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.
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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
Advisors and Advisees Graph
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