LADIES AS LIBRARIANS.
LTO THE EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOR."
SIE,—It is a little carious that the occupations for which edu- cated women are most suited, physically and mentally, are exactly those which they are only able to obtain with the utmost difficulty. Whilst a good many legitimate objections might be raised against the employment of ladies as reporters,
surely nothing can be urged against their fitness and capability for being competent librarians ; and yet not a single free library in London (with the exception of that at the People's Palace) is managed by ladies. The essentials for the successful manage- ment of a large library, being clearheadedness, attention to detail, orderly arrangement, and methodical discipline, are exactly those which are required in the management of a large household, in the organisation of which women are admittedly superior to men. So much for the business capacities. As regards the intellectual requirements—knowledge of modern languages and the classics, an intimate acquaintance with current literature, and a fair amount of general culture, scholarship, and education—surely women can bold their own in these respects. Moreover, as women are content to accept lower salaries than men, a far higher class of librarians could be obtained at exactly the same rate of wages. Take, for instance, the average male assistant at free libraries, whose salary is, say, £70 a year. It is, of course, im- possible to get a man of any but the most superficial attainments to take this post ; and as every one knows who has any experience of free libraries, it is almost hopeless to try to get any help or information from these young men, who know nothing of literature, and are, indeed, very little above cashiers and the poorer sort of clerk. Most libraries have a head librarian, whose salary is somewhat higher, and whose acquirements are supposed to be proportionately greater ; but even these might find much more efficient substitutes in educated women, the very best of whom might be obtained for their salaries of £100 to £200 a year. For persons with literary tastes, the post of a librarian, provided the work is not too arduous, is extremely pleasant; and certainly there is no better field for the study of human nature than that which is presented by the varied and interesting types of readers.
During the coming year, there will be at least three new libraries opened, and it is to be hoped that the authorities will see their way to appointing ladies to some of them.—I am,
[We omit a paragraph which our correspondent has clearly not considered.—En. Spectator.]
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