College and Research Libraries


the library's role is not much different 

from that for the first t w o years of the 

teachers' c o l l e g e ; it is chiefly to furnish 

required readings in as adequate a number 

of copies as possible. F o r the terminal 

vocational program, the library does little 

more than furnish collateral reading for 

the occasional student w h o w a n t s to go 

beyond his text or w h o w a n t s background 

for his laboratory w o r k . O n l y in a f e w 

special cases have w e done more. F o r 

w o r k in cooperative retailing, the refer-

ence department has serviced pamphlet 

materials gathered by the instructor, keep-

ing them in the vertical file and in pamph-

let boxes and handling them much like 

other pamphlets. G u i d a n c e material, par-

ticularly that issued by the Science Re-

search Associates, has been treated in the 

same w a y , in cooperation w i t h the de-

partment of counseling. 

T h e library tries to help the faculty 

bring home to all students, terminal and 

other, the nature of the w a r , the U n i t e d 

Nations idea, and the importance of unity 

behind the w a r effort within our o w n 

country. T h i s has been done for the most 

part by purchasing increasing numbers of 

books along these lines and making avail-

able the periodicals which deal particularly 

w i t h the w a r and postwar problems. T h i s 

reading program has not developed to our 

satisfaction yet and is a challenge to the 

faculty and to the library. Perhaps stu-

dents get a better understanding of the 

spirit animating the U n i t e d Nations from 

participation in defense activities of various 

kinds than they do from reading about 

the w a r and the peace. W e hope the 

library is at least a factor in understand-

ing and unity and, therefore, in bringing 

victory and a lasting peace. 

B y B . L A M A R J O H N S O N and L O E T A J O H N S 

The Junior College Library and 
Terminal Education 

Mr. Johnson is librarian and dean of in-

struction, Stephens College, and Miss 

Johns is librarian and research associate, 

Institute for Consumer Education Library, 

Stephens College. 

THE ROLE of the junior college library in terminal education is identical w i t h 
its role in any other aspect of the educa-

tional program. In other words, the 

function of the library (in terminal edu-

cation, in preparatory education, in pro-

fessional education) is to cooperate w i t h 

teachers and students in developing and 

carrying out the most effective methods 

of using library materials as an aid to 

attaining course objectives a n d — e v e n more 

i m p o r t a n t — t h e objectives of individual 

students. M o r e specifically, as the writers 

see the problem, the library m u s t : 

144 COLLEGE AND RESEARCH LIBRARIES 



1. Supply appropriate materials when and 
where they are needed for the effective 
attainment of instructional objectives. 

2. Develop in students and teachers atti-
tudes and habits of work which lead to the 
continuous use of tools of learning, such as 
the library can provide, as aids to meeting 
problems and attaining goals in everyday 
living. 

3. Teach students how to find and obtain 
tools of learning so that they will continue 
the use of such materials in day-by-day living 
after leaving school. 

Since under this concept the library is 

an integral part of the instructional pro-

gram, its objectives must be the same a$ 

those of the college of which it is a part. 

T e r m i n a l education in terms of goals may 

be vocational (preparation for making a 

l i v i n g ) or general (preparation for ef-

fective living in areas common to a l l ) . 

A t Stephens College terminal education is 

conceived to include both general educa-

tion and vocational education. 

Illustrative of this is the case of M a r y 

Jones, w h o is training to be a secretary. 

D u r i n g her t w o years at Stephens M a r y 

studies shorthand, typewriting, office prac-

tice, office machines, and secretarial ac-

counting. B u t these courses take less than 

half of her t i m e ; the m a j o r part of her 

time is spent in such general education 

activities as humanities, social problems, 

psychology, communications, general biol-

ogy, consumers' problems, and design for 

living. She also participates in extraclass 

experiences such as student government, 

speech clinic, grooming clinic, and clubs 

which relate to her interests. T h e s e 

courses and activities are designed to aid 

her in living more effectively. 

A s an integral part of the instructional 

program at Stephens C o l l e g e the library 

works closely w i t h the teaching program 

in all departments. M e m b e r s of the li-

brary staff attend divisional and depart-

mental meetings, visit classes, teach classes, 

serve on faculty committees, and, all in 

all, function as members of the instruc-

tional staff. 

