College and Research Libraries B y R O B E R T E . M A I Z E L L The Subject-Departmentalized Public Library Mr. Maizell is librarian, Research Lab- oratory, Mathieson Chemical Corpora- tion, Niagara Falls. THERE is no doubt that subject depart-mentation has become one of the most significant f o r m s of public library organi- z a t i o n . O v e r seven million people live in the areas served by the nine public libraries w h i c h are o r g a n i z e d entirely on the basis of s u b j e c t departments. M a n y millions more live in the areas served by additional public libraries w h i c h have at least one sub- j e c t department each. Since 1924, w i t h the notable exception of P h i l a d e l p h i a , v i r t u a l l y every m a j o r public l i b r a r y build- ing erected in this c o u n t r y has been v e r y l a r g e l y or entirely a s u b j e c t - d e p a r t m e n t a l - ized l i b r a r y . T h e purposes of this study are to c l a r i f y the m e a n i n g of subject departmentation, to s u m m a r i z e its historical development, to in- dicate the problems involved in the plan, and to develop a body of principles f o r the guidance of administrators of subject-de- p a r t m e n t a l i z e d libraries. A l t h o u g h it is p r i m a r i l y concerned w i t h public libraries, the discussion has relevance to the academic library as w e l l . I n the preparation of this study, the first step w a s to survey the litera- ture on the topic, i n c l u d i n g a n n u a l reports of d e p a r t m e n t a l i z e d libraries. T h e w r i t - ings of B a r t o n , M c D i a r m i d , M a r t i n and P h e l p s should be mentioned as being espe- cially n o t e w o r t h y . 1 O n the basis of this 1 See the following: Barton, M. "Administrative Problems in Reference W o r k . " In The Reference Function of the Library, p. survey it w a s possible to gain some idea of the historical development of s u b j e c t de- p a r t m e n t a t i o n . I t w a s also possible to con- struct a checklist of w h a t appeared to be the m a j o r problems and principles i n v o l v e d in subject departmentation. T h e checklist w a s submitted in the f o r m of a r a t i n g sheet to a g r o u p of librarians n o w w o r k i n g in d e p a r t m e n t a l i z e d libraries in order to se- cure their j u d g m e n t s as to the importance of the problems and the v a l i d i t y of the principles. A total of 53 replies w a s re- ceived f r o m the top administrators and subject department heads in five depart- m e n t a l i z e d l i b r a r i e s : B r o o k l y n , C l e v e l a n d , E n o c h P r a t t of B a l t i m o r e , L o s A n g e l e s and T o l e d o . The Meaning of Subject Depart?nentation B e f o r e defining w h a t is meant by subject departmentation, it may be w e l l to enum- erate the several m a j o r kinds of public li- b r a r y o r g a n i z a t i o n w h i c h exist today. Libraries with very few or no subject de- partments and with a m a j o r distinction be- tween circulating and reference materials. T h i s is known as the functional type of organ- ization and is exemplified by the St. Louis Public Library. 2. Libraries with several subject depart- ments and with the distinction between circu- 218-33. Chicago, University of Chicago Press, 1943. McDiarmid, E. W . , and McDiarmid, J. Th<> Ad- ministration of the American Public Library. Chicago, American Library Association, 1943, p.69-143. Los Angeles, Bureau of Budget and Efficiency. Or- ganization . . . of the Los Angeles Public Library. Los Angeles, 1948-49. 6v. Phelps, R. B. " T h e Effects of Organizational Pat- terns 011 Reference Work . . . " Ph.D. dissertation, Uni- versity of Chicago, Graduate Library School, 1943- Typewritten. JULY, 1951 29 7 lating and reference materials less clear than in the first type mentioned. T h i s is known as the partial or mixed type of departmental or- ganization. A n example is the Boston Public Library. 