Chapter XX: Section 3: of the By-laws to include representation of state, (8)

It would be possible to go on citing hundreds of illustrations similar to the above, but time will not permit. When the work which practically took its beginning in October, 1911, viz., reclassification and recataloging of the libraries, has been completed I dare say that anyone connected with the work who may have had time to make notes by the way, would be in a position to furnish valuable information as regards the practical workings of a departmental system similar to the one which has grown up at the University of Chicago.

I have stated that the bringing together of related departmental libraries under one roof and the thorough cataloging of all the books on the campus in the manner indicated above, will not furnish a satisfactory solution of our problems. This I believe can only come about through some exchange of books between departmental libraries which shall bring together, not necessarily all books on the same subject, but at any rate the bulk of the material which deals with a special phase of a subject, and the various volumes of a periodical, annual, or similar work which I trust all are agreed should stand together.

It resolves itself then into a question of reclassification or rather relocation of a part of the book resources of the university, and a partial surrender of the right on the part of the departments to determine absolutely the physical location of every book purchased on their recommendation. Personally, I feel rather hopeful that when the cataloging of a number of libraries has been completed and their resources brought together in a common catalog, the members of the various departments will see for themselves the advantage to all concerned of a partial redistribution.

In a small way the general library has inaugurated such redistribution by indirect purchase of general bibliographies and reference works from the departmental libraries, a sum equal to the cost of the work at the time of original purchase being transferred from the book appropriation of the general library to that of the department. Some of the departments have been most willing to agree to such transfers. If it can be put into effect in the libraries which are now to be brought under the same roof, i.e., the Humanities with the exception of Classics and Geography, it will go far toward the establishment of what it is hoped may prove a fairly efficient central library. The centralization of catalogs and reference books alone would in time make it desirable for the departments more and more to consult the general library. A real consolidation of the resources of the Historical Group, Modern Languages and Literatures, Religion and Theology with the present general library will, it is hoped, prove to be even more effective.

I have already stated that Geography would remain outside of this consolidation and probably also the Classical department, in spite of the fact that the latter is soon to occupy a building connecting with the general library. It is hoped that in both cases arrangements can in time be devised which, while satisfactory to the departments, shall prove effective in checking the almost unrestricted duplication of material in other libraries which now obtains.

It is true that ten years ago other departments of the Humanities also held that while related libraries might to good advantage be brought under one roof, there should be no merging of their possessions. Considering, however, the lack of co-ordination in the development of the same libraries, the overlapping and intertwining of their respective fields, it is difficult to believe that this view can prevail for any length of time.

I have endeavored in the above notes to show that the departmental problem is practically the same in various countries. In Italy, Germany, and Austria as well as in America the development of departmental collections to a point where they have become a perplexing and troublesome problem to government and university authorities is due primarily to the inability of the general university library to provide books and conveniences desired by the departments. Neither a union catalog nor the most exhaustive duplication of books, service, and equipment has so far served to offset the weakening of the central library which has been an inevitable result of the rapid growth of departmental collections.

Possibly Mr. L. N. Wilson of Clark university may have pointed out a partial solution to some of our perplexities. He states that at Clark university not only is the drafting of the classification schedules attended to by the professors, but also the actual classification of the books. Where the faculty is willing to undertake these duties the librarian is naturally relieved of a great and difficult responsibility. While the plan has evidently worked out in a satisfactory manner at Clark, it would seem a difficult or even impossible expedient for certain other universities, particularly the largest ones. There would be difficulty in securing the necessary volunteer service. Then the librarian would no doubt have to exercise infinite tact in his efforts to co-ordinate and harmonize the work of so many volunteer classifiers. That some coordinating influence would be required we may take for granted. Personally, I see little relief in the direction here indicated. As for the University of Chicago, I imagine that we are, in common with most university libraries destined to have the departmental problem with us in some form or other as long as there are collections of books to be administered in connection with departments and courses of instruction. We shall watch with great interest the development of the plans of sister universities, a number of which are said to contemplate the strengthening and extension of at least a part of their departmental collections.

I may say in conclusion that judging by observations at Chicago I should be disposed to agree entirely with Dr. Gerhard of Halle, and others of our German colleagues, when they state that there can be no objection to the building up of strong departmental libraries, provided this can be achieved without crippling the general library. But where the departmental libraries are developed at the expense of the general library, and where willingness to co-operate, or to observe the most necessary restrictions as regards the fields to be covered is lacking, there the interest of the great majority both of faculty and students are made to suffer for the convenience of the few, a convenience which is, besides, in many cases only imaginary, and based on a lack of knowledge and appreciation of the possibilities of a general library, and no doubt also of the limitations of departmental libraries. As previously stated, the general library is the one department common to the whole university, the department which should have no ax to grind, and which under normal conditions might, therefore, be trusted to preserve an impartial attitude and to safeguard the interests of all departments alike without fear or favor.

