You Could Technically Be A Better Librarian Than Me

Posted September 16, 2013 by Sarah Barton

The GSLIS curriculum offers four specialized programs: Archives, Dual Degree Archives/History, Dual Degree LIS/Children’s Literature, and School Library Teacher. If none of those “tracks” suit your fancy, then you are considered a generalist and essentially create your own track. Given the sheer number of course offerings, you can cater your classes to get down and dirty with a particular topic of interest.

Given my interest in corporate/special libraries, technology is one aspect of the GSLIS curriculum that I essentially neglected. I took the one required tech class during my first semester, and that was it. GSLIS offers fourteen technology courses, which is more than enough to fill the eight electives that you need to graduate. Technically you could earn a GSLIS degree having only taken three library-specific courses, which would technically make you a better librarian than me. And I’m ok with that.

There are all kinds of IT, systems, information architecture, web development, and other technology-oriented jobs out there, and I’ve heard that they generally pay quite well. Some of those jobs are in libraries, more probably aren’t; but either way, a GSLIS degree with relevant technology coursework and experience would make you a qualified applicant. I have no regrets about my own technologically barren GSLIS track, but it is strange to think that I missed out on a bulk of the “information science” aspect of this “library and information science” degree. So take it from me: when considering GSLIS, it doesn’t matter whether you are a luddite or technology enthusiast – you will ultimately find your techy niche somewhere among Simmons’ array of technology courses.