The MLS alone may or may not give one the right to be called a librarian
but it does not determine one's ability or performance as a library
professional. To me the distinction is similar to that between "lawyer"
for one who has a JD, as opposed to "attorney" for one who has passed
the bar and practices law. This debate has been mostly about labels,
which is unfortunate, because they have nothing to do with
professionalism.
Recently a law school classmate of mine disparaged one of my library
colleagues by saying that since she didn't have an MLS she was not "a
real librarian". My library colleague rightly pointed out that while
her title was not "librarian", she conducts herself with as much
professionalism as any librarian. She was right, a degree does not give
you a right to be called a library professional. To be a library
professional requires an attitude, responsibility, decision making and
analytical ability which no degree alone confers.
The labels "paraprofessional","professional", "library assistant",
"librarian" only begin to explain the distinction between jobs that
generally require an MLS or equivalent experience and those that do not.
In my mind, these labels do not mean that the person is less or more of
a professional. Likewise, whether a person has an MLS does not make a
difference to me when I deal with my colleagues. It is their
professionalism that makes a difference.
I agree that many people without MLS degrees have _earned_ the right to
be called "librarian" AND "professional", because they have that
attitude, responsibility, decision making and analytical ability. These
people should not be required to prove themselves all over again by a
certificate or an MLS degree.
However, people who NOW want to enter our profession _should_ be
required to have the MLS in order to be considered a "librarian". MLS
programs should _require_ practical professional experience very much
like that required before MDs and JDs become practicing doctors and
attorneys.
Our profession is being eroded by those who would take away professional
positions and outsource them to individuals who neither care for the
library or its importance to the organization. That is the difference
between a library professional and everyone else.
Raquel Ortiz
Information Access Librarian
Harvard Law School Library
EMAIL: ortiz@law.harvard.edu
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