The Question of Library Training

by Lutie Eugenia Stearns

AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION

THE BEST READING, FOR THE LARGEST NUMBER, AT THE LEAST COST

 

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THE QUESTION OF LIBRARY TRAINING

 

BY

LUTIE E. STEARNS

Wisconsin Free Library Commission

 

REPRINTED FROM THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE CONFERENCE OF THE AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION, PORTLAND, JULY 4-7, 1905

 

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THE A. L. A. PUBLISHING BOARD

10½ Beacon Street, Boston, Mass.

1905

 

 

THE QUESTION OF LIBRARY TRAINING

By Lutie E. Stearns, Wisconsin Free Library Commission

 

THERE is a surprising and ofttimes appalling misconception or total lack of conception in the popular mind, and in the minds of library trustees, concerning the duties of a librarian or the qualifications which a librarian should possess. This is too frequently shown in the selection of a librarian. A man was recently selected as the head of a new eastern library who had not had an hour's library experience, the only reasons given for his appointment being that he had reviewed books and that he bore the endorsement of the local labor union. In another instance, the librarian was chosen solely on account of her "aristocratic bearing." Again the office is used for political reward, as illustrated by a recent case in Connecticut. As showing how little experience and training may be taken into account, the spectacle was presented a few months ago of a board of trustees "selling out" to a mayor of a large city, an increased appropriation for the library, being guaranteed by "His Honor" if a non-resident, trained librarian were deposed in favor of a local untrained and inexperienced applicant.

In the "Handbook of library organization," in use by many of the library commissions of the country, the fact is emphasized that the usefulness of the library will depend upon the librarian, and the greatest care should be exercised in selecting that officer. It insists that the librarian should not be chosen, as is often the case, because she is somebody's aunt, because she is poor and deserving and needs the money, because she is kindly, because she belongs to a certain church, club, or society, nor even because she has a reputation as a reader or confesses to a love of books. Concerning this latter point—this love of books—we would take issue with the statement, recently made by a prominent library worker, that the librarian does not love books any more than a broker loves the grain in which he deals; for we regard a love of books as one of the essentials in librarianship, but we would by no means give it the prominence usually accorded it in applications for library positions. For with this love of books should go culture, executive ability, tact, sympathy for humanity, and a knowledge of modern library methods. Save money in other ways, but never by employing a forceless man or woman as librarian; for in a small town a $600 librarian can do more with $400 worth of books than a $200 librarian can do with $800 worth of books. Trained, experienced librarians are the best, but if you have but little money and must be content to employ some local applicant without training or experience, insist that the appointee shall make an intelligent study of library methods in some model small library or through a series of library institutes, or in summer library schools such as are conducted by five commissions, or in a regular library School. The librarian should be keenly alive to the tremendous possibilities of her work. She should come in touch with other librarians and with the vast stores of experience found in books, library periodicals and proceedings. She should identify herself with local, state, and national library organizations, commissions, and associations.

On the technical side, she should have a knowledge of books from the outside—she should understand book-maker's work: paper—thickness and durability; printing—size, face of type, leading, spacing, margin, ink, press work; binding—materials, methods, durability, cost; book-repairing—materials and methods. From the commercial side she should become familiar with publishers, editions, and prices. In these days of book trusts and combinations, she should know where to purchase good editions cheaply. From the business side she should have a knowledge of book-keeping and business forms. She should familiarize herself with modern library furnishings, appliances, and supplies, and should be quick to adopt time and trouble savers. She should be a student of the latest and best methods of accessioning, shelf-listing, classifying, and cataloging. In this connection it would be a revelation to many trustees were they to ask the librarian to show them the fourteen processes through which a book must go from the time it is published until it is placed on the library shelves for circulation.

In addition to this technical side, the librarian must have executive ability, the power to organize and to delegate work and to utilize what Melvil Dewey calls the four m's that produce results—materials, machinery, methods, men. On the mental side, she should have an excellent memory, accuracy, dispatch, and prompt decision, grouping important points to the exclusion of the unimportant. As a scholar, she should possess the best education obtainable. She should have a general knowledge of literature and of what constitutes good and bad style in authorship. A knowledge of languages will prove of the greatest assistance. As for social qualities, she should be tactful and should be at ease with strangers. She should not be condescending nor patronizing. She should not be afflicted with "a smile that won't come off," nor should she have Cheshire proclivities, but she should possess a sense of humor—in library work, unless she be a cataloger, she is hopeless without it. Physically, she should possess good health, be able to endure strain, for "it is dogged as does it." Morally, she should be earnestly altruistic, of great, big heart and tender sympathies, a woman of character, of steadfast purpose and faith. She should not despise present opportunities in the vaulting ambition for larger ones. Unflinching fidelity in a low estate is the discipline for larger duties in a larger life. One of the great lessons of life is to learn not to do what one likes, but to like what one does. The library drudge ofttimes has conscience and devotion, but lacks insight, freshness, power, joy, and the ability to grow. The library world has many painstaking, overburdened people; what it needs is a corps of enthusiastic workers that are full of the spirit of joy in work. Work done for individual ends, for personal gratification, or work done which one would not do if one did not have to—all this is unworthy the modern librarian. Recognition of the true nature of her work, with a glad acceptance of its noble responsibilities and possibilities will lift her fast and far out of difficulties and cause her to realize in full measure the joys and power of life. As Hugh Black says in his book on "Work," "The true nobility of life is honest, earnest service, the strenuous exercise of our faculties, with conscience in our work as in the sight of God who gives us our place and our tool and our work. At the end of life, we shall not be asked how much pleasure we had in it, but how much service we gave in it; not how full it was of success, but how full it was of sacrifice; not how happy we were, but how helpful we were; not how ambition was gratified, but how love was served; for life is judged by love; and love is known by her fruits."

