College and Research Libraries


To the Editor: 
Due to an editorial error, one sentence in 

our article, "Reference-Bibliographers in the 
College Library" (CRL, Jan. 1974), did not 
appear as originally written. The last 
sentence on p. 31, column 1 should have 
read: "Because faculty-dominated selection 
is often sporadic and lacking in sustained 
quality, faculty input should only be culti-
vated in esoteric subject areas." 

To the Editor: 

Arthur P. Young 
Research Associate 
Library Research Center 
University of Illinois 
Urbana-Champaign 

Though a member of ALA, I do not feel 
that the Association truly meets my needs 
as an academic librarian. Subscribing to the 
ALA journals of interest to me would cer-
tainly be cheaper than being a member of 
the Association. However, I have retained 
my membership for 1974. ALA should pro-
vide more for the academic librarian or 
academic librarians will/ must organize an 
alternative organization. 

I find that ALA's "rival," SLA, meets my 
needs on a national basis to a greater de-
gree than ALA. This is also true of ALA 
and SLA's "offspring," the local and state 
library organizations. 

I really am not enthusiastic about anoth-
er national library organization that would 
further splinter the profession. However, 
if that means is the only way academic li-
brarians can have their needs met, then an-
other organization should be formed. Per-
haps the specter of another organization 
will spur ALA on to action. 

Jennifer S. Cargill 
Assistant Professor 
Library Administration 
Miami University 
Oxford, Ohio 

Letters 

To the Editor: 
Those readers who were interested in the 

letter of Kenneth and Sandra Roff in the 
November 1973 College & Research Li-
braries discussing folklore as a discipline 
should take note of the introduction of a 
bill to "provide for the establishment of an 
American Folklife Center in the Library of 
Congress (S1844) ." A brief discussion of 
the bill can be found in the December 
1973 Wilson Library Bulletin on page 302. 

To the Editor: 

] ames N ettleman 
Reference Librarian 
Rutgers-Camden Library 
Camden, New ] ersey 

Many times I have been convinced that 
the desire for faculty status of librarians has 
been written about by librarians for librari-
ans and no one else. The "Faculty Status-
A Comprehensive Bibliography" by Nancy 
Ruling in CRL for November 1973 bears 
this out. Only two journals cited are teach-
ers· journals; all other citations are from li-
brary journals. 

Faculty status for librarians needs sup-
port from outside the library profession. It 
is only from opinion in instruction and ad-
ministration that any form of status can be 
achieved within a college or university. If 
the arguments which have been put forth 
by librarians since 1878, as shown in the 
bibliography, are well-founded and agreed 
upon within the library profession, then 
would some of these librarians who have 
presented views recast the articles for ad-
ministrative or teaching journals? Or for 
union journals, or teacher association jour-
nals? 

Anabel Sproat 
Head Librarian 
Moraine Valley Community College 
Palos Hills, Illinois 

/133