During the last ten years the library has undergone phenomenal development in its relations with other educational and social forces. Today we must co-operate not only with the public school, but with the social settlement, the juvenile court, and various other special municipal activities. The profession should expect the schools to provide their students with a working knowledge of what the relations of a library to these activities should be, what methods employed bring best results and what some of the problems and possibilities are from such relations. And most important of all, the schools should be expected to provide candidates for library work with a proper appreciation at least of the importance of the library's public relations in general. No mastery of technique or high endeavor greatly avails if the library's public relations be not handled intelligently and skillfully. Rules and regulations are but the written creeds of institutions in the details of loaning books, but back of all of them are the great unwritten laws and principles of procedure, more important than all the printed regulations in existence. Great policies in public relations are being tried and tested today and light on them should be focused through the schools so prospective librarians can see ahead more clearly. Questions of relations with the public are confronting all who, in the words quoted before, have to meet the vital demands that come through constant communication with people. In the Public service magazine of April, 1912, under the heading "Public relations—the vital problem," the following is taken from the president's address before the Illinois Association of Gas Manufacturers:
"Slowly probably, but surely, the majority of owners and operators of public utilities are coming to the realization that the most important,—the most vital subject with which they have to deal in the management of their properties today, is that of public relations. It used to be that the man who could put the most gas in the holders at the lowest cost, or could generate the most power at the electric or street car plant, was the most important in the whole organization.
"It is different now. The basis of organization has changed and the man who has made a study of public relations—the man who can create and conserve the public good will is given the reins of control."
But should a man wish to make a particular study of the library's public relations before he is compelled to assume the responsibilities accompanying them, he may have difficulty. One school makes provision for special students, but on account of the extra work each additional student makes on the faculty, it is often impossible to enter. Admission depends on available desk room and on condition that the regular classes are not so large as to occupy the entire time of the faculty.
The theory at present seems to be,—give every student a little of everything he may need, as the process of forgetting what he will not use is easier than the work of acquiring it should he need it. We therefore see men destined for control of large libraries, women planning for positions as catalogers in university libraries, candidates for small public institutions, those who will specialize in bibliographical work—all of them differing in natural inclinations, special preliminary training and professional aims in library life, being introduced to forty-three phases of library work, with instruction in all of them varying from 2 to 101 hours, according to the subject, with at least 377 hours of practice work and a library trip—through all of which the student emerges in eight and one-half months, possibly somewhat bewildered by the process but groping for the ladder up which he is determined to climb.
Cannot the schools do the greatest service to the student and to the profession by abandoning the plan of putting all students through the same square hole? Instead of giving a little of everything, cannot the school give much of what the student will use and nothing of what he can dispense with or what can be got easily outside of the school? Cannot the courses be simplified somewhat to permit this? Entrance examinations are conducted early in June for admission to the school in September. Cannot a study of the history of libraries, the history of books and printing, the reading of library literature on publishing houses and other non-technical work be required of the student during the intervening three months? The literature would gladly be provided by libraries over the country and the three months' reading and intelligent observation in the library by the student before beginning his technical training would be advantageous. Three months' acquaintance and observation of the student by the librarian would make his recommendations valuable to the school.
But school courses as at present outlined cannot be made sufficiently flexible to provide specific training for specific work. Therefore, cannot the schools divide the instructional field between them and concentrate their individual efforts on special lines. This division of work is done most successfully by libraries in large cities.
Such a division would have several advantages. A man loving responsibility and the management of affairs could secure a maximum of definite training for administrative work and a minimum of work less important in his professional career. A woman under appointment as head of a small public library, would receive a maximum of training for this work and a minimum in the methods and features of work in a college library. One of promise as a cataloger would receive a maximum of technical training made possible through a minimum of time and effort required in studying the problems of a children's librarian.
The objection can be raised that neither the school nor the student can determine his future work and therefore a minimum number of hours in as many as forty-three subjects is preferable as a foundation. But in these general courses as outlined today, there is a great preponderance of work in certain lines. In speaking of the time devoted to cataloging, one school director said, "There is, however, much reason for this, as a large number of the graduates become catalogers and many others enter positions where a knowledge of cataloging is essential."
We shall agree that an expert knowledge of cataloging is essential in many positions, but has not the large number of graduates from this school who have become catalogers, been due partly at least to the fact that twice the time in school was devoted to this work than to any other, the aggregate equaling the combined hours of seventeen other branches.