College and Research Libraries University Libraries in the Americas: The Inter-American Seminar BY M A R I E T T A DANIELS SO M E T W E N T Y L I B R A R I A N S representing equally university libraries in North and Latin America, met January 25-27, 1961, at Allerton House, Monticello, Il- linois, for an Inter-American Seminar on University Libraries. T h i s meeting was the first of a series of specialized confer- ences to be called as a part of the pro- gram of the Council on Higher Edu- c a t i o n in the A m e r i c a n R e p u b l i c s (CHEAR), administered by the Institute of International Education, supported since 1958 by the Carnegie Corporation with the assistance of the Ford Founda- tion since 1960. C H E A R was created for the purpose of developing close personal ties among educators in the Americas and of pro- viding a forum for the informal discus- sion of mutual problems in higher edu- cation. Its objectives are accomplished by three principal activities: 1) a series of small annual conferences of selected Latin and North American educators to discuss problems of higher education in the hemisphere; 2) visits by participating educators to member universities; and 3) the development and carrying out of studies, projects, and seminars designed to meet educational needs specified at the annual meetings. A study on inter-American scholarly communications in the humanities and the social sciences, carried out as one of the first major undertakings of C H E A R , revealed that such communication was poor at best.1 Recognition by C H E A R 1 Frederick Burkhardt. "Inter-American Scholarly Communication in the Humanities and Social Sciences," Library Quarterly, X X X (1960), 266-73. Miss Daniels is Associate Librarian, Pan American Union, Washington, D. C. of the importance of the university li- brary in the communication of informa- tion led to the informal seminar for university librarians, organized by the Institute of International Education. Latin American university librarians, in addition to attending the seminar, visited several U. S. university libraries, and U. S. participants unacquainted with Latin American libraries toured universities in Mexico and Central America to familiarize themselves with current practices in these areas. Under the co-chairmanship of Manuel Alcala, director of the National Library of Mexico, which functions as a de- pendency of the Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, and Jack Dalton, dean of the School of Library Service of Columbia University, the participants explored the principal problems which affect library services in the Americas. T o provide a common basis for under- standing during discussions, considera- ble time was spent at the outset of the seminar in delineating the principal concepts, characteristics, and functions of modern universities and university libraries in both Latin and North Amer- ica. Subsequent sessions were mainly concerned with three areas of discussion: 1) characteristics of universities as they affect university libraries; 2) the per- sonnel of university libraries and their 46 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 training; and 3) deterrents to progress in the development of university librar- ies, especially in Latin America. 1. Characteristics of Universities as They Affect University Libraries: a. Autonomy of the University. T h e autonomy of faculties within a university, in both the United States and Latin America, is re- flected in the lack of central li- braries in many institutions. In the United States, and in some instances in Latin America, the appointment of a "director of libraries" has been made to co- ordinate, if not to centralize, uni- versity library administration as a means of resolving the difficul- ties. b. Teaching Methods. Professors, es- pecially in Latin America, have until recently tended to accumu- late their own private library col- lections and to teach from per- sonal notes with rare assignments of "outside reading." T h e situa- tion has resulted in relatively lit- tle attention being given to in- stitutional libraries. c. The Tendency toivards Generali- zation. A higher degree of special- ization throughout the university curriculum is seen in Latin Amer- ica than in the United States, probably because of the broader general instruction given in the Latin American secondary schools. Professions themselves have been closed ones, and there has been little or no cross-fertilization by using the same faculty for similar courses taught in several schools, or offering certain courses of mu- tual interest to students in vari- ous schools. Narrow specializa- tion, however, is giving way in Latin America, as it has in the past in the United States, to greater generalization of studies in the early years of university education, wherein certain courses are required for all students what- ever their eventual specialty will be. T h e growing emphasis upon two to four years' "liberal educa- tion" within the university in- creases the need for greater li- brary facilities. d. The Role of Research in the Uni- versity. T h e emphasis on research in university activities is seen to be on the increase, though such activities vary considerably be- tween small colleges and large universities in the United States and in universities in Latin Amer- ica. It is expected that in Latin America, as part-time gives way to full-time staffing, faculty re- search will be even further em- phasized. T h i s will entail the development of reference and readers' services for faculty a n d — especially in Latin America—for the university student who has not had the benefit of school and public libraries where he could learn how to locate information and utilize the tools of the librar- ian and investigator. e. The Physical Location of Facul- ties, and New University Cities. When individual faculties are dis- persed throughout the city, small general rather than specialized libraries are developed in each to satisfy the reference needs for teachers and students, whether they be of a general or specialized nature. Even with the construc- tion of large university cities, the proliferation of these general col- lections with their duplication of labor and material continues. A similar condition exists in the United States today, where the size and complexity of universi- ties tend to increase the decen- tralization of university library J A N U A R Y 1 9 6 2 29 collections and the creation of di- visional libraries outside the cen- tral library building. 