If you get a MLIS, you are overqualified for most libraries for a paraprofessional position.

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Brian C. Gray
Head of Reference & Engineering Librarian
Kelvin Smith Library
Case Western Reserve University
http://blog.case.edu/bcg8
bcg8@case.edu

Experience is very important as well as many other traits and skills.

Many academic colleagues I know will not hire people with a MLS/MLIS for a paraprofessional position because it is expensive and time consuming to advertise, interview, hire, and train a person to have them immediately jump for a job that their degree was actually meant for anyways.

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Brian C. Gray
Head of Reference & Engineering Librarian
Kelvin Smith Library
Case Western Reserve University
http://blog.case.edu/bcg8
bcg8@case.edu

Paralibrarian, I'm curious as to why you don't want to be a librarian. Many of the parapros in reference and geneaology do similar to work to librarians, but get paid far less.

Of course, you could always get the MLS later. With your degree, I think you have good qualifications for a parapro job, as long as they don't require a BA.

If you don't want to take general education classes, then it wouldn't be a good idea to get an MLS. Being a successful librarian really requires a lot of general knowledge. But if you just want to work in a library as a paraprofessional, then your LTA certificate is just fine. I don't think there's any point in getting a bachelor's in library science. If you decide later on to go for a bachelor's, get it in something completely different, since that will make you more marketable as a librarian if you do end up going with the MLS someday.

In California, A person can apply for a Library paraprofessional job with just a high school diploma,Library Science certificate(What i have), Associate or Bachelor because Most position in California are looking for people who can type and have library job experiences mostly.

In my home state, a high school diploma and 54-college credit courses dictates you can land a library job as a public library director. Library certification is hobby of mine (more like an obsession). The new public library certification in Indiana is the most compelling library certification I have ever read; it is flat-out inspiring. I highly recommend you read the dynamic discussions from these taskforce meetings if you get the chance to (they compared themselves to teachers):

http://in.webjunction.org/667/articles/content/4079938;jsessionid=AF5BF5085C

Public librarian certification = librarian certifcation (or maybe licensing in some states). The certification of public library staff, and standards for libraries are two completely different things. Teachers are licensed, and must fulfill continuing education requirements to remain relevant to the student bodies they teach.

In public libraries, it varies by state. Some states have higher standards for library employment than others. While there are many factors that contribute to this, it mostly comes down to economics. Small libraries (and I work in a small library, and I started out as a director in a very small library) cannot always find the financial resources to hire professionals. In all fairness, some communities choose not to.

I don't mean to sound like an elitist (I'm not, but I challenge people in their tracks when they need to be challenged to reflect about the future of the profession) in Wisconsin we don't officially make the distinction between professionals and paraprofessionals at the state level. If you use the term "paraprofessional" in certain parts of this state, people will give you a look of scorn, and some people will demand you call them a professional, even if they don't have a library degree and are one of those library directors who never attend meetings.

Madison is the only library I am aware of aware of that officially defines a librarian as someone with the MLS in my home state. To me, everyone who works in a library is a librarian, but I do make the distinction between professional and paraprofessional. I've found that young librarians just don't want people walking all over their degree, and they want the same respect other professionals get in their respective fields. You have to remember, I live in a state where we demote public librarians saying they "do less complex work" (slashing their salaries in the process) and they can be replaced by the Internet (I am not joking).

What Indiana just did is have remarkable discussions about the future of their profession, and the importance of the library degree. They worked together collectively to make sure there was no harm done to the smaller libraries, but in doing so they made a statement about the importance of the MLS/MLIS. I wonder how many other states are doing this.

In my home state, the definition of "librarian" is a really sensitive subject in the public sector. The Department of Public Instruction allows libraries to define who a librarian is, and who isn't. This is a problem at many different levels. If I use the term "paralibrarian" in a conversation, I'll be having people throw things at me from the balcony for weeks. Over the years, I've just developed the habit of accepting library workers as librarians. However, I differeniate between "professional" and "paraprofessional." A "professional" librarian to me is highly-trained, and has a library degree. A "paraprofessional" librarian to me is someone without the MLS/MLIS; who does not have an advanced knowledge of the underpinnings of librarianship.

I am always fighting to correct the course of librarianship in my home state. I have lobbied for the licensing of all librarians, library standards with "teeth", and strong standards for the profession. I actually showed up at a library school last summer with all kinds of information for them to mull over. I don't think library schools are challenged like this too often, when people literally show up at their front door. I am starting to make strides, as changes appear to be in the works (these things take time, though). I did a program on these topics for the next generation of librarians last year at the Wisconsin Library Association. Low wages, job cuts, deprofessionalization, a lack of respect for the MLS/MLIS degree, few full-time entry level jobs, and hiring practices have taken a toll on our ability to recruit young people to the public sector in my home state, and retain them. I am not the only one who is noticing this.

When I mention these things, this always takes a tremendous amount of courage.