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PAPERS AND PROCEEDINGS 



OF THE (f 

'' 

TWENTY-SIXTH GENERAL MEETING 



OF THE 



AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION 



HELD AT 



ST. LOUIS, MO. 

OCTOBER 17-22 

1904 



PUBLISHED BY THE 
AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION 

1904 



CONTENTS. 



TITLE. 

Addresses delivered at Library Section International 
Congress of Arts and Science: 



AUTHOR. 



PAGE. 



,V N 
^ ;S 






The library: its past and future 
^The library in relation to literature and life 



F. M. Crunden 3 

Guido Biagi g 

W. E. A. Axon , j6 



Address of the President Herbert Putnam 23 

. N Some features of recent library practice in Great ) Henry Bond . 28 

Britain i 

Library extension work in Great Britain L. S. Jast 34 

JLibrary legislation in the United Kingdom . . . . J- J- Ogle 37 

Training for librarians in Great Britain H. D. Roberts 39 

Library work with children in Great Britain . . . John Ballinger 40 

Book production in Great Britain Walter Powell . . . 50 

Some pending matters of importance Desiderio Chilovi . . . f ..55 

A note on Italian library affairs Guido Biagi 57 

Organization of State-supported libraries in Norway, ti- ffyhtau 60 

Recent progress in the popular libraries of Denmark. A. S. Stee'iberg 63 

Danish research libraries H. O. Lange 67 

Research libraries of Sweden Aksel Andersson 71 

The library movement in Austria Reyer 85 

Karl Dziatzko: a memorial sketch Richard Pietsclunaun 87 

Library work in New Zealand Herbert Baillie .89 

Report on the libraries of Guatemala L. D. Kingsland 91 

Note on the National Library of Chile Francisco Araya Bennett 92 

International bibliography E. C. Richardson 93 



International Catalogue of Scientific Literature . 
Concilium Bibliographicum in Zurich . . . . 
The International Institute of Bibliography . . 
The Prussian central catalog ("Gesamtkatalog") 

The Swedish catalog of accessions 

Handbook of learned societies 



Cyrus Adler 97 

H. H. Field 99 

H. La Fontaine 101 

R. Pick 105 

Aksel Andersson 112 

/. D. Thompson 114 

On a biblipgraphy of public documents Adelaide R. Hasse 116 

Recent national bibliography in the United States . R- R. Bowker 121 

Suggestion for a yearbook of library literature . . W. D. Johnston 126 

Classification: the general theory Rudolf Focke 127 

Classification: present tendencies . Charles Mart el 132 

Present tendencies of catalog practice W. C. Lane 134 

Annotation W. I. Fletcher 144 

State aid to libraries Gratia Countryman 148 



The library and the school: work now done . . 

Women in American libraries 

Report of Committee on Library Administration 
Report of Committee on Public Documents . . 
Report of the Publishing Board 



Electro C. Doren ........... 153 

Salome C. Fairchild 157 

IV. R. Eastman, Cornelia Marvin, H. C. Wellman. 163 

R. P. Falkner 168 

W. I. Fletcher 169 



Report on gifts and bequests, 1903-1904 .... J. L. ftarrison 173 

Fifth Session- 222-227 

Bibliographic undertakings of interna- 
tional importance 222 

Classification of fiction 225 

Sixth Session ' . . 227-246 

Review of library literature .... 227 

Comments on Mr. Lane's paper . . . 228 
Revision of cataloging rules of L. A. 

U. K 231 

International code of cataloging rules . 233 
Cutter's Expansive classification . . . 234 
Report of Committee on A. L. A. Ex- 
hibit . . . 235 

Resolutions submitted by Council . . 236 

Election of officers 237 

Report of Committee on Resolutions . 239 

Farewell addresses by Foreign Delegates. 241 

State Library Commissions' Section . . . 247-248 

Transactions of Council and Executive Board. 249-251 

Bibliographical Society of America . . . 252-253 

National Association of State Libraries . . 254-258 

Historical and other meetings 259 

Seven Days at the St. Louis Fair .... 259-261 

Officers and Committees 261 

Attendance register 262 

Attendance summaries 270 



Proceedings . . 188-246 

First Session 188-201 

List of foreign delegates 188 

Addresses of welcome 189 

Secretary's report 194 

Treasurer's report and necrology . . . 195 

Report of Trustees of Endowment Fund. 200 

Second Session 201-208 

Report of Finance Committee .... 201 
Report of Committee on Library Train- 
ing 201 

Report of Committee on Co-operation 

with N. E. A 202 

A. L. A. catalog 203 

A. L. A. exhibit 204 

Report of Committee on Reduced Postal 

Rates 204 

Report of Committee on Relations with 

Booktrade 205 

Third Session 208-216 

Library extension work in Great Britain. 209 
State aid to libraries 211 

Fourth Session 216-222 

Election of officers 216 

Libraries of Sweden 218 

Decimal classification . 220 



03-0 
ArK 



; \ 

ADDRESSES DELIVERED AT LIBRARY 

SECTION OF INTERNATIONAL 

CONGRESS OF ARTS AND 

SCIENCE. 



ST. LOUIS, MO. 
SEPTEMBER 22, 1904. 

THE LIBRARY: A PLEA FOR ITS RECOGNITION. 
BY FREDERICK MORGAN CRUNDEN, Librarian St. Louis Public Library. 






*T*HE Louisiana Purchase Exposition is an 
epitome of the life and activity of 
the world from the naked Negrito to the 
grande dame with her elaborate Paris cos- 
tume, from the rude wigwam of the red In- 
dian to the World's Fair palace filled with 
the finest furniture, rugs and tapestries, 
sculpture and painting, and decorations that 
the highest taste and finest technique can 
produce from the monotonous din of the 
savage tom-tom to the uplifting and enthrall- 
ing strains of a great symphony orchestra 
from fire by friction, the first step of man be- 
yond the beast, to the grand electric illumina- 
tion that makes of these grounds and buildings 
the most beautiful art-created spectacle that 
ever rn^t the human eye. And to all this 
magnificent appeal to the senses are super- 
added the marvels of modern science and its 
applications the wonders of the telescope, 
the microscope and the spectroscope, the tele- 
graph, in its latest wireless extension, the 
electric motor and electric light, the telephone 
and the phonograph, the Roentgen ray and 
the new-found radium. 

And now after this vision of wondrous 
beauty, this triumph of the grand arts of 
architecture and sculpture and landscape 
of all the arts, fine and useful has for six 
months enraptured the senses of people from 
all quarters of the globe, the learned men 
of the world have gathered here to set forth 
and discuss the fundamental principles that 
underlie the sciences, their correlations and 
the methods of their application to the arts 
of life to summarize the progress of the 



past, to discuss the condition of the present 
and attempt, perhaps, a forecast of the future. 

In the scheme of classification, our subject 
appears in the last department that concerns 
itself with man's purely mundane affairs, and 
is the last section in that department. It thus 
appears properly as a climax and summary of 
the arts and sciences intelligible to man in his 
present stage of existence; and if the prob- 
lem of the future life is ever solved this side 
of the grave, the knowledge conserved and 
disseminated by the library will be the start- 
ing-point and the inspiration of the advance, 
as it has been of all progress since the art 
of written speech was invented. "The library 
is the reservoir of the common social life 
of the race. It is at once the accumulator and 
the transmitter of social energy." Without 
the library the highest social culture is im- 
possible; and a most moderate degree could 
be achieved by very few. 

Under the main division, "Social Culture," 
the library is one of the five sections in the 
Department of Education. In education are 
summed up all th,e achievements of the past 
and the possibilities of the future. In the 
words of Wendell Phillips, "Education is the 
one thing worthy the deep, controlling anx- 
iety of the thoughtful man." "Education," ex- 
claims Mazzini, "and my whole doctrine is 
included and summed up in this grand word." 
It is practically a truism that Jules Simon ut- 
ters when he says "Le peuple qui a les meil- 
leures ecoles est le premier peuple; s'il ne 
Test pas aujourd'hui il le sera demain." 

Under this Department of Education, with 



INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS. 



its grades, the School, the College and the 
University, the Library is assigned the last 
section. It belongs there in chronological 
order of development as an active factor in 
popular instruction and enlightenment; and, 
furthermore, the presentation of its claims 
and functions comes naturally after those of 
the other factors in education, because it is 
>; x an essential coadjutor and supplement to each 
and all. It is a summary and a climax. 
vY v There have always been libraries, and they 
have always been a factor in education; but 
the public, free, tax-supported library is but 
just half a century old, and could hardly be 
considered out of the long clothes of infancy 
till the year 1876 ; while its general acceptance 
as an essential supplement to the public school 
and a co-ordinate factor with the college and 
university may be considered the accom- 
plishment of the last decade. There are 
still teachers who look on general reading as 
an interference with school work and an 
extra burden on their shoulders. 

We start, then, with the axiomatic propo- 
sition that all human progress depends on 
education; and no elaborate demonstration is 
necessary to show that the library is an essen- 
tial factor in every grade of education. 

Higher education, certainly, cannot dis- 
pense with the library. The well-known dic- 
tum of Carlyle, "The true university of 
modern times is a collection of books," was 
accepted as a striking statement of a man 
with the rhetorical habit, without, perhaps, a 
realization of its full significance. It has 
been recently expanded into a more express 
and specific tribute to the importance of the 
library in university education. In an address 
delivered in St. Louis and afterwards pub- 
lished in the North American Review, Pres- 
ident Harper said: 

"The place occupied by libraries and labo- 
ratories in the educational work of to-day, as 
compared with that of the past, is one of 
commanding importance. Indeed, the library 
and the laboratory have already practically 
revolutionized the methods of higher educa- 
tion. In the really modern institution, the 
chief building is the library. It is the center 
of the institutional activity. . . . That fac- 
tor of colkge work, the library, fifty years ago 
almost unknown, to-day already the center 
of the institution's intellectual activity, half 
a century hence, with its sister, the laboratory, 
almost equally unknown fifty years ago, will 
have absorbed all else and will have become 
the institution itself." 



As to the value of the library in elementary 
education Doctor Harris says : 

"What there is good in our American sys- 
tem points towards this preparation of the 
pupil for the independent study of the book 
by himself. It points towards acquiring the 
ability of self-education by means of the li- 
brary." 

I might quote similar utterances from many 
other eminent educators as to the value 
the necessity of the library in early edu- 
cation; but I can think of no stronger sum- 
ming-up of the subject, nor from higher 
authority, than this statement from President 
Eliot : 

"From the total training during childhood 
there should result in the child a taste for in- 
teresting and improving reading, which 
should direct and inspire its subsequent in- 
tellectual life. That schooling which results 
in this taste for good reading, however un- 
systematic or eccentric the schooling may 
have been, has achieved a main end of ele- 
mentary education; and that schooling which 
does not result in implanting this permanent 
taste has failed. . . . The uplifting of the 
democratic masses depends on this implant- 
ing at school of the taste for good reading." 

To persons who have given little thought 
to educational questions these utterances will 
have the weight that attaches to the highest 
authority; but we need no university pres- 
ident or national commissioner to tell us these 
facts. We have learned them from our own 
experience; and, enlightened as we now are, 
it seems to us strange that question could 
ever have been raised as to the essential 
character of the library in elementary educa- 
tion. Yet there are some of us, I am sure, 
who can recall painful consequences from 
putting into practice an educational theory 
not generally accepted by the pedagogues of 
our childhood days. 

We know that higher education is impos- 
sible without a library, for the library is the 
storehouse of the world's knowledge, the 
record of humanity's achievements, the his- 
tory of mankind's trials and sorrows and 
sufferings, of its victories and defeats and of 
its gradual progress upwards in spite of fre- 
quent fluctuation and failure. In this chron- 
icle of the past lie lessons for the present and 
the future; from the lives of storied heroes 
comes the inspiration that leads the race on- 
ward and upward. A university without a 
library would of necessity have a very small 
and weak faculty only the few professors 



C RUN DEN. 



who could be induced to go where the most 
important instrumentality of their work was 
lacking: the university that has an adequate 
library includes in its faculty the professors 
of all other universities and all the great 
teachers of all countries and ages. 

But is it worth while to consider a uni- 
versity without a. library? Can there be such 
an institution? 

In higher education, then, the library is a 
necessity. In elementary and secondary edu- 
cation it is no less essential, if the most is 
to be n-ade of the few years that the average 
child spends in school and if he is to be 
started on a path of self-culture. On this 
point Stanley Jevons says : 

"In omitting that small expenditure in a 
universal system of libraries which would en- 
able young men and women to keep up the 
three R's and continue their education, we 
spend 97 and stingily decline the 3 really 
needed to make the rest of the 100 effective." 

At the International Library Conference in 
London, in 1897, one of the most distin- 
guished American librarians, who has been 
an administrator in a large educational field 
outside of the library, expressed his view of 
the supreme importance of the library in a 
scheme of popular education by saying that 
if he had to choose between the public school 
and the public library if he could have 
only one (though the alternative is one 
that never will or can be presented), he 
would keep the library and let the school go. 
For, he argued, every child would learn to 
read somehow; and, with a free library that 
actively sought him, he would be better off 
than if he had a school to teach him to read, 
but no books to read after he had learned. 
But however divergent might be opinions 
regarding this impossible alternative, there is 
no doubt that the public library, with en- 
larged functions and activities, has at least 
equal potentialities with the school. Whether 
the formal instruction of the school or the 
broader education of the library is of 
greater value, depends on what is the chief 
aim. If it is merely to make bread-winners, 
the school may be the more useful, though 
in this, too, the library is an efficient coadju- 
tor; but if our purpose is to make men and 
women, citizens of a progressive nation, ac- 
tive members of an aspiring society, the li- 
brary may fairly claim at least equal rank 



with the school. For the school wields its 
direct influence over the average child but a 
few years; the library is an active influence 
through life. 

Again, more than ninety-five children out 
of every hundred leave school before they 
are sufficiently mature to comprehend those 
studies which open their eyes to the universe, 
which bear upon their relations to their fel- 
low-men, upon their duties as citizens of a 
state, as members of organized society. These 
are the studies that deal with the most im- 
portant problems that mankind has to solve. 
They cannot be taught to children; they can- 
not be taught dogmatically at all. They 
involve the consideration of burning ques- 
tions, subjects of bitter controversy the 
world-old battle between conservatism and 
innovation, which, as Emerson says, "is the 
subject of civil history." They cannot be 
taught by any teacher, they cannot be taught 
by any text-book or by any one book. Their 
adequate consideration calls for the reading 
of many books books of the present and the 
future as well as the past. The electrician 
who allows himself to be guided by the treat- 
ises of twenty years ago would have no stand 
ing; neither has the economist or sociologist 
who has not kept up with the literature of 
the last thirty years or the last three years. 
It would be of no particular advantage for all 
of us to be electricians. We can safely trust 
that field to experts ; but it is extremely desir- 
able that every man should comprehend the 
great issues of economics and politics. The 
school cannot even present the important 
problems of sociology; ihe university can- 
not adequately do so without the library. 
On no other subject is the wide reading that 
Matthew Arnold enjoins so necessary. And 
no other subject is of such momentous im- 
portance to mankind; for the betterment of 
social conditions is a necessary forerunner 
and foundation of moral and religious pro- 
gress. And that cannot be true religion 
which does not lead to social betterment. 
In that noblest aspiration ever put into the 
mouth and mind and heart (too often, alas, 
only the mouth!) of man we are taught to 
pray not that we may be transplanted to a 
better world, but that God's kingdom may 
come and his will be done in this world. 

We are not likely to abate our eagerness in 
the pursuit of knowledge of physical science, 



INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS. 



for the zeal of the scientist is stimulated by 
the spur of commercialism; and, though it 
seems impossible, the twentieth century may 
bring forth as wonderful discoveries and in- 
ventions as the nineteenth. But, to take the 
advance just now most sought, can any one 
raise the question as to which would be of 
greater benefit to St Louis, to reach Chicago 
in an hour by airship or to take six or ten 
hours for the trip and find there and every- 
where a contented body of workmen supply- 
ing us with the necessities of life and a set of 
managers carrying on the transportation sys- 
tem that we already have on equal terms to 
all people? What the world's progress most 
needs is "evening up." The advancing col- 
umn presents a very ragged front, with phys- 
ical science and its applications so far ahead 
that they have almost lost sight of social 
science in the rear. It would be no great dis- 
advantage to the world to the progress of 
mankind as a whole if the swift-footed 
legion of applied science would merely mark 
time for a period, while attention should be 
given to a better organization of the vast 
human army. The objective point would be 
reached as soon, for a nation is like a railway 
train; it can go no faster than its hindmost 
car. But this is not likely to happen at pres- 
ent Applied science has every stimulus from 
within and without, every reward intrinsic 
and extrinsic; while progress in the social 
and political sciences must carry the dead 
weight of the inertia of conservatism and also 
meet the active and intense opposition of 
vested interests, which have ever the single 
purpose of preserving the status quo, no 
matter how unjust or maleficent 

The solution of these all-important prob- 
lems cannot be found in the school, where 
immature minds are taught merely how to 
use the tools of knowledge; these questions 
cannot be settled by the small number of 
university students; they must be solved 
by the education of the masses, by instill- 
ing in them in their early school year; a 
desire for knowledge and a love for good 
reading, which will lead them to continue 
their education by means of the library. 
The education of the mass of the voters 
who determine the character of a democratic 
government must not be left to the party 
organ or the stump speaker. The great social 
and political questions should be studied and 



pondered in the quiet of the closet and not 
decided, without previous thought, amid the 
hurrahs of the hustings. 

To make the public library realize fully its 
possibilities as the People's University calls 
for more than the opportunity which every 
public library now offers; it requires active 
effort to reach out and bring the people to the 
library by the fullest co-operation with the 
school and by means of attractive lecture 
courses, which shall stimulate reading and 
guide it in profitable channels. But the be- 
ginning of this work the inculcation of a 
taste for good reading lies with the school, 
with the library's co-operation, especially dur- 
ing the years from six to ten or twelve, those 
years when nearly all the children come under 
the school's influence and when the habit of 
reading can be most easily formed. 

If charged with placing undue stress on 
the value of the library, I might urge its 
comparative newness and its consequent lack 
of recognition ; and, as an evidence of the 
latter, I might point to the fact that in this 
great educational exposition, while one vast 
palace is given up to exhibits of the school, 
the library has with difficulty secured a part 
of a room in the Missouri State Build- 
ing for an exhibit of its activities in the great 
work of education, in which, as I am trying 
to show, its potentialities are as great as 
those of the school As our Board of Di- 
rectors said, in its appeal to the Exposition 
Directors for a separate library building: 

"The library, besides being the most effi- 
cient and most economical agency for popular 
education, represents all the fair will have to 
show. It stands for the sum total of human 
knowledge. It is the instrumentality through 
which knowledge has been conserved and 
cumulated. Only through the library can civ- 
ilization continue to advance, . . . Books are 
the most potent factors in progress. With- 
out books we should have had no powerful 
locomotives to show, no wireless telegraphy, 
no wonder-making machinery, no beautiful 
buildings, no impressive statuary, no paint- 
ings to arouse wonder and yield delight 
no World's Fair to draw distinguished scien- 
tists and educators from all over the world." 

By way of introduction to the comprehen- 
sive addresses of the two distinguished dele- 
gates who have travelled four or five thou- 
sand miles to lay before this Section, and, 
through publication, before the world, the 
past history and the present problems of the 



C RUN DEN. 



library, it has seemed to me appropriate that, 
as chairman, I should present a brief plea 
for the consideration of the library as one 
of the greatest factors in human progress. 
It has existed, though not in its present form 
or with its present functions, from the dawn 
of recorded civilization. It is itself the 
record of civilization; and without it there 
can be no records and no civilization. It is 
the repository, the custodian, the preserver 
of all the arts and sciences and the principal 
means of disseminating all knowledge With 
the school and the church it forms the tri- 
pod necessary to the stable equilibrium of 
society. Let me briefly summarize the func- 
tions of the public library. 

1. It doubles the value of the public school 
instruction, on which is expended more than 
ten times the cost of the library. 

2. It enables the children who leave school 
at an early age (an overwhelming majority) 
to continue their education while earning 
their living. It provides for the education of 
adults who have lacked or failed to utilize 
early opportunities. This is of special im- 
portance in a country like the United States, 
where one of the greatest political problems 
is the assimilation of a vast influx of ignorant 
foreigners of all races and languages. 

3. It supplies books and periodicals needed 
for the instruction of artisans, mechanics, 
manufacturers, engineers, and all others 
whose work requires technical knowledge* 
all persons on whom depends the indus- 
trial progress of the community. 

4. It furnishes information and inspira- 
tion to ministers, teachers, journalists, au- 
thors, physicians, legislators all persons on 
whose work depend the intellectual, moral, 
sanitary, political and religions welfare and 
advancement of the people. 

5. It is the stimulus and the reliance of the 
literary and study clubs, which, especially 
among women, have done so much not only 
for individual self-culture but also for civic 
enlightenment and social betterment. This 
represents its numerous post-graduate 
courses, which are taken by constantly in- 
creasing numbers. 

* The information furnished by a book in the 
Cincinnati Public Library once saved that cfty a 
quarter of a million dollars. This in mnnerotM 
instances, but on a smaller scale, is a part of the 
erery-day work of erery library. 



6. It has philosophers and theologians to 
explain and expound and to exhort those 
who are willing to listen; but, far better, it 
has poets and dramatists and novelists 
who compel a hearing and impress on heart 
as well as mind the fundamental truths of 
morality and religion. 

7. It is also a school of manners, which 
have been well defined as minor morals. The 
child learns by example and by the silent 
influence of his surroundings ; and every visit 
to a library is a lesson in propriety and re- 
finement. The roughest boy or the rudest 
man cannot fail to be impressed by the 
library atmosphere and by that courtesy 
which is the chief element in the library 
spirit." 

8. It imparts, as the school cannot, knowl- 
edge of one's self, and of one's relations to 
one's fellow-man, and thus prepares the in- 
dividual for citizenship and fellowship in or- 
ganized society and leads him to be an ac- 
tive force in social advancement. 

9. It elevates the standard of general in- 
telligence throughout the community, on 
which depends its material prosperity as well 
as its moral and political well-being. 

ia But not last, if an exhaustive list were 
aimed at nor least it supplies a universal 
and urgent craving of human nature by 
affording to all entertainment of the highest 
and purest character, substituting this for the 
coarse, debasing, demoralizing amusements 
which would otherwise be sought and found. 
Further, it brings relief and strength to many 
a suffering body and cheer and solace to many 
a sorrowing heart It is instruction and in- 
spiration to the young, comfort and consola- 
tion to the old, recreation and companionship 
to all ages and conditions. 

