THE UNIVERSITY 

OF ILLINOIS 

LIBRARY 

^^ 



PAPERS AND PROCEEDINGS 



EIGHTEENTH GENERAL MEETING 



AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION 



CLEVELAND, O., and HACKINAW, Wis. 



Sept. 1-4 and S 



1896 



Published by the 
AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION 

1S96 2_ 



CONTENTS. 



Title. 

Hear the other side : President's address 

Retrospect and prospect in the last years of the century . 
The new building for the Library of Congress .... 
Public documents and the proposed new public docu- (_ 

mentsblll ij 

The appraisal of literature * 

Travelling libraries 

Functions of library trustees and their relation to li- 1 

brarians f 

Advertising a library 

Library editions of popular fiction 

" Do" : advice based on experience 

New and old books : what to buy 

Reading-room and periodicals 

Preparing a book for issue ; and charging systems . . , 
Report on the Congress of Women Librarians at Atlanta. 

Report on giftsand bequests 

The librarian's annual report 

Proposition for an American libraries' clearing-house . . 

State aid to libraries 

The stor>' of Mackinac 

Proceedings 78-151 

First Session 78 

Second Session 78-81 

Invitation from Rowfant Club 78 

Report of Committee on Public Documents . 79-81 

Third Session 81-112 

Resolutions of Public Documents Commit- 



J: C. Dan 
/. .V. Lar 



F. A. Cranda 



5(79) 
13 (79) 



41 



G: lies 26 (83) 

J: Thomson 29 {113) 

F: M. Crnnden 32 (118) 

Miss L. E. Stearns 

C: R. Dudley 

Sundry contributors 

Miss C. M, Hewifis 

Miss H. P. James 

F. P. Hill 

Miss A. B. Kroeger 

Miss C. M. Heiuins 

Miss C. N. Garland 

A. Hepner 

G: M. Lee 



R. G. Th-ii 



ites 



Expert annotation of books 83-85 

Report of Executive Board 85-90 

Library Primer 85 

European trip 86-90 

Treasurer's Report 90-91 

Report of Endowment Fund 91-92 

Gifts and bequests 93 

Report on Library Schools 93-96 

On Armour Institute 97 

On Pratt Institute 97 

A. L. A. Publishing Section 97-104 

Supplement to Reading for the young ... 104 

Report of Co-operation Committee .... 105-109 
Foreign Documents 109-112 

Fourth Session 112-124 

Travelling libraries 113 

Amendment to Constitution 113 

Poole Memorial Fund 113-114 

Exhibt:ions of Engravings and Pictures . . 114-117 
A. L. A. and Trustees' Section 117-124 

Fifth Session 124-132 

National Educational Association 125 

Library editions of books 125-127 



Library* furniture and appliances . . . . , 

Reading-room , 

Accessioning, classifying, and cataloging . , 

Reference work , 

Report of Finance Committee 

Sixth Session , 

A. L. A. Catalog Supplement , 

I Sociology , 

Science 

Useful arts , 

History , 

Children's books , 

Fiction , 

Seventh Session 

Charging systems , 

European tour , 

Conference of i8g8 , 

Committee on Resolutions , 

Result of election , 

Banquet , 

Eighth Session , 

Necrology 

Trustees' Section , 

College Library Section , 

State Library Associations 

The Social Side. Miss L. E. Stearns . . . . 
Some memories of the Library Conference, 

Anne Wallace 

The Post-Conference. Miss //. F. Haines. 

Attendance register 

Attendance summaries 



25) 
25) 
43 
47 (129) 
49 (»29) 
51 C147) 
57 ("2) 
. 58 (93) 
65 (131) 
67 (147) 
68 
71 (151) 
. 127-128 
129 
. 129-130 
. 130-131 
. 131-132 
- 132-147 
. 132-146 

• 134-135 
. 135-1 3<5 

137 
. 138-139 
. 139-141 
. 14T-146 
, 147-151 

• 147-149 
. X49-150 



150 

150-151 



152-153 
153-154 
I54-J55 



156-159 
159-165 
165-171 






c caa-^ ■ 



CONFERENCE OF LIBRARIANS. 



CLEVELAND AND MACKINAW, 



September 1-4 and 8, 1896. 



ADDRESS BV THE PRESIDENT, JOHN COTTON DANA, LIBRARIAN OF THE 
DENVER PUBLIC LIBRARY. 



HEAR THE OTHER SIDE. 



T SOMETIMES fear my enthusiasm for the 
free public library is born more of contagion 
than of conviction. Consider the thing in some 
of its evident aspects. You have a building per- 
haps erected to perpetuate a good man's mem- 
ory, a monument and of use only as a monu- 
ment ; or constructed in accordance with the 
views of an architect whose ideas of beauty are 
crude and whose thought of utility is naught ; ill- 
adapted to the purpose for which it is intended ; 
poorly lighted ; badly ventilated. In it are stored 
a few thousand volumes, including, of course, 
the best books of all time — which no one reads 
— and a generous per cent, of fiction of the 
cheaper sort. To this place come in good pro- 
portion the idle and the lazy. Also the people 
who can't endure the burden of a thought, and 
who fancy they are improving their minds, while 
in fact they are simply letting the cool water of 
knowledge trickle through the sieve of an idle 
curiosity. The more persistent visitors are 
largely men who either have failed in a career, 
or never had a career, or do not wish a career. 
We all know our own indolents, our own 
idlers, our own "boarders." There is little 
that is inspiring, per se, in the sight of the 
men who gather in the newspaper reading- 
room of any free public library. There is not 
much that is encouraging in a careful look at 
the people who are the more constant visitors 
to the shelves of the reference department. 
Who wear out our dictionaries, the students 
of language or the competitors in a word- 
building contest ? Of those who come to the 
delivery counter, if our friends tell the truth, 60 
to 80 per cent, rarely concern themselves, as far 



as the library knows them, with anything out- 
side of fiction, and in that field concern them- 
selves generally only with the latest novel, 
which they wish because it is the latest. And 
of this 60 to 80 per cent., a large proportion — 
probably at least half — prefer to get, and gen- 
erally do get, a novel of the cheaper kind. 

I am stating the case plainly. I share your 
enthusiasm ; but that enthusiasm is not seldom 
to me — and I believe to you — a cause for sur- 
prise. Has it not often come sharply home to. 
every one of you — the hopelessness of the task 
we assume to set ourselves ? the triviality of the 
great mass of the free public library's educa- 
tional work ? the discouraging nature of the 
field ? the pettiness, the awful pettiness, of re- 
sults? 

Nor is this all. That we strive for great 
things and accomplish the infinitely little ; that 
our output is by no means commensurate with 
the size of the plant and the cost of its main- 
tenance, this is by no means the only fact which 
may rightly sober our enthusiasm. 

Fathers and mothers love their children and 
look after their happiness. The more they do 
this, the more they concern themselves that the 
human beings they have brought into the world 
be self-reliant, self-supporting people, knowing 
how to live in harmony with their fellows, and 
wishing so to live, the more civilized are they. 
Parental responsibility is something the sense of 
which has never been too acute. That I may 
rightly scorn and despise my neighbor if his 
children be not decent, attractive, civilized ; that 
my neighbor may rightly consider himself dis- 
graced if his offspring grew not up in the fear 



324G3? 



CLEVELAND CONFERENCE. 



and admonition of the — good citizen; these 
things are not yet commonly received. The 
native manners and the education of the Ameri- 
can child are looked upon, not so much as the 
result of parentage and home training, as the 
good gift of God and the public school. 

A strong sense of parental responsibility — 
this is a prime essential in the growth of true 
culture — in the increase of social efficiency. 
And this feeling of obligation to train properly 
the souls of one's own creation ; this sense that 
the parent can win public approval as a parent 
only when the result is an additional factor in 
the public's happiness and comfort ; this rule of 
living would surely result, if rightly applied, in 
careful consideration of the child's education. 
But what have we done ? We have turned the 
whole subject of education over to the commu- 
nity. We have made it depend very largely on 
the result of an annual counting of noses. We 
have let it slip gradually into the hands of those 
veritable and inevitable children of government 
— the politicians. The American parent is in- 
different to the character of the education of his 
children. The interposition of the community 
in what should be his affairs has not only made 
him indifferent to those affairs, it has made 
others indifferent that he is so. He pays his 
taxes. If the schools are poor the fault is at 
the school-board's door, not his. 

I am dwelling long on this point, for it is vital. 

The free public library not only relieves the 
idle and incompetent and indifferent from the 
necessity — would he have books — of going to 
work to earn them ; it not only checks the 
growth of the tendency of the private individual 
to collect a library of his own, adapted to his 
own needs, and suiting his own tastes and those 
of his children ; it also tends to lead parents to 
become indifferent to the general reading of 
their children, just as the free public school may 
lead them to be indifferent to their formal 
education. Certainly, fathers and mothers 
whose children use public libraries seem to care 
very little what and how much their children 
read. They conceal their solicitude from libra- 
rian and assistants, if it exists. Yet, if a collec- 
tion of books in a community is a good thing 
for the community — and we seem to think it is; 
and if it is a good thing particularly for the 
children of the community — and we seem to 
think it is, then it is a good thing, not in itself 
simply, not as an object of worship, not as an 



adequate excuse for the erection of a pleasing 
mortuary monument on the public street, but 
for its effect on young folks' manners and on 
young folks' brains. But to produce a maxi- 
mum effect herein, to produce even a desirable 
effect, the right books must be put into the 
right hand at the right time. Can any do this 
rightly save the parents at least co-operate with 
them ? But the public library is not an institu- 
tion which the mother helps to support because 
she has come to believe in it; because it is her 
pleasure; because she can and does keep a 
watchful eye on its growth and its methods. 
It is part of the machinery of the state. She 
confides her children to its tender mercies in 
the same spirit with which her forbears con- 
fided in their king ! And she does no more. 

Furthermore, the essence of government is 
force. This essence remains whether the visi- 
ble form be king or majority. It is open to 
question — I put it mildly — whether it is ex- 
pedient to touch with the "strong hand" the 
impulse of a people to train with earnest thought 
their young, or the impulse of a people to give 
light to their fellows. People wish, in the 
main, to educate their children. Without this 
wish a school system, public or private, would 
be impossible. This wish is the vital fact; that 
the system is public and tax-supported is the 
secondary fact; the result, not the cause. Peo- 
ple wish also, in the main, to give their fellows 
and themselves the opportunity for self-im- 
provement. This wish is the vital fact at the 
bottom of the free, compulsorily supported'pub- 
lic library. It is on these vital facts we should 
keep our eyes and our thoughts, not on the 
feature of compulsion. Work, then, for the 
extension of the public library from the starting- 
point of human sympathy, from the universal 
desire for an increase of human happiness by 
an increase of knowledge of the conditions of 
human happiness, not from the starting-point 
of law, of compulsion, of enforcing on others 
our views of their duty. 

I have said enough in this line. To the ob- 
servant eye our libraries are not altogether 
halls of learning; they are also haunts of the 
lazy. They do not interest parents in their 
children; perhaps they lead parents to be indif- 
ferent to their children. 

But really, you say, all this is not our con- 
cern. You have had this thought — what is 
all this to us? — already and many times in 



DANA. 



these few minutes. We find ourselves here; 
loving the companionship of books; desirous 
of extending the joys they can give to our fel- 
lows; embarked in public service, and active — 
none are more so; zealous — none are more so; 
honest — none are more so, in our work of 
making good use of books. Your modern li- 
brarian is in his daily life no disputatious econ- 
omist, idly wavering, like the fabled donkey, 
between the loose hay of a crass individualism 
and the chopped feed of a perfectionist socialism. 
He is a worker. If there are things to be said 
which may add to the efficiency of his attempts 
to help his fellows to grow happier and wiser, 
let us hear them; and for this we have come 
together. 

I have said these things, I am sure you will 
believe me, not with the wish to lessen the zeal 
of one of us in our chosen work. A moment's 
look at the case against us cannot anger us — 
that were childish; cannot discourage us — that 
were cowardly; it may lead us to look to the 
joints in our armor; it should lead us to renew 
our efforts. If the free public library move- 
ment be not absolutely and altogether a good 
thing — and he is a bold economist who vows 
that it is — how urgent is the call to us to make 
each our own library the corrective, as far as 
may be, of the possible harm of its existence. 
A collection of books gathered at public ex- 
pense does not justify itself by the simple fact 
that it is. If it be not a live educational insti- 
tution it were better never established. It is 
ours to justify to the world the literary ware- 
house. A library is good only as the librarian 
makes it so. 

Can we do more than we have done to justi- 
fy our calling ? Can we make ourselves of 
more importance in the world ? — of more posi- 
itive value to the world? Our calling is digni- 
fied in our own eyes, it is true ; but we are 
not greatly dignified in the eyes of our fellows. 
The public does not ask our opinions. We are, 
like the teachers, students; and we strive, like 
them, to keep abreast of the times, and to have 
opinions on vital topics formed after much 
reading and some thought. But save on more 
trivial questions, on questions touching usually 
only the recreative side of life, like those of lit- 
erature commonly so called, our opinions are 
not asked for. We are, to put it bluntly, of 
very little weight in the community. We are 
teachers; and who cares much for what the 



teacher says ? I am not pausing now to note 
exceptions. We all know our masters and our 
exemplars ; and I shall not pause to praise the 
men and women who have brought us where 
we are; who have lifted librarianship, in the es- 
timation of the wise and good, to a profession, 
and have made it comparatively an easy thing 
for you and me to develop our libraries, if we 
can and will, into all that they should be, and 
to become ourselves, as librarians, men and 
women of weight and value in the community. 
I do not pause to praise them. They under- 
stand as well as I that approval and counsel 
cannot well come from me to them. 

I have said that your library is perhaps in- 
juring your community ; that you are not of 
any importance among your own people. And 
these, you tell me, are hard sayings. In truth 
they are. I am not here to pass you any com- 
pliments. If for five minutes we can divest 
ourselves of every last shred of our trappings 
of self-satisfaction, and arouse in ourselves for 
a moment a keen sense of our sins of omission, 
of things left undone or not well done, I shall 
be content, and shall consider that we have 
wisely opened these Cleveland sessions. I 
would wish to leave you, here at the very be- 
ginning of our discussions, not, indeed, in the 
Slough of Despond, but climbing sturdily, and 
well aware that you are climbing, the Hill 
Difficulty. Others. I can assure you, will, long 
before our conference ends, lead us again, and 
that joyfully, to our Delectable Mountains. 

Pardon me, then, while I say over again a 
few of the things that cannot be too often said. 

Look first to your own personal growth. Get 
into touch with the world. Let no one point 
to you as to an instance of the narrowing ef- 
fects of too much of books. Broaden out. 

Be social. Impress yourself on your com- 
munity ; in a small way if not in a large. Be 
not superior and reserved. Remember that he 
who to the popular eye wears much the air of 
wisdom is never wise. 

Coming to your chosen profession; Speak 
out freely on matters of library management; 
and especially, in these days, on matters of li- 
brary construction. In recent years millions 
of dollars have been spent on library buildings 
in this country, and we have not yet a half 
dozen in the land that do not disgrace us. If 
we have stood idly by and not made our opin- 
ions, our knowledge, our experience, felt by 



CLEVELAND CONFERENCE. 



trustees and architects, then is ours the blame, 
and we are chief among the sufferers. Per- 
suade architects and their associations, local 
and national — who ignore us because in our 
inconsequence they know they can — that they 
may wisely and without loss of dignity consult 
the professional librarian about the building he 
is to occupy. I say persuade them ; I might 
better say compel them. To compel them will 
be eas)' when you have become of importance 
in the world. Even now it is not too soon to 
attempt to confer with them. You can at once 
make the beginning of friendly and helpful 
relations with the American Institute of Archi- 
tects. But you must ask, not demand. 

Advertise the A. L. A. and what it stands 
for. Help to broaden its field. Support heart- 
ily measures which look to a greater degree 
of publicity for it. Interest your trustees in 
it. Interest your friends, and your patrons 
and constituents in it. Be ready and willing 
to do your share of the work — and there's 
no end of work — that each year must be 
done to keep it properly alive and well in 
the public eye. Call the attention of your 
trustees to the difference between the efficient 
library, such as the A. L. A. advocates and 
strives for, and the dead-and-alive collection of 
books, still altogether too common where the 
A. L. A. spirit has not yet penetrated. Con- 
sider the contrast between the possible public 
library and the public library that is. If the 
causes for that contrast lie at your door, face 
them frankly and bravely, and strive to remove 
them. 

Do not forget the Library Department of the 
National Educational Association, recently es- 
tablished. It gives you excuse, and it gives 
you cause, to take an interest, more active 
even than heretofore, in the introduction of 
books and library methods into school work, 
and to concern yourselves more than ever be- 
fore with the general reading of teachers and 
their pupils. Impress upon teachers the value 
to them of your library. Persuade them, if you 
can, that to do their best work they must know 
well and use freely the good books. 

See that your local book and news man is 
heartily with you in the work of spreading 
knowledge of the right use of books and in 
encouraging ownership of books in your com- 
munity. If you come in contact with the book- 
seller and the publisher of the great cities do 



what you can to persuade them that to join in 
the work of the A. L. A. is not only to benefit 
the community at large, but to help their own 
particular business as well. 

Be not slow in giving hearty recognition to 
those who have, in the beginnings of library 
science, taken the first place and borne the 
burdens and made an easy way for us who fol- 
low. If, perhaps against some odds, a libra- 
rian, man or woman, is making an eminent 
success of some great city library, may you not 
properly send him, once and again, a word 
which shall signify that you, at least, are alive 
to the fact of his good work and are yourself 
encouraged and inspired thereby ? Like words 
of approval you may well extend to the good 
men, outside of the profession proper, who 
have given their time and energy, a labor of 
love, to improve certain features of library 
work. I need not specify. 

Interest in your work in your own communi- 
ty your local book-lovers and book-collectors 
and book-worms and private students and plod- 
ders and burners of the midnight oil. Get in 
touch with the teachers of literature in the col- 
leges and schools of your neighborhood. Ex- 
pound to such, and to the general reader as 
well, whenever you properly can, the difficul- 
ties and the possibilities of your calling, your 
conquests in classification and cataloging, and 
your advances in bibliography and indexing, 
and the progress in recent years of general 
library economy. Remember that all these 
things can be even better done in the small 
community, in the village library of a few hun- 
dred volumes, than in the large library of the 
great city. 

Note the women's clubs, art associations, 
historical societies, scientific societies. Do not 
forget the private schools. In the small town 
you can gain without difficulty the good-will of 
the local newspaper. You can often assist the 
editor in his work, and lead him to help you in 
return. The clergymen in your town certainly 
care somewhat for the reading of their young 
people, and will co-operate with you in any in- 
telligent effort to increase it and improve it. 
The Sunday-school libraries of j'our neighbor- 
hood are open to your suggestions, if you ap- 
proach them properly. And the Y. M. C. and 
the Y. W. C. associations will gladly take from 
you advice and assistance in the management 
of their reading-rooms and their libraries. 



LARNED.. 



None are so poor that they cannot give to 
others; and few libraries are so small that they 
cannot spare books and magazines enough to 
make a little library which may be sent out into 
a still smaller community and there do good 
service. 

Do the business men and the business women, 
the active people, those who feed us and clothe 
us and transport us, those who have brought 
about in the last few decades the great increase 
in creature comforts for every one, do these 
business people take an active interest in your 
library? Do they care for you, or for your 
opinion? If not, is it their fault? is it that 
they are gross and dull and material and world- 
ly; or is it that you, the wise librarian, know 
not yet how to bring your educational forces to 
bear on the life that now is ? Our work is but 
begun so long as we are not in close touch with 
the man of affairs. 

Remember that as you in your little town, or 
in your city, widen the sphere of your influ- 
ence, grow to be a person of worth and dignity 
in the community, you thereby add so much 
to the dignity and to the effectiveness of the 
whole profession. If in a city or town near 
you there is a library which, in its general 
arrangement is not what it should be, which is 
but a dusty pile of printed pages or but a roost- 
ing-place for a flock of cheap novels, yours is 
in part the fault, and you are largely the loser. 
When a dweller in that town, one unacquainted 
with library affairs — and most are such — 
hears you alluded to as a " librarian," he thinks 
of you as a person akin to the bibliothecal 
pagan who fails to manage the library of his 



own town, the only library he knows by which 
he can measure your work. He is a " li- 
brarian"; you are a "librarian." We wear 
the livery of our coworkers as well as our 
own. 

Keep these thoughts in mind and you will 
see how essential it is, would our profession 
reach the standing we wish it to reach, would 
we make it everywhere an honor to wear our 
name, that every smallest library be an effec- 
tive educational machine, and that every hum- 
blest librarian be an active, enthusiastic, intel- 
ligent worker. Yet some people in charge of 
accumulations of books must even now be 
urged to join the A. L. A. 

See that your library is interesting to the 
people of the community, the people who own 
it, the people who maintain it. Deny your 
people nothing which the book-shop grants 
them. Make your library at least as attractive 
as the most attractive retail store in the com- 
munity. Open your eyes to the cheapness of 
books at the present day, and to the unimpor- 
tance, even to the small library, of the loss of 
an occasional volume; and open them also to 
the necessity of getting your constituency in 
actual contact with the books themselves. 

Remember always that ta.xation is compul- 
sion; that ta.xation is government; that govern- 
ment, among present-day human creatures, is 
politics; that the end of an institution may not 
justify its means; that a free public library may 
be other than a helpful thing. See to it, there- 
fore, the more carefully that your own public 
library at least is rationally administered, and 
promotes public helpfulness. 



RETROSPECT AND PROSPECT IN THE LAST YEARS OF 
THE CENTURY. 

HY JOSEPH NELSON LARNED, SUPERINTENDENT, BUFFALO LIBRARY. 



TT is hazardous to attempt to look at things 
in our own time as they will appear to a 
philosophic eye in the future, looking back upon 
them in the perspective which time arranges, 
and under the double light of history which slants 
on them from before and from behind. But I 
shall venture the attempt, and anticipate, if pos- 
sible, the more important judgments that will be 



pronounced on the age which rounds our cen- 
tury to its end, by thoughtful historians of com- 
ing days. 

What I think they will conclude, briefly out- 
lined, is this: That the dominant processes of 
culture in modern civilization have been those 
which tend to what may accurately be called tin' 
tvidaiing of lif,- ; that in our century those proc- 



CLEVELAND CONFERENCE. 



esses have reached a climax of acceleration, so 
nearly exhausting the energies of mankind that 
little has been left for the deepening of the cur- 
rents of life which ought to go with them ; that 
the inevitable consequence is a flagrant super- 
ficiality in the character of the time. For the 
life of men, as we all know, is measurable in 
three dimensions : One given by its material 
conditions ; another by the activities and the 
practical knowledge that make up so great a 
part of it ; the third by those things of the spirit 
which hold all its nobility. What I mean, there- 
fore, by the "widening of life" is a develop- 
ment of mankind in the two easier directions, of 
material well-being and practical knowledge, 
along lines which define a plane and not a solid 
of civilization. And I say that in these present 
days we are at or near a climax of thin and 
flattened culture to which the prevailing process- 
es of social evolution in modern times have 
tended steadily. 

The widening of life, which I have named as 
the great and dominant characteristic of civiliza- 
tion in modern times, may be said to have be- 
gun with the spread of Hellenism in the wake 
of the conquests of the Macedonian Alexander. 
Then it met and marched with Rome, and joined 
the following of Christianity, until it possessed a 
more spacious arena of peace, of social order, of 
commerce, of human acquaintance, of the inter- 
change of knowledge, than had ever been 
opened before to the race of men for their 
growth. But when the empire of Rome was 
broken, and the new races out of the barbarous 
north took the making of European history 
into their hands, this movement of expansive 
culture suffered more than a check. The cur- 
rents of life were shrunk into narrow channels 
again, circumscribed by the rude medieeval con- 
ditions of war, anarchy, feudal oppressions, 
ignorance, superstitions. How they won re- 
lease at last, flowing out on vigorous new 
streams of inquiry and enterprise, to revived in- 
tercourse with the east, to impassioned study of 
the forgotten classics of Greece, to the inven- 
tion of printing, to the finding of the Indies by 
the way of the sea, to the discovery of a new 
world in the west, to the settling of the now 
rounded and comprehended globe of the earth 
in its rightful place among satellite planets, in 
the universal procession of the stars, does not 
need to be told. To rehearse the familiar story 
of renaissance is no part of my purpose. What 



I plan to do is to trace partly the course of some 
few among the differing movements in recent 
centuries that make up the distinctly expansive 
progress of civilization, and to show with what 
effect they have been precipitated on the present 
age with a great and sudden increase of velocity. 

The first in time and always the most vigor- 
ous widening of human life has been on the 
lines of trade ; and trade through all past 
periods has borne with, it, in its vessels and 
vehicles, much more than its own merchandise. 
It scattered in the towns and cities of western 
Europe that seed of burgess independence which 
grew into the finally sovereign Third Estate. 
Unwittingly and without intention it has been, 
until these later times, the very servant of Free- 
dom, to nurse its infancy and nourish its 
strength, wherever Freedom had birth and 
growth. The burghers of Holland and the 
commons of England drew alike from it the 
larger measure of their power. And the whole 
greatness of England, what is it, in the frame, 
but a mighty fabric of trade? What pillar of 
her empire is there that her merchants did not 
raise? And where is the considerable shore, 
from America to Australasia, to which the lan- 
guage, the law, the liberties, and some copy of 
the Parliament of England has not been carried 
with her plantations by English ships ? 

In times past, too, the commerce of the world 
was always the one great common school of 
mankind. They learned their geography in it, 
their natural history, and the better part of all 
their science. As said before, they bartered 
more than commodities with one another. Arts, 
economies, methods, experiences, customs, in- 
stitutions, moral notions, ideas, were plentiful 
in the cargoes that went and came between 
strange countries and people. 

And so, throughout history, until we come to 
its later chapters, the merchant-adventurer has 
been invested with a high and grave dignity by 
the vast importance of the many and potent in- 
fluences that were kept active by his enterprise 
and supported by his wealth. 

But now there is little left of those robes of 
dignity which commerce wore formerly, as the 
patron of political freedom and as the teacher 
of many things. The common knowledge of 
the world has outrun its teaching; the common 
condition of men in most lands has become su- 
perior to its patronage. It is no longer the 
merchant only who travels abroad, but all men 



LARNED. 



are travellers. What remains to be learned of 
countries or peoples is looked for from the sci- 
entific explorer ; what remains of popular rights 
to be secured must be won by the artisan and 
the laborer. In a word, there is sheer naked- 
ness to-day for the mercenary motives which 
actuate trade, and all there is of vulgarity in its 
spirit and aims shows bare to the sight. Shows, 
too, more conspicuously than ever before, be- 
cause of its prodigious activity, and the vast 
compass to which it has spread. Neither econ- 
omist nor historian has yet adequately repre- 
sented the magnitude of the revolution wrought 
in commerce within our century by the employ- 
ment of steam. With the fleetness of its carri- 
ers increased and their service cheapened year 
by year ; with its great net of highways, woven 
finer and finer in the mesh, stretching fast over 
the whole habitable earth, and drawing all cov- 
etable things, little or great, into one common 
exchange ; with the commodities of every con- 
tinent gathered into every market, and each 
town made the seat of an endless world's fair — 
the new character developed in commerce and 
the new influences that proceed from it are not 
easily traced or described. 

On one side there are marvellous effects al- 
most wholly good. It is a plain fact that they 
have bettered beyond measure the circumstances 
of material well-being for civilized mankind. 
What were luxuries for the few they have 
cheapened into comforts and pleasures for the 
many ; and by raising the standard of life in its 
physical terms they are helping to prepare it for 
a wholly finer tone. Let that large credit be 
frankly given. But against it we are forced to 
set greeds and vulgarities, in this steam-driven, 
electrified commerce of our day, which are dis- 
gusting and hateful. Having grasped all the 
exchangeable commodities of the earth, and 
trafficked to the uttermost extent of actual trade, 
it turns them now into gambling stakes, dupli- 
cates them in paper fictions, over which gam- 
blers, who call themselves merchants and busi- 
ness men, howl like animals, in places which 
bear the honorable name of exchanges and 
boards of trade. 

But this is not all. Within the honest reali- 
ties of trade there is a clawing scramble of com- 
petition, fairly brutal in its temper, that will 
have a shameful aspect by and by, when it is 
looked back upon over one or two centuries of 
time. Our ancestors of the middle ages saw 



something of its kind, perhaps, now and then, 
when their great market fairs were occasionally 
held, and when the cries from rival booths and 
the shouts of fighting apprentices, and all the 
hurly burly of an eager, mannerless, rough con- 
tention for custom deafened their ears. For 
us, the cries from the booths are put into adver- 
tising print, and the cudgel of the 'prentice is 
exchanged for the bill-poster's brush ; but there 
is not much discoverable refinement in the 
change. And our fair goes on through all 
seasons of all the years. 

Let us leave the thought of it, and turn back 
to consider those movements of political eman- 
cipation which ran parallel, for so long a time 
in history, with the lines on which commerce 
expanded. I shall not attempt to follow the 
steps of the people in their slow advance out of 
servitude, and_from under harsh oppressions, 
to the state of personal freedom and eifectual 
citizenship that prevails in most civilized coun- 
tries to-day. I wish only to point attention to 
a much-overlooked fact in the history of the 
evolution of democracy, which is this : That 
all the acquisitions of political power made by 
the common mass of people, in the freest coun- 
tries, down to a time not remote in the memory 
of living men, were more in seeming than in 
reality — or, rather, they were more potential 
than potent. What in fact the people at large 
had gained was a. footing in the political sys- 
tem, from which it became possible for them to 
exercise an irresistible power of control when- 
ever they found opportunity for organization 
and united action. But opportunities for union 
and organization were few and limited, so long 
as the means of communication were what 
they were until less than half a century ago. 
While the horse, in most regions, remained the 
sole carrier in service, for travel and corre- 
spondence alike, and while weekly journals and 
gazettes were the only disseminators of news, 
it was out of the question for an effective com- 
bination of citizens to be formed on any exten- 
sive scale, for a really independent enforce- 
ment of opinion or will in public affairs. In 
some small local circle, like that of the New 
England town-meeting, they could realize a 
popular government completely. But in the 
larger arenas, of state and federal affairs in 
America, and of national politics in Great 
Britain, their mere suffrage in the election of 
representatives was a half-futile, uncertain po- 



CLE VEL A ND CO NFERENCE. 



litical power. They could not follow events 
closely enough, and they could not keep enough 
in touch with each other and with their political 
representatives, to have opinions much defined 
or currently influential. They were arranged 
more fixedly in two parties, the for and the 
against some broad generality of doctrine, than 
will ever be possible again. The power se- 
creted in their ballots exploded now and then 
in revolutions, which threw one party out of 
the government and another in, and which pro- 
nounced a popular judgment, perhaps, on some 
mischief long after it had been done. But of 
public opinion, as a currently manifested, per- 
sisting, controlling democratic force in politics, 
there was little, and could only be little until 
the quick, tremendous agencies that now acton 
it and for it were recently created. 

Thus democracy, as meaning an effective 
distribution among the people at large, in any 
considerable community, of the practical pow- 
ers as well as the theoretical rights of self- 
government, never existed and was never pos- 
sible before the present time. We are just in 
the stage of social evolution at which a real 
popular opinion, half-informed and unreasonable 
for the most part, but, nevertheless, a deter- 
mined opinion formed by individual minds, 
appears wide-awake for the first time in human 
history — watchful of passing events and rising 
questions, and ready to act on them day by 
day, as they come. It is an absolutely new 
force in society, wholly different in kind as 
well as in degree from what passed for public 
opinion a century or half a century ago. For 
one of its first effects we discover that it is eat- 
ing like an acid into the substance of the great 
old political parties of every democratic nation. 
In France, in England, and here in America 
their hard rigidity has been yielding to it with- 
in the last dozen or 20 years. They are un- 
dergoing dissolution, breaking into shifting 
factions, or making room for ephemeral experi- 
ments in new party organization, on issues 
that excite opinion for a day and then drop 
from the fickle public mind. The day of pure 
duality in politics is gone; we shall never know 
it again. 

And it is not in politics only that these 
phenomena are found. The whole ancient 
structure of society is entering on the same 
process of dissolution in all its parts. The old 
apparent stabilities in it are everywhere giving 



way, to be replaced by conditions of unstable 
equilibrium — the conditions, in fact, which 
Nature, in all her working, identifies with or- 
ganic life, and which promise, therefore, a 
vital and enduring constitution of society for 
the future. But now we are experiencing those 
conditions at their worst. It is the fortune — 
some may say the misfortune — of our genera- 
tion to have its moment of life bestowed in a 
chaotic and anarchic interval, between the 
solidity that was crystallized in the classes and 
parties and churches of an inorganic society 
hitherto, and the elasticity of living tissue that 
will unquestionably come into the substance of 
the social body hereafter. We suffer the 
anxieties of the loss of a static quietude in the 
one ; we shall know very little of the vibrant 
and vivified harmony that must come with the 
other. On us falls the clash of social elements 
breaking out of their old combinations and 
seeking affinities for the new ; the disorder of 
a crumbling labor system ; the disturbed se- 
curity of all provident capital ; the shocks of 
increasing hostility between head and hand, or 
between schemer and toiler, or between purser 
and worker, in the industrial world ; the per- 
sisting mischief of dishonest monetary projects; 
the continual eruption of mad social theories, 
anarchic and nihilistic, and the widening ac- 
ceptance of more innocent and more danger- 
ously delusive social dreams ; these discord- 
ances, which belong to the early movements 
of a great and radical revolution in the con- 
stitution of society, have fallen especially to 
our lot, in the procession of the generations 
of mankind, and it is for us to be as wise and 
as courageous and as hopeful in the dealing 
with them as we can. They are an obvious, 
inevitable outcome of the perfected apparatus 
of communication, which facilitates agree- 
ments, understandings, combinations and un- 
dertakings of every nature, for mischief or for 
good, among men at the present day. If I 
have dwelt on the sinister side in my sketch of 
these phenomena of the time, it is because the 
sinister side is most conspicuous, receives most 
attention, affects most the feeling of our genera- 
tion, and needs explanation most. We need, 
that is, to be made to see that what looks dis- 
couraging to us in the contemporary scene is 
but a phase of human history darkened by 
shadows that will surely pass, even as they 
came. If the old order in society is dissolved 



LARNED. 



by a fluid ease of intercourse and communica- 
tion among its members, a new order will arise 
from the yet greater mobilities of a coming 
time. Many prophetic signs of it are already 
given to us. The ferment of altruism that is 
quickening in all social sentiment day by day 
will produce, at last, a very protoplasm for the 
social body, to be the seat of its life. 

But there is one set of present-day condi- 
tions — the most disheartening, perhaps, of all — 
and one set of influences behind them — the 
most powerful of all — that yet remain to be 
considered. I have scarcely spoken of print 
and the press, among the servants of human 
intercourse which are widening life at the 
present day by so sudden and stupendous a 
stretch, because they need to be distinctly dis- 
cussed. The confusing and overwhelming 
effects that pour from them now are so altered, 
in kind as well as in measure, from all former 
experience, that we cannot easily understand 
them or recognize them for what they are. 
Let us glance back along the lines on which 
the energy and range of written language have 
been expanded by the printer's art. 

From the first movement of its lever, the 
press brought an immeasurable new force into 
modern civilization. Though its earliest ser- 
vice was rendered mainly to scholarship, in the 
diffusion of the classic writings of antiquity, it 
was speedily drawn into a more popular arena, 
and gave a voice to the appeals of religion, a 
weapon to theological controversy. The ra- 
pidity of its work at that early period is shown 
by the rapidity of the spread of the ideas of the 
Reformation, for which it was a vehicle that 
could not have been spared. Between Guten- 
berg's death and Luther's birth there were 
only 15 years ; but the reformer found already 
an extensive commonalty in most parts of 
Europe prepared to be reached and acted on by 
the printed tract and book. That the intellect- 
ual horizons of life were widened from that day 
is one of the plainest facts of history. Its skies, 
too, were lifted to a loftier arch, and it was made 
larger in all ways by energies which the new 
instrument of knowledge set free. For then, 
and long afterwards, the splendid work of type 
and press was earnestly done. Some kind of 
purpose — not always good, nor wise, nor true, 
nor wholesome, but something that had thought 
behind it, or fact, or imagination, or emotion — 
was in most things which received the printer's 



stamp. The stream of print that runs down 
through the 17th and iSth centuries is rippled 
by few extensive shallows. 

At the opening of the iQth century the book 
and the tract remained still the principal prod- 
ucts of the press, and the custody or the convey- 
ance of ideas was still its chief employ. It had 
already engaged itself in a lighter service, as 
the messenger of news; but that was a mere ap- 
prenticeship, not yet promising of much effect. 
So long as the gathering of news depended on 
the vehicles of the olden time, it was too slow 
and too limited a work to greatly stir the 
world. But when the speed of lightning and 
the energy of steam were offered to the news- 
paper press, that passed suddenly to the front 
of all the influences acting on mankind. School, 
pulpit, and platform were left behind it. The 
mastery of our later civilization, in the moral 
moulding of it, if no more, was soon seen to 
have been grasped by adventurers in a new 
commerce, which made merchandise of pass- 
ing history and marketed the tidings of the day. 

Meantime, the common school had been do- 
ing its work far and wide, and most men and 
women, of the leading races, had learned to 
read. That is to say, they had learned to de- 
cipher language put into print, or had learned 
reading as a simple art. But the educational 
use — the culture use — of the art was some- 
thing which no majority of them had yet ac- 
quired. To make readers of them in practice 
as well as potentially, another agency was 
wanted beyond that of the school. The news- 
paper came apparently to supply it. Books 
and libraries of books were not yet equal to 
that mission. Perhaps it will always be im- 
possible for book literature of any kind to push 
its way or to be pushed into the hands of the 
people with the penetrating energy which car- 
ries newspapers among them. At all events, 
the common school making'possible readers, and 
the newspaper inviting them to read, arrived 
together at a conjunction which might have 
seemed to be a happy miracle for the univer- 
salizing of culture in the western world. The 
opportunity which came then into the hands of 
the conductors of the news press, with the new 
powers that had been given them, has never 
been paralleled in human history. They might 
have been gardeners of Eden and planters of a 
new Paradise on the earth ; for its civilization 
was put into their hands, to be made what they 



CLEVELAND CONFERENCE. 



would have it to be. If it could have been pos- 
sible then to deal with newspapers as other 
educational agencies are dealt with; to invest 
them with definite moral responsibilities to the 
public; to take away from them their commer- 
cial origin and their mercenary motive; to in- 
spire them with disinterested aims ; to endow 
them as colleges are endowed; to man them for 
their work as colleges are manned, with learn- 
ing and tried capacity in the editorial chairs — 
if that could have been possible, what imagina- 
ble degree of common culture might not Europe 
and America by this time be approaching to ? 
As it is, we are as we are to-day, disputing and 
striving to explain to one another a condition 
of society which shames all who think of it. 

Nevertheless, during the first two or three 
decades of the modern news-market, as it 
took shape, we will say early in the forties, the 
influence of the newspapers was generally more 
wholesome than otherwise. Readers of them 
were made acquainted with things worth the 
knowing. The world and their life in it, as 
part of a great whole, were very genuinely and 
wholesomely widened to them, and by much 
more than the larger knowledge of it which 
they gathered from day today. The widening 
of the sympathetic life of mankind, meaning 
thereby an increment and expansion of all the 
feelings which press men into closer and warm- 
er relations, and prepare them for a truer un- 
derstanding of one another, was the supreme 
effect upon them of the daily world-history 
which began to be reported to them in the 
period named. 

But the time came when one arose, among 
the brokers of the news-market (it might not 
be impossible to give a name to him, and a 
place in American history), who made a discov- 
ery which proved nearly fatal to daily journal- 
ism in its influence and dignity. He discerned, 
that is, with low shrewdness, an unbounded pos- 
sibility of degradation in human curiosity and 
vanity, as opening a great, vulgar, and profitable 
field to unscrupulous press-reporting. He was 
not left long alone in the ignoble field of his dis- 
covery. One by one the traflSckers in news yield- 
ed to the corrupting example or they were driven 
by less scrupulous competitors into the ranks of 
the new journalism, until, to-day, we can count 
on the fingers of not many hands the important 
newspapers (in America, at least) that will give 
us real and clean news, and not force us to 



strain some meagre pickings of it out of a sick- 
ening compound of trivialities, impertinences, 
vulgarities, morbidities, and worse. 

Here and there we may still bow with respect 
before a newspaper over which the responsible 
Editor has kept his sovereignty. In most in- 
stances he has been deposed, and the irrespon- 
sible Reporter reigns in his place — master of 
the awful power of the Press — chief educator 
of his generation — pervading genius of the 
civilization of his .time. Trained to look at all 
things, in heaven above or in the earth beneath, 
with an eye single to the glory of big type, he 
sees them in one common aspect. The great 
and the little, the good and the bad, the sweet 
and the foul, the momentous and the trivial, the 
tragic and the comic, the public and the sacred- 
ly private, are of one stuff in his eyes — mere 
colorings of a coarse fabric of life which time 
weaves for him to slit and to slash with his 
merciless, indifferent shears. And so, with 
little prejudice and small partiality between 
things high and things low, he makes the daily 
literature on which most of us feed and tincture 
our minds. It is a monotoned literature, and 
its one note is flippancy ; the flippant head-line, 
the flippant paragraph, the flippant narrative, 
the flippant comment. To jest at public calam- 
ity, to be jocular with crime, to cap private 
misfortune with a slang phrase, or sting it with 
a smart impertinence ; to be respectful and seri- 
ous toward nothing else so much as toward the 
gayeties and the gaming of the world of fashion 
and the world of sport, appear to be the perfec- 
tions of the art to which he is trained. 

And no careful observer can fail to see that 
the degradation of the newspaper press is de- 
grading most of the voices of the time. The 
shallow flippancy which began in journalism is 
infecting literature in every popular form. 
More and more the air is filled with thin strains 
of wordy song ; but the great, deep-toned melo- 
dies of thoughtful poetry are dying out of it 
fast. Rhymers multiply apace, and the Reporter 
inspires them. They worship the god Novelty 
with him, and Apollo is forgotten. They ex- 
ercise a frivolous, nimble fancy on tight-ropes 
and trapezes of metrical invention, in perform- 
ances which are curious to behold and melan- 
choly to reflect upon. 

The Reporter inspires the romancer, too, and 
is training him to his own likeness in spirit and 
method ; while the business manager in jour- 



LARNED. 



nalism commercializes his aims, by contracts for 
a serial "output" of literature, measured like 
a telegram or an advertisement, by the number 
of the words. 

The art world, too, is infected with the irre- 
sponsible levity which had its genesis in the 
newspaper. Half of the men who paint pict- 
ures are doing so with scornful denials of any 
thoughtful purpose in their work. "Art for 
.^rt's sake " is the senseless formula of their 
contempt for the reverent service of imagination 
and reason which Art would command of them 
if Art knew them at all. They have crowded 
noisily into her temple, and their powerful pat- 
ron, the Reporter, dubs them "artist" in his 
puffs and paragraphs ; but they belong in reali- 
ty among the color-mixers and craftsmen out- 
side the temple door, who are artisans, not 
artists. 

On all the commoner sides of its life there is 
a shallowness, there is a flippancy, there is a 
vulgarity in the present age which belongs to 
it peculiarly. Who can dispute the fact ? And 
what is plainer than the cause we find in that 
precipitate, enormous expansion and accelera- 
tion of communication in the world which has 
occurred within our time, acting on civilized so- 
ciety, and most powerfully in America — in the 
three modes I have pointed out, namely : (i) an 
increasing excitement of commerce, following 
closely upon the loss from it of all its older 
vesture of educational dignity and adventurous 
spirit, producing for the time a mercenary na- 
kedness which could not fail to be vulgarizing ; 
(2) an abrupt plunge for the freer peoples from 
theoretical into actual and practical democracy, 
with an inevitable dissolving of their prior 
organizations, political, industrial, and every 
other, more rapidly than the new can be soberly 
formed to take their place ; (3) the evolution of 
the modern newspaper and its speedy corrup- 
tion, from the mighty servant of civilization, 
which it ought to be, into the busy pander of 
every vulgarity that the new conditions can 
feed. 

But that is not the end of the story. These 
effects are but early effects — effects in their be- 
ginning, from great enduring causes, the opera- 
tion of which is far from being exhausted in 
them. If the common mind of the age is triv- 
ialized and vulgarized by its newspapers and 
its commerce, it is being at the same time 
pricked to a new alertness, even by the worst 



journalism and the fiercest money-making, and 
faculties are being wakened in it that will some 
day answer the call to higher uses. The in- 
fluences which bear on it to that result are 
steadily gathering volume and weight. For pow- 
erful forces are even now working in the world 
to broaden life for those who will have it so, 
not superficially but profoundly, and not in 
mere sense and circumstance, but in conscious- 
ness and thought. 

There are some ideas which, when they have 
got a setting in the mind, are like magnifying 
lenses to the eye of reason, clearing and en- 
larging its whole vision of things. The Coper- 
nican idea of the structure of the universe was 
such an one. By dispelling the human egotism 
of the views which put man and his 'habitation 
at the centre of creation, it opened new vistas 
to thinking in a hundred directions. The idea 
which Newton brought to light, of a unity of 
law in the universe, was another. The com- 
pleter development of that idea in the doctrine 
of the correlation of forces, or the present day 
notion of Energy, is still another. But of all 
the emancipating conceptions which, one by 
one, have entered and possessed the mind of 
man, there was never one before that brought 
such liberations with it as came by Darwin's 
message to our own time. It is hardly too 
much to say that the full, free exercise of 
human reason on all the greater problems of 
life and destiny, whether personal or social, 
really began with the perception and apprehen- 
sion of evolutionary processes in God's work. 
That has raised the thinking minds of our day 
to a summit of observation which was never 
attainable before, while eager Science brings 
hourly new helps to them for the expansion of 
their view. 

It is true that this intellectual expansion of 
life is nowhere known to all men. Even so 
much of it as goes with vague glimpses of the 
%vorking of universal law is still no common 
experience ; while those who know it in its ful- 
ness are everywhere a few. But something 
from it is diffusing itself in the whole atmos- 
phere of the age ; something penetrating, stim- 
ulating, virile ; something which most men are 
compelled to feel, whether they comprehend it 
or not, and to which the finer elements in them 
must respond by some sort of rally and growth. 
Of hopeful phenomena in the world, that one is 
the greatest of all. It indexes a new state of 



CLEVELAND CONFERENCE. 



the common mind , now cleared for the most part 
of old superstitions, and thus prepared for the 
receiving of light to dispel its old ignorances. 

And what a wakening of moral no less than 
intellectual energies there is in our time for 
work directed to that end ! A little while ago 
the steam-engine, the factory, the forge, the 
mine, the mart, represented about all the human 
energy that made itself conspicuous in the civil- 
ized world, excepting some occasional explo- 
sions of it in movements of religious and polit- 
ical enthusiasm and in raging outbursts of 
war. To-day it is not so. No little part of 
the interest, the ardor, the force, the ingenuity 
which spent themselves on those objects before 
are already going over into a very different 
field. We are seeing the rise of an enterprise 
in education which almost rivals the enterprise 
of mechanic industry and trade. Invention is 
half as busy in the improving of schools, in the 
perfecting of instruction, in the circulating of 
books, in the stimulating of reading and study, 
as it used to be busy in the making of machines. 
The diffusion of literature is left no longer to 
depend, like the diffusion of cotton fabrics or 
tea, on the mercenary agencies of trade. Half 
a century ago the free public library was created. 
For 30 years it has been worked over by one 
set of people, just as the steam-engine has been 
worked over by another set, and the electric 
dynamo by another. Its powers have been 
learned, its efficiency developed, in the same 
scientific way. Cunning variations of form are 
being wrought in it to fit all circumstances and 
to do its civilizing work in all places. It be- 
comes a " Travelling library" to make its way 
into the villages and rural corners of the land. 
It becomes a "Home library" to reach the 
tenement-houses and purlieus of the city. It 
spreads itself in branches and delivery stations. 
It distributes choice reading in the schools to 



broaden the teacher's work. It drums and ad- 
vertises its unpriced wares like a shop-keeper 
avaricious of gain. It is taking up the eager, 
laborious, strenuous spirit of the present age, 
and wresting some large part of it away from 
the sordid activities of life, to give it unmerce- 
nary aims. 

So books are being made to do considerably 
alone what books and newspapers ought rightly 
to be doing together. As a carrier in the spirit- 
ual commerce of the world, the book is not 
nearly so agile, so lightly winged, so Mercury- 
like as the newspaper can be; but when each is 
at its best how much nobler is the freightage of 
books! 

As I have said heretofore, I rest my faith in 
a future of finer culture for mankind upon the 
energy of free public libraries in distributing 
good books, far more than upon any other 
agency that is working in the world. So far, 
they have but opened gates into the field of in- 
fluence that is before them ; but the gates are 
really swung wide, and the length and breadth 
of the field is fully seen, and the spirit that will 
possess it and work in it is eagerly alive. I 
speak soberly when I say that the greatest 
antagonism to be met and overcome is that of 
the vulgarized newspaper press. I say this 
with persisting iteration, because I am pro- 
foundly convinced that it is the fact which needs 
most at the present day to be understood. How 
to win readers of the general mass from un- 
wholesome newspapers to wholesome books, or 
how to change the spirit of the common news- 
papers of the day from flippancy to sobriety — 
from the tone of the worst in social manners 
and morals to the tone of the best — is the 
gravest pending problem of civilization. The 
zeal and the energy of free schools and free 
libraries can achieve the solution of it, and there 
is nothing else that can. 



GREEN. 



13 



THE NEW BUILDING FOR THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. 



BY BERNARD R. GREEN, CIVIL ENGINEER, WASHINGTON, D. C. 



■yi rHEN your president honored me with an 
invitation to be present at this Conference 
and address you on the subject of the Building 
for the Library of Congress he gave no intima- 
tion what feature of it would be the more inter- 
esting to you, and so, without training or ex- 
perience as a librarian, as you must know, 
but rather as an engineer engaged for many 
years in the construction of large build- 
ings, I am left to my own judgment. It is 
fortunate for me, however, that the subject in 
the abstract is so interesting to librarians, for 
this building is, in the most comprehensive 
sense, the largest, most monumental and beau- 
tiful, the best appointed, and therefore the 
grandest that the wor d has yet erected for the 
sole purpose of a library. Nevertheless, ex- 
perience is likely to discover in it room for im- 
provement, because its design was preceded by 
but few or no good examples of library archi- 
tecture and apparatus on a large scale, and was 
therefore the outcome of theory and deduction 
rather than the application of established prin- 
ciples. Furthermore, at the beginning. Con- 
gress adopted only a general plan, in which 
many important details had not been vforked 
out, and began the work without limit of cost 
or period of construction, or defining the char- 
acter of the building. The consequence was a 
change of law and management, and a necessi- 
ty for pushing on vigorously with the work to 
avoid further delay, narrowing the opportunity 
for that degree of thoroughness in the study of 
the plan in detail which its great importance 
demanded. The effort was, finally, to plan on 
general rather than particular principles, and 
afford the largest latitude for e.xpansion and 
rearrangement in the occupation and uses of 
the spaces. The spaces are therefore left whole 
and undivided, with floors of ample strength, 
thorough illumination and ventilation, and fea- 
sibility for any interior alterations that future 
purposes may require. 

The annual report of the Librarian of Con- 
gress, Mr. Spofford, in 1872, first set forth the 
urgent necessity for more room and better 



conveniences for the already congested libra- 
ry, then — and still — located in the Capitol. 
The subject was immediately taken up by the 
Library committees of Congress, but not im- 
mediately disposed of. On the contrary, de- 
spite the unremitting efforts of many friends 
in Congress, the pressure of other business, 
lack of appreciation of the importance of the 
subject, failure to find advisers having their 
implicit confidence, the question of cost, the 
ever-present hlte noire of the battle of the sites, 
and the embarrassing fact that the personnel of 
the committees changed more or less as new 
Congresses succeeded one another, wearily con- 
tinued the disheartening discussion from 1S72 to 
1SS6 (14 years) before an act was passed looking 
to relief for the crowded library. Perhaps, 
however, this delay was a blessing in disguise, 
for it may well be doubted whether so satisfac- 
tory and magnificent a building as we now have 
would have been authorized and so successfully 
carried to completion had not Congress final- 
ly exhausted both the subject and itself be- 
forehand, and thus become willing to place the 
building on a sure business footing and sup- 
port it to the end. 

Many plans were considered during that long 
period, but most of them were essentially alike 
in arrangement and capacity of building, the 
differences being chiefly in the style of architect- 
ure. By Act of April 15, 1886, one of these 
plans, in the Italian Renaissance style, har- 
monious with the Capitol, was adopted, the pur- 
chase of a site, consisting of two city squares 
east of the Capitol, one-quarter of a mile away, 
provided for, and a commission created to carry 
on the work of completing the plans in detail 
and constructing the building. This commis- 
sion was composed of the Secretary of the In- 
terior, the architect of the Capitol, and the Li- 
brarian of Congress. 

The purchase and clearing of the site, which 
was covered by some 70 houses, consumed the 
first year, and the excavation and preparations 
for laying the foundation occupied the next. 
In the third year a part of the foundation was 



14 



CLEVELAND CONFERENCE. 



laid. Mr. Smithmeyer, one of the architects 
who furnished the general plan, was employed 
by the commission as architect to carry on op- 
erations under their direction, but the work did 
not proceed satisfactorily, and finally, by Act of 
October 2, i88S, Congress repealed the original 
act, and substituted therefor one which placed 
the entire control and execution of the work in 
the personal hands of General Thos. Lincoln 
Casey, then just appointed Chief of Engineers 
of the Army. He was required to act directly 
under and report directly to Congress, and to 
prepare a new plan which could be executed 
within the limit of cost of $4,000,000. After two 
and one-half years' delay, added to the 14 that 
had preceded, it would have been unwise indeed 
to have consumed one hour more of time than 
was absolutely necessary for the preparation 
of the new plan. The original general plan 
being very good if not perfect, without more 
ado we adopted it as a basis and worked up the 
f 4, 000,000-plan called for, but took the opportu- 
nity to place with it before Congress a modifica- 
tion of the original plan, retaining practically its 
full dimensions, and giving a complete descrip- 
tion and estimate of cost and time of construc- 
tion. As was anticipated. Congress, caring less 
for the cost within a million or two than for a 
definite plan and estimate that could be de- 
pended on, adopted the larger plan at a cost 
limit, from that date, of six and one-quarter 
millions of dollars, and eight years' time for 
construction. 

