Is librarian literally dumbest and most useless job ever? I could

>>>/r9k/

This is b8 made for getting people bitch and moan about the overlap between /lit/ and /r9k/

I'm genuinely curious if "library science" is as absurd as it seems or if there are actually some worthwhile concepts there.

Though it sounds like you got BTFO because you couldn't keep track of what you borrowed tbvh.

And yet when she look at some middleschooler ya reader with sympathy, but at me (patrician reader) with this disgust on face. Ugh. Yes i aint a chad, i am poor neet with debt, but i am still human being and i should be treat as such

>>7562167
I got my master's in Library and Information Science. Ask me anything, I guess.

I've worked in libraries in some capacity since I was 15.

>>7562203
what the fuck do you do other than help old people find books and tell homeless to stop jacking off?

>>7562225
Well, I don't work in public libraries - I work with digital forensics and digital preservation.

It's my understanding that most employees who do what you are talking about are usually just those at a basic level, people with an MLIS are generally directors or bibliographers when it comes to public libraries.

>>7562346
I also work in a library in digital preservation. It's a uni library, though. I'm working with some local county libraries to set up a camera station for their collections, which are admittedly small.
Libraries are what the public makes of them, not librarians, OP. You could get involved and do something positive, or not.

>>7562203
I'm thinking of going for a MLIS after I finish my degree: is there anything I should look for in a program? Do you have any advice for someone going into the field?

I'm Canadian if that makes a difference.

>tfw just got to work at my library job 5 mins ago
>tfw going to browse /lit/ for half an hour, then finish writing a short story for a contest, and read for 2 or 3 hours
>tfw i get paid $20/hr to do this

>>7562452
That's great! As for direct advice I'd have to know what you're interested in. Public, academic, government, or special libraries (prison, military, corporate, etc)? Archives? Conservation? Big data? Cataloging? My program had a lot of different specialties ranging from children's literature to text mining, but I had a general idea of what I was interested in prior to attending, and I'd recommend you do the same.

With that in mind I'd suggest looking for a program that includes graduate assistant work "in the field" so that you will be getting practical work experience along with the MLIS, for example a lot of my friends worked as reference librarians in the university libraries, so not only did they get paid they also got good resume experience.

I'm not really sure about good programs in Canada, other than McGill, as I've ran into some of their grads at various conferences.

I'd take a look at the American Library Association website for a list of tips and American schools to check out:
http://www.ala.org/accreditedprograms/directory/search

Once you see what American schools have to offer (the top ones being UIUC, UNC, U of Texas, U of Michigan, Simmons, and a few others) then you can size them up with Canadian programs.

Did that help? Happy to answer specific questions to the best of my ability.

>>7562477
Yeah, lots of grad and undergrads work at my library for big bucks. Hell, the circulation desk people even get a pretty good salary.

>>7562158
>angry virgin detected

>>7562489
I'm not really sure what area I'm most interested in yet, unfortunately. You've been quite helpful though, thanks!

>>7562539
That's fair enough, a lot of people I knew had multiple areas of interest, but narrowing it down even a little helps a lot, as (most) programs are only 2 years, so that means only a handful of classes. To be honest I took two "fun" classes that didn't relate to my main interests, so you do have some wiggle room. I'd check out McGill's program and go from there. See what they have to offer.

Personally I'd recommend getting into the digital side of things, as that's where the job openings are.

>>7562158
I actually got offered a gig next year as a full time volunteer in the children's library because the women there have a hard time building content for boys, and there was an insinuation that it would lead quickly to a job. Money isn't a concern for me, and I am considering it.

>>7562158
i like that picture. if a nice girl has scars all over her forearms from working at a food place i dig that too lemme tell ya

>hurr durr all librarians do is move books around
WRONG

my grandmother and uncle both have masters in library science, they help people in much more involved ways than pulling books off of shelves

>>7562158
OP must be homeless and tried to sleep at the library. Clean up and get a job, you bum.