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Monday, February 1, 2010

Fw: New comment on "Does Librarianship qualify itself to be called a 'fullfledged profession'?"

Librarianship is a noble profession.

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--- On Mon, 1/2/10, Library Society of the World <groups-noreply@linkedin.com> wrote:

From: Library Society of the World <groups-noreply@linkedin.com>
Subject: New comment on "Does Librarianship qualify itself to be called a 'fullfledged profession'?"
To: "RajLibrarian D" <lotus5673@yahoo.co.in>
Date: Monday, 1 February, 2010, 12:16 PM

LinkedIn Groups

Group: Library Society of the World

Subject: New comment (13) on "Does Librarianship qualify itself to be called a full fledged profession?

qualify itself to be called a 'fullfledged profession'?"

Rajashekhar:

I am not apprehensive about the profession, I am merely

pointing out an irony.
I do agree with you fully that the library is a living organism as

Ranganathan points out. I would also point out that librarianship

requires a graduate degree with a Masters or PhD from an

accredited university and that the degree can be transfered to

many fields. If this does not place it in a professional column,

I am not sure what would satisfy the professiologists and would

have to admit I am not concerned with what they call us as long

as we know what we are and how to do our job on a multitude

of levels in almost all disciplines.
I think on some level where a nurse must know everything

about nursing and a lawyer everything about their area

of law, their profession is based upon cubby holing their tasks.

That this is what they do and this is what they do only.

They are experts in their chosen filed.
"What do you do?" "I am an engineer studying chemistry".

"Oh, so you are a chemical engineer?"
In the case of a librarian, they may not be a chemical

engineer, but should be able to find the information

an engineer, lawyer, nurse, needs even if they

had not studied the field. Librarians are all over the

place on any given day and can not be easily cubby

holed into knowing only one area alone. This may throw

some people into not knowing what a librarian does

because they are not easily cubby holed. Even

if one is an art librarian, and a professor is an expert

on Modernism, the art librarian must know how to

find proper information on all areas of art. Our profession is to

utilize and assess information beyond a patron's niche.
In the end, the format and delivery may change, but the

necessity to organize and retrieve proper information remains

the staple of librarianship. So I am optimistic of the future.
This is an interesting conversation.
Posted by Lloyd Wedes

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Librarianship as a profession

Dear Prof.Lloyd Wedes,

The first thing.........there was no such word as Professiology some time
ago. Second.........professiologists consist of sociologists, Social Scientists, economists,scientists,philosophers.....others and ofcourse librarians
as well. Accept Sociologists and few other social scientists......
.other scholars seldom get to study professions.........but they
engage mainly to study their own occupation and profession....
...as real stake holders. Librarians do double up as professiologists...
....and thier impressions on this topic and thier research findings ....
..are antogonistic. They dont tally. When librarians lecture in thier
associations......they fully endorse their occupation as a profession..
.....but in practice........and at personal/professional level..
....they endorse that theirs is not yet a full fledged profession.

There are few librarians who happen to be sociologists as
well. They are the real insiders....who can try to come closer to reality.........based on research. Fortunately or unfortunately......the scholars and Social scienitsts......
who represent society and people at large are sociologists.
........ and no others have neither interest not concern for such subjects.

I still remember my invited lecture at Hyderabad....
...on the topic of "Librarianship as profession". I was
literally stopped at every senetence by the socalled senior
LIS professionals. They contented that this topic is to be
addressed by some old retired librarians........presidents
of LIbrary associans........not a librarian who is junior.
My only fault was that........I was objective and was
basing my lecture.......on the resutls of studies......both by
librarians and sociologists...........

I can very well understand your feelings and apprehensions....
....I am not attesting the credentials of the methodologies
of professiologies.........but the fact is that they are studies
available. We are changing.........we are emerging.......
we are in right track...........we will ba a fullfledged profession.....
...sooner but not later. That is indeed a coveted title for us.....
..that brings us the much desired status......recoginition ...
... and indispensibility.