General Casey took charge October 2, 18SS, 
and the two new plans were laid before Con- 
gress on December i, with the full detailed re- 
port of the projects. By Act of March 2, 1S89, 
Congress adopted the larger plan, whereupon 
the work of construction was immediately re- 
sumed. It has continued without any inter- 
ruption to the present time. 

The plan of the first story or library floor is 
given in the plate facing page 16. 

The building is essentially of three stories, 
but there is also a commodious cellar, dry, 
well lighted and ventilated, under the entire 
structure. The four courtyards are down at 
the cellar floor level. There is also an attic 
story in each of the six pavilions. The stories 
are designated, architecturally, basement, first 
story, and second story, the basement being 
the ground floor. There are but two entrances. 
The main one is on the west front facing the 



Capitol, and in two parts, the one by way of 
the stone platforms and steps leading to the 
first story, or library floor, and the other just 
beneath by way of thefiortf cochlre entering the 
basement. The latter is approached directly by 
carriages under a broad, protecting archway. 
The other entrance to the building is at the 
east front, where a stone platform and other 
arrangements facilitate the receiving and ship- 
ping of freight. The west main pavilion is 
chiefly devoted to the grand staircase hall or 
foyer of the building. It contains only the 
librarian's oflSce, some lavatories, cloak-room, 
the offices of custodian and captain of the 
watch, and, in the attic, some small rooms 
and a restaurant. 

The great central feature of the building is 
the octagon rotunda, crowned by the dome, 
and constituting the public reading-room, 100 
feet diameter in clear by 125 feet high. It con- 
tains the centre of administration of the library 
proper, and is surrounded by a spacious public 
gallery, the entrance and exit of which is by 
way of the main stair hall, independent of the 
entrances to the reading-room. The three inner 
wings adjoining the octagon on its north, east, 
and south sides, are devoted entirely to the 
storage of books, and are therefore constructed 
especially for and filled with shelving on the 
stack plan. -This shelving extends from the 
basement floor level, in nine stories or tiers, to 
the roof. 

As will be observed, the plan of the building 
is perfectly symmetrical on its east and west 
axes, the north and south halves being precisely 
alike. The exterior dimensions are 470 feet 
by 340 feet, and the area covered is 3^^ acres, 
exclusive of approaches and boiler - house. 
The basement story is 14 feet, the first story 
21 feet, and the second story 28 feet high, floor 
to floor, all being multiples of the stack story 
height, which is seven feet. The main floors of 
the building thus coincide with the correspond- 
ing stack decks, and a door is placed at each 
junction therewith, north, south, and east. 
Lavatories are placed in the four corner pavil- 
ions and in the basement of the octagon. 

The plan especially provides for the so-called 
central system of administration, or, that sys- 
tem whereby, as in the British Museum, the 
general readers make all applications and re- 
ceive and return their books at the desk in the 
centre of the reading-room. In this building 



GREEN. 



15 



the whole working portion of the library will 
be operated and managed from the central desk 
in the following manner : 

The central desk includes the catalog 
counter and contains the attendants with all 
requisite apparatus for communication and 
transportation at hand, and an elevated station 
from which an observer may see every reader 
in the room at any time. The reading-tables 
are arranged around the central desk in three 
concentric circles. The inner one is a combina- 
tion of reading-tables, settees, and standing 
writing desks, containing shelves for printed 
catalogs, etc. The other two circles of read- 
ers' tables are double-faced, permitting readers 
to sit on either side. Allowing four feet of width 
to each, 246 readers may be accommodated at 
one time, and more by seating them closer. 
This concentric circular arrangement is a uni- 
form distribution of space, gives a more sym- 
metrical appearance to the room, and places 
the greater part of the seats around the more 
quiet margin remote from the central desk. 

Shelving is placed in the two tiers of alcoves 
surrounding the reading-room, subdividing 
them into spaces wherein special students, or 
readers desiring privacy and quiet, may be ac- 
commodated. 43 such spaces, each from eight 
to 10 feet square, are thus provided, and each 
reader therein may have a table and facilities 
for writing and extended investigation. A 
stairway in each of the eight main piers, which 
surround the reading-room and carry the dome, 
gives access to each tier of the alcoves. 

The reading-room is lighted mainly by eight 
semicircular clerestory windows, each 32 feet 
wide, occupying the arched spaces between the 
main piers above the public gallery and above 
the adjacent roofs of the building. The sills 
of these windows are about 55 feet above the 
floor; admitting the light so high that they are 
more effective than skylights, without any of 
their evils. No shadows are cast in any direc- 
tion, the amount of daylight is sufficient in the 
darkest days, and the reader's eye meets little 
or no direct light unless cast upward at an 
angle of 30 degrees or more. 

The interior is yellow Siena and quiet red 
African marble up to the gallery, above which 
the color is lighter yellow, merging into ivory 
and gold in the vault of the dome. 

The central desk contains a set of 24 pneu- 
matic tubes, one to each deck of the the north 



and south stack, four to the east stack, one to 
the librarian's office, and one to the Capitol. 
All carry messages swiftly and all but the last 
one are speaking-tubes of the best quality. 
The central desk will also contain the terminals 
of mechanical book-carriers to the north and 
south stacks, and be in telephonic communica- 
tion with the librarian's office, the terminal 
station in the Capitol described below, and 
both houses of Congress. Wires are also laid, 
by means of which any electric communication 
may be had at any time with any part and be- 
tween all parts of the building. 

The construction of the building is monu- 
mental and permanent, being heavy and solid, 
and, of course, fireproof throughout. Thee.xte- 
rior walls are of New Hampshire granite, the 
court walls of English enamelled bricks trimmed 
with Maryland granite, the upper portion of 
the octagon or main rotunda entirely of Mary- 
land granite, the roofs and dome of iron, steel, 
and terra-cotta, the body of all walls of hard 
brick, and the floors of brick and terra-cotta. 
Many of the floors are carried by brick arches 
and vaultings with no metal incorporated. The 
remainder of the floors are carried by iron 
beams and girders of heavy proportions. 

The only combustible material used is a car- 
pet of boards laid on a solid masonry bottom in 
the office and working-rooms only, the window- 
sashes of mahogany, and the doors, which are 
generally of mahogany and oak. The read- 
ers' tables and central desk in the rotunda 
are of mahogany, and a wainscot of oak, as 
a decorative finish, occurs in the two special 
reading-rooms for members of Congress and 
in the librarian's office. All hall, museum, 
and lavatory floors are of tile or marble mosaic, 
and so is that of the main reading-room and 
the basement under it. The book-stacks are 
entirely of steel and cast-iron, with marble 
decks. 

To librarians one of the most interesting 
features of the building is that of the book- 
stacks and the provisions made for their future 
extension. When the building was begun eight 
years ago, book-stacks, properly so-called, were 
small and few in number, and probably the 
best existing example was that of the Gore 
Hall extension at Harvard University. The 
fundamental principles were excellent and in its 
day, a quarter century ago, it was a greatly 
advanced design in storage shelving for books. 



j6 



CLEVELAND CONFERENCE. 



With this exception there were few or no pre- 
cedents to guide in designing the best possible 
stack — one which would provide the greatest 
security, convenience of access and classifica- 
tion of the books, as well as maximum storage 
capacity — and it was necessary to investigate 
the needs of the librarian, the readers, and the 
books themselves. The increasing rapidity of 
growth of collections of books, and, for the 
Congressional Library, the broader function as 
a National Library likely to be assigned it, had 
also to be borne in mind. 

The shelving capacity of the building was to 
be about four and a half millions of volumes. 
It appeared that the requisites of such a stack 
were : 

1. Ready access to all the books. 

2. Close proximity to and intimate communi- 
cation with the reading and catalog rooms. 

3. Accommodation of books of all kinds, 
sizes, and conditions in every sort of binding. 

4. Arrangement and classification of books 
variable at will. 

5. Shelves readily adjustable, removable, and 
interchangeable. 

6. Shelf supports of plain and simple form, 
occupying least space, absolutely rigid and sub- 
stantial, and easily removable. 

7. Convenient and rigid support of books on 
partially filled shelves. 

S. Conveniences for every kind of appropri- 
ate work in the stack, including the direct 
handling of books by searchers. 

9. Passages at will through all parts of the 
stack in any direction, including ready vertical 
communication from deck to deck. 

10. Thorough illumination by daylight. 

1 1. Moderate and even temperature and good 
ventilation. 

12. Perfect cleanliness and freedom from 
dust with absolute security from dampness. 

13. Maximum capacity and compactness with 
capability of indefinite extension. 

14. Fireproof. 

15. All surfaces in contact with books per- 
manently smooth and protected from deteriora- 
tion. 

16. Complete ventilation through the shelves 
with minimum of lodgment for dust or insects. 

17. Protection from leaks in roof or over- 
head floor. 

18. Light and simple construction, with mini- 
mum of dissimilar parts. 



The design carried out in the building fulfils 
all these requirements. 

I regret that I have at hand no adequate il- 
lustration of these stacks, and that I must en- 
deavor to describe them without it. Their light, 
open, and cheerful appearance, liberal space 
with compact arrangement, bright illumination 
by daylight, simplicity, convenience of every 
sort, and, withal, their evident strength and sta- 
bility can be realized only by a personal visit 
to the stacks themselves. The stacks are nine 
tiers or stories in height, with white marble 
decks, seven feet apart as before stated. The 
construction is such that, for all practical pur- 
poses, the stack could as well be of 20 or 
more stories without changing materially the 
bulk of the supports. 

Good walls and a good foundation make a 
complete enclosure for such a stack, and if, as 
in the Congressional Library, the side walls 
may admit ample daylight, vertical openings 
of three feet in width, extending from the bot- 
tom to the top of the walls, will make excellent 
windows for the purpose. These windows are 
sealed permanently air-tight. Liberal electric 
illumination is provided for night use. 

In the construction of this stack the element 
or unit is a steel column composed of a pair 
of 2 x 4 inch bars of T section set face to face 
and extending from a footing at the bottom of 
the stack to the top, with a one-half inch space 
between to admit, at each of the seven-foot 
stories, a skeleton flat cast-iron partition or 
shelf-support at either side to make a double- 
faced range of shelving. This cast-iron par- 
tition bears on its front edge a series of blunt 
teeth, and its back, near the column, a corre- 
sponding vertical series of short horns or pro- 
jections, on which the shelf rests. It cannot 
accidentally slip forward or tip in any direction. 
At each deck level two horizontal lines of light 
iron bars, one parallel with the shelves and the 
other at right angles across under the deck, ex- 
tend in both directions through the stack to the 
walls of the building, to which they are an- 
chored. They are also connected to the re- 
spective rows of steel columns in the shelf 
ranges both ways. A thin steel diaphragm 
plate is firmly secured at the deck level in each 
bay of the shelving, and the decks consist of 
solid white marble slabs rubbed on top and pol- 
ished beneath to reflect light, resting on and 
between the cross-bars referred to. The dia- 




KEY- PLAN 
FIRST - STDRY 

(ORlplNAL) S 159. 
•) "SCALE ->ifcToi roOT 



BUILDING FDR LIBRARY OF CDNGREBS: 




KEY- PLAN 
FIRST - STORY 

(ORipiNAt) S 159. 
^ ■»C«i.t-/!iToi rt,OT 



GREEN. 



17 



phragm plates and marble slabs, together with 
the inherent rigidity of the riveted connections 
of the steel framework, furnish all needful lat- 
eral stiffness without the use of upright diagonal 
braces or webs. The great advantages of doing 
away vvith these are, that two opposite shelves 
of any range may be set at the same level to 
receive a book too wide for one, and the shelves 
may all be removed in any bay in a moment to 
open a passageway through. To do this the 
shelves may be readily disposed of by storing 
them overhead in their regular supports. They 
may also be set close to admit atlases and other 
large books on the flat. Such things cannot be 
done with shelves that are not perfectly flat and 
free from sides or end-pieces like those in this 
stack. By removal of the shelves an addi- 
tional aisle may be made through the stack in a 
few minutes, anywhere, through one range, two 
ranges, or the whole length of the stack. An 
open slit of five inches width is left in the deck 
along the front of every range, protected by a 
slight curb, serving to admit light from the side 
windows, free circulation of air for warming 
and ventilation, and convenient communication 
between the stories. Books may, when neces- 
sary, be handed upward or downward through 
these slits at any point. They are too narrow 
and too near the shelving for danger of stepping 
into them, and the liability of dropping articles 
through is very slight. If necessary they may 
be protected at any point by a covering of wire 
netting. 

The shelf itself is composed of a set of paral- 
lel longitudinal bars attached to an end-piece 
which carries a pin and a notch for engagement 
with the shelf-support or partition. Its length 
is 38 inches and width 12 inches. The bars 
comprising it are about one-half inch wide, 
spaced about one-quarter inch apart, and are 
made of cold rolled sheet steel, very thin, and 
bent into an inverted fl section. They are 
highly polished and treated to permanently 
guard against rust. In general appearance the 
shelf is about the thickness of a thin board shelf 
and quite as hat, with no flanges, rough or sharp 
edges or points of any kind. It is also quite as 
light as a board shelf and much stiffer under a 
load of books. In fact it carries, without per- 
ceptible deflection, double the weight of any 
possible load of the heaviest books. It is re- 
moved and adjusted in its supports more con- 
veniently and expeditiously than any other 



shelf. This is easily done even without remov- 
ing the books from it, for all that is required is 
to tilt up the back about one-quarter inch, draw 
the shelf forward about one inch, raise or lower 
it to its new position and push it back to place. 
No key, screw-driver, or other implement is 
needed for removing a shelf. You simply lay 
hold of it with the hands and move it in a 
moment. This open, parallel-bar shelf is natu- 
rally dust and vermin proof and a thorough 
ventilator for the books, while it furnishes at- 
tachment for the most convenient and efficient 
adjustable book -support yet devised. This 
book-support consists of a thin vertical plate of 
such size, say 5x7 inches, or larger, as may be 
desirable, having a short back brace from which 
depends a toggle passing between the shelf bars 
and catching underneath. A set-screw enables 
it to be permanently locked to the shelf when 
desirable, but it acts as an efficient stop without 
locking, and may be slid along the shelf at will. 
It is equally applicable attached to the shelf 
above and hanging downward. In this position 
it may hold the tops of tall books. 

The skeleton form of the shelf-supports and 
the teeth in their front edges lend themselves 
readily to the attachment of movable ledger 
boards along the front of the shelving, on which 
to rest books, make notes, etc., while working 
in the stacks. By removing the shelves in any 
bay not only may a passage be made through 
the range but a desk, case of drawers, or closet 
may be placed therein, anywhere in the stack. 

In every range, a board seat is placed in the 
window for the convenience of the attendants 
and others who may be admitted to work in the 
stack. In the middle of the stack is an iron 
stairway, and a hydraulic elevator of sufficient 
capacity for three or four persons, or one with 
a truck-load of books. By the side of the ele- 
vator is a shaft for the mechanical book-carrier, 
with its receiving and delivery pockets, and also 
the set of pneumatic tubes for messages and 
speaking communication with <he central desk 
in the reading-room. 

This stack was designed six years ago. The 
experience in carrying out its construction so 
far proves its merits that no other system of 
shelving is its equal, although several have 
been devised in the endeavor to compete with 
it in the market. All others are sheet-iron or 
tray constructions, some of them rickety, and 
all more or less inconvenient and lacking the 



i8 



CLEVELAND CONFERENCE. 



merits of this one. The stack and shelving in 
the Congressional Library is square, solid, 
plain, and, in every detail, the most appropriate 
and natural holder of books of every size, shape, 
and kind, and, all in all, one which librarians 
find no fault with except that it naturally costs 
somewhat more than less complete structures. 
It fulfils all the requirements that have been 
specified by librarians themselves, the lack of 
which in the past they have greatly lamented. 

A mechanical book-carrier to accomplish more 
than the old simple dumb-waiter is a novelty 
because never before called for, nor have the 
conditions for its satisfactory operation existed 
in libraries heretofore. In this building accom- 
modations for such an apparatus were incor- 
porated in the foundation plans. The carrier 
will consist of a series of trays suspended be- 
tween a pair of small endless chains, the route 
of which is downward from the central desk in 
the reading-room to the cellar, thence under 
the ceiling horizontally to the foot of the shaft 
in the middle of the book-stack, thence verti- 
cally upward to the top of the stack, passing 
through every story. The details cannot be 
made clear without a working model, but the 
principle of operation will be apparent when I 
say that the trays and the receiving and deliv- 
ery slides may be likened to combs engaging 
with each other. The back and two ends of 
the tray are solid plates while the bottom and 
front are a set of long teeth whose ends turn 
upward to form the front of the tray. The 
action may be imitated in general by passing 
the bent fingers of one hand between those of 
the other. The machine is almost entirely au- 
tomatic. To send books from any story of the 
stack the attendant places them on the toothed 
receiving-plate, throws over a short lever and 
goes about his business. In a few seconds one 
of the carrier trays on the continuously moving 
chains comes along, picks up the books, carries 
them to the central desk in the reading-room 
and lands them on a delivery Slide, whence they 
drop into a padded box near the hand of the at- 
tendant, who may pass them at once to the ap- 
plicant. The volumes are returned to their 
proper story, or deck, of the stack by a simi- 
lar operation, the only difference being that, 
on depositing them on the receiving-plate, the 
attendant must set the lever at a number on 
a dial corresponding with the stack deck for 
which the book is destined. Failing to cor- 



rectly set the dial number will result in no dam- 
age to the book but may cause it to be carried 
to the wrong deck. About i8 trays will be 
used, placed equidistant along the endless chains, 
which will run at a speed of about too feet per 
minute. At this rate a book starting from the 
lower deck of the stack will reach the reading- 
room in three minutes, or, from the top deck, 
in two and one-third minutes. The trays will 
carry anything up to the size of a quarto and a 
thickness of about three inches. Thus a single 
volume, or several, held together with a rubber 
band or other strap, may be sent in one tray, 
and very delicate books, pamphlets, or other 
paper matter may be readily handled by placing 
them in simple pouches or envelopes of canvas, 
leather, or other material as may be found con- 
venient. 

Intercourse and service between the central 
desk and the stacks is arranged for as follows : 
The applicant for a book may write out his 
ticket at the standing desk outside the catalog 
counter and hand it to the attendant, who may 
place it in the proper pneumatic tube carrier, 
which is shot in a few seconds to that story of 
the stack where the volume is shelved. The 
stack attendant receives the ticket, takes the 
book from the shelf, places it on the carrier re- 
ceiving-plate and turns the lever. The carri- 
er transports the book to the reading-room. 
Ordinarily not more than five or six minutes, 
including the time necessary to get the book 
from the shelf in the stack and start it on its 
way to the reading-room, will be consumed 
by the whole operation. Oral communication 
between the attendants at the central desk and 
those in the several stories of the stacks is had 
through the pneumatic message tubes by means 
of mouth-pieces provided. Volumes exceeding 
the quarto size will, of course, have to be 
carried by messenger, who may use the stairs 
or elevator, taking with him if necessary by the 
latter conveyance a rubber-tired wheeled truck 
for loads greater than he can handle in his 
arms. 

Future growth and expansion of the library 
and all its co-ordinate branches have been so 
liberally provided for by the size and arrange- 
ment of the building that some surplus space will 
exist at first. The spaces already assigned by 
their special arrangement and construction are, 
besides corridors and lavatories, the main stair 
hall, public reading-room, three book-stacks, 



GREEN. 



19 



two special reading-rooms for members of Con- 
gress, librarian's office, museum halls, two 
rooms for the custodian and captain of the 
watch, and a restaurant. The librarian pro- 
poses to occupy certain of the remaining spaces 
as follows : In the basement story, bookbind- 
ing, printing, stamping, and packing. In the 
first story, catalog-room, copyright-room, copy- 
right office and work, copyright archives and 
reserve. Toner collection, Smithsonian, special 
researches, and Washingtoniana. In the second 
story, exhibition of Americana, art-books, early 
printed books, and a gallery of the graphic art. 

The warming and ventilating apparatus has 
been specially designed for the peculiar require- 
ments of the several parts of the building, 
because the great rotunda reading-room, book 
stacks, museums, halls, offices, and working- 
rooms require each their own means of separate 
control. In general terms the object is attained 
as follows: Indirect radiation — that of warm- 
ing the fresh air in the cellar and passing it up 
through flues to the several appartments — is 
almost wholly used. The radiators in the cellar 
are hot-water coils. The water is warmed by 
steam-heaters, the steam for which as well as 
for power to run the machinery is all made in a 
battery of boilers quite outside the building 
underground on the east front. Here also are 
the coal-vaults and steam-pumps. There will 
be no fires in the building excepting when made 
in any of three fireplaces in the two Con- 
gressional reading-rooms, which are, however, 
independently warmed by the regular appara- 
tus. High-pressure steam is made alike in all 
the boilers (16 in number), of which as many 
may be used from time to time as the needs of 
the building require. The steam runs the 
pumps, air-compressor for the pneumatic tube 
system, and dynamos for illumination and pow- 
er, and heats the water for warming the building. 

Electric motors will drive the book-carrying 
apparatus and ventilating fans, of which a few 
are placed in the cellar, under the book-stacks 
and reading-room, for use in mild or very warm 
weather; more fans may be readily applied in 
these or any other parts of the building in future 
should they be needed. 

Not only has a complete apparatus been pro- 
vided for the internal service of the library it- 
self, but the same has been extended to the 
Capitol, nearly a quarter of a mile away, through 
a subway, or tunnel. This is large enough for 



a man to walk through, and extends in a straight 
line between the buildings from the middle of 
the west front of the library to a small room in 
the rear of the old Hall of Representatives. 
From a station in the basement story of the li- 
brary, immediately beneath the reading-room 
floor, an endless wire cable will run through 
the tunnel to the terminal-room in the Capitol 
at a speed of 600 feet per minute, carrying two 
holders which will automatically pick up and 
deliver parcels up to the size of bound volumes 
of newspapers. Through the tunnel will also 
run the pneumatic message tube and telephone 
wires by which communication may be had at 
any moment between the members of either 
house of Congress and the librarian. By these 
means, with an attendant at the terminal station 
in the Capitol, members of Congress may com- 
municate quickly and fully with the librarian, 
and promptly get such information and books 
as the library can afford, so that the library 
will be, in effect, nearer to congressmen in its 
new quarters than it now is in the Capitol itself. 

The building is ornamented and enriched in 
all its principal halls and apartments by the 
works of the most eminent artists of the coun- 
try. Twenty-three sculptors and twenty mural 
painters have been employed, and their works, 
together with the architecture of the interior, 
have a magnificent setting of the most beauti- 
ful and appropriate decorative painting in the 
country. All suitable spaces are filled with fit- 
ting instructive quotations and names of the 
world's greatest men in all departments of 
knowledge, genius, and human endeavor. A 
mere enumeration of the interesting and in- 
structive architectural and artistic details would 
occupy too much time on the present occasion, 
but they are fixtures in the building, to be the 
permanent delight and edification of visitors for 
generations to come. In short, the whole struct- 
ure, with all its appointments, is in every par- 
ticular an example to be followed rather than 
avoided, for it is a success in economic building 
as well as in art and design. 

Having had as its directing head, under Con- 
gress, a man like General Casey, untrammelled, 
of sound judgment, good sense, experience in 
this line of construction, and unremitting fore- 
sight and energy, the building will not only be 
completed within the time and cost originally 
estimated and fixed by law, but will be, if any- 
thing, more complete, especially in artistic en- 



CLEVELAND CONFERENCE. 



richment, than was expected. It was an alto- 
gether unusual undertaking so accurately to 
plan and estimate in advance a monumental 
work of architecture, engineering, and art of 
such magnitude. But there is no insurmounta- 
ble difficulty preventing competent architects 
and builders from estimating within five to ten 
per cent, the sum of money that will cover the 
reasonable cost of any proposed building if its 
character and plan be carefully made and de- 
termined on beforehand. Most of the uncer- 
tainties and disappointments as to the cost of 
buildings, of whatever size or importance, arise 
from incomplete consideration and preparation 
before the estimates and work of construction 
are entered upon, trusting to future study of 
what are assumed to be minor details but which 
often prove to be serious matters, ending ir- 
retrievably in disappointing results. It pays to 
look at the end from the beginning. 

It is e.\pected that the coming session of Con- 
gress will make needed provision by law for 
the occupation, custody, and care-taking of this 
great building, including a general outline at 
least of the e.\tended organization which its 
plan and proportions demand. Such legisla- 
tion should have been had at the last session to 
be in season for prompt removal to the build- 
ing. The subject was taken up at that time 



but laid over. Furniture must be provided, for 
none is included in the law for the construction 
of the building. But the most adequate plan 
for the occupation and use of the building will 
not be discovered and realized at first, for its 
magnitude and resources are not yet, nor will 
they for some time to come, be fully compre- 
hended. Such a spacious, convenient, flexible, 
enduring, and magnificent storehouse for knowl- 
edge, ranking far above anything of the kind 
that has ever been constructed, will not be fully 
utilized until some experience has been gained 
within it, and the librarians and educators of 
the country outside of it have, through Con- 
gress, formulated the functions and organiza- 
tion of what should be, in the highest and 
noblest sense of the term, the National Library 
of the United States. 

The building will be completed and turned 
over for occupancy next winter, and this means 
that nothing whatever will remain unfinished 
or standing over to await further study or re- 
cuperation of exhausted funds, as often hap- 
pens with large buildings, but every inch of it 
will be absolutely completed, leaving nothing 
for successors to do. How best to use it for the 
greatest benefit to the country and mankind 
will be the interesting problem of the immedi- 
ate future. 



PUBLIC DOCUMENTS AND THE PROPOSED NEW PUBLIC 
DOCUMENT BILL. 



UV F. A. CR.VNDALL, SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC DOCUMENTS, WASHINGTON, D. C. 



T N making an informal report of the first 
year's doings of the public document office, 
I wish to say at the outset that this office has 
from the day of its opening been over-pressed 
with routine work, overwhelmed with a corre- 
spondence which has long averaged more than 
loo letters a day, and constantly in contact with 
'problems of legal interpretation and library 
practice for which no precedents were to be 
found. It began with a stafif whose members 
were all strange to each other, and necessarily 
strange to the work, for it was work which had 
not before been done. 

What has been accomplished under these cir- 
cumstances it is my purpose very briefly to 
inform you. 



I have a few statistics to offer, and as statis- 
tics are dull reading, I have put them first that 
they may be the sooner done with. 

The organization had been in a measure com- 
pleted, and active work begun about July i, 
1895. During the 12 months from that date to 
June 30, 1896, the receipts of books were as fol- 
lows: 

Accumulations from various Gov't depts. 252,602 vols. 
New works from Gov't Printing Office.. 143,091 " 

Exchanges from libraries 31.321 " 

Catalog copies, over 60,000 " 

Making a total of about 490,000 publications 

received. Of course these were not all bound 

volumes. Many of the copies for cataloging 

were pamphlets or even leaflets, such as bills, 

resolutions, circulars, etc. These are received 



CRANDALL. 



from all the publishing bureaus, and also in 
duplicate from the Printing Office, and an exact 
account of them is not kept, but I am confident 
I have understated rather than overstated their 
number. 

During the year the number of volumes dis- 
tributed was as follows; 

To depository libraries 105,170 ^ols. 

To libraries other than depositories 66,016 " 

Specific works distributed according to 
law on the order of members of Con- 
gress 13,580 " 

Sold. 3,563 " 

To departments to complete files, etc.... 1,134 " 

Making a total of 189,463 volumes distributed 
during the year. 

That these large sendings have been well 
made we have considerable evidence. We have 
no complaints of books arriving in bad condi- 
tion or not arriving at all. I do not think we 
have ever lost a book, except a few Congres- 
sional Records in a railroad wreck, which we 
were able to replace. There have been some 
few complaints of books being missent, but 
these have been due to incorrect addresses 
furnished to us, and as all our sendings are by 
registered mail, we have been able in all cases 
to trace and deliver the missent volumes. All 
of these cases and those of imperfect books re- 
turned and having to be replaced I do not 
think amount in the aggregate to a score. 

Of the books distributed to libraries other 
than depositories, about 14,000 went to the list 
of so-called "remainder" libraries. This is a 
new list created under a provision of the print- 
ing law of 1S95, and is of considerable im- 
portance. Congress orders editions of public 
documents for its own use in round numbers, 
so many thousands or hundreds for the Senate 
and usually double the number for the House. 
As, however, no one member has more claims 
than another, it has always been the custom to 
divide the editions so that each senator should 
have an equal number, and a similar division 
has been made of the House editions. A frac- 
tional number, which belonged to nobody, had 
always, until the passage of the new bill, been 
left over. These fractions, amounting in the 
aggregate to many thousand volumes for each 
session of Congress, were either wasted or be- 
came the perquisites of the employees in the 
folding-rooms of the Senate and House. (These 
folding-rooms, by the way, are so named 
because nothing is ever folded there. They 
arc the rooms where the books distributed by 



senators and representatives in Congress are 

wrapped for mailing and where an account is 
kept of how many books are due to each mem- 
ber.) 

There is an impression throughout the coun- 
try that a member of Congress can getas many 
books as he likes, but this is quite a mistake. 

A ledger account is kept with each senator 
and member, and he cannot get a copy beyond 
his equitable allotment except by trading with 
some other member or by buying. 

Under the law an attempt is made to utilize 
the fractional remainders for the use of libra- 
ries. It is provided by section 68 that the frac- 
tions shall be sent to the Superindendent of 
Documents for the use of libraries to be named 
by members of Congress, and also for sale. I 
have asked each senator and representative to 
name one library for this purpose. 

Of course there are never enough books in 
our fractional allotment to supply one to each 
Congressional district, but there are so many 
members who fail to designate even one li- 
brary, that those which are designated will get 
a copy of nearly every document that is sup- 
plied to Congress. 

We have now a list of "remainder" libra- 
ries numbering over 240. 

There is one advantage these libraries have 
over the depositories, and that is that the books 
they get are in cloth instead of sheep, and are 
frequently furnished months and even years 
before the same books in sheep are ready for 
shipment to the depositories. 

We have in addition a new list of libraries to 
receive the publications of the United States 
Geological Survey. About 600 of these have 
been designated by members of Congress, and 
to each of them has been sent a collection of 
135 publications of the Survey prior to 1894. 
These libraries are to be supplied with geo- 
logical publications regularly hereafter. 

As the depository list has increased during 
the past year from less than 420 to about 450, 
we have now with the 250 "remainder" libra- 
ries and the 600 geological libraries about 1300 
libraries to which we furnish regular supplies 
of public documents in greater or less number. 
I should prefer to be exact in my figures in- 
stead of saying " about" so often, but the fact 
is, the figures are subject to constant though 
not violent fluctuations. New designations by 
senators and representatives come dribbling in, 



CLEVELAND CONFERENCE. 



sometimes two or three a day, sometimes only 
two or three a week. There is, in addition to 
these, what is known as the " Congressional 
designated list of 1S87," for geological publica- 
tions, which numbers about 500, but has in it 
an uncertain number of duplications that need 
to be removed. This list was formerly sup- 
plied by Dr. Ames, but there is no explicit pro- 
vision as to who shall supply it hereafter. 

Besides the libraries regularly on our lists we 
have had dealings with many others, of which 
of course we have a record, but time and help 
were lacking to make it up for use in this 
paper. We have received some duplicates 
from these unlisted libraries, but I think we 
have supplied to them more than we have re- 
ceived. The number of volumes so distributed 
I cannot now state, but I know we have helped 
every library listed and unlisted, whenever it 
was within our powers and our legal limita- 
tions to do so. We are always glad to be able 
to help the big and rich libraries in filling their 
sets of documents, but the poor and needy li- 
braries, which want the whole sets, we are 
even more glad to be able to assist. It is not 
often that we can supply absolutely complete 
sets of anything, but we have often succeeded 
in coming near enough to it to elicit very grate- 
ful thanks. • 

A part of our work which to me seems of de- 
cided importance has been our ability to supply 
various missing records to government depart- 
ments. It is stated among people who are 
knowing as to documents, as an axiom, that 
not a single government department or bureau 
has a complete set even of its own publications. 
I presume this is not true of the more recently 
created offices and commissions, but I have 
little doubt that it is true as to all the older 
ones. We have furnished hundreds of volumes 
to such important government offices as the 
Bureau of Statistics in the Treasury Depart- 
ment, the Records and Pension Division of the 
War Department, the Indian Office in the In- 
terior Department, the National Museum, etc. 
The books they wanted have heretofore been in 
existence, but until they were taken out of 
vaults and crypts and assorted and classified 
they were not available and might as well not 
have existed. 

Perhaps the most serious undertaking in 
which we have been engaged, certainly the 
one which has taken the most of our time and 



given us the most worry, has been the prepara- 
tion of the first annual catalog of public docu- 
ments, or "comprehensive index" as it is 
called in the law. I think the law is in error 
in using that title, as the work is properly a 
catalog. It doesn't index any public docu- 
ment, but it catalogs all those of the 53d Con- 
gress and up to the end of the fiscal year 1895. 
Though the work has been difficult and tedious, 
I think it has not been fruitless. I feel a good 
deal of confidence that we shall produce a cat- 
alog that will be intelligible not only to li- 
brarians, but to the general public, members of 
Congress included. In insuring this general in- 
telligibility I flatter myself that I have been of 
some use to the trained catalogers who have 
been in immediate charge of the work. As I 
could not by any possibility pass myself off 
as a trained cataloger, I represented the next 
most important party in interest, namely, the 
ignorant public, for which function my qualifi- 
cations were indisputable. As the work ad- 
vanced the various knotty portions were tried 
on me, on the theory that if they could be 
made clear to me they would be clear to any- 
body. It was a sort of trying it on the dog, 
only in this case if the show was too much for 
the animal there was an opportunity to amend 
it. If I couldn't be instructed up to the stand- 
ard of the work, then the standard was simplified 
till it came within my limitations, and I finally 
feel safe in saying of the catalog that I can 
understand nearly all of it. Never before per- 
haps was the ignorant public brought into such 
close relations with a difficult piece of catalog- 
ing, and the best results are hoped for from 
the combination. 

I am well aware that the catalogers often 
wished the ignorant public at the antipodes or 
farther, and the ignorant public more than once 
became considerably inflamed over the Chinese 
puzzles which the catalogers set for him to 
crack his teeth on ; but the compromises which 
resulted from these strained relations I believe 
finally were accepted by both parties, if not 
with enthusiasm at least with resignation. 

Statesmen and others untrained in the in- 
tricacies of cataloging who may have occasion 
to consult the work may pay me any compli- 
ments they choose for my share in making it 
intelligible to the most ordinary comprehen- 
sion. 

I am happy also to be able to report that, so 



CRANDALL. 



23 



far as the ignorant public is concerned, no symp- 
toms of an attack of that unnatural appetite 
for catalogs which librarians are said to acquire 
have yet appeared. On the contrary, I think I 
may venture to report that an antidote for this 
unnatural appetite has been discovered. If 
any librarian feels it coming on, I can recom- 
mend a twelve-months' struggle with a public 
document catalog as extremely likely to effect 
a permanent cure. 

I have brought along a collection of page- 
proofs, so that all who choose may examine 
them. We have strong hopes that this work 
will be found more convenient and available 
than any previous catalog of public documents. 
We are so confident it will be so that we are 
pushing the work on the next number of this 
catalog on the same plan. The next volume 
will carry the work along a year further, name- 
ly, to the end of the fiscal year i8g6. 

The first number of the so-called "consoli- 
dated index," provided for by the law of Jan- 
uary, 1895, is partially complete in the manu- 
script, but awaits the making up of the volumes 
of the " Congressional reserve " to have the vol- 
ume-numbers filled in on the cards. This, also, 
precisely speaking, is a catalog, but as it will 
take the place of the various and varied so- 
called indexes that have since the 30th Congress 
appeared in the front of the volumes of Con- 
gressional documents, and will be used by peo- 
ple who have always known those lists as in- 
dexes, it was thought best to retain the old 
name. By doing so the "comprehensive in- 
dex " required by the law can be known as the 
" Document catalogue," and the "consolidated 
index" can be known as the " Document in- 
dex," which will be a convenient distinction. 
The index will be practically a finding list for 
Congressional documents proper, and will not 
treat of public documents in general. 

With the comprehensive and consolidated in- 
dexes and the monthly catalog on its hands, the 
small cataloging staff of the office has its hands 
sufficiently full, but it is better off than some 
other branches of our work, which have been 
stripped almost bare in order to give the cata- 
logers all possible help. The fact is, the work 
of the office has proved to be greater in every 
direction than had been anticipated, and it will 
apparently be necessary before long to make 
more extensive provision for it. 

The monthly catalog of public documents, 



which the promoters of the printing bill estimat- 
ed would be a leaflet of four or eight pages, 
grew in the May number of the present year to 
79 pages, and the 18 numbers issued to the close 
of the fiscal year aggregated 702 pages. The 
first number of the Document catalogue (or 
Comprehensive index) fills 645 pages, and the 
check list issued last year is 220 pages. The 
work already done on the Document inde.x 
(consolidated index, so-called) and on the sec- 
ond number of the Document catalogue will 
bring the catalog work of the office for its first 
year very nearly to 2000 pages. Besides these 
there have been reports, bills, resolutions, cir- 
culars, etc., turned out, on which much time 
and thought have been expended, though they 
may not count for much in an estimate of the 
work produced during the year. 

The library work of our office, which has in- 
cluded the receipt and shipment of exchanges 
and the care and arrangement of all the dupli- 
cates, has been prosecuted under discourag- 
ing circumstances. While the work has been 
enormous, the number of assistants at the dis- 
posal of the librarian has been small, and they 
have been mostly without experience or train- 
ing. That so much has been accomplished 
under such conditions is to me a constant sur- 
prise. A reference library containing 12,000 
documents has been established, and a quarter 
of a million duplicates have been assorted and 
made ready for immediate exchange or sale. 
These books, belonging to the government, 
which before were as unavailable and as use- 
less as if they lay at the bottom of the Potomac, 
have been restored to use and are as accessible 
and as available as the day they were printed. It 
does not seem to me an extravagant estimate to 
say that this government property thus re- 
claimed is worth a half-million dollars. The 
printing and binding alone cost at least that 
much, while the cost of compilation is beyond 
computation. 

Probably because it thought we hadn't 
enough to do. Congress at the recent session 
passed a resolution directing us to make the 
distribution of the new compilation of the mes- 
sages and papers of the Presidents for its 
members. The edition is 21,000 and the num- 
ber of volumes will probably be five. Each 
senator makes 73 designations and each rep- 
resentative makes 37. We have found this dis- 
tribution a vexatious piece of work. Duplica- 



24 



CLEVELAND CONFERENCE. 



tions, wrong addresses, and like obstructions 
have been numerous, but by transcribing the 
lists on catalog cards and alphabeting them I 
think we shall be able to make an accurate dis- 
tribution. 

An important and most interesting part of 
our work has been that of finding all sorts of 
publications for all sorts of people. We have 
had applications, it would seem, for pretty 
much everything the government has pub- 
lished since Washington's inauguration, and 
certainly for many things that the government 
has never published. I had a letter only a few 
days ago from a citizen of the booming West, 
who wanted to know how he could get copies 
of the " Statesman's year-book" for lS36 and 
i8i)6 without paying I3 apiece for them. An- 
other wanted a copy of Coin's " Financial 
school," either in the Congressional Record or 
otherwise. Such applications as these are 
easily disposed of, but to all applications for 
copies of public documents, no matter how old 
or obscure, we give our most serious attention. 
In the absence of adequate catalogs, and in 
view of the violently eccentric methods of pub- 
lication adopted by some government officials, 
this looking up old documents is a work of ex- 
treme difficulty. When people have some idea 
of what they want it is bad enough, but many 
merely want to know if the government has 
ever published anything on a given subject, 
and if so, what and when, and how to procure 
it — especially how to procure it free. Mr. 
Spofford, in his Forum article on the govern- 
ment as a great publisher, said that the lack 
of catalogs of public documents was supplied 
by five or si.x living indexes in Washington. 
Besides those in Washington, there was one of 
these living indexes — very much alive, in fact — 
of whom he did not know, away off on the shores 
of the Pacific, whose services we were fortu- 
nate enough to secure, and to her expert knowl- 
edge is largely due the fact that even in its first 
year the document office has been able to be 
helpful to a very large number of persons. 

It was a severe disappointment that we were 
unable to secure the passage at the recent ses- 
sion of Congress of the bill to improve the 
printing and binding methods of the public 
documents. Those methods are now just what 
they might be expected to be in view of the fact 
that they are devised by the heads of about 120 
publishing bureaus, few of whom have had any 



training in bookmaking, and each one of whom 
acts for hfmself with little or no central super- 
vision. What was proposed in the new bill was 
to establish by law a few broad general prin- 
ciples, recognized by librarians and publishers 
as sound, and to which no publishing bureau 
would have much, if any, difficulty in conform- 
ing. It was not intended to permit any fads or 
disputable propositions to enter into it. From 
the general and exceedingly cordial support 
given the bill by those interested and most 
competent to judge of its quality it is inferred 
that it hit the mark aimed at. It passed the 
House by unanimous consent, and there was 
no opposition to it in the Senate, but the mem- 
bers of the Senate committee to which it was 
referred were too busy with other matters, 
which they thought more important, to take it 
up. The Senate was well disposed toward it, 
and I have no doubt it would have passed by 
unanimous consent if it had been reported from 
committee. The librarians of the whole coun- 
try came up to the support of the bill most 
nobly. I was able to send to the chairman of 
the Printing Committee, which had the bill in 
charge, as a first instalment, letters from 26 ' 
states, and many more were subsequently sent. 
The bill had the support of all the parties 
in interest — authors, printers, and librarians. 
Never before, I think, has a printing bill com- 
manded such a general support. Every known 
document expert in Washington, including Dr. 
Ames, of the Interior Department, Mr. Rhees, 
of the Smithsonian Institution, Librarian Spof- 
ford, of the Congressional Library, Mr. Ben- 
edict, the Public Printer, Capt. Brian, the 
Foreman of Printing, and Mr. Smith, the su- 
perintendent of the Senate document room, 
gave it emphatic support. I have no doubt of 
the passage of the bill at the next session, and 
I believe its effect will be radical and wide- 
spread. I consider it only a first step in the 
improvement of the document service of the 
government, but a very important one. I also 
sent five resolutions, designed to perfect the 
printing bill of January, 1895, to the Printing 
Committee, but no action was taken on them, 
and I did not attempt to push them, thinking 
it wiser to confine my efforts to the bill for the 
reform of printing and binding methods. These 
resolutions will all be presented again next 
winter, and by beginning early I hope to secure 
their passage. 



CRANDALL. 



25 



I cannot say, however, that I find the pros- 
pect of another lobbying campaign exhilarating. 
On the contrary, I have found that days and 
nights of dancing attendance on very dignified 
gentlemen who are very much interested in 
their own alTairs and very little in mine are 
days and nights most dismally spent. 

If I were to attempt to draw a literary moral 
from the first year's experience of the document 
office, I should probably ask to be credited 
with doing something to offset the flood of fic- 
tion which is giving librarians so much con- 
cern. Possibly, however, the inundation of 
public documents of which our office has been 
the fountain-head may lead to results more ter- 
rible than fiction-reading. 

Suppose the depository libraries should rear 
up a race of Gradgrindian readers who would 
demand nothing but facts — who would burn the 
midnight oil over the Statistical abstract and 
the Nautical almanac, and dissipate on the 
finance report and the census bulletins! Would 
not this be more demoralizing, more devastat- 
ing than the 90 per cent, fiction record which so 
many of our librarians seem to look upon as the 
extreme calamity? It is true there are some 
influences at work to check the Gradgrind 
tendency. We send out a good deal of pure 
imagination ourselves in the Congressional Rec- 
ord and some other publications, and some of 
the librarians help us by stowing away the 
more matter-of-fact public documents where no- 
body can get at them. An illustration of how 
well they do this was supplied a short time ago 
by a young man who came to Washington from 
the Missouri Valley to get a certain document 
which was needed in connection with a public 
enterprise in which he was enlisted. After he 
had made known his errand I asked him if he 
did not know that in his own town was a public 
depository to which all such books were sent. 
Yes, he said, he knew it, and he had been there 
to see about it. He had no doubt the desired 
document was there, and the librarian had been 
very kind and had offered to help him find it, 
but after looking at the .\lplike heaps in which 
the public documents were stored he made up 



his mind that the quickest and cheapest way to 
get that book was to travel 2000 miles to Wash- 
ington and back after it. So he came to Wash- 
ington, and in two minutes after he made 
known his errand he had his book, and said he 
was then certain he had taken the best means 
of getting it. He did not blame the library 
which heaped its public documents instead of 
shelving them — nor do I. He said the library 
had no room to shelve the documents. It ap- 
preciated them, kept them from damage, and 
hoped some day to have a new building in 
which it could give them adequate accommoda- 
tion. Doubtless many other libraries are in the 
same quandary as to public documents. 

Mr. C. A. Cutter has proposed, and the Mas- 
sachusetts Library Club has approved, a propo- 
sition that instead of the present depository 
method, by which everything published is 
forced upon all libraries alike, the plan be 
adopted of authorizing each public library to 
ask for such documents as it needs and can 
care for, with the understanding that all such 
requests shall be complied with as long as the 
supply of books holds out. I give my own very 
hearty approval to this plan, but it can only be 
carried out by legislation. I do not believe it 
would require many, if any, more books than 
the present method, and certainly there would 
be much less waste of books than now, because, 
as each library would receive only what it 
wanted, all could be depended on to care for 
and make useful those that were received, 
whereas now many libraries are compelled to 
receive numerous documents which they do not 
want and for which they have no use, and they 
care for them as anybody might be expected 
to care for that which was forced upon him. 
Under Mr. Cutter's plan it could in a very 
few years be found which sorts of public docu- 
ments were in most demand, and the size of the 
editions published could be gauged according- 
ly. Then it would not so often be the case as 
it now is that books which few want are printed 
in great numbers, while others for which there 
is a most eager demand are in most limited 
supply. 



26 



CLEVELAND CONFERENCE. 



THE APPRAISAL OF LITERATURE. 



BY GEORGE ILES, OF NEW YORK CITY. 



A GOOD many of us can well remember the 
typical American museum of 20 years ago. 
It contained many valuable specimens drawn 
from the realms of earth, air, and ocean ; it had 
received rich gifts both from science and art ; 
but truth to tell, the general effect of it all was 
not alluring. An atmosphere of dreariness re- 
pelled ordinary mortals ; it was reser\'ed for 
the lonely and athletic student to find any meat 
and drink on the shelves and perches. To-day 
how great the contrast as one enters the Na- 
tional Museum at Washington, the Museum of 
Comparative Zoology at Cambridge, the Muse- 
um of Natural History at New York ! How 
has the marvellous change from dulness to fas- 
cination come about ? Why is it that instead of 
perfunctory glances at minerals and skeletons 
we are held by one vivid interest after another, 
until we regretfully hear "All out" from the 
janitor at the close of day ? Much must first be 
credited to the discoveries and inventions which 
in the past 20 years have so largely increased 
the capital of all museums. Much also has 
been done by giving collections a reasoned or- 
der ; by connecting as a series all the forms 
intermediate, let us say, between copper ores 
and copper ingots ; in bringing clearly to view 
such genealogical trees as those which show 
the horse descended from a creature about the 
size of a fox, and which bid man reluctantly 
acknowledge his poor relations of the cavern 
and the glade. But an improvement equal to 
any other in importance consists in labelling 
every specimen fully and clearly instead of be- 
stowing only its name. Indeed, Professor 
Goode, Director of the National Museum at 
Washington, goes the length of defining a mu- 
seum as a place where instructive labels are 
accompanied by well -selected specimens. It 
would seem that the curator, taught by the in- 
quiries of the visitors to whom he has displayed 
his treasures, and desirous to win attention at 
every step, has taken the printer for his part- 
ner and sought to say once for all everything 
that may awaken the visitor's interest, to an- 
swer every question he is likely to ask. It is 
only eyes already instructed that pause before a 
mineral ticketed "bauxite from Georgia," but 



if instead of a ticket we read a label which tells 
us that bauxite is the basis of the aluminium 
manufactured by electricity at Niagara, the 
specimen at once comes home to our business 
and bosoms. A crystal, a bone, a bird, a bit of 
ore, however remarkable it may really be, can- 
not say so, for it is dumb ; we owe gratitude to 
the man who enables it to tell its story, to ex- 
plain whence it came, what it is good for, what 
it means in the great scheme of interpretation 
which the philosophers are building deeper and 
higher for us every day. 

While the museum has been advancing in 
wealth and in methods of making that wealth 
available to the plain people, the public library 
has borne it fraternal company in the service of 
popular culture. As the museum has been en- 
riched by new gifts from the explorer, the dis- 
coverer, the inventor, so has the public library 
received new capital in the provinces of art and 
science, scholarship and research, history, poe- 
try and romance. And better modes of clas- 
sifying its treasures, new and old, improvement 
in every detail of administration, have brought 
the public library to vastly extended useful- 
ness, and notably in the co-operation more and 
more intimate which has in consequence sprung 
up between it and the museum. Not so many 
years ago teachers thought it great gain to 
have their books enriched by illustrations. To- 
day, whenever desirable, the teacher may pass 
from mere illustration to the thing illustrated 
— the piece of armor, the spray of coral, the 
gleaming crystal, which invites examination in 
the museum. It is the keynote of the new 
education that impressions should be immedi- 
ate, that to rest satisfied with a word when one 
should know the thing the word is about, is to 
allow the usurpation of substance by shadow. 
Often words become charged with their whole 
meaning only when we see and handle what 
they describe and discuss. And there is fur- 
ther reciprocity between the museum and the 
library ; when the label-writer has more to tell 
than a label gives him space for, he can refer 
by title and page to the book where his story is 
continued to the end. 

It is with regard to this matter of the label 



ILES. 



27 



that the methods of the museum are distinctly 
in advance of those of its neighbor and friend, 
the public librarj'. The curator has put so 
much light and color into his ticket that the dry- 
bones of his cases move and live ; the librarian 
still shows a catalog of mere titles which the 
ordinary reader runs over much as he might a 
series of tickets in a museum 20 years ago. 
Great treasures are undoubtedly heaped up on 
the shelves before him, but he takes the fact 
very largely upon trust. The veins of gold 
here and there are mixed with how much dross, 
with how much ore not worth the mining ! 
Beside each other are the few genuine books of 
all time, the volumes which interpret these and 
bring them down to date, in much greater pro- 
fusion the mere echoes and dilutions of weigh- 
ty writing, together with a preponderant mass 
of downright rubbish. Each book bears noth- 
ing more or less than its title : in the unrespect- 
ing catalog no authority is before or after 
another. Francis Parkman and a catchpenny 
historical compiler touch elbows ; George Eliot 
and Mrs. Southworth kiss each other. Of 
course, readers in choosing this book rather 
than that have some reason for their choice. 
But is the reason a good one ; shouldn't there 
be an opportunity to choose with only the best 
reason possible ? Perchance some friend has 
recommended the chosen volume ; but is the 
recommendation informed and trustworthy ? 
Or it may be that a laudatory advertisement 
has directed the choice ; and how much reli- 
ance can be put on advertisements? Or, what 
occurs oftenest of all in the literature of instruc- 
tion, the reader interested in birds, or African 
exploration, or electricity, takes the book most 
recently published, or which bears the name 
buzzed loudest in the public ear. But is it al- 
ways the best book that latest leaves the press, 
even in the realm of travel, or exploration, or 
science on the march ? Is it always the most 
popular author who best deserves popularity ? 
One small class in the community has the good 
fortune always to have the best reasons in 
reading and studying its books. The young 
men and women in our colleges and universi- 
ties enjoy manifold advantages of training, dis- 
cipline, and culture ; among all these benefits 
one of the chief is their economy of time and 
attention through reading and studying only 
the best books. Thanks to the guidance of 
trustworthy judges they can shun the output of 



the mere mechanic of the pen ; one first-hand 
work of authority judiciously supplements an- 
other ; the defects and errors chargeable even 
to the greatest writers are pointed out, and 
where a subject is brought down to date in 
periodicals, the best of these are indicated. 
Popular education will receive an immense im- 
pulse when guidance of this kind is rendered 
the plain people, not only by the university 
professor, but by everybody else able and will- 
ing to give it. That guidance should come, I 
think, in a brief descriptive, critical, and com- 
parative note, duly signed and dated, to be car- 
ried within the book itself, and also to follow 
the title-card in the public library. Thus the 
reader, looking up French keramics, or ento- 
mology, or taxation, might see the relative 
values of all the books on these subjects in the 
library as fully as if there stood at his side a 
company of men and women of authority on 
pottery, insects, or public finance. 

And here we begin to, see why it is that the 
museum specimen has long had its label, while 
the library book still lacks its note. The label 
is descriptive purely ; the book-note must be not 
only descriptive but critical, and so ably and 
justly critical as to commend itself to every in- 
formed and fair mind. By so much as sound 
judgment exceeds simple knowledge is the task 
of the literary evaluator more difficult than that 
of the label-writer. One advantage, however, 
rests with the appraiser of literature, his notes 
can serve at once hundreds of public libraries and 
thousands of isolated students ; a label-writer's 
circle is bounded by his own halls and galleries. 
In canvassing this proposal among librarians 
it has been objected that if notes of the quality 
we seek were to be had, the proper place for 
them would be in bibliographies, and not on 
cards in the library catalog. But if they were 
concealed in bibliographies, I fear that few read- 
ers would take the trouble to find them there, 
whereas a reader could not very well dodge a 
note if it stood before him in the catalog. 
Agur prayed that his food might be conven- 
ient for him.* Let us for this occasion vary 
Shakespeare a little so as to have him say, 

" How oft the sight of means to do good deeds 
Makes good deeds done ! " t 

Library machinery as it stands is excellent, as 
machinery ; it can take on a new character and 

* Prov. XXX. 8. t King John iv. 2. 



28 



CLEVELAND CONFERENCE. 



a fresh usefulness when its mechanism includes 
the best available judgments of the stores com- 
mitted to its keeping — judgments put directly 
into the hands of the public, not at so much as 
a single remove from the youngest or poorest 
person who enters a library door. 

How, it may be reasonably asked, are we to 
get all this suggested characterization in the vast 
and swiftly extending field of literature? Of 
course, by piecemeal ; there is no other way. 
Let but one department of history, or biography, 
or applied science, be worthily passed upon, and 
we shall soon know whether the public wishes 
to have our plans carried further. History per- 
haps might be taken up for a beginning. Histori- 
cal literature grows steadily in popular favor ; it 
unites entertainment and instruction, while it nat- 
urally and pleasantly introduces the questions, 
social, political, and economic, which to-day 
knock at the door of the veriest recluse of us all. 
At first a thousand titles might suffice, let us 
say in American history, the choice to rest with 
an editor-in-chief, having a corps of assistants, 
each responsible for a definite part of the whole. 
The notes should have such telegraphic con- 
ciseness as not to burden their cards with a 
needless word, while omitting nothing which 
the reader or student should be told. 

