I’m a frequent visitor of LisJobs since it pertains to my chosen career industry and I’ve become a fan of their section titled, “Career Q & A with The Library People”; it’s where they answer questions from librarians, librarians to be, and curious bookworms.
Today, I read about a question that was very similar to what I’ve recently been through in the my previous post of “When Work isn’t Working“. Here’s the Library People’s answer to my same dilemma.
I especially liked the part that read:
“In my experience, it has always been my immediate boss who lobbied for me and procured my raises and promotions, which makes sense because he knew my work better than the director. Since your boss is supportive of you, I would try to engage her help as much as possible. Her words and opinion will mean a lot to her superiors and she should be involved in your discussion with them, if possible. If you do not have much contact with the head of the library, she may not be aware of everything that you have accomplished while working there or of your desire to move into a professional position. However, she cannot be surprised, considering you recently completed your MLS. In fact, I am a little surprised that your employers did not approach you after you finished the degree to discuss your future in the library. This could be a sign that you have a losing battle on your hands.”
Again, like in my previous post, it’s sad that our profession doesn’t seem to advocate for its degree holders as strongly as they should. It makes being taken seriously as organization and industry difficult. I know that both public and college libraries have more of a pull than special libraries and I’m not sure if that’s because special libraries have yet to adopt the same standards as those types of institutions. Unfortunately until the special art library field catches on, I’ll be navigating the seas on my own.
ontheshelves 
I’ve been saying that your supervisor is supposed to be your advocate in this… Talk to him & remind him of things you’ve discussed in previous meetings on this matter. And ask him for concrete steps that you should be taking and ask what steps he will take. Get it in writing so you can refer to it later. Also point out to your supervisor (and to the Chair when you get to that point) that you’re doing *exactly* what the Chair suggested you do over a year ago – pursuing a second degree. That should count for something.