2. The Personnel of University Librar- ies and Their Training In the United States, formal profes- sional training for librarians is given in the fifth university year, normally after the student has earned a degree in lib- eral arts and sciences. In Latin America, permanent library schools are usually on a lower level because although the need for technical preparation of library personnel is recognized, efforts in this direction have been discouraged by the fact that the salary level and professional status of librarians have been tradition- ally low. It is noted, however, that al- though training has not yet reached uni- versity level, it has progressed over the years from one-year courses to four-year courses combining general studies with technical subjects. A noteworthy at- tempt to improve the training of librar- ians is seen in the Inter-American Li- brary School in Medellin, Colombia. Created by a grant from the Rockefeller Foundation for the providing of a mini- mum of academic and technical educa- tion for library personnel from those countries unable to support anything more than short-term orientation courses, it serves as an experimental center for library training and offers facilities for advanced specialized studies as well. 3) Deterrents to Progress in the Devel- opment of University Libraries, Es- pecially in Latin America In addition to the prevalence of in- adequate personnel and the general ab- sence of centralized or coordinated li- brary services, the dearth of information about current developments in library science outside Latin America and the scarcity of technical tools are recognized as major deterrents to progress. T h e lack and/or non-availability of bibliographic information on current books and peri- odicals creates a more serious problem for Latin American than for U. S. uni- versity librarians. For example, the work- ing papers, studies and summaries of dis- cussions, of conferences, and seminars on library science (in particular, the Seminar on the Acquisition of Latin American Library Materials)—in many cases the best or only documents avail- able on the various aspects of biblio- graphic and acquisition problems and information sources—sponsored by in- t e r - A m e r i c a n e d u c a t i o n a l institutions, have been given inadequate distribution. Moreover, equipment essential to the librarian, adapted to the needs of Latin America and its languages, is almost wholly lacking. Until this is made avail- a b l e and u n i f o r m i t y of p r a c t i c e is achieved by the use of this equipment, there will continue to be waste of time and effort in individual libraries in processing library materials, and prog- ress in cooperative cataloging will re- main virtually impossible. From these discussions, the following findings emerged: 1. The Need for Centralization and/or Coordination of Library Services T h e r e is an increasing need for estab- lishing a central university library with direct or indirect control over all librar- ies in the university, or at least co- ordinating university library services by the appointment of a "director of librar- ies" with recognized authority. Either plan, or a combination of the two, would: (a) assure more economical use of financial resources by permitting cen- tralizing acquisition procedures which would preclude the needless duplication of books and expensive periodicals, and reduce personnel labor and expenses in- volved in duplicating activities; (b) af- ford better use of personnel by allowing those technically specialized to be em- ployed in the technical organization of all university libraries and those subject- specialized personnel to be employed ef- 48 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 fectively in faculty and institute libraries by assisting in reference and research; (c) afford immediate access to frequently needed material and economical storage for little-used material; and (d) increase the possibility of cooperative acquisition and cataloging among the libraries of various universities, whereby uniformity of procedure would be achieved, the duplication of little-needed materials would be avoided, and the wider dis- tribution of bibliographic information would be made feasible. 2. The Need for Increasing Inter-Com- munication of Librarians, Faculty, and University Administrators If rectors and faculty remain unaware of the proper function of the library in university teaching and research pro- grams, the librarians cannot expect to have either the financial or moral sup- port required to service the university or to respond to its present or future infor- mational and research needs. Therefore, to encourage the faculty's understanding of library needs and potential services, and the library staff's understanding of faculty teaching and research needs, in- creased effort should be made to achieve a closer working and professional rela- tionship between the two groups. T h e participation of the chief librarian or director of libraries in the administra- tive council of the university is to be equally encouraged as a means of assur- ing a more effective role of the library in the university program. 