What in the World Does a Librarian Do? It's up to You. If you are looking for a career with challenges, professional opportunity, flexibility, and room to grow, become a librarian. If you have an undergraduate degree in liberal arts or science, you are well on the way. So, what exactly is a librarian? According to the American Library Association (ALA), the term "librarian" describes someone who has a master's degree in library and information studies, generally known as an MLS or MLIS. Today's librarians are information specialists, internet guides, educators, public administrators, children's services specialists, reader's advisors...the choices and career directions are boundless. Some librarians direct enormous library systems. Some are information specialists for corporations. Others are independent information brokers. Librarians are people who manage and maintain the world of information and run the institutions that serve people's needs for lifelong learning. Getting an MLS ALA publishes a directory of accredited master's programs with complete contact information for each school - there are 56 accredited programs in the U.S. and Canada. Not every state has a graduate school of library and information science, but distance education programs improve access to library education in many regions of the country through some combination of Internet, telecourse, and resident courses. The directory is available online at www.ala.org/alaorg/oa/lisdir.html or in print from the ALA Office for Accreditation, 50 E. Huron Street, Chicago, IL 60611, fax: 312-280-2433. Getting in Besides a bachelor's degree, admission to an MLS program usually requires a minimum grade point average of 3.0 or a B average, and many require the Graduate Record Examination. Individual schools differ, so contact the school or schools you're interested in - most have websites and the ALA directory includes web and e-mail listings. Application procedures are like most other graduate programs - undergraduate transcripts, letters of recommendation, personal essays are all part of the package. Applications are typically due in late winter or early spring for admission the following fall, but this can vary from school to school. Some admissions might be conditional on taking certain courses to get up to speed in areas like computers. Some schools may offer part-time status to students for the first few courses or credit hours before formal admission to the graduate school. Getting Out A typical program requires 36 credit hours, but programs vary from 36 semester hours to 72 quarter hours. Programs range in length from a calendar year to two years for full-time attendance. Some programs require a thesis and/or practicum, others do not. Obviously, going to school part-time will take longer, but it's the only realistic option for many of us. What Does it Cost? Average tuition for an MLS degree ranges from about $6,000 at a public university to $20,000 at a private university. Getting Help Financial aid is available in a variety of forms from a variety of sources. Types of aid available directly from library schools or general university financial aid offices include: * Scholarships * Assistantships * Grants * Work study * Loans * Tuition assistance Don't overlook a number of other sources of financial aid, including: * Government grants and loans - information is available from financial aid offices at colleges and universities. * ALA-sponsored scholarships - an annual directory is published in late October or early November and is available online at www.ala.org/work/awards. * Scholarships sponsored by professional groups and associations - contact your state library association, state library agency, or any other membership groups you belong to. * Many employers offer tuition assistance or reimbursement for continuing education. Getting a Job Librarians work in public libraries, in libraries at schools and colleges and universities, at libraries that have specialized collections of art or music, in libraries at hospitals and law firms and businesses. Whether you want to be a digital diva or a data doctor, a research guru or a role model for kids and teenagers, an info CEO or the "how to find it" person for "whodunit" writers, there's a library job for you. Library school placement centers are currently reporting 90 percent of their graduates have jobs within six months after graduation. Technology skills are in high demand, as are candidates who bring diversity, energy, and other outside job skills to the workplace. Starting salaries average around $30,000, based on 1997 data. At the other end of the spectrum, average salaries for library directors are over $60,000. In between, average salaries range from the high $30s for children's librarians, catalogers, and reference librarians to the mid $40s for heads of departments and branch libraries to the mid $50s for assistant directors. Getting More Information The best one-stop shopping place for information about library careers is the ALA website - www.ala.org. Check out the following: * Spectrum Initiative, a scholarship program especially for under-represented groups in the profession * Office of Human Resource Development & Recruitment (HRDR) coordinates scholarships, conducts placement centers at national conference, and offers a variety of information to students, job seekers, and employers * Office of Accreditation has information on library education and schools of library science If you're interested in a particular ethnic or racial group or professional specialty, ALA has several affiliate organizations, including: * American Association of Law Libraries * American Indian Library Association * Asian Pacific American Librarians Association * Association for Library and Information Science Education (ALISE) * Association of Research Libraries * Black Caucus of ALA * Canadian Library Association * Chinese American Librarians Association * Medical Library Association * REFORMA