College and Research Libraries


Reading, Writing 

In this second issue of College & Research Libraries in ALA's centennial year, David 
Kaser and Robert Stueart call our attention to the literature of librarianship. 

Robert Stueart looks at the present. His aim is primarily practical as he gives his 
thoughts on how and what to write in the field of librarianship. He points out the 
pressures placed on academic librarians to publish as well as the rewards they may 
receive. He reminds the writer to be prepared for and not discouraged by letters of 
rejection. Even though opportunities for publication are many, the scope of a given 
journal can be limited. For example, of the approximately 150 to 160 manuscripts 
presently submitted each year to College & Research Libraries, forty to fifty will be 
selected for publication. Dr. Stueart's major concern, however, is that ou~ profession 
is too inward looking and that its members are writing only for one another. There are 
too few examples of librarians writing for the nonlibrary press. 

A related concern of ours is that even though this journal gives librarians an oppor-
tunity to write for one another, all too often manuscripts received are prepared as 
though in a vacuum without any obvious indication of interest as to what has already 
happened or been recorded elsewhere. David Kaser would seem to agree. In his re-
view of a century of writing on academic librarianship, he recalls the several major 
themes that continue to engage our attention. With our own too limited view we for-
get at times that problems facing us have been with us before and "that there is little 
that is ever truly new in the field." 

Even with that warning, Dr. Kaser points out how the literature has developed from 
simple descriptive statements of conditions in one library to subsequent contributions 
in which generalizations are advanced. When tested, prescriptive statements are made 
and ultimately, once a consensus is reached, standards are achieved. In this way "a 
profession reaches maturity." It is an aim of this journal to participate in that develop-
ment so that the maturity he describes may be attained. 

Dr. Kaser also credits the American Library Association with having published a 
large share of the important literature of academic librarianship, and in this centennial 
year we look with pride also at this particular achievement. This issue features reviews 
of two books recently published by the association and of particular interest to our 
readers-a new volume in the ACRL Publications in Librarianship series and a useful 
volume assembling the several policy statements on academic status. 

ACRL celebrates an anniversary this year with College & Research Libraries News 
beginning its second decade in March 1976. Started ten years ago on a six-month trial 
basis with the title ACRL News, our division's newsletter has increasingly become an 
essential medium bringing all academic and research librarians together. 

R.D.J. 

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