The College Librarian: Sociology of a Professional Specialization

E JOB IS MORE t h a n a set of tasks or functions. It is a set of relationships as w e l l — r e l a t i o n s wi th authority, relations wi th others in the same trade or profession, relations with fel low-workers on the job, relations wi th clients or customers. Specialization within a field, moreover, often involves special relations as w e l l as special functions. T h e college librarian's job is obviously a specialization of this sort. N o t only his functions but also his relationships are, in large measure, determined by the institution he serves. T h i s paper, therefore, considers in some detail the pattern of relationships which affect college librarianship as a professional specialization, particularly those which are inherent in the college as a social institution.