[Publib] PhD

[Sara Weissman]

>>but a Ph.D. in Library and/or Information Studies/Science? 
I've twice, in my 36-yr library career, flirted with the PhD (which to me, in LIS, means TEACHING it).  First while on faculty/staff at Rutgers (where I was a sometimes guest speaker in the PhD seminars.those folks now run programs elsewhere.)  That was derailed when one summer I was tasked with preparing all dissertations (good old UMI microfilm, all) for cataloguing into the collection and realized I would never write anything like those/didn't want to add to the noise.  Second, while doing post-grad work at UToronto FLIS (gad! WHAT a school) and was sidetracked by being in country, but not on a student visa. [Sidebar: one does one's best learning when it is untied from grades, degrees, etc., is just for the sake of acquiring new information/perspectives. As noted in earlier post? I've loved the online CE classes I've taken that past few winters (always).]

I think the PhD, in any profession that wants to look ahead and maintain stringent professional standards, is important, but hardly essential to day to day practice. In my experience, PhD'ness is in fact rather divorced from actual practice??  
   Some few of us should be PhD's, for the good of the field/our future. But it is not given to many of us to have the time/discipline/focus/perspective to do it. Kudos to those of you who are Dr. Librarian  (McClure, Lankes, etc.)  The rest of us will run the institutions you study and marvel at the futures (25+ yrs. out) that you see for us.

--------
Reference Dept
Morris County Library
http://www.mclib.info
(973) 285-6969