Special Libraries, December 1922
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San Jose State University SJSU ScholarWorks Special Libraries, 1922 Special Libraries, 1920s 12-1-1922 Special Libraries, December 1922 Special Libraries Association Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.sjsu.edu/sla_sl_1922 Part of the Cataloging and Metadata Commons, Collection Development and Management Commons, Information Literacy Commons, and the Scholarly Communication Commons Recommended Citation Special Libraries Association, "Special Libraries, December 1922" (1922). Special Libraries, 1922. 10. https://scholarworks.sjsu.edu/sla_sl_1922/10 This Book is brought to you for free and open access by the Special Libraries, 1920s at SJSU ScholarWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in Special Libraries, 1922 by an authorized administrator of SJSU ScholarWorks. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Special Libraries ADELAIDE R. HASSE, Editor, Office of the Assistant Secretary of War Washington, I). C. Val. 13 Dwember, 1922 No. 10 A Summary of the Proposed A. L. A. Scheme of Certification of Librarians Together With a Bibliography on Certification At the Annual Meeting of Special Li- s'onal library work; and this principle car- ~rariesAssociation in Detroit, a special rics with it as an inevitable corollary the committee was appointed to consider and right and duty of the Associetion to cause report upon Certification for Librarianship. to bc created, and even to contribute to Thc report of the Committee which was ac- the financial support of, some properly cepted, was as follows: constitutecl bocly for accrediting train nz "Your Comm.ttee is of the opinion that institutions which maintain the standards the subject of certification of librarians as of inslrnctian deemed necessary lor effi- proposed in the Amerlcan Library Asso- cient and progressive d~braryservice. ciation has not sumciently developed LO "The principle of accredlting educational warrant specific recommendations at this institutions, 'through voluntary organiza- time. tions, both academic and professional, is It believes, however, 'that the subject is well established. Tremendous advances in of great importance and deserving of the n~cdical education, for example, have Te- serious study of each of our members. To sulted from the application of this prln- the end that this study may have for its ciple. guidance the opinion of each of our niem- bers, your Committee recommend that there Voluntary Versus Compulsory Methods be jrmted in an early number of SPECIAL "The situation in the library profession LIBRARIES a summary and bibliography dcmands that emphasis be laid at this time of Certificat:on with a request for an ex- on voluntary rather than conigulsory pression 01 opinion of members on which methods. The need for conlpulsory stand- the Special Libraries attitude m~ghtbe ards of fitness cannot be as readily demon- based. strated to the layman as in such profes- Respectfully submitted, slons as medicine or law, where danger to D. N. HANDY, Chairman, lire and health or loss of property are the REBECCA B. RANKIN, dircct and manifest result of ~ncompetence. CATIlERINE VAN DYNE." Other professions under similar circum- stances have found it expedient to use With a view to carrying out as much of voluntary methods. It is to be hoped that the recoinmendation as has to do with pu5- legislation mill eventually embody any lication of a sutninary and bibliography worlcable system of standards evolved, but the Conirnittee submits the inatenal at- legislation which ?recedes the creation of tached which \vas preparecl at the Munici- such standards is likely to result in more pal Reference Library in New York, under evil than good . the supervision of Miss Rankin. "Perhaps lthe principal advantage of the D. N. HANDY, nat~onalv~~luntary system lies in its second Cl~az~n~an.feature-co-ordination and accredlting of training agencies. Following the moderzl ABSTRACT OF REPORT OF THE A. L. A. system of certification for teachers, it may COMMITTEE ON NATIONAL CERTIFICA- be assumed that it will be found desirable TION AND TRAINING lo certify without examinatiotl the gradu- MADE TO THE ANNUAL A. L. A. CONFER- ates of approved training schools. In teacher ENCE AT SWAMPSCOTT, JUNE, 1921 training the state is traditionally a self- Fundamental Prlnclples Involved suficicnt unlt, and can properly be so be- "The proposed national certification plan cause of the large number of teachers re- is based fundamentally on thc principle quired. The number of professional li- that it is not only the right but the duty brary workers, on the other hand, is so of the American Library Association to much sinallel. that many states cannot be formulate stand,ards of fitness for profes- expected to support adequately their om 176 SPECIAL LIBRARIES December, 1922 professional library school. They will Grade 8 necessarily recruit workers, part~cularly Education: (1) Not less than one year for specialized ty_nes of work, from schools of successful study in approved college, or located in other states, but how