You may think we have wandered far afield from the question of library training; but what we are endeavoring to emphasize is that to fit one's self for the high calling of librarian, there must be a training of head, hand, and heart—all are essential. The ideal we have placed before you may be too high, though we are by no means ready to concede the point. The trustees of a large eastern library in quest of a librarian, three or four years ago, set forth in printed form the qualifications which they exacted. They would not consider as candidate any school teacher who seemed to have missed his calling; any minister who had missed a parish; any book-worm, who, under the name of librarian, had delved among library shelves, instead of making the library that he served a living fountain of knowledge and culture to the community about him; any one who had been trained for any other profession than that of librarian, and who had not had valuable experience as a successful librarian. The board would accept no man who was not in the prime of life, who had not many years of work ahead of him rather than behind him. They wanted a man with a thorough elementary, secondary and collegiate or university training; a living interest in science, art, literature, and philosophy as a means of educating and uplifting society; a deep sympathy with the physical, intellectual, ethical, and religious needs of all social conditions; breadth of vision and depth of conviction on important religious, social, scientific and philosophical questions; excellent executive ability; great power of discernment of the character and qualifications of persons engaged in library work; great tact and skill in dealing with the public; wisdom in practical affairs; trained for the special profession of librarian; great public spirit; in short, an all-around citizen who would be capable of shaping public sentiment in library matters, of taking an influential position in educational affairs, and one who would be deserving the respect and support of the whole community. The salary of the position, the circular stated, would be commensurate to the merits of the man finally selected.

In this connection, we would remind members of library boards of the trite saying among housekeepers that you cannot expect all of the Christian virtues in a domestic at $2.50 per week. Some trustees might retort that people who take pains never to do more than they get paid for, never get paid for more than they do. It is a fact, however, that librarians are the poorest paid professional people in the world. They must be content to "spare delights and live laborious days." Conditions have ever been favorable for librarians to be numbered among those fortunate individuals who can labor for the honor of being workers and not for the accumulation of wealth. Since time began, the work of the librarian has been considered of value except only as tested by a money standard. Brains and talent that would command large revenues in law and medicine are compelled to be content with meagre grants in the library profession. The mind and energy that manages a library system including a main library, branch libraries, and deposit stations, covering a tremendous area, ofttimes receives but a fraction of the salary paid to the manager of a department store, while the librarian of one of the world's foremost depositories receives less than one-fourteenth part of the salary paid the president of an "execrable" life insurance society. If a great philosopher is right when he says that "culture grows only under conditions of wealth and wealth only through accumulations of capital, and capital only through accumulation of the work of those who are not justly paid," then librarians are contributing more to the general culture of the world than any and all other classes combined. In 1876 the American Library Association took for its motto, "The best reading for the largest number at the least cost." While librarians everywhere are unsparingly and unceasingly working to provide the best reading for the largest number, they have been appropriating to themselves or rather have had meted out to them the "least cost" section of the slogan, as may be shown in Mrs. Fairchild's report in the St. Louis A.L.A. proceedings. In this particular, women are the greatest offenders and sufferers. Women will accept much smaller salaries than men of equal ability and preparation. This is not in any sense to underbid the latter, but arises from two causes—the general fact that women are paid less than men for equal service and the willingness of women to work for the love of it, "without money and without price." Commission workers all over the land have daily brought to their attention illustrations of self-sacrifice and heroism undreamt of by trustees or more highly favored members of the profession.

The words "library spirit" are used ofttimes glibly and thoughtlessly, and many claim it who have it not; but it is the "library" spirit that makes the underpaid and overworked librarian go and go and go, morning after morning, through storm, through headache and heartache to the appointed spot and do the appointed work and cheerfully stick to that work through eight or ten hours, long after rest would be so sweet. It should ever be remembered by trustees—and we cannot emphasize this point too strongly—that a worker in a small library ofttimes must possess a good many more qualifications than one in charge of a special department in a large library and that such service should receive compensation in proportion. In the question of library training is involved the question of adequate compensation. After a student adds two years at a library school to three or four years of university or college work, as required by at least two of our accredited library schools, the graduate cannot be expected in all reason to accept a salary that will scarcely keep soul and body together.

A good librarian is worthy of his hire; a poor librarian is dear at any price.