Customer Reviews

What Else You Can Do With a Library Degree: Career Options for the 90s and Beyond

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This book includes interesting narratives from librarians in a variety of jobs outside of the traditional library. However, the book predates the explosion of technology and the Internet, so it doesn't really touch on MLS grads working in computer-related jobs. The book includes 62 personal case studies and is divided into the following sections: (1) publishers, writers, booksellers, reviewers, (2) products and services for libraries, (3) independent librarians, (4) independent librarians with companies of their own, (5) association work and work in the academic world, (6) librarians employed in the corporate world, (7) some librarians who have traveled farther afield (includes private investigator, archivist, etc).

The 62 first-person essays here are aimed at both those considering getting an MLS (like me), and those in the field looking for a change. It provides a very valuable service by doing exactly what the title says, however one can't help but feel it's time for a new edition that reflects the massive growth of the Internet since the book's publication in 1997. Many of the essays are by people who got jobs linked to the first wave of computer use in the libraries, and in that sense, it feels very dated. Indeed, if you look at the contributors' biographies, the majority seem to have gotten their degrees around the time I was born (early '70s). I'd like to see more from younger librarians, and more about the technology end of things. The book is well organized, so it's easy to skim and find the entries that interest you, although there did seem to be a fair amount of overlap in the area of information consulting. Still, it's a valuable book for anyone considering an MLS.

The 62 first-person essays here are aimed at both those considering getting an MLS (like me), and those in the field looking for a change. It provides a very valuable service by doing exactly what the title says, however one can't help but feel it's time for a new edition that reflects the massive growth of the Internet since the book's publication in 1997. Many of the essays are by people who got jobs linked to the first wave of computer use in the libraries, and in that sense, it feels very dated. Indeed, if you look at the contributors' biographies, the majority seem to have gotten their degrees around the time I was born (early '70s). I'd like to see more from younger librarians, and more about the technology end of things. The book is well organized, so it's easy to skim and find the entries that interest you, although there did seem to be a fair amount of overlap in the area of information consulting. Still, it's a valuable book for anyone considering an MLS.