At this point I may say that "The list of 
books for girls and women," published by the 
American Library Association last year, is to 
have two of its departments expanded as a bib- 
liography to be published next March. Music 
will be enlarged by Mr. Krchbiel to comprise 
some 270 titles ; Fine Art will be amplified by 
Mr. Sturgis to the extent of 550 titles ; the book 
will be addressed, not to girls and women par- 
ticularly, but to readers and students gener- 
ally. It is hoped that its notes may commend 
themselves to librarians for use on catalog 
cards. 

On the threshold as we are of this business 
of expert annotation, it is impossible to proceed 
without a subsidy, but we should resolve not to 



go very far if the work does not approve itself 
to the public as worth paying for. We must 
try to educate the people to requiring the aid 
we can render them, and in this regard nothing 
is freighted with more promise than the alli- 
ances that are springing up between the public 
library and the public school. Every teacher 
who educates a boy or girl in the genuine at- 
tractiveness of good books, in the necessity of 
choosing books intelligently, is doing good be- 
yond the reach of praise. Yet if the public, 
after a fair exemplification of the aid we prof- 
fer, still refuses us fair wages, then let us 
gracefully retire to some more fruitful corner 
of the vineyard. 

Success in this matter of literary appraisal 
will turn, I think, upon the adoption of com- 
mon-sense methods. We should first of all en- 
deavor to form a partnership with some leading 
publisher. The publisher who thrives by cater- 
ing to ordinary folk, to the world that now is, 
has a quiet, steadying outlook that we can 
profit by. There is always a risk that your 
subsidizer, who ignores commercial considera- 
tions, will run off on some theme dear to his 
heart and dear to few other hearts. The 
scholar deep in folk-lore, or linguistics, is apt 
to imagine that thousands, instead of units, 
are eager to pursue the researches which to 
him are as the breath of life. It is well to 
qualify opinions as to what people ought to 
want, by cool perceptions of what they really 
do want, as proved by what they buy and pay 
for. Indeed, it would be well to accept no aid 
of money, or time, or manuscript, that is not 
fully subject to the direction or approval of this 
Association's publishing or editorial committee. 
The public library has waited a long time for 
its note of guidance ; let it wait as much longer 
as may be necessary to get that note in sensible 
form, of the right quality, and first of all with 
respect to such books, humble or great, as best 
deserve the golden scales we are trying to set 
up. 



THOMSON. 



29 



TRAVELLING LIBRARIES. 



BY JOHN THOMSON, LIBRARIAN, FREE LIBRARY, PHILADELPHIA, PA. 



AX^E shall not be prepared to dispute that 
stale bread is wholesome eating and 
probably preferable to new bread, but we all 
take the new bread when stale and new are 
both on the table, and if there is a succession 
for several days of stale loaves only, we change 
our place of eating and seek inore pleasant nooks 
for feeding. So in like manner readers will for 
a while devour the books on the shelves of a li- 
brary, but if they are not renewed the scheme 
fails, readers fall off, and books and dust enter 
into a permanent alliance, and the shelves are 
left untouched by young and old. Hence, one 
of the essentials of library work, if good re- 
sults are to follow, is to provide a change of 
books. They need not necessarily be new 
books in the sense of being just published, but 
they must be books not already perused by the 
users of the library. 

This fact has led most librarians to see the 
necessity and advantage of varying the books 
by addition to their number or by changing 
them, and in places not yet ripe for a regular 
free library the want of funds to provide for 
the necessary purchase of enough volumes has 
induced much weighing of methods, and in re- 
sult led to the establishment of travelling libra- 
ries and home libraries. 

In no other way, yet thought of, has it been 
possible to effect so much toward attaining 
the primary end of the American Library 
Association and library work in general. By 
these means books are being brought most 
closely to the people, and we are enabled to do 
much to further the object designated by the 
motto of our Association, namely, "To pro- 
vide the best reading, for the largest number, 
at the least cost." 

This matter is receiving a great deal of at- 
tention in many directions, and an increasing 
interest is being shown on the subject in sev- 
eral of the States. 

It may be well to recite the work accom- 
plished, although the system of travelling li- 
braries is too young to admit of much being 
recorded as yet by way of statistics or results. 

The work achieved in New York State is 



familiar to all members of the American Li- 
brary Association. It is only four years since 
the New York State Library began to send out 
its libraries of 100 volumes to various parts of 
the State. The addresses of Mr. W. R. East- 
man at the Lake Placid Conference in 1S94, and 
of Mr. Frank A. Hutchins, reprinted in the Wis- 
consin Supplement of the Library journal, con- 
tain almost all that can be usefully stated upon 
the subject. It is sufficient now to mention that 
sections 14 and 47 of the New York " Univer- 
sity Law " contain all the legislation that affects 
travelling libraries. Pursuant to the powers 
contained in section 14, the Regents may co- 
operate with other agencies in increasing edu- 
cational opportunities and facilities by, amongst 
other things, lending necessary books. By 
section 47 the Regents are empowered to lend 
from the State Library (duplicate department), 
or from books specially bought or given for 
this purpose, selections of books for a limited 
time to any public library in the State under 
visitation of the Regents, or to any community 
not yet having established such library. The 
sum of from I7000 to f Sooo a year is given by 
the State for the purposes mentioned in these 
two sections. The first travelling library went 
out in February, 1893, and as many as 15.358 
volumes were taken out by readers in six 
months, thereby giving an average of 290 read- 
ers to each 100 volumes. 

Two points deserve special notice. The first 
is, that if permanent and increasing usefulness 
is to be attained the duty must be entrusted to 
bodies having the charge of library work. The 
New York system came into existence after a 
long trial of the district library plan, in which 
system she was copied by Massachusetts and 
21 other States. Those in charge of schools and 
general educational methods have a work in 
hand so gigantic in its proportions that they 
cannot properly enlarge their burden of labor 
by working on any supernumerary lines. To 
carry on schools is a task great enough to tax 
the powers of the most energetic. If travelling 
libraries are to succeed they must be controlled 
and managed by a special commission or some 



3° 



CLEVELAND CONFERENCE. 



existing library board, whose energies can be 
devoted to that one business only. The expe- 
rience of New York has been found to be the 
experience of all other States. Out of this 
grows the remark that district libraries and all 
such institutions are found to die or go to 
pieces from the want of means of renewal. The 
district libraries become an old story— their 
readers soon use up the material possessed by 
them and the libraries become stale. 

The second point is that district libraries will 
of necessity remain very much what they are 
in their inception. That is not so in the case 
of travelling libraries. These last throw off 
their birth form and lead to the establishment 
of free libraries. In other words, infants 
become grown men. Many proofs exist to en- 
force this statement. In New York State, for 
instance, Plattsburgh has a duly chartered 
public library. It began by using one of these 
travelling libraries, and Mr. Eastman reports 
that six other public libraries have been char- 
tered in that State within the past year which 
were commenced by petitioning for travelling 
libraries. As the result, 25,000 books have 
been read by residents in villages and small 
settlements, who would otherwise have been 
without such literary nutriment. 

The Legislature of Michigan, by bill passed 
January 15, 1895, appropriated an annual sum 
of $5000 for the purpose of loaning books from 
the State Library at Lansing, on methods similar 
to those used in New York State, and a further 
sum of $2500 for the purpose of travelling li- 
braries, to be sent to communities where no local 
libraries exist. The Michigan libraries num- 
ber 50 volumes each. Mrs. Spencer informs 
me that the most interesting and satisfactory 
results have been obtained from the system. 
The libraries are sent out to the following 
organizations : 25 taxpayers in any commu- 
nity; Granges; Reading clubs and circles, and 
to Associate libraries. The results have ex- 
ceeded the expectation of the projectors of the 
movement. The libraries, with one or two 
exceptions, have gone to small towns or farm- 
ing communities, and (adds Mrs. Spencer) the 
reports received from the librarians have been 
in every case enthusiastic and commendatory. 
The first library was sent out May 14, 1895, to 
North Star, Michigan, and since that time libra- 
ries have been sent out to several other places. 
The goodly number of 30 finding lists of 50 



volumes each have been compiled bj- Mrs. 
Spencer. 

A valuable work was established by Miss 
Alice Chandler, of the Town Library, Lancas- 
ter, Massachusetts, under the auspices or in 
co-operation with the Woman's Education Asso- 
ciation at Boston. In this instance 25 books 
was the number decided on for each libra- 
ry. The work will increase as funds allow, 
and the report of Miss Mary Morison in the 
23d annual report of the Association, pub- 
lished in 1895, gives a most interesting account 
of the establishment of the system, and shows 
how important results are attainable with per- 
severance and a sound method at starting. 
Pelham, in Hampshire County, first accepted 
a travelling library, and the work covers a cir- 
cuit of seven towns which use these libraries. 

The General Assembly of the State of Iowa 
on April 8, 1896, passed a law providing for an 
extension of the use of books through the 
system known as travelling libraries, to take 
effect July i, 1896. By this act it is provided 
that when no "Associate library" exists, 
and whenever 25 resident taxpayers petition 
therefor, collections of books may be lent to 
any college, school, university extension cen- 
tre, Chautauqua circle, literary society, reading 
course, study club, or other association, on 
same being duly approved by the Board of 
Trustees of the State Library. Mrs. Lana H. 
Cope, the State Librarian, has made all the 
preparations possible by preparing rules and 
forms, certificates, applications, etc., which 
will enable her to start the libraries witu the 
commencement of the coming year ; and as 
soon as the trustees reconvene, after the sum- 
mer recess, they will formulate the necessary 
rules and regulations. Mrs. Cope will aim 
to shape the Iowa libraries on the plan of ex- 
isting travelling libraries, looking to make 
them an educational means and supplementary 
to other libraries rather than as a means to 
supply the reading wants of the citizens of 
the State. 

In Minnesota a bill was introduced into the 
Legislature in the early part of 1895 without re- 
sult, but it is hoped that it will be reintroduced 
and become law before long. 

The State of Montana may be mentioned as 
a convert to the travelling library system. In 
March, 1S95, a law was passed appropriating 
$1000 for 1S95, $500 for 1896, and l300annually 



THOMSO^r. 



31 



thereafter, for the creation of circulating libra- 
ries throughout the State of Montana, and the 
purchase of books in libraries to consist of 100 
volumes each. The appropriation has failed to 
be paid, and we must hope for a better issue 
in the future. 

In Wisconsin there is no law on the subject 
of travelling libraries. In the meantime, Mr. 
Stout, a trustee of the Mabel Tainter Memorial 
Library, of Menomonie, is developing " a 
library within a library " in his home town. 
He has beneficently started with 16 libraries 
of 30 volumes each, which are to go from 
place to place for periods of four months, to 
such communities as shall form an association 
with a president, secretary, and treasurer, and 
who shall pay a dollar a year to cover transpor- 
tation. It is noticeable that in this particular 
instance the work is being executed in co-opera- 
tion with decadent and other small home and 
school libraries. The authorities of the Wis- 
consin Free Library Commission are very hope- 
ful that this good work of Mr. Stout may be 
extended so as to carry its benefits throughout 
the whole State. In Wisconsin, within six 
months of the establishment of Mr. Stout's sys- 
tem of travelling libraries in Dunn County, 
three hamlets have taken the preparatory step 
of establishing reading-rooms in connection 
with their new libraries. 

In Pennsylvania the system has only been 
adopted within the last three or four months. 
In order to pave the way for a satisfactory de- 
velopment of the work, the Board of Trustees of 
the Free Library of Philadelphia has started a 
series of libraries to go round in the less ac- 
cessible outskirts of the city. 1000 volumes 
have been put into these travelling libraries, 
and numerous applications have been received 
from police and fire stations, and from residents 
of the outlying parts of the city, which still 
heavily tax the powers of the Board in this di- 
rection. We are fortunate to have the assist- 
ance of Mr. Montgomery, one of our trustees, 
who looks after and develops this work. Be- 
yond what has been already mentioned, I may 
state that applications are continually reaching 
the Trustees from various parts of the State, 



asking for the privileges of these libraries. In 
three instances presidents of companies em- 
ploying large numbers of men have undertaken 
to build suitable rooms and provide at their 
own e.vpense some person to take charge of the 
library as soon as the travelling libraries can 
be extended to them, and it is proposed to apply 
to the State at the next legislative meeting in 
iSgy for an appropriation to enable this work 
to be carried out on a satisfactory scale. 

If the desired end of bringing books within 
the reach of the greatest number is to be fully 
accomplished a great development of the home 
library system will have to be gradually adopt- 
ed in cities and towns to which the travelling 
libraries might be unsuitable. 

Miss Mary S. Cutler, the vice-director of the 
New York State Library School, has published 
an admirable address on the subject, which she 
delivered on January 10, iSg6, before the New 
York Library Association and the New York 
Library Club. The home library idea was 
evolved not by a librarian but by Mr. Charles 
W. Birtwell, the secretary of the Children's 
Aid Society in Boston. The work has been de- 
veloped in Boston, and a better example of its 
value is not to be found. Mr. Soule brought 
news of the movement to the New York State 
Library School, and the students from that in- 
stitution have started libraries in Brooklyn, 
Chicago, Philadelphia, Syracuse, Knoxville, 
Tennessee, and they will be started by them 
this fall in Rochester, Washington, and Pitts- 
burgh. 

The problem before us all is, how best to estab- 
lish travelling libraries in States where they are 
at present non-existent, and to extend their use- 
fulness in the States where they have been set 
on foot, and still further how to make provisions 
of books for study clubs, such as are constantly 
formed on subjects like Shakespeare, Agricult- 
ure, Currency, and for ship-board, army sta- 
tions, police, fire, and telegraph stations, in 
which last boys are much better occupied in 
reading biographies, histories, historical nov- 
els, fairy-books, and Robinson Crusoe, than in 
playing chuck-farthing, or the amusements that 
are possible for idle hands. 



32 



CLEVELAND CONFERENCE. 



THE FUNCTIONS OF LIBRARY TRUSTEES AND THEIR 
RELATIONS TO LIBRARIANS. 

BY FREDERICK M. CRUNDEN, LIBRARIAN, ST. LOUIS PUBLIC LIBRARY. 



/"^ERTAINLY nothing can more conduce to 
^^ the advancement of the library cause than 
a clear conception by trustees of their proper 
share in this great work and a full understand- 
ing by trustees and librarians of their mutual 
relations. 

For the rather delicate task of presenting 
this subject from a librarian's point of view be- 
fore an audience of trustees, I can, I think, lay 
claim to one qualification. During 17 out of 
my nearly 20 years as a librarian, I was 
under the most cumbrous system of control 
that was ever invented to worry and ham- 
per an executive officer and impede the prog- 
ress of an institution. The board that had the 
immediate management of the library was com- 
posed of sixteen members, nine appointed by 
the Board of Public Schools from its own mem- 
bers and seven elected annually by the life 
members of the library. This election took 
place in May; the representatives from the 
school board were appointed in November; so 
that the library board changed its composition 
twice a year. There is more involved in this 
than appears in the mere statement. Unless 
special effort was made, very few votes were 
cast at the spring election, so that it was easy 
for any one with a grievance to vent, a grudge 
to avenge, or an axe to grind, to muster 40 
or 50 votes and thus elect a ticket that in no 
way represented the choice of the 4000 life 
members. Uut this was not all. Few of the 
school board contingent took any interest in 
the library or attended the meetings of its man- 
agers; yet every important action of the board 
of managers had to receive the approval of the 
school board. Constant watchfulness and ac- 
tive lobbying by the librarian could not at all 
times prevent detrimental, and occasionally 
ridiculous, decisions by the body that ultimately 
controlled but knew next to nothing about the 
library. This statement shows, I think, that I 
have had some experience with trustees. It is 
also a good illustration of how not to do it in the 
management of an institution. 

But there is another circumstance that fits 



me, in some measure, to speak for my brothers 
in the profession: I have no grievance to air, 
no complaint to make, no suggestion to offer of 
any desired change in the relations between 
my trustees and myself. Their attitude towards 
me is one of the heartiest appreciation, the 
fullest trust, the most generous confidence. 
Whatever I may say, therefore, is entirely free 
from any personal bearing or egoistic bias. 

There is naturally some variance of opinion 
on the subject; and I may not succeed in voic- 
ing the sentiments of even a majority of my 
fellow-workers. But they are here to speak 
for themselves and are free to take issue with 
me. From my own experience and observa- 
tion, combined with confidences received from 
others, I shall try to say what I think the 
occasion calls for and especially those things 
which librarians personally affected might not 
like to say in public. 

In Mr. Soule's paper, read before the Fabyan 
Conference, he puts first among the qualifica- 
tions of trustees "Sound character." Now, it 
is a fortunate fact — which accounts for the 
rapid development of libraries in the past and 
augurs well for the future — that library 
boards have generally — almost universally — 
secured the services of men of the highest 
character. 

In every community the position of library 
trustee is looked upon as one of dignity and 
honor, and is readily accepted by the best citi- 
zens, men of ability and culture and the most 
genuine public spirit. The place has little at- 
traction for the class of men that form so large 
an element of other public bodies, not except- 
ing school boards. Therefore the baser does not 
drive out the better; and there have been in 
library boards very few of those scandals that 
disgrace municipal administration and lead su- 
perficial minds to despair of popular govern- 
ment. There is, indeed, an inspiring, uplift- 
ing, altruistic element in library work that 
captivates every one who is susceptible to such 
influence. Referring in my last report to the 
industry and general good spirit of my staff, I 



CR UN DEN. 



33 



said : "Its work has reflected the singleness of 
purpose and perfect harmony of action that has 
characterized the board and exemplifies the 
power of a common aim — and that a high one 

— to call forth the best that is in people and to 
secure from them a loyalty and faithfulness 
that does not pertain to the average of the 
world's service." 

Mr. Soule's list of qualifications of trustees 
reads as follows : 

Sound character ; 

Good judgment and common sense ; 

Public spirit ; 

Capacity for work ; 

Literary taste ; 

Representative fitness. 

I accept the list without change. No one of 
the qualifications can be spared. Though repre- 
sentative fitness is, perhaps properly, put last, 
it is important that the various elements of a 
community should feel that they are represented 
in the conduct of a public library. It is a source 
of satisfaction to them and of strength to the 
institution. 

Mr. Soule amplifies somewhat on these re- 
quirements and gives a good reason for putting 
" literary taste" low on the list, stating also his 
preference for "general culture and a wide 
range of reading" to the "knowledge of the 
scholar or the specialist." In this I heartily 
concur. Indeed, my contribution might be 
made up entirely of extracts from the three 
papers read at the Fabyan Conference. There 
is nothing I have to say that was not as well, or 
better, said at that time. Mr. Green's paper, 
especially, is an admirable presentation of my 
theme. But a restatement is called for ; and I 
shall present the subject in a different way and 
on some minor points, perhaps, take a little dif- 
ferent position. 

I am supposed to speak from the librarian's 
standpoint. But if that means that the libra- 
rian has one point of view and the trustees an- 
other and somebody else — the community, say 

— a third, I object to the limitation. I don't 
want to take my stand where I can have but a 
partial light on the picture. Though Mr. Soule 
and Dr. Learned were supposed to speak for the 
trustees and Mr. Green for the librarian, I find 
they all occupied practically the same position. 
There is, indeed, properly but one point of 
view. There is but one question to be consid- 



ered : How — i.e., by what qualifications on the 
part of trustees and librarian and by what rela- 
tions between them — can the end for which the 
library was established — viz., the highest ser- 
vice to the community — be most surely attained ? 

Libraries, like all other institutions, are built 
on a foundation of money ; and money is fur- 
ther required for their maintenance. To secure 
this is the first work of the trustee ; and it re- 
mains his constant care for all time. The rais- 
ing of funds, whether from public or private 
sources, is properly the trustees' function. 
When the library is once established, the libra- 
rian, by popularizing the library, will necessarily 
render indirectly efficient aid in enlarging its 
revenues. Librarians often furnish direct as- 
sistance by personal canvass, by newspaper 
appeals, or by giving or getting up lectures 
and entertainments. The librarian should, of 
course, turn his talents to anything that will 
most help the library ; but if he is called upon 
to raise money, it is a diversion of his energies 
from their proper sphere. This field belongs to 
the trustee ; and in it he works from the van- 
tage-ground of disinterested service. 

But the trustees are first in time as well as in 
authority ; and their first act, after the money 
for the establishment of the library is in sight, 
should be the appointment of a librarian. Hav- 
ing secured the most competent person that can 
be obtained, they should take all future steps 
that relate to the technical details of library ad- 
ministration, including planning of building or 
arrangement of rooms, in consultation with him. 
By so doing they will evidence their possession 
of Mr. Soule's second qualification, Good judg- 
ment and common sense. 

Closely akin to the raising of funds is their 
management. This, of course, is exclusively 
the function of the trustees. Good or bad 
management may make or mar the fortunes of 
an institution. I have in mind two libraries 
that illustrate this difference. One of them 
owes its fine building and its solid status large- 
ly to the energy and financial ability of one di- 
rector and its efficient organization chiefly to the 
good judgment, public spirit, and capacity for 
work of another ; while the high place it holds 
in the estimation of the community is due to the 
fact that during the half-century of its existence 
it has always had for directors men of eminent- 
ly sound character. In all that time it has had 
very few men of literary taste ; and being a class 



34 



CLEVELAND CONFERENCE. 



library, representative fitness has not been con- 
sidered. 

Over the disbursement of funds and their ac- 
rounting, the trustees should, of course, keep 
a close watch. They should adopt every safe- 
guard against the possibility of misappropria- 
tion and, in addition, should put both treasurer 
and librarian under bond. In the case of a 
public library a treasurer may be dispensed 
with by leaving the funds in the city treasury. 
The librarian's bond should be from a trust 
company, and should be paid for by the li- 
brary. 

In determining the purposes for which dis- 
bursements shall be made, the librarian should 
be called into consultation. He should be able 
to present to the trustees all the varied needs of 
the institution, and should e.\press his opinion 
as to their relative importance. With this in- 
formation before them, the trustees can come 
to a wise decision. If the librarian has estab- 
lished a reputation for good judgment — in 
other words, if he has proved himself thorough- 
ly competent — his recommendations should, 
and will, have great weight. While he should 
freely state his opinions and his reasons there- 
for, he should not urge them unduly, for he 
must remember that not he but the trustees are 
responsible for the management and expendi- 
ture of the library's funds. And in all things 
he should cheerfully acquiesce in the decisions 
of the board and carry out their instructions 
with a hearty loyalty, even when the course 
decided on runs counter to his judgment. This 
goes without saying ; it is of the very essence 
of organization. He rightly expects the same 
spirit of subordination and co-operation from 
his assistants ; and only by their thorough e.\- 
ecution can it be determined whether the orders 
in question were judicious or not. Wise meas- 
ures may fail through a half-hearted enforce- 
ment. 

In all matters of administrative detail the 
librarian should have full freedom and authori- 
ty — so far as he desires and is willing to take 
the responsibility. If, however, he has a good 
board he will be glad to consult the proper 
committee and get the benefit of the members' 
judgment. But, as I have said, this should 
rest with him. If he is sure of his ground he 
should have full power to act. 

While it is, of course, for the trustees to de- 
termine the general policy of the institution, 



they will err in not counselling with a competent 
librarian — as they constantly err in not having 
a librarian whose counsel they value. 

That the librarian may be fitted to act in all 
things as the adviser of the board, and that this 
may be the constant relation, he should be 
present at all meetings of the board and its com- 
mittees. He should, in my opinion, be ex-officio 
secretary of the board and all its committees. 
Only by listening to the discussions of the trus- 
tees can he thoroughly comprehend the spirit, as 
well as the letter, of the instructions he re- 
ceives. He will thus, as Mr. Green puts it, 
"catch the spirit that animates the board and 
become aware of the general principles which it 
desires should underlie the administration of the 
institution." On the other hand, I hardly see 
how a board can wisely decide on numerous 
questions without information which only the 
librarian can supply. The regular participation 
of the librarian in the deliberations of the board 
helps to give continuity and consistency, as well 
as judiciousness, to its decisions. The board is 
a changing body ; the librarian is, or should be, 
a permanent officer, thoroughly acquainted with 
the history of the institution, its past policy and 
the results of previous experiments in adminis- 
tration. 

I cannot take time to state all my reasons for 
holding that the librarian should be ex-officio 
secretary of the board. Perhaps it will be con- 
ceded that if he is present at all meetings, he 
may as well act as secretary. This does not 
offer the least obstacle to holding an occasional 
meeting without the librarian's presence.. 

Conversely, if the trustees are to be efficient 
counsellors of the librarian, they should post 
themselves on the details of administration. 
This applies especially to the president and to 
the chairman and members of the administra- 
tion committee. Their judgment and business 
capacity cannot be applied unless they under- 
stand the problems to be solved. 

A knowledge of administrative methods aids 
the trustee in the performance of another of his 
functions, which is to sift and weigh public 
criticism. The trustee may be indifferent or 
over-sensitive to public opinion. He is gen- 
erally, I think, inclined to the latter extreme. 
He should be quick to investigate any rea- 
sonable complaint and at the same time should 
defend the board and the librarian against 
mere captiousness. He should deem it his 



C RUN DEN. 



35 



special duty to stand between the librarian 
and the attacks of ignorance and personal mal- 
ice. 

Mr. Green thinks it too much to expect the 
trustees to consider, of their own motion, 
whether the increased experience and efficiency 
of the librarian does not call for a larger salary. 
I think it would not be amiss for the board to 
anticipate a request of this kind from the libra- 
rian. Both parties feel better about it. And 
when the need of retrenchment arises, trustees 
do not give the best evidence of their adminis- 
trative capacity and resource by immediately 
scaling down salaries. This sometimes amounts 
to an enforced contribution from the employees 
to the book fund. 

A very important feature of library adminis- 
tration is the appointment of assistants. There 
can hardly be any question that this should be 
left practically to the librarian. He cannot 
justly be held responsible for results unless he 
has the choice of those who are to aid him. 
The formal appointments should, of course, be 
made by the board. 

I speak from fortunate experience in saying 
it is a great advantage to a librarian, and ma- 
terially lightens his responsibilities, to have a 
book committee composed of persons of literary 
taste and extensive reading. But at best the 
task of selecting books for purchase must de- 
volve mainly on the librarian. It is one of his 
most important duties. He best knows the 
deficiencies of the collection and the wants of 
the public. He has the reviewers of two con- 
tinents serving him as an advisory book com- 
mittee, and he can always call on local special- 
ists for aid in choosing the best books in their 
respective departments. It is, of course, for 
the trustees to determine on what lines the col- 
lection shall be developed and what character 
of books shall be admitted or excluded. 

That I might be assured I was not looking at 
this subject through colored glasses, I have 
taken pains to discuss it with three or four 
friends, who are, or have been, library direc- 
tors of another library, one of whom was for 
some years an assistant in the same library. 
I found no appreciable variance of opinion 
among all of us. I asked one of them to dic- 
tate to his stenographer what he had said to 
me. The following statement, sent in response 
to my request, fairly presents the views of the 
other directors. The writer was a library di- 



rector for a number of years ; and after re- 
organizing the library and rehabilitating its 
finances, he has turned his attention to building 
up the university of which he is president. He 
is one of the ablest, broadest-minded, and most 
successful business men in St. Louis. 

" Replying to yours requesting briefly my 
views of the functions of library directors and 
their relations to librarians, I would say that, of 
course, a board of trustees are supposed to have 
those qualifications which will enable them, first, 
to grasp in a broad way the mission of the library. 
They are supposed, of course, to be men of in- 
fluence in the community, who can secure the 
necessary funds for the purpose, and wisely in- 
vest and disburse them. Reduced to detail, I 
should say that they should give most of their 
time either (if it is a public library) to influenc- 
ing the public to secure necessary appropria- 
tions, or (if it is a subscription or private library) 
to securing funds for endowment. They are 
presumed to be men of such executive ability 
as will insure their wise selection of a librarian. 
In connection with the librarian, utilizing his 
information as to the detail of library work, 
they should develop a system that will give the 
public the best service at the least expense. 
They should be more competent than the li- 
brarian to pass upon all matters of investment 
and disbursement of funds, except for book 
purposes, but should expect that the librarian 
will keep himself fully informed as to the 
books to be purchased. In a general way, a 
board of directors is supposed to be familiar 
with every detail of library work involving the 
disbursement of money, except, possibly, the 
purchase of books, and they should have a 
sufficient general knowledge of that to prevent 
the librarian's drifting, as he sometimes does, 
into the development of some special taste or 
literary inclination. If the librarian is all that 
he should be, it seems to me that, he being in 
constant' touch with the public and by special 
training qualified to determine their needs, his 
recommendations as to the purchase of books 
should be closely followed. The librarian. 
however, should in his own interest explain to 
the board, or the committee especially entrusted 
with that branch of the work, the reasons that 
influence his judgment. As the board of trus- 
tees are supposed to be business and professional 
men of wide experience, they should be of val- 
ue to the librarian in working out any system of 



36 



CLEVELAND CONFERENCE'. 



organization and fixing the compensation of all 
employees. 

" You will see in a general way I feel that a 
board of trustees can work most independent of 
the librarian in the direction of the securing and 
the disbursement of funds, except the details of 
disbursement for books, periodicals, etc. ; that 
they can assist the librarian very greatly in or- 
ganization and in fixing the compensation of 
employees ; but inasmuch as the librarian only 
comes in contact with these employees, he 
should employ and discharge them at his pleas- 
ure and be held by the board responsible for 
results." 

A prominent librarian, one of a number to 
whom I wrote at the last moment for an expres- 
sion of his views, sends the following off-hand 
statement : 

" My advice to trustees would be to content 
themselves with dealing with the library in a 
large way and on general principles. Mark 
out its line of action and shape its policy. De- 
termine the general character of the literature 
which it shall supply and the purposes which it 
shall undertake to serve in the community. 
Select a librarian in whom they have confidence 
and give him that confidence in full measure. 
Hold him responsible for the results. Do not 
hamper him by interfering in the details of ad- 
ministration. The burden of building up the 
library and of making for it a good name and 
a powerful influence where it should te felt 
must rest mainly upon the librarian. 

"The trustees having made a choice accord- 
ing to their wisest judgment and having given 
him a salary commensurate with his labors and 
the financial ability of the library, should hold 
up his hands just as long as he shows himself 
worthy of their support. The librarian is the 
paid executive officer whose duty it is to run the 
library. So long as it runs smoothly and with 
satisfactory results they should interfere with 
him as little as possible. The moment it ap- 
pears that the results are not satisfactory and 
that the librarian has lost the confidence of the 
board is the time for a change of librarians." 

There are probably few librarians of long ex- 
perience who do not recognize the two opposite 
types of directors referred to by Dr. Learned ; 
the one unwilling to give any time or thought 
to questions that come before the board and its 
committees, the other wanting to assume all the 
functions of board and librarian. Neither one 



is to be desired ; but of the former it may be 
said that if he does no good he at least does no 
particular harm, while the harmful capacity of 
the latter is incalculable. Give me a respectable 
figurehead rather than an opinionated, domi- 
neering meddler. 

One of the most important functions of a 
trustee is to act as a well-informed critic, to sit 
in judgment on the librarian. But if one or 
more of the trustees take it upon themselves to 
do the work of the librarian, who is to act as 
judge and critic ? Here is power without ac- 
countability, while to the librarian is left re- 
sponsibility without power. 

Mr. Green says, " A board of trustees owes it 
to its librarian to protect him from the vagaries 
of impracticable men who may by some chance 
become members of the board." 

It is their duty also to see that the librarian's 
recommendations are not rejected merely be- 
cause they are opposed by a single opinionated 
and aggressive member of the board. It is the 
business of trustees to consider all reasons for 
and against a given proposition and to give as 
careful attention and as much weight to the 
arguments of the librarian as to those of the 
director. The librarian will always acquiesce 
cheerfully in a decision that represents the judg- 
ment of a majority of the board ; but it is rather 
galling to have his well-considered plan set aside 
by the snap-judgment of a single member — it 
may be against the evident preference of the 
rest of the board. It has been my experience 
with trustees that those who know most about 
the library and are most capable of forming a 
wise judgment are usually most willing to leave 
all details to the librarian's discretion and also 
to invite his counsel concerning broad lines of 
policy. 

Lest in thus claiming large liberty for the 
librarian I may seem to make the position of 
trustee a sinecure, let me briefly recapitulate the 
various functions of the latter. 

1. To raise funds, from public or private 
sources or both. 

2. To manage the funds — to finance the in- 
stitution. 

3. To supervise disbursements — to determine 
for what purposes expenditures shall be made, 
to see that they are made judiciously, and to 
see that every dollar is accounted for. 

4. To determine the general policy of the in- 
stitution. 



STEARNS. 



37 



5. To advise with the librarian in administra- 
tive details and give him the benefit of their 
business ability in organizing the staff and sys- 
tematizing the work of the library. 

6. To criticise the methods of the librarian 
and judge the results obtained ; to spur him on 
if he lacks energy and enterprise ; or curb and 
guide his excess of enthusiasm ; to check eccen- 
tricities and to prevent errors of individual 
judgment ; finally, to dismiss him if a failure 
and employ some one whom they believe to be 
competent. 

7. In their representative capacity, as persons 
in whom the community has confidence, to 
give the people assurance that the administra- 
tion of the library is judicious and that it is 
managed for the greatest good of the greatest 
number. 



These various duties will certainly require as 
much time and thought as most men can give 
to gratuitous public service ; and their thor- 
ough fulfilment does not in the least conflict 
with what Mr. Green offers as "the wisest 
course for a board of trustees to pursue" : viz., 
" to let a good librarian do pretty much as he 
thinks best, only keeping a watchful eye upon 
him for the purpose of seeing that things are 
not going wrong under his conduct of affairs." 
It seems to me the best thing a board can do 
for a library is to secure a librarian with whom 
they can feel safe in pursuing this plan. For 
the trustees come and go : the librarian remains. 
To the trustees the library is a side interest, 
at most the avocation of a few hours a week : 
to the librarian it is an absorbing vocation : it is 
not only his source of livelihood, but it is his life. 



ADVERTISING A LIBRARY. 



HY MISS I.. E. STP;ARNS, PUBLIC LIBRARY, MII.WAUKF.E, WIS. 



"yi/ D- HOWELLS, in a recent article on 
* "Advertising" in Harper's IVet'i'fy, 
says: " I wish that some one would give us 
some philosophy of the prodigious increase of 
advertising within the last 25 years, and some 
conjectures as to the end of it all. Evidently, 
it can't keep on increasing at the present rate. 
If it does, there will presently be no room in 
the world for things ; it will be filled up with 
the advertisemen/s of things. Before that time, 
perhaps, adsmithing will have become so fine 
and potent an art that advertising will be re- 
duced in bulk, while keeping all its energy and 
increasing its effectiveness. Or perhaps some 
silent, electrical process will be contrived, so 
that the attractions of a new line of dress goods 
or the fascination of a spring or fall opening 
may be imparted to a lady's consciousness with- 
out even the agency of words. All other facts 
of commercial and industrial interest could be 
dealt with in the same way. A fine thrill," 
he continues, "could be made to go from the 
last new book through the whole community 
so that people would not willingly rest till 
they had it. Yes, one can see an indefinite 
future for advertising in that way. The ad- 
smith may be the supreme artist of the 20th 
century." 



Until human ingenuity has solved the thrill 
problem, we, librarians, must be content, to a 
large extent, with the efficacy of that most 
powerful of modern civilizing agencies — print- 
ter's ink. 

Our president, Mr. Dana, has said, " Busi- 
ness runs the world ; or, the world gets civil- 
ized just as fast as men learn how tc) run things 
on plain, business principles." 

Advertising is one of the recognized depart- 
ments of business. Advertising is not an ex- 
periment, nor is it a business side issue ; it is 
a business necessity, to be studied and experi- 
mented upon as one studies and experiments 
upon the other departments of business econ- 
omy. 

The importance of judicious advertising 
should suggest itself to every wide-awake li- 
brarian, in her endeavor to reach every man, 
woman, and child in her city or village. 

There is no stratum of society not reached 
and influenced by some form of advertising. 
" Nine-tenths of the world would rather be in- 
terested than educated, and the other tenth 
likes to be interested too." The librarian, 
then, must first interest the masses, to bring 
them within her doors, and then attempt to 
educate them. "She must first capture the 



38 



CLEVELAND CONFERENCE. 



eye. The eye is the sentinel of the will. Capt- 
ure the sentinel and you will capture the will. 
The feet follow the eyes." It is the untiring, 
unremitting, keeping - everlastingly-at-it-and- 
never-taking-no-for-an-answer appeal to the 
eyes of the people that will bring them within 
your portals. 

But to do all this, the advertiser must be a 
student of human nature and human needs. 
Of all mediums for reaching all classes, the 
greatest for local use is the newspaper. People 
will read the newspapers, for that is what they 
buy them for. Good advertising is good reading. 

To the disbeliever in newspaper advertising, 
the confidence in it displayed by the great mer- 
chants and manufacturers must be incompre- 
hensible. Note what enormous sums are spent 
in that way, and the care and ability bestowed 
upon the preparation of announcements. The 
arts of the painter and the poet, the descriptive 
writer and the mechanical engraver, to say 
nothing of the individual talent of the adver- 
tisement-writer, are daily employed in adver- 
tising. 

Through all this, "every advertiser is trying 
to tell the world his business, to do more busi- 
ness with the world." Ordinarily, people think 
of advertising only as it is exemplified in the 
newspapers, magazines, bill-boards, and other 
openly avowed media, and classify it under 
dignified or undignified sensationalism. All 
this is publicity, it is true, but in our interpre- 
tation of the word advertising we must adhere 
to its original meaning — to advertise, to inform ; 
advertising, dissemination of information ; an 
effort to cause others to know. 

The librarian who asserts that he does not 
believe in advertising has only to glance at the 
sign above his doors and the catalogs and 
bulletins on his counters. What are all these 
but advertisements of the location and contents 
of his library ? But a catalog within a library 
never brought a man to it. That must be ac- 
complished by some outside agency. 

There is a type of sufEcient-unto-the-day-is- 
the-circulation-thereof librarian who does not 
believe in using business bait. He is content 
to try to raise the standard of the elect within his 
doors, and aims at culture rather than general 
happiness. If there is a decrease in the yearly 
circulation he complacently attributes it to the 
reign of the wheel, and makes no attempt to 
recruit his ranks from those of more sedentarv 



temperament. If you suggest that advertising 
is the oxigenic accessory which will promote or 
inflate his circulation, and that an alluring col- 
umn of library notes published regularly might 
stem the falling tide, he complacently tells you 
that he did insert a list once on the " Equipoise 
of Europe," and suggested that it might be cut 
out and be used as a call slip at the library, but 
that no one used it — and he regards this spo- 
radic attempt as a sufficient test of the whole 
question. 

Notwithstanding his antipathy to special lists, 
these are the most common forms of library 
advertising used in this country to-day. Many 
libraries publish lists weekly or oftener, on spe- 
cial topics, or recent additions ; and then are 
often disappointed to find the lists so seldom 
used at the library. But the reason is not far 
to seek. Many a reader sees the list on Mon- 
day, but is deterred from cutting it out on ac- 
count of its being the most recent paper. He 
forgets all about it Tuesday, thinks about 
it Wednesday, and looks for it then. The 
Monday paper is lost, and the Wednesday pa- 
per does not contain it. Now, there is a way 
out of the difficulty, and one by which any li- 
brary may have much of its printing done free 
of charge. 

When you send a list to the newspaper, send 
with it a request to have the type saved for 
further use. Ask your editor to take the type 
composing the list to a small job press, and 
have him strike off 500 or 1000 copies or more 
for your use. The only expense involved in 
this will be the cost of the paper and the 
pressman's services, which generally amounts 
to about $1.50 per thousand copies. Many 
newspapers are willing to perform this service 
for the advertising which it brings if such a 
heading as the following is used in the list: 

IQILWPKEE PDBLIG LIBBHIIY 

CHL-I- SLIP. 



FURNISHED BY THE COURTESY 



THE MILWAUKEE JOURNAL 



Watch The Journal for Library Notes and Lists. 



STEARNS. 



39 



We can see no reason why what are termed 
display ads. such as those so skilfully used by 
Mr. Kates, of Philadelphia Branch No. 5, should 
not be used by the larger libraries. Each of 
Mr. Kates's advertisements takes up a half side 
of a newspaper. One of them advertises the 
location of the library and the places where ap- 
plication blanks may be obtained. Another half 
side has to do with the catalog and manner of 
using it. A third gives a list of the periodicals 
which the library contains. 

Then there is the subject of trade journals. 
A list of books on electricity was published in a 
motorman's bulletin, in Milwaukee, and a cor- 
dial invitation was extended to the overworked 
men to become patrons of the library. As a re- 
sult, the number of such men patronizing the 
library was increased many fold. 

Some time ago. Miss McGuffey, of Boston, 
suggested in the pages of the Library journ.\l 
that it might be a good idea for librarians to ad- 
vertise in street-cars. Mr. Peck, of the Glovers- 
ville (N. Y.) Library, is the only one that we 
know of who does this. We can see nothing un- 
dignified in a street-car placard reading, "Get a 
good book at the Free Public Library," or, 
"Tired out? Get the 'Prisoner of Zenda' at 
the Free Public Library." 

From Mr. Peck we have received a sample 
placard which is put up in the hotels and depots 
of Gloversville, advertising the public library 
and extending a cordial welcome to the weary 
wayfarer. 

He who doubts the efficacy of the placard 
should profit by the experience of the Buffalo 
Library. Shortly after the opening of the new 
Children's Department, which was heralded by 
a most tasteful announcement, the authorities 
had a 10x123^ inch card printed in attractive 
red letters reading, 

Boys and Girls. 

A room for you in the Buffalo Library. 

Books for you to read. 

Pictures for you to look at. 

Maps for you to put together. 

Magazines for everybody. 
Some one to tell you stories. 
Bring your little brothers and sisters. 
Come and enjoy your room at the Buffalo Li- 
brary. 
Cor. of Washington St., and Broadway. 

These placards were sown broadcast over the 



city. Missions, hospitals, homes, orphan asy- 
lums, fresh-air establishments, drug-stores (to 
attract the soda-water customers), candy-stores 
— all gladly offered hospitable windows and 
wall spaces. Newspapers posted them where 
the boys who came for the papers would see 
them ; mission Sunday-schools and charity 
organizations co-operated heartily in tacking 
them up and suggesting where others might be 
of use ; and what was the result ? A postal card 
from Miss Chandler, of the Buffalo Library, 
reads as follows : 

" Cards were out Friday and Saturday. 

"Result No. I. — Monday and every day since 
overflow meetings have been held in the adjoin- 
ing committee-room. 

"Result No. 2. — A steady current of extra 
tables and chairs from all parts of the library 
upstairsward. 

"Result No. 3. — More small furniture ordered. 

"Result No. 4.— More dissected maps ordered 
and more animals sliced. 

"Result No. 5 — really A'^o. I. — The happiest 
children anywhere to be found." 

And then there is the power of the bulletin 
board. As a sample of what may be done in 
that direction, I quote from a personal letter 
from Miss Helen L. Coffin, of Aurora, III., a 
graduate of the Armour Institute Class of '95. 
Miss Coffin writes: " When I found myself back 
in my home library, again, as reference li- 
brarian, I remembered the lecture on library 
advertising and after adding ' Advertising 
manager' to my titles, started out to see what 
I could do. 

" Briefly, this is what I have accomplished. I 
took one library wall for a bulletin board, and 
here I keep various and sundry lists, changing 
them often, using signs, big letters, colored inks, 
pictures, catchwords — any and everything to at- 
tract attention. Half of the space is our picture 
gallery — mounted photographs, portraits, views, 
etc., clipped from book reviews, catalogs, etc., 
with lists of our books to which they refer. 
These are also changed frequently and are per- 
haps our most popular advertisements. Just at 
present, the walls contain complete lists on music, 
including musical novels, electricity, mechanics, 
astronomy, metals, selected lists on birds, insects, 
bees and flowers, summer and housekeeping, 
Mrs. Harriet Beecher Stowe, summer sports, 
and Alaska. 

"The list on Alaska asks most solicitously 



40 



CLEVELAND CONFERENCE. 



'Hot? Then come to Alaska,' and is illus- 
trated by pen-and-ink sketches, transferred by 
means of tissue-paper from the books cited. 
Whenever possible, I head a list with an ap- 
propriate quotation. For instance, at the head 
of a list for housekeeping is ' Who sweeps a 
room as by God's law, makes that and the ac- 
tion fine,' from George Herbert, and I find an 
interest awakened in the quaint old poet, be- 
cause he chose such a lowly subject. Last 
August Barnum was here and I concocted a 
list for the boys. I cut the elephants, horses, tra- 
pezers, lions, etc., from the posters, mounted 
them with lists of books on those subjects, posted 
them, and waited for the boys. They came in 
droves. The list was kept up all winter, the 
books were always out, and our life of Barnum, 
heretofore left to dust and introspection, had 
to be re-bound. 

" In addition to this bulletin, I have kept lists 
posted in our two high schools, Y. M. C. A. and 
Y. W. C. A. rooms, C, B. and Q. car-shops, and 
Electric R.R. power-house; made lists for the 
various reading and study clubs and vacation 
lists for women and children ; published lists 
for the University Extension course in the daily 
papers ; spoken on library aims to both high 
schools, and have given a ten-lesson course in 
library science to the West Side high school. 
Next year — but my plans are too numerous 
and I will not trouble you with them now." 

This is the reign of the poster. Posters min- 
ister to two great passions of the age — the taste 
for decoration and the demand for publicity. 
Poster shows have drawn many persons to 
libraries for the first time. Our library uses 
posters in its circulating department to hide un- 
sightly walls, to give the public something 
cheerful to look at, and to advertise the circu- 
lating copies of books and magazines. "Do 
posters post ? " Most certainly, when used for 
advertising purposes. 

Among the many minor advertising devices 



may be mentioned book-marks. Mrs. Sanders, 
of Pawtucket, R. I., has a very neat little book- 
mark headed " When in doubt consult the pub- 
lic library." The expense of printing is borne 
by a local store which puts a simple advertise- 
ment on the back. Mrs. Sanders attributes a 
recent increase in circulation and interest in 
the library to this talisman. 

Calendars could be used to good advantage, 
especially the take-a-day-off kind, in which 
books could be suggested for days, holidays, 
etc. 

Time does not permit us to take up other 
forms of advertising than those through the 
medium of printer's ink. It should ever be 
borne in mind, in conclusion, that advertising 
will bring people to your library, and then its 
mission stops. Then success depends upon 
the service within your doors. All the adver- 
tising that you can contrive, even though it 
speaks with the tongues of men and angels, 
will not offset a hard, imperious, domineering, 
or condescending spirit within the library. There 
should be an indefinable something in the ap- 
pearance of your library to draw people in and 
an atmosphere most persuasive in keeping them 
there and making them long to return. Neat- 
ness and order and a certain amount of quiet 
are of course desirable ; but it is submitted that 
there may be a certain amount of orderly dis- 
order, which bespeaks life and business. The 
popularity of your library depends largely upon 
your assistants. The wisdom of Solomon, the 
patience of Job, the tact of a politician, unvary- 
ing courtesy, unremitting energy, concentra- 
tion, the ability to judge character, and above 
all, common sense, make for all that is good in 
library service. With all these conditions ful- 
filled, happy then indeed is the lot of the 
librarian who can say with our friend. Miss 
Garland, of Dover, that "Like the immortal 
Mellin's Food, we are advertised by our loving 
friends." 



DUDLEY. 



41 



LIBRARY EDITIONS OF POPULAR FICTION. 



BY CHARLES R. DUDLEY, LIBRARL'VN CITY LIBRARY, DENVER, COL. 



A T the annual meetings of this Association 
during the two decades of its existence, 
nearly every subject relating to library economy 
has been discussed and re-discussed- until it 
might seem almost impossible to present a new 
topic that would be of general interest to the 
members. 

At the Lake Placid meeting, two years ago, I 
made a suggestion on the subject of better edi- 
tions of popular books for circulating libraries 
than those usually furnished to the trade. A 
short discussion followed. Since that time noth- 
ing has been heard of it. Hence, perhaps, it 
may not be considered presumptuous to claim 
for this paper the distinction of newness. I am 
fully convinced that no matter of greater im- 
portance to all the members of this Association 
and to the libraries with which they are con- 
nected, has ever been considered. More par- 
ticularly is this true of the smaller libraries, 
whose income both for the purchase of books 
and for administration is very limited. 

We have had the question of re-binding most 
fully investigated and the results ably presented. 
Re-binding, however, presupposes a book of 
sufficient commercial value to warrant the ex- 
penditure, and this is not always the case. It is 
a secondary consideration and one that each li- 
brary can take care of for itself, while library 
editions, if secured at all, must come through 
the co-operation of a large part of the libraries 
of the country with the publishers. 

The use of fiction, adult and juvenile, in pub- 
lic libraries averages about 75 per cent, of the 
total circulation, and it is of these only that it is 
necessary to speak. In few other classes is the 
demand great enough, in the ordinary library, 
to necessitate the keeping of more than one 
copy at a time, and, generally speaking, other 
books are made in a more durable manner. 

The smaller libraries after they have been in 
existence a few years must expend a very con- 
siderable and constantly increasing amount each 
year to replace worn-out books, and the larger 
ones even more, in proportion to their size. 
The outlay in the aggregate is something enor- 
mous, and much of it should be done away with. 



The chief trouble in the make-up of the novel 
of to-day is the paper on which it is printed ; 
some of it is pure wood pulp, not nearly as good 
as is used in many of the daily newspapers; 
much is a highly calendered, mineral-filled 
paper, scarcely able to sustain its own useless 
weight, and very little has any cotton, linen, or 
other good fibre worth mentioning. After be- 
ing opened a few times, in the careless way so 
common to library patrons, a leaf breaks out. 
You may tip it in, but the next time it is opened 
hurriedly the leaf comes out again, leaving con- 
siderable of its thickness on the paste to which 
it was attached. Frequently a thread breaks 
the first or second time a book is used and it is 
sent to the bindery. No matter how careful the 
binder may be in removing the glue from the 
back for re-sewing, a great part of the outer fold 
of each section will come off with it, and the 
book is scarcely worth the cost of putting to- 
gether again. 

To adapt the thought of the gentleman from 
Kentucky when speaking of the most popular 
product of his state, we might exaggerate slight- 
ly and say that all novels are poorly made but 
some are worse than others. 

The experience of all is the same, but I do not 
know that any other librarian has made a com- 
parison between the wearing qualities of any 
two grades. In the library with which I am 
best acquainted an opportunity was given to do 
this, and the results are certainly interesting. 
We had, at the opening, nearly 10 years ago, 
1061 volumes of the Tauchnitz edition of British 
fiction. These were wire-sewed, had morocco 
backs and cloth sides. There were also about 
the same number of cloth-bound novels issued 
by American publishers — the usual assortment 
that a small library would buy. At the end of 
five years this was the status : 

We had sent to the bindery 41 volumes of the 
Tauchnitz edition at an expense of less than 
$13, and of the others, 1013 volumes at an ex- 
pense of more than $400. During the same 
period we were obliged to condemn 20 volumes 
of the Tauchnitz and 208 volumes of the others. 
A comparison of the juvenile list shows that as a 



42 



CLEVELAND CONFERENCE. 



whole they are even less substantially made than 
books for adults. Our circulation during those 
years ranged from 38,000 to 76,000 annually. 

The Tauchnitz is not an ideal library edition, 
but probably the best, of any considerable size, 
that is available for such purposes. The paper 
is quite good and the binding that we ordered 
the usual style furnished by the publisher. It 
is superior to the average. .\ better book %vould 
wear longer, of course. This comparison was 
made, not for the purpose of advertising, but 
because it was the only one I could make, as 
there was no time in which to visit other libra- 
ries or obtain data from them. The comparisons 
would have been brought down to date had not 
some of our bindery schedules been mislaid. 

Regarding the use of the books in these two 
divisions, I would say that two of the Tauchnitz 
were circulated to three of the others. 

I am not able to draw detailed specifications 
for a book mechanically perfect, nor do I care 
to. Here are a few suggestions, however : 

The paper should be strong, thin, and very 
flexible, so flexible, indeed, that when the book 
is opened the leaves will lie down without com- 
pulsion. It should not be a pure white nor cal- 
endered to such an extent that there will be dis- 
agreeable reflection of light from the page. If 
there is not now a paper made that will meet 
these requirements it certainly can be made. 

In binding, the sewing should be with the best 
thread on tapes, the first and last sections at- 
tached to cloth hinges, the corners of the boards 
tipped with vellum and the covering a strong 
cloth of a color least liable to show dirt. 

Where an illustration is to be inserted it 
should be half an inch wider than the page so 
that it may be folded on the inside edge and 
sewed in. 



In lettering the back, author and title should 
be placed near the top to avoid being covered 
by the library tag. 

Now to make a guess at the additional cost of 
a good book : 

Suppose we take as a basis the novel pub- 
lished at $1.50, with a discount of 40 per cent. 
to the trade, netting the publisher fo.90. This 
costs a library fi.oo. The average weight of 
paper in a novel is not more than one and one- 
half pounds and perhaps costs 10 cents per 
pound. The expense of changing from one 
paper to another, when the edition is being run 
off, cannot be worth mentioning. Suppose a 
paper is used that costs 20 cents per pound, 
there would be only an additional expense of 15 
cents. Let us add 45 cents more for better 
binding and for other expenses that we know 
not of. This makes a book that would be listed 
at $2.50, sell to the trade for $1.50 and cost a 
library fi.66, but would wear from three to 
five times as long as the ordinary edition. In 
all probability the additional cost above men- 
tioned is much too great, but it serves to illus- 
trate. 

The questions then presented are these : Can 
the publishers of this country be induced to 
print a part of each edition of every work of 
fiction that is liable to find a place in most of 
the circulating libraries on a paper that will 
withstand hard usage, and bind it in what ex- 
perience has taught is the most serviceable 
style? Will the librarians agree to purchase such 
editions, and no others, when these are made ? 
It goes without saying that it would be econo- 
my for the libraries and I believe the publishers 
can find a profit in it. Let them not forget that 
the libraries are, in some respects, their best ad- 
vertising mediums. 



CHANDLER. 



43 



'DO": ADVICE BASED ON EXPERIENCE. 



