The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1917-11-17
Library Educators
HN ". ARLINGTON nRVCF
Author 81 "The Riddle ~ Person
aitty." Psychology aud
parenfhpod" etc.

have often Thought thar !, aeaa
be a splendid ding ~ an large pab
he libraries had an or.cial Ubasr
special business IL sholI Doe Co
slst seekers aner knowledge la maI
ping out courses OF STUDY and read
ing
This educational work It is true,
Is already being done IN lltr9rir
Bat ~ is not belug done aa slcec-
lully as 10 could be II 10 we're ceu-
aliLed in one Official OF brH8
knowledge and keen human sympa
thy.
A young man, let us suppose is
ambitious 20 increase nus value tu
himself and 20 mis- employers iit
has learned that one way 20 go this
is 90 make a study OF business ps'
choiogy
Accordingly he visits the public
library. where an attendant shows
him how 20 use The card catalogue.
Under tho heading Psychology
be finds lndeved The nance of hur.
ireds OF books lie struggles Lhm
mo long LIST. picking out az random
titles which seem io him to beat
more or less directly on The sublecf
lin which ne is Interested
OR. apprcciatinE The futllity OF this
course. he returns 90 nc attendant
and explains that he wishes particu-
larly 90 fanilarlze himself With
psychology as applied TO business
problems
The attendant may then point out
10 him that fhete IS sub heading
Business psychology In the card
catalogue. Better be may be able TO
give him printed guide 20 books
on this special subject.
with this guide the young man
returns 10 The attack
Fslt books on business Psychology
are % varying value Also. unfor-
tunately they sometimes are TOO
technical for readers who have nev-
or studied general Psychology
The ambitious young man soon
discovers this when no begins go
read me books be sends for. they
NAV not happen TO meet his need
al all
what e ne 20 do Re feels tha;
be has already troubled ne attend
ant unduiy he is embarra ssed,
ashamed 90 ask any more qgesuonA
But perhaps he perseFeres ara
does ask questions Now he Is re.
ferred % a specialist IN distant
part o. the library
He tries 20 md this specialist.
loses his way in me lihrary's many
corridors. gets tired and disheaTt-
ened. and goes home. II may be
never 20 set foot in that library
again,
How much simpler and better y
would be n on entering tho ihT,ry
lhe Young man could 30 ~ once go
a quiet. homelike room. where tte
library educator would greet him.
There he would be made 70 feel ~
ease, sympathetically questioned,
and led 70 state exactly the phase Of
business psychology -- advertising.
selling. letter writing window dress.
ing. etc concerning which be spe-
eiaily seeks enlightenment
The library educator himself
might be quite ignorant Of ma latest
and most practical books on Tie
particular topic desired
But he would know-lt would be
IFS business 20 kuow-men 20 whom
he could write or telephone for The
special information.
II would thus be possible Tor him
20 promise the Inquirer that within
few DAYS ne would End awaiting
him IN tho library educators ofiic'
really welI-chosen Est Of books for
study
some day, perhaps. every larg"
public library viii have an Official
such AZ thig-a kindly, patient hu
name. widely Informed library cda
Gator. HIS presence viii mean much
IN increasing library popularity and
usefulness.
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