Professor Forbes Gibb, University of Strathclyde. People, politics and the profession: a view from the Tower. Presentation given at Glasgow Caledonian University of Friday 5th February, 2010. This presentation was part of a seminar on the history of library education in Scotland. This seminar was the first seminar in the History of Libraries in Scotland seminar series. This series is jointly sponsored by the Library and Information History Group (CILIP) and Scottish Centre for the Book (Edinburgh Napier University).

1. People, politics and the profession: a view from the Tower Forbes Gibb

2. Overview Historical context The Scottish College of Librarianship The Department of Librarianship The Department of Information Science The Department of Computer and Information Sciences

3. Historical Context 1877 - Library Association founded after the first International Conference of Librarians 1880 - A motion to “consider how library assistants may best be aided in their training” was proposed at an AGM in Edinburgh by Henry Tedder 1880 - A Committee on Library Training was established 1885 - The first professional examinations held

4. Professional Examinations Preliminary : general educational subjects , for any appointment to a library post Second Class Certificate: a knowledge of English literature and one other European literature, bibliography, cataloguing, library management and a cataloguing knowledge of at least two other languages First Class Certificate: advanced knowledge, three languages and two years experience

5. Professional Examinations “Give a list of Dickens’s works in order of importance” “The numbers of yards of paper required to cover the four walls of a room 54 ft wide and 30 ft high is 880, and the breadth of the paper is 7/8 yard. Required: the length of the room, the cost of the paper at 2s 2¼d per piece of 12 yards”

6. Historical Context 1885 - The first proposal for a “summer school of librarianship” made that year 1893 - The first summer school was held in London (delivered by practitioners) 1895 - The Library Assistants Association (LAA) was formed who sought classes to help prepare for the LA examinations 1896 - The first summer school was held in Manchester

7. Historical Context 1897 - Classes in librarianship organised in London by the LA 1898 - The LA was granted a Royal Charter and hence a monopoly on the education, examination and certification of librarians 1902 - The LSE offered classes in librarianship within those constraints 1904 - The LA introduced correspondence courses

8. Historical Context 1914 - Classes at the LSE were suspended 1918 - Proposals were drafted to create a network of librarianship schools 1919 - A school was opened at University College London, with support from the Carnegie Trust, awarding its own diploma 1931 - Correspondence courses under the LAA 1933 - A new, three tier, examination system 1938 - A revised syllabus was proposed

9. Political Context Universities, in general, had withdrawn from professional education The (only) school in London fuelled the perceived north-south divide The Diploma was seen as devaluing existing qualifications (i.e. the Certificate) Pressure for schools elsewhere in the UK, but only to prepare for LA examinations Tensions between practitioners and the LA

10. Political Context 1908 - SLA was founded 1931 – The SLA became affiliated to the LA “… throughout the 75 years of its life there has existed in the SLA the belief that, despite denials to the contrary, the LA has never really understood the situation in Scotland” Robert Craig, 1983

11. Political Context - Scotland Classes in librarianship were being held in the High School, Glasgow in the absence of a local school 1933 - W.B. Paton, Chief Librarian of Airdrie, attacked a report criticising the performance of candidates 1938 - W.B. Paton won a motion to withdraw an LA survey of Scottish public libraries

12. Scottish College of Librarianship 1946 - 1964 1945 - Heriot-Watt turns down LA approach 1946 - Glasgow and West of Scotland Commercial College agree to: Form a School of Librarianship Appoint William B. Paton as lecturer Commence courses on 16th September Set a fee of £25 per session One of five, rising to seven, schools created in the UK to offer FT and PT courses

13. A Class at the College

14. Scottish College of Librarianship 1946 - 1964 Still restricted to preparing students for the LA examinations Still a strong emphasis on literature and bibliography Staff levels rose from 1 to 6 1948 - 20 FT and 39 PT students 1949 - 29 FT and 36 PT students 1950 - Bill Tyler becomes HoD 1957 - Teacher Librarian Certificate introduced

15. Bill Paton and Bill Tyler

16. University of Strathclyde 1964 - 1985 1964 - The LA was persuaded that schools should be able to teach and examine 1964 - The University of Strathclyde received its Royal Charter, incorporating the College of Commerce and the Royal College of Science and Technology 1966 - The first BA degree and PG Diploma in librarianship were approved at Strathclyde 1984 - FG arrives as a “new blood post”

17. University of Strathclyde 1985-1991 Courses had gone through minor modifications but still retained an emphasis on bibliography, cataloguing and classification, and types of library Staff levels 8-9 1985 - Bill Tyler retires 1985 - Blaise Cronin becomes HoD and a period of significant change starts

18. Blaise Cronin

19. University of Strathclyde 1985-1991 The Department embraces change, technology, business and the digital world 1984 - A ten PC lab was created with Computer Science 1984 - The Glasgow Herald Indexing Project was initiated with MSC funding with 20+ PCs 1986 - A departmental PC LAN was installed with six student machines

20. University of Strathclyde 1985-1991 1986 - Information Science is created as a merger of Librarianship and Office Organisation and enters the Business School 1986 - Staff numbers rise (briefly) to 18 and deliver three PG courses and 1 UG course 1987 - PG Diploma in Information and Library Studies brought on stream 1988 - PG Diploma in Information Management brought on stream

21. University of Strathclyde 1985-1991 1989 - Apple Macs employed in Glasgow Online project 1989 - First ESPRIT project (SIMPR) utilising Sun workstations 1991 - FG becomes HoD and there are 7 to 9 staff delivering three PG courses and 1 UG course, and contributing to MBA and BITS courses 1991 - Blaise Cronin leaves

22. Charles Oppenheim

23. University of Strathclyde 1992-1995 1992 - Charles Oppenheim becomes HoD 1995 - Charles Oppenheim leaves 1995 - FG becomes HoD

24. University of Strathclyde 1995 - 1995 - TQA Excellent rating 1996 - RAE Grade 4 rating 1996 - UG offerings withdrawn 2001 - RAE Grade 4 rating 2001 - Bespoke course agreed with RBS 2001 - Merger with Computer Science and move to Science Faculty 2006 - 1000th PG student graduated 2007 - Organisation of Knowledge returns!

25. The Cost of Education

26. Summary A shift from professional examinations to accredited courses A shift away from UG provision to PG A shift from exclusive curricula to selective sharing of classes A shift to a larger domain of interest and contribution A shift between faculties