Library World Upgrade

[bloodyrosemccoy]

Been trying to find a good university that offers an online Library Science masters program. Given the dumb shit our Liberry administration is pulling right now, I will not be getting much in the way of promotions anytime soon anyway, so I might as well go ahead and become more qualified for any less dysfunctional libraries out there.

I’m still pretty damn sick of academia, but less so than I was when I graduated. And at least if I start doing school stuff I won’t have to feel quite so guilty about my continued existence—at least, that’s what I’m hoping, because right now THE GUILT IT BURNS US, and that is tiresome.

I considered doing an on-site school program, but Utah doesn’t have one, and, y’know, money. Unless someone knows of a full-time job I can get while going to the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa, it’s pretty much online school for me.

And hey—maybe by the time I’m done with a Masters, the Liberry staff will have pulled their heads out of their asses and I can get a better job!* Anything is possible


*Although frankly, I would not object to being a full-time, benefits-packaged, high-paid book shelver.

Comments

[thewrongcrowd.livejournal.com]

There are some pretty decent online library master's programs out there. But as people have pointed out, the job prospects post-masters aren't real hot. The occupational outlook for professional librarians has listed the primary means of advancement as 'death or retirement' higher up the chain for the last 25 years. And with the economy the way it is, can't imagine too many that are rushing into retirement.

It's not all doom and gloom tho. There are still positions for heavily multi-lingual people, especially those with backgrounds in less-than-popular languages (Arabic, Farsi, Mandarin, etc.). If you think you might want to work academic liberries, be on the lookout for a second masters (or gods forfend a Ph.D) that you wouldn't mind picking up. All this for jobs that pay diddly.

One thing to keep in mind, if you decide to go brick-and-mortar. There used to be a program to give in-state tuition to candidates whose home state doesn't have a library program. I think it's still in existence and you can track it down on the ALA site. (And now I will take my little (un-employed) reference librarian self to the kitchen for a forbidden pint of Ben and Jerrys).