Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Quote:
Originally Posted by AGG1659 One of the Librarians at my local Library has been there for nearly 35 years and she is wonderful at her job. She doesn't even have a BA. Makes you wonder how many amazing people they skip out on who just have BA's and High School Diplomas.
*quote* Im pretty sure 35 years of experience trumps a Masters right out of college. *endquote*
I just hope that Librarian who doesn't have a degree doesn't need to find a new job. I'm afraid her 35 years of experience wouldn't count for much if she applied for a similar position. All today's employers care about are degrees.
I hadn't really thought about who assigned a book the call number(?) be it Dewey or Library O'Congress. I had assumed that ther was a central "authoritay" that assigned these. This is "cataloging" right? Does this mean a specific title/edition could have different call#s in different libraries. This would drive Adrian Monk nuts! (imagines a roomful of bun-haired, bespectacled, buxom sweater-clad librarians "cataloging" "Filthy Shades of Grey" - hubba hubba - drinks on me! Sorry guy librarians!)
How many female librarians do you know in real life? That old bun and glasses wearing stereotype went the way of the wind a very long time ago...
My local college libraries have signs up saying don't reshelve - they want to scan the books that just get browsed/read onsite but not checked out. (or is it so the books are accurately/correctly reshelved?)
I doubt if most libraries, be they college or other of other varieties, have time to scan all the books casually left lying on tables by patrons, but all libraries have an interest in correct shelving and most libraries have signs such as you cite, asking patrons not to reshelf books. Library pages are normally assigned this job, and they are taught how to shelve correctly, a simple process which still requires considerable attention to detail, particularly if a library's in-house cataloger is fond of run-on Dewey Decimal numbers, which may extend out to five or six places past the decimal point in order to distinguish a particular volume from similar books.
However, it's possible that a limited time survey was in progress when you saw the sign referring to scanning unread material. Libraries conduct all kinds of patron and material usage surveys from time to time in order to improve their service.
A public librarian I know well once had to list the percentage and background of ethnic minority group members who attended a series of librarian-planned family-oriented culturally themed library programs partially funded by federal funds received through a grant the librarian obtained (for the library) by filling out a lengthy application form from a state arts council. These figures were then to be compared with local populations of each listed minority.
The Inuit people were included on the list of groups which had to be accounted for.
The library in question was located in central Kentucky, rather far away from the Alaskan/Canadian home of the Inuit. The librarian found that there were a grand total of five Inuits in the library's community, none of whom attended the program series in question. But this still had to be reported, according to the grant guidelines!
So it might be that the sign you saw was intended to assist the library staff with some similarly esoteric survey requirement. Or it could have been just to discourage the library patrons from misshelving books.
Last edited by CraigCreek; 01-01-2014 at 03:34 PM..
Nope, this has NOTHING to do with the question at hand - seeing as a librarian position has ALWAYS required the MLIS/MLS, even back when my late grandfather entered the career in like 1940. I am actually a librarian with the MLIS, and tbh we get really really sick of answering this question! To the OP, I just have to say "If you think it's an easy job, that only means you have zero clue as to what we actually do." Lemme guess, you think librarians put books on shelves, check books in/out, and read the rest of the day? If so, you are wrong on all counts.
Now for the less snarky answer, the reason we need this degree is because it's a HIGHLY specialized field. There are no (maybe one or two) undergraduate library degrees, and what we need to be successful cannot be learned on the job - maybe eventually, but much faster & more cost-effective to cram into a 2-year graduate degree instead. What do we do, exactly? I'll cut & paste the job description for a public librarian below, but you also have to consider the other types of librarians... academic (college or primary school), corporate, legal, medical, archival, cataloging, etc.
1. Assists patrons in locating and using library facilities and materials, in selecting materials, and in answering a wide variety of questions.
2. Recommends library materials to be purchased, repaired or discarded; may be responsible for the selection and maintenance of library materials of assigned section(s) of the collection and suggests which materials shall be noncirculating materials.
3. Performs reference work; performs research; prepares detailed bibliographies, book lists and other information.
4. Plans and conducts children's. young adults, and adults' programs; meets with school principals; visits and works with various adult and community groups to promote the use of and interest in the library.
5. Catalogs and classifies library material; determines and assigns main entry, cross references and subject headings; adapts Library of Congress cards for the library and participates in determining cataloging policy.
6. Writes reports and correspondence; may supervise the maintenance and/or preparation of various files and records.
7. Plans or assists in planning and setting up displays and exhibits; assists in maintaining a pleasant and orderly atmosphere in the branch or department,
8. May supervise subordinate staff. (FYI: The "subordinate" staff usually includes clerks & pages, who ARE the ones shelving books & doing check in/out)
Knowledge of:
Library tools, methods and procedures; A wide variety of reading material; Library reference materials; Principles and procedures of reference used to locate specific topics; Classification and cataloging systems and principles; Basic computer operations needed to access library networks, applications, software, and productivity tools, as well as common office software applications such as email clients, word processing programs and internet browsers; Digital devices such as personal computers, laptops, tablets, smartphones and eBook readers used by patrons to access library services; Planning, organizing and implementing children's, adult and young adult programs to meet patron needs; Principles and techniques of book selection and evaluation to establish balanced library collections; Library services, programs and policies which serve the community; Common office computer applications and automated Library circulation systems; Principles of supervision; Monitoring budgets; Effective training techniques.
