The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-09-26
WORK FOR THE LIBRARIAN.
Cultured Work Greatly in Demand by
Women.

Women.
Studying to be librarian is rapidly
becoming a career for the women of
America.
With the new announcement that 10
new branch libraries are 10 be added
to Brooklyn's equipment IN the near
future. and that in this city libraries
and reading rooms are soon to be open
ed at night in every school building
whose neighborhood shows a wish fer
such facilities, the subject OF women
as librarians and the training necessary
to get them for the place becomes CT
particular interest. Miss Mary w.
Plummer, librarian of the Pratt insti-
tute library and training school, in
speaking upon the schools of library
training in the United States, says that
the majority of the students In THESE
schools are women who must of neees-
sity be well educated and we'll read.
Salaries, she says, are much upon the
same scale as those of professors in
colleges and teachers in schools. Wo-
men are willing to accept more modest
salaries than men, if the wage seems
just in comparison with the work.
The school of library economy was
opened at Columbia college, New York,
in 1887 and two years later was trails
ferred to the New York state library at
Albany. From this school others have
arisen, and the success of the move
ment is undobuted. Miss Plummer de-
clares that the special adaptation of
well-educated, refined woman TO par
ticular educational work means raising
the level of whole calling. 1t MEANS
putting at the service of the student,
of the lettered and unlett cred cultured
persons, whose delight is TO serve and
to render themselves fit fur service.
Upon this same quest on of women as
Librarians, Miss NJ. S. r. James, the
woman librarian of Peoples palace, and
later of the library bureau, Boston, de-
clares that librarians are waiting for
the right woman to rise to a rost at
the head of her profession. She edvo-
Gates the entrance Of women 10 libreIy
boards. The difficulty in finding en-
ployment for women, Miss James de-
clares, is OWN in great degree t. the
lack Of training.
Some detailed information on woman
librarians has been afforded by MISS
Toulmin Smith, librarian of Manchester
college, oxford, as follows:
THE number of public libraries in |
the United Kingdom is 1877, while at
miscellaneous libraries the astinnte |
varies from $40 to nearly LOO Thus
there are about 1,45O Libraries, exclus-
i've of those belonging to private fam
lilies. The colonies in 1897 showed a to-
tai of 426 libraries. 1t is the public IL
braries movement however, which is
of but recent date, whether for men or
women. Libraries are # two GASES, |
the first comprising the public free IL
braries, the second belonging 10 lam
ed societies and varoGs institutions of
all kinds"
In connection with this subject Mis-.
Smith quotes Mr. Tedder, Bobley's IL
brarian, and others in favor of the en-
ployment Of women in Libraries, ard |
says the chief opportunities for rhcm |
at present lies among public Libraries |
as assistants and Librarians. Women |
nave been employed az Bristol and |
Manchester for the last 90 years, Is CT |
various grades being now at Bristol |
and SIS at Manchester
In 1894 IS libraries in England and |
Scotland employed women assistants |
and about p or % women were Ebl ri |
ans. In advances upon these are the |
present figures. Women as ass 81 ants !
present figures. Women are assistants |
in 81 public libraries and are librarians |
in charge of A of these. OF Libraries |
of the special class about 80 are known |
TO have women as assistants or IL |
brarians.
Mrs. Smith thinks that this class
might afford many various openings to |
educated women who were fitted by |
suitable training and could take I'D the !
individual needs of the institutions.
Miss Petherbridge, who studied Ii
brarian work in this country and is
now secretary of the education commit |
tee of the Library associate of the
United Kingdom, in speaking recently
upon the course to be pursued to gain
this desirable training, advises women
to enter some good library as assistant
They should, also, she declares, at
tend the technical classes on library
science held by the Library associa-
ton during the summer months.