College and Research Libraries By C L O V E R M. F L A N D E R S Off-Campus Services of the University of Michigan Library Miss Flanders is chief extension li- brarian, University of Michigan Library. UN I V E R S I T Y L I B R A R I E S , especially in tax-supported institutions, have tradi- tionally supported an obligation to a larger p o p u l a t i o n than the student body. Sometimes this obligation is carried out in services to al u m n i and former stu- dents; sometimes in extensive biblio- graphic, publishing a n d book-lending services to the entire state. Some off- campus library service is administered by the extension service t h r o u g h a spe- cial bureau using a special p a m p h l e t or book collection separate f r o m the univer- sity collection; in other institutions the service may be given by the university library using the regular staff and col- lection. Some service is free; for some there is a fixed fee; other agencies ask for contributions; still others expect as- sistance by r e t u r n postage. Off-campus service is supported in part by fees in some institutions, wholly by the exten- sion service in others, and is completely on the university library budget in still others. T h e Library Extension Service of the University of Michigan combines several of these characteristics. T h e following comments on the development, present activities and f u t u r e needs of the service may give suggestions to other university libraries interested in initiating or ex- p a n d i n g off-campus services. T h e report was prepared for the Michigan Council of State College Presi- dents as part of its survey of the field and extension services of the nine tax- supported institutions making u p the Council. It covers the history of the service, the extent of the service to the state at the present time, makes com- ments on the effectiveness of the service a n d gives an estimate of the opportuni- ties for f u t u r e expansion. I . H I S T O R Y I n a letter dated April 6, 1916, ad- dressed to University President Hutch- ins, W . W . Bishop, university librarian, stated: T h e U n i v e r s i t y L i b r a r y , t h e M u n i c i p a l R e s e a r c h B u r e a u , t h e U n i v e r s i t y E x t e n s i o n Service, a n d v a r i o u s o t h e r d e p a r t m e n t s of t h e U n i v e r s i t y a r e c o n t i n u a l l y in r e c e i p t of r e q u e s t s f o r i n f o r m a t i o n a n d f o r books f r o m t h e h i g h schools of t h e state a n d f r o m o t h e r o r g a n i z a t i o n s . T h e s e r e q u e s t s a r e largely, b u t by n o m e a n s wholly, i n c o n n e c t i o n w i t h d e b a t e s . T h e n u m b e r of these r e q u e s t s a n d t h e w o r k i n v o l v e d in a n s w e r i n g t h e m h a v e r e a c h e d t h e p o i n t w h e r e it seems i m p e r a t i v e t h a t some f o r m of o r g a n i z a t i o n s h o u l d b e p r o v i d e d to h a n d l e t h e m i n a n efficient a n d p r o p e r f a s h i o n . I n fact, t h e absence of such a n o r g a n i z a t i o n has a l r e a d y led to m a n y in- stances of d u p l i c a t i o n of effort, several pro- fessors o r d e p a r t m e n t s of t h e U n i v e r s i t y h a v i n g received r e q u e s t s f o r m a t e r i a l o n t h e same s u b j e c t f r o m t h e same place, a n d send- i n g letters a n d p a m p h l e t s in a n s w e r . I t a p p e a r s t h a t t h e r e is n o d e p a r t m e n t of t h e State G o v e r n m e n t m e e t i n g t h i s n e e d . W e h a v e b e e n in c o n s u l t a t i o n w i t h a r e p r e - s e n t a t i v e of t h e State L i b r a r y w h o i n f o r m s us t h a t t h e State L i b r a r y has n o special de- p a r t m e n t f o r a n s w e r i n g r e q u e s t s of this sort. I t w o u l d a p p e a r t h a t t h e U n i v e r s i t y L i b r a r y is t h e p r o p e r agency to u n d e r t a k e this work. 160 COLLEGE AND RESEARCH LIBRARIES We, therefore, respectfully recommend to the Regents, t h r o u g h you: First, that an a p p r o p r i a t i o n of $300 be made to cover the purchase of material, (books, pamphlets a n d magazines), to be used in meeting such requests f r o m high schools a n d other bodies. A smaller ap- p r o p r i a t i o n would suffice a f t e r the first year. Second, that provision be made in the budget of the General Library for an assist- a n t to have charge of the work of answering requests of this n a t u r e . A salary of $1,000 is t h e m i n i m u m likely to secure a properly e q u i p p e