Public Library Surveys and Evaluation

Abstract

<<r tITHOUT being too precise about Xf/ dates we may say that twenty-five-year period during which Library Quarterly has flourished roughly constitutes span between two monumental library surveys United States. In 1926, only five years before first issue of new periodical appeared, American Library Association published its four-volume of Libraries United States;' 1950 Columbia University Press issued General Report of Public Library Inquiry, Leigh's The Public Library United States.2 The period also was noteworthy for many surveys of individual libraries which were conducted during this time. In public library field Chicago, Cleveland, Los Angeles, and a host of smaller institutions underwent intensive scrutiny; libraries at Cornell, Notre Dame, Stanford, and numerous other universities were also subjected to careful evaluation. And perhaps overriding all these surveys importance were activities which led to formulation of standards for public, school, and college and university libraries. The library survey, for better or worse, is with us, and we may well subject it to scrutiny which surveyors themselves are accustomed to devote to libraries they examine. It would be difficult to find two surveys of identical institutions which vary more widely method and approach than do ALA and Public Library Inguiry.3 The director's introduction to first volume of stated its object to be presentation of an honest, fair, unbiased statement of facts, based on actual conditions library work America, concerning every phase of library maintenance, administration, and service. Critical comment of whatever sort was deliberately eschewed: Criticism and evaluation... have been studiously avoided, and no statement that is made report should be taken as either representing or reflecting, to slightest extent, opinions or views of anyone connected with Survey (pp. 10-11). The sole aim was to describe prevailing practicethe typical form and variants-and to provide illustrations of it. The Public Library Inquiry was no less interested presenting an honest, fair, unbiased statement of facts; but its major charge was to appraise in sociological, cultural, and human terms . . . extent to which librarians are achieving their objectives, and to assess the public library's actual and potential contribution to American society.4 Furthermore, although included school, college, and university libraries, Inquiry with few exceptions was limited to public libranres only. But beyond ' A of Libraries United States, Conducted by American Library Association (Chicago: American Library Association, 1926).