College and Research Libraries


Review Articles 
The Reference Function of the Library. 

Papers Presented before the Library 

Institute at the University of Chicago, 

June 29 to July 10, 1942. Edited by 

Pierce Butler. . . . University of Chi-

cago Press, 1943. 366p. 

THE Reference Function of the Library is a collection of papers presented be-
fore the Library Institute of the Univer-

sity of Chicago in the summer of 1942. 

It gives a comprehensive picture of pres-

ent-day practices in reference work in 

large, small, and medium-sized public li-

braries, school libraries, college libraries, 

and university and research libraries. 

Throughout, the emphasis has been placed 

upon actual methods used rather than 

upon constructive criticism of these pro-

cedures. 

Miss Boyd's excellent paper on training 

for reference work does raise many ques-

tions as to present methods pursued in 

library schools. Here I should like to give 

a suggestion not contained in any of the 

papers. T o me it seems that survey courses 

of at least the larger subject fields should 

be prerequisites for reference work. Pres-

ent library school instruction in reference 

w o r k - i s too selective, too dependent on 

such guides as M u d g e , Minto, and Shores. 

W h i l e these guides all serve a purpose, it 

would seem that our preparation for refer-

ence work should be of a much broader 

character. Such survey courses should 

present for each subject covered, the class-

ics of the subject, the outstanding con-

tributors to advancement, the important 

periodicals, the outstanding reference 

books (not only recent but older works as 

w e l l ) , and finally, the indexing and ab-

stracting journals covering that particu-

lar subject field. T h i s would correlate 

the materials which reference librarians 

need most and would make of the prospec-

tive reference librarian, a general literature 

specialist. 

M r . Kuhlman, in his paper, has clearly 

stated, that a reference librarian is ex-

pected to have knowledge of all subjects— 

at least, sufficient to find answers to ques-

tions, and then goes on to point out diffi-

culties in expecting any one individual to 

be a master of all subjects. Such survey 

courses as herein proposed, however, might 

attain, in a general way, this end. 

M a n y of the papers pertaining to refer-

ence work in certain types of libraries 

attempt to classify reference w o r k : in-

formation or fact finding, search or re-

search, and reader's advisory service. O n e 

paper expresses uncertainty as to whether 

reference work is search or research. It 

should be pointed out that the two chief 

functions of libraries are first, promoting 

good reading, and second, providing refer-

ence service. T o establish the fact that 

reference work is search and not research, 

or vice versa, is in no way going to in-

crease the importance or value of that serv-

ice. T h e reference service can only 

become more efficient with more compre-

hensive reference tools, such as indexes, 

reference books, and subject catalogs to 

the book collections of the libraries them-

selves. 

Catalog a Reference Tool 

T h e first step toward this end is to 

make the public catalog a real reference 

tool rather than a bibliographical curiosity. 

M r . McCombs's comments on this point 

90 COLLEGE AND RESEARCH LIBRARIES 



d e s e r v e e n d o r s e m e n t . I t h a s been l i b r a r y 

p r a c t i c e , f o r s o m e t i m e , t o m a k e e a c h 

c a r d g o i n g i n t o the p u b l i c c a t a l o g a p e r f e c t 

b i b l i o g r a p h i c a l t o o l , o m i t t i n g n o t h i n g . I n 

this c o n n e c t i o n , I h a v e o f t e n w o n d e r e d 

w h y c a t a l o g e r s , to be c o n s i s t e n t , h a v e n o t 

a c t u a l l y i n c l u d e d t h e n u m b e r of i l l u s t r a -

tions, p l a t e s , figures, etc., in t h e c o l l a t i o n . 