d assistant. It would be possible to utilize p a r t of the time of this assistant in t h e Library. B e c a u s e of t h i s n e e d , d e m o n s t r a t e d b y r e q u e s t s f r o m M i c h i g a n r e s i d e n t s , t h e R e g e n t s of t h e U n i v e r s i t y of M i c h i g a n " a u t h o r i z e d t h e e x p e n d i t u r e of a s u m n o t t o e x c e e d $1,000 f o r t h e s e p u r p o s e s d u r i n g t h e y e a r 1916-1917" a t t h e J u n e , 1916 m e e t i n g . S i n c e t h a t t i m e c o n t i n u o u s d e m a n d s h a v e b e e n r e c e i v e d f r o m p a r e n t - t e a c h e r g r o u p s , f a r m g r o u p s , w o m e n ' s c l u b s , civic o r g a n i z a t i o n s a n d s t u d e n t s , t e a c h e r s a n d a d m i n i s t r a t o r s i n M i c h i g a n s c h o o l s f o r r e a d i n g lists, p a m p h l e t s , c h i l d r e n ' s b o o k s , s t u d y o u t l i n e s a n d p l a y s . S o m e e s t i m a t e of t h e d e m a n d s m a d e o n t h e r e s o u r c e s of t h e L i b r a r y E x t e n s i o n Serv- ice is i n d i c a t e d by t h e f o l l o w i n g s u m - m a r y of s t a t i s t i c s t a k e n f r o m t h e a n n u a l r e p o r t of 1935-36: F o r t h e p e r i o d 1916- 1921, a t o t a l of 7,348 p a c k a g e s o r u n i t s of service; f o r t h e p e r i o d 1926-1931, 4 3 , 9 4 7 ; a n d f o r t h e p e r i o d 1931-1936, a t o t a l of 53,738 p a c k a g e s . D u r i n g t h e last five years, 13,696 p a c k - a g e s c o n t a i n i n g 129,628 p i e c e s of m a t e - r i a l w e r e s e n t t o b o r r o w e r s . I n t h e s e y e a r s t h e v o l u m e of r e q u e s t s h a s d e c l i n e d s l i g h t l y , i n d i c a t i n g a g r a t i f y i n g i n c r e a s e i n l o c a l l i b r a r y service, e s p e c i a l l y im- p r o v e m e n t i n s c h o o l l i b r a r i e s . By 1923, L i b r a r i a n B i s h o p r e p o r t e d a t a n A m e r i c a n L i b r a r y A s s o c i a t i o n m e e t - i n g t h a t , a l t h o u g h t h e M i c h i g a n S t a t e L i b r a r y a t L a n s i n g w a s p r e p a r e d t o c a r r y o n " a n i n c r e a s i n g l y l a r g e c i r c u l a t i o n a n d t r a v e l i n g l i b r a r y s e r v i c e " t o t h e s t a t e , t h e r e w a s still d e m a n d f o r t h e p a m p h l e t s a n d c l i p p i n g s t h a t t h e L i b r a r y E x t e n s i o n Service o f f e r e d t o a r e a s i n M i c h i g a n w i t h - o u t g o o d l o c a l l i b r a r y f a c i l i t i e s . I n 1929, a s p e c i a l g r a n t t o t h e Service f r o m t h e C h i l d r e n ' s F u n d of M i c h i g a n a l l o w e d e x p a n s i o n t o t h e s t a t e of a chil- d r e n ' s b o o k service t h a t h a d d e m o n - s t r a t e d its w o r t h o n a s m a l l scale i n p r e - v i o u s years. I n r e c e n t y e a r s t h e p l a y - l e n d i n g service h a s e x p a n d e d g r e a t l y a n d t h e U n i t e d N a t i o n s Service is n o w t e n y e a r s o l d . T h e s c h o o l c o n s u l t i n g service, e s t a b l i s h e d i n 1948, a n d l i b r a r y service t o o f f - c a m p u s u n i v e r s i t y s t u d e n t s , a s s i g n e d t o t h i s u n i t i n 1949, h a v e a d d e d t o t h e r e s p o n s i b i l i t i e s of t h e d e p a r t m e n t a n d t o its services t o t h e s t a t e . I I . E X T E N T O F S E R V I C E S Package Service O n e of t h e m o s t e x t e n s i v e l i b r a r y serv- ices t o t h e r e s i d e n t s of M i c h i g a n t a k e s t h e f o r m of p a c k a g e s of p a m p h l e t m a - t e r i a l d e a l i n g w i t h c u r r e n t e d u c a t i o n a l , e c o n o m i c a n d social p r o b l e m s . T h e s e p a c k a g e s a r e l e n t f o r o n e m o n t h . S t u - d e n t s , t e a c h e r s , l i b r a r i a n s a n d a d m i n i s - t r a t o r s of e l e m e n t a r y a n d s e c o n d a r y schools, c l u b w o m e n a n d a l u m n i of t h e u n i v e r s i t y r e q u e s t a s s i s t a n c e i n o b t a i n - i n g r e s e a r c h m a t e r i a l f o r s t u d y p r o j e c t s . D u r i n g t h e l a s t y e a r 1,500 r e q u e s t s w e r e r e c e i v e d . I t r e q u i r e d o v e r 2,400 p a c k - ages c o n t a i n i n g 23,000 i t e m s t o fill t h e s e r e q u e s t s . Play Service T h r o u g h t h e c o u r t e s y of d r a m a p u b - l i s h e r s a c o l l e c t i o n of o v e r 2,000 p l a y s is a v a i l a b l e o n l o a n f o r t e n - d a y p e r i o d s . Schools, l i b r a r i