I dose as I began: 

Education is the greatest concern of man- 
kind : it is the foundation of all human prog- 
ress. The library is an essential factor in all 
grades of education ; and it is the agent plen- 
ipotentiary in the betterment of society and 
the culture and cheer of the human souL 
"The highest gift of education is not die maSf 
tery of sciences, but noble living, generous 
character, the spiritual delight that comes 
from familiarity with the loftiest ideals of the 
human mind, the spiritual power that saves 
each generation from the intoxication of its 
own success." 



INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS. 



THE LIBRARY: ITS PAST AND FUTURE. 
BY GUIDO BIAGI, Director Royal Laurentian Library, Florence, Italy. 



*T* HE first founders of public libraries hav- 
ing been Italians, it will perhaps be 
neither strange nor unfitting that an Italian, 
the custodian of one of the most ancient and 
valued book-collections in the world, should 
speak to you of their past. He may, however, 
appear presumptuous in that he will speak to 
you also of their future, thus posing as an 
exponent of those anticipations which are 
now fashionable. It is in truth a curious de- 
sire that urges us and tempts us to guess at 
the future, to discover the signs of what it 
will bring us, in certain characteristics of the 
present moment. It answers to a want in hu- 
man nature which knows not how to resign 
itself to the limitations of the present, but 
would look beyond it into time and space. 

This looking forward toward the future is 
no selfish sentiment; it springs from the de- 
sire not to dissipate our powers in vain at- 
tempts, but to prepare new and useful mate- 
rial for the work of the future, so that those 
who come after us may move forward without 
hindrance or perturbation, without being 
obliged to overturn and destroy, before they 
can build up anew. Thus does it happen in 
nature; huge secular trunks flourish and grow 
green by luxuriant offshoots which add new 
vigor of life to the old and glorious stock. 

We may perhaps discover the secret of the 
future of the library by looking back over 
its past, by attentively studying the varying 
phases through which it has passed in its up- 
ward path towards a splendid goal of wisdom 
and civilization. By thus doing we may pre- 
pare precious material for its future devel- 
opment and trace with security the line of its 
onward movement. It is of supreme im- 
portance that humanity in general, as the in- 
dividual in particular, know whither its ef- 
forts must be directed, that there may be no 
straying from the straight path. We are 
sailors on a vast sea bound toward a shore 
we know not of ; when we approach it, it van- 
ishes like a mirage from before our eyes. 
But we have as guides the stars which have 



already ruled our destinies, while before us 
flames, on the distant horizon, that light of 
the Idea towards which our ships and our 
hearts move eagerly. Let us stand firm at 
the helm and not despise the counsels of 
some old pilot who may perhaps seem faint- 
hearted to young and eager souls. He who 
is hurried along by the excitement of the 
course, by the impetuosity of the motion, 
finds neither time nor place to look back and 
to meditate, which is necessary that he may 
look forward with sharper and calmer gaze. 
Modern life among the young and more ven- 
turesome peoples is a giddy race. They run, 
they annihilate the space before them, they 
press onward, ever onward, with irresistible 
impetus, but we cannot always say that this 
headlong course leads straight to the goal. 
We are not sure, even, that it may not some- 
times be running in a circle, a retracing of 
their steps. In mechanics a free wheel turn- 
ing upon itself and moving no machinery is 
so much lost power. Let us beware of free 
wheels which consume without producing, 
which give the illusion of movement whilst 
they still remain stationary. Modern civiliza- 
tion bears within itself a great danger: the 
endeavor which loses the end by a misuse of 
the means, and which though busy is ever idle 
idle, yet never at rest. It may be, therefore, 
that a momentary return to the past with all 
that it can teach will be useful to all of us. 
Progress has rightly been compared to a 
continual ascent. Modern man sees before 
him ever vaster horizons ; the eye of science 
discover? in the infinitely distant and in the 
infinitely small ever new worlds whether of 
suns or of bacteria. In the same way do 
conceptions and ideas ever widen and tend 
to a more comprehensive generalization. All 
the march of civilization, both material and 
moral, consists in rising from a single pri- 
mordial idea to another more complex and so 
on to the highest scientific abstractions. Woe 
to science if it stops short in the course of 
this evolution ; its reputation would be in- 



BIAGI. 



jured beyond repair. In material things, the 
fate of certain words shows us the great ad- 
vance that has been made: the words are the 
same but the things they represent are very 
different. We still give the name of Casa 
(Capsa, that is, hut) to our splendid dwell- 
ings, which have here among you reached 
their highest point of development in your 
sky-scrapers; we still give to the great trans- 
atlantic steamers, floating cities, the name of 
boats, which was once applied to the first rude 
canoes of the troglodites. The first function 
of the Casa and of the boat still remains, but 
how differently are the details carried out. 
So also, the book, the liber, whose etymology 
is preserved in the word library, was ancient- 
ly the inner part of the tree (liber) on which 
men used to write, and which is now unfor- 
tunately again used in the making of paper, 
no longer obtained from rags but from wood 
pulp. The libraries of Assyria and Egypt, 
those for instance of Assur-Bani-Pal and of 
Rameses i., consisted of clay tablets, of in- 
scribed stones, or of papyrus rolls ; the libra- 
ries of Greece, those of the Ptolemies and of 
the kings of Pergamus, the libraries of Rome, 
first opened to publjc use by the efforts of 
Asinius Pollio ; the Byzantine libraries, which 
arose within Christian churches or in mon- 
asteries; and lastly, the rich and splendid 
collections made at great expense by the pa- 
trons, by the builders, of the culture of the 
Renaissance all these, compared with the 
modern libraries, of which the most perfect 
specimens may be found in this land, are like 
an ancient trireme beside a twin-screw 
steamer. And the essential difference be- 
tween the ancient and the modern library, be- 
tween the conception of a library as it existed 
up to the times of Frederic, Duke of Urbino 
and of Lorenzo il Magnifico, and that exist- 
ing in the minds of Thomas Bodley, or An- 
tonio Magliabecchi, is to be found in the 
different objects represented by the same 
word, liber. 

A study nf the fate of this word would 
lead us step by step through the varying 
forms of the library, from those containing 
clay tablets, from those filled with rolls 
covered with cuneiform characters, to the 
codices brilliant with the art of Oderisi da 
Gobbio, splendid with gold and miniatures, 
to the first block books, to the printed books 



of Fust and Schoeffer, and of Aldo Manuzio, 
of William Caxton, and of Christopher 
Plantin. 

The invention of printing caused a great 
revolution in the world of books. The new 
art was, as we well know, received at first 
with scorn and indifference. The incuna- 
bula were but rough, vulgar things as com- 
pared with the beautiful manuscripts clearly 
written on carefully prepared parchment, and 
glittering with brilliant colors. They were 
fit at most to be used by the masses by 
women, by children, to be sold at fairs, to be 
put into the hands of cheap-jacks and charla- 
tans ; but they were quite unfitted for the val- 
uable collections guarded with so much care 
in perfumed cases carved from precious 
woods, in sculptured cabinets, on reading 
desks covered with damask of with the 
softest of leathers, made from the skins of 
sucking animals. We can easily understand 
that fastidious art patrons such as the Duke 
of Urbino should scorn this new form of 
book, and should proclaim it unworthy of a 
place in a respectable library- But this tem- 
pest of scorn gradually subsided before the 
advantages which the new invention offered 
and before the marvellous progress it made. 
It sought, moreover, the favor of the minia- 
turists by leaving, in the margins of the new 
codices, sufficient space for ornamentations 
and for initials of burnished geld; it sought 
the favor and the help of the learned Hu- 
manists by employing them to revise and 
correct the texts; it won the favor of the 
studious and of clerks, who have at all times 
been poor, by spreading abroad the texts of the 
classics, by offering for a few half-pence 
that which could at first be obtained only 
with gold or silver florins, by imparting to all 
that which had been the privilege of the few. 
And we must not forget the help given to 
typography by the invention of the minor 
arts, calcography and xylography, which 
added new value to the pages of the no lon- 
ger despised book; so that printed codices 
(codices impressi) might stand side by side 
with the manuscript codices (codices manu- 
scripti). 

The word, the sign of the thought, first 
took on visible form with the invention of 
the alphabet. But other ways of revealing 
thought were to be discovered in the future. 



10 



INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS. 



No one in the ancient world, no one before 
the very culminating point of the Renais- 
sance, could have supposed it possible that a 
library might contain anything but manu- 
scripts; just as we, to-day, are incapable of 
imagining a library containing anything but 
books. We have seen that the conception of 
the book underwent expansion, when printed 
books were added to those written by hand; 
and in the same way, the library underwent 
expansion, gradually rising, between the fif- 
teenth and twentieth centuries, from a 
simple collection of codices, to th/e vast and 
wonderful proportions it has at present 
reached, assuming the duty of receiving with- 
in itself any kind of graphic representation 
of human thought, from clay tablets and in- 
scribed stones and papyrus rolls, to phototypes 
and monotype or linotype products, from 
books for the blind written in the Braille al- 
phabet to the new manuscripts of the type- 
writers. 

From this brief compendium of bibliogra- 
phical history one essential feature emerges. 
As though directed by an unswerving law, 
by the law of reproduction, human thought 
feels the necessity of expanding, and of mul- 
tiplying and perpetuating itself; and it is ever 
searching for new means of carrying out this 
intent. Thus the copyist or the scribe is re- 
placed by the compositor, the miniaturist by 
the engraver, the draughtsman by the litho- 
grapher, the painter by the color-printer, the 
engraver by the photographer and zinco- 
grapher; thus the machine replaces the hand 
of man the machine which is only con- 
cerned with working quickly, with producing 
as many copies as possible with diminished 
effort, with snatching her secrets from 
Mother Nature herself. We have replaced 
the note tironiane of the Roman scribes by 
the typewriter, the wax tablets by the pages 
of the stenographer; for drawing and paint- 
ing we have substituted photography and 
three-color printing; wireless telegraphy has 
taken the place of messages sent by post- 
horses. 

And not content with these singular and 
wondrous modes of reproducing graphically 
the thought and the word, we have found an- 
other means of reproduction still more stu- 
pendous in the immediateness of its action. 
Sound, the human voice, whose accents have 
hitherto been lost, .may now be preserved and 



repeated and produced like other graphic 
signs of thought. When the graphophone 
was first invented, we little thought that the 
cylinders upon which the vibrations of the 
voice had traced so slight and delicate an 
impression, would ever be reproduced as 
simply as, by electrotyping, we reproduce a 
page of movable characters. Neither have we 
yet, or I am much mistaken, grasped the 
whole of the practical utility which the graph- 
ophone may have in its further applications 
and improvements. Up to the present time 
the graphophone has been kept as a plaything 
in drawing-rooms or in bars, to reproduce 
the last roulades of some well-known singer, 
the hangings of some military band, or the 
pretended uproar of some stormy meeting. 
At the present day, the librarian would prob- 
ably refuse to receive within his library this 
faithful reproducer of the human voice and 
thought, just as Frederic, Duke of Urbino, 
banished from his collection the first exam- 
ples of printed books. But without posing 
as a prophet or the son of a prophet, we may 
surely assert that every library will before 
long contain a hall in which the discs of the 
graphophone may be heard (as already is the 
case at the Brera in Milan), and shelves for 
the preservation of the discs, just as the libra- 
ries of Assyria preserved the clay tablets in- 
scribed with the cuneiform characters. This 
is a new form of book, strange at first sight, 
but in reality simply a return to ancient prece- 
dents, yet a return which marks the upward 
movement of progress. 

An Italian Jesuit, Saverio Bettinelli, under- 
took toward the middle of the eighteenth cen- 
tury to give laws to Italian writers. He pro- 
duced certain letters which he assumed Virgil 
to have written from the Elysian fields to the 
Arcadia at Rome. In two of these twelve 
tablets which he put forth under the names of 
Homer, Pindar, Anachreon, Virgil, Horace, 
Propertius, Dante, Petrarch and Ariosto, in 
the poetical meetings held in Elysium, he laid 
down as a rule: "Let there be written in 
large letters on the doors of all public libra- 
ries : 'You will be ignorant of almost every- 
thing which is within these doors, or you 
will live three centuries to read half of it ;' 
and a little further on : 'Let a new city be 
made whose streets, squares and houses shall 
contain only books. Let the man who wishes 
to study go and live there for as long as may 



BIAGL 



II 



be needful ; otherwise printed matter will 
soon leave no place for the goods, for the 
food, of the inhabitants of our towns.' " 

This anticipation, which dates from 1758, 
still seems an exaggeration; but I know not 
whether a century and a half hence, posterity 
will think it so, so great is the development 
of the industries, the succession of ever new 
inventions for preserving any graphic repre- 
sentation of human thought. Not even the 
life of Methuselah would be long enough to 
read as much as the tenth part of all that a 
modern library contains; and I know not 
whether we could invent a more terrible pun- 
ishment than to insist upon this for our 
criminal. How many repetitions of the same 
ideas, how much superfluity, how many scien- 
tific works cancelled and rendered useless 
and condemned to perpetual oblivion by those 
which succeed them. By welcoming every- 
thing, without discrimination, the modern li- 
brary has lost its ancient and true character. 
No longer can we inscribe over its entrance 
the ancient motto "Medicine for souls :" few 
indeed of the books would have any salutary 
influence on body or on mind. Now that the 
conception of books and of library has been 
so enormously expanded, now that the library 
has become the city of paper, however 
printed, and of any other material fitted to 
receive the graphic representation of human 
thought, it will become: more and more 
necessary to classify the enormous amount 
of material, to separate it into various cate- 
gories. The laws of demography, whatever 
they may be, must be extended also to books : 
the dead must be divided from the living, 
the sick from the sound, the bad from the 
good, the rich from the poor; and cemeteries 
must be prepared for all those stereotyped 
editions of school books, of catechisms, of 
railway time-tables, for all that endless lug- 
gage of printed paper that has only the form 
of a book and has nothing to do with thought. 
Sanatoria must be provided for books con- 
demned to uselessness because already infected 
with error or already eaten away with old 
age, and the most 'conspicuous places must 
be set apart for books worthy to be pre- 
served from oblivion and from the ravages 
of time, either on account of the importance 
of their contents or of the beauty of their 
appearance. In this great Republic of books, 
the princes will stand high above the count- 



less mass, and an aristocracy of the best will 
be formed which will be the true library 
within the library. 

But even this will not have the exclusive 
character of the ancient library. It will re- 
ceive divers and strange forms of books : 
next to papyrus of Oxyrinchos, with an un- 
known fragment of Sappho, may be placed a 
parchment illuminated by Nestore Leoni o 
by Attilio Formilli, a graphophone disc con- 
taining Theodore Roosevelt's latest speech or 
a scene from "Othello" given by Tommaso 
Salvini, the heliotype reproduction of the 
Medicean Virgil, or some phrases written on 
palm leaves by the last survivor of a band of 
cannibals. The great abundance of modern 
production will render -even more rare and 
more valuable ancient examples of the book; 
just as the progress of industrialism has en- 
hanced the value of work produced by the 
hand of man. 

Thought as it develops is undergoing the 
same transformation which has occurred in 
manual labor: mental work also has assumed 
a certain mechanical character visible in 
formalism, in imitation, in the influence of 
the school or of the surroundings. Industrial- 
ism has made its way into science, literature 
and art, giving rise to work which is hybrid, 
mediocre, without any originality, and des- 
tined therefore soon to perish. The parasites 
of thought flourish at the expense of the 
greater talents, and they will constitute, alas, 
the larger part of future bibliographical pro- 
duction. The greatest difficulty of future li- 
brarians will be to recognize and classify 
these hybrid productions, in choosing from 
among the great mass, the few books worthy 
of a place apart. 

The appraisal of literature, which has al- 
ready been discussed in books and congresses, 
will continue to increase in importance; and 
in this work of discrimination we shall need 
the aid of critics to read for other men and 
to light up the path for those who shall come 
after. "The records of the best that has been 
thought and done in the world," said George 
lies, "grow in volume and value every hour. 
Speed the day when they may be hospitably 
proffered to every human soul, the chaff win- 
nowed from the wheat, the gold divided from 
the clay." 

One of the special characteristics of the li- 
brary of the future will be co-operation, and 



J2 



INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS. 



internationalism applied to the division of 
labor. We may already see premonitory 
symptoms of this in the "Catalogue of scien- 
tific literature" now being compiled by the 
Royal Society of London, in the Concilium 
Bibliographicum of Zurich, in the Institut de 
Bibliographic of Brussels, and in the card 
catalog printed and distributed by the Li- 
brary of Congress at Washington. This co- 
operation, however, will have to be more 
widely extended and must assert itself not 
only by exchanges of cards and of indices but 
also by means of the lending of books and 
manuscripts, of the reproductions of codices 
or of rare and precious works. The govern- 
ment libraries of Italy are united under the 
same rules and correspond with all institu- 
tions of public instruction and with several 
town and provincial libraries, with free post- 
age; so that books and manuscripts journey 
from one end to the other of the peninsular, 
from Palermo to Venice, without any expense 
to those who use them, and the different li- 
braries of the state become, in this way, one 
single library. And so the day will come 
when the libraries of Europe and of America 
and of all the states in the Postal Union will 
form, as it were, one. single collection, and 
the old books, printed when America was but 
a myth, will enter new worlds bearing with 
them to far off students the benefit of their 
ancient wisdom. The electric post of the 
airships will have then shortened distances, 
the telephone will make it possible to hear 
at Melbourne a graphophone disc asked for, a 
few minutes earlier, from the British 
Museum. There will be few readers, but 
an infinite number of hearers, who will lis- 
ten from their own homes to the spoken 
paper, to the spoken book. University stu- 
dents will listen to their lectures while they 
lie in bed, and, as now with us, will not know 
their professors even by sight. Writing will 
be a lost art. Professors of paleography and 
keepers of manuscripts will perhaps have to 
learn to accustom their eye to the ancient al- 
phabets. Autographs will be as rare as pa- 
limpsests are now. Books will no longer be 
read, they will be listened to ; and then only 
will be fulfilled Mark Pattison's famous 
saying, "The librarian who reads is lost." 

But even if the graphophone does not pro- 
duce so profound a transformation as to cause 
the alphabet to become extinct and effect an 



injury 'to culture itself; even if, as we hope 
will be the case, the book retains its place of 
honor, and instruction through the eyes be 
not replaced by that through the ears (in 
which case printed books would be kept for 
the exclusive benefit of the deaf) ; still these 
discs, now so much derided, will form a very 
large part of the future library. The art of 
oratory, of drama, of music and of poetry, 
the study of languages, the present pronun- 
ciation of languages and dialects, will find 
faithful means of reproduction in these hum- 
ble discs. Imagine, if we could hear in this 
place to-day the voice of Lincoln or Garibaldi, 
of Victor Hugo or of Shelley, just as you 
might hear the clear winged words of Ga- 
briele D'Annunzio, the moving voice of Eleo- 
nore Duse or the drawling words of Mark 
Twain. Imagine, the miracle of being able 
to call up again, the powerful eloquence of 
your political champions, or the heroes of our 
patriotic struggles; of being able to listen 
to the music of certain verses, the wailing 
of certain laments, the joy that breaks out 
in certain cries of the soul : the winged word 
would seem to raise itself once more into the 
air as at the instant when it came forth, living, 
from the breast, to play upon our sensibilities, 
to stir up our hearts. It is not to be believed 
that men will willingly lose this benefit, the 
benefit of uniting to the words the actual 
voices of those who are, and will no longer 
be, and that they should not desire that those 
whose presence has left us should at least 
speak among us. We may also believe that 
certain forms of art, such as the novel and 
the drama, will prefer the phonetic to the 
graphic reproduction, or at least a union of 
the two. And the same may be said of poetry, 
which will find in modern authors its surest 
reciters, its most eloquent interpreters. The 
oratory of the law-court and of the parlia- 
ment, that of ttye pulpit and of the cathedra, 
will not be able to withstand the enticement 
of being preserved and handed on to pos- 
terity, to which their triumphs have hitherto 
sent down but a weak uncertain echo. "Non 
omnis moriar;" so will think the orator and 
the dramatic or lyric artist; and the libraries 
will cherish these witnesses to art and to life, 
as they now collect play-bills and lawyers' 
briefs. 

But internationalism and co-operation will 
save the future library from the danger of 



BIAGI. 



losing altogether its true character by becom- 
ing, as it were, a deposit of memories or of 
embalmed residua of life, among which the 
librarian must walk like a bearer of the dead. 
The time will come when, if these mortuary 
cities of dead books are not to multiply in- 
definitely, we must invoke the authority of 
Fra Girolamo Savonarola, and proceed to 
the burning of vanities. A return to ancient 
methods will be a means of instruction, and 
those centenary libraries which have pre- 
served their proper character, which have not 
undergone hurtful augmentations, which have 
reserved themselves for books and manu- 
scripts alone, which have disdained all the ul- 
tra-modern rubbish which has neither the 
form nor the name of book, these libraries 
will be saluted as monuments worthy of ven- 
eration. And then some patron who from 
being a multi-millionaire, as was his far-off 
ancestor, will have become at least a multi- 
billionaire, will provide here in America for 
the founding of libraries, not of manuscripts, 
which will no longer be for sale, but of re- 
production of codices in black or in colors; 
and we shall have libraries of facsimiles most 
useful for the study of the classics, just as 
we now have museums of casts for the study 
of the plastic arts. 

