ACRL College & Research Libraries News

College & Research Libraries News

Letters

Dear Editor:

I question the basic assumptions on which Thomas Gwinup bases his assertion that the master’s degree in librarianship is inadequate as a terminal degree for academic librarians, stated in his letter in the March, 1976 issue of C&RL News. Mr. Gwinup’s views are similar to those expressed in a number of letters recently submitted to C&RL News.

Mr. Gwinup apparently believes that because many candidates who are currently applying for positions hold additional graduate degrees, this in itself is reason to give such candidates preference over those who hold only the master’s degree in Library Science. Mr. Gwinup’s second assumption seems to be that the master’s degree in Library Science does not provide an adequate graduate-level education for practitioners of academic librarianship.

Mr. Gwinup’s first assumption is questionable because the basis for hiring any candidate should be that in academic background and work experience he meets the specific requirements of a given job description. Additional academic degrees do not automatically qualify a candidate for any position. In some instances, such degrees may actually be detrimental since it is possible for one to be over-educated for the position for which he applies.

Mr. Gwinup’s second assumption is also questionable because the depth of knowledge in a subject discipline required of an academician should be specifically based on what he does with that knowledge. In that context, it is necessary to make a distinction between the librarian and the professor. The professor is responsible for imparting the substantive aspects of a subject and for integrating and synthesizing the knowledge of that subject. The librarian’s role in dealing with knowledge of a subject discipline is limited by comparison because he is responsible only for the bibliographic aspects of that subject.

The librarian in fulfilling his role, therefore, does not need the same depth of knowledge in a subject discipline as does the professor. I believe that Mr. Gwinup confuses the librarian’s role with that of the professor when he insists that the librarian, to be adequately educated, must have an advanced degree in a subject discipline in addition to his master’s degree in Library Science. This does not, however, address the question of an additional advanced degree in Library Science for academic librarians.

Administrator-librarians, particularly in larger academic libraries, must engage in activities which do require an indepth knowledge of library and information science and an ability to integrate and synthesize the knowledge of those subjects. For that reason, librarians who function on such an administrative level would certainly benefit from graduate study on a doctoral level in library science. It should be emphasized, however, that many practicing librarians have attained the equivalent of additional graduate study in work experience and that this must be a major consideration in any re-adjustment of requirements for the terminal degree as they may relate to existing jobs. What terminal degree is suitable for future academic librarians, in my opinion, should be based on the academic setting in which a given librarian chooses to pursue his/her career.

It is my belief, therefore, that the ACRL Board of Directors would be correct in designating the master’s degree in Library Science as the terminal degree for academic librarians who do not intend to function on an administrative level in a large academic library. The Board should, however, study the advisability of establishing the doctorate in library science as the terminal degree for administrative librarians in large research libraries.

RaizeW. Dorr Library Planning Officer University of Louisville Library Louisville, Kentucky