This paper discusses the results of a study that focused on the perceived preparedness of recent graduates. Fifty-five St. John's University MLS students surveyed 348 practitioners in public libraries (181) and school libraries (167) concerning perceived preparedness of recent MLS graduates for the realities of working in libraries. The overriding research question sought to answer if the students/recent graduates are prepared to meet the expectations of professionals. This research indicates that the perceived gap between LIS education and the realities of the workplace may be larger for some specializations than others. (Contains 8 figures and 3 tables.)