A curious librarian

Hello there,

I'm a library student with a year and half left of my Masters program and my hope is to move to the UK once I've graduated. I'm not really sure yet where in the UK I would like to go, possibly Scotland. In the end though really anywhere that I can get a job. I'm using the remaining time in school to start saving money and researching where I would like to relocate to. I am a city person and would love to hear about people's favorite cities in the UK. Any other librarians out there with advice?

I have thoroughly enjoyed reading the posts on this site and look forward to getting to know some new folks. 

As librarians aren't on the shortage occupation list, your chances of finding a sponsor are pretty close to zero.  Employers must prove that there is no one in the UK or EU who can fill the position. That's a pool 500 million people.  There aren't many Tier 2 work visas up for grabs and they go to those with exceptional skills and years of experience. As a recent graduate with little or no experience it's really unlikely that you will find a sponsor. 

I have my MLS with two years experience in both university and public settings.  I attended a UK university for a year and I "know" people there. 

Library jobs at universities are mainly filled with those who did a one year library placement position at the university.  Which you can't do if you already have a library degre. 

Public library jobs mainly consist of people starting a few hours week, like 8, and then doing various gov't certificates to move up higher.  So higher level jobs are filled by those already in the system and they don't want to hire people with advanced degrees for lower level jobs.

Also, if you think the state of library funding in the US is grim then you haven't looked at the UK recently.

I work part time admin. 

A librarian job in the UK, for an American? In 2013?

It does not exist.

Nor did it exist in 2011, or in 2012, and I don't see much hope for 2014 either.

I'm an experienced university librarian from NYC. I looked for work as a librarian in the UK, with a visa that allowed me to work unrestricted, for years.

Fuggettaboutit.

It ain't happening.

Try Canada!

Don't worry you didn't miss the boat.  It didn't exist in my area from at least '06. 

Unless I wanted to do 8 hours a week and start my training all over again.  We just couldn't afford to do that.

Yup, I concur. Even back in the day when I first went over -- when getting a spouse visa was easy and free and there were no shortage lists -- I was never able to get a librarian job, in spite of an MSLS and several years experience in academic libraries. I worked in a book shop for a while and years later managed to get a part-time library assistant post -- and that was only because I knew the library director!! Aside from the scarcity of jobs there tends to be an attitude that the American degree is not quite up to the British level. Or that was my experience.

You might want to explore a further degree in the UK. One thing I was contemplating for a while was doing an M. Phil. in Librarianship. This was a research degree so somewhat above an MLS, I believe. Four universities now offer it. The other thing I thought about was doing the Bibliography and Textual Criticism course at Univ. of Leeds but I don't think they offer that any more. Or, if you have any interest in the craft side of it, there are tons of places in the UK that offer courses in practical bookbinding. I know someone who went to West Dean College, which is highly rated.

My friend's wife is a librarian and from what she said it isn't so much about the professionalism of the degree, just that UK librarians start pretty much untrained and build up using certificates from the City and Guild programme.  

City and Guild are pre-NVQ level for the librarian roles.  NVQ are pre-university.

They don't want to pay the money for someone with a degree.  

Most of the librarians don't have an advanced degree here that I have spoken to and in fact some areas have gotten rid of trained librarians altogether. Sigh!

I have one year of experience as a shelver at Harvard (student job) three years experience as a library assistant at Smith College (student job), a MLIS from St. John's University, which included an internship, one year of full time experience as an assistant librarian at St. John's, and three years experience as a subject specific (3 subjects) librarian at the Cooper Union University.

No one would even hire me here as a part time shelver.

I guess they use a different alphabet in the UK.

 

I do believe that Librarian is still listed on the 'Wanted List' for career visas for Canada.

My friend Arleina just got that visa, about two years ago. With 2 years experience and an MLIS.

I guess they use a different alphabet in the UK.
 

I think it's as bookgrl says:

They don't want to pay the money for someone with a degree.

Yeah, I was more than willing to accept a massive pay cut.

They do not want someone with an American degree.

A friend of a friend who is a head archival librarian at the British Library TOLD me that.

She told me that in the UK they think the American degree is substandard.

She was unsure as to WHY but she said that that is the common view.

But, that was just one woman's comment, so who knows how true it really is, right?

Oh, except... No American librarians get hired here... So, she may be on to something.

They are moving this way in the US as well.  Just before I left, my school district had replaced a number of librarians (w/ degrees) with library technicians (w/ no library specific degree and sometimes a certificate or two.)  This was also happening at Uni libraries, where librarians were sometimes being replaced with more customer service oriented posts.

I'm not sure about the perceived bias against US degrees, though, although I could see a bias against overseas degrees in general, (especially as it indicates a lack of UK specific experience) as that is something that many of us are familiar with.

Oh, except... No American librarians get hired here... So, she may be on to something.

Again, I tend to think it's as bookgrl says - it's not that you're American or have an American degree. It's that there's no reason for them to hire or pay someone with an advanced degree when they can get by with an employee who doesn't have a degree. Sure you say you'd have been willing to take a pay cut, but an employer who's unwilling to hire an overqualified job candidate (regardless of salary) is hardly something new and is certainly not restricted to the UK.

Right. OK. I never said it was restricted to the UK.

But, um, we are discussing the UK... Not China, or Cuba, or Italy... Just 'Librarian Jobs in the UK', right? 

Are you having another bad day Chary?

I do so hope your day gets better. 

<<I guess they use a different alphabet in the UK.>>

There IS that "zed" thing. 

Are you having another bad day Chary?

I do so hope your day gets better. 

I rarely have a bad day, but thank you for asking.

I said what I said because no matter what other more experienced forum members say or how many times they say it or in how many different ways they say it, you seem to want to keep implying that Americans are not hired simply by dint of their American-ness and their American degrees. And that is just untrue.