Or something. Something compelled you to seek out an MLIS program, apply and (congrats!) enroll. Maybe it really was the smell of old books, or maybe you were driven by an unshakable interest in community archives. Maybe you already work in a library and need an MLIS to advance in your career or perhaps, like me, you want to work in research administration and you know that preparation for a life spent in academic libraries is an excellent “in” into this niche world.

Whatever the case, you’re in library school, which also means that you’re in grad school. If this is your first graduate degree, you may find that there are a lot of things asked of you that…. well, maybe you’ve never heard of before. Even if this isn’t your first graduate degree, maybe it’s been a while since you were in school. The purpose of this site is to re/introduce you to some of the basics of grad school life, tailored to the needs of MLIS students.