Librarianship is a two-sided coin, with the discipline of library and information science on one side, and the professional praxis in the institution on the other. Understanding the perception of librarianship requires examining both sides of this coin from both the perspective of outsiders who interact with the library and those who constitute its practitioners. These perceptions shape the way that librarians fulfill their roles and frame the future direction of the field.
Library science and information science are in some ways an unlikely pair. Library science has a long history within a particular institution and has a greater focus on praxis. Information science is independent of institution, is relatively recent, and has a greater focus on theory. Since librarianship does not have a licensing body or an ability to practice independent of an institution, nor does it have domain-specific knowledge about a traditional field or a licensing requirement, many do not consider it to be a profession at all (Abbott, 1998). Conversely, it does have an education standard in the MLIS (Master of Library and Information Science), has a code of ethics as published by the ALA (American Library Association), and it maintains its own domain knowledge of the management of information itself as its own meta-field, which is sufficient to classify it as a profession as well as a discipline (Rubin & Rubin, 2020). Some go further by describing it as a calling, evoking a parallel to religious clergy.
This dichotomy of perception frames many of the debates about the fields of library science and information science. The contention between the two has led to significant variations in LIS curriculum (Rubin & Rubin, 2020). Information science in particular has recently seen an explosion of subfields, each believing they are breaking new ground, to the consternation of outsiders in other fields and those within LIS (Bates, 2015). The vocational awe that many view librarianship with, coupled with the perspective that librarianship is not a profession, can result in lower wages and social status awarded by institutions and governments. For librarians, the pressure to meet a standard of selfless service can result in feelings of inadequacy and lead to overwork (Ettarh, 2018). The lack of compensation and prestige self-selects toward recruitment of people for whom those are less of a concern, which results in affluent white women making up the majority of LIS students and practitioners. As Honma (2005) notes, these selection biases are self-perpetuating, leading many potential librarians to not apply to LIS programs, or not even consider librarianship as a career path. Everything from allocation of funding to individual work experiences for librarians in the stacks is impacted by these perceptions of librarianship.
However, these perceptions are changing. As younger librarians enter LIS programs and the workforce, there has been a shift towards increased diversity and seeing librarian as a job title rather than a calling. Stereotypes around librarians continue to be challenged, from race to gender and orientation to piercings and tattoos (Kneale, 2004; Sexton et al., 2021). Whether this progress will expand to include compensation and broader equity remains to be seen. Profession or not, perceptions of librarianship remain a key factor in shaping the evolving fields of library and information science.
References
Abbott, A. (1998). Professionalism and the Future of Librarianship. Library Trends, 46(3), 430–443.
Bates, M. J. (2015). The information professions: Knowledge, memory, heritage. Information Research, 20(1). http://informationr.net/ir/20-1/paper655.html#.YuVs-C-B2MI
Ettarh, F. (2018, January 10). Vocational Awe and Librarianship: The Lies We Tell Ourselves. In the Library with the Lead Pipe. https://www.inthelibrarywiththeleadpipe.org/2018/vocational-awe/
Honma, T. (2005). Trippin’ Over the Color Line: The Invisibility of Race in Library and Information Studies. InterActions: UCLA Journal of Education and Information Studies, 1(2). https://doi.org/10.5070/D412000540
Kneale, R. (2004). You Don’t Look Like a Librarian: Shattering Stereotypes and Creating Positive New Images in the Internet Age. Information Today.
Rubin, R. E., & Rubin, R. G. (2020). Foundations of Library and Information Science (5th ed.). American Library Association.
Sexton, M., Reardon, S., Carter, J., & Foley, M. (2021). The Inked Experience: Professionalism and Body Modifications in Libraries. Georgia Library Quarterly, 58(4). https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/glq/vol58/iss4/8