All across America, librarians are working in a ton of library facilities, providing services and resources to all sorts of communities nationwide. Whether they are serving in public libraries, K-12 school libraries, academic libraries, or other unique library settings, these librarians often find themselves wearing many hats. Whether they are leading storytimes, planning instructional sessions, offering outreach in the community, developing collections, or assisting patrons with research queries, librarians know how to do it all. 

In Michigan’s public, K-12 school, and academic libraries, this sentiment is no different. Across the Great Lakes State, librarians are performing a variety of services for their various communities. In order to best serve these many communities and their citizens, Michigan’s various libraries have specific requirements prospective librarians must meet to be considered for positions within their facilities.

How to Become a Public Services Librarian in Michigan

In the 2022-2023 fiscal year, the Library of Michigan reported that Michigan’s public libraries served over 7,400,00 registered public library cardholders statewide. Like many other states in America, many citizens depend on their public libraries for many purposes – programs, storytimes, informational resources, computer access, wifi networks, pleasure reading, and more draw people to Michigan’s 251 different public library branches each year.

Because Michigan’s public library system serves a plethora of different communities across the state, it is crucial for librarians to have proper certification and training to be fully prepared for the job. 

To become a public services librarian in Michigan, a prospective librarian would need to complete the following levels of certification: 

• Level 4 Library Staff Certification Qualifications: 

1. A high school diploma or its equivalent.
2. Completion of the Beginning Workshop offered by the Library of Michigan.
3. One year of full-time employment or its equivalent consisting of library work experience following the completion of educational requirements.

• Level 3 Library Staff Certification Qualifications: 

1. A bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university.
2. Completion of the Beginning Workshop offered by the Library of Michigan.

• Level 2 Library Staff Certification Qualifications: 

1. A master’s degree or its equivalent from a library school accredited by the American Library Association.

• Level 1 Library Staff Certification Qualifications: 

1. A master’s degree or its equivalent from a library school accredited by the American Library Association.
2. Four years of full-time employment, or an equivalent time period, consisting of paid professional library work experience in a library approved by the department following the completion of educational requirements.

This leveling of library staff service qualifications makes Michigan’s public librarianship requirements stand out quite a bit from other states across America. However, the Library of Michigan does make some concessions on the requirements for smaller library systems in the state – for example, librarians in these smaller community systems may not have an MLIS requirement in order to hold a librarian position, simply because they are working with a smaller staff to serve a much smaller subsection of Michigan’s population in comparison to other facilities. 

This specific type of classification system is unique, but it does help ensure that all library employees serving in Michigan’s public libraries are well-trained and ready to serve the public, no matter what role they are filling in a public library facility. All library employees – from those serving in assistant roles all the way up to department directors – apply for certifications and complete these necessary requirements to become public library employees in the state of Michigan.

Similarly to other states, Michigan’s public library requirements tend to prefer an ALA-accredited MLIS degree, but it isn’t always a firm requirement – a prospective librarian should inquire with different public library systems to see trends in hiring. However, the Library of Michigan does hold a firm requirement for an MLIS from an ALA-accredited school in their certification levels 3 and 4. 

How to Become a K-12 School Librarian in Michigan 

K-12 school librarians are often some of the most important educators in the building – often because they are one of the few professionals who serves every single student and teacher alike! In Michigan, there are specific requirements prospective K-12 school librarians must meet in order to qualify for positions in the state’s public schools. 

The Michigan Association of School Librarians (MASL) describes the K-12 school librarian’s responsibility simply: “mentor all, maximize each”! Michigan K-12 school librarians serve as role models, teachers, and leaders in their facilities, assisting students and teachers alike with reading, research, literacy, and more. They may operate under a simple motto, but the job they do is massive and important to the school communities they serve.

The pathway to become a K-12 school librarian in Michigan is similar to other states:

1. Obtain a bachelor’s degree in your chosen field. Many prospective school librarians often study education during their undergraduate years and earn a teaching license during that time, but this isn’t the only way to become a K-12 school librarian.
   1. If you don’t have a background in education or a teaching license, don’t panic! It is absolutely possible to find an MLIS pathway that can also help you earn a teaching license in the process, making you fully prepared and qualified to apply for (and accept!) K-12 school librarian positions in Michigan. 

2. Earn an MLIS degree. Like other school systems, some have a firm requirement for applicants to have MLIS degrees from ALA-accredited schools, and others don’t. Before applying to or committing to a particular MLIS program, prospective K-12 school librarians should do research on different school districts in the state to gauge the hiring preferences. 

3. Take and earn a passing score of on the Michigan Test for Teacher Certification (MTTC) #048. The minimum passing score for this particular exam is 220. Like other educator certification exams, this one is computer based, lasts around two and a half hours total, and is designed to measure competency in a number of areas in library and information studies as it pertains to public school library services. If taking tests makes you nervous, remember that MLIS programs geared toward K-12 school librarianship are specially-designed to prepare prospective school librarians for professional success – on these exams and in the school library setting. 

How to Become an Academic Librarian in Michigan 

Michgian’s colleges and universities are staffed by librarians who are ready to serve the unique educational communities in which the state’s academic libraries exist. Students and college faculty often have unique needs, which means academic librarians have to be adequately prepared to meet them. 

The steps to become an academic librarian in Michigan follows a similar pathway to other states across America:

1. Earn a bachelor’s degree in any subject field. A prospective academic librarian doesn’t need to necessarily have an undergraduate degree in library and information studies – many academic librarians enter the field with a wide variety of undergraduate experiences.

2. Earn an MLIS degree. Again, check with different colleges and universities across the state when selecting the right degree program. Some facilities require ALA-accredited degrees while others are more lenient. 

3. Similarly to the requirements set forth in many other states’ academic libraries, some institutions prefer academic librarians who hold multiple degrees. These other degrees are often in specialized fields that help them better serve the academic populations frequenting and using their facilities. For example, on top of an MLIS degree, an academic librarian working in a college’s humanities library may also hold a history or English degree – this extra specialized knowledge can help them better serve the specific population of students and faculty members seeking resources and assistance from this subsection of the college’s overarching library system. It isn’t unusual for multiple specialized libraries to exist under a large university’s overarching library! 

For prospective academic librarians in Michigan, The Michigan Academic Library Association (MiALA) is a good resource for networking, finding resources, accessing academic library job postings, and more. The MiALA operates under the following goals: 

• Provides opportunities for professional development, growth, leadership, and committee service for all academic librarians, library staff, and library students working in any college, community college, or university library in Michigan.
• Strives to advance academic librarianship, libraries, and services.
• serves as a catalyst for statewide collaboration and as a connector to national academic library interests.
• Educates and informs appropriate communities of the value and contributions of academic libraries, librarians, library staff, and library students.