JMffl THE UNIVERSITY mt OF ILLINOIS ~j LIBRARY fl oao^6 m An m 1915 f cop 2. ; BULLETIN OF THE AMERICAN Library Association Entered as second-class matter December 27, 1909 at the Post Office at Chicago, III., under Act of Congress of July 16, 1894. Vol. 9, No. 4. CHICAGO, ILL. July, 1915 CONTENTS Papers and Proceedings of the Berkeley Conference OFFICERS OF THE ASSOCIATION PRESIDENT HiLLER C. Wellman - - Springfield (Mass.) City Library FIRST VICE-PRESIDENT W. N. C. Carlton . . . . Newberry Library, Chicago SECOND VICE-PRESIDENT Mary L, Titcomb - - - - Free Library, Hagerstown, Md. TREASURER Carl B. Roden .... Chicago Public Library SECRETARY George B. Utley - - A. L. A. Executive Office, Chicago PAPERS AND PROCEEDINGS THIRTY-SEVENTH ANNUAL MEETING AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION BERKELEY, CALIF. JUNE 3-9, 1915 AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION CHICAGO, ILL. 1915 CONTENTS Title President's address: The library's primary duty The love of the book Bulletins and library printing The fine art of printing The changing literary taste and the growing appeal of poetry "Per contra" Some recent features in library architecture How far should the library aid the peace movement and similar propaganda? The theory of reference work Pioneering in Utah The child in the school and in the library The province of the public library The relation between the agricultural college libraries and the extension work of the country Relation of the agricultural college libraries to the library of the federal department How shall we interest and induce our faculty and students to more general cultural reading An index to agricultural periodicals The civics room AVTHOR H. C. IVeHman H. IV. Kent . M. Cleland 104 The conservation of library materials .... The field of the public library in the college town Inspirational influence of books in the life of chil- dren Reading of older boys and girls Reading in rural districts Library work with foreigners Work with foreigners Bringing the library to the rural population . Ten thousand miles of A. L. A. travel .... May M(Lssce Ill Herbert Putnam 119 Chalmers Hadley 125 G. F. Bowerman 129 IV. IV. Bishop 134 M. E. Downey 139 IV. H. Kerr ' . . 144 R. R. Bowkcr 147 D. IV. IVorking 153 C. R. Barnett 156 Elisabeth Forrest 159 V. E. Clark 162 J. B. Kaiser 163 C. P. P. Vits 169 W. E. Henry 174 C. B. Joeckel 178 E. L. Scott 179 A. G. Whilbcck 185 M. D. Henshalt 190 C. F. Webster 192 Agnes Hansen 196 Ruth Crocker 198 F. W. Foroi. 199 Proceedings First general session Second general session Third general session Secretary's report Treasurer's report Report of finance committee Report of trustees of endowment funds. Report of A. L. A. Publishing Board . Report of committee on co-operation with N. E. A Report of committee on library adminis- tration Report of committee on library training. Report of committee on bookbinding . Report of committee on book buying . Report of committee on federal and state relations Report of committee on work for the blind Report of Panama-Pacific exhibit com- mittee 208-247 208 208 208 208 214 214 214 217 222 223 227 229 230 231 237 A. L. A. Day at the Exposition Fourth general session Letters of greeting Fifth general session Report of committee on resolutions Report of tellers of election Council Agricultural libraries section .... Catalog section College and reference section Children's librarians' section .... School libraries section Trustees' section Public documents round table National Association of State Libraries . League of Library Commissions . American Association of Law Libraries Special Libraries Association .... Attendance summaries Attendance register Index 238 238 238 244 245 247 247 249 250 274 275 276 288 288 290 337 342 344 346 347 355 ^' BERKELEY CONFERENCE JUNE 3-9, J9J5 PRESIDENT'S ADDRESS: THE LIBRARY'S PRIMARY DUTY By Hilleb C. Wellman, Librarian, City Library, Springfield, Mass. Fellow Members: This gathering of the American Library Association is but the thirty-seventh annual conference. The fact is significant, for it reminds us how brief is the history of the public library. Our other teachers are more venerable. Books we have had since the world was young; the church, through the ages; schools and universities and great reference libraries for scholars, hundreds of years; the news- paper, some three centuries; but the public library — free to all the people — only a few decades. That is an amazingly brief period to witness the rise and development of a great educational agency — so widespread and so far-reaching. Yet, rapid as it has been, the spread of the public library is in a sense not sur- prising. It is a truism to say that the safety of a republic rests on the enlight- enment of its people; and wise men were quick to see in the library a sound instru- ment of popular instruction. More slowly, they are recognizing that It also contrib- utes, in a measure equalled by few other institutions save the public school, toward realization of the great ideal — still dear to America — equality of opportunity. It is not strange, therefore, that American communities everywhere are coming to deem it proper that all men have access to books; and for the spread of public libraries, we as librarians need feel no great concern. It will go on whether we urge or no; for the public library has be- come an essential of democracy. But the shaping of the libraries is a dif- ferent matter; it lies often in the hands of the men and women who administer them. And if it is peculiarly the librari- an's responsibility, so, too, it is a responsi- bility demanding foresight and judgment. For the library — to use a mathematical term — is not a constant but a variable. It has assumed new functions and today is still changing to a degree hardly realized save when we regard it in perspective. That the public library should have started with traditions inherited from scholars' or research libraries is but nat- ural. For a whole generation librarians laid more stress on garnering books and on perfecting the admirable machinery of their organization, than on finding read- ers for them; and it did not seem anoma- lous in the late 'sixties — though it does now to us — to find the trustees of a great public library virtually congratulating themselves that the poorest books were the most read, for they reported "It is in many respects fortunate that the wear and tear of the Library falls mainly upon the class of works of the smallest relative importance," while the librarian lamented that "It had become very common for visit- ors to demand the use in the Hall of costly books of engravings, for mere purposes of curiosity." As late as 1868, when the fore- most public library in the country — that of Boston — stood second in size only to the Library of Congress, the classes in the community chiefly served may be guessed from the fact that its reference collections and reading rooms were closed, not only Sundays and holidays, but every evening as well; while of a population numbering a quarter o£ a million souls, less than twelve thousand held cards. The propor- 4 i-r '■' rr, '-i 90 BERKELEY CONFERENCE tlon would be the same if at present all the public libraries in the United States should reach a clientage no larger than the num- ber of people living in New York City. But about that date, under the leadership of a scholar, Justin Winsor, began the great work of popularization, a process which was without doubt hastened by the influ- ence of the American Library Association, with its opportunities for conference and comparison. In former times there had even been question as to the status of women in libraries, or at least protest against admitting them to "the corrupter portions of the polite literature"; but in an early report the trustees of the Boston library gave assurance that they regarded it as "one of the most pleasing and hopeful features .... that its advantages are equally open to both sexes." Nowadays libraries besides making extensive pro- vision for the general reader are striving more and more to meet the special needs of every class in the community. Muni- cipal reference collections are being estab- lished for our legislators and oflicials, technical books are supplied in profusion for the artisans in every branch of indus- try, commercial books for the business men, books for the blind, books for the aliens, even for the sick, the insane and the crimi- nal, and above all, for the children who have in recent years come to absorb so large a share of attention. Furthermore, this great public has been admitted freely to the books on the library shelves; while outside, through branch libraries and stations, by collections in schools and other institu- tions, by traveling libraries and deposits in factory and office building, in shop and grange and club — in short, by placing books wherever they will be accessible — the library alike in the small town and the great city is being carried to the people. More significant still, is the changed con- ception of library work. To supply demand is now regarded as by no means enough; the library must create demand. It must be aggressive, not passive. By booklists and bulletins, by addresses to societies and personal visits to the working men in shop or club, by exhibitions, by circulars, by a constant fire of articles and notes in news- papers and magazines, in short by all the arts and wiles of modern publicity, librari- ans are expected to make known their re- sources, to spread a pealization of the op- portunities both cultural and practical af- forded by the library; and the ideal is not fulfilled until in every man, woman and child capable of comprehending, there has been awakened an appreciation of the bene- fits and the delights to be derived from books. Thus has evolved the modern public li- brary. No similar institution in a commu- nity touches the lives of so many of its people. Consider how rapid has been this development. Much of it has taken place within a generation, much within the years of the present century. Some of it may still be regarded as tentative. With so large a sum of achievement, librarians do not fear frank criticism of details; and a prime purpose of these annual gatherings Is to scrutinize the wisdom of our various activities. For example, in these days when the utilitarian is coming to be a fetich even in education, is there danger of the cultural ideal of the library becom- ing overshadowed? Is there a temptation to overemphasize the bread-and-butter side of the library — the excellent practical work of helping men and women in all callings to advance materially, of furnishing aid to men in business and commerce — all of which appeals so readily to the taxpayer? Are our methods of publicity in keeping with the dignity of an educational institu- tion? With limited funds, is the share of the library's money and energy allotted to the extensive work with children justi- fied by the returns? It is well to con- sider questions like these, to endeavor to make sure that in all directions results are commensurate with the cost, and to weigh the relative emphasis to be given different phases of the work. Whether there be or be not room for some advancement of relative effort as regards the activities already described. It will be agreed without question that they are in WELLMAN 91 the main wise and successful, that they are approved by the taxpayer, and that they constitute but a logical development for accomplishing the ends for which the public library is maintained. But in re- cent years there has become evident a marked tendency towards innovations of a somewhat different nature. They are often grouped under the term library extension, which might be taken to imply that they extend beyond the field of library work in its strict sense. It is becoming increas- ingly common for lectures — not simply on library or literary topics, but popular courses on all manner of subjects — to be provided by libraries and occasionally de- livered by the librarians themselves. Here and there has been further adventuring in the field of direct instruction, with classes for children in science, for for- eigners learning English, and even tenta- tive correspondence courses. Exhibitions of all kinds are held by libraries, including not simply books, bindings, and prints, but paintings, rugs, porcelains and other objects of art, frequently natural history specimens, flower shows, occasionally in- dustrial displays or commercial exhibits; and some libraries have installed perma- nent museums. Story-telling for children on an elaborate scale has become not un- usual, with the avowed purpose of interest- ing them in good literature, but sometimes conducted at playgrounds and other places where there is no distribution of books; and in general the work with children has been extended in manifold directions. We read here and there of games, dances, par- ties — particularly for the holidays, plays, aeroplane contests, athletic meets, and other entertainments, and children's clubs of many kinds. In one city the branch libraries were centers for collection in the "fly-swatting" contests. Such work is sometimes carried on by outside agencies in rooms furnished by the library; more often it is conducted by the library itself. One large library offered prizes to boys and girls making articles during the sum- mer for exhibition last fall; and exhibi- tions of model aeroplanes, bird houses and other results of manual training seem not infrequent. The adults, too, are not neg- lected. We are lending library halls freely for literary, educational, civic and chari- table purposes, and to a growing extent for social gatherings and entertainments as well. Here a library has established a so- cial center for young women where "all the various useful arts and handicrafts [can] be taught, free of charge," and there an- other has opened public debates each week on topics of timely interest, with speakers chosen by the trustees. Photographs and prints of all kinds, music rolls, scores, lantern slides, phonographic records, which are often supplied for circulation, perhaps fall within the legal definition of book or writing, and the lending of his- torical and scientific specimens, and of stereoscopes, radiopticons, and lanterns, is a function that is closely allied. In one or two cities branch librarians are em- ployed in friendly visiting among the fami- lies of the neighborhood or for social service work with factory girls. One li- brary is reported to maintain close rela- tions with the probation oflicer and juve- nile court; another publishes an excellent magazine giving large space to matters of civic and commercial interest; elsewhere libraries are said to be aiding in social sur- veys. Not only is the reading of foreign- ers fostered, but their welfare in other ways is looked out for. Semi-social gath- erings are held, talks on citizenship some- times planned, and in at least a few places, exhibitions of their handiwork have been arranged. Concert-giving by libraries with victrolas is becoming not unusual; and now we are introducing moving pictures. Most of the practices enumerated are as yet by no means common enough to be characteristic of the American public li- brary; but whether general or sporadic, they are of suflSciently frequent occur- rence to show a strong trend. It has been said by one friendly critic that librarians are peculiarly alert to social needs, and so eager to render all possible service, that once convinced of a real want in the community, they are prone to undertake 92 BERKELEY CONFERENCE to meet it without always considering whether the work falls properly within the sphere of the library or could be better conducted by some other agency. No doubt it is true that an institution like the public library, which has developed so rapidly, with few hampering traditions, is especially pliable, and possibly extends its scope more readily than it might other- wise. But the truth is, as a matter of fact, somewhat larger, for the tendency seems but in keeping with the spirit of the times observable elsewhere in the church, in play- grounds and public centers of recreation and education of diverse sorts, and, some critics hint, even in the school curricula. Yet, if these signs really mark the begin- ning of library evolution toward institu- tions of wider social activity, the path should be chosen consciously and with de- liberation, for it is obvious that the change is likely to affect the library itself pro- foundly — either for good or ill. Some of the papers and discussions at the present conference will bear directly or indirectly on various phases of the questions which I have raised; and it is not my purpose to anticipate by offering here my own conclusions. But I should like to plead that however occupied with ex- ecutive cares, and whether engaged in sup- plying with books the practical needs of the community, or turning to work of wider social application, the librarian should never forget or slight what seems to me to be a primary duty of the public library — a service so fundamental that, as I shall try to show, it may be said without exag- geration to touch the springs of our civili- zation Itself. For this twentieth century civilization of ours, which the world so easily takes for granted, is nevertheless regarded with mis- giving by many who examine its evolution and condition. Within the past two or three years alone, not a few thoughtful writers have questioned its solidity and permanence. The Italian historian, Fer- rero; the brilliant English churchman, J. N. Figgis; A. J. Hubbard in his "Fate of Empires," S. O. G. Douglas, Guy Theodore Wrench, Mrs. John Martin — all are im- pressed with the transitoriness of the phe- nomena we know as civilization. Macau- lay's famous New Zealander taking his stand on a broken arch of London bridge to sketch the ruins of St. Paul's, in his "vast solitude" may count at least on the ghostly fellowship of a goodly number of our contemporary writers who have been solicitous as to the laws of modern civili- zation and its decay. Perhaps the most interesting of these treatises is the immensely suggestive little volume in which the archaeologist, W. M. Flinders Petrie, has traced the rise, the flourishing, and the decay of eight suc- cessive civilizations in Egypt during a pe- riod of ten thousand years, and five dis- tinct eras of civilization in Europe from the early Cretan down through the clas- sical and that of our own day. It is only in recent years that, owing to the dis- covery and study of archaeological re- mains, it has become possible to take the long view. Hitherto, students have been confined largely to comparisons between our own civilization and the classical which immediately preceded it. Professor Petrie uses as criteria the development of the different arts, especially the period when each passes from a stage of archaism to a condition of full artistic freedom; and he finds that in all the civilizations he has presented, so far as discernible, the arts have reached their highest devel- opment in the same sequence. First comes sculpture, followed by painting, and then literature; these in turn are succeeded after a somewhat longer interval by the development of mechanics, of science, and the results of applied science, or wealth. There appears to be a striking conformity, not only in the sequence, but roughly, in the relative time, suggesting that the same laws are operative throughout the entire period. The intervals between the suc- cessive waves of civilization as shown by the point when sculpture, the first of the arts, reaches the stage when it is fully freed from archaism averages between thirteen and fourteen hundred years, with WELLMAN 93 an apparent tendency towards lengthening in the case of the later civilizations. Our modem European civilization, according to Professor Petrie, reached the turning point of freedom in sculpture about 1240 A. D.; in painting, about 1400; in litera- ture during the Elizabethan age, or about 1600; in mechanics possibly in 1890; -while the full development in science and in the production of wealth is still to come. Of course, I have not cited the interest- ing and ingenious conclusions of Professor Petrie, which are bristling with debatable points, nor referred to the works of the other authors, who differ much among themselves, as proving any definite theory of civilization. I merely wish to impress on you the well-recognized fact that civ- ilization is an intermittent phenomenon. Nor can I personally see that our own civ- ilization, though covering so much wider area than any which have preceded it, dif- fers essentially from them, except in two respects. One of them is the possession of a religion so ennobling that if its prin- ciples were valid in the hearts of men, it would seem in itself to afford a strong preservative, at least against the corrup- tion and ill living that accompany a de- caying civilization. But one of the phe- nomena that all students point out is the weakening in our times of the hold of religion on the minds and actions of men. The other essential difference, as I see it, between our civilization and previous ones lies in the remarkable development of the arts of communication. The facilities for travel by steamship and railroad, and for the transmission of information by mail and telegraph, have so united the world and brought into contact differing civili- zations as to produce a condition without parallel in earlier ages. But incomparably greater in its effect is the ease of communication from mind to mind resulting from the invention of print- ing. One would be rash, indeed, to assume that this new force in the world, powerful though it be, and aptly termed the art pre- servative of arts, has yet within itself suf- ficient virtue to overbalance the laws v.hich, working through human nature for ages past, have caused one great civiliza- tion after another to rise, reach its zenith, and decay. Yet, when we consider that not simply in preserving knowledge, but in diffusing it among the whole people, it has produced a condition of general en- lightenment that has never before been known; and when we remember also the immense acceleration given to the rena- scence of the very civilization we now en- joy through the recovery by scholars of the Greek manuscripts and classical texts, It may not be immoderate to hope that this great art of printing will have an in- calculable influence in deepening, strength- ening, carrying higher, and prolonging this present wave of our civilization; and should this likewise be destined to recede, in alleviating man's intervening low estate and hastening the world's next great ad- vance. And in carrying to the whole peo- ple the solider and more vital product of the printing press, no such agency has ever before existed as the modern free public library. This, then, I conceive to be the great fundamental obligation of the public li- brary — to make accessible to all men the best thought of mankind, whether it be found in the classic works of the older civilizations that preceded our own, or in the master intellects of a later day, or in the innumerable derivative writings of les- ser minds. And this function is one that I trust may never be forgotten, however far it may seem well to extend the prov- ince of the library in other directions. While striving in every wise way to fur- ther the material or ephemeral interests of our communities, above all, we as libra- rians should prize and cherish the things of the mind and of the spirit. Only those gifted by God can hope for the supreme joy of feeding the pure, white flame that lights man's pathway through the ages. Few they be and blessed. It is privilege enough for us to strive to hold aloft the light, and carry ourselves staunchly and worthily as torchbearers. BERKELEY CONFERENCE THE LOVE OF THE BOOK Bt Henbt W. Kent, Secretary, Metropolitan Museum, of Art, New York I am minded to speak upon the Love of the Book because of a belief that the world is coming to a realizing sense of the fact that care and affection for the body of the Book — its physical appearance — do not necessarily mean indifference to the soul — the thought enshrined in it. I am the more inclined to this task because of a be- lief that the librarian especially, through his determined efforts to bring about a li- brary communism, through his endeavor to relieve the community of all the joys of collecting and possessing books, is pauper- izing the souls of men by just so much. To teach the love of books and to bring about respect for them can be accomplished only by encouraging the ownership of them. To encourage the habit of collect- ing Is as much the duty of the professed advocate of books as is the habit of read- ing itself. No one who does not own a book can love a book. We hear too much about the love of reading. Let us extol the Book. There have been men, who, fired with a desire for learning, and a longing to im- part It to others, collected books with pas- sion ; they have existed from the beginning of time, and have been sung in verse and chronicled in story. To some, the great li- braries of the world lift up their heads as monuments, while to others, less fortunate In the whirligig of time, the auctioneer's catalogs alone remain to tell the story of their accomplishments. It was the son of a merchant, Nicholas Nicolini, who, giving up his opportunities for personal gain in the business world, devoted himself to humanity, and who, with Cosimo de'Medici, gave Italy its first public library, as the fruit of his assiduous hunt for manuscripts. It was a servant to a dealer in vegetables, Magliabecchi, the "glutton of books," "a living cyclopedia, though a dark lanthorn," as Disraeli called him, who by his own endeavors raised him- self to the most distinguished position as a man of letters, and founded the library of Florence that bears his name. It was the poet, Petrarch, the "first mod- ern man," the "apostle of the Renaissance throughout the whole of Europe," lover of Laura and of the ancients, who gave his manuscripts, "compositions and nourishers of his repose," his books that "give delight to the very marrow of one's soul" "the intimate and living part" of him, to found the library at Venice. Of all the lovers of books, none was more assiduous in the search for them, none more successful In gathering them. "There is within me," he says, "an unquenchable desire which I never have been able to suppress, nor have I desired to suppress it; for I flatter myself that the desire for worthy things can never be unworthy. Would you know my com- plaint? I cannot satisfy my hunger for books, even when I have already more perhaps than are needful to me. But the search is like others: success only sharp- ens the edge of desire." There are few figures In the biography of book-collectors as noble as Petrarch, and we like to think of him as ending his life in the way Nolhac describes: "On a July night in 1374, when Petrarch was keeping vigil in his small study, as was his wont, death came to him. His friends found him in the morning with his forehead resting on the book that lay open before him. Thus great Petrarch died, in a fashion worthy of the love he felt for books and knowledge, which, far more than the lovely Provengal lady, had been the burning pas- sion of his life." And speaking of the great humanist re- minds me of his friend, the great cleric, Richard de Bury, whom he met at Paris, "the Paradise of the world" to all true bookmen. "So much did I love that City," says the bishop, "that my stay there seemed always too short. There are 11- 95 braries sweeter than scented chambers; there is a green orchard hanging with every kind of book. There I opened my purse, I undid the strings, and threw my money about with a glad heart to secure the priceless treasures from filth and dust." There, he might have added, he saved many volumes for his collection, which al- ready numbered more books than the li- braries of all the other bishops put to- gether; indeed, each of his several resi- dences contained a library, and so many books Uttered his bedroom that there was hardly room to walk, which reminds us of Magliabecchi's cluttered abode, whose very bed became so crammed with books that he was forced to sleep upon the floor. To the priest and scholar, we must add that other class of lovers of the book, who served as its protector, as efficiently as they, the aristocrats among men, kings, queens and great personages, at whose head stands that epitome of elegance, Jean Grolier, Comte de Anguisy, treasurer of France to his Majesty by divine right, Francis I., fine of face and figure, and be- loved of all men even over-seas. We may not forget him, though his titles, missions and financiering are now forgot. He holds his place in the history of the making of Books, as the friend of Aldus and the patron of authors, aiding the great Venetian to print sumptuously and the authors to write well. He so loved the Book that he could not bear that it should be treated in any but regal fashion. To him we owe an ex- ample followed by sovereigns, of the regard for books as works of art, their possession distinguishing the man as a person of taste and breeding and carrying with it the ob- ligation to share their benefits with one's friends. Such men as these represent for us the period fast fading away, when men's minds and hearts were full of gratitude for the works which God in His grace had given for the understanding of His word and the spread of wisdom. They take us back to simpler days when there was time to read and ponder the written book. They give us an insight into the feelings of those who read those books which we, who can't read them, cherish for their beauty. Such men as these stand for the love of books in the XV and XVI centuries, for what Pater, in his essay on Pico della Mi- randola, puts so well: "For the essence of humanism is that belief of which he seems never to have doubted, that nothing which has ever interested living men and women can wholly lose its vitality — no language they have spoken, no oracle beside which they have hushed their voices, no dream which has once been entertained by actual human minds, nothing about which they have ever been passionate or expended time or zeal!" I must ask you to turn from them, how- ever, to another bookman, a little dusty, a trifle pompous, perhaps, and clearly self- conscious, Sir Thomas Bodley. We can surely forgive Sir Thomas "that he should not wholly so hide those little abilities that he had," when "it was done in some meas- ure in one kind or other the true part of a profitable member of the state," and we are grateful to him for his philanthropy. The statutes he drew up for the library at Ox- ford, as well as his life, introduce us to a new kind of humanism, the active direction of energy towards the betterment of so- ciety. In his writings we have the first note of the modern idea of books — differing from the bishop's, whose whole care was for the fraternity, differing again from Pet- rarch's, whose interest lay in literature alone. His care was for all sorts of stu- dents forever, "to provide for the Indem- nity of the Library as a Treasure to Stu- dents of incomparable worth." The re- quirements necessary to this end, as wisely expressed by him, are as essential today as they were then. He says, "I found myself furnished in a competent proportion of such four kinds of Aids, as unless I had them all, there was no hope of good suc- cess: for without some kind of knowledge, as well in the Learned and Modern Tongues, as in sundry other sorts of scho- lastic Literature, without some Purse- ability to go through with the Charge, with- out great store of Honourable friends, to 96 BERKELEY CONFERENCE further the design and without special good leisure to follow such a Work, it could but have proved a vain attempt and in- considerate." All of the collectors whom we have men- tioned and many more like them were col- lectors of books in the grand manner, and are reverenced by all as the preservers of the Book in a pursuit "honourable to Literature." Whatever their interest in books, whether humanism, the humanities, or the perquisites of the great, if they ac- complish nothing else, they saved for fu- ture generations the manuscripts and books, which, without them, would have perished. There are many worthy people who col- lect books for a different end, for what they can get out of them; some, with a real desire for learning or cultivation, regard- ing them as vehicles of thought; some, as a means of gratifying curiosity; others, with a gentlemanly desire to create a pleas- ant impression in the community in which they live. These are the people who are called "private collectors" by their friend and monitor, the bookseller. There is lit- tle to be said about them. They belong to the great body of the commonplace. They follow the conventions outlined by the teachers of literature in ladies' seminaries and colleges, and are of use to the world of books only when, having brouglit to- gether what the bookseller calls "the books that ought to be in every gentleman's li- brary," they die, leaving their libraries to be sold for the benefit of their widows. They are the men of whom it has been said, "It is not sufficient to become learned to have read much, if we read without reflec- tion." But we should not be too severe upon them: they serve an admirable pur- pose in the book world by making it worth the while of publisher, bookseller, and auctioneer to continue in business. In- deed, were it not for them, who would pro- duce the "sets of standard authors," "li- braries" of this and that, and reprints in mottled, marbled, and stained calf, of "books that everybody ought to know?" These, however, are not lovers of the Book. To them attaches no obliquy, as to those who, like Lord Fopplngton in the Relapse, exclaim: "To mind the insides of a book is to entertain oneself with the forced prod- ucts of another man's brain. Now I think a man of quality and breeding may be mucli amused with the natural sprouts of his own;" or to those who resemble the lover of books described by Pope in the lines: "In books, not authors, curious is my Lord, To see their dated backs he turns you round; These Aldus printed, these De Seull bound, So some have vellum, and the rest as good." Undoubtedly there have been foolish collectors like the one described by La Bruyfere: "I go with my friend, and he receives me in a house where, even on the stairs, the smell of the black morocco with which his books are covered is so strong that I nearly faint. He does his best to receive me; shouts in my ear that the volumes have 'gilt edges,' that they are 'elegantly tooled,' that they are 'good edi- tions' . . . and informs me that he never reads, that he never sets foot in this part of the house, that he 'will come to oblige me.' I thank him for all his kindness, and have no more desire than himself to see the tanner's shop that he calls his library." Collectors like this have ever been a sign of the times in which they lived — times of little literary activity, and of a paucity of books of other kinds. Was not this, how- ever, a reflection upon a state of society, or upon a class, rather than upon the bookman? And speaking of the abuse of the ideals of the book collector brings us to a con- sideration of the phases of book-collecting in the XVIII century, which, like so many things of that period, have been misun- derstood, or not considered at all by the matter-of-fact librarians of today, to their distinct loss, since in that period came about a new development in the collecting of books — the general private ownership. What the great collectors did in the man- ner of their times, the good Bishop of Bury, piously; Sir Thomas, studiously; Grolier, magnificently; that the collectors of the XVIII and early XIX centuries— the era of collectors — did after the fashion of their day, with the spirit of the connois- seur, who collects daintily, preciously, if you please, coins, paintings, prints, and statuary, and everything collectable. This was the period of witty and playful Horace Walpole, the great exemplar of collectors; of Gray, the poet; of the dilettanti; and the Italian dancers. This was the period of the anecdote, with its charming atten- tion to little things, little people, gossip, and the superfluous. This was the period, also, of bibliography that was readable, though grandiloquent, perhaps, to us mak- ers of "Guides," "Lists," and "One hundred selected this and that." This was the period when the book was rediscovered, and, happily, was found to be a proper possession of the layman, the man of cul- tivation, as well as the scholar and the churchman. It was not, indeed, until the XIX century tliat one word was found to express this love for the collecting of books for their own sakes. This word, "Bibliomania," is discovered in the title given to a poem written by Dr. Ferriar, the noted physi- cian, in honor of his friend, Richard Heber, the most distinguished collector of his time, called by Sir Walter Scott, "Heber, the Magnificent, whose library and cellar are so superior to all others in the world." The term is explained by the poet-doctor in the following lines: What wild desires, what restless torments seize The hapless man who feels the book- disease, If niggard Fortune cramp his generous mind. And Prudence quench the spark by Heaven assign'd! With wistful glance his aching eyes behold The Princeps-copy, clad In blue and gold, Where the tall Book-case, with partition thin Displays, yet guards, the tempting charms within. Not thus the few, by happier fortune grac'd And blest, like you, with talents, wealth, and taste. Who gather nobly, with judicious hand. The Muse's treasures from each letter'd strand. For you the Monk illum'd his pictur'd page. For you the press defies the Spoils of age, Faustus for you infernal tortures bore. For you Erasmus starv'd on Adria's shore. The folio-Aldus loads your happy shelves, And dapper Elzevirs, like fairy elves, Show their light forms amidst the well-gilt Twelves: In slender type the Giolitos shine. And bold Bodoni stamps his Roman line. For you the Louvre opes its regal doors. And either Didot lends his brilliant stores: With faultless types, and costly sculptures bright, Ibarra's Quixote charms your ravish'd sight. Ferriar, having set this new Idea in mo- tion and given it a name, the words "Biblio- phile," "Bibliomania," "Bibliophobia," and many others began to be heard In the land, and dictionaries like those delightful ones of Barbier were furnished with brand new definitions. The world waked up to what some were pleased to consider a folly concerning which they had before been ignorant; as, for instance, Disraeli, who says of Bibliomania, "the Bibliomania, or the collecting of an enormous heap of books without intelligent curiosity, has, since libraries have existed, infested weak minds, who imagine they themselves ac- quire knowledge when they keep it on their shelves"; and collectors of books presently came to be divided into two classes — good and bad. But what are the symptoms of this so- called book disease of which old Ferriar wrote? Andrew Lang, that fine figure of a bookman, suspected that it is a senti- mental passion, and for that reason people who have not felt it always fail to under- stand it. We should rather have had him say a passion of fine sentiment of those who, remembering Mainz, respect and love the book. It is pleasant to think that there be some who have imagination and who are not afraid of It, who are not alarmed at seeing further than the best- 98 BERKELEY CONFERENCE seller of the day, or even the best litera- ture. It is good to know that there are those who love the book for its own sake, and not, vampire-like, for what they can get out of it. Dibdin, the learned, the associate of "a galaxy of intellectual splendor," the chatty Scheherazade of a thousand and one bib- liographical delights, began to write upon this subject. "Never willing to believe that an unwearying production of work of a good tendency could ultimately be over- looked by your countrymen, you felt, . . . strongly felt, that the quantity of employ- ment it occasioned, in addition to your own, was a species of patriotism that might challenge the approbation of the v/ise and good." Not so light a task, Mr. Disraeli, to set for "weal: minds," "without intelligent curiosity." His sermon, preached on Ferriar's text, and v.ith Ferriar's title, served as a vehicle to bring into being sane definitions of the eight symptoms of the disease. He sums them up as follows: A craving for Large Paper Copies; Illustrated Copies; Unique, and Vellum Copies; First Editions; True Editions and Black Letter Books; and, best of all, he gives the probable cure for the disease: by the Study of useful and profitable works; by the Reprinting of scarce and intrinsically valuable works; by the Editing of the best ancient writers; by Erecting public institutions; and by the Encouragement of Bibliography. "To place competent librarians over the several de- partments of a large public library," says he, "or to submit a library on a more con- fined scale to one diligent, enthusiastic, and well-informed, well-bred bibliographer or librarian, is doing a vast deal towards diverting the channels of literature to flow In their proper course." What a prophecy is here, Mr. Dibdin! We cannot leave Dibdin without a thought of his friends, who. with him, con- stituted one of the most interesting groups in the history of bibliomania, the love and the collecting of the book. What a galaxy of great names in bibliography is asso- ciated with him. To mention the Rox- burghe Club, which Dibdin founded on the evening before the sale of the Valdar- fer Boccaccio of 1471 from the library of the Duke of Roxburghe, alone introduces us to several of his most choice biblio- maniacal comrades. Mr. Baron Boleand, at whose home the first dinner was held and who ordered his butler "to extricate an elongated bottle of burgundy from dank saw dust and cobwebs in order therewith to celebrate the glories of the coming day"; Mr. Lang, a gentleman of Portland place, "loving books and possessing them in great store"; Sir Egerton Brydges and George Henry Freeling, Esq., whose "Bib- liographical petals were then just begin- ning to unfold"; Sir Mark Masterman Sykes, "of all men most sensitive and anxious about his book acquisitions"; Earl Gower; Edrl Spencer himself; Richard Heber, half-brother of the bishop whose travel connected with the making of his library, upon which he spent upwards of £100,000, and whose eight houses filled with his treasures are familiar facts, and whose famous remark we all remember: "No man can comfortably get along without three copies of each book. One he should have for a show copy which he will prob- ably keep at his country house, another he will require for his own use and reference; and unless he is Inclined to part with them, which would be very inconvenient, or risk the injury of his best copy, he must have a third at the service of his friends"; George Isted, who "dabbled with, than looked lustily to, the black-letter craft, who buzzed about rather than settled upon, the object of his choice, the favorite fiower of in tlie book parterre"; and the rest. 1 am tempted to speak of certain other books and bookmen — of Isaac Disraeli, the father of Benjamin, whose "Curiosities of Literature," "Amenities of Literature," "Calamities of Authors," and "Quarrels of Authors" are the direct descendants of the anecdotes of the preceding period, with an added consciousness, perhaps, and a little less charm, of that wonderful work, "Notes and Queries," that paradise of the good book-lover, that happy hunting KENT 99 ground, which ought by divine right to have a volume to itself; of Spence's Anec- dotes; of Mr. Pierre Bayle and his Dic- tionary; of Voltaire, upon all of whom, nowadays, the top shelf's dust too often gently settles, — but I shall refrain. There may be better men than these, doubtless there are, but as for me, I like to quote Andrew Lang's opening stanza of the poem addressed to Frederic Lockyer Lamson: "1 mind that Forest Shepherds' saw. For when men preached of heaven, quoth he, 'Its a' that's bricht, and a' that's braw. But Bourtliorpe's guide enecht for me.' " Lockyer himself, who in sympathy and in enthusiasm really belongs to the immortals that live a generation or two before him. Is a bookman's writer, and so is fecund Lang and charming Anatole France and half a dozen others. If we were to enter into a discussion of the French bookman's writers of the nine- teenth century, we should find a field so absorbing, so delightful, that no single pa- per would hold our exclamations. Think of Paul Lacroix, who signed "P. L. Jacob Bibliophile" to his "Dissertations Biblio- graphique," and his "Melanges Biblio- graphiques," and many other volumes, who prayed his friends about to sell his library, "Dieu fasse qu'il vous inspire un remords et qu'il vous engage a rester bib- liophile et bibliographe"; of Nodier; of Barbier; of Jouvin; of Didot, the printer — bookmen all, loving nothing more. Such men as these are our ancestors in the love of the book; they loved it be- cause they found it good, because they discovered that its history and its bibli- ography were worthy of their study, be- cause they found in it something more than a vehicle for men's thoughts, noble and all-absorbing as that is, and because they found in large paper copies, illus- trated copies, unique and vellum copies, first editions, and black-letter, beauty worthy of their admiration. To love the book well and truly, we must know three things — its history, phys- ical and geographical; the story of its relation to the great movements for culture in which it has played so important a part; and, last, but not least, we must under- stand that with it we are dealing with a work of art. We will assume that any dealer in books, whether collector, libra- rian, bookmaker or seller, will have found it to his advantage to have a familiarity with the facts connected with the devel- opment of the printing press, its invention, and the discussion which has waged about its: origin, its spread over Germany, Italy, France, and England. We will assume that all librarians at least know the ele- mentary history of its typography — cer- tainly no school should give a diploma to one who did not. We will assume that they at least have tasted the joys of the study of "Black Letter," the "cradle-books" of printing, and have been led to trace the presses of European cities; that they know the kinds of type that obtained and where and how they got their form; why the colophon, was and then gave place to the title-page as we have it today, when pagination, head-titles, chapter-heads, ini- tial letters, and illustrations began to be used — in a word, how long it was before the book broke away from the traditions of the manuscript from which it came, and be- came the book as we know it today. We will assume that librarians will agree with Sidney Lee, who says: "No feature in the intellectual history of (the Renaissance) can compare in practical in- terest with the progress of the new me- chanical contrivance, which stimulated lit- erary effort, and provided means of dis- tributing to literary culture," and no more suggestive light can be thrown on the in- tellectual qualities and tendencies of the people of Europe than "by a summary com- parison of the character, work, aims, and number of the early printers." . . . Very little mention of the art of books is made by the writers on art, because, forsooth, these gentlemen have been as intent upon following a conservative defi- nition of what they called art as the libra- rian has with regard to what he believed constituted the value of books. Indeed, I 100 BERKELEY CONFERENCE suspect that it is because sufficient em- phasis has not been laid upon the book as an object of art that so many who have loved it for this quality have been misjudged by the merely bibliographical- minded. The librarian may not forget that his is the custodianship of objects of art. Can there be a librarian whose li- brary, however meagerly supplied with real books, because of lack of funds, or of circumstances requiring him to be con- tent with travesties of books offered by publishers' lists today — can there be one who does not know his kinship to the cus- todian of works of art? Now you may love the book because of its beauty, with- out reference to its usefulness, just as you may enjoy a picture without thought of its moral lesson, or the Doges Palace without knowing all the history that has taken place inside it. Where can you find a work of the crafts- man or the artist so perfect as the Bible produced in secret by Gutenberg at Mainz, where juster proportions of line, more deli- cate contrasts of light and shade, or more harmonious adjustment of the qualities of beauty and usefulness? Where shall be found a finer appreciation of harmony of thoughts and words and illustrations than in the Italian illustrated books of the XV century; where bolder, directer, and more expressive ornament than in the books of Geoffrey Tory; where has ornament been more admirably applied than in the bind- ings of Italy and France in the days of Grolier, de Thou, and Henri II? When we see buildings erected by rich men and town councils, after plans drawn by misguided offshoots of the school in Paris, famous for architecture; when we see book-plates, bulletins, signs and re- ports of many libraries that know not Typographia; when we see cruelties prac- ticed on books by fair assistants, who blue-ink, rubber-stamp title-pages, who punch little holes out of fair white pages, who stick absurd pockets in the back of the book, we are tempted to wonder how the book, of all things, can be so mal- treated. To love the book well and truly. we must collect it, if It be recognized as a v/ork of art. We hear of all sorts of activi- ties centering in the public library, but I have yet to hear of the librarian who gath- ers his parish together to teach the book — to show the value of editions, of condition, of illustrations, of price, of beauty, and all the other important matters connected with book collecting. Clubs, like the Club of Odd Volumes and the Grolier Club, are formed elsewhere for this purpose; the societies of book-lovers, like the Biblio- graphical Society, the Soci6t6 des Amis des Livres, exist, embracing the collectors of books, prints, and bindings, exhibitions of editions, illustrations, and all of the many factors which enter into the making of the physical book, are held in Paris, London and New York. Such associations write and reprint books on the love of the book, on collecting, and on editions. Why should this field be given over to them and to the bookseller, whose back rooms have become the rendezvous of the collector, by the librarians; indeed, why should the whole literature of what we might call literary biography too largely be written, as it is, by amateurs, booksellers and printers? Hardly half of the books of real value in the bibliography of bibliography were written by a librarian. It may not be amiss to recall the list of the writers on the book, our noble an- cestors. In the XVII century, France had her Naud6, librarian of the Mazarin Li- brary; in the XVIII century, Peignot of the ficole Normale de la Haute Saone, Bar- bier, librarian to the Emperor Napoleon; in the XIX century, Nodier of the Arsenal Library, Lacroix, his associate, and Leopold Delisle; while England may boast her Dib- din, Beloe, Edwards, Garnett, Proctor, Pol- lard and Edmund Gosse, librarians all. Over against their names, however, we must set Richard of Bury, the Bishop of Durham; Justius Lipsius, the Professor of Leyden ; Jacques Charles Brunet, of the Manuel du Libraire; Pierre-Gustave Bru- net, of literary fame; Qu6rard, the bib- liographer; Janin, lawyer and critic; La- lanne, journalist; Uzanne, literary-man; KENT 101 Claudin, the great printer; Joseph Ames, the antiquary; John Nichols, the printer; Isaac D'Israell, the author; William Lowndes, the bookseller clerk; Ames, the printer; Andrew Lang, the poet and es- sayist; Hazlett, the author; Theodore De- Vinne, the printer, Leypoldt, the publish- er, and Livingston, the book-seller. Should not the librarian teach the love of the Book? Should he not encourage the collecting habit in others beside his board of trustees? Has lie no moral obligation to the Book? Have his trustees none? I believe he has and I believe that it is high time that he should awake to the importance of this neglected function. The ownership of Books is the beginning of respect for them, and respect for books is the beginning of wisdom. No librarian can afford to neglect this duty if he would serve his community well and truly. You cannot keep the public forever com- ing to your library; you must teach the reader to be independent if you would have him truly cultivated. Let the librarian ally himself with collectors, with biblio- philes; let him share his bibliographical secrets with the public; let him exhibit, let him publish. Bibliography is not a tool for his private delectation, but a pleasure to be enjoyed by all who under- stand its fascination. There is no useful art so called, that embraces so much of fine art. The variation and wide scope for beauty of proportion made possible by wide margins justifies interest in them; the fact that several arts are embraced in the study of "Illustrated copies," the art of illustration and of the processes of re- productions, engraving, etching and so on justifies it; the intimate and personal re- lation established with authors, publishers, booksellers and owners of books, justifies the love of unique editions and, if time admitted, an apologia could be found for each and all of Dibdin's symptoms of the love of Books. Let us remember the words of Dibdin, that to commit a library to the accomplished bibliographer "is doing a vast deal towards diverting the channels of literature to flow in their proper course." Let us be bibliographers in the true sense of the word, as well as librarians. Let us regard our profession as an art. I am of the belief that the abrogation of this claim by some wiseacres of the early eighties, who Yankee-like, fearing the word art, as incriminating, as involving a con- fession of incapacity, and a lack of moral stamina; who, desiring to impress the community with a sense of the librarian's trustworthiness and importance and think- ing to ally themselves with real men by the adoption of the word "Library science" to express their job, was a mistake. They forgot the traditions of their craft, they sold their birthright in the arts for a phrase. They dropped bibliography from their departments, and substituted shelf, catalog, order, what-not, for it. May we not hope that the day will come when we shall return to our traditions, and when we shall call ourselves, as did our bishop, fondly, by the word. Bibliophiles — lovers of the book, and collectors of it. Let us sing the song of praise for the Book. Let every librarian keep a little corner of his library for the books of "good tendencies" as Dibdin called them, as an ark of the covenant with the high traditions of his calling. Let him go back to the day of the old-fashioned bibliog- raphy when there was the love of the Book. 102 BERKELEY CONFERENCE BULLETINS AND LIBRARY PRINTING By Everett R. Pebry, Librariayi, Public Library, Los Angeles, Calif. Library service is disinterested effort to propagate the best of the world's written thought. All librarians, I suppose, would agree with me in this. I believe the li- brary bulletin, on which I have been asked to speak briefly to you today, can be made one of the most powerful means we have of directing the reading of the people away from the mediocre, the trivial and the cas- ual and acquainting them with the best. Fortunately, we have long ago learned that our libraries must be something more than mausoleums and librarians more than curators. We are visited not only by the few who know the best and seek it, but by the far greater class whose eternal question is, "What shall I read now?" The most powerful advertisement a book can receive is the personal word of com- mendation from friend or acquaintance — the suggestion even of library attendant, 1 believe. Next to this personal touch, though of far less influence, is the anno- tation or book review. If these are to attain to any real influence in our library bulletins, we must make decided changes in the form in which we put them before the public. Our bulletins as a means of advertisement, as an effort to allure the general public to read our books are in- deed a joke. When the average reader (long suffering man that he Is) comes into our public libraries, he wanders around among the book shelves till a fa- miliar author's name or some appealing title strikes his eye, answering for him temporarily the recurring question, "What shall I read next?" We librarians know well that our wonderful card catalogs are for students and for ourselves; they do little to solve this eternal question of the desultory reader. You will agree, too, that the world is divided into two classes, those who delight in asking questions, and those who decidedly do not. And let us not forget that there is something about the impressive architecture of our new library buildings and the hushed stillness of a library room that intimidates even those who are brave elsewhere. To meet this phase of our problem, we need all the assistance supplementary to personal serv- ice that our library bulletins can give us. Let us follow our average reader as he gets his book charged and prepares to de- part. He sees the woman just in front of him pick up one of a pile of printed booklets on the desk, library bulletins free to the public. He reaches for one as in- stinctively as we open our hands to a cir- cular or a tract thrust into them on the street. He does not really want one, he has picked them up before, but he yields to the suggestion in their being there and free. On the way home in the street car he may glance at it. If it is of the usual type, he finds on the front page an array of information that stirs no interest in him, the library location, the list of trus- tees, the librarian's name, the enumera- tion of branch libraries, followed perhaps by library regulations which in a general way he thinks he knows, luckily never having broken any of them. He turns the pages and here he finds more unsought information, an array of statistics, in fact, a whole page of tabulation of things in which librarians are much interested. Finally begins a list of books, frequently headed "Recent Accessions." His eye flits down the page — "General Works," "Phi- losophy," "Religion." The list begins with the classes that typify to him the "dry as dust." Each title is followed perhaps by hieroglyphics which only librarians un- derstand. Perhaps he will find the books listed in the order of a dictionary catalog, and if he chances to be interested in the newest additions in drama or art, he can not find them. Does he turn the page? No, his attention is caught by an ex- tremely clever advertisement above the 103 windows on the opposite side of the car, and he studies the whole line of them for the rest of the way home. Perhaps he leaves the bulletin on the seat behind him, discarded like a newspaper whose head- lines he has scanned. He may have got- ten something from the headlines, but what from the bulletin? Do we put the vital, important part of our bulletins into our headlines at all? Do we even take the trouble to make headlines or put anything else on the front page which shall arouse interest or appeal to the readers whom we need most to reach? There are a few who do, but our usual library bulletin or reading list all over the country can lay claim to nothing more than a respectable dullness. Our bulletins present the ap- pearance of bein-g written, not for readers, but for other librarians, who presumably can endure dullness. We throw away one of our greatest op- portunities for educating people to a more intelligent use of the library. Short articles on books worth reading, or lessons on the use of the library, might well be given in them from time to time, written up in a thoroughly readable way. Fling a question to your readers across the cover of your bulletin. "If you should want to know the history of the early California land grants, how would you use your library to find it?" In a short paragraph, recount the steps for tracking down the desired information. Such suggestions point the way. Let us employ the opportunity of our bulletins tc expand the readers' conceptions of the range of the library's usefulness. Quote half a dozen typical questions which have been telephoned to the library during the previous month. There is an astonishing number of people who do not know that the library stands ready to answer such questions. Make a "feature" of your front page in some way. Even the short eight- page bulletin of the smaller libraries can put together some timely list of books or magazine articles and call attention to its contents by a front-page announcement, "Books about the war," or whatever the list may be. We should aim to make our front page just as attractive as possible; and put our information at the end. The person who wants information will look for it. As to the book list Itself, I am con- vinced that our method of arranging the classes according to the decimal classifica- tion Is a mistake; that the class which con- tains the most important additions should come first, and with annotations. Let us list fewer of our new books, if necessary, but bring forward the best of them, and let them be annotated. Let the entry be brief — author, title, date and call number are sufficient. The additional facts that sometimes cumber our bulletin sheets, in the rare cases where they are desired, will be asked for. If we care to make our lists attractive, we must make them simple, we must suppress the technical. I will here quote Mr. E. L. Pearson, who says, "It seems to me hardly necessary to argue that all the curious signs, symbols, abbreviations and mystic marks, which are thought necessary In a catalog are out of place in a bulletin for public use. It is not only unnecessary to put in some of these things, but it is downright bad man- ners to your readers to try to give them Information which they could not under- stand if they wanted it." He deals with another point on which I am entirely In accord with him, the form of the author's name in our bulletins. "A cataloger," he says, "likes to call Arnold Bennett, Enoch Arnold Bennett, and then if the name is given in subject fullness in the bulletin, he becomes E. A.. Bennett, a total stranger to even well-informed readers of books. In the same way, Ellen Key, for whom the catalogers have discovered two or three unknown and useless names, gets in a bulletin as E. G. X. Y. Z. Key, or some- thing similar, and is therefore totally dis- guised." Speaking of his own paper, the "Branch library news," of the New York Public Library, he says, "The entry is now simply the name of the author in its best- known form; we do not use Kitchener, Hubert Horatio, 1st Viscount, but simply Kitchener, Lord, and strange as it may 104 BERKELEY CONFERENCE seem, everybody knows whom we mean by it." There are not a few library bulletins which contain advertisements. Personally, I believe it better to wait until a dignified sheet can be afforded than to compromise in this way. Monthly bulletins are to be preferred to those appearing quarterly, so much of the value of these publications consisting in their timeliness. After we have made every effort to get rid of the technical features which appeal chiefly to librarians and after we have placed statistical information and lists of branches in an inconspicuous part of the bulletin, we shall still fail of the greatest effect if we do not issue a typographically attractive publication. I shall not attempt to say what styles or sizes of type should be used, if only a small type be avoided, for there are many successful combina- tions. Your local printer should be able to advise; if not, follow the model of some bulletin which presents a page pleasing in appearance and easy to read. Another thought has come to me since I began gathering together my ideas on this subject. Might it not be well, consid- ering that very few of our libraries can afford to print bulletins sufficient for all subscribers, to make some effort to see that those we do print get into the hands of people who really want them. At pres- ent they lie on our desks and are taken away by those who happen first to come within our doors. Might not a card read- ing "Library bulletin may be obtained free upon request" deter the indifferent from carrying them home to their waste bas- kets? Might not a conspicuously placed, simply gotten up poster advertising the contents of the bulletin give it a special value, and stir up some of the indifferent? These are only suggestions. The problem of each library bulletin is an individual one. We have been too content to copy from one another; we have gotten into a rut and we need to realize that here is one of the rare fields where it is safe to experiment. THE FINE ART OF PRINTING Bv T. M. Cleland, New York Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen: Not being a librarian myself, I am greatly Imbued with a respect and fear of the exactness of expression you may require of me. Thus, after selecting the title "The fine art of printing" for the subject of my paper, I have been greatly disturbed as to whether it would be considered a correct one or not. My only thought in selecting It, was to distinguish between the "liberal art" of printing — its scientific and indus- trial development, of which I have nothing to say, and its aesthetic aspect, to which all I have to say will be confined. I have since become painfully aware that the title "The fine art of printing" is one capable of many meanings other than the one I had in mind. It might be thought, for example, that It meant what is commonly known as "art printing," a term used by printers to distinguish a class of work, the evident aim of which is to be as ornamental and, at the same time, as useless as possible. So let us understand at the outset that we are speaking of the "Fine art" of a kind of printing which can be read, printing which performs its given function, however com- mon and useful that may be. VioUet-le-Duc, the celebrated writer on Architecture, furnishes me with an excel- lent text which I shall translate as liter- ally as possible. He says — "A civilization cannot pretend to possess an art unless that art shall penetrate everywhere — un- less it makes its presence felt in the com- monest of works." Now surely, printing Is, in the best sense, one of the commonest of works, and yet, I venture to say that 105 there are many of us who have done, or have had done for us, a good deal of printing, without realizing that it was or might be, a fine art. We would hesitate to attempt a portrait, or a landscape painting or a dec- orative design, without having a special aptitude or talent or training; but who, for the lack of those qualifications, ever hesitated to say how a piece of printing should be done? And yet, printing is one of the fine arts of design — as fine and as diflicult in its way as any other, and when you or the printer or whoever it may be, says that a piece of printing shall be done thus and so, you are designing it — you are practising a fine art. Many of us are al- ready aware of this, no doubt, and have made worthy efforts to improve the quality and appearance of our printing, but for those who have not done so (whom I sus- pect of being in the majority) a way must be found to bring them to a proper sense of their delinquency. In order that the punishment may not be greater than the crime, however, I will try my best to be brief in my endeavors to point out some of the elements of this art, in the hope that you will consider it worthy of your inter- est and study. Presumably, we are all more or less fa- miliar with the history of the printing press, and have at some time or other in- terested ourselves in the complex and learned disputes over the origin of the art. But our interest at present is not historical and our time is too fleeting and the art itself too long to permit of more than a cursory notice of some of the salient points In its evolution. I need hardly point out that we must confine ourselves to simple typographic printing such as we com- monly use, leaving aside the many develop- ments and allied processes which might come within the scope of our title. Now the primary component of common printing is, of course, the type character, and it is proper that we should begin by considering some of the steps in the de- velopment of type design, as well as the principle on which it was conceived. The fact of greatest Importance regard- ing the origin of printing types is so ob- vious, that it shares the fate of a great many other simple matters of common knowledge, in being frequently overlooked. Most printers never did know, and most other people are wont to forget, that the invention of printing had originally no other motive than the mechanical imita- tion of the handwriting which had pre- viously been the sole means of making a book. We should remember, however, that the handwriting used in books at the time printing was invented, did not resemble that with which we perplex each other at the present day. I should perhaps not say "we" because s/om have, I believe, in your profession an admirable kind of writing of your own which reverts, in a way, to the readability and regularity of the early manuscripts. We are all more or less fa- miliar with the beautiful handwritings of the 15th and 16th centuries and we know to what an extent books thus written and illuminated by the early scribes were treasured by the very few persons who were able to possess them. (It is inter- esting and profitable, in this connection, to imagine how greatly the invention of print- ing must have been deplored by many of the connoisseurs and collectors of that time, to whom its rank commercialism doubtless appeared to sound the knell of the art of the book.) The elementary forms of the written characters in use at the time when move- able types were invented, proceeded, as may readily be observed, from the form of the pen with which they were made. For fine writing a goose or crow quill was used and for the coarser kinds, a split reed, but in all cases they were cut in the same manner. This resembled somewhat our stub pen except that the broad point was sharpened in the form of a carpenter's chisel and cut off at a slight angle to con- form with the position of the hand in writ- ing. The ink flowed in a broad band the full width of the point when the pen was drawn up or down and when it was drawn in a lateral direction along its sharp edge only, a thin line resulted. In forming the 106 BERKELEY CONFERENCE curved strokes of the letters the line was graduated as the direction of the stroke changed, forming a line of peculiar grace, which is Inimitable by any other method, and which is one of the features of greatest beauty in the round, or so-called Roman characters, which, outside of Germany, have long been the accepted medium of western civilizations. It is proper, before going further, to say that we must confine ourselves to the con- sideration of the evolution of the Roman type face only: not because we fail to rec- ognize the great beauty and interest of the many variations which are classed as "Gothic," but because these characters are no longer quite readable to our eyes, and have irrevocably passed from general use. They have no place, except a decorative one, in the practice of modern printing. The first printing types were, of course, made In this Gothic form, common to the writing of Northern Europe, and familiar to the German inventors, and it was not until after the introduction of the new art into Italy that any Roman characters were made for printing. There, the in- evitable demand for an appropriate char- acter in which to print the Latin classics led to the cutting of types modeled upon the Roman manuscript forms. It is in these first Roman types produced in Italy that we find the models which were to serve for all time. These types, I must reiterate, were directly derived from the round formal handwriting of the Latin manuscripts — were, in fact, as close imita- tions as the mechanical difficulties of type cutting and casting would permit; and be- ing nearest to the source, they are the classics of type design. Of all of these first Roman types made in Italy, that which was cut and used by Nicholas Jen- son, a Frenchman, has long held the place of honour and may fairly be considered the example "par excellence" of the period. We should not pass this Italian period without some notice of another form of letter which has become nearly indispens- able in modern printing. I refer to what are known today as "Italics." These are said to have been invented by the great Venetian printer and publisher Aldus Manutius early in the 16th century and were done in imitation of the freer "cur- sive" handwriting commonly employed in regular correspondence. Aldus used these types with charming effect in his little pocket editions of the classics which were the forerunners of our popular priced edi- tions of today. The Italic types came into very general use in the 16th century — were, in fact, somewhat abused for a time, until the formal Roman happily regained its supremacy as the standard for text printing. The Italics came to serve only for the printing of prefaces or dedications, or, as we use them now, for special em- phasis of words or phrases. We must return now to the development of the formal Roman character, and note the nest step in its evolution which takes place in France in the 16th century. Here we find, as in the other arts, that the cre- ative genius of Italy has been seized upon by the French and passed through a proc- ess of refinement — imbued with a peculiar grace and elegance. The solid pen lines and vigorous amplitude of the earlier forms take on an attenuation, a sharpness and delicacy, which, though it has forfeit- ed something of the architectural stability of the earlier model, is more graceful. The important point to be noted, however, with regard to these French types, is that we find in them the design of printing types standing for the first time upon its own feet as an Independent art — independent, I mean, of the slavish imitation of hand- writing. The art of type design had branched out from the parent stem, so to speak, and was growing in its own way. It should not be supposed, however, that it had lost the initial principle of handwrit- ing. It had only added to the character in which it was conceived, a character of its own. The conclusion I would draw from this is, roughly, that these French Roman types of the 16th century might be consid- ered as the first real printing types — the first which accorded fully with the me- chanical requirements of the art as we CLELAND 107 know it today; and hence are the finest models which we have for practical con-' sideration. The earlier Italian models are possibly more beautiful in themselves, con- sidered from a rigidly high plane of taste; but I am not sure that the printing done with them does not partake more of the character of manuscript than of printing as we are required to practice it today. These types are, if I dare say so, a little too clas- sical, a little too remote — like the Greek temples at Paestum, they are inspiring, but it is hard to find any direct application for them. As the 17th century was more notable for exuberance in the fine arts than for taste, so its contribution to the develop- ment of type design, does not command our respect or gratitude. The general char- acteristics of the product of this period were clumsiness and poor workmanship. There was an inclination to fatten the let- ters somewhat and to increase the contrast between the light and the heavy strokes. The serifs of the capital letters became more pronounced and they frequently ex- hibited a tendency to curl and disport them- selves at unseemly angles. There is but little change to be noted during the greater part of the 18th cen- tury. The features of the preceding one were generally retained, though there are notable instances of an endeavor to im- prove tlie workmanship in some quarters. Fournier, the French founder, and William Caslon in England, were both very credit- able workmen; but Caslon's design (which is in very general use today, for want of a better) was sadly far astray from the fine models of the 16th century, which we are told he aimed to rival. It is, comparatively speaking, however, a good sound type face, and though its wide popularity at the pres- ent time is largely due to the circum- stances of its being available, we may be thankful to have anything as good. The end of the 18th century and the be- ginning of the 19th was productive of a very radical development in the design of Roman types — something which was al- most an innovation. We cannot enter into the question of the causes and influences which brought about this change, though they are clearly defined; but must content ourselves with a brief notice of the type- cutter and printer, Bodoni of Parma, as un- doubtedly the leading figure in the crea- tion of what are known today as "modern face" types — the types most commonly em- ployed in the great body of current printed matter. The salient features of Bodoni's innovation are an excessive contrast be- tween the light and heavy strokes of the letters — "light and shade" he called it — the thin strokes being almost hair lines and the thick ones broad and black. The serifs of the letters, which had hitherto flowed in to the stems with a gentle curve, such as would naturally result from a pen stroke, are reduced to simple straight lines, and where tliey were formerly slanting on the lower-case letters, they become practi- cally horizontal. The round letters are no longer quite circular, but eliptical, and the general effect of all the letters is more condensed. Here we have the mechanical printing type finally developed and remote from the source of handwriting; but still not wholly independent of that principle, or lacking in a beauty and dignity of its own. Bodoni's designs especially, though artificial, and to a great degree subservi- ent to a desire for neatness and accuracy, were never wholly mechanical. They opened the way, however, for a complete and speedy disintegration of the whole art of type design. From a tendency to "full figure" the type face progressed through all the stages of stoutness, obesi- ty, and elephantitis, back through emaci- ation and tuberculosis, ending with the contortions of epilepsy! To open a type founder's specimen book today is a shock to the nerves of anyone not inured to the sight of delirium and deformity. If, however, these typographical nightmares are still on sale and in use, it is encourag- ing to know that they are not to any extent created at the present time; but that, on the contrary, noteworthy efforts are being made both by private individuals and com- mercial type founders to revert to better 108 BERKELEY CONFERENCE standards. These efforts on the part of the regular type founders have suffered from a confusion of the mechanical precision re- quired for the iody of the type, with the design of its face. Inestimable improve- ments have been made in the accuracy and uniformity of the casting and the stand- ardization of sizes. But, unfortunately, the same use of the compass and the mi- crometer has been brought to bear on the design of the type face Itself — the curves are scientifically plotted like the curves of a railway track and the sense of life and movement, the human element of all fine design — the thing which was in hand- writing, has been sacrificed to the sterile perfection of a geometrical diagram. The Fine Art of Printing does not end, however, as many printers appear to be- lieve, with the design or selection of a type face and we must go on to the. con- sideration of the arrangement or composi- tion of types. The infinite variety of forms In which type may be required to be set, makes it impossible to do more than touch upon a very few of the commoner ones which may occur In everyday practice. The most important form of composition is, of course, that of text matter, and I want only to make one or two suggestions regarding this, and to point out certain principles which may govern its design — for even this is design. Here, the primary object will properly be readability; and it should be clearly understood that the same means which accomplish this, will, if ap- plied with taste, make for beauty of design. Sometime, not very far In the past some- one arbitrarily decided that a certain size of space should be used between words as a standard for text composition, and from that unhappy day to this, all type has been furnished with this size of spaces and all printers have regarded it as a sacred law, not even daring to think what might hap- pen if it should be departed from. I am not alone in the opinion that were the spac- ing standard of text considerably reduced. It would be greatly improved both in read- ability and appearance, and one may find evidence to support this view in almost any fine old book in which the spacing is close and the continuity of the lines is well pre- served. Most of our text composition to- day has more the appearance of having been splattered on the page or shot from a blunderbuss than composed in well ordered lines. The individual words are generally so successfully isolated in space, that they are as easily connected with the words above and below them as they are with the words preceding and following. This naturally puts upon the eye the diffi- cult task of holding the line intact. It would certainly be a fatiguing exercise mentally and physically to cross and re- cross a stream on stepping stones for hours at a time: and yet our eyes are compelled to hop, skip and jump over the average lose type page with much the same inse- cure motion. By experiment I believe it will be found that a very slight space in- deed is sufficient to distinguish one word from another. Lines may be spaced apart by leading and. In many cases, should be; but there can be no exact rule for this — It depends largely upon the character of the type face itself, and one had better be guided by the aim of preserving the con- tinuity of the line in all eases, resorting to leading when it Is required to this end. The earliest printed books. It will be re- called, had no title pages, but the printer gave as much or as little Information as he cared to, regarding the author, the date, etc., in a colophon at the back of the book. Later, it became the custom to print the title in a simple text paragraph in the same type as that used in the body of the book. It was the spirit of advertising which developed the title-page as we know It today — the desire to command attention, the need for emphasis and display: and in the title-page we find our model for the de- sign of commercial, or what is known by printers as "display" typography. Here, different sizes of type and even different faces set forth the varying significance of the matter to be expressed; and the ma- terial for fine design becomes more liberal and pliant. There are lines of varying lengths and sizes of varying weight and CLELAND 109 color-value to be composed Into an har- monious whole. A not uncommon pitfall, met with in this class of work, is the en- deavor to form solid blocks of capitals of a number of lines of equal length. I say this is a pitfall, because it is rarely suc- cessful and generally results in the evi- dence of effort misspent. It is safer to em- ploy a broken composition of lines of vary- ing length — it is easier and invariably pleasing in effect if well designed. I should not forget to mention the deplorable prac- tice too frequently encountered, of spacing between letters ("letterspacing" it Is tech- nically called) of the lower case. The lower case is by its very nature a continu- ous design intended primarily for text, and it is quite as absurd to separate the indi- vidual letters as it would be to do so in our everyday handwriting. Capitals, on the other hand, may generally be letter- spaced to advantage, and thus be made less confusing and more readable. There is no reason why they should be set, when used together, with no more space than happens to be provided by the typefounder for their proper connection with the lower case. One might continue without end to enume- rate the many little practices of bad design in typography which seem to have their root in nothing but perverseness; but I will mention only one more, which, though it may seem a small matter, is peculiarly foolish and persistent among people who should know better. One of the commonest means of adorning a page of solid text Is to begin it with an ornamental initial. This was, as we know, an agreeable feature of the books of the early printers, who bor- rowed it from the written and illuminated manuscripts; and it has continued in use as long as books have been made. It natur- ally fits snugly into the type page, accord- ing with the depth of a certain number of lines and having about as much space around it as appears between the lines themselves. Why then, will so many print- ers today take special pains to leave a large white space at the side and below it, giving it the effect of clinging desperately by one eye brow to the first letter of the page, with its legs dangling in mid air? There is perhaps no more vital element in the design of a fine book or page of printed matter than the margins, and cer- tainly none about which so much misunder- standing exists or so much nonsense has been talked and written. We have been told that "wide" margins make beautiful books, and that what are called "large paper copies" are by virtue of the large- ness of their paper, worth much larger sums than ordinary books. Might we not gather from this that extra large clothes are better than clothes that fit? It is per- fectly true that within reasonable limits, ample margins will add to the luxurious- ness and beauty of a book, but it is not primarily their amplitude, but their just and perfect proportion which is beautiful, as in every other work of design. In other words, a type page poorly arranged, as most "large paper" editions are, on the widest margins on earth will never be as good as one on the meanest margins which are correctly proportioned in their relation one to another. A glance at any fine ex- ample of a correctly imposed page will show that the narrowest margin is at the back, the next in width being the top, the foredge or side margin being still wider, and the bottom of the page the widest of all. This tends to make the two pages of the book when open form a single block of two col- umns divided by the necessary space for the hinge of the binding. One might ques- tion and analyze this convention, as one might question or seek to analyze the enta- sis of a classical column or the proportion of one of the architectural orders; but it is scarcely worth while. There is a very obvious practical reason for this arrange- ment of margins, in the simple fact that the book is held, naturally, by the sides or the bottom. It is not practicable to have wide margins on all books, for reasons of cost; but correct proportion is one of the few things in this world which has never advanced in price; and if it is inexcusable for this reason to find it lacking in the margins of the cheapest and commonest books, the culpability and sinfulness of no BERKELEY CONFERENCE some of our so-called "editions de luxe" reaches a depth which I hesitate to contem- plate further. There are many other matters, such as the ornamentation of typography and the relation of illustrations to type which have their part in the fine art of printing; but which are less essential and for lack of time must he passed over. We can hardly afford, however, to neglect entirely the questions of press work and papers, which, though they are largely technical, have certainly a vital part in the design of good printing. The finest monuments of the art, as we know, were printed on the old hand press, inked by hand with leather covered pads or balls and the impression drawn by a hand lever operating a screw or toggle. The paper was generally dampened to moderate its resistance to the impression of the type or cuts, and the impression of the form in the paper is quite evident in the finished result. Now this visible im- pression Is one of the essential beauties of really fine printing on hand-made papers or papers of a like character. But we are presented today with further problems such as the printing of halt-tone illustrations in conjunction with type; and tor this a very smooth or a surface-coated paper is re- quired, and instead of the visible impres- sion we can employ only so much as is suf- ficient to render a perfect imprint of the form on the surface of the paper. There is today an almost infinite variety of papers for a vastly greater number of require- ments than were known to the printers of hardly a century ago. Thus we are pre- sented with the problem of selecting suit- able type for these various papers and the complexity of this question makes it scarcely possible to do more than recom- mend the exercise of taste and common sense. For example, the old style types were designed with the object of printing on hand made papers with considerable im- pression from which they gained a certain weight and force. Printed on highly fin- ished or coated papers they lose color to a great extent and present a distressingly di- luted aspect. The modern-face types, such as Bodoni's or the French types of the same period, were made at a time when the first smooth papers came into use and they generally maintain a firmer appearance on the papers commonly employed at present for half-tone printing. Much sentiment attaches today to the old fashioned hand press and for persons whose love of sentiment transcends their appreciation of art, books printed on it have a special value. Good work has been done, we know, on hand presses; and with a great deal of time and pains it may be done today, but a modern cylinder press is in all respects, a finer machine, and is cap- able of doing better work of any descrip- tion, and doing it incomparably faster and in larger quantities. It I have spoken at too great length upon these technical matters, I trust you will pardon me and believe that It was only through an earnest desire that whatever I have to say shall have a practical end. We all recognize that a standard of taste exists In this as in other things, but I know only two well how great are the diffi- culties which meet our every attempt to follow that standard in our daily work, and how little help we receive. The literature on the art of printing is divided between dry historical and bibliographical discus- sion on the one hand and the maudlin sentimentality of the self styled "book- lover" on the other. So I have tried to show that the study of good printing is the study of design — something within the reach of everyone, something which may be applied to any and every piece of print- ing with which we have to do. I want, in short, to impress the fact that the fine art of printing is organic — that it is not de- pendent upon materials and conditions and expense — that it consists in the proper relation of its own inherent elements — type, ink, and paper, and not in extraneous ornament. A groat many people scramble through the pages of a fine book until they come to an ornamental heading or an illus- tration, and to do this is to ignore com- pletely the real art of printing. If I have departed from a fixed principle Ill of conduct, that it is better to try to do good work tlian to talk about it, it is only because tliis occasion seemed too important to let pass, and because I believe there is no better field for the cultivation of a finer taste in this art than the public libraries throughout the country. Either by the establishment of presses of your own or the exercise of taste and design in the printing which you have done for you, there are splendid opportunities. As you uphold and strive constantly for a higher standard in the literature which it is your high calling to distribute amongst the peo- ple, so you will be quick, I believe, to recog- nize the educational value of a higher standard tor the physical form in which that literature is presented. But it is not sufficient that you encour- age or collect fine printing — you have cata- logs and pamphlets and bulletins and many other things the typography of which may be improved upon. Too much lies idle in collections, and I firmly believe that it is the lack of employment and application which is developing signs of insanity in our modern art. It is demoralized, just as people may be, through idleness and lack of purpose. Nothing will save it, but to go out on the street and work for its living — it must "penetrate," to go back to our text, "everyivhere." It must "make its presence felt in the commonest of works." THE CHANGING LITERARY TASTE AND THE GROWING APPEAL OF POETRY By Mat Massee. Editor A. L. A. Booklist, Chicago The changing literary taste and the growing appeal of poetry. Is it true? Does the poet today speak to the average man of today as never before and does the average man of today listen as never before? "To have great poets there must be great audiences too." What does it mean that there are in this country two magazines devoted entirely to poetry, that our literary reviews are devoting pages where ten years ago they devoted lines to poetry, that our popular magazines are featuring poetry and using their highest paid artists to awake the attention of such of their readers as may not turn instinct- ively to the page of verse? Why is It that the "Anthology of magazine verse" for 1913 included forty-seven poems and that of 1914 included seventy-seven? Indeed what is that very collection itself but another evidence that poetry of today really finds readers. Instances to the truth of this might be multiplied indefinitely but I will only name one more, conclusive in this day. Last winter in New York a member of a publishing firm, one of the oldest and most notably commercial in its policy, said to me: "We are going to add some poetry to our list. We feel that it really pays and that we must have it to compete with other houses." The rash layman who attempts to formu- late any theories of literary tastes and tendencies and further attempts to set lim- its or show trend in poetry today lends himself liable to the lifted eyebrow and the murmured word of "Fools rush in where angels fear to tread." And it is with a perfect realization of this truth and with a profound and growing humility that the editor of this paper has realized the fu- tility of such an attempt and has merely chosen quotations from the words of the poets themselves to show that it is as true today, perhaps more true, than in the time of the ancient Greeks that children may have schoolmasters for their leaders but men have poets. "For what is it to be a poet? It is to see at a glance the glory of the world, to see beauty in all its forms and manifestations, to feel ugliness like a pain, to resent the wrongs of others as bitterly as one's own, to know mankind as others know single men, to know Nature 112 BERKELEY CONFERENCE as botanists know a flower, to be thought a fool, to hear at moments the clear voice of God." — Lord Dunsany. Perhaps James Stephens would allow us to emphasize this word from Lord Dunsany by reading his The Voice of God' I bent again unto the ground, And I heard the quiet sound Which the grasses make when they Come up laughing from the clay. "We are the voice of God," they said: Thereupon I bent my head Down again that I might see If they truly spoke to me. But around me everywhere Grass and tree and mountain were Thundering in mighty glee, "We are the voice of deity." And I leapt from where I lay, I danced upon the laughing clay. And, to the rock that sang beside, "We are the voice of God," I cried. And what is poetry? We are all familiar with the poets' definitions, "The breath and finer spirit of all knowledge." "A poem is the very image of life expressed in its external truth." "The record of the best and happiest moments of the happiest and best minds." Poetry and the joy of poetry are inseparable, "poetry redeems from de- cay the visitations of the Divinity in Man." In contrast to these John Drinkwater, writing about poetry, shows the difference between yesterday and today in the very words he chooses to express his thought. I quote at length: "Poetry seems to me to be the announce- ment of spiritual discovery. Experience might be substituted for discovery, for every experience which is vital and per- sonal is, in effect, a discovery. The dis- covery may not be new to mankind; it Is, Indeed, inevitable that it will not be so. Nor need it be new to the poet himself. To every man spiritually alive the coming of spring Is an experience recurrent yet always vital, always a discovery. Nearly every new poet writes well about the spring, just as every new poet writes well about love. So powerful is the creative impulse begotten by these experiences that it impels many men to attempt utterance without adequate powers, and so the com- mon gibes find their justification. But it Is absurd to pronounce against the creative Impulse itself whilst condemning the in- efficient expression. The bad love poetry of the world is excluded from my defini- tion not because it is unconcerned with discovery, but because it is not, in any full sense, an announcement The articu- lation is not clear. And by reason of this defect a great deal of other writing which has behind it a perfectly genuine impulse is excluded also. On the other hand, much verse which has a good deal of per- fection in form perishes, is, indeed, never alive, because its reason has been some- thing other than spiritual discovery. But whenever these things are found together, the discovery and the announcement, then is poetry born, and at no other time. The magnitude of the poet's achievement de- pends on the range of his discovery and the completeness of his announcement. If I add that verse seems to me to be the only fitting form for poetry, I do so with full knowledge that weighty influence and valuable opinion are against me. Never- theless the term prose-poem seems to be an abomination. The poet in creation, that is to say the poet in the act of spiritual discovery, will find his utterance assum- ing a rhythmical pattern. The pattern may be quite irregular and flowing but unless it is discernible the impulse is in- complete in its effect. To think of the music of verse as merely an arbitrary adornment of expression is wholly to mis- understand its value. It is an integral part of expression in its highest mani- festation. It is in itself expression. There Is an exaltation at the moment of dis- covery which is apart from the discovery itself, a buoyancy as of flight. The sig- nificance of this exaltation is indefinable, having in it something of divinity. To the words of poetry it is given to an- 113 nounce the discovery; to the music to em- body and in some measure translate the ecstasy whicli pervades the discovery. The poet's madness is happily not a myth; for to be mad is to be ecstatic."' May I read once more "For what is it to be a poet? It is to see at a glance the glory of the world, to see beauty in all its forms and manifestations, to feel ugliness like a pain, to resent the wrongs of others as bitterly as one's own, to know mankind as others know single men, to know Nature as botanists know a flower, to be thought a fool, to hear at moments the clear voice of God." The spiritual discoveries of such poets announced In the language fit to express their moods, v.'ith music which must be the inevitable accompaniment of the ecstasy of the moment of discovery will be the poetry of today, whether it be expressed with the quiet simplicity of Robert Bridges or the clarion call of Vachell Lindsay. In- deed so readily today Is technical freedom and variety taken for granted that we find beautiful poems in forms which range from those of classic beauty to the freest of free verse, providing always that the me- dium used fit the mood of the discovery. In choosing typical poems to illustrate the directness, the simplicity, the beauty of spiritual discovery today I have been compelled by wealth to limit my choice. I have excluded all mention of poetic drama although there may be found some of our most beautiful announcements and although In the work of such poets as Stephen Phillips, John Masefield, Alfred Noyes, John Galsworthy, Josephine Pres- ton Peabody, are some of the most serious and significant contributions to recent po- etry. Nor is there space or time to devote to the longer narrative poems in which Mr. Masefield has so ably led the way with his "Dauber," "Daffodil fields," and others. It may be that the twentieth century will one day have its great epic as the result of these and others in this form. It would be interesting to build a se- quence beginning with the time when the poet dared to sing just for the lyric loveli- ness of his song as in Yeats' The Lake Isle of Innlsfree' I will arise and go now, and go to Innis- free, And a small cabin build there, of clay and wattles made; Nine bean rows will I have there, a hive for the honey bee, And live alone in the bee-loud glade. And I shall have some peace there, for peace comes dropping slow. Dropping from the veils of the morning to where the cricket sings; There midnight's all a glimmer, and noon a purple glow, And evening full of the linnet's wings. I will arise and go now, for always night and day I hear lake water lapping with low sounds by the shore; While I stand on the roadway, or on the pavements gray, I hear it in the deep heart's core. Such a sequence might end with the latest of poems written in "free-verse" which voices its canons thus, in the preface to the collection "Some imagist poets." 1. To use the language of common speech, but to employ always the exact word, not the nearly-exact, nor the merely decorative word. 2. To create new rhythms — as the ex- pression of new moods — and not to copy old rhythms which merely echo old moods. We do not insist upon "free-verse" as the only method of writing poetry. We fight tor it as for a principle of liberty. We be- lieve that the individuality of a poet may often be better expressed in free-verse than in conventional forms. In poetry, a new cadence means a new idea. 3. To allow absolute freedom in the choice of subject. It is not good art to write badly about aeroplanes and automo- biles; nor is it necessarily bad art to write well about the past. We believe passionately in the artistic value of mod- '"Wllliam Morris.' (Kennerley) John Drinkwater. '"Poetical Works." William Butler Yeats. (Macmillan) By permission. 114 BERKELEY CONFERENCE ern life, but we wish to point out that there is nothing so uninspiring nor so old- fashioned as an aeroplane of the year 1911. 4. To present an image (hence the name: "Imagist.") We are not a school of painters, but we believe that poetry should render particulars exactly and not deal in vague generalities, however mag- nificent and sonorous. It is for this rea- son that we oppose the cosmic poet, who seems to us to shirli the real difficulties of his art. 5. To produce poetry that is hard and clear, never blurred nor indefinite. 6. Finally, most of us believe that con- centration is of the very essence of poetry. As an example of this new freedom I have chosen almost at random from the same volume — Round-Pond, by Richard Aldington. ROUiSD-POND' Water ruffled and speckled by galloping wind Which puffs and spurts it into tiny pashing breakers Dashed with lemon-yellow afternoon sun- light. The shining of the sun upon the water Is like a scattering of gold crocus-petals In a long wavering irregular flight. The water is cold to the eye As the wind to the cheek. In the budding chestnuts Whose sticky buds glimmer and are half- burst open The starlings make their clitter-clatter; And the blackbirds in the grass Are getting as fat as the pigeons. Too-hoo, this is brave; Even the cold wind is seeking a new mistress. One can hardly imagine two poems more different in style and mood and yet both are built upon the poet's reaction to the beauty of Nature. A sequence beginning with yesterday and ending with today would be illuminat- ing and perhaps show the trend of modern thinking, but it would require a savant to make it and a volume to write it. After ■ ^■^r^ '"Some imagist poets. An anthology." (Houghton) By permission. all one reads poetry to find spiritual dis- coveries and one does not make one's spir- itual discoveries that way — one lives along from day to day taking life as it comes, quiet or unquiet, sad or glad as is one's mood or wont until suddenly, in a moment, a poem, a picture, the word of a friend, becomes a revelation. These are the mo- ments one treasures and remembers, ut- terly unrelated though they be. So it is with the poems which I shall read. They have all been moments of dis- covery to me. They may not be great, they are not necessarily profound and ap- parently have little relation to one another. But each voices some common truth and if they happen to have been written in the last few years it simply means that each generation must find truth for itself and speak for its own. Here is one which expresses for me per- fectly the joy of being alive out of doors on a country road. It pictures the actual loveliness that contributes to that joy and In the ecstasy of the moment the words find a lilt that sets one's pulses drumming to the tune of over the hills and far away. It is a poem of John Masefield's called Tewkesbury Road' It is good to be out on the road, and going one knows not where, Going through meadow and village, one knows not whither nor why; Through the grey light drift of the dust, in the keen cool rush of the air. Under the flying white clouds, and the broad blue lift of the sky. And to halt at the chattering brook, in the tall green fern at the brink Where the harebell grows, and the gorse, and the foxgloves purple and white; Where the shy-eyed delicate deer troop down to the brook to drink When the stars are mellow and large at the coming on of the night. O, to feel the beat of the rain, and the homely smell of the earth. Is a tune for the blood to jig to, a joy past power of words; And the blessed green comely meadows are all a-ripple with mirth '"Story of a round-house and other poems." John Masefield. (Macmillan) By permission. MASSEE 115 At the noise of the lamhs at play and the dear wild cry of the birds. Mr. Masefield's creed seems to be to take whatever life brings, live it all and live it gladly. Laugh and Be Meret' Laugh and be merry, remember, better the world with a sopg. Better the world with a blow in the teeth of a wrong. Laugh, for the time is brief, a thread the length of a span. Laugh and be proud to belong to the old proud pageant of man. Laugh and be merry: remember, in olden time. God made Heaven and Earth for joy He took in a rhyme, Made them, and filled them full with the strong red wine of His mirth, The splendid joy of the stars: the joy of the earth. So we must laugh and drink from the deep blue cup of the sky. Join the jubilant song of the great stars sweeping by, Laugh, and battle, and work, and drink of the wine outpoured In the dear green earth, the sign of the joy of the Lord. Laugh and be merry together, like brothers akin. Guesting awhile in the rooms of a beauti- ful inn. Glad till the dancing stops, and the lilt of the music ends. Laugh till the game is played; and be you merry, my friends. In his poem "Biography,"' splendid to read, too long to quote, he sketches many of "the golden hours of bliss," "the dates which made me," and ends with, "Best trust the happy moments. What they gave Makes man less fearful of the certain grave. And gives his work compassion and new eyes. The days that make us happy make us wise." '".Story of a round-house and other poems." John Masefield. (Macraillan) By permission. Incidentally in that same collection are three or four simple, straightforward love poems worth pages of rhymed or unrhymed sensations which certain poets have made their fashion for the hour. I have read enough to show that all one needs to like and read his poetry are a love of life and the ability and desire to understand plain, direct speech. But the gain to one's heart and mind are in direct proportion to the wonderful simplicity and vitality of his announcements and the depth and variety of his spiritual discover- ies. Here is a poem of Joyce Kilmer's which voices, I think, the typical modern rever- ence none the less true because taken lightly. Trees' I think that I shall never see • A poem as lovely as a tree. A tree whose hungry mouth is prest Against the earth's sweet flowing breast; A tree that looks at God all day, And lifts her leafy arms to pray; A tree that may in summer wear A nest of robins in her hair; Upon whose bosom snow has lain; Who intimately lives with rain. Poems are made by fools like me, But only God can make a tree. Mr. Kilmer shows that he has moments of high seriousness too when he writes Poets' Vain is the chiming of forgotten bells That the wind sways above a ruined shrine. Vainer his voice in whom no longer dwells Hunger that craves Immortal Bread and Wine. Light songs we breathe that perish with our breath Out of our lips that have not kissed the rod. 116 BERKELEY CONFERENCE They shall not live who have not tasted death. They only sing who are struck dumb hy God. One often finds too, the ancient faith expressed in forms of conventional beau- ty, but in this poem by Alfred Noyes — "In the cool of the evening" — there is a note of today in the frank treatment of the sceptics with their insistence on tangible facts. In the Cool of the En'enixg' I. In the cool of the evening, when the low sweet whispers waken, When the labourers turn them home- ward, and the weary have their will. When the censers of the roses o'er the forest aisles are shaken, Is it but the wind that cometh o'er the far green hill? n. I'or they say 'tis but the sunset winds that wander through the heather. Rustle all the meadow-grass and bend the dewy fern; They say 'tis but the winds that bow the reeds in prayer together. And fill the shaken pools with fire along the shadowy bum. III. In the beauty of the twilight, in the Gar- den that He loveth. They have veiled His lovely vesture with the darkness of a name! Thro' His Garden, thro' His Garden it Is but the wind that nioveth. No more; but O, the miracle, the miracle is the same! IV. In the cool of the evening, when the sky Is an old story Slowly dying, but remembered, ay, and loved with passion still. Hush! ... the fringes of His garment, in the fading golden glory. Softly rustling as He cometh o'er the far green hill. Faith in the possibilities in the human heart we shall find in two poems, one illus- trating the tendency to tell a story in Alfred Noyes. (Stokes) verse, the other — but you shall hear the difference. Path-Flo wek' A red-cap sang in Bishop's wood, A lark o'er Golder's lane, As I the April pathway trod Bound west for Willesden. At foot each tiny blade grew big And taller stood to hear. And every leaf on every twig Was like a little ear. As I, too, paused, and both ways tried To catch the rippling rain, — So still, a hare kept at my side His tussock of disdain, — Behind me close I heard a step, A soft pit-pat surprise. And looking round my eyes fell deep Into sweet other eyes; The eyes like wells, where sun lies too. So clear and trustful brown. Without a bubble warning you That here's a place to drown. "How many miles?" Her broken shoes Had told of more than one. She answered like a dreaming Muse, "I came from Islington." "So long a tramp?" Two gentle nods. Then seemed to lift a wing, And words fell soft as willow-buds, "I came to find the Spring." A timid voice, yet not afraid In ways so sweet to roam. As it with honey bees had played And could no more go home. Her home I I saw the human lair, I heard the hucksters bawl, I stifled with the thickened air Of bickering mart and stall. Without a tuppence for a ride. Her feet had set her free. Her rags, that decency defied. Seemed new with liberty. But she was frail. Who would might note That trail of hungering That for an hour she had forgot In wonder of the Spring. '"Collected poems.' By permission. '"Path flower and other verses." Olive Til- ford Dargan. (Scribner) By permission. So shriven by her joy she glowed It seemed a sin to chat. "A tea-shop snuggled off the road;" Why did I think of that? 1 Oh, frail, so frail! I could have wept, — But she was passing on, And I but muddled "You'll accept A penny for a bun?" Then up her little throat a spray Of rose climbed for It must; A wilding lost still safe It lay Hid by her curls of rust; And I saw modesties at fence With pride that bore no name; So old it was she knew not whence It sudden woke and came; But that which shone of all most clear Was startled, sadder thought That I should give her back the fear Of life she had forgot. And I blushed for the world we'd made. Putting God's hand aside, Till for the want of sun and shade His little children died; And blushed that I who every year With Spring went up and down. Must greet a soul that ached for her With "penny for a bun!" Struck as a thief in holy place Whose sin upon him cries, I watched the flowers leave her face, The song go from her eyes. Then she, sweet heart, she saw my rout, And of her charity A hand of grace put softly out And took the coin from me. I A red-cap sang in Bishop's wood, A lark o'er Golder's lane; But I, alone, still glooming stood. And April plucked in vain; Till living words rang in my ears And sudden music played: Out of such sacred thirst cls hers The world shall be remade. Afar she turned her head and smiled Aa might have smiled the Spring, And humble as a wondering child I watched her vanishing. And the other, The Millennium' Ask for no mild millennium: Our world shall never be nobler than Its inhabitants: Never be nobler than you and I, blind brother. What is this world but our secret natures opened and stamped into cities? The smoke of the mills is only the vapor of our soft-coal hearts: The slums of the poor and the drab pal- aces of the rich are the filth of our spirits: The curses of the world are but the un- leashed beast in us roaming the streets. Here and there is one shining among us: He is not a conqueror of tools, but a con- queror of self: He strides like a sun in the crowds, and people are glad of him: He did not wait for a millennium to per- fect him: He did not see the need of sanitation and pure food to help him to a soul: He wrestled with the antagonist In his own breast and emerged victorious. Give us a hundred million such, and a greater world is upon us: But give us only a perfect world, and It shall be a coat that misfits us. Stagnation and sin shall be there as surely as they are deep in our hearts. And now to the end. As I wrote this paper I had to bury out of sight the great fact in the world today lest in my heart and through my pen should come the question, of what avail is all our striving, where our pride, our hope, our faith, of what use are mere words? And for answer to this doubt there came to my office a little book of poems by Law- rence Binyon, "The Winnowing Fan." I read The Fourth of August, Strange Fruit, Louvain, At Rheims, Ode for September, and read again until, ashamed, my eyes could no longer see to read the page. Here is no weak lament, no cry to God for vengeance on the enemy, here is none of the pomp or glory of war, no vainglorious boasting — but the heart of a people as • "Songs for the new age." Jamea Oppen- helm. (Century) By permission. 118 BERKELEY CONFERENCE their poet knows It and, "I have learned," said the Philosopher, "that the head does not hear anything until the heart has listened, and that what the heart knows today the head will understand tomor- row." I can only read a part of the Ode fob Septembeb' IV All the hells are awake: the old serpents hiss From dungeons of the mind; Fury of hate born blind. Madness and lust, despairs and treacher- ies unclean; They shudder up from man's most dark abyss. But there are heavens serene That answer strength with strength; they stand secure; They arm us from within, and we endure. Now are the brave more brave. Now is the cause more dear. The more the tempests of the darkness rave As, when the sun goes down, the shining stars are clear. Radiant the spirit rushes to the grave Glorious it is to live In such an hour, but life is lovelier yet to give. V Alas! what comfort for the uncomforted, Who knew no cause, nor sought Glory or gain? they are taught. Homeless in homes that burn, what human hearts can bear. The children stumble over their dear dead. Wandering they know not where. And there is one who simply fights, obeys, Tramps, till he loses count of nights and days. Tired, mired in dust and sweat. Far from his own hearth-stone; A common man of common earth, and yet The battle-winner he, a man of no re- nown. Where "food for cannon" pays a nation's debt. This is Earth's hero, whom The pride of Empire tosses careless to his doom. VII O children filled with your own airy glee Or with a grief that comes So swift, so strange, it numbs. If on your growing youth this page of ter- ror bite. Harden not then your senses, feel and bo The promise of the light. O heirs of Man, keep in your hearts not less The divine torrents of His tenderness! 'Tis ever war: but rust Grows on the sword; the tale Of earth Is strewn with empires heaped in dust Because they dreamed that force should punish and prevail. The will to kindness lives beyond their lust; Their grandeurs are undone: Deep, deep within man's soul are all his victories won. I could read a hundred others from as many different poets if you could listen so long, but I hope to have shown you with these few, that poets today are translating all the richness of their spiritual discover- ies into common speech that is direct, un- sparing — not clogged with metaphor, — de- pending, for its beauty, on simplicity and truth; that in form they have kept what they wished of the old but have dared to free themselves from conventions which bound and hindered; that it matters not what the subject so long as life Is in it. Songs and the Poet' Sing of the rose or of the mire; sing strife Or rising moons; the silence or the throng . . . Poet, it matterns not, it Life Is in the song. If life rekindles it, and if the rhymes Bear Beauty as their eloquent refrain, Though it were sung a thousand times Sing It again! Thrill us with song — let others preach or rage; Make us so thirst for Beauty that we cease These struggles, and this strident age Grows sweet with peace. I would like to borrow from "Peter Pan." You do believe in poetry, don't you? '"The winnowing fan." Lawrence Binyon. (Houghton) By permission. '"Challenge." Louis Untermeyer. (Cen- tury) By permission. 