The application of photography and of pho- 
togravure to the reproduction of texts which 
are unique rather than rare, makes it possible 
for us not only to have several examples of a 
precious codex or manuscript, but to fix the 
invisible deterioration which began in it at 
a certain date so that, as regards its state 
of preservation, the facsimile represents an 
anterior stage to the future state of the origi- 
nal. By thus wonderfully forecasting the 
future these reproductions render less dis- 
astrous the effects of a fire such as that 
which lately destroyed the library of Turin. 
They have therefore found great favor 
among students and have excited the 
attention of the most enlightened govern- 
ments. If the means for carrying on what 
have hitherto been but isolated efforts do not 
fail, if generous donors and institutions and 
governments do not deny their aid, we might 
already begin a methodical work of repro- 
duction, and come to an agreement concern- 
ing the method of fulfilling a vast design 
which should comprehend all the most 
precious archetypes of the various libraries in 



the world, those which are the documents 
of the history of human thought and which 
are the letters-patent of the nobility of an 
ancient greatness. This, I think, would, nay, 
should, be the most serious and principal 
duty assumed by the library of the future: 
to preserve these treasures of the past while 
hoping that the present and the future may 
add to them new ones worthy of public ven- 
eration. Think how vast a field of work: 
to seek through all nations the autographs 
or archetypes to which have been entrusted 
the thought of great men of every age and 
of every race, and to reproduce them in the 
worthiest way and to explain them so as to 
render them accessible to modern readers. 
Thus should we form the true library of the 
nations, which, with the facsimiles, would 
bring together the critical editions of their 
authors and the translations and the texts 
made for the explanation of the works. But 
the first and most urgent duty would be that 
of making an inventory, an index, of what 
should constitute this collection; and, first 
of all, we should know and search out such 
authors as may have influenced the history 
of the human race by their works in all times 
and among all peoples; and we should have 
to find the venerable codices which have 
handed on to us the light of their intellect, 
the beating of their hearts. Every nation 
which is careful of its own glory should be- 
gin this list, just as we are now beginning 
that of the monuments of marble or of stone 
which have value as works of art. We should 
thus begin to prepare the precious material 
to be reproduced, while at the same time 
it would be possible to calculate the expense 
needed for carrying out the magnificent de- 
sign. The Belgian government has appointed 
a congress to meet at Liege next year for 
this purpose, but its programs are too ex- 
tended; for they take in also the documents 
in archives and in museums. More op- 
portune and more practical would be an 
inquiry affecting libraries alone and be- 
ginning with oriental and classical authors, 
with those who represent the wisdom of the 
ancients. Thus the library of to-day would 
gradually prepare its work for the future li- 
brary, which will surely want something 
more than the editions, however innumerable, 
supplied to it by the bibliographical produc- 
tion of the years to come. 



INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS. 



Internationalism will also be able to render 
great service to science, in the field o 
photo-mechanic reproductions, if it find a way 
of directing them to some us,eful goal, and if 
it prevent them from taking a merely material 
advantage of the precious collections which 
every nation is justified in guarding with 
jealous care. Photography with the prism, 
which has no need of the plate or of the 
film, costs so little and is so easy of execu- 
tion, especially if the process of the late Mile. 
Pellechet be adopted, that one can in a few 
hours carry away from a library the facsimile 
of an entire manuscript. No doubt many 
learned men of the new style find it more 
convenient to have these collections at their 
own house, instead of wandering from one 
library to another to collect them at the ex- 
pense of their eyes, their patience and their 
money. To be able to compare the various 
texts and to have the various readings of 
them under one's eye is an inestimable bene- 
fit ; but the true philologist will never be con- 
tented with simply studying these facsimiles, 
however perfect they may be; he will want 
to examine for himself the ancient parch- 
ments, the time-yellowed papers, to study the 
slight differences between the inks, the var- 
ieties in the handwritings, the evanescent 
glosses in the margins. In the same way an 
art critic is not content with confining his 
study simply to the photographs of pictures, 
but he observes the pictures themselves, their 
patina, their coloring, their shadows, their 
least gradations of tones and half-tones. In 
the same way, too, a musician would not pre- 
sume to the knowledge of an opera which he 
had only studied in a pianoforte arrangement. 
If this manner of shunning fatigue took root, 
our splendid collections of manuscripts would 
no longer be the goal of learned pilgrims, but 
would become the easy prey of the photog- 
rapher, who would certainly embark upon a 
new speculation: that of retailing these col- 
lections to the manifest injury of the libraries 
and of the states which would thus lose the 
exclusive literary and artistic possession of 
what is a national glory. Meanwhile a just 
jurisdiction will avoid these dangers without 
injuring or hindering studies and culture. 
We shall adopt for manuscripts, which excite 
other people's desires, the proposition made 
by Aristophanes in the Ecclesiazuse (that 
charming satire on Socialism) to bridle the 



excesses of free love. We shall permit a man 
to have a copy of a manuscript when he has 
first had one of another and older manu- 
script and when the latter, which is about 
equal in value to the first, has already been 
given up to the library, which will thus lose 
none of its property. "Do ut des," "I give 
to make you give," base and foundation of in- 
ternational treatises for customs duties, must 
be applied also in a reasonable manner to 
the intellectual traffic that will be the char- 
acteristic of future civilization, which will 
never permit one nation to grow poor while 
another grows rich, and will! insist that 
wealth be the bearer of equality and fruitful 
in good. A well regulated metabolism, as it 
ensures the health of our organic bodies, will 
also serve to maintain the health of tint 
great social body, which we all desire and 
foresee, notwithstanding political struggles 
and the wars which still stain the earth with 
blood. When the time comes in which we 
shall be able to use for ideal aims the mil- 
lions which are now swallowed up by engines 
of war, of ruin and of assault, the library 
will be looked upon as the temple of wisdom, 
and to it will be turned far more than at 
present the unceasing care of governments 
and of peoples. When that time comes, the 
book will be able to say to the cannon, with 
more truth than Quasimodo to Notre Dame 
de Paris, "ceci a tue cela," and it will have 
killed Death with all her fatal instruments. 

But another and a more important aspect 
of scientific internationalism which will pre- 
seive the library .'. the futur? from becom- 
ing a bazaar of social life, will be the impor- 
tation of the most wholesome fruits of an- 
cient wisdom collected with wonderful learn- 
ing by the. great scholars of the I7th and i8th 
centuries, the first founders of libraries, men 
who attempted an inventory of human knowl- 
edge. During the I7th and i8th centuries, 
hitherto looked upon by experimental science 
with disdain, was collected with laborious 
detail all the learning of past centuries, that 
of the Holy Books, of the Oriental world, 
that which the Fathers of the Church and 
after them the Arabs, and later on the Ency- 
clopaedists of the Middle Ages, and then the 
astrologists and the alchemists and the nat- 
ural philosophers, condensed into encyclo- 
paedias, into chronicles, into treatises, into all 
that congeries of writings which formed the 



BIAGI. 



libraries of the Middle Ages and of the Re- 
naissance, into that infinite number of primed 
books which still fill the ancient and classical 
libraries of Europe with voluminous folios 
and quartos. The desire of classifying and 
bringing into line all human knowledge, of 
reading this immense amount of material and 
gaining a thorough knowledge of it, armed 
those first solemn scholars with patience, 
formed those legendary librarians who, like 
Antonio Magliabecchi or Francesco Marucelli 
themselves, were living libraries. The Latin 
anagram of the celebrated founder of the 
Florentine Library, Antonius Magliabechi, is 
well known: "Is unus bibliotheca magna;" 
but it may be, and at that time also could be 
equally applied to others. These devourers 
of books were the first inventors and as- 
serters of the scientific importance of a card 
catalog, because armed with cards they 
passed days and nights in pressing from the 
old books the juice of wisdom and of knowl- 
edge and in collecting and condensing it in 
their miscellanies, in those vast bibliograph- 
ical collections compared with which the cat- 
alog of the British Museum is the work of a 
novice. They not only appraised the known 
literature of their time, but they classified it; 
not by such a classification as we make now, 
contenting ourselves with the title of the 
book, but by an internal and perfect classifi- 
cation, analyzing every page and keeping 
record of the volume, of the paragraph, of 
the line. The skeleton of the encyclopaedia, 
of the scientific dictionary, which at the end 
of the i8th century underwent in France a 
literary development, may be found within 
these bibliographical collections now for- 
gotten and banished to the highest shelves 
of our libraries. Any one who has looked 
through and studied one of these collections 
as I have done, has wondered at the treasures 
of information, of learning, of bibliographical 
exactitude contained in those dusty volumes. 
Above all, the precision of the references and 
of the quotations, the comprehensiveness of 
the subjects and of the headings, render them, 
rather than a precious catalog, an enormous 
encyclopaedia, to which we may have recourse 
not only for history, for geography, for liter- 
ature, for moral sciences, but also, impossible 
as it may seem, for natural sciences, for 
medicine and for the exact sciences. 



In the library of the future, classified on 
the Decimal system, or Cutter's expansive, 
every section should contain a sheaf of cards 
on which should be collected, arranged, veri- 
fied and even translated this ancient material, 
which may throw light on new studies and 
on new experiments; for the empirical meth- 
ods of our forefathers, like tradition and 
legend, have a basis of truth which is not to 
be despised. Meanwhile the modern library, 
which in this land prospers and exults in a 
youth strong and full of promise, should 
collect this material and thus spare the stu- 
dents at your universities the long researches 
needed to assimilate the ancient literature of 
every subject. The modern library, the 
American library, would not need to acquire 
and accumulate with great expense all the 
ancient mass of human knowledge in order to 
make use of the work of past generations ; 
it need only collect the extract of this work, 
opportunely chosen, sifted, classified and 
translated. This would be an immense ad- 
vantage to its scholars, and the internation- 
alism of science, of whose certain advent I 
have spoken to you, would find in this first 
exchange, in this fertile importation, its im- 
mediate application. Why should students 
and specialists be sent to begin ' new re- 
searches in learned and dusty volumes, when 
this work has been already done by the great 
champions of erudition in their miscellanies, 
in their bibliographical encyclopaedias? Let 
us rather try to spread abroad a knowledge 
of this treasure, this well of science; let us 
publish information about it; let us draw 
largely from its pure and health-giving 
waters. You will not be without guides who 
will lead you to it, who can and will give 
you to drink of its fresh waters. Thus shall 
those noble and solitary spirits who worked 
unknown in the dark of the I7th century and 
in the wan i8th century, be joined, by an in- 
visible chain, to the vigorous intellects which, 
in the last century and in that upon which 
we have just entered, are working, are toiling, 
in the diffused light of civilization, and will 
continue to work and will continue to toil 
for Science, for Humanity. 

And the card, the humble card, the winged 
arrow of the librarian and of the student, 
will fly from continent to continent, a mes- 
senger of knowledge and of concord. 



i6 



INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS. 



THE LIBRARY IN RELATION TO KNOWLEDGE AND LIFE. 
By WILLIAM E. A. AXON, Manchester, England. 



T F the most accomplished and most enthu- 
siastic librarian in the world were pos- 
sessed of Aladdin's power and summoned the 
Spirit of the Lamp, not to build a gorgeous 
palace for his beloved princess, but to erect an 
ideal library for the benefit of the world, what 
would it be likely to contain? 

The dream library, standing in its fair 
pleasaunce, a structure beautiful and spacious, 
of ample proportions, and conveniently ar- 
ranged both for study and recreation, what 
would the Magician Librarian desire to place 
upon its myriad shelves? The library is 
an instrument of culture, of research, of 
moralization, and, as the record of human 
aspiration, touches learning and life at every 
point. The ideal library would form a com- 
plete narrative of the past history of mankind, 
a record of all that men have found out or 
surmised about the physical facts of the 
universe, from the giant worlds that roll in 
space, to the tiniest insect that can be de- 
tected by the strongest microscope; all that 
men have thought about that which has not 
material form ; all that poet and sage, teacher 
and prophet, have said about ethics, all that 
men have invented and devised for the arts 
and pleasures of life in short all the docu- 
mentary evidences of human activity since 
the advent of man upon the globe. Such a 
library never has existed and never can exist, 
but it is the ideal archetype to which all 
libraries, consciously or unconsciously, seek 
to approximate. Even in Utopia such a mass 
of literature, good, bad or indifferent, would 
be impossible, for it would embrace all that 
human wisdom and human folly has ever 
entrusted to the recording word. Physical 
and financial considerations impose upon all 
existing libraries the necessity of selection, 
but the ideal library would be all-embracing 
and include all the literature of every land 
and of every science. 

Would the ideal library include "trash"? 
Must everything be preserved? Such in- 



quiries are natural enough in an age when 
the printing press vomits forth by day and 
night much that the! sober-minded could 
easily spare. But everything that comes 
from the human brain is an evidence of what 
the mind of man can accomplish, if not for 
wisdom then for folly. The most stupid 
production that ever flowed from a pen is 
at least a human document. And who shall 
decide what is and what is not "trash" ? The 
legendary dictum attributed to Al Moumenin 
Omar, who declared that whatever was op- 
posed to the Koran was noxious and what- 
ever agreed with its teachings was unneces- 
sary a dictum at once practical and thor- 
ough has not earned either the assent or 
the gratitude of posterity. Sir Thomas Bod- 
ley, the munificent founder of the great Ox- 
ford Library, a learned man and a friend of 
learning, excluded plays and pamphlets from 
his great collection, as mere "riff-raff." He 
thus missed the opportunity of making a 
matchless collection of Elizabethan literature, 
and of furnishing to future ages the material 
for solving many of the problems that now 
perplex the student of the most glorious period 
of English literature. To Bodley the plays of 
Shakespeare as they came singly from the 
press were "trash," and he died before they 
were collected into the goodly "First Folio." 
That the friends as well as the foes of learn- 
ing can make such enormous blunders may 
give us pause in the effort to decide what is 
unworthy of preservation. "What," asked 
Panizzi, "is the book printed in the British 
Dominions . . . utterly unworthy of a 
place in the National Library?" And he tells 
of a British library that was entitled to books 
under the copyright law and that solemnly 
rejected Scott's "Antiquary," Shelley's "Alas- 
tor," and Beethoven's musical compositions, 
as unworthy of a place upon the shelves. 
Everything that has come from the human 
mind has a certain value. True, its value 
may be pathological, an evidence of mental or 



AXON. 



moral aberration, but pathology is an im- 
portant department of science, and in the 
midst of its sadness, pathetic or grotesque, 
blossoms the flower of hope. The historian 
can usefully illuminate his annals by citations 
from the trivial and ephemeral literature of 
the period of which he writes. A ballad will 
express the feelings of the multitude at least 
as clearly, and as truthfully, as a despatch 
will exemplify the designs of ambassadors or 
kings.* A volume valued as theology in the 
I5th century may now be highly treasured not 
for its literary contents but as the handi- 
work of an early printer. That which was 
once thought to be sober science may now 
be folk-lore, but it is still a matter for inves- 
tigation. The intimate nature of its rela- 
tionship to the whole range of human knowl- 
edge and human conduct becomes evident 
when we realize fully that the essential note 
of the library is universality. All that relates 
to Man and the Universe in which he has his 
place it is the function of the library to 
remember. There we ought to find all that 
successive scientific investigators have taught 
us of his bodily structure and of the com- 
plicated processes by which the mystery of 
life is sustained; all that has been ascertained 
of the changes that follow when the silver 
cord is loosed and the golden bowl is broken 
and the dust returns to the earth as it was. 
There we should be able to read the history 
of the races of men since the first dawn of 
human life upon the globe; the struggle of 
man in his efforts for the conquest of nature ; 
the horror and the heroism, the mixture of 
grandeur and grotesque in the crimes of con- 
querors, in the struggles of the enslaved; 
the rise and fall of empires; the transforma- 
tion of savage tribes into civilized nations. 
And the library must record the painful evi- 
dence of degeneration from higher to lower 
types, not less than those documents which 
convince us that 

"... thro' the ages, one increasing pur- 
pose runs, 

And the thoughts of men are widened with the proc- 
ess of the suns." 

* An admirable paper on "The idea of a great 
public library" appears in the Library Association 
Record for April, 1903, from the pen of Mr. Thomas 
W. Lyster, M.A., of the National Library of Ireland. 



If it is the function of the library to pre- 
serve the records of man acting in the cor- 
porate capacity of clan or nation, not less so 
is it to keep account of those members of 
the race who by the force of their individual- 
ity stand out, whether for praise or reproach, 
from the common mass. Apart from its 
fascination as a picture of human life and 
character, biography has a practical value 
both as a warning and an incentive in the 
conduct of life. The library should con- 
serve for us all that the thinkers have for- 
mulated as to the conduct of life, the rules 
for the guidance of the individual in his 
duties to himself, in his relations to his fel- 
lows, in the contact of man with man, in 
the laws and tendencies to be seen in his in- 
dustries and commerce, in the relation of na- 
tion to nation, of race to race, of class to 
class. Nor is it of less interest to us to 
know the marvels of industry, the wondrous 
processes by which the properties and forces 
of the earth and of the universe are utilized 
for the service of man. The relation of 
man to nature, the secrets of bird and beast, 
of flower and tree, of all the myriad creatures, 
past and present, that make up the sum of 
the life of our world, these are to be noted in 
our ideal library. There, too, we must look 
for the record of all that can be ascertained 
and surmised of the countless worlds moving 
in empyreal space, worlds beyond the sight 
of man, yet known though unseen. 

The library is the temple of art as well as 
of science and in its open volumes we may 
gaze upon the glowing visions seen by Phidias, 
by Raphael, by Michelangelo, by all those 
who in many lands and climes have inter- 
preted to their fellows the strength and har- 
mony of nature and the beauty of the human 
form. The power of the artist is immensely 
increased by the possibility of reproduction 
and by the popularization of art in the li- 
brary. That such reproductions can never 
convey all the beauty of the originals may be 
quite true, but whatever may evaporate in 
the process of transfer enough remains for 
pleasure and inspiration. . . . 

The library should garner all that shows the 
development of the religious spirit. No mani- 
festation of man's reaching out to the infinite, 
however ineffectual or however sordid, is 



i8 



INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS. 



to be despised. "Where others have prayed 
before to their God in their joy or in their 
agony is of itself a sacred place." The spec- 
ulations of philosophers as to the contents and 
methods of the human mind, its powers and 
its limitations, should find a place in the li- 
brary. Nor should the song of the poet or 
the fiction of the story-teller be excluded. 
That fiction responds to a need of human na- 
ture may be safely inferred from its universal 
popularity. A great critic has styled poetry "a 
criticism of life," and the phrase may with at 
least equal justice be applied to nearly every 
variety of fiction, whether in verse or prose, 
and whether it take the form of novel, ro- 
mance, drama or apologue. For every work 
of fiction, great or small, shapeless or ar- 
tistic, wise or foolish, is the author's solution 
of some problem of existence, presented to his 
mind as the result of experience or of vision. 
The hackneyed but beautiful Terentian phrase 
applies to the library which aims at being the 
record of Man and therefore finds nothing 
alien or out of place that relates to Man and 
the Universe which environs him. . . . 

Centuries ago, Michael the Bishop spoke 
with enthusiasm of the "Book of the Wise 
Philosophers" a sort of miniature library 
in one volume.* "In this book," he says, 
'"are gathered together many discourses of 
exhortation and doctrine. This book glad- 
dens the heart and increases the understand- 
ing of the intelligent. In it the wise philoso- 
phers have told of noble and of famous deeds. 
It contains the wisdom of the wise and the 
pronouncements of the learned. It is a light 
of inquiry and a lamp of understanding. 
There is in it a chain of profit, and it is to 
he preferred to gold and silver and to precious 
stones. It is fairer than the flowers of the 
garden. What garden can be compared to 
it in the fairness of its aspect and in the 
fragrance of its scent? And this garden can 
be carried in the breast and sheltered in the 
heart. And this book can make thy under- 
standing fruitful, and God the Almighty may 
enlarge thy understanding, and make thee 
to know many things, and make thy character 

* The book was a translation in Ethiopic from the 
Arabic. A German version by Doctor C. H. Cornhill 
appeared in 1875 and is described in The Library, 
October, 1903, by the present writer. 



noble, and give increase in all talents. . . . 
And it is an eloquent although a dumb and 
silent monitor. If thou have not gained aught 
else from its preference, has it not kept thee 
from sitting with fools and from communing 
with the wicked? This book is a great in- 
heritance for thee, and a shining glory, and 
a beloved brother, and a faithful servant, and 
a joy-bringing messenger." If a small, ethical 
manual thus impressed the wisdom-loving 
Michael, what would he have said to a great 
modern library with its storehouses of all that 
the human mind has wrought for instruction 
and delight? 

"Knowledge grows from more to more," 
and in the midst of its immense and be- 
wildering variety we are gradually feeling 
towards a sense of unity. There may be 
unity in diversity as there may be progression 
by antagonism. When the Royal Society was 
established in 1662 its aim was declared to 
be "The promotion of natural knowledge," 
the intention being, presumably, in the inter- 
ests of peace, to exclude all that relates to 
the spiritual faculties as supernatural and 
beyond the scope of research. Some at least 
of the later academies wisely avoid such 
limitations and deal with all subjects that 
can be dealt with from the point of view 
of scholarship. The Smithsonian Institution, 
that remarkable gift from a son of the Old 
World to the sons of the New World, for the 
benefit of both hemispheres, was founded for 
the "increase and diffusion of knowledge 
among men." Is there a better definition of 
the function of the library? The ideal col- 
lection of books knows no limitations of sub- 
ject, but takes all knowledge for its prov- 
ince. It certainly does not exclude theology. 
A large library building would not hold all 
that has been written about the Bible alone. 
A small one might be filled with the printed 
material relating to Thomas a Kempis and his 
"Imitation of Christ." The "Poet at the 
breakfast table" supposed his neighbor to be 
an entomologist, but the man of science was 
too modest to claim that title. Often spoken 
of as a coleopterist, he was content to be a 
scarabeeist. "If I can prove myself worthy 
of that name," he said, "my highest ambition 
will be more than satisfied." Every specialist 
knows how great his own subject is, how ex- 



AXON. 



tensive its literature, how difficult, if not im- 
possible, to bring together all the facts and 
speculations of those who have preceded him 
in the investigation of the little corner of 
chaos that he is striving to reduce to cosmic 
order. 

If then the librarian could summon the 
Spirit of the Lamp to create the ideal li- 
brary, its main characteristic as a collection 
of books would be its universality. The ideal 
library may have stood in one of Eden's 
happy vales, and since then the children of 
Eve, and especially those of them who are 
librarians or book-lovers, have sighed for 
this lost paradise of thought and knowledge. 
Certain it is that since the fall of man the 
Bibliotheca Universalis has never taken ma- 
terial form, and as the years widen the circle 
of knowledge it recedes further and further 
into the land of dreams and the speed at 
which it retires increases, so it would seem, 
with each new generation. The first edition 
of the "Encyclopaedia Britannica" appeared 
in 1771 and filled three quarto volumes. In 
a century and a quarter the three have grown 
to thirty-six. It is a significant fact that this 
period wherein the boundaries of learning 
have been so widely enlarged is also the 
period in which libraries, great and small, 
have increased with marvellous rapidity. It 
used to be an article of undergraduate faith 
that the Bodleian contained a copy of every 
printed book, but no library now, not even 
the largest, dare claim completeness in every 
direction, and huge specialist libraries have 
been created. But happily there is a constant 
stream of literature in which this specialist 
learning, in a condensed and quintessential 
form, finds its way to the general library. 

