Closing this Chapter: From History Major to Library and Information Science

Written by Tiffany Miron, May of 2025

Even though the end of my bachelor's degree is close in sight, and I have little to do between now and commencement, it all still feels a little unbelievable. I think part of it is because my first generation, low-income self wanted to get here but did not know how I was going to, and the other part of me cannot imagine a future version of myself with a master’s degree and looking for a career two years from now. That said, I feel like I am in a very uniquely pivotal point of my life, and like I can feel the time moving as it passes. Soon enough, everything I have been working towards and achieving will be in the past, and I will be working on a whole new part of my life. I think part of this reminiscence is because I will no longer be continuing my education focused on history, and I do not know who I will be without being a historian.

So, why the change?

During the spring semester of 2024, I became a front desk worker for the McIntyre Library at UW-Eau Claire. When I began the position, I underestimated how much of an impact it would have on my life. At that point in time, I was set on after completing my bachelor's degree continuing to do a master’s degree in history as well. But, as I worked at the library more and worked closely with the librarians there, I realized how much I could see myself pursuing a career in that sort of environment. This stirred a lot of inner conflict, as a library and information science degree (MLIS) was not something I had ever considered prior to this, and I still feel a little torn about leaving the history major part of me behind. Once I had received my graduate school application results, this conflict became even more prevalent, as I had been accepted into both MLIS and history programs and would have to choose a path. But, the more I thought about it, the more I could envision myself with a career from the MLIS track more than I could the history track. And, as I told others of my decision to pursue MLIS though UW-Milwaukee, the more the decision felt right.

Any Regrets?

At this moment, no, I do not believe so. I am very sad that I will not be taking any more history courses, and even more so that my research project on women in Atlantic seafaring industries likely will not continue. Although, I have come to realize that my research background has given me so many skills and experiences that will greatly aid me through this transition into the MLIS field. And while I love my research dearly and it has been a monumental part of my undergraduate experience, I also feel that I will be leaving it at a good point, having been working on it for two complete years. I will also greatly miss the life I have made for myself here in Eau Claire, but I am grateful that I have made something that is hard to say goodbye to. Thank you, to every part of my life in Eau Claire, but this chapter must close for me to move on to the next segment of my story.