In closing this paper it is difficult to refrain from expressing the opinion that whatever the policy adopted with reference to its library system, a university owes it to its constituency to see that a strong and well balanced general library constitutes an integral part of the scheme. The establishment of the latter should, when possible, take precedence over that of large departmental collections. When it becomes necessary to organize the latter, they should be considered distinctly a part of the general library and be placed under its control. A partial or nominal control on the part of the general library is not likely to prove effective or to furnish the best possible service for the greatest possible number.

Dr. W. K. JEWETT then presented a paper on

THE PROPORTION OF UNIVERSITY LIBRARY INCOME WHICH SHOULD BE SPENT ON ADMINISTRATION

The college librarian, like every other department head in the institution, is anxious to spend as much as possible for the development of his department and is consequently seeking to get his appropriation increased as often as possible. It is usually of assistance to him in securing the favorable attention of the authorities to be able to show that the prevailing tendency among institutions of similar rank is to do that which he requests in his own case. Sometimes the librarian is asking more money for books, sometimes more money for administration and frequently more money for everything. While preparing an estimate for the authorities of our own institution, I recently collected data from 25 representative college and university libraries in different parts of the country and was interested to compare the data and draw what conclusions I could from the examination and from my own knowledge of the standard of accomplishment in the respective institutions. All but one of these libraries have over 60,000 volumes. I was able to separate them into three groups with reference to their book expenditures; those spending $5,000 a year or less, those spending between $5,000 and $20,000, and those spending $20,000 or more.

Six of the 25 libraries were in the first group, spending not to exceed $5,000. In all of these the expenditure for library administration exceeded that for books, in some cases by more than 100%. By amount spent for library administration I mean the amount spent for salaries and wages of persons employed in library work. In other words I mean to include student assistants and to exclude janitors.

Twelve of the 25 libraries were in the second group, spending more than $5,000 and less than $20,000 for books. Ten of these spent less for administration than for books, one spent more and the remaining library spent the same for administration as for books.

Two libraries in the group receive gifts of considerable sums each year for the purchase of books, the buying of which is done through the library so that for all purposes of comparison it is as though their book funds were increased just so much. I have regarded the gift money as equivalent to part of the book fund, although the actual payment is made by the giver without its passing through the hands of the college treasurer. Aside from these two, only one library in the second group receives any great number of volumes by gift. The average number of volumes received by gift is about one-third of the number received by purchase. The proportion of income used for salaries ranges from 35% to 45% leaving out the two libraries above mentioned which spent 50% and 52% for salaries.

Seven libraries made up the third group composed of those spending $20,000 or more for books. I omitted to obtain any figures from Harvard, Yale or Chicago as they are known to be making extraordinary expenditures at present in reorganizing or recataloging. Of the seven, two spent less for salaries than for books, two spent the same for each and two spent more for salaries than for books. The seventh library like two of those in the preceding group has considerable sums placed at its disposal each year for book buying but the disbursement is made by the donor and not by the university treasurer so that exact figures for calculating percentages are not available in its case. The proportion of income employed for salaries by the other six ranges from 40% to 60%.

From this brief comparison of data it is possible to draw the conclusion that with the smaller libraries a certain minimum of administration cost is necessary in order to operate the library at all and that this does not necessarily increase with the growth of the book fund. Where the book fund is less than $5,000, it is no reflection on the capacity of the librarian if his salary expense exceeds that amount although it is evidently his duty to devote his principal efforts to securing increased book appropriations. After the book fund has passed the $5,000 mark, the librarian should be prepared to give most excellent reasons for letting his salary roll exceed or even equal the book fund in case his governing board should begin to make comparison with the figures of other institutions. If his library is in what I have called the second group and his salary expense exceeds 45% of the total income, he ought to stand ready to show cause at short notice for some one is likely to attract the attention of the president to the fact any day.

If on the other hand his salary roll represents less than 45% of total income, the librarian may well resist the suggestions of professors to call for more book money and instead devote his annual appeals to securing additional needed assistance and more adequate compensation for the members of his present staff.

