About that foot in the *secured* door.... I've been volunteering, hangining out, working in, paid and not, in museums for years...Finally, I thought that getting a masters would help me to get the registrar's/collections manager position I've been wanting. I decided to get my degree in Library Science since 1.)I could stay in state (avoiding TREMENDOUS debt) and getting an education at a top rated institution and university dept, 2.)Stay near several museums where I already had connections, and could continue volunteering and working at, and 3.)get a degree in a field very much related to the museum field in philosophy and character, and would give me the computer, database, internet, etc. knowledge and skills I felt were needed, and that museums need... But about that secured door... Even after continuing my volunteer and paid work, plus an internship and focusing all research and study in graduate school on museums... I'm now beginning to wonder if without the Museum Studies degree...I may be back to square one, no matter what skills or previous experience I have. Maybe I just have the pre-graduation blues....but, I'm beginning to feel somewhat nervous about all the Museum Studies people popping up on the listserv (don't take it personally!) Is it a truism or not- would those of you in the field give preference to hiring someone with a museum studies degree over another, even if the person w/o the museum degree, had great experience? Why or why not? I'd love to know. Allison ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Allison Smith University of Wisconsin Madison School of Library and Information Studies [log in to unmask] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~