119 "PER CONTRA" By Herbert Putnam, Librarian of Congress There is an exposition across the bay. A feature of it is an attempt upon the part of various agencies for education, for culture, for comfort and for human wel- fare generally, to show what they are, to illustrate what they are doing, and in a measure to justify themselves. It is a sort of justification — of ourselves — that has been assigned to me today. For our Presi- dent seems to think that the service we represent is not yet beyond cavil; that there are those who still question it, or who question it on new grounds. "More people are reading books," he remarks; "more books are in libraries and covering more subjects; more people are registered as users; more money is appropriated; new departments and new activities are being entered upon. Yet some critics cry out for the good old times when readers, though few, did not dilute their minds with so many ephemeral books, etc." Now the argument of such critics is in tlie nature of a demurrer. Admit the in- crease in libraries, in books, in facilities, in readers: what of it? What does it prove? That more people are reading more books. Yes: but what of tJiat? Well, I am "not so sure." I am not sure of tlae answer. I am not absolutely sure that we are required to give it. A de- murrer — in court — is to be decided by the judge, not by the jury. It involves a ques- tion of law, not of fact: a question, there- fore, to be determined by principles and precedents, not by the unprofessional, in- expert and undisciplined impression of a group of men representing merely the average in experience and opinion, and without a permanent relation with the subject matter. In the case of books, and of libraries to supply them freely at the public expense, the principles were enunci- ated, the precedents established, sixty -five years ago. Is there to be no statute of limitations? If under them there has been this continuing and prodigious develop- ment, doesn't that fact in itself create a presumption very nearly conclusive? Doesn't it mean that we are at least an Institution? — with foundations cemented by the general judgment of the com- munity? If so, we ought not to be called upon to dig up those foundations and reset them whenever anyone questions their soundness. The upper structure Is a dif- ferent matter, and the annexes. These may have to be modified as the developing needs of the community may require. But the modifications will be of detail or of emphasis, or of relative accommodation. They should leave the fundaments un- changed. For one fling at our libraries there are, I suppose, a half dozen at our universities. What of them? Does anybody seriously propose to discard our universities? Does anybody really doubt that the fundamental reason of them is sound; or deny that, taken by and large, they are supplying something which the community needs and must have? And does anybody really think attention is to be paid to the com- plaints against them, save as they concern mere systems or methods? Complaints of system and of method are always to be expected, and are always in order, whatever the institution. They leave untouched the organs which are es- sential, and the raison d'etre of the service itself. When, therefore, a critic declares a col- lege training "useless" we are apt to be amused or tolerant, or tolerantly amused. We fancy that he is arguing from one or two results under his personal observa- tion: of a youth who was a born fool, and remained so in spite of a college course; of another who was a born genius, and came into his own in spite of the lack of it. And whenever another critic declares a 120 BERKELEY CONFERENCE public library "useless" because books are nowadays plentiful and cheap, and the peo- ple who really need them will buy them, why not be contentedly amused at him? But this latter critic goes further: he declares that the free supply of books may be actually injurious; that it deprives the ambitious of an incentive which is valu- able — to save, and buy them himself. It also deprives the book itself of that added relish which comes of its acquisition through painful abstinence in some other direction. And finally, that the supply of books by our public libraries as actually operated, means the supply predominately of books that are educationally or cultur- ally worthless, yet by their very profusion tend to enfeeble the mind, as an incessant diet of sweets may enfeeble the palate. Particularly the ephemerae. They are like the true ephemerae in nature, which at cer- tain seasons fall like snow upon the river. The fish gorge upon them till they become easy prey to the kingfisher. Or perhaps like the little book on Patmos: "And I took the little book out of the angel's hand and ate it up, and it was in my mouth sweet as honey: and as soon as I had eaten it my belly was bitter." The physiology on which this latter com- plaint rests is doubtless sound. We do not deny it. What we question is the facts upon which the complaint is based, or the possibility of the alternatives which a de- ference to it would involve. That our libraries are buying much of the "Ephemera" of the day is true: are they, however, spending an excessive proportion of their funds in the acquisition of it? And is the tendency to spend more rather than less? Granting both — the fact and the tendency — what of the alternative? Shall they ignore wholly the predominant inter- est of the public in the literature which is "current"? Our lives are contemporary. Our thoughts are the thoughts of today. Our actions are to affect the affairs of today. Our motives are the motives of today. Our contacts are contacts with the men o£ today and with the things of today. We are indeed subject still to influences which are hereditary; but the influences of which we are conscious are the in- fluences about us now: the facts, the people, the books, all that which con- stitutes our environment. It is these with which we take our start. They are the impulse, an ambition to influence them is the incentive; and it is the hope of in- fluencing them more potently that is our chief motive in looking to the past at all. The aid in this which the past can ren- der is of great concern. It is the ofllce of a library to make it available. No doubt it is, as President Wellman has pointed out, the prime and most important office. But a public library deals not merely with students preparing for life, but with men and women leading lives. It cannot go to them. What brings them to it is either some condition in their own lives, or some condition about them, which they hope to improve, or to benefit by. These conditions are reflected or dealt with in the literature of today. If the library refuses to supply this, it fails to meet its readers on their own ground. And the distance between this ground and the past is a con- siderable one. It is difficult to bridge. If not bridged by the books themselves con- tinuing into the present, the task falls upon the interpreting staff. But it will be a staff lacking apparatus. I take it, therefore, as unavoidable that a public library shall include literature of the day. The question is only: how much? — And in what proportion? — I do not see how it can avoid supplying many books and periodicals that will prove mere- ly "ephemeral". It will certainly supply many far interior to the "standards": in- ferior in literary form, in intellectual power, in moral tone. It need not supply those admittedly debasing. But conscious- ly it does not. This we assert and insist upon. And as to the other values it does draw a line. What the critic complains of is that this line is not drawn high enough. What we answer Is that it is be- ing drawn higher with each developing year. And we point out that this effort 121 is made possible by two developing fea- tures in administration: the prevalence of the system of "open access", ensuring to the reader the direct contacts which enable the better books to make their own appeal; and the increased personal attention given to the reader by the staff, which recog- nizes him as a human being alive, in a living present, and meets and differentiates him accordingly. The criticisms are always in general terms, and therefore vague. 1 have yet to see one based on statistics, one that named a single book supplied which ought not to be supplied. An excess of current fiction has always been alleged. And as to this statistics are quoted. They are al- ways, however, statistics of circulation; and they overlook, what has frequently been pointed out, that the current novels are the small change of literature, and, therefore, being issued, read, and returned more rapidly, count more in the total than the so-called "serious," which is also the more deliberate, literature. The detail of the complaint — that they serve no useful purpose to the reader him- self — we can afford to ignore. I think it time that we did. The fair reason for reducing the number of them that we pro- vide, or of eliminating them altogether, is a more practical one. It is, that the en- deavor to supply them in adequate quanti- ties to meet the interests of the moment, is futile; and that the mere profession of supplying them invites demands which are an expense to deal with even in the nega- tive — by answering that the book is "out"; and that the cost of administering the volumes which are actually acquired and supplied, is in itself excessive. For we must not forget that the cost of issuing a volume of fiction is as great as that of issuing a volume of history or philosophy; and if, as happens, tlie volume of fiction is Issued a hundred times in a year to the others one, the cost will be multiplied accordingly. It is on this ground and on this partic- ularly that I am personally in favor of leaving the "current fiction" — that is all novels within one year after publication — to the subscription libraries. I have fre- quently said so; and have not changed my opinion. Such a course would alone, I be- lieve, dispose of nine-tenths of the critics.' That is, however, a mere detail. The omission would still leave a wide range of literature neither definitely instrucvive, nor 111 any way beneficial save to the judicious. But are we to regard solely the injudi- cious? — Let us take courage from the Areo- pagitica: "if it be true that a wise man, like a good refiner, can gather gold out of the drossiest volume, and that a fool will be a fool with the best book, yea or without book, there is no reason that we should deprive a wise man of any advan- take to his wisdom, while we seek to restrain from a fool that which, being restrained, will be no hindrance to his folly." But people read too much! — Particular- ly they read too many of the books that signify nothing because they require no effort on the part of the reader. Certainly, they do. This is an age of print; and the schools — and the oculist — have given us the ability to take advantage of it. We are gregarious: it makes us citizens of the world. We are curious: it brings to us all the facts and phenomena of our time. We are self-conscious: it re- flects us. We love gossip: it provides it, and food for it. We are — still — romantic. It supplies the romance. And we court e.Ycitement: it supplies that also. In some moods and states of exhaustion, of petu- lance or of despair, we crave mere distrac- tion. To some among us this may be achieved by means of a master book, a classic. They are fortunate. To the com- mon run, if it can be achieved by a book at all, it will be only by a book contem- porary with the reader: which takes the phenomena of life familiar to him and re- composes them so that they become dramat- ic; or sheds intelligence upon them so that they represent to him something significant 'It was recommended by Jlr. Dana at the Niagara Conference a dozen years ago. His paper states the case tersely and with com- plete good sense. 122 BERKELEY CONFERENCE which he had not before seen in them; or it changes his angle of vision; or it re- lates them in some sympathetic way to himself. Perhaps it may relate them also to that which is permanent in all litera- ture. If so, the author has himself bridged over the gulf between the reader and the classics. He has interpreted the classics: but he has done so in a language which is intelligible, because it is the language of the reader himself. For such an author the reader is the point of departure, and the present day. Equally must it be for the library. But a profusion of books is so "enervat- ing"! So in a sense is a profusion of any other good thing. Civilization itself is enervating: it deprives us of the discipline of privation and hardship. Every luxury made available, every necessity made easy, means one less opportunity for the exer- cise of hardening virtues. I heard a physi- cian remark that the tests and the instru- ments of precision which had made for the safety of modern surgery were ruining the faculties of observation in the medical pro- fession. He meant, because they render the exercise of those faculties less neces- sary. Very likely. But the answer is that they have rendered modern surgery possi- ble. As for the faculties of observation: other faculties — of reasoning, for instance, which deal with the results — have still their opportunity and their exercise. "We value only what we have to work for." To be sure. To the toiler in a city sweatshop who secures his annual week in the country only by penurious self denial during the remaining fifty-one, the woods, the fields, the birds, the very air are para- dise. To the country boy who lives among them they are commonplaces of which he is unconscious. But this does not prove that they do not benefit him. The book secured by self-denial has an added value: but it is a value added only in relation to the circumstances of the possessor. Its essential quality remains the same, and its potency, as it came to him without effort. The man of few friends sets a special store by each disproportionate to his merit. But the man of many friends may be more capable of valuing the few whom he makes his intimates: for the possession of the many enlarges and diversifies his sense of values. The man limited to a narrow area may profit by the very necessity of making the most of his opportunities in an intensive way. But the man who can travel, and through travel secure varied contacts and experiences, is enlarging and diversifying not merely his sense of values but other elements in himself, very useful to him individually and as a citizen. In mere power the man who keeps his thoughts, his passions, and his purposes within narrow confines, and conforms rigorously to them his acquaintance, his reading and his experience, surpasses: just as in mere power the stream confined be- tween the narrow limits of a gorge excels an equivalent body of water spread out over wide and shallow areas. But the ser- vice of the latter may be the more benig- nant. There are times when the narrow and intense, rather than the broad and sympathetic, qualities are necessary to society. But those times — requiring the Puritan, one may even say, the fanatic- are times of stress and crisis. They are not the normal times of modern society. So this very profusion of opportunity which modern civilization affords, has its compensations. It is relaxing — undoubt- edly. It affects the mind as a Turkish bath affects the body. It opens all the pores. And the risk is the risk of open pores^: which is that they will let something in injurious to the system. To be more exact physiologically, it is that they will let something out which the system cannot spare. In the case of the body this is a certain vital warmth. In the case of the mind it may, I suppose, be either warmth of energy and conviction — or that conscious power which comes of tense and sustained effort against a specific obstacle. But civilization has still its obstacles. There are plenty of them: it is only their character which has changed, and the di- rection of the effort required. We may 123 no longer have to fell the trees or uproot the stumps; but there will still be the soil to enrich, and the crops to diversity, and the question of markets, and the ulti- mate consumer. The awe in which book-learning was once held extended to the books themselves. It has passed. We are now on easy terms with them. We treat them casually as we do mere acquaintance upon the street. We approach them for a word, a laugh, a mere nothing, and then pass on. We do not ex- haust the opportunity. Others will occur. Still less do we "make up for it" as for a formal occasion. Awe has its values: the loss of it is a loss of certain values. On the other hand the easy familiarities which displace it may bring some efficiencies very desirable. They may be merely social: but social effi- ciency is not to be disparaged, nor even social facility. To relax is also to ex- pand. So far as books are concerned, the pres- ent profusion goes along with other peri- lous profusions, of which most nearly anal- ogous are the performed play, and the moving picture. Neither requires effort in the spectator, — intellectual effort, that is to say. They are, however, facts. "Vaude- ville is a fact; and so is the "movie". Philosophizing, one would find much to de- plore in them. It would not be their mor- ality: for the most popular of them are those whose moral is unimpeachable. The worst that can be charged against them is vulgarity; and this charge lies against only a fraction of them. But we must not forget that a large por- tion of each audience lives in an atmos- phere even more "vulgar", and that in earlier times that portion would have had no experience at all outside of their par- ticular environment. The play or the "movie" gives them such an experience. It may be merely emotional. If it appeals to their sense of humor it is also, in a meas- ure, Intellectual. It may at least widen their sympathies and quicken their imagi- nation. It requires no effort; it involves no dis- cipline. This is a pity. Plays and pic- tures which would be intelligible and could be enjoyed only by the active exercise of the reasoning powers would certainly be more "educational". If we had only such plays, and only such examples in art, in music, and in literature; and the public would flock to them as they do to those actually provided, our republic might be- come an amplified Athens. But the others exist and appeal, and the vast majority of the public to whom they appeal and who by supporting render them possible, is of people who in Athens would have formed no part of the audiences: for we must not forget that of that entire community . it was but ten thousand — the "upper classes" — alone who were privileged to such experiences. The participation in them of the rest of the community — of the community as a whole — is a phenomenon only of our day. That is true of the plays and the pictures. It is true of the books. With this difference — of moment to us: that where the books are to be supplied by an agency acting as we do in behalf of the community as a whole, and at its expense, there are certain responsibilities. They involve certain standards, — variable, but progressive. The moral standard is already, I think, amply recognized. The intellectual is recognized as far as contemporary conditions permit. There remains the question of taste. And It is as to this in books, as in the play and the moving picture, that the opportunity for improvement chiefly lies. Taste isn't something which may be handed a man. Knowledge may be; but not taste. It isn't something which, having got, he merely possesses. Rather It possesses him. It is the man himself: a unit, in the sum total of his sensibilities. It is subjective: it cannot be dictated to. But it may be influenced. The sure in- fluence is association, and a progressive experience: for the improvement cannot be abrupt, it can only be gradual. In our reading public the hope of im- provement lies, I believe, in the two in- fluences I have mentioned: the freer dl- 124 BERKELEY CONFERENCE rect contact with the books themselves, attracting to new experiences: and increas- ing mediation between them and the reader bj the librarian who, knowing them, re- lates them to the needs of the reader as a present day human being. It is in effi- ciency In this human relation rather than in catalogs and classification, and the other Instruments of precision, that our distinct- ive opportunity as librarians now lies. It is this which is now having our attention as never before. Concern for It has taken the place of the concern for mere system and apparatus that excited us forty years ago: — in that second stage of our develop- ment, when mere expansion of the oppor- tunity for the reader having become as- sured, our zeal turned to the perfection of systems and apparatus, and we were in danger of losing sight of the religion in the mere ritual. We recognize now that those mechanical devices, while necessary, are merely devices. They are to be utilized; but they are to lead the reader to the book, not to be consciously interposed be- tween him and the book. They are to be a gateway, not a barrier. They are also in a way, a guide. But the main guide must be the librarian himself, herself. The first con- tact should be with him, and so far as prac- ticable, this should continue, until the final contact with the author has been assured. The qualities that it demands include some not characteristic of the librarian of the older school. The qualities he had were in some respects admirable. But the readers he had to meet were a limited, a select class. They approached him endowed al- ready with appreciation. The impulses he responded to were already existing: he did not have to create them. The modern librarian — of a public library (and it is the ordinary public library I am speaking of throughout) has often to create the impulse as well as to direct it. The old time librarian was contemporary with the past. The present day librarian must not forget to be contemporary also with the present. He must be informed not merely as to the book, but as to the reader. He must understand him and what actuates him. For this, he must have the widest possible familiarity with the affairs, the interests, the influences of today: a familiarity gained not by formal education but by travel and by varied social contacts. In quite a new measure, therefore, is it necessary that our librarians shall secure these; — and not merely the librarian-in- chief, but the entire interpreting staff. With them, with the fundamental education back of them, with the temperament and the instinct for service; as human beings part of your own time in thought and feel- ing, but as librarians infused also with the thought and feeling of all time, you have opportunities for service not sur- passed by that of any other profession, and certainly not vouchsafed to former gener- ations of your own. And the distinctive opportunity is inci- dent to the very conditions which the critics deplore. For if this present age is profuse, and superficial, it is also alert, eager and impressionable. You can aid It to exact knowledge, clear and discriminate thinking, and the choice of the better reason. That is the prime office of books and of libraries. In the promotion of morality and of taste, however, their ser- vice is chiefly auxiliary; and we refuse to admit them accountable as if the only responsible agency. The prime agencies are clean and comely homes, decent stand- ards in business and civics, and whatever is refining in art, architecture, music and the drama. Let the community see to those and it may count upon the public library for its due share in co-operation with them. SOME RECENT FEATURES IN LIBRARY ARCHITECTURE' By Chalmebs Hadley, Librarian, Denver PuliUc Library Questions of library architecture have been considered by this Association from its organization. It was the theme of dis- cussion at the Naragansett Pier meeting nine years ago. The intervening time since then has been particularly rich in the development of library architecture and the recent literature on the subject in- cludes such valuable publications as "Small library buildings," edited by Miss Cornelia Marvin; "New types of library buildings," by the Wisconsin free library commission; and "How to plan a library building for library work," by C. C. Soule. The importance of a properly planned building for library work was realized as thoroughly years ago as now, but there have been sweeping changes in our ideas of what constitutes a properly planned build- ing. These have been due to the growing complexity of library work, to Its democratization, and to the progress made in artificial lighting. Our ideas have changed also in regard to the architectural impression which a library building should give. Prior to the Columbian exposition held in Chicago in 1893, our library structures showed the influences of the Gothic, Tudor, Georgian and other architectural styles without particular regard as to whether the style was especially adapted to the type of library, or whether local traditions ex- isted which ought to be considered in planning any library structure. The superb array of buildings of the Greek type, at the Columbian exposition gave an impetus to that impressive style in this country which has continued with un- diminished fervor ever since. It had an unprecedented effect on library archi- ^ Preliminary remarks in describing slides illus- trating such features in the library buildings at Portland, Oregon ; St. Louis ; Somerville and Springfield, Mass. ; Mineral Springs and Ft. Atkin- son, Wis.: Elizabeth, N. J.; and two branch library buildings in Denver. tecture, coming as it did in the early years of that era of new buildings, due to the munificence of Mr. Andrew Carnegie. Through this munificence, library build- ings sprang mushroom-like over the land and, mushroom-like, was that object of fervid local pride — the ever present library dome where the heated air was wafted in winter time and from whence dripped the summer showers. Many of these domes were of stained glass, an expensive item in a building of medium cost, and in others, portraits in glass of familiar authors were placed, be- hind which were arc lights to be turned on at auspicious times, when from the dark- ened dome there flashed the portraits of Shakespeare and Booth Tarkington, Milton and Harriet Beecher Stowe. The last decade has witnessed a wide departure from this stereotyped library building, particularly in those states where public library commissions have been most active. In these states successful efforts have been made in increasing number to provide buildings to meet the particular library needs of the community to be served. During the last ten years there has ap- peared also an increasing number of library buildings which architecturally have sought to embody the local traditions of their communities. A larger number of buildings have also been designed to meet the special climatic conditions of their lo- calities. Consequently, along the Atlantic seaboard, buildings of the Georgian type, and in the Middle west, those of an English domestic type, or buildings which in their design show the long, unbroken lines of the low-lying prairies, have appeared in num- ber. In the high plateau region of the Central west, buildings of the North Italian type have become numerous, while in the West and Southwest in particular, library structures are reproducing the dis- 126 BERKELEY CONFERENCE tinctive features of the early Spanish colonial buildings. Our largest library structures continue to follow the Greek type and so secure the compactness and monumental impressive- ness which it affords, but there has been a notable departure from this type in our smaller libraries in favor of a style less expensive than the Greek, less institutional and formal in appearance, and more flex- ible in design. Whatever the type may be, however, there has been a gratifying decrease in attention to decorative details in our smaller buildings with a correspond- ing increased effort to secure beauty through structural lines and exquisite pro- portions. Of late there has been much discussion as to the comparative cost of library and school building construction with criti- cism of the greater cost of libraries. Such a comparison is not entirely fair, however, for it must be remembered that usually the library building is the only one of its kind in the community, that its work is broadly social as well as educational, that it must provide for diverse activities within its walls, and that it gives service to the public for twelve hours or more every day in the w'eek and practically every day in the year. Even with fire- proof construction, some of our newer library buildings have been erected at the cost of but twenty-one cents a cubic foot. Occasionally, during the last few years, libraries have been erected as part of a group arrangement of buildings in cities where civic center plans have been form- ulated. The architectural beauty so ob- tained may in the future result unfor- tunately for libraries in setting restrictions difficult to avoid should the enlargement of the library building become necessary with the growth of its work. A desire has recently become apparent in some cities and towns to give the branch library, as well as the main build- ing itself, the appearance of a store. To heighten this effect, it has been suggested and actually tried in places, to provide a building similar in appearance to sur- rounding stores, flush with the sidewalk and with no entrance steps. Many store rooms with good wall space and light are well adapted to library uses, but the de- liberate desire to efface all appearance of a library structure and imitate that of a store room is a sad commentary on the American public, as well as one of its most democratic institutions. Probably the alert citizen who appreciates the value of books and is keen to recognize the build- ing which houses them is quite as valuable to the community as the one too indolent to climb the usual half dozen steps at a library entrance. Some of our newest large buildings re- veal the desire to accommodate the nu- merous civic organizations which wish to meet at the library. One of the most re- cently completed ones shows three audi- toria seating from 100 to 125 persons each and five committee rooms. Such facilities not only accommodate numerous worthy organizations, but they greatly increase the library's influence by reaching many who otherwise might not come to the li- brary building. Such use of library rooms makes perti- nent the question. What restrictions. If any, should a library place on the character of meetings held under its roof? It also raises the question as to how far a library in a large city should go as a municipal meeting place without sacrificing its greater value as a library. In spite of our numerous excursions into the kindergarten and other fields of en- deavor, most of them eminently worthy and proper, our principal activity as a public institution remains that of work- ing directly through books. The main rea- son for providing meeting places for clubs, etc., therefore, is the increased opportu- nities of supplying books. For that rea- son I would not provide separate outside entrances to library rooms, but would re- quire every individual of our consider- ably coddled library public to reach those rooms through the library's entrance and corridors. By doing so, the visitor will be brought into physical contact at least with 127 the library's main activity as a tax-sup- ported institution, even at ttie annoyance of increased noise in tlie building. Another feature In our newer buildings which is increasingly noted is that of plac- ing boolv staclts in the center of the build- ing rather than against one of the exterior walls, usually the rear one. This former arrangement resulted from the expense and insufficiency of artificial light in the stacks, and natural light was poured into the room at the cost of depriving readers and staff of one-fourth of the light and fresh air that should have been theirs. In the older arrangement, many plans were used to catch the last lingering ray for the stacks, even to lining opposite walls and courts with enameled tiles or by painting them white for purposes of better reflection. In addition to the ob- jection of giving the books, rather than readers, outside light and air, this arrange- ment had other disadvantages. Natural light in most cities is an uncertain source for libraries, direct sunlight frequently causes deterioration to book bindings and paper, and the placing of stacks against an outside wall prevents easy ac- cessibility to them from the other three- fourths of the library building. The substitution of tungsten for carbon lamps, and now nitrogen for the tungsten, has increased the intensity of artificial light over four-fold, with but little, if any, increase in expense. Hence, natural light is no longer so indispensable to book stacks as it once was. By placing the stacks in the building's center, the least valuable part of the li- brary structure, a step is taken for greater and more uniform accessibility. One of our most experienced librarians is not con- tent with this, however, but believes that a vertical stack, even in the library's cen- ter, will not be the final arrangement for accessibility, but that the various floors should be so reinforced that one or two tiers of stacks could be placed on every floor in the exact location where the books on that particular floor will be most easily reached. Another feature in our newer buildings is more definite provision for the greater comfort and well-being of the staff. It was Mr. Hitt of Washington, I believe, who stated that in the success or failure of a library's work, the building itself contrib- uted five per cent; the book collection, twenty per cent, and the librarian and staff, seventy-five per cent. It is wisdom to see that proper facilities for the well- being of such a contributing force be provided, and rest and recreation rooms for staff members are becoming usual. A notable development in library plan- ning, especially in smaller cities and towns, is shown in the attempt to make the li- brary building a social center, or to make its activities an integral part of a social center scheme. What is most needed in many small communities is not a library alone, so much as a library in connection with recreation rooms, a public auditorium, rest rooms and, if a separate wing to the building be possible, a gymnasium. I be- lieve that frequently much of the enthu- siasm for a public library in a small town is based on a more or less unconscious de- sire for a social center. It is folly for libraries in medium-sized and larger cit- ies to attempt social activities which can be handled better by other institutions, but new library buildings in several small cities show interesting attempts to make the library building a physical part of a community center. Some possible loss of identity to the library in such a scheme will be more than compensated for by bringing the various forces for commu- nity betterment into more active co-opera- tion and by decreasing their individual cost of maintenance. Some of our older library buildings are said to have forty and fifty per cent of floor space devoted to entrance halls, stairways, corridors, permanent wall space, etc. It is noticeable in our newer build- ings, both large and small, that space for such uses has been greatly decreased. One of the radical changes in decreasing this waste has been the frequent elimina- tion, when possible, of permanent walls. 128 BERKELEY CONFERENCE Such a radical change as this can not be made in the larger so well as in smaller buildings, but usually it is found that many permanent walls are not only dis- pensable, but their replacement by floor cases as dividing lines is a decided im- provement. It is always difficult, in plan- ning a library structure, to forecast abso- lutely the spaces needed for the library's various activities. Wherever floor cases can be used in place of permanent walls to mark these divisions, not only will greater flexibility result, but a spacious, open interior will be obtained, with in- creased light and air. While numerous radical changes in li- brary planning have been general during the last decade, this is true particularly in our smaller buildings. One reason is, there was much to improve, for as a class, library buildings in our smaller cities and towns did not represent the thought and ability displayed in the larger buildings. One change which has been noted par- ticularly in our smaller buildings has been that in the shape of the building itself. Many of the older buildings were slightly oblong, others were square, or if the build- ing lot were narrow, the building's, depth was greater than its frontage. Another favorite plan was known as the "butterfly" type, with a central delivery room flanked to the right and left by reading rooms for adults and children, and with- floor cases tor books back of the delivery desk. Such a plan had certain merits in a medium-sized building, but its defects were glaring in a small library with but one library employee, or two at most. Consequently, as a result of experience and intelligent observation, we seem to be reaching a more uniform floor plan for small libraries, which shows a simplifica- tion in the interior arrangement and a lengthening of the building's frontage at the expense of its depth. By increasing the length of a small building, several advantages result. In- stead of depending on end windows, which frequently abut on adjoining property not controlled by the library, an unfailing source of natural light will be secured through the increased window space made possible by the longer front and rear walls. By this lengthening, a greater sepa- ration of rooms for adult and juvenile readers will be possible, with added quiet- ness in both. Another advantage will be to bring the delivery desk forward so it need not be more than fifteen feet from the building's entrance. Most of our better small buildings also show, when possible, an open interior with a substitution of floor cases for per- manent walls; the abolition of a librarian's room from the main floor, in buildings costing less than $10,000; and the aban- donment of a separate book or stack room until the capacity of all wall and floor cases is exhausted. A building somewhat in the way of an innovation, which offers excellent advan- tages to a small branch building, or a village library, Is, for want of a better term, described as having a "broken" floor plan. By this is meant two wings of equal length, adult and juvenile reading rooms. Joining at right angles like the letter "L." Such a building, placed at street inter- sections, provides an entrance at the street corner, with a walk to the library's en- trance, which will be on the inside angle of the building. Directly opposite the en- trance will be the delivery desk. At this point, midway between the two wings, the library attendant will have excellent su- pervision of both reading rooms. The "break" in the floor plan also gives ex- cellent separation of the two reading rooms without the need of dividing parti- tions. If a librarian's room is to be lo- cated on the main floor, it would be built directly back of the delivery desk. Most librarians and trustees have gone through the unpleasant experience of try- ing to locate a proposed building when citizens on two rival streets were in arms as to which thoroughfare the new building should face. By using this type of build- ing, with an entrance at the street inter- section, both factions will be appeased and a most excellent library building plan will be secured. BOWERMAN HOW FAR SHOULD THE LIBRARY AID THE PEACE MOVEMENT AND SIMILAR PROPAGANDA? By George F. Bowekman, Librarian, The PuMic Library of the District of ColumHa I suppose it may be taken for granted that the members of no other profession could have been more surprised and shocked at the outbreak of the great Euro- pean war tlian were American librarians. Living in an atmosphere of peace and good will and enlisted in the work of spreading enlightenment, joined by many strong ties with our professional colleagues in other lands, we had assessed the spirit of the world to be in harmony with the spirit of our profession and with the American spirit, strong for universal peace and had thought that the world had become suffi- ciently civilized so that war, or at least a great continental war, involving the most advanced European peoples, was no longer possible. Even now it hardly seems com- prehensible that many of the European libraries are either closed or are running shorthanded because librarians are serving with armies in the field where they are fighting their professional colleagues of other nations, being killed or maimed or contracting diseases that will cut short their careers. Almost incredible also is it that the great library of the University of Louvain should have been destroyed in war in this the twentieth century. It is all so bewildering as almost to defy belief. Although our country has happily kept out of the war through the wise leadership of the President and the fundamental de- votion to peace of our people, yet the coun- try in general has suffered heavily and many American libraries in particular have had appropriations much curtailed as a result of the business depression brought on by the war. With our sympathies aroused and our professional interest en- listed, ought we to allow an annual meet- ing of our national association falling while the v/ar is still in progress to pass without asking whether there is anything that we librarians and the libraries we represent can do to further the cause of international peace, whether we can as- sist in bringing about the peace that shall last, that win make all wars impossible, unthinkable? I am sure that we librarians "look forward," in the words of William James, "to a future when acts of war shall be formally outlawed among civilized peo- ples." How far Is the library justified in going and what specific methods are we as librarians justified in taking to help in causing this view to be generally accepted? In attempting to answer these questions it is desirable first to lay down certain principles that should guide the library in its attitude toward propaganda in general and then to inquire whether there are any special considerations that may properly affect our attitude toward the peace move- ment. The librarian is constantly confronted with demands for the purchase of books and magazines, the offer of free copies of books, magazines and pamphlets issued on one side or the other of controverted ques- tions, cults and isms. The main guiding principle should be that of interested neu- trality. The library seeks complete en- lightenment on the part of its constitu- ency and to that end affords the fullest possible representation to both sides, to all sides of every controverted question. The library should encourage a broad and liberal spirit of free inquiry; its purpose is not to restrain but to foster comprehen- sive curiosity. The offers of literature or the requests for its purchase may have propaganda in mind; the proponents very probably intend to use the machinery of the library, expensive to the public but cheap for their use for the dissemination of their own views. The library in lending itself to such use is not playing into the 130 BERKELEY CONFERENCE hands of the propagandist, but is rather availing Itself of offers and requests to afford the inquiring and curious public, in- terested in subjects of current discussion, with material for the study of the ques- tions at issue. Care should of course be taken when material representing one side only is offered, to procure the best ma- terial on the other side, together with the writings of capable neutral critics, if such exist. Even though the subjects of dis- cussion may sometimes seem relatively unimportant or even at times rather fool- ish to the matter-of-fact librarian, the library cannot best meet the needs of the public unless it furnishes such material. The library wishes to be fair and escape the criticism of being narrow-minded or biased. Some subjects which provoke only a smile or faint interest among sophisti- cated persons like librarians, may be of surpassing interest to certain readers of character and standing in the community. This position of hospitality Is, I believe, the proper attitude of the librarian toward the many controverted questions with which he is constantly dealing such as vivisection, vaccination, Roman Catholi- cism, Christian Science, socialism, the sin- gle tax, the recall, capital punishment, im- migration restriction, prohibition and woman suffrage. The individual librarian or member of a book committee may have strong opinions on some or all of these subjects; he may be superior in his per- sonal attitude toward some of them and hostile toward others; ofBcially, however, he must be sympathetic toward various points of view, for they are vital questions to large sections of the community and to ignore them is to render a public library unresponsive to the needs of its public. The work that libraries may appropri- ately do with respect to a sharply con- troverted question may be well illustrated by what has been done by them in the case of the present war, involving as it has disputes over causes, atrocity charges, in- fractions of international law, etc., on the one hand, and an American public divided in its sympathies on the other. Ever since its outbreak the public has been closely fol- lowing the war not only by means of the newspapers, but numerous readers have flocked to libraries to study with eagerness books, reviews and controversial pam- phlets. The war has created an entire new and voluminous literature that libraries have properly collected and made available, in many cases by means of maintaining a series of special shelves devoted to ma- terial about the war. Several libraries have printed for distribution reading lists, compiled in their own libraries or have distributed the list issued by the Publish- ers' Weekly. In gathering this material, libraries have collected widely and impar- tially, in order to afford the amplest op- portunity for the forming of independent judgments. The wise librarian has utilized this occasion to bring to the attention of his readers not only material about the immediate and controverted questions at issue, but also books about the historical aspects of the controversy, about the con- ditions in times of peace in the nations in- volved and also especially the literature of peace and international arbitration. How far should the library definitely promote the peace movement itself, if at all? Should its attitude be strictly that which it occupies toward any other con- troverted question? If so, the peace advo- cate may hope much from what the library can do for it is believed that the literature favorable to peace and international arbi- tration is far stronger than that opposed to peace. Simply for the library to possess full resources on both sides of the question and to exploit it by displays, annotated lists and the other usual methods will of itself powerfully aid the peace movement. This war has forcibly dragged the question out of the academic shades where it has for the most part previously rested and made it the most vital question before the bar of the world's opinion. It can no more be neglected than can the question of the cost of living. Every library at all re- sponsive to public questions must provide full resources and make them available to BOWERMAN 131 the public. That of itself inevitably pro- motes the peace movement. But I believe that the library is justified in occupying a more advanced position on this particular controverted question. It is likely that few librarians or library trus- tees, whatever their individual opinions may be, would officially advocate omission to provide for suitable national defense, or for proper development of army and navy and other elements of preparedness, at least until such time as armies and navies, if retained at all, are made into international military and police forces. These are immediate questions of public policy with which he has nothing officially to do. I believe, however, that it is en- tirely in consonance with the purpose of the library, as an integral part of the pub- lic educational system, as an institution devoted to the spread of democracy and the promotion of enlightenment, as an in- stitution with books in many languages, containing information about all the peo- ples of the world, and as an institution with many international friendships with librarians and other scholars throughout the world, to promote in every suitable way the strongest ties of international friendship. Librarians are also interested in peace and should, I believe, promote it as a mat- ter of self-preservation. Many observers have predicted that the present war will cease only with the complete economic ex- haustion of one or more of the combatant nations. In any event the rehabilitation of all of the countries involved will be a long and painful process. Money spent on armies and navies and for interest on piled up debts cannot be spent for social objects or for education; and since the library is perhaps the youngest and least considered of all educational agents, it will doubtless suffer most from the enforced economies resulting from war preparations. We are told that more than 70 per cent of the in- come of our own national government is spent on wars past and future. Can any- one doubt that library appropriations would be larger if military and naval ex- penditures were smaller? Most librarians would agree not only that war and preparations for war are en- tirely at variance with the purposes for which the library exists, but that war versus peace is no longer a controverted question of public policy at all. It is rather a question of fundamental ethics: Is the world willing to go on sanctioning a system that puts all of the resources of modern technical science into commission for wholesale murder and theft? The fail- ure to adopt at the close of the present war some plan that will eliminate war from the earth except as a measure of punishment by an international police force would be to postpone the time when the library may hope to do its full work. We the librarians of today want to see the scope of the library enlarged instead of having it kept to its present narrow limits. We want to see libraries have larger and better paid staffs in order ade- quately to meet present demands. We need money to foster larger demands on the part of the public. Both as citizens and as librarians we want to see promoted all of the other movements that make for social well-being and enlightenment, knowing that thereby the opportunities and de- mands for our own work will most surely be enlarged. The reduction of the burden of armaments offers, I believe, the best hope for the expansion of the library and of library work. Although I have been arguing that the library by reason of its essential char- acter as well as because of self-interest ought definitely to promote the peace movement yet I do not think that the specific measures I shall advocate will prove unacceptable even to those librarians and library trustees who conceive the peace movement as strictly falling within the field of controverted questions. In proposing that the library stress the peace movement there is no suggestion of neg- lect to provide the fullest possible re- sources for the study of literature favor- ing war and controverting pacifist argu- ments. 132 BERKELEY CONFERENCE In an enumeration of the ways in whicli the library can appropriately aid the peace movement I should put foremost the effi- cient and liberal development of the library itself and the compelling extension of its resources to the entire reading popu- lation. If only the library is generously stocked with travel literature, books in foreign languages and literatures, tech- nology, fine arts, economics, sociology and history; if it has branches and other agen- cies and expert administration so that it is really used by approximately the entire population, it becomes a great leavening influence, improving the economic effi- ciency of the population, increasing their general enlightenment, counteracting the jingoism of the yellow journal, making good Americans of recent immigrants and increasing the sympathetic interest of per- sons of American birth in foreign lands and peoples. The great agent for the amal- gamation of those of foreign birth is the public school and the library is or should become its strong right arm. In other words, if the library is able by proper sup- port to cease being a static institution sim- ply responding to calls made upon it and can become a dynamic institution that shall reach out and influence the entire population and join in a big way in the forward social movements, it can power- fully influence public opinion. Who can doubt that this influence would be for gen- eral progress, including international peace? It must be confessed that some of the Influence of the library has- been in the direction of fostering warlike sentiments. Many of the books, most popular in libra- ries, fiction, juvenile books and histories, glorify war and inflame international hatreds. I make no suggestion of a censor- ship that would eliminate such books. It is desirable, however, that libraries should furnish an ample stock of the books that depict the horrors of war and that they sliould encourage the writing of books of history that record the work of heroes of peace and that recognize the fact that real history is a record of the development of pacific civilization and international harmony. The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace miglit well enlist some geniuses in the work of writing master- pieces of fiction for adult and juvenile readers — books that will do for the cause of peace what "Uncle Tom's Cabin" did for the slavery question. It is a perfectly fair proposition I believe, for the library as an educational institution to stress such a part of its collection. Of course it goes without saying that the library should have the best possible stock of books on international law and on the economic nad social phases of war and peace. The literature of peace, internationalism and war may well be exploited by the methods already mentioned and by the pub- lication of lists such as those issued by the Brooklyn Public Library in 1908 (57 pages), by the public libraries of Boston, Denver, Salem and Buffalo, by the Library of Con- gress and the Wisconsin Free Library Commission. The American Association for International Conciliation has issued two lists on "Internationalism," compiled by Mr. Frederick C. Hicks, and has dis- tributed them to libraries generally. Mr. Hicks also prepared and the American As- sociation issued, two or three years ago, about a dozen "best book catalog cards," each card listing, with annotation, several titles of books and periodicals on various phases of the peace question. These cards have been inserted in the card catalogs of a large number of American libraries. This work should be continued. The American Association has issued for free distribution a reference list and a sylla- bus for the study of international polity, by Dr. John Mez. It is also believed that the American Peace Society or one of the other American peace agencies, would, if the American Library Association or any considerable number of American libraries should make the suggestion, issue a brief and a comprehensive annotated list of books on peace in very large editions for distri- bution by libraries to their readers. The call for literature on the peace question in libraries is already large. The distri- BOWBRMAN 133 bution of such lists would stimulate such calls. Librarians might well let it be known to the Carnegie Endowment and the local peace societies that they would welcome lectures and debates on the peace ques- tions in their lecture halls in their main libraries and branches. In common with most lectures given in library auditoriums, they need not be directly under library auspices, but might be under the patron- age of the peace societies. The public library is now generally becoming a fea- ture in the social and civic center move- ment by which public school buildings are coming to be used for public lectures, meetings and debates. Here are oppor- tunities for the popularization of knowl- edge of the peace movement and for li- brary co-operation in furnishing the litera- ture for the study of the question. The story-telling now done in library children's rooms or in schools by chil- dren's librarians, or with library co-opera- tion, offers another opportunity for im- planting peace ideas in the minds of com- ing citizens. If heroes of war form the subject of the stories, care should be taken not to leave the idea that war of today is the romantic thing it may possibly have been once — or more probably never was, except in the minds of the romancers. Perhaps the horrors of war should not be detailed to younger children, but the deeds of heroes of peace might well be utilized in story-telling. More material in the in- terest of peace suitable for story-telling should be published. It ought also to be listed in bibliographies for children's li- brarians and teachers, and for the children themselves. Something has been done in this direction in the publication by the New York Public Library of its pamphlet list entitled "Heroism." The scope of the American School Peace League might well be enlarged to include the library. One of its objects is to secure the writing of histories for children which will be truthful but will not unduly empha- size international and racial antipathies. The library surely needs such help, should use it and might well join in the move- ment. So far as I am aware, this is the first time that the relation of the library to the peace question has ever been specific- ally discussed at a meeting of the Ameri- can Library Association. The New York Library Club devoted a meeting in No- vember, 1912, to the subject. The speak- ers were President Nicholas Murray But- ler, Professor Samuel T. Dutton and others, who discussed the movement generally, the literature of peace, the library and peace, international bureaus of informa- tion and the international exchange and loan of books. I believe that the topic ought frequently to appear on the pro- grams of the national and local library associations. If the practical suggestions here offered seem few, it should be stated that the pur- pose of my address is more to enlist libra- rians and the library in the cause of peace than to point out specific measures, to ap- peal to the spirit rather than definitely to outline the practical. If I have offered sufficiently convincing arguments that the library may properly assist in this move- ment, appropriate measures will suggest themselves to alert librarians. Even if the advocates of international- ism should at the close of this war see their dreams realized by the establishment of a supreme international tribunal and the stable development of a body of inter- national law enacted by regularly recur- ring sessions of the Hague Peace Confer- ence, by the organization of a League of Peace, a Federation of the World or a World State, the task of making any such plan work, of holding any such organiza- tion together when some crisis arises, or of securing the acceptance of the decrees of any such international tribunal would be a difficult one. In order to be success- ful, behind the world organization and the international court there must be the sym- pathetic world spirit. This can only be secured by education, in which the library should have an increasingly large part. BERKELEY CONFERENCE THE THEORY OF REFERENCE WORK By W. W. Bishop, Superintendent of the Reading Room, Library of Congress One of the commonest phenomena in the growth of a language is the unconscious development of technical phrases. Words which have a plain and ordinary meaning, universally understood and used, are given a special turn or a peculiar import in some locality or in some occupation. In a highly developed form of civilization in which communication is rapid and inter- course constant such special and peculiar meanings spread quickly and become cur- rent before people are aware either of the fact or the process. Every calling and profession has its own jargon, perfectly intelligible to the initiate, though but half understood by the rest of the world. And in a singularly democratic country, one in which governmental decrees fixing nomenclature are practically unknown (for the reason that the central government has no concern with local matters) the jargon of a trade or a profession may be- come fixed without any particular atten- tion from anyone. Coined words, as the verbs "to accession," "to shelf-list," are in all conscience bad enough, but chief of the startling and novel crop of new phrases In our calling is the term "reference libra- rian." To the curious I commend the task of tracing in the library press and in library reports the history of this designation. It would make a good subject for a seminar paper. But whatever its history, the term has arrived. It meets me in half a dozen letters a day. I find persons signing them- selves "reference librarian" writing from colleges and universities, from public li- braries, from endowed research libraries, from state and governmental libraries. These libraries are large and small, general and special, but they all have a person styled a "reference librarian," and in their reports we will find paragraphs on "refer- ence" work, "reference" books, "reference" rooms, and so on. But a study of the functions performed by these persons and in these departments leave me with the impression that the terms are used rather loosely, that the duties performed by "ref- erence workers" are by no means the same in all libraries. Observation also leads me to believe that the term covers functions ranging from the practical control of all the relations with the public (in certain non-circulating libraries) down to the mere task of keeping order in a college study room. Before beginning any dis- cussion of reference work, then, there is need, even among librarians, for a cer- tain amount of definition. Reference work, as defined in this paper, is the service rendered by a librarian in aid of some sort of study. It is not the study itself — that is done by the reader. Reference work is ordinarily distinguished from circulation work in libraries, although reference work may, and often does, lead to the sort of circulation librarians profess an ardent desire to further. The help given to a reader engaged in research of any sort is what we mean by reference work. It may be aid of the most trivial sort, as in the finding of a name in a city directory, or of the most elaborate charac- ter, as the preparation of extensive lists of references such as those printed by the Division of Bibliography in the Library of Congress, or by the New York Public Li- brary. But it is primarily help given to a reader, not performance of the reader's task. Reference work, then, is in aid of research, but it is not research Itself. "Reference" librarians, it should follow are employees assigned to the task of as- sisting readers in the prosecution of their studies. They are the interpreters of the library to the public. The books are here on the shelves; the machinery of library operation (catalogs, files, and what not) 135 is ready; here are readers, each with his own need. But without some one to help a little, to explain, to suggest, to direct, the right book, the right article does not always fall into the reader's hands. The expert and the tyro alilce bring their dif- ficulties to the man who can help them with his knowledge — not of the topic, but of the machinery. He does not, he can not, be an expert in many and various fields. But he does know books and library meth- ods. He can refer people to the right place in the catalog, the proper section of the shelves; he is able to solve baflling puz- zles in the way of abbreviated or incom- plete titles, and he knows more than a little of what books his library owns. He is the interpreter of the library to readers, revealing not that which he himself has created, but that which has been gathered, arranged, listed, labeled, and shelved against their needs. The reference librari- an has always existed. It is only of recent years that division of labor has given him a name — without his knowledge or consent, as for the most part names are wont to be bestowed. "Reference books," too, have taken on a new and dubious meaning. Formerly the term was restricted to works of an encyclopsedic character, to books of ready reference. Dictionaries, almanacs, cata- logs, cyclopaadias, compendia, were refer- ence books. Now (in libraries) to these have been added all other books placed in reading rooms with the view of keeping them there for the convenience of readers. Reference books we generally hold to mean books in the reference rooms, or reading rooms, which are not ordinarily subject to circulation. Other books to which the old definition applies and which may not be in the reference rooms still receive the old designation. Bayle's Dictionary, for example, would doubtless be considered a reference book even by the ruthless mod- ernist who consigns it to the stack and never revels in the spicy anecdotes, the keen thrusts of its heretical author. I find also (not among librarians) a disposition to term "reference" books any books to which reference is made in syllabi and reading lists. Time and again I have seen letters asking about "reference" books, which proved to be very ordinary and commonplace text-books, or monographs. To librarians, however, the term doubtless conveys its old meaning of compends for quick consultation and has come to include also such other books as experience has placed at the convenience of reference workers and readers in reading rooms. The modern extension of this word ref- erence is further seen in the phrases "ref- erence rooms" and "reference library." These are set over against circulation de- partments and lending libraries. As a rule, it is the smaller libraries which use the term "reference room," or "reference department." The larger libraries, which subdivide their work in aid of readers, are more likely to use the term "reading rooms," particularly as they probably have half a dozen departments for specialized aid of research. A technical reading and study room, for instance, is not ordinarily referred to as a "reference room," but as a "department of technology." "Reference libraries" are a group apart. Their function is primarily the aid of specialized, of ad- vanced research. Considering the great number of libraries and the money spent on them in America, the group is a very small one as yet, but as notable as it is small. There is moreover, small question as to the meaning of the word when ap- plied to them. Reference in their case spells research. Whether or no these definitions find common acceptance, there can be no ques- tion as to one fact which confronts any- one planning reference work for any par- ticular library. Most of our libraries are open twelve to fourteen hours daily, and for a short period on Sunday. The aver- age library employee is not present more than eight hours a day. Obviously this m.eans, save in very small libraries, a cer- tain duplication of force and division of labor in the reference work. This at once implies a certain amount of organization and planning in its conduct. The mere as- 136 BERKELEY CONFERENCE signment of a probably suitable person to the reference desk is of course not enough. There must be some continuity in the work, some assurance that the man coming at night will get as good service as the man who came in the morning. In other words reference work demands a policy on the part of the librarian, a definite plan as to what is expected from it, and the means to be applied toward it. Even it it has grown up of itself after its own fashion, the very success it has achieved requires a careful analysis and a plan for continu- ation. We have given great attention to buying books, to cataloging and classify- ing them, to building up circulation, to bringing the books home to the people, to providing buildings. The reference work demands the same sort of care and thought. Another very obvious fact is that no one person can possibly have special knowl- edge of the wide variety of subjects on which libraries have books. It is almost inevitable that, even in a library of moder- ate size, some one else than the reference librarian may be the best person to assist a particular inquirer. In a large library in which specialists are necessarily gathered, it is highly probable that the special de- partment, or the specialist in some de- partment, rather than the reference libra- rian, should attend to his need. The reader "is entitled to the best aid in the library's staff." Thus on any theory of reference work, the reference librarian is bound by a self-denying ordinance. Not his service merely, but the best service, he is to put at the reader's disposal. He is to be a guide not alone to the books, but to the library's resources in personnel. This principle also presupposes a policy on the part of the library as a whole toward the reference work. That policy will differ according to the nature of the demands made upon the li- brary and the extent of its resources. There are, speaking very broadly, three sorts of demands in ordinary reference work, the inquiry for historico-Iiterary In- formation of every sort, the inquiry about present-day conditions in social and eco- nomic fields, and the inquiry in special fields of knowledge, such as technical chemistry or electricity, or law. The his- toric (or antiquarian) demand is the most familiar and probably the most frequent in large libraries; the social (contempo- rary) demand is the most insistent and difficult to satisfy; the technical demand (when serious) is usually made in a tech- nical library, or by a person already trained who is capable of handling for himself the technical books. Now the general library is usually either strong in history, literature and the arts, or strong in statistics, documents, and sociology. It is seldom so evenly developed (for what- ever reason — many will occur to you at once) in all fields that none has a pre- ponderance. The equipment and training of the reference workers should, it would seem, reflect the strongest side of the li- brary's collections, at least up to the point where those collections require the services of specialists. For example, suppose a library has a good collection of music which is growing rapidly as a result of an endowment. Ultimately it will need a specialist in musical literature in charge of the collection. Until the time comes for him, however, It would be folly not to have some one on the reference staff — or at least available for reference work — who knows more than a little of music and its literature. But if the reference librarian is not to absorb inquiries at the reference desk, if he is properly to consider himself an in- troducer of readers to the person best able to assist them, he is also required by this very obligation to sift inquiries, to discover those, for instance, which can be answered by means of the World's Alma- nac, or Who's Who, and to prevent them going past him to bother and annoy busy folk. We have at the Library of Congress a department of Semitics. But we have learned in the Reading Room to spot the young Egyptians and Syrians who wish to read the files of our one Arabic illustrated magazine, and not to let them get past the 137 Reading Room desk to the Semitic De- partment. If the question can be handled with reasonable ease and celerity by the reference force, it should remain with them. Tact, the ability to single out the actual thing wanted in the haze of the first ques- tions, a good memory, knowledge of cata- logs and of classifications, are the prime requisites in a "reference" librarian. Add- ed to them must be — as indicated above — an acquaintance with some field in which the library is particularly strong, and in which there is a persistent demand. Ex- perience, too, counts for more in reference work than almost any other factor, partic- ularly experience in the library in which the work is done. Time and again I have seen reference workers made wise by long years of training handle with consummate ease and success an inquiry which had bafiSed inexperienced folk of excellent, even superior, training. The acquaintance with the library's resources, which comes fi-om living in it, the knowledge of how similar questions were met before, the curious ability to sense the real point at issue, are assets which come with time alone. We shall not attempt In this paper to take up the practical matters of Jiow such reference librarians shall perform their m.anifold and varied duties. The topic is the theory of reference work, which involves of course the attitude of the li- brary toward it, and the qualifications of those engaged in it, as well as the pre- liminary discussion of its nature. But the tools of the reference worker and his quarters we may properly include within the theory of his work. Whether the force be large or small, whether the work be general or special, the reference librarian must have some special place to work in and some things to work with. (I have seen both fundamentals totally ignored.) To begin with his tools. In a general sense the entire reference collection is for his use in aiding readers, but it is the books and apparatus which he uses per- sonally with great frequency that more Immediately concern us. These should be near at hand where they can be reached with little motion. No matter what his particular line of work, there are sure to develop lists and bibliographies, memo- randa and notes. Some sort of record is naturally kept of particularly difficult and puzzling inquiries. He will need a vertical file for all these, and if the demand is for ephemeral publications on questions of the hour and the place is strong, his vertical file is likely to grow to large dimensions. He will need as many works of quick reference as he can get about him, dictionaries, indexes, compends of statistics, recent bibliographies, directo- ries, and so on. These are his first aids, his emergency tools. His next line of help is not so often the general collection of reference books as it is the catalog of the library. If that instrument is at all well made, it is the natural resort of the reference librarian in almost all his emergencies. He prob- ably will know it more thoroughly than anyone except the fliers. It would seem almost a necessity that he should not be placed far from it, and yet we have all seen reference rooms remote from the public catalog, even on separate floors. Then come the reference books in the reference room, open to readers freely, and distinctly for their use, but in a peculiar sense also the tools of the reference libra- rian. Reference collections should be made with local ends in view. While one may with safety and wisdom foresee a de- mand and provide reference books for it, the bulk of the reference books should be such as experience shows to be needed in that particular place. Because a book is very useful in some large library, it is by no means certain that it will prove an equally valuable reference aid in a small town library or in a special library. Ref- erence collections, moreover, should con- tain a certain number of duplicates. Ex- perience will show what they shall be. My plea is that the reference collection should be made up strictly in accordance with local needs, guided by the reference librarian's observations and his knowledge 138 BERKELEY CONFERENCE of the demand. It goes without saying that it will require constant and drastic revision. Such are the tools of the trade. How should they be housed? No details can be given, but certain principles may be at least mentioned. The reference room must be near the public catalog; it must not be remote from the book stacks. There should be (even in small libraries) some provision for privacy of consultation when necessary. It is extremely difficult to have no place to take an embarrassed inquirer, no place to consult on what may be very important matters other than the open reference room. Some study rooms where groups can work adjacent to the main reference room seem also a necessity. De- baters and clubs we are likely to have with us for some time to come. Further details are matters of the individual build- ing. Assuming, then, that we are agreed that reference work is organized effort on the part of libraries in aid of the most ex- peditious and fruitful use of their books, under comfortable housing conditions, we may safely inquire whether its possibili- ties have been explored, its limits reached. Have we yet done all that can be done properly to exploit the books in our li- braries, to develop their use to the utmost? Is it not true that we are but beginning to see the possibilities of useful service which can be rendered to the community, not alone by the existence of rich collec- tions, of carefully selected libraries, but by the trained and organized force which interprets them? Is it not imperative that we abandon (if we have ever held) the passive attitude, politely responsive to demands, but creating none? Consider for a moment the attitude of the so-called "special" library toward its clients. Be- cause of their high intelligence in some special field, of their keen interest in the literature of their calling, the clients of such a library demand and secure high- grade service within that field, a service which generally sets Itself no limits of time or effort on behalf of its readers. Zeal in such a library does not degenerate into offlciousness, nor does proper reserve become indifference. The librarians of a scientific laboratory, of an insurance com- pany, of a research institute know their limited clientele, anticipate their wants, respond to their calls, serve intelligently, and therefore successfully. Even so, general libraries may perhaps establish a relation of intimacy with at least certain sections or classes of their larger community. By a study of its com- ponent parts, of its social organization, there have already been found in many cities possibilities of helpful aid to many classes of readers who ordinarily came but seldom to any library. Such a study ol a town or city one supposes every li- brarian makes in a general way. But the reference workers in large and small pub- lic libraries are under special obligation to consider not only those daily demands which custom and training bring to their desks, but all those latent chances of use- fulness which lie too frequently undreamt of about them. Why buy certain classes of books? Why keep other classes? Who can use this sort, and who that? Why not develop a certain subject for a certain need, even if it be hitherto unvoiced? Why not spend on the study of the possible and actual use of books some of the energy shown in selecting fiction and reading re- views? In other words, why not exploit intelligently and successfully the non- recreative side of library work, building up stores of books against a future need, gathering ephemeral material for the day? The possibilities of reference work In reference libraries are, I believe, but dimly seen as yet. Judging from our foremost examples, one might say that the key- note is specialization, either by way of departments within a general library, as the New York Public Library, or by limit- ing the field of the library itself, as in the John Crerar Library, or the John Carter Brown Library. But specialization means planning for the student, the investigator, fully as much as for the librarian assigned to the care of a department. It means a 139 policy of acquisition in special fields, a development of a special clientele, a spe- cialized service whicli can create a de- mand as well as supply one. The mere library specialist, who sits in a room and gathers books about him, performs a serv- ice of a certain sort, it is true. But the specialist in American history, in prints, in maps, in music, in physics, in law, in statistics, who keeps In touch with the men of his sort throughout the world, who knows them, knows what is going on, con- tributes his mite, brings them eagerly about him, fills a vastly more important post. We have men of this sort, and we shall have more of them as our libraries grow. They are alive. They are the true reference workers, whatever their official nomenclature. And the general "reference librarian," the man who is compelled to be all things to all men, who, counting nothing and no one trivial, spends his days opening up to the miscellaneous public the stores of the library's books, what of him? He sends the interesting inquiry on to the specialist; he passes on the Interesting man to another head of department; he greets generations of students in high schools, colleges, normal schools, tech- nical schools; he helps out the hurried newspaper man hunting desperately for a portrait or a biography of some one sprung into fame between editions; he sets the aspiring Daughter of the American Revolution on the track of a new bar; here he averts a difficulty, there he smooths down an irate reader with too often a just grievance; he is an inter- preter, revealing to inquirers what the library has; he is a lubricant, making the wheels run noiselessly and well. Little glory and less reputation accrue to him. He counts his days' work done well, but sees no tally of so many thousand books bought or other thousands cataloged. At his best scholars use him, like him, thank him. At his lowest ebb no one considers him save as a useful part of the machinery. This is the theory of his work — service, quiet, self-effacing, but not passive or un- heeding. To make books useful, and more used, — this is his aim. This aim and this theory are alike honored in any gathering of librarians. PIONEERING IN UTAH By Mart Elizabeth Downey, Library Secretary and Organizer of Utah After listening to all the wonderful things that are being done in mature li- brary work all over our country, on this fine program, which has been so ably pre- pared for us, it may be well to come back to first principles for a few minutes and listen to some of the things that are being done in one of our new States. Provincial- ism is, I presume, one of the most inter- esting subjects which any of us can pursue. Any of us who travel across the continent from time to time, or who go abroad, or who are working in the various states, no doubt have a very interesting fund of sto- ries to relaie. When I went to Utah more than a year ago I soon found my preconceived notions of the state undergoing a change, and that to have any real success there I must work with the people and use the agencies which the gods had already placed there. The thing that will be of interest to you, is, perhaps, the methods of work which are as different from the east and middlewest, as conditions are different, and I presume whatever is found to work successfully in Utah, may safely be said to be of special value to all these inter-mountain states from Canada to Mexico, and from the Mis- issippi Valley to the Coast states, where conditions and people are much the same. One of the greatest aids to promoting library work over the state is the pulpit of the Mormon church, which is open for the 140 BERKELEY CONFERENCE discussion of any subject of social and civic betterment. So on many of the Sundays I have spoken from one to three times In the churches, before the parents' classes and at the young people's and tabernacle services. Here one always finds a good audience and can reach "the ear of the people, and better attention one would no- where find. Again, they are a joyous, happy people, and I am inclined to feel that our people of the older states would be the better for some of their dancing. Everybody dances, from the little child to the person "with one foot in the grave." It would no doubt surprise some of you to see the dignified program of a library dedication include a dance. . . . The library movement in Utah, being so closely allied to the public school system, proves of great advantage. The connection of the State library work with the department of education places the whole army of teachers behind It. The co-operation is all that one could desire and it is remarkable what can be done for a library when all the school people of the town arc back of it. I found the schools generally had at least a few books called a library. The books were usually for adults, seldom selected to suit the grades of the children. One could rarely go into a school library and find enough books suited to any one grade, so that each child might have one at the same time. The teachers were calling for a graded list. So a list containing about sixty books for each grade was made for the eight grades and sent to school super- intendents all over the state. These books are being purchased everywhere, which Is bringing about one of the greatest features of our work in Utah. We have two great objects In Utah. One is a free public library in every town, and the other a book for each child in the pub- lic schools suited to his age and grade, or as many books and suited to the grade as the teacher has pupils enrolled, and each child to be encouraged to read at least an average of two books a month, one every two weeks, or twenty-five a year, the child to write down the author, title and date of every book he reads, keeping his own indi- vidual ledger record. This is no idle dream, for the library and schools are co- operating all over the state to bring this about just as fast as w-e can carry the mes- sage. The Salt Lake public library has put the books into three schools from the fourth grade through the eighth, and the super- intendent of schools, who is on the library board, assures me that they will be placed in all the buildings just as fast as funds permit. Provo has given the order for the books to be put into all public schools, the Brigham Young university training school and Proctor academy. Ogden is enthusi- astic, and the library board is arranging with the city fathers for an increased ap- propriation to purchase the books for the schools. American Fork has already placed them through all the grades. Garland, Richmond, Brigham City, Ephraim, Manti and Moab are all working toward this end. It is safe to say that next year will see this object accomplished by every town In the state having a public library, and it will mean tliat the children now in the public schools of Utah will be a generation of readers. If the child reads even this small average we are asking. It means a total of 25 books a year. If he does this only from the fourth grade through the eighth he has read 100 books, and there are compara- tively few children all over the country who are doing that now. If the child con- tinues this reading through the four years of high school he has read 100 more. Read- ing in this way even through the eighth grade would mean the creation of a systematic reading habit. The law providing that fifteen cents for each child in school be spent for books an- nually, also helps to promote this move- ment. In towns where there are libraries, the money is often turned over to the li- brary board to purchase the books. The books are, of course, all returned to the public library for the summer, so DOWNEY 141 that the children may have use of them through the vacation period. One of the distressing needs I saw in my first visit to the libraries over the state, was the total lack of periodical files for reference. Only five libraries in tlie state had collections of any value, — University of Utah, Brigham Young University, Agri- cultural College, Salt Lake public library, and Ogden public library. I could not rest till a collection was started in every library, and I saw that it was go- ing to take heroic measures to bring it about. The problem is so different here from the east and middle-west. There, people hoard old magazines in their homes till a library can get a fine start toward complete files in almost any small town, so that, by exchange of duplicates with other libraries, it will soon have a fine collec- tion. Here, everything in the way of peri- odical matter, in the small town, is sent off to the ranches, miners and sheep-herders, a worthy cause, but it plays havoc with this valuable reference part of any library. Another difficulty is to get the library board and sometimes the librarian to see the value of periodicals for reference. An old magazine is simply an old magazine, and it is hard to realize that after it has served its purpose of current reading, it is still worth all and more than it cost, for reference. Nor do they know of the in- dexes, Poole and Readers' Guide, till they are told. The binding is another problem. Most of these libraries have too small funds and are yet too much in need of books to con- sider binding periodicals. Even the ex- pensive filing cases are out of the question. However, the Schultz Co., Chicago, furnish a case, holding a volume of the standard sized magazine, at ?6 per 100 when ordered by the hundred, and these are so inex- pensive that even the smallest library can afford all it needs; and when the cases are properly marked, and on the shelves, they look as well as though they were bound vol- umes. After the first hundred are on the shelves, it is no trouble to have as many ordered as needed. These periodical files, with the Readers' Guide, together with an atlas, dictionary, and encyclopedia, give to the small library an opportunity to do fair work in the way of reference. The magazine campaign week in the va- rious towns over the state, has done as much to arouse interest and to add to the resources of the libraries, as anything we have done. It started in Salt Lake before the holidays. I saw that the nucleus for periodical reference files in libraries over the state must come from Salt Lake, Ogden, and Prove. So we got the co-operation of the superintendent, principals, and teach- ers of the city schools and for a week had the children in the thirty school buildings of Salt Lake collect old magazines from the homes. We did not limit what they should bring, as we wanted to feel the pulse of the periodical reading of the city. I presume such a collection was never before brought together in such a way. There was a contest to see which building, room and child would gather the most. The children counted what they brought from time to time and the teachers put the num- ber on the blackboard where everyone en- joyed watching it grow from day to day. One building collected over 30,000 numbers, and one child had more than 700 numbers to his credit. It was a common sight to see a boy on the streets with his little sled- load and hear him calling to some other child the number he had already brought. It worked like magic. Everybody's house was visited a number of times and so thor- ough was the collecting that by the end of the week, I doubt whether even a Sears, Roebuck, or Montgomery Ward catalog, or a last year's almanac, or a fashion book could have been found in a home of Salt Lake. The next problem was a place to have them brought for sort- ing. The beautiful reading and study room of the State University library was offered and a church considered, but finally the L. D. S. high school library rooms were offered and accepted as being the most central place. Draymen were busy for several days hauling the maga- zines and I spent a week at hard labor. 142 BERKELEY CONFERENCE sorting, filing and packing, begging every- one I could to help, as there was no money for this part of the work. The public li- brary kindly loaned members of its staff, the librarian of the University came for half a day, three stenographers in the state superintendent's office each came a day, and other friends helped. A few facts might be of interest as to the material collected. About half of it was Saturday Evening Post, Leslie's, Collier's, Ladies' Home Journal, Woman's Home Companion, and the fashion magazine type, half of what was left was the wood pulp paper, dime novel type in periodical litera- ture; and what was left, about one-fourth of the whole collection, was what we were seeking for reference use in the libraries. There was plenty of it and with duplicates, so that fairly complete sets could be made up for each library. Only the last few years of any magazine had been preserved, however. So I think most of the small li- braries in Utah will have to be satisfied with files going five years back. Aside from obtaining this valuable ma- terial, and discovering the caliber of peri- odical reading, other results of which we had not dreamed were accomplished. Chil- dren had talked "Library" in every home and set people thinking. The children felt the importance of having done something to help the cause. The hearts of the school people were warmed by being asked to co- operate, so that they were ready to respond to other things we wanted to bring about. I was invited to give a series of talks be fore the principals' meetings, and so was able to show them what the conditions in Salt Lake were, that the schools were not providing books for general reading and that the public library had but one child's book to five cliildren in the public schools. They were told what the circulation of chil- dren's books was in comparison with the number of children in the city and shown that the children of Salt Lake were going through the public schools without learn- ing how to read. So we had a wonderful awakening. The principals in turn invited me to speak before their parent-teachers' associations, so that I have now covered half the buildings and will visit them all as fast as I am in Salt Lake to accept invitations. The superintendent said to me not long ago, "You are always wel- come. You come with a message which everybody can understand and put into practice." Seeing what has begun in Salt Lake, we are following the same plan in every town in the state and the results are more rapid in the small towns, in many cases, than in the city, for the books can be ordered for the whole school system at one stroke. While the magazine collection, through the schools of small towns, is often meagre for the reason given, the children take just the same interest and by the end of the week everybody in the community, young and old, is talking library. Sometimes the contest between competing grades grows sc warm as to become a town affair. In one of the last towns to make the collec- tion, the little second and third grades were winners and each would again and again surpass the other. In the end the second grade won and the teacher gave them a talk on how the victors should, treat the conquered, while the superin- tendent of schools told the third grade the way to take defeat. In Ogden, where one of the buildings gathered over 31,000 numbers, the children brought some un- usual books which had to be sent home. One little girl brought a beautiful, morocco bound volume of Whittler's Poems, another cliild brought a book from his father's law library, while a third little girl brought the family Bible, saying they never read it any more at home, and a fourth brought a Methodist hymnal. The State Industrial School located in Ogden, co-operated in the hauling. The superintendent sent an auto- mobile and two boys, who helped us collect what we wanted for reference from each building, while other boys followed with a wagon and gathered up the rest of the ma- terial for the Industrial school, taking four immense loads. In Provo the surplus was sent to the State Mental Hospital. Here the children in one building grew so inter- DOWNEY 143 ested in collecting that they drove to neigh- boring towns to gather magazines. In ad- dition to using little sleds, when the snow was on, the children in other towns used their wagons, and even wheelbarrows. From these collections 16 libraries have the beginning of periodical reference flies and the value of what has been gath- ered and distributed may be conservatively estimated at $3,000. If as much more can be accomplished in the next year every library in the state will have the nucleus of such a collection for reference. One of the things that makes the work in Utah worth while, and somewhat re- lieves the exhaustion of travel, is the beau- tiful scenery. I have seen sucli wonderful things in nature there as any of us would go round the world to see or spend any amount of time or money we could afford. Almost every town one visits has a beau- tiful natural setting and boasts some unique feature — a canyon, lake, or moun- tain. It would seem, too, that these natural surroundings of nature affect the building revolution now going on over the state, so that the people seem even unconsciously to bo putting their homes and public buildings in harmony with the beauty around them. New homes, schoolhouses, churches and public buildings are going up everywhere. The library is in line with this building movement. It would seem sometimes that the people are building-crazy. They will often levy a tax and the council will build a library months before they have a thing to put in it, or have even appointed a library board. The woman's club movement, so active in most parts of the country, has not pro- gressed so fast in Utah outside of the large towns; hence the library movement has lacked this strong support. I think not more than one or two libraries now existing could claim to have had their inception in a woman's club. The Utah Federation of Women's clubs has had a limited influence In promoting interest through their tew traveling libraries scattered over the state. But those who have so kindly devoted time to sending them out have "grown weary in well-doing" and the books are for the most part "resting by the wayside." So we are urging the executive board to dis- tribute the books in 300 to 500 lots and give them outright to the libraries to in- crease their meager collections. The fede- ration is also asked to continue its activity in providing as many books to every new town that levies a tax for a library. This work would be unique on the part of women's clubs and be the direct aid which some of our older states, as New York and Massachusetts, provide. So far as I can see, this would be the greatest service the Utah Federation of Women's clubs could render the libraries of the state. It would also help to bring about the fine feeling toward the federation, so much desired, from the small towns. Twenty-one towns in the state have now levied tax for library maintenance. In ad- dition to the beautiful building in Salt Lake, given by Mr. Packard, sixteen other towns have completed buildings given by Andrew Carnegie — have them under con- struction or promised. Mr. Carnegie's generosity, perhaps, has done more to stimulate the establishment of libraries in the state than any other one thing. A dozen other towns in the state have li- braries, which it is hoped will soon have tax support and buildings. Many others are awakening to the need of libraries and will start them in tlie near future. The University of Utah library now has splen- did quarters in the new administration building, with one of the finest reading and study rooms in the country. The Brigham Young university and the Agricultural col- lege have good collections of books, which are well organized and administered. A dozen academies throughout the state have something in the way of libraries, but they are yet little organized or developed, with the exception of the L. D. S. high school li- brary in Salt Lake, which has its 5,000 or more books well on the way to organiza- tion. Denominational schools over the state should see to it that the libraries are more adequate, for any school to quite an extent 144 BERKELEY CONFERENCE may be measured by its library. The state mental hospital, the school for the blind and the deaf, the industrial school and state prison are all well provided with li- braries suited to the particular class of per- sons using them. The state institutions in Utah are, no doubt, far better supplied with books than those in most of the older states. We have, too, a vision of what the Salt Lake Public library will be some day, with a half-million-dollar library building in the civic center, a network of branches ra- diating to all parts of the county and ex- tension work through the schools that can- not be surpassed. The state has awakened to the need of organized effort througli the Utah Library association, which held its third meeting last June, with sixty-five members in at- tendance. The state department of public instruc- tion has been able to do some active work through a library secretary and organizer in the last three years. The legislature in- creased the appropriation at its last ses- sion. The Utah summer library school has now held three annual sessions at the Univer- sity of Utah. Most of the librarians have attended more than one session. The library laws, providing for the an- nual expenditure of fifteen cents for each child of school age for books, and for the tax support of municipal libraries, are good as far as they go, but the territory for the tax levy should be extended to cover the school district and county, so that in many cases the building may be more adequate, the tax income larger, and the service ex- tended to the rural district. Utah has made a fine beginning and has fully awakened to the library movement. Being new in the library field she has the advantage of building on the experiences of the older states. With the various or- ganizations pulling together, it will be but a comparatively short time till there will be a free public library within easy reach of every man, woman and child in the state. May this soon come to pass. THE CHILD IN THE SCHOOL AND IN THE LIBRARY' Bt Willis H. Kerb, Librarian, Kansas State Normal School, Emporia, Kansas There Is to be a new American educa- tion. The school is to do more and better. The child is to be better educated, hand, head, heart, and soul. Society is to be saner, more healthful, stronger and cleaner in industry and government. The church Is only extending its grip. It is for the library to say, by its atti- tude, whether in all this its part shall be large or small. When we show our educa- tional brethren how large is the library's legitimate and effective part, we shall have their enthusiastic appreciation and co- operation. When we make the public un- derstand that large part, we shall have un- limited public support. But unless we ' This paper was a contribution to the general program by the Section of Library Work with Children. "lengthen our cords and strengthen our stakes," ours shall be that small part of complacent self-admiration. The child In the school is being thor- oughly measured and surveyed. Long since he was elaborately analyzed, classi- fied, and recapitulated. And "still the wonder grows that one small head can carry all he knows." He is still inscrut- able. Just now there is uncertainty in the edu- cational ranks. New ideas, new principles, new materials have been brought into the educational process; the reaction is not yet completed. In the meantime practice varies widely, and the contusion seems to be greater than it is. For while pedagogies and psychologies perish, the child persists. 