“Why isn’t that a good idea? Seems as though it is a very good idea in some librarians’ minds – at least those in Connecticut, Kentucky and Maine.” – and NORTH CAROLINA.
The University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill’s renowned School of Information and Library Science has recently announced –
Dual Bachelor’s – Master’s Program
The Dual Bachelor’s – Master’s Program is a unique offering in higher education. Of the 24 iSchools in North America, only 4 offer an accelerated Bachelor’s – Master’s program of any sort; and other than these 4 iSchools, only 1 of the 58 programs accredited by the American Library Association offer an accelerated Bachelor’s – Master’s program.
The dual Bachelor’s – Master’s program is intended to enable Information Science (IS) majors to obtain both their BS and MS degree by early planning of an undergraduate program that integrates well with the graduate degree requirements for either a Master’s in Information Science (MSIS) or a Master’s in Library Science (MSLS). While the BSIS provides sound preparation for entry into the information professions, the Master’s degree provides a distinct advantage to those who aim to advance to managerial or leadership positions.
The BSIS and Master’s programs prepare students for careers in public, private, and governmental institutions of all kinds as information system analysts, designers and developers, data managers, web designers, librarians, archivists, and similar areas. The SILS curricula offer students a sound foundation of coursework, augmented by projects, internships (field experience), and research opportunities that contribute to making SILS graduates highly sought after by employers.
With this kind of horsepower behind a BS in library science, maybe we’ll see some movement in this direction – eventually.
OK, let’s agree that the librarianship profession does not attract lots of leader type people. What should we do about that? DUH! We should develop leaders from among those librarians who have an aptitude for it, express an interest in being a leader, and are willing to work to become one. AND, I am not referring to individuals who simply want to get the highest salary or be top dog in their local library, or library association. I am referring to REAL LEADERS – those librarians who “by force of example, talents, and/or qualities of character” will play a directing role and wield commanding influence to inspire others to follow them in creating a 21st Century Library.
How do we, either individually or collectively, develop real leaders within the librarian community? Obviously, by educating, training, mentoring and nurturing those who would seek to become leaders.
In my December 19 Post Why Not a Bachelor’s in Library Science?, I explored the idea of establishing the BS degree as entry level for the librarianship profession, not the MLS. Teaching management and leadership at this level creates a foundation of knowledge and skills upon which the entering librarian can build through experience, mentoring and nurturing. That’s how it’s done in every other profession! Librarianship is missing the boat.
I cited responses from BLS programs that included this.
2. We believe that librarians, especially public librarians, are called upon to do much more than their earlier counterparts. Skills in technology, management, marketing, and finance are needed for the 21st Century Librarian. Can all this be learned in the 36 credit hours of most Master’s programs? The Library Informatics program compliments graduate level studies in Library Science and provides a pathway for library science students.
Pointed and succinct! “Skills in … management … are needed for the 21st Century Librarian. The [BS] program compliments graduate level studies in Library Science and provides a pathway for library science students.” WE ARE NOT CURRENTLY PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE PATHWAY FOR LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT WITHIN OUR PROFESSION. It is totally unrealistic to expect a MLS graduate to spontaneously develop the management or leadership skills necessary to lead a library. That should begin at the undergraduate level!
What about local or national programs for developing leader librarians? Well, they’re better than nothing, but how many people have time and resources to invest in attending this type of continuing education away from their librarian job? And, who are the people teaching these “leadership” courses or programs? What is their background in leadership education, experience or talent? Any really useful or effective programs are few.
Leadership Training: ACRL/Harvard Advanced Leadership Institute for Senior Academic Librarians
The Advanced Leadership Institute for Senior Academic Librarians enables senior library leaders to better understand and respond to a complicated set of leadership challenges facing academic libraries.
For a handful of ‘senior’ academic librarians.
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Leadership Training: Emerging Leaders
The ALA Emerging Leaders (EL) program is a leadership development program which enables newer library workers from across the country to participate in problem-solving work groups, network with peers, gain an inside look into ALA structure, and have an opportunity to serve the profession in a leadership capacity. It puts participants on the fast track to ALA committee volunteerism as well as other professional library-related organizations. [Emphasis added.]
