Q: To leave the profession, or to not leave the profession, that is the question. All corniness aside, our family is not mobile, and I have been mostly stuck in special libraries since receiving my MLS in 2006 (with academic library work dating back to 1996). I am not necessarily eager to enter a new career, but there seem to be few options in the large city that I live in. Many academic institutions that would have not required a PhD in the past, do now, including community colleges and for-profit schools. Do you think the forecast is positive enough to weather the economic storm where I am, or should I leave the profession entirely? Investment in a PhD to complement my MLS would be a costly gamble from my perspective. Thank you very much for your time.

SM:  Many librarians have asked themselves this same question, and many have left the profession and taken jobs in different areas and different sectors. We need to do what we need to do for our own well-being; and a paycheck (for most of us) is a necessity. If you can get a job that you enjoy, the more power to you. Our profession is constantly in a state of flux, no matter what the economy is like, and librarians need to be able to adapt to different roles, different technologies, different environments, and different clientele.

As for getting a PhD in order to compete for librarian positions… I would hold off. Unless you have a burning desire to get that PhD, and you would like to teach in a University one day or become a library director, I think it would be a waste of time and money and it doesn’t guarantee you a job (my apologies to those currently getting their PhDs to complement their MLSs). I am surprised, and somewhat concerned, that you say many libraries in your area are requiring a PhD for librarian positions. It doesn’t surprise me that some libraries might include it in a list of preferred qualifications, but to make it required seems extremely limiting. What next, five years of experience required for entry-level positions?

Here are a few tips and ideas to assist you as you search for jobs (and none of them involve getting a PhD):

• Try to stay positive
  It is difficult to stay positive and cheery when you are looking for jobs and not having any luck, but a good attitude (in person and on paper) will reflect confidence, and this is what employers want see in a candidate.

• Connect with others
  Join local librarian associations/groups, attend meetings and classes and symposia, and network with people. Volunteer for something, use your skills in other ways, in other areas, create and connect at the same time.

• Reinvigorate your materials
  Perhaps it is time to freshen up your resume and cover letter. Remember to customize your materials (yes, even your resume) for each job application. You can tailor your experience and skills to each specific job. The most important two things you need to convey (without sounding overly confident) is 1.) that you can do the job, and 2.) that you really want the job  — not any job, their job.

• Build up your online presence
  Do you have a professional online presence? Well, why not? If you are competing for jobs, you need to have one. It can be minimal and low maintenance such as a profile on a professional network, but prospective employers will expect to find you online, so let them.

• Open your job search
  Stop looking for jobs with librarian in the title. Search with keywords taken from your resume. If you are open to working in other areas (and you might have to be if you are not mobile), you might find a librarian, or librarian-type, position outside of libraries (and there is nothing wrong with that).

In conclusion, don’t give up on the profession — keep an open mind and a positive outlook as you search for jobs. Remember that librarians don’t always work in libraries and other professions often value (and need) our skills and experience. And, if you haven’t discovered them already, check out INALJ (I Need a Library Job).

Q: I have two master’s degrees already, and am pursuing an MLS. I was thinking maybe I should get my PhD in Library Science instead. Would I still be able to get a library job after my PhD? Or will this just inhibit me?

SM: It depends on what you want to do with your career. If you want to work as a librarian, I would suggest holding off on pursuing the PhD until after you’ve worked in libraries for a while. Library (or information) science programs are quite different than other graduate programs. They are more like professional programs and the degree (MLS) is a prerequisite for a job. If you do not have an ambition to teach library science, but you still want to pursue a terminal degree, a PhD in a different field might be more beneficial to you as a librarian.

Will a PhD inhibit your job search? Perhaps. You will certainly be overqualified for most librarian positions. However, a lack of experience will inhibit you more. There are some librarian positions, and some institutions, that require or prefer PhDs, but typically these would be PhDs in a subject area, not in library science. On the other hand, there are many more library jobs that require just a second master’s degree. Until you acquire library experience, your master’s degrees will serve you better than a PhD when it comes to finding a job as a librarian.

Q: I am a new graduate of LIS and obtained my Masters from an ALA accredited library school in Canada. In addition to my MLS degree, I hold a PhD in French literature. I have been looking for a job for two months yet am not able to find one. I have a lot of education, but I don’t have much library experience. My question is: should I put my PhD degree on my resume? I have been told that most employers would consider me to be overqualified.

SM: Short answer: Yes! Your concern is perfectly valid, and many librarians have found themselves in this same predicament (if you can call it that): educationally overqualified. Honestly, it seems ridiculous that the simple fact of having an additional degree can make you less desirable, especially when so many positions require, or prefer, a second masters.

Most likely, you will encounter some discrimination during your job search — it really depends on what kind of job you are looking for. While there are some libraries that seek out librarians who hold PhDs (these are typically large research libraries with very unique collections), there are many more that might look upon the degree as a detriment. You state that you don’t have much experience working in libraries, which means that most of the positions you are qualified for are entry-level positions. Experience is really what’s desired for any librarian position. I imagine that it may be difficult for employers to hire someone who has a doctorate, for an entry-level position. So, you will need to address it, not hide it.

Include all your degrees on your resume/vita, even your PhD. If a search committee or a potential employer finds out that you have another degree and you did not list it, they might assume that you are trying to hide something. Instead, use it to your advantage, especially if you are applying for academic librarian positions. I’m sure you would like to — if not now, then eventually — use your subject expertise in French Literature to complement your role as a librarian. If the position you are applying for has nothing to do with your subject background, then downplay it, or find some aspect of it that fits into the requirements for the position. Some positions will value your subject expertise and foreign-language background more than others.

Tailor your resume and cover letter to each job you apply for: address your educational background in your cover letter, but accentuate your library degree and school work (projects, thesis, etc.). Mention how your PhD and your subject expertise can and will enhance your role as librarian X. Discuss how your use of the library as a researcher and student has helped to prepare you for a career as a librarian. Play up any and all experience you have in libraries – working, volunteering, interning, and just using. And, most importantly, emphasize your interest in the job at hand and your commitment to librarianship.

Two months might seem like a very long time, but when searching for jobs, it isn’t long at all. So don’t get discouraged just yet.