145 He is the constant factor in all educational agencies, — school, library, playground, church, and home. As the future man and citizen, amidst all the fluctuations of opin- ion and practice, the child is the one thing worth while. By its attitude toward the child and his education, the library defines its own field of usefulness. You do believe in children, don't you? Perhaps it is safe to predict that in the new educational synthesis at least the fol- lowing principles will gain rather general acceptance: — First, minds cannot be divided up into little pigeonholes; subjects of study or of knowledge cannot be separated sharply from all others; children cannot be graded Into exact mental sizes (as egg, nut, or lump coal) or into arbitrary mental quali- ties (as No. 1 hard. No. 2, or no grade wheat). Second, all knowledge is not contained in books. The spoken word as well as the written may be one of the "King's Gar- dens." Nature also is to be read as a book. Third, although education must be for the masses and in masses, the individual child must be understood and trained. Fourth, although rather more rigorous standards than ever before are to be set up, the great educating force is to be per- sonality rather than precept. It is my purpose this morning to ask what meaning these four observations may have for library work with children and schools and teachers. And yet may it not be that here, too, the "child is father of the man?" Unity of mind and of knowl- edge and of conduct means as much in adult education as in elementary educa- tion. The passing of blind book worship is not a phenomenon observed only in chil- dren. The individual adult, full often as the child, must be taught to get the mean- ing of his book. Inflexible method palls rather more quickly upon the adult than upon the child; the adult simply lets your institution alone; while the child, in the course of his education will have other opportunities to be swayed by the person- ality that is the spark of life. Before discussion of these guiding prin- ciples, let us distinguish between school and library. Despite the overlapping of work, and notwithstanding the following suggestions that the library may take over some of the present functions of the school, please let us understand that the library is not to become a school and that the school is not to swallow up the library. School is formal. Library is informal. Fundamentally, the school is for discipline (training, if you will). Fundamentally, the library is for culture. The belief un- derlying these remarks is that the library does nothing that could be better done in school, but the library's work is a neces- sary part of education. Unity of the child's mental life means this to librarians: — The children's depart- ment educates. It cannot merely enter- tain. It cannot detach its story-telling from what is learned at school. Its train- ing results in conduct. It must answer for the wrong book given the child. Sometimes it must answer for giving any book at all. Its work is part of the child's education, either good or bad. Minute and arbitrary grading of books, stories, and pictures finds no warrant in the children we try to fit into our pigeon- holes. Children of the same so-called grade vary in ability as much as one thousand per cent. The same reading material was recently found to be within the compass of children all the way from the second to the sixth school grades; the better second- grade scholars could read and understand the same material as the poorer sixth grad- ers. A plan of grouping more justified by recent educational advance is what school men call the "six-three-three" plan, or sometimes (as in Los Angeles) the "five- four-three" plan. This would be a primary group, including kindergarten and grades one to six; an intermediate group, grades seven to nine; a secondary group, the three upper high-school years. Indeed, I am not sure but that the schools of the future will have teachers of subjects rather than teachers of grades. So far as It is administratively possible, libraries may 146 BERKELEY CONFERENCE well prepare for a similar organization of correlated specialists for the work with children. The passing of the old-time book rever- ence need not alarm libraries. The new reverence is ability to use books, not fear of them. But the new education believes that the child may learn also by using his hands, by visiting the fields, by seeing things done, and by the telling of his ex- periences. The child will continue to use library books, but for more varied pur- poses. It means also that in the library perhaps the child should hear as many stories read from books as are told from memory. Moreover, it means that the child might well be encouraged to tell the libra- rian of his discoveries in bookland, picture- land, toy-land; expression should equal im- pression. I am aware that this is almost a ridiculous suggestion to the librarian in a crowded children's room on a Saturday afternoon; but I am insisting that we rec- ognize the educational bearing of that which we do or do not do. Such an oral report from reader to keeper of books, is more than an educational virtue; the con- tact informs and enthuses; it remedies the formlessness and disintegration of minds that come from much reading without any organization or reaction. Equally, the passing of blind worship of books means that in the provision of illus- trative or museum material, libraries have not yet reached their educational respon- sibility. Having furnished these girls with the Ben Greet Shakespeare, why not help them act it out on the library stage? Hav- ing furnished the boy the how-to-make-it book, why not let him try out the plan with the "Meccano" or "Constructikon" outfit? Does the library's business stop with giving him the idea? I repeat: Ex- pression must follow impression, the use of books results in conduct. Are expres- sion and conduct any of the library's busi- ness? Librarians have rather more effective opportunities than teachers for contact with individuals. One of the present op- portunities for library individual service to children and for library co-operation with the public schools is possibly in the teaching of reading. The school men are seeking means of economy of time in edu- cation. After the first two years of in- struction by the school in phonetics and mechanics of reading, may not the libraries take over the rest of what is now too often a slow humdrum singsong process? In his compilation of the classics of "Library and school," Mr. Bostwick quotes the first trial of the scheme, at Pomona, California, a dozen years ago. Each child reads a dif- ferent book, for the sheer pleasure of it; he tells teacher and class about it; every- body is Interested because it is all new. Manifestly, the library should supply the books needed. If the schools are going to feed the children, and take care of the babies while the mothers work, and provide laundry facilities for the neighborhood — then can't the libraries teach reading? Seriously, as long ago as 1908, in his "Psychology and pedagogy of reading," Dr. Huey predicts this: "Perhaps librarians will some time be trained to be our most effective teachers of reading, and many of them are so al- ready. . . . Perhaps if all reading classes had to be conducted in the library, the 'silence' rule itself would compel better use of the recitation time; and I am glad to find, too, that in the best libraries the early years are provided for with reading aloud and the telling of stories to the chil- dren, giving the literature to the children as the race learned it in its childhood, through the ear and with the help of an abundance of pictures." Manifestly, it will require the resource- fulness of personality rich in native en- dowment and training, to discern what end of action will follow the reading of this book by this boy, to know that this girl of twelve is not so old mentally as that girl of eight, to utilize all suitable materials and experiences for the education of this child, to cling to the interests of this boy and at the same time to leaven the whole mass. To find and train people who can use a rule or a text-book without being BOWKER 147 enslaved by It, — that is the problem of the child in the school. That we are finding and training people who can use a tool or a book or an occasion for the welfare of the child — that is the triumph of the library for the child. THE PROVINCE OP THE PUBLIC LIBRARY By R. R. Bowker, Editor, Library Journal, New York Mr. President and fellow members of the A. L. A.: One can not but hark back from this meeting a quarter century to the first visit of the A. L. A. to this Coast. I recall that we were shown then all these wonderful garden spots which three years before, we were told, were nothing but a desert of sage brush, and our humorist re- ported to us at a reception where our hostess had the most lovely profusion of golden hair that in a confidential moment she had said to him, "You see these luxuri- ant tresses? Three years ago this head was only a desert of sage brush!" Twenty-five years is a long time in the modern history of California, and it is in- teresting to note that this land of gold is less and less valuing the gold of the dark- ness and more and more valuing the gold of the sunshine; thinking less of that gold of the dead past, which must be painfully and patiently dug from the mines or from the sands, and emphasizing more the golden fruitage and the golden grain of the living present and the yet greater harvest of the great future which such genius as that of Burbank is prophesying for this wonder- ful Coast. It is reported often in the East that our California friends have large im- aginations, so that they realize in advance the figures of population and wealth of the next census. Instead of harking back to the last one; but we who have come to California feel as when the Queen of Sheba came to Solomon, that the half had not been told us, and, like Solomon, Cali- fornia, having riches and honor, has never- theless made choice of wisdom. And so we are met in this noble and splendid state university, which represents wisdom as the crown of the riches and the honor of this great state. When at the turn of the century it came time to rebuild this great institution for the future, the state showed its catholic feeling by open- ing a world-wide competition for the plan- ning of the grounds, and its catholicity was emphasized by the choice of a French land- scape artist for that purpose, and this work was taken up by an American genius, the professor of architecture in the univer- sity, who has brought forth the results which we have seen; and I can not refrain from mentioning that France, with its free education to all comers of all nations, had educated not only the French citizen who planned the grounds, but the Ameri- can citizen who has since crowned his work, so that France is now showing itself in the free education of California. And how glorious that that work should be crowned at last by this beautiful belfry, uprising toward the blue, whose bells ring out the old, ring in the new, and chimes a larger liberty, a greater independence, the liberty of knowledge. What a far cry from the little red school house of New England and the patient schoolma'am who came from the East half a century ago, as soon as the mining camps and the settlements here had chil- dren to teach, to begin the teaching of the new race here! What a far cry to this noble university, the last in a chain of free institutions for the higher education, stretching from my own free College of the City of New York, which from its historic heights fronts the sunrise over the Atlantic, to this beautiful sight, looking across the Bay through the Golden Gate to the sunset of the Pacific! What a far cry from the four books of the Mechanics' 148 BERKELEY CONFERENCE Library half a century ago, of which Dr. Jenks told us the other evening, to the library of the modern day, to this splendid example of modern architecture housing the Bancroft library, so happily saved from the great earthquake and the great fire, to the Library of Congress, whose work and whose chief you so rightly acclaimed the other day, and to the New York Public Library, that greatest example of the popu- lar library of our time! And I must add, what a far cry from that little group of three, Frederick Leypoldt, that great and generous bibliographer long since passed over to the majority, Melvil Dewey and myself still among the living, who Issued the first call and from the hundred or so who formed the first conferences of the A. L. A., — when Miss Matthews and one or two other ladies were almost lost in the overwhelming number of men, and quietly pulled the coat tails of Dr. Poole and asked If he would not speak up in meeting for them, — to this great international body of the American Library Association, with its three thousand members, where "votes for women" so overwhelmingly predominate that it is only by your courtesy that we men have any part at all! Tliese are examples of what we call evo- lution, and in discussing provinces and functions it is not that one should play the part of a prophet, but that one should be an observer trying to learn from natural evolution what is the right thing to do, what is the right thing for which to plan. And we must remember that while the other animals, men excepted, are controlled by and are responsive to their environ- ment, man controls his environment and makes it responsive to him, so that we have come to recognize creative evolution and conscious creative evolution, and thus to emphasize the responsibility which we have in shaping for ourselves and our fel- low men the environment which is to make the future. From that point of view It occurs to me that one of the first things to do is to look at the modern public library in its highest development, and from my mental notebook I mean to re- mind you of a few facts about the New York Public Library as the culmination of the library effort of the last generation, and from that text, as it were, to speak of the functions of the modern library and its possibilities and its limitations. For the origin of that library. New York owes a debt to this Coast, for It was in the great Northwest that the unlettered and uneducated fur trader laid the foundation of the fortune wliich his son dedicated in part to the making of the Astor library. It was the friend of William B. Astor, Dr. Cogswell, a scholar and a bookman, who made the collection which was the nucleus for the great Astor library. But he passed, and then came the time exemplified in the trite story of the librarian of Harvard, who locked the door one day behind him and said that he was going over to a pro- fessor's house to get the only two books left out of the library and then the collec- tion would be complete! At that time the librarian of the Astor library was pre- paring "Salad for the solitary" — some of you may recall the title of that almost for- gotten book— in the rather gloomy build- ing which repelled rather than invited use. But also, at the same time, James Lenox, really a great collector, was laying the foundation of the Lenox part of the Astor, Lenox and Tilden foundation. Then came as the third part of that origin the legacy of Samuel J. Tilden, the Governor Tilden who believed that he should have been President Tilden — and I think we can not too much emphasize today, for not suffi- cient emphasis has ever been laid upon it — the significance of that episode in American history, which must become an episode in world history. For instead of a revolution, instead of uprisings, the ver- dict of an improvised court was accepted by half our people against their will as the unquestioned verdict of the people, and so a great statesman, who believed that he had been elected President and a great party behind him acquiesced in the verdict of the court and gave to all time an ex- ample of what an American democracy can do to avert wars such as to the south of BOWKER 149 us and across the ocean are now a world calamity. So out of those three sources came the Astor, Lenox and Tilden foundation of the New York Public Library. Meantime a small group of people, inspired with the modem library spirit, felt that in the great metropolis there ought to be something more than a great reference library, for today neither the president of the library nor the president of the United States can take a single book out of the main collec- tion on Fifth Avenue. For Mr. Astor and Mr. Lenox both made the inhibition that no book should be taken from the building, a rule seemingly contrary to the modern library spirit and yet useful in its way, for it is well that in one repository a scholar should be sure that he should find at any time any book that he might want. Let us be thankful, however, that this Is a single exception, and not the rule. These friends of library progress, with Mr. W. W. Appleton at their head, and with the loved lady whom we used to know as Miss Ellen Coe as their executive, started the free circulating library, and when the time came the two divisions joined to make the New York Public Library of today. There is always a man who does things, and the man for the hour and the needed man proved to be that great physician, that great bibliographer, that great scholar, that great librarian, Dr. and Col. John S. Billings — a man, a soldier who showed that there were victories of peace greater than the victories of war, a physician whose sanitation work will rank him only after the names of Waring and Gorgas, an executive who mastered men and con- quered circumstances. To him, with the late president of the New York Public Library, Mr. Cadwalader, is due the re- sult which is the noblest monument today of the public library spirit. For that work the City of New York gave the most valu- able site in its keeping, and upon it erected a building costing $9,000,000. It is a trite saying that in an American city or town of today the public library takes the place of the cathedral in a European city, and last year there were attracted to the New York Public Library not less than two mil- lion visitors, of whom 700,000 were read- ers in the reference department, taking out about two million books, or nearly twice the number of books in the library. In its circulating department, in the 40 branches which have developed from the modest be- ginning of the New York Free Circulating Library, nine and a half million books were taken out, and this year there will be over ten million, a third of them for chil- dren, so that several times the population of New York must be multiplied to make the number of books circulated from the public library and its branches. Besides the revenues from the great foundation the library obtained from the City of New York $850,000, more than half of which is spent for service, and it is an interesting proof of the emphasis that serv- ice has in our American library system, that as a rule at least twice as much is spent for service as for books. That library spent over $400,000 for service and not quite $200,000 for books out of these public funds, and for that money it got pretty nearly 200,000 books, confirming in a curious way the generalization that it costs something like ten cents to circulate a book and something like an average of a dollar to buy a book. These are extra- ordinary figures, but they are not so extra- ordinary as the kind of service done in the library. And that brings me to the illustra- tion, through that library, of the manifold functions of the public library of today. In the beginning. Dr. Billings, with ex- traordinary foresight, mapped out on a library standard card still in the library the building as we see it today, which was wisely built, as every library should be, from within outward. Today a scholar working in research can go to that library, in the economics room, in the pub- lic document room, in the local history and genealogy room, in the music room, in departments far more than I can name to you, and can instantly, with the help of the most thorough expert, get at once what he wants. I remember only a few 150 BERKELEY CONFERENCE weeks ago a scholar saying to me that the great thing about the public library was the fact that he had no longer to spend hours waiting and waiting, but he tele- phoned to the library and told them what books he wanted and what subject he was working on, and presently, when he arrived at the library, he found all he wanted and more than he thought existed. These books in the special departments are instantly at service, and for the general reader any book is at his service in six or seven min- utes, and if so long as fifteen minutes is taken — why, that is a matter which you are requested to report at headquarters. This work in the public library itself and in the branches, is accomplished by the help of a staff of no less than twelve hun- dred people, inspired by the same motive of service to the public. And let me say here, that in this whole organization, sec- ond to the great work of Dr. Billings, and Edwin H. Anderson in complementing and carrying on his work, too much credit can not be given to the man who sits quietly among you today, whose modesty I will not offend by mentioning his name, who had rather, unlike Caesar, be the second man in the metropolis than the first in any other place, and to w'hose tact and execu- tive ability every member of the New York Public Library staff knows how much the public owes. ■ In the presidential address, of such com- prehensive survey and such large vision, our president of the year has cataloged, as it were, the manifold functions of the modern library. I will not repeat or try to extend that catalog, but I shall suggest to you the various fields in which the work of the public library exists. But first I want to remind you that the public library exists from the public purse, and by its social service must make good to the community. There are limitations in both directions, limitations of money and limitations of service. Our friend here from the Oregon State Agricultural Col- lege, Mrs. Kidder, was telling me only last week that she did not use student help in her library, because she thought a person who came to it for research and ■nho knew his subject could not rightly be waited upon by some ignoramus who had to find out about things before he could be of service; and her service to the public and to the state has been richly recognized by the obtaining of all the money needed to provide college gradu- ates instead of student help in the library of the State Agricultural College. It is said that the State Agricultural College of Wisconsin has added fifty per cent to the output of the crops of that state, and it is also said that under Dean Henry's administration no legislator could vote against the item for the support of the State Agricultural College, or vote to re- duce it, without being kept at home when he faced his constituents at the next elec- tion. These instances illustrate how will- ing is the public to pay for what it gets. We are facing an extraordinary eco- nomic change: this great wave of prohibi- tion which the necessities of war have brought in Europe and which the reasons of peace are bringing about in our own country, is taking from us one of the great sources of internal taxation; and the cessation of imports is reducing one of the chief sources of income of the national government in its customs revenues. But economists, I believe, may look forward to a straightforward system of taxation in which the public will be only too willing to pay tithes, if necessary, as did the Jew- ish people of old, as did our Mormon friends whose work we saw as we came through Utah, provided they get the serv- ice for the money. So that we need not fear but that all good functions of the library will be supported from the public purse. And how wide those functions are! I hold myself a thorough-going individualist and would not willingly give up my private right of thought or action or occupation to any tyranny of democracy or otherwise. But we are all socialists in some measure: it is a question of degree. And with the public library it is a question of where the service should stop. That is a ques- BOWKER 151 tion on which It is impossible to make a wise generalization; the decision must de- pend on the environment of the library, on the construction of that library and on the guiding genius of the librarian as well as on the social factor. But taking a large view of the work of the library, I think we may say that the province of the library is in recreation, in information, in education, and in inspi- ration. And like those Mayan pyramids of which Dr. Hewett told us, you will observe that this is, as it were, a ter- raced pyramid, the greatest quantity of service at the bottom in recreation, the greatest quality at the top, in inspiration. I say "recreation" and emphasize that word, and yet it is difficult to say what limits should be put in the field of recrea- tion. You have already heard much dis- cussion as to how largely novels should be bought, but we must not forget that fiction serves its great purpose, as in the case of Dr. Billings himself, who, after the day's work, actually refreshed himself by running through a couple of novels a night before he went to sleep. There is a great phrase of the poet Gower, "The world it neweth every day," and the purpose of recreation is to renew the man for his next day's work. The function of the public library in that field of recreation must, I think, be tested by its results on the reader in that direction. Then comes the great field of informa- tion, for which the other name, or the finer name, is research work. Whether it is advisable for a library to answer five hundred times in a year, as the New York Public Library, I am told, did last year, how to pronounce the unpronounceable name of that Galician fortress over which the world is now warring, is certainly a matter of doubt. But through the tele- phone and in every way the public library must emphasize the work of informing its public, and more particularly, rendering every possible service at the behest of those men who are engaged in research work, historical or scientific, or other, and with whom, of course, the librarian is in peculiar sympathy. And then comes that great work of edu- cation, which is done so largely in connec- tion with the school. For more and more we feel that the librarian and the teacher must be walking and working hand in hand. It is impossible, of course, to draw sharp lines of demarcation between the several provinces, for whether the story- telling hour is of recreation or of amuse- ment or of education or of inspiration no one can say; indeed, all these four func- tions of the public library are joined more or less in the case of every reader. But the work of education is, of course, one which the library emphasizes perhaps above all. Last and greatest of all is the work of inspiration, and that is not only the work of books, but the work of character, which nowadays we are more fond of calling "personality." That is the personal touch of the librarian, not only to supply read- ers with the books that will inspire, but to add to that inspiration the touch of personality, the charm which Miss Massee gave us in reading from the poets the other day. I can not speak of the inspirational side of public library work without referring to the inspirational character of such gath- erings as this and like associations. It seems to me we can not too much empha- size their nationalizing character in the work of such conferences as we hold from year to year, for which large bodies of people journey across our great country, find how great it is, come into personal relation with the people in another section and bring to that section the knowledge and the inspiration which for the moment engrosses them. I hope that this confer- ence will in that way be of help to our California friends, but I am convinced that at least from the conference of 1915 we shall take away more knowledge and more inspiration than it has been our priv- ilege to bring to California. For with its county system and in its many original developments, California and the Pacific 152 BERKELEY CONFERENCE Coast have much to teach us who come from the East. And, after all, the great value of these conferences is the inspira- tion that comes from meeting face to face those of the same profession and feeling that each is one of a great army of peace, doing the work of the people, the work of the future. It is a profession which is singularly fortunate in many ways, I think — the only profession of which it can be said that no sooner does a gradu- ate come out of the professional school than he or she is sure of instant place, so great is the demand still above the supply. So for our work of inspiration we have the inspiration of a great and growing pro- fession behind us; and this inspiration can never be of greater service than at this moment. It is not for librarians to inter- fere in the politics of their community, or in the politics of their nation, but it is for librarians to help to set and promote a standard of thought, to promote ideals which will tell in the thought of the na- tion. It will interest you to know that at this moment, in the midst of this calamity of world war, French library friends are setting themselves to the task of rebuild- ing France through the medium of public libraries, and at the head of that move- ment a government official is in touch with a number of library people in this country, with the intent of being ready tr promote in France immediately after the cessation of the war a great public library movement modeled on the Ameri- can plan, a course very fitting, because our own Benjamin Franklin, the first diplo- matic representative of our country abroad, gave name to a library association far antedating the American Library Associa- tion itself. And I know that all of you will be glad to co-operate with such friends as these in promoting throughout the world the American library spirit. It was the hope of those of us who at- tended the Brussels conference in 1910 that the internationalism which there man- ifested itself everywhere throughout the exposition might bear fruitage of peace. One of the most striking exhibits shown at that exposition was that of the inter- national associations graphically shown by a line drawn from each capital of Europe to every other capital where there were corresponding associations, so that from Brussels as headquarters hundreds of in- ternational associations were shown ex- tending throughout the several countries of Europe and of the world, which the men at that conference believed were mak- ing war impossible and peace the future normal state of the world. How sadly that dream has been dissipated, those of us who visited the beautiful library of Lou- vain in that year and think of it today have had reason to know. But let us not de- spair; let us hold our country to the lead- ership of peace; let us be ready to help all throughout the world who want our help in the direction of our chosen profes- sion, and let our brethren abroad, who may now be foes, be helped through our intermediation and our example in the fu- ture, to be again brothers, recognizing letters as the great means of letting one nation know the other, and recognizing that through such work as ours ultimately the feeling of brotherhood throughout hu- manity is again to become dominant in the world. 163 THE RELATION BETWEEN THE AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE LIBRARIES AND THE EXTENSION WORK OF THE COUNTRY AS DEVELOPING UNDER THE SMITH-LEVER ACT By D. W. Working, Agriculturist, United States Department of Agriculture; in Charge of Extension Work in the Western States The Smith-Lever Act provides for an ex- tension of the work of the state agricul- tural colleges. The agricultural college is not to be supplanted in any of its proper undertakings, but is given an additional source of strength and of revenue and a new commandment to work among coun- try people by a particular educational method. It is hardly fair to say that the agricultural college has been given a new motive; but it is fair to say that the Smith- Lever Act has already given every one of the agricultural colleges an enlarged vision of its opportunity. For a half-century or more American agricultural colleges have been trying to occupy the great field of opportunity opened to them by the original Morrill Act. Already they have occupied the strategic positions. They have laid the foundations of an agricultural science; they are developing a workable system of teaching; they are commanding the re- spect of other institutions of higher edu- cation; they are winning the confidence of the people to whom they make their direct appeal; and now they are given the means and the order to reach out from their strategic positions and to occupy the entire field of agricultural education. The opportunity Is greater than any of us have realized. It appeals to our imaginations; it challenges us to our highest endeavors. When a new task is thrust upon an es- tablished institution, at once there is an insistent call for constructive thinking. In the case of the problem before us, there is demand for a careful analysis of the sit- uation presented to the agricultural col- leges. A new burden has been placed upon them; a new and enlarging endow- ment has been provided for a definite kind of service; and, with the increased bur- den and the increasing revenues, there has come also a new and gratifying recogni- tion of the ability and the willingness of these institutions to extend their teaching services from the college itself to the re- motest country hamlet, schoolhouse, and farmstead. To think clearly on the problem of the relation between the agricultural college library and the extension work now devel- oping under the terms and with the finan- cial support of the Smith-Lever Act, it is needful to realize that this extension work is a teaching service of the college itself; it is the college finding its full opportu- nity, attacking the whole of its task, and no longer content with trying to do the easy inside work of agricultural education. It is needful also to realize that the col- lege library is a very essential part of the college. We cannot overestimate the im- portance of the library. In it are arranged for use all of the written knowledge which has been accumulated through the ages. It contains food for students, working equipment for scholars and teachers, and the cunning Implements by which investi- gators pry into the secrets of nature. Best of all, the well organized library contains that good Genius of the inquiring student — the librarian. The librarian, as custodian of the treasures of his house of books, gathers food for students in order that students may feed thereon and grow in knowledge and wisdom and power tor serv- ice; he accumulates the tools which the master workmen in teaching and research so much need, but only to lend them for use in the increase of knowledge and the mak- ing of men and women who shall become more faithful and effective workers in the various useful occupations of life. So the work of the college depends very largely upon the librarian; so also the work of 154 BERKELEY CONFERENCE the extension service of the college must depend upon the librarian. If we in the extension service are to accomplish the mission on which we are sent, we shall succeed because of the help of the libra- rian — largely through carrying to the peo- ple of the country the teaching material which the librarian gathers, selects, sifts, and places in our hands to carry to the people. Thus far, for the most part, we have had both teacher and student within the college walls, and it has been a compara- tively simple matter for the teacher to tell his students what to read and for the librarian to place the books in the hands of the learner. It has been easy for the student to learn something of the re- sources of the library and to make use of them in his search tor knowledge. "Oh, for a book!" exclaims the college student, — and it is placed in his hands by the willing librarian. "Oh, for a book!" cries the boy or girl on the farm, — but there Is no answer to the cry. "Oh, for the book that will answer this question!" cries the farmer in his field and the woman in kitchen or nursery, — but there is no ready librarian to meet the need. Thus it has been; thus it is today; but thus it is not to be in the near future when the plans on which your minds are working shall have been developed into a present service reaching to the remotest country commu- nity and to the last man on the loneliest farm. The extension teacher lives far from the college, and cannot call his students to- gether for study or recitation. At best, he can meet only a small proportion of them, and these only occasionally. Usu- ally, he must meet his students by the roadside, in fields and orchards, in coun- try homes, or at schoolhouse gatherings. The extension teacher is a traveling mis- sionary of agricultural education: to reach all of the people to whom he is sent, he must organize them and start them on the road to self-help, which means self-teach- ing under leadership. Do you see that it is our task to organize these people and to show them the vision of service which you librarians can render them through books? A very large share of the extension teachers employed under the provisions of the Smith-Lever Act are known as county agents, or agriculturists. They are the teaching agents of the state college of agriculture and the United States Depart- ment of Agriculture. More than a thou- sand of these men are now working in single counties or small groups of coun- ties; and it is probable that the number will be doubled within five years. The service they are giving is new, but It is a real service, and we are able to prove that it more than pays its way when measured by the exacting dollar-standard, to say nothing of its educational and so- cial values. These men are developing into a new type of teacher of agriculture. They are men of special training and spe- cial adaptabilty, sent to be fellow-students with farmers as well as to be teachers of farmers. They are college teachers with field assignments. It is their special task to bring to the people of the near and remote parts of their counties the newest results of scientific investigations that ap- ply in the particular regions and to connect the new teachings with the approved prac- tice of the best farmers. Doing this teach- ing service to mature men, as well as to immature persons, the extension worker must be sure-footed in his thinking and teaching, and he needs every help which librarians can give by means of books and other printed matter and all of the devices that may be used to make the printed page acceptable and serviceable to the people with whom the county agent works. It is hardly necessary to say that these county agriculturists and other extension teachers are more than willing to use li- braries and librarians in their teaching work. College trained men and women may be trusted to give the librarian a good name for usefulness to those in search of knowledge; so it is quite safe to say to you librarians that extension WORKING 156 workers everywhere are more than pleased to have you take up so promptly the im- portant subject now under consideration. It should be clear to every librarian that the extension teacher needs to make the largest possible use of library facilities and service. More than any other teacher, he will need to depend on books, for books must do most of his teaching for him. To the extent that you can adapt your methods to his needs and put big and little bits of helpful print into the hands of his widely scattered students, to that extent will you be helping your sev- eral colleges to make the work of the ex- tension teachers directly and genuinely helpful. When you have fully realized that the extension service of your college is the college itself working among the people outside the cities and towns, you will see as we see that your library has the same opportunity to help the extension teachers as to help other college teachers: that it has the same duty and privilege to work with and for the people of the country that it has been enjoying in its work with and for the students registered at the college. It may not be amiss to emphasize the thought of co-operation which underlies the Smith-Lever Act. The money appro- priated by this Act is provided for co-oper- ative agricultural extension. The agricul- tural college of each state is the active partner, the Department of Agriculture the consulting partner. Neither can work without the other. Congress appropriates the money for the use of the colleges under certain very definite conditions, which can be met only as college and department work together in the co-opera- tive spirit and according to prescribed methods. Thus we have a National Agri- cultural Extension Service, endowed by nation and state and conducted directly by the state agricultural college accord- ing to a general plan outlined by Con- gress and detailed working plans agreed upon by the college and the secretary of agriculture. The entire service provided for promises to be of great use to the people of the country, with a permanence of support and a steadiness of policy that could hardly be expected if the work were entirely dependent upon state sup- port. . The library is a collection of books and other printed matter — material to be used by seekers after knowledge and ideas. The librarian is one who knows his library and who knows how to make its resources available to those who should use it. For most of us, the library is not very help- ful without the librarian: sometimes it is even forbidding or baffling. The librarian does at least two things for his public: he shows the inquirer how to make direct personal use of the library itself; and he puts into the student's hands the particu- lar book or magazine or newspaper imme- diately needed, even pointing out the page and paragraph where helpful information is to be found. In the extension field, we shall expect the same service from the librarian. Our difficulty just now is to find out just how the thing is to be done. In the college, the teacher tells the li- brarian that his students are interested in a particular subject at a particular time, — and the librarian assembles the right books in convenient places for use. In our extension work we shall probably have to follow the same method. Why may not the county agent tell the libra- rian that his farmers are interested in cabbage-growing at a certain date and in killing cabbage worms at a certain later date, and do so with confidence that the right kind of printed matter will be as- sembled and sent at the right time to the persons who need instruction? Of course this is easier said than done. But when all of the extension workers go into con- ference with the library staff to consider the needs of the farmers and to canvass the resources of the library, we may be sure that workable plans will be thought out. . . . Our department and every experi- ment station has given away tens of thou- sands of publications that have gone to waste because they have told too much 156 BERKELEY CONFERENCE or because they were received too soon or too late. It is worth considering if it might not be advisable to devise a care- fully indexed filing system for use by every patron of the extension library you are planning to develop. An index to Farmers' Bulletins or other publications is a good thing; but if most of the publi- cations have been mislaid because of the lack of a filing device, the index will large- ly fail of its purpose. If a few librarians of an inventive turn of mind will work out systems of classifying and filing bul- letins, leaflets, and newspaper clippings, and then have a simple and inexpensive filing-case put on the market. It may be that we shall soon find that our publica- tions will be of much greater use because they can be found when they are espe- cially needed. RELATION OF THE AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE AND EXPERIMENT STATION LIBRARIES TO THE LIBRARY OF THE FEDERAL DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE By CLAniiiEi. R. B.vknett, Librarian, Department of Agriculture, Washington In its general relations with the land grant colleges and experiment stations, the Federal Department of Agriculture has been represented by the Office of Experi- ment Stations, which, as a central agency established for their especial benefit, has aided them in a variety of ways and has sought to promote co-operation between them and the Department of Agriculture in their various undertakings. By the agri- cultural appropriation act for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 1915, the name of the Office of Experiment Stations was changed to States Relations Service and Its activities extended. This name indi- cates more clearly the functions of the ofllce and is striking proof of the impor- tance attached to co-operation between the states and the Federal government in the promotion of agriculture. Through the Association of the American Agricultural Colleges and Experiment Stations, and the Office of Experiment Stations, the various state experiment stations as well as the colleges with which they are connected, are brought together so as to form with the Federal Department of Agriculture a national system of agricultural education and research which is said to be the most complete in the world. There is, however, one link lacking in this system, — namely, the libraries, which have taken little part in the work of co-operation among these institutions. That a closer relationship and greater co-operation between the library of the national Department of Agriculture and the libraries of the state agricultural colleges and experiment stations would be productive of good results will scarcely be denied. The establishment of the Agri- cultural Libraries Section of the American Library Association has been a step to- ward bringing about greater co-operation by affording an opportunity for the dis- cussion of problems common to agricul- tural libraries. In presenting to the section a paper on the subject of the relation of the libraries of the agricultural colleges and experi- ment stations to the library of the Federal Department of Agriculture, the object has been to explain the general policy of the library of the department in this connec- tion, in the hope that by making better known its desire to be of service to other institutions, its opportunities for useful- ness may be increased. As the national agricultural library connected with the na- tional institution for agricultural research, the library of the Department of Agricul- ture should, it is believed, extend its serv- ices as far as possible to the investigators in agricultural science throughout the country. Land grant colleges and experi- BARNETT 157 ment stations, although state institutions, are supported in part by funds given by the national government to the states to be used for their maintenance and they have certain definite relations to the dif- ferent branches of the national govern- ment. Their relations with the Depart- ment of Agriculture are closer than with any other department of the Federal gov- ernment and they can be said to have a just claim to share in the services of the library of the department. Inter-Library Loans Since few of the state agricultural col- leges have collections entirely adequate to their needs, it has been felt that the li- brary of the Department of Agriculture could be of special service by extending to them the use of its more complete col- lections. Although the library is a refer- ence library and its first duty is unques- tionably to the department, nevertheless it may be said to be its next important duty to serve the agricultural colleges and experiment stations, and as a part of that duty it has been its policy to lend Its books to the scientists of these institu- ions as far as possible without interfering with the work of the department. The li- brary has made no attempt to advertise this service, as it has seemed wiser for the present to let the service grow naturally and as a result of real needs, rather than to force its growth through undue stimu- lation. In spite of the fact that this serv- ice has not been advertised, the number of books which the library is lending outside of the department is growing rapidly from year to year. In 1906, which was the first year a record was kept of the number of loans to institutions outside of the city, 138 books were lent to 26 states and ter- ritories. In the fiscal year 1914, 896 books were lent. These went to institutions in 46 different states and territories. With the development of the libraries of the state agricultural colleges and experi- ment stations, they will no doubt have col- lections much more adequate to their needs. Nevertheless, it is a question whether their funds will ever be sufficient to make it advisable for them to purchase without regard to the collections already existing in the library of the Department of Agriculture and other libraries. Some co-operation on the part of agricultural li- braries in the building up of their collec- tions w'ould therefore seem most desirable. Information as to whether certain books and periodicals are contained in the li- brary of the department and whether they would probably be available for lending, will always be gladly furnished to libraries contemplating the purchase of these books. Exchange of Duplicates The Department of Agriculture has also attempted to serve the agricultural col- leges and experiment stations through the free distribution to them of its duplicates. The library accumulates a large number of duplicates of government and state publi- cations and also a large number of peri- odicals which are sent currently as gifts to the various bureaus and divisions of the department and which later find their way into the library. Many of these publica- tions are of interest to other agricultural libraries, but the problem has been how to place them where they will be of most use at a minimum expense to the depart- ment in the labor of handling them. Some years ago the library printed lists of its duplicates for exchange, but the responses received did not seem to justify the con- tinuation of the expense and work. Lack of room and assistants to devote to the care of the duplicates for a time forced the destruction of many publications of probable value to other libraries. A few years ago the library began again to dis- tribute its duplicates to the agricultural col- leges and experiment stations. Typewritten lists were sent out simultaneously to var- ious agricultural colleges and they were re- quested to check the items of interest. On receipt of the requests it was found that several institutions requested the same publications. We attempted to treat all alike by sending about the same number 158 BERKELEY CONFERENCE of publications to each institution. This method, however, had its disadvantages, as it involved a good deal of work on the part of the agricultural college libraries in checking up their files with the list and in return they probably received only a small part of the items requested. There- fore, during the past year we have been carrying out a different plan. We have from time to time made on slips a rough list of duplicates and have sent the slips to a few libraries which we knew ■wished especially to receive the dupli- cates. After one library has checked the list as to the items desired, we send the remaining slips to another library. By this method a library receives all the items se- lected, but it has the disadvantage of showing partiality to certain institutions. We have not, therefore, worked out any scheme which is in all respects satisfac- tory. We would be glad to have sug- gestions as to a plan which would be likely to be satisfactory to all the agricultural colleges and experiment stations and at the same time Involve a minimum amount of work on the part of the department library. Bibliographical Information Relating to Literature of Agriculture The library has also attempted to serve other agricultural libraries by sup- plying bibliographical information con- nected with the literature of agriculture. The Department of Agriculture as a whole may be considered as a bureau of agri- cultural information as well as an institu- tion for agricultural research. Each bu- reau and division of the department is called upon to answer requests for special- ized information in its own particular field. The questions which the library has re- ceived in the past would seem to indicate that it is regarded as the national source of information regarding the literature of agriculture. In attempting to perform this service the library has been greatly aided by the co-operation of the scientists of the department and by its close relationship with the library of Congress. A selected list of library accessions is being included in the new Departmental Circular, the publication of which was be- gun in May, 1915. Although the list does not contain more than a third of the ac- cessions to the library and omits almost entirely the annual reports, proceedings, etc., it may be of some service to the li- braries of the agricultural colleges and experiment stations. The list takes the place in part of the Monthly bulletin for- merly published by the library. The printing of cards for the publica- tions of the department and the accessions to the library was begun by the library for the primary purpose of serving the agricultural colleges and experiment sta- tions. The cards cataloging the publica- tions of the department are distributed free by the Library of Congress to the state agricultural colleges and experiment stations at the expense of the department. Organization of Agricultural Libraries It has also been considered a legitimate part of the work of the library of the de- partment to furnish assistance to the agri- cultural colleges and experiment stations in so far as possible, in the organization and reorganization of their libraries, in- cluding their cataloging and classification. Librarians from state agricultural colleges have on several occasions spent from one to three months in the library studying its methods and resources, and assistants from this library have in three or four in- stances been sent to state agricultural col- leges to aid in the reorganization of their libraries. Some of our assistants have also been called away permanently to positions in the state agricultural colleges. It has been suggested that the library might be able to perform a valuable service if it could have on its staff someone trained in the work of organizing libraries and with a wide familiarity with agricultural literature and the problems of agricul- tural libraries. It this organizer could visit the various state agricultural college and experiment station libraries every year or two, it would probably do much to bring the agricultural libraries closer to- 169 getter and increase their efRciency by making generally available the combined experience of the various libraries. If the state agricultural colleges and experi- ment stations cared for this service and made an urgent demand for it, it is not un- likely that the department would be will- ing to furnish it under certain conditions. HOW SHALL WE INTEREST AND INDUCE OUR FACULTY AND STUDENTS TO MORE GENERAL CULTURAL READING? By Elizabeth Forrest, Librarian, Montana State College In my earlier an'd more inexperienced days when I was just graduated from the library school, I used to plan almost re- vengefully in my chagrined surprise how some day I would revisit the school and tell them there that the methods I listened to so enthusiastically about educating the public would not work: that the public did not want to be educated. This re- minds me of the account given by Miss Addams, in her "Twenty years at Hull- house," of the failure of the hygienic food kitchen that the settlement workers tried to establish in the neighboi'hood. One woman voiced the sentiment of the com- munity by saying that the food was nutri- tious, but that she did not want to eat what was nutritious; she preferred to eat "what she'd ruther." After this little introduction you can readily understand how hesitatingly I began to prepare a paper on the present topic. I entirely abandoned at the start any idea of sug- gesting to others ways and methods of improving cultural reading, and decided to confine myself to investigating condi- tions and reporting on them, hoping that such a resume might somewhat aid us all. Accordingly, a questionnaire was sent to forty-two technical institutions of col- legiate rank. The list of colleges of agri- culture and mechanic arts endowed by Congress in the United States Bureau of Education report was used as a basis in selecting the libraries to be interrogated. The large university libraries were not questioned, since the problems of a well equipped library in an institution where the technical work is only one phase of activity are so different from those of more limited colleges. In like manner the schools for colored students were not con- sulted. Work with representatives of a race recently in slavery must present far greater difficulties than our own. Only twenty-six libraries replied. The general tone of the replies revealed on the whole a feeling of discouragement among the librarians. Only four of them were really optimistic with regard to conditions, and eight frankly reported little success. The remainder were doubtful as to the results of their efforts or entirely failed to answer with regard to this matter. Only two librarians wrote that nothing was done to stimulate cultural reading among the library patrons. It was difficult to classify the replies, since it was quite evident that the librarians had used different standards in answering the questionnaire. A num- ber replied tliat they were doing little to improve the reading and then went on to describe methods which others had felt to be adequate. Also varying opinions were advanced. One librarian thought it futile to make any effort, while another considered it almost unnecessary in view of the present excellent use of the library. It Is only fair to state that the latter did report, nevertheless, attempts to interest readers. There are many methods used to get bet- ter reading. The showing on special shelves of general collections of books and of collections on special topics, as well as displays of the new books are the common- est ways to attract readers. Almost as usual are special exhibitions of books to which members of the faculty are invited, book notices in the college paper, and 160 BERKELEY CONFERENCE more or less instruction to freshmen in library usage. A little less general prac- tice is notices to the faculty of new ac- cessions or of books of special interest to them. One librarian sends word of a duplicate pay collection of fiction; an- other of the free distribution of duplicate government bulletins; still a third writes to the effect of miscellaneous lectures and of a literary round table held by the faculty and the students. Nine refer especially to the excellent help given the library by the English department. Nine also report some instruction to freshmen to help them to use the library properly and at the same time to interest them in books. With respect to the realization by the librarian of the need of awakening wider interest in reading among the stu- dent body and members of the faculty and the effort put forth to accomplish that end the questionnaire has revealed encourag- ing conditions. Let us examine the causes that hinder the effects we wish for. First of all there is often the lack of a book fund ample enough to permit the purchase of attrac- tive books for general reading. In a small educational library there is always the ten- dency, indeed the necessity for buying first, and often exclusively, books that are intended primarily for collateral reading. There are a large number of such books which are not, properly speaking, refer- ence books, all good in their way. In every college library. Even more mature and serious-minded individuals than the aver- age college student would scarcely take home such material to read from cover to cover. If the library is to be instrumental in promoting worth-while reading, there must be available plenty of good fiction, drama, biography, books of travel, and of popular science — books many of which will never be used for class work. In this connection is proved the need and ad- visability in a college library of the crea- tion of a general book fund to be expended by the librarian. Only in this way will the library possess interesting books that invite reading. The department head pro- fessor is a specialist and buys out of a limited fund books that aid in class in- struction. If a certain phase of a subject is not taught, it is not likely to be repre- sented in the library. Without the con- trol by the librarian of a general book fr -d. the book selection may be scientific and up-to-date, but it will be one-sided and incomplete. Another important reason why students do not read more extensively and wisely is the student's actual lack of time. This holds true particularly with regard to the students in agricultural and engineering institutions. I think I am correct in stat- ing that the technical schedules throughout the country are very heavy. The number of hours of laboratory and shop work re- quired, added to the recitation periods, and the time necessary for preparation leave a student little unemployed time. More- over, a large proportion of the students in these colleges are wholly or partially self-supporting while in attendance; this still more cuts down the margin of free time for reading and thought. Some time should normally be allowed for athletics, student activities, friendships and recrea- tion. Our students not only lack the time necessary for reading; they fail to appre- ciate the value of such reading, because they have no just conception of the worth of matters not allied with their particular line and not productive of money. This condition is especially to be found in the technical colleges. Here the students come largely from rural and small town com- munities, from homes and districts of lit- tle culture, and many of them from poorly equipped high schools where the teaching has been too much confined to the texts. They then pass into technical courses which absorb their energies and in which often the instructor has a narrow outlook. It seems to be true that such is the case more with engineerng than with agricul- tural students. Personally I have observed this fact at the University of Illinois, at the Pennsylvania State College, and at the Montana State College. One history in- FORREST 161 structor told me that he got his inspiration from the agricultural students and not from the engineering students. Our Eng- lish professor at Montana asked a class of sophomore engineers what surety they could give a city council that the bonding issue necessary to build water-works would pay for itself. Apparently most of the class had never heard of a bond! It is undoubtedly true that an engineer needs more technical knowledge than an agri- culturist, but it seems unfortunate that the average engineer should often be so nar- rowed as to be fit only for routine work. We as librarians ought to do all in our power to counteract such conditions. One of our senior engineers recently lost a position he applied for, because the em- ployer asked him to state in writing his opinions with regard to capital and labor. He had no opinions on such a subject, nor did he have an adequate command of Eng- lish to express views, even if he had possessed them. . . . These, briefly, are the reasons why our students do so little cultural reading, or do not even read to any great extent books directly connected with their studies. Members of the faculty are in many in- stances affected by similar conditions. Chief among these are the constantly in- creasing demands for specialization in all lines. A successful man has little time to read nowadays. Moreover, many of our teaching force grew up in their student days under the old regime of library con- ditions, and they themselves never formed good habits of reading. My own experi- ence, however, is that there is a constant- ly increasing appreciation and realization among college teachers of the need of a good library well organized and admin- istered. A quite innocent cause of reduced faculty use of the library is the possession of good private libraries of their own by members of the faculty body. I find some newspaper and magazine reading by students to be quite general. While this is all very well in its way, such desultory and fragmentary reading can never take the place of the sustained perusal of serious books. Such a condition is but one more indication of the hurried habits of a busy age. Some of this period- ical reading amounts to nothing but the idle turning of the leaves of illustrated periodicals and the occasional reading of a light short story. In a college of any size it is easy for the library staff to be deceived with regard to the number of students using the library. If the library is crowded, — and what one is not? — and the students are numerous, the library will easily present the appearance of being well used. Moreover, a small staff pushed to desperation to answer the demands already made upon it quails at the thought of inducing more use of the library. However, it may at the same time be true that many of the students are not doing any reading that is worth while, aud that some of the best books seldom circulate. A large percentage of the stu- dents who crowd library tables are simply using the library as a study room in which to prepare lessons from their text-books. Of the crying need of increased library use and more reading along cultural and also specialized lines, no librarian worthy of the name will fail to appreciate the reality. When we find professors with Ph. D. degrees who frankly confess that they cannot use a card catalogue, when agricultural graduates and instructors ad- mit of never having heard of the govern- ment index to agricultural experiment sta- tion literature, when college seniors com- pelled to write a thesis enter the college library for the first time, when other stu- dents are graduated without ever having drawn a book, and when both faculty and student members often show a lamentable ignorance, even of standard English liter- ature (I have heard instructors boast of their lack of knowledge of well known authors), it is time that the college li- brarians of the country exert themselves to overcome these defects. It is true that the librarians sense these difficulties and are striving to meet them. Perhaps the first step in this direction is the realiza- tion of the necessity for requiring of all 162 BERKELEY CONFERENCE freshmen some study of the proper use of a library. The offering of an elective in library instruction is not adequate to meet the problem. Those most in need of such a course fall to elect it. It would seem that the ideal way would be to make compul- sory some such work for all freshmen, and then to provide further instruction for those who wish it. The library staff, how- ever, cannot give such instruction, if it is heavily taxed in time and energy. It is surely worth while to sacrifice a good deal to make it possible for every student to gain at least an elementary knowledge of how to use a library. There is, however, another aspect to library usage. The library is, above all, a tool to be employed properly. It may be more; — it may be one door to an under- standing and appreciation of life and its spiritual verities. Right here the purely technical student is most lacking. I can- not express the matter as clearly as did our chairman in her letter to me, and so I quote her words: "Technical education may give one as much discipline in se- curing mental alertness and perhaps grasp, yet no technical subject gives one the knowledge of man — his methods of thought and action, his decisions and the result of his decisions — which fits a man or woman to cope with the world of men." I have noticed this lack of understanding of hu- man nature in one of my dearest friends. herself a woman of education and attain- ments, but technically trained only. In- asmuch as she is high-minded, she takes for granted the same attitude in others, and is bewildered and unhappy when she often runs onto other traits. More study of history and sociology, a wider reading of fiction and a drama would have better prepared her to meet the world, and with truer knowledge of life and its hard con- ditions, she would have had more sym- pathy and tolerance for storm-tossed hu- manity. The question of the power of personal contact is one that cannot be estimated. A little patience, a word here and there, and a great deal of tact in calling atten- tion to books and magazine articles that are worth while will in time have an effect. Tact is particularly needed in deal- ing with members of the faculty. It is necessary to be careful to give due re- spect to men who have specialized in sub- jects we know little of, and above all the service asked for should be rendered be- fore offering one not requested. However, if the librarian is really competent and possesses valuable information the faculty will gradually appreciate this and will come in time to ask help and advice. In this way he will be able to take his proper place as a guide to literature in the col- lege community. AN INDEX TO AGRICULTURAL PERIODICALS By Vina Elethe Clark, Librarian. lOKa State College of Agriculture It is scarcely necesary at this time to present arguments in favor of an index to agricultural periodical literature. That has been well done by Mr. Hepburn of the Purdue University library in two papers before this section, and, moreover, we are all agreed that we need it. Therefore, the object of this report is not to give de- tailed information regarding such an index, but to provoke a discussion of ways and means to get it. You all received copies of the circular letter sent out from our library some weeks ago, and practically all of you re- plied to it. All of the replies were favor- able to the plan, some librarians naturally being more enthusiastic than others. Mrs. Kidder received many replies, also KAISER 163 to her request for lists of fifty agricultural periodicals most desirable for indexing. These lists were studied carefully, and the number of votes each periodical received was recorded. Many periodicals received but one vote, others two or three, and others five and up. Finally a list of fifty receiving the greatest number of votes was made, and this list is appended to this report. The situation in a nutshell is then that all of the agricultural libraries need and want an index to agricultural periodical literature and we have a list of the fifty magazines for which indexes are wanted by the greatest number. The question is then, how shall we get the index? If Mr. Wilson could furnish us such an index at a price within the reach of our libraries, our troubles would surely be over. If this does not seem possible, is there anything left to us but co-operation of some sort? List of Fifty Periodicals Breeders' Gazette Country Gentleman Hoard's Dairyman Reliable Poultry Journal Wallace's Parmer Kimball's Dairy Parmer Pruit Grower & Parmer Garden Magazine Better Pruit Journal of Heredity Rural New Yorker Journal Agricultural Science Farm and Fireside American Forestry Farm Poultry American Sheep Breeder Country Life in America Gardener's Chronicle Jersey Bulletin Green's Fruit Grower Market Growers' Journal Ohio Farmer Journal American Society Agronomy National Stockman & Parmer Orange Judd Farmer Progressive Farmer Berkshire World Chicago Dairy Produce Gleanings in Bee Culture New York Produce Review American Poultry Journal American Poultry Advocate American Fertilizer Florist's Exchange Florist's Review Horticulture Journal of Agricultural Research Creamery & Milk Plant Monthly Farmers' Review American Co-operative Journal American Breeder Canadian Horticulturist Practical Farmer Countryside Magazine Thresherman's Review Forestry Quarterly Homestead Poultry American Lumberman Field Shepherd's Journal THE CIVICS ROOM By John B. Kaiser, Librarian, Tacoma Public Library One of the most recent experiments in specialization within the public library has brought into being so-called Civics Rooms. They exist in name, so far as I have been able to ascertain, in but four libraries, namely, Chicago, Cincinnati, Detroit and Louisville. There is usually an intangible though compelling force — perhaps we may even say a tide in the affairs of men — which brings about as the result of a definite need the creation of new agencies for satisfying or fulfilling the need. A comparatively recent development In library work is the legislative reference li- brary. It came into being when men more fully realized the seriousness of the prob- lem of intelligent legislation in general, and it offered itself as a factor in the so- lution of this particular problem. Simi- larly, some years later the seriousness of the problem of municipal government be- 164 BERKELEY CONFERENCE came more generally realized, and there were those who went as far as to say that from an economic standpoint the city is the greatest problem confronting the nation to- day. At once, here again, the library came forward and presented the specialized mu- nicipal reference library as one factor — and indeed a powerful one — in the problem of improving municipal government and administration. Another similar case is presented by the business men's branch, illustrating library aid in solving the difficult problems of modern business in all its phases, from corporation management to efficient book- keeping for country groceries and from boosting buy-at-home campaigns to the latest opportunities for extending our over- seas commerce. To what, then, shall we ascribe the ad- vent of the civics room, and in what way, if any, is it related to these other tried ex- periments in library specialization? Accepting the conclusion that the civics room offers one factor in the solution of some pressing public problem, the com- pelling force in this case can be no other than the growing public demand for a more enlightened and more efficient citizen- ship. Civics, we are told, is "the science of civil government; the principles of govern- ment in their application to society." Or, if we prefer a different statement, It Is "the science that treats of the government of cities, of citizenship, of the organizing of life in cities and of the relations between citizens and the government. Civics in- cludes (1) Ethics, or the doctrine of duties in society, (2) Civil polity or governmental methods and machinery, (3) Law in its ap- plications most directly Involving the inter- ests of society, (4) Economics or the prin- ciples or laws of wealth and exchange, (5) History of civic development and move- ment." If this latter more comprehensive defini- tion of civics is made the program of the civics room this new agency surely has a large place to fill, but the library civics room must be organized with a view to making the most of physical and financial limitations and of the other features and phases of library work and available infor- mational agencies. Legislative and munici- pal reference libraries certainly foster an enlightened knowledge of "the principles of government in their application to so- ciety," and business branches, by providing information on the laws and methods of trade and successful management, foster, at least indirectly, a better citizenship by providing an opportunity for advancement in one's chosen line of commercial en- deavor. Is there, then, a place in library work for an additional agency of civic im- provement such as the civics room, and if so, what is that place? The Chicago Public Library, which opened its civics room May 1, 1912, fur- nishes the best concrete example of what we are discussing. It is also a proved suc- cess, so that any criticisms of it or sugges- tions regarding it are themselves open to question on the ground of being theoretical r.nd untried. Its plan of operation is fully described in "Chicago Commerce" for April 26, 1912, (pages 23-27,) in an address given by Mr. Legler before the Ways and Means Committee of the Chicago Association of Commerce just prior to the formal open- ing of the room. "This department," says Mr. Legler, "is to be called, for want of a better term perhaps, the civics department of the library, and it will aim to center in one room the best and latest and the most up-to-date material which the library has among its resources affecting education, business and civics." After three years of work with this civics room Miss Edith Kammerling, who has it in charge, outlines its present scope in the following detailed and effective manner: The present scope of the public library civics department. a) National affairs. b) State affairs especially Illinois. c) Municipal affairs; as: Municipal dance halls Commission form of govt. Non-partisan elections Smoke nuisance Parks and playgrounds KAISER 165 Garbage disposal Municipal markets Social surveys Subways Jitney bus Railroad terminals Municipal ice plants d) Political, social and economic; as: Initiative and referendum Woman suffrage Immigration Child labor Housing Social settlements Syndicalism Cost of living Moving picture shows Blue sky laws Mothers' pensions Juvenile courts Open air schools Social centers e) Topics of current Interest; as: Chicago boys' court Delinquent girls' court Public defender Effemination question in the public schools Juvenile-adult offender Paying fines on the installment plan Three-fourths decision in jury trials Boards of public welfare School savings banks Recall Short ballot Minimum wage Employers' liability Employers' welfare institutions Labor unions Co-operation International arbitration Garden cities Child welfare Reformatories Pension systems Industrial education Unemployment This is truly an adherence to and a splen- did development of Mr. Legler's original plans for a department concentrating the current data on educational, business and civic problems. From the published reports of the Chi- cago Public Library' it appears that the civics rooms was used during its first year even more extensively than was antici- pated, having received 43,187 recorded visitors who consulted over 40,000 books 11912-1913; 1913-1914. and boxes of pamphlets and some 17,000 magazines and 6,500 volumes of bound newspapers. The second year's attendance was nearly 10,000 greater than the first and the increase in material used was greater in proportion. The Chicago Li- brary's report for 1913-1914 (pages 31-33) furnishes further light on this subject, and presents an interesting selection from the thousands of questions asked. = Turning now from a consideration of the actual scope of a civics room's work to a speculative discussion of its proper scope, theoretically speaking, we find quite a dif- ference in opinion. Mr. Legler's experi- ence prompts him to state his thus: "It seems to me that municipal reference work need not necessarily be a part of its scope primarily, but that it should be affili- ated therewith through an institution in the City Hall. It should, however, be a business men's branch as well as a reser- voir of material available to graduate stu- dents, social workers, civic organizations and serious students of present-day prob- lems." And Miss Kammerling adds that they have not found it expedient to advertise the material for business men to any great extent because of the lack of space to ex- pand. Dr. C. C. Williamson, now liead of the Municipal Reference Branch of the New York Public Library, takes a somewhat dif- ferent view: "I should be inclined my- self," says Dr. Williamson, "if I were charged with the organization and manage- ment of a civics department in a public li- brary, to assign to it nearly all matters which are included in the data presented each week in the Public Affairs Informa- tion Service 'Bulletin' published by the H. W. Wilson Company." And further: "I should not include business, commerce, etc., as would be expected in a business branch. I would have it cover municipal reference work, legislative reference work, social betterment, etc., and make it cater to every want relating to government and social 2See also A. L. A. Bulletin 7:339-42 (Kammer- ling) and Public Libraries 17:221-22. 166 BERKELEY CONFERENCE welfare." Mr. Wheeler of Los Angeles in- clines to this view also. He would prefer business books in an industrial department if no separate business department exists, but should only one special department be possible he would stretch its scope to in- clude education, civics proper and business subjects. Miss McCormick in Cleveland believes a civics department, a municipal reference li- brary and a business branch three distinct institutions, each serving a separate need. Mr. Ranck of Grand Rapids deems it both extremely difficult and unwise for a library In advance to limit the scope of any par- ticular line of work. He would have it work out its own salvation, letting com- munity demands on the one hand and ex- isting library service and resources on the other be the determining factors in the de- velopment of the work. Perhaps this speculative exercise has been carried far enough, but I will venture my own opinion, which I find partially shared by one or two others, and I will bor- row some of the language of Mr. Wheeler. He writes: "The difficulty is that most libraries in branching out into special fields, are not able to undertake more than one special department, on account of lack of funds. Consequently, In actual practice these special departments include more than their name would imply, and oftentimes contain a mixture of material that is in a way inconsistent, but which proves really useful and usable." Whether a civics room is to be in the main library building or apart from it is, to my mind, an important factor in deter- mining its scope, and the size and location of the main library building are funda- mental considerations making any generali- zation almost impossible. However, for a civics room with a main building in a city already having the more specialized mu- nicipal reference library in the City Hall, I fail to see where Chicago's plan can be improved upon. With a main library so lo- cated that a separate civics room in a more central location would attract a large pa- tronage, my present inclination would be to combine government, social welfare and business in one department, but I agree with Mr. Wheeler that where an industrial department is possible in addition, then business, industrial, and technical sub- jects should form one group, and govern- ment and social welfare another. If we could place our ideal main building and City Hall next to each other in a central business location our problem would be much simplified. Some of the administrative problems and methods of the civics room seem already solved for us. Pamphlets, clippings and fugitive material generally, closely classi- fied but uncataloged, appear reasonably ac- cessible, whether in labelled pamphlet boxes on shelves or cared for in vertical files, and both the dictionary arrangement and the Decimal Classification for vertical files have their strong adherents. Also there exists in some quarters a tendency toward but one file for all material in a special library of this character. From Newark, whence so many good ideas ema- nate, we may expect soon some special ad- vice on map filing. Miss Kammerling re- ports that in Chicago they have solved the problem of circulation of the material by having package libraries made up, which contain practically the same material as is to be found in the boxes. The last few years have witnessed much progress in the problem of securing infor- mation regarding the appearance of valu- able so-called fugitive material in the gen- oral field of public affairs and also in the actual acquiring of the material itself. These sources of information have been made familiar to us through articles in the library press and the proceedings of this Association. Elsewhere I have listed fairly comprehensively' most of them that had appeared by the spring of 1914. Since then some new ones have appeared and ^Kaiser, Law, Legislative and Municipal Reference Libraries, Boston Book Co. 1914, 467 pages. See pages 80170; 187-88; 261-323; (especially p. 109- 116,; 125-128; 187-188; 228-229; 274-276; 280-281; 285-6; 321-23.) 167 some older ones have developed materi- ally. All agree that the weekly "Bulletin" of the Public Affairs Information Service which cumulates bi-monthly and annually, now published by the H. W. Wilson Com- pany for the co-operating institutions, takes first place in this field and is truly a clearing house of public affairs informa- tion. If any are unfamiliar with this ser- vice it will repay immediate investigation. It gives information regarding public af- fairs, events, and publications, and in some cases will even supply the publication listed. Another new publication to be specially mentioned in this connection is "Informa- tion — A Digest of Current Events, includ- ing Index to Dates," an outgrowth of the "Index to Dates" published monthly with quarterly cumulations by the R. R. Bowker Company. This Is broader in scope than Public Affairs, covering international events also, but leads to documents and publications only indirectly. "Municipal Reference Library Notes," published since December 1914 by the New York Public Library under the direction of Dr. C. C. Williamson, now shares first place with the "National Municipal Re- view" as a source of information on cur- rent publications of all kinds relating to municipal affairs. Its weekly appearance, its annotations and its special features, such as lists of current New York City publications, give it a unique position in this class of literature. In the more technical lines should be noted the Current Literature References multigraphed weekly by the library of Stone and Webster,' and the "Reference Bulletin" begun in April 1915 by the Index Office, Chicago. Our most useful guides, then, to current public affairs information would include the "American City," the "American Polit- ical Science Review," the "American Eco- nomic Review." the "Bulletin" of the Pub- lic Affairs Information Service, the "Con- 1 Temporarily suspended. gressional Record," the "Monthly Cata- logue" of the Superintendent of Docu- ments, the "National Municipal Review," "Special Libraries," "State Publications," the "Survey," the "Municipal Journal and Engineer," "Municipal Engineering," "In- formation," "Municipal Reference Library Notes" (N. Y.), the Stone and Webster "Current Literature References" and Index Office "Reference Bulletin." The three types of library work, munici- pal reference, civics room and business branch, which may or may not be properly assigned to a civics room, are confronted by many of the same unsolved or only partially solved problems. The next step, then, is to attempt to solve these problems. One who has for some time left the field of special library work, though his interest in it remains, would be unqualified to offer solutions, but perhaps a small service can be rendered those most concerned by fur- nishing here a collective statement of these problems, and an indication in some cases of the direction in which a solution may perhaps lie. Discussion may clear up some matters at once. From those actually confronted by them I have secured this list of difliculties: 1. The replacing of uncataloged pamphlet material stolen from pamphlet files. (Would a brief entry shelf list be worth the time?) 2. Getting in contact with the latest pamphlet material. (Public Affairs Infor- mation Service approaching a solution.) 3. To expand the Wisconsin classification (cf. Los Angeles Public Library "Bulletin" for May 1915.) 4. Administering a special library with- in a general library, especially securing prompt and efficient action in ordering and securing material. 5. The need of expert knowledge in so many fields of work. 6. Securing specific information on the practice of cities with reference to practi- cal problems. City records give insufficient data, particularly cost data. 7. Locating fugitive material in time to secure it before it is out of print. 168 BERKELEY CONFERENCE 8. Securing reports from other cities. Permanent central distributing agency needed. 9. Lack of promptness in publishing mu- nicipal reports and poor Indexes. 10. Difiiculty of obtaining and indexing current and recent ordinances. 11. Do municipal reference libraries at- tempt to index ordinances of their own city? To what extent index ordinances of other cities? Inadequate indexes to mu- nicipal magazines and municipal subjects in technical and general magazines. 12. Securing questions from city officials in time to make the necessary research, especially when correspondence is in- volved. 13. The best method of calling the atten- tion of officials and civic workers to new material for them. Compare New York "Municipal Reference Library Notes" and the Cleveland experiment, as follows: "We have a brief file of guide cards headed with names of city officials, depart- ments, divisions, and bureaus of the city. As we add books, pamphlets, etc. or find magazine articles of unusual value, we note these in pencil on a slip of paper, stamp the date when noted, and drop the slip behind the name or department for whose benefit it is noted. These slips are later compiled into very brief lists and handed to persons or departments. We have found that, almost invariably, officials will read a few pointed references given them, but they do not always read the same kind of references when they are included in a longer list embracing material not especially applicable to their work." WHiat was suggested a year ago is still true.' In the field of library science a classification acceptable to special libraries operating in the public affairs field and sufficiently flexible to keep up with current developments is still a desideratum; so also is a standard guide in assigning subject headings or, better, a standardization of civic nomenclature, as Miss Hasse has phrased it in her appeal before you last year for an enlarged, progressive and standardized civic bibliography.^ The list of technical desiderata could easily be extended but one more must suffice. Compilations of the ordinances of a number of cities on single subjects,^ edited with historical, descriptive and eval- uating notes are practically unknown, though they would form a class of material of inestimable worth in municipal refer- ence work. Definite progress has been made in the field of co-operation, instanced especially in the development of the Public Affairs Information Service and the increasing membership of special library workers in such associated organizations dealing with public affairs as the National Municipal League, the American Political Science Association, American Bar Association, the American Academy of Political and Social Science, the Special Libraries Association, and a host of others. Membership In as many local civic and other organizations as is possible by staff members is most com- mendable, and the last report of the Se- attle Public Library illustrates their belief in this plan. The librarian himself should not neglect business men's organizations and has a place in the Chamber of Com- merce and the Rotary Club as well as on the golf links if his inclinations and abili- ties lead him that way. Some see in the establishment of a National Department of Municipalities in our government, and then an International Municipal Congress and Bureau the greatest step in co-opera- tion in the field of municipal affairs. Perhaps you feel we are getting away from a discussion of the civics room in the individual library, but I think this is all relevcnt matter and that the subject leads naturally to its larger aspect, the civic opportunity of the library, and the part the library can play in the new move- ment for training for public service. And this part is not limited to furnishing data to hundreds of civil service applicants ■Kaiser ibid. p. 228-33; 342-43. 169 which the Chicago Civics Room does on so large a scale. Please note that the Com- mittee on Practical Training for Public Service' of the American Political Science Association is headed by Dr. Charles Mc- Carthy of the Wisconsin Legislative Refer- ence Library, and that it was a library school (Wisconsin) which inaugurated a course in "library administration and pub- lic service." The college librarians must take note here and we should all of us real- ize the significance of the report of another committee of the American Political Sci- ence Association, that dealing with instruc- tion in political science in colleges and •See Preliminary Report in American Political Science Association Proceedings 1914, page 301-56. universities.^ In its suggestions for im- proving the situation in universities it asks an inquiry into library approprations for the purchase of books and documents. May we not say now that it is fairly clear that the library has a definite place in the civic development of the American com- munity? It is certainly responding to the public demand for an instrumentality that shall lead to a more enlightened and more efficient citizenship. The civics room in the library is one means we have evolved for this use and if properly advertised and developed it will become the people's school and will tend to create an effective check on .radical self-government and an effective incentive toward true democracy. ^American Political Science Review 9:353-74 (May CLEVELAND EXPERIENCE WITH DEPARTMENTALIZED REFERENCE WORK By Cael P. P. ViTz, Cleveland Public Library The Cleveland Public Library is trying out an organization for central building li- brary work differing decidedly from the arrangement usual in libraries. Briefly, the formerly circulating and reference depart- ments are merged and are operated under one immediate administration. This greater unit is then subdivided along subject lines into divisions, as technology, sociology, fine arts, etc. In this arrangement, books on the same subject, whether intended primar- ily for reference or for circulation, are shelved together or in close pro.ximity, are administered by one division staff and used in the same floor area. After years spent in a building which cramped all attempts at expansion the Cleveland Public Library is at present in satisfactory temporary quarters, and is awaiting the planning and erection in the near future of a worthy and adequate per- manent building. We are therefore defi- nitely trying out the present plan and will decide upon the fundamental arrangement In the new building, very largely in the light of our present experience. As our present plan Is worked out in a commercial building not at all planned with a view to library use, it seems neces- sary in our discussion to keep its unusual features in mind, especially as they result in some advantages and some disadvan- tages. Our entire public work is on one long and comparatively narrow floor. It is 450 feet long and 100 feet in width for 180 feet of its depth, and for almost the entire remainder has a width of 85 feet. The north and south walls and almost all of the west side are practically solid glass, the remainder, solid walls. The ceiling is fifteen feet high. Five large skylights add very materially to the successful lighting of the room. A stack two stories in height and accommodating 250,000 volumes is placed against the windowless east wall. Most of its lower tier is open-access. The Poole sets and the upper tier are restricted. It is to be noted that all of the shelving, which serves to break up the room into alcoves is freely accessible to the public and contains the bulk of both the circulat- ing and reference books in most of the classes. The chief exception is in the fine arts division, where the expensive refer- 170 BERKELEY CONFERENCE ence books are kept In locked glazed cases. The only public entrance to the library is near the south end. . . .' The main library organization has at its head the second vice librarian and a first assistant. Under their direction the work is carried on by a staff of some fifty per- sons divided into the following divisions: General Reference & Information Periodical Philosophy & Religion Sociology Science & Technology Literature History, Travel & Biography Fine Arts Popular Library Foreign Desk Branch Loan Shelf All of these are on this one floor. In ad- dition there are the Newspaper Reading Room and Library for the Blind in a por- tion of the old Main library building and the Municipal Reference Library in the City Hall, both twelve blocks distant. The names of most of these divisions are self- explanatory. A few will, however, bear further definition. The foreign division has the popular books in foreign languages which are for circulation. These collec- tions range from a few hundred volumes in less important languages to 26,000 in the German language. The desk division has charge of all the loan work of the main library and of the union registration rec- ords for the system. The Branch Loan di- vision has charge of loans from the main to the 150 other agencies, filling, with the help of the divisions, author, title and sub- ject orders received from the branches and making the proper loan records. The shelf division has charge of the shelves of the main library and of its statistical, order, withdrawals and additions, and binding records, the page service and the inventory. The most important division in many respects is the General Reference Division. It Is a chief point of contact. 'Floor plans and nhotoeraphs of the present quar- ters are to be found in "Library Journal." Novem- ber 1914, and in the Cleveland Public Library Re- port, 1913. where most of the ready reference work is done, and serves as a clearing house for a large part of the remainder. Here are shelved the indexed sets of periodicals and their indexes (except scientific and techni- cal), the dictionaries, encyclopedias and compendious books of all kinds, the out-of- town, city, telephone and business directo- ries, the bibliographic equipment of the li- brary, maps and atlases, the clipping file and the general catalog. It serves as a general information desk and handles tele- phone inquiries. At the general catalog Is stationed an assistant from the catalog department, fre- quently the catalog librarian herself, to answer questions from the public in regard to the catalog and to help them in their use of it. With this, of course, is com- bined the work of filing in and revision of the catalog. This contact with the public in its struggle with the tool of the cata- logers' construction is of great help to the latter in their effort to make it as usable and simple as possible without sacrificing completeness or accuracy. In addition, each division will have a complete catalog containing author and title cards for all books shelved in the division, and subject cards for all books in the library, regard- less of where shelved, whose subjects fall within the scope of the division. . . . An intercommunicating automatic house- phone puts every division in touch with every other and makes it possible for as- sistants to call upon the general reference division or the general catalog for help or for them in turn to call for books from the distant divisions by call number. In brief, each desk commands the resources of the whole library. A book carrier running 300 feet of the length of the room serves to bring books from the various divisions to cither the reference or catalog desks as needed. Readers are, however, encouraged to visit the alcove for the book wanted rather than to wait for it to be brought to them at the catalog by the call slip method. When a reader wishes to consult a number of books, which are widely scattered, they are of course collected for him at a con- 171 venient table, as are volumes in periodical and indexed sets. The great advantage of our present method is that it puts all our resources under one general administration and makes them universally available. It brings together more nearly all the ma- terial on a subject and minimizes the sepa- ration which seems unavoidable with the growth of large collections. . . . I shall take up first the pros and cons resulting from this merging of the circulat- ing and reference collections as it is be- ing tried now by the Cleveland Public Li- brary and then take up the different ques- tions of municipal reference and business branches and such other agencies as In- volve the housing of a fraction of the li- brary's books at some distance from the main collection for the use of a special class of readers. The advantages and disadvantages of our present arrangement as compared with one where the circulating and reference de- partments are kept sepEfrate may be sum- marized briefly as follows: Advantages: I. To the public: a. Greater convenience and effective- ness for work in having all the material on a particular subject concentrated in one place and not in two departments. b. Less traveling about after objec- tive point has been reached, as all material is easy of access. c. Easier for user to plan work of some duration, because he knows immediately the complete re- sources of the library, the part which can be withdrawn by him for use at home or office, and the part which can be used only in the building. d. Fewer explanations of needs are necessary, as with one assistant in charge of all the material but one statement of needs is neces- sary instead of two required where there are two departments. n. To the staff: a. Better training and greater satis- faction to the division assistants to have in their charge all ma- terial on subject. b. Possibility of knowing exactly what material borrower has seen before searching farther, result- ing in, a. Better service. b. Fewer questions and expla- nations. c. A greater facility in fitting book to reader, as the assistant can know both books and clientele more intimately, and is in a bet- ter position to supply the author's viewpoint and his relation to his subject. Moreover, the assistant who knows well his subject can more easily get the reader's view- point and do this without seem- ing to catechize. in. Administration of book collection: a. Book purchase. Economy in du- plication possible. Often one book can do the work of the two which would be necessary in two distinct departments. b. Circulating material will often be available for reference use. c. Reference material will often sat- isfy the borrower's wants if it is right at hand. d. Easier to decide what reference books can be spared for lending when the complete resources of the library are known. e. The circulating books are made of more value when people can examine the illustrative material afforded by the reference books. f. The bibliographies and indexes in the reference books are a fre- quent help as a supplement to the catalog in the use of the circula- ting portion of the book collec- tion. IV. In administration of the staff: a. Specialists for each main subject possible. Results are: Contents of books known more minutely; a better opportunity to keep in touch with the literature of the subject and closer connection and easier co- operation with those individuals and organizations in the city, whose interests lie in the field covered by the division. This third point I consider very im- portant. b. A more smoothly working staff where all the assistants are or- ganized into one staff with one head, than where they are not so imited. Where all the resources are in one collection, and are kept available for all to use, there is BERKELEY CONFERENCE less room for incomplete co-opera- tion or departmental jealousy. It is one unit and not two with a need for adjustment between the two. . . . Disadvantages: I. To the Public: a. Longer distance to go for a ques- tion that a conveniently located separate reference department might answer. A different floor plan is a partial answer. b. Separation of the encyclopedic from the more general reference material. This difficulty, also, can be minimized by a proper floor plan, but it is an inevitable accompaniment of size. c. Irritation caused by being sent from division to division. The elimination of sending from cir- culating to reference department and vice versa more than balances the somewhat increased trouble on this score. Here again a floor arrangement planned with these problems in mind can reduce the difficulty. II. To the Staff: a. Difficulty of doing thorough refer- ence work in divisions without ac- cess to complete catalogs, cyclo- pedic and general bibliographical material. Again a proper floor plan is a partial solution. b. Difficulty at the general reference desk of having the catalogs, etc., but not the books immediately to hand. Carrier system, house 'phones and proper page service can do much to minimize, especi- ally if the general reference desk is located centrally as regards the book collection. c. The assistant in one division does not know the resources of all di- visions, and important material classified elsewhere may be over- looked. This objection bears a direct relation to the ability of the assistant In the division. Where inquiries are received in writing, involve considerable re- search or for which some time is allowed, they can be cleared through the general reference desk and this difficulty obviated. Combining the two departments reduces the chances of overlook- ing important material. d. Lack of responsibility, as sub- jects are passed on from one di- vision to another and no one as- istant feels responsible for the whole service as a completed unit. The same comment as for the pre- ceding applies, e. Danger that divisions will devel- op along main lines of their sub- jects at expense of those more or less alien; e. g. the biological sci- ences in technology; or amuse- ments, games and sports in fine arts. This tendency must be guarded against by the general administration. This difficulty is more theoretical than real, as a collection's growth is determined largely by demand. The following difficulties in administra- tion are chargeable more directly to the combining of the two departments. III. In administration: a. Reference books in unaccustomed hands. This is a temporary diffi- culty only, the result of reorgani- zation. It will be possible ulti- mately for the division assistants to know their own reference books better than the general ref- erence assistants, though they will not be able to know the gen- eral field as well. b. Difficulty of building up a large staff having in addition to other desirable qualifications what is known as "reference sense" and skill in use of a bibliographical equipment. c. Greater cost of service in having the time of trained specialists de- voted in part to the circulation of books, which could be done by an assistant possessing a good gen- eral education and the desirable human qualities. This assumes that the general reader as dis- tinguished from the special stu- dent is in less need of the special- it's help, an assumption which is at least debatable. . . . Some of the difficulties encoun- tered for which we are now in part finding remedies, can, I think, be almost complete- ly overcome in our new building without the sacrifice of any of the undoubted ad- vantages enjoyed at the present. Such a plan would locate the general reference di- vision, constituted much as now, centrally as regards the remainder of the library and near the entrance so as to remain the point of first contact. This arrangement will permit of a strong general reference staff, 173 centrally located and thoroughly controll- ing the collection and especially the means for unlocking its stores. It will still per- mit, in fact require, assistants, (special- ists as far as possible,) with desks in the several main groups of books. To the former will naturally fall requests of a ready reference nature and those of a gen- eral and elementary character, club pro- grams, etc.; to the latter, the more per- sonal introduction to books and the special guidance so often essential; the opportu- nity for co-operation with outside interests, and help in research to the continuous worker in some special field. Such a modi- fication, without losing any of the advan- tages, would result in a decided increase in effectiveness in the reference service. A different set of problems, however, is involved, when a section of the library's collection is extracted and located so that it is no longer a working portion of the greater collection. This is the question ol so called business branches, municipal ref- erence libraries, and, to a lesser degree, civ- ics rooms and other special collections lo- cated possibly in the same building, but in separate rooms. Where, as in business and municipal reference branches, the collec- tions are at a considerable distance, they virtually cease to be parts of the same col- lection. The ordinary branch is, or at any rate should be, an extension of the circula- ting phase of library work, in which the aim is to bring the book to the reader. It has in itself no elements of service, that are not present also in the main library. Its aim is to give to the reader of a local- ity out of the many books on its shelves that one which will best meet his need for culture, inspiration, general informa- tion or practical education. In reference work, however, it is necessary to bring the user to the book. The individual reference book is not loaned, so that it may always be where it is expected to be. The branches in their reference work are mere weak duplications of the main library serv- ice and are not its integral parts. The book collection should not be divided, as its value lies in its completeness. A di- vision of the library into self-contained parts is not possible. It will be necessary always to supplement the resources of any part, and very materially so, from those of other parts. A municipal reference or a business branch at a distance makes neces- sary considerable duplication of material. Both the branch and the central collec- tions will attract calls which can be satis- fied only by use of material shelved in the other place. Records of all kinds are com- plicated. Cataloging is made more diffi- cult because portions and only portions of sets are duplicated, and because second copies have different manner of treatment. Classification problems must be met. Diffi- culties arise due to not knowing at the main what is being received by the branch, and, at the branch what new material is added to the main. The branch is without the complete general catalog and the peri- odical and government indexes, and is dis- tant from books on subjects not strictly within the scope of the branch and yet often needed. All of the objections so far are minor and all can be met fairly well. What seems to me to be the deciding argu- ment I am reserving for the last. A li- brary may be likened to a burning fagot. It will burn well as long as it is kept to- gether. The occasional addition of a stick will keep the fire steady and effective. Its size makes the fire conspicuous. Remove one and the single stick is not easily kept alight. Replenishment is less easy, as fresh sticks are not many and cannot be spared easily from the larger blaze, nor can it attract much attention. Perhaps the analogy is faulty, but there is an advantage in having all your material together. There is an immense advertising value in this fact alone. Libraries, of necessity, adver- tise more in general terms than on specific subjects, and even where the appeal made is specific the effect is likely to be general. It is possible to advertise a business branch or a municipal reference room in the City Hall and expatiate on the possibilities of service. Such advertising may help the branch; it does not help the central collec- tion. Moreover, it does not effectively 174 BERKELEY CONFERENCE reach many who should use the branch but who, attracted by the prestige of the gen- eral collection, come there only to be dis- appointed. Where all departments are to- gether they reinforce each other, and every well-rendered service in one part calls at- tention to the possibilities of service in every other part. . . . Of course I recognize that where the cen- tral library is at a great distance from the business center of the city a separate busi- ness branch may be justified despite Its disadvantages, but a central library which, though not centrally located, is yet within the down-town district, will serve business men better than could a business branch, even though located much more advantage- ously, except at the cost of practically complete duplication, which would result in an expense no library could justify. Further items of expense are: the cost of the branch, or its equivalent, rental, up- keep, and a staff larger than needed for the undivided work. . . . The maximum of efiiciency will result from a concentration or centralization of collections, catalogs and staff. Thus is in- sured directness and definiteness of service and a certainty that every borrower will get all the service that the library has to give. THE CONSERVATION OF LIBRARY MATERIALS: READING A PROBLEM IN REQUIRED By W. E. Henry, Librarian, University of ^yashington, iicaltu- The old problem of the old library was the preservation of its materials frequently to the point of almost preventing their use. A new problem of the new library, and more specifically the college and uni- versity library, is the conservation of ma- terials that should and must be used. Etymologlcally considered there seems to be no essential difference between pres- ervation and conservation, but in our re- cent popular use the words are fairly dis- tinct in the minds of many, and suggest almost opposite meanings. Preservation carries with it the suggestion of prevent- ing use, or special preparation for future use. Conservation connotes not the lack of use but rather the careful and economic and rational present use in such form or degree as shall husband the material, as shall not destroy it, as shall retain it for future use. The old library preserved, the modern library must conserve. . . . We have for some time been familiar with the theory of conservation as applied to our forests, our mines, our water power, but it is so recent that we have begun to think of the needs and rights of future generations that everyone who considers this question with me well knows the chief facts concerning the vigorous, uncomprom- ising, and yet unfinished fight in national and state governments for the protection of the rights of the next and following generations to a participation in the use of what nature has provided In what we choose to call natural resources. . . . Conserve, make permanent, guard the future, protect the interests of those who are not hero to protect their interests: all these have come to be partial definitions of the word conservation. With the very instinct of the librarian, the preservation of all good things, one would scarcely think that there should ever be any necessity for emphasis upon con- servation. However, there is a real prob- lem of conservation arising in many li- braries, and especially in our college and university libraries, that is pressing hard upon us, and, so far as I know, no solution has been offered or even publicly consid- ered. It is not a problem of the first magni- tude in library administration, but it is a vital one within its scope. It is the prob- lem that lias come with our modern con- ceptions of college teaching, with our peda- gogy, if you please. It is a backward ex- tension of our modern and rapid extension of graduate teaching and study. 