College and Research Libraries By M A R Y F R A N C E S P O P E and L A W R E N C E S. T H O M P S O N Travel Funds for University Library Staffs Mrs. Pope is librarian, College of Engi- neering, and Dr. Thompson, director of li- braries, University of Kentucky. WH E N A G R O U P of librarians gathers in a smoke-filled room at a conven- tion, one topic of conversation likely to t u r n up is: " A r e you getting your expenses paid?" T h e nebulous information avail- able under such circumstances has inspired the authors to find out just w h a t condi- tions exist for official travel by university library employees. Accordingly, a ques- tionnaire was sent to nine privately sup- ported university libraries and to 73 libraries of land-grant colleges and univer- sities and separate state universities (non- l a n d - g r a n t ) . Seventy-eight replies were received. Questions asked covered only those prob- lems which seem to turn up again and again in discussion of the travel problem and which, taken as a whole, could yield a fairly accurate picture of the national situation. T h e questions are listed below by number, and a summary of the answers follows in each instance: i A . Is any specific sum budgeted for staff travel? Forty-three answered "yes," 32 " n o , " and three indicated they had no funds. Of the three libraries reporting no funds available, Alaska gave the reason that the distance is too great and air travel too expensive. T h e other two were a land- grant university and a separate state uni- versity. i B . If so, please specify amount for 1948- 49. Among the 43 libraries with travel included as a budget item, $1325 was high, $400 the median, and $75 low. I n terms of quartiles, the sums budgeted may be grouped as follows: $ 7 5 - $ i 5 o ; $200-$400; $400-$600; $6OO-$I325. Although south- eastern institutions fare slightly better than those in other parts of the country, location and total resources of the library seem to have little influence on the amount avail- able for travel. F o r example, those mid- western university libraries which budget for travel all fall below the median, where- as eight of 14 southeastern libraries are above the median. T h e proximity of east- ern university libraries to N e w York, Bos- ton and Washington seems to have no ef- fect on amounts set aside for travel, for the nine eastern institutions which budget for travel are scattered evenly throughout the series. 2. Is this carried on your budget or on the budget of some superior administrative officer? In 56 cases it was carried on the library budget, in 10 cases on the budget of a superior administrative officer, and nine libraries gave no report. In six libraries in which no specific sum is allocated for traveling expenses, the head librarian charges this item against the general ex- pense account, the contingent f u n d , or against the f u n d for supplies and equip- ment. Constituted funds of superior offi- cers are designated by such names as the chancellor's (or president's travel f u n d or the university travel f u n d . T w o reports state that intrastate funds are applied 22 COLLEGE AND RESEARCH LIBRARIES against the library budget and interstate ex- penses are carried on the travel f u n d of a superior officer. 3A. Can you draw for travel from some other fund (e.g., fines, nonpersonal serv- ices, e t c . ) ? Eighteen answered "yes," 51 "no," one reported that it is not necessary, and five did not report. Seven libraries reporting on the question explained that, if necessary, traveling expenses over and above the specific budgeted amount were avail- able by requesting approval from the presi- dent or board and that all are honored so long as the request is reasonable. 3B. If so, is this limited to any specific amount? In one instance it was limited to fines. Seventeen replied " n o . " 4A. Are you limited to any specific amount for any one trip? T w o replied "yes," 72 "no," and one did not report. 4B. If so, how much? One reported $75, one reported $40 (except head li- brarian, who enjoys the same travel privi- leges as president and other administrative officers; $40 limit applies to all teaching personnel). W h i l e only two are limited to any specific sum, 30 reported specific limitations such as per diem arrangement, transportation and part transportation only, modes of travel, etc. 5. D o you have a per diem arrangement? Twenty-six answered "yes," 47 "no," while two did not report. Per diem ranges from a $2.25 limit on meals within the state to a generous $12 per day. T h e median runs about $6, the sum that the federal gov- ernment allows its employees for travel within the continental United States. In many state-supported institutions there is a substantial difference (up to $ 3 ) be- tween per diem for intrastate and inter- state travel, and often as not, no expenses whatsoever are allowed for the former. One institution gives $7 for trips to cities of less than 10,000, $10 for cities of more than 10,000. O n e institution uses a scale based on salaries, and another allows $9 for each 24 hours at the point of destination in lieu of actual expenses. 6. M u s t you travel on state travel orders or buy tickets and itemize on expense ac- count? T h r e e answered that they travel on state travel orders; 62 that they buy tickets and itemize on the expense account; six reported following both procedures; and four did not report. Those answering "bot h" explained that intrastate traveling expenses must be done on state travel orders. 