I am currently working on a master's in a history-related field. I've completed all my coursework, and have started my thesis. However, ever since I started the program two years ago, I've found myself increasingly dissatisfied and frustrated with my school's program, the faculty, and especially my abusive advisor--many have breezed through coursework only to quit when it came time to start the thesis with him. I want to switch programs before I waste more time doing something I dread even thinking about. During my first year in the program, I attended my field's big conference and ran into an ALA booth in the book exhibit. I had been considering becoming a librarian since my last couple years of my undergrad, so I started chatting with the lovely ladies at the booth and was transfixed! Librarianship was even more perfect for me than I had previously thought.

Because of various life circumstances, I will be working a full-time job soon. Since going to school to start my library degree is not very feasible right now (the closest ALA accredited school that I can actually afford is an hour and fifteen minutes away), I started to explore distance education options. I have to say, I am very impressed!

I'm a relative newbie when it comes to online courses and distance education (I know, this will need to change when I actually become a librarian) so I have a couple of questions:

1. Is the degree the very same thing as you would receive were you to physically go to the school, or is there some "Distance Education" label tagged onto it?
2. Do employers take people who have completed their coursework online as seriously? i.e. If another job applicant were to have gone to the same school I took online classes from, would they be given preference?
3. Is the amount of advising the same as if I were to physically go to class? Even though I am fairly sure I want to be an academic librarian, cataloging, archiving/preservation, and digital librarianship are also very intriguing to me. I don't want to flop around trying to figure out what I actually want to do on my own--it would be nice to have words of wisdom once in a while.

I am most interested in becoming an academic librarian. So far, I am most looking at:

1. University of Tennessee
2. University of Illinois
3. Florida State University
4. University of Washington
5. University of Pittsburgh
6. University of Alabama

Any thoughts on any of these schools, especially their online programs?

One more question--does my previous graduate experience will come in handy for me later when I look for a job? Part of me is telling me to stick it through and try to finish the thesis, but the bigger part of me is telling me that the emotional wear and tear just isn't worth it. My hair's going white, I've been to therapy for anxiety and depression, and battled severe insomnia--enough is enough.

Phew! Sorry for the long post. But thanks for reading so far. :)

I went to UW's distance program & they require a campus residency in Seattle at the beginning of each quarter. So it's not completely online, but it is a great program. You don't even have to tell people that it's a distance degree if you don't want to, but most people I've talked to about it have not problem with the idea, and many find it interesting. I think the stigma associated with distance education has pretty much died out with the Internet. I've written more about it in this thread:
http://www.lisjobs.com/forum/yaf_postst288_Online-vs-Traditional-programs.aspx

At UW advising usually meant a brief visit with faculty at residencies, and occasional emails to deal with issues or plan for the portfolio which is a graduation requirement. It is quite common for people to change advisors if they do not get along or do not have much in common with the one they are randomly assigned. There is a fairly large faculty, so it's easy to find someone who shares your interests. UW has plenty of classes in the areas you mention, and is particularly strong in cataloging & digital librarianship. Many courses feature guest lectures or faculty formerly from Microsoft, Amazon, etc. There is an archives program, but there is much more happening with that on campus.

Internships are possible in the distance program. (UW calls them Directed Fieldwork.) I did one at the college library in the city where I was living (not Seattle). It was just a matter of meeting someone there willing to act as a mentor & complete necessary paperwork.

If you are serious about not continuing your history degree, you should look into the possibility of transferring credits, perhaps in research skills, whereever you go.

I also want to chime in here. The thesis is a PIA; I struggled through mine mightily. But just get it done, somehow. There are always a millions reasons not to do it, but just get it done. Switching fields won't get you out of it.

I have a second master's and agree that there have been positions I've been able to apply for even when my degree had no relevance to those positions. It can really help to have that second master's.

PIA = pain in the ass

I was trying to be delicate, not mysterious. Sorry about that!