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Riley, As an undergrad, I studied music, religion, and English. I got my MLIS after realizing that, out of my three majors, not a single one was employable. If I'd known at the time that I'd enjoy teaching myself to code, I would have just done that and skipped the MLIS. As many people have mentioned, having a broad education is important for librarians. This is especially true if you want the option of working at a smaller school, where job descriptions can be quite broad. At a small school, you'll be much more employable if you have both tech skills and a subject specialization needed by that library. So a liberal arts degree can be a good choice, especially if you pick one that isn't well represented in libraries (i.e., not English or history). But for now I wouldn't worry about choosing a major. Go to a good school that feels like a good fit for you. Get a job at the library, even if it's just circulation. During the first year, take a CS course along with GE courses from a variety of disciplines, then choose your major(s) based on what interests you the most. Sarah On Fri, May 30, 2014 at 9:30 AM, craig boman <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > 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 > > >> > > > >> > > > -- Sarah Thorngate Digital Services Librarian North Park University [log in to unmask] 773-244-4562