Reply #10: I'm a librarian [View All]

[MountainLaurel]

But can't help you much, because I know little to nothing about archival work and what the job market is like. But I really doubt that $45K is what they're making just out of school, especially in Texas. Unless you're working for a major museum or government agency, most nonprofit museums and organizations couldn't afford that.

For the rest of us, it can be pretty fucking bleak: Despite the line that the Labor Dept. and the ALA is trying to sell, though there have been predictions of mass retirements, it ain't happening. And when it is, libraries are not filling the positions with full-time degreed librarians. Either the position is being split into two or more part-time positions (or, in academic libraries, into a 9-month temp position without benefits), or it's being reclassified so that paraprofessionals with bachelor's degrees are eligible. (The level and amount of work doesn't change, just the job description.)

One tip, though: Don't worry about getting into a highly ranked school: As long as it's ALA accredited, no one really cares.