By Jill Halford on Wednesday, May 23, 2001 - 06:30 pm:
Can anyone call themselves a librarian, or does the LA have certain rights over this term. I have certainly come across people who call themselves Librarians, who do not belong to the LA and have no academic qualifications.
By John Welford on Thursday, May 24, 2001 - 10:50 am:
In the world of high-tech, the word "librarian" is used for anyone who looks after a collection of software tools or programs, which are commonly designated as "libraries". My company also described as "librarians" anyone who managed a site on the company intranet - at least, they did until I kicked up a fuss about it!
By Peter Fairbrother on Thursday, May 24, 2001 - 01:08 pm:
I think we have to have a pluralist attitude about use of the term 'librarian' and understand the information/ library/ knowledge management activity takes many shapes and forms. The matter of concern is the issue of low pay which blights most in the profession.
By Bob McKee on Thursday, May 24, 2001 - 02:45 pm:
The term "librarian" is generic and the professional body has no rights over its use. This can be a problem because the term is used nowadays without precision - to describe professional posts, and also to describe technician-grade or front-line posts. There used to be a clear distinction in terminology between a Library Assistant (a clerical or technical grade), an Assistant Librarian (a post for a person going through the process of gaining professional qualifications or in a "junior" professional post), and a Librarian (a fully-fledged professional) - but these distinctions of terminology have eroded over time. The result is that when some employers, or the media, or the general public think "librarian" the image they have in mind is actually "library assistant." Hence all the comments about stamping out books etc.
All of which is one reason why the LA promotes the concept of the "Chartered Librarian" - because we do have rights over the use of this term, as it refers specifically to a Chartered member of the LA and therefore to someone with professional qualifications which are recognised and registered.
But the whole issue of terminology is made more complex because of the broadening of the profession to include "information" professionals and "knowledge" managers. This is one reason why the name of the new unified body to replace the LA and the IIS will include the "I" word as well as the "L" word - the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals. It's also why I keep describing our profession as that of "giving people access to knowledge." What we need to do is translate that broad definition into a more specific skill-set (hence the research into skills and competencies) and a more specific employment sector (hence our work on the review of National Training Organisations)and a more specific academic discipline (hence the work on the Joint Accreditation Instrument by which the LA and the IIS jointly accredit courses in higher education).
I find terminology a fascinating subject (I learnt just recently that the term "discotheque" comes from the French for a library of recorded music - now there's an income generating idea...)and I do think there is a link between terminology on the one hand and pay and status on the other. Hence the move to be inclusive (and to be seen by employers as inclusive) of librarians, information scientists, and knowledge managers.
Thanks for your comments.