College and Research Libraries


By A. P. MARSHALL 

Professional Needs in Negro Colleges 
Mr. Marshall is librarian~ Lincoln Uni-

versity (Missouri). 

The Recruiting Committee of the 
A.C.R.L., at a meeting in February, I95 I, 
asked to have a survey made of the existing 
and future needs of Negro colleges and uni-
versities for professional librarians. It was 
suggested that a sub-committee be formed to 
make the survey and that the report be 
ready by the summer meeting of the Ameri-
can Library Association. Selected to serve 
on the sub-committee were: Mrs. Leola M. 
Ross, Librarian, Winston-Salem Teachers 
College, Winston-Salem, North Carolina; 
Paul M. Smith, Librarian, Dillard U niver-
sity, New Orleans, Louisiana; Miss Frances 
V. Smith, Librarian, Texas College Li-
brary, Tyler, Texas; Mrs. Mary M. 
Turner, Assistant Librarian, Lincoln U ni-
versity, Jefferson City, Missouri. A. P. 
Marshall, a member of the A.C.R.L. com-
mittee acted as chairman. 1 

Questionnaires were sent to a total of 58 
institutions and were returned by 4I ( 70 . 
per cent). Many of the returns indicated 
that no vacancies existed at the present or-
in the foreseeable future. Fifty-one vacan-
cies were reported, ranging from adminis-
trative or highly technical positions to gen-
eral assistantships. Since no effort was made 
to determine which of the positions required 
specific training, it can only be reported that 
most of the reporting institutions do prefer 
some technical knowledge for the positions 
indicated. Typing is regarded as necessary 
by I 8 of those reporting; education I 2; so-
cial science, I I; humanities, 8; French, 6; 
science, 6; Spanish, 3; journalism, r. 

Only 39 percent of the salaries offered for 
1 .Copies of the full reoort of the sub-committee are 

" ':" tlable from A . P. Marsha ll Lincoln Univers ity 
L1bra ry, J effe r son City, Mi ssouri.' 

JANUARY~ 1952 

professional librarians were above the 
A.L.A. l\!Iinimum Standards. Most of 
them ranged from $2,IOO to $3,000. 

New graduates of library schools would 
be acceptable by 26 of the colleges reporting, 
while 4 indicated otherwise. Other in-
formation checked by the latter seemed to 
indicate that more experience was desired 
for the positions open. A man would be 
preferable to a woman in only one of the 
positions, while 25 indicated that either 
would be acceptable. Two colleges would 
prefer women. 

In answer to the question of whether race 
would be a factor in the employment of 
professional librarians, I 7 indicated that it 
would, while IO repo~ted that it would not. 
Those reporting in the affirmative are nota-
bly in the deep south, while those indicating 
a negative answer are either outside of the 
South or in border states. 

There are I 3 7 trained librarians in 
the 4I institutions reporting, the highest 
number being 2I, the second highest, I2. 
Most of the institutions ranged between I 
professional ( I 3) and 2 professionals ( 8). 

Librarians filled out the questionnaires 
for 26 of the reporting institutions. Presi-
dents filled them out in I 2; the president's 
secretary, I ; and the dean, I. 

Number of vacancies reported for each 
of the major professional positions were: 

Administrative . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 
Reference . .. ...... . ... . . . .... . ........... . I I 

;::~~~~~~~~ . : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : ~~ 
Catalogers .. .. . ... .. ..... .. ..... .. ...... . .. 4 
Reference-Circulation . ................ . .... I 
General Assistant ... ....... . ... . . . . .. ..... 2 
Research and Readers Adviser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I 
Law ...... .. ..... . . . .. . ... .. .... . ... .. . . .. I 
Order .. . ......... . ... .. .. . ... . .. . ........ 1 
Journalism .. . ... . . . . .. .. . ..... . ... . . . . ... . I 
Other .. .. .. .... .. _ . ..... . .. .. .. . .. . .... . . 

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