Jen_B writes “The Chronicle is featuring an article today which provides advice for PhDs seeking to entire Academic Librarianship.
Mainly this piece speaks to the resentment that PhDs face when they are seen to be “slumming it” in the library. The advice seems fairly sound, but comments such as,
“Sell your commitment to, and aptitude for, library work. State your intention to complete a master’s degree in library science. Under no circumstances should you question your need for the credential openly, whatever your feelings on the matter,” really got my goat.”
got your goat?
Why?
Re:got your goat?
Well, I guess it felt a little elitist and condescending to those of us who do see the MLA value, if only as a right of passage. Now, granted, I am not in an Academic Library, so I don’t know how I would feel if I were in one.
It is good advice (you never want to mock the people you want to work with), but it felt sneaky.
Re:got your goat?
Not that I have a goat, gotten or otherwise.
Re:got your goat?
Sneaky but honest. If you spent tens of thousands of dollars getting a PhD and then were told you had to get a Masters because at the very least its a ‘right of passage’ what would be the first words out of your mouth?
Ph.D.’s in Libraries
Actually, I did receive my Ph.D. in May and started library school in June. Other newly minted Ph.D.’s thought I was crazy. I wasn’t even unemployed!
It was the best thing I ever did. I would have had no credibility with faculty without the Ph.D. (I eventually became chairman of the faculty, then chief academic officer of a college before returning to libraries) and I would have had no credibility — and rightfully so — with librarians without an MLS.
Deanna Marcum is a bright woman, but this idea of providing welfare for unemployed Ph.D.’s by giving them some hurried (and from what I hear), not very good training is a bad idea. Sure, keep ’em in staff positions (bibliographers etc) but what do they know about library services?
heh ;>
I’m sure we could find you an old goat or two
— Ender, Duke_of_URL
Re:Ph.D.’s in Libraries
I’m very curious about where you have heard that the training CLIR is offering Ph.D.’s is “not very good.” I am a soon-to-be Ph.D. who wants to be a librarian; I absolutely plan to get an MLS, and think anyone who is serious about a career in the field should plan to do the same, Ph.D. or not. I can’t say that I am delighted about the prospect of signing up for more of the student life, but if I wanted to be a lawyer or a doctor, I wouldn’t expect my Ph.D. to be enough to get me a job in either of those fields, and I don’t see why librarianship should be any different. Still, the CLIR program (mentioned in the Chronicle article in this series on Thursday, Dec. 9) sounds to me like a great way for Ph.D.’s who are interested in the field to get their feet wet, do some on-the-job learning, and perhaps confirm their enthusiasm for the profession before investing in an expensive library school education. Why call it “welfare for unemployed Ph.D.’s”? I’d be interested in hearing more about why you think the program isn’t effective.