LIS Education

Is a Masters in Library Science Worth It? Are Librarians Still in Demand Today?

March 27, 2023 by Andrew

Today, most people are much more likely to find information through online search engines than seeking out the help of librarians, and the proliferation of information products marketed directly to consumers from ebooks to video streaming services have put major dents in library circulation statistics.

But despite all of these trends, are librarians still in demand?

Overall, librarianship is undoubtedly a challenging field for employment currently, but we believe that librarians are indeed still in demand and will continue to be despite technological advancements. There are also some specific employment tips that can help graduates make their master’s in library science more worth it.

We’ll start by discussing some aspects of the field that are often misunderstood by the general public (including those who write those clickbait “These 10 Jobs Are Going Away!” articles.)

What Do Librarians Actually Do?

Many associate librarians with books, and although this of course is a core part of what libraries are, they also serve many other roles for their communities.

One article cited a wide variety of functions for the libraries of today: “collective buying agency, technology access, economic stimulus, learning and co-working centers, safety nets, cultural heritage stewardship, civic engagement, and community.”

Information literacy is a core aspect of librarianship and this means helping people find, evaluate and use information of all types in a wide variety of settings.

Academic librarians work tirelessly to help their students succeed on any assignment that deals with sources or research, while public librarians hold a wide variety of workshops for and work individually with the general public on topics ranging from basic technology skills to advanced job seeking resources.

One source put it this way in its outlook for the librarian profession: “Despite a decline by the public in traditional borrowing of materials, libraries still need librarians to host a variety of services and activities. Library patrons are expected to continue attending events and using other library services, such as child-focused activities and employment assistance.”

Librarians are also starting to come up in lists of fields that could be replaced by AI due to the rapid advancement of tools such as ChatGPT. This is not the first time these predictions have been made, however, as similar things were said about search engines and other automated systems, but library user communities have continued to appreciate the human elements of interaction and curation that result in a much more personalized and friendly service.

We’ve already alluded to the fact that there are different types of libraries, and thus different types of librarians, and this is a crucial part of the question of whether they are still in demand, so we’ll deal with this next.

What Types of Librarians are Most (and Least) in Demand?

It’s also important to consider the type of library as there can be differences in their outlook. The official data on librarian positions does not separate them out by type of library.

Despite some popular doom and gloom about librarian job prospects, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) is relatively upbeat about the market. It estimates 138,400 jobs as of 2021 and projects there to be 146,400 in 2031, which corresponds to a 6% increase.

Much of the increase, however, predicts the need to replace positions where librarians retire, but an upcoming “retirement wave” has been predicted for decades with little to actually show for it. In many cases those positions are simply eliminated or consolidated with others.

One of the more precarious settings for library employment is the K-12 school library. Many states are cutting positions or relying entirely on paraprofessionals without the master’s degree.

Beyond this, both public and academic libraries vary significantly in their job outlook: some public systems and institutions of higher education are growing and thus will likely offer additional positions; others face the opposite outlook.

As publicly funded institutions, public libraries are constantly facing budget cuts and in some cases the possibility of closures during tough times. Academic librarians of course work in publicly funded institutions as well, and private institutions of higher education also face major budgetary pressures.

An American Libraries article listed 5 types of librarians that are increasingly in demand:

1) Sustainability librarian

2) User experience librarian

3) Director of equity, diversity, and inclusion

4) Open educational resources librarian

5) Data visualization librarian.

These exemplify the diverse work that librarians do and some directions within the field that may see an increase in opportunities in the coming years.

Librarian Jobs, Salaries and Closings

Even if librarians are largely still in demand, it is not often a field that will make someone rich. The Bureau of Labor Statistics gives a median salary of $61,190 for librarians ($29.32/hour), but this includes a massive range and some very high salaries for late-career administrators.

On the other end, entry level positions have usually not seen much wage growth in recent years and many librarians also work part-time. In some metro areas, available librarian positions do not pay what is considered a living wage.

The master’s degree is also widely seen as a checkbox because there is a glut of graduates out there from the many graduate schools. This makes actual library work experience crucial for students and also means that taking out the amount of debt needed for a master’s program can be a risky proposition for a student.

Prospective students weighing their options should explore as many options as they can for help financing a library science master’s, such as seeking out financial aid and scholarships; looking for jobs with some sort of tuition remission or educational assistance program; or attending part-time while working as a library paraprofessional if possible.

And this leads into the next way that prospective librarians can make their master’s worth it and find themselves in higher demand: being geographically flexible.

Location, Location, Location: Benefits of Geographical Flexibility

Prospective librarians can do wonders for their chances of securing gainful employment by broadening their geographical options. If you’re willing to move to a new city for a librarian job, there are much better chances you’ll find one, especially if you consider smaller cities and more rural communities.

This can be true for both public and academic librarianship. It’s often difficult to break into the field in a city where there is a library school, because there will be a large number of graduates living there and competing for any library-related open position.

All in all, the library field should continue to be relevant into the future, but it’s not without its risks for prospective master’s students. Following some of our suggestions relating to financing education and being flexible on job locations can help.

What Should I Major in to Become a Librarian?

April 21, 2020 by Andrew

If your career goal is to become a professional librarian, be it in a public, academic, school or other type of library, one of the first questions you are likely to ask is about the educational qualifications.

