Educating and Training Library Practitioners: A Comparative History with Trends and Recommendations

THELIBRARY PROFESSION AS PRACTICED IN THE UNITED STA4TES has evolved into two primary divisions of employees: librarians and library technicians. A historical survey of the education of both groups reveals a number of persistent themes and some currently urgent issues. The schooling of library practitioners is heavily influenced by two environments-i.e., academia and the profession itself. The academic setting for each group is different as are the roles of each within the profession. With current changes in economics and technologies, within both academia and the library profession, it is reasonable to expect that the differences between education for library technicians and education for librarians will continue to evolve. The “support staff movement” offers an opportunity for inclusive leadership to create a setting that is responsive to the career and developmental needs of all library staff as well as to create a positive vision of the future of libraries. Distance education, enlightened personnel policies, recruitment from within, and the updating of policy statements on library education and library personnel are recommended areas of attention. INTRODUCTION In this article, comparisons are made between formal education for librarians and for library technicians. The scope of these comparisons is limited mainly to practices in the United States. Note that terms such as “librarian” and “professional” have been used to describe librarians. LikeAnthony M. Wilson, Highline Community College, South 240th and Pacific Highway South, P. 0.Box 98000, Des Moines, WA 98108-9800 Robert Hermanson, Highlirie Community College, South 240th and Pacific Highway South, P. 0.Box 98000, Des Moines, WA 98 198-9800 LIBRARY TRENDS, Vol. 46, No. 3, Winter 1998, pp. 467-504 01998 The Board of TI-ustees, University of Illinois 468 LIBRARY TRENDS/W?NTER 1998 wise, terms such as “library technician,” “library clerk,” “library assistant,” “support personnel,” and “library paraprofessional” have been used to describe library technicians. Note too that one author followed the evolution of library technician education, while the other did the same for the evolution of librarian training. They intentionally did not attempt to parallel one another’s style or emphasis. The rewlt is an occasional disjointedness, which the authors nonetheless believe to be of value. A BRIEFHISTORY FOR LIBRARIANSHIP OF EDUCATION The purpose of this section is to provide a brief overview of the history of education for librarianship. At the same time, several issues concerning the significance of such education are introduced. This discussion will provide a basis for comparison with both the development and the current nature of education for library technicians. A detailed chronology is provided in Appendix A. Carroll (1975) suggests five periods in the development of library education: (1) before De~rey, (2) from Dewey to Williamson, ( 3 ) fi-om approximately 1919 to 1939, (4) from approximately 1940 to 1960, and (5) from 1960 to the present. Reed (1975) starts with the same two first divisions but then divides by a series of more closely timed events. Richardson and Robbins (1993) simply divided their chronology into decades, starting with the 1870s. Bramley (1969) used a narrative style without major divisions as have a number of other authors. Robbins (1993) suggests three periods: (1) the Albany period from 1889 to 1926, (2) the sixth-year master’s period from 1927 to 1960, and (3) the fifth-year master’s period from 1960 to present. Carroll’s divisions will be used in this discussion. Before Dewey The pre-Dewey period is the time prior to 1887 when the first formal library school was established by Melvil Dewey at Columbia University. Nasri (1972) explains that, as early as 1829, the need for a library training school was recognized by Martin Schrettinger in Munich. The need, however, was not great, since libraries were rare and composed of small collections, and scholars and clergy had adequately filled the role. As the nineteenth century progressed, libraries became more common, and their collections increased in size. Colleges and universities began to accuniulate more formal collections, and governments and private institutions began to support other types of libraries. Eventually, people were needed to manage them. These needs went beyond having individuals who were simply well read to those with skills in organizing the materials and in administrative tasks. Nasri (1972) cites Mary Wright Plummer’s 1901 outline of the history of library training, in which she said that prospective librarians typically had three options for their training: (1)trial and error WILSON & HERMANSON/EDUCATING LIBRARY PRACTITIONERS 469 on the job; (2) apprentice-style training by working in an established library and imitating what was observed; and (3)taking some form of classes, personal instruction, or formal training often in a university library (p. 417). The most commonly exercised of these options was some form of apprenticeship, although in-service classes were also available for library employees in some locations (Reed, 1971, p. 19). Overall, library education lacks both uniformity and consistency, as well as opportunities for a general formal education. From Dewey to Williamson This period stretches from 1887 when Dewey established the School of Library Economy (Library Economy being the common phrase of the time describing the body of knowledge of the library trade) at Columbia University to the Williamson (1971) reports in the early 1920s. The establishment of the Columbia school was the pivotal change during this period. Bramley (1969) describes how opening the school became an issue which was to become important in the development of library schools (p. 77). It was an early step toward professionalism. At first, Dewey called for a systematic apprenticeship program on the trades model; when this was not forthcoming, he simply started the school. Dewey vacillated between the trade and profession concepts in his writings until, in 1883, at the Buffalo, New York, American Library Association (ALA) conference, he expressed his views that librarianship had in fact become a profession. Some effort was put forth in 1893 to separate the professional education programs at the (NewYork) State Library School and at Illinois from the various institutes. At the Conference of Librarians at Lakewood-onChautauqua, it was established that: (1)the schools of librananship should be attached to universities; (2) college graduation should be the educational requirement for admission to the school; and ( 3 ) an examining board with clearly defined authority should be set up (Bramley, 1969, p. 82). This was the beginning of the debate over another key issue: Should a librarian's credentials be established by certification of the individual or by accreditation of the program from which the individual graduated? Dewey also touched on another key issue during this era. His initial recommendation for training was a three-month course of instruction, followed by two years of practical experience, then a return for another three months of instruction. The proper balance of formal instruction and practical experience has been a debated issue in library education ever since. Another significant influence from the Dewey school (which moved in 1889 from Columbia to the NewYork State Library in Albany) concerned the education of early Dewey students and their subsequent activities. Mary Plummer, at the Pratt Institute, and Katherine Sharp, at Armour, led institutes oriented toward library technical training (Nasri, 1972, p. 419). 470 LIBR~RY T R E N D ~ W I N T E R1998 Despite the initial association with Columbia University, the emphasis of the various library institutes was of a technical sort throughout this era. The close association between library professional organizations and library education, another issue critical to US. library schools, began developing during this period. Dewey managed to solicit a statement of approval from the Buffalo conference of the American Library Association, which he forwarded to the board at Columbia as they considered the establishment of the school (Bramley, 1969, p. 78). This connection continued with the formation in 1915 of the Association of Arnericari Library Schools, which set some early standards for library schools (Carroll, 1975, p. 8). This period ended with the issuance of the Williamson reports in 1921 and 1923 (Williamson, 1971). These reports by Charles C. Williamson summarized the results of a Carnegie-commissioned survey of library schools done in 1920 and 1921. The report was of landmark significance for library education, as it established a number of principles which are still in practice today. The report described the failures of the schools in place to produce minimally uniform satisfactory levels of library education. Several important reforms resulted from the reports: (1) the profession was more clearly separated into clerical and professional work, with separate education recommended for each; (2) graduate library schools with adranced studies were established with the idea that professional leadership would come from the schools; (3) bachelor's degrees, preferably in broad liberal arts, were recommended as admission requirements; (4) professional library schools were to be affiliated with degreegranting institutions; (.?) the Board of Education for Librarianship was established by the American Library Association; and (6) the American Library Association accepted responsibility for accrediting library schools via the board (Carroll, 1975, pp. 10-11). In 1925, the Board of Education for Librarianship set up minimum standards for accreditation.