We are independent & ad-supported. We may earn a commission for purchases made through our links.

Advertiser Disclosure

Our website is an independent, advertising-supported platform. We provide our content free of charge to our readers, and to keep it that way, we rely on revenue generated through advertisements and affiliate partnerships. This means that when you click on certain links on our site and make a purchase, we may earn a commission. Learn more.

How We Make Money

We sustain our operations through affiliate commissions and advertising. If you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, we may receive a commission from the merchant at no additional cost to you. We also display advertisements on our website, which help generate revenue to support our work and keep our content free for readers. Our editorial team operates independently from our advertising and affiliate partnerships to ensure that our content remains unbiased and focused on providing you with the best information and recommendations based on thorough research and honest evaluations. To remain transparent, we’ve provided a list of our current affiliate partners here.

How Do I Choose the Best Librarian Training?

By G. Wiesen
Updated May 17, 2024
Our promise to you
WiseGEEK is dedicated to creating trustworthy, high-quality content that always prioritizes transparency, integrity, and inclusivity above all else. Our ensure that our content creation and review process includes rigorous fact-checking, evidence-based, and continual updates to ensure accuracy and reliability.

Our Promise to you

Founded in 2002, our company has been a trusted resource for readers seeking informative and engaging content. Our dedication to quality remains unwavering—and will never change. We follow a strict editorial policy, ensuring that our content is authored by highly qualified professionals and edited by subject matter experts. This guarantees that everything we publish is objective, accurate, and trustworthy.

Over the years, we've refined our approach to cover a wide range of topics, providing readers with reliable and practical advice to enhance their knowledge and skills. That's why millions of readers turn to us each year. Join us in celebrating the joy of learning, guided by standards you can trust.

Editorial Standards

At WiseGEEK, we are committed to creating content that you can trust. Our editorial process is designed to ensure that every piece of content we publish is accurate, reliable, and informative.

Our team of experienced writers and editors follows a strict set of guidelines to ensure the highest quality content. We conduct thorough research, fact-check all information, and rely on credible sources to back up our claims. Our content is reviewed by subject matter experts to ensure accuracy and clarity.

We believe in transparency and maintain editorial independence from our advertisers. Our team does not receive direct compensation from advertisers, allowing us to create unbiased content that prioritizes your interests.

If you are looking for librarian training, then you should consider the requirements for employment at the particular type of library in which you wish to work. Most libraries require a master’s degree from potential librarians, which can be earned at a graduate college that offers a Master of Library Science (MLS). You should look for a school that is accredited by a librarian organization in your area, such as the American Library Association (ALA) in the US. If you are interested in librarian training to work in a particular field, such as a medical library, then you should also receive training in a secondary subject such as medicine or science.

Librarian training usually requires a great deal of education, culminating in a post-graduate degree such as a Master of Library Science or MLS. There are a number of different schools that offer an MLS, though most of them require that you complete an undergraduate degree such as a bachelor’s in an appropriate field. You might consider a degree in language arts, though few graduate programs require any specific subject. If you are interested in librarian training with a secondary focus, then you might want to pursue an undergraduate degree in a subject like political science or biology.

As you are considering different schools at which to pursue your librarian training, you should look for organizations or agencies in your area that accredit such schools. In the US, for example, the ALA or American Library Association provides accreditation for many colleges that offer an MLS degree. While this is not a requirement for a school to have an excellent program in librarian training, some institutions do prefer candidates with training from such schools. You should speak to librarians in your area and find out what types of requirements they have seen for employment and what professional organizations you might join while still in training.

If you are interested in working in a legal, medical or other specific type of library, then you should consider secondary aspects to your librarian training. You might want to pursue both a legal degree and your MLS, for example, as this can qualify you to work in legal libraries. This can require many years of education, however, so you might focus on pursuing a related field for your undergraduate degree. If you want to work in a medical or science library, then you could pursue a bachelor’s degree in a field like biology or physics. The hiring practices in your area may vary, so you should determine what most specialized libraries around you look for in a librarian.

WiseGEEK is dedicated to providing accurate and trustworthy information. We carefully select reputable sources and employ a rigorous fact-checking process to maintain the highest standards. To learn more about our commitment to accuracy, read our editorial process.

Discussion Comments

WiseGEEK, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.

WiseGEEK, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.