LI B R.AFLY OF THE. U N I VE.R.SITY OF ILLINOIS AM 1886-89 The person charging this material is re- sponsible for its return on or before 1 Latest Date stamped below. Theft, mutilation, and underlining of books are reasons for disciplinary action and may result in dismissal from the Univers.ty. University of Illinois Library Ml 2 7 lEP 17^1 L161 O-1096 328 THE LIBRARY JOURNAL. \Sept.-Oct., '88. Index to Periodical Literature. FIRST SUPPLEMENT, JAN. 1, 1882, to JAN. 1, 1887. By WILLIAM FREDERICK POOLE, LL.D., Librarian of the Newberry Library, Chicago, and WILLIAM I. FLETCHER, A.M., Librarian of Amherst College. With the cooperation of the American Library Association, i vol., royal 8vo, cloth, $8.00, net ; sheep, $10.00, net j half morocco, uncut, $12.00, net, In the preface to the third edition of " POOLE'S INDEX," 1882, the promise was made that " Supplements will be issued every five years, which will include not only the periodicals which have appeared during that period, but also older serials which are worthy of being indexed, and are not included in this edition." In fulfilment of that promise the first five-year Supplement is now ready under the joint supervision of the same editors. This Supplement includes references to periodicals which appeared from January i, 1882, to January i, 1887, and also to a considerable number of older serials which were not included in the edition of 1882. The number of volumes indexed is 1065, and they belong to 141 different sets of periodicals. Sixty-one sets are included in this volume which did not appear in the edition of 1882. .Of these, thirty-three are new, having issued their first numbers during the five years, and twenty-eight are older sets which are now indexed for the first time. POOLE'S INDEX is so well known to librarians, editorial writers, scholars, and literary men, that the mere announcement of the publication of the first five-year supplement will awaken their interest. The uniform testimony from all libraries is that the Index is used more than any other work of reference in their collections. In the larger libraries several copies are required to meet the public demand. The Assistant Keeper of Printed Books in the British Museum wrote to Dr. Poole, April 25, 1887, as follows : " It may perhaps interest you to know that the wear and tear of the third edition of your Index is so great that we find it almost impossible to keep a copy in the reading- room fit for service. We have four copies worn to tatters in spite of all that could be done in the way of mending the leaves." Any of the larger libraries in this country and in Great Britain could make a similar report. In the smaller libraries the Index has been a Godsend in supplementing their limited resources by making the contents of their periodicals available. The Supplement is a companion volume to the main edition of 1882, having a page of the same size, type, and style, and no change has been made in the plan of indexing, or in the arrangement of the matter. *** For sale by all Booksellers. Sent by mail, postpaid, on receipt of price by the Publishers, HOUGHTON, MIFFLIN & COMPANY, BOSTON. ii East Seventeenth Street, New York. PAPERS AND PROCEEDINGS TENTH GENERAL MEETING AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION SAINT LOUIS MAY 8-1 1 l88 9 BOSTON LIBRARY BUREAU 146 FRANKLIN STREET 1889 CONTENTS. Title. President's address, Common sense in libraries Some library superstitions Architects and librarians Report on library architecture Report on index to portraits, etc Sunday opening of libraries . Report on library legislation Report on scrap-books Report on charging systems The library in its relations to persons engaged in industrial pursuits Reading for the young Uses of subject catalogs and subject lists Report or. classification Indexing or catalogizing Eclectic card catalog rules Some German publishing methods Report on periodicals Report on aids and guides for readers Accents Book-binding memoranda University library buildings Proceedings 120-149 ! First Session 120-125 President's address 120 Treasurer's report 120-121 Distribution of public documents 121-123 Library School 123 Election of officers 123 Letters 123-124 Library superstitions 124-125 Second Session 125-132 Report of Finance Committee 125-126 Alphabeting 127-129 Architects and librarians 129 University library buildings 129 Public documents 129-130 Next meeting 130 Mr. Dyer 130-131 A. L. A. endorsement 131 Choice of officers 131 State librarians 132 Library School 132 Third Session 132-137 Indexing of portraits 132 Sunday opening 133 135 Charging systems 135 Book-binding 135-136 Officers 136-137 Author. Page. C: A. Cutter i W: I. Fletcher 9 N. S. fatten 13 A . Van Name 16 R: R. Bowker 28 Miss M.. S. Cutler. ... 30 H: M. Utley 44 W. A . Bar dwell .... 49 H:J. Carr 57 S: S. Green 69 Miis M.. Sargent .... 80 W: E. Foster go R: Bliss 94 W.J. Gilbert 100 K. A: Linderfelt .... 102 G: W: Harris 104 F: M. Crunden .'.... 108 W : C. Lane no J.L. Whitney 113 R. B. Poole 115 H. M. Stanley .... 118 Fourth Session . . 137-139 Next meeting 137-138 Industrial libraries 137 A. L. A. endorsement 138-139 Fifth Session 139-142 Subject catalogs 139-140 Classification 140-141 Cataloging 141 A. L. A. endorsement 141 Indexing 14' Mr. Crunden praised 141 Vote of thanks 141-142 Card catalog rules 142 German publishing methods 142 Adjournment 142 Proceedings 142 Program 142 Public meeting 143-146 A. L. A. Publishing Section 146-148 A. L. A. College Library Section 148-149 Social features 149-151 Post-conference excursion 151-153 From Nashville to Cincinnati 153-157 Attendance summaries 157 Necrological addenda . 158 Attendance register 158-160 CONFERENCE OF LIBRARIANS ST. LOUIS, MAY S-n, 1889. COMMON SENSE IN LIBRARIES. ADDRESS OF THE PRESIDENT, C: A. CUTTER, LIBRARIAN OF THE BOSTON ATHENJEUM. LADIES AND GENTLEMEN OF THE AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION: In obedience to an unbroken precedent, I must open this convention with some general remarks. They shall be on Common Sense. Common -Sense what is it? I hope no one will insist on a definition. Logicians or- der us to define our terms before engaging in discussion, but I find it much more con- venient to leave this one a little vague, trust- ing to your knowledge of its general meaning and to your willingness to allow a certain latitude in its use. But if I must be explicit, I will say common sense is my sense ; other people's sense, when it differs from mine, is little better than nonsense. One definition I must protest against, how- ever ; I cannot agree with the man who de- clared that common sense is thus named because it is so uncommon. We could not conduct the affairs of life if this were true. In our own field common sense is the very characteristic of American libraries. We must not blow our own trumpet too loudly. We must not overlook the magnificent accumula- tion of books in German and French libraries, the good fight made by our English brothers against prejudice and ignorance, the zeal and the complete organization of the Italians. Yet I believe that the same qualities that have made our nation (with certain glaring exceptions) the best of pioneers the same fitting of means to ends, the same suiting of the man and the thing to the environ- ment, the same content with small begin- nings, the same ingenuity to contrive and quickness to seize upon every improvement the same common sense, in short, have been shown in the spread of our libraries, as in the settlement of our country, to a degree not seen in older lands. Our libraries have been like our railroads. When we were poor and popu- lation was scanty, we built railways in the cheapest manner : two planks with a flat iron rail spiked along them, turning up every now and then to run through the bottom of the car, a tramway rather than a railroad. The Eng- lish traveler, seeing it, wondered and sneered ; but it was the only way in which we could build them, and so we opened up the country. Now that we have got riches from fhe terri- tory then reached, we have carried our railway system far ahead of any; we run palace cars across the desert. So our libraries, be- gun modestly a century ago, by making the most of a little and by the use of mother wit, have, with the schools, opened up a great country of intellect, have extended themselves more than anywhere else on the globe, have become a necessity at least wherever the New Englander goes and, the era of luxury having come, one finds them on the frontier, or what was lately the frontier, at Minneap- olis, at Denver, with all the perfections of material and personnel that the Library Bu- reau and the Library School can furnish. A century ago western libraries were founded with coon skins ; now they cross the prairies ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. side by side with the concrete sidewalk and the electric tramcar. Yet there is much still to desire. If com- mon sense is not uncommon in ordinary life, no more is blundering, because mankind mix with their judgment so much unreason from passion, from fashion, from prejudice, from thoughtlessness, from laziness, from habit. Even the most practical people fall into most irrational acts. As I came here I saw a coun- try house on a lake bank, where there was a lovely view. A barn was planted between the dwelling and the lake, the house turning its back upon the water and facing a cabbage field. Was this sensible ? Is it sensible to risk on&'s eyesight on the ill-printed news- paper in the vibrating car ? Is it sensible for a man to devote himself so closely to business that, when he has won the riches which au- thorize leisure, he has no health to enjoy it and no tastes which leisure can enable him to gratify? Is it sensible for men to "put an enemy in their mouths to steal away their brains ? " Is it sensible to waste months of the too short school life of 5,000,000 children in learning the vagaries of an irrational, inconsist- ent orthography ? Is it sensible there is no need to lengthen the list. Any one's observa- tion furnishes him examples enough of the unreason of sensible people. Now, let your memory run over the past management of your and your neighbor's libraries and see if there also you cannot pick out instances of equal blundering: a great sum spent on a building, and none left to buy [books ; book funds bequeathed, and nothing to run the library; a librarian appointed because he is cousin of the wife of the president of the board of trustees, or an old classmate, or a union soldier, or because he is secretary of the Young Men's Democratic (or Republican) Club ; a book rejected for religious or moral reasons, and the rejection made known in every newspaper in town ; a catalog, for economy's sake, prepared by cheap labor, so that the work has to be all done over again ; a new building made barely large enough to hold the books already belonging to the library; the reading-room, which should be the quiet- est place in the building, made so magnificent as to attract crowds of sightseers ; and so on, and so on. I cannot help regretting the amount of time that is wasted on statistics. They are inter- esting, but they are costly to prepare and to print, and I would rather see the time spent on making the library more useful. Statistics are like the notices, that we post : few persons read them, still fewer heed them; but we are obliged to post them lest we be asked, Why did you not tell me ? So we must have statistics, I suppose. There are per- sons who, like children, must pull up their plants to see if they are growing. And they want to know such details, how many bakers and how many candlestick makers use the library, what percentage of fiction and what percentage of theology is used, on what day in the year the most books were taken out and on what the fewest. Yes, it is all interesting; looks as if it ought to be useful ; is sometimes needed as a defence against the attacks of the unfriendly ; but one would like to know how often any practical measure is the result of the figures so laboriously got together. Per- haps it is enough that they sometimes prevent foolish measures being adopted. I am not objecting to temporary or to com- parative statistics. Often very important ques- tions in the management of a library can be settled by a little investigation; but when they are settled why continue to make the same investigation year after year ? For in- stance, a year or two ago, being annoyed by the assertions of certain impatient people that it took half an hour to get a book at the Athe- naeum, we kept a careful watch for some time. Leaving out half of our circulation, which comes from the room in which the delivery- desk is, and so takes too short a time to meas- ure, we found that the other half averaged three and three-fifths minutes per book. Hav- ing made the trial for two or three months and finding the figures always the same, we dropped the investigation. In some libraries, having been once begun, it would have been continued forever. Comparative statistics too, such tables as Miss Cutler and Mr. Crunden have added to the reports which they will read to you at this conference, such CUTTER. tables as ought to have been added to the last census report, are very useful. I have wished sometimes that I could see more wisdom in the employment of assistants. One hears not infrequently that a new library is to be opened in a city or town ; that the trustees have appointed a librarian of some experience, and assistants with no knowledge either of library work or of literature, and that they expect the librarian to buy a large stock of books, arrange it, catalog it, lay out his system of charging and the whole scheme of library work, in the mean time training these raw assistants, and to open the library in some incredibly short time three or four months, perhaps. Formerly one used to hear of a similar appointment of the librarian him- self some ex-editor or retired clergyman; but that folly is abandoned, at least in starting a library. I note also another improvement boards are beginning to hire a few graduates of the Library School for a while, to help set things going. But the time allowed by impa- tience, especially for training the untaught assistants, is likely still to be too short. In fact, there is not any one thing in library work in which less sense is shown than in fail- ure to allow enough time for difficult work, and in eagerness to have a thing done almost as soon as the resolution has been taken to do it. There is room for improvement in the ap- pointment of assistants. The librarian ought to.be given the entire appointment and dis- missal of his assistants, and to be held strictly responsible for their work. He is much bet- ter qualified to judge of what is wanted and what is done than any one can be who is not always on the spot. In the selection he must justify his privilege. He should remember that he cannot make a silk purse out of a sow's ear ; and he should not accept or should dismiss at once, not merely those whom he finds to be unfaithful shirks, but those whom he finds to be slow, stupid, clumsy, illiterate, especially illiterate. A man can hardly hand a book over a counter prop- erly, a boy cannot get a book well from the shelves, to whom it is no more than a block of wood. Common sense has much to do with the rules of a library and their execution. Where it prevails there is no red tape ; the rules are simple and elastic, designed only to secure equal rights to all, but to restrain no one of his liberty needlessly. Some rules must be as the laws of the Medes and Persians; they must never be relaxed in the least, because such is the pressure upon them that, if they are broken through at any one place, they will be swept away entirely. Such in my library are the rules that prohibit more than one of the " new " books being taken out at once by the same person, and impose a fine for keeping new books over time. Every one wants to violate them all the time. As long as it is understood that such rules are immutable and unrelenting, no one protests, and everything goes smoothly ; let the least sign of yielding appear, and there will be a clamorous crowd, claiming concessions as precedents. So when a boiler gives way but a little, all the water flashes into steam, and the stout iron flies in fragments far. But there are other rules that are made to be broken, or rather to be enforced only to restrain impudent encroachers; and others, again, that, while generally maintained, should be let down at times experience only can teach when, how far, and to what people. The object to be aimed at is to give the greatest assistance to all, to let each get as much out of the library as possible without interfering with its use by others. No written rules could ever bring this about ; nothing but the constant attention, thought, judgment, of a librarian, for it is hardly necessary to say that the power to relax rules should be in the hands of the librarian and of him alone. If it is intrusted, except very sparingly, to assistants, there can be no uniformity, and there is some danger of favoritism. It goes without saying that every librarian should be above all sus- picion of favoring any one. As librarian he has no dislikes, hatreds, jealousies ; he is of no sect in religion, of no party in politics ; he helps all alike, as the physician heals all alike. When he finds among his assistants one who is also impassionate and impartial, he may intrust him or her with the dispensing power. ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE, In the choice of books there is more oppor- tunity for the exercise of common sense and less room for the operation of definite rules than anywhere else in library management. The buyer who clearly sees what work the library should aim at doing, and follows out his course consistently ; who yet does not con- fine himself within too narrow limits, remem- bering that many men have many minds ; who is cautious in deciding, remembering that when he has bought a book he cannot buy another with the same money; who carefully con- siders the tastes and capabilities of his readers, knowing that even he who leads the horse to water cannot always make him drink ; who takes especial care to provide the books that are asked for, knowing that a borrower to-day is worth two in an uncertain future ; who con- sults the critical journals with the greatest care, and is always open to suggestions, be- cause two heads are better than one, will, if he has funds, get together a well-selected library or deserve the praise of having provided an excellent working collection ; and yet he shall not seldom find that a book which he rejected is one which some inquirer especially needs. Rules for buying one can hardly give, yet there are certain general principles. In litera- ture dulness is the unpardonable sin ; in science, inaccuracy ; and in those classes which are a combination of literature and science, like the historical, both dulness and untrust- worthiness disqualify, though neither alone would be sufficient cause for rejection, nor both together in all cases, for in books a great name covers a multitude of sins. Soundness or un- soundness of doctrine, whether in theology or philosophy, in the social or the natural sciences, is not to be considered by the buyer, even if he thinks himself competent to decide. The ability with which the views are main- tained, the fame which they have gained, are the points for him to regard. For the book which will mislead the reader there is an anti- dote in the book written on the other side ; but for the book which will send the reader to sleep there is no remedy. Of the causes for rejection I should say : Inaccuracy, evil in- tent, dullness; but the greatest of these is dullness. Even worthlessness is not always cause for rejection. A library that has money will often buy a book for the mere perversity of its argu- ment, the density of its ignorance, the extrava- gance of its style, for reasons like those which moved Augustus de Morgan in compiling his " Century of paradoxes." A great library should contain monuments of human folly as well as of human wisdom. If there is any question on which common sense gives no uncertain answer, it is in the admission of fiction to the public library. To many persons fiction is the only means possible of going into society, of meeting a variety of their fellow-men, of traveling, of living anything but the dullest and most monot- onous of lives. I should no sooner think of excluding fiction altogether from a library than of prohibiting tea and coffee. Both of those beverages do harm to certain constitu- tions, as fiction destroys the fibre of certain minds ; but to deprive the majority, who can safely use all three, of their enjoyment for the sake of the weak few, is not the American method. In a college library one may approach nearest this exclusion; for a stu- dent's reading should be mainly study, and his recreation should be out of doors. All the fiction in a college library ought to be classic, to be literature. Slip-shod English and flabby thought should be rigidly kept out. And some such rule may be usually followed in the public library to a limited extent. Exce.pt in the great cities, the public library is obliged to select its books ; it has not money enough to buy everything; why should it not select in some degree for literary merit ? Without believing in salvation by style, one may yet think that education in English is one of the functions of that supplementary school which we term library. Well-written books and well- thought books are not necessarily dull. No one calls " Treasure Island " dull. It could not be better written. That is a book of sensa- tional adventure ; but there are plenty of love stories, domestic stories, character novels, society novels, that have style, interest, move- ment, thoughts. Provide such liberally ; then, if the money holds out, and it seems necessary CUTTER. 5 to add the vulgarities of Optic and Alger and the twaddle of Mrs. South worth, do so spar- ingly. We are told that there is a call for these last authors that must be satisfied, and that a library which lacks them and their likes will be deserted. Undoubtedly there is a call, for they are prolific authors, occupying a great place in the catalog,- so that they continually meet the eyes of readers, and, moreover, they have merits. What we want is to substitute : first, some other story-tellers who have greater merits, who can tell as inter- esting stories better, and with a better moral, and next to substitute in part some higher class of reading that shall give more informa- tion and exercise the mind more. Something can be done, as I here said, by having a plen- tiful supply of good reading, all interesting, and a scanty supply of reading that is not so good. More can be done by judicious sugges- tion, when advice is sought, or when all the books asked for are out, the greatest care being taken to recommend books that will be sure to be liked, avoiding a dull book like poison. We have been told lately that sug- gestions will be resented as impertinence ; that depends on how they are made. And it has been said that in a busy library there is no time for such work. True, that is one of the advantages of a small town and a small library but, but, but, almost every- where there is a chance to get in a little of this influence ; and when library committees, and the public that is behind library committees, wake up to the perception that in this supple- mentary public school which we call public library, it is their duty to* provide teachers as well as text-books, the attendants in the deliv- ery-room need not all be merely animated machines, with no higher ambition than to pass over the counter 300 volumes an hour. If there are several attendants, one at least will be competent to give advice; if there is only one, he will have been chosen because he had some knowledge of books and of human nature. Let no one imagine, by the way, that this attendant whom in library matters we might call the Adviser or Suggester will have an easy time, or that a successful adviser can be found everywhere. His or her qualification is tact, tact, tact, first, last, and all the time, quite as much as book knowledge. Both would grow with practice. Two other quali- ties the suggester needs enthusiasm and unfailing patience. The committee, too, must have hope and faith, for statistics are silent here, giving scanty indication of the work that is done. They may indeed show that there is a fractional percentage less of fiction and more of history borrowed, but, as usually kept, they will not indicate that good fiction is read where bad fiction was read before ; they do not indi- cate if the novels taken are read with a pur- pose or not, with the mind open or shut, if they are devoured at the rate of one a day, or as by the young people's society I knew of where " Romola " was gone through one winter and the " Tale of two cities" another, with photo- graphs and guide books and consultation of histories and discussions of character. The effect of such stories read in such a way might justify Sir John Herschel in regarding " the novel in its best form as one of the most pow- erful engines of civilization," or prompt the Bishop of Ripon's glowing eulogy on the usefulness of fiction. A librarian ordinarily collects pamphlets as unhesitatingly as the little dog runs out and barks at the passing buggy. The dog could not give any reason for it, but all his ancestors have done it, all the curs of his acquaintance do it, and he has done so himself from his earliest recollection. Certainly pamphlets are often good to have, but not all pamphlets are good for all libraries. The historical society should not store up the medical tracts, but send them to the medical library, and that, in turn, will send its legal or scientific tracts having no bearing on medicine to the law and scientific libraries. Even a general library may well hesitate to swell its cataloging ex- penses, and crowd its shelves with many classes of pamphlets. How great is the prob- ability of an old report of a charitable society in a distant city ever being of use ? Of course it may be, but is the chance great enough to justify spending on it money needed for other objects? But on the other hand, every town library must collect exhaustively and preserve tenaciously every book, pamphlet, map, plac- ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. ard, poster, every scrap of written or printed matter relating to that town and less exhaus- tively to the neighboring towns. A broad distinction may be drawn between purchasing and accepting gifts. A gift will not infringe upon the book funds. Still, it must not be forgotten that it depletes the general funds. It costs money to collate, to plate, to enter, to acknowledge, to catalog, to classify, to house, and to take care of a book. Year after year it must be dusted, and its title or number read in the annual ex- amination ; it occupies part of the shelf- room in a costly building, and hastens the time when the inevitable extension must be built. It is a very costly thing. A library committee may well think that they cannot afford to take in certain classes of books, the greater part of public docu- ments, old school books, perhaps old medi- cine, law, physical science. On the other hand, no librarian would be a very efficient member of a rejecting or a weeding commit- tee. He so often finds a book that has slum- bered on the shelves for years to be just the one that satisfies an out-of-the-way inquiry, so often hears a reader regret that the library lacks some book which he never would have thought of buying, so often finds the pam- phlet which is rubbish to him gold to another man, that he can with difficulty bring himself to give up anything. What delightful literary use Dr. Holmes has made of old writers whose advice, if followed medically, would have killed all his patients ! In fact, there is no book that may not at some time become useful. For which reason I find myself very much out of sympathy with those who are talking of late of the enormous growth of literature and libraries, who profess to fear that the public library will in time occupy the whole site of the city, who talk of weeding out and of holocausts. Books should not be destroyed. There ought to be great libraries in many parts of the country to which the smaller libraries might send books which they could not afford to keep, where every book received should be religiously preserved, where one could go with a reasonable expec- tation of finding anything one wants; as one goes to the British Museum and the Bodleian, and the national libraries of each European country. The Library of Congress and the Bos- ton Public Library are beginning to approach that character. They are not enough for a country as large as ours ; there should be more. But every little town library cannot play the rdle of British Museum. Division of labor is necessary. Let each have its spe- cialty, and universality be the specialty of only a few. A catalog is a very costly thing to make, and reforming trustees are often tempted to give it up or to scrimp it; but common sense teaches that, having once sunk money in a building and a store of books, it is poor econ- omy not to go to that additional expense which will double their usefulness. Classifi- cation, too, cannot be made for nothing; but common sense teaches that at least in those libraries in which the public goes to the shelves, an arrangement will really pay for it- self which helps the public to help themselves, and lessens the calls on the attendants. When the public come only to the gate and books are handed out over a counter, the matter is more doubtful ; but surely the fact that almost every public librarian has classi- fied his books and continues to classify them, is sufficient answer to the few doubters who, like Mr. Magnusson, think that the best thing to do with a new book is to put it on the shelf by the side of the book that came in just before it. Again, when a library is founded or when a somnolent librarygets into the hands of a new and progressive board of trustees, the first thing that is talked of is a printed cata- log. Now, a small, rapidly growing library will be wise to print a very modest catalog at first. Let it be well planned, the better planned the better, because then new editions can be issued on the same lines ; but let it be short, a finding-list rather than a catalog, because before it has been out long so many new books will have been added that it will be useless and have to be reprinted. A finding- list, however, if it is made with gumption, can be very useful. It can be packed full of sug- CUTTER. gestions ; the very fact that it makes no pre- tensions to style enables its maker to crowd information into it without occupying an amount of room that would alarm the eco- nomical. In what may be called the technique of cat- aloging there are several doubtful questions, and I have my doubts whether common sense has always been sufficiently consulted in the formation of the generally accepted rules ; or perhaps I should say, whether rules adopted by the highest authority for a library of the size and character of the British Museum are adapted to the needs of every town library. I can only glance at a few points. Cataloging-rule makers have always shown a tendency to seek what was easiest for the cataloger, as if it were for him that the cata- log is made, and not for the public. If the object of the catalog is to enable the public to find books quickly, surely entries should be made under the name by which the author is most known, whether that be his real name or not ; hence entry under a steadily used pseu- donym (as Mark Twain), under the maiden name of a woman till her married name is fully established, under a British nobleman's title by which he is always known (not under his family name, by which he is not known) is dictated by common sense. Of course this gives more trouble to the cataloger, and makes him sometimes inconsistent; but, as it certainly saves trouble to everybody else, and as the majority of the public do not care any- thing for consistency, it is the best practice. On the other hand, the cataloger, in his am- bition to produce a fine piece of work, will spend hours in hunting up full names which when found are of very little use, if of any, to the public. Understand me, in a large li- brary, with numerous entries, author's names must be carefully distinguished or serious errors will result; but the town librarian, with ten or twenty thousand volumes, need not give every name in full, as if he were prepar- ing a biographical dictionary. So in the early ages of cataloging in this country it was thought a fine thing to put in a brief sketch of each author and, no doubt, it did good to the few who read the sketches ; but to the majority such things are as if they were not ; and it has long been seen that the cost of preparation and printing was practically thrown away, and that those who want such information can best be sent to books of ref- erence. Even in large catalogs, though of course one must take much pains to get names correctly and fully, I doubt the expedi- ency in some cases of letting the unused extra name determine the arrangement. I should enter Bret Harte as Harte, Bret, not as Harte, Francis Bret; in the same way I should make main entries under Collins, Wilkie ; Dobson, Austin; Haggard, Rider; with references only under the full names : Collins, W: Wil- kie; Dobson, H: Austin; Haggard, H: Rider. In classification, too, common sense has many a word to say. It does not strike me as a very sensible proceeding to classify books on the shelves systematically, and then to classify them in the catalog on the same system, making the catalog only a glorified shelf-list, when one might get another kind of information by arranging the catalog differ- ently, in alphabetical subject order, for in- stance. It does not seem to me sensible to divide a very small library into very numerous subdivisions, requiring very long class marks, or to use in any library, large or small, divi- sions which are not so well defined as to be easily applied by the classifier and easily un- derstood and used by the public. Still less does it seem reasonable to me to divide a growing library as if it were always to remain of its present size, and to apply to it a system which is incapable of expansion and further subdivision. It does not seem to me sensible .to give up classification altogether, or even to give up minute classification because of its difficulties. They have been greatly exaggerated. The truth is that nine tenths of the books in a library treat of very limited, well-defined sub- jects, and so are easy to classify on any sys- tem any reasonably good system; conse- quently they are easy to find on any system, and their classification is useful. The rest are troublesome ; they have n't any very de- cided subject, or they extend over two or three 8 ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. subjects, or they contain several works bound together, or they treat the matter so that dif- ferent classers would put them in different places, and if they are put in one place they disappoint spmebody who would like to have them in another. I admit all this, but I say that this only applies to a small minority of books, and that the gain from thoroughly classing the large majority which lend them- selves to classification far overbalances the harm that may come from the few refractory ones. In classification there has been a great con- troversy between the minute and systematic classifiers and the rough and ready classifiers. As I have been in the fight, it may not be becoming in me to assert on which side com- mon sense stands. But at least I may claim that there is a certain plausibility in the fol- lowing propositions : It takes time and costs brainwork to divide books minutely. It is not worth while to divide books more minutely than is needed for finding readily those which treat of each subject. When the subjects are distinct and gener- ally recognized, setting each off by itself gives much more help than when they are vague and ill-defined. Therefore the sciences dealing with con- crete matters lend themselves to minute sub- division much better than the abstract sciences like philosophy. Libraries used by the learned can profitably be much more subdivided than those used by the ignorant, who would not understand even the names of the divisions. When libraries are used by the ignorant and learned together, like college libraries, we must remember that the ignorant, especially if young, can be instructed. Libraries that have many books must be more divided than those that have few. Libraries that are going to have more books need to plan their classification with a view to enlargement as much as their building. These statements seem to me reasonably certain, and the practical result to which they lead is this: to secure the best results and greatest economy, a system of classification and notation should be contrived that in its simplicity and intelligibility will suit a very small library, the divisions being broad, well- known subjects, and only a few subdivisions being made here and there of subjects on which the number of books is sure to be great, as fiction in literature; and yet these divisions and subdivisions should be parts of a great scheme that would suit a very large library, so that when the library grows and the different subjects increase as they always will irregularly, each can be sub- divided when its time comes without disturb- ing any of the others and upon a plan prepared at the very beginning. This I believe to be more in accordance with common sense than to divide a little library with a minuteness that would suit the largest, or to consider a classification as a suit of clothes that must be entirely abandoned when the boy gets too large for them. The classification that I would have is the tree's bark that grows with it. I have praised common sense. But the librarian is no worse if he combines with it some grains of imagination and sentiment ; if he is one whom the vast bookrooms of the great European libraries would strike dumb ; if he feels an indescribable pleasure in hang- ing over an old manuscript or one of the works of the first printers, with its sturdy paper and honest ink, black as when first struck off, and its curiously irregular lines of type ; if he prefers a quaint old binding to a necklace of jewels ; if the odor of a case of books just come from abroad more delights him than a garden of flowers; if to him his library is the pleasantest place on earth, and his work there the most engrossing, the most satisfactory, that he can imagine ; if every detail is to him of pressing importance, and he longs to perfect every part as the poet polishes his verses, and the painter retouches his can- vas ; if, as he answers the innumerable ques- tions of the ignorant and the learned he fancies himself like the guide on the Alps, the pilot in the harbor, the equal of the teach- ers in the schools, the professors in the col- leges, yes, of the pastors in their parishes. All of these delusions if delusions they are will not harm him, for they are not incon- sistent with common sense. For some introductory remarks, see PROCEEDINGS (First session). FLETCHER. SOME LIBRARY SUPERSTITIONS. BY W. I. FLETCHER, LIBRARIAN OF AMHERST COLLEGE. /^vUR President has reminded us that any ^"^ discussion of a subject should begin with definition. What, then, do I mean by "superstitions?" I find the dictionaries too strict in their definitions, the word being con- fined by them almost wholly to religious applications. I must, therefore, make a defi- nition for myself; and I will ask you to let me call a superstition any idea or notion which is held as a matter of belief, and which is based on authority and accepted without reason, or the application to it of that ground principle in all good work common sense. I have so often found myself in the position of a conservative as against many of the notions which have prevailed among libra- rians in recent years, that I take special pleasure at this time and in this live Western atmosphere, in attempting a little iconoclastic work. Because I desire beyond all else to be reasonable, I will go full length with any one against the twin irrationalities of an undue reverence for the ancient and an overweening ardor for novelties. I look back upon the progress that has been made in adapting libraries and library methods to modern de- mands and circumstances with a profound sense of satisfaction and a high appreciation of the labors of those who have been leaders and pioneers in this movement. But I am a believer in evolution, rather than revolution, and when I compare the fruits of the two processes I find my faith justified. The library is an old institution. Our good brother Richardson, whom we all miss to-day, has a lecture on " Libraries before the Flood," in which, with the great erudition so charac- teristic of all he undertakes, he arrays the testimony of numerous writers of that early period, and makes a remarkable exhibit of the bibliothecal advantages possessed by the antediluvians. But whether or no it is to be believed that the waters which floated Noah's ark destroyed libraries as extensive and as valuable as the famed one of Alexandria which fell a prey to the opposite element of fire, there can be little doubt that in Ur of the Chaldees, while Abraham sojourned there, books were plenty and libraries flourished. The father of the faithful may well be supposed to have had a well-selected private library among the effects which he took with him when he went out to found a new nation. Since the researches of George Smith and others in the valleys of the Euphrates and the Tigris have unearthed the remains of those Accad libraries of baked clay tablets, the different books being stated by their makers to be copies of then ancient works handed down by former generations, the marvel of supposed accurate oral transmission through centuries of the most ancient records of our race has given way to the less incredible, but not less interesting, theory of a succession of documents, going back to the very fountains of the history of man. If such be the age of the library as an institution, what wonder if, like other ancient establishments, it has become well encrusted with superstitions, or that some of these have become so firmly fixed in the very warp and woof of the fabric that they seem a part of it, and cling with the utmost tenacity even in the broad light of to-day ? To begin with the enumeration of them, we will ask what notions with regard to library buildings may justly be considered as super- stitions. In the first place, there 's the sacred Style of architecture, with its lofty and capa- cious interior, into which a chastened light feebly struggles from narrow windows pierc- ing thick walls or from a few skylights in the roof. In the presence of American librarians of to-day, this superstition need not be dwelt upon. It is for us a thing of the past. But who can tell how many of us may yet be called upon (as was one of our number within the year) to try to administer a modern 10 ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. library in a magnificent new building erected on this old conventional plan ? Just so often and so far as we can, it devolves upon us to denounce this superstition, and endeavor to create a sentiment with regard to it which shall reach and affect the building commit- tees and architects who will yet be erecting libraries with one thought of the present and future and ten thoughts of the past. But while speaking of library buildings, I wish to indicate two other notions quite prevalent about them which, while not old, seem to me to be properly but superstitions. First, that of excessive regard for fire-proof- ness. Books, pamphlets, and papers are inflam- mable to a high degree ; and, while they are not rapidly consumed by fire, their backs, as exposed in a library, shelf above shelf, offer a ready food to the devouring element. This being so, there is but little security against a library's destruction by fire in metal shelves or uprights. Should fire once take in an iron stack of several stories in height, with per- forated floors, I fear it would spread as quickly, and do as much damage, to say the least, as in a lower room with wooden shelv- ing. It is conceded that the iron uprights are much more expensive than wooden ones of equal or at least sufficient strength. But the iron ones give an appearance of security against fire, and are often lauded on this account. This I call a modern superstition in library architecture. A library building ought to be fire-proof in so far as the struct- ure of the building itself is concerned. But the book-shelving, being a mere shell filled with combustible material, can gain little, if anything, from being itself incombustible, especially, as in case of a hot fire, as much damage may result from its warping as from the burning of wooden shelving, or even -more. The second modern superstition to which I wish to refer as connected with library archi- tecture is the idea of making available for book-storage every perpendicular foot in the building. Certain librarians and architects have fallen a prey to this superstition, and seem to have become infatuated with it. It is the great central idea of the stack system. But it is not well grounded in reason. Why are not other kinds of buildings amenable to this principle ? For instance, why does not a factory building fifty feet high to the eaves have seven floors ? or a dwelling-house have only seven and a half feet between joists ? Simply because the gain in such a method of construction would be more than offset by the loss. Higher rooms mean better light and air. Nor does the perforated floor make much difference. One defect about the stack system has lately forced itself upon my atten- tion as it had not before. The roof light, when it has gone down two or three stories, disappears, and greatly to the relief of him who finds that the roof heat is also tempered as he descends. From this point down, lat- eral light must be depended on, and the at- tempt to force this side light into the interior of a library between floors seven and one-half feet apart means the employment of large win- dows and the admission of light and sunshine to an extent which is excessive near the walls. Books, especially the bindings, but also the paper, suffer from this excessive sunlight and sunshine to a very considerable extent. In short, the stack system is a strained effort (and an uncalled-for one, because where land is expensive elevators may be made to mul- tiply the size of the lot to meet any reason- able requirement) to carry out against common sense and reason this mere notion (supersti- tion, I call it) of "every perpendicular foot occupied." Not to dwell longer on superstitions con- nected with library buildings, I will mention some of a different class. First, there 's the idea that a library must not part with any- thing which has once formed a part of its col- lections unless it be a duplicate. I dare say I shall here run counter to the feelings of many of my brethren, but I must maintain that there is an apparent lack of reasonable- ness about this notion of the sacredness of everything once in the library, so that it would be a sort of sacrilege to part with it. Looking into the near future, are we not led to the conclusion that our libraries must come to the point of a healthy sloughing off of the outgrown and obsolete accretions of the past, FLETCHER. ti to make room for the constant addition of that which is vital for the present and the future? One other thing is pressing upon us in the East, where considerable libraries are grow- ing up in almost every town, and that is the necessity and advantage of a differentiation of libraries, one following out one line of development and another a different one, and all helping one another instead of being engaged in a short-sighted rivalry. With the acceptance of these two ideas, that of keeping down the size of a library by getting rid of that which is useless and obsolete, and that of a harmonious and mu- tually helpful differentiation of libraries, comes in necessarily the abandonment of the old rigid rule of " Get all you can, and keep all you get," which seems to have prevailed hitherto, and which I do not hesitate to stigmatize as a superstition. I confess I have not yet seen indications of any decided escape from this superstition on the part of those having libraries in charge, but I expect to see them in the future. Reason will pre- vail here as elsewhere. Right in this connection we come naturally to another superstition ; namely, that of ex- changing duplicates. We have had a great deal of talk about this matter of exchanging duplicates, and one proposition after another for a "clearing-house for duplicates." I have become satisfied that the best clearing-house for duplicates possible already exists in the form of the auction-room. And the only reason we have not all taken advantage *of it is this mere superstition that a library ought not to sell for money what it may have to dispose of, but must exchange it for an equivalent. Now one of the greatest diffi- culties about an exchange is the fixing of prices. Whoever has tried it must have felt that he was put in a difficult and trying position. It is conducting a matter of trade outside of ordinary methods of trade. Prices on goods are supposed to have a. definite relation to market value, as fixed by manu- facturer or established by competition. But a great many library duplicates are not cur- rent in the market, so as to have any estab- lished price; and for all such there is but one fair way to set a price, and that is to submit them to competition. This the auc- tion-room does effectively, economically, and equitably, and at the saving to the librarian of the immense labor involved in negotiating exchanges for any considerable number of volumes. Another superstition is the worship of dec- imals. I had the pleasure formerly of the acquaintance of an army engineer, General T. G. Ellis, who was a decided and earnest opponent of the metric system. I recollect a conversation in which he said that one of the great difficulties in the way of the progress of civilization was that the primitive man counted his thumbs. Had he only stuck to a truly digital system, we should have had a perfect method of reckoning. But as he was so un- wise as to bring in the thumbs, we are saddled with a system of tens, in which a larger unit can be divided by two only once without a fraction. By the octal system three such divisions give us the lower unit and no frac- tion. The issue of the conflict between the artificial, system of tenths and the natural one of halfs, quarters, and eighths, who can tell ? At any rate, Mr. Dewey will tell you this is a very hackneyed and puerile argument against the metric system. It is not presented here with the view of running amuck against that system, but simply as illustrative. Perhaps we may be allowed to remark that no interest of modern civilization would have been more the gainer, had our early ancestors not counted their thumbs, than the one we represent. Since the days of Dr. N. B. Shurtleff, and his book on the decimal system as applied to libraries, we have been afflicted with a suc- cession of efforts to run libraries on that sys- tem. Ten has been the sacred number with many librarians, as seven was with some ancient nations. There is something fasci- nating about the decimal system, it must be admitted; but it is when one is scheming on paper that this fascination is most strongly felt. In actual work a revolt against its arti- ficiality almost inevitably sets in. By Dr. Shurtleff's method each range of book shelves was regarded as having ten shelves, each alcove ten ranges, and a room was naturally 12 ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. to be so arranged as to have ten alcoves. The day of alcoves has pretty well gone by, and with it the high ranges of shelves, as well as the whole idea of numbering shelves as furnishing a notation for the books. Driven out of this stronghold, the decimal system has entrenched itself in classification ; and, just as one generation was captivated by the beauty of the former decimal system, the next has been largely carried away with the charms of this, its later application. But it is hardly rash now to predict that the system will not stand the test of practical use longer in the classification field than it has in the shelf arrangement. Perhaps I have suffi- ciently paid my respects to the matter of classification, of late, in the columns of the Library journal, and I will not dwell on it at this time. One more superstition I have noted, and that is the catalogue cult. I find that I have put myself on record on both sides in regard to cataloguing. I have sometimes placed emphasis on cataloguing as the one means of making a library available, as opposed to classification. Again, I have made light of the value of catalogues, as set over against bibliographical helps. I should like now to harmonize these two expressions, if I may. And I would do so by saying that I heartily believe in catalogues as the one means of guidance to books; but at the same time I am coming to place less and less stress upon the cataloguing of the individual library, and more on catalogues in the wider sense, including and referring mainly to printed catalogues and bibliographies, which may be made avail- able, in lieu of elaborate cataloguing of the individual library. What I would point out, as the current superstition on this subject, is the idea that each individual library should have its very complete catalogue, and that a catalogue can be made which will be a suffi- cient guide to readers. I think that many of you must have had some of the same experi- ence that has often come to me of late years, when I have found the great inferiority of the references in our own subject catalogue on some topic to the list published somewhere as a bibliography of the subject. Such experiences must lead to a certain loss of interest in the effort to make a subject catalogue full and complete, and also to a desire to make the fullest use possible of such reference lists and bibliographies as we have or can get. And further than this, the idea is impressed upon us that any and all catalogues or bibliographies whatever fall far short of furnishing the guidance that readers want. I quote a striking passage from the late annual report of Mr. Foster, of Providence, on this point. He introduces it in connection with an interesting showing of the great number and variety of questions asked by persons who have consulted his library. Referring to these questions, he says: " If we analyze them, we find that an ex- traordinarily large percentage of them will not be answered by consulting even the most elaborate of the ordinary type of library catalogues." There is nothing new to us in all this. It is the same ground gone over pretty com- pletely by Mr. Green several years ago in his paper on " Personal Relations between Libra- rians and Readers." I only refer to it as cumulative testimony to the truth that im- plicit dependence cannot be placed on cata- logues as guides, and to support my warning against that superstitious regard for the cata- logue idea, which will lead to the devotion to elaborate features of this work of time and expense better put to other uses. I have gone hastily over this ground, which is somewhat hackneyed, simply for the pur- pose of indicating that in all departments of our work we need to be on our guard against the growth of such sentiments or ideas as maybe classed as superstitious and unreason- ing, based on a mistaken apprehension of the value of things, either venerable for age and general repute, or coming to us as novelties in such a captivating garb that we accept them without bringing them to the bar of good sense and rationality. " Prove all things, hold fast to that which is good," is a good motto for the modern librarian, as for the worker in any department. PATTON. I have referred thus far only to supersti- tions liable to be held inside libraries, by librarians and library officers. I had thought of devoting a few moments to the matter of superstitions about libraries held by outsiders. But time is short, and I will only name two of them and have done. 1. Librarians have nothing to do but to read the books. 