{"id":4851,"date":"2017-09-01T15:22:48","date_gmt":"2017-09-01T22:22:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bclaconnectrev.wpengine.com\/perspectives\/?p=4851"},"modified":"2025-01-22T11:26:28","modified_gmt":"2025-01-22T19:26:28","slug":"survey-question-5","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bclaconnect.ca\/perspectives\/2017\/09\/01\/survey-question-5\/","title":{"rendered":"Survey question 5: Any additional comments about your education experience?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Question five was intended as a grab bag \u2013 to solicit final thoughts after considering the preceding questions. The variety of responses made it impossible to graph; the feedback included everything from comments on the profession to people\u2019s assessment of their own academic program experience, to reiterating ideas from questions one-through-four regarding what should or should not be part of education.\u00a0<span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6}\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p>This is also a good place to point out that a few responses commented on the type of education specifically \u2013 whether the profession might be served by a bachelor&#8217;s degree, and whether there&#8217;s a future for both the master&#8217;s degrees and tech diplomas.\u202f<span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6}\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Responses from Library <\/b><b>Technicians<\/b><b>:<\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>&gt;<\/strong> \u201cMostly I felt prepared when I came out of school, but in the 13 years I&#8217;ve been a library technician, so much has changed about my job.\u201d<span data-ccp-props=\"{}\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>&gt;<\/strong> \u201cI started my library technician diploma in 2007. One of the courses I took included a unit on using overhead projectors and cassette players. I remember thinking at the time that it was ridiculous. Programs need to keep up.\u201d<span data-ccp-props=\"{}\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>&gt;<\/strong> \u201cThe number of electives required makes it difficult to finish the program in a timely manner. I would prefer the program to focus specifically on library related skills and material, and not require additional non-library specific academic courses. Non-academic courses focusing on computer skills and business communication skills are the exception: these are very useful in the workplace.\u201d<span data-ccp-props=\"{}\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>&gt;<\/strong> \u201cA longer practicum would have been appreciated.\u201d<span data-ccp-props=\"{}\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>&gt;<\/strong> \u201cMore production tutorial videos for online software, such as how to produce a podcast, etc.\u201d<span data-ccp-props=\"{}\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>&gt;<\/strong> \u201cAll my professors were amazing and were quick to answer any of my questions. For an online student, that is the best thing we can ask for.\u201d<span data-ccp-props=\"{}\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>&gt;<\/strong> \u201cNot diverse enough in faculty and cohort.\u201d<span data-ccp-props=\"{}\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>&gt;<\/strong> \u201cWanted more practical work experience, especially dealing with difficult people and at risk groups.\u201d<span data-ccp-props=\"{}\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>&gt;<\/strong> \u201cI enrolled in a library technician program with a particular position in mind. During the program my eyes were opened to the wider range of positions available and I discovered halfway through that my diploma was unlikely to qualify me for my new goal (director). I wonder about the need for both LibTech diplomas and MLIS degrees when the content is nearly identical. The main difference is the cost and time of acquiring a Bachelor&#8217;s degree. Perhaps it is time for library schooling to consolidate, remaining as financially accessible as possible for all.\u201d<span data-ccp-props=\"{}\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>&gt;<\/strong> \u201cThe UFV LIbrary and Information Technology program did a great job of preparing me for my job. Although I do not work in a traditional library setting, I use the skills I learned every day.\u201d<span data-ccp-props=\"{}\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Responses from Librarians:<\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>&gt;<\/strong> \u201cI enjoyed the degree. It was challenging but not as grueling as others made it out to be. I did notice that lots of people seemed to regard it as a pointless hoop to jump through so that they could get a job they wanted. Going through the degree didn&#8217;t seem to change their minds much. But I found it valuable. It doesn&#8217;t replace on the job experience, but it does enhance it.\u201d<span data-ccp-props=\"{}\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>&gt;<\/strong> \u201cI wish there had been a clearer discipline-related mentality and classes where we all worked in different capacities in different libraries, not a professional experience, but a class where you do a week at one library, a week at another etc.\u201d<span data-ccp-props=\"{}\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>&gt;<\/strong> \u201cThe best professors I had were also adjuncts with recent, lived library experiences. Library school had the most value inasmuch as it caused me to look outside of the school and its courses for the knowledge and perspectives that I find most useful.\u201d<span data-ccp-props=\"{}\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>&gt;<\/strong> \u201cI feel that, for someone who did archival studies and library studies, I did not learn much about libraries because of how generally libraries were treated. I ended up working mostly in archives in part because I did not feel I had the necessary knowledge to work in a library.\u201d<span data-ccp-props=\"{}\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>&gt;<\/strong> \u201cIt never ends &#8211; we&#8217;re a tribe of lifelong learners :)\u201d<span data-ccp-props=\"{}\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>&gt;<\/strong> \u201cI&#8217;ve said this numerous times in feedback to SLAIS but will add here: experience needs to be more valued in the acceptance of potential students. As someone with nearly 25 years of experience in the field, 17 of which were spent as director of a library in small interior city, when I applied, it seemed like my 30 year old academic grades were of more importance and I had to stand my ground on refusing to take preliminary course work to prove my ability to succeed in the program.\u201d<span data-ccp-props=\"{}\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>&gt;<\/strong> \u201cMy library education was useful as an introduction, but most of what I needed to know to be a successful working professional I learned on the job, and through colleagues\/mentors.\u201d<span data-ccp-props=\"{}\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>&gt;<\/strong> \u201cI was extremely pleased with it and it gave me a most rewarding career for 30 plus years.\u201d<span data-ccp-props=\"{}\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>&gt;<\/strong> \u201cIf I had to do it all over again, knowing what I know now and experiencing the decline of the profession, I would choose a different path.\u201d<span data-ccp-props=\"{}\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Question five was intended as a grab bag \u2013 to solicit final thoughts after considering the preceding questions. The variety of responses made it impossible to graph; the feedback included everything from comments on the profession to people\u2019s assessment of their own academic program experience, to reiterating ideas from questions one-through-four regarding what should or [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4233,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[180],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4851","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-perspectives-education-survey"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Survey question 5: Any additional comments about your education experience? - BCLA Perspectives<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/bclaconnect.ca\/perspectives\/2017\/09\/01\/survey-question-5\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Survey question 5: Any additional comments about your education experience? - BCLA Perspectives\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Question five was intended as a grab bag \u2013 to solicit final thoughts after considering the preceding questions. 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