B y such d e t a i l s o m e u n i f o r m i t y in c a t a -

l o g i n g has been a c h i e v e d , b u t the r e s u l t i n g 

p r o d u c t h a s c e r t a i n l y n o t c o n s t i t u t e d a 

r e a l i n d e x to the b o o k c o l l e c t i o n c o n t a i n e d 

in t h e l i b r a r y . I f a l l u n n e c e s s a r y d e t a i l s 

w e r e e l i m i n a t e d f r o m the a u t h o r c a r d , 

m a k i n g it m o r e of a n i n d e x c a r d t h a n a 

c o m p l e t e b i b l i o g r a p h i c a l t o o l , f u n d s n o w 

e x p e n d e d in l a b o r i o u s b i b l i o g r a p h i c a l 

w o r k c o u l d be used f o r e x p a n d i n g a n d 

m a k i n g m o r e u s e f u l t h e c o m p r e h e n s i v e 

s u b j e c t a p p r o a c h t o the l i b r a r y ' s c o l l e c -

tions. P e r i o d i c a l s , serials, a n d p u b l i c 

d o c u m e n t s c o u l d be fitted i n t o this s c h e m e 

by b r o a d s u b j e c t s a n d some a n a l y t i c s . 

M o s t of t h e i n d e x i n g w h i c h is d o n e b y 

t h e Experiment Station Record, the Agri-

cultural Index, the Public Document 

Catalogue, a n d s i m i l a r t o o l s , does n o t 

n e c e s s a r i l y need to be d u p l i c a t e d in the p u b -

l i c c a t a l o g . W e r e this d u p l i c a t i o n e l i m i -

n a t e d , m o r e t i m e c o u l d be s p e n t u p o n 

m a k i n g c o m p r e h e n s i v e s u b j e c t a n a l y s e s of 

the b o o k c o l l e c t i o n s n o t e l s e w h e r e a l r e a d y 

a d e q u a t e l y i n d e x e d . 

A s e c o n d step in the i n c r e a s i n g of the 

e f f i c i e n c y of r e f e r e n c e w o r k is the p r o d u c -

i n g of c o m p r e h e n s i v e g u i d e s t o r e f e r e n c e 

books, n o t s e l e c t i v e l i k e M u d g e , b u t c o v e r -

i n g , in a d d i t i o n to c u r r e n t r e f e r e n c e books, 

a l l i m p o r t a n t r e f e r e n c e b o o k s of t h e p a s t . 

T h i s s u b j e c t is discussed in the p a p e r o n 

" B o o k S e l e c t i o n f o r R e f e r e n c e W o r k " b y 

M r . S p a r g o . 

Subject Bibliographies Needed 

R e f e r e n c e w o r k w o u l d be g r e a t l y a i d e d 

w e r e m o r e a d e q u a t e a n d c o m p r e h e n s i v e 

s u b j e c t b i b l i o g r a p h i e s a v a i l a b l e . H e r e 

a g a i n c o m p l e t e c o v e r a g e r a t h e r t h a n selec-

t i v i t y is i n d i c a t e d . M r . S p a r g o expresses 

this need b y s u g g e s t i n g a s u b j e c t i n d e x t o 

p r i n t e d books. A l s o , t h e r e is an e v e r -

i n c r e a s i n g need f o r d e t a i l e d b i b l i o g r a p h i e s 

of the w o r k s of s t a n d a r d a u t h o r s . T h e s e 

s u g g e s t e d b i b l i o g r a p h i c a l v e n t u r e s s h o u l d 

be c o r r e l a t e d w i t h the p u b l i c c a t a l o g 

r a t h e r t h a n d u p l i c a t e d in it. 

F i n a l l y , c o m p r e h e n s i v e p e r i o d i c a l in-

d e x e s c o v e r i n g l a r g e s u b j e c t fields a n d 

i n c l u d i n g a l l p e r i o d i c a l s p u b l i s h e d in those 

fields, as w e l l as the p u b l i c a t i o n s of l e a r n e d 

societies, a c a d e m i e s , a n d m o s t serial p u b l i -

c a t i o n s , w o u l d save e n d l e s s l a b o r f o r the 

r e f e r e n c e staff a n d f o r s c h o l a r s . 