e s , c l u b s a n d c o m m u n i t y t h e a t r e g r o u p s f i n d t h i s service v e r y h e l p - f u l a n d m a k e e x t e n d e d u s e of t h e col- l e c t i o n . O n e h u n d r e d f o r t y - t h r e e p a c k - ages, u s u a l l y c o n t a i n i n g a t least t e n p l a y s e a c h , w e r e s e n t o u t last y e a r . P a m p h l e t MARCH, 1956 161 materials on play production, make-up and costuming were also used exten- sively. United Nations Material Every state has a Volunteer Education Center for the distribution of general in- formation about the United Nations. T h e Library Extension Service is the center for Michigan. T h e United Na- tions D e p a r t m e n t of Public I n f o r m a t i o n sends current material to the Library Extension Service regularly for loan to Michigan residents. I n addition, ma- terial is collected through educational agencies and magazines to supplement the material issued by U N headquar- ters. C l u b women, schools, libraries a n d churches borrowed 31 packages on this topic last year. Each year assistance is given to three or f o u r school groups working on model U N assemblies. Large groups of adults are reached through displays of United Nations publications at educational conferences a n d exhibits sponsored by university units. Individuals interested in a more de- tailed study of the structure a n d work of the U n i t e d Nations are referred to one of the graduate reading rooms of the University library, which is a de- pository for official U N documents. Speech Activities For many years the Michigan High School Forensic Association has encour- aged speech activities in Michigan high schools. T h e Library Extension Service has cooperated by lending supplemen- tary p a m p h l e t material to the member schools. A bibliography of pertinent ma- terial on the a n n u a l debate topic is com- piled and distributed on request to member schools a n d to individuals. Free materials on the current debate topic are collected each year in quantity and distributed to members. After the mem- bers of the Forensic Association have been served, packages of material are lent to other schools interested in con- ducting debate a n d discussion programs. One h u n d r e d forty-three schools were enrolled in the debate program last year and received the bibliography a n d pack- age material automatically. Twenty- three additional schools requested ma- terial on the topic. For the second semester forensic ac- tivities catalogs showing sources of speech materials suitable for oratorical work are distributed to member schools. T w o h u n d r e d forty-one schools were enrolled in the second semester program last year. For original orations the d e p a r t m e n t files are a rich source of up-to-date pub- lications, much appreciated and used regularly by school librarians to supple- ment their local collections. Children's Book Service From 1929 to 1954, the Library Exten- sion Service was able to lend children's books to areas in the state without ade- q u a t e local library facilities through a special $2,500 a n n u a l grant f r o m the Children's F u n d of Michigan. T h e books were lent to r u r a l schools or small vil- lage schools and formed a bright spot in the lives of children who otherwise would have no access to the f u n of rec- reational reading. Since April, 1954, the purchase of children's books has been continued on the university library budg- et as a service to Michigan children. T h e aim is to reach children beyond the limits of organized libraries, either school or public. D u r i n g the last year 83 sets of chil- dren's books were used for exhibits; 517 sets, averaging 28 books to a set, were circulated to schools. Circulation sta- tistics are not requested f r o m borrowers, but if only f o u r children read each book contained in each of the 517 sets, some 57,904 circulations would be involved. T h i s is only a small beginning in reach- ing the 257,000 children in Michigan be- lieved to be without access to local li- brary service. T h e children's books are used in many 162 COLLEGE AND RESEARCH LIBRARIES additional ways which bring to the at- tention of adults the outstanding publi- cations that children should have as part of their growing years. T h e y are used for exhibits at the Summer Education Con- ference, the Parent Education Institute, the A n n u a l Conference of the Michigan Congress of Parents a n d Teachers, for special exhibits in many schools d u r i n g Book Week, a n d for special library