Libraries Want You
December 30th, 2001For any out-of-work web developers who were into it more for the love of it than the money, think about spending the next year or two getting a Masters in Library and Information Science.
Hot Tip Number One: It is not just shushing and stamping anymore. Think digital libraries, open source software projects, information literacy programs, and online teen poetry journals.
Hot Tip Number Two: At the last American Library Association meeting, there were twice as many job openings as there were job seekers.
Hot Tip Number Three: Librarians have been organizing information for 2000+ years, and 18 months in formal study of this field will teach you a little something about taxonomy.
Hot Tip Number Four: There are some fabulous people in the field, and you would be able to hang out with them. See The New Breed Librarian.
Hot Tip Number Five: Job security. Good benefits. Smart colleagues.
Libraries need smart people. We need creative people. Hell, we need warm bodies!
Now that the dot-com hype is over, it is time to sit down and do the interesting work. Libraries are the perfect place to do it.