Lutie Eugenia Stearns

“ If a great philosopher is right when he says that "culture grows only under conditions of wealth and wealth only through accumulations of capital, and capital only through accumulation of the work of those who are not justly paid," then librarians are contributing more to the general culture of the world than any and all other classes combined. In 1876 the American Library Association took for its motto, "The best reading for the largest number at the least cost." ”

“ For with this love of books should go culture, executive ability, tact, sympathy for humanity, and a knowledge of modern library methods. Save money in other ways, but never by employing a forceless man or woman as librarian; for in a small town a $600 librarian can do more with $400 worth of books than a $200 librarian can do with $800 worth of books. ”

“ Brains and talent that would command large revenues in law and medicine are compelled to be content with meagre grants in the library profession. The mind and energy that manages a library system including a main library, branch libraries, and deposit stations, covering a tremendous area, ofttimes receives but a fraction of the salary paid to the manager of a department store, while the librarian of one of the world's foremost depositories receives less than one-fourteenth part of the salary paid the president of an "execrable" life insurance society. ”

“ Some trustees might retort that people who take pains never to do more than they get paid for, never get paid for more than they do. It is a fact, however, that librarians are the poorest paid professional people in the world. They must be content to "spare delights and live laborious days." Conditions have ever been favorable for librarians to be numbered among those fortunate individuals who can labor for the honor of being workers and not for the accumulation of wealth. Since time began, the work of the librarian has been considered of value except only as tested by a money standard. ”

“ It insists that the librarian should not be chosen, as is often the case, because she is somebody's aunt, because she is poor and deserving and needs the money, because she is kindly, because she belongs to a certain church, club, or society, nor even because she has a reputation as a reader or confesses to a love of books. Concerning this latter point—this love of books—we would take issue with the statement, recently made by a prominent library worker, that the librarian does not love books any more than a broker loves the grain in which he deals ”

“ Women will accept much smaller salaries than men of equal ability and preparation. This is not in any sense to underbid the latter, but arises from two causes—the general fact that women are paid less than men for equal service and the willingness of women to work for the love of it, "without money and without price." Commission workers all over the land have daily brought to their attention illustrations of self-sacrifice and heroism undreamt of by trustees or more highly favored members of the profession. ”

“ Trained, experienced librarians are the best, but if you have but little money and must be content to employ some local applicant without training or experience, insist that the appointee shall make an intelligent study of library methods in some model small library or through a series of library institutes, or in summer library schools such as are conducted by five commissions, or in a regular library School. The librarian should be keenly alive to the tremendous possibilities of her work. ”

“ Recognition of the true nature of her work, with a glad acceptance of its noble responsibilities and possibilities will lift her fast and far out of difficulties and cause her to realize in full measure the joys and power of life. ”

“ In the question of library training is involved the question of adequate compensation. After a student adds two years at a library school to three or four years of university or college work, as required by at least two of our accredited library schools, the graduate cannot be expected in all reason to accept a salary that will scarcely keep soul and body together.
A good librarian is worthy of his hire; a poor librarian is dear at any price. ”

“ It should ever be remembered by trustees—and we cannot emphasize this point too strongly—that a worker in a small library ofttimes must possess a good many more qualifications than one in charge of a special department in a large library and that such service should receive compensation in proportion. ”

“ They wanted a man with a thorough elementary, secondary and collegiate or university training; a living interest in science, art, literature, and philosophy as a means of educating and uplifting society; a deep sympathy with the physical, intellectual, ethical, and religious needs of all social conditions; breadth of vision and depth of conviction on important religious, social, scientific and philosophical questions; excellent executive ability; great power of discernment of the character and qualifications of persons engaged in library work ”

“ In addition to this technical side, the librarian must have executive ability, the power to organize and to delegate work and to utilize what Melvil Dewey calls the four m's that produce results—materials, machinery, methods, men. On the mental side, she should have an excellent memory, accuracy, dispatch, and prompt decision, grouping important points to the exclusion of the unimportant. As a scholar, she should possess the best education obtainable. ”

“ She should have a general knowledge of literature and of what constitutes good and bad style in authorship. A knowledge of languages will prove of the greatest assistance. As for social qualities, she should be tactful and should be at ease with strangers. ”