From LitHub, by Stefanie Maclin-Hurd

“An MS in Library and Information Science is, at its core, a research degree. In studying library science, you learn how to investigate primary sources, how to find materials, and how to search catalogs. In certain specializations, you may also learn how to identify and describe items, or how to preserve items. In my own MLIS program, I studied skills like cataloging, photograph preservation, and art documentation. Whether we are helping a patron to find a book, or investigating the historical significance of a particular item, we must research. Both queries use the same MLIS, but in different ways.

Unsurprisingly, working in an academic library, I taught students how to research. I taught them how to dig into databases and primary sources. We talked about how Wikipedia was not always the best source, despite its convenience, in part because it was editable by anyone. Even while the articles required primary sources and research to be written, once written, anyone could go in to make changes and those changes were not always vetted. We talked about how to cite sources, and how to determine if the articles were scholarly and/or peer-reviewed. We discussed finding news articles online, and checking one’s source materials to ensure what was being cited was accurate. Continue reading Librarians of the 21st: The Ultimate Superheroes of Research →