Evening star., 1919-10-12
PUBLIC LIBRARY STUDENT
s- CLASS TO OPEN OCTOBER %
DR.. George F. Bowerman Believes Training
offered by Institution Is Attractive
for Retiring War Workers.

On October - the student training
District Of Columbia opens for its
fan term. According to DR.. George F.
Bowerman. librarian, it would be well
for war workers about to be released
from service, but who, attracted by
the exceptional educational advan-
tages to be found in Washington, are
desirous OF making the city their
home, to investigate this opportunity
ofsbecoming members Of the library
stan.
The training class is intended to
prepare persons for Junior positions in
the Public Library of the District of
Columbia. and while no pretense is
made of fitting pupils for positions in
other libraries, the fundamental train
ing necessary for such work Is so
thoroughly instilled that when the
conrse of eight months IL completed
the successful ones are well suited to
grasp quickly the requirements essen
tial to I'LL positions in most any Ii
brary in the country.
Positions are not guaranteed in the
library to those who successfully
complete the course, but as the va
cancies in the junior staff and the
e
ordinarily filled by graduates of the
training classes practically every
student desirous of appointment has
received It within a reasonable time.
Forces Drawn From Class.
In fact, q large percentage of the
library force 10 made up Of graduate
members Of the training class. In this
particular the Public Library Of
Washington is unique. for the ma
jority of public libraries of other
cities hnd it possible to draw upon
the big library schools or expert
enced librarians in making up their
force.
Tho salary Of student on appoint
ment is $40 per month. which at pres
ent is partly based on the bonus sys-
tenn instituted by large concerns in
the past year in order that employees
might better cope with the high cost
Of living, but as salaries of library
workers Will be affected both by the
passage Of the Nolan minimum wage
bill and the Joint congressional COM
mission Of reclassification of salaries
in tho District. it seems more than
probable that the present amount Of
fered will be q minimum with fair
chance of Increasing.
Durtnk the eight months OF training
the student ia required to give forty
and ons-half hours to the library
weekly, Without remuneration, in ex-
change fof. the instruction received.
The course Ii divided into three
groups, nrst library economy and its
second, book selection. ETC.,
probably the most interesting, for
there IL discussed the problems which
confront the librarian in selecting
books that will be most useful to the
community, and. third, the profession
d. &A Snn nn1,, lve Hxyvn
Of libraries In the District Of Column
bia ena the relation Of the library to
the som1bunity.hfzA4 80
pl.p&s&min.t,oas Necessary.
A simple Ssnftance examination is
necessary for those contemplating
s1.sa 9st. .ea eixhsa.n aa ~9msn ans this ss-
'Libraty *6fk is q profession which
enc On. ssny ~ to 10y lo1' said sss Mis- Miss
drsn's .dspaEtment and director Of the
class. ap4 am firmly convinced that
II ma1N nk. the rxouag women, attract.
ed to work by the war who are now
detefna4nA4-to keep themselves en-
knew Of the ADVANTAGES
to b. -Oainsd In an educational way
odeea6ysey the training class they
w6u3e, ,SpA themselves ok the oppor-
tunHGkN 9scoming members Of tho
'O8 caVfSe. the class suffered great
1oes4fH the past two years. owing
to- t46 .N34ptional salaries offered to
young Wpman workers by the gov
srnlt{1tl but now that the letting
out st4Hpd has started in earnest,
doht Sthk we will have much trou-
BILE b1nginS the class back to its
fun 6pata The work is most at
trac&ty4ao those with literary tastes,