Repository: UIHistories Project: UI Library School Alumni Newsletter - 29 [PAGE 4]

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I 'uiversitv of Illinois Library School ,,,,,,,,,-, i |,e span of written records and the span of civil:,,, • parallel parallel written syml.nl>-as a means of recording and com* who use letters ov fdroi>i>m« tin- first syllable of d-hteratel , <•;..?•"-mCaii* t c ) civil a, J Tint is to say (dropping ideas, the handiwork of the literate When in the course of time th " largely r$uffidently nuroerou;.a new division of labor concern,!"" records became ne their protection and use arose-and librananship was born. "H L brariausliip thus arose as a reflection of an effort to conserve „,,„ cxnerknc -essentially the same rnot.ve that produced and stall produces fi" lu'ir libraries. The range of .»u 11:.brnmrtjntei** tberefbre, « as wide H

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rath with the literature of these fields and the status of knowledge as reflected m this literature. If I were to use a phrase which sums up the whole duty of the librarian, I should say it is not simply with th« backs of books" but with the career of the human mind. I lie librarian shares with those spiritually akin to him the honor and the responsibility of illuminating the world with the torch of the literate. 5. Aid in Creating Professional L i t e r a t u r e of H i g h Quality. The practitioner in a profession is often obliged to give himself so completely to the task at hand that he has little or no time to create a deservii literature. The tendency has been present in the library profession as in otherIn view of this fact, the library school has an opportunity, and also a responsibility, to encourage productive scholarship. In a few leading library schools, all of the essentials for fruitful scholarly contributions to librarianship should be ] found: a stimulating atmosphere where theory and practice meet, leaders of vision, clear historical perspective, sound scholarship, and suitable library facilities in library science and related fields with which to work. I 6. Accept Regional Responsibilities. I do not mean that the University of Illinois Library School should supply librarians for one region only. It is one of the national schools and should remain so. While we do not need many library schools which supply librarians to the nation as a whole, it is to the interest of libraries throughout the country to have at least a few. But the state of Illinois and neighboring states in the Midwest and Upper Mississippi Valley have a special claim on the Illinois Library School. Bj acknowledging this responsibility, society may be saved the needless expense ot duplicating expensive centers of training. It would be an advantage all the way around to have one first-rate library school carry the load for a region than to distribute that load between two or more second-rate library schools. 7. Spirit, Methods, and Standards Creditable to the University, e far wron to s a v tIiat fmm A T* ^ * the transfer of the Library School n?0Ur stltllte the S Am^ r 2 r y S c\° I s a University of Illinois set the pattern of establishh t Am ri v e f s i S I T , r e c e i v e d, t ° ? * c a n universities. But, on the whole , u * riscn t o t h . n, J'brary w schools t c a a than our library schools ha* faster th what c mi h As earTv ? I £?ww™ * « university level of perform*** we havehpJ.^Willjamson report and as late as the Munn and Mnntlie report-

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But without d w c l j j we have ast ,f rof ni *U« K«~*v.oaiuiuu CGUCatK fr^ m .i? » P essional educatiion for lion rarianship is to be distinguish" rr W ocati ' ibr^rv ttr," ° . ^ o»alism th.it is somct times associated with the jef^ ra •&?. " » n g \ the distinction m must be earned by the schools which idthemselves to standards of ihc sliU <>m performance which are creditable t'v*'" point of the university.

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