Kind of a Big Deal – What it’s like to be a famous librarian (2015)
medium.com
medium.com
I think it would come as a shock to most people that professional librarians must* have a Masters degree [1].
[1]https://lockedinthelibrary.wordpress.com/2006/10/12/why-does...
Also: http://lj.libraryjournal.com/blogs/annoyedlibrarian/2009/10/...
"There are plenty of very smart, passionate, and dedicated librarians out there, but there are also plenty who aren’t at all bright or competent. Anyone who’s worked in a library knows this. This has always been the case, because the MLS has always been a relatively easy degree to get."
The need for a Masters to do this job is perhaps more of a sad commentary on the university system's vast overproduction of humanities graduates.
* - via electronic means only
What most people think is a Librarian, i.e. the person shelving books, and checking out your selection at the Uni or Local library, tend to be pre-qualified library assistants. The actual Librarian is normally off somewhere actually running the Library as a working business, so not only do they have to be constantly well read, they also need fairly good business acumen as well.
Working in Libraries, is only the tip of the ice-berg. My partner has worked in the Corporate field for many years, which is VERY different compared to working in a Library, and is now one of the most senior Corporate Librarians in the country. I have watched her career over the past two decades, and it's been really diverse. She currently heads up a Global team of Librarians who provide and maintain a wide range of information services to Lawyers for a top tier law firm.
This sort of Information department exists in many medium to large organisations, and is critical their success, and in this day and age, it has hardly anything to do with books at all; Information is Information, no matter what the medium, and if you want it curated and managed, you need a Librarian.