Becoming a Librarian

Straight from the Stacks: A First Hand Guide to Careers in Library and Information Science by Laura Townsend Kane, Chicago: American Library Association, 2003.

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Q. One of our library assistants has decided he'd like to become a librarian. Where can I direct him for more information, particularly for a list of library schools?

A. Information on becoming a librarian can be found starting at ALA Education & Careers, which leads to more in-depth information in the areas of scholarships, careers in librarianship in general, education, and finally, employment resources. 

Also encourage your staff member to explore ALA's LibraryCareers.org  and its information on the educational requirements of the various career paths.

Details concerning undergraduate and graduate degrees and professional and paraprofessional positions can be found at the ALA FAQ, under the question heading, "How can I become a librarian? Does ALA offer any classes?"

Undergraduate degrees and certificates in library science are usually associated with library paraprofessional work. Becoming a professional librarian usually requires having a master's degree in library and information science. The American Library Association is the professional organization that accredits the master's degree programs at nearly 60 universities all over the USA, in Canada, and in Puerto Rico. You can freely access the Directory of ALA-accredited master's programs in library and information studies from the ALA website — http://www.ala.org/lisdir — courtesy of the ALA Office for Accreditation.

The ALA Scholarship Program — http://www.ala.org/scholarships — assists students pursuing the master's degree in library science.  

Also check for the ALA publication, Straight from the Stacks: A First Hand Guide to Careers in Library and Information Science by Laura Townsend Kane.

An extensive list of resources has been compiled by the ALA Library at http://delicious.com/alalibrary/becomealibrarian