7. D o you have a form on which you submit expense accounts? Sixty answered "yes" to this question, 14 answered " n o " and one failed to report. 8. Fo r whom are travel funds available? In 39 instances the entire staff including the nonprofessional personnel qualify for travel- ing expenses; in 59 instances all of the professional staff qualifies; and at nine insti- tutions only the chief librarian qualifies for travel funds. It is here that the disliked "limitations" appear in the guise of insti- tutional rules and regulations and insuffi- cient funds. 9. D o you have a system for dividing available funds (e.g., certain trips for cer- tain staff members, rotation of travel funds to conventions, use of funds for conventions and other business travel, etc.) ? Sixteen reported "yes," and 55 indicated no defi- nite systems, although certain principles were considered in the distribution of funds. Four did not report. Among the considera- tions involved in distribution of funds, 14 gave "discretion of director," and 12 "ro- tation." T w o reported that both of these factors were involved, and one stated that " r a n k " governed its policy. N o explana- tions were received from 27 reporting no definite system, 12 miscellaneous explana- tions were received, and three explained that expenses were available only for con- ventions. Conventions are the primary reason for travel in the majority of li- JANUARY, 1950 23 braries, but in two instances they are sec- ondary. In one of these instances it is re- ported that business travel takes priority over conventions and in the other that trips for special purposes only are considered. One librarian had a definite recommenda- tion about conventions: " N o staff member to attend conventions more than once every five years. I mean, library conventions. T h e y are poisonous." Institutional restrictions a n d / o r budget limitations govern all systems in whole or in part. In many cases priority is given those presenting papers and otherwise par- ticipating in the event under consideration. W h e r e only the chief librarian qualifies for traveling expenses, it was found that in half of the cases that person collects the amount and either distributes it equally among those staff members making the trip or distributes it among those members who are using their cars for the transpor- tation of the staff to and from the meeting. Some of the typical systems for dividing travel funds a r e : ( a ) Estimate the cost, then plan the number and the persons, ( b ) Set aside a definite amount for each event, and divide among those attending, with speakers and officers receiving twice the al- lowance. (c) Request is judged by the im- portance of the trip. T h e librarian, his assistant, and sometimes one or two heads (those presenting papers or otherwise par- ticipating) are authorized to attend A . L . A . annual and midwinter conferences. In ad- dition, two or three staff subject specialists are authorized to attend other meetings or to visit special libraries, ( d ) Expenses are covered for members presenting papers, otherwise participating, or representing the library officially. O t h e r travel expenses are considered on the basis of merit. ( e ) Schedule so that all can go every third year with at least part expenses paid, ( f ) Posi- tion and length of service are taken into consideration, ( g ) Rotate between senior- ity and rank. O t h e r considerations in this case are benefit to be secured, e.g., heads are sent to library conferences; younger members are sent to state meetings; branch librarians are sent to special field meetings. i o A . Can you use funds for all types of travel (e.g., library meetings both in and out of the state, nonlibrary meetings, in- spection tours, etc.) ? Forty-eight answered "yes," 15 " n o , " six said that they did not know, and six did not report. 10B. If not, please explain. Some per- tinent explanations a r e : Library meetings only; only available for out-of-state travel, but may include all types of t r a v e l ; for all purposes except for trips to conventions; librarian as an administrative officer is al- lowed out-of-state travel, other staff mem- bers are restricted to state travel; prohibited from using state funds to travel to conven- tions; only for legitimate library meetings a n d / o r necessary inspection tours; profes- sional meetings and administrative travel only; only library or library-related activi- ties; library meetings or university business; in and out-of-state meetings only; library meetings in and out-of-state and inspection tours. 11. D o all staff members receive time off for all conventions of professional associa- tions even though expenses may not be paid ? Forty-two reported that only the profes- sional staff receives time off, 26 reported that all full-time employees receive time off, seven reported "no policy." Mainte- nance of service governs this policy. Pro- fessional staff is given priority since its members are the ones most likely to benefit. In most instances in which the librarian reports "professional staff only" he adds the remark that others show no desire to attend. 12. Is there any significant difference between the policy of your administration in assigning travel funds to the library and its policy in assigning funds to teaching departments and other agencies? Eight 24 COLLEGE AND RESEARCH LIBRARIES only said "yes," 60 said "no," seven did not report. Of those reporting "yes>" five added that the library was more liberal in that it allowed a broader participation in profes- sional activities. T h r e e were of the opinion that the library suffered in consequence of the administration's policy. 