3. Libraries with many subject departments and with only a f e w fields of knowledge re- maining not departmentalized. T h i s type of library is in a stage of transition toward com- plete departmentation. A n example is the D e - troit Public Library. (j^) Completely departmentalized libraries. T h i s type is organized entirely on the basis of subject departments and is the only type cor- rectly referred to as the subject-departmen- talized library. Examples are Brooklyn, Cleveland and L o s Angeles. It is this type with which this study is concerned. T h e distinctions m a d e above, though c l e a r l y not of a hairline n a t u r e , are im- p o r t a n t and should be borne in m i n d . W e may n o w describe the s u b j e c t - d e p a r t m e n t a l - ized l i b r a r y more f u l l y as one w h i c h con- sists of a n u m b e r of s u b j e c t departments, each of w h i c h covers a m a j o r segment of the recorded k n o w l e d g e of m a n k i n d ; con- tains both c i r c u l a t i n g and reference ma- terials of all kinds w i t h i n this segment of k n o w l e d g e ; and is staffed, in an ideal situa- tion, by a g r o u p of librarians w h o are w e l l versed in the l i t e r a t u r e of the subjects con- tained in the d e p a r t m e n t . I t should be readily apparent t h a t the plan is similar to the d e p a r t m e n t a l i z e d a r r a n g e m e n t in m a n y university libraries. T h e m a j o r points of difference are that in the public l i b r a r y there are f e w e r d e p a r t m e n t s (perhaps six or s e v e n ) and these are in a c e n t r a l b u i l d i n g rather than being dispersed about a cam- pus. N e v e r t h e l e s s , m a n y of the problems and principles i n v o l v e d should be the same. The History of Subject Departmentation T h e roots of public l i b r a r y s u b j e c t de- p a r t m e n t a t i o n extend s u r p r i s i n g l y f a r d o w n into A m e r i c a n l i b r a r y h i s t o r y ; in f a c t , its origin may be traced as f a r back as the lat- ter part of the nineteenth c e n t u r y . T h e early g r o w t h of s u b j e c t d e p a r t m e n t a t i o n may be a t t r i b u t e d to a v a r i e t y of influences. O n e of these w a s the development of col- lege and university libraries in the l a t t e r part of the last c e n t u r y . A n o t h e r influence w a s the presence of previously existing f o r m s of public l i b r a r y d e p a r t m e n t a t i o n , such as reference and c i r c u l a t i o n depart- ments and c h i l d r e n ' s rooms. T h i s m e a n t t h a t libraries had by n o w g r o w n sufficiently l a r g e and complex to w a r r a n t division of labor and specialization. T h e presence of certain special collections w h i c h c o u l d be developed into s u b j e c t departments w a s a third f a c t o r . A f o u r t h influence w a s the emergence of c l e a r l y defined c o m m u n i t y in- terest g r o u p s w h i c h seemed to need special services. T h u s , the first s u b j e c t depart- ments w e r e u s u a l l y in the areas of music, art, business or t e c h n o l o g y . W i l l i a m F . P o o l e , w h o is best remem- bered today f o r his index of nineteenth- c e n t u r y periodical l i t e r a t u r e , is u s u a l l y g i v e n credit f o r the origin of the idea of s u b j e c t d e p a r t m e n t a t i o n . H i s ideas on the s u b j e c t w e r e first expressed in a v e r y tenta- tive f o r m in 18 76,2 m a t u r e d s l o w l y over a period of years, 3 and u l t i m a t e l y f o u n d f u l l r e a l i z a t i o n w i t h the completion of the N e w - berry L i b r a r y b u i l d i n g in C h i c a g o in 1 8 9 3 . P e r h a p s the first i n d i v i d u a l s u b j e c t de- p a r t m e n t s to appear in a large public li- b r a r y w e r e in the Boston P u b l i c L i b r a r y . In its n e w b u i l d i n g , w h i c h w a s occupied in 1895, Boston had i n t r o d u c e d a special libraries floor w i t h a fine arts d e p a r t m e n t and an industrial arts d e p a r t m e n t . L a t e r in 1898, L i b r a r i a n H e r b e r t P u t n a m estab- lished a D e p a r t m e n t of D o c u m e n t s and Statistics w h o s e stated f u n c t i o n s w e r e v e r y similar to those of the m o d e r n s u b j e c t de- 2 Poole, W . F. [Comments] Library Journal, 1:125, 1876. 