175 There was a time when the fact that a statement of fact or opinion was in print made it authoritative, and no questions of veracity were asked, and no serious con- sideration was taken as between questions of authority growing out of investigations and questions of opinion that were based upon no other consideration than that someone had funds sufRcient to pay the printer. . . . We are now in a new educational world with new conceptions of education and new conceptions of study and class manage- ment. Now we have the lecture, the note- book, and the assigned reading. Any col- lege teacher of whatever rank or prepara- tion will presume to lecture upon almost any topic if he has read not less than two text-books and one article from an ency- clopedia upon the subject. He expresses himself in much poorer form than can be found in almost any book that has been written upon the subject; the student, in- stead of really thinking what the profes- sor is saying and what he means by what he says, is on the verge of writer's cramp and paralysis trying to take in his note- book in a still poorer form what the Profes- sor is so badly expressing. Then this stu- dent spends his time at home, rewriting his notes while he should be either read- ing or thinking upon the subject under con- sideration, a duty for which he has had but little time and less preparation. Then, in order to compensate in some way for the poor lecture and worse notes, he has taken, he must read five hundred more or less pages per month, so rapidly and so disconnectedly that sometimes per- haps he never sees the relation between what he is reading and the course he is taking for which he wishes credit. The chief purpose of the note book and the required reading are to impress upon the dent that he has, in the vocabulary of the University, a "stiff" course, and that the professor is no "snap." With the "assigned reading" comes our little problem of conservation of materials and if I may not be taken too literally, I should say the conservation of source ma- terials. This title would not be far wrong, but I hesitate to use it lest it be interpre- ted too literally, and should appear to be attempting more than I really had in mind to do. With the lecture, the note-book, and the assigned reading grew the idea that each student, even to the freshmen, must make the nearest approach to an original investi- gator and make first hand researches. The students in a very small high school, twenty miles from a library, informed me that the history work in that school was original research. They did not under- stand, but they used the language of an elder. In this effort for the so-called research the faculty has selected the assigned read- ings in many cases from the nearest ap- proach that the given library possesses to first hand sources. It is not bad that stu- dents know of such source materials; it is well to have some mention or (if no more) a brief digest of this material for even elementary work, but our problem of con- servation comes in the library when a class of from fifty to one hundred and fifty careless students are required to read an expensive and out-of-print book, or certain chapters in it. Mind you, the wholesale reading of rare and expensive materials is done very large- ly by students who care little or nothing for the facts they obtain or for the care of the literature. The chief concern of most of them ends with examination day. Many of our professors are as thought- less of the future use of the materials and of the welfare of future generations of stu- dents and for the integrity of the library materials, as are the great logging com- panies of the integrity of the forests, or the lumber interests of future generations. The moment a reading is assigned to a large class some overthoughtful and in- dustrious student, whose penetrating intel- lect fastens itself upon the vital words and most important sentences of the text, and whose generous spirit dictates that he should do some thinking tor others, be- 176 BERKELEY CONFERENCE gins to underscore all these words and sentences. This penciling is usually done with a soft blurring pencil that penetrates the soft rough surface of book paper and cannot be erased. Sometimes the student who has gone far enough to appreciate and value the real permanency of records will dis- card so temporary a makeshift as a pencil and use ink both for underscoring and the occasional marginal note which he is wil- ling to contribute lest some future reader or a member of his own class may be too dull to catch the points of vital signifi- cance. The wearing out or the mutilation of an isolated book is serious enough, but it is of slight concern in comparison with a volume of a long run of periodicals, and this is the thing that is most likely to oc- cur. The article in a high class scholarly periodical is usually much better material for assigned readings than are the books that are less condensed, less direct and less up to date in both conception and treat- ment of the subject. . . . We can go to our shelves of economic journals or to our philosophic journals where a hundred and fifty students have read the latest on "trusts and combines," or the "seven men who control the wealth of the United States," the "taxation of in- tangible property," the "problems of mar- ket distribution," or the "democratic idea of a god" in Hibbert's, or in educational journals, where like numbers must know what Stanley Hall said about adolescence or what Professor Blank knows about child study and in these behold awful examples of the needs of conservation. . . . It does not at first thought seem very serious that a dozen or twenty pages be destroyed out of a periodical containing fifty thousand pages, and perhaps this im- pression influences the students' thought, if he thinks, but all who have tried to re- place a mutilated volume know the serious- ness of it. Not only do these readers mutilate by pencil or even ink, and by the excessive wear that comes from hundreds reading the same selection but occasionally there comes a student who becomes so firmly attached to an article in a technical magazine that he finds he cannot separate himself from it, and since he can't stay with the be- loved selection, he gently removes the much sought for article from the magazine and takes it with- him. Our Volume I of the "Pedagogical Seminar" during the last session of our summer school fell into the hands of a high-school teacher, and an article of twenty pages was torn from the periodical; and a significant feature of this transaction is that the article was entitled, "Teaching Ethics in the High School." The humor of it alone makes the mutila- tion less difficult to bear. . . . The question is not difl5cult to compre- hend and its seriousness is readily appreci- ated. The cure or remedy is not so easily determined upon or so readily applied. The first and perhaps the chief difficulty in remedying the defect is that the applica- tion does not lie within the realm of the librarian's jurisdiction. The difficulty lies in the modern schemes of instruction and any remedy that may be applied is likely to be applicable only by the professor, and if a remedy shall come by which the con- servation of our almost source materials may be possible and our sets of valuable periodicals may be kept intact it will prob- ably come through the changes made by the teaching force of the Universities, and they, up to this time, have not appreciated the problem, nor even that a problem ex- ists. We, as librarians, however, more clearly comprehending that the problem exists and that it is or may soon become a serious one, may legitimately busy ourselves in speculating upon the case and finding if possible a solution for our conservation problem. If the solution is possible and a remedy for present errors may be found it is quite possible that our professors may be made to appreciate the situation and their co- operation secured to bring about such changes in practice as will solve the prob- lem I am trying to present. HENRY 177 I think it fair to assume that the pro- fessors will not totally change nor very seriously modify their present plans of in- struction. The so-called lecture method will not be abandoned, and the demand will persist that students, even down to the freshmen, shall have access to the second- ary sources in the form, usually, of the latest and most important expert view as set forth in our great periodicals, which are the most precious possessions of most of our universities. Our only hope then, it seems to me, is to devise some plan for the use of the ma- terials that will make available to a large class the real essence of these best second- ary sources, and yet prevent the actual handling of these periodicals by untrained and many times uninterested young stu- dents who do not to any degree appreciate the sacred value of what to them is little more than paper. The nature of much of this material is such that it is quite impossible to purchase many copies, as can easily be done in the case of recent books, any one of which might be used as a text. The periodicals could usually be bought in duplicate when first published, if we could know at that time that they are to be wanted, but generally many months have elapsed and sometimes years, before we are aware that a certain period or a given theory cannot be adequately studied unless all the members of a large class may each have unrestricted access to a given article in a bound magazine that can scarcely be duplicated or replaced. I see at this time but two courses to even suggest that may help the situation. One is wholly in the hands of the professor, the other is to a degree within the control of the librarian if he may have advance warning of the call that is to be made and has available funds. The first is that instead of each of a large class reading and penciling a valuable art- icle in an expensive periodical, this article be assigned to one student rather than 150 and that he digest it thoroughly for the class, and even furnish the members of the class with a brief of his digest by duplication. The faculty objection to this scheme would probably be that it leaves one hun- dred and forty-nine students idle while one digests the material, for at times it seems they are more interested in the fact that the students work than that they secure results through their work. Having been a college teacher, I must think that many students can be employed at such work at one time, each on a separate assignment and the class as a whole get a much wider range than under present plans, and each receive large benefits from the intensive work of other members of the class. The second possible plan, and one within the control of the librarian, is the duplica- tion of the entire assigned article, by mime- ograph or otherwise, so that many copies may be at the loan desk, that many read- ers may be accommodated at one time. This plan seems a rational solution, but in the course of a year, it will cost many dol- lars, and in one sense not increase the resources of the library. A third mere possibility comes to my mind, but it is not in the control of either professor or librarian, and it is so far out- side the limits of probability, if not of possibility that I hardly need mention it. It is the more generous preparation and publication of source books for different lines of study. These so-called source books would, of course, be digests of the best literature in a particular and restric- ted line. Unless, however, the courses were fairly uniform in many educational institutions, the market for such source books would not justify publication. Whether the courses and the materials could be sufficiently standardized to keep a source book in the market for a series of years, I do not know. I know we must do something for the conservation of our best materials at what- ever cost. I should like to know how the problem impresses other members of this section and what solutions you have to suggest. BERKELEY CONFERENCE THE FIELD OP THE PUBLIC LIBRARY IN THE COLLEGE TOWN* By C. B. Joeckel, Librarian. Berkeley (Calif.) Public Library The field of the public library in the col- lege or university town does not differ in a general way from that of any public li- brary, but there are some special problems. Let us define very briefly the respective fields of the university library and of the public library. The primary function of the university library is to serve the uni- versity community. It is primarily a refer- ence library. The primary function of the public library is to serve the whole com- munity. It is primarily a circulating li- brary. The two institutions differ both in the public they are trying to serve and in their methods of serving that public. There are two main groups of problems. One group is concerned with the question, How much shall the public library help the university or college library? You college library people may resent the inference that you need any help from the public li- brary, but you cannot deny that the public library does help you in some ways, whether you need the help or not. Probably the first problem which will confront the public library in the college town is this, How far shall we go in supply- ing copies of books asked for by college students, particularly books which are re- served at the college library? The wise student will rush to the public library for the book which is reserved at the univer- sity library. In meeting this problem we must recognize the fact that the student is for several years a member of the commu- nity and is therefore entitled to the privi- leges of the public library. On the other hand, it must be borne in mind that it is the duty of the college library to meet the demand for such books as far as possible. I feel that the public library should pur- chase such books only when they can be useful to the general, as well as the uni- versity, public. There are two corollaries to this prob- lem of meeting the demand on the public library for books reserved at the college library. The first is, how to prevent the loss, either temporary or permanent, of such books. In going over the titles of books reported missing at our library here in Berkeley, I have been surprised at the number whose loss must he attributed to university students. Probably the only so- lution of the problem will be to put such books in a closed portion of the stack, or behind lock and key. The other corollary to the reserve book problem is. Shall the public library adopt a system of reserving books in demand by college students, similar to the system of reserves in a college library? My opinion on this point is still in the formative state, but right now I should be inclined to decide against a reserve system for the public li- brary, which, as I stated a little while ago. is primarily a circulating library. The problem of supplying enough copies of re- served books Is the problem of the college library, just as the problem of supplying enough copies of current fiction is the problem of the public library. Another way in which the public library helps out the university or college is by furnishing necessary books for collateral reading of university extension students. In some colleges and universities extension students are not granted library privileges except for reading and reference, and the public library should, I am sure, go as far as possible in meeting the demands of such students for books for home reading. Now let us consider how much the public library in a college town should ask help of the college library. Take, for instance, the matter of interlibrary loans. How often should the public library ask the col- lege library for books on interlibrary loan? In a paper I wrote for a Section meeting SCOTT 179 of the California Library Association three or four years ago I said: "In general, it seems to me that interlibrary loans on the east side of the bay (meaning San Fran- cisco Bay), and possibly all around the bay, are not necessary." I was speaking at that time from the university library point of view, but I think I can still subscribe to that statement. Another interesting but perplexing prob- lem confronting the public library is to try to determine how far to avoid the purchase of books because they happen to be in the college library. The standards of purchase of a public library in a town where there is a strong college or university library will vary considerably from those of a public library which stands alone in its com- munity. There are a good many books, mostly scholarly and expensive, which the public library in a college town would hardly be justified in buying as long as copies are accessible at the college library. One more way in which the college can help the public library is in reference work. Of course, there will be many in- stances in which the college library, witk its large collection, will be better equipped to answer reference questions than the smaller collection of the public library, but readers should be referred to the college library only when the public library has failed after careful effort to meet their needs, and when the questions they are looking up are of some real Importance. The guiding principle in solving these problems should take the middle ground of friendly co-operation rather than the extreme either of too much independence on the one hand, or of too much dependence on the other. INSPIRATIONAL INFLUENCE OF BOOKS IN THE LIFE OP CHILDREN By Mrs. Edna Lyman Scott, Lecturer on Story-Telling, Seattle In the midst of problems and conflicting responsibilities it is not surprising that one often hears a sigh for the "Golden Age of Childhood" — for the time when there are no cares, when all is freedom, fun and frolic. But as we look about us at the children of today, would any of us truly wish to be a modern child if he could? You gasp! Is not this the era of the child? Is it not the time, above all others, when the first consideration is for him, when his needs are met before he realizes them, when his desires have only to be expressed to find gratification? Is he not the center about which modern society moves? Are not laws made for him, moneys appropriated to be devoted to his service, lands set aside for his use? Are not the most schol- arly studying him, the most alert observ- ing him, the most carefully trained minis- tering to him? Has he not come to have even a commercial value to the state, so that he is protected and cared for as an asset? Certainly all these conditions are true or partially true, but who would ex- change his own childhood tor that of a child of today? Did we not have more leisure, did not imagination thrive better unobserved, were we not more resourceful, since the re- sources of adults were not ours to com- mand? Would we change the companion- ship of the most interesting of mothers for that of any kindergartener, or the firm, even justice of the father who had learned his lessons of obedience before he exacted them, for the discipline of any school? We jumped from the wood-pile because a ship was burning, and swung from the rafters of the barn because an invisible audience was ready to applaud the won- derful performance of the "World's Great- est Lady Gymnast." What would we have thought of directed play?" Sometimes we made bold to venture to the public library — it was not nearly so enticing as a certain book-case at home 180 BERKELEY CONFERENCE filled with a very miscellaneous collection of volumes. We pulled them down one after another until the one was found; we returned again and again, and though we were sure we had looked at every one, we wondered why it was that the green book we never had cared to read before, now looked so very entertaining? What would we have thought of graded lists? We did not need them; — these books found their way into our consciousness to inspire and uplift, apparently without effort on anyone's part. How did it happen? What is it that enables a book to be in- spirational to anyone? Is it not when he comes upon the thought of the author un- hampered by a preconceived notion of it, unprejudiced by what someone else thinks of it, and uninfluenced by the sense of what he ought to think about it? If a book speaks straight to the heart, or to the head, firing the enthusiasm, or stimu- lating the thought, is not that inspira- tional influence? And to how many chil- dren of this day have books thus spoken? Is it because they lack the atmosphere of freedom in making the acquaintance, which alone makes inspiration possible, or is it because the children's book of today does not suggest thought? A teacher of literature once told me it was her custom to ask her students about the books they had read as children, and she found that never more than two or three in a large class expressed any enthusiasm; many could not remember anything about the books they had read. Experiments in library schools furnish almost identical re- sults. To comparatively few do the years of childhood seem to have been in the least vital,— they leave no clear impres- sions of what they felt or thought about people and things, — no experiences stand out as significant— and the book-lite, if there was any, has left but a blur. Once, long ago, an old house stood be- neath the sheltering branches of huge oaks and slender elms. Within its walls, a sim- ple family history lived itself into reality, found its way into the world, and returned again to rekindle its fires at the hearth where they had first been lighted. Activity characterized the life of the house, from the business interests of the tall soldier father and the many-sided tal- ents of the mother who administered the affairs of the household and was its poet and seer of visions also, down to the youngest of its children, who arose in the morning with the question, "What shall we do now?" It was not, however, the activity which made the atmosphere significant. It was not that which gave it vitality and immor- tality in the lives of those who came in touch with it. It was, rather, that they felt the cultural things came first, the things of the spirit were esteemed the real things; that books containing life-giving ideals and lasting thoughts were among the assets of the home to be most prized and made most one's own. That high ideals and great thoughts had already enriched the lives of those of maturer years, made them interpreters of value, and the chil- dren, whoever they might be, unconscious- ly felt that here were people who knew books, not as superficial acquaintances, but as friends, tried and valued. When the lights began to spring into being through the village, an atmosphere of expectancy was evident in the old- fashioned living-room, as of good things to come, and the final household duties were completed with haste, that the hour of reading before bed-time might be made as long as possible. It was an hour all shared, and the interest of the reading was enhanced by the gentle voice of the reader. There were times when the tale seemed a trifle beyond the grasp of some — there must have been times when it took the heart of childhood to find absorbing inter- est in the very simple stories. But the memories of those experiences, themselves like books, one and all recite their stories, some more vividly, some less so. Many of these book friends are now re- ported "out of print" and have been for years; — some of them were the old friends 181 of the Mother. "Scottish chiefs" had fired the boyhood enthusiasm of the Father. But they can never be quite "out of print" while battered copies stand on the shelf to be taken down and read to those who follow after. There never has been in all the multi- tude of animal books published one which deserved to be a greater favorite than "The life of a bear." It was when these children of the house were wee folk, they followed step by step the delightful adven- tures of Martin from his babyhood in the mountain-cave, his lessons in woodcraft and worldly wisdom, to his coming of age, his ventures into the vineyards and among the cattle, and at last his capture. There was such pleasure in knowing a family of wild creatures so intimately, even if the sympathy with Martin was a little too keen when he played the role of dancing bear, finished his days in the zoo, and achieved immortality in the museum. If the book was intended to give any infor- mation, it certainly did not burden any with passages to be skipped, but left a delightful feeling with all that they would like to know more, not only about bears, but about other folk, commonly spoken of as "wild beasts," who live in strange places. Whether it was the expression of such an interest, I do not know, but "Lit- tle folks in feathers and fur" was the com- panion chosen for a visit made about this time to the grandmother's farm. Scien- tists have pronounced this book hopelessly unsound — but why listen to their ranting, since they will not write? Someone has said that children care for the books that touch their own lives directly in some fashion or other, — fairy tales appealing to the child who is con- stantly making excursions into imaginary realms, realistic stories to the child who is limited by his inability to "make be- lieve" and cares only to see himself mir- rored with slight variations in what he reads. Perhaps the unusual children com- bine the two in their more catholic tastes, and revel not only in imaginative litera- ture, but in touches of realism as well. '"i'he story of Dollikins" was a small ob- long book bound in red, and it came from England, which accounted, we believe, for the unfamiliar scenes and costumes in the illustrations. But oh what Joy to hear of the adventures of a doll who was ill and went to the seashore — whose ward- robe was more elegant than the ladies in real lite, and who was made to do so many things it was possible to imitate. Was that the charm, too, of the "Lucy books" that had belonged to the Mother? Or was it that she had been inspired by them to learn her letters by pricking all the o's with a wax-headed pin, as Lucy did, and had actually seen an apple cook- ing as it twirled on a string before the fire? It was not alone to the children of the home that the book world was opened. Each week a "wriggling, furniture-scratch- ing mob of boys," as one of them recently expressed it, appeared for a chapter from "The boys of '61," Dickens' "Child's his- tory of England," "Page, squire and knight," "The little duke," Knox's "Boy travelers," and other favorites. That these hours were full of inspiration was evi- denced by the persistent attendance at the time, and not less by the worn volumes which have been read and re-read to other boys in their turn. From every corner of the country grown men have stopped at the old house as they journeyed on affairs of business, to say "We have not forgotten those old days, when you used to read to us. How did you ever stick it out with such a noisy bunch?" I have sometimes wondered why I never take up an "Arabian nights" without feel- ing a consciousness of heat, and summer days, and light sifting through closed green blinds? Perhaps it is not so strange, since the surroundings, however incidental, have a way of reproducing themselves as the backgrounds of our memories. In the old living-room, near the fireplace, there was a walnut table with spindle legs and shelves which held books tightly ar- ranged in rows. They were most of them "grown-up" books — "Pilgrims' progress" 182 BERKELEY CONFERENCE lay on the top. It had an embossed cover and conventional flowered borders in blue or pink, and on Sunday afternoons this great book was taken down and could be read when other books about giants and ogres were forbidden. What the differ- ence was I never knew — but was subcon- sciously grateful that there was a differ- ence. On the first shelf, next three small blue volumes of Tennyson, stood the faded and dingy, and "fat" "Arabian nights" close fel- low to "Baron Munchausen," with the pic- ture of the horse with the stream of water flowing through his severed body. This edition of "Arabian nights" must have been nearly complete, the print was very fine, and the few colored illustrations crude; but through an entire summer of long, hot days, it furnished constant and unceasing entertainment and delight to the girl friends who haunted the old house. Heat and discomfort were forgotten as scenes of magic filled the hours, and genii, enchanted princes, beautiful princesses, caves filled with gold and jewels held the listeners spell-bound with their charms. "Tales of a caravan inn and palace" was almost as engaging and possessed the add- ed fascination of making us "shiver"— like the Dor€ Illustrations in the "Ancient mar- iner." "Little men" was a perfect find. It had the advantage, too, of being somewhat of a surprise, for, by some binder's slip, it stood in a cover labeled "Old-fashioned girl." One day, when everything had failed to in- terest, and every book had been read at "least a thousand times," we stumbled on it and began to read. It was a perfect revelation — for such a life was undreamed of even, and we read every chapter with cumulative enjoyment. I shall never for- get the sensations that were mine as I listened to the chapter called "Patty-Pans" which recounted the installation of a tiny kitchen as part of the playroom, where the children cooked real dinners, and had all manner of fun. We sat on the porch fioor with our backs against the great front door — I remember because everyone had to walk around us to get in. One read, then another; we could not wait for breath to proceed, and we could not bear to finish. Who does not remember his first poetry? Certainly he could never forget it, if it had been read to him by a poet and looking back through the years the voice with its music and soft cadences sounds again, he sees the light in the eyes, that look which he only half understood, he can almost feel his hand stealing again to his throat (he did not know why it felt so strange), and he realizes it Is to the reader of his first poems that he owes his love of the greatest of all literature. Perhaps there are those who never experienced a break in their love of verse, but many children drop poetry with their fairy tales, and nothing ever seems to revive their Interest in it. It was during the dark ages when poetry was a thing abhorred, that I sat on the floor under an old-fashioned grand piano, where the reading aloud of poetry had driven me to other amusements. Disap- pointment at being thus self-banished left an ear half conscious of what went on, — and suddenly into that consciousness came the lines. "Alone, hut with unbated zeal. That horseman plied the scourge and steel; For jaded now, and spent with toll, Emboss'd with foam, and dark with soil. While every gasp with sobs he drew. The laboring stag strain'd full in view. Two dogs of black Saint Hubert's breed. Unmatched for courage, breath and speed, Fast on his flying traces came. And all but won that desperate game. For, scarce a spear's length from his haunch. Vindictive toil'd the bloodhounds staunch; Nor nearer might the dogs attain, Nor farther might the quarry strain. "The hunter mark'd that mountain high, The lone lake's western boundary, And deem'd the stag must turn to bay. Where that huge rampart barr'd the way; Already glorying in the prize Measur'd his antlers with his eyes." It was a story! Then even that despised poetry might be endured, since, by patient listening such adventures could be enjoyed. Never again after "The lady of the lake" SCOTT 183 was persuasion to read poetry necessary. "The lay of the last minstrel," "Evange- line" with its long swinging lines, and "Miles Standish'' were the next friends: after that I do not remember how they came, until, passing from childhood to youth, Shelley's "Skylark" and "Wild west wind" solaced, and Byron was read, under protest, from cover to cover. One day there was a birthday, and a whole row of books stood waiting for their places to be found. They were all bound alike, and all written by the same man. Sir Walter Scott by name, and they had titles which had no meaning at all. It was In the days before novels were "required reading" in the schools, that the Mother skipped the introduction and began the story of Ivanhoe. Dry, uninteresting, hard to read? Well perhaps, — but none of the children would have pronounced them hard to listen to. Here was a world unknown, a world that really had been, yet was as won- derful as the world of fairy princes. If tasks at school palled, playmates grew un- interesting, and there was "nothing to do," each brown book was an invitation to lose Identity and become a Leicester, a Quentin Durward, or Richard-the-lion-heart. For the first time history was worth-while, sim- ply because it touched these heroes, even though the connection may have been very slight. If Mark Twain has been read again and again because he alone knew how to be funny, he certainly has not been less loved just for the simple art of story-telling. That the "Prince and the pauper" "might have been true even if It wasn't true" was not needed as a justification in the preface, because you knew it must have been true; it could not sound that way if it wasn't true; it tvas true. You loved the Prince for his bravery, his sufferings, his fair treatment and gentle courtesy when sorest tried, you loved every description of court- ly procedure and lavish display; you glor- ied in the growing courtliness of the little pauper; in his quick adaptability and his resourcefulness in difficult situations you felt his princely character, and almost wept that he must lose his throne to keep his heritage of honor. Such was the hold of this book that it was for years a resort in time of depression or convalescence from the numerous childish illnesses. It is a wonderful thing to have written one real book that has brought joy to the heart of a child, real joy that lasts. Wheth- er it is true, as we often hear, that every man has some one story he can tell .suc- cessfully, it is certain that the single story for children which many a great author has allowed himself the pleasure of telling has a rare and enduring quality which few writers of children's books possess. It is difficult to analyze, but it touches children and grown people equally. One could never tell why we laughed at "The rose and the ring" or even at "Alice In Wonderland." But isn't it enough to know we slept bet- ter when we had heard them, and that we reveled in the nonsense like lambs in the green fields? How glad we are there were no psychologists to investigate the cause of our merriment, and none in authority to demand that we tell whether we under- stood the wonderful symbolic meaning in "At the back of the North Wind," or "The Princess and the goblin." They gave us something like the same feeling that came with some of the stories we heard from the Bible — we felt the great Power leading ever to the light, and we wished some- way, that we were better — though we could not have told why and we were not even sure it was anything in the stories that had made us feel so. Surely there would come a protest from the very walls of the old rooms, they might of their own volition repeat the story of "Scrooge and Marley," if we forgot to give it place. For every Christmas, with the regularity of the stockings at the fire-place and the "little round-green-trees" in the window "The Christmas carol" was read. Like Tiny Tim's "God bless us every one," it shed the blessing of unselfishness like a soft light over the simple Christmas fes- tivities. And are you wondering what all this has to do with the "Inspirational influence of 184 BERKELEY CONFERENCE books in the life of children"? Why do children voluntarily read books? Some merely to pass the time, some because they find satisfaction in the act of reading, but, do not the majority read because the book suggests further mental activity? They are natural imitators, and the book supplies the material for dramatization, or portrays characteristics which seem admirable and stimulate to efforts at reproduction. Are there not many more "Sentimental Tommys" than we have been conscious of, or willingly admitted? Children are always being somebody. Sometimes this imitative tendency takes the form of playing the story, sometimes of impersonating the individual who has seemed heroic and sometimes merely trying to imitate the admired qualities. I know a young girl who says she re- members that she was always acting as she thought people in books would have acted. She sat perched for hours in a most uncomfortable position in an apple-tree reading, because the heroine of a book she had read made an impression by doing so. She was haughty or gracious, friendly or distant as the particular character she was impressed with at the time happened to be. If a book influences and inspires such activity, it must be because it makes its impress with the clearness and vividness which come with the freedom and joy of spontaneous reading. Inspiration is rarely bred of tasks im- posed by authority, or of directed activity. We have laughed Charles Lamb's "brows- ing" out of existence, and with the dis- appearance has gone the real opportunity to choose, to weigh and measure, which alone preserves originality, or stimulates the creative impulse, or gives the breath of inspiration to books. The sense of dis- covery is one of the chief elements of in- spiration; but it is almost impossible to "discover" anything in the modern library, — some wise librarian has already "found" and recorded it, and ticketed it for the individual who needs it. The importance of bringing all the resources of the library to the service of the public has become so deep a conviction that we may need to remind ourselves that we do harm rather than the desired good, when we deprive children of the stimulating effort of seek- ing to find for themselves, and formulat- ing independent judgments. If the public library is to take the place of the ideal home where the recorded thoughts of those great minds who have gone before is part of the background of its children, where the association with people who have always understood, valued and loved books creates an unconscious re- ceptivity and longing for the world of thought, then must we not preserve in the library as nearly as possible the elements which such a home represents? Training is to make the enthusiasm and love of books efficient, but back of the training there must be the person who really values books as his most treasured and familiar friends, who with all his learning has never grown away from his fondness for them as he was fond of them in childhood. Compulsory companionship, something we have to read, whether in the school or the library will never be a source of in- spiration. To quote the deductions of a young per- son from meditations on "why you never liked the books you had to read in school," "You can't get inspiration by having books shoved at you. Inspiration doesn't come in batches,— it comes as it grows out of thinking about the books you have read. A difference of opinion with the teacher might spoil the teacher's whole plan for presenting her literature lesson, and make it impossible to point the moral she in- tended. Hence, quite unconsciously, any originality, any independent opinions, or unorthodox tastes were nipped in the bud." The librarian may be just as guilty as the teacher of trying to impress her own tastes, standards, and appreciation on the public. It is not we who are to inspire but the books, so would it not be well if we had more faith in the power of thought to reach the consciousness longing for truth? WHITBECK 185 Only as the child can come to feel that they are his books, that lie may read what he likes, pass by what does not attract, bring back a book half-read, like or dis- like any or all, without even subconsciously suffering from a sense of disapproval or failure to meet the expectations of a li- brarian — only then will his book life be a joy and so an inspiration. Our claim for the work with children has been that it is educational — but educating a taste for lit- erature does not necessarily mean stand- ardizing taste. Absolute uniformity is not desirable, nor can we even say that exact conformity to our own opinion is the ideal. How do we dare say this is the book the boy in the slums needs, or that this book will release the child of the complacent suburbs from his bondage to indifference and ennui, or that this story peoples with heroes the unimaginative life of the child of the country? Long ago the great Socrates said "All my good is magnetic, and I educate not by teaching, but by going about my daily bus- iness." If we would rouse the latent love of na- ture, all we can do is to bring one where he may hear for himself, — "What the sea has striven to say So long, and yearned up the cliffs to tell." Where are our memories, what have we done with the book-life of our childhood? Did we have no inspirations to color our lives that we have so little understanding of the vital necessities in our children's rooms? Only one who has felt for himself the inspiration of books, — books of many kinds — who thrills still at the very names of his favorites, who knows the joy of finding a message for himself and so recognizes that the message he receives is not the only one, only such a one can ever place books where they may be an inspirational influ- ence in the life of children. READING OF OLDER BOYS AND GIRLS By Mrs. Alice G. Whitbeck, Librarian, Contra Costa County Free Library, Martinez, Calif. If one of those time-honored question- naires could have been sent to all librarians who deal directly with the adolescent, ask- ing what problems they would like dis- cussed at this meeting, I do not doubt in the least but that a majority of the answers would voice the same thought but ex- pressed in different ways, "How can we keep the boys and girls interested in good books?" "How can we reach the young girls?" "What shall we do with the young people whose books show a steady decline from the books they read in the children's room?" When so many conditions enter into the work of each one of us, how can any all embracing answer be given? You ask, "What do the older boys and girls read?" We might answer sliortly, "They read ■whatever they can get their hands on, many times books we wish they would not," and theoretically, "They should read only the best." We realize our problem but are we able to present any solution that will fill all possible cases? Innumer- able illuminating papers have been writ- ten on the subject; we have a number of very helpful books on the question of children's reading; we have lists compiled by well known authorities and yet we seem still to have the problem with us. All of us acknowledge the same aim, the same earnest desire to see the youth of our town read books that will give him not only the necessary pleasure and recreation but enrich his entire life and yet, I some- times wonder whether we do not take this point too seriously and I ask you to hark back to your own adolescent days and con- fess — did you always read books that en- riched your mind and that exerted a last- ing influence on your life? You certainly 1S6 BERKELEY CONFERENCE did read many a good book that left its impression but was it by design or by acci- dent? Realizing our own western conditions so well, I am possibly able to visualize the needs of the small town and the very small library whether in California or in any other state that is extending its library service from the large towns to rural com- munities. So I repeat, we may have to adjust ourselves to different conditions but in the end I hope may unite upon one point which we have in common and which we have to fight as a destructive force in our work — I refer to the author without a conscience and the publisher without scruples. Both of these are back of the problem of the adolescent reader. As we trace a few of the conditions un- der which we who are so widely separated by magnificent distances work let us not lose our tolerance for the taste of the six- teen-year-old miss or our sympathy with the desires of a wide-awake boy. In thinking over the question before us my first impulse was to chart or diagram it somewhat as follows: Represent the adolescent boy or girl by a small circle, connect this circle with seven others, representing the sources from which he reads or the conditions under which he reads. These circles will represent re- spectively the large, the small, the rural, the high school and the factory library, the bookstore or private reading exchange (sometimes called the underground li- brary) and alas! the last circle for the boy and girl who do not read at all. If you can visualize these circles we will in- dicate on straight lines radiating from them, the conditions that we find that either make or mar the reading tastes of the child and influence his reading as an adolescent. What do we find in the first circle that many of you recognize? A large library with a finely appointed children's room un- der expert supervision where every pos- sible attention is paid to the selection of books and every means taken to bring these books before the children — by story hours, by reading lists, clubs, home li- braries — in short, by every known and ap- proved method are these children directed in their reading. The library is able to afford a duplicate collection of intermediate books or perhaps an intermediate depart- ment. The problem becomes not one of ways and means but one of selection and the ability or inability to meet the on- slaught of cheap books by cheap authors issued by cheap publishers and for sale in cheap stores. The question of the intermediate collection is well treated by Mr. Herbert L. Cowing in the April, 1912, number of the "Library journal," where he quotes from the papers written by the first year high school pupils. These ex- tracts show that such a collection was realized as great benefit as soon as sug- gested and one that would fill an undefined need. Care should be taken in this col- lection not to include too many of the books on the required reading list of the high school lest it be regarded as an ad- junct to the high school work. Equal care should be taken in the posters and notices above such a collection. "Inter- esting books for girls" is not always the best caption. Better "Love stories" plain and unvarnished, over the group of stories. The main object of this collection is to keep the young people away from the shelves as long as they can find more books suited to their tastes here. I feel that a trial of the intermediate collection will prove its worth. In the second circle we have the small library that more of us are familiar with and where we meet our greatest difficulties. We are forced to acknowledge that our children's room is inadequate, either too small or our help not trained or expert, or we have no children's librarian at all and we ourselves must be everything save janitor. Our funds are small and here is an instance where we have not even more time than money. We look with a growing depression at the young girls reading from the adult shelves and many rebuffs have made us hesitant to do more than sug- gest. What is the need here? Is it an WHITBECK 187 article in one of ttie library journals or commission bulletins full of inspiration but which we lay down with a sigh and ". "I wish I could" thought somewhere In the back of our tired brains? Is it an ex- ceptionally fine list of books by some well known authority that we note again with blue pencil in our library journals think- ing that we will send for it tomorrow and then the tomorrow becomes still another? With all the recent books on children's reading before us, do we need still an- other? In spite of all that has been writ- ten, all that has been lectured upon, we have the same problem in all its varieties in the small library. In the rural library we have all the points above enumerated but each in a still greater degree. With less money to ex- pend the selection of books must be wiser; an expert librarian out of the question, the personality of the one selected must be even more carefully considered. As a rule the rural librarian knows each child intimately; she has the opportunity to talk with and direct the country boy and girl to a degree that the city librarian can never hope to emulate. Far from the town centers, she must rely upon printed lists, bulletins and the A. L. A. Booklist. This last list serves the rural and small library in a very helpful way. The group- ing of books in classes has been a very happy change; perhaps the additional grouping of an intermediate collection in which the fiction, suitable and wholesome enough for the young, might be listed, and such technical and popular class books as would appeal to the youth would be still another welcome innovation. At all events, by such a grouping attention would be called to the list specially. The high school library is on a dif- ferent basis because it is understood to be essentially the working laboratory of the school, a place to study, look up references, read from assigned lists, possibly iinding something interesting, more often not. Here the high school librarian, or the English teacher who sometimes serves as librarian, is able to approach nearer the adolescent student than in any of the cases heretofore mentioned. The right per- sonality is able to win the confidence of both the diffident and the over-confident. For some reason it has been found that the recommendation of the teacher about a book is final. If the high school is for- tunate enough to have one of those rare English teachers who is also a book-lover, a dramatic reader and a sympathetic friend, her influence is unbounded. This rare teacher or high school librarian will have read Dr. G. Stanley Hall's "Ado- lescence," and the chapter on intellectual education, and school work in his "Youth, its education, regimen and hygiene" and "The individual in the making," by E. A. Kirkpatrick and everything else that will enable her to appreciate the call of the youth and his sudden fierce desire to read of wild adventures, melodramatic movie stories, and of the girl to revel in books of the order of "The rosary" and others. Let me stop here long enough to relate two recent personal interviews that bear closely on this influence of the English teacher and the high school librarian. I had in the public library a very bright boy for the two months before he en- tered high school and then for two years after he entered. He graduates this year and I met him the other day on the way to the city. He is manager of the student's co-operative bookstore and so combines the business side with a wonderfully receptive mind and strong literary tendencies. Af- ter talking on book-buying and his work as manager, I touched on the question of the reading of the boys, what they were reading, how much, whether the four years made any difference in the general taste and many more questions to the same end. He answered that the freshmen were kept too busy to read very much on the outside except for school work; that the teacher (one of the rare kind, by the way) always had some new book that she con- sidered worth while for them to read and all it needed to rouse their interest was a short reading from it and her recom- mendation. Drama she made so delightful 188 BERKELEY CONFERENCE a study, it took the place of the inferior novel. He did not believe in reports but in class talks. He thought that the whole taste of the high school pupils had been in- fluenced by this teacher. I asked a girl, a recent graduate, how she felt on this same question. She most enthusiastically gave this same teacher fullest praise for guiding not only her own reading but that of the girls she knew. The history teacher of the same school was also given fullest appreciation for her efforts to lead the student from the poorer periodicals to those of a higher type. On the other hand my attention was called to a waiting list of sixteen high school girls In a rural high school for the "Eyes of the world," and this but a sample of the reading of the young people of this community. A visit to the high school library of a very large school and a talk with the efficient librarian who devotes all her time to the students brought out many inter- esting facts. She said, by keeping the library open after school hours and us- ing her time to chat informally on all sorts of subjects, she was sure to bring the talk round to books and reading. The children felt her interest and not her authority, and were glad to go to the library for the book recommended. A voluntary class in public speaking and journalism brought an increased interest in books. Boys frankly confessed that they found their vocabulary enlarged by the reading she suggested and asked her for books that would help in business. By gaining their confidence, she was able to open up a line of reading bearing on advertising, efficiency and kindred sub- jects, and to demonstrate the real and practical value to their high school ac- tivities and school publications such books could have. One girl wanted her mind "fur- nished" presumably for social purposes and wanted books that would help her "know something." We come now to the factory library which will include the department store as well. This side of library reading is less known to many of us. There are a few factories supplying their young work- ers with reading, there could be many more. One high school librarian told me that the trouble was not so much that the children read trash but they did not read at all. If this be the case in the high school, how much more true it must be among the many who leave school in the grammar grades to go to work. I found in one department store that the young girl employees buy on bargain days dozens of the L. T. Meade books and others similar and circulate them. The gaudiest and cheapest of trashy fiction is placed before them at such prices that they can buy them and after having been fed on this class for a while, they seek the same kind at the public library, become discouraged if they do not find it and easily drop the reading habit. The movie play, novel- ized, is fast taking the place of the cheap paper novel. I need make no comment on the literary quality of the novelized movie. The circle that contains the bookseller who is the purveyor to the underground library, what shall I say of him! The easiest solution would be, of course, to eliminate one of the two upon whom the bookseller is dependent — the publisher or the author, which? Here we come to the very source of our troubles. — the author and the publisher. It is the same old story and there is nothing new about it but can we not talk over some way to put the syndicate author and the conscience- less publisher out of business? At least, if we drive the first nail in his coffin — or if we object to such drastic measures, we might insert the tiny wedge that will eventually topple over his structure, we shall not have met in vain. We are familiar with them all — the syndicate author, the series writer who can write as many books to a series as the publishers will dare to publish, the sweetly senti- mental author who goes right to the heart of the girl and who knows just how to end each novel so that another must be forthcoming to tell us how Susan "grew up" and another how she "decided" and WHITBECK 189 without doubt another to tell us how she almost was divorced. In this day of advertising, pursued al- most as an art, when publishers go to any length to get their new fiction before the people, when the magazines devote pages fore and aft to book notices couched in most glowing descriptions, what won- der that the young people ask for these books? How are they to discriminate or be expected to have our point of view? If a town library has carefully censored its fiction and refuses to buy the newer books that the young people are eager for, does it not work a more lasting harm by leaving the supplying of these books to the subscription libraries and rented col- lections which are not censored in the slightest degree. Would it not be better to have the girl read the mediocre book in the public library and to hope that through guidance she may become inter- ested in something better, than to have her get the rented collection habit and go from bad to worse unrestricted? I spent a morning in a large department store look- ing over the tables piled high with books in a series. I could hardly credit the salesman when he told me of the enormous sales. When I asked who bought them, he said that the parents, the boys themselves, many young men and the country stores. The boys acknowledged that they were not in the public library but could not see why. How can we expect the alive and alert boy who sees daily at the Ex- position the sensational and almost im- possible flying of the boy-aviator, to see any harm in the Boy-aviator series, the Submarines and all the rest of the thrill- ers? We may deplore the speediness and intenseness of the age but censoring boys' books in the library will never stop the reading if the supply is always at hand and the tables kept filled. Better written thrillers would be read just as willingly were they at hand. With us in the county library work, this is one of our greatest trials, to find the substitute for the de- partment store series. Miss Hunt once in a paper referred to the sanitary precautions that parents took to protect their children from the "deadly house fly, the mosquito, the com- mon drinking cup and towel." We feel this keenly when we look at these thou- sands of books cast in the same mold and realize that some parents are unwit- tingly allowing their children's moral estimates to be so lowered and vitiated. Do you feel that I have wandered from the reading of the adolescent? Yes, for the moment, to get at the root of the trouble. I feel sure that if our boys and girls either in the high school or at work select the poorest of the adult fiction, it is because a taste for this sensational read- ing has been given them in some way. The more vigorous mentally will survive and not have been harmed, possibly, but there will be thousands of mental weaklings whose moral estimates will become lowered and who can never recover from the vitiated taste. The wedge must be driven in before we reach the critical age and if we are in earnest we will read carefully the paper by Mr. Franklin K. Mathiews, Chief Scout librarian in the Publishers' Weekly of May 18th. Although the Children's Section of the A. L. A. has always stood for what Mr. Mathiews is now trying to do, I do not know that the matter has ever been brought so definitely before us as now. BERKELEY CONFERENCE READING IN RURAL DISTRICTS By Mrs. May Dexter Henshall. School Library Organizer, California State Library Every school district in California from the most isolated mountain or desert dis- trict to the most populous schools in towns or in cities is provided by law with funds for library purposes. The total amount expended by the elementary schools for the year ending June 30, 1914, was $160,- 011.03. In the beginning trustees and teachers were left to use their own discretion in the selection of books and apparatus. The rural people were far from any library cen- ter. The school libraries of today bear mute evidence of the fact that the free- dom to select books indiscriminately re- sulted in selection of books for the adults of the neighborhood while the children seemingly were forgotten. In order that the children's rights should be regarded a law was passed providing that county boards of education should adopt an approved list of books and ap- paratus and selections could be made only from this approved list. This was a step in the right direction but still did not bring about satisfactory results. County boards of education are very busy with their school duties. They have not the time to study books as they should in order to make approved lists that give the wide range of reading needed and at the same time exclude the undesirable ma- terial. Teachers change frequently in the rural schools. When the exchange of teachers occurs, the books and apparatus purchased by the first will often be dis- approved or disregarded by the second. Lack of right system, the least return for the money invested, absence of guid- ance in the children's reading and an un- intentional but utter disregard of the im- portant point that school libraries should be made an asset to the teachers and the pupils are facts any thinking person will admit upon inspecting an average school library. Absence of the moving pictures and the various other attractions of the cities should give the rural children the time and the inclination to read, but personal observation and the testimony of many teachers and superintendents show that the great majority of rural children under the district library system are doing very little reading. They cannot, because the district libraries contain only a small per- centage of books adapted to their needs. The following is an actual list of books from a rural school in California and has many duplicates in other districts. It may serve to answer the question, "Are the children in rural districts reading? If not, why not?" Carlyle-Emerson Correspondence, Vols. 1 and 2. Quintus Claudius. Vols. 1 and 2. Gibbon's Rome, Vols. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6. Purpose and Success. The Old Santa Fe Trail. Theodore Roosevelt, the Citizen. In the Lena Delta. In Darkest Africa, Vols. 1 and 2. Bancroft's Native Races of the Pacific States, Vols. 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5. Milton's Poetical Works. Practical Home and School Methods. The Century Book of Facts. The Wonders of Common Things. Mistress of the Manse. The Vicar of Wakefield. Five Little Peppers and How They Grew. Rab and His Friends. Spectrum Analysis. Decisive Battles of the World. Gods and Heroes. Red Riding Hood. Polarization of Light. Footprints of Time and Analysis of Our Government. Darwin's Origin of Species. Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm. Lives of Distinguished Females. The Socialist and the Prince. Tom Sawyer. Don Quixote. The Wonders of Science. Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch. Huxley's Anatomy of the Invertebrates. HENSHALL 191 The list contains four hundred books quite as interesting to children from six to fourteen years of age as most of the ones quoted. Recognizing that a system that fails to give children children's books is wrong, four years ago it was made legally pos- sible for the schools and county libraries to co-operate in order to give real library service to the schools. By this means the teachers and children have at their com- mand an expert to advise and assist them in selecting their books. The trustees are given the power to authorize the county librarian to become their purchasing agent. The excellent selection of subject matter as well as the buying of good editions, at- tractive covers, and readable print has re- sulted in giving the children the desire to read. A county superintendent that had schools receiving county library service wrote that upon investigation of about sixty schools he had found "The range of reading phe- nomenal." Another superintendent of a county not having co-operation between the school and the county library said, "Chil- dren in the rural schools are not reading because of lack of interesting books, limited library funds and poor selection of books." A county librarian of a county giving library service to district schools stated that at the end of the sixth month of school she had furnished 7,216 to thirty- seven schools. In the same length of time another county librarian had furnished twenty-five rural schools, transferring $1,115.05, with 5,688 books. The children's reading is guided in various ways: (1) The librarian and teachers come into close contact through the librarian's visits to the schools and seeing actual conditions, and the teacher in turn visiting the county library and examining the books that will give best service to the children. (2) Sending new titles and old favorites in good editions. (3) Use of lists and model collections at teachers' institutes. A talk on editions was given at one time with books to illustrate. (4) Use of printed lists. (a) Selected list of stories based on Cleveland's "75 books of ad- venture." (b) Distribution of the Pratt In- stitute library graded lists "What shall I read?" (c) Pasting a brief descriptive note on the outside cover of the book. (5) Use of sample collection of books. (6) Having the children tell the li- brarian or teacher their favorite books. (7) Special selections made by li- brarians for children who do not read often cause them to become interested in reading. (8) Story telling by the librarian or the teacher. (9) Giving a talk on a collection of new books sent to a school. (10) Close co-operation between the teacher and the librarian results in estab- lishing good reading habits among chil- dren. Investigation of children's reading has shown that they like the realistic stories rather than the fairy tales. Burgess' "Bedtime stories" delight the younger chil- dren. "Robinson Crusoe" in a good edition, well illustrated, never grows old. The Wal- ter Crane picture books are a joy to the children. The McLaughlin linen books are very popular with the little foreign children. The Coe and Christie Story Hour Readers, The Free and Treadwell primer and reader, with the Progressive Road to Reading following close after are favorites for school room use. Boys often ask for books on electricity. The following list of books gives a fair idea of the books being sent by county librarians to teachers to aid them in their work and give the pupils the right reading material. During the term the teacher will send in special requests for any other books desired by her or the children. BERKELEY CONFERENCE Allen, Industrial studies: Europe. Arnold, See and say series: Book 1. Arnold, See and say series: Book 2. Arnold, Stepping stones to literature. 3d reader. Altscheler, Guns of Shiloh Altsclieler, Soldier ot Manhattan Anderson, Stories and tales Baldwin, Baldwin's readers Baldwin. Fairy stories and fables. Blaisdell, Twilight town Blanchard, Girl of '76. Brady, Colonial fights and fighters Burchill, Plan of work for the Progres- sive road to reading Brown, Uncle David's boy Burgess, Goops and how to be them Burgess, More goops and how not to be them Burgess, Mother West Wind's animal friend Burnett, Little Lord Fauntleroy Burnham, Descriptive stories for all the year Carleton, Dorothy Carpenter, North America Carryl, Davy and the goblin Coe, Story hour readers primer Coe, Story hour readers Book 1. Coe, Story hour readers Book 2. Curtis, Marjorie's schooldays Curtis, Play and recreation Dinsmore, Teaching a district school Dimock, Be prepared Drysdale, Young supercargo Fassett, Beacon first reader Fassett, Beacon second reader Gilchrist, Helen and the uninvited guest Grinnell, Blackfoot Indian stories Grover, Overall boys Grover, Sunbonnet babies Half a hundred stories for the little people. Hamlin, Catharine's proxy Harrison, Panama Canal Heath, Heath readers 3d reader Hunt, California the golden Johnson, What to do at recess Kipling. Just so stories McDonald, Manuel in Mexico Maeterlinck, Bluebird Maxwell, Speaking and writing vol. 1-2. Mills. Spell of the rookies Maran, Kwahu Morgan, How to dress a doll Oswell, Old time tales Peary, Snow baby Perkins, Japanese twins Potter, Tale ot Mrs. Tittlemouse Potter, Tailor of Gloucester Rankin, Adopting of Rose Marie Roberts, Neighbors unknown Robinson, At the open door Ruskin, King of the Golden River Sabin, Early American history for young Americans St Nicholas Serl, In the animal world Sindelar, Nixie Bunny in workaday-land Smith, Boy Captive in Canada Smith, Boys and girls of seventy-seven Smythe, Primary reader Spyri, Heidi Sneath, Golden deed book Sneath, Golden door book Sneath, Golden key book Sneath, Golden path book Sneath, Golden word book Tappan, Children's hour Tomlinson, Boy soldiers of 1812 Tomlinson, Red chief Tomlinson, Three colonial boys Tomlinson, Washington young aids Wheelock, Birds ot California Wiltse, Hero folk of ancient Britain Wiley, Wewanee the little Indian boy. LIBRARY WORK WITH FOREIGNERS By Caroline P. Wersteb, Library Organizer, New York State Library After listening to a most delightful dis- cussion at the meeting of a literary club connected with a library in one of our inland villages on some of the striking biographies of the past two years, when the charm of "The promised land" was described with apparent feeling, "From alien to citizen" was referred to as a book that should be read by everyone who would know of the diflBculties and hard- ships of those who come to our shores with high hopes, and the marvelous faith that could not be shattered by the many disillusions awaiting Abraham Rhibany on his "Far journey" was dwelt upon with fervor. And when this was followed by a discussion on Immigration it seemed advis- able to give a practical turn to the meeting and suggest that the enthusiasm felt for these men and women could be diverted WEBSTER 193 into useful channels by broadening the library work of the village so that it would include the foreign-born residents. Little enthusiasm greeted the sugges- tion that foreigners be urged to use the library, that foreign papers be subscribed to and that books in foreign languages be placed upon the shelves. The objections raised were that "this sort of thing might be all right in some places, but the for- eigners in S were a poor lot;" "A few went to night school but it was English they wanted;" "There was not enough money to buy all the English books demanded in the village, so why create a new demand that could not be satisfied?" (A reason always given by the cautious and conservative when new work Is suggested.) This personal experience has a bearing on our discussion only so far as this vil- lage which we call S is typical. Perhaps ■we can decide whether or not it is and whether its prejudices are the prejudices of other villages in the country. Are its people peculiar in liking to read and dis- cuss the hardships of the immigrant, but think of him as someone far away? Are its library trustees typical? If so, are they going to "pull down the blinds" and hold themselves aloof from the stranger within their own little gates, while looking with admiring eyes at the stranger who has "made good" in the great world outside? If this point of view is typical, can Li- brary Commissions do anything to change this, or must they, too, "pull down the blinds" and be satisfied with work done with the English-speaking people in their borders? S is typical in so far as there are people there who care to read about immigration and its problems but have no feeling of responsibility toward the immigrant liv- ing two blocks away. Haven't we all known people who "loved to read nature books" but had little use for nature at first hand? We all know, too, that it is not the one who travels most who reads the travel books, and it is not the farmer, but the city man, who is the greatest reader of much of our farm literature. The psychol- ogy of all this would take us a long way from our present subject, but it is all typified in the request of a very ragged little girl who went into the Rochester Library one day last winter and said, "Please, lady, I want a story that tells of the sad and wealthy lives of the rich." S is typical in so far as a few of its people are self-satisfied — every community has a few people who are satisfied with things as they are, but fortunately no com- munity is entirely made up of such peo- ple — and if there is only one person in a community with a library vision for the for- eigners, "the blinds are going to be raised" and the Commission ought to be in a posi- tion to help raise them. Massachusetts, as usual a leader in things educational, grasped the opportu- nity for work in this line. In 1912 its Legislature authorized the Commission to appoint a secretary to look after the inter- ests of the foreign-speaking people in the state. Other states that are conscious of their needs must soon follow suit, for this is no academic question that we are dis- cussing, but a very real problem that is confronting us. When we pause to con- sider that almost one-third (to be exact, 30.2%) of the entire population of New York state is foreign born, that in Massa- chusetts 31.5% is foreign born, in Rhode Island 337c, Minnesota 26%, North Dakota 27%, California 24%-, and the New England states, once the most essentially American section of the country, now have less than two-fifths of its population consisting of native born of native parentage, it is not too much to expect to have some one on the Commission of each of those states whose entire time should be given to look- ing after the library interests of these people. It would seem to be a foregone conclu- sion that any state with a large foreign population should have someone connected with the Commission who would not only co-operate with libraries by giving advice as to selection and arrangement of for- eign books and suggesting a possible point 194 BERKELEY CONFERENCE of contact with each race, but such a per- son should be in touch with library trus- tees, employers of labor, patriotic and civic associations and foreign papers. The libraries in our smaller towns are still singularly remiss in their work with foreigners — as I write, two small libraries that are doing excellent work with their English patrons come to mind. They are libraries situated in villages with a popu- lation of about 6,000 people, two-thirds of whom are foreign born. These libraries are liberally supported by taxes (a portion of which is paid by foreigners). One of these has no books for foreigners on its shelves, while the other has 75 volumes in a traveling library from Albany. Should not these libraries be advised — not on the basis of missionary work, but as a measure of self-preservation — to study the needs of the foreigners and then to try to supply these needs? One does not have to go very deeply into this sub- ject to recognize in the foreigner of today the voter of tomorrow, the professor in the university the day after and our presi- dent the next generation. Many city libraries have for a number of years been awake to their opportunities and the foreigner has had equal opportu- nity with the native. One has only to think of Providence, and its work with foreigners under Miss Reid comes to mind; Passaic, and the work done by Miss Camp- bell with its foreign-born citizens stands out, or Buffalo, and we see the Polish branch, with Mrs. Kudlicka, a Polish woman, in charge. An so on through Cleveland, Chicago and New York, with their rooms and branches given over to various nationalities. But we are looking at it from a different angle and our problems are different from theirs. We must get the small library outlook on this as on other problems and study the situation through its eyes, but with a larger vision. Our problems differ •so. too, in different states, that it is with difficulty that one considers fundamental principles. The problem of one city is often greater than the problem presented by a whole state. Think of Calumet, with its 24 different nationalities, as against Minnesota with one nationality predomi- nating. The problems presented in the states populated from the northern coun- tries of Europe are as nothing compared with those from the eastern and southern countries. The Germans and the Swedes are so nearly akin to us that they rapidly Americanize, but the immigrants from the eastern and southern countries of Europe are slow to absorb our ideals. It is because of these differences that any general discussion of commission work is difficult, and it would be impos- sible to give any suggestions that would apply equally to all Commissions. The ideal, of course, for any state with a large foreign population is to have a person at- tached to the Commission whose whole time would be devoted to work with for- eigners. But the majority of our state legislatures have not seen the wisdom of such a course, and it is for us to consider another way out. For most Commissions at present, this is through the traveling library, and our traveling library problems can be briefly outlined in three questions: What sort of books shall we include in them? Where shall we find authoritative lists of books in foreign languages? How can the widest possible use be made of the books? I believe that books in foreign lan- guages must be included; books in as many languages as there are nationalities in a state. That the foreigner ought to have books in his own language I supposed had passed the period of debate, but dur- ing the past winter I have learned that there are library trustees and some teach- ers who feel that only English books should be bought for foreigners. Every time this is insisted upon I am reminded of Miss Campbell's story of the rebuke administered to her by one of her Slovak patrons when he approached her request- ing that she buy some books for the Slo- vak people. After listening to what he had to say, she asked him If from the WEBSTER 195 point of view of the library, he really thought it more desirable to provide books ill this language than to spend the money at their disposal in providing the very best books in English, which the foreigners could enjoy as soon as they had mastered the language? He turned on her at once and said: "My dear lady, I have read much and studied all about this country and have only found two things native to it, the Indian and the buffalo; now which are you that you speak of us as for- eigners?" But where are we to find the authorita- tive lists? There are many pitfalls for the unwary in buying foreign books for traveling libraries. The problem presents difficulties undreamed of in our own lan- guage. Following blindly the lists of others is always unsafe, but one must be doubly sure of the pilot in buying books in foreign languages. A short time ago, for our traveling libraries, we ordered from a dealer the duplicate of a list pub- lished by a library of the highest stand- ing, thinking we had a safe guide. To our amazement, when the books were received a manikin appeared with them. The mani- kin had been listed as a book on the li- brary list. It was useful to our medical department, but of little use in a traveling library collection. But for authoritative lists, what have we? There are the few A. L. A. lists and the invaluable Italian lists prepared by Mr. Carr for the Immi- grant Publication Society that are authori- tative, but they do not pretend to supply our needs. Can the League offer a way out by publishing more lists? Mr. Carr, president of the Immigrant Publication Society, In speaking at the meeting of the Eastern Section of the League in January, said that the Publication Society expects to publish a Yiddish list and one for the Spanish-speaking Jew, and they hope be- fore long to publish books on citizenship and United States history as well as books about America in simple English. This, of course, will be of great assistance, but the society is limited for funds and must perforce work slowly. At the Eastern Section meeting there was some discus- sion of close co-operation between the League and this society. To some a com- mission and library membership seemed advisable, but no decision was reached, for the needs of different commissions varied greatly. The society work at pres- ent is confined to so few languages, but there unquestionably will be opportunity for co-operation as the work develops. Beside the need for foreign books and authoritative lists for buying these books, we must have simple manuals in English, simple books for learning the language, books which tell in simple and clear Eng- lish the story of our country, its great men and its government. At present the compiling of such lists is comparatively easy, simply because there is so little ma- terial from which to choose. Couldn't the influence of the League be brought to bear upon publishers so that more and better books of this nature be published? At the meeting of the Eastern Section of the League it was demonstrated that work with foreigners was on the increase. The majority of the Commissions there represented reported that more books and in a greater number of languages were being demanded. The question was raised at that time as to whether it was advis- able to have a committee appointed for the League to report on work done by various commissions and perhaps suggest methods of future work, and they recom- mended to the Western Section, about to convene in Chicago, that such a committee be appointed. Of course, each state will have to solve its problems in its own way, but a central committee might be of great assistance and those of us who are grop- ing in the dark need all the assistance possible in our search for light. 196 BERKELEY CONFERENCE WORK WITH FOREIGNERS By Agnes Haksen, Seattle Public Library In the presence of people possessed of an experience in ttiis field of work so much greater than our own, we feel a certain temerity, even presumption, in dis- cussing our recent efforts to establish re- lations between the foreigners in Seattle and the Seattle public library. But since work with foreigners in the West pre- sents problems somewhat different from those arising in the East or Middle West, we hope an account of our activities along this line will have an interest for you suffi- cient to elicit the suggestions of which we stand most in need. Of course, every seaport town is bound to have a foreign element. Nevertheless, we were rather amazed on investigating the matter in Seattle, to learn of the va- rieties of nationalities in our midst, and the large proportion they constitute of our population. Our first step, once it was decided to give special attention to the library needs of these people, was to make a survey of their numbers, their neighborhoods, their clubs, their newspapers and their special activities. Information bearing on these points was obtained for the most part from the consulates located in the city, and by visits made to the English-for-foreigners classes in the night schools. From the former source we learned of a number of foreign organizations existing in the city — benevolent, literary and political — through acquaintance with which we hope to come into closer touch with the members, and from our night school visits we learned more definitely than would otherwise have been possible the localities favored by cer- tain nationalities. In the densely popu- lated eastern cities, where the immigrants colonize according to nationality, this is a knowledge easy to come by, but it is not so immediately obvious in our west- ern towns, where they may be said to "favor" rather than monopolize certain lo- calities. They seem much more inclined to monopolize certain occupations, the Greeks engaging for the most part in the bakery, coffee-house, and liquor business, the Italians in truck-gardening and boot- blacking (the Greeks, however, are begin- ning to dispute their monopoly in the lat- ter line), the Croatians in fishing, and the .Japanese in small mercantile pursuits, while the Scandinavians and Germans, on the contrary, pursue a variety of occupa- tions. Knowledge of these facts proves of not a little value in foreign book selection. Because of the friendly co-operation of the teachers in the night schools, we have been able in many instances to come into very close personal touch with the for- eign pupils attending the night classes, and by a foreknowledge of their interests, have succeeded in arousing sufficient en- thusiasm in them on their first visit to the library to inspire them to bring friends or relatives when they come again. Of course, our work with foreigners does not present half the difficulties which beset libraries in certain large eastern cities, ports of entry for immigrants, for instance, or manufacturing towns, where the population is made up largely of fac- tory employes of foreign nationality. Li- braries in such localities are confronted with problems decidedly more sociological than ours, dealing as they must with what one might call the "raw material." By the time the European immigrant reaches our western coast he has usually come under the Influence of some social agency, and the process of Americanization has already begun. While this may make our work less difficult, it does not make It less interesting. Through our visits to the night schools we reach the element most nearly resembling the immigrants familiar to eastern libraries. But while information that we have books in their own languages may induce them to accept HANSEN 197 our invitation to visit the library, once tliere, their interest almost immediately spreads to the English books, and the books that prove most popular with them are our "Books for new Americans," his- tories and biographies, spellers and letter- writers, and books about the countries from which they come. It is an interest- ing fact that among not a few there is a fear that reading in their own language may retard their progress in learning Eng- lish. Since, however, these sternly de- voted students of our own language are usually only in the second reader in the night schools and hardly as yet able to read without difficulty the English books they so earnestly desire, we are making for their benefit lists of the English trans- lations we have of books in our foreign collections. These lists enable us partial- ly to satisfy the na'ive demand for Eng- lish books that also contain translations in the language of the borrower, inter- linear, in parallel columns, or on opposite pages, — a strange type of book with which an amazing number seem to be familiar, to judge from the frequency of the request. However, they are quite as well satisfied if given an American or English book in the original, and a translation of the same into their own language, in a separate vol- ume. In order to suppiy the demand for this sort of loan, we endeavor to keep our foreign collections well supplied with translations of our best American and Eng- lish standards. The number of English translations of foreign books of course greatly exceeds the number of our foreign translations of English books, since our foreign collections are as yet not extensive, but this works no harm, inasmuch as the foreigner is likely to be flattered rather than disappointed to be introduced to a translation of some standard of his own language, especially if it is one with which he is already familiar. In the latter case his memory of the context is often such as to minimize for him the linguistic diffi- culties of the text. Although the immigrant portion of our population claims so large a part of the attention we give to foreign work, there is another element which, while it makes perhaps a less stirring appeal, is quite as important. This is composed of the naturalized, or Americanized, foreigners who still cherish a love for the literature of their native country and whose demand for "new" books in their various languages is as insistent as that of our American borrowers. We have little enough money to spend in the purchase of foreign books, and as a consequence, feel especially keenly the lack of reliable and authoritative lists from which to make our selections to the best advantage. Although there exist some excellent lists for the forming of basic col- lections, there is a crying need for regu- larly appearing supplements, by means of which the foreign collections of a library may be kept as up-to-date as its Eng- lish collection. The ideal tool would be an annual publication listing the best books published in the principal Euro- pean languages during the year, enriched with brief annotations. Even without an- notations, such a list, if compiled by an organization of the highest standing, com- posed of experts in the various languages, would be invaluable. In the event of such an all-embracing publication being for the present unrealizable, it is to be hoped the League of Library Commissions, before adjourning, will see its way clear to organ- izing some plan whereby this deeply felt want may be satisfied, either by uniting forces with the Immigrant Publication Society of New York or with other bodies equally qualified and interested in this field of library work. The fact that the foreign population of a city the size of Seattle is composed of two distinct elements, the one immigrant, with all that implies, the other of a high average intelligence and culture, shows the breadth of view it is necessary to bring to the task of compiling foreign lists that may prove of equal service through- out the country, because not only are there sharply contrasted elements in the foreign population of the cities, but the 198 BERKELEY CONFERENCE foreign populations of the states often dif- fer radically in character. There are pit- falls of many kinds to avoid, not the least of which is the tendency to regard all foreign readers as immigrants, whom it Is the sacred duty of the American public library to protect and elevate, socially, morally and intellectually, forgetful of that large class of foreigners who, already Americanized, are still imbued with their own nationality, and whose intelligence craves a greater variety of Intellectual food than their newly arrived compatriots. We seem to have wandered from the Seattle public library, but in reality we are only giving voice to our most pressing need, — adequate, reliable lists from which to supplement our foreign collections. We look forward with intense longing to the day when Mr. John Foster Carr's list of Yiddish books will appear, and the list of Russian books upon which we have been given to hope the A. L. A. publishing board is now working. BRINGING THE LIBRARY TO THE RT"r!AI, POPULATION: MULTNOMAH CO., OREGON By Rdth Crocker, Portland {Ore.) Library Associatioii The county of Multnomah is a small one, with no large town outside of Port- land. To the west are forested hills, and winding roads lead to the few scattered hamlets. Eastward the land is more level until one comes to the foothills of the Cascade Mountains, and there are more populous farming districts. By means of library deposit stations and classroom li- braries in schools scattered through the territory, it is now possible for every resi- dent to enjoy library privileges. Owing to the small size of the county, every dis- trict of it can be visited several times a year. By means of these visits the libra- rian learns what localities need libraries, supervises the stations already established, and develops the interest of the people In the library. In the fall of the year a visit is made to every school in the county, for that is the time when fresh books are sent out from the school department. Talks are given to the children not only about the books in their classroom library, but about the opportunity of their parents and elders to have a library station in the neighborhood. Stops are made at cross- road post offices and general stores, and the uses and privileges of a library station are explained. If following these announcements a re- quest is received for the establishment of a station, a second visit is made by the librarian or superintendent of branches, to see what quarters are desirable and avail- able, and the finding of a custodian willing to volunteer her services is left to the people. On this visit the superintendent of branches takes time enough to meet the people and become sufficiently ac- quainted with them to know their names and recognize them when they return her visit at the library. When the books are sent out, a third visit is made. The deposit station quar- ters are arranged, it may be in a store, a post office, a schoolhouse or a farmhouse. A sign, "Public Library Station," is placed conspicuously. The custodian is instructed in the charging and care of the books. Sometimes multigraphed notices of the coming of the library books are sent to the local residents, and sometimes the books are first displayed at a meeting of the grange or parent-teacher organization, though this involves the carrying of the books from the station to the place of meeting. After the station is established, if it is not too remote, the superintendent of branches or an assistant visits it on an CROCKER 199 average of once in six or eight weeks, to see what books are needed and to sug- gest to the custodian interesting and usable books that might circulate more. Some of the stations are too inaccessible to be visited often, but all are visited twice a year. When the visits are made now, it is found that everybody except the newcom- ers knows about the library privileges. The library visitors are cordially wel- comed as old friends. The work of bringing the library's re- sources to the rural population in Mult- nomah county has been done not by print- ed advertisement in newspapers, nor by the making of formal addresses, but by going out into the highways and greeting the people along the roads, learning their names, listening to their reports of crops and stock, and telling in friendly fashion of the books the library is so glad to sup- ply. This feeling of acquaintance leads the people to write to the librarian or come fearlessly to her office at any time to consult about books. Both the librarian and the superintend- ent of branches are enthusiastic members of the grange, and by frequent attendance at the meetings and participation in the social part of these occasions, they cement the feeling of interest in "our library." TEN THOUSAND MILES OF A. L. A. TRAVEL The Going Trip "It's a long, long way to California, In the warm days of May, But it's worth all it costs to go there Just to see the A. L. A. Mr. Wellman is our leader. When he' calls us we'll be there — But when we get to San Francisco We're going to— THE FAIR!" As soon as the American Library Asso- ciation voted to hold its 1915 Conference at Berkeley, California, plans were formu- lated for a railroad trip across the conti- nent. During the winter months details were worked out, features added, side trips changed, in an endeavor to provide, in this, the fourth trans-continental journey of the A. L. A., the best trip with the least dis- comfort at a reasonable cost. When at last the long awaited 24th of May arrived the Easternmost contingent, thirteen travelers, with yellow tagged bag- gage, started from Boston, on the Fall River boat-train, and the next day were joined by some sixty New Yorkers under Mr. Brown's parental care. All were soon comfortably settled in four special steel Pullmans on a Pennsylvania express, and after a pleasant journey through the moun- tains and a good night's sleep, reached Chi- cago, after breakfast May 26, where at the fine new Northwestern station a social hour was in order. Over forty "Middle Westers," guided by Mr. Phelan, here joined us, and many Chicago librarians were down to see us off. Two more sleepers were added to the train, and with observation car, two diners and baggage-car we pulled out as the "A. L. A. Special." Then came surprise number one; the part of the trip where hot weather seemed sure, — across the farms of Iowa, and the prairies of Nebraska and Colorado — proved so cool and rainy that steam heat was really comfortable on the cars. Of course we stopped now and then and added a librarian to our company; got a couple of good ones somewhere in Iowa in the dark, and others fully as desirable late at night in Nebraska. The process of getting acquainted was proceeding rapidly now, as each member wore a little disk of white bearing his name, a plan which seemed an improve- ment over the numbered buttons. On May 27 Denver was reached about 2 p. m. and sightseeing automobiles were in waiting. The weather was delightfully clear after the morning rain. Some saw the city, the parks and zoo, in the "being 200 BERKELEY CONFERENCE seen-by-Denver" auto-cars, others made Lookout Mountain their objective point and returned with exuberant accounts of snowy mountains, and cailons deep and gloomy. Shopping was enjoyed by all, and many an unsuspecting postcard, and fire-agate ring was annexed to the party. During dinner at Hotel Savoy, Mr. Charles R. Dudley, lovingly known to the old guard as "Dud," graced our company with his presence, and his genial countenance added to our pleas- ure at being again in the beautiful city where he and Mr. Dana had, in 1895, enter- tained us so well. In the evening Librarian Hadley provided enjoyment in plenty in the fine library building. A most entertaining talk by the naturalist, Enos A. Mills, on the National Parks, was followed by music, refresh- ments, and opportunity for dancing until it was time to retire to and on the special train at the Union Depot. May 28, we were up early in order to miss no part of the wonderful Rocky Moun- tain scenery. From Pike's snowy Peak at breakfast to the beautiful canon of the Eagle River at sundown the day was one of impressive views. The Royal Gorge seen from the top-less observation car was traversed about noon, its sheer sides rising over two thousand feet in pinnacles and crags, almost over the track. We ad- mired the rushing, foaming Arkansas River which seemed to dispute with the railroad for passage. We marvelled con- stantly at the engineering skill which had carried a railway successfully through such an apparently impassable mountain region as the Denver and Rio Grande line trav- erses for five hundred miles. After the Gorge came glimpses of Mt. Massive, and other snow capped peaks, then the Collegiate Range — Harvard, Yale and Princeton, — and the more distant Sangre de Cristo Moun- tains, their snowy summits tinged with red by the setting sun. Soon after we had seen the smoke from the Leadville smelters rising over a near- by slope we were at Tennessee Pass, over ten thousand feet above sea level, — the Continental Divide. It was passed, w^ith almost no discomfort to any member of the party — another evidence, if any was needed, of what a splendid party we had. Then, coasting down into the dusk, we had that, to the writer, most beautiful view of all the day, — the green broad val- ley far below on the right, the serrated peaks looming high on the opposite side and all about, those Colorado evergreen trees, growing like so many exclamation points on the mountain slope, where the train winds its way downward, clinging to its little rocky shelf. Glenwood Springs had been chosen as the point for the mid-continental rest, a chance to gain strength and make up sleep by a day and night "on shore." Ho- tel Colorado, w-here we had a late but ex- cellent dinner May 28, and a long restful day the 29th, convinced all of the wisdom of the plan. Everyone had the best room in the house, and the proprietor was gener- ously Intent on making us all want to come again. The ride up the Grand River Canon In the morning showed Colorado scenery at Its best, dozens of new wild flowers to col- lect along the roadside, water falls, caiions, crags, and the rushing river. We passed a canvas topped emigrant wagon equipped with storage room for furniture, with beds and stove ready for family needs en route. The woman, when we inquired their des- tination said: "We haven't decided yet where we will locate." Road gangs, — con- victs on parole, — were at work, and we were impressed by the absence of prison garb or restraint of any sort. After lunch, and our moving-picture group by Pathg Frferes, some of us tried tlie hot sulphur spring swimming pool, and groat was our enjoyment of this novel treat- — but oh! Wasn't the bottom of the pool slippery, and how heavy our bathing suits seemed as we emerged from the dense water. After an early supper, refreshed and with new life, we found our train and were soon speeding West. That evening a party of young people paraded through the train about bed-time singing the Tipperary tune to the words at the A. L. A. TRAVEL 201 head of this narrative, serenading the president. Thenceforth our Chorus was frequently in evidence, new songs being composed to fit each occasion. Sunday morning Salt Lake City greeted us, and after breakfast at Hotel Utah, pri- vate automobiles, provided through the courtesy of Miss Esther Nelson of the Utah University Library and Miss Johanna Sprague of the Public library, took the whole library party all about the city, and out through the old Mormon trail to the high boulevard drive lately completed. Here was spread out before us the view of the city and its surrounding ranges of mountains. No more beautiful spot can be imagined than was here chosen by the first settlers. On our return to town, an organ recital at the Mormon Tabernacle, arranged es- pecially for us, by Organist McLellan, was thoroughly enjoyed, and just before noon our special train started South with Miss Nelson added to our party for the rest of the trip. The Great Salt Lake was now out of sight and for the next twenty-four hours we had a desert journey from Utah, through Nevada to California — such an interesting desert with its hills and val- leys and prairies of Yucca palm and cac- tus. The party had by this time become thor- oughly at home on its train, and groups were to be found visiting friends in the various cars, or discussing the topics of the day in the observation car, which had a nice little parlor, as well as several card rooms, a barber-chair and a buffet. We had a printed list of members, but that, though useful, didn't describe tlie company. Let us try to call to mind a few. First there was the genial Eastern editor — and his ever-helpful charming wife. Their draw- ing room latch-string was always out, though he was rather more likely than not to be found deep in literary work. In car E105 sits the breezy western editor, and there the young ladies desirous of better- ing their library positions held confidential conferences. Cheerful Charlie was ever present, going up and down the train giving "lowers" to "uppers," and handing out compartments when apparently none were available. The New England sextette — or was it really a quintette — always together off or en the train. They showed the Western un- believers that New Englanders were hu- man after all, and rather good company too, though so exclusive. How to behave when you have lost all your money was de- lightfully demonstrated by one Easterner, aided by a good sister. AH will remember the candy-man, who so thoughtfully provided sweets for the la- dies all the way, even into Canada on the return. There were three pleasant ladies who al- ways had a timely question every time a member of the Travel Committee went by. We enjoyed them, for the queries were usu- ally easy. Remember that good soul who knew her ticket had been stolen, — forgetful that she had loaned it to the conductor the day be- fore, and held his receipt? The optimist was with us, who was sure it would soon clear, and be beautifully cool. But why continue — only to say there wasn't a kicker among them all. On May 31, just before noon, with the first really warm weather of the trip, the desert suddenly changed to orange groves as we approached San Bernardino, Califor- nia. Then a few miles beyond our train stopped at Riverside, where Mr. Daniels, waving a banner, greeted us, bedecked us with orange Riverside badges, and by the aid of a fleet of private automobiles, con- veyed us In a moment to the Glenwood Mission Inn. Here in the inner courtyard, amid tropical surroundings, and with Span- ish music, an orange luncheon was served. The quick transformation from desert to such fertility, and the foreign touch given by architecture, decorations and music, made this luncheon in the open southern California air so wonderfully attractive that the Impression created upon all, espe- cially those new to California, will never fade. It typified California's welcome to 202 BERKELEY CONFERENCE the American Library Association. After lunch, a group picture, then an auto trip to the top of Mt. Roubidoux, and it was necessary to take our train again for the short journey to the Coast, where, at Los Angeles that evening, Mr. Perry of the Public library had arranged for special cars, a fine dinner at Hotel Alexandria, and an hour's inspection of his library. Our stay here in Los Angeles was made the more pleasant by the presence of Miss Helen E. Haines, formerly prominent in American Library Association councils, who was looking so well and hearty that we hardly knew her, and all her old friends were rejoiced in her greatly im- proved health. Again we are at home on our train for the long evening run to San Diego, and so heavy was our train equipment that the Santa F6 quite misjudged the time re- quired, and it was after midnight when the U. S. Grant Hotel received us. Two nights in the same stationary bed was in- deed a treat, when such a hotel as the U. S. Grant was our resting place. Two days in one place seemed quite a novelty also, and every moment was filled with sight- seeing. Mrs. Davison of the Public library had planned, with the local library club, a right royal reception for us June 1 in the California building at the Panama-Califor- nia Exposition. Tliis was followed by a talk by Dr. Hewett, director of the Ameri- can School of Archaeology, on the archaeo- logical history of the Soutliwest, after whicli he conducted the party through the buildings. The horticultural features, so prominent and pleasing a part of this ex- position, were shown by Miss Sessions, and a delightful buffet lunch was provided for us in the patio of the Southern Cali- fornia counties building. Spanish archi- tecture, with Spanish mandolins, and Span- ish singing and dancing, added to the charm of tliis delightful repast, and all compared it with that other California luncheon of the previous day at Riverside. The Fair was much enjoyed, its restful compactness, its glorious gardens, and those cute little chairs for two, which, by the aid of a storage battery, allowed such deliberate sight-seeing, with no exertion except to one's pocketbook. But the Fair was only one feature. Old Mexico's bor- der line was within an easy ride and sev- eral ventured over. Coronado Beach, world-famous resort, was visited by many. A pilgrimage to Point Loma, of theosoph- ical tame, was enjoyed by a large party. Some launched around the bay, or mo- tored to Ramona's house at Oldtown. In the evening after a jolly cafeteria supper, where even our president had to wait in line with his tray, we visited the "Isthmus" shows, — one staid New Englander going so far as to bet on a toy horse race, winning a box of chocolates, which she, to square her conscience, distributed to the losers. June 2, at one o'clock, we were gathered at our special, and when finally engines were secured, the start was made on the last stretch of the pre-conference journey. Several of our San Diego library friends joined us and passing through Los Angeles wo picked up other delegates, among them the Grand Canyon party, who had left us in Denver, seemingly weeks ago. With one hundred fifty on our train, we dined from two Southern Pacific diners, and many considered this the best train meal of the trip — especially the cherry pie — a local dish which recurred constant- ly from here on but which the "third sit- ters" usually found exhausted. The plan followed throughout the trip of assigning sittings at the first, second or third table, was an innovation which worked even bet- ter than the committee had hoped. It gave nearly everyone his choice of meal hour and avoided the usual "standing in the al- ley" awaiting seats. Owing to a blocked tunnel on the Val- ley route, we were sent over the Coast line, and instead of reaching Berkeley for breakfast, we had an a la carte meal on the train and it was nearly one o'clock when we bade farewell to our homelike Pullmans at University Avenue station. Now for a brief six days the Travel Committee's responsibility ended and an- other shall chronicle the conference period. A. L. A. TRAVEL 203 Here each of the three members of the committee received a substantial token of appreciation from the members of the party — a Gladstone bag to one, a fine um- brella to another, a toilet case to the third. It was a pleasant surprise, and the com- mittee appreciated the attention, as it showed their efforts had given general sat- isfaction. Yet, with such an exceptionally good party of travelers and such a happy family the conductors' task was but a pleasure. The committee would here ex- press their heartfelt thanks for all the many courtesies and kind words received. The Returning Trip On June 9, after an interesting confer- ence and a glorious though all too fleeting glimpse of the great Panama-Pacific Ex- position, and San Francisco, the time for starting homeward was at hand. All had enjoyed the week and appreciated the hos- pitality of the local committees. At 8 p. m. nearly an even hundred gath- ered at the Oakland ferry station to re- sume their travels. Many of our friends of the Western journey were to return independently, but a goodly number came to the station to bid us bon voyage, and several, when they saw the familiar crowd and the special cars, were homesick that they, too, were not to be of our merry party. The glee club gave several of its songs and all joined in the choruses dur- ing the half hour before our special start- ed. Truth compels us here to add that two of our men (and men were so scarce) missed the train, but joined us safely two days later. June 10 was Shasta day, the big white mountain being visible for hours from the car windows. A short stop at Shasta Springs gave all a view of the pretty wa- terfall, and afforded an opportunity to try the spring water — very like Apollinaris In taste. Today again, we had canyons and rushing rivers, and forests as of yore, but we missed the observation car, which no pleading of the committee had succeeded in obtaining. Like the restaurateur who would not give bread with one fishball, the Southern Pacific would not add an obser- vation car for less than the one hundred and twenty-five fares agreed upon by all the United States lines. Didn't it seem good to have coupons for meals again, after having to spend so much "real" money to eat during those six days off the train! Wasn't it like old times again to "visit" in the cars? There were many missing, it is true, but several newcomers were aboard. A new and di- minished edition of the party names was distributed. The "goggle girls" were again to be seen, with their colored caps and smiling faces. The man with the apple orchard and niece was now with us, telling of the one and introducing the other. He who lost his suit cases at Berkeley, hav- ing removed the American Library Asso- ciation tags in order to get regular hotel rates, was cheerful under adversity. Now that there was no observation car, it was more nearly possible to give satisfaction to the lady who must be next the Observa- tion and Diner. The originator of the "Sleeper for men only" was still with us, and like all great inventors, he had been imitated, for there was a sign on one car, "Ladies only." It must be recorded, however, that when the conductor, reading the sign, threatened to put out every man found visiting in that car, a strong protest in feminine voices was heard. Ashland was our first stop in Oregon, and here baskets of brilliant Oregon roses were brought aboard and distributed with the compliments of the ladies of the place. On the morning of June 11, the party arrived for breakfast at Isomville, known to the outside world as Portland. Miss Isom of the Public library had provided private autos tor a ride to the Heights, and also had so planned the Rose Festival that we enjoyed the final day, with its parade, its gala decorations, and, in the evening, the beautiful electric parade. Nor shall we soon forget the afternoon recep- tion she gave for us at her new and splen- didly designed library building. The sys- tem of guiding us over the building from 204 BERKELEY CONFERENCE the engine room to the top of the stack was a triumph, and showed the planning of a master mind. At 11:30 we retired aboard our train, and awoke very early nest morning at Tacoma, Washington, where, with Kaiser- Uche thoroughness, the librarian had planned a drive, not into the enemies' country, but to the base of that kingly Mt. Tacoma, and the Mt. Rainier National Park. After an early breakfast at Tacoma Hotel, over seventy of the party started on the one hundred and fifty mile trip, by auto, to the mountain. The almost perfect roads, the primeval forests of enormous trees, — some of them three hundred feet In height and nearly ten feet in diameter, — the gorges and jutting ridges, the pleasant luncheon at National Park Inn, the home- cooked and unique chicken dinner at 8 p. m. at Chicken Dinner Inn, where the chorus again sang its songs, and last, but not least, the visit after lunch to Nisqually Glacier, with opportunity for all to stand upon its snout; all these and other joys make this day stand out as perhaps the best one-day trip of the whole journey — even though the mountain failed to show its hoary head, and in spite of the efforts of the "Bluebird" auto to mar the pleasure. Here Mr. Phelan, of the Travel Committee, left the party for home, planning to make sure of our arrangements at coming stops. From Tacoma to Seattle most of the party chose the Puget Sound steamer for a quiet Sunday morning trip, — (quiet except while the lady thought the porter had forgotten to put aboard her little wicker basket) — and by noon our whole company, numbering now but eighty-two, was settled at Hotel Washington. Four big cars took us for a delightful three-hour ride Sunday afternoon, and we saw, by the courtesy of Librarian Jen- nings, our host, four of his branch libra- ries, which were very attractive; much of the suburbs of Seattle, surrounding its three lakes; and the University, which now uses many of the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Fair buildings for its purposes. Finally, to com- plete our enjoyment, Mt. Tacoma (in Seat- tle called Mt. Rainier) appeared, a faint pink pyramid, seemingly floating just above the horizon — and we knew what we had visited and missed the day before! Monday, June 14, was Puget Sound day, a restful all-day steamer trip to Vancouver, with two hours after lunch, at Victoria, where Mr. Scholefield met us at the dock and motored us all over his beautiful city, and through its parks, finally ending at his new Provincial library, just finished, but as yet without books. Here our host bade us welcome, and provided such delicious home-made candies, and tasty delicacies we forgot we had but recently had a sub- ctantial meal on board the steamer. Even a traveling brewer found the refreshments O. K. until, being asked what library he represented, he beat a hasty retreat, mum- bling something about his mistake. After dinner that evening, the "Princess Victoria" docked at Vancouver, and a hap- py, rested party was conveyed by autos to the new palatial Vancouver Hotel for the night. Here Mr. Douglas of the Public library met us and told his plans for our morning. He wanted to show us so much it was necessary to cut out over half the trip suggested, but we did enjoy to the full our delightful ride, first through Stan- ley Park, with its big trees, and fine views of bay and ocean, then to Shaughnessey Heights, one of the best residence sec- tions of Vancouver, and finally back by the Marine Drive to the Carnegie library, where Mr. Douglas and his daughter, both of whom had accompanied us on the ride and explained the points of interest, re- ceived us in the librarian's oflSce and spread out before us the book treasures of the library, which Mr. Douglas has gath- ered during the years he has been libra- rian. As we were leaving Vancouver, on the afternoon of June 15, it seemed as if this city was the most attractive we had vis- ited — an impression we remembered hav- ing voiced regarding each city along our journey after we had been shown its at- A. L. A. TRAVEL 205 tractions. Our versatile glee club cele- brated this visit by a new song. Vancouver Yip Vancouver, B. C, B. CI Yip Vancouver, B. C.! I don't care wliat becomes of me As long as I stay in this pleasant cit-ee! Sing of joy, sing of bliss, Home was never like this! Yip, Vancouver, B. C! The Canadian Pacific Railway had pro- vided a special train, and also an observa- tion car, even though we had but eighty- two in our party. This last attention was thoroughly appreciated by all, even though that irrepressible young librarian sat out there and persistently told of the wonder- ful Itchy-Witchy and its Itchy-Witchy ways. Another surprise was the a la carte dining service, where our coupons were good for one dollar, and if we were frugal It was possible to get quite a little silver back in change, — 'twas like finding money, — but the meals were so good few saved anything more than a tip for the waiter, and even that went by the board when cherry pie appeared on the menu. — What beautiful scenery did the A. L. A. party at dinner remind one of? Why, the Royal Gorge, of course! The views from the train became more and more grand as we ascended the val- ley of the Eraser River, at times thread- ing narrow winding canyons, very wild and beautiful. We passed strange stations^ who could have named them — Spuzzum, Statsum, Walhachin, Kamloops, Ducks, Shuswap. The railway then enters a green and fertile ranching country. As dusk ap- proached (and in June all through this northwest country the twilight lasts well up to nine o'clock) our party was in an unusually expectant mood for there had been posted on the observation car bul- letin an announcement extraordinary — "Vaudeville show in dining car at 8:30." This unique entertainment, gotten up without previous planning, proved a howl- ing (no reflection on the chorus) success. Several of the dining car waiters took part giving English coster dialect songs. and Scotch dialect recitations, but the program, of which we give excerpts be- low, will serve to show a little of the versatility of library parties. The Merrt Midnight Minstrels Managers— Bill Spaulding De Rue, Bob Hughes De Rue. Ushers— Eddie Redstone, Georgie God- ard. The Floradora Sextette Girls. Mamie Burnham, famous in Irish and Russian dances. (Algernon S. Prize beer-fed baby of Canada.) (Reginald S. Prize milk-fed baby of U. S. A.) Competing for first beauty prize. Fannie Myers, nurse. Indian War Dance, by the chief of the Library Indians. The Lovett Sisters, Lil and Lou. Francesca de M, Spanish Dancer. Bill S. Champion Heavy Weight in his great standin' aroun' act. Solos, duets, quartettes and choruses by members of the troupe. Here is a sample song. Homeward Bound (Tune: John Brown's Body.) We've been to California and we've been to see the Fair, We've seen the roaring rivers and we've breathed the mountain air. We've seen the Western cities and we've sailed on Puget Sound, And now we're homeward bound. Chorus: Three long cheers for our jour- ney. (3 times.) For now we're homeward bound. A "Bluebird" took a flight one day, way up a mountain road, A jolly crowd went with her, and it made a gorgeous load. But on the homeward journey, when their hearts were all on fire. The Bluebird did RETIRE. Chorus bird BANG went the tire on the Blue- As she came flying home. Some girls went on a walking trip with Brown as chaperon, They saw a camp up in the woods and wanted it for home. "Nay, nay," said Brown, "We'd best go back, for duty's calling me Away from Nisqually." 206 BERKELEY CONFERENCE Chorus: "Nay," said Brown, "We'd best be going" Away from Nisqually. ™„„ The whole affair created much merri- ment, and the "troupe" played to a full house, the chefs and waiters in the rear being as much interested as our own people. Mr. Forrest Spaulding was the chief promoter and actor and had able assistants, especially in the costume de- partment. June 16 it rained, and the Selkirks hid their heads. At Glacier House we saw not a sign of Mt. Sir Donald or any of his companions, and were glad we had not planned a day stop here, as was at first contemplated. Toward afternoon, near Field, the clouds broke away and we caught entrancing glimpses of snowfields, and white peaks, and had beautiful vistas up and down the valley of the Kicking Horse River. Just after passing the Con- tinental Divide the train stopped at Lag- gan, where the little tram-line starts for Chateau Lake Louise, three miles away, where we spent three nights and two days. It proved a most charming spot, and a hotel such as one would like to live in for weeks instead of days; but the clouds had again closed in and we saw no mountains that evening. The next morning the outlook was very moist though at 11 a. m. the clouds broke away and for two hours we caught glimpses of mountains among the clouds, but our views were soon quenched by cloudv rain. Many intrepid mountaineers took walks, pony rides and drives to points of interest, hoping it would again clear. All returned wet but happy and with never one word of complaint. A snowstorm en- livened things in the afternoon, a dance in the evening. We were lulled to sleep by the patter of raindrops outside our win- dows. J i-J MoRBAixE Lake There is a drive at Lake Louise, Lake Louise, ., The dampest known between the seas, 'tween the seas, 'Twas there we saw a June snowstorm And the mist-shrouded mountains form. Fare thee well, for I must leave thee. Full of mud and water leave thee, With a rivulet a-running Down my neck and back; Adieu, adieu, dear drive, adieu, adieu, adieu, I can no longer stay with you. stay with vou. So I'll hang my clothes before the roaring grate And on thy glories meditate. Next morning, after breakfast, the sun burned through the mists, and the snow peaks and glaciers appeared. Everyone went forth to enjoy these Canadian Alps. The wonderful color— a turquoise green— of Lake Louise was remarked by all. Many went on pony-back to Lake Agnes, where the ground and trees were white with recent snow, and where the delightful English lady in charge of the tea house, told us what a "perfectly ripping day it was after the beastly weather of yester- day." Drives to Morraine Lake (which yesterday's water-soaked party re-chris- tcned More Rain Lake), tramps to the glacier, and Paradise Valley filled the day. though the clouds again shut down to- wards night. A surprise was sprung on the Travel Committee that evening, when at seven o'clock all gathered in the special dining room to find it decorated with flags and Iceland poppies. Flag-draped chairs were placed for the Committee, on either side of Mr. Bowker, who acted as presiding of- ficer calling, between courses, for speeches from various members of the party on the general topic of "What do you think of ■ the Travel Committee?" The chorus was heard from too, a new song being added to its repertoire. A Toast to the Travel Committee. (Tune: "Lord Goffery Amherst was a sol- dier of the King.") Oh here's to Mr. Faxon and our jolly ' A. L. A., And the travel committee too. And here's to Mr. Phelan, who has left us by the way. And forsaken our merry crew, A. L. A. TRAVEL 207 And here's to Mr. Brown, who came direct from Brooklyn town; To chaperon the party was his cue. And here's to Mr. Wellman, who's our leader all the way, And last, but not least, HERE'S TO YOU. Chorus: A. L. A., A. L. A., 'Tis a name that's known From sea to sea, A. L. A., A. L. A.; From the A. L. A. are we. This testimonial dinner, planned by Mrs. Bowker, w-as carried out with such secrecy that many besides the members of the Committee were kept in complete ignor- ance. From Lake Louise to Banff is but a short train trip of an hour, and at Banff was our last scheduled stop. The day, June 19, broke rainy, but A. L. A. luck was still with us, and shortly after lunch at the Banff Springs Hotel, the sun ap- peared and with it the surrounding moun- tain peaks of the Bow River Valley. A swimming pool of hot spring water here, as at Glenwood Springs, Colorado, claimed many of the party, and the others watched the antics of the bathers from settees about the big pool. All day Sunday, we rested, traveling smoothly across the plains of Saskatche- wan. At 8:30 p. m. we reached the Unit- ed States border, Portal. North Dakota, where customs and emigrant requirements were quickly satisfied and we were rush- ing on toward Minnesota. Minneapolis and St. Paul library folk, planned, as had our coast friends, to occupy pleasantly every moment of our stay in their cities. We had a long, delightful auto ride, ending with a charming reception and tea at the University Club, St. Paul. Here, her many friends were glad to find pouring tea Mrs. McCaine, former librarian of St. Paul. She had during her long term of ofiice been a frequent attendant at American Library Association conventions and we were glad to see her again, looking so well after a winter's illness. Next morning at Chicago, in the North- western station the party breakfasted to- gether, and the A. L. A. songs were sung for the last time, as here our party was sadly diminished, only twenty-eight plan- ning to continue East together. It had been one of the most congenial crowds ever brought together and, after a month's travel, it was like parting from old friends. On June 23, twenty reached New York, and but ten remained to take the Fall River boat for Boston. That evening a farewell dinner was held on board the "Commonwealth," with place-cards and souvenirs for each of the survivors. Our last coupon was gone, home duties were before us, one of the most wonderful of all the many American Library Associa- tion trips was but a vivid memory. Per- haps under the circumstances conversa- tion lagged somewhat. At breakfast time we safely reached Boston, after an absence of thirty-one days, in which we had traveled nine thousand nine hundred and flfty-six miles by rail and steamer, and about three hundred ninety- five miles by automobile, and all without harm coming to any one of the one hun- dred seventy who participated in the jour- ney. 'Twas a long way to California, In the cool days of May, But 'twas worth all it cost to go there Just to see the A. L. A. Mr. Wellman was our leader. When he called us we were THERE. But now we've been to California, We're going EVERYWHERE. F. W. Faxon. itlHsT'Sam: "Sm «;:£k ■aWB.WiTg'! ZS& tifi'img; IiMibiafl "Kgm"_ nf $Ll.Xii_trr r. ■ae 3 HIT or 3a ssui j^sHr n: leKnaaiH^ an ris- 'MillfntTtfrnrTg; »;iii ' i. ^i i'ljTT- T^rf aQn- ":s:^ at Drier 31 unmrpfm- -=t»^ Trsima> ^"TTT » -1i~r T^Tig- -ntl H- J- JE -TVS - «i !|-~c- gH> lar aDmwFr iijm- 'jngHsis stj ic imr "trrrr- umirmfl.uHas. 'Otas anmfiier s ' ^n :'i - j JV fe- rint rwf TtnrraiiSf -sf ■as? 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"^"^TFai-TTT if BBSS -ntrmj^ tt t'H^ 5linf- iBQifc. wiiiiit is 3i~aiacsn5r usst es i firse- ^acF if 3iuiTH~> vui'S-i-4ra- Tmf TersnniC lo^sesant if lae istouaasBi^s sc^ iiit- 3ijrssiiE Sannrs- rrrrif a piil ^ t^ if 'as >»J=t»rir r rni i - rwv, ar-rfF e:^ •jf ■smrsfe i^mcait 3i "3h igeraams if •de :io BERKELEY CONFERENCE are treated in the report of the chairman of the board, elsewhere rrinted. it is un- necesary here to do more than nial;e this brief reminder of them. The A. L. A. Booklist.— The editorial offices of the Booklist have now been com- bined with A. L. A. headquarters for nearly two years, and the experimental stage has passed. Regarding editorial ad- vantages in Chicago the editor is better qualified to speak and has frequently voiced appreciation of and satisfaction with the support given her by Chicago institutions and individuals. It is only necessary for me to supplement her words by adding that from the business point of view it is even more satisfactory to have editorial and publishing offices under one roof than we had anticipated. The Book- list is showing steady although not rapid growth in circulation. Plans for an ex- tensive campaign among high school li- braries in the fall are being qiade. Publicity. — We have made exceptional efforts at newspaper publicity the past eighteen months but thus far the results have been far from satisfactory. At the Washington conference a publicity commit- tee of three gave trained and systematic attention to the subject employing a news- paper expert to assist. Very little news about the conference appeared, however, in papers outside Washington, but this may have been due to an acute crisis in the Mexican situation that monopolized front pages that week. Mr. W. H. Kerr, the present chairman of publicity, devoted practically his entire time to press work during the Chicago mid-winter meetings. A number of well-written articles were given to the press representatives but only a little actually appeared, except on the one subject of newspaper reading in li- braries, and this article was so garbled as to make it of doubtful value. Mr. Kerr will have charge of publicity work at the Berkeley conference, and as we are al- ready working in co-operation with the news bureau of the Exposition we hope to achieve some material result. The secre- tary gives frequent news items to the Associated Press. Occasionally these arc used, but not widely. Libraries of the country, however, secure a vast amount of aggregate space in their local papers. The headquarters office subscribes to a clipping bureau and receives daily from fifty to sevent.v-five articles clipped from papers all over the United States and Canada giving news of their respective local libraries. It cannot therefore be said that libraries receive no attention from newspapers. The pamphlet on li- brary advertising and publicity which Mr. Charles E. Rush is preparing for the Pub- lishing Board will contain a section on the preparation and handling of news- paper articles. Some librarians need a little coaching on how to write a news "story," how to give it the necessary "punch" to "put it across," and this Mr. Rush's pamphlet will try to give. Field work. — The rapid development and growth of work at headquarters is making it increasingly difficult for the secretary to be absent very long from the office. This last year he attended the N. E. A. conference — Library section, in St. Paul, in July, the Illinois Library Asso- ciation annual meeting in Springfield, the Atlantic City meeting in March, and lec- tured before the Iowa and Indiana summer schools and at Western Reserve. New York State Library School, Library School of the New York Public Library, Pratt Institute and Pittsburgh. Short and in- formal talks have also been given in Chi- cago, including at the bi-e'Ji.ial of th». General Federation of Women's Clubs last June, and the spring meeting, April, 1915, of high school teachers at the University of Chicago, at which he talked to the manual training section. The secretary was one of the American delegates appointed to the proposed Ox- ford Pan-Anglican conference of Septem- ber, 1914. but on account of the European catastrophe, this gathering was not held. The Association was instrumental in helping in the organization of the Wyoming Library Association, and Mr. ChalmeTs Hadley, librarian of Denver and former SECRETARY'S REPORT 211 secretary of the A. L. A., was the official delegate of the Association to the organizing meeting at Laramie. Library statistics — Pursuant to the vote of the Council at its January meeting, the secretary sent to chief librarians, who were members of the A. L. A., about 850 in number, the form for statistical reports prepared by the Committee on library ad- ministration and adopted by the Council, with the request that a copy be filled out and returned to the A. L. A. headquarters and that the library's annual report con- tain a statistical page in the recommended form. It is gratifying to notice that a number of libraries have incorporated such a page in their recent reports. Pursuant also to the vote of the Council, acting on the recommendation of the Com- mittee on library administration, the sec- retary has printed as a part of his annual report the statistics of those libraries which ha-e submitted their figures on the A. L. A. form. There are 85 of these li- braries included in this report.' It is hoped that the comparative statistics here provided will be of considerable practical value and service to American libraries. The expense of printing this tabular mat- ter is unfortunately so exceedingly heavy that the secretary feels that in subsequent years a selected list only can be printed, including perhaps the statistics of some 40 or 50 representative and typical libra- ries in different sections of the country. Statistics of other libraries would be kept on file in the secretary's office, where they could be consulted by those interested. The reports printed include only statis- tics of free public tax-supported libraries. The Committee appointed soon after the January meeting of the Council has been engaged in drawing up a form adapted to college and reference libraries, and when this report is in hand, statistics on the approved from will be collected from col- lege and reference libraries. Miscellaneous. — Photographs of six ex- presidents of the Association have been 'Printed, for typographical convenience, at the end of this report. added to our headquarters collection; 17 are now framed and hung on our wall. We very much wish every ex-president who has not yet responded to the secre- tary's urgent request for his photograph would comply. During the coming year we hope to make a feature of the collecting of books and pamphlets relating to library economy in all its phases. All librarians publish- ing anything on this subject will perform an appreciated service by sending a copy as a permanent accession at A. L. A. head- quarters. We shall be greatly obliged if publishers will put us on their exchange list for material of this kind. The secretary prepared the article on library activities of the year 1913-14 for the forthcoming report of the U. S. Com- missioner of Education, and has written the article on the American Library Asso- ciation for the International Year Book annually fof several years past and has supplied data about the association to numerous other publications. Necrology — Since the Washington con- ference fifteen members of the Associa- tion have passed away. The roll Includes some of our oldest members and a num- ber young in years and at the zenith of their physical powers and professional careers. The list follows: Mrs. Judith Walker Andrews, of Boston, though not a librarian was the mother of a librarian and ex-president of the A. L. A., and had long been deeply concerned in library progress. Joined 1900 (No. 1996) and attended conference of that year. Died Aug. 29, 1914. Mrs. Sarah A. C. Bond, connected with the Boston office of Library Bureau, died Sept. 19, 1914. Joined 1892 (No. 955), and attended conferences of 1892 and 1902. Mrs. Henry Draper, of New York city, who joined 1902 (No. 2431), died Dec. 8, 1914. She attended the conference of 1902. Bernard R. Green, superintendent of the building. Library of Congress, Washing- ton, and an able student of library archi- tecture and equipment, died Oct. 22, 1914. 