2. Anybody can make a catalogue. For discussion, see PROCEEDINGS (First session). ARCHITECTS AND LIBRARIANS. BY NORMAND S. PATTON, OF CHICAGO. T SEE that I am announced to read a paper on " Library Architecture," but I pro- pose to speak rather of those who make library architecture architects and libra- rians. What have architects to do with librarians ? Why should librarians be inter- ested in architects ? It is these questions that I propose to answer. In general it is the architects that make architecture ; and the interest which has been manifested by librarians in the architecture of the buildings in which they labor is a sufficient excuse for the introduction of this topic to your attention. Few people who have not had experience in building for themselves have any accurate idea of what is done in an architect's office. The architect makes a picture of the outside of the building, and is mainly responsible for its good looks; so much is recognized by the public, who often look upon the architect as an artist, and, like other artists, as an im- practical sort of a fellow, who makes a repu- tation for himself and a handsome house for his client at the expense of the latter in more ways than one. This picture may be true in some instances, but is not a fair type of the profession as it stands to-day. There are people called " librarians " whose knowledge of books ex- tends no farther than the taking from the shelf and putting back again. There are so-called "architects" whose knowledge of architecture is one-sided and deficient; but, in selecting a type of the profession, it is but fair to take the working of a first-class office. Here we find that careful study has been given to the arrangement of rooms, halls, and stairs. That long before the exterior is designed, numerous sketches of the floor plans have been made from which to select the most convenient and economical. Calcu- lations are made of the strength of beams and columns. The foundations are laid out with great care, so as to be proportioned to the weight upon them. The heating, lighting, and ventilation are studied as essential parts of the design. In fact, the whole building is built on paper to the minutest detail, and specifications are prepared which describe the work to be done with such accuracy, that when it is divided among a dozen contractors there is no interference between the various trades, nor is anything omitted. The proper thickness of walls, the kind of cement to be used, the depth and width of the foundations, are decided by the architect and not by the mason. The size of timbers and methods of framing the roof trusses are not left to the discretion of the carpenter, but are calculated by the architect and prescribed by the drawings. If there are any mistakes in the design, they are likely to be copied in the building. If the contractor makes the building as good as the design calls for, he is doing all that is expected of him, and it would be a fatal optimism to count upon his improv- ing upon the copy set him. The whole construction, arrangement, and design of a building are thus almost entirely dependent upon the architect, who must be master, not only of his profession in general, but of the requirements in particular of each kind of structure he is called upon to erect. But there is one thing that is not in the province of the architect to do : An architect is not, or at least should not be expected to furnish the idea for a building. The planning of a building is in the nature 57: LOUIS CONFERENCE. of a problem to be solved. Certain conditions and requirements are laid down, and it is the duty of the architect to meet them ; but it is the business of the owner, and not of -the architect, to decide upon these requirements. An architect is employed by an owner to assist him in building a house or other structure. The owner says what he wishes done, and the architect decides how the owner's wishes are to be accomplished. It is not so important that an architect shall have great originality as that he shall have a quick and delicate perception of the wants, the aspirations, and the limitations of his client. If I am planning a house for a gentleman of wealth I must be able, in imagi- nation, to put myself in his place. For the time being I must be a gentleman of wealth, and appropriate the suggestions of my client as expressing my own wants, and arrange the house accordingly. When the work is complete, I must check the correctness of my imagination by submit- ting the plans to my client. If I have read his character aright and developed his ideas properly, he is pleased. In like manner I must catch the particular wants and prefer- ences of the other members of the household. So with buildings of other kinds, the archi- tect is supplied with certain definite condi- tions to fulfil. Those who are to occupy have, very properly, something to say about the provisions made for them. The architect builds for others, and he must satisfy their wants; and his skill lies in his appreciation of those wants, and the adaptation of the build- ing to meet them. Many structures are complex in their uses, and occupied by different classes of people. The architect must meet the requirements of all the occupants, or his work will not be a complete success. It is not enough to provide for those who use the parlor, and forget the kitchen. This is the workshop of the house, and the comfort of the whole family is concerned in its proper arrangement. It would be a singular mistake to plan a church and forget the convenience of the minister; and yet many a library has been planned, and apparently the librarian has been left out of the calculation. Why should the latter omission be more common than the former? Because, in the first place, the minister is on hand when the plans are prepared, and his opinion is given great weight ; while, in the case of a library, frequently there is no librarian selected until after the building is completed. If all the consultations for the building of a house should be held with the head of the family while his "better-half" is absent, there is great danger that the closets may be too few and too small, and that other domestic arrangements may not be quite in the line of feminine ideas. A library cannot be arranged properly unless the librarian has an important if not a controlling part. There are two parties to be provided for in a library building the public who patronize the institution and the administrators who procure and arrange the books and give them out. No library is perfect that does not pro- vide for the convenience and comfort of both of these parties. In the old-style building the public was cared for, and the librarian and his assistants left to make the best they could out of the premises ; and yet there are strong reasons why the librarian should receive the first and principal attention from the archi- tect, for he spends his life in the library, and an extra step in reaching a book is multiplied many times a day, while on the part of the public there are few who have occasion to enter a library many days in the week, or to stay more than a few minutes at any one time. Why is it that the librarians have had so little influence on library architecture, that so great an architect as Richardson should have gone on designing museums, and calling them libraries ? In a museum the public does its own walking, and the shelves and cases may be arranged in alcoves or galleries, according to the fancy of the architect. There is a charm in wandering about and finding odd specimens in odd corners, and the burden of climbing stairs is sufficiently distributed not to be oppressive to any one. A college library, in which the students are PATTON. allowed to take books from the shelves, may be arranged on the museum plan ; but, in a public library, where all the books must be brought to one central desk, it is so evident that the convenience of the librarian is of the first importance that we naturally raise the question, Why has the librarian been so slow in asserting his rights ? The main reason has already been alluded to. He cannot assert himself when he is not there, and when he arrives it is too late. A gentleman of wealth makes a gift for a public library in a town where none has existed before. There will be no library and no librarian until after the completion of the building. In some cases there is a small library, housed, perhaps, in a room that was built for a store or office, and the limited demands for books are easily met by an attendant whose opinions on the subject of library buildings would hardly be worth the asking. Some enterprising citizen starts a subscription, and then comes a new building, new books, and, to crown the achievement, a new librarian, a real librarian this time, a member of the A. L. A., who enters upon his work with enthusiasm, only to find that in the new building everybody's comfort has been provided for except his own. Thus it happens that the librarians, singly, have often no chance to control the arrange- ment of the building which they are to occupy. In recent years the librarians have com- bined to assert their rights in a manner to attract the notice of the public. My own attention was first called to library arrange- ment by reading an article by Mr. Poole, of Chicago; so that when some five years ago I received an unexpected order to make designs for a library, my first act was to hunt up that article, and then to follow up the sub- sequent literature on the subject. The dis- cussions of this Association cannot fail to have a more and more powerful influence upon the architects who are called upon to plan library buildings. When it is seen that the librarians of the country are in substantial agreement upon the main points of arrange- ment, architects and committees will not dare to ignore their opinions. A result of the increase of library building will be the development of library specialists among the architects. When an architect is employed who has such an acquaintance with librarians and their wants that he can see with their eyes, and present their view of the sub- ject, then- it will matter less whether a libra- rian be present or not when plans are prepared. If any one is disappointed because I have not told how a library should be arranged, I can only reply that I came here to ask that- question rather than to answer it. I have started out to make a study of library buildings from a librarian's standpoint, and I hope to learn something from this con- vention. My own contribution to the subject is in the shape of the working drawings for the Hackley Public Library, now building at Muskegon, Mich. The description of this building has already been published, and I will not take your time farther than to say that, in the arrangement of the plan, conven- ience of administration has been a ruling factor. It has been planned with special ref- erence to the ideas advanced by members of this Association, and therefore it is a matter of no small interest to the designers to know how far the arrangement meets with your approval. Although the librarian has been given his proper position in the consideration of these plans, the architects have not forgotten the demands of the public. The interior of such a building must present a somewhat imposing effect, in order to gain the popular verdict. The book, reading, and delivery rooms are here given a proper degree of separation, and yet the public has an opportunity to see the books and have its appetite whetted by a glimpse at the amplitude of the collection. The whole building being fire-proof, there is no need of a solid wall between the book and delivery rooms, and therefore large arches have been introduced between the two to make a vista the entire length of the building. With this much by way of preface, I com- mit the plans to the tender mercies of your criticism, with the assurance that whatever shortcomings you may find will be corrected "in our next." 2^" For Mr. Pattern's prefatory remarks, see PROCEEDINGS (Second session). i6 57: LOUIS CONFERENCE. REPORT ON LIBRARY ARCHITECTURE. BY ADDISON VAN NAME, LIBRARIAN OF YALE UNIVERSITY. T N the successive reports on new library buildings made to the Association there will be, of necessity, some overlapping. It will seldom happen, in the case of the larger buildings at least, that the planning and the completion both fall within the limits of the same report. No exact parallel can therefore be drawn between the statistics of the twenty months since the date of our last meeting and the two years covered by the preceding report of Mr. Larned. The general result is, however, clear. There has been no falling off, but rather a gain in the number and im- portance of the new buildings undertaken. As an index of library progress, both in the direction of new libraries established and of enlarged provision for older libraries which had outgrown their limits, the survey, which includes fifty-five buildings completed or un- der construction and nine more soon to be commenced, is full of encouragement. The total cost will be not less than $10,000,000. Of this sum, it is true, nearly three fourths will be absorbed by two buildings of excep- tional magnitude, the Congressional and Bos- ton Public libraries, the expenditure for which will naturally, be distributed over several years. But the remaining sum is still large, and it is a most noteworthy fact that at least four fifths of it, or more than $2,000,000, comes from gifts. Of the buildings for public libra- ries, properly so called, only four, *'. e. about one in ten, are erected at public expense. Of the whole number reported, not less than forty- two are the gifts of single donors. Nobler uses for the employment of wealth than the establishment and endowment of libraries are not easy to find, and we may safely predict that the current which is so strongly setting in this direction will gain in strength year by year. In the geographical distribution twenty- three States are represented. Massachusetts, already far in advance of the others, leads with twelve, and New York, Pennsylvania, and Connecticut follow with about half that number. Aside from the increase in number, in at least two important points there has been an advance also in the character of the buildings. It is now coming to be the rule, rather than the exception, that the new buildings which are to hold our larger and more valuable libraries, or those plainly destined to become large and valuable, shall be of fire-proof con- struction. Thirteen of the buildings included in the present report are of this character, and three more have fire-proof bookrooms. In an article on " Slow-Burning Construction " in the Century for February, 1889, Mr. Edward Atkinson states that in the year 1887, accord- ing to the tables compiled by the Chronicle of New York, there were burned within the limits of the United States 126 college build- ings and libraries. Our older library build- ings are, with very few exceptions, of the ordinary combustible construction, and the danger to which their contents are exposed is of a serious character. It is a point not enough considered by the builders of libra- ries that, apart from the value of fire-proof con- struction in increasing the security of the library, it will have no small influence in draw- ing valuable gifts of books and manuscripts which otherwise might not be entrusted to its keeping. If we regard the increased cost as a premium paid for insurance, there is a fair probability that it will be more than returned in dividends. In the enlarged capacity, no less than in the increased security of the new buildings, our library construction is taking on a more per- manent character. The present rate of library growth requires a far larger provision for the demands of the future than would have been thought sufficient only a few years ago. We are meeting this in part by larger buildings, some of which are planned wijJi a view to still further enlargement in the future, and in part by improved methods of arrangement which VAN NAME. greatly economize the space. The alcove plan, though attractive, is wasteful and suited only to collections of a very moderate size. For our larger libraries but two methods ap- pear to meet the conditions of the problem and to unite compactness withlhe other advan- tages sought, the stack in some one of its various forms and Mr. Poole's plan of separate floors, the shelving being in both cases of the same height, about seven and one-half feet. The former uses the whole of the perpendicu- lar height for books, the latter only the lower half of each story, reserving the other half for light and air. This at first sight not only seems wasteful, but appears also to involve double the amount of climbing. The stack, however, is necessarily narrower than the sep- arate floors, which, having better light, admit of greater width, so that two floors will hold as many books as three tiers of stack and necessitate not a foot more of climbing. Where the stack is carried higher than three tiers, there is a slight advantage in its favor ; but in all the high stacks, thus far constructed at least, there are counterbalancing disadvan- tages. Unquestionably, however, the stack is at present the more popular. We find in the new buildings every variety of form from the " low " stack of two or three tiers to the "high" stack of six tiers (Boston Public Library), seven tiers (Cornell University), and even nine tiers (Library of Congress); and to these must be added the " broad " type of the University of Pennsylvania. If the stack is to become the prevailing form of library con- struction (which it seems to me too early yet to assume), it is a fortunate circumstance that its possibilities will be so thoroughly tested in the buildings now under construction and the merits and defects of each form brought to light. And by such practical tests also will the question of the general merits of the stack and the separate floor plans be determined, for it is hardly possible that either should be under all circumstances the best. With these general remarks I pass to a brief survey of the new buildings, many of which have already been described in the pages of the Library journal, and therefore need the briefer mention here. ALBANY, N. Y. N. Y, State Library. The description of the new library-rooms in the Cap- itol at Albany I shall wisely leave to Mr. Dewey. For the completion of these rooms, which occupy the whole of the third and most of the fourth story of the west front, 300 feet in length, the last legislature appropriated the sum of $143,250, this being in addition to the undi- vided, but still appreciable, part of $18,000,000, which they had already cost in the rough. That they are rich in all their appointments, even those of us who have not seen them can easily believe ; and that so much of practical convenience has been put into them as is consistent with the mag- nificence of their surroundings and with their conversion to a use for which they were not orig- inally constructed, we have the best assurance in the fact that the work has been directed by Mr. Dewey himself, who was the official adviser, even before he became the official head of the library. ALLEGHENY, PA. Carnegie Library. Detail? of the plan were given in Mr. Larned's report, and it is necessary only to add that the building will be completed this fall. ASHBURNHAM, MASS. The town of Ashburn- ham is to receive, by will of G. F. Stevens, a lot of land for the site of a public library, and $10,000 for erecting and furnishing a building, which must be finished within one year of the reception of the bequest. Library journal, Feb., 1888. ASHFIELD, MASS. Sanderson Acad. Through the generosity of the late J. W. Field, of Chicago, and his widow, who carries out his wishes, a $10,000 library building and new home for the academy will be completed this fall [1888]. Library journal, Sept., 1888. BALTIMORE, M. D. Enoch Pratt Free Library. Mr. Pratt has rounded out his munificent gift to the city of Baltimore by the erection of a fifth and last branch opened Nov. 5, 1888, in the northeastern part of the city. It is uniform in style and plan with the branches previously built, being of one story, 40x70 feet, with a high and well-lighted basement. The material is pressed brick with stone trimmings. At the end of the hall, which is a high, open-timbered room, finished to the roof, is the delivery counter. Opening out of the hall is an ample and well-lighted reading- room. The separating partition, which, above the wainscoting, is of opaque glass, reaches only a? i8 ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. high as the side walls, and allows free circulation of light and air above. The bookroom, with shelving for 15,000 volumes, and the librarian's room are in the rear. The cost of the branches, exclusive of the land, is about $13,000 each. The main building, costing apart from the lot $185,000, is described in Mr. Larned's report. BARRINGTON, R. I. Public Library. A build- ing containing town hall, public library, and high school was dedicated Dec. 12, 1888. For this is claimed the honor of being the first free public library in the State of Rhode Island erected and supported by the citizens assessing themselves for this object. From the Providence Journal of De- cember 13 I extract the following details: The architects are Stone, Carpenter, and Wilson, of Providence. The style fifteenth century, English, of the half-timber construction. The basement and first story are built of undressed, moss-covered stones from the neighboring fields ; the upper Story of timber, with the intervening spaces filled with plaster and pebbles. The library occupies one end of the building, and contains a reading- room, 22 x 28 feet, with a large bay window and an open fireplace, a bookroom, 20 x 36 feet, and a libra- rian's room, 7x12 feet. The cost of the building was a little less than $20,000. BELFAST, ME. Belfast Free Library. This building is described and illustrated in the Library journal, August, 1888. A bequest of $20,000 from Paul Richards Hazel tine, of Belfast, provided for the erection of the building, at a cost of $11,000, and for a permanent fund of $9,000. The building is of one story, 54x27 feet, built of red granite trimmed with gray granite, and strictly fire-proof. The bookroom, 26 x 27 feet, is arranged in alcoves, with a capacity of 14,000 volumes. It was com- pleted in November, 1887, and opened to the public in April, 1888. Julius Munchwitz, of New York, was the architect. BOSTON, MASS. Boston Athenaum. The addi- tional bookroom, which had become a necessity, has been obtained, not altogether, as I gather, in the way our President, Mr. Cutter, would have chosen, by contracting the space occupied by the roomy vestibule and staircase. Three bookrooms have thus been gained, one on each floor, with a total capacity of 70,000 volumes. In the two lower rooms have been placed iron stacks of two tiers each, on the third floor a stack of one tier. Incan- descent lights with a flexible attachment will facili- tate the finding of books on dark days. Other improvements have also been made. The roof, which was a source of danger, has been made fire- proof ; and a system of heating by hot water has been substituted for the hot-air furnaces. The cost of these various improvements was about $35,000. BOSTON, MASS. Public Library. I may safely assume that the members of the Association are familiar enough with the plans of the monumental building, given in the Library journal for March, 1889, and more fully in the Amer. Architect and Building News, May 26 and June 9, 1888, to make it unnecessary to enter into details here. We shall all, no doubt, agree that, in view of its past and present rate of growth, the provision made for the future wants of the library is rather too small than too great, further extension of the building being apparently impossible ; and that, in architectural effect, the exterior is fine and the reading-room magnificent. A general discussion of the plan is, of course, beyond my province, but the stack is of so unusual a construction as to demand attention. It occupies nearly one half of the building, reaching across the rear and half-way down the sides, and is six stories in height, with a capacity of something more than 1,000,000 vol- umes. The window space, both in amount and distribution, is such as to be plainly not equal to the lighting of the stack, and the following com- munication from the architects shows that it was not intended to be. They say that " from the start it has been the intention of the Trustees to depend upon artificial light for the illumination of the stacks, making the latter as much as possible a place of safe deposit." Of course the use of the electric light makes it possible to reckon without the aid of the sun; but most librarians, I am sure, will agree with me in thinking it undesirable. To ventilate the stack, rising, as it does, solidly from the ground to the upper floor reserved for special collections with no free-air space above it, will not be easy, even by artificial means. And finally, the position of the delivery desk at one end, or rather fifty feet away from the end, of a stack which has a total length of more than 300 feet, is one of the unhappy, but unavoidable, necessities of the present plan. The estimated cost of the building is $1,175,000, in addition to $180,000 paid for land. The foun- dation is already in, and bids are to be received May ii for the completion of the building, which is expected to require three years. VAN NAME. BRADDOCK, PA. Carnegie Library. The cost of the building, which includes a lecture hall as well as a library, will reach, with the equipment of books, $125,000. The library-room has cases for 15,000 volumes. The building is now about completed. BROOKLINE, MASS. Public Library. During the past year the bookrooin has been enlarged by an addition 32 x 56 feet, built across the rear, and increasing the capacity to 60,000 or 65,000 volumes. The cost of the addition, which is of brick, was $16,500; the cost of the original build- ing, built in 1869, $45,000. The books are arranged in alcoves. BUCKSPORT, ME. Buck Memorial Library. The widow and the daughter of the late R. P. Buck, of New York, have carried out his wishes in the erection of a library building, a cut and descrip- tion of which are given in the Library journal, February, 1888. The building is of granite and of one story. The reading-room is 23x19 feet, the library-room 27x19 feet, with alcoves on three sides. The cost of the building I have been unable to learn. BURLINGTON, VT. Billings Library of the University of Vermont. An addition, the second since the opening of the building, in 1885, is now being made, which will increase the length of the building to 193 feet and the cost to $155,000. It adds 24 feet to the length of the main bookroom, and increases the shelving capacity of the build- ing to about 100,000 volumes. The cost of the present addition, which will be completed in September, is $20,000, and is borne by Mr. Billings. From a view given in the American Architect and Building News Dec. 29, 1888, the building appears to lose by the extension none of the beauty of proportion for which it has been so justly celebrated. CAMBRIDGE, MASS. Public Library. The new building, described with illustrations in the Li- brary journal for December, 1887, will be com- pleted this summer. The donor is Frederick H. Rindge, formerly of Cambridge, but now living in California, and the architects, Van Brunt & Howe, who have recently removed their main office to Kansas City. The building is of stone, of one story, and in the Romanesque style. The main part, 130 feet front by 40 feet deep, contains a delivery-room about 31 feet square, reading-room 52x27 feet, cataloguing-room 12x37 feet, and also a "memorial-room" 40x20 feet, designed to hold books and other mementos of persons whose names are associated with the history of Cam- bridge. In the rear, shut off by a fire wall, is a stack of three or four tiers, 35 feet broad and 85 feet long, estimated to hold 172,000 volumes and capable of further extension. The cost of the building, exclusive of the lot, which is also the gift of Mr. Rindge, is about $65,000. CANAAN, CONN. Douglas Library. A brick library building, 20x30 feet, the gift of Edmund G. Lawrence, was completed in November, 1888. It has shelves for 2,500 volumes. CHICAGO, ILL. Newbcrry Library. The Trus- tees made choice some months ago of Henry Ives Cobb as architect. Mr. Cobb withdrew from the firm of which he was a member, to devote his whole time to the library, and, after some pre- liminary study of the subject here, went abroad with Mr. Blatchford, of the Trustees, to visit foreign libraries. They are expected home in a few days. In the plans, which are yet to be drawn, we shall naturally expect to find incor- porated, not only what Mr. Poole has already taught us of the principles of library construction, but also much new teaching. Under date of April 12 Mr. Poole writes: " We have between 30,000 and 40,000 volumes now in the Newberry, and have already outgrown our quarters. It will probably be five years before the new building is finished, and we shall probably have to build larger temporary quarters to hold our books till then." CHICAGO, ILL. Public Librarv- A new read- ing-room, fitted up at a cost of about $9,000, was opened Aug. 27, 1888. It is 85x40 feet, and will seat from 400 to 500 persons. CONCORD, N. H. Public Library. The Fowler Memorial Building, purchased and fitted up for the public library by William P. and Clara M. Fowler, at an expense of about $25,000, was pre- sented to the city Oct. 18, 1888. Originally a substantial brick residence, the exterior has under- gone little change; but the interior has been entirely reconstructed, to adapt it to its new uses. The bookroom, 20x27 feet, in two stories, has been made practically fire-proof. It is arranged with alcoves, having a capacity of 23,000 volumes. 20 ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. DEDHAM, MASS. Public Library. The seven- teenth annual report of the library contains a cut and description of the new building opened Nov. 22, 1888. The funds for its erection, $30,000 for the building and $5,000 for the lot, were provided by two legacies of $10,000 each, from John Bui- lard, of New York, and Hannah Shuttleworth, with smaller contributions from other sources. The building is constructed of pink Dedham gran- ite, quarry faced, with brownstone trimmings. The architects were Howe & Van Brunt, and, as in most of their library buildings, the bookroom is a stack, fire-proof, 23x33 feet, and 30 feet high, containing three tiers, and having a capacity of 28,800 volumes. Other rooms on the first floor are the delivery-room, 12% x 24 feet, reading-room 23 x 39 feet, and librarian's room, 12 x 23 feet. EAST HARTFORD, CONN. Raymond Library. The late Albert C. Raymond left to the towns of East Hartford and Montville bequests for the establishment of public libraries. The portion fall- ing to East Hartford at the settlement of the estate, in 1883, was $13,500 ; and this, by the terms of the will, was to accumulate until it reached $17,000. By wise management, the Trustees have been able to erect the past year a building costing $10,000, and have still remaining a permanent fund of $10,000. The building is of two stories, 34x60 feet, the basement of Portland brown- stone; above, brick with tile and brownstone trimmings. The library occupies the first floor. The bookroom, as at present arranged, has shelves in wall-cases and movable floor-cases for 7,000 volumes, and an ultimate capacity of 20,000 vol- umes. The second floor is entirely given up to a public hall, seating 300 persons. In the basement has been placed a kitchen, as an adjunct to the public hall, but to guard against fire the first floor is constructed of iron girders and brick arches ; wire lathing has also been used. The architect is Win. C. Brocklesby, of Hartford. The library was dedicated March 19, 1889. EAST SAGINAW, MICH. Hoyt Public Library. This building, described in Mr. Larned's report, is reported in the Library journal, September, 1888, as nearly completed, at a cost of $60,000. FLORENCE, MASS. Lilly Library. Alfred T. Lilly, of Florence, has given a building site and $12,000 for a library building, which is to be ready for occupation by the end of the present year. The building will be of brick and stone. Archi- tect, Charles H. Jones, of Northampton. FALLS VILLAGE, CONN. David M. Hunt Library and School Association. The late Catharine Hunt left a bequest of $4,000 for a library and school building, which, by the terms of the will, must be completed within two years. The building will be of brick and in two stories. It is understood chat an endowment will be provided by a sister of the testatrix. GRAND RAPIDS, MICH. Public Library. Mr. Carr writes : " In October, 1888, we moved (in con- nection with the Board of Education, under whose control we are) into temporary quarters (good for three or four years) in a new City Hall. Have many rooms (six), part on first and part on second floor, but yet little room really fitted for thorough library work and use. The placing of public libraries in city halls cannot be commended upon any ground except absolute necessity and cheese- paring economy." HAMILTON, N. Y. Colgate Library, Madison University. For plans and description of this fine building, the gift of James B. Colgate, of Yonkers, N. Y., I am indebted to the architect, Edwin A. Quick, of Yonkers. It will be of stone, thoroughly fire-proof, and will cost $130,000. Through a vestibule 18 feet square, flanked on each side by an open porch of the same dimensions, is the entrance to the staircase hall, 34 feet square and 44 feet high, with an arched ceiling and dome light. On the left is the librarian's and catalogu- ing room, on the right the conversation-room and delivery-desk. Opening on the gallery of the second floor are seven large rooms, which will be used for college-offices and seminary-rooms. Back of the part already described is an extension 38 x 66 feet, containing a stack in two stories. Over the stack is the main reading-room, 34 feet high, with a vaulted ceiling. The ground slopes to the rear, and the first story of the stack is in the basement and the second on a level with the main floor. The estimated capacity of the building is 250,000 volumes. The date set for the com- pletion is Sept. i, 1890. HOLDEN, MASS. Damon Memorial High School and Library. This fine building, given to the town of Holden by Mr. and Mrs. Samuel C. Gale, of Minneapolis, was dedicated Aug. 29, 1888. A description of the building, of which Stephen C. Earle, of Worcester, is the architect, is con- tained in the Library journal December, 1888, and a cut in the November number. It is in the VAN NAME. 21 Romanesque style, built of rough granite, with " Kibbe " sandstone trimmings, and is fire-proof. The library occupies the first story, which con- tains a vestibule, 7x8 feet, bookroom, 31 x 40 feet, reading-room, 20x28 feet, and librarian's room, 12x25 ^ eet - Th e cost of the building has not been made public. HORNELLSVILLE, N. Y. Hornell Library. The library has purchased during the past year and now occupies a building erected in 1874 for commercial purposes. The library uses the sec- ond story only, having a reading-room in front, 12x20 feet, office in centre, 10x16 feet, and in the rear a bookroom, 16x50 feet, arranged in alcoves. The cost of the building was $10,000, of which a considerable part is yet unpaid. ITHACA, N. Y. Cornell University Library. This, which is the largest of the college libraries now under construction, is so fully described in the last number of the Library journal that little more need be said. That provision made for so large a number of readers within the building is explained, no doubt, by the circumstance that, so far as the students are concerned, the library is one of reference only. The stacks appear to possess decided advantages over any of the high stacks yet constructed, partly because of their position with reference to ^ch other and to the level of the main floor, which practically reduces the height one half, but also because they prom- ise better light and ventilation. The ventilating fans, the free space of ten feet between the top- most stack and the ceiling, and the absence of the usual skylight promise a more uniform temperature than has been heretofore obtained. The building, which is to cost $225,000, is a conditional gift from H. W. Sage. JAMESTOWN, N. Y. James Prendergast Library Association. The late Alexander T. Prendergast made provision for the erection of a fire-proof library building, to cost not less than $50,000. The plans have not yet been drawn, and it is un- certain when the work will be commenced. LA CROSSE, WiS. Public Library. Of the $50,000 bequeathed by the late Cadwallader C. Washbum for the establishment of a public li- brary, only $12,500 could, by the terms of the will, be used for the building. The gift by the Young Men's Library Association of $2,000 in money, and books valued at $5,000, increased the building fund by $7,000 (the value of the books being charged to the book fund), and permitted the erection of an attractive and convenient building, costing $18,500. The architect is C. C. Yost, of Minneapolis; the material, brick and terra cotta on a stone foundation. The extreme dimensions are 60x70 feet. The bookroom, which alone is fireproof, has a present capacity of 20,000 vol- umes, shelved in wall and floor cases, and is planned with a view to future extension. In the second story is an audience-room, seating 300. The building was dedicated Nov. 20, 1888. LEAVENWORTH, KAN. Ward 'Memorial Library ', Western Branch National Military Home. A li- brary building costing $15,000, the gift of Horatio Ward, was completed Jan. i, 1889. It is of brick, with stone coping ; dimensions, 40 x 120 feet. The bookroom, 40x80 feet, is arranged on the alcove plan. E. T. Carr, of Leavenworth, was the archi- tect. LEXINGTON, KY. The American Architect and Building News of March 9, 1889, contains a sketch for a " memorial library " at Lexington, by Willis Polk, architect, but I have not succeeded in obtaining any details concerning it, LOUISVILLE, KY. Library of the Southern Bap- tist Theological Seminary, Mrs. J. Lawrence Smith has given $50,000 for a new library build- ing, plans for which are now being prepared by Mason Maury, of Louisville. It will be fire-proof. MACON, GA. Public Library. In the Library journal for December, 1888, it is stated that " the Directors have decided to erect a building which shall cost about $10,000. Twenty-five hundred of this has already been voluntarily subscribed, and more is expected. Any deficit in the whole sum will be met by an issue of bonds." MADISON, N. J. Library of Drew Theological Seminary. Illustrations and plans of this build- ing, completed in October, 1888, at a cost of $80,000, are given in the Year Book of the sem- inary for 1887-88. It is of stone and thoroughly fire-proof in construction, even to the shelving, which is iron. While the exterior is attractive, the interior is evidently not planned in a manner to secure the greatest economy of space or con- venience of use. On either side of the vestibule is a room 25 feet square (one designated as a museum), having no direct communication with the library-room, in the rear. This last is one un- 22 57: LOUIS CONFERENCE. divided room, 50x100 feet, arranged in alcoves, six on each side, and in the gallery a correspond ing number of alcoves. In the central space, and also in the alcoves, are tables for readers. The Librarian, Mr. Ayres, writes that the light is excep- tionally good. The lower alcoves have each a double window in the side wall, while the upper alcoves receive light only from the roof, which is partly of glass, through a ceiling also of glass. The estimated capacity of the building is 45,000 volumes, the present number 24,500. Extension, when it becomes necessary, can be made only in the rear, and this can hardly fail to exaggerate the defects of the plan. MANCHESTER - BY - THE - SEA, MASS, Memorial Library and Grand Army Hall. This building, erected in 1887 by T. Jefferson Coolidge, at a cost of about $25,000, contains a library-room, 28x40 feet, with shelves for 15,000 volumes, a memo- rial hall, and a room for the Grand Army Post, the latter to revert to the library when the Post shall cease to exist. Illustrations of the building, which is built of seam-faced granite, are given in the Dedication Services, Boston, 1888. The architect is C. F. McKirn. MEMPHIS, TENN. Cossitt Library. Concern- ing the reported gift for this library, Mr. Carring- ton Mason writes : " It was the purpose of the late F. H. Cossitt, of New York, once a citizen of this place, to donate $75,000 toward a public library in this city. But he died suddenly, and without making any provision for the execution of his purpose in his will. The family, however, being fully advised of Mr. Cossitt's intention, have signified a willingness to make the proposed dona- tion. The fund is not yet in hand, and therefore no steps whatever have been taken toward builc'- ing, or in the direction of opening a library in hired quarters. It is not likely that we will build soon, unless the benefaction can be considerably added to, in the way of private subscriptions to be made by our own citizens." MINNEAPOLIS, MINN. Public Library. To the full description contained in Mr. Larned's report there is little to add. Mr. Herbert Putnam informs me that, owing, in the first place, to delay on the part of the contractors for the iron-work of the roof, and, in the second place, to the fact that the iron-work, when delivered, was almost wholly a " misfit " and had to be made over, the building, which was to have been completed last fall, will not be ready till July. He adds: "Two items I may perhaps note first, that the delay in con- struction has led to rather increased elaboration of design (the reading-rooms, e. g., are to be fin- ished with mahogany) ; second, that the cost is to exceed $250,000, instead of being $190,000. The city tax for 1888 (about $35,000) has, for the most part, provided for this. Meantime, we have been gathering books and cataloguing them, so that we shall open the library next fall with at least 30,000 volumes. MUSKEGON, MlCH. Hackley Library. The description and cut of this fine building in the last number of the Library journal make few details necessary here. Mr. Hackley's gift for a public library was $100,000, afterwards increased to $125,000. Of this sum about $80,000 will be expended upon the building, of which Patton & Fisher, of Chicago, are the architects. It is in the Romanesque style, of pink syenite, with brown- stone trimmings, and contains, on the first floor, a delivery-room, 31 x 50 feet, two reading-rooms, a room for a reference library, and a bookroom, 42x56 feet, with a capacity of 71,500 volumes, shelved in wall and floor cases. The second story will contain a large lecture-room and a smaller room for a museum or art gallery. NEW HAVEN, CONN. Free Public Library. The question whether the old State House shall be repaired for the use mainly of the public library is still apparently far from being settled. It was submitted to popular vote more than a year ago, and authority was given to repair, at an expense not exceeding $30,000. The estimates obtained by the committee in charge called for an expendi- ture of nearly double this sum, and nothing was done. The contest has now resolved itself into one between the friends and the enemies of the State House, those who wish it repaired and those who wish it removed, without much regard to the claims of the public library. Meantime, the growth of the library will soon make neces- sary other and better provision than its present narrow quarters afford. NEW HAVEN, CONN. Yale University Library. This building, which will cost $125,000 and is now approaching completion, is the gift of the late Hon. Simeon B. Chittenden, of Brooklyn, N. Y., and a memorial of his daughter, Mary Hartwell Lusk, wife of Dr. Wm. T. Lusk, who died in 1871*. The architects are J. C. Cady & Co., in Broad- VAN NAME. way, New York. The style is early Romanesque and the material brownstone of two shades, from the Longmeadow, Mass., quarries. The construc- tion is thoroughly fire-proof. The floors are of iron and brick, and the roof of iron, covered with terra-cotta blocks and tiles; the outer walls are lined with porous ,terra cotta, and no wood enters into the construction of floors or ceilings. The staircases and lifts are also in an independent section, shut off by iron doors and solid walls. The main building, which is 50 feet front by 100 deep, is in three stories of 16 feet each. The reading-room, which adjoins it on the south, is octagonal in shape, and has a diameter of 48 feet. The entrance is through an open porch to a lobby, one story only in height, which opens directly into the delivery-room, and also leads to the reading-room. The front or eastern end of the main floor is occupied by three rooms, the librarian's and two others, each 15x19 feet. Back of these is the delivery-room, 29 x 46 feet, or, including the lobby, 29 x 62 feet. Hat and coat rooms, which are simply enclosed by screens 8 feet high and the delivery counter, shut off the rest of the floor from the public. Back of these are cases which will hold 25,000 volumes of the books in most frequent demand, and at the end of the room is a space 1 1 x 46 feet, where some of the cataloguing will be done. The two upper floors are undivided rooms, with floor and wall cases 7 feet 8 inches high, the space above being reserved, after Mr. Poole's plan, for light and air. Both the floors are magnificently lighted, and have a capacity of 80,000 volumes each, which will be increased by the main floor to about 200,000 in all. The reading-room will accommodate ninety read- ers, and on the walls are shelves for 4,000 or 5,000 volumes of books of reference. Among the deco- rative features is a beautiful and costly memorial window, added by Mr. Chittenden to his original gift. The building is ventilated by a fan driven by an electric motor, and heated by steam ; indi- rect radiation on the first floor, with mixing damp" ers attached to all the registers, and direct radia- tion on the upper floors. Underneath the whole building is a dry and light basement, where books will be received and unpacked. The problem to be solved in the construction of our new building was not altogether simple. Of the space available for the use of the library (about 350 feet front by 100 feet deep), the central part was already occupied by the old building ; too good to be removed at present, but too poor a specimen of library architecture to be preserved and incorporated in our future building. The only course open to us was to begin at one end of the line and build toward the centre ; making a temporary connection with the old building, which will remain in use until displaced by the extension of the new. If the part which we have erected were designed to be complete in itself, a more complex structure would doubtless have been desirable. NEW HAVEN, CONN. Young Men's Institute. The institute, which occupies only the upper part of its building, renting the first story for business purposes, is about to make an addition in the rear, at a cost of about $5,000. The extension will be 50 x 21 feet, and the space which the library gains will be used partly for a ladies' reading-room, and partly for additional shelving. NEW LONDON, CONN. Public Library. A library building, which is to be a memorial of the late Henry P. Haven, is to be erected by the trustees of his estate. Plans have been drawn by Shepley, Rutan & Coolidge, and work will be com- menced at once. The building will be of Long- meadow brownstone, but details of the plan and the cost I am unable to give. NEW ORLEANS, LA. Charles T. Howard Memorial Library. A description of the building, with ground plan and elevation, is given in the Library journal for September, 1888. For some further details I am indebted to Mr. Nelson, the Librarian. It was designed by the late H. H. Richardson and completed by his successors, Shepley, Rutan & Coolidge. It was erected by Miss Annie Turner Howard as a memorial to her father, at a cost, including furniture, of about $102,000. The material is " Kibbe " Longmeadow brownstone. The bookroom, 75 x 40 feet, with floor and gallery alcoves, the latter accessible only by staircases placed at the far end of the room, has a capacity of 30,000 volumes ; and a circular reading-room, 41 feet in diameter, accommodates 80 to 100 readers. The interior is elaborately and beautifully finished in quartered oak. The build- ing was completed Dec. 31, 1888, and opened to the public March 4, 1889. NEWPORT, N. H. Public Library. Hon. Dexter Richards presented to the town of Newport, Feb. 22, 1889, a new library building, furnished with a library, and a permanent fund of 2 4 57: LOUIS CONFERENCE. $i 5,000; the whole amount of the gift being $40,000. NEW YORK CITY. Bruce Free Library. This is the name borne by the second branch of the New York Free Circulating Library. The build- ing, which is of brick with stone trimmings, 50x100 feet, cost, including the land, about $50,000, and was erected by Miss Catharine Wolfe Bruce as a memorial to her father. The library occupies the first story, which is separated from the basement by a fire-proof floor of brick and iron, and the reading-room the second story. The cases, arranged in one tier, have a capacity of 20,000 volumes; present number, about 10,000. To her gift of the building, Miss Bruce added $5,000 worth of books. A cut of the building, of which A. E. Harney was the architect, is found in the Library journal for January, 1888. NEW YORK CITY. Jackson Square Library. The third branch of the New York Free Circulat- ing Library, opened July, 1888, was the gift of Mr. George W. Vanderbilt. The size, cost, and general arrangement are substantially the same as those of the Bruce library. It is in the Dutch style, and contains, in the third story, apartments for the librarian in charge. The architect was Richard M. Hunt. NoftFOLK, CONN. Norfolk Library. A charm- ing library building, erected by Miss Isabella Eldridge as a memorial to her parents (her father. Rev. Joseph Eldridge, D. D., died in 1875 after long service as pastor there), was opened for use March 7, 1888. For the present Miss Eldridge retains the ownership, as she also provides for the maintenance of the library; but it is free to all residents, and will ultimately be placed in the hands of trustees for the benefit of the town. The cost of the building was $25,000 ; the architect George Keeler, of Hartford. The first story is of Longmeadow brownstone ; the second story and the roof are covered with Akron tiles. The length of the building is 75 feet, the width from 47 to 27 feet. The library-room is 46 x 27 feet, with a gallery, and is arranged with alcoves having in all a capacity of about 25,000 volumes. There is a large bay window at the end of the room, but no windows in the lower alcoves, which receive light from the gallery windows through large wells in the gallery floor. The first floor contains also a reading-room, a conversation-room, and a reception hall, all furnished with homelike elegance. In the second story are living-rooms for the librarian. The library opens with about 2,500 volumes, and yearly additions to the value of $1,000 or $1,500 will be made. NORTON, MASS. Public Library. A detailed description of this substantial building, dedicated Feb. I, 1888, is contained in the Library journal for February, 1888, and more fully, with illustra- tions, both of the exterior and interior, in a sepa- rately published report of the dedication. The walls are of brick and Longmeadow brownstone, rising from a base of Milford granite. The prin- cipal dimensions are: library-room, 24x34 feet and 1 8 feet high; reading-room, 15 x 20 feet; libra- rian's room, 11x14 feet. The books are at present arranged only in wall cases, but later an alcove arrangement and a gallery are contemplated. The cost of the building has not been made public, but $25,000 is thought to be a fair estimate. Stephen C. Earle, of Worcester, was the architect. OLIVET, MlCH. Leonard Burrage Memorial Hall, Olivet College. The expected cost of the building, designed by Arthur B. Jennings, 145 Broadway, N. Y., is $25,000, of which the donor whose name it bears, contributes $20,000. The material is field stone, chiefly granite boulders, trimmed with Ionia sandstone. The extreme dimensions are nox 52 feet. The stack, which is of two tiers and fire-proof, is 50 x 36 feet ; delivery- room, 36x22 feet; reading-room, 30x22 feet; librarian's room, 1 1 x 1 1 feet. The second story contains two rooms, 30x22 feet and 18x12 feet, for special study. The capacity of the stack is 63,000 volumes. In the basement under the stack and in the attic, provision can be made later for 43,000 volumes more. Another stack can be added in the rear, at right angles with the present stack, which will double the capacity given above. The building is to be completed during the com- ing winter. OLNEYVILLE, R. I. Free Library. The Asso- ciation has received a bequest of land and money, and will build within a year, but the plans have not yet been fully decided upon. OSKALOOSA, IA. Spencer Library, Penn College. I find in Building, Dec. 8, 1888, an illustration of the exterior of the building, of which L. S. Buffing- ton of Minneapolis, is the architect. It represents a building of one story, with walls chiefly of field- stone. Details of the plan and cost I have not been able to obtain. VAN NAME. PASADENA, CAL. Public Library. A new building, costing about $25,000, has been erected the past year. In Holder's All About Pasadena, Boston, 1889, it is pronounced "the finest of the kind west of Denver," and the cut there given cer- tainly shows it to be a handsome building. PATERSON, N. J. Free Public Library. Mrs. Mary E. Ryle has given the fine house which had been her father's residence, for the use of the library, stipulating only that it should bear his name and be called the Danforth Library Build- ing. The house, for which an offer of $40,000 had been recently refused, will furnish ample accom- modations for the library for several years to come; and the lot, which is 100x75 feet, and on a corner, will make possible future extension- Plans for the necessary changes in the house are already under consideration. PHILADELPHIA, PA. Library Company. The Library journal for March, 1888, states that " Henry C. Lea offers to build an extension to the library building on Locust street, at a cost of $50,000, on condition that the present facilities for the public use of the library shall not be abridged in the future. The offer has been accepted ; and the addition, doubling the present accommoda- tions, will be an exact counterpart of, and in the rear of, the present building." PHILADELPHIA, PA. Library of the University of Pennsylvania. This building, which is perhaps the most original of the new library constructions, is so fully described in the Library journal for August, 1888, that few details are here necessary. It hardly need be remarked that the floor plan there given has been reversed in the transfer process, as a comparison with the elevation shows. It is correctly given, together with a plan of the second floor, in the Pennsylvanian of Sept. 26, 1888. The architects are Furness, Evans & Co., of Philadelphia. The cost of the building as at present constructed, with only three of the eight bays, is $200,000, met by contributions from many friends of the University, the largest being $50,000 from Joseph Wharton. The main building, which is 140x80 feet, and four stories high, contains ample accommodations for the work and adminis- tration of the library, and on the upper floors lecture-rooms and rooms for private study or seminary uses. From the reading-room radiate seven alcoves, in which can be placed 20,000 vol- umes of reserved and reference books. The most striking feature of the building is, however, the stack, 96 feet broad, and when completed to be no feet long, though only 40 feet of the length is at present under construction. Unlike the ordi- nary type of the stack, which is high and narrow and lighted either wholly or mainly from the sides, this is low and broad, and lighted entirely from the roof. It consists, in fact, of three parallel stacks under one roof, the middle one 27 feet wide, the others 24 feet each. At present only the first tier is to be built, though ultimately the middle stack will have three tiers and the side stacks two tiers. In capacity it is therefore equal to the ordinary stack, seven tiers high, or, as the upper tiers are somewhat narrower, to a stack, say of six tiers. There is here a very manifest econ- omy of the muscular force consumed in climbing stairs, but no great economy in the cost of con- struction, and the opposite of economy in the ground occupied. The roof is entirely of glass ; and, though it is ceiled underneath with a glass diffuser which may serve to moderate the cold of winter and the heat of summer, I should have fears (which may prove groundless) that a long summer vacation would become as necessary for the librarians as for the professors of the Univer- sity. The reading-room alcoves, which are low and lighted from the roof, may possibly suffer from the same cause. The capacity of the present stack, with a single tier, is 85,000 volumes; of the completed stack, with all the tiers, 512,000 volumes. The stack is absolutely fire-proof, and the rest of the building practically so. The basement is of Nova Scotia red sandstone, the upper walls brick with terra- cotta mouldings. Mr. Keen, the Librarian, informs me that the stack will be completed for use in September next, and the rest of the build- ing a year later. A building having so much of novelty is necessarily more or less an experiment. If successful it will, for that reason, deserve and receive the greater honor. PINE BLUFFS, ARK. Merrill Institute. Joseph Merrill, of Pine Bluffs, has given a site and $15,000 for the erection of a brick building, which is to contain a reading-room, lecture-hall, and gymna- sium. The dimensions of the building, which is to be completed in November next, will be 50 x 114 feet. PITTSBURG, PA. Respecting Mr. Carnegie's munificent offer to Pittsburg, Miss Macrum, the Librarian of the Pittsburg Library Association, 26 ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. writes me that he proposed to build and equip a library costing $500,000, if the city would appro- priate $15,000 a year to carry it on. This the city was unable to do without special legislation, hav- ing already exceeded the legal limit of indebted- ness. After much delay a bill was passed, and now only awaits an ordinance of the City Council. Meantime, Mr. Carnegie suggested that, as there had been so much delay, it might be better to wait until the Allegheny library was completed on the ground that the second could be built better than the first. PORTLAND, ME. Public Library. The new Baxter Building, occupied jointly by the public library and the Maine Historical Society, was ded- icated Feb. 21, 1889. It was the gift of James Phinney Baxter. The building, which is of brick and stone, 75 x 100 feet, with a large vault and fire- proof room, cost $50,000 ; the land, $25,000 more. Both the libraries are placed in stacks of four tiers each. QUINCY, ILL. Free Public Library. This building, just completed, is fully described, with illustrations, in the Library journal for March, 1889. The funds of the Quincy Library, a sub- scription library of long standing, and private sub- scriptions provided for its erection. The cost of the building alone was about $23,000, of the build- ing and lot $35,000. The material is a grayish white limestone, from the neighboring bluffs. The bookroom, which is arranged as a stack of one tier, has a present capacity of 20,000 volumes. A second tier can be added, and there is also space in the rear for a future extension. Patton & Fisher, of Chicago, were the architects. RALEIGH, N. C. North Carolina State Library. The library was removed in March, 1888, to the new "Supreme Court and Library Building," an L shaped building, of which the Supreme Court occupies the two lower, and the library the two upper, stories. The reading-room $340x35 feet, and 25 feet high, and the. bookrooms have a capacity of at least 100,000 volumes. RIDGEWAY, MICH. Jonathan Hall Memorial Library. This is a brick building on a stone foundation, erected by Rufus T. Bush, of Brooklyn, N. Y., as a memorial to the father of Mrs. Bush. The dimensions are 20x40 feet, the cost $3,500. It was dedicated Nov. 16, 1887. RUTLAND, VT. //. H. Baxter Memorial. For the following details and a floor plan of this library, erected by the wife and the son of the late H. H. Baxter, I am indebted to the architects, Brunner & Tryon, 39 Union square, W., New York. The building is in the Romanesque style, and built of rock-faced gray marble. It is 48 feet front by 73 feet deep, and contains a bookroom, 27 x 30 feet ; two reading-rooms, each i6x 20 feet ; and a librarian's room, n x 13, adjoining which is a large fire-proof book closet. The books will be arranged, for the most part, in alcoves around the semi-circular end of the bookroom ; while the reading-rooms contain cases for holding prints and folios. The estimated capacity of the shelving is 15,000 volumes; and 8,000 volumes, fine editions in choice bindings, have already been gathered, against the completion of the building, which will be about January next. The library is strictly for reference. The cost of the building is not far from $25,000. ST. Louis, Mo. Mercantile Library. The place of the present meeting, not less than the descrip- tion of the building already published in the Library journal for January, 1889, makes further notice here unnecessary. The St. Louis Mercantile Library Association cannot be too warmly con- gratulated on the possession of its delightful rooms, and a productive property worth, above all encum- brances, $500,000, and on the enterprise which has brought about this happy result. SALEM, MASS. Public Library. The heirs of the late John Bertram offered to the city his home- stead for -a public library, on condition that the city should appropriate money for the necessary alterations, for the support of the library, and should raise by subscription, or otherwise, a per- manent fund of $25,000. The generous offer was promptly accepted. The value of the gift is esti- mated at $50,000. The house is of brick with free- stone trimmings, and easily adapted to its new use, while the grounds furnish ample room for any needed enlargement in the future. The altera- tions are nearly completed, at a cost of about $7,500, and it is expected that the building will be occupied next month. SAN PEDRO, CAL. Free Library. A two-story building of brick, on a stone foundation, 24 x 44 feet, will be completed this month. It will have a capacity of 5,000 volumes, and will cost about $3,300, which has been raised by subscriptions and benefit entertainments. VAN NAME. 27 SIMSBURY, CONN. Free Library. A brick building, costing $10,000, the gift of Amos R. Eno, will be completed in July. The extreme dimensions are 51x36 feet. For the bookroom, 20x48 feet, wall cases will be used for the present, and later alcoves, with a capacity of 8,000 volumes. In the second story are living-rooms for the libra- rian. The building is in the colonial style, and was designed by Melvin H. Hapgood, of Hartford. SPENCER, MASS. Sugden Library. Richard Sugden has presented to the town a library build- ing, costing $25,000. The basement is granite, the walls above of brick with Longmeadow brown- stone trimmings. The main building is 32 x 60 feet, with a projection in front 1 1 x 39 feet. De- tails of the plans, which were drawn by H. D. Wadlin, of Boston, are given in the Library jour- nal for July, 1888, and a cut in the number for November. It will be arranged at first for 10,000 volumes, but by the use of the gallery the capacity can be increased to 30,000. SPRINGFIELD, O. Public Library. In the Li- brary journal, May, 1887, the announcement was made that Benjamin H. Warder had purchased, for $12,000, a lot, and on this lot and the one adjoining, the two having a frontage of 100 feet and a depth of 150 feet, would erect a handsome stone building, at a cost of not less than $50,000, which, with the ground, would be donated to the city on the condition that it be used as a public library. The building, the plans for which were drawn by Shepley, Rutan and Coolidge, is now in course of erection. STOCKTON, CAL. Free Public Library, A new building, 50x80 feet, of brick and granite, was opened for use Feb. 18, 1889. It is in two stories, but only the first is at present fitted up for use. The cost was $11,050, of which $5,000 was a gift from Frank Stewart. The bookroom and read- ing-room are in one, separated only by a railing and counter, the books placed in wall cases and movable floor cases. SYRACUSE, N. Y. Von Ranke Library of Syra- cuse University. The new library building, which Dr. J. A. Reid made the condition of his gift of the Von Ranke library, was completed April i. The terms of the gift called for a fire-proof build- ing, but this seems to be at best only of the slow- burning order of construction. The material is brick, and the dimensions, 90 x 50 feet, with an L, 22x25 feet. I' 1 tne bookroom, 70x50 feet, there is a novel arrangement of the stacks, which are two in number, 12 feet wide and 3 tiers high, and are placed one on each side of the room, with tables for readers between them, much as in the ordinary alcove plan. The capacity of the stack is 150,000 volumes, and in the upper rooms shelves can be provided for 50,000 volumes more. The cost of the building, of which A. Russell, of Syra- cuse, was the architect, is between $40,000 and $50,000. TOLEDO, O. Public Library. The new build- ing, the completion of which is expected in September, is of brick with stone trimmings, and of fire-proof construction throughout. The extreme dimensions are 140x70 feet, reading-room 34 x 53 feet, reference-room 16x46 feet, librarian's room 15x20 feet. The bookroom, 37x83 feet, has at present only a stack of one tier, but with additional tiers its capacity will be 120,000 volumes. The cost of the building is $65,000. E. O. Fallis, to whom I am indebted for the fore- going details, is the architect. WASHINGTON, D. C. Library of Congress. By the action of Congress at the close of the last session, the long dispute over the plans of our national library building has undoubtedly been finally put to rest, and the building will now go on without further interruption. The general plan of Mr. Smithmeyer is retained, but it has been stripped of some of its more questionable features and considerably reduced in expense. This much of good, at least, has been accomplished by the dis- cussion which started in our Association. Of the two plans submitted by Gen. Casey, one providing for a building costing $4,000,000, the other $6,000,000, both agreed in retaining essentially unchanged the central building with its reading-room, and both omitted the greater part of Mr. Smithmeyer's laby- rinth of stacks and courts, reducing the former to one-third their total length, and the latter from ten to four. The $4,000,000 plan further short- ened the length of the front and materially lessened the capacity of the building, making it sufficient only for the probable growth of fifty-four years. Since the building would, on either plan, be in- capable of enlargement, there can, I think, be little doubt that Congress chose wisely in adopting the higher limit, which gives to the exterior walls their original dimensions, and to the building the longer lease of 134 years. Mr. Spofford writes under date of April 16: " Some modifications of 28 ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. interior arrangements will be made. All the diffi- culties and dissensions are happily out of the way, and the work of laying granite on the already finished concrete foundations begins this month." WASHINGTON, GA. Mary Willis Library. Dr. Francis T. Willis, a native of Washington, but now residing in Richmond, Va., has given to his native place, as a memorial of his daughter, a library building, costing about $14,000, with an endowment fund of $10,000, and $i, coo worth of books. The building is of brick on a granite foundation, the dimensions 44 x 60 feet. The library was opened May i, 1889. WILKESBARRE, PA. Osterhout Free Library. The library building, originally a church, cost, with the necessary alterations, about $10,000. The di mensions of the main building are 93 x 48 feet ; of the rear building, 35x45 feet. The bookroom has a present capacity of 27,000 volumes, with room for additional cases. The library was opened for use Jan. 29, 1889. WEST CHESTER, PA. West Chester Library Association. A building containing on the first floor library-rooms, and on the second floor a lec- ture-room, was completed April i, 1888, at a cost of $6,000. The first story is of brick with granite trimmings ; the second story frame and plaster. The architect was T. Roney Williamson, of Phil- adelphia. REPORT ON INDEX TO PORTRAITS, ETC. BY R: R. BOWKER. pOOLE'S Index to Periodical Literature, it has often and most truly been said, has doubled the working value of every col- lection of periodicals in the libraries which are so wise as to make adequate use of this help. The proposed Fletcher Index to gen- eral literature will be scarcely less useful in opening the wealth of treasures on specific subjects massed in collected works or in books of general title. It has been suggested that the third of this series of publications should be the index to portraits, and possibly to views and designs, which I suggested a good many years ago, and upon the feasibility of which I was deputed at the Catskill meet- ing to report at this conference. The report is not now so full as I would like to make it, as the general request through the columns of the Library journal for information as to work which is being done in this line has not called out many responses, and I have not been able personally to fire as many interro- gation points into all possible corners of the library field as our friend Mr. Bardwell has done in regard to scrap-book work. Indeed, most of the portrait indexing of which I have learned, is the result of private enterprise rather than of library work ; and the offers of cooperation, should such an enterprise be undertaken, have also come chiefly from the same direction. This report, therefore, will be rather a preliminary than a final one, and I trust that the larger representation of the library profession at this conference will give the means of presenting through the Library journal, or at another conference, a more adequate statement of the work of this sort already in hand. The Index Society of Great Britain, of which many American librarians were members, in- cluded some such scheme in its early prospectus, but nothing seems to have been accomplished in this direction beyond the indexes by E. Sully, of portraits in the European magazine, London maga- zine, and Register of the times, each in a separate alphabet, included in Vol. 4 of its publications (1879), ar >d the indexes by Robert Bowes, of Cambridge, of portraits in the " British gallery of portraits," "Jordan's portrait gallery," "Knight's gallery of portraits," and " Lodge's Portraits," in Vol. 7 (1880), all of these being separate alpha- betical indexes to the several periodicals or works mentioned. Mr. H. B. Wheatley, the Secretary of the society, proposed an index of painted por- traits, and an index of engraved British portraits was also planned. The society has, nevertheless, confined itself mostly to indexes of obituaries and special local work of 'less interest on this side of the water. The seven indexes mentioned, how- BOWKER. 