Doctoral Degrees and the Academic Librarian, or, is "There a Doctor in the House?"

Abstract

Recently, discussions have emerged concerning newly minted Ph.D.s entering the professional field of librarianship. To be certain, these discussions have revolved around the potential entrance of Ph.D. holders into academic librarianship, something that has caused concern over the value of the master's degree in library and information science (LIS). Of continuing professional interest is whether Ph.D.s should be permitted to compete for and hold professional positions within academic libraries, without the requisite master's degree in LIS. Todd Gilman, a librarian at Yale University, and Tatiana Weinstein, a public librarian in Illinois, hold similar views when upholding the necessity of LIS training as a viable vehicle for professional librarianship. Others propounding possible postdoctoral training programs, without LIS educational options, may hold differing views, often oriented to ward the need for doctoral expertise vis-a-vis the need to fill specialized positions, i.e., archival, special collections, or rare books librarianship. Such discussions have prompted some interesting and insightful concerns over the necessity of LIS education as the sine qua non for any position--all for the better understanding of what the essential purpose the LIS fulfils. Beyond the perceived professional characteristics offered the holder, i.e. union membership privileges, the master's degree in library science constitutes the only viable and recognized form of professional acculturation.