Hi Peter,

In your previous email you asked "I wondered what* would happen if library
and information science programs required incoming students to have paid or
volunteer experience before matriculating?  What type of "leg up" would that
give students as they approached their studies?  How would that change what
was taught?   Would we have fewer students?  Would they have a greater
interest in specializing?"

I was a librarian in my pre-RIM life.  I went to the MLS program offered by
Syracuse, which is very good and I believe that they requested some time in
the field but I don't recall how much was requested.  I had over 5 years of
hands on experience when I started and I must say that I was well prepared
since that time gave me a lot of practical real-life experience that I would
have missed had I been strictly academic and not hands on.  

Many graduate level programs request that their students have at least two
years of experience in their field of study particularly for the practically
of it and to apply what you learn to real life situations.  I always noticed
that students who had spent a lot of time in their field were more
experienced, but I think that many of them were also pretty worn out from a
lot of the bureaucracies/local politics that occur in libraries and were
completing their MLS/MLIS because they had to, otherwise they could not move
up in the grade level or qualify for an existing position.  This is not
everyone though, being a librarian is a labor of love with low starting
salaries and weekend hours so it takes real dedication to commit to this
profession.  On the other hand, I found that the newer students even though
they had less experience were more tech savvy and energetic which created a
very nice balance, the knowledge on how to do things combined with the drive
to get them done.

Would a library school have fewer students, not necessarily.  There is a
huge influx of foreign students whose countries still highly value
librarians and many of them are sent on scholarship.  The question to ask is
if you converted an MLS program to an MLIS program would you have fewer
students, since the technology aspect may scare many potential candidates
away.  Many times the answer to this is yes, fewer traditional library
students.  I think that each University that offers a library program has
some sort of area that they specialize in.  But, I would welcome schools
that specialized in certain types of library science such as medical, school
media or law library programs.  I think that is the purpose of the SLA
though for now, students get a great discount through the ALA and can decide
what library tract suits their needs while still in library school.

Becoming a records manager is a logical transition for a librarian that is
looking to expand their career options and take on more of a leadership role
earlier in their career rather than waiting for tenure in a traditional
library setting.  Yes, I am recruiting for RIM.   

I hope someone continues this discussion since librarians have a lot to
offer our field.  All the best -ink



Ilona N. Koti 
MLS, MS IM, CPC, CRM, PMP 
Principal Consultant 
http://www.cvcg.org


Crystalview Consulting Group / Records & Information Management Consulting /
2883 Forebay Road Pollock Pines, CA 95726 / 530 644-4577 Office /
408 705-8253 Mobile / [log in to unmask] 



 

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