29 ever, provide a protoplasmic germ for such an index as is under consideration. Considerable material for the indexing of Ameri- can portraits is comprised in the collections for editorial purposes of the great illustrated papers. In the Harper editorial rooms, for instance, a catalogue is kept up to date of all portraits engraved in each of the four illustrated periodi- cals of that house ; and a similar index exists, I believe, in connection with Frank Leslie's illus- trated publications. The Harper establishment also has an index partially in shape for the con- siderable collection of photographic and other portraits which it has not so far engraved, but which it holds in readiness for that purpose ; but this, of course, is outside the sphere of the index proposed. Mr. S. H. Horgan, of the American Press Association, which supplies portraits for newspapers throughout the country, keeps also for commercial purposes a very large collection of portraits in duplicate. He obtains two copies of all illustrated periodicals, one for binding, the other for cutting. The portraits cut out are filed in a cabinet letter file, just as letters would be treated ; and the bound files are indexed, as to living men and women, in one of the Burr ledger indexes. Mr. Geo. J. Hagar, of Newark, N. J., who supplies much biographical material for "Appleton's Annual Cyclopaedia " and for press purposes otherwise, keeps a portrait collection similarly arranged in connection with his notes concerning living persons, and has also a card index to all portraits in Harper's -weekly and in Frank Leslie's. He, it will be seen, has dupli- cated in considerable measure the work done at Harper's and Frank Leslie's editorial offices and by the American Press Association. But this duplication can scarcely be avoided, as the ma- terial of most value in these cases is the latest, which would be outside the possibilities of any bound book. In regard to portraits in books, Mr. Bunford Samuel, one of the assistant librarians of the Library Company of Philadelphia, has "been through, roughly speaking, about 13,000 volumes on the shelves of the Ridgway Branch with a re- sult of about 4,500 portraits." Mr. Cutter has had under way at the Boston Athenaeum an index to portraits and engravings of pictures in the art works in his important library, now extending to between 5,000 and 10,000 portraits. The index of maps, etc., at the Harvard Library, made by Mr. Bliss, and the index of designs started by Miss Sargent at Lowell, may also be referred to. Mr. Linderfelt three years since planned a general index to portraits and views of places in Harper's weekly, Frank Leslie's, London Graphic, London illustrated news, Illustrirte Zeitung, Ueber Land und Meer, and L 'Illustration, but has only completed a few volumes of Harper's weekly. Most of the bibliographical dictionaries and even such works as Champlin & Perkins's " Cyclo- pedia of painting and paintings" and Mrs. Clem- ents' books, are singularly deficient in giving clues to the portraits of people of whom they give sketches. On the other hand there is some printed material in such publications as the " List of portraits of Washington," etc., and I may refer also, in connection with views, to Mr. Whitney's index to portraits of library buildings, which you have noted in the Boston Library bulletins and in the Library journal. I trust that the reading of this report at the Conference will give other clues as to the directions in which to seek further information. I am not sure, in fact, but that the only net result of the investigation which I was directed to undertake will be in presenting a list of work which is being done in this direction, with the view of enabling those seeking information to know where to ask for it, exchanging results instead of duplicating work. The main question, of course, is the feasibility of printing such an index to portraits (and possibly of views) as is proposed, and I fear it would be almost imprac- ticable to find a commercial basis for the under- taking. Its utility would be very great to a number of publishing houses, especially proprie- tors of illustrated periodicals, and in some libra- ries. But these probably would not translate their need for such an index into a considerable amount of money, and it does not seem prob- able that outside of perhaps 100 libraries the demand for such a work would be sufficient to justify any considerable investment. " Poole's Index," in its 1,442 pages, contains above 150,000 entries; " Phillips's Dictionary of biographical references," in the 987 pages of the main alphabet, includes about 100,000 entries. The number of persons of whom painted or engraved portraits exist, can only be guessed at possibly a guess of 50,000 would be as near as any, and in some cases there would be over 100 portraits to be referred to. Even if the index were confined to portraits which are a part of books, excluding both individual engravings and painted portraits in galleries, a volume of from a third to a half the size of " Poole's Index " would probably be ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. required, and I have grave doubts whether the mechanical cost of such a volume could be pro- vided for by the subscriptions likely to be received, and some doubt as to whether the editorial labor would meet with sufficient return, not in money, but in the usefulness of the index. On this last point, however, the librarians here in conference will be better qualified to judge, and I trust this report will serve the double purpose of bringing out information as to other work of the kind in progress, and an opinion as to the value of such an index, if it can be made. or the discussion on this paper, see PROCEEDINGS (Third session). SUNDAY OPENING OF LIBRARIES. BY MARY SALOME CUTLER, NEW YORK STATE LIBRARY. f\UR theme has the advantage of being an ^^^ unhackneyed one, at least in the ordi- nary channels of library discussion. With the e.xception of a single casual mention at the Thousand Isles, it has never before been brought up at a meeting of the American Library Association. The Government Re- port, our text-book of library science, contains no mention of it. The index to the Library journal gives us forty-three references to the subject, but only three to an article covering more than a single page. It has no mention in the ten numbers of Library notes. In 1877, while entertaining their American cousins, the British librarians had a little informal talk on this subject. In 1879, a Sunday opening motion was withdrawn by Mr. Axon, in def- erence to the feelings of the opposition, and in the three following years similar motions were tabled without discussion. (See Library journal, v. 2, p. 274-5 5 v - 4, P- 420 ; v. 5, p. 265-6; v. 6, p. 258; v. 7, p. 231.) However this may be accounted for, we would claim for it an important place among the practical problems that must be solved by the modern librarian in raising his library to the highest power of usefulness. We propose to-day to narrow the discussion to the consideration of public libraries, though we have gathered statistics including other classes. Much that will be said applies to libra- ries in general ; moreover, the various kinds shade into each other, e. g., the proprietary often does the same work as the free public. The strongest advocates of the plan will try to convince us, with at least some show of reason, that even libraries for scholars should be run on the " town-pump " principle, and will point us to the fact that the Boston Athe- naeum has been open on Sunday for seventy- five years, and that Harvard College Library, an acknowledged leader, has opened its doors from I to 5 on Sunday, since Oct. 3, 1880, with a growing use from that day to this. They will also remind us that this action was approved by Phillips Brooks, in his capacity as Chairman of the Board of Overseers. At the same time there is a clear distinction be- tween libraries for scholars and libraries for the mass of people ; between working libra- ries (mental laboratories) and those designed for recreation and general culture. Argu- ments which obtain for opening the one do not hold good for the other. We therefore choose not to complicate the matter by a minor issue, but to ask ourselves in all seri- ousness the practical question : Should free libraries be open on Sunday ? We are met at the outset by the statement that the plan proposed is a dangerous step, because its inevitable tendency is to secularize the Sabbath. It is looked upon as the open- ing wedge, which would lead gradually to a breaking down of the day of rest. From the libraries and art galleries to the mu- seums is a single step, and by and by the lowering of public conscience will call for Sunday concerts, and a little later Sunday theatre going will be looked on with com- placence. Meanwhile, if men must work that others may be amused, the passion for gain will soon demand increase of labor in other directions. They picture to us the French Sunday, a Sabbath only in name and in reality CUTLER. a seventh day of labor, and with this in mind we feel that those who have these matters in hand should think twice before running any risk of such a consummation. In Cardiff, Wales, where there is a free library and museum, an offer was made of a valuable donation of pictures, on condition that the picture gallery be kept open on Sunday. The reply of the committee (after refusing to call for the opinion of the tax-payers) expresses the sentiment of that large class of earnest and conscientious citizens who oppose such movements : " Resolved, that in the opinion of this committee, seeing the logi- cal issue of opening museums on Sunday must involve an enormous increase in Sunday labor, and so lead to the virtual enslavement of working men and to the prejudice of national interests, it is undesirable to accept the offer of Col. Hill on the condition named." This is the position taken by Bishop Potter, in an admirable article in the New Princeton re-view for 1886 (v. 2, p. 37-47), an article which seems to me one of the best presenta- tions of this side of the Sunday question. It shows an entire absence of the Pharisaical spirit and a thoughtful consideration of the best interests of the laboring class. He makes a strong point of the claim that the working men themselves do not desire Sunday opening. This feeling is expressed by a vote taken in England in 1882, where, he says, 62 trades unions, representing 45,482 members, voted in favor of Sunday opening, while 2,412 socie- ties and 501,705 members voted against such opening ; and further by the opinion of such men as Broadhurst and Mundella, who were originally working men, and stand in the House of Commons as representatives of that class. Both of these men opposed the motion before Parliament to open national museums and libraries on the day of rest, the stand taken by them largely influencing the vote (208 to 84) which defeated the measure. Summing up the objections, we would say that Sunday opening is opposed by many of our best citizens : I. Because it compels additional Sunday labor. 2. Because it tends surely to secularize the Sabbath. 3. Because the working man does not want it. From what has been said, we may perhaps see that these various objections appear to us weak or weighty, according to our idea of Sunday itself, and that, in fact, the whole Sun- day question is involved in this discussion. If, therefore, we would come to an honest and reasonable conclusion, we must not shrink from facing this much vexed and perplexing subject of dispute. Suppose we inquire what is the purpose of Sunday and what is the pur- pose of establishing libraries. Is it not true that there are two well-defined and distinct conceptions of Sunday observance, and also two equally well-defined and distinct conceptions of libraries ? Rest from bodily labor in the strictest sense, and a day devoted to purely religious exercises, is the ideal Sunday of the Jew, the Puritan, and of a large body of Protestant Christians of our time. An investigation of our early State laws shows a legislation on the subject very nearly uniform in its purpose, in its prohibitions and penalties. Ordinary work, business, travel, recreation, fishing, hunting, visiting, riding, driving cattle, walking in the fields, loitering, selling liquor, and using tobacco were restricted; church-going was commanded, and punishments like fines, whip- ping, putting in the stocks, cutting off ears, and imprisonment were rigidly inflicted. During the early days of Virginia history, before the organization of the General As- sembly, absence from church was visited with a night's imprisonment and a week's slavery; for the second offence, a month's slavery, and for the third, a year and a day. (See Cooke, John Esten. Virginia, 1883, p. 112.) Passing by the severity of those early days and coming down to the New England Sunday two or three generations ago, we find the same idea in a milder and more attractive form. Perhaps some of us have spent a Sabbath in one of those old New England towns where the modern spirit of inquiry and doubt has not yet penetrated. An air of peace and calm pervades the place. The church-going, 57: LOUIS CONFERENCE. and the hymn-singing, and the quiet hours for thought were a perfect heaven to a devout and aspiring soul. But this world is not made up of saints, and " the Sabbath was made for man." Strangely enough, something in this notion of Sunday reminds me of the library of the olden time. A Sabbath stillness at all times pervaded this temple of wisdom. The object of its existence was to inspire due reverence for itself. The priest of the temple was never so happy as in the summer vacation, when every book was in its proper place on the shelves and himself the only occupant. We must not, however, make the mistake of undervaluing the influence of the old-school library. It has preserved for us the treasures of antiquity, without which our modern schol- arship would have been meagre ; it has opened its doors to the scholar and to the man of leisure ; it has, moreover, encouraged in him independence of thought during the fre- quent intervals in which its gates were barred. Like the old-time Sabbath, its work has been limited, because, like the Sabbath, it has ex- isted for its own sake and not first of all for man. The other conception of Sunday has for its primary thought the good of man, and that not of the favored few, but of all. Like its pred- ecessor, it involves physical rest and spiritual opportunity, but is not confined to these. It provides for the growth and development of the entire man, physical, mental, social, aesthetic, moral, and spiritual. With this view, no iron code of laws can be laid down for its observance. Such a code would be subversive of its purpose ; it must change as man changes, adapt itself to new surround- ings, supply his fresh and varying needs, and, without arbitrary decree or provision of stat- ute or exhortation from the pulpit, perpetuate itself and work out its glad and beneficent mission. I like Beecher's characterization of Sunday as a " parlor day," from which of our own free will we keep the common utensils of the kitchen, the barn, and the workshop. Frederick Denison Maurice, whose clear spiritual eye often sees a truth obscured to more earthly visions, tells us in his " Life and Letters:" "It is certain that we and the Romanists have each taken half the idea of Sunday, and spoiled that half; they believing it to be a day of joy, and therefore working their bodies and giving way to bodily license upon it, and we supposing it to be spiritual, and therefore making it sad." (See Life, v. i, P- 303-) Surely this need not be. We cannot be content to settle down to the conviction expressed in these words ascribed to Horace Greeley, " You must choose between the Pur- itan Sabbath and the Parisian Sunday ; there is no middle ground." Already the leaders of religious thought point us to something better. The Bampton lecture for 1860 entitled " Sun- day, its origin, history, and obligation," breathes this broad and generous spirit ; and the con- cluding chapter, " The Lord's day viewed practically," is well worth reading in this con- nection. The following is from an article in the Atlantic monthly for 1881 (v. 47, p. 537), called "The New Sunday:" " The trend of the new Sunday is in the direction of a healthier and more persuasive Christianity, not wholly nor immediately what all could wish, but enough to give one hope of better things in store. The escape from the narrow requirements of an earlier day may for the moment, even, be the taking of some steps backward. To see social and religious changes correctly, one must not look at them from a local point of view alone. The present in- fluence of Sunday is to broaden the Christian conception of the possibilities of ethical life and to uplift mankind on the physical, social, and intellectual, as truly as upon the moral and spiritual side." Such a Sabbath would be, as Emerson called it, " the jubilee of the whole world." (See Nature, addresses and lectures, p. 147.) We will let Mr. Dewey tell what is meant by the modern library idea: "With the founding of New England it was recognized that the church alone could not do all that was necessary for the safety and uplifting of the people, so side by side they built the meeting-house and schoolhouse. Thoughtful men are to-day pointing out that a great something is wanting, and that church and CUTLER. 33 State together have not succeeded in doing all that was hoped or all that is necessary for the common safety and for the common good. The school starts the education in child- hood ; we have come to a point where in some way we must carry it on. The simplest figure cannot be bounded by less than three lines ; no more can the triangle of great educational work, now well begun, be complete without the church as a basis, the school as one side and the library as the other." (See Lib. notes, v- 3, P- 339-) But there is no need that I should enlarge on the modern library idea. Your presence here to-day ; the history of our association, growing in numbers, in enthusiasm and in in- fluence, since its birth on our nation's cen- tennial day, proves its power. With this motive fresh in our minds, shall we not agree that the library aims to do for the community by the aid of books and per- sonal contact what the Sabbath supplies by a wider circle of influences, both taking the mass of people as they are, and working to build them up in all that tends to a life of higher aims? If this be the case, is it not the most natural and practical thing in the world that the three should use each other and work hand in hand toward the same end ? To put it more definitely, there is a large class of people who will not go to church and who will not read the Bible, who could be reached by the means of grace afforded by a library. There is found, especially in our cities, a multitude of men who have no homes, to whom Sunday is rather a day of temptation than of rest. As the Christian union expresses it : " What can a Christian community do for this great class (on Sunday) better than to provide a kind of communistic substitute for home, in a room furnished with pictures and with books, warmed and lighted and made comfortable staying places? " The Rev. Plato Johnson, a pseudonymous writer in the New York Independent of Feb. 23, 1882, gives us this idea in terse and expres- sive language. " Dere ain't no use in openin a libry fer de pore, wen noboddy can cum to it, an' shettin it tite, wen ebberybody wants ter go in. Ef you opens dat libery on de Sunday and invites all de pore to cum in an git a book, so interestin dat dey wunt want ter go out an git a drink, de fuss pusson dat will make a row 'bout it an say 'taint rite, will be de ole gen'leman hisself wot lives below." Nor does this imply giving people culture in place of religion. The Baptist denomina- tion is not open to the charge of preaching the religion of culture, but one of their minis- ters makes an earnest appeal for Sunday opening. He says : "Anythipg that helps the mind to better thoughts and keeps the eyes from vile and gross objects, is not a hindrance but a help to the religious life, and will lead there if persisted in." Besides the people who need to be enticed to a library on Sunday, there is a large num- ber of intelligent working men, who have already begun the work of self-improvement, who find Sunday the only time for carrying out their plans ; do not deny them a Sunday afternoon in a quiet place, relieved from the distractions of the home. Perhaps you have no right to deny them on their only day of leisure that which they are taxed to pay for as a common good. True, a certain number can utilize their evenings for this purpose, but a hard day of manual labor more often leaves a man quite unfitted for mental effort. We hear a great deal now about seminary work; it is the latest phase of the library movement. When will you do such work for the un- privileged classes except on Sunday, and what could be a more hopeful way of reach- ing the masses, the vexed problem of the church of to-day? Speaking of a similar work in the museums, Heber Newton says : " How beautiful a ministry of brotherhood, to be accepted, nay, even solicited, in the holy name of religion ! Alas ! that it is religion itself, the very religion of Jesus of Nazareth, which, with an earnestness worthy of a more intelligent discipleship, is barring this step forward in the intellectual progress of hosts of our fellow- citizens." (See his sermon Superstition of the Sabbath, Day star, Feb. 4, 1886.) In the light of what has been said, we may perhaps return to the three objections against Sunday opening. 34 ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. We must admit the first; it does increase Sunday labor ; though, as we shall show later, the increase is very small, probably less in proportion to the number of people served than is necessitated by church services. But our new view of the purpose of Sunday throws new light on this fact. The question to be asked is, Will the step proposed, con- duce to the real elevation of the community ? Since, then, by the labor of a few, the ma- jority can be helped to the right and legitimate use of Sunday, our first objection falls to the ground. The second argument, namely, that it tends to secularize the Sabbath, is unanswerable. Such an objection always is unanswerable. Doubtless the first man in New England who asserted that he had a moral, and ought to have a legal right to take a quiet walk in the fields of a Sunday afternoon had this same objection flung in his face. Unquestionably it does have that tendency, but what shall we do about it ? We are not willing to go back to the Puritan Sabbath, we do not want the Parisian Sunday ; for fear of the one, must we cling to such relics of the superstitions of the other as are left to us ? Must we not rather judge each case on its merits, ask each new innovation if it can bring us enough good to balance the risk, ask if its spirit is that of the ideal Sabbath for man ? Judged by that standard, Sunday opening has come to stay. The working man does not want Sunday opening, was our third objection. In the Nineteenth century for 1884 (v. 15, p. 416- 434) is an article which goes at length into this matter. It claims that the statistics re- ferred to in Bishop Potter's article are of no value since they were worked up by " The Lord's Day Rest Association," which put the question, " Do you approve the amendment for opposing the increase of Sunday labor?" thus placing a totally false issue before the working men; and against these is pitted an- other set of figures obtained by a vote taken previous to the other vote, in which there was a powerful majority in favor of Sunday open- ing. It is difficult for us to weigh the merits of these votes. Probably we would best disre- gard them both. We may notice, however that those who voted against Sunday opening appear to have done so, not because it seemed to them undesirable in itself, but from fear that it might lead to enforced Sunday labor, a point which we have tried to answer above. It may not be out of place at this point to inquire if we should wait the demand of the laboring man in providing means for his growth and uplifting. Surely it is more reasonable to expect that those who, through no merit of their own, have been endowed with richer gifts and opportunities, should make it their constant study, and find it their highest joy, to anticipate his aspirations. Thus far we have been viewing this subject theoretically. Let us take a more practical standpoint, and find what has been already done towards solving the problem. I have sent out a circular letter to 223 libraries asking questions in regard to Sunday opening. From 194 of these I have had re- plies, and I wish right here to express my thanks to the librarians who, in the press of work, have responded so promptly and heartily to my inquiries. Especial acknowledgment is due to Mr. Hild, of the Chicago Public, who contributed an elaborate and valuable summary of statistics. The libraries interrogated con- sist of a majority of the libraries in the United States containing 10,000 volumes or more, excluding state, government, and the libraries of learned societies, e. g. historical and antiquarian societies. A tabulated state- ment of facts gathered, may be seen by any one interested in examining it; I will present only a brief summary. No great claim is made for these statistics, though prepared with considerable care. In spite of the proverbial veracity of figures, they do not always prove what they seem to do ; e. g. N is put down as a library not open on Sunday. It is a well-known and well-managed library, and the inference is that its example counts against opening. But if we find later that it is a town made up almost entirely of beautiful homes, whose owners have libraries of their own, we put it down on a list of libraries not needing Sunday opening, and therefore not affecting the argument. In a few cases, Sunday open- CUTLER. 35 ing has been tried and failed, because intro- duced by outside pressure and lacking the cooperation of the librarian ; sometimes a progressive minority have brought it about prematurely and very unwisely. A fair pre- sentation of the exact status of Sunday open- ing in American libraries would involve a great outlay of time. The investigator should know each library, its work, and the spirit of its work, the town and the people who make up its constituency. Still, it is to be hoped that the figures and facts presented, though un- satisfactory, will indicate the trend of opinion, and at least serve as a basis for further study. For purposes of comparison the list has been divided into four classes: 1. Free libraries, including those supported by the city, like the Boston Public, and also those maintained by private philanthropy, of which the Astor and the Providence Public are examples. 2. Subscription libraries, both the Mercan- tile and the Athenaeum types, and all variations of the two. 3. College libraries. 4. Theological seminary libraries. 106 Free libraries on the list. i not heard from. 105 heard from. 70 not open. 35 P en - 41 Subscription libraries on the list. I not heard from. 40 heard from. 28 not open. 12 open. 64 College libraries- on the list. 5 not heard from. 59 heard from. 47 not open. 12 open. READING-ROOM or lib. open. Colby university. College of Holy Cross ; success. Harvard university Hobart college " Lehigh university " Mt. Holyoke sem. and college ; only religion books. Spring Hill college. Trinity college ; little used. University of Vermont. Vassar college. Wellesley college Yale college. 11 Theological sem. libraries on the list. 8 not open. 3 open. 222 libraries on the list. 7 not heard from. 215 heard from. 1 53 not open. 62 open. 35 call it a success. 7 " not " 20 fail to answer the question. 12 have tried and given it up. Leaving out of the account college and theo- logical sem. libraries. 145 free and subscription libraries. 98 not open. 47 open, a little less than one-third. Hours range mostly from 2-9 or 10 p. M. Of the 57 reading-rooms or libraries reported open, 1 8 have morning hours. These are : Chicago public lib. Lowell Mechanics inst. Cincinnati public lib. Mt. Hoi. sem & college. Cincinnati mercantile. Oakland (Cal.) public. Colby univ. Phil, mercantile. Evansville (Ind.) public. Portland (Or.) lib. assoc. Hobart college. Sacramento public. Indianapolis public. St. Paul public. Leominister (Mass.) pub. San Fran, median, inst. Lowell City lib. San Fran, mercantile. Portland (Oregon) reports the longest hours, 7 A. M.-IO P. M. So many have failed to state additional ex- pense that the average has not been taken. A reference to the tables of statistics will show that, so far as given, the cost, compared to the entire expense of running a library, is surprisingly small. The answers to the questions Why is your library not open ? What are your objec- tions ? are substantially three. Expense ; ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. no call for it ; religious objections. Various wordings of the third objection are. as follows : " We want to give the churches a chance." " We go to church and to Sunday School on Sunday." " Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy." " It would not suit my personal convenience. Ex. 20:8." As an indication of favorable sentiment, I cite a few sentences taken from printed re- ports and from private letters of librarians engaged in public library work. " I fully agree with the position you have taken in regard to Sunday opening. I have for twenty years been theoretically and practically in favor of Sunday opening." W. F. POOLE. " It is my opinion that it does no harm, but, on the contrary, much good, to have the reading- rooms open on Sunday. I am confident that the cause of good morals has been largely promoted by having them open on this day of the week." S. S. GREEN, Library journal, v. 9, p. 85-86. "The results [of Sunday opening] have more than vindicated the wisdom of those who advocated this measure, and have removed, I think, whatever slight hesitancies there may have been in conser vative minds." " The opening of the reading-room on Sunday has been continued through the year with increas. ing satisfactoriness. Generally speaking, the use of the rooms is only limited by the number of seats in them." J. N. LARKED, Library journal, v. 12, p. 230; v. 13, p. 135. "The report of the Sunday work seems to answer every objection which can be made to Sunday opening." E. M. COE, ^V. Y. Free Circulating Library. "The Sunday opening here is an unquestionable success." F. M. CRUNDEN, St. Louis Public Library. " An indispensable feature of our work." CHARLES EVANS, Indianapolis Public Library. " The Sunday library is a blessing in this com- munity. It will only require a look through the establishment on Sunday to convince even an ex- treme fanatic that the good work done here sup- plements well the good work done from the pulpit." A. W. WHELPLEY, Cincinnati Public Library. " We consider the Sunday opening of the library as our most active missionary work." LIBRARIAN BRIDGEPORT PUBLIC LIBRARY, Library journal, v. 10, p. 405. Judge Chamberlain, Mr. Linderfelt, and Mr. Foster are advocates of Sunday opening. There is another phase of this question, viz., not a few librarians, thoroughly convinced of the wisdom of Sunday opening, are held back from motives of expediency. Miss Hagar, of Burlington, Vt., Librarian of the Fletcher Free Library, told me at the last conference: "We need Sunday opening; it would give us a chance to reach a class that I want the library to get hold of, but it would not be safe to suggest it ; the people who sup port the library would be shocked beyond measure at such a proposal. It would only cripple our present work to attempt such an extreme measure." Mrs. Saunders, of Paw- tucket, R. I., told me substantially the same story. Miss James hopes to bring about Sunday opening in Wilkes-Barre', but does not think it wise to attempt it at present. The case is further complicated by the ques- tion of cost. We have seen that in the larger libraries it is of minor importance ; but in the little libraries, where every penny counts, and where it involves at least one extra assistant, the case is different. One thing is certain, if one librarian does all the work and devotes her entire energy to the library, it is quite out of the question to expect, or even to allow her to do Sunday work. It has been suggested that voluntary assistance may be the solution of this difficulty. It seems to me probable that in some towns a woman of culture and leisure might be found glad to take this up as a mis- sionary work, and surely no one need desire a more satisfactory outlet for humanitarian zeal, but it is doubtful if this method could be depended on as a practical way out of the difficulty. These two obstacles, prejudice and lack of means, "prevent Sunday opening in a large number of the smaller libraries, and it would no doubt be the part of folly to attempt a forcing process. It must be brought about after a gradual change of public sentiment, CUTLER. 37 and may be hastened by anything that tends to broaden and liberalize that sentiment, and, when the time is ripe, by taking advantage of any propitious occasion for introducing it. From what has been said, I conclude that public libraries, for the use of books in the building ought to be open on Sunday. I can see no reason for circulating books on that day. The objections urged against such open- ing are of little weight, compared with the urgent claims of the unprivileged classes for such a work as the highest conception of Sunday and the ideal library spirit call upon us to do. It has been in successful operation for a term of years in many prominent American and in several English libraries. Just the people who, as we maintained, need- ed to be reached by Sunday opening, have responded to the opportunity and proved the demand by a constant and growing use of such privileges. It is approved by most of our leading librarians, and always gets a good word from the Library journal. The ob- stacles of prejudice and limited means in the smaller libraries may be overcome by time. The final word on this subject was, I think, said by Mr. Winsor at the L. A. U. K. in 1877. (See Library journal, v. 2, p. 274; L. A. U. K. Proceedings, 1877, p. 171): "I think the hours that a library is open must correspond to the hours in which any considerable number of people will come to it. All night, if they will come all night ; in the evening certainly, and on Sundays by all means. We have fought and are fighting the " Sunday question " as to libraries in America. People who were once tortured with the idea now accept it. I appreciate the merits of conservatism; I do not believe in forcing, but I do believe in ripening. In any community the time for benefactions and phil- anthropy on Sunday will ripen in the end." My object in bringing this subject before you has been to induce thought and to pro- voke discussion. I cannot hope to have con- vinced any one who did not believe in Sunday opening. If I have shown that it is a subject worthy of serious thought from every student of library science and from every practical librarian, I shall be content. I hope to continue the study of this subject, and will grate- fully welcome any bit of experience throwing new light on it, whether it confirms or contradicts present conclusions. Ad- dress M. S. CUTLER, New York State Library, Albany, N.Y. or the discussion on this paper, see the PROCEEDINGS (Third session). 3- s *~ J C B THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY c. o e- I V | 1 LIBRARIES. S I "P. ll 'z'a 'S o ^ o to 51 c-S O , a B II o Location. Same of Lib. 3 * o *O a 3 g ~a a s: 5 M 5 EC ft 02 ft pE Alleghany City, Pa. Baltimore, Md. Public school. Enoch Pratt. No No No Peabody inst. " " *2 Bangor, Me. Public. " " No Bay City, Mich. " " " Beverly, Mass. ' " " " Boston, ' ' Yes Yes No 800 1500 No rec'rd 200 2 - 10 p. m. Extra assist. Clerks and mechanics. Bridgeport, Ct. ' " " ' 262 i - 9 p. m. 2 reg. ass'ts. All classes. Brockton, Mass. ' " No ' "47 1 68 3 - 9 p. m. Janitor. Largly clerks. Brookline, " 1 No " ' Brooklyn, N. ( Y. E. D. school. " " ' Buffalo, Pratt inst. Buffalo. Grosvenor. Yes No Yes No '*2 *3 *3 i - 6 p. m. 2 assistants. ( All classes, I chiefly young men. Burlington, Vt. Cambridge, Mass. Fletcher. Public. ',' " No Chicago, 111. " Yes Yes " *4 *7 9 a.m. -6 p.m. 4 assistants. All classes. " " Newberry. No No Chillicothe, O. Public. " " " Cincinnati, O. " Yes Yes No 8 a.m. -9 p.m. *8 All classes. Cleveland, O. " " " " i - 9 p. m. 2 spec, ass'ts " Clinton, Mass. Columbus, O. Bigelow. Public. No Yes No "< 12-25 *6 2.30 - 8 p.m. f Janitress Concord, Mass. Free. No " " ( & i ass't. Danvers, " Peabody inst. " " " Dayton, O. Public. " " " Denver, Col. Mercantile. Yes Yes " 9' 97 58 66 2 - 9 p. m. Reg. force. Detroit, Mich. Evansville, Ind. Public. Willard. *i " 285 8 76 2 - 9 p. m. 10-12 a.m, 2-6 p.m. * 9 Librarian. Children and visitors. Fall River, Mass. Public. No No " Fitchburg, " Yes Yes " 2 - 6 p. m. Librarian. Mechanics. Framingham, " Town. No No " Geneseo, N. Y. Wadsworth. " " " Germantown, Pa. Friends'. " " " Grand Rapids, Mich Public school. c M " Hartford, Ct. Watkinson. Haverhill, Mass. Public. No No No Holyoke, " Indianapolis, Ind. Ipswich, Mass. City. Public. Free. Yes No Yes No ;; 223 I33S 95 1025 9 a.m. -9 p.m. Eve. att'd'ts {Mostly young men and boys. Ithaca, N. Y. Cornell. " " " Kalamazoo, Mich. Public. No No No Lancaster, Mass. Town. " " " Lawrence, Free. No No " Leominster, " " Yes " " *5 8a.m. -9 p.m. Librarian. Lexington, ' Gary. No " " Lowell, City. Yes " " 9 a.m. -6p.m. 2 assistants. Lynn, Maiden, Free. Public. No " i Manchester, N. H. City. " " ' Medford, Mass. Public. " " ' Milton, " M " ' Milwaukee, Wis. " Yes Yes ' 166 205 31 2 - 9 p. m. Ex. att'd'ts. Natick, Mass. Morse inst. No No ' , *Newark, N. J. Public. Yes " " 2 - 10 p. m. ( Keg. ass t New Bedford,Mass. Free. No " " | extra pay. Newburg, N. Y. " " " " Newburyp't, Mass. New Haven, Ct. New Orleans, La. Public. Free. Howard m'l. Yes Yes ' *6 *6 ( Very i little. | Very | little. i - 6 p. m. i - 6 p. m. *IO Reg. ass't. Men and boys. " " Pub.sc'l &lyc. No No No Newport, R. I. People's. " " " Newton, Mass. Free. M " " New York City, Apprentices'. "__ " " Astor. REFERENCES : * To be open on Sunday. *i. During the winter. *2. No circulating department. *3. Free access, no statistics. *4- 453 periodicals, 425 readers. *5. Well patronized. *6. Rooms filled. */ 33^ volumes, 127 readers. *8. Sunday and evening assistants. *g. Volunteers from staff for extra pay. *io. 2 of 4 regular assistants. *Circ. dept., Sunday 128, daily 262. CUTLER. 39 STATISTICS. So 5 " ~ a 5 c * a 3 5 II o. g I % ~1 S c 0^ 11 t\ It m X B g i = B o 32 11 i -w + o 5 REMARKS. 08 * ,=3 b s *> ** S ~* w W S g al P fc K 3 Yes Against Sun'y labor. No object'n, not yet called for " No objection. Yes *IO No necessity. No Yes. Regular exp. Yes. Decidedly in favor. *i 57 per week. Unqualified. Open since 1882. Yes. Favorable. Voted ag'nst in Town meeting Can supply with't op'ng Sun. Yes No desire for it. None if extra service. ** *n Very different. 5 100 per yr. j Most em~ ( phatically. Not been thought best. *4 Mixed, Trustees unwilling. *5 Against. Librarian favors it. No desire expressed. *2 S 10 per wk. Open since founded, 1874 ( Many not seen ( on week days. Sioooper yr. 8 per week. Perfect. Yes. Universal approbat'n No. R. R. so small, no object. No Sun. best spent home None. No. No demand, no objection. *6 Indifferent. Expense ; not open 6 days. IT IT t Better class. None. ' Most deci'ly tn favor. About the same. Yes. $9 per week. None. I think it is. No. Trustees voted it w'ld not pay Yes No criticism. Do not know. | Lib. too far from cen- ( tre to attract readers. It is. None. We do. All can come on other days. *7 No object'n if needed Never discussed. Lack of means and facilities. No Yes {Presume majority would not object. Librarian favors decid'ly * Yes. ( $5 to $ 10 ( per week. *3 Lack of facilities. Not necessary. No Yes No expression. Against. One of the first to open. t * Every one has a pleas't home. No Yes No expression. Equally divided. ip Yes. No demand. Yes Opposed. Somewhat. $i.87perwk. Yes. Want of accommodation. Yes Probably favorable. [for. No demand. " No desire. Ready to open if called No 1! Same class. | $4 per w'k 1 and gas. Yes. No demand. Lack of funds. Yes Yes No desire. Overw'm'ly in favor. No demand, no objections. Yes Not expressed. ( 27 churches & Y.M.C. See remarks. " ( A. meet Sunday wants. N. E. predjudice. " In favor. Same class. $ .50 perwk. No. None. No need ; expense. No None. Not sufficient demand. *8 Not expressed. No need ; librarian needs rest *9 Don't know. A working librarian. Yes No general desire. REFERENCES : *i. Some not seen on week days. *2. Rather more clerks and mechanics. *3. Necessary factor of our work. *4. Often and much. *5. Yes ; personally. *6. Not very much. *7. Never came up. *8. Somewhat. *g. Society opposed. *io. Supposed public would disapprove. *n. Would be on hand if library opened. * Yes, one year. \ Yes, reading-room. f Patronage too small. Objections are many, thick as bl'kberries. || Would open if public demanded. These questions not Answered. 1 Has never been considered. ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. STATISTICS. (CONTINUED.) E e- I USE 5? E o E O O P 8 FREE LIBRARIES. 1 "e. READING REFERENCE I| oje- H 1 g ROOM. DEPARTMENT. 51 o M e 3 i a "3 d o ,; X ^ r 11 Location. Name of Lib. a j 2 a s as ~S X A O a a ZJ T. *? New York City, Cooper Union Yes Yes 2OOO 2000 8i8b'ks. 841 b'ks. 12 - 9 p. m. Extra help. " Free circ.* " " Yes 82 97 4 - 9 p. m. Reg. ass't. " Y. M. C. A. No " 97 172 2 - 10 p. m. Extra ass't. Northampton, Mass Free. Yes " No 62 i - 9 p. m. Janitor. North Easton, " Ames free. No No " Oakland, Cal. Free. Yes " " 9 a. m. - 9 p. m. Omaha, Neb. Public. " Yes " Peabody, Mass. Peabody inst. No No " Peoria, 111. Public. Yes Yes Yes 2 - 6 p. m. Reg. force. Philadelphia, Pa. Apprentices't No No No , Pittsfield, Mass. Portland, Me. Berkshire Ath Public. Yes No Yes No u 20 12 5 10 2 - 6 p. m. 1 Keg. ass t ( and janitor Working-men. Poughkeepsie, N. Y. City. " " " Providence, R. I. Public. ** " ' Quincy, Mass. Thos. Crane. " " ' Richmond, Ind. Morrison. " ' Rochester, N. Y. Reynolds. No " ' Rockford, 111. Public. " " f Sacramento, Cal. Free. Yes Yes Yes *2 2 *2 ioa.rn.-g.3op.rn. Lib. & ass't. Working-men. St Louis, Mo. Public. " " No 162 181 2 - 9 p. m. 2 reg. ass'ts. " St. Johnsbury, Vt. Athenaeum. No No " St. Paul, Minn. Public. Yes Yes *3 *3 9 a.m.- 9 p.m. 2 extra asst's Men mostly. Salem, Mass. Public. " ". No 2 - 10 p.m. San Francisco, Cal. Free.t " " Yes 55 1 88 109 '79 i - 5 p.m. Reg. ass't. Working-men. Somerville, Mass. Public. No No No Southbridge, " Springfield, " Springfield, O. City. Public. No Yes No No i - 6p.m. | Reg. ass't. I extra pay. Fewer ladies. Syracuse, N. Y. Central. " " Taunton, Mass. Public. i **. " Toledo, O. " Yes " " 2 - 6p.m. Reg. ass't. Middle class. Topeka, Kan. " No " ' Troy, N. Y. " " ' Utica, " City. " " 1 Waltham, Mass. Public. " " ' Waterbury, Ct. SiiasBronson. " " ' Watertown, Mass. Free. " " ' Wayland, " " " ' Wilkesbarre, Pa. Osterhout. " " ' Woburn, Mass. Public. *i *i 1 i -4 p.m. Janitor. Worcester, " Free. Yes Yes *4 200 2 - 9 p.m. *5 Non-church goers. REFERENCES : * Circulating dep't, Sun. 128, daily 262. t Circulating department, annual 96,000. t Circulating dep't, Sun. 50, daily 204. Young Men's Association. *i Has been. *2 Larger than on other days. *3 No record. *4 Reading-room and Reference dep't 235. *5 2 extra assistants and librarian 3-5. p. m CUTLER. STATISTICS. (CONTINUED.) c 9 S 1 tA B a o S |* 1 !=.. 2 to O> . o 5 2 1 I! s is? 93 t S3 8| j3*3 w i > o M a ^ cc X No. $40 a month. Yes. Pat. off. dep't not open. " l " Favorable. Sta'tics for Bond St. only " $2 per wk. " Same class. $200 a year. No call. Yes Not strong. (Patrons should keep Sunday at home. Yes. Yes. Not great. Decidedly. Day of rest. Churches are open. Yes Yes Mostly opposed. Against. Yes ( Want to give the ( churches a chance. Lack of funds. Yes Favorable. No demand. No R. R. Sunday observed. Yes Want it open. No demand. M Somewhat. None. Decidedly. Yes. *2 *3 Yes. Yes. Yes. None. Yes. No demand. Not advisable. *6 *6 *6 Somewhat dif. $90 a year. No Not been called out. *IO t Open during summer. No necessity. *9 One trustee inquired. No. $2 a week. *4 Expense. Librarian opposed. *7 ^9 No demand. No Not expressed. No demand and expense. No demand. Yes Indifferent. *8 *8 *8 Expense, no demand. Opposed. Open only on Saturday. Librarian favors it. $2 a day. No. Didn't pay. Yes t Yes. $350 a year. *5 REFERENCES : *i. $150 per year for each library. *2. Heat and light. *3. Unquestionably. *4- Success indifferent. *5. Decidedly yes. *6. These questions not answered. *y. Would only be a lounging place. *8. Prohibited at founding of library. *g. Not formally. *io. Tried 3 months. * Patronage not sufficient. t Largest attendance 37. Not a different class. t Only an average of 29 per Sunday. Owing to inconvenient quarters. 42 ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. STATISTICS. a 0-- a P. USE fc M 3 COLLEGE LIBRARIES. S, o S 1 "ft READING REFER- ENCE a S bD fa 8 bO ROOM. DEP'T. *i > I "ft c . MQ p^ 4> > c B ? o .s 03 Name of Library. Location. i J f> 1 >> O C t o S o CH M 3 OJ Q oc 1 Amherst College, Amherst, Mass. No No No Beloit Beloit, Wis. " " " Boston " Boston, Mass. " " " Bowdoin " Brunswick, Me. " " Brown University, Providence, R. I. " " " Colby " Waterville, Me. Yes " " R. R. 'always open. Col. of New Jersey, " St. Francis Xavier, Princeton, N. J. N. Y. City. No " the City of N. Y. " " " " " the Holy Cross, Worcester, Mass. Ye? Yes Yes Columbia College, N. Y. City. N O ; No No Cornell University, Ithaca, N. Y. " " " Dartmouth College, Hanover, N. H. " " " DePauw University, Greencastle, Ind. " " " Drury College, Springfield, Mo. " " " Georgetown College, W. Wash., D. C. " " " Gonzaga Washington, D. C. No No No Hamilton Harvard Haverford " Clinton, N. Y. Cambridge, Mass. Haverford, Pa. Yes No Yes No No i - 5 p. m. ( Officer and boy ( both paid extra Reg'lar students. Hobart Geneva, N. Y. Yes " " 8 a. m. - sunset. Iowa Grinnell, la. No " " Johns Hopkins Univ., Baltimore, Md. " " " Kenyon College, Gambier, O. " " " Lafayette " Easton, Pa. " " " Lawrence University, Lehigh Appleton, Wis. So. Bethlehem, Pa. Yes Yes Yes *i 1.30 - 9 p. in. Clerks in turn. Chiefly students. Marietta College, Marietta, O. No No No Michigan University, Ann Arbor, Mich. " " " Mt. Hoi. Sem. and Col. Mt. Morris College, Mt. Morris, 111. No No No 12 - 9 p. m. Students. Mt. Pleasant Mil. Acad. Sing Sing, N. Y. N. W. University, Evanston, 111. No No No Oberlin College, Oberlin, O. " " " O. Wesleyan University, Delaware, O. Olivet College, Olivet, Mich. No No No Rutgers " N.Brunsw'k, NJ. " " " St. Louis University, St. Louis, Mo. " " " Spring Hill College, Mobile, Ala. Yes State Univ. of Iowa, Iowa City, la. No No No La. Baton Rouge, La. " " " Syracuse University, Trinity College, Syracuse, N. Y. Hartford, Ct. Yes " i. *3 *3 *3 *3 Tufts " College Hill, Mass. No ' < Tulane University, New Orleans, La. " ' ' Union College, Schenectady, N. Y. " 1 ' U. S. Military Academy, West Point, N. Y. " ' U. S. Naval Annapolis, Md. " ' ' Univ. of California, Berkeley, Cal. " ' " " Colorado, Boulder, Col. " < " " Illinois, Urbana, 111. " ' " " Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minn " 1 " " Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pa. No No No Rochester, Rochester, N.Y. " " " " the South, Vermont, Virginia, Sewanee, Tenn. Burlington, Vt. Univ. of Va., Va. Yes No Yes No No *4 *4 *4 *4 2 - 4 p. m. ( A student gra- 1 tuitously. Students mainly. Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tenn. " {Volunteers Vassar College, Poughk'psie, N.Y. Yes Yes No 2.30 - $ p. m. from Senior cl. Wabash " Welle sley " Wesleyan University, Crawfordsville, 111. Wellesley, Mass. Middletown, Ct. No Yes No No No No *S *5 R. R. always open. ( No one in at- ( tendance. Students. Williams College, Wil'mstown, Mass. << <> Yale New Haven, Ct. Yes " " *6 W i - 8 p. m. Reg. attendants. REFERENCES : *i. Average, 32 readers. *2. Access to the shelves ; no statistics. *3. Comparatively little used. *4- No statistics ; only open one month. *$. Far less than daily. *6. 175 readers. CUTLER. 43 STATISTICS. S8?, oS. c~ ^ "S A - S d a 03 l| I 2 s - P"a5 a o-2 ll I . 53 - _W O. S 5s i B a Bfi S "1 3 g'S og i REMARKS. *~S 1 H o ~m~ *c A "o OS ~" ? M GO f *2 *2o i days suffi't; to avoid the labor *I S *2I students live at a distance from the college. *3 t.R. in dorm. man. by stu'ts, opened Sun. Librarian should rest. *4 Yes Against. Passive. Sears R.R. in sep. b'ld'g open all day & eve. R. R. in dormitory in charge of students. Entire sentiment of college opposed. . Sunday for rest. No Do not know. *5 *i6 3ccasion'l calls No desire or need for it. No Regard for Lord's day. *2 S *2 7 Students do not assemble. ( We have Church and S. S. lib. connected ( with the college. No | $150 for Moderate. ( 40 weeks. *26 #28 None. VIeets a want Sunday is for other purposes. No No demand. *6 *7 Against. Contains only secular reading. Not in favor. Brainerd Evan. So. supplies suitable read'g. No need of it for students. No No. Yes. R. R. and ref. dep't together. No demand, no objection. *8 *I7 *22 No No. {We all go to Church and Sunday school. No demand. Only religious b'ks & papers are accessible. *9 *9 ** 9 *IO *i8 Not deemed necessary. Not in favor. Relig. periodicals loan'd Y.M.C.A. Sun. No demand for it. No No demand, no objection. Not agitated. ( 2 students' libraries open, containing ( both religious and secular books. Against military rules. *n Yes Acquiescent. ( We very positively deplore and oppose \ the secularizing of the Sabbath. No need to have it open. No No expression. Nobody requests it. *I2 Yes *I2 Cannot say. Opposed. *I2 ( Col. students might better take country ( walks on Sun. rather than do brain work. *'3 No Indifferent. *9 *9 *9 *9 *9 *9 No special demand. Yes Opposed. *i 9 Favorable. ' *M No Ques.not rais'c *i Only heating Yes, thus far Xo {Opposed, I think. No Contrary to wish of founder. Yes *2 4 No demand ; expense. Prob ly ag nst Rather averse R.R. controlled by stud's ; lib'n in favor. None. Col. Y.M.C.A. R.R & lib. open ; att. 50 . REFERENCES: *i. Much the same. *io. Unneces'y; belief in strict Sun. keeping. *2i. Undoubtedly opposed. *2. Demand not suffic't to warrant ex. exp. *n. Because the reading matter is secular. *22. Question raised at intervals. *3- Offend friends of col.; advantage would *I2. Contrary to academic and army reg's. *23. Strongly pposed. not compensate for labor involved. *i3- Students can use it other days. Exp'se. *24. Divided; majority, prob. con. *4. None, except students are otherwise *i4. Change of work desirable on Sunday. *25- Yes, i year. employed. *I5. Not formally. *i6. Yes, informally. *26. Yes; 1878-88. *S. Demand too small to justify expense. *ij. Not officially. *i8. Not as a library. *2j. Use was for purely secular and social *6. Whole univ. closed on Sunday. *ig. Never discussed. purposes. *7. Lack of pressing necessity. Expense. *2o. Growing disposition to demand it, and *28. Students spend Sunday away. *8. Expense; and offence to friends of Univ. entire readiness to meet the demand *g. These questions not answered. when time comes. 44 ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. STATISTICS. K 1 USE | SUBSCRIPTION LIBRARIES. B a o "p. READING REFER- ENCE CIRCU- LATING a i 3 tA fi| 1 " o* i ROOM. DEP'T. DEP'T. CC C * E M ; 60 21 sl o Location. Name of Lib. 3 5T a B 1 d a & 1 ^ o 3 O I 5 & K 5 Si 1 3 OJ G 3 00 c ^ Albany, N. Y. Young Men's asso. No No No Atlanta, Ga. Y. Men's lib. asso. " " " Baltimore, Md. Merc. lib. asso. << " " Boston, Mass. Brooklyn, N. Y. Boston Athenasum Library soc. Brooklyn. Yes No Yes Yes No No *I 85 *3 313 '2-3 *3 *6 *8 *9 ( Ref. 12 - 6. ( Per. 12 - 10. 