In this article, the author discusses his immediate concerns about working at Butler Library at Columbia University. He discusses the structure of the library system and voices his concerns about the structure. The structure is best described as a stratified pyramid. The librarians hired into the "upper base" are either specialists without an MLS or one of the few who make their way up against the prevailing winds. Rather than take people in at the bottom and train them to do more complex tasks within the institution, universities want skilled professionals they can drop in at the management level. How will would-be professionals become skilled if they are denied the chance to work up through the system? The author addresses this issue in depth in this article.