Re: Helping Middle School Aide

[Constance Vidor <cvidor@CNCT.COM>]

Cindy Denning asks for our suggestions to help an aide spend
$15,000 ordering new books for a school library.  I laud and
respect your kind-hearted motives, Cindy. However, I wonder whether we
as a profession should really be giving our help to unqualified
people who are attempting to do the jobs that we feel really
ought to be done by certified, qualified, properly trained and
educated librarians?  It takes a professional to run a library and
order books properly.  Getting suggestions from LM Net is no substitute
for proper training and qualifications.  Should we make it easier
for administrators to hand out our positions to unqualified people?
Should we help to camouflage someone's lack of qualifications?

Cindy, again, I appreciate and respect your motives.  I think this
is a significant issue in our profession--jobs that should be done
by qualified professionals are being given to volunteers, "aides,"
and classroom teachers and in some cases the qualified librarains
are being asked for help and advice.  I say, No.  If a school wants
a proper job done, they should hire a proper librarian.  If they feel
they "can't afford" a qualified individual, then they should be allowed
to experience the consequences of their short-sighted decisions.


Best,

Constance Vidor
Librarian
The Cathedral School
New York NY
cvidor@cnct.com

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