For most of my adult life, I have worked in the library field – in government documents, periodicals, archives and systems. Since I have spent so much time working in a library, returning to school to obtain my MLS has always been something I have been interested in. Unfortunately, I hadn’t been able to attend due to time and financial constraints. I only began to seriously consider applying once schools began to offer entirely online programs without regional cohorts or requirements to spend time on campus. In the spring of 2005, I discovered Southern Connecticut State University’s online program. The MLS program could be completely finished online and as a state school the cost was reasonable for me. I applied during the summer of 2005 for admission as of January 2006 and took one class during the fall of 2005 to make sure that online education and I were compatible. Fortunately, I truly enjoyed the first class and was accepted into the program in November of 2005.
Planned Program – My current plan of study – submitted to my advisor in November 2005. Update: I sent a revised program to the ILS department during the last week of May 2007. I’m still waiting to have it accepted, etc.
Courses:
- ILS501 – Introduction to Information Science & Technology - Fall 2005
- ILS503 – Foundations of Librarianship – Spring 2006
- ILS504 – Reference & Information Resources & Services – Spring 2006
- ILS506 – Information Analysis and Organization – Summer 2006
- ILS530 – Information Systems Analysis & Design – Fall 2006
- ILS565 – Library Management – Fall 2006
- ILS560 – College & University Libraries – Spring 2007
- ILS656 – Information Architecture – Spring 2007
- ILS655 – Digital Libraries – Summer 2007
- ILS566 – Library Personnel Management – Summer 2007
- ILS519 – Collection Development – Fall 2007
- ILS680 – Evaluation & Research – Spring 2008
March 25, 2007 at 2:28 pm |
Jennifer,
I just found your blog and read some of your entries.
I am also a distance student in the MLS program at SCSU.
I am interested in the blog that you talked about problems within the MLS program.
I recently sent a suggestion letter to the chair of the ILS dept. I didn’t get back
the response I was looking for.
Have you heard from many other SCSU MLS students with communication issues?
Teresa
December 9, 2007 at 3:08 pm |
I have just completed a paraprofessional course at a local community college. It is supposed to prepare people to work in a library who don’t have or don’t want to get a MLS degree. But I have gradually learned that opportunities are slim to none, without a MLS. Not only that, but the courses I took barely touched on the skills needed even for a basic job. The most valuable thing I’ve gotten out of it was an internship I did, which is the first and only library experience I have had. I know I will have to start at the bottom, but from what I have read, the number of people coming out of MLS programs exceeds the number of library jobs out there, so people like me are at the end of a line filled with people who have an MLS or previous library experience or both. So, just to stay in the line, I have started to consider getting an MLS. Anyway, I find your website has provided some helpful information, and I just wanted to let you know it has boosted my spirits to read it. It lets me know that I am not alone, even if I am at the end of the line!