Italian literary history, translate pieces from a Classical or Oriental language into Italian, write a French dictation and afterwards translate it into Italian (without dictionary or grammar). The successful candidates in this examination then undergo a two years' training at a school of library work in one of the seven national libraries, and the final appointments to the post of sottobibliotecario are made after a technical examination (oral and written, lasting three days) intended to test the results of this training. The sottobibliotecario obtains his promotion to the rank of bibliotecario after another technical examination of increased difficulty. Unfortunately for him, he has at this point to meet the competition of the estranei, or " outsiders." Any one between the ages of twenty-five and thirty-five who has a medical or legal diploma, and has taught for three years at one of the higher Government educational establishments, may enter directly for the post of bibliotecario, though it does not appear where his technical attainments are supposed to have been acquired.
The distributori, or attendants employed in fetching and replacing books, are selected after an uncommonly severe test. Candidates must show a certificate of studies, preferably a licenza ginnasiale, and give a year's service gratuitously. At the expiration of that period they undergo an examination, comprising an Italian essay, translation from the French, and questions on library economy and cataloguing.
