College and Research Libraries


/ 

supervision be too evident." Mr. Githens' fail-
ure to distinguish clearly between current and 
desirable practice is evident in the following 
additional illustrations: (3) He states that 
"all available walls should be lined with 
books." (4) He asserts that "daylight is 
preferred in a library." All of these recom-
mendations are debatable, and whatever 
happens to be the most frequent current prac-
tice may actually be the least desirable prac-
tice. 

Some readers may feel that Mr. Githens' 
treatment of library buildings trends is per-
haps a little too noncommittal compared to 
the way some other chapters are handled. 
There is quite a contrast between Mr. 
Githens' rather neutral account of certain 
current trends in library building design and 
such emotionally charged condemnations or 
endorsements as the following taken from 
other chapters. With reference to depart-
ment store design: "It is unfortunate that we 
have borrowed, as an environment for this 
comparatively recent retail process, the aca-
demic architectural styles" (Kenneth C. 
Welch) ; or with reference to bridges and 
highway architecture: "We all must move 
with the spirit of our times, and to an archi-
tect the only genuinely satisfying work is that 
which expresses the current mood; even those 
men who are regarded by the radical fringe 
as hopeless conservatives do work which 25 
years ago would have been considered as 
extraordinarily advanced even by the radical 
fringe of that day. Fortunately the modern 
idiom with its emphasis on clean lines, on 
structure, and on the elimination of ornament 
is almost ideal as a treatment for engineer-
ing works" (Aymar Embury II). 

Libraries receive additional attention in the 
chapters on college and universities and on 
daytime schools. Many observations applica-
ble to libraries can also be found in the chap-
ters on office building, factory buildings, 
hotels, department stores, acoustics, me-
chanical equipment, non-bearing walls, 
columns and piers, elements of the modern 
interior, color in architecture, and, last but 
not least, the chapter on the process of 
architectural planning, which emphasizes the 
importance of a program statement listing the 
requirements and purposes of any building to 
be designed. 

The set can be highly recommended as a 
reference and working tool for all academic 

libraries. From the point of view of refer-
ence librarians, the usefulness of the publica-
tion has been greatly enhanced by the inclu-
sion of 2 detailed indexes covering 102 pages, 
one arranged by subjects and one by archi-
tectural works. In addition, each chapter 
contains carefully selected bibliographies.— 
Robert H. Muller, Southern Illinois Univer-
sity Libraries. 

California Librarians 
The California Librarian Education Survey, a 

report to President Robert G. Sproul, Uni-
versity of California. By Robert D. Leigh. 
New York, Columbia University, 1952. 
n o p. 

A California librarian would find it difficult 
indeed to take a detached view of a report 
which goes to the heart of the vital problem 
of the training and recruitment of librarians 
in California. To Dr. Robert D. Leigh was 
assigned the task of conducting a survey "to 
determine if there is need for an additional 
school of librarianship in California, and if so, 
whether 'that need may be met best by estab-
lishing such a school on the University's Los 
Angeles campus.' " The assignment was 
made on the basis of representations made to 
the Regents of the University that not enough 
librarians are graduated from the existing 
schools of librarianship at the University of 
California's Berkeley campus and the Uni-
versity of Southern California to meet the 
needs of a state which has doubled its popula-
tion in ten years. 

The resulting report not only summarizes 
Dr. Leigh's findings and recommendations 
with regard to an additional library school 
under the auspices of the University of Cali-
fornia, but also includes a number of thought-
ful and provocative suggestions for the 
development of librarian training in the state, 
which are concomitant conclusions gathered 
from the facts assembled by the survey. 

Dr. Leigh has assessed the assumptions 
underlying the request for the survey and has 
produced the following conclusions: 

( 1 ) " t h a t a s c a r c i t y of l i b r a r i a n s f o r p r o -
f e s s i o n a l p o s i t i o n s a c t u a l l y e x i s t s in the state 
and is of a size to c a l l f o r an e x t e n s i o n of 
t r a i n i n g f a c i l i t i e s ; 

( 2 ) " t h a t the g r o w t h of p o p u l a t i o n in 
C a l i f o r n i a w i l l e n t a i l a g r o w t h of l i b r a r y 
s e r v i c e , but not so much an i n c r e a s e in p r o -

