Selected candidates, when interviewed, should be examined on the questions scheduled above and on the qualifications specified in [Section 68]. A few questions by the chairman, based upon these, in addition to the independent suggestions of members of committee, will generally result in obtaining a very fair estimate of the qualifications of each candidate.
70. Salaries.
70. Salaries.—Owing to the limitation of the library rate and a general underestimate of the librarian’s utility, salaries in municipal libraries are not very liberal, and may be described as inadequate. In the state, university and some of the endowed and proprietary libraries the salaries range much higher, taken all round. These appointments, however, especially such as the British Museum, India Office, the Houses of Parliament, the universities and similar institutions, are seldom offered for competition. In public municipal libraries the salaries of chief librarians range downward from about £800. Some of the large London proprietary libraries, and many of the provincial libraries of a similar kind, give salaries to about the same maximum.
A careful analysis of the income, population and work of the principal English and American libraries has enabled the following [table] to be produced, showing the amount which a library can reasonably pay for a good officer. This scale is considerably below the American one, but slightly higher than the English.
Fig. 5.—Table of Librarians’ Salaries which should be paid
by Libraries possessing the incomes undernoted
| Library Annual Income from Rate. | Librarian’s Salary. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | |||
| 20,000 | 1000 | |||
| 15,000 | 800 | |||
| 10,000 | 750 | |||
| 8,000 | 700 | |||
| 6,000 | 600 | |||
| 5,500 | 550 | |||
| 5,000 | 500 | |||
| 4,500 | 450 | |||
| 4,000 | 425 | |||
| 3,500 | 400 | |||
| 3,000 | 350 | |||
| 2,500 | 325 | |||
| 2,000 | 300 | |||
| 1,900 | 290 | |||
| 1,800 | 280 | |||
| 1,700 | 270 | |||
| 1,600 | 260 | |||
| 1,500 | 250 | |||
| 1,400 | 240 | |||
| 1,300 | 230 | |||
| 1,200 | 220 | |||
| 1,100 | 210 | |||
| 1,000 | 200 | |||
| 900 | 190 | |||
| 800 | 180 | |||
| 700 | 170 | |||
| 600 | 160 | |||
| 500 | 150 | |||
| 400 | 120 | |||
| 300 | 90 | |||
| 200 | 60 | - | For part of time only. | |
| 100 | 30 | |||
[The above table is rather higher than that given in the last edition, as regards the libraries with incomes exceeding £3000, and is based upon my own inquiries and conclusions as they have been affected by the European War. Few librarians receive normally £1000, and it is quite clear that the present salaries for the greater libraries are most inadequate, having regard to the responsibilities involved.—Editor.]
71.
71. The only other point of importance arising out of the question of librarians’ salaries is that of providing a residence on the library premises. This policy has been adopted in London more than anywhere else. It affects the question of salary to some extent, though not quite so much as has been claimed. A committee of a £4000 library might argue that, by providing a good house in a valuable position, they are only entitled to give a salary of £325, the balance of £100 being represented by the house. The practical reply to this is, that a house under these conditions, although it could rent at £100 or even more, is just worth to the librarian exactly what he would be prepared to pay for house rent if he lived away from the library. Any allowance or deduction should accordingly be based upon this consideration. In small libraries it is not advisable to incur additional cost in the erection of buildings by providing a residence for the librarian in order to save on his salary. Beyond the advantage of having a librarian living on the premises as a kind of superior perpetual caretaker, there is little to be gained by complicating a library building with such an excrescence as a residence. If houses are provided at all, they should be mainly used by caretakers who have to get up early, and there is a decided convenience in having an officer of this description always at hand. If possible, residences should be erected as far away from public reading-rooms as they can be, the occupation of rooms over news-rooms, etc., having been proved to be unhealthy in many cases. The accommodation provided for a caretaker usually consists of a sitting-room or large kitchen, parlour, two bedrooms, and the usual offices. In some London libraries very liberal provision has been made for librarians living on the premises, the accommodation consisting of three large living rooms, four or five bedrooms, kitchen, scullery, bathroom and other offices. The whole question of residence or non-residence is one for library authorities to decide for themselves, but the matter is another proof of the necessity which exists for appointing librarians before buildings are erected.