anna.m.w

I'm in my first year at UIUC and have several friends with graduate assistantships (funding AND experience? Yes. It's real) in the Rare Books and Manuscripts Library as well as in the preservation labs and university archives. The program here is nice because there are only 2 required courses, both of them with broad focus, and after that you can tailor everything to your specific interest (and avoid traditional librarianship). If you're interested in rare books, you can focus on rare books--I think you can even get an additional certificate in it. The faculty are extremely encouraging and have been huge in setting up practica/networking opportunities for me as well as for my friends in preservation/conservation. I would say that if you can get an assistantship here in your area, it's worth it. Good luck and happy hunting!