College and Research Libraries B y J O H N V A N M A L E University Library Service to the General Public1 TE A C H I N G is the principal f u n c t i o n of colleges and universities. I t is their reason f o r being, and they have nearly a complete monopoly on the teaching of young adults. Research is almost as i m p o r t a n t in the academic scheme of things. If the faculty is at all active, it is bound to con- tribute to knowledge. Professors being subject experts, they are not content to re- peat w h a t they learned in their student days. Universities have long been considered knowledge factories. Even now, when large corporations maintain their own re- search organizations, the universities lead in producing n e w knowledge as well as in summarizing w h a t was previously known. T e a c h i n g and research are public services which take place on the campus. I n the course of time the universities have devel- oped other functions outside their bailiwick, in response to public demands or as a result of social r e f o r m movements. T o a greater or less extent all universities advise govern- ments, corporations, and individuals, in- f o r m them, and help them devise practical applications of knowledge. Probably all universities r a n k these off-campus services below teaching and research, however. T e a c h i n g comes first. If w e did not k n o w that before, we see it now, when research men are being d r a f t e d into classroom teach- ing because of the abnormally large enrol- ments. Research comes second. T h e uni- versity's reputation rests upon it in the long r u n . I t s priority over other public serv- 1 P a p e r presented at the meeting of the Association of College and R e f e r e n c e Libraries, Buffalo, June 18, 1946. ices can be seen in endowed universities, which have no axe to grind w i t h the gen- eral public. Olf-campus service ranks third, p a r t l y because it is a n e w development, partly because it is not something which a university alone can do, and partly because the university is at a disadvantage w h e n it leaves its laboratories and libraries. F o r these same reasons, universty li- brarians rank service to the general public third. T h e library has more than enough to do on the campus. I t is chronically short- handed, because the library grows w h e t h e r the university does or not. N e w teaching methods require more of the staff as time goes on. Research complicates the routines of acquisition, cataloging, and service by re- quiring quantities of materials difficult to ar- range and use. T h e general public has its own libraries, moreover—public, state, school, and special libraries—organized and maintained to serve all people or certain groups of them. W i t h plenty to do on the campus, the university librarian n a t u r a l l y pays little attention to a field of endeavor which belongs to other kinds of libraries. T h e neglect of off-campus service can be traced clearly, even in the activities f o r which the university library has a direct re- sponsibility—extension teaching and agri- c u l t u r a l extension. A g r i c u l t u r a l extension and library service have yet to be success- f u l l y combined. Universities have com- bined library service w i t h extension teach- ing more successfully. T h e extension di- vision of some institutions operates its own library, supplementing its resources f r o m 306 COLLEGE AND RESEARCH LIBRARIES w the general library. Indiana University and a f e w others maintain branch libraries in their extension centers. As a general rule, however, the extension student re- ceives more help f r o m local and state li- braries than he does f r o m the university library. Wilson and T a u b e r conclude their description of library service to ex- tension students by saying: Campus needs take precedence over off- campus requests, and only those materials that are not in demand for course work on the campus may be sent out as extension loans. Difficulties are encountered when the same courses are given on the campus and by the extension division at the same time. Soren- son has pointed out how the lack of library facilities had hindered effective extension teaching.2 Other People If the university's off-campus students receive little attention from the library, other people naturally figure still less in the library's activities. Y e t a fair number of them ask the library for service because they look upon the library as a great re- pository which belongs to the people, either directly through state ownership or indi- rectly as a public institution. T h e university librarian regards these requests with sympa- thy or apathy according to the pressure of work on the campus and