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What would you think of a group of lawyers who routinely allowed their staff of paralegals to argue their clients' cases in court? What would you think of a corresponding group of physicians who regularly permitted their nurses to write prescriptions and perform standard surgeries?
If you disapproved of either of these scenarios, then you're part of the majority. Most people believe that certain responsibilities of a profession should only be carried out by certified members of that profession. Indeed, part of the definition of a professional involves having the responsibility to execute certain specific tasks-things that no one else can or should do. For most of us, professionals who assign professional-- specific responsibilities to someone other than members of their profession have let their standards slip to an unethical degree. They have shirked their duty.
Now if you happen to be a librarian and you responded with a measure of disapproval to these two hypothetical situations, you aren't just in the minority: You are also hypocritical. We librarians can scarcely escape the charge of hypocrisy, for we readily insist that other professions have the obligation of maintaining ethical and professional standards, but we don't apply the rule to ourselves.
If you don't believe me, consider the widespread practice of employing support staff or paraprofessionals at the reference desk for what some are calling...