Greetings, and Happy Holidays.

   I am looking for references to the history of library education.  I have 
a colleague who is interested in when the Master's degree was required for 
a librarian, rather than the Bachelor's degree.  I could not answer his 
question.  I do not know when, nor how, this transition happened. While I 
can remember reading this literature in the 1970s, I can't recall it nor 
justify the distinction now.

   Background: I ran into an interesting conversation a few days ago that 
was debating the need for a master's degree in library education (and I am 
being very specific in not saying LIS education) and the need for a 
master's degree as opposed to a bachelors degree for working in, and even 
running, a library.

   I am asking the iSchools to stay OUT of this discussion for now.  This 
concerns library schools.  This concerns schools, both graduate and 
undergraduate, who are trying to educate librarians.

   The conversation is at

http://21stcenturylibrary.com/2011/12/19/why-not-a-bachelors-in-library-science/

   I could not answer their questions about why a master's degree was 
required.  I could recall vague ideas about why a librarian needed to have 
a subject specialty because understanding library science underlaid all of 
the other disciplines.  And the collaboratory in a library of these 
subject specialties with the understanding of library sciences made the 
building work.

   I can't refer this colleague to a history of why librarians need a 
master's degree rather than an undergraduate degree.  Neither the ALISE 
nor ASIST website is a help. I have no idea where to send him/her

   Can someone refer me to a decent explanation of why the Master's degree 
is needed to be a "librarian" (and I use the quotes specifically), 
historically or in present terms, and why a Bachelor's degree would not 
suffice?

   Have a great holiday.
   --gw

PS This is a library education problem. I ask the iSchools to stay out of 
it for a while. IT issues will come in later.

   --ggww

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Gretchen Whitney, PhD, Retired
School of Information Sciences
University of Tennessee, Knoxville TN 37996 USA           [log in to unmask]
http://web.utk.edu/~gwhitney/
jESSE:http://web.utk.edu/~gwhitney/jesse.html
SIGMETRICS:http://web.utk.edu/~gwhitney/sigmetrics.html
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