3. Training of the Professional Librar- ian Although some progress has been made in the past few years towards in- creasing proficiency within the field of library science, concentrated efforts in this direction are needed to perfect and intensify the recruitment and training of librarians, to raise their economic and professional level, and to enhance their opportunity to attain a desired "faculty status." Most urgently required, in this respect, are: (a) the recruitment of more and better library school students and faculty; (b) the placing of a library school within the university (with a minimum requirement of four-years' study, including academic and profes- sional courses) where matriculation req- uisites and standards of achievement would be determined as they are for other professional schools in the uni- versity, and after which training, pro- fessional and official recognition would be assured; (c) the providing of increased professional and special pedagogical training for teachers of library science now in service; and (d) the providing of orientation and in-service courses for personnel employed in university librar- ies to give them minimum technical training, especially for routine library work. 4. Extending Inter-American Exchanges T h e formation of a corps of U. S. li- brarians especially prepared to give tech- nical assistance and advice to Latin American librarians, and the increase of fellowships or scholarships for Latin Americans for advanced study in library science in the United States are recom- mended, as well as is an increased par- ticipation of librarians in conferences, seminars, and meetings relative to their profession. 5. The Need for a Survey to Determine Priority Action It is recognized that before the im- provements mentioned above can be ef- fected, a study in depth of the current situation of university libraries, espe- cially in Latin America, is essential. T o this end, consideration might be given to the financial support of an expert in university libraries to conduct an inves- tigation of the present condition of uni- versity libraries and to determine the priority of those special studies and sur- veys which should be carried out for the J A N U A R Y 1 9 6 2 31 benefit of governments, foundations, in- ternational agencies, and educational in- stitutions planning for the improvement of universities and university libraries in this hemisphere. T h e Latin American participants in the C H E A R Inter-American Seminar on Uni- versity Libraries, in addition to Co- chairman Alcala, were Luisa Arce, Uni- versidad de Chile; Edson Nery da Fonseca, B i b l i o t e c a de C a m a r a dos D e p u t a - dos, Brasilia; Mrs. Carmen D. de Herrera, Universidad de Panama; Jose Lazaro, Universidad de Puerto Rico; Maria Luisa Monteiro de Cunha, Universidad de Sao Paulo; Carlos V. Penna, UNESCO, Ha- vana; Jaime Quijano-Caballero, Univer- sidad Nacional de Colombia; Esther Dosil de Ramirez, Universidad de la Republica, Uruguay; Josefa E. Sabor, Universidad de Buenos Aires; Maria Teresa Sanz, Universidad Catolica de Chile; and Carmen Rovira, Pan Ameri- can Union, who acted as interpreter. Participants who attended the C H E A R seminar from the United States, in addi- tion to co-chairman Dalton, were: Mari- etta Daniels, Pan American Union; William V. Jackson, University of Illi- nois; Stephen McCarthy, Cornell Uni- versity; Philip McNiff, Harvard Univer- sity; Raynard Swank, American Library Association; Robert Talmadge, T u l a n e University; Robert Vosper, University of Kansas; and Stanley L. West, University of Florida. T h e Dag Hammarskjold Library T h e United Nations dedicated its new library, built by a grant from the Ford Foundation, at a special meeting in the General Assembly Hall on Thursday, November 16, 1961 in memory of the late secretary general. Out into the marble wall in the hall opposite the en- trance door are the words, " T h e Dag Hammarskjold Library; Gift of the Ford Foundation, 1961." T h e inscription is the result of two unanimous decisions by the General Assembly. On October 16, 1961, the Assembly, acting on the sug- gestion of the Ford Foundation, and "desiring to establish an appropriate me- morial" commemorating Mr. Hammar- skjold's services to the United Nations, decided to name the library in his honor. On November 3, 1959, the Assembly had accepted "with highest appreciation" the Foundation's gift of $6,200,000 for the construction and equipment of the library. T h e library is located on the south side of the main courtyard at United Nations headquarters. It will house some 400,000 books, nearly double the present collection. Mr. Hammarskjold had arranged a two-day library symposium in connection with the dedication, which was attended by more than thirty leading librarians of as many countries, and by some eighty to ninety United States librarians. Included were such well-known figures as Dr. Uno Willers, national librarian of Sweden; Sir Frank Francis, director and principal librarian of the British Museum in Lon- don; Dr. Quincy L. Mumford, librarian of Congress in Washington, D. C.; Ed- ward G. Freehafer, director of the New York Public Library; Dr. Bogdan Ho- rodyski, director of the Polish National Library in Warsaw; Douglas W. Bryant, associate director, Harvard University Libraries; Verner W . Clapp, president and director of the Council on Library Resources, Inc.; Dr. Frank Rogers direc- tor of the National Library of Medicine, Washington, D. C.; and Dr. Frederick H. Wagman, director, University of Michigan Libraries. 50 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