Why would I want to become a science librarian?
What about salary?
Tell me more about the School of Information Sciences.
What about courses?
What about financial aid?
What about mentoring?
Admission?
What about the internship or practice work?
What about getting a job?
What about Knoxville?
What about the campus?
Where will I live?
Contacts
Why would I want to become a science librarian?
It is often difficult for those with an interest in science to find rewarding and challenging positions without an advanced degree, usually the Ph.D. Even those with an M.S. degree in a science may find career options limited to being a technician. Some people who really love science find lab work, especially in a larger lab to be tedious and even boring. Scientific research requires considerable specialization. Many drawn to science would prefer not to spend their time focused on one narrow research topic.
Science librarianship is a helping profession -- a public service field. It involves working with a variety of people who need science information. Users might be undergraduates in a college library, community members in a large metropolitan public library, or Ph.D. researchers in a research extensive university, a government agency, or a large corporation. As one science librarian recently said:
"You'll be working in a profession where you are challenged every day to find information that you never knew you could find. Think of getting paid to go on a treasure hunt or to solve puzzles all day! You will contribute to many people's research and projects and obtain a broader outlook on you company or institution than if you were working in a lab. Ours is a great profession for the eternally curious, because as a science librarian you can never know enough. You will never get bored."
Science librarians have four major roles:
- They are consultants who help
people to find exactly the right information and filter the wrong
information.
- They are agents for sharing
information and preserving it for future use.
- They scan the scientific
disciplines and professions as well as in information technology to
identify changes likely to impact information use and users.
- They are educators who coach
users on how to find and evaluate information.
- They are partners on
research teams, especially in dealing with literature reviews.
A good way to summarize these roles would be to say that science librarians are "humans connecting humans with information and technology."
What about salary?
Salaries vary by region and type of library or information agency. Salaries are lower in
the Southeast and higher in the mid-Atlantic and mid-west states.
Science librarians, because they are relatively rare, earn more than
librarians with other backgrounds. Starting salaries would typically
range from the mid $30, 000 to the mid $40, 000. The median salaries
for special librarians [all subjects] is about $57,000 while the mean is
$61,000.
Tell me more about the School of Information Sciences.
The School is fully accredited by the American Library Association so graduates may work in
any type of library or information agency, although school library
media centers will require licensure. Recent graduates work in a wide
variety of locations including Oak Ridge National Laboratories, the
Library of Congress, Harvard University, as well as smaller academic
and special libraries and information centers.
The School's twelve full-time faculty includes four from diverse
populations. Adjunct faculty, both local and distant, more than double
the teaching faculty size and teach courses
based upon their unique experience and knowledge and more than double
faculty size.
The student community includes both master's and Ph.D. students. There
are about 250 students in the M.S. degree program. Students are both
residential, living on campus and the community, and distant, earning
the degree from
their home. Currently, distance students enrolled are from as far
away as Alaska and New Mexico. Many are from Virginia and Georgia as
well as Tennessee.
The M.S. degree program ordinarily takes two years to complete with
students taking nine hours each semester and three to six hours in
the summer.
The School hosts the Center for Information Studies which is nationally
recognized for the quality of its research. One of the main research
interests of the Center is how pure and applied scientists find,
retrieve, and use information.
What about courses?
Earning the M.S. degree requires 42 graduate hours. All students are
required to take nine required hours [three courses] that introduce the
information environment, finding information, and organizing
information. The thirteen electives that follow will vary according to
your interests and career plans. While there will be some emphasis on
science librarianship, you may wish to focus on science librarianship
in a corporate or an academic setting. You will want to
strengthen your knowledge of contemporary information technology. You
may wish to learn more about abstracting and indexing or technical
writing.
What about financial aid?
The Science Links project provides substantial assistance for each
Science Links Scholar. Tuition waivers awarded Science Links Scholars
eliminate the need to pay tuition. However, Science Links Scholars will
need to pay fees separate from tuition. Presently, these
include: a technology fee [$100], a transportation fee [$16], a
programs and services fee [$190], and a facilities fee [$25]. Each of
these is per semester. Parking
on campus will vary from slightly more than $300 per year for on campus
students
and about $200 for those living off campus.
Science Links will pay up to $2000 for relocation to Knoxville. Science
Links Scholars
receive a monthly stipend of $1242 dollars per month for their work at
their partner institution.
