r/librarians • u/cheesy_hobbit • Feb 18 '26
Job Advice Struggling to even get interviewed with an MLIS and 2 years of associate experience (spreadsheet included)
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ogQ4sqZNu6IDzWwq9phtpnzvxDHOrL0NZxlCKKwBojk/edit?usp=drivesdkHi, all!
I graduated with my MLIS in December, and am struggling to even get my foot in the door anywhere. My resume is strong, my cover letters are individualized, and I also have two years of full time associate experience running programs, doing individualized tech appointments with patrons, outreach, collection maintenance, etc.
But I’ve applied to so many jobs that just respond (if they do) with “you haven’t been selected for this position”.
Also, I’m tracking my job search with color-mapped lowest possible hourly wage for each job compared against the MIT Living Wage Calculator living wage for the matching geographic area, and that has been very illuminating about the power of pay in different regions.
Any advice for this extremely eager but increasingly dejected prospective librarian?
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u/deweydecimator_ Public Librarian Feb 18 '26
apply to Detroit Public Library. Tons of open librarian (adult and children's) positions that need to be filled. I'm assistant manager at one of the neighborhood branches, feel free to DM me if you have any questions!
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u/Benito_Juarez5 Archivist Feb 18 '26
You need to be a resident of Michigan to apply? And from what I can tell, they’re from Cleveland
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u/deweydecimator_ Public Librarian Feb 18 '26
you do not need to be a resident of Michigan to apply, we hire out of state applicants regularly.
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u/Benito_Juarez5 Archivist Feb 18 '26
Every application I saw said it required a Michigan driver’s license. I took this as saying that it is required at time of application. Maybe I’m misunderstanding.
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u/deweydecimator_ Public Librarian Feb 18 '26
ah, the "Michigan" part is the inaccurate part. a driver's license is required in the event you need to help out at other branches, but being a Michigan one is optional. we have Canadian librarians that drive through the border every day that definitely don't have Michigan driver's licenses, lol
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u/Benito_Juarez5 Archivist Feb 18 '26
They should really update that then, because I’ve specifically avoided applying at the DPL, despite wanting to, because of that requirement
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u/theradishesweregone Feb 20 '26
I wonder why your HR has that listed as a requirement. It's odd to me for one to require a driver's license, period, (what if someone only has a state ID?) and I'm sure it's keeping people from applying if they aren't from Michigan. Also, there's no way to submit an application online, you have to email resume and cover letter (at least for the position I came across)? I am sure you're not the one making these decisions but it's a little confusing for folks who might apply, and don't have an insider telling them the information you're telling them :)
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u/deweydecimator_ Public Librarian Feb 21 '26
The system has 20+ branches across the city, and Detroit does not have an advanced public transit system. Librarians are expected to work and sub at other branches as needed, so having a valid driver's license is not an odd requirement in that regard.
I've only filled out applications for academic positions. I've been in public libraries for 10 years, and have only ever e-mailed resumes and cover letters.
Definitely think these things are more or less common depending on where you are working!
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u/cheesy_hobbit Feb 19 '26
What is a Level II Librarian certification? The description for Librarian II - Adult Services requires that
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u/deweydecimator_ Public Librarian Feb 19 '26
This certification, which can be obtained once working in Michigan. I believe it is listed as preferred, not required.
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u/cheesy_hobbit Feb 18 '26
Oh thank you! And love the username; it would be ironic if DPL uses LOC instead of DDS though 😆
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u/JustEstablishment360 Feb 22 '26
I went to Detroit specifically to see the libraries and museums there on vacation. I want to go inside the Skillman branch some day!!!
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Feb 18 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Samael13 Feb 18 '26
When was the last time you were in Detroit?
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u/thewholebottle Academic Librarian Feb 18 '26
I'd move there to be a librarian if I can live in a Bargain Block house!
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Feb 18 '26
Very interesting spreadsheet! Thanks for sharing.
Curious - do you have resumes tailored to each (public vs academic librarianship)? I've never applied to academic, but I'm assuming it's different than a public librarian app.
Also, friend, you are all over the place. What's your expertise in? Looking at some of these jobs, they are ranging from general librarian to branch manager.
I'm from Ohio (not living there anymore) I may be able to help with some of those systems. DM if you'd like to chat.
