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Round Table Discussion: How to Make the Most of Library School

 

If you were just starting library school again, what would you do differently to make sure you were as prepared as you could be for the work world? This was a recent topic of discussion on one of ALA’s listserves. Participants had valuable advice for a poster who is beginning an MLIS program in the fall.

 

ALA has numerous listserves for members in many different areas of the library profession, and at all different career stages. With these listserves, you can communicate with colleagues across the country, sharing information and ideas. Recently, a group of people on the ALA New Members Round Table Discussion List responded with advice on how they would approach library school if they had it to do over again. Following are some of their tips:

 

If possible, determine the area in which you’d like to work. Knowing the type of job you’d like to have can help you choose the classes that will best prepare you. Also, you can then volunteer or intern in that specialty to learn more about it, and find professionals with whom you can network. One poster also recommended reviewing descriptions of open jobs in your area of interest, so you can learn about the skills and knowledge you will need.

 

If you don’t know where you want to work, don’t sweat it. If you talk to working librarians, you’ll find that many of them started out in one specialty, but moved through at least one or two other areas as their career progressed. Choosing to focus on a particular area in graduate school doesn’t mean you have to stay with it for the rest of your working life.

 

Get involved with ALA. Many listserve participants said that participating in ALA educational events, mentoring programs, and other offerings have been a valuable way to build up your knowledge and professional network.

 

Join committees. Committees were also mentioned often as a way to gain experience and learn from fellow librarians. ALA has a number of committees to choose from, and students and paraprofessionals are welcome on many of them. In addition, consider participating in committees and boards of your state and local library associations and educational institutions.

 

Learn about the human side of library work. Instruction and interpersonal relations classes were mentioned by a number of posters, who said that communicating effectively with supervisors, co-workers, and patrons is a crucial element of library work. If your program doesn’t have enough offerings in these areas, consider taking a human resources course through your university’s business school.

 

Learn about library management. It is increasingly important that librarians understand the management view on libraries—how and why decisions are made. As some traditional librarian positions are being given to paraprofessionals, librarians are taking on more supervisory roles, so management courses can ensure that you are ready for those responsibilities. Also, with the growth of online services and other library competition, public relations, marketing, and other business specialties will become essential.

 

Attend conferences. Conferences provide countless opportunities for education, job-seeking, networking, and socializing with your library peers. While they can be costly for students to attend, many universities, professional organizations, and conference hosts offer grants and other financial assistance to students and new members wishing to attend a conference. If you submit a poster or other presentation that is accepted, your travel costs will often be paid by your university or the conference hosts; in addition, you can gain invaluable presentation experience as well as a great item for your resume.

 

Do you have a pressing question about your library education or career? Join the ALA listserves and see what your colleagues have to say.

 

Visit the NMRT website for more information.