Shall we resolve to look at the researches done in this regard.........

best wishes

RajLibrarian

For more details follow the link...............http://www.linkedin.com/groupAnswers?viewQuestionAndAnswers=&gid=96413&discussionID=12516332&commentID=11171494&report%2Esuccess=8ULbKyXO6NDvmoK7o030UNOYGZKrvdhBhypZ_w8EpQrrQI-BBjkmxwkEOwBjLE28YyDIxcyEO7_TA_giuRN#commentID_11171494

Librarians continue to be knowledge professionals. Would you like to communicate to the Principal Blogger of India Librarian directly? email to .- lotus5673@yahoo.co.in .- 1816gbgv

Friday, January 29, 2010

Librarianship as a profession. Source : LinkedIn

I have not regarded librarianship to be anything but a

profession, so this is new to me. It does have its odd

knacks and differs from country to country, so clue me

in here like a reference interview.
Aside from what the authors say, what particularly do you

find in librarianship that prevents it from being a profession?

Would like to hear viewpoints.

Lloyd Wedes

http://www.linkedin.com/groupAnswers?viewQuestionAndAnswers=&gid=96413&discussionID=12516332&commentID=11074628&goback=%2Evpf_54398805_1_4FvW_name_*1_Lloyd_Wedes%2Evpf_43715828_1_1enZ_name_*1_Sally_Weimer%2Ehom&report%2Esuccess=8ULbKyXO6NDvmoK7o030UNOYGZKrvdhBhypZ_w8EpQrrQI-BBjkmxwkEOwBjLE28YyDIxcyEO7_TA_giuRN#commentID_11074628

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Dear Prof.Lloyd Wedes,

It is my previlege to be interacting with you on this crucial

topic of profession and professionalism. As you would be

well aware, sociologists, anthropologists ... and now

emerging group of scholars known as professiologists ...

have engaged themselves in the study of jobs, occupations,

careers and professions. Incidentally I happen to be a

student of Sociology.....and hence keep my

interest alive

for years on this topic. A couple of my papers are

published in this regard. They are only review

papers and not based on my individual research as such.

To get back to the question in hand ..... here are

my view points...observations :

-The status of our profession does not vary very

much across countries/nations.

-Aside from what the authors say, what particularly

do I find in librarianship that prevents it from being a

profession? I dont have a point of view as such on this

aspect. I am only reflecting on the results of such

studies by eminent researchers like : Goode and Hatt,

Talcott Parsons, Lancaster, P.K.Jaiswal, H.R.Chopra etc.

And I think I do trust and believe the results of these studies.

They all unanimously seem to agree that ... the history

of LIS as a profession is short compared to established

professions like Law, Medicine, Ministry.
Professiologists consider LIS to be an emerging profession.

Our works are still not being treated as indispensible by others.

We have low status and prestige in society. We are not engaged

in any life saving ... and crucial avocations.

Our identity as Librarians is still not established far

and wide. There are alwlays people who will ask......

who are these librarians........what do

you do as a

librarian... issue and return books......keep books

neatly on the racks. Our knowledge base is not still

established and accepted as worth while either by

sicentists.......social scientists. I once again make

it clear........these are not my personal opinions

and viewpoints. These are the points that I have

gathered from the research on this topic.

-I am not sure if I have answered your

question..... the question is not so simple ...

as you can understand. The topic is quite debatable......

and controversial as such not only for librarians.........

.but all jobs and careers and vocations......who aspire for

the status of a full fledged profession.

Thank you professor.
Regards

Rajashekhar Devarai
Chief Librarian
Asian School of Business Management,

Bhubaneswar, India
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Librarians continue to be knowledge professionals. Would you like to communicate to the Principal Blogger of India Librarian directly? email to .- lotus5673@yahoo.co.in .- 1816gbgv