Hawaii has 152 seats for 840 students (one seat for 6 enrolled students). These institutions are above average in loans.

On the other hand institutions reporting loans far below average show in cases where reports are made: (a) 1 seat for 21 students; (b) 1 seat for 12 students; (c) 1 seat for 10 students; (d) 1 seat for 11 students; and (e) 1 seat for 14 students. This group has also few or no departmental libraries, while most libraries of the first group mentioned supplement their central library by additional seats in departmental reading rooms.

It appears that libraries with limited use as shown by loans have, in general, limited seating capacity within the library buildings.

Summary

These five tests of the use of libraries, considered independently, do not seem to give an adequate basis for definite conclusions. A consideration, however, of all these criteria taken together reveal certain facts which are significant. One group has loans much above average (20 per annum). A second is much below the average in books loaned to each student for home reading (7 per annum). Institutions in the second group also have fewer books available for assigned reading for each student than have those in the first group. In addition, their borrowings from other libraries are small, and the seating capacity of their libraries is less than 1 to every 10 students enrolled. New library buildings are noteworthy in the first group but are lacking in the second. In each of these five tests every library in the first group, in so far as figures are reported, ranks higher than any library in the second group. Objection may be made to the absolute validity of any one of these tests, yet the fact that certain institutions are much above average and that other institutions are much below average in every one of these tests can not be attributed to chance. This fact is emphasized further by the fact that the average expenditure per student for library purposes for institutions in the first group is more than double the expenditure in the second group.

statistics of the use of Several did not report

The inability of many librarians to give their libraries is noted later in this report. the number of loans of books to students, the amount of interlibrary loans, and the seating capacity. The following conclusions are based on the data submitted: (1) Certain land-grant institutions show indications of comparatively little use of the library by the average student; and (2) a definite relationship exists between lack of use and financial support. Libraries with small use showed average library expenditures of less than $11 per student; libraries with use well above average had expenditures of more than $20 per student.

Chapter III.—Methods of Facilitating Use

While in general the lack of use of most libraries of land-grant institutions is due to inadequate financial support, which results in inadequate books, buildings, and personnel, the data collected for this survey by questionnaires and personal visits indicate some practices in various libraries which tend directly to increase or to discourage the use of books. These methods deserve consideration, independent of the question of books, buildings, and personnel.

The card catalogue and the delivery and reference desks are the ▸ most important points of contact between the reader and the library. Such subjects as instruction in use of books and special aids to research workers also demand some attention.

Use of Card Catalogue

"Look it up in the catalogue."-The average student in the landgrant institution does not know how to use a card catalogue. Raymond L. Walkley in a study made of the knowledge of students in regard to use of books and libraries reported:

Out of 343 freshmen, only 163 claimed any previous acquaintance with either card catalogue, Dewey classification, or magazine index; only 40 per cent had ever used a library card catalogue, less than 15 per cent knew what the Dewey classification meant, and only 20 per cent had used magazine indexes."

A personal observation at loan desks of several institutions revealed the fact that the not uncommon reply to an inquiry for a definite book was "Look up the call number in the catalogue." Several of these students were followed to watch results. Generally, they went to the catalogue, were unable to find what they desired, and left the library without either the desired material or encouragement to make future use of the library. The material, nevertheless, was there. In several cases the comment was heard, "I never can find anything in this library."

In view of the inability of students to use the card catalogue as an effective tool, one of the clear indications of poor library service is the conventional phrase, "Look it up in the catalogue." If a student can be given some assistance at the beginning of his college course, he will be able to help himself later. Otherwise, the probabilities are that the library catalogue may be an unknown tool to him throughout his life.

15 Library Journal, 45: 775-777, Sept. 15, 1924.

Dr. D. A. Robertson, of the American Council on Education, notes at the University of Richmond the frank and friendly resort of students for suggestions and assistance to a library attendant.16 The John Crerar Library has had for 20 years an assistant whose special duty it is to assist readers in the use of the card catalogue. The information desk in the New York Public Library is well known. The University of Illinois has an information desk with an assistant whose special duty it is to show readers how to use the catalogue. Iowa State College has started such a service. In a large institution a special assistant for this work will prove invaluable. In the smaller institutions a sufficient staff at the loan desk can perform this service.

Efficiency of Catalogues

Satisfactory use of the catalogue requires that it be an efficient tool. Too often it is not. Three books on farm engines of about the same scope were entered in one catalogue under three different headings-Farm engines, Agricultural engineering, Gas engines— with no references to guide the seeker from one heading to another. Any reader might have found one of the three books; it is doubtful if he would have found all three. A special assistant at the catalogue of the larger libraries, or the loan assistant in the smaller, may be as valuable in informing the cataloguing staff of the needs of readers as in interpreting the catalogue to readers.

