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What degree do I need to work in a library?

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If you're looking to work in archives or a BIG library, then you'll be looking at needing a post-graduate degree in Archival Studies.

There is a gulf between librarianship, even special collection librarianship. and archivists which is virtually unbridgeable.

Reply 21

hissyfit

Original post by sweetness345

I'm thinking about this and I want to know what kind of degree I need.

Thank you.

I did my work experience in a library,1 girl had a degree for it,but the rest didn t so you can get one,but you don t especially need 1 from what I saw.
It all depends on what you want to do...
Good Luck :wink:

(edited 13 years ago)

Reply 22

OmicronPersei8

The librarians at my university all have various degrees :rolleyes:

But I think if you want to work in your local library, I doubt you have to have a degree.
Just adequate experience :smile:

(edited 13 years ago)

Reply 23

LTC1409

I used to work as a library casual in a local council library (just as a part time job) during 6th form, so I obviously didn't need a degree for that. However, the people that worked there full time, as subject librarians and archive people (yes, I don't know their official job title, it's probably something as simple as archive librarian) did have degrees in librarianship and had also possibly done further study.

(edited 13 years ago)

Reply 24

dalo

Original post by sweetness345

I'm thinking about this and I want to know what kind of degree I need.

Thank you.

HEY, Uni of Leicester just offered a new course Librarian I think with a new building for this course.

Reply 25

gemini89

Original post by swallows

What's with the sarcastic replies? Very odd, but I assume they know nothing about the skills that are needed to be a librarian and believe any subject other than engineering or biomedical sciences is useless.

As the above poster said - any degree would be suitable, followed by a Masters in Library or Information Sciences. If you'd like to work in an academic (i.e. univeristy) library, and specialise in a particlular area, it would make sense to study a relevant subject at undergrad. Subject librarians at universities are pretty much experts in their chosen field, and are expected to have a good understanding of the relevant hisoric and emerging litarature (books, journals, online articles) that relate to the subject.

You could also do a BA in Librarianship if you're aiming to puruse a career in a more general library, or as an information professional in business.

Exactly this. I work as a Library Assistant part time while at university, and I can't believe the replies that this thread has received!! There was a full time vacancy at one of my libraries recently (I work in four) and there was over 200 applications, 95% of the people had degrees, around 30% had Masters (most not in Information Services) - and that's just for a normal low paid library assistant job, not even a qualified Librarian position. Working in a library people expect you to know everything - libraries act as an information service as well as a place to find books/dvds/cds you know.

Reply 26

lyrical_lie

I heard history was useful and yes nowaday you need a degree, my aunty is a librarian but because of all the cuts they had to let go of loads of people and basically it was impossible for her to get another library job because everyone has to have degrees now...

Reply 27

geetar

Quite a few people in this thread are both smug and ignorant. If you just want to be a library assistant stamping people's books, then you probably don't need any specific qualifications. But if you want to be an actual trained academic librarian or something (which I assume is what the OP means), you need a postgrad degree in something like Information Management.

Reply 28

River85

Original post by mooniibuggy

Are you serious?

:rofl:

Original post by W.H.T

Civil engineering I hear. You need to be able to understand the various forces and stresses acting on book racks and shelfs.

Original post by -beads-

Medicine @ Cambridge; ONLY.

Srsly, write a 2-page CV and apply.

:facepalm2:

Original post by i-am-sam

HAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!

I actually laughed.

Before giving smart arse replies make sure you know what you're talking about first. Otherwise you look rather silly.

Granted, the OP could just mean any job working in a library (including library assistant where only a GCSE level education is needed). However, it's fairly clear that the OP is referring to professional roles e.g. librarian and archivist. To be a professional librarian an undergraduate degree is required. To be an archivist a professionally accredited masters degree (offered at a few univerities including Glasgow and University College Dublin) is required after an undergraduate degree in a related discipline. Entry to these master programmes is fairly competitive so an applicant will usually need some voluntary experience beforehand. So if the OP is interested in become an archivist or librarian it may be a good idea to get some voluntary experience when doing your undergraduate degree. This can be with your university's own libraries, special collections and museums or elsewhere.

You can find out more about archives, what being an archivist involves, and a list of accredited masters degrees at the Society for Archivists

http://www.archives.org.uk/

Original post by neb1405

Lol, with all due respect, Idon't think you need a degree...

At least if you're not sure (but don't think a degree is needed) then say it instead of giving smart arse replies. We can all be wrong. But mocking other people and professions is just unnecessary.

Anyway, I'll stop being preachy from now on. Maybe.