COMMUNICATED BY A NUMBER OF LIBRARIANS ; EDITED BY MISS ELLEN M. CHANDLER, 
BUFFALO LIBRARY. 



T^O try to do something for yourself before 
asking any one to do it for you, and do 
try to find a thing for yourself before asking 
any one else to find it for you. 

Do have an "understudy" for every impor- 
tant position in the library. 

Do see that every person who in any way 
mutilates a book or newspaper is promptly and 
adequately punished, not only in being denied 
access to the library, but in whatever other way 
the law may authorize. 

Do realize that there is such a thing as a com- 
petent student, and when he appears, help him 
to work, and don't take as much of his time as 
possible in attending to obsolete formalities. 

Do try to make your attendants realize that 
they largely merge their individuality in the 
library in which they are employed, in the sense 
that their sins of omission and commission re- 
flect not upon themselves but upon the institu- 
tion. And that they are the ones who make or 
mar the usefulness of a library to an extent 
rarely attained by its chief officer. 

Do be as courteous and considerate towards 
each one who comes into your library as you 
would be towards your friend or fashionable ac- 
quaintance. 

Do all your work in a cheerful spirit, and in 
a willing manner, even if it is distasteful work. 

To trustees and head-librarians : Do give 
generous vacations to your library workers, es- 
pecially heads of departments. They will work 
better and keep in better health for it. 

DO strive to make the attendants feel that 
you have faith in each one and in her interest 
in the library. It will increase her interest, and 
call forth better work. 

Do remember that a library viewed from out- 
sids the delivery-desk and from inside is an en- 
tirely different place. The more the person 
outside can be given the advantages in tools 
and suggestions belonging to the person inside, 
the better can her wants be supplied. And, the 
more completely the attendant imagines herself 
in the place of the proverbial "gentle reader" 



the more easily will she find the way to supply 
that reader's wants. 

Do — something. Mistakes are excusable — 
lethargy and stagnation unpardonable. 

Do have regard to the outsides of books. 
Place labels where they will mar the least, with- 
out regard for imiformity. Do not use them at 
all where not absolutely necessary. 

Do publish lists of new books in condensed 
form, with author, title, and number, and with 
no other matter ; this whether you publish a 
bulletin or not, and in addition to notices in 
daily papers. 

Do have a children's department, if possible, 
for the sake of making a special study of their 
needs. 

Do require written monthly reports from 
every department of the library. It makes the 
heads of departments watchful, and anxious to 
make a good shcrwing. 

Do have a regular order of presenting sta- 
tistics in either written or printed reports, 
and stick to it. Co-operation here is much 
needed. 

DO your best as reference librarian to make 
each reader feel that you are personally interest- 
ed in the complete solution of the question under 
investigation. You will make a friend and 
broaden your own experience. 

Do circulate yourself as well as your books. 

Do put your best bibliographical aids to read- 
ers where readers will be aided — that is, in the 
delivery-room. 

Do have as little red tape as possible, con- 
sistently with proper care for the safety of the 
books. 

Do give the largest liberty possible to teach- 
ers and schools as to number of books taken 
and time of returning them. 

Do try to have patience with those who never 
can ask for the exact subject they want, and so 
oblige one to make many unnecessary trips 
about the library. 

Do welcome the children. 

Do try to have patience with the trustees who 



44 



CLEVELAND CONFERENCE. 



are so slow in deciding on books to be bought, 
and on any changes or reforms. 

Do believe that a good employee will work 
better, work longer and more satisfactorily to 
herself and to you, if allowed to go forward in 
her own way, than she would if compelled to 
conform in the minutest details to your own 
thoughts and ideals. 

DO pay the price of two old books, which will 
never leave the shelves, for one new one for 
which the public is clamoring. 

Do keep your card catalog up to date. 

Do remember that the library is for the use of 
the public, and the public is all sorts and con- 
ditions of men. 

Do show that you consider it a pleasure to be 
" bothered " by one in search of information. 

Do give your assistants an opportunity to 
learn all branches of library work. They will 
have more interest in their work if they know 
not only how to lend or return a book, but also 
how to bind, classify, and catalog it. 

Do have a kind word occasionally for your 
assistants ; it will surely be appreciated. 

Do keep up with the times in your ideas, ap- 
pliances, etc. 

Do establish a routine and hold to it. 

Do the odds and ends as they come up, to 
avoid accumulation or omissions. 

Do take time to plan your work thoroughly, 
before you begin to execute it. 

DO get a cat for your library. A well-fed, 
well-treated cat is a valuable object-lesson in 
kindness to animals. I am moved to say this 
by the sight of our Dahomey asleep on a steam- 
radiator near the children's book-shelves. He 
is so friendly with everybody that I am sure no 
child has ever been cruel to him. 

Do always keep wild flowers on the library 
counter from April to November. Label them 
with their common names, and encourage the 
use of Mrs. Dana's " How to know the wild 
flowers " or other books by leaving a copy open 
at the botanical names and description of habits. 
Nine readers out of ten are like the idiot of the 
small boy's definition — " A man who doesn't 
know an arbor-vitje from a pine " — I might 
add, a cardinal flower from a hepatica. 

Do have as few rules as possible. 

Do enforce every rule, fully, impartially, and 
rigidly. 

Do, in particular, see that every fine due the 



library is promptly collected, whether another 
book is taken out or not. 

Do scan the columns of the Library journal 
with sufficient care to note the smaller items as 
well as the more momentous projects, and when 
you find, as you might have found in the July 
Journal, a request for what the library guild is 
more in the habit of demanding than supplying, 
namely, a request for your own full name. Do 
not refuse to supply the desired information. 

Do find out something about the inside as well 
as the outside of your books. 

DO use a rubber-stamp lettered "A gift to 

Library from," under which you can write 

the name of the giver. Such an inscription on 
the back of a title-page, or on the fly-leaf facing 
it, is a permanent record, and requires no care 
when the book is re-bound. 

Do keep your order list on cards, arranged 
alphabetically by authors. The simplest, cheap- 
est, plainest cards — the backs of spoiled or 
withdrawn catalog cards and of the Library 
Bureau catalog cards for books which you are 
not going to buy (supposing you to be a sub- 
scriber), answer as well as those elaborately 
printed with blanks. You will save time, labor, 
money, and endless vexation with duplicates. 

Do open the library doors promptly, at least 
as promptly as you close them. 

Do have a children's room, and do have it 
large enough. 

Do, in their own department, allow children 
freedom to breathe, and think, and even to 
move, to talk (not whisper), and to laugh. 
They will not abuse the privilege, and will be 
infinitely happier than if " hushed " by a warn- 
ing finger or overawed by a threatening pla- 
card. They may even want to come again. 

Do provide bicycle stands or standing-room 
for the wheels which bring your readers to the 
library doors. If you do not, the wheels may 
cease to roll your way, and the riders will stick 
to their wheels. 

DO keep "knitting-work" at hand, leaves of 
books or sheets of titles for bulletins to cut, 
that the time spent in talking with bores and 
book agents may not be entirely lost. 

Do invite children from the schools to see 
pictures illustrating poems or stories. Tell them 
how to make scrap-books of such pictures and 
authors' portraits, and also games of authors 
from publishers' catalogs. Give the children 



CHANDLER. 



45 



gingerbread and lemonade before they go home, 
and the scrap-book lessons will be more effect- 
ual. 

Do have a conversation-room for the women 
who gossip and the men who exchange views 
on the questions of the day. 

Do refrain from asking a person if damage to 
a book is due to his carelessness. He will 
break the whole Ten Commandments, if neces- 
sary, to assure you that it is not. 

Do suggest a way to make people return mag- 
azines and papers to their proper places before 
leaving the reading-room. 

Do request readers not to take a daily nap 
over the morning paper. 

Do, if possible, write signs so that people can 
understand them. 

To librarians of school and college libraries, 
where students are employed as assistants: Do 
establish an apprentice system, and do refrain 
from putting a student on the payroll until he 
has learned something about the work and 
shown his fitness for it. 

DO keep cataloging up to date, and have all 
cards written put in place at once. 

Do study practical bibliography. 

Do support all co-operative library efforts, and 
initiate new ones. 

Do all you can to keep library work out of 
the ruts. 

Do discourage the reading of the newest books 
in preference to the better older ones. 

Do insist on intelligence and courtesy in li- 
brary attendants. 

Do the best you can. 

Do endeavor to bring the people into contact 
with the books, by access to the shelves if pos- 
sible. 

DO help to organize a state association if one 
does not already exist. 

Do go to the state meetings, even if at first 
you doubt, being so very wise yourself, whether 
it will be personally profitable. Just consider 
what an advantage contact with such wisdom 
will be to others. 

Do ask publishers for posters for the maga- 
zines which you circulate and post them in your 
circulating department. They attract attention 
to the magazines and it pleases your book-bor- 
rowers to see them. Most publishers see the 
point when you explain the purpose. 

Do talk with your assistants. Their lot is 



not altogether a happy one. If they come to 
feel that they are necessary parts of a great 
whole it makes " bricks " of them. In this con- 
nection 

Do read "The ship that found herself," by 
Kipling, in McClure's for March, 1S96. 

Do make a sample-book of every printed form 
used in the library. Sort the samples by de- 
partments, letter and number them. Give un- 
der the sample the source where obtained, quan- 
tity usually ordered, and price per thousand or 
hundred. If each blank carries a little legend 
giving date of last order and quantity ordered 
(like this, " loM isje 95 "), it helps to check 
small extravagances. It costs nothing to add it. 

Do use a picture lens from four to six inches 
across in reading proof. It is the one instance 
where it is good policy to magnify defects. 

DO listen or read, when'announcements are 
made or posted, for librarians in general, in- 
stead of asking that they be repeated for your 
special edification. 

Do remember that the librarian is, and always 
should be, the servant of the people. 

DO keep a close acquaintance with English 
publications, and not depend on American im- 
porters or reprinters to introduce them to you. 

Do give a fair share of odd minutes to the 
scanning of catalogs of second-hand dealers. 
It will pay. 

Do remember always that cataloging is a 
meiDis, not an end. 

Do cherish the freshness of new books, and 
not allow them to be stalled in the cataloging- 
room. 

Do be patient with impatient people, and rea- 
sonable with the unreasonable. 

Do guard yourself from falling blindly in love 
with your own way of doing things. 

Do give help and support to the co-operative 
undertakings of the A. L. A., and to the biblio- 
graphical enterprises of Mr. Bowker. 

Do report your experiments. When you find 
a good thing tell us about it. When you make 
a failure let us know it. 

Do give all kinds of opinion a fair hearing in 
your library. Be respectful (not obsequious) 
even to fads. 

DO encourage your staff to read bibliography 
and current book reviews. If you cannot trust 
your assistants to read only what directly bears 
upon their work, then by all means do employ a 



46 



CLEVELAND CONFERENCE. 



staff you can trust implicitly, even if you pay a 
little more. 

Do enter your periodicals under the last or 
best-known name, letting the salient features of 
dates, volumes, and reviews stand forth clearly. 
Let changes of title, less important editors, and 
irregularities of issue appear in a note in finer 
type. The scholar who seeks the history of the 
journal can thus find it, and the impatient public 
will not be forced to wander through a maze of 
undesired information in the body of the title. 

Do give your catalogers a chance at the refer- 
ence work. An hour a day with the readers 
brings the weary cataloger in touch with the 
outer world, gives a fresh stimulus to her work, 
and teaches her what the public look for in the 
catalog. The reader may receive valuable aid 
from one who has studied and analyzed the 
book, and the cataloger will be presered from 
the inevitable cull of the catalog which results 
from application to the one line of thought. 

DO look at Buffalo's beautiful "ad" 

If you want to know how to make children glad. 

Dissected maps and animals sliced 

Are certainly a most ingenious device. 

Do have a children's department in your li- 
brary. 

Do look at Denver's open shelves 

Where dear little children help themselves. 

Do study the pages of I'^inter^s Infi : 
For all the modern librarians think 
That to advertise is the only way 
To let people know what's read to-day. 

Do have a place in your library for the assist- 
ants to rest during the lunch hour. 

When met at your delivery-desk by stupid 
comments and criticisms on books, authors, and 
library management. Do keep a level head 
" though it pass your patience." 

Do your professional duty to all classes wisely, 
promptly, and above all, cheerily. 

"DO unto others (the public) as you would 
that others should do unto you." 

Do remember that you are but the servant of 
the public, and that you cannot afford, therefore, 
to be uncivil. 

Do lead the public. 

Do bear a pleasant face to rich and poor alike. 



Do be interested in your work — or resign. 
Do give the library the best work. 

DO " take down the bars " so far as possible ; 
avoid "red tape"; give the widest possible 
liberty to those who will appreciate and not 
misuse it. Democratic Americans chafe under 
restraint. 

Do make people know that there is a library 
in town, and where it is ; let them know that it 
is alive, free, and that they will be welcome. 
To this end occasionally use local newspapers 
for the purposes of legitimate, dignified, free 
" advertising." 

Do put good talent at the loan-desk. For 
many readers this is the only point of contact 
with the library, and they are almost entirely 
dependent on the wisdom (or unwisdom) of the 
loan-desk for their choice of reading. 

Do use revolving bookcases in the reading- 
room for shelving books for study-clubs, etc. 
They are convenient and add homelikeness to 
the library. 

Do get books for clubs (or individuals) at the 
time they are wanted, rather than after the 
special reason has ceased to exist. Book com- 
mittees rather than librarians are usually at 
fault here. 

DO answer or acknowledge all inquiries from 
fellow-librarians at once. 

Do make your catalog (however poor) im- 
mediately accessible to the public. 

Do it now, do it carefully, do it relatively, do 
it objectively, do it conscientiously, do it sys- 
tematically, do it calmly, do it for the future as 
well as the present, do it broadly — keeping in 
touch with the interests of the outside world — do 
it cheerfully. 

Do, when other people make mistakes, re- 
member that you, too, may make them, and be 
consideratt'. 

Do answer business letters promptly. 

Do your trustees the compliment of consult- 
ing them individually when asking any new 
thing. By so doing you are more likely to suc- 
ceed. 

Do your best for your library, thereby forcing 
your library to do its best for you. 



HE WINS. 



47 



NEW AND OLD BOOKS: WHAT TO BUY. 



BY CAROLINE M. HEWINS, LIBRARIAN, PUBLIC LIBRARY, HARTFORD. 



A/'OU remember how, in the Story of Aladdin 
in the little fat fairy-book dear to our 
childhood, the princess whom Aladdin had mar- 
ried heard a man shouting outside the palace, 
and sent one of her women slaves to know what 
the man cried. "Madam," said the slave, the 
story goes on, " I cannot forbear laughing to 
see a fool with a basketful of new lamps on 
his arm asking to exchange for old ones," 
Another woman slave who was present said, 
" I know not whether the princess has observed 
it, but there is an old lamp upon the cornice; if 
the princess pleases, she may try if this foolish 
man will give a new one for it." You know 
what happened, how the magician in disguise, 
the forerunner of all the collectors of old furni- 
ture who persuade simple country-folk to ex- 
change their Chippendale chairs and carved 
cupboards and claw-footed tables for the com- 
monplace machine-made ones of to-day, left his 
new lamp and took away the magic one Aladdin 
always carried about with him e.Kcept when he 
went hunting, and Aladdin, whatever game he 
found in the forest, wished that he had stayed at 
home when he saw a sandy desert without 
trace of princess, palace, or slaves where he 
had left them. 

Every library, great or small, has two classes 
of readers to provide for. First, those who 
never read a book-notice, pass by the most gau- 
dy and staring posters advertising new books 
without seeing them, and apparently have never 
heard of anything published in the last ten years. 
Second, those who read all the notices and 
advertisements of novels in the daily papers, 
and besiege the libraries for the latest stories, 
often weeks before they are in the market. A 
small library is constantly confronted by the 
problem of how to satisfy readers of both these 
classes and at the same time to buy a reasonable 
number of new books of a better kind, and fill 
the gaps revealed by an attempt to work up any 
subject in the library for the use of a club. 
The consequences of buying too largely of new 
books instead of old may not be as disastrous as 
they were to Aladdin, but it is well to remember 
what Schopenhauer says; "Consider that the 



man who writes for fools is always sure of a 
large audience. . . . Because people always read 
what is new instead of the best of all ages, 
writers remain in the narrow circle of the ideas 
which happen to prevail in their time ; and so 
the period sinks deeper and deeper into its own 
mire." 

The superintendent of circulation in a large 
library once said to me : " It is as bad for a 
library not to have every book in its printed 
catalog as for a shop-keeper to advertise wares 
not in his stock." We all know the look of sur- 
prise and disappointment which is seen upon a 
reader's face when in answer to a request for 
" True to the last, or, one woman's two lovers," 
he or she is told at the counter, " We used to 
have it, but it is worn out." It is, however, 
often hard to replace novels. I have at hand a 
list of "shorts," as the book trade calls them, 
that have been ordered to replace worn-out 
copies on our shelves, and that our bookseller 
has failed to find. This list includes three titles 
by Mrs. Alexander, two by Anstey, one by 
Barrett, three by Frank Lee Benedict, five 
by Miss Braddon, one by Ada Cambridge, two 
by Mrs. Cameron, one by Miss Croker, three 
by Dumas, two by Annie Edwards, three by 
Gaboriau, four by Theo. Gift, one by Hardy, 
five by Julian Hawthorne, one by EUice Hop- 
kins, eight by G. P. R. James, one by Captain 
King, three by Katherine King, one by Holme 
Lee, seven by Justin McCarthy, eleven by Flor- 
ence Marryat, one by Meade, one by Miihlbach, 
four by Payn. one by Pont-Jost, two by Mrs. 
Riddell, four by Adeline Sergeant, one by Seton, 
one by Julia P. Smith, seven by Annie Thomas, 
one by Tirebuck, one by Sarah Tytler, two 
by Florence Warden, one by Werner, eleven by 
John Strange Winter, and one by Mrs. Henry 
Wood. 

It is best to supply as many as possible of this 
class of books from the stock of second-hand 
dealers in the larger cities. Ordering novels 
from auction catalogs, unless you can see the 
books, often puts on your hands poorly printed 
and worse bound editions. One can often find 
fresh copies sent to and sold by book-reviewers 



CLEVELAND CONFERENCE. 



for 30 or 40 cents. Money will go farther spent 
in this way for new copies of old books than 
in any other. Some favorite novels wear out 
every year, and should always be replaced. It 
is impossible to prevent copies of the "Count 
of Monte Cristo," " Uncle Tom's cabin," Les 
Misferables," or "The scarlet letter" from fall- 
ing to pieces in a library of even the smallest 
size. Here is a town library of 5000 volumes, 
not the 5000 approved by the American Library 
Association for the reason that it has been in 
existence for 40 years and has absorbed two 
small subscription libraries. It has this year 
$200 to spend for books, and how is it to lay 
out that money to the best advantage ? 

The statistics of the Hartford Public Library 
show that with 50,000 volumes on the shelves 
and a circulation of 200,000, about 1000 books 
have been removed this year as worn out. It is 
fair to suppose that a library of 5000 has a cir- 
culation of from 10,000 to 20,000, and wears out 
100 books. With only $200 to spend, however, 
is it best to use half of it to replace novels that 
are not of permanent value ? In a still smaller 
library which can spend only $50 a year, it is 
hard to sacrifice 25 of those precious dollars for 
books that have been read over and over again 
— to give up the new illustrated edition of 
White's "Selborne" and "The Gurneys of Earl- 
ham," Grosvenor's "Constantinople" and the 
four volumes of the illustrated Green's "Short 
history," for stories fairly represented by 
" Monte Cristo," "Willy Reilly," " The opening 
of a chestnut burr," "The Green Mountain 
boys," "Toby Tyler," "Two college girls," 
"The red mustang," and "The heir of Red- 
clyffe" — books that you yourself either know 
by heart or have never thought worth read- 
ing through. You have bound and patched 



and mended and stitched and covered, but it is 
of no use. The well-thumbed copies tumble in 
pieces if you touch them, and the public must 
have its books. You draw your pencil through 
the order that was to be a little for your own 
selfish gratification, and write yourself as one 
who loves his fellowmen in sending instead for 
the books that are to give the greatest pleasure 
to the greatest number. In a new library, 
bought with careful consideration from well- 
selected lists, there should be no books not worth 
replacing, but in a library in a country town, 
which has for years received the waifs and 
strays read through and left behind by summer 
boarders, there are always paper-covered and 
other novels not worth binding or cataloging. 
The Boston AthenEeum, says the Library 
JOURN.^L for May, enters current publications of 
little permanent value, but a certain passing in- 
terest, on a temporary list, giving them running 
numbers by which they can be charged, but not 
putting them on the catalog or the shelf-list. 
At the end of a year or after the interest in them 
has passed, the book committee is to decide 
whether they are to be placed in the library or 
thrown aside. 

The Quincy plan, formulated a few years ago 
by Charles Francis Adams, has its advantages, 
in making the smaller town libraries live work- 
ing ones for every-day needs. He fi.\es 15,000 
as the limit for town libraries. We have all, 
nevertheless, found that a book which is taken 
off the shelves and not renewed is sure to be 
in demand for some reason or other, although it 
may have dropped in pieces from standing still. 
It is not right for town libraries to spend any 
money on book-curios, and gone-by books of 
science should be housed in large city or uni- 
versity collections. 



JAMES. 



49 



READING-ROOM AND PERIODICALS. 



BY MISS HANNAH P. JAMES, LIBRARIAN, OSTERHOUT LIBRARY, WILKES-BARRE, PA. 



'T^ HE subject or subjects assigned me admit 
of a variety of treatment, for reading- 
rooms are of many kinds, and each one should 
be adapted to the needs of the place it is in. It 
may be that I am expected to deal entirely with 
periodical reading-rooms, but as the saying 
goes, " It is the unexpected that happens," so 
I have ventured to stray from the obvious path 
of duty and branch out upon a different trail, 
thinking thereby to get at the root of the whole 
matter of library influence, and give a few 
fundamental ideas rather than many technical 
hints. The province of the librarian should in- 
clude not only the library proper, but the read- 
ing-room or rooms, as the case may be, and the 
same care be exercised in the selection of maga- 
zines or newspapers as in books. I have heard of 
a library that subscribed for a number of copies 
of the Police Gazette, as that was more read than 
anything else. The idea that reading in itself 
is meritorious is not tenable, for every thought- 
ful librarian knows that many a naturally sane 
mind has been ruined for all serious thought or 
purpose in life by the opportunity to read friv- 
olous or vicious literature. Better never read 
at all than read only what is debasing. To 
have the noblest faculties of the mind tainted 
and debased by what it feeds on is, or should 
be considered, a crime. That it is not so con- 
sidered is because the crime is too common to 
cause remark. Our public libraries should 
stand as beacon-lights to show a better way 
and lead to a nobler development of life. The 
life is the man, and the development of his life 
the loftiest aim to which we can devote our 
powers; and as in every department of the li- 
brary that aim should be the end in view, so 
we should select the periodical literature as 
well as the books with regard to the true edu- 
cation of the heart and soul, as well as the 
mind, of our readers. The well-known stand- 
ard literary journals should of course be had 
if possible. How large a supply of the cheap- 
er issues should be taken is a question. Not 
that many of them are not of good quality, but 
their place might be better filled by magazines 
especially adapted to various needs. Then, 



too, while we may try to avoid weak fiction 
upon our shelves, we may be furnishing an un- 
told quantity in our multiplicity of magazines. 
The tendency of the time is strongly in the di- 
rection of scrappy, unconnected reading, which 
the great numberof periodicals and newspapers 
tends greatly to foster. It would seem to be 
within the educational province of the library 
to encourage reading with a purpose, and to 
increase the number of technical periodicals (I 
use the term in its broadest sense) rather than 
to enlarge the number of perhaps harmless but 
not especially helpful ones. The industries of 
a place should be one of the first considerations. 
Hobbies should be tenderly cared for. Postage- 
stamps and poultry for the boys, china painting 
and needlework for the girls, music for all and 
science for all — these will do much towards 
correcting the taste and inducing a desire to 
read with a purpose. If in any case the library 
funds do not admit of supplying all the various 
needs, it might be possible to interest a few who 
are especially desirous of having a certain pub- 
lication to contribute the necessary amount for 
the benefit of all. 

Three or four architects, for instance, might 
club together and subscribe for the Architect 
and Building News, who would not feel able to 
procure it individually, but would in this way 
share equally in its use, and others would reap 
the benefit also. Religious, or rather denomi- 
national periodicals should be received as gifts, 
generally speaking. I have already referred 
to the wants of the children. Give them of 
the best — St. Nicholas, Harper's Rouytd Table, 
Youth's Companion, ani everything else equally 
good — to keep them from the debasing in- 
fluences of the pennydreadfuls that lie in wait 
like so many serpents in their paths. It is al- 
most beyond belief to learn the numberand the 
vileness of the publications which are forced 
upon the notice of the children of the present 
day, and anything that the library or the 
reading-room can do to counteract their fatal 
influence should be done. There is another 
tendency abroad which, while it may not be 
classed among the distinctly vicious, is yet 



5° 



CLEVELAND CONFERENCE. 



doing much to sap and weaken our higher 
powers, and that is the tendency to turn every- 
thing in life to ridicule. Take the funny papers 
of the day, and you will find that nothing is too 
sacred to form the butt of their wit or sarcasm. 
The very fact that a certain amount must be 
manufactured every week tends to make them 
careless as to the spirit of the joke. I have 
been sorry more than once that we have Life 
on our list when I see the young people call for 
the back volumes and pore over it for hours, to 
the exclusion of better things, or ask for it in 
the magazine-room, and leave if the last num- 
ber cannot be had. There is no danger of our 
becoming too serious a people. All the popu- 
lar magazines have their funny column, which 
furnishes enough amusement along with more 
solid food, but to see young people neglect 
more profitable reading which they would take 
but for it, leads one to doubt the wisdom of 
giving the sanction of the library to the in- 
fluence of this kind of literature. I am aware 
that this will have a very radical sound to 
many, but it is a subject well worthy of serious 
thought. 

The newspapers of our day are among the 
greatest foes of solid and continuous read- 
ing, that steady and persistent reading which 
develops the powers of the mind as health- 
ful physical e.xercise develops the muscles 
of the body. Setting aside those newspapers 
which cater to a low or sensational taste, the 
great dailies, and especially the enormous Sun- 
day editions, are perfect miners and sappers 
of the mind and memory. How many can 
give, after poring over one of these, a clear 
idea of what has been read ? The articles may 
all be true, and many of them interesting, but 
the effect of constant newspaper reading upon 
the average man is necessarily to weaken his 
mental grip and spoil his power of application 
to more serious studies. So it seems to me 
that the average library, and especially the 
smaller ones, can do better service by using 
their money in some other way. Scarcely any 
one in this country who cares to read a paper 
but contrives in some way to get it. The 
newspaper is as common as the day, and he 
who does not get one is hardly the one to go to 
the reading-room for it. 

The better way of spending the newspaper 
money would be to establish a reading-room for 
the children. Our hope for the future lies in 



them, and in the way they are prepared to as- 
sume the responsibilities of the future. 

The Pawtucket Library has for years gathered 
in the children from the streets and given them 
special tables and chairs and a liberal supply of 
attractive magazines. Many others have fol- 
lowed their example. The great Boston Library 
has devoted a large room lined with books ex- 
clusively to children, and finds it crowded daily. 
The last to develop this most important work is 
the Buffalo Library, where chairs and tables of 
kindergarten size invite the smallest child to 
come and partake of the feast provided. And is 
not this going to the root of the whole matter ? 
If our libraries do not stand as potent aids in 
the education and inspiration of the present and 
future generations, they do stand for a wicked 
waste of opportunity and treasure, 

This great agency for the development of 
mankind, the modern public library, has been 
placed in our hands to administer. What should 
our aim be ? Should it be anything short of the 
highest ? Should we not work for the future by 
beginning to cultivate the plant in its infancy ? 
Is it the gnarled and stunted tree, grown crooked 
and one-sided from adverse winds or neglect, 
which you try to train into a straight and 
healthy growth ? Is it not rather the young tree, 
coming up in its tender beauty, that you shield, 
and encourage, and enrich, with good promise 
of reward ? So it is in our libraries. Provision 
should be made for the healthy mental and 
moral growth of the little ones as well as their 
elders. Connect the child with the library in 
his earliest years; let him realize that it is just 
as much for him as for others. Supply his 
needs abundantly, giving him plenty of aids in 
his school work, and make the place as attrac- 
tive to him as possible. He responds quickly to 
the interest shown in him, and is proud to be 
able to help himself to sources of information 
and to help his fellows. 

You cannot often change the mental taste of 
the adult. The mind takes on early the tastes 
and habits which determine its future develop- 
ment. 

A good book, or a bad book ! How often it 
makes or mars the human soul ! Educators re- 
alize fully that the training of the child cannot 
begin too early; and we are realizing that the 
aid of the library in the healthful training of 
the child cannot begin too early. 

Work with the child in every way you can ; 



HILL. 



SI 



be careful that no book or magazine shall lend 
its influence to harm it ; make the library, or 
better, the reading-room, so attractive to him 
that it will become a part of his daily life, a 
powerful foe to the influence of the street, a con- 
stant source of help intellectually, morally, and 
spiritually. 

The work in the Pawtucket Library is an ad- 
mirable example of the inestimable benefit to be 
derived from a children's reading-room. 

In a thickly-settled manufacturing city hun- 
dreds of children roam the streets learning 
lessons in vice and degradation, and in after 
years develop into the thriftless candidates for 
the poor-house or jail. 

The Pawtucket Library has dealt wisely with 
this class, and encouraged and welcomed the 
children to its reading-room to such an extent 
that the testimony of the police is unanimous 
regarding the powerful influence of the library 
for good. 

It is the same work that the kindergarten is 
accomplishing in quickening thought and culti- 
vating the moral sense, only it carries it on 
into the manhood and womanhood of the peo- 
ple, developing honest, industrious, intelligent 



citizens in the place of paupers and crim- 
inals. 

In more favored places the work is not less 
necessary. The temptations of vice are pres- 
ent everywhere, and everywhere need to be 
counteracted. Wealth furnishes no safeguard 
against them, and too often weakens if it does 
not destroy the mental and moral fibre of its 
owner. 

It is the earnest, thoughtful men and women 
who are needed to carry forward the work of 
the world. Men and women whose minds have 
been trained and broadened by communion with 
the best thoughts of those who have preceded 
them preserved on the written page. 

Keep this thought ever before you, that your 
work in your library must be a part of the 
great uplifting force at work at the present day 
which is making for a more honest, thoughtful, 
conscientious, intelligent national life. 

Cherish the highest ideals of the possibilities 
of your profession. You cannot aim too high 
if by wise steps to attain your end you keep in 
touch with the little children and lead them to 
consider the library as much a part of their 
daily life as their homes and their schools. 



PREPARING A BOOK FOR ISSUE ; AND CHARGING SYSTEMS. 



BY FRANK PIERCE HILL, LIBR.\RIAN, PUBLIC LIBRARY, NEWARK, 



"\ XT' HEN I acceded to the request of the 
program committee for a paper on the 
above subjects I supposed I was to describe the 
system or systems in use at Newark; but when, 
some four months later, I took up the matter 
seriously I found that I was expected to cover 
the whole ground. This discovery was made 
too late to permit me " to back out" gracefully, 
and so I took up the task glorying in the fact 
that the hardest part of the work had already 
been done by others. 

If it will not be considered putting the cart 
before the horse I will first describe Charging 
Systems. The first report on Charging Sys- 
tems was made by K. A. Linderfelt at the Cin- 
cinnati conference in 1SS2. (See L. j., 7 : 178.) 

The second and most important contribution 
on the subject was made by Mr. Henry J. Carr 
in 1880. In that vear at the St. Louis confer- 



ence a thorough and comprehensive report was 
made by Mr. Carr in his well-known exhaustive 
manner. At the outset I would refer you to 
the Library journal, 1889, ig : 203, for that re- 
port, and would call your special attention to 
the bibliography thereto attached. 

The Library Handbook, prepared under the 
editorial supervision of Melvil Dewey, and is- 
sued by the U. S. Bureau of Education, con- 
tains Miss Mary Wright Plummer's admirable 
paper (constituting the fourth report), which 
brings the history of the subject down to 1S93. 
What is left for me is to chronicle the doings 
since the Chicago or World's Fair conference. 

And here again I am in clover, for I find that 
there has been but one important addition since, 
that of Miss Nina E. Browne, fully described in 
the Library journal, 1895, 20:168. 

To finish with references I would advise you 



52 



CLEVELAND CONFERENCE. 



{Borrower's card) 

SERIES B. 



{Reverse.) 



(Robert Lincoln, 



202g (Broad St., 



is entitled to draw books from the 

Free Public Library, 



No. 



NEWARK N.J. 

65374 



The application, upon 'which this card is 
issued, must be renewed ^Ug. 11, iSgg. 

m^This card must be presented 
whenever a book is taken, or 
RETURNED. If lost, it will be re- 
placed after seven days' notice on 
payment of 1 cents, or, without fee 
at the expiration of twenty days. 

NOTICE. — All books, except those marked 
SEVEN-DAY BOOKS, may be kept fourteen 
days. A fine of two cents a day is charged 
for each day overdue, and if not returned with- 
in one week after notice is sent, 20 cents 
additional wrill be charged. 

No books delivered on cards where fines are 
unpaid. 

Give Prompt Notice of Change of Residence. 

LIBRARY HOURS: 
9 A.M. to 8.30 P.M., legal holidays excepted. 
When not in use, fi/ense leave this card at 
the delivery desk. 


























2 '^ 

It 

\ 


6 
Z 


z 
















































< 


























D 


< 























u 

G 
2 


n 
7, 


bi 
•< 























to consult the Libr.vrv journal for 1894 and 
1895; and last but not least the " Primer" — or, 
as some one has facetiously called it, the " Baby 
Library Pathfinder," printed in Public Libraries, 
vol. I, nos. I -date. 

As this session is supposed to be devoted to 
the interests of " the younger and less experi- 
enced members" of the A. L. A., I may be 
permitted to say that the three requisites of any 
charging system are (i) accuracy, (2) speed, (3) 
simplicity, but no one of these requisites at the 
expense of another; and that the librarian should 
ever strive to make it easier for the borrower to 
get a book. Some of us are somewhat inclined 



to set too high a value on unimportant statistics, 
and are apt to consider as a desideratum the 
number of questions that can be answered by 
the charging system. All of which is well 
enough but may be carried too far. 

Of the questions asked by Miss Plummer the 
system used at Newark will answer all in a 
more or less satisfactory manner --the ones re- 
lating to the borrower being less definite and 
less accurate, as the library does not consider it 
necessary to know what book a borrower reads. 

A word as to the Newark system. The credit 
for the foundation of this system must be given 
to the Evansville (Ind.), Library, where was de- 



HILL. 



53 



vised a plan of a " slip for every book on which 
each successive issue is charged by reader's num- 
ber and stamp of date, and a borrower's card — 
kept by the reader — on which the date and re- 
turn of each issue are stamped."* Modifications 
of this scheme were made by Jacob Schwartz of 



To charge a book, the date on which the book 
is taken from the library is stamped in blue ink 
on the borrower's card (manilla board), on the 
book-pocket (thin paper), which is on the back 
of the last leaf, and on the book-slip (thin board), 
which is in the pocket, and the number of the 



{Book Pocket.) 

[form p., a. p. h.] 

Free Public Library, 

(3 NEWARK, N. J. W 17 



[Form B.] 



One volume allowed each day, and obtained only by 
card. 

Books labeled "Seven Days' Book" must not be re- 
tained more than one week, and cannot be renewed. 

Other books may be retained two weeks, and may be 
renewed. 

A fine of two cents a day, including Sundays and holi- 
days, must be paid on each volume kept over time. 

No book will be delivered to the party incurring fine till 
all indebtedness is paid. 

Borrowers finding this book mutilated or unwarrantably 
defaced are expected to report it. 

The intentional injury of books or other property of a 
Public Library incurs, by statute, a liability of a fine of 
$ioo. 



THE RECORD BELOW MUST NOT BE MADE 
OR ALTERED BY THE BORROWER. 



the General Society of Mechanics and Trades- 
men's Library, New York City, J. F. Sargent, f 
Paterson (N. J.) Library, and the writer, but 
the originality, if any, certainly belongs to Bas- 
sett Cadwallader, of Evansville, Ind. 

The following is a brief description of the 
charging system adopted at Newark : 

*L. J., 14 : 469 — also i : 254. 

tThe changes made by Mr. Sargent were the most im- 
portant and useful, and, with some improvements, were 
adopted at Newark. 



© 



W 17 



Booi^ sli:e». 

ISSUED TO DATE OF ISSUE. 



65374 



: Ag. '96. 



borrower's card is written opposite the date on 
the book-slip (as per samples). 

The book-slip is then taken from the pocket 
and dropped in a drawer provided for the pur- 
pose, and the book and card pass into the bor- 
rower's possession. 

When the book is returned the card only is 
stamped in red ink with the return date (as per 
sample), and the borrower may at once proceed 
to get another book; a fine being charged if the 
book is overdue — which fact is ascertained by 



54 



CLEVELAND CONFERENCE. 



the charging date on the left of the borrower's 
card — and the book is laid aside to be dis- 
charged at the pleasure of the slip-rack attend- 
ant. 

At the end of the day the book-slips are taken 
from the drawer and arranged in a tray, (r) 
according to class, (2) alphabetically by book 
number, and the tray is put on the slip-rack 
table. 

An attendant is constantly at work , slipping 
the books which are brought over from the de- 
livery-desk; i.e., ascertaining from the book- 
pocket the date book was charged, then taking 
the book-slip from the tray and putting it in the 
pocket of its book, taking care that book and 
slip correspond as to class, book, and copy num- 
ber. 

Overdue books are indicated by the date-slips, 
the trays being moved along each day. 

Under this system the borrower can tell, by 
looking at his card, on what day the book he 
has was taken from the library; and the librari- 
an can tell from the day's book-slips the amount 
and character of the circulation, and by refer- 
ence from slips to the numerical register can 
ascertain name and address of borrowers to 
whom books are charged. 

The pocket is not used for borrower's cards 
because of time wasted in putting in and taking 
out. 

I am of opinion that Miss Browne's system is 
well adapted to libraries with small circulation. 
The only objection* to it that I can see is that 
the borrower must wait to have his book dis- 
charged. We all know that certain times of the 
day are busier than others, and, while it would 
be easy to discharge, without delay, all books 
at, say 10 a.m., it would be difficult to do so 
with the much larger number at S p.m. It is 
much quicker to stamp date three times and 
write reader's card number once than to dis- 
charge book by any known system, particularly 
in the busy part of the day. (It goes without 
saying that the time taken to get a book from 
the shelves is the same no matter what charg- 
ing system is used.) With regard to sending 
"fine notices" the Browne system is quicker 
and easier, owing to its account with the bor- 
rower, but that is a matter which interests the 
statistical department of the library, not the 
borrower. 

* Miss Browne states that there is no delay, therefore the 
objection is removed. 



The aim of all charging systems is, or should 
be, to relieve the borrower of all trouble and de- 
lay. The library that succeeds in these two es- 
sentials is sure to satisfy its constituents. 

TO RENEW A BOOK. 

To renew a book without coming to the li- 
brary the borrower should send a postal giving 
call number of book, the date on which the book 
was taken from the library, and the borrower's 
card number. 

When the postal is received at the library 
the book-slip called for is found and taken from 
the tray, re-charged to the borrower, stamped 
with the current date, and filed with the day's 
slips; in its place is put a green "renewal" 
slip, giving date to which book has been re- 
newed and other information (sample below). 

Aug. 11, 'g6. 

(Form N.) 
RENEWAL. 



(3 



W 17 



Card No. 



Date. 



65374 



Aug. 26, '96. 



'OX pjina 



'T vyvs.a N a a 
Cm kkoj) 



HILL. 



55 



FREE RUBL-IC LIBRKRV 

RENEWAL 

Booh ^..Jl. has been renewed for two weeks 

from :^1S:J,^,, as requested bij you -^11:1^.. 189<^ 

Respectfully yours 



FRANK P. HILL, 

Liir 



BRING THIS OMRD iA£ITH VO\J 
WHEN BOOK IS RETURNED. 



Notice is then sent by mail to the borrower 
that the book has been renewed (sample above.) 

If request for renewal is made at the library, 
a manilla slip instead of postal-card containing 
the same information is given the borrower. 

When the book itself is returned the renewal 
notice should accompany it, in order to save 
time of borrower by telling at once that it is 
not an overdue book. 

TO RESERVE A BOOK. 

Any book in the library (except fiction) may 
be reserved by the payment of two (2) cents. 
The second volume of a novel may be reserved 
in the same way. 



When a request for a reserve is made, a postal 
addressed to the applicant is filled out with the 
necessary information, as shown in the sample 
below : 

The accompanying "reserve" slip (red) is 
then filled out and placed with the regular book- 
slip in the charging-tray. 

When the book is discharged attention is at 
once called to the "reserve," and the postal- 
card notice is completed and mailed to the ap- 
plicant — the book being placed on the " reserve 
shelf." 

A record is kept of the "reserves" by date, 
name, address, book reserved, and whether it 
was called for or not. 



Form M.— 1-95-1. A.P. H. 

Book 332 H25 No I 

Newark, N. J. 189 

The book asked for by you ^l.-^A:.'.9A _ 

Vol is now in the hbrary, and will be retained until 

8.30 p. m. 189 

Respectfully yours, 

FRANK P. HILL, Librarian. 
1®^ BRING THIS CARD WITH YOU. 



S6 



CLEVELAND CONFERENCE. 



27 Aug. 'g6. 

[Form V.] 



RESERVED 



332 H 25 



PREPARING A BOOK FOR ISSUE. 

In as few words as possible I will mention 
the different stages through which a book passes 
(after reaching the librarj') before being ready 
for circulation : 

1. Check invoice, indicating by letter the name 
of the attendant who checked it, and put price 
and source in some specified place in the book. 

2. Check order-slip in order-drawer with in- 
voice (order-book should not be used). 

3. Cut leaves. (Collate only the more expen- 
sive works.) 

4. Emboss fly-leaves, title-pages, full-page il- 
lustrations (if not too many to affect appearance 
of book), and three or four printed pages. 

5. Paste book-plate on inside front cover. 



6. Paste pocket (this pocket holds book-slip 
and has printed on it certain rules) on back of 
last fly-leaf, tipping the two upper corners and 
all the bottom edge. (Mistake to put pocket on 
cover, as stamping is quite likely to break it.) 

7. Paste outside label, unless to be lettered 
by binder. 

8. Write the source on book-plate. 

9. Accession. Put accession number under 
embossing stamp on title-page. 

10. Classify and give dictionary heads; and 
indicate if J or R. 

11. Shelf-list (use cards rather than shelf-list 
book), putting class-book number and copy num- 
ber on book-plate. 

12. Write cards author, title, subject, and ana- 
lytical. 

13. Revise — done by chief cataloger. 

14. Insert book-slip in pocket and print class 
and book number on book-slip and pocket in 
red ink and on back label in black ink. (The 
letter J or R in red ink.) 

15. Place a small label " new book " on pock- 
et, to show that when returned book is to go on 
" new book table " rather than on shelf. 

16. Paste seven days' notice on all juveniles 
and some fiction. 

17. Put book on " new book table," ready for 
circulation. 

iS. Prepare dummy to take the place on the 
regular shelf for a book to go in the Reference 
Department. 

In closing I wish to pay a tribute to a library, 
which, as a lender of books, will soon be out of 
existence, namely, the Middlesex Mechanics 
Association, of Lowell, Mass. 

For many years its interests were looked 
after and its library affairs well governed by 
one of the most conscientious A. L. A. workers. 
Miss Mary E. Sargent. 

It was in this library that I first saw the screw- 
lock which has since been applied by Newark 
and a few other libraries to magazine covers, 
newspaper files, and card cases. Here I first 
saw a successful sliding newspaper file which 
permitted the reader to adjust the paper so as 
to make the least strain on the eyes. This de- 
vice is used at Newark, Worcester, Paterson, 
and several other places. 

If for no other reasons than the above men- 
tioned the Middlesex Mechanics Association 
should be remembered and its name handed 
down to perpetuity. 



KROEGER. 



57 



REPORT ON THE CONGRESS OF WOMEN LIBRARIANS AT ATLANTA. 

BY MISS ALICE B. KROEGER, LIBRARIAN, DREXEL' INSTITUTE, PHILADELPHIA. 



'T'HE Cotton States and International Exposi- 
tion, which was held in Atlanta, Georgia, 
during the fall months of 1895, was the occasion 
of many congresses on various subjects, few of 
which, however, were more important than the 
Congress of Women Librarians, since it created 
an interest in the public library movement which 
promises to be productive in the future of its 
greater development in the South. 

The Congress had for its object to stimulate 
library growth in the South. The programs, 
which were so admirably arranged by Miss 
Anne Wallace, librarian of the Young Men's 
Association Library, of Atlanta, and chairman 
of the Congress, included papers on the vari- 
ous phases of library history and management 
which especially brought forward the broad edu- 
cational side of the free public library and its 
advantages to every community. 

The sessions of the Congress were held in the 
assembly hall of the Woman's Building, on 
November 29 and 30, under the auspices of the 
Board of Women Managers. At the first ses- 
sion, on Friday, November 29, Mrs. Porter 
King, chairman of the library committee, made 
the opening address and introduced Miss Wal- 
lace, who presided as chairman of the Congress. 
In her address. Miss Wallace called attention to 
the lack of a proper library law in the larger 
number of the southern states, which in some 
measure accounted for their lack of free libra- 
ries. The Association Library, with its nominal 
fee, must be maintained and strengthened until 
legislation towards a direct tax for the founda- 
tion and support of public libraries can be 
made. Miss Wallace further urged the estab- 
lishment of state library associations in the 
South, on account of the benefits to be obtained 
by the union of interests and the exchange of 
ideas and experiences. 

The papers of this session included: "The 
public libraries of America," by Miss Hannah 
P. James, librarian of the Osterhout Library, 
Wilkes Barre, Pa.; "Library training schools," 
prepared by Miss Mary W. Plummer, librarian 
of the Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, which was read 



by Miss Miller, of Boston; "Libraries of the 
West," prepared by Mrs. Carrie W. Whitney, 
librarian of the Kansas City Public Library, 
read by Mrs. Moses Wadley, of Augusta, Ga. 
At the second session, on Saturday, November 
30, the following'papers were read: "Library 
work in its relation to the public school," by 
Miss Mary P. Sargent, librarian of the Public 
Library, Medford, Mass.; "The American Li- 
brary Association," by Miss Alice B. Kroeger, 
librarian of the Drexel Institute, Philadelphia; 
"Classification, catalogs, and modern library 
appliances," by Miss Nina E. Browne, of the 
Library Bureau, Boston. 

The importance of a close relation between 
the public library^ and the public school; the 
value of a special training in library science for 
the carrying out of the highest ideal of the 
library as an educator; the method available in 
executing the best ideas in administration as 
furnished by the appliances and conveniences 
in use in the best libraries; the history of libra- 
ries in this country and of library associations; 
together with experiences in starting small 
libraries, furnished many themes of interest to 
those who attended the meetings. Among the 
interested visitors to the Congress at the second 
session was Mrs. M. French Sheldon, who spoke 
briefly on the relation of the librarian to the 
publisher. The attendance at the meetings was 
not large, but it included librarians from Massa- 
chusetts, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Alabama, and 
Nebraska. 

That the papers should be more widespread 
in their usefulness and in the purpose for 
which the Congress was intended, the promo- 
tion of library interests in the South, the United 
States Commissioner" of Education will print 
them for general circulation. 

An exhibit of library appliances, including a 
card catalog of the library of the Woman's 
Building and many library supplies and devices 
from the Library Bureau, formed an interesting 
feature of the library-room, which adjoined the 
assembly hall. 

A reception tendered the visiting librarians 



58 



CLEVELAND CONFERENCE. 



by Mrs. Porter King, on the afternoon of No- 
vember 29, afforded a pleasant opportunity to 
meet socially many friends to the library cause 
in Atlanta. Another delightful reception on 
the evening of November 30 was held in honor 
of the librarians by the board of directors of 
the Young Men's Association Library, at the 
library building, which is admirably adapted 
to such a social affair, as it was formerly an 
old southern mansion, with spacious halls and 
rooms. 

Several of the northern librarians remained 
for some days after the adjournment of the 
Congress, in order to see more thoroughly the 
beautiful Exposition grounds and buildings and 
to visit the libraries and other points of interest 
in Atlanta. The State Library and the Young 



Men's Association Library are the two large 
libraries of Atlanta, and they showed by the 
use made of their valuable collections the im- 
portance they hold in the intellectual life of the 
city. 

The growth of the South in material prosper- 
ity within the past 20 years has been accom- 
panied by improved school facilities. With the 
increased advantages for education must come 
the need for the public library to supplement 
and continue the work of the school. So from 
the Congress of Librarians at Atlanta it is 
hoped will arise new efforts to obtain for every 
town in the South the opportunity for greater 
intellectual activity which comes from the pos- 
session of a library free to every person in the 
community. 



REPORT ON GIFTS AND BEQUESTS. 



BY MISS CAROLINE M. HEWINS, LIBRARIAN, HARTFORD PUBLIC LIBRARY. 



/~\F 226 answers received to 500 postal-cards 
^-^ sent to libraries all over the country, 80 
report no gifts or bequests of money or books, 
and a few others less than a $100 or 100 vol- 
umes. The others show that in the two years 
covered by the report, from June, 1894, to June, 
1896, nearly f2,50o,oooin money have been given 
to libraries, buildings worth nearly f 1,000,000 
have been erected for the housing of books, 
more than 100,000 volumes have been added to 
the libraries of the country by gift and bequest, 
and pictures, statues, bric-&-brac, coins, and 
manuscripts whose value cannot be estimated, 
have also been bestowed upon them. 

In the whole mass of letters and pamphlets 
that have come in reply to a question regarding 
what has been given to libraries within two 
years, there are several that are most sugges- 
tive and worthy of imitation. 

In a town library stands a plain bookcase, of 
the best wood and workmanship, filled with 
copies of the favorite books of a girl whose ap- 
preciation of the best in literature was only one 
of the noble traits of her character. She died 
in 1894, and her young friends gave case and 
books as a memorial of her to be placed in the 
library of her native town as a silent incentive 
to the boys and girls coming after her to live up 
to her standard. 



In a hill-town in a New England state there 
is a memorial building, the gift of one brother 
to the memory of another, through whose ef- 
forts pure cold water now comes into every 
house in the town from a neighboring mountain. 
This building houses a library that had fallen 
into disuse, and a sister of the two brothers, 
who spends long summers in the town, has 
brought back its old-time reputation as a think- 
ing and reading community by inviting the 
farmers and their wives in the neighborhood to 
study English history with her. A member of 
the family said to me that the strength and 
keenness of mind which they show in their pa- 
pers on historical subjects is most unexpected, 
and that the whole community has felt the ef- 
fects of the new impulse to thought and reading. 
It is hard to say which will be in future years 
the greater blessing, the supply of pure moun- 
tain water, freeing the town from danger of 
drought and pestilence, or the library, broaden- 
ening the horizon of men, women, and chil- 
dren. 

In another town, a memorial library building 
is the centre of all social life. A hall, with a 
stage and a concert-grand piano, and a well-fur- 
nished kitchen, invite the scattered families of 
outlying districts to pleasant, social evenings 
in the long winters, and a chime from the clock- 



HEW INS. 



59 



tower rings out every hour an air from " Parsifal" 
that is heard for miles among the lonely hills 
and over the quiet lakes that lie between them. 

In one city a woman has left half of her by 
no means large estate in recognition of the 
pleasure she had derived from the library and 
of the kindness she had received from all con- 
nected with it. One man gave the public li- 
brary of his city his $500 salary as mayor, and 
another the sum, not stated, that he received for 
filling the offices of selectman and overseer of 
the poor. 

All the libraries that I have mentioned are in 
New England, and I speak of them not be- 
cause there are not others like them in states 
beyond the Hudson, but for the reason that 
they have come under my own personal obser- 
vation or knowledge. The unfairness of any 
statement of gifts and bequests made for the 
whole country by one person cannot fail to im- 
press every one who tries to obtain statistics 
concerning them. It is as difficult for a librari- 
an in the East to keep in touch with libraries in 
states outside his own as for our president or 
secretary to find the library items in newspapers 
published in the smaller cities of Connecticut 
which one of my assistants cuts and pastes 
every week. The new magazine, PubUc Li- 
braries, has a large field for gathering up infor- 
mation on gifts, bequests, and new libraries in 
the West. Even then, the influence of the li- 
brary spirit upon givers of libraries cannot be 
told in figures. A man who has grown rich 
may give a library in his will to his native town, 
that children of future generations may enjoy 
the pleasures which he lacked, but it is not al- 
ways that he or his family can or will teach the 
townspeople how to enjoy these pleasures. An 
account of what a library that has been given is 
actually doing, the use made of the building 
and books, or their influence on the social life 
of the neighborhood, can be written only by 
some one who has seen it. 

The Library journal's returns of gifts and 
bequests are incomplete, even for the East. 



Many postal-cards sent out asking for informa- 
tion never receive answers. I wish to suggest 
the appointment now and here of a librarian or 
library trustee in- every state who will be re- 
sponsible for the news of that state concerning 
gifts and bequests to libraries, and send all 
items collected during the year at least three 
months before the annual meeting of the A. L. 
A. to the person appointed by the e.xecutive 
committee to report upon them. 

This had been written when a letter came 
from our president asking me to say something 
about methods of interesting wealthy people in 
libraries, and persuading them^^to leave books 
and money to libraries in their wills. Once in 
a while a librarian like Dr. William Rice, of 
Springfield, Massachusetts, who has a genius 
for persuading his rich friends to give or leave 
their worldly goods to the city library, may be 
found among librarians, but the profession has 
not many of them. The most successful getter 
of money for library and church whom I have 
ever known is a minister who had a thorough 
business training before he went to college. 
The same kind of tact and adaptation that 
makes a good salesman must be brought into 
play in dealing with prospective benefactors to 
libraries. The every-day librarian who does 
not combine business address with other good 
gifts of nature, and has little time to present 
arguments or subtle flatteries ft> the millionaires 
of his town, must content himself with making 
his library necessary to their comfort and well- 
being. If there are lawyers on the board of 
trustees, they can sometimes say a good word 
for the library when a rich man or woman with 
no children or needy relations makes a will. 
Our own library once received $13,000 and 
several hundred books through the kind sug- 
gestion of a lawyer when drawing up the will 
of a man who did not know where to bestow 
the money that he could not take with him, and 
half a dozen other institutions in the city are 
enjoying an income from the same source to- 
day. 



