Miles O. Price and Education for Law Librarianship

Abstract

Education for law librarianship is one of the areas in which Miles O. Price made a major contribution to his profession. Librarians know better than others that the teaching process can operate in a variety of ways, and Professor Price's educational activity certainly covered a very wide range-bibliographic writing and scholarship, law school lectures, professional meetings and forums, training of his own library staff, and direct personal contacts with other law librarians, particularly novices. Perhaps the most important thrust of this educational contribution, however, was the course in law librarianship that he initiated at the Columbia University School of Library Service in the summer session of 1937. It has been offered on a regular basis every other summer thereafter. Meeting daily during that six-week session, the course was a pioneer offering, although perhaps not the very first of its kind. In describing it, I shall try wherever possible to use Mr. Price's own words and thereby give a flavor of his style. Since each teacher's style shapes his contribution, a memorial that differentiates Miles Price's unique educational role from that of all others may be most appropriate.