"Librarian" or no?

From: Thea Frost (trsf@world.std.com)
Date: Wed Mar 26 1997 - 12:40:30 PST

According to the OED:

Librarian: 1. A scribe, copyist; 2. The keeper or custodian of a
library; 3. a dealer in books.

I am constantly amazed an frustrated by the division in the field as to
who can be called a librarian and who shouldn't be and/or who is
"professional" or not.

And I'm curious, if you don't call this person a librarian, what would you
call them? A person-who-works-in-the-library-doing-the-same-things-I-do
-but-doesn't-have-MLS-after-their-name?

btw, in case anyone cares about the source -- I do have my MLS. Which
only means to me that I worked fairly hard to get a degree, and it's
easier for me to get my foot in the door. But I don't ask people if they
have it before I determine what to call them.

----off personal soapbox now----

Bob-

I really have no interest in diving into a flame war, but it seems to me
that the definition of a "librarian" is pretty simple - someone who has
a Masters in Library Science. While I am sure you are very good at what
you do, I would not call you a librarian.

Brian- 

--
*********
Brian L. Baker
Director of the Law Library                                      

Thea

trsf@world.std.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Knowledge is of two kinds: 
we know a subject ourselves, 
or we know where we can find information upon it. 
--Samuel Johnson -- 1775

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