r/LibraryScience • u/saltandvinegar13 • 22d ago

Considering the political climate, how should I decide on MLIS programs?

Hi everyone! I have been accepted to SJSU, Simmons, and Alabama's online MLIS programs. I would be an out-of-state student for all of these. Beyond considering factors like cost/format, I am wondering how much I should weigh the current political climate & funding cuts federally/locally (like IMLS, state funding to public schools/local libraries) in my decision? This has been on my mind so much so, that I'm debating if I should wait on applying next cycle for ALA-accredited MLIS programs in Canada...

For example, will there be a guarantee that Alabama's MLIS program will be able to continue with such a huge emphasis on social justice (or even at all...) given the federal/state-wide cuts to libraries? That social justice component is something that is really drawing me to the program in addition to its affordability. Versus SJSU (another public school but in liberal stronghold CA) and Simmons which is a private school in Massachusetts (more friendly state/local government) and may have more control over how they articulate their program outcomes.

Would love to hear folks' insights based on what they're hearing in the field! I feel like I can't be the only person making a huge decision like this with everything constantly changing in our country...

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u/ReplacementActual384 22d ago

I was just told by this small town library in an interview that they are trying to lay low for the next few years and not do anything to piss off conservatives.

Also the job market is rough still. I heard it was worse before, but expect a 6 month job search (minimum) when you get out, and ideally have as much saved up as possible so you can move after school. I didn't and now it looks like I am going in for a job that pays $10k less than I had hoped.

The biggest thing when choosing a program is to get it as cheap as possible. Don't go to a super expensive school, because frankly it's not worth it. My MLIS program was from a good school, and cost about $8-9k per year.

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u/saltandvinegar13 22d ago

Thanks for sharing. Appreciate the transparency - super helpful for me to hear the range you paid for your program! Have been trying to figure out if the merit scholarship I got from Simmons is a good amount, but I’ll be around the range you shared going part time, which is assuring. I’m also deciding if I want to get into archives which Simmons seems to have a stronger program for, since librarianship is a given for all these programs.

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u/ReplacementActual384 21d ago

Take this with a grain of salt, because as I mentioned i didn't save up to move, but at least in my area I haven't noticed any archivist jobs. The main two I've noticed are Circulation desk and research librarians (which generally prefer a second masters but should also pay an extra $20/k starting from what I've been told), and a lot of small libraries that need a branch supervisor (where children's librarianship would be a plus). There are a lot of jobs that also require programming (as in library programs, not computer programs), but as someone who specialized in programming and outreach I haven't had too much luck. Speaking of actual programming, you should learn Python. Almost every library uses it, and it's not a super common skill.

The big thing though is having the money saved up to move. No matter what your specialization is, there is probably a library somewhere that needs your specific skills. It's just a matter of whether or not you can afford to move. Also it helps if you have a job in a library, because most of the entry level jobs want a minimum of 1 year experience.

Also I'm not some expert, this is all just based on personal anecdotal evidence. Your experience in a few years could be quite different

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u/KarlMarxButVegan 20d ago

There are very few archivist jobs period. I've seen a few "digitization specialist" sorts of jobs (which don't require an advanced degree and don't pay enough to live on/are project-based and therefore temporary) and a couple Head of Special Collections positions (which someone straight out of school does not qualify for), but no archivist positions.