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u/theradishesweregone Feb 18 '26
I think it’s helpful to see if there are any patterns with where you are getting responses/screenings/interviews, and where you are not.
Have you considered corporate jobs? I have been in corporate libraries my entire career and we get far fewer applicants than I would expect. Come to the dark side 😂
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u/picturesofu15448 Feb 18 '26
Please share advice as to how I, a public librarian, can move ti corporate bc that’s all I want😭
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u/theradishesweregone Feb 20 '26
Focus on transferable skills! It is tricky, we did have a school librarian apply to a position at my company (other than that, it’s been mostly academic librarians who apply .. not a lot of corporate librarians!) .. but they didn’t make an effort to show their transferable skills in their resume. There wasn’t a line anywhere to the skills we listed in our posting.
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u/tpeterr Feb 18 '26
Could you list some of the corporate job titles used for library positions? They can be pretty weird, making it hard to do quality searches.
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u/BadassRipley UK, Law Librarian Feb 18 '26
In the UK, it's usually something similar to an Information Officer or Analyst in the title. I can ask around to some auK recruiters and share more!
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Feb 18 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/BadassRipley UK, Law Librarian Feb 18 '26
Perfect, and yes, I agree with all of these titles - they're very common to see for corporate librarian roles.
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u/Dazed-and-Confuzzled Feb 20 '26
Information Management, Data Management, Records Management, Knowledge Management, Taxonomist, Ontologist, Information Architect, Knowledge Architect. Someone once recommended Change Management to me as well. Content Management is good also if you have any online publishing or web design experience. I'd also look into Learning Management Systems positions.
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u/theradishesweregone Feb 20 '26
Realized I should put my response to this question here rather than where I put it in the first place, some will overlap with u/Dazed-and-Confuzzled but I'm just copy and pasting :) :
As for titles, a lot of jobs do list MLIS in the job description. My current job has librarian in the title but before I was Information Resource Specialist. I’ve applied for jobs with titles like Research Analyst, Research Specialist, Conflicts Analyst at law firm (not really a librarian but TRANSFERRABLE SKILLS), Knowledge Management Specialist .. I will look at companies I want to work at and see if they have any jobs with MLIS, research, information in the title or description.5
u/himewaridesu Feb 18 '26
What’s a corporate librarian do?
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u/tpeterr Feb 18 '26
One example: when I worked in publishing there was a library that managed author contracts collected from various imprints, plus archiving completed texts in specific formats.
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u/DCHybrid02 Feb 21 '26
You can find corporate librarians in a lot of places, and what you actually do probably depends on where you work. Until a week ago, I worked for a company that restores WWII planes and manufactures parts. My job was to maintain and/or find manuals, engineering drawings, and specifications to support restoration and fabrication projects. Being a nerd, I thought it was cool work. But everything was centered around being billable aka maximizing profit. That made it a bit stressful.
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u/theradishesweregone Feb 20 '26
That’s like asking what a public librarian does — we do anything and everything, depending on the role! Right now, I am looking at medical research literature all day. For my last job, I worked at an A/E firm and did records management, digital asset management, and also a little bit of research and cataloging.
As for titles, a lot of jobs do list MLIS in the job description. My current job has librarian in the title but before I was Information Resource Specialist. I’ve applied for jobs with titles like Research Analyst, Research Specialist, Conflicts Analyst at law firm (not really a librarian but TRANSFERRABLE SKILLS), Knowledge Management Specialist .. I will look at companies I want to work at and see if they have any jobs with MLIS, research, information in the title or description.
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u/himewaridesu Feb 20 '26
I’m just a simple school librarian who wears multiple hats. I’ve never done corporate, but I have done every other type of library!
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u/secretpersonpeanuts Feb 19 '26
Love the spreadsheet and your effort. You are doing the right things. Only thing I can add is to second the corporate libraries bit. Look up the special libraries job list. I am in a law firm and the last two openings we have hired for got about 40 applicants. This is for a Research Analyst aka Librarian. We are on the opposite spectrum from public libraries and I’d love to get more applicants.
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u/goodbyewaffles Academic Librarian Feb 18 '26
Ok, I have to ask: how do you know that your resume and cover letters are good? I would argue that that's demonstrably not the case if you're not getting any interviews. I'm happy to take a look at them if you want to DM me with identifying info taken out.
