THE BUSINESS OF LIBRARIES The MBA/MLIS Program at the University of Alberta Jessica Dawn Jackson

Overview About Me Requirements of the MBA/MLIS Costs Key Differences of the MBA Challenges Met in the MBA Lessons from my MBA experience Conclusion

About Me Bachelor of Arts (2010) Psychology & English (hons.) Master of Arts (2012) English Literature Part-time library assistant with Edmonton Public Library (2011) Full-time library assistant with Edmonton Public Library (2013) Master of Library and Information Studies Master of Business Administration

Requirements of the MBA/MLIS The following LIS courses are required: LIS 501, LIS 502, LIS 503, LIS 505 Note that students in the combined program are not required to take LIS 504 Plus 6 credits IT courses Plus 6 credits ‘core electives’ LIS Management of Human Resources LIS Records Management Plus 12 credits MLIS electives The following MBA courses are required: ACCTG Introduction to Financial Reporting and Analysis ACCTG Accounting Information and Internal Decision Making BUEC Economic Foundations BUS Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility with Communications FIN Managerial Finance MGTSC Data Analysis and Decision Making MARK Principles of Marketing Management SMO Managing People SMO Leadership Skills SMO Business Strategy (Capping Exercise) Plus 4 MBA electives Source: Faculty of Education – MBA/MLIS Combined Program

Costs $$$ The cost of completing an MBA/MLIS is substantially more than completing an MLIS MBA students are charged two sets of fees: Instructional fees (i.e. tuition)  $ Non-instructional fees (i.e. MBA differential)  $ A 3-credit MLIS course costs $ A 3-credit MBA course costs $1, Total tuition & MBA Program fees for domestic students: $24,440 The Alberta School of Business considers the MBA a financial investment in your future Is it worth it? That depends… Source: Alberta School of Business – Financial Investment

Key Differences of the MBA Culture There is a strong emphasis on group work and collaboration, in the first semester groups are assigned There is a much greater diversity in the student body 63% of students have international experience 40% of the students are women 72% of the students come from non-business backgrounds Many more ‘right of centre individuals’ – your time with them can be an exercise in communicating the value proposition of libraries for this demographic Admission into the program requires a minimum of 2 years of work experience Some people in the program consider making a lot of money to be their primary goal in life Source: Alberta MBA Class Profile Skills The course work is entirely different There is a much greater emphasis on interpersonal connection (i.e. networking) between students This makes relationships between students different to a certain extent There is a strong emphasis on developing a ‘personal brand’ This is about having a strong sense of who you are (including your skills, values and strengths) and being able to convey yourself in resumes, cover letters, interviews, on LinkedIn, etc.

Challenges Met in the MBA Being committed to public service, and intending to work in a field that does not have the significant financial compensation of other industries made me sometimes felt like an outsider among my peers While taking my MBA electives I met more public service minded people (e.g. public sector leadership) Incorporating your interests and values into assignments and projects is possible but it takes confidence to be able to convince your team to do so Ethics and Corporate Responsibility presentation Privatization of: Library services Health care Military operations Correctional services

Lessons from my MBA Experience Be yourself and others will recognize and value your skills and abilities Sabre simulation  Marketing Product design Operations Financials Don’t be afraid to rise to a challenge!

Lesson from my MBA Experience Believe in yourself! Just because you are not a ‘business person’ doesn’t mean you are not capable of learning the skills 

Lessons from my MBA Experience Resources (i.e. money, staff time) are scare in every industry You CANNOT know you are using your resources in the best possible way without data Learning how to analyze data is one of the most important skill anyone can have You can learn just as much from your work experience, and the work experience of others through their stories as you can through your coursework Stay true to yourself! You can share your values and create change almost anywhere Alberta MBA Women’s Network Co-chair Book club  Lean In: Women, Work and the Will to Lead by Sheryl Sandberg Linda Cook, former CEO of EPL will be giving a presentation next month on leadership ‘Diversity and Inclusion’ module now a component of MBA orientation

Conclusion MBA/MLIS can be a way to differentiate yourself from other MLIS graduates though it is certainly not necessary for a successful career For myself the combined program felt like a great fit: I have a personal history of interdisciplinary work Double major with combined research interests Another masters degree prior to starting the MLIS program The majority of the required courses of the MBA program strongly emphasize quantitative skills but do not let this dissuade you If I can do you, you can do it!

Thank You! Questions?