Page:The library a magazine of bibliography and library literature, Volume 6.djvu/335

Correspondence. SKINNER STREET, LONDON, E.G. September 14^, 1894. L.A. EXAMINATIONS. SIR, As there are many among your readers who do not know me and may, therefore, accept as accurate Mr. John Frowde's unprovoked attempt to discredit me, which appears in THE LIBRARY for September, perhaps I may be allowed to make these statements : 1. I was appointed examiner in library management at a meeting of the Council from which I was absent, presumably because my colleagues considered me capable of fitly discharging the duties. 2. Certificates are granted or withheld only by the Council. Examiners merely recommend. Every Examination paper I have drawn up has always been in accordance with the Syllabus of the Association and the text-books. 3. I recommended for a pass, every candidate, in the two questions to which Mr. Frowde takes exception, both of them being on matters referred to in the text-books specified. 4. The question of access of readers to shelves was not raised or even remotely suggested in any of the questions set, nor is it touched upon in any of the text-books. Every candidate when answering the question referring to the two indicators simply described their mechanical differences. 5. The relations between a librarian and his readers is a question which is distinctly laid down in the Syllabus of the Association, and has nothing whatever to do with the principles connected with open book-shelves. None of the candidates even hinted at open access. How could they? 6. The candidates who failed, did so because they only attempted a few of the questions, and I, therefore, recommended to the Council that they should be asked to try again. Personally I am much obliged to Mr. Frowde for his disinterested and newly-found anxiety to see the Association Examinations conducted honestly ; but he has evidently not yet learned that in all public examina- tions, the prejudices or personal predilections of examiners are generally supposed to be governed by a certain regard for honour and good faith. This remark aoplies equally to the " faithful contendings " of that gentle- man of experience and authority signing himself "Z. Moon," who writes in quite a superior strain to THE LIBRARY for July, and quotes W. S. Gilbert with so much smug unction. After all, I might with equal reason object to Mr. Joseph Gilburt examining on English Literature because he is sure to favour the wits at the expense of the theologians ; or I might even impeach Mr. Tedder as unfit to examine at all on the ground that, being Treasurer of the Associa- tion, he is bound ex officio to grudge the cost of these examinations and must, therefore, have a prejudice against all the candidates ! Yours faithfully, JAMES D. BROWN.