The decision to pivot my education and career to include library science wasn't easy. I had to consider:
Cost of receiving a Masters degree (with and without grants/scholarships or assistantships)
Schools that would provide the most comprehensive education for my pursuits
Time it takes to balance a full-time career and schoolwork
I spoke with advisers, received countless newsletters and pamphlets in the mail and over email. I attended open house orientations about programs. And, most importantly, I sat on the decision for months - and that doesn't even include the time I've spent since completing my undergrad degree wondering what life would be like as a librarian.
What brought me to this point?
My academic background culminated in a BA in English, but my concentration was journalism. Our print/new media journalism program was coupled under the English department at my university, separate from mass media. Though on paper it says "print journalism", that was always a bit of a misnomer; as journalism evolved, there simply no longer was a strictly print experience of what we did as students and the products we produced. What we learned was a flexible series of courses that covered law in journalism, encouraged multimedia storytelling, articulated the importance of the press and how it nurtures literacy (of variety) in the community, advocated for freedom of information, and supported media literacy for all students. Journalism, when performed ethically, is a loving act of community service. It can be difficult; it can be full of news that's heartbreaking. It can lead to doom-scrolling on social media. It can be controversial. But earnest journalists seek to serve their communities.
My career has employed many of the skills and ethics of journalism in creative ways: community engagement, critical exploration of censorship and moderation in media, social media communications, writing and copyediting, upholding privacy policies, etc. I managed to find ways to use my degree outside of the field of journalism the same way others might find that their degree they're not currently "using" still sneaks into their everyday work. Which meant, I never lost my spark for it. Never lost my drive for community, education, and literacy.
As someone who grew up in her local library (thanks Mamma!), I know the importance that literacy and an ability and love to read has informed so much of my own successes in life. I've always wanted to be able to provide that for other kids who might step into a library or otherwise not have that same support.
I held off on the dream because I was content with where I was... Until I wasn't. To say the pandemic was transformative for me, I wouldn't be unique in saying so. However, working in tech has been a difficult industry the last five years. I think I had always been curious about starting somewhere new, but I didn't think I could take the plunge or that I would be ready for school again after graduating over 10 years ago. Higher education is so much more than vocational studies. It's about building new muscles, learning as much as you can, and finding creative ways to problem solve and apply those new skills. Learning. Not already knowing. I had to give myself the chance.
How did I get into school?
Winter term of 2022, I began volunteering as a reading tutor for elementary school kids. The program was Reading Partners, a non-profit organization offered through AmeriCorps. I did this to get more experience working with kids, understanding modern literacy practices in the school system, and to bolster my resume and grad school applications. This decision transformed my 2022-2023 life, spending much of it with a student I adored and finding more comfort and purpose in that environment than I ever had with work. Luckily, my job had enough flexibility that I could spend my lunch breaks working with my student twice a week.
I followed up that experience with a remote option the following school year, but it wasn't as easy of a placement for me or the students, though the bonding we experienced wasn't insignificant. While it wasn't the remote experience I was hoping for, I had braced myself for some of the hiccups along the way. I knew how difficult education during quarantine had been for teachers. Seeing remote learning on a small scale gave me more perspective about how to navigate hybrid and remote learning situations with younger children (though, admittedly, I hope to not have to tussle with that format too much in the future).
Recommendations were thankfully the easiest part because I have a great network. I reached out to four colleagues who have worked with me in varying capacities in my career. If you're like me and took time away from school, it's probably best to reach for colleagues and mentors that can speak to your most recent body of work and person rather than an old professor you haven't spoken to since graduation. After I found my three schools, I began the work.
There are advantages to having taken time off from school to have a professional career. While I would have enjoyed the traditional route, I have far more confidence in myself, my abilities, my professional accomplishments, and my organization skills now than I would have at 23 years old. These past 10 or so years have offered me wildly beneficial professional experiences that I can take into a degree like Library and Information Sciences. So much of what I have already learned in this first quarter applies so seamlessly to the work I have done, will do, and can do now. When starting my applications, I kept all this in mind and applied it all to my essays.
My advice for your grad school application essay:
Know your audience. If you are looking at a major pivot in your career/field, you might need to understand the culture and language of that field more before beginning your essay. Many of the faculty (and sometimes late-term students) reviewing your application are also researchers and fieldworkers for that industry. Think about the values, the criticisms, and the shared experiences the board reading your application share. Make sure your essay matches those ideals and communicates it effectively for them.
Speak passionately. You are going in to learn, you aren't expected to know everything, but the board wants to see that you care and will follow through. If they save a seat for you, they want you to prove you can fill it.
Don't undersell your experiences. So many of us - either because of imposter syndrome or simply underselling our work - never stop to think about how the work we do and the skills we've gained are applicable to a variety of industries and academia. I'll never forget sitting with an advisor - now at my grad school - who told me a lot of journalists make the shift to library sciences because of the shared ideals we have. It was so obvious when she said it, but I hadn't really considered the overlap until that moment. Use your history to transform your essays from "I really want this" into "I am prepared to go above and beyond for this."
Be honest. My major GPA from my undergrad was good, but my cumulative GPA suffered from some tough core classes that dropped me down a letter grade (let's not even talk about the scam of core right now). Consequently, one of my applications asked me to write an essay about academic hurdles I might have experienced, what I learned from that experience, and how I intend to improve on that situation as a grad student. This was my time to get honest. My time away to live life as an adult really made the difference. Not only was my stumbling a consequence of my youth and life having some fun with me, but my experiences as an established adult in the professional world proved that I was past that point in my life. I can mend and recover quicker than I had before. Despite my stumbling, my experience and my applications made the difference. I was accepted into two amazing programs. If I can do it, you can do it.
What have I learned so far?
I am three weeks into my first quarter, and I think I'm finding my footing. If you're interested in my routine, I can share it. However, one thing I can share is that if you need a way to mark out a routine or set of expectations for the week, consider creating a map or plan of the week ahead. Because I'm working fulltime and doing school in my off-hours, I have to manage what time I have left in the day/night to keep my head above water, get assignments completed on time, and not overwork myself.
Everything ends up in my Google Calendar at some point, but mapping out what I need to accomplish each day just for school means I can split everything up into more manageable sprints. I use it as my guide every single day of the week now. Whatever readings, discussions, assignments, or menial work in between that I need to do finds a place on this map.
I know most people swear by Notion for a little of everything. While I'm not someone who takes class notes with it, I do really love using Notion for planning and making lists. Use whatever works for you. YouTube is chalk full of academics espousing the wonders of Notion for all sorts of complex uses that might be right up your alley.
Beyond the classes, I've seen firsthand the community that library and information professionals build. Before my program even began, I met with tons of professionals in the field who didn't just open their doors to me excitedly but treated me as a colleague even before I started my program. The level of respect and openness in this field has blown me away, and it makes me even that much more excited to continue my education and move into this field one day.
This is absolutely a privilege, but one I'm grateful for.
Chase what makes you happy, folks.
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