Znt. Lib. Rev. (1970) 2, 183-186

Internationalism in U.S. Library School Curricula

H. C. CAMPBELL?

A summer Institute was held at the University of Oklahoma School of Library Science, Norman, Oklahoma, from 4 to 15 August 1969 in order to investigate the way in which internationalism might be intro- duced into the curricula of North American Library schools. At the present time, although something over a dozen North American library schools have courses in comparative librarianship and inter- national library activities, there are many areas which are not completely covered even by the schools which have introduced the topic, and there are many schools which have made no attempt to introduce this area as a systematic study in professional education.

In view of the possible lengthening of the period of professional education for librarians in North America, it is evident that courses on comparative librarianship may find more acceptance than they have up until now, if more time is available which can be devoted to them.

The Institute was organized by Miss Laverne Carroll, staff member of the University of Oklahoma School of Library Science, and was attended by a cross-section of Library School directors and staff members from both United States and Canada. Assisting as instructors in the school were Mr Edward Dudley, Director of the Northwestern Poly- technic, School of Librarianship, London, England, and Mr. H. C. Campbell, Chief Librarian, Toronto Public Libraries, Toronto, Canada.

Among the invited lecturers who participated were Dr 0. J. Caldwell, Dean, International Services Division, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Illinois; Dr Franklin Parker, Benedum Professor of Education, West Virginia University, Morgantown, Pennsylvania; Mr I. T. Sanders, Vice-President, Education in World Affairs, Boston; Dr J. Periam Danton, Professor, School of Library Science, University

t Chief Librarian, Toronto Public Libraries, 40 St George St, Toronto 181, Ontario, Canada.

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of California, Berkley ; and Dr Nassar Sharify, Dean, School of Librarian- ship, Pratt Institute, Brooklyn. In addition lectures were given by Miss Dorothy Bevis, Professor of the School of Library Science, University of Washington, Seattle, and Mrs Marietta Daniele Sheppard, Pan- American Union, Washington, D.C.

Participants at the Institute came from Illinois, Michigan, Pennsyl- vania, New Jersey, Kentucky, New York, Louisiana, Texas, Oklahoma and Canada, representing in all 16 different library schools. The sessions of the Institute were devoted to a review of general problems in international education, its philosophy, goals and history; to a study of comparative education, its purposes, techniques and trends and to the sociological foundations of professional development in education and librarianship.

The Institute, as a guide to its discussion, adopted the definition “comparative librarianship consists of study of one or more aspects of library theory, practice or influence in two or more societies or geo- graphical areas”. Comparative librarianship was also considered a sub- discipline of the general subject of international librarianship, and as also related to the study of library history. Both comparative librarian- ship and international librarianship are inter-disciplinary in subject matter and draw on various methodologies from comparative studies in other fields. It was felt by participants at the Institute that studies in the fields of mass communication, education, and geographic area studies were particularly relevant for comparative librarianship. The partici- pants of the Institute agreed that a basic knowledge of librarianship in one society is essential for professional librarians who intend to embark on studies of comparative librarianship.

The Institute heard how comparative and international librarian- ship was being introduced into the curricula at the School of Librarian- ship, University of California and at Pratt University, Brooklyn. The methods in which such courses are being developed and the way in which faculty and students are selected to participate was considered in detail. One of the basic recommendations of the Institute was that attempts should be made to advocate a minimum amount of inter- nationalism or comparative librarianship into all North American library education. It was agreed that in many cases steps would have to be taken to obtain administrative sanction in order to establish the validity for comparative study in education for librarianship. Among the specific ways in which internationalism could be developed in library schools was through the formation of informal student-faculty groups who would foster and sponsor programs related to international and comparative librarianship. It was also agreed that seminars for faculty

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in library schools on international librarianship were of the utmost importance in developing an awareness amongst the teaching staff of comparative aspects which could be introduced into curriculum.

One requirement within North America before adequate information about available materials and resources in the teaching of comparative and international librarianship is possible is the development of a Clearing House service which would provide information on existing courses, work in progress, on translation of materials from other lan- guages into English, on opportunities for study abroad. This Clearing House would serve as a means for co-ordinating North American participation in international library school development. It was felt that the existing agencies in the United States and Canada at the present time are not carrying out these functions. One suggestion was that the international library study centres now established at the University of Pittsburgh and at Pratt University, Brooklyn, might be utilized. It was also felt that such publications as the International Library Review and Libri could play an important part in developing a systematic review of comparative studies in the field of librarianship.

Dr Robert Booth, director of the School of Library Science, Wayne State University, Detroit, made a plea for the introduction of com- parative librarianship through what he termed the “course infusion method”. Dr Booth indicated that the existing knowledge, values and goals of comparative librarianship could be introduced into the core curricula of a library school in such areas as Introduction to general reference, courses in the Library and Society, the Introduction to cataloguing and classifying, Advanced reference courses in the humani- ties, social science and technology, and in other fields. Similarly in the various electives, whether in the field of school libraries, academic libraries, special libraries, public libraries, or work with children, young adults or adults, or in the study of documentation and information services, it is possible to provide a certain amount of comparative librarianship. A further area in which internationalism could be developed in the curriculum was through the utilization of courses outside of the library school, including those in fields such as language, geography and social studies, and courses which dealt with comparative studies in other disciplines.

All of the participants at the Institute were provided with the opportunity of clarifying and identifying their goals as far as these related to the development of internationalism and comparative studies in library education in their own schools. They discussed how each school could blend internationalism into its established courses and how they could take advantage of work being done in other areas. For each

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participant the Institute served as a valuable means of fostering co- operation and exchange of ideas and of sharing resources among library schools. In succeeding years it may be possible not only to implement many of the proposals made at the Institute, but to repeat the experience with other groups, in the hope that by such means North American librarians will emerge educated to understand the international dimensions of the library profession.