I love this one. Let ALA train you to be an ALA committee member – NOT A “LEADER” – a volunteer to help perpetuate the organization.
Another limited, although very important, segment of the librarianship profession.
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California State Library, in partnership with Infopeople
Leadership Training: Eureka! Leadership Program: Discover the Leader Within
The California State Library, in partnership with Infopeople, is pleased to offer an exciting professional development initiative – the Eureka! Leadership Program: Discover the Leader Within. The Program has been designed for professional librarians with between three and ten years of professional library experience, but is also open to those in library management positions who do not have an MLS. The Program is looking for California library staff who exhibit leadership potential and are willing to share with others their enthusiasm, optimism, and vision for future library services.
Although CSL has a sterling reputation, this reads a bit tentative to me. Not to mention that the program wants librarians who have between 3 – 10 years experience, so I guess all the rest of you are out of luck for developing your leadership skills. You either don’t know enough to get leadership training, or you’re over the hill – career wise.
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Wyoming State Library
Leadership Training: Wyoming Library Leadership Institute
The Wyoming Library Leadership Institute operates two institutes. During the even-year summer we will hold the library leadership institute for new attendees. During the odd years we will hold an advanced leadership institute opened to anyone who has attended in the past. The Library Leadership Institute exists to provide opportunities for learning, mentoring and developing leadership skills to promote the personal and professional growth of the Wyoming library community. The institute is a tool for nurturing both degreed and non-degreed individuals in leadership roles. It is not a workshop on becoming a library director or a workshop on library administration.
Although several states have leadership programs of some form, this one above from Wyoming caught my attention as addressing real leadership issues, and just leadership. “… to provide opportunities for learning, mentoring and developing leadership skills to promote the personal and professional growth of the Wyoming library community.”
It doesn’t get off track with developing “cohort groups”, “identifying the local, state and global environment”, “leadership roles within [state library association]“, “advance up the career ladder in library management”, or some other non-leadership topics. Iowa and North Carolina also have interesting sounding programs, but the total list of resources for leadership development is woefully short. Every state should have a leadership institute or program, focused strictly on “leadership”.
Most of the significant accomplishments within the profession regarding leadership development need to be achieved through entry level education that creates a solid foundation, followed by mentoring and nurturing on the job, with regular exposure to leadership programs at the state and/or local level. Again, we are not currently providing an “effective” pathway for leadership development within our profession. It is ludicrously unrealistic to expect a MLS graduate to spontaneously develop the management or leadership skills necessary to lead a library.
If the librarianship profession expects its leaders to “by force of example, talents, and/or qualities of character play a directing role, wield commanding influence or have a following” in reestablishing the relevance of the library in the 21st Century community, it had better get started by developing real leaders among new librarians – and hope and pray it’s not too late.
What do you think of when you read the word leaders? Odds are librarians is not the first image that comes to mind. The stereotypical image of librarian is still most often the somewhat graying woman saying “shush”, as much as it pains us all to admit it. That image is pretty much antithetical to the image of leader. The leader image is strong, decisive, charismatic, knowledgeable, etc., etc.
So why don’t even librarians think of themselves when it comes to thinking about a leader? There are probably many reasons including the historically clerical and scholarly nature of the profession. Add to that the majority of people who gravitate to librarianship are self-professed introverts who prefer books over people, have a passion for reading more than doing, and like working around others who share their enjoyment of books and reading. All very noble traits, but not generally associated with leadership.
A definition of leader that I have used for many years is;
A person, who by force of example, talents, and/or qualities of character plays a directing role, wields commanding influence or has a following in any sphere of activity or thought.
By contrast, to put leader in better perspective, a definition of a manager is;
A person who conducts, directs or supervises activities, especially the executive functions of planning, organizing, coordinating, directing, controlling and supervising of any business type project or activity with responsibility for results.
In short, a leader “does the right things”, while a manager “does things right” is a rough characterization. That is not to say the two roles are separate or mutually exclusive, because they are very much compatible, and each role generally requires some elements of the other, which is why so many people have a hard time distinguishing real leaders from good managers.
The distinction is in the “person, who by force of example, talents, and/or qualities of character plays a directing role, wields commanding influence or has a following”. Leaders have followers!
