SPECIAL LIBRARY EDUCATION IN THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA

The development of educational programmes for special librarians has been very gradual in America. As recently as 1937 the Training and Recruiting Committee of the Special Libraries Association reported that there was only one library school giving a separate course for special librarians. The inclusion of one or two lectures or units in general courses, visits, field work, or some special adjustment for individual students in thirteen other schools represented all the special library training available at that time. A similar survey made by the Training Committee in 1945 indicates that somewhat less than half of the thirty‐six accredited library schools now have some kind of special library programme and most of the schools have at least one or two lectures, usually given by special librarians, as well as several visits to special libraries in order to acquaint their students with the opportunities in this field and the qualifications desirable.