With the libraries of the great universities the case is different. An institution that can spend upwards of $20,000 a year for books has more complex needs and more varied activities than the smaller colleges and universities. The quality of service demanded of the library is higher and much less is forgiven by the ambitious holders of highly paid chairs. The pressure of research work demands greater facilities for the prompt purchase and cataloging of "rush" books. More accomplished reference librarians must be had to meet the needs of clients in a great institution with a large number of graduate students. Catalogers of special qualifications must be provided to handle the books in oriental and other languages not commonly encountered in the ordinary college library. In the work of a large cataloging department there is more opportunity for lack of uniformity to creep in, and the need of accuracy in an enormous catalog is more vital than in a small one. Therefore the work of the revisers has to be more painstaking and time consuming than in a smaller collection where everything is simpler. Reclassification of whole sections of books whose classification is now out of date, must be undertaken. Bibliographies have to be compiled for professors. The preparation of publications, like the catalog of a special collection, is called for while the smaller library may never print anything more extensive than a list of its Poole sets. The duties of the shelf department in a great library are more complicated than many persons dream of and in all the departments fuller and more accurate records are needed. More extended routine in the order department is required in order to prevent unintentional duplication. Messenger service for the delivery of books in response to telephone calls from other buildings may be furnished. The maintenance of an efficient exchange bureau is needed in order to conduct the exchange of university publications with the innumerable minor learned societies all over the world. These publications are often called for in the great universities, although one could not reasonably expect to find them in the lesser institutions.

In fact for many reasons the proportion of income required for administration in libraries of the first rank increases with the size of the collection itself. It is a fair inference therefore that a university library with a book fund of more than $20,000 a year is justified in maintaining a pay roll in excess of that sum without fear of criticism.

The committee on nominations, reporting through Dr. W. K. Jewett, chairman, recommended that the by-laws of the Section be so amended that, instead of electing a chairman and a secretary each year as heretofore, a committee on arrangements consisting of three members be elected, the one first named by the committee this year to serve for one year, the second to serve two years, and the third to serve three years; one member to retire each year hereafter and his successor to be then elected for a three year term.

On motion the recommendation was approved unanimously.

The committee then recommended that the following persons be elected as the committee on arrangements: Mr. Andrew Keogh, Mr. N. L. Goodrich, and Miss Sarah B. Askew. On motion the recommendation was adopted and the three declared elected. The session then adjourned.

PROFESSIONAL TRAINING SECTION

The meeting of the section was held at the Chateau Laurier, Tuesday morning, July 2. Mr. M. S. Dudgeon, chairman of the section, presided.

Mr. FRANK K. WALTER gave an account of the new quarters and resources of the New York state library school.

Mr. Walter said that the new quarters in the new State Education building would probably be ready by October first of the present year, and would provide the most spacious rooms belonging to any library school. The present temporary quarters, however, are comfortable and fairly commodious. A good working collection of reference books and trade and subject bibliographies has already replaced that destroyed by fire. When present orders have been filled the new collection will be better than the old.

The collection of illustrative material, thanks to the untiring industry of Miss Florence Woodworth, is growing by leaps and bounds. About 4,000 administrative blanks and forms are mounted and classified and a large number are as yet unmounted. About 1,400 pictures and plans of library buildings (including post-cards) are mounted and filed.

There is an excellent collection of works on bookmaking, ancient and modern, and a fair number of examples of printing of various periods and of beautifully bound books. About 150 mounts show binding material, book illustrations, type faces and other material illustrating printing and binding processes.

Mention must be made of the "Alumni collection" which the New York State Library Association is collecting for the school. Its aim is "to cover all books, pamphlets, clippings, etc., written by students of the school and biographical or professional material relating to them," together with portraits of the students and library buildings erected under their supervision.

The "class work collection" numbers about 2,300 volumes and is intended primarily for class use, particularly in cataloging, classification and subject headings, in selection of books, and in printing and binding.

All of this material is listed in a separate dictionary catalog prepared expressly for the school's use. More than 10,000 cards are already included in this catalog which is growing rapidly as more material becomes available for use.

The collections of the New York State library will be available as soon as the new building is ready. Including such documents and other volumes as can be temporarily shelved for use, upwards of 200,000 volumes will probably be available. These include an excellent set of United States documents, a very fair collection of state documents, many important foreign documents, and a good working collection of statutes, law reports, legal periodicals and legal treatises.

Mention must also be made of the 700 annuals and serials (including reports, bulletins, etc.), on various phases of library work which are currently received and filed and of about 500 bound English and American periodical sets (including most of those listed in the various periodical indexes) besides the numerous foreign periodicals, transactions, etc., currently received.

Miss AGNES VAN VALKENBURGH, instructor in cataloging at the library school of the New York public library, read a paper on

TRAINING OR TEACHING

It may be well at the start to explain the terms used, to be sure that we are looking at the matter in the same light. Teaching, in this instance, I understand to mean that assistants shall have had library school instruction, while training is the instruction which is given in the library or department itself to fit the applicant for the special work she is to do. When I say assistants, I also mean librarians of the smaller libraries, such positions as the library school student has been called upon to fill.

