I am thinking about the online program at U of I, mostly because I don't want to uproot my life. But I kinda want to uproot my life, which has led me to looking into the UW @ Seattle program. My boss says Seattle is where the, "rockstars" of librarians go, but our system is one of the top systems in the country as well.
As an aside, one of my bestie's has been threatening to buy me a "punk ass book jockey" tee to wear under my clothes at work, lol.
I'm not saying you shouldn't go to UW for your MLIS, but if you're thinking of going there to try to get a job in Seattle, it's highly unlikely. I work for the library system in Seattle, and so many of my colleagues have their MLIS degrees, but there just aren't enough librarian jobs. And if you don't already have direct librarian experience (not just experience working in a library but actual librarian/reference experience), they're unlikely to hire you. Most people I know who got librarian jobs had to go to more rural areas in the state or go out of state to get experience and then get hired back into the system.
I hope this wasn't too discouraging. The UW has a great MLIS program, and you're bound to get a job somewhere with the skills you get there! Plus UW has online courses too, so you could do that from your current location as well.
I have my MLIS! It's difficult but worth it (even if I'm still an assistant. The way my system work, I'm basically doing the equivalent work of a librarian)
i'm a library tech who got their mls in may (applying for professional positions now). i wouldnt do it unless you're certain you'll be able to get a job. if you live in an area with a library school (or multiple) competition will be really hard cause there's simply too many graduates and not enough jobs. the whole profession keeps pulling people in with ~this whole generation of librarians is about to retire and there will be a huge swath of openings~ but they've been saying that for like 10 years and ... it aint happening. even in my rural midwest state with no library school in any of the neighboring states there's competition for jobs because all these new grads from across the country are applying, which i'm sure they don't want to do because my state has like 2nd lowest wages in the nation or something. they can't get jobs anywhere else
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if you live in an area with a library school (or multiple) competition will be really hard cause there's simply too many graduates and not enough jobs. the whole profession keeps pulling people in with ~this whole generation of librarians is about to retire and there will be a huge swath of openings~ but they've been saying that for like 10 years and ... it aint happening
this is one of the things that makes me nervous tbh. I've heard this reasoning about the MLIS before, and most of the librarians I know personally aren't really near retirement age.
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As an aside, one of my bestie's has been threatening to buy me a "punk ass book jockey" tee to wear under my clothes at work, lol.
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I hope this wasn't too discouraging. The UW has a great MLIS program, and you're bound to get a job somewhere with the skills you get there! Plus UW has online courses too, so you could do that from your current location as well.
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this is one of the things that makes me nervous tbh. I've heard this reasoning about the MLIS before, and most of the librarians I know personally aren't really near retirement age.
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(MILS 2011)
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