2 - 6 p. m. *I2 i extra ass't. Men chiefly. {Only a few stran- Burlington, N. J. Charleston, S. C. Library Co. Library soc. No " '' gers. Cincinnati, O. Y. Men's mere. Yes Yes " 20 200 5 5 35 8 a.m. - 10 p.m. Sun. libra'n. Men. Cleveland, O. Concord, N. H. Case. Public. No No '* 2-9 p.m. *'3 Young men. Davenport, la. Library asso. " " " Dubuque, " Y. Men's lib. asso. Hartford, Ct. Pub. lib. asso. No No No Hatborough, Pa. Union. " '< Kansas, Mo. Lexington, Ky. Public. Lexington. Yes No Yes No Yes No 190 '59 o 35 23 65 2-9 p.m. Night clerk. Young men. Lowell, Mass. Mid'sex mech.asso. Yes 8 a.m - 9 p.m. #,_ Minneapolis, Minn. Morristown, N. J. Athenaeum. Library & Lyceum. No No No *2 3-6 p.m. Janitor. *i8 New Haven, Ct. Y. Men's inst. " " " New York City, Harlem. '< " " " Mercantile. No No No " Society. " " " Newport, R. I. Redwood. No No No Norwich, Ct. Otis. " " " Philadelphia, Pa. Athenaeum. " " " if Library Co. Yes Yes No 122 397 1-6 p.m. *I 4 Outsidejpublic. " Merc'ntile lib. asso. " " Yes 9 a.m. - 10 p.m. *'5 " Mutual lib. Co. No No No Pittsbure, Pa. Library asso. " " " Portland, Or. Library asso. Yes " " *3 *4 *7 *IO 7 a.m. - 10 p.m. Librarian. Portsmouth, N. H. Athenjeum. No " " Providence, R. I. " '< " u St. Louis, Mo. Mercantile lib. " " " Salem, Mass. Athenaeum. No No No '< Essex inst. " " " San Francisco, Cal. Mechanics' inst. Yes Yes " 57 *n 8 a.m. - 9 p.m. Extra clerk. " Merc. lib. asso. " No " *5 *5 7 a.m. -7 p.m. *i6 Vergennes, Vt. Vergennes. No " " Wilmington, Del. Wilmington inst. REFERENCES : *i. 25 to 50. *2. 60 tO 100. *3. No record. *4- 300 to 400. *5- Not kept. *6. 239 visitors. *7- 5 to 75- *8. 45,000 vols. per year. *9 108,711 vols. per year. *io. 60 to 70. *n. 320 visitors. *i2. i extra ass't, i regular, extra pay. *J3. Regular librarians, extra pay. *i4- 2 regular assistants, extra pay. *i5- Man, sometimes a boy. *i6. Usual attendant. *ij. Those busy through the week. *i8. Clerks and mechanics. REPORT ON LIBRARY LEGISLATION. BY H. M. UTLEY, LIBRARIAN PUBLIC LIBRARY, DETROIT, MICH. HP HE last report on library legislation was made at the Lake George Conference in 1885. This report covers the three succeeding years, but makes no reference to legislation during the present year ; as any memoranda, if attainable, would be incomplete, since many of the legislative bodies are in session at the present time. ARIZONA. In 1887, the Legislative Council passed a general school act, which, among other things, authorizes boards of school trustees of cities or school districts to establish and maintain libraries, and to appropriate school funds therefor. These libraries are to be kept in schoolhouses, where practicable, and are to be free to all pupils, and to all residents of the district, upon payment of a prescribed annual or monthly fee. UTLEY. 45 STATISTICS. g OS .. n Wi o fi OS !l 1 V O CD g I s^i p 1 1 * e O S'G 7c O a 1* c g 1 gs o g i REMARKS. 3 "3 jj W o P > o i I ^ E s " O : C g ^ a: a Usual predjudice. Yes Board divided. Librarian favors it. No $1.60 a week *4 Open since 1807. No demand. No .50 a week. Free on Sundays, but not generally known. *S *5 *S *s *S *5 No $300 per year I do not. Library not fully organized. Yes *I2 Force too small. *n Don't know. Miss Hewins believes in it. No demand. Never discussed. $10 per mo. Decidedly. Yes *'3 Yes *i .50 a week. Certainly. Open since its establishment, 1837. R. R. over-crowded. Exodus 20. 8 - n. No We believe in an obedience to law. *6 Yes Don't know. Yes *I4 Increased expense. Don't know. *7 *7 *7 *2 *3 Manifestly. Public sentiment once averse, now in favor. No No. Fails to help the class intended for. *8 *8 *8 No None. Yes *9 *9 *9 Lack of funds. No No demand. No occasion. No demand. No Used only by people of leisure. We simply follow the footsteps of the founder. No 2.50 a w'k. Yes Torpid. Nothing. *IO Rules forbid. *IO No *IO Never consid'rd. | Small place, many churches. People take their ( own periodicals. REFERENCES : *i. Same class. *2. Yes, mainly. *3- $6 a week, plus heating. *4- Reading-room, yes. Ref. room, no. *5- Subject never mentioned. *6. Plenty of time other days. *7. "No call and hope not to have." *n. Not officially. *8. Expense. Strong religious objection. *i2. Small attendance. *g. No desire by patrons. *i3. Useless expense. *io. Public has never asked it, officers do *n. Attendance less than i per cent of not wish it. membership. CALIFORNIA. An act was approved March 5, 1887, to encourage and provide for the dissemina- tion of the arts, sciences, and general literature, and the founding and maintaining of public libraries. It provides that any person intending, in his lifetime, or by will or trust deed, to operate after his death, to found and perpetuate a public library, etc., may convey to trustees named, and to their successors, any collection of books, and such gift shall be construed to be a convey- ance of the future additions and accretions thereof. He may, in like manner, convey real estate and other property, which shall vest in the trustees, who thereby become a body corporate, and subject to the trust. The person making the grant is given full power to name the institution, its nature and purposes, and prescribe the manner in which successors to the trustees shall be appointed, designate places where buildings shall be erected, etc. No suit shall be commenced to set aside such gift, or to affect the title to the property con- veyed, unless commenced within two years after filing the grant for record. A like bequest may also be made to the State, and it will carry out the wishes and intentions of the grantor. COLORADO. An act approved March 17, 1887, authorizes the State librarian to turn over to the 4 6 ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. librarian of every free public library one copy of every book, pamphlet, or periodical published by the State. It also authorizes school district boards to levy a tax, not exceeding one tenth of a mill, to purchase library books. DELAWARE. A joint resolution was approved April 13, 1887, accepting plans and specifications for a new building for the State library, and mak- ing provision for erecting the same. ILLINOIS. An act approved June 17, 1887, amends an act authorizing cities and towns to establish and maintain free public libraries and read- ing rooms, passed in 1872, by increasing the amount that may be levied for library purposes, in the annual tax levy of cities of less than 100,000 inhabitants, to 2 mills on $i. It was formerly \ l / 2 mills; which still remains the rate in cities of over 100,000 population, with the proviso that the library taxes shall not be included in the aggre- gate amount of taxes limited in the act relative to the incorporation of cities. KANSAS. An act was approved Feb. 19, 1886, to authorize cities to establish and maintain free public libraries and reading-rooms. It provides that, upon the written petition of fifty tax payers, the mayor and common council of any city shall submit to the legal voters the question of the establishment and maintenance of a free public library and reading-room by such city; and if a majority favor such establishment the mayor and common council shall annually thereafter levy a tax, not exceeding I mill on $i, in cities of the first and second class, and \y z mills in cities of the third class. The mayor, with the approval of the common council, shall appoint a board of thirteen directors, the mayor being a member ex-officio. These directors are divided into classes of three each, a class being appointed annually for a term of four years. The board is given entire control over the library and its funds, and is required to report annually to the common council. Every library and reading-room established under this act is to be free to the use of the inhabitants of the city where located, and the use may be extended to persons living outside the city upon such terms as may be prescribed. Library asso- ciations previously organized under the laws of the State are authorized to turn over their prop- erty to the directors of free public libraries, upon the written consent of two thirds of the stock- holders. By an act passed March 2, 1887, the Board of Education of Osage City was authorized to turn over the school district library books, furniture, and funds to the free public library of that city. KENTUCKY. An act approved April 7, 1886, to incorporate the public library of the city of Paducah, provides that the trustees may accept gifts of money, books, etc., and maintain a library, which shall be free, under such rules and regula- tions as shall be prescribed by the trustees. No provision is made for other income. MAINE. January, 1887, the statutes were amended to increase the amount of annual ap- propriations for maintaining town libraries from 25 to 50 cents for each of ratable polls. February, 1887, they were further amended to require each county treasurer to pay to the treasurer of each county law library 10 per cent of the fines actually paid for violations of chap. 27 (prohibitory liquor law), and section i, of chap. 17 (relative to lewd and tippling houses), not exceeding $100. March, 1887, an act was passed authorizing any city or town to accept donations of land, buildings, books, or other property for a public library or art gallery, or funds to be used for the purchase of books, etc., and to maintain the same in order. MASSACHUSETTS. By act approved May 4th, 1888, every town which raises or appropriates money for the support of a free public library owned by the town, shall, at its annual meeting, elect a board of trustees, except in cases where a town has acquired a library in whole or part by donation or bequest, with other provisions for election of trustees. The board shall consist of any number divisible by three, not exceeding nine, and one third of the number shall be elected annu- ally for a term of three years. No person is in- eligible for trustee by reason of sex. These trus- tees are to have entire control and management of the town library, and the disposition of its funds. The trustees are required to make an ex- plicit report at each annual town meeting. This law does not interfere with libraries managed under special legislative acts. MICHIGAN. In 1887 a previously existing law was amended to provide that, when a free public library has been established in any village or town, UTLEY. 47 the board of directors shall, on or before the first Monday of September of each year, prepare an estimate of the amount of money necessary for the maintenance of such library for the ensuing year, not exceeding i mill on the dollar of the tax- able property of the village or town, and this esti- mate shall be spread upon the tax rolls and col- lected, the same as other taxes. The property of all library institutions is ex- empted from taxation. MINNESOTA. March, 1887, an act was passed making an appropriation of $10,000, and provid- ing that where public-school libraries purchased books from the lists made up by the Superintend- ent of Public Instruction, the State shall donate a sum equal to one half the order. All public and incorporated libraries are ex- empted from taxation. MISSOURI. An act approved April 10, 1885, provides that when 100 tax-paying voters in any incorporated city shall petition the proper author- ities, asking that an annual tax be levied for the establishment and maintenance of a free pub- lic library, and shall specify in their petition a rate not exceeding i mill on the dollar annually, and in cities of over 100,000 inhabitants, not exceeding one fifth of a mill, such officers shall, at'the next regular annual election, submit the question to the qualified electors for their decision. When any city shall have decided to establish and main- tain a public library under this act, the mayor, with the approval of the common council, shall appoint a board of nine directors, one third for one, two, and three years respectively, their suc- cessors to be chosen in like manner, three each year, for a term of three years. The directors shall have full control of the library, its manage, ment and funds. The common council is re- quired to levy and collect annually the library tax, provided that this tax shall cease in case the legal voters shall so determine by majority vote at any annual election. Every library and reading-room established under this act, shall be forever free to the inhabitants of the city where located. Similar provision is made for the establishment and main- tenance of public libraries in incorporated villages and townships, upon the petition of fifty legal voters and the approval of a majority vote, the rate of taxation not to exceed 2 mills on the dollar. The library board of villages, etc., consists of six members, chosen for terms of three years two annually by the electors at the annual village election. An annual report is required in each case to the city or village authorities. NEBRASKA. A general act, approved March 30, 1887, for the incorporation of metropolitan cities, authorizes the mayor and common council to establish and maintain public libraries and reading-rooms, provide the necessary grounds, buildings, books, papers, etc., and to pass the necessary laws for regulation and government of the same. NEW HAMPSHIRE. An act approved Oct. 21, 1887, authorizes the State to purchase and dis- tribute to libraries in the State copies of all his- tories of New Hampshire regiments in the war of the rebellion. NEW JERSEY. March 6, 1886, an -act was approved, amending the law of 1879, to provide that when a free public library has been estab- lished in any incorporated city, pursuant to that act, and shall have existed three years or more, and possess property of the value of $30,000 or more, the directors shall annually certify to the common council of such city the amount required for the maintenance of such library for the ensu- ing year, not exceeding ^ mill on $i ; and the council shall cause to be assessed and raised, by tax, the amount so certified. NEW YORK. An act approved June 1 5, 1886, provides that any incorporated library association in any city, owning real estate of the value of $20,000, and at least 10,000 volumes, and main- taining the same for free circulation of books, among the inhabitants of said city, and shall have actually circulated 75,000 in the preceding twelve months, may apply to the common council for an appropriation of a sum not exceeding $5,000. Any like library which has circulated, in addition to the 75,000 specified, more than 100,000 volumes, is authorized to apply for a further appropriation of $5,000 for each 100,000 volumes so circulated, in addition to the 75,000 first specified. The common council is empowered to make proper provision for the payment of this appropriation. In the city of New York this applies to any library meeting the foregoing requirements, with the restriction that not more than $40,000 shall be paid to any one library in any one year. May 13, 1887, an act was approved to encourage free libraries in the villages and smaller cities of the State, which applies to cities not exceeding 4 8 ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. 30,000 population. This act contains provisions similar to those of the foregoing act, though on a reduced scale. The required value of real estate is $4,000, or an annual rental of $300. The num- ber of volumes must be not less than 5,000, and the annual circulation 15,000. The appropriation is $1,000, with an additional $1,000 for every 15,000 of circulation. May 19, 1888, the act of 1872, providing for the formation of free public libraries, was amended by increasing the limit of annual appropriations from 50 to 70 cents per capita of legal voters. OHIO. March 21, 1887, an act was approved, providing for non-partisan public library boards in cities of the second and third class. These library boards are to be chosen by the boards of education, and to consist of six members each, selected equally from the two political parties having the largest representation in the board of education. The president of the board of educa- tion is to be a member ex ojficio. The library board reports to the board of education, and submits its annual estimates to such board, which has power to levy annually, for library purposes, a tax not exceeding two and one-half tenths of a mill on the dollar of the taxable property of the city. PENNSYLVANIA. An act approved May 23, 1887, appropriates the dog tax to public libraries which maintain free reading-rooms. This act also empowers cities to take and hold donations of money, books, and other property for establishing free public libraries, and to make annual appropriations for the maintenance of such libraries. RHODE ISLAND. The Legislature made an appropriation for the benefit of free public libra- ries, amounting to $4,000 in 1886, and $4,500 in 1887. WISCONSIN. An act passed in 1887 exempts from taxation the endowment funds and real and personal estate of any public library organized under the laws of the State. WYOMING. An act approved Feb. 16, 1886, provides that whenever the county commissioners of any county have received proper and sufficient guarantees that a suitable place will be perma- nently furnished for the protection and use of a public library, it shall be their duty to levy annu- ally a tax of not less than one eighth nor more than one half a mill on all the taxable property of the county for the establishment and maintenance of a public library, to be located at the county seat of such county. The control and manage- ment is to be vested in a board of three trustees appointed by the county commissioners. The books purchased shall be of a kind best suited to inform the mind and improve the character of the reader. Neither sectarian nor professional books shall be purchased, nor more than 25 per cent of fiction. Every library thus established and main- tained shall be forever free to all the residents of the county to which it belongs, and the trustees are required to provide specially for the con- venient use of the books by persons living outside the town in which the library is situated. In conclusion it is proper to say that the session laws of Arkansas, Idaho, Montana. Utah, and West Virginia, for any portion of the period covered by this report, were not accessible to me in making my investigations. If there has been library legislation in any of these States and Territories, I am, therefore, unable to make mention of it. Of the States having legislative sessions in 1888, those of California, Georgia, Iowa, Maryland, Mississippi, and Vermont are not here reported on for that year. Otherwise, all the States and Territories are fully covered by this report. BARD WELL. 49 REPORT ON SCRAP-BOOKS. BY W. A. BARDWELL, LIBRARIAN BROOKLYN LIBRARY. T T IGH up above the roar of Broadway, less intense now since the retirement of that lumbering though musical Knickerbocker institu- tion, the Broadway stage, on the third floor of No. 706 of that thoroughfare, is the establishment of Mr. Henry Romeike, whose specialty is press cuttings. A few years ago it would scarcely have seemed possible that such a business as this could be made remunerative ; yet to-day there are employed in this place a staff of twenty-eight peo- ple, by whom 2,000 to 3,000 newspapers are exam- ined daily, and extracts marked and cut out ; the principal dailies of all the large cities being received for this purpose. Twenty thousand envelopes are addressed and forwarded each month, the postage amounting to $70 per week. During the week ending April 6, of this yean 8,000 clippings were mailed. The object of this bureau, which was founded in 1884 on the plan of the original, which was started in London in 1881, is to supply subscribers with press comments from American and many foreign newspapers, a staff of employes clipping and mailing to patrons, day by day, notices which concern them. Societies are supplied with items referring to their work, or to the subjects in which they are interested; commercial companies with notices regarding themselves or their competitors ; states- men and other public men, with personal para- graphs, or materials from which to construct B speech or some special article ; authors, editors, and playwrights, with reviews of their doings and writings ; and artists, with criticisms of their works. The advantages of this system to its clients are the saving of time required in searching for information desired, and in the cost of subscrip- tion to the large number of journals used in the process of research. It is said that institutions of this kind now exist in every European capital, and to some extent in places other than New York, in this country. A similar bureau has been established at Chicago; and Wm. F. G. Shanks's National Press Intelligence Co., 26 Church street, New York, is somewhat widely known as undertaking to supply subscribers with clippings on topics personal, professional, or business, from all important American, English, French, or German papers. This company also makes a specialty of securing for its patrons low rates of advertising in some of the more prominent papers throughout the country. Mr. Romeike's establishment is, however, prob- ably the best known, and has received many flat- tering notices from the press and from subscribers, both abroad and here. The terms of subscription, payable in advance, are stated as follows : $40.00 for 1,000 notices. 22.00 " 500 " 12.00 " 250 " 5.00 " 100 " Subjects on which subscribers desire cuttings may be changed or varied at any time. Probably the largest collection of clippings in existence, on any especial subject, is Mr. Thomas S. Townsend's " War Library of National, State, and Biographical Records," now deposited at the library of Columbia College, New York. This journalistic record comprises, including the Digest, more than 100 volumes, containing 60,000 pages, or 240,000 columns, equal to twice that number of columns of an ordinary-sized book. The Digest, or condensation of the collection, when completed, will be in about thirty volumes of the size of the largest bank ledgers, and con- taining in all 36,000 pages of manuscript. This work was commenced in 1860, was continued dur ing the War of the Rebellion, and to some extent has been kept up to the present time, and is a summary of each day's history as furnished by the newspapers of the principal cities of America, culled and preserved in scrap-book form ; the whole furnishing an invaluable fund of material to the author, who in the future shall write the com- plete history of the Civil War. Mr. Townsend has spent twenty-eight years of his life, and has expended $25,000 on this immense work; while his assistant, Miss Julia L. Peace, has worked steadily for twenty-two years, compiling and copying the Digest and Index, in a handwriting as distinct as large print, and with head-lines and index entries that are exceedingly artistic. The clippings are neatly pasted in large volumes of over 700 pages each, and bound in the most substantial manner, each volume covering a period of one month, the whole chronologically arranged from December, 1860, to the end of Gen. Grant's second administration. The price asked ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. for the whole work is $50,000, which would include about five years' additional work in copying and indexing, to make the whole complete, with subject index in one volume. A bill was intro- duced in the Senate Jan. 26, 1888, authorizing the Librarian of Congress to purchase this work, and it is likely that this disposition of it will finally be made. The government can hardly afford to lose the chance of securing it, for its value will increase as time passes. The late Wm. Cullen Bryant expressed the opinion that " the age has given birth to few liter- ary undertakings that will bear comparison with this work. The compiling of a lexicon, in any Ian guage, is nothing to it. The forty academicians who compiled the dictionary of the French Ian' guage had a far less laborious task." The Comte' de Paris says : " It is a work of the greatest value but seems beyond the strength of one man or the limits of a single life." The late Gov. Dix, Horatio Seymour, Col. McRae, of the late Confederate Army, the New York Herald, Evening Post, and other papers speak of the collection in the most complimentary terms. In reply to inquiries regarding scrap-books and collections in some of the principal libraries in the United States, much information has been kindly furnished by the librarians and officials to whom application was made. /. Libraries having Scrap. Collections. At the Library of Congress, Mr. A. R. Spofford, Librarian, has scrap-books containing autograph letters, which are arranged in chronological order, with alphabetical card index of names. The Boston Public Library. Mr. J. Francisco Garret, Assistant Librarian, makes collections " in a mild way," and receives a great many cut- tings as donations. He gathers all notices of the library printed in the local papers, biographical sketches of distinguished persons, with their por- traits, when obtainable. Many clippings are given the library by amateur " scrappers," who are apt to give some trouble in that they do not appre- ciate the necessity of giving on their cuttings the date of publication and name of paper or maga- zine from which taken. No cutting that is worth making, can fail to be made more valuable by having the date attached. At the Harvard College Library, Mr. Justin Winsor does some scrapping, but incidentally, and without system; what is done being sug- gested, in each case, by chance. At the Astor Library, New York, Mr. Frederick Saunders states that about a dozen years ago, he tried the husbanding of fugitive miscellaneous papers (from the daily press) in scrap-books, fill- ing about a score of 4to volumes. From the Library Company of Philadelphia, Mr. James G. Barnwell reports that the subject has long engaged his attention, and he awaits with great interest the developments which inquiries may elicit. What scrap-books this library pos- sesses, have been made up outside, and either pre- sented or purchased, with one exception, that of " Wescott's History of Philadelphia," which ap- peared in successive issues of the Sunday Dispatch for about ten years. At the New York State Library, Albany, Mr. Geo. R. Howell, Acting Librarian, says that news- paper articles, such as centennial celebrations, sermons, addresses, etc., are cut for preservation in scrap-books. At the Yale College Library, Mr. Addison Van Name reports that he keeps clippings relating to the history of the college, and biographical notices of the graduates. At the Wisconsin State Historical Society, Madi- son, Wis., Mr. Daniel S. Durrie has a department of newspaper clippings, and it is growing fast. The topics are chiefly Wisconsin history and biography, Western history, antiquities and archaeology, and articles relating to the War of the Rebellion. At the Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Md., Mr. J. M. Vincent of the historical depart- ment, makes a special collection of cuttings on political economy and history. At the American Antiquarian Society, Worces- ter, Mass., Mr. E. M. Barton has special collec- tions in the line of Rebelliana. One, made by Dr. John G. Metcalf, was presented in sheets, and afterwards bound at an expense of $2.62 per volume, and contains manuscript, printed matter, curious relics, etc. Another collection begun by one of their members, Mr. Pickering Dodge, is a very fine specimen of this kind of work, perfectly preserved, bound, titled, and indexed. A fresh mass of clippings left by Mr. Dodge is receiving additions on the original plan. In the Surgeon- General's Library, Washington, D. C., Dr. J. S. Billings makes, from time to time, a scrap-book on some one particular subject; as, for example, they have two large volumes of clip- pings on the yellow-fever epidemics of 1878-79, also scrap-books of cuttings from the daily papers on certain trials involving important questions of medical jurisprudence. BARD WELL. At the Apprentices' Library, New York, Mr. Jacob Schwartz makes scrap-books of pictures, cut from the illustrated papers, such as the Illus- trated London News, Harper's Weekly 1 etc., including also the large engravings and colored prints given with the Illustrated London A T ews. At the Free Public Library, Worcester, Mass., Mr. Samuel S. Green, instead of keeping scrap- books, keeps an index to the newspapers, etc. ; as they, in connection with the American Antiqua- rian Society, bind all their papers and periodicals, some 250 in number ; as these are made acces- sible trirough the index, scrapping is rendered unnecessary. At the Brown University Library, Providence, R. I., Mr. R. A. Guild has kept a scrap-book of clippings respecting the college for forty years. At the Massachusetts State Library, Boston, Mr. C. B. Tillinghast, Acting Librarian, collects clip- pings relating to local history. At the St. Louis Public Library, Mr. F. M. Crunden keeps scrap-books relating to the library, the four volumes filled thus far giving an outline history of the institution. Occasionally a news- paper article of interest is cut out, and pasted in a book to which it is applicable. At the Cornell University Library, Mr. Geo. Wm. Harris has several scrap-books containing collections of patriotic envelopes used during the Rebellion, programmes, announcements, and such fugitive matter relating to the university ; also one containing all the fly-sheets, broadsides,, etc., obtainable, bearing upon the political campaign of 1888. In the library of the United States Patent Office, Mr. L. D. Sale is making a collection of clippings from magazines of matter relating to industrial science. At the Young Men's Mercantile Library, Cincin- nati, O., Mr. J. M. Newton has made, for the Historical Society of that city, some scrap-books on historical subjects, which have proved to be of a great deal of use. The Brooklyn Library has an immense accumu- lation of newspaper cuttings, the bulk of which was given by a war correspondent who began collecting during the war, and followed it, to a large extent, during twenty years. The collection embraces a great variety of subjects, a few of which have been classified and mounted. It is proposed to follow the classification used by Mr. Noyes in his catalogue of the library. So far, only the subjects " Amusements," "Agriculture," "Biography" (individual), "Botany," "Countries, Brooklyn," and "Long Island," and " Forestry " have been attempted. Other subjects will be developed, as time permits. //. Methods and Cost of Mounting and Preserv- ing Scrap Collections. At the Boston Public Library, Mr. Carret per- sonally attends to marking the papers for the boys to cut out. These cuttings are then distrib- uted alphabetically by subjects into envelopes, and afterwards pasted into scrap-books, of which, take biography for instance one is devoted to each letter ; the plan being to supply another book when any letter has filled a volume. Each volume has some ruled paper bound in at the front for an index. Other cuttings, when long enough, are mounted on folds of paper of 8vo size, with inch wide margins a41 round, and are turned in with the pamphlets, to be eventually bound up according to subjects. Paste is used for mounting. Clippings are mounted on right- hand page only, except in case of biographical notices, where portraits are put in opposite the subject. The scrap-books are made in the bind ery attached to the library, and are of sizes to hold two, three, four, or five columns of news- paper. Their cost can only be estimated, as also the cost of the time, as no one is devoted exclu- sively to the work. It is done at odd times by those who would otherwise be idle. At Harvard they follow subjects, gumming into scrap-books which have guards, or paste the clippings on paper, and afterwards have the sheets bound up into books with guards. For things like special numbers of newspapers, and other material not easily bound, but which can be folded, a covered clasp envelope is used. No statistics of cost are kept. At the New York State Library, the method is to paste with gum tragacanth on sheets of blank white paper, of good weight, about 6% inches long, and folded two or three together, making each section comprise eight or twelve 8vo pages, as they bind in this shape better than in single sheets. In case of an article of thirty or morS pages, it is bound in a single volume. They are chary of making books of smaller scraps, and make none of a miscellaneous character ; only centennial celebrations, sermons, addresses, and long treatises are used. The experiment of miscellaneous scrap-books was once tried, but the books were not indexed, and as no one can find time to index them they are dead matter. Some years ago seven royal ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. 8vo scrap-books were made and severally entitled, Science and Art, Washingtoniana, Lincolniana, New York History and Biography, Biographical and Historical, and Poetry. Appropriate cuttings are pasted, as they accumulate, in the books, and these will be indexed. At Yale, clippings are mounted in ordinary scrap-books with binder's paste. The Wisconsin Historical Society mounts longer and more valuable articles separately on letter paper, and treats as pamphlets, classifying closely and cataloguing specifically. These are much used by general readers. Shorter articles are put into scrap-books and lettered according to subject. These are less frequently used, and mainly for reference by historical students. Paste and thick mucilage is used, the former preferred for old and porous newspaper cuttings. It is difficult to esti- mate cost. The time of one catalogue assistant, when not employed in her special work, is given to this department, mainly in the summer months. From the Sutro Library at San Francisco, Cal., Mr. George Moss, the Librarian, reports that, al- though they have no scrap-books in the library, he has had a good deal of experience elsewhere in compiling and binding. He prefers pasting on single sheets, drying and pressing between pieces of straw-board, by which means the sheets dry smoothly, the straw-board absorbing the moisture from the paste, and thus preventing the paper from cockling or curling up. As the sheets are pasted, a weight is kept on them until they become dry, which leaves them straight and smooth. Mr. Moss once compiled thirteen royal octavo folios for Mr. Basqui, of the Basqui Lithograph- ing Co., the material being selected from an enor- mous pile of illustrated weeklies. The clippings (illustrations) were classified, as fast as made, under subjects such as "Marine," "Naval and Military," " Domestic Animals," " Tropical Scenes,'' " Arctic Scenes," " Eminent Men," etc. These were then sub-divided ; for instance, Eminent Men into Eng- lish, French, German, American, etc., and in like manner the other large divisions were minutely classified. The pictures were then pasted on sheets of paper, leaving a fair margin, and sewed on flexible bands, so that, when the book is opened, the leaves will lie perfectly flat, and handy for reference. These books are in constant use, and are so strongly bound as to be almost inde- structible. Mr. Basqui says he would not take $1,200 for them, and that they earn him that amount every year. Mr. Moss declares he has never seen an ordinary scrap-book that was bound strong enough ; and considers an indiscriminately pasted book a nuisance, unless an index is placed in front. He has about a dozen scrap-books of his own on such subjects as " The Franco-German War," " The Russo-Turkish War," " Assassina- tion of Garfield," " Trial of Guiteau," " Labor Troubles in America," " Manufactures and Exports of England and the United States,'' etc. A scrap-book containing all the municipal election tickets of San Francisco, from 1849 t I ^78, was recently sold for $2,000. Mr. Moss claims that in binding a scrap-book, six pages to a section is enough, this, with the guards, making it sufficiently heavy ; that a royal 410 should be sewed on four bands all the way along with blank-book thread, and should always be sewed flexible ; that is, by a pencil mark, and not by deep saw marks, as books made in this manner cannot possibly open well. He has looked in the Library journal for a good article on suita- ble and cheap binding for public libraries, but so far has not seen one. Binders in San Francisco say " their girls cannot sew without a saw mark," and "have never seen it done; " but one employed by Mr. Moss soon learned to sew as firmly as the old binders of incunables, of which we have speci- mens sewed 400 years ago, and perfectly good to-day. At the Johns Hopkins University clippings are pasted on manilla sheets, and enclosed in the Woodruff file boxes for preservation. The mark- ing is done by advanced students in history and political economy, the cutting and pasting by an office boy. This method of preservation is re- garded the best yet found for convenience of reference, since it has all the good characteristics of a card catalogue. Various experiments were tried before this plan was adopted. There is very little cash expense connected with the work, as the men who look over the papers apply the time on their tuition. As to the cost of mounting, smart boys can be had in Baltimore for $3 a week. At the Apprentices' 1 Library, Mr. Schwartz clas- sifies roughly by subjects, such as " Portraits," " Animals," " Public Buildings," " Landscapes," etc., space being left for growth at the end of each division. The scrap-books are made of tough manilla paper, by the binder employed on the premises, the pictures mounted with paste. The cost is, therefore, trifling, the binder doing the work when there is nothing else to do. The Massachusetts State Library scraps are ar- ranged by subjects, classifying as minutely as pos- sible, mounting on separate sheets, and binding BARD WELL. 53 each subject separately, as in binding pamphlets, in 8vo size. Photographer's paste is used in mounting the clippings. At the Pennsylvania State Library, Harrisburg, Mr. Wm. H. Egle uses the Mark Twain Scrap- book, 150 pages, indexed, and considers this method of mounting cuttings the most economical, serviceable, and convenient. At Cornell their collection, being composed of loose sheets, etc., has not been mounted. The work of arranging has been done at odd moments by the ordinary assistants, and no estimate of the cost can be formed. At the Patent Office Library, clippings are pasted on manilla paper, 11 x8 inches in size, classifying and sub-classifying the matter clipped ; this method being found preferable to pasting in books, as it saves space and makes the material easier to handle. No estimate has been formed of the cost of mounting, either as to time or money used. Mr. Newton, of the Cincinnati Y. M. C. A., prefers making a separate index for the scrap- books made. Thinks he devotes more time to reading and selecting than to the mere manual work of pasting and indexing. He is in favor of requesting readers to mark with pencil articles which strike them as worthy of being preserved. He says : " We have about fifteen or twenty mem- bers who do nothing all day but read the papers, and if they could be put to some good in the world, or be made to think they were, it would en- sure their continuance as members, and give them an object in life. I do not know whether you have any such people or not, but it would save you a heap of work, and cost nothing. A man with a historical bent would choose something in his line ; a natural history or scientific man in his ; all scraps, of course, would be subjected to your decision." At the Grand Rapids Public Library, Michigan, Mr. H. J. Carr reports that they have no scrap- books, but that he has had some practice in scrap- ping on his own account. He is in favor of arrang- ing by subjects, say fifty or sixty general headings. For librarians, where plenty of material is obtain- able, possibly a wider range might be obtained. Mr. Carr recommends careful and thorough index- ing. He once spent three months in classifying a special line of cuttings, the material for which cost 75, and the labor, perhaps, $250. The work, when completed, was not very valuable in a commercial point of view, but the personal satis- faction in it as it progressed to completion, and its value as a work of reference on various occa- sions, amply rewarded the compiler. Mr. Carr prefers pasting on. separate sheets and binding afterwards, to pasting in books, but also recom- mends Mark Twain's Scrap-Book. He gives the following references to articles on the literature of scraps and clippings, which may be of use to those interested in the subject : GURLEY, E. W. Scrap-books, and How to Make Them. N. Y. Author's Pub. Co. (c. 1880) 55 p. I2mo. ELDERDICE, JAS. L. One Way of Making a scrap-book. In Youth's Companion, June 5, 1884. DURFEE, C. A. Scrap-books in Libraries. In Library journal, 2 : 65-66 (1877). (EDITORIAL.) A System in Scrap-books. In Lit- erary World, 15: 276 (Aug. 23, 84, \y z col.) PERKINS, F. B. Indexing and Scrapping. Note No. 25, In Readers' and Writers' Economy Notes No. 9 (Jan. 3, 1880). [P. III. by Ed. on Scrap-books.] (Anon.) Scrap-books and Index Rerums. In the Office 2:38 (Feb. 1887). Extract from Indus- trial World. See also The Writer, Vols. i and 2, 1887-88. Sundry articles by various writers in case of Cuttings, Indexing, Scrapping, etc. At the Brooklyn Library the cuttings are mounted on sheets of jute paper, which are 9x12 inches in size when folded once. They are pasted close together in the center of sheet, leaving a margin all around for binding. The sheets are laid one on another, and kept in boxes closing with a spring catch, thus excluding dust. Sheets can be incorporated as new material is added, and the alphabetical arrangement by subjects at the same time preserved. The boxes in which the sheets are kept will comfortably hold fifty sheets or 200 pages each ; but, in labelling, room is left for at least ten sheets, thus obviating the necessity of frequent change of label. The boxes used are the " Seaside Library " size, made by the " Globe Files Co.," C. H. Felton, agent, 40 Beaver street, New York, $6 per dozen, when ordered in quan- tities. The lettering is stamped on second and fourth square of the box, with subject and sub- division of same, by a rubber alphabet and stamping-pad, by which means the subject is also lettered at the top of each sheet. The jute paper is the same used for covering books, and costs about 8 cents per pound, by ordering a ton at a time from the mill, and is sent packed flat, to avoid creasing, in sheets 40 x 48 inches in size. A paste made of Duryea's corn-starch has 54 ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. been used, but we have recently been converted to gum tragacanth, which seems to carry less water than paste, and does not wrinkle the sheets so much. After pasting, the sheets are laid between pieces of straw-board, which helps to dry them, and a weight is kept on the pile, leaving the sheets quite smooth when they have become dry. The pasting is done during the more leisurely season, from May to September, by boys em- ployed in the library, the clippings being first arranged for them. Should it be thought best, after a while, portions of the collection can readily be bound and lettered, leaving the boxes empty for further accumulations. ///. Does Scrapping Pay ? Opinions, etc. As to the question of scrap collecting being remunerative ; whether the use of the collection justifies the outlay of time and treasure required for its development, or whether the reward of an approving conscience is not about all the satisfac- tion the scrapper reaps for his toil, there seems to be some diversity of opinion. Mr. Romeike and other proprietors of bureaus for supplying the public with press cuttings believe in scrapping, for with them it is a paying business. Their patrons find it is worth what they pay for the subscription ; otherwise they would not subscribe for the cuttings. Mr. Townsend has invested a great deal of money in his " Library of War Records," and will probably get what he asks for the collection, although he claims that $50,000 will not any more than reimburse him for what he has spent in time and money. Mr. Moss mentions special collections that have been held at $1,200 and $2,000. Mr. Garret thinks the future only can decide as to the value of cuttings. There are many topics coming up in all periodicals that will be of value in the future. He considers it the province of any library to collect, in this way, all historical matter touching the town or city in which it belongs ; notices of worthy citizens anything that may be of use to the future historian. The Boston Public Library has at times collected newspapers upon some great public event, such as the death of Garfield, and had them bound up entire by them- selves. Mr. Winsor doubts the advisability of a set purpose of scrapping. Mr. Saunders, after filling about twenty volumes, gave up the practice, not finding the experiment of much value. Compara- tively rare calls were made for them when new, and now still fewer. Mr. Peoples, of the New York Mercantile, can see in it a field for a great expenditure of time, money and labor, for which he believes there would be little compensa- tion, and has no hesitancy in saying that, for his library, money can be spent to better advantage in other directions, and in ways that would be of much more service to the members. Mr. Edwards, of Philadelphia, has not thought scrapping advisa- ble for the Mercantile, and thinks, that, though scraps have their value, they cost a great deal in the item of time, and are difficult to use. At the Boston Athenaeum Mr. C. A. Cutter does no scrapping, which is rather astonishing, con- sidering the insistency of his requests for a report on the subject. He says: "The only item I can furnish about them is that a collection was offered us a year or more ago, in about 100 octavo volumes, with an index in seven volumes. We bid $i a volume for it, but the owner wanted $1,000, if I remember right. I think it was afterwards pledged as collateral for a loan of $100.'' Mr. Barnwell, of Philadelphia, cannot speak from actual experience, but is of opinion that in every library a department of this kind to cover certain subjects, would be found of great interest and of profit quite sufficient to justify the ex- pense, unless the library were very much cramped financially. At the Cincinnati Library Mr. Ches- ter W. Merrill thinks that scrapping is a very useful thing for a library to do, if the necessary time for it can be found, but that the difficulty would be to find the time. Mr. Howell thinks that judicious scrapping, collecting on such subjects as the librarian knows will interest his constituency, and keeping within the limits of ability to index, would be useful in any library. Mr. Van Name thinks, regarding the utility of the practice, that though it may be well worth the while of individuals to preserve in this way matter relating to their specialties, it is better for libraries to preserve complete files of newspapers. We cannot tell what may be wanted a century hence, and not unlikely what we should reject as waste, will then be sought after. Our American news- papers of the last century are largely occupied with fugitive news of less consequence to us than the local advertisements. Newspapers are bulky and their binding a serious expense. The scrap- book plan diminishes the bulk, but, he imagines, not the expense. Mr. Durrie says : " As to whether our collection is used enough to justify the expense, we only say, perhaps not ; but we preserve much valuable BARD WELL. 55 material which would otherwise be lost, by mount- ing it, and if not used very largely now, it may be in the future. I do not think we err in keeping on with the work." Mr. Uhler writes : " Doubt- less you are confronted, in your library, by just the same class of inquiries that we meet with here. We can never tell what kind of a question will be asked next, nor can we tell how difficult it will be to get the answer. Our library staff is so small we have little time for saving clippings, but I am fully alive to the importance of every kind of in- formation, and would be glad to have the power to secure all the fresh items which appear unin- dexed in the newspapers." Mr. Uhler advises pasting on separate sheets of manilla paper, and assorting by topics in boxes on the same plan as that used in the Johns Hopkins University, at which place Mr. Vincent regards this method the best yet found for convenience. He finds the amount of use in their library somewhat difficult to compute, since it varies with the topics dis- cussed in the classes ; it being probably most used for social questions, labor troubles, strikes, land questions, etc., but biography and current events to a less degree. Mr. Vincent is of opinion that more energy has hitherto been expended on it than results justify, and a more rigid selection has of late been exercised, which would imply that they did not favor the same methods on a less liberal scale for special topics. These methods applied to a general library, and, covering the whole range of literature and science, would per- haps be less suitable. Mr. Barton considers the theory of scrap-books a good one, but the practical working out of the theory not so easy a matter. Their Rebellion scraps have not yet been much used, but their time is coming. He thinks there should be an historiographer of each institution, and he should have his scrap-book. Mr. Schwartz says several of their scrap-books of pictures have been worn out by continual use. They are kept in the reading-room, where they are handled more or less every day. As they wear out, new books are made, as they have material enough on hand to fill several. The pictures are taken from used-up files that could not be bound ; but the pictures cut out, even if torn, can easily be joined together in the pasting. If the papers were not utilized in this way, they would only go into the waste bin. In their case, Mr. Schwartz thinks that, judging from the hard usage the scrap-books get, they certainly have paid for the outlay of time, which is the main expense. Mr. Guild has four large 4to scrap-books full of cuttings relative to Brown University, and has commenced on a fifth volume. He considers it " the most useful work in the library, and abso- lutely indispensable. Every Commencement, for forty years back, is there, and all the doings thereof ; also independent articles relating to the library. About $2 is paid for a blank-book, and slips are cut out from the newspapers and pasted in. Very little time, very little expense, very little trouble, very great deal of use." Mr. Tillinghast (Massachusetts State library) believes that a department of scrap-books would be of great value, and would, when it became known, be one. of the most valuable and useful portions of any library. Mr. Crunden would like to keep scrap-books, but cannot spare the time ; could not do much with it unless their library staff was increased, which the present state of the funds will not permit. More important things would have to be neglected, should it be undertaken at present. Would certainly preserve clippings were he in charge of a library with ample funds. Answers to many questions that are asked cannot be found in a book, but have appeared in the daily papers within a few months or a year past, if one could remember just when and where he saw the item. It is a good thing ; whether it is worth what it costs depends on circumstances. Mr. A. E. Whitaker has only one or two scrap- books at the Mercantile Library, San Francisco. Finds gum tragacanth the best thing for pasting. At the City Library, Springfield, Mass., Dr. Rice is inclined to the opinion that scrapping could not be made to pay with their present li- brary force. Mr. Harris says it would hardly be fair for him to pronounce any opinion as to the usefulness of scrap-books at Cornell. He doubts whether in their case a collection of them would be used enough to pay for the time required to get it together. Mr. Larned, although they have no scraps at Buffalo, is much interested in the experiment, and hopes to have help enough to take it up in some happy future time, not doubting the usefulness of it. Does something in the way of clippings, such as local biographical sketches, notable events, etc., putting them into pamphlet form, and cata- loguing them as such, and finds this very valuable. Mr. Sale has not yet reached that point at the Patent Office, when it would be good policy to offer their collection for public investigation ; but ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. it is his opinion, and that of many well qualified to judge, that the work so commenced will prove a valuable auxiliary to the library and to searchers upon matters appertaining to applied industry. Rev. C. R. Gillett, of the Union Theological Seminary, New York, does not doubt that a collec- tion of scrap-books might be made useful, if enough time and labor were expended upon it. Mr. Carr inclines to the opinion that for library use he should undertake scrapping with much hesitation, owing to the large amount of labor and time necessary, in proportion to the meagre show- ing which can be had in return therefor. At the Free Public Library, Quincy, 111., Mr. A. W. Tyler is favorably impressed with the scrap idea, although he has not yet developed it. He recommends pasting on sheets of manilla paper of uniform size, and classifying by the Dewey system, keeping in closed boxes, considering each leaf as a pamphlet until bound into a book. At the Brooklyn Library the use of cuttings has been considerable, particularly the parts, such as biography, etc., that have been arranged and mounted. In some cases information has been supplied to students and newspaper reporters that could not be found elsewhere. It is believed that as the collection is developed its use will become more general. The arrangement will be by sub- jects, large and small in one alphabet ; and, for the present, the boxes are arranged on the tables in the reference department, where they are easily accessible. The time required for arranging and mounting is the chief part of the expense ; but the scraps being once arranged for pasting, the rest of the work is done by the boys at odd times. We think that, in the long run, the collection will more than repay what it costs in time and outlay. The following libraries are reported as having no scrap collections : LIBRARIES. Mercantile, New York, Mercantile, Philadelphia, Boston Athenaeum, Boston, Philadelphia Library Co., Cincinnati, U. S. House of Reps. LIBRARIAN. W. T. Peoples. John Edmands. C. A. Cutter. Jas. G. Barnwell. Chester W. Merrill. Willard Butler. Public, Chicago, Fred. C. Hild. Society Library of New York, H. S. Butler. Maryland State, Annapolis, E. P. Duval. N. Y. Historical Society, Chas. Isham. Woodstock College.Maryland, Brother A. J. Maas. Free Public, San Francisco, J. Vance Cheney. Dartmouth College, Hanover, N. H., M. D. Bisbee. College of New Jersey, Princeton, Frederick Vinton. Free Public, Worcester, Mass. Sam'l S. Green. Lehigh University, W. H. Chandler. Public, Detroit, Mich. H. M. Utley. San Francisco Mercantile, A. E. Whitaker. City, Springfield, Mass., Wm. Rice. Buffalo, J. N. Larned. Union Theol. Seminary, N. Y., Rev. C. R. Gillett. Am. Philos. Society, Phila. Henry Phillips. Free Public, Quincy, 111. A. W. Tyler. Public, Grand Rapids, Mich. John H. Carr. To sum up: Of the forty-six librarians and others reporting on the subject of scrap- books, twenty-two have collections of greater or less magnitude ; twenty-four have not any. Of the forty-six who report, thirty-one either have scrap collections or yearnings toward them, which may stimulate to action, and in time result in something tangible; while fifteen do not regard scraps with favor, and will none of them. They are either appalled at the magnitude of the undertaking, or are convinced that scrapping would not pay for the time and labor it requires ; or, possibly, they shrink from an occupation, the fascina- tion of which is very sure to increase with the growth of one's collection. The principal element of cost is generally admitted to be the time required ; but economy in this will do much. A well-selected collection of clip- pings, properly classified and indexed, must increase in value with age. Will not its maker, like the man who plants a tree, become a benefactor to posterity ? CARR. 57 REPORT ON CHARGING SYSTEMS. BY H: J. CARR, LIBRARIAN PUBLIC LIBRARY, GRAND RAPIDS, MICH. I. O INCE the instituting of topical "reports," which began with the Cincinnati meet- ing in 1882, some items have been succes- sively treated, while others have been reported upon but rarely or not at all. Up to this date the subject of Charging Systems, among others, has not been dealt with since the report made at that time by K. A: Linderfelt. (L. }'., 7:178.) Nor did he undertake a specially full report, since his paper was prepared upon very short notice, and hence related chiefly to his application of a very complete and effective method at the Mil- waukee Public Library. But at the outset he stated in a most succinct way a sort of synopsis, which, if followed out thoroughly, would result in an exhaustive treatment of the question. It will bear repeating here. Mr. Linderfelt said he should have liked to give : a. " A history of the development of system in the manner of charging books to borrowers. b. " A sketch of the methods now employed in the libraries of America. c. " Comparisons between them, pointing out their several defects and advantages, and thus opening a way to d. "a charging system of ideal perfection." This present report, however, does not aim at such a well-rounded treatment of the sub- ject, although the hope is entertained that it may, in some respects, pave the way to a more satisfactory consideration of that branch of library administration by some one else in the near future. Mr. J. N. Larned, in his 1887 report on Library Architecture (L. j. 12:377), has very pertinently stated what seems to be a correct view regarding such a paper as this. He said: "The chief object of these successive reports which we have planned for our meet- ings (on certain matters of permanent interest in the library field) is the record of ideas and experiments, of movements and developments, that may thus be preserved." In the spirit of those sentiments, then, as near as may be, the following report has been prepared and is submitted. The data for it have been gathered partly from notes and memoranda of prior study upon the general subject during a dozen years past, and latterly through a pretty free use of query circulars. A trifle more than 300 circulars (containing practically sixty-two questions) were sent to libraries of the United States, in all sections and of all kinds, and including a few leading libraries in Canada. They were aimed at and sent chiefly, however, to libraries which loan books to readers for home use, including both school, free-public, and pay-public, and proprietary or association libraries. Fully two thirds of them have returned answers, of varied fulness, and usually accompanied by more or less sample blanks or explanatory forms. In some cases very complete replies were given, together with such a detailed and lucid setting forth of their methods and the forms in use, that one could scarcely have learned more thereof by an extended per- sonal visit. To all such parties the reporter is under especial obligations, and almost wishes that courtesy might permit naming them. Consideration of the subject of Charging Systems and Methods, in all of its bearings, soon leads one to see that many particulars of an allied character are both implied and necessarily associated therewith. This is especially the case concerning public libraries. Such as the freedom of, or restrictions on, the library privileges or use ; the limitation of issues, in number or time ; the particular service for which each library was intended or established; the nature of its make-up, and the classes of patrons served; the penalties exacted for infringe- ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. ment of its rules, etc. ; all have a decided connection with the administration of any effective method. In this instance, therefore, it seemed desir- able to obtain as much information as possi- ble concerning the diverse practice of numer- ous libraries upon such kindred points ; and many of the queries were framed with view to drawing out such details. The diversity of practice in some cases and tolerable uniformity in others will appear in some of the appended collations from the answers. The work of collating over 200 such returns, upon so many questions, has not been a small one. It has also taken so much time (which could only be had from scanty spare hours) that the reporter does not now attempt to consider the entire subject as fully as might be wished. Description of some special features and interesting peculiarities which have been brought out in this investigation must be deferred to future papers in the Library journal, if further study of the subject shall so warrant. That this