These photos are of my graduation on May 19th from UW-Milwaukee with my Master’s of Library and Information Science with a focus in Archival Studies. My mother bought my flowers after the ceremony and snapped a pic of my father and I with the Bronze Fonz. It was a fabulous day!
I was reading this post from The Beat That My Heart Skipped and I couldn’t believe it. The woman interviewed in the post works in London and she has an MA in Librarianship. MA. Master of Arts.
WHAT?
This whole post confused me because, for the past two years, I’ve been studying to achieve my Master’s also. On May 19, 2013 I will have a Master’s of Library and Information Science with a focus in Archival Studies. Even my undergraduate degree is a Bachelor of Science in Information Studies. Science. It is common in the US to have a MLIS or MLS.
It’s odd to see that it is considered a MA and BA overseas. Perhaps the United States takes it more seriously?
“The MA at Brighton covers the more traditional aspects of librarianship (collection development, cataloguing and classification) alongside units which examine the changing role of the information professional in society, and issues relating to the social context of information in the digital age.” - Ruth Collingwood
This paragraph could technically cover some of what I studied at the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee. I never really looked into programs at other schools, but I know the University has to have ALA accreditation in order for the diploma to be legit.
The University of Sheffield has a MA of Librarianship and this blog post talks about MA Librarianship also. This is all so baffling because I’ve only heard about programs that are similar to the one I’m studying. Even on the ALA website it recognizes the Master of Arts programs.
Mind blown.
Acronyms? Got them.
The School of Information Studies (SOIS) featured a picture of mine from my Alternative Spring Break (ASB) that I featured here. It is featured on the graduate student degree options within the Master’s of Library and Information Science (MLIS) page.
I am currently a student at the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee in the School of Information Studies. I am pursuing my Master’s of Library and Information Science (MLIS) and I am focusing in Archival Studies. Yes, that is a mouthful to tell people. And, yes, I refer to it as “becoming a librarian” to keep the conversation short.
But the MLIS program is so much more than that. If I had a half hour to describe all my classes to everyone who inquires about my studies, I would. I cannot keep my statements short because the program encompasses so much. Since I would be over-informing my listeners (and probably boring them too).
In the July/August 2012 edition of American Libraries, the magazine of the American Library Association, an opinion article stuck out and I have finally been blessed with a short blurb about my program that I would gladly tell everyone and everyone I meet. Now to share with my readers first!
The week before Christmas is supposed to be the ending of all those messy final papers, exams and projects from school. For me, I ended two classes, both with an A-, and Monday I received my final final assignment. Write an eight page paper about Creative Commons which continues on the topic of copyright that I wrote 13 pages about for my final (it received 24/25 points for some muddled sentences).
Instead of celebrating the New Year’s weekend with my friend in Minnesota, I will be scrambling to finish this paper before I head off to Colorado for my ski vacation in January. If I do go out it will only be for dinner because I simply cannot waste any time on this paper. Technically its extra credit, but this is the first time my grade has teetered on the edge of pass or fail.
I guess the second book of the Hunger Games series will have to wait – but I did read the first chapter for free on Amazon…such a tease!
