I went to library school because I couldn’t think of a good reason not to. That’s the truth. I had already been working in a library for two years and my English degree wasn’t good for much more than a springboard into more schooling. I love libraries and I love books. When a senior librarian told me that my organization had a program that would help me pay for a librarian degree, I took a chance and enrolled in their information science program.

Library and Information science schools claim that their degrees are every bit as advanced as any other graduate degree. This may be true in some cases–there are many types of library specializations, like medical and legal librarians, and these students certainly would acquire a body of knowledge that a layperson would not. There were also programs for anyone interesting the networks and computer systems in libraries, and the IT field students absolutely received an advanced body of knowledge.

But most library school students that I have interacted with are planning on working in public libraries, just like I was. This usually means pursuing the general course of study, which in no way resembles a body of knowledge that a layperson could not acquire on their own.

In my program I read a ton of history about libraries, their budgets, the philosophies of public access and privacy, et cetera. Little of it felt more expansive than reading ten different wikipedia links about the history of libraries and free speech.

I don’t want to sound like I regret getting an information science degree. It got me the job I have now, but that is because it functions more like an expensive membership card. In my opinion, the Master’s Degree for library science in general studies would be better represented as a vocational degree.

If you are looking at librarian jobs, here is what I would suggest: if you know the library system you would like to work in, talk to some of the librarians. Find out if they have librarian degrees. Ask if the system ever hires librarians without the degree.

Ask them what their school experience was like, and whether they have any regrets. You will learn a lot more by talking to people who have been there than from the library recruiters whose job is to get you to enroll.

I love my job, but I learned 99% of my job on the desk. It wasn’t because I studied.