report may not prove to consist chiefly of introduction and appendix, however, some statements are submitted which, while rather historical in their way, seemed worthy of record as showing the development of thought in this line, consequent upon the growth of our library interests. There are some very interesting phases of this subject, when looked at in its legal characteristics ; such as the nature of the contract between lender and borrower and the duties and responsibilities of each. The limits of this report will not admit of their consideration, however; and so, disregarding the legal points, we may look only to practical working features. , The demand for speed and accuracy in the initial charges is readily recognized. A like result in the transactions connected with the return of the books is equally desirable. The matter of intermediate entries or records for the convenience, information, or protection of the library does not especially concern the borrower. As to the library, considerations of time and expense may govern and determine how much or how little shall be done in that respect. Charges of books loaned are not exactly analogous with ordinary mercantile charges. Nevertheless, methods in vogue for the latter have governed more or less in determining the practices to be followed by librarians for charging books to borrowers. The old typical counting-house book-keep- ing called for a day-book, in which transac- tions should be entered consecutively as they occurred. Then such day-book entries would be transferred, or " posted " (either directly or via the journal), to the individual ledger accounts with the several customers. Should the respective customers wish to " settle up," then their accounts in the ledger would be consulted, and (if the books were fully posted), afforded a speedy answer foe the purpose. English libraries, as was to be expected among such a commercial people, did much the same way in making use of a day-book for consecutive charges of books loaned to subscribers or borrowers. The same practice, with some modification, is yet followed by most of the so-called " circulating libraries; " that is, libraries like Mudie's or Loring's, etc., which are conducted as business ventures. There are many merits in the day-book system ; and quite frequently some of our wide-awake American librarians find them out, and announce as a new system or method that which was one of the very first to be used by libraries in issuing books for use outside of the library premises. Using the day-book method, and subse- quently posting its successive charges to individual ledger accounts, it was an easy transition for some one to adopt the idea of making the charge on the ledger direct to the personal account in the outset, and so dis- pense with the day-book. Some mercantile houses have done the same thing in their book- keeping, without finding occasion to regret it. As a labor-saving scheme and patent on its face, such practice was followed by the majority of the libraries in the United States, until within a few years, which accounts for CARR. 59 the less common knowledge of the day-book method among many librarians. While the English libraries, as has been said, naturally adopted the use of a day-book or ledger system, the fact that the transac- tions to be recorded were loans and not sales, led them to also incline towards taking receipts for the books loaned. At first the receipting or signing of the borrower's name was done on the margin of the entry in the day-book or ledger, opposite the name or number of the book charged. That method has also been practiced occasionally in this country. Later on (and obviously derived from making on a blank or sheet of paper a schedule or list of works wanted) the idea of having such a " call-list," as we would now term it, signed and retained as a receipt or voucher, seems to have become much in favor, and, in fact, to have been the forerunner of more recent methods of using such slips and tickets in library service in the many ways with which we are familiar. To this day the taking of a receipt of some sort is an almost essential feature in the permissible use of works from a purely reference library or department ; also in very many reading-rooms. Among the legal fraternity a practice has sometimes been followed in loaning books to brother lawyers which has in it the elements of simplicity and yet of fair effectiveness. If the borrower sends by messenger (as not at all unusual) a written request for some partic- ular book, it takes but a moment to put the note or card in the place on the shelf from which the book was taken. If borrowed in person, then, as a business measure, a memo- randum of like import, on a card or scrap of paper, is made to answer in the same way, the memorandum not only keeping the place open, as it were, for the return of the book, but also standing ready to tell any other in- quirer the why and wherefore of its absence. We readily recognize the method as akin to some common in Sunday-school libraries, though not always eminently successful. In one instance where a similar memorandum scheme was applied to a Sunday-school library, it so happened that the doors of the cases fitted exceedingly close, nearly air-tight, in fact. So, when the doors were opened smartly, the vacuum formed was sufficient to suck out nearly all the slips and drop them on the floor in a decidedly mixed array. After a few experiences of that kind, the next librarian adopted another system. We now come to the inception of the slip system of charging in its application to our public libraries. The ledger practically held its own in the libraries of the United States, till the early days of our civil war of 1861. As late as 1856, Dr. N. B. Shurtleff (well known in the history of the Boston P. L.), in a work of eighty pages describing " a decimal system for the arrangement and administra- tion of libraries," recommended charges to be made in a loan-book, having five accounts on a page ; ten on the two pages or folio ; then the ninth account on folio 365 would be 3,659, etc. In 1861, Prof. C: C. Jewett, Superintendent of the Boston P. L., put forth in a pamphlet of twenty pages a " plan for circulation and use of the books in the Upper Hall of the [Boston] Public Library." This plan proposed to per- mit all holders of Lower Hall cards to have a further or special card for use in the Upper Hall. This special card was to be left at the library (in pawn, as it were), for each book drawn thereby. In addition, a receipt was to be taken on a blank form having a coupon or stub, which coupon was to be surrendered to the borrower upon return of the book, canceling by its detachment the borrower's receipt. The date of lending the book was further to be stamped or written on a ticket (or abstract of the regulations), attached to the book cover, so that the borrower could thus see when it was due, and also that such ticket might give a progressive record of the use of that particular book. The receipts were to be placed in a drawer or pigeon-holes, arranged alphabetically in order of names of borrowers, each day's issues by themselves. The borrower's cards (which were devised for both identification and for giving lists of call numbers) being retained at the library in lieu of the books drawn, in 6o 57: LOUIS CONFERENCE. addition to the receipts, and were to be placed in other drawers in alphabetical order. The cardholders might also give a written order, authorizing another party to draw and receipt in the holder's own name. The foregoing all sounds very much like an account of some " combined charging sys- tems," which have been elaborated long since then, and urged as new devices. But so far as now known, the idea was original with Prof. Jewett. However, it does not seem to have been put into use there, or, at least, not in its full form. Later, Jan. 9, 1866, Prof. Jewett submitted to the Trustees of the Boston Public Library, another pamphlet report of a " plan for record- ing loans." Its chief features were the use of a slip of paper for each loan, as being simple and adaptable to charging exigencies, and readily assorted in various ways. The slip was to show : First, date of loan ; second, some brief indication of the title of the book lent ; third, shelf and order number of the book ; and fourth, name and residence of the borrower. To save many borrowers the inconvenience of being obliged to sign their names, etc., it was proposed to have the slips written by the attendants. He preferred also a printed form for the slips, and use of a serial or consecutive numbering of same, through each day. Date of issue was to be stamped on each slip ; also on cover of book, inside, and on the borrower's card. Date of return was in like manner to be stamped all around, but in different colored ink. Each day's bundle of slips was to be placed in separate pigeon-holes (in order of book numbers), progressing forward till the thirteenth day, and thus showing overdue or finable books. Date on borrower's card prevented his having more than one book at a time, and the card was always to be pre- sented in drawing or returning a book. If the card became lost, its holder must wait, before receiving a new one in its place, till it could be ascertained that no book was charged to it. That fact would be ascer- tained upon examination, or finally show patent in thirteen days. It was further deemed that such negligence on the part of the borrowers should always subject them to a temporary suspension of privileges. [Now- a-days they have very often to pay a fine or penalty, in addition to waiting from fifteen to thirty days.] If no card was presented with a book on its return, then the date on the cover would indicate the package containing the charge slip. Slips withdrawn and canceled upon return of the books were to be sorted, so as to bring together all slips for the same book, and thus show its use and frequency of subjects read upon and the like. Those familiar with the present well-known and typical Boston Public Library charging- slips and system generally, will readily recog- nize its leading features in this plan of Prof. Jewett's. With minor exceptions, it seems to have been but little changed or modified during these twenty years and upwards, and is still the chief standby of a large proportion of our public libraries. One salient step in the way of economy and convenience in its application has been made by many libraries, however, in using a smaller blank slip, on which the charge entries are made entirely by the attendants. This does not require the borrower to assist in making the charge, nor take away from him his lists of call numbers which lists are often prepared at much outlay of time and effort. In doing this latter, the Boston Public Library seems to have de- parted from Prof. Jewett's original intentions. So, also, one other economy is found practicable and satisfactory in many libraries, which consists in not placing any date slip or entries within the book itself (or cover), so long as the charging dates are shown on the borrower's card. A card pocket may serve as both book plate and holder for card and lists, and will practically do away with about all liability of lost cards, so long as the holder continues active in drawing books. At about the same time as Prof. Jewett's first plan, there was also another ingenious scheme submitted by Mr. John Coffin Jones Brown (while one of the Trustees of the Public Library), entitled " A system of record devised and proposed for the use of the [Boston] Public Library, July, 1861. (Printed CARR. 61 for the use of the Trustees.) Boston, 1866." [16 p., octavo, plus one sample sheet.] The points sought to be attained by Mr. Brown were a comprehensive, systematic record of use, combining simplicity and accu- racy in: First, entries of loans ; m second, entries of returns ; third, in number of books delivered daily ; fourth, a knowledge of the number of books in circulation ; fifth, know- ing without search what books have been detained over-time, and have the borrower notified of delinquence ; sixth, connecting each book with its borrower in order to aid in discovery of mutilation, or, if returned by the wrong party, that it might be credited to the right one ; and seventh, preservation of the records of loans in a business-like shape. Each borrower was to sign in a register against a consecutive number, constituting the " Borrower's Number." A card catalog was to furnish an alphabetical index to same, and a re-registration was intended once in ten years. Each person so registered was to be given an " Application Card," having thereon the borrower's number and name, and places for numbers of books to be applied for. Usual old-style public library cards served as the model for that purpose. Secondly, there was to be prepared a " Delivery Card " for each person, made up from his signature in the register, and con- taining borrower's number, name, and resi- dence, and to be placed in its numerical order in a receptacle for that purpose. Such card to be 51-2x8 inches, ruled on both sides, with space for record of 120 loans or deliver- ies. Each entry consisting of day, week, loan number, shelf number, and volume of book. When full to be replaced by new cards ; and, in fact, constituting perpetual ledgers. A " Daily Record " was to be made on sheets (22 inches long by 20 inches broad, with space for 1,000 loans) against a series of numbers commencing with unity each day ; adding a designating number for each day, in order to distinguish one day's entries from another. Additional sheets for excess over 1,000 loans in a day. Against each daily loan number to be blanks for borrower's number, shelf number, and volume, class number, and date of return. The sheets to be bound in a volume each year, thus making a day-book containing a compact, complete, and concise account of all the transactions of the loan department for the year. The form might also be adapted to add the titles of the books, and take signatures in receipt, if so wished. Inside the cover of each volume was to be placed a paper for the entry of borrower's number and loan number, and thus connecting each volume lent jvith its borrower ; also making known its relative use, and a certain credit to the right person on its return. The delivery cards were to be placed in drawers or compartments for each day of delivery, and in order of loan numbers ; each card thus representing a book out of the library and finally indicating delinquents. This plan of Mr. Brown's was probably deemed a little too complete, and so that of Prof. Jewett's, in 1866, was adopted instead (in connection with a re-registration), and in lieu of ledgers, for recording loans. Yet modifications of Mr. Brown's scheme are readily recognized in the methods of several leading libraries to-day, and result in much satisfaction, so far as concerns thor- oughness and exactitude. But they entail some extra labor, and in some respects do not admit of the fullest speed. In 1883-84 the Ontario Association of Mechanics' Institutes (the more usual form of libraries in Canada) adopted, with the approval of the Minister of Education, a schedule of general classification for number- ing purposes, together with forms.of charging books, which in connection have proven quite practical and satisfactory in their use. The classification provides for three series of numbers (for as many average sizes of books) in each of ten classes. As in Biog- raphy, the three sizes being initialed. A, B, and C, and numbers following each respec- tively from i upward. Then there is a "Roll- Book," or ledger for accounts with each member, arranged on horizontal lines, spaced off by months across a double page ; also a 62 ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. " Record-Book," or ledger for accounts with each book, arranged in perpendicular col- umns, and having the consecutive book num- bers at the head of each respectively, with the initial class letters as marginal indexes. Each of these account books intended to last a year, or, in smaller libraries, possibly two years. In the proper column of the record-book, corresponding to the book drawn, is charged the number of the member taking such book. In the designated monthly space of the mem- ber's account in the roll-book is likewise entered date and number of book taken out. Each record canceled by pencil mark upon return of the book loaned. This procedure, it will be seen, gives a double entry. For the sake of speed, it is the more usual custom, however, to make the charges con- secutively on a day-book page, and then at leisure to post same to the other two books. This gives the further advantage of showing delinquents, and makes an ideal charging system for a constituency of rather stable character and not too many in number. The permanent nature of its charges, and the readiness with which entries so made can be consulted, speak much in its favor. The record-book answers quite well as an " Indi- cator," if need be. But for a library with a shifting clientage, or one having a highly elaborated system of book numbering, or with a large and fluctuating circulation, it would probably prove too cumbrous, despite its evi- dent improvement upon the old typical single- form member's ledger. The Boston Athenaeum, in common with other libraries, used the big ledgers up to the middle of the year 1873, at which time its Librarian, Mr. C: A. Cutter, substituted "Ledger Cards." So far as known, their introduction was original with him, and was an idea derived from card catalogs, then growing into general use. Yet later, in his tenth annual report, January, 1879, Mr. Cutter speaks of a new system of slips (in lieu of the ledger cards), by which each book taken out is charged twice. Once, as before, upon a series of cards arranged in the order of the borrowers' names, which show at once what book each person has out ; and secondly, on a series of slips signed by the borrowers and arranged in the same order as the books on the shelves, which show at once who has any given book. For further description of that double- charging plan, see a communication on " Mr. Cutter's Charging System," in Library journal, 4:445 (1879). (Equal credit is believed to be due Mr. Cutter also, for the card pocket spoken of in that same account.) Later on, in Library journal 5:320 (1880), is a communication by Mr. W: E. Foster, describing a "New Charging System" at the Providence Public Library, which was a further modification of Mr. Cutter's. Follow- ing which, the A. L. A. report on charging systems by Mr. Linderfelt in 1882 (./., 7:178) proves very interesting reading, and completes our " chain of title " down to date. II. The sundry answers to the several queries have been collated, and are grouped in the following narrative summaries. Total number of libraries making detailed replies, 203; of which 146 may be classed as free public, in the broad sense of the word, and are designated therein as " F. P." Twenty-two may be classed as pay libraries, or loaning to the public upon payment of current dues or fees ; but not including the so-called " circulating libraries," as Loring's, Mudie's, Wilson's, etc., which are oper- ated as a purely business matter. Said 22 are herein designated as " L." Twenty-three were association, society, or proprietary libraries, loaning, as a rule, but to stockholders* or proprietors, and are designated herein as "A." Twelve were school libraries, in the more strict sense of the word, with their use, as a rule, confined to scholars and not open to the public; some being connected with colleges, others in common schools, but all agreeing in their restricted char- acter. Designated herein as " S." Nearly all the so-called public-school libraries are quasi-free public libraries ; and, as doing abso- lutely or practically the work of such, are consid- ered in this connection as " F. P." Since the " F. P." libraries work more generally to the same end, their methods, as drawn out by CARR. the queries, are summarized fully. But as the other classes are governed by more special consid- erations in their organization and routine, it has not been feasible to cite their practices so uniformly. Minimum age at which takers are allowed to draw books for home use in their own name. Of the 146 "F. P." libraries, we have stated: At 21 years, i ; at 16, 3; at 15, 12; at 14, 47; at 12, 39; at 10, 17 ; at 8, 3 ; at 7, i ; at 6, 2 ; at " able to write legibly," 5; and no limit prescribed, 16. By the 22 " L." libraries, we have reported : No limit prescribed, 13; at 21, 2; at 18, x ; at 12, 2; at 10, 2; at 8, i ; at "reading age," i. By the 23 "A." libraries: No limit, 9 ; at 21, 5; at 12, 4; at 10, 2 ; not stated, 3. By the 12 " S." libraries : at 21, 3; at 15, i ; at 14, 2; at 12, 2; at 10, i ; not stated, 3. Guarantors or Sureties. Of the 146 "F. P." libraries, 79 require guarantors for all book- takers ; 37 for minors, strangers, or non-residents ; 3 at option of the management; and 27 do not require any. Of the " L." libraries, 4 require guarantors for all ; i for minors or strangers ; I at option ; and 7 none. Of the " S." libraries, 2 require guarantors for all; and 4 require none. The other "L." and "S." libraries are silent on this point, while in the " A." libraries their very ownership precludes anything of the kind. If no formal guaranty is required, then refer- ence to some responsible party is taken by 38 " F. P." libraries ; and 22 of those aim to verify the reference by personal application or inquiry in one way or another. As to the nature of security or qualifications of the guarantor, 45 " F. P." and 3 "L." libraries require the guarantor to be a property-owner or freeholder; n, a male; and 5, either a male or an unmarried woman. In the latter case chiefly, as explained by some, because, by the laws of certain States, the bond of a married woman is of no value. If the guaranty be required for minors only, 6 require that same be that of parent or guardian. Of the " F. P." libraries, 79 seemingly make no further requirement than that the guarantor shall be a reputable resident of either sex, and pre- sumedly of legal age. As a preliminary to receiving the library privi- eges, the signing, by the book-taker, of a formal agreement or application in a registration or signa- ture book, is required by 48 " F. P." and 4 "L." libraries. Or, instead thereof, a like signature is taken on a separate blank by 77 " F. P." and 2 " L." libraries. And by 8 " F. P." libraries, signa- ture is required on both book and blank. In the " F. P." libraries, the term or period of the borrower's library privileges varies as follows : 3 renew each year ; 19 each 2 years ; 9 each 3 years; i each 4 years ; 6 each 5 years ; i each 10 years ; and 107 run it on indefinitely, at the option or convenience of the library. In the " L.," " A," or " S." libraries, it usually depends upon the term for which dues are paid, or the cessation of connection of the person with the particular association or school. The re-registration is usually gradual and pro- gressive among those libraries where the term is a fixed number of years; and, on the contrary, is generally made by an entire " new deal " and registration of a// borrowers, on the part of those libraries where the period is indefinite. There are, however, exceptions both ways. The issue of a " library card " to the borrower is pretty general among both the " F. P." and the " L." libraries, but exceptional among those of the " A." or " S." classes. As to the 146 " F. P." libraries : In 27 borrowers have a card for iden- tification, of use for that purpose only, and retained by the borrower; while in 2 no cards are used; in 117 the borrower's card is presented in drawing and returning books, and is made, in one way or another, an essential part of the machinery for loaning; it generally shows charg- ing dates. It appears further that in 4 libraries the bor- rower's card is retained at the library as a voucher, and surrendered to its owner on return of the book; while in 5 libraries this practice is reversed, so that the library retains the card in case its holder does not draw a book. In the 22 " L." libraries : The borrowers in 7 have cards for identification only; in 6 no cards are used; and in 9 the borrower's card shows charging dates, and becomes part of the charging machinery. Of the " A." libraries : In 6 the borrowers have cards for identification merely; in i a card for dates, etc.; while 16 use no cards. So in the " S." libraries : 10 use no cards ; and 2, for identification only. [NOTE. For the remainder of this summary distinctions are not drawn, as a rule, between the classes of libraries reporting; since their practices upon the points to be further considered either do 6 4 ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. not vary strikingly, or else are not materially dependent upon the peculiar nature of the library.] In 43 libraries the borrower's card, in addition to its service for showing charging dates, is used for " call lists," either by numbers or names of books wanted. Usually by call numbers ; and in that respect such practice is akin to that most customary in Sunday-school libraries. In 2 libraries the same result is attained by having a call list temporarily attached by its end to one side of the card. In 128 libraries the card is reserved strictly for charging dates, and no one but the library attendants permitted to mark, stamp, or write thereon. In such cases the borrower makes his or her wants known, either verbally or by lists on a separate blank or paper. One hundred and ten libraries stamp dates on cards and charging blanks, and 30 write them. In 99 of those libraries both issue and return dates (either stamped or written) are shown sepa- rately ; in 36 the issue date only is made to tell the story ; in 3 the due date is given ; and in 2 others the date of return is the only one entered upon the card and blanks. (These last comparisons include but 140 libra- ries, and do not refer to those libraries where charges are made on ledgers, in which cases the borrowers usually have no card, or one for identi- fication only, but do include a few instances where, in lieu of stamping a borrower's card, an equivalent date slip in the book loaned, receives an entry by writing or stamp.) So as to variations in use of colors : 53 libraries stamp both issue and return dates in the same color ; while 27 libraries change the color. Where a distinction in color is made, the majority use blue or purple for issues (charge) and red for return (discharge); although with n this rule is reversed.. The greater portion of the libraries which show both issue and return dates have, on the bor. rower's card, a specific column so headed for each entry ; in such cases there seems but little practi- cal use in changing colors. But where the entries are made successively in the same column (which is done usually where one issue date means that the previously charged book has been returned and another one issued on the same date), some advantage is found in using one color for such double-meaning date, and reserving the other color for a "clearance" or discharge stamp, in case no other book is drawn out at the same time. In fact, the need of some such distinctive " clear- ance " has always been felt in connection with what may be called the " single-date " method. With many its use has been prevented by such need, even were there no other drawbacks, such as occur by reason of a division of the return and issue desks, etc. In addition to the change of colors in the one date, as suggested above, several other devices to the same end are reported. Among the libra- ries which -write the single date, it is by 9 " crossed off '' as a clearance ; by some with ink, by some with black pencil, and by others with colored pencil. Also in one by stamp. These are simple ways, to say the least. Of the libraries which stamp the single date, 5 " cross off " with ink or pencil; 2 punch out the date as a clearance ; i stamps the word " Re- turned"; I stamps a blue star following the last date ; i stamps a red circle in a similar manner ; 2 change color (as described before) ; 2 return the card in a special envelope, in which it must be presented in order to draw books again; i gives a clearance ticket; while 3 retain the card at the library till its owner wishes to draw books once more. Where the "double dates " are used and stamped in same cofor, 2 libraries stamp "last return date in a changed color to distinguish cases of fines due and unpaid. In 2 libraries where the single date is used, and that the return date only, the number of the book drawn is written on the borrower's card in following space, and serves as a charge ; the return date stamped over it cancels and serves as a discharge or clearance. One library using the single date, and that the book-due date (and also issuing books for 7 days and 14 days respec- tively), stamps the due date of one kind in blue and that of the other kind in red. In the majority of the libraries replying, the stamps used are common to all of the attendants, identification of the work done or charges made being usually secured by written initial on the ticket or entry, in case several attendants are serving, or else by their distinctive handwriting, where only one or two do all the work. In 7 libraries each attendant has a special stamp or designating character in the dater, which locates the responsibility for all work bearing such stamp. Respecting the periods for which books are loaned or may be retained for home use, quite a striking uniformity prevails. In 132 libraries the loan period is 14 days (or 2 weeks) for all works CARR. issued. Other libraries make a distinction between magazines and books, or new books and older ones, or as to number of volumes and size of work, or between juvenile and adult readers, or city and country borrowers, and hence vary their loan periods accordingly. In 43 libraries the periods are 7 and 14 days (i and 2 weeks) ; in 3, 7, 14, and 28 days; in 4, 14 and 21 days ; in 3, 14 and 28 days; in 2, 21 days; in 4, optional or indefinite ; and among 12 others the terms vary, being respectively 3, 7, and 14 days; 7 and 10 days; 7 and 21 days; 7 and 28 days; 10, 21, and 28 days; 14 and 30 days; 4 weeks; 30 days; I month ; i, 2, 3, and 4 weeks ; 2, 3, 4, and 6 weeks ; 4 and 8 weeks. Nearly all libraries allow one or more "re- newals " or reissues of the book to same person, varying the number of renewals or term thereof somewhat, according to the extent of original loan period. Twenty do not renew new books (7 day) ; 4 do not renew fiction. In 60 libraries the renewal is once or optional ; in 17, 2 renew- als ; and in i, 3 renewals are permitted. In 115 other libraries the renewal is once only, or with exceptions on new books or fiction, as noted above; while 10 do not renew at all. The re- newal being usually for a like term as the original loan, although in 8 libraries the i renewal granted is limited to i week. Fines. In connection with the loan of books for definite periods, the assessment of a fine or penalty for retention of the books beyond the allowed times is a very general custom. When such practice originated, or what were the motives that led to it, are matters which do not now especially concern us. Some library regulations express the general view fairly well, in saying : " To protect the library against loss, and to secure to all a just and equitable share in its benefits, any person detaining a book longer than the regu- lations permit, shall be fined . . . for each day of such retention." As with the loan periods, there is a tolerable uniformity in the rate more commonly charged ; and probably because of the same fact that the later organized libraries have been modeled on or followed the methods of others earlier estab- lished or better known. The exceptionally higher rates fixed upon in some cases may arise from local considerations and varying views regarding small change, which latter, we know, is often quite a factor in establishing the price of minor matters. In 10 libraries a fine of i cent per day is assessed ; in 106 libraries, 2 cents per day ; in 18, 3 cents; in 20, 5 cents; and in 2, 10 cents per day. In i library the rate is 5 cents each 2 days ; in i other it is 5 cents for the first day, and 2 cents per day thereafter. In some libraries the rate varies according as it be on a 7-day or 14-day book, being at 3 cents and 2 cents a day in i library, and at 10 cents and 5 cents a day in i other. In yet others, the rate increases for certain intervals of over-time ; in i library being 2 cents per day for the first week, and 4 cents for each day thereafter ; in 3, at i cent a day for the first week, and 2 cents a day for the second week, etc. ; in i other, at i cent a day for 14 days, and then 5 cents per day afterwards. (Twenty cents a day on certain special works is charged by i library whose regular rate is 3 cents per day.) In still other libraries a week is made the basis of computation : in i, at 3 cents ; in 5, at 5 cents; in 12, at 10 cents ; and in i, at 15 cents per week. Six cents per week is reported by 3 libraries ; but that may be merely another form of stating a rate of i cent a day. Five cents each half week is reported by i library, 15 cents or 10 cents per week by i, and 10 cents or 5 cents per week by i other, according as the book be a 7 day or 1 4-day issue. In i library a charge of 10 cents "for notice " is stated, but not any further levy ; while in 6 libraries no fine is assessed ; 6 more do not reply to this query. Presumably fractions of a week count as a whole one, where the rate is based on the week. If such is the case it would seem a better practice to charge by the day, and so give some inducement for earlier return of the book ; for, if a book is a day or two overtime, the holder might be tempted to retain it during the entire fine week, since he would gain nothing by returning it sooner. In case of the return of all books, so that the fine shall cease to run on (but the accrued amount not being immediately paid by the party), it becomes a question whether to issue more books to the delinquent pending its payment. In 99 libraries no more books are issued to the one in such arrears ; in 50 libraries it is optional with the library, or may be done on certain con- ditions; in 15 libraries i more issue is regularly allowed ; in 3 further issue is made, according as the amount pending is " not over 10 cents," or else "less than 10 cents;" in i other, if not exceeding 25 cents; and in 24 libraries indefinite further issues (at the discretion of the librarian 66 ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. presumably) are usual ; n libraries either do not reply or do not fine at all. Akin to the subject of fines for books kept overtime, is that of duplicating or replacing lost library cards to the borrower, together with the charge or penalty for the same, and the interval of notice required to elapse before so doing. Of 155 libraries reporting, in which book-takers must needs have a prescribed card (48 others use no cards), and in which loans will not be made without its presentation, 153 make a practice of issuing a " duplicate," or replacing card, in lieu of the one missing ; while in 2 a re-registration is re- quired. Considerable variance in practice exists, however, as to requirements of notice before duplicating, and as to penalty or fee for same. 50 libraries require no notice; 3 require i day; 2, 3 days ; 23, 7 days, or i week ; 8, 10 days; 31, 14 days, or 2 weeks; 16, 15 days; i, 3 weeks; n, 30 days, or i month ; and 8, conditional or optional with librarian. In the majority of the libraries which prescribe a notice of 2 weeks and upward, that interval is generally fixed upon as a crude sort of safeguard against use of old card in wrong hands, or else as against a second issue to the same party in case a book was already out on that card. With more effective systems of account, no delay need really be required, except as a matter of penalty; or possibly to prevent some lazy people from claim- ing a card as lost, when actually they have left it at home and do not want to incur the trouble or delay needed in obtaining it. As to fee for duplicating cards, 101 libraries make no charge ; 4 charge i cent ; 7, 2 cents ; 3, 3 cents; 23, 5 cents; n, 10 cents; in 3 libraries 25 cents is charged, if card be issued without a notice interval, or with no charge upon waiting 30 days ; and in i, upon call for 5 cents, or in i week without charge. As a general thing, the most of those libraries which require no notice interval also do not make any charge for duplicating or replacing lost cards. Particularly is this the case with those libraries in which the library card is used for identification only, and not as a part of the dating records ; but there are marked exceptions both ways. A notable distinction is usually apparent in charging systems of libraries, dependent upon whether the book or the taker is given precedence in the records. Of the 203 libraries replying, 81 keep simple accounts (either by ledger or slips), in which the leading factor is the book number; the charges being arranged and referred to on that basis. One hundred and one libraries take a reverse method, and keep simple accounts (either by ledger or slips), in which the name or number of the taker is the chief basis for arranging the entry and subsequent reference to same. A more complete system is in vogue with 21 libraries, in which either a double or triple entry is made and both the number of the book and of its taker alike made a leading factor in the accounts. In the simple accounts in which the book number leads, as well as in like accounts in which the borrower takes precedence, it is usually the case that an essential part of the charging records is at the same time in the hands of the taker while he has a book out. This is usually in the form of a library card showing dates (as heretofore considered); or else a companion entry or date on a slip attached to the book, or made on its cover. Sometimes both of those features are used simultaneously. Twenty-nine libraries report use of a record slip attached to book; and 4 enter dates on book cover direct ; the books in this last case probably having paper jackets or covers. Of the libraries which make a simple charge on the book basis, 8 make use of permanent " book slips " or tickets, with provision for successive charges thereon ; while 67 charge by means of temporary slips or tickets prepared and used for the one occasion only. Of the libraries which make a simple charge on the borrower basis, 20 make use of permanent " taker " or " member slips," or tickets with pro- vision for successive entries thereon ; while 49 charge by means of temporary slips or tickets prepared and used for the one occasion only. Of the 116 libraries using temporary charging slips for account with book or taker respectively, 45 do so by means of retaining a form or slip, (usually in the nature of a call list), filled out by the borrower; so that he or she is thus required to cooperate in making the record. This results in what is really an expensive way of charging loans ; and has the added objection of causing considerable labor and loss of time upon the part of the borrower, while practically it does very little towards aiding those behind the counter in either speed or accuracy. On the other hand, 71 libraries which use temporary charging slips (as well as the 28 libraries which employ permanent ones), have all their charges made by the library attendants, and do not require the borrower to contribute in that respect. CARR. As regards accounts kept by means of a regular ledger or record book, 36 are reported ; of which ii are in " F. P.," 9 in " L.," 12 in " A.," and 4 in " S." libraries. In such ledgers the accounts, as a rule, are with the borrowers merely. In 5 libra- ries, however, the charge is made at the time of issue on a ticket or slip ; which latter, after being at due convenience posted to the taker's ledger account, is left at liberty to be arranged in order of issue date, and thus gives a double-charging system, to good advantage. This method works very well indeed with a limited constituency, such as in an association or college library. In 2 other libraries the charges, while first made in consecutive order on a day-book, are likewise posted to a member ledger ; and in i library, from day-book to both a book ledger and a member ledger. The just limits at command for a report of this nature have quite likely been exceeded ; and hence many interesting special practices which have come to the notice of the reporter cannot now be spoken of. So, too, any critical study or com- parison of merits must await other opportunity. For the chief aim of the queries sent out and the collation of the answers (so far as made) has been to ascertain as much as possible regarding the current practice of the average libraries in con- nection with the loaning of books, and allied topics in library administration. And in so doing, to place on record definite data for future consideration thereof by such as may be interested. III. It may be said further, however, that during the existence of the American Library Asso- ciation much has appeared in the Library journal, and elsewhere, upon this general topic. Therefore, in addition to the items and replies collated from the Query circulars, as stated, the reporter appends a sort of chronological list of a goodly number of such special articles and discussions ; adding some brief notes of the salient points of each one. i. Poole, W. F. Register of books borrowed. (In "Organization and management of public libraries.") U. S. Special Lib. Report, 1876, PP- 499-5 4- [Temporary slips (2X2V2 inches) headed with borrower's registration number, also showing number of book drawn, date, and initial of attendant. Slips arranged in a partitioned box or tray, in order of borrower's number; each day's issues in a separate bundle, divided by movable date blocks.] 2. Perkins, F: B. [Registration and delivery service.] (In " How to make town libraries successful.") U. S. Special Lib. Report, 1876, pp. 426-427. [Dated page, day-book fashion; ace. no. of book, and daily issue no. given. Date, and same issue no. noted on inside cover of book also.] 3. Same. [Boston P. L. issue system.] (///"Pub- lic libraries of ten principal cities. II.") U. S. Special Lib. Report, 1876, p. 872. 4. Whitaker, A. E. [San Francisco Mercantile L. book delivery.] (In " Public libraries of ten principal cities. X.") U. S. Special Lib. Report, 1876, pp. 998-9. [An octagonal revolving wheel register, 3 feet in diameter by 3 feet 6 inches high; containing 2,000 holes, each % inch wide by 3 inches deep. Adopted in 1875, in lieu of two books of 2,500 pp. each.] 5. Dewey, Melvil. [Amherst College check-box book accounts.] (In " Catalogs and Catalog- ing.") U. S. Special Lib. Report, 1876, pp. 631-2. [Blank slips s by 5 cm. Call no. of book, name of borrower, and date. Arranged in numerical book-no, order, in check boxes of 100 compartments.] 6. Cadwallader, B. Record blanks [of books loaned, in use by Evansville P. L.]. Lib. j., 1:254-5. (1877.) [Permanent book check or slip, illustrated.] 7. Yates, James. The Leeds indicator. Lib. j., 1:255-6; and 443. (1877.) [English pigeon-hole "indicator," receiving borrower's card ; also daily check sheets.] 8. [Dewey, Melvil. ( ? ) ] Defacing books. Lib.j., 1:327. (1877.) [Gummed date slips attached inside of cover to caution against marking, etc., and show dates of circulation.] 9. Vinton, F: Registration of books borrowed. (In " Hints for improved library economy, drawn from usages at Princeton.") Lib. _/., 2:56. (1877.) [Borrower's receipt, in box or drawers, alfabetized by name of borrower.] 10. Cutter, C: A. Time of loans. Lib. /., 3:79. (n. and q. 20.) (1878). [Boston Athenaeum practice; 7, 14, and 30 days, intro- duced some years previously.] 11. Newburgh (N. Y.) Library. [Charging sys- tem of a novel sort. (By C:Estabrook. (?).] Noted in Lib. j., 3:1 19. (1878.) [Ledger accounts with borrowers, supplemented by one with books.] 12. Jackson, F: Systems of charging loans, and an improved slip case. Z/3./. 3:230. (1878.) [Sloping check box for 14 days, with 20 subdivisions to each day. For slips 5 by 5 cm.] 68 ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. 13. Dewey, Melvil. Delinquent notices and checkboxes. Lib.j., 3:370-1. (1878.) [Citing and improving upon Jackson's check box, adding colored slips with projections.] 14. Same. [Designating] sex in registration. Lib.j., 3:311 ; 4:174. (Notes & q.) (1878.) [Odd and even numbers, and different colored ruling on cards, etc.] 15. Same. Charging systems: [4 papers, etc., (1878.) viz.] 1. Principles underlying. Lib. j., 3:217-220. 2. Accounts with borrowers. Lib.j., 3:252-5. 3. Accounts with books. Lib.j., 3:285-8. 4. Combined plan and various details. Lib.j., [Note.] Book and reader accounts. Lib.j., 4:131. 16. Winsor, Justin. The charging system at Harvard. Lib.j., 3:338. (1878.) [Call slips for delivery ; posted at leisure to individual ledger accounts.] 17. Cutter, C: A. Another charging plan [and] Mr. Cutter's charging system. Lib. j., 4:17 ; and 445. (1879.) [A double charging : manilla book slip, signed by borrower and kept in class order ; white book slips, kept in order of takers. Manilla cards began Jan., 1879; use of white cards added later.] 18. Walker, R. C. A library recorder. Lib.j., 4:203; and 37 5. (1879.) [English "indicator," in a primitive form.] 19. Cotgreave, A. Library indicators vs. book- keeping. Lib.j., 5:51. (1879.) [Extract from pamphlet describing Cotgreave's Indicator- book ; " indicator " and " book register' 1 combined.] 20. Schwartz, Jacob. A " combined " charging system. Lib.j., 4:275-7. (1879.) [Taker's card kept at library ; date slip in book, etc.] 21. Estabrook, C:, Schwartz, J., and Dewey, M. More about charging systems. Lib. j., 5:72-5. (1879.) [Evansville and Newburgh, etc., charging methods.] 22. Foster, W: E. New charging system [at Providence P. L.]. Lib.j., 5:320. (1880.) [Double-charging method; modification of Cutter's, of 1879.] 23. Dewey, Melvil. Slip indicator [at Boston P. L.]. Lib.j., 5:320. (1880.) [Check box of books " out," etc.] 24. Mann, B. Pickman. Library fines. Lib. j., 4: 441-2. (1879.) [Plus brief comments by Cutter, Dewey, and Bowker. 25. Massey, A. P. Colored cards [for recording loans]. Lib.j., 6:34. (Notes & q.) (1881.) 26. Chamberlain, Rev. L. T. [Charging methods] for Sunday-school libraries. Lib. j., 6:159. (1881.) (From S. S. Times.) [Pigeon holes for each book ; taker's tag to hang over the empty place of book out.] 27. [Shute's Time-saving record for] the Sunday- school library. Lib. /., 6:288. (1881.) (From S. S. Times.) [Ledger having a composite number list printed to each account for check marking.] 28. Schwartz, J., and Cutter, C: A. Scraps of script. Lib.j., 7:6. (1882.) [Respecting merits of call lists by numbers, or by names of books, etc.] 29. Linderfelt, K. A: Charging systems. [A. L. A. paper, rst report on.] Lib. j., 7:178-182. (1882.) [Milwaukee double-charging method described in detail.] 30. Kite, W: Book registry [for a small library]. Lib. j., 8:40. (Notes & q.) (1883.) [Taker ledger (Borrower vs. book), and book ledger (Book vs. borrower) ; with cross entries.] 31. Perkins, F: B. Charging-card rack. Lib.j., 10:63. (Notes &q.) (1885.) [Illust. To insure serving takers in order of coming.] 32. Cutter, C: A. Inconvenience of library cards. (Editorial.) Lib.j., 10:48. (1883.) [Commenting v s. new practice at Phil. Mercantile L., per extracts from its annual report in L.j., 10:57.] 33. Stetson, W. K. Charging [by day-books]. Lib.j.,ir.i2i. (Notes.) (1886.) [Consecutive entries in a daily register.] 34. Arnold, G: U. Charging by day-book. Lib. j., 11:167. (Notes.) (1886.) [Commenting on Stetson's plan of daily register, and recommending it for larger circulation than first named.] 35. Little, G: T. A charging system for small libraries. [A. L. A. paper.] Lib.j., 11:212-3. (1886.) [Putting on shelves for each book loaned a wooden dummy showing name of borrower.] 36. Larned, J. N. Some new devices and arrangements. Lib.j., 11:295. (1886.) [Double-entry card scheme for charging and self-dating.] 37. Restricted reference books. [Columbia Col- lege Library issue slips for.] Lib. notes, 2:216. (Dec., 1887.) [Form illust. and commented upon.] 38. Dated book-marks. (H. C. Bolton.) Lib. notes, 2:216. (Dec., 1887.) [Form illust. and commented upon.] 39. Peck, A. L. Charging by means of baggage checks. Lib.j., 13:315. (1888.) [Pins and checks for borrowers, and same for books; cross exchange of checks to the respective pins.] GREEN. 69 THE LIBRARY IN ITS RELATIONS TO PERSONS ENGAGED IN IN" DUSTRIAL PURSUITS. BY SAMUEL SWETT GREEN, LIBRARIAN OK THE FREE PUBLIC LIBRARY, WORCESTER, MASS. A T the meeting of this association which was held at Lake George, a report was made on the School of Library Economy, which it was then proposed to establish, and which has now been in existence for three years, in which the writer, addressing the librarians present at the conference, said : " We shall most of us agree, probably, that the most important departments of college instruc- tion for us were (and are) the courses in lan- guage, literature, and history." This remark seems to indicate inadequacy of appreciation of the value of the work that a librarian may do in aiding persons engaged in mechanical and other industrial pursuits. Knowledge of the principles of the natural sciences is of the greatest importance to a librarian who is to become a guide and teacher in a town which thrives because of its indus- tries or in which a technical turn is given to a considerable portion of the education imparted in the place. My tastes lead me to the study of history and the philosophical explanations of social, moral, and religious phenomena. My duties as a librarian require me to serve persons interested, largely, in the principles and applications of mechanics and other sub- jects of inquiry belonging to the province of natural philosophy, chemistry, and other physi- ical sciences. Mr. Perkins, of San Francisco, shows that he feels the importance of this part of the work of a librarian. In speaking of the func- tions of a popular library, he writes : " Its first object is to supply books to persons wish- ing to improve their knowledge of their occu- pations, etc." He states, furthermore, that books of that kind " are constantly and eagerly used " in the Public Library of San Francisco, of which he was recently the Librarian. Miss Hewins, of Hartford, writes, in regard to the selection of books to be placed in small libraries : " The books which you buy should depend, like your catalogue, on your class of readers. A library in a village where there are farms and gardens should have the latest and best books upon farming, garden- ing, the care of cattle and poultry, and several agricultural and horticultural papers and mag- azines, that may be allowed to circulate after they are bound. ... A town with telephones, electric lights, machine-shops, and manufacto- ries, where many young men of intelligence are electrical engineers, machinists, and draughtsmen, needs all the newest books that it can afford to buy on electricity, applied mechanics, and mechanical drawing. We find in Hartford a steadily increasing demand for books of these classes." Samuel Smiles, in his work entitled, " Lives of the Engineers," undertakes to give an ac- count of some of the principal men who were influential in enlarging the internal resources of England. In speaking of the subjects of his biographies, he writes : " In one case the object of interest is a captain, like Perry ; a wheelwright, like Brindley ; an attorney's clerk, like Telford ; or an engine brakeman, like Stephenson." After reading such a passage as this, a superficial man will not improbably draw the hasty inference that the self-reliance and men- tal vigor which are needed in solving the great problems that present themselves to practical men are either inborn or the result of the disci- pline alone of poverty and neglect. It cannot be doubted, however, by thought- ful men that Brindley and Stephenson, how- ever admirable was the work which they did, would have worked easier and accomplished more if they had had a good preparatory edu- cation and access to books in which the expe- riences and achievements of other practical men are recorded. The natural intellectual vigor of the self- taught man is reinforced and becomes more wisely and prolifically productive when his ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. own experience has been enlarged and en- lightened by feeding upon the experiences of other men as they are found set forth in books. He gains by learning of the experiments which have led to their successes, and equally by becoming acquainted with the mistakes which have resulted in failure. Self-made men are generally conscious of their deficiencies and of the disadvantages under which they have labored, and anxious to have their children well educated and given access to the wisdom and knowledge which have crystallized in the form of literature. " Certainly," writes Mr. Andrew McFarland Davis, " so far as Stephenson was concerned, we know that he was painfully conscious of the impediment which the lack of education proved to his progress in life, and to the extent of his ability he sought to overcome the same in the career of his son Robert, by furnishing him with an education at the Edinburgh University. The methods employed by the latter in after life, in the construction of the Brittania Tubular Bridge, were so thoroughly scientific, they were so distinctly in accord with what we expect from an educated mind, there was so little left to chance, and so much of the debatable ground was explored in advance, that they furnish an admirable illus- tration of the ways of modern science, and refute the idea that culture crushes ingenuity and perseverance. The problem laid before Robert Stephen- son was this : The Island of Anglesey is separated from Wales by a navigable strait, through which each day tides violently race, rising and falling to the height of from twenty to twenty-five feet. A railway bridge was to be constructed here, high enough above the water to enable vessels to pass beneath, and which should not interfere with navigation while being erected. The proposition to use a suspension bridge was not approved. A cast-iron arch had been suggested ; but, if there had been no other objection, the interference of the centering with the navigation of the straits was necessarily fatal to its adoption. The novel idea of an iron tube was suggested, and a series of experiments were begun to determine the breaking weight of such a struct- ure, the proper distribution of materials to resist the strains of compression on top, and the tensile strains on the bottom, and what would be the best section whether circular, elliptical, or rectangular. Tubes of various shapes were subjected to breaking strains, and the results of the experiments were accepted, even where they dispelled the theo- ries of the experimenters. Finally a miniature tube was constructed, similar in proportion, section, and distribution of material to the one which the results of the experiments had led them to adopt. When it was seen that this fully withstood the tests to which it was submitted, it was determined to proceed with the work. A suitable spot was selected on the Caernarvon shore, where the tubes which were to span the water were con- structed. When completed they were floated on pontoons to the recesses in the piers pre- pared for them, and were raised by hydraulic power to the proper height. Masonry was carried up beneath them as they were raised, and the task was accomplished of making a railway bridge under the peculiar restraints imposed. At every step during all these proceedings, records were kept of each experiment, and of the effect of the wind and weather upon the structure thus adding a vast amount of val- uable information to the scientific records of the age. All this is essentially different from the expensive experiments in practice of Edwards, the stone mason, -known as the bridge builder, who, in working out the problem of spanning the river Taff, in Wales, in the middle of the last century, saw two of his bridges totally destroyed, before he conquered all the difficul- ties in his way and succeeded in building the bridge which still stands as a monument to his genius and perseverance. It is radically different from the sublime faith in himself, with which Brindley met the sneers of those who scoffed at his projects ; but not every man who believes in himself can hope for the success of a Brindley, nor would his success, or that of Edwards, have been less real if it had been less experimental if, instead of GREEN. being based upon practice, it had been founded on instruction." Why introduce here a defence of the value of training in schools, and of book learning to men engaged in industrial pursuits ? Is it likely that librarians need to study the lesson which is taught in the narrative which has just been given ? Perhaps it is not likely. Still, I have known librarians, who, having engaged in the occupation to which they belonged merely for the purpose of earning a livelihood, had no living faith in the value of learning to be had from books in the conduct of practical affairs. At any rate librarians are frequently brought into contact with successful men of affairs whom it is advantageous to convince that book knowledge is of every-day service in common pursuits; and success in making friends fora library, and in causing it to do a good work in the community, often depends largely upon the power to show that practical benefits attend the acquisition of knowledge. The size of the annual municipal appropriation for the support of an institution is sometimes dependent on the ability of its officers to demonstrate that the privilege of a free use of a large collection of books treating of scien- tific and technical subjects adds to the mate- rial prosperity of a town or city. The Librarian of the Public Library of Cincinnati, in an annual report which was made by him a few years ago, wrote as follows : " It is seldom that we can measure in dol- lars and cents the usefulness of an institution whose benefits silently permeate the whole community, but occasionally an illustration presents itself. I am authorized by Judge M. W. Oliver and E. W. Kittridge, Esq., to state that the information derived from three vol- umes in the library, which could not have been obtained elsewhere at the time, saved the people of Cincinnati, in the contract with the Gas Company, at least $33,500 annually for the next ten years. How much more of the reduction of the price of gas was due to these books, cannot be certainly known. There can be no doubt that 7 cents per 1,000 feet reduction was due to the assis- tance rendered by these books. This one item is alone more than one-half the annual cost of the library, and is nearly equal to the amount paid by the Board of Education from the general educational fund for library purposes." The firm of Norcross Brothers stands high on the list of contractors and builders. Trinity Church in Boston, some of the finest buildings belonging to Harvard College, many costly edifices in New York City and in Penn- sylvania and other States, have been erected by it. It has put up two large buildings in St. Louis. The late distinguished architect, Henry H. Richardson, always preferred to have his plans carried out by this firm. Mr. O. W. Norcross, the leading spirit in this concern, told me a few years ago that he had for a long time been a constant reader of books and papers which treat of subjects con- nected with the branches of business in which he is engaged. He added that if he had had any success in his chosen avocation, and that success had certainly been very great, it was owing to the practice of keeping himself acquainted with the literature of his occupa- tion. Mr. Norcross's home is in Worcester. He wrote in 1880 in regard to the Public Library there : " The reading and library facilities which it gives are of great value, and have in my own case been of great assistance in my business. As a matter touching the value of a good library and its being appreciated, I will say that when we have taken men from Wor- cester and Boston to work in other places there has been a general complaint of the want of good reading and library facilities." A large manufacturer in the same city wrote at the same time respecting his workmen: " Our superintendent informs me that hun- dreds of our employe's make very free use of the library, gaining therefrom much of good to themselves, and, in some special cases, obtaining from it information of great value to us in our business." Mr. Morgan, lately the active manager of the great Washburn & Moen Manufacturing Company, said of the library: "It has been ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. of great benefit to young men of my acquaint- ance (and under my direction) ; to me in my work it has been of much advantage." A manufacturer of chemicals, who had often used the library, wrote in 1880: "In the Green Library I have seen mechanics and artisans perusing, not current literature or pic- torials, but scientific journals. I have seen hundreds of the pupils of our public and pri- vate schools busily at work with books of ref- erence and other works, to help them in their compositions and other duties. I have seen manufacturers searching after works on in- dustrial arts, to help them in something per- taining to their business. I have seen young men of the poorer classes reading magazines and current literature which they could not afford to buy. I have been surprised to find that certain works which I have called for were ' out,' as I had supposed they would not be much read, and also surprised to find them well thumbed, when I did get hold of them." A chair manufacturer, who did a large busi- ness, said : " It has been a great convenience to me that I could step into the Green Library and have the various patent office reports and books on French designing put quickly before me." If all the owners, officers, foremen, and jour- neymen of a great machine shop or large man- ufacturing establishment were to make a con- stant use of books and papers which give the latest information in the departments of natu- ral science and the useful arts, it is evident that the work which they have to do would be done with greatly increased intelligence, and that knowledge would be gained which would lead to advantageous changes in pro- cesses and to the introduction of improved tools and machinery, as well as to the manu- facture of new articles of commerce. It is not to be expected that all persons connected with industrial occupations will avail themselves of the privilege of using li- braries freely, although the object be that of gaining knowledge that would be useful to them in their daily pursuits. Still, many will do so, and gratefully make a constant use of libraries. When well-supplied repositories of books and papers relating to the arts of life are thrown open to the public, such persons use them as have the capacity and inclination to do so, and it will generally be found that the number of those who are ready to take ad- vantage of the opportunities offered is very considerable. Sow knowledge broadcast through libraries, and, as in the case of public schools, a rich harvest will follow. The Free Public Library in Worcester has had a somewhat fruitful experience in the province of aiding workmen and other persons engaged in industrial pursuits or interested in such matters. I do not see how I can better show what kind of work in this direction is practicable, and point out the way in which it can be done, than by describing at some length the opera- tion of plans in use in that institution. With- out apology, therefore, I shall proceed to in- stance numerous cases in which aid has been given there, and to show how it has been af- forded. Here follow questions and answers as asked and given in that library. I bespeak your patience during a somewhat tedious enumeration. " What are the methods of testing the amount of heat produced in the consumption of different kinds of fuel ? " The Librarian consults the catalogue, and goes to the shelves which contain books that are likely to give the information desired, and, after a search of a few minutes, hands the inquirer a volume of " Percy's Metallurgy." The amount of the resistance of the air to the passage of projectiles is shown by refer- ence to " Benton's Ordnance and Gunnery." For the processes in use in the manufac- ture of floor or oil cloth, reference is made to "Tomlinson's Encyclopaedia of Useful Arts," and to " Ure's Dictionary," in which places the knowledge sought for is found. Late reports are furnished to show what results have been reached after the experi- ments made respecting the utilization of sewage at Croydon, Leamington, etc., in Eng- land. The City Solicitor desires to see volumes GREEN. 