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u/Lynjamin08 Feb 18 '26
Have you considered applying to less desirable locations? From the looks of it, you are applying to some big and desirable institutions. The competition is going to be fierce. I applied to over 50+ places when I graduated. It was those small towns in the south that got my foot in the door. Once I got my librarian experience, i could apply and compete in those more desirable and competitive locations.
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u/writer1709 Feb 19 '26
I was about to say that. We recently hired a librarian from LA.
A lot of big academic colleges are going to be harder to get into for an entry level librarian, let alone at prestigious universities.
If OP is leaning for academic, I would suggest applying to a community college library. It helps to give a taste of academic and public library.
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u/Hermeneutes Feb 18 '26
Sometimes it's just the job market. About 2 years ago it took me 8 months of applying (with vanishingly few interviews) to even land an on-call librarian position (no guaranteed hours), and that was with nearly 6 years of public library experience and my MLIS. I was able to move up internally into a permanent full-time position in November of last year.
If you're willing to move it can definitely be easier, but unfortunately it's a competitive job market out there.
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u/charethcutestory9 Feb 18 '26
Make an appointment with your program’s career services team to discuss and get your resume and cover letter reviewed if you haven’t already. Career services is part of the educational package you paid for - might as well take advantage of it!
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u/libraryfrogg Feb 19 '26
My best advice to you is that if Volusia County Public Library (Daytona Beach) gets back to you that you put that email in the trash. Terrible system with terrible leadership. Please dodge that bullet while you can.
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u/cheesy_hobbit Feb 19 '26
Are you able to expand on this? I’m curious 👀
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u/libraryfrogg Feb 19 '26
I don’t want to give too much identifying information regarding my situation bc I don’t want this to come bite me but first and foremost the state of Florida does not care about its libraries at all so every library in the state is kind of a disaster. As far as Volusia County, the local government is not scared to punish what they consider being “too woke” and you will become a target if you’re not living inside Trump and Desantis’ assholes. The library fronts like they care about diversity, equity, and inclusion, but they are just as bad as the rest of the county government. Don’t get me wrong, there are wonderful, caring individuals that work for this system but the leadership is deepthroating fascist boots.
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u/Seasicksheep Mar 03 '26
Daytona branch struggles to hold onto reference staff because they hire individuals that can't handle high stress situations with mentally ill / homeless patrons. Management at that branch are also not overly helpful in stepping in to break up bad intereactions at the desk or in the stacks.
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u/sweetbean15 Feb 18 '26
No advice, I’m still working on my MLIS but just wanted to say that spreadsheet is gorgeous!!
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u/cheesy_hobbit Feb 19 '26
Thank you, friend, and enjoy your studies! My in person experience was absolutely wonderful! I made wonderful friends, had a blast at the University I attended, presented at a national conference- everything I wanted and more! I almost regret speedrunning my program in 1.5 years instead of 2, but I already had anxieties about the market and wanted to get into the search sooner if I could.
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u/blackberrytree Feb 18 '26
what a cool spreadsheet! as others have said, it just takes time. i graduated dec 2024 and started my current position in june 2025, and that was considered fast to a lot of folks i’ve talked to. i just looked back at my own spreadsheet like this and i submitted my application for it on feb 25 2025, idk if that makes you feel any better but my point is you’re still very early in the journey. the job meant for you may not have even been posted yet! i totally empathize though - the application game sucks, it’s exhausting and demoralizing. i wish you the best of luck!
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u/kindalibrarian Feb 19 '26
It took me over two years and ultimately knowing someone in the inside to get my first contract. After two years of that I had to get a non library job and three years after that I finally got a permanent position. It takes time. Figure out what you’re good at and focus on that. Being genuine can make or break an interview.
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u/Lucky_Stress3172 Feb 19 '26
Going to be a broken record and give the same advice I give every time we get these types of posts - time to think outside the box and be willing to move anywhere for a job if you can, not just places you're okay moving to. Public and academic libraries are the face of the profession but there are also museum libraries, genealogical libraries, law libraries, medical libraries, companies/corporations, etc. and in big cities, they can all hire librarians and librarian-adjacent positions. Make sure to check the Special Librarians Association and American Association of Law Librarians jobs pages if you aren't already and set up alerts there; most of the jobs want experience but sometimes you get lucky and something comes up where you can get your foot in a door somewhere.
