Recently, I wrote a post about whether or not librarians needed masters degrees.  I concluded that although some form of training was necessary, a masters degree was not.

I would like to add on to that conclusion by suggesting a return to the accredited undergraduate library science degree.  I majored in philosophy; I was required to take 10 courses of varying levels, 3 of which were specifically prescribed.  I specialized (unofficially) in ethics.  This is very similar to what I am required to take in library school.  I have to take 12 LIS classes, 5 of which are specifically prescribed. I can choose to concentrate on school librarianship or archives or general librarianship.

Being trained for librarianship as an undergraduate would be great. If I wanted to be a school librarian, I could supplement my library science coursework with courses in education.  As an archivist, I could take history courses. As a knowledge management specialist, I could take business courses.  As a law or federal librarian, I could take law courses. As a medical librarian, I could take pre-med or biology courses. And I could take these courses at no additional cost and with no additional time.

I could easily get practical experience in the university library, records office, legal office, hospital, or local businesses. My university, well connected in the area, could help me set up these practicums and jobs.

A BLS program would attract younger people - college students who might not otherwise hear about library science - to the field.

A BLS program would also create an intuitive liaison librarianship.  BLS students, who would take courses and live and interact constantly with students from other fields.  By the time BLS students got jobs, they would have experience relating library science to other fields.

Undergraduates are very connected to technology and don’t have to work to maintain their understanding of current and future trends. 

Library science is related to fields that undergraduates are familiar with, such as computer science, comparative literature, philosophy, and education.

The BLS degree used to be standard. Now there are very few remaining.  What happened to it?

What to people think of the idea of a return to the BLS?