> More to the point, my point is that I don't think it's reasonable to
> expect a majority, or even a significant minority, of libraries
> operating with 2 full-time employees and limited budgets to be able to
> hire in-house IT expertise ALONG WITH expertise in all of the
> following areas essential to the operation of any library: human
> resources, facilities management, customer service, local politics/
> advocacy, public relations, marketing, fundraising, long-term
> strategic planning, accounting, state and federal legal and regulatory
> issues, collection development, cataloging, reference, programming and
> instruction, etc. ad nauseam.
To me, the solution is to change the way librarian education is
structured.
I have been through graduate school twice, and was shocked to see how
simple it is to get a library degree. The work they expect out of the
students is more appropriate to a bachelor degree. I think we need to
go back to bachelor degrees in library science (for all the basics),
then have students specialize during the Masters, preferably in
something like IT, management, or marketing/advertising.
Jesse Ephraim
Youth Services Librarian
Southlake Public Library
1400 Main St., Ste. 130
Southlake, TX 76092
Email: jephraim_at_ci.southlake.tx.us
Phone: (817) 748-8248
FAX: (817) 748-8250
www.southlakelibrary.org
uncommonly friendly service
Received on Thu Sep 11 2008 - 12:41:38 EDT