The nearest approach to the ideal library is 
in the attempt to supply with generous lib- 
erality the literature of all lands and sub- 
jects, to be seen in the great national col- 
lections provided mainly at the cost of the 
state, though often enriched by the munifi- 
cence of individuals. The British Museum 
is the most familiar type of such an institu- 
tion and may probably, alike in extent and in 
freedom of access, claim the premier posi- 
tion. France might possibly in some respects 
challenge the claim, and other European na- 
tions are proud of their vast repositories of 



literary treasure. In the Library of Congress, 
America, though later in the race than some 
of her compeers, is with amazing energy 
building up a great national library, and, 
happily unfettered by conventions, is working 
with skill and individuality that ensures suc- 
cess. But, in the nature of things, the newer 
institutions are at a disadvantage. No mod- 
ern library can duplicate the treasures of the 
Vatican. Every great library rejoices in the 
possession of gems that are unique. Happily 
in these latter days the arts of exact and faith- 
ful reproduction have made it possible to have 
trustworthy facsimiles prepared. These simu- 
lacra can never have the interest of the 
originals, but they suffice for the purposes 
of scholarship and they have a further value 
as a precaution against the loss to learning 
that would follow from the accidental de- 
struction of the originals. It is much to be 
desired that all mss. of great importance 
should be facsimiled. In this direction we 
may commend the action of Italy in the 
magnificent publication of the mss. of her 
mighty son Leonardo da Vinci, who com- 
bined the talents of painter, poet, and engi- 
neer; whose well-stored mind seems to have 
contained all the learning of his generation, 
and whose prescient genius anticipated, in 
part, some of the great ideas of later gen- 
erations. 

There is another function of the National 
Libraries. Their catalogs, so far as they are 
printed, should form a standard of excellence 
and be an important contribution not only to 
the bibliography of the nation to which they 
belong, but also to that Universal Catalogue 
which haunts the dreams of students and li- 
brarians who in our time have taken such 
mighty strides towards this unattained ideal. 

When the first International Library Con- 
gress was held in London in 1877 I urged the 
printing of the British Museum Catalogue of 
Printed Books, which then filled two thou- 
sand volumes of manuscript and was esti- 
mated to contain three million entries. There 
were, of course, many other advocates of the 
printing scheme both earlier and later. The 
task was declared to be impossible of execu- 
tion. Yet it has been accomplished. The 
British Museum Catalogue of Printed Books 
is the best bibliography of English literature 



20 



INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS. 



and it is also the largest contribution that 
has ever been made tc the Universal Cata- 
logue. The publication of the British Museum 
Catalogue has facilitated research and has .sen- 
sibly raised the standard of accuracy. In spite 
of the general opinion that every man, and 
nearly every woman is able to drive a dog-cart, 
edit a newspaper, and make a catalog, the ac- 
curate description of books is not an easy 
art to be learned without apprenticeship or 
effort. The youngest of the national li- 
braries, if I may so style the Library of Con- 
gress, has made a novel and praiseworthy 
departure in the supply of printed catalog title 
slips to other libraries. This is one of several 
examples of economy by co-operation. 

The printed catalog of the British Museum 
is, as I have said, a mighty contribution to 
the Universal Catalogue.* Every library 
seems fully occupied with its own special 
work, but there awaits for some national 
library or international office the task, not 
indeed of completing, for in the nature of 
things it can never be complete, but of greatly 
advancing the preparation of the Universal 
Catalogue. This could be done by the simple 
process of reducing to cards the printed titles 
of the books in the British Museum, and of 
incorporating with them, as opportunity 
served, the "Catalogue of scientific papers," 
and such special bibliographical works as 
might be approved or be available. All these 
ought, in theory, to be editorially revised in 
accordance with a code of rules, and I know 
of none better than those of the British Mu- 
seum, which have the additional advantage of 
having served as the standard in the largest 
undertaking of the kind that the world has 
yet seen. And if absolute uniformity was 
not attained there would still be an immense 
advantage in the bringing together and ar- 
ranging of the multitude of references that 
could thus be made available for personal 
inspection or despatch through the post. What 
has been said refers to an alphabetical cata- 
log, but there are also many subject-entries 
awaiting consolidation. The labors of Poole 
and his continuators and imitators, British 
and foreign, and the excellent "Subject in- 
dex" of Mr. G. K. Fortescue should here be 
named. The Institut International de Bibliog- 

* Sec Dr. Richard Garnett's paper in The Library, 
1903. 



raphie announces that it has in its possession 
six and a half million of bibliographical ref- 
erences and that it is daily adding to its 
store. Millionaires who desire to advance 
literature and learning might find a useful 
employment for their money and energies in 
the task of facilitating rational efforts towards 
a general catalog of all literature. 

"If we think of it," says Carlyle, "all that a 
university, or final highest school can do for 
us, is still what the first school began doing 
teach us to read. We learn to read, in various 
languages, in various sciences; we learn the 
alphabet and letters of all manner of books. 
But the place where we are to get knowledge, 
even theoretic knowledge, is the books them- 
selves ! It depends on what we read, after all 
manner of professors have done their best for 
us. The true university of these days is a 
collection of books." 

In this illuminating passage is the justifica- 
tion for insisting that universality is the true 
note of the library. No science can prosper 
without its aid. He who would add to the 
sum of knowledge must as a preliminary 
learn what is already known. He who devises 
what he hopes is a new invention must in- 
vestigate, in fear and trembling, lest he has 
been anticipated. Even the mistakes of prede- 
cessors may be turned to account. The com- 
parison ' of discordant views may suggest 
omitted considerations that will bring them 
into fruitful harmony. There is happily no 
finality in science. 

Classification, even the most elaborate, use- 
ful and necessary as it is, can often only be 
approximate and that only in a rough and 
ready fashion. One book may serve several 
purposes and may be placed with equal prop- 
riety in more than one part of the library. 
. . . Knowledge is not an island but 
a continent, and however strictly defined 
the capital may be, each kingdom has vague 
borderlands where one science merges into 
another. Literature cannot be hemmed in by 
exclusive boundaries of nation or race. The 
arrogant Western world owes its most cher- 
ished book, the Bible, a volume of many books 
in one, to the East, to the patriarchs and 
prophets of a race that lives only in exile 
from its fatherland a race that wherever 
it may be, powerful or oppressed, wealthy or 
mendicant, turns in prayer to the Holy City 
that is the symbol of its faith and hope. 

It used to be said that an educated man 



AXON. 



21 



was one who knew something of everything 
and everything of something. With the ever- 
widening field of knowledge and observation, 
it is impossible that a man should know even 
something of everything, and even the most 
devoted specialist, however minute his spe- 
cialty may be, finds a difficulty in learning all 
that can be known of his subject. Thus 
arise opposite dangers of superficiality and 
narrowness. The library, whilst it should aid 
the researches of the specialist, should also 
help him to take broad views and to see even 
his own special work in its right proportion 
and true relation to other studies. To see 
things not in science but as a whole is not 
the easiest duty of the student, but it is real 
and essential. A great library impresses this 
thought on the mind. Are you an astrono- 
mer? Has it been yours to feel the awe 
and wonder when "a new planet swims into 
the ken?" Your science may have begun 
when Eve, on the night of the expulsion, 
saw shining above the lost Paradise a star of 
hope. Thousands of men have devoted their 
lives to your study since the days, thousands 
of years ago, of the shepherd star-gazers on 
the Babylonian plains. It has a rich and 
extensive literature, but in the greatest li- 
brary its hall is but one of many. Mr. 
Dewey allows it ten places out of a thousand 
in his Decimal classification. So it is with 
every other department of learning. I do 
not know of a more remarkable bibliography 
than that contained in Dr. J. S. Billings's 
"Index-catalogue of the Surgeon-General's 
Library" at Washington. Sixteen volumes of 
a first series, eight of a second series, and 
more to follow, all filled with titles of books 
and papers written on the healing art. Looking 
on this great effort, we are as ready as Socra- 
tes to pay tribute to .^isculapius. Yet Medi- 
cine, like Astronomy, is but one of the many 
departments of a great library. 

Universality is, as we have seen, an ideal 
impossible of realization. Not the less is 
completeness the watchword for every li- 
brary a rational effort to provide the best 
that is possible under the environing cir- 
cumstances. Every library, however small, 
may aim at completeness in some direction and 
every true microcosm is a contribution to the 
macrocosm. And the ideals of universality 
and completeness become nearer of fulfil- 



ment by that spirit of co-operation which is 
happily becoming more and more common 
amongst librarians and amongst the large and 
increasing class of persons who are engaged, 
to use the fine, Smithsonian phrase, in "the 
increase and diffusion of knowledge among 
men." Much has already been done but 
doubtless there are still many ways in which 
the relations of the library, the school, the 
university, and the individual student may be 
improved. - The possibilities of co-operation 
and serviceable help are practically illimitable. 
In the morning of life when the direction of 
the student's energies is still undetermined 
the resort to a library with its inviting pano- 
rama of human learning will often give the 
impulse to fruitful endeavor. Reverence as 
well as the desire for knowledge is inspired 
in generous minds by the sight of a great 
collection of books. Pope's words have often 
been quoted : 

"A little learning is a dangerous thing, 
Drink deep, or taste not the Pierian spring." 

The doctrine if not a fallacy is a half- 
truth at the best. A little learning has some 
dangers, but a little less learning has more, 
and no learning is the most dangerous of all. 
And the wider our knowledge grows the 
keener will be our sense of the limits of ac- 
quirement, our eagerness to profit by the 
labors of the students who have gone before, 
and the true humility of our desire to add 
to the sum of human knowledge or at least 
to make straight some part of the way of 
those who shall enlarge the boundaries of 
learning. 

The library has relation to life as well 
as to learning. It can aid us in acquiring 
the practical wisdom for the management of 
daily affairs, for the right relationship to 
our fellow-men. It can help us to modera- 
tion in prosperity, to humility in success, to 
courage in adversity - and to endurance and 
resignation in affliction. 

" 'There is no God,' the foolish saith, 
But none, 'There is no sorrow.' " 

How many sorrowing hearts have found 
consolation in the companionship of books! 
How tender are the accents of Plutarch, 
striving to allay the grief of his wife for the 
death of their beloved daughter ! How many 
have been strengthened by the words of those 



22 



IN TERN A TIONAL CONGRESS. 



who have been dust and ashes for centuries, 
men who belonged to an empire that has 
passed away, to a faith that has become ex- 
tinct, to a race alien to our own, but whose 
message still lives and has power for con- 
solation, for reproof and for inspiration. 
Literature can give us rest as well as in- 
spiration, nor is it only the great ones who 
are of service to us in the work of life. 
There are moments when the melody of the 
milkmaid's song is a better tonic than the 
pealing grandeur of a great cathedral's organ. 

Wise indeed was the ancient Egyptian 
monarch who placed over the door of a 
library an inscription signifying that it con- 
tained "the medicine of the mind." From lit- 
erature we may derive courage for the bat- 
tle, fortitude in defeat, wisdom in victory, 
and an anodyne for grief. What Shelley has 
said of the drama may well be given a wider 
application. "The highest moral purpose," 
he says, "aimed at in the highest species of 
the drama, is the teaching of the human heart, 
through its sympathies and antipathies, the 
knowledge of itself; in proportion to the 
possession of which knowledge every human 
being is wise, just, sincere, tolerant and 
kind." * This is what Arnold means when 
he describes culture as "a study of perfec- 
tion." This is that at which our schools, and 
colleges, and universities, and libraries, all 
the machinery, great and small, of education 
should aim. In proportion as this is attained 
are they successful and their existence justi- 
fied. No educational system has fulfilled its 
purpose that does not nourish the love of 
knowledge and the desire of righteousness. 

The library has its lessons for nations as 
for individuals. It is a perpetual symbol of 
the brotherhood of man. It knows no dis- 
tinction of Jew or Gentile, of bond or free, 
but welcomes genius from every quarter. 
The better part of Emerson the American, 
Homer the Greek, Kalidasa the Hindoo, Du- 
mas the French mulatto, Shakespeare the 
Englishman, Dante the Italian, Omar the 
Persian, Goethe the German, Tolstoy the 
Russian, stand on the shelves of the library 
to warn us against arrogating pre-eminence 
to our own people; to teach us that every 
nation may contribute to the common fund, 
and to lead us to hope that every race will 

* Preface to "The Cenci." 



bring some special gift to the common ser- 
vice of humanity. The American, newest 
born of time, with his self-reliant individual- 
ity, the ancient Greek with his sense of beauty, 
the Roman with his skill as lawgiver, the 
Japanese with his feeling for color, the Negro 
with his cheerful endurance, the Englishman 
with his power of association, the Hebrew 
with his deep religious instinct, are familiar 
instances of special gifts and aptitudes. These 
are mirrored in the literature and history 
of the races of mankind as we may read them 
in the halls of a great library. Each race 
may have its own ideal the French love 
equality, the English love liberty and the 
interaction of all these influences upon each 
other modifies the thought of the world and 
makes for the progress of mankind. 

The duty of the library in relation to learn- 
ing is to garner with sedulous care all the 
fruits of knowledge, to record what is known, 
and to provide material from which future 
knowledge may be wrought. The mission of 
the library to the individual is to place before 
him for his use and benefit all the knowledge 
and all the wisdom and all the inspiration that 
the ages have accumulated. The summons 
of Religion, the efforts of Philosophy, the 
warnings and incitements of the Moralist, 
the Historian's long record of endeavor, of 
failure, and of success, the varied wonders 
that the physical sciences have to reveal, 
the investigations of the geographer, the 
narratives of the traveller, the inventions of 
men for the comfort and ease of existence, 
the pictures of life drawn by the novelist and 
dramatist, the melody of the poet's song 
all these the library places before the in- 
dividual for delight, for instruction, and for 
guidance. The library has also its interna- 
tional mission. Paul's declaration that God 
"hath made of one blood all nations of men" 
finds its realization in the library to which 
East and West, and North and South, the 
Old World and the New have alike contrib- 
uted all those things they deem most precious 
and beautiful ; the holiest and wisest that they 
have been able to fashion and express. The 
library is the symbol of 

Truth, 

Knowledge and Duty, Virtue, Progress, Right, 
And Reason scattering hence delirious dreams." f 

t Victor Hugo, translated by Mathilde Blind. 



CONFERENCE OF LIBRARIANS. 



ST. LOUIS, MO. 
OCTOBER 17-22, 1904. 

ADDRESS OF THE PRESIDENT. 

BY HERBERT PUTNAM, Librarian of Congress. 



T N each of twenty-five years the American 
Library Association has met in Confer- 
ence. In twenty-three of these its meetings 
have been in place and program conventional ; 
the place such as the general convenience 
suggested, the program such as might bring 
helpful counsel to the practical problems of 
the time. In two of these years the meetings 
have taken notice of an occasion of general 
concern, which the Association deemed 
fraught with interest to libraries or to offer 
special opportunity for the promotion of the 
cause of libraries. The first was the Inter- 
national Exposition at Philadelphia, the sec- 
ond, the International Exposition at Chicago. 
Each was an occasion when a great commun- 
ity has stopped for a moment to consider its 
relations with the still greater community of 
the world at large; when the nations making 
for progress have paused, or perhaps not 
paused, in their effort to achieve new things 
in order to exhibit by example the things 
already done, and to compare these with the 
field still open. The present is a third such 
occasion of kin with the others in its main 
purpose, more significant than they in that it 
represents society a decade further advanced 
in the arts and sciences which it exhibits. Its 
interest for us individually is not strange, for 
as librarians we must be observers, if not stu- 
dents, of the general progress, and would but 
ill fulfill our function if our eyes were turned 
merely to the past. Its interest for us as a 
body is vital in that the institutions which we 
represent are themselves both a record of cul- 
ture and an appliance for cultivation. We 
may indeed clairg an interest for it, and a 
participation as of right, since a single col- 
lection of books is itself a standing exposition 
of what mankind has achieved to date, not 



in one art but in many; and a single library 
modern in structure, temper and purpose is as 
potent an instrument of production as any 
of those which we see performing their proud 
processes in Machinery Hall, albeit it acts 
not upon inanimate matter, but on animate 
man himself, and its process is not mechanical 
but rather chemical in t'he higher chemistry 
of the mind and the soul. 

On an occasion such as this, therefore, 
when the nations bring together the 'evidence 
of their accomplishment in material things, 
we cannot see omitted a statement as to that 
field not merely of accomplishment, but of 
Influence which is occupied by the public li- 
brary. It was inevitable that we should meet 
this year at St. Louis. And it was appropriate 
that our program should deal with those 
larger phases of the library movement and 
those questions of elemental economy, which 
at our ordinary conferences have to give way 
to discussion of practical detail ; and that we 
should seek to include upon it statements of 
the progress and problems in other countries 
than our own. 

The Exposition itself marks a centennial. 
It offers thus an appropriate opportunity for 
a review of the progress of the entire century 
just past. Such a review of libraries, a state- 
ment of the concepts fundamental to them, 
and an estimate of their place as institutions 
in organized society, and of library economy 
in a classification of the sciences, would have 
formed a theme for our program eminently 
fitting and worthy of our best expression. 
It has already, however, been anticipated. 
The Congress of Arts and Science, held her* 
a month ago, undertook precisely such a re- 
view, statement and estimate of all the sci- 
ences; and it included, in its appropriate 



ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. 



place, "the Library." It was the privilege of 
Mr. Axon and Dr. Biagi, under the sym- 
pathetic chairmanship of Mr. Crunden, to 
present this. Their addresses must be of 
high interest to all of us here. We should 
gladly have incorporated them in our own pro- 
gram;; but this was not consistent with the 
plan of the Congress, which refused to be 
disintegrated on our account. We cannot 
have the pleasure and instruction of hearing 
them ; but we must consider them before 
us.* They render superfluous a project to 
which without them we should have been 
tempted : a general presentation of the Li- 
brary in its recent development and present 
status; and leave us free to consider a few 
of the more particular fundamental problems, 
certain current tendencies, the characteristic 
development in certain regions and certain 
particular types. It is these which constitute 
our program. 

A review, had we attempted it, would in- 
clude our losses as well as our gains. In 
our institutions as such, and in the general 
movement, each year marks a net gain and a 
substantial one. So, too, we trust, in our 
profession. But in the latter almost every 
year notes the loss of members for whom a 
heavy deduction must be made. The past year 
has been no exception. Europe and America 
have each lost a librarian among the foremost 
in ability and service.f Not within the 
twelvemonth, but within the last calendar 
year, Europe lost also a second of its dis- 
tinguished librarians, compeer of the other. 
Of the latter Karl Dziatzko and his 
work we shall hope for some words of ap- 
preciation from Professor Dr. Pietschmann, 
who succeeded him as Director of the Li- 
brary at Gottingen. Of Charles Cutter we 
have most of us a nearer knowledge and priv- 
ilege of possession. At the very beginning 
of this meeting at the beginning of many 
a meeting hereafter the memory of him and 

* The addresses delivered before the Library Sec- 
tion of the International Congress, by courtesy of 
the authorities, are included in the present volume 
of Proceedings, as prefatory to the A. L. A. papers. 
(.See p. 3-22.) 

t Otto Hartwig, died Dec. 22, 1903; Charles Ammi 
Cutter, died Sept. 6, 1903. 



the sense of his absence will be prompt with 
us. The "patient fabricator" of Rules and 
Classification, the equally patient and patent 
character, the gentle, joyous, humorous com- 
panion, the keen, insistent, yet always toler- 
ant, because always modest, critic. He is the 
third of our most prominent members who 
have passed from us since the Exposition 
Conference of 1893. Poole, Winsor, Cutter: 
in this order they came into the public ser- 
vice, in this they left it. I would willingly 
devote my address to an appreciation of what 
they meant in the work which we have at 
heart. I would go back much further than 
1893 an d include the others who have taken, 
and should hold, honors in the promotion of 
this work. For a review of library progress 
would signify little which omitted the in- 
dividuals who have thought out the new 
thing to be done and convinced the com- 
munity into doing it. But a complete review 
of library progress amongst us during the 
nineteenth century would have to take note 
of too many persons still living. The time 
is not yet ripe for it May the day be distant 
when it can be undertaken without indel- 



icacy 



The formative influence of the individual 
librarian in library development has, I think, 
been more potent in America than abroad. 
This, not because our librarians have been of 
heroic dimension, but because of the peculiar 
conditions under which they worked in com- 
munities busy with other affairs deemed ur- 
gent, not professing expert knowledge in this 
one, and accustomed, having granted au- 
thority, to leave wide discretion to those en- 
trusted with the exercise of it. The initiative 
in 1849 was taken not by librarians, but by 
men of culture who felt the responsibility of 
culture. But each important step taken since 
that year has been upon the initiative of the 
librarians themselves. 

If, as has been remarked, "the reputation 
of a librarian is almost as fleeting as the 
more widely extended fame of an actor or 
singer," amongst us an exception would 
seem just of those American librarians of the 
latter half of the nineteenth century, who not 
merely administered but originated. Yet the 
remark was offered in an estimate of the 



PUTNAM. 



foremost of them Justin Winsor, who, it 
prophesied, would be "longer and better 
known" as a bibliographer and historian than 
as a librarian. 