73 issued by the British Government which con- tain the evidence taken by a commission appointed to examine into the same subject. The City Engineer wishes to consult, at another time, the reports of the doings of commissioners appointed in Great Britain to consider the subject of the Pollution of Streams. An order is sent to our London agents for sets of both the series of public documents. Books on sanitary engineering and copies of regulations in use in other cities respecting kinds of plumbing which may be allowed are supplied to the clerk of the city Board of Health. An inquirer wishes for a late word concern- ing a gelatine process, known as the dry-plate process, in use among photographers. A recent work on practical photography is handed to the applicant for information and, by means of indexes, articles are found, for him, treating of the subject, in the Scien\ tific American, and the Supplement to that paper. Amateur photographers call for books to give them aid, and men whose business it is to take sun pictures examine regularly the numbers of current periodicals containing technical information, and ask for new books which will explain to them improved methods that are coming into vogue for doing work in which they are interested. " What coloring matters will dissolve in benzine and naphtha without a precipitate ? " asks an artisan. Books of receipts are given to him which contain the answer to his question. "Wood & Bache's Dispensatory " is handed to an inquirer to show him how essence of lemon, extract of ginger, essence of pepper- mint and paregoric are made. During the last few years there has been an unfailing interest in the community to learn regarding the latest discoveries and inventions in respect to electric lighting and telephonic communication, and students have been re- ferred frequently to recently published books and to periodicals of general scientific value, or such as are devoted to the description of instruments and the exposition of processes used in the applications of the force of elec- tricity to practical affairs. " How is vinegar adulterated ? " " How are fireworks manufactured ? " " Please give me an analytical chemistry." " I should like a good account of earth oils." A recent description of the dynamometer is desired. " Knight's Mechanical Diction- ary " gives it. An apparatus for drying crystals is wanted, and a number of the Supplement to the Scientific American gives an account of one. An analysis of certain materials used in dyeing is called for. Some information on the subject is given, and it is found that the ques- tion would probably be perfectly answered by statements in a book not in the library. The inquirer can wait for the book to be imported, and the librarian sends to London for it. Had the applicant been desirous of having an answer to his question at once, the librarian would have tried to borrow the book desired from some other library. A treatise on the manufacture of sulphuric acid is asked for. Recent works on electro-plating are wanted. " Please give me a book to describe the art of tea-blending, and the chemistry of tea and coffee." " What is telpherage ? " " Can you help me to find a work that will explain to me the processes by which explo- sives, such as gun-powder, gun-cotton, etc., are prepared ? " A treatise on the manufacture of steel is desired by a man who is employed in the office of a large iron-working establishment. An account of aniline dyes is sought for. The value of different kinds of oil as lubri- cants is to be estimated. " What is the latest word of science regard- ing the effects of alcohol on the human sys- tem?" The inquirer, being a man who is in the habit of using books, is referred to " Poole's Index," the " Index Medicus," and other in- dexes, and has placed before him the standard works on the subject, and is left to make his own investigations. The proprietors of a large manufacturing establishment, wishing to advertise by issuing 74 ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. a little volume that would be prized by persons whom they desired for customers, and, sus- pecting, too, that many facts might be un- earthed which they would themselves find it useful to know, employed a literary worker to make a careful examination of all the vol- umes in sets of periodicals and of treatises that would probably contain information that they would wish to render accessible to them- selves and others. The gentleman engaged spent months in doing this work, and the notes which he made were printed for the use of the com- pany. The same investigator keeps on the lookout to see whether new matter of value to his employers may not be found in current numbers of scientific periodicals and in tech- nical works newly published. Books which teach the elements of mechan- ical drawing and works on the same subject for advanced students are constantly in demand. "What kind of acid should I use in etching on glass and on stone ? " A treatise and a book of receipts is given to the inquirer. A young man is supplied with a volume which gives explanations respecting modeling in clay. Inquiry is made in regard to the situation and characteristics of the principal schools in Europe in which instruction is given in archi- tecture. " How shall I draw a Moorish arch ? " asks a young designer who has been instructed to introduce one into plans for a fireplace. " Please show me representations of the leaf of the black-walnut tree to use in carving furniture." Another wood-carver has books given to him to show styles of ornamentation that were in use in the period of the renaissance. Sev- eral volumes are placed before him, and he takes their titles, in order that he may call for them from time to time. The same inquirer often asks for illustrations of the carving in vogue in other epochs and in different coun- tries. Another man whose business it is to make nice furniture asks frequently for designs of chairs, tables, cabinets, and altars. Such works as the Journal de menuiserie and the productions of Ungewitter and Talbert are much used by him. A young man finds that he has the knack of modeling faces and images. He comes to you constantly during several years to exam- ine engravings and representations of different objects of art or in nature, and you find him gradually acquiring a considerable local rep- utation as a sculptor. A scene-painter comes to you to look at specimens of exterior and interior architecture in the middle ages, with the object of getting suggestions to use in preparing scenery for the stage. " How can I make plaster casts ? " " Show me, if you please, specimens of or- namental work in metals." Plans, elevations, and specifications of houses are in constant demand. Designs for low-priced houses are particularly desired. Sometimes young men are at work in the upper rooms of the library building, copying from works that contain detailed drawings of machinery, such as the volumes of Engineer- ing or an elaborate publication filled with illus- trations of Corliss engines. They are obliged to work in the building because they need the use of books which, owing to legal restrictions, cannot be removed from the premises. Works on household art and interior deco- ration are continually in use. A householder who is fitting up a room, or a gentleman who is building a new house, brings a painter with him to the library, and together they decide upon the style of orna- mentation to be employed, or the painter comes by himself to obtain useful suggestions. French and German publications are much used in aiding persons seeking information of this kind. Students from the Polytechnic Institute call frequently for books of alphabets and borders and corners to use in finishing drawings. A marble and stone worker asks for repre- sentations of monuments and memorial tab- lets, and is shown French and German folios which have been published for the use of workmen in those materials. GREEN. 75 " What is the cost of production by horse- power, as compared with that of steam-power? " inquires an investigator. " Rigg's Practical Treatise on the Steam-Engine " contains the answer to his question. Valuable aid is given, partially in the form of tabulated statements, regarding compressed air. " In what articles of food is there the great- est percentage of nutriment ? " Inquiry is made as to the place in which a specified decision of the United States Commissioner of Patents, recently rendered, may be found. Late numbers of the Official Gazette of the United States Patent Office are put into the hands of the inquirer. Information is wanted regarding the prep- arations of caoutchouc, in use in dentistry. A man wishing to know how India rubber is dyed pink, has a volume of the work known as " British Industries " given to him. " Please give me the best book you have treating of the subject of trout culture." The prices of certain French, German, and Italian mathematical works are sought for. A history of steam navigation is desired. Preble's is furnished to the inquirer. Statistics and methods regarding the culti- vation of oysters are asked for, and found in one of the treatises contained in the volumes in which the observations and investigations of specialists employed by the United States in taking the last census are recorded. A man who is going West calls for a book that describes sheep-farming and the different breeds of sheep. The process of making ensilage is asked for. A hand-book is desired by a tuner of pianos. An organ builder wishes to see a recently published elaborate work on organ cases. " What legislation has there been in the United States and the different States regard- ing fences ? " The question is easily an- swered by reference to codified statutes and annual supplementary volumes. "Please show me the last tariff bill that has been enacted, with whatever amendments have been made to it." The reports of the Patent Office Commis- sioner, which contain specifications and draw T ings of patents, are used every day. " What are the laws of the United States and of Massachusetts relating to the use of steam carriages on common roads ? " The answer to this question is readily given, as was that regarding legislation respecting fences, by reference to the " Revised and Public Statutes " and volumes published in continuation of them. Artisans call for assistance. A workman wishes to begin a course of elementary read- ing that will enable him to understand the principles of mechanics and some of its appli- cations. He is supplied in the first place with Goodeve's little book. Others who desire to study the growth of the steam engine, and to become acquainted with mechanical developments as shown in the biographies of the great industrial bene- factors of this century, are referred to the works of Thurston and Smiles. A book describing high-pressure engines is desired by a man who has charge of an engine of that kind in a saw mill. Another man who has recently been placed in charge of a compound engine asks for a volume to explain the construction and work- ing of that kind of machinery. No book is at hand that will serve his purpose, and, as he is not impatient for the information he de- sires, a book is hunted up, by means of cata- logues of publishers, that will be of assistance to him, and an order for its purchase is sent at once to London. Had the inquirer been in a hurry, the work would have been sought for in this country, although it could only be had here at a higher price than that at which it could be bought in England. Works on plumbing are used both by work- men and by householders. A carpenter is supplied with a work to show what are the principles and processes of carpentry. A young man finds difficulty in picking out books on mechanical subjects that interest him.- The librarian finds out his tastes and wishes in a short conversation, and promises to have a dozen volumes ready for him to .ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. select from the next evening that he can come to the library. An illustration and account of a certain kind of truss-roof, of which an imperfect descrip- tion has been given in the specifications fur- nished to a carpenter, are provided. " Riddell's Mechanics' Geometry " is used to answer a question regarding the framing of a building. Two jewellers had made a fan-blower which would not work. They were shown descriptions of fan-blowers of different kinds, which enabled them to detect the defect in the one they had constructed. A tinworker desires a book concerning his trade. A painter wishes books that he can take to his shop or home, descriptive and illustra- tive of ornamental designs, and the processes that are useful in helping to reproduce them. Materials are wanted by a teacher and fur- nished to him, for preparing a hand-book to be used by beginners in a shop attached to a school in which mechanics are taught practi- cally as well as in theory. Cuts representing derricks of different fashions, with accounts of the plans on which they are constructed, are desired and shown to the inquirer in " Knight's New Mechanical Dictionary," and in the articles referred to in that work in the dictionaries of Appleton, Tomlinson and Spon. An article or book on drop-hammers and drop-forging is called for. " How can I make a telephone ? " "Willis's Teeth of Gear-wheels " gives an answer to some question. A monograph on the steel square is hunted up. Something is wanted concerning the process of riveting steam boilers. " Please give me a book to explain the pro- cess of spinning brass." Reference is made to "Holtzapfel on Turning " and to "Knight's Dictionary." A list is desired of different articles that are made of paper. A young man from the Union Water Meter Company asks what late information can be given him regarding regulating valves. An iron-worker asks for a work that will explain how to construct a steam engine. " What is the comparative speed of differ- ently-shaped vessels ?" " Give me a book on flumes as connected with water wheels." A volume is required which will explain how tools are best sharpened and polished. A treatise on shafting is desired. " Ran- kine's Mill Working Machinery " serves the needs of the applicant. Rope-making is to be described. Such a book as Riddell's " The Practical Carpenter and Joiner," illustrated by card- board models, is in constant use. A book descriptive of the process of plan- ing iron is called for. The one recommended is out, but the applicant is informed that it will be retained for him when it is brought in. The librarian of the public library of a neighboring city sends for information de- sired by a stone-cutter in that city concerning the appearance of the crosses at lona. Pic- tures of the crosses are sent to him. An iron-worker wishes an account of roll- ing machinery. Diatomaceous earth is used for purposes of polishing. " How is it prepared for use ? " A treatise on Diatomaceai and hand-books for jewellers are furnished to the inquirer. They do not give the desired information, however. The address is then given to him of a gentleman who can probably tell him what he wishes to know, and will undoubtedly be willing to do so. The inquirer returns a day or two after to say that he has found out, from the gentleman to whom he was sent, that the earth has to be burnt. Thus nothing but silica is left. He had wished to know the analysis of the polishing powder, but found out that it was useless to analyze it, as it con- sists almost entirely of silica. " What weights will threads of silk of spec- ified diameters sustain?" An engine-maker calls at the library to see a back number of Engineering in which there is a picture of a certain kind of engine. He finds that the cut is a representation of the engine which he had patented, and that par- GREEN. ties who had no right to do so were making it for sale. The subject of gas engines is to be looked up. References which we had previously in- dexed are given to the inquirer, and an attend- ant places in his hand volumes of the Scien- tific American and Supplement, Iron, the Iron Age, Van NostrancTs Eclectic Engineering Magazine, Engineer, and Engineering. An inquirer is furnished with descriptions of machinery and apparatus in use in raising vessels, etc. Books are desired to tell how to gild, bronze, and repair picture-frames, and to show how to use silver instead of mercury in making looking-glasses. " Can you give me a list of the iron labora- tories in the United States ? " asks a member of the graduating class of the Polytechnic Institute. A list is given him, and for changes that have occurred since its publication he is referred to Mr. Swank, the Secretary of the Iron and Steel Association, Philadel- phia. A work is called for to explain the processes in the manufacture of irqn and steel. "What is the power of resistance in cer- tain kinds of steel ? " Jeans's work on the manufacture of steel supplies the answer to the latter question. A catechism of the locomotive engine is wanted. " Please give me a book that will describe the machinery used in the manufacture of cane and beet sugars." Representations of door and window mould- ings and of doors are desired. Volumes of the Journal de Menuiserie afford the informa- tion sought for. Numberless other examples might be given to show the kind of aid that a librarian fur- nished with a good collection of suitable books may afford to persons engaged in mechanical and other industrial pursuits, but enough have been presented. When an applicant is timid about writing or applying to the person to whom you refer him for information, you write yourself to pro- cure it for him. In doing the work which they have illus- trated, it is evident that the librarian needs to have considerable knowledge. It is unnecessary that he should be a spec- ialist in some department of natural science, although he would be the better prepared to perform his duties if he were the possessor of minute information concerning some branch of knowledge, and had become acquainted with the methods of profound investigation. It is not necessary, even, that he should have an aptitude for the study of the physical sciences or handiness in mechanical pursuits. It is important, however, that a librarian should have received elementary instruction in such departments of knowledge as physics, chemistry, etc. The amount of such instruction that can be obtained in the average courses of colleges is sufficient if supplemented by the occasional reading of little books, written by men of science, which contain late results of observa- tion and experiment. In doing work of the kind now under con- sideration, books must be selected for the library with the aim of rendering the contem- plated aid. In making the selection great assistance may be had by reading book notices that are to be found in scientific papers and mag- azines. Of these, you need to be liberally provided with current numbers and bound volumes. The catalogues of such publishers as Baird, the successors of Van Nostrand, Wiley, and the Spons are in constant use in picking out books to be bought for a library. It is necessary to bear in mind the fact that scientific books grow old rapidly, and soon cease to have other than an historical value. Dictionaries such as the Arts and Sciences division of the " Penny Cyclopaedia," and those of Tomlinson, Ure, Knight, Spon, and Watts, those which treat of architecture and civil engineering, and encyclopaedias such as John- son's and the Britannica are of great service, both to the librarian and students. Books of workshop and other receipts are very useful. A large supply of scientific and technical papers and magazines is indispensable, and ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. these must be picked out to place in the read- ing-rooms with especial reference to the actual needs of the constituency of the library and the frequenters of the rooms. These should be selected, too, as well as books, with a careful regard to the capacity and amount of knowledge possessed by the persons who are to use them. A manufacturer in Providence told me that he once imported a number of books that would be useful to persons engaged in the occupation of making jewelry, but that they were not used by the workmen, for whom they were intended. Perhaps the books bought were not adapted to the capabilities and tastes of the readers. It may be that they were pro- vided prematurely, at a time when no interest had arisen in respect to the subject matter of their contents, or before attempts had been made to awaken such an interest. I remem- ber that a club was formed in Worcester a few years ago by several jewelers, and that its members were greedy to obtain books that gave technical information and a history of processes. When times are ripe, seize the opportunity, and stimulate and aid inquiry. I should not think of placing in a library sets of German periodicals containing informa- tion regarding particular departments of phy- sical science until it had become evident that students using the library really needed them. Thus I bought a set of " Poggendorff's Annalen der Physik und Chemie," only when a professor came to the Polytechnic Institute who needed the work to use himself, and desired to refer pupils to it. So, too, I waited until a bright young man who had studied in Germany came to the same institution to give instruction in chem- istry, before buying "Jahresbericht iiber die Fortschritte der Chemie," and " Liebig's Annalen der Chemie." The same rule should govern in deciding whether or not to procure for the reading- rooms and library current numbers and sets of such periodicals as Dingler's Polytech- nisches Journal and the Comptes Rendues Hebdomadaires des Seances de FAcademie des Sciences. Much use, however, will be made of the numbers and volumes of periodicals of the kinds that have been mentioned, and of the transactions and proceedings of learned scien- tific societies, when such works are bought with reference to wants actually existing in the community. Thus, for example, the vol- umes which contain the Philosophical Trans- actions of the Royal Society of London are in frequent request in Worcester. A professor made himself familiar with their contents, and, besides using them himself, constantly refers students to them. Wishing them to study by topics and to use monographs prepared by original investigators, he gives them references to these and other works which contain the records of such studies, and has them used in the preparation of required exercises. Sometimes a citizen goes to the Polytechnic Institute to get information regarding the so- lution of some problem that he is trying to solve, and is referred to a paper in the trans- actions of a society or to an article in a scien- tific journal. The value to a library of sets of scientific and technical periodicals and proceedings depends largely upon the use which the libra- rian makes of them in imparting information to inquirers. If he has formed the habit, when asked for an answer to a question, of consider- ing in what paper or magazine he is likely to find a subject of the kind regarding which knowledge is desired best treated, he will frequently refer seekers for information to the indexes of periodicals to aid them in ob- taining it. He will often cause to be used, for purposes of reference and study, volumes of periodicals such as Silliman's Journal, the Transactions and Proceedings of the Society of Arts, the Journal of the Franklin Insti- tute, the Scientific American and Supplement, the London Engineer, London Engineering, Nature, \hfBuilder, the Workshop, etc. It is important, in doing the kind of work now under consideration, to make as large a collection as can be got together of indexes and catalogues. Thus the lists of the more valuable articles that have appeared in the Scientific American and the Scientific American Supplement, which are issued from time to time by the publishers of those papers, will be found very useful. GREEN. 79 So, too, will the annual indexes of scientific and technical periodicals. Particularly valu- able are those indexes which have been made up by consolidating, every ten years and again every fifty years, the annual indexes of papers and magazines. The Catalogue of Scientific Papers (1800- 1873), compiled and published by the Royal Society of London, although the entries in it are made under authors only, and not under subject headings, is of no inconsiderable ser- vice to librarians and students. The catalogue of the publications of the Smithsonian Institution (1846-1882), made by William J. Rhees ; the catalogue of scientific and technical periodicals (1665 to 1882), etc., prepared by H. C. Bolton; the different lists of United States Public Documents which have been published ; an index of engineering periodicals (1883 to 1887 inclusive), by Francis E. Galloupe ; general and special bibliogra- phies and catalogues of the Patent Office Library, and other libraries which make a specialty of collecting works on the physical sciences and their applications, are important aids in finding out sources of information. References to books and papers at the close of articles in certain dictionaries and encyclo- paedias often afford valuable assistance to investigators. Thus it would be difficult to estimate too highly the usefulness of the references to arti- cles in recent numbers of scientific and tech- nical papers, to be found in profusion under the different headings in " Knight's New Mechanical Dictionary.'' The librarian needs to be on the lookout to make provision for the wants of a community as soon as he sees that they are likely to mani- fest themselves. When it became evident, a few years ago, that there was springing up in Worcester an unusual interest in electricity and its applica- tions, a large number of books and two sets of the best periodicals were bought, and current numbers of the most valuable serial publica- tions were secured and placed upon the tables in the reading-rooms. *By pursuing such a course the library found itself ready to meet all the requirements of students and readers as they appeared, and became the possessor of a very valuable collec- tion of books, which, in some of its features, it would be hard to duplicate, now that atten- tion has been generally drawn to the class of subjects handled in works of this kind. Manufacturers have to change from time to time the character of goods which they make. I have in mind an establishment where, to meet the demands made by a passing fashion, great quantities of hoop-skirt wire were man- ufactured. For several years past there has been an immense production by the same concern of barbed wire, to be used in making fences. Now, as I notice, it is manufacturing wire to supply the needs of men engaged in the fabrication of a certain kind of nails, that is coming largely into use at the present time. The librarian notes the changes in wares made in the town to whose citizens he minis- ters, and in buying books has in mind fresh demands, as well as recurring wants. The National Publishing and Printing Co., 296 Third street, Milwaukee, proposes, if it receives sufficient encouragement, to publish " Handy Lists of Technical Literature." Its circular contains the following statement : " Mr. K. A. Linderfelt . . . gives (the work) his hearty indorsement." * We may be sure from that indorsement that the enterprise is worthy of encourage- ment. A good work of the kind which it is proposed to publish, would be of great value to persons engaged in selecting libraries of works that are needed by persons engaged in industrial pursuits. Eli Whitney, the inventor of the cotton gin, Erastus B. Bigelow, the well-known inventor of carpet machinery, Elias Howe, the inventor of the sewing machine, and Thomas Blanchard were all natives of Worcester County, Mass. That county has always been a centre of inventive activity; it is also a banner county as regards libraries. There are forty or fifty public libraries in the towns of the county. Libraries when managed with good judg- ment may do much to stimulate invention, as well as to make labor intelligent, and add to the value of mechanical products. * Part I. has been published since this paper was read. It covers " Useful arts in general. Products and processes used in manufacture, Technology and trades." 8o ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. READING FOR THE YOUNG. REPORT BY MISS MARY SARGENT, LIBRARIAN MIDDLESEX MECHANICS' LIBRARY ASSOCIATION, LOWELL, MASS. T^OLLOWING in the footsteps of some of my predecessors, perhaps in this re- port it will be best to place before you extracts from the responses received to my circular asking about the methods employed and the work accomplished in this direction in different libraries; from which extracts each one can draw his own conclusions. Had I been able to command more time, it might have been interesting to view the sub- ject from the teachers' and the parents' stand- points, as in the reports received from the different libraries, there are but few who seem able to record little if any recognition by teachers or boards of education of the assistance given by libraries to supplement school work. But, first of all, I would like to express my appreciation of and gratitude for the kindness of those who so promptly and fully responded to my request for information, and also to those " who were simply good in thought, howe'er they failed in action," there being many from whom nothing has been heard. The conclusions which may be drawn from these reports are, it seems to me : That although the interest for the young is increasing among librarians and teachers (twenty-six out of forty-nine libraries report- ing work with the public schools), the impor- tance of the work needs to be brought more clearly to those who have the power to supply the necessary funds for its effective prosecution. That if the teachers who have not yet availed themselves of the privileges granted, could realize how much lighter and pleasanter their own work might, in this way, be made, their hearty cooperation with librarians would be forthcoming ; and that, with time allowed for general exercises, more could be accom- plished in the true education of children than by a strict adherence to prescribed text- books. From the reports of the Children's Library Association, New York, the Nottingham Library, England, and the sympathy which Mr. Green, of Worcester, expressed in the work of the former, we see that it is coming to be considered quite essential to begin the work with the very young. Some one writes: " There is a choice in books as well as in friends, and the mind sinks or rises to the level of its habitual society." So even to those not even able to read, the influence of good pictures, pleasant rooms, and a friendly reception are not without their educational effect. So much stress is laid upon personal influ- ence that, in some cases, it is suggested that special persons should be appointed to this department of library work who, through their love for children and an appreciation of their needs, seem especially fitted to render them the best assistance. Though there seems to be a general endeavor to substitute a more useful class of reading for the aimless books which have so long been favorites, the beneficial results from the reading of good novels must not be over- looked. I must confess to a sympathy with the testimony of Lowell (unlike Howells) : " I can conceive of no healthier reading for boy, or girl either, than Scott's novels or Cooper's, to speak only of the dead. I have found them very good reading, at least for one young man, for one middle-aged man, and for one who is growing old. Let us not make life duller than it is." My own testimony would be for few books, but those of the best, and my advice to young people " that they should confine them- selves to the supreme books in whatever literature." The workers in this field must take comfort in the thought that " every good habit corrects some wrong tendency," and that the credit of the good results is due " to thousands working together through a long series of years." SARGENT. 81 CALIFORNIA. SACRAMENTO. Mrs. C. G. Han- cock, Libr. " Our library has no connection with the public schools, save that we try to keep all the books that are called for by the scholars in con- nection with their studies. We have no methods to influence any one, young or old, in the selection of books. Whenever any one asks for help, I always try to give them something a little better than they have been in the habit of reading. People here read mostly for entertainment, not knowledge, and we cannot remodel the world or this little fragment of it in anything less than a cycle. I find voluntary advice is not kindly re- ceived." CONNECTICUT. HARTFORD. Library Associa- tion. Miss C. M. Hewins, Libr. ".We have nothing new to report. The methods adopted are general friendliness, and a display of good attrac- tive books for boys and girls. We mark in every bulletin all the new ones recommended for them, and have a catalogue under way of printed titles." In the Traveler!* record for February and March, 1889, are two very excellent and interesting letters to girls from Miss Hewins, entitled " Some novels to read," also in the August number of 1888, of the same paper, "A letter to quotation hunters." NEW HAVEN. W. K. Stetson, Libr. "Our library has no formal connection with the schools. We have simply supplied the different school- rooms with copies of our bulletin. Our means hardly admit of anything special at present. We have indicated books especially adapted for young readers in our bulletins. We try to get them to take out ' improving ' books when they ask for ' something.' " NORWICH. F. W. Robinson, Libr. " The Superintendent of Schools gives us lists, and the teachers send for special books, and require reports on what is read." ILLINOIS. CHICAGO. F: H. Hild, Libr. "An arrangement has been made, by which teachers in the public schools may draw from the library for the use of their classes a reasonable number of books, subject to the usual regulations as to the time they may be retained. I find that few teach- ers avail themselves of this privilege, the average number of volumes Jssued in this way per month being not more than 300. This is no doubt partly due to the fact that the Board of Education has established school libraries, containing well- selected collections of books for the young, in almost every public school in the city. In a large library like this it is not possible to accomplish much in the way of influencing young people in their selection of books by personal assistance. A list of juvenile books, including the titles of many books in different departments of the library suitable for young readers, has been published, which increased the demand for those books to such an extent that it was found necessary to purchase extra copies of a large number of them." LOUISIANA. NEW ORLEANS. Tulane Univer- sity. W. D. Rogers, Libr. " Students are allowed access to the shelves of the library. The pro- fessors recommend the books to be read by the students. The high school has a circulating library of several hundred well-selected volumes. No printed lists." MAINE. BANGOR. Mrs. M. H. Curran, Libr. " We recommend books when we can, and some of the teachers take great pains to prepare lists for their pupils." MASSACHUSETTS. BOSTON. Public Library. Miss Jenkins writes : " Our chief relations are still with the children and young people them- selves. Very little ones are welcomed, and eagerly use our picture books and juvenile periodicals long before we can give them a library card. In a conspicuous place in the hall is placed a book- shelf which is kept constantly filled with bright, interesting books for boys and girls, and is the point of attraction to all the children. Lists of juvenile books are conspicuously posted in the hall ; these lists are written upon small cards, and are so arranged that cards can be added, with- drawn, substituted at any point, and thus interest constantly excited. We have also a manuscript, list for supplementary reading in American and English history and geography; this is for the general use of the pupils in the public schools, and upon it is based the work of our pupil card system. This system enables the pupils of the master's class and the one next below it, who are not fourteen years of age, to have books in con- nection with the lessons. We are greatly encour- aged by the success of this plan. Dr. Chamber- lain's method of critical reading is most success- fully carried out under the management of the supervisor of language in our public schools, and its good effects are seen in the high standard of reading chosen by the pupils who have had the 82 ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. benefit of it. We are forming now a shelf of reference books for the children, in order to call their attention to our nutshells of knowledge, and to teach them how to look up questions for themselves, and to prepare them for an intelligent using of the large encyclopaedias and reference books in our reference department." Miss Jenkins still continues her work in a reading- circle of little girls. BOSTON. Athenaeum Library. Mr. C. A. Cutter reports that the library has no connection with the public schools, but " various art schools use the library much." No separate lists for children are published, but the best in that liter- ature is noted in his bulletins, and copied in other libraries. BROCKTON. M. F. Southworth, Libr. "The teachers of the High School and the principals of the Grammar Schools are allowed free access to the book shelves, and the former take out for the use in the school as many books as they please, which they are allowed to keep through the term. Many of the teachers recommend books to their pupils, and in the High School Stylus, a paper carried on by the members of the school and pub- lished monthly, there is generally a list of books selected by one of the teachers. The principal of one of the grammar schools recently urged his geography class to read at least one book on Africa while studying that country, many of the class complying with his request. Another prin- cipal has recently asked to be allowed to take out twenty-five books at once, as he has created such an interest among his scholars that they come before school, and are willing to stay after school for the sake of reading the books which he has put in their hands. I frequently recommend books to children, and sometimes select them for them, always trying to put something in their way which they would not be likely to think of for themselves. I offer them something entertaining in history, biography, or travels ; if they do not like my selection I find as good a story as I can induc e them to read." BROOKLINE. Miss M. A. Bean, Libr. "Al- though we have done more and better work with the schools this year than ever before, we are far from ' high water-mark ' in this respect. We have made extensive additions to our building this year, and one room has been finished with reference to future school work. In this whole matter of juvenile reading, I am convinced, from a somewhat close observation in our library, that as the standard of books for the young is improved, they will follow it. This winter Henty's historical stories have been having a great run with us, and ' Little Lord Fauntleroy ' and ' Sarah Crewe ' are never in long enough to get back on their shelves. Jas. Otis, Kirk Munroe, and Homer Greene are favorite authors, and our bound vol- umes of St. Nicholas, Wide awake, and Harper's young people are in constant demand. It is true that 'Oliver Optic 'still does duty, but there is a decided falling off in his devotees, as well as of many other writers of his stamp, for which we are truly thankful." CAMBRIDGE. Miss A. L. Hayward, Libr. " We are about to allow each teacher to draw ten books at a time, or to have ten cards. We can do little here to influence young people in the' selec- tion of books; the teachers and parents can do much more. Our Superintendent of Schools has a fine selected list of books for the young. I gave an address to the public-school teachers about two years ago on ' How to Use the Public Library,' and gave lists of authors and subjects, and some special books." CHELSEA. Miss M. J. Simpson, Libr. " The Superintendent of Schools and the principals are allowed a special school card on which four books can be taken out and kept four weeks before renewal." Here also personal influence is used in the selections of books. CLINTON. Bigelow Free Public Library. C. L. Greene, Libr. Substantially the same testi- mony as from Chelsea. Teachers' cards are issued, though the number of books allowed on each card is not specified. " We mainly try to influence the young people through their teachers, each of whom has a catalogue of the library." CONCORD. Miss Ellen F. Whitney, Libr. "I use Miss Hewins's 'Books for the young,' for the young readers. I have marked our library num- bers against the books. Each teacher in the schools has a ' school card.' On this school card the teacher may take as many books for school use as he wishes, the teacher being responsible for the books. There are frequently more than fifty li- brary books in the High School at one time. The other schools have the same privilege, but do not use it to the same extent." SARGENT. HAVERHILL. Edward Capen, Libr. " We have no special connection with the school; such only as arises from intercourse daily, almost hourly, and from conferring with the teachers." Here aid is " cheerfully and faithfully " given to teachers in assisting them to find all that the library affords on special subjects for school work. " Each person in the library service has an influence more or less direct over the young who are in quest of good reading. . . . But this influence is small, unless the parents at home have knowledge, and judg- ment, and control sufficient to aid the management by their counsel and authority. We use the book lists of other libraries when we are informed about them." LANCASTER. State Industrial School for Girls. L. L. Brackett, Libr. "We have no special methods, but what has been the most help to us, to elevate the ideas in the choice of reading, has been evening entertainments from different au- thors." LAWRENCE. F: H. Hedge, Jr., Libr. " Our reference-room is open to scholars and teachers, and I do all in my power to help those who apply to me in searching for the desired information. We have twice had lists prepared for scholars in the High and Grammar schools." LOWELL. City Library. C: H. Burbank, Libr. "The teachers here are granted an unlimited number of books to be used either in connection with the studies or to be distributed among the scholars for home reading; but as yet, among a corps of nearly 200 teachers, the Librarian reports that only about fifteen or twenty have availed themselves of this privilege. Perhaps this may be in a measure accounted for by the fact that about ninety of these teachers are in the primary grade, and in this, as in most libraries, few books are purchased suitable for the youngest readers ; and also that in the primary schools more supple- mentary reading is supplied by the Board of Edu- cation. The teachers of the High and of two of the Grammar schools deserve much commenda- tion for the work accomplished. Lists of books and lists of topics are sent to the Librarian, who, with his assistants, is only too well pleased to supply the demand and render all the assistance possible. The pupils of one of the grammar schools, at the suggestion and with the help of their teachers, by means of an entertainment were able to raise money sufficient to purchase a library of about 200 carefully selected books, which I am informed have been much enjoyed and have tended to raise the standard of reading among the scholars. In the other grammar school referred to, one of the teachers, inspired by reading Miss Hewins's manual, ' Books for the young,' suggested books for her pupils to read, with most excellent results. The reading recommended has been mostly books of history, travel, science, etc. She has from the library twenty or thirty volumes at a time, for which she finds eager readers ; some- times permission being asked by the scholar to retain the books a longer time than usual, that the parents may read them also. She assured me she finds no difficulty in inducing the children to accept her selection ; perhaps I may be allowed to say here what I did not say to her, that her own personality was not without its effect upon them. Such books as Champlin's ' Civil war,' Richard- son's ' Story of our country,' Coffin's ' Building of the nation,' were read by twenty-eight out of a school of thirty-four pupils. Other teachers in the building have since followed her example with similar gratifying results." LOWELL. Library of Middlesex Median-, ics' Association. M. E. Sargent, Libr. " This not being a free library, reaches a smaller number of the pupils of the schools, but the young people who enjoy its privileges make constant use of it for school work. The little folks are our most frequent visitors, asking help on any subject from ' How shall I find how they got the wooden horse into Troy,' and about 'Electric motors,' to a book ' that will tell of the occupations of women in all ages.' It is the endeavor to have books suitable for even the youngest readers. Two years ago, nearly 400 books from the different depart- ments of the general library were transferred to the juvenile section, where now the children have a library of about 1,000 volumes, which, having access to the shelves, they very much enjoy. A part of these books were purchased, with the pro- ceeds of an entertainment by themselves ; so that they have a personal interest in their department, and the charging cards testify to their growing interest in the better books. Upon one of the lists of books for purchase presented by the children, it was gratifying to find 'The Story of the nations' series, and Church's ' Classics.' Lanier's ' Boys' King Arthur,' ' Froissart,' ' Mabinogion,' Coffin's and Drake's books have been much read. Wood's ' Backyard zoo,' ' Four feet, two feet, and no feet,' and other books of a similar character, 8 4 ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. have proved very entertaining to the little ones." LYNN. J. C. Houghton, Libr. " We recognize the importance of direct, personal assistance to the young, both in the selection of books for home reading and for researches in connection with their school studies, but we have found something is needed besides good plans and faithful personal assistance. There should be a room, or rooms, well adapted to this juvenile work, in which the young people could receive attention from an assistant specially fitted for this line of work. We have neither of these requisites ; our rooms are crowded, young people must do their work in the general reading-room, and if they need help it must come from the assistants already engaged in the routine business of the library. Nevertheless much good work has been done. Our young people are experts in the use of the catalogue, especially in that portion of it known as the ' Young Folk's Department.' " NEWTON. Miss E. P. Thurston, Libr. From the report of 1888: "The library has continued to assist in the educational work of the schools, by sending to any teacher books on whatever subject desired, and the teachers seem to be unanimous in feeling that it is a great advantage, and in appreciating their privileges. They affirm that the scholars are eager for the books, and this especially in some districts where books are not easy of access to the children. The teachers of the lower grades report that the little ones learn their lessons more willingly and with more promptness, in order that they may be allowed the books afterward." Miss Thurston writes: " We have continued the work begun by Miss James, and of the twenty public schools of New- ton eighteen have availed themselves of the privileges granted. We sent 3,882 books to the schools in 1888." NORTH ADAMS. Miss C. A. Dunton, Libr. " We are doing all we can in the library to have our young people improve in their style of reading, and the teachers in our schools are much inter- ested in the work; but as yet no definite plan has been organized, neither have we any lists of books prepared. Lack of means is our excuse for hav- ing done so little." NORTH EASTON. Ames Free Library. Chas. R. Bullard, Libr. "Our teachers are allowed four extra cards, to be used in drawing books suitable for use in the schoolroom. For influencing the young in the selection of books, no special methods are adopted. Suggestions, hints, and a bit of advice now and then from the librarian serve in a general way to accomplish the object, in part at least. A catalogue of books for chil- dren was issued in 1887." SOMERVILLE. Miss H. A. Adams, Libr. "The students select books from a ' Student's cata- logue,' selected from our catalogue by our School Committee. The pupils come with their lists made up, and we give them what is best suited for their purpose. Our cyclopaedias and books of reference are constantly in use, and our delivery- room is so full at the close of school that we have sometimes given out 100 books in an hour." TAUNTON. E. C. Arnold, Libr. " We allow teachers in the High School and Academy to draw six volumes each, constantly for use in their classes, in addition to those they and their pupils are entitled to individually. ... I have had a notice conspicuously posted for years, inviting al- persons needing assistance in pursuit of informal tion on any subject to apply to the Librarian or his assistants. Ordinarily I have not felt called upon to volunteer suggestions unasked, lest I might interfere with the province of parents or teachers, though I esteem it one of my pleasantest duties to render all the aid in my power when so desired. In addition to lists for juveniles in the classified index of the general library, certain books, appropriate for the young, are marked with a dagger." WALTHAM. Miss S. Johnson, Libr. "The teachers are allowed four books at a time, to be retained four weeks if so desired for school work. There is a separate bulletin board for juvenile books, and another on which are pasted the monthly accessions for them." A catalogue of books recommended for young people, prepared under the direction of the Superintendent of Schools, was issued in 1882. WATERTOWN. Solon F. Whitney, Libr, " We allow teachers ' teacher's cards,' with the privilege to take ten books of use to children. I speak at teachers' meetings, and propose to visit schools to explain and strive for more active cooperation. We influence the young at the library by personal aid given by myself and my assistants ; also by SARGENT. appeal to parents in reports, and by items in the local press, written, of course, by the Librarian. Lists of books have not yet been specially pre- pared, although we have used all the aids we can get ; for example, Supt. Eliot's lists published for the Boston schools some years ago, lists pre- pared by Mr. Prince, of Waltham, agent of the Board of Education, and other lists. All these mechanical aids are useful to the librarian in raising the character of his work, but nothing will take the place of constant and incessant work in the delivery of books, when it is easiest to influence choice. A list of books prepared especially for the young, I have feared would be in danger of becoming a list of books to be avoided by the young, who are jealous of undue influence." WORCESTER. Free Public Library. S. S. Green, Libr. Mr. Green's work for the young is too well-known and appreciated to need any com- ment. Mr. Higginson, in an address at the dedi- cation of the Damon Memorial Library in Holden, Mass., says: "We are within eight miles of the city (Worcester) and the man (S. S. Green) under whose auspices it has been conclusively proved that the school and the library are practically one enterprise; that they interlock, and that each is imperfect and insufficient without the other." What has been accomplished in Worcester is ably and fully reported upon in two elaborate essays, one published in the Library journal (v. 5, p. 235- 45), the other printed as an appendix to the 48th annual report of the Massachusetts Board of Education. An account of the beneficial results of his latest experiment, that of placing small libraries in the several rooms of one of the grammar school buildings, was given at the Thousand Islands Conference in 1887 (Lib.jnl., 12:401-2). From Mr. Green's note: "We do not print lists of books for the young, but I intend always to have assistants enough, so that any per- son who wants it, whether old or young, may have such aid as he desires in selecting a single book or a list of books." MICHIGAN. DETROIT. H. M. Utley, Libr. " A contract exists between the Board of Educa- tion and the Public Library Commission, by which the former becomes responsible for books lost or damaged, and also assumes the expense of trans- porting books from the library to the schools and return. A committee of principals selected the books, limiting their use for the present to the High schools and the upper grades of the Grammar schools. These books are used as supplementary reading, and in connection with studies. From six to thirty copies of each book are furnished, and they are periodically returned to the library and transferred, each school obtaining a fresh install- ment. The library authorities have never printed any separate lists of books for the young, but have practically adopted such a list, prepared by a clergyman of this city, and sold extensively for 10 cents. The list referred to is founded on the excellent list prepared some years ago by Mr. Lamed, of Buffalo, but amended somewhat, and brought down to date." From report 1888 : " The teachers who make use of these books in their classes express great enthusiasm over the better work they are thereby able to accomplish.'' The principal of the High School, in his last annual report, 1887-88, to the Board of Education, has this to say : " In the same direction is the gain to our work, resulting from the arrangement made this year with the Public Library. It is hardly too much to say that this has revolutionized our work in some branches. Large numbers of reference works have been furnished us to keep as long as needed. A sufficient number of copies of particular books have been furnished to enable us to get them actually into the hands of all the students. This has made it possible to broaden our historical and literary work as we could in no other way. It has been almost equally valuable in furnishing us reference works in science. Surely the greatest good in mere intellectual education that we can do for the large majority, is in the cultivation of a taste for good reading. We cannot do this by talking about books. A love of good reading comes not from precept but from practice. May we not hope to educate a class of readers for the Public Library, whose taste will look a little higher than the ephemeral fiction of the day ? " GRAND RAPIDS. H. J. Carr, Libr. " Teachers' cards may be drawn, for use in classes and school work only. Some of the teachers availed them- selves of the special privilege gladly, and seemed to esteem it ; others found it a burden and extra care, and did not especially appreciate it. No special methods are adopted to influence the young in the selection of books, beyond such personal attendance as, when asked for, can be rendered by the Librarian and assistants without infringing on the time and rights of others waiting to be served." MISSOURI. ST. Louis. F. M. Crunden, Libr. From report 1887-88: "The relation of the 86 ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. public library to the public school