I don’t want to get bogged down here in all the nuances of leadership or followership, but the distinction is very important. Having authority over your subordinates makes it easy for you to tell them what to do and how and when to do it, because there are consequences if they fail to accomplish what you direct them to do. You are their Boss! Unless you’re a terrible person, employees will follow the boss.
Genuine leaders make followers among others over whom they have no authority. By “force of example, talents, and/or qualities of character” they play a directing role and wield commanding influence, and have a following. True leaders not only do the right things, they influence others to lend their support to whatever activity the leader pursues.
A real leader of a library makes the organization the best it can possibly be, while influencing the employees, board members, supporters and customers to help the leader’s efforts. It will require real leaders in the librarianship profession to recapture the library’s relevance, and guide it into the uncharted 21st Century future.
Since all libraries and leaders are different, there is no formula for creating an excellent library. However, developing a strategy and plan for achieving excellence is the most important plan you’ll ever create. The six steps discussed below will help you outline an effective strategy for achieving excellence in your leadership and in your library.
1. Assessment: In order to get where you want to go you have to know where you are. That seems exceedingly obvious, but many leaders look more toward where they want to go than where they are. Therefore, the best route to get from where they are to where they want to be is never charted. No strategy is planned as to how they should proceed. They end up side tracked because they know what they want but not how to achieve it. Without sign posts, intermediate check points and alternate routes, it is hard for anyone to get where they want to go, especially when you need to take dozens, or hundreds, or even a handful of people (each with their own ideas) along with you. However, it can be just this simple:
a) know precisely what you want your library to achieve,
b) assess where you are now,
c) establish indicators to tell you your progress toward your library excellence goal and,
d) above all else, stay on track.
2. Build on Small Successes: Success is contagious. Everyone wants it. When people see others being successful they will make efforts to be successful themselves, at whatever they can. Build on whatever successes you can find in your library. If it is one department, one campaign, a single program, or even one excellent employee, emphasize their success and give them the “bragging rights” they have earned. Do not let anyone or any part of the library rest on their laurels. Excellence is achieved through constant effort and success.
3. Create Uniqueness: Just being successful does not guarantee achieving excellence. Uniqueness helps create that extra spirit which makes successful libraries excellent ones. A library mascot, common hardships, adversity turned into triumph, a history, or most anything that identifies the library can spark that uniqueness. Anything that members can hold up as a rally symbol to create that desire to belong to this library over any other library promotes the intangible motivation to excellence. Are there any positive stories or “legends” that live on in your library? Any that typifies the highest values of excellence? Or, just the ones that typify the existing values of self-preservation and people really don’t come first?
4. Control Competition: Competition is inherent in almost every human endeavor. Competition is a healthy motivator if used constructively. If one section or department always wins the “BEST WHATEVER AWARD” then competition becomes destructive. Competition should be channeled toward beating the high standards that will achieve excellence. Exceeding “minimum” standards, or just exceeding the libraries own “personal best” at anything is the most constructive competition to pursue, not beating each other. Beating each other creates a WINNER-LOSER situation. Beating the standards creates an EVERYBODY WINS situation. Competition can also be directed externally at a recognized problem. How can we show our relevance to the community? How can we attract more customers? How long can we keep the circulation growing? How can we gain more strategic partners?
5. Teamwork: Teamwork in an excellent library is valued more than individual expression. Library goals are valued more than individual interests. Activities are planned to promote teamwork and recognition is shared by team members. Teamwork is contagious also. Successful teams at the smallest level will lead to success in building teamwork at the library level.
6. Strong Library Identity: Members of excellent libraries know it and want to tell people. Strong library identification is also called “library pride.” Excellent libraries keep and attract excellent people who want to belong because it fulfills their need to be associated with a successful organization.
If all the factors discussed above are exercised by excellent leaders, excellent libraries with strong library pride will result.
Why isn’t that a good idea? Seems as though it is a very good idea in some librarians’ minds – at least those in Connecticut, Kentucky and Maine.
ALA has a webpage promoted by the Council On Library/Media Technicians (COLT) which lists institutions, by state, that offer training and education programs for ‘librarians’. I found three with BS programs, and contacted each.
