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So, Is "Librarian" a Best Career for 2008?
January 30, 2008
So, U.S. News & World Report has anointed "librarian" as one of the 31 "best careers" for 2008. The description is optimistic, suggesting that librarians are "high-tech information sleuths" who "love helping patrons dig up information" and even "go on shopping sprees" for materials. (Um, what about centralized selection.) "On top of it all, librarians' work hours are reasonable." (That's true, right?) A "day in the life" describes work at a small municipal library, where the librarian orders materials, works the reference desk, teaches a class, calms some boisterous kids, and delves into some research.
One reader responded that she was surprised to see "librarian" on the list. She related that she was considering an MLS, but, after looking at LJ, found that new graduates take "6 months to a year to find work, if at all... New graduates just can't compete and the MLS is essentially a useless degree outside of librarianship." Now, the MLS certainly can be useful outside the library field, but there's a fierce debate about how easy it is to find jobs. Take a look at the 2005 LJ article on The Entry-Level Gap, the 2007 response The Jobs Can Be Found, and the Backtalk in response.
Posted by Norman Oder on January 30, 2008 | Comments (0)
