Dissertation Information for Alice Virginia Wituckle NAME: - Alice Virginia Wituckle
- (Alias) Alice Virginia Witucke
DEGREE:
- Ph.D.
DISCIPLINE:
- Library and Information Science
SCHOOL:
- Columbia University (USA) (1974)
ADVISORS: - Leland B. Jacobs
COMMITTEE MEMBERS: - None
MPACT Status: Incomplete - Inspected
Title: The place of library experience in library education
Abstract: Five types of preprofessional library
experience were identified for study: 1. Practicum. a. Field work: professionally supervised
library experience offered as part of the
library school's program and taking place
during the academic sequence. b. Internship: full-time professionally
supervised library experience at a
professional level following completion of
library school course work. 2. Independently acquired experience. a. Library work prior to entering library
school. b. Traineeship concurrent with library school
attendance: formalized work-study programs
in which the employing library takes some
responsibility for the student's
professional growth. c. Non-traineeship employment concurrent
with library school attendance.
The status of these experiences in the 55
American library schools accredited as of
March 1972 was surveyed.
Four of these schools, with
varying,practicum policies, were chosen for further study. Data on preprofessional
experience and attitudes toward experience
were gathered in mid-1972 through interviews
and questionnaires. Respondents vere faculty
members, summer graduates of 1969, 1971, and
1972, and supervisors of preprofessional
work experience.
Information on field exPerience in
theological, social work, and elementary and
secondary education was gathered through the
respective professional literature.
Findings Library school policies toward experience
varied. At some schools it was considered
highly desirable; at others field work was
omitted from the program and experience
ignored when acquired independently. At least 80 percent of each group studied
(faculty, students, alumni, and supervisors)
at the target schools had had one or more
preprofessional work experiences. Thus,
library experience is a part of library
education, whatever the policies of the
library school toward experience. The
experience was most likely to have been
acquired independently prior to or
concurrent with Library school. Field work
followed in number of participants; few
respondents had served traineeships or
internships. All groups believed in the
desirability of library experience, stating
that their own preprofessional experience
had had a positive effect on their overall
professional preparation. Half said that
field work should be required of all who
lack other preprofessional experience; 40 ~ percent labeled it a highly recommended
option. All types of preprofessional
experience were considered potentially
valuable. The traineeship was consistently
seen as having the most value. Conditions
interview respondents saw as enhancing the
learning value of preprofessional work
experience were concerned supervisors,
committed students, varied, activities, and
a view of the library's overall operation.
Questionnaire respondents called for
supervision, planned experience. a variety of ctivities, work at
varying levels of complexity, communication
among the principals (faculty, supervisors,
students), recognition of the experience by pay or
credit, analytic and questioning students. The three other professions studied all saw
as desirable a series of experiences in the
field, starting with observation and moving
on to full professional responsibility, with
a variety of activities in a variety of
libraries with a variety of clienteles. The
most useful preprofessional work experiences
were those which were well supervised, took place in well-
rated libraries, consisted of experiences primarily professional in
nature, included a variety of activities. Feelings of confidence toward
entrance to the profession, and satisfaction with library education, did
not correlate clearly with preprofessional experience. When asked if they would build library
experience into a library school curriculum,
all respondents but one said that they would
and among them proposed a variety of
approaches to that experience. The recommendation was made that at each
library school the appropriate place of
library experience in the curriculum be
studied in terms of the objectives of that
school and the possibilities for getting
that experience. The other professions
studied offered models useful to library
education. However,the ultimate information
needed is an objective measure of the effect
of this experience on librarian's overall professional preparation
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MPACT Scores for Alice Virginia Wituckle A = 0
C = 0
A+C = 0
T = 0
G = 0
W = 0
TD = 0
TA = 0
calculated 2008-04-07 20:56:57
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