Survey of Ohio Libraries and State Library Services. a Report To
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REPO' T R E s UM E$ LI 000$60 ED 020 7% SERVICES. A REPORT SURVEY OF onw LIBRARIESAND STATE. LIBRARY TO THE STATE LIBRARYBOARD. BY- BLASINGAME, RALPH AND ()Twits OHIO STATE LIBRARYBOARD, COLUMBUS PUB DATE 6 EDR$ PRICE MF440.75 NC-57.72 191P. DESCRIPTORS- *PUBLIC LIBRARIES,*LIBRARY SURVEYS,*STATE LIBRARIES, *PROGRAMDEVELOPMENT, *LUNAR/SERVICES, IMPROVEMENT PROGRAMS,FINANCIAL SUPPORT,PROGRAM COORDINATION, LIBRARYPROGRAMS, LIBRARYCOOPERATION, DECENTRALIZED LIBRARYSYSTEM, CENTRALIZATION,REGIONAL PLANNING, OHIO, STUDIES ON VARIOUS USING INFORMATION FROM5 COMMISSIONED REPORT), -ASPECTS OF OHIO LIBRARIES(SUMMARIZED IN THIS QUESTIONNAIRES, AND FIELDVISITS, THIS SURVEYIS INTENDED TO AND TO PROVIDE A SERVE AS A BEGINNINGFOR" ONTINUOUS PLANNING GENERAL FRAMEWORK FORSTATE-WIDE ACTIONPROGRAMS. PROBLEM. AREAS FOR OHIO PUBLICLIBRARIES ARE SEEN AS--FINANCIAL ALLOCATION OF THE SUPPORT ,THAT CONESFROM COUNTY BY COUNTY LIBRARIANS, PUBLIC INTANGIBLES TAX,COMPLACENCY AMONG MANY BY-SCHOOL-BOARDS, A STATELIBRARY LIBRARY BOARDS-APPOINTED THAT IS ORIENTED TORURAL AREAS AND HASAN UNCLEAR RELATIONSHIP WITH STATEGOVERNMENT, AND A LACKOF COMMUNICATION IN MANY AREASOF OHIO LIBRARYSERVICE. SPECIFIC 4 RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THESTATE LIBRARYINCLUDEIMPROVEMENT OF QUALITY REFERENCE ITS COLLECTIONS ANDSTAFF TO PROVIDE TO BECOME A SERVICE, EXPANSIONOF THE UNION CATALOG THE STATE, ELIMINATIONOF DIRECT BIBLIOGRAPHIC CENTER FOR OF CIRCULATION AND TRAVELING LIBRARYSERVICES, AND PROVISION LIBRARIES. GENERAL' CENTRALIZED PROCESSINGSERVICES FOR PUBLIC FOR RECOMMENDATIONS EMPHASIZETHE REGIONAL APPROACH ORGANIZATION OF SERVICE,AND THRE MAJOR AREASCF FURTHER THE FOLLOWING ORDEROF LIBRARY DEVELOPMENTARE SUGGESTED IN Of THE ROLE OF l'PRIORIT-(1) ENLARGEMENTAND CLARIFICATION AND IMPLEMENTATIONOF THE OHIOSTATE LIBRARY, (2) DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS OF EQUALIZATIONOF LIBRARY SERVICESFOR ALL THE MAJOR RESIDENTSI-AND-13)_ DEVELOPMENTOF PLANS-TO RELATE LIBRARIES TO STATE 4WIDE-NEEDS4-A-- -RESOURCES-OF-THE-CITY RELATED DOCUMENT IS LI000569, AN APPENDIXTO THIS SURVEY, RESULTS. GIVING-THE QUESTIONNAIRES-USEDAND THE STATISTICAL (JO) 1 .3 * t a STATE, LIBRARY SERVICES a A report to theState Library Soarcl by Ralph EVasingame SURVEY OF OHIO LIBRARIES AND STATE LIBRARY SERVICES A Reportto the State Library Board by Ralph Blasingame U.S DEPARTMENT OFHEALTH, EDUCAHON & WELFARE OFFICE OF EDUCATION THIS DOCUMENT HAS BEEN REPRODUCEDEXACTLY AS RECEIVED FROM THE POINTS OF VIEW OR OPINION! PERSON OR ORGANIZATIONORIGINATING IT. REPRESENT OFFICIAL OFFICE OF EDUCATION STATED DO NOT NECE!YARILY POSITION OR POLICY, Assisted by JamesF. Renard and F. William Summers Columbus The__State Library of Ohio 1968 RALPH BLASINGAME TEL 201 - 545-7630 24 PINE RIDGE DRIVE EAST BRUNSWICK, NEW JERSEY 08516 February 21, 1963 Mr. Joseph E.Hurst, President State Library 3oard State Library of Ohio Columbus, Ohio 43215 Dear Mr. Thirst: report on the Strvey of I am pleasedto subtit herewith my The-qtudy-has-been=a Obio Librariesand State Library services.- Y wish to thank most interesting onefor me and myassociates. the freedom which ycu u and the othermembers of the 3oard for also wish to have given to all of usinvolved in this work. I given to us by Mr.Joseph Shubert, express my thanksfor the assistance and many other membersof the Miss Ruth Hess,Mrs. Faith Stoughton State Library staff. letter that I regardthis It may be usefulto stress in this rather than as a report as thbeginning of a planning process development in Ohio which complete blueprintfor public library relatively unchanged for many might be put intoeffect whole anti go trustees, librariansand years.If the reportstimuiutes boards of to active andwide-spread others interestedin library development served its purpose. In discussion of itssubstance it will have recommendations followed fact, I should preferthat to having my constructive criticism. slavishlywtthout_drawing_comment_and Sincerely, 1t13/pr 4 Contents Acknowledgements 4 Introduction Chapter I. History of OhioPublic Libraries 16 Chapter II, Present Status Chapter III. The State Library 52 81 Chapter IV. Personnel 99 Chapter V. Governance 116 Chapter VI. Communication a Chapter VII. Ohio LibraryAssccietion Ohio Library TrusteeAssociation 127 150 Chapter VIII. Recommendations Chapter II. Estimated Costs 185 Appendix (Issued separately) Acknowledgements This study has been carried out under a contract bith the Ohio State Library Board. The members of the Board, the State Librarian and various other members of the State Library staff have all been most helpful. The assistance of all these people has been freely given and invaluable. At the invitation of the Board, a Survey Advisory Committee comp%)sed