In 1951, the American Library Association (ALA) Council approved new standards for accrediting library education programs. These standards shifted accreditation from the bachelor's degree to the master's degree, making the master's degree in library science the professional credential for entry into the profession. At the time, librarians believed this change would transform the practice of librarianship, the nature of library education, and the social standing of librarianship as an occupation. In The MLS Project: An Assessment after Sixty Years, Boyd Keith Swigger examines the reasons the American Library Association enacted the change and looks at the consequences of this decision. Reviewing the last several decades, Swigger addresses a number of concerns: What were librarians' and library educators' arguments for changing the system of library education? What problems were they trying to solve? What were their objectives? Did the change in the structure of library education solve the problems perceived in the late 1940s? Have the objectives set then been accomplished in the half century since? What have been the intended and unintended outcomes of the change? In his review, Swigger draws general conclusions about the MLS Project, the perception of librarianship, libraries, the developments of curriculums in library schools, and how librarianship compares to the new information professions. The MLS Project is an informative and critical evaluation that every librarian should read.

"Calls for a reexamination of ALA's decision in 1951 to make the MLS the primary degree for entry into the profession. Swigger...examines why the decision was made and whether or not it is a currently valid model for today's students. He suggests some new approaches." - Zentralblatt für Geologie und Paläontologie

"This eye-opening assessment quotes librarians’ discontent with status and image in the early 1950s—disconcertingly similar to the mood today. With well-researched history and data, Swigger (Sch. of Library & Information Studies, Texas Woman’s Univ.) assesses the ALA-spearheaded 1951 increase of education requirements for professional librarians (from a stipulated bachelor’s degree to a master’s degree), implemented as a means to the dual end of more professional respect and compensation for librarians. Did these “MLS project” changes enacted in library education solve the professionalism issues for librarians? Not as much as was hoped! This reviewer has been as guilty as many in averring, largely without examining the issues, that librarianship is a profession. Swigger has examined a range of careers and definitions. The results? It seems likely librarianship is still not a full-blown profession. This important book makes the notion of librarianship as a trade more palatable. Swigger believes “librarianship has suffered at the hands of its celebrators.” It still does. What’s next? Multiple models for library education. ... VERDICT An essential read for librarians and a must-have for librarianship collections." - Library Journal, Starred Review

"The MLS Project is an important cautionary tale, offering well-supported arguments that the current accreditation process for library education programs has stifled a much-needed reconsideration of the library profession itself." - Information & Culture