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GARLAND. 



6S 



THE LIBRARIAN'S ANNUAL REPORT. 



BY MISS CAROLINE HARWOOD GARLAND, LIBRARIAN, PUBLIC LIBRARY, DOVER, N. H. 



TT is usually with a profound sigh that the 
librarian sits down to write his annual re- 
port. That the thing must be done and he 
must do it, is the combination of facts which 
compels action. Without this force many of 
us would willingly omit the annual ceremony. 

But the annual report is just as much an 
opportunity as it is a necessity. Like all inev- 
itable things, while it must be met it may be 
used. Like all inevitables, too, it is only 
through a thorough knowledge of its require- 
ments that one aims at an understanding of its 
possibilities. 

First, then, the librarian will set himself to 
consider what a report ought to show. He 
will remember that it is to be not only the 
vehicle of information to the present reader, 
but that the set is to go on record in the city 
accounts and is to constitute a history of the 
library. With a laudable desire to do this 
work as'well as possible, the young librarian 
will probably try to make use of the experience 
of those older in the profession, and in search 
of an approved model will have recourse to the 
printed library reports within his reach. Among 
these e.xists no uniformity. Many years ago 
there was a plan for statistics formulated and 
published in the Library journal. This table 
seems to provide for everything necessary, yet 
very few librarians follow it. Again and again 
suggestions have been made in the Journal 
that a plan be presented which shall be gen- 
erally adopted. This, however, will depend 
not so much on the plan as on librarians. It is 
no part of this brief paper to attempt to outline 
such a plan. That should be the result of sug- 
gestions from different sources, and should be 
carefully adapted by varying degrees of elabo- 
ration to both the large and the small libraries. 

But with or without this plan, there are cer- 
tain statistics which should always be presented 
clearly : 

1. The year's circulation of books; the differ- 
ent classes, the home use, the library use, the 
school use, the reference use, and the total. 

2. The year's additions; by gift, by purchase, 
by binding; the number of losses, and the total 
number in the library. 



3. The number of borrowers. 

4. The receipts and expenditures, itemized. 
This last account is more often the duty of 

the treasurer of the board of trustees than the 
librarian. 

The arrangement is not vital, though it is 
better to be logical. 

The necessary statistics being prepared, the 
next step is the writing of the text. The libra- 
rian should now look to his opportunities. He 
will remember that his report reaches a class 
of city politicians and ward managers who sel- 
dom learn much in any other way of the work 
of the library. Members of the city govern- 
ment frequently will read a city report when 
they pass by all other forms of information. 
The librarian, then, will count it one of his 
privileges that once a year he may address a 
class in the community whom he does not reach 
ordinarily, yet upon whom the financial welfare 
of the library may depend. He will remember 
that interest is at the root of activity, and he 
will therefore try to interest this class and 
make of it a friend to the library; and one need 
not be wily, one need only be wise, to try to 
put his report in such a form that the reader 
shall be interested as well as instructed. 

The report, too, often may be made the 
means of telling in permanent form to the trus- 
tees whatever the librarian wishes them to 
know. Notwithstanding the fact that every 
year trustees and librarians are drawing nearer 
one another and together are making rapid 
steps forward for the welfare of their libraries, 
yet it is true that sometimes a librarian desires 
to tell his trustees something. Here is his 
opportunity. Clearly and simply, often with 
insistence and persistence, never peevishly, 
but always with dignity, he may put on record 
that which he desires his board to apprehend; 
and he may set forth needs and desirabilities 
and may make suggestions with a certainty of 
attention that is secured in no other way. 

After he has decided upon his material — 
and if he is wise he has been keeping in some 
pigeon-hole of his desk memoranda made 
through the year while things were happening — 
the next thing to consider is the manner of its 



66 



CLEVELAND CONFERENCE. 



presentation. Just here many librarians go 
astray. 

A comparison of reports reveals a remarkable 
similarity of fault. What James La"ne Allen 
says of men in one of his books may, with 
equal truth, be applied to annual reports — "they 
vary in their virtues but are singularly alike in 
their transgressions." After doing a little read- 
ing, the observer comes to the conclusion that 
the success of written work depends no less 
upon what is said than upon what is left unsaid. 
He will, therefore, in writing his own report 
leave out several things. 

1. He will leave out the personal element. 
That is, he will not say, " I think," " it seems 
to me," or the like; nor will he bring in his own 
personality at all. 

2. He will avoid any expression of discour- 
agement, even while being truthful and looking 
serious facts square in the face. 

3. He will avoid such phrases, especially 
at the beginning, as, "This year has been an 
eventful one in the history of the library." In 
the first place this ought not to be true, and if it 
be true the librarian certainly should not tell of it. 

4. He will try to avoid the common errors of 
English. 

5. He will not make a mistake in its length, 
knowing that if it is too short it lacks dignity, 
and if too long it becomes tedious. 

But nothing ever attains a high degree of ex- 
cellence by mere avoidance of error. There 
must be definite design in composition. So 
with his material before him, and the point 
that he wishes to make well in mind, he will do 
well before beginning to write to make an out- 
line. In this way he can consider well his 
arrangement, putting related facts together and 
letting different points follow in logical order. 



He will remember that the emphatic part of a 
sentence is the last part and that the place for 
his important paragraph is at the end; and 
then knowing that the ear sometimes detects 
what the eye fails to recognize, when he has 
completed his work let him read it over aloud. 
After this he will perhaps do well to look over 
half a dozen of his exchanges and see whether 
they contain suggestions for him. Of course 
this may be done in the beginning ; but then there 
is danger that the writer will follow along his 
neighbor's lines instead of developing his own 
resources. 

At last, having completed his work to the 
best of his ability, it will be ready to read to the 
trustees, to present to the city government, to 
furnish to the newspapers, to send to his broth- 
er librarians, and to go on record for the future 
antiquarian. Then if he is really wise the li- 
brarian will demand of himself one more little 
report. This last is of himself to himself. He 
will not make it when he is either exhilarated 
or down-hearted, or when he is weary, but 
some time in his ordinary habit he will do well 
to ask himself, simply and honestly, neither 
underrating nor over-valuing himself in his re- 
plies, questions something like these : 

Am I doing easily this year what last year 1 
could do only with difficulty? This is the test 
of growth of capacity. 

Am I seeing this year possibilities that I have 
never seen before ? This is the test of growth 
of ideal. 

Am I being reached by and am I reaching 
persons whom until now I have found it diffi- 
cult to get on with? This is the test of growth 
in intelligent sympathy. It is the highest of all 
attainments. It is therefore most difficult to 
acquire. 



HEPNER. 



67 



A PROPOSITION FOR AN AMERICAN LIBRARIES' CLEARING- 
HOUSE. 



To the American Library Association : 

The suggestion is, that the Government of 
the United States create an American libraries' 
clearing - house, to be administered by the 
United States Commissioner of Education. 
Said office to be a centre of communication and 
distribution between American libraries, and 
especially perform, as a domestic distributing 
medium, the same mission that has fallen to the 
Smithsonian Institution in regard to foreign li- 
braries. The clearing-house to be the centre of 
distribution to American libraries of such books 
and pamphlets as are put free^of charge at its 
disposal. 

There are printed every year many small 
books and pamphlets at the expense of the au- 
thors, without the least hope of sale, or distri- 
bution through the booksellers. Nine-tenths 
of the copies lie idle and a burden to the author 
in his residence, while any library would gladly 
accept a copy, if presented free of charge. A 
pamphlet in itself is usually a trifle, but a col- 
lection of pamphlets on a certain subject some- 
times becomes a very valuable resource for lit- 
erary or scientific research. The establishment 
of such a clearing-house would make available 
many pamphlets which cannot now be pur- 
chased. The trade handles very few pam- 
phlets, as it does not pay publishers to print them 
nor retailers to sell them. Most of these little 
books are at present wasted, while a collection 
of them in a library would furnish very useful 
information on "questions of the day" of their 
time. For instance, how valuable now are the 
pamphlets of the Abolition period, and how 
glad libraries would be to possess some of the 
thousands that have been wasted or destroyed. 
The numerous leaflets of iSSs-'gs on the tariff 
and the silver question, if collected and pre- 
served, will in years to come be very interest- 
ing in connection with the political history of 



the time. Besides pamphlets, many books are 
printed every year at authors' expense, good 
books, although the author found no publisher 
to accept the risk of publication. These find a 
limited sale, because not handled commercially, 
through the regular channels of trade, and the 
author would gladly donate the unsold copies 
to the libraries through the proposed clearing- 
house. Discouraged by the failure of his pub- 
lishing enterprise, he does not care to incur the 
extra expense of distributing them to libraries 
through the mails. An edition of 3000 small 
pamphlets at two cents each would make a cost 
of |6o ; heavier books of five cents postage, 
$150. This is deemed too much after the loss 
for printing outlay. To such authors an Ameri- 
can libraries' clearing-house, through which 
they could give their books to the libraries, 
would be a great relief, and the libraries would 
be greatly enriched. 

It should be understood that the clearing- 
house would have the right to accept or refuse 
all offers at its own discretion, e.g., it would 
refuse pamphlets which are nothing but com- 
mon libels, those limited to local interest en- 
tirely, or published by demented persons. 
Should the clearing-house be established, its 
aims and purposes should be made known 
through the press, especially its readiness to 
distribute free of charge, to American libraries, 
books in any quantity. The clearing-house 
would then find its way to communicate with 
the libraries on the newly-offered books, as well 
as on the books that many libraries would be 
glad to exchange, because they possess larger 
quantities than necessary. 

Respectfully submitted, 

Adolf Hefner, 
Editor "St. Louis Tageblatt." 



68 



CLEVELAND CONFERENCE. 



STATE AID TO LIBRARIES. 



REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON STATE AID TO LIBRARIES. 

[Compiled for the committee by George M. Lee, assistant in the Public Library, Denver. 

Send additions and corrections to Caroline M. Hewins, Public Library, Hartford, Conn., secretary of the 
committee.] 



T 



HE committee wishes to incorporate in this For further information address Caroline M. 
report, in its final form, information in Hewins, secretary, Hartford, Conn. 



regard to those states in which a state aid law 
is contemplated or an attempt has been made 
to secure one, as well as those in which state 
aid legislation has been adopted. Information 
is also desired about attempts to pass a state 
law permitting towns to tax themselves. 



Delaware. — No state aid. 
Florida. — No state aid. 
Georgia. — No state aid. 
Idaho. — No state aid. 

Illinois. — No state aid. The Illinois State 
Library Association has appointed a committee 



This circular has been of necessity hastily to arouse interest in a state library commission, 
compiled. It will, consequently, be found in- and to have a bill drafted and presented to the 
complete and incorrect in many particulars. It state Legislature when it shall convene in Janu- 



should be considered as a first draft only; 

Alabama. — No state aid. 

Arizona. — No state aid. 

Arkansas. — No state aid. 

California. — No state library commission. 
Ten per cent, of the school fund annually ap- 



ary, 1897. 

The committee propose asking every libra- 
rian in the state to write his senator and rep- 
resentative, asking that they use their influence 
for a commission. 

Indiana. — No state aid. The state Board of 



portioned, not to exceed 850 in any case, is Education is a library board to provide for the 
available for district libraries. Such libraries administration of the State Library. 



are free to pupils and open to residents, who 
pay fee required by school authorities. 

Colorado. — No state aid. Cities, towns, 
and school districts may establish public li- 
braries. The Colorado State Library Associa- 
tion has appointed a committee on library 



The State Library Association hopes to have 
the Legislature pass a bill at its session the 
coming winter, providing for a state library 
commission, a non-partisan state librarian, and 
travelling libraries. 

Iowa. — No state library commission. Any 



legislation. The committee will present a bill library may, by complying with the law, be- 
to the Legislature, meeting in January, 1897, come an "associate library" with the State Li- 
providing for the appointment and maintenance brary. An associate library may, by paying 
of a state library commission. transportation, borrow books from the State Li- 

CoNNECTicuT. — Library Committee since brary. Where there is no associate library, 

1S93. The Committee is appointed annually books may be lent from the State Library upon 

by the state Board of Education, and the mem- petition of 25 resident taxpayers. $4000 has 

bers serve without pay. been appropriated to buy and equip travelling 

If any town having no free public library libraries, 

will establish one, and comply with the law. It is the duty of the State Librarian to give, if 

the Committee is authorized to expend for asked, information regarding library organiza- 

books selected by them a sum not to exceed the tion and management. 

sum expended by the town, and not to exceed Kansas. — No state aid. Cities and towns 

$200. The Committee may also expend an- may levy tax to support public libraries, 

nually for books selected by them, for any Kentucky. — No state aid. The alumni of 

town, a sum not to exceed the annual library the Louisville High School have drafted a bill, 

appropriation of that town, and not to exceed which is pending in the state Legislature. It 

|;ioo. provides for the appointment of five commis- 

40 towns have established free public libra- sioners who shall serve without pay. They 

ries since the Committee has been organized, will report to the governor, not later than Janu- 



LEE. 



69 



ary 15, 1897, the results of their investigations 
in all departments of library work in other 
states. In their report they will recommend 
such legislation as will best promote the educa- 
tional interests of the people of the state through 
the public libraries. 

Louisiana. — No state aid. 

Maine. — No library commission. Every 
town maintaining] a public library obtains from 
the state treasurer 10 per cent, of the amount it 
spends for books to buy more books. Lists of 
books so bought are reported. Towns of less 
than 1500 inhabitants, if the voters have raised 
$100 for books and provided for their care, may 
receive from the state librarian books costing 
not more than half the cost of books bought by 
the town, and not more than $100 in any case. 

The governor and council may be asked for 
advice in selecting books, and instruction in 
cataloging and library administration may be 
obtained from the State Library. 

Maryland. — No state aid. 

Massachusetts. — A Library Commission of 
five members, appointed by the governor, one 
member appointed each year. Advice in re- 
gard to library administration and maintenance 
may be asked of the Commission. A town hav- 
ing no public library may receive fioo worth of 
books selected by the Library Commission, pro- 
vided it accepts the provisions of the library 
law. The town must make an appropriation 
for a library, the amount of which depends 
upon the town's assessed valuation. Suitable 
provision must be made for the care and dis- 
tribution of books. In addition to state aid, 
the commonwealth allows towns to make such 
appropriations as they please for the establish- 
ment and maintenance of public libraries. The 
State Library Commission has recently com- 
pleted the fifth year of actual work. In this 
time the number of towns without public li- 
braries has been decreased from 103 to 21. For 
further information address Miss E. P. Sohier, 
secretary, Beverly, Mass. 

Of the work of the Massachusetts Library 
Commission, Mr. Henry S. Nourse, in the Li- 
brary JOURNAL, January, iSq6, says: "The 
Commission has spent little time philosophizing 
about those minor details of library manage- 
ment necessary and suited to large towns and 
extensive collections of books. If, in some 
country village, an enthusiastic woman volun- 
teered to give her services as librarian and of- 



fered the use of her sitting-room as a reception- 
room for the gift of the State, or if the local 
store-keeper crowded his calicoes on fewer 
shelves to make roon? for the new library, we 
did not feel called upon to pour cold water upon 
such altruistic ardor by urging the necessity of 
a complex system of classification or the print- 
ing of an elaborate catalog. Advice we are al- 
ways ready to give and have given in great 
variety, although usually in small packages 
adapted to a special locality or suited to the 
personal equation of the inquirer. But our ad- 
vice was always in the direction of simplicity 
and rigid economy ; that every available dollar 
might go to buy new books or to increase their 
circulation. In the choice of books it has been 
the custom to assign each town, upon its appli- 
cation for aid, to some member of the board, 
who at once put himself in touch with the 
officials and leading minds of the town, ascer- 
taining the peculiar needs and tastes of the 
people, the history and industries of the place, 
before making his selection of books." 

Michigan. — No state library commission. 
In 1895 the Michigan Legislature appropriated 
$2500 to buy travelling libraries. It is too soon 
now for definite results, but the success of the 
scheme may be predicted from the fact that 
when the libraries were ready to go out there 
was scarcely half enough to meet the demand. 
The Michigan travelling libraries are of 50 
volumes each and are sent out from the State 
Library. Further information cannot be had, 
it seems, until the state librarian publishes her 
biennial report. 

Minnesota. — No state aid. 

Mississippi. — No state aid. 

Missouri. — No state aid. 

Montana. — No state aid. Legislature failed 
to pass a bill creating a library commission at 
the last session of the Legislature. 

Nebraska. — No state aid. 

New Hampshire. — The State Library Com- 
mission consists of four persons appointed by 
the governor and the state librarian. The Com- 
mission may be asked for information regard- 
ing any matters pertaining to the administration 
and maintenance of a library. The Commis- 
sion is authorized to expend $100 for books 
upon application of any town having no free 
public library. Any town accepting the pro- 
visions of the law for the care and distribution 
of the books to be given, shall annually appro- 



7° 



CLEVELAND CONFERENCE. 



priate a small sum for the support of a library. 
The Library Commission shall, at least twice a 
year, issue a library bulletin which shall con- 
tain recommendations as to the best methods 
to be employed in library work and other gen- 
eral library information. At least three copies 
of this bulletin are to be sent to each free libra- 
ry in the state. The selectmen of each town 
must annually make an assessment for the 
maintenance of a public library. In towns 
where no public libraries exist the money so 
raised shall be held until the town votes to es- 
tablish a library. On request of any public li- 
brary any book in the State Library, except law- 
books, will be sent for not longer than one 
week, carriage being paid both ways by the 
borrower. The public library may lend the 
book as if it were its own. Public libraries are 
entitled to receive state publications. For fur- 
ther information write Josiah H. Whittier, 
secretary. East Rochester, N. H. 

New Jersey. — A bill authorizing the gover- 
nor to appoint a library commission of five 
persons has passed the Legislature. The Com- 
mission under this bill can recommend the ap- 
propriation of a sum equal to the sum raised 
by any town if less than $ioo. No appropria- 
tion can be made, however, without a special 
act of the Legislature. 

New York. — No library commission. The 
regents of the State University annually appro- 
priate $25,000 for the benefit of free public li- 
braries. Libraries receiving aid must be under 
state supervision. They must be free to the 
public for either circulation or reference. A 
college library must be open every day while 
classes are in session, and in vacation must be 
open for an hour on three days of each week. 
Other libraries must be open at least one hour 
on three days of each week, and oftener in the 
larger places, according to population. A 
grant is made to each library equal to the 
amount raised from local sources, but not to 
exceed §200. The whole amount of this grant 
must be spent for books approved by the re- 
gents. In nine months, ending June 30, 1896, 
95 libraries in the state received $13,746. 

The use of a travelling library can be had 
by any library under the regents' control, or 
by any community on application of 25 tax- 
payers, or by the ofEcers of a registered ex- 
tension centre, or by a study club, or reading 
circle, by giving a satisfactory guarantee that 



the books will be returned within si.x months 
and paying a fee of $3 for 50 volumes or $5 
for 100 volumes. Annotated catalogs may be 
had, on application, free. 190 travelling libra- 
ries of 100 volumes each were sent out in nine 
months, ending June 30, i8g6. AJibrary not 
owned by the public, but maintained for its 
welfare and free use, if registered as maintain- 
ing a proper standard, may obtain a subsidy 
from local taxation of not more than 10 cents 
a volume of yearly circulation as approved and 
certified by the regents. Any city, town, or 
school district may levy a tax for the mainte- 
nance of a public library. For further informa- 
tion address State Library, Albany, N. Y. 

North Carolina. — No state aid. 

North Dakota. — No state aid. 

Ohio. — The governor appoints three com- 
missioners to serve six years without pay. 
They are allowed $1000 for travelling expenses, 
etc. They appoint the state librarian, and have 
charge of the sale and distribution of the state's 
public documents. The Commission is author- 
ized to extend the use of the State Library and 
furnish advice and help to all public libraries in 
the state. The State Library Commission has 
recently adopted new rules for the government 
of the State Library. Books are sent to any 
part of the state, provided the borrower is able 
to furnish security for their safe return and 
pays the expressage. Borrowers must be over 
21 years of age. Another rule will enable 
persons living at a distance to secure books 
through the local library. The plan adopted is 
similar to that in operation in New Hampshire. 
For further information address Prof. Gal- 
breath, state librarian and secretary, Colum- 
bus, Ohio. 

Oregon. — No state aid. 

Pennsylvania. — No state aid. 

Rhode Island. — No library commission. 
The state Board of Education is authorized to 
appropriate (under certain conditions speci- 
fied by itself) certain annual sums to each free 
public library established and maintained in the 
state, to be expended in the purchase of books. 
This sum is in no case to exceed $500. Each 
town receiving a state appropriation shall annu- 
ally appropriate for the support of its libra- 
ry an amount at least equal to the amount 
received from the state. Each city or town is 
authorized to appropriate money for the foun- 
dation and support of a free public library. 



THIVAITES. 



7" 



" The need in Rhode Island is not for the mul- 
tiplication of the number of free public libraries, 
but rather for the effective equipping of those 
already founded." 

South Carolina. — No state aid. 

South Dakota. — No state aid. 

Tennessee. — No state aid. 

Texas. — No state aid. 

Utah. — No state aid. Cities may levy'a tax 
for the establishment and maintenance of free 
public libraries. 

Vermont. — The governor appoints a board 
of five Library Commissioners and designates the 
chairman thereof. This board shall expend, 
upon application of any town having no free 
public library, a sum not exceeding $loo for 
books. These books to be used for the purpose 
of establishing a free public library. The Com- 
missioners select and purchase all books so 
provided ; but no two lists are alike, and where 
possible they consult the wishes of the towns 
themselves as to the selection of books. Every 
town receiving this aid shall appropriate annu- 
ally a certain sum, the amount depending upon 
its assessed valuation, for library purposes. 
The Board of Library Commissioners shall con- 
stitute an advisory board, which may be called 
upon for advice on all matters pertaining to the 
administration or maintenance of the library. 
The Commission also issues a circular of in- 
structions as to the management, classification, 
etc., of a small library. 

Virginia. — No state aid. 

Washington. — No state aid. 



Wisconsin. — The governor appoints two per- 
sons who, with the president of the University 
of Wisconsin, the state superintendent, and 
the corresponding secretary of the State His- 
torical Society, constitute a State Library Com- 
mission. The Commission gives advice to all 
free libraries in the state, and to all communi- 
ties which propose to establish them, as to libra- 
ry establishment and administration. The Cora- 
mission may also send its members to aid in 
organizing new libraries or improving old ones. 
No member of the Commission receives any 
compensation. Travelling expenses in attend- 
ing meetings or visiting libraries are'paid, and 
S500 allowed for incidental expenses. Through 
the generosity of State Senator J. H. Stout, the 
chairman of the Commission is enabled to de- 
vote his entire'time to the library interests of 
the state. There is a movement on foot toward 
proper legislation, during the coming winter, for 
the establishment of travelling libraries. State 
Senator J. H. Stout purchased 26 libraries of 30 
volumes each for circulation in Dunn county. 
J. D. Witter has started similar libraries in 
Wood county. The town treasurer is required 
to withhold annually from the school fund 10 
cents for' each person of school age, for the 
purchase of books for a school library. Cities 
and towns may establish libraries by majority 
vote. For further information address L. E. 
Stearns, secretary. Public Library, Milwaukee, 
Wis. 

Wyoming. • — No state aid. Counties may es- 
tablish libraries if they wish. 



THE STORY OF MACKINAC. 



BY REUBEN GOLD THVVAITES, LIBRARIAN, WISCONSIN STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY. 



TJ*OR two and a quarter centuries Mackinac 
has played no inconsiderable part on the 
stage of American history. Early recognized as 
a vantage-point, commanding the commerce of 
the two uppermost lakes of the great chain — 
Michigan and Superior — red men and white 
men have struggled for its mastery, tribe 
against tribe, nation against nation. The 
Jleur-de-lis, the union jack, and the stars and 
stripes, each in their turn have here been sym- 
bols of conqueror and conquered; councils have 
been held here, and treaties signed, which set- 



tled the political ownership of fertile regions as 
wide as all Europe; and when at last armed 
hostilities ceased through the final surrender to 
the Republic, when the tomahawk was buried 
and the war-post painted white, a new warfare 
opened at Mackinac — the commercial war of 
the great fur-trade companies, whose rival ban- 
ners contested the sway of lands stretching 
from Athabasca to the Platte, from the Columbia 
to the Sault Ste. Marie. It is a far cry from 
the invasion of Ojibway Michillimackinac by 
the long-haired coitretirs dc bois of New France 



72 



CLEVELAND CONFERENCE. 



to the invasion of Mackinac Island by modern 
armies of summer tourists from New England. 
Much has happened in the interim — necessarily 
happened — in order that there might peace- 
fully be held here to-day the annual outing of 
American librarians. I have been delegated 
to tell the story of how it all came about, but 
in the half-hour allotted to me it will be im- 
practicable to take more than a bird's-eye view. 
Most of you know it all, no doubt — librarians 
are always supposed to " know it all"; I can 
do little more than refresh your memory. 

In the first place, let us understand that the 
term Mackinac, as used in our earliest history, is 
the title of the entire district hereabout, as well 
as that of a definite settlement. There have 
been, in chronological succession, at least 
three distinct localities specifically styled Mack- 
inac: (i) Between 1670 and 1706 the Mackinac 
of history was on the north side of the strait, 
upon Point St. Ignace, and wholly under the 
French regime. (2) From 1712 to 1781 Mack- 
inac was on the south side of the strait — 
until 1763, just west of the present Mackinaw 
City, and possibly between 1764 and 17S1 at 
some point farther west along the coast of Lake 
Michigan; this south-side Mackinac was at 
first French and then English, and the site 
near Mackinaw City has come to be known in 
history as " Old Mackinaw." Finally (3), the 
Mackinac settlement was in 17S1 located upon 
this island near the centre of the strait, and 
while at first under English domination at last 
became American. A remembrance of these 
facts will help to dispel the fog which has 
often obscured our historical view of Mackinac 
— a fog which designing guide-book writers 
delight to maintain, for they wish to beguile 
the summer tourist into believing that Mack- 
inac Island has a clear title to fame, stretching 
back unto good Father Marquette. 

You will recollect that that indefatigable ex- 
plorer of high seas and pathless forests, Sam- 
uel de Champlain, planted the first permanent 
French colony in Canada, on the rock of Que- 
bec, in 1608 — only a twelve month later than 
the establishment of Jamestown in far-off Vir- 
ginia, and full twelve years before the coming 
to Plymouth of the Pilgrim Fathers. It was 
seven years before Champlain saw Lake Huron, 
his farthest point west in the limitless domain 
which the king of France had set him to gov- 
ern. Twenty-one years had passed — years of 



heroic struggling to push back the walls of sav- 
agery which ever hemmed him in — when one 
day there came to Quebec, in the fleet of Indian 
canoes from this far Northwest, which annu- 
ally picked its way over 1500 miles of rugged 
waterways beset with a multitude of terrors, 
a naked Algonkin, besmeared with grease and 
colored clays, who laid at the feet of the great 
white chief a lump of copper mined on the 
shores of Lake Superior. A shadowy region 
this, as far removed from the ordinary haunts 
of the adventurous woodsmen of New France 
as were the headwaters of the Nile to the Afri- 
can explorers of a generation ago, and quite as 
dangerous of access. 

It was five years later (1634) before Cham- 
plain could see his way to sending a proper 
emissary into the Northwest. Finally one was 
found in the person of young Jean Nicolet, 
whom Champlain had trained in the forest for 
tasks like this. Conveyed by Indian oarsmen 
engaged by relays in the several tribes through 
which he passed, Nicolet pushed up the St. 
Lawrence, portaged around the rapids at La 
Chine, ascended the trough of the turbulent 
Ottawa with its hundred waterfalls, portaged 
over to Lake Nipissing, descended French 
Creek to Georgian Bay, and threading the 
gloomy archipelago of the Manitoulins, sat at 
last in a Chippewa council at Sault Ste. Marie. 
Doubtless he here heard of Lake Superior, not 
many miles away, but it does not appear that 
he saw its waters; intent on finding a path 
which led to the China Sea, supposed not to be 
far beyond this point, he turned south again, 
and pushing on through these straits of Macki- 
nac found and traversed Lake Michigan. He 
traded and made treaties with the astonished 
tribesmen of Wisconsin and Illinois, who in 
hfm saw their first white man, and brought the 
Northwest within the sphere of French influ- 
ence. 

Seven years later the Jesuit missionaries, 
Jogues and Raymbault, following in the path 
of the exploring trader Nicolet, said mass be- 
fore 2000 breech-clouted savages at Sault Ste. 
Marie. Affairs moved slowly upon these far- 
away borders of New France, in the 17th cen- 
tury. Jogues and Raymbault had long been 
ashes before the Northwest again appeared on 
the pages of history; nearly a generation had 
passed before (1658-62) the daring forest tra- 
ders and explorers, Radisson and Groseilliers, 



THWAITES. 



73 



came upon the scene, discovered the Upper Mis- 
sissippi, discovered Lake Superior, and first 
made known to the English the fur-trading capa- 
bilities of the Hudson Bay region. The Hud- 
son's Bay Company was organized in London, 
with these renegade Frenchmen as its pilots, in 
1670; the following year at Sault Ste. Marie, St. 
Lusson formally took possession of the great 
Northwest for the French king. I suppose that 
St. Lusson, when he flew the banner of France 
at the gateway of Lake Superior, knew nothing 
of his English neighbors, the Hudson's Bay 
Company; unconsciously he made an important 
play for France on the American chess-board; 
but a century later England won the game. 

You will remember, those of you who have 
read Parkman's " Jesuits," that the Hurons, 
whose habitat had long been upon the eastern 
shores of Georgian Bay, the mouth of which 
we passed on our way hither only the other 
day, retreated northward and westward before 
the advance of the all-conquering Iroquois. At 
first taking refuge with starving Algonkins on 
the Manitoulin Islands, and on the mainland 
hereabout, they were soon driven forth by their 
merciless foe, and made their stand in the 
swamps and tangled woods of far-away Wis- 
consin. Many of them centred upon Chequa- 
megon Bay, the island-locked estuary near the 
southwest corner of Lake Superior, the ancient 
home of the Ojibways. Here Radisson and 
Groseilliers visited and traded with them. The 
Jesuit M6nard, who had accompanied these ad- 
venturers — the first missionary to follow in the 
wake of Jogues and Raymbault — had stopped 
at Keweenaw Bay to minister to the Ottawas, 
and later lost his life while trying to reach a 
village of Hurons crouching, fear-stricken, in 
the forest fastnesses around the headwaters of 
the Black River. Then came, three years later 
(1665), Father Alloiiez, to reopen at Chequa- 
megon Bay the Jesuit mission on our greatest 
inland sea. Alloiiez being ordered, after four 
years of arduous and I fear unprofitable labor 
at Chequamegon, to found a mission at Green 
Bay, was succeeded (i66g) by the youthful 
Marquette. But Marquette was not long at 
Chequamegon before his half-naked parishion- 
ers provoked to quarrel their powerful western 
neighbors, the Sioux, the result being (1670) 
that the Chequamegon bands, and Marquette 
with them, were driven like leaves before an 
autumn blast eastward along the southern 



shore of the great lake; the Ottawas taking 
up their homes in the Manitoulin Islands, the 
Hurons and the Ojibways accompanying Mar- 
quette to a little fur-trading station on the 
north shore of the Straits of Mackinac, where 
he established the mission of St. Ignace. 

Here, in "a rude and unshapely chapel, its 
sides of togs and its roof of bark," Marquette 
ministered to the miserable savages about him, 
and to the handful of nomadic fur-trade em- 
ployees who in spring and autumn gathered 
at this isolated frontier post of New France on 
their way to and from the great wilderness be- 
yond. Louis Joliet, the coureur de bois, was 
sent forth by the authorities at Quebec (1673) 
to explore the Mississippi River, about which 
so much had been heard, and by that route to 
reach, if may be, the great Western Ocean — 
for the road to India, either through the con- 
tinent or by way of the Northwest Passage, was 
still being sought in those days. He stopped 
at Point St. Ignace and served orders on Mar- 
quette to accompany him. The conversion 
of the Inljians went hand in hand, in New 
France, with the extension of commerce ; no 
trading-post was complete without its mis- 
sionary, no exploring expedition without its 
ghostly counsellor. And so Marquette, a true 
soldier of the cross, receiving marching orders, 
promptly closed his mission here and went 
forth to help discover unknown lands and 
carry to their peoples the word of Christ. With 
Joliet he entered the Upper Mississippi at 
Prairie du Chien, and proceeded far enough 
down the great river to establish the fact 
that it emptied into the Gulf of Mexico and 
not the Pacific Ocean. It is probable that 
Radisson and Groseilliers were there 13 
years before them ; but Radisson's journal, 
written in England long after, was not pub- 
lished until our own time, and it is not at all 
likely that Joliet and Marquette, or any one 
else of importance in New France, ever heard 
of this prior claim. The merit of carefully- 
planned, premeditated discovery certainly rests 
with Joliet and his companion. It so hap- 
pened — -you of course remember the story of 
the swamping of Joliet's home-returning canoe 
in the wild rapids of La Chine — that the de- 
tailed journals and maps of the chief were lost; 
whereas the simple story which Marquette 
wrote at the Green Bay mission, and trans- 
mitted by Indian courier to his father superior 



74 



CLEVELAND CONFERENCE. 



at Quebec, reached its destination and was 
published to the world for the glory of the 
church. Thus it is that the gentle, unassum- 
ing Marquette, who was the supernumerary of 
the expedition, became unwittingly its only 
historian ; fate willed that his name should 
be more commonly associated with the great 
discovery than that of his secular Superior. 
Four years later the weary bones of this mis- 
sionary-explorer, who had died on his way 
thither from the savage camps of the Illinois, 
were laid to rest " in a little vault in the mid- 
dle of the chapel " at St. Ignace. Early in 
187S, when antiquarians could but ingeniously 
guess at the site of this early mission in the 
wilderness, the bones of Father Marquette 
were discovered in the rude grave wherein 
they had rested for two centuries, and to-day 
are visible relics for inspiration to deeds of 
holiness. 

Throughout the 17th century the outpost 
of Mackinac at Point St. Ignace — Michilli- 
mackinac, in those easy-going days when 
there was more time in which to pronounce the 
name — remained the most important French 
military and trading station on the upper lakes, 
for it guarded the gateway between Huron, 
Michigan, and Superior ; and every notable ex- 
pedition to the Northwest waters had perforce 
to stop here. We must not think of this 
Mackinac of the 17th century, strategetically 
important though it was, as a settlement in any 
modern sense. The policy of the rulers of New 
France was to maintain the interior of the con- 
tinent as a fur-bearing wilderness. Unlike 
Anglo-Saxons, they had no desire to plant 
settlements simply as settlements. They had 
not the colonizing spirit of Englishmen. To 
carry the fur trade to the uttermost limits, to 
bring the savages to at least a nominal recog- 
nition of the cross, were their chief aims ; to 
this end, palisaded trading-posts, which they 
rather grandiloquently called forts, were es- 
tablished throughout the country, the officers 
of which were rare diplomatists, and bullied 
and cajoled the red men as occasion demanded. 
Around each of these little forts, and Mackinac 
was one of them, were small groups of habi- 
tanls, voyageurs, and coureurs de hois, who could 
hardly be called colonists, for few of them ex- 
pected to lay their bones in the wilderness, but 
eventually to return to their own people on the 
Lower St. Lawrence, when enriched or their 



working days were over. It was rather an 
army of occupation than a body of settlers. 

The little log fort at Mackinac, designed only 
to withstand a fusilade of savage arrows and 
musket-balls, was the principal feature of the 
place, and the commandant the chief personage. 
After him, the long-robed Jesuit, and then the 
swarm of folk dependent on the spasmodic fur 
trade. A lot of shiftless, easy-going, jolly dogs 
were the latter — the work-a-day French Cana- 
dians of the wilderness posts. First in this cate- 
gory, the bourgeois, or masters of the forest 
trade; then ^}\&voyageurs, or boatmen, who were 
as well men-of- all- work, propelling the canoes 
when afloat, carrying the boats over portages, 
transporting packs of goods and furs through the 
forest inlands, caring for the camps, and acting 
as guards for the persons and property of their 
employers; the coureurs de bois, or wood-rangers, 
were men devoted to a life in the woods, for the 
fun and excitement in it, sometimes conducting 
a far-reaching fur-trade on their own account — 
the widest travellers and most daring spirits in 
all the great Northwest; the habitants, or per- 
manent villagers, were most of them farmers in 
a small way. Down by the beach were their 
little log-cabins, with their well-sweeps and 
orchards, back of which stretched the narrow, 
ribbon-like fields, such as one may see to-day at 
Quebec and Montreal. The French habitant 
was a social animal. He loved the village 
wine-shop, where, undisturbed by his sharp- 
eyed, sharp-visaged, prim and gossipy, white- 
aproned spouse, he could enjoy his pipe, his 
bowl, and his " fiddlers three." For they were 
famous fiddlers, these French Canadians. The 
fiddle was indispensable on social occasions. No 
wilderness so far away that the little French 
fiddle had not been there. The Indian recog- 
nized it as a part of the furniture of every fur- 
trader's camp. At night, as the wanderers 
lounged around the blazing heap of logs, the 
sepulchral arches of the forest resounded with 
the piercing strains of tortured catgut, accom- 
panying the gayly-turbaned voyageurs, as in 
metallic tones they chanted favorite melodies of 
the river, the chase, love, and the wassail. In 
the village, no christening or wedding was com- 
plete without the fiddler; and at the almost 
nightly social gatherings, in each others' pun- 
cheon-floored cabins, the fiddler, enthroned cross- 
legged on a plank table, was the king of the 
feast. The waterway was their highway. From 



THWAITES. 



75 



earliest youth they understood the handling of 
a canoe. Just as in the Southwest, the cowboy 
mounts his horse to cross the street, and refuses 
work that cannot be done on the back of a bron- 
cho, the French Canadian went in his boat to visit 
his next-door neighbor. 

Thus matters progressed, in their even way, 
until the year of grace 1701, when the little 
group upon Point St. Ignace received word one 
day that a new post, called Detroit, had been 
established away down in the unknown country 
at the narrow mouth of Lake Huron, which 
was henceforth, under one Cadillac, to be the 
centre of commerce in these western parts. 
Heretofore, owing to the Iroquois stoutly hold- 
ing the lower lakes against the French, prog- 
ress to the far Northwest had been altogether 
by way of the raging Ottawa. But now, after 
75 long years of journeying by that toilsome 
route, it had from various reasons become pos- 
sible to come up here through Lakes Ontario 
and Erie. This new post, Detroit, was to com- 
mand a still wider range than that of Mackinac; 
the garrison was soon withdrawn thither; the 
fur-traders, both white and Indian, for the most 
part, soon followed — it was easy for a popula- 
tion like this to pull up stakes and hie away at 
beat of drum. Nearly everybody went to the 
new Mecca, save the Jesuit missionaries, who 
were not wanted by this new man Cadillac, a 
hater of the " black robes." For five years the 
good fathers — there were three of them then — 
maintained their little chapel and school here 
on Point St. Ignace; but they ministered to an 
ever-decreasing, disorderly fiock, and at last, 
burning their crude buildings, with a few white 
followers retired discomfited to Quebec. 

For six years there does not appear to have 
been any French establishment hereabout. But 
in 1712 Governor-General Vaudreuil sent De 
Louvigny, a noted frontier captain, to restore 
the abandoned post on the upper waters. 
This he did, but upon the south shore of the 
strait, not far west of the present Mackinaw 
City; and over there, on the mainland, at what 
came in time to be known as " Old Mackinaw " * 

* Notice the change in spelling. The historic name is 
Mackinac, a cut-short of Michillimackinac, and such is 
to-day the legal designation of Fort Mackinac, Strait of 
Mackinac, and Mackinac Island; but the pronunciation is 
Mackinaw, and the spelling has been made phonetic in 
the cases of Old Mackinaw and Mackinaw City to distin- 
guish them from the island, and many writers prefer to 
use the phonetic form whenever mentioning any of the 



— although it was, as we have seen, not the 
oldest Mackinac — occurred such historic events 
as are spread upon the records to the credit of 
this name between 1712 and 1763. It was on 
the ramparts of Old Mackinaw, that in token 
of the fall of New France, the fieur-de-lis was 
at last hauled down on the 28th of September, 
1761, and the union jack proudly lifted to the 
breeze. Here, upon the 4th of June, 1763, oc- 
curred that cruel massacre of the English garri- 
son, which Parkman has so vividly described 
to us in his " Conspiracy of Pontiac." 

A year or more later the English rebuilt their 
fort, but whether or not upon the site of the 
massacre is a moot question. There appears 
to be good reason for the belief that it was 
among the sand-dunes farther west along the 
coast, for in the official correspondence of the 
next 15 years there is much complaint upon 
the part of commandants that their "rickety 
picket is commanded by sand hills " — a condi- 
tion which does not exist at the ola site near 
Mackinaw City. 

To this rickety picket there came one October 
day, in the year 1779, Patrick Sinclair, lieuten- 
ant-governor of Michillimackinac and its de- 
pendencies, charged with the rebuilding and 
enlarging of His Majesty's post in these parts. 
The Revolutionary War was in progress. 
George Rogers Clark had captured Kaskaskia 
and Vincennes; his emissaries were treating 
with Indian chiefs away off in Wisconsin; 
there were rumors of Clark's intended foray on 
Detroit; and some suspicions that the " Boston- 
nais," as the French Canadians called these 
leather-shirted Virginians, had designs of put- 
ting a war vessel upon Lake Michigan. Sin- 
clair at once saw that the old site was untenable 
and the fort beyond repair. 

In advance of orders he made a bold step. 
Seven miles away to the northeast of Old 
Mackinaw lay a comely island in the midst of 
the strait — -"La Grosse Isle," the Canadians 
called it, although smaller than its neighbor, 
Bois Blanc; a sort of shrine, the earliest In- 
dians deemed it, where at times they gathered 
at their medicine feasts, and to which, as to a 
sanctuary, they fled in periods of extreme 

several Mackinacs. A cultured native of Mackinac Island 
has told me that he has heard but one person pronounce 
it Macki««c*, and he was Samuel Abbott, of the old Ameri- 
can Fur Company, who was regarded in his day as an 
eccentric. 



76 



CLEVELAND CONFERENCE. 



danger. It is thought that Marquette once 
taught the natives there, upon his first arrival. 
But if so, it was not for long ; Frenchmen 
were more considerate of the superstitions of 
the dusky tribesmen than were the intolerant 
English. This untenanted island Sinclair ap- 
propriated to the king's use, although he for- 
mally bought it from the Indians some iS months 
later for ;f 5000, New York currency. A month 
after his arrival the lieutenant-governor be- 
gan to erect a durable fort on the island, and 
thither, at last receiving permission from his 
superiors, he finally removed in the spring of 
1781, with him going the now revived Catholic 
mission and the entire fur-trade colony from 
the south shore. 

The new fort still bore the name of Fort 
Mackinac, and La Grosse Isle of the French 
was rechristened Mackinac Island. I have 
spent so much time in telling of the first two 
Mackinacs — should we not say the fmt three, 
if we decide to locate the second English post 
farther west than the ill-fated stockade of 
Pontiac's time? — that but few minutes are 
remaining of my allotment to rehearse the 
story of the present Mackinac. After all, there 
is perhaps little left to say. 

By the treaty of Paris of 1783, Mackinac 
came within the boundary of the United States; 
but of course you remember that the English 
still held the whip-hand in these parts, and 
upon sundry pretexts continued to hold this 
and other lake posts until the Jay treaty set 
matters right. In October, 1796, American 
troops first took possession of the post, and this 
gateway to the upper lakes was at last ours. 
The English, however, were still hopeful that 
they would some day win this part of our 
country back again, and their garrison retired 
to Isle St. Josephs, only some 40 miles to the 
northeast, where in 1795 they had built a fort. 

The French and half-breeds did not at first 
relish Yankee interference in their beloved 
Northwest. They had gotten along very nicely 
with the English, who fostered the fur trade 
and employed the French with liberality. Then, 
too, among the Creoles the reputation of these 
Americans was not of the best. They were 
known to be a busy, bustling, driving people, 
quite out of tune with the devil-may-care meth- 
ods of the French, and were, moreover, an 
agricultural race that was fast narrowing the 
limits of the hunting grounds. The French- 



men felt that their interests in this respect were 
identical with those of the savages, hence we 
find in the correspondence of the time a very 
bitter tone adopted towards the new-comers, 
who were regarded as intruders and covetous 
disturbers of e.xisting commercial and social 
relations. 

When war broke out between England 
and us in 1S12, naturally the Creoles of the 
Northwest were against us, and freely entered 
the service of their old and well-tried friends 
the English. Fort Mackinac was then gar- 
risoned by "57 effective men, including offi- 
cers." There had been no news received here 
of the declaration of war, although the Amer- 
ican lieutenant in charge. Porter Hanks, was 
e.xpecting it. July 17, 1812, a British force of 
1000 whites and Indians from Fort St. Josephs 
secretly effected a landing at the cove on the 
northwest shore of the island — known to- 
day as "British Landing" — took possession 
of the heights overlooking the fort, and then 
coolly informed the commandant that hostilities 
had been declared between the two nations, and 
a surrender would be in order. The Amer- 
icans were clearly at the mercy of the enemy, 
and promptly capitulated. 

The old fort had never from the first been in 
good condition. The English, once more in 
possession, built a new and stronger fort upon 
the higher land to the rear, which they had oc- 
cupied, and named it Fort George, in honor of 
their sovereign. This stronghold was stormed 
on the 4th of August, 1814, by United States 
troops under Col. George Croghan, who also 
disembarked at British Landing. The English 
position, however, was too strong for the as- 
sailants, who lost heavily under the galling fire 
of the French and Indian allies, and Croghan 
was obliged to retire. Among his dead was 
Major Holmes, a soldier of considerable repu- 
tation. 

The treaty of Ghent resulted in the fortifica- 
tion being restored to the United States, the 
transfer being actually made on t"he i8th of 
July, 1815. Col. McDouall, the British com- 
mander at Mackinac, was loath to leave. His 
despatches to headquarters plainly indicate that 
he thought his government weak in surrender- 
ing to the Americans, for whom he had a 
decided contempt, this Malta of the Northwest. 
When at last obliged to go, he went no farther 
than necessary — indeed not quite as far, for 



THWAITES. 



77 



he built a new fort upon Drummond Island, at 
the mouth of River St. Mary, territory soon 
thereafter found to belong to the United States. 
It was not until 13 years later (1S2S) that the 
English forces were finally and reluctantly 
withdrawn from Drummond Island, and Eng- 
lish agents upon our northern frontier ceased 
craftily to stir our uneasy Indian wards to 
bickerings and strife. 

When the United States resumed possession 
of Mackinac Island the name of the fort built 
by the English on the highest ground was 
changed from Fort George to Fort Holmes, in 
honor of the victim of the assault of the year 
before ; but later this position was abandoned, 
and old Fort Mackinac, built by Sinclair and 
capitulated by Hanks, was rehabilitated, and 
remains to this time the military stronghold of 
the district. 

The name of Mackinac will always be inti- 
mately associated with the story of the fur 
trade. We have seen that the first settlement 
upon the shores of these straits had its incep- 
tion in the primitive commerce of the woods; 
and chiefly as a protection to this trade the 
several forts were maintained under changing 
flags unto our own day. In 17S3 the North- 
west Fur Company opened headquarters here; 
later, the Mackinac, Company and the South- 
west Fur Company were formidable competi- 
tors; in 1S15, with the re-establishment of the 
American arms, came the American Fur Com- 
pany, of which John Jacob Astor was the con- 
trolling spirit. 

We cannot fully understand the course of 
history in these parts unless we remember that 
despite the treaty of Ghent (1783), Jay's treaty 
(1794), Wayne's Indian treaty at Greenville 
(1795), and the occupation of Fort Mackinac by 
United States troops between 1796 and 1812, the 
fur trade upon the upper lakes and beyond was 
not really under American control until after 
the war of 1812-15 ; indeed, the territory itself 
was not within the sphere of American influ- 
ence until that time, beyond the visible limits 
of the armed camps at Mackinac and Green 
Bay. After the Jay treaty, British traders, 
with French and half-breed clerks and voya- 
geiirs, were still permitted free intercourse with 
the savages of our Northwest, and held sub- 
stantial domination over them. The Mackinac, 
Northwest, and Southwest companies were com- 
posed of British subjects — Scotchmen mainly 



— with headquarters at Montreal, and distrib- 
uting points at Detroit, Mackinac, Sault Ste. 
Marie, and Grand Portage. Their clerks and 
voyagenrs were wide travellers, and carried the 
forest trade throughout the far west, from Great 
Slave Lake on the north to the valleys of the 
Platte and the Arkansas on the south, and to 
the parks and basins of the Rocky Mountains. 
Goods were sent up the lakes from Montreal, 
either by relays of sailing vessels, with por- 
tages of men and merchandise at the Falls of 
Niagara and the Sault Ste. Marie, or by pict- 
uresque fleets of bateaux and canoes up the 
Ottawa River and down French Creek into 
Georgian Bay, from there scattering to the com- 
panies' various entrepots of the south, west, and 
north. 

The Creole boatmen were a reckless set. 
They took life easily, but bore ill the mildest 
restraints of the trading settlements ; their home 
was on the lakes and rivers and in the Indian 
camps, where they joyously partook of the 
most humble fare, and on occasion were not 
averse to suffering extraordinary hardships in 
the service of their bourgeois. Their pay was 
light, but their thoughts were lighter, and the 
vaulted forest rang with the gay laughter of 
these heedless adventurers; while the pent-up 
valleys of our bluff-girted streams echoed the re- 
frains of their rudely melodious boating songs, 
which served the double purpose of whiling 
the idle hours away and measuring progress 
along the glistening waterways. 

You have all read Irving's "Astoria," and 
have enjoyed his charming description of fur- 
trading life at the Grand Portage of Lake Su- 
perior, over which boats and cargoes were car- 
ried from the eastward-flowing Pigeon to the 
tortuous waters which glide through a hundred 
sylvan lakes and over a hundred dashing rapids 
into the wide-reaching system of Lake Winne- 
peg and the Assiniboine. You remember the 
heroic trans-continental expedition of Wilson 
and Hunt, which started from Mackinac one 
bright morning in August, iSog, and wended its 
toilsome way along many a river and through 
mountain-passes, beset by a thousand perils, to 
plant far-distant Astoria. 

With the coming of peace in 1815, English 
fur traders were forbidden the country, and 
American interests, represented by Astor's 
great company, were at last dominant in this 
great field of commerce. New and improved 



78 



CLEVELAND CONFERENCE. 



methods were introduced, and the American 
Fur Company soon had a firm hold upon the 
western country; nevertheless, the great cor- 
poration never succeeded in ridding itself of 
the necessity of employing the Creole and 
mixed-blood voyageurs, engages, and interpre- 
ters, and was obliged to shape its policy so as 
to accommodate this great army of easy-going 
subordinates. 

The fur trade of Mackinac was in its heyday 
about the year 1S20. Gradually, with the in- 
rush of settlement and the consequent cutting 
of the forests, the commerce of the forest waned, 
until about 1840 it was practically at an end, and 
the halcyon days of Mackinac were o'er. For 



years it was prominent as the site of a Protes- 
tant mission to the modernized Indians of Michi- 
gan and Wisconsin; finally, even this special in- 
terest was removed to new seats of influence, 
nearer the vanishing tribes, and Mackinac be- 
came resigned to the hum-drum of modern life 
— a sort of Malta — now but spasmodically gar- 
risoned; a fishing station for the Chicago trade; 
a port of call for vessels passing her door; a re- 
sort for summer tourists such as we ; a scene 
which the historical novelist may dress to his 
fancy; a shrine at which the historical pilgrim 
may worship, thankful, indeed, that in what 
many think the Sahara of American history are 
left a few romantic oases like unto this. 



THE PROCEEDINGS. 

Cleveland, Ohio, Tuesday -Friday, September 1-4, and Mackinaw, 
Tuesday, September 8, 1896. 



FIJiST SESSION. 

(HOLLENDEN HoTEL, TUESDAY EVENING, SEP- 
TEMBER I, 8.30 P.M.) 

An informal social meeting was held in the 
parlors and corridors of the hotel, for the pur- 
pose of enabling members to meet old friends 
and make new ones, to get generally in touch 
with each other, and to examine the exhibits 
of book-stacks, travelling libraries, library ap- 
pliances, and souvenirs of previous meetings, 
which had been arranged in some of the smaller 
rooms. It was a pleasant, profitable, and thor- 
oughly enjoyable gathering. 

SECOND SESSION. 

(Rooms of the Cleveland Chamber of Com- 
merce, Wednesday Morning, September 2.) 

The Association was called to order by Presi- 
dent Dana at 9.15 a.m. 

The Secretary made a number of announce- 
ments and also read the following communica- 
tion from the Rowfant Club : 

*' Rowfant Club, Cleveland, Sept. 1, 1896. 
" My-. John Cation Dana, Presidtnl American Library 
Association. 

"My Dear Sir: Will you kindly announce 
that the Rowfant Club cordially invites the 



members of the Association to an informal re- 
ception at our Club-house, 766 Prospect street, 
Wednesday evening, from 7 p.m. 

" The purposes and objects of your Associa- 
tion, the individuals and their work, are so thor- 
oughly in accord with the aims which prompted 
the organization of the Rowfant Club that we 
esteem it a pleasure and privilege to offer an 
opportunity for a more intimate acquaintance, 
and we trust we may have many of your num- 
ber with us next Wednesday evening. As one 
of the objects in instituting our Club house was 
to found a Mecca where pilgrim bookmen and 
book-lovers might find a congenial oasis in life, 
we cordially tender to the members of the As- 
sociation the freedom of our Club during your 
convention. 

"On behalf of the Board of Fellows and mem- 
bers of the Rowfant Club, 

" Yours very truly, 
" Wm. H. Gaylen, President R. C." 

A meeting of the Council was called to be 
held at the close of this session. 

The president announced the following Com- 
mittee on Resolutions: F. M. Crunden, St. 
Louis Public (Free) Library ; John Vance Cheney, 
Newberry Library. Chicago; Bernard C. Steiner 



SECOND SESSION. 



79 



Enoch Pratt Free Library, Baltimore; and then 
read 

THE president's ADDRESS. 
{Seip. I.) 
This was followed by a paper by Mr. Joseph 
N. Larned. entitled 

RETROSl'ECT AND PROSPECT IN THE CLOSING YEARS 

OF THE CENTURY. 

{Seep. 5.) 

After a recess of five minutes the meeting 
was again called to order at 10.55 a.m., Vice- 
President Henry J. Carr in the chair. 

