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