Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1896-09-03
The WOMAN LIBRARIAN.
II Takes Much Study and Experience
to Make Capable One.
Learning to Handle Books--when Once the
Duties are Mastered the steps In Advance
Come Surely and tho Remuneration 10

Come Surely and the Remuneration is
4 Good.
/ Philadelphia Press.
/ Most women do not know that nova
days the work of librarian must be
thoroughly Ntaught, that the work Of pre-
pairing for it needs years noyitiate at
least, and that more things than the
mere names of volumes are required of
the priestess aspiring TO It's rites.
1 Gracious! Do women have to study
before entering as librarians" said a
/ bright little woman the other day.
why, what in the world is there TO
learn? A few books and the names of
| authors, and how to paste on those
paper slips. and 50 on. Why. / thought
that being librarian was a sort of sine
cure, which could be gotten only through
influence, didn't suppose that any one
could get in just by dint of work and
BRAIN"
But every year, nevertheless, women
are being admitted to the libraries, not
as aspirants for sinecure, but as women
who have studied for the purpose and ex
pect to work and gain their necessary
funds.
Here are some of the branches taught
In connection with this profession at some
of our Philadelphia institutions, which
are doing good work in this line: Die
tionary catnoguing. supplemented by
practical eataloguing under supervision;
the arrangements of finding lists; library
economy, which is branch different from
cataloguing in library, and which includes
library handwriting: accession and order
work; classification, shelf department, al
phabeting, mechanical preparation OF the
books for the shelves, care of the period
ieals and pamphlets bookbipding, charg-
ing system work, stock taking, supplies,
business forms. correspondence, statis-
tics, proof reading. typewriting and so on.
Lectures are given before classes upon
the history of English literature, studies
in nineteenth century French and Ger
man authors and in reference work and
photography.
These last subjects include the studies
of general encyclopedias. dictionaries. at
lases, cyclopedias of special subjects. in
) dexes and keys 10 periodicals and general
: literature, concordanees, public docu-
ments. books and reading and chiliren's
. literature. Practical questions are given
TO students TO be looked up in reference
! books. And, moreover, students must
, spend certain amount of time in practi-
cal work under supervision of the, libra
| rian of the school in which they study
A good High School education or its
equivalent is always necessary for a
! iIwoman nowadays who wishes to become
-,IIa librarian, and the, library studies will
t in all probability take her year--school
year--to learn thoroughly.
5 From this outline of the principal stu
I dies necessary the work of a librarian,
D fully iiedged, can be guessed at even by
Q the tyro. Once in the library the novice
receives a salary of about Sc per week
/. not more. The work is something like
a seven hours per day in most libraries
z These seven hours are alternated. One
e day a woman will begin at 8 o'clock in
g the morning and work for seven hours
b But the following day she is likely to
Q have afternoon work.
. Advancement is not made according to
!, the length of time ii woman has been
:. in the line, but according to her knowl
j edge, brightness and hard work. Ad
!, vancements as with most good thing.
It are slow, but sure The removal fol
one cause o. other of one of the work
IS ers. or her abandonment of office is the
nj means through which higher appoint
10 ments are gained.
10 When once woman has passed hel
!, examinations successfully and obtained
/. her diploma there is not usually Ion,
lei wait for position in some library, a
n the reasonable salary named. New Ii
ts braries are constantly being endowed
which need new workers. Or old libra
b l.ries are being endowed more largel,
l. which nccessitates the enlsting Of
1t large corps of librarians and assistants
The course of studies which our institu
ID tons have recently inaugurated are TIN
direct result of demands for workers ii
this line.
Ii must not be thought that the sal
r AIRY / have named-six dollars--is tn
10 fhighest given to women in library en-
D terprise. When once woman is ad
10 vanced TO higher rank than that 0
u mere assistant her salary grows.
Q. The salaries head librarians are ex
70 cellent. 1t would be interesting to lie
OF readers of the Woman's Page know jus
as what they might expect when this ram
has been attained. But the salaries var
with the library and with the amour
-, of work expected from the employe. S
" that to make an accurate table would b
~ difficult.
~ There is small doubt that with tn
ii growth of libraries the women who hol
az positions in this way will sometime repre-
ar sent quite good-sized fraternity, a
ha important in way of numbers even as
has even now become in the study @
books.
Luckily the term which bright woma
lis will require 10 learn it's mysteries
IN shorter than is the case in some othe
in feminine avocations. The fee, too, in on
CHI institutions is most reasonable, moi NOR
of than woman in straitened curcuu
to stances could afford to give If she d,
ny sired to fit herself for the work. An
lis work is usually to be had once the teri
of study is over.
But it is little worth the while of an
woman to enter upon ayocations unles
70 she wishes TO make it real life wor
~ and study-a real way of earning he
-. living. An aspirant who is not seriou
T. about the work is sure to drop out Ion
- before the course has been completed an
r. waste her time and money, and that {
others. There are too many women VIII
are heart and soul in the work for an
woman who is not earnest in her purpos
on TO attempt it. The money comes by e!
70. cellent work, through work and wor
an after sound study of principles and hand
& craft.
Ie. But for airy woman who needs a pr
set fession which takes but few sho
i'll months to learn instead of decades; wi
desires a position in which the incon
is regular and sure: and who wants reco
milton of faithful service, library work
,rs n suggestion worth considering.
sa