H ; M. Utley invited all the members to visit 
the Detroit Library. 

R. R. BoWKER (Chairman Committee on 
Public Documents). — I wish simply to make 
an announcement. As the two papers follow- 
ing bear on the several matters at Washington 
which are covered by resolutions of the stand- 
ing Committee on Public Documents, it has 
been arranged that the report of that committee 
shall be considered after these two papers. It 
is therefore suggested that instead of having a 
discussion of each paper immediately after it 
is read, the treatment of these papers shall 
be confined to questions from their authors if 
such are to be made, and that any discussion of 
the subjects presented in these two papers 
should follow the presentation of the resolu- 
tions from the Committee on Public Documents 
bearing on those several questions. 

Mr. B. R. Green read his paper on 

THE NEW CONGRESSIONAL LIBRARY BUILDING. 

{Seep. 13.) 

Mr. Green exhibited large plans illustrating 
his paper, and also circulated among those 
present a number of smaller blue prints of the 
same for examination. 

Mr. F. A. Crandall followed with a paper on 

rUlSLIC DOCUMENTS AND THE PROPOSED NEW PUB- 
LIC DOCUMENT BILL. 
(,Seep. 20.) 
REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC DOCUMENTS. 
To the American Library Association : 

The Committee on Public Documents has not 
been called together during the year past, but 
has acted chiefly though its chairman, who, in 
several visits to Washington, has been in close 
consultation with Superintendent Crandall and 
others interested in improvements in the pub- 



lishing and distributing of public documents. 
The work of the committee has been confined 
for the most part to obtaining from librarians 
throughout the country personal support for the 
proposed amendatory act. 

It is a pleasure to report that under the new 
Public Documents act, approved January I2, 
1895, Superintendent F. A. Crandall has done 
able and efficient service in the interest of public 
libraries as well as of the government. Mr. 
Crandall prepared a Supplementary bill " to re- 
duce the cost, increase the value, and simplify 
the methods of publication of public documents " 
— a bill well suited, in the main, to accomplish 
the purposes indicated. The first draft of the 
proposed bill, with a statement of the facts re- 
garding " the public and the public documents," 
was issued by Mr. Crandall in March last, and 
copies were sent to many librarians. A sum- 
mary of the bill was given in the Library 
JOURNAL for March, and a copy of the pamphlet 
is appended to this report. Among its impor- 
tant features are the adoption of a standard size, 
octavo, for all public documents, unless neces- 
sity to the contrary should be shown to the Pub- 
lic Printer; provisions that the binding, letter- 
ing, etc., of public documents shall be of the 
first grade; the adoption of standard colors for 
the several departments; uniform methods of 
lettering; and provisions for supplying public 
depositories more promptly with sets in half 
morocco of the distinctive colors, in place of the 
objectionable and costly " full sheep." 

It was originally proposed that these sets 
should be furnished in cloth, which would prob- 
ably satisfy library requirements, and the pro- 
vision for the more costly binding was made 
largely at the instance of the Binders' Union, 
which feared that the amount of binding in the 
Government Printing Office would be seriously 
reduced by the proposed change. Comment is 
unnecessary ! 

A bill on somewhat similar lines had previ- 
ously been prepared by Dr. John G. Ames, and 
had received favorable consideration and a fa- 
vorable report from the House Committee on 
Printing. An understanding was reached by 
which Dr. Ames, who had originally suggested 
many of the improvements made or yet to be 
made in the handling of public documents, as- 
sented to the withdrawal of this bill in favor of 
that prepared by Superintendent Crandall. The 
latter bill, owing to the earnest efforts of Hon. 



8o 



CLEVELAND CONFERENCE. 



George D. Perkins, of Iowa, was carried 
through the House of Representatives without 
objection. It did not, however, obtain right of 
way in the Senate, and has therefore gone over 
to the next session. Objection was raised by 
heads of departments because the wise general 
provision for a standard size, octavo, was too 
sweeping in its provision, and an amendment 
will doubtless be accepted at the coming session, 
excepting specifically from this provision certain 
statistical and-scientific reports. There is good 
hope for the passage of this act the coming 
winter. 

The committee submits resolutions urging the 
passage of this Supplementary bill and acknowl- 
edging the efforts of Mr. Perkins in behalf of 
the measure. 

The work of collecting and cataloging public 
documents under the new law has made excel- 
lent progress. The official monthly catalog, 
started with the number for January, 1895, is- 
sued necessarily some months later than its 
date, has been pushed forward so that it is now 
issued as closely upon its date as the arrange- 
ments of the Public Printer permit. Other cat- 
aloging work is in progress, which will much 
facilitate the use of public documents in libra- 
ries and by the public generally. 

The list of Government Publications, made a 
part of the five-yearly volume of the American 
Catalogue, has been completed for the period 
July I, J890, to June 30, 1S95, and a copy is ap- 
pended to this report. 

Although it is not strictly within the province 
of this committee, it may be worth while to call 
attention to two important matters in connection 
with library relations at Washington. 

A provision for separating the Copyright Of- 
fice from the work of the Librarian of Congress 
came very near passage, but failed in confer- 
ence at the last moment. This is regarded as a 
desirable change, and a resolution is presented 
for the consideration of the Association, with- 
out recommendation as to its adoption. 

The new building for the Library of Congress 
is so nearly completed that provision has to be 
made for the organization of the library in the 
new building. The Joint Committee having 
charge of the library was authorized to sit dur- 
ing the recess and present a plan for the reor- 
ganization of the National Library, and it is 
understood that hearings will be given, if de- 
sired, on this important matter. It has been 



suggested that a committee of members of the 
American Library Association, familiar with 
library organization on a large scale, should be 
appointed to represent the Association at such 
hearing, and a resolution to that effect is pre- 
sented for consideration, without recommenda- 
tion as to its adoption. 

In respect to state publications, there is little 
progress to be reported. A very serious evil, 
however, has been showing itself in connection 
with state and municipal libraries, as noted in 
the previous report of this committee — an in- 
direct result of the extension of civil service 
reform, which has caused politicians to look to 
positions not included under civil service regu- 
lations for opportunities to make changes in 
private rather than the public interests. It may 
be well for the Association to put itself on record 
in this matter, and a resolution is presented 
for consideration, without recommendation as 
to its adoption. 

The appendix of state publications, for the 
five-yearly volume of the American Catalogue, 
for the period July i, 1890, to June 30, 1895, 
has been prepared, and a copy will be filed 
with this report. 

R. R. BOWKER, Chairman. 

RESOLUTIONS. 

R. R. BowKER. — This committee has had leave 
to print. I am afraid not many of you have 
taken leave to read the report on p. 21-24 of 
the Preliminary Papers. As there is so little 
time I shall take it for granted that you have 
read, although it is 90^ fiction. I will pass at 
once to the resolutions. The first is as follows : 

"/'cWw(/,,That the American Library Associa- 
tion approves the general principles of the Sup- 
plementary bill to provide for improved methods 
in publishing and distributing public documents, 
and urges its speedy adoption by Congress." 

The second reads as follows : 

" Kesolvi'd, That the American Library Asso- 
ciation extends its appreciation and thanks to 
Hon. George D. Perkins, of Iowa, for his vig- 
orous and successful efforts to obtain the pas- 
sage by the House of Representatives of the 
Supplementary bill to provide for improved 
methods in publishing and distributing public 
documents." 

I move the adoption of those resolutions. 
Voted. 

I present also, not officially for the commit- 



THIRD SESSION. 



8i 



tee, because it is somewhat beyond its scope, 
but it is presented in this way to facilitate ac- 
tion, the following resolution, which has also 
been argued in advance by Mr. Green ; 

" Resolvt-d, That a committee of the American 
Library Association, consisting of seven mem- 
bers, including the retiring and incoming presi- 
dents of the A. L. A., be appointed by the ex- 
ecutive board, with power to add to their num- 
ber and to ask the co-operation of others than 
members of the committee, to represent this 
Association in relation to the reorganization of 
the National Library in preparation for the oc- 
cupancy of the new building, and to take such 
steps as may promote the future development 
of the National Library on the most modern 
and most comprehensive plans." 

Cyrus Adler. — I should hope that the reso- 
lution would not be speedily adopted, and I 
suggest that it be laid aside for the present. 

Mr. BowKER accepted the suggestion with 
the understanding that it shall come up with 
the business of standing committees in the 
afternoon. 

Mr. BovvKER introduced the following reso- 
lutions : 

"Resolved, That the American Library Asso- 
ciation approves the organization of the Copy- 
right Office as a separate bureau of the Library 
of Congress, and urges the adoption by Con- 
gress of a measure to that effect. 

"Resolved, That the American Library Asso- 
ciation regrets to note that during the past year 
and recent years changes have in several in- 
stances been made in state and municipal li- 
braries from the motive of private political in- 
terest rather than for the public good. It 
submits that in no field is continuity in service 
more necessary to efficient administration than 
in state and municipal libraries, and that in no 
place can more harm be done by the demoraliza- 
tion of good service by changes for political 
reasons. It urges, therefore, that such changes 
shall be condemned promptly and actively by 
state and local public opinion, and appeals to 
the press to join with it in promoting a health- 
ful public sentiment in this respect, which shall 
uphold the effort of librarians in official posi- 
tions to give the state or the city their best ser- 
vice and thus increase the usefulness of state 
and municipal libraries to the public." 

Mr. BowKER moved the adoption of the res- 
olutions as read. Voted. 



The Secretary gave notice of the steps to be 
taken to put in nomination candidates for the 
various offices, to be balloted for on the Austra- 
lian ballot at the regular election on Friday ; 
and announced that, as these rooms were not 
large enough, future meetings would be held in 
the Army and Navy Hall. 

Recess was taken at 12.30. 

THIRD SESSION. 

(Army and Navy Hall, Wednesday After- 
noon, September 2.) 

Called to order at 2.45 p.m., by President 
Dana. 

R. R. BowKER called up the resolution in re- 
gard to the Congressional Library, deferred 
from the morning session. 

R. R. BowKER. — The resolution before the 
house is the following : 

" Resolved, That a committee of the American 
Library Association, consisting of seven mem- 
bers, including the retiring and incoming presi- 
dents of the A. L. A., be appointed by the 
e.\ecutive board, with power to add to their num- 
ber and to ask the co-operation of others than 
members of the committee, to represent this 
Association in relation to the reorganization of 
the National Library in preparation for the oc- 
cupancy of the new building, and to take such 
steps as may promote the future development 
of the National Library on the most modern and 
most comprehensive plans." 

The report of the Public Documents Commit- 
tee {see p. 80) states that a committee of 
Congress, of which Senator Hansbrough is 
chairman, has been appointed to take into con- 
sideration the reorganization of the Library of 
Congress with reference to its occupancy of the 
new building. We know that there have been 
certain difficulties in connection with the Library 
of Congress, and that perhaps it is not in all re- 
spects up to the time, and we have reason to 
suppose that this congressional committee will 
give hearings and will be glad to hear from 
this national Association. Perhaps if the com- 
mittee is not of its own motion desirous of hear- 
ing the views of librarians, it is not less worth 
while that this national Association should put 
itself on record as being ready to offer sugges- 
tions to the congressional committee. The sug- 
gestion has been made by one gentleman from 
Washington that there might be some sensitive- 



82 



CLEVELAND CONFERENCE. 



ness on the part of the congressional committee 
on our volunteering to come forward before we 
are asked. Possibly that is what Dr. Adler has 
in mind as his criticism ; but it seems to me not 
only eminently proper, but eminently desirable 
and positively right that this Association, know- 
ing that the country faces this great problem of 
the National Library, should put itself on rec- 
ord even of proffering advice, if it is not asked 
for. I have little doubt that it will be cordially 
asked for through the chairman of that com- 
mittee, but I do not think that the passage of 
the resolution should be affected by an unwill- 
ingness at the moment of the congressional 
committee to hear what we have to say to them. 

That is in brief the purpose of this resolution. 
I should add that the matter came scarcely 
within the scope of the Public Documents Com- 
mittee, but you will note that this resolution is 
somewhat tentative in form. 

Cyrus Adler. — It is with some hesitation 
that I have taken any part in the proceedings 
of this meeting, because, although I have been 
for some years a member of the Association, 
this is my first attendance at a conference, and 
I felt that a becoming modesty might keep me 
in my seat all the time. I also know that large 
bodies of this kind are governed by committees, 
and that all reports from committees are usu- 
ally well considered and are worthy of the 
most favorable consideration. 

When I heard this resolution read this morn- 
ing with reference on the part of the chairman 
that it did not come within the scope of the 
committee which reported it, and with a term 
or a series of terms in it which I had never 
heard used before in connection with the Li- 
brary of Congress at its present stage of exist- 
ence, I simply asked that consideration of the 
matter be delayed, because I saw there were 
only ten minutes left for discussion. I was not 
aware that anybody had taken up the considera- 
tion of the reorganization of the Library of 
Congress. The Library of Congress has been 
organized for a great many years. If there 
are difficulties in connection with it those diffi- 
culties were unavoidable and were difficulties 
occasioned by acts of Congres.s. Mr. Green 
has sufficiently explained the delays in provid- 
ing a new building, and I think you can all see 
for yourselves that in the end these delays 
were beneficial. Therefore I say that the 
question of the reorganization of the Library 



of Congress is not now up. The committee of 
Congress has not proposed to consider plans 
for its reorganization, but simply plans for its 
transfer and for the use of this new building. 

R. R. BowKER. — I will read the resolution 
under which this committee was appointed. Is 
it your understanding that this resolution was 
not passed by Congress ? 

Cyrus Adler. — I say that there has been no 
committee appointed. There is simply the Joint 
Committee of the House and Senate which is 
empowered to sit during recess and call for 
persons and papers to get such information as 
will enable it to prepare for the occupancy of 
this building. 

R. R. BowKER. — The resolution reads as 
follows: 

"Resolved, That the Joint Committee on the 
Library of the House of Representatives and 
of the Senate be authorized to sit in Washing- 
ton during the recess of Congress for the pur- 
pose of inquiring into the condition of the Li- 
brary of Congress, and to report on the same 
at the next session of Congress with such 
recommendations as may be deemed desirable; 
also to report a plan for the organization, cus- 
tody, and management of the new library build- 
ing and the Library of Congress. 

" The said Joint Committee is also authorized 
to employ a stenographer whenever necessary 
during the course of the inquiry. The neces- 
sary expenses of the sittings of the said Joint 
Committee, including the pay of the stenog- 
rapher, are to be paid out of the contingent 
fund of the said House of Representatives and 
Senate, on vouchers approved by the chairman 
of said Joint Committee; Provided, That the 
expenses incurred under this concurrent reso- 
lution be reported to the second session of this 
Congress." 

I think that is a resolution looking to a hear- 
ing, and it really brings the whole question be- 
fore the committee referred to. 

Cyrus Adler. — That resolution looks toward 
the suggestion of plans for the use of this new 
building, and nowhere does it hint that the 
Library of Congress requires reorganization. 
It is hardly possible to discuss such a fine 
question in a moment, but I am sure that if 
Mr. Bowker looks at that question he will see 
the point that I make. The Joint Library Com- 
mittee, of which Senator Hansbrough is chair- 
man, has commenced to call for papers and will. 



THIRD SESSION. 



83 



no doubt, commence to call for persons. It is 
to secure information as to tlie best methods of 
moving great libraries. It will no doubt call 
for more when the proper time comes. It now 
has already in its possession plans for the mov- 
ing of large libraries. The committee will no 
doubt call the American librarians to assist it 
in this matter. It may call on the president of 
the Library Association, and I am sure he 
would feel himself fully empowered to go in 
person, or to ask such of his colleagues as he 
would feel inclined to ask to go with him ; but 
it seems to me that the appointment of a com- 
mittee, more specially the passage of this reso- 
lution as it now stands, is gratuitous, and that 
it is a reflection on the Library of Congress, 
which has existed for a good many years and 
done the best it could, and that it is a re- 
reflection which the Library of Congress does 
not deserve from this Association. Any one 
who is acquainted with procedures in Washing- 
ton knows that the best way to have your ad- 
vice accepted is not to proffer it. If you want 
to get a committee of Congress to do something 
that you wish to have done, or think ought to 
be done, you must get that committee of Con- 
gress to ask you to advise them, and not offer 
your advice. The American Institute of Archi- 
tects, a society which was moved by the highest 
of motives for the improvement of government 
architecture, went to a committee of Congress 
to have a bill drafted for the improvement of 
the methods whereby the plans were drawn. I 
do not think that any one of the gentlemen who 
appeared had the slightest desire to get a job 
out of the government, but every member of 
the House before whom they appeared thought 
they did, and would not have anything to do 
with them. It seems to me that you would be 
doing a very much better thing if you would 
wait, or at least entrust it absolutely to your 
president, and see whether Congress shall ask 
your advice before you proffer it. 

R. R. BowKER. — It seems to me that Dr. 
Adier, whom we are certainly glad to see and 
hear on this floor, and who, any one who has 
visited Washington knows, is doing admirable 
work, has done a real service in presenting ar- 
guments against this resolution, although I 
think that this Association should take action. 
I think that some of his suggestions and criti- 
cisms are well taken, and I shall ask leave to 
modify this resolution in this way: 



"That the Executive Board be authorized to 
appoint a committee of the American Library 
Association, etc., to represent this Association 
in relation to the organization of the Library of 
Congress in its occupancy of the new building, 
and to take such steps as may promote the 
future development of the National Library on a 
more modern and most comprehensive plan." 

That may perhaps not altogether meet the 
views of Dr. Adler, but it seems to me that in 
that way it removes the essential criticisms 
which he has made, and I shall ask leave to 
offer the resolution, as amended, to the house. 

Cyrus Adler. — I always like to meet a man 
more than half way, but still I am not quite 
satisfied with the compromise. I believe that 
this is a matter that would be safely left to 
executive action, and I believe that the passage 
of the resolution will be productive of no good, 
and may be productive of harm. Mr. Bowker 
cannot say to-day that the passage of this reso- 
lution will be productive of any good. I am 
able to say that it may be productive of some 
harm. I am perfectly willing to leave the 
whole question, without any resolution what- 
soever, to the president and council of this 
Association. I submit that in this amended res- 
olution there is a criticism against the Library 
of Congress which is unfair. It states that the 
Library of Congress is to be reorganized on a 
more modern plan, and if Mr. Bowker or any 
other member of this Association had to care 
for 750,000 books in a space which would not 
hold 150,000, I do not believe he could have 
done any better. I do not think that in the 
later years of Mr. Spofford's life this Associa- 
tion or any other association should pass a res- 
olution containing a single word that seemed 
to reflect on him. 

A. S. Root. — It seems to me that it is not 
our place to give advice before it is asked. 

F. B. Gay. — I move that this question be 
laid on the table. Voted. 

Mr. George Iles read a paper on 

THE APPRAISAL OK LITERATURE. 
{St-e p. 26.) 

Theresa West. — I should like to ask Mr. 
lies whether in these books there will be any 
copyright on the notes. 

George Iles. — We talked a little about that 
last night in the Publishing Section. For my 
own part I should not care to have any copy- 



84 



CLEVELAND CONFERENCE. 



right; if any one wishes to copy any note I will 
be very glad to have him do it, but I cannot 
speak for the Publishing Section. 

W. I. Fletcher. — A word about this matter 
of copyright. The question has been raised as 
to whether the Publishing Section has copy- 
righted or intends to copyright its material. I 
am not prepared to say just what is the fact 
about the copyrighting, but I am sure that no 
copyright has been taken, at least such as to 
interfere at all with the extracting of notes. So 
far as such copyrights exist, I am sure they are 
simply to cover the execution of the whole work 
and not to interfere with any use of extracts for 
the public benefit. It seems to me with so large 
a company together it would be a pity if special 
attention were not called to the book which has 
been published under the name of " Books for 
girls and women." One thing that needs to be 
said about that book is that its title is somewhat 
unfortunate, and it is probable that a great 
many here might profit by the use of the book 
in their library work who are deterred from it 
by its title. The plan on which that book was 
made at first contemplated the selection of books 
particularly for women and girls' clubs. The 
plan was so carried out that it became ultimately 
a work which might as well have been called 
" A general select and annotated list of good 
books," and the suggestion that it is for girls 
and women ought to be eliminated to show its 
general character, and I suppose it will come 
out later. 

In that book, which is published and for sale 
by the Library Bureau at about the cost of man- 
ufacture, we have an admirable example of just 
what Mr. lies has been proposing. It is a 
somewhat limited example, but, as I said, it is 
in no sense properly confined, as might be un- 
derstood by the title, to books suitable only for 
girls and women. I wish that there might be a 
very general knowledge of the book and that it 
might come into general use, which I am sure 
would be conferring a great public benefit. 

Pres. Dana. — I would ask if the title of the 
book could not be changed in a future edition, 
and if that would not lead to its being more 
widely used ? 

George Iles. — Mr. Beer has some hope of 
ordering from the Library Bureau a paper edi- 
tion of 20OO copies for New Orleans, with the 
title changed to " A list of 2100 books anno- 
tated." I think the orignal title is a mistake. 



The idea was that in addressing a particular 
audience of girls and women we would be en- 
abled to sell a good many copies to their clubs, 
but that expectation has failed. The clubs have 
proved to be too poor to buy it, or it does not 
meet their wishes in some way. It may not be 
good enough. 

Pres. Dana. — I remember quite distinctly 
that one of the few impressions I was able to 
get at Lakewood was of the controversy be- 
tween Mr. lies and Mr. Dewey over the possi- 
bility of the very thing that is now to some 
e.xtent an accomplished fact. If I remember 
right, it was said that these criticisms, these 
evaluation notes, would not serve their pur- 
pose, because they would set people's prejudice 
the other way. Those of you who have exam- 
ined this book will remember that in certain 
parts of it at least the commentator does not 
hesitate to express his mind. If I remember 
Mr. lies aright, he told me that in one or more 
cases he urged the annotators to make their 
notes personal, and I would like to ask if he 
has received any comments from any of the 
readers of the book to indicate that it has 
harmed its usefulness. 

George Iles. — I have not. When I was in 
Chicago during the World's Fair I saw Mr. 
Harris, and he said that he and Pres. Hall, of 
Clark University, had been asked over and 
over again to draw up a bibliography of educa- 
tion, and they could not agree as to which were 
the important books. I would overcome that 
difficulty in the way I would overcome the pro- 
tection and free trade or the gold and silver 
difficulties. If I had a book like White's book 
on banking I would get Mr. Bryan's view and 
David A. Wells's view and then put them one 
under the other. I remember five or six years 
ago, when Mr. Bowker and I were getting up 
" The reader's guide in economic, political, and 
social science " for the Society of Political Edu- 
cation, Mr. McKinley agreed to write an ex- 
position and defence of the principle of protec- 
tion and Mr. Wells a defence of free trade, and I 
think our scheme was to print Wells on one page 
and McKinley.on the opposite page, so that they 
would both be before you ; but the scheme was 
too good and I had a polite note from Mr. Mc- 
Kinley saying that he was very busy and could 
not go on with his part. It is best to have the 
views of two men who are considered authority 
in their particular schools of thought. 



THIRD SESSION. 



8S 



Pres. Dana. — Here at least is one case in 
which it has been possible for the American Li- 
brary Association to free its mind and no harm 
has been done. 

Question — If we are to have these notes on 
every book, how large will the cards be ? 

George Iles. — I would have the note as 
concise as possible, but yet would say every- 
thing necessary to be said. Details will have 
to be worked out when we take the matter up 
practically. It is possible, as we know when we 
cable across the sea, to say a great deal in twenty- 
five words. I would put on the condenser. 

Sec. Elmendorf then read the 

REPORT OF E.XECUTIVE BOARD. 

Meeting of the Executive Board of the A. L. A. 
held in Cleveland, September i, i8g6. Present : 
President Dana, Vice-Presidents West and Carr, 
Ex-President Utley, Treasurer Cole, Assistant 
Treasurer Anderson, Secretary Elmendorf, Re- 
corder Nelson. 

Mr. Carr presented the following resolutions: 

"Resolved, That the Library Primer, if pub- 
lished by the Association, include not more than 
as much matter, including all appendices and 
index, as may be contained in 24 pages of the 
Library Journal." Carried unanimously. 

"Resolved, That if the Primer be printed, it 
shall be revised by a Committee on Revision 
appointed by the incoming Executive Board, be 
submitted to the council for approval, and after 
the council's approval, be published by the Pub- 
lishing Section, and be called a ' Library Prim- 
er.' " Carried unanimously. 

Mr. Elmendorf presented the following : 

"Resolved, That the list price of the Primer 
be fixed at 25 cents ; the Secretary of the Asso- 
ciation to be furnished with 1000 copies for free 
distribution, and that the edition consist of 3000 
copies." Carried unanimously. 

Mr. Utley presented the following resolu- 
tion : 

" Resolved, That the Executive Board sanction 
the expenditures for cuts for the Primer already 
made by the Secretary, about f 16." Carried. 

Mr. Elmendorf presented the following : 

" Resolved, (i) That the A. L. A. accept the 
invitation of the L. A. U. K. to take part in the 
International Library Conference to be held in 
London in July, 1897, and that the Secretary be 
instructed to cable this acceptance to the L. A. 
U. K., now in session. Such members of the 



A. L. A. as can go shall be the authorized and 
instructed delegates. 

"(2) That all arrangements for the presence 
of the representatives of the A. L. A. at the 
International Conference, and all arrangements 
for an itinerary for the entire trip be in the 
hands of a committee of five to be appointed by 
the Executive Board during the present con- 
ference, this committee to have full power to act 
in this matter for the Association. 

"(3) That the time and place of meeting of 
the A. L. A. for 1897, which shall have its final 
adjournment prior to the departure of the dele- 
gates to the International Library Conference, 
be fixed by the incoming Executive Board, in 
consultation with the A. L. A. Committee on In- 
ternational Library Conference." Carried unani- 
mously. 

The records of the meeting of the Executive 
Board at Colorado Springs after the Denver 
Conference, and at Cleveland October 10, 1895, 
will be found in the Library journal. 

Sec. Elmendorf. — The committee for compil- 
ing the A. L. A. Primer was authorized to print 
1000 copies. We determined without farther 
action by the executive board or by the full 
Association in conference, that we would not 
assume the responsibility, although it was 
delegated to us, of publishing the Primer. The 
Primer, as you know, has been published in 
Public Libraries. The notes are not what the 
committee appointed would want. The text is 
not what we would have it in final form. It 
forms a basis for revision for such a book as our 
Association should have to give out in answer 
to the constant inquiries of How shall we start 
and how shall we run a new library in our 
town ? 

The appendices have not all been printed, 
and those printed have not been printed in full 
and need revision. That is the state of the 
Primer business and the recommendation of 
the executive board which I will ask you to 
consider later. 

The next action of the board was the sanc- 
tioning of the expense of the cuts, which was 
the only expense incurred. I believe the entire 
bill amounts to about $23. 

The following report was submitted upon the 
European trip, the proposed trip to Europe of 
the Association next year. If it is the pleasure 
of the Association to act upon the first part, 
the recommendation of the executive board in 



86 



CLEVELAND CONFERENCE. 



regard to the Primer, I would like to have that 
settled and out of the way, and I would move 
the adoption of those resolutions as presented 
by the executive board. 

The motion was seconded by Mr. John 
Thomson. 

W. I. Fletcher. — Representing the pub- 
lishing section, I would like to call attention to 
the fact that there seems to be an introduction 
here of a question affecting the business of the 
section, in that the price is fixed of this Primer. 
At the same time it is said that looo copies shall 
be furnished to be distributed without cost and 
that the publishing section shall have 20oocopies. 
It is not a question to be considered here wheth- 
er that can be done or not. Should it not be 
put in such a form that it will be left for the 
publishing section to find out how that can be 
done ? I should think it might be amended to 
read, "At 25 cents, or as near that as can be 
made by the publishing section." 

The amendment was accepted by Sec. El- 
mendorf. 

G. M. Jones. — It seems to me that this matter 
of the number of copies that we shall print, the 
price we shall fix, etc., is not a matter that can 
be settled in a meeting of the Association. I 
therefore move as an amendment that this 
matter be referred to the incoming executive 
committee. 

S. S. Green. — I am always very much troubled 
when I hear of the Association undertaking to 
publish anything. I would rather have these 
resolutions lie on the table till we have con- 
sidered the question whether the publishing 
section is to be a section of the Association, and 
then it seems to me we could best dispose of the 
matter by referring it to that section. 

The first amendment was withdrawn. 

G. M. Jones. — I move that the first two sec- 
tions be passed. They come clearly within the 
scope of the Association as a whole. The other 
resolution can be settled very much better by 
the publishing section. Voled. 

W. C. Lane. — I wish to make a motion in re- 
gard to the other resolution. I should like to 
have the vote put in the way which I will sug- 
gest in order that it shall be a matter of prece- 
dent, and that is that the Association refer 
this resolution to the publishing section as 
recommendations, leaving the publishing sec- 
tion free, if it finds it impossible to adopt the 
recommendations, to do the best they can. 



C. A. Nelson. — This matter received very 
careful consideration in the executive board 
meeting yesterday, and without assuming the 
responsibility it is left to the incoming executive 
board to consider whether the Primer shall be 
published. I think that is what is covered by 
the resolution. 

Sec. Elmendorf. — The resolution remaining 
relates to the details of publishing. 

John Tho.mson. — I would like to see the 
matter disposed of at once. The question of 
price has been carefully considered, and I would 
like to see the question carried through without 
further delay, and therefore I hope that the 
proposition which I seconded will be carried. 

F. M. Crunden. — I second Mr. Lane's mo- 
tion. There are likely to come up points when 
the actual work of publication is in hand that 
have not been foreseen. At any rate, I think it 
would be perfectly safe to refer the whole 
matter, with these resolutions as instructions or 
recommendations, to that section of the Associ- 
ation whose special business it is to do the work. 

The motion as presented by Mr. Lane was 
passed. 

Sec. Elmendorf. — The next matter to be 
considered by the executive board was the 
European trip of the American Library Associ- 
ation. This was brought before the board 
and before the Association by the first notice 
that was sent to you all of the meeting in 
Cleveland, proposing that the Association join 
in an international conference, and the Associ- 
ation voted to go in the months of July and 
August, 1897. Upon the basis of this I notified 
Mr. MacAlister, the Secretary of the Library 
Association of the United Kingdom, that we 
would be glad to meet them in conference 
either in July or August, and that possibly our 
conference meeting be held either at the first or 
the last of our trip. In reply to that I received 
Mr. MacAlister's letter after consultation with 
the L. A. U. K. Council, which I published in 
the Library journal, inviting the American Li- 
brary Association to send delegates to an inter- 
national conference to be held in London in 
July, 1897, intimating that after the conference 
some of the English librarians would be glad to 
go with the American librarians to enjoy the 
hospitalities of the different towns in England, 
which would doubtless be extended to them. 

Various plans for the trip were submitted, and 
in view of the information laid before the ex- 



THIRD SESSION. 



87 



ecutive board the following resolutions were 
unanimously carried by the board and recom- 
mended to the Association: 

Resolved, (i) That the A. L. A. accept the in- 
vitation of the L. A. U. K. to take part in the 
International Library Conference to be held in 
London in July, 1S97, and that the Secretary 
be instructed to cable this acceptance to the 
L. A. U. K., now in session. Sueh members of 
the A. L. A. as can go shall be the authorized 
and instructed delegates. 

(2) That all arrangements for the presence of 
the representatives of the A. L. A. at the Inter- 
national Conference and all arrangements for 
an itinerary for the entire trip be in the hands 
of a committee of five, to be appointed by the 
executive board during the present conference, 
this committee to have full power to act in this 
matter for the Association. 

(3) That the time and place of meeting of the 
A. L. A. for 1897, which shall have its final 
adjournment prior to the departure of the dele- 
gates to the International Library Conference, be 
fixed by the incoming executive board in con- 
sultation with the A. L. A. committee on Inter- 
national Library Conference." 

R. R. BowKER. — At the suggestion of sev- 
eral members I have been asked to present a 
resolution bearing on this question, covering, 
however, only one part of the resolutions pro- 
posed by the executive board. I will read the 
proposed resolution and then say just a word 
on it. 

"Resolved, That the Association approve and 
authorize the appointment of a special commit- 
tee of five to consider and arrange the details of 
the European trip of 1897, and that those pres- 
ent at this conference who have any expecta- 
tion, or who have reasonable expectation, of 
taking the trip, be requested to meet in commit- 
tee meeting at the close of this afternoon's ses- 
sion to consider the general plans of the jour- 
ney and to report back any suggestions to this 
conference as well as to submit them to the 
special committee." 

It has been suggested that it might be very 
important indeed to have the conference rather 
toward the end of the English trip than at the 
beginning, because we have had experiences 
here as everywhere that after an association 
scatters it is very difficult to get them together 
again for any general trip. The opposing 
views on that question it is proposed to present 



at this meeting of those intending to take the 
trip, and if this vote should be carried it would 
involve by tacit consent the consideration of the 
other votes proposed by the executive board 
till some time to-morrow. I would move this 
as a substitute. Secotided. 

H. E. Davidson. — They expect us to come in 
July and have made their plans accordingly. I 
am sure it will be embarrassing to the L. A. U. 
K. and to us to have us ask them to change 
the date which they have practically fixed. 
The L. A. U. K. is in session at the present 
time and I dare say they are watching for a 
cable which shall tell them of the acceptance by 
this Association of their invitation, and for my 
part I think it is desirable that the Association 
act upon this question to-day so that whatever 
answer we have to make to them can be sent 
by cable to-night. 

F. P. Hill. — I would ask Mr. Davidson if 
the sessions of the L. A. U. K. close to-day, or 
whether to-morrow will be time enough to send 
a cablegram. 

H. E. Davidson. — I understand that their ses- 
sions close to-morrow, but we must bear in 
mind that while it is two or three o'clock here it 
is five hours later there, so that we must send 
our answer to-night for it to meet their official 
action to-morrow. That is my reason for calling 
your attention to the invitation being for July. 

R. R. BowKER. — I think I know enough oj 
the English brethren to make sure that they 
would be very glad to receive any suggestions 
from those of the A. L. A. who contemplate 
making this trip that would bring more or that 
would make the trip a greater success, and I 
think Mr. Soule was to suggest that a cable in- 
quiry should be sent to-night to know whether 
the L. A. U. K. could with convenience rear- 
range the plan if that should be the desire of 
the members on this side. I am quite sure that 
our English friends would be willing to act 
sympathetically and kindly in that matter. It 
is now nine o'clock in London and in the other 
Boston, and we could not now get any informa- 
tion to the brethren there till to-morrow, so 
that a cable sent to-night after this meeting 
asking the question would receive a response 
to-morrow very promptly and the thing could 
be settled with full satisfaction to-morrow. It 
is proposed rather to have this discussion in 
the committee of the whole of those going 
rather than in this body so as to cover the 



CLEVELAND CONFERENCE. 



points without troubling the members who are 
not going on this trip. 

Sec. Elmendorf. — The ladies and gentle- 
men are familiar with the history of the at- 
tempts in late years to get the Association to 
attend an international conference. At one 
time we decided that we would not accept the 
invitation of the L. A. U. K. for one year when 
we were invited, but we would accept it for the 
next, and we were told, with very great pro- 
priety in my judgment, that they did not want 
us the other year, but wanted us when they in- 
vited us. It seems to me very improper when 
we receive an invitation from a conferenee 
which will be in session just about the time that 
we are, to cable and ask them whether we can 
have the privilege of accepting their invitation 
for July or for some time which we shall set in 
the future. The reason of their changing the 
invitation from September to July was because 
I wrote upon your authority by the return votes 
of the referendum saying that September 
would not suit us, and everything seemed per- 
fectly satisfactory, provided it could be either 
made at the first or the last of our trip, which 
would cover the months, by the vote of this As- 
sociation, of July and August. This is the only 
matter in this report that I am strenuous 
about. I think the details should be left to 
the committee and to the people who go. 
My idea is that the only question before this 
Association is : Will you or will you not ac- 
cept the invitation of the L. A. U. K., or 
shall we send them word saying, " We won't 
accept your invitation for when it is given, but 
we will if you will renew it for some other time" ? 

F. P. Hlix. — I understand that the mem- 
bers of the Association will have to make a 
final decision in this matter, no matter what 
recommendation is made by the committee of 
the whole. 

I move as an amendment, in order to get a 
test vote, that so much of the resolution as re- 
lates to the acceptance of the invitation be 
adopted. 

C. C. SouLE. — I understood that these gentle- 
men who have just spoken in opposition to the 
postponement, had been consulted and had as- 
sented to it. It was urged upon the executive 
committee last winter that after the opinion of the 
Association had been taken in regard to the Eu- 
ropean trip and by a decisive vote the Asso- 
ciation had decided to go, a special committee 



should be appointed, the whole question should 
be discussed at that time, and the whole thing 
should be threshed out ^o that we should have 
all information before us, and then after this 
information was received we should have an 
intelligent vote and submit to the will of the 
majority. The executive committee have 
chosen, without instructions or consultation with 
more than four or five members, to correspond 
with the L. A. U. K. They probably have com- 
promised us, as Mr. Elmendorf says. I would 
like the Association to understand that the 
theory of a large number of the members was 
that we first should decide what we wanted to 
do, being the visiting party, and after having 
decided that we should then consult our foreign 
brethren and see what they could do. That is 
what we wanted to have done. This action of 
the executive committee has probably preclud- 
ed that. We cannot discuss the question very 
thoroughly. A number of us have thought 
that there is still time to have the matter ex- 
plained and find out what the theories might 
be, and then those who go might still have an 
opportunity of expressing their opinions in re- 
gard to certain vital points in the trip. We 
simply do not want snap judgment. We think 
the people who are going ought to be consulted 
first. The time when we arrive in London is 
one essential point of difference. 

Tessa L. Kelso. — When we delegate author- 
ity to certain people it seems to me that when 
they make their report we should decide to re- 
ject or adopt the report in the spirit in which 
we instructed them to investigate. It seems to 
me hardly fair to take the ground that the ex- 
ecutive board did not have full power. 

G. M. Jones. — It seems to me that this is 
idle discussion. As I understand it, the differ- 
ence of opinion is in regard to the details of 
the trip after we reach the other side. The 
question before us to-day is whether we shall 
accept the invitation of the L. A. U. K., to be 
present in London on certain days, and our 
members have already expressed their opinion 
that July and August are the best days to take 
for that trip. Therefore I think that the mo- 
tion of Mr. Hill is the motion for us to adopt at 
the present time. Shall we accept the invita- 
tion of the L. A. U. K., or shall we not? Then 
the matter about the method of appointing a 
committee we can decide later. That does not 
concern our English friends. 



THIRD SESSION. 



R. R. BowKEK. — I would suggest that Mr. 
Hill's amendment be passed with the date left 
blank, and then make the direct question as to 
whether we shall specify that date. 

F. P. Hill. — I think I realize somewhat the 
position of Mr. Soule and Mr. Bowker with ref- 
erence to this question. In iSgo we were in- 
invited by John Vance Cheney and others to go 
to San Francisco. Action was taken in a large 
meeting like this and everybody decided to go 
to San Francisco. When it came to settle on 
those who were going, it was found that only 
about 40 would take the trip, and I have said 
to Mr. Soule and to Mr. Dana, and to others, 
that it seems to me the whole question ought 
to be settled by those who are going to Europe 
and not by those who have no idea of going. 
If there is anything in this resolution which I 
have offered which would in any way hamper 
the Association, I withdraw it, but I cannot see 
why the mere acceptance of the invitation 
should affect us in any harmful way, and I 
would ask Mr. Soule or Mr. Bowker to give 
such explanation to the Association if there is 
any such to give. 

H. E. Davidson. — The only question in- 
volved by this date is whether a conference in 
London shall be held in July or at the end of our 
trip. If we accept the invitation, the conference 
will be in July. If we ask them to change and 
carry on negotiation for a change, it is with a 
view to getting it put later. This does not affect 
the itinerary, it is simply a question whether it 
is desirable to have the conference precede our 
trip or to take what we now call a post-confer- 
ence before the convention. 

H. J. Carr. — If we, as an Association, vote 
to accept the invitation to go abroad, ought 
we not to carry out our agreement ? I would 
like to know before I vote whether we have 
a reasonable showing or proper number to 
go. Is there not some way by which we can 
find out as to the probable number that will 
go? 

Mr. Hill's amendment was adopted. 

Sec. Elmendorf. — The second resolution is 
as follows : 

" That all arrangements for the presence of 
the representatives of the A. L. A. at the Inter- 
national Conference, and all arrangements for 
an itinerary for the entire trip be in the hands 
of a committee of five to be appointed by 
the executive board during the present confer- 



ence, this committee to have full power to act 
in this matter for the Association." 

I would like to say in explanation of this that 
the matter was brought up in the executive 
board meeting when this resolution was passed; 
that this committee ought to call during this 
session a meeting of those interested and take 
the views of all as a committee of arrangements, 
and that was as far as it went. 

F. P. Hill. — I would like to hear Mr. 
Bowker's substitute. I think that the details 
should be left to those who expect to go on that 
European trip. 

F. M. Crunden. — If I understand this mo- 
tion, it does not propose to have this body as a 
whole act on the details of the trip, but to leave 
it to the committee, which committee would nat- 
urally consult the persons whom it was serving. 

G. M. Jones moved that the recommendation 
of the executive board be adopted. Voted. 

Sec. Elmendorf read the next resolution as 
follows: 

"Resolved, That the time and place of meet- 
ing of the A. L. A. for 1897, which shall have 
its final adjournment prior to the departure of 
the delegates to the International Library Con- 
ference, be fixed by the incoming executive 
board, in consultation with the A. L. A. com- 
mittee on International Library Conference." 

F. P. Hill moved that the resolution be 
adopted. Voted. 

C. A. Nelson. — I move that the recommen- 
dations of the executive board as adopted sepa- 
rately be adopted as a whole. Voted. 

F. P. Hill. — Would it be proper to offer a 
motion at this time to the effect that all those 
who intend to take this trip should meet in this 
hall after the meeting this afternoon, or has ev- 
erything been so far arranged that members are 
not to have anything to say about it? I should 
feel very sorry if the executive committee, or 
any committee, can spend money of the Associ- 
ation without direct authorization of the Associ- 
ation for this matter in question, as I understand 
the president to say the executive board could 
do. 

F. M. Crunden. — It seems to me that the 
money matters, like all other details, ought to 
be left to those who are going. 

Sec. Elmendorf. — This is not a delegation 
appointed here to attend an international con- 
ference. The details of that conference you 
have just placed in the hands of a certain com- 



90 



CLEVELAND CONFERENCE. 



mittee. The first and natural duty of that com- 
mittee will be to call together those who are 
interested, and the idea of putting this thing 
through at this time, in the judgment of the 
executive board, was that it might be done in 
that way. The committee, I should think, would 
naturally call a meeting as soon as it was ap- 
pointed. 

F. P. Hill. — Cannot the executive board 
now ask the members who intend to go to 
Europe to meet here after this meeting ad- 
journs ? 

The President announced that immediately 
after the afternoon meeting there would be a 
meeting of those who expected to go to Europe 
next year. 

W. I. Fletcher. — It seems to me that a 
meeting of those who intend to go to Europe 
cannot do much without that committee. 

Pres. Dana. — I am sure that if it can be 
done the executive board will immediately ap- 
point a committee before the people who expect 
to go to England have gathered together. 

W. I. Fletcher. — I want to say in reply to 



some suggestions made here that any one should 
fear that this trip is going to involve a large ex- 
penditure on the part of the executive committee 
out of the funds, that I have entire confidence in 
this committee which is to be appointed that they 
will not draw upon the treasury of the A. L. A. 
to pay any expenses of the trip, unless it be 
some proper expenses of the delegates as dele- 
gates. 

C. A. Nelson. — The Association as an asso- 
ciation has voted to accept the invitation of the 
L. A. U. K. The Association has also voted 
that all here and all who may not be here who 
expect to go shall be the regular and appointed 
delegates of this Association. The meeting pro- 
posed to be called as soon as the general Asso- 
ciation adjourns is of those members who are 
going as delegates, and from those members the 
committee of arrangements will be appointed. 

REPORT OI-- TREASURER. 

E. H. Anderson, acting treasurer, read the 
following report, which it was voted to accept 
and refer to the finance committee: 



TREASURER'S REPORT. 
E. H. Anderson, Acting Treasurer, in account with the American Liurary Association. 

1895. Dr. 

Aug. I. To balance reported (Denver Conference, p. 48) « $1108 85 

Aug. I, 1895, to Aug. 31, iSg6 : 

To fees for 534 Annual Memberships, at $2 each: 

For 1894, I $2 00 

For 1895, 96 192 00 

For i8g6, 435 870 00 

For 1897, 3 6 00 

I1070 00 
To fees for 17 Annual Fellowships, at $5 each: 

For 1895, I $5 00 

For i8g6, 16 80 00 

$85 00 
To fees for 29 Library Memberships, at I5 each: 

For 1896, 29 $145 cx) 

To sale of Conference Proceedings 5 00 

To interest on deposit, Aug. i, 1895, to Aug. 29, 1896 41 71 

$2455 56 



THIRD SESSION. 



Cr. 

By Langford & Thompson ; typewriting Treasurer's report 

By C. A. Nelson; expenses in connection with Denver Conference 

By H. M. Utley; expenses in connection with Denver Conference 

By Geo. E. Wire; expenses in connection with Denver Conference 

By W. K. Fleming; stenographer's services and transcripts of Denver Confer- 
ence 

By Library Bureau ; stationery 

By Lon Hardman; printing and stationery 

By G. W. Cole; 500 postal cards 

By M. R. Walter; printing papers of Denver Conference 

By Library Bureau; Cleveland Conference circular No. i, mailing, etc 

By E. H. Merriman ; typewriting and stenographic work 

By H. L. Elmendorf ; expenses of Secretary's office 

By Publishers' Weekly- circulars 

By Stevenson & Foster Co.; stationery for Treasurer's office 

By Publishers' Weekly; printing aod mailing Proceedings 

By H. L. Elmendorf; expenses of Secretary's office 

By E. H. Merriman ; typewriting and stenographic work 

By Mrs. Maud Kennedy ; stenographic and clerical work 

By Stevenson & Foster Co.; stationery for Treasurer's office 

By J. R. Weldin & Co.; cash-book for Treasurer's office 

By Combe Printing Co.; circulars, programs, and Preliminary Papers for 

Cleveland Conference 

By Weber & Co. ; rubber stamp 



$2455 56 



The present status of membership (Sept. i, 
1S96) is as follows; 

Honorary Members 2 

Life Fellows 2 

Life Members 28 

Annual Fellows (paid for lSg6) 16 

Annual Members (paid for l8g6) 435 

Library Members (paid for 1896) 29 

Total 512 

During the period covered by this report, 121 
new members have been added to the list, 20 
have resigned, and 3 have died. 

It seems hardly worthwhile to make a report 
of the amount of membership fees which re- 
main unpaid. Many allow their memberships 
to lapse, neither resigning nor paying their 
fees. It is, therefore, impossible to make a sat- 
isfactory estimate of the collectable unpaid 
fees. 



There are now on hand the following publica- 
tions: 

2 copies of Milwaukee Conference (1886). 
32 " " Thousand Islands Conference 

(1887). 
79 •' " St. Louis Conference (1889). 
18 " " White Mountains Conference 

(1S90). 
25 " " San Francisco Conference (1891). 
6 " " Lakewood Conference (1892). 
12 " " Chicago Conference (1893). 
75 " " Lake Placid Conference (1894). 
14S " " Denver Conference (1895). 

It may be of interest to members to know 
that the cash balance on hand, and the num- 
ber of members in good standing, are the 
largest in the history of the Association. 
Respectfully submitted, 

E. H. Anderson, Acting Treasurer. 

Sec. Elmendorf read the following : 



92 



CLEVELAND CONFERENCE. 



REPORT OF TRUSTEES OF ENDOWMENT FUND. 
Trustees A. L. A. Endowment Fund in account with American Library Association. 

Dr. 
To Subscriptions from Oct. 30, 1890, to Sept. i, 1896, 
" Interest received during same period : 

From invested funds, .... 
" loan to Publishing Section, 
" bank balance, .... 

" Pliny T.- Sexton, 
" loan to Charles C. Soule and Henry I. Carr, 



Amounts received in payment of loans : 
From mortgages matured, 
" Publishing Section 
" Charles C. Soule and Henry I. Carr, 

Amounts received for Life Memberships : 

From Henry L Carr Balance old account, 
" new memberships, 



Cr. 
By Amounts paid out from Oct. 30, iSgo, to Sept. i, 1S96: 
Loans on Bond and Mortgage, 
" to Publishing Section, 
" " Charles C. Soule and H. L Carr, 
" Sundry other amounts paid out : 

For printing, . . . . . 

" accrued interest on mortgages, 
" rent of vault (four years), 
" amount paid (not loaned) Publishing Section, 

" Balance, ...... 



<pi,ji/y.ou 

169.70 

35-72 

20.00 

3-75 








$1,300.00 
650.00 
200.00 


2,I50,(X) 
797-47 


1447-47 
350.00 






$8,897.00 


$5,700.00 
900.00 
200.00 




135.10 
133-53 
40.00 
269. 70 


^7,378-33 
1,518.67 






$8,897.00 



Sept. I. To Balance, 
New York, Sept. i, 1S96. 



$1,518.67 
E. and O. E. 
Trustees A. L. A. Endowment Fund, 

by E. C. HovEY, Trcas. 



Financial Condition. 
ASSETS. 



Loans on Bond and Mortgage, .... 

" to Publishing Section (secured by note). 
Cash in International Trust Co. (Boston), 

LIAIilLITIES. 

None. 

Ititcrcst Account. 
To Total amount received, .... 

By Amounts paid out : 

Paid (not loaned) to Publishing Section, 
" for accrued interest on mortgages, 
" " printing, .... 

" " rent of vault, .... 



To Balance, 



$4,400.00 

250.00 

1,518.67 



$6,168.67 





$269.70 
133-50 
135.10 
40.00 




$578.30 
830.73 


$1,409.03 


$1,409.03 



Note. — When, pursuant to a vote of the Association, the then Treasurer, Mr. Henry I. Carr, 
paid over to the Trustees of the Endowment Fund, the sum of $447.47 it was ordered that so 
much of our income as was necessary to increase this amount to $650.00 the original sum, be 
withheld. From Balance, $830.73, I have deducted the sum of $202.53. The available Interest 
Balance is therefore only $628.20. E. H. Hovey, Treas. 



THIRD SESSION. 



93 



W. I. Fletcher. — I move that the report be 
accepted and referred to the Finance Committee 
for auditing. Voted. 

Sec. Elmendorf read a communication from 
Hon. Pliny T. Sexton resigning his position as 
a member of the Board of Trustees of the 
Endowment Fund and presenting $ioo to the 
fund. 

W. C. Lane. — I move that the resignation of 
Mr. Sexton be accepted, with regrets, and that 
the thanks of the Association be sent to him for 
his services in the past and for his generous 
gift in addition to the fund. Voted. 

Miss Hewins then read her paper on 

GIFTS AND BEQUESTS. 
{Seep. 6.) 

Pres. J. C. Dana. — I would ask Miss Hew- 
ins how this report on gifts and bequests com- 
pares with those of former years. 

Miss C. M. Hewins. — It is for two years 
instead of one, and it is larger, I think, than 
usual. 

F. M. Crunden moved that the report be re- 
ceived and filed. Voted. 

Vice-Pres. F. M. Crunden assumed the chair. 

J. N. Larned. — I wish to say that the re- 
port of the Committee on Library Schools as 
printed in the Preliminary Papers requires 
amendment in two or three particulars on 
information received after the printing was 
done. None of them are of very great impor- 
tance. 

Sec. Elmendorf. — The corrections on the 
Preliminary Papers noted by the authors are 
made on the olBcial report which has been set 
aside for the purpose. 

REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON LIBRARY SCHOOLS. 

The Committee on Library Schools and Classes 
had thought of tabulating a comparison of the 
courses of instruction, pursued in the several 
schools, for the purpose of ascertaining how 
far they work on common lines, with common 
aims, and to what extent they diverge in their 
purposes and plans. But differences of con- 
struction in the schedules of class-work sub- 
mitted to us for the purpose seem to make 
any fully analytical and precise comparison, 
not unpracticable, perhaps, but so difEcult that 
we will not undertake it. The most we can 
attempt is a rough calculation of the propor- 
tions in which the time of study and work in 



each school or class is divided among the sub- 
jects of chief note. This brings to view some 
differences which are interesting, though the 
exhibit of them may have no further impor- 
tance. 

The conspicuous difference is one well under- 
stood as a general fact, namely, that the train- 
ing for library work given at Albany is more 
strictly technical than in any of the other 
schools. Literature, for example, as a distinct 
subject, fills a large place in the courses at 
Armour, Pratt, and Drexel Institutes, while it 
has been wholly omitted, heretofore, from the 
curriculum of the New York State School. At 
Armour Institute about six per cent, of the total 
class-work scheduled in the first year, and 23 
per cent, in the second year, are assigned to 
Literature. At Drexel Institute and at Pratt 
Institute, where the course, hitherto, has been 
one of a single year, the percentage of time 
devoted to Literature is about 21 per cent, and 
12 per cent, respectively in the first term, and 
30 per cent, and eight per cent, in the second 
term. At Pratt Institute it is said to be mainly 
a critical course. In the Albany schedules, 11 
per cent, of class-work appropriated to Read- 
ing, in the junior and senior years alike, may 
cover more or less of discursive literary in- 
struction; and the same is probably true of a 
smaller assignment of time to Reading in the 
Chicago course; but the intention of the New 
York State School is to make that part of prepa- 
ration for library work antecedent to its own 
teaching. This policy seems warranted by cir- 
cumstances which give to the Albany School a 
certain advantage over others. As the parent 
school of all, it enjoys a natural precedence and 
prestige that are attractive to students, and, while 
its classes remain as limited in number as they 
are, it may easily set its standard of require- 
ments for admission at a height that will cover 
all the general knowledge of literature which 
school and college teaching can give. The 
younger classes, at Brooklyn, Philadelphia, and 
Chicago, supplementary and auxiliary, so to 
speak, to the original school, in their rise, 
could hardly plant themselves, perhaps, at the 
beginning, on quite so specialized a ground. 
But some day, no doubt, they will find it best 
to drop out of their curriculum more or less of 
the studies now embraced which are prepara- 
tory to the strictly technical training for library 
work, rather than forming any part of it. The 



94 



CLEVELAND CONFERENCE. 



study of Literature, as pursued, is unquestion- 
ably one of these. For while it leads toward 
the knowledge which is fundamental in the edu- 
cation of the librarian — at the bottom of all 
efficiency in his work — -yet it does not and 
cannot be carried far enough, in an ordinary 
course, to win the stamp of practical qualifica- 
tion which a special training school, in any 
department of work, ought to put upon its 
graduates. What we call the study of Litera- 
ture is mainly a study of what the French de- 
fine better for us, as Belles-Lettres. It leaves 
untouched, or nearly so, a large part of the 
comprehensive knowledge of books which the 
librarian needs. The literature of science, of 
philosophy, of religion, of history, of biogra- 
phy, of politics and social economy, in which 
more than half of the problems of library sci- 
ence and the difficulties of library service arise, 
is scarcely approached by it. As a part of 
technical training for the work of the libraries 
it is fragmentary, therefore, and inadequate at 
the best, and for all that is practicable in it, as 
preparatory to that work, the appropriate place 
would seem to be in the prescribed education 
required of students before their special in- 
struction begins in the library school. 