Since in previous descriptions1 of the 

Stephens College library program illus-

trations of practice have largely been 

drawn from general education courses 

(communications, literature, social prob-

lems, e t c . ) , this presentation w i l l draw 

upon an illustration from a newly devel-

oped vocational a r e a — a v i a t i o n . 

Aviation Instruction 

A v i a t i o n instruction w a s begun w i t h the 

offering of a course in introduction to 

aviation in the fall of 1 9 4 1 . Planned to 

aid students in making vocational choices 

and to give a general background of 

training needed for positions in aviation, 

this course was from the beginning offered 

with the cooperation of several airlines. 

Experience w i t h the course and study of 

the vocational needs and opportunities in 

aviation has now led to the establishment, 

in cooperation w i t h twelve m a j o r airlines, 

of a two-year course of study providing 

general education and vocational training 

necessary for employment in a variety of 

aviation positions. 

A s has been suggested, the role of the 

library in such new terminal courses as 

aviation is the same as its role in longer-

established courses. Selection of materials 

appropriate to the objectives of the courses 

thus becomes a first consideration. In this 

field, as in any other field, materials must 

be accurate, up to date, and teachable. 

A i r l i n e consultants aided in developing 

and checking bibliographies for technical 

accuracy and application to job require-

1 Johnson, B . L a m a r . Vitalising a College Library. 
A m e r i c a n L i b r a r y A s s o c i a t i o n , 1939. 

MARCH', 1943 145 



ments. Books and magazines considered 

w e r e examined by teachers and librarians 

for teachability and readability. 

Books purchased w e r e first placed in 

the general library on reserve. L a t e r a 

classroom library w a s set up. T h i s soon 

proved impractical because the rapidly in-

creasing enrolment in the field and the 

expanded number of related courses of-

fered made the effective administration of 

the materials extremely difficult. A c c o r d -

ingly, aviation materials have for the most 

part been returned to the general library. 

T e m p o r a r y classroom collections are, how-

ever, established as needed for selected 

units of instruction. 

O u r present organization now appears 

to meet adequately the instructional needs 

in aviation. Since, however, flexibility is 

an essential of functional library admin-

istration, the library staff is alert to the 

possibilities of developing new methods of 

making materials available w h e n and 

w h e r e they are needed. Changes in cir-

culation routines and location of materials 

w i l l accordingly be made as required. 

Streamlining of ordering and cataloging 

routines to maintain a steady flow-of ac-

cessions is particularly helpful in meeting 

the changing needs of new fields of in-

struction. 

T h e development of attitudes, habits, 

and skills in the effective use of tools of 

learning is an important function of each 

course in the curriculum. T h e attainment 

of these goals demands much more than the 

selection of appropriate materials and the 

location of such materials where they can 

be used most effectively. T h e methods 

for attaining these ends represent a sig-

nificant instructional problem upon which 

teachers and librarians must w o r k together 

in all fields. 

Summary 

1. T h e function of the library in ter-

minal education is identical w i t h its 

function in every other aspect of the edu-

cational program. 

2. T h e selection of materials f o r some 

of the newer vocational courses requires 

the cooperation of practitioners in voca-

tions as w e l l as of teachers and librarians. 

3. Flexibility of administration is a sig-

nificant aid to meeting the instructional 

needs of an educational program. 

B y J O H N B L A N C H A R D M A C I N N E S 

The Small Private School for Men 
Mr. Maclnnes is instructor in economics 

and accounting, Kicker Junior College, 

Houlton, Maine, and was formerly librar-

ian, Conant Library, Nichols Junior Col-

lege., Dudley, Massachusetts. 

DU R I N G M Y I N C U M B E N C Y as l i b r a r i a n of Nichols Junior C o l l e g e the library 
was completely reorganized w i t h a v i e w to 

making it fit more adequately the needs 

of the institution. T h e educational pro-

gram carried on w a s entirely professional 

and largely terminal, although some stu-

dents did transfer a f t e r graduation to 

four-year colleges for further w o r k in busi-

ness administration. T h e great majority 

of the students w e n t directly into business 

after g r a d u a t i o n — t h a t w a s before the 

146 COLLEGE AND RESEARCH LIBRARIES