Specifically, what should you major in to put yourself in the best position to land a job as a librarian?

Undergraduate Major vs. Library Master’s

First, some may think that majoring in a library program is the best path, but undergraduate degrees in librarianship are rare, so that is not a common path for librarians.

Instead, nearly about all librarian jobs will require a master’s degree in library in information science. This is a professional graduate degree that usually takes 2 years, and many schools offer online programs or other flexible options for those who are already working.

Library school coursework ranges from traditional topics such as reference and reader’s advisory as well as emerging technologies such as computer programming, web design and database management.

What Bachelor’s Degrees Are Best for Becoming a Librarian?

With all of that said, however, the question remains: what should you major in as an undergraduate to put yourself in the best position to snag a librarian position in the future after getting your master’s?

Officially, it does not matter, as admissions at library schools do not require any specific major.

But traditionally, the highest percentage of students applying to library school are drawn from the humanities and fields such as English.

So does this mean that this will be the best choice of major? Not necessarily.

In fact, due to the fact that there are so many English majors who go into libraries, choosing something else can help you stand out as a candidate.

Applicants coming from other backgrounds such as Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) often stand out more and their application might be given a boost.

So don’t choose a major like Physics for no other reason than to increase your chances at a librarian job (as that would be a recipe for a miserable four years!)

But similarly don’t hesitate to major in English just because you may some day be one of several job candidates with the same background.

It is true that technology and computer related degrees are more directly applicable to many library environments, so if that is an interest of yours that can be a great major for your future librarian career.

Aligning Your Major with your Career Interests

Another good idea, if you are able to plan ahead, is to align your major with the type of work you hope to go into after receiving your master’s.

For example, if you desire a job as a Social Sciences Librarian at a large research university, you would want to major in something like sociology or anthropology. Job ads will usually prefer or even require that candidates have a degree in that area.

But the majority of jobs do not require specific college majors, such as general reference and instruction positions as well as the majority of jobs in public libraries.

You may find that social sciences like sociology help you gain more knowledge and understanding of the social role of libraries and information centers, but

Remember that Career Plans Can and Do Change

Additionally, you should always be aware that your career goal within the field of libraries might change dramatically once you are exposed to a new area through coursework or student work experience.

And on the other hand, you may eventually choose to change careers and leave the library world for any number of reasons.

If that happens you want to make sure that your major gives you an opportunity to shift into something that you enjoy doing and that has ample employment options in your area.

Perhaps the best advice, then, is to simply major in something you thoroughly enjoy without thinking too much about how it could relate to a library career.

There aren’t any firm requirements and it can be impossible to predict how those skills might translate into your future dream job.

Jobs in Libraries Beyond Librarians

Finally, it is also necessary to understand that not everyone who works in a library is a librarian. Library assistants and paraprofessionals play important roles as well and these positions do not require any graduate study.

If simply working in a library environment is your goal, then you can often do so with a college degree in any major and the required training. In some cases even just a high school diploma will be sufficient to get you in the door.

As with any type of employment, it is beneficial to start looking at job ads early on in the game so you familiarize yourself with common requirements while you still have plenty of time to achieve them.

No single undergraduate major will prove to be “perfect” for librarianship in general, but by keeping these key tips in mind, you can select a program of study that will position you well for what you hope to accomplish with your career. Best of luck!

How Are Librarians Teaching Fake News Today?

April 14, 2020 by Andrew

Library instruction can be a varied pursuit and it has evolved considerably over the years. Originally known as bibliographic instruction, it was typically a “library orientation” focused on teaching patrons about using books and other physical materials. With the explosion of the internet and electronic library resources, the overarching goal stayed the same but the specifics shifted considerably. Information literacy became the preferred term, and instruction expanded to cover finding, evaluating, and using information in a wide variety of formats to meet various user needs.

The “evaluating” piece became crucial as users today encounter information in so many different places–the library but also Google searches and social media feeds–that verifying information for credibility has become a huge part of what librarians aim to teach.

A specific application of library instruction for evaluating information has emerged recently on the subject of “fake news.” When malicious, intentionally false websites spread widely in the lead-up to the 2016 presidential election, there was a strong call for education to help users avoid being manipulated.

A variety of groups answered the call, ranging from professors and other experts in fields like communication, journalism, and even social media. But one group who became closely involved were librarians, who are well positioned for this topic of instruction due to our longstanding mission of facilitating access to trustworthy information.

So teaching librarians elsewhere have been teaching content about identifying and avoiding fake news, usually alongside broader information literacy lessons on media literacy.

Library-created instructional content has run the gamut from simple infographics on spotting fake news to entire courses on the subject. Academic as well as public libraries have both taken on a major role.

This piece from American Libraries magazine summarizes a wide variety of library activities, as does this article from the journal Communications in Information Literacy.

In my own work I’ve taught numerous workshops and class sessions on fake news for faculty, mainly in English composition but also a few other contexts. You can read my blog post about my approach and evolution over the last couple of years, or take a look at my YouTube video on fake news.

Fake news isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, but with librarians and others working hard to equip more citizens with the tools to call it out for what it is, its future impact can be greatly lessened. Are you a librarian who has done a lesson on fake news? If so, let us know about it!