Dear Allyson,
Please let me know how I can help. The need is critical.
On a related note, I have been collecting data about LIS faculty vacancies for several years and could share some data if that would be helpful.
Count me in to help with doctoral dissertations in bibliographic control areas.
Cordially,
Sylvia
Sylvia D. Hall-Ellis, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Library and Information Science Program
Morgridge College of Education
University of Denver
2450 S. Vine St., JMAC #122
Denver, Colorado 80208
303-871-7881 - voice
303-871-2709 - FAX
----- Original Message -----
From: Allyson Carlyle <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Wednesday, September 24, 2008 2:15 pm
Subject: [eduCAT] Doctoral Education in Cataloging
To: [log in to unmask]
> Hi everyone,
>
> At ALA I attended a meeting of the ALCTS Committee on Education
> (Sylvia, that's the name of it, yes?). Sylvia Hall-Ellis is the
> chair. In a small group discussion, we discussed the shortage of
> cataloging faculty - full time, tenure track faculty whose main area
> of research is cataloging - and how important it is for schools with
> LIS programs to have a such a faculty member. At the very least, it
> means that there is someone who is part of the full time faculty who
> can fight for cataloging curricula. I think I don't need to lecture
> you all about of the other reasons why it is important :-)
>
> An idea we had was to have an information session at the next ALA
> annual with a panel of folks who can speak to why one would want to
> get a phd with a research focus in cataloging, where the best places
> to go to get such a phd might be, how to apply, etc. I helped
> organize an event like this in Anaheim aimed at encouraging librarians
> of color to apply for phds in LIS. It was very successful, and I
> would hope that if we advertised widely, we might meet with some
> success next year offering one aimed at doctoral education in cataloging.
>
> While it is true that there may be some schools that would not want
> to hire a tenure track cataloging faculty member, I believe that there
> are more than one might think that would hire if they found someone
> who knocked their socks off. Many faculty postings these days are
> open - that is, there are no specific areas of expertise listed. I am
> afraid that we are not educating enough doctoral students to fill
> these positions, and that as a consequence cataloging courses either
> disappear or are marginalized in the curriculum because they are not
> associated with a regular tenure track faculty member (this is not to
> disparage any of you fabulous practitioners who teach our cataloging
> courses - far from it - it is, unfortunately, a reality that when you
> have full time faculty associated with courses these courses are
> viewed as more central to the curriculum).
>
> If I remember correctly, the group who met to discuss this included
> me, Sylvia, Cheryl Boettcher-Tarsala, Elaine Yontz, and Karen Snow.
> If anyone else would be interested in helping me (us) organize and
> work on this, please let me know.
>
> Finally, I'd like to ask all of you out there who are full-time
> faculty members in cataloging and can supervise doctoral students to
> come to such a panel session should we be able to organize it. In
> Anaheim, we had representatives from almost every single doctoral
> granting institution available to meet with prospective students, and
> I think it worked very well.
>
> Thanks all,
> Allyson
>
> Allyson Carlyle
> Associate Professor and Chair, PhD Program
> Information School
> MGH 370
> University of Washington
> Seattle, WA 98195-2840
> USA
>
> (206) 543-1887
>
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