The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1906-07-13
THE EVOLUTION OF LIBRARIES
What Has Been Accomplished in
Thirty Years
An Ainlo@ Phenomenal Progress. Made.
rroiession of Librarian>hip Like
mat of Teaching, Has Become One
III Which Women Greatly pr.xIomi-
nate-Nalue of Technical TRAINING

III Which Women GrratIx pr.Iou,-
nate-Nalue of Technical Training.
II Is Just thirty years since the
American Librarary Association vae
nnd the original members num-
oerlAS about one hundred men
ana a dozen ONE The crea-
ton OF the modern public IL
brary, which has grown TO such ex-
t~raordinary proportions as a part Of
me American educational system. had
Just begun. The members Of the IL
0rarians profession were at tha, time
largely composed of librarians Of col
eyes and Of state libraries.
The Librarians Of the large citv IL
DTarleS then in existence wer. men.
while the smaller Libraries. eSpecially
IN New England. were managed BY
women.
n money available for the supn1rr
Of town libraries was in most cases
pltlfully small, and the salaries of the
librarians absurdy little. Verv MANY
- a. - oAlh oItutN UNFIT
doors for a few hours each week. most
oi the money being spent for books
me circulation of books was very lin
lCeu' the Methods OF caring for and
their distribution were extremely sim
PIE. Ihirty years has witnessed a
ueVeiopment in libraries that may we'll
De termed phenomenal, and the pro-
Iesslon OF guardianship, like hat Of
tedchlng, has become enc Of the greaI
professions. Of the total Of
ABOUT -FOUR thousand librarians in this
country less than One-fifth are men.
Not only are the small libraries di-
rected by women, but several Of the
large city libraries have a woman at
their head. Frequently men are EN-
ployed as assistants in libraries unde~
the management of women
The boards of trustees of libraries
often have women members. in some
cases where men are librarians. The
staff OF assistants often numbering sew
eral hundreds in the case Of large city
libraries, are made up almost exclusive
~ Of women.
VALUE OF TECHNICAL TRAINING.
A few years after the establishment
Of a national association, it was re-
cOgnized that techinacl training was
necessary to properly equip those who
were to nave charge of the administra-
ton Of the library, and more partic-
ularly to furnish a standard of training
for those who were to do the work
OF catalOguing, classifying, and cir
culating the books. A library school
was established in connection with the
library of Columbia University in New
York; later the school was removed TO
Albany, and became one of the ad-
juncts of the New York State Library.
A second school was established at
Pratt Institute Library in Brooklyn,
one at Drexel Institute in Philadelphia,
and one at Northwestern University
Of Illinois. A number of other schools
are in existence at various places in
are in existence at various places in
the country, but these four schools
lead in point of high standard for en-
trance, efficiency Of teaching, and prac-
tice, length of course instruction, and
number of graduates.
These schools however, could not
meet the demand for trained library
work and there are a half-dOzen sum-
mer schools of instruction while a num-
Der Of libraries maintain training
schools of their own for educating
young women to occupy positions as
they become proficient. The Public
Library of New York city has one CT
the best and most systematic local
schools of this order. The pay Ct
librarians of small libraries and Of
assistants in large libraries ranges
from $40 to SIS per month. Women
librarians of large libraries receive
from $1,000 to $4,000. The salaries
paid for this technical IVORY are small
considering the responsibilities, long
hours and hard work, but there are
few professions which arouse the zeal
and disinterested devotion TO duty that
the one of librarian does. There Is
50 great an opportunity for individual
scope, earnest ambition, and tangible,
recognized results that the low rate or
paymen of salaries does not deter
women from undertaking it who's
equipment and ability could cry often
command a much higher rate of pay
ment in some other employment
The ever-grOWing need Of books ana
more books, attractive equipment Of
reading rooms and the best of technl-
cal machinery to facilitate book cir
CUldllol CduStS SdIdIs ~ ~
the last item to be considered. The
profession of Guardianship provides TO
an unusual degree for the employment
of many kinds of modern. w~ell-educa
ted women-"the business woman,
one with a high degree Of executive
ability. competent to admisister a
complex educational institution offer
ing advantages to all ages of students
and readers and At the same time sat
isfy the officers of the city govern
ment and taxpayers that its funds are
wisely and efficiently expended.
The scholarly oma who IS
ish. who cares for dearning pure and
simple finds her place in the reference
department of the library, serving
scholars, Investigators and a mainstaE
10 pupils of the scools. The cata-
loguing affords opportunity to the wo-
man who has the general instinct 70