Question: A Degree in Library and Information Science?
28 Sep
A reader writes:
After receiving my MA in philosophy I decided that adjunct teaching would give me time to write fiction. But now that I am teaching 8 courses/semester and doing assorted freelance work I just want to get some sleep. So I’m thinking of a career change.
My big plan was to start an Master in Library and Information Science.
You seem to spend a lot of time in libraries–and know about publishing trends. The recent budget cuts for public libraries in Ohio have compounded my fears.
Do you have any thoughts on the long term value of an MLIS either for working public/college libraries or for a new line of freelance work (i.e the non-traditional path seems to include things like working for publishers, ghost writing, etc.)?
One of the earliest readers of this blog is getting her degree in library and information science. I think it’s an exciting and valuable line of work to pursue.
The budget cuts are scary, but I’d advise you not to get too distracted by the short-term noise. If you enter this field you’ll be right in the middle of the following big questions:
- What is the future of the old-fashioned, paper-based book?
- How are we going to realize the full artistic and cultural potential of electronic books?
- How are we going to preserve our cultural and intellectual heritage if it’s locked up in (possibly unreadable) data?
- Format aside, how are going to cope with the incredible volume of information?
- Finally, who owns all this information and what rights do people have to use/alter/share it?
I don’t think the money is going to be a real issue here. Yes, there are going to be budget cuts to some public libraries, but university libraries, corporate libraries, foundation libraries, etc. are only going to grow.
I also believe that any number of innovative, surprising and perhaps even bizarre new entities will spring up around the hardcore information science issues. The Google Books Library Project is the just the beginning.
The real question is whether or not you want to be a part of all this chaos and uncertainty, because I think it could get pretty hairy.
My apologies if I’m reading you wrong, but it seems to me that you have this image of becoming a librarian so you can pad around in crepe soled shoes and quietly shelve books while you secretly think about your novel.
I have a feeling that doing this career right may involve more of an Indiana Jones approach. It may require much more whip cracking, swashbuckling and switching sandbags for golden icons than any of us imagine.
So by all means do it. But do it with gusto and verve. We’re going to need it.
I don’t know you. I don’t know what you want out of life. But if you really want to write, then you must write. It’s my feeling that you actually WILL write if that’s what you’re determined to do, come hell or high water, classes full of trust-funders or mounds of books to download for rude library patrons.
Any real career worth its salt (librarian, teacher, programmer, I could go on) takes a hell of a lot of time and energy. I think it’s important to be honest about what you want to spend much of your time doing and love it. That, I think, in an of itself, will leave you with the energy and drive to write.
I have a lot of respect for librarians, especially school librarians.
If the goal is to have a job that allows time to write fiction. Going back to school seems to me to be a dodge. C’mon now, you’re not going to have a whole heckuva lotta time to write fiction while you’re pursuing an advanced degree. So actually, you’re finding another way to put off your stated goal.
If the goal is to freelance in publishing or do ghostwriting, then going back to school also seems to me to be a dodge. You don’t need an MLS degree to do either of those things. You do need some entrepreneurship.
Any job or other life task will interfere with writing if we allow it to. If we really, truly want to write, we clear the way and write. We don’t clutter the way even further.
Why didn’t I see this earlier? I’m the girl in a LIS program! (Dennis, if this person is interested, I’d be more than happy to talk to them via email about the program).
Library and information science is here to stay. I just read that by 2017, 68% of current librarians will be retired. The field is growing, as is the definition of “librarian.” Yes, the money isn’t there for public libraries, but they have been receiving a shit-load of press since the economic crash: public library use is at an all-time high.
Also, you’ll notice that most library science programs have incorporated information science. Information science is a great field and there are all sorts of settings to work in. The fact that this person has a philosophy background is fantastic. I was a philosophy major and it has helped with the MLIS coursework greatly.
As far as finding time to write, there is no time to write. But there are many, many, many LIS journals out there, so maybe LIS could be the very thing to write about.
I’m a graduate student in Library Science. I’m also a writer. You’ll find that while the MLIS opens professional doors, it also demands a lot of commitment. This is a hard time to pursue just about any career, and there are no guarantees. Make sure you are passionate about the issues Dennis outlined. To these, I would add censorship (especially for public or school librarians). The bottom line: you’ve got to love both writing and librarianship a whole hell of a lot in order to do both.
I suppose I’ve had some luck, though. If you can land a GA position, you will be funded and work fewer hours than other students. Since I only work around 20 hours per week, my extra time is for reading, writing, revising, (and revising, and revising) and submitting work. It’s a constant balancing act, but one that I enjoy.
Many, many librarians choose to work part-time in order to pursue other interests, and the profession is pretty generous with vacation time, so it isn’t surprising that writers and artists pursue careers in the field.