are you now, or have you ever been, A Librarian?

I went to UNC-CH for grad school (alas, not for an MLS) and loved both the school and living in Chapel Hill, so I would highly recommend that aspect. Most (actually, all) of my library time there was spent in the medical library--there must be some people who specialize in medical library stuff, yes?

Anyhow my husband does fine salary wise working in a law library (and he doesn't even have an MLS!), and my boss does way more than fine doing kind of managerial stuff for NLM, so salary prospects are not necessarily totally depressing but still best to minimize student debt as much as possible, or course (not that I actually followed my own advice. . .).

To answer the question of the thread: I did work in a public library while I was in high school as what was then called a "library page" - shelved books, kept them in order, checked them into library, cleaned shelves, and other random tasks as come up with by head librarian. I liked it, but library school itself was exhausting, the program required you to spend time at school in a different state at the time (and I had just gotten married), and I couldn't afford to pay for classes. I do know four librarians who all seem happy with their jobs, and I've met one person who just graduated from the program I left and is looking for a library job.

http://www.azcentral.com/style/gifs/1015fashion2.jpg

Is there anything that you like about your job that you could build on? For instance, if you like finance and management>>MBA. If you like databases and computers>>Systems Management. I'm not sure there is any MA that leads directly into a satisfying career.

We also have a penchant for booze. This sadly is not part of the librarian stereotype. Something needs to be done about this. We will drink you under the table, or atleast until we fall down from said table.

But I'm rambling!

Yeah, Informatics! What is it, exactly? It was linked to our Communications Dept. (as was the MLS program), but when Informatics bit the dust this semester, the MLS program was sent back to the School of Education, which makes sense to me.

Oh! And ALA just slapped UB on the wrist, actually, for closing its Informatics Department:

http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6363891.html

This is what the ALA site says:

Conditional: Some entries have a notation of (Conditional) next to them. This indicates conditional accreditation — a status assigned to a program that must make changes to comply with the 1992 Standards for Accreditation of Master’s Programs in Library and Information Studies to enable accreditation beyond the date specified by the Committee on Accreditation (COA). Please note that these programs are fully accredited under the Standards.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/54177448@N00/244926428/

Ohio seems conspicuously absent. And what about Seattle? Portland? Minneapolis? Madison? I don't know anything about libraries, but these seem like places that would keep them well-funded.

http://www.majordojo.com/photos/public_library/DSC_0558-photo.JPG

On the subject of the O.C. (and a new orchestra building): http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/09/18/AR2006091801393.html

I thought this was a very non Post article, in that it was pretty good.

http://www.library.cmu.edu/Libraries/etc/game1/game1.swf

That is quite, quite insane.

We will be glad to answer questions like these:

* What is the zip code to Panama City, Florida?
* What is the capital and state bird of New Mexico?
* Who wrote the patent on the Cotton Gin?

But we will be unable to answer questions like these:

* Please give me the complete history of the Roman Empire.
* Please give me a biography of Theodore Roosevelt.
* Explain to me how the stock market works

http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kxax1xzJ321qz6f9yo1_500.jpg

sign otm

It is true, this.