APRIL, 1954 241 



f e s s i o n a l l i b r a r y p e r s o n n e l a s a r e c l a s s i f i c a -
tion of d u t i e s in l i b r a r i e s so a s to substitute 
n o n - p r o f e s s i o n a l s t a f f m e m b e r s f o r w o r k n o w 
d o n e b y p e r s o n s in p r o f e s s i o n a l p o s i t i o n s ; 

( 3 ) " t h a t the l a c k of an e x c e s s of q u a l i f i e d 
a p p l i c a n t s f o r e n t r a n c e to the C a l i f o r n i a 
l i b r a r y schools d e s p i t e the e x c e s s of p o s i t i o n s 
open to l i b r a r y school g r a d u a t e s i n d i c a t e s 
t h a t the i n c r e a s e of the s u p p l y of l i b r a r y 
school g r a d u a t e s t h r o u g h l a r g e r l i b r a r y 
school e n r o l l m e n t s is n e i t h e r a u t o m a t i c n o r 
s u r e ; 

( 4 ) " t h a t the e x p a n s i o n of the f a c i l i t i e s 
of i n s t r u c t i o n at the e x i s t i n g l i b r a r y schools 
is f u l l y a d e q u a t e f o r a n y p r o b a b l e i n c r e a s e s 
in l i b r a r y school e n r o l l m e n t s in the f o r e -
s e e a b l e f u t u r e . Such an e x p a n s i o n w o u l d 
be m o r e e c o n o m i c a l a n d m o r e e f f e c t i v e e d u -
c a t i o n a l l y t h a n a d d i n g a f o u r t h school to 
the p r e s e n t u n d e r - u s e d e d u c a t i o n a l f a c i l i t i e s 
f o r p r o f e s s i o n a l l i b r a r i a n s in C a l i f o r n i a . " 

On the basis of these conclusions Dr. 
Leigh's report recommends as follows: 

1 . " T h a t the a d d i t i o n of a t h i r d g r a d u a t e 
l i b r a r y school at U C L A is u n n e c e s s a r y to a c -
c o m m o d a t e p r e s e n t o r p r o s p e c t i v e l i b r a r y 
school s t u d e n t s in C a l i f o r n i a , w o u l d be fi-
n a n c i a l l y i m p r u d e n t , a n d e d u c a t i o n a l l y 
u n s o u n d . T h e t w o e x i s t i n g g r a d u a t e l i b r a r y 
schools a r e e x c e l l e n t l y l o c a t e d in the s t a t e ' s 
t w o m a j o r f o c a l points of p o p u l a t i o n a n d a r e 
f u l l y c a p a b l e , w i t h m o d e s t a d d i t i o n s to t h e i r 
s t a f f s , b u d g e t s , a n d p h y s i c a l f a c i l i t i e s , of 
a c c o m m o d a t i n g a n y i n c r e a s e of s t u d e n t e n -
r o l l m e n t s n o w in p r o s p e c t . A t h i r d school 
w o u l d , a l m o s t s u r e l y , r e d u c e the e n r o l l m e n t 
a t the o t h e r t w o a n d w o u l d p r o b a b l y r e m a i n 
too s m a l l f o r m a x i m u m e f f e c t i v e n e s s a s a 
c e n t e r of g r a d u a t e i n s t r u c t i o n a n d r e s e a r c h 
in the l i b r a r y field. T h e r e c r u i t i n g of a 
t h i r d f a c u l t y w i t h the r e q u i r e d a c a d e m i c 
b a c k g r o u n d c o m b i n e d w i t h p r o f e s s i o n a l e x -
p e r i e n c e w o u l d be v e r y d i f f i c u l t . I t w o u l d 
be a r i s k y a n d e x t r a v a g a n t v e n t u r e in the 
p r e s e n t c i r c u m s t a n c e s . 

