Warning: Controversial Topic

I attended a session in the late afternoon about the relevancy of the MLS degree. Two speakers represented both sides of the issue. The audience was also able to enter their comments when prompted. One library school student had the courage to say what I was screaming inside – although she was much more reserved than I would have been. She voiced her opinion that she felt that through her 7 years of experience she probably has the same if not more skills than she has gained in library school. What she is really saying and what I was thinking is…When was a MLS relevant?

I am young, 24 to be exact and I have been working in a mixture of both public and academic libraries since I was 16. EVERY librarian that I have encountered has told me that you really learn when you work and that the MLS is just a credential (or a hoop to jump through as I call it). So…with that said has the MLS ever really been relevant?

Several ideas were thrown out both for and against…I won’t repeat them…feel free to post your thoughts about this issue as comments. The answer I go with is what was being echoed in the room: It is not either relevant or not relevant, it is far more complex than that and that and there are a million factors to consider – including the type of library etc… It was also pointed out that the librarians are their own worst enemies sometimes! Would we be having this conversation at a Law conference or an MBA conference?...I think not.

-Roy