There are two points of view in looking at the question, that of the assistant and that of the employer. On the first there can be little discussion, as the same principles are here involved which underly all education. It is certainly better for any person to have a view of the whole field rather than of one small part of it. I was talking to the head cataloger of a large department the other day, and she said that one of her main troubles was in getting the assistant who has been given a certain part of the work to do, to see that any other parts are necessary or important. If the curriculum of our library schools does not give our students this broader view, we are not living up to our opportunities.

No library school, or any other school, for that matter, turns out a finished product. I cannot say to you that the best pupil in my class at the end of one or even two years is a first-rate cataloger. I can only say that I hope and think that she understands the principles and their relation to the rest of the work, and with experience will prove competent, having shown capabilities which point in this direction. On the other side, I have talked with many library people of experience and they all say that, anxious as they are to give the persons under their care all possible instruction, they are so busy with the pressure of accomplishing so much work every day, that when they find a person who does one kind of work well, they are very apt to keep her at that, rather than to give her an opportunity to do all the kinds of work, for the sake of her education.

I always have the greatest admiration, not unmixed with reverence, for those who can conduct the business of a large department and a training class at the same time, as either alone seems to me to take all the energy of an ordinary person; also the more people you have to do work which can be done by fewer, the greater the economic waste.

From the point of view of the employer there is something to be said on both sides. Nowadays the old plea is seldom heard that library school people know too much and have no idea that any method is feasible but the one they have been taught. I did have once a graduate from a so-called library school, to assist in my department while I was ill; after she had been there about a week, she announced that she did not like the way the library was classified and during my brief absence she thought she would re-classify it. We had about 150,000 volumes at that time and more than a million cards in our various catalogs. Thus did ambition disqualify her, as we had regretfully to let her go, but fortunately her kind is rare enough to be interesting.

The other objection to the employment of trained people is the question of expense. The niece of the president of the board must have occupation and is willing to work for her spending money, so as an economical measure, it would be a good thing to employ her. This has two fallacies: First, someone has to pay for the education of every person and it is better from the point of efficiency to have this done by the employee herself rather than by the institution. Secondly, we should all be willing to pay for what we get, and you certainly get more for your money in employing the skilled person than the amateur.

Miss Sutliff, after years of experience as a library school teacher, and with both apprentices and graduates, said to me that she thought that a person who was trained for a certain piece of work, at the end of one year, did that work better than the school graduate, but at the end of five years the second was a much better employee.

There is also this to be said on both sides of the question. There are people constitutionally unfit for library work, training or no training, just as there are people who can never run an aeroplane or climb a greased pole or be a third-term president; they are not fitted for it, and all of us have had more or less experience with these both in school and out. They may be excellent people; in fact, it is exactly this class of whom her friends say, "Isn't it too bad Mary never married; she would make such a fine wife for some good man."

I have had a green girl who could never be taught to write a dozen catalog cards correctly because she had no bump of accuracy; I also had a library school graduate with the same failing, and when I mildly suggested that the number of corrections seemed excessive, she replied, "Oh yes, but, you see, I knew you were going to revise them, so I was not more careful." She also did not remain with me.

There are many bright girls who will pick up knowledge of all parts of the work on their own initiative and without any special effort on your part, will be perfectly qualified to step into your place should necessity arise. There is one danger which may be mentioned here and that is the possible injustice done to this exceptional person when library boards refuse to consider any person except library school graduates. During the time students are at school, they and the faculty are carefully considering for which branch of the work they are best adapted, so the employer runs less risk in this respect also, than when he takes an unknown quantity which he hopes may fit some particular place. If the various library schools are not turning out people with broader horizons and greater adaptability, they are not doing their full duty; but if the students they have taught are better qualified for the work, this fact should have due consideration in the selection of assistants or librarians.

Miss JOSEPHINE A. RATHBONE, vice-director of the Pratt institute school of library science, described a projected normal course.

A PROJECTED NORMAL COURSE AT PRATT INSTITUTE SCHOOL OF LIBRARY SCIENCE

Much has intervened, but possibly some of you may remember that some thing was said on Saturday about specialization in the library school course. Discussion among the library school directors present showed a consensus of opinion that specialization is undesirable in the first year of a two years' course and practically impossible in a one year course, nor did any radical plan of differentiation of function among the schools, other than that which has come about already by natural causes, commend itself as possible at present at least.

The only practicable form of specialization therefore seems to be along the line of advanced courses for those who have acquired the fundamentals of technique and who have had sufficient experience to determine clearly the direction in which their aptitudes lie. Such a course we are making toward at Pratt Institute and it is of our plans and aims for this normal course in library training that I have been asked to speak today.

