I'd echo what others have said and say either CS/CSE or MIS/IT. You might
want to make that choice depending on the school you go to--my undergrad's
MIS program is fantastic but I know a lot of people weren't as happy with
the CS department. I'd also like to +1 what Lisa said about what you want
to do as a systems librarian. I worked as a systems librarian in a public
library and I most definitely did not need a CS degree, but MIS or IT would
have been very useful. Look at job postings, see what sounds like what you
want to do, and then go from there.  Also see what you like in terms of
classes! You might find the CS theory stuff less interesting than more
hands-on type IT work, or you might fall in love with Physics (you can
always grab a minor in CS, since there's quite a bit of overlap for the gen
eds).

I also wouldn't completely ignore the liberal arts--if you want to work in
libraries, being able to communicate with your co-workers and with patrons
is VERY important. While you might get a job that's just IT or programming
work all day, more than likely you will have to interact with non-tech
people. Being able to coherently express yourself, and being able to break
things down for people, is crucial to having a good working relationship
with your co-workers. At my public job, I was also the person who more
often than not helped patrons with their tech questions, from computer
trouble shooting to setting up an iTunes account, to even helping someone
build a website once.

For the record, I was a history undergrad who took a few CS courses, who
then got an MLIS and took a few more CS/IT/Tech courses. I work at a
university, which means I have the benefit of being able to take free
classes (which I plan to take advantage of to take some MORE CS classes
:-D).

Good luck!

-Maura


On Thu, May 29, 2014 at 9:16 AM, Pikas, Christina K. <
[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> I highly recommend a Physics degree. 1) not as many required courses as
> engineering so more electives, more opportunities to study the important
> Russian Literature you might need as a surgeon :) 2) heavy math, heavy
> computer science but in a solve-a-problem sense, not in a maintain-a-server
> sense which gets out of date quickly 3) fascinating stuff in class 4)
> people who graduated with me went on to PhDs but others went on to do MDs,
> law degrees, and some started work immediately as computer scientists :)
>
> Christina, BS, MLS
> Oh, and adding a BS after your name is fun, too!
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Code for Libraries [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of
> Riley Childs
> Sent: Wednesday, May 28, 2014 11:17 PM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: [CODE4LIB] College Question!
>
> 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
>



-- 
Maura Carbone
Digital Initiatives Librarian
Brandeis University
Library and Technology Services
(781) 736-4659
415 South Street, (MS 017/P.O. Box 549110)
Waltham, MA 02454-9110

email: [log in to unmask]