Comments on: The Letters And Titles You Add To Your Name http://acrlog.org/2008/08/17/the-letters-and-titles-you-add-to-your-name/ Blogging by and for academic and research librarians Sat, 04 Feb 2012 22:32:54 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: skib http://acrlog.org/2008/08/17/the-letters-and-titles-you-add-to-your-name/comment-page-1/#comment-131856 skib Wed, 29 Jul 2009 21:51:32 +0000 http://acrlog.org/?p=892#comment-131856 I realize I'm coming a bit lat to the conversation, but I thought I should point out that the designation "MLIS" after one's name is actually a trademark owned by International Risk Management Institute, Inc., indicating that one has passed IRMI's exam to earn the designation of "Management Liability Insurance Specialist." (see http://www.mlis-ce.com/info/terms.aspx.) So, perhaps using that designation is not a good choice for librarians ... unless the librarian also is a management liability insurance specialist, that is. I realize I’m coming a bit lat to the conversation, but I thought I should point out that the designation “MLIS” after one’s name is actually a trademark owned by International Risk Management Institute, Inc., indicating that one has passed IRMI’s exam to earn the designation of “Management Liability Insurance Specialist.” (see http://www.mlis-ce.com/info/terms.aspx.) So, perhaps using that designation is not a good choice for librarians … unless the librarian also is a management liability insurance specialist, that is.

]]> By: Jewels http://acrlog.org/2008/08/17/the-letters-and-titles-you-add-to-your-name/comment-page-1/#comment-115649 Jewels Thu, 05 Mar 2009 00:07:45 +0000 http://acrlog.org/?p=892#comment-115649 My, what a profundity of views. Traditional etiquette says using your 'letters' on business cards and in signatures is pretentious. That being said, the practice is popular with younger graduates and possessors of 'soft' degrees such as Education and Library Science. I know a student whose e-mail sig reads 'PhD student in School Psychology,' let us pray that she matriculates after so many years of advance marketing. My, what a profundity of views. Traditional etiquette says using your ‘letters’ on business cards and in signatures is pretentious. That being said, the practice is popular with younger graduates and possessors of ‘soft’ degrees such as Education and Library Science. I know a student whose e-mail sig reads ‘PhD student in School Psychology,’ let us pray that she matriculates after so many years of advance marketing.

]]> By: Deborah http://acrlog.org/2008/08/17/the-letters-and-titles-you-add-to-your-name/comment-page-1/#comment-98365 Deborah Tue, 26 Aug 2008 13:32:28 +0000 http://acrlog.org/?p=892#comment-98365 I work in a public library and I just started putting my degree on my business cards. One reason is that most people don't know that librarians have an advanced degree and I have since gotten comments like "I didn't know you had to have a degree to be a librarian." That is why I use it. I work in a public library and I just started putting my degree on my business cards. One reason is that most people don’t know that librarians have an advanced degree and I have since gotten comments like “I didn’t know you had to have a degree to be a librarian.” That is why I use it.

]]> By: almo http://acrlog.org/2008/08/17/the-letters-and-titles-you-add-to-your-name/comment-page-1/#comment-98319 almo Tue, 26 Aug 2008 04:27:56 +0000 http://acrlog.org/?p=892#comment-98319 I use my credentials in my signature and my business card because I work for a vendor and want the libraries I work with as customers to know that I am one of them. However, as a librarian abroad, the issue lies in the fact that the MLS really means nothing outside the USA. Librarians elsewhere have other programs and use different letters to indicate honors. I use my credentials in my signature and my business card because I work for a vendor and want the libraries I work with as customers to know that I am one of them.
However, as a librarian abroad, the issue lies in the fact that the MLS really means nothing outside the USA. Librarians elsewhere have other programs and use different letters to indicate honors.

]]> By: History Instructor Extrordinaire? « Curious Child’s Library Wanderings http://acrlog.org/2008/08/17/the-letters-and-titles-you-add-to-your-name/comment-page-1/#comment-98317 History Instructor Extrordinaire? « Curious Child’s Library Wanderings Tue, 26 Aug 2008 03:41:49 +0000 http://acrlog.org/?p=892#comment-98317 [...] also think this should be added to the discussions going on here and here about whether or not librarians should add their degrees after their names, but I [...] [...] also think this should be added to the discussions going on here and here about whether or not librarians should add their degrees after their names, but I [...]