is intimate and vital. Every year brings fuller recognition of this. The schools everywhere teach their pupils to read; but to learn how and what to read requires a library (it should be free to all), where the pupil may act upon the suggestions, or carry out the instructions of the wise teacher." From note of Librarian : " This library, formerly called the Public School Library, derives its chief support from and is governed by the Board of Public Schools. Though free for reference purposes, a membership fee of $2 is required for the privilege of taking books home, which for public-school pupils is reduced to $i per year. Except a few of the popular books, such as Adams, Alger, Fosdick, et al. (and these in limited quantities), only the best books are bought for the juvenile collection. A graded list has been printed. Children applying for books receive personal advice, and when par- ticular books are not called for the best are given them. High school classes are frequently brought to the library by their teachers, to look over books relating to subjects they are studying, especially illustrated works; and some visits have been made by classes of grammar school pupils. Recently fifty copies of a juvenile classic have been sent to each of four grammar schools, whose principals have shown marked interest in chil- dren's reading. These books will be interchanged, and if the experiment proves a success it will be extended next year to other schools." NEBRASKA. OMAHA. Miss Jessie Allen, Libr. "This library has no real connection with the public schools, being maintained by a district tax and having its own Board of Directors. We always signify our willingness to aid pupils, either in selecting books for school use, advising general reading, and showing how to use the reference books. Except in this personal way, and by pub- lishing lists of new accessions, sometimes with and sometimes without comment, we have never been able to offer assistance." NEW HAMPSHIRE. DOVER. Miss C. H. Gar- land, Libr. "There is a corner of our delivery- room, where the principal of the largest Grammar school occasionally brings part of a class to study up some one subject. We also keep a good variety of supplementary reading for the scholars of the Grammar schools. The library, however, is able to do more effectual work in cooperation with the High school teachers and scholars. . . There is a shelf in the reference-room for the books which the teachers select and place there; and each afternoon these books are consulted by scholars who come to the reference-room for that purpose. The High school teachers are also al- lowed to have several books at a time to be used in school work. Much personal aid is also given to individual scholars, by the attendants. We print no list. Lack of funds cripples us here, as in many other directions." NEW YORK. BUFFALO. J. N. Larned, Libr. "A considerable number of library tickets are issued each year to pupils in the schools who are recommended by their teachers." An excellent classified list of books, which has been much ap- preciated and used by other librarians, was issued in 1881. GLOVERSVILLE. A. L. PECK, Libr. Some of the special features of the work of this library were printed in the Library journal of 1880, since which time the work has been carried on in sub- stantially the same manner as therein described. " During the last three years I formed every fall one or two reading circles among the school chil- dren of the Grammar and High schools. Each child reads one book, sometimes a portion of a book only, and reports at certain times at the various meetings. During this winter the reading- circle of the pupils of the high school read Scott's 'Lady of the lake,' ' Marmion,' and ' The Lay of the last minstrel,' Gray's ' Elegy,' and Tennyson's ' Enoch Arden.' These reading circles met for- merly in the schoolhouse, later on from house to house, but since the library moved into large and commodious quarters these meetings are held in the Librarian's office. While I am always ready to render assistance to any of the patrons, the chil- dren have always received my special care and attention. I completed four lists of 'Books for the Young;' three of these are already in use, and have proved to be very useful. The number of children taking books from the library is increasing, and the character of the reading has improved." HORNELSVILLE. From R. N. Tuttle, Chairman of Managers. "To pupils under the age of fifteen, books have been loaned from our scien- tific and historical departments (including travels and fiction appropriate to these subjects) free, but only on written recommendation of the teachers each time, stating name of pupil and name of book. Teachers have been quite successful SARGENT. in interesting pupils in these departments of study." NEW YORK CITY. Children's Library Asso- ciation. Extract from circular received : " It may not be credible to most persons that there are probably 50,000 children in New York City who never see the inside of an attractive illus- trated book. We believe that the free distribu- tion of such books, and of the best illustrated newspapers, among these young children is the best antidote to the vile newspaper and cheap novels which circulate so freely." Extract from Constitution: "Its object shall be to create and foster among children too young to be admitted to the public libraries, a taste for wholesome reading. So far as its means will allow, it will supply the children for use, both at home and in free libra- ries and reading-rooms, with the books and serials best adapted to profit them, and to prepare them for the wisest use of the public libraries." From Miss Hanaway : " We find that it is not necessary to adopt methods to influence the children. We simply state that the room is open and free of charge. They are eager to get reading, and gladly go after school hours. We have stereopticon views after the first hour and a half, and also dis- secting maps. The attendance is an average of forty a day. We recently moved from the Bruce Memorial Building, on W. 42d street, and feared it would be detrimental to our attendance. To our surprise, without any notice being given, the children flocked in from the surrounding schools, and we were obliged to send volunteers to assist. At present we have no printed catalogue, as our funds are low, and we are obliged to economize." NEW JERSEY. PATERSON. G. F. Winchester, Libr. " Special 'teachers' cards' have been issued. Teachers are allowed to take six books at a time on a card. The books taken are generally for the use of the scholars, whose reading the teachers are supposed to direct. Good books are always suggested to the children by the Librarian when- ever opportunity occurs." OHIO. AKRON. J. A. Beebe, Libr. "The teachers send children to the library for informa- tion on the subject of their compositions." PENNSYLVANIA. PHILADELPHIA. Mercantile Library. J. Edmands, Libr. " Owing to a lack of means, and perhaps to lack of appreciation of its importance, our board has taken no action on my suggestion to employ a person to act as adviser and helper to young readers. I have begun the preparation of a list of books for the young with- out any assurance that the board will print it." PHILADELPHIA. Philadelphia Library Com- pany. J. G. Barnwell, Libr. The library has no connection with the schools. The printed lists of other libraries and books of known merit, adapted to the tastes and capacities of the respective per- sons seeking help, are recommended. " I am very much interested in the subject of the ' Read- ing of the young,' and have given to it a good deal of personal attention, but without very defi- nite method. We have no special lists of books, except that in our last bulletin we collected some appropriate titles, under the head of ' Books for young people.'" WILKES-BARRE. Osterhout Library. Miss H. P. James, Libr. I give Miss James's response to my circular in full, feeling that all will be as glad as I was to hear from her in her new field of labor : " I wish I could give you even a line, but, being, as it were, an infant in arms, I feel we are not old enough to relate any experiences, or to have any to relate. In selecting our books, I was careful to leave out all sensational reading, and give the preference to stories with some historical basis. We have a good store of Henty's books, and have appended a note to each entry, showing the time or incidents covered. The boys take to them, and do not forsake us because we have neither ' Optic,' ' Alger,' or 'Castlemon,' and only three of Verne. Of course we have all the books of Coffin, Drake, Knox, Butterworth, French, and Scudder. In the reference-room I have a goodly constituency of small readers with ragged clothes, not very clean faces, but their hands are clean. The lavatory close by the door is visited before they come to me for books, as they have learned that it is indispensable. Then they come in smil- ing for a St. Nicholas or perhaps some other book they want. I am very much gratified to have been able to get so many in, already. I feared that the beauty of the room might be a little for- bidding, but they don't mind it in the least. A better behaved set than the little ragamuffins are would be hard to find. I 'd like a large room devoted to them, but that is not possible here at present." RHODE ISLAND. PAWTUCKET. Mrs. M. A. Sanders, Libr. To an account of the excellent ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. work of this library, many of us listened with much interest at the Thousand Islands Conference. Also a paper read before the Rhode Island Insti- tute of Instruction by the Librarian, relative to the library's connection with the schools, appears in the March number of the Library journal, 1889. From Mrs. Sanders's response to my circular, I quote : " In December the Trustees passed a vote that ' All pupils of the public schools that read and write in a manner satisfactory to the Trustees, may be entitled to the use of the library.' I sometimes tell a child a little of the contents of a book just enough to excite an interest, and then ask him to tell me, when it is returned, how and why he likes or dislikes it. I often get a very creditable review in a childish way." No printed lists. PROVIDENCE. W. E. Foster, Libr. From the report of 1888, relative to the cooperation between the Public Library and the Public School : " In few places in this country were efforts in this direction made earlier than here; while, owing solely to limited funds, this city has in the past ten years been completely outstripped by others in this particular. A slight step in advance was felt to be possible during the last quarter of the year. It has from the first been felt that a larger amount of use of the library on the part of the teachers and pupils was a matter of great importance ; but the inevitable difficulty met with was that the concentration of this use of individual books had repeatedly had the result of creating a scarcity, as there were by no means enough to go around." To overcome this difficulty, was first an appro- priation of $200 for duplicating books suitable for the object; next, the preparation of a special catalogue of these books; and then the increase of the number of books which can be taken on the special ' teachers' card ' from seven to ten. " All these steps, which are either now fully taken or in process of fulfillment, will constitute an im- portant reinforcement of the library's measures of cooperation with the schools." In a very interesting illustrated article, descriptive of this library, in the Providence Sunday journal, March 10, 1889, is quoted a statement of the principal of one of the grammar schools. Speaking of the beneficial results which he had personally seen follow the long-continued cooperation between the library and the school, to improve the standard of reading among the pupils, he said: "While ten years ago it was common to find a boy bringing 'nickel stories' to school, now a boy who did it would become unpopular with his classmates." Mr. Foster writes : " What is true of this school is true also of others here." TENNESSEE. RUGBY. M. S. Percival, Libr. "The library Trustees have given extra privileges in our schools. In the selection of books, the Librarian's personal influence has been exerted in favor of historical and scientific reading, some- times by request of parents ; but as a rule great carelessness exists, there being apparently but little watchfulness on the part of parents." VERMONT. BURLINGTON. Fletcher Free Li- brary. Miss S. C. Hagar, Libr. From the annual report of the Superintendent of Schools, 1888 : " I place a very high estimate upon the value of the library in its relation to our schools, and have often called attention to its use and helpfulness in the work of instruction and training conducted in the schools." In the same report is found similar tes- timony from several of the teachers, acknowledg- ing the hearty cooperation and invaluable help of the Librarian and her assistants. " I have strong reasons for thinking that pupils as a whole are read- ing a better class of books than formerly. . . . Doubtless there is yet ample room for improve- ment in this respect, but I believe there is a change, and that in the right direction ; and that if parents, librarians, and teachers would make common cause in this matter, great and lasting good could be done in behalf of popular education through the practical and ever-ready means afforded by our public library." This report also contains a long list of books, over 750, read and circulated in the intermediate schools during the year. This good work seems to be carried on in the schools of all grades, even to some extent among the pupils of the primary schools. Miss Hagar writes : " The Librarian depends on her own personal in- fluence to guide the young in their choice of books. . . . The boys are always more easily influenced to like useful reading; the girls rarely take anything for amusement but stories, but if they have an essay to write they will work harder than the boys to get it up." We trust Miss Ha- gar's girls are exceptional. WISCONSIN. MADISON. From the State Su- perintendent of Schools were received lists of books appropriate for and used in the public- school libraries of that State. MILWAUKEE. K. A. Linderfelt, Libr. From SARGENT. Mr. Linderfelt's report to the Trustees upon the operation of a recent experiment by which library books have been distributed by teach- ers to the public-school children, a resolution was passed by the Board of Trustees to permit teachers interested in supplying reading matter to their pupils, to select books from the shelves of the library. " In accordance with the notice in- forming teachers of the action of the library board, twenty-nine teachers applied for the privi- lege. . . . Before obtaining books from teach- ers, pupils were required to secure the necessary library cards, guarantees, etc. . . The issuance of books by teachers to pupils is made in the same manner as in the library." . . . According to the reports of teachers, as results of this experi- ment, 830 books were taken from the library and distributed among the teachers of the various schools ; " 2,498 issues of these books have been made, and the volumes have been retained at the schools an average of five and one-half weeks. From twenty teachers replying to my inquiries as to the advantage of this system, I have received many encouraging comments. Pupils in the schools in the outlying wards cannot obtain good English books in any other way, and such matter as is supplied is of incalculable benefit to the borrowers. The reading of the pupils has a de- cidedly beneficial effect upon the general school work. . . . The selections made by the teach- ers are specially adapted to the capacity of the child, and the opportunity thus furnished removes, in a great measure, the temptation to read the trashy literature too easily obtained by young readers ; a decided improvement in the taste of children is noticeable. Many complimentary re- marks are received from parents, and great satis- faction has been expressed that pupils whose opportunities for reading at home are so limited, should enjoy the benefit of such excellent works as have been put into their hands. . . . Books of doubtful character, the perusal of which may amuse without instructing, and which may create a taste for reading not to be satisfied by works which cultivate the intelligence and inform the mind, are by this method left out of use, and the most positive advantages to be derived from the art of reading are made available. . . . Peda- gogues have learned at last that the greatest means of education is to be found in the intelligent read- ing of suitable books. ... It is certain that the thousands of boys and girls enjoying oppor- tunities of reading suitable books obtained from the library, will greatly appreciate the advantages of these institutions in future, after withdrawal from school, where they have acquired the habit of reading." Mr. Linderfelt adds that this report " relates to an extended systematic trial of what has been done for a long time sporadically. It will be a permanent institution." ENGLAND. NOTTINGHAM. Children's Lend- ing Library. J. P. Briscoe, Libr. From a paper sent by the Librarian, read by him at the Plymouth meeting of the Library Association, September, 1885, and published in the Library chronicle: " Children are not content in these days to spend all their leisure moments in running about the streets, in attending to the younger members of the family, and in other ways peculiar to preced ing generations. Even at the age of seven or eight years boys and girls are able to read with great facility and with some degree of intelligence. This feature in the juveniles of to-day should be carefully considered by all whose desire it is to promote the welfare of the rising generation. The love of reading should be fostered in such a manner as will afford both recreation and knowl- edge. How is this to be effected? To satisfy the craving for books by several children of both sexes in any household means a considerable out- lay on the part of their parents, an expenditure which the middle and working classes cannot afford. As these sections of the community con- stitute the greater part of the people, we must consequently consider their needs, and, as far as practicable, supply their wants. This can best be done by the extension of the public-library system, by the establishment of free public libraries for children. In some of our rate-supported libraries juvenile sections have been formed. Here juve- nile borrowers have to mix with adults, often to the inconvenience of both. It is highly desirable that children's libraries should, where practicable, be located in rooms to themselves and in the same building as an adult library, where they can be under the supervision of the principal libra- rian. Great care should be exercised in the appointment of a librarian. A person holding this position ought to have, in addition to the ordinary qualifications of a library assistant, a love for children and to be accustomed to their management. . . . Who are responsible for creating a love for good reading and the proper selection of books librarians or parents? Un- doubtedly the latter, for several obvious reasons, although librarians may, as far as circumstances will permit, be consulted on this matter. . . . ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. The cost of maintaining libraries for the young varies according to circumstances. The annual expenditure for our children's library, of nearly 3,000 volumes, with a daily average issue of nearly 100 volumes, is about 100 per annum. Children's libraries for small towns and villages, open on, say two evenings per week, can, however, be estab- lished and maintained at a much smaller cost than that indicated, the sum varying greatly with local circumstances." (Library chronicle, April, 1886.) There was also received a list of admir- ably selected books to be found in this library. USES OF SUBJECT CATALOGS AND SUBJECT LISTS. BY W: E. FOSTER, LIBRARIAN PROVIDENCE PUBLIC LIBRARY. A1TITH the gradual multiplication of bibli- ographical helps of all kinds, and the wider recognition of the value of such helps, a wise avoidance of the objections which present themselves to the carrying out of a scheme of subject cataloging in any indi- vidual library becomes a practical question. Those oftenest met with are the two follow- ing: That it is labor lost, because duplicat- ing what is done elsewhere ; and that it does not really serve the end intended. To consider the second of these first in order, we need to remember that the classes of persons for whose benefit such work as this is undertaken, will vary widely with the character of the library. In the case, for instance, of an entomological society's library, they would of necessity be special- ists, almost exclusively. In the case of a natural history society, specialists also, though in a less degree ; in a college library, still less ; in a public library of the ordinary type, even less; reaching, perhaps, the mini- mum in the case of a mechanics' library asso- ciation, or a newsboys' free library and reading- room, or a working girls' institute and library. And yet, any one who has been in charge of one of these last-named types of libraries must have been struck with the extent to which the tendency to specialized methods of reading develops itself in what might be con- sidered the unlikeliest quarters, particularly when the library atmosphere is constantly rendered a congenial one for the development and encouragement of this tendency. If the librarian, and this is exceptionally true of the great majority of our public libraries, can see in his clientage much of it as it first comes to him almost wholly aimless in its demand for books the" potential readers of specialized method and aim of a few years hence, he is likely to come to regard any and every form of subject catalog and bibliography as mate- rial for his purpose. One word, however, as to the specific use to be made of it. In saying that it will prove material for his purpose, I am by no means saying that in every instance the bibliograph- ical help is to be put into the hands of the untrained reader, just as issued in its original form, with no word of explanation, no modi- fication, no simplification. In many instances, it will have to be " translated into the terms of the untrained reader," so to speak, whether by placing it before him with a verbal explana- tion, or by rewriting portions of it, or by selecting from an extended list those refer- ences which are of widest application. All of these are alike important and necessary ways of meeting the case. Perhaps a con- crete illustration will best indicate the exact bearing of this portion of the subject. A stone- cutter, we will suppose, comes into the library, saying: "My little girl is in the grammar school, and she wants something about Long- fellow's house at Cambridge for a school exercise." Or a newsboy, we will suppose, comes to the librarian of the Newsboys' Free Library, saying: "Mister, I took out this book about Washington, but it don't tell about his coming to New York to the Inaugu- ration ; " or a shop girl says : " I have had out Macaulay's ' History of England,' but I can't find much in it about William the Con- queror." In each of these instances, the libra- rian either places before the inquirer a printed FOSTER. subject catalog of the library, formed after the method of the Brooklyn catalog or the Brooklyn catalog itself, explaining that it is not the catalog of that library; or, in the case of the periods of English history, such a book as Adams's " Manual of historical literature;" or refers the inquirer to the card catalog of the library; or explains verbally what there is to be told, either after having consulted for himself one of these lists or not. Now, all these instances represent one pole, so to speak, of the matter, namely, the reader with the minimum of intelligent appre- ciation of the subject. At the opposite pole, we shall find the other class for whom, if for any persons, the subject catalogs referred to might be supposed not to serve a purpose, namely, the special student, the man with the maximum of intelligent appreciation of his special subject. We will suppose that the library in ques- tion is a college library, and that the special- ist is an instructor in history, and that one of the subjects which comes before him for inves- tigation is " The Indian tribes of this conti- nent." Now, it is well to admit in the outset that he will necessarily have been familiar pre- viously with a great part of the field of inves- tigation, that portion of it which naturally grows out of a study of the early explorations and discoveries of the continent, or of the series of wars of the early colonists with the Indian tribes. His studies, however, have not led him to any such extent through such phases of the question as the following: Government action in re-locating the tribes, 1830-42 ; the relations of these re-locations to the movement towards peopling the trans- Mississippi region with white settlers, 1848- 88 ; the methods of the United States and the Canadian government in dealing with the Indian tribes compared ; the successive efforts since 1880 testing the capacity of the native Indian for the institutions of civilization and education; and a comparative view of the present distribution of the tribes by race and language. Place before such a man, how- ever, a few such subject catalogs as the Brooklyn and Boston Athenaeum catalogs, Poole's Index, some of the various reference lists on the Indian tribes, the Field Library catalog, etc., and he will tell you that they have proved very serviceable in at once broaden- ing the field of his observation; that while, of course, he might ultimately have come at all of these by himself, he is glad to have the matter expedited for him by the opportunity of comparing these very suggestive references ; that, in short, he has been the better able to make these helps helpful to him, from the fact that he is a specialist. Now, on the other hand, let us suppose a man who has given a series of years to thor- oughly scientific work in the United States Bureau of Ethnology. He also is a special- ist on this same subject of the Indian tribes, but in a different way. Those divisions of the field which the historical student had less familiarity with, he knows best ; but, on the other hand, his knowledge is correspondingly limited in those portions best known to the historical student, namely, the early explo- rations and discoveries, the earlier contact of the colonists with the natives, etc. For him, consequently, to be able to glance over subject catalogs such as we just enumer- ated, is likewise a corrective and a serviceable aid which he greatly appreciates. One more illustration, this time from natural science. A specialist who has devoted a series of years mainly to the study of American moths, is obviously exhaustively familiar with everything specific- ally upon that subject. But turning some day i over the pages of a subject catalog like those we have mentioned, he finds under the headings " Agricultural Botany," or " Botany, Economic," or " Biology," or " Vegetable Physiology " or " Plants and Insects, Rela- tions of," various suggestive references to other material which it is well worth his while to be advised of. The principle involved in these illustrations is an obvious one. It may be thus stated. The tendency of specialized studies is con- stantly to the extreme of differentiation and specialization ; and this is true also of the tendency of the bibliographies specially pre- pared within these special subjects, and even ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. special subdivisions of subjects. The special student whose work is prosecuted in one of these " compartments " of the subject, as we may not inappropriately call it, finds a princi- pal and very serviceable use of the general system of subject cataloging, as affecting his own studies, in the extent to which the various subject catalogs and subject lists serve to bring under his eye and to his imme- diate attention the existence of bibliograph- ical helps in departments outside his own narrow specialty, indeed, but with a close bearing upon his own department. I will quote at this point from a letter so strongly confirmatory of the above statement, from the specialist's point of view, as to form an appropriate accompaniment to it. Dr. H. B. Adams, in charge of the Depart- ment of History and Politics at Johns Hop- kins University, writes as follows in relation to the work of teachers and students at that university, and the aid furnished by subject catalogs and subject lists. He says : " From the standpoint of a student of history, I may say that without such aids teachers and pupils would often be as helpless as a traveller without a map or a guide-book. No specialist or any other seeker after historical truth can possibly be so familiar with the entire range of literature in a given field as to be above the necessity of consulting good bibliographies, published catalogs, etc." " In the practical workings of our department library in this university, the card catalogs, and the published catalogs of the Boston Athenaeum, Brooklyn, and Boston Public Library, Poole's Index, etc., are found to be of the greatest service. Our own subject catalog is in constant use from morning till night. Graduate and undergraduate students run to it as men do to dictionaries, encyclopaedias, historical atlases, and other works of reference. If they do not find what they want, they go to the Peabody Library, and consult the more elaborate subject cata- logs of that institution" (card catalogs). " There are some things that a good student or a good library must know. First, what information is at hand upon a given subject ; second, if nothing is at hand, where some- thing can be found. Both the student and the library are driven to subject catalogs and subject lists, for a proper systematizing N of their own collections." The second of the two objections, however, raises a question of no small importance, namely, that this work of subject cataloging is labor lost, because duplicating what is done elsewhere. The tendency of library work to-day in every department is emphatically against unnecessary duplicating, and as emphati- cally in favor of " doing a thing once for all," even in such external and mechanical details as registration forms and delivery systems. In these departments its importance is ob- vious, and it is none the less essential in the field of cataloging. There is perhaps no more urgent and perplexing problem demanding consideration in the management of what we may call the smaller libraries, those, for instance, of from 10,000 to 20,000 volumes, than just how far to carry the work of subject cataloging. Time and attention have been devoted for years past to interesting these smaller libraries in this very direction. Now that there seems to be a more wide- spread tendency to engage in this work than ever before, and when we have abundant reason to be encouraged at these results, we are confronted with this new and very real cause of perplexity. Take it, for example, as related to the ques- tion of dealing with the contents of com- posite works, and of analytical entries in the catalog, covering such instances as volumes of essays, periodicals, proceedings of socie- ties, reports of labor and other boards, t and other similar instances. Now there never has been any question as to the desirableness of getting at the material hidden away in these composite or serial publications. The one practical question is the avoiding of waste or duplication of labor. One of the most important of these fields of analytical exposition has been very thor- oughly laid open and once for all since the date at which Mr. Cutter and Mr. Noyes began the publication of their extraordinarily valuable catalogs. I mean, of course, the FOSTER. 93 field of periodical literature in Poole's Index. In no subsequent catalog of an individ- ual library, therefore, can it ever again be worth while entirely to duplicate this work on a separate scale. Of the almost equally indispensable material known under the general term of essays, we have not as yet an index, on the scale of Poole's Index. It can hardly be doubted, however, that the inevitable appearance of this " Index to General Literature " is only a question of time, and we are assured of this in Mr. Fletcher's very promising "reports of prog- ress." For these (in many instances) and the "series" (like the Massachusetts Historical Society, Chaucer Society, etc.), we have the work done for us in catalogs such as those named above (the Boston Athenaeum, etc.); and it seems, for the present at least, to be the part of wise economy, in the case of those libraries which are not blessed with so extensive funds as these larger ones, to make use of the clues thus generously furnished in these catalogs, rather than to construct duplicates of them for themselves ; and, I will still further add, to make them more directly available by entering their own book-numbers on the margin. And yet, long experience in the use of these catalogs, and of material similar to them in my own library, and the improbability that in that library we shall ever be able to make any very lavish expenditure for cata- loging, have made me very ready to seize upon any means of still further incorporating their benefits into our catalogs, and of thus utilizing them to the fullest degree. As a result of the consideration given to this matter, I have adopted the following plan for a consolidated catalog, which I am expecting to put very soon into the printer's hands. It is briefly as follows : In subject entries and others there is no duplication of the minute work of analysis found in Poole, Noyes, and elsewhere ; but its benefit is availed of b/references such as the following ; for instance : Under A bbot, Ezra Under Addison, J. [See also Poole's Index, ist Supp.] [See Brooklyn Catal.] Under Hamilton, A. [See Ford's " Bibliptheca Hamiltoniana."] Under Massachusetts Historical Society. [See Boston Athenaeum Catal. for complete contents up to 1876, since which see card catalog of this library.] We may look, I think, for no abandonment of the subject catalog principle in the future. That principle is the inseparable accompaniment of the new and promising lines of library work in the direction of the specializing of reading for the general reader, which are becoming more common and more deeply rooted every year. But we may look, I think, for a wiser economy in the adapta- tion of the various means to this very desirable end. I have on an earlier occasion expressed my own conviction that one phase of the solution to this problem lies in the preparation of special subject lists, as occa- sion arises, as well as in the utilization of all available printed subject lists and catalogs ; and that in the "bibliographical economy" of the future we shall see two lines of library work advance side by side namely, a general cataloging of the entire library, but within definitely prescribed limits as to fullness, and, on the other hand, the exhibi- tion of the library's resources on particular topics, as occasion arises, with the utmost exhaustiveness possible at the time. To this may now be added the suggestion, already widely followed, as I am glad to find, in many of the smaller libraries, of incorpo- rating this material, prepared when some special occasion arises, into the library's card catalog, and thus making it of perma- nent rather than ephemeral service. or the discussion on this paper, see PROCEEDINGS (Fifth session). 94 57: LOUIS CONFERENCE. REPORT ON CLASSIFICATION. BY RICHARD BLISS, LIBRARIAN REDWOOD LIBRARY, NEWPORT, R. I. A SAILOR in one of our seaport towns ^^ once explained his preference for attend- ing a church where a responsive service was used rather than one of another denomination, on the ground that it was a satisfaction to be able to " jaw back " at the minister. Now the reporter on classification a preacher for the time bemg has no wish that any of his fellow-members should refrain from "jawing back" in this service. On the contrary, in order that sufficient inducement to that inno- cent amusement may be afforded, he purposes making a few remarks, interspersed with criti- cism, on classification in general as prelimi- nary to his report, which is, in itself, more of a commentary than a text. And as librarians are notoriously quite as sensitive on the sub- ject of their bibliothical offspring as natural parents are in regard to their bodily issue, he doubts not that the privilege the sailor prized will be appreciated here also. So far as the arrangement of books is con- cerned, librarians may be divided into three groups the anti-classifiers, the pseudo-clas- sifiers, and the classifiers, sometimes called close-classifiers. The anti-classifiers either arrange the books as they come in, without regard to juxtaposition of subject, or they adopt some sort of group-arrangement, perhaps on the mnemonic plan, which does duty for a classification. The pseudo-classifiers are primarily classifiers who have been dismayed by the difficulty of obtaining a satisfactory system, or who have been influenced by the animadversion of the anti-classifiers, and try to sit on two stools at once, with the usual result. As the former do not come within the scope of this paper, the reporter has noth- ing to report on them or their works. Coordination of knowledge must ever be a difficult matter, and a perfect systematic arrangement is perhaps impossible ; but any one who will review the history of classifica- tion for the past twenty years will see how much progress has ^een made during that time in the systematization of knowledge. Past experience would seem to invalidate Mr. Fletcher's conclusion that " nothing better in the way of systems is to be hoped for than those we now have." One of the chief difficulties the classifier has to contend with is found in the nature of the subject itself. The interdigitation of cer- tain branches of knowledge and their far- reaching relationships seem to render any lin- eal gradation impossible. This is one of the points seized upon by the opponents of close- classification as an argument for the useless- ness of any attempt to classify at all. Folk- lore, for example, is a division which has many alliances, namely, with ethnology, religion, medicine, sociology, art and literature, and librarians may differ widely as to where to put it. But must we therefore conclude that there is no close relationship to be found in the subdivisions of science, philosophy, or the useful arts ? The question how far classification shall be carried is one which, notwithstanding all that has been said upon it, is far from settled. Even the most ardent classifier must admit that there is a point beyond which classification cannot be extended to either with satisfaction or advantage ; for, the farther one subdivides the less close is the relationship of the sub- divisions. But it does not therefore follow that classification should stop with the main divisions of knowledge, and that it makes no difference whether aeronautics is put in cos- mology, as in Mr. Perkins's "rational " classifi cation, or in arts, as in Mr. Cutter's Athe- naeum classification. In a small library it is not necessary to divide descriptive botany, for example, into subheads. To such it is of no sort of consequence whether Epilobium angustifolium belongs to the Onagraceae, and the Onagraceas to the Polypetala?, or not, but it does make a difference to a botanical library like that at the Botanic Gardens in Cam- bridge whether or not suitable subdivisions BLISS. 95 are provided for the numerous specialties of which it is composed. Assuming, then, that some sort of a shelf classification is desirable, the point to be de- termined is what sort of one shall it be. On this point librarians are greatly at variance one with another. Much stress has recently been laid by certain of our members on the value of what they call a " rational " or " nat- ural " classification as distinguished from a " logical " or " scientific " one, as if the sys- tem they advocated was alone rational and the others more or less artificial. Now, a "rational" classification must needs be one which is judicious or constructed in conformity to reason, and whether any given arrangement is judicious depends upon whether it adequately serves its purpose or not, a point which can only .be determined upon trial. The appropriation of the term "rational" as a distinguishing designation for this or that arrangement is a petitio principii which is less valid than it is common. The terms rational, natural, logical, and scientific, as applied to classificatory systems, appar- ently connotate quite diverse ideas in the minds of the individuals using them. Thus with some, "natural" seems limited to the idea of geographical or chronological progres- sion, as shown in the arrangement of geog- raphy or history, ignoring the fact that there may be a natural evolutionary progress of other subjects corresponding to a natural mental progress of ideas. With others, " ra- tional " is used as a contradistinctive term to close classification, which is thereby assumed to be irrational, another case of the petitio principii. A natural classification is one which follows some natural order, either sub- jective or objective, in the arrangement of its topics, and a logical classification one which follows definite principles, and conforms its succession of divisions to certain inferences according to the laws of thought. How a classification which is either or both of these can be other than rational, it is difficult to see. Much of mere dialectics would be avoided and time saved if the terms rational and logical, as applied to classification, were abandoned and syncretic and systematic substituted. In a recent number of the Library journal Mr. Fletcher contrasts the analytic or syn- thetic with the logical or practical methods of classification by defining the former to be a treating of the whole realm of knowledge as a unit, and working down through subdivision to the minute subject ; while the latter takes the individual book as a unit, and works up through aggregation to the entire library. This is the old argument translated into philo- sophic terms ; but the difference is more apparent than real, since the book to be classi- fied is the unit in both instances. The dis- tinction is not unlike the difference between unheading a barrel of apples and consuming from the top down, and turning the barrel up- side down, knocking the bottom out, and con- suming from that end. The analytic or synthetic method Mr. Fletcher identifies with the system of close classification, whereof he is an earnest op- ponent, the disadvantages of which he affirms are, in effect: (i) the demand on the time and mental powers of the compiler; (2) the com- plicated notation involved ; (3) the difficulty with which it is comprehended by the un- initiated ; (4) its failure to show the resources of the library on a given subject, and (5) the tendency to encourage reference to the im- perfect representation on the shelves instead of to the catalogue and to bibliographies. Of these objections, the second is the only really important one. Minute subdivision does necessarily entail long class marks, the objec- tion to which lies quite as much in the diffi- culty of readily distinguishing the mark on the books, when closely arranged together on the shelves, as in the liability to error in call- slips and charging. The latter objection is rendered invalid where such a system of charg- ing is used as that in vogue in the Boston Athenaeum, and it is not easy to see how any marks used to designate books in a large library can be entirely free from the former objection. Furthermore, Mr. Cutter's revised classification is tolerably minute, and the class marks are neither long nor complicated. Whether the demand on the time and patience of the compiler be a real objection or not, de- pends upon the relative worth of such a classi ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. fication in itself. If a close classification serve a useful purpose, the time given to its construction is of little moment. To the third objection it may be replied that the librarian ought to be acquainted with all systems ; if not, there is the Library School, designed to supply the defect, and that.it is not necessary, though it may be profitable, that the public should know the meaning of the class marks. That a close classification on the shelves will not exhibit all the resources of. the library on a given subject, is admitted ; neither will any other system that has been or may be invented. The close classifier claims that this system shows more of the related subjects than do the others. Which, for instance, best exhibits the resources of a library, say on physics, Mr. Cutter's classification, where all the divisions of natural philosophy are grouped together under that head, or Mr. Schwartz's, where statics and dynamics are separated from optics by the whole of palaeontology, and electrics from both by mineralogy, mathematics, and geology. Even in Mr. Fletcher's " rational " classifica- tion house sanitation is divorced from drain- age and sewerage by carpentry, masonry, chemical technology, manufactures, mining, and bridge building. Lastly, the final cause of a library is to enable people to get what they want in the shortest possible time. If a per- son can do that more quickly from books than from cards, why refuse him the privilege by insisting that he shall take the slower way ? As well urge a man not to use a bicycle in hurrying for a physician because that mode of progression is less safe and natural than the act of walking. The foregoing remarks may fitly serve as an introduction to a somewhat hasty review of the three or four new classifications which have appeared since the last regular meeting of the A. L. A., two of which have been constructed upon what has been called the scientific basis. Of these by far the most elaborate and thorough is Mr. Cutter's Revised Classification, which I have seenin manuscript. It was compiled originally for the Gary Library, at Lexington, but has been so arranged by its author as to be applicable either to a large or to a very small library without change. This has been accomplished by marking the divisions which will be needed for a small, or for a very small library, and leaving the rest, or as much of it as may be deemed necessary, for the larger library. One of the principal defects of most of the sys- tems hitherto proposed has been a rigid inelasticity in the matter of enlargement or contraction. However complete the list of topics, space will surely be needed for those necessarily overlooked since no man is omniscient or for new subjects which the progress of human thought and activity calls into being. In the Dewey system, one of the most rigid of all systems, this is overcome rather than provided for by the intercalation of the new subject as near as possible to its congeners, with an additional figure to the previous class-mark, perhaps already too long. Others like Mr. Per- kins leave certain numbers blank, to be filled up as needed. The objection to this latter method is the same as that to the fixed location in shelving; spaces left will sooner or later be filled up, and the rigidity of the system will necessitate a break in its logical sequence. In its perfect adaptability to varying conditions lies one of the chief excellences of the Cutter clas- sification, such as is possible only in a systematic arrangement. It matters not how large the library grows to be, filling up is impossible. If applied to a very small library, only the principal subdivisions are used ; if to a small library, as many of the sub- divisions as may be necessary ; while for a large one the arrangement permits an indefinite exten- sion. So far as known to the reporter, Mr. Cut- ter's Revised Classification is the only system which allows unlimited contraction or expansion without rearrangement or an objectionable addi- tion to the class-mark. In a note prefixed to the classification Mr. Cut- ter points out that the advantages to a small library using the shorter form are easier consultation of the table, requiring less knowledge and thought, and a consequent saving of time and labor. The disadvantage is that if the library grow rapidly some of the classes will have to be rearranged ; i. e. broken up into smaller divisions. He thinks it better, therefore, for a small and growing library to use more of the divisions than he has selected. In his notation for the classes Mr. Cutter uses mainly letters, thereby avoiding the composite-look- ing marks employed in the Boston Athenaeum clas- sification, which are apt to suggest to the frivolous mind the idea of a combat between the alphabet and the multiplication table. Although the classes are thoroughly subdivided, so admirable is the arrange- ment of the letters that no long class-mark is used ; BLISS. 97 the marks rarely having more than three letters, and usually only two. In a few instances, where the nature of the classification requires it, digits are introduced at the end of the mark, but they are never mixed with the letters. The revised classification is accompanied by a country list, which, while following in the main the order adopted in the Boston Athenaeum list, is an improvement on that in the more systematic disposition of some of the geographical divisions, particularly of fiurope. The different countries are indicated by two figures, ranging from 1 1 to 99, with an additional figure for the subdivisions of southwestern Asia, west Africa, and the political divisions of the United States. The only disadvantage which this list shows when compared with the B. A. list is that the use of figures prevents the mnemonic indication of such countries as Eng- land, France, Germany, etc. The gain in sim. plicity, however, more than counterbalances the mnemonic loss, which must in any case be very limited. In its general plan the Revised Classification follows that which Mr. Cutter devised for use in the Boston Athenaeum, with such modifications as experience has shown to be desirable, and with a constant view to its use in other libraries. The only change in the disposition of the chief divisions has been the transposition of Language to a posi- tion before Literature, which is where it properly belongs. A full description of the system, which will doubtless be given to the public in due season, does not come within the scope of this report, but an analysis of one or two of the main divisions may be interesting as exhibiting, not only the plan of the work, but showing how logical and natural are the transitions of the subordinate groups. Let us take as an example Mr. Cutter's treatment of the Social and Political sciences, topics not usually considered susceptible to a natural and systematic arrangement. Here we find the general subjects Socialism and Statistics standing at the head as introductory to the whole. Then comes Political Economy, the divisions of which show a gradual progression closely corresponding to a natural transition of the subjects themselves. First, we have Population, then Production, the normal result of the association of individuals, with the logical subordinate divisions, laboring classes, hours of labor, wages, trades-unions, strikes, arbi- tration, and cooperation. Production naturally leads to Exchange of products, and exchange is perfected by Transportation and Commerce. Money, the medium of exchange, stands midway between production and the distribution of returns, to wit Taxation and Public Finance. The acquisi- tion of products naturally includes property, per- sonal and landed, which in turn leads to the subject Rent. This gradation at last ends in the destination of the products, namely Consumption and the question of Luxury. But the natural order does not end here. With the acquisition of property there will always be found a class of persons who never possess, or can- not keep, property, namely, the Poor, which is the next main subdivision in Mr. Cutter's list. This is of course closely connected with Public Morals, the next topic, which naturally leads to the subject Education and culture. The succeeding division, Woman, which requires a special method of treatment, fitly stands by itself as the crowning result of education, and a connecting link be- tween man considered socially and man considered politically. Social science is then followed by Political sci- ence and Government, since in nature when men have associated themselves for mutual advantage, the question of government and its various political forms soon occupies a prominent place in the social body. Under political science Mr. Cutter's transitions are both natural and obvious, viz. P'orms of government and Constitution, Represen- tation and Suffrage. In nature disregard- of the principles upon which government is founded leads to crime and its punishment, the next topic. Then we have Legislation, which defines crime and per- fects the governmental principle. After this comes Jurisprudence, which embraces all that has gone before, and is defined as the knowledge of the rights and customs of men in a state of community nec- essary for the due administration of justice. The social sciences are properly closed by the subject National and Local Administration, which is the systematization of civic polity and the culmination of social development. It will thus be seen that the whole arrangement is easy and natural, and the reporter would respectfully commend it to those anti-classifiers who doubt the possibility of a natural gradation of non-material topics. In Science the same plan of development has been followed. Beginning with Mathematics, the foundation of the physical sciences, the progres- sion is from Physics and Chemistry through Astronomy to Geology, which is followed by Palae- ontology, the connecting link between the matter- sciences and the life sciences. Then at the founda- tion of the life sciences stands Biology, which 9 8 57: LOUIS CONFERENCE. embraces Botany, Zoology, and Ethnology ; man as the final effort of creation standing at the head. The order here followed corresponds closely, as will be seen, with the order of evolution in nature, and consequently may be called both a natural as well as a logical one. In the subordinate divisions of descriptive botany and zoology the evolutionary principle is also observed, both beginning with the lowest forms of life and rising regularly to the highest. But, it may be said, granting that a natural arrangement is possible in Science, which deals with objective forms, such an arrangement is scarcely possible with subjects like the arts and manufactures, in which the minor divisions are more or less coordinate in rank. Well, it may be conceded that the progression from subject to subject will not be so obvious as in Science, for example, but Mr. Cutter's arrangement of the arts> nevertheless, shows that a logical and natural sequence is possible even there. And here it may be well to call attention to the two principles of evolu tion in accordance with which the Revised Classifi cation is arranged; viz. the evolution of nature^ shown in science, and the evolution of man, shown in the life history of human beings. The progression of the physical and natural sciences is the develop" ment exhibited in nature, that of the arts is the development in the life history of man a part of the larger evolution of nature. At the beginning of the useful arts stand Inven- tions and Patents, etc., apparently out of the nat- ural order, but placed here because they are general in their character and include all that fol- lows. Man's first effort at conquering nature con- sisted in extracting his necessaries from the soil ; consequently we have first Mining and Metallurgy ; this is followed in the classification, as in life, by Agriculture and Animaliculture. Following this are the other arts of life, indicating a more advanced state of civilization. The Constructive Arts begin, as they necessarily must, with Engineer- ing, succeeded by Building and then by Sanitary science, which becomes necessary as building becomes perfected. Transportation might logi- cally have followed Manufactures, but transporta- tion is more closely connected with engineering, and hence properly stands between Engineering, Building, and Manufacturing. Following the useful arts we have the art of War, military and naval, the latter portion of which forms part of the Nautical Arts in general. It might be urged that the admission of the art of war here was an exception to the principle which is supposed to govern this classification, since warfare is one of the earliest pursuits of man. But it must be remembered that primitive warfare is provided for in anthropology, and that modern warfare is one of the most specialized of the arts. Moreover, warfare is not always waged for con- quest, but often for the preservation of national life and the fruits of man's industry and labour. From this point of view it fitly stands where it does. Note, too, at this point the close connection in Mr. Cutter's scheme of the art of war or the national preservative art with the individual preservative arts represented by Lighthouses, Life- saving service, and Fire extinction, which succeed them. Aerial navigation is likewise well placed between the Useful Arts and the Recreative Arts, includ- ing sports and games, which is the next main division. When his material wants are satisfied, man turns to the arts of design and decoration, and to litera- ture. Hence the Fine Arts immediately succeeds the Recreative Arts, which in turn is followed by Literature and the so-called Book Arts. Language, which is the material of literature, is placed imme- diately before literature rather than among the early arts of man, where it might otherwise be supposed to belong. From this somewhat extended review it will be seen that Mr. Cutter's classification is based upon a philosophic principle which pervades the whole of it not only in the main divisions, but in the subdivisions as well. This principle is that of evo- lution or development a principle which it is now generally admitted pervades the whole plan of nature, and is applicable, not only to objective nature, but likewise to the mental and moral world. All attempts to systematize knowledge on any other principle than that which underlies the con- stitution of nature must prove more or less unsat- isfactory. Whether a perfect systematization of knowledge is possible to human minds, may be questioned, but it must be admitted that Mr. Cut- ter's Revised Classification has come nearer to it than any yet put forth. In the Library journal of this year (vol. 14, nos. 1-4) Mr. Fletcher has brought out a plan for the classification of books on what he calls the rational as distinguished from the logical or scien- tific plan. As has been pointed out, it is difficult to perceive just wherein his so-called rational order differs from a logical order. Judging from internal evidence, it appears to consist in arranging the subjects consecutively according to their natural BLISS. 