College and Research Libraries mental to a popular educational service. They see that service in terms of book circulation, whereas I am referring to a professional service of a type too rarely achieved in public libraries of today. Beyond Dr. Danton's first paragraph, how- ever, I found myself in almost complete ac- cord with the author. He has defined the problem admirably and the framework of his proposals can be readily adapted to meet the training requirements for general public li- brary service. In fact, if I were to charac- terize the monograph in a few words, I would call it one of the most important docu- ments issued on this subject within my pro- fessional experience. Certain differences of opinion exist, of course, but they are not fundamental. Three points in particular I wish to under- score as appearing important to me: 1. T h e e f f o r t to h a v e one c u r r i c u l u m , w i t h slight l e e w a y f o r electives, s e r v e all our p r o f e s - sional needs has persisted too long. I n e v i t a b l y in such a system the t r a i n i n g o b j e c t i v e is l o w , f o r it is influenced by the m e d i o c r i t y of a v e r a g e s t a n d a r d s of p e r f o r m a n c e in the profession. 2. T h e s h a r p d i f f e r e n t i a t i o n b e t w e e n skilled technicians and p r o f e s s i o n a l l i b r a r i a n s is emi- nently sound. Small l i b r a r i e s w i l l p r o b a b l y n e v e r be able to m a i n t a i n three l e v e l s of staff m e m b e r s — c l e r k s , technical assistants, and pro- f e s s i o n a l l i b r a r i a n s — b u t the l a r g e r institutions cannot a c h i e v e their best d e v e l o p m e n t w i t h o u t such a p l a n . T h e recommended t r a i n i n g pro- g r a m set up by D r . D a n t o n I am not competent to j u d g e . It a p p e a r s plausible, though my o w n t h i n k i n g had led me to v i s u a l i z e the t r a i n i n g 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 h i p as something t h a t w o u l d be secured a f t e r t w o or three y e a r s of successful e x p e r i e n c e in actual l i b r a r y s e r v i c e . 3. T h e f e a r t h a t l i b r a r i e s w i l l not p r o v i d e opportunities f o r the highest l e v e l of p r o f e s - sional competence to me seems i l l - f o u n d e d . L i b r a r i e s can and w i l l a d a p t their staff o r g a n i - z a t i o n s once superior people become a v a i l a b l e . I am sure, h o w e v e r , that they cannot and w i l l not accept e v e n the superior t r a i n i n g here re- f e r r e d to as the total of p r e p a r a t i o n r e q u i r e d f o r filling key positions in our l a r g e r institu- tions. E x p e r i e n c e w i t h the public, w i t h a staff, w i t h book collections, is i m p o r t a n t f o r l e a d e r - ship. I stress this point because I h a v e at times detected in some educators a f e e l i n g of resent- ment because able students w i t h more than a v e r - a g e t r a i n i n g and n a t i v e ability a r e not i m m e d i - ately p l a c e d in positions of command w h e n they l e a v e school. F o r v a r i o u s reasons that w o u l d be i m p r a c t i c a l and it should be so r e c o g n i z e d by f a c u l t y a d v i s o r s . In concluding this brief comment let me say that until some significant change is achieved in training—something as basic as the plan proposed by Dr. Danton—we cannot expect salary levels in libraries to move far beyond their present status. The past few years have brought important changes in the matter of compensation for librarians. From this point on a high level of professional per- formance will be necessary to secure the larger recognition we associate with other professions. As in all activities, proven com- petence must precede the claim for greater rewards. Dr. Danton's proposals point a way to divorcing the clerical and skilled ac- tivities from what we now broadly refer to as professional librarianship. Once this is accomplished and the elements of true pro- fessionalism in library service will begin to mature, the inadequacies we now complain of will gradually and naturally disappear.— Ralph A. XJlveling. Progress & Problems in Education for Li- brarianship. By Joseph L. Wheeler. [New York City] Carnegie Corporation of New York, 1946. I07p. The library profession in America, and indeed everyone who is concerned to any sig- nificant degree with libraries and their serv- ices, is again indebted to the Carnegie Corporation for a vivid and illuminating essay on the training of librarians. The report pre- pared by Joseph Wheeler in 1946 will take its place alongside the Williamson report of 1923, as a careful, intelligent appraisal of the conditions which exist today, and, if M r . Wheeler has nothing so concrete as William- son's recommendation that library schools be moved to universities, his report nevertheless embodies suggestions of potentially far-reach- ing consequences to American librarianship. In attempting to grapple with any problem and find a solution to it, it is