the policy of the institution. H e may refuse all requests ex- cept those f r o m other universities, f r o m whom he borrows. H e may go to the op- posite extreme by competing with state and local libraries. O r he can take a middle ground by not altogether refusing outside requests but also not encouraging them. U p to now the demands f r o m off the campus have not greatly burdened most uni- versity libraries. F e w academic libraries lend as many books off campus in a year as 2 W i l s o n , L o u i s R., and T a u b e r , M a u r i c e F . The University Library. C h i c a g o , U n i v e r s i t y of Chicago P r e s s , 1945, p. 219. they do on campus in a day. But this state of affairs appears due for a change. T h e Adult Education Journal, in its J a n u a r y is- sue, reports a "heavy upsurge" in adult educational activities, arriving sooner after the w a r than was anticipated. Despite the handicaps of long teaching hours and incon- venient schedules, the faculty will prob- ably enter into public affairs more actively during the next f e w years, impelled by a desire to inform the public of the implica- tions of the atomic bomb and to lead dis- cussions on the nation's vital stake in inter- national affairs. As study groups t u r n to scientific and political questions, we may ex- pect a greater demand for books and in- formation than public libraries can alto- gether satisfy. Special libraries and subject departments in public libraries will probably w a n t more rather than less interlibrary loans and microfilms as time goes on, since they rely upon large general libraries for out-of-the-way and seldom-used publica- tions. An Inconvenient Time A n increased demand for off-campus service could hardly come at a more incon- venient time. Nearly all universities have record enrolments. T h e shortage of trained librarians hampers the process of stretching the library's services to meet a larger stu- dent body. T h e veterans require more of the library than other students because, like summer school students, they take educa- tion more seriously. M a n y university li- brarians will undoubtedly conclude that they cannot spare as much time as formerly for interlibrary loans, let alone other exten- sion services, and will postpone a solution of the unsolved problem of serving that for- gotten man, the extension student. O t h e r s will probably experience a strong tempta- tion to promote off-campus service, in spite of the difficulties involved in attempting to OCTOBER, 1946 307 satisfy the m u l t i t u d i n o u s and m u l t i f a r i o u s book needs of the general public. P a r t i c u - l a r l y in t h e S o u t h and the W e s t , the uni- versity occupies a u n i q u e position a m o n g a d u l t education agencies, and the l i b r a r y shares the university's eminence and dis- tinction. I t is usually one of the largest libraries in its neighborhood. I t has m o r e books on m o r e subjects t h a n other libraries usually do, and it has kinds of books o t h e r libraries do n o t have. W h e n a n s w e r i n g r e f e r e n c e questions, it has access to a l a r g e g r o u p of subject e x p e r t s — t h e f a c u l t y — a n d a m o r e varied r e f e r e n c e book collection. Ideal Supplementary Agency Because it has so m a n y books, so m a n y kinds of books, a n d such u n u s u a l r e f e r e n c e resources, the university l i b r a r y is ideally equipped to s u p p l e m e n t o t h e r libraries. Since it has no compelling obligation to serve the general public, obviously the uni- versity l i b r a r y should cooperate w i t h the libraries w h i c h do have this obligation, not compete w i t h t h e m . A considerable n u m b e r of university l i b r a r i a n s have n o t d r a w n this m o r a l f r o m the circumstances of off-campus service. Some of them compete w i t h state extension agencies. T h i s is h a p p e n i n g now, to some extent, in N o r t h C a r o l i n a a n d South C a r o l i n a . T h e U n i v e r s i t y of N o r t h C a r o l i n a has the excuse t h a t it is n o t in the same city as the state agency. T h e U n i - versity of South C a r o l i n a does n o t have t h a t excuse. I n some states this duplica- tion is u n i n t e n t i o n a l and even desirable, because the state extension agency is n e w or ineffectual. O n the o t h e r h a n d , competi- tion w i t h a local l i b r a r y is difficult to avoid b u t h a r m f u l . L i b r a r i a n s in O r e g o n , f o r ex- ample, believe t h a t t h e university has s t u n t e d t h e g r o w t h of the E u g e n e P u b l i c L i b r a r y . T h e U n i v e r s i t y of W i s c o n s i n sets a good example of cooperation. T h e main l