While I admit to some ambivalence about the name, I ultimately voted in favour of it. I have a number of reasons for that decision. I think it positions the profession and its members well for long term work and enables to aim higher. If we take seriously the notion that we are living in a creative and knowledge driven economy (and we should take it seriously; Peter Drucker, Richard Florida and others have documented the shift to knowledge work for years and years), then it makes sense to position information professionals as a key player.

The alignment research process has also proven convincing. I myself participated in a focus group in November 2008 that explored how information professionals viewed themselves vs how others viewed them. People appreciate our value in the workplace when we communicate it the right now. In some ways, librarians and other information professionals commit a basic sales error: we describe our “features” (e.g. ability to catalogue published materials according to design standards or our capacity to conduct a reference interview) instead of the “benefits” to our user (i.e. we can offer throughly organized information resources so they are easy to find and we can help you find what you’re need even if you don’t quite know how to describe it).

The new name itself also strikes me as a good move; it places the emphasis on highly skilled professionals rather than a social institution. Don’t get me wrong – I deeply love libraries and all they stand for (one of my favourite books I read last year was Alberto Manguel’s book of essays, The Library At Night) and I keenly follow the efforts to continue developing the value and contribution of librarians. However, “special libraries” is an unfortunate phrase that is difficult for those outside the association to understand. There has been some discussion on the SLA email discussion lists that the phrase “strategic knowledge professionals” is just as difficult to understand and explain as “special librarians.” I am not sure I agree with that but I think it is better to have that conversation about “strategic knowledge” rather than “special libraries.” Indeed, John Cotton Dana, who played a major role in founding the association in 1909, said that the name was chosen “,in default of a better.” Now, we have something better

Related posts:

1. Knowledge Management through story
2. Interviewed for “Special Issues: Bulletin of the Canadian Association of Special Libraries and Information Services.”
3. Knowledge Ontario Wants Your Views & Opinions

This subject was recently debated at the Association of College & Research Libraries (ACRL) meeting in Seattle. I would argue that such education plays an important role, but making that case is more difficult in a soft profession. The arguments advanced in favor of the role of the graduate degree in the profession include the idealistic (“it fosters shared values”) to the highly pragmatic (“The only way to get better pay is to get the MLS”). Of the two claims, the better pay argument is likely easier to prove or disprove with data. I would suspect that MLS (or equivalent; some graduate degrees in the field go with different names and can have a different focus such as information science or knowledge management) information professionals do tend to earn more than non-MLS librarians, if only because one can likely ascend to a higher level professionally with it. I’ll flag that argument as potentially convincing, but only if data was produced to back it up. While the shared values point is interesting, I wonder about it. Are professional values actually imbibed during the program or is it essentially already present in those who choose to work in the field?

What about my own experience? I have found my education to be quite valuable professionally on several counts. My studies of management and policy have played an important role in preparing me for management and leadership positions in the long term. This is one case where practical entry-level work experience cannot function as a substitute. I have also had the opportunity to think more deeply about questions of privacy, citizenship (had a wonderful class exploring that point yesterday), intellectual property and other issues. While one can learn about such issues through one’s own reading (e.g. the blog of Professor Michael Geist is a good way to stay informed about developments in Internet law), discussions with others and the like, the setting of formal education allows for greater depth of examination. I have also benefited from studying at an institution where I can study with people in different fields whether that be the Knowledge Media Design Institute, The Collaborative Program in Book History and Print Culture and the School of Public Policy & Governance; this combined experience has been invaluable.

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