3 . " T h e Construction of Library Buildings." Library Journal, 6:69-77, April 1881. 256 COLLEGE AND RESEARCH LIBRARIES partment.4 In 1900 the Providence Public L i b r a r y , under the guidance of W i l l i a m E . Foster, also opened a special library floor w i t h an industrial library, an art library and a music library.5 W h i l e all of the advances mentioned so far are important, they represent relatively immature forms of subject departmenta- tion. T h e r e is no evidence in the w r i t i n g s of most of the founders of the early de- partmentalized libraries that they could foresee the development of many of the ac- tivities and advantages of subject depart- mentation, which appeared naturally after the opening of these libraries and which began to be mentioned in the annual reports' and other publications. Such advantages in- cluded the development of staff proficiency in limited subject areas, more effective book selection, easy detection of gaps in the col- lection and facilitation of special services to groups. Instead, these early thinkers were preoccupied w i t h matters of physical convenience and a r r a n g e m e n t ; and so long as subject departmentation continued to be regarded as a mere grouping together of circulating and reference books on the same subject, further progress could not be expected. T o put it more directly, sub- ject departmentation could be exploited f u l l y only if its potentialities—particularly the development of staff subject speciali- z a t i o n — w e r e realized, seized upon and de-. veloped. T h i s is a generalization which remains true even for today's departmental- ized libraries. T o the C l e v e l a n d Public L i b r a r y falls the honor of first carrying the idea of sub- ject departmentation through to its logical conclusion, and thus of becoming the first completely departmentalized public library. A s early as 18906 Librarian W i l l i a m H o w - 4 Boston Public L i b r a r y . Annual Report, 1898. p.40. 5 Foster, W . E . " T h e Providence Public L i b r a r y . " Library Journal, 25:228-32, May 1900. 0 Brett, W . H . " T h e R e a r r a n g e m e n t of the Cleveland Public L i b r a r y . " Library Journal, 15:136-7, May 1890. ard B r e t t and his staff began mapping out the departmentalized arrangement which w e n t into effect w h e n the library moved into its new temporary quarters in 1 9 1 3 . It w a s evident almost f r o m the beginning that Brett, unlike others w h o had previously been interested in subject departmentation, saw clearly the essential nature of the plan and was thus in a good position to take f u l l advantage of it. Since then, the plan has been adopted w i t h v a r y i n g modifications by L o s A n g e l e s ; B a l t i m o r e ; Rochester; Brooklyn ; T o l e d o ; W o r c e s t e r , M a s s . ; L o n d o n , O n t . , C a n . ; and most recently by W a s h i n g t o n , D . C . 7 Special mention should be made of Joseph L . W h e e l e r w h o helped introduce the pre- liminary stages of departmentation in the L o s Angeles Public L i b r a r y , and w h o later helped develop the Enoch P r a t t building. T h i s building, incidentally, is believed to be very satisfactory for subject departmenta- tion, and its open-plan design has since been adopted by other libraries.8 In addition, several other libraries are now moving toward complete departmenta- tion. C a r l V i t z has recently described Cin- cinnati's proposed new building and its plan for departmentation.9 D e t r o i t is also mov- ing toward complete departmentation but w i l l apparently remain in its present build- ing. It seems safe to predict that within the next 25 years or so a number of other large public libraries w i l l have become com- pletely departmentalized. T h e pressure of important community groups and interests'1 and the inability to develop book collections adequately under the older forms of or- ganization w o u l d appear to be the primary factors impelling a move in this direction. 7 Peterson, H . N . " D . C. Reorganizes Divisions." Library Journal, 75:78-81, 92, J a n . 15, 1950; " A l l Ap- plaud D.C. C h a n g e . " Library Journal, 75:143-6, Feb. 1, 19S0. 