One program director deferred to the ALA formal position regarding educational programs by writing back;
The American Library Association accredited only the Master of Library and Information Studies level programs. The MLS/MLIS is for the entry level professional librarian and information specialist qualification in the US. Please check the American Library Association’s website, under education and training, or under ALA accreditation.
The B.S. ILS program is for the paraprofessional, such as library technical assistant position in libraries. There is also a minor requirement. You could find more information about the undergraduate programs from our Southern Connecticut State University.
The second response was much more informative, and described the necessity for a BS program in library informatics.
Why create an undergraduate program in Library Science?
1. In Kentucky there is a gap in education for library staff and future MLS librarians. A state law requires all public library employees to be certified. … There was a gap in education between the Associate degree and the Master of Library Science offered at the University of Kentucky.
2. We believe that librarians, especially public librarians, are called upon to do much more than their earlier counterparts. Skills in technology, management, marketing, and finance are needed for the 21st Century Librarian. Can all this be learned in the 36 credit hours of most Master’s programs? The Library Informatics program compliments graduate level studies in Library Science and provides a pathway for library science students.
3. Rural librarianship! In Kentucky, almost one-third of our rural library directors do not have an undergraduate degree. Salaries are low and it is almost impossible to recruit a MLS librarian to these areas. Fortunately, the Institute for Museum and Library Services has agreed with us and funded two major grant proposals. The first project was Bridging the Gap: Supplying the Next Generation of Librarians to the Underserved Counties of Rural Kentucky. With a budget of over $1.3 million, we have given out over 50 scholarships, technology stipends, and provided mentors for students.
These are very good reasons for instituting a BS program to meet the needs of the profession in that state. I’m certain many more states have similar circumstances that warrant similar programs.
I recently spoke with the third respondent Dr. Jodi Williams, Information and Library Service Program Director, University of Maine at Augusta. She runs the Bachelor of Science in Information and Library Service program, and has since 2004 when she joined UMA coming from a faculty position at an institution that offered an undergraduate program in LIS, as well as a MLIS program. UMA offers a certificate, associate and bachelor’s degrees in Information and Library Service, and has since the 1990s. As she said; “Our program found a niche.”
Maine’s library community is like many other states in that it is appreciably rural and geographically dispersed. Many states can identify with that, as well as the pressing need to offer training and education in the librarianship profession. Decades ago the Maine State Librarian went to UMA (which is not a graduate-degree granting institution), and asked about offering librarianship programs for their diverse library community, partly because UMA was exploring distance education. The rest of the evolutionary and revolutionary story is history.
Years ago the program was about 70% Maine residents, but today the LIS program has 250 students, with about 30% Maine residents. The other 70% are from other states and foreign countries. Dr. Williams has traveled to the Pacific Islands to discuss articulation agreements, and plans to work with Salt Lake Community College, UT, next year about a similar associate degree articulation agreement. She also mentioned that she and the UMA BILS program have name recognition in Colorado – a noteworthy achievement by any standard.
One of the most striking features of the BS program is the requirement for each student to complete a practicum, supervised by an MLS “Librarian”. Not only is it an AH-HA experience for the students, even for those who have worked in the library for years and are reticent to do a practicum, but more importantly for the MLS librarians who supervise the BILS students. During our conversation, Dr. Williams told me that she is a change agent by “emissaries”, not activism, and has found repeatedly that this practicum experience for the seasoned MLS librarians has changed their opinion of the value of a BS degree to the individual, their library organization, and the profession.
Dr. Williams has noted an evolving recognition of a “career ladder” within the segments of the librarian profession with which she deals that supports a BS as entry level and MILS for advancement. The BS program is very much oriented toward the practical application of librarianship, compared to the theoretical perspective of an MLS program. It sounds to me like graduates leave the UMA BILS program actually knowing how to do things in their first librarian job, as opposed to MLS graduates who leave that program maybe understanding what needs to be done. How refreshing!
She said her students graduate with a confidence in their ability to be immediately effective in their first library position, which to me seems much more worthwhile than an MLS graduate who has never worked in a library and complains about “What they don’t teach you in library school.” That also sounds to me like the BILS librarian can DO the job, whereas the MLS librarian can TALK about the job! Why isn’t that a good thing for the graduate and the library?
