College and Research Libraries THOMAS P. SLAVENS Opinions of Library Science PhD's About Requirements for the PhD Degree in Library Science Opinions were sought from all holders of PhD degrees in library sci- ence concerning the most desirable elements of the doctoral programs in the library schools. Ninety-six PhD,s responded. Their replies on such matters as entrance requirements, course requirements and con- tent, language requirements, examination practices, and dissertation topics are tabulated and presented. ALL MEMBERS OF the American Li- brary Association holding PhD degrees in library science were polled recently on certain facets of the requirements for this degree. Ninety-six anonymous re- sponses were received from 151 ques- tionnaires mailed. Thirty-five of these respondents held their PhD degrees from the University of Chicago; twenty were from Illinois; thirty-two were from Michigan; seven were from Rutgers. One each were from Case Western Re- serve and Wisconsin. The latter two were eliminated for ease of tabulation. The "30s, 40s," etc., in the following tables refer to the decade in which the respondent received his PhD degree. "Ed" in the tables means that he is en- gaged primarily in library education; "Ad" means that he is primarily a li- brary administrator; and "Ref, indicates that he is retired. Forty-five of the re- spondents were engaged primarily in li- Dr. Slavens is Assistant Professor of Li- brary Science in the Univ ersity of Michi- gan. brary education; forty-six were adminis- trators; and three were retired. The fol- lowing is a summary of these responses. ADMISSIONS The first question had to do with the minimal degree requirements for admis- sion to the PhD program. Sixty-eight per cent of the respondents thought that this should be the master, s degree from an accredited library school. In re- sponses to this question, as in many oth- ers, however, many suggested that flex- ibility be exercised. For example, several suggested that a person with a degree in mathematics or engineering be ad- mitted to the PhD program without any library education. Another person sug- gested that the requirement for a li- brary degree be waived for a person with significant professional library ex- perience. The responses to this question are shown in Table 1. The second question had to do with the minimal grade - point average re- quired for admission. Forty-three per cent of the respondents thought that a I 525 526 1 College & Research Libraries • November 1969 TABLE 1 MINIMAL DEGREE REQUIRKMENTS FOR ADMISSION Chicago Illinois Michigan Rutgers 30s 40s 50s 60s 50s 60s 50s 60s 60s ---- ------ ------ '"@ "0 "0 Q) "'0 "0 "0 "0 "0 "0 "0 "0 "'0 "0 "0 "'0 "'0 "0 "0 "0 0 ~ < ~ lil < ~ < ~ < ~ < lil < ~ < lil < ~ < !-< None 1 1 2 Bachelor's degree 1 1 1 2 5 BLS from an unaccredited or accredited library school 1 1 1 3 BLS from an accredited library school 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 7 Master's degree in any field 1 1 1 1 1 2 7 Master's degree from an unaccredited or accredited library school 1 1 4 1 1 2 10 Master's degree from an accredited library school 1 1 2 3 3 4 2 1 2 4 2 5 2 1 6 2 3 2 46 Master's degree from an accredited lib. school plus a subject master's 1 2 2 5 3 13 BLS or a PhD in a subject field 1 1 TABLE 2 MINIMAL GRADUATE GRADE POINT AVERAGE REQUffiEMENTS FOR ADMISSION Chicago Illinois Michigan Rutgers 30s 40s 50s 60s 50s 60s 50s 60s 60s ---- ------ -- ---- "0 "0 Q) "0 ~ < ~ ~ None 1 B 1 1 B+ 1 1 Midway between B+ and A- A- 1 B grade was sufficient, while 37 per cent favored a B+. Six per cent agreed with the person who wrote pungently, "Forget the damned grades." In this connection, it is interesting to note that administrators were willing to admit people with lower grade point averages than were educators. Several respond- ents felt that the institution from which the degree was earned was important as well as the grade point average. The re- sponses to this question are reported in Table 2. 3 1 1 "0 "0 "0 "0 "0 "0 "'0 "'0 "0 "0 "'0 "0 "0 "0 "'0 3 0 < ~ < lil < ~ < lil < lil < ~ < ~ < !