next »

[hlkmb]

Maybe the reason libraries don't go out of their way to hire PhD's is because they are more concerned with bringing in people who are flexible and enthusiastic about library work?  Sure, we need people with expertise in various subject areas, and my master's degree in a non-library subject area has only helped me in my career.  And yes, the stereotype of the "failed" academic who goes into librarianship because they can't get hired as a teaching faculty member is definitely unhelpful (but pervasive).

But the main thing libraries need right now are people who can:  teach and provide research assistance in a number of areas (specialized bibliographers at research institutions aside, most of us need to be generalists who are comfortable working in a number of subject areas), work collaboratively on teams and committees (much closer to the corporate model than the independent faculty member model), and learn technology quickly (and then turn around and teach it to non-techies).

Trends in education and technology mean that librarians are moving away from the subject expert/information gatekeeper model, and towards the model of the guide, who may not be expert in the  subject area but knows enough to speak the language, and more importantly is an expert in teaching the systems and methods used to locate  information.  My job is not to know everything about Subfield A; it's to know the methods and sources for finding information in Subfield A and to teach you how to use them.

[kaysixteen]

Academic libraries are not a growth industry.  And PhDs are especially unwelcome.  We can try.