2. " T h a t the p r e s e n t e f f o r t s h o u l d be 
d i r e c t e d r a t h e r to the f u l l d e v e l o p m e n t of 
the t w o e x i s t i n g g r a d u a t e l i b r a r y schools so 
t h a t t h e y w i l l h a v e the r e s o u r c e s , s t a f f s , a n d 
p r o g r a m s to m a k e i n s t r u c t i o n e a s i l y a v a i l a -
ble at the l o w e s t cost p o s s i b l e to p o t e n t i a l 
students, a n d to s e r v e f u l l y the v a r i e d n e e d s 
of the l i b r a r i e s of the state f o r p r o f e s s i o n a l 
p e r s o n n e l , a n d f o r o t h e r e x p e r t h e l p in d e a l i n g 
w i t h l i b r a r y p r o b l e m s a n d p r o c e s s e s . 

3. " T h a t if the U n i v e r s i t y of S o u t h e r n 
C a l i f o r n i a d o e s not f e e l t h a t it c a n a f f o r d 
to e x p a n d a n d d e v e l o p the l i b r a r y school n o w 
u n d e r its a u s p i c e s to m a k e it m o r e e q u a l to 
the t a s k of f u l l y s e r v i n g the l i b r a r i e s of the 

S o u t h e r n r e g i o n a n d the S t a t e , it c o n s i d e r 
the t r a n s f e r of the School b a c k to the a u s p i c e s 
of a t a x s u p p o r t e d i n s t i t u t i o n . 

4. " T h a t in o r d e r to p r o m o t e the f u l l 
d e v e l o p m e n t of the e x i s t i n g l i b r a r y school 
m a i n t a i n e d b y the U n i v e r s i t y of C a l i f o r n i a 
a s t a n d i n g a d v i s o r y council to the School 
r e p r e s e n t i n g the l i b r a r y l e a d e r s h i p of the 
state be constituted. 

5. " T h a t the D e p a r t m e n t of L i b r a r i a n s h i p 
a t S a n J o s e S t a t e C o l l e g e be f u r t h e r d e v e l o p e d 
a s the c e n t e r of t r a i n i n g f o r school l i b r a r i a n s 
on the u n d e r g r a d u a t e l e v e l ; a n d t h a t the 
S t a t e D e p a r t m e n t of E d u c a t i o n m o d i f y its 
r e g u l a t i o n s f o r a u t h o r i z i n g such c e n t e r s in 
l i n e w i t h the recent action of the 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 , t u r n i n g o v e r n a t i o n a l 
a c c r e d i t a t i o n of t r a i n i n g i n s t i t u t i o n s f o r 
school l i b r a r i a n s h i p on the u n d e r g r a d u a t e 
l e v e l to the A m e r i c a n A s s o c i a t i o n of C o l l e g e 
T e a c h e r s of E d u c a t i o n . 

6. " T h a t in c o n s i d e r a t i o n of the l a r g e 
n u m b e r s of l i b r a r i a n s in the state r e v e a l e d 
b y the S u r v e y to be h o l d i n g p o s i t i o n s c l a s s i -
fied a s p r o f e s s i o n a l but w h o h a v e h a d little 
o r no p r o f e s s i o n a l t r a i n i n g , a n d the m u c h 
l a r g e r a n d g r o w i n g n u m b e r of those n o w 
h o l d i n g n o n p r o f e s s i o n a l j o b s in l i b r a r i e s t h a t 
r e q u i r e some i n s t r u c t i o n in l i b r a r y t e c h n i q u e s 
a n d p r o c e s s e s , attention be g i v e n b y the 
S t a t e L i b r a r y , the C a l i f o r n i a L i b r a r y A s s o -
c i a t i o n , the l i b r a r y schools a n d the E x t e n s i o n 
D i v i s i o n of the U n i v e r s i t y to the best m e a n s 
of p r o v i d i n g i n t e n s i v e i n - s e r v i c e o r p r e -
s e r v i c e t r a i n i n g in l i b r a r y t e c h n i q u e s a v a i l -
a b l e to those w h o n e e d i t . " 

T o this reviewer Dr. Leigh's report ap-
pears as a model of research reporting. His 
recommendations are presented with candor 
and straightforwardness in spite of the fact 
that they will not necessarily fulfill the hopes 
of those who authorized the Survey. His 
method of amassing the necessary data on 
California librarianship and of epitomizing 
professional opinion throughout the state indi-
cates a singularly unprejudiced approach. It 
is obvious that in this report there has been 
no editing or wresting of the facts to support 
a pre-determined conclusion. 