Must we accept such a view? If so, need 
we be depressed by it? Panizzi, it suggests, 
will persist, because he left behind him the 
British Museum Reading Room; Maglia- 
becchi from his "knowledge of languages." 
Must a librarian's memory, to be lasting, be 
embodied in stone and mortar, or in some 
"unusual personal accomplishment?" There 
are really two lines of reputation involved : 
the one with his profession, the other with 
the world at large. The creator of scientific 
cataloging cannot be forgotten by librarians, 
though the name of Audiffredi convey noth- 
ing to the general public. The technical ap- 
paratus of a library does not interest the pub- 
lic as does technical achievement in some 
other fields. They regard it at best with 
tolerance ; but they too often incline to regard 
it as an impediment interposed between them 
and the object which to them is the "thing 
itself" the book. Dr. Garnett ranks Watts 
"as the most learned and the most widely 
informed librarian that the Museum and 
[Great Britain] ever possessed." Yet his 
name occurs in only one or two American 
cyclopaedias; and even in England I fancy 
that it would suggest rather a writer of 
hymns, or editor of a Dictionary of Chem- 
istry, or a painter of Love and Life, than 
a librarian. Indeed, I notice that a British 
cyclopaedia of great vogue and utility omits 
him entirely, although it accords space to the 
author of the "Bibliotheca Britannica." It 
is delightful to a librarian to know that his 
profession contains a Bradshaw the modest 
yet profound bibliographer, to whom books 
were "living organisms," each press to be 
looked upon as a genus, each book as a 
species; and to find among the "Lives of 
twelve good men" the exquisite face of the 
"Large-hearted librarian" Coxe. But the 
qualities which distinguished these, and have 
been typical of other librarians before the 
public, were rather adornments of their office 
than indispensable to its administration from 
the modern viewpoint. Of the librarians of 
France it is rather the men of letters De 



Sacy, Sandeau, Sainte-Beuve than Van 
Praet, whose names would be familiar. The 
librarians of Germany of greatest note 
Ritschl, Heyne, Lessing, Pertz, Hartwig, 
Dziatzko himself each achieved independent 
eminence as author, editor, or critic. We may 
well be complacent in their reputation as such, 
but whether we may appropriate it to our 
own profession is another matter. 

If in the past the fame of a librarian, to 
endure, must have been gained either for 
some unusual personal trait, or achievement 
in some outside field, in the future it is likely 
to be still more so, for the modern library 
is an elaborate organization, requiring in its 
chief rather the general administrator than the 
personal interpreter. The consummate admin- 
istrator is supposed to be he who renders 
the organization independent of himself. How, 
then, can his personality stand out distinct, 
or his mere name endure? He has put him- 
self into the institution. In proportion as it 
succeeds he becomes anonymous. Justin 
Winsor the historian and bibliographer, sur- 
vives in definite and tangible forms; Justin 
Winsor the administrator, has passed into the 
policies and methods of the two great libra- 
ries with which he was associated. 

Yet his work and the work of other of our 
librarians during the past fifty years has been 
so much a work not merely of particular 
administration, but of invention and of gen- 
eral stimulus that this period should be set 
apart for specific record. 

This Exposition marks, to be sure, not fifty 
years, but one hundred, not a semi-centennial, 
but a centennial. Within this hundred years 
have come about extraordinary contrasts in 
the activities with which we are concerned. 
The time never was since the landing of 
Columbus when books played an unimpor- 
tant part in the life of America. But libra- 
ries, general in scope and in privilege, were 
another matter. At the time of the Louisiana 
Purchase there were less than a hundred of 
them intended for popular use even in- 
cluding among these the libraries of limited 
availability. These few score contained in 
all perhaps 50,000 volumes. There are now 
in the United States nearly 10,000 libraries 
containing over 50,000,000 volumes. Our ter- 



26 



ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. 



ritory between Atlantic and Pacific has mul- 
tiplied four times, our population fifteen; but 
our libraries have multiplied one hundred 
times, and the number of books in them one 
thousand times. In 1803 no single library 
had more than 15,000 volumes. Now there 
are fifty-nine libraries containing over 300,000 
volumes each, and nearly two hundred con- 
taining more than 50,000 volumes each. 

These contrasts are impressive; but they 
do not state the case. The significant change 
is the change in type and species the in- 
stitution of a new type of organized service 
based on a new theory that libraries may 
and should be not merely responsive but 
affirmative. And the contrasts themselves 
are due almost exclusively to the latter half 
of the century. The first half produced little 
advance in dimension and practically none 
in characteristic and function. As late as 
1829, a senator from this state could express 
his mortification that "the people of the West" 
had "not a public library for which an ordi- 
nary scholar would not apologize." It is 
only from 1849 that the distinctive develop- 
ment dates. And it is only from the organ- 
ization of this Association in 1876 that the 
great activity dates. Dr. Garnett once told 
the British Association that not much effect 
upon the general course of things was to be 
hoped from the effort of that Association. 
"We are not," he remarked, "a body adapted 
for public agitation, nor can we be ; we have 
too little influence as individuals; as a cor- 
poration we are too dispersed; our general 
meetings are necesarily infrequent; we want 
organization and momentum." This was said 
a decade ago. The prospect may have im- 
proved since then. Certainly in the United 
States associated effort has effected much; 
and we have great confidence in it. We have 
had certain advantages in that, for the most 
part, we were working new materials, not 
recasting old; that our communities do not 
resent, but rather invite new notions; that 
they expect organization. There is no doubt 
about the "momentum." There is, to be sure, 
a peril from associated effort, which we may 
not have escaped. It has been described by 
one foreign observer as "the paralyzing hand 
of uniformity!" We may be forfeiting cer- 



tain qualities of value in tradition and use. 
And yet, looking back upon this half cen- 
tury, if we are not optimists, we may at least 
be meliorists. Our friends from abroad would 
not, we trust, blame us for this, even though 
the evidence which we find reassuring can be 
expressed chiefly in vulgar arithmetic. Be- 
lieve us, we do not set down as a final ac- 
complishment, a mere multiplication of books 
and buildings, or even of readers. What 
we do find reassuring is a progressive under- 
standing in the community at large as to 
what the public library means, and what is 
its efficient rdation with other forms of 
education and of culture. With this has not, 
apparently, diminished the enthusiasm which 
provides the material resources for the work. 
The work itself is empirical; but with this 
enthusiasm and appreciation we may hope 
to develop it until by test we shall have es- 
tablished the library in relations which shall 
be permanent. 

The visiting librarian may recognize that 
in some respects our problem is a peculiar 
one. Over an area of three million square 
miles we have to satisfy a population of 
eighty million people insatiable for culture, 
even though but partially expert in seeking 
or recognizing it. Every person of them is 
by right of birth or adoption entitled to an 
equal opportunity for it. We are not per- 
mitted to equip merely a certain group or 
class : our direct concern is with all, and each. 
The area is vast, the demand indefinite. We 
must have recourse to apparatus for the 
economies which apparatus can contrive. We 
must utilize other agencies for securing and 
controlling large portions of our constituency. 
We must even, in contravention of a prop- 
riety deemed professional, advertise our own 
utility. For our task is to spread not merely 
the knowledge of books, but the knowledge 
of the utility of books. In a democracy of 
equal liberty and equal opportunity, the edu- 
cation of the citizen is the safety of the state, 
and the duty of our libraries, as of our com- 
mon schools, is to let no guilty ignorance 
escape. 

If, with these obligations to affect all the 
people somewhat, our methods suffer the re- 
proach of "popularization," this may not mean 



PUTNAM. 



that we are oblivious of our obligation to 
affect certain people deeply. Our respect for 
the scholarship that is tranquil and profound 
still exists; and our admiration for those 
mighty collections abroad that serve it. We 
are trying ourselves to serve it; and, for its 
benefit, concurrently with the multiplication 
of libraries of the popular type, there are in 
process of accumulation at our universities, 
and in our larger cities, great and fast grow- 
ing collections for research, in whose admin- 
istration, under necessary business safeguards, 
tradition shall have its due, and sound bib- 
liographic learing shall control. Within the 
past month one such institution has been nota- 
bly enriched by a hand already friendly and 
devoted. Willard Fiske was one of the but 
seven honorary members of this Association. 
It must be a satisfaction to us that the dis- 
tinction accorded him for ardent and gen- 
erous scholarship has been so well confirmed 
by his final dispositions for the promotion 
of scholarship. Himself not merely a col- 
lector but a bibliographer, touching with en- 
thusiasm and accuracy points so distant as 
Iceland and Italy, he was yet an example to 
collectors in that he gathered but to give. 

These domestic reflections will be excused 
to us by our visitors as natural to an occa- 
sion which commemorates a domestic event 
of great significance. We should be sorry 
indeed to be supposed so absorbed in our 
own affairs as to be oblivious of those of other 
lands, or so complacent in the activities which 
are carried on in the United States as not 
to know that practically every one of them has 
its exemplar or even prototype abroad. This 
will sufficiently appear in the course of our 
present program. You are pleased occasion- 
ally to say that you study our libraries with 
profit; we study yours with admiration for 
many qualities which we cannot duplicate. 

Twice as an association we have taken part 
in a gathering of librarians oversea each 
time not merely welcomed contributors to the 
program, but recipients of profuse and de- 
lightful hospitality. We have been anxious 
to secure a return visit. We early sought to 
make this Conference, like the Exposition it- 
self, International ; and we invited to it dele- 



gates and contributions from all countries of 
the globe where libraries are active, not omit- 
ting those where they may be said to be dor- 
mant. Supplementing the invitation of our 
Library Association to other associations of 
librarians went invitations from our Gov- 
ernment to foreign governments. 

Many "were called." If fewer were 
"chosen" why, the choice did not lie with 
us. The present is still what Gladstone 
termed "an agitated and expectant age." It 
is an anxious time for the nations of the 
world. Political uncertainty, industrial un- 
certainty a possibility of substantial changes 
in the boundaries in each. It is not to books, 
or the other tranquil processes of education 
that men look in such crises. It is remarkable 
that at such a time the contributions to the 
Exposition itself have been so vast and so 
varied. That the representation at our Con- 
ference should be complete was not reason- 
ably to be expected. It is larger than we have 
secured at any previous meeting of our As- 
sociation, and it includes members of our 
profession known and honored wherever li- 
braries are known and respected. We wel- 
come you, gentlemen. You have traversed 
a vast and unaccustomed distance in order to 
be with us. You have left important and 
urgent interests. You have committed your- 
selves, your habits, and perhaps your con- 
victions, to unknown perils. We appreciate 
this, we are honored by it, we thank you, and 
we welcome you right heartily. You and we 
are in a fellowship which has scarce a parallel 
in any other profession, for we are handling 
an identical agent in the service of man an 
agent which knows no geographical limit, 
and no essential limit of race, or language, 
or time. We are seeking to promote the 
intercommunion of men; to advance the 
knowledge of, and thus respect for, antiquity, 
and the peoples beyond our gate. And in all 
this service we are free from the partiality 
of the apostle, and the narrowness of the 
pharisee. We stand for no particular system, 
we expound no particular doctrine; we let 
man speak for himself content in our ser- 
vice if we enable him to speak his best to 
auditors whom it will profit. 



28 



ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. 



SOME FEATURES OF RECENT LIBRARY PRACTICE IN' GREAT BRITAIN. 
BY HENRY BOND, Borough Librarian, Woolwich. 



T7VEN when writing on subjects not very 
abstruse it is desirable to begin with a 
definition of terms. In the title of this con- 
tribution, therefore, the word "recent" means 
roughly, and we think fittingly, the period 
between the last International Conference of 
Librarians held in London in 1897, and this 
conference, the St. Louis International, of 
1904. The term "library practice" must be 
understood to mean pure library practice, as 
distinct from what librarians generally are 
beginning to call "library extension work." 
This latter work includes lectures, reading 
circles, book exhibitions and the like; sub- 
jects which will, we hope, be dealt with at St. 
Louis by a representative of the Library As- 
sociation (British) in person. 

For purposes of review seven years is a 
time-honored cycle, and affords, we think, as 
appropriate and convenient a period for re- 
viewing library practice as does any other 
number of years. We purpose disposing of 
the subject given to us under six heads, and 
in the logical order named, as follows: (a; 
selection; (b) classification; .( c ) cataloging; 
(d) distribution; (e) privileges; (f) bulle- 
tins. 

Selection of books. Library practice has 
recently changed, and is still changing for the 
better in this matter. A serious attempt is 
now made by most librarians actually to 
select, not merely to collect books ; and to 
bring to bear upon the problem, too, not only 
their own best judgment, but to secure also 
the best outside and specialist knowledge 
available. With the increased output of lit- 
erature :t would be a great pity if there were 
not more care exercised in the choice of books 
than formerly. But there has been more care 
in this direction, and the recent progress has 
been sufficiently marked to be worthy of 
record. The main change for good is in the 
shifting of the ground of selection. Time 
was when popularity was the main considera- 
tion in selecting books for public libraries; 
time is when at least the chief if not yet the 



only standards of selection are merit and 
utility. This improvement, too, is made in 
the face of opposition. It often needs to be 
done unobtrusively, else the progress would 
be enfeebled by the awaking of antagonism. 
Disagreement with these sounder and more 
tenable principles of selection was voiced with 
some claim to authority quite recently. One of 
the principal newspapers of Newcastle-upon- 
Tyne, commenting on our annual conference 
which was held this year in that northern 
city, told us, in a leading article, that we, as 
librarians, took ourselves much too seriously, 
that we had little or nothing to do with edu- 
cation, and that our duty as public servants 
began and ended in providing the ubiquitous 
ratepayer with the books he wanted, and 
only the books he wanted. Unfortunately 
this spirit, which largely ruled in the past, 
is too much with us yet. The assertive rate- 
payer has his representatives on our govern- 
ing bodies, and, unfortunately, there are still 
many places without a majority of the mem- 
bers of the library authority sufficiently in 
sympathy with the higher needs of the com- 
munity to support the more advanced spirits 
in their attempt to provide what is good in 
preference to what is merely wanted and pop- 
ular; and largely wanted and popular be- 
cause better known. Not infrequently will a 
carefully selected list of books fail to get 
the necessary sanction of the governing body 
on the ground that the books are "too dry," 
"too heavy." Though disastrously effective, 
the accusation is not just; in many cases the 
good books proposed are not dry, and would 
even become popular if the opportunity were 
given for making them known. To have such 
a list condemned makes the aggressive and 
progressive librarian righteously rebellious in 
spirit; and sufficiently so to lead him to get 
into his library, by hook or by crook, some at 
least of his carefully chosen books. In so 
doing we incline to the belief that he hath 
chosen the better part. Sad to relate, too, 
there are still left not a few librarians who 



BOND. 



subscribe, much too freely and willingly, to 
the pernicious and illogical doctrine, that as 
the ratepayer pays the piper he should also 
call the tune; but the dodo is extinct, and 
there are hopes that this class of librarian will 
shortly follow the dodo's excellent example. 
Why this doctrine should be more justly ap- 
plied to libraries than to other departments of 
educational and municipal work is beyond us 
to imagine. By all means, if we can avoid 
displeasing the ratepayer and also achieve 
cur end, let us allow him to think he calls 
the tune, but let us look out quietly for oppor- 
tunities, and we shall find many, for at least 
raising the tune to a higher key. 

We spoke of the assertive ratepayer, and 
we did so advisedly, for our inspiration for 
continuing to select as well as we know how, 
our justification for fighting in the past for 
a higher standard of selection, for other pre- 
dominating motives than popularity, lies in 
the conviction that the assertive, blatant voice 
is not the true voice of the people. Those 
who plead for the supply, ad nauseam, of 
popular books only, are not truly voicing the 
wishes of the community, but ignorantly or 
wilfully are misinterpreting that voice. At 
heart, we believe, the people want, for the 
most part, what is best, and even if they do 
not, we are, despite contrary opinion, con- 
cerned with education; it is our privilege and 
duty to do what we can to educate ourselves 
and the public to know and to appreciate what 
is best in literature. 

Though there is still too much haphaz- 
ard work, book selection is decidedly on the 
up-grade, for most English librarians now lit- 
erally accept the American motto "The best 
reading for the largest number." The quota- 
tion need not be concluded, for "at the least 
cost" is an absolutely necessary condition of 
our English work so rigid is the economy 
in which we are all schooled. That the ques- 
tion of selection is exercising our minds is 
incidentally proven by the fact that we are 
beginning seriously to question the value of 
the newsroom. Because the limited rate is, 
unfortunately, still with us, we are beginning 
to think further of book selection by asking 
if we cannot dispense with our newsrooms, 
and so set free a larger part of our income 
for the purchase of more and better books. 
Legislative power to secure increased rating 



for library purposes is sorely needed, but this 
question, and our efforts to obtain such power, 
will doubtless be discussed in the paper on 
"Library legislation in Great Britain" sub- 
mitted to this Congress. From the outset 
newsrooms in Great Britain have formed, 
contrary to the practice of America, an in- 
tegral part of the public library, and no one 
until recently has seriously questioned their 
desirability. Though the disappearance of 
the newsroom from our libraries is viewed 
with apprehension by some, and though we 
cannot yet announce it as a recent feature of 
library practice, we are fairly safe in predict- 
ing that at the close of the next period of 
seven years not a few libraries, probably 
small branch libraries in particular, will be 
found without this department, hitherto con- 
sidered essential. 

Before leaving the question of book selec- 
tion we would emphasize the lack of aids for 
this work. The librarian who undertakes to 
build up a library of even 10,000 best books, 
and does the work conscientiously through- 
out, essays a formidable task. Sonnenschein's 
two books form a working basis for selection, 
but their great fault for this purpose is that 
they are not sufficiently "select," and conse- 
quently in some directions are too exhaustive ; 
moreover the supplement, "Contemporary 
literature," is now nearly ten years old. A 
great desideratum with us, and probably 
with you, is a series of model catalogs, or 
rather model collections on paper, models 
that is, of selection rather than of compila- 
tion; and a series, in classes, so as to facili- 
tate frequent revision. To begin with it would 
be sufficient if the whole series were to in- 
clude 10,000 works. Such lists of the 10,000 
"best books" would be of much greater value 
to librarians than the "Hundred best books" 
is to the general reader, and especially to 
those in charge of the smaller libraries which, 
largely owing to the impetus given by Mr. Car- 
negie, are just now springing up almost every 
week in some part or other of the country; 
often, alas, to be organized and conducted by 
untrained librarians. When the Library As- 
sociation (British) has command of larger 
funds it would probably undertake, inter alia, 
this desirable work. It should not be under- 
taken entirely, perhaps not even chiefly, by 
librarians themselves, but they should obtain 



ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. 



help from various specialists in each subject. 
Librarians and bookmen, the terms are not 
necessarily synonymous, should then co-oper- 
ate to edit this series of model lists of books ; 
editing would be needed not a little in order 
to adjust the differences of the specialists. 
To make possible such a work as this in 
Great Britain, and for the purpose of en- 
hancing the value of the good work he has 
already done and is continuing to do, Mr. 
Carnegie might very wisely, we think, give 
his serious consideration to the question of 
providing the Library Association with an 
endowment to enable it to undertake this, as 
well as much other good work which calls 
equally loudly for execution. America has 
been able to do some fine work somewhat in 
this direction, and we venture to hope that a 
part of the work of the American Library 
Association in connection with the St. Louis 
Congress will be to prepare a revised or ex- 
tended edition of the 1893 catalog of 5,000 
volumes shown at the Columbian Exposition; 
a work which is still, though published over 
a decade ago, and notwithstanding its Amer- 
ican tone, one of our most valued aids to book 
selection. 

Classification. Taking into consideration 
the increased number of libraries in Great 
Britain, development in the matter of system- 
atic classification during the last septennate 
has not been at all extensive, except perhaps 
in our reference libraries, which in the lar- 
ger number of cases are now more or less 
closely classified, or in process of being so 
arranged. About the time of the last In- 
ternational Conference there was a more ex- 
tensive interest than ever before in the 
Dewey Decimal classification, but this in- 
terest has hardly been proportionately sus- 
tained as the years have gone by. Notwith- 
standing this, among the libraries which have 
a definite system of classification no system 
has been so generally adopted as the Dew?y 
system. Of course it has been modified by 
many librarians to suit the needs, or the 
imagined needs, of their particular libraries. 
Many other librarians have found Dewey, 
with its index, an invaluable aid to classifica- 
tion whatever be their system, or even lack 
of system; for of the libraries not closely 
classified all but a few are arranged in ten 
or more main classes, and in this connection 



Dewey is not infrequently consulted and ap- 
preciated. The Cutter Expansive classification 
has a few very ardent admirers in this coun- 
try who prefer it to any other system, but its 
unfinished state has greatly militated against 
its adoption, even against its due considera- 
tion. Despite the serious loss to librarianship 
in the passing of Mr. Cutter, it is sincerely 
hoped that the complete system will shortly 
be published, and so afford the opportunity 
of adequate consideration touching its ser- 
viceability, as well as of comparison with other 
systems. Not only is a completed Cutter de- 
sired, but an English edition of Dewey is 
probably a wider felt desideratum. By an 
English edition we mean one with less am- 
plitude on American topics, and more on 
English ones ; in a word, an edition without 
American bias, or even without bias at all if 
that be possible. A less ambitious and less 
exhaustive scheme than Dewey or Cutter, 
Brown's "Adjustable classification," has been 
published during the period here reviewed, 
but this, too, has not been at all freely 
adopted. 

In looking for causes we find that the main 
reason why systematic or close classification 
makes such little progress, especially in lend- 
ing libraries, for this is where the want is 
most acute, is because the Cotgreave record- 
ing indicator is still held in high regard as 
a method of issue by the majority of British 
librarians, and is much more frequently 
adopted by new libraries than any other sys- 
tem. To our eloquent, but now less per- 
sistent, English advocates of open access 
these statements may not be very acceptable, 
but on an occasion like this facts, where 
possible, should be recorded as well as opin- 
ions, and it is undoubtedly a fact, for good 
or evil, that the indicator still reigns supreme 
in British libraries. For classification's sake 
it is a pity that it is so ; but it is so and thus 
classification suffers. And this is because no 
satisfactory method, one which is not too in- 
volved or too cumbersome, has yet been de- 
vised, and may never be because never much 
wanted, whereby the indicator may be worked 
in conjunction with close classification on the 
shelves. Elasticity, and latitude on the 
shelves, is an essential part of any satisfac- 
tory scheme of close classification, and of 
elasticity the ordinary indicator has none. 



BOND. 



3 1 



We fear, therefore, that it must be left to the 
writer for the next International Conference 
to record much progress in the systematic 
classification of our lending libraries, and if 
the indicator continues to be esteemed for 
some time to come, which seems likely, that 
record would still be premature unless the 
coming of the next International Conference 
be unduly delayed a calamity which is not 
to be hoped for, even though it were to bring 
with it the desired opportunity of reporting 
improvement in the backward condition of. 
classification, especially in the lending depart- 
ments of British libraries. With the growth 
of the desire for close classification would 
come the waning of the indicator; with the 
waning of the indicator would come close 
classification. The indicator, of course, would 
try to adjust itself to the new conditions, but 
we think that its attempt at adjustability 
would be the beginning of its disfavor. That 
disaffection, however, is not likely to assert 
itself soon, except by a rapid growth in favor 
of open access, of which more in a later por- 
tion of this paper. 