]]> By: Suzanne http://acrlog.org/2008/08/17/the-letters-and-titles-you-add-to-your-name/comment-page-1/#comment-98271 Suzanne Mon, 25 Aug 2008 18:53:19 +0000 http://acrlog.org/?p=892#comment-98271 "At a prior institution I worked I recall adjucts who would routinely - even those teaching their first semester - sign off on their e-mail as Professor Jones. Of course it was absurd and insulting to the tenured faculty." And "ouch!" back at you -- I am a librarian and an adjunct assistant professor. My title is on my business card, and I do add it to my e-mail sig when corresponding with people outside my library. In your view, does one need to possess a doctorate to be called Professor? (Then what does "Doctor" signify in an academic setting?) In a perfect world, "Librarian" would be a title of equal respect with "Professor" and we wouldn't be having this discussion. But this isn't a perfect world and my institution confers faculty status on librarians simply to emphasize that we are education professionals, too. I think adding your degree(s) to your business card is another way to inform non-librarians that ours is a profession with standards like any other. For academic librarians who don't hold faculty status, it may be the best way to convey that information and certainly should NOT be seen as pretension. “At a prior institution I worked I recall adjucts who would routinely – even those teaching their first semester – sign off on their e-mail as Professor Jones. Of course it was absurd and insulting to the tenured faculty.”
And “ouch!” back at you — I am a librarian and an adjunct assistant professor. My title is on my business card, and I do add it to my e-mail sig when corresponding with people outside my library. In your view, does one need to possess a doctorate to be called Professor? (Then what does “Doctor” signify in an academic setting?)

In a perfect world, “Librarian” would be a title of equal respect with “Professor” and we wouldn’t be having this discussion. But this isn’t a perfect world and my institution confers faculty status on librarians simply to emphasize that we are education professionals, too. I think adding your degree(s) to your business card is another way to inform non-librarians that ours is a profession with standards like any other. For academic librarians who don’t hold faculty status, it may be the best way to convey that information and certainly should NOT be seen as pretension.

]]> By: suzana http://acrlog.org/2008/08/17/the-letters-and-titles-you-add-to-your-name/comment-page-1/#comment-98012 suzana Sat, 23 Aug 2008 22:08:13 +0000 http://acrlog.org/?p=892#comment-98012 Etiquette. This is a concept I struggle with. Too often there is no argument about what is best, but rather an attempt to “offend” as little as possible. How can someone be offended by a simple statement of your rank or education, especially if we have the same level/amount? No, I guess the better question is SHOULD people be offended by such things, and SHOULD offending them be avoided. Offense alone cannot be a good enough justification for disallowing something: If someone was “offended” by being served in a restaurant by a waiter of a certain race, ethnicity, gender role, etc. no one would start firing waiters that fit those descriptions. Instead, perhaps we should be talking about justified offense. Does it make sense to be offended by such and such? I think that it would hard to defend a position of offense without intention. Someone could hardly be offended by someone not intending to offend. Or rather the offense cannot last, once lack of intention is discovered. In this case, I’m not sure you can assume intention to offend in someone’s including their degrees or rank after their name. I know I wouldn’t be offended. Jealous maybe! lol In fact, most often, I’m disappointed when someone leaves out basic information about their qualifications like that. If I’m being trained in the use of a new database or interface, I’d like to know whether I’m talking to a person trained in education, librarianship, or sales. It makes a difference in how I interpret their provided assistance. It does depend on the situation though. If it’s just a comment on a blog (like here for instance) I really need that level of information. There’s not enough complexity to require more detail to base my judgment on. But in a journal article or workshop, I probably would like to know what degrees the author/instructor has and maybe what their title/rank is in their institution. It may not work in their favour, but I’d rather know that not know. Yes, some toes may be stepped on, and some toes should not be stepped on (I’m not walking around telling ugly people exactly how they look… I may get more information than I’d like myself. LOL) but some toes do. If it was standard practice for librarians (and others as you see fit) to regularly include these extra bits of information on their business cards, in their presentations, or wherever, then it would very difficult for people to be offended by it, and we would get more information about the people we are working with, and if librarians don’t want or can’t handle more information, who can, right? Etiquette. This is a concept I struggle with. Too often there is no argument about what is best, but rather an attempt to “offend” as little as possible. How can someone be offended by a simple statement of your rank or education, especially if we have the same level/amount? No, I guess the better question is SHOULD people be offended by such things, and SHOULD offending them be avoided.

Offense alone cannot be a good enough justification for disallowing something: If someone was “offended” by being served in a restaurant by a waiter of a certain race, ethnicity, gender role, etc. no one would start firing waiters that fit those descriptions.

Instead, perhaps we should be talking about justified offense. Does it make sense to be offended by such and such? I think that it would hard to defend a position of offense without intention. Someone could hardly be offended by someone not intending to offend. Or rather the offense cannot last, once lack of intention is discovered.

