Uneducated Librarians

[Lisa Handelman <lisahandelman@ADATARIEL.ORG>]

Hello all:

I, too, was planning to stay out of this thread, but...well...here goes:

I see that, like me, some of you have no MLS degree and come from a
teaching background.  I am uncomfortable posting to the whole group
about this subject in the same way I am uncomfortable when I go to
library conferences and classes, since I am not as "educated" as others.

But, I work with an elementary school population--private school--and I
am well respected and my library rivals any elementary school library in
town.  (well, the comparison should unfortunately only be made with
private schools or the Beverly Hills  school system since most
elementary libraries in LAUSD do not hire librarians at all, and many
don't even have a library!)  I have been in the field for over 10 years
and finally make a decent salary.  I take any classes at night that are
offered, but cannot get to UCLA--the closest place to get an MLS because
I will have to quit work to do that.  That cannot happen in my case,
and, like Joni mentioned in a previous post, , I wish I had thought of
it when I originally went there 22 years ago.  I have considered online
courses--there is one in Syracuse--but the cost is incredibly high.
Interestingly enough, I had a "benefactor" offer to pay 2,000 dollars of
my library school if I went for a MLS and even with that help it cannot
be done, even online.  At the Syracuse program they ask $600 a unit,
with three visits to New York a year.  By the end it would be over
$20,000.00.  I am worried about paying for my son's college expenses
next year, so can't see my own taking precedence over his right now.
There is one other possibility for me--going nights and all day Saturday
and driving long distances to a program offered in Orange County, but,
as a single mom, this is also not feasible to me right now.

So, what to do?

Well, involve myself with professional organizations, take all the
available local courses I can, read all the books I can, read LM NET
daily, go to all the conferences I can,  read/peruse all the catalogs ,
journals, and magazines that I can, advocate for librarians in
elementary schools in California...and .....someday....get myself into a
library school to learn all the important stuff I am missing.

I would never presume to teach at at the High School level without the
degree, as I know exactly what it is that I DON'T know!  But what I DO
know is sufficient for me to run a wonderful library program in this
private school of 300 students---all of whom benefit greatly from my
presence and what I have done to build up what used to be just a "room
full of books" years ago.

--
Lisa Handelman
Adat Ari El Day School
N. Hollywood, Ca

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-==-=
All postings to LM_NET are protected under copyright law.
To quit LM_NET (or set-reset NOMAIL or DIGEST), send email to:
listserv@listserv.syr.edu   In the message write EITHER:
1) SIGNOFF LM_NET 2) SET LM_NET NOMAIL or 3) SET LM_NET DIGEST
4) SET LM_NET MAIL  * Please allow for confirmation from Listserv.
For LM_NET Help see: http://ericir.syr.edu/lm_net/
Archives: http://askeric.org/Virtual/Listserv_Archives/LM_NET.html
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=--=-=-=