Cataloging. In the question of cataloging 
the points of recent practice which call for 
remark are the revival of the classified cata- 
log, more often in the form of class lists, and 
the introduction, practically, of annotation; 
a not unnatural sequel to the revival of the 
class list. As in the case of classification, the 
sudden growth of a few years ago in favor of 
this form of catalog has not been propor- 
tionately maintained, and of new catalogs 
published more than half are still in the dic- 
tionary form. But though the classified cata- 
log has flagged somewhat since the active 
period of its resuscitation, it has left its 
mark for good on its strong rival the dic- 
tionary catalog. The revival of the catalog 
raisonne has led to a more reasoned arrange- 
ment also in its competitor. The dictionary 
catalog, probably because it held the field for 
a while, and thus was largely without the de- 
sirable competition of the classified catalog, 
had a tendency to rest in its development as 
though it had already attained perfection. 
Since that revival, the dictionary catalog has 
been pressed nearer to the mark of perfec- 
tion by having fewer, and consequently larger, 
subject headings, and these arranged in a 
more systematic (broadly classified) form 



than previously, as well as connected more 
fully and logically by the cross references. 

Class lists have been much appreciated in 
many quarters because of the better opportun- 
ities they afford of spreading the cost of 
printing over a number of years, and conse- 
quently of facilitating more frequent revision 
and the inclusion of annotations. 

The master catalog, that is one combined 
catalog of all the libraries in a particular 
district, is beginning to engage our attention, 
but has not yet been issued on any large scale ; 
experiments being largely confined to the card 
form of catalog. The printed master catalog 
is one of the many things rendered almost 
impossible, under existing conditions in this 
country, on the ground of cost of produc- 
tion. Not only would the printer's bill swell 
unduly, but our income can rarely afford suf- 
ficient staff to cope effectively with such large 
undertakings. 

In the matter of annotations there is a 
very sharp division of opinion amongst Brit- 
ish librarians as to whether the annotations 
should be critical or not, and in this con- 
nection Baker's "Guide to the best fiction," a 
courageous and invaluable piece of work, 
much esteemed in America we believe, has 
been criticised adversely by many here. We 
understand there is the same conflict of 
opinion in America, but with you we be- 
lieve the majority are prepared to stand for 
criticism or evaluation; with us the greater 
number appear, for the moment, to be against. 
We think, however, that this is largely owing 
to the newness qf the subject, and to the fact 
that the argumentative excitement which 
often gathers round a fresh controversial 
topic has prevented the opposition camps 
from fully understanding each other. When 
we come to debate the subject more fully 
and with less heat our differences will begin 
to disappear. It will then be seen that most 
of us who plead for criticism, in addition to 
descriptive annotation merely, do not wish 
the said criticism to be done by every libra- 
rian on his own account, whether qualified or 
not, and do not even wish it to be done, of 
necessity, by librarians at all. To a large ex- 
tent it is probably desirable that the de- 
scriptive portion of the annotation should be 
done at present by the librarian, in conjunc- 
tion with such of his trustworthy readers as 



ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. 



he can secure for the work. But only this 
until the full annotation, descriptive and crit- 
ical, is done by co-operation and thus made 
available for all. For the high calling of critic 
we, who advocate evaluation, realize that few 
are fitted. We plead for sound, informed 
criticism, and this means, it need hardly be 
said, that it must not be the original work of 
the librarian in every case, in fact in very 
few cases indeed. The evident duty of the 
vast majority of librarians in the matter of 
criticism is to reflect or reproduce the best he 
can find. Though few, there undoubtedly 
have been great critics of unimpeachable au- 
thority, and there are literary models and 
standards of undeniable excellence with which 
it is helpful and absolutely safe for the in- 
formed critic to institute comparison. It is, 
too, a good exercise, even if not very fruitful 
in result for others, for any reader to attempt 
comparison with our literary masterpieces. 
We deem it desirable to make these state- 
ments because they have been seriously dis- 
puted by the supporters of purely descriptive 
annotation in their attempt to support the 
thesis that criticism is opinion merely a the- 
sis which will hardly be maintained, we think, 
after more mature deliberation. We cannot 
escape from evaluation; we evaluate when we 
prepare our book lists, we evaluate when we 
select from our stock for the guidance of our 
readers, and in other ways. Why not, there- 
fore, print a carefully prepared evaluation, 
our own or another's, for the general good? 
It is true that one or two of our number 
ask, "Why not every librarian his own 
critic?" but between this extreme view and 
the other extreme of those who call for "de- 
scription only" is the method we have in- 
dicated; which is, we think, the true via 
media wherein lies excellence. Although we 
have here expressed the view that critical 
evaluation is desirable, we freely admit that 
the descriptive portion should be the greater, 
even as it is the more important part of an- 
notation. But let us also distinguish between 
the good and the inferior in literature, as 
such, between the good and the best, between 
even the best and the second best, if we have 
or can secure the necessary information for 
so doing. 

Distribution of books. As indicated in a 
previous section of this paper, the method of 



issue yet most in vogue in the lending depart- 
ments of our libraries is the indicator, or 
else one or other of the more primitive and 
less scientific methods, with ledgers and che 
like, which still obtain in our smaller libra- 
ries. In this conservative England of ours, 
both librarians and public alike take slowly 
to innovations ; and such, in its present form 
at least, is the "open access" system intro- 
duced into England now about ten years ago. 
Though it has made some progress recently, 
in being adopted for lending purposes in 
the smaller libraries mainly and in being, 
considerably adopted in reference libraries, 
it has not yet appealed with any great 
force to the popular mind and imagina- 
tion. Even the majority of our reference li- 
braries are still "closed" libraries, and this 
in face of the fact that many of them were 
"open," having all books directly available 
for all readers, before the coming of "open 
access," by that name, to this country. Prior 
to the advent of the new system reference 
libraries were often "open" as a matter of 
course, and no one was astonished at the fact. 
But despite our conservatism, and the 
consequently slow growth of "open access," 
many of us feel that it is a progressive 
movement which will ultimately, but not 
soon, predominate, and this because it is 
in keeping with the general desire for greater 
freedom, in harmony with the almost uni- 
versal Zeitgeist. We gladly accept it as an 
ideal that the people should come into direct 
touch with their books. Such time is coming, 
so also is the time when people shall so ap- 
preciate and love the treasures provided, as 
well as know how best to use them, that the 
books will be quite safe in their hands, safe 
from risk of being purloined, safe from ir- 
reverent use of any kind; but the time of all 
these things is not yet. It is not sufficient 
for its ultimate success to call the system 
"safe-guarded open access," the variety here 
advocated, as therein lies a fundamental ob- 
jection to it, and the term "safe-guarded" 
would, we think, be better dropped. Many of 
us cannot yet bring ourselves to look quite 
kindly upon a method which, contrary to that 
spirit of liberty which is an inherent part of 
the system, treats all borrowers with at least 
some suspicion, or else runs the risk of 
greater losses; and these are far from in- 



BOND. 



33 



considerable, more especially if the reports 
which reach us from your own great coun- 
try are reliable. To put more explicitly a 
further reason already suggested why some 
do not freely accept the "open access" system, 
it may be said that such is their faith in the 
possibilities of the development of the cata- 
log that they hold it better for many readers, 
the untrained reader especially, to be armed 
with the catalog that is to be, if not yet, than 
to have untrammelled access to the shelves ; 
better for them even than to have such a 
catalog plus the free access. When, however, 
"open access" is definitely proven to be a 
greater aid to readers than are the possibil- 
ities of our prevailing system, or when on the 
part of the public a great demand for it 
arises, it will be much more freely adopted; 
and the greater risk of losses, as well as the 
greater wear and tear, both of which are un- 
questionably inevitable with the system, will 
be willingly accepted. 

Privileges to Readers. Recent advances 
both in the removal of disabilities and in the 
provision of greater facilities for readers 
have been made, and are certainly worthy of 
record as they have tended to popularize th~ 
libraries. It will suffice if they are mentioned 
without dealing with them at length. One is 
the removal of restrictions touching the en- 
rollment of borrowers, who, in most lending 
libraries may now be registered, if ratepayers, 
on their own responsibility; and if not rate- 
payers, by obtaining one guarantor, whereas 
two signatures were generally required a few 
years ago. Another is trie reduction of the 
scale of fines for the over-detention of books ; 
yet another, the extension of the time-limit 
for reading. The chief development in the way 
of facilities is in the issue of second or even 
third tickets to one borrower. These are called 
by various names non-fictional tickets, stu- 
dents' tickets, music tickets, etc. and the 
names indicate with sufficient clearness their 
object. The borrowing power of these extra 
tickets is more limited in some cases than in 
others; and most of the libraries which have 
adopted the supplementary ticket system limit 
to two the number which one person may have. 
A few libraries, however, allow a borrower to 
have out at the same time a novel, a non-fic- 
tional work, and a work of music. Almost in- 



variably the second ticket, by whatsoever 
name it is called, is available for any non- 
fictional work. The mention of a special 
music ticket leads us to call attention to the 
fact that the idea of providing operas, ora- 
torios and other musical scores in lending 
libraries has grown very considerably during 
recent years. This supply, which is widely 
appreciated, has created a greater demand 
for music and often leads people to make use 
of our libraries for the first time; on which 
grounds alone the movement is amply 
justified. 

Bulletins. Probably the most remark- 
able and most widespread development since 
the last International Conference has been 
in the issue of bulletins. These library 
magazines are now very general, are va- 
riously named, and are usually issued either 
monthly or quarterly. The bulletin has 
"caught on," and largely because prior to 
its inception many English librarians were, 
with some measure of success, doing some- 
what similar work through the medium 
of the local press. This work, however, is 
more easily and better done by the bulletin. 
It has come as a great boon to reader and li- 
brarian alike ; especially to those places, which 
are not few, where local editors could not be 
aroused to sufficient interest in library 
work to give free space in their papers even 
for lists of new books. The bulletin, how- 
ever, is a distinct advance on the use of the 
local press, however sympathetic in some 
places the press may be. To have its own 
bulletin is to give a library a fresh lease of 
life, and with that life to touch the life of the 
reading and even the non-reading public at 
many points. This has been amply demon- 
strated here, and in a way which more than 
justifies the existence of the bulletin. That 
the bulletin is used so extensively, and with 
such good effect, is proof that the progressive 
spirit is with us ; and may it ever remain. 
The readiness to use the bulletin may be 
taken as a hopeful sign that our English con- 
servatism is not so deeply rooted as to pre- 
vent us from taking up with equal readiness 
all other movements which we see have power 
for good in them. For these forces may we 
have a keen vision, and then, for the com- 
mon good, work them for all they are worth. 



34 



ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. 



LIBRARY EXTENSION WORK IN GREAT BRITAIN. 



BY L. STANLEY JAST, Chief Librarian, Croydon Public Libraries. 



*T*HE term library extension is not per- 
haps a very clear one, but by it is meant 
in this paper all those activities of the library 
which spring from an extension or enlarge- 
ment of our idea of what we may term in the 
strict and traditional sense the library "field." 
The issue, classification, and cataloging of 
books are obviously part of the essential work 
of a library; wherever we draw the limits of 
the library "field" we must at least include 
these ; what we call extension work lies outside 
them, much of it becoming germane to the 
library only as we enlarge or modify our con- 
ceptions of the functions of a library ; we may 
perhaps regard the latter activities as linking 
the "field" of the library with the "fields" of 
other organizations, into which they may 
shade off or actually overlap. The subject is 
an interesting one; in itself, because the li- 
brary "field," and our notions of what it ought 
to include, are growing apace; interesting to 
you, because there are some differences be- 
tween "extension" work among British and 
among American libraries, though it may be 
rather a difference of "emphasis" than of 
method. 

Undoubtedly the most prominent item in 
library extension work in Great Britain is 
the lecture. The value of the lecture, as an 
advertisement of the contents of the library, 
has long been recognized. There are no more 
admirable models of what such lectures 
should be than the lectures on the books in 
the reference department of the Birmingham 
Public Library, issued together in a volume 
in 1885. But as always happens in the case of 
an advanced idea born into conditions not 
quite ready for it, the example of Birmingham 
was not followed, at all events to any extent, 
elsewhere ; and it is only recently that the lec- 
ture has become a regular department of the 
work of many public libraries. Even now it 
is by no means general; in 1001 only one- 
seventh of the public libraries in the United 
Kingdom had lectures. 



One reason for this is no doubt the lack of 
lecture room accommodation in the older, and 
even, it is regrettable to say, in some of the 
newer buildings. But that this is not prohib- 
itive of this kind of effort is shown by the in- 
genious system of what Mr. Potter Briscoe 
calls "half-hour talks," which he introduced 
into the Nottingham Public Libraries in 1890. 
The half-hour talk is a short address of 
thirty or forty minutes' duration, by some 
local speaker, on some book, subject or writer, 
delivered in the reading room, The only pre- 
liminary preparation made is to gather the 
magazines from the tables a few minutes 
before the address is given. At Nottingham 
a series of these talks is arranged every win- 
ter in the twelve branch reading rooms of the 
city, two in each branch; they are advertised 
by window bills distributed in each locality. 
The obvious objection to the place of the talk 
is the interference with the frequenters of the 
news or magazine room, who come to use 
the room for its legitimate purpose, the read- 
ing of papers. The reply to this is that in the 
first place there can be no real hardship in 
engaging the room occasionally for a brief 
period at an advertised hour; and in the 
second place that if the talks do good, and 
help forward the general usefulness of the 
library, the possible grumbles of one or two 
habitues of the paper or the magazine may 
well be disregarded. When I myself copied 
Mr. Briscoe, and instituted talks at Peter- 
borough, we left the magazines in position on 
the tables, so that anyone who pleased could 
read instead of listening to the talker if 
he was able. As a matter of fact it was quite 
an exception for any one to try. The half- 
hour talk on these lines has the great ad- 
vantage that it is within the scope of the 
humblest library, with even an advantage over 
the lecture in a special room, in that it cap- 
tures many whom the lecture room never sees. 

I am disposed to accord to the library lec- 
ture more value than to any other extension 



JAST. 



35 



activity if it is the proper kind of library 
lecture. The "if," however, is vital. The 
ordinary popular lecture, hung very often 
round lantern slides, can hardly be regarded 
as possessing any serious educational value 
whatever. Nor is the merely informative lec- 
ture exactly the kind in which the library may 
best specialize. In most towns there are 
other organizations which provide these; and 
as a general principle, I would say that it is 
best for the library to avoid all unnecessary 
overlapping and competition with other bod- 
ies and institutions, and at all events, to 
efficiently occupy what is clearly its special 
field first, before attempting to cover wider 
and more debatable ground. The object of 
the library lecture should be to bring the 
books in the library, their nature and contents, 
to the notice of possible readers, with a con- 
stant view to the best reading in the best 
way. This being so, somewhere in the lec- 
ture the attention of the audience should be 
drawn to the books which illustrate the sub- 
ject dealt with if the books themselves 
are not the subject and lists should be pre- 
pared in connection with each lecture, which 
may be conveniently printed as a part of a 
hand syllabus. 

The abuse of the lantern slide must not 
of course lead us to neglect so valuable and 
sometimes essential ally of the lecturer. The 
writers of the papers presented to this con- 
gress are, I understand, expected to indicate 
tendencies as well as to describe things as 
they are. As far then as the lantern is con- 
cerned the tendency will, I think, be to make 
more use of it, but to use it in rather a special 
way. The possibilities of the lantern in con- 
nection with library expository work are 
scarcely perceived as yet. It would take me 
too long, and be out of place in this paper, 
to enlarge on the subject; but to illustrate 
the adaptability of the slide to the particular 
purpose suggested, I will mention the subjects 
of some slides prepared for the lecture on 
encyclopaedias and dictionaries, dealing with 
and contrasting, as regards plan and utility 
for special purposes, the "Encyclopaedia Brit- 
annica" and "Chambers's encyclopaedia." It 
was explained that the "Britannica" was com- 
piled on what might be termed the large unit 
plan, and if, e. g., one looked for ecliptic, one 



would find it under astronomy; whereas in 
"Chambers's," compiled on the small unit 
plan, one would find it under ecliptic; and a 
slide was thrown on the screen of the refer- 
ences given at the end of the article astron- 
omy in "Chambers's" to the specific heads 
under which other articles would be found, 
e. g., aberration of light, acceleration, altazi- 
muth, and so on. The importance of using 
the index of the "Britannica," if information 
was not to be missed, was driven home by 
two slides of the entries in the index under 
Ballads, showing that Ballads were treated of 
or referred to under seven other heads beside 
the head Ballads. One of the differences be- 
tween the first and last editions of the 
"Britannica'' was indicated by first throwing 
on the screen part of the list of authorities 
upon which the first edition was compiled, 
containing in all some one hundred and thirty 
works; and then the authorities quoted in the 
last edition at the end of the article on allot- 
ments; there are eight, about one-sixteenth 
of what sufficed for the whole encyclopaedia 
in 1771 ; thus not only pointing an instructive 
contrast, but drawing attention to the value 
of the encyclopaedia as a collection of bibli- 
ographies. On these lines the lantern slide is 
capable of illustrating the contents, plan, 
treatment, and use of books of all -kinds, ref- 
erence and other, and supplementing in an 
attractive way lectures which, from their sub- 
ject-matter, would repel the ordinary person. 
A new development, complementary to the 
lecture, is the library reading. It is based 
upon the idea that just as you can popularize 
books by talking about them, so you can at- 
tain the same end by reading from them. 
Such readings may be all from a single work 
or from a number of works on a single sub- 
ject or by a single author. The difficulty we 
have, and which all library extension work 
is designed to overcome, is to convince the 
"average reader" that in the pages of many 
books he never dreams of looking at, hidden 
by colorless or dulness-suggesting titles, is 
matter at worst less dreary than much he 
concientiously ploughs through in the name 
of "light literature," and at best matter which 
even he will find fascinating. The readings 
are designed to do this by means of extracts 
samplings of the dishes he is invited to 



ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. 



partake of. Scrappy they are in the nature 
of the case, but they are saved from mere 
scrappiness by general unity of subject and 
by the way in which the extracts may be pre- 
sented so as to illustrate some specific 
idea. 

Again to avoid unduly lengthening this pa- 
per, I will leave this part of my subject, upon 
which a good deal might be said to make the 
adaptability of the readings clear, with an ex- 
ample of a reading applied to what might be 
deemed a rather intractable topic, viz., Vol- 
canoes. The object, besides that of introduc- 
ing a number of books, was to show the gen- 
esis and development of a scientific theory. 
The first extract read was from Judd's 
"Volcanoes," defining a volcano and giving an 
account of the ideas of the Greeks upon the 
subject. These were further illustrated by 
readings from the two Plinys. The middle 
ages were represented by Pietro Toledo, who 
described the elevation of Monte Nuovo in a 
single night in 1538. Sir William Hamilton's 
account of an eruption of Vesuvius in 1767 
was next laid under contribution. These au- 
thors were followed by extracts from EH6 
de Beaumont, describing his theory of the 
formation of craters by elevation from be- 
neath ; and from Scrope, who in dealing with 
the volcanoes of Central France explained 
their formation by deposition round a central 
vent. Dana, on Hawaiian volcanoes, was 
read; and the modern views were represented 
by Judd and Bonney; the readings being 
brought to a conclusion by extracts from 
Anderson and Flett, and Heilprin, on the 
recent eruption of Mont Pelee. Dr. Skeats, 
who gave the reading, connected the ex- 
tracts by the necessary thread of commentary 
and explanation. How readings may illus- 
trate literature is obvious, but the foregoing 
example may show that the library reading, 
no less than the lecture and the talk, is cap- 
able of illustrating and directing attention to 
works of science, history, and almost any 
other subject, and in an equally interesting 
and possibly even in as informative a manner. 
Good lecturers, especially from the library 
point of view, may not be plentiful ; but there 
is hardly any community without acceptable 
readers, and every library has on its shelves 
the material for an endless series of such 
readings. Experience must prove what their 



value really is for our purpose; but to me 
they seem a promising development. 

The study of sources, of the bibliography 
of a subject, is beginning to be recognized as 
a part of all serious work upon it. When this 
is fully recognized, when practical bibliog- 
raphy takes its place in the curriculum of 
the schools, then indeed will our public refer- 
ence libraries come into their own. At pres- 
ent in England, as was admitted by Professor 
Mark Wright, Professor of Education at 
Durham College of Science, in an admirable 
paper on the place of reference libraries in 
our educational system, read at a recent 
meeting of our association at Newcastle, the 
text-book is supreme, and the student has 
neither encouragement nor leisure to engage 
in individual research. Every librarian must 
share his hope that this will not always be 
so. An interesting object lesson in the intel- 
ligent utilization for educational purposes of 
a great reference library was given recently 
by Dr. Emil Reich, who took a class of 
University Extension students to the British 
Museum, and inviting any person to put any 
question to him, showed how the information 
required could be tracked down by consult- 
ing the proper bibliographies and books of 
reference. Practical demonstrations on these 
lines to classes, societies, etc., should be a part 
of the regular work of every public reference 
library. Something has already been done n 
this direction. Cardiff, for example, has 
made a point of receiving various local trade 
and other societies and clubs at the reference 
library, and showing to each the books on 
the topic with which it is specially concerned. 
But such work, to be done well, means not 
only books, but a qualified staff and adequate 
accommodation for the reception of parties. 
Very few of our municipal reference libraries 
are satisfactorily equipped in all these partic- 
ulars. To take the question of accommoda- 
tion alone, the provision of study rooms is an 
almost unknown thing in British library 
buildings. The conception of the reference 
library as a great workshop, a literary labor- 
atory, in which the student, the technical 
worker, the professional man, in short, every 
one in search of information shall find every 
possible facility for consultation and study, 
and the uses of which shall be a necessary 
part of everyone's educational upbringing 



OGLE. 



37 



this conception will first have to be grasped 
before adequate attention is likely to be paid 
to the planning, staffing, exposition, and 
stocking of our public reference libraries. 