212 BERKELEY CONFERENCE Joined 1901 (No. 2145), and attended the conferences of 1892, 1897, 1907 and 1914. Edna M. Hawley, librarian of the Su- preme Court Library, Salem, Oregon, died Feb. 25, 1915. Joined 1903 (No. 2751), and attended conference in 1904. Thomas J. Kiernan, superintendent of circulation. Harvard College library, died July 31, 1914. Joined 1879 (No. 301), and attended conference of that year. David R. Moore, librarian of the Ber- keley (Calif.), public library, died May 27, 1914. Joined 1905 (No. 3329), and attended conference of that year. Ada L. Palmer, cataloger in the Buffalo public library, died Mar. 31, 1915. Joined 1914; attended no conferences. Katharine Lucinda Sharp, founder and for thirteen years director of the Univer- sity of Illinois Library School and librarian of the University, died at Lake Placid, where she has resided for the past eight years, on June 1, 1914. Miss Sharp was member of the A. L. A. Council from 1895 to 1905 and was vice-president in 1898-99 and again in 1906-07. Joined the A. L. A. 1892 (No. 1023) and attended the conferences of 1892-95, 1897-1904, 1906-07, fourteen in all, and the London Interna- tional Conference of 1897. See Library Journal 39:567; Public Libraries 19:287. Luella M. Sloan, chief reviser of the catalog department in the Newberry li- brary, Chicago, died April 20, 1915. Joined early in the present year (No 6547), and had attended no conferences. Jean Terquem, bookseller of Paris, pat- ronized by many American libraries, was killed in battle Sept. 15, 1914. Joined the A. L. A. in 1910 (No. 4795); attended no conferences. Erastus Swift Willcox, librarian of the Peoria (111.), public library since 1891, charter member of the Illinois Library Association, drafter of the bill creating free public libraries in Illinois in 1872, and a member of the A. L. A. since 1892 (No. 944), died March 31, 1915. He attended the conferences of 1897, 1904 and 1908. See Public Libraries 20:212. Miss E. von Wilmonski, assistant in the reference cataloging division of the New York public library, died Nov. 20, 1914. Joined 1914 (No. 6278), and at- tended conference of that year. Euphemia Winans, assistant in the New York public library, died April 29, 1914 (decease not learned until last year's necrolcsy had been compiled). Joined 1898 (No. 1718), and attended conferences of 1898, 1900 and 1906. Harry Woods, secretary of state of Illi- nois and ex-officio state librarian, died Oct. 12, 1914. Joined 1914 (No. 6043); at- tended no conferences. The following persons formerly be- longed to the Association but were not members at the time of their death: Frederick H. Hild, former librarian of the Chicago public library, died Aug. 10, 1914. Joined 1886 (No. 520), and attended conferences of 1886, 1887, 1889, 1891, 1892, 1893, 1901, 1903, 1904, 1906, 1907, 1908. Edward P. Judd, bookseller in New Haven, Conn., died Oct. 30, 1914. Joined 1886 (No. 576), and attended conference of that year. Prof. Thomas Raynesford Lounsbury, professor emeritus of English at Yale Uni- versity, died April 9, 1915. Joined 1890 (No. 784), and attended conferences of 1900 and 1905. Minnie M. Oakley, formerly in the Wis- consin Historical Society library, and later in the Los Angeles public library, died Feb. 28, 1915. She joined the A. L. A. in 1886 (No. 545), and attended the con- ferences of 1886, 1887, 1889, 1893, 1895, 1898, 1899, 1901, 1902, 1903, 1904, 1906, 1907, 1908 and 1911. Margaret A. O'Brien, formerly assistant in the Omaha public library, died Feb. 21, 1915. Joined 1887 (No. 634), and attended conferences of 1891, 1893, 1895, 1896, 1897, 1898, 1900, 1901, 1904, 1908. William Curtis Taylor, formerly librar- ian of the Tacoma public library, died . Joined 1893 (No. 1213). Talbot H. Wallis, formerly state li- brarian of California, died July 4, 1914. Joined 1889 (No. 735), and attended con- ferences of 1889 and 189L SECRETARY'S REPORT 213 Dr. Anthony Woodward, first librarian of the American Museum of Natural His- tory, died Feb. 4, 1915. Joined 1892 (No. 968), and attended conferences of 1892 and 1898. Respectfully submitted, GEORGE B. UTLEY, Secretary. NOTES TO FOLLOWING TABLES 1. Atlantic City, N. J., p. 1. (In addi- tion to 2,737 new borrowers registered, 1,065 visitors made deposits for drawing books. 2. Buffalo, N. Y., p. 1. Receipts from "other sources" include bank interest in the sum of $8,606.95. 3. Chillicothe, 0., p. 1. The library is also open to use of residents of the county, numbering 25,492. 4. The item of $500 noted as "received from other sources" was received from the County Commissioners. 5. Cincinnati, O., p. 1. The amount of $4,835.28 entered as "unusual expense" was for insurance. 6. Dedham, Mass., p. 1. The statistics of fiction lent are for central library only. 7. Duluth, Minn., p. 1. The amount noted as "received from other sources" includes $3,000.00 from a tax certificate. 8. Duquesne, Pa., Carnegie f. 1. The statistics of home circulation are for cen- tral library only. 9. The librarian's salary includes com- pensation for club work. 10. The amount paid for janitor service includes such service for the entire build- ing in which the library is housed. 11. Gardner, Mass., Levi Heywood memorial 1. The cost of binding is in- cluded in the amount expended for books. 12. Hanover, N. H., Howe 1. Statistics relating to number of volumes in library are for nine months only. 13. Harrisburg, Pa., p. 1. The amount of $5,000.00 noted as "received from other sources" was appropriated from the in- vestment fund. 14. Los Angeles, Cal., p. 1. The "un- usual expense" of $10,068.45 was for equipping new central quarters and for removal thereto. 15. Mauch Chunk, Pa., Dimmick me- morial 1. The sum of $25,000.00 noted as received from other sources is the legacy of Mrs. Mary Packer Cummings. 16. The item of $28,483.80 noted as "unusual expense" was money invested. 17. Menominee, Mich., Spies p. 1. The sum of $749.88 entered as "State grants" accrued from license fees and penal fines. 18. New Rochelle, N. Y., p. 1. The items given under "maintenance" are not representative, on account of removal. 19. Scranton, Pa., p. 1. ■ In the amount paid for "other maintenance" is included the sum of $3,519.35 for maintenance of branches. 20. Seattle, Wash., p. \. The amount of $42,560.11 noted as "received from other sources" represents ten per cent of the city's receipts from licenses, fines and fees. 21. The amount expended for binding includes certain salaries. 22. The salaries for branch janitor service are included in the total of salaries for library service. 23. Somerville, Mass., p. 1. The sum of $3,252.24 noted as "received from other sources" accrued from dog licenses. 214 BERKELEY CONFERENCE REPORT OF THE TREASURER Jan.-Apr.. 1915 Receipts Balance, Union Trust Company, Chicago, Jan. 1, 1915 $3,792.80 Membership fees 5,578.85 Interest on bank balance, Jan.-Apr. 22.43 $9,394.08 Expenditures Checks No. 65-70 (Vouchers No. 1023-1098) 3,677.72 Balance Union Trust Co., Chi- cago $5,716.36 G. B. Utley, Balance, Nat. Bank of Rep 250.00 Due from Publishing Board on 1914 acc't 500.00 Total Balance $6,466.36 James L. Whitney Fund Principal and interest, Dec. 31, 1914. $174.55 Interest, Jan. 1, 1915 2.55 Fifth Installment, Feb. 20, 1915 23.78 Total $200.88 Respectfully submitted, C. B. RODEN, Treas. Chicago, May 10, 1915. REPORT OF FINANCE COMMITTEE In accordance with the provisions of the constitution, the Finance committee sub- mit the following report: They have duly considered the probable income of the Association for the current year and estimate it at $25,750.00; and have approved appropriations made by the Ex- ecutive Board to that amount. The details of the estimated income and the appropri- ations are given in the January number of the Bulletin. On behalf of the committee. Dr. C. W. Andrews has audited the accounts of the Treasurer and of the Secretary as Assistant Treasurer. He has found that the receipts as stated by the Treasurer agree with the transfers of the Assistant Treasurer, with the cash accounts of the latter, and with the statements of transfers in the account of the Trustees, except that one installment ot $175.00 on the interest from the Endow- ment fund received late in 1913 has been credited in the accounts for 1914. The ex- penditures as stated are accounted for by properly approved vouchers and the bal- ance shown as that in the Union Trust Company agrees with the bank statement of January 1st, 1915. The bank balances and petty cash of the Assistant Treasurer as stated agree with the bank books and petty cash balances. The accounts of the Assist- ant Treasurer have been found correct as cash accounts. On behalf of the Committee Mr. F. O. Poole has checked the securities now in the custody of the Trustees and he certi- fies that their figures are correct. He finds that at par value the bonds and other se- curities amount to $102,500 for the Carnegie fund, and $8,000.00 for the Endowment fund. He further certifies that they hold receipts for all expenditures given in their account. The accounts of the James L. Whitney fund which are in the hands of the Treas- urer have been examined and found correct as stated by him in his annual report. Respectfully submitted. For the committee, H.VBBISON W. Cbaver, Chairman. REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES OF THE CARNEGIE AND ENDOWMENT FUNDS To the President and Members of the American Library Association: The Trustees of the Endowment Fund of the American Library Association beg leave to submit the following statement ot the accounts of their trust — the Carnegie and general funds — for the fiscal year end- ing January 15, 1915. There has been no change in the invest- ments during the year. All interest on the investments has been promptly paid. The Trustees hope that three new life memberships may soon be secured, so An asterisk (* A dagger (t) An arrow {-> item is included in the The superimpo indicates that the neur indicates that the librar or -<-) in place of an next column toward whi sed small hgnres refer t City or town Name of library ols. lost drawn ; year Total number of vols, at end of year -a Eg a >, ^ >< 46 784 1 Appleton, Wis F. p. 1 11,1091 1,610| 12,719 ...,l J Atlantic City, N. J. F. p. 1 49 ' ' ' 1 ! Auburn, Me Auburn n 1 190 19,194 1 2,433 4 Baltimore, Md The Enoch Pratt f. 1. . . - 5,183 321,576 6,000' 5 Bingbamton, N. Y.. Biughamton p. 1 610 3&,595 1 .. 6 Brookings, S. D F. p. 1 j 1 1,482 j - P. 1 41.^98 j 808,787 . 1 1 1 ' S Buffalo, N. V P. 1 -- 27,905 2,000 1 1 330,057 137,846 1 1,272 1 139,148 9 Cedar Rapids, la.. . P. 1 32.311 ........1 1 1 P. 1 108 29,157 1 .... 1 "11 Cincinnati. O P. 1 95 14,628' 1,036 463,521 |93,402 j 4,312 197,714 12 Council Bluffs, la.. F. p. 1 21,597 6,3351 27,932 j 276 | 20 296 P. 1 217 1 14 Dexter, Me Town 1 45 65 12,030 1 1,S Dubuque, la Carnegie- Stout f. p. I.. ..1 190 47,777 1 1 F 1 01 1,279 57,520 10,4S9I 68,009 17 Dunkirk, N. Y F. 1 60 201 1 12,348 1 ! 18 Dmiuesne, Pa Carnegie f. 1 - 779 25,459 1 HJ Elizabeth, N. J F. p. 1 1,175 48 339 j 20 Elkhart, Ind Elkhart-Carnegie 1 342 23,049 1 2,970 21 Elmira, N. Y Steele memorial 1 152 707 18,314 2,208 20,522 1 i 1 395 22 Evanston, 111 P. 1 24 08 . 406 45,879 4,877 50,756 1 1 j 23 Evansville, Ind P. 1 139 8,804 8,103 16.907 ! 1 i 24 Everett, Wash P. 1 90 580 7,802 1,583 9,385 1 1 1 23 Fairhaven, Mass.... The Millicent 1 889 19,318 -> 041 71 161 1 i t 1 26 Cadsden, Ala P. 1 154 1 1 5,045 1 1 27 Gardner. Mass Levi Heywood mem. I 86 526 1 1 15.815 J ! 1 1 28 Gary, Ind P. 1 2,882 17,1551 26,040 1 1 1 1 1 43,195 1 1 1 29 Great Falls, Mont.. P. 1 695 15.179 1 1 1 1 29 1 30 Hanover, N. H Howe I 37 3,938| 1,1D9| 5,047 | 19 | 10 | 31 Harrisburg, Pa P. 1 76 1 1 12,591 1 1 1 32 Harrison, N. J F. p. I - 40 1 1 6,620 1 1 L. 33 Joliet, 111 P. 1 1,178 1 1 ( 1 36,857 1 7,719 383 | 2,637 5,465 1 34 Lancaster, Pa A. Herr Smith m«m. 1. 351 12,358 1 i 35 Leavenworth, Kas. . F. p. 1 t; 456 23,300 1 1 1 1 P. 1 45| 436 1 1 , P. 1 37 Long Beach, Cab. . "620 32.651 1 1 1 16,897 227,894 1 18,786 1 4,383 'l 2,746 120,423 39 Manchester, N. H.. City 1 ..1 701 'l 74,000' 'l 1 2,887 1 3IE IBLIC i - ' - — 1 - — —3 - -" - — C - —2 - — —2 - • — — - — — ~ — — ^ 1 — — — — — — — - — — — — — — — 1 71 — —t — — — — ■( — C — - — — . — ■-'■ - ~ _2-5.93 3.15 14.37 20(».28 An asterisk (') indicates that the nt A dagger (t) indicates that the lib An arrow {-> or -^1 in pb- -' - ipproMmaLe. tral building. iuperiinposed small tigures refer ■d which the that th :ted appended to the table STATISTICS OF PUBLIC LIBRARIES (According to form adopted by the Council of the American Library Association' • 1 .\nnual report for eS Populat'n served BrVhB 1 Schools Co ?^ = =" =^ 1 =^— 1 1 1 Is o'= — -^' 1 2 2 'a 2 — 1 li 1 1 1 c 1 g-n Si ! i Hours open each week (central lib.) Xo. of vols. at beginning of year -No. ol vols, added during year t l-E ° s 1 Ciiy '"■ '""" 1 Xame of library Purchase Gilt, ex. change, etc. Binding ma- terial not otherwise counted or withdrawn during year vols, at end of year < 4 H I it For lending For reading Adult Juv. Total Adult Juv. Total 1 i 1 92 2 94 < i e2 _T3 1 Api)l«*P"' ^ '^ F. p. 1 Jun. 30. •14 18.000-1... — 1 1 ! 307|66-72 166-72 10.840 1,719| 12,559 409 202I 611 206 33I 239 438 54 6| 784 11,1091 1,6101 12,719 1 1 > Atlantic City. X- J- F. p. 1 Dec. 31.'14 46.150 |...|..|....|...| — ^^ 1 307| 72 1 72 19.358 3,7941 23,152 1,135 734 1,869 321 181 SO ~r,\~ .... 1 2961 482 778 20,229) 4,064| 24,293 | 1 1 .— — 1 . : 4 Baltimore. MJ The Enoch Pratt 1. 1.. . Dec. 31.'14 558,485 15 I..I 2 |...| ...|..| 6 1 161 100 — 13 305| 69 78 1307,540 18,425 .— r 794 340 -|t: ....i i 5.183 321,576 1 1 6,000* ; Bingliamton. X- "i-- Biiighamton p. 1 Dec. 31.'14 60,000' 15 38 329| 66 73 34,498 1,800 567 2,367 339 1 ■ ...I..: 1 i 610 36',595 1 Ti^^J^kiynTN'- v.... P. 1 Dec. 31, '14 1,833,696 23 71 13 1 43| 64 289 375 365| 87!4 91 764,006 83,059 11,615 -|- 1,405 1 1 41,298 1 808,787 1 S Buffalo. X- 1 P. 1 Dec. 31. '14 454,113 ... ..| 8 1 981 951 9511 103 216 35 365| 72 82 | 1316,908 38,398 1,733 ' 215 — 846 i 27,905 1 \ 330,057 137,846 1 1,272) 39,148 9 Cedar Rapids, la. . . P. 1 Dec. 31.'14 Dec. 31.'14 40.000 |... 14,508»l... .■! 2 131 22 24 98 8 364| 72 84 29,683 1,935 2,394 4,329 198 17 1 84 1 '601 i 2,000 1 1 32.311 I...-....1 1 1 II Cincinnati. P. 1 Dec. 31. '14 460.732 9 "1 201 79 223 365] 78 88-91 446,293 27,948 ■— — 2,774 ___ ...|... 52| 40 1,134 : 1: 14,628 1,036 ) 1 463,521 193,402 i 4,312 | 197,714 !> roniicil Bluffs. la.. F. p. 1 Dec. 31. '14 ,9,9, '1 .'1 .1 mi 111 3061 75 1 79 20,168 4 Z-JAI ) 1 7 1 5 1.973 2,116 4,095 39 39 134 21,597 1 ' -^-'- •;:•■.[:■■•( ' ■ 92, o,.| o„ 13 Dedham, Mass p. 1 Dec. 31.'14 ''-«^ 2|.-|---|---| ... 3 2771 48 1 48 20,000* 1,225 ■■]■■■ njj |...... 217 1. 1 1 1 14 Dexter, Me Town 1 Feb. 28,M5 4,000 ...|..l.... 6 8 7 309J 34 1 34 11,610 271 135 406 47 ... 47 30 2] 32I 20| 45 65 :~:::t 12,030 1 i 15 Dubuque, la Camegie-Snul f. i>. 1.. Dec. 31.'14 38,494 ' U 3I1I 72 75 46,117 1,039 638 173! j 1 190 47,777 1 1 16 Duluth. Minn F 1 Nov.30.'lJ 91,435' -) ^1 16 i3j 3501 79 j S2'A\ 53.345 839 62,184 4,222 2,346 6,568 229 11 240 281 15 296 557| 722 1,279 57,520 10,489 68,009 ) | 17 Dunkirk. N. Y F. ! Dec. 31.'I-I 17,221 ....1...:..... ... 1| 306| 66 1 66 9,772| 1,960 11,732 439 256 795 122 ... 122 ...1 4li 160 i 201 1 12,348 1 1 IS Duquesne. Pa Carnegie f. I Dec. 31.'H 18,000' 2 ..j....|...i 54 3] 3621 78 78 1 24,542 1,543 62 91 779 25,459 1 1 1 IV Elizabeth. X. J F. b. 1 Nov. 30.'U 83,000* 1 3 ....1...1 11 161 3051 72 72 37,226 6,243 365 1,175 48,339 ...)-..... 1 JO Elkhart. Ind Elkhart-Carnegie 1 Dec. 31.'14 19,282 ...j..j.... 3071 72 21,621 1,292 1... 13C 138 342 23,049 1 2,970 Jl Elraira. X. V Steele memorial 1 Jun. 30.'N 37.176 ...| j ... S| 307) 66 66 17,753 2,228 19,981 878 232 1,110 138 ... 455 252 707 18,314 2,208 20,322 1 1 i 395 " Evanston. Ill P. 1 iMavSl.'H 24,978 ...1.. 2 ...1 40 3 36lj 72 76 44,752 4,886 49.638 518 78 596 891 37 928 282 124 . 406 45,879 4,877 50,756 - '3 Evansville. Ind P. I Dec. 31.'14 69.647 3t 2 3I 13 81 363l 76 76 5,475 4,460 9,935 3,282 3,751 7,033 78 .. . 78 31 108 139 8,804 8,103 16,907 1 1 P. 1 Idcc. n:u 32.000 ...l..i....l...l 3591 54 60 319 131 .. '. 1. .. 580 7,802 1,583 9,385 1 25 Fairhaven, Mass.... The Millicent 1 [ Dec. 31.'14 6,000* ......... 2 365) 84 84 19,151 2,005 21,156 866 228 1,094 6991 190 889 >1 ifii — — P. 1 Dec. 31.'14 9,061 ...1 308) 33 4.381 739 89 ,. . . 1 154 S,045 — t: 6 5 1 5 27 Cardner. Mass Levi Heywood mem. 1 Dec. 31,'14 17,000* .. .'1 2 24 15,043 1,132 166 1 526 15,815 194 6 51 51 760J 2.122 28 Gary. Ind P. 1 Dec. 31.'14 35,000* 3 2| 6 3,963 9,028 12,991 663 278 941 2,882 17,155) 26,040 43,195 j i 1 Apr. 30,'14 26,502* 5 365| 72 84 13,946 596 1,117 1,773 111 695 15,179 ' .10 Hanover. N. H Hove 1 Jan. 31,'14 2,240 - — 3 3,257 921 4,178 643 204 847"^ 22 37 3,9381 1,1091 5,047) 19 | 10 | | 29 Dec. 31.'14 64,186 62 62 8,653 2,612 1,402 76 12,591 — 1 ! ! 1 .12 Harrison. X. J F. :,. 1 14,498 4 302J 3VA 31J^ 5,000 1,640 20 40 1 6,620 iS Joliet, 111 P. 1 j 34.670 16S ^2 . 30,690 3,917 34,607 1,147 526 577 1,178 36,857 ) 7,719 383 ) 2,637 ) 5,465 A. Herr Smith m«m. I. Dec. 31.'14 52,000' . ^J^;., J5 72 10,750 1,122 799 38 351 12,358 1 1 - ~ — 10 2 4 97 I') F. p. 1 [n.,. ^1 '14 19,363 8 361) 72 76 21.658 1,584 359 142 1 23,300 1 1 ~ — TT. >6 Leominster, Mass.. P. 1 Dec. 31.'14 18,000' •••1 365) 72 80 28,544 1,678 30,222 905 314 1,219 143 2911 145 436 29,301| 1,847 31,148 1 37 Long Beach. Cal... P. 1 Jun. 30,'14 40,000" 1^ 6 73 .. 3 301) 72 79 28,194 2,617 1,908 4,525 230 13 219 •620 32,651 1 — 1 .'8 Los Angeles, Cal... P. 1 .Itmh 3n'l4 438.914* 17 363) 75 83 224,349 16,889 1,952 1.591 16,897 227,894 ) 18,786 ■■■I — 3 39 Manchester, X. H..'Ci!v 1 Dec. .11 '14 70,063 12 71,750* 2,447 247 252 1 701 ] 74.000*1 2,887 1 1 1. 1; 1 1 1 1 ; LIBRARIES luring .ic k Receipts on No. of bor registered year Total no. of registered borrowers No. of r papers periodi currently ceived. Unexpended balance c rt 2 in M •a S s 1 3 Adult Juv. Total Adult Juv. Total ■3 < > 3 P c .a 1 356 2251 5 101 101 $ 1,912.841$ 3,000.00 $ 30.00 _ 1 2,7371 .... i 226 226 1,813.00 15,000.00 ' 5,000* 4 67 67 60,781 415.51 2,500.00 $ 250.00 190.00 $ 4.00 10,688 42,897 3 498 498 115 42,300.00 50,000.00 .... 2,009 733 2,742 115,379 4,727|20,106 3 115 15 62,472 106.87 11,300.00 100.00 20.00 899 15 800.00 'l ' 125,230 330,210 3 550* 140,602.39 459,362.49 5,800.00 3,969.03 1 26,940 _ . 86,898 3 J.... 480 820 3,508.83 113,300.00 1,000.00 4,392.22 2,684| 794 3,478 1 7,8461 3,054110,900 4 .... 192 192 892.30 15,101.58 13.00 1 1,221 8,962 73 73 266.69 2,867.27 45.00 20.835)10,108 30,943 96,891 3 .... 907 1,890 31.50 172,622 29 2,118.95 ;7Q 2,110 8,764 3 |.... 4,441.24 14,447.39 6,271.00 240 5.517 340.97 313.96 961 310 1,271 1 I 26 26 1,248.00 61.00 225.00 1.267 843 2,110 11,822 5 166 180 255.18 8,194.73 3.668 1.518 5,186 22,090 262 262 3,332.62 21,715.53 1,625 7,768 60 60 549.01 3,000.00 100.00 i 80 80 1 3,905 11,129 3 20.500.00 941 6,443 170 170 52.99 7,632.82 691 375 1,066 1 5,044| 1,895] 6,939 3 70 70 25,000* 643.53 4.500.00 65.00 2,898.41 2,324 9,645 5 174 174 13,000* 3,620.63 8,914.87 736.36 4,484 3,887 5,5891 9,476 3 109 248 16,064 1,581.72 19,989.80 1 2,741 1,2671 4,008 M 1 9.1 401.24 4,873.13 ->- 1 :n 120 212 119 331 2,153 1,055| 3,208 184 143 327 1,781 1,269| 3,051 44.88 999.96 7.50 1 1,186 2.722 324.78 3,692.62 3.199.17 1 4,116 1 6,8871 4.67911 l.^A/; '--.' 372 167,952 .99 33,214.70 1 984 1.811 2.795 3,748 3,380| 7,128 2 108 47 108 4,307.93 9.000.00 781 47 6,518 2.322 8,840 j 6,518 2,322| 8,840 1 114 42 114 38,441 443.59 3,499.98 3,614.81 525.0C 1,386 4.065 2 42 178.09 3.500.00 871 7,477 3 85 85 1.825.00 7,000.00 56 00 1,583 1 0,809 \sy. 15,867 499.391 2.000.00 1 10 1 1,636 4,715 M j l,046.94j 5,621.81 75.00 38 00 9761 497 1.473 5,099 1,717| 6,816 1 1 165.121 4.571.0(1 894.97 101.00 9,201 22,262 I-' 1, 24,795.00 1 663 jl./lC 36.685 85,369 H j 212.93| 159,837.00 30.00 2.668 1 9,865 1 s > 289 1 30S 1 1 2,221.121 16,500.001 1,413.38 j\ame of library HE Payments for extraordinary expenses Grand total City or town s i-. ,' 15,686.15 15,686.15 10 Chillicothe, O p. 1 4,149.76 4,149.76 11 Cincinnati. O p. 1 76,149.00 12,428.45 4,835.28= 180,984.28 12 Council Bluffs, la F. p. 1 12,428.45 l.i Dedham, Mass P. 1 6,458.40 6,458.40 „ 14 Dexter, Me Town 1 1,624.48 1,624.48 R 15 Dubuque, la Carnegie-Stout f. p. 1 8,492.09 8,492.09 M 16 Duluth, Minn P. 1 28,874.14 28,874,14 ■g 17 Dunkirk, N. V F. 1 3,428.84 3,428.84 , B 19 Elizabeth, N. J F. p. 1 5,819.41 5,819.41 Elkhart-Carnegie 1 6,671.34 6,671.s34 ' S 21 Elmira, N. Y Steele memorial 1 8,038.46 477.28 8,515.74 1 S 22 Evanston, III P. 1 11,912.77 11.912.77 y 23 Evansville, Ind n 1 17,400.90 17,400.90 24 Everett, Wash P. 1 5.597. 55 5,597.55 25 Fairhaven, Mass 1 1 n j 1,439.40 1,439.40 27 Gardner. Mass. Levi Haywood memorial 1. 6,289.70 6,289.70 D I 24,346.16 1 11,154.27 35,500.43 ! 29 Great Falls, .Mom P. 1 7,911.08 400.00 8,311.08 30 Hanover, N. H TT 31 Harrisburg, Pa P. 1 12,227.26 12,227.26 32 Harrison, N. .T F. p.l 3,647.11 3,647.11 33 Joliet, 111 P. 1 9,188.00 748.00 9,936.00 I 1 T Tl A. Herr Smith mem. 1 |2,775.14 2,775.14 35 Leavenworth, Kas F. p.l 5,876.04 685.14 6,561.18 1 36 Leominster, Mass P. 1 5.990.87 5,990.87 37 Long Beach, Cal P. 1 20,934.39 5,152.77 26,087.16 38 Los Angeles, Cal P. I 159,476.59 2,706.53 10,068.45" 172,251.57 39 Manchester, N. H '■itv 1 PUBlE 14.37 5,578120(^21 STATISTICS OF PUBLIC LIBRARIES 2 Atlantic C, 3 Auburn 4 Baltimore 5 Hingh'ml'n 6 Brookings 7 Brooklyn 8 Buffalo V.p.l. F.p.l. A.p.l E.P.I. B.p.l. F.p.l Lent for home t No. of vols. ficti< Total No. of vols. 12,6751 39,408 | 33,761 11,SS7| 47,889 | 44,292 P.l. ,169,756(1,176,21913,345,975 3, 105,84911,889 ,03214,994,88 1 9 t"ed. Rapids 10 Chillicothe 1 13 Dedha a 14 Dextei ; IS Dubuque ! 16 Duluth ^ 17 Dunkirk ' 18 Duquesne ■o 19 Elizabeth .= 20 Elkhart o 21 Elmira O - ^ 22 Evanston 15,113 39,196 23 Eva alle 51,908 35,638 31 Harrisburg 33 Joliet H.-S. F.p.l. 37 LongBe'ch 18,586 41,166 859,516 44,390 116,346 36,1281 112.691 21,512 49,706 92,514) 95,159 76,8951 17,936 50,139 74,313 36.4081 29,310 121,7461 117,237 50,640 20,680 1.1711 761.0381 215,8161 976,854 |1, 159,0381 400,321|1.5S9,359 1 5.745] ,| I I I 75,960 I I I 109,613 No. of borrowers registered during 2,5311 1,7441 4,275 I 5 2,0091 7331 2,742 |15,379 .| 1125,230 .. .1 ) 26,940 |.. !,6S4| 794| 3.478 | 7.! 142,897 1 4,727120,106 .1330,210 -I .186.898 20,835110,108 30,943 1 |96,891 2,110 I I I 8,764 1,518| 5,186 1 1 122,090 1,625 I I I 7,768 691| 375| 1,066 5,0441 1,8951 6,939 1,153 1,0551 3,20 1,781 1,269| 3,051 .| 4,116 I 6.8871 4.679111,566 | 3,3801 7,128 2 I 7,477 110,809 5,099 1,717| 6,816 1,912.84|$ 3,000.00 1,813.00 15,000.00 190.00$ 50,000.00. 443.59 3,499.98 499.391 2,000.00 165.121 4.571.00 212.931 159.837.00 221.121 16.500.OOU STATISTICS OF PUBLIC LIBRARIES = I — i ?' ^^= Name of library F. p. 1 F. p. 1 receipts Irora Ccontmued) Total $ 3,437.15 17,109.70 Payments for maintenance f2i Payments lor extraordinary expenses O City or town TTppleton, Wis ■Atlantic City. V.J- ■■• : „ Fines and sale ; £ publications $ 117.14 :: 6 $ 10.00 296.70 $ 625.88 2.101.42 $ 136.88 4,.,0 $ 128.13 Salaries 1 S i 221.53 OS $ 134.73 ■J, 2 3 \ Add it ions to buildings or p^r- = i II od $ 1,800.00 $ 390.00 ,; Auburn. Me 4 Baltimore. Md Auburn p. 1 The Enoch Pratt f. 1 216.76 2,628.09 j 13.50 450.51 3.589.77 95,378.60 460.00 112.50 141.45 17.501.03 1 1,946.25 3,183.51 1,335.33 53,109-66 366.00 $ 630.02 227.21 3.260.10 161.41 2.886.20 355.91 17.849.46 3,159.81 100,366.23 $ 27,000.00 $ 16,357.65 3,159.81 j Itinghamton. X. ^ Binghamton p- 1 1 11.39 12,062.26 2,168.80 i 477.70 1 841.12 5,970.29 660.00 594.41 <- 1,319.30 12,031.62 f, Brookings. S. D F- P- 1 30.50 254.44 1.084.94 272.74 30.35 34.65 466.26 85.71 889.71 889.71 7 Brooklyn. X. 'i 2-1.034-32 2,357.44 101,200.00 4,742.19 742,067.86 117,306.09 1 8,355.55 | 26,500.00 230,002.93 31,259.00 15,892.74 9,563.66 16,772.91 50.646.78 506,299.66 161.151.54 $ 4.250.11 671,701.31 s Buffalo. X. \ 'J Cedar Rapids, la P- 1 5,506.09 678-64 129.33 1 12,046.61' 1 484.40 139,753.75 17.299.22 26,902.72 1 2,147.35 i 8,442.39 4,151.38 1 337.00 \ 625.25 61,672.00 6.617.07 7.055.41 977.61 2,370.00 1.554.28 533.80 2,728.57 487.69 11,050.93 1,956.35 123.923.65 15,686.15 % 10,664.24 134,587.89 lu Chillicolhe. 11 I incinnati. P. 1 P. 1 161.79 7.000-00 313.01 1 500.00* 1 _ 1 99.78 4.149.76 181.872.52 1,353.70 36,494.76 164.87 ] 222.36 -<- 1 9,843.99 1,871.80 85,083.64 24,954.33 960.00 114.18 4.628.27 106.61 1,814.97 316.26 12,319.04 4,149.76 176,149.00 4,835.28' 4,149.76 180,984.28 IJ Council Bluffs. la F.P-I 405-41 27.64 25.001 224.16 19.570.84 3,770.30 242.00 j 349.66 4,815.00 896.55 418.67 355.85 1,585.42 12,428.45 12,428.45 l.i Dedhara, Mass P. 1 N Dester. Me Town 1 90-20 :: !:: 6,925.93 1,419.94 387.78 355.25 2,125.74 547.49 30.22 276.12 197.72 1.118.14 6,458.40 6.458.40 fl 15 Dubuque, la 'Carnegie-Stout f. p. 1 1,000.00 9,449.91 906.49 306.30 524.05 4,091.35 790.00 568.22 507.96 797.72 8,492.09 8.492.09 (t 16 Duluth. Minn P-> F. 1 775-46 3,118.16' 28,941.77 6,736.32 645.00 1,229.67 9,303.45 2,134.50 495.00 635.28 766.28 6,932.64 28,874.14 28.874,14 1 18 Duquesne, Pa Carnegie f. 1 1 1,168.55 1 215.61 740.02 4,420.00' . 960. OO" 1 E 19 Eliiabelh. N. J F.p.1 4,500.82 276.45 1,042.14 5,819.41 5.819.41 ■= 20 Elkhart. Ind Elkhart-Carnegic 1 314.98 9.75 8,010,54 1,271.92 1 380.01 261.47 3,215.00 738.00 804.94 6,671.34 6,671J4 = 21 Elmira. X. V j Steele memorial 1 180.00 64.22 57.501 3,005.?9 8.515.74 869.95 156.00 408.35 2,547.50 350.00 390.00 841.70 449.78 2,027.18 8,038.46 477.28 8.515.74 H 22 Evanston, 111 P.I 811.07 186.90 765.56 1,119.89 16.166.28 803.20 225.86 466.87 7,173.42 875.00 i 878.04 1 260.64 1,229.74 11,912.77 11.912.77 y 23 Evansville, Ind P. 1 194.32 18.48 21.784.32 6,493.40 -<- 428.83 5,883.76 1,440.00 167.45 419.29 2,568.17 17.400.90 17,400.90 24 Everett, Wash P. 1 323.18 ■<- 5,597.55 579.68 153.47 492.52 2,700.35 304.30 280.55 288.97 197.71 5.597.55 5,597.55 25 Fairhaven, Mass The Millicent I 26 Gadsden, Ala 126.81 170.50 108.67 1.00 1.459.32 445.39 47.78 600.00 240.00 21.00 85.23 1.439.40 1.439.40 27 Gardner, Mass. Levi Haywood memorial 1. 115.00 35.00 48.87 7,415.44 1,679.89" 265.49 1.870.89 300,00 260.00 320.98 207.88 1,384.57 6.289.70 6..J89.70 28 Gary, Ind P. 1 399.80 11,155.00 18.10 44,788.59 5,939.60 718.89 999.08 9,897.10 1,386.90 256.00 347.20 806.17 3,995.22 24.346.16 11,154.27 35.500.43 P. 1 227.27 30.85 854.32 14,420.37 1,677.34 259.20 16.10 3,327.08 1.080.00 296.81 381.70 872.85 7.911.08 400.00 8,311.08 30 Hanover, N. H Howe 1 31 Harrisburg, Pa P- 1 285.311 5.000.00" 13.368.69 4,239.20 200.00 590.10 4,045.90 695.00 678.85 -<- 1,778,21 12.227.26 12,227,26 ■12 Harrison. X. J F. P.l 1 24.70 3,702.79 1,002.84 66.54 238.40 1,000.00 298.00 385.00 94.38 76.15 485.80 3.647.11 3.647.11 ■'3 Joliet, III P- 1 401.001 254.00 2,562.00 12,098.00 1,579.00 234.00 419.00 4,555.00 1,400.00 470.00 531.00 9,188.00 748.00 9,936.00 34 Lancaster. Pa A. Herr Smith mem. 1 137.001 1,015.00 193.00 3,919.39 730.89 36.60 ■ 153.05 1,090,00 234.75 127.43 402.42 2,775.14 2,775.14 35 Leavenworth. Kas F.p-1 387.00 52.35 23.82 7,169.94 1,326.36 192.78 282.95 2.390.00 540.00 200.27 219.50 724.18 5,876.04 68S.14 6,561.18 3' Long Beach. Cal P. 1 1.404.53| 26,199.53 5,029.37 795.30 1,289.80 9,467.91 1,034.13 225.00* 594.35 2,498.53 20,934.39 5,152.77 ':: 26,087.16 38 Los Angeles, Cal P- 1 7.086.951 1,026;91 70.00 4,025.21 172,316.00 19,328.45 3,903.37 9,058.05 84,040.21 -<- 24.274.33 1. 507.19 ^ 17.364.99 159,476.59 2.706.53 10.068.45' 172.251.57 il™J5':litster. N. H '•itv 1 457.021 29.83 20.621.35 4.605.33 1 625.99 i 433.59 6.531.35 850.30 i 784.43 i 517.87 935.42 15.284.28 1 902,88 16.187.16 IC LIBRARIES Xo. o f vols, added during year No. c du f vols. lost To vols. ^1 P ° C Purchase Gift, ex- change, etc. Binding ma- terial not counted vithdrawn at end of year =! al Adult Juv. Total < > H 3 > ■° < > S-i Adult Juv. Total Ofi 520 239 759 23| 1 24 68 3 71 22 331 55 3,706 1,654| 5.305 1 ' 1 16 SR 565 .. _ ... 12.737 1 14 412 156 540 952 84|.. .| 841 33|. . . 33 353 348 701 11,982 1=, 34 190 861 10| 961 70|... 70 74 6,277 5,986 ST 1,115 476|...|...| 120 670 76 154 fin* 12,028 1 . 887|...|...| 440 5,521 118,000* sn 1,106 117,320 906 2,012 8411 64| 905|...|...| 137 449 586 33,081 1,602 70 1,672 m 80,2411197,561 4,041|203|4,244|...|...i 58,823 65,913 124,736 799,797 241,461 1,041,258 1 noQ 1 17 17,545 |. . . 1 3661 . .|.. . 1 9,968 1 215,321 .. ..1 n,^ 760 624 995 1,755 131. ..1 13 ...|...l 441 7901 1,231 18,165 6,275 24,440 1 ■. 4<) 77 121 '. i... 1.. . 23,371 .. . . <)S 552 j. . 84 . . 165 12,966 <)i 823 170 56 297 11,245 4' 510 I. . . 1 841. - -1 - .1 102 205 46,533 'l ; ( ( ! r 91 480 59 539 220 3) 223 120| 3 123 36 30| 66 12,677 1,233 13,910 3,000' 500' 3,500* 4' 33,907 12.237 ■■■]■■■ 1,200 5,653 201,533 2,696 16 1 . . .1 . . .1.. . 1 327 9,203 ' 65 1,708 1.293 3,001 1...I -<- |...|...| ■<- 630 979] 1,609 46,800 5,857 52,657 954 i 81 1,035 ^R S18 1 1 78 1. . 32 208 10,252 2,124 12,378 1 . . Sfs 518 • 1 • 1 42 .1.1 96 9,020 .. . . 1 1 58 1,177 1,3361 2.513 5321 66| 598| 96 101 106 354 600 954 18,285 6,236 24,521 1,440 1 10 1,450 04 293 42 32 8,807 40 2,647 989 3,636 j 69 69 265 55 320 10.814 3,911 14,725 1 71 365 411 776 174 ...j 174 237 302 539 9.754 1,728 11.482 379 1 39 7' 802 104 897 19,381 <)7 29,127 2,649 1,704 24,196 385,146 180.000' 13.000* ■ 1 • IS 2,751 256 1.174 62,148 144 180 05 414 259 673 104| 81 112|168 181 363 143 506 8.484 2,281 10,765 42 6 PI 886 |.. . 51 267 9,263 1 f il 3,319 |... 483 j 1,031 75,324 f 41 34,833 1,907|... 940 3,766 4,071 7,83/ 162,290 71,591 233,881 14,041 47 7,698 451... 147 7,028 1 544 110,109 1 75 2,532 1,729 4,261 1 1... 769 775 52,820 8,972 61,792 n 214 ^ 4,329 1 1 87 5,319 1,223 6,542 6941 10| 7041392 ... 392 1,512 9021 2,41-1 109,080 5,331 114,411 3,205 250 3.455 75 4,522 2.800 7,322 938J 9811. 0361275 ... 275 502 1.525| 2,027 52.118 21,736 73,854 \-''' 16 28,391 1.. . 419 14,433 230,953 19,064 1.086 20,150 48 129 m 1 . 1 2,000 1 — 18 75 4.475 2,508 6,962 754 7721181 37 218 493 8671 1,36( 64,969 14,646 79,615 12,640 1.637 1,673 12.604 51 274 149 423 41|...| 41[ 66 88 19 57| 76 11,740 2,265 14,005 1 61 16,053 . . 1. . 3,835 264 8,228 168,187 57 1,636 1,272 2.908 166J 2| 168 198 16 214 749 1,113| 1,862 40,709 5,876 46,585 400 280 680 no 1,062 407 1,469 693 13! 706 -<- <- -<- 491 409 9O0 21,527 2,648 24,175 S.I 48 54 102 27 97| 124 22 27 49 3,043 917 3,960 112 ''\ 159 m 516 84 600 281 18j 46 202 256 458 13,851 1 1 34 4.086 3,191 7,277 1,335 4|1. 3391655 24 679 1,261 2,618| 3.879 186,896 19,230 206,126 27,741 3,627 4 .31,364 1 ■ . .. . ,5 1 Other additions No. of vols. ) 3 S' ^ s CO >. ffl >• Receipts City or town •a a s s £ -a ■0 n 1 u c 3 c E w c. Adult Juv. .0 i 40 Martinsv. P.l. I 1 1 14,9571 8,05 9 -21 1$ 1.499.70)$ 2,770.49 41 M'ch Chk. D.m. .-..|....j 1 10,969] 4,44 918.65 $ 5,506.20| 42 M'nominee S.p.l. 1 .^ _Q^'| , ^ .^, 1 '' 1 3,34 ■1 1,565.541 3,774.53 $ 749.88" 1 43 Mitchell C.I. 1 9,625 .... 1 ... . ■.mill 44 N. Castle \ 27,568 15,26 1 ■■■■\----l 1 "1| 21,963 1 1 4,500.00 $ 14.00 45 N. Haven 172,224 H2,62 2,350.00 35,000.00 3,852.00 46 X.Rochelle P.I. ■| 'i ' 56,764 24,70 5.04 13,500.00 100.00 47 New York P.l. 1 ■, ' , - . „ pj-Q , ^ ,^ Q^ -: 3.118,i5y i,:'nu,ou 4,461,405 741,535.85 8,365.00 39,005.18 48 Newark IT 1 117,381 - 500.67 122,220.60 49 Xiag. Falls P.l. ', 32,456 13,20 1 50 Norfolk P.l. 40,548 — ....|... |::m: 60.00 51 Norwalk P.l. 1 36,421 6.67 76 '''■***■ i' 162.12 3,105.75 52 Oskaloosa P.l. 20.088 9,70 •■••(••••I 377.42 4,084.27 53 Peaboay ....(... — 1,524.76 6,898.41 ^ 54 Plattsb'gh P.l. \ 1 >; ifis - TO - 1- 370,3491 154,30 1,338.81) 2,974.17 65.00 60 55 Portland L.a. - 30,892.821 155,887.11 6,896.82' ■5 56 Pottsville \ ) 36,123 15,67 24 ••••(•■■•| 5,142.89| 3,500.00 S 57 P'ghk'psie A.m. • .-.!■--.) 50,121 22,35 949.571 12,025.00 E 58 Princeton P.l. P.I. j j 10,628 6,74 - 852.571 2,164.99 500.00 ■^ 59 Proctor 6,411 4,64 iO 934.00| 1,058.73 582 26 3 60 Racine P.l. ', 'i 47,549 38,71 ■ ■ * ■) — t6 685.03) 11,000.00 j '^ 61 Reading P.l. ', I ... ■■■■i----\ 1 1,445.00 672.22 5£. 62 Regina P.l. 59,858 17,35 ■■■■} 59 — ■•7 6,338 1 718.91] 18,900.00 200.00 63 Rockville P.l. ', 21.037 8.97 ■ • • 'I 10,736 1 149.351 500.00 3,254.61 64 Saginaw E.S. ■■•■) 593.981 1.946.90 433.71 65 St. Louis P.l. 327)....) 482 509,479 367,47 109,747.901 235,159.83 66 Salem, M. P.l. ....)....'! 52,250 50,05 2,483.301 16,000.00 2,094.46 67 Salem, O. P.l. ••■■I----I: 24,619 on 9,_0 300.631 4,500.00 68 Scottdale - 927.24 2,500.00 P.l. ', — 1 50.00 70 Seattle P.l. 493,410 251,24 • 1 61 j ■ 71 Somerville P.l. ....)....) 213,983 66,31 ■ ■ ■ * 1 24 39,998.87 627.54 72 Springfield L.l. 74,057 38,84 J 1 2S7.99 24,656.47 100.00 20.50 73 Stockton S.m.l •?5 100.00 212.65 74 Syracuse P.I. •■••)----| 242,262 64,72 97 43 98 77,520 764.86 45.000.00 400.00 71.00 75 Tacoma P.l. 13 - , , 106,682 63,24 ^l----l 7,215.88 35.127.46 76 Toronto P.I. , , ■■■■}■■■■} 41,324.52 128,300.00 1.660.00 77 Un-n Spgs. f.S.l •••■!••••) •■■•I----) 3,407 1,2. 6.30 999.96 78 Utica P.l. 113,040 70,4S 50 60,009 1,691.33 32.054.73 300.00 1,960.17 P.l. ■••■I----I 3,000.00 88.02 80 Wash'gton P.!. ■•■•!■■■•] 263,815 137,0- 1.S 596.58 63,880.00 90.00 81 W.-Barre 60,475 31,2 •••■I----I 82 W'msport B.l. ••••I----1 57,638 15,6 18,988 62.58 8,237.47 83 Williston J.m.l 6,862 4,9f •■■■)•••■) J8 6,516 3,600.00 1 84 Winthrop P.l. ■••■I----I 24,330 1,5. r? 1 9.31 4,200.00 _R5 Worcester 1 K p I.I . . . . 1 . . . . | 1 »4| 1 I.I64.O3I 68.400.00 5.537.47 3,787.78 PUE il. STATISTICS OF PUBLIC LIBRARIES __ _^ Name of library P. 1 Dimmick memorial 1... Spies p. 1 Annual report for year ended Aug. 31.'14 Dec. 31,'14 Feb. 28.'15 Populat'n served - 5,000 8,000 11,000' Br'cbB 1 Schools 1 = 1 H 1 1 ~~5 1 II 306 302 307 Hours open each week (central lib.) No. of vols. at beginning of year Xo. of vols, added during year Xo. of vols, lost or withdrawn during year Total ntimljer of j vols, at end of year 1" ■1 i.c « V. ., 1. oil. 7^ ~ 1 3 X 2 3 ■s > i z 1= 1 1= 1 City or town 3 a 7TT 1 1 Hindingma- ^ , Gift, ex- terial not Purchase change, etc. otherwise counted 40 .Martinsville. Ind... 41 .Manch Chunk, Pa.. 42 .Menominee, Mich... For ending 48 SS'/i 72 51 For reading 48 58/2 72 51 Adult 3,094 Juv. 1,411 Total Adult 4,506 520 12,188 11,614 412 5,995 156 Juv. 239 540 34 Total 759 565 952 190 •a < "~23T ~84| 1- 861 > "TTf — 1- 101 Eh 241 841 961' •5 < "68 "33 70 3" 7"i f2 33 "Toj < 22 353 i2, ■ t- 33 55 1 - 348 701 74 Adult 1 1 3,706 Juv. 1,654 \ Total 5,305 . 12.737 . 11,982 6,277 44 Xew Castle, Pa 45 Xew Haven, Conn. 46 Xew Rochelle. N.Y. 47 Xew York, N. Y.. . 48 Xewark, X. J 49 Niagara Falls, N. Y. 50 Xorfolk, Va 51 Xorwalk, Conn 53 Oskaloosa, la 53 Peabody, Mass. . . . F.p. 1 F. p. 1 P. 1 P. 1 ■ F. p. 1 P. 1 P. 1 P. I P. 1 Peabody Institute 1.. .. Mar. 31, '15 Dec. 31,'14 Dec. 31,'14 Dec. 31,'14 Dec. 31,'14 Jun. 30,'14 Dec. 31,'14 May 31,'14 Dec. 31,'14 Jan. 31,'15 43,000* 145,000» 34,800 3,389,000* 347,469 40,000* 34.338 6,185 10,000* 15,721 4 42 T7 1 3 — 2 880 13 TTTT 1111 1 ~ 12 ~215 3 32 925 237 11 1 1 -7 307 307 291 365 363 270 302 248 346 304 72 72 72 82 75 72 72 48 68 76 76 82 82 76 72 54 70 47 737,259 17,833 226,930 6,070 7,157 111,000* 30,750 964,189 205,217 23,903 22,549 12,495 10,493 46,042 1 1,106 117,320 760 624 1,115 12,028 906 2,012 80,241 197,561 1 17,545 9951 1,755 77| 121 I 552 i 823 j 510 ....'|..-'l 476|...i... TTTTITTT'i' 887L.1... 8411 641 9051. ..|.. .1 4,041120314,2441... 1... 1 1 1 1 1.. .11,3661...!... l3iT7i'^3i~iTTT I-..I I-^I— I... 841 |...-170J ,'■■■ n 120 440 1,009 56 102 1 670 j: -^'"^ 1371 449 586 58,823|6S,913 124,736 1 9,968 4411 790 1,231 i 165 1 297 1 205 5,986 799,797 18,165 1,852 241,461 6,275 8,198 118,000* 33,081 ,041,258 215,321 24,440 23,371 12,966 11,245 46,533 76 1,602 154 ' ■ 11111:1 70 I : 1 ■--^,-^ 1 1 1 i 1 1: i 230 54 Plattsburgh, N. Y.. 55 Portland, Ore 56 Pottsville. Pa 57 Poughkeepsie. N. Y. 58 Princeton, Ind 59 Proctor, Vt 60 Racine, Wis 61 Reading, Mass P. 1 Library association F. p. 1 Adriance memorial 1... P. 1 F. 1 P. I P. 1 Jun. 22,'14 Oct. 3!.'14 Jun. 30,'14 Dec. 31,'14 Dec. 31,'14 Jan. 31,'15 Jun. 30,' 14 Dec. 31,'14 12,000* 277,000* 20,236 33,000* 6,448 2,871 38,000 5,818 ... 12 21 2 154 4 9 6 1,500 733 5 ... 23 .... 1 218 5 10 I 1 11 1 300 38 365 75 72 340 66 306 42-56 307 42 304 72 260 16 38 82 !4 72 70 42 74 16 11,893 45,791 9,550 16,834 1,198 5,474 2,108 5,424 13.091 169,842 7.336 51,265 11,658 8,556 22,258 8,504 480 1,708 1,177 39 1,293 1,336 33.907 3,001 SIS 518 2,313 293 532 66 2,237 - H-i- 59S| 96 10 42,...^ 1 1,200| -<- 1 630 .^|:iiiii 106 354 327 979 600 5,653 1,609 208 96 954 32 46,800 10,252 18,285 : 5,857 2,124 6,236 201,533 9,203 52,657 12,378 9,020 24,521 8,807 2,696 1 1 i i 954 1 81 1 1 : I: I: 1 ! 1,440 1 10 1 2.994 2 1.035 „ 1.450 j 62 Regina, Canada 63 Rockville, Conn 64 Saginaw, Mich P. I P. 1 East Side p. 1 Dec. 3I,'14 Dec. 31,'14 Jun. 30,'14 50,000* 7,977 30,742 ... 1 1 1 3 3 It 65 ... 13 ... .... 3 1 308 330 307 72 63 60 75 63 8,363 9,453 2,977 1,618 11,340 11,071 19.372 2,647 365 989 411 3,636 776 802 174 -174 104 69 ... 6S 265 237 55 320 302| 539 1 897 10,814 9,754 3.911 1.728 14,725 11,482 19,381 385,146 379 80,000 1 -1 1 1 1 39 -j 1 •|13.000*1 1.000* •HO 92.000" 66 Salem, Mass 67 Salem. Ore 68 Scottdale, Pa 69 Scranton, Pa 70 Seattle, Wash P. 1 P. 1 F. p. 1 P. 1 P. 1 Dec. 31,'14 Dec. 31,'I4 Oct. 31.'14 Dec. 31,'14 Dec. 31,'14 43,697 17,000* 8,000* 145,000* 313,029* 1 1 6 8 70 519 356 4C 4| 304 10 358 1 307 5 303 128 365 72 66 72 72 78 78 69 72 86 8,161 60,315 2,144 10.305 8,593 72,553 203,843 414 259 2,751 673 886 3,319 34,833 104 ...| 256|...(... 8| U2|168| 13 ...,_ 51|...|... 111,1^^,1111,1111 ...|1,907|...|... 181 94C 363 1 3,766 143 4,071 1,174 506 267 1,031 7,837 8,484 2.281 162.290 71,591 62,148 10,765 9.263 75,324 233,881 144 -1 j 1 1 42 1 6 1 180 :!; 1:: 1: :: |: . 14,041 71 Somerville, Mass.... 72 Springfield, Hi 73 Stockton, N. Y. . . . 74 .Syracuse, N. Y P. 1 Lincoln 1 Mary E. Seymour m.f.I P. 1 Dec. 31,'14 I'eb. 28,' 15 Jun. 30,'14 Dec. 31,'14 77,236 51,678 300* 137,249 12 3 1 1 10 T2 1 ~ 111 49 3 14 54 16 1 27 348 305 104 35C 72 13 1 75 84 13 51,057 104,187 109,247 8,018 59,075 4.113 5,000 109,187 2,532 5,319 1 7,698 1,729| 4,261 : 1 '-'' 1,2231 6,542 694 10 704 392 .. 147| 1 769 392| 1,512 1 7,028 775| 1,544 1 902i 2,414 52,820 8,972 109,080 5,331 110,109 61,792 4,329 114,411 3,205 ii:iiiiiii;iii:^ .) ] liimii r 3,455 75 Tacoma. Wash P. 1 Dec. 31,'14 100.000" " 55 23 9: 358| 76!/j a3'A 46,812 20,363j 67,175 4,52. 2,800 7,322 938 98 1.036 275 .. 2751 502 1,525| 2,02; 52,118 21.736 73,854 1 2,134 1 1 1 1 76 Toronto, Can P. 1 Dec. 31.'14 470,000 —lull 111 1 69 72 216,536 28,391 1_ 419 11111. 1 I 14,433 230,953 19,064 1 1,086 1 1- ' 1 78 Utica, N. Y 79 Walpole, Mass P. 1 P. I Dec. 31,'14 Dec. 31,'14 85,835" 4,892 2 - 7 5 1 10 =^ 1 1, 0.O|^ ,. 16 307 72 5 305 42 72-76 47 60,278 12,997 73,275 13,559 4,475 274 2,508 149 6,962 423 754 41 18 , 772 41 Tsi|~37 661 2. .....j..... 2181 493 88| IS 1 S67| 1,36( 571 76 64,969'| 14,646 11,740| 2,265 79,613 14,005 12,640 i 1.637 : ; 1.673 "ll2,604 SO Washington, D. C. 81 Wilkes-Barre, Pa... P. 1. of Dist. of Col... Osterhout f. 1 Jun. 30.'14 Dec. 31,'14 353,378 67,105 1 13 90 559 234 29 134 358| 72 21 306| 66 72 70 39,458 156,263 5,699 45,157 1,636 I 16,053 1,2721 2,908 166 ^ 3,835 168 198 16 2641 214| 74S 1 8,228 1.113| 1,862 40,70S 5,876 168,187 46,385 400 280 '.— — '.~'m 82 Williamsport, Pa... lames V. Brown 1 Jun. 30,'I4 33,000 |... 2 2 5 306| 72 72 20,263 2,6371 22,900 1,062 407| 1.469 693 13 706 <- -<- -i^ 49 40S 900 21,52 2,648 24,175 1 159 83 WiUiston, N. D.... The James memorial 1. Jun. 30,'14 4,000* ^i: 1:111. 111 iL. 1 360 36 40 2,990 7931 3,783 48 541 102 27 97 124 = 27 49 3,043 917 3,960 112 47 85 Worcester, Mass... F. p. 1 Xov.30,'14 166.922 I' .. 31 77 77 52 87 365| 67 82 182.356 18,5781200.934 4,08C 3,19 7,277 1,33. "1- '1-\ 1 '" 4)l,339]655| 24 679) 1,26 2,618| 3,879 186,896) 19,230) 206,126 . :iiu i 27.741 1 3.627 1 4 31,364 -1 ' 1 1 t 1 i 1" 1 1 1 ' II. STATISTICS OF PUBLIC LIBRARIES 1 Z P.l. Dm. Other additions Lent for home use No. of borrowers registered during year Total no. of registered borrowers lie ^"aS'E ' ^fe Receipts 1 1 1 £ •••■! ■■■■1 ■ •••'1 No. of vols, fiction Total No. of vols. No. of vols, sent to agencies E. 1 1 1 Other circulation -0 1^ 1.499,70$ 2,770.49. 918.65 H MM ■'% s u 5,506.20 City or town TZTTTT 3 E _o_ ,D, 40 .Martinsv. 41 MVh Chk. 42 M'nominee Adult 14,957 10,969 16,792 Juv. 8,054 4,444 14,311 Total 23,011 1 15,413 1 31,103 Adult 16,750 14.398 Juv. 11,437 7.113 Total 28,187 21,511 42,285 Adult <- Juv. 1 Total Adult 772) -iiii:(. Juv. 840 Total 1,612 217 Mult Juv. Total 1,570 ■3 1 < 1 A 1 p 39 52 39] 1 2 43 Mitchell 44 N. Castle 45 N. Haven 46 N.Rochelle 47 New York C.l. F^ F.p.I. P.l. Fp.l. zizf::::: ■■■■)■■■■) •■•■)••••); |17,381 9,625 27,568 172,224 56,764 3,118,559 3,343 15,261 112,628 24,701 1,946,864 1 12,968 42.829 284.852 81,465 5.065,423 ( 12.U4I 4.103 35.942 27.105 263.535 170.901 77.593 40.261 5.401.967 4,114,515 16,217 63,047 454.436 117.854 9,516,482 ^ : t : |: 'tz. TT. 1,025 1,039 |: 1,052 888| 90,715 76.407 '''I 2,064 3.800 13,636 1,940 8,778 167,122 1 3.338 2.3171 6,117 126,425 3,195111,973 1 1 ~3~"T 2 5 3 — 1 1 61 I 61] 7,675* 71 71] 21,963 . 402 1 ! 4,500| 14,461,405 24.11] 2.700.00 1 4,500.00 2,350.00 35,000.00 5.04 13,500.00 741,535.85 749.88" . 100.00 8.365.00 3,852.00 39,005.18 $ 14.00 68.00 24.50 49 Niag. Falls 50 Norfolk 51 Xorwalk 52 Oskaloosa P.l. P.I. P.I. P.I. ■•■■! ■•■•I--): 32,456 40,548 36,421 20,088 13,207 6.672 9,704 45,663 40.438 50,279 43.093 29,792 28.479 23.747 8,978 16,522 64.185 59,257 61,274 45,001 2.655 9,255 11,910 : i- ^ ~ 1,149 487 109 1,258 864 8,652 5,668 ! )19,719 2,142|10,794 1 1 1 5,577 3 10 3 TT! 96 80 76 ....1 ....i: ....] nl 1 1,227.40 7,500.00 219.84 5,000.00 162.12 3,105.75 377.42 4,084.27 65.00 60.00 5.50 24.75 53 PeaboSy ^ 54 Plattsb'gh P.I.I. P.l. ^j-l- 15,368 7,224 28.089 1 22.592 22.372J U,601 34.056 33.973 ■ 1— mi: 1 — ~ 471 551 1 7,800- 1 ~ 91 1,524.76 1.338.81] 2.974.17 65.00 6,898.41 L.a. F.p.I. j 66,162 19,925 22.602 59,396 15,141174,537 5 2 1 ,„„„,„! -,„„„,. 6,896.82 ....)....) 1-- 1- — -777- -7r\ ! — rrrzT-:. — ttttt^ |57 P'ghk'psie a!^7 50,121 22,354 72.455 63.2981 56,992J 120,290 I- -■ 1 1.564 — 935 518 1.453 3,545 1,832] 5,374 2 — ] ] 949.57] 12.025.00 141.04 g 58 Princeton P.l. ■•■•I---) 10.628 6,744 17,372 15,125| 12.012| 27.137 133) !■■•■ 1,001 719 1.720 1 1 88 1 j i 852.57] 2,164.99 500.00 28.00 - 59 Proctor P.l. •■■■|--i: 6,411 4,646 11,057 12,596 8.154 20.750 ; 1 210 i 50 i 50] 1 934.00| 1,058.73 582 26 P.I. ....1 47,549 38,712 86.251 65.879 60.629 126,508 1 i 2,037 4.320 10,423 4,960)15,383 4 46 46] ] 685.03] 11.000.00 J 61 Reading P.l. 22.868 1 i---- 311 ] 2,974 63 1 ] ] 1.445.00 672.22 y 62 Kegina P.I. ....|.... 59,858 17,355 77.223 81,223] 24.629 105.849 3.797 1,519 5,316 3,797 1,519| 5.136 1 1 6.338 1 718.91] 18,900.00 200.00 P.l. 21,037 8,974 30.011 28,067 12,622 40.689 241 2,339) 2,580 1 1,106 .] 2,713 3 .... 164 in 71*; 1 140 t;' ^nn m 3,254.61 64 Saginaw E.S. 1 55,321 69.898 1 i.... ^ 1 1 3,504 .... .... 59 59 1 593.98] 1,946.90 423.71 65 St. Lonis P.l. 327J....'| 482 509,479 367,479 1.243,927 786,407 748.763 1,535.170 4.680 11,032 15,712 |.... 17,715 16,041 33.756 50,155 45,196)95,351 j 3 1,766 3,827 ) 109.747.901 235,159.83 159.00 66 Salem, M. P.l. ••■■l-.-.j 52.250 50,053 102.303 71,598 69.621 141.219 47,392 1 .... 1,454 1 i h ) 2.483.301 16.000.00 2,094.4t 67 Salem, 0. P.I. 24,619 9,207 33,826 32,726 14.666 1,137 1 1.... 1,274) 415J 1,705 J 5.305 1,180] 6,485 4 .... 103 ) 300.631 4.500.00 68 Scottdale F.p.1. 1 30,572 47,340 j 1 1---- 2"| ] 3.374 4 .... 57 ] 927.24] 2,S00.0C 6.50 69 Scranton P.l. j 125,400 ' 1 1 i '; 1 3,7751 1,515 5,290 .]11,340 1 2 ) 1,768.16) 21,926.00 50.0 j 1 : y 70 Seattle P.l. ••■■I----I 493,410 251,245 744,655 746.317 457.426 1.203.743 I 1 15,094 4.795 25.158 8.471 33,629 45,423 14,805)60,238 | 2 826 '|1.36l'l 1 6,382.84] 138.727.26 71 SomerviUe P.l. •■••I-...J 213.983 66,315] 280.298 318,040) 106,9601 425,000 1 1 6,999 |18,I85 1 2 217 ] 824 ] ] 39,998.8- 627.5 72 Springfield L.I. ■•■■I----) 74.057 38.843 112,800 103,044 77.830 180.874 1 1 5.37C 2,676 1,737 4,413 5,914 3,474| 9.388 | 2 154 1 ] 287.99) 24,656.4 20.50 73 Stockton S.m.l, ■•■■I----I 2,825 9,799 j 1 27 1 276 1... 35 I 35 ] lOO.CC 100.00 212.65| 74 Syracuse P.l. ■-■)■■•-) 242,262 64.721 306,983 319.482 87.288 406.770 1 1 )800" 6,245) 1,8711 8,116 |22,474| 5.046)27,520 j 3 533 1 597 77,520 764.86] 45.OO0.00i 400.00 71.00 75 Tacoma P.l. '"I----I 106,682 63.249 169,931 237.931 155.575 393,506 19,239 1,927) 6.29 2,881 9,172 )1I,S00| 5,489)16.999 | 2 305 i 343J j 7.215.8SJ 3S.127.46J \ 76 Toronto P.l. ■■■•I---.) 368.877 730,947 1 13,678 1 153.852 1 3 417] 798 ] 41.324.52) 128.300.00] 1,660.00 77 Vn'n Spgs. U.S.I ■••■!••••) 3,407 1.221 4.628 4.012 1.560 5,572 : 1 17 63 240 5761 306] 882 ] 2 1 ] 6.30| 999.96| 78 Utica 79 Walpole P.I. PI •■•■I----I ....!.. ..I 113,040 70.490 183,530 21,325 148,488) 121,699 24,936[ 4,871 270,187 29,807 1 600 6,967 600 8,24< 938 ._^^ 1.69 22 1,76 117 3,455 345 )20.000') 3 1 1,341']... 2'2i 57 1 60 60,009 1,691.33 32.054.73 300.00 3.000.00 1,960.17 88.02 SO Wash'gton M W.-Barre P.l. O.f.l. ■■■•I----I 263,815 60,47! 137,044 400,859 31,2221 91,701 470,064) 243,570 96,514) 56,297 713.634 152.811 7,826 23,150 30,976 84,92 820 ■^1- 11.76< 2.28 3,406 1,09 1 1 15,172 1 1 )45,954 3.380 )12,941| 4,481)17,422 5 ^ 525 1 735 162 1 596.58 63.880.00 90.00 82 W'msport 83 Williston B.l. ■■■■)■■■■) 57,638 6,86. 1 15,667| 73,305 4,980) 11,482 80,5831 26,826 1 8.100) 6,382 107,409 14,482 : 1 ; .i ~ "~ - — 1.663 62t 195 14. 2,283 ) 4,891) 1,761] 6,652 337 ) 847] 391] 1.238 98 38 38 18.988 6,516 62.58 3,600.00 8,237.47 ^4 Winthrop _l^_Worce5ter p.l. ■•••l-.-.l 24,33C 1,53 25,861 334,225 31, -025 3O0.3SS 14,004 242.82C 45,209 543,178 1 1 i 26.65 -'^ ^••oi j i--- 1 10,561 1 130,192 1 3 57 1 769 57 994 9.31 4,200.00 1 3.164.03 68.400.00 S. 537.47 3.787.78 II. STATISTICS OF PUBLIC LIBRARIES Name of library Receipts from (continued) Total Payments for maintenance 11 Payments for extraordinary expenses "O o s. i. C 5 1 1 1 Salaries - « , oi s New buildings o°.l iMenominee, Mich 4.? Mitchell, So. Dak Spies p. 1 Carnegie 1 176.98 101.90 56.44 1: 1 25.50 6,089.90 2,926.45 825.35 1 119.65 116.84 94.07 63.03 109.88 1,660.00 759.47 360.00 46.85 463.34 300.00 158.83 96.15 729.00 110.62 4,379.20 1,633.88 4,379.20 1,633.88 44 New Castle, Pa 45 New Haven, Conn 46 New Rochelle, N. Y... F. p. 1 F. p. 1 P. 1 337.32 1,735.00 571.82 51.00 1 29.54 1 104.001 79.00 ! 513.64 4,880.86 43,239.00 14,715.00 813.81 9,721.00 1,765.65 170.70 1,690.00 327.55 273.75 2,552.00 427.43 2,485.40 18,554.00 5,558.25 180.00 3,106.00 731.40 420.00 400.00 496.00 92.78 1,360.00 365.14 1,771.00 4,804.58 39,650.00 14,587.82" ;;^^ 2,606.00 4,804.58 42,256.00 47 New York. N. Y 48 Newark. N. J P. 1 F. p. 1 36,959.86 5,987.28 5,403.25 3,003.00] 694.01 40.00 4,559.38 848,285.16 140,289.51 170,472.32 19.947.41 10,988.73 3,676.36 38,988.54 7,858.61 454.772.70 59,664.67 44,724.61 7,285.79 240.00 8,210.00 14,959.51 12,653.74 38,987.18 74,151.27 20,982.32 848,285.16 140.278.90 140,278.90 49 Niagara Falls, N. Y P. 1 173.72 39.75 9,005.87 1,501.31 229.54 486.81 3,346.15 850.55 516.98 197.92 1.394.69 8,523.95 8,523.95 50 Norfolk, Va P. 1 295.39 1 5,580.73 923.30 193.20 351.90 2,913.00 420.00 148.50 115.48 413.25 5,478.63 1 i 5,478.63 51 Norwalk, Conn P. 1 343.07 226.20 3,837.14 683.49 179.25 37.66 1,683.70 -«- 345.20 190.15 438.81 i 226.20 3,784.46 5.' Oskaloosa, la P. 1 198.43 27.42 5.43 4,717.72 757.55 'l 158.66 1 235.80 i 1.513.30 1 411.91 274.44 179.61 583.84 4.115.11 j S3 Peabody, Mass Peabody Institnte 1 101.90 8.525.07 737.26 215.51 263.97 2,085.95 1,384.00 350.46 376.77 1.690.97 7,104.89 i 7.104.S9 54 Plattsburgh, N. V P. 1 42.01 17.39 4.437.38 490.72 152.22 196.50 800.00 300.00 . 600.00 75.98 <- 295.36 ] 2.910.78 ^55 Portland, Ore Library association 3,811.99 894.65 903.18 199,286.98 28,998.61 2.965.11 6,325.24 78,551.39 13,826.68 2,769.80 2,723.54 4,080.78 16.966.87 1 157.208.02 157,208.02 0- 56 Pottsville, Pa F.p. 1 304.41 6,325.00 676.00 16.184.30 1,392.94 123.10 2,445.00 196.00 960.00 160.88 144.80 1,151.50 6,574.22 $6,000.00 ^.57 Poughkeepsie. N. Y.... Adriance memorial I 320.42 25.14 13,461.17 2,502.93 ^ 347.76 6,118.50 423.00 287.25 2.974.31 13,373.75 a 58 Princeton, Ind P. I 70.99 4.74 36.63 3,657.92 80.48 1,129.00 208.00 171.45 203.85 354.73 3,220.32 236.60 207.58 444.15 110.92 ->- 324.13 110.09 3,000.00 £ 60 Racine, Wis. P. 1 - 373.84 46.25 10,248.00 22,355.12 2,474.33 289.19 J 602.71 4,331.25 885.00 1 129.00 331.53 351.26 1.326.46 10,720.73 10,000.00 233.43 •a 61 Reading, Mass 83.00 2,200.22 722.90 74.75 | 62.75 408.37 -«- 600.00 173.31 16.60 141.23 2,199.91 2.199.91 2,199.91 .E 62 Regina, Canada 604.63 20,423.51 4,488.74 324.89 9,330.85 1,043.59 665.80 3.334.64 20,423.51 20,423.51 P. 1 8.01 3,911.97 754.35 108.55 49.07 1,793.57 240.00 302.99 230.72 252.04 ) 3,731.29 64 .Saginaw, Mich 244.90 128.69 3,338.18 893.56 200.00 225.00 50.00 69.62 100.00 1 3,238.18 p. 1 5,848.38 1,188.25 10,000.00 3,227.19 365,330.65 33,037.22 3,149.50 15,012.22 115,396.07 21,078.82 4,558.65 8,908.38 22.953.71 1 224,094.57 p. 1 489.14 85.33 21,152.23 2,749.21 526.20 990.29 8,400.01 1,847.00 1 679.97 757.39 1,723,29 17,673.36 119.15 p. 1 209.16 48.34 5,058.13 713.21 145.80 194.75 2.066.95 600.00 181.13 186.05 716.92 4,804.81 F.p.l 116.03 1. 125.00] 80.00 4,754.77 719.50 124.52 238.80 1.526.00 181.04 ] 2,789.86 2,789.86 P. I 734.27 164.45 24,642.88 3,127.56 324.70 1,367.73 9,076.00 1,299.00 491.80 446.97 5,174.79'>] 21,308.55 1.059.31 70 Seattle, Wash p. I 5,079.65 3,950.001 42,5«0.11» 196.699.86 35,391.66 3,165.33 11,250.20" 87,336.94" 9,704.65 892.401 2,172.53 3.092.65 14,798.62 1 167,804.98 30,235.32 3,431.41 201,471.71 71 Somer>-ille. Mass P. 1 1.272.771 j j 3,252.24'» 45,151.42 7,538.88 1,227.15 2,033.89 24,219.84 ->■ 7,244.41 -<- <- 2.887.25 1 45.151.42 45,151.42 7.' Springfield, 111 538.97| 1 44.80 25,548.73 2,887.12 376.76 825.77 6,984.52 1,080.00 553.52 656.03 2,077.55 j 15,441.27 1,082.13 73 Stockton, N. Y Mary E. Seymour m. f. 1. . 2.651 j i 415.30 158.72 64.80 147.00 44.78 1 415.30 1 415.30 74 Syracuse, N. Y P. 1 1,003.27| 1 1 495.36 47,734.49 10,268.08 1.016.92 2,198.29 19,083.15 4,528.00 533.36 919.79 1.213.45 6,472.23 1 46,233.27 908.98 592.24 47,734.49 75 Tacoma, Wash P. 1 1,109.631 88.S1| 5.00| 43,546.88 7,173.98 754.82 2,665.63 19,617.63 1,726.70 240.00 381.10 851.10 4,456.23 ] 37,867.19 * 37,867.19 76 Toronto, Can P. 1 2,957.04] 1 1 3,783.31 178,024.87 28.353.87 2,916.50 3,705.67 58,865.80 9,489.34 2,927.81 3.632.86 2.176.62 16,108.96 ] 128,177.43 14.197.41 142,374.84 77 I'nion Springs, Ala.... Union Springs 1 32.80| 15.25| 390.88 1,445.19 122.10 17.50 509.00 91.00 40.80 41.05 70.60 1 892.05 472.68 1,364.68 7,S Utica, N. Y ; P. 1 1 1 36,006.23 6,034.11 566.54 1,550.11 16,520.88 2,871.17 1,644.06 728.91 3,655.03 1 33,570.81 33,570.81 79 Walpole, Mass 1 P. 1 141. 25| j 3,229.27 542.88 131.30 240.98 1,256.30 420.00 304.95 100.36 232.50 1 3,229.27 1 3,229.27 80 Washington. D. C [ P. 1. of Dist. of Columbia. 4,074.56 1,054.20 177.751 59.69 1 1 . 69,882.78 10,298.83 1,226.61 4,340.09 39,167.00 5,895.25 1,761.31 1.919.15 4,762.09 69,370.33 69,370.33 52 Williarasporl, Pa James V. Brown 1 53 Williston, N. D The James memorial 1 1. 388.15 120.16 1 l.OSO.OO] 1 159.00 9,738.20 3,879.16 1,520.64 247.10 119.14 J 80.15 665.93 86.15 4,440.76 1,063.00 860.00 780.00 300.22 250.92 421.93 244.96 1,132.71 396.86 9,589.29 3,021.18 1 105.31 9,589.23 3,126.49 S4 Winthrop. Mass P. 1 : X.5 Worcester. Mass ' F. p. 1 173.50 1,700.851 1 92.53 4,382.81 82,632.66 797.35 1 120.90 Jl.-546.85 1 2,175.61 164.37 3,404.28 1,448.75 31.426.13 600.00 6,r70.46 75.00 158.00 1,454.24 338.50 1,416.91 529.10 8,302.09 77,896.57 1 1 150.001 1 1 4,381.97 77.896.57 Lie LIBRARIES Payments or mainte,, lice Total for Payments for extraordinary e xpenses SaU r,es & :s C £ w. S "^^ oS >. t, tl A d d i t i o I buildings or manent im ments Crand total 1 800.00 270.00 122.54 117.66 506.88 2,852.21 $ 2.852.21 1 1,444.00 405.13 152.51 77.26 267.00 3,025.27 :. ...J: 28,483.80'" 31,509.07 1,660.00 360.00 463.34 158.83 729.00 4.379.20 4.379.20 759.47 46.85 300.00 96.15 110.62 1,633.88 1,633.88 2,485.40 180.00 420.00 92.78 365.14 4,804.58 4,804.58 18,554.00 3,106.00 400.00 496.00 1,360.00 1,771.00 39.65OG0 2,606.00 42,256.00 5,558.25 731.40 14,587.82" 454,772.70 44,724.61 240.00 14,959.51 38,987.18 74,151.27 848,285.16 59,664.67 7,285.79 8,210.00 12,653.74 20,982.32 140,278.90 140,278.90 3,346.15 850.55 516.98 197.92 1.394.69 8,523.95 1 1 8,523.95 2,913.00 420.00 148.50 115.48 413.25 5,478.63 1 5,478.63 1,683.70 -<- 345.20 19015 438.81 226.20 3,784.46 1,513.30 411.91 274.44 179.61 583.84 4.115.11 4.115.11 2,085.95 1,384.00 350.46 376.77 1,69097 7.104.89 7,104.89 800.00 300.00 600.00 75.98 -- 324.13 110.09 3,000.00 4,331.25 885.00 129.00 331.53 351.26 1,326.46 10,72073 10,000.00 233.43 20,954.16 408.37 ■<- 600.00 173.31 16.60 141.23 2,199.91 2,199.91 2,199.91 9,330.85 1,235.00 1,043.59 665.80 3,334.64 20,423.51 20,423.51 1,7ft. 57 240.00 302.99 23072 252.04 3,731.29 3,731.29 1,400.00 115,396.07 300.00 225.00 50.00 69.62 100.00 3,238.18 3.238.18 21,078.82 4,558.65 8,908.38 22.953.71 224,094.57 224,094.57 8,400.01 1,847.00 679.97 757.39 1,723.29 17,673.36 119.15 17,792.51 2,066,95 600.00 181.13 186.05 716.92 4,804.81 4,804.81 1,526.00 181.04 2,789.86 2,789.86 1 9,076.00 1,299.00 491.80 446.97 5,174.79'» 21,308.55 167,804.98 1,059.31 22,367.86 1 87,336.94" 9,704.65 892.40 2.172.53 3,092.65 14.798.62 30,235.32 3,431.41 201,471.71 24,219.84 ->-• 7,244.41 -<- ■iis department for 1915, and has prepared a stimulating program for the Library Con- gress at the N. E. A. Oakland meeting, in August. Members of the committee have pre- pared data and exhibits for organizations such as the Southern Commercial Con- gress, the National Vocational Guidance LIBRARY ADMINISTRATION 223 Association, and the state teachers' asso- ciations. In collaboration with one of the New York City district superintendents of education, a valuable study of high school libraries was made by a member of the committee. The educational periodicals, both na- tional and local, are publishing an increas- ing number of library articles. The com- mittee believes that much of its organized work may well take the form of publicity, and it is planning thus to reach state edu- cational associations, state normal school officers, and colleges and universities. The above is a recital of concrete ex- amples of the progress of the work. Scores of library and educational workers in all parts of the country are helping. It is believed that within the next few years the schools of the country will rapidly recog- nize the claims of the library as a neces- sary educational force. In accordance with our second function, we bring you this impression of the school point of view relative to the public admin- istration of libraries: More and more, school men and officers and investigators are asking, "Why should library and educa- tional administration be divided?" "Why not one organization for both?" We sug- gest the propriety of a special committee to gather scientific data and conclusions. Respectfully submitted by the chairman of the committee on behalf of the com- mittee. W. H. KERR, Chairman. MARY E. HALL, IRENE WARREN, MARIE A. NEWBERRY, HARRIET A. WOOD, W. O. CARSON. COMMITTEE ON LIBRARY ADMINIS- TRATION The report of this Committee consists of two parts, covering the two diverse lines of its activities: (1) Uniform library statistics and (2) labor-saving devices for libraries. 1. Uniform Library Statistics The Committee believes that the Asso- ciation took an important step forward in the adoption by the Council at its last mid-winter meeting of the schedules for uniform library statistics. Inasmuch as the plan adopted involves the regular send- ing out of the schedules by the secretary, the collection of statistics at headquarters and their publication in tabular form in the secretary's report, it is believed that libraries generally will soon regard it as just as important to be represented in this annual summary as it is to issue their own annual reports. Indeed, in the case of the small libraries that may not Issue annual reports, this plan for letting pro- fessional colleagues know what they are doing will probably be welcomed by their librarians. The secretary reports that 85 free public libraries have filed reports at headquar- ters and about 20 institutional libraries. Statistics of the former only are summar- ized in this year's report of the secretary. Thus far the Committee has noted that 20 free public libraries issuing printed re- ports have followed the recommendation of this Committee to print as an appendix to their reports their statistics arranged in accordance with the A. L. A. form. These are the public libraries of Brookline, Brooklyn, Buffalo, Dubuque, Cedar Rapids, Gary, Fairhaven (Millicent library), Har- rison, N. J., Jacksonville. Fla., Leaven- worth, New York, Regina, Sask., Scranton, Syracuse, Tacoma, Toronto, Troy, Wal- tham and Winthrop, Mass. Not all such libraries specifically label the table as the A. L. A. form. This seems desirable, in order to indicate that it is a co-operative matter and for the purpose of unmistak- able identification by other librarians who wish to examine a large number of library reports for the purpose of making com- parisons of statistics. That the number of returns received by the secretary has not been larger and that more libraries have not printed in their reports their statistics in accordance with the A. L. A. form is no doubt due to the fact that the fiscal year of most libraries is the calendar year and that it was not 224 BERKELEY CONFERENCE found practicable to adapt the statistics of 1914, already collected, to the new form. Another year we may reasonably hope to see a more general adoption of the plan. This Committee has at this time no amendments to offer to the schedule de- signed for free public libraries. A sugges- tion has been received that the registra- tion figures should show the sex of reg- istered borrowers. Before making a rec- ommendation that this item be included in the schedule the Committee would like to hear from other libraries: How many keep separate statistics of the boys and girls and men and women registered as library readers? The District of Colum- bia public library has kept such figures for several years: about 45 per cent of its borrowers are men and boys and 55 per cent women and girls. The Council, in addition to adopting the report as a whole, also adopted this Com- mittee's recommendation that the College and Reference Section be asked to formu- late, in consultation with this Committee, such changes in the schedule as may best adapt it to the use of college and reference libraries. The Committee representing the College and Reference Section consists of Profes- sor Azariah S. Root, chairman; Dr. C. W. Andrews, Mr. Andrew Keogh and Mr.. Wil- liam W. Bishop. That Committee has drawn up a sched- ule that consists of the schedule adopted last winter with only a few Items slightly modified and of a number of new items designed to give expression to the re- sources of reference libraries and to ref- erence work. The special committee rec- ommends that "each library using this schedule is expected to omit all headings which have no reference to its work and to condense all which to them are insig- nificant under the nearest general head- ing." It is believed by your Committee on Library Administration that it will be pos- sible, and if possible preferable, instead of having two separate schedules— one for public libraries and another for reference libraries — to have a single schedule that, by having this plan of omission and of condensation apply to all libraries report- ing, will be suited to all grades and classes of libraries. The report of the special committee will be presented at the College and Ref- erence Section at Berkeley. If adopted by that body it may also be possible to secure its adoption by the Council at the Berkeley meeting. The schedule should then be in fairly final shape and, it is hoped, in form reasonably acceptable to all classes of libraries so that it can be put into full force and effect. 2. Labor Saving Devices for Libraries At the mid-winter meeting of the Coun- cil in December approval was given to the plans outlined in the A. L. A. Bulletin, November 1914, p. 507-509, for an investi- gation of labor-saving devices and library equipment. These plans look to the es- tablishment of a permanent clearing house of information and to the publication of a report as soon as sufl^cient information has been gathered to make such a report worth while. In order to carry out the plans successfully, the committee must have all the information which can be obtained from the libraries of the coun- try concerning their experience with all kinds of equipment and mechanical de- vices, and must keep as closely as possible in touch with the manufacturers of all devices which may be of use In library work. For the purpose of keeping in touch with manufacturers a circular letter was sent in January to more than 75 firms, explaining briefly the work being under- taken and requesting their co-operation. Nearly all the manufacturers addressed have responded with catalogs or other in- formation, and many of them have ex- pressed a hearty interest in the work and a desire to co-operate. Many of the most important firms have agencies in Wash- ington, and the cordial relations estab- lished with their representatives in con- nection with last year's exhibit have been continued- In many cases it will be pos- LIBRARY ADMINISTRATION 225 sible to obtain a machine for trial where it seems desirable to have a more inti- mate knowledge concerning it. This has already been done with several devices. An excellent opportunity is therefore pre- sented to keep thoroughly informed con- cerning a large number of important de- vices. An elaborate questionnaire was pre- pared and was sent out in February to about 850 libraries. This questionnaire includes devices of 64 kinds, and was pur- posely made as searching as possible in the nature of the questions asked, with the hope that by putting the questions in detailed form we would get answers which would also go into detail in their com- ments concerning the good and bad feat- ures of various devices. At the date of writing this report replies to the ques- tionnaire have been received from 134 libraries. The Committee fully realizes the great amount of time that is required, especially in a large library, to answer these questions carefully, and cordial thanks are due all the librarians who have taken the necessary time and trouble to reply. It is earnestly hoped that the ratio of approximately one reply to every six libraries addressed will be very great- ly bettered in the near future. If the investigation is to be of the highest pos- sible value every library in the country should contribute whatever it can. A very small library will naturally have nothing to contribute under most of the devices mentioned in the questionnaire, and perhaps some of the small libraries have been deterred from making any reply by this fact. Information concerning the small and inexpensive devices is of no less importance than comments on more expen- sive equipment such as adding machines and photographic copying machines. Many small libraries have sent replies which were not of great importance in the number of devices concerning which they could contribute information, but which were of very great value because of infor- mation furnished concerning their expe- riences with some of the inexpensive yet very useful devices. Practically every library in the country has had experience with typewriters, magazine binders, book supports, label holders and many other de- vices whicli are indispensable in all li- braries, and their experience with all equipment of this kind may be of value to others. That this investigation is capable of be- coming of considerable value to the li- braries of the country is indicated by the fact that already information has been sent to 27 librarians concerning 24 different de- vices. An "Interested list" is maintained, on v/hich are recorded all requests for In- formation concerning various devices. This list now contains 153 entries, representing 53 librarians and 63 different devices. The committee would be glad to have a much larger number of such requests. In several cases, reporting on a certain kind of de- vice, librarians have reported that they have never found one which is satisfac- tory, but they have not expressed the de- sire to receive information concerning the experience of others with similar devices. The committee naturally hesitates to of- fer information where it is not requested, but it wishes all librarians to understand that it desires to make the results of the investigation of value to as many as pos- sible. In the immediate future the work will be carried on along the same lines as in the past few months. Information in re- sponse to inquiries will be sent out when- ever sufficient data have been collected to be of value. As is stated in the form notice which accompanies such informa- tion, the statements furnished at this time must be considered as advance infor- mation which may possibly be supple- mented, or in some cases perhaps slightly modified, at a later date. Such advance statements, however, are not sent out ex- cept in cases where it seems pretty defi- nitely assured that they will not be ma- terially altered by later information. In other words, the information which has thus far been given in response to in- quiries is believed by the committee to 226 BERKELEY CONFERENCE be thoroughly reliable, but not so valu- able in completeness and thoroughness as it will be possible to give at a later time. It now seems likely that the preliminary study will be completed within the period of one or two years originally estimated, but it is still too early to make a very definite statement concerning the nature of the report which it is hoped will some- time be published. Suggestions have been received from two librarians concerning the possible danger of involving the Asso- ciation in embarrassing difficulties by the publication of a report. This danger has been recognized from the beginning of the work, but the committee believes that it will be possible to prepare a report which will not be open to objection and will none the less be of some value. In a few cases, where a certain type of device has been tried in many libraries and found unsatisfactory, it may not be considered improper to state that such devices in gen- eral are not well adapted to library pur- poses. It may also be thought desirable to state in some cases that although a machine is capable of producing excellent work, the cost of labor for its satisfactory operation is such that many libraries might be unable to use it to advantage. Beyond the possibility of occasional statements of this nature, any report which may be sub- mitted for publication may be expected to contain no criticism of specific devices. All critical statements will of a general na- ture, and will bear on types of devices rather than products of individual firms, and on their applicability to library use rather than their intrinsic merits or de- fects. This policy is essentially in accord with the suggestions made in the A. L. A. Bul- letin, November, 1914, p. 509, the writer of which had in mind only criticisms of a general nature, as outlined above, and not specific criticisms of any individual de- vices. As was pointed out in that article, "some of the information collected it might be inadvisable to publish in the printed report. For this reason (as well a? to keep informed concerning new de- vices) there should be the clearing house." It is the expectation of the committee that any report prepared for publication will follow the precedent of the A. L. A. Booklist, and only such devices will be specifically mentioned as can be com- mended. Any report that may be prepared will of course be submitted for close edi- torial scrutiny, and for the opinions of legal authorities if such seem needed. But it may be well here to raise the question: Is there any reason why a printed report should not commend a device which is known to be good? Two librarians have made known their opinion that even this would be inadvisable. It may be remarked here that several important precedents can be cited of publications issued by the Publishing Board, in which various devices are strongly commended and in which, by implication, other devices are criticised. The question need not be more fully dis- cussed here, but the committee would like to have from the Council an expression of opinion on this point. The publication of a report is considered a less important part of the plan than the establishment of the clearing house of in- formation, for the latter it is designed to make permanent. Moreover, in informa- tion given through individual correspon- dence and through manifold circular statements, more specific statements can be made than will be possible in a pub- lished report of a necessarily more general nature. Some criticism has recently been made of the policy of disseminating infor- mation even in this way. The committee believes that there can be no possible dan- ger of subjecting the Association to criti- cism or suits for damages by continuing the work along the lines laid down, and dis- tributing the best information that can be obtained to those who have filed requests for such information. The committee had understood the vote of the Council at the midwinter meeting to be an authorization of the proposed plan of procedure in its entirety. The vote "that it would be to the advantage of the Association to have in- formation in regard to such devices LIBRARY TRAINING 227 brought together from time to time" was passed after listening to an outline of the plan, and if this vote did not authorize the dissemination of information in the man- ner outlined it merely authorized the com- mittee to compile certain information, at great expense, which could not be made of use to anyone. The committee can not believe that such was the intention of the Council, but in view of the objections which have been raised it would now ask the Council for more specific authoriza- tion; first, to conduct the work of the clearing house, in both collecting and dis- seminating information, and second, in the preparation of a report to be submitted for official approval. The committee believes that enough has already been done to show that the clearing house of information is capable of render- ing considerable service, but the hearty and continued co-operation of every librar- ian in the country is needed. All librarians are therefore urged to communicate with the committee whenever they learn of any new devices, or of any methods by which any process in the library's work can be performed more easily or more satisfac- torily by the use of some mechanical de- vice. It is but fair to state that except for advice and criticism by other members of the committee all of the painstaking, dis- criminating and laborious work connected with the clearing house of library labor saving devices has been done by Mr. C. Seymour Thompson. GEORGE F. BOWERMAN, Chairman. REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON LIBRARY TRAINING The important accomplishment of the year has been the completion of the in- spection of library schools authorized two years ago. The examiner, Miss Mary E. Robbins, had begun the work in time for the matter to be mentioned in the last re- port, and carried on the work at no little inconvenience to herself, completing the work in December. She visited all the schools including the new school at the California State Library, with the excep- tion of the Simmons College Library School. On account of her recent con- nection with this school she asked to be relieved from examining it and the ex- amination was conducted by the chairman of the committee in November. The thanks of the committee are due Miss Robbins for her willingness to undertake this laborious task which she carried on at no little inconvenience to herself and for a compensation quite inadequate. Her report as submitted to the committee falls naturally into two groups: first, a general report closing with certain very definite recommendations, and second, a detailed report on each school accom- panied by a great amount of illustrative matter in the form of syllabi, quiz ques- tions, examination papers, catalogs, leaf- lets, and other material which will prove of very great service to the committee in estimating the actual nature of the work offered by the various schools. The general report when received in January was at once duplicated and placed in the hands of all the members of the committee. The detailed reports of the schools have nearly all reached the com- mittee, although the delay involved in duplicating has necessarily been very considerable. After a thorough study of these reports the committee will be in the position during the coming year to discuss in detail any possible suggestions which it may be disposed to make con- cerning re-arrangement or modification of the present library school curriculum. They will also be in the position to dis- cuss in detail the general recommenda- tions submitted by Miss Robbins. For the information of the schools and of others interested these general recommendations follow: "Careful consideration leads me to be- lieve that the committee should co-operate with the schools in the interest of future training in the following ways: 1. By suggesting that the work of the two-year schools be so arranged that stu- 228 BERKELEY CONFERENCE dents who satisfactorily complete the re- quired work in approved one-year schools and wish to continue their training, may receive credit for their first year of work. This also requires the differentiation of the work in the one-year schools, so the subjects covered by those students wish- ing a longer course may articulate with subjects given in two-year schools, while at the same time a general course is ar- ranged for one-year students. It may be wise in some schools to plan this briefer course tor those students whose abilities will always confine them to lower positions and smaller salaries. While this arrange- ment for advanced work has frequently been made in the past, each case has been considered on its individual merits, and no general rules laid down. Some rules would be welcomed by instructors and students of the one-year courses. 2. By taking up the question of special technical courses for advanced workers with a foundation of the essentials of gen- eral training and experience. The need of such courses is becoming continually more pressing. The most immediate and growing demand all over the country is for properly prepared librarians for nor- mal and high schools. Those who are already holding such positions are proving the worth of trained workers. While every library school gives some instruction along these lines, I know of no school at present offering even a one-term course devoted entirely to the special technical and academic subjects required in this branch of service. The training now given is generally covered by a few lec- tures given in connection with the work with children, or extension work, and al- luded to under other topics. Almost never are the phases of vocational guidance, and oral English taught in this connection. The library schools connected with some system of education, or some institution giving training along pedagogic lines could offer this course to the best ad- vantage, opening it to those applicants only who already had general educational and technical training, and an appre- ciation of the needs of young people. Other possible courses might be given in better preparation for the care of art and music libraries. With broader, mod- ern ideas of extension work in museums and conservatories of music, the book col- lections are increasing, and the need is felt of intelligent service by one who ap- preciates the art, but is not necessarily a producer. While such positions will al- ways be limited in number of openings, and in number of properly qualified appli- cants for instruction, there is even now demand enough to warrant good, brief courses given every other year, and adver- tised widely and long enough ahead for candidates to prepare to take them. Those schools situated near large collections of art and music books would naturally be the ones where such courses should be given. The art course might Include a strong course on book illustrating, still sadly needed by many librarians. These are but suggestions. Other spe- cialized kinds of advanced work will doubtless be called for. My plea is for some definite, systematic training to be given under proper authority, and properly restricted. Now the trained worker in active library work often finds the need of additional help along lines not taken up in the technical school during his day. As possible library activities increase the active, intelligent librarian will desire more and yet more in the way of different types of training, for he will realize that experiments are often more costly than tuition fees." In addition to the accomplishment of the long desired examination, an indirect contribution to the study of methods was made as the result of material accumu- lated by the committee. In the previous year letters had been sent out to some- thing like 200 librarians by the chairman of the committee inviting suggestions con- cerning the library schools. The persons addressed were divided into two groups; first, librarians not necessarily library school graduates, for the most part heads BOOKBINDING 229 of rather large libraries, employing many library school graduates. These were asked to report upon the work of the li- brary school graduates in their libraries, with the request that in the answer they would secure the co-operation of the various heads of the departments in their libraries more immediately in touch with the actual work of the library assistants. They were asked to find out and report in what parts of library work the previous training of the graduates of library schools had seemed to prove adequate, in what parts it had seemed not to be ade- quate, and therefore in what respects greater emphasis should be laid upon par- ticular parts of the work in the library schools. The second group consisted of graduates of library schools who had been out for a sufficient length of time and with sufficient success to make it apparent that they possessed the qualities of successful li- brarianship. These were asked to state in what re- spects they had found their library train- ing adequate and in what particulars in- adequate for the work they had to do, and also for what parts of the work which they had been called to do the library schools made no preparation whatever. All the correspondents were assured that their criticisms and suggestions would be abso- lutely treated as confidential, no one but the chairman of the committee knowing from whom criticisms came. About 160 replies were received, all of them of very great value. Assured of absolutely confidential relations, they spoke with great frankness and in the case of many of the larger libraries the reply involved reports from half a dozen heads. The information thus obtained was carefully gone over by the chairman and all the suggestions which bore upon the work of the schools in general rather than upon the work of any one particular school were selected out and given, liter- ally without note or comment, to the round table of library school instructors at Chicago in January. In response to many requests there made for a copy of the criticisms, the material was dupli- cated and two copies sent to each library school. It was urged at that gathering that the chairman indicate which criticisms bore on any particular school. To do this, however, would have in some cases violated the pledge of confidence given to the writers, while in many other cases it was impossible for the chairman of the committee to know which school was in mind. Therefore, no attempt was made to reply to this request. When the com- mittee has completed its study of the specific criticisms of individual schools which came in these letters and also the specific criticisms found in the report of the examiner, it may be possible to do something in the direction desired. Respectfully submitted, for the commit- tee, AZARIAH S. ROOT, Chairman. COMMITTEE ON BOOKBINDING It was stated in last year's report that specifications for the binding of the New International Cyclopedia had been sub- mitted to the publisher. It is gratifying to be able to report this year that the publisher adopted the most important of the specifications and that during the year several volumes bound in accordance therewith have been issued. Other pub- lishers of large reference books are be- ginning to realize that the specifications of the committee carry weight as being the unprejudiced opinions of persons who are working for better books. In Decem- ber the Merriam Company of Springfield, Mass., submitted for criticism copies of the buckram edition of the New Interna- tional Dictionary designed for the use of small libraries. The volumes proved to be well bound, but in the opinion of the members of the committee were not ade- quate for the use which they would re- ceive. The Committee objected to the method of sewing on five cords of which only two were laced into the boards, and to the back-lining of linen super. The 230 BERKELEY CONFERENCE full specifications submitted by the Com- mittee called for sewing on tapes and the book to be lined on its back with canton flannel; tapes and back-lining to be in- serted in split boards. Up to the time of writing this report the Merriam Company had agreed to adopt some of the specifi- cations submitted, but not all. In January notices were sent to about 3,000 libraries, calling attention to va- rious bookbinding questions and inviting librarians to call upon the Committee for help in solving binding problems. In com- parison with the number of notices sent, the responses were pitifully small. Less than fifty librarians availed themselves of the invitation to ask for aid. This indi- cates either that the great majority of librarians are getting satisfactory bind- ing, which the Committee doubts, or that there is comparatively little interest in the subject. The latter interpretation is prob- ably the true one. The sample collection of books bound by different binders has been increased by samples received from two more bind- ers. The collection is used frequently in answering questions about the work of in- dividual binders, twenty-three requests of this nature having been received during the year. An Inquiry from one librarian as to whether the Committee advocated the use of duck on newspapers has led to an im- portant decision on this point. It is the unanimous opinion of the members of the Committee that it is not wise to bind newspapers in any kind of leather, except in occasional Instances where a library can afford to spend a much larger sura for binding which has no advantage ex- cept better appearance on the shelf for the first few years. Cowhide and other leathers which rapidly deteriorate with age are, of course, quite evidently unsuit- able. If moroccos which are free from acid are used, the cost of binding news- papers Is greatly increased, with no cor- responding gain in length of service. The Committee believes that the best material to use is a heavy grade, closely woven duck. If the work of forwarding be prop- erly done, this material ought to last as long as the paper. It should be under- stood, of course, that no matter what material is used on the back, either pa- per, or a smooth cloth which will reduce friction to a minimum, should be used on the sides. Respectfully submitted, ARTHUR L. BAILEY, JOSEPH L. WHEELER, GERTRUDE STILES, Committee. REPORT OF THE BOOK BUYING COMMITTEE The relations of libraries to the book trade at the present time seem to be in a state of transition. The American Pub- lishers' Association dissolved this spring. Various court decisions during the year seemed to tend toward the prohibition of the enforcement of fixed prices for the re- tail trade by the wholesaler or publisher. For the time being, at least, dealers ap- parently are not limited in the discounts they may offer to libraries. The late court c'ecisions indicate that the maintenance of fixed retail prices is not feasible. Your committee is, therefore, of the opinion that book buying by libraries is at present a matter for the individual library and the individual bookseller and is not a matter for consideration by this committee. Your committee feels, however, that owing to possible new legislation, the committee on book buying should be continued, even though it may remain inactive for the time being. It seems opportune at this time to re- state the position of the book buying com- mittee. The committee believes that book buying for libraries does not necessarily conflict with a fixed price system. We do believe, however, that in the development of the net price system during the last ten years the libraries have not received due consideration as large buyers. The retail bookseller expects a larger discount from buying in quantities. Throughout the busi- ness world, whether it concerns the pur- FEDERAL AND STATE RELATIONS 231 chase of coal, stationery supplies, or even gas and electricity, increased discounts have been allowed individual buyers in propor- tion to quantity. The publisher and the retailers between themselves have consid- ered such discounts, but seem to have failed to share them with libraries. For this reason the dissatisfaction of the li- brary with the fixed-price system has in reality been forced by the unfortunate po- sition the publishers and dealers have taken in failing to recognize the libraries as an important factor in trade. Such a consideration tends to lessen the confi- dence and co-operation which are neces- sary to sound and successful business. The committee quotes from Wells' "So- cial forces in England and America" to emphasize its point that library book buy- ing is practically a wholesale and not a retail transaction. "Then next, being a philosopher, he would decide that if he was going to buy a great number of libraries in this way, he was going to make an absolutely new sort of demand for these books, and that he was entitled to a special sort of supply. He would not expect the machinery of retail bookselling to meet the needs of wholesale buying. So he would go either to wholesale booksellers, or directly to the various publishers of the books and edi- tions he had chosen, and ask for reason- able special prices. . . . And the publish- ers would of course give him very special prices, more especially in the case of the out-of-copyright books." Charles H. Bkown, Chairman. C. B. RODEN. A. G. HUBBAKD. COMMITTEE ON FEDERAL AND STATE RELATIONS Your Committee upon federal and state relations respectfully reports that during the past year the following matters have been considered by it: 1. Our attention having been called to an inconvenience inflicted upon libraries through a decision of the Treasury De- partment, requiring books imported to be marked "in legible English words, so as to indicate the country of origin," corre- spondence was had with the Treasury De- partment, which declined to alter the rul- ing, and with the leading members of the Committee on ways and means of the House of Representatives, who stated that any change in the tariff law in this partic- ular could not be taken up until the meet- ing of the next Congress. 2. Having learned that a renewed at- tempt was being made to prevent the is- sue of stamped envelopes bearing a print- ed request for return, correspondence was had with certain members of Congress, so as to endeavor to prevent any such action. 3. The Committee learned that a bill had been introduced containing a provi- sion detrimental to the best interests of libraries, namely, that books by an Ameri- can author could not be imported save with the consent of the copyright pro- prietor. Therefore, a protest against fa- vorable consideration of such a bill was filed and a request that the Association be heard in opposition to such bill before any report from the committee. 4. Having learned that there was doubt as to whether the importation of books and periodicals through the mails from Germany would be permitted by the allied powers at war with that empire, the State Department was requested to secure from them permission for such transportation through the mails. Respectfully submitted, BERNARD C. STEINER, Chairman. COMMITTEE ON WORK FOR THE BLIND Your commtitee, in its report of last year, urged more systematic co-operation among organizations interested in the cir- culation of embossed books. As a step toward this end the present report is an attempt to furnish a brief inventory of the reading resources of the blind through- out the country, including the centers of distribution in each state, the nature and size of these collections, and the principal sources for the purchase of material. A number of organizations failed to respond to the request for statistics; in such cases 232 BERKELEY CONFERENCE data from earlier published reports have been given, and the dates of the reports indicated. Otherwise, the figures here quoted are for 1914. The collections owned by the schools, though frequently designed for the use of the pupils exclusively, are given here, as co-operation is often pos- sible. These data make clear the imperative need for the most intelligent co-ordination of effort, if this special reading public, small in number, scattered over the entire country, is to be supplied to the best ad- vantage with the limited resources avail- able. The discouragement of insignificant collections, the development of a few ad- ditional large ones in portions of the coun- try now neglected, and the adoption of a uniform type for the printing of books are urged as means of relieving present condi- tions. The national annual appropriation of $10,000 is far too inadequate to meet the demand for both text-books for children and reading matter for the general public. If even a few states could follow New York in the making of an annual appro- priation for the printing of embossed books, the situation would be immensely improved. Inventory of Libraries of Embossed Books Key to abbreviations used in this in- ventory: AB=:.\merican Braille. B=:Braille. Circ.rrCirculation. EB=European Braille. Ijl=L,ine letter. M = JIoon. Msi=Music scores. NY=:New York point. Vols. = Volumes. ALABAMA: Montgomery. Department of Archives and History. Vols. 88: EB 17; LI 64; M 1; NY 6. Titles G6. Books may be circulated throughout the state. Talladega. School for the Blind (1908). Titles 1101: AB 615; LI 486. Ms: B 44. ARKANSAS. Little Rock. Sch. for the Blind (1908). Vols. 1770: LI 275; NY 1490. Titles 407. CALIFORNIA:. Berkeley. Sch. for the Deaf and Blind. Vols. 1500: AB 750; LI 50; NY 175. Titles 400. Ms: B 200. The school does not circulate its books. Sac- ramento. State Library. Vols. 3602: AB 1029; EB 214; LI 142; M 1145; NY 986. Titles 1752. Ms 585: B 457; LI 17; M 3; NY 108. Appliances 44; Games 17; Maps 6; Ink print magazines 86. Circ. 9780: AB 2977; EB 290; LI 41; M 4087; NY 986. Appliances 42; Games 22; Maps 3; Ink print magazines 74. Books may be circu- lated throughout California and to neighbor- ing states without libraries for the blind. A printed catalog, which may be had upon application, was issued in January, 1914. This is supplemented each quarter by the News Notes. One home teacher is em- ployed. San Francisco. Assn. for the Blind. Vols. 400. COLORADO: Colorado Springs. Sch. for the Deaf and Blind (1908). Vols. 1100. Titles 548: AB 70; LI 128; NY 350. Ms: NY 80. CONNECTICUT: Hartford. Institute for the Blind, Sch. Dept. (1908). Vols. 536: AB 283; LI 253. Titles 204. Ms: B 190. DELAWARE: Wilmington. Institute Free Library. Vols. 804: AB 449; EB 25; M 330. Titles 446. Qirc. 687: B 235; M 452. Books are circulated throughout Del- aware. An ink print catalog is sent with- out charge. A home teacher who co-op- erates with the library is employed by the Delaware Commission. DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA: Washing- ton. Library of Congress. Vols. 3,000: AB 300; EB 300; LI 100; M 600; NY 1,250. Ms 225: B 100; NY 125. Circ. 3,359. The library will, in so far as its collection per- mits, lend books in all embossed types to readers who are unable to borrow books in the types they desire from state institu- tions, state or nearby libraries. An ink print catalog issued June, 1914, and a sup- plement to be issued May, 1915, will be sent free. Washington. National Library for the Blind. Vols. 1,074: AB 7; EB 838; LI 132; M 10; NY 17. Titles 511. Circ: EB 800. Books may be circulated throughout the U. S. A printed catalog may be had upon application. EB catalogs are sold for lOe. each. WORK FOR THE BLIND 233 FLORIDA: St. Augustine. Sch. for the Deaf and Blind (1908). Titles 175: LI 25; NY 150. GEORGIA: Macon. Acad, for the Blind (1908). Vols. 2,500. Titles 409: AB 38; LI 136; NY 235. ILLINOIS: Chicago. Public Library- Vols. 1,449: AB 643; LI 228; M 483; NY 95. The books are circulated throughout the state. Both printed and embossed cat- alogs are available without charge. Jack- sonville. Sch. for the Blind (1908). Titles 803: AB 470; LI 183; NY 150. Ms: B 2,000. INDIANA: Indianapolis. Indiana Sch. for the Blind. Vols. 2,074: LI 150; NY 1,924. Titles 690. Ms: B 200, 100 vol- umes in instruction. Indianapolis. State Library. Vols. 639: AB 35; LI 222; NY 382. Titles 366. Ms 7: LI 2; NY 5. Circ. 455 (chiefly NY). The books are circu- lated throughout Indiana. A NY catalog is available without charge. IOWA: Des Moines. Iowa Library Com- mission. Vols. 267: LI 10; NY 257. Titles 165. Circ. 366. Books are sent through- out the state of Iowa. A printed catalog is supplied free. Vinton. Iowa College for the Blind. Vols. 3,786: AB 5; LI 275; M 6; NY 3,500. Titles 500. Ms: NY 6,962. Circ. 30 (outside the school). Books are sent throughout the state of Iowa. KANSAS: Kansas City. Sch, for the Blind (1908). Vols. 2,500. KENTUCKY: Louisville. Free Public Library. Vols. 383: AB 1; LI 192; NY 190. Titles 268. The books are circulated throughout Kentucky. NY and LI catalogs are supplied free, and a printed list is be- ing prepared. Louisville. Kentucky Inst. for the Educ. of the Blind. Vols. 2,423: LI 450; M 65; NY 1,908. Titles 400. Ms: NY 225. The books are circulated only among the pupils of the school. LOUISIANA: Baton Rouge. Sch. for the Blind. Vols. 794: AB 135; NY 559. Titles 460. Ms 350: B 200; NY 150. The books are circulated throughout Louisiana. There is a printed catalog of the collection. MARYLAND: Baltimore. Enoch Pratt Free Library. Vols. 1,757. Titles 685: LI 135; NY 550. Ms: Included in NY books. Circ. 493. The books may be cir- culated throughout Maryland. Overlea P. O. Maryland Sch. for the Blind. Vols. 3,675: AB 25; LI 250; NY 3,400. Titles 700. Ms 3,170: B 20; NY 3,150. The books may be circulated throughout Mary- land. NY catalogs are supplied free of charge. The school employs a home teacher. MASSACHUSETTS: Boston. Public Library. Vols. 1,052: AB 32; EB 5; LI 216; M 642; NY 136. Titles 548. Ms 21: B 1; NY 20. Circ. small, not recorded. The circulation of books is not restricted to any particular territory, but the use of the nearest available source is recom- mended. A catalog of books in embossed form, issued in 1894, is sold for 50c. This library co-operates with the Library of Perkins Institution, in Watertown. Brook- line. Public Library. Vols. 109: AB 87; LI 1; M 21. Titles 75. Circ. 84, chiefly M. The books are circulated in Brookline, and possibly outside in case of need. Lists are sent to any blind readers who desire them. Lynn. Public Library. Vols. 255: AB 142; EB 6; LI 63; M 7; NY 27. Titles 205. Circ. 476, for the most part borrowed from Perkins and the Library of Congress. There is no territorial limit to the circu- lation of these books. A card catalog in AB is available, and a printed list is pub- lished in the monthly bulletin. A blind as- sistant teaches all the types for the blind. The room is open three days each week. New Bedford. Free Public Library. Vols. 214: AB 77; LI 105; M 1; NY 31. Titles 137. There is no territorial limit to the circulation of books. A typewritten cata- log is available. Watertown. Library of Perkins Institution. Vols. 13,461: AB 10,176; LI 1,362; M 876; NY 1,047. Titles 1,795. Ms: B 8,000. Circ. 5,296: AB 3,473; LI 374; M 1,129; NY 320 (circ. out- side the school). The circ. within the school was 7,092. "It is primarily a school library, but from the very first was designed to supply reading matter to the 234 BERKELEY CONFERENCE blind in any part of the U. S. and Canada. Throughout the northeastern states the majority of the books loaned to the blind are sent from the Perkins Institution." Printed catalogs are distributed freely wherever needed. The state teachers for the adult blind through New England use the library as headquarters. The refer- ence library of books in ink print relating to the blind is the most complete collec- tion of the kind in America. It is invalu- able to students of the subject throughout the country. Worcester. Free Public Li- brary. Vols. 292: AB 69; EB 13; LI 142; M 56; NY 12. Titles 164. The books are circulated through central Mass. MICHIGAN: Detroit. Public Library. Vols. 222: AB 121; NY 41; Embossed 60. Titles 212. Circ. 212. The books are cir- culated in Detroit and environs. Lansing. Michigan Sch. for the Blind (1908). Titles: AB 460. Saginaw. Mich. Employment Inst, for the Blind (1913). "For the year July, 1913, to July. 1914, the legislature of Michigan granted $1,000 to the institu- tion for embossed books, and for the com- ing year of 1914-1915 the same amount has been granted. This is being expended for Braille and New York point books, and a large quantity of Braille and New York point music has also been ordered. The books and music are loaned to any blind person in the state, and will also be sent out of the state to any former resident or pupil, or to anyone who has in any way aided the library either by money or in- fluence." MINNESOTA: Faribault. Sch. for the Blind (1908). Titles 566: LI 150; NY 146. Books may be circulated throughout the state. MISSISSIPPI: Jackson. State Inst, for the Blind. Titles: NY 980. Ms: NY 50. MISSOURI: St. Louis. Public Library. Vols. 489: AB 172; EB 90; LI 41; NY 131. Titles 44. Ms: B 44. Circ. about 100, chiefly AB. Books may be circulated throughout Missouri and the adjoining states. There is an embossed catalog in AB, published August. 1912. Additions are noted monthly in the printed Bulletin. St. Louis. Sch. for the Blind (1908). Vols.: AB 4,760. Titles 569: AB 394; LI 775. Ms: B 632. MONTANA: Boulder. Sch. for the Deaf and Blind (1908). Vols. 146: AB 137; LI 8; NY 1. Titles 56. Ms: B 50. NEBRASKA: Nebraska City. Inst, for the Blind. Vols.: NY 2,000. Titles 775. Ms: NY 75. The books may be circulated throughout Nebraska. NEW MEXICO: Alamo Gordo. Inst, for the Blind (1908). Titles 100: AB 40; LI 25; NY 35. Ms: All B. NEW YORK: Albany. State Library for the Blind. Vols. 3,973: AB 1,121; EB 158; LI 525; M 331; NY 1,838. Titles (books and music) 2,337. Ms 949: B 53; NY 896. Circ. 6,682: AB 680; EB 328; LI 38; M 686; NY 4,949. Books may be cir- culated throughout New York state. An ink print catalog may be had upon application. Through a special appropriation made by the state, the New York State Library prints a number of new titles annually. Eighteen titles have been added during 1914. These books form the greater part of each year's additions to reading matter in New York point type. They may be purchased by other organizations at a nom- inal price, and are therefore a benefit to the blind of all other states. Through the efforts of the New York State Commis- sioner of Education, Dr. John H. Finley, several authors have been Interested in the blind to the extent of having each a book published in tactile print. This serves as an illustration of what may be accom- plished by a "volunteer worker" interested in adding to the body of embossed litera- ture. Auburn. Seymour Library. Vols.: NY 101. Circ. 25-35. The books are cir- culated in Cayuga and Onondaga counties. Batavia. State Sch. for the Blind. Vols. 4,752: AB 767; NY 3,995. Titles 850. Ms 2,520: B 20; NY 2,500. Circ. 1.500: B 300; NY 1,200 (approximate). The circu- lation of the books is limited to pupils and former pupils. A printed catalog of the school's publications is available. Brooklyn. Public Library. Vols. 2,255: AB 246; EB 69; LI 322; M 534; NY 735. Titles 1,300. WORK FOR THE BLIND 235 Ms: NY 349. Circ. 1,157. The circulation of books is practically confined to the borough of Brooklyn. A home teacher is employed by the library. Buffalo. Public Library. Vols. 92: AB 9; LI 7; M magazine only; NY 76. The library has city support only, but has loaned books outside in the coun- ty. Printed lists of the books are sent without charge. New York. Institute for the Education of the Blind. Vols. 3,606: AB 6; M 100; NY 3,000. Titles 300. Ms: NY 9,250 (estimated). The books are cir- culated only among the pupils of the school. New York. Public School Classes for the Blind Children. Vols.: 2,500 pam- phlets and 200 bound vols., all in AB. Titles 170. The books are sent to the different classes for the blind children in the public school system of Greater New York. New York. Public Library. Vols. 7,342 (Ms not included): AB 1,313; EB 992; LI 310; M 2,033; NY 2,694. Titles 2,339. Ms 5,377: B 1,764; LI 1; NY 3,612. Circ. 26,224: AB 2,637; EB 6,322; LI 66; M 5,510; NY 9,114; B music 951; NY music 1,586; Ink print 38. Books may be circu- lated throughout New York state, New Jer- sey, and Connecticut, without restriction, and to any part of the U. S., provided the applicant cannot secure the desired mate- rial from a nearer source. Printed cata- logs of books and of music will be sent upon request. The embossed catalog is published in five sections, three of books, two of music, each section being printed in the type of the books listed therein. This catalog will be loaned to regularly enrolled readers, or it can be bought at 10c. a section. The library employs one home teacher, who works in Greater New York. Rochester. Public Library. Vols. 50, all in NY. Titles 18. Books are all loaned to the Rochester Assn. for the Blind, which has headquarters at Reynolds Library. NORTH CAROLINA: Raleigh. Library for Blind Institute. Vols. 2,937: AB 22; L! 500; NY 2,415. Titles 2,000. Circ. 275: LI 25; NY 250. The books are circulated throughout North Carolina. A home teacher is employed by the Institute. NORTH DAKOTA: Bathgate. Sch. for the Blind. Vols. 662. Titles 250: AB 6; M 6; NY 650. Ms: NY 165. Books may be circulated throughout the state. OHIO: Cincinnati. Cincinnati Library Society for the Blind. Vols. 2,044: AB 18; LI 219; M 335; NY 1,472. Ms: NY 125. There are few duplicates among the col- lection. Circ. 6,182. Books may be circu- lated throughout the U. S. and Canada at present, but the lending of books is to be restricted to residents of Ohio. A New York point catalog is sold for 10c. a copy. A home teacher is employed. Cleveland. Public Library. Vols. 689: AB 113; EB 19; LI 65; M 79; NY 413. Titles 436. Ms: B 3; NY 33. Circ. 2,552: AB 272; EB 189; M 723; NY 768. Books may be circulated throughout the U. S. The local Society for the Blind and the state commission fur- iiish home teachers. OKLAHOMA: Wagoner. Sch. for the Blind (1908.) Vols. 296. OREGON: Portland. Library Associa- tion. Vols. 154: AB 25; M 55; NY 74. Titles 73. Circ. (estimated): AB 1; M 13; NY 118. The books are sent throughout the state of Oregon. Salem. State Sch. for the Deaf and Blind (1908). Vols. 600: AB 300; NY 300. Ms: B 1,000. PENNSYLVANIA: Philadelphia. Free Library. Vols. 4,205: AB 855; EB 286; LI 271; M 2,411; NY 382. Titles 1,062. Ms: B less than 100. Circ. 21,974: AB 4,074; EB 159; LI 22; M 16,971; NY 748. The volumes purchased for the Free Li- brary are circulated within the city limits; those belonging to the Penn. Home Teach- ing Soc, largely M, are sent throughout the U. S. and its possessions, except in western Penn. and in Calif. Embossed lists in M, AB, and NY are loaned free of charge; a printed list of M type books and typewritten lists of the other types are available; other printed lists are in prepa- ration. Home teachers are employed by the Penn. Home Teaching Soc. The work of this library offers an unusual instance of co-operation. It circulates the books owned by the Penn. Home Teaching Soc, 236 BERKELEY CONFERENCE and uses the same building with other ac- tivities of the blind which are under the management of the Penn. Instit. for the Instruction of the Blind. Philadelphia (Overbrook). Penn. Instit. for the Instruc- tion of the Blind. Vols. 19,941: AB 17,- 540; EB 252; LI 950; M 150; NY 1,049. Titles 1,775. Ms: B 3,000, titles 1,500. Circ. 465: AB 459; NY 5; LI 1. (These figures apply only to circulation outside the school. The circulation among the pu- pils runs into the thousands.) "As we are a school library, our first duty is to our pupils, but we send books anywhere throughout the United States, or even to Mexico, when they are really needed and cannot be secured elsewhere." Catalogs are loaned free of charge. A complete list of all publications in AB has been com- piled by Mr. O. H. Burritt, of this school, and may be bought for 9c. Pittsburgh. Carnegie Library. Vols. 2,627: AB 926; EB 91; LI 154; M 911; NY 545; a deposit of 785 vols, from the Penn. Home Teach- ing Soc. Titles 1,052. Circ. 4,712: AB 2,103; EB 28; LI 62; M 1,931; NY 588. The books are circulated through western Penn. An ink print catalog is sold for 5c., 10c. postpaid; B and M lists are loaned to readers. A home teacher furnished by the Penn. Home Teaching Soc. works in west- ern Penn. under the direction and super- vision of the library. Pittsburgh. Western Penn. Instit. for the Blind (1908). Vols. 988: AB 398; LI 220; NY 370. Ms, titles: B 204; NY 48. RHODE ISLAND: Providence. Public Library. Vols. 291: AB 140; LI 88; M 62; NY 1. Titles 351. Ms: B 63. Circ. 735. The books are circulated throughout R. I. Multigraphed lists are provided free of charge. The state employs home teachers. SOUTH DAKOTA: Gary. Sch. for the Blind. Vols. 1,313: AB 1,273; NY 40. Ms: B 443. Books are circulated only among pupils of the school. TENNESSEE: Nashville. Sch. for the Blind (1908). Vols. 800: "About 600 in LI and the rest in NY and AB." Titles 400. Ms: B 715. TEXAS: Austin. State Sch. for the Blind (1908). Vols.: "Mostly in NY and LI." UTAH: Ogden. Sch. for the Deaf and Blind. Vols.: AB 215. Salt Lake City. Auxiliary of the Reading Room for the Blind, Public Library. Vols. 187: AB 168; LI 1; M 5; NY 9; Lucas 4. Circ. 45. The books are circulated in Salt Lake City and county. A teacher is employed by the Auxiliary to teach at the library. VIRGINIA: Staunton. Sch. for the Deaf and Blind (1908). Titles 1,000: LI 500; NY 500. WASHINGTON: Seattle. Public Li- brary. Vols. 630: AB 237; LI 1; M 111; NY 281. Titles 376. Circ. 173. The terri- tory throughout which the books may be sent is unlimited. Typewritten lists of the books are available without charge. Spo- kane. Public Library. Vols. 56: AB 44; NY 18. Titles 18. Circ. very small. Books are circulated only in Spokane. Vancou- ver. Sch. for the Deaf and Blind (1908). Titles 167: AB 40; LI 50; NY 75. Ms: B 2. WEST VIRGINIA: Romney. Sch. for the Deaf and Blind (1908). Vols. 700: LI 100; NY 600. WISCONSIN: Janesville. State Sch. for the Blind. Vols. 6,285: AB 50 LI 200; M 10; NY 6,025 (including 2,996 books for circ. and 3,029 textbooks. Titles 519. Ms: NY 95. Circ. 528: M 10; NY 518. Books are circulated throughout the U. S. Home teach- ers are employed. Milwaukee. Public Li- brary. Vols. 350. Titles 254: AB 80; LI 10; M 4; NY 160. Ms: B 11. Circ. 100 (ap- proximate). The books are circulated only in Milwaukee. PRICE LISTS American Braille The new edition of the "List of publi- cations in American Braille" published by the Pennsylvania Institution for the In- struction of the Blind, Overbrook, Phila- delphia, is a record of all the books avail- able in the American Braille type. Practically all of the Braille music em- bossed in this country is included in the catalog of the Perkins Institution for the PANAMA-PACIFIC EXHIBIT 237 Blind, Watertown, Mass., and the School for the Blind, Jacksonville, III. European Braille The most important list of the books and music published in the European Braille type is issued by the National Institute for the Blind, 224, Great Portland street, London, W., England, formerly The Brit- ish and Foreign Blind Association. An- nouncements of the new publications from this press are given monthly in The Braille Review. The catalog of the books and music published by the Royal Blind Asy- lum and School, West Craigmillar, Edin- burgh, Scotland, is also of interest. The most useful lists of material published in foreign languages are issued by P. W. Vogel, Hamburg 33, Hufnerstrasse 122, and by the Association Valentin Haiiy, 7 & 9 Rue Duroc, Paris. The Catalogue general de la musique imprimee en Braille was brought out by the Association Valentin Haiiy in 1910. This is a list of all the piano music em- bossed by the continental presses and also by the British and Foreign Blind Associa- tion, London. Moon Type The price list printed by the Moon So- ciety, 104, Queen's Road, Brighton, Eng- land, contains all the material printed in that type. This organization is now a part of the National Institute for the Blind. New York Point For both reading matter and music em- bossed in the New York point type the catalog of the American Printing House for the Blind, Louisville, Ky., should- be used, as it includes practically all of such material. The State School for the Blind, Batavla, N. Y., and the Xavier Free Publication So- ciety, 59 East 83d street. New York city, have short lists of material not contained In that of the American Printing House. The catalog of the former is made up prin- cipally of music and the latter altogether of books. For the Committee, LUCILLE A. GOLDTHWAITE, Chairman. President WELLMAN: I will ask for the report of the Committee on the A. L. A. exhibit at the Panama-Pacific Interna- tional Exposition, Dr. Frank P. Hill, chair- man. Dr. HILL presented the following report: REPORT OF PANAMA-PACIFIC EXHIBIT COMMITTEE The following report of the A. L. A. Panama-Pacific Exhibit Committee is sub- mitted as showing progress to date. Naturally, the European war interfered somewhat with the plans of the committee, inasmuch as there was great uncertainty concerning the return of the Leipzig ex- hibit. A request was first made to librarians generally tor a duplication of material they had prepared for Leipzig. It was fortu- nate that the responses were immediate and excellent, as it was found, when the freight was received in San Francisco, that the goods were In bad condition from water and poor packing. The California member of the committee with the able assistance of Mr. Charles S. Greene of the Oakland Free library, as- sembled the contributions as you see them today in the Education Building. Much credit is due Mr. Greene and his co-labor- ers for the manner in which they handled the difficult situation. An appeal for money met with generous returns, as will be shown by the financial statement submitted by the committee. An interesting feature of the subscription list is the large number of small libraries and of individuals represented. A full report will be made by our suc- cessors after the close of the exposition. Respectfully submitted, Frank P. Hill, Maky Eileen Ahern, John Cotton Dana, James L. Gillis, George B. Utley. President WELLMAN: You have heard, or seen, these reports, and unless there is objection they will be accepted and printed. The president then introduced Miss 238 BERKELEY CONFERENCE MAY MASSBE, editor of the "A. L. A. Booklist," Chicago, who read a paper on THE CHANGING LITERARY TASTE AND THE GROWING APPEAL OF POETKT (See p. Ill) Dr. HERBERT PUTNAM, librarian of the Library of Congress, read a paper, the title of which was "PER-CONTRA" (See p. 119) Mr. WILLIS H. KERR, librarian of the Kansas state normal school, Emporia, read a paper on THE CHILD JN THE SCHOOL AND IN THE LIBBABY (See p. 144) This address was given at this general session by courtesy of the Section on Li- brary Work with Children, for which it had been prepared. A. L. A. DAY AT THE EXPOSITION Saturday, June 5th, was officially A. L. A. Day at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition. Members of the Association crossed the Bay from Berkeley early In the afternoon and were officially greeted with an address of welcome by Mr. Vogel- sang, representing the Exposition authori- ties, and presented with the bronze medal of the Exposition. President Wellman re- ceived the medal and made response. In the evening the California Library Association tendered the A. L. A. an in- formal but very delightful reception in the California building. FOURTH GENERAL SESSION (Monday morning, June 7, Chemistry An- nex Building.) The Association was called to order by the president. President WELLMAN: Invitations to attend this conference or send a word of greeting were mailed to the principal libra- ries of Central and South America and the Orient. Replies have been received from the following Institutions (reads names). The message from the library of Kioto Imperial University, addressed to the secretary, has been very handsomely printed, and I will read it. (Reads letter.) We wish there were time to read the other letters, but they will be printed in the Pro- ceedings. We have representatives with us from the Philippine Library of Manila, although not present today, and the libra- rian of the public library at Yamaguchi, Japan, Mr. T. Sano, who we hoped would be on the platform this morning and ex- tend a word of greeting, but modesty re- garding his command of the English lan- guage makes him prefer not to speak. Mr. Sano has been a member of the Associa- tion for several years, and is most welcome at our meeting. LETTERS OF GREETING The Yamaguchi Public Library, Yamaguchi Japan, June 7, 1915. (Written at San Francisco) Mr. George B. Utley, Secretary, A. L. A. Mr. Secretary: It has been my vision for these years to visit the American li- brary and to study its methods; and you can easily imagine how delighted I am to attend the 37th annual conference of the A. L. A. The public library in Japan is rapidly growing in size as well as in number. In the year ending March 30, 1914, there were 667 public libraries, exclusive of sev- eral government bureau, school or univer- sity libraries not generally open to the pub- lic. As we witnessed an increase of 127 in 1914, and 96 in 1913, we may have had an increase of over 100, about 800 in all, in the year ending March 31, 1915. To do justice to my fellow-librarians in Japan, they are doing their best; they have done much. But more remains to be done. There is wanting the vital connec- tion between our libraries which is so prominent in America. Library training, union catalog, inter-library loans, library supervision — all these are to be studied from America by Japan. I have been sent here to study the Amer- ican library methods; and I wish to fulfill my mission by your kind assistance. I wish to visit many libraries, but my time here is very limited. Visiting Washington early in August, I have to leave San Fran- cisco for Japan on the 21st of the month. The Japanese library is so much in- debted to America — perhaps far more than the American can imagine. No one can understand this better than I. But my im- perfect command of English fails me to LETTERS OF GREETING 239 express my sentiments freely of how grate- ful we are. Congratulating the Association on its successful meeting, I remain. Yours very truly, T. Sano. Tokyo, May 1, 1915. H. C. Wellman, Esq., President, American Library Association. Dear Sir: Representing the Japanese libraries mentioned below, we, the under- signed, have the honor to send you here- with a few words of hearty congratulation cu the occasion of the thirty-seventh an- nual conference of the American Library Association, to be held next June at Berke- ley, California. Please allow us also to take this opportunity to extend, through you, to your esteemed association, our gratitude for the valuable information and suggestions we have received (and are receiving directly or indirectly) from its proceedings. Your members will be inter- ested to know that the library methods In vogue in Japan are based on American models, as it is a general consensus of opinion amongst us that the American sys- tem is the best. Hoping the coming conference will prove to be one of the most successful confer- ences you have ever held. Very sincerely yours, I. Tanaka, Chief Librarian of the Imperial Library of Japan JlKAI IMAZAWA. Director of Hibiya Library. YOUMIHIKO SaITHO. Director of Nankibunko (Marquis Tokugawa's Library). Zenshiro Tsubota, Manager of Ohashi Public Library. M. Wada, Chief Librarian of the Im- perial University of Tokyo. Kazusada Tanaka, Chief Librarian of Kelogijuku University. Library of Kyoto Imperial University, Kyoto, Japan, April 6, 1915. Mr. George B. Utley, Secretary, American Library Association. Dear Sir: We desire to offer our greet- ings and congratulations upon the occasion of the thirty-seventh annual conference of the American Library Association, held in connection with the Panama-Pacific Inter- national Exposition from June 3rd to 9th. On this occasion we would acknowledge the indebtedness which the public libraries in Japan owe to the libraries of America for examples and object lessons from which we have gained much profit. We have also to thank you for various dona- tions from your country. It would take too long if we were to enumerate all the donors who have shown kindness towards this library in particular; but we wish especially to mention the Carnegie Insti- tution of Washington for the donation of valuable publications, the Library of Con- gress for the donation of sets of the printed card catalogue issued by the said Library, arranged for presentation to the University Library through Baron Dairoku Kikuchi, then President of the University, when he visited America in 1910, and an American lady for the donation of a letter written by the late Mr. Townsend Harris, the first American Minister to Japan, who also took a leading part in the opening of the long-sealed Empire to foreign trade and in the making of modern Japan. With regret that we cannot be present personally at your Conference, we extend our best wishes for the continued pros- perity of your Association and the suc- cess of your Conference. Very faithfully yours, I. SlIIM'IURA, Librarian. St. John's University, Low- Library, Shanghai, China, March 19, 1915. George B. Utley, Esq., Secretary, American Library Association. Dear Sir: I desire to send most cordial greetings to the American Library Asso- ciation in conference at Berkeley, Cali- fornia; and to thank the Association heari- ily not only for the invitation to attend and participate in the annual meeting, but also for the great help derived from its numerous publications. I only regret that the time and distance make it impossible for me to be present. The library of St. John's University is a small one, containing something over ten thousand volumes. We have few novels but a large proportion of the books are devoted to theology, sociology, natural science, and history, while we have a fairly large collection of books relating to the Far East and especially China, its art, history, geography, and religion. The books are loaned to tlje faculty, students and alumni of the University. Moreover, in the library a few students are employed and trained in library management, who 240 BERKELEY CONFERENCE later are able to accept positions as li- brarians in other institutions in China. Library work in Shanghai is very back- ward. The Jesuits at Siccawei have a good library, mostly French, but it is not accessible. The North China Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society has an excel- lent lot of books on the Orient which are open only to members. There is a Mu- nicipal library in the Town Hall supported entirely by private subscriptions and con- sisting chiefly of fiction. For the great Chinese population there is really nothing in the way of library facilities. With best wishes for the complete suc- cess of the approaching conference and the continued prosperity and widening service of the American Library Associa- tion to the cause of learning in all coun- tries, I am, dear Sir, Yours very sincerely, Montgomery H. Throop. Faculty member in charge of library. Boone University Library, Wuchang, China, May 6. 