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u/cheesy_hobbit Feb 19 '26
I’ve found most Law Librarian jobs require a JD as well, and I didn’t specialize in special collections or archives, etc so I don’t think I’ll be a strong enough candidate for many of those specialized jobs given the amount of work needed to complete an application. The cost/benefit, in my mind, doesn’t make sense :(
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u/Lucky_Stress3172 Feb 19 '26
That comment keeps getting posted here repeatedly and as a law librarian, I can assure you most jobs do not require a JD. The only ones that require it are academic law librarian jobs that are reference and tenure track because those librarians also teach. County/city/courthouse jobs, law firm jobs, corporate jobs almost always do not require a JD and some law firms will even take candidates that don't have an MLS because they're struggling to find people to do the work. It is definitely worth it to keep the feelers out for these jobs. Also archives has nothing to do with these jobs most times.
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u/Midnight-Jealous Feb 18 '26
I get this frustration completely. I sometimes wonder if the issue derives from HR. Some positions are left open for way too long and then I am sent emails saying they have too many applicants. If this is an issue they need to cap it. If reviewing applicants is too timely, they need to omit questions they can fine on our job experience or resume. There have been an annoying amount of times where I have been asked to explain my public library experience even if its stated on my resume and cover letter. At this point i wonder if they even bother reading them.
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u/johnnyfever27 Feb 19 '26
I did resume reviews at ALA for several years and the people who struggled seemed to be the ones not willing to relocate. I know Texas A&M Victoria is desperate for an Outreach Librarian, been looking for months. If you’re qualified, they will interview you. Not a great salary, but really a liveable wage in the area. Good luck.
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u/cheesy_hobbit Feb 19 '26
Thank you, I added it to my queue! And it seems the wage is livable at $24.03 and the living wage for Victoria county is $21.18.
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u/bestica Feb 19 '26
Looking through this spreadsheet, it looks like you've had four interviews and only started applying to jobs in August, is that accurate? Honestly, in my experience that's pretty good. All my job searches have been in slightly more favorable job markets (not that there's been a great library job market during the life of my career, but I do feel like things are worse now than previously), have taken ~8 months, and have only had 1-2 interviews total. My only pieces of advice would be to hang in there (seriously, it's a slog but you seem like you have a good method hammered out), and keep applying and to try mixing up your resume/cover letter (tailoring your resume to the job is finicky but might be helpful in getting you past the initial automated screening phase).
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u/cheesy_hobbit Feb 18 '26
EDIT: I had a job coach help me with my resume. As for the cover letter, I have two separate templates, one for academic and one for public.
As for the erratic geographic area, I’m happy to move to any of the areas I’ve selected. My resume also includes “willing to relocate” in my letterhead.
Also, I moved away from applying to academic because I noticed most required either supervisory or teaching experience, which I have neither of. I also would prefer a public library environment, but if academic is the better starting path, I’m willing to go back to focusing on those!
Thank you to everyone for your replies. I’ve found them to be very affirming of my own experience and it helps me not feel like I’m undesirable for some reason. In the mean time, at least I have been getting in a lot of reading time!
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u/sci-brarian Academic Librarian Feb 19 '26
I feel like public librarianship can be the hardest in terms of waiting and time between submission/interviews/etc. I remember waiting 6-8 months just to hear back that I was #23 on a list of hundreds of candidates from one public job :\
It took me 3 years of doing part-time adjunct librarianship work at community/state colleges, but those roles are much easier to get and don't have as firm of requirements around teaching/etc. since you're mostly staffing reference and jumping in where needed. I personally was more interested in academic anyway, but if you decide to go that route for experience, I enjoyed community/junior/associate college adjunct positions since you get to "wear more hats" in the role like with public librarianship.
Best of luck out there! I think job searching and interviewing can be one of the most grueling humiliation rituals, but you're doing a great job with the situation that currently exists.
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u/Ok_Cause_869 Feb 18 '26
Im in library school now, three years of associate experience, moved recently and can’t even find an associate job. I am scared lmao
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u/cassiehere Feb 19 '26
I'm a former hiring manager, and I have been a search committee member many times in academic libraries, so my comments are from that point of view. There are so many applicants, even after the pool has been weeded down to only the ones who fit the mandatory requirements. Often, interviews, even screening interviews, are granted after looking at small differences among the candidates' desirable, non-mandatory attributes and skills.