An extension activity which might well be 
more common than it is is that of book ex- 
hibitions. At St. Helen's an exhibition of 
books in the public library was held in 1893 
in the Victoria Park Museum, a short dis- 
tance from the Central Library, which was 
open for two months. Valuable books were 
placed in show cases, properly labelled, and 
could be obtained from the cases on applica- 
tion ; and it is interesting to observe as show- 
ing the popularity of the exhibit that to pre- 
vent overcrowding an entrance charge of one 
penny was made. More lasting and definite 
results are likely to accrue from smaller ex- 
hibits, limited to some subject or group and 
held at the library. No reference library can 
be considered adequate however which has 
not accommodation enabling it to do this. 
In my own town we have held for the last 
three years an annual exhibition of the prin- 
cipal books and photographs purchased out 
of a special grant for technical books, which 
has been of considerable service in advertis- 



ing the additions to the library from this 
source. I may say that valuable art books 
were placed freely on the tables, for anyone 
to open and look at, and that no damage of 
any moment has been incurred. 

The talk or lecture, the readings, reception 
of parties at the library, exhibitions these 
seem the main features of library extension 
work in Great Britain. 

There are doubtless other directions of 
effort, some commendable, others showing 
perhaps more zeal than discretion, but they 
hardly call for special mention in this paper, 
which is intended to be rather a rapid sketch 
than an exhaustive resume. Whether the 
work here described will become of the first 
importance in the library activities of the 
future, or remain more or less of a bye- 
product, I do not propose to discuss, but so 
long as the present general ignorance of or 
indifference to the best contents of our libra- 
ries, and of the art of rightly using books in 
relation to the particular end in view, pre- 
vails, then so long must all genuine effort 
to dispel this ignorance, to teach this art, form 
a vital, a necessary part of the functions of 
the public library. 



LIBRARY LEGISLATION IN THE UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN 

AND IRELAND. 

BY JOHN J. OGLE, Author of "The free library;" Secretary for Higher Education, Bootle, 

England. 



PARTICULAR laws of the United King- 
dom of Great Britain and Ireland are 
usually limited in their application to par- 
ticular countries of the Kingdom, and even 
then the operation of the law in a given town 
or district of that country may depend on its 
adoption by the ratepayers, voters, or house- 
holders of the given locality or by the vote 
of the representative local authority. This 
is so in respect of the library laws. 

At different times since the passing of the 
earliest Public Libraries Act in 1850, the 
legal facilities for establishing and maintain- 
ing libraries at the public expense in local 
government areas have differed widely in 
England and Wales, in Ireland, in Scotland, 
in the Isle of Man. The parallel development 
of opinion in the several countries has at last 



resulted in the Library Laws applicable to 
one part of the Kingdom being almost the 
equivalent of those in another part. 

The principal local government areas which 
by adoption of the Library Act may become 
library districts in England and Wales, are 

(1) a County Borough or a Municipal Bor- 
ough; (2) an Urban District; (3) a Parish. 
In Ireland, (i) an Incorporated Borough; 

(2) a Town or Urban District; (3) a Rural 
District. In Scotland, (i) a Burgh; (2) 
a Parish. In England and Wales local adop- 
tion depends on a resolution passed by the 
Town Council or the Urban District Council 
or, in the case of a Parish, by the Parish 
Meeting or on the result of a poll of the 
parish electors. 

In Ireland, the adoption lies with the 



ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. 



Urban or Rural District Council, or if they 
fail to adopt, a poll of householders may be 
taken to determine the matter. 

The Scotch law provides that a resolution 
of the Magistrates and Council of a Burgh 
may adopt the Acts, and that in a Scotch 
parish a poll of householders shall be taken. 

When the Acts have be6n adopted, the li- 
brary authority is in England and Wales, 
(i) the Town Council or Urban District 
Council, or (2) the Parish Council. In Scot- 
land, (i) the Magistrates and Council, or (2) 
the Parochial Board. In Ireland a body of 
Commissioners appointed by the District 
Council, or if they fail to appoint by the 
Local Government Board, a department of 
the central government charged with the 
oversight of many municipal and parochial 
matters. 

In any district in the three countries where 
two or more library districts have decided 
to act together in the adoption and carrying 
out of the Acts a body of commissioners or 
a joint committee must be appointed. The 
law provides for special agreements in such 
cases. 

Where the library authority is not a body 
of commissioners, they may delegate most 
of their powers to a committee. In Scotland 
this is obligatory. The Library Committee 
need not in England and Wales consist wholly 
of members of the library authority, in Scot- 
land half of the committee must be house- 
holders. 

Libraries, museums, schools for science or 
art, art schools, art galleries may be estab- 
lished by the library authority, and in Ire- 
land schools of music also. 

Only recently has the power to make bye- 
laws and enforce penalties by conviction in a 
court of summary jurisdiction been won by 
the library authorities of the whole kingdom. 

In most places the principal source of in- 
come for a public library is the power to levy 
a rate. Rates in the United Kingdom are, 
in theory at least, levied on the net annual 
value of local property. The assessment of 
this value is a highly complicated matter, 
with which the library authority has little 
to do except to recognize it as the value on 
which a library rate equal to one penny 



in the pound may be annually levied. Local 
resolutions may limit this rate still further, 
or having limited it to J^d or J^d may raise 
it again, but not beyond one penny. In rural 
districts, also, a deduction must be made of 
two-thirds the value of agricultural lands in 
levying the library rate. 

Many towns have, by special local acts 
put through the Imperial Parliament, ob- 
tained power to levy a higher rate or to re 
move the limit altogether or to apply profits 
on municipal trading to educational purposes, 
including library expenditure. 

With suitable safeguards, ecclesiastical, 
charitable or parochial lands or property may 
be transferred to the library authorities and 
the library income be thus augmented by 
rents, sale, or exchange. 

Borrowing powers are granted subject to 
the central authority's control. In England 
and Wales, the Local Government Board's, 
in Ireland, the Treasury's sanction is needed, 
but in Scotland money may be borrowed with- 
out this consent. In the latter country ex- 
travagance is provided against by a limitation 
of the loans at any one time to % part of 
the library rate capitalized at twenty years' 
purchase. 

Recent developments of the laws relating 
to education have made it posible to relieve 
the library committee of charges incurred 
for establishing schools, museums, art gal- 
leries, etc., and this is being largely effected 
by the grants of education authorities to 
library committees for maintenance of school 
libraries and the purchase of technical lit- 
erature; and by the adoption of the Museums 
and Gymnasiums Act of 1891 which permits 
an allocation of the equivalent of a half penny 
rate for museum maintenance. 

The most pressing improvements now need- 
ed are the removal of the limit on the local 
rating power, the declaration of public li- 
brary property as free from liability to pay 
local rates, and the addition of a County 
Council to the list of local library authori- 
ties. These reforms, especially the first- 
named, are being earnestly pressed forward 
by the Library Association which has al- 
ready done so much to obtain improvements 
in the law relating to British libraries. 



ROBERTS. 



39 



TRAINING FOR LIBRARIANS IN GREAT BRITAIN. 

BY HENRY D. ROBERTS, Librarian St. Saviour's Public Library, Southwark; Secretary 
Education Committee of Library Association. 



'T'HE subject of the training of librarians 
in Great Britain, apart from the prac- 
tical working in a library, may be classified 
into three headings (i) Examinations, (2) 
Summer Schools, (3) Technical and Corre- 
spondence Classes. I arrange them in chron- 
ological order of their foundation. 

(l) EXAMINATIONS. 

First, then, as to the examinations. To 
make the present situation clear it seems to 
me advisable to briefly relate the history of 
the subject. The Library Association was 
founded in 1877, and received its royal char- 
ter in 1898. At the annual meeting held in 
Edinburgh in 1880, the following resolution 
was passed on the initiative of Henry R. 
Tedder, librarian of the Athenaeum Club, and 
now Hon. Treasurer of the Association: 
"That it is desirable that the Council of this 
Association should consider how library as- 
sistants may best be aided in their training 
in the general principles of their profes- 
sion." In the absence of Mr. Tedder the 
resolution was moved by the late Mr. Robert 
Harrison, then treasurer of the Association, 
and librarian of the London Library. After 
considerable discussion it was carried unan- 
imously. As a result a small committee was 
appointed consisting of Messrs. R. Garnett 
(now Dr. Richard Garnett, C.B.), Robert 
Harrison, E. W. B. Nicholson (now librarian 
of the Bodleian Library), and Henry R. Ted- 
der, together with the hon. secretaries the 
late Mr. E. C. Thomas and Mr. Charles 
Welch (now librarian of the London Guild- 
hall). This committee reported to the annual 
meeting of the Association held in London in 
1881. They considered the question of the 
training of library assistants might be made 
an extremely useful feature of the work of 
the Association, and that it would best be 
served by providing for the examination of 
candidates and the granting of certificates of 



efficiency. As this naturally involved direc- 
tion as to studies and the choice of books, 
a scheme was prepared and submitted. It- 
recommended an examination before appoint- 
ment a desideratum which still remains un- 
fulfilled in most of the public libraries of 
England to-day which included an ele- 
mentary knowledge of at least one classical 
and one modern foreign language. After ap- 
pointment an examination with two certifi- 
cates was suggested. A second-class certifi- 
cate, to be given to those candidates who 
possessed not less than one year's experience 
in library work, and who satisfied the exam- 
iner in (i) English literature, especially of 
the last hundred years, (2) some one or 
other European literature, (3) principles of 
the classification of the sciences, .(4) elements 
of bibliography, including cataloging, (5) 
Library management. A cataloging knowl- 
edge of at least two other languages than 
English was also necessary. To obtain a 
first-class certificate candidates would be re- 
quired to have had at least two years' expe- 
rience in a library to possess an advanced 
knowledge of the previously-named subjects; 
and also to pass an examination in (6) 
General literary history. A cataloging knowl- 
edge of at least three languages was to be a 
necessity for this higher certificate. An im- 
portant suggestion was that the Council 
should also undertake to examine persons 
not actually engaged as library assistants. 

This report was discussed on Thursday, 
September 15, 1881, but its adoption, for 
some reason which has never transpired, was 
negatived by 24 votes to 19. A fresh com- 
mittee (Messrs. Bradshaw, Cowell, Mullins 
and Overall) was appointed at a monthly 
meeting held on Oct. 7, 1881. They reported 
on Thursday, Sept. 7, 1882, to the annual 
meeting held at Cambridge and recommended 
the adoption of the report presented to the 
previous annual meeting. On this occasion it 
was unanimously adopted. This was possi- 



ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. 



bly due to an admirable paper read at the 
meeting by Mr. H. R. Tedder on "Librarian- 
ship as a profession," in part of which he 
stated as his opinion that nothing could be 
better contrived which would maintain a high 
standard among librarians than a well con- 
sidered system of examination. Mr. Nichol- 
son, in the subsequent discussion, sounded a 
true note when he said that while "the num- 
ber of competent candidates for any vacancy 
was exceedingly small, it was also true that 
the number of incompetent candidates was 
enormously large, and, unfortunately, the 
election was nearly always in the hands of 
people who did not know the competent from 
the incompetent, not having the slightest idea 
as to the qualifications necessary. One of the 
best possible ways of teaching these people 
that librarianship is a profession was to hold 
such examinations as were suggested in the 
report, and offer them candidates for libra- 
rianships provided with the certificates of the 
Association. It would thus be obvious to 
the electors that the librarians themselves felt 
it necessary to establish a distinction between 
the competent and the incompetent." Other 
speakers proved that then, as now, the pre- 
vailing difficulty was that the librarians were 
so often obliged to take lads of little or no 
education because the pay offered was so 
small. The Association seems to have been 
content with the expression of a pious opin- 
ion, for no action was taken for over a 
twelvemonth. 

In November, 1882, Monthly Notes an- 
nounced that the details of the proposed 
scheme would be considered at a special meet- 
ing of the Council, to be held on Dec. 15, 1882. 
As a result a sub-committee was appointed 
to settle details. Nothing further appears to 
have been done until the 6th annual meeting 
of the Association, held at Liverpool in 1883, 
when, on Sept. 12, several members were 
added to the committee, which was instructed 
to report on Sept. 14. On the latter date an 
interim report "That Messrs. Thomas and 
Tedder be appointed to draw up a syllabus of 
examination questions and a list of text-books 
and to submit the same as early as possible to 
this committee with a view of eliciting fur- 
ther suggestions; afterwards that Messrs. 
Thomas and Tedder be asked to formulate a 
complete scheme" was presented. This mo- 



tion was carried, after an amendment pro- 
posing Messrs. Cowell, Sutton and Mullins, 
instead of Messrs. Thomas and Tedder, had 
been defeated. A report, presented at the an- 
nual meeting at Dublin in 1884, was discussed 
at the proceedings on Friday, Oct. 3, and 
adopted. 

As a result the first examination was an- 
nounced in the columns of the Library Chron- 
icle for December, 1884, as to be held on the 
first Tuesday in July, 1885 a one day's ex- 
amination only, be it noted. The scope of the 
proposed examination was the same as I 
have previously stated as having been recom- 
mended to the annual meeting held in Lon- 
don in 1881. Fuller details, however, were 
given, together with much useful advice to 
intending candidates. The examination was 
held on July 7, 1885, and the papers set were 
reprinted in the next number of the Library 
Chronicle. Centres were held at London and 
Nottingham. There were only three candi- 
dates, and it is worthy of note that the ex- 
aminers (whose names are given in the 
"Transactions" for 1884), granted second- 
class certificates to Mr. Albert Butcher, Well- 
ing, Kent, and to Mr. J. J. Ogle, Free Public 
Library, Nottingham. 

I can find no trace of any examination in 
1886. Announcement was made of an exam- 
ination to be held on the first Tuesday in July, 
but this was postponed till the first Tuesday 
in August. There do not appear to have been 
any candidates. 

An examination was announced for Sept. 
13, 1887, and the questions set are given in the 
Library Chronicle for 1887, page 113, but the 
examiners for the year reported that no can- 
didate had satisfied their requirements. An- 
other examination was announced for March, 
1888. It seems to have been held, for the 
papers set are given in the Library Chronicle 
for 1888, pages 38 et seq., but I can find no 
trace of any candidates having either pre- 
sented themselves or satisfied the examiners. 
Another examination was announced for 
March, 1889. This date was changed to Oct. 
15, 1889, but afterwards was altered to Jan. 
29, 1890, "because so many have asked for a 
later date to be fixed." I can find no trace 
of this examination having been held. 

The Council were evidently not satisfied 
with the results of their examination scheme, 



ROBERTS. 



and at the annual meeting held at Reading 
in 1890 a committee consisting of Messrs. 
Peter Cowell, C W. Sutton, J. D. Mullins, 
William May and J. J. Ogle, was appointed 
to reconsider the subject. This committee 
reported to the Nottingham meeting in 1891 
that they had considered the excellent scheme 
then in force, and only suggested changes 
v.here they thought they were desirable and 
even urgent. Without wishing to reduce the 
standard of excellence required, at the same 
time they wished to make the examination 
more popular and less onerous to library as- 
sistants. They proposed to give greater prom- 
inence to the preliminary examination and to 
subdivide the advanced one, letting it proceed 
by one or more subjects at the will of the ex- 
aminee. They recommended the issuing of 
interim certificates should students wish to 
pass the examination in the leisurely way now 
suggested, and parchments when they had 
passed in the whole of the subjects. Another 
suggestion pleaded for the abolition of such 
questions as only went to prove the super- 
excellent memory of candidates. The com- 
mittee saw no reason why the promotion of 
assistants should not be more or less de- 
pendent on their passing wholly or in part the 
examination of the Library Association, and 
they had every desire to give practical effect 
to this view. (I cannot find, though, that this 
was ever done). 

The new syllabus allowed persons not em- 
ployed in libraries to present themselves for 
examination on obtaining permission from 
the Council. The preliminary examination was 
to be passed before the ordinary examination 
could be entered on, or certificates of pro- 
ficiency, satisfactory to the examiners, were 
to be produced. The preliminary examina- 
tion was divided into six headings: I. Com- 
mercial arithmetic and elementary bookkeep- 
ing; 2. English grammar and composition, 
writing and spelling (to be tested by an essay 
on a familiar subject) ; 3. English history; 4. 
Geography; 5. English literature: the names 
of the chief writers, the period when each 
flourished and the principal works by which 
each was known; 6. Cataloging transcrip- 
tion of entries from English title-pages for a 
short title catalog on the dictionary plan ; cor- 
rection of catalog proofs. 

Even this simple examination was allowed 



to be taken in sections, two at a time as well 
as the professional examination. 

The professional examination was also 
divided into six sections : i. English litera- 
ture, especially of the last hundred years ; 
2. French or German literature, together with 
easy passages for translation; 3. Classifica- 
tion; 4. Elements of bibliography and cata- 
loging (in the latter a cataloging knowledge 
of two other languages than English was re- 
quired) ; 5. Library management and admin- 
istration; 6. General literary history (only 
for honors). The syllabus spoke of a pass 
and a full certificate, but I suppose it meant 
an ordinary pass and one with honors. 

The report was adopted, and at the same 
meeting the president (Mr. Robert Harrison) 
said: "The practice of examining candidates 
has not hitherto borne much fruit." 

The first examination under this latest 
revised scheme was held in London in June, 
1892; 7 candidates presented themselves, but 
with lamentable results. One of them passed 
in English and French literature in the pro- 
fessional examination, and one obtained his 
full certificate in the preliminary examina- 
tion. Candidates from the provinces had their 
expenses paid. The next examination was 
held in December of the same year in four 
centers. Seven candidates presented them- 
selves, principally in the preliminary examina- 
tion, but, on the whole, with unsatisfactory 
results. The Council decided to hold no ex- 
amination in June, 1893, and the next exam- 
ination was held in December, 1893, in 7 
centers, when 12 candidates entered, 10 out 
of the 12 for the preliminary examination 
only. Four passed the preliminary and one 
the professional. This scheme remained in 
force until June, 1894, when the preliminary 
examination was very wisely abolished. It 
had always seemed to the present writer to 
be quite outside the province of the Associa- 
tion to attempt to examine in the ordinary 
subjects of a general education. For this ex- 
amination in June, 1894, 15 candidates en- 
tered, 12 for the preliminary, and 3 for the 
professional. Seven passed in the former, 
and 3 satisfied the examiners in portions of 
the professional. 

In consequence of representations made by 
several of the examiners, the Council, in 1894. 
remitted the existing scheme of examina- 



ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. 



tions to a committee for careful considera- 
tion and revision. A report, dated July 28, 
1894, was sent in, cordially endorsed by the 
Council, and unanimously adopted at the an- 
nual meeting of the Association held in Bel- 
fast in 1894. This scheme, with slight modi- 
fications, remained in force until quite re- 
cently. 

The suggestions adopted were, that the ex- 
amination should consist of three sections : 
(i) Bibliography and literary history; (2) 
Cataloging, classification and shelf arrange- 
ment; and (3) Library management, the de- 
tails being given in the ensuing numbers of 
the "Library Association year book." 

The Council, at its meeting on the 2Qth of 
September, 1894, resolved to appoint a com- 
mittee, to be called the Examinations Com- 
mittee, to have charge generally of the con- 
duct of examinations under the direction of 
the Council. This committee held its first 
meeting of the 6th of October in the same 
year, when Dr. Garnett was elected chair- 
man, and Mr. J. W. Knapman, hon. secretary; 
but it only held three other meetings up to 
March, 1898, and was dissolved as a sep- 
arate committee by resolution of the Council 
on Oct. 7, 1898, when it was merged into the 
Education Committee, of which an account 
is given in another portion of this paper. 

The first examination under the new sylla- 
bus was held in January, 1895, when only one 
candidate presented himself. There was also 
only one candidate in July, 1895 > one in July, 
1896 ; one in June, 1897, and two in December, 
1897. No other examination was held until 
January, 1901, when 3 candidates presented 
themselves. Fourteen candidates presented 
themselves in May, 1902, 31 in January, 
J 903 (principally in bibliography, a series 
of classes on this subject, by Mr. J. D. Brown, 
having just finished), and 12 in May, 1903. It 
is hardly necessary to give the details of these 
later examinations. The latest revised sylla- 
bus had now been in force for nine years, but 
although latterly the number of students had 
considerably increased, owing most probably 
to the establishment of technical classes, it 
seemed quite evident that further revision was 
necessary. 

During the few years before this date, 
various suggestions and criticisms of the 
existing scheme had been received, and the 
Education Committee determined to tackle 



the subject and see if they could not pro- 
duce a scheme which would be not only useful 
but practical and popular. Much time and 
thought were given to the subject, but I will 
not weary you with the means by which the 
new scheme was eventually evolved. Suffice 
it to say that after considerable discussion the 
Council eventually approved the scheme 
which is now in force, and is printed not only 
in the current "Year book," but on pages 
170-76 of the Library Association Record, 
March, 1904. I will refer to the details later. 
The first annual examination under this new 
scheme was held in May of this year, with 
the result that a record number of candidates 
was reached, no less than 34 different persons 
presenting themselves in the various subjects. 
Candidates attended at the following centres: 
Belfast, Birmingham, Bristol, Edinburgh, 
London, Manchester, Newcastle-on-Tyne, 
Port Elizabeth (S. Africa), St. Helens and 
Southampton. Originally there were 39 en- 
tries, but five candidates withdrew. A duly 
constituted Board of Examiners had been 
appointed to conduct the examinations and 
their report was eminently satisfactory. Two 
candidates satisfied the examiners in bibli- 
ography (four candidates) ; four in classi- 
fication (eight candidates) ; one with honors 
and three with merit; eight in cataloging 
(15 candidates) five with merit; 10 in 
library history and organization (13 candi- 
dates), six with merit; and seven in practical 
library administration (19 candidates), two 
with merit. Three candidates entered in liter- 
ary history, but none satisfied the examiners. 
Having thus traced the history of the ex- 
aminations of the Association, I will now 
turn to the second means for training in order 
of establishment, viz., Summer Schools. 

(2) SUMMER SCHOOLS. 

Up to 1893 the Association had so far done 
nothing but examine candidates. However, 
at a general meeting held at Liverpool in 
December, 1892, Mr. J. J. Ogle read a paper, 
entitled "A summer school of library science," 
which he had also read at the annual meet- 
ing held in Paris earlier in the year, and in 
which he suggested that it would be a great 
advantage to assistants and to students of 
librarianship generally if during each summer 
arrangements could be made by which they 
might have an opportunity of visiting repre- 



ROBERTS. 



