The science of cataloging has been pretty fully developed, and at least its technique is taught in our professional schools. Therefore it may be assumed that we are now reasonably conforming to the first ideals of scientific management when we select with due care for the headship of our catalog departments and for the more important positions, those trained in the principles of the science. I personally believe that the principles of scientific management should be actively employed by the head cataloger in the definite planning of the work of the individual, in the testing of the speed and accuracy of the individual for a special task, and in the insistence that speed for each task shall definitely conform to careful but easily made tests of the amount of time that should be consumed in performing the task. There are plenty of results of experiments in other lines of work which show that the output is increased, the cost lessened, by the constant planning and supervision and co-operation of the head of the department, and consequent abandonment by him of a corresponding amount of special detail work of his own that he heretofore may have done.
But now I must register an emphatic exception to the application of the exact principles of scientific management to a catalog department.
I believe the principles of scientific management as developed for the organization of industry and business, should undergo a distinct change or be abandoned entirely in their application to one most important phase of the organization of a catalog department. Scientific management does consider the health and comfort and freedom from fatigue and efficiency of the individual, but always with a view to the effect upon a particular task and upon increased output at reduced cost. In other words the emphasis is placed on the task, not at all on the broad development of the individual. In library work, human sympathy, a broad point of view, the fullest possible development of personality are of the utmost importance; esprit de corps, the spirit of loyalty and co-operation are of more importance than a particular task. I assume that needs no argument. Scientific management, fully applied, would, it seems to me, defeat this vital purpose of library organization, and would more effectually differentiate and isolate the catalog department than is already the case in many libraries.
This leads to some illustrations of my meaning by
(2) Some practical considerations of the organization.
I do entirely believe in a distinct and complete organization of a catalog department, not in the system some libraries use in having a department head, but without assistants definitely and wholly assigned to the one department. It is my observation that to insure quick, accurate, consecutive and thoroughly efficient work, not only must the department head devote practically her whole time to the one job, but at least enough assistants also, to insure continuity of work. I am not in favor of the head of the department being part of the time assistant in the children's room or even in the reference room. Such a plan is altogether too extravagant. The manager of a department needs to give undivided attention to the supervision of the work of the department. The head of the department is constantly brought directly in touch with the general administration of the library and with other department heads, and a possible tendency to narrowed point of view is thus checked to some extent. There are also some assistants who are naturally fitted to the work of the catalog department and not at all to meeting the public. If we secure an assistant evidently suited for catalog work, but for no other, we should bend all our energies to making her the most efficient possible cataloger, and not deprive the catalog department of her constant services in order to make a vain attempt to develop other sides of her personality and give the public poor service in the process. In my judgment, in a library cataloging from 25,000 to 35,000 volumes a year, a head cataloger, a first assistant, and probably at least two other assistants should give their whole time to the department and so form the backbone of the organization. To this part of it the principles of scientific management may be thoroughly applied.
My idea of the necessity for divergence from those principles comes when we consider the need for the development of some members of the cataloging staff by other sides of library experience, and also when we consider the importance of mutual understanding and co-operation between the departments. All librarians experience difficulty in obtaining assistant catalogers because a candidate is very often reluctant to devote herself wholly to the routine operations of the catalog department. In many such cases, it would be possible to secure an excellent part-time assistant for the catalog department, if we would offer work for part of the day in a department dealing with the public. In this way we would achieve a double purpose. The experience of all librarians, I am confident, will indicate the inestimable advantage to the point of view of the catalog department and to the catalog itself if some one of considerable importance in the department gives a part of each day to reference work, and another assistant a part of each day to the loan department. I think it is not so important that a cataloger devote some time to work with children, and it is also true that such an arrangement is rarely of value to the children's department, where special qualities and training are all-important. On the other hand, it is desirable that someone with the training and experience of a children's librarian, give to the catalog department time for the assignment of subject headings for the children's catalog. The work of the catalog and order departments is most closely related and yet it is my experience that misunderstanding between those departments is not infrequent. An assistant whose time is divided between the two should and does work to the advantage of both departments. With the exception of the one representative from the children's department, I do not believe that the possible advantage gained by having assistants from the departments which deal with the public give part time to cataloging, by any means equals the loss of efficiency attending the change from one manager to another or the loss in the work itself, for it is unusual that one assistant should do equally high-class work in two such distinct fields. I know that some say that the majority of really good desk assistants possess the education, the clear and discriminating mind, the accuracy and resourcefulness of the good cataloger and are of value in the catalog department. Also it is true that the suitability of each assistant for each department would of course be considered when interchanges are arranged. Nevertheless it is my observation that excellent desk assistants ordinarily can do well only the merest clerical work in a catalog department, and usually they do not appreciate the accuracy and minute care required in cataloging work. Certainly it is extravagant to use a part of the time of a presumably fairly-well-paid, good desk or reference assistant for merely mechanical work in the catalog department, which otherwise would be done by a cheaper grade of service than the better grade of catalog assistants. Also the special care and extra time wasted by head catalogers in revising the work of such assistants is an expense worth consideration.
4. Cost of cataloging.
Many complaints are heard from librarians of the seemingly excessive cost of cataloging. Few practical suggestions seem to have been made for reducing costs, except in the elimination of some details, such as accession books. Since I understand a committee is investigating this whole question, I have not attempted to obtain any statistical information. In the few fairly large libraries whose estimates of the cost of the process have come to my attention, the estimated cost of purchasing, accessioning, and cataloging a book, including labelling, gilding, card filing, and everything necessary to secure a book and prepare it for use, ranges from 30 cents to about 65 cents. These cost estimates vary, not only because of differences in the elaboration or simplicity of the processes, but also because of the difference in the character of the books added, large numbers of duplicates for schools, branches, etc., being more easily and cheaply handled than separate new titles.