Again, my question is – “Why not a bachelor in library science?” Can any program that achieves the following goals be a bad thing – for individuals, the library organization, or the profession? UMA’s ILS program website contains the following.
Trained library personnel must respond to the rapid national surge in information technology, and the Information and Library Services program provides relevant courses to assist students in acquiring this evolving knowledge and the skills necessary to become effective and well-informed members of a library team. Associate of Science and Bachelor of Science degrees in Information and Library Services are available at UMA.
…
This program prepares individuals for immediate entry into positions which support library and information service professionals; to upgrade skills of staff who are presently working in school, public, academic, and special libraries and in other information intensive positions and organizations. The program will prepare students for a career as a library and information services assistant. Students will examine policies and issues related to libraries, library careers, and the library profession.
Dr. Williams clarified the advantages of the UMA BILS program even further by stating in an email that;
Our degree very much promotes that there is a place for everyone at the table, but that we need a stronger understanding of those places and how people can move through the channels with both experience and different levels of education. This is about learning across a spectrum and understanding that some want the Masters while other students who come through our program are happily situated in their current jobs and glad to have the practical skills to better serve their patrons.
Based on that astute summary of a BS in ILS program, what can be so wrong with a profession that has the normal hierarchy of educational requirements for advancement – associate, bachelor’s, master’s, doctorate? Nothing! That old argument about library technicians do a more technical and specific job, while “Librarians” (meaning MLS degreed) are generalists and management candidates that can do everything DOES NOT HOLD WATER! It’s simply RHETORIC to justify the arbitrary distinctions between “professional” and “para-professional”! We all know that there are virtually no authorities (i.e., governments, librarian unions, etc.) that dictate who can and cannot do certain librarianship tasks within a library organization.
“OK, since you don’t have an MLS, you can only do these limited tasks within the library organization, and since you do have an MLS, you can do all the rest of the tasks that “Librarians” do.” IT DOESN’T HAPPEN! All “librarians” do everything!
Most states don’t even require school librarians to have an MLS, just a library media specialist certificate, and these people are actually in a position that really teaches their customers. Most have degrees in education! Public libraries don’t really have a mission to educate – inform – not educate – big difference. So, is the current system claiming that a master’s degree is more important for public librarians than for public school librarians? If that’s the case, maybe all any public “Librarian” needs is just a bachelor degree with a library media specialist certificate.
There is something drastically wrong with this picture! Why is the MLS entry level for this profession? Just read the over 40 comments to Annoyed Librarian at LibraryJournal.com, and you’ll see – IT SHOULD NOT BE!
All three of the states cited above recognized a need within their states for bachelor’s degree in library science programs. The program found a demand, which is always the first indicator of a need for more wide scale change.
I would sincerely like for any one to give me good reasons for this situation, if there is more to it than just a holdover from 19th Century elitist thinking.
After reading a lot of literature on libraries in this 21st Century, it finally struck me that one area in which I have read virtually nothing is collaboration among librarians. Having consulted with numerous libraries, I find more that do not share ideas and information than do. Naturally, that lead me to investigate, and guess what I found – virtually nothing.
There is the Committee on Institutional Cooperation (CIC) made up of 13 universities partnering with Google to digitize up to 10 million volumes from their collections. The CIC’s collaborative efforts span the academic enterprise of its members, including:
• cooperative purchasing
• course sharing
• professional development programs
• library resources
• information technology
• faculty and staff networking
• study abroad
• diversity initiatives for students and faculty
There is also the Young Librarian Association in India “To promote and foster cooperation and communication among the members of YLA, the Library community, other library organizations, and other associations.”
OCLC says, “[A]lmost a decade into the 21st century, we can see that increasing technological and social changes impact how all individuals and groups cooperate. Coming from a long tradition of sharing, libraries may be better-suited than other industries to benefit from increased cooperative opportunities.”
Of course, every state has a State Library Association comprised of dues-paying members, some of whom actually attend the annual conference. Many more don’t. Which is another reason to ask – Why don’t librarians collaborate more? In this new frontier of librarianship, doesn’t it seem important for librarians to collaborate and share their experiences? Most organizations call it sharing their “lessons learned.”
There are many librarians who are creating success stories in their local library, and how many share those with their colleagues?
