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https://docs.python.org/3/library/logging.html#logging.Logger.getEffectiveLevel
This says the logging level is returned, but it doesn't mention that what is returned is an integer, nor does it link to whatever method is needed to convert the integer return value into the symbolic name that the user has been using elsewhere in interacting with logging. Indeed, the section that shows the mapping between names and numbers implies that the user of the library never needs to worry about the numbers unless they are creating a new level, but if they want to use getEffectiveLevel, this is not true.

Users generally use integer values when specifying logging levels, unless they are e.g. using the configuration machinery, when they will specify strings (just because the configuration is in text files).
I will update the documentation to try to make things clearer.

New changeset dd17c3eda73c by Vinay Sajip in branch '2.7':
Issue #22436: Improved documentation for getEffectiveLevel() and getLevelName().
https://hg.python.org/cpython/rev/dd17c3eda73c
New changeset 72a91df86b07 by Vinay Sajip in branch '3.4':
Issue #22436: Improved documentation for getEffectiveLevel() and getLevelName().
https://hg.python.org/cpython/rev/72a91df86b07
New changeset 49dfe2630ae3 by Vinay Sajip in branch 'default':
Closes #22436: Merged documentation update from 3.4.
https://hg.python.org/cpython/rev/49dfe2630ae3 

Ah, yes, I was just being dense, because the context I was in was exactly that context: configuration via strings. Probably no change is required, but if can think of way of making it obvious to someone thinking crooked like I was that would be great.

Woops, should have looked at the rest of my email. Yes, that change looks great.