The MLS Catch-22

In library-land we’re aware that the MLS is the key to professional achievements. It is rare that anyone can attain leadership positions within libraries if they don’t carry this key designation. Over the past few years however, a combination of student loan debt, low salaries, and the actual job requirements of these positions make pursuing an MLS a little less desirable. Is there a future for the profession if we begin to accept a Bachelor’s Degree in Library Science as sufficient training? Or perhaps rather than an MLS, we begin to require a Master’s of Public Administration for those pursuing a Public Library leadership position. Is our commitment to the MLS an example of an industry struggling to adapt to change?