Are you considering a career in libraries or other information spaces? We wrote this book for you! Old Dominion University students in LIBS 603 Online Resources for Teaching chose this topic for an Open Educational Resources textbook. These students were either enrolled in the Master of Library and Information Studies (MLIS) degree or were in a Certificate in Online Teaching. We wanted to share information about careers in a variety of libraries and about job seeking for those with an MLIS. Maybe you are already working in a library as a paraprofessional or a volunteer and know that a library is an attractive and challenging workplace. The chapters in this OER textbook will provide you with a glimpse at the variety of library careers available to someone with an MLIS. You might already be in an MLIS degree and are eager to explore potential jobs. We envision that these chapters might inform a Foundations or other introductory course where MLIS student explore career options. We’re also offering a chapter with concrete job seeking advice to assist MLIS students or those currently employed in libraries who are looking at job options.
We hope future sections of the course will revise and enlarge the textbook. As we go to press, the following chapters are available:
Submissions from 2023
Chapter 1: Introduction, Sue C. Kimmel
Chapter 2: The Curious & Courageous School Librarian, Amy Vernon and Marie Connolly
Chapter 3: ISBN Thinking about Public Library Careers, Molly Hayes and Ashlee Mullis
Chapter 4: Would You Be Interested in Becoming a Special Librarian?, T. Barksdale, N. Carrington, and P. Crigler
Chapter 5: What Books Are in Your Card Catalog?, Julie A. Drewry