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This may be somewhat off topic for a group devoted to cataloging education .... but not TOTALLY off topic. I gave a paper last week, at a conference on The Ethics of Information Organization. As best I could tell, registrants included lots of students, lots of LIS educators, and not-quite-so-many practitioners, although it was a pretty good mix. At the reception on the first evening, I fell into conversation with one of the LIS educators, and we drew a number of threads from the day together, as he said something to this effect: <<I suddenly realized that in LIS schools, we lavish a lot of time individually mentoring our PhD students in research (how to frame a question, how to choose a method, how to follow up, how to target a publishing venue, reviewing drafts, etc.) but our MLS students get maybe a research methods class and a few projects to complete. And all the while, it is the practitioners who make up most of the profession, and who will conduct most of the research, and publish most of the papers, and if they are in academic libraries, they'll HAVE to do research and publication. And the same thing is true of preparing for or planning a career -- we mentor the PhD students intensively, but the masters students not nearly so much.>> And reflecting on that conversation, it brought to mind many previous conversations and thoughts from over the years. That although ALA accredits the masters programs, the schools that offer PhDs may define themselves or assess their worth based on the PhDs, or the faculty may have greater affinity for the PhD students, since overwhelmingly that is their background. Well ..... practicing catalogers and technical services managers (and all) have to do research and investigation and inquiry in real life, and many are required to publish. And the profession and discipline grow through contributions of those in the profession -- most of whom have the terminal professional degree. What's the balance? Do you prepare catalogers (and their ilk) for the possibility and necessity of research and publication, and for conducting it? Do schools that have both masters and PhD programs define themselves too much in terms of their successes in PhD "production" and overlook the real needs of practitioners for knowing how to do research, for understanding an obligation to contribute to the knowledge of the field through inquiry and publication? I'd be interested in your reactions, contradictions, information, verification, whatever. Janet Swan Hill, Professor Associate Director for Technical Services University of Colorado Libraries, CB184 Boulder, CO 80309 [log in to unmask] ***** "For we are catalogers, and therefore the elect of God. To read is human; to catalog, divine." Charity Blackstock. Dewey Death.