meet- ings. Twice a year the Library Extension Service compiles a list of titles of current, outstanding children's books which is distributed at conferences and by mail, on request. A b o u t 1,500 lists were used last year as book selection aids by li- brarians, teachers a n d parents. Books wanted for radio work and for limited periods for off-campus teaching use are borrowed regularly by the Broadcasting Service staff and teachers in the Exten- sion Division of the University. Library Extension Services Supporting University Activities 1. School Library Consulting Service. For several years one member of the University Library Extension staff has devoted an increasing a m o u n t of time d u r i n g the school year to school visiting, for the purpose of advising administra- tors and librarians on current practices in school library service. Visits are of two kinds: (1) those requested by the school administrator for help in a spe- cific library problem, such as school library quarters, book selection or book processing, and (2) a visit for the pur- pose of accrediting the school, either by the university or by the N o r t h Central Association of Secondary Schools and Colleges. A total of 94 visits were made by the school library consultant last year, 55 by the consultant alone, 35 with university accrediting teams and f o u r with N o r t h Central Association visitors. Education and library conferences of- fer another means for the consultant to reach large groups of interested people with suggestions for improved school li- brary service. Eighteen such conferences were attended last year. Public and coun- ty librarians have cooperated with the consultant in these area conferences. T h e school library consultants of the Michi- gan State Library also work closely with this department in area conferences and workshops, and by an exchange of re- ports and reading lists. 2. Book List Service. For many years the service has compiled book lists on educational topics for distribution to graduates and former students of the university. T h e university faculty co- operates in the compilation of lists on technical topics. These alumni lists, to- gether with special lists of library and teaching aids, compiled to help teachers, school librarians and administrators, and for distribution to those registered at conferences, offer a real service to indi- viduals. Titles of current bibliographies of general interest have been listed in university publications and are available to anyone on request. D u r i n g the last year some 2,800 reading lists were dis- tributed to residents of Michigan and a l umni of the university in California, Florida, Illinois, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennes- see, Virginia a n d Washington. T h e d e p a r t m e n t cooperates with the University Broadcasting Service in com- piling reading lists of supplementary materials for teachers' manuals for the Michigan R a d i o Classroom Series. 3. Exhibits. Each year the service is asked to arrange exhibits of educational materials on topics covered by confer- ences sponsored by units of the univer- sity. T h e exhibits consist of pamphlet materials f r o m the service files, supple- mented by books f r o m the university li- brary. T h e majority of exhibits are held in A n n Arbor, b u t off-campus exhibits can be arranged if the conferences have some educational connection. Exhibits for the Parent-Education In- stitute, Pastor's Conference, Adult Edu- MARCH, 1956 1.163 cation Institute, Conference on Aging, Summer Education Conference a n d Citi- zenship Conferences are arranged yearly. Special exhibits of children's books and exhibits of material on Michigan, citi- zenship, and on school libraries are sent on request or are arranged by a staff member involved in an off-campus ac- tivity. These exhibits give the library exten- sion staff members an o p p o r t u n i t y to exchange ideas with the registrants and to learn of their educational needs. T o the conferees the wealth of material available in inexpensive f o r m is a revela- tion. Patrons of these exhibits are invited to borrow packages of materials to sup- plement their local library facilities. 4. Workshops. Each year the summer session of the university offers workshops both off-campus and on-campus that are open for non-credit election. T h e Li- brary Extension Service arranges work- ing collections of supplementary mate- rials for the use of the people enrolled in these short programs. D u r i n g the regular sessions a collection of books is available to lend to cooperating local libraries to support university off-cam- pus classes. 