Expert: Robert H. Kieserman, MBA, MLIS - 5/24/2009

Question
Dear Robert,

I am an M.A./Ph.D. student in Asian languages and literature, and I'm thinking of becoming a librarian. I'm looking for a career where I can interact with all kinds of people and do many different tasks. I've finished my M.A.,but I have yet to write my dissertation and finish my qualifying exams. I'm wondering what sort of training I would need to become a librarian who is employable in academic/public/ K-12 libraries, etc. Is it advisable to finish my Ph.D. in order to do so?

Thank you so much for your advice.

Answer
If you really want to become a librarian, you will need to get a Masters in Library and Information Science (MLIS). Certainly, your other degrees will be impressive to employers, especially to academic libraries. Unless you find employment as a librarian with a large public library, perhaps with a collection devoted to Asian language and literature, there will not be a lot of opportunity in public libraries. In order to work k-12, you need to get a special certificate as an educational media specialist, which is in addition to the MLIS. So, my suggestion is to explore MLIS programs with a focus on academic librarianship.