Not Just for Libraries: The Value of the MLIS

Abstract

The LIS job market is devastating, and the MLIS is no longer a guarantee of landing a library job. So, what’s the point? The MLIS is valuable because of the skills it teaches. Whether we work in a library or not, having an MLIS means that we know how to be leaders and advocates. We know how people look for information, and we can use that knowledge to help people find and evaluate information. We know how to organize information for most efficient retrieval. We know how to write grants and how to maintain relationships with stakeholders. Information is everywhere and always changing, and librarians are the ones who ensure we can keep up.