ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries


307

Continuing Education

C o n tin u in g  E d u c a tio n  a t H a r v a r d
Although Harvard librarians have long been in­

volved in continuing education, added impetus 
came in 1972 with the issuance of a report on 
professional development. Prepared by an elected 
committee of librarians, this report led to the 
appointm ent of a standing com m ittee and in­
creased attention to continuing education. Read­
ers of this journal might find informative an 
account of the major activities since then.

The standing committee immediately began 
sponsoring lectures and seminars—usually three 
or four per year. Lasting from two hours to all 
day, programs have been as specialized as “ISI 
Indexes” and as broad as “Personnel Management 
in Libraries.” Attendance was high at first, lapsed 
for a while, and more recently has grown apace. 
Attracting primarily the junior professional staff 
and the more ambitious supporting staff, these 
programs have been the bedrock of our con­
tinuing education efforts.

Harvard librarians have had the benefit of tak­
ing a Harvard regular, extension, or summer 
school course without paying tuition. Recently 
added was a fifty p ercent reim bursem ent for 
courses at other institutions if job-related and not 
offered at Harvard. About five percent of the 
librarians take advantage of this program each 
semester.

Library conferences and academic meetings are 
a strong contribution to some people s continuing 
education. We have encouraged staff to partici­
pate by providing released time and substantial

LIBRARIANS E L IG IB L E  FO R 
ACE FE L L O W S PROGRAM

The American Council on Education (ACE) is 
soliciting nominations to the 1981-82 ACE Fel­
lows Program in Academic Administration, a ser­
vice of the council’s Center for Leadership D e­
velopm ent and Academic A dm inistration. 
Nominations should be submitted by presidents 
and chief academic officers of ACE member in­
stitutions.

The program allows institutions to identify 
talented persons who are capable of assuming re­
sponsible positions in college and university 
administration and to provide them with a signif­
icant preservice training experience.

Librarians with administrative or teaching ex­
perience are eligible for the program, as are 
faculty or administrators in academic, student,

financial support, and have done the same for loc­
al and regional professional workshops. Our ex­
perience has been that about twenty percent of 
the librarians attend one or more programs in a 
year.

Leaves of absence up to a year (with or without 
salary) are available and encouraged for educa­
tional purposes. About two librarians per year re­
quest leave to complete a degree or a book, ex­
change jobs, or accept a fellowship.

Finally, the library has stimulated (but not re­
quired) research and publication as a means of 
continuing education. A scholarly quarterly is 
published by the library and usually contains one 
or two articles by staff members. Research funds 
especially for librarians are awarded annually by a 
jury on a competitive basis. Usually, six to eight 
librarians apply for these funds.

We have learned that:
1. A relatively small number of librarians will 

take advantage of continuing education opportuni­
ties;

2. Staff involvement in planning helps insure 
success;

3. Money, time, and advocacy are all neces­
sary; and

4. A payoff in promotion and salary increases is 
nice but not critical.—Philip E. Leinbach.

Editor s Note: Philip E . Leinbach is assistant uni­
versity librarian fo r  personnel at Harvard, a post 
he has held fo r  the past eight years. ■■

and business affairs. Nominating officials are en­
couraged to consider individuals who show lead­
ership promise in a variety of areas of college 
administration; faculty experience is not a re­
quirement for participation in the program.

Candidates should be faculty or staff who have 
records of substantial accomplishment and who 
have demonstrated administrative potential or in­
dicated a definite in terest in adm inistration. 
Nominees should have at least five years of col­
lege-based administrative or teaching experience 
and should hold a degree appropriate to their 
career interests.

The deadline for nominations for the 1981-82 
class is November 30, 1980. Nomination forms 
and further information may be obtained from 
M adeleine F. G reen, ACE Fellows D irector, 
American Council on Education, One Dupont 
Circle, Washington, DC 20036. ■■