The inception of the course came about not as the result of a desire to do some new thing, but as a solution of two pressing problems with which I found myself confronted last summer; one of these problems is common, I am sure, to all library school directors, the difficulty of finding teachers for their faculties or of supplying from their graduates demands of public libraries for directors of training classes. The other problem was local and peculiar to ourselves, and by reason of it a possible solution was indicated for the former. This was the suggestion made by the librarian of the Brooklyn public library that the Pratt Institute Library school take over the instruction of the Brooklyn public library apprentices. As the professional school of Brooklyn, it was clearly our duty to perform this function for the public library of Brooklyn, and it only remained to find a way,--first, that would satisfy the needs and requirements of the Brooklyn public library system; second, that would so strengthen the Pratt Institute school as to recommend the plan to our trustees; third, would help to alleviate the professional situation of which I had become so acutely concerned.

In response to this need, almost an answer to prayer, for the idea occurred to me in church, came the conception of a normal course to fit advanced students for teaching positions in the profession. Now for a normal course three elements are requisite. Knowledge of the subjects to be taught, training in pedagogical methods and directed practice in teaching. The necessary knowledge of the subjects taught could be obtained by admitting to the course only those who had already acquired library technique. Pedagogical training could be given at Pratt Institute where there already existed a splendidly organized department of education and for the practice teaching there was the apprentice class of the Brooklyn public library for which the normal students could prepare and conduct the courses in library economy under the direction and supervision of our instructor of proved success in teaching. These two indispensable factors inherent in our situation seems to mark the Pratt Institute library school as distinctly the place of all others in which this experiment of training for teaching positions in library work could be tried. Now, does the need exist for librarians who are trained to teach? What is the situation?

There are ten or eleven library schools offering courses of one or two years. There are probably twice that number of summer library schools. There are training classes in all of the larger libraries and many of the medium sized libraries. There are many normal schools in which library courses are now given and the trend in this direction is unmistakable. There are school departments in many of the larger libraries in which more or less actual teaching is done, and in which a librarian who was at the same time a teacher, who understands the teachers' point of view would connect school and library the more completely. Many of you know that these positions are not easy to fill. But could a course be planned that would fit candidates for such positions? I believe so.

I am not going to degrade pedagogic training for teachers. That battle has already been fought out in the educational world. Of course, the best teachers are born, not made, and some few heaven sent may teach the better for not having learned how, but there are not enough of them to go around and the greater majority teach the better for training in tried and approved methods, applied under competent direction.

The normal course will therefore consist of two main parts--theoretical training and practice teaching.

The first part embraces educational psychology, a forty-eight hours' course, a thirty-six hours' course in the history of education, a general survey with a supplemental course on American public education--high schools, normal schools and colleges--a thirty-six hours' course in the theory of education taking up the conduct of recitations and giving the presentation of subjects, examinations, etc. A study of public institutions, both civic and philanthropic, will also be included. So much for the theoretical side. The practical application of the theory of education to the teaching of library technique will be made by the preparation of the courses for the Brooklyn apprentices and the conduct of the classes. The plan for this work is as follows: The normal students will spend a month before the teaching of the apprentices begins in the study of the Brooklyn public library system and in the preparation for the classes they are to conduct under the direction of Miss Julia Hopkins who is to have charge of this work. This work has been planned in consultation with the Brooklyn public library librarian and staff and between us we hope to work out the ideal apprentice course. I will go into this somewhat fully in order to show its value as teaching experience for the normal student.

1. There are to be two apprentice classes a year, beginning in October and March respectively. To these classes four months of instruction will be given. This gives each normal student the opportunity of preparing and conducting different courses each term.

2. The four months of instruction will be followed by three months of practical work in selected branches of the Brooklyn public library, during which time the apprentices will learn the technical details of branch work under the supervision of the branch librarian, thus freeing the course of these details and making it possible to spend the class room time on the broader professional and culture side of the subjects taught.

3. 160 hours of instruction will be given to apprentices, on three days of the week, Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, the alternate days to be devoted by them to study and preparation. Full library time will be required of them, which will ensure three hours of preparation for each hour of class room work or lecture. This means the compiling of full reading lists by the normal students to accompany the instruction.

4. The subjects taught fall into three groups, cultural, technical and professional, with strong emphasis on the first and an effort to correlate the first two quite closely. Besides a review of the classics of literature, there will be a study of the important literature of different subjects--history, biography, sociology, science, and to this study will be related as far as possible both parallel courses of classification and reference books, the apprentices being thus required to handle a great many books and to get at their subject contents quickly. They will be required also to make a great many short reading lists on related topics. In the course in children's work, which Miss Clara Hunt will supervise, emphasis will also be laid on the book. Miss Hunt will examine and criticize the lectures prepared by the normal students. We wish to strengthen this phase of the work both because it is needed by the apprentices and because it will be of the utmost value to the normal students, especially to those who go into normal school work later.

