Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1920-10-22
IOWA ALWAYS IN FRONT RANKS
First to Try Out Plan Of certIfication
of Library Workers.

OF Library workers.
BY Associated Press.
Des Moines, Oct. 21.-Iowa was the
second state in the union to adopt a
plan for the certification OF it's Ii
brary workers, and was preceded by
only few weeks by New York, the
first state. But Iowa was the first
state to give it's plan an actual work.
ing trial, and to appoint board for
the certification' of librarians. Lii
brarians in this state must
now have certificates, just as
must school teachers. It was
thought, at the time the plan was
adopted, one year ago, at Waterloo
that library work was calling de-
handing some standard Of admission;
could make it a recognized profess
sion. The plan, however, when put
into effect, was not made retroactive
and did not affect those already do
ing library work in this state; it was
meant entirely to uphold the future
quality and increase the dignity OF
the work.
The board Of certification com
prises five members. OF this number
1.-TWO, the chairman and the secretary
of the Iowa Library Commission. are
members ex officio. The other three
members ere elected annually BY the
Iowa library association. The present
membership of the board is Johnson
Brigham, state librarian and chair
man of the library commission, Julia
Robinson, secretary OF the library
commission, and Grace d. Rose. OF
the Des Moines public library, all OF
Des Moines; Charlotte Crosley, OF
Webster City: and Mrs. D. T. Stock
man. Of tSigourney. The first certifi-
cate ever issued by this board was
ITO Miss Helen McRaith, who had, al
the time she received the certificate
served for twelve years in the public
library at Iowa City.
The board, in issuing the certifi-
Gates, takes into consideration, first
educational preparation of the candi-
date; second, library preparation;
and third, actual experience. The
different grades. In grades A and 3
college or library school work is re-
quired. or a thesis may be accepted
in lieu Of such work; in grades c
and D high school and summer
school work, or req ling course ir
library economics, /, is accepted. The
rules under which the board works
were somewhat amended at this
years meeting Of the state librarians
held In this city recently.
The various librarians turnout the
state are also given classification
After many experiments, it was de.
cided that library should be classf.
fled according to the population OF
the community to which it belongs
THUS all libraries in cities OF forty
Thousand or more residents, belong
In class one; those in places of from
fifteen to forty thousand, class two;
the Sc of from five to fifteen thou
sand. class three: and those Of COM
munsi:cs that have less than five
Thousand inhabitants, to class four
College librarians are rated by the
number of volumes they possess. All
college Libraries Of more than fifty
thousand volumes constitute class
one; those of between twenty and
fifty thousand, class two; those OF
from ten to twenty thousand vol
umes, class three; and those that
have less than ten thousand volumes
to class four. 49,
Prominent librarians point out
that various, individual states are
now taking up the work of certify
ing their librarians. and that about
half a dozen thruout the middle west,
following the lead Of Iowa, have al
ready done so. It is the opinion OF
these librarians that ultimately the
certification of librarians will be
supervised and directed by a nation
al board Of certification.