About New Librarians and Media Specialists

[Heather Norris <HGNorris@AOL.COM>]

Well, as a yet-to-be new library media specialist, I can hold my tongue no
longer.  (That's a bad habit of mine, as some of you know.)  I've been
following this thread with much interest because I will be a full-fledged
member of your group (credential-wise) after my practicum next fall and I
will undoubtedly have many questions to post when I land that first job.  For
the time being as a student in the library media track at the University of
Maryland, which is truly the #1 program by the way, no offense to the
University of Illinois contingent ;), I have been amazed by some of the
questions posted because we cover them so thoroughly in our classes here and
I assumed that other ALA approved programs did also.  Which got me to
thinking--aren't there many areas of the country where a MLS is not required
(I can think of the state I am moving to, for instance)?  Also, we had a
lively discussion not long ago about whether paraprofessionals could run a
quality program or not and of course those people have not graduated from or
been certified by an ALA approved graduate program either.  As long as these
situations exist in our profession, we will find people asking for help in
matters some of the LM_Netters may think of as "no-brainers."  Until such
time as we manage to get our profession to standardize its requirements (no
where in this country can someone practice medicine without a medical degree
for example) we should to be helpful and understanding of those entering the
profession without the fine background offered by an outstanding Library
College.  (GO TERPS! )

--Heather Norris
Graduate Student
College of Information Studies (yes, we now have a new name)
The University of Maryland, College Park
hgnorris@aol.com

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