How many colleagues call up or visit their neighbor to see what challenges they are facing and successes they have achieved?
How many organizations have a means to routinely share their success stories?
What obstacles exist that prevent librarians from sharing their achievements – problems – issues – challenges?
Doesn’t sharing experiences with colleagues equate to professional development? Who doesn’t need professional development?
My suggestion – If you want to be a successful 21st Century Librarian, COLLABORATE MORE WITH YOUR PEERS!
George Lucas is a very smart talented guy who has earned every bit of fame and fortune he enjoys. He did it by creating something that people all over the world enjoyed, and still enjoy. His award winning Star Wars industry has spawned billions of products and billions of customers. So? Well, just when we thought Star Wars was a part of history – Lucas goes and reinvents it – all over again (as Yogi Berra would say).
Next February, Episode I will be re-released in theaters in 3D. Think about it – from low tech Episode IV in theaters in 1977 (a movie he wasn’t sure would even sell), to Episodes V and VI that made George Lucas, Luke, Leia, Han, R2-D2, C-3PO and the rest household names, to finally Episodes I, II and III that completed the series from 1999 through 2005 (although not as popular but much more high tech – including the THX sound he invented – epic films) with overall box office revenue estimated at approximately $4.4 Billion for the four decade span of film making. Star Wars has become a piece of Americana – R2-D2 and C-3PO are in the Smithsonian!
Point being – Lucas created something that people enjoyed and eventually demanded, and was able to keep re-inventing by adding value to the product. Episodes I, II and III had value added to the series. The DVDs in digital 16:9 wide-screen were value added over the analog 4:3 VHS tapes. Blu-Ray was value added over the DVD version. NOW, Lucas has finally created another value added version of his Star Wars product in 3D which he will release over the next few years, and earn another truckload of money. Lucas and his organization know how to add value.
The 21st Century library must become the value added provider of information services for the community. It must find the products and services that no other organization within the community can provide, and add value to them in relationship to 21st Century customer information wants and needs. This obviously means finding out what those information products and services are, and how to add value to them. Get outside your comfort zone and just DO IT.
I’ve written about 21st Century librarians needing to think outside the box, which is not easy for most librarians. I think that is because of the professional indoctrination of SLIS and other CE and professional conferences that tend to simply provide more of the same conversations about the same issues and safe solutions. What being a 21st Century Librarian requires is getting well outside your comfort zone – both personally and professionally.
The comfort zone is a behavioral state within which a person operates in an anxiety-neutral condition, using a limited set of behaviors to deliver a steady level of performance, usually without a sense of risk (White 2009).[1] … Highly successful persons may routinely step outside their comfort zones, to accomplish what they wish. A comfort zone is a type of mental conditioning that causes a person to create and operate mental boundaries. Such boundaries create an unfounded sense of security. Like inertia, a person who has established a comfort zone in a particular axis of his or her life, will tend to stay within that zone without stepping outside of it. To step outside a person’s comfort zone, they must experiment with new and different behaviors, and then experience the new and different responses that then occur within their environment.
And, that describes so many librarians (yes, and lots of other professionals also), so it doesn’t really need to be embellished.
The point is, that in order to become a 21st Century Librarian, one CAN NOT;
• remain in an anxiety-neutral condition and expect to accomplish NEW goals,
• stay inside self-imposed mental boundaries and realize a NEW vision of a 21st Century Library,
• overcome the inertia of status quo without experimenting with NEW behaviors to address NEW library customer and community needs, and
• become a 21st Century Librarian by continuing to do the same job you did last year and every year before that.
Flickr
What you CAN DO by staying inside your comfort zone is maintain your current library for as long as others will allow it to survive. No one will blame you when your library closes because that’s just the way the economy and governing bodies are these days. No one will blame you because you stayed within the professionally accepted norms and did everything you could within those norms. No one will blame you for your library’s failure to meet the needs of your community and remain relevant, because the future is so unpredictable and changes so quickly. How could you know what to do?
The 21st Century requires new thinking and new approaches to solving problems. Librarians MUST respond to new challenges by stepping outside their comfort zone to experience new behaviors and create new mental boundaries that expand their options for new solutions to new issues.
21st Century librarianship is WAY OUTSIDE your comfort zone!
