Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-03-30
THE AMERICAN LIBRARY.
III.-Librarians and
Guardianship.
By Frederic J. Haskin.

Lbraranship Is a profession. A libra
rian is a trained expert. With every
passing year the standard Of expertness
Is being raised and the requirement for
training extended. The American Ii
brary is too complex, too important, to
be managed in haphazard fashion.
Hence the rise Of a new, a noble and
poorly paid profession.
Time was when it was considered that
any harmless person might be a libra
Ran, for a librarian was considered a
sort of higher janitor. In every library
the janitor was supposed to keep the
floor clean and the librarian to keep the
book shelves neatly arranged. 1t was
SO that brokendown clergyman. or
school teacher or just anybody who
needed job was quite good enough to
be librarian. In many cities women
of uncertain ages. who were fond Of
books" meaning that they were addict
ed to romantic novels, were considered
appropriate persons for the genteel posi-
ton of librarian.
Indeed. survivals from this elder day
are not lacking now in some towns, and
where they are found the local library
will be found to halt behind the quick
marching procession of library advance
ment In this country.
The very physical growth of the IL
brary has made it necessary that libra
rians be not only experts in actual IL
brary work, but that they be also good
business men and capable executive Of
ficers. Many millions of dollars are in
vested in the expensive library buildings.
which impose heavy responsibilities and
much hard work upon their custodlanS.
Problems of heating, lighting and ven
tilation, the purchase of building equip
ment and technical equipment require
sound business judgment. In the Ii
brary proper from $4,000. 900 to $500 GOO
a year are spent for books by American
libraries, and the selection and purchase
of these, the business of binding DOCKS,
the choice and direction OF a large stan,
composed in part of professional ex-
perts, makes it necessary for librarians
to have executive ability.
Thus it is that Guardianship is coming
to be regarded as one of the learned pro-
fessions. A
Is Now Regarded iibr ri n
as Learned Profession. dry as dust
recluse. but a human being in close touch
with the actual life of his community and
in such close touch that he both in
From it he must sense the needs of the
people, and to it he must respond with a
service best suited to meet those needs.
The library is designed to be an institu-
ton of universal interest, and, if it is to
be of the widest possible use, the librarian
must know and sympathize with as many
different views of life as is possible. He
must, therefore, have a strong, forceful
personality, able to enter into the spirit
as we'll as to give lip service to the forms
of democracy.
The ideal librarian must have the best
education possible, which has been de-
scribed as mot deep. but broad" His
technical equipment must be such that he
may cope successfully with the problems
of making the library resources available
to all the public. This is an expert re-
quirement which has nothing to do with
his general education or with his per-
sonality. 1t is something that can be &C
CURED only by special training either by
long experience in a well administered
library, or by taking a special course OF
library training, or both.
:, The first library school designed espe-
;cially to give this sort Of training was
established at Columbia College, in 1887,
by Melvil Dewey Some years later this
school was moved to the New York state
library at Albany, where it is still con-
Quoted. 1t now requires that all appli-
cants for admission shall be college grad
yates, and it's work is devoted to training
for special service those persons already
well educated. 1t has a two-year course
leading to the degree of bachelor of
library science.
Library schools conducted in connec-
ton with universities are to be found
at the University Of Illinois. University
sity. Syracuse University and Simmons
College. Other special library schools
are those at Pratt Institute, in Brooklyn;
Drexel Institute, in Philadelphia; the
New York State Library. the Carnegie
Library of Atlanta and the Carnegie Lii
brary of Pittsburgh. The school in Pitts