of oistinguished Ohioans met with the study director four times during the course of the work. The comments of the Committee members have also been very helpful.Their willingness to devote time and thought to the project is deeply appreciated. The Ohio Library Association Library Development Committee assisted in a number of ways*The backing of this group lent weight to-the various regulate made of librarians and trustees for information by persons performing special studies. Comments of members of this Committee have also beenvaluable. The names of the persons who served on these committees are listedfollowing this acknowledgement. The final report is based upon the study director'spersonii review of existing data, returns from specialquestionnaires, and impressions gathered on field trips.All mistakes and omissions are his. However, this study was conceived from tha beginning as the work of several specialists. Five special studies, conse- quently, were commissioned andmuch,of the information and many of the recommendationsinthis report are taken directly from those studies. They are: Ellen Altman. "The Ohio Library Association and The Ohio Library Trustee Association". CNew Brunswick, N.J., Author a 1967.78 pages.planographede Kenneth E. Beasley* "Review of Ohio Library Laws and Governing Structure of Boards". 16 pages. In press. Philip He Ennis. "Ohio Library Manpower: A Statistical Report". 83 pages plus appendices. In press. Nelson Associates. The Ohio State Library: Present Operations and. Future Opportunities ". c New York3 Nelson Associates, Inc., 1967. 46 pages and appendix. planographed. F. William Summers, "Communications: A Survey of Ohio Libraries". cNewBrunswick, N.J., Author3 1967. 7i pages. planographed. These studies were conceived of as extended memoranda to the study director. Each has been reproduced in very limited edition and is available for study through the Ohio State Library.The study director is deeply indebted to the authors of the studies, not onlj for their excellent reports, but also for their willingness to share their observations and special insights. Chapters III through VII are summaries of these apes al_ studies. Various data were supplied to the authors of the special studies as it became available. This method resulted in some duplication. In a few cases, this duplication appears in the final report because of its importance to the context ofa chapter. In most cases, it has been eliminated. Mr. James F. Renard worked as research assistant through out the study, organising data, seeking out appropriate liter. -ature and drafting the chapter on History. Mr. F. Summers, State Librarian of Florida,:in addition towriting the study on communications, devoted several- weeks ofhis time to field visits and to an analysis of bookcollections. Ralph BLasingame, Director, Survey of Ohio Libraries and State Library Services nrl Survey Advi,ors,Committee Ralph Hughes,Columbus . Chairman Thomas 0. Mathues,Dayton Brady Black, Cincinnati Dr. Robert E.Miner, Columbus Erle Bridgewater,Athens O'Neill, Columbus Shaker Heights Hon. C. William Harry 14. Broder, Parsons, Columbus Columbus A. Chapman Charles A. Calhoun, Akron Celebrezze, Cleveland John H. Rebenack, Mrs. Anthony J. Mrs. Milton J,Schloss, Cimcinnati Mrs. Joseph Else,Perrysburg Loren E« Souers,Jr., Canton George J. Gould,Toledo Wieting, Columbus Marietta Dr. C. Maurice Mrs. Raymond Guthrie, William J. Worrell,Akron Mrs, George T.Harding, III,Worthington Dr. Elden T.Smith, Delaware Judge CLArles P.Henderson, Youngstown gJs.LakuyAugctgiain Librarx DevelopmentCommittee, 196Z Public Library .Chairman Edward A.DiAlessandro, Cleveland Columbus Robert N. Case,Department of Education, Library, Maumee Dorothy Strouse,Lucas County Public Library,Cleveland Lewis C. Naylor,Cuyahoga County County PublicLibrary Williaar Chait, Daytonand Montgomery Shaker Heights Mildred Krohn PublicSchool Libraries, M:lmberg, Toledo Public Library Mrs, Margie Department of LibraryScience Guy Marco, Dean,Kent State University John H. RebenacksAkron PublicLibrary James PiCkering,Warder PublicLibrary, Springfield Mildred Sandoe,Xenia Science, Dorothy Sinclair,Scluvl of Library Western ReserveUnivereity Cleveland of Ohio, Columbus Joseph F. Shubert,The State Library Sarah Cody, ClevelandHeights Public Library Public Library A. T. Dickinson,Jr., Mansfield Bowling Green StateUniversity Libraries A. Robert Rogers, Library Elizabeth S. BrickersNorth-Canton-Public of Cincinnati Lawrence A. Kane,Jr., Public Library and HamiltonCounty LibraryBoard Introduction The major domestic problems of the next generation arise from the many-faceted features of population change.. We will have to respond to the employment problems of rapid technological change with a vast array of educational, technical, and vocational programs.We will have to improve graduate education and expand