing to say, but it did make me realize what it is I’m up against in looking for a job. So thank you for making that point.

To Despairing MLIS Degree Holder (comment #48): I understand the frustration and anger that you are going through. Although my situation is a little different in that I earned my MLIS degree many years ago and worked for several years in libraries, I have not been able to find a librarian job since I was laid off in 2008. The campus where I worked closed down because of the economy and I haven’t been able to find another job, either professional or paraprofessional. The positions that are listed (at least in my area) are either too high or too low, meaning that they are either administrative management as you said, or else paraprofessional positions that pay little more than minimum wage. So either I don’t have enough experience or else I have too much. It’s kind of like Goldie Locks and the Three Bears, except that the positions that I am most suited for (somewhere in the middle) are few and far between.

To LIBELady (comment #103): Your comment:

“Sure there might be a course offering in basic web design, but can you assume a role as web designer, no! If you have a BA in IT or CS, then probably, but most Library Science students do not have these skills.”

is interesting because I am finding that a lot of positions require a second degree in addition to the MLS. It is almost as if the MLS is a secondary degree, kind of like an after thought if you will. Now I know that is just my bitterness at not being able to find a job showing through, but since the economy went down the toilet, employers are now demanding even more, including a subject specific degree. Maybe this has always been true, I don’t know since I never had a problem finding a job until two years ago. But this is something that a lot of people don’t understand, at least people outside of the library community.

To No Future (comment #112): Your comment about libraries hiring those who are overqualified is an interesting one. I don’t know if that is true or not but in my experience I think the opposite may be true. I have been forced to apply for paraprofessional positions since I cannot find a professional one. Most of the time I never receive a reply or else I’m told that the position has been filled. I’m never told the reason why but I’m guessing it’s because the hiring committee thinks I’m overqualified. They probably think that someone who has an MLIS from UCLA and has 10 years of library experience is nuts and/or desperate if they are willing to accept a position that pays $10/hr. But what’s a person supposed to do when they can’t find a job in the profession they trained for and have no source of income?

To Amalthia and especially Matt: (comment #190 & #193): Thank you for mentioning what computer programs you are using in your job. I am now taking classes in web design in order to make myself more marketable. When I started looking for a librarian position way back in 2008 I noticed that several employers were looking for those with web development skills, Dreamweaver in particular. I’m guessing employers increasingly want librarians who are computer savvy overall as companies continue to downsize. I don’t know whether or not these classes will lead to another librarian position but at least they are opening up new career paths.

To adf (comment #206): I appreciate your comment about not volunteering. I made the mistake of volunteering my librarian skills at a local public library because I was hoping to gain experience working in a public library since a lot of the jobs that were available at that time were in public libraries. I have worked in a museum research library and a university library but had no public library experience. I volunteered for only a few weeks but quit after getting extremely strange vibes from the staff. It wasn’t until after I stopped (and read your comment a year later) that I realized what a bad idea it was. No wonder the roomful of staff (a surprising number for a small branch library) stared at me as if I had horns. They were probably feeling threatened and I can’t say I blame them. But it would have been better if the librarians had discouraged me from the beginning.

I also naively offered to volunteer at a university library but received no response whatsoever. Now I know volunteering isn’t the way to go but I couldn’t think of any other way to gain experience since no one would hire me. So it’s a kind of damned if I do, damned if I don’t kind of thing.

To the person who suggested that getting the MLS degree is a good idea if you are already working in a library: I agree. When I went to library school back in 1998, there were several students who were already working in a library. Since I had never worked in a library, I often felt at a disadvantage because they already knew the terminology and everything else. Of course it wasn’t rocket science but I worked my butt off to get that degree and I am glad I did it at the time, especially since I landed a good job one month after graduation!

I know I’ve strayed off the topic about library schools and whether or not they are honest about job prospects, but many of you made comments that I can strongly relate to. It’s great to know that I am not the only one who is feeling frustrated and disillusioned. For those of you who are feeling this way, check out the Los Angeles Times article by Don Lee (6-12-2010 front page) “Is a College Degree Still Worth It?” It addresses the bleak economic situation for recent grads in various disciplines. To those of you who feel that the MLS is now about as useful as toilet paper, I think you will like the part about the guy who put his degree in a bottle and threw it into the ocean.

Thanks for letting me get this off my chest. Good luck to everyone (myself included) seeking a job.

I think you should go for message therapist. I confess that I do not know the market for message therapists, but I would strongly caution you to continue library school. Either that or just try to get a job as a parapro in a library (preferably in an academic library). Save yourself the time and money. Go into something that will actually pay off. I say this not to discourage you, but to help you.

Good luck in whatever you do.

Look at the people who came of age in the Depression and WWII. What are they considered today? The greatest generation.

Don’t sell yourself short and don’t listen to the man. Do the right thing and you will be the greater generation.

Either that or a burger flipper at BK.

Good Luck!