College and Research Libraries


B y M E L V I N J . V O I G T 

Ratio of Professional to Clerical Staff 
Mr. Voigt is assistant librarian, Univer-

sity of California, Berkeley. 

IN HIS DISCUSSION of the f i n a n c i a l prob-lems of u n i v e r s i t y libraries in COLLEGE 
A N D R E S E A R C H L I B R A R I E S 1 D r . A r c h i e L . 

M c N e a l a d v o c a t e s a ratio of t w o non-pro-

fessional employees to each professional. I n 

p r e s e n t i n g d a t a on this proposal he makes 

several m i s c a l c u l a t i o n s w h i c h should be 

c o r r e c t e d . 

H e suggests t h a t C o l u m b i a m i g h t point 

the w a y f o r other institutions since there 

the ratio is g r e a t e r t h a n t w o to one. H a r -

v a r d , I l l i n o i s and C a l i f o r n i a ( B e r k e l e y ) are 

admonished to m e n d their w a y s . I n d r a w -

i n g this conclusion he f a i l s to note t h a t in 

the C o l u m b i a figures, t a k e n , as are all his 

statistics, f r o m the A C R L t a b u l a t i o n s in 

C O L L E G E A N D R E S E A R C H L I B R A R I E S , 2 s t u -

dent assistance is not separated f r o m other 

non-professional help. ( M c N e a l is not f u l l y 

to b l a m e f o r this since the r e f e r e n c e to the 

f o o t n o t e w h i c h should h a v e accompanied 

the C o l u m b i a d a t a w a s o m i t t e d in this y e a r ' s 

statistics a l t h o u g h it does appear the previ-

ous y e a r . ) T h u s , C o l u m b i a ' s ratio, as 

reported, is not c o m p a r a b l e to the other 

institutions cited. A s is s h o w n b e l o w , the 

ratios f o r C o l u m b i a and C a l i f o r n i a are not 

f a r a p a r t w h e n c a l c u l a t e d on the same 

basis. 

I n a table w h i c h f o l l o w s in M c N e a l ' s 

a r t i c l e he . . lists some of the u n i v e r s i t y 

libraries c u r r e n t l y o p e r a t i n g w i t h approxi-

m a t e l y the staff relationship proposed. . . . " 

1 M c N e a l , A r c h i e L . , " F i n a n c i a l Problems of U n i -
v e r s i t y L i b r a r i e s , " C O L L E G E A N D R E S E A R C H L I B R A R I E S , 

15:407, October, 1954. 
2 " C o l l e g e a n d . U n i v e r s i t y L i b r a r y S t a t i s t i c s , " COL-

L E G E A N D R E S E A R C H L I B R A R I E S , 1 5 : 7 1 , J a n u a r y , 1 9 5 4 . 

T A B L E 

Ratio of N o n - P r o f e s s i o n a l to P r o f e s s i o n a l Staff 

E x c l u d i n g I n c l u d i n g 
Student S t u d e n t 

A s s i s t a n c e A s s i s t a n c e 1 

R a n k R a t i o R a n k Ratio 

M a s s a c h u s e t t s 1 2 . 2 5 to 1 I 3.00 to I 
M i a m i 2 1 . 8 2 to 1 7 2-53 to I 
Cincinnati 3 1.81 to I 8 2 . 4 8 to I 
P e n n s y l v a n i a 4 1 . 7 8 to I 1 6 2 . 0 9 to I 
W a y n e 5 1 . 7 3 to I 2 2 . 9 4 to I 
B r o w n 6 1 . 6 4 to I 1 7 2.06 to I 
T e n n e s s e e 6 1 . 6 4 to I 1 9 2.CO to I 
South C a r o l i n a 8 1 . 6 3 to I 5 2 . 6 1 to I 
F o r d h a m 9 1 . 6 2 to I 9 2 . 4 0 to I 
I o w a 1 0 1 . 5 5 to I 6 2 . 6 0 to I 
U t a h 11 1 . 4 5 to I 3 2 . 9 0 to I 
I o w a State 1 2 1 . 4 2 to I 1 8 2.03 to I 
H a r v a r d 13 1 . 4 1 to I 2 6 1 . 6 2 to I 
C a l i f o r n i a (Berkeley) 14 1 . 4 0 to I 14 2 . 1 3 to I 
Princeton 14 1 . 4 0 to I 2 7 1.55 to i 
Missouri 1 6 1 . 3 8 to I 2 1 1 . 9 4 to I 
V i r g i n i a 17 1 . 3 6 to I 2 0 1 . 9 7 to I 
St. Louis 1 8 1 . 3 3 to I 2 5 1 . 8 5 to I 
Y a l e 19 1 . 3 2 to I — 

2 

Ohio State 2 0 1 . 3 I to I 23 1 . 8 7 to I 
P u r d u e 2 1 1 . 3 0 to I 1 2 2 . 2 0 to I 
W a s h i n g t o n (Seattle) 2 2 1 . 2 9 to I 13 2.19 to I 
I n d i a n a 23 1 . 2 5 to I 23 1 . 8 7 to I 
F l o r i d a 2 4 1 . 2 2 to I X I 2 . 2 5 to I 
C a l i f o r n i a (L.A.) 25 1.18 to I 2 . 1 2 to I 
Cornell 2 6 . 9 1 to I 28 1.31 to I 
Illinois 2 7 . 7 7 to I 29 1 . 2 4 to I 
T e x a s 28 .66 to i 2 1 1 . 9 4 to I 
Minnesota 29 .49 to I 30 .98 to I 
Wisconsin 30 . 3 1 to I 31 . 8 1 to I 
N Y U — 3 4 2 . 7 0 to I 
Columbia — 3 1 0 2 . 3 7 to I 

1 S t u d e n t assistance in f u l l - t i m e equivalent determined 
approximately b y d i v i d i n g reported hours by 2000. 

