College and Research Libraries Administrative Organization of Columbia University Libraries THE TWO CHARTS that accompany this note describe the present administrative organization of the Columbia University libraries. The charts-the second is a de- tail of the first-are in large part self-ex- planatory, but a few comments are neces- sary. The format was chosen largely for ease of graphic display, but it is not without some symbolism. The six units ranged around the outside of the square in Chart 1 are the rna jor public service divisions of the Columbia library system. The sciences are on the right side; what might be called the applied social sci- ences are on the left; and the libraries supporting humanistic and historical studies are oriented towards the base. The technical and administrative serv- ice units inside the square are in direct line communication with any or all of the public service divisions. An alterna- tive and direct line between both the of- fice of the assistant director and the co- ordinating committees and the office of the director of libraries is provided to re- flect the fact that both are in some mat- ters "deputies" of the director. The nature of the coordinating com- mittees requires some explanation since they are a recent innovation. The in- creased size and attendant complexity of the university libraries, stemming in large part from the growth of the uni- versity itself, have made regular and productive meetings involving all of the senior library officers essential. To focus the attention of this group on specific subjects, three coordinating committees have been established, one for each of MAY 1963 Bv RICHARD H. LOGSDON Dr. Logsdon is Director of Libraries, Col- umbia University. the major segments of internal library activity-that is, development and main- tenance of the collections, bibliographic control, and operations planning and re- view. The seven division heads and the assistant and associate directors consti- tute the membership of each committee. The director of libraries is also normal- ly a participant at the meetings. It is anticipated that these committees will evolve in such a way that they will make significant contributions to library ad- ministration by accelerating the fact- finding process that must precede policy formation, and by stimulating coordi- nated and consistent implementation of policy once it is established. For the first year the coordinator of cataloging, the Butler librarian, and the associate di- rector of libraries have been designated chairmen of the committees on biblio- graphic control, collection development, and operations, respectively. Each com- mittee meets monthly, guided by a planned agenda and working papers. Other members of the staff of the library may be asked to assist in the work of a particular committee as appropriate to the topic under study. Staff and clerical assistance for the committees is provided by the office of the director, including as- signment of the time of a research assist- ant. The result of the work of a com- mittee on any agenda item is normally a statement or a report incorporating the suggestions or recommendations of the 219 CHART I COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES THE PRINCIPAL COMPONENTS OF THE LIBRARY SYSTEM I Office of the I Vice President International and Legal Libraries 1--- The 1--- Permanent Coordinating Committee'! Libraries of H I Professional Cataloging · Schools ..,._ Department and the Arts Butler Library I Library I Committee Office of the Director of Libraries Office of the Assistant Director for Administrative Services Medical and 1--- Natural Science Libraries Acquisitions · Physical Science I Engineering and Department ...___ Libraries Special Collections Department 220 COLLEGE AND RESEARCH LIBRARIES CHART 2 COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES LIBRARY DEPARTMENTS AND DIVISIONS I ] .vice President 1 I Library I Committee Director of l Law Libraries HMedicall International Law 1- Associate Library · Director I Ad. Ass"ts ~ ~ Ad.Ass"t 1 Personnel r East Asian J-- Research Nat. Science Libs. Geology Coordinating I (Area Programs) r- Lamont Comm. 1. Collections · Office of the ~ Map Room ·I- 2. Bibliographic Assistant Director I Business & r Control Library Psychology Economics 3. Operations Office Zoology- Botany Planning & ------- R'eview 1 Library Service r ~ Engineering Library I Social Work I- · Cataloging Dept. Acquisitions Sections: Department General Sections: H Chemistry I Journalism ~ Law Book Order 1- Medical Gifts , Exchange . H Physics ·-------·~ Serials Serials ~ Catalog Slavic I Avery Processing H NASA Ware H Bindery I Fine Arts ~ L-.j Mathematics Y Photo. Services · I I Music I- Science Storage ] 1 Butler Library r-{ Special Circulation :I Reference Collectio_ns Department Department H Golumbiana College Library . . . Burgess·Carpenter L...f. Russian Archive Paterno Philosophy Periodical Room Lending Service MAY 1963 221 members to the director of libraries for decision or other necessary action. Little comment seems necessary about Chart 2, which identifies all departments and sections in the library system. It should be noted that there is no division head for the libraries serving profession- al schools and the arts, this responsibility now being carried in part by the assist- ant director and in part by the Butler librarian. At the moment, the head of the business and economics library re- ports to the associate director. Finally, it is noted that NASA is a library operated on contract for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Although not formally a part of the Columbia system, there is substantial interplay between this unit and the others in the engineer- ing and physical sciences division. Persons interested in the evolution of Columbia's plan of organization of li- brary resources and services are referred to The Univ ersity Library by Louis R. Wilson and Maurice F. Tauber (2d edi- tion, New York; Columbia University Press, 1956, p. 137-38); The Columbia University Libraries (Maurice F. Tauber, C. Donald Cook, Richard H. Logsdon. New York: Columbia University Press, 1958), and the brief report in College and Research Libraries, XV (1954), 158- 60, "Changes in Organization at Colum- bia," by Richard H. Logsdon. One statement made in 1953, the date of the last major change in organization, is equally true today. There is no one perfect organization for all time, but rather a choice is always necessary among the more promising alternatives at a giv- en time. No feature of the organization and way of operating should be consid- ered as fixed. If something fails to work out in practice, a change should be made quickly to something better. •• Library Buildings Preconference Plans 222 A PRECONFERENCE Library Buildings Institute will be held July 12-13, prior to the opening of the ALA annual conference in Chi- cago, July 14-20. The theme for the institute will be "Library Build- ings for Quality Service," and the institute will consist of a general session devoted to the problems of the library building consultant, and four periods of individual sessions by types of libraries: college and university, public, school, and institutional. Registration fees of $16.00 should be sent, in advance, to the LAD office at ALA head- quarters, 50 E. Huron St., Chicago II, Ill. The LAD Buildings Committee for College and University Li- braries at its four sessions will consider the building plans of eight libraries, two in each of the four categories: junior colleges, univer- sities, colleges, and professional school libraries. • • COLLEGE AND RESEARCH LIBRARIES