5. Off-Campus Services of Other De- partments of the University Library. O t h e r departments of the university li- brary give off-campus service. T h e Inter- library Loan Section of the Reference Department, in addition to lending ma- terials for the students a n d faculty of all colleges in the state, has a very large clientele among public libraries, indus- trial concerns, research laboratories, gov- e r n m e n t agencies, hospitals a n d sanita- ria all over the country. Some 11% of the interlibrary loan activity is con- ducted with the librarians of these agencies needing old as well as current technical material. Many Michigan in- dustries are n u m b e r e d among the regu- lar borrowers a n d the service constitutes another real contribution the university library makes to the welfare of the state a n d the nation. T h e reference librarian reports the following information concerning last year's interlibrary loan service: a total of 3,870 books were lent, including En- gineering Research Institute Reports and 674 medical books. Of these, 1,131 books were lent to 100 Michigan insti- tutions. T h e d e p a r t m e n t prepared f o r photostat or microfilm an additional 1,341 items, in lieu of lending. Research is often necessary to locate the material wanted by the borrower and record keep- ing a n d correspondence are a necessary part of the service. Sixty-eight industrial firms, 20 research institutes, 25 hospitals and sanitaria borrow material regularly f r o m the university library through the Interlibrary Loan Section. In addition, correspondence f r o m indi- viduals requests information of an elu- sive n a t u r e that requires long search and detailed replies. T h e reference librarian estimates the receipt of about 40 of these letters a week, a majority of them f r o m Michigan residents. T h e Engineering Library is a deposi- tory for Atomic Energy Commission re- search and development reports. A large p r o p o r t i o n of all non-classified reports issued by the commission a n d its con- tractors is available there. A complete file of the index to the publications, the Nuclear Science Abstracts, and ready ac- cess to AEC reports through the com- mission's Technical I n f o r m a t i o n Service makes procedures, data a n d results available to scientists, engineers and technologists. T h e Atomic Energy Com- mission recently recognized general in- dustry's interest in these reports by al- lowing their widespread use and dupli- cation. T h e Photoduplication D e p a r t m e n t made some 15,800 photostats a n d 402 microfilms last year. T h e latter varied in length f r o m three exposures to 26,496. W h i l e some of these were made for other educational institutions in line with usu- 164 COLLEGE AND RESEARCH LIBRARIES al cooperative practice, the Photodupli- cation Department estimates that 75% was for industrial research and govern- mental agencies in Michigan and else- where. I n addition, research workers in Ann A r b o r and elsewhere use the open shelves of the many divisional libraries a n d the books in the reference room, stacks, and rare book room for study here in A n n Arbor. Divisional librarians report that visitors who come to campus for conferences use their special collec- tions for individual research both at that time and on other occasions. T h e special collections in the Michigan Historical Collections, the Clements Library, the Legal Research Library, and the Busi- ness Administration Library afe all open to the public for advanced research. I I I . M E A S U R E M E N T In some 38 years of service to the state, a b o u t 70,000 requests for help have been received in the Library Extension Serv- ice and over a million pieces of infor- mation have been searched, packaged and sent to residents. T h e only cost to the borrower is the postage to r e t u r n the package to A n n Arbor. I t is difficult to measure the effect of a service that op- erates principally by mail and asks no report f r o m borrowers, b u t repeated re- quests from the same sources testify to satisfactory service and continuing needs. Last year a high school in the U p p e r Peninsula requested material on 96 dif- ferent subjects for senior term papers: this year the same instructor wrote again. Some clubs in areas not served by local libraries depend u p o n the service year after year, not only for help in p l a n n i n g whole club programs, but for material for individual