2 N o student assistance reported in 1953/54-
3 S t u d e n t assistance not reported separately. 

O f those listed, o n l y one, a l i b r a r y w i t h a 

f u l l - t i m e staff of t h i r t e e n , m a i n t a i n s the t w o 

to one r a t i o r e c o m m e n d e d and five h a v e a 

l o w e r ratio of non-professional to profes-

sional staff than do H a r v a r d and C a l i f o r n i a 

76 COLLEGE AND RESEARCH LIBRARIES 



( B e r k e l e y ) , p r e v i o u s l y cited as n e e d i n g im-

p r o v e m e n t . N e w Y o r k U n i v e r s i t y , in-

c l u d e d in the table, is also not c o m p a r a b l e 

since s t u d e n t assistance is i n c l u d e d in its 

report as p a r t of non-professional help. 

Since the a m o u n t of student help used by 

u n i v e r s i t y libraries v a r i e s considerably, it 

w o u l d seem l o g i c a l to include it as part of 

t o t a l non-professional staff before c a l c u l a t -

i n g the ratios. T h i s is a d v o c a t e d in the 

A L A ' s Classification and Pay Plans for Li-

braries and Institutions of Higher Educa-

tion,,3 

T h e r e is also the question of the appro-

priateness of the ratio that w a s suggested. 

T h e A L A plan proposes the opposite ratio 

f o r the t w o classes of employees, s u g g e s t i n g 

that non-professional staff, i n c l u d i n g stu-

3 American Library Association. Board on Salaries, 
Staff and Tenure. Classification and Pay Plans for 
Libraries in Institutions of Higher Education. 2d ed., 
v. 3, Universities. Chicago, 1947. p. xxiv. 

dents, should equal 4 0 - 6 0 % of the profes-

sional staff. N e i t h e r M c N e a l n o r the A L A 

plan j u s t i f y their proposals n o r do they in-

dicate the reasoning w h i c h leads to the es-

tablishment of these c o n t r a d i c t o r y proposals. 

M o s t libraries are a t t e m p t i n g to increase 

the r a t i o of non-professional to professional 

staff by e l i m i n a t i n g as f a r as possible the 

c l e r i c a l aspects of professional positions. 

W h e t h e r a c a t e g o r i c a l ratio to fit all insti-

tutions can be established, even if s t u d e n t 

assistance is i n c l u d e d , seems d o u b t f u l . A t 

least there is l i t t l e s t a n d a r d i z a t i o n at this 

time as is s h o w n in the f o l l o w i n g table w h i c h 

includes all of the libraries mentioned by 

M c N e a l plus institutions r e p o r t i n g t o t a l 

s t a f f , i n c l u d i n g students, of o v e r IOO f u l l -

time equivalents. If s t u d e n t help is in-

c l u d e d in the c a l c u l a t i o n , a m a j o r i t y of 

l a r g e u n i v e r s i t y libraries m a i n t a i n the t w o 

to one ratio. 

1955 
ACRL BUILDINGS INSTITUTE 

WHEN — J a n u a r y 2 8 a n d 2 9 , 
1 9 5 5 

W H E R E — W a y n e U n i v e r s i t y L i -
b r a r i e s , D e t r o i t , M i c h i -

gan 

WHAT — L i b r a r y b u i l d i n g p l a n s 
presented f o r d i s c u s s i o n 
a n d r e v i e w by l i b r a r i a n s 

a n d architects 

R e g i s t r a t i o n is l i m i t e d to a b o u t 100 
p e r s o n s . T h e f e e is $5-00 f o r each p e r s o n 
a t t e n d i n g . If you w i s h t o a t t e n d , please send 
y o u r check ( p a y a b l e to t h e A s s o c i a t i o n of 
C o l l e g e and R e f e r e n c e L i b r a r i e s ) t o : 

D a v i d J o l l y , C h a i r m a n 
A C R L L i b r a r y B u i l d i n g s C o m m i t t e e 
N o r t h w e s t e r n U n i v e r s i t y L i b r a r y 
E v a n s t o n , I l l i n o i s 

College and University 
Library Buildings 

HAVE Y O U ORDERED 
1 9 5 4 PROCEEDINGS OF T H E 

ACRL BUILDING PLANS I N S T I T U T E 
University of Wisconsin 

January 30-31, 1954 

INCLUDES 
p l a n s and discussions for seven new 

b u i l d i n g s 
college a n d university library buildings 
b i b l i o g r a p h i e s , 1953-1954 a n d 1939-1945 

Evaluation of 

Compact Book Storage Systems 

by R. H . Muller 
Price $2.35 

ADDRESS ALL ORDERS TO: 

A C R L M O N O G R A P H S 
c / o American Library Association 
50 East H u r o n Street, Chicago 11 

Publishers of all LIBRARY BUILDING 

PLANS INSTITUTES conducted by the 

ACRL Buildings Committee 

W A T C H FOR PROCEEDINGS OF THE 1 9 5 5 IN-
S T I T U T E TO BE HELD AT W A Y N E U N I V E R S I T Y 
LIBRARIES, J A N U A R Y 2 8 - 2 9 , 1 9 5 5 . 

JANUARY, 1955 77