Logically, the study of Literature and the 
study of languages would be excluded from the 
curriculum of the library schools on the same 
grounds. That Literature is a defined subject 
of study in three of them, while one language, 
the German, is taught in only one school, that 
of Pratt Institute (where it is carried through 
the whole course and occupies nearly one-tenth 
of the whole time in the schedule), appears not 
quite consistent. 

Other subjects which, in time, are more than 
likely to be dropped from the library schools 
are English Composition, Book-keeping or Ac- 
counts, and Economics. The first of these sub- 
jects (embracing, however, proof correction and 
the like) has received attention at Pratt Insti- 
tute to the e.xtcnt of about 12 per cent, of the 
working time of the class in its first term. 
Book-keeping takes three or four per cent, of 
class work in one term at the same school, 
while the discussion of Economics is pursued 
at Drexel Institute only, and during but one 
term. There is no apparent better reason for 
introducing these subjects than for entering in 
the course any other of the many branches of 
a general education. 



To raise one more question as to the range 
of a proper course of instruction in library sci- 
ence, we may say that even Typewriting has 
become so common a part of the equipment for 
so many employments in modern life that the 
acquirement of it outside of a library training 
class might fairly be demanded. At present it 
has a place in the course at three schools, taking 
time in the schedules of Armour Institute and 
Pratt Institute to the amount of about eight 
per cent, throughout all the terms, while at 
Drexel Institute it consumes half that propor- 
tion of time in the first term alone. 

If we turn nov7 to the undoubted matters of 
special library training, weshall'find the schools 
and classes differing little from one another in 
the measure of time which they devote to the 
subjects of fundamental importance, while each 
shows a certain character of its own in the em- 
phasis which it puts upon some of the incidentals 
of the practical work. 

Cataloging, as scheduled at .\lbany, fills 33 
per cent, of the regular class-work time in the 
junior year and 21 per cent, in the senior year. 
At Armour Institute the schedules show but 17 
per cent, in the junior year and two per cent, 
in the senior year; but 21 per cent, of the junior 
year and 17 per cent, of the senior year at Ar- 
mour Institute are assigned to what is designated 
as " Apprentice work," in which cataloging pre- 
dominates. At the Albany School there is an 
assignment of time (eight per cent, in the first 
year and 13 in the second) to General Practice 
Work, which is defined as being exclusive of 
cataloging as work required, though students 
may so employ it if they choose to do so. -At 
Pratt Institute, the time given to cataloging 
equals about 24 per cent, of the whole class- 
work in the first term (of the one-year course), 
22 per cent, in the second term, and 12 in the 
third. This we understand to be exclusive of 
equal hours given to practice work. In the 
two terms of the single year at Drexel Insti- 
tute, the time assigned to Cataloging is re- 
spectively 35 and 40 per cent, of the whole. 

To other common subjects and exercises, the 
assignment of time in the class-work of the 
several schools is as follows: 

Classification: New York State Library 
School, seven per cent, in each year; Armour 
Institute, six per cent, in the junior year and 
two per cent, in the senior; Pratt Institute, 
seven per cent, in the first term, four in the 



THIRD SESSION. 



95 



second; Drexel Institute, eight percent, in tiic 
first term. 

Accession Work: New York State School, 
tliree per cent, in the first year; Armour Insti- 
tute, two per cent, in the first year; Drexel In- 
stitute, four per cent, in the first term; Pratt 
Institute, three per cent, in the first term. 

Loan Systems: New York State School, 
three per cent., first year; Drexel Institute, 
three per cent., second (half-year) term; Ar- 
mour Institute, two per cent., first year; Pratt 
Institute, two per cent., second term. 

Shelf Department Work: New York State 
School, three per cent., first year; Armour In- 
stitute, two per cent., first year; Pratt Insti- 
tute, two per cent., first term (besides practice 
work running through three terms); Drexel In- 
stitute, three per cent., first term. 

At Armour Institute, Bibliography and Ref- 
erence Work are alternating subjects, and 
unitedly receive about i6 per cent, of time in 
the junior year and nine per cent, in the senior 
year. At Albany there is four per cent, of 
time in the junior year and five in the senior 
assigned to Bibliography, and nine per cent, in 
the senior year to Reference Work. This is 
independent of a liberal allowance of time for 
Original Bibliography in connection with Thesis 
Work, both at Albany and Chicago. At Pratt 
Institute, Bibliography is the subject of three 
closing lectures in the last term; at Drexel In- 
stitute, it is made part of the Reference Work 
in each term. At Pratt Institute, the percent- 
age of time given in the schedules to Reference 
Work is four in the first term (but this recog- 
nizes lectures only and not practice work), 
seven in the second. At Drexel Institute, the 
percentage is two and twelve in the two terms 
of the year. 

The Order Department furnishes a subject 
of class-work at Pratt and Drexel Institutes, 
but elsewhere appears to be incidental. 

Current Topics are dealt with more or less 
at each of the schools. 

General Library Economy is a distinct sub- 
ject at Albany and Chicago, while at Brooklyn 
and Philadelphia it is probably covered in a 
more detailed way. 

Bookbinding receives attention at Albany to 
the extent of two per cent, of the class-work in 
the junior year; in the other schools it is touched 
upon less fully. 



Printiiig as an art, and Proof-Reading in 
connection with it, are technically studied in 
Albany to the extent of three per cent, of time 
in the first year, and at Philadelphia and Brook- 
lyn to the extent of one per cent, in the first 
term of each class. At Chicago, the historical 
side of Printing is more considered, in connec- 
tion with the history of Books. 

The history and description of libraries, their 
founding and government, the architecture and 
fittings of their buildings and the legislation 
which relates to them, are discussed in all the 
schools, and in no very unequal measure. 

At Albany alone the schedule provides for 
instruction in Indexing, but that important sub- 
ject receives attention likewise at Chicago, and 
will be introduced in the second-year course at 
Brooklyn. 

At Drexel Institute alone. Children's Read- 
ing is among the subjects in the schedule; but 
it has been the topic of a course of lectures by 
Miss Stearns at Armour Institute during the 
year past, while at Albany it is the subject of a 
course of lectures given by Miss Hewins every 
other year. 

At Pratt Institute, a distinguishing feature 
of the last term is an extended course of lect- 
ures on the greater libraries of the world. 
Apart from these, the closing term is mainly 
given to practical work in the general free 
library of the Institute. 

In all the schools, a practical study of library 
work under different systems and circumstances, 
by the visitation and examination of various 
leading libraries, and the subsequent discussion 
of their several methods, is made more and 
more an important and most commendable feat- 
ure of each case. 

This comparative survey of the courses of 
study and work pursued in the several library 
schools brings nothing of great importance into 
view, but it may have some suggestiveness not 
wholly without worth. 

The four schools named have all been visited 
during the year by the chairman of the com- 
mittee, though not all at times which permitted 
their work to be seen. The Armour Institute 
school has been visited likewise by Miss Brown, 
ing, of the committee, and the Pratt Institute 
school by Miss Hasse. 

Of all the schools it can be reported with no 
hesitation, that the past year has been, on the 



96 



CLEVELAND CONFERENCE. 



whole, the most satisfactory in their history, 
giving encouragement in all of them to larger 
undertakings and plans of future work. The 
school at Pratt" Institute announces, in conse- 
quence, a second-year course, "not wholly," 
says the circular, "an extension of the first 
year's work, but rather a development of 
another phase, the historical and bibliographi- 
cal." 

The New York State Library School opened 
its first summer session at Albany in July last, 
conducting a short course of five weeks, espe- 
cially for the benefit of library assistants who 
seek technical instruction in elementary work. 
In its regular course, the work of the school 
has been greatly systematized and improved dur- 
ing the year last past. The faculty has been 
enlarged, and the non-resident lectureships have 
assumed a more organized character, certain 
subjects being permanently assigned to given 
lecturers, who are expected to appear before 
the school with regularity once in two years. 
The Library School Museum and the collections 
of photographs, clippings, pamphlet material in 
bibliography, library economy, etc., have been 
thoroughly cataloged and much increased; while 
important beginnings have been made with an 
exhaustive Index of library economy which 
should some day be put into print. 

The Summer School conducted by Mr. Fletch- 
er at Amherst held its session in July and Au- 
gust, with undiminished success. The class 
numbered 36 against 30 last year. 

A second session of the Wisconsin Summer 
School, conducted by Miss Sharp, of the Ar- 
mour Institute School, under the auspices of 
the University of Wisconsin, but supported by 
the generosity of the Hon. J. H. Stout, was 
held at Madison for six weeks, closing August 
14. There were 27 pupils in attendance, from 
nine western states, all but four having had 
more or less library experience. 

In conclusion, the committee presents a com- 
pilation of statistics (see next column of this 
page) which summarizes the practical results 
of the work done in the four fully founded 
library schools of the United States. 
Respectfully submitted, 
J. N. Larned, 
Adeuiide R. Hasse, 
Eliza G. Browning, 
Caroline H. Garland, 

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THIRD SESSION. 



97 



SPECIAL RErORT ON ARMOUR INSTITUTE LIBRARY 
TRAINING CLASS. 

Armour Institute is proceeding along the 
same general lines indicated in last j'ear's re- 
port, except that the course now consists of 
two years' instruction instead of one, and type- 
writing has been added to the list of studies. 

The methods used here are based on those 
in use at Albany, except that they are modified 
to suit the requirements of the Armour Insti- 
tute students. Greater stress is laid here upon 
the practical things of library life. Invariably 
it has been the public library which has ap- 
plied to Armour for a librarian, hence the 
aim of this school has been to train the student 
in the practical needs of a public library rather 
than along the theoretical lines more applicable 
to the college or reference library. 
Respectfully submitted, 

E. G. Browning. 

SPECIAL report ON PRATT INSTITUTE LIBRARY 
SCHOOL. 

In June, 1S96, the Pratt Institute Library 
School completed its sixth year of library in- 
struction. The total number of pupils who 
have entered the classes since their inception 
in l8go is 142; 104 were graduated. The course 
was augmented during the year by lectures 
given by librarians of the vicinity on their 
methods, by regular weekly visits of the class 
to neighboring libraries, and by a practical 
course in library accounts. 

Stenography was omitted from the course, 
and the work in library economy was put un- 
der the direction of one instructor, instead of, 
as formerly, under the care of different mem- 
bers of the staff. 

The Director of the Library School reports 
the demand for trained workers to be steadily 
increasing, the increased demand coming more 
especially from the smaller towns. 

During the moving of the library into the 
new building, which was accomplished, exclu- 
sive of the reference-books, in two days and a 
half, the current work of the library was car- 
ried on by the students of the Library School. 
The class took charge of the reading-room, 
reference-desks, and circulating department, 
and largely because of this assistance the pub- 
lic was granted the use of the library without 
interruption during the moving. 

The systematic manner with which the re- 



moval of the books was conducted must have 
been a valuable object lesson to this class. 

The popular Current Topics work was con- 
tinued through the first and second terms of 
this course. 

Just before the close of the course of 1895 -6 
a circular was issued announcing a second-year 
course for 1896-7,10 deal with Library Science 
and Bibliography. A corps of lecturers has 
been obtained, and the term will open Sep- 
tember 28. 

By an arrangement with Dr. John S. Billings, 
Director, New York Free Public Library, the 
subjects of Advanced Cataloging and Bibliog- 
raphy will be pursued during the second-year 
course under a competent instructor, by means 
of the collections of the Lenox Library. 

A directory of graduates of Pratt Institute 
Library School, 1890-95, was published in the 
Pratt Institute MontJily, June, i8g6. 

The satisfaction with the practical work of 
the class in the third term is constantly in- 
creasing. The students take turns in all the 
departments of the library, wait on the public 
in the reading, reference, and delivery rooms 
at varying hours of the day, and frequently at 
the hours of greatest pressure. The verdict is 
that this experience makes them more prompt 
in emergencies, keener and more tactful in 
contact with the public, and more conversant 
with the needs and wants of the public. 

Adelaide R. Hasse. 

W. C. Lane presented the report of the 
Executive Board of the A. L. A. Publishing 
Section. 

REPORT OF the EXECUTIVE BOARD OF THE A. L. 
A. PUBLISHING SECTION, SEPTEMBER I, 1 896. 

A report of the Publishing Section was pre- 
pared last year, but on account of the absence 
of all members of the executive board from the 
Denver meeting it failed to be presented. The 
report this year must therefore cover the opera- 
tions of two years. In our last report we re- 
gretted that no larger progress had been made, 
and we might say much the same in regard to 
the past two years, for librarians are all en- 
grossed in the daily administration of their own 
libraries, and it is difficult to accomplish any 
considerable undertaking in addition. Some 
important work has, however, been done. Three 
regular meetings of the executive board have 



98 



CLEVELAND CONFERENCE. 



been held, two in New York and one at North- 
ampton ; the records of the last two meetings 
will be found in the Library journal for July, 
1896, and it is the intention to make public in 
the same way the record of future proceedings. 

In regard to each of our publications, a brief 
but detailed statement follows : 

The A. L. A. Index. The total expenses 
have been $2600.14 and the total receipts 
$2982.30, the balance $382.16 has been paid in 
five semi-annual payments to the editor, Mr. 
W. I. Fletcher, in accordance with our agree- 
ment with him. Of the 750 copies printed, 722 
have been sold, 78 of these in the last two 
years. A supplementary volume, to be pub- 
lished in 1897, is already in hand, and will in- 
clude material already published in the Annual 
Literary lnde,\, and as much as possible be- 
sides. The editor, Mr. W. L Fletcher, libra- 
rian of Amherst College, will be glad to receive 
suggestions in regard to works which should 
be indexed. It is hoped that the new material 
may be combined with that of the original in- 
dex so that we may have a new edition and not 
simply a supplement. This will be done if the 
advance subscriptions, when called for, war- 
rant it. 

Sargent's Reading for the Young. In the last 
report a sale of 3464 copies was reported. Dur- 
ing the last twenty-two months there has con- 
tinued a small but steady demand for the work, 
amounting to 171 copies. The net receipts for 
these have been $125.45, but, 200 copies having 
been bound at an expense of $46, and the sum 
of $11.80 being chargeable to insurance, the net 
profit has been $67.65, leaving the total expenses 
from the beginning still $89.49 in excess of the to- 
tal receipts. A supplement to this book also is in 
press, and will be published immediately. It 
has been compiled by Misses Mary E. and 
Abby L. Sargent, who have personally examined 
and passed upon every book included in it. 
They have added to it, beside the author-index, 
a subject-index which covers the whole work, 
original and supplement, and will very much 
increase the value of the book. The prepara- 
tion of this index has caused an unavoidable 
delay in the issue of the work, so that it will be 
found that although published in the autumn 
of 1896, it contains none of the books published 
this year or in the latter part of 1895. 

List of Subject Headings. This list, compiled 
by Mr. G. M. Jones, working with a committee 



of the Library Association, was published in 
October, 1895, and has found an excellent sale. 
The cost of manufacturing 500 copies was 
$405.93, the expenses of the committee for cleri- 
cal labor and stationery came to $54, making 
the total cost $459.93. Three hundred and fif- 
teen copies have been sold, net receipts $431.62, 
so that the publication has already almost paid 
for itself, and some 175 copies remain on hand. 
No plates were made, as it was intended to be 
simply a preliminary work, and it was thought 
that a new edition enlarged and improved 
would soon be wanted. Criticisms and sug- 
gestions are invited and the Section will be in 
position to have a new edition printed when- 
ever it may be thought necessary. 

List of Books for Girls and Women and their 
Clubs. For the publication of this List the As- 
sociation, and the library profession generally, 
are indebted to the generosity and public spirit 
of Mr. George lies. Mr. lies advanced the 
money for the whole expense of manufacture, 
$1983.42 ; he has also furnished at his own ex- 
pense the manuscript, the editorial work, the 
advertising, and the cost of press copies, the 
total being about $3700. The item of cost of 
press copies ($174.74) >s to be deducted from 
the sum mentioned above, so that for the ex- 
pense of printing we owe Mr. lies $iSo8.68, 
which is to be repaid to him as far as receipts 
from sales allow. At a meeting of the execu- 
tive board it was Resolved, That the Publishing 
Section record its cordial appreciation and ear- 
nest thanks to its associate, Mr. George lies, for 
his most generous service to the American Li- 
brary Association and to all readers of books, 
in both editing and providing for the large ex- 
pense of publication of the evaluated " List of 
Books for Girls and Women," recently issued 
through the Publishing Section, and that this 
minute be specifically reported at the next con- 
ference of the American Library Association. 

Three thousand copies in large form of the 
whole list and 2000 copies of the separate parts 
in small form were printed. The sales during 
the nine months, October, 1895, to June, 1896, 
have been of the complete list, 251 copies, pa- 
per, and 414 in cloth, with S43 copies of the 
separate parts. The net receipts have been 
$410.35, which has been paid to Mr. lies. The 
smallness of the sales is disappointing, as great 
pains were taken to secure for the different 
sections of the work able editors, whose opin- 



THIRD SESSION. 



99 



ions should carry authority. The name has 
perhaps had some effect in diminishing the sale, 
as it seems to limit its usefulness to girls and 
women. As a matter of fact, while there are 
some sections, such as nursing, domestic econ- 
omy, livelihoods, which are of especially femi- 
nine interest, the list as a whole is equally val- 
uable as a selected list of general scope for all 
classes of readers, and we would suggest that 
librarians might find it very useful if purchased 
in large quantities to be sold to their readers. 
Special editions with a new title-page suited for 
special use will be supplied at special rates. 
Reprints of separate sections of the List will 
also be made if there is a demand for them. It 
is hoped that, although the initial sales have 
been small, librarians will later find that they 
have here a tool which can be made widely use- 
ful. 

It has been one of the intentions of the Pub- 
lishing Section to issue frequently small leaflets 
on subjects of library interest. Only two such 
have been printed, one a folder describing the 
work and plans of the Section, and giving its 
constitution and a list of publications ; the other 
an address on " Paper and Ink," by Robert T. 
Swan, the Commissioner of Public Records in 
Massachusetts, read before the Massachusetts 
Library Club, March i, 1895. One thousand 
copies were reprinted from the Library journal 
at an expense of $10.20. They have been dis- 
tributed with other publications to members, 
but there has been practically no other call for 
them. 

At the meeting of the Association in 1S94, it 
was voted that the executive board prepare an 
annotated list of undesirable fiction. The exec- 
utive board has discussed this proposition and 
has not seen its way clear to carry it out ; they 
therefore voted to refer this vote back to the 
Association with the recommendation that if 
the work be undertaken at all it should be placed 
in the hands of a special committee. 

In accordance with another vote passed at 
the same meeting of the Association the exec- 
utive board adopted, after consultation with a 
committee appointed by the Association, the 
following scheme for the various publications 
of the Section : 

first. — To adopt for all catalogs and in- 
dexes the standard column of 6 cm., and for 
the size of page the two standard sizes of 7.5 by 
12.5 cm. (postal size) and 17.5 by 25 cm. (maga- 



zine size), the printed page of the former being 
just one-fourth that of the latter. 

Second. — To indicate the successive publica- 
tions in each series, by letters A, B, C, etc., in 
the larger series, and by numbers i, 2, 3, etc., 
in the smaller. 

Third. — To use for catalog work, antique 
brevier for entry words, old-style brevier for 
titles, old-style nonpareil for notes, and old- 
style long primer for reading-matter, all work 
to be single leaded. 

Fourth. — To use a paper rag or partly rag, 
reasonably opaque and sized so as to take ink 
easily in writing notes, etc. 

Fifth. — To adopt in all publications of the 
Section the preferred spelling of the Century 
Dictionary as the standard, but to retain the 
spelling "Catalog" now used for many years 
by the A. L. A. 

The work of the Section has been generously 
supported by the Trustees of the Endowment 
Fund. The $650 borrowed in February, 1891, 
and June, 1892, was repaid October 15, 1895, 
with interest amounting to $169.70. ' The Trus- 
tees have appropriated for the use of the Sec- 
tion $ioo in November, 1895, and $169.70 to 
cover the payment of interest. They also loaned 
us in March, 1896, $250. 

By vote of the board a discount of 50 per 
cent, on the publications of the Section is made 
to actual students in library schools and train- 
ing classes, if purchasing for their own use. 

The statement of the cash receipts and pay- 
ments from Jan. i, i8g5, to Aug. 31, 1896, is as 
follows: 

RECEIPTS. 

Balance Jan. I, 1S95 $62 54 

Membership subscriptions.. .$245 00 

Endowment Fund. Appropri- 
ation 100 00 

Endowment Fund. Appropri- 
tion covering interest on 
former loan 169 70 

Endowment Fund Loan 250 00 

Library Bureau. Sales ; on 
account 150 00 

Houghton, Mifflin&Co., sales 
of A. L. A. Index (2 years) 246 39 

Seymour Library. Balance.. 80 

1 161 S9 

Withdrawn from Savings B'k. 550 00 

$1774 43 



CLEVELAND CONFERENCE. 



PAYMENTS. 

W. I. Fletcher (A. L. A. In- 
dex) $254 39 

George lies (Books for girls 
and women) 410 35 

G. M. Jones (Subject-head- 
ings) 5400 

" Paperand ink " 1020 

Library Bureau. On account 100 00 

Endowment Fund. Loan re- 
paid 650 00 

Endowment Fund. Interest 
on same 169 70 

Miscellaneous expenses 43 72 

Balance 



$1692 36 
82 07 

S1774 43 



A further statement in regard to assets and 
liabilities will show other facts in regard to the 
financial condition of the Section: 



ASSETS. 

Cash $8207 

Cambridge Savings Bank 11 09 

Library Bureau, due 294 37 

Members, due 6 76 

I-IABII.ITIES. 

Endowment Fund $250 00 

Due to members in money or 

publications 162 SS 



$394 29 



$412 SS 

It will be noticed that on the one hand no ac- 
count is made of the value of the publications 
in stock, which, however, is not large if we ex- 
clude the " Books for Girls and Women," and 
that on the other hand nothing is said of the 
money payable to Mr. lies from future sales of 
the latter list, and that the bill for the Supple- 
ment to Reading for the Young has not yet been 
rendered. 

Work in hand or proposed for future publica- 
tion. Mention has already been made of Sup- 
plements to Reading for the Young and to the 
A. L. A. Index. In accordance with the recom- 
mendation made by the Association two years 
ago a brief list of books for children's reading 
has been compiled by Miss C. M. Hewins, of 
the Hartford Public Library. She submitted 
her manuscript some months ago, and it was 
referred back to her with the request that she 



add notes descriptive, critical, and comparative, 
and allow members of the board and others, at 
her discretion, to see galley proofs. The list, 
which is to be sold at a very small price, might 
have been pushed forward this summer, but it 
was thought better to defer it until later in the 
year, and until after the publication of the Sar- 
gent list. 

Mr. George lies offers to furnish the manu- 
script for two more annotated lists, one on mu- 
sic, compiled by Mr. H. E. Krehbiel, the other 
on fine arts, by Mr. Russell Sturgis. The same 
gentlemen were the editors of the correspond- 
ing sections of the " List for Girls and Women," 
but the catalogs now proposed are much fuller. 
The board has accepted Mr. Iles's offer, and 
the lists will doubtless be published in the 
course of the coming winter. 

Another work which librarians have long 
considered of the first importance the Publish- 
ing Section desires to undertake in the immedi- 
ate future, namely, an Index to portraits con- 
tained in books and magazines. There is 
doubtless much material already accessible in 
various public libraries which can be drawn 
upon in compiling such an index; but the lar- 
gest body of material of this kind available 
known to us is that of Mr. Bunford Samuel, 
of the Library Company of Philadelphia. Mr. 
Samuel has indexed, we understand, all the 
works in the Ridgeway Branch of that library, 
and others besides, and has now 40,000 refer- 
ences to the portraits of about 22,000 individ- 
uals. He has kindly submitted a description 
of his work and of the principles which he has 
followed, from which it appears that he has 
included among his portraits caricatures, repro- 
ductions of medals, statues, etc. He states 
that the index "is non-selective and general in 
character, indexing all portraits contained in 
works covered by it, without regard either to 
the importance of the individual represented or 
to the value of the portrait. This plan neces- 
sarily indexes much of slight and ephemeral 
value, but it has been adopted from the follow- 
ing considerations; Library practice shows that 
almost any item of information on a given sub- 
ject is sure to be of some use in time, so that it 
is difficult to predict certainly of anything that 
it has no value. And, in regard to portraits, 
one which is of little value now may, owing to 
the celebrity of a descendant or other causes, 
become of value later. Such a plan eliminates 



THIRD SESSION. 



the personal judgment of the compiler, and, in 
particular, by it the necessity of future search 
for any given portrait, that might in the select- 
ive plan be supposed to have been omitted, is 
obviated." Mr. Samuel considers " that the 
ideas of at once gathering the material and 
passing upon its value are to a large extent in- 
compatible." He has, therefore, not attempted 
to determine the authenticity or any doubtful 
points in regard to portraits, and has given 
only such details in regard to artists and en- 
gravers as the plate or the context itself fur- 
nishes. He has not yet sent us a complete list 
of the works indexed, but it appears that he 
has paid special attention to periodicals. An- 
other accumulation of material of the same 
kind is to be found in the Boston Athenaeum, 
where the indexing of plates in the larger illus- 
trated books has been carried on for many 
years. The portrait references perhaps num- 
ber about 10,000, and may represent some 6000 
persons. The work done at the Athen^um has 
duplicated Mr. Samuel's to a remarkably small 
degree, the original interest having been at the 
Athenaeum in the portraits as works of art, so 
that art periodicals and extensive publications 
relating to art were the first indexed, while Mr. 
Samuel has begun his work at the other^nd 
and taken first the more numerous but less 
artistically valuable illustrations in general peri- 
odicals. These two collections it is expected 
will make an admirable basis for further en- 
largement, and the first necessary step seems to 
be to print a list of the works already indexed, 
and a tentative list of works which should be 
indexed, to which additions can be made on the 
suggestion of librarians who are interested. It 
must then be decided just what descriptive de- 
tails are desirable, and a working plan laid out 
by which to secure the co-operation of many 
librarians. It will probably be found wise to 
limit the descriptive details, as Mr. Samuel has 
done, to the names of artist and engraver, with 
an occasional explanatory note in cases where the 
portrait is a caricature, medal, statue, or death- 
mask, or represents the subject at some particu- 
lar age or under particular conditions. Some 
further communication in regard to the details 
of the work of compilation may be expected in 
the Library journal. 

Other suggestions which have been made to 
the board in regard to desirable publications are 
a Manual on the use of government documents, 



an Elementary manual on cataloging, with il- 
lustrations, a specimen of which has been sub- 
mitted for our examination, and a Manual on 
the use of reference-books. A Manual on ref- 
erence-books has been already partly prepared 
by Miss Kroeger, of Philadelphia, who pre- 
sented a synopsis and a specimen of her work. 
The board discussed the scope and character 
that such a work could usefully have, and asked 
Miss Kroeger to submit for their examination 
" an elementary text-book designed to teach the 
use of reference-books." 

It may be expected also that the Library 
Primer, which has been apprearing by instal- 
ments in a preliminary form in Public Libraries, 
will soon be presented to the Publishing Section 
for printing. 

Perhaps the most important question which 
has recently come before the executive board is 
the proposition of the Library Bureau that we 
should undertake the work which it has carried 
on for the last three years — the issue of printed 
catalog cards for new books. The story of this 
work is briefly this: — about 5000 cards issued 
every year for some 1700 new works published; 
on an average 60 sets have been sent out, 
making some 300,000 cards distributed in the 
course of the year. The price has been $7.50, 
$9, and $10.50 a thousand cards, according to 
the quality of the stock used. This experi- 
ment, it must be said, has been distinctly more 
successful than any previous one made along 
the same lines, and in spite of the small num- 
ber of sets sold it has just about paid expenses. 
The principal difficulty has been to obtain books 
promptly and steadily from the publishers, and 
it has only been by constant watchfulness at the 
book-stores and continual prodding of the pub- 
lishers that a degree of promptness has been at- 
tained which has satisfied most reasonable de- 
mands. The cataloging being done at the 
Library Bureau, where there is no adequate 
collection of reference-books, has been ham- 
pered by this lack, but for the general accuracy 
and promptness of the work all praise is due to 
the energy and enthusiasm of Miss Nina E. 
Browne, of the Library Bureau. 

The managers of the Library Bureau think 
that the difficulty of obtaining books from the 
publishers and the imperfections of the catalog- 
ing will both be obviated if the Publishing 
Section will become directly responsible for 
the work. The executive board recognizes 



CLEVELAND CONFERENCE. 



the justness of the Library Bureau's position 
and has discussed the subject in all its as- 
pects. The first thought naturally is that this 
work should be done at one of the Library 
schools, but it is very doubtful if the necessary 
promptness could be secured, and the Albany 
school at least is too far from publishing centres. 
The schools themselves also do not seem anx- 
ious to take the job. On the whole the most 
feasible plan seems to be that the cataloging 
should be done at the office of TJie Publishers' 
Weekly, duplicate slips being written at the 
same time for their record and for our use, and 
that the printing and distribution of the cards 
be carried on at the Library Bureau as at 
present.* 

Certain slight changes in the form of the 
cards will probably be made, but we shall 
continue on practically the same plan. At 
the foot of the card we shall still give the deci- 
mal class number, the dictionary catalog head- 
ings, and the e.xpansive classification mark. 
The Board would be inclined to omit all of 
these particulars, as they increase considerably 
the cost of the work and the difficulty of getting 
it done properly, but the answers to a circular 
of inquiry, sent out by the Library Bureau, in- 
dicate that this feature of the cards is generally 
valued by those who use them. 

By a change in the basis of subscriptions 
we hope to increase the number of sets sub- 
scribed for. It is manifestly impossible to allow 
each purchaser to select from the whole num- 
ber printed simply those he wants, yet to take 
the whole number costs from $37.50 to $52.50 a 
year, a price which in practice is prohibitory to 
many libraries, for it is found that even under 
the most favorable conditions a library can use 
not much more than one-third of the cards it 
receives. Probably it is not wise to cut down 
the number of titles cataloged much (they are 

* Since the meeting of the Association the executive 
board has met again and after further discussion of the 
whole situation has decided that the time has come when 
it ought to have in its employ a competent person at work 
upon its various undertakings. The secretary has accord- 
ingly been authorized to employ a cataloger to work un- 
der his direction, probably at the Boston Athenseum. 
This assistant will catalog the books for the printed cards, 
will push along the work on the A. L. A. Index supple- 
ment, and on the Portrait Index, will be ready to read 
proof of other work when needed, to send out circulars, 
to keep the books of the section, and relieve the secre- 
tary of correspondence and other clencal work. 



only about one-third the number recorded in 
The Publishers' fVeetly), but it might be practi- 
cable to allow libraries to subscribe to a select 
list of those now printed representing only the 
more important books, and covering, it would 
be expected, most of the purchases of the 
smaller libraries. If we can considerably in- 
crease the number of subscribers on this line 
without cutting down too far thereby the num- 
ber of subscribers to the whole set, we can still 
make both ends meet and perform a larger ser- 
vice to the libraries. If, on the other hand, the 
number of subscribers to the large set were 
very much diminished by this change, it would 
show that we ought to drop the more extensive 
plan and keep up only the restricted list.* 

Another subject which has come before the 
Publishing Section must be briefly mentioned. 
During the last year the Massachusetts Library 
Club has issued monthly lists of new fiction 
recommended for purchase by a committee of 
fifteen readers, each book having been read by 
at least three members of the committee, and 
those cases in which the opinion of the readers 
was not clearly unanimous, having been dis- 
cussed in a meeting of all the readers held 
monthly. The club has found that the expense 
of this undertaking is more than it can afford 
for a second year, and the Publishing Section 
was asked if it could take the List and issue it. 
The executive board replied that they would 
print and distribute the List if the club would 
Ijear the expense of preparation, in return for 
which service members of the club and Massa- 
chusetts libraries would receive it at half price, 
twenty-five cents a year. The expense of prep- 
aration is about $75 a year, and even this sum 
the Club does not feel justified in continuing to 
devote to this use, and in addition, great diffi- 
culty is found in securing the continuous ser- 
vices of competent readers and of a person to 
manage the work. The List seems to have 
been of very little value to the larger libraries, 
but of some real help to the smaller ones, and it 
is a pity that it should be given up. The ex- 
ecutive board suggests that it would be a good 
plan for the New York Library Club to take the 
matter up for the next year, and for other clubs 
to undertake it in turn, and that the List be 
printed, not as a separate leaflet or sheet, but 

*A circular proposing a somewhat different plan was 
sent out in December, 1896. 



THIRD SESSION. 



103 



in the Literary News and other library and lit- 
erary papers. If we can do anything to pro- 
mote such an arrangement we shall be glad 
to. 

The last matter which the Board wishes to 
bring before the Section is an important but 
revolutionary one. It is nothing less, in fact, 
than the entire reorganization of our work on a 
different basis. 

As constituted at present the Section consists 
of about 50 members (most of them libraries 
and a few individuals) who have paid member- 
ship subscriptions of $5, in return for which 
they have received the publications of the Section 
charged at 20 per cent, discount on list prices, 
and as many additional copies as they required 
up to the amount of the subscriptions credited 
to them, a new $5 subscription being called for 
when that already paid had been exhausted. It 
had been intended at the beginning to make the 
subscription an annual charge, on the plan of 
the English publishing societies, but it was 
found to be impracticable to arrange yearly for 
publications of an approximately equal value, 
and as it also appeared that some members 
would want one copy and others several copies 
of single publications, the more elastic method 
of accounting was adopted. This, however, 
makes necessary separate accounts with the 
several members, each account being charged 
with a different number of publications, and re- 
newed each at its own time. The distinction 
between members and non-members has also 
caused some inconvenience and delay, orders 
from the former being filled by the treasurer 
and those from the latter by the Library Bureau. 
These complications, however, could be kept 
straight, and thebusinessconducted ina fairly sat- 
isfactory manner, though at the cost of some ad- 
ditional labor and watchfulness, if there appeared 
to be any sufficient resulting advantage. It was 
thought at the beginning that the Section would 
profit from the system adopted by having a con- 
siderable sum in hand as capital for immediate 
use, and that the libraries would be benefited 
by the 20 per cent, discount allowed them. But 
the number of members which the Section has 
had at any time has been so small that the ad- 
vantage of their advance payments has been 
but slight, and the 20 per cent, discount has 
apparently not been a sufficient inducement to 
the libraries to overcome the disadvantage of 
having to take all publications and make ad- 



vance payment therefor — an arrangement to 
which library boards generally object. 

It is therefore proposed to drop this feature 
of our organization, and to make the Publishing 
Section simply a board of five members, ap- 
pointed by the Association as other standing 
committees are appointed, its work being " to 
secure the preparation and publication of such 
catalogs, indexes, and other bibliographic and 
library aids as it may approve." This may 
be done by abolishing its present constitu- 
tion and inserting a new section in the A. L. A. 
constitution defining its duties, method of ap- 
pointment and organization. 

If this change is made the present accounts 
of members will be balanced and closed as op- 
portunity occurs, and in the future the Library 
Bureau, which acts as our publishing agent, 
will fill all orders. 

The means for carrying on our work will be 
derived — as they have been principally in the 
past — from the Endowment Fund, in the form 
either of loans or appropriations — loans to pro- 
vide for the expense of publications which will 
yield a return, and appropriations to cover 
other expenses which cannot be made good in 
the course of business. 

Running expenses might properly be borne 
by the treasury of the Association under ap- 
propriation by the Finance Committee. 

The Board therefore recommends that the 
following votes be passed : 

Voted, that the Treasurer be instructed to 
receive no new membership subscriptions and 
to close the accounts of present members as he 
has opportunity with a view to the dissolution 
of the Section as at present constituted, at the 
end of another year. 

Votid, that the following amendment be pro- 
posed to the Constitution of the A. L. A., namely, 
to insert a new section between §§ 15 and 16 
substantially as follows : 

16. Publishing Section. — The Publishing Sec- 
tion shall consist of five members appointed by 
the Executive Board for terms of not more than 
three years. Its object shall be to secure the 
preparation and publication of such catalogs, 
indexes, and other bibliographic and library 
aids as it may approve. 

The Section shall annually appoint from its 
own number a chairman, secretary, and treas- 
urer. 

No moneys shall be paid by the treasurer ex- 



I04 



CLEVELAND CONFERENCE. 



cept with the written approval of three other 
members of the Section, and no work shall be 
undertaken except by vote of a majority of the 
whole Section. 

The treasury of the Section is entirely dis- 
tinct from that of the Association, and the 
Association is not liable for any debts incurred 
by the Section. With the approval of the 
Finance Committee money may be appropriated 
from the treasury of the Association for the 
running expenses of the Section, but the Section 
depends on the Endowment Fund as the finan- 
cial basis of its undertakings. 

The Section shall report in writing at each 
annual meeting of the A. L. A. 

All of which is respectfully submitted. 
For the Executive Board, 

William C. Lane, 

Secretary and Treasurer. 

A. L. Peck moved that the resolution of the 
Executive Board in relation to the vote of 
thanks to Mr. lies be adopted. Voted. 

S. S. Green. — In regard to the report in 
general, it is not proper for us to aidopt the 
report or audit the treasurer's account, but sim- 
ply to receive the report. I move that the 
report be received and the thanks of the Asso- 
ciation be presented to the Publishing Section 
for the very valuable work which it has done 
the last year, and to the secretary for the long 
and interesting report of their doings which he 
has presented to-day, and that the Treasurer's 
statement be referred to the Auditing Com- 
mittee. Voted. 

F. M. Crunden. — There was one point 
brought out in the report that I would like to 
speak of. The Lists issued by the Massachu- 
setts Library Club, it was modestly stated, 
would, perhaps, hardly be of use in a large 
library. We claim to have in St. Louis a large 
library. We have found those Lists useful. 
They are certainly worth 50 cents, and I hope 
every one in this room who has not tried them 
will invest 50 cents in their purchase. 

A. L. Peck stated that he had found them 
very useful. 

S. S. Green. — As we all know, the National 
Educational Association made a new section at 
its last meeting in July, which is to consider 
specially the connection of libraries and schools. 
It seems to me eminently proper that this As- 
sociation should appoint a committee to express 



the sympathy of this organization with the work 
which that section of the National Educational 
Association has undertaken, and that this com- 
mittee should also offer to do anything in its 
power to aid in the work which the officers of 
that section may think it desirable for the com- 
mittee to do. I understand also that the section 
of the National Educational Association voted 
that it would like to have this Association rep- 
resented at its meetings by delegates. I would 
move that a committee of five be appointed by 
the executive committee to act as the committee, 
expressing sympathy and offering aid, and that 
these same five persons act as delegates of this 
Association to the meetings of the National 
Educational Association. Seconded. 

W. R. Eastman. — Inasmuch as the library 
department of the National Educational Asso- 
ciation of Buffalo expressly instructed its oiB- 
cers to consult with the A. L. A. at this meeting, 
there is no need of our taking this action, or 
offering advice. We have not been asked for 
it, any more than that they cordially invited 
not only this Association but every other library 
association in the United States to send dele- 
gates to their meetings, so that we are not in a 
position to offer advice. 

F. M. Crunden. — The invitation has not yet 
been presented to us. 

Mr. Green. — If there is no objection I will 
withdraw my motion and renew it at a later 
session. 

SUPPLEMENT TO READING FOR THE YOUNG. 

W. C. Lane. — I should be glad if you would 
take pains to provide yourselves with the cir- 
culars which are on hand. I expect as large a 
sale for that as we had for the original book. 
You will see on the circular that advance sub- 
scriptions are asked for immediately to an edi- 
tion which shall contain both the original list 
and this supplemental list — the two bound 
together. We want to get in orders early so as to 
be able to judge better how many to print. In 
regard to the Index of portraits, I should be 
very glad to talk with anybody who has material 
accumulated at home which can be used. 

TRAVELLING LIBRARIES. 

W. I. Fletcher moved that the paper by Mr. 
John Thomson on this subject which is on the 
program for this session, be the first order of 
business for the morning session to-morrow. 
Voted. 



THIRD SESSION. 



»o5 



W. H. TlLLlNGHAST. — The report of the Co- 
operation Committee has been printed in the pre- 
liminary form and distributed. The committee 
held a meeting, its first and only meeting, this 
morning, and voted to present that report as the 
report of the committee. At that meeting a sug- 
gestion was made by Mr. Beer, a member of the 
committee, that this Association would do well 
to prepare a list of newspapers published in the 
United States down to 1825, arranged in chrono- 
logical order of their first appearance, and the 
committee voted to add that recommendation to 
the report as printed, and they would submit the 
report as printed, with that addition, to the As- 
sociation, 

REPORT OF THE CO-OPERATION COMMITTEE — 

iSg6. 

The co-operation committee was created by 
the Constitution of the A. L. A., and is now in 
the 20th year of its service. Appreciation of its 
work will be most vivid if gathered from the 
records in the files of the Library journal, but 
the committee of 1S93, Mr. Brett, chairman, 
taking pity upon the little leisure of librarians, 
gave at Chicago a sketch of the history of the 
committee, which all would do well to read. As 
first organized in 1877, the committee was the 
right hand of the Association. It consisted of 
three members, Messrs. Cutter, Perkins, and 
Jackson, with Mr. Dewey as secretary. In 
18S0, Mr. Scudder succeeded Mr. Perkins ; in 
1882, Mr. C. B. Tillinghast succeeded Mr. Jack- 
son ; in 1S83, Mr. Lane succeeded Mr. Scudder. 
All near neighbors, holding frequent sessions 
and meeting constantly informally, the commit- 
tee outlined within a short time most of the 
work that has since been accomplished — laid 
the foundations of a library code and fostered 
the habit of agreement. Its work developed in 
three directions : In formulating library cus- 
toms and methods ; in stimulating invention, 
valuing devices and reducing cost of materials ; 
in preparing bibliographic aids. From the com- 
mittee sprang in due time the supply depart- 
ment, now incarnated as the Library Bureau 
and the Publishing Section, for the conduct of 
the second and third branches of the work. 
Thus is left to the committee the field of sugges- 
tion, advice, and criticism. If its energy has 
seemed somewhat to flag of late, it seems so in 
part because of this division and delegation of 
its duties, in part because its function as a 



demonstrator of methods has been occasionally 
assigned to individuals. If there be any truth 
in the seeming, it is due, we may be sure, not 
to lack of interest on the part of the committees, 
but to difficulties in consultation arising from 
the selection of members residing widely apart. 
Mr. Dewey pointed out the difficulty in his re- 
port read at Denver, and the change in manner 
of appointment was made, no doubt, with that 
point in view. Custom, however, once more 
prevailed, and the present committee is widely 
scattered. Committee work by correspondence 
requires superhuman attributes, and this report 
was not submitted to the members of the com- 
mittee except in outline before it was sent in. 
It therefore lacks the benefit of full discus- 
sion. 

The duty of the co-operation committee is to 
"consider and report on plans for securing im- 
provement, economy, uniformity and harmony 
in any department of library work." In so do- 
ing it justifies its name, yet may properly sug- 
gest much in which co-operation, as commonly 
understood, has small share. As a method of 
production or of exchange, co-operation is a re- 
source for such as have small means, or scanty 
numbers, or aim at an unusual end. What very 
many people want the ordinary channels of trade 
will supply ; what few people want, or want un- 
der special conditions, yet must have cheaply, 
those channels will frequently fail to supply. 
Hence, co-operation, where special intelligence 
and an enthusiasm that scorns to reckon the full 
expenditure of time and thought achieve what 
cautious trade would not undertake. The 
spirit is noble, the working together for a com- 
mon end earns dividends that do not appear in 
the yearly balance. Yet co-operation is ex- 
change, and it is possible to give too much and 
get too little, especially if the terms of the ex- 
change are not reduced to money values. Bar- 
ter is out of place in co-operation, to which it 
is not essential. Nor should it be forgotten 
that it is often more difficult to withdraw from a 
co-operative undertaking without producing ill- 
will than to sever an ordinary business connec- 
tion. In short, the benefits of applied co-opera- 
tion involve returns, and the inexperienced 
should bear in mind that a scheme is not neces- 
sarily to be adopted because it is co-operative. 
The co-operation on which the A. L. A. is 
based, however, is something higher than a 
special method, it is the soul of social progress, 



io6 



CLEVELAND CONFERENCE. 



the free exchange of ideas, making, the gain of 
each the gain of all; in which exchange no one 
can be a loser. 

The phases of co-operation in library work 
which present themselves at this time may be 
roughly divided into neighborhood, general and 
international co-operation. 

Neighborhood co-operation is sufficiently de- 
fined by the term used, and may be applied to 
growth or use. Co-operation in growth may be 
attained by union, as in New York, by the rep- 
resentation of one library on the controlling 
board of another, as in Hartford, or by simple 
agreement, such as has just been formulated in 
Chicago, and exists in fact in Boston, Brooklyn, 
and elsewhere. The aim, in either case, is 
a division of function to a greater or less extent 
and the prevention of wasteful duplication, with- 
out injury to the service-rendering power of any 
participant. This may be facilitated by a sys- 
tem of notification between adjacent libraries of 
purchases of rare or valuable works. For this 
purpose a printed form on a reply postal card, 
devised by Mr. Lane, is used by the Boston 
Athenaeum and Harvard College Library. The 
card reads: " Dear Sir: I beg to ask if the 
work mentioned on the annexed card is owned 
by your library; also, in case you do not now 
own it, if you intend to purchase it. Your 
answer will be kept on file for future reference." 
At Harvard College this is done by placing the 
reply in the official card catalog. The reply 

card reads: "Author Title 

Owned by Purchase ordered by 

Date " This is supplemented at the 

Boston Athenfeum by sending to neighbor- 
ing libraries announcements of important pur- 
chases on a similar form. These when received 
at Harvard College Library are filed in the 
official catalog. 

Somewhat similar methods are available be- 
tween small libraries situated within convenient 
distance of one another, and might be supple- 
mented by exchange of catalogs or marking of 
standard catalogs like the A. L. A. Catalog, or bet- 
ter still, the projected 500-volume catalog, in li- 
braries of recent growth. It would often be prac- 
ticable and desirable for neighboring libraries 
having imperfect sets of reports, etc., to com- 
bine these into one more perfect set, the library 
receiving the set agreeing to continue and 
complete it. Indeed a division of the task of 
keeping up sets of documents, and even of 



some periodicals and serials, might be made to 
advantage. 

Co-operation in use is a more delicate mat- 
ter, though to a certain extent practicable and 
frequently practised. It is distinctly a courtesy, 
however, and one that depends on compara- 
tively infrequent use. If it ever dies it will be 
of a plethora. The larger libraries are glad to 
permit persons recommended to them by other 
libraries to consult particular books, even if 
their rules do not open their reading-rooms to 
all comers. Several large libraries lend books 
readily for use in other libraries, but it it is 
generally required that such use should be in 
the interest of scholarship, not for general read- 
ing, and that the books wanted should be at 
once not too easy of access elsewhere and not 
too rare. The line between duty to itself and 
its future, and the obligation which the posses- 
sion of opportunity imposes even on corpora- 
tions, each library must draw for itself, but if 
the more important libraries would define in 
print the limits of such privileges, the dissemi- 
nation of that information would be of great 
value to other libraries without being injurious 
on cither side. The Harvard College Library 
has a printed circular stating its customs as to 
loans, and the Boston Public Library has just 
adopted a printed form for application for loans, 
but in neither case is an attempt made to place 
this information before libraries generally. 

Small libraries in thinly populated districts 
often suffer severely from dearth of new books. 
The reading power of the people vastly exceeds 
their power to buy books. The state helps to 
establish libraries; it may well undertake, either 
by direct grants or by travelling libraries, etc., 
to maintain the libraries at a reasonable level of 
usefulness, with care not to undermine local 
self-helpfulness. How far co-operation among 
groups of such libraries is possible would be an 
interesting topic for debate. Direct exchange 
of books from the existing stock would seldom 
be practicable, but a combination of purchasing 
funds with the condition of exchange until each 
participant had the benefit of all the books, 
might, as was lately suggested, be worth trying. 

By general co-operation is meant such co- 
operative work as may be useful to all libraries 
regardless of their situation with respect to one 
another. Such work may take the form of prep- 
aration of bibliographic aids or of various 
developments of organization. Under the for- 



THIRD SESSION. 



107 



mer head much has already been achieved, 
such as Poole's Index, and its continuation, the 
Index to general literature, the Index of subject 
headings, the A. L. A. Catalog, the Chicago 
papers, the lists of books for the young, for 
girls' clubs, etc., and much is in progress under 
the efficient control of the Publishing Section. 

An Index of portraits has been a desideratum. 
It was suggested in Mr. Fletcher's report in 
1888, and a special report on the subject was 
made by Mr. Bowker at St. Louis in 18S9, which 
summed up the work that had been done in that 
line, but was not hopeful of any particular re- 
sult from co-operative action. It is good to 
know that the Publishing Section has under 
consideration the publication of such an index, 
based in part upon the work already done by 
Mr. Bunford Samuel, of Philadelphia, and in 
part upon the co-operative indexing of portraits 
undertaken by the Athenseum and other libra- 
ries. This latter work is done upon cards, 
designed by Mr. Lane, where the labor of entry 
is much reduced by underlining the terms ap- 
plicable to the work in hand, from among a 
number of terms printed on the card. 
E.g.: 

Description. Head; length; seated 

( face, profile); recumbent; equestrian; 

caricature. 

Original. Photograph; painting; drawing; 
miniature; sketch; statue; bust; bas-relief. 

Such work will have great permanent value, 
but it is not intended to supply reference al- 
ways up to date to portraits of celebrities of the 
hour which are much in demand in public libra- 
ries, yet as hard to find when wanted as the 
private address of a widely-known person. 

A field of work as yet barely entered upon is 
the preparation of indexes to indexless books — 
a term that ought to express a contradiction of 
nature. Think of the volumes of essays, the 
collected works, the voyages and travels, the 
town histories, the genealogies that exist and 
are still being printed without indexes, or, what 
is almost worse, without adequate indexes. The 
harvest is ripe, where are the laborers? No 
organization of method is necessary. Any li- 
brarian having a bulletin can place the result of 
work in this line at the service of other libraries, 
as was recently done by Mr. Bolton. Can we 
not have more such work ? The matter of out- 
ward form is not of great importance. Most of 
us would be glad to get an index to place in an 



indexless book, even though the book were 
quarto and the index sixteenmo. 

Another work of value would be an inde.x of 
poetry by title, first lines, and subject. It should 
cover as wide a field as possible, not wholly neg- 
lecting fugitive verse, and including lyrics in 
dramas and short poems. Something more ex- 
tensive is needed than the volume: "A concise 
poetical concordance to the principal poets of 
the world," etc. By C: A. Durfee, N. Y. 1883. 
Sr. 800. 

It is suggested by Mr. Beer, of the commit- 
tee, that a list of newspapers published in the 
United States before 1825, with indication of 
the libraries in which files and parts of files of 
the newspapers are to be found, be compiled so 
that access to a given issue of any paper may be 
facilitated. Such a list would have great value, 
and, if not already in course of preparation, 
might well be undertaken by the Association. 

An interesting experiment, yet hanging be- 
tween success and failure, has been made dur- 
ing the past year by the Massachusetts Library 
Club, in the preparation of monthly lists of 
selected fiction. Finding itself possessed of 
that evil thing, a surplus, the Club resolved to 
issue these lists for a year, in the hope that if 
they proved useful to libraries of limited means 
some method might be devised to place their 
publication on a permanent footing. The work 
was placed in the hands of a committee of 15 
readers, divided into five groups, and a chair- 
man and secretary. Each book placed on the 
lists is approved by three readers. The lists 
were sent free to public libraries in Massachu- 
setts and Rhode Island, and to subscribers for 
25 cents for the 12 numbers. The lists have 
met with approval, about 170 subscriptions hav- 
ing been received, but they must prove them- 
selves worth their full cost if they are to be 
continued, as the income of the Club is entirely 
insufficient to meet the expense beyond the year 
of trial. The Publishing Section has offered 
to take over the work of printing and distribu- 
tion, but the cost of preparation, involving 
much expressage and postage, is likely to ex- 
ceed two-thirds of the Club's income, nor is it 
likely that the membership of any local associa- 
tion can furnish readers indefinitely. A larger 
co-operation is indicated. 

The future of co-operative cataloging by 
means of printed cards is undecided at the pres- 
ent time, but the history of that undertaking is 



io8 



CLEVELAND CONFERENCE. 



too well known to need more than mention 
here. The difficulty in such work is the re- 
markably small proportion of the same books 
which two or more libraries receive at the same 
time. The success of co-operative cataloging 
depends on making the supply of available 
cards so inclusive of the best books, so prompt, 
and their character so attractive in typography, 
annotation, etc., that they compensate for the 
unused cards, unless some scheme of selection 
can be made to work. There is, however, one 
field in which co-operative work might be done 
to advantage : in analyzing Transactions, Mi- 
moires, and Abhandlungcn of learned societies, 
and perhaps in cataloging books issued in se- 
ries. If but two or three libraries could divide 
the work on but a few sets of this sort the gain 
to them would not be small. 

The cataloging of serials received at infre- 
quent intervals, but of indefinite continuance, in 
a separate catalog, either on large cards or 
laced sheets or in bound blank-books, proves of 
so great value when it has been tried, in saving 
work, facilitating reference, and keeping up 
sets, that the supplying of blank forms for such 
work might be profitable. Possibly in the case 
of state reports, etc., there might be a demand 
for sheets containing a printed conspectus of 
the sets up to date, which libraries could buy, 
check, and continue. It should be said, how- 
ever, that the use of a bound book for such 
work has one advantage over sheets capable of 
alphabetical arrangement. It is much easier to 
carry in the mind from the reference in the main 
catalog to the serial catalog a volume and page 
number than to remember a title entry, which 
in reports of commissions, societies, etc., is apt 
to be long and complicated. 

