This article discusses the causes of library/information science not being recognized as a profession and some problems associated with the library/informationscience education, based on the history of American library/information scienceeducation. Since Melvil Dewey founded the first library school in 1887 certainproblems in the library/information science education have persisted, these includeconfusing the objectives of a vocation with those of a profession, no consistentcourse contents in teaching, and the duration for study being too short.Fundamental problems such as lack of theoretical foundation and philosophy, notmuch academic research, and the imbalance of practice and theory in the educationprogram, are yet unresolved. What are the causes for the slow progress in library and information scienceover the past one hundred years? Librarians and library educators together haveto figure these out from the library history, and seek solutions. If we can't be sureof our objective, whether moving to professional model or academic model, and discard vocalionalization totally, then we can never achieve the professional status.