i b r a r y lends books directly to college libraries and public libraries. I t also lends to public libraries and to individuals t h r o u g h the f r e e l i b r a r y commission. T h e university d e p a r t m e n t a l libraries lend books and an- swer questions f o r special types of indi- viduals, such as f a r m e r s , doctors, extension students, high-school debaters, and club- w o m e n . T h e y avoid duplication, as w e l l as they conveniently can, by r e f e r r i n g requests to each o t h e r a n d to t h e f r e e l i b r a r y com- mission. A l l these c a m p u s libraries and the commission send their loans to the local li- b r a r y , w h e r e t h e r e is one, instead of directly to the b o r r o w e r . T h i s n e t w o r k of coopera- tion sounds complicated, b u t in practice it w o r k s easily and simply. T h e university's book resources and m a n y technical and ad- visory services are available to every citizen of W i s c o n s i n . Interlibrary Lending A n o t h e r example of cooperation is the i n t e r l i b r a r y l e n d i n g w h i c h goes on all over the c o u n t r y . I n t e r l i b r a r y loans a n d micro- films have become s t a n d a r d practice a m o n g A m e r i c a n libraries. T o be sure, they o f t e n come too l a t e a n d sometimes not at all, so t h e r e is room f o r i m p r o v e m e n t here. T h e i n t e r l i b r a r y loan code h i n d e r s r a t h e r t h a n helps, by stressing the l i b r a r y ' s convenience r a t h e r t h a n the l i b r a r y client's satisfaction. F o r t u n a t e l y , most l i b r a r i a n s ignore it. D e - spite delays and difficulties, i n t e r l i b r a r y loans probably get the r i g h t book to the r i g h t m a n m o r e o f t e n t h a n n o t . W e have t h r e e examples of cooperation w h i c h improve on the W i s c o n s i n a r r a n g e - m e n t and g r e a t l y facilitate i n t e r l i b r a r y lending. T h e s e are the bibliographic cen- ters in D e n v e r , Seattle, and P h i l a d e l p h i a . T h e I n s t i t u t e on Bibliographic C e n t e r s b r o u g h t o u t the f a c t t h a t t h e client of a bibliographic center f a r e s b e t t e r t h a n a li- b r a r y user elsewhere, even w h e r e libraries 308 COLLEGE AND RESEARCH LIBRARIES cooperate as well as they do in W i s c o n s i n . T h e W i s c o n s i n citizen, f o r example, m a y b o r r o w the books in his local library, the f r e e l i b r a r y commission's t r a v e l i n g library, and the university l i b r a r y . If the book is n o t in any of these collections, he does n o t get it, because W i s c o n s i n has no union cata- log a n d does not f o r w a r d requests to li- braries outside the state. R e f e r e n c e ques- tions go t h r o u g h the same channel, and sometimes b r i n g replies, sometimes do n o t . T h e l i b r a r y client in the t e r r i t o r y of a bibliographic center stands a m u c h b e t t e r chance of g e t t i n g the book or the i n f o r m a - tion he w a n t s — i n fact, over nine chances in ten. T h e bibliographic center is a s u b s t i t u t e f o r a universal library. I t has f e w books of its o w n , b u t it has a union catalog to show w h e r e a g r e a t m a n y books are located. I t coordinates reference service, a n s w e r i n g some questions and r e f e r r i n g others to the libraries best equipped t o answer t h e m . I n W i s c o n s i n the libraries have joined an al- liance. T h e bibliographic center goes a step beyond this by b r i n g i n g libraries into a c o n f e d e r a t i o n . W h i l e each l i b r a r y main- tains its independence, it has become, in a sense, one section of a regional collection, one b r a n c h of a regional r e f e r e n c e d e p a r t - m e n t . U n i v e r s i t y libraries in the t e r r i t o r y of a bibliographic center are spared the t r o u b l e of o r g a n i z i n g their public services f r o m the outside in. T h e y cooperate w i t h o t h e r libraries effectively and they serve the general public efficiently. Financing Service to Public I n c i d e n t a l l y , bibliographic centers b r i n g o u t into the open the crucial question a b o u t public s e r v i c e — H o w is it to be f i n a n c e d ? T h e centers are supported by the m e m b e r li- braries. W h e n they ask a university f o r a c o n t r i b u t i o n , the l i b r a r i a n m u s t ask t h e a d m i n i s t r a t i o n to help finance an agency w h i c h serves the general public as w e l l as university people. U n i v e r s i t y libraries do spend money f o r public service, in any event, by u s i n g staff time and w e a r i n g out their books f o r people off the campus. H