Academic Librarians’ Attitudes about Advanced-Subject Degrees

Abstract

Academic librarians have various opinions on the importance of advanced-subject degrees in addition to a master’s in library science (MLS). The authors conducted an online survey to collect opinions from academic librarians on this topic. Arguments in favor of having advanced-subject degrees include development of research skills, credibility, and overall improved job performance. Arguments against it include the fact that the MLS is—and should continue to be—our terminal degree, inadequate salaries, and the validity of developing subject expertise via other means. The need for advanced-subject degrees may vary by many factors, including individual career goals and local institutional culture.

New Academic Librarians and Their Perceptions of the Profession

“…4 There are also attitudinal studies measuring librarians' dispositions toward emergent or fashionable issues in the information environment, such as those of Jennifer Mayer and Lori Terrill and of Meerabai Gosine-Boodoo and Mark McNish. 5 But, although such studies offer a sort of snapshot of librarianship, they provide little more than confirmation of librarians' professed allegiance to popular ideas or litanies of common complaints. M. H. Sable noted the need to examine the process of becoming a librarian to benefit the "hundreds of thousands of persons, perhaps millions worldwide, who might find their true profession is librarianship."…”

Library School Faculty Member Perceptions Regarding Faculty Status for Academic Librarians

“…They should also prepare themselves for the fact that they might be required to earn an additional graduate degree to be eligible for tenure and promotion. Mayer and Terrill expressed concern that academic libraries are recruiting individuals with PhDs (but no MLS degree) to librarianship, 19 Hérubel addressed this concern by stating that PhDs entering librarianship need to be acculturated to the profession through the education provided in master's programs in library and information science. 20 With respect to this matter, library school faculty members firmly agreed that MLS needs to be a requirement for employment as an academic librarian regardless of whatever type of other graduate degree one holds.…”

Reference Communities: Applying the Community of Practice Concept to Development of Reference Knowledge

“…While academic librarians have varying attitudes about the necessity for an advanced degree in providing quality reference service (Mayer & Terrill, 2005), the roles of subject specialists have particularly changed at small-and medium-sized academic libraries where new service models have altered library operations (McAbee & Graham, 2005). New roles may require a continuous effort to build knowledge and expertise.…”