Page 106 - Training for Librarianship Library Work As a Career

CHAPTER VII

The Special Library

Experience has taught mankind that
speciahzation is one of the ways to efficiency.
Whatever the field of human activity that is
examined, it is quite apparent that speciahza-
tion has brought with it expertness, intensive
knowledge and improved methods. The
physician who is a specialist is, in the field of
his specialty, preferred to the general prac-
titioner. A skilled workman is preferred to
a Jack-of-all-trades.
Libraries, hke other institutions, have been
awake to the value of speciahzation. In the
public hbraries of the larger cities, as has
already been indicated, departments having
special collections have been created. These
special collections, while sometimes referred
to as special hbraries, are not really such.
The special hbrary differs from the pubhc
and other types of libraries both in its manner
of work and in the use which is made of it.
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