Papers and Proceedings of the Thirty-Fourth Annual Meeting of the American Library Association: Held at Ottawa, Canada, June 26-July 2, 1912
Science
Papers and Proceedings of the Thirty-Fourth Annual Meeting of the American Library Association: Held at Ottawa, Canada, June 26-July 2, 1912
American Library Association; Library science -- Congresses
I would like to supplement Mr. Strohm's paper in one particular. I
think it would be well if chief librarians would do something to
encourage the continuation of professional studies among the members of
their staffs, particularly among the younger members, both those who
come from library schools and those who do not. We cannot expect them
to study too hard after a full day's work, but I think in most cases we
would find that such encouragement would be appreciated. The assistants
who are ambitious to go forward would be willing to spend a couple of
hours a week on further studies, and it might not be entirely out of
the way for the library to allow some time for such work.
Mr. GEORGE: It seems to me that in our discussion today a means of
practical relief has been missed by each of the speakers, and that
is that the ordinary, customary method of universities be adopted by
these library schools, and instead of attempting in a year's time to
issue a diploma of doubtful value at best, as representing anything
in particular, they should adopt the certificate plan, and allow
their course to extend over a sufficient time to guarantee something;
have their courses divided up in such a way that a certificate will
represent something definite to those of us who want to use library
school students. It seems to me in that way we can get some practical
value from the schools and get efficient aids and assistants in the
library service. The great difficulty about the whole thing is that
most library school graduates lack a sufficient background and there is
not time in one year's course, naturally, for them to acquire anything
of that kind, or an experience that can be of practical value to us. I
merely throw this out as a practical hint, because I have been waiting
for it to come from some of the speakers. By having a certificate
covering part of the ground, either cataloging or some other branch of
library service undoubtedly we would be perfectly willing to recognize
that as an authoritative guarantee from the schools, rather than a
diploma that, as I say, is doubtful at best as representing anything,
because of the varying courses and requirements of the different
schools.
At the conclusion of this discussion the session adjourned.
FOURTH GENERAL SESSION
(Monday, July 1, 9:30 a. m.)
=Dominion Day Program=
Dr. James W. Robertson, C.M.G., took the chair, on behalf of the Ottawa
local committee, and called the meeting to order.
The CHAIRMAN: Your president has in her genial and successful way
insisted that the acting chairman of the local committee should preside
on this occasion.
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