Simmons College - Microcosm Yearbook (Boston, MA)

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School of Library Science lbrarian, Law Specialist, Reference Librarian You don't judge a book by its cover as any librarian will tell you. Consider its scope, authority, up-to-date- ness, publisher, and method of treatment. These are vital terms to the students enrolled in the School of Library Science and imply more than an intellectual interest in books. Fundamentally, the librarian works with books and related material which covers every subject. A general education is, therefore, the essence on which the 4-year Simmons program is planned. Technical skill and practical knowledge complement a foundation in liberal education. Librarians groomed by Simmons replace the con- ventional ivory-tower characteristic of librarians with a new emphasis on dynamism. Libraries are sidered social institutions, attaining a new significance. No longer can a librarian be a depository or dispenser of knowledge. The librarian's primary concern is the guidance of people. He becomes in effect a mediator between people and books. He must have the ability to judge books in terms of the numbers of the individ- uals who use them 'and have the enthusiasm and desire to reach readers. A closely integrated program prepares the Simmons student for librarianship. Papyrus rolls and clay tab- lets become intimate facts of knowledge in Mr. James Boudreau's Introduction to Librarianship course, re- quired of all seniors. The societal function of libraries at various periods in history is studied with emphasis on the contemporary American library, its ideals, personnel, and services. This course also includes presentations by visiting lecturers and field trips to typical libraries in the Boston area. Practical applications of the principles involved is experienced with Miss Ruth Leonard's Cataloguing and Classification. This factual and time consuming course is rendered lighter by Miss Leonard's sprightly cornsot and gravestone hunting divergencies. Book Selection taught by Miss Sigrid Edge gives firm con- the library science student a basis for guiding adult and children readership. The aesthetic appreciation of books is taught by our own Walt Whitman expert and rare book collector, Mr. Rollo Silver. If there are blisters on the fingers of any of our girls, it's probably the result of Miss Mary Kinney's Reference course. C.B.I., P.T.L.A., S.T.C., hold the answers to questions like Who was the first woman who ran for president? or What is the significance of the third passing of a bill in Congress? When a library science student tucks Peter Grirnefv Fairytales or Heidi under his arm he's not regressing or taking the book home for baby sister. It's all part of the Children's Books course taught by Mrs. Ruth Viguers. This course aims to develop criterion for the selection of books for boys and girls through the reader's interest, habits, and abilities. The broad scope of opportunities in the library science profession is constantly expanding. Interests range from scholarship to administration, adult edu- cation to research specialists. You can work exclusively with children or exclusively with adults. A Braille li- brarian forms an important function in large com- munities. For the travel minded librarians, there are opportunities in bookmobile work. In a specialized or general field, the library science student is con- tinually given the growing importance of public relations. Throughout the four-year program at Simmons, the library science student gains professional confi- dence imbued from the friendly guidance and under- standing of the school's director, Mr. Kenneth Shaf- fer, and the solicitation of the schoo1's instructors. Whether discussing the Dewey decimal classifica- tion with Miss Leonard or whether Whitman's Leaves of Grass has formv with Mr. Silver, the student-faculty relationship for the class of '54 ends in friendship.

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What was that question? 5 Cataloguer, Children'sf Director, Mr. Kenneth K. Shaffer Don't judge a hook by its cover h'

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3... 0 as ':--' ww 4 V g f 'K LL fs . 1 H QP Y 1 The first summer . . . s Director, Mrs. Evangeline H. Morris Floor Supervisor, Surgicas I