Original post by MoanyLisa

I know for a fact that in the US you need a Masters degree, and I can remember my brother saying you need something similar in the UK. Although with years of experience you might not need formal qualification, but I'm guessing your not 50 so it won't apply to you.

Everyone thinks you can just walk into a library and get a job as a librarian :facepalm:

Well, the real problem is that people don't know what a librarian is.

I bet if I went into the engineering forum and called the man who fixes my gas boiler an "engineer" there'd be uproar. But they think someone who stamps the library books is a librarian. The way both terms are misused it isn't surprising that there are such misconceptions.

As far as work experience goes, I'm not sure how this works with regard to being a librarian athough for . Someone without an undergraduate degree, but with several years of work experience, will probaby be able to enter straight onto a masters without needing to do an undergrad beforehand.

Original post by Law123mus

Degree? You mean PhD, probably in particle physics.

EDIT: having googled this a bit it seems that you do need some sort of bachelors or even a masters degree to have a good chance at becoming and librarian lol. Who'd have thought it!

People who actually know what these jobs are. They're actually higher/managerial level occupations. You don't need a degree to shelve books and stamp them, no.

(edited 13 years ago)

Reply 29

sweetness345

Original post by FlippinEl

I think some people don't understand the difference between being a librarian and working in a library. Anyone can work in a library but a librarian needs to know his library thoroughly and be able to help others intellectually not just to point people to where certain books are. The one at my school is actually amazing. He's an ex english teacher but is also fabulous with french and most other subjects so will help you on anything.
Tbh I have no clue what I want to do after my degree and being a librarian is one of the plan Bs I've been thinking about because I love reading, learning, and helping/teaching others.

Yes me too, I like reading as well and I'm doing an IT degree right now so I don't know what to do yet. Library sounds good but I'll see.

Reply 30

GodspeedGehenna

Original post by W.H.T

Civil engineering I hear. You need to be able to understand the various forces and stresses acting on book racks and shelfs.

Chemistry is also important in understanding the atomic structure of the paper and the chemical compositions that make the glue that binds the pages to the spine.

Reply 31

psychocustard

My boyfriend's mum has her first degree in linguistics, then her first masters is also linguistics, but her second is a masters in library and information services.

That said, she only did the latter masters once she was actually working at Kings and had been for a number of years, and I'm pretty sure they helped pay for it.

Reply 32

bananacake14

That made me laugh!! I've been having a crap couple of days so thank you.

Reply 33

River85

Original post by bananacake14

That made me laugh!! I've been having a crap couple of days so thank you.

Pardon? You're not one of those who things you don't need a degree to be a librarian, are you? If so please read the thread.

Sorry for your couple of crappy days though.

Reply 34

La Môme

I love the fact that everyone's like LOL PLZ U JUST NEED TO B ABLE TO READ LOLZ. That's one of my back-up plans and you definitely can't swan into any library and just sign up to be a librarian. Unluckily for me, even a librarian assistant job at my local library comes with a requirement for at least some library science education.

I'm guessing many of the people in this thread look down at librarians, who are so important when you're a hapless student on campus. Sucks to be you.

Reply 35

River85

Original post by La Môme

I don't think it's looking down on librarians as such, just not knowing what a librarian is (thinking it's a library assistant). Not that library assistants deserve to be dissed either.

Although I do agree that some peope don't respect those who work in areas like the heritage, libraries and information sectors. Again, often because they're ignorant of what the job involves/just don't care.

Reply 36

py0alb

What's with the general lack of a sense of humour today? 90% of the replies you will get on TSR will always be sarcastic, either deal with it or **** off.

Reply 37

member327593

a phd is astrophysics. true story.

Reply 38

lacelicker

Original post by sweetness345

I'm thinking about this and I want to know what kind of degree I need.

Thank you.

well my school librarian has a degree in English and a masters in Library management. (or something similar!)

Reply 39

River85

Original post by py0alb

What's with the general lack of a sense of humour today? 90% of the replies you will get on TSR will always be sarcastic, either deal with it or **** off.

The difference here is that most, if not all, of the people who made these "sarcastic" replies genuinely didn't know that a degree was required. So it's not really sarcasm. I can take humour and even sarcasm providing constructie contributions are made.

People come here to seek advice. They don't expect, or always want, to receive 20 mocking replies before getting some serious answers. These replies also just clog up threads and aren't constructive. Especially new members who will most likely be put off if they join a forum only to be met with people taking the piss. Members leave and this has a negative effect on the forum.

It is called spam for a reason.

I've got a sense of humour and can have a joke, and I don't expect all replies to be serious, but I don't like people taking the piss and mocking degrees or professions. There are many other places on the Internet where they can **** off and do it :hat2: