College and Research Libraries I ~y CARL M. WHITE Assistant Directors 1n the Columbia University Libraries C OLUMBIA has kept its libraries and its library school under one head. It finds some justification for doing so in the size of the university. Perhaps it would be more accurate to say the justification lies in the number of officials in the university and in affiliated institutions who report directly to the president. The president of a large, complex university with a library school can follow at least three courses: ( 1 ) place . separate officers in charge of the library and the library school respectively, and have each one report directly to him ; ( 2) piace separate officers in charge of the library and the library school and have them report to him through some officer outside the library field, such as a vice president or dean of ad- ministration; or ( 3) place the library and the library school under one head. If the library and the library school are placed under one head, as at Columbia, an abnormally wide span of control may simply be passed on from the president to the officer next in line, in which case, of course, the last state is hardly better than the first. The use of assistant directors in the Columbia libraries is explained by a desire to keep the span of control for the unified organization within manageable limits and 'the desire, at the same time, to have the strength of the combined staff measure up to the equivalent of the strength of two staffs if they stood separately, one for the libraries and one for the school of library service. The object of this statement is to descripe in some detail the work of the three assistant directors. The official job descriptions are being used for this purpose, although their form is not well suited to a publication of this kind. Three years ago, when the po- sitions were created, the essential responsi- bilities of each of the ·positions stood out clearly but their outer perimeters blurred into one another. Experience and four competent young men1-all with marked capacity for teamwork-showed us more clearly what the scope of each position should be. Recent revisions, involving minor changes in re'sponsibili ty, have brought us to the point where for the first time public announcement of the job de- s~riptions seems to be in order. It should be added that the present scheme represents a fourth stage in the evo- lution of the administrative structure of the Columbia Unit ersity Libraries. The · first stage was one in which there ~as a chief librarian with no administrative assistance of any kind-a stage which is one of the common possessions of our libraries. The second stage was one when the director of libraries was also the dean of the school of library service and when he was sup- ported on the library sine by a libnrian in direct charge of the daily operations of the libraries. The third stage was one in which the use of a single supporting administra- tive officer gave place to the use of three 1 These are, in the order of their appointment: Stephen A. McCarthy, Thomas P. Fleming, Maurice F. Tauber, and Charles W. Mixer. 360 COLLEGE AND RESEARCH LIBRARIES assistants to the director. This plan has much to be said in its favor in that it cen- tralizes responsibility in one person, and that plan would probably still be in use but for the retirement of the director. His successor was far less familiar with the university and its libraries and felt it neces- sary to have recourse to the present scheme of organization. Before enumerating the specific responsi- bilities of the assistant directors, it may be well to call aftention to ten general func- tions which these three officers have in common. These may be listed as follows: FUNCTIONS OF ASSISTANT DIRECTORS I . . Represent the director in organizing and operating that phase of the program of the libraries which falls in the service specified by the official title (General Ad- ministration; Readers' Services; Technical Services). ' 2. Represent the director on official com- mittees or official occasions as requested and represent him in his absence in deciding questions which fall in the service admin- istered. 3· Represent the director in dealing with faculty, students, and the extra~ural public of the university in matters which fall within the province of the service adminis- tered. (Director is the channel to president and deans.) 4· Maintain integrity of purpose in man- aging the library affairs of the university by sta.ying in touch with the director and developing plans which express his aims and views. (This is a crucial step in a "de- centralized" plan of administration such as ours, for on it depends the success of com- . bining "self-starting" ability on the part of each assistant director and responsible di- rection of library affairs by a single head. This is the formula I should like to ask each man to apply to himself as the best means of helping the four of us make Following are the responsibilities of the three assistant directorships in the order in which they were created. The order m JULY, 1947 the strongest administrative team: outline carefully a program, step at a time; see that that program is approved; carry the program into effect, keeping in touch with headquarters by reporting favorable or un- favorable progress and final results; watch for developments including changed cir- cumstances which call for a review of earlier decisions) . 5· Report results to the director for- mally a~ the end of each fiscal year and in- formally as need may require. 6. Assemble the reports from within the service which are needed for administrative purposes. 7. Refer to other assistant directors mat- ters which fall within their province. 8. Accord the other assistant directors the benefit of your opinion about questions on which they will pass but which affect your service. 9· Exercise initiative in developing pub- lications which further the progress of the librari~s. ro. Serve in a staff capacity on all mat- ters of library administration and present directly to the director recommendations on any subject the discussion of which may Improve the work or service of the li- braries. which appointments were made to these three positions in the Columbia libra~ies was slightly different. 361 I. ASSISTANT DIRECTOR: GENERAL ADMINISTRATION The Library 0 ffice 1. Follows through on all administra- tive matters which overlap two or more services, which strike snags, etc. 2. Organizes the office staff and plans the duties of each member. 3· Arranges for : the supervision necessary to insure efficiency, punctuality, etc. 4· Plans reception of visitors and tele- phone calls. 5. Oversees the office files. 6. Shares · responsibility for office cor- respondence. Personnel 7. Scouts for good employee talent. 8. Maintains a central file of eligible candidates for pos.itions on the staff. 9· Receives requisitions for personnel needed by the departments. Normally these requisitions will be routed via the assistant director: readers' services or the assistant director: technical services, whichever is appropriate. IO. Recruits applicants for specific va- cancies which occur. I I. Acquaints such administrative offi- cers as have an interest in a vacancy with available candidates and secures their judg- ment about them. I 2. Organizes relevant informati~n and presents his recommendation to director, or acts for him, as directed. , I3. Mak~s up the library payroll. I4. Cooperates with other assistant dir~c­ tors and heads of departments in helping the individuual staff member maintain a high level of efficiency and interest in his work. 15. Has charge of off-duty activities planned for the library staff. 16. Approves programs of study of mem- bers of the staff. I 7. Approves arrangements whereby members of the staff may teach or assume any other duties not a part of the library job. 18. Maintains, through cooperation of other assistant directors and heads of de- partments, a central vacation schedule. 19. Conducts interviews with staff, tn- duding exit interviews. 20. Maintains personnel records. 2 I. Devises measures for fair appraisal of the work of members of the staff. 22. Reviews staff complaints regarding classification and recommends action. 23. Serves as communications officer by channeling information of general interest to members of the library staff. Examples: holidays, biographical information about a new head of a department, change in the retirement system, etc. 24. Assist's in maintaining high standards of personnel management and in dovetail- ing the personnel work of the libraries with that of the rest of the university. 25. Conducts continuous study of prob- lems of personnel managemt:nt. Controller of the Budget 26. Analyzes financial requirements of the library system and presents his recom- mendations for use in preparation of the budget for each new fiscal year. 27. Revises in accordance with approved procedure internal allotments for a fiscal year which are authorized for any purpose such as book funds, binding· funds, etc. 28. Keeps expenditures within approved limits. 29. Devises accounting procedures to tell the library ~dministration what it, needs to kriow about library expenditures. 30. Serves as connecting · link . between the business operations of the libraries and the bursar's office. 362 COLLEGE AND RESEARCH LIBRARIES 3 I. Signs invoices for books, etc., in ab- sence of assistant director: technical serv- Ices. 32. Signs ·requests for cancelation in ~b~ sence of assistant director: technical serv- Ices. 33· ' Enco~rages and conducts study of expenditures for the purpose of helping the library administration appraise its fiscal policy. The Physical Plant 34· Assigns studies. 35· Issues keys. 36. Looks after the cleaning, mainte- nance, and repair of Butler Library and li- brary quarters elsewhere oh the campus. 3 7. Arranges for opening and closing the building and for any temporary use . of library space which is out of the ordinary. 38. Oversees regulations governing pub- lic use of library quarters. 39· Acquaints the public with hours of opening, location of offices, reading rooms, etc. 40. Serves as liaison officer in relation to buildings and grounds. 41. Serves as liaison officer in relation to the school of library service regarding the quarters of the school. 42. Looks after physical arrangements for the convemence of the staff and the public. 43· Participates in planning changes in the physical plant. Changes affecting the readers' services or the technical services are to be cleared by the assistant director whose service is affected before presenta- tion to the assistant director: general ad- ministration. Physical Property of the Libraries 44· Purchases supplies and equipment. 45· Oversees the distribution, location, or relocation of this property. 46. Controls physical facilities purchased with library funds. 47· Plans repair and . replacement pro- gram. Relations with the General Public 48. Receives visitors and looks after their welfare. 49· Takes the initiative in cooperation with the university public relations office in disseminating information about the activi- ties of the libraries. 50. Stimulates planning of library pub- lications and serves as general editor for these publications. 5 I. Prepares reports and news releases. 52. Studies forms used in collecting sta- tistics for the libraries. 53· Supplies information (including sta- tistics ) about the libraries. II. ASSISTANT DIRECTOR: TECHNICAL SERVICES Book Selection 1. Cooperates in the selection of material and, in the absence of the assistant director: readers' services, makes final ,decisions in matters of selection. Acquisition 2. Organizes procurement machinery. 3· Handles acquisition of library ma- terial. JULY, 1~47 4· Selects and handles relations with bookdealers and publishers. 5· Arranges for procurement through ex- change. 6. Assists in · de~isions concerning dupli- cates; organizes work involved in adding duplicates. ' 7. Assists in making decisions regarding discarding; organizes work involved in dis- carding. 363 8. Effects transfer of gifts to the univer- sity. 9· Prepares letters for signature in case of gift; signs printed and engraved forms. IO. Carries on correspondence directly or through the director in connection with gifts; conducts arrangements to. secure gifts. I I. Signs orders (personal) of staff mem- bers; signs order cards in absence of readers' services. Cataloging and Classification I2. Conducts a continuous study of methods of cataloging and otherwise or- ganizing the resources of the modern li- brary. I 3· Plans the flow of work involved in organizing library materials by approved methods. Binding I4. Heads . conservation program for the general run of books. _ I 5· Draws up and reviews periodically specifications for library binding. I6. Studies methods, equipment, materi- als, and cost. Photographic Reproduction I 7. Acquaints scholars with the uses of photographic reproduction. I8. Plans photographic reproduction projects with a view to getting the fullest use of this medium for the library. I9. Brings the full impact of develop- ments in this field to the councils of the library staff. Organization and Supervision 20. Conducts continuous study of the way work in the technical services is or- ganized. 2 I. Reports conditions to director and clears with him before launching any im- portant change in program or in the struc- ture of the organization. 22. Works out, in cooperation with ap- propriate officers of the staff, the "position- izing" of work in the technical services (that is, the breaking down of the total volume of . work to be done into specific jobs). 23. Works out, or approves, specifica- tions for all positions. 24. Makes provision for responsible and effective supervision of all work and per- sonnel of the technical services. 25. Aids in putting each person to work ·at his highest level of performance. 26. Delegates to supervisory officers of the staff such duties as are consistent with good organization and sound administra- tion. 2 7. Participates in devising machinery fo~ evaluating performance of the individ- ual members of the staff. Staff for Technical Services 28. Interviews prospective staff mem- bers for technical services; lends assistant director: general administration full coop- eration in recruiting. 29. Conducts exit interviews. See also assistant director: general administration. 30. Assigns duties, approves schedules, etc., in accordance with approved library policy. 3 I. Confers with assistant director: gen- eral administration in regard to personnel problems. 32. Notifies assistant director: general administration of impending vacancies or authorizes arrangements by which the head of the department makes such notifications. (The intent of this statement is to insure use of the assistant director: technical serv- ices as a channel of action in personnel mat- ters.) 364 COLLEGE AND RESEARCH LIBRARIES Budget Preparation and Book Purchases 33· Receives budg'et recommendations from all departments in the ttchnical serv- Ices. 34· Submits budget recommendations for salaries and wages in the technical serv- ices for the use of the assistant director : general administration iri budget prepara- tion. 35. Summarizes and analyzes expendi- tures for library additions and. library bind- ing. 36. Spends funds ·for library additions and library binding in accordance with ap- proved allotments, using accounting pro- cedures devised by the assistant director: general administration. 3 7. Informs assistant director: readers' services when any book fund is exhausted before the end of the fiscal year. 38. Acts on decisions which make trans- fers of funds. 39· Originates requests for supplies and equipment for technical services and for- wards them to the assistant director: gen- eral administration; signs requisitions in the absen~e of the assistant director: general administration. . 40. Signs invoices for book purchases. 41. Signs order cards in absence of as- sistant director: readers' services. 42. Signs invoices .for book sales. 43· Signs requests for cancelation. 44· Signs financial clerk's orders in the absence ·of the assistant director: general administration. 45· Signs supply clerk's orders in the ab- sence of the assistant directo~: general ad- mip.istration. Reports 46. Analyzes, through statistical and other records and through the assistance of the staff, the work of the technical services with a view to securing the information necessary .for intelligent management and over-all planning. 47· Establishes the necessary procedures for accumulating such infor~ation. 48. Reports achievements annually or as need requires. III. ASSISTANT DIRECTOR: READERS' SERVICES Library Resources I. Organizes book selection actiVIties to support the university's program of instruc- tion and research. 2. Promotes rounded deve1opment of the library resources of the university. The phrase "rounded development" takes into account the fact that the university has li- brary needs of long range which are not always met by satisfying the _ immediate needs of the current program of instruction and research. 3. Puts the specialized knowledge of the staff to full use in developing the resources of the libraries. 4· Decides whether duplicate copies of titles or sets should be purchased. JULY, 1947 5· Serves as library admissions authority. The responsibility for deciding whether a gift pamphlet is to be accessioned, whether a doubtful recommendation for the purchase of a book is to be approved, · whether an ite~ is to be procured in the original, on microfilm, or in photostat, and for deciding other questions of this sort is centralized in the assistant director: readers' services. Heavy responsibility for decision on whether given titles are to be made part of the hold- ings of the libraries will in actual practice be delegated to other key members of the staff, notably. college, school, and depart- mental libraries, but centraliza~ion of final responsibility will provide the mechanism · for planning and getting prompt decisions 365 when and as needed. 6. Decides where library material should be located. This includes decisions on re- quests for transfer from one location to an- other. 7. Plans and directs the checking of cur- rent bibliographjes. 8. Plans and directs the checking of deal- ers' catalogs and book lists. g. Authorizes by signature orders pro- posed by faculty" and departmental librar- Ians. IO. Passes .on the purchase of collections or the acquisition of material by gift or ex- change. I I. Takes initiative in developing plans which will insure proper housing and care of the collections and will facilitate reader access and use ; turns over any such plans, when drafted, to the assistant director: general administration, whose task it is to · handle any physical construction or altera- tion. Service to Readers I2. Gathers and organizes information about use problems of the library system as ·a whole. IJ. Studies existing services with the aid of other library officers to determine how successful practices in one department can be used in another, how any limitation in the service program of the libraries ca~ be corrected, etc. I 4· Coordinates the various services to readers with the object of having the reader derive maximum benefit from them. I 5. Enlists the assistance of readers an4 staff in . promoting mutual understanding and goodwill. I 6. Develops information through rec- ords, reports, etc., about se)"vice achieve- ments of the libraries. I 7. Organizes and disseminates informa- tion about the library collections of the uni- versity which will be of use to present and prospective readers. Reader Relations I8. Plans instruction in the use of library facilities. I g. Passes on applications for the use of the libraries by persons not connected with the university. 20. Regulates the use of the libraries in accordance with approved library and uni- versity policy. 2 I. Provides for reader access, for pro- tection against unnecessary loss, etc. Organization and Supervision 22. Conducts continuous study of the way the work in the readers' services is or- ganized. . 2 3. Reports conditions to the director . and clears with him before launching any important change in program or in the structure of the organization. 24. Works out, in cooperation with proper officers of the staff, the "positioniz- ing" of work in the readers' services (that is, the breaking down of the total volume of work to be done into the specific jobs). 25. Works out, or approves, specifications for all positions. 26. Makes provision for responsible and effective supervision of all work and per- sonnel of the readers' services. 27. Aids in putting each person to work at his highest level of performance. 28. Delegates to · supervisory officers of the staff such duties as are consistent with good organization and sound administra- tion. 2·9. Participates in devising machinery for evaluating performance of individual members of the staff. Staff for Readerl Services 30. Interviews prospective staff members of readers' services. 366 COLLEGE AND RESEARCH LIBRARIES 3 I. Lends assistant director: general ad- ministration full cooperation in recruit.ing. 32. Conducts exit interviews. See also assistant director: general administration. 33· Assigns duties, approves schedules; etc., . in accordance with approved library policy. 34· Confers with assistant director: gen- . eral administration in regard to personnel problems. 35. Notifies assistant director: general administration of impending vacancies or authorizes arrangements by which the head of the department makes such notification. (The intent of this statement is to insure use of the assistant director: readers' serv- ices as a channel of action of personnel mat- ters.) Budget Preparation and Allocation of Funds 36. Receives budget recommendations from all departments in the readers' services. International Relations 37. Submits budget recommendations for salaries and wages in the readers' services for use of the assistant director: general ad- ministration in the preparation of the Dud- get. 38. Submits budget recommendations for library additions and library binding. 39· Reco'mmends allocation of the budget for library additions and library binding. 40. Recommends internal adjustments of the budget for library additions. Reports 41. Analyzes, through statistical and -other records and through the assistance of the staff, the work of the readers' services with a view to securing the information necessary for intelligent management and over-aU planning. . 42. Establishes the necessary procedures for accumulating such information. 43· Reports achievements annually or as need requires. (Continued from pag'e 339) realization by administrators that it will chance of materializing unless American li- take a good deal of trouble to find the best brarians-public, school, special, college, · means of using foreign librarians and, at the and research-want it very much and go same time, preventing their American ex- after it vigorously. Most librarians have perience from becoming merely a year of never taken part actively in international unenlightening clerical drudgery. library relatio~; but there has never been If an international program for exchange an inten~ational project that promised to of per~onnel involving hundreds of li- benefit most of them directly. International bra,rians per year would be very difficult to exchange of personnel on a large scale, if it arrange, its results are almost equally hard is desirable, would be as , novel in this re- to estimate. Any pr_oposal that a year of spect as in any other. If librarians approve work in another country be made a normal of the idea and if enough of them possess part of the preparation of librarians is at some of the qualities that have distinguished least as novel as was the first library Charles Harvey Brown throughout his school. career, fears of novelty or difficulty will not Such a program wil( have a negligible stop them from doing something about it. JULY, 1947 · 367