C o u l d r e f e r e n c e d e p a r t m e n t s be p r o -

v i d e d w i t h some or a l l of the a b o v e - m e n -

t i o n e d tools, the s t a f f s of those d e p a r t m e n t s 

w o u l d be b e t t e r a b l e to c o p e w i t h p u b l i c 

d e m a n d s a n d c o u l d spend m o s t of t h e i r 

t i m e in t r a i n i n g p a t r o n s to find m a t e r i a l 

t h e m s e l v e s . T h e l a c k of these t o o l s defi-

n i t e l y p l a c e s a h e a v y b u r d e n o n r e f e r e n c e 

s e r v i c e . H o w m u c h s i m p l e r it w o u l d be 

if the r e f e r e n c e l i b r a r i a n c o u l d s a y , " T h i s 

c a t a l o g is a c o m p l e t e s u b j e c t a n a l y s i s of 

o u r b o o k c o l l e c t i o n ; " " T h i s p e r i o d i c a l 

i n d e x i n c l u d e s a l l p e r i o d i c a l s in t h i s sub-

j e c t field;" or " T h i s c o m p r e h e n s i v e sub-

j e c t b i b l i o g r a p h y c o n t a i n s a l l m a t e r i a l on 

this s u b j e c t . " P e r h a p s these o b j e c t i v e s 

seem d i f f i c u l t to o b t a i n , b u t s o m e l i b r a r i e s 

h a v e t a k e n steps in this d i r e c t i o n . T h e 

classed c a t a l o g of the J o h n C r e r a r L i b r a r y 

in C h i c a g o , f o r e x a m p l e , is c e r t a i n l y the 

type of s u b j e c t a p p r o a c h t o the l i b r a r y ' s 

b o o k c o l l e c t i o n of w h i c h I speak. 

DECEMBER, 1943 
8 7 



Administrative Problems 

T h e p a p e r o n a d m i n i s t r a t i v e p r o b l e m s 

by M i s s B a r t o n discusses at some l e n g t h 

c e n t r a l i z e d v e r s u s d e c e n t r a l i z e d o r s u b j e c t 

d e p a r t m e n t a l i z e d s e r v i c e . S u m m a r i z i n g , 

e n l a r g i n g on, a n d a d d i n g to s o m e of M i s s 

B a r t o n ' s s t a t e m e n t s , it w o u l d seem t h a t 

c e n t r a l i z e d s e r v i c e in s m a l l a n d m e d i u m -

s i z e d p u b l i c l i b r a r i e s , c o l l e g e l i b r a r i e s , 

school l i b r a r i e s , a n d special l i b r a r i e s s h o u l d 

be m a i n t a i n e d , w h e r e a s the l a r g e p u b l i c 

l i b r a r i e s , u n i v e r s i t y l i b r a r i e s , a n d r e f e r -

ence l i b r a r i e s r e q u i r e s u b j e c t d e p a r t m e n -

t a l i z e d s e r v i c e . T h e b u d g e t s of s m a l l e r 

l i b r a r i e s a r e n o t a d e q u a t e to m a i n t a i n the 

p e r s o n n e l a n d b o o k s n e e d e d f o r an en-

l a r g e d r e f e r e n c e s e r v i c e . H e r e , also, r e f e r -

e n c e w o r k is l a r g e l y l o c a l i z e d a n d less 

c o m p l i c a t e d . I n t h e l a r g e p u b l i c l i b r a r i e s 

a n d u n i v e r s i t y l i b r a r i e s a v e r y d i v e r s i f i e d 

d e m a n d is m a d e o n t h e r e f e r e n c e s e r v i c e . 

L i t e r a t u r e specialists r a t h e r t h a n s u b j e c t 

specialists a r e m u c h n e e d e d , h o w e v e r . D e -

p a r t m e n t a l i z a t i o n s h o u l d n o t be e x t r e m e — 

t h a t is, social science r a t h e r t h a n e c o n o m -

ics, p u r e science r a t h e r t h a n physics, e t c . 

