Library Science Masters Personal Statement Sample

Excited to kick off your adventure toward a Masters in Library Science? That’s awesome! But before you dive headfirst into all those fantastic courses and projects, there’s one key step: writing your personal statement. This is your chance to show off your love for books, your passion for information, and your knack for helping others. Plus, you can share those unique experiences that make you the perfect fit for the programme! To help you get started, we’ve whipped up a sample personal statement to spark your creativity and guide you in crafting your own standout piece. Let’s dive in and make your application as impressive as the library you’ll one day manage!

Just remember, this is meant to inspire you, not serve as a strict template. For some solid advice, be sure to check out our full guide on writing a killer postgraduate personal statement. It won’t do the writing for you, but it’ll definitely make the process a lot smoother!

Having spent several years working for libraries and archives across the country, I understand the importance of organising information and improving access to these resources. I hope that the Masters in Library Science offered by your university will allow me to deepen my knowledge of library services and give me the opportunity to take the next steps in a career relating to information management.

While studying for my Bachelors in English Literature, I was fortunate enough to be given access to the archival records of T.S. Eliot while writing my dissertation on The Waste Land. Seeing first-hand the effort that goes into preserving such valuable documents was inspirational, and after graduating from university I completed an internship with the Rosenbach Museum in Philadelphia. This institution holds a prestigious collection including a first edition of Ulysses by James Joyce and numerous titles by Herman Melville. During my time with the Rosenbach Museum I was involved in a number of digitalisation projects, as well as the promotion of various exhibitions to increase public engagement with its archive.

Upon returning to the UK, I began working as an assistant for a large university library in London, gaining experience in information organisation and cataloguing, as well as copyright, e-learning and more. Your Masters offers ample opportunity to deepen my expertise and further my career in librarianship. As a CILIP-accredited course, the programme has a fantastic pedigree and will be recognised by institutions across the UK and beyond. I’m particularly interested in the module you offer on digital libraries, as this ties in with my current employment.

Although I haven’t finalised my dissertation plans, I’m keen to continue my previous work on modernist writers and will be looking for ways in which I can apply my knowledge. I’m also very passionate about public engagement and increasing the access of under-represented communities to library and archive services. To this end, I’ve promoted a series of successful ‘open days’ for the library I work at, where members of the community who aren’t current university students can spend time there and attend talks by academics on aspects of our collection.

Outside of work, I’m a keen poet and run my own independent press, publishing zines and pamphlets from a range of voices. I’m interested in increasing the representation in libraries and similar institutions of non-traditional print forms such as these and I hope that your programme will equip me with the skills and experience to do so.

Main takeaways

• Show your love for libraries: Let your passion for libraries and books shine! Share what inspired you to pursue this path—was it a childhood spent in your local library or a favorite book that changed your perspective? Make the reader feel your excitement!
• Be yourself: This is your moment to let your personality pop! Skip the stiff language and share your quirks. Are you the friend who always knows the best book recommendations or the one who organises community reading events? Let that unique flair come through!
• Connect your experiences: Weave your past experiences into your future goals. Whether it’s volunteering at a library, working on a research project, or that time you helped someone find the perfect resource, explain how these moments have fueled your desire to study library science.
• Highlight your skills: Got some awesome skills related to information management or technology? Don’t hold back! Showcase any relevant abilities, such as cataloging, research techniques, or digital literacy, that prove you’re ready to tackle the challenges of a Masters course.
• Wrap it up with a smile: Finish strong! Leave the reader with a memorable conclusion—whether it’s a bold statement about your future aspirations in library science or a fun fact that ties back to your love for books, make sure it sticks in their minds!

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