According to the Wall Street Journal post From College Major to Career, “Choosing the right college major can make a big difference in students’ career prospects, in terms of employment and pay. Here’s a look at how various college majors fare in the job market, based on 2010 Census data.” WSJ gleaned the study data from a report by Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. Click here for the full report.
When you select Unemployment Percentage – from highest to lowest – the Library Science major ranks #4 at 15%.
While 15% unemployment doesn’t sound all that bad for those entering a new career right out of college, especially in the current economy, but remember that 15% is the projected fourth highest unemployment rate for all 40 college majors studied.
Couple that with the earnings of $23,000 as the second LOWEST on the entire list, just $3,000 ahead of Performing Arts. What does this say about our profession? If it was a business, the prevailing wisdom is that a business that is shrinking is dying. Is librarianship dying?
AND, in response to commentors who are upset that the Post title is misleading, I agree that every Post needs to be truthful and undistorted, and I make every attempt to do so. However, my mistake was not emphasizing that the main point of this Post should be the fact that this Georgetown University report emphasizes that LIS undergraduate degrees are essentially denounced by ALA and these obviously talented people are discriminated against by the profession in which they want to participate. It is ALA’s fault that unemployment is so high among LIS BS degree holders – for whatever reasons ALA may have that appear to be simply elitist. The spotlight needs to be directed on the validity of a BS in LIS and its place within the profession, and within the library organization. NO OTHER profession requires a masters degree to qualify for an entry level position. It’s not only unfair, it’s detrimental to the profession.
Alvin Toffler is a world renowned thinker that people listen to – CLOSELY! He’s saying that we need to “Shut down the public education system.” In a recent interview with Edutopia, Toffler said he was echoing what Bill Gates – another big thinker that people listen to – said roughly, “We don’t need to reform the system; we need to replace the system.”
Toffler added that “The public school system is designed to produce a workforce for an economy that will not be there. And therefore, with all the best intentions in the world, we’re stealing the kids’ future.” So, in addition to creating a massive debt for future generations of Americans, we are stealing their future through a nearly worthless education system? WOW! Anybody else think something HAS to change?
Why does everybody have to start at age five? Maybe some kids should start at age eight and work fast. Or vice versa. Why is everything massified in the system, rather than individualized in the system? New technologies make possible customization in a way that the old system — everybody reading the same textbook at the same time — did not offer.
Any form of diversity that we can introduce into the schools is a plus. Today, we have a big controversy about all the charter schools that are springing up. The school system people hate them because they’re taking money from them. I say we should radically multiply charter schools, because they begin to provide a degree of diversity in the system that has not been present. Diversify the system.
… Businesses have to change at 100 miles per hour because if they don’t, they die. Competition just puts them out of the game. So they’re traveling very, very fast. … [G]oing 10 miles per hour. That’s the public education system. Schools are supposed to be preparing kids for the business world of tomorrow, to take jobs, to make our economy functional. The schools are changing, if anything, at 10 miles per hour. So, how do you match an economy that requires 100 miles per hour with an institution like public education? A system that changes, if at all, at 10 miles per hour?
Let’s hope and assume that significant education reform will happen on a nation-wide scale in the near future. What does that mean for librarianship?
So, let’s sit down as a culture, as a society, and say, “Teachers, parents, people outside, how do we completely rethink this? We’re going to create a new system from ground zero, and what new ideas have you got?” And collect those new ideas. That would be a very healthy thing for the country to do.
I just feel it’s inevitable that there will have to be change. The only question is whether we’re going to do it starting now, or whether we’re going to wait for catastrophe.
Think about your library in these new terms.
These are the fundamentals of Toffler’s vision for education in the 21st century:
• Open 24 hours a day
• Customized educational experience
• Kids arrive at different times
• Students begin their formalized schooling at different ages
• Curriculum is integrated across disciplines
• Non-teachers work with teachers
• Teachers alternate working in schools and in business world
• Local businesses have offices in the schools
• Increased number of charter schools
Does a customized educational experience mean a customized library experience? OF COURSE! Isn’t that what 21st Century librarianship means – your library that meets your community’s needs? OF COURSE!
The University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill’s renowned School of Information and Library Science has recently announced – 