99 affinity, without attempting to group the minor classes under general divisions, which latter plan he affirms puts " a severe strain on the logical powers and ingenuity of the classifier." Whether the elimination of all divisions except the general ones, such as hi story, literature, arts, sciences, etc., is an advantage or not, is a matter upon which librarians will probably differ in the future, as they have in the past. The reporter does not think it is an advantage. If books were always written with well-defined limits of subject, and never over- ran the main topics, such a plan might be used to advantage. But in Mr. Fletcher's system any work dealing with two or more topics, unless ultimately general, must be put under the first of the topics indicated in the title ; and since books often treat of several relatively diverse sub- jects, and thus correspond in a limited sense to general works, they can have no general place, but must be treated as single topic books. Further- more, as the library grows, new subjects unpro- vided for in the original list will constantly be coming in, necessitating continual intercalation. And as the tendency in literature is ever towards specialization and complexity, more difficulty will attend the arrangement of subjects according to their proper relationship. Herein lies the chief defect of such a system as that advocated by Mr. Fletcher. Its inelasticity disqualifies it for general use. In order that it may be applicable to any other library than the one for which it is made, or even for that if it is a rapidily growing one, it must be rearranged. An attempt to eliminate any of its subdivisions to fit it for use in a small library destroys its value by rendering it inadequate ; while the necessity for numerous additions, in order to make it serviceable in a larger one, is equally a disadvantage. Added to this is the liability to un- duly extended class-marks a liability which this system proposes to obviate unless the class- mark scheme is very elastic. On the other hand by grouping alliedsubjects under suitable divisions) as in the Cutter classification, those topics which are closely related are brought together, whereby search for any particular one is greatly facilitated, the loss to the librarian in arranging being com- pensated by increased advantages to the student. Thus, for example, in a grouped system under the subdivision Property we should have such topics as capital and interest, rents, landed and personal property and public lands subjects which in the Fletcher classification are rather widely separated. But Mr. Fletcher's "rational " system is really what he objects to as" logical ; " namely, a grouped classification with a limited number of subdivisions following in coordinate rank a general head, such as may be obtained by using the major divisions of Mr. Cutter's or Mr. Dewey's systems, but without any attempt to rank the main divisions, and with only a rough arrangement in the succession of topics. In some instances the author omits the les- ser subdivisions altogether, using only such princi- pal ones as might be adopted by a very small library. Thus, under Science, zoology is followed by the " lowest forms of life " (a subdivision which, as it embraces not only protozoa, but sponges, staj- fishes, crinoids, worms, and Crustacea, is too inex- act for a scientific library), then by mollusca, fishes, reptiles, birds, and mammals (the omission of insects is probably an oversight). This is merely a system of main subdivisions such as may be found in Mr. Cutter's Revised Classification and used without alteration, or the least " strain " on any human faculty whatsoever. Botany is only subdivided for cryptogamia, though why the cryp- togams are more worthy of being brought out than the phanaerogams is not evident. Geology is not subdivided at all except for local geology. Chem* istry is subdivided into organic, inorganic, and analysis. Physics, a general head, is followed by heat, light, electricity, sound, etc., which subdivi- sion is not only "rational " but " logical" as well, and the same is true of the mathematical sciences. In conclusion the reporter would say that, although Mr. Fletcher has disassociated some closely related subjects, such as indoor and out- door amusements, physical geography and geology, house sanitation and sewerage, Mohammedanism and Judaism, he has brought together others in excellent juxtaposition, as, for example, outdoor sports, physical culture and hygiene, folk-lore, proverbs, and myths, sculpture and numismatics, and has on the whole probably produced as ser- viceable an arrangement as any which can be made under his self-imposed limitations. The only other classification of importance which has appeared during the past year is one by Dr. A. Hartwig, Librarian of the Royal University Library at Halle (a. S.) which appeared in the Centralblatt fu.r Bibliothekswesen (Beihefte III.). In this voluminous work, which fills about 420 octavo pages, we have an instance of close classifi- cation carried to its ultimate limits, and one which, as it stands, can only be used in the larg- est and most specialized libraries. But though inapplicable to most other libraries, it will, oq IOO ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. account of its extreme subdivision, serve as a val- uable storehouse of titles which classifiers cannot afford to overlook. In its general outline it follows the usual meth- ods of classification, but without any attempt at a logical arrangement, either in its principal or sub- ordinate divisions. The class-marks used are a combination of letters and figures, each of the minor divisions being characterized by the addition of a supplementary letter or figure to the preced- ing one. The chief divisions are marked with a capital letter from A to U, omitting J. The fol- lowing subdivision is indicated by adding a small italic letter, thus Ba, B, B?, etc. The next subdivision is marked with a Roman numeral, and the subsequent divisions by Arabic numerals, capital letters, small letters, Roman numerals again, and Greek letters according to the extent of the segregation. This cumbersome system of notation often results in ridiculously long and inconvenient class-marks. Thus, for example' Italian drama is D i II 3 A c III and the loca botany of the Rhine provinces is S b II 2 A b a II iBg. Not only each division but each subdivision is preceded by a set of preliminary classes which correspond to Mr. Cutter's nine " generals," though Dr. Hartwig does not limit himself to this number, but adds to each subject as many as he deems necessary, sometimes to the extent of sixteen or eighteen. Consequently no one letter or figure stands for the same preliminary class in all the divi- sions. This repetition of the preliminary classes in the minor divisions necessarily results in the most inconvenient arrangement of the books on that subject. For instance, we have separate places for periodicals on general history, on the history of the old world, on modern history, on German his- tory, on Prussian history, and on the Brandenburg province of Prussia. The history of individual countries, and particularly that of Germany, is carried out with equal minuteness. But under this system, unless a library contains an enormous number of volumes, the result of such a needlessly extravagant subdivision will be that a class will often have but one book. As a classification, Dr. Hartwig's scheme is a monument of patience and industry, but it is cum- brous, unwieldly, and overburdened with symbols i and while it cannot, on the whole, be considered needlessly minute for a very large library, it has not the adaptability and elasticity which is an indis- pensable prerequisite for general usefulness. In The Library for January, 1889, is an article by Mr. Tedder on " The bibliography and classi- fication of French history," in which he reviews favorably M. G. Monod's " Bibliographic de 1'his- toire de France," and gives his systematic arrange- ments of the subjects in French history. As this classification is intended solely for bibliography, it is not adapted to the allocation of books them- selves, and hence calls for no criticism in this report. INDEXING OR CATALOGUING. BY W. J. GILBERT, OF ST. LOUIS. T F you are driving a lame horse and a man stops you on the street to tell you some remedy, before listening to his advice, cer- tainly before acting on it, you would reasona- bly wish to know what his previous career had been, in order to decide what weight to give to his words ; therefore, I may be par- doned for giving a few words of a personal nature". I have been forty years in the book busi- ness, the last twenty devoted to the publish- ing of law books. As my happiness de- pended very largely upon the profits which could be devoted to buying silk dresses for the wife, with food and clothing for the chil- dren, and occasionally a few dollars thrown in for fun, and as the profits depended upon the sales, and the sales depended largely upon the indexing, it will be seen that I was heavily interested in "how to make a good index." It was soon apparent to me that not one au- thor in fifty made a good index, for one of two reasons : First, most authors find the writing of a book, reading proof, and other work inci- dental thereto so much more tedious and onerous than they anticipated, that, by the time they come to prepare the index, they are tired out and disgusted with the whole sub- ject. Few men make even a fair index until after several failures. Second, because the GILBERT. 101 peculiar turn of mind necessary to write a good treatise is seldom accompanied by the ability to make an index. Therefore I was obliged to have profes- sional indexers. To direct them, it was nec- essary for me to understand all the details ; what to do and what to avoid. One of my first ventures was a law book prepared by a judge of one of our State Su- preme Courts, who made an index that satis- fied no one. As the book was having a large sale, I engaged a gentleman, who seemed to be competent, to make another ; but, although it was a great improvement on the first, it did not fill the bill. A professional indexer was then set to work on the third edition of the book, but failed to give satisfaction. At least $5,000 was sunk in the transaction. What I know was learned in an expensive manner. Do not expect to make an index that will satisfy everybody; for, if you should take the advice of fifty men and follow it, your index would be so long that not ten in the fifty would be satisfied with it. How to make a Good Index. 1. Make your skeleton thus: Procure an indexed book such as book-keepers use to their ledgers, and write in every word which you have reason to suppose a searcher will expect to find matter under. Indexes are generally consulted by folks in a hurry, who think of one word and none of its synonyms : therefore all should appear in alphabetical order, followed by the proper cross-reference. This skeleton the indexer should have by him for frequent consultation during the progress of his work, so that one uniform plan is followed. 2. Where there are several synonymous words, decide which one you will use (or if you wish, use more than one), and then set them all up, cross-referencing all of those under which you place nothing to those under which you do. For instance, take the words fines, forfeitures, imprisonment, penalties, and punishments ; or compensation, fees, pay, sal- ary. If you decide to use all, then set up each in its alphabetical order, and cross-refer- ence each to all the others. If you conclude to use only two, then set up both and cross- reference each of the other three to these two. N. B. Never cross-reference to a word under which nothing is to appear, but from it to some other word. Do not duplicate mat- ter under two synonymous words. 3. Write off each item on the proper sized slip of paper, with a heading showing the topic under which it is to go, thus : ADMIRALTY COLLISION Action For. Collision between schooner and pilot boat, section 300. This slip is thrown to "ADMIRALTY," and when that topic is arranged it is passed to the main head of " COLLISION," and frpm there down to the sub-head of ''Action For" By this means the indexer decides the precise place of the slip of paper at the time it is written off, so that he does not have to again load up his mind with it, but can turn the arranging of the slips over to a subordinate, who will present his work for final inspection. 4. Set up every sub-head and refer to the main head. In the above case say, " COLLI- SION. See A dmiralty" (giving the division number of collision). "ACTION. For colli- sion, see ADMIRALTY." 5. Cross-reference all kindred topics to one another. 6. Back cross-reference all double headings. If you place matter under the heading of " Change of Venue," then also say, under V, "VENUE. See Change of Venue." All this may seem very simple, and yet not one indexer in fifty follows half these instruc- tions, and some will not do so even if re- quested. A good index will be short, well cross-referenced, every possible (and proper) word set up in its alphabetical order, so that every searcher can readily find all the book contains. Never lose sight of these two facts : i. The index is frequently used by per- sons who are in such great haste, that they think of but one word, and, failing to find that word, or to find under it what they wish, they will condemn the whole index, when a proper cross-reference would direct them to just what they wish. IO2 ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. 2. Every index will be used by many stupid people, who never think of the proper word, and so will condemn both book and index, unless the matter is made so plain that they can not fail to find what they wish. Now about a Personal Matter. A Criticism. All specialists are apt to run to extremes, which seem ridiculous to the balance of the world. I am painfully aware of this in my own case, and so have found it a good plan to cultivate the society of a friend who seldom reads a book and knows absolutely nothing of life as we know it. Being a good business man, of the soundest judgment, looking at everything from the standpoint of practical results, his occasional " Do not make a fool of yourself," is of great benefit. If you will induce some successful retired business man to attend your meetings, and at the end of each session give you a few remarks, it will do you good. Such a man would now say something like this : Why induce some one to write a fine essay (such as the one by Miss Cutler about opening libraries on Sunday), and then come 500 to 1,500 miles to hear it read in a room where there is so much noise on the street as to drown what is said ? Why allow half your speakers to still more intensify this trouble by speaking from their place in the room instead of going to the speaker's stand and facing the audience ? Why spend one second's time discussing the question of whether a heading of a catalog or index should be written Home Education, or Home- Education, or Home-education, or Homeduca- tion ? The great world around you prefers the first way, and would not easily recognize it if printed the last way. If you are in the world to do good, so that when you knock at St. Peter's door you can give a good reason why you should be let in, you must devote your time to more weighty matters. Those of you who are connected with libraries frequented by the young, will soon realize that most parents have very little idea as to what their children are reading, and that more good can be done by one librarian, every day, by prop- erly directing the children in their reading, than by years of discussion, by all the libra- rians in the whole world, on such topics as the above. Most parents are so busy making a living, or a fortune, or a reputation as preacher, lawyer, doctor, or politician, that they have little or no time to devote to their children's reading. The right kind of a libra- rian can have more good influence upon the growing generation of his day than any one preacher, or even half a dozen of them ; and it seems to me that, in their final settlement with the Almighty, they will be held strictly to account for the manner in which they have exercised or failed to exercise that influence. ECLECTIC CARD CATALOG RULES. BY K. A: LINDERFELT, LIBRARIAN MILWAUKEE PUBLIC LIBRARY. \\ 7"HEN two years ago Karl Dziatzko, then the accomplished Librarian of the Royal and University Library of Breslau, now Professor of Bibliothecal Auxiliary Sciences and Chief Librarian of the University of Gottingen, published his " Instruction for the Arrangement of Titles in the Alphabetical Card Catalog" of his institution, the work appeared to me so remarkably able in its exe- cution, and so superior to all its predecessors in the fullness of its details, that I determined sooner or later to furnish it in an English dress to those of my colleagues who are not on intimate terms with the German tongue. Various hindrances, however, have prevented me from carrying out my design until shortly before this meeting, when it seemed to me desirable to court, at just this time, a full discussion of those questions included in the scope of Dziatzko's treatise which are still a matter of controversy in our ranks, and some of which have been put before us already, in the report of the cooperation com- mittee presented the day before yesterday. I LINDERFELT. 103 was led to do this more readily, since it gives me an opportunity to air a few of the heresies which I promised to utter at our last meeting, and have since nursed until they have become positive convictions. In the meantime, some of them have met the usual fate of heresies, in getting to be more or less generally accepted as truths. Such are, in particular, my notions regarding the entry of authors, as a rule, under their pseudonyms and titles, which I expected to defend alone and un- aided. Now I am told, however, by the author himself, that I have the weight of no less an authority than the new edition of Cutter's Rules on my side; and, while it is pleasant to meet with support in a quarter where it was least expected, I confess there is little fun in doubling up one's fist only to find that there is nobody to strike at, the popular verdict having long ago settled that "it strains a man badly to kick at nothing." Prof. Dziatzko's work is a marvel of ingenious condensation, lucidity, and com- pleteness. It would have been impossible to evolve, out of mere theoretical reasoning, such an array of minute directions, as to the exact procedure for duly noting the innumerable variations and peculiarities of book produc- tion, which are the result of the vagaries and idiosyncracies of the authors, publishers, and printers of the last 450 years, and now con- tribute their share toward making the life of the conscientious cataloger a burthen. Prof. Dziatzko's rules were not made on this abstract principle. They grew, and are the result of the actual passing through his own hands of every one of 340,000 cards, and the 330,000 books and pamphlets which they recorded. The schematic arrangement which the author has adopted for the work, at first strikes one as needlessly complicated; and one of his critics among his own countrymen, to whom such dissection of a subject gener- ally appeals as the very acme of logical treat- ment, thinks that it is admirably adapted for a chart to hang OB the wall, but altogether forbidding in a printed book. Actuated by a feeling akin to this, myself, at first I set to work to make it over into the form of a con- tinuous narrative, that would read smoothly enough to charm the romantic cataloger into burning the midnight oil and finishing the reading of it in one sitting. I had made but very little progress, however, before discover- ing that this could not be done without sacrificing the brevity, directness, and per- spicuity of the original, and, as I imagine that a work of this nature is not likely to be used as a reader in a primary school, I thought the price was too high to pay for a little lubrication of the mental machinery. I have, therefore, maintained as closely as possible the terse staccato style, and whatever rules I have been obliged to add or change, I have attempted to mould in the spirit of the originator. The treatise which I now offer for your consideration and criticism is not a transla- tion, but rather an adaptation. I soon found that the fundamental differences in title, and even author entries, between the practices of the librarians and bibliographers of Germany and of America, would make a mere transla- tion practically useless in this country. I need only call to mind that a German invariably considers a work by a corporate body as anonymous, and refuses to consider the right of any word, but the first noun not in a sub- ordinate grammatical position, in commencing a title-entry, to make clear to you the neces- sity of an entire remoulding in many-cases of Prof. Dziatzko's material, in order to adapt it to our own needs. Having once started out in this direction, I have diligently compared all the cataloging systems with which I am acquainted, and noted their divergencies, as well as their agreement on special points, hoping thus to furnish a kind of tabular key to all practices of card cataloging, which might, even if my conclusions were not accepted, serve as a convenient medium for recording one's own individual preferences. The original work, furthermore, only relates to an author catalog, while I have extended the scheme so as to comprise title entries also, as I consider that the two ought to go together, and the greater majority of rules touching title entries must be settled for an IO4 ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. author catalog as well. Two facts need to be emphasized that subject entries are not considered at all, and that these rules concern only a card catalog. They will in the main, of course, be the same for a printed catalog, but would necessarily be modified in special instances, particularly as regards cross-refer- ences, when there is no longer any need of pro- viding for the physical difficulty of the very limited field of vision to which a card cata- log is subject. Finally, I wish to caution any one, who may be inclined to follow me, to pay no attention to what I do, as long as he does what / say. If the rules here laid down were accepted as unalterable truth, my own catalog would be a conspicuous example of how not to do it. or discussion, see PROCEEDINGS (Fifth session). The Rules are too long for publication here; but it is hoped that they will be issued independently. SOME GERMAN PUBLISHING METHODS. BY GEO. WM. HARRIS, ACTING LIBRARIAN CORNELL UNIVERSITY. TITITHOUT the slightest desire to dispar- age the profundity of German scholar- ship, it seems to me it must be conceded that too often the results of that scholarship are cast in a somewhat clumsy mould, for German scholars apparently disdain any such adven- titious aids to favor as are given by grace or brilliancy of style. Nor is it, perhaps, going too far to say that German writers generally seem to have no conception of literary form, so utterly regardless are they of perspicuity, order, and method in literary matters; and they certainly have an infinite capacity for muddling even the simplest subjects. To these defects in their mental organization, rather than to any malicious intent, it is char- itable to attribute many of the irregularities and vagaries which so severely try the patience and vex the souls of librarians, and which I propose to illustrate by a few examples. No doubt we are all familiar with their reckless and extravagant multiplication of titles and sub-titles, the result being that a volume of almost any important work is likely to be referred to by different writers under two or three different titles, having only the slightest resemblance to each other. Take as an example "Die Homerischen Realien" (Leipzig, 1871-83) by E. Buchholz, said to be in two volumes ; the first of these bears the sub-title " Welt und Natur," and is itself again divided into two volumes, the first being called, " Homerische Kosmo- grapie und Geographic," while the second is entitled " Die Drei Naturreiche nach Homer ;" then the so-called second volume is likewise divided into two (" Das offentliche Leben der Griechen im heroischen Zeitalter," and " Das Privat-leben der Griechen," etc.), and so we have four volumes instead of two, each with a different title, separate pagination, contents, and index. This senseless and reprehensible custom is so widespread, that one is tempted to say it is the exception to find a German work of any considerable extent published under a single straightforward title. An interesting variation of this characteristic method, and one which is calculated to increase the possible complications, is offered by Koerting's " Geschichte der Litteratur Italiens im Zeitalter der Renaissance " (Leip- zig, 1878-84). Volume I. bears also the sepa- rate title " Petrarca's Leben und Werke," and Volume II., "Boccaccio's Leben und Werke," and each is frequently quoted as an inde- pendent work. When Volume III. appeared, it had as a separate title " Die Anfange der Renaissance litteratur in Italien." In the preface to this third volume, the author tells us that it is really the introduction to the whole work, and, if a second edition of the history should be called for, it will be trans- ferred to its proper place at the beginning of the work, and be called Vol. I. instead of Vol. III. Of course^this will involve a corresponding change in the numbers of the other volumes, to the utter confusion of all future references to the work. HARRIS. 105 The periodicals again afford some remarka- ble instances of the perverse ingenuity of the German mind in certain directions. We, in our simplicity, are accustomed to think of a periodical as a publication appearing at stated or regular intervals, and having as a rule a fixed subscription price. This, how- ever, is far removed from the German idea of a periodical, as a very slight acquaintance with the periodicals of Germany will suffice to show. Some of the more common varia- tions and irregularities of these productions may be illustrated by a few examples chosen almost at random from the periodical list of a single library. As an instance of un- certainty of price, we may take the Land- ivirthschaftliche Jahrbiicher, Zeitschrift fur ivissenschaftliche Landwirthschaft (Berlin, Parey), published nominally at the subscrip- tion price of 20 marks, or $5, per year. The unsophisticated librarian, having made his estimates on this basis, pays his subscription, and naturally supposes the matter is settled for a year ; but he soon finds, to his dismay, that each year three or four supplement num- bers are issued, the price of which is not in- cluded in the advertised subscription rate. Thus for the year 1888 four supplements were published, the first costing $2.50, the second $6.25, the third $4.50, and the fourth $i ($14.25 in all), so that the actual price of this periodical for 1888 was over $18 instead of the advertised price [of $5. The publishers take good care that these supplements shall contain the most important papers of the year. An example of a different method, which fairly deserves to be called a trick, to use no stronger word, came under my notice re- cently. In the annual " Journal-Katalog," you will find these three periodicals : Archiv fur Anatomic und Physiologic (Leipzig), price 50 marks ; Archiv fiir Anatomic und Entwicke- lungs-geschichte (Leipzig), price 40 marks; Archiv fiir Physiologic (Leipzig), price 24 marks. Now who would suspect, on seeing these three different titles and . noting the different prices, that these three are one ? Nevertheless, such is the fact, for the last two are simply the anatomical and physiological divisions of the first-named Archiv, furnished with different titles and issued in differently colored covers, on which you may find, after close scrutiny, the following words in very small print : "Zugleich anatomische [or phy- siologische\ Abtheilung des Archivs fur Anat- omic" etc. Another curious method is exemplified in the Jahresbericht iiber die Fortschritte der classischen Alterthumskunde (Berlin, Cal- vary), which is advertised as published yearly in twelve numbers, the subscription price being $7.50. A recent number of this jour- nal, issued in August, 1888, is called Fiinf- zehnter Jahrgang, 1887, elftes Heft und zwolftes Heft, erste Abtheilung; it con- tains : pp. 177-208 of Vol. 50. PP- 353-372 "51. pp. 289-320 " " 52. pp. 95-170 " " 53 A. pp. 5-12 " " 536. pp. 49-64 " " 53 C. The last part of this twelfth number of 1887 appeared in March 1889, at an extra price of $1.70, and, as it contained the concluding por- tions, with title-pages and contents, of these various volumes, of course it had to be pro- cured at any cost. A good example of the difficulty the Ger- mans seem to find in doing any thing promptly is offered by the Fortschritte der Physik (Berlin), an annual review of the progress of physics. This had been gradually growing more tardy in making its appearance, and the volume for 1877 did not appear till 1882. Then the editors or publishers, seemingly all at once, awoke to a perception of the compara- tive uselessness, in a science like physics, of a report of progress five years old, and, pos- sibly spurred on by complaints from their subscribers, determined to take a new depart- ure ; so they began the publication of the report for 1880 in 1882, leaving the years 1878 and 1879 to De brought out later. By great exertions they succeeded in publishing the reports for these three years and the first part of the report for 1881 before the end of 1885; but this spasmodic effort seems to have exhausted all their energy, for nothing was issued in 1886, and it was not till 1887 that io6 ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. the report for 1881 was completed, and the publication of the report for 1882 begun, while the first part of the report for 1883 was not issued till March, 1889, so that another spasmodic effort is more necessary than ever. In all these cases, some efforts, not often successful however, have been made to pre- serve at least an approximation to regularity of appearance ; but it is only when a German scholar succeeds in persuading some friendly and trusting publisher to aid him in start- ing a publication, appearing, to use his own expression, " in zwanglosen Heften " (unfettered by any conditions of time, size, or price), that we are shown what the true German idea of a periodical really is. As a fair example of this class of publica- tions, misnamed periodicals, I may give the record of the Romanische Studien, edited by Boehmer, for the last ten years: No. 13 was issued in June, 1879, 14 in December, 1879, 15 in April, 1880, 16 in July, 1880, 17 in October, 1880, 18 in October, 1880, 19 in November, 1881, 20 in December, 1883, 21 in 1885; since then nothing has appeared, though I should not be surprised to receive four numbers in the course of this year, as happened in 1880. The first number of another of these unlimited serials, called the Molftre-Museum, was published in 1879, anc * the editor prom- ised to give at least six numbers a year ; but it was May, 1880, before the second number appeared, and the editor then announced that only three numbers a year would be given. The third number, however, was not issued till February, 1881. Then after a long inter- val, the fourth number appeared in March, 1882, with the announcement that the editor found three, numbers in two years would suffice to cover the ground; in April, 1883, the fifth number was issued, and the sixth, in March, 1884, was the last. The light-hearted confidence with which a German scholar lays his plans for a compre- hensive work on some great subject is equaled only by the long-winded dullness of his introduction, in which he feels bound to trace for you its history from the creation to the present day, before he really begins his work; and when he does at last reach his actual subject, instead of treating it in a straightforward, systematic manner, the chances are ten to one that he will give you a fragment of the fourth volume, followed by the second half of the first, then the begin- ning of the sixth, and very likely die before he gets any further. As an instance of this, we may take Miillenhof's " Deutsche Alter- tumskunde " (Berlin, 1871-87), which is highly praised as an example of German thorough- ness and German methods. The first vol- ume was published in 1870, and is entirely devoted to a discussion of the geographi- cal knowledge and theories of the Greeks concerning the world in general, with some special reference to Northern Europe, but leaving the actual subject almost untouched. No more appeared till 1883, when the first half of the fifth volume was issued, consisting of a series of essays on the Eddas, and really put forth as a counterblast to Bugge's theories concerning the origin of the Norse mythology. In 1884 Miillenhof died; but since his death the second volume, attempting to show that the region of the Oder and Elbe was the oldest home of the ancestors of the German people, has appeared, with an introduction by Rodiger, who states that it was nearly finished at the time of Mullenhof's death, and intimates that the work may still be completed by other hands. A good example of the interminable slow- ness with which the publication of great works is carried on in Germany may be found in Bronn's " Klassen und Ordnungen des Thierreichs," begun some thirty years ago, and still in progress, though Bronn himself died in 1862. It is called a work in six volumes. The first was completed in 1859, the second in 1860, the third in 1866, in two volumes. Of the fourth nothing had appeared up to 1887, and now only seven numbers are out. The first half of the fifth was completed in 1876, but the second half is still unfinished. The sixth has been sub- divided into five parts or volumes, of which only the second is completed ; of the first only four numbers have appeared ; of the third, sixty-four numbers, containing nearly HARRIS. 107 2,000 pages, are out, and it seems to be still far from completion; of the fourth, six numbers by Selenka were published in 1869- 70, and nothing more appeared till 1884, when numbers 7-10, by Gadow, were issued, can- celling the greater part (pp. 89-144) of Nos. 4-6, and replacing them by new matter (at the subscriber's expense, of course) ; of the fifth part, twenty-seven numbers have appeared. In the meantime, a new edition of Volume I. was begun in 1880, and of Volume II. in 1882, so in this instance we seem to have entered upon a never-ending round of publication and republication, which goes on at the rate of ten or twelve numbers a year. Perhaps a still more striking example of erudition long drawn out is afforded by Ersch and Gruber's " Allgemeine Encyclopadie der Wissenschaften und Kiinste" (Leipzig, 1818-), the publication of which was begun seventy years ago and is still in progress (though Ersch died in 1828 and Gruber in 1851). It has been carried on in three sections the first, comprising A-G, is complete in 99 vol- umes ; the second, beginning at H, has got as far as Leh in 42 volumes, and the third now runs from O to Phy in 25 volumes (166 vol- umes in all, thus far published). Of course many of the articles in the earlier volumes of each section are hopelessly antiquated, and modern science can hardly be said to be rep- resented at all in them, while the articles in the later volumes are very valuable. As a matter of curiosity it may be mentioned that the latest volume issued contains long biog- raphies of several noted men, among them P. Lanfrey (1825-77), Ferd. Lassalle (1825-64), E. Lasker (1829-84), who were born years after the publication of the work was begun, and who, after winning world-wide reputa- tions, died, well advanced in years, before it was much more than half completed. Time forbids me to pursue the sub- ject through the intricacies of Ausgaben, Titel-ausgaben and Auflagen, Neudrucke, Sonderabdriicke, and Erganzungs-Bande, In- augural-Dissertationen, and Programm-Ab- handlungen. I will close by citing a single example which seems to combine in itself more of the absurdities and faults of Ger- man publishing methods than any other work I have yet seen ; and it is certainly in accord- ance with the eternal fitness of things that a series calling itself the " Deutsche National- Litteratur" (Stuttgart, 1 882) should be carried out in all its details in a manner which can only be appropriately characterized as echt deutsch. The series is issued first in small parts, each of which is numbered ; these parts are made up into volumes, each of which is numbered in the order of publication, and has also a number denoting its position in the series ; then, in many cases, it has another number, as one of the volumes of an author's works, and in a few cases still an- other number, as one of the volumes of a di- vision of his works. In Kayser's " Biicher- Lexicon" the series is recorded by the part numbers; in the publisher's list, and on the dealer's bills, by the order-of-issue numbers, while on the title-pages only the series num- ber and the volume number in an author's works are given. Here is a tabulation of the first few volumes issued : Part Nos. Issue No. Series No. Special Vol. No. i, 5, 10-12 Vol. 2 Vol. 93 Goethe's Werke, 12. Goethe's Dramen, 3. 2, 6-8 i 33 Grimmelshausen's Werke, i. 3, 13-15 3 120 Schiller's Werke, 3. 4, 27-30 7 52 Wieland's Werke, 2. 9, 16-19 4 M Kortum's Jobsiade. 19-22 5 58 Lessing's Werke, i. The series will include some 170 volumes ; it is now about two-thirds issued, and already, in spite of German thoroughness and German method, there are several pretty snarls to be untangled, and more may be expected. The forty-sixth volume issued is called on the title-page "Deutsche National Litteratur, n Band. Narrenbuch"; when the eighty-eighth volume was issued, its title-page read " Deutsche National Litteratur, 1 1 Band. Erzahlende Dichtung," etc. The number on the binding of this volume is ten, which is right ; and here is a case where the binder's title is correct, while the title-page is wrong. The fifty-eighth volume of the series is Lessing's Werke, Volume I.; but the sixty- fourth volume of the series is called Lessing's Werke IV. This seems like a discrepancy, but you hope it may be explained by a io8 ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. division of intervening volumes, and when the sixty-ninth volume of the series is called Lessing's Werke, Volume IX., the enumeration seems to bear out that supposition. But soon another volume appears called the sixty- fourth volume of the series, Lessing's Werke VII. Here are two volumes sixty-four, one being the fourth, and the other seventh of Lessing's Werke; both can't be right. Then comes the sixty-seventh volume of the series, Lessing's Werke X. Here is a pretty muddle. The matter can be straightened out, but only by disregarding the numbers given on several of the title-pages, which are all wrong. Again the one hundred and third volume of the series is Goethe's Werke, Volume XXII. Soon after a volume appeared which, accord- ing to the general title-page, was the ninety- first volume of the series, and Goethe's Werke XXIII. It really is Goethe's Werke XXIII., and should be Volume 104 of the series. A little later a volume was received which, according to the general title-page, is the one hundred and fourth volume of the series, and Goethe's Werke XXIII., but which really is Goethe's Werke, Volume X., and should be the ninety-first volume of the series. So much for the order of publication. The binding, too, is characteristic. It is a cheap imitation of morocco, which soon wears shabby ; but the back is so overloaded with tawdry gilding that the lettering can with difficulty be distinguished ; while the series number of the volumes is merely stamped in small, blind figures, which are imperceptible except after closest scrutiny. The date of publication is nowhere given on any of the volumes. The different works bear the names of well-known scholars as editors, but, so far as I have had occasion to examine them, their rambling introductions give little really helpful information concern- ing the authors or their works, and, what is most annoying to the cataloguer, in most cases not even the initials of the author's name are given on the title-pages. But it may be asked, What do you propose as a remedy for these evils ? I propose noth- ing. This paper is simply a protest against these absurd methods, for which, in most cases, there is no necessity and no valid excuse. In spite of protests the Germans will probably cling to their evil ways ; I only hope that they may not find imitators in this country. REPORT ON PERIODICALS. BY F. M. CRUNDEN, LIBRARIAN ST. LOUIS PUBLIC LIBRARY. HP HIS report grew out of questions asked by me at the Round Island Conference regard- ing the custom of libraries in the disposition of bound volumes of magazines. I was requested to gather information on the subject and re- port at the next conference. I wished to know : 1. Whether, when several copies of a magazine are bound, they are all allowed to circulate, or if one is kept strictly for reference. 2. Whether the single copy bound is allowed to circulate or kept for reference. Returns came from ninety-two libraries. Of these, however, eighteen were reference libraries, and therefore not to be considered. Some of the returns did not give explicit answers ; hence the total figures vary. Out of forty-six libraries that take more than one copy of various magazines, thirty-five reserve one bound volume for reference, and eleven allow all to circulate. Twenty-four circulate the single copy taken, and seventeen reserve it for issue ; five allow all volumes to circulate for a limited period, while they are presumably easy to replace, and withdraw them when from one to ten years old. From these returns it appears : That a large majority of libraries binding two or more -copies reserve one for reference. That in a majority (not a large one) of libraries the single bound volume is issued for home use. The St. Louis Public Library is with the CRUNDEN. 109 majority on the first question, and among the minority on the second. Our plan, I believe, is the best for a library of approximately sim- ilar size and situation ; and on this score I shall speak further after giving some additional statistics. While obtaining answers to the two ques- tions on which I was to report, it occurred to me that it might be of some interest to know : 1. How many copies of various magazines are taken by different libraries. 2. How many copies of each magazine are bound. 3. How many libraries circulate single numbers, for what periods, and on what terms. The table on following page gives replies to the first two questions from the ten libra- ries that take the largest number. The order in which titles are given in the following list fairly represents the relative popularity of the magazines as it appears in the returns from seventy-four libraries. Century and Harper are far in the lead ; next to these generally comes Scribner; and after that there is considerable variation. A glance at the Toronto column will show how wonderfully the popularity of Blackwood and the Edin- burgh Review is increased by crossing the great lakes. Of seventy-four libraries, forty-eight circu- late single numbers of current magazines, twenty-four do not, and two do so " occasion- ally." Sixteen issue for five days or less ; sixteen, for a week ; fourteen, for longer than a week ; and two allow members to fix the time by charging them two cents a day. The New York Mercantile Library reports that this secures the return of nearly all magazines within five days, and most of them within three days. A few libraries make a distinc- tion between current and back numbers of magazines, both in the time of loan and the amount charged. In the St. Louis Public Library two copies of the most popular magazines (Century, Har- per, and Scribner) and one copy of the others are kept in the reading-room. Additional cop- ies are put into temporary binders and issued as books on payment of 5 cents per week. Members are glad to have them on these terms. Copies not wanted for binding are sold to members for 15 cents each, or 75 cents in advance for six months. We formerly sold them for 10 cents per number, or 50 cents for a six-months subscription; but competition among pur- chasers enabled us to advance the price. In this way the more popular magazines cost the library nothing ; and the others are obtained for from one-half to one-fifth price. From time to time the number of copies taken is increased or other magazines are added to the list, as the demand seems to warrant. Occasionally a new magazine is tried for a while and dropped. The receipts from a given maga- zine determine its continuance. Three or four issues per month nearly pay for the mag- azine ; and if there are not that many people who want it, the library is hardly justified in taking it for current issue. If, however, a second copy is needed for binding, the few members who read it may as well have the benefit of the issue of current numbers. In this, as in all other matters, each librarian must decide what is best for his library, and how he can best serve his public. In every library, whether free or subscrip- tion, I should advise the circulation of current numbers of magazines. It is sure to prove an attractive feature. The number of copies of each must depend upon the demand and be subject to the same limitations as popular books. Where a charge can be made, the receipts supply an accurate measure of the demand; and generally the more popular periodicals can be furnished to members without cost to the library, possibly at a profit. Every large library should, I think, take two copies of standard magazine for which there is any considerable call, keeping one for the reading-room and allowing the other to circulate, and making the same disposition of the bound volumes. Small libraries, of course, cannot afford this. Small subscription libra- ries should take duplicate copies only in so far as justified by the receipts from issues and sales ; and small public libraries must be governed by the same considerations that determine the purchase of popular books. no 57: LOUIS CONFERENCE. - BOSTON PUBLIC. NEW YORK MERCANTILE. TORONTO PUBLIC. ST. LOUIS PUBLIC. CINCINNATI PUBLIC. 1 H o fc NO. BOUND. a NO. BOUND. NO. BOUND. c NO. BOUND. c NO. BOUND. srence. 'rence. rence. :rence. For Issu For Ref( H 6 fc For Issu For Ref For Issu For Ref 3 H o ft For Issu For Ref H o f, For Issu For Ref 36 35 13 ii 32 IO 7 10 20 '4 3 3 '5 15 10 10 IO 8 8 ii IO 3 3 i 30 30 20 10 10 2 2 5 5 i i i 6 6 4 3 4 2 2 3 4 i i i 26 26 26 10 4 3 3 i IS IO 8 4 4 4 3 3 i i 4 3 3 i i i i i i 18 '5 14 6 3 2 6 2 2 2 3 3 3 2 2 2 I 2 5 i i i '3 14 7 4 5 3 2 6 7 2 I I 3 3 2 I 2 I I I 2 I Godey Blackwood REPORT ON AIDS AND GUIDES FOR READERS. BY W. C. LANE, ASSISTANT LIBRARIAN HARVARD COLLEGE LIBRARY. T N place of a regular report, the reporter presents below an alphabetical index by subject to bibliographical works of all kinds mentioned in the columns of the Library journalior 1887 and 1888. A regular annual list of bibliographies arranged alphabetically by subject, and including both such works as have been published independently and such as are often contained in other publications, would be of great use, and is not at present supplied by any of the bibliographical period- icals. The compiler would have been glad to put together and print such a list ; but lack of time on his part and lack of available space on the part of the Library jottrnal compel him to adopt the following index as the nearest approximation to it which can be brought out this year. Only those subjects are omitted which were included in the list appended to the report presented to the last Library Con- ference (L. j. 12:416). The figures refer to the volume and page of the Library jour- nal, and the word preceding these to the particular entry referred to. Those who consult it are asked to notice the distinction made between the noun and the adjective in names of places ; e. g., under France are put bibliographies of works on France ; under French, bibliographies of French books ; under Hungary, bibliographies of books on Hungary ; under German (Hungary), bibliog- raphies of German books published in Hun- gary; and under Hungarian would be put works on Hungarian literature. Under French (period.) are put periodical bibliogra- phies of French books ; under French period- icals are put lists of French periodicals. An asterisk indicates that some explanatory or descriptive note is added to the title on the page referred to. It was intended to add a few words on the more important bibliographies of the year, speaking of each one separately, but the reporter has not been able to take the time to do so. CR UNDEN. LANE. in ST. LOUIS PAWTUCKET OTIS MILWAUKEE BUFFALO MERCANTILE. FREE. LIBRARY. PUBLIC. LIBRARY. NO. BOUND. NO. BOUND. NO. BOUND. NO. BOUND. NO. BOUND. TOTAL TOTAL o c c C o C o c TOTAL NO. TAKEN. NO. BOUND FOR NO. BOUND FOR i J c oJ S c u S c ,; J) c S *387*; Sickley, 13:196.* Cholera. Ravignam, 12:88. Circle-squaring. Gould, 13:197. City government. Cornell, 13:107; Hodder, 13:108; Woodward, 13:61. Coleridge, S. T. Anderson, 12.240. Columbium. Traphagen, 13:388. Columbus. Habler, 12:177. Commercial education. Luque y Mar- tinez, 13:388. Consanguinity. Huth, 12:568. Copyright. Papafara, 13:269; Solberg, 13:164. Costa Rica. Bull, de la Soc. Bibliog., 13:269. Cremation. Townsend, 12:569. Cromwell, Oliver. Lane, 13:60. Crystallography. Groth, 12:388. Dante. Schemer, 13:388; (1886). Lane, 13:3- Darwin, Charles. Robertson, 13:61. Dauphine*. Ferrand, 13.29. Dentistry (period, literature). Taft, 12:- 273- Domfront, France. Appert and Con- tades, 13:60. Dutch (1830-80). Brink, 13:387. Dutch language and literature. Vries, 12:538,* 13:30.* Dutch literature. Petit, 13:388. Ear. Marucelli, 13:30,* Early printed books. Einsle, 13:305 ; Pennine, 12:568. Eating. Vicaire, 13:356. Education. Classified catalogue, 13:29, 108; Hall, 12:568; MacAlister, 13-60*; Schulze, 12:146. Egypt. Ibrahim-Hilmy, 13:269. Elocution. Warner, 12:538. Engineering (periodical literature). Gal- loupe, 13:269. English (1887) English catal., 13:163; (Period.) Quarterly, 13:109*; Torch, I 3' I 97- Eskimo language. Pilling, 12:537*, 13:305-* Euclid. Riccardi, 13:61. Falconry. Petit, 13:388. Fencing. Egerton-Castle, 13:388. Fiction. Novel-list, 12:537.* Foraminifera. Sherborn, 13:388; Wood- ward, 12:146. Forestry. Wolf, 13:109. France. Monod, 13:388. Frederick the Great. Baumgart, 12:87*; Lane, 13:60. Freiberg. Heydenreich, 12:146. French (i5th-i8th cents.) Le Petit, 13:- 108, 269*; (contemporary) Laporte, 12:537; (1876-85) Lorenz, 12:568, 13:- 356*; (1887) Catalogue mensuel, 13:- 163; (period.) Bulletin, 12:304; (Agen- ais) Andrien, 13:229; (Domfront) Ap- pert and Contades, 13:60. French learned societies. Lefevre-Pon- talis, 12:568,* 13:164.* French periodicals (Paris) Le Soudier, 13:108. French reformed churches. Frossard, 12:273. Friuli. Occioni-Bonaffons, 13:108. Funeral customs. Townsend, 12:569. Fungi, North American. Farlow and Trelease, 12:537, 13:197. Galileo. Favaro, 12:241. General. Langthaler, 13:60; Ontario, 13:197*; Sonnenschein, 12:569*; Wis- consin, 13:357; (periodicals) Bulletin bibl. Internationale, 13:29*; Praktisch- er, etc., 13:61 ; Wissenschaftliche bibliographic, 12:538. Geography (German publ.). Weigel, 13:269.* Geology, Italian (1886). Italy, 13:197. 112 ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. Georgia, Kingdom of. Wardrop, 13:389. German. Kayser, 13:108*; (1820-82) Weigel, 13:269*; (Periodicals) Prak- tische, etc., 13:61; (Aargau) Schu- mann, 13:164*; (extra-European) Joest, 13:60; (Hungary) Kertbeny, 13:108; (Mecklenberg) Wiechmann, 13:89; (Vienna) Mayer, 13:269*; (popular) Reher, 12:273, 304, 13:109. German periodicals. Deutsche presse, 13:268; Frizenschaf, 13:388; Grack- lauer, 12:568. Gnostics. Jacobs, 12:568. Grasse, France. Reboul, 13:388. Gray, Asa. Gray, 13:305.* Greece, travel and topography. Greece, 12:304. Groton. Green, 13:305. Hales, Owen. Roth, 13:197. Harfleur, France. La Motte, 13:387. Harvard Univ. Tillinghast, 13: 109. Hearing. Marucelli, 13:30.* Henry vm. of England, Divorce. Huth, 12:568. Hermann von dem Busche. Liessem, 12:304. Hildegardis, abbess of Rupertsberg. Roth, 12:568. Hispaniola. Roth, 12:568. History (German publ.) Weigel, 13:- 269*; (society publications) Lefevre- Pontalis, 12:568*; 13:164.* Horology. Dubois, 13:356; Kiihl, 13:388. Horticulture. Wolf, 13:109. Hough, F. B. Hickcox, 12:088. Hungary. Kertbeny, 13:108. Hunting. Petit, 13:388; Wolf, 13:109. Hypnotism. Dessoir, 13:305. Incunabula. Faelli, 12:241. Irvingism. Winke, etc., 13:30. Italian (Bologna, Univ. of) Bologna, 12:146; (Messina, Univ. of) Catalogo, etc., 13:60; (Modena, Univ. of) Cat- alogo, 12:272. Italian biography. Zincada, 13:197. Italian periodicals. Elenco, etc., 13:60. Italian poetry (1886). Bigazzi, 13:60. Italy. Hartford L. Assoc., 12:567; Lozzi, 12:273. Jefferson, Thomas. Tompkins, 13:61. Jewish. Lippe, 12:304. Jews. Hayn, 12:537; (English) Jacobs, '3: '63 ! (Italian) Mortara, 12:88. Joel. Baumgartner, 13:229. Labor. Milwaukee, 13:305.* Langenstein, Henricus Hembuche de Hassia. Brambach, 13:229. Latin palaeography. Paoli, 13:108. Lavoisier. Grimaux, 13:356. Law. Puttkammer, 12:88 ; of Belgium. Picard.and Larcier, 13:30,* 61. Learned Societies, French. Lefevre- Pontalis, 12:568,* 13:164.* Leo XIII., Pope. Nizet, 13:388. Library plans. Whitney, 13:291, 357. Liguria. Issel, 13:30. Lille (1792). Quarre-Reybourbon, 13:61. Liturgical books. Brambach, 13:163.* Livland. Polchan, 13:388. . Lodge, Thomas. Lodge, 13.60. Luther. Dommer, 13:108. Manufactures (period, lit.). Galloupe, 13:269. Manuscripts, Classical. Thompson, 13:- 197. Maps (London Geol. Soc.). Boston Pub. Lib., 12-567; of California. Rowell, 12:569*; of the Vosges. Haillant, 13:60. Marriage, Impediments to. Huth, 12:- 568. Medicine. Bailliere, 12:177; (1860-87). Bibliographic, 12:241. Mignet, Franc. Roziere, 13:61. Milan cathedral. Palveraglio, 12:273. Military history. Pohler, 12:241; mod- ern Precis, 13:269. Mineralogy. Groth, 12:88. Mioglia, Italy. Neri, 13:388. Miracle plays. Stoddard, 13:61.* Mnemonics. Fellows, 13:356. Moliere. Scheffler, 13:388. Montaigne. Allais, 13:108*; Montaigne, 13:388. Montenegro. Bull, de la Soc. Bibliog., 13:269. Munich. Hayn, 12:537. Municipal government. See City government. Music. Hofmeister, 13:163 ; set also Piano ; Spanish Riano, 12:538.* Musical manuscripts. Brambach, 13:229. Mysteries, Dramatic. Stoddard, 13:61.* Newport, R. I. Hammett, 12:537.* Nicaea, Council of. Coleman, 13:197. Norwegian. Feilberg, 12:273; Halt- orsen, 13:388 ; (1885). Norsk, 12:273. Numismatics, French, Engel, 13:388 ; Spanish, Dips de la Rada, 12:241. Occultism. Siegismund, 13:305. Oriental (1885-86). Huart, 13:29. Palzography. Album, 12:273 ; Latin. Paoli, 13:108. Paris. Lacombe, 12:146. Passais, France. Appert, 13:387. Pellagra. Salveraglio, 13:61. Periodical literature. Annual index, 13:62 ; Poole, 13:389. Periodicals. Elenco, etc., 13:60; Union, 13:109*; French (Paris) Le Soudier, 13:108 ; German Deutsche presse, 13:268; Frizenschaf, 13:388; Grack- lauer, 12:568; Joest, 13:60; Italian Elenco, etc., 13*0; indexes of. Stein, '3 :I 97>* 269.* Persian (Constantinople). Huart, 13:29. Petrarca, De remediis. Fiske, 13:163.* Philosophy. Lake Forest Univ., 13:195. Photography. Zusammenstellung, 13:- 389- Piano literature. Prosniz, 13:61. Pigeons, Fancy. Williams, 12:210. Pisa. Catalogo, 12:272 ; Ferrari, 13:60. Pitra ; Card. Bibliographic, 12:272. Political economy. Milwaukee, 13:305.* Politics. Baker, 12:272 ; Muehlbrecht, 12:88. Pope, Alex. Pope, 13:303. Porta, Carlo. Robecchi, 12:209. Portuguese. Silva, 13:164. Prices of books. Book prices, 13:196. Prime Family. Prime, 13:61.* Proctor, R. A. Proctor, 13:356. Prohibited books. Congregatio, 13:- 356; Reusch, 12:273, 304. Pushkin. Pushkin, 12:146*; Zelinski, 12:538. Railroads (period, lit.). Galloupe, 13:269. Reincarnation. Walker, 13:61. Relationship. Huth, 12:568. Romance philology. Zeitschrift, 13:389. Russia. Meschof, 12.273 ; Russica, 12:88.* Russian. Wengerof, 13:197.* Sandeau. Scheffler, 13:388. Schopenhauer. Grisebach, 13:163. Scott, Sir Walter. Scheffler, 13:388. Shakespeare. Fleming, 13:163 ; Knapp, 13:163; Scheffler, 13:388. Shorthand. Gibson, 12:568. Shufeldt, R. W. Foster, 12:537. Siouan languages. Pilling, 12:568.* Socialism. Atzrott, 12:87. Somme, France. Macqueron, 12:209. Sonnet, American. Rowell, 12:538. Soudan. Ibrahim-Hilmy, 13:269. Spanish. Diaz y Perez, 13:387; (Ara- gon) Uriel, 12:89; (Toledo) Perez Pastor, 12:537. Spectroscope. Tuckerman, 13:356. Sports. One hundred, 12:209. Swinburne, A. C. Swinburne, 12:569. Syphilis (1886). Szadek, 13:305. Tassoni. Bacci, 13:162. Terra di Bari. Volpicella, 12:538. Theatre, English. Lowe, 13:108. Theology (1886-88). Wolf, 13:305. Ticino. Motta, 13:305. Toledo. Perez Pastor, 12:537. Torgau. Jacob, 13:163. Tourists' maps and handbooks. Index, 13:230. Tournaments. Ferrari, 13:60. Transmigration. Walker, 13:61. Tunisia. Graham, 13:229. Turkish (Constantinople). Huart, 13:29. United States Constitution. Lake Forest Univ., 13:195 ; Library Co. of Phila., 12:536. Fi '3=305 Vondel. rederik-Muller Fonds, Vosges Mts. , Maps of . Haillant, 13:60. Waitz, Georg. Steindorff, 12:146. Wimpfeling, Jakob. Knod, 13:388. Zoology. Taschenberg, 13:109.* CATALOGUES. Bangor, Me. Public L., 13:303.* Belfast, Me. Free L., 13:195.* Berlin. Architekten-Verein, 1339. Brooklyn Institute, 12:536.* Dedham, Mass. Public L., 13:355.* Dresden. Gehe-Stiftung, 13:107. Fitchburg. Public Library, 13: 133.! Florence. Bibl. Medicea. Lauren- ziana, 13:29. French libraries, manuscripts, 13:162. Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Public L, 13:- New Swindon, Eng. Great Western R'y Mechanics' Inst., 13:355.* Newton, Mass. Free L., 13:303. New York. Apprentices' Library, 12:- 536,* 13:29,107. New York. Union League, 13:133^ New York. Y. M. C. A. Railroad Branch, 13:304. North Easton, Mass. Ames Free L., 13:195- Omaha, Neb. Public L., 13:196.* Palermo. Bibl. Naz., 12:568. Paris. Bibl. Nationale, 13:303. Paris. Depot de la Guerre, 13:162. Paterson (N. J.). Free Publ. Libr., 12:536. Poughkeepsie. City L., 13:355,* 387.* Providence, R. I. Point St. Grammar School, 12:536.* Rochester, N. Y. Reynolds L., 13:196.* Rome. Bibl. Comunale Sarti, 13:29. Sharon, Mass. Public L., 13:355.* Sion College L., 13:107.* South Bend, Ind. Western Lib. Assoc., 13:107.* Stockholm. Riko Bibl., 13:196, 303.* Topeka. Free Public L., 13:387. Washington. Surgeon-General's Office, 12:567; 13:355-* Watford, Eng. Publ. Library, 13:59.* Priv. Rothschild, 13:59. INDEXES. Appleton's annual cyclopaedia (1876-87), 13:389- Beitragen zur gesch. der deutschen sprache und lit. (vol. 1-12), 13:164. Bibliotheque de 1'Ecole des Chartes (1870-79), 13:197, 389. Consular reports of the U. S. dep't of state (1880-85), 13:165.* Direction G^nerale de la Comptabilit^ Publique (1882-87), 13:109. [English public documents.] Philli- more, 13:109.* 1 Reviewed. WHITNEY. Harper's weekly (1857-87), 13:269.* London Geol. Soc. (Maps), 13:29. Massachusetts Historical Society. Col- lections (sth series), 13:230. Massachusetts public statutes, 13:230. Nouvelles annales de la construction (1876-87), 13:389. Portefeuille des machines (1876-87), 13:389. Receuil de jurisprudence civile crimi- nelle, etc., 13:62. Revista de Espana (1868-87), 13:109.* Revue africaine (1856-81), 13:389. Revue historique (1876-81), 13:305; (1881-85), 13:110, 164.* Revue hist, et archdol. du Maine (vol. 1-20), 13:164. Revue des questions hist. (1866-76), 13:110. Soc. d' Emulation pour 1' Etude de 1'Histoire et des Antiquitds de la Flandre. Annales, 13:29. Socie'te' de 1'Industrie Minerale (1871-86), 13:165-. Wisconsin Hist. Soc. (vol. i-io), 13:269. ACCENTS. BY JAMES L. WHITNEY, BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY. A CCENTS are often omitted on the title- pages of French books ; it may be because the printer lacks a supply, or because they offend the eye when perched, like Stylites, on the tops of their capitals. Even in the text of otherwise carefully printed books the accent is sometimes not found on capital letters, as, for example, in the word Egypte in the Grand Dictionnaire of Larousse, where the accent appears in the heading and in the top line, but is omitted in the text. This may be be- cause the lines are too closely spaced to allow room for the accents. I am told that in France in official signs, placards, and engraved specimens, capital letters are carefully ac- cented without exception. Whatever the reason may be for the omis- sion of accents, whenever capitals are reduced to small letters in transcription, and whenever the accents are missing in the text, or are in- correct, they must be supplied or corrected. The rules for the French accent are briefly stated in the dictionaries of Bescherelle and Littre'. In Madame Duperrd de Lisle's Etude sur la prononciation franqaise, I find particu- lars not given in other books examined. Matzner says in his Franzosische Gramtnatik that there is no comprehensive principle un- derlying their use. It is worth while to notice that the acute and grave accents as used on e, are signs giving it a full pronunciation, where otherwise it would be mute. No / or