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Rank: Newbie
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Location: Pine Lake GA
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I got my MLS after getting an international relations PhD, becoming a librarian as a second career. In my first 2 library jobs, tje PhD was a plus. One, a temp job, was in an acadmic library, and my other 2 have been in institutes within universities, but not in the main library. When I got my current job, I think the library director was a little intimidated by the PhD (I found this out later) but I got the job anyway.
Now I am looking again. One of the academic librarians here said she thinks there has been a prejudice on search committees against candidates with subjectg PhDs. That really surprised me.
What do you all think? Is a PhD a plus or a minus, and why? Thanks!
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It depends on the philosophy and environment of each library. And the philosophy can even change over time in a single organizations as administrators come and go. Several of our last few hires have had PhDs or substantial work down that path. My organization looked at it as a benefit to not just the library but the university.
Brian C. Gray Head of Reference & Engineering Librarian Kelvin Smith Library Case Western Reserve University http://blog.case.edu/bcg8bcg8@case.edu
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I agree that it really depends on the library and the position. I would tend to think in most cases, it is a plus, however.
Check out the Talking Books Librarian blog at http://talkingbookslibrarian.blogspot.com
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Rank: Newbie
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I am very interested in knowing more about why it would be a negative. Since I have one and can't get rid of it, I will have to address whatever negative perceptions there are, especially if people dismiss me as a candidate when they see it on the resume. I earned it for a previous career and got the MLS later. I don't push the PhD in people's faces, but I do list it after my name with the MLS. Is that a risk?
One colleague has mentioned to me that people may think I'm trying to get hired at the library as a back door to a faculty job.
I'd really welcome any suggestions you all have. Many thanks.
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eshieldsga wrote:I am very interested in knowing more about why it would be a negative. There are several reasons people may think it a negative. First, people worry they cannot offer the money you expect. Second, people may worry you will jump for a professor position. Both of these concerns can easily be overcome in the interview process. For example, sometimes people come into the interview with the attitude that they want any job possible. A PhD candidate may come into an interview and it is not clear they want to be a librarian, rather than a professor. They come off in their presentation that they want a job, and are not yet committed to the career.
Brian C. Gray Head of Reference & Engineering Librarian Kelvin Smith Library Case Western Reserve University http://blog.case.edu/bcg8bcg8@case.edu
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Rank: Advanced Member
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Location: kansas
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You can also address the issue of having a PhD by saying how you would use this knowledge/
experience in the job for which you are applying. Has it increased your research skills? Do you have greater expertise in fund raising or public relations? If you can show the employer how this degree is an advantage, and that you truly wish to use your skills to improve their services, you should have no problem.
The only real problem I can see with a PhD is that the system may have a union, and they would have to pay you more than they can reasonably afford. If that is the case, you will probably not get an interview. I have the same problem, and you have my empathy with this matter!
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