Hello /lit/, I have a question regarding studies. I don't know if this is the right board to ask, so mods pls don't ban.
I'm applying for a scholarship to do a Master in Library and Information Science. Thing is, not all countries have library science as a master degree (here in my country, for example, is a undergraduate, a BA).
My chances are to go to USA and other countries of the anglosphere, but I'd like to know what other chances are there, just for possibilities to study.
So, my question is: does your country have a MLIS as a graduate program? So far I found that Ireland and Sweden do and apparently China.
Language is not a problem, so if it's the case of your country, please let me know.
Thank you
>>7870274
Courtesy bump. Godspeed OP
Is the MLIS in Ireland in UCD? Trinity is the one with all the badass library pictures.
I say apply postgrad to Trinity, and do your masters elsewhere. Check out your shelf stacking employment prospects too.
>>7870274
Hi! American Librarian here. There are library undergrad degrees, but to hold the official title of "Librarian" you need the master's degree, MLIS.
>>7870403
Thanks.
>>7870442
I think the one I saw was at the UCD. I already have a BA (or its equivalent here, a university degree) in humanities. I'm taking some librarianship courses but I'd like to make it to the master degree. Here in my country (Argentina) isn't even a university degree, is a tertiary one and there are very few institutions related and almost no people graduated.
>>7870515
Yep, I know it. Is not the case here, but I'd love the possibility to do a MLIS, also for the experience of studying abroad. That's why I'm evaluating chances and looking for scholarships.
Thanks for your replies.
>>7870515
What are your typical day-to-day responsibilities as a "Librarian" that require a master's degree?
>>7870515
I'm planning on going into this degree program and field of work, is there anything you wish you would have known beforehand or think I should know?
Bump for interest
>>7870274
Just think of all the cutie patootie co-students
Go to Brazil, I bet you could do your master there and Bazilian unis are by far better than the ches. Look for Rio, Campinas, Sao Paolo.
>>7870535
Research help, I'd think. Knowing what books are good to keep around etc.
My country, Canada also offers a MILS, u have a strongly large number of friends hoping to go into that after undergrad.
>>7870274
In North America it's pretty much all Master's programs. I don't think the ALA even accredits undergrad MLIS or MISt programs.
Also a word of warning for what to expect. The program itself will not cater to any sort of tastes you have as a bibliophile outside a few courses. These days there is a much stronger focus on information technology and the evolving role of the library.
>>7870535
I work in two university libraries at a major research university. The library system here is top five biggest in North America.
We have one real research librarian who comes in like two hours sometimes, and then a bunch of interning grad students that do the job on other days. They just know how to use the catalogue more than your average joe.
The rest are mostly bureaucratic and clerical jobs. More book processing than book-y type stuff. Then they sit at the desk and sometimes check out books.
They're all saying it's a dying field. It's downsized by like 5x in the last 30 years, and most of them have been there that long. Their union has shrunk to like 30% size, half the shit is unmanned because barely anyone comes into the library anymore. Mostly you sit around and browse the internet if you're not doing your clerical jobs.
Apparently the big new wave is admin/manager/shallow "tech" people coming in and pointlessly revolutionising the whole thing. A lot of the real librarians are not so happy that they were passed over a dozen times for promotion in favour of some moron with a management degree who knows nothing about books or libraries and spends all their time in board meetings, squandering half the budget on a dumbass scheme to get new FUCKIN' RADICAL AUTOMATIC FLAMING SKULLS IN FLASH ON THE CATALOGUE WEBSITE or A MACHINE WITH A ROBOT HAND THAT AUTOMATICALLY TAKES THE BOOK AND SCANS IT FOR YOU and then breaks a week later.
The prevailing mood is the end of an era. Or the decaying husk of an era that ended 10-20 years ago.
YMMV.
>>7872309
I work in a major university library and this describes exactly what I see everyday.
>libraries
They are on the verge of extinction. Don't bother getting a degree in such a pointless area. Anyway, I thought skills in documentation, catalogue use and book management came with an history degree. Most librarians I know graduated in history or literature.
>>7870535
Remember that to most people librarian just means a person that works in the library. Most of those are library techs or pages. In public libraries the librarian is usually in more of a management position, does collection development, community outreach, and runs events.
Academic librarians have research responsibilities just like any other academic faculty, so you get the whole publish or perish thing there.
Other than that there are all sorts of corporate, medical, or other special libraries. One thing you'll learn about the degree is that you can bullshit your way into all sorts of jobs that don't include librarian in the title.
>>7872368
That depends heavily on where you are. There are cities where libraries have higher circulation than ever, albeit after a bit of a change in mandate.
>>7872315
Sad to hear it's not an exception here.
At my other job, I'm surrounded by people who are in "Information Studies" and related grad programs. They give less than a fuck about anything traditionally bookish or library-y, but they're nevertheless heavily involved in library interning stuff. The higher-ups like to get them involved. They also do a lot of "book studies" crap, but don't care about books and don't read books. The only books they've ever talked about are YA fiction garbage, but they're in a two-year MA, on track to be micromanaging senior librarians who actually care about their work in a few years.
It's depressing. Based on my experiences here, I'd never, ever, EVER go into anything library-related. 90% of the senior people are doing tasks that have nothing to do with the technicality that they involve books. They could be processing dragon dildos and recoding all the dragon dildo labels.
Also every library on campus has its own vibe. The smaller, sleepier ones can be okay, but it depends totally on your boss. The busier ones are dystopian hellholes where everyone hates everyone else. Regualr staff are visibly miserable there.
>>7872384
Information Studies is really the exact same degree as Library Science and Information Science. Other than that though, this is right on the money as far as so many of the students though. They all "love books" but none of them read.
>>7872484
Also, to add some less depressing stuff to this, if you're still looking for a more classic library feeling, look into taking as many descriptive bibliography and rare books courses you can, and try to get into a rare books library. There aren't many jobs in the field, but if you can break into one it can be really engaging.
>>7872309
That's depressing. But yeah, is pretty much the same in my public library.
Most people go to use internet to do dumb shit. Not even to read.