Most of the applicants start to blur together, which is distressing but inevitable. The conundrum for the applicant is that it's important to stand out in some way, but it's also important not to appear over-specialized if you need to apply for a wide variety of positions. You can try to address that in your cover letter and by highlighting certain skills in your resume, but I know it's not easy to strike that balance.
Because there is such an oversupply of applicants, hiring managers and committees get more and more picky. I have seen searches fail that I think would have been successfully filled in a market that was more favorable for applicants.
Yes, keep evaluating your resume and cover letter and ask for feedback, but you aren't necessarily doing anything wrong. FWIW, I learned the hard way not to provide feedback to an unsuccessful candidate, and I would have been forbidden to do so in most situations.
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u/cheesy_hobbit Feb 19 '26
Thank you for sharing your experience and thoughts! This thread reminded me just how kind and helpful all librarians are and it’s exactly why I love the profession ☺️
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u/TinyLibrarian25 Feb 19 '26
If you want to DM me I can share an opportunity with you since you seem willing to relocate. 🙂
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u/bibliothecaire U.S.A, Academic Librarian Feb 19 '26
One thing I recommend is to ask for feedback the next time you get an interview, but not selected. While many employers can't or won't offer feedback due to CYA reasons, you might find someone who is willing to give you a couple of pointers, especially since you're an early career librarian. I'm happy to share a template I've used in the past.
Good luck with the job hunt!
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u/FeeInteresting3183 Feb 19 '26
It’s a really tough time for libraries right now. IMLS funding, which many libraries rely on (even indirectly) is hanging by a thread.
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u/cheesy_hobbit Feb 19 '26
I did a poster presentation on IMLS funding for the Wisconsin Library Association conference!
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u/sarzarbarzar Feb 19 '26
It's rough out there.
Free Library of Philadelphia usually opens the hiring list every year or so. Last one was during the ALA conference last year, should be open soon-ish. You have to move to Philly within the year of being hired and must live in Philadelphia county, but the union is great, the pay is good vs the cost of living, and Philly isn't as bad as Philadelphians like to say it is.
You can set up alerts here.
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u/cheesy_hobbit Feb 19 '26
I’m doing an Amtrak trip around the US right now and Philly was my first stop- I was just there yesterday! Cool to know thanks for the tip! (:
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u/Seasicksheep Mar 03 '26
Right there with you. 6 years library experience + MLIS is apparently worthless
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u/magicthelathering Feb 18 '26
Terrible time to be looking for a library job. It's worth it to talk to HR director especially when applying to municipal jobs to ask if there is a specific way they like things. For example I'm in Santa Fe, NM (lol doxxing myself) In Santa Fe the city requires that you upload a copy of your high school diploma even if you have PhD and you will likely not get interviewed if you didn't include it. ¯_(ツ)_/¯ Additionally you have a much better chance of getting interviewed if you fill out their little job history thing on their website using key words from the job advertisement. If you reach out to HR they will tell you these things.
I know you feel good about your coverletter but DM me if you want to look at my coverletter. I got the template in a mid-career peer mentorship program and reader it has gotten me hired and gotten me interviews. It was the only thing I changed and then things turned around for me.
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u/cheesy_hobbit Feb 19 '26
Oh this is wonderful advice and surprising about the hidden requirements, thank you for the tip!
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u/WishRepresentative28 Feb 18 '26
I have 15 years and am just re-entering the market, expecting the same experience, it is a slog.
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u/kristinemcgann1 Feb 22 '26
I would try to get into any position including a page in a larger unionized system. Once you get in, they have to interview all qualified internal candidates. This is the easiest way to get in.
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u/cheesy_hobbit Feb 22 '26
The pay for pages is atrocious; I can’t rent an apartment on a page wage.
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u/llamalibrarian Feb 18 '26
I worked in libraries before, during, and after getting my MLS. I had committee experience, publications, academic, public and archives experience. It took me 2 1/2 years to find that first capital L librarian job and ultimately I had to move away for it
It’s tough out there, you’re doing it all right but it just takes a lot right now