Libraries

[Anonymous]

Exeter, Andover, and most other nationally top privates have librarians with masters degrees in Library and use the Library of Congress (LoC) cataloging system for books. This means those kids already have a leg up when they start college, as virtually all college libraries in the USA also use the LoC catalog system.

Which local privates have Upper School (US) libraries which are run by someone with a Master’s degree in Library ?

Which local privates have US libraries which use (and teach) the LoC cataloging system ?

Thanks !

[Anonymous]

This feels like an odd leg up now that card catalogues are digital.

[Anonymous]

Once you find the book in the online catalog you still need to go find the book on the shelf, PP.

I guess maybe DD was a simpler scheme for elementary libraries so that’s why? I’m not sure. (And it’s not that simple)

Maybe you could ask the American Association of School Librarians (a subgroup of ALA)?

[Anonymous]

This is a weird post. At least in public schools, the school librarians all have master’s degrees in library science. Starting in elementary school. Private schools don’t hire professional librarians?

[Anonymous]

All of the schools my DD has attended or that we looked at for HS (except Flint Hill, which doesn’t have a library), have librarians with at least a masters in library science. This is a weird question. If your kid doesn’t learn how to use a library in HS, they will learn as a college freshman, and they will be fine. College librarians are very helpful too. Of all the things to stress about, OP, this is a strange one to spend mentally energy on.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This feels like an odd leg up now that card catalogues are digital.

I am guessing PP doesn’t go to some section of a library and browse the shelves to see what happens to be there.

[Anonymous]

Contrived example: Someone likes “Wuthering Heights” and wants to find other British literature from the same era.

Dewey Decimal only covers non-fiction, leaving fiction to be shelved by Author’s last name. This means fiction from the same genre/era is scattered all over the fiction section.

By contrast, LoC catalogue system integrates fiction and non-fiction. So LoC will shelve all British literature from a given era near each other.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is a weird post. At least in public schools, the school librarians all have master’s degrees in library science. Starting in elementary school. Private schools don’t hire professional librarians?

I know of some local publics where the school Librarian does not have a Library degree, but instead has an English Literature degree. Separately, I am sure some privates do have Librarians with a Library degree, but there are many different privates, so seems doubtful that all of them do. Hence the question: which local privates are known to have Librarians with an actual Library degree.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Exeter, Andover, and most other nationally top privates have librarians with masters degrees in Library and use the Library of Congress (LoC) cataloging system for books. This means those kids already have a leg up when they start college, as virtually all college libraries in the USA also use the LoC catalog system.

Which local privates have Upper School (US) libraries which are run by someone with a Master’s degree in Library ?

Which local privates have US libraries which use (and teach) the LoC cataloging system ?

Thanks !

Why do you care? Are you a librarian?

[Anonymous]

It might be easier to determine which schools you are interested in and then ask about their library system and librarian credentials.

[Anonymous]

WIS doesn't have a middle and high school libary at all

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It might be easier to determine which schools you are interested in and then ask about their library system and librarian credentials.

This. Unless this is your #1 criterion for choosing a school and nothing else matters, you’re approaching it backwards. At least narrow down location, and maybe a few major factors, like religious or non, single sex or coed, how big or small, etc. You’re casting too wide a net asking for all schools across the entire DC area.

[Anonymous]

I have an MLS and trust me it matters not a bit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is a weird post. At least in public schools, the school librarians all have master’s degrees in library science. Starting in elementary school. Private schools don’t hire professional librarians?

They do.

[Anonymous]

When the vast majority of the searching and browsing is done digitally (to say nothing of all the actual reading that is done on digital devices), it matters very little how library materials are physically organized on shelves.

LoC ... Dewey Decimal System ... it doesn't really matter anymore to the vast majority of library users.