They represent, however, one attempt to meet a pressing need and provide at least some structure to what would otherwise be a hit or miss training activity. The balance of elements will vary among institutions but we can expect some elevation of salaries, some structural reorganization and classification shift, and some substitution of MLS holders with staff more vaguely trained. To the extent that these solutions result in a degradation of service, libraries will suffer. Every unsuccessful service encounter will lower the overall expectation that users have of the library just as a pattern of success and fulfillment drives the expectation of performance higher. Good enough, poorly educated librarians convey the message that mediocre is the best the public can hope for from their library.
Poor service is rewarded with inadequate support, and the downward spiral begins.
To the extent that these solutions result in no degradation of service, we will be forced to ask what value an MLS degree conveys. Perhaps the most important single thing we can do now is try to change the model. The problem is one that can most effectively be addressed by practitioners and educators working together. Library schools will continue to educate graduates for the ever-widening world of opportunity for the information professional. This is not a bad thing even if practitioners see an erosion of the pool they once claimed as their own.