And curators just hang things on a wall and conservators just glue things
together!!  Mr. Whittle obviously knows little if anything about what a
librarian does.

-  We develop the library collection to suit and support the museum
collection and its curators' needs

-  We augment the museum's role as educator of the public in a specific
aspect of science, the fine arts, anthropology, etc., as well as
performing important public relations function by (often) being the only
place at a museum where a visitor can phone or ask questions about the
collection or items within it

-  We deal with in-house and public reference questions, including
students and faculty from local (and not so local) schools, colleges and
universities

-  We make the information in the collection accessible to everyone
through analysis of the subject matter and cataloguing it following
complex rules and developing consistent and appropriate subject headings

-  We maintain databases and create information records, systems and
networks; we participate in and support curatorial projects by seeking out
materials supporting the goals of the museum staff

-  We perform "current awareness" searches of material before they're
needed.

In other words, we make a lot of what happens in museums a heck of a lot
better by keeping people up to date and disseminating information beyond
the walls of the galleries.

Shame on you, Mr. Whittle!  I hope you get roundly roasted on this list
for such an attitude.

Moira Steven MA, MLIS
[log in to unmask]
Vancouver, B.C. Canada

****************************************************************************

On Thu, 31 Jul 1997, Christopher Henry Whittle wrote:

> I've always felt librarian's were overpayed.  The fact that a masters
> degree is typically required is simply a function of lobbying by
> librarians- it is like certification for barbers- anyone can cut hair and
> anyone can shelf books.  I think that the reference librarian probably
> requires a degree (a BS) but  and we would have much more money for books
> if we
> turned out all the overqualified librarians
>
> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> Christopher Whittle                         College of Education &
> Box 72119                          Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences
> Albuquerque, NM 87195                       University of New Mexico
> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>