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Dissertation Information for William Jennings Myrick Jr.

NAME:
- William Jennings Myrick Jr.
- (Alias) William J. Myrick

DEGREE:
- Ph.D.

DISCIPLINE:
- Library and Information Science

SCHOOL:
- Columbia University (USA) (1973)

ADVISORS:
- Maurice Tauber

COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
- Lowell A. Martin
- Alice Bryan

MPACT Status: Fully Complete

Title: The development of coordination among libraries in a university system: a case study

Abstract:
Statement of the Problem
What were the implications for the libraries

wnen a loosely-knit municipal college system

was converted into the City University of

New York? Since enlarging and strengthening

each of the senior college
libraries to the point where advanced

doctoral work could be supported
was feasible neither financially nor

administratively, the libraries
became, at least in theory, parts of a

larger unit, the "university
library."

This establishment of a university library

created a. need for greater coordination

among its units so that the library's goal

mrght more successfully be achieved and so

that the component libraries might be

administered with the greatest possible

economy and efficiency. At the same time,

the creation of the University presented an

opportunity for effecting greater

coordination and cooperation among the

libraries.

PUrpose of the Study
An attempt was made in this study to

identify the forms of coordination utilized

among the libraries and to trace the

development of these forms with the view to

answering such questions as: which means of

coordination have been utilized and to what

extent? How does coordination start? What

are the obstacles to its growth? which

possibilities have not been
realized fo rwhat reasons? Specifically.

What were those factors whiCh
appear to have (1) mo§t promoted and (2)

most impeded library coordination in the

City University system?

Methodology
In order to answer these questions, a list

of those forms of coordination deemed most

important by experts for implementation in

developing a coordinated university library

system was compiled by means of a literature

search. These forms of coordination were:

1. To appoint an agent (either, an

individUal or a commdttee) to serve as

coordinator of the activities, services, and

functions of all the libraries.

2. To establish a union catalog of books,

serial holdings, and,
other materials.

3. To institute an inter-library loan

system.

4. To make available the combined resources

of the libraries within the system to all

students and faculty members, regardless of

the unit to which they belong.

5. To centralize, where feasible, certain

aspects of technical services.

6.TO establish a shared acquisition program.

7. To improve the utilization of personnel.

8. To standardize forms, staff titles, and

statistics.

9.To coordinate goals for collection size

and depth.

10. To affiliate with other institutions

outside the system on a local, regional, and

national basis.

11. To establish a cooperative storage

program.

The history of the university library for

the last ten years was then reviewed by

means of interviews and documentary analysis

in an effort to determine the extent to

which these forms of coordination haq been

implemented and to answer the questions

asked above.

Findinas and Recommendations
According to the results of the

investigation, it would appear that little

coordination has been developed among the

libraries of the City University during the

last ten years. Put another way, the

implementation of coordination has been

impeded to ann extent greater than it has

been promoted.
The major factors which have impeded.the

development of coordination in the libraries

appear to have been:

1.Inst1tut1onal autonomy.
2. Librarians' negative 'attitudes,
3. Lack of library support by the central

university administration.

4. The laCK of a full-time coordinating

agency empowered with:

a.
line authority;
b. direct access to appropriations; and
c. recourse to a body of statistical data

with which to justify its recommendations.
The~study concludes with conjecture that the

converse of the factors listed above would

promote coordination and the recommendation

is made that suCh factors be implemented in

order successfully to develop a viable

libray system.

MPACT Scores for William Jennings Myrick Jr.

A = 0
C = 0
A+C = 0
T = 0
G = 0
W = 0
TD = 0
TA = 0
calculated 2008-04-20 14:41:07

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Students under William Jennings Myrick Jr.

ADVISEES:
- None

COMMITTEESHIPS:
- None