The technical courses will take up the usual subjects. In classification the emphasis will be laid on the subject content of the classes to add to the general information of the apprentices and the course related, as I said before, to the study of the literature of the subjects.

In cataloging the emphasis will be laid on an intelligent understanding of the use of a catalog rather than on the details of cataloging. On the professional side the course will be stronger than is usual in apprentice courses.

Now of what value will this course be in providing teaching experience to the normal student?

1. As preparation for directing apprentice classes in public libraries I feel that it will be of direct utility.

2. For giving instruction to high school students in bibliography, reference works, classification and the use of the catalog it would seem to give adequate training.

3. For conducting courses in normal schools these mentioned subjects plus the course in children's books and perhaps the history of libraries would seem to be a good preparation.

4. The courses in classification, reference work, history of libraries, work with children, loan desk work, compare favorably in length of time given to them and in thoroughness with the average one year library school course and the preparation, to say nothing of the conduct, of such courses would be an excellent foundation for the teaching of the same subjects in a library school.

In addition to these main features of the course, the pedagogic training and the practice teaching, there will be lectures on normal and high school library work and permission has been obtained from the public school system for the normal students to have practical work in the library of the buildings, training school and in some of the high school libraries. Opportunity to study the organization and methods of presentation of other library schools has been promised.

The first year or two will, of course, be experimental and experience alone can show how the whole thing will work out, but we feel that the opportunity is a great one and we mean to approach it open-mindedly and to allow it to develop organically.

Its success will, of course, depend on our securing the right kind of material for the class and for this we must look to the profession at large and especially to the other library schools. We do not want large classes, ten would be the outside limit, five or six the desirable number. But our own school could not supply even so many, and if you believe the plan a good one, the need real, and if the theory of differentiation of function seems wise, I ask you to send us those of your students who seem fitted for such work, and by coöperation, council and support help us to make the course a benefit to the whole profession.

There seems to be some misapprehension in the profession as to the relation of the Brooklyn apprentice class and the general course of our own school. So far as our one year course is concerned the only connection is that the Brooklyn public library has graciously permitted us to put our students in the branches of the Brooklyn public library for practical work, while the apprentices are invited to attend the course of lectures by librarians. There is no thought of combining the two classes in class-room work, which would not be advantageous to either group.

Miss Mary W. Plummer gave the following outline of the work done during the past year at the library school of the New York public library and the plans for the second year.

REPORT ON THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY SCHOOL

During the past year we have done four things: Trained thirty students for the one year certificate; given partial training to members of the library staff, to be continued or completed the coming year; given the same to members of other library staffs, to be continued or completed, both to be recognized by pass-cards; and tested three sets of probationers for the lowest grade of the library service.

There is nothing especial to be said about the first class, except that out of twenty-five who were able to do the full year's work, more than twenty applied for the second year and the diplomas. Of these, three asked for the unpaid practice, amounting to fifteen hours per week, and taken as an equivalent for their tuition. These three will probably take two courses of the three offered for the second year in administration, advanced cataloging, and reference work, and in work with children.

The remainder have applied for paid positions at not less than $50 per month, with one course in the school. As members of the staff for the time being, they will have no tuition to pay.

The second type of student we hope may increase in number as time goes on. One branch librarian took about half the course, carrying on her regular work and responsibilities, and seemed none the worse. Others took single subjects in which they were interested. One assistant from a suburban library did the same, commuting daily. These, of course, were assigned only a nominal amount of practice, since they had their regular work. For these as well as the probationers the entrance examinations of the school were insisted on. The probationers being usually too young for the school, were allowed three conditions, since they have plenty of time to work them off before old enough to enter the school. Others take the probation first, and if appointed to the staff, serve six months or more, and can then enter the school as staff members without tuition.

They understand that they are not in any sense a class, that they are not being trained but merely tested, that the school is responsible only for the original selection of the probationers, and though it may take and does take an interest it has no real jurisdiction after this selection is made.

Mr. Brett announced that the Cleveland public library would introduce a training class for children's librarians in which the students would be given practical work for five days and receive five-sixths of the regular salary. The remainder of the time will be given to instructions and lectures.

Mr. W. H. Kerr stated that the State normal school at Emporia, Kansas, had a course in library work which required one-fourth of the time in the four years.

Miss Hazeltine presented the card code of over five hundred cataloging rules which had been prepared by the Wisconsin library school for instruction in its school, after consultation with, and assistance from many librarians.

In response to a question by Miss Mary E. Hall as to what was being done to train librarians to take charge of school libraries, the discussion turned to that subject.

