Training the Junior College Librarian

Abstract

IN THE 1880's there were a few junior colleges all privately supported. The first public junior college was established in 1901 at Joliet, Illinois. By the close of the 193O's there were about 400 and in 1957 their number had increased to 597. During the next decade more than 200 new junior colleges were formed. By 1968 there were over 800. Judging by the recent annual rates of growth, it is predicted that by 1970 there will be over 1,000 junior colleges.1 Most of the early junior colleges were very small in size, often being served by only one librarian. Today small junior colleges still exist, but the number of the larger organizations has steadily increased, especially among those which are publicly supported. An ever increasing percentage of the junior college libraries require the services of several professional and non-professional staff members. Not only have junior colleges increased in number; they pursue more diverse goals than those established during the first three or four decades of this century. Originally most junior colleges offered merely courses identical with or similar to those offered in the freshmen and