futile it the equivalent, including reading lcnowledge would be for each of the farty-eight states of at least one modern language other than to make its own examination and accredit- English; (2) one year's study in approved ed list of the twelve ar fifteen, or more, library scl~aol, with recommendation of l~braryschools In all parts of the country, school faculty; or passing of esnminalion and how confusing to schools to be subject in library economy, and such other tests as to the separate and inexpert scrutiny of may be prescribed by Certification Board. forty-eight states, to find themselves ac- Experience: Ten years' successlul ex- cred~tedperhaps by some states and not perience, less one year for each full ycar by athers. The only sensible thing is evi- of study cbeyond the first year) in an ap- dently to provide one central accrediting proved college, and for one ycar of study agency . in an approved library school. Types of Positions: Head of public li- Advlsory Conrmlttee Suggested braries in snlaller cities, smaller state li- " . In the opinion of the present braries, less important college and univer- Committee, one of the earliest tasks of the sity libraries; assistant librarians in such Certification Board should be the formula- libraries; hcads of departments in librar~es tion of a plan for adv~sorycommittees so of all sizes; branch librarians; reference constituted as to be representative of the librarians; librarians of important school best professional ideals and practice of libraries; heads of important special libra- the states. Upon such advisory cxnmittees ries; teachers in library schools. the Board should rely for much of the in- CLASS 111 formation on which to base its judgments in all cases requiring first-hand knowledge Grade A Education: (1) Gracluation from ap- of conditions " . proved college, with reading knowledge of Outllne of Tentatlvc S~heme at least one modern language other thnn English; and (2) not less than one year's CLASS I successful study in approved librasy school, Education: Same as for Classes 11 and with recommendation of school. 111. Experience: None required. Experience : Notably successful experi- ence of at least ten years in library admin- Grade B istration or in professional library work re- Education: (1) Not less than one year quiring spec~altechnical skill and involving of successful study in approved colle.?.e, or considerable responsi~bility. equivalent, including. reading knowledge of Types of Positions to be Filled by Holders at least one modern language; and (2) one of Class I Certificates: Chief librarian, and year's successJM study In approved library occasionally assistant librarians, of large school and recommenclation of school fac- libraries-municipal, state, university, col- ulty; or, passing of examination in library lege, endowed libraries, etc.; head of de- econonly and such other tests as may be partment in large libraries, where position prescribed by Certification Board. requires special technical qualifications, or Exper~ence: None required. broad knowledge of library work, wjth Types of Positions: Professional assis- supervisory or administrative responsiblli- tants in all departments; heads of sl~lall ties; directors of library schools and the libraries; heads of minor departments'; successful professors and instructors in li- branch librarians of s~nallerbranches. brpry schools; officials of state library com- m~ss~ms. CLASS IV Grade A CLASS I1 Education: Four-year course in approved Grade A high school; instruction in approved tram- Education: (1) Graduation from ap- ing class or other approved training agency, proved college, with reading knowledge of as may be required by the Certification at least one modern language other thnn Board. English; and (2) not less than one year's Experience: None. successful etudy in an approved library Grade B school, with recomlnendation of school Education: Four-year high school course, faculty. or equivalent to bc determined by the Cer- Experience: Not less than five years' tification Board; and passing of examina- successful experience after takhg library tion in llbrary technique and such other schaol course, except that one year of ap- tests as may be prescribed by the Certifi- proved specialized or advanced study may cation Board. be substituted for two years of the ex- Experience: At least one year of ap- perience required for Class I1 certificate. proved library work. December, 1922 SPECIAL LIBRARIES Special Certificates a nmnber in a board of nine, it has been "In addition to these three classes of suggested that the League of Library Coin- general professional certificates, a group lnissions nqht be omitted, since the inter- of special ccrtificatcs should he provided ests represented by thc conlmisslons are for. In thc bc~ilui'n~these shoulcl prob- fully cared for by othe? members of the ably be at least equal in rank to Class I1 Board. The problem is to secure in the certificates and call lor specla1 qualifica- membership of the Board a proper reye- tions in addition to those required for gen- eral profcsslonal ccrtllicate of Class 11.