o w e v e r , they spend relatively little in this w a y , and t h a t little is n o t itemized in the b u d g e t . T h e libraries w h i c h cooperate t h r o u g h a bibliographic center lend f a r m o r e books t h a n they otherwise w o u l d . I n r e t u r n they b o r r o w more, as soon as the f a c u l t y a n d t h e s t u d e n t s discover t h a t they can b o r r o w f r o m other libraries w i t h o u t the usual delays a n d disappointments. P e r h a p s the improved b o r r o w i n g service justifies the a d d i t i o n a l l e n d i n g costs and the bibliographic center's fee. If not, the fee emphasizes the f a c t t h a t the l i b r a r y has embarked on a p r o g r a m of general public service. I t brings off- campus service o u t i n t o fiscal daylight. Is the university justified in spending its f u n d s f o r this p u r p o s e ? U n i v e r s i t y policy or t r a d i t i o n may have a n s w e r e d this ques- tion long ago, as they have in most state col- leges and universities. T h e l i b r a r i a n of an endowed institution m i g h t a r g u e t h a t off- campus l i b r a r y service represents a r e t u r n t o the public f o r tax exemption and the inter- est on e n d o w m e n t , which comes o u t of the public's c u r r e n t earnings. H e m i g h t also reason t h a t off-campus l i b r a r y service re- sembles the lectures, advice, and i n f o r m a - tion which other university d e p a r t m e n t s give to the public or offer at a small fee. Some university l i b r a r i a n s n o w solve the financial question by c h a r g i n g a fee f o r off- campus service. T h e U n i v e r s i t y of Cali- f o r n i a , f o r example, charges one f o r inter- l i b r a r y loans. O t h e r s f o l l o w public l i b r a r y practice in asking nonresidents to pay f o r the privilege of b o r r o w i n g books. C e r t a i n l a r g e public libraries have f o u n d a n o t h e r method f o r financing special services. T h e Boeing A i r c r a f t C o m p a n y supports an avia- tion collection in the Seattle P u b l i c L i b r a r y , OCTOBER, 1946 309 for example, and Colorado engineers help support the science and technology depart- ment of the Denver Public Library. T h e answer to the financial question, in other words, may be found outside the university as well as inside. Justification for Service J u d g i n g by a recent conference in Chi- cago, the university librarian will also find outside the campus the justification for serv- ice to the general public. H e will discover that the general public consists of many special interests which do not now obtain the kind and quantity of library service they require. M a r i a n C. M a n l e y sent ex- cerpts f r o m the proceedings of the business and industry library investigation, which is the report of a conference held in Chicago in M a r c h . H e r notes boil down to the con- clusion that university libraries own quan- tities of material and have access to expert guidance which business firms need even though they have their own special libraries. T h i s is so because a corporation's interests are broader than its own library's subject field. O n e speaker at the Chicago conference said: There is one thing here I wish you would speak about. Some of these marketing and economic questions come over into the field of social science, and a great many of the sociologists are concerned with things in the field of marketing and statistics. In the uni- versity, you probably have the finest collec- tion of sociological material there is. Have you any ideas of how that material might be made available? T o this a librarian replied: The greatest demand is for the class of material already referred to as "fugitive." We, like every other library in the city, have an unknown number of tons of it on hand, and it is certainly being put to only a fraction of the use to which I suppose it is capable of being exploited. There are great quantities of material in the city, but scattered. The main problem seems to me to be the exploita- tion of what we have. In the field of chem- istry there are a good many titles and, in terms of the ease with which those materials can be consulted, we have less to show than, say, Washington, where you can get around more easily, where the ties among the li- braries are closer. It seems to me to be very largely a question of service. I listen with a good deal of interest and I am ap- palled at the range that was suggested. One might hope to make a frontal attack on a small field to do the job neatly and efficiently, but to broaden the front to include even the interests represented here seems to me quite a job. I dare say a substantial number of