[Publib] Downgrading the profession

[Janet Webb]

I have been a paraprofessional in our reference department for almost 5 years. I just graduated with my MLS. You need the degree. There are nuances to working in the library that most paraprofessionals don't know/see/care about. School didn't cover customer service, but it did cover all *theory* behind what I do. I am a better para because of school and will be a better librarian because of para experience.
Janet Webb MSLS
-------------- Original message from Carl Long <carl.long at reading.lib.pa.us>: -------------- 


> Jesse, 
> 
> 1) Few things are brain surgery, besides brain surgery that is. And yes 
> there are professions out there that are intellectually more rigorous 
> and more challenging than most of librarianship - so what. There are 
> degrees that are intellectually more rigorous and more challenging than 
> the MLS - so what. I guarantee that those in masters programs for pure 
> mathematics and physics would say that their degree was at least 10 
> times harder than any humanities masters - does that then make your 
> anthropology degree worthless? (I don't believe it does by the way) 
> Librarians don't get the respect they deserve. I would argue that very 
> few professions have as many intelligent, educated, and dedicated 
> professionals that do not receive the proper credit and respect than 
> librarianship – even by members of our own profession! 
> 
> 2) As I said before a certain portion of paraprofessionals have the 
> smarts and experience to adequately handle professional librarianship. 
> Those who do should earn their masters and start their careers. Those 
> who don’t should simply have to deal with reduced roles in professional 
> librarianship and library leadership. 
> 
> Experience certainly goes a long way in ANY profession. Even fields as 
> rigorous as engineering used to allow non-degreed or partially degreed 
> “engineer assistants” to qualify as full engineers after so many years 
> on the job. Degrees don’t absolutely guarantee anything. But again 
> that’s not the point. You place anyone with the innate capabilities and 
> desire in a capacity that they have within themselves to handle, degree 
> or no degree, and you give them enough time on the job, they will catch 
> on. The MLS (or its equivalent) is like bootcamp it relatively quickly 
> sets the professional up on proper legs, immerses them in professional 
> standards, methods, vocabularies, etc. and more or less certifies that 
> the individual has paid their dues and is basically capable. Or at least 
> educated enough to educate themselves later on as the need arises. 
> 
> 3) It is easy to minimize the skills of professional librarian for those 
> who take librarianship for granted or for those who simply have no idea 
> what they are talking about. I am certain that most non-professionals 
> could “point in the direction of the nearest rest room” just as well as 
> any professional librarian. However, the subtle manipulation of subject 
> headings, research methods, the reference interview, instructing (in 
> formal classroom settings as well as informal), technical proficiencies, 
> searching for information, organizing it, locating it, synthesizing it 
> and evaluating it, cataloging (creating and/or using the catalog), 
> public speaking, and researching/publication – are another matter 
> altogether. I fail to see how the above does not enumerate a 
> professional career. Librarianship is much more than pointing to the 
> mystery section and Googling Lindsay Lohan. 
> 
> 
> Best Regards, 
> Carl 
> Reading Public Library 
> http://www.reading.lib.pa.us/ 
> 
> 
> Jesse Ephraim wrote: 
> >> It is true that certain non-professionals are 
> >> capable of performing the required duties of a 
> >> professional librarian through natural gifts and 
> >> experience. Just like a few gifted and highly 
> >> experienced nurses could fill in for the doctor 
> >> in a pinch. But just like a nurse is not a 
> >> doctor, a paraprofessional is not a professional 
> >> librarian. In the US the requirement for that status 
> >> is the MLS or it's equivalent. 
> >> 
> > 
> > Librarianship is not brain surgery. 
> > 
> > I have met a LOT of paraprofessionals who can easily do the job of a 
> > degreed librarian. A little experience on the job is much, much more 
> > important than the ivory-tower conception of reality that is pushed in 
> > library schools. I learned far more about real-world library skills 
> > from working in a Borders bookstore 20 years ago. 
> > 
> > To be blunt, the Masters programs that feed the profession are nowhere 
> > near as complex or work-intensive as most other programs that offer 
> > graduate degrees. I know that I did (easily) 10 times as much work in 
> > anthropology grad school than I did when getting my MLS. We downgrade 
> > our own profession by not requiring a lot more rigor in our education, 
> > particularly when it comes to technical skills. 
> > 
> > I think we would be better served by requiring a librarianship 
> > undergraduate degree for entry-level positions. The Masters programs 
> > should relate to an area of specialty, like library IT systems, 
> > management, advanced youth librarianship, etc. 
> > 
> > Y'all can yell at me now ;) 
> > 
> > Jesse Ephraim 
> > 
> > Youth Services Librarian 
> > Southlake Public Library 
> > 1400 Main St., Ste. 130 
> > Southlake, TX 76092 
> > 
> > Email: jephraim at ci.southlake.tx.us 
> > Phone: (817) 748-8248 
> > FAX: (817) 748-8250 
> > www.southlakelibrary.org 
> > uncommonly friendly service 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
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