The fact that one's special training largely determines one's field of work, is seen in another library school where a maximum of children's work is made possible by a minimum in some other departments. The result is that of the 148 graduates of this school, 107 were, last year, engaged in children's work, principally as heads of departments. The remaining 41 graduates were represented in other fields of library work.
The division of the field between the various schools would have another advantage of the student. At present, a school's geographical location, or its entrance requirements largely decides a student in selecting a school. But would it not be better if the student's selection were based on what the school could offer in special lines of work.
It may be thought that a prospective student lacks the self-knowledge to determine his qualifications for special work. Many students have and more should have library experience before schools are entered and these will know their intentions and qualifications. Even if an occasional mistake were made, the student still would have instruction in the various lines of library work.
In the school referred to before, the 41 graduates who are not filling positions for which special training was given, are successfully occupying positions of honor and responsibility in other library fields.
Again, the law of supply and demand makes no exception to library work, and with a division of the field, a student could receive the fullest training in the work for which there was the greatest demand.
In conclusion, the profession should not expect the schools to turn out finished products. Librarianship is not merely a process. It is also a habit of mind—an attitude towards public affairs which seeks activity through the medium of books. But in inculcating the principles toward this attitude, the profession must rely and can rely with confidence on the schools.
The CHAIRMAN: The paper just presented, and other phases of the subject, will be discussed by Mr. William H. Brett of the Cleveland public library.
Mr. BRETT: My good friend Mr. Hadley has stated so clearly the problems, the purposes and the difficulties of the library school, and I am so heartily in accord with so much that he has said, that I regret that I must differ from some of his conclusions. In considering these questions we must bear in mind that a majority of the students are in schools giving only a one year's course, and only a minority are so fortunate as to be able to attend the schools giving courses of two or more years. Now, the problem and the difficulty in a one year school is to arrange a course of study which shall be best for students entering school with widely differing preparation, some with, others without, library experience, and with differing aptitudes, abilities, ambitions and plans for the future. To arrange a course which will best meet the needs of such an aggregation of students is a serious problem.
The criticisms on the work of the schools in the paper, seem to be mainly, first, that too much of the routine work, the technical work, is unnecessary for those who may be so fortunate in the future as to fill administrative or other important positions, in which they will not need to do such work, and that routine work of that sort tends to deaden those more important things, sense of proportion, initiative, judgment, ability to deal with the larger problems of life. While I fully agree as to the importance of these things, I believe there is little occasion to fear that a solid technical course will lessen these qualities in any one who is so fortunate as to have them in any eminent degree. It seems to me that those qualities are rather the gift of God to their fortunate possessors than the work of the library schools. My own conviction is that whether it be had in the first year of one of the larger schools, or in a school giving a one year course, a definite, solid basis of technical training is an absolutely essential foundation for good library work. I believe that any specialization in library work should be built on such a foundation, just as specialization in law, in medicine and in the technical professions, is based on a general professional training.