1915. Dear Mr. Utley: Thank you for writing me to send greetings to the library con- ference in Berkeley, California. I send most hearty greetings and wish that I might be with you all during the meetings. I have very pleasant recollections of the conference in Asheville, N. C, in 1907. You ask me for a few words about our library work in this city in the heart of China. We have only accomplished a small part of what we hoped to have accom- plisbed of that plan I put before the A. L. A. members at the meeting in 1907. Things move slowly in the Far East. First of all, I am enclosing a picture of our library building, that you may see where our work goes on. This building was opened five years ago this month. We are doing the regular work of a col- lege library with the Chinese students in Boone University the preparatory school. The students number three hundred. We are reaching out to the students in certain of the government schools, etc., in this center, by means of small travelling li- braries. We have had eight during this past year. Our public lectures on scien- tific and historical subjects, etc., which we have held for the last four years, have been w-ell attended, as we usually have an audience of between four and five Iiundred. We send our tickets to more than twenty of the different government schools, and other institutions, connected with the gov- ernment in this city. The Chinese young man,' who has been the assistant ever since the opening of the I'oone Library, is now having a course cf training in the New York Public Li- brary School. He will remain a second year and take the senior course. I have many plans for the future work of the Boone library, but I will wait and see if they materialize before writing of them. Again with hearty greetings to the mem- bers of the A. L. A. Conference of 1915, I am Very sincerely, Mary Elizabeth Wood, Librarian. University of Sydney, Fisher Library, Sydney, New South Wales, June 3, 1915. The Secretary, American Library Association. Sir: In reply to your kind invitation, dated 29th January, I must express my sincere regret that I am unable to attend the conference at Berkeley. We all owf much to the A. L. A., and it would be i real pleasure to express one's acknowledg- ment in person. I am sure, too, I should benefit much by intercourse with univer- sity librarians on your side of the Pacific, for there are problems in university li- brary economy which are met by various compromises and for which I believe there is no solution which satisfies everybody. A comparison of compromises is a help. I believe some librarians believe in the weeding out of a number of professors by judicious assassination, but 1 can't believe that this method would do any lasting good — except perhaps in Germany. Our library is easily the best university library in Australia, but our needs are always well in excess of our possessions. In Europe, if one has not a book, one sends next door, or to the next street, or the next town; and even in America the same conditions must hold pretty well. Not here. We need a library a hundred times as large as the best college library across the ocean. We are a long way off. Dewey has a good grip on Australia. His system of classification seems to be used everywhere, and everywhere I hear people condemning it. Of course, they'd curse any system of classification that was in use. since no system can be per- fect, and the chorus of curses against Dewey is merely the tribute to his success. Yours sincerely, J. Le Gay Breretox, Librarian. •Mr. Tso Tuen Seng. LETTERS OP GREETING 241 Public Library, Wellington, New Zealand, April 27, 1915. Dear Mr. Utley: I appreciate the fact that this year's A. L. A. conference is be- ing held as near to New Zealand as it is possible to be, but there is a long, long stretch of water between us, and the best I can do is to ask you to convey to your president (my friend, IMr. Wellman) the officers and members assembled my sincere greetings. Perhaps the next time you come to the Pacific Coast — but that is anticipat- ing — Kind regards. Yours sincerely, Herbert Baillie. City of Auckland, Public Libraries. Auckland, N. Z., May 8, 1915. The Secretary, American Library Association. Dear Sir: I am in receipt of your letter of January 29th, and regret that stress of work has precluded me replying till now. It is also with regret that I have to in- form you that my committee is unable to delegate me to attend the conference. In compliance with your request I am enclos- ing a brief account of this library, along with whicli I send my heartiest good wishes for the success of your conference. I am, Yours faitlifully, John Bare, Chief Librarian. (Enclosure) AUCKLAND PUBLIC LIBRARY The public library commenced opera- tions in the premises of the Mechanics' In- stitute in 18S0, and it is interesting to note that the Auckland public library was the first library in Australasia to be supported by rates. From 1880 to 1887 the work of the library was carried on in this building. It was not long, however, until the re- stricted nature of the accommodation in- dicated that more commodious premises would be required, and the promised gift of Sir George Grey's library hastened the decision to provide a more suitable home. In 1883 the site of the new building to comprise the Auckland public library, art gallery and municipal offices was selected. Two years later the foundation stone was laid by Mr. W. R. Waddel, Mayor, and in 1887 the library was opened by Mr. A. E. T. Devore. Inclusive of furnishings the building cost approximately £30,000. The progress of the library was rapid. In 1880 the stock consisted of some 5,000 volumes, of whicli 4,000 volumes had been transferred from the Provincial Council Library and 1,000 volumes from the Me- ciianics' Institute. By 1886 it had grown to 7,000 volumes. The next year Sir George Grey presented his valuable collection of books, manuscripts, letters, etc., besides his paintings, Maori carvings, curios, etc. The number of volumes had now increased to 15,000. The library's benefactions have been both extensive and valuable. Prom 1887 to 1898 Sir George Grey v/as a constant donor to tlie library and the entire collection numbers between 13,000 and 14,000 vol- umes. The intrinsic value of the collection is great. Notable among the manuscripts are Lectionarum Graentm (period 10th or 11th century) which is probably the oldest manuscript in Australasia. The two fol- lowing, picked from a large collection, rep- resent the artistic side of these early books. The BibJia Sacra Latina Tulgata (15th century) is considered by many competent critics to be the finest example of hand- writing in the southern hemisphere. The Missale Rornanum (15th century) is nota- ble also for the splendid calligraphy and for the magnificent coloring of the borders and miniatures, and for the brilliant gild- ing. Amongst the early printed books are many notable productions of the early printers, the most interesting being the three Caxtons. They are Hig- den's Polychronicon, circa 1483, The Golden Legend, circa 1484, and the Eneydos 1490. Amongst the literary treasures mention must be made of the editio firinceps of Spenser's Faerie Queene. 1590, the first, second and fourth folio editions of Shakes- peare, The Poems of Shakespeare, 1640, and Pericles. 1619. Also the first folio edi- tion of Jonson's V,^orI:s, 1616. On somewliat parallel lines to the Grey collection is the collection of Mr. Henry Shaw, which was presented to the library in 1912. His collection, originally intend- ed to supplement the Grey collection soon outgrew that idea, and W'hile particularly strong in manuscripts, especially oriental manuscripts, and in 15th and 16th century printed books, it is a splendid collection of selected books on general literature in best copies. In it are represented the fin- est examples of modern printing and illus- tration in all its branches. It includes large paper editions printed on hand-made paper and on Japanese vellum. It com- prises the standard authors and best edi- tions procurable, many of them numbered and presentation copies. A large number have been colored by hand. A notable specimen of the latter is Roberts's Holy Land, and Egypt <£ Nuiia, in five folio volumes, containing 250 plates hand col- 242 BERKELEY CONFERENCE ored in imitation of the original drawings. Super-illustration is another feature of Mr. Shaw's collection, which work the donor is still engaged on. His edition of Shakespeare will, when completed, be one of the fullest collections of illustrations of the national poet in this part of the world. Individual mention is further im- possible. These brief notes may indicate, however, the literary artistic and bibli- ographical importance of these two col- lections. Other gifts deserving of mention are the Mackelvie collection of 500 volumes, the Mackechnie collection of general litera- ture, and the Fred Shaw collection, con- taining many rare editions of English dramatists. In addition general acknowl- edgment ought to be made of the numer- ous individual gifts which have been made from time to time. The Edward Costley bequest of £12,150 remains to be chronicled. This sum has been invested and the annual interest de- voted to the general maintenance of the library. From this source many valuable books have been added to the general library. In 1889 a lending department was opened, and has always been largely pat- ronized. In 1913 a special fireproof annex was opened, and here are exhibited the Grey and Shaw collections. At present it is estimated that the libraries contain 73,208 volumes, of which 46,315 volumes are contained in the refer- ence libraries and 26,893 volumes in the lending departments. Besides the central library the Leys In- stitute (founded by Mr. William Leys) forms part of a system of branch libraries and reading rooms. Two other branches are situated in Grafton district and in Parnell. Other branch libraries are in con- templation in Grey Lynn and Remuera. The Leys Institute contains besides a lend- ing library, a splendid reference library, containing over 10,000 volumes, the gift of Mr. T. W. Leys and others, a boys' reading room, gymnasium and lecture hall. (Translation.) United States of Venezuela, National Library, Caracas, 23 February, 1915. Secretary George B. Utley, Chicago. Dear Sir: Your valued communication of 28th of January has been received, invit- ing me to be present at your conference in connection with the Panama-Pacific In- ternational Exposition in San Francisco. It will, to my regret, be impossible for me to take part in your deliberations, but we purpose shortly to write a few words of greeting and include a brief description of this library." I remain, etc., JOSt AXTOXIO LiX.VRES. Subdirector. (Translation.) National University, San Salvador, May 12, 1915. Secretary, American Library Association, Chicago. Dear Sir: I thank you for your generous, esteemed and appreciated communication. The writer, for several reasons, cannot accept your esteemed invitation to attend the congress for the purpose of participat- ing in the proceedings of the same, but sends his best regards to ." of the mem- bers of the Association. The library of this University, which is now being formed, has acquired five thousand volumes during the last 15 years. Among these volumes are a number of works by the most prominent lawyers of the United States, France, Italy, Germany, Spain and other countries. In the capital of my beloved country there are several other libraries, all of which are much frequented by lovers of knowledge; the principal libraries being the National, Municipal, Military, General Staff, Presidential and Artisans'. In all of these libraries are to be found many works by able writers. In all of the capitals of Departments and in all schools of primary and secondary instruc- tion there are also libraries which are much frequented by readers, teachers and pupils. With my best regards to all the members of the American Library Association, and hoping that they may attain great success in their interesting labors, I remain Very truly yours, FrjVncisco N. Aguilar. It was hoped that the Hon. JOHN MORTON ESHLEMAN, lieutenant-govern- or of California, would be present at this session to address the Association, but President Wellman announced that a tele- gram had been received from him saying that he had been called to Sacramento on important state business. •To our regret, not yet received. BOSTWICK 243 The first address of the morning was by RICHARD ROGERS BOWKER, editor of "Library journal," New York, who spoke on THE PROVINCE OF THE PUBLIC LIBRARY (See p. 147) President WELLMAN: This subject is one which may well invite general discus- sion, and there are a few moments which can be devoted to that purpose after this illuminating general view. Dr. Bostwick, we should like to hear from you, as the representative of a library active in a very broad field. Dr. BOSTWICK: Mr. President, ladies and gentlemen of the Conference: I was very much pleased that Mr. Bowker, in his address, laid some stress on the fact that the expansion of the library field, in which some of our friends think that some libraries are going too far, is a mat- ter for individual judgment in each par- ticular library, and depends on the condi- tions under which that library is doing work. There seems to be an unfounded Impression in the minds of some persons that this expansion is the result of some kind of a general movement, and has some basis of logical generality in it. That, as I understand it, is not the way in which we are accustomed to work in this coun- try; we are not accustomed to lay down general principles and then follow them out. That has been the spirit of some European countries, and especially of the French. In this country we think that principles can not be followed out always in this way; that there are always excep- tions, and that when you try to follow out principles you are apt to run yourself into difficulties. Our method is, if you may choose to call it so, opportunism, but it is the opportunism of the man who, when he finds something for his hand to do, does it with all his might. If there is in a town a public library, and there is something in that town that is not done, and that ought to be done, and that it is possible for the public librarian with his staff and with his plant to do, why should he not do it? That seems to be the ques- tion which we have asked ourselves, and we have generally answered it by going ahead and doing that thing. This does not mean that we lay down the principle that the public library always should do that thing, and should do it in duplication of others' work. We have too much dupli- cation in this country already; it is one of our great sins; there are plenty of villages with three golf clubs and four social clubs and 1113 churches where one of each might do the work just as well; and I even know a few cities where three of four libraries might just as well be con- solidated into one. But if there is some- thing that is not done by anybody, and nobody seems ready to step forward and do it but the librarian of the public li- brary, and he has the energy and the staff and the plant to do it, I say with all my heart: Let him do it! And that seems to be what we are doing in this country. President WELLMAN: Is there any one else who will add to this? Mr. Por- ter, we would like to hear a trustee's point of view. Mr. PORTER: Mr. President, from the position of a trustee, I heartily approve of everything Mr. Bowker has said. The question how far the public libra- ry shall go and what the public library means and what it must be to the people is one in which I have taken, in the last twenty odd years, quite an interest from the point of view of trustee, but I have always looked upon my position as being a trustee for the people, Mr. President, for the people. We are trustees for our fellow men; you are the servants, to be sure, providing all that can be provided through books and through lectures for the benefit of our fellow men, and in doing that you are performing what I have al- ways looked upon as being the highest service that one can perform. It is that very brotherhood of man that Mr. Bowker indicated at the close of his address. Let us help, if possible, as far as we can, our fellow man, for In doing that we are per- forming the highest service. 244 BERKELEY CONFERENCE On the part of the trustees, we gladly go before our commissioners for the pur- pose of securing the most money possible. It is public funds, to be sure, as Mr. Bowker says, but it is provided gladly and freely by the public, and must be just as freely distributed to the public. In other words, where shall we stop? — is the question. Possibly there Is no stop to the public library service. Sometimes I won- der how far we ought to go. We go a considerable distance sometimes in Cincin- nati, maybe not any further than the rest of you, or than you should go; but we do some things down there that possibly are liberal, and yet we have never said any- thing against being liberal in that matter. The public library is, to be sure, as has often been said, the university of the peo- ple. The lower school provides, the high school provides, the university provides; with us in Cincinnati we provide a univer- sity for the people — an actual university — rather the exception in that regard, I be- lieve, too, in the countrj'. But it is to the public library that all come for their enlightenment, and we must be prepared to enlighten. That is our province, and that is our purpose, and that is what the public provides the funds for, and it is what is e.-cpected from us, and it is that that we must do, and in doing that we are serv- ing the highest possible purpose, a purpose that possibly may know no end. Mr. CHALMERS HADLEY, librarian of the Denver public library, gave an illus- trated talk on NEW FE.\Tt7nES IN" LinBARY ARCmTECTURE (See p. 125) The session was then adjourned, mem- bers of the Association immediately taking special cars to Oakland, where they were the guests of the city at a luncheon at the Hotel Oakland, with visits to the City Hall, where they were welcomed by the mayor, and to the Oakland free library. Again boarding special cars, they were taken to Mills College, where they were entertained at a lawn party and shown the college library by Miss Sawyer and her staff. Return to Berkeley was made in special cars in time for dinner and even- ing engagements. FIFTH GENERAL SESSION (Wednesday morning, June 9, Chemistry Annex Building.) President Wellman presided. Mr. WIL- LIAM W. BISHOP, superintendent of the reading room. Library of Congress, was not present, and Paul Blackwelder, of the St. Louis public library, read Mr. Bishop's paper, prepared for this session, on THE TIIEOKY OF .4EFEREXCE WOUK (See p. 134) By direct and unanimous rising vote of the Association, on motion by Mr. Bov/- ker, the following telegrams of greeting and regret at absence, signed by the presi- dent and secretary, were sent to J. L. Gillis, state librarian of California, and to W. I. Fletcher, of Amherst, who was presi- dent of the Association twenty-five years ago: J. L. Gillis, State Librarian, Sacramento. The A. L. A., by unanimous vote, sends greetings and sympathizes with illness which prevented your attendance. Best wishes for continued and rapid recovery. W. I. Fletcher, Amherst, Mass. The A. L. A., by unanimous vote, greets an ex-president and old friend with warm- est good wishes. Dr. GEORGE F. BOWERMAN, librarian of the Public library of the District of Co- lumbia, read a paper on now F.\R SHOULD THE PUBLIC LIBKARY .iID THE PEACE MOVEMENT AND SIMILAR PROPAGANDA? (See p. 129) Dr. BOSTWICK: While most of us, I think, will agree with Mr. Bowerman's at- titude and with most of the details he has recommended to us, I simply want to place on record my emphatic disapproval of putting it in the form of stressing any RESOLUTIONS 245 thing whatever. While we must all be earnest advocates of the peace movement, there are also earnest advocates of all sorts of other movements in the world. If it once becomes known that the library has attempted to lay stress on one side of any question, no matter how right, we shall be overwhelmed with requests to stress anti-vivisection, prohibition, woman suffrage and other questions. We can stress, but we shall put ourselves in the position of being advocates on one set of questions when we are obliged to re- fuse to be advocates in some other set of questions. Mr. ROWELL: Mr. Chairman, I should like to call Mr. Bostwick's attention to the fact that all of these other questions which have been mentioned, like woman suffrage, prohibition, etc., are merely local questions and the question that Mr. Bower- man has brought up is an international, universal matter of interest. Dr. ANDREWS: If we give all the lit- erature we can give on both sides we shall be favoring the peace movement. Following this discussion the president introduced Miss MARY E. DOWNEY, li- brary secretary and organizer of the De- partment of Public Instruction of Utah, who spoke on PIOKEEUISG IN UTAH (See p. 139) The Committee on resolutions presented the following report through the chairman. Dr. ARTHUR E. BOSTWICK: REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON RESOLUTIONS The committee recommends the adop- tion of the following minutes: The American Library Association, at the conclusion of its thirty-seventh annual conference, the fourth on the Pacific coast and the third in California, desires to ex- press its grateful appreciation of the many services and courtesies that have made the success of the conference possible. To our hosts, the authorities of the Uni- versity of California, our thanks are due for the use of their buildings for head- quarters and for general and special ses- sions, for their many acts of hospitality, and for the beautiful opening reception. In particular we owe much to the staff of the University Library, and especially to its librarian, Mr. Joseph C. Rowell, and its associate librarian, Mr. Harold L. Leupp, for their care for our comfort in the local arrangements. Our thanks are also due to the officers of the Berkeley public library, and especially to the libra- rian, Mr. Carleton B. Joeckel, for generous auxiliary services. We desire to express the pleasure de- rived from meeting personally so many members of the California Library Asso- ciation throughout the conference, and es- pecially to thank the Association for its reception and entertainment at the Cali- fornia building. In behalf of those of our members who formed the Eastern travel party, we would express their appreciation of the many and charming hospitalities shown them en route. Thanks are due to the City of Oakland for its hospitalities and to the authorities of Mills College for their delightful lawn party; to Mr. Charles S. Greene and the staff of the Oakland free library for their large share in our entertainment and comfort, and to the members of that staff who contributed to our pleasure at the reception on Saturday evening. We thank the authorities of the Panama- Pacific International Exposition for their official reception of the Association and for their gift of a medal, which will be carefully preserved in memory of the oc- casion. We are grateful to Messrs. Henry W. Kent and T. M. Cleland, not only for their scholarly addresses, but also for their in- terest in our work as shown by their at- tendance from so great a distance. The unavoidable absence of the state librarian of California, Mr. J. L. Gillis, has been felt as a loss to the Association In this conference, and we tender him our 246 BERKELEY CONFERENCE sympathy in the illness which has occa- sioned it. The members of the Association will return to their homes with pleasant mem- ories of these and many other associa- tions and courtesies. We recommend also the adoption of the following minute: Twenty-three former members of the As- sociation have died during the year. Among these, some have rendered conspicuous service: — Bernard R. Green, in the con- struction and care of our national library; Katharine L. Sharp, in the early develop- ment of the library school; E. S. Willcox, as a pioneer in the public library system of Illinois; Frederick H. Hild, as librarian of the Chicago public library; and Minnie M. Oakley, in the Wisconsin Historical So- ciety library, and later in Seattle and Los Angeles. Respectfully submitted, A. E. BosTwicK, Martha Wilson, C. W. Anduews, Committee. The resolutions were unanimously adopted. Dr. PUTNAM: Mr. President, may I ask indulgence for a resolution? I am not going to ask that it be referred, so I do not offer it; I merely announce it. It was not the two expositions that caused this meeting: the number continuously in attendance at these sessions and attending to the business which was the primary cause of our being here is sufficient evi- dence of that. At the same time, if these expositions had not been held this year, California might not, probably would not, have been chosen as the place for our meeting. Now, with reference to the work that we librarians are called upon to do, these expositions are offering valuable in- centive and impulse. They are calculated to open the mind, to make it hospitable to the impressions we librarians are trying tc create. That is a great service to us individually who have been here, who have visited San Diego, exquisite gem, who have visited the Panama-Pacific Exposition here, very splendid in form and color. For us individually it has been — I am speaking for myself: this is my resolution — a very extraordinary intellectual and emotional experience. Now, I don't think that any one who has had such an experience can afford to be finical in criticism if he finds anything to criticise. I should not sup- pose that any one should take away criti- cism of details. If there is any one who has found it, why, let him place it where it belongs in his memory. But, details apart, here has been a great experience to us individually. Now it may not be desirable for us as an Association to con- gratulate California on the achievement of the expositions. It isn't necessary, for they know they have done a good thing — per- haps they admit it. They have done a very remarkable and extraordinary thing, and to my mind a very splendid thing; but what I was going to suggest, Mr. Pres- ident, is this: that without any formal ex- pression from us as an Association, there is one thing which we from the East, as librarians and individuals, owe, not to Cali- fornia, not to the expositions, but to the cause of libraries, the cause of education, which we are trying to promote, and to ourselves and to those whose judgment and whose welfare we care for. It is, that when we go back to the East we shall tell them what our experience has been. We shall have to brush away illusions about the tedium of the travel, and illusions about the lack of accommodation, and we should see that every one whose judgment and experience and welfare we have re- gard for shall, if possible, be sent to these expositions before they are closed. That is why I say I do not "offer" this resolu- tion to the Association; it is my resolu- tion in going bacli home, and I simply sug- gest it as an appropriate one for every one of us as individuals. President WELLMAN: It is very pleas- ant to have Dr. Putnam help us congratu- late ourselves on the wonderful experience and enjoyment we have had here, and I am sure we shall all follow the course which he has outlined. 247 Mr. WRIGHT: May I not ask the as- sembly to indorse the fine words of our Librarian of Congress by standing. (Ris- ing indorsement.) The secretary read the report of the tel- lers of election, showing that the following officers had been elected: REPORT OF THE TELLERS OF ELECTION Total number of votes cast, 87. President Mary W. Plummer, director, New York Public Library School, New York City. 75 votes. First Vice-President Walter L. Brown, librarian, Public li- brary, Buffalo, N. Y. 85 votes. Second Vice-President Chalmers Hadley, librarian. Public li- brary, Denver, Colo. 83 votes. IVIembers of Executive Board (for three years) M. S. Dudgeon, secretary, Wisconsin Free Library Commission, Madison, Wis. 78 votes. S. H. Ranck, librarian. Public library. Grand Rapids, Mich. 78 votes. Members of Council (for five years) Carl H. Milam, director. Public library, Birmingham, Ala. 79 votes. Herbert S. Hirshberg, librarian, Public library, Toledo, Ohio. 79 votes. , Mary L. Jones, assistant librarian, Los Angeles County free library, Los Angeles, Cal. 80 votes. C. E. Rush, librarian, Public library, St. Joseph, Mo. 83 votes. Sarah C. N. Bogle, director, Pittsburgh Carnegie Library Training School for Chil- dren's Librarians. 79 votes. Trustee of Endowment Fund (for three years) M. Taylor Pyne, Princeton, N. J. 74 votes. President WELLMAN: Miss Plummer, whom you have elected president, is, to her regret and to ours, unavoidably ab- sent. We have received the following telegram from her this morning: "Appreciate deeply honor conferred. Shall serve Association to best of my strength and ability. M. W. PLUMMER." In the absence of the president, the vice-president, Mr. Hadley, was called to the platform and handed the gavel with appropriate words from the retiring presi- dent. The Association referred to the Council with approval a proposed resolution to transmit a vote of confidence to the Pres- ident of the United States. (For resolu- tion adopted, see minutes of Council.) There being no further business, Vice- President Hadley adjourned the conference sine die. COUNCIL Meeting of June 5 A very brief meeting of the Council with 21 members present was held on the above date. President Wellman presiding. A committee to nominate iive members of the Council to be elected by the Council was appointed as follows: James I. Wyer, Jr., Josephine A. Rathbone, Marilla W. Freeman, W. H. Kerr, and Chalmers Had- ley. The remainder of the time was devoted to informal discussion of the matters which received formal consideration In the meeting of June 9. Meeting of June 9 Meeting was called to order by Vice President Hadley with 27 members present. Mr. J. I. Wyer, chairman of tlie nomi- nating committee, submitted the follow- 248 BERKELEY CONFERENCE ing nominations for members of tlie Coun- cil to be elected by the Council: George F. Bowerman, Public Library, Washington, D. C. W. N. C. Carlton, Newberry Library, Chi- cago. Mrs. Elizabeth Claypool Earl, Indiana Public Library Commission, Connersville, Indiana. Mary E. Hall, Girls' High School Library, Brooklyn, N. Y. Harold L. Leupp, University of California Library, Berkeley. On motion, these nominees were de- clared elected. The following resolutions, which had been adopted by the Public Documents Round Table, were presented to the Coun- cil, and on motion of Mr. Bowker, adopted: Whereas, the librarians of the United States as representatives of the people and as supervisors of their public libraries, are vitally interested in the printing and dis- tribution of public documents and making their contents easily and quickly accessible as soon as possible after publication; and WirERE.\.s, the Printing Bills embodying many of the suggestions made by this As- sociation, which were reported to the Sixty-third Congress by the Joint Commit- tee on Printing as Senate Bill 5430 and House Bill 15902, failed to be enacted into law by that Congress: Resolved, That we, the members of the Council of the American Library Associa- tion assembled in our thirty-seventh annual meeting in the City of Berkeley, Cali- fornia, June 3-9. 1915, do respectfully ex- press our hope that a like bill embracing substantially the same provisions so far as relating to the printing and distributing of documents, may be reported to Congress and enacted into law. RE.'ioLVED. That the thanks of this Asso- ciation be and hereby are tendered to those Senators and Representatives and officials of Congress and of the several departments who have co-operated toward making the contents of the public documents of our country more popular and more easily and quickly accessible. Resolved. That a copy of these Reso- lutions be sent to the members of the Joint Committee on Printing, the Superintendent of Documents, and the Librarian of Con- gress. Resolved, That the individual members of this Association are asked to call the attention of their respective representa- tives in Congress to the printing bill and urge its enactment into law. Geo. S. Godakd, A. J. Small, E. J. Lien, R. R. BOWKEB, Committee of Public Documents Round Table. A request from the Catalog Section that an advisory committee on Decimal Classi- fication expansion be appointed was on mo- tion of Mr. Wellman, referred to the Exec- utive Board with the approval of the Coun- cil. The following resolution presented by Dr. Bowerman, on behalf of the Library Commission of the Boy Scouts of America, was on motion duly adopted: Resolved, that the Council of the Ameri- can Library Association welcomes the aid of the Library Commission of the Boy Scouts of America in its efforts to improve the reading taste of the boys of the coun- try; tliat the Council approves the plans of the Library Commission of the Boy Scouts for a week when, by vote of the American Booksellers' Association, the re- tail book trade shall place special em- phasis on juvenile books, and that the Council commend this plan, as announced by the Boy Scouts of America, to the fa- vorable consideration of the public librari- ans of the country. A communication was read from the Children's Librarians' Section expressing sympathy with this effort of the Boy Scouts and suggesting that the Council through formal action express its approval of this attempt. Dr. Andrews, as member of a committee to compile a statistical form suitable to the needs of college and reference libraries, re- ported that the College and Reference Sec- tion at its meeting the day before voted to recommend to the Council that a year's experiment be made of a joint schedule for both circulating and reference libraries, and he therefore moved that the Commit- tee on Library Administration be author- ized to make such experiment for the time specified. The motion was seconded and carried. Dr. Andrews, on behalf of the Publish- ing Board asked whether any member of COUNCIL 249 the Council had any objection to the formu- lation and publication by the Board of a pamphlet of the terms and especially the limitations governing interlibrary loans. On motion of Mr. Brigham the Council voted approval of such a publication. Mr. W. E. Henry, on behalf of the Pacific Northwest Library Association, reported tliat at its meetings in 1914 and 1915 that Association had passed resolutions favor- ing the employment of a publicity expert by the American Library Association, and had voted that a resolution to this effect be presented to the American Library As- sociation for its consideration, it being the opinion of the Pacific Northwest Library Association that the employment of such a publicity e.xpert would not only insure much more efficient publicity methods, but would also obviate to a great extent the wasteful duplication of work whicli librari- ans are making to advertise their libraries. On motion of Mr. Wellman, the matter was referred to the Executive Board. The Committee on Library Administra- tion, through Its chairman. Dr. Bower- man, requested the Council to give the Committee more definite information as to how far the Committee was authorized to go in making available information about various library labor-saving devices which liad been or would be collected by the Com- mittee. After some discussion participated in by several members of the Council, Dr. Bowerman moved that the Committee be authorized to carry on its program of printing this material in multigraphed form and sending it out to those who regis- ter as interested in devices and ultimately to print it as manuscript for the members of the Association, provided that no publi- cation as such be made. The motion was seconded and carried. The Council, by unanimous vote, in- structed the secretary to transmit the fol- lowing message to the President of the United States: The American Library Association, by the very nature of its activities dedicated to the cause of peace, feels deep concern for tlie problems before the United States government in tlie present world crisis. It offers to the President of the United States its sympathy and its confidence, as- sured that whatever course he and his ad- visers shall adopt will have as its ultimate aim an ideal of international peace. There being no further business the Council adjourned. AGRICULTURAL LIBRARIES SECTION The meeting of the section was held in Agricultural Hall, University of Califor- nia, on the evening of Friday, June 4th, the chairman, Mrs. Ida A. Kidder, libra- rian of Oregon Agricultural College, pre- siding. Miss Lillian George was appointed secretary for the meeting. Mrs. Bunnell, Miss Hunt and Miss Rae were appointed a nominating committee. The first paper, "The relation between the Agricultural College libraries and the extension work of the country as devel- oping under the Smith-Lever Act." by D. W. Working, U. S. Agriculturist in charge of extension work in the Western states, was read by Mrs. Bunnell, librarian of the Department of Agriculture of the Univer- sity of California, in the absence of Mr. Working. (See p. 153) In the discussion the interesting fact was brought out that in some of the states without strong library commissions or ade- quate funds in their college libraries, it is proposed to test the scope of the Smith- Lever Act by asking for funds under it to provide traveling libraries for the farmers and home-makers to accompany the ex- tension teachers and demonstrators and to be left for the farmers' use after the extension school session has closed. The discussion brought out the neces- sity of the agricultural college librarians' getting in close touch, not only with the 250 BERKELEY CONFERENCE head of the extension division of the col- lege, but with the county agricultural agents. The next paper was "How shall we in- terest and induce our faculty and students to more general cultural reading," by Eliz- abeth Forrest, librarian of the Montana State College. (See p. 159) The next paper was on "The relation of the Agricultural College and Experi- ment Station Libraries to the Library of the Federal Department of Agriculture," by Miss Claribel R. Barnett, librarian of the Department of Agriculture, which in her regretted absence was read by Miss Caroline B. Sherman. (See p. 156) An "Index to Agricultural Periodicals" was discussed in a report by Miss Vina E. Clark, of Iowa State College. (See p. 162) Miss Clark's report was followed by the announcement that the H. W. Wilson Co. expected to publish an index to agricul- tural periodicals beginning witli January, 1916. Mr. Rowell, the Wilson Company's representative, who was present, stated that at present Mr. Wilson had worked out what seemed an equitable scheme of cost to libraries; that is, $1.00 for every 1,000 entries of periodicals subscribed for by a library and ten cents for every 1,000 entries in periodicals for which the library did not subscribe. Mr. Wilson's communication that an in- dex was to be issued within a few months was received with great interest and pleas- ure by all present, but it was deemed wise to appoint a committee to report a definite plan for an index to be issued by the ag- ricultural libraries themselves, in case the Wilson Co. should fail to issue their index before the next annual meeting of the A. L. A., the committee to report at the ses- sion meeting of next year. The committee named were: Miss Vina E. Clark, Iowa State College; Mr. Charles R. Green, Mas- sachusetts Agricultural College, and Mr. W. M. Hepburn, Purdue University. The nominating committee reported the name of Mr. M. G. Wyer, librarian of the University of Nebraska, for chairman of the section for the coming year. Their report was approved and Mr. Wyer elected. CATALOG SECTION The first session of the Catalog Section was held Friday afternoon, June 4th, the acting-chairman, Mr. Adolf Law Voge, reference librarian of the Mechanics'-Mer- cantile library, San Francisco, presiding. Having called the meeting to order, the acting chairman said they all regretted that the winning leadership of Dr. Wiley had been denied them, through illness. "I am attempting to conduct this session," said the chairman, "in the spirit in which I think he would have conducted it. Your respected secretary, Miss Sutliff, of New York, has also found it impossible to at- tend, and Miss Alice Healy, chief of the catalog division of the San Francisco pub- lic library, has kindly assumed her work for the section." Upon motion the minutes of the last ses- sion were accepted as printed. The chairman next appointed as a nomi- nating committee, Miss Letitia Gosman, chairman, Miss Nella Martin, and Miss Gertrude Phipps. As there were no committee reports be- fore the section, the chairman introduced the first subject of the session with the following remarks: Mr. Merrill's first paper on a Code for classifiers proposing that a committee of the A. L. A. be appointed, was read at the Pasadena meeting of the A. L. A. in May, 1911. The Executive Board later appointed to form this committee: Messrs. Merrill, Bay, Biscoe, Cutter, Hanson, Martel and Windsor. This committee did not meet in CATALOG SECTION 251 1912 or 1913, but collected three hundred points for future consideration. At the Washington meeting of the A. L. A. in 1914, a valuable contribution to the subject was suggested by Mr. Martell who proposed printing temporary decisions on cards. The paper of WM. STETSON MERRILL, chairman of the Committee of the A. L. A. on a Code for classifiers, (read by Mr. Chas. F. Woods, Mechanics'-Mercantile library of San Francisco,) was then pre- sented. WHA1 CLASSIFIERS ARE SAYING ABOUT THE CODE* A collection of decisions illustrating what may be brought together in a Code for classifiers, was mimeographed last year and a few advance copies were distributed at the Washington conference. Since then sixty copies have been sent out to librari- ans, classifiers, directors and instructors in library schools, with a letter asking for comments and criticism, and indication as to whether these rules agreed with their practice. Thus far but one annotated copy has been received. Comment from the librarians has been uniformly favorable. "Its usefulness ought to be very considerable," writes one. Another: "Every rule that I have tested seems to be so sane and proper that I am beginning to believe that you have left nothing for the rest of us to do except to follow the pathway marked out." The president of the A. L. A. writes: "Your committee is doing a very important and useful work." "Is it as possible," writes a librarian who is also a director of a library school, — "Is it as possible to make a code for classification as to make a code of rules for cataloging? Does not the right place in which to classify a book depend so much on the kind of library that is classifying it that it is diflicult or perhaps impossible to prepare a body of positive dogma on the subject which can be followed in all li- braries with anything like the same uni- formity that inheres in the practice of cataloging?" "... It seems to us," he says later, "that you sometimes overempha- size the intent of the author." A teacher of classification found it immediately applica- ble. Three classifiers have subjected the Code to exhaustive scrutiny. Miss Jennie D. Fellows, head cataloger at the New York state library, has marked against every rule the words "yes" or "no," indicating their practice. Of some five hundred points brought out in the Code, 408 conform to their practice; nine differ, but the ruling of the Code is preferred by the classifier; and eleven are out of the scope of the li- brary. In other words, eighty-five per cent of the rulings are confirmed. This is pre- cisely the kind of comment that will be most useful. Miss Ida F. Farrar, chief cataloger at the City library association, Springfield, Mass., has examined the Code carefully. Certain scattered topics, she thinks, would be better grouped at the beginning as general directions; e. g.: aspects of a sub- ject, illustrative material, local treatment of topics, new subjects, persons for whom written, relations of things, value or truth of a book. Miss Julia Pettee, head cataloger at the Union Theological Seminary, New York, has also sent helpful comments probably included in a paper presented at this Cata- log section. The "Library journal" reviewed the Code in the issue of November, 1914. Mr. Bay's comments upon it appeared in the Decem- ber number. The main point of the re- viewer is that the Code is superfiuous. No classifier worthy of the name needs it and no beginner could make use of it. "I find too," the reviewer says, "that both in the body and the index of the Dewey decimal classification many of the directions re- peated in this Code are clearly given. Frequent trouble and indecision in clas- sifying books is not due nearly so much to doubt of the intent of the author as to difliculty in finding a number in one's sys- tem of classification which fits it. . . . So long as the classification of a collection is done consistently, so long ^.s all material 252 BERKELEY CONFERENCE on like subjects Is grouped together on the shelves, even if the result is disapproved of by some whose opinions differ as to the exact place, does it matter vitally after all?" One of the main points in favor of a code is that it enables the classifier to do precisely what the reviewer claims to be the thing of vital importance, namely, to keep together books on the same topic. The reviewer thinks this en^d may be at- tained without the aid of a code. Mr. J. C. Bay, chief classifier at the John Crerar li- brary, in his reply to the "Library journal" reviewer, after giving some examples of various problems of classifying books by the printed systems in common use, says: "In the John Crerar library we find it use- ful to hold meetings known as council meetings, its members being the chiefs of staff and its leader and moderator the li- brarian, which body debates and decides all important problems of procedure of the kind exemplified above; the decisions are recorded and kept on file. Decisions of this kind are absolutely necessary. . . . No system of classification devised and in ac- tual use gives more than an indication of what may be done in the placing of books in a library. The committee now at work attempts to define what actually is done, and presumably should be done in the way of actual practice." The Code, in its present form at least, is intended neither as a compilation of knotty points of difficulty for the expert classifier, nor as a primer of classification for the beginner, but as an illustration of a comprehensive treatise on the principles of assigning books to their proper places in any system or grouping of the topics of hu- man knowledge. The criticism has been made, on the one hand, that it is- too elementary, and on the other hand, that its rules are obvi- ous. The elementary points were intro- duced merely to round out the idea of a comprehensive statement of principles. That the rules are not truisms is shown, since fifteen per cent are reversed or are not followed by. the New York state library. As to the difliculty of the problems, I in- cluded all cases calling for careful discrimi- nation that arose in three years' work in a scholar's library. The rules given obvi- ously illustrate classification of books in history and literature mostly; many more topics, from the natural and social sciences, are needed to round out the compilation. Some of the rules were copied bodily from one or another of the printed systems. Even were most of them to be found scat- tered through these systems, it would not render the Code less useful. Such a code aims to bring together in orderly sequence a set of principles for the guidance of the classifier, enabling him to choose between two or more places in which a given book might be shelved, thereby securing uniform- ity. Now, when system is introduced into every human industry, no one would ex- pect to carry such principles in his head, even were such a feat possible. In large institutions, where a number of assistants classify hundreds or thousands of volumes, written rules are indispensable. On many points the systems do not help. Where, for example, are such directions as these given in the Dewey or Cutter sys- tems? — (a) Keep together a series that has significance, as a series, for the field covered by it. (b) Class illustrative ma- terial under the topic illustrated, whatever may be its character; e. g., a collection of Icelandic sagas translated, because of their bearing upon the Norse discovery of America, — hence not literature but geog- raphy, (c) Class a work on the influence of one literature upon another under the literature affected, but a work on the in- fluence exercised by one author upon a foreign literature under literary criticism of that author, (d) Class mathematics for electricians under electricity. Treating of compound titles or books on two or more subjects, the Code distinguishes twelve different senses in which the word "and" may be used in a title, and directs that the classification is determined by its mean- ing, not by the fact that one topic is named first. For example, a title "Norse literature and English literature," meaning the influ- CATALOG SECTION 253 ence of Norse upon English literature, should be classed under the latter, although Norse is named first and may form the sub- ject matter of most of the book. The only rule I can find for compound books is one based either upon relative grouping of words of the title page (a mere printer's device) or else upon the physical bulk of the respective topics. The intent of the author determines what such a book is about, and should be carefully ascertained before classifying the book. The Committee will be glad to hear from everybody who cares to comment upon the work. [Chairman suggests that it would be valuable to arrange the Code in two parts: First, A classified list of instructions and suggestions concerning the pi-ocess of clas- sifying; second, An alphabetic list of con- crete cases of classifying certain subjects. In every instance, to avoid being dogmatic, the reasons for the decision should be given with examples of books so classed.] Letitia Gcsman, chief of catalog and classification departments, Princeton Uni- versity library, read a paper on THE CODE AS AN EFFICIENT AGENT IN LIBRARY ADMINISTRATION "The library journal," "Public libraries," and the "Bulletin of the A. L. A." for the past year show that efficiency is the key word of library thinking today. There are: the report of the exhibit of labor-saving de- vices at the Washington Conference, Mr. Thompson's article in the Bulletin recom- mending a permanent clearing house for labor-saving methods and devices, referen- ces to co-operative lists, e. g. : tliose pub- lished by business houses for the Los Angeles Library. It is rightly said (by Mr. Quinn) that "The cataloging of a library is one of the most troublesome and expensive depart- ments of its administration." Anything which lessens this expense is welcome. A code for classifiers would save expense. Every library has, and must have, some- * Abstract. thing equivalent applying to the use of its system of classification, either unwritten and handed down from one classifier to another, or recorded as decisions are made by the head classifier or librarian. The es- sence of the modern movement for effi- ciency lies in this situation; where a mat- ter can be reduced to precise formulated procedure and is not, it is the very formu- lation of these rules which is relied on to reveal the leak. How this applies in the library it is not hard to see. Mr. Merrill says in his preface to the proposed code that the rules there expressed are "Largely the record of decisions made in the course of the past three years by one memher of the committee, in connection with his of- ficial duties." That is the essence of the matter. Think what it cost that one li- brary in three years time in the matter of these decisions only, and you have what is repeated in all large libraries. There are two time-costing factors; first, the framing of new decisions, and second, the repeated instruction of every new as- sistant. Neither can be escaped. The chances are that it cost Mr. Merrill annu- ally for these three years not less than 70 hours per year for these decisions. Add to tliis the time given by an assistant to the consideration of each question before con- sulting the head of the department, and the time cost of new decisions is probably doubled. Now the second factor, of training. A decision once made, it only takes a fraction of a minute to answer a classifier, but the classifier will be sure to worry with it first. Moreover, this must be repeated for every new classifier if there is no code. There is no escape from it. Under the most favorable circumstances the time- cost, will be three times that of consulting the code. Many libraries are so aware of this that they make a card record of de- cisions, but a printed code will save some- thing over consulting a card code, and a full code, a great deal over a partial code of decisions which has often to be enlarged by new decisions. The minimum annual cost of time in a library with two or three 254 BERKELEY CONFERENCE assistant classifiers is at the very least sixty or seventy hours overhead time, and three times as much assistant time. Three- fourths of this time might be saved by an extensive, well printed and well indexed code. The more extensive such a code is, the greater will be the saving effected. Any head classifier, however well schooled the new assistants, will vouch for this. In organizing a new library or reorgan- izing an old one under a new administra- tion, if the librarian and trained assistants are all from different schools, probably all decisions must be made anew and each as- sistant trained. Suppose they had been trained in a code, just as they have been trained in the Dewey Classification or the A. L. A. catalog rules, then months of work would have been saved. The code will aid readers too. Few things cost more of the highly paid time of a reference librarian, than the reader un- trained to the usage of the library. With hundreds of alternative usages, the reader must ask the reference librarian. A code would often save the need of questions, or permit more accurate and prompter answers. Here too there would be some saving, and saving to the reference libra- rian as well. Here are some actual occur- rences: 1. In the Princeton University li- brary the head filer was so often asked about certain points in filing that a "code of rules for filing" was placed over the cata- logs. 2. The reference librarian and as- sistants are often asked about the classifi- cation, so that under "Location of books" a short outline of classification was given in the library information pamphlet, used also in the short course on the use of the library given every year by the English depart- ment to the entering class. 3. The refer- ence librarian is often asked such questions as, "Do you classify all your periodicals to- gether?" or, "What do you do with biogra- phies?" and questions which could be di- rectly ansv.ered by the rules on "Influence" or "Language vs. topics." A short code of classification to help readers in this way will be included in the pamphlet next year. In conclusion let me clearly and pointed- ly say, that it Is in precisely such factors as these, that the time cost of cataloging mounts up. The time waste in research, discussion, and questions is the real prob- lem of the cost of cataloging — not the amount of time that it takes actually to apply the sum of the processes to a book. A simple research question as to alternate terms or usage may burn away more time than the cataloging of several books. The final paper on the Code (read by Miss Josephine A. Rathbone of the Pratt Institute School of Library Economy) was by Julia Pettee, head cataloger, Union Theological Seminary, New York, on THE PROPOSED CODE FOR CLASSI- FIERS—A DISCUSSION* Mr. Merrill has done a substantial serv- ice in bringing the question of classification to the front. His rules are both suggestive and helpful. I wish to discuss the form of the printed rules and the larger problem of our classification systems which the pro- posal of a code brings to the front. The tentative alphabetical arrangement seems to reduce their usefulness. A code for classifiers is designed for two classes, novices and practical classifiers with puz- zling problems. Library schools would welcome a good text book on practical classification. No school seems to find this code adaptable. Here a subject arrangement is needed. If the subject under study is Bibliography, the teacher aims to describe it as de- fined by the various systems. The code offers no help here. Questions like the fol- lowing will arise. Is a summary or an analysis of a work bibliography? What shall we do with literary history? What shall we do with lists of books on special topics, or on individual authors? Where do library catalogs belong? The code an- swers all these questions, scattered from A to Z, as follows: Literary history vs. Bib- liography; History of a topic; Literary his- tory of a topic; Bibliography; Catalogs; Bibliography of special forms of literature; •Abstract CATALOG SECTION 255 Bibliography of individuals; Libraries, pri- vate; Special collections; National vs. sub- ject bibliography. What will the rules lose by subject-grouping that a good index will not supply? They gain everything. When grouped they indicate the treatment of the class as a whole, and the student remem- bers the specific rules as they fit into the genera' logic of the class. Only a very brave student would attack the detached rules offered In the tentative code. If he finished he would understand the confusion of Babel. The practical classifier with a puzzling book is no better able to use the code. For example: He has "The East of Asia" (a general periodical in English published in China). Would he ever look for it under "Racial pul)lications," where the rule which applies to this sort of periodical is? When classifying books dictionary headings do not run through our heads. But in a classified code he would instinctively look under the general heading "Periodicals." I would look for my rules in the same subject categories that I class my book in. Mr. Merrill has emphasized adventitious relationships, whereas in a treatise on clas- sification vital relationships are based upon the logic of the subject grouping. The student and the practical classifier both need a work which will treat of clas- 'sification by subject groups. The rules in the tentative code fall into two groups. First, general suggestions ap- plying alike to all classes, and, second, rules which relate to definite kinds of sub- ject matter. Why not treat first the gene- ral directions applicable to all classes, and then arrange the rules which apply to par- ticular subjects under the large subject groups common to all systems, Bibliog- raphy, Philosophy, Social science, etc. Then, whether arranged in large subject groups or alphabetically, they would be equally applicable to all systems. A gene- ral code will have to be limited to usages common to all systems. If the rules will not fit Into these common subject groups something is the matter with them. Mr. Merrill's rules do fall into these groups very well. Next as introductory to the specific rul- ings, let us have careful definitions of the scope and Intention of these subject di- visions. We all think we know, for ex- ample, what we mean by history, or litera- ture or art. But do we? Try yourself to define these terms as the classifications use them and when you have succeeded you will find many perplexing problems cleared up. Many of the rules offered in the tenta- tive code could be characterized as ex- amples in the definition of the various sub- ject groups. * « * State clearly in the code the lines of cleavage of our subject groups and the detailed decisions have to follow. Let us now consider the Imperfections in our classification schemes and our con- sequent need of help. We hail with de- light the promise of a code which will answer the questions which we are repeat- edly asking of each other, "What do you do with such and such a book, there Is no place for it In my scheme?" If the rules are equally applicable to all systems they will register decisions that are based on the general logical principles of all systems. They will help us to just this extent and no further. They cannot give us any practi- cal help in the exasperating Inadequacies of our present schemes. I am working with the Dewey. I have a whole group of books on the present status of the negro. Must I put these under Slavery, 326? We get no ray of help upon such questions as these and we still turn to each other In despair. The crying need of experienced classifiers Is not so much a code of element- ary rules or even a list of special decisions as it is a better system adapted to popular use. Now before we can have a better classifi- cation system there Is much work to be done which a code should carefully con- sider. How shall we go to work to clear away the difficulties of our present scheme? By making a new scheme? It would prob- ably be quite as faulty as the ones It was meant to displace. At present, it seems 256 BERKELEY CONFERENCE to me, the only profitable line of work lies in getting down to a study of the fundamental logical principles upon which our classifi- cation schemes rest. Our classifications, like Topsy, have Just "growed." Mr. Mer- rill rightly argues, that at many points the usages of classifiers are not fixed either by our schemes or by common practice, and that we need to collect information as to what tendencies are growing among classi- fiers and classification makers. But until we know more about the organic structure of our schemes, know where the schemes themselves are logically weak and where they are on firm ground, how can we judge whether these tendencies are in the right direction or check them if they are not. To illustrate, take Psychology. Our classi- fications have treated it shabbily. In its present status it is an experimental sci- ence, but even the L. C. appends it to Phi- losophy. Nor is this the worst. Its unity as a science is not even allowed. Psychol- ogy of religion, which is perfectly good paychology, is called Religion which it is not. The psychology of childhood and youth is shunted into Education, and so on. The one ruling which I found on Psychol- ogy in the code, viz., "A work on the psy- chology of special phenomena or events class under topic," I should characterize as poor because it seems to encourage the breaking up of a unified topic. But we can not know whether tendencies expressed in rulings are poor or good until we have studied the general relationships of the logic underlying our schemes. What seems to me should be our next large undertaking in the field of classifica- tion is a comparative treatise on the logi- cal structure of the Dewey, the Cutter and the L. C. This should precede any attempt to make the radical improvements in our present systems which we so badly need. Any proposed work on classification must take this demand for a comparative treat- ise into consideration. But the L. C. is not finished and it would be foolish to at- tempt a comparative work before it is. In the meantime Mr. Merrill offers us a considerable amount of useful material. What shall we do with it? If the rules are rearranged under large common subject groups and definitions added which will point out clearly the main lines of cleavage, it would make a most useful manual. It would then also furnish a starting point for the larger com- prehensive, comparative treatise which we must contemplate before we can hope for a radical betterment of our schemes. And it is a better popular scheme that we should keep steadily in mind. If the code is published, its usefulness to practical classifiers would be greatly in- creased if an appendix dealing exclusively with the Dewey might be added, giving a selection of alternative schemes and emen- dations which have been worked out and tested in various libraries. Miss Rathbone after reading the paper expressed the hope that the Section, or the Council would take up the subject of the D. C. expansions, for which there was great need. Dr. C. W. Andrews said he spoke not as a member of the Section, but of the Coun- cil, but believed the appointment of such a committee would be acceptable to Mr. Dewey. The chairman said that prompted by correspondence in this vein he wrote to Mr. Dewey asking whether the appointment of. a committee of the A. L. A. to deal with expansions would be acceptable. Mr. Dewey replied: "We have agreed with the I. I. B.' to form an international D. C. council that will be the final board of decision. We would also be very glad to have an advis- ory committee from the A. L. A. whose business it would be to submit suggestions and to express their opinions as represent- ing the A. L. A. on various questions which we would send to the members from time to time. * * * You may say for me, we would cordially welcome the appoint- ment of such a committee and all sugges- tions it might make would be given the most careful consideration and that we ' Institut international de blbliographie (of Brussels). CATALOG SECTION 257 would In turn submit to the members of the committee for their criticism all changes proposed by others." Chairman proposed the following reso- lution to be submitted to the Council: Resolved: That the Catalog section of the American Library Association recom- mends that a committee be appointed to be known as tlie Advisory committee on Deci- mal Classification expansions; the function of this committee to be to consider and sug- gest to the editors of the D. C. desirable ex- pansions and additions and to propose the details and subdivisions of such expansions. The adoption of this resolution was moved and seconded and unanimously ap- proved by the Section. The next paper (read by Mr. Joseph L. Wheeler of Los Angeles public library) was by RL\p.y A. Hautwell, cataloger in the office of the Superintendent of Documents, Washington, D. C, on CLASSIFICATION OF FEDERAL DOCUMENTS* Federal documents must be classed in one of two ways, either following a subject classification or that of the Superintendent of Documents Office. The adherents of both will have equally decided views; and perhaps nothing that I may say will shake their confidence. It's like sailing between Scylla and Charybdis. Apparently the Code for classifiers makes no mention of Federal documents. Is the subject of too little importance? Or are the compilers doubtful what to say? Or did I fail to find the paragraph? Perhaps it is best to begin by stating arguments for and against classification by subject or by the notation of the Office of the Superintendent of Documents, pub- lished in detail in the 3d edition of the Checklist of U. S. Public Documents, 1789- 1909. Advantages of a Subject Classification 1. A subject classification permits placing Federal documents, as well as state, county. municipal, and foreign government publica- tions, side by side with non-government publications on the same subject. The usefulness of this practice is self-evident. 2. Some time, probably, depository libra- ries may choose what government publica- tions they want. Then many depository li- braries will want everything to which they are entitled, others will select, and then there are advantages in subject arrange- ment. The smaller the document collec- tion, the stronger the argument for class- ing government publications with similar non-government works. 3. If open shelf privileges are granted, a subject classification may prove the more useful. 4. Libraries which have for years previ- ous to the publication of the Checklist fol- lowed a subject classification will probably be wiser to continue the practice. Disadvantages of a Subject Classification 1. There is no way of shelving together all the publications of a department or even of one of its subordinate bureaus or divisions. The governmental author entry in the catalog is the only way that this can be done, even incompletely. The majority of librarians, probably, enter public docu- ments in their general catalog under "Uni- ted States" followed by the name of the department or by the name of the bureau. E. g.: Executive department^zU. S. — Labor de- partment. Subordinate bureau=U. S. — Children's bureau. The catalog, then, brings together the publications of either one or the other, but it cannot bring together both department and bureau publications unless the head- ing includes both, that is, U. S. — Labor department — Children's bu- reau. This is cumbersome and undesirable In a general catalog, because it assumes that the public has a knowledge of the minute organization of the government in Wash- ington — which very few possess. 2. Congressional documents, if arranged 258 BERKELEY CONFERENCE by serial number as they should be, will necessarily be separated from other books on the same subject. Hence the subject classification is only of advantage for dupli- cate copies. 3. In a subject classification the custom' ary diSiculties occur for government pub- lications which treat of more than one sub- ject. Advantages of the Checklist Classification 1. The Checklist notation is the out- growth of twenty years' experience in the library of the Office of the Superintendent of Documents, the most complete collection of United States government documents ex- tant. The notation is simple, with com- paratively few characters in each call num- ber. It is easy both to understand and apply. It is so expansive that it has stood the test of classifying 185,000 departmental publications In the library. It has also stood a severer test in the business section of the office, for since 1907, when it was applied to the card records for the stock of publications for sale and distribution, over thirty million publications have been handled smoothly and expeditiously by means of it. The only noteworthy change fo'vnd neces- sary is that for the Interstate Commerce Commission, which outgrew its quarters, necessitating a reclassification on broader lines, which was published as Bulletin 17 of our ofiBce. 2. Since the publication of the Check- list the use of its classification by libraries of all sizes and kinds has steadily grown. 3. As explained in detail on pages xiii-xv of the introduction to the Checklist (which see for further information), the classifi- cation is by the government publishing author: first, by departments; second, by subordinate bureaus; third, by series: fourth, by book numbers. This makes it possible for any library to compile lists of publications of any given executive de- partment, either as a whole, or by subordi- nate bureaus or divisions; and since the work of many of the departments is so highly specialized the resulting list will be subject bibliographies. 4. Libraries, whether large or small, de- pository or non-depository, will find the Checklist classification the most economical to use as it is already worked out. The Checklist indicates the arrangement for both congressional and departmental pub- lications from the 15th Congress to the end of the calendar year 1909. The document indexes supply the serial numbers for later congressional publications, while the list of "New classes assigned" (Bulletin 15) and the monthly invoices of depository shipments bring the departmental classifi- cation up to date. Besides these publica- tions the Superintendent of Documents has issued other valuable bibliographical tools: the Document catalogs; the Monthly cata- logs and indexes thereto; the "Tables and index" for the Congressional set through the 52d Congress, which is now out of print; and the Price lists, which since January, 1913, have carried our library no- tation. If your document collection is kept intact you can make more use of these bibliographic tools, and save much time and money for classifying and cataloging. It is an open secret that many small libra- ries have neither the money nor assistants to classify and catalog government pub- lications, and United States documents are relegated to the cellar or attic and are in- accessible to the general public. The time spent in unraveling classification snags could better be spent in other library ac- tivities. Your card catalog of public docu- ments should by all means be continued, the catalog entries bringing subjects to- gether and supplementing the classified ar- rangement by government publishing of- fices. 5. On the last day of each month the Superintendent of Documents issues a de- pository invoice which is sent with the last instalment of books for that month and which shows not only what publica- tions have been sent out during the month but also their Checklist classification. If this notation is used the books should be- CATALOG SECTION 259 come available to the public more promptly than if classified by subjects. The office publications which carry the Checklist notation are — a. The Checklist, 1789-1909. b. New classes assigned Jan. 1, 1910- Oct. 31, 1913. (Bulletin 15.) c. Outline of revised classification for publications of the Interstate Commerce Commission, as adopted Dec. 1914. (Bul- letin 17.) [This classification supersedes that under IC. given on pages 558-587 of the Checklist and on pages 10 and 11 of Bulletin 15.] d. Depository invoices. e. Price lists. Disadvantages of the Checklist Classification 1. A classified arrangement by govern- ment publishing offices cannot keep to- gether a given series // that series passes from the jurisdiction of one department to another. The continuity then can be made perfectly clear by references in the Checklist and Document catalogs and In your own shelflists and card catalogs. The evils of occasionally separating a series are more than balanced by having a defi- nite abiding place for the thousands upon thousands of government publications which do not belong to any series, which are not in any sense continuations, and which are Infinitely harder to arrange and classify. 2. If several departments or bureaus pub- lish documents on the same subject, they do not fall together on the shelves. The catalog, however, locates them under the same subject heading. 3. If your Federal documents are ar- ranged by the Checklist classification, what about state, county, municipal, and foreign government publications? Would its use necessarily demand special classi- fications for these other products of official- dom? If so, have any special classifications for them been evolved by anyone? I am deeply interested in this phase of the sub- ject and request information if such classi- fication schemes exist. The New York State library has done something of the kind. Advice to Librarians 1. To non-depository libraries. Classify by subjects always. 2. To depository libraries. Neither the subject classification nor the Checklist classification will answer every question from every possible angle in an entirely satisfactory manner. Librarians must choose and the following suggestions are made: a. On general principles it seems that depository libraries, with either large or small collections of Federal documents, cataloged or uncataloged, would in the long run find the Checklist classification preferable, unless the collection is very small, or if a subject classification is already in use and giving satisfaction. b. If dissatisfied with your present methods by subjects and if a change is desired, change to the Checklist classifi- cation. c. If your documents are not classified at all, adopt the Checklist method and begin at once. d. Whichever plan you decide upon ar- range Congressional documents by serial numbers. Danger Which Threatens Both Classifications The A. L. A. at its Eaaterskill conference passed a resolution asking that annual re- ports be omitted from the Congressional set. The Superintendent of Documents has ad- vocated the same measure. V,'hat the Su- perintendent of Documents and what li- brarians want is only one edition of annual reports, and that the plain title edition. But the printing bill, had it become law at the last session of Congress (the 3d session of the 63d Congress) would have printed in future the annual reports of Executive De- partments and those subordinate bureaus ichich submit a report to Congress, as Con- gressional documents only and thpre would have been no plain title editions of such annual reports. This condition of affairs still threatens you, for the printing bill be- fore the next Congress may contain the 260 BERKELEY CONFERENCE same provision. Think ivUat that would mean for your public document collection under either form of classification. Recall the fact that beginning with the 60th Con- gress, depository libraries have (1) received plain title editions of annual reports, (2) have received them promptly, (3) have been able to classify the different series of annu- al reports together, and (4) have been able to secure duplicates thereof, if desired. These advantages will all be taken away from you, if the framers of the next print- ing bill are not convinced of the advisabil- ity of removing annual reports from the Congressional set. Concerted action is necessary. The co-operation of all librari- ans of depository libraries is desired. May I suggest that one practical way of shoicing your co-operation is for each individual to address a letter to the Joint Committee on Printing, U. S. Congress, Washington, D. C, praying that the annual reports of execu- tive departments and independent estab- lishments, and bureaus or divisions thereof, be not numbered in any series of Congres- sional documents. In this connection I wish to say that for the last eight years, from the 60th to the 63d Congresses, inclusive, although deposi- tory libraries have not had the annual re- ports in the Congressional edition, such reports have actually been issued in both plain title and Congressional prints. Of the bound Congressional edition there are at present only 73 copies, distributed as fol- lows: No. of copies. Superintendent of Documents 1 Smithsonian Institute for international exchanges 53 Senate Lfbrary 5 House Library 5 Library of Congress 9 73 This is the reason why entries for the Congressional edition of annual reports have been included in Document catalogs and Document indexes. I repeat, what the Superintendent of Documents and what librarians want is only one edition of annual reports, but that the plain title edition and not the Congres- sional edition, which the printing bill be- fore the last Congress would have provided for. I have suggested above that you write to the Joint Committee on Printing relative to this annual report matter. I have a still further request to make concerning a Census of Libraries Using the Checklist Classification No statistics are at liand concerning tiie number of libraries using our classification. We only know that it is growing. In or- der that we may learn how generally it is used, will you kindly address a letter to tlic Librarian, Office of the Superintendent of Documents, Washington, D. C, stating whether you do or do not use the Checklist classification. The next paper, by Bessie Goi-dbekq, head cataloger of the Chicago public li- brary, was on THE TREATMENT OF MUSIC IN CHI- CAGO'S NEW MUSIC ROOM* Very little has been published upon the treatment of music In the public library, tliough many libraries have music rooms. This is evidently not a neglected depart- ment but, perhaps, one that catalogers have had no diflficulty in handling. Our music room was opened last Novem- ber and it seemed to me that since the sub- ject had never been discussed at a catalog section as far as I could find, our catalog- ing, classification, shelving and binding, would be of interest. The collection consists of 2,000 bound vol- umes and 1,500 pieces of sheet music and was selected by three prominent musical critics who conduct the music columns of our three largest daily papers, and we found it much worth while to have their interest as they keep the music room before the public by generous notices — and catered to Chicago's large amateur music loving •Abstract. CATALOG SECTION 261 public rather than to the professional art- ist.' The plan has been to form a home col- lection of music adapted to the skill and proficiency of the ordinary performer. The largest collection is for the more commonly used instruments: the piano, the violin and violoncello, and the like. Music for groups of instruments, chamber music, from du- ets to octets and even nonets in various In- strumental combinations form a large di- vision ; also a selection of the standard concertos. Full orchestral scores and works involving virtuosity have been omitted. All the grand operas were transferred from the main stacks to the music room. The inclusion of sheet music which was at first looked upon with some apprehen- sion has proved by far the most popular feature of the room. The music was accessioned In the ordi- nary way. The cataloging and the rest were not quite so easy. Our music scores and musical literature are not shelved in the same room. So we have a separate music catalog in the music room which consists of a classed shelf list with a liberal use of guide cards and a subject index; and a dictionary catalog of composers, li- brettists, transcribers, arrangers, poets (only if of any literary importance) and title references from all titles by which a composition might be known. On the music catalog there is a notice telling the reader that this is a catalog of music scores and directing him to consult the public card catalog across the hall for other works by or about composers and on musical subjects and then in the pub- lic card catalog under every name and every instrument and musical subject there is a reference or a sec also reference to the catalog of music scores in the music room. This is tentative until proved satis- factory, and saves duplication of cards in both catalogs. Should it ever be possible to shelve the music and musical literature 'Chicago spends per year two million dollars for musical instruction, one million dollars for the pur- chase of music, one million dollars for symphony concerts, recitals of artists and choral societies and five hundred thousand dollars for opera. in the same room as it should be, changes could then be made. The shelf card and composer card are equally full as to entry and include besides the composer's full name and the title of the composition, the key, the opus num- ber, the number of volumes, the publisher's series or publisher, the instrument, full contents and notes to supplement very often inadequate and misleading title- pages. The instrument should always be given as it is quite the most important item on the card, for a pianist would not care to take home a composition for the flute or violin; also a piano score of an opera or overture is a very different thing from a full score which in its turn is quite an- other thing from the separate parts for each instrument. Many collections of songs have no ac- companiment of any kind, others have simple or elaborate accompaniments for piano alone or in combination with other instruments and are for different voices, high, low, medium and so on. It is of the utmost importance, that the nature of each work be clearly described, to show definite- ly how a composition has been treated, to give the musical editor, transcriber or ar- ranger (to identify the edition), although it is not equally important that an added entry be made under his name. In our cataloging we were guided by the prac- tice of the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh. The works of each composer are arranged in a general alphabetical list under his name, but unless they have distinctive titles, they are arranged according to the word in the title denoting the style of com- position rather than by the first word. That is, the symphonies are filed together, sonatas together, trios together, etc. For example: C major symphony and the 6th symphony are both filed under symphony. Concertos are all filed under "C" even if spelled with a "K." Various compositions of the same kind are arranged by opus number if possible. This brings all the various arrangements of one work together. If no opus number or any other number is given they are arranged by keys. 262 BERKELEY CONFERENCE We have followed the classification pub- lished in Miss Hooper's "Selected list of music and books about music" to which we have made additions. Instrumental music is classified according to the instrument and not according to the character of the composition, except that concertos are kept together in one class and subdivided ac- cording to the instrument for which the music is arranged — as we thought it would he most useful to students In that way. The class number of the sheet music Is pre- ceded by an "S" and the cards also stamped "sheet music" to direct the reader to the sheet music bin where it is kept. We used the opus number table of the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh. The sheet music cards are filed back of the bound volumes in the shelf list and alphabetically in the composer list. Binding is an important problem. There may or may not be something significant and illuminating in the choice of maroon for sacred songs, scarlet for secular songs, light blue for piano, navy blue for organ, red for opera, yellow for violin, light brown tor viola, drab for violoncello, light blue for wind instruments, light green for cham- ber music and dark green for orchestra music — but it saves time in replacing books, in discovering out-of-place books, and the reader may perhaps be guided by this color scheme and go directly to the shelves for his particular instrument or composi- tion. Full buckram is used. The part for the principal instrument was bound and a muslin pocket was made on the inside cover to contain the remaining parts which were bound in flexible muslin. In chamber music the various instruments were sepa- rately bound in flexible muslin and the whole enclosed in a buckram portfolio. In one feature our music binding is perhaps unique. The board covers protrude beyond the top front edges of the sheets the ordi- nary one-quarter inch, but at the bottom the margin is doubled so as to save the edges of the leaves from becoming ragged from contact with the music stand. The sewing was done on tapes giving a flexible binding and permitting the music to lie open perfectly flat. For purposes of bind- ing, we have considered a composition of less than forty pages sheet music. The sheet music is put into paper covers with muslin back. Each sheet is pasted to a tape and sewed to the muslin back. The sheet hinge tape that was used is so woven that when the sheet music is opened at any page it lies perfectly flat. Experience has shown that this Is an excellent and durable covering. When there is an In- laid part for a separate instrument a pocket is made on the inside back cover. Where the front cover of a composition has no printing on the inverse side, it is cut and pasted on the cover for a title. The impression seems to be that sheet music is rather the ephemera of the musi- cal family and that although occasionally a composition of real merit may be pub- lished in sheet form it is not generally worth the special consideration of shelving and binding that would have to be given it. So when bought by librarians it is bound into volumes. Our experience in caring for the sheet music has been very satisfac- tory and our circulation statistics show it to be the most called for. We have no pianola rolls nor phono- graph records but I suppose that the treat- ment of these will be our next considera- tion. The fourth subject of the session was TRAINING FOR CATALOGING WORK While this was supposed to have been a round table discussion, few comments were made on the remarks. The first were by Miss Amy Ai.le.v, chief of the catalog division of the University of West Virginia library, on A College Cataloging Course of 22 Lessons* West Virginia is behind most states in library progress. The law permitting tax- ation for library purposes was passed but a few months ago. There Is no library commission or library school. But we have •Abstract. CATALOG SECTION 263 a two-hour course in library science, run- ning through the year, in the State Uni- versity. Most of our calls are for high school librarians, and they need college work with a little training rather than a summer course in library science. In a winter course of 22 lessons we follow Miss Hitchler's manual closely, but we make every lesson include a lesson in subject- headings, because the students seem to need that training most of all. Out of six students last year I had two girls who were born catalogers. I hope the others will never be called to test their training. Miss Lucia Haley, cataloger of the Se- attle public library, spoke of Professional Standards* The head of a recently established library school connected with a state uni- versity has said in a public lecture that the principal trouble with library assist- ants is that they do not know enough. This lack of knowledge does not refer to the handling of technical library routine, but to general information and education. The fundamental preparation for catalog- ing, the knowledge of books, is not ac- quired by submitting to the process of training in any school, nor is the habit of accuracy and systematic thought any more than strengthened by such training. The library school must give the technique of cataloging, but it cannot give the standard of literary taste and book-sense, which is simple, but not crude, and wise but not sophisticated. Even the really well-read students fitted for cataloging are apt to be unfamiliar with the mass of fiction, of a sort not studied in college courses. Ap- plied science is a field in which most cata- logers are weak. The student of inquisi- tive mind who dips into many courses will have a better subject-headings vocabulary than a thorough specialist. Musicians or artists who lack the talent for a career may have technical knowledge of use in special cataloging. If these people here and there with special qualifications for cataloging can be reached, the library service will gain in quality, and individuals will find their congenial vocation. Some publicity work for cataloging is necessary. Even if we were appraised neither as "highbrows" engaged in occult works by our awed admirers, nor as futile and fussy triflers by our detractors, it would be desirable to bring a real knowl- edge of cataloging aims and qualifi- cations before college students or others who might be attracted to the work. In the various material printed for vocational guidance library work is rather inade- quately treated. I would suggest that com- mittees arranging vocational conferences occasionally invite such speakers, as, for instance, the head catalogers of the New York or Brooklyn public libraries, whereby we might expect a rise in interest in cata- loging as a profession. As cataloging becomes more specialized we give less and less opportunity to the untrained worker. I cling to the old idea of starting from the bottom and working up. I wish we could at least give these girls their chance. The all-around training of general library work is indispensable to the cataloger and most desirable as prep- aration for library school training. There is also a certain value in having some catalogers who have been through the mill of pasting and shelving and stamping. It helps them to understand their subordi- nates. You may find humorous the idea of a series of popular articles on cataloging for some general magazine. A popular treatment of cataloging will undoubtedly be somewhat in the nature of an apology for our work. It will be interesting to see how well we can stand publicity. Miss Alice Dougan, of Purdue Univer- sity Library, queried: Is Cataloging Unpopular?* The fact that the number of students in library schools preferring cataloging is so small in proportion to the demand for catalogers means that we are getting cata- * Abstract. 264 BERKELEY CONFERENCE principles underlie most of the library rec- logers who come to the work without en- thusiasm. The reasons for the unpopular- ity of cataloging are mainly psychological. The work is considered monotonous drud- gery. The attitude of other library work- ers is against it. In the library school courses the work at first is overburdened with details. There are so many oppor- tunities for inaccuracy. If there could be a special course of training for accuracy other than the cataloging course, how re- lieved teachers and pupils would be. An emphasis on the value of the catalog as a reference tool, and more training in bring- ing readers and books together would give greater efficiency. If the knowledge of books obtained by the cataloger could be utilized at the reference desk, if the knowl- edge of the reference librarian could be utilized in classifying and assigning sub- ject-headings, much of the friction would cease to exist. The cataloger and reference librarian should be one in purpose. Mrs. Theodora R. Brewitt, principal of the Los Angeles Public Library training school said: Our problem, in the training school of the Los Angeles public library, is to give the most thorough Instruction in catalog- ing possible In an eight months' course. There are certain considerations in teach- ing cataloging to a training class which do not enter into the 'problem of instruction in the library schools. The first of these is the proportion of time which may legiti- mately be devoted to cataloging when the majority of students go into the local library and very few Into departments where actual cataloging is required. It may be questioned whether a part of the time given to cataloging in the library schools might not be better spent in the training class on the subjects which lead to a knowledge and appreciation of books. On the other hand some of our students do go into small libraries where the first re- quirement of a trained assistant is a knowledge of cataloging. Another strong argument for the more extensive course is the fact that cataloging ords and a knowledge of them Is essential in all bibliographical work. For these rea- sons we give to cataloging in our training school practically the same proportion of time in relation to the entire course, as is given in the library schools. This means thirty lessons with an average of three hours of practice work for each. Another problem peculiar to training classes is the extent of conformity to local practices when they differ from standard rules. Local methods must necessarily be fol- lowed to a large extent but in subject entry it has seemed best to use the A. L. A. sub- ject headings entirely for exercise work. Local variations are discussed in class and this discussion tends to fix in mind the principles of subject entry. It seems to me that as a rule, when there is an instructor who gives her entire time to the training class, she is the logical per- son to teach cataloging. It is often inad- visable for the head of the cataloging de- partment to take as much time from the work in the department as is required to teach and revise exercises. Extensive ex- perience and a knowledge of local methods are not so essential as the ability to teach. We take some pains to correlate the cata- loging course with other subjects. The students are required to assign subject headings to certain books in each classifi- cation lesson. Corrections for both subject headings and class numbers are discussed at the same time. The class instruction is only the foundation after all. A real grasp of cataloging comes only after broad- er experience in relating books to the needs of the people. Miss Esther A. Smith, head cataloger of Michigan University library, dealt with Some Heresies' We have doubtless all heard others be- side Mr. Compton' give expression to the thought that "Cataloging is despised by every true librarian." To those of us who find a never-falling source of fascination in ^Abstract. Her paper was read by Francis L. D. Goodrich, University of Michigan library. "Public libraries, March, 1915. CATALOG SECTION 265 the subject of cataloging the question comes "Why this attitude?" The answer, I feel sure is to be found in the methods of training catalogers. The cataloger is urged constantly to know books, to study books. To my mind it is quite as essential that she study people, — their types, their cliaracteristics and their habits of mind. Instead of being a creature apart, living wholly in and tor her books she should lose no reasonable opportunity for ming- ling with people in their social and intel- lectual pursuits. In the study of cataloging the mechanical is overemphasized. The catalog becomes a mere wooden case filled with uninteresting and painfully exact cards, instead of a vital element in the library's service to the com- munity. The majority of young catalogers seem to think that a library catalog is a modern institution. Would not their inter- est in their work be greatly increased by a knov/ledge of the history of catalogs? A history of the catalog of the British Mu- seum together with a brief account of the "Battle of the Rules" would furnish a sound basis for the discussion of codes, emphasizing the fact that the principles on which the codes are founded are the essentials. The technical instruction should begin with work in subject headings, the most interesting as well as the most important — and usually the least satisfactory — part of the catalog. Instruction in subject head- ings must follow what McMurray calls the "combined dictation and independent thought method." In a choice of a subject the student is obliged to exercise the power of independent and constructive thinking, while the results of this reasoning must be made to conform "in arrangement and terminology" to dictated rules. It is surely not necessary that the student should in- variably agree with the instructor. Disa- greements are inevitable and should be frankly discussed before the class, if pos- sible, and if a student is able to present adequate reasons for her choice of heading, and is not convinced by the teacher, her work should be allowed to stand. Let the teacher beware of confusing ac- curacy with "finickiness" and thus dis- crediting the former in tlie minds of the student. Provided the result does not de- tract from the neatness and legibility of the card variations in space and punctua- tion may often be disregarded. I would like to enter a plea for the revision of cata- loging problems by the teacher and not by a reviser who is not in close personal touch with the students. The revision should not be a mechanical matter consisting simply in showing the student wherein she has failed to agree with the teacher, but an understanding study, not only of the work presented but of the student's mind and personality. Unnecessary corrections will discourage the careful conscientious stu- dent — if it is not the means of lowering the teacher in her estimation — and I have known it to lead to ridicule of the entire course. Shall the student be given help outside of class, or must she "work out her own salvation"? How many really work student of cataloging is usually entering out salvation and not condemnation? The an untried field. It is essential that she start right. Let her be helped to an answer to her questions, but let her be made to feel that she has really solved the problem herself and not been furnished with a full- grown and well equipped answer simply for the asking. It is in the study of printed cards that uniformity in essentials may be emphasized. Throughout the course the student must be encouraged to use her imagination. She must be urged to form mental pictures of her cards in the catalog and of the people who will use them. Not only will the use of imagination make cataloging far from mechanical, it will give to the cataloger some of the reward that comes from a sense of the value of her work. A few hours spent in helping the public to use the catalog will give her a keener insight into their mental processes and a greater ap- preciation of the needs of the catalog Itself than any amount of study. Above all must the student be made to realize that the catalog is a tool for the assistance of the 266 BERKELEY CONFERENCE patrons of the library, not a work of art for exciting the admiration of visiting li- brarians. Miss Helen B. Sutlitf, head cataloger of Leland Stanford Jr. University Library, talked on Things Not Mentioned in the Curriculum "I cannot help thinking," said C. A. Cut- ter, "that the golden age of cataloging is over and that the difficulties and discus- sions which have furnished an innocent pleasure to so many will interest them no more. Another lost art." Really the golden age is just beginning. The Library of Congress with its corps of first-class bibliographers, gives magnificent service to libraries. And in my opinion, any school, or any library that departs from the usage of the Library of Congress, except to shorten entries when cards have to be typed, is storing up for itself a great deal of unnecessary trouble. In the uni- versity and large reference libraries, after the Library of Congress has done the best it can for them, there is still a considerable proportion of the cataloging that must be done by the catalogers of the library. For that kind of work special training is es- sential and it is not supplied by the library schools. It goes without saying that a first- class general education is essential. A thorough knowledge of German and French is indispensable, while the other modern languages and Greek and Latin are only a little less important. Equipped with these and some technical instruction best sup- plied by the schools, the cataloger must get the rest of his training in the library to which he is assigned. Columbia is lead- ing the way in giving its assistants oppor- tunity for specialization in their work, and best of all, in giving them academic stand- ing in the university when they are equipped to take it. A good cataloger Is "born, not made," so, besides the knowledge and the training, he must have vision and Imagination, and must love knowledge for its own sake. Miss SuLi Wagneb, chief of catalog and order departments of the St. Louis public library, spoke forcefully as follows: Training presupposes a good general edu- cation, including Latin, German and as many other languages as possible. If cred- its are given for various languages it seems to me that most should be given for Ger- man as the learning of another foreign alphabet will appear less formidable after that. If typewriting is to be taught, a good commercial method should be adhered to. No speeding with two fingers should be tolerated. Throughout the course the use of a good library hand should be insisted upon, constant practice being given to those whose handwriting is not perfectly legible letter by letter. The first training proper should be in the use of a card catalog. Lists, commercial and other should be checked with the cata- log. In other words the catalog should cease being mysterious before any cata- loging is done. One set of cataloging rules should be taught thoroughly. I do not believe in the comparative method for beginners. There must, however, be constant reminder of the fact that there are other codes. Note should always be made as to where the rule differs from that adopted by the Library of Congress, as it is impossible to ignore the usage of that Library and do most efficient work. The Handbook of the card section of the Library of Congress should be made fa- miliar to the student and the rules for ordering cards learned. The use of the "A. L. A. List of subject headings" should be taught with constant reference to Li- brary of Congress headings, differences pointed out and their reasons explained. As the Dewey Classification is in most common use, it should be taught, the char- acteristics of two or three other schemes being merely pointed out. Throughout the course constant tests of accuracy should be made. Accuracy comes first, but speed runs it a close second. Accuracy is the balm which the slow worker applies to her soul but I have not found that slowness CATALOG SECTION 267 and accuracy necessarily accompany each other. Books used for practice work should have no marks in them whatever, and work should be done without reference to any library catalog. A course in indexing should be given. As good practice work I suggest the indexing of a volume of some library bulletin not already indexed. The cataloger must understand that when her course is finished she still has ahead of her the acquisition of all the lan- guages in the world and that she must be ready to adapt her code of rules to catalog- ing music, manuscripts, lecture courses, etc. She must have a thirst after knowl- edge and be an omnivorous reader. She must keep up and cultivate her taste for pure literature. She must be able to dis- tinguish good, bad and slush. She must mingle with her fellow workers and the outside world. In fact, she must be a "Busy Bertha." Miss Alice M. Healt, head cataloger of the San Francisco public library, dwelt on the phase: Training Cataiogers in Public Libraries by Actual Work* Among the conditions which may make the practical method of training cataiogers necessary are distance from the centers of instruction in library science, a limited budget and municipal legislation, as for ex- ample, in the city of San Francisco, where the employment of people in any branch of the municipal service is limited to those who have resided within the city for at least one year. The financial appropriation may be insufficient to provide a large enough corps to conduct a training class of a high standard. If an apprentice does work acceptable to a department, accom- plishing an actual output, she should be paid accordingly. If her presence is a detriment she should not be in the library at all. The great advantage of a training class is the breadth of view it gives. This same advantage may be gained in the de- partment by talks and discussions upon other departments. As it is advisable that all assistants in the library acquire some knowledge of records and their use, the system of rotation may be used, by which members of other departments may be placed in the catalog department on part time and have experience in handling all records and in making some. The catalog department must have regular full-time as- sistants whose training should include a few minutes a day assigned to the study of rules. The shortest route to the acquire- ment of theoretical knowledge is by practi- cal work accompanied by verbal instruc- tion and later by the study of printed rules applicable to the work already done. Initi- ative should be engendered by confidence in the ability of an assistant. No one per- son has a monopoly on the acquisition of knowledge. What one can do, another can at least aim to do, and probably can do. Where an apprentice has learned one step well she should be expected to instruct an- other in that step. Teaching makes for definiteness of thought and of expression of thought. Assistants should be encour- aged to ask questions at any and at all times. A chief cataloger should train her- self not to be annoyed by constant inter- ruption. Naturally in the selection of as- sistants the personal element is a factor. The effectiveness of any department is as much weakened by the advent of an indif- ferent or unpleasant personality as by a poor grade of work. Does it pay to instruct assistants in this way? It does pay where conditions are such that there is permanent residence. In a library where the personnel of the staff changes often, it would he wholly imprac- ticable. Some lines by Mr. Joseph F. Daniels, librarian of the Riverside, Cal., public li- brary, were then read on A Perspective View of Catalog Teaching* We are beginning to adjust all rules to fit the public habit of mind and to see a •Abstract. 268 BERKELEY CONFERENCE catalog as the people see it. The day is not far distant when we shall disprove the old saying that the catalog is made for the librarian. We can never get away from the fact that knowledge is complex and mobile. Catalog rules must be flexible and resilient. We try in our short courses at Riverside to disabuse the student mind of the idea that a complete submission to any set of rules is safe and sure. Modern cataloging as taught in schools is a very limited subject and no real per- spective or sense of proportion can exist without a little more horizon and more area exposed. To understand the structure of a topical analysis is absolutely necessary in the display and arrangement of any sub- ject matter that is to be assembled for a definite purpose, and the topical analysis is the actual combination of all our knowl- edge of cataloging and classification. Topi- cal analysis is a proper study in advanced cataloging and in my perspective of our public service in libraries it seems clear that we must do more for students in that more expert performance. We must add another advanced course for specialists who shall not only be good workmen in the construction of the ordinary library catalog, but must be able to analyze the subject matter of a great lawsuit or a gpecial collection of data, so that the whole of the material may be quickly consulted without the useless handling of a single book or manuscript. Mr. T. Franklin Cukuieb, asst. librarian of Harvard, contributed some very valu- able suggestions, which in his absence were read by the chairman:* My theme should be narrowed by the ex- clusion of elementary work. The library schools teach elementary catalog practice satisfactorily even in the time allowed it in their crowded schedules. Moreover the Li- brary of Congress by its magnificent and pioneer work in placing at our disposal its own catalog titles has made it unnecessary for other libraries to repeat this work each for itself. Cataloging in the smaller and •Abstract. moderate sized libraries means no more than handling Library of Congress cards plus classification. The field left for pres- ent discussion is that of more difficult cata- loging called for by the larger reference and university libraries. The fifty to seventy-five per cent of their accessions which these libraries are obliged to cata- log for themselves include the more diffi- cult of the titles acquired. Whom shall we get to do this work? Our files are cum- bered with letters from leisurely ladies with a taste for reading and the cultivation incident to European travel, who know some French, less German and little Latin; we greet annually a crop of graduates from our colleges; we get help which is some- times invaluable and sometimes shoddy from the graduate student, but we too sel- dom come in touch with the person of trained mind and good language equipment looking for a permanent position as cata- loger. I have not included the library school graduate in my list. Personally I have heard less frequently from her ap- parently because the library school is not ordinarily preparing workers for our specialized field. In considering our requirements I come to my first thesis that training for cata- loging and classification has scarcely more than begun when the catalogor finds her- self engaged. Every cataloger whether a beginner or experienced should be continu- ally progressing along the road indicated by President Lowell where each should know as much as possible about some one thing and a little about a lot of things, and it should be the aim of our library ad- ministrators to encourage this persistently and continuously. In the happy time when we shall have mints of money, we shall have a person or group of persons suited to each line of cataloging, keep them close- ly in touch with the specialists who haunt our precincts and encourage steady de- velopment in their chosen fields. Until this happy time arrives is not the demand for low cost and high efficiency to be met only by training persons who while not avowed specialists are at least keeping in touch CATALOG SECTION 269 with the present advances and have be- come to some extent familiar with the past work in their respective fields? In a col- lege community this is probably easier than in a public library. But in both public and college libraries the cataloger can do what is most important, keep up steady reading along defined lines. Let us now discuss more at length the training that must precede the acceptance of a position. What must our aspiring ap- plicant know? First and foremost foreign languages and the more the better. They are the tools of our trade and expensive tools for the knowledge should be a good reading knowledge. I deprecate the term "a cata- loger's knowledge" so often used to mean a smatterer's knowledge of a few frequently recurring book terms and the ability to dis- tinguish a verb from a noun. It should mean the ability to read an encyclopedia article understandingly and readily, and with exact knowledge of terminations and accents. It is in a way unfortunate that our trade demands a knowledge so difficult to acquire for it draws into our work gradu- ates whose interests and previous studies have been confined to languages and litera- ture and excludes those whose studies have not demanded a broad language equipment. However I believe a good language equip- ment for the beginner must be insisted on for the normal person is much more likely to progress along a field of topical reading connected with his daily work than to per- sist in the acquirement of a language. That candidate will be most surely successful wliose mind has been trained to work out with independence difficult problems. She should be warned against spreading super- ficially over many fields. She should be encouraged to work at least one to some depth. How is the cataloger to learn the de- tailed technique of our art? The regular colleges have offered me a much larger number of persons equipped for our work than have the library schools, undoubtedly because the library school has more de- mand for persons who are to occupy ad- ministrative positions while our large cata- log departments need persons with minds trained for scholarly research and these are usually found in colleges. If possible I would like to reject the apprentice plan as interfering too much with the duties of the regular staff. I should like to hasten the day of affiliation between the library school and neighboring college whereby the student in her senior college year could take a couple of professional courses to count toward her A. B. degree and could continue in her graduate professional year one advanced college course providing re- search work in her major subject, while devoting the rest of the year to courses fitting the cataloger's needs. This plan is perhaps visionary at present and the most practical solution is for one of cur library schools to study the needs of the largest libraries and offer a one year course to college graduates. In such a course much time should be devoted to the general principles of classification and to the study of reference books and methods of investi- gation. The chief object of the course I have in mind is to warn the immature mind to avoid aimless work, to teach the principles behind the rules, to train the student to work out extensions of the codes, to study the objects of the work and the persons who will use it and to acquire an instinctive foreknowledge of those occasions when blind obedience leads to the ditch. Is there not sufficient demand to make such a course a paying proposition? A much appreciated contribution by Miss Theresa Hitchleb, sup't of cataloging, Brooklyn public library, was read by Miss Ida B. Weed, of the San Francisco public library:* The training of a good cataloger should differ in no wise from the training of a good general library worker except perhaps in degree. The two qualifications most needed by almost anyone in the profession are scholarship and gumption. If you can have but one of them let it be "gumption" or horse sense. A thin veneer of scholarship which may thicken gradually with experi- • Abstract. 