On Becoming a Librarian

While reading an un-related article on Library Journal’s website (although I suppose all the articles on LJ’s website are somewhat related—their site IS about libraries, after all)—anyway…I stumbled onto this article. The title intrigued me: “How to Become a Librarian—Updated.” Hmmm…I wondered if there was a NEW way to become a librarian, something short of getting the master’s degree in library science. I clicked. I read. (You can do likewise from the URL below.) The article talks about how everyone who loves books wants to work in a library. (I usually mark a big “X” next to a job applicant who begins a cover letter or interview with, “I just LOVE books!”) It goes on to talk about types of libraries, school and funding options, blah, blah, blah.

The thing that really caught my eye, though, was the center section with the subtitle “Before Making the Leap.” This section includes quotes from librarians about why they became librarians. Some of them are funny, like the person who said s/he didn’t like being in business and since s/he spent so much time in a library—well, why not become a librarian and get paid to be there! My favorite from the list is this one:

“What I love about library science is that no day is ever the same, and you learn new things every day. When doing reference, it’s all the fun of research without having to write the paper; when doing cataloging, it’s like being paid to do puzzles all day. The more I study, the more I learn about LIS, the more interesting I find it. There is no limit to the things I can learn.”

I would agree with that observation, and yes, doing research really IS fun. As I read through the comments in the article, I thought about why *I* became a librarian. My main reason? I love helping other people learn. Presenting programs, whether a storytime for young children or an adult program about resume’ writing, is a way for me to help people learn something new. Guiding people to information, introducing them to new search techniques or databases, leading them to new authors and titles…it’s all part of helping people learn, of helping them advance and getting their light bulbs of new ideas and knowledge to burn even brighter. Yeah, I love my job. I really do!

So what about you? If you’re a librarian, why did you make the leap into this field? And if you’re not a librarian, what’s holding you back?


http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA605244.html