Miss SHARP told of the instruction in bibliography given to the students
in University of Illinois Library School by the professors at the
university. Several of the professors give lectures on the bibliography
of their various subjects; a subject is assigned to the students before
the lecture, they are required to examine bibliographies, reviews, and
the books themselves, as far as accessible in the library, and to select
ten books which they would buy first for a library of 10,000 vols. This
selection is criticised by the professor, who meets the class, gives
them an outline of his subject, speaks of the principles of selection,
mentions the writers who are considered authorities, and calls to the
attention of the students valuable material not to be found in the trade
lists. This is in the first year; in the second year the professors give
their lectures first and the class will select their books for criticism
afterwards. The professors have given most generous co-operation in the
work; but their work has been uneven and many of them fail to catch the
librarian's and bibliographer's point of view, and most of them
acknowledge that their studies are limited to the advanced works, so
that they do not know what to recommend for the small public libraries.
An interesting discussion followed as to the relation between university
librarians and professors in mutual co-operation in bibliographical
work.
Miss KROEGER suggested that library students who felt a special
inclination for some scholastic subject might take up such study as a
supplement to the library school course.
To this Mr. HASKINS remarked that the proper way would rather be the
opposite, namely that the student of history, for example, who wished to
take up library work, might take a course in library economy as a
supplement to his university studies. He pointed out that a university
graduate did not at all need to spend two years in getting familiar with
library technique.
Mr. HANSON, of the Library of Congress, Mr. ANDREWS, of The John Crerar
Library, and Miss CLARK, of the Department of Agriculture Library at
Washington, all emphasized the need of scientific experts who should
also be trained in bibliography and library economy. The opinion was
strongly expressed that there was no greater desideratum in instruction
in library work at present than a course offered to trained scientists
who would be willing to add to their scientific training a fair
knowledge of library methods.