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I have a BA in Music and the MLIS(union card), starting the Ph.D this fall. Even though an MLIS was not required for my job, I find it incredibly useful to know the language of librarians and be able to serve all the librarians I support to the best of my abilities. Without the MLIS I would feel less able to speak the same jargon/language. And along the same lines as everyone else, I would highly recommend getting the most IT practical experience you can get with the most personal connections you can get in libraries. Attend as many library conferences you can as a student, while its still cheap. And once you get a part-time student IT job, volunteer to do everything you can. Also don't underestimate being a nice guy; having people like you in our customer service/IT type employment is a highly prized commodity. Good luck, Craig Boman, MLIS, BA On Fri, May 30, 2014 at 9:43 AM, scott bacon <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > I got a BA in Anthropology, made my millions, heh heh, then got my MLS > about 10 years later. No, but Karen is right, I constantly use what I > learned about cultural anthropology in my job as a librarian. > > My place of work is currently hiring a library systems administrator > and we don’t require an MLS. The upside is that we offer tuition > remission for a certain amount of credit hours per semester. So in > theory someone could take this job with a bachelor’s in CS or IT or > Info Science, learn while on the job, and also take classes to earn an > MLS through an online degree program offered at another university we > partner with in our state. So it definitely varies by institution. > > I’d echo the sentiments others have made in this thread by saying get > to know what it’s like to work in a library by taking any library job > you can find. I’ve known people to spend years and years getting > degrees only to find that they didn’t like the job once they started > working in the courtroom, cubicle, etc. > > And I believe the most important thing regarding valuation of > employees is the ability and drive to learn new things. Your job > duties will probably change significantly within a short amount of > time after your hiring, whatever it is you end up doing, so the drive > to learn will serve you well no matter what undergrad path you choose. > > _____ > > Scott Bacon > Web Services and Emerging Technologies Librarian > Coastal Carolina University > > On Thu, May 29, 2014 at 2:15 PM, Joshua Welker <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > > Yes, experience trumps education completely in my experience as far as > > developing skills in libraries and technology. Some employers will demand > > the degree, but it is really of secondary value to hands-on experience. > > > > One possibility would be talking to a systems librarian or anyone else at > > your university whose job interests you and explain to them that you are > > looking for some mentoring and experience. It is quite likely that they > > could whip up a student worker position just for you. At least I know I > > would if a student approached me that way. All the libraries where I've > > worked have had fairly free reign with student worker hours. Chances are > you > > are going to end up doing some kind of student work position anyway, so > you > > might as well use it learning something valuable rather than raking > leaves > > or cooking pizza. > > > > Josh Welker > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: Code for Libraries [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of > > Fleming, Declan > > Sent: Thursday, May 29, 2014 1:05 PM > > To: [log in to unmask] > > Subject: Re: [CODE4LIB] College Question! > > > > Hi - I'm also an English undergrad. This was after miserably failing > out of > > a Math/CS program (although I learned a lot). The English degree forced > me > > to write a lot while in college - a time when one's mind needs some > > expanding lest it get caught in ruts. This helped my communication > skills > > immensely. Despite what Giarlo says. > > > > I also agree that a background in informatics is going to be really > helpful > > in the years to come. We are awash in data, yet little of it has the > > semantics needed to automate the extraction of meaning. I think there > are > > going to be many years of smart people plowing meaning back into the data > > sets that we're struggling to put away at the bit level now, and I think > it > > sounds like fun work. > > > > Another common thread I agree with, and one my kids have heard since they > > were in diapers, is GET A JOB! Especially in the area you think you're > > interested in. You'll learn more practical things there than in any > class. > > You may suck at it at first, but hey, they're paying you anyway! If you > > like doing it, you'll get better, build your resume, and be better able > to > > see if it's something you want to do long term. > > > > Year later, after working in corporate IT for a while and getting sick > of my > > profession being treated like an expendable commodity, I went back and > got > > an MBA to better understand business - and learned that corporate IT is > an > > expendable commodity... I wasn't really OK with that, so I came back to > > academia to do more meaningful work for far less money ;) With the MBA, > I > > was able to come back at a director level and influence change, so that's > > kinda cool. > > > > Good job getting ahead of this! You're a neat person and I appreciate > what > > you do for the community! > > > > Declan > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: Code for Libraries [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of > > Henry, Laura > > Sent: Thursday, May 29, 2014 5:51 AM > > To: [log in to unmask] > > Subject: Re: [CODE4LIB] College Question! > > > > My undergrad degree is in English, and it actually has come in handy at > > times. Good communication is important, regardless of what you end up > doing. > > If I could do it again, I'd seriously consider informatics - but I didn't > > know it was a thing until I started library school. > > http://www.soic.indiana.edu/informatics/ > > > > As far as IT, I learned a lot from the tech-support job I had right out > of > > college, and after that I'm self-taught. I imagine it's a steeper > learning > > curve than if I had some sort of tech degree. > > > > If you're going for an ML(I)S, major in whatever interests you. > Librarians > > come from all kinds of backgrounds. In my class there were a ton of > English > > and History degrees, but we also had people with degrees in astrophysics, > > soil science, and accounting. > > > > Laura C. Henry, MLS > > Assistant Systems Librarian > > Beaufort County Library > > 311 Scott Street, Beaufort, SC 29902 > > Phone 843.255.6444 [log in to unmask] > > www.beaufortcountylibrary.org > > For Learning ♦ For Leisure ♦ For Life > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: Code for Libraries [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of > Amy > > Drayer > > Sent: Thursday, May 29, 2014 12:50 AM > > To: [log in to unmask] > > Subject: Re: [CODE4LIB] College Question! > > > > 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>now, what a world!) Computer > >> science wouldn't hurt, if you don't mind theory, and you can get some > >> good foundational stuff that will help with the information science > >> part of "libraries and information science." > >> > >> The school where I got my MLIS had an "Information Science" department > >> that was mostly IT, too. So, that's a possibility. > >> > >> -- > >> Coral Sheldon-Hess > >> http://sheldon-hess.org/coral > >> @web_kunoichi > >> > >> > >> On Wed, May 28, 2014 at 7:17 PM, Riley Childs > >> <[log in to unmask] > >> >wrote: > >> > >> > I was curious about the type of degrees people had. I am heading off > >> > to college next year (class of 2015) and am trying to figure out > >> > what to > >> major > >> > in. I want to be a systems librarian, but I can't tell what to major > in! > >> I > >> > wanted to hear about what paths people took and how they ended up > >> > where they are now. > >> > > >> > BTW Y'All at NC State need a better tour bus driver (not the c4l > >> > tour, > >> the > >> > admissions tour) ;) the bus ride was like a rickety roller coaster... > >> 🎢 > >> > > >> > Also, if you know of any scholarships please let me know ;) you > >> > would be my BFF :P > >> > > >> > > >> > Riley Childs > >> > Student > >> > Asst. Head of IT Services > >> > Charlotte United Christian Academy > >> > (704) 497-2086 > >> > RileyChilds.net > >> > Sent from my Windows Phone, please excuse mistakes > >> > > >> >