After investigating the offerings of library schools and observing the research trends of their doctoral students, this author believes that library education needs a basic theory course to familiarize future professionals with the intellectual history and seminal thinkers of the field. (EA)

A survey of 117 young people (ages 4 to 15) in 4 public libraries in New Haven, Connecticut, examined children's attitudes toward librarians. Responses to questions about career aspirations and perceived qualities of librarians, as well as children's descriptions of their own drawings of librarians indicated a generally positive view. (10…

Presents an argument for viewing library work in terms of "whereness" (location) and "whatness" (identity), highlighting issues of hate literature, censorship, power, and filtering software. Applies Lewis and Wigen's ten principles of critical metageography to library professionals and paraprofessionals in order to extrapolate…

Explores the concept of the "professional" in librarianship, the right mix of professional and support staff in libraries, librarians doing clerical work, professional credentials, and staffing changes resulting from technological advancement. (PEN)

Describes a paraprofessional's three-year pursuit of a master's degree in information resources and library science at the University of Arizona at Tucson via distance education. Concludes that her effort and investment were well rewarded and provides her e-mail address for anyone interested in discussing the program. (PEN)

Presents a new client-centered typology of the information professions with special emphasis given to the empowering professions, including librarianship, which enable clients to use knowledge to take control of their lives. Topics include increasing self-efficacy; reducing self-blame; developing group consciousness; and assuming responsibility…

Discusses barriers to the implementation of quality management in the library and information science sector in Europe. Topics include Total Quality Management and other business experiences, an information quality infrastructure, supplier/customer relations, customer satisfaction, and a European Quality Model. (LRW)

For over seven decades, library history in Russia has been considered a Soviet branch of science known as the "history of librarianship" and it has been isolated from the world science community. This article examines the degree to which Russian library historians have been isolated from this community and their initial results in…

These two articles discuss the need to promote librarianship as a profession to young people. Discusses the American Library Association's effort to recruit younger as well as ethnically diverse audiences; suggestions for local activities; and a mentoring program in New York City for public library youth employees. (LRW)

An analysis of publication types and the use of citations in studies of library and information science (LIS) program quality suggests that publication types should be differentiated, that book publication is important, and that the role of humanities-oriented faculty may be lost without attention to book production. Presents a formula for LIS…

Discusses the need for a conceptual framework for librarianship and information seeking and suggests that the writings of M.M. Bakhtin can provide an important aid to theoretical groundings and for the rethinking of public services in libraries. Highlights include Bakhtin's views on phenomenology, dialogic communication, and information seeking.…

An ideology of librarianship was created by Shiyali Ramamrita (SR) Ranganathan in his classic The Five Laws of Library Science (Bombay: Asia Pub. House, 1963). He formulated objectives and principles for the organization of, access to, and use of library materials. Given the changing information world, this is a good time to reconsider…

The issue of what constitutes or should constitute the "core" in library and/or information science (LIS) education and training is one that is frequently debated. This article reviews literature related to this matter and cites findings from an empirical study conducted in South Africa on library and/or information science education and…

This paper deals with library professionals education in Mercosur--the Common Market of South America--established on 29 March, 1991 to expand the national markets of Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay, and promote free circulation of goods, services and production agents in that region. The paper presents, through a descriptive study, the…

This paper reports on the results of a survey of destinations for students from librarianship and records management courses at Curtin University of Technology for the period 1998-2002. The survey includes the type of work currently being undertaken by graduates, the security of tenure in their position, the level of professionalism in their…