8 Githens, A. " T h e Complete Development of the Open P l a n in the Enoch P r a t t F r e e L i b r a r y in B a l t i m o r e . " Library Journal, 58:381-5, May 1033. 9 Vitz, C. " R e a l Economy but No Sacrifice." Library Journal, 74:1873-6, Dec. 15, 1949. JULY, 1951 257 Problems Involved in Subject y Departmentation L i k e any other f o r m of o r g a n i z a t i o n , sub- j e c t d e p a r t m e n t a t i o n has distinct dis- a d v a n t a g e s as w e l l as a d v a n t a g e s . I n a r e v i e w of the l i t e r a t u r e on the topic, certain problems w e r e f o u n d to occur w i t h some degree of r e g u l a r i t y . T h e s e seemed to arise m a i n l y f r o m the s p l i t t i n g up of the field of k n o w l e d g e into separate physical and administrative units. D i f f i c u l t i e s m a y also stem f r o m the f a c t that a l i b r a r y , or- g a n i z e d on the basis of s u b j e c t departments, may lose some of the a d v a n t a g e s of other f o r m s of o r g a n i z a t i o n . T h e problems en- countered w i l l v a r y w i t h the s u b j e c t de- p a r t m e n t and are o f t e n d i r e c t l y related to the b u i l d i n g l a y o u t or to the a v a i l a b i l i t y of f u n d s . It is obvious that s u b j e c t d e p a r t m e n t a t i o n should not be adopted m e r e l y because it seems to be fashionable at the m o m e n t , but rather on the basis of such f a c t o r s as a c l e a r l y demonstrated need f o r this f o r m of o r g a n i z a t i o n and feasibility in terms of a v a i l a b i l i t y of personnel, financial resources and suitable physical p l a n t . T h i s w o r d of caution is directed p a r t i c u l a r l y at s m a l l e r libraries w h i c h may be c o n s i d e r i n g the plan, and to those l a r g e r libraries w h i c h may not have good financial prospects. I t should be realized that s u b j e c t d e p a r t m e n t a t i o n brings w i t h it an increased number of serv- ice stations and usually an increased v o l u m e of service, both of w h i c h may place a strain on the l i b r a r y ' s h u m a n and fiscal re- sources.1 0 In such cases it m a y be w i s e to introduce only such s u b j e c t departments as seem to be w a r r a n t e d by the needs of the c o m m u n i t y . In an a t t e m p t to determine the reactions of those n o w w o r k i n g in d e p a r t m e n t a l i z e d 10 For example, see Los Angeles. Bureau of Budget and Efficiency, op.cit., i 162. It is the contention of that report that the Los Angeles Public Library taxed itself unduly by the introduction and retention of a large number of subject departments. 258 CO libraries to the problems described in the l i t e r a t u r e on the subject, the r a t i n g sheet mentioned at the b e g i n n i n g of this paper w a s submitted to the g r o u p of 53 librarians in five libraries. T h e results indicate that the respondents feel that w h i l e those prob- lems w h i c h do occur are not o v e r l y serious, s u b j e c t d e p a r t m e n t a t i o n has definite f a u l t s j w h i c h bear w a t c h i n g , especially in n e w l y (departmentalized libraries. A b r e a k d o w n o f the replies of the five p a r t i c i p a t i n g in- stitutions showed v e r y f e w points of agree- ment. T h e seriousness of the problems fluctuated f r o m l i b r a r y to l i b r a r y e v i d e n t l y due to the l a r g e number of v a r i a b l e s in- v o l v e d . B o t h the l i t e r a t u r e and the replies on the r a t i n g sheets g i v e evidence that those n o w w o r k i n g in d e p a r t m e n t a l i z e d libraries have enthusiasm f o r and confidence in their f o r m of o r g a n i z a t i o n . Problems B e l o w is a listing of the 12 problems most c o m m o n l y met in s u b j e c t departmen- tation as ranked in order of importance a c c o r d i n g to the votes of the p a r t i c i p a t i n g librarians. P r o b l e m s ranked f r o m one t h r o u g h nine w e r e t h o u g h t to be of mod- erate importance. T h e r e m a i n i n g three problems w e r e t h o u g h t by most respondents to be of n e g l i g i b l e importance, but should, nevertheless, not be disregarded since men- tion w a s made in the l i t e r a t u r e . A f e w interpretative comments are supplied in parentheses. 