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More change

I have a confession to make: I've been holding back on many of you. Some may wonder why I haven't posted about my adventures in the job market, how it feels to be a newbie librarian, what I plan to do after I leave the Archive.

Well, basically, I've been hustling and thinking and tearing my hair out and crossing various t's and i's. All to the ends that I'm going to become a student again, shortly. Specifically, a law student at Santa Clara University, focusing on intellectual property.

I'm not doing this to become a law librarian (although that's not to say I will turn down any offers). I want study and practice the law on behalf of libraries and librarians. It's a part-time, evening program (but not virtual), so I hope to work in a library some hours of the week.

It'll be new and cool and probably one of the hardest things I'll ever do. My memberships to ALA, SLA and maybe one or two more associations will be maintained. When introduced, I will still identify myself as a librarian. My business cards aren't changing yet. And this blog will continue to be my take on library issues, although I'll obviously talk a lot about legal issues that effect libraries. But not exclusively (I think).

At the end of it all, I hope to contribute to librarianship in some small way. And I believe that this avenue is the best way to do it.

Comments

That sounds like a perfect move for you Eli, and a wonderful way to contribute to the profession.

I don't think you're alone in wanting to have a more substantial legal education and still be a librarian. There are many librarians who have a strong interest in law and have gone to work in law libraries to be more involved. Perhaps there should be some law subjects in the MLS like there are law subjects in most business degrees.

I was very keen to do a law degree a couple of years ago, focusing just on IP but there was no middle ground between a full Bachelor of Laws (including corporations law and all that other boring stuff) and Legal Studies (which you can't practice with).

Please do let us know how you find your new studies!

I know that you'll be an honest and decent lawyer, dedicated to protecting the commons and helping bridge the digital divide.

I'm proud of you.

Congratulations Eli! This sounds like a great fit for you, and I wish you the best of luck!

I'm a reference librarian at SCU Law and just wanted to welcome you to the SCU community! We're excited to hear that a librarian will be part of the student body soon -- if there's anything we can do for you while you're here, just let us know. Almost all of the librarians here are joint-degree holders (two are SCU Law grads), so we're happy to give advice about navigating law school to a fellow librarian.

Congrats, Eli! You've done what I've thought and thought about....we have the same interests in library-land, it seems. My geography limits me a bit in my exploration of law, but you are def. heading down a path that I am jealous of! I look forward to hearing more about your new path.

Eli,

I didn't read this posting before the conference. Congrats! Librarians need advocates/allies who understand the law. We need lawyers who understand libraries and what we stand for. Having read your postings and met you in person, I believe that you will be an excellent lawyer. Best of luck! And let us all know how it goes. Post when you can.

Jill

Great to hear that! I guess I should check your blog more often! You also went to SLA. That's way cool, girl!

Happy for ya!