College and Research Libraries By E D W A R D M A P P The Library in a Community College TH E R E A R E practically as many special fields of library work as there are types of libraries. All librarians owe it to themselves and to their profession to become familiar with any new phase of librarianship. T h e community college li- brary is a late arrival on the library serv- ice scene. For a clearer view of this type of library and its function, let us ex- amine the purpose and organization of its parent institution. T h e appearance and growth of the two-year institutions, popularly known as "community colleges" constitute an important recent trend in higher educa- tion. In the wake of increased college en- rollments and accompanying limited fa- cilities, the movement may hardly be characterized as an ephemeral contribu- tion. These colleges are a direct result of numerous scientific, industrial, and tech- nological changes which demand more trained technicians at the sub-profession- al level. Community colleges usually of- fer two-year terminal programs in several technical fields. Many community col- leges provide not only terminal curric- ula, but work acceptable for transfer to four-year colleges. However, unlike other junior colleges, the community college is not primarily motivated by prepara- tion for the four-year college. Again, the community college differs from the tech- nical institute, since it is not exclusively devoted to the development of technical skills. Although students may m a j o r in a chosen curriculum as early as the first semester, general college work is never neglected. Aligned with traditional high- er education, students are required to Mr. Mapp was formerly Assistant Li- brarian, Community College, Brooklyn, New York. take courses in communication arts, science, mathematics, and the social sciences. Community college programs also stress the fundamental purpose of American democracy and its way of life through the promotion of good citizen- ship. T h e education achieved at these local colleges enables graduates to qual- ify for not one, but several jobs in their chosen fields. Some community college programs make it possible for students to spend part of the academic year in paid employment, appropriate to their specialities. T h i s cooperative work is fol- lowed u p and evaluated by the faculty involved. Such positions frequently lead to permanent offers after graduation. T h e amount, kind, and variety of courses offered by each college varies with the institution and the needs of its com- munity. T h e following prevailing de- partments in existing community col- leges indicate the scope of the whole edu- cational enterprise: A i r c r a f t O p e r a t i o n s , A p p a r e l 8c F a s h i o n T e c h n o l o g y , A u t o m o t i v e T e c h n o l o g y , Busi- ness T e c h n o l o g y , Chemical T e c h n o l o g y , C o m m e r i c a l Art, Construction T e c h n o l o g y , D e n t a l H y g i e n e 8c D e n t a l L a b o r a t o r y Tech- nology, D i s t r i b u t i o n ( R e t a i l 8c Industrial), Electrical T e c h n o l o g y , H o t e l T e c h n o l o g y (Culinary 8c Administration), Mechanical & Metallurgical T e c h n o l o g y , M e d i c a l L a b o r a - tory T e c h n o l o g y , N u r s i n g , O p t i c a l Technol- ogy, Pre-Engineering, P r i n t i n g T e c h n o l o g y , R e f r i g e r a t i o n , H e a t i n g 8c Air C o n d i t i o n i n g T e c h n o l o g y , Secretarial T e c h n o l o g y (Legal, Medical), T e x t i l e Design. One may readily recognize the impli- cations of such diverse curricular offer- ings. T h e community college library is comparable in character, if not in scope, to the large departmental library system. Where that system can separately house 194 COLLEGE AND RESEARCH LIBRARIES and departmentalize its special collec- tions, the community college library must adequately represent each depart- ment in a single, unified library collec- tion. T h e professional staff must be aware of the objectives, and to a degree, of the content of the various technical courses, since it is responsible for main- taining these special collections. T h e community college library might indeed claim multiple membership in Special Libraries Association, on the grounds that it is virtually several special librar- ies. Daily requests for material on unre- lated disciplines, covering topics like epoxy resins, sauce bordelaise, die-cast- ing, acryllic crowns, D.C. circuits, and parasitology, must be supplied from an otherwise selective collection. T h e librar- ian must inform the faculty about suit- able texts, new reference tools, periodical subscriptions, and other bibliographic sources. Special efforts should be exerted to eliminate obsolete works, acquire new titles, and generally maintain a vital col- lection. All technical books selected for the library ought to be geared to the proper educational level. Realizing that scientific literature is both voluminous and expensive, the library must supple- ment its collection through interlibrary loans. T h e New York State Library re- cently arranged an experimental cooper- ative venture in the science and technol- ogy fields. T h e state authorized a gen- erous appropriation for the immediate purchase of scientific literature. Conse- quently, colleges throughout the state may avail themselves of many new tech- nical publications, including periodicals, documents, theses, and dissertations in both book and photo-reproduction form. Furthermore, a plan has been evolved for creating a science and technology section of the State Library, which might solve many scientific literature service problems of colleges. There is