frequently de- sirable to set down as compactly as possible all of the criticisms or problem areas involved. This service is performed admirably by M r . Wheeler, who seems to know, or to have heard at first hand, all of the faults and short- comings which are ascribed to training for librarianship as it is found today. T o a OCTOBER, 1946 361 limited degree these weaknesses, if such they be, are evaluated and in some cases methods of counteracting them are suggested. In other cases, evidence is presented to show that pres- ent practices in the better library schools have already met the criticism. But this study does more than simply re- count the current criticisms of education for librarianship. It notes and stresses, as the two areas which are most in need of emphasis in our library schools, ( i ) administration and (2) knowledge of books. This is putting the accent where it belongs. Librarians have achieved the unenviable reputation of knowing only the covers of books; the knowledge of books, the belief in their power, and the con- viction of the importance of familiarity with the contents of books seems somehow to have been lost in the process of assembling huge aggregations of books and making them amenable to control through classification, cataloging, and charging systems. If librar- ianship is a profession, if it has intellectual content, that content consists of more than a knowledge of techniques; it consists, as well and perhaps to a greater degree, of a sound knowledge of books, their insides, as well as their covers." There is an unending debate as to whether or not it is possible to train administrators. Whatever the answer may be to this ques- tion, it seems clear that it is possible to train men in the methods which have been used by successful administrators. The end result of such training may or may not be a good ad- ministrator, depending perhaps on personal factors which cannot be changed or developed by training. But library school courses in administration all too frequently are catch- alls for topics or aspects of librarianship which do not fit neatly into other parts of the curriculum. Wheeler stands for a strong course in administration which concerns itself with the essentials of the administrative proc- ess, and it is to be hoped that a course based on his outline will be developed shortly. The basic and most serious problem of the library profession today is its inability to attract a sufficient number of first-rate re- cruits. Wheeler has various suggestions for recruiting, but it is doubtful if any of them go directly to the heart of the problem or constitute in any sense a way out of the diffi- culty. It seems clear that the fundamental problem of the profession is still economic— beginning salaries are too low, salary advance- ment is too slow and too restricted, and the number of positions which pay really attrac- tive salaries is too small. The solution of this problem is not ready made, but it must be found eventually in higher salaries based on stronger qualifications and on demonstrated ability. Wheeler finds little that is good in the Type I I I library schools. No doubt many of his censures are deserved by some of the schools, but it is also true that some, if not many, graduates of such schools are turning in top- drawer performances in some of our major libraries today and are doing work on a par with that of graduates of Type I and II schools. It is also true, it appears, that a fair percentage of the candidates for the master's degree in Type I schools were in the first instance graduates of Type I I I schools. In his conclusion Wheeler states that the library profession "needs a complete review of services, lacks, and dangers, not in statistical or descriptive but in evaluative form." It is to be hoped that this recommendation will be acted upon promptly by a group of imagina- tive men of broad interests and sympathies who may be brought together and directed by a vigorous and intelligent chairman under the sponsorship of one of the foundations. Those who look to the Wheeler report for a panacea will be disappointed; those who seek instead a review of the present situation and some sound suggestions for the future will be encouraged. All will know that the author who concludes his study with this paragraph has his feet firmly on the ground and views both the present and the future through the eyes of experience and sound common sense: T h e r e is n o quick a n s w e r to education f o r l i b r a r i a n s h i p . T h e o l d - f a s h i o n e d idea of disci- pline and h a r d w o r k is v a l i d still. In 1946, just as in the past, w e need a sincere conviction t h a t books, r e a d i n g , study, and t h i n k i n g are the f o u n d a t i o n of p r o g r e s s ; that k n o w l e d g e and l o v e of books m a d e the keystone to l i b r a r i a n s h i p . If l i b r a r i a n s , a r e so p e r s u a d e d , then l i b r a r i e s w i l l be better p r e p a r e d to serve their function in society. Stephen A. McCarthy. 362 COLLEGE AND RESEARCLI LIBRARIES