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I include science and math in liberal arts. Of course, Greek and Latin are also considered liberal arts essentials, and I wish I had studied them. I also have an MLS, which beyond being a requirement for many jobs, makes it easier to comprehend the conversation. I got mine 10 years into working with libraries. Cary On Thursday, May 29, 2014, Laura Krier <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > I wouldn't knock a liberal arts education, especially based only on high > school experience. It's sort of the point of college: to be able to learn > and understand about a wide range of fields and subjects. Otherwise you > might as well go to trade school. College isn't just about getting a job > when you graduate, but about learning how to think and understand different > perspectives. > > And liberal arts includes the sciences, which I think people tend to > forget. We think "oh, liberal arts are the arts and humanities" but they > really encompass every school and department in a university. > > And as other people have mentioned, there are key skills you can learn from > courses in English, anthropology, history, philosophy, sociology, etc. This > is where you learn to write, to communicate effectively, to understand how > people think (user experience, anyone?). These are all crucial skills that > separate leaders and those who are more successful in their fields from > those who are not. I'm not saying you can ONLY learn these skills in > college, from a liberal arts education, but it sure helps. > > I also don't think there's anything wrong at all with going to a "trade > school" or whatever we call them these days, and learning a skill set > outside of the realm of a liberal arts education. It really depends on what > you want to do and how fast you want to get to doing it. > > Laura > > > [image: Laura Krier on about.me] > > Laura Krier > about.me/laurakrier > <http://about.me/laurakrier> > > > On Wed, May 28, 2014 at 11:11 PM, Riley Childs <[log in to unmask]<javascript:;> > > > wrote: > > > ________________________________________ > > From: Code for Libraries [[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Laura > > Krier [[log in to unmask]] > > Sent: Thursday, May 29, 2014 1:22 AM > > To: [log in to unmask] > > Subject: Re: [CODE4LIB] College Question! > > > > >>Hi Riley, > > >>Congrats on starting college in the fall! If you like to learn, college > > is pretty much the best place ever. > > > > College next fall, but almost there, pretty scary :) > > > > >>I second others in not necessarily recommending a bachelors in library/ > > information science. I would actually suggest computer science if you're > at > > all skilled with math and logic. You'll probably have the best > > post-graduate opportunities even if you change your mind about > >>libraries. > > >> > > >>But make sure you get a well-rounded liberal arts education. Take > > advantage of gen ed courses to study things outside of your major > whenever > > you can. All people are served well by having a broad base of knowledge, > in > > my opinion. And you'll need solid writing skills no matter >>what you do > in > > life so make sure you practice those every chance you get. :-) > > > > I am meh on liberal arts, my high school is Liberal Arts and I really > > don't like it.... > > > > >>Basically, as long as you learn to be a lifelong learner, it doesn't > > really matter what you major in I think. You'll always have to learn new > > things anyway. > > > > >>Congratulations again! > > > > >>Laura > > >>PS- To more directly answer your question, I majored in literature and > > women's studies in college. Now I'm a web services librarian. I kind of > > wish I had a more solid computer science background but I'm still able to > > learn what I need to. > > > > Sent from my iPhone > > > > > On May 28, 2014, at 9:49 PM, Amy Drayer <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > > > > > > Dear Riley et al: > > > > > > I was thinking the same thing as Coral. I have a humanities undergrad > > > degree; a computer science oriented degree would certainly have been > > > beneficial, especially with an emphasis on network and server > > > administration, or even web development depending on your interest (as > a > > > systems librarian I also managed the website and catalog). The > > > library-oriented education can wait until grad school. > > > > > > Honestly, I think we come from a variety of backgrounds. My liberal > arts > > > foundation works for me (I feel my education was well rounded in a way > a > > > science or IT degree may not have been), but I would definitely have > > wanted > > > some more technical classes such as I mentioned above if I had known I > > > would be in this field. > > > > > > In peace, > > > > > > Amy > > > > > > In peace, > > > > > > Amy M. Drayer, MLIS > > > Senior IT Specialist, Web Developer > > > [log in to unmask] > > > http://www.puzumaki.com > > > > > > > > > On Wed, May 28, 2014 at 11:24 PM, Coral Sheldon-Hess < > > [log in to unmask] > > >> wrote: > > > > > >> Riley, > > >> > > >> Whatever you do, don't major in library science as an undergrad. Maybe > > >> minor in it, along with some other major, if you want, but it's not > > useful > > >> by itself as an undergraduate degree--most libraries want librarians > to > > >> have the MLIS. And what if you change your mind after a few years and > > don't > > >> want to get the masters? Do something you could get a career in--or > work > > >> in, part time, to afford the MLIS. > > >> > > >> If you want to be a systems librarian, why not get a degree in systems > > >> engineering or IT? (Seriously, there are degrees in > > >> IT< <http://www.ccsu.edu/page.cfm?p=332> -- Cary Gordon The Cherry Hill Company http://chillco.com