reports. Some rural schools in less favored areas t u r n to the chil- dren's book service as the only means of introducing students to current books for recreational reading. Many schools, eager to expand their library service to all their students, request help from the consultant in improving their library resources. Many librarians a n d teachers in elementary schools, as well as parents, use the booklists year after year as buy- ing guides for their book purchases. T h e play-lending service is a real boon to the bewildered teacher assigned the task of selecting and directing the school play. T h e annual debate bibliography gives practical help to the debate coach and his team in some schools, and in other schools, to whole classes formed i n t o dis- cussion groups. It is a source of real pride to the service that each letter or request is answered promptly, either through the university library's resources, through some other university unit, or by referral to another suitable source of information. T h e serv- ice sent help of some kind to 82 of the 83 counties in Michigan last year. Univer- sity students in 32 communities had the benefit of access to over 3,000 books to add to their professional background or their understanding of the world a r o u n d them. T h e package service, sent to every corner of the state, brought help on cur- rent problems and the book exhibits brought current publications to com- munities with limited local library fa- cilities. T h e activities of the school li- brary consultant served as a two-way street bringing to the service the prob- lems and needs of schools and libraries all over the state; to the schools, the prac- tical assistance and advice so earnestly sought. T h e generosity of the university faculty in helping with reading lists brought to many Michigan residents the advantages of long experience and tech- nical background. All aspects of the de- partment's activities were enriched by access to university library tools and book stock. T h r o u g h its many types of activities the Library Extension Service is reaching Michigan residents of all ages: young children through the book service; the high school age through the package service; the adult group through confer- MARCH, 1956 1.165 ences, club program planning, book lists, a n d work with the Michigan Congress of Parents and Teachers, the Michigan Federation of Women's Clubs, the Mich- igan Council for UNESCO, a n d the Michigan A d u l t Education Association. T h e d e p a r t m e n t staff takes an active interest in professional library matters through membership in the American Library Association, and work with the Michigan Library Association, the Mich- igan Association of School Librarians and local library clubs. T h e Michigan State Library is the other large unit organized to give state- wide service to Michigan residents. T h i s service takes several forms: reference service to state officials a n d government agencies; administration of state aid grants to public libraries with accom- panying responsibility for checking on standards of personnel a n d service; dem- onstration library a n d bookmobile serv- ices; a materials lending service; and a consulting service. T h e State Library through its govern- ing board, the State Board for Libraries, is responsible for the development, ex- tension, improvement a n d coordination of library services t h r o u g h o u t the state. It places special emphasis on the promo- tion and advancement of public libraries, while the University Library Extension Service places its m a j o r emphasis on help to elementary, secondary a n d uni- versity students. Both the State Library and the Library Extension Service carry on their material lending services t h r o u g h existing library units, only of- fering to help individuals beyond the service areas of organized libraries. It is estimated by the State Board for Libraries that 830,000 people in Michi- gan are without library service. T h e r e are some 5,300 public, parochial, and private elementary and high schools in Michigan struggling to enrich their pro- grams. T h e work of both the Michigan State Library a n d the University's Li- brary Extension Service must be extend- ed if adequate library service to fill the needs of Michigan residents for educa- tional materials is to be provided. I V . F U T U R E D E M A N D S Continuing Demands Most libraries, especially the smaller school a n d public ones, are hampered by lack of staff a n d access to sources from finding out