THE ENTRY-LEVEL GAP

摘要

Data from the library job market and mounting anecdotal evidence show that there is cause for alarm. The number of full-time, professional positions in libraries is dwindling, salaries continue to be depressed, more entry-level positions are being liquidated or "depro-fessionalized," and qualified job seekers are having trouble securing work. Meanwhile, an industrywide MLS recruitment drive is in full swing, ensuring another large crop of graduates will be spilled out into the job market each year. Even with this bumper crop of new professionals, library administrators complain about the lack of qualified applicants for available positions. Using original research, reviews of library literature, and anecdotal evidence from email discussions, we investigated the job landscape from our perspective as new librarians, identifying potential course corrections for the profession.