13. W h a t would you consider an ideal ar- rangement? Fourteen librarians consider their systems quite satisfactory. A few added that more funds would make it ideal. Six would like travel funds included in the library budget to be allocated at the discretion of the librarian and his aides. One deviated from the consensus in that he thought library travel expenses should be taken from the university travel budget. Four recommended adequate funds on a fluid budget as ideal. Four would like funds for at least two members of the pro- fessional staff, in addition to the librarian, both within and outside of the state. A somewhat different recommendation is that funds be available for all professional staff members to attend meetings at least every two years with a minimum of one-half of expenses paid. T w o would be satisfied with sufficient funds to permit the chief librarian to attend all meetings and others to attend on a rotating basis. O t h e r comments on ideal arrangements are summarized below. A university-wide travel fund to which all university employees could turn for travel aid. Policies governing the fund could be formulated by a representative committee. Individual allotments could be made, within this framework, by an admin- istrative officer. Transportation and hotel bills would be the minimum the institution should con- tribute to staff members appearing on pro- grams at national or regional professional meetings. Since the librarian is obliged to represent the library in at least one or two meetings each year, his full expenses should be paid. A desirable arrangement would be to in- clude in each year's budget an amount sufficient to send one member of the library's administrative staff to one library convention. T h e amount would be used in rotation by the librarian, the assistant librarian, the head of the cataloging depart- ment, and the head of the reference and circulation departments. I t would be ideal for the college to rent a private railway coach to take the staff to and from all library meetings. A good policy would allow the adminis- trator to determine, within the general policies of the individual institution, the stricture governing the apportionment of funds. T h e complexity of the strictures and the heirarchy of allowances would de- pend on several factors such as the amount of the total travel budget and the purpose of the allowance. M e r e rank should not be overemphasized. Expenses should be paid to all meetings where a person is on the program, gives papers or serves as a committee officer. Each member should attend national meet- ings as his turn comes up, and he should pay at least one-half the cost. Contribution should be made to the actual expenses of library staff members attending regional or national meetings of professional interest and to the expenses incurred on trips of inspection motivated by the desire for definite information on ad- ministrative or technical problems. N o staff member should attend library conventions more than once every five years {supra). M o r e travel funds should be allowed for visits to libraries and related institutions. Funds for travel should be divided into two parts: one for use of chief librarian, or for anyone he may desig- nate ; the other for specific purpose of giving every professional staff member a chance to travel. A sufficiently large appropriation should JANUARY, 1950 25 be available to permit sending all profes- sional staff members in rotation to national and regional meetings, plus all those hold- ing offices or taking part in program. All expenses should be paid for staff members: ( I ) participating in the sched- uled program, ( 2 ) serving as officers of the association which is meeting, ( 3 ) travel- ing on library business. A definite sum should be added to the salary with the understanding that staff members are expected to spend this sum each year for self-improvement and travel and participation in meetings. I t would cause less red tape and broader participa- tion. I would insist on a report on how this portion of the salary was used each year and would remove that part of the stipend if it were not being used for the purpose for which it was being granted. Summary and Conclusions W h i l e 14 libraries included in this study revealed satisfaction with the systems under which they operate, many others indicated general satisfaction even though certain details may not be altogether to their lik- ing. However, certain trends seem to be indicated by this study, and they may serve as guides for libraries which may wish to adjust certain details. T h e promptness with which the vast majority of the ques- tionnaires were returned suggested definite interest on the part of library administrators in this problem, and it would seem worth- while to repeat the study periodically. T h e use of institutional funds for travel is a generally accepted practice in conti- nental American universities. T h e r e seems to be no definite correlation between the amounts available and ( I ) the size and importance of the institution and ( 2 ) the distance from the N e w York-Chicago- Washington triangle. Privately supported institutions seem to fare no better, no worse than tax-supported institutions. T h e ma- jority of university libraries budget a spe- cific sum for travel, although a significant proportion make no definite allotment. T h e most common practice seems to be to carry this money on the library