However, if there is a short-coming to be 
found with the report, it lies in its lack of ex-
ploration into the comparative ability of the 
state-supported institution versus the private 
one to provide superior facilities. 

Whatever the course of action followed 
either in pursuing or ignoring the facts 
brought out in this report, its findings can 
well be taken to heart by the existing schools 

242 COI.LEGE AND RESEARCH LIBRARIES 



of librarianship. The report will also serve 
as a continuing source of well assembled and 
well presented data on California libraries 
nowhere else obtainable, since virtually all of 
the data presented was obtained by question-
naire, conference, or interview, and therefore 
is in no sense a synthesis of previous studies. 
—Harold L. Hamillj Los Angeles Public 
Library. 

University Librarianship 
Scholar's W orkshop: Evolving Conceptions of 

Library Service. By Kenneth J. Brough. 
Introduction by Robert B. Downs. Ur-
bana, University of Illinois Press, 1953. 
xv, 197 p. $4.50. 
In Scholar s Workshop Kenneth J. Brough 

has assembled a considerable amount of his-
torical evidence to show that during the past 
three-quarters of a century university li-
brarianship has de-emphasized the traditional 
custodial function in favor of greater atten-
tion to "service." 

After a rather brief treatment of the 
character of the library of the typical Ameri-
can colonial college, the author traces the 
development of the libraries of Harvard, 
Yale, Columbia, and Chicago, from roughly 
1876 to the present, in terms of their position 
in the academic community, their clientele, 
the nature, extent and accessibility of their 
collections, their personal assistance to the 
reader, and the role of their librarians. 

In the preface the author sets forth seven 
questions which the study proposes to answer: 

What opinions have existed concerning the 
importance of the library in the university? 

How have the functions of the university 
library been defined? 

What differentiation of services has been 
considered desirable for the several classes of 
clientele of the library: professors, graduate 
students, undergraduates, and non-university 
public? 

What thoughts have arisen about the na-
ture and extent of the materials which the 
library should collect? 

What ideas have emerged concerning the 
accessibility of books? 

What conceptions have evolved with rela-
tion to the kind and amount of aid to be 
given readers? 

How has the role of the librarian changed? 

This is an interesting list of questions, and 
the answers of Mr. Brough provide us with a 
useful body of data. However, these are 
questions of fact: interpretation is secondary. 
The author asks only "what?" or "how?" 
rather than "why?" The plan of this under-
taking, therefore, was limited from the start 
since causality, synthesis, and interpreta-
tion were not given prime importance. T o be 
sure, one cannot properly criticize an author 
for accomplishing what he has set out to do, 
but one does have the right to question the 
objective. To write library history in terms 
of a changing pattern of library functions and 
objectives, and to relate those changes to the 
forces in our society which produced them 
would give to the evolution of the library as a 
social agency a new depth and meaning, but 
the study here reviewed does not provide the 
richness that it might have evinced. 

Basically, the work is weakened by the fail-
ure to suggest that the changes that were 
taking place in university librarianship were 
paralleled by similar developments throughout 
the entire library field. What was happening 
in university librarianship was also happening, 
in much the same way, in public libraries as 
well. Yet the author does not make this 
explicit to the reader. Nor does he address 
himself to the problem of the causes that 
brought such changes about. These forces 
that lie beneath the surface should have been 
explored, and such exploration would have 
given the book a more significant depth. 

Observations may also be made of the 
treatment of facts. An excessive amount of 
space is devoted to the attempt to establish 
the authenticity of the story told of J. L. 
Sibley, and incidentally of practically every 
other university librarian, concerning his ex-
cursion to retrieve from Agassiz the only two 
books missing from the Harvard library col-
lection (p. 2, 16-17). The lengthy discussion 
(p. 132-134) of the New England Deposit Li-
brary makes no mention of Francis X. 
Doherty's definitive study of the subject ( L i -
brary Quarterly, v. 18, 1949, p. 245-54), a nd 
only refers to the far more significant Mid-
west Inter-Library Center with a foot-note 
(P- I33)- Since the study is limited to but 
four university libraries, many interesting 
movements toward increasing inter-library 
cooperation are not discussed. 

The chapter on the role of the librarian 
fails to present with any degree of fullness 

APRIL, 1954 243