another proposal for preparation and distribu- tion of a catalog of the State Library holdings to college libraries. Inevitably the library plays a significant part in any college's attempt to meet high regional accreditation standards. Therefore, in order to fulfill its role as a college li- brary, the collection must be well round- ed and also strong in the liberal arts. At the community colleges where foreign language education is omitted, the li- brary may purchase few such works. A community college library is occasionally handicapped by unorthodox accommo- dations in quarters converted from a fac- tory, residential mansion, or office build- ing. Even inadequate physical plants can be mastered with the resourceful use of paints, displays, and exhibits, in addi- tion to the studied arrangement of li- brary books, equipment, and furniture. Granted the burdens placed upon the community college library are numerous, the fact remains that the library can and does meet the enormous challenge. Liberal entrance requirements bring a heterogeneous group of students to the community colleges. Students who pos- sess no training in basic library proce- dure or research methods are promptly confronted with the writing of technical reports and other specialized assign- ments. T h e librarian must instruct in- coming students in library skills, encour- age utilization of library resources, and cultivate effectual research techniques, which will facilitate the work of the tech- nician. T h e library staff should cooperate with other instructional staff members in the guidance of student reading and study activities. By correlating classroom lectures and laboratory work with the printed word, the library clearly becomes the sine qua non of college learning. A community college library in New York state is veritably governed by the State University motto, " L e t each be- come all he is capable of being." There are eleven community colleges in New York state, and several others are pres- ently being planned. At least two of the MAY 1958 195 projected institutions are to be located in the metropolitan area. As community colleges in the United States increase, ex- pand, and face the future, they will re- quire larger budgets. Surely the library will wish to demonstrate its raison d'etre, in order to partake of a fair share of its institution's wealth. In line with this concept, the professional staff should as- sociate itself with the over-all aims and activities of the college, not merely those directly related to the library. As time permits, the librarian should attend fa- culty meetings, serve on college commit- tees, instruct classes, and even suggest curricular changes or developments. In appropriate locales, the librarian might possibly initiate a two-year com- munity college program in special librar- ianship. T h e program could combine elementary courses in reference, catalog- ing, classification, indexing, abstracting, and subject filing, with training in secre- tarial skills. Successful trainees could qualify for jobs as library assistants, pre- or-sub professionals, and for other posi- tions unfilled by graduate trained librar- ians. T h e demand for library personnel is much greater than the supply, particu- larly in small special libraries. Some li- braries are now understaffed, while others sacrifice standards by engaging persons with no formal library training. A two-year community college curric- ulum in library service, leading to the Associate in A p p l i e d Science degree, could meet the needs of those who seek college level library training or of train- Russian Electronics Journals ees, short of the customary four-or five- year period. A two-year college library program might have inestimable value for the profession. It could liberate the five-year, graduate-trained librarian from routine, operational tasks and allow him to concentrate on the somewhat more scholarly and creative aspects of librar- ianship. T h e work of librarians like that of other professionals, which must be supplemented by the work of technical assistants and in-service training, will never completely substitute for formal education of these individuals. T h e aforementioned proposal is sim- ply one example of many meritorious projects an imaginative community col- lege librarian might undertake. T h e li- brary can engender extensive good will for the college and is often an informal public relations agency. Community col- lege librarians may collaborate by active participation in both local and national library and education organizations by writing about the solutions of common service problems in the professional liter- ature, by personal contacts, and by dis- tribution and exchange of catalogs, ac- cession lists, progress reports, and other college publications. Since the entire community college movement is yet ex- perimental, cooperation among commu- nity college librarians is most essential. Persons encountering similar occupation- al conditions should freely exchange ideas. T h i s interchange of knowledge can result only in mutual benefits and re- ciprocal enrichment. T r a n s l a t i o n of three Russian electronics journals into English will be made possible by a seventy thousand dollar grant from the National Science Foundation. T h e project was proposed by the M . I . T . Research Laboratory of Electronics for the purpose of making available to Ameri- can engineers information about the progress and methods in Russian electronics research. American libraries and researchers will be able to subscribe to the English versions of the three journals, Radio Tekhnika i Elektronika, Radio Tekhnika, and Elektrosviaz. 196 COLLEGE AND RESEARCH LIBRARIES