Have you always watched your school librarian with gleaming eyes, aspiring to become one someday?

Most people think librarians have easy jobs that don’t need a bachelor’s degree. On the contrary, becoming a librarian needs a degree and plenty of research. If you want to follow the career path of your beloved school librarian, here’s how to do it.

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Contrary to what most people believe, you need a degree to become a librarian. Not only that, but you also need plenty of research and a job in a library. Let’s see how to become a librarian in six steps.

The first step in becoming a librarian is doing all the needed research. You’ll need to learn everything about library science and the potential careers that’ll be available to you as a librarian. On top of that, you’ll need to learn about being a librarian and what the job entails.

The options of librarian career paths are endless. You may become a public librarian, a school librarian, a university librarian, a law librarian, or a digital librarian. 

Alternatively, you may work in branch management. Learning about the possible opportunities in advance will help you determine what degree you need and whether you need a master’s degree to pursue more professional paths in the long term.

Many people aspiring to become librarians go for MLIS, short for a Master’s degree in Library and Information Science. You may get yourself familiar with it too.

Most people don’t know that librarians need a bachelor’s degree to pursue their careers. The field doesn’t matter, but you need the degree for the job. If your goal is to become a school librarian, you may get a degree in education fields and teaching credentials, for example.

You may also get a degree in library science, although it’s not required to pursue the career. Any degree will do, but try to choose one that doesn’t stray far from the topics of an MLIS degree. If you intend to get a Master’s degree, a complementary bachelor’s degree will significantly help you down the road.

There are plenty of MLIS programs, each with its own scope and focus. To choose the right one, you need to research first and see what each program entails.

You’ll want to choose a program that aligns with your goals for the librarian career. For example, if you want to work in a school library, selecting a program for science education seems irrelevant. Instead, you’ll need to look for an MLIS program that’s closer to your field of choice.

A lot of MLIS programs don’t focus on one special topic; instead, they concentrate on specific areas of different topics. These may be a good choice if you want to specialize in one of the topics concentrated on.

Working in a library for a while in your journey to becoming a librarian isn’t essential. You can continue without it, but it’s the best way to gain experience for your upcoming career. A lot of public libraries offer part-time positions for students, so you’ll easily find a hiring opportunity.

Doing so won’t only help you gain experience, but you’ll also get to form networks with people working in the same field. That way, you work up your career ladder while still trying to earn your MLIS degree.

If you can’t find a suitable opportunity, you can try volunteering instead.

Step 5: Learn About the Needed Credentials

As you probably already know, the law differs significantly from one state to another, and so do the needed credentials for becoming a librarian. Some states will demand you get tested and certified after getting your degree, while some states don’t. Meanwhile, a few states only need certifications for specific librarians, not all of them.

The states mostly need the testing and certifications to make sure you’re eligible to work with children, for example, and for public funding.

When employers are offering opportunities for hiring librarians, they’re mostly looking for a high level of education. Having a Master’s degree, you’ll be able to work in an instant. 

There are a lot of degrees you can take, but an MLIS will guarantee you’re qualified enough for different librarian jobs. It’s also what most employers look for when hiring.

If you don’t want to take an MLIS, you can look for any degree accredited by the American Library Association(ALA).

How to Become a Librarian in 6 Steps

While most people think librarians only rearrange the books and tell you to lower your voice, the job includes a lot of other tasks. Plus, it’s not as easy as it seems. 

For example, most libraries don’t allow their employees to read on the job. That way, they’re readily available for any question or anyone seeking help. A librarian needs to be fully available to help the patrons at any time.

Librarians also have odd work schedules. According to the library’s needs, you’ll likely work for different hours each week. Sometimes, you’ll work from 9–5. Other times, you’ll work from 12–8. It depends on what your library needs.

Librarians also need to be skillful enough to help patrons with any information they need. You’ll be met with questions about everything possible, starting from children’s books and all the way to genealogy topics. So, you’ll need to adapt to the needs of all situations.

Lastly, as a librarian, you’ll likely be talking to people all day. Most people deem librarians as introverted, but they’re far from being that. You’ll be solving problems, talking with frustrated patrons, and monitoring everyone to make sure your rules are being followed.

What’s the Job Description of Librarians?

Becoming a librarian has its challenges, but every moment of being a librarian is worth the effort. Plus, the variety of degrees you can take to become a librarian comes in handy if you’re still indecisive about your career path.

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How to Become a Librarian

How to Become a Librarian in 6 Steps

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