Papers and Proceedings of the Thirty-Fourth Annual Meeting of the American Library Association / Held at Ottawa, Canada, June 26-July 2, 1912

by Unknown

(6) That the trustees alone are empowered to employ or dismiss the librarian and other members of the staff.

(7) And that they alone are responsible to the public.

Their importance, if further evidence was wanting, is established by the development of the library movement in the Province of Ontario, demonstrated by the fact that as individuals, they have been active in founding and maintaining the Ontario library association. Hence it is easy to understand that the hope for the real and lasting expansion of library work largely depends upon the educating of the trustee up to the sane realization of his responsibilities.

In order to have a fair understanding of the trustee's many obligations, we must consider the duties he is called upon to perform in connection with his own library. He should be present and assist at the Easter meetings of the Ontario library association, and attend the library institutes which are yearly held in each of the 14 library districts into which the province has been carved for this purpose. As an evidence of the material of which the ordinary trustee is made, it is well to note that out of nine presidents who up to the present time have filled that office in the Ontario library association, between the years 1900 and 1912, six at one time or another have been library trustees. Eighty trustees were active officers of these library institutes in 1911, and of these at least 75 gave papers or addresses during the year ending April, 1912.

Wonderful opportunities for extending the influence of clean literature is held by every trustee in the hollow of his hand, and the literature of the library, taken in all its bearings, forms the great line of demarkation between the human and the animal kingdom. Hence, the sound and intelligent coupling of morally well-balanced men and women should be sought, not merely the professional educationist, who, not infrequently is apt to be somewhat narrow in his vision; "not the mere literary triflers or amateur reformers" nor the league of superficial progressives who amuse themselves by lopping off the branches of an evil, but rather the strong and impatient workers, the real trail-makers who strike at the roots. Often in a rough and most unpromising exterior we find the very elements and characteristics we have long sought in vain.

In and out of season, first, last, and all the time in addition to his statutory obligations the trustee should make the welfare of the librarian his greatest concern. What the pilot is, what the sails are, what the wheel and the propelling power are, individually and collectively to the ship—so is the librarian to the library. It is quite conceivable that a library could exist without a trustee, but almost inconceivable that it could exist without a librarian.

In Ontario we are doing all we can to elevate the status of the librarian, as well as her status in the army of intellectual workers. We have summer schools and library institutes to encourage her in her ambitions and to improve her knowledge. I am persuaded that on the walls of every library might well be written in large characters, and without any suspicion of disrespect, "God bless our Librarian." I refer of course, to the faithful efficient librarian with a proper conception of her own duties who should be honoured in the community by virtue of her position entailing such profound responsibilities. Her smallest act of official consideration, to her juvenile readers especially, leaves a widening ripple of influence, the far-reaching effect of which can scarcely be over-estimated. The librarian, unless it is obviously inopportune, should also without doubt be invited to attend every meeting of the trustees and share their undivided confidence, and the importance of her position and her individuality should never be dominated or overshadowed by the personality of the trustee. Her suggestions wherever possible should be respected, deferred to and acted upon, and every point strained to give her a living wage as nearly commensurate as circumstances will permit, with a due and extreme regard for the importance of her task,—at best, a somewhat thankless one.

I am a strong advocate for Sunday opening wherever it can be accomplished without interfering with the conscience or freedom of the employee, and if exempt from hardship. I further believe that every trustee should permit the purchase of books relating to any religious belief providing that they are not of a controversial nature, and that he should actively co-operate with the librarian in the selection of the really best current literature, both books and periodicals, giving fiction, say a 50% maximum at the most.

Last, but not least I maintain that it should be a man trustee's greatest pleasure and manifest duty to secure the co-operation of at least two capable women workers to share his responsibilities as co-trustees.

Discussion brought out the interesting fact that the Ontario library association included in its membership almost as many trustees as librarians. Mr. Bowker suggested that those from the states interested in library development should seek to follow the Canadian example in this respect, and obtain more active participation from trustees in the library association. Dr. C. R. Charteris, president of the Ontario library association, gave further word on the relation of trustees to the library organization in Canada, and Mr. T. W. Banton, trustee of the Toronto public library, who had been present at the Magnolia conference, spoke of his disappointment at finding so little participation by trustees in that meeting. The officers of the section were re-elected for another year: Chairman, W. T. Porter, trustee Cincinnati public library; secretary, T. L. Montgomery, librarian Pennsylvania State library.