2645 Do we need a LAMP to attract more students to library science?

Last time I looked, potential librarians were not in the dark. People [just talked to a library staffer last week who was choosing a different field] are deciding NOT to become librarians because of limited job opportunities and poor earning potential. Are we paying to train buggy whip makers and keep library schools afloat? Even "underrepresented populations" should be steered to more lucrative careers.

"Library Access Midwest Program (LAMP)" project, will receive $972,839 from the Federal Government through its 21st Century Librarian Program. Graduate Sschool of Library and Information Science (GSLIS) at the University of Illinois will work with the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Library and Information Science to develop LAMP, a regional alliance that will attract 20 promising college students to careers in librarianship. Special emphasis will be placed on recruiting students from statistically and historically underrepresented populations. In addition to the direct effect it will have on these 20 students and their contributions to the library field, LAMP is designed to be a replicable model for other regions."

From the GSLIS newsletter, Volume 5, Number 4: July 2006

An illegal immigrant nanny can make $15-20 an hour--I'm not sure a beginning librarian with a master's will get that.