How I Got Here

I've had three requests lately asking about how I got to my current position and the pros/cons of a second masters and the MLIS (Masters of Library and Information Science) degree itself. Here goes:

When I entered college, I never imagined myself being a librarian. I always loved my school librarians, but never thought about that as my intended career. I began as an engineering student, then moved over to the School of Visual Arts when I realized I liked math, but didn't want to do it as a career, and remembered how much I liked design and art history. I ended up going the interior design and art history route for undergrad.

I had worked at the campus museum developing a small library for them (still didn't get it that I was destined to be a librarian) and ended up working in a mid-size museum in the education department when I graduated. I knew I needed an advanced degree in art history to go anywhere in the museum field, so I then went back and got my MA in Art History.

For my MA, through a series of chance encounters and being at the right place at the right time, I ended up focusing on early book production in Europe as my specialty and wrote my thesis on a 16th century Venetian costume book. It took me two years to write my thesis and during that time I worked as a graduate assistant in the Department of Special Collections in the university's library. I also spent two years during my coursework working in the Art Department's Visual Resources Center (slide library). It was in those two experiences that I finally realized I wanted to be a librarian.

I decided then that I'd go on for an MLIS, rather than a PhD in Art History. I got into a program and during my course of study, did fieldwork, directed studies and assistantship work in the Art Department's Visual Resources Center, the Department of Special Collections (University Library), and several special libraries.

When I graduated with my MLIS it was the height of the "Internet Boom" and I took several jobs related more to web design and content management than physical libraries. The pay was amazing, but it was not satisfying. I started volunteering one night a week in the museum library system of which I am now head. I did this for two years.

Then, the person I replaced announced she was retiring after 34 years and I just knew I had to go for it. I interviewed four times, waited six months and was ultimately offered the job. It was a substantial pay decrease. Substantial. But, it was completely worth it.

Is the MA in Art History critical?
For me, yes. However, I have to stress that every museum and art library situation is different. I work in an encyclopedic museum with many, many focuses. There are other art library environments with more tailored focuses. There are design school libraries when technical knowledge is more important than art historical knowledge. There are environments where you're the only one and have to know everything. There are environments where you are part of a team and are required to know about certain subject areas particularly.

I also know many incredibly well respected art librarians who do not have art history degrees. I even know some without library degrees. They got there because of their hard work, experience and ability to learn quickly.

Times have changed too. I have a number of graduate and recent graduate students as volunteers who have not found jobs in this field. I think now that the second masters really helps distinguish you.

My advice here would be to join listservs where these types of jobs are being posted and see what the requirements are. ARLIS/NA (Art Libraries Society of North America) has a great listserv: ARLIS-L. The American Association of Museums (AAM) has a job site too.

What are the pros and cons of the MLIS degree?
I strongly encourage anyone who wants to work in any kind of museum to get an MLIS. Yes, there is a lot of theory and best-case scenario kind of work that goes on (that you will likely never use in the real world), but you also get a lot of practical knowledge and an environment where you can get real world experience through assistantships, student jobs, directed fieldwork and directed studies. I use a lot of things I learned in school in my everyday job.

Additionally, we want to do everything to dissuade the idea that volunteers can do what we do. That, somehow, libraries don't need professionally trained and educated staff to run them is ridiculous. I come up against the notion that "anyone can run libraries" all of the time. I can tell you truthfully that I would not be able to do my job without my educational background and my past library experience.

If you want to be a librarian and have the time/money/means to get an MLIS, do it!

[Amendment 6/14/10: I'm going to amend something I've said here. By saying "do it!" I mean that you'll mostly likely need that degree and you really will have to do it. Don't expect to get a library position without it. However, it's difficult to get a job in this field right now - very difficult. There are jobs, but they are far and few between. If you go for the MLIS, know it will likely be tough getting a job in the next few years in an art-related field. However, you're still going to need the degree to get the job eventually. Just be aware: it's really, really tough out there right now!!]

I'm happy to respond to more questions about any of this. Feel free to ask them here.