Joseph Said:

I'm getting my AA in Library Science, and eventually my MLS. But what should I do for my bachelor's degree?

We Answered:

I assume that you are getting your AA in order to get a job as a library assistant so you can use that experience to be more employable as a librarian later on down the road. If this is not the case, and you have no intention of working as a library assistant, drop out of that program as soon as possible. Your variety of undergraduate classes and how you succeeded in them is more important than familiarity with library lingo since the technology you'd be learning in an AA program will be obsolete in 2016 when you are looking for a job with your MLS.

That being said, your bachelor's should be both in a subject which requires research and writing, and it should also be something that interests you and in which you feel you can succeed. There is no difference to a University Admissions Committee between an African-American Studies major and a Psychology major who both have good grades. There is of course a difference if one has good grades and the other did poorly.

Personally, I'm tired of English Lit. majors because of their over abundance, but if that's the direction you feel you can do your best in, then by all means get your BA in English Lit.

Bessie Said:

What major do I get in if I want to get a Master of library science degree?

We Answered:

Have you thought about what sort of library you would like to work in? You could choose a bachelor degree that would be relevant in the future - if you want to work in a library in a business you might want to major in management, if you want to work in a school or a public library, consider education, etc.

It would be a good idea to speak to some librarians in the sort of library you want to work in, and find out what their backgrounds are.

Most importantly, choose a bachelor degree is a subject you are interested in, rather than something that you feel will be "useful" or "worthwhile" - e.g. if you hate children, there is no point in doing an education degree.

Lisa Said:

What kinds of jobs can people get who have their Masters of Library Science degree?

We Answered:

You can work in public libraries, public school libraries, college and university libraries (archiving, cataloging, research librarian, science librarian, etc), or for private collections or the gov't. I have a friend who used to work at the National Archieves, now she's working on putting together the new Nixon Library. My mother is a public school librarian who organizes budgets, hiring, and events for 6 schools in our district.

Peggy Said:

what undergraduate classes should I take for an creative writing and library science degree?

We Answered:

Library Science alone is a hybrid program that combines the literary field and the organization arm of management, and these converged with the information and computational fields. Since there is a measure of precision brought to bear in Library Science, it is framed as one of among the "soft" sciences.

Creative Writing [as is Technical Writing (or Technical Communication)] is a field unto itself but may be blended in as part of the electives of a Library Science degree, unless of course you intend to do a double major or a minor in Creative Writing.

Charlene Said:

What kind of job can you get with a business administration degree or a library science degree?

We Answered:

i think, im not so sure, that with a business administration degree you can be a manager for a hotel, run a bussiness, and things like that

Carolyn Said:

Anyone with a Masters of Library Science degree out there? What are other jobs you can get with a MILS degree?

We Answered:

I think your job prospects are pretty slim right now. As with most careers in which you are trying to leave your field of study, it depends on your experience. Librarians might manage lots of people - so you could get a job as an office manager if you've had that experience in a library. Librarians might design web pages so you could do that if you've had experience there.

If you've just spent six years and over $100,000 becoming a librarian, never worked a day in your life, and decided overnight that you don't want to be a librarian, it's not the degree that's hindering your job prospects.

Questions for older, unemployed librarians with lots of experience: What's your energy level like? Are you willing to move out of state for a better job? Are you willing to apply for a job that requires more responsibility? Library managers are afraid of - "someone else's garbage", egotism, failures, inflexibility, obsolescence. If you can convince them that you are not those things, then eventually you'll get the job.

Justin Said:

Is it possible to get a Floristry Degree and then move on to a Library Science Degree?

We Answered:

Reading the course descriptions I would be a little worried if you took all of the "hands on" classes and few of the classes requiring research and writing papers, but it would simply make me look into how well you performed in classes outside of your major. A way to "fix" that would be for you to earn a double major and the floristry would simply be counted as a plus to the second degree, but depending on your grades, your background, and your GRE results, there may be nothing to fix.