Several of the schools mentioned that practical work in school libraries was given their students. Emphasis was laid on the point that high school students who had taken a course in the high school in library methods were not qualified to have charge of school libraries.

A preliminary report was presented from the chairman of the committee on the uniformity of forms of catalog cards in simplified cataloging.

REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON UNIFORMITY OF FORMS OF CATALOG CARDS

The committee on revision of cataloging practice appointed by the
library schools instructors at their meeting in January, 1912,
wishes to make a brief report of the work done.

As a preliminary step in securing opinions from the various
schools on the extent of the work and the forms that the code
should take, the following plan was tried. A sufficient number
of the galley proofs of a new edition of the rules compiled by
the Wisconsin library school were secured and, on May 6, sent
to all of the library schools; also to one or two individuals
whom the chairman thought might be interested in the project
from the teaching point of view. It was thought that this code,
which had proved a practical one, might at least serve as a basis
for comments. The schools were asked whether they desired to
co-operate in the attempt to secure uniformity in practice, and if
they approved of the form in which the Wisconsin code was to be
printed, that is, on cards; and lastly, to show by their comments
the points wherein their practice varied.

Replies have been received at this date from all of the schools,
and from them the following conclusions are reached:

First, there is a general interest in the subject of securing
unification in instruction; but there seems to be some doubt as
to whether we are to attempt to cover all of the points of a
complete cataloging code, or only matters of spacing, indention,
punctuation, etc.

Second, the majority of the schools returned the proofs fully
annotated for the changes which they desire. On the whole, these
comments showed that the differences are not great and that
uniformity on many at least can be secured, if so desired by the
schools.

Third, a general discussion of the subject will be helpful, before
any final decision can be reached in regard to a co-operative code.

The committee accordingly decided to ask that there be a
discussion of the matter at the Ottawa conference and a notice to
this effect was sent to each school.

A list of the points for discussion has been made out.[12] The
committee will hope to make a final report at the midwinter
meeting.

[12] See Catalog Section Minutes, page 246.

HELEN TURVILL, Chairman.

The membership committee, consisting of Miss Josephine A.
Rathbone, Miss June R. Donnelly and Mr. Paul Blackwelder, was
continued. The program committee, consisting of Miss Mary W.
Plummer, Miss Mary E. Hazeltine and Mr. Frank K. Walter, was also
continued.

Mr. Frank K. Walter was elected chairman for the coming year and
Miss Agnes Van Valkenburgh, secretary. Adjourned.

TRUSTEES' SECTION

(Friday, June 28, 8:15 p. m.)

The Trustees' section met on Friday evening, June 28, at the Chateau Laurier. Mr. W. T. Porter, of Cincinnati, chairman of the section, presided and Mr. T. L. Montgomery, librarian of the Pennsylvania State library, acted as secretary.

The first item on the program was a paper prepared by Dr. OTTO J. KLOTZ, trustee of the Ottawa public library, which was read in his absence.

THE TRUSTEE'S DUTY TO THE LIBRARY

Dr. Klotz said in part:

It should be assumed that when one accepts the appointment as library trustee he accepts therewith the duties and responsibilities of such position. He who treats them with indifference is a source of weakness to the board. There is no room on a library board for a man who accepts the appointment "just for the honor of it." The trustee must be seized with the fundamental idea and principle that the public library is the people's university, that it is the fountain to which all have access, whose wholesome waters shall give renewed life and intellectual strength.

The trustee's first duty is to see that the library receives adequate municipal support. This is seldom an easy matter. It generally requires a good deal of missionary work,--through the newspapers, through personal appeals to councillors, through public addresses before the council or otherwise. The public must be told of its need, which it frequently does not recognize. The trustee must exercise the influence of an educator.

The work of the trustee is often discouraging and disheartening, and may take years to attain a particular end. Our public libraries act favors the carrying out of some definite plan, because an appointee holds office for several years, giving him an opportunity of thoroughly familiarizing himself with the whole range of library affairs to the great advantage of the best interests of the public and of the library. A further advantage of this tenure of office is that it permits of what is in athletics called "team work." We know how effective it is in this latter respect, and so it is too with a library board. I have reason to refer to this, because all libraries in Ontario are not so constituted that "team work" can be efficiently carried out. I allude to libraries whose board has no fixed continuity. With a continuity to the board definite plans may be formulated that one knows in advance will take years to carry out, but if there is no continuity to the board, each new board will have its own notion, using the term notion advisedly, in contradistinction to the matured plan, for it is not to be expected that new men, thrown into new surroundings, faced by problems wholly or nearly wholly foreign to them, can act with that intelligence, with the large-mindedness essential to the best interests of the community. The fault lies not with the men, but with the system.

