From the President of RUSA: Librarians as Target

Abstract

I have noticed lately that I am experiencing both internal and external challenges to my profession. There are days that I feel wedged between doubters on the inside and antagonists on the outside. This makes me pause and reflect. So, reflect I will.

I am a library science (LIS) educator, and, as such, I encounter students new to the program who are working paraprofessionals in their local libraries. Some, in fact, have held these jobs for a number of years before deciding to seek a professional degree. Early in the program, they question the need for the professional library science degree. As far as they are concerned, their libraries run efficiently, jobs are clearly defined, and everyone knows the weekly routines. What more is there to know? I am certain many library science educators encounter these questions and are ready with their rationale and refrains. The prescription sounds something like this: take the management course, the copyright course, the intellectual freedom course, the digital libraries course, the metadata course, seven other courses, and come see me in three semesters. We’ll talk some more about the necessity of the degree. (Rest assured, I jest a bit.)