Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-02-26

Training of Pratt Institute. which was
| founded ten years ago. and when
holds very high Gf not the highesp
| rank. There are only two or three
others. among them the New YORK
| state Library School at Albany. ana
the state Library School of Illinois
| connected with the Illinois University
| But Few as has been their numbers
| their endeaNors have succeeded III
| greatly raising the standard OF quar-
fcations' ana IN creating demand ior
| the trained librarian and assistant.
| The origin and development OF the
| Pratt institute School is interestingly
described by Josephine Adams Rain
bore III the current number OF the
Pratt Institute Monthly:
Started originally as Il training class
for the members Of the librarE's own
staff and to fit students for minor
| places in other libraries. ii had no
anticipation of the larger part it would
| be obliged To iill but. recognizing the
fact that trained librarians were De
ginning to need helpers, ii set itself
10 supply that need The first class.
that of 1891. admitted without eX-
animation, consisted of twenty-onc
members of the staff. and all but one
| We're residents OF BROOKLYN
An entrance examination was held
! in the following year. ana literature
ana English composition were added To
the course. Ey 1894 the number Of
applicants had 20 Increased that the
entranc" examination had 70 be com
/ ratitivc ANA the standard uf that cX-
| animation has been raised cach year,
until it has reached its picscnt level.
! Dictionary catiLogung WAS added 70
! tn" course ia lS"i. and in 1885 COM
! paratiVe study OF methods Was begun.
/ In 1896. when the present director as
summed charge. under tn" trustees, N
| thc library ANA the school Ky cE NE
was made ~ the pan VI instruction.
! ana school faculty was organized
one person being put in immediate
! ,haIe" of the school while the duty of
1 instruction WAS confined tn fewer
members III the stan. VINO were "a -girc
\ larger share ~ time N thr school
ana WHO possessed evident teaching
! qualifications.
/ In lN9S literature and English COM
/ position We're dropped from the course.
/ y course in modern h,ttou.
/ English and Continental I'D tho values
/ ana scope of which experience con-
! Minced is that the majority ~ uur stu
dents had not been sufficiently in
/ structed. was therefore substituted
and more time was devoted To b.hl.-
! oEraphy and reference work.
\ In 1897. the school took new de
pa:ture III offering second y"arrnur WINS.
which Were "a he. not an extension Or
the first year : work. but an entrance
on = new field. namely specialization
| in library work. The first course
| offered Was in the direction ri the
| ca,al"suing Of incunabua ana fhe
study Of Latin photography. with thu
| history Of printing and binding, special
| photography. ctc.-in a word. the Gull
ture side of library work. In
| 1899 another second year course VAS
offered. that in training for children :
librarians.
An important addition wa made ~ tho
| first course this year. III what is called
! the survey ~ the field. the object ~
| which is to give the students absorbed
| as they are in learning the mnutiae OF
| CataloSuinS and economy. broader out
| look over the library field. During the
| bi-weeklY period given 70 this work. III"
| director signalizes new publications that
| have come ~ her notice an subjects of
/
ana reports that are notable in any re-
! Spect and the work Of summa rizing IN"
| more important OF thcs" is assigned Ia
| various members OF the class for prcSeu-
( tation at the next period. Some Of the
! work assigned in securing this survey or
| the field was: Explanation uf q scheme
for library clearinghouse Of duplicates.
/ recently advertised. summary ~ the
! recent correspondence between Or Bii-
liugs and Comptroller Culcr on the con
| Suidation OF the libraries Of New York
! report on two articles in the September
Atlantic, Of special interest 70 IN"
librarian The Child ana The Hctros-
! pcCtiVe Review.
| Another important change was adopted
! this wear in raising the age limit tOr an
\ plicdnts from eighteen to twenty years
| II was explained by the director, Miss
Mary w. Plummcr. that this had been
I done I'm order to secure 4 larger proper
/ gree. however. she said. does not en-
! empt an applicant from our examination.
! nor. on the other hand. is any one ca
| cludcd for lack ~ college graduation. ii
/ he or she can satisfactorily pass the CN-
| animation and oar general scrutiny. W.
require references. ana We also form IN
! opinion as to the fitness of the candidate
| largely from personal interview.
/ The students are nearly an women. the
\ nImhcr Of men in tn" classes seldom be
I ing more than two or three. There IL Il
\ as library assistants. said Miss Plum
| mer Possibly il is because women are
J .
! sympathy and common sense are the
prime natural eudowmen;S in The ,iiiCjunt
! assistant. without thes" qualities he or
/ she Will not b" perfect success mo mat
1 ter how We'll qualified from the puiui VI
view ~ education. :ut mon are pre-
| ferred as heads Of libraries. they lTt
| supposed to have more executive abilitN. .
and To he more capable of preserving
discipline"
/ Our graduates. as rule. either 90 as
4 assistants into large libraries or take
| charge of small libraries. In tn" former
/ case they are apt 10 become Il slight ANA
! fixed part of hIge machine Tor I'LL
4 stance. cataloGUer. ana he confined w
| clusivclN to cataloguing. IN The small
| libraries, ON the contrary. they have eN-
petience in all departments
Applicants come from all parts of tn,
| uit"d StateS-Sumc even from abroad
/ The number last year was g. OF these u
! took The examination. only - Succeeded
! in passing.
! As an Illustration Of the degree in
| which tn" examination has been made
mole difficult, the first three questions OF
! the first examinations in l>Y2. and of the
| latest, last June. may be CumtraStcd
| They fab under the same head OF gen
| eral determinations In 1872: Name i've
| distinguished men OF modern times. and
| some achievement ~ each. one III paint
| ing or sculpture. one in music. one ii
| electrical discovery or invention, one in
| education. one in any department you
! please. In 1899: Write about Il page on
| the history of the nineteenth century in