Repository: UIHistories Project: Book - 16 Years (Edmund James) [PAGE 235]

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Sixteen Years at the University of Illinois

is at the present time limited by the capacity of the School quarters to about 45 students. There is only one other Library School with entrance requirements as high as those of this school. Besides general improvement in the instruction, due in part to greatly improved equipment and library resources, the principal changes in the curriculum have been: 1. The development of the course in Public Documents to include municipal and foreign documents as well as federal. This is now a 2-hour course extending over two semesters. 2. Since 1905 Edna Lyman Scott has come to the School each year to give instruction in the selection of books for children and in the administration of children's libraries. In the beginning her work extended over three weeks, but in recent years Mrs. Scott has given five weeks? work to both juniors and seniors in the second semester. 3. Since 1907 senior students have been required to work a month in a public or other well organized library, under usual staff conditions as far as possible. This field work has been of marked value to the students and the plan has been followed by other library schools. 4. Beginning in 1914, the faculty allowed senior library school students desiring to fit themselves for work in a special library, such as an agricultural or chemistry library, to substitute those advanced courses in other colleges or schools of the University which would more definitely contribute to their preparation. In 1905-06 there were students registered from 6 states; in 1917-18 there were students from 16 states and 3 foreign countries- These figures are indicative of the enlarged territory from which the School now draws its registrants. During recent years between twenty and twenty-five colleges and universities, well scattered thruout the country, have been represented by their alumni who enrolled in the Library School of this institution. Alumni and former students of the School are now employed in library work in 29 states, the District of Columbia and 2 foreign countries; 121 in university or college libraries; 93 in public libraries; 13 in large reference libraries; 34 in