A Brief History of Library Degrees – Libraries – Education

Here is a clean, scannable breakdown of the evolution of library degrees in American higher education. This layout is designed to copy and paste directly into a Facebook comment or use as a cheat sheet to cut through the confusion. This post was created in response to a Facebook question on the topic. My own Master’s degree was not noted; I hold the Master of Librarianship from the University of South Carolina. –DrWeb

📜 The Evolution of American Library Degrees

Historically, the American Library Association (ALA) does not accredit a specific acronym; it accredits the educational program itself. Over the last 140 years, the names have shifted alongside technology.

1. Late 1800s to 1920s: The Apprenticeship Era

• The Origin: Training began as practical certificates or technical school diplomas.
• Bachelor of Library Economy (B.L.E.) / Bachelor of Library Science (B.L.S.): Early formal programs (starting with Melvil Dewey at Columbia in 1887) were actually undergraduate or second-bachelor degrees focused on “library economy” (cataloging and classification mechanics).

2. 1920s to 1950s: Standardizing the Profession

• The Shift: Following the landmark 1923 Williamson Report, library training moved firmly into research universities.
• Master of Librarianship: Advanced degrees began emerging.
• Bachelor of Library Science (BLS): Still remained common as a post-baccalaureate fifth-year degree during this period.

3. 1950s to 1980s: The “MLS” Golden Age

• The Shift: In 1951, the ALA adopted new standards making a Master’s degree the formal requirement for professional librarians, phasing out undergraduate credentials.
• Master of Library Science (MLS): Became the gold standard absolute requirement for school, public, and academic librarians.
• Master of Science in Library Science (MSLS) / Master of Arts (MA): Variations depending on whether the university housed the program in its Science or Liberal Arts graduate school.

4. Late 1980s to 2000s: The Digital/Information Age

• The Shift: The internet and computers radically transformed the field. Library schools rebranded as “Schools of Information” (or iSchools) to avoid sounding obsolete.
• Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS) / Master of Library and Information Studies (MLIS): The “I” was explicitly added to reflect database management, digital archives, and technology.

5. 2010s to Present: The “iSchool” Modern Era

• Master of Information (MI) / Master of Science in Information (MSI) / MSIS: Today, many top programs have dropped the word “Library” from the degree name entirely to reflect data curation, UX design, and information architecture — even though they still graduate traditional librarians.

🪪 Where Associate and Bachelor Degrees Fit

• Associate of Library Technology (AAT / LTA): Trains Library Technical Assistants. These graduates handle essential frontline operations, circulation, and tech support, but generally do not hold the title of professional “Librarian.”
• Bachelor of Science in Library Science: Still exists at a small handful of institutions, primarily for preparing undergraduate students specifically for K-12 School Media Specialist state certifications.

💡 The Ultimate Takeaway for Your Post:

“Because of this alphabet soup (MLS, MLIS, MSLS, MIS, MI), the job market and human resource departments have largely abandoned hiring based on specific acronyms. Today, the universal standard requirement for a professional librarian is simply: ‘A Master’s degree from an ALA-accredited program.’ It doesn’t matter what letters are on your diploma, as long as the program carries that accreditation.”

Source: Gemini Flash, June 16, 2026