Under Duress: The MLS and Libraries Today

An American Library Association (ALA) accreditation of programs signals, in part, the professionalization of the library workforce. Over time, the required degree for professional librarians became the Master of Library Science (and its variants). Recently, a number of factors have combined to create questions about the value of and need for an ALA-accredited MLS degree for library professionals. JOHN BERTOT will present findings from two recent initiatives which demonstrate both the benefits and the challenges to an ALA-accredited MLS- centric library workforce. John is currently is Associate Provost for Faculty Affairs, Professor, and Co-Director of the Information Policy & Access Center in the iSchool at the University of Maryland College Park. Prior to becoming Associate Provost, John served as the MLS Program Director from 2012-2015. Most recently, he served as Principle Investigator for the IMLS-funded Digital Inclusion Study of Public Libraries in partnership with the American Library Association.