What about mentoring?
Science Links provides two mentors for each Science Links Scholar. You
will have an
academic mentor who will help with course selection and doing well
academically. In addition, you will have a mentor at the agency where
you will intern. Normally, this would be your immediate supervisor.
This mentor will help in developing the
skills and experience needed to become a highly competent science
librarian. The focus will be on highly competent performance on-the-job.
Admission
Admission is a TWO STEP process. You must first apply to and be
accepted as a graduate student. Then, the second step, you apply for
admission into a particular graduate program such as the School of
Information Sciences. All of the instructions for both steps will be
sent to you when you contact the School for information about Science
Links or the regular MS program.
The School typically requires an undergraduate grade point average of B
or better. We pay special attention to the grades earned in the junior
and senior years. In
addition, the Graduate Record Examination is required. An indication of your interest in the Science Links program should be included as part of your "Career Objectives" statement in your Personal Data Form. You will also need
recommendations from those familiar with your work to complete the
admission process.
What about the internship or practice work?
Based upon your interests and experience, you will be assigned as an
Science Links Scholar at Information Associates International, the Oak
Ridge National
Laboratory, the Office of Scientific and Technical Information, or the
University of Tennessee Libraries. You will spend 20 hours each week at
your agency where you will be introduced to the various tasks and
responsibilities associated with scientific information work. As you
become more familiar with the work, you will be given responsibilities
very similar to those given to MS degreed library and information
professionals.
Your agency mentor will direct this experience, providing guidance and
evaluation. When you receive your degree, you will have both the
academic knowledge and the on the job experience to be a highly
competent
professional.
While specific work assignments will vary with your interests and
experience as
well as the needs of your agency, here is a brief list of what you
might do if you interned in the University Libraries:
- Answering questions and
developing research strategies, providing information in person, via
phone, fax, e-mail, and traditional correspondence.
- Teaching classes in research
methods and how to best use the best resources
- Selecting science books to be
added to the collections
- Collaborating with colleagues on
projects such as creating digital collections or scholarly publishing
- Serving as liaisons to teaching
and research faculty
- Creating on-line subject
guides, tutorials, and selecting best websites to assist those with
science information questions.
What about getting a job?
Both your agency and your academic mentor will provide guidance. You
will be well prepared for the placement process and receive specific
assistance in cover letter and resume preparation, interview preparation,
and substantial help in finding the right position and evaluating
the opportunities available to you.
What about Knoxville?
The Knoxville
website is informative and helpful. Knoxville is a medium-sized city near the Great Smoky
Mountains and the Tennessee River. There is a good variety of places to
shop, eat, or be entertained. The mountains are nearby for those who
enjoy outdoor activities such as hiking and biking. Hunting and fishing
are possible during season. While sports tend to focus on the
University teams, both men's and women's, minor league base ball is
nearby as is ice hockey. Knoxville hosts two large malls and many
specialty stores. Pigeon Forge, the discount shopping center of the
Southeast is only a few miles away.
According to cost of living calculators, Knoxville is a relatively
inexpensive place to live compared to other Southern cities. Much more
so than many Southern cities.
However, the cost of living will vary notably based upon your life
style and your family circumstances.
What about campus?
The University of Tennessee is the state's land-grant institution.
There are about 27, 000 students and most of these are
undergraduates. The number of faculty and staff are about 14,000. Along with Battelle, the
University manages the Oak Ridge National Laboratory for the U.S.
Department of Energy. The University is nationally ranked for its
academic programs, both teaching and research, as well as for its
athletic programs.
The new Student Recreation Center provides ample opportunity for
exercise and there is an extensive inter-mural athletic program. As
tickets are available, graduate students may attend athletic events
with other students. Several religious organizations have facilities on
or near campus and a rich variety of extra-curricular organizations
compete for student time and attention. The Black Cultural Center has a
new building provides reading rooms, computer lab, lounge, gallery,
tutorial suites, and multipurpose rooms.
Where will I live?
Most graduate students live off campus and select their own housing. You
will want to visit the University
Housing website .
Housing quality and cost will vary notably with your taste and requirements. Small, nearby
one bedroom apartments are in the $400 to $600 a month range.
Contacts
Ms.
Tanya Arnold
Student Services Coordinator, School of
Information Sciences
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