1. T h e classification of books of interest to several departments. 2. Personnel may lack knowledge of related material in other departments. ( T h i s is par- ticularly true of newcomers.) 3. Recruiting of a properly qualified staff. ( T h i s is especially difficult for science depart- ments.) 4. Handling of reference questions which cut across the interests of several departments. 5. Coordination of the activities of the sub- ject departments. LLEGE AND RESEARCH LIBRARIES 6. Departments may assume excessively self-sufficient attitude and hence w i l l not use related material elsewhere. ( T h i s means that departments may tend to become compart- ments.) 7. Coordination of the w o r k of the catalog department with the needs of the subject de- partments. 8. Shunting of readers from department to department, especially when a difficult ref- erence question is involved. 9. Subjects falling between departments may be slighted in book selection. 10. Undue variation of departments in poli- cies and quality of service. 11. Specialist may be favored at expense of nonspecialist or layman. ( W h i l e the litera- ture frequently claimed that the layman was placed at a disadvantage by subject depart- mentation, most respondents thought that this was not the c a s e . ) 1 1 12. Increased volume of public demand may result, thus placing a strain on the library. ( T h i s applies particularly to smaller institu- tions.) Principles S u b j e c t departmentation is not a self- operating, s e l f - a d j u s t i n g f o r m of o r g a n i z a - tion. In order to take f u l l a d v a n t a g e of the plan, most d e p a r t m e n t a l i z e d libraries have f o u n d it desirable to f o l l o w certain basic operational and administrative princi- ples. A study of the annual reports of sev- eral of the d e p a r t m e n t a l i z e d libraries over a period of years reveals an increasing realiza- tion of the need f o r coordination and co- operation a m o n g departments. T h i s is in contrast to the attitude of d e p a r t m e n t a l self-sufficiency w h i c h f r e q u e n t l y appears shortly a f t e r s u b j e c t departmentation has been first introduced in p a r t i c u l a r libraries. T h e search of the l i t e r a t u r e revealed 16 principles w h i c h are n o w in a c t u a l operation or w h i c h have been suggested as possible f u t u r e developments of v a l u e . T h e response of the 53 librarians to most of the principles 11 For a strong statement of the problem see: Stanley J a s t . The Library and the Community. London, Nel- son, 1939. p.84. w a s enthusiastic. O n e person commented h o p e f u l l y that " i t w o u l d be U t o p i a if all these principles w e r e f o l l o w e d . " F u r t h e r , there w a s considerable agreement a m o n g the votes of the p a r t i c i p a t i n g libraries. A n especially h e a v y affirmative vote w a s g i v e n to those principles w h i c h tended to promote unity and cooperation. T h e principles are listed b e l o w in the order in w h i c h they w e r e ranked by the votes of the respondents. T h o s e principles ranked f r o m one t h r o u g h eleven can prob- ably be safely f o l l o w e d by any departmen- talized l i b r a r y , at least as f a r as can be j u d g e d f r o m the vote given these principles. P r i n c i p l e s ranked f r o m twelve t h r o u g h six- teen received, on the w h o l e , w h a t w e r e equivalent to negative or u n f a v o r a b l e votes. H o w e v e r , mention in the literature, as w e l l as the presence of some f a v o r a b l e votes, seems to indicate that these principles are not w i t h o u t v a l u e and are at least w o r t h y of consideration. 1. Strategically located information desk for the guidance of readers. 2. Departments should be uniform in poli- cies and in quality of service as f a r as pos- sible. 3. Related departments located on the same floor and adjacent to one another. 4. Departmental catalogs with references to related material in other departments. 5. Person in charge of main building for coordinating purposes. 