Think an MLIS Only Leads to the Library? Think Again

When people hear “librarian,” they often picture someone who works in a public or academic library setting. Those roles are an important part of the profession, but they represent only a fraction of the opportunities available to graduates of master of library and information science (MLIS) programs.

As technology, digital information, and knowledge management continue to evolve, organizations across many sectors increasingly value these skills. This opens the doors for librarians to pursue emerging and nontraditional MLIS career paths. Here are five roles where individuals with MLIS degrees have built meaningful careers:

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1. Digital Asset Librarian Administrator

Alison Fisher works for Citizens and previously worked for J.Jill, a national women’s apparel retailer. Her decision to pursue a nontraditional career path was an intentional one. She wanted to work in a corporate setting, in a more stable environment than academia could offer.

Fisher advises future MLIS graduates to study tools and technologies not usually covered in their programs but related to their areas of interest. Fisher says in a 2018 interview, “Having a firm grasp on the basics of databases and XML, plus the flexibility and confidence to learn new systems quickly, will make you a stronger candidate for a DAM position.”

2. Knowledge Program Manager

Laura Pike-Seeley is employed by HKS, Inc., an enterprise technology group. In this role, she and her team are most well known for administering the company’s SharePoint-based intranet. She also works with knowledge strategy and digital workplace experience strategy.

Pike-Seeley says in a 2024 interview, “My goal is to support knowledge and learning within the digital workplace, all in service of the employee experience and successful project work. So to do this, I spend a lot of time thinking about the ways that information is organized, communicated, and discovered.”

3. Data Strategist

Steve Meyer works at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where his responsibilities relate to data policy and operational work. He performs a variety of data processing tasks for the campus libraries, including large-scale data processing of collections data and generating data visualizations for higher-level collection statistics.

In a July 2024 interview, Meyer says, “Some technical expertise is required so that a Data Strategist is able to understand the full scope of work. Developing and implementing strategies for the use and management of data in a large academic library requires knowledge of diverse forms of data, from library bibliographic description to research data, and the various ways they are stored, formatted, and processed.”

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4. Senior Archivist

Jill Breznican is an archivist for a nontraditional institution—the Walt Disney Animation Research Library. The library retains and preserves animation assets and production documents so that patrons, that is, animation teams and Disney fans, can access these resources. Breznican helps preserve artifacts and elements of Disney’s animation history. She began her career with Disney on the Collections Team, preparing the physical collection for digitization.

Breznican recalls a favorite moment in her career in a 2019 interview: “While cataloging the scene where Gaston falls from the castle in Beauty and the Beast (1991), I found one frame of rough animation where tiny skulls appear in his pupils. I thought that was incredibly cool.”

5. Zine Librarian

Jenna Freedman is the founder and creator of the Barnard Zine Library. Zines are usually self-published, noncommercial booklets produced in small batches, often with a DIY aesthetic. She is a zine librarian, and she makes zines too. Her work centers on zines and activist librarianship.

In a 2022 interview, when asked why she thinks zines were important, Freedman says, “My answer to this question has changed over the years, I think. At this moment, I’ll say they’re important to creators who need an outlet, to readers who feel alone, to any number of subcultures, to history for documenting a time from points of view from people who aren’t ‘notable,’ to use an archives and Wikipedia term.”

Freedman took an unusual path with her MLIS degree by creating a library that filled a niche need in the community.

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MLIS programs often emphasize traditional library and archival roles, which can lead future graduates to believe these are the only paths available to them. In reality, librarianship careers extend far beyond public, academic, and archival institutions. These examples show how the skills developed in an MLIS program can be valuable in corporate, nonprofit, cultural, and technology-focused environments. Information organization, research, metadata management, digital technologies, and user-centered service are all transferable to nontraditional library roles.

MLIS professionals can help bridge communication, technology, and organizational goals while demonstrating the profession’s versatility beyond conventional library settings. Current and prospective MLIS students should consider exploring nontraditional career paths, as these can open doors to rewarding work that aligns with their interests and strengths. Students should remain adaptable, build technical and other specialized skills, and stay informed about emerging opportunities. Librarians can apply their expertise in innovative ways while continuing the profession’s core mission of connecting people with information.

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