270 BERKELEY CONFERENCE ence, may be grafted on the cataloger with a solid foundation of gumption, but the lat- ter quality if left out of her composition is one difBcult to call out of the nowhere in the first place, and owing to the peculiar exigencies of cataloging and the mental loneliness during working hours, proves slow of expansion under conditions of the best. As most catalogers have doubtless discovered for themselves ere this, their work stands for or against them in undeni- able shape for almost all time. For a cata- loger to change her mind means changing at the same time some written record or other. It behooves the cataloger therefore to be more accurate, and therefore more capable of concentration than most, with- out sacrificing the speed which spells "ef- ficiency;" to be adaptable to changes in superiors, co-workers and physical sur- roundings, to be broadly consistent with due regard to the growing demands of the public we serve, and the problems of cost, both of work and materials, and of space for such materials. A good cataloger grows broader as time goes on, and her knowledge, judgment and ability should keep pace v/ith her growth. Consequently she will not stick to what has been done yesterday even though she herself insti- tuted tlic practice, if she discovers a better method to-day. Other things being equal I would choose to-day the library school trained cataloger. Cataloging, unlike work with the public, demands a knowledge of the guiding prin- ciples, at least, to insure a good foundation, and these principles cannot be acquired by mere observation and subsequent practice. It requires actual instruction witli super- vision and revision of the work. The Library schools to-day are special- izing more and more, but there is danger in segregation if carried too far. The best cataloger is perfectly conversant with all branches of library work, and imbued with a sense of the proportionate importance of each. The normal man or woman is apt to make the best cataloger, for efiiciency in library work is not obtained by separating the various branches of the work Into dis- tinct units which bear little relation to one another. The cataloger who can do any other part of the work when required and do it well — taking into account the paucity of practical experience — will make the more intelligent all-round cataloger. To sum up I would say that a really good cataloger should possess these qualifications: — Com- mon sense or gumption. More common sense. Good judgment. Knowledge increas- ing to Scholarship, An open mind and Broad views. Special training. Accuracy, Speed, Concentration, And a disposition "not too good for human nature's daily food." On motion the meeting then adjourned. The special session, Saturday morning at 10 a. m., was opened by a statement by Mr. Chas. H. Hastings of the Library of Congress, concerning a PROPOSED M.ANUAL ON THE AR- RANGEMENT OF CARDS IN ALPHABETICAL CATALOGS It has been decided that the card divi- sion of the Library of Congress with as- sistance from the L. C. catalog division and the co-operation of users of the L. C. cards, will undertake to compile a manual for the arrangement of cards in a dic- tionary catalog or any alphabetically ar- ranged catalog. It has seemed best to cut loose from Cutter's Rules entirely and make the pres- ent arrangement of cards in the L. C. pub- lic catalog the basis of the rules. Varia- tions from Cutter's Rules will probably be given in different type or in parallel columns. A systematic arrangement which will facilitate a grasp of the rules as a whole will probably be adopted. Enough examples will be supplied to illustrate fully the rule. Useful information as to methods and appliances for the preliminary sorting and arranging of cards, cost of sorting, arranging and filing, and sugges- tions for guides and labels will be included. Information and suggestions from cata- logers in other libraries are desired. One CATALOG SECTION 271 questionnaire has already been sent out to about 150 libraries. With the replies to this as a basis, a questionnaire can be framed which will be definite and probably final. It seems desirable to have a committee of the A. L. A. Catalog Section appointed to give advice and make suggestions, particularly to insure that the alternative rules fulfill the requirements.' I shall devote the rest of the time al- lotted to me to a brief statement as to some of the more important moot points in arrangement as shown by the replies to the circular letter recently sent out. Arrangement under place names (coun- tries, states, cities, etc.). The problem of satisfactorily arranging entries under place names is by far the most difficult which we have to solve. The method of arrangement at L. C. is to put the entries in three main alphabets: (1) Works by the government as a whole and its executive offices, together with constitu- tions or charters, and immediately follow- ing each of these the subject entries per- taining to it; (2) Subject entries pertain- ing to the political division as a whole; (3) Works by and about institutions of the government which are not classed with the executive offices, works by and about associations, and titles.^ The chief disadvantages of this arrange- ment are: (1) Users of the catalog, not knowing the cataloger's criterion of dis- tinction between an executive office and an institution, will look in the first alphabet for entries which are filed in the third alphabet and vice versa. (2) The subjects 1 The committee suggested was appointed as fol- lows: Mr. T. Franklin Currier, ass't libn.. Harvard Univ. ; Miss Margaret Mann, chief cataloger. Car negie Libr., Pittsburgh; Miss Mary Sutliff, N. Y public library, Library school; Miss Bessie Gold berg, head cataloger, Chicago public libr. ; Mr Clifford B. Clapp, head cataloger, Dartmouth Col lege; Mr. Chas. J. Matthews, libn., Ohio Univ. Athens, O. ; Miss Mary E. Hazeltine, Univ. o Wis. Lib. sch., Madison, Wis.; Miss Nella J. Mar tin, asst., Univ. of Cal., lib., Berkeley, Cal. - E.xception is made in the case of Army, Nav; and Constitution. The large groups of subject en tries for these are placed in the second main alpha bet. with which the executive offices are con- cerned are so far removed from works by and about these offices that users of the catalog fail to locate the one or the other. Michigan University, Minnesota University, and Cleveland Public (branch catalogs) are putting everything in one alphabet. Cleveland Public (main catalog), Illinois University and Pomona Public put asso- ciations and titles in a second alphabet, rest in first alphabet. California Univer- sity puts official Institutions with associa- tions and titles in second alphabet, rest in first alphabet. Other libraries reported that they were putting works about the country with works by the country as author, but failed to state what was being done with institutions, associations and titles. New York State, Massachusetts State and Harvard University have adopted, experi- mentally at least, a two alphabet arrange- ment in which the division is according to form of entry, entries consisting of name of place followed by period or dash and a subheading being placed in the first alpha- bet, all other entries in the second alphabet. Pittsburgh puts works about the executive departments in the second alphabet with works about the political division as a whole. Yale University formerly arranged in this way but is now changing over to the method followed at L. C. Chicago Pub- lic puts institutions and associations which pertain to the place in the third alphabet, and titles, firms and non-localized asso- ciations in a fourth alphabet. Libraries are evidently having difficulty with states and cities of the same name, especially the New Yorks. L. C. puts the author en- tries for New York city first, the subject entries for the city next, the author entries for the state third, the subject entries for the state fourth. Institutions and asso- ciations pertaining to either city or state, firm names and titles are all put in one general mixture in a fifth alphabet. By this arrangement the institutions of New York City, including the New York Public Li- brary, are placed some fifteen trays away from the official entries for New York City with the whole of New York State between 272 BERKELEY CONFERENCE them. Pittsburgh Carnegie and Chicago Public use a third alphabet tor associations pertaining to the city of New York with "city" occurring as a part of the name or supplied In brackets, a similar third alpha- bet for the state of New York and a seventh extra alphabet for titles and associations and firms which have neither "city" nor "state" as a part of the name. The same libraries place main entries for pub- lic institutions in the first alphabet with one very desirable result at least, viz., that the state library and the city library line up with the exec- utive departments, as I am convinced they should, inasmuch as the great majority of the users of the catalogs will expect to find them there. The St. Louis Public, altho maintaining a third alphabet of in- stitutions and titles, places state and city libraries in the first alphabet. I expect to find that other libraries have adopted the same practice. I hope that the Library of Congress will find it practicable to adopt it and thereafter indicate by the style of type that it favors placing state and city libraries in the first alphabet. Arrangement of subdivisions under sub- jects. The L. C. practice is to arrange in 3 groups: (1) according to form or relation other than that of space, (2) according to space or geographical division, (3) ac- cording to style of heading, headings formed by inversion being placed in a separate class. Arrangement in one al- phabet, regardless of logic, punctuation, or inversion, is now being tried at Columbia University, Harvard University, Michi- gan University, Massachusetts Agricultural College and Riverside Public. California University is now putting in one group the headings which are put in the first two proups at L. C. but is not fully satisfied, and may decide to separate again into two groups. Minnesota University puts all in one alphabet but in effect separates the geographical by prefixing the word "of" to name of place, e. g., Botany of Cali- fornia. Other libraries reported that they would probably change and put all the classes in one alphabet. Arrangement in one alphabet was adopted and advocated in the last edition of the A. L. A. List of subject headings and it seems probable that this has influenced numerous li- braries. Arrangement of added entries. Enoch Pratt, Harvard University, John Crerar, U. S. Bureau of Education and U. S. Geological Survey have done away with the second alphabet under authors. Several others are considering this change. The re- plies indicate much uncertainty as to the arrangement of added entries. They indi- cate that the present method of designat- ing such entries on the L. C. cards tends to confuse catalogers and filers. When a writer is an adapter of another writer's works, or a compiler of a publication is- sued by a society or government office he assumes a position analogous to that of a joint author. As catalogers well know, it is often difficult to decide whether the main entry should be under the original writer or the adapter, under the compiler or un- der the society or office responsible for the publication of the work. Part of the us- ers of the catalog will look first under the one heading, part under the other; but the great majority will look in the first alphabet and all such entries should be placed in the first alphabet. In the code of rules recently published by Pittsburgh the above distinction as to the filing of added entries has been plainly brought out. Cleve- land Public and New York Public Library School have also emphasized them. They cannot be emphasized too much. If the practice were adopted of designating on the L. C. cards the entries which belong in the first alphabet by a special symbol, e. g.. a large roman figure instead of a small one, I believe that the present tendency to give up the useful division into two alpha- bets would be arrested. The L. C. prac- tice of designating a compiler of a certain type as "Editor" in the heading on the CATALOG SECTION 273 printed card seems also to have caused confusiou. Some libraries seem uncertain whether such entries should be filed in the first alphabet or the second. Arrangement of entries under subjects. To minimize the difficulty arising from a large collection of entries under a subject, the John Crerar Library arranges books under subject in inverse order of date of publication. Columbia University has adopted the same plan, excepting works in Literature. Other libraries are trying the plan or are considering it. The District of Columbia Public Library divides the en- tries when numerous into two classes, books before 1900 and books from 1900 on. Harvard University Library follows the same plan but in some cases makes the division at 1890. Arrangement of editions. In university libraries there seems to be a strong tendency to arrange editions by editor instead of date. Some appar- ently arrange by editor throughout, others arrange by editors in literature only, or in the case of voluminous authors only. Arrangement'of Books in the Bible. Harvard University Library, Illinois University Library and Massachusetts State Library have had the moral cour- age to arrange separate books of the Bible in alphabetical order. Even tho no other libraries are found to have adopted this practice, I trust that an alternative rule covering it will appear in the manual. Umlaut. About one third of the libraries report- ing, including John Crerar, Cleveland Pub- lic, Pittsburgh Public and Vassar College, disregard Cutter's rule and file a. 6, ii as a, o, u because they find that such arrange- ment is simpler or suits their constituency better. Cleveland Public reports that the arrangement favored by Cutter was found to be' advantageous neither to the English speaking nor to the German speaking citi- zen. Considerable interesting discussion was elicited which lack of allotted space pre- vents recording. Mr. Hastings expressed willingness to co-operate in this publication with a Com- mittee of the Catalog section of the A. L. A. Miss Wagner moved the appointment of this advisory committee. This motion was seconded and unanimously approved, and the following committee appointed: Chairman, Margaret Mann, Carnegie library, Pittsburgh; T. Franklin Currier, Harvard; Mary Sutliff, New York P. L.; Bessie Goldberg, Chicago P. L. ; Clifford Clapp, Dartmouth Coll.; Chas. G. Matthews, Ohio Univ.; Mary E. Hazeltine, Univ. of Wis. Library school; Nella J. Martin, Univ. of California. Mr. Martel next said a few words con- cerning some new types of L. C. entries and passed around some sample cards. Suggestions were solicited for subjects most in need of expansion in the D. C. This met with a hearty response. An attempt to secure suggestions for the program of the section for next year met with no response. Miss Gosman, chairman of the nominat- ing committee, proposed the following for officers of the Section for the ensuing year: For Chairman: Miss Sula Wagner, chief of the catalog and order department, St. Louis P. L.; for Secretary: Miss Charlotte H. Foye, John Crerar Library, Chicago. These ladies were unanimously elected. On motion the section adjourned. BERKELEY CONFERENCE COLLEGE AND REFERENCE SECTION The College and Reference Section met at the University of California, Berkeley, Tuesday morning, Jime 8, 1915. Mr. Charles H. Compton, reference librarian Seattle public library, presided and Miss Edith M. Coulter, reference librarian Uni- versity of California library, acted as sec- retary. Before proceeding to the program, the chairman appointed a nominating commit- tee to consist of Mr. Francis L. D. Good- rich of the University of Michigan and Miss Esther Nelson, librarian of the Uni- versity of Utah. The committee was in- structed to report at the close of the ses- sion. The first paper was by Mr. John B. Kaiser, librarian Tacoma public library, on "A need and an opportunity; the civics room." (See p. 163) In the absence of Mr. Carl P. P. Vitz, second vice-librarian Cleveland public li- brary, his paper entitled "Cleveland ex- perience with departmentalized reference work," was read by Mr. Joseph L. Wheeler. (See p. 169) Mr. William E. Henry, librarian of the University of Washington, presented a pa- per on the "Conservation of library ma- terial." (See p. 174) The last paper on the program was read by Mr. Carleton B. Joeckel, librarian Berkeley public library, on "The field of the public library in a college town." (See p. 178) On the completion of the program the chairman called for the report of the special committee on a statistical form for college and reference libraries. Dr. C. W. Andrews, a member of the committee, read a letter from Mr. A. S. Root, the chairman, and presented the report of the committee recommending that a single schedule be used for college and reference and for general libraries. Mr. J. I. Wyer Jr. moved that the col- lege and reference section accept the report of Mr. Root's committee. The motion was seconded and carried. Mr. William E. Henry expressed himself in favor of a sepa- rate schedule for college libraries, and Mr. George T. Clark stated that college libra- ries would make a very poor showing if the single schedule were used. Whereupon Mr. Sidney B. Mitchell asked for a recon- sideration of the motion, with college and reference librarians only voting. The mo- tion was lost, showing that college librari- ans were opposed to a single schedule. Mr. Clark moved that the report be referred back to the committee with the provision that the single schedule be tried for one year. The motion was seconded and carried. At the end of the session the nominating committee submitted the following: "The committee on nominations for the college and reference section of the A. L. A. beg leave to make the following report: "Mr. W. M. Hepburn, librarian of Purdue University, to serve one year to succeed Professor A. S. Root, resigned; Mr. H. M. Lydenberg, reference librarian of the New York public library, to serve three years. The committee recommends that Mr. Hep- burn act as chairman for the coming year and that in the future the senior member of the committee serve in that capacity. "F. L. D. Goodrich, "Esther Nelson." Dr. Andrews moved that the report be accepted as presented. Carried. The meeting then adjourned. CHILDREN'S LIBRARIAN SECTION CHILDREN'S LIBRARIANS' SECTION The section on Library Work with Chil- dren held its meeting in California Hall of the University of California on the morn- ing of June 8. Miss Jessie M. Carson, the chairman, was not present and her place was filled by Miss Jasmine Britton, vice-chairman. The first paper was by Mrs. Edna Lyman Scott, lecturer and story-teller, on "The inspirational influence of books in the life of children." (See p. 179) Mrs. Scott was followed by Mrs. Alice G. Whitbeck, librarian of Contra Costa County free library, Martinez, Calif., who read a paper on "The reading of older boys and girls." (See p. 185) Mrs. Whitbeck's paper called forth dis- cussion by Miss Greer of Tacoma, Miss Hunt of Brooklyn, and Mrs. Linn of Santa Barbara. In opening the discussion Miss Greer spoke of the guidance in book se- lection given children among tlie carefully chosen titles of the children's collection, and called attention to the retrogression so often apparent in a child's reading when he is given untrammeled choice among a miscellaneous collection of adult books. The remedies suggested by Miss Greer and Miss Hunt to coimteract the indis- criminate reading of adolescents were two: First, a collection of books suited to the taste of children in this transition period; and second, and most desirable, assistants wlio work in both the children's room and tlie circulation department. In a small li- brary this desirable expedient is a neces- sity, but in a large library it is often too expensive a proceeding, and the intermedi- ate collection, shelved preferably in the adult department, is imperative. Mrs. Linn spoke of the needs of a small library and suggested the use of such lists as the Brooklyn list of "Books for girls," and the Cleveland list of "Seventy-flve books of adventure for boys." Miss Wood, of Portland, sent her contri- bution to the discussion by Miss Bailey. She suggested that the library reorganize on the six-six plan that is followed by some schools. This would give six years in the grades and in the children's room and three years each in Junior and Senior higli schools, at which time the children would be served by the intermediate col- lection. She spoke very strongly of the need of teaching literary values not only to the children but to mothers and teach- ers, and said that children's librarians must learn to evaluate children's books more carefully. Miss Hunt ended the discussion with a cheerful prognostication for the future based on the successful outcome of the work in the past and declared that chil- dren's librarians "have the right to be not only cheerful but chesty." Mrs. May Dexter Henshall, school library organizer, California State library, read a paper on "Reading in rural districts." (See p. 190) At the close of the session a very brief business meeting was held at which the following officers were elected: Miss Ger- trude E. Andrus, chairman, Seattle public library; Miss Elisabeth Knapp, vice-chair- man, Carnegie library of Pittsburgh; Miss Bessie Sibley, secretary and treasurer. Mr. J. C. Dana and Mr. E. L. Pearson were ap- pointed to the Advisory Board. The following resolution was passed and sent to the Council of the A. L. A.: The Children's Librarian Section of the A. L. A. wishes to express its sympathy with the efforts of the Boy Scouts to improve the reading of boys by means of a week when the retail book trade of the United States shall place special emphasis on juvenile books, and suggests that the Council of the A. L. A. shall indicate through formal ac- tion its approval of this attempt. BERKELEY CONFERENCE SCHOOL LIBRARIES SECTION The first annual meeting of the School Libraries Section was held in East Hall, University of California, at 9:30 Saturday morning, June 5, with an attendance of two hundred and fifty, Martha Wilson, St. Paul, chairman of the section, presiding; Ella Morgan, librarian Lincoln high school, Los Angeles, acting secretary. In opening the meeting, the purpose of the section was outlined. The school library being one of the great problems of library en- deavor, it is fitting that there should be a section in the American Library Asso- ciation devoted to the discussion of work with all classes of schools, rural, elemen- tary, graded, high and normal schools. Work with school libraries is a form of library extension, and as school libraries are developed, and as pupils, teachers, and superintendents are trained In a knowl- edge of books and libraries, public libra- ries will receive increased support and use. Many agencies are now at work, and they have in the past operated somewhat independently. It is the purpose of the section to present a survey of current school library activities and to afford op- portunity for professional discussion of work with school organizations. Mr. Archie E. Cloud, assistant superin- tendent of San Francisco, spoke on the School libraries section and the teacher. He well defined the status of the school librarian as that of librarian-teacher or teacher-librarian, and dwelt on the im- portance of this duality. He extended a cordial, official invitation from the Cali- fornia Teachers' Association to the school librarians of the state to form a library section in that organization. A symposium of school library activities was opened by reports of the work of the library department of the N. E. A. The report of the president, Harriet A. Wood, of Portland, Ore., presented by Miss Lytle, of Spokane, outlined the program for the meeting to be held in Oakland in August. She urged that an able speaker be selected to address the superintendents' midwinter meeting to emphasize the value and needs of the school libraries. The preliminary report of the N. E. A. high school committee, prepared by Mary E. Hall, of Brooklyn, chairman, was pre- sented by W. H. Kerr, of Emporia. Com- prehensive in scope, and replete with in- teresting detail, it presented a survey not only of the high school, but of the whole school library situation. So impressed were those present with the breadth and value of Miss Hall's work, as especially exemplified in this report, that It was voted a telegram of thanks and congratu- lations be sent her. Third in the symposium was the Normal school committee report, Mary C. Richard- son, Castine, Me., chairman. In her ab- sence, the report was read by Joseph F. Daniels, of Riverside, Cal. Of special in- terest was the work done by this commit- tee in the matter of teaching normal school students about library lessons In the grades. A list of six normals offering such instruction, and of eleven cities in which grade school children are given library lessons, was compiled. The Elementary school committee, Effle L. Power, Pittsburgh, chairman, is prepar- ing a report on the administration of ele- mentary school libraries. This report will cover the organization of independent ele- mentary school libraries and the organi- zation of elementary school libraries in larger towns and cities in connection with a library system. Points covered are gen- eral organization, book collections, staff, cost of administration, functions of admin- istrative office, depositories, such as pic- tures, maps, lantern slides, stereopticons, museum material. The preliminary report of the N. E. A. committee on standard library course for normal schools was prepared by James F. SCHOOL LIBRARIES SECTION 277 Hosic of the Chicago normal college. This report was based on results obtained by sending to superintendents and other school officers a list of items concerning books and libraries and asking them to check those they considered of most im- portance. Three courses were suggested: 1. Course in the use of the normal school library; minimum time, ten class periods. 2. Course in children's reading and use of libraries; minimum time, fifty class pe- riods. 3. Course in library organization and administration for teacher-librarians; minimum time, one hundred class periods. Comment on this outline gave details of subjects to be covered in the courses. These reports gave a good idea of work being done by the Library department of the National Education Association, and when printed in full in the Proceedings of the Oakland meeting will furnish a valu- able contribution to school library propa- ganda. The work of the Library department of the National Council of Teachers of Eng- lish was presented by W. H. Kerr, Em- poria, Kan. The work reflects great and effective interest by the English teachers and by their officers. At the meeting last November, the library work was repre- sented by W. Dawson Johnston, of St. Paul, on the main program, and by Mary E. Hall, of Brooklyn, on the high school section. The great and frequently shown interest of Mr. J. F. Hosic, of Chicago, the secretary of the National Council of Teach- ers of English, is perhaps the most valu- able contribution of the English teachers' library department to progress in school libraries. The opportunity for work with another school organization was presented in a paper prepared by Fanny D. Ball, Central high school. Grand Rapids, Mich., on "The Vocational Guidance Association and the library." She gave as the object of this association, as expressed in its constitu- tion, to "engage every agency that has to do with the education or employment of young people in a co-operative attempt to help the child understand his own pos- sibilities, and to give him the opportunity for exercising his capacities in the most effective way" . . . "to establish a cen- ter for the distribution of information con- cerning the study and practice of voca- tional guidance, and to enlist the public schools in it as a part of the task of education." To facilitate the spread of information, the association has begun the publication of a monthly bulletin. The Vocational Guidance Association in- vites the membership of persons or organi- zations interested. The National Child La- bor Committee and other organizations have exchanged memberships, thus each keeps informed of the work of the other. The A. L. A. might in the same way ex- change memberships with the association and thus enable the Publishing Board to make use of new material for the benefit of libraries which did not, for any reason, take out membership. Any individual li- brary would find it useful to have access to the reports and monthly bulletins. For selecting books, the librarian will find the lists of the Brookline public li- brary, of the Grand Rapids public library, and the bibliographies in Jesse B. Davis' book, "Vocational and moral guidance," very useful. The pamphlets of the Voca- tional Bureau of Boston, the Girls' Trade Education League of Boston, and the New York High School Teachers' Association often give information not found in books. The librarian can give great assistance, whether in the school library or the public library. This is very fully shown in the paper by Mary E. Hall, of the Girls' High School, Brooklyn, N. Y., read before the Massachusetts Library Club, and reprinted in Mr. Davis' book. Because of the interest in the section, a second meeting was appointed to com- plete unfinished business and afford op- portunity for discussion. The second meet- ing was held in California Hall, Monday morning, June 7th. A paper prepared by W. DAVv'SON JOHNSTON, of St. Paul, was read on 27S BERKELEY CONFERENCE THE PLACE OF THE SCHOOL LIBRA- RIES SECTION IN THE A. L. A. The first question asked and the first question to be answered in regard to any new society, or, indeed, in regard to any old society, is of what use is it. Though more careless than others with regard to the practical value of their ef- forts, even educators have asked this ques- tion with regard to educational associa- tions. We are at this time concerned with two of these, the library section of the National Education Association and our new organi- zation, the school section of the American Library Association. What is their use and what relation should they have to each other? Should the library section of the Na- tional Education Association be a place for teachers to discuss something they know nothing about? Should it be a place for librarians to discuss subjects already discussed at length in library meetings? or should it be a place for teachers to lec- ture librarians, or a place for librarians to lecture teachers? Obviously it must in a measure be all of these things as long as there are libra- rians present for the teacher to talk to and teachers present for the librarian to talk to, and in as far as it provides a common meeting ground for teachers and librarian, in as far as it provides oppor- tunity for the teacher to tell what he wants and for the librarian to tell what he can do, It serves a useful purpose. Librarians may learn much from other sessions of the N. E. A. and teachers may learn much at other meetings of librarians, but the meetings of the library section offer op- portunities to be had nowhere else, and especially the opportunity to secure the consideration of library questions among teachers. As long as teachers fail to realize the importance of the library it will be im- possible to persuade them to attend li- brary meetings, but it library meetings are held in conjunction with teachers' meet- ings, teachers may wander into them by mistake or out of mere curiosity. There is occasional opportunity for joint sessions, also, and for library topics in the general sessions, which might not exist were there not a library department of the Association. The discussion of library topics by libra- rians is, however, only one purpose of these meetings; a second, and hardly less important object is the discussion of li- brary topics by teachers. Sometimes the only way to get teachers to think about library questions is to get them to talk about them, and talk about them in the presence of witnesses. These pedagogical discourses upon li- brary topics are apt to be platitudinous when they are not misleading, but alto- gether they form a body of library doc- trine having pedagogical sanctions of the greatest value. The dictum of a promi- nent superintendent of schools in regard to any library question has greater weight with the average teacher than the opinion of any librarian. From the point of view of library exten- sion it is of the greatest importance that librarians should meet with members of other societies, bring about the organiza- tion of library sections or library com- mittees In those societies, and discuss with them methods of library service. From the point of view of library administration it is equally important that librarians should meet with other librarians, and no less important that such librarians as have special problems should meet separately for the consideration of those problems. General library meetings will always be more interesting if their programs are kept free from topics of special and there- fore limited interest; the meetings of spe- cialists, on the other hand, will be more profitable if they are free from the crowds which make discussion more spectacular than scientific. General meetings must be open to the public and their discussions must be of a popular character; section meetings, if not restricted to specialists, should be of a character to attract spe- SCHOOL LIBRARIES SECTION 279 cialists only; they should be purely scien- tific and technical in character. The prog- ress ot library science depends upon the specialist and upon the scientific and tech- nical character of these meetings ot spe- cialists. The school librarian is a specialist among specialists and must be so esteemed among his library colleagues. Among his colleagues in the school, as among his col- leagues in the college, the librarian has the character of a man Friday, and, indeed, some institutions seem content with noth- ing but menial library service. But pro- fessional librarians understand that school libraries are essential not only to the efliciency of a school, but also to the effi- ciency of the public library, and that a capable library progress is not only an important factor in local library progress, but also an important factor in the prog- ress of library science. The school libra- rian has opportunities for scientific bib- liographical observation which no other librarian has. It seems to me, then, that the school libraries section should be useful, first, to librarians in communities where there are as yet no school librarians; second, to the younger librarian who is seeking to be- come acquainted with school library prob- lems, and, third, to the older librarian in- terested in bibliographical research. It is quite obvious that the general libra- rian has much to learn from the special librarian, and that the younger librarian has much to learn from the older one, and that the library meeting offers an excellent opportunity for such learning. A profes- sional society should not, however, re- strict its meetings to matt*.rs of elemen- tary learning; it should go on to questions involving research. This is particularly true of a society of school librarians, because, in the first place, the peculiar problems of the school library are new ones, and because, in the second place, the solution of these problems will facilitate the solution of all the problems, which are peculiar to semi-public, and par- ticularly institutional libraries. Among these questions are these: How may school children be employed in sur- veys of conditions of literacy? How may the school librarian promote the forma- tion of good private libraries? How may the school librarian assist the city libra- rian in the collection of material for the study of current questions, local affairs, and local history? What record of pupils' library work should be made by the libra- rian? What credit should be given for home reading? What bibliographical in- struction should be given pupils? How far should the privileges of the school library be extended to residents in the neighbor- hood of the school? What should be the relations between the school library and the public library? Between the school library and the class-room library? Be- tween the literary society and the library? It is undoubtedly true that societies are chiefiy valuable to their officers. For this reason, those societies are most successful in which every member is an office holder, or member of some committee. The most Important work of a professional society such as this is that done by its committees. And next in importance is its publica- tions. It is not necessary that a society like this get out an annual volume of pro- ceedings. It is desirable, however, that the papers and reports presented to it be published in library and school journals and be reprinted in separate form. A scientific paper is always more useful in printed form. Discussion was opened by Zaidee Brown, of Long Beach, who brought up the ques- tion ot high school library administration, whether it could be most advantageously carried on under public library or school board supervision. The library side was presented by Effie L. Power, of Pittsburgh, and Helen Price, of the University of Cali- fornia, who told of the administration of high school and country school libraries through the school department ot the Li- brary Association of Portland. The ad- ministration of high school libraries un- der the school was discussed by Mrs. Madi- 280 BERKELEY CONFERENCE son, of Oakland, and Janet H. Nunn, of Spokane. Summarizing the school library activi- ties of the A. L. A., reports were presented by the various committees now at work. The first of these was: REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON STAND- ARDIZING LIBRARY COURSES IN NORMAL SCHOOLS This committee was appointed at the meeting of normal school librarians in Washington, D. C, May 29, 1914, to study the extent and content of the courses in library instruction given in 1914-15 in the state and city public normal schools throughout the country; to report results; and to make recommendations for stand- ard requirements. The following letter was sent to the 230 schools listed in Table 14 of the 1913 re- port of the U. S. Commissioner of Educa- tion. It was also sent to the following five teachers' colleges, not listed In Table 14: State Teachers' College, Greeley, Colo.; Iowa State Teachers' College, Cedar Falls, Iowa; Hunter College of the City of New York; Teachers' College, Columbia University; George Peabody College for Teachers, Nashville, Tenn.; and to the fol- lowing four state Universities, because of the non-existence of any normal schools in these four states: Delaware College, New- ark; University of Nevada, Reno; Univer- sity of Utah, Salt Lake City; and the Uni- versity of "Wyoming, Laramie. Will you kindly aid the work of this committee by sending me the latest an- nouncement of courses in library instruc- tion given at your school? If the printed announcement does not answer the ques- tions tabulated below, please fill in the blanks and return to me without delay. Thanking you for your co-operation, I am, Y'ours very truly. Number of lessons on the use of the library and its resources, elective or re- quired? Number of lessons in book selection, elective or required? Number of lessons in children's litera- ture, elective or required? Number of hours teaching by students of lessons in grades, elective or required? Number of lessons in cataloging ( ) ; classification ( ); shelf-listing ( ); care and management ( ) ; elective or required? N. B. — Please state length of recitation periods. From the total of 239 letters sent out, replies were received from 131. Based on the answers to these letters, this commit- tee makes the following recommendations for requirements: Maximum Requirements Courses In Library Methods Recommended by the A. L. A. Committee Course 1. Reference work; or, The use of the library and books. Twenty-five lessons of not less than 45 minutes each — to be given in one year or scattered through the course. One-half unit credit. • Course 2. Children's Literature. Twenty-five lessons of not less than 45 minutes each. One-half unit credit. Course 3. Technical subjects for teacher- librarians. Fifty lessons of not less than 45 min- utes each. One unit credit. Elective: Courses 1 and 2 are pre- requisite. Grouping of schools: Group A. Schools fulfilling the maxi- mum requirements as stated above. Group B. Schools requiring ten lessons of not less than 45 minutes on the use of books and libraries, and at least five les- sons on children's literature. Group C. Schools giving anything at all. Group D. Schools giving nothing. The committee feel that the above re- quirements are all that can be asked for at this time; but they think more should be worked for as the schools are able to develop courses in library methods, partic- ularly in the subject of children's litera- ture and In practice teaching in the grades. The schools have been enlisted in groups as defined above, to show how far they are now meeting the standard recom- mended by this committee. Group A. Kansas, Emporia — State Normal School. SCHOOL LIBRARIES SECTION 281 New York, Geneseo — State Normal School. Wisconsin, Milwaukee — State Normal School. Note: At Geneseo, ten lessons on the use of books and ten lessons in Children's Literature are all that are required of all students. In the Teacher-Librarian Course the requirements far exceed the recom- mendations of this committee. Group B. Connecticut, Willimantic — State Normal School. Illinois, Charleston — Eastern Illinois State Normal School. Normal — State Nor- mal University. Maine, Castlne — Eastern State Normal School. Massachusetts, Pitchburg — State Nor- mal School. Salem — State Normal School. Michigan, Mt. Pleasant — Central State Normal School. Minnesota, Mankato — State Norma! School. Missouri, KirksviUe — State Normal School. Ohio, Cleveland — Normal Training School. Oregon, Monmouth — State Normal School. Pennsylvania, California — S. W. State Normal School. Millersville — State Nor- mal School. Slippery Rock — State Normal School. West Chester — State Normal School. South Carolina, Rock Hill — Winthrop Normal College. Wisconsin, Alma — Buffalo County Train- ing School. Group C. Alabama, Florence — State Normal School. -|-Arizona, Tempo — Normal School. Arkansas, Conway — State Normal School. California, Los Angeles — State Normal School. San Jose — State Normal School. Colorado, Gunnison — State Normal School. Greeley — State Teachers' College. -f Connecticut, New Britain — State Nor- mal Training School. Idaho, Albion — State Normal School. -j-Lewiston — State Normal School. Illinois, Carbondale — Southern Illinois State Normal University. Chicago — Chi- cago Normal College, -f Macomb — Western Illinois State Normal School. Indiana, Terre Haute — Indiana State Normal School. Kentucky, Bowling Green — W e s t e r n Kentucky State Normal School. Maine, Machlas — Washington State Normal School. -fPresque Isle — Aroostook State Normal School. Massachusetts, Hyannis — State Normal School. Lowell — State Normal School. -)-Michigan, Kalamazoo — Western State Normal School. Minnesota, Duluth — State Normal School. Moorhead — State Normal School. St. Cloud — State Normal School. Winona — State Normal School. Missouri, Cape Girardeau — State Nor- mal School. Maryville — State Normal School. Springfield — State Normal School. Nebraska, Kearney — State Normal School. -f-New Jersey, Newark — Normal and Training School. New Mexico, Las Vegas — New Mexico Normal University. +New York, Brooklyn — Training School for Teachers. Buffalo — State Normal School. New York — Training School for Teachers. -[-Syracuse — Syracuse Training School. North Carolina, Greensboro — State Nor- mal and Industrial College. -)-North Dakota, Mayville — State Normal School, -j- Valley City — State Normal School. Pennsylvania, Clarion — State Normal School. Lock Haven — Central State Nor- mal School. -)-Mansfleld — State Normal School. -|-South Dakota, Madison — State Normal School. Tennessee, Murfreesboro — East Tennes- see State Normal School. Nashville — Ag- ricultural and Normal College for Negroes. ■\'irginia, Harrisonburg — State Normal and Industrial School. Washington, Cheney — State Normal School. -f-Ellensburg — State Normal School. West Virginia, Huntington — State Nor- mal School. Wisconsin, Janesville — Rock County Training School. Kaukauna — Outagamie County Training School. -f-LaCrosse — State Normal School. Medford — Taylor County Training School. Menominee — Dunn Coun- ty Training School. Merrill — Lincoln Coun- ty Training School. -(-New London — Wau- paca County Training School. -(-Phillips — Price County Training School. Reedsburg — Sauk County Training School. -fRlce Lake — Barren County Training School. River Falls— State Normal School. Stev- ens Point — State Normal School. Superior — State Normal School. -fWhitewater — State Normal School. And the University of Nevada, Reno; University of Utah, Salt Lake City; Uni- versity of Wyoming, Laramie. 282 BERKELEY CONFERENCE Note: Since Group C admits of a ratlier wide range in the amount of worli given by tile schools listed therein, it is only fair to mark those schools that give required work, but not quite enough to admit them to Group B, with a plus sign. No school giving elective courses only is marked C plus. Group O. Alabama, Tuskegee — Normal and Indus- trial Institute. California, Chico — State Normal School. Fresno — State Normal School. Santa Bar- bara — State Normal School. Connecticut, New Haven — State Normal and Training School. District of Columbia, Washington — J. Orniond Wilson Normal School. Georgia, Valdosta — Southern Georgia State Normal College. Illinois, De Kalb — Northern Illinois State Normal School. Indiana, Indianapolis — Indianapolis Nor- mal School. Iowa, Shenandoah — ^W'estern Normal Col- lege. Kansas, Pittsburg — State Manual Train- ing Normal School. Louisiana, New Orleans — New Orleans Normal School. Maine, Farmington — State Normal School. Maryland, Baltimore — Maryland State Normal School. Massachusetts, Worcester — State Normal School. Michigan, Detroit — Washington Normal Training School. Montana, Dillon — State Normal School. New Hampshire, Keene — State Normal School. New Jersey, Jersey City — Teachers' Training School. Montclair — State Normal School. Trenton — State Normal School. New York, Oneonta — State Normal School. Oswego — State Normal and Train- ing School. Rochester — Rochester Train- ing School. North Carolina, Greenville — East Caro- lina Teachers' Training School. North Dakota, EUendale — North Dakota State Normal and Industrial School. Oklahoma. Alva — Northwestern State Normal School. Pennsylvania, Edinboro — State Normal School. Harrisburg — Teachers' Training School. Philadelphia — Normal School for Girls. Shippensburg — Cumberland Valley State Normal School. South Dakota, Aberdeen — Northern Nor- mal and Industrial School. Tennessee, Johnson City — Eastern Ten- nessee State Normal School. Memphis — Western Tennessee State Normal School. Nashville — Peabody College for Teachers. Texas, Canyon City — Western Texas State Normal College. Denton — Northern Texas State Normal College. Huntsville — Sam Houston State Normal College. San Marcos — Southwestern Texas State Nor- mal College. Vermont, Castleton — State Normal School. Virginia, Fredericksburg — State Normal and Industrial School. West Virginia, Athens — State Normal School. Fairmount — State Normal School. Shepherdstown — State Normal School. Wisconsin, Eau Claire — Eau Claire Coun- ty Training School. Menominee — Stout In- stitute. No answers were received from 108 of the schools written to and these schools are, of course, unclassified in the above grouping. Lucy E. Fay, Mary- J. Booth. Delia G. Ovitz. Committee. The report w-as accepted. Two committees were appointed at the midwinter meeting of the School Libraries Section, Chicago, January, 1915, to report at the Berkeley meeting. REPORT OP THE COMMITTEE ON TRAINIMG COURSES FOR SCHOOL LIBRARIANS. To avoid duplicating the work of similar committees of the American Library Asso- ciation and the National Education Asso- ciation, the committee has limited itself to a study of the work of the colleges, teachers' colleges, normal schools and li- brary schools which offer courses designed to prepare for the administration of school libraries. For this reason all courses de- signed primarily to aid in the use of a library instead of its management have been excluded. These courses are being investigated by another committee. Mr. Henry R. Evans' "Library instruction in universities, colleges and normal schools" (U. S. Bureau of Education, Bulletin 608) and a later manuscript list of normal schools and teachers' colleges offering such courses, compiled by Miss Mary C. Rich- ardson of the committee, were consulted. On the basis of these lists, thirty-two in- stitutions were selected as giving courses which apparently fell within the scope of the committee's work and a questionnaire SCHOOL LIBRARIES SECTION 283 was sent to each. The same questionnaire was also sent to seven colleges and uni- versities giving similar courses. Another questionnaire intended to meet their par- ticular conditions was sent to each of the eleven library schools. Replies have been received from twenty- two of the normal schools and teachers' colleges, from all of the seven colleges and universities, and from all of the li- brary schools except Atlanta. E.xamination of the reports indicated that of the twenty-two normal institutions reporting, only eleven conducted courses which could fairly be interpreted as train- ing for librarianship and that two of these devoted only ten class periods each to such instruction. The nine whose courses are more extensive are the State Normal School, Los Angeles, Cal.; State Teachers' College, Greeley, Col.; Western State Nor- mal School. Macomb, 111.; Kansas State Normal School, Emporia. Kan.; St. Paul Normal School, St. Paul, Minn.; First Dis- trict Normal School, Kirksville, Mo.; State Normal School (Fourth District), Spring- field, Mo.; Geneseo State Normal School, Geneseo, N. Y.; Winthrop Normal and In- dustrial College, Rock Hill, S. C; State Normal School, Milwaukee, Wis.; White- water State Normal School, Whitewater, Wis. The time in the school course when these courses are given is usually the junior year. (In the Whitewater Normal School it extends through the first semes- ter of the senior year.) The special elec- tive course given by the Western Illinois State Normal School is a graduate course, or it may be taken in connection with the work of the senior year. At the First District Normal School of Kirksville, Mo., it is given in any six quarters of the four- year course, but must be preceded by an elementary course of at least one quarter. At the Kansas State Normal School and the State Teachers' College, Greeley, Col., It may be taken at any time, while at the Geneseo State Normal School, Geneseo, N. Y.. it extends through the entire two years' course. The amount of time devoted to the course naturally varies as the scope of the courses also does. A detailed descrip- tion of the subjects covered must be omit- ted here from lack of space. Speaking generally, the technical and administrative sides are seldom, if ever, offered without preliminary or parallel instruction in the use of books. The Colorado State Teach- ers' College offers at present three distinct courses of five hours' credit each, including reference, classification and cataloging, and a double-credit course in "Practical work in the library." The Kansas State Normal School lists in its catalog twelve distinct courses of from twenty to eighty lessons each, and with from one to two semester hour credits each. The Geneseo State Normal offers three library courses of from 100 to 150 periods each, while the course at the Whitewater State Normal in- tended for grade teachers extends through eighteen weeks, and the course for rural school teachers through nine weeks. There Is little difference in the subjects touched on, the chief difference being in the relative emphasis given to each. In nearly every case classification and cataloging occupy prominent places in the scheme. In several instances, notably from the Kansas State Normal School and the Whitewater State Normal, very detailed outlines showing careful preparation were sent to the committee. In several instances the description of the course was so vague and general as to permit little analysis. The amount of time given to problem work outside the class room varies so much that no general conclusions can easily be drawn from the data at hand. In nearly every case original problem work Is mentioned as an integral part of the work. In every case in which the char- acter of the problems is indicated they are apparently practical. In four cases the entire work is in charge of one instructor. Five normal schools have two instructors each, and the Milwaukee Normal School reports four. Thirteen of the sixteen instructors report- ing from the nine schools have had library training, fourteen have had previous li- brary experience, eleven have had experi- ence in school libraries, and fourteen have had some pedagogical training. It is there- for quite evident that attention has been paid to the selection of suitable persons for instructing prospective school libra- rians. Nearly all of the normal schools confine themselves closely to the training of school librarians. By far the greater number re- porting attempt to teach only the intelli- gent use of the library, and only two, the Kansas State Normal School and the West- ern Illinois State Normal School, profess to train school librarians who may devote their entire time to the school library, and only one, the Kansas State Normal School, offers instruction leading to public library positions. Indeed, of the nine whose courses are administrative in character, only one, the Kansas State Normal School, encourages its students to apply for li- brary positions except in school libraries, 284 BERKELEY CONFERENCE although six of them report that few students trained in the school have ac- cepted public library positions. The statistics of attendance at courses for training school librarians are very imperfect, and, in some cases, lead one to suspect that all students in any kind of a library course offered are included. (Some reports of this kind are omitted and ether records of attendance In 1914 are given without comment.) The largest re- ported attendance of the nine normal schools and colleges under special con- sideration is 687 at the Kansas State Nor- mal School, which has one full-time in- structor, and, as stated before, twelve dis- tinct cataloged courses; the First District Normal School at Kirksville, Mo., with two instructors and 250 students reported, comes next, followed by the Winthrop Normal and Industrial College with an estimate of 125 to 150 students, and the Western Illinois State Normal School with 63. Whitewater Normal School with 46, Milwaukee Normal School with 41, and, in sharp contrast, the Colorado State Teach- ers' College with 10, and the Geneseo State Norma! with 7. It is evident that some ot the schools have distinguished more sharply than others in their reports be- t^\een courses in library use and courses for school librarians. When it is remem- bered that the number of instructors Is greater in the schools with the smaller numbers of students, it is equally evident that there must necessarily be great varia- tions in methods of instruction and in the amount of individual instruction given the students. (The number of students reported as in school library positions shows a great difference from the number taking the courses. In some cases there is no record and other schools report that it is prac- tically impossible to determine the num- ber who are doing school library work as a side issue to teaching. It is. therefore, practicable to consider only those devoting their entire time to school library work. The Kansas State Normal School reports six thus employed, as against twenty-two in public library work. Geneseo State Nor- mal School also has six so engaged. Win- throp Normal and Industrial College very adequately explains its lack of statistics by the statement, "There is not a school in the state, besides the colleges and uni- versities, where a librarian other than a teacher librarian is employed." In justice to the schools reporting, it should be re- called that in only two cases is a definite attempt made to train students who will be expected to devote more than a part of their time to library work.) Indefinite as the records are, they show clearly that the schools are succeeding in a consider- able degree in training teachers who also can intelligently direct a small school library. As far as the reports show, there is no intention on the part of any of the normal schools or colleges to make marked changes either in the purpose or the con- tent of their courses. In the absence of any strong reason why they should do otherwise, we may consequently expect that they will, for the most part, continue, at least for the present, to train teachers who can make their libraries useful in preference to training librarians who can assist the teachers. Few of them indicate any particular demand for special school librarians. The librarian of one of the eastern normal schools says, "We do not prepare for school librarianship, as there is practically no demand here for that sort of thing; I do not think I could place many graduates." The library instruction formerly given at Tulane University has been discontinued and only five colleges or universities report courses intended to train school librarians. These are Beloit College, Hendrix College, the University of West Virginia, the Uni- versity of Minnesota, and the University of Tennessee. At the last four named, instruction is given only in the summer school. Four separate elementary courses dealing with the use of books and libraries, technical subjects, history of libraries and bookmaking, and children's literature are offered by two instructors. Nine students took the course in 1914. The librarian f.ays, "We never recommend them for library positions and they are made to understand that at the outset." The work has been offered for three years. Of the twenty-nine who have taken it, three are in school libraries, six were already in public library work, and one other has become an assistant in a large library. The University of Minnesota expects next year to offer three courses conducted by the state supervisor of school libraries. These will deal with elementary library instruction for teachers, school library or- .~an:z2tiou and cataloging. The first will be given one hour a week in the first semester; the last two consisting each of one lecture hour and one laboratory period of two hours weekly in the second semes- ter. Beloit College offers two courses con- ducted by the librarian. The first (one hour in the first semester) deals with reference and is open to all classes. The second course (two hours in the first SCHOOL LIBRARIES SECTION 285 semester) is devoted to elementary library- technique and is open to all but the fresh- man class. The work is planned especially for high school librarians and students are not encouraged to apply tor other library positions. Five students took the work in 1914 and thirty-eight have taken it since 1910. The course at the University of West Virginia occupies two hours through- out one year. Two instructors are in charge and the course includes reference work, book selection and technical prob- lems. About seven students yearly take the course, which is intended especially to train for librarianship in high and nor- mal schools. Nine former students hold such positions and two others are in public library work. Students are encouraged to apply for positions in small public libraries. No other college reporting makes a similar recommendation. Hendrix College, Con- way, Ark., has a training course conducted by the librarian. It occupies two hours a week throughout the junior year. "This course is offered primarily to those who expect to teach where they may have the care of the library." None of the reporting colleges expect to make immediate changes in their courses, with the exception of the University of Minnesota, which is just establishing its course. Reports have been received from ten of the library schools with a course of at least one year in length. Atlanta sent no report. The California State Library School gives no such instruction. In the library school of the New York Public Library an elective course of 204 hours is offered in the senior year. Thirteen lec- ture hours and required preparation are devoted to high school topics, ten lectures and preparation to normal schools, and the rest "to subjects useful for school and college work." Problems outside of class are given occasionally, and fourteen hours are devoted to visits to schools and reports on the visits. Practice in school libraries is not required, but most of the students electing the course have had such practice in their junior year, in nearly all cases under the supervision of a trained school librarian. The instruction is given by a trained and experienced school librarian. Of the six students who elected the course in 1913-14, three are in school libraries. College library work in its various phases and a number of lectures on subject bibli- ography are included in the course. At the New Yorli State Library School six periods in the senior seminar are de- voted to the study of school library prob- lems. A considerable amount of required reading and reports on assigned topics re- lating to school libraries are required from all senior students. The instructor is a library school graduate and a former teacher in elementary and secondary schools. Aside from lectures on special phases of school work by officials of the state education department, other instruc- tion in school library methods is largely incidental. For several years practice work in organizing the library of the State College for Teachers has been available, and several secondary school libraries in the state have been organized by students under the direction of the educational ex- tension division of the state education de- partment. At present the greatest amount of attention given to school libraries by the New York State Library School is in connection with the summer session, at which a definite attempt is made to meet the needs of school librarians. In 1914 a library institute for district superintend- ents was held for the purpose of interest- ing those in charge of rural schools, and this spring (191.5) a two weeks' course for high school librarians (and devoted exclu- sively to school reference work) will be given. In these preliminary experiments the school has the cordial co-operation of the school libraries division of the state education department. Fourteen of the thirty-nine students who have taken posi- tions in school libraries are still in those positions. The University of Illinois Library School devotes four class hours and eight prep- aration hours to school libraries. This forms a part of the library extension course given in the first year, and is required of all junior students. Occasionally senior students are assigned to high school libraries for four weeks' field work. A special feature of the work is the full bibliography required on each assigned topic. The instructor is a library school graduate with six years' experience as librarian of a normal school. The Pratt Institute School of Library Science for two years (1912-14) offered a full year's course intended to train for school librarianship. This was discontin- ued in 1914 and at present but one lecture and an hour's report on school library work in the "Survey of the field" course is given. The lecture is given by a trained and experienced high school librarian. Practice, varying in amount from twenty- five to seventy-five hours, is provided for students desiring it in high school and normal school libraries in Brooklyn. There are twelve Pratt graduates in high school libraries, nine in normal school libraries, and two in school departments of public libraries. 286 BERKELEY CONFERENCE At the Training School for Children's Librarians at Pittsburgh, seven lectift-es, supplemented by special lectures, are de- voted to school work. One hour each is given to high school and two to normal school libraries. All of this lecture work is supplemented by visits to schools. It Is closely related to courses in literature, reference books and administration, and is required. From three to fifteen hours weekly is devoted to general practice work, divided between school libraries and the schools division of the Carnegie Library. All practice work is supervised by a trained librarian. The amount of practice work offered is determined by the ability of the student. The instruction is given by a trained librarian with extensive ex- perience both as a teacher and a school librarian. Much of the regular work of the course, dealing, as it does, with liter- ature for children and work with children, would, in most schools, be considered an appropriate part of any course for school librarians. Only two former students hold positions in school libraries, but nine are in school departments of public libraries, and ten others are children's librarians with considerable work in the school de- partments of the libraries with which they are connected. At Simmons College, school library work is treated in connection with the courses in "Library work with children, library economy and incidentally with reference courses and book selection." The work is in a formative period. Arrangements have been made for much more practice in excellent secondary schools near the col- lege and the Boston Normal School. Be- ginning April 12, 1915, four girls spent two hours per week each in the library of the girls' Latin school. This practice work is, to some extent, supervised by the school. The director writes: "If these practice opportunities work up well, I shall cer- tainly give more time and more problem work to this branch of work." The in- struction is given by trained instructors with experience in teaching, and in school library work, and the most emphasis has been placed on high school work. At the Svracuse University Library School the time has varied for the past four years from mere theoretical class problems to actually organizing a high school library of several hundred volumes. The work is given as a part of the second year course in cataloging, but the organ- ization of the library mentioned above in- cluded all phases of the work. The in- structor is a graduate of the New York State College for Teachers, and has taught in secondary schools. In 1914-15 a series of five lectures on the organization and use of high school libraries was given. No regular practice in school libraries is pro- vided. Two former students are in charge of school libraries. The high school side of school library work is the only one emphasized. At the Western Reserve University Library School no instruction in this spe- cial work is attempted, "though it is touched en incidentally in connection with other subjects. * * * Practice assign- ments are made during the year for work in the high school branches." The director adds: "This work seems to me of great importance, but a thorough course for high school librarl.ins would seem to belong in the schedule of schools giving a two years' course, rather than attempt to include it In a crowded one year's course." The library school of the University of Wisconsin also has introduced no special courses intended to prepare for school librarianship, largely because the demand for such librarians has been relatively small. The school mentions as its special work in this direction. "Two lectures and much practice in the co-operation of library and school, and teaching the use of the library." Of the graduates of this school "Three are librarians and four are heads of departmental work in normal school libraries, and four are high school librarians." The director writes: "We are in the habit of suggesting for such positions students who have teaching ex- perience in addition to library training." Although not quite within the scope of this report, mention should be made of the course in school and college library admin- istration offered at the Columbia University Summer School, and the attention paid to school library work in other summer courses, notably those conducted at the University of Minnesota by the Minnesota Public Library Commission, and the New York State Library School. It is unsafe to generalize on the basis of data as scanty as that submitted to the committee, but several facts seem to be disclosed by the investigation. It seems evident that, almost without exception, teachers' training schools consider libra- rianship an auxiliary in formal education and plan their courses on that principle. Teaching the use of the library seems, in most cases, more important than more ex- tended training for administrative work and many offer courses with only this former purpose in view. At the same time they practically all recognize the claims of librarianship as a distinct profession by SCHOOL LIBRARIES SECTION 287 declining to recommend their students as qualified for general library positions. In very few cases is there fundamental diver- gence from the more elementary courses ii! library training as given in apprentice classes or in summer schools. Neither is there material difference in the work of- fered by the colleges which have reported. In the library schools the school work is considered only one phase of general library work. In only one case is there a distinct course in this subject, and in it the college is joined with the secondary and the nor- mal school. In teachers' training school, in college and in library school alike care seems to be taken to provide instructors who can speak from experience as well as theory on the problems of the school library. When a rather careful investigation shows so few institutions even professing to train for school librarianship, it is quite clear that more and better courses of in- struction must be provided if the demand for specially trained school librarians be- comes at all general. That this demand is not appreciably increasing except in occasional localities seems clear from the evidence presented. Teacher- librarians who can teach and conduct the library as a side line are still preferred to those who consider the library their special sphere. The director of one library school says: "The demand is not great; only occasional, then more for clerical help to the superintendent than for real library work." The librarian of a normal school, in explaining why more of the students are not in school library positions, says: "They get better salaries as teachers." This is due largely to the attitude of many school officials. To quote from another normal school instructor, "Before there will be really satisfactory development it seems to me heads of departments will have a change of heart. * * * Not enough of them think that general library instruction counts. I heard one head of a psychology department say that four talks on the library were enough for a college freshman." It is more than probable that more and better courses, planned specifically to train school librarians, are needed: but no course, however well planned, can last long if those who take it have no chance to use their special training. Neither is an increased demand for school librarians enough. As long as it is merely a demand for clerical assistants or for service with lower pay than equally qualified teachers, the right kind of candidate cannot be de- veloped. The lack of standard in our present agencies for training school libra- rians is regrettable; the lack of interest which fails to use a fair proportion, even of those who try to get training for library service, is even more regrettable. Products without a market bring disaster educationally as well as in business. Pressure should be brought to bear on normal school, college and library schools to train for better school library service, but no pressure, however enthusiastic, will produce much improvement until the schools themselves not only endure, but demand better service from their libraries and better trained librarians to conduct them. Prank K. Walter, Mary E. Hall, W. Dawsox Johnston, Ida M. Mendenhall. Effie L. Power, Mary C. Richardson, Harriet A. Wood. Committee. As the demand for school libraries is on the increase, it was felt that this com- mittee could give valuable service by fur- ther investigation and recommendations, and it was voted to continue it. Willis H. Kerr, Emporia, made a report of progress for the committee on school library administration. He stated that some investigating had been accomplished and that as an aid to this a letter had been drafted to be sent to heads of depart- ments of education in universities. In this letter the different methods of school library administration are outlined. The suggestion is made to these education de- partment heads that students use this as a subject for investigation and thesis. The committee was instructed to continue and report progress at the next meeting. To provide funds for Incidental expenses of the section, a voluntary paid member- ship was created. It was voted to hold a meeting in conjunction with the mid- winter library meeting in Chicago, January, 1916. The committee on nominations presented as officers for 1916: Mary E. Hall, librarian Girls' High School, Brooklyn, chairman; Prof. A. S. Root, Oberlin, vice- chairman: Alice A. Blanchard, Newark free public library, secretary and treas- urer. BERKELEY CONFERENCE TRUSTEES' SECTION The Trustees' Section met Friday even- ing, June 4, in California Hall. Mr. W. T. Porter, trustee of the Cincinnati public library, reported the result of the litiga- tion in Ohio on the subject of the Work- men's compensation act as applied to li- brary employes. Under the act of 1913, the state auditor drew a warrant upon the county treasurer of Hamilton county, Ohio, the depository of the funds of the Cincinnati public library, for 1 per cent of the salary list of the library. The library trustees sought to enjoin the collection of the warrant, but the Supreme Court of the state held that the law waa constitutional and the state insurance fund was entitled to the contribution. It was an arbitrary draft upon the funds, not based upon any measure of damages, but that made no difference. The state, however, has recognized the injustice of the law and practically re- pealed that section authorizing the 1 per cent levy by suspending Its operation. The state had collected sufficient money in one year to pay all possible liabilities for an Indefinite number of years, and so sus- pended the operation of the law. Civil service again was given attention by the legislators, but the library service has been left as it was in the former law, and the library staff Is placed in the un- classified service and thus is not subject to the provisions of the civil service law as to examinations. The attorney general of the state held that the words "library staff" in the old law did not include the janitorial force, and that that branch of the library service was subject to the civil service. Mr. Greene, of Oakland, and Mr. Stetson, of New Haven, referred to the civil service conditions in their respective libraries. The officers of the Section were con- tinued: W. T. Porter, Cincinnati, chair- man; T. L. Montgomery, of Harrlsburg, Pa., secretary. PUBLIC DOCUMENTS ROUND TABLE The Public Documents Round Table was held in Room 101, East Hall, University of California, under the direction of George S. Godard, librarian of the Connecticut State library, chairman of the Committee on Public Documents. Miss Amy Allen, head cataloger of the University of West Vir- ginia was appointed secretary of the meet- ing. The chairman called attention to the meeting of the Public Documents Round Table held in Washington In 1914, at which were officially represented the Superin- tendent of Documents, the Government Printer, and the Joint Committee of Con- gress on Printing. At that meeting the work of the Superintendent of Documents Office was explained, special papers present- ed, and the many questions relating to the welfare of libraries asked by those inter- ested and answered by those competent to do so. At that meeting also, Mr. Carter, Clerk of the Joint Committee on Printing, read a paper prepared for the occasion, which explained the provisions of the new printing bills then before the Sixty-third Congress (Senate Bill No. 5430 and House Bill No. 15902, which were identical in text) so far as they related to the printing and distribution of documents, the sections in which librarians were especially inter- ested. When It was understood that the Joint Committee had incorporated In these bills nearly every suggestion which had been made by the American Library Associa- PUBLIC DOCUMENTS ROUND TABLE 289 tion relating to the subjects in which li- braries were especially Interested, it was the sense of that meeting that our Associ- ation should endorse the bills and with one or two amendments, noted by Mr. Carter, Clerk of the Committee, urge the enactment of these bills into law. The chairman stated that it was with regret that he had to report that neither bill passed the Sixty-third Congress and therefore it will be necessary to have a new bill introduced in the next Congress, which shall embody so far as possible the desirable provisions of the bills explained by Mr. Carter, and converted by Senate Reports Nos. 438 and 904, and House Re- port No. 564. In order to better bring the subject be- fore the meeting in as concise and concrete form as possible two communications were read. The first one, which was from a per- son in close touch with the document ques- tion and gave a brief statement concerning it, was read by Miss Carrie L. Dailey, as- sistant librarian of the Georgia State Li- brary. The second letter was from Miss Edith E. Clarke, for many years connected with the office of the Superintendent of Documents, and therefore an authority on this subject. This communication, which was read by Miss Alice N. Hayes, reference librarian of the Leland Stanford, Jr. Uni- versity library, was a strong plea, urging the removal of annual reports of all execu- tive departments and independent estab- lishments from the congressional set. While it was the opinion of many of those present that such a removal would be a convenience in most libraries, as it would then enable the reports of each department to be shelved together chronologically and in uniform bindings, and thus make these several series more easily accessible- by being arranged with other books on same subject, and more attractive in appearance, still it was felt that it was hardly right to ask or expect the Senators and Representa- tives to exclude from their official series, reports and other publications which by law must be referred to Congress and on which they are called to act. It was felt that if there must be but "one edition," one binding and one lettering that should be the official Congressional Series. On the other hand, it was hoped that there might be provided for such libraries as shelved their documents by subject, bound volumes of reports which would be uniform with the congressional set except the lettering upon the back of the volume, which desig- nated its place in the congressional series, as this is confusing where volumes are shelved apart from such series. The following committee was appointed to draft resolutions to be submitted to the Council' and officially forwarded to the proper authorities at Washington: George S. Godard, librarian Connecticut State li- brary; E. J. Lien, librarian Minnesota State library; A. J. Small, librarian Iowa State law library; Miss Amy Allen, Cataloger University of West Virginia library and R. R. Bowker, editor "Library journal." The suggestion that there should be some official connected with the office of Superintendent of Documents whose duty it should be to visit depository libraries and other libraries requesting such assist- ance, to inspect such libraries, make help- ful suggestions and assist in securing de- sirable material still available, was dis- cussed at length. The prevailing opinion was that while such an official might be of real service to many libraries, he might also prove to be an unnecessary and unwel- come visitor to others. •For Resolutions, see Minutes of Council, p. 248. 290 BERKELEY CONFERENCE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF STATE LIBRARIES Eighteenth Annual Meeting, Berkeley, Cal., June 4 and 8, 19 J5 FIRST SESSION (Joint session with the American Associa- tion of Law Libraries and the California Library Association.) 101 California Hall, University of Cali- fornia. Friday, June 4, 1915 President GILLIS being absent, the meet- ing w^as called to order by Mr. LIEN, president of the American Association of Law Libraries, at 1!:30 p. m. Mr. LIEN: Ladies and gentlemen: I am sure that we all regret very much that the president of the National Association of State Libraries, Mr. Gillis, is unable to be present and to preside over this meet- ing. In his absence I will ask Mr. Shaffer, of the State law library, Washington, and first vice-president of the American Associ- ation of Law Libraries, to preside. After greeting the Association, Chairman Shaffer said that iSlr. Dodge had a tele- gram to present. Secretary DODGE: This is a telegram from Mr. Gillis, President both of the Na- tional Association of State Libraries and the California Library Association. He says: "Greetings to the California Library As- sociation, the National Association of State Libraries, the American Association of Law Librarians, and the California county li- brarians, and best wishes for a successful meeting. I regret that I can not be with you, but I am now improving in health and will soon join you again in tlie good work." (Signed) J. L. GILLIS. Mr. JOHNSON BRIGHAM: I move that we send a telegraphic response and that the Chair appoint a committee to prepare and forward such a telegram. Seconded and agreed to. Chairman SHAFFER: I will appoint Messrs. Brigham, Lien and Dodge as such committee with power to act and without the necessity of reporting back to the meet- ing. The gentleman who is first to address you comes from my state and from my school. After finishing at the University of Wash- ington he took a postgraduate course at Oxford. He is the executive commissioner from the great government of Japan to the Panama Pacific International Exposition. I am sure you will be well repaid for your attention. I take great pleasure in pre- senting to you now Professor G. E. Uye- iiAKA. of the University of Meiji, Tokio. Professor UYEHARA: Ladies and gen- tlemen: It is a great pleasure to me to stand before you and to meet you. But I never thought of American people as strangers to me, because as far as my educa- tion is concerned I am partially American. This is why I always consider the American people as my acquaintances rather than as strangers. I much regret to say, however, tliat I can not speak on the subject on which you at first desired me to speak; that is, on the law libraries of Japan. There was a misunderstanding between the secretary of the Japan Society who arranged for me to speak liere and the gentleman who corre- sponded with him. My topic as announced is THE JUDICIAL SYSTEM IN JAPAN By Dr. G. E. Uyehaka In any autocratic government, the most precious and valuable power to the ruler of all the governmental powers is the judicial. Tliere the legislative power is a very minor one and much depreciated, wliile the execu- tive power is naturally held intact in the hands of the ruler with the aid of the ju- dicial. It often happens that an autocratic ruler can exist and keep himself strong, be- cause of his possession and control of the judicial power. History demonstrates the fact that in the development of a consititutional sys- tem of government in any monarchial country, it is the judicial power that is NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OP STATE LIBRARIES 291 carefully guarded and jealously kept in the hands of the ruler, until the last moment of the existence ot his sovereign authority, while the legislative power is usually given up at an early stage of its development. This is true in the early period of consti- tutional history of England. Under the Norman Kings the Concilium Ordinarium kept the executive and judicial powers in- tact, while the Magnum Concilium was given legislative and financial powers; under the Tudors and the early Stuarts, the Star Chamber exercised certain judicial powers until the last moment of its exist- ence. The reason why under an autocratic sys- tem of government, the judicial power is so jealously kept in the hands of the ruler is very clear. It is in the last analysis the judicial power that controls the life and death of the people, makes them fear the authority of the ruler, and thus keeps the order of society. It is Interesting to note that, at the beginning of the development of the mod- ern constitutional system of government in the European countries, the greatest effort was made by the people to take the judicial power away from the ruling class, or, in other words, to make the judiciary inde- pendent of the executive. You know it was Montesquieu who first clearly conceived the necessity of the separation of the ju- diciary from the executive for a good con- stitutional system of government, and ad- vocated his "so-called theory of the inde- pendence of the judiciary." So influential and powerful was his the- ory that it was believed by almost all the publicists, statesmen, and politicians of the eighteenth century, though by some con- sciously and others almost blindly. It is the curious as well as interesting fact that the framers of the Japanese constitu- tion believed the doctrine that the inde- pendence of the judiciary is one requisite of good government, as did the framers of the constitution of the United States. Thus, while the framers of our constitution endeavored to subordinate completely every branch of government to the Emperor, they intended to make the judiciary inde- pendent, as they thought it was. Prince Ito, the exponent of the framers of the constitution, gives us the reason and says, "Though it is in the power of the sover- eign to appoint judges, and though the courts of law have to pronounce judgment in the name of the sovereign, yet the sov- ereign does not take it upon himself to conduct trials, but causes independent courts to do so, in accordance to law and regardless of the influence of the adminis- trative authorities." It is for us a matter of conjecture what Prince Ito really meant by "the independent courts." It seems to me that Prince Ito did not understand, or misconstrued the meaning of the independ- ence of the judiciary. However, I shall not enter here into a discussion of that topic. I simply mentioned this, thinking that it may enable you to understand better our judicial system in relation to the executive and legislative branches of government, which is the main subject of my discussion. The term, "independence of judiciary" is very misleading, though it is often used very carelessly in tliis country as well as in ours. In the United States, the independ- limited only to the adjudication of law- ence of the judiciary means that the judi- ciary is in the last analysis supreme in all the branches of government, and indepen- dent of the legislative as well as of the ex- ecutive, while in our country, it means nothing more than that judgment of the court is free from the direct control of the executive, and pronounced in accordance to the laws, which are really enacted by the executive with the consent of the legis- lative. In both these cases, the judiciary is not quite consistent with the principles of sound democratic government. In a thor- ough democratic system of government, the judiciary must be subordinated, not to the executive, but to the legislative branch of government, which is the representative body of the people. In fact, the judiciary of the United States is placed too strong in the constitution, whereas tliat of our coun- try, too weak. Now as to the Japanese court of law, it 292 BERKELEY CONFERENCE is not like the supreme court, or the dis- trict court of the United States. The lat- ter has power to pronounce judgment upon a dispute between an individual citizen and the administrative authority, and even power to declare an act of congress null and void on the ground of unconstitution- ality. But the power of the former is suits, in which both disputants are indi- vidual subjects. It has no power to inter- pret the Constitution — that power is left in our country in the Privy Council which acts in the name of the Emperor, — nor to adjudicate a suit, in which the administra- tive authority is a party. The constitu- tion of Japan provides that "no suit at law, which relates to right alleged to have been Infringed by the illegal measures of the ad- ministrative authorities, and which shall come within competency of the court of administrative litigation specially estab- lished by laws, shall be taken cognizance of by a court of law." Thus in Japan one of the most important judicial functions, 1. e., the protection of rights and liberties of the people from the arbitrary rule of per- manent officials, is left to the court of ad- ministrative litigation, which is, though first established by law, de facto entirely dependent upon the executive branch of government, which in turn is really inde- pendent of the people and controlled by the permanent bureaucratic officials. In fact, the court of administrative liti- gation is organized with certain bureau- cratic officials, and placed under the direct control of the executive branch of govern- ment. The Courts of Law in our country are di- vided into four grades, the Court of Cessa- tion, of Appeal, and the District Court and the Sectional. In the lowest, or sectional court, a single judge decides the case. In the district court, three judges; in the court of appeal, five, and in the court of cessation seven judges sit. Appeals against the judgment of the lower court in civil and criminal cases are made possible in order of procedure up to the highest court. For the purpose of investigating crimi- nal cases and for prosecuting procurators, or, in your term, prosecuting attorneys, are attached to the court of justice. They receive the same treatment as judges. Both the judge and the procurator are appointed only from those who have the qualifications fixed by law, and hold their office for life. We have no jury trial in our country as in the United States, or as in England. Our judicial system was formed largely after the model of that of France, and the organ- ization of the court of law therefore re- sembles in many respects that of the French court. In most criminal cases, preliminary trials are held, which are not opened to the public; and those cases, in which all the evidence produced does not prove criminal act or conduct, are dis- missed. Now as to the different functions of the different courts. Both civil and criminal cases are treated in the sectional court. The civil cases which are to be dealt with in the sectional court are as follows: Cases tliat do not involve more than 500 Yen; those pertaining to movable properties, such as houses, buildings, etc., and to their leases; boundary disputes between real properties; cases pertaining to contracts which do not run over a year; and dis- putes arising between travelers and inn- keepers, or common carriers. And the criminal cases which are to be dealt with in the sectional court are as follows: Mis- demeanors and some criminal acts which are subject to fine or light imprisonment. (^ases to be tried in the district court. In the first trial of civil cases, all disputes which do not come under the sectional court, with the exception of those which are related to the members of the Imperial family are tried in this court, and in the second trial, all cases appealed from the sectional court. In criminal cases, the first trial of this court is conducted for all cases which do not come under the trial of the sectional court as well as the court of ap- peal; and in the second triaj, all cases ap- pealed from the sectional court are to be dealt with. NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OP STATE LIBRARIES 293 Now as to the court of appeal. As the name suggests, this Is the court in which all cases, civil and criminal, appealed from the sectional and district court are tried. Here is no first trial except for the cases in which a member of the Imperial family is involved. The court of cessation is the court which makes the final judgment and decision for all cases, either civil or criminal, which are appealed from the decision or judgment of the district court or the court of appeal at the second trial. This, I think, gives you a rough sketch of our judicial system. In conclusion, I should repeat that the judiciary of our country is not independent of, but cjuite subordinated to the executive branch of government, which Is independent of the people and very little controlled by the legislature; and I believe that no matter of what form or organization the judicial system may be, the administration of jus- tice can not be said to be on the sound basis, until the judiciary is completely sub- ordinated to the legislature, which Is the representative body of the people. Mr. SMALL: Mr. Chairman, I move that this joint convention show Its appreci- ation for the splendid address given by Dr. Uyehara, by a rising vote of thanks. The motion was seconded and unani- mously carried. Chairman SHAFFER: The next sub- ject on the program is an address by Ell- wood P. Cubberley, professor of education in the Leland Stanford Junior University. LIBRARY ORGANIZATION IN OSCEOLA By Ellwood P. Cubberley, Professor of Education. Leland Stanford Junior University Ladies and gentlemen: Last year I made my first venture into fiction, and I understand that is the reason for my being here today. Your secretary asked me if I would not come and explain my novel, and tell you something of the plan which I worked out. I don't know that I have anything that is at all original, or any- thing that marks other than the best of current practices, but It was somewhat novel, perhaps, in the way in which I put it together. The book of fiction to which I refer was published last year by The Macmillan Company, and goes by the long and rather difficult title of "State and county educational reorganization." One has to say it somewhat slowly and empha- size each word to bring out the point that I tried to make, that is, that I was not trying to describe what existed so much today as I was trying to lay down funda- mental lines along which it seems to me sooner or later we must travel in the re- organization of our educational systems, and so in the form of a book of fiction, so to speak, I worked out a school code and constitution for a hypothetical state. The state I chose to call the State of Osceola, and my students, with whom I worked it out originally, giving It to them in bits as practice work in class, tell me that they shall never forget Osceola as long as they live. For the State of Osceola I first worked out a revision of the article on education for the constitution of the state, and then I assumed that an educa- tional code commission had been appointed and that this code commission brought in a code so perfect that the legislature adop- ted it without further discussion, and in fact the legislature was so impressed with it that they ordered printed the footnotes, which were explanations of the reasons for tlie changes made by the code commission in revising the school code of the State of Osceola. In carrying out the idea I kept in mind certain conceptions. In the first place I cencelved of a system of education which should be a state system rather than a series of local systems in all that is es- sential to be under state control, and which at the same time would preserve that liber- ty and give that freedom to local initiative which is so desirable, along lines in which local initiative should exist. At the same time, in certain other things, such as, for example, the laying down of the conditions for sanitary construction of school build- 294 BERKELEY CONFERENCE ings, and the certification of teachers, li- brarians, and so on, I conceived of but one system, and that was the state system of the State of Osceola, and in all such mat- ters the local community was deprived of any particular control. I also conceived the state school business of the State of Osceola to be a large and very important business, which might enlist the same qual- ity of service as is enlisted today in the management of a state university; that is, I conceived a state board of education to be appointed by the governor, to consist of citizens who would be as reputable, men of as high character, and men willing to give as large service as is given today by our boards of regents in our better managed state universities. I also conceived the position of commis- sioner of education, which now superseded the old elective and political officials known as the superintendent of public instruc- tion, to be a very important officer. I con- ceived this new official, the commissioner of education, to be appointed by the board of education of the state, and liis position was made as dignified and perhaps more im- portant and more powerful than that of president of the university of the State of Osceola, though Osceola, as I conceived it, had a large and very important state university. Tlie position of superintendent of public instruction, though at times filled by capable men, is nevertheless hampered by politics, and brings to the service the old practitioner; it is a political office pure and simple, and does not do very much in any particular way to advance the educa- tional interests of the state. My conception of education in the state was larger than just the mere teaching process. It seems to me that public edu- cation should embrace not only just mere teaching but all those tilings along the line of educational service that go to the im- provement of the human race. So I con- ceived of a health service as an important part of education; of playgrounds as being an essential part of education ; and of the library as an important adjunct to the work of the school. In fact, I conceived of the librarian and the schoolmaster as working hand in hand, each enlisting the other's efforts and frequently both work- ing in co-operation. That being the case, in organizing the state department of edu- cation, which I made a large one, with fif- teen or sixteen departments, I conceived that the state library should come in as one of the branches or bureaus of the state department of education and that the state museum should in a similar manner come in as another one. I provided that the state librarian and state curator of the state museum now in office should continue to hold their offices and carry on their work until such a time as the state board of edu- cation should see reason to make a change, and that they should pass under the con- trol of the state department of education in so far as any supervisory control was neces- sary. When I passed to the county or lower divisions of the state one of the first things I did was to eliminate the abominable school district unit that prevails in most of the states of the Union. This is an old inheritance from early times which has completely outlived its usefulness, and which is too small and too inefficient to be allowed to fool with the school business any longer, and so I provided that each county should create, within four years from the time of the taking effect of the code, a county educational reorganiza- tion commission. This commission should survey and map the county, find out the economical and social conditions, and pro- vide community-center schools wherever educational needs warranted. In some places, as in the mountains, the little dis- trict school might have to be maintained as it was, but if retained it should be under a different form of management. Central schoolhouses would be provided for, which, after they had been built, should be centers of the community life, not only for the teaching process, but made so by the pro- vision of an auditorium and a branch li- brary in each. I provided that all such schools, outside of incorporated cities, should come under NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF STATE LIBRARIES 295 one control, — that is, a county board of education. Tlie county board of education should In similar manner appoint the county superintendent of public Instruc- tion, or county superintendent of schools, instead of trusting to the whirligig of par- ties and politics, and he sliould become an expert educational official for his county. In the same way I provided that the library of the county should pass under the con- trol of this county board of education, which is to be composed of laymen, citizens of the county, elected from the county at large, irrespective of politics or religion or any other consideration than fitness to manage schools, and they should supersede the board of supervisors which in the State of Osceola we considered had been neglect- ing the work of establishing county li- braries, and often had refused to do so to keep down the tax rate. It was provided that the board of education should appoint a county librarian, that the county libra- rian should be certified by the state, and that the branch librarians, after four years from the taking effect of the code, must also hold state certificates in library work. One county library was to be established in each county, and in each community cen- ter a branch library was to be provided in which there would be located a duplicate set of cards so that books might be bor- rowed from the county library at the county seat, and through which books might be borrowed from the state library. I provided that the school libraries should be part of the county library sys- tem, and the purchase and distribution of all books — books for the children to read, supplemental reading, additional reading for the schools — whatever was in the book line, now passed under the control of the county library, and the county library was under the control of the county board of education, and, as it were, working hand in hand with the schools, each working for the advancement of the education of the children in the schools and of the fathers and mothers in the county. I provided in cities that the library should pass under the control of the city board of education, in that way uniting the city library and the school department of the city as now exists in a few of our American cities. The object was not to secure control by the school department of the library work, for in general I think we all recognize that the librarians have been more efficient in the matter of scatter- ing library Influence than have the schools In appreciating what the libraries have been doing, but rather to secure co-opera- tion which would lead to economy and ef- ficiency. So in this school system in the State of Osceola there is a very close co-ordination of library and school for the common purpose of making war upon ignorance and vice as we find it in our communities and among our people, and of educating them to a higher conception of life and duty. The significant thing, I think, of the whole scheme was that instead of try- ing to deal with the board of supervisors, school trustees or political educational of- ficials, at one fell swoop I got rid of them all, which was a privilege I had by reason of not having a legislature to convince. I got rid of them all and provided for an efficient organization which would, it seems to me, give the people of Osceola advan- tages which most states of the Union do not now enjoy. The state library naturally remained the head of the whole library organization. It was made the duty of the state librarian to co-operate with the county librarians, and through them with the branch librarians. It was one of the important functions of the state librarian to call a meeting once every year of all county and city librarians, either at the state library or elsewhere, for consultation as to their problems. He was made the center from which library bulletins would be sent out. In all the work of the state, and of the county as well, an effort was made to unify the library organization around one central authority, which should become the li- brary center for practically all of the work. Law, medical or technical libraries might be incorporated, on such terms as might 296 BERKELEY CONFERENCE seem wise to the directors, as a part of the county organization and made avail- able to the people of the whole county. Those were the central features that your secretary asked me to come and pre- sent. I do not think they represent any- thing particularly original. They repre- sent a variation from current practice, and I think they represent a good scheme for securing effective organization. Of course you would have to have good men at the top. Almost all leadership comes from the top downward, and nearly everything con- structive involves men as much as a plan. President Hadley once said he did not care much for plans: what he wanted was men who had plans. "Give me a man with a plan," he said; "Plans without men do not amount to much of anything.'" That is true in almost all fields of human en- deavor. You can make a beautiful scheme of organization, but unless you get experi- enced men at the top and get some ad- ministrative head to handle it, it will not work of itself. Much depends. In the State of Osceola, upon the wisdom of the state board of education and the degree to which they let the librarian alone, assum- ing of course that he is an efficient person; much also depends on the way they let the curator of the state museum alone. After making proper selections the chief work of the state board of education will be that of asking the legislature for larger and larger appropriations to carry on this state service. When we come to institute the county unit, much will depend in the selection of county librarians on the county boards of education and the superintendents. In order that there might not be any fool- ishness there I provided that the nomina- tion of all county librarians should come from the county superintendent of educa- tion, who is supposed to be an expert, rather than from some member of the county board. Ke should also nominate the business manager, who would naturally buy all school supplies, see to their dis- tribution, and look after things in connec- tion therewith; the superintendent of build- ing, to look after building schoolhouses in the county; a secretary, to do most of the clerical work; and in the same way to nominate associate librarians, or rather community-center librarians, to carry on the work of organization and management in the little communities, the idea being that the consolidated schools should in a way take up the community-center bur- den which the church once laid down. If we go back in history we find that the church was the community center of our earlier little communities. However much we may regret it, the church has lost that place. The church is no longer a center for the community life. The Sunday meet- ing is no longer the place to which all the people go, and exchange their experiences, and ask about Sarah, Ann, Jane, William, etc. Those days have practically passed away. The church has very little influence over the rising generation and has largely lost its influence as a community center organization. We have nothing to take its place but such Institutions as the saloon and the dance hall, which perhaps repre- sent our best community centers today. The little rural school, with its quarreling trustees, can not accomplish much. By the organization of community-center schools, which would be libraries, meeting- houses and schoolhouses all in one, and around which we may rally the educational and agricultural service of the community, we may thus consolidate almost every im- portant effort for the improvement of the rural districts and small towns of the state. Chairman SHAFFER: The next item on the program is the report of the Joint committee on National legislative informa- tion service, by Mr. George S. Godard, li- brarian Connecticut state library, chair- man. REPORT OF THE JOINT COMMITTEE UPON A NATIONAL LEGISLATIVE INFORMATION SERVICE Mr. GODARD: I think we have all been interested in the new state of Osceola, with NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OP STATE LIBRARIES 297 the plan of the man back of it. Your com- mittee which is to report at this time has had a plan, and at our last meeting in Washington this committee was instructed to see if we could find a man or someone who would carry out the plan which had been evolved. I am pleased to make the formal report which will be a statement of progress. I am sorry that a copy of the last Offi- cial Cumulative Index to State Legislation which was to contain the subject index, has not been received from New York, for I was assured it would be sent in time for this meeting. Several of the co-operating institutions are here represented. Now the point Is, that at the Waukesha Confer- ence, in 1901, at which several of you were present, a committee was selected to take in hand the possibility of organizing a national legislative information service, which would make accessible at each of the state libraries the proposed legislation of all the states, and it possible the prog- ress upon the same. You know the reports we have had at the several meetings; how we had hoped to start in; how we did start one year and found the plan too cum- bersome. In accord with the instructions given at our last meeting there was held in New York City, on October 10th last, a meeting of as many of this joint commit- tee as we could get together to take up and consider the line of action. At this meeting there were present Mr. Lapp, of Indiana; Mr. Dullard, of New Jersey; Mr. Brigham, of Rhode Island; Mr. Belden, of Massachusetts; Mr. Poole, of New York; Mr. Allen, of the Law Reporting Company, and myself. At that time it was decided that the course which we had put into op- eration was out of the question. It was de- cided that in view of the fact that there would probably be about 40,000 bills be- fore the several general assemblies, the information must be issued in the form of a bulletin, and that this bulletin, which probably would be Issued in six or seven numbers, should be cumulative; that it should show the number of the bill, in what house it originated, who Introduced it, to what Committee referred, and so far as possible what the effect of the legis- lation would be if passed, and the final dis- position. In accord with this, there was sent out to the several state libraries on January 5th, the following circular letter: i?e National Legislative Information Serv- ice. Your Committee has completed arrange- ments with the Law Reporting Company for the publication of a weekly cumula- tive index to legislation in all the states, on the plan indicated in the sample pages enclosed, if the libraries or legislative reference departments of approximately thirty states co-operate in supplying to the Committee the necessary legislative mate- rial and information, each for its own state. The index will be furnished to co- operating libraries without charge to the libraries or to the Committee. The material to be furnished includes: (a) (1) Numbers and titles of bills in- troduced, (2) names of members in- troducing, (3) committee references or other disposition of bills on in- troduction, to be sent daily, and (4) when titles of bills do not indicate the subject and effect of the pro- posed legislation, information which will enable the editors to make the subject classification and state clear- ly the effect of the proposed legisla- tion. (b) A file of the daily journals and cal- endars, or other record of the prog- ress of and action taken on pending legislation, to be sent daily, If pos- sible. (c) A file of all printed bills and resolu- tions and subsequent reprints of amended bills, and separately printed amendments, and other printed legis- lative records. As it is proposed to issue the first num- ber of the index about January 15, you are requested to advise the Chairman of the Committee, at Hartford, by telegraph, whether your library will co-operate in furnishing the information for your state. As the efforts of the Committee, which have now extended over seven years, finally promise to be successful in securing a complete and practical national legislative information service, you are urged to co- operate fully and supply all the required in- formation for your state, if possible, but, if there is a part of the information which conditions in your state make it impossible 298 BERKELEY CONFERENCE for you to supply, you are nevertheless urged to co-operate as fully as you can. Respectfully, GEORGE S. GODARD, Chairman. F. O. POOLE, Secretary. CHARLES F. D. BELDEN. HERBERT O. BRIGHAM. In reply there were received answers as follows: Alabama Yes. Arizona Yes. Arkansas Not heard from. California Yes. Colorado Yes. Connecticut Yes. Delaware No. Florida No answer. Georgia Said they would if they could, but they could not possibly do it this session. Idaho No answer. Illinois Yes. Indiana Yes. Iowa Yes. Kansas Yes. Kentucky No answer. Louisiana No answer. Maine Yes. Maryland Had no session, but there was no' an- swer. Massachusetts Yes. Michigan Yes. Minnesota Yes. Mississippi Wrote they were un- able to join at this time. Missouri Would do everything except the last item that was asked for; that is. they would co-operate heartily. Montana Said they could not this year, but hoped to at a later time. Nebraska Yes. Nevada Yes. Vew Hampshire Yes. New Jersey Yes. New Mexico No. New York No. North Carolina No answer. North Dakota Vo answer. Ohio Yes. Oklahoma No answer. Oregon That they would co- operate in part. Pennsylvania Yes. Rhode Island Yes. South Carolina No. South Dakota Yes. Tennessee Yes. Texas Yes. Utah No. Vermont No. Virginia That they were organ- izing a state legis- lative bureau and would be able to join at a later year if not this. Washington Yes. West Virginia Yes. Wisconsin In part. Wyoming Unable to join because of finance. The task seemed discouraging just be- fore the beginning of the year, and even the committee had written each other that it looked very doubtful, but we did not know the man with whom we were deal- ing, and one day, just when things were darkest, we received a call by telephone saying that while we had not received the full number of states which he felt was necessary to guarantee success of this co- operative work, he had decided to under- take it, and asked to have a telegram sent to those who had promised to co-operate at once, which was done. Now, you will be interested to know just what the mode has been at the New York office. For the most part, the states who have promised to co-operate have done so. Some who promised have not done so, and some started and stopped, and said tliey would send in their report in a few days, and then did not send it, which made tlie work, which appears daily, doubly hard to get out. The index gives for each bill and resolution introduced in 1915 the bill number; second, the date of introduction; third, the name of the member introducing the bill; fourth, the subject; fifth, the effect of the proposed legislation and the short title of the bill; and sixth, its position or status. The index is arranged first by states, alphabetically. Senate first, followed by House items; second, numerically, first bills and then resolutions; one hundred bills on the page. The subject index which has been worked out, and which is not only scientific, so far as the law is con- cerned, but complete and practical, for it is to be a business man's index, will show not NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF STATE LIBRARIES 299 only what legislation has actually been passed by the several states, but what legis- lation has been proposed. As to the method of working this out. I am not advertising the Law Reporting Company, but I believe there is no other concern in this country that could have undertaken this work and brought it any- where near as far along as this one has. I speak of this because of Professor Cubber- ley's suggestion that we have to have a man as well as a plan. They are the official stenographers of the Interstate Commerce Commission and several others, and are so equipped that a hearing may be held in the forenoon, and as the members come back from lunch a part of the proceedings of the morning are already printed and handed to them for their inspection. The present organization, which has brought out the bulletins thus far, has consisted of eight trained indexers; and each indexer has his own stenographer. There are six checkers who go through this work and see that no error has been made, one filing clerk, one managing clerk and above all these is Mr. Allen. In other words, we have had handling our work, which has been sent in, twenty-five trained persons. As to the cost of the bulletin. Those of the states which are co-operating have been getting it free so far as issued, and flext year, when there may be no session, those states which have co-operated this year will continue to get it tree. The others will have to pay $250.00. The copy which should have been here for distribution must be seen to be appreciated, and I be- lieve is to be sold to those who have not co-operated and have not had the preceding numbers for $150, and the plan is also not only for a national service for states so each may follow v/hat is going on in all the states, but it is made up in such a way that California pages can be sent through California and be subscribed for in Cali- fornia by those who are interested. Another thing is we at once get an index to the legislation which has been passed, which being by subject will enable us to locate all the laws of several states at once. without going to the general session laws of the several states to hunt them up. Be- ing indexed in one common index we will not be forced to look under several heads for the same subject. In addition to that, we find not only what has been passed and what has been proposed, but what probably will be passed, if not next time then in the days to come. I am wondering if there are any ques- tions about this service. Mr. DODGE: Does the Law Reporting Company want the chapter laws sent by the co-operating institutions? Mr. GODARD: Yes. Mr. Small is one who has seen this bulletin. I would like to ask if he has any criticism or sugges- tions to make on it? I am assuming that he has not made a formal report, and we want to get down to business; the time to get these opinions is when we are here, rather than by correspondence. Mr. SMALL: We have been receiving these bulletins and found them very help- ful. There is one suggestion that might possibly be made, and that is to have a subject classification. The bulletin itself is very useful, and institutions and depart- ments not entitled to it would be justified in subscribing. It deserves the co-opera- tion of every state. I believe that we should further this bulletin because tor years we have been trying to get together information of this kind. Two years ago a start was made and a Bureau of Informa- tion was created under the direction of Mr. Lapp of Indiana. Later the work was di- vided, the H. W. Wilson Company taking charge of all legislative reference features, while all matters pertaining to state legis- lation have been centralized in the bulletins as issued by the Law Reporting Company. With full co-operation it can be made more helpful for libraries that are interested in the legislation of various states. Mr. POOLE: Of those who replied to the circular letter, I note that South Caro- lina replied in the negative. That was cor- rect, but I mention this as a possible hint to any here who represent other states, that the state legislature of South Carolina 300 BERKELEY CONFERENCE became sufficiently interested in this plan to pass a concurrent resolution which you will find in the 1915 statutes, whereby the state printer was directed to send to this joint committee daily, as issued, all their printed matter, calendars, bills, — every- thing that they printed. Now it other states would do the same thing some of these state libraries which claim to be so overburdened with detail at the present time that they can not co-operate would have their work greatly facilitated. Mr. GODARD: In regard to the subject index: that was one of the bulletins I was anxious to have here, because the company has been working on that ever since the first of January, and even before. You can understand the immense expense the com- pany must have incurred not only in the way of assistants but in gathering material from those states which do not co-operate, and the reason we can get the service is because they have had demands for just this sort of information from large corpo- rations. I do not need to mention them, for the various lines of business will read- ily come to your minds; they have to pay well for this service, but they are willing to pay; and it is because of the desire to make this bulletin of immediate service to this large clientele that the company will back the index. In it you will find not only your local terminology but the terminology which the business men in various callings are in the habit of look- ing for to obtain this sort of information, and that makes the index all the more valuable to all of us. If it meets your approval I wish that the joint committee might be instructed to draw up resolutions expressing our appreci- ation to the Law Reporting Company for the interest they have taken in the work and for the expense and the trouble to which they have gone to make this in- formation accessible to us, because that was the beginning of it, and the fact that it has come to a man who does not believe in saying "I can't" but rather "I will" will cause this Association or these united As- sociations to profit. Mr. SMALL: I wish also to state that we are so interested in the success of this bulletin that we will make more of an effort two years from now. This year we were in our infancy in preparing and send- ing out material of this sort, and hardly knew what was desired. Now that we know what this bulletin is, what it stands for and what it means to us in Iowa, we purpose to make a special effort to furnish material that the bulletin may be larger and grow more valuable than even at pres- ent. If you will all resolve to do this, not only to help yourselves but also to help the Law Reporting Company, and Mr. Al- len, who is doing such a splendid service, I am sure the bulletin will prove to be a most valuable and necessary publication in our work. Mr. LIEN: I would like to add this in- formation for the benefit of libraries that have not co-operated in this service: the information required by the company does not take very much time to furnish. Our legislature, which is about an average one, had during the last session under consider- ation something like 2,200 bills. We fur- nished information to the company every day, and I think I can safely say that the total time spent in doing so was not to exceed one hour each day. One hour's work by a clerk in the library is not very much, considering the benefit we get in re- turn. In addition to that, the cost would amount probably to 10 cents postage each day. That was the total cost to our li- brary, the time spent being, as I say. not to exceed one hour a day during the ses- sion, and postage about 10 cents, and I am very glad to hear that the service will be continued. I was somewhat afraid that the undertaking had proven too large, and that it was in danger of being discontinued. I am very glad to learn that tlie service will be continued, because I consider it of extreme value to any state library, and as I say, the cost is very small in getting it in that way. Mr. GODARD: The question has just been asked, "How can those interested who NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF STATE LIBRARIES 301 have not co-operated this past year in the service do so now?" I raised that question with Mr. Allen. He said he would not exactly put them on probation but he would want to have them tried at least a month or six weeks to see if they reilly intended to co-operate. He is more anxious to get the service through the libraries than most of us are to send it in. The more he can get in the way of material through co- operation the more he will have to ex- pend on the bulletin, to make it better, be- cause he doesn't question a moment about its being a great thing, and later finan- cially so. Are there any other questions any one has iu mind? Mr. POOLE: I think a resolution should be passed as suggested by the chairman of the committee, and I would make a motion that the committee be empowered to make a report which should be printed. Chairman SHAFFER: I consider the report of the joint committee as a report of progress. A motion has been made that the report be adopted and the committee continued with power to act as directed. Mr. LIEN: I second the motion. Mr. SMALL: Does this carry with it the power to express the appreciation of this joint convention to Mr. Allen of the Law Reporting Company? Chairman SHAFFER: Perhaps that should be a separate resolution. The motion that the committee be con- tinued with power to act as directed was Bgreed to. Mr. SMALL: Mr. Chairman, I move that a committee of three be appointed by the chair to draft resolutions expressing the appreciation of this joint convention for the great service rendered by Mr. Allen in preparing this bulletin of state laws. The motion was seconded and agreed to. Chairman SHAFFER: I will appoint Messrs. Small, Godard, and Lien as such committee. What is the further pleasure of this convention? Upon motion duly made and seconded the joint session adjourned. SECOND SESSION 101 East Hall, University of California Tuesday, June 8, 1915 In the absence of the president. Secre- tary Dodge called the meeting to order at 9:30 a. m. Mr. Johnson Brigham of Iowa was elect- ed chairman, and appointed the follov/ing committees: Nominations: Messrs. Godard and Hitt, and Miss Dailey. Resolutions: Mr. Small, Miss Davis and Miss Nissley. Auditing: Messrs. Lien and Whitney. Chairman BRIGHAM: We will now proceed to the report of the secretary- treasurer, Mr. Dodge. REPORT OF THE SECRETARY- TREASURER, 1914-15 On June 19, 1914, Mr. C. B. Lester, your secretary-treasurer re-elected at the Wash- ington conference, resigned his position in- asmuch as he did not expect to be present at this meeting, and President Gillis ap- pointed Mr. M. G. Dodge to the vacancy. The financial report for the year is as follows: Receipts Balance from 1913-14, as audited May 28, 1914 $561.68 Interest to October 14, 1914, .94 and 4,50 5.44 Dues 1914-15, as follows: Boston public library 5.00 California state library 25.00 Cole, Theodore L 2.00 Connecticut state library 10.00 Indiana bureau of legislative infor- mation 5.00 Indiana state library 5.00 John Crerar library 10.00 Kansas historical society 5.00 Kansas state library 5.00 Law reporting company 5.00 Michigan state library 5.00 Minnesota historical society 5.00 New Hampshire state library 5.00 302 BERKELEY CONFERENCE New York public library 5.00 Oregon state library 5.00 Pemberton, W. Y 1.00 Pennsylvania legislative reference bureau 5.00 Pennsylvania state library 20.00 Philadelphia free library 5.00 Rhode Island state library, 1913-14 and 1914-15 20.00 Vermont state library 5.00 Virginia state library 5.00 Wisconsin legislative reference li- brary 5.00 Wisconsin historical society 5.00 Worcester county law library 5.00 Total receipts $745.12 Expenses Stenographer, 1914 meeting $ 47.50 Printing, 1914 Proceedings 126.00 325 copies, 1914 Proceedings 68.75 Postage, express, etc., to Oct. 16, 1914 4.70 Postage, to date 10.00 Stationery and printing, 4.95, 1.70.. 