[Publib] Library Degrees (People and Jobs)

[Tina Albee]

Hi All -

I think one of the great strengths of the library profession is the
broad educational background of its practitioners.  I'm sure that I'm a
better librarian because I attended a university with a strong liberal
arts program, and then went to library school.

I once read that Alex Korda said something like this: that all the
education that people told him was useless was actually what turned out
to be the most useful.  I have certainly used all of my education as a
public services librarian.

I don't have any objection to library science being taught at the
undergraduate level; I took a library materials course as an
undergraduate myself, and it's a good way to be introduced to the
profession.  I also think the community college technical courses are an
excellent idea.  But if you were to make the bachelor's degree the way
to produce "librarians", I suspect you would lower the expertise,
status, and salaries of the profession.


Tina Maura Albee
Collection Development Coordinator
West Palm Beach Public Library
411 Clematis Street
West Palm Beach, FL 33401
albeet at mycitylibrary.org 
www.bookgoddess.wordpress.com
www.twitter.com/bookgoddess
(561)868-7701


"I think we should make the basic librarian degree be a Bachelors, with
the Master's
degree set aside for more complex or specialized training.  Including
more graduate level management, IT, or other such coursework into the
MLS will make the degree much more useful when it comes to entering the
private sector, finding non-traditional jobs, etc."


Jesse Ephraim

Director, Roanoke Public Library
308 S. Walnut
Roanoke, Texas 76262
(817) 491-2691
jephraim at roanoketexas.com