-< 1 1 1 1 1 1 7 1 2 6 1 1 2 2 6 2 2 1 6 3 40 5 5 1 1 1 3 2 1 2 8 1 1 1 35 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 1 1 11 The next question on admis~ions was concerned with which examinations should be required for evaluating a stu- dent's suitability for the PhD program. Forty-nine per cent thought that the Graduate Record Examination should be required, while 24 per cent favored both the Graduate Record Examination and the Miller Analogies Test. In other words 73 per cent favored at least the Grad- uate Record Examination. The respons- es to this question are noted in Table 3. On the issue of the number of years Requirements for PhD Degree in Library Science I 527 TABLE 3 EXAMINATION REQUIREMENTS FOR EvALUATING STUDENTs' SUITABILITY FOR ADMISSION Chicago Illinois Michigan Rutgers 30s 40s 50s 60s 50s 60s 50s 60s 60s -- -- ---- --------- "0 "0 Q) "0 "0 "0 "0 "0 "0 "0 "0 "0 "0 "0 "0 "0 "0 "0 "0 'E 0 ~ < ~ ~ < ~ < ~ < ~ < ~ < ~ < ~ < ~ < E-< None 1 1 3 1 1 7 Graduate Record Examination and Miller Analogies Test 2 1 1 1 2 2 1 1 2 2 1 3 2 1 1 23 Graduate Record Examination 4 5 4 4 1 2 3 3 4 4 3 5 1 3 46 Miller Analogies Test 1 1 1 3 No response 2 1 1 2 2 2 5 15 TABLE 4 PROFESSIONAL LmRARY EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS FOR ADMISSION Chicago Illinois Michigan Rutgers 30s 40s 50s 60s 50s 60s 50s 60s 60s ---- ---- - --- ----- "0 "0 Q) ~ < ~ None 2 One year 1 1 Two years 1 Three years 1 Four years Five years of professional library experience which should be required for admission, there was considerable difference of opinion. Forty per cent thought that no experi- ence should be required, while the bal- ance would require at least one year. Some thought that the variety and the quality of the experience should be evaluated. Others believed that related experience, such as teaching in college, should be counted in lieu of library ex- perience. The results on the question about experience are noted in Table 4. CouRsEs The next section of the questionnaire dealt with the amount of course work required in a doctoral program. AI- "0 ~ 3 1 1 "0 "0 "0 "0 "0 "0 "0 "0 "0 "0 "0 "0 "0 "0 "0 'E 0 < ~ < ~ < ~ < ~ < ~ < ~ < ~ < E-< 2 3 1 1 1 2 4 1 3 3 5 2 3 1 37 1 1 2 1 1 8 2 3 2 1 1 1 3 1 1 3 1 1 22 1 1 1 3 1 1 2 3 3 18 1 1 2 l ' l 2 2 1 7 though 26 per cent thought that there should be no required minimum, most of the people who responded did not think this much flexibility was desirable. Sixty-two per cent thought that the course work should total at least twenty hours. The responses to this question are reported in Table 5. In one of the stronger expressions of opinion, 71 per cent indicated that the courses taken in the library school by PhD students should cover the whole field of librarianship. Only 26 per cent thought that they should be restricted to the student's area of specialization. One respondent wrote that the program should center on creative effort through individual research, not on classroom in- 528 1 College & Research Libraries • November 1969 TABLE 5 MINIMAL NuMBER OF SEMESTER HoURs OF CoURSE WoRK IN LIBRARY SciENCE BEYOND THE FIFTH YEAR DEGREE IN LIBRARY SciENCE Chicago Illinois Michigan Rutgers 30s 40s 50s 60s 50s 60s 50s 60s 60s ---- - --- -------- - "0 "0 ..... "0 "0 "0 "0 "0 '"0 "0 'tl "0 "0 'tl 'tl "0 "0 "0 'tl 'E Q) 0 ~ < ll:< ~ < ~ < ~ < ~ < ~ < ~ < ~ < ~ < !:-< No minimum 2 2 3 2 1 1 1 1 1 3 2 2 3 1 25 0-19 2 2 20- 29 2 1 1 2 1 1 2 2 1 1 4 3 2 23 30- 39 2 4 1 3 2 4 3 2 2 3 1 2 1 30 40-49 1 1 1 1 1 5 50- 59 1 1 60- 69 1 1 No response 1 2 2 2 7 TABLE 6 CoNTENT OF THE CoURSES TAKEN IN THE LIBRARY ScHOOL 30s "0 "0 ... Q) ~ < ll:< The whole field of librarianship 1 1 3 Only courses in the students' areas of specialization 1 No response struction. The responses to the question on the content of the courses are sum- marized in Table 6. Most of the respondents favored the use of several seminars among these courses. One person, for example, wrote that a methodologically oriented semi- nar might well be the backbone of a quality program. Another suggested that these seminars should force the student to speak, write, and defend in competi- tion with his peers and under the tough leadership of a faculty member. Sixty- eight per cent thought that the percent- age should be at least 30. The responses to this question on seminars are sum- marized in Table 7. On the related question of foreign Chicago Illinois Michigan Rutgers 40s 50s 60s 50s 60s 50s 60s 60s -------- - --- ----- "0 ~ 4 1 "0 "0 "0 "0 '"0 '"0 'tl "0 "0 "0 'tl "0 '"0 "0 'tl 'E 0 < ~ < ~ < ~ < ~ < ~ < ~ < ~ < !:-< 6 4 3 2 1 4 4 6 4 5 5 6 5 2 66 1 2 3 1 1 2 2 2 1 6 2 25 1 1 1 3 languages, 58 per cent thought that two should be required, while · 25 per cent favored one. Some thought that a col- lateral field-statistical methods or com- puter programming-could be substitut- ed for one of these languages. A few of these respondents thought that compe- tence in one language is preferable to a reading knowledge of two. Others would require only those languages which are needed in the student's research. The responses on the number of foreign lan- guages to be required are reported in Table 8. PRELIMINARY ExAMINATIONS As to the form of the preliminary ex- aminations, 72 per