Turning to the co-operation of organization, 
the source of all co-operative work, and in itself 
the field, perhaps, wherein the greatest gains 
are still to be expected, we note its increasing 
growth. A few years since and the A. L. A. was 
all, now we can count at least l8 state and four 
city organizations. This growth will continue, 
fraught as it is with good, and will still further 
develop. Mr. Bowker said at Northampton, the 
other day, that it was pleasant to feel that a 
member of one association is a member of all, 
and welcome to attend meetings wherever he 
may be. Let us hope that this spirit of frater- 
nity will be encouraged by all library clubs. 
Library work is a solvent of social conventions, 



members of one club are supposed to be friends, 
not strangers, and to converse without intro- 
duction — the associations themselves should 
cultivate a like spirit. It is sometimes pos- 
sible for an association to hold a meeting in a 
place accessible from one or more other states. 
In such cases the meeting may to advantage be 
made interstate, not necessarily very formally, 
but by inviting the associations of other states 
as a body and individually to attend. 

Much would be gained in many places by the 
establishment of local clubs, affiliated with the 
state association. Hardly any state is so small 
that all parts are equally accesssible to the state 
association. There will be districts where it 
cannot meet oftener than once in a year or two. 
The librarians of these distant parts can gener- 
ally ill afford to attend meetings held afar off. 
The result is that the cost of the annual fee ex- 
ceeds for them the benefits of memberships and 
they hesitate to join. A local club, meeting 
more easily, attended occasionally by delegates 
from the state association and sending dele- 
gates to state meetings, at the charge of the 
club, would meet the difficulties. There are 
several city clubs, and New Hampshire has a 
local club, the Cocheco Library Club, but atten- 
tion is here directed especially to those rural 
districts remote from towns, where intellectual 
isolation still prevails, and where, to help offset 
the attractions of the city, it is necessary that 
we should do all in our power to create and to 
satisfy book-hunger. 

An exchange of club publications is desirable, 
and this is now much facilitated by the enter- 
prise of the Library journal in printing in 
each number the names of presidents and sec- 
retaries of associations. Committees in charge 
of club work find it useful to see what other 
associations have discussed ; information as to 
future programs might be usefully exchanged 
between neighboring associations, with a view 
to co-operating on topics. 

It is sometimes thought necessary not to 
dwell upon the social side of association meet- 
ings. This is always a misfortune and gener- 
ally a mistake. Librarians are too much in 
earnest not to bend even their pleasure to their 
professional gain. The greatest advantage of 
such meetings is often got in private conversa- 
tion and the extension of acquaintance. Formal 
papers are desirable ; they help us to " orient " 
ourselves, but the most helpful discussions are 



THIRD SESSION. 



109 



generally those that are most conversational in 
tone. Nor is there any reason why purely so- 
cial gatherings and entertainments should not 
be held by library clubs. 

Finally, there remains the simplest form of 
co-operative work, for which a word should be 
said because it is often neglected. The libra- 
rian, and still more the assistant, generally 
takes as little time as possible away from the 
library, dreading the judgment of trustees. 
Certainly the work in the library is the first 
duty, and even the appearance of neglect of 
duty must be sedulously avoided, but the library 
where the librarian and staff never get an after- 
noon or a day off to visit other libraries, except, 
perhaps, on occasion of an association meeting, 
suffers from the omission. Teachers are ex- 
pected to visit other schools ; trustees would do 
well to see that librarians make careful per- 
sonal acqaintance with the working of all note- 
worthy libraries within their reach, and libra- 
rians should secure the same privilege, as far as 
possible, for their assistants. 

In international co-operation the event of the 
year will be, of course, the conference to take 
place in July, in London, under the auspices of 
the Royal Society, to formulate a plan for the 
co-operative indexing to current scientific litera- 
ture. The fact that the action of the confer- 
ence will be definitely known when the A. L. A. 
meets at Cleveland, makes it unnecessary to 
dwell upon the matter now, but there can be 
little doubt that the next century will see a se- 
ries of determined efforts to effect bibliographi- 
cal control of the stream of literature. 

At the beginning of this report certain diffi- 
culties were mentioned as inherent in the pres- 
ent custom of appointing this committee. In 
conclusion, the following recommendations are 
offered; that this coiymittee should be so chosen 
that a majority should live near enough together 
to hold meetings for the discussion of matters 
within their province; that it should have a cer- 
tain permanency, to enable it to formulate its 
activities and transmit a tradition of procedure, 
being appointed for more than a year, or hav- 
ing a certain number of members retire each 
year in a fixed order, and finally that it have 
the duty of procuring written reports from com- 
petent persons, not necessarily members of the 
committee, upon various branches of library 
work and their progress during the year, such 
reports — upon cataloging, classification, refer- 



Co-operation 
Committee. 



ence work, etc. — to be presented to the confer- 
ence under the names of their authors, as a part 
of the co-operative report, but not to supersede 
a general report and suggestions from the com- 
mittee. 

Respectfully submitted, 

W: H. TiLLINGHAST, ") 

W: Beer, 

M. Emogene Hazeltine, 
G: T. Little, 
Katharine L. Sharp, J 

C. A. Nelson moved that the discussion of 
the report be postponed. Voted. 

The Committee on Foreign Documents re- 
ported progress as per Report printed in the 
Preliminary Papers, which was accepted with- 
out reading. 

REPORT OF the COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN DOCU- 
MENTS. 

The committee regret that at this date they 
are able only to make a partial report. Euro- 
pean officials who have been approached are 
slow in making response, but possibly we may 
have something definite from that field by the 
time the convention opens in Cleveland. 

Mr. C. H. Gould, librarian of McGill Uni- 
versity, Montreal, one of our number, has sent 
in the following report on Canada, which will 
be helpful to all concerned: 

"All of the provincial governments, with the 
exception of that of Quebec, say they know of 
no difficulty in the way of exchanging documents 
with state librarians. The Province of Quebec 
says that the item of expense would for the 
present prevent the idea of making exchanges. 

"Following are lists of different series issued 
by the several governments: 

" Dominion Government — The sessional pa- 
pers, Hansard reports. Geological Survey re- 
ports. Statutes, Year-Book, and any special 
royal commissions. 

"Prince Edward Island — Journals of the 
Legislative Assembly, Statutes of the Province, 
Reports of the provincial Auditor, and Reports 
of the departments of Education, Public Works, 
and Crown Lands. 

"Nova Scotia — The acts or laws passed at 
each annual session of the Legislature, Legisla- 
tive debates. Journals of the Legislature, and 
departmental reports. 

" Qtie/'cc — Not exchangeable, as yet. 

" Netu Brunswick — Report of the Auditor- 



CLEVELAND CONFERENCE. 



general (containing statement of the receipts 
and expenditures of the provisional govern- 
ment), Reports of departments of Crown Lands, 
Education, Public Works, Public Health, Agri- 
culture, and Lunatic Asylum. 

"British Columltia — Reports of Education, 
Mining, Lands and Works (including Timber); 
Crown-land surveys, agricultural, etc. Also, 
occasional reports of a semi-official character, 
pamphlets, and special publications." 

The following letter from Mr. Griffin gives 
all necessary information relative to Dominion 
publications: 

" Ottawa, June 4, 1895. 

" Dear Sir: Your letter to the Secretary of 
State has been forwarded to me for reply. In 
regard to the publications of the Dominion 
government, they are no doubt all in your 
library, ;'. e. 

" The sessional papers. 

"The Hansard reports. 

"The Geological Survey reports. 

" The statutes. 

" The Year-Book. 

" And any special royal commissions. 

" These documents are purchasable from the 
Queen's printer, who will supply a price list on 
application. They are exchanged with the 
provincial governments and with such states 
as have made arrangements with the Library of 
Parliament. 

"As to exchanges with the states of the 
American Union, a system has been established 
these many years. The Library of Parliament 
receives and distributes exchanges with the 
United States and with such of the states as it 
is desirable to exchange with. Each legislative 
library in Canada has its own system and ex- 
change list. 

" Pray command me if I can be of any fur- 
ther use in this matter. I am, dear sir, 
" Very faithfully yours, 

" Marti.n J. Griffin. 

"ToC. H. Gould, Esq." 

Mr. Gould's report gives us no information 
about Newfoundland. I am able to add person- 
ally, that the officials thereof appear to be desir- 
ous of obtaining reports from the several United 
States. I am at present, through the United 
States consul at St. Johns, arranging for my 
own library an exchange of Wisconsin docu- 
ments for those of the island. No doubt other 



state-supported libraries, with documents to 
spare, can negotiate similar exchanges. 
Respectfully submitted, 

Reuben G. Thwaites, Chairman. 
July i, 1896. 

FURTHER REPORT OF THE FOREIGN DOCUMENT 
COMMITTEE. 

Madison, Wis., July 27, i8g6. 
In October, 1895, I asked Mr. C. H. Stevens, 
of the Boston Book Co., who was just then de- 
parting upon a business trip to the several 
English-speaking colonies around the globe, to 
gather for this committee information under the 
following heads: 

1. A list, so far as possible, of the series of 
public documents issued by the several foreign 
governments, with which he should come in 
contact. 

2. A statement of the terms upon which such 
documents are published — whether for free dis- 
tribution within the respective countries, or for 
sale; if the latter, the prices asked. What priv- 
ileges, if any, do public libraries enjoy with 
said countries in this respect ? 

3. Upon what terms can the principal state, 
state-supported, and university libraries, obtain 
these documents from the several countries ? 
Many of these institutions within the United 
States publish works of considerable value, or 
can control the distribution of the documents — 
can these be e.xchanged with foreign countries 
for the documents issued by the latter ? 

Mr. Stevens has recently returned home, and 
sends me the annexed report of his investiga- 
tions. The lists of documents promised by the 
several governments have not yet come to 
hand; if they arrive in time they will be synop- 
sized for the Cleveland meeting. 

The sincere thanks of the Association arc due 
to Mr. Stevens, who has been at much trouble 
in our behalf. The information which he sends 
will prove useful as a basis for individual oper- 
ations upon the part of those librarians who 
feel in a position to offer foreign governments 
quid pro quo. 

Reuben G. Thwaites, Chairman. 

Dear Mr. Thwaites: I send you herewith 
the results of my inquiries about public docu- 
merits exchanges with British colonies in Aus- 
tralia, India, etc. I have asked the proper 
authorities in each country to mail you a list of 



THIRD SESSION. 



the government documents at their disposal, so 
that with these lists and addresses our librari- 
ans can send counter lists and make direct a 
definite proposition of exchange. 

The results are not as satisfactory as I could 
wish, but I regret to say that there is not in 
these countries the same energy and_interest in 
library matters as is shown here in America. 
With few exceptions the officials in charge do 
not as yet show much appreciation of American 
public documents, placing little value upon 
such as they already have and showing little 
desire to add to them. Even when offered them 
in exchange they argue lack of room, or labor 
of cataloging, infrequency of use, etc. In Aus- 
tralia, too, where there has been such a long- 
continued financial depression, some of the 
governments have gone to the extreme in econ- 
omizing on their public printing, and have 
unwisely cut down their issue of public docu- 
ments, sometimes entirely discontinuing those 
not absolutely necessary, and again printing 
only a small number for the necessary supply to 
certain departments and officials. In India 
there' is so much red tape that I could accom- 
plish little or nothing for you. As all Indian 
exchanges are conducted by the Indian office in 
London with the Smithsonian Institution, they 
preferred that all applications should come 
from our librarians officially. 

But meagre as are the results, I think that 
my information may serve as a starting-point 
for official application on the part of such libra- 
rians as wish to make exchanges, and if I can 
further assist in any way I shall be glad to do 
so. Very truly yours, 

C. H. Stevens. 

GENERAL ANSWERS TO YOUR INQUIRIES. 

First. Lists of the public documents issued by 
the various foreign governments will be sent 
you by the custodians with whom exchanges 
may be negotiated. Reports of the courts are 
not as a rule issued by the government and are 
not classed as public documents. 

SiconJ. These public documents are not dis- 
tributed free, but are for sale at prices indicated 
on the printed lists. As a rule free distribution 
is not made to libraries, except to the parliamen- 
tary library and occasionally in the Australian 
colonies to the public library at the seat of gov- 
ernment. 

Third. Several of our various state libraries 



already have arrangements of partial exchange 
with these foreign countries, receiving, how- 
ever, only such documents as seem to be of 
special interest. Where these exchanges are 
conducted through the Smithsonian Institution 
(as on Indian publications) it is for the pur- 
pose of saving postage, but it opens the way to 
delay and occasional loss of books. Official 
application will best accomplish further devel- 
opment of such exchange relations, and lists 
should first be exchanged showing what each 
library can offer to the other, and from these 
lists selection could be made of the documents 
desired. 

INFORMATION BY COUNTRIES. 

[The custodian of public documents in each countrj' will 
mail you printed lists of his publications.] 

New Zealand — Samuel Costall, government 
printer, Wellington, is custodian to whom appli- 
cation should be made for printed list. Propo- 
sition of exchange should be made to him, with 
counter list of books offered in exchange. He 
appreciates desirability of such exchange rela- 
tions, and will assist as far as possible. 

Tasmania — Wm. Grahame , government print- 
er, Ilohart, is custodian from whom you will 
receive list. Proposition of exchange and coun- 
ter list should be sent to H. T. Manning, par- 
liamentary librarian at Hobart, who will conduct 
further negotiations and give every assistance. 

Victoria — R. S. Brain, government printer, 
Mellnntrnc, is custodian, and will furnish lists. 
The parliamentary librarian, with whom ex- 
changes should properly be made, is at present 
hampered from lack of room. Michael F. Dow- 
den, librarian of Melbourne Public Library, is 
energetic, appreciates importance of exchange 
relations, and will assist in establishing them. 

A'^ew South Wales — Chas. Potter, government 
printer, Sydney, is custodian, and will furnish 
lists. Mr. Wright (ca.re of Public Library, Syd- 
ney) is chairman Board of International Ex- 
changes, through whom negotiations should be 
made. //. C. L, Anderson, librarian of Public 
Library of New South Wales, Sydney, is inter- 
ested in extending exchanges, and will help in 
so doing. 

Queensland — Edmund Gregory, government 
printer, Brisbane, will furnish lists. D. O' Don- 
ovan is parliamentary librarian at Brisbane, but 
was away at tiine of my visit. I think, how- 
ever, he will aid in further negotiations. 



CLEVELAND CONFERENCE. 



South- Australia — C/tas. E. Bristo-we, gov- 
ernment printer, Adelaide, will furnish lists. 
Jas. P. Morice is parliamentary librarian, and 
willing to help as far as possible ; but, unfort- 
unately, the government has cut down its 
printing department to the lowest point, and 
may object to further extending its exchanges. 

India — Foreign exchanges for all the prov- 
inces of India are conducted by the India office 
in London, with the Smithsonian Institution. 
Propositions of further extending such ex- 
changes should be made to Mr. Wade, care In- 
dia Office, St. James Park, London. 

Ceylon, Straits Settlements and Burma — The 
government printers will furnish lists of their 
documents, but they do not offer much encour- 
agement of exchange relations. 

Miss Alice M. Kroeger being absent, her 

REPORT ON THE CONGRESS OF WOMEN LIBRARIANS 
AT ATLANTA, 

was read by title and ordered printed. 
(See i>. 57.) 

Adjourned at 6:40 p.m. 

FOURTH SESSION. 
(Thursday Morning, Sept. 3.) 

The Association was called to order by the 
President at 9:15 a.m. 

The Secretary announced that the Executive 
Board had appointed the following committee to 
take charge of the European trip: S. S. Green, 
Mary S. Cutler, W. C. Lane, \V. I. Fletcher, 
Mary W. Plummer. 

S. S. Green. — I hold in my hand a resolu- 
tion which Mr. Putnam, of the Boston Public 
Library, left with me. He had to go back to 
Boston yesterday afternoon. I will ask the 
secretary to read it in a moment. It relates to 
the matter under discussion yesterday regarding 
aid to be offered to the committee on the Con- 
gressional Library, and it meets the wants of 
both parties. But before I give this to the sec- 
retary I wish to say that Mr. Putnam came here 
at the request of his trustees and at great incon- 
venience to himself, spending two days with us, 
and that Mr. Whitney is here also from that li- 
brary, both of them with the express purpose of 
showing the great interest which that important 
library has in the doings of this Association. 

Sec. Elmendorf. — I would like to add that 
we have a similar message from Dr. Billings, 



of the New York consolidated libraries. Dr. 
Billings is now on the water on his return from 
the International Conference on scientific index- 
ing held under the auspices of the Royal So- 
ciety of England, and he says that he would 
like to be here, not that the New York consol- 
idated library or Dr. Billings can do very much 
or anything, as he expresses it, for the A. L. A.', 
but that both Dr. Billings and the New York 
consolidated libraries can get very much from 
this Association. Dr. Billings wrote a very 
cordial and very delightful letter. 

Mr. Dewey, whom many have asked for dur- 
ing this conference, has also written us. It is 
not customary to read regrets from members, 
but I would like to inform the Association that 
Mr. Dewey greatly regrets his inability to be 
with us. He is a victim of hay fever which 
affects his eyes, and he is confined to his Adi- 
rondack home during the summer. He sends 
most cordial greetings and the most earnest 
wishes for the success of our meeting. 

Pursuant to the orders of the Association 
yesterday, I cabled the L. A. U. K. in session 
at Buxton, England, as follows: 

" American Library Association in session 
sends cordial greetings; formally accepts invita- 
tion to International Conference, London, July, 
1897." 

I have just received the following answer: 

" Library Association, Cleveland : Library 
Association resolves to make conference a suc- 
cess. Cordial greetings. MacAIister, Sec." 

The resolution offered by Mr. Putnam is as 
follows: 

" Resolved, That the Association notes that 
the Joint Committee of the Senate and House 
of Representatives on the Library of Congress 
is to sit and consider questions relating to the 
organization of the library in. the new library 
building, with power to send for persons and 
papers. 

" Resolved, That should such committee dur- 
ing the ensuing year request information or 
counsel of this Association, the president is au- 
thorized to appoint six members of the Associa- 
tion, who, with himself as chairman, shall act 
as a committee to furnish such information as 
maybe within their power, and such counsel as 
seems to them to represent justly the views of 
this Association." 

S. S. Green said that the resolution was ap- 
proved by Mr. Bowker and Dr. Adler. 



FOURTH SESSION. 



"3 



Voted, That the resolution be adopted. 
Mr. John Thomson read a paper on 

TRAVELLING LIBRARIES. 

{See p. 29.) 

W. I. Fletcher. — I wish to make a motion 
that whatever else happens with regard to our 
program this morning, at the hour of 10:30 we 
shall take up the joint meeting of the A. L. A. 
with the Trustees Section. We all know that 
trustees are busy men, and they made an ap- 
pointment to be here at 10:30. It would be an 
unfortunate thing if they should be disap- 
pointed or delayed for half an hour. I move, 
therefore, in order that there may now be an 
understanding about it, that the program be 
adhered to in so far as that that meeting shall 
be held at 10:30. Voted. 

C. A. Nelson. — While Mr. Thomson was 
reading the closing paragraphs of his paper, it 
occurred to me that he might add the police and 
fire stations in our cities and the life-saving 
stations on the coast. I think the men who are 
compelled to stay on the shore of this country 
and watch through storm and sunshine for ves- 
sels that may be in danger have certainly a 
very lonesome time of it, and if we can send 
travelling libraries to those stations we shall be 
doing a great deal of good work. 

F. A. HuTCHiNS. — I should like to call at- 
tention to one benefit that is derived from the 
travelling libraries. It meets a defect in the 
large libraries that was alluded to yesterday by 
our president. In Wisconsin, for instance, in 
the libraries established in Dunn County by 
Senator Stout, we selected first the 500 best 
popular books of the language, divided them 
into 16 libraries that go into 16 stations and are 
read by the people of farming communities, 
thus controlling their reading and holding them 
year by year to the best popular books of the 
language. 

Mrs. Lana H. Cope. — I wish to say that in 
Iowa 200 letters have been received, and all are 
from the rural districs where there are no libra- 
ries. Very few have been asked for from clubs. 
This is very encouraging for us. We want to 
place these travelling libraries in just such com- 
munities where they have none. We want to 
stimulate them to read. This is my first attend- 
ance at the meetings of the American Library 
Association, and it gives me e.xtreme pleasure 
to be here. There is an added strength and 



cheer that comes to workers by hearing of the 
work that you are doing. 

Lodilla Ambrose. — I have had the privilege 
of summer visiting in a neighborhood in Michi- 
gan where a year ago they secured with a great 
deal of enthusiasm, very soon after the passage 
of the law, one of the travelling libraries, and 
this summer, with considerable effort, they have 
raised $5 again and are going on for another 
year. The enthusiasm of some of those mem- 
bers would be worthy of A. L. A. members. 

W. W. Bishop. — I want to call attention as a 
teacher to the benefit the New York State libra- 
ries are to those engaged in summer school 
work. It would have been utterly impossible 
for the work at Chautauqua this summer to 
have been conducted in the manner that it was 
and with the success which we reached, had it 
not been for the books sent to us by the travel- 
ling libraries of the state of New York. We 
are all grateful, and we hope they will send us 
more next year. 

Hon. J. H. Stout. — I hardly know how I can 
add very much to the subject now under discus- 
sion, but for the benefit of those interested in 
the free travelling libraries system I would like 
to suggest that the important matter first to 
consider, as far as legislation is concerned, is 
that a state commission be created in order that 
the work may be systematically carried on and 
the books may be properly selected. We will 
make another effort in our state this winter to 
enlarge the work of the commission and we 
hope to meet with success. 

AMENDMENT TO THE CONSTITUTION. 

C. A. Nelson. — I have been handed a reso- 
lution which I think will meet with the appro- 
val of the Association, and which it would be 
well to pass, although it may not be absolutely 
necessary. It puts the matter in such shape 
that there can be no question another year con- 
cerning it. 

'^ Voted, That the amendment to the Constitu- 
tion of the A. L. A., submitted by the Publishing 
Section, be approved by this Conference and be 
submitted for adoption to the Conference of 
1897, according to the requirements of our Con- 
stitution." 

I move that this be adopted. Voted. 

POOLE memorial FUND. 

F. M. Crunden. — I desire to make a report 
from ihc committee on the Poole Memorial. You 



'14 



CLEVELAND CONFERENCE. 



remember, those of you who were present at 
the last convention, that it was decided that the 
memorial should take the form of a bronze 
bust. Dr. Wire, the secretary of the committee, 
has obtained estimates from two sculptors, and 
we find that a suitable bust can be obtained for 
a minimum of $500. We must therefore raise 
that amount. We have thus far in hand a lit- 
tle over $150. It seems to me that it ought not 
to be necessary to make any appeal to libra- 
rians to adopt this measure of recognition to 
one of the pioneers in the profession. As Pres. 
Dana said yesterday, we ought all of us who 
are now in this work to acknowledge our in- 
debtedness to those who have gone before, 
who have lifted it to the dignity of a profession. 
I therefore think that every library worker, 
however humble, should take a pleasure and 
pride in contributing to this memorial. We 
have had one contribution from a librarian of 
$15. We do not, of course, expect many such 
as that. We have had one from a publisher of 
|io, and we have had a number from librarians 
of $5. The subscriptions have gone all the way 
to 50 cents. I think there are few librarians or 
assistants who cannot contribute that much, 
and I hope that at this session we shall com- 
plete the amount necessary, either actually 
handed in or at least pledged. It will be more 
convenient to hand in the cash and then it will 
be done with. Any one of the committee is au- 
thorized to take subscriptions or collect the 
money — Dr. Wire, Mr. Fletcher, Mr. Wing, or 
myself. They will be conveniently placed at 
the close of this meeting, and you can see one of 
us and give what you choose. 

W. I. Fletcher. — lam entirely unprepared 
to make any special remarks about this matter, 
and there is only one remark that I should 
think of making, and that is that it seems tome 
a great deal more desirable that this fund shall 
be an expression of the appreciation of Dr. 
Poole and his labors on the part of a large num- 
ber than that it should come from a few. I 
have not any doubt at all that this sum could be 
raised by passing a subscription paper to a few 
with a statement of the fact that so many $10 
or so many I5 would complete it ; but it seems 
to me it is a great deal better that every one 
who would like to be represented should have 
a fair opportunity to do so, and that a large 
number of small subscriptions should be wel- 
comed even more than a small number of large 



ones. I think it will be found desirable that 
there shall be some gifts of $5 or f 10. It is not 
that I would economize gifts which some will 
make, but I wish it to be distinctly recognized 
that it will be a very acceptable thing to the 
committee to have gifts of 25 or 50 cents from 
those who cannot give more. 

Miss M. E. Ahern. — I should like to ex- 
press thanks both to Mr. Fletcher and Mr. 
Crunden for the last statement. There are 
many of us whose financial burden is incom- 
mensurate with the respect and love we had for 
Dr. Poole. I speak for myself when I say that 
the amount of money which I felt I might con- 
tribute was such a small thing to offer that 
there was a shade of embarrassment. I am 
glad that this thing has been said publicly, and 
for my part I shall feel it a decided pleasure 
voluntarily to make this small contribution, and 
I want to answer for others who have expressed 
the same doubt and feelings with me. 

J. N. Wing. — As I understand it, the names 
of the contributors will be published, but not 
the amount of the contribution, so that those 
who give a dollar will go down on the same 
footing alphabetically, A. L. A. fashion, with 
those who give $10 or $15. 

EXHIBITIONS OF ENGRAVINGS AND PICTURES. 

C. A. Cutter. — The last interesting paper 
was about sending books out to readers. I 
wish to say a few words about one means of 
getting the readers to come to the library. I 
wish simply to tell what I have done in the last 
six months or more in this way of e.xhibitions, 
in order to suggest to you ways in which you 
can hold exhibitions and to induce some of you 
to do likewise. 

We have at the Forbes Library two large 
upper rooms which are admirably adapted for 
exhibitions, but I was not able to use them till 
at the annual meeting of the Appalachian Moun- 
tain Club, in Boston, I learned from Prof. 
Charles E. Fay that the Club owns a large col- 
lection of photographs of mountain scenery, 
taken by Antonio Sella, an Italian wool manu- 
facturer, a man who is enthusiastic both as a 
mountain-climber and as a photographer. For 
the last 16 years he has spent his vacation of 
two months in carrying his camera high up on 
the Alps and the Caucasus and taking views of 
rocky and of snowy peaks, of glaciers, and all 
those features of great elevations that are 



FOURTH SESSION. 



115 



usually seen only by the robust climber. These 
have been printed and can be bought, though 
with some difficulty. The Appalachian Moun- 
tain Club, however, has procured a large part 
of them and now is ready to lend them to any 
institution which will exhibit them, the institu- 
tion paying the cost of freight and of course the 
cost of exhibition, whatever it may be. Part 
of this expense may be recouped by the sale of 
a catalog which is furnished by the Club at the 
cost of printing. In our own case I think our 
expenses were about $10 more than we received 
from the sale of catalogs. The exhibition has 
been given in various parts of the country and 
has been very successful. At Bridgeport, Ct., 
20,000 persons went to see it. I kept no account 
of our visitors, but they were numerous and 
some of them came four or five times. I have 
never attended any exhibition which interested 
me more than this. It is not necessary to say 
much about the importance to a library of such 
exhibitions. Everything is of importance which 
makes the library the intellectual centre of the 
town; everything is of importance which brings 
people to the building and lets them see that 
there is a library and leads them to think of 
taking out books. 

After this exhibition was over, Mr. Horace 
K. Turner, who is the travelling agent of the 
Soule Photograph Co. in Boston, asked to pre- 
pare an exhibition in our hall, he to bear all 
expenses and to take orders for his goods. I 
did not find the commercial element at all ob- 
jectionable, and I would advise any libraries 
that have suitable halls to offer them to him. 
His exhibit was very popular. 

One of our townspeople who had been inter- 
ested in both of these exhibitions offered to ex- 
hibit with us for the public good the photo- 
graphs, idols from temples, and other oriental 
curiosities which he had gathered during his 
residence in Siam, Japan, and India. This 
show also drew many to the library and inter- 
ested those who were already in the habit of 
coming there. Would it not be well for a libra- 
rian in a town where there is no photographic 
society to found one in connection with the 
library ? The American Photographic League 
sends round in a circuit from town to town the 
slides taken by members of its clubs, to be ex- 
hibited in the magic-lantern by the local clubs 
which receive them with explanations by the 
president of the club or any suitable person. 



It occurs to me, too, that many of those who 
are going to Europe next year will probably 
have kodaks. Would it not be well for them to 
take photographs abroad with a special view to 
having them made into slides to form a nucleus 
for exhibitions in their libraries? 

When the Massachusetts Library Club met 
at Northampton I prepared an exhibition of 
the photo-lithographs of the Arundell Society, 
plates from Bancroft's " Book of the Fair," and 
from Gerome's works, and other similar art 
books. That furnished a very interesting ex- 
hibition. If we had not had these we might 
have taken engravings and photographs out of 
bound books with the intention of either keep- 
ing them loose to use for future exhibitions or 
fastening them back in the book afterwards. 

To come to the practical part of the matter. 
In the first place you must have room. Many 
librarians will say that they have no room. 
One of my exhibitions I held in the reading- 
room. It made, of course, a little confusion, 
but it apparently did not trouble our people at 
all. A library can generally find some place 
for an exhibition, large or small, and it is worth 
while to use even an inconvenient place rather 
than not have any exhibition. 

Then as to the means of fastening them 
up. Our walls are plastered, but there is a 
picture moulding. A small cord, fastened to 
the moulding, was carried down and tacked to 
the baseboard. Another cord was carried along 
horizontally and knotted at every juncture, and 
on that the pictures were hung by "bull-dog 
grips." The fault of this is that the cords sag 
unless the upright cords are close together. 

Mr. Carr suggested an improvement: to hang 
wooden strips half an inch thick and an inch 
broad on the cords, which should pass through 
two holes in the slats. The mere friction of the 
cord on the holes will hold up the strips. Then 
you have something that is absolutely firm and 
even. But the cords lengthen in dry weather 
and contract in wet so much that I have lately 
suspended the slats by small brass chains. This 
has proved entirely satisfactory. 

S. S. Green. — The Free Public Library in 
Worcester, Mass., has given exhibitions for a 
good many years, and when the great addition 
was made to its building, which we call the new 
building, as I was allowed to plan the interior 
of the building, especial arrangements were 
made for these exhibitions. As at present ar- 



ii6 



CLEVELAND CONFERENCE. 



ranged, the whole upper story of the new build- 
ing can be thrown into an art gallery, and in 
the story below there is a lecture-room, which 
can be used for small exhibitions. 

In regard to mechanical contrivances, I think 
I can give you something even better than the 
two mentioned by Mr. Cutter. I have picture 
moulding around the tops of all the rooms. Go- 
ing to a hardware-store I bought long brass 
chains with small links, had a great number of 
little hooks made of brass wire in an s shape, 
which will fit into the links ; then I had long, 
thin slats made which set into the curves of 
the s of the hooks. The hooks can be placed 
far apart or near together, according to the 
height of your photograph or engraving, and 
everything seems to be firm. The pictures are 
attached to the slats by placing a clothes-pin, 
with a wire spring, at each corner. This is a 
very cheap and excellent way of hanging photo- 
graphs and engravings. 

I ought to say in beginning that Worcester 
is five or six times as large a place as North- 
ampton, and that the arrangements that would 
be wanted in the latter place would often have 
to be changed with us. We spend f 11,000 a 
year for books and papers, and out of that 
amount I can easily take f looo to spend for 
collections of photographs, engravings, and fine 
illustrated books. Wc buy pictures in port- 
folios rather than bound. In the old building we 
had no suitable room, but I took what we know 
as the medical library room and put up the 
photographs and engravings in front of the 
book-shelves, as the doctors did not use the 
room so often as to make it inconvenient for ex- 
hibitions. But, as I say, in our new building 
we have suitable quarters. In the old building 
I began by exhibitions such as the following : 
Photographs bought of different European deal- 
ers that would illustrate the development of the 
genius of Raphael. Putting these around the 
room we showed people the principal works of 
that great artist, painted at several periods in 
his life. I will not multiply examples. We had, 
as would be implied from what I have said be- 
fore, many exhibitions in the old building. In the 
new building we have had numerous exhibitions 
of various kinds. For example, we have shown 
a great work issued by the Russian Government 
illustrating the ecclesiastical, imperial, military, 
and domestic antiquities of the empire. The 
pictures are in color and sufficient in number to 



go around the three large rooms which we have 
in two or three tiers. We put a card on a bulle- 
tin-board at the foot of stairs and near an ele- 
vator, stating what is being exhibited, notice the 
opening in the papers, and have reporters write 
about it. People become interested in it, and 
enjoy very much coming to it. We have had 
exhibitions of representations of tapestry and 
china, and of textile fabrics to be found in 
the South Kensington Museum. We have 
shown illustrations of the history of architecture 
and collections of photographs giving represen- 
tations of modern French, English, and Spanish 
art. I give these examples as specimens. If 
you wish to know the exact works and collec- 
tions which we have shown from year to year, 
you will find the titles of them in the annual re- 
ports of the library which were issued next after 
the exhibitions. 

I wish to speak of two points which seem to 
me of great value if borne in mind in connection 
with these exhibitions. They have proved of 
great importance in connection with the school- 
work which we are doing. You know that 
Worcester was the pioneer in this school-work. 
Every day that the schools are open in cooler 
weather we have 2000 of our books in the school- 
rooms in use by teachers and scholars, and there 
is a regular wagon which goes once a fortnight 
to every school-building in the city, carrying 
such books as are wanted and bringing back 
those which are done with. I was interested re- 
cently to see a communication in PubUe Libraries 
which declared that children and others ought 
to be encouraged to go to libraries instead of 
having books carried to them. It is desirable 
that they should go to libraries, but it is also 
desirable that books should be carried to school- 
rooms. Use 2000 books a day in the school- 
rooms, and also have an extra session of the 
schools every afternoon in the library. In doing 
work in connection with schools bow do pictures 
come in? We put on the walls of a hall 100 
photographs taken from battlefields, some even 
before the dead were removed, and from build- 
ings bridges, and other objects made memorable 
by incidents in the war, after the children in the 
grammar schools have done studying about the 
civil war and while their memories are filled 
with the names of places and engagements. 
We place beside them the extensive work of 
Forbes illustrating camp life in the late war, 
and a set of Confederate etchings, and invite 



FOURTH SESSION. 



117 



the heads of the different grammar schools to 
invite the children to come to see the pictures. 
Fifty or so come in an afternoon. We keep 
the exhibition open a week, a fortnight, or such 
other period of time as is necessary to give all 
the children a chance for a good view. Their 
memories are full of the names which are on 
the pictures, and they get more definite ideas 
of occurrences by means of the pictures. When 
the scholars in the high schools have done 
studying about Shakespeare, we invite them to 
come to the library and display there on the 
walls that great work, "The homes and haunts 
of Shakespeare," which undertakes to give ob- 
jects which Shakespeare's eyes rested on while 
his genius was developing, in reproductions from 
water-color drawings and in black and white. 
At the same time we get together fac-similes 
of the quartos and folios and books illustrating 
architecture and costumes of the time of Shake- 
speare. The teachers of English literature 
come to the exhibition, bringing manageable 
squads from time to time, and together they 
get whatever enjoyment and profit the illustra- 
tions may afford. When engaged in studying 
the works of Addison and the Spectator, we in- 
vite teachers and scholars to come to the li- 
brary to see books which illustrate London at 
the time of these writings, and enable them to 
get a more intelligent view of the time when the 
Spectator was written, and of the buildings and 
life in London at that time. So much for use- 
fulness of exhibitions in connection with the 
school-work. Another important point is in re- 
gard to exhibitions in towns where there are 
art societies. Join with such societies in doing 
this work. When the new library building 
was put up in Worcester, instead of having 
dedicatory exercises (I at that time was presi- 
dent of the Art Society, and both that Society 
and the Library wanted to do good work for the 
benefit of citizens), the Art Society spent three 
hundred dollars in collecting all the portraits 
that could be found in our houses and arranged 
them by families, nearly covering the walls of 
the entire upper story of our building. It also 
put rugs on the floors and tapestry.on the walls. 
Since then we have had a great exhibition of 
china, the Art Society spending three or four 
hundred dollars in collecting everything in our 
houses and seeing that loans were carefully 
returned. 
We have just had a continuous exhibition of 



four months, in which the Art Society and our 
own Library united. The Art Society spent about 
seven hundred dollars in getting up and main- 
taining this exhibition. It procured oil-paint- 
ings from houses in Worcester, and also sent 
to Boston to get others. It made changes in 
the exhibition twice during the four months, 
taking down 20 or more pictures and putting 
up 20 fresh ones on two different occasions. 
The exhibition was also one of bric-a-brac, 
which was lent to the Society. The Library 
filled up one room with very large photographs 
of cathedrals. They were procured of Mr. 
Hagger, of New York, and give you a real 
idea of the immensity of the buildings. We 
are now buying photographs of town-halls and 
other public buildings of the same large size in 
Europe. When the second change in oil-paint- 
ings was made by the Art Society, I put those 
photographs in another room to accommodate 
persons who still wished to see them. In the 
room first used for the cathedrals we put up 
representations of Michael Angelo"s frescoes in 
the Sistine Chapel, 125 photographs giving the 
details of the ceiling, which can be had of 
Braun in Paris, and a representation of the 
whole ceiling in one picture procured in Rome. 

We have skylights under which photographs 
can be taken, and a dark closet for developing 
photographs. Some of our teachers teach geog- 
raphy by means of slides, and when we get a 
book illustrating a country of which they have 
not good illustrations in slides already owned 
by them, they take photographs from the pict- 
ures in the book and use those in the instruc- 
tion of the children in school. 

Recess at 10:30 a.m. 

The meeting was called to order again at 10:35 
a.m., C. C. Soule in the chair, as a 

JOINT MEETING OF THE A. L. A. AND THE TRUS- 
TEES' SECTION. 

C. C. SouLE. — Fellow-trustees and fellow- 
librarians : We are all fellows in one good 
cause. Since the early years of the American 
Library Association it has been a common thing 
for trustees to attend the sessions. No at- 
tempt, as I remember, was made to insure a 
special attendance till the iSgo conference at 
Fabyan's. At that time a special circular was 
sent out and a special session was devoted to 
trustees. Three papers were read, one by a 
librarian and two by trustees. These papers 



ii8 



CLEVELAND CONFERENCE. 



were not only published in the conference pro- 
ceedings but were published in a separate 
pamphlet, which you have probably seen, and 
as a result an organization was effected called 
the Trustees' Section. A very practical result 
of this action followed in the shape of the es- 
tablishment of an Endowment Fund of about 
$5000. It was intended to raise $10,000, but 
unfortunately business difficulties intervened, 
and Mr. Hovey, who had charge of the collec- 
tion, concluded that it was unwise at that time 
to push it farther. The fund has now accumu- 
lated to over $6000. The income is used for 
the benefit of the Publishing Section. Conse- 
quently, the organization of that Trustees' Sec- 
tion not only marked progress in the relation of 
trustees and librarians, but marked a very im- 
portant step in the progress of the Association. 
The only meeting of the Section since that time 
that I know of was held at Lakewood, which 
simply resulted in the election of new officers. 
This year the executive committee have made a 
special effort to get an attendance of trustees, 
and at their suggestion I also sent out for the 
Trustees' Section an urgent letterasking trustees 
to attend. Trustees are very busy men and it 
has been almost impossible to stir many of them 
up, but there is a very gratifying attendance, 
and I have in my hand a bunch of letters from 
all parts of the country evincing great interest 
in the organized work of this Association. I 
think that the attendance here of trustees is 
typical of a very large reawakening and an in- 
creasing interest on the part of trustees all over 
the United States. 

In opening this joint session I want to take a 
little more joyous and hopeful tone than the 
President of the Association took yesterday 
morning. His motive was good in calling our 
attention to the dark side of library administra- 
tion, but the effect on me was rather one of dis- 
couragement, and on the part of trustees, who 
are business men, I want to remind you that 
no man ever goes into good work with much 
encouragement or gets much satisfaction in the 
result. I think all those of you who have been 
engaged in church work, or social or political 
reform, will bear me out in saying that the men 
you meet are discouraging and results are 
generally unsatisfactory. If you will go into a 
common council meeting, or into a legislative 
meeting, or into Congress, and listen to the 
discussions, you will wonder how democratic 



America lives. It is just the same way with 
our library movement. When we watch what 
is done in our library, and in our bodies of trus- 
tees, when we see slow and incompetent libra- 
rians, when we try to stir up teachers of the 
schools to an interest in educational work, and 
we find that we have to lift them bodily, we 
cannot help being discouraged. But when we 
come to this meeting and meet other people who 
have the same purpose, we ought to have a 
feeling of inspiration and hope rather than that 
of regret and disappointment. We ought to 
bear in mind that no man or woman can devote 
all his life to a good cause without the world 
being better for it, whether he sees results or 
not. That is the message the trustees bring to 
you librarians here. 

The executive committee of the Association 
have asked our friend and former president, 
Mr. Crunden, of St. Louis, to open the session 
with a paper. 

THE FUNCTIONS OF LIBRARY TRUSTEES AND THEIR 
RELATIONS TO LIBRARIANS. 
(See p. 32.) 
C. C. SouLE. — To start the discussion I will 
briefly comment myself on Mr. Crunden's pa- 
per. One point I wish to make is that he 
shares my joyous hope in one particular in call- 
ing attention to the fact that very few scandals 
attend library administration in this country. I 
differ from Mr. Crunden materially in the same 
point in which I differed from Mr. Green in 
1890, and that is as to whether the librarian 
should be made the secretary of the board and 
be present at all its meetings. Fortunately, Mr. 
Crunden has proved that I am right in his pa- 
per. He has given points on which the trus- 
tees may properly discuss and exercise their 
authority. Of those points, only one or two 
require the presence of the librarian. One 
point requires his absence, and that is the dis- 
cussion and criticism of the librarian's con- 
duct. He says there are times when all libra- 
rians are not efficient and when the board 
must consider the question as to whether or not 
they must dismiss the librarian. At the same 
time an opportunity should be allowed for dis- 
cussion of that fact. Many of the complaints 
against the librarian which come up can be 
checked and answered at once by a free and 
informal discussion of the trustees. I think the 
rule which we follow in Brookline is the best 



FOURTH SESSION. 



119 



rule, because it fills the actual purpose of having 
the librarian present. We simply go on with 
our records, and bring up financial matters and 
matters that do not require the presence of the 
librarian. Then we send for the librarian and 
take him in very freely on any point where his 
advice is required. He is present at committee 
meetings and board meetings, with the exception 
of the beginning of the meeting, which is an 
executive session. We find that the position of 
secretary of the board of trustees affords agree- 
able occupation for one of our members who 
otherwise might be idle. It seems to me that 
our habit in Brookline is one that boards gener- 
ally had better follow. I agree with almost 
all that Mr. Crunden advances in his paper. I 
want to emphasize one point, and that is that 
trustees should inform themselves in regard to 
the details of library administration, not so far 
that they wish to become librarian themselves, 
but that they may be competent critics of the 
librarian's action. 

B. F. Wright. — I rise, not for the purpose 
of making a speech, but I simply want to em- 
phasize the last point made by our president. 
The paper seems to be on both sides for that 
matter. It seems to me that the library trustee 
should inform himself upon all matters of detail 
with reference to the library, the conduct of the 
library, new methods of management, and all 
other details, and that we can never have the 
best in this regard till we have educated trus- 
tees. I do not mean to say that they shall 
interfere. There is attention to detail which 
does not savor of interference. 

I want to congratulate myself on being pres- 
ent at this meeting of the Library Association. 
I feel that it is good for me to be here, and I 
believe that the libraries of this country could 
have no better thing found for them than if we 
in this Association could have from every libra- 
ry board in the country an accredited delegate 
at each of our sessions. 

J. K. HosMER. — I feel as if it were not inap- 
propriate for me to occupy a few minutes, owing 
to the circumstance that I am the connecting- 
link of library administration. I e.xhibit myself 
as a specimen in natural history. I am the con- 
necting -link between the trustee and libra- 
rian. For a number of years I was one of the 
spokes of that cumbrous and awkward machine 
which Mr. Crunden stigmatizes at the opening 
of his paper. To describe the process of my 



evolution in the terms of natural history : as a 
grub, I was a trustee ; I spun about myself a 
cocoon and merged at length into the beautiful 
librarian. Our chairman still remains in the 
grub condition. As Charles Lamb put it once 
when he attempted to quote David Crockett, 
" He is the same old coo-coon." I am Mr. Crun- 
den's bibliographical child, I am very much 
like Mr. Crunden, and find that my thoughts, 
my ideas and conceptions of library manage- 
ment run in Mr. Crunden's groove. I follow the 
impulse which he gave me. It was he that gave 
me the training and the desire to become what 
I have become as a librarian. There is only 
one point upon which it seems to me he might 
well have touched, and that is the value of hav- 
ing upon a board of trustees some good women. 
I have no women on my board at Minneapolis. 
We had women upon the board in St. Louis, 
and they were always among the most efficient 
and useful members of the board. For a num- 
ber of years, till her lamented death, a member 
of the St. Louis board of trustees was Mrs. 
Noble, the wife of General Harrison's secretary 
of the interior. At the time of my connection 
with Mr. Crunden's board there were upon the 
board two of the strongest women in the city, 
both of them teachers, one of them the princi- 
pal of one of the chief schools, and their ser- 
vice was most excellent. It was excellent in 
this point: It seems to me that there was a su- 
perior faithfulness in the women members; we 
could always count upon them for being pres- 
ent. In my board at Minneapolis we are 
plagued to death often to get a quorum. When 
the month comes around we have to run our 
legs off to get a quorum, and I tell the Minne- 
apolis public and my trustees that if we only 
had two or three good women on the board we 
should be helped in that respect. 

J. W. Thompson. — I want simply to express 
my hearty appreciation of the admirable paper 
of Mr. Crunden. The gentleman who has been 
honored as a trustee and the other as a connect- 
ing-link have stated some things that I pur- 
posed saying. One thing that I should want to 
emphasize was the one just said a moment ago 
with reference to having women on the board of 
trustees. I heartily believe in it. We are so fort- 
unate in Evanston as to have very many ladies 
who are eminently qualified for such a position, 
much better, I think, than any of the gentlemen 
who occupy or hold the position of trustee. I 



CLEVELAND CONFERENCE. 



hope soon to see that change inaugurated in the 
organization or make-up of our board in Evans- 
ton. 

We have one thing in Evanston that has not 
been spoken of by any one here that affects our 
management or direction of the employees in 
the library. That is, we have the civil service 
law, and all employees in the library, from the 
librarian down to the janitor, hold positions on 
merit and cannot be removed by the trustees 
only on their recommendation to the civil ser- 
vice commission, and the recommendation ac- 
companied by a plain staterfient of the cause for 
removal. The civil service commission act in 
perfect harmony with and are guided in all their 
actions with reference to the public library by 
the recommendations of the board of trustees. 
When vacancies occur in the staff of the library, 
requisition is made upon the civil service com- 
mission for a person to fill the position. The 
person standing highest on the list is recom- 
mended as a person to fill that position. When 
vacancies occur — none have occurred yet, but 
probably will soon in our library — the promo- 
tion is made on merit. The library board is 
not troubled about that. Neither is the libra- 
rian, so far as he is involved in the direct man- 
agement of promotion. 

Another thing that this relieves the board of 
trustees of is applications for positions on the 
library staff. It relieves entirely the political 
pressure. There can be no politics. There never 
has been any in our board, and there can be 
none under this system. 

The gentleman who preceded me spoke about 
difficulty in securing a quorum. One year, at 
the organization of our board, I said to the 
members of the board, " Now, if you want to 
hold your positions on this board of trustees, if 
I have any influence, and I think 1 have, with 
the present administration, it will be necessary 
for you to show a respectable interest at least in 
attendance upon the meetings of our board of 
trustees." I emphasized it, and 1 said to our 
librarian, " I wish you would keep a little tab 
on that ; not only on that, but also a little tab 
on the number of times the directors come into 
the library when there is not any meeting. I 
want to know something about that." I am 
happy to be able to state to you that of a board 
consisting of nine directors the average attend- 
ance at our meetings last year was a little over 
seven. The secretary of our board was sick 



for five months and another member was absent 
on account of sickness, so that we would almost 
have had an average of eight had it not been for 
sickness. The enthusiasm never was so great. 
The interest in the work was never anything 
that can be compared with what it was last 
year. I said to the chairmen of the various 
committees, and also to the board as a whole, 
" If any committee on this board fail to perform 
the duties belonging to that committee I shall 
not hesitate to speak of it in open board meet- 
ing." 

I heartily endorse what has been said regard- 
ing the hearty co-operation of the board in the 
work of the librarian. In our board we work 
as one. Our board does not have the librarian 
as the secretary, but in all matters pertaining to 
the executive part or the province of the libra- 
rian, the librarian is always consulted outside of 
the board meeting or in the board meeting, and 
is always asked for an opinion, and that opinion 
in nine cases out of ten has prevailed, and in 
some cases where there have been modifications 
it has been, after mutual consultation, unani- 
mously decided that it was better than the rec- 
ommendation; so that I am glad to say that 
this spirit prevails, to have it announced posi- 
tively as was done in the paper, and that I 
am able to give this testimony, that so far as 
our library board is concerned it is the policy of 
our board. 

One word is due from me to members of the 
A. L. A. It is the first time I have ever been 
permitted to enjoy a session of the American 
Library Association, and when I look in the 
face of some of these gentlemen here and listen 
CO their inspiring words, I think of some of the 
articles 1 have read from their pens and of the 
first inspiration I received with reference to 
library work. It was penned by your highly 
esteemed colaborer, Mr. Fletcher. It thrilled 
me. It seemed to open up the whole field of 
library work. It came home to me as a director, 
and I must say that it was the first impulse 
toward a desire for a more extended knowledge 
of library work and a better information re- 
specting all that is involved, not only in the 
directorship but in the field of the librarian. 
Others I might mention here, and I have en- 
joyed all of these remarks and all of these 
papers, and I hope that the time may come 
ivhen, as has been already said, these meet- 
ings may have in them more largely a repre- 



FOURTH SESSION. 



121 



sentation of the trustees, and that there may 
grow this spirit of mutual co-operation. 

Rutherford P. Hayes. — I am very glad to 
see that Mr. Crunden has toned down a little 
bit. At the Library Association in 1887 or 1889 
that I attended he was very severe on the trus- 
tees, and specially on the trustees of endowed 
libraries where the trustees were trustees for 
life. I am in that position. I am a trustee of 
a library in a small town where, although I 
have not lived in the city for two years, I hold 
on to the place, have not attended a meeting for 
two years, and am going to occupy the place 
the rest of my life if I can. Our board was ap- 
pointed by the donor of the library, and I filled 
the first vacancy that was made by resignation. 
In the 16 years that I have been on the board 
we have had the same librarian, and our library 
I think has got along well, because we had a 
good librarian. We have two trustee meetings 
in a year, one on the 1st of May and one on the 
1st of June. At our meeting in May we elect 
our librarian and the year begins for the libra- 
rian on the ist of June. At that time we have 
the reports of the officers of the board. I think 
our library has done good work, although it is 
not quite up to the standard of what the trus- 
tees should do and are doing in other places. 
I found it was difficult to get a quorum even at 
those two meetings, so when last winter, in 
connection with the trustees of another library, 
we endeavored to make a change in the govern- 
ment of the state library in Ohio, it was thought 
best to put the very lowest number of commis- 
sioners possible. We have three, and up to 
this time I have been the only one that was ab- 
sent from the meetings. That was excusable 
last Saturday, when I was on my way here. 
One of the changes we made was in our state li- 
brary where the librarian was appointed for two 
years, appointed by the governor, and with 
every change of governor the librarian was 
changed. Since an unfortunate experiment that 
Ohio made just before i860, in which in three 
years she spent $280,000 for books that were 
distributed to the public schools throughout the 
state, the state library has been considered 
merely as a necessary evil. They have appro- 
priated as little money as possible and have 
done almost nothing for it, and to-day we have 
a collection of books numbering from 40,000 to 
60,000, though nobody knows how many, hav- 
ing no catalog. We are going to work. We 



are studying on the plan of the travelling libra- 
ries to see what we can do when we get in a 
little better condition and what we can do to 
arouse an interest in library work throughout 
the state, and I think with help from our friends 
outside the state, and the enthusiasm that we 
hope to have in the state, we will have some 
library awakening here within the next year or 
so. 

Lana H. Cope. — I agree with the gentleman 
who just sat down that the trustees are improv- 
ing. We all realize and recognize this. I occu- 
py the place of one of the trustees and librarian 
at the same time. By virtue of my office, the 
law says, the librarian shall be one of the trus- 
tees. The trustees of Iowa are composed of 
the supreme judges, six of them, with the state 
executive council. The supreme judges are 
scattered all over the state, but we have no 
trouble in getting a meeting. It always occurs 
at the time of the session of the supreme court. 
I act as secretary, and we are always in accord 
and we are doing a great work. 

Hon. James A. Garfield. — Mentor is a vil- 
lage of but 500 people, therefore we are some- 
what limited in our ability to raise funds for car- 
rying on library work. But some six years ago 
15 of us got together and began holding a series 
of meetings every month, something in the nature 
of the old New England township meeting, for 
the purpose of stirring up an interest in town af- 
fairs, and in doing that we considered it neces- 
sary to have some central point of interest around 
which we could all work, and we chose as that 
the library. There had never been a library in 
the village except a small circulating library. We 
all believed that the use of books and the great-' 
er knowledge of books would be acommon centre 
of interest around which we could all work and 
toward which we would be glad to give work. 
The result of five years' work in this way was 
that we now have a library of about 1600 vol- 
umes, and two years ago, acting under a gen- 
eral law of the state, we became incorporated, 
and requested the village council to levy a tax for 
the support of the library. We at that time had 
about 1000 volumes. The council very readily 
saw the advantage of this kind of work. They 
appreciated what was being done for the citi- 
zens and schools of the state, and therefore they 
levied a tax and turned the proceeds of the tax 
over to the library board. In this way, you will 
see, the library board is kept entirely aloof from 



CLEVELAND CONFERENCE. 



politics. There are no elections by the people, 
nor is the board appointed by any political offi- 
cers. It is a self-constituted body, a corporate 
body under the laws of this state, and as long 
as we maintain our corporate existence the vil- 
lage may turn over the funds to the library. 
We settled this difficulty of women's rights by 
having an