next »

[javabee]

Hi Everyone,

I'm an aspiring academic librarian (still in school).  My plan was to get a second MA in either Spanish or Women's Studies (yeah...I know I'll be joining the overflowing pool of Humanities grads in library science).  But I am wondering if getting a PhD in either subject would give me a better chance of getting a position as an academic librarian/subject specialist. 

I had a friend that (rather rudely) posed the question: "Why the hell would you want to go through all that work to get a PhD to become just a librarian?"   As for me, I know that getting the PhD is more of a personal than professional goal (and at this point, it's only something I'm just starting to think about), but I was just wondering everyone else's takes on it. 

[kaysixteen]

A second academic Master's is essential-- get that now.  Then get all the library experience one can get while getting the MLS.  Make sure you get this experience before completion of the MLS, and make sure some of it, at least, is in some sort of academic library.  Then get an academic library job, and then enroll part-time for an academic PhD, if you still want one.

[ngs_gmail]

I believe that there are very few, if any, academic librarian jobs that require the PhD.  The only advantage of a PhD would be in applying for jobs as a director of a very large academic library or library system.  Which you would need mucho experience for, as well.  I can't see the U of State Library hiring someone with a PhD to be director if he or she did not also have a ton of experience.

Your mileage may vary.  But I scan the job ads every day, and never see "PhD required."

[lexbooker]

A second academic Master's is essential-- get that now.  Then get all the library experience one can get while getting the MLS.  Make sure you get this experience before completion of the MLS, and make sure some of it, at least, is in some sort of academic library.  Then get an academic library job, and then enroll part-time for an academic PhD, if you still want one.

I agree with this person. I work as a tenure-track librarian at a small liberal arts college, and I have a double masters (library science and English/critical theory). I'm convinced that the second masters got me my current job, and it's going to help when I come up for tenure. Plus, once I've worked here three years (I'm starting my second), I can go back to school at a local university part-time for a PhD (if I so choose), and have my employer pay for it.

With a double masters (especially in something like Spanish), you'll be indispensible and highly competitive in what is already a great job market. Do the PhD thing for yourself if you'd like, but if you want to be a librarian, a double masters is more than enough. That is, until you want to move up to directorship-- which will require a decade or so of work experience anyways.

Hope this helps, and good luck!

[ngs_gmail]

Double masters - very good.  Do it if you can.  Actually, many employers now require a second masters, especially in academic libraries. 

My alma mater (undergrad) requires a second masters for almost every position, plus one or more additional languages, plus walking on water, plus turning it into wine.  For about $35,000 per year.  Sigh.

[mzmaccalarian]

I agree wholeheartedly with the "Get a second master's" comments, and also the observation that you should get as much library work experience as you possibly can before you graduate.

When you're looking for an academic library job with that second master's in hand, unless you're determined to work in your field as a bibliographer or cataloger, the subject discipline of your MA/MS may not matter a whole lot.  I've been on ten hiring committees in twelve years as an academic librarian, and most of those committees have viewed a subject master's as evidence that an applicant knows something about the demands of focused research beyond the undergraduate level, the language and practice of scholarship, and the byzantine culture of universities.  My MA is in English, but I worked happily for seven years at a school devoted to engineering and the applied sciences.

[libwitch]

A second masters is great, especially if you want to work in a research library ( 4 yr/teaching schools tend to require it as often, CCC usually not at all) - the Spanish MA would open you up to many more job opportunities.

A PhD?  Really not necessary. Let me clarify.  A PhD in Library Science?  Dear god, no.  It really only does prepare you to be.. a professor of library science.  And  a PhD in a subject area really won't give you an additional boost up - I have never been a search committee where the PhD gets moved to the top of the pile JUST BECAUSE they have a PhD over the masters.   

[collegekidsmom]

I also have served on search committees in recent years. I work in a major research library environment. We have a lot of PhDs in our ranks. We are aware that nobody pursued these degrees in order to be more competitive in our field. The PhD is fine, and nice to have-but not necessary. We are looking for excellent librarians.
What matters to us is experience, real current expertise, publications, service at all levels, and above all I would say we always look for people that can bring something to us that we don't already have. Candidates need to  be able to play many different roles in our large team-based organization.  We don't have many "rules" -beyond the candidate's possession of the MLS from an ALA accredited institution. Because librarians at my institution have to publish and prove impact in the profession, we would look kindly on a person who has published in the literature of librarianship. So rather than pursue multiple degrees, if you really want to be a successful and in demand academic librarian (especially in a research institution), it would be best to get some excellent experience, and make sure you know the literature of the field. If you have skills or knowledge in a niche area, all the better.

[kaysixteen]

This thread started over five years ago, which was essentially a different universe from today, economically-speaking.  Now throughout the 00s the librarian job market was subpar, never really recovering from the 2000 tech bubble burst, but since the recession began, well... let us just say that the bottom has fallen out.  I recently heard from my now retired MLS school professor, who agrees with me that it is very very bad.   There are oodles and oodles of MLSs out there looking, many with loads of experience, even senior management-level experience, and sadly too many library schools continue to churn out wide-eyed wannabes who will add to this glut.  IMO, it would simply be irresponsible to recommend anyone getting an MLS, except perhaps those wishing to get into a few underserved specialty areas of the profession.  Certainly telling a PhD to go to library school as an alternative to limited academic opportunities in many fields is just more or less professional/ advisor malpractice, more or less.

[collegekidsmom]

Oops, didn't realize a zombie thread. Wonder what happened to the OP? By now, life has certainly moved on!