Information Science Antelope

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[The most shocking result of the NSA spying reports:

"Metadata" is entering common vocabulary.]

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[Works in archives / Forever an organizations 'basement dweller']

Being literally at the lowest position of most organizations, it's sometimes hard to get across we prefer the term 'archivist' over 'basement dwelling hoarder'. Don't know if that's a step above or below the title 'king cave troll of rubbish box mountain'. Who need natural vitamin D synthesis anyways?

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[MLIS A/S/L : Author most loved / Secret nerdy passion / Liquid fuel of choice]

From my small sample poll, the most common response was Neil Gaiman / Doctor Who / Coffee.

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[Someone says they have been researching something for weeks and still have not found any sources, CHALLENGE ACCEPTED.]

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[Library is getting rid of its old card catalog, DIBS.]

The things I could organize~

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Hi! I'm currently a Classics major (3 years of Classical Greek, 2 of Latin) hoping to get into grad school for Archives/Preservation, and maybe work in Special Collections someday... What should I be looking for in the grad schools I apply for, and just how bad is the job market? I've heard quite a bit about the boom in graduate students and competition for jobs, but I don't know what to take seriously and what to assume is simply cynicism.

Hello! Glad to see people showing interest in this field. I covered my rather simple (and probably not the best) thought processes when choosing a grad school in this post. It boils down to: 1) Does the degree offer courses/specializations in the field I want? and 2) What’s the cheapest/easiest school to attend? Any school accredited by the ALA/SAA offers you the same basic trusted degree, so in my opinion it’s best to pick one that you can make the most of by having courses that pique your interest and will put you in the least debt.

As for the job market, yes it is bad for most specializations. I know people who have been job hunting for over a year after graduating and still haven’t had a single interview. There’s a bunch of factors for why there are slim pickings for jobs, but I don’t have room in this post to get into it. I’ve had professors and employers flat out say there are no new jobs in rare books, museums, conservation, archives, etc. THAT SAID, there are jobs in the archives field, but most are not for “traditional” archivists. I’ve seen way more jobs in the private/IT sector under job titles such as records management, metadata specialist, digital archivists, digitization project manager, digital preservation specialist, information officer, etc.

There are ways to increase you chance of getting a job after graduating. Every graduate of our program said the most valuable course offered was the internship/practicum, and I’m now realizing how true that is. Getting work experience before you graduate is a major boost is passing the absurd requirements of “1-2 years library/archive experience” required for most entry-level jobs. For you, I’d recommend trying to get a job in your university’s special collections department while attaining your degree. Most schools have student employment programs for jobs on campus, and they really help. If you’re not interning or working part time while studying, volunteer instead. If you’re lucky (and if they magically get money) they might hire you as in the case of some of my peers. Working, interning, and volunteering also puts you in contact with people who can recommend you to others for jobs and act as valuable references on your job applications. It’s all about hands-on experience and networking.

Anyways, I wish you luck in your grad school applications and hope the grim job prospects turn around by the time you graduate.

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["It must be great being able to read all day!",

hasn't read a novel for pleasure in months]

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["Are you going to dress up as a sexy librarian for Hallowe- " No.]

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[2nd week of your 1st semester,

teacher: "what do you mean you didn't find this information? Do I need to remind you what you're studying?"]

Well, if I knew everything already I wouldn't be here, would I?

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[Dread graduation as the day you lose access to the university's subscription databases]

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[Lament about poor job prospects with peers,

Seriously consider partnering up to start a new combination used book store/lending library/tea salon/cat cafe/knitting circle]

There will be free wi-fi of course.

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[Plenty of experience indexing, cataloging, and organizing digital material for fandom]

All those relevant skills and work done, but you can't even put it on your resume. (Well, you could, but...)