Disadvantages of being a librarian

(with apologies to David Letterman)

By Martha J. Spear

Library media specialist


Berkley (Mich.) High School

As a high school library media specialist, I have the good fortune to work with, and sometimes mold, young people.

If I’m lucky, I discover what they do after graduation. Recently, one of my favorite students informed me that after earning her humanities degree at a tiny private college, she was pursuing a master’s degree in museum studies.

Congratulating her, I jokingly said, “Watch it. That’s awfully close to a master’s in library science.” She laughed and said: “Oh, I’d never do that.” Somewhat defensively, I replied, “You could do worse.”

Long after this brief conversation, I wondered, where did we, as librarians, go wrong?

Why is there such an onus on this profession that a bright, young person would choose, well,
any career but that of librarianship?

Should i become a librarian quiz

I think it’s sad. Librarianship has much to offer, and I think we can do better in promoting our profession. Toward that end, I present

can i become a librarian online

should i become a school librarian