Your Name and Title: Kristin Anne Carr, Librarian

Library, School, or Organization Name: Drug Enforcement Administration Library and Information Center

Area of the World from Which You Will Present: United States - Washington DC

Language in Which You Will Present: English

Target Audience(s): Current and former online MLIS/MLS students; anyone considering an online degree

Short Session Description (one line): Online degrees are an increasingly popular option, but they're not right for everyone; come hear the pros and cons from an MLIS grad with firsthand experience.

Full Session Description (as long as you would like): An ever-increasing number of students are electing to complete either part or all of their degrees online at both the undergrad and graduate levels.  Online/distance education can be extremely convenient and beneficial, but it also poses special challenges that are not present in a traditional classroom.  Having earned my BA and JD in an on-campus setting, I opted to pursue an MLIS online through the University of Pittsburgh.  I'll discuss the transition from a brick-and-mortar learning environment to an entirely virtual one and present the benefits and drawbacks of earning an online library degree.