Omaha daily bee., 1902-07-20
j. L. & SONS.

Of a library assistant, the prime essential
being a liking for people and a willingness
and desire to serve and please them. Also
to have some idea OF the real meaning Of
library work and to look upon a library as
an educational institution.
The time has been, and not so very long
ago. either, that these qualifications, to-
gether with a fair education, would have
suficed. 1t was only the librarian who
had need OF any special education or train
ing, the assistants needing chiefly to be
familiar with the system in use in the
particular library, for, in the main, each
institution was governed by a system Of it's
own. Even the training advantages Of
the librarians were limited, for previous to
the establishment of the library schools
their chief help was gained from confer
ences, at which library matters were dis
cussed and by which they profted accord
ing to their ability to absorb and carry
back the discussion to their own STATS.
/ Within the last few years the prepara-
ton for library work has been entirely
revolutionized; the growth of the work has
created new demands and the schools that
have resulted have, in turn. established a
common system and raised the standard
for its maintenance. until the requirements
Of the present day library employee are so
manifold that but a small per cent of the
aspirants attain them.
COnege Training Essential.
The first essential and the basis OF all
preparation must be the ability to meet and
serve the public pleasingly and to this must
be added a thorough education. John @.
Dana, librarian of the Newark IN. ~ Pub
lie library, has said: 1.-THE chief thing
needed to raise library work to a real pro-
fessional standard is insistence on sound
scholastic training as necessary to admis-
sion to library and school alike" And II
promises to be bus a short time until col
lege training Will be a requisite prelim-
mary to entrance to a library school OF any
other preparatory course for library work.
Among the best known schools for IL
brary training are the New York State LII
brary school at Albany. the Illinois State
Library school at Champaign. ILL.,; Pratt In
stitute at Brooklyn. Drexel institute a,
Philadelphia and the summer schools at
Madison and Iowa City.
College training is necessary to entrance
at the Albany school. while out Of about liz
applicants to which the entrance examIna
tion of Pratt and Drexel Institutes Is open
only twenty are selected and permitted tc
take the TWO years training which eonsti-
tutes the course. The Illinois school also
gives a two years course. but requires two
years college training and an entrance ex-
animation.
There are also training classes IN many
OF the large libraries, where from three tC
six apprentices are given training in prac-
ttcal library work without compensation
aside from the experience they gain.
The summer schools, while not so par
tieular regarding the previous education
Of students. admit only those Who have had
some library training, and, while. Of course
their summer courses do not prepare fin.
ished Librarians, the experience gained from
their six weeks work, added to previous ex.
perience, is Of great value.
Work Closely systematized.
So s~ystematiEed has the library work be.
come that the various schools include prac.
tieally the same training courses IN cata.
loguing, reference work, children's work an
photography and in addition to these II
braries are visited that the students ma,
become familiar with their general, prac
teal work. This has resulted In the es
adjustment OF a common system among tn,
larger and best libraries, so that what bene
nts one benefits all. This Is illustrated Il
the fact that the Congressional library Il
; Issuing Its catalogue cards prints them il
lsameient numbers 70 supply other iibrArie