I f t h e l a r g e r l i b r a r i e s w o u l d c e n t r a l i z e 

r e f e r e n c e s e r v i c e as a w h o l e to the s a m e 

l o c a t i o n — t h a t is, a l l on t h e s a m e f l o o r of 

the b u i l d i n g ; a n d if a l l p a t r o n s w e r e f i r s t 

d i r e c t e d to a g e n e r a l r e f e r e n c e r o o m w h e r e 

the s i m p l e r f a c t - f i n d i n g q u e s t i o n s m i g h t be 

q u i c k l y disposed of a n d f r o m t h e r e d i r e c t e d 

t o t h e social science r e f e r e n c e r o o m , the 

p u r e science r e f e r e n c e r o o m , the a p p l i e d 

science r e f e r e n c e r o o m , the h u m a n i t i e s r e f -

e r e n c e r o o m , etc., w h e r e q u e s t i o n s or p r o b -

l e m s r e q u i r i n g s e a r c h m i g h t h a v e the 

assistance of l i t e r a t u r e specialists, b e t t e r 

r e f e r e n c e s e r v i c e w o u l d r e s u l t . T h e a d d i -

t i o n of l i t e r a t u r e s p e c i a l i s t s c o u l d be en-

t i r e l y d e p e n d e n t o n the l o c a l e of t h e 

l i b r a r y . I f t h e r e a r e c o n s t a n t d e m a n d s in 

t h e f i e l d of c h e m i s t r y , a d d a c h e m i s t r y 

l i t e r a t u r e s p e c i a l i s t ; if h i s t o r y , a h i s t o r y 

l i t e r a t u r e s p e c i a l i s t ; e t c . T h e l a r g e r li-

b r a r y , w i t h this t y p e of o r g a n i z a t i o n , 

w o u l d c e r t a i n l y be a b l e to s u p p l y a l l a v a i l -

a b l e d a t a c o n t a i n e d in its c o l l e c t i o n on a n y 

s u b j e c t to its c l i e n t e l e p r o m p t l y a n d e f -

f i c i e n t l y . 

I n a d d i t i o n to the p a p e r s on r e f e r e n c e 

w o r k in v a r i o u s t y p e s of l i b r a r i e s a n d a d -

m i n i s t r a t i v e p r o b l e m s , t h e r e is a g r o u p of 

p a p e r s o n special r e f e r e n c e p r o b l e m s in a r t 

a n d m u s i c , m a p c o l l e c t i o n s , social science, 

science a n d t e c h n o l o g y , r a r e books, a n d 

s u p p l e m e n t a r y r e f e r e n c e m a t e r i a l s . M r . 

A n g l e ' s p a p e r on r e f e r e n c e w o r k in the 

r a r e b o o k r o o m is b r i e f , concise, a n d to t h e 

p o i n t . M r . K u h l m a n ' s p a p e r on " S u p -

p l e m e n t a r y R e f e r e n c e M a t e r i a l s " s h o w s 

c l e a r l y the c o m p l i c a t i o n s i n v o l v e d in d e a l -

i n g w i t h f u g i t i v e m a t e r i a l s . A p a p e r o n 

p u b l i c d o c u m e n t s r e f e r e n c e p r o b l e m s 

w o u l d h a v e a d d e d m a t e r i a l l y t o the c o l -

l e c t i o n . 

Reference Function of the Library w i l l 

bear c a r e f u l r e a d i n g , s t u d y , a n d discus-

sion. T h e a m a z i n g t h i n g is t h a t , a f t e r 

o v e r h a l f a c e n t u r y of t e c h n i c a l l i b r a r y 

t r a i n i n g , m a n y of t h e p r o b l e m s w h i c h 

f a c e d l i b r a r i a n s f i f t y y e a r s a g o s t i l l r e m a i n 

u n s o l v e d . — J e r o m e K. Wilcox, University 

of California Library, Berkeley. 

The Chicago Public Library: Origins and 

Backgrounds. G w l a d y s S p e n c e r . U n i -

v e r s i t y of C h i c a g o P r e s s , 1 9 4 3 . 

T h i s s t u d y of the C h i c a g o P u b l i c L i -

b r a r y c o n f i n e s itself l a r g e l y to o r i g i n s a n d 

b a c k g r o u n d s . S o m e , b u t r e l a t i v e l y s l i g h t , 

a t t e n t i o n is g i v e n to the o r g a n i z a t i o n 

p e r i o d f o l l o w i n g l e g i s l a t i v e a u t h o r i z a t i o n 

a n d n o n e to the l i b r a r y ' s d e v e l o p m e n t . 

T h e c u l t u r a l a n d e c o n o m i c b a c k g r o u n d 

of the c i t y of C h i c a g o f r o m its f o u n d i n g 

to t h e e s t a b l i s h m e n t of the C h i c a g o P u b l i c 

92 COLLEGE AND RESEARCH LIBRARIES