The Educational Third Dimension: II Programs for Continuing Library Education

THISPAPER DISCUSSES some aspects of the problems inherent in keeping librarians up-to-date and educating them after library school graduation, and suggests approaches toward solving these problems.The need for improving the contemporary program of continuing education is described and specific changes are suggested.The paper is based upon the American situation, and although public librarians are used as subjects, the generalizations should also be useful to all other librarians.Its theme might be a quotation from Jesse and Mitchell: "A rapidly changing age is forcing the professions to attach a new importance to continuing education."l Houle states that every profession must be concerned with the total education of its members, and continuing education is just as important as pre-service education.Each institution has the responsibility of educating its staff, particularly in keeping up with new concepts and methods and in preparing for new positions.Because the library school curriculum can only briefly cover all that the librarian needs to know, it should include nothing which can be learned better later.2 Idea ObsolescenceOne of the librarian's problems is an inadequate background of goals and ideas against which new activities can be evaluated and full understanding eventually acquired.If college and library school curricula were more comprehensive and current, perhaps the begin-