Since November myself and a fellow librarian have been mulling over the idea for an article about Library Schools and the role they play, or more specifically - what role they're not playing - as the rise of paraprofessionals come aboard in the work place. After reading "If it quacks like a librarian..." I don't think there's much we can add to the argument, really. Or, if nothing else, Gordon sums up what I personally think about the topic better than I ever will. To paraphrase a portion...
"It’s one thing to value the MLS. It’s another thing entirely to condescend to non-MLS librarians (yes, I said librarians), paraprofessionals, and other non-degreed library workers, to discount
their opinions, and to ignore their contributions to their libraries and to librarianship as a whole...
What is it they say about academia — that the politics are so fierce because the stakes are so low? All this talk about “erosion of professional standards” boils down to this: we’re terrified because the outside world doesn’t tend to value librarians, and we’re worried people will pounce on any excuse to fire us, lower our salaries, or otherwise devalue us further.
Well, guess what. The outside world doesn’t know — or care — that librarians have an MLS. They don’t care what LJ decides to print. They just care about the service they receive and whether someone can do the job she was hired to do...An MLS doesn’t automatically make someone a good librarian, just as the lack of an MLS doesn’t automatically make someone a bad — or non — librarian."
I encourage anyone interested in this very current, and very heated, topic, on either side of the argument, to read Gordon's piece in its entirety - it isn't long but, then again, it doesn't need to be. As with most LIS topics - leave out the BS and quality content could be had in two paragraphs or less. 'Nuff said...
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1 comment:
I would like to read this article! Finally someone who seems to be making sense.
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