Louisiana State University has proposed to close its graduate School of Library and Information Science. Among the reasons people oppose this action is the face it is the only program in the state. [See this article.]
What opponents don’t take into account is the current job market. I have been looking for a job for over 8 months. I have applied for over 80 jobs. I would have applied for more, but there weren’t any more to apply for. I have applied for jobs in small towns, big towns, towns in the middle of no where, towns in towns where I didn’t want to live. Yet nothing.
The problem is there are simply no entry level Librarian jobs out there. Too many large libraries have cut funding and cut budgets causing a glut of unemployed Librarians with experience. These Librarians are the ones getting the jobs over newly minted Librarians. When I attended PLA I talked to Librarians from all over the US, and they concurred. They said they would rather hire a Librarian with the 2-5 years experience, because quite frankly, they were willing to be paid as much as a new entry level Librarian.
Forbes recently called the MLS one of the Worst Degrees to have a Masters in [source] . I am not sure why they said that. Is it because we don’t get paid much? Is it because there are cuts all over? Or is it because there are no jobs for new entry level people? It is hard to say but logic follows: if there are not entry level jobs, why produce more Librarians?
I know people are attached to their Alma matters. But who are the ones having a fuss about he program closing? Are it the current students? Are it the alumni (who all have jobs)? I for one think the job market is too tight to have any more Librarians minted because I for one would like to find a job.
[Andy on Agnostic, Maybe has written a similar post on why some public libraries should be closed for now]