It is due to the Library of Congress that the catalogue is as efficient as it is. For the past 30 years, printed cards have been available, making it possible for libraries to secure at far less cost card records which are more satisfactory in accuracy and scholarship than any which they can produce independently. The large use of these cards by land-grant colleges is indicative both of the extent to which they are attempting to maintain the effectiveness of their catalogues and also of the value of the service rendered. Only three institutions report that they are not obtaining Library of Congress cards for at least 50 per cent of their accessions. One institution reports it obtained cards for 99.8 per cent of its accessions. Three institutions report 95 per cent, and several others 90 per cent. The larger institutions that are purchasing considerable material in foreign languages report the lowest percentage of printed cards obtained. The University of Illinois receives only 50 per cent, Ohio State 54 per cent, Cornell about the same. An examination in one library of titles for which printed cards are not available reveals the fact that the greater proportion of such titles are in foreign languages. It is apparent that many libraries are cataloguing independently the same titles in foreign languages. To this extent work is duplicated.

16" The college library." Educational Record, 10: 22-23, January, 1929.

If arrangements could be made to enable the Library of Congress to print cards more generally for publications not in its own collections but available in university libraries, many assistants in landgrant institutions could be released for necessary work in other library departments, and in addition the accuracy of the catalogue would be improved.

The fact that the income from the sale of cards reverts to the Federal Government presents difficulties in the more general printing of catalogue cards by the Library of Congress. The proceeds from the sales of cards go directly to the Treasury Department. Increased sales involve increased expense to the Library of Congress, with no compensation from the sales. A change in the Federal statutes which would permit receipts from the sales of cards to be used for printing would seem desirable.

Not only the question of sales, but also the entire subject of cooperative cataloguing needs intensive study. This question has been often discussed in library circles but does not seem to have received effective consideration. The increasing need of some study is shown by the fact that the annual number of additions to land-grant college and other libraries of publications in foreign languages is increasing rapidly. T. F. Currier, of Harvard College, states the problem as follows:

The question that the investigation must answer is this: Can practicable methods be introduced further to centralize cataloguing? If so, who is to be responsible for managing the proposition on a sound financial basis, the American Library Association, a committee of librarians, or a commercial firm in it for profit? 17

Instruction in Use of Libraries and Books

To freshmen. The inability of many college freshmen to use card catalogues and library indexes has been noted in a previous paragraph. In order to familiarize them more quickly with the use of books and library tools, some class instruction has been given to freshmen at many land-grant institutions. The form and extent of this instruction vary greatly. The principal argument for it is that the use of books can be taught more economically and satisfactorily to students in groups than to individual students as they come to the desk for help with their problems.

Only two institutions are giving such instruction to all freshmen as required courses. One of the two requires one hour for six weeks, using primarily assignments of problems. In the second, instruction is given one hour every other week for the first semester. In addition, the College of Arts and Sciences in the University of Mary

17 Currier, T. F., Extension of centralized cataloguing. Library Journal, May 15, 1929, p. 438,

land requires one hour each week of library instruction for a semester. The Women's College of Rutgers University has a required

course.

The universities of New Hampshire, Minnesota, Illinois, and Pennsylvania State College have elective courses of one or two hours for a semester. It is obvious, however, that elective courses do not meet the requirements, because such courses are not elected usually by those who need the instruction most. Required instruction for a few hours for all freshmen would seem preferable to one or two quarter or semester hours as an elective. Seven colleges note that instruction is given by the English department as part of the regular work. Three colleges have recently dropped courses by the library staff and substituted instruction by the English department as part of the course in freshman English. The reason given in one reply to the questionnaire is as follows:

Funds were not available for the hiring of an additional staff member, and the librarian recommended that the course be discontinued if such help could not be furnished, as we were forced to neglect the regular work of the library if we continued to carry on a creditable scholarly course. The English department is now introducing a few lectures on the use of some of the more important reference books in the library.

In view of the diversity of practice in regard to instruction in the use of the library, it is desirable to attempt to state the objectives of this instruction and to determine the most effective means of attaining them. W. F. Headley, professor of education at Carleton College, states:

Every freshman should make it his early business to find his way among the materials of his college library as much as among the buildings on his campus. A few hours given to a study of the library and its use will save him untold time and anxiety, render more efficient his work in every course, and stamp upon him for life one of the marks of a scholar."

The attempts of many colleges to provide some instruction in these tools indicate that the need is realized.

Tests have shown that college students are not sufficiently familiar with library tools to enable them to find bibliographic material needed in their courses. Freshmen should acquire early in their college course the ability to use periodical indexes, such as Readers' Guide, Engineering or Agricultural indexes, the most common encyclopædias and reference books, and the card catalogue. They should be familiar with such works as Murray's Oxford Dictionary, Stevenson's Home Book of Verse, Granger's Index to Poetry, dictionaries of quotations, and statistical abstracts. The objectives of such instruction are to enable the student to use with ease the card catalogue and the more common bibliographic tools.

A. L. A. Education Committee, School Library Yearbook, No. 1, 1927, p. 99.