budget, although a few libraries carry it on the budget of a superior administrative officer. Only two institutions were limited to a specific amount for any one trip, but in one case no member of the teaching staff or librarian (except the head) is allowed more than $40. Twenty-six of the institutions reporting indicated a per diem arrangement, but there is considerable variation in prac- tice. Per diem seems to have a tendency to change more slowly than general appro- priations and is likely as not to be insuffi- cient in time of inflation, excessive in times of deflation. Several librarians found fault with it. State travel orders are not commonly used securing transportation, and it is in- teresting to note that there has been criti- cism of the system within the federal gov- ernment, where they are compulsory. Comptrollers' offices have regularized re- porting of expenses in the great majority of institutions by requiring expense accounts. T h e majority of reporting libraries can use their funds for all types of travel, but some states prohibit^ the use of state funds for trips to conventions. T h e iniquitous practice of restricting funds for the use of higher members of the professional hierarchy has not yet been al- together wiped out. However, all but a very few libraries permit all full-time staff members to take time off to attend pro- fessional meetings. In several cases it was indicated that nonprofessional members of the staff have no desire to attend meetings. T h e authors would like to comment that wherever a little financial assistance to non- professional librarians makes no heavy in- roads on the budget, encouragement to this group to attend meetings would seem to 26 COLLEGE AND RESEARCH LIBRARIES recommend itself as a recruiting device (unless we agree that conventions are poi- sonous). Definite systems for dividing available funds exist in one-fifth of the libraries reporting, but the consensus would seem to favor allotments on the basis of the importance of the trip to the institu- tion. Although the library staff is some- times likely to be at a disadvantage in certain matters such as sabbaticals, vaca- tions, tenure and retirement, only a minor proportion seemed to feel that librarians fared more poorly than teachers in the matter of travel funds. Perhaps the most significant trend indi- cated by this study is the increasing empha- sis on broad participation in professional activities by all members of the staff, not merely the principal administrative officer. W i t h i n the memory of most of us, and still today in some libraries, the staff, including department heads, has rather supinely as- sumed that it had no rights to the travel funds, that only the head librarian was privileged to travel to conventions and to visit other libraries. Likely as not this idea was (or is) prevalent in institutions domi- nated by the straw-boss variety of adminis- tration. It might be replied that only the chief administrator of such a library reads papers or holds offices; but those libraries which have staffs of which they may be proud will be justified in giving time and steno- graphic help to any staff member who wishes to be active professionally, thus giving anyone a chance to justify a convention trip. Another broad trend seems to be the ap- plication of common sense to the use of travel funds in that a trip may be taken whenever necessary. T h e notion that certain trips should be automatic seems to be going out of style. T h e hesitancy of a large proportion of libraries to budget a specific sum for travel is f u r t h e r evidence that administrators are inclined to appropri- ate money for travel as the need arises. Regulations of state fiscal officers are a subject of general discontent, if the authors may go by rumor picked up in informal communications. N o written statement has been received to this effect, but many colleagues who filled out the questionnaire have button-holed the authors privately and begun, " I didn't feel like putting this on the questionnaire, but our State Finance De- partment. . . ." O n the other hand we should consider the standpoints of the state fiscal officers. T h e regulation existing in many quarters that no intrastate travel funds are available except for attending to official business has been explained by one state official who said that the peregrina- tions of college of education professors would break the state in short order if financed from official funds. Similarly, while most state officers seem to have the reputation of being cooperative (even if not always competent) souls, they can still see the shillelagh of the woolhat politician being brandished in the distance. In gen- eral, freedom from higher administrative regulations would seem to be most desirable, but at the same time the librarian should put himself in the position of the fiscal offi- cer who must approve his requisition. Finally, it should be emphasized that libraries today are passing through the most prosperous period in their history. O u r budgets still leave much to be desired, but we will probably have to pass through an- other cycle of depression, war, and boom, or at least (and preferably) depression and boom, before we can expect to attain many of our cherished ambitions. W e must ex- pect to be compelled to revise our budgets downward when some Black Friday in the 1950's comes along; but when it happens, we should not forget the principles of staff democracy and commonsense use of travel funds in which we are able to indulge today. JANUARY, 1950 27