Defending Professionalism

Emphasizing the differences and similarities between cultures, organizations, countries, and positions, the scholarly and well-researched chapters will offer food for thought, evidence, and future areas to consider and work on in defining and defending the professions. This is of use to any librarian, information specialist, knowledge manager, or archivist who wishes to know more about how to defend and define professionalism in their own employment and the employment of others in similar positions. * ARBA * The overall tone and writing style are clear and professional, with enough variety that the reader can draw useful conclusions no matter which aspect is addressed. Recommended for librarians interested in current library topics. * Booklist Online * Included is a combination of practical and pragmatic ideas to improve marketing and advocacy for individuals, educators and organizations. . . . It is fair to say that this is certainly not a book for those wanting to take a back seat but it is a good addition to the bookshelf of anyone concerned with promoting the relevance of information professionals in the digital age. * Endnotes: The Journal of the New Members Round Table *

Bill Crowley, PhD, is a tenured full professor at Dominican University's Graduate School of Library and Information Science, River Forest, IL, where he has been a faculty member since 1996.

Introduction: How Did We Get into This Dilemma in the First Place? Bill Crowley 1 Why Are We Trashing the Professionalism of Librarians, Information Specialists, Knowledge Managers, and Archivists? Bill Crowley 2 Justifying Professional Education in a Self-Service World Rachel Rubin and Richard Rubin 3 Youth Services in Public Libraries: A Return to Belligerence Janice M. Del Negro 4 We Build Communities through Knowledge: Demonstrating the Value of the Professional Public Librarian Brenda Roberts 5 Strategies and Aspirations for Defending School Library Professionalism Don Hamerly 6 Future-Proofing the Academic Librarian Lenora Berendt and Maria Otero-Boisvert 7 Understanding the Worth of the Professional Librarian in the Research University or Institution Cleo Pappas 8 Valuing the Return on Investment of the Information Professional in Specialized Institutions (Corporations, Government Agencies, NGOs, etc.) Michael E. D. Koenig 9 Defending the Professional Archivist Cecilia Lizama Salvatore 10 A Culturally Pragmatic and Feminist-Influenced Approach to Defending Professionalism Bill Crowley 11 The LIS Professional Commons and the Online Networked Practitioner Kyle M. L. Jones and Michael Stephens 12 The Political Case for Supporting the Value of Professionalism Bill Crowley 13 An Obstacle: The Difficulty of Convincing Others to Change Their Thinking and Behavior Robert F. Moran Jr. 14 Advancing Professionalism in Library, Information, Knowledge, and Archival Services in the "New Normal World" Bill Crowley Index About the Editor and Contributors