6. Frequent meetings of subject department heads. 7. Staff knowledge of related material in other departments. ( T h i s should lessen the need for duplication of materials and should improve reference service.) 8. If staff has knowledge of the literature of the subjects in their departments, they need not necessarily be subject specialists. (Ideally, both qualities are needed.) 9. Grouping of related departments into larger divisions, such as Sciences, Social Sci- ences, etc., for improving coordination. ( T h i s is similar to the divisional plan of some uni- versity libraries. W o r c e s t e r is the only pub- JULY, 1951 29 7 lie library known to be using the plan.) 10. Occasional rotation of personnel among related departments. ( P r i m a r i l y desirable for newcomers to the library.) 11. U s e of the popular library to provide improved service to laymen. ( T h e popular li- brary consists of a carefully selected group of fiction and nonfiction books covering all fields of knowledge and is somewhat akin to a col- lege browsing room.) 12. Choosing of subject department heads for subject and bibliographical knowledge primarily and for administrative ability only secondarily. ( M a n y respondents felt both qualities w e r e needed.) 13. Five professional staff members for an average department. ( T o o many variables entered into the picture to offer this as a valid figure, but it may w e l l represent a mini- mum for a larger library.) 14. U s e of general reference department as a coordinating device. ( T h e l o w vote here was due to the fact that Brooklyn and L o s Angeles have no such department at all but have absorbed its functions into one of the subject departments. Cincinnati is planning to do the same in its proposed new building.) 15. Shelving books where of most value to readers rather than according to a formal classification scheme. ( A n example of this idea is the so-called reader interest plan de- veloped by Ralph U l v e l i n g at the D e t r o i t Pub- lic L i b r a r y . ) 16. Subject departments performing own cataloging under central supervision. ( T h i s is the concept of decentralized cataloging and w a s suggested here as a possible future devel- opment of value. It w a s frowned upon by the respondents, most of whom w e r e f e a r f u l of the expense and work-load involved.) Conclusion I t is hard to say w h e t h e r s u b j e c t depart- m e n t a t i o n represents the u l t i m a t e in public l i b r a r y o r g a n i z a t i o n , b u t it is n o t e w o r t h y that no other i m p o r t a n t f o r m of public l i b r a r y o r g a n i z a t i o n has developed d u r i n g the past 40 years. D e p a r t m e n t a l i z e d col- lege and university libraries have m u c h in c o m m o n w i t h this f o r m of o r g a n i z a t i o n ; a m u t u a l e x c h a n g e of ideas and experiences m i g h t be h e l p f u l both in a v o i d i n g mistakes and in p a v i n g the w a y f o r f u t u r e advances. A c a d e m i c libraries w o u l d appear to be e q u a l l y as susceptible to most of the p i t f a l l s listed in the section on " P r o b l e m s " as are public l i b r a r i e s ; some of them, f o r e x a m p l e , have already experienced the perils of an excessively l a r g e n u m b e r of independent de- p a r t m e n t a l libraries. T h e section on " P r i n - c i p l e s " also seems to be applicable to the academic l i b r a r y . T h e divisional l i b r a r y ( P r i n c i p l e 9 ) is an e x a m p l e of an idea w h i c h seems to have been first hinted at by the s u b j e c t - d e p a r t m e n t a l i z e d public l i b r a r y , w a s then f u l l y developed by a university l i b r a r i a n , 1 2 and is n o w being considered again by some public librarians. T h i s is an idea w i t h n u m e r o u s ramifications and possi- bilities and w o u l d seem to be one of the most f r u i t f u l avenues f o r the process of j o i n t e x p l o r a t i o n suggested above. 12 Ellsworth, R. E. "Colorado University's Divisional Reading Room Plan . . . " College and Research Li-j braries, 2:103-9, 192, March 1941. ^ 260 COLLEGE AND RESEARCH LIBRARIES