Hi-  With regard to your MLIS degree and finding museum work, I think
you will encounter serious competition in the job market with people who
do have MA's in museum studies or history.  I don't think that having an
MLIS alone would give one an advantage in the museum field.  Museum jobs
are ideally acquired by people with museum credentials.  I don't think I
would be able to get a job in a library with a museum studies degree.
I've been told in no uncertain terms by library types that one needs an
MLIS degree to work as a librarian.  Ok.  I am not arguing that point.
It makes sense.  Just the same, museums should look for qualified
candidates with appropriate credentials.  The two degrees are not really
interchangeable- unless you work for a very small museum that hires you
as a jack of all trades.

Arlyn Danielson
Newseum

-----Original Message-----
From: Sara Shreve [mailto:[log in to unmask]] 
Sent: Monday, December 15, 2003 1:14 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Library Science and Museum Work

I hope this post is not inappropriate for this list,
but I am eager to hear the opinions and advice of
professionals currently working in museums. I am
within a few credits of finishing my masters degree in
Library and Information Science, but my true interest
is in history and historic conservation, special
collections, and archival work. I felt that an MLIS
degree might give me flexibility with regard to
geographic location and the duties of a job, which is
why I did not originally pursue a degree in Museum
Studies. I was also told by several LIS professors
that I could possibly make the transition into museum
work with an MLIS degree. I would like to ask for the
opinion of museum professionals about this before I
make any post-masters plans. Would someone holding an
MLIS possibly be considered for a position in a
museum?

I am currently making plans for the internship that I
need to complete in order to finish my degree, and I
am hoping to be able to conduct this internship at a
small local museum. Even if this is not possible, the
museum does accept volunteers and I would imagine this
would be a wise opportunity for me to take advantage
of. But I am also considering a second masters degree,
in history with a focus on "public history" which
includes some museum studies. Does this sound like a
wise course of action, and are there other steps I
need to take to qualify myself for museum work?

Any information and advice would be greatly
appreciated.

Thank You,

Sara

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