In this case, I’m not sure you can assume intention to offend in someone’s including their degrees or rank after their name. I know I wouldn’t be offended. Jealous maybe! lol In fact, most often, I’m disappointed when someone leaves out basic information about their qualifications like that. If I’m being trained in the use of a new database or interface, I’d like to know whether I’m talking to a person trained in education, librarianship, or sales. It makes a difference in how I interpret their provided assistance.

It does depend on the situation though. If it’s just a comment on a blog (like here for instance) I really need that level of information. There’s not enough complexity to require more detail to base my judgment on. But in a journal article or workshop, I probably would like to know what degrees the author/instructor has and maybe what their title/rank is in their institution. It may not work in their favour, but I’d rather know that not know.

Yes, some toes may be stepped on, and some toes should not be stepped on (I’m not walking around telling ugly people exactly how they look… I may get more information than I’d like myself. LOL) but some toes do. If it was standard practice for librarians (and others as you see fit) to regularly include these extra bits of information on their business cards, in their presentations, or wherever, then it would very difficult for people to be offended by it, and we would get more information about the people we are working with, and if librarians don’t want or can’t handle more information, who can, right?

]]> By: Melissa Mallon http://acrlog.org/2008/08/17/the-letters-and-titles-you-add-to-your-name/comment-page-1/#comment-97867 Melissa Mallon Fri, 22 Aug 2008 18:34:24 +0000 http://acrlog.org/?p=892#comment-97867 This is a really interesting debate. I never thought twice about adding my MLIS to my sig file and business card when I first started my job a year ago -- probably because my colleagues already had their degrees listed and I followed suit. I really don't think it's too big of an issue whichever way you decide to go. Personally, I think it reminds professors on my campus that I *do* have faculty status and, as some others commented -- I'm proud of my accomplishments so why not throw my degree on the business card? I never would have thought it would come off as pretentious. This is a really interesting debate. I never thought twice about adding my MLIS to my sig file and business card when I first started my job a year ago — probably because my colleagues already had their degrees listed and I followed suit. I really don’t think it’s too big of an issue whichever way you decide to go. Personally, I think it reminds professors on my campus that I *do* have faculty status and, as some others commented — I’m proud of my accomplishments so why not throw my degree on the business card? I never would have thought it would come off as pretentious.

]]> By: Laura Wimberley http://acrlog.org/2008/08/17/the-letters-and-titles-you-add-to-your-name/comment-page-1/#comment-97859 Laura Wimberley Fri, 22 Aug 2008 17:20:35 +0000 http://acrlog.org/?p=892#comment-97859 In response to Douglas Anderson's comment - there's <a HREF="http://crookedtimber.org/2008/08/19/herr-professor-daddy-i-didnt-think-so/#comments" rel="nofollow">a long recent discussion over at Crooked Timber</A> about the difference in the way male and female professors are perceived by their students. What's emerged in that thread are some pretty clear reasons why faculty use their titles, especially female faculty. I earned a PhD before entering my MLIS program, and I haven't been sure how to treat the title. As a young-looking woman, I had been encouraged to display the degree in my old context, but I want to adopt librarian norms now, and it's frustrating to hear that there's not a full consensus! :) It sounds like the best I can do it take it out of my sig file and use it on a case-by-case basis. In response to Douglas Anderson’s comment – there’s a long recent discussion over at Crooked Timber about the difference in the way male and female professors are perceived by their students. What’s emerged in that thread are some pretty clear reasons why faculty use their titles, especially female faculty.

I earned a PhD before entering my MLIS program, and I haven’t been sure how to treat the title. As a young-looking woman, I had been encouraged to display the degree in my old context, but I want to adopt librarian norms now, and it’s frustrating to hear that there’s not a full consensus! :) It sounds like the best I can do it take it out of my sig file and use it on a case-by-case basis.

]]> By: Carolyn http://acrlog.org/2008/08/17/the-letters-and-titles-you-add-to-your-name/comment-page-1/#comment-97740 Carolyn Thu, 21 Aug 2008 18:03:44 +0000 http://acrlog.org/?p=892#comment-97740 I added my degrees after my email signature when I was not working in the library but in another department on campus. I did so mainly because my position was temporary and I was looking to perhaps stay there and apply for a librarian position in the future. I was worried about looking pretentious, but then I remembered how long I was in school and how much I spent on my master's degrees; so I made the decision to forgo feeling ashamed about the pretentious-ness of it. I added my degrees after my email signature when I was not working in the library but in another department on campus. I did so mainly because my position was temporary and I was looking to perhaps stay there and apply for a librarian position in the future. I was worried about looking pretentious, but then I remembered how long I was in school and how much I spent on my master’s degrees; so I made the decision to forgo feeling ashamed about the pretentious-ness of it.

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