Mr. Brett announced that the Cleveland public library would introduce a training class for children's librarians in which the students would be given practical work for five days and receive five-sixths of the regular salary. The remainder of the time will be given to instructions and lectures.
Mr. W. H. Kerr stated that the State normal school at Emporia, Kansas, had a course in library work which required one-fourth of the time in the four years.
Miss Hazeltine presented the card code of over five hundred cataloging rules which had been prepared by the Wisconsin library school for instruction in its school, after consultation with, and assistance from many librarians.
In response to a question by Miss Mary E. Hall as to what was being done to train librarians to take charge of school libraries, the discussion turned to that subject.
Several of the schools mentioned that practical work in school libraries was given their students. Emphasis was laid on the point that high school students who had taken a course in the high school in library methods were not qualified to have charge of school libraries.
A preliminary report was presented from the chairman of the committee on the uniformity of forms of catalog cards in simplified cataloging.
REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON UNIFORMITY OF FORMS OF CATALOG CARDS
The committee on revision of cataloging practice appointed by the library schools instructors at their meeting in January, 1912, wishes to make a brief report of the work done.
As a preliminary step in securing opinions from the various schools on the extent of the work and the forms that the code should take, the following plan was tried. A sufficient number of the galley proofs of a new edition of the rules compiled by the Wisconsin library school were secured and, on May 6, sent to all of the library schools; also to one or two individuals whom the chairman thought might be interested in the project from the teaching point of view. It was thought that this code, which had proved a practical one, might at least serve as a basis for comments. The schools were asked whether they desired to co-operate in the attempt to secure uniformity in practice, and if they approved of the form in which the Wisconsin code was to be printed, that is, on cards; and lastly, to show by their comments the points wherein their practice varied.
Replies have been received at this date from all of the schools, and from them the following conclusions are reached:
First, there is a general interest in the subject of securing unification in instruction; but there seems to be some doubt as to whether we are to attempt to cover all of the points of a complete cataloging code, or only matters of spacing, indention, punctuation, etc.
Second, the majority of the schools returned the proofs fully annotated for the changes which they desire. On the whole, these comments showed that the differences are not great and that uniformity on many at least can be secured, if so desired by the schools.
Third, a general discussion of the subject will be helpful, before any final decision can be reached in regard to a co-operative code.
The committee accordingly decided to ask that there be a discussion of the matter at the Ottawa conference and a notice to this effect was sent to each school.
A list of the points for discussion has been made out.[12] The committee will hope to make a final report at the midwinter meeting.
[12] See Catalog Section Minutes, page 246.
HELEN TURVILL, Chairman.