One of the first considerations is the public. The trustee should know his public well, just as a physician can only treat his patient intelligently after having made a thorough diagnosis. The people of one town may differ from those of another town, their industries and interests may be different so that a successful course adopted by a board in one place may not meet with the same success in another, and as the people, the citizens, are to be beneficiaries of a public library, it is all-important that their needs be closely studied. It must ever be the aim of the trustee to try to give the greatest good to the greatest number, without however neglecting to provide opportunities within reasonable limits commensurate with the funds available to the exceptional artisan, mechanic or bright young man who is anxious to pursue his work beyond the ordinary. It can be truly said that even those who do not use the library are to a greater or less extent benefited by it through the environment of those who do use it. One of the functions of a library, and one that generally appeals most to those that control the purse strings, is to increase the industrial productiveness of the people of the respective town or municipality. Take a town for example whose industries are almost wholly those of cabinet making. It should be the duty of a trustee to see that the library and reading room is especially rich and complete in all that pertains to cabinet making; to carpentering; the different kinds of wood; designing; drawing and everything that may further the artisan's skill and thereby his productiveness. For we must ever remember that the commercial success of a nation rests on the skill and productiveness of its artisans. This function of the public library is one that may be measured in dollars and cents, but the other function--of making better men and women, of character-building, of brightening homes by the perusal of good literature, of wholesome fiction, of making better citizens, of appreciating the rights as well as the responsibilities of citizenship, these things can not be measured in coin, but they make for a nation's progress and stability.

The most important office is of course the librarian, and the success of the library depends more upon him, or her, than upon any one else; for a poor library board and a good librarian are preferable to a good board and poor librarian.

Hence it is a most important duty of the trustee to see that the services of a good librarian be obtained, not merely an automaton that hands out books and checks off those returned. The day of utilizing men or women whose usefulness in other fields has vanished is past and such should be kept out of the library. What is wanted is a person who has enthusiasm for the work, who has studied library work and methods, who in an unostentatious and quiet way will be helpful to the readers, who can guide particularly the younger readers in their choice of literature, who can encourage the formation of reading clubs and societies, who can make the library and reading room, especially for small libraries, cheerful and attractive by little devices, and by his or her own attitude to the users of the library add much to its usefulness and influence for good. The next duty of the trustee is to see that adequate remuneration be given for the services rendered. The good librarian is in love with his work and is quite willing to sacrifice something on that account to follow a chosen vocation. But that is no reason why inadequate remuneration should be accorded. Let the librarian feel that he is getting a fair reward for his services, co-operate with him, assist him in his endeavors to improve the usefulness of the library, let him feel that he has the good-will of the board, and do not throw all the responsibility of the whole management and its aims upon his shoulders. Do not dampen his enthusiasm and zeal by indifference and simply perfunctory attendance at meetings, or absence altogether. The library requires the undivided attention of both librarian and trustees. Bear in mind that it is an educational institution of the town with a larger attendance than that of the schools. It cannot too strongly be urged upon the trustees and board that a mere collection of books does not constitute a public library, it requires the connecting link, the librarian, to bind those two words more closely together--the public and the library, and the more intimately will they be connected the more efficient the librarian is.

A trustee should make a point of becoming somewhat acquainted with what other libraries are doing, as found in reports and publications. He may at times get thereby new ideas or pointers that may be applicable in his own library. Again if he has occasion to travel and has an hour or so to spare in a town or city where there is a public library, he should go there, "nose" about, and he will find that the visit is profitable. The trustees should within their means make the library and room or rooms as cheerful and comfortable as possible. Let the rooms be well lighted and the light so distributed as to be restful to the eyes. Try to make the library the most attractive place in town. That in itself is a standing temperance sermon, without being preached, which many people do not like.

Believe in the library as an educational institution for all the people, young and old; believe in the library as an aid for technical education; believe in the library as a good thing for your town; and believe in the library as making for a strong and progressive nation.

This paper was followed by one by Mr. WALTER R. NURSEY, inspector of public libraries of the province of Ontario, on

THE TRUSTEE'S DUTY TO THE PUBLIC

Mr. Nursey said in part:

It is well for us all to remember, to whatever country we owe allegiance, we should be stirred by one purpose only, a common purpose that recognizes neither international barriers nor impalpable lines of latitude; our great aspiration being to increase the spread of pure literature, the democracy of letters through the coöperation of the public library which as an educational factor is soon destined to be recognized as of equal importance with university, college or school.

Before submitting to you my views on the trustee's duty to the public let me briefly recite library conditions that at present prevail in Ontario. Ontario, practically, is the only province in the Dominion of Canada that has an aggregation of public libraries, 434 in all, supported in part by the local legislature, under the fostering care of a sympathetic minister of education and a very liberal government.