about the wide variety of inexpensive current publications that present varying viewpoints and supple- ment books. It seems likely that even if all people in the state had access to local libraries, there would still be an op- p o r t u n i t y for the Library Extension Service to supplement advantageously the local facilities with special types of material. Teachers trained by modern methods rely on a variety of materials other than the textbook. T h e service can continue to be a source of supplementary mate- rial for all school libraries except those in metropolitan areas. For small schools unable to employ a full-time, trained li- brarian the service will be the main source of material for special projects and extra-curricular activities for the students and a source of information on professional matters for the instructional staff. Future Needs of Elementary Schools D u r i n g the next few years while local school boards are struggling to provide classrooms for increasing numbers of children enrolled in grammer school, it will be most difficult to provide adequate book service. T h e r e will be continued and e x p a n d i n g need for the children's book-lending service as long as the pres- ent educational crisis exists. It is esti- mated that 275,000 children in Michigan now have no access to public libraries a n d most of these youngsters go to schools without elementary libraries. T h i s n u m b e r will not decrease as long as the b i r t h rate stays at its present high level. 166 COLLEGE AND RESEARCH LIBRARIES T h e Library Extension Service is lim- iting its offerings to elementary schools to short term loans of children's books. This has come about mainly because of lack of staff and budget to reach them. With more staff the service could un- dertake to send out regular mailings calling the attention of the elementary teaching staff to current ideas in curricu- lum planning, teaching aids, school-com- munity relations and student activities, and offering the package service as is now done for high schools. School administrators should be en- couraged to plan for provision of good library service for the elementary grades, as well as for the high school. T h e Uni- versity Library Extension Service, co- operating with the University's Bureau of School Services, can assist in this. Parent-Teacher Associations and other volunteer groups have requested practi- cal assistance, through workshops and area conferences, in the mechanics of furnishing minimum library services. More such workshops and conferences could be arranged for the benefit of these groups as well as teacher-librarians. Future Needs of Michigan High Schools In a recent survey conducted by the Bureau of School Services, the accredit- ing activities of the university were judged valuable by school administra- tors. As more schools seek this stamp of approval, which includes a check of li- brary facilities, additional consultants will need to be added to the staff. Here again the present program of workshops and area conferences might be expanded to reach larger groups of school people. T h e consultant service of the State Li- brary and the staffs of country libraries have cooperated in the past in these activities and can be relied upon to con- tinue that support. In the past the Library Extension Service has had the staff to handle only one mailing per year to Michigan high schools, inviting them to borrow the ma- terials in the department files. Many ex- cellent, inexpensive teaching aids are received in the department regularly. More staff would allow duplication of lists of such materials to be distributed regularly to high school administrators and through them to the teaching staff. This would serve two purposes: it would call the attention of the teaching staff to new materials difficult to find without access to a wide range of selection aids and it would remind the school that the university has off-campus services to as- sist them. T h e book lending of the Library Ex- tension Service is presently limited to books to support university extension classes and to supplementary recreational reading for the elementary grades. While many high schools accredited by the university and the North Central Asso- ciation of Secondary Schools and Col- leges have school libraries, there will be a need for a supplementary service while schools are in the process of meeting standards. On the advice of the Bureau of School Services' consultants, the Li- brary Extension Service could undertake to supplement the local high