Should I apply to do my Master's?

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Should I apply to do my Master's of Information and Library Science or should I do a certificate in community college in Information and Library Technology? I can't decide.

I have my four year Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology. In the last 2 years at uni I had a strait A average. I have no experience working in a library. I have no research experience (volunteering in a lab, conducting experiments ect) so my C.V. is going to be crap. I've heard that MILS programs like people who have library experience.I haven't the foggiest what I would write in my letter of intent. I'd have to go read books about libraries and information science and figure something out but I have no idea what I'd want to research. My degree is from the equivalent of a state school in the American system (a lower quality and status uni) and the only uni that has this program I'd be applying to in my province is the equivalent to an ivy league school in the states (higher quality and status). My grades are really good the last 2 years and I was on the Dean's Honour Roll year 3 and 4 (equivalent) but it took me 7 years to get my four year degree -dropping out for a few years and then coming back. Also, in my first 2 years my grades are low average. I don't know if this would be good enough to get into a competitive Master's program and an ivy league like school. My academic references should be decent but I don't have any from profs who worked with me personally. They'd just say "daydreamer'84 was in my class and got an A+, and was in the top 8% of the class ect". There are no GREs required in Canada for MILS. I'm not sure I have a good enough chance of getting in.

The certificate is something I could have done without a B.A. so I feel kind of silly doing it. Theoretically I could do the certificate first,get a year or two of experience as a library tech and then apply to do my M.A. I'm really not sure I'll have the motivation to return to school after being out of "school mode" though. Also, the college program sounds good and I could start it right away. I'm already enrolled in it but I could get a refund if I decide not to do it because it hasn't started yet. The problem with it is that it's like high school where you're in school all day everyday and I find that exhausting and needed a lot of time in-between courses in uni. The sensory overload of being on campus and the constant need to pay attention and absorb facts for entire days........ I think I'd have to do the college program with a reduced course load which would take me a long time and in the end I'd just have the certificate.

What do you think I should do?

What made you decide to switch from psychology to library science?

I enjoyed Psychology but I don't want to be a researcher or a Psychologist. I found it interesting to study human behaviour but I don't want to actually interact with humans too much in my job. Also I had a terrible experience doing my undergrad thesis for Psychology and had a falling out with my thesis advisor (though I got an A in the end). I decided I'd rather be a librarian. I've always been an avid reader, a voracious reader.

I advocate not doing the degree. Simply put, I am a librarian already. I had to slog it out for three years to get a job. Are you prepared to get a job in management right away? That is what many librarians have to do, and if you are not prepared for management, I cannot in all good faith recommend it. Rather, work a couple years in shelving books and on the reference desk, get unionized, then get the degree by taking a year off to study or by doing it part time. Especially if you want to work in a public library, the library world is pretty cut throat in that there are many graduates and few jobs in libraries.

Basically, only do the degree if you are willing to work outside of a traditional library setting.

^^^
Interesting...I definitely don't want to go into managment right away.

Me neither. That is why I am warning you. Of course, now I am really only a lower level manager, but being person in charge can be quite stressful depending on the circumstance. However, as a person, I feel that I have grown quite a lot. Having been put in stressful supervisory situations, I felt it was necessary to get a diagnosis, and that was the best thing possible in terms of a career. I realize that I sounded really negative in my last post. It's just that, for three years I slogged it out with part time work, contracts here and there, and sometimes working in three places at once as I was unwilling to move West in Canada to the prairies. Now that I have moved out west, there are more job opportunities, but many require management skills.

Can you get a job at a library now?

Have you tried working there?

I would not suggest spending the money to get a master's degree until you've got some on the job experience and know it's what you want to do.

I've tried to get a job as a page in libraries near me but haven't had any luck.