cent thought that Requirements for PhD Degree in Library Science I 529 TABLE 7 PERCENTAGE OF THE CouRSES TO BE IN THE FoRM OF SEMINARS Chicago Illinois Michigan Rutgers 30s 40s 50s 60s 50s 60s 50s 60s 60s -- ------ ---- ----- ~ ~ v ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ] 0 ~ < ~ ~ < ~ < ~ < ~ < ~ < ~ < ~ < ~ None 10- 30 30- 50 50- 70 70- 90 90-100 No response 1 1 1 1 2 2 3 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 3 3 3 2 1 3 1 1 2 2 1 2 2 2 1 1 < E-< 1 1 1 1 1 16 2 2 5 4 1 30 3 2 1 3 17 1 3 1 1 8 1 1 2 1 7 1 1 1 2 1 15 TABLE 8 FOREIGN LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS None 1 2 No response 30s ~ ~ v ~ < ~ 1 1 1 1 2 they should include both written and oral questions, while 22 per cent thought that all of them should be written. Only 2 per cent thought that all the examina- tions should be oral. In this connection, one person volunteered the suggestion that the oral examination should include matters which had been covered on the written examinations but which the fac- ulty felt needed to be clarified or elab- orated upon and that it should also in- clude technical matters concerning the dissertation. Another person suggested that an oral examination helps to reveal personal qualifications which would help in determining potentiality to carry a dissertatien to a successful comple- tion. Another felt that the decision as to the oral or written nature of the exam- Chicago Illinois Michigan Rutgers 40s 50s 60s 50s 60s 50s 60s 60s -- ------ -- ------- ~ ~ 1 1 2 1 -; ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ < ~ < ~ < ~ < ~ < ~ < ~ < ~ < 1 1 2 5 3 2 3 1 1 1 1 2 5 2 25 4 4 3 1 2 2 5 3 5 3 4 9 3 1 1 55 1 2 1 2 1 1 9 inations should be based on the field of specialization. He pointed out, for ex- ample, that it may be important for an administrator to be able to field · ques- tions. Another person dismissed oral ex- aminations as "horrible experiences" which favor the "glib student with a gift of gab." The responses on this matter are recorded in Table 9. Another question related to the num- bers of years which should be allowed to elapse before the preliminary exam- inations would need to be repeated, provided that the thesis was not fin- ished. Fifty-seven per cent thought that this period should be five years. The re- sponses to this question are recorded in Table 10. Seventy per cent thought that the pre- 530 j College & Research Libraries • November 1969 TABLE 9 FoRM oF PRELIMINARY EXAMINATIONS Chicago Illinois Michigan Rutgers 30s 40s 50s 60s 50s 60s 50s 60s 60s - ------ -- -- ---- ---- None Written Oral Partly written and partly oral No response 2 1 1 1 1 3 5 4 1 1 1 5 7 2 2 5 1 1 1 3 5 4 2 1 21 2 5 6 6 3 6 4 3 1 68 1 2 TABLE 10 NuMBER OF YEARS SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO ELAPSE BEFORE THE PRELIMINARY EXAMINATIONs WouLD NEED 'TO BE REPEATED Chicago Illinois Michigan Rutgers 30s 40s 50s 60s 50s 60s 50s 60s 60s ---- -- - - - ------- '"0 '"0 't ~ < p:< 2 3 4 5 2 3 6 7 Unlimited No_ response 1 liminary examinations should cover the whole field of librarianship. Twenty- four per cent felt that the examinations should cover only the candidate's area of specialization and research method- ology. Others believe that the minor fields should also be covered in the pre- liminary examinations, while still others think that the emphasis of the examina- tions should be in the area of specializa- tion. Seventy-four per cent favored the inclusion of research methodology in the examinations. The breakdown on there- plies to this question as to what the pre- liminary examinations should cover is reported in Table 11. "2 "C '"0 '"0 '"0 '"0 '"0 '"0 "C "C '"0 '"0 "C "C "0 "C "C 0 ~ < < ~ < ~ < ~ < ~ < 4 1 ~ < ~ < ~ !:-< 1 1 1 1 2 1 1 2 3 2 3 1 1 2 2 4 5 5 2 6 5 3 1 54 1 1 2 1 5 3 2 3 1 1 2 2 3 17 1 1 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 11 THESIS In responding to the question as to the type of research appropriate for a PhD dissertation, one person wrote, "The majority of library history r esearch isn't worth the paper it is printed on. History should be outlawed." His point of view, however, was not common among the respondents. Ninety-six per cent responded that historical research, as well as studies on contemporary prob- lems, is appropriate. Several comment- ed that historical, descriptive, experi- mental, and statistical research are all acceptable. The breakdown amon g th e Requirements for PhD Degree in Library Science I 531 TABLE 11 CONTENT OF THE PRELIMINARY EXAMINATIONS Chicago Illinois Michigan Rutgers 30s 40s 50s 60s 50s 60s 50s 60s 60s - --- ---- ------ --- ..... "'d '"d '"d '"d "'d '"d '"d '"d "'d 3 "'d "'d