6.65 Copy each of Proceedings for 1899 and 1900 1.50 Telegrams, 1, 3.04, 1.85, .91, 1.21 8.01 600 copies Yearbook, 2.85, 1.80, 1.25, 1.40, 4, 38.15 49.45 Total expenses $322.56 Balance on hand 422.56 Certificate of deposit $203.00 Cash in bank 219.56 $745.12 Of the balance on hand you will notice that $203 was placed in the savings bank on Oct. 14, 1914, the interest on which to date at four per cent is about five dollars. The large amount of the balance ($422.56). is due to the fact that the proceedings for 1912 and 1913 have not, as yet, been printed. The explanation for the delay up to the time of our last meeting in 1914 as made by Mr. Godard is printed in the Proceedings for that year at page 15. Your secretary understands that the ma- terial for these lacking Proceedings is all in type at the present time. A considerable number of the members have not as yet paid their dues for the current year, the fact that the secretary was not able to send out statements un- til late being no doubt partly responsible tor the delay. There is about $100 yet to be collected. In accordance with the pro- cedure in force in certain states your sec- retary-treasurer has already signed in ad- vance receipts for dues from the New York state library, and the Nebraska historical society — these dues totaling $30. The list of members has been increased by the addition of the following institu- tions: Indiana bureau of legislative in- formation, Nebraska state historical so- ciety, and Pennsylvania legislative refer- ence bureau. (Also later the Washing- ton state library.) The California state library has increased its dues from $10 to $25. Forty-three various institutions lo- cated in 27 states are at present repre- sented in our membership. Invitations to join the Association have been sent to all non-member libraries elig- ible to membership, some 75 in number. 325 copies of the Proceedings of the 1914 meeting were received in August from the American Library Association. These, or rather such portion as was necessary, were at once mailed not only to the mem- bers of the Association, but also to other institutions who were later invited to join. In taking up their work at the beginning of the year your president and secretary felt that the provisions of the constitution relative to membership had not been close- ly followed, and while perhaps not a mat- ter of serious moment it seemed that the practice which had grown up, namely, that of making the institution as against the in- dividual the basis of membership was pref- erable. We have, therefore, prepared for your consideration certain amendments to the constitution, the object of which is to limit regular membership to institutions. In 1909 the Association voted to admit to membership legislative reference and mu- nicipal reference bureaus. Several have joined the Association and the amendments prepared also make reference to this mat- NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OP STATE LIBRARIES 303 ter. Then, too, the Library of Congress, ever since the organization of our Asso- ciation, has been represented on our vari- ous committees, and several of the most valuable papers read have been prepared by members of its staff. Why then not make it ex officio, a regular member and so as a matter of record make its stalT eligible to serve as officers or on commit- tees, as has been the practice. The following are the amendments sug- gested: Sections 3, 4 and 5, relating to member- ship, and section 6 relating to voting are hereby amended to read as follows: Sec. 3. Regular members. Any state li- brary, state historical society, state law library, or other library doing the work of a state library, including the Library of Congress, and any legislative reference or municipal reference library maintained in whole or in part by the state, shall be eligible to regular membership. Sec. 4. Associate members. Any per- son engaged in or institution promoting state library work shall he eligible to as- sociate membership, and shall have all the privileges of regular members except those of holding office and voting. Sec. 5. Honorary members may be elect- ed by unanimous vote at any annual meet- ing of the Association. Sec. 6. In the election of officers the vote shall be by states as units. In all other matters requiring action at any meet- ing each organization admitted to regular membership shall have one vote through its representative, but any officer or mem- ber of such organization may attend the meetings of the Association and share In its deliberations. Sections 1 and 4 of the By-laws are here- by amended to read as follows: Sec. 1. Annual dues of not more than twenty-five dollars nor less than five dol- lars, the specific amount — based upon num- ber of employees on staff — to bo determined by the executive officer of the Institution assessed, shall be assessed against each institution of the Association, and shall be due and payable at the annual meet- ing; provided, that the Library of Congress shall be considered ex officio a regular member and so not liable for dues. Sec. 4. Associate members shall pay an annual due of not less than one dollar, payable at the annual meeting. Under the provisions of the constitution these amendments must receive a three- fourths vote of those present and voting at two successive meetings of the Asso- ciation. In the absence of any mention that the vote must be by institutions it was doubtless the intention that all those "persons recommended by their respective librarians" as members have each one vote In matters of this kind. Many of the plans outlined by your of- ficers for the year of which this meeting is the close were brought to a sudden stop by the very serious illness of both your president and secretary — illness in both instances of many months' duration. President Gillls is still under the doctor's care and unable to be present with us. He has • asked me to express to you his regrets at not having been able to give more attention to the business of the Asso- ciation or to attend and participate with us in the work and pleasure of these ses- sions. The make-up of the various committees is practically the same as for the previous year. President Gillls having reappointed those who were willing to continue their service. Mrs. Spencer declined to act again as chairman of the committee on exchange and distribution of state documents, and in the remaining available time no one was found willing to take up the work left by her. The secretary attempted in his cor- respondence with the various states to col- lect any new data relating to this sub- ject of documents so that record might be made in the proceedings of this meeting. While several have responded it has seemed that after all record in the matter In our own publication was hardly necessary in- asmuch as there has just been published by Ernest J. Reece of the university of Illinois library school a bulletin which pretty thoroughly covers the present pro- cedure in the various states as to distribu- tion of state documents. This publication also gives some suggestions for a model law on printing and distribution. The following members are present at this convention: California state library, represented by Assistant librarian Ferguson, Mr. 304 BERKELEY CONFERENCE Dodge, Miss Haines, Miss Lowry, Miss Eddy, Mrs. Henshall and Trustee Greene; Connecticut state library, by Librarian Godard; Georgia state library, by Assistant li- brarian Dailey; Illinois state library, by Mrs. Eva May Fowler; Iowa state library, by Librarian Brigham and Mr. Small; John Crerar library, by Librarian An- drews; Minnesota state library, by Librarian Lien; New York state library, by Director Wyer and Miss Smith; Oregon state library, by Miss Blair; Pennsylvania state legislative reference bureau, by Miss Nissley; Vermont state library, by Assistant li- brarian Whitney; Worcester county law library, by Li- brarian Wire; Wyoming state library, by Librarian Davis. This attendance makes a representation from thirteen institutions located in twelve different states. The librarian of the Wash- ington state library is also present al- though not a member of the Association. The so-styled Year-book which has been distributed was issued primarily as our program, but certain other information has been brought together between its covers which your officers felt would be useful be- cause conveniently found. Your secretary has prepared an index to all of the published proceedings of the Association which have been issued since its organization in 1898. This he submits at this time so that if it meets with your approval the same may be included in and made a part of the records of this meet- ing. Efforts have been made to complete the Association's file of Proceedings so that they might be bound. A copy of the first folder issued in 1898 and printed in Nashville, Tenn., has not been found. One other piece of work which has been prepared with the assistance of members of the California state library staff is a summary of county library work and leg- islation relating to same in the various states of the Union. I would suggest that this paper be read by title and printed in the Proceedings. Very few of the states have responded to the request for a statement of recent legislation affecting state libraries or their work.- Portions of letters received ought perhaps to be read at this time: Arizona. Mr. Cronin, the state law and legislative reference librarian, sends the following digest of the new state library law: Name, — The State Law and Legislative Reference Library. Becomes effective June 10, 1915. Librarian appointed by the legis- ture; subsequent appointment to be made by the Board of Curators (3), appointed by tlie Governor, with the advice and consent of the Senate. Duties extensive and set forth in full in the bill. Distribution of all state documents, and empovi-ered to make requisitions on Secretary of State for suf- ficient number. Required to render such service to the legislature as may be re- quired, etc. Fees from State Supreme Court, set aside for the maintenance of the library. Salary of librarian twenty-four hundred dollars per annum; allowed one assistant at twelve hundred dollars per an- num. California. The legislature which has re- cently adjourned, passed the following acts [which later were approved by the gover- nor]. An amendment to section 1740 of the Po- litical Code giving high schools authority to contract with the county free library for library service. An amendment to section 1715 of the Po- litical Code providing that in cities school trustees may arrange with the city library for service similar to arrangements au- thorized by law between school trustees and county libraries. An act approving of the action of the trustees of the state library in accepting the gift of the Sutro library collection, and establishing the Sutro library in San Fran- cisco as a branch of the State library. Georgia. Mrs. Cobb, the state librarian, writes: The Georgia State library has pur- sued the usual work during the 1914-15 pe- riod, but each week we notice that inquiries increase along every line, — inquiries for the loan of books, for traveling libraries and for information as to the organization and equipment of small libraries. As yet these several systems are not pro- vided for by the state, but the State library on its own initiative attempts to meet the demand in so far as possible and the let- ters that come in indicate that the people NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF STATE LIBRARIES 305 are beginning to realize the necessity of such activity on the part of the state. The particular development in the li- brary during the period referred to has been the creation of a legislative reference department and its organization. The work done for the members in their preparation for the session in June has met with most pleasing results and the cat- aloging and indexing done in connection with this special collection has added a per- manent file of much value to the library's catalog. Illinois. Mr. Bell, secretary of the Legis- lative reference bureau, writes: The Legis- lative reference bureau of Illinois was es- tablished in September, 1913, and during the twenty months of its operation has col- lected over seven thousand books, pamph- lets, bibliographies, etc. None of this ma- terial, however, duplicates matter that may be found in the State library or the Histori- cal society. We have completed about twenty studies on subjects of legislative importance, some of which may be pub- lished next year. This bureau also prepares the budget tor the State of Illinois, and this year's re- quests total $45,404,602.30. which has been classified according to rules of procedure formulated by this bureau. The work of compiling the budget was a tremendous task. During the session of the legislature, we issue a weekly digest of bills, resolutions, memorials, etc., copy of which I am send- ing you under separate cover. The bill drafting department of the bu- reau has prepared about ninety per cent of the bills so far introduced. Before the conclusion of the session, the total number of bills in both houses will perhaps exceed fifteen hundred. Our work has proved pop- ular with the members, and the co-opera- tion we have received from bureaus, state libraries, etc., from other states, has been very advantageous to us. Dr. Andrews of the John Crerar library writes: I presume that several of the li- braries co-operating with the H. W. Wilson Company in tlieir Public Affairs Informa- tion Service will have called this matter to your attention. It is the most important general development in state library work with which I am acquainted. Two matters of interest to that side of our own work might possibly be men- tioned. One is the fact that we have pur- chased through a special agent a large number of documents of the countries of South America, and the other Is the re- newal by the present Secretary of State of Illinois of the practice of depositing with the library one copy of each bill introduced into the Illinois Legislature. I mention this partly because it may not be generally known that we are the depository of one copy of each bill introduced into the Fed- eral Congress. Maryland. IVIiss Dorsey, the state li- brarin.n, writes calling especial attention to the Maryland state library exhibit in the IWaryland state building at the Exposition grounds. Massachusetts. Mr. Belden, the state li- brarian, forwards a copy each of the last annual report of the trustees and state li- brarian, 1915, the report of a special com- mittee on a visit to Wisconsin in relation to the state library of Massachusetts, and the Resolve of the 1915 legislature grant- ing En appropriation to carry on the re- cataloging of the state library. The special committee referred to made the follov.'ing recommendations: "First: That the work now in progress on the state library card catalog be pushed as fast as practicable and that ample appropriation for this pur- pose be made. Second: That the board of trustees of the state library be authorized to employ a competent legislative refer- ence librarian to act as assistant to the state librarian. Third: That a bill draft- ing department be established under the direct control of the legislature and that for this department a room be furnished adjoining the legislative reference room." Minnesota. Mr. Lien, the state librarian, writes: There is but little to report from this library. The plan for a new building has been clianged so that the new building will house only tlie Historical library, and Library commission, while the State li- brary and Supreme court will remain in the capitol building. The legislative reference work in the li- brary has been increased somewhat dur- ing the session just closed. No change has been made in the library staff. The Minne- sota State Bar Association has deposited in the library its collection of Bar Associa- tion Reports. Oregon. Miss Marvin, the state librar- ian, calls attention to the biennial report of the Oregon state library wliich states that "the new features in the state library work are the loans of groups of hooks to the small public libraries which have in- adequate book facilities; the building up of a system of inter-library loans through- out the state, so that any book in an Ore- gon library is available for the use of any citizen in Oregon; tlie greatly increased use of the state central library by the coun- try people and people in small towns, this 306 BERKELEY CONFERENCE use being made possible by the extension of tlie parcels post to books. County agri- cultural libraries have been established wherever there are county agricultural agents, tliese agents acting as librarians and loaning the books to the farmers in their territories. . . . The library has made a special point of reaching those who are seeking naturalization and have filed petitions for hearing, and has arranged to co-operate with the courts in reaching these people and putting into their hands the books which will help them to understand the history and institutions of our coun- try." Texas. Movements for the establishment of free public libraries are in progress in nearly all Te.xas cities and towns that are not now provided with them. The state li- brarian, in response to requests, has fur- nished information and assistance in many of these enterprises. He has inaugurated and published "Texas libraries," a periodi- cal devoted to the interests of public li- braries and their improvement. He has also assisted in the encouragement of school libraries, and has been active in urging the state normal schools to offer courses for teachers that would prepare them to select children's books and to ad- minister school libraries. He has also helped to secure a county tree library law. Virginia. Mr. Mcllwaine, the state li- brarian, writes: As for the work of the Virginia State library the past year, I do not know that there is anything of special interest to call attention to, unless it be, perhaps, the increasing circulation of the books of the library throughout the State of Virginia due to the use that is being made of the parcels post system. . . . If books could be sent by mail, charges col- lect, as may be done by express, the work of correspondence attending tlie increased circulation would be considerably reduced; this advance in the parcels post system Is to be devoutly hoped for. The Association is indebted to the Cali- fornia state library for many courtesies extended to the secretary-treasurer which have greatly facilitated his work. Melvin G. Dodge. Secretary-treasurer. June 8, 1915. Chairman BRIGHAM: You have heard this interesting report, and if there is no objection it will be placed on file. It con- tains some matter which I think calls for attention. For Instance, would it not be well to have a committee to report on the constitutional changes that are offered; or shall we act on them directly? Mr. LIEN: It seems to me that, for the want of time to consider those amendments at this time through a committee, it would be perfectly safe to put them to a vote. The fact that it requires a vote of two consecutive meetings would obviate any danger in having something we do not want, because if after we examine them we think they are not what we want, we can change them at our next meeting. There- fore, I move that the amendments as pro- posed be put to a vote. Chairman BRIGHAM: Would it be well to take up each amendment separately? Mr. LIEN: It seems to me they are so connected that the amendments cover prac- tically one subject, and for that reason it would be perfectly proper to vote on the entire number at once. I move, therefore, that the amendments as proposed be adop- ted. The motion was seconded and agreed to. Mrs. EVA MAY FOWLER: May I reply personally to the questions of the secretary in regard to the Illinois State library? I notice he has no reply. I have been wait- ing daily for the adjournment of the legis- lature so I could report on what had been done, but my news last evening was that the session would not adjourn until the ISth. Nothing has been done up to the present time, and we think nothing will be done. There were several bills intro- duced and at first there seemed hope of their passing. One was to take the State library from the Secretary of State as an rr-ofiirio librarian and put it in the charge of a librarian appointed by a commission. That has lost so far as I can understand from the letters. The work of the State li- brary has been greatly increased in the last year because we have been sending out books over the state under the parcel post rates and this has increased our work daily. Chairman BRIGHAM: Do you handle a traveling library system? Mrs. FOWLER: We send out just one, two or three volumes in answer to refer- NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OP STATE LIBRARIES 307 ence inquiries and supply women's clubs where there is no public library or supple- ment the books of the small public libraries of the state. Chairman BRIGHAM: There is con- siderable matter for consideration in the secretary's carefully prepared report. It may be that some others have some sug- gestions. Are there any other unsubmitted reports from the states? Miss DAVIS: The thing of most inter- est in Wyoming is the new library building we are to have in about a year. Mr. GODARD: Perhaps the most im- portant thing in connection with new legis- lation affecting the Connecticut State li- brary should be included as a part of the archives report, because in Connecticut the examiner of public records is an assistant of the state librarian and appointed for an indefinite term. His work is entirely out- side of the library. Two years ago some of you will remember that provision was made for standard inks. A thorough ex- amination was made by a state chemist of about forty different kinds of inks, and as many ribbons, and then the four that stood highest were sent to Washington to the Bureau of Standards to be verified. This year our general assembly has provided that no paper whatever shall be used in public records of the state whicli does not bear a dated water mark which will insure first quality paper as well as first quality ink. This is part of the library work I think might be mentioned at this time. An increased appropriation has also been made for the work of indexing the probate files which are deposited, and for the legis- lative reference work, so that the total ap- propriation made this year was .'5104,200. Mrs. FOWLER: Another thing I might add which may be changed in Illinois by the end of the session. There are two dif- ferent bills pending which give the state library documents sufiicient in number for exchange. This work has been slighted in Illinois, but we are hoping at the end of the session to aid all of you to complete your files cf Illinois documents. Chairman BRIGHAM: Speaking of archives, our Archives Bureau is now part of the historical section of the Iowa State library, and it Is in a very flourishing con- dition. I think this would be a very good time to hear from our old friend, Mr. Hitt, who has come back to us, the prodigal son from a far country. Mr. J. M. HITT: I was a little sur- prised when the secretary read his report that Washington had dropped out. The matter was referred to the Auditor and I supposed it was all arranged and I assure you that personally I will see that we are reinstated. Those things in our state have a modus oprrandi that does not obtain in most of the states. Washington has done a very great deal in the last two or three years in extending its work over the state and really we are supplying the people with books as never before. In our state, however, the traveling library's work is en- tirely separate from that of the State li- brary. The State library sends books and supplements the work of the smaller li- braries, as has been reported from Illinois, a work which I presume most of you do. We have a very large circulation over the state in that way, but the traveling li- brary department is another department of the state work. It has been very success- ful and has done perhaps more this past year than ever before. The law library is still a separate division of our work and is growing very rapidly. It expects to have within the coming year a new library stack system which is just being installed, and which will add very much to its facilities. We have been moved twice in the last three years, so that our work has been broken up a great deal, especially in our transmission of documents. This v/as due to local conditions which necessitated a change of rooms, but nevertheless Wash- ington is doing as much or better work than ever before in its history. Chairman BRIGHAM: Is there any movement there, Mr. Hitt, to bring to- gether the law library and the general li- brary? Mr. HITT: No; there is not. There has 308 BERKELEY CONFERENCE been a movement to bring together the traveling library work and the State li- brary work; that has been up before the state legislature, but it did not pass at this last session. Chairman BRIGHAM: Is that handled by the Library commission? Mr. HITT: We have one commission for the three libraries. It is a condition that may not exist anywhere else. We have one Library commission which has three departments whicli in themselves are to- tally separate: the law department, and the State library which also has the dis- tribution of documents, and the traveling library department. Chairman BRIGHAM: How is that Commission created? Mr. HITT: It is wholly ex-offlcio. It has nine judges of the supreme court, the governor and the attorney general. The new proposition, which was before the legislature at the last session and which failed to pass, was a proposition to have a commission of librarians to be appointed by the governor, and there seemed to be the rock on which the whole thing went to pieces. At present it is an ex-officio com- mission. Chairman BRIGHAM: The next subject upon the program is the report of the Com- mittee on public archives, Dr. H. R. Mcll- waine, librarian Virginia state library. The secretary reported that the following paper had been received from Dr. Mcll- waine: REPORT OF THE PUBLIC ARCHIVES COMMITTEE It is well at the beginning of this report to remind the members of the Association of the object in view in the preparation and publication of the reports of the Pub- lic Archives Committee of the National Association of State Libraries. This ob- ject is merely to give from year to year an account of the work being done through- out the country on the public archives of the country, national, state and local, stress being laid, however, very naturally. on the state archives, not because of their greater importance, by any means, but be- cause the body which, through one of its committees, has undertaken to do the work, is made up mostly of state librarians and because at the present stage of archival work and interest in this country it is easier to gather information in reference to that class of archives. It is hoped that the publication of these reports and their wide dissemination throughout the coun- try — not only among the members of the Association, who are few in number, but among the various officials of the country responsible for the care of archives of any kind — will have a tendency to Increase in- terest in archival work, and lead to greater efficiency among archival workers and the passage of better laws in the various states for the care of all public records. The present report is the fifth report or the committee. The first report was pre- sented at the meeting of the Association held at Pasadena in 1911. This report was printed as a part of the proceedings of that meeting, and gives valuable information. The second report, presented at the Ottawa meeting in 1912, was, unfortunately, lost. The third report, consisting of a record for two years instead of one — a record for the year for which the report had been lost as well as the record for the year of the date of the report — was submitted at the 1913 meeting of the Association, held at Kaaterskill. This report, because of several unfortunate circumstances, has not yet been printed, but the members of the Public Archives committee understand that there is still a possibility of its publica- tion, and they beg leave to express the hope that this may be true. To a greater degree even than Is usually the case, the value of these reports is cumulative. Made up, as they are, of information furnished by archival workers in the different states, the reports are marred from year to year by failure of one correspondent one year and another possibly the following year to reply to the circular letter annually sent out by your committee asking for this information. Hence if a reader wishes to NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF STATE LIBRARIES 309 know something of the condition of archi- val worli in any special state, it would he well for him to have at hand a full set of these reports, for a gap in one report may be filled out in another. The report for 1913 ought, accordingly, still to be pub- ' lished if this can be done. The 1914 report, delivered at the meet- ing held in Washington last year, was promptly printed, and copies of it were sent to all the state librarians or secre- taries of state, other than those who are members of this Association, when the cir- cular letter was sent out some weeks ago asking for information for the present re- port. The effect of this is to be seen in the increased number of replies received the present year to the circular letter, and also probably in their higher average value. It is suggested that the Association, if the present report is to be printed and if the work of the Public Archives committee is to be continued — and your present commit- tee recommends that both of these things bo done — provide for similar use by the chairman of the committee for the coming year of at least forty copies of the present report. This year the expense has been very cheerfully borne by the chairman of the committee. As heretofore, detailed information is given under the names of the states and territories -arranged alphabetically. Alabama — The report which follows, dis- cusses briefly the archives situation in Alabama, and was prepared by Dr. Thomas M. Owen, director of the Alabama State Department of Archives and History: "During the year 1914-15, work in the archives has been directed to filling in gaps, or In the location of missing volumes and files, the verification of arrangement and classification, the labeling and mark- ing of all groups, and the revision of the check lists. "The period covered by the archives dates from 1818. The collection embraces hun- dreds of bound volumes and hundreds of document files and letter files. (1) Execu- tive offices, departments, commissions, bu- reaus, and boards; (2) the judiciary de- partment; (3) the legislative department; (4) constitutional conventions; (5) state Institutions; (6) special commissions; (7) counties; and (8) municipalities, are all represented. It can be seen, therefore, that the whole archives field is covered. Mani- festly, all of the sections represented in the foregoing are not complete. No special effort has been put forth to centralize state, institutional, county, and municipal rec- ords, and it would hardly be desirable that this should be done. However, the very early records in each of these three groups have been sought, and with success. "The various departments have sympa- thetically co-operated in the plans of this department, and a systematic effort has been made by them to place in our custody everything not in current use by them. Through the carelessness of ofiicials and custodians in the past, some volumes and files have been lost or mislaid, but Ala- bama has suffered probably less in this re- spect than many other states. "Attention is again called to the plan of arrangement which obtains with reference to the archives. Quoting from the report of 1913-1914, 'All records are kept as nearly as possible in the same order or classifica- tion as obtained in the offices of origin. We have carefully avoided any break-up of classes or groups and the adoption of any arbitrary arrangement. In this way confusion has been avoided, and both offi- cials and the public find everytliing in practically the same condition as when on file in the ofiices themselves.' The decision to handle in this way the collections com- ing into the department was reached almost immediately after its organization in 1901. It appeared to be the logical course, and subsequent discussion and investigation have justified the adoption of the plan. It is gratifying to note that in all recent dis- cussion of archives arrangement, classifi- cation, etc., practically the unanimous de- cision has been that the original order should be maintained. This is notably true in the larger collections. "It is believed that the entire collection of archives will be sufficiently organized 310 BERKELEY CONFERENCE and listed to justify the publication of a catalog during the year. "It may be proper to state that the Ala- bama legislature of this year, which will have an adjourned session beginning July 13, 1915, will be asked to enlarge the duties of the department, whereby it will be given the authority to standardize all public records, whether state, institutional, county, or municipal, to prescribe standard papers, inks, typewriter ribbons, ink pads, etc., to prescribe regulations for vaults and safes, and to direct the restoration and re- pair of records." Alaska — The public records of the ter- ritory of Alaska are still, naturally, in the offices of their origin, as they are in most of the states of the American Union. Alaska has, however, taken a possible first step toward a later centralization of her records in the creation of her Historical Library and Museum. The Honorable Charles E. Davidson, secretary of Alaska, writes, under date of March 24, 1915: "The collection of books, maps, pamphlets, and ethnological and other objects, the property of the library and museum, is not fully available for public use for the reason that no suitable public building has been provided in which they may be ap- propriately shelved or displayed." Arizona — The first two volumes of the "History of Arizona," prepared by the Ari- zona historian, will be very shortly ready for distribution. These bring the history down from the time of the Spanish occu- pation to 1863, when the territory of Ari- zona was organized. Other volumes are in course of preparation. (Information furnished by Mr. Thomas Edwin Farish, Arizona historian. May 11.) Arkansas — Both houses of the General Assembly of 1915 (which adjourned early in April) appropriated to the use of the Ar- kansas History Commission such an amount as would enable it to carry for- ward with increased energy the varied phases of its work, but the governor of Arkansas cut the appropriation down to the amount allowed at the biennial session of the General Assembly held two years ago. Though much disappointed, the friends of the commission are not utterly cast down, and they will renew the fight for an increased appropriation at the next meeting. (Information received from Mr. Dallas T. Herndon, secretary of the Ar- kansas History Commission, April 9.) California — The state archives of Cali- fornia — such of them as, according to Chapter 289 of the Statutes of 1889, have been transferred to the custodianship of the keeper of the archives — are contained in four rooms in the basement of the capitol, two of which are fireproof (one with wooden furnishings and one with metal) and the other two of which are not fireproof, and a brick vault on the first floor, a part of the quarters of the secretary of state. All these rooms are crowded to such an extent as to prevent the proper indexing of their contents. In fact, many of the records are in boxes, because there is no shelf space for them. The records are reported to be in good condition. (Statement received from Mr. Edward L. Head, keeper of the archives, April 15.) (Under the provisions of Chap- ter 354 of the 1915 Statutes the sum of thirty-five hundred dollars is appropriated for the purchase and installation of neces- sary office equipment for filing and pres- ervation of state documents in the state archives.) Colorado — No information. Connecticut — Mr. George S. Godard, state librarian, under date of May 21, writes as follows: "The past year has been one of sub- stantial progress in the archives depart- ment of the Connecticut state library. As was stated in my report of last year, the work may be divided into two parts, work within the state library building, under the immediate direction of the state librarian, and work outside, throughout the 168 towns of the state, under the direction of the examiner of public records, who is a deputy of the state librarian. \V01:K within THK LIIiR^VKY "As to the work within the state library, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OP STATE LIBRARIES 311 our work of indexing the official legislative archives for the period from about 1620 to 1789 continues. We are now in the midst of the papers relating to the Ameri- can Revolution. Effort is made to include in these indices every subject considered and every individual and place mentioned, special attention being given to autographs and seals. "Many official and semi-official papers, for many years in the hands of private par- ties, who have held them almost sacred, are being presented to the library, where they are being arranged, calendared, in- dexed, and in some cases bound in volumes of convenient size as a special collection to bear the name of the donor. "Under the provisions of Chapter 175 of the Public Acts of 1909, 42 of the 113 pro- bate districts in Connecticut have already deposited in the state library the original files in their custody; other districts have signified their intention to deposit theirs. Of the 42 districts deposited, the papers from 36 of these districts, numbering about 350,000 manuscripts relating to about 70,000 different estates probated in these districts between 1675 and 1912, have been sorted by estates, repaired where neces- sary, arranged, placed in document files in our probate records vault, and are now easily accessible. "The State Board of Civil Engineers, cre- ated by our General Assembly in 1913 to have supervision over all dams in the state, has arranged to keep its official maps and records in the state library. A special filing cabinet for these maps and papers has been provided. We have also installed a complete and modern metal equipment in the vault of our supreme court justices. WORK OUTSIDE THE LIBBABT "As to the work under direction of our examiner of public records, he has been in frequent conference with public officials in various sections of the state, where new vaults or safes are being installed or new- ly equipped. Many volumes of records, badly worn, have under his immediate direction and supervision been repaired, rebound, properly labeled, and returned to their official custodians. He is always welcomed by the public officials of the state. "As directed by the General Assembly of 1913, he has bad tested the 40 different brands of ink and typewriter ribbons found in use in the several record offices of Con- necticut, and after a most thorough and impartial test has recommended the four inks which stood highest. The methods of testing and the results of same are quite fully set forth in the 1914 report of the examiner of public records, which can be had upon request. "Under his immediate direction, as a pri- vate citizen much interested in the his- tory of the families of Connecticut, he has had made at his own expense, manuscript copies of the vital records down to 1850 of rearly two-thirds of the towns of the state. Under his direction those vital records relating to Bolton and Vernon have been published by the Connecticut Historical society; those relating to Norwich have been published in two volumes by the Con- necticut Society of Colonial Wars; those relating to the ancient town of Woodstock have been published by the Case, Lock- wood & Brainard Co. of Hartford; and those relating to New Haven are now be- ing published by the Connecticut Society of Founders and Patriots of America. NEW LEGISL.\TI0N "Our 1915 General Assembly, which ad- journed on May IStb, has provided for the following: 1. Making indices to land records in our 168 towns, where no such workable and up-to-date index now exists. This work is to be done under our examiner of public records. 2. All books for public records which shall be made hereafter must be made from 'a standard, mill brand paper, with date water marked, approved by the ex- aminer of public records.' 3. A special appropriation of $1,000 to- wards copying Revolutionary War records 312 BERKELEY CONFERENCE in various departments at Wasliington, which are needed to complete the files now in our state library. This appropriation was made at the request of the Connecti- cut Society of the Daughters of the Ameri- can Revolution, through a special commit- tee of ladies, appointed for that purpose. 4. Increasing our regular appropriation for special archives work from $5,500 to $6,500. MI.SCELLANEOUS "I cannot close this brief epitome of our activities in archives work without calling attention to the splendid work which is being done by the Connecticut Society of Colonial Dames, in compiling manuscript histories and descriptions of early Con- necticut homes. Of these histories, 212 have already been presented to the library and substantially bound. "Through the special interest and efforts of present and former town ofiicials and their families, our state library is now in possession of coramendably complete sets of the annual financial reports of the sev- eral towns of the state. Our new state library and supreme court building, with its convenient arrangement and equipment, is being appreciated.'' Delaware — Volumes four and five of the "Delaware Archives'' have been prepared, and contract for their publication has been entered into. They contain the Delaware muster rolls and pay rolls for the War of 1812. Many of these original rolls, though they undoubtedly belong to the state of Delaware, were found among the files of the War Department, at Washing- ton. They have been copied for inclu- sion in the two volumes of "Delaware Archives" referred to above, but the hope IS entertained by the authorities of the Public Archives Commission of Delaware that the originals may be returned to the state. Work on Vol. 3 of the Delaware Archives, which will contain Revolution- ary War material discovered since the publication of Vols. 1 and 2, is now under way. The commission is also engaged in col- lecting, arranging, and binding into vol- umes the marriage bonds scattered throughout the state. More than 11,000, bearing dates from 1742 to 1850, have been bound into volumes, which are now being indexed. (Information obtained from the annual report of the Public Archives Com- mission transmitted by the secretary of state to the General Assembly of Dela- ware on February 4, 1915, and from a let- ter of Mr. Walter G. Tatnall, archivist, dated April 15.) Florida — Florida is one of the few states of the Union which has no general state library, but this lack stands in a fair way of being supplied by the General Assembly of Florida, now in session. A bill creating a general library has passed the senate and will, it is hoped, pass the lower house. When the library becomes an actuality, the older archives will probably in course of time be transferred to it. (A letter of Mr. H. Clay Crawford, sec- retary of state, dated May 11, gives the information in reference to the bill for the creation of the library, and further states that the departmental archives of Florida are under the care of the several departments. On July 13, 1915, Mr. Craw- ford reports that the library bill failed to become a law.) Georgia — During the year the compiler of state records has issued Volumes 22 and 23 of the "Colonial Records of Georgia," containing papers and correspondence of the years 1737-1739 and 1740-1742, respect- ively. Three continuing volumes are now ready for the printer. There has also been compiled a roster of the membership and of the officers of the General Assembly of Georgia from the earliest days of state- hood. The roster commission, which is en- gaged in researches connected with the war between the states, has nearly com- pleted work on sixty-sis regiments of Georgia infantry. One hundred thousand names have been put on cards, and these r.rranged in alphabetical order prepara- tory to publication at some future time. NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF STATE LIBRARIES 313 (Data furnished by Mrs. M. B. Cobb, state librarian, in a letter dated Marcli 3.) Hawaii — No information for the present year. Idaho — Under date of May 11, Mr. George R. Barljer, secretary of state, writes as fol- lows: "Our state has no central deposi- tory for the purpose of transferring cer- tain records not consulted frequently. The records of each state department have been kept in that department, and there has never been an effort made to concen- trate all such records in one central de- pository." Illinois — "There is nothing new to report for the state since last year, although it is possible that the present legislature may pass some laws in regard to the control of local archives. The report on the sur- vey of local archives concerning which a statement was made last year has now been completed and is in the press. Some time during the summer the volume will be ready for distribution by the Illinois Historical Library." (Statement furnished by Dr. C. W. Alvord, Illinois State Histor- ical library. The laws referred to by Dr. Alvord seem not to have been passed.) Indiana — The Department of Indiana History and Archives is one of the depart- ments of the Indiana state library. The law creating this department was approved March 6, 1913, and reads as follows: "The department of Indiana history and archives shall have the following objects and purposes: 1. The care and custody of official archives which come into possession of the state library; the collection of mate- rials bearing upon the history of the state; the encouragement of historical work and research. 2. The examination and classification of documents and records not of present-day use to their respective departments. 3. Co-operation with any of the educa- tional institutions of the state in any man- ner approved by the state librarian, with the consent of the library board. Any state, county or other official is hereby authorized and empowered, at his discretion, to turn over to the state library, for permanent preservation by the depart- ment of Indiana history and archives, any books, records, documents, original papers, newspaper files and printed books and ma- terial, not in current use in his office." Mr. Harlow Lindley, director of the de- partment, writes, under date of March 29, that because of the lack of space it has not been possible to do much with the archives part of the work, and that there- fore the state history part has been ac- centuated. The first report of the depart- ment, published on pp. 12-15 of the "Re- port of the Indiana State Library" for the two years ending September 30, 1914, shows that a great deal of valuable his- torical work is being done. low/a — Under date of May 8, Miss Ethel B. Virtue, archivist in the cataloging and research department of the Public Ar- chives of Iowa, writes as follows: "The indexing of the archives material has gone steadily on during the past year, and the inventory of the entire collection is now nearing completion. Over 7,000 boxes and bound volumes of manuscript material have been checked through and cataloged in the manner described in last year's report. "A more detailed index of the papers of the territorial assemblies of lov.-a is well under way. The papers have been care- fully identified, and endorsed where proper endorsement was lacking, and this oc- curred frequently. The bills, joint resolu- tions, and memorials are ready to be listed by number, title, and author, while the other papers will be arranged in chrono- logical order, and the journal of each ses- sion will then serve as an index. "A permanent card record of all persons using archives material has also been started during the year. The card used provides for the registration of applicant's name and address, date and purpose of in- quiry, and manuscripts called for and fur- nished. The following brief summary of one hundred and thirty-three cards shows the varied character of the inquiries which this department is called upon to answer. 314 BERKELEY CONFERENCE Eighty-one inquiries came from the various state offices, fifty-eight from the board of health, three from the governor, one each from the secretary and the treasurer of state, seven from the auditor of state, one from the attorney general, three from the executive council, one from the law library, two from the insurance department, two from the board of education, one from the railroad commission, and one from the board of control of state institutions. "Of the remaining inquiries, eighteen have been of a purely historical character, such as requests for information from per- sons making historical research with a view to publication of books, theses, and articles for periodicals. Legal requests have numbered thirteen, and cover a va- riety of claims from pension claims to bank controversies and settlement of land titles. Business interests have consulted the department on thirteen different occa- sions, the last request coming from a stone quarry wishing to know the test of its product made at the time of the erection of the present capitol. Eight miscellane- ous requests complete the total.'' Kansas — Mr. William E. Connelly, secre- tary of the Kansas State Historical So- ciety, writes, under date of May 7: "The collections of the Kansas State Historical Society were moved into the Memorial Building in the months of June, July and August of last year. We are now begin- ning to arrange them in their proper order and proper classification. Our help is lim- ited, and this work will require several years. The extent of these collections will be seen from the following table: Volumes of books 42,931 Volumes of newspapers and maga- zines 44,527 Pamphlets 149,979 Archives 149,851 Manuscripts 44,628 Pictures 9,127 Maps, atlases and charts 7,616 PLelics, coins, scrip, etc 9,809 The legislature last winter made an ap- propriation of $40,000 to purchase shelving and other fixtures for the Memorial Build- ing. The building has cost to date nearly ?500,000. The historical society occupies about one-fourth of the building." Kentucky — Mr. Frank K. Kavanaugh, state librarian, reports, in a letter dated May 7, progress along the lines described in his report last year. His letter ends: "The auditor and sinking fund commis- sion have employed service, upon my rec- ommendation, in assorting and labeling old vouchers and warrants of the land and auditor's office in the old building [that is, old capitol], and precautions are taken in every way to preserve intact our records of state." Louisiana — Mr. W. F. Millsaps, secretary of state, writes, under date of May 8: "Acknowledging the receipt of your letter of the 5th instant, you are advised that the public papers which have come into being in the work of the various state de- partments of the government of Louisiana have not been transferred to a central de- pository, but are still under the control of the departments of their origin. The only records under the control of this de- partment consist of acts of the General Assembly as far back as 1812, and copies of charters or articles of incorporation as far back as 1898, which are readily acces- sible to persons seeking information of that character. I am unable to advise you as to the accessibility of the records of the other departments." Maine — No report. Maryland — Under date of May 8, Mrs. Sallie Webster Dorsey, state librarian, writes: "Owing to congestion in the law and miscellaneous departments of the Maryland State library, an entire floor of steel casings, containing shelving, has has been installed in the library. During the summer a thorough re-organization will take place, and a general shifting of books will be made, so as to relieve the congestion and better facilitate the gen- eral work of the library. The 34th volume of the 'Archives of Maryland' has been received during the year." Massachusetts — Under date of March 29, Mr. Albert P. Langtry, secretary of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF STATE LIBRARIES 315 commonwealth of Massachusetts, writes: "There has been no change in the num- ber of clerks employed in the equipment of the archives division since the state- ment last furnished by this office. "A card index, with complete cross ref- erences, has been made of the maps and plans collection, which comprises plans of all grants to individuals; townships and tracts granted and sold in Massachusetts and Maine between 1650 and 1853; the official town plans filed in 1794 and 1830; .".nd those that accompanied enactments relating to incorporation or division of towns. "A card index to the valuable manuscript collection is next to be undertaken, which will supersede the chronological catalog with descriptive titles that has been in use for many years. "The State House Commission has been requested to allot better and more commo- dious quarters for the archives division in the new wing of the state house now in process of erection." Michigan — Mr. Charles Moore, secretary and editor of the Michigan Historical Com- mission, sent, with a letter bearing date March 16, a copy of the second annual report of the Michigan Historical Com- mission. This report describes the activi- ties of the commission on the historical side, these being numerous and important, including the publication of the "Michigan Pioneer and Historical Collections'' — vol. 39 of which is now in press. So far as archival work if concerned, it sets forth the powers of the commission with refer- ence to the public records, both state and local (see last year's report of this com- mittee), and shows that the commission has been so far unable to assume these powers owing to the lack of space in its quarters for the accommodation of such archives as might be removed from the places of their origin. In this connection, the report makes a strong plea for the erection in Lansing of a special building for the care of the archives. Minnesota — Early in November, 1914, Dr. Solon J. Buck was elected superin- tendent of the Minnesota Historical So- ciety, and shortly thereafter he made an arrangement with the Public Archives Commission of the American Historical Society, of which commission he is also a member, whereby the two bodies should "co-operate in securing the preparation of a report upon and inventory of the Minne- sota state archives.'' The assistance of Mr. Herbert A. Kellar, instructor in history in the University of Minnesota, has been secured to carry out this work, in the prosecution of which good progress has been made. A bill was introduced in the Minnesota legislature at its 1915 meeting to establish the Minnesota Historical So- ciety as a state department of archives and history, but the bill was not pushed by its friends, who thought the time rather inopportune owing to the fact that another bill in which the members of the society were even more greatly interested had also been introduced, and accordingly it failed of passage. It will, however, be introduced again at the next meeting of the legislature, when it will probably be- come a law. The other bill passed. It provides for the erection of a building "for and adapted to the use of the Minnesota Historical Society, and for the care, pres- ervation, and protection of the state ar- chives, provided that any part of the said building not in use or actually needed for the purposes of the society may be used for other state departments under the di- rection of the governor." (Information received from Dr. Solon J. Buck, super- intendent of the Minnesota Historical So- ciety, in letters dated March 12 and May 11.) Mississippi — No information received. Missouri — Mr. A. J. Menteer, assistant librarian of the Missouri state library, writes under date of May 7, that all the public papers of the various departments of the state not destroyed at the burning of the Capitol some years ago are in the offices of their origin, and that no attempt has ever been made to bring them together in one place. Montana — Mr. W. Y. Pemberton, libra- 33 6 BERKELEY CONFERENCE rian of the State Historical and Miscella- neous library, writes, under date of March 19, that there is nothing to add to the report made last year. Nebraska — Mr. Clarence S. Paine, secre- tary of the State Historical Society, writes, under date of May 20: "The situation with reference to the public archives of Nebraska remains un- changed. "There can be no material improvement until the State Historical Society, which is charged with the care of these archives, has a place in which to care for them, and a law which will make it mandatory on public officials to turn over such archives to the society, instead of leaving it op- tional with the officials, as at present. "The society has a building started, but there is no hope of obtaining funds to con- tinue the work upon the building of the historical society before the session of the next legislature in 1916-17." Nevada — Mr. George Brodigan, secretary of state, writes, under date of May 18: '■As to the archives of this state, permit me to say that the original records are on file and are kept in the offices wherein they originate, and that they have never been transferred to a central depository. The original records relating to the adoption of the constitution, the territorial and state legislative enactments, and all records pertaining to the legislature are kept in this office, as are all records of commissions, appointments, etc., contracts and deeds in which the state is a party." New Hampshire — Mr. Arthur 0. Chase, state librarian, writes that Vol. 3 of the "Province Laws" has been issued, the period covered being 1745-1774. New Jersey — The law of 1913 creating the Department of Public Records and Archives was repealed by the legislature of 1914. The department, accordingly, went out of existence. The effort made to have the legislature of 1915 revive the department did not succeed. Vol. 4 of the second series of the "New Jersey Archives" was Issued under the editorship of a committee of the New Jersey Historical Society. (Information furnished by Mr. John P. Dullard, state librarian, in a letter dated May 8.) New Mexico — Mr. Antonio Lucero, sec- retary of state, writes, under date of May 11: "Some years ago the state of New Mex- ico was induced to loan its most valuable archives to the national library at Wash- ington, and up to the present writing we have been unable to recover them. "1 understand that they have been ar- ranged and printed and are in very good shape, but they have not yet been re- turned to the care of this state." New York — Mr. Peter Nelson, assistant archivist in the New York State library, writes as follow's, under date of April 21: "There is no change to report as to the general archives situation in this state so far as state records are concerned. A few records have been transferred to the state library from the conservation department and the office of the secretary of state, and pending the reorganization of the work, the records of certain discontinued depart- ments of the state government are in the custody of the library, though not trans- ferred to its quarters. A number of the older records of the city of Albany and of the county of Albany have been en- trusted to the library for safe-keeping, sub- ject to the right of withdrawal after the completion of the new county building if it shall seem desirable. The older town records of Hartsville. Steuben County, and Altamont, Franklin County, have been sent to the division of public records for pres- ervation In the education building. "The chief of the public records division reports that approximately a half million dollars has been expended, or engaged for expenditure, within the past year by the counties, cities, towns, and villages of the state, to meet the requirements of the public records law, made up of items varying from $150 for the purchase of a safe in a small town or village to the considerable amount of $50,000 for the flre- proofing of county record rooms in a county seat. The conditions in the counties and NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OP STATE LIBRARIES 317 cities generally are reported as good and steadily improving. Safes for the protec- tion o£ records have been installed in 138 towns and 22 villages, vaults in six towns and four villages, and both safes and vaults in two towns, a total of 172 towns and villages so provided. "Difficulty has arisen in the administra- tion of the public records law from the fact that many of the towns are poor and sparsely settled and have no town hall; the records are therefore kept in the home of the town clerk, and a five-inch wall safe of standard make, weighing 2,000 to 3,000 pounds, would endanger the house as well as cause considerable trouble whenever the election of a new town clerk made its removal necessary. This situation has led to the careful consideration of cabinet-sates, or safe-cabinets, thin walled safety contain- ers with double sheet-steel sides, separated three to four inches and insulated with cel- lular asbestos and one or more air-spaces between the steel sheathings. The advan- tages are that these containers are much cheaper than a standard safe, more roomy, and only about one-quarter as heavy. To determine the value of one of these de- vices, the chief of the public records divi- sion, the state examiner of records of Connecticut, and representatives of the bureau of standardization of supplies of New York City, the state fire marshal's department, and the state department of labor witnessed a test for the "safe-cabi- net" in the works of its manufacturers, the Safe-Cabinet Company, at Marietta, Ohio, last October. This test was entire- ly satisfactory to the committee and has led to the approval of the "safe-cabinet," and the products, similarly constructed, of any other manufacturer which shall have received the approval of the national board of fire underwriters' laboratories, for the safeguarding of the public records of this state in such situations as are mentioned above, subject in all cases to the approval of the chief of the division of public rec- ords. Another cabinet of construction similar to that of the "safe-cabinet" is the "amco" model of the art metal safe, made by the Art Metal Construction Company, of Jamestown, N. Y. The "amco" has been tested and passed by the underwrit- ers' laboratories and is now under consid- eration by the public records division." North Carolina — From the fifth biennial report of the North Carolina Historical Commission, covering the period from De- cember 1, 1912, to November 30, 1914, a copy of which was sent the chairman of this committee on March 10, by Mr. R. D. W. Connor, secretary of the commission, it is learned that the classification and ar- rangement of the great mass of public ar- chives in the custody of the commission is considered the commission's most press- ing work at present, but that the force of assistants available for the work is so small that it has not been pushed so ener- getically as has some of the other work of the commission. However, a beginning has been made, the correspondence of the governors since the adoption of the Con- stitution of 1776 having received first at- tention. This collection has been classi- fied, and a part of it — between 23,000 and 24,000 papers (estimated) — placed in 158 boxes. North Dakota — Mr. I. A. Acker, legisla- tive reference librarian, says in a letter dated May 10 that no change is to be noted in the condition of the archives of North Dakota the past year. In his opinion, a new capitol "will have to be constructed before the state records can be taken care of in a scientific and systematic manner." Ohio — The archives of the state of Ohio are, in the opinion of Mr. C. B. Galbreath, state librarian, in a most unsatisfactory condition. Most of them are in the offices in which they belong, but many of them are in damp and sooty rooms in the base- ment of the capitol. Only the papers of comparatively recent years are readily ac- cessible to students. An archives depart- ment is sadly needed, and Mr. Galbreath expects to begin soon the campaign for one where he left it in 1911 at the close of his former term of office as state libra- rian. (Statement from a letter written by Mr. Galbreath, May 19.) 318 BERKELEY CONFERENCE Oklahoma — Oklahoma is, happily, too youthful as yet to be troubled by her archives, or even, indeed, to know for certain that she has any — judging from the following letter received from an offi- cial of that state: "I regret very much that I can give no information relative to archives of Okla- homa, nor can I refer you to any one that might be of some assistance to you." Oregon — A letter from Miss Cornelia Marvin, state librarian, gives the infor- mation that no progress may be reported from Oregon so far as the care of archives is concerned. Pennsylvania — The report of the state librarian, Mr. Thomas L. Montgomery, for the year ending December 1, 1914, has the following to say in reference to the Divi- sion of Public Records: "In the Division of Public Records the Chester County Papers, in 23 volumes, have been completed, as also the Lancas- ter County Papers, in 34 volumes. Four- teen more volumes of the Provincial Pa- pers have been indexed. "The receipts from certificates amounted to $284.60, and 1,106 letters on historical subjects have been received and an- swered." The act of 1903 creating the Division of Public Records in the state library was amended by the General Assembly of the present year so as to provide for a "trav- eling archivist." The law reads: "One of the assistants appointed by the libra- rian shall be supervisor of public records. The supervisor of public records shall ex- amine into the condition of the records, books, pamphlets, documents, manuscripts, archives, maps, and papers kept filed or recorded or hereafter to be filed or re- corded in the several public oflices of the counties, cities, and boroughs of the state. He shall recommend such action to be taken by the persons having the care and custody of public records as may be neces- sary to secure their safety and preserva- tion, and he shall cause all laws relating to the public records to be enforced. He shall submit an annual report to the state librarian, in which he shall present a de- tailed report upon the number and condi- tion of the various public records in the custody and under the control of the sev- eral counties, cities, and boroughs of the state. This report shall be included by the state librarian in his annual report." Philippine Islands — The following letter gives information that should have been included in the report of the committee for last year. The letter was not received, however, in fact, was not written — its date is August 15, 1914 — till after the last meet- ing of the Association was held. It is signed by the second assistant executive secretary of the government of the Phil- ippine Islands. The letter, with one or two omissions, reads: "I have the honor, in reply to your let- ter of March 25th of the current year, to inform you that from July 1 to December 31, 1913, there were classified and duly arranged thirteen hundred and eighty rec- ords, tax rolls, books, and accounts of various branches of the departments of the late Spanish government in these is- lands denominated Hacienda, Gobernacion and Fomento, . . .and thirty-four hundred and ninety-eight civil and criminal cases from the various courts of first instance and justice of the peace courts of this city and adjacent towns, with sundry powers of attorney, records of proceedings and declarations of births and deaths under the Spanish regime. . . . "This work is done with the greatest care and attention to detail, in view of the state of confusion in which these documents were found when the United States gov- ernment took charge of them, and can be done only when the work of which this oflice is in charge, such as the registration of articles of incorporation, trade-marks, copyrights, cattle brands, and notarial rec- ords, allows of it." Porto Rico — Under date of March 19, Doctor Cayetano Coll y Toste, historian of Porto Rico, writes a letter in Spanish, of which the following is a translation: "The secretary of the supreme court of Porto Rico, Mr. Pablo Berga, has sent me NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF STATE LIBRARIES 31» the letter which you addressed to him asliing for information relative to the ar- chives of this island. I am going to give you the history; In Porto Rico, since the time of the Spanish sovereignty, there have been several archives. One archive is in the general government, another in the intendencia building, another in the supreme court, and each municipality in the 70 towns of the island has an archive. There are, besides, archives in the Cath- olic bishopric and in each of the parishes. At the time of the American military gov- ernment, General George W. Davis being governor and I civil secretary, by virtue of general order No. 116, of August 12, 1899, through paragraph V, I assumed charge of the archives of the state (gen- eral government) and finances (treasury). I began to organize these archives, which were in a very bad state of preservation. They were kept in very damp places. Mr. Putnam, the librarian of the Library of Congress, sent me an official with a disin- fector, and a multitude of packages were disinfected. They were boxed and sent to Washington, to save them from total destruction. They remained there until civil government was established, and at the time of the first civil governor, Mr. Allen, the boxes were returned and deliv- ered to Mr. Elliot, commissioner of the interior. "Last year I was appointed historian of Porto Rico, and I have begun to publish, at my personal expense, the 'Historical Bulletin of Porto Rico,' of which work I sent to the Library of Congress two copies of the first volume, and I send you one copy, by this mail. "I believe that the reforms that should be made are the following: That besides my being the historian of Porto Rico, I should be appointed director-general of all the archives of the island; that I should have an appropriate office, with four clerks: that I should take care of the local archives, so that they may not suffer from dampness, may be well ventilated and well housed; that the historical bulletin, which I publish today from my personal funds, should be paid for from the insular treas- ury; that I should be allowed money for a trip every two years to the archives of the Indies in Seville, to collect whatever documents may exist there, in Simancas, and in Madrid, bearing on the history of Porto Rico." Rhode Island — The following extracts are taken from the 18th annual report of the state record commissioner, Mr. Her- bert O. Brigham — who is also state li- brarian — who sent a copy of the report to the chairman of the committee, with a letter, dated March 15, to the effect that little could be added to what was given in the report, which brought the account of the work down through the calendar year 1914: "The compilation of Revolutionary rec- ords has continued during the entire year. A large portion of the work has been carried on in Washington, where, through the courtesy of the several departments, a vast amount of valuable material has been gleaned from the government files. Dur- ing the past year there has been drawn off from the manuscript records of the War Department, Treasury Department, Pension Office, Auditor of the Interior De- partment, and Library of Congress, 17,114 entries concerning soldiers in the Rhode Island service. There remains to be com- pleted 2,600 entries in the Pension Office and the War Department. . . . "Visitations to the various record offices have been made from time to time and special inspections have been conducted whenever occasion required. Letters have been sent to the school committees of the various towns requesting information regarding fireproof receptacles, and as a direct result of this correspondence, safes have been purchased in several towns. . . . "It is becoming more and more evidant that the question of record preservation is considered to be of primary importance in our several cities and towns, and the commissioner acknowledges with great pleasure the deep interest shown by the town officials with whom he has conferred, and appreciates the public commendation 320 BERKELEY CONFERENCE upon the attempts to safeguard the price- less records in the cities and towns in our state." South Carolina — The report ot the His- torical Commission of South Carolina to the General Assembly of South .Carolina at the regular session of 1915, a copy cf which was sent the chairman of this com- mittee In May, without additional infor- mation or comment of any kind, by Mr. A. S. Salley, Jr., secretary of the commis- sion, shows very good work being done with an inadequate appropriation. The commis- sion is continuing the compilation of the records of the South Carolina troops in the Southern armies in the War between the States and the collection and publi- cation of other valuable South Carolina records. As an illustration of the care- lessness characterizing the treatment ot archives in South Carolina in the past — and similar carelessness has no doubt pre- vailed in many of the other states of the Union — the following paragraph is copied from the report: "On March 16, 1914, Dr. J. W. Babcock, then about to retire from the state hos- pital for the insane, turned over to me a number of valuable manuscript records which he had at various times in the past rescued from piles of trash which were being removed from the state house. This trash had been deposited on the property of the state hospital, and the selections of the valuable papers contained therein had been made by Dr. George Manly un- der the direction of Dr. Babcock." South Dakota — Mr. Doane Robinson, sec- retary and superintendent of the Depart- ment of History, writes, under date of May 13: "The territorial archives of Dakota were badly kept, and many of the most impor- tant papers have been lost. Such as were preserved were divided between the states cf North Dakota and South Dakota at statehood and are preserved In the re- spective offices of the two states. Every- thing especially affecting the South Da- kota region is presumed to be here. "The state archives of South Dakota are still preserved in the respective offices. Most, if not all, of the material is acces- sible. We occupied our new fireproof cap- itol July 1, 1910, and a reasonable amount of vault room, with first-class steel filing devices and shelving, was provided each department, in which the archives pertain- ing to that department are kept. . . . Our dream is a separate building to house this department, with facilities for caring for the archives." Tennessee — No information. Texas — Under date of May 20, Mrs. Elizabeth West, who is at present the li- brarian of the Carnegie library ot San Antonio, Texas, but who till some time in February last was the archivist in the Texas state library, sends a report ot the archival work under her charge up to the time of her change of position. This re- port shows that a compilation of the mili- tary-service record of Texas from 1836 through the Spanish-American War has been begun; that the transfer of material from the comptroller's department has been continued; that a great deal of valu- able material has also been transferred from the office ot the adjutant-general; and that many transcripts of original pa- pers in the Archivo Nacional de Cuba, Havana, the Archivo General de Indlas, Seville, and the New Mexican archives, at present in the Library of Congress, have been secured. In reference to work on the Nacogdoches archives the following very interesting information is given: "The calendar of the Nacogdoches ar- chives has been completed to September 17, 1817. The calendar entries are typed in triplicate on 5%x8-inch slips of bond paper, which are arranged in strict chrono- logical order and numbered. An alpha- betical index has been prepared ot all names and subjects noted in the part ot the calendar so far complete. A card is written for each name and subject when it first occurs, bearing the number of the corresponding slip, and immediately filed in its exact alphabetical position; when the same name or subject is met again, the number of its corresponding slip is NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF STATE LIBRARIES 321 merely added to the card already filed. This saving of time and energy by elimi- nating the rewriting of- names and by keep- ing the index always in proper order and at even pace with the calendar has been made possible through the installation oC an index visible system. This system was also used to advantage in the archivist's research work in the Archivo Nacional de C'uba in June and July, 1914." United States. Library of Congress — Dr. Gaillard Hunt, chief of the manu- scripts division of the Library of Congress, writes, under date of March 11: "I have nothing additional to report. The year has been so full of history-mak- ing that the government has been unable to devote attention to the record of his- tory." Utah — No information. Vermont — No information. Virginia — During the year an additional volume of the "Journals of the House of Burgesses" has been issued, and work on the last volume of the series is now under ■way. The erection of new book stacks, for which provision was made by the General Assembly of 1914, has enabled us to trans- fer from the archives room a large num- ber of bound periodicals, thus permitting a rearrangement of the boxes of manu- scripts. Since the first of January last, when Mr. Morgan P. Robinson succeeded Dr. H. J. Eckenrode as archivist. Dr. Eck- enrode having resigned his position in the Virginia State library last September to become a member of the faculty of Rich- mond College, this rearrangement has been completed, and there has been a gen- eral overhauling of the archives room. In addition, a systematic flat-filing of all the documents in the archives room has been begun. It is hoped that a sufficient amount of space may be found in the archives room, when this flat-filing is completed, to permit the transfer to that room of the large number of manuscripts (between 050,000 and 700,000 pieces) which were turned over to the library by the state auditor about a year and a half ago, and which have since that time been deposited in the stack room. Washington — Mr. J. M. Hitt, state libra- rian, writes, under date of March 23: "This state has a very good archives law, but unfortunately the state library, which is designated by the law as the depository of archives, has never been able to furnish suitable quarters for the collec- tion of such valuable material as this, and consequently has never been given the funds necessary by the legislature to pro- vide for placing and calendaring the mat- ter. Hence the commission has done noth- ing to officially inaugurate the system in this state. However, the writer has re- ceived and is housing many sets of files from the offices of the governor, the treas- urer, the auditor, and land office to relieve their congestion. These files are indexed carefully, but no effort is made to get files of other offices, for lack of room. Much good work has been done in the way of placing in good shape uncurrent material while still remaining in the hands of the departments where they still have room, so that much more archival work has been done in this state than would appear from the work of this library as indicated above. The state is comparatively young, and the actual need is not so great as it will soon be — by which time we will certainly have provided rooms for the col- lection and its proper treatment. "Washington appreciates the scope of the work and will get at it as soon as cir- cumstances will permit, which time does not now seem far distant." West Virginia — No information. Wisconsin — Dr. M. M. Quaife, superin- tendent of the State Historical Society of Wisconsin, writes, under date of March 12: "During the past year an additional room of the library building has been pro- vided for the use of the manuscripts divi- sion. With this expansion it is expected that the space requirements in this divi- sion will be accommodated for a period of many years to come. The more impor- tant additions to the manuscripts collec- tions during the year consist: first, of the 322 BERKELEY CONFERENCE Civil War records from the governor's office — about 15,000 letters and papers which have now been turned over to the Historical Society; second, of the business and private papers of the late Judge E. W. Keyes from 1850 down to 1910, covering almost the entire period of Wisconsin's statehood. "In addition to the foregoing, the society has received during the year a number of other private collections of documents of less size and importance. It has in pros- pect at the present time the acquisition of two important collections of private papers of former Wisconsin citizens. The society is also carrying out a somewhat extensive search of the government ar- chives at Washington for material per- taining to Wisconsin, which may be deemed worthy of having photostatic copies made to add to the manuscripts di- vision of the library. The execution of this work will require several months' time and will, it is believed, result in the securing of copies of a number of thousand early Wisconsin documents. The search is be- ing conducted chiefly in the House and Senate files, the Department of State, the Indian Office, and the Land Office." Wyoming — Miss Frances A. Davis, state librarian, writes, under date of April 15: "Nothing worthy of note, I regret to state, has occurred in relation to the pub- lic archives of the state since the last report. We anticipate having a new li- brary building within two and a half years, and it will then be possible to keep the archives in a more systematic manner." Chairman BRIGHAM: The next subject upon the program is the report of the Committee on co-operation between legis- lative reference departments, by John A. Lapp, director Indiana Bureau of legisla- tive information. As Mr. Lapp is not here, what is your pleasure? Secretary DODGE: I have received no response from Mr. Lapp. [The following letter was received after adjournment:] REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON CO- OPERATION BETWEEN LEGIS- LATIVE REFERENCE DEPARTMENTS Indianapolis, Ind., June 4, 1915. On behalf of the Committee on co-operation among legislative reference bureaus and departments, I beg to report to the State Li- braries Association that progress has been made through the establishment of the Public Affairs Information Service on a sound basis in connection with the H. W. Wilson Company at White Plains, and we urge the cordial support of all state libra- ries and legislative reference bureaus, both in direct support and in its co-operative features. Especially do we urge the co- operators to send copies of everything from their vicinity which they may deem to be of interest to the rest of the sub- scribers. We urge, further, that all special researches undertaken or reported upon be reported to the service at White Plains with typewritten copies of anything which is not published. JoH.N A. Lapp. RECESS Upon motion, duly made and seconded, a recess of ten minutes was taken to en- able the committees to prepare their re- ports. RECONVENED Chairman BRIGHAM: We will hear the report of the Auditing committee, Mr. Lien, chairman. REPORT OF AUDITING COMMITTEE The books and accounts of the secre- tary-treasurer have been audited and the balance found to be correct, as follows: Certificate of deposit in the Farmers and Mechanics Savings Bank of Sacramento, dated October 14, 1914 $203.00 Cash in same bank as per bank book balance 199.56 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OP STATE LIBRARIES 223 Cash on hand. Total $422.56 E. J. Lien, E. L. Whitney, Auditing Committee. Berkeley, Cal., June 8, 1915. Chairman BRIGHAM: If there is no oh- jection, the report will he received and placed on file. The Committee on resolutions will now make its report. REPORT OF RESOLUTIONS COMMIT- TEE Mr. SMALL: The Committee has two resolutions which it wishes to present to the Association. Resolved, That the thanks of this Asso- cation be given to Professor Ellwood P. Cubberley, of the Leland Stanford Junior University, for his interesting and instruct- ive address before the joint session. Resolved, That to Mr. Gillis, our presi- dent, we express our hearty good wishes and hope for a speedy recovery to health. We regret very much that he has not been able to be with us in the deliberations of this convention. I move the adoption of the resolutions. The motion was seconded and unani- mously carried. Chairman BRIGHAM: I am sure, also, that we feel very much indebted to our secretary for the extra work that has been forced upon him by the situation. There is no need of a formal resolution, but I ' am sure I voice the thanks of every mem- ber present, Mr. Secretary. Mr. SMALL: In order to bring it before the meeting, I move that this Association extend a vote of thanks to the secretary- treasurer for his efforts in its behalf. The motion was seconded and agreed to. Chairman BRIGHAM: Is there any further business to be transacted? Secretary DODGE: I might report the receipt of one or two letters. One from the New Orleans public library, saying that that library, the mayor of the city. and the New Orleans association of com- merce, all join in extending an invitation to the A. L. A. to hold its 1916 convention ill the city of New Orleans. (The secre- tary read the letter.) The following letter from the state li- brarian of Ohio was received this morning: Columbus, O., June 1, 1915. Hon J. L. Gillis, President N. A. S. L., Berkeley, Cal. Dear Mr. Gillis: I sincerely regret that I can not be with you at this annual meet- ing of the N. A. S. L. My regret is em- phasized by the thought that it was on the Pacific coast in 1911 that your associa- tion took action against my decapitation for "political expediency." I know that there was nothing personal in the action taken at that time. For this reason I am all ths more grateful, and only duties here of the most pressing character prevent me from crossing the continent to express the gratitude I feel. I rejoice to be in the library work once more, in good health and highly resolved to give the best that is in me to the serv- ice of the state. The experiences of recent years have but strengthened my faith in the ideals of our profession. We must wage a militant campaign for those ideals until we have exorcised from the library service of this country and utterly de- stroyed the demon of spoils and politics. I hope soon to be with the N. A. S. L. once more. Kindly convey to the faithful my cordial greetings and good wishes. Sincerely yours, C. B. G.4LBREATH. Chairman BRIGHAM: Would it not be well, ladies and gentlemen, to send to Mr. Galbreath, as completing the story, our congratulations on his return to the serv- ice, and our best wishes, expressing the hope that he may be with us soon? Mr. LIEN: In view of the action that this convention took at Pasadena, that would be very proper. I move that the secretary be instructed to prepare and for- ward to Mr. Galbreath a letter on behalf of this association. The motion was seconded and agreed to. The secretary called attention to the paper mentioned in his report containing a summary of county library work in the United States, and moved that it be read 324 BERKELEY CONFERENCE by title and printed in the proceedings. The motion was seconded and agreed to. SUMMARY OF COUNTY LIBRARY WORK IN THE UNITED STATES The following summary has been made after search of the laws of every state for any provision they might contain for carrying on county free library work. This material was tabulated under the heading "Law." Quotations from books, reports and magazines touching on county library W'Ork were collected, and tabulated under the heading "Operation." These compila- tions were then submitted to the library commissions or the state libraries of states reported to have county library provisions, with a request for verification and amplifi- cation. This summary does not concern itself with individual town libraries which are in one place or another, reported as lend- ing free to the county. Such an arrange- ment is more or less informal, and tem- porary. Only counties where formal or legal arrangements exist are included. If brief, the law is quoted; when lengthy, an outline covering points made by the law is given. Alabama — Nothing found. Arizona — Nothing found. Arkansas — Nothing found. California — Area 158,360 sq. mi.; pop. 2,377,549; counties 58. Law: California statutes 1911, Chap. 68. I. Establishment by boards of super- visors, by resolution after two weeks' publication of iatentioa (Sec. 2.) 1. Headquarters at county seat. 2. Municipalities and districts main- taining libraries not included un- less the board of municipal trus- tees or of district library trustees notifies the supervisors that the municipality or the district wishes to be a part. 3. Municipalities and districts main- taining libraries may contract with the county free library for service. 4. One county may contract with an- other county for library service. 5. County librarians must be certifi- cated by a board of library exam- iners, composed of state librarian, librarian of the public library of the city and county of San Fran- cisco, and the librarian of the Los Angeles public library. 6. Boards of supervisors have power to make rules and regulations for conduct of library. 7. County librarian has power to se- lect books and library equipment purchased, to recommend location of branches, persons to be em- ployed and dismissed. 8. County librarian must attend an- nual conventions of county libra- rians, and take part; and make an- nual report to board of supervisors and state librarian. 9. Tax not to exceed one mill on the dollar must be levied for support of county free library. Municipali- ties and districts maintaining libra- ries are exempt unless they have become a part. 10. County law libraries, district school libraries, and teachers' libraries may contract for service. 11. County free library may be dises- tablished by supervisors, by reso- lution, after two weeks' publication of intention. II. Instead of establishing a separate county free library, boards of super- visors may contract with the board of library trustees of any incorpo- rated city or town to provide coun- ty free library service. (Sec. 16.) Operation: Thirty-one counties have established a county free library; twenty- four under section 2, and seven under sec- tion 16. For the carrying on of their work sec "News Notes of California Libraries,'' latest issue. Colorado — Nothing found. Connecticut — Nothing found. Delaware — Nothing found. Florida — Nothing found. NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OP STATE LIBRARIES 325 Georgia — Nothing found. Idaho — Nothing found. Illinois — Area 56,650 sq. mi.; pop. 5,638,- 591; counties 102. Law: None found. Dec. 7, 1914, the secretary of the Illi- nois Library Extension Commission wrote: "We have no law providing for the coun- ty library and the only county library in existence in Illinois is that of the Warren county library at Monmouth, Illinois. This receives no tax support from the county, but different portions of it appropriate sums in order to obtain the privilege of using the library. "The library was established and has been supported by the gifts of three peo- ple — W. P. Pressly, John D. Thompson and Mrs. Sarah B. Simmons — amounting to $42,000." Indiana— Area 36,350 sq. mi.; pop. 2,700,- 876; counties 92. Law: I. Constitution of Indiana, 1816. Art. IX. "Sec. 5. The General Assembly, at the time they lay oft a new coun- ty, shall cause at least ten per cent, to be reserved out of the proceeds of the sale of town lots in the seat of Justice of such county for the purpose of a public library for such county, and at the same session they shall incorporate a library company under such rules and reg- ulations as will best secure Its per- manence and extend its benefits." II. Annotated Indiana Statutes, Revi- sion of 1914, Sees. 4857-4871, 4901, 4929-4941a. (Originally enacted December 17, 1816; revised and re- enacted 1852; and amended from time to time.) 1. County library to be established and provided for automatically with the establishment of a county seat. 2. 10% of net proceeds of the sale of all lots in town where county seat is, belonging to county, and 10^. of all donations made to procure county seat to be reserved as coun- ty library fund. 3. Board of Commissioners may ap- propriate not less than $20.00 nor more than $75.00 annually for pur- chase of books, etc. 4. Trustees, are ex-officio clerk, audi- tor and recorder; duties: 1) elect one of their number treasurer. 2) elect a librarian. 3) prepare a proper room. 4) make rules and regulations. 5. Every Inhabitant, under security, shall be entitled to use of books. 6. County librarian shall: 1) keep track of books and fines. 2) make annual report to county commissioners. 7. If a public library is in operation at county seat, the trustees of county library shall deposit with public library all books, etc., to be used by all county residents. 8. Trustees of county library shall pay to town library not less than $100.00 annually. 9. Property purchased with county money to be labeled to preserve identity. 10. Books, etc. to be returned to county library if public library ceases to exist. 11. Town must according to 1890 cen- sus have between 19,700 and 20,000 inhabitants. Operation: "After the adoption of the Constitution, the first General Assembly of the State assembled November 4, 1816, and on December 17th that General Assem- bly enacted a law providing for the organ- ization and incorporation of public library associations. These associations were in the nature of private corporations for the public benefit. This law, in Its essential aspects, was re-enacted in 1852. "At the same session of the General Assembly, on January 2nd, 1817, county libraries were authorized to be established in Pike, Daviess, Jennings and Sullivan Counties, with power to receive the county money derived from the sources desig- nated by the Constitution. In 1831 the General Assembly, by a general act ap- proved February 9th, authorized the incor- 326 BERKELEY CONFERENCE poration of county libraries, and in addition tc the 10 per cent, reserved from the sale of town lots, as provided in the Constitu- tion, also provided in addition thereto that 10 per cent, of any bonus given for the location of the county seat should go to such library. This law was re-enacted February 17th, 1838. . . . "The first act, providing for appropria- tion out of the public fund for libraries other than the State Library, was passed In 1852, the act being approved June 18th, 1852. This act provided that a sum not less than $20 nor more than ?75 might be appropriated annually out of the county treasury for the maintenance of county libraries. . . . "In 1899 the General Assembly enacted a law providing that whenever there is es- tablished in a city or town, being the coun- ty seat of the county, having a population according to the census of 1890 exceeding 19,700 and less than 20,000, in which there is or may be established a public library containing, for the use of the public, more than 3,000 volumes, the directors or trus- tees thereof on certain conditions, could turn the same over to the common council or board of trustees of such city or town and it became the duty of such common council or board of trustees to levy a tax of not less than four-tenths of a mill on the dollar for the maintenance of such library. Upon the dissolution of such library asso- ciation the property of such library should revert to the city or town, and that where- ever there was established at the county seat of any county having a population of 19,700 and not exceeding 20,000 according to the census of 1890, a public library opened on equal terms to all inhabitants of such county, the trustees of such county library should deposit said library with the trustees of such public library, which library should be opened to all the inhabi- tants of such county upon equal terms and the board of commissioners should there- after appropriate and pay to the trustees of said library annually a sum not less than $100." (Judge C. C. Hadley, Library legis- lation in Indiana, In Indiana Public Li- brary Comn. 6th bienn. report, 1908-10. p. 54-5, 58.) On Dec. 8, 1914, the secretary of the Public Library Commission of Indiana writes: ''In your outline of the law on coun- ty libraries, sections 7, 8, 9, 10, (see above) applied only to a special law which was provided for towns between 19,700 and 20,000 inhabitants. No county library exists under this law. . . . There is only one pub- lic library system in this state that is a county library. That is at Bedford, but this is a county library only in the sense that it is free to all the inhabitants of the county. No deposit stations or branches are maintained. The Marion County library received only $75.00 a year appropriation from the county, according to the law of 1853. It is not tax-supported in the sense that a special library tax is levied. The Willard library at Evansville is a private endowed library, maintained by the income from Invested funds and a small appropri- ation from the city council of Evansville. It is not a tax-supported library. Accord- ing to the terms of the endowment, it ia free to the inhabitants of Vanderburgh County. It Is safe to say, then, that In- diana has but one county library with no branches." "The Vanderburgh County library con- sists of some 3500 old volumes and is not used to any great extent. There Is no ap- propriation and no expenditures, toward or for its support. The County Cleric, Recorder and Auditor are trustees, and the Auditor attends to the duties of librarian without compensation. The library Is located in a room in the county house." (From report of County Auditor, Vander- burgh Co.) Iowa— Area 56,025 sq. mi.; pop. 2,224,771; counties 99. Law: Laws of Iowa 1913, Chap. 70. Sec. 729a. The board of library trustees of any free public library shall have power tc contract with any school corporation, the township trustees of any civil town- ."^hip, the board of supervisors of the county in which said library is situated, and the council of any city or town, whether such NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF STATE LIBRARIES 327 school corporation, civil township, or city or town be in the same county in which such library is situated or in an adjoining county, for the free use of said library by the residents of such school corporation, civil township, county, city or town, by one oi more of the following methods in whole or in part; First: By lending the books of such library to such residents on the same terms and conditions as to residents of the city or town in which said library is situated. Second: By the establishment of deposi- tories of books of such library to be loaned to such residents at stated times and places. Third: By the transportation of books of such library by wagon or other convey- ance for lending the same to such resi- dents at stated times and places. Fourth: By the establishment of branch libraries for lending books to such resi- dents. Such contracts, unless otherwise pro- vided therein, shall remain in force for five years, unless sooner terminated by a majority vote of the electors of such school corporation, civil township, county, city or town. Sec. 422. The board of supervisors at any regular meeting shall have the follow- ing powers, to-wlt: 24. To contract with any free public li- brary in the county for the free use of the books thereof by the residents of the county outside of the cities and towns therein, as provided in section one [sec. 729a] of this act which contract when made shall super- sede all contracts made by townships or school corporations, and to levy annually on the taxable property of the county out- side of cities and towns a tax of not more than one mill on the dollar to be used ex- clusively for that purpose. Kansas — Nothing found. Kentucky — Nothing found. Louisiana — Area 48,720 sq. mi.; pop. 1,656,388; parishes 60. Law: Acts of the State of Louisana, 1910. Act no. 149, p. 227. (Explanation: Webster defines parish as "In Louisiana, a civil division corres- ponding to a county in other states." Louisiana constitution provides that a parish shall be governed by a police jury, and confers powers and duties similar to those of county supervisors in other states.) I. Condition of establishment: 1. Petition, by twenty-five residents of parish, city, town, village or other political subdivision, to police jury, city council, etc. 2. Police jury, etc. may then act favor- ably by promulgating notice for 30 days. 3. If protest equal to petition is not filed, then police jury, etc., has full power to establish and maintain the library. II. No tax limit. III. Board of control (i. e. Library Board) to be not less than five members nor more than seven. Given full control, except that ex- penditure of over $500 must be sub- mitted to police jury, etc. Operation: Nothing found. Maine — Nothing found. Maryland — Area 12,210 sq. mi.; pop. 1,295,346; counties 23. Law: Code of Maryland, Art. 77, sees. 105 (enacted 1910), 106, and 107, (first enacted 1898; re- enacted 1910). Sec. 105. Said commission (1. e. Mary- land public library commission), upon ap- plication of the library directors of a coun- ty, municipality or election district which has complied with the provisions of this law relative to the establishment of such library may expend not more than one hun- dred dollars for books, to be selected and purchased by said commission and de- livered to said directors fpr the purpose of establishing a free public library. Sec. 106. The boards of county commis- sioners shall have power to establish and maintain central free public libraries at all the county seats of their respective coun- ties, with branches in such places within the limits of said counties as the demand of the people of the vicinity may justify, so as to give them convenient access to 328 BERKELEY CONFERENCE the free libraries and reading rooms, and the legislative authority o£ any incorpo- rated municipality shall have power to establish public libraries in like manner for said municipality. Sec. 107. The board of county commis- sioners of any county in the State, for the establishment and maintenance of said free public libraries and reading rooms in their respective counties, may levy an an- nual tax not exceedng five cents on each one hundred dollars of the assessed valu- ation of taxable property; such tax to be levied and collected in like manner as other general taxes of said county, and when collected to be known as the public library fund. Operation: I. Washington county free library, established at Hagerstown in 1901. For the carrying on of its work see Annual Reports. II. "The Frederick County free library, which was opened May 22 with 1400 books, is meeting with appreci- ation and support. The |2,000 with which the library was established was raised by the Civic Club be- tween fall of 1913 and April 1914. A Library Association has been formed, with county as well as city members, and after the first year it is hoped this will support the library. Since opening over 700 people have registered, repre- senting 17 places in the county, and the second month's circulation was 2934. Ten rural schools are using the library, and it is expected that three coxmty branches will be opened In October. It is not known whether the Artz bequest (noted in the July Number of the Journal) will be applied to this library or not, and in any case it will not be available during the lifetime of Miss Artz." (Lib. Jour. Oct. 1914, p. 784.) Massachusetts — Nothing found. Michigan — Law: None. Dec. 5, 1914, the State Librarian wrote: ''We have no county library system." Minnesota — Area 60,858 sq. mi.; pop. 2,075,708; counties 86. Law: Revised Statutes 1913, p. 1079. (amends stats. 1905.) Sec. 4921. Any board of directors . . . may also contract with the board of county commissioners of the county in which the library is situated or of adjacent counties, ... to loan books of said library, either singly or in traveling libraries, to the resi- dents of said county, . . . upon such terms as shall be agreed upon in such contract. All such boards or officers shall have the power to contract with the board of di- rectors of any free public library for the use of said library by the people of the county, . . . not having the use of a free library, upon the same terms and con- ditions as those granted to residents in the city or village where the library is located, and to pay such library board such an amount annually as may be agreed upon therefor, and such county, . . . may establish a library fund by levying an an- nual tax of not over one mill on the dollar of all the taxable property outside of any city or village wherein a free public library is located or which Is already taxed for the support of any such library. Operation: Dec. 10, 1914, the secretary of the Min- nesota Public Library Commission wrote: "We have at present nine counties carry- ing on active extension work." For the carrying on of their work see latest Annual Report of the Commission. Mississippi — Nothing found. Missouri — Area 69,415 sq. ml.; pop. 3,293,335; counties 114. Law: Revised Stats. Missouri 1909, vol. 2. Sec. 8198, (R. S. 1899, sec. 6477.) Sec. 8198. The county court in any coun- ty wherein is situated an incorporated city containing a free public library, when- ever petitioned by one hundred or more taxpaying citizens of said city, and one hundred or more taxpaying citizens of said county, residing outside of said city, for the use by the citizens of said county residing outside of said city of said library, shall have the right to contract with the offl- NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OP STATE LIBRARIES 329 cers of said library for sucli use thereof by said citizens of said county residing outside of the city, and to appropriate moneys from the county revenue of said county therefor, and thereafter to con- tinue such contract or renewals thereof from year to year: Provided, that the an- nual amount so contracted to be paid and appropriated shall not exceed three per cent, of the county revenue for the year out of which payment is to be made. (County court as referred to here corre- sponds in general to the board of super- visors in other states.) Operation: Dec. 10, 1914, the secretary of the Mis- souri Library Commission verified the statement that none of their counties has as yet taken advantage of the county li- brary law. Montana — Area 146,080 sq. mi.; pop. 376,053; counties 31. Law: Laws of Mon- tana. 1915. Chap. 45. Sec. 1. Upon petition signed by not less than twenty per cent of the qualified voters of a county, at least one half of whom shall reside outside of county seat, being filed with the Board of County Commissioners, requesting the establishment of a County Free Library, the county commissioners may . . . establish at the county seat a county free library. At least once a week for four successive weeks . . . the board shall publish . . . notice of such con- templated action . . . Sec. 2. . . . Any incorporated city or town in the county may withdraw . . . and cease to participate in the benefits of such county free library. . . . Sec. 3. Upon the establishment of a county free library the board of county commissioners may appoint a county librarian, who may be removed for or with- out cause. Any person who is a graduate of a library school, or has had one year's prac- tical experience in library work, shall be eligible to the office of county librarian. Sec. 4. The county free library shall be under the general supervision of the board of county commissioners, who shall have power to make general rules. . . . establish branches . . . determine num- ber and kind of employees. AH employees shall be graded. . . . Before appointment the candidate must pass an examination satisfactory to the county librarian and county commissioners. . . . Sec. 5. Relates to filing of bond, the building up of a library according to ac- cepted principles of library management, and allowance of traveling expenses. Sec. 6. The board of county commis- sioners may annually levy a special tax not to exceed one mill on the dollar for the purpose of maintaining the county free library. . . . Sec. 7. School libraries may be main- tained as a part of the county free library. Sec. 10. After a county free library has been established, it may upon petition signed by not less than twenty per cent, of the qualified voters of a county request- ing its disestablishment be disestablished in the same manner as it was estab- lished. . . . Sec. 11. Instead of establishing a sepa- rate county free library, the board of coun- ty commissioners may enter into a con- tract with the . . . free public library of any incorporated city or town. . . . Such contract may provide that the free public library shall assume the functions of a county free library within the county with which such contract is made. . . .Either party may terminate the contract by giv- ing six months notice of intention to do so. Nebraska — Area 77,510 sq. mi.; pop. 1,192,214; counties 92. Law: Annotated Stats, of Nebraska. 1911. Sec. 7066. The . . . county board of any county shall have the power to establish a public library free for the use of the inhabitants of such . . . county . . . or to contract for the use of a public library already established, and may levy a tax of not more than th
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