Obtaining an associate's degree will involve an investment in time, effort, and money. There is no question that having a degree is a positive sign of accomplishment, and will give you a better chance of obtaining a position. It may even help you later on for a promotion.
Associate's degrees are typically offered by community colleges, and will require a high school degree or passing of the General Educational Development (GED) test.
Assuming that you have decided that a career as a librarian is probably not for you,
- Type of position. If you reviewed the " types of jobs" section on this website, you can then learn if a degree is typically required of the type of job you desire.
- Size of library. Many smaller libraries have a difficult time filling positions, even for directors, and often will hire people with other degrees or equivalent experience. Some large urban libraries are also having difficulty filling front line librarian positions and hire librarians without master of library science degrees.
Read more about it:
Library Certificate and Degree Programs
- Lists certificates, associates and bachelor degree programs by state
General Education Development test
- Pages
- Library Assistants and Technicians
- Librarians
- Library Managers
- Library Directors
- Other Professionals (human resources, accounting, network administrators, facilities managers, etc.)
- Do I need a library science associate's degree?
- Do I need a library science master's degree?
- Choosing a library school
If you have questions about careers in libraries, you may contact the ALA Office for Human Resource Development and Recruitment (HRDR). You may also contact Beatrice Calvin, Manager, Professional Development, HRDR at bcalvin@ala.org.