ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries 350 / C&RL News The Exchange Experience: A British Perspective M argaret Dowling Visiting Exchange Librarian Indiana University As many readers may have seen Larry Griffin's article (C& RL N ew s‚ October 1982, pp. 310-12) on his exchange from Indiana University Library to Edinburgh University Library, it may be of in terest to American librarians to hear the British point of view. Larry explained how the exchange was arranged and I would like to comment on the differences, problems, and benefits 1 encountered during my exchange year. It is essential that any individual contemplating an exchange should be absolutely committed to the idea of living and working in another country for period of time. In my case it was a one-year period in which I had to adapt to the working conditions, social customs, and lifestyle of a different society. The support of the employer, family, and friends helps considerably in embarking on such a project. As a single person I did not have the problem of spouse and children whose needs have to be consid ered in the case of a married librarian. The ex change was between two English-speaking coun tries with a high standard of education. Factors such as language, housing, and health care would have to be carefully considered if an exchange too place between a relatively rich country and a les developed one. Having been asked so often about the differences I have encountered between an American and British university library, I have come to the con clusion that it is difficult and perhaps impossible to draw a meaningful comparison. My own univer sity library work experiences have been in two uni versity libraries— Indiana and Edinburgh— an they are very representative examples of universit libraries in the United States and the United King dom, although there are local differences in age, environment, and student population which can not be covered in this article. Indiana University Libraries operates as an inde pendent faculty within Indiana University. How ever, the university library at Edinburgh is man aged by a library committee consisting chiefly o teaching faculty with library and student represen tation. The autonomy of Indiana University L i braries within the university results in less restric tions imposed by the teaching faculty, althoug their needs are always a major consideration. Fo example, it is unlikely that the teaching facult within a certain department would determine th location of material in the library, but in Edin ­ a a ­ ­ ­ k s a ­ ­ ­ d y ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ f ­ ­ ­ h r y e r bugh a group of teaching faculty could influence a decision to move a particular collection from one area of the library to another. The most significant difference is the use of stu­ dent labor. The employment of student workers at Indiana determines the extent of the services of­ fered. Students are not employed at Edinburgh and it therefore cannot stay open for such long hours. It would be quite a luxury for Edinburgh students to be able to use the library on Saturday afternoon, all day Sunday, and after 10 p.m . at night— all periods when the library is closed. Student employees at Indiana do all the routine duties such as shelving, circulation, and clerical duties. The support staff often supervises the stu­ dent staff, while the librarians are free to do profes­ sional work such as reference, instruction, book se­ le c tio n c a ta lo g in g , and so fo rth . G iven th a t students are not employed at Edinburgh, the rou­ tine tasks are done by clerical staff who do not al­ ways have as much responsibility as Indiana's sup­ port staff. Edinburgh's academic staff have the same professional duties as American librarians but may also have to deal with many more routine du­ ties. At Edinburgh librarians deal with security problems, entry control, and postal and mainte­ nance work, while at Indiana student workers have responsibility for these duties. I found Indiana University Libraries to be user- oriented and very welcome to anyone wanting to use the libraries’ resources. Accessibility for long hours helped this image as well as a lack of entry control at the main doors. Unfortunately Edin­ burgh University Library has strict entry control and the library is used primarily by students and staff. Others may use it if they can prove the neces­ sity, but the library does not give the impression of an open welcome in the same way as Indiana. Access to university education in Britain is not as open as in the United States. Although fees are high in the U.S. it is possible for any individual to work part-time and go to school part-time. In the U.K. students have to meet high entry requirements in order to study at any of the 45 universities. Most students are eligible for a state financial grant based on parental income. Although the cost of be­ ing a student is high, it is not so necessary to work part-time during the semester. Increasingly British students are finding the state grants inadequate but they have not sought library employment like their American counterparts. Edinburgh uses a modified Dewey Decimal clas­ sification scheme, but I found the Library of Con­ gress much more flexible and easy to use. Much of November 1982 / 351 the book selection at Edinburgh is done by teaching faculty and subject specialization within the li­ brary is not as highly organized as it is at Indiana. In both libraries the professional staff has faculty status, although the demands placed on Indiana University librarians are much greater. Edinburgh librarians do not have to write annual reports, write articles, or attend conferences as a require­ ment for tenure. There is not so much competition and pressure to excel, although British librarians have a commitment to maintain a high standard of professional service in the library. Union member­ ship for all library staff is increasing at Edinburgh, particularly since education cutbacks may be threatening jobs in the future. Was the exchange beneficial? In my opinion it most definitely was. In working and living in a dif­ ferent country one has to assess one’s own job and see the advantages and disadvantages of both systems. There is no doubt in my mind that by meet­ ing different people and exchanging ideas, hori­ zons may be broadened. The exchange was a success in my case, as I was offered a temporary ap­ pointment at Indiana University because of staff reorganization within the library. Edinburgh Uni­ versity granted me a one-year leave of absence without pay and I will return home in August, 1983. Having mentally prepared for a one-year ab­ sence when I left Britain, it may feel strange to re­ turn after two years in the United States. Both li­ braries have experienced changes in the past year, and political changes continue to occur at the local, national, and international level. I may therefore be returning to a different atmosphere in Edin­ burgh, but I am certain that my American experi­ ence will be of immense value— both profession­ ally and personally. ■ ■ Bibliographic Instruction Establishing Library Skills Proficiency in a Teacher Education Program For success in the teacher education program, and later in teaching careers, a basic knowledge of library and reference skills is essential. In “W hat Do Student Teachers Know about L ibraries?” Jerry W alker1 makes the following observations: “Today’s library holds information packaged in multi-media containers. It is a place where infor­ mation is stored and retrieved with mechanical ef­ ficiency. It is a place where librarians are not only library science specialists knowledgeable in the specific location of materials, but also subject mat­ ter specialists knowledgeable in the structure of their disciplines. It is a place where teachers go to seek materials and guidance as part of their prepa­ rations for teaching. The size and complexity of the modern school library demand special skills and knowledge from the teacher who would use it ef­ fectively, and those who prepare teachers must share the responsibility for providing those skills and knowledge.” According to the article, Walker surveyed stu­ dent teachers in Illinois and Oregon to determine the adequacy of their library skills. His conclusion was that institutions responsible for training these 1 Jerry L. Walker, “What Do Student Teachers Know about Libraries?” School Libraries 16 (Win­ ter 1967): 17-18, 23. students were failing to prepare them to use a mod­ rn library. In April of 1981, questions were used from the alker survey to test students enrolled in the De­ artment of Education at Idaho State University. ineteen students in Ed. 101 (Introduction to merican Education) and twenty students from d. 401 (Philosophy of Education) were included n the survey. Both classes are required for gradua­ ion from the teacher education program. Only ne student in the ISU survey had taken, at the col­ ege level, an introductory class in the use of the li­ rary. An examination of the results of the surveys ndicates that in almost all areas tested, the ISU stu­ ents were less adequately prepared than students n the Walker survey. Also, the Ed. 401 students erformed at only a slightly higher level than the d. 101 students. W alker recommended that prospective students hould have at least one course in library science in rder to acquaint them with library service and re­ ources, new developments in library aids, and ractices. It was not, however, the purpose of the SU proposal to suggest that all students entering he teacher education program be required to take uch a course. Rather, it seemed more appropriate o recommend that, prior to the time students were dmitted to the teacher education program, they e W p N A E i t o l b i d i p E s o s p I t s t a