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Dissertation Information for Anne Ethelynd Prentice

NAME:
- Anne Ethelynd Prentice
- (Alias) Ann E. Prentice

DEGREE:
- Ph.D.

DISCIPLINE:
- Library and Information Science

SCHOOL:
- Columbia University (USA) (1972)

ADVISORS:
- Lowell A. Martin

COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
- Maurice Tauber

MPACT Status: Fully Complete

Title: The public library trustee; role perception in relation to performance in obtaining funds for the medium-sized library.

Abstract:
Public library trustees serving thirty-six medium-sized libraries
in five states -- Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, and
Pennsylvania --were studied by means of a normative survey to determine if
relationships exist between the way in which trustees view their role as
trustee (role perception) and their success'in obtaining funds for their
library (performance). Comparisons of the 1970 trustee were ma~~th the
trustee profile as developed by Joeckel in his 1935 landmark study, The ;
Government of the American Public Library (Chicago, ALA, 1935), and generally similar characteristics emerged. The major difference was that more
than half of the trustees, in the turrent study had served as trustees for
five years or less. Because of this, data concerning trustees was analyzed
separately for those serving five years or less and those serving six years
or more. Trustees were a1s,o studied in terms of their political, nonpartisan
and cultural activities as well as their participation in library
activities, including membership in the American Library Trustee Association,
in state trustee associations, and their reading of the more familiar
library periodicals.

Trustee attitudes toward their responsibilities in library finance
were determined through the use of an attitude scale and, depending upon
responses to the attitude items. were divided into active and less active
groups. Active or inactive role perception by trustees was then related
back to the various trustee characteristics and activities studied earlier
to determine if such activities or characteristics were typical of the
active or less active trustee.

The chief librarians of the libraries in the study were investigated
as to their political, cultural, and professional activities and were found to be very active in library activities but not active in the community.
The librarian's view of the trustee role in finance was determined by their
response to the same attitude scale as was administered to the trustees. '
It was found that librarians and trustees were in general agreement as to
the nature of the trustee role in this area despite varying interpretations
of several aspects of that role.

The second half of the study deals with public library finance,
Statistics for the period 1966-1970 cover library requests and appropriations,
library income, and indicate the increase or decrease in funding over the
five-year period. Per capita library income and true library rate for 1970
and the relative standing of each of the libraries in the study in terms of
these statistics was determined. Fourteen boards of trustees as boards
were an'alyzed- to determine if the majority of their trustees viewed their
role in library finance as active or less active and this stance was then
related to their library's income to see if active boards received a higher
le~el of funding than did boards whose trustees viewed their role in library
finance as less active. It was found that little relationship exists between
the trustee's role perception and his success in obtaining funds for the
library.

Budget making and trustee involvement in its processes was also
studied and active and less active role perception was related
degree of participation in this process. It was found that trustees often
do not understand the budgeting process and have differing views toward it.
Those trustees, however, who viewed their role toward finance as active
were. actively involved in that process in their library.

MPACT Scores for Anne Ethelynd Prentice

A = 0
C = 0
A+C = 0
T = 0
G = 0
W = 0
TD = 0
TA = 0
calculated 2008-04-07 20:46:00

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