And this is just scratching the surface!! Still think it's an easy job any yahoo can do??
I'm with you on this. I have an older brother who has been a bookworm his entire life (Untrasounds showed him reading while in the womb). He first earned a Masters in History and later, ecstatically, acquired one in Library Science; and briefly worked as a librarian. I was an undergrad at the time and recall helping him with his computer science courses (not my field ). There was a lot of very challenging work involved in his job.
However, ever the debater and also following what seems to be in our family genes (skipped me), my brother went on to get a law degree and worked in that field for some time before retiring.
1. Assists patrons in locating and using library facilities and materials, in selecting materials, and in answering a wide variety of questions.
2. Recommends library materials to be purchased, repaired or discarded; may be responsible for the selection and maintenance of library materials of assigned section(s) of the collection and suggests which materials shall be noncirculating materials.
3. Performs reference work; performs research; prepares detailed bibliographies, book lists and other information.
4. Plans and conducts children's. young adults, and adults' programs; meets with school principals; visits and works with various adult and community groups to promote the use of and interest in the library.
5. Catalogs and classifies library material; determines and assigns main entry, cross references and subject headings; adapts Library of Congress cards for the library and participates in determining cataloging policy.
6. Writes reports and correspondence; may supervise the maintenance and/or preparation of various files and records.
7. Plans or assists in planning and setting up displays and exhibits; assists in maintaining a pleasant and orderly atmosphere in the branch or department,
8. May supervise subordinate staff. (FYI: The "subordinate" staff usually includes clerks & pages, who ARE the ones shelving books & doing check in/out)
Knowledge of:
Library tools, methods and procedures; A wide variety of reading material; Library reference materials; Principles and procedures of reference used to locate specific topics; Classification and cataloging systems and principles; Basic computer operations needed to access library networks, applications, software, and productivity tools, as well as common office software applications such as email clients, word processing programs and internet browsers; Digital devices such as personal computers, laptops, tablets, smartphones and eBook readers used by patrons to access library services; Planning, organizing and implementing children's, adult and young adult programs to meet patron needs; Principles and techniques of book selection and evaluation to establish balanced library collections; Library services, programs and policies which serve the community; Common office computer applications and automated Library circulation systems; Principles of supervision; Monitoring budgets; Effective training techniques.
And this is just scratching the surface!! Still think it's an easy job any yahoo can do??
Yeah pretty much. It's not that much more difficult than any clerk job.
Infact, my local library is run by volunteers, mainly young hispanic junior college students who help direct where the different books are located, help check out and return books, help people get library cards and use the computers. It is NOT that difficult.
If these young hispanic college kids from East L.A college can run it then it's not rocket science
Yeah pretty much. It's not that much more difficult than any clerk job.
Infact, my local library is run by volunteers, mainly young hispanic junior college students who help direct where the different books are located, help check out and return books, help people get library cards and use the computers. It is NOT that difficult.
If these young hispanic college kids from East L.A college can run it then it's not rocket science
I just hope that Librarian who doesn't have a degree doesn't need to find a new job. I'm afraid her 35 years of experience wouldn't count for much if she applied for a similar position. All today's employers care about are degrees.
Outside of a few (usually rural) exceptions, there really is no such thing - since, as I've mentioned a few times already, the MLIS has been required since long before we were even born. Besides, one is not technically a LIBRARIAN without that degree... they are really just a library assistant, technician, media specialist, etc. Kind of the same way a medical office worker isn't a NURSE unless they have the RN or equivalent.
Yeah pretty much. It's not that much more difficult than any clerk job.
Infact, my local library is run by volunteers, mainly young hispanic junior college students who help direct where the different books are located, help check out and return books, help people get library cards and use the computers. It is NOT that difficult.
If these young hispanic college kids from East L.A college can run it then it's not rocket science
Then your library must be a mess, considering almost every task you mentioned isn't even within our job description - you exactly described what a clerk does, showing yet again that people who think our job's easy don't actually understand what we do.
You might not be aware of such things, but I bet your library has a librarian doing all the REAL work behind the scenes. I highly doubt those young kids are preparing and presenting budgets to the councils, ordering materials, maintaining electronic databases, managing the collection, etc. And if none of that is getting done, I predict the place will shut down within a few years.
Quote:
Originally Posted by AGG1659 One of the Librarians at my local Library has been there for nearly 35 years and she is wonderful at her job. She doesn't even have a BA. Makes you wonder how many amazing people they skip out on who just have BA's and High School Diplomas.
*quote* Im pretty sure 35 years of experience trumps a Masters right out of college. *endquote*
I just hope that Librarian who doesn't have a degree doesn't need to find a new job. I'm afraid her 35 years of experience wouldn't count for much if she applied for a similar position. All today's employers care about are degrees.
She also may or may not know anything about the last 35 years' innovations in information storage and retrieval. I don't know her, and I hope she is. But the job candidate with the master's degree will be.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
). There was a lot of very challenging work involved in his job.