associations and societies in it all have their own libraries. I have no doubt there are great quantities of materials at the unversity which are by no means as fully used as they could be if channels for getting at them were better developed. T h e s e remarks at the Chicago conference show that service to the general public of- fers a really challenging opportunity to im- prove the quantity and quality of library service in the university's territory. T h e university library has some of the materials and expert assistance which professional and businessmen need. Miss Manley's notes also point out that public service gives the university library access to additional sources of information. By enlarging its clientele, the university library gets in touch w i t h experts on subjects not in the curri- culum. T h e bibliographic centers and the large public libraries show that the univer- sity may also profit by fees and special col- lections. Someone must bear the cost of this additional service. Probably most or- ganizations will pay for their share, once they know its value. T h e Chicago conference also points out that public service is complex and difficult. T h e public includes a wide variety of peo- ple and organizations who need many sorts (Continued on page 318) 310 COLLEGE AND RESEARCH LIBRARIES which, it is expected, will become available each year about the time of the General As- sembly session in September. A t the present time, plans for two publi- cations other than documents are well ad- vanced. One is a weekly bulletin contain- ing regular accounts of the activities of the United Nations, of its various branches and related agencies, background articles on topics under discussion, biographical notices on delegates and officials, and a bibliograph- ical section. T h e other is a United Nations yearbook which will include, among other things, a chronology of United Nations ac- tivities, an account of the work achieved by each organ, with the resolutions passed, the structure of the United Nations, with the names of delegates and officials, a who's who, a list of publications issued during the year, a calendar of forthcoming United Na- tions events, and basic texts such as the Charter, together with amendments, if any. Both of these publications will be issued by the Department of Public Information. I t is likely that in addition there will be specialized and technical publications, for example a treaty series to take the place of the treaty series issued by the League of Na- tions. All publications of the United Nations intended for public distribution will be available from Columbia University Press, International Documents Service, 2960 Broadway, N e w York City 27. University Library Service to the Public (Continued from page 310-) of assistance. T h e university library's clientele seems homogeneous in comparison. T h e university library is no better equipped to satisfy all sorts of people than the public libraries and special libraries are. All three together, however, can greatly widen the range of available library resources and, by coordinating their activities, greatly speed up and improve the quality of their services. University library service to the general pub- lic at present plays a minor role, because it is normally something merely permitted or good-naturedly agreed to. But when we face it and look at its implications, we recog- nize that it is actually the old problem of how to organize libraries of all kinds into a coordinated system. An old problem, it has greater urgency now than ever before because the times are urgent. I t is a prob- lem which challenges us as members of the library profession. As librarians and as citizens, university librarians have the op- portunity, if not the duty, to send out the library's resources and services to inform and guide the American people. Must Serve Public W e university librarians have three dis- tinct clienteles—the students, the faculty, and the general public, including extension students. D u r i n g the next few years we may be tempted to ignore this third clientele altogether. If we do, we can justify our- selves on the ground that we already have more than enough to do on the campus; but this atomic age gives us an exceptional op- portunity, if we care to take advantage of it. W e have the opportunity to provide some of the information the American peo- ple need in charting their course through this crisis. It is not our job to supply most of what they require, but rather to sup- plement and help coordinate the service by other libraries.' W e shall profit by co- operation in many ways, particularly by ad- vancing our profession and the common good. 318 COLLEGE AND RESEARCH LIBRARIES