LIBRARY SCHOOLS The first school in the world established solely for the pro fessional training of librarians was started at Columbia college, New York city, in 1887, by Melvil Dewey, then librarian of the college. Dewey's plan for a school for the training of librarians had been presented to the American Library Association as early as 1883, but was opposed by some of the leading librarians. Opposition gradually gave way, however, as the value of formal professional training for library workers was demonstrated, and other schools were established in various parts of the country, beginning with the Pratt Institute School of Library Science in 189o. In 1915 the Association of American Library Schools was organized, with ten charter members, for the purpose of maintain ing standards of instruction. By 1921 three additional schools had been admitted to the association. Only five of these schools were conducted under the auspices of a college or university of standard grade, and with some of them the university affiliation was merely nominal. About 192o a demand for university stand ards became perceptible, and culminated, in 1924, in the creation by the American Library Association of a board of education for librarianship, one of the principal functions of which was to be the formulation of minimum standards for library schools. Under the standards recommended and adopted by the American Library Association in 1925, the schools were as junior under graduate, senior undergraduate, graduate and advanced graduate.
All but one of the 13 schools have been accredited by the board, and, in addition, two others. About 8,5oo students have completed at least the first year's work in the accredited schools.
For admission to a junior undergraduate school one year of college study is required, and three years for the senior under graduate, while a bachelor's degree, in addition to other qualifica tions, is required by the graduate schools. The junior under graduate schools grant a certificate on the completion of a one year course. For three years of college study and one year of library school study a bachelor's degree is usually given by the senior undergraduate schools. Most of the graduate schools give a certificate for the first year's work, although two grant a second bachelor's degree for the first year of library school study. Four university schools grant the degree of M.A. or M.S. The curricula are made up of three types of subjects, the biblio graphical, technical and administrative. While many other courses are given, from one-half to two-thirds of the student's time is devoted to bibliography and bibliographical method, reference service and book selection. The first year course is largely pre scribed, although some of the schools offer elective courses. Specialized courses in library work with children were offered in at least five schools. (C. C. WO