school col- lection with recreational reading on the secondary level in much the same man- ner as is done now in the elementary field. This would be a new field of op- erations and can only be undertaken with added staff and funds. T h e Library Extension Service hears about the needs of these accredited schools through school visiting reports. Not so often heard of, but certainly no less acute, is the need of the non-accred- ited school. T h e needs of the students in these schools for up-to-date materials, not only to supplement the curriculum but also to fill social and recreational needs, are every bit as pressing as that of the student in the larger school. T h e Library Extension Service would like to be in a position to offer a recreational book-lending service as well as pamphlet service to this group of high schools. MARCH, 1956 167 T h e r e is a real need in the state for a place to which high school a n d elemen- tary school faculty committees might be referred for up-to-date courses of study a n d curriculum outlines. T h e s e mate- rials are sometimes available only to teacher-training institutions and often are r a t h e r expensive. Schools wanting to consult large numbers of them would appreciate having a source to which they could t u r n to borrow typical examples f r o m outstanding school systems. T h e Library Extension Service would wel- come added f u n d s to undertake the off- campus aspect of a service that is of- fered to on-campus students t h r o u g h the curriculum materials laboratories of the School of Education libraries. Future Needs of University Off-Campus Students T h e responsibility of the University in advancing the education of adults all over the state has been demonstrated by the expanding extension offerings and the creation of a n u m b e r of residence centers. Library service to these off-cam- pus students is e x p a n d i n g steadily, re- q u i r i n g a larger book stock and in- creased staff time to h a n d l e requests. Local libraries t h r o u g h o u t the state co- operate willingly in this service and some undertake to add to the materials avail- able f r o m A n n Arbor. It will be difficult, however, for any b u t the very large pub- lic libraries to f u r n i s h the technical a n d special interest materials needed for some of these classes. E x p a n d e d staff and added book f u n d s therefore will need to be provided as extension centers are added and class offerings are in- creased. One of the pressing needs of students registered in off-campus classes is for access to professional journals in educa- tion, sociology, psychology a n d social work. T h i s is especially i m p o r t a n t for graduate students engaged in advanced work. Added book f u n d s would allow this type of material to be made avail- able in the extension centers. T h e university's interest in its gradu- ates a n d former students is continuous. T h e d e p a r t m e n t can f u r n i s h practical help to alumni groups by developing study outlines on current topics of gen- eral interest. A good example of this is a recent program of study on the revi- sion of the U n i t e d Nations Charter, in which many a d u l t groups are especially interested this year. T h i s service will be an expansion of the h e l p presently of- fered individual a l u m n i through reading lists on technical topics. T h e Television Studio a n d the Broad- casting Service report a real need for a u n i t on the campus to which they may refer viewers a n d listeners for supple- mentary materials. Both studios would welcome book lists which could be an- nounced and which would help to make any program a more complete education- al experience. Both units indicate an interest in bibliographies of books that might be used in the local area where the program is aired for displays to car- ry on the theme set by the program. A Paul Bunyan program produced by t h e Broadcasting Service is one type of pro- gram that the Library Extension Service could support with booklists and infor- mation about displays. F u t u r e plans in- clude a series on people of international fame. I n none of these services would the in- tent be to act as a substitute for ade- q u a t e local library service or to substi- tute for cooperative programs of schools a n d local libraries. T h e need f o r more books a n d non-book materials a n d for more services to extend the use of books, is evident everywhere a n d f a r beyond the ability of any one agency to satisfy. 168 COLLEGE AND RESEARCH LIBRARIES