43 



sentative libraries, and of hearing demon- 
strations of various practical matters and de- 
tails of a librarian's work. A committee, 
consisting of the late Miss M. S. R. James, 
and Messrs. J. J. Ogle and H. R. Tedder, was 
appointed, which made certain suggestions to 
the Council, the result of which was that the 
first Summer School of the Association was 
held in London on July 18-20, 1893. The 
program consisted of a series of visits to 
libraries and other places of interest, at which 
demonstrations took place. Forty-five stud- 
ents from various parts of the country at- 
tended. The Council, pleased at the result, 
decided to institute a Summer School as a 
permanent feature of the Association's work. 
The second School was held on June 19-22, 

1894, and was even better attended than the 
previous one. At the Council meeting on 
Sept. 29, 1894, a Summer School Committee 
was appointed, which held its first meeting 
on the following Oct. 6th, at which Mr. 
Charles Welch was appointed chairman, and 
Mr. J. J. Ogle, hon. secretary. 

The third school was held under the man- 
agement of this committee on June 24-28, 

1895, and was attended by 40 students, in- 
cluding library assistants from all over the 
kingdom and one from the McGill University 
Library, Montreal, Canada. Details of the 
proceedings, of course, appeared from time 
to time in the pages of the Library. After 
the 1895 school, Mr. Ogle was obliged to 
resign the hon. secretaryship, and Mr. W. 
E. Doubleday was elected in his place. At 
the Cardiff meeting of the Association in 
1895 a sub-committee was appointed to con- 
sider and report as to a scheme for system- 
atizing the work of the Summer School. 
Their recommendations were eventually 
adopted, and included suggestions that the 
work of the school should, as far as possible, 
include a course of preparation for the sub- 
jects laid down in the syllabus of the Exam- 
inations Committee, which, you will remem- 
ber, had recently been revised. 

The fourth session was held on June 15 
to 19, 1896, and was attended more or less 
regularly by 44 students. After this meet- 
ing Mr. Doubleday was unfortunately com- 
pelled to tender his resignation as hon. sec- 
retary, on account of pressure of other work 
in connection with his libraries. On Sept. 
6,1896, the present writer was elected to his 



place, Mr. Welch continuing to act as chair- 
man. 

The 1896 school had dealt with a portion 
of the examinations syllabus, and the session 
for 1897, the fifth of the series, dealt with the 
remainder of it. This latter was held on May 
3i-June 4. In order that intending students 
might do more reading on individual lines 
before the school, a printed prospectus with 
particulars of lectures, and a list of text- 
books intended for study, was issued, and a 
copy sent to each applicant. A letter was 
sent to the committee of every library estab- 
lished under the Acts or represented in the 
Association asking for co-operation in the 
work. This was six months before the school 
began. Some little time before the session 
commenced a copy of the program was sent 
to every librarian in the kingdom calling at- 
tention to the forthcoming session and ask- 
ing that facilities might be afforded to any 
assistants wishing to attend the school. The 
result was extremely gratifying, no less than 
74 students (from 24 London and 10 provin- 
cial libraries) attending one or more of the 
lectures or visits. It might here be mentioned 
that examinations on the work of the various 
sessions had been regularly held. 

After the fifth session technical classes, 
which I refer to in the next portion of this 
paper, were established in London, and the 
committee thought that they practically took 
the place of the school, which was suspended 
during 1898 and 1899. In response, how- 
ever, to numerous representations, a series of 
visits to libraries in and around London was 
arranged for the last week in June, 1900, but 
owing to the poor attendance the committee 
recommended the Council to discontinue the 
school for the present, and it would seem 
that it is not likely to be revived just yet. It 
should also be noted that every season since 
its commencement in 1897 Summer Schools 
have been held in connection with the North- 
Western Branch of the Library Association, 
with the exception of the year 1902. This 
school appeals more particularly to students 
from Lancashire and district. 

(3) TECHNICAL CLASSES. 

Still, however, nothing was done by the 
Association in the way of definite teaching in 
the form of classes. At the same Liverpool 



44 



ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. 



meeting to which I have referred recently 
a paper was read by the late Miss James en- 
titled "A plan for providing technical instruc- 
tion for library students and assistants." 
This was printed in the Library for i8o,vi, 
pages 313 et seq., but there was no definite 
result. 

About the time that the present writer was 
appointed hon. secretary of the Summer 
School Committee he was asked to contribute 
a paper to a monthly meeting of the Library 
Association, and chose for his subject the 
lack of facilities for the technical education 
of library assistants. The paper was read at 
the December meeting 1896, and was en- 
titled "Some remarks on the education of the 
library assistant : a plea." It was printed in 
the Library for 1897, pages 103 et seq. At 
the conclusion of the paper the author moved 
a resolution which, after considerable dis- 
cussion, was carried unanimously, asking the 
Council to arrange for courses of lectures in 
the winter session on matters in connection 
with library management, etc. The Council 
referred the resolution to the Summer School 
Committee, with a icquest for a report 
thereon. In December, 1897, the committee 
submitted a report to the Council which 
recommended the formation of classes, and to 
which was attached a scheme which was con- 
sidered feasible and likely to be successful. 
This report was adopted by the Council, a 
small grant of money was made, and the 
Summer School Committee with increased 
powers, and under a new name "Education 
Committee" was requested to undertake 
the management of the classes. 

A successful inaugural meeting, presided 
over by Lord Avebury, was held on February 
25, 1898, at which an interesting address was 
delivered by the late Bishop of London (Dr. 
Creighton), and the classes commenced on 
March 2. 1898. For the first series of classes 
there were 58 students attending lectures on 
the following subjects: Cataloging (Mr. J. 
Macfarlane), Bookbinding (Mr. Douglas 
Cockerell), Elementary bibliography (Mr. 
Henry Guppy), and Historical printing (Mr. 
John Southward). 

The second series commenced on Feb. I, 
1899, and for this course 44 students enrolled 
themselves, the classes being as follows: Ele- 



mentary bibliography (Mr. Henry Guppy), 
Public library cataloging (Mr. F. J. Bur- 
goync), Public library administration (Mr. 
Henry D. Roberts), Subject cataloging (Mr. 
J. H. Quinn), and Public library legislation 
(Mr. C. T. Davis). 
The third series commenced on Feb. 14, 

1900. 41 students entering for one or more of 
the following classes : English literature and 
language (Mr. W. E. Doubleday), Subject 
cataloging (Mr. J. H. Quinn), Public library 
office work (Mr. Henry D. Roberts), and 
French literature (Miss Hentsch). 

The fourth series commenced on Feb. 13, 

1901. Two classes only were held this session 
on Wednesday afternoons, and for these 14 
students were enrolled. The classes were : 
Cutter's rules for a dictionary catalog (Mr. 
J. H. Quinn), and Historical printing (Mr. 
J. Southward). 

The fifth series commenced on Feb. 26, 

1902. Two classes were held, on Wednesday 
afternoons, and for these 27 students entered. 
The classes were: Subject cataloging in 
theory and practice, more especially for dic- 
tionary catalogs (Mr. J. H. Quinn), and 
Classification and shelf arrangement (Mr. 
Franklin T. Barrett). 

Examinations on the work of the classes 
were conducted at the end of each of the se- 
ries, with fairly satisfactory results. It must 
be noted, however, that these examinations 
had nothing whatever to do with the pro- 
fessional examination of the Association. 
The fees for the classes were only nominal 
for library assistants, but unattached students 
had to pay more. 

For some time endeavors had been made 
to obtain a grant from the London Technical 
Education Board in aid of these classes, but 
without success. As a result, however, of 
various conferences on, the subject the Edu- 
cation Committee, on May 22, 1902, recom- 
mended the Council to adopt the following 
resolution : 

"That the Library Association co-operate 
with the London School of Economics in 
conducting courses of instruction in: 

(1) Bibliography and literary history, 

(2) Cataloging, classification and shelf 
arrangement, 

(3) Library management, 



ROBERTS. 



45 



Subject to the following conditions: 

(1) That the Council of the Library 
Association nominate the lecturers in 
the three subjects. 

(2) That the Council continue to hold 
the professional examinations and to 
grant certificates, 

(3) That the classes be open to all 
comers, 

(4) That the Council have an equal rep- 
resentation with the Governors of the 
School of Economics on the Sub-Com- 
mittee of Management." 

This resolution was subsequently unan- 
imously adopted by the Council and the first 
series under the new conditions commenced 
at the London School of Economics in the 
Michaelmas Term, 1902, on Wednesday after- 
noons. The special class was in "Elemen- 
tary bibliography," conducted by Mr. J. D. 
Brown, librarian, Finsbury Public Libraries. 
In addition, on Wednesdays, a series of lec- 
tures on "Bibliographies of special subjects," 
by specialists, was also given, and was con- 
tinued during the Lent Term, 1903. In this 
latter term the special class on Wednesday 
afternoons was in "Classification and cata- 
loging," conducted by Mr. Franklin T. Bar- 
rett, librarian, Fulham Public Libraries. In 
the session 1903-04, arrangements were made 
for two classes to be held on Wednesday 
afternoons in the Michaelmas and Lent 
Terms, and one class in the Summer Term, 
the classes being "Library economy" (Mr. J. 
D. Brown), "Library management" .(Mr. 
Henry D. Roberts), "Library cataloging" 
(Mr. J. H. Quinn) and "Classification" (Mr. 
Franklin T. Barrett). The attendance of 
students at the school has been eminently 
satisfactory and has fully justified the Coun- 
cil of the Association in transferring its 
teaching work to a definite educational in- 
stitution. In the present writer's opinion the 
Association is to be congratulated on having 
at length been the means of definitely estab- 
lishing technical classes in librarianship. The 
arrangements for the ensuing session include 
lectures on Historical bibliography, by Mr. 
A. W. Pollard, M.A., on Practical bibliog- 
raphy, by Mr. Henry D. Roberts, and on 
Library economy, by Mr. J. D. Brown. 
These classes are arranged to commence on 
October 5 and to be continued throughout the 



Michaelmas and Lent Terms. In addition to 
these technical classes there are a number of 
other classes in connection with the School 
of Economics to which the attention of li- 
brary students is particularly directed, such 
as Palaeography and Diplomatic; Economic 
History, Theory and Geography; History; 
Accountancy and Statistics, etc. 

These classes are only of practical utility 
to students living in and around London. 
The Education Committee having given very 
careful consideration to the matter have this 
season been able to announce a course of cor- 
respondence classes by Mr. J. D. Brown on 
"Library economy." Up to the moment of 
writing 24 students from the provinces have 
entered for this first course of experimental 
lectures. This is considered to be extremely 
satisfactory. The classes will run concurrently 
with Mr. Brown's oral classes at the School 
of Economics. 

PRESENT SITUATION. 

Let me, as briefly as possible, define the 
situation as it is to-day in connection with 
the actual title of my paper. 

There is no school for the training of li- 
brarians in constant session, although some 
of us who are enthusiasts, and optimists as 
well, look forward to an early date when our 
dreams in this direction shall be realized. 
The existing means are Summer Schools, 
Technical Classes, including the newly-in- 
stituted Correspondence Classes, and exam- 
inations. It is, I believe, probable that dur- 
ing the ensuing winter, technical classes in 
librarianship will be held in connection with 
the Manchester School of Technology. Other 
provincial centers of library teaching may 
also be established later on. 

The Library Assistants' Association does 
its best by means of study circles, etc., to en- 
courage its members to take an interest in 
the matter. Various librarians in the coun- 
try also aid their assistants by holding in- 
formal classes at their own libraries. Some 
committees pay the fees and travelling ex- 
penses of those of their assistants who attend 
the Summer Schools and Technical Classes. 
This practice is on the increase. I may here 
interpolate that the fees at the London School 
of Economics average one shilling per lecture. 
During next session there will be 22 lectures 



ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. 



on Library economy and 22 on Bibliography. 
The Library Association pays half the fees 
of any student nominated by one of its mem- 
bers, so that it does not cost an aspiring 
assistant in London and district much to at- 
tend the classes. The correspondence classes 
are limited to students outside the metro- 
politan area, and are divided into two sec- 
tions, each of ii lectures. The net fee for 
each section of the correspondence course is 
io/-, or 17/6 for the two. The classes, both 
technical and correspondence, are not re- 
stricted to library assistants. 

One word as to the examinations syllabus. 
This is now divided into six different sub- 
jects, viz. (i) Literary history; (2) Elements 
of practical bibliography; (3) Classification; 
(4) Cataloging; .(5) Library history and or- 
ganization : (6) Practical library adminis- 
tration. These subjects may be taken collec- 
tively or separately, at the discretion of the 
candidate. The examinations are held an- 
nually in May, and pro tanto certificates are 
issued to those who satisfy the examiners. 
A new feature of this scheme is that essays, 
written at home, on various prescribed sub- 
jects are also required from candidates for 
the certificates. When a student possesses 



certificates in the six subjects and has also- 
had practical experience of not less than 24 
hours a week for at least three years as a 
member of the administrative staff of one or 
more libraries approved by the Council of 
the Association, he may apply for the full 
certificate or diploma. He has to write a 
thesis on some topic previously set by the 
Council and also to present a certificate 
showing that he possesses an elementary 
knowledge of Latin and of one modern for- 
eign language. No text books are prescribed, 
but various sources of useful information are 
notified. The syllabus is a very detailed one 
and lays down quite clearly exactly what re- 
quirements are necessary for the candidates 
to satisfy the examiners, and forms a guide 
both to private students or teaching institu- 
tions which may be disposed either wholly 
or in part to provide courses of training. 

I have endeavored to trace the history of 
the present forms of instruction and exam- 
ination of library assistants, and hope you 
will agree with me that however far short it 
may fall of the ideals some of us hope may 
be realized, there is, at any rate, a certain 
amount of "Training for Librarians in Great 
Britain." 



LIBRARY WORK WITH CHILDREN IN GREAT BRITAIN. 



BY JOHN BALLINGER, Librarian, Cardiff Public Libraries. 



T N preparing a statement as to the library 
work done for children in Great Britain, 
it is essential to begin by calling attention to 
the straightened financial conditions under 
which our libraries exist. Not only our up- 
keep, but to a large extent, our buildings 
have to be paid for out of a limited rate. 

Mr. Carnegie has done great service to our 
country by his generous gifts for the estab- 
lishment of libraries in places where the Li- 
braries Acts were not in force ; but, up to the 
present, he has not seen his way to relieving 
the older libraries from the burden of the 
building debts, which they incurred in their 
zeal for the library cause. 

The districts which pioneered the library 



movement, will put this work for the children 
upon a secure basis as soon as they are re- 
lieved of the heavy financial burdens by which 
they are at present crippled. They have al- 
ready given evidence of their earnestness, for 
it was in the towns which were among the 
earliest to provide public libraries that work 
for the children began Manchester notably, 
with its excellent children's reading rooms in 
every district, and Nottingham also with ex- 
cellent libraries and reading rooms for chil- 
dren. Leeds, Plymouth and Norwich made 
early efforts at providing school libraries, 
and only failed for want of funds to keep up 
the stock. In the near future we are going 
to change all that. We mean to link on our 



BALL1NGER. 



47 



public libraries to the education system in 
such a way that the temporary failures of the 
past will never recur. 

Up to the present the work has been done 
here and there by enthusiastic committees and 
librarians. They have done much and tried 
many experiments some successful, some 
not. For the want of money many promising 
schemes have come to a standstill. The li- 
braries were short of funds, and the education 
authorities, except in a few instances, de- 
clined or neglected to assist. All this may 
now be changed. The Education Act of 1902 
abolished the school boards, handing over the 
control of education in cities and towns to 
the borough councils, the same authority 
which controls the libraries. (Unfortunately 
we have not, at present, any adequate powers 
for extending the operations of the Libraries 
Act to the rural districts.) An extension of 
school library work has begun, and as the 
new authorities get a better grip of their 
powers and duties, the movement will grow 
in strength. 

One of our most hopeful signs of progress 
is the removal of the age limit for readers in 
our lending libraries, which means that our 
work is being extended so as to include all 
young people who are able to read. 

Three years ago only 69 libraries out of 287 
had no age limit, while in 193 libraries the 
age limit was 12 or more, in one instance 18 
and in one 17. At that time there were 128 li- 
braries where a child under 14 was not ad- 
mitted to borrow books for home reading. 
I have no accurate statistics of later date cov- 
ering the same wide range of libraries, but 
there has been a considerable change for the 
better. i 

There are two landmarks in the history 
of this movement, which afford a basis for a 
survey of the past and present position. 
These are (i) the publication of Mr. Ogle's 
report on "The connection between the pub- 
lic library and the public elementary school" 
in 1898,* and (2) The session devoted to the 
discussion of "The relations between public 
education and public libraries" at the Leeds 
Conference of the British Library Associa- 
tion in 1003. 

* Special reports on educational subjects, v. 2 
issued by the Education Department, London. 



Mr. Ogle's report showed that most public 
libraries provide books for children as liber- 
ally as their resources permit, and by the 
printing of special catalogs, and other facil- 
ities, successfully encourage the use of the 
books. He also showed that in a few places 
efforts had been made to provide reading for 
the children through the schools, efforts 
which failed one after another, for want of 
funds when undertaken by the public libra- 
ries, and for lack of continued interest when 
started independently. 

In the last six years some practical steps 
have been taken to bring the libraries and 
the schools into closer relations, and discus- 
sions at conferences have brought before edu- 
cationists the importance of the subject, and 
the need of a co-ordination of forces with a 
view to securing better results. We have also 
by experiment gained important knowledge 
for guidance as to what to do, and what to 
avoid. The conference on the relations be- 
tween public libraries and public education 
held at Leeds in September, 1903, marks the 
most important step yet taken in Great Brit- 
ain on this subject. The conference was at- 
tended by delegates representing the prin- 
cipal elementary and secondary educational 
bodies, appointed by various societies on the 
invitation of the Library Association. This 
was the first occasion upon which representa- 
tives of schools and libraries met together 
(of course I mean in Great Britain) to dis- 
cuss their relations to each other. 

The conferenece appointed a committee, 
representative of education and of libraries, 
to collect information. This committee has 
brought together a mass of material, and pre- 
sented an interim report to the annual con- 
ference just held at Newcastle- upon-Tyne. 
This interim report puts forward a series of 
suggestions for co-operation between libra- 
ries and other educational organizations 
which if carried out will give the libraries a 
definite place in the educational machinery 
and add greatly to the working power of the 
schools and colleges. 

The results of numerous experiments and 
pioneer work have been considered, and the 
experience gained has been embodied in the 
recommendations for future action brought 
forward in the report. 

I do not in this paper propose to discuss 



4 8 



ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. 



these recommendations in detail. Our cir- 
cumstances differ so much from yours that 
it. would be waste of time to do so. It will be 
better to lay before you some general prin- 
ciples applicable to the subject as a whole to 
enable you to see where we agree with you 
and where we differ from you. 

The experience already gained shows that 
the most satisfactory way of reaching chil- 
dren is through libraries deposited in the 
schools, the books being distributed by the 
teachers to the children for home reading. 

The teachers can get into closer touch with 
children individually than any other available 
agency. They know the capabilities and the 
tastes of each child, as no librarian can. Each 
teacher has only a comparatively small num-. 
ber of children to supervise, and an earnest 
teacher has an influence in this direction 
which no librarian can ever hope to attain. 
A chance remark may fix the child's interest, 
and make it a reader for life. Our greatest 
hope for training children to read good books 
and to read them thoroughly and intelligently 
lies in the school library worked by the 
teachers. 

But though the children are best left to 
the teachers, there is need of the librarian's 
special qualifications in the selection, pur- 
chase, organization and supervision of the 
school libraries. The repairs, renewals, and 
rebinding can best be done by the librarian 
superintending these, and similar details of 
supply and organization, but refraining from 
any interference with the teachers as to the 
distribution of the books to the children, be- 
yond seeing that the books are kept in use. 

A word as to the extent to which teachers 
are held responsible for the books. 

They ought to exercise strict discipline 
with the children, and if a book is lost or dam- 
aged to exact some payment if possible. If 
the child's parents are very poor, the amount 
collected may be nominal, while the well-to- 
do should be made to pay full value. All this 
should be done for the lesson it enforces. 

On the other hand, a teacher should not 
be expected, or allowed, to pay for or to re- 
place a book.. They may offer to do so, but 
as a matter of principle, the offers should not; 
be accepted. 

It is on record that the opposite policy was 
adopted by an important school board, which 
provided libraries for its schools. A code of 



rules for dealing with the books was drawn 
up, one rule being that the teachers should 
be responsible for and be called upon to re- 
place any missing books. The result would 
have been foreseen by any practical librarian. 
Most of the teachers safeguarded themselves 
by locking the books up in a cupboard and 
never allowing them to be used. 

Experience has considerably modified our 
views upon the question of an exchange of 
books between school and school. The state- 
ment that after a year or less every school 
will have a fresh stock of books by exchang- 
ing with some other school, sounds well, and 
always meets with approval. In practice, 
however, it has been found to have many dis- 
advantages, and, unless the available stock is 
very limited, no real merits. 

We must bear in mind that the life of a boy 
or girl in one school is of short duration, and 
in one class rarely exceeds a year. The mov- 
ing on of the children supplies the change. 

Let me set out the reasons for the conclu- 
sion that -exchange should be the exception 
rather than the rule. 

First of all comes the fixing of the child's 
mind upon a few good books, to be carefully 
read, understood, and appreciated. Too much 
choice is not good, it is likely to encourage 
rapid and careless reading. 

Then the teachers can take a fuller interest, 
they will have a better chance of becoming 
thoroughly acquainted with the books and 
directing the reading of the children. 
Teachers also suggest books with more will- 
ingness and care when they know that the 
books are to be a constant factor in their 
own school, especially when they realize that 
if they suggest a poor book, it may keep out 
a good one. 

The circumstances of the locality can better 
be taken into account when dealing with wear 
and tear, and the care taken of the books. If 
(he books are changed at intervals it is very 
difficult to fix responsibility for abuse, and a 
failure to do this may counteract all the good 
done. It would be almost better for the- 
children to be left without books than that 
they should be allowed to abuse them. For 
the supervising librarian to be in a position 
to put his finger upon a school where the 
books are continuously abused or neglected 
is an important factor in the character build- 
ing value of the work. 



BALLINGER. 



49 



A final reason, if the school groups of 
books are not to be changed about, it is not 
necessary to vary the books in each group for 
the mere sake of giving the schools a fresh 
selection, and the choice can be restricted 
to the very best books, allowing only for the 
circumstances of the school where they are 
to be used. 

One hundred good books will give a child, 
borrowing one book each school week forty 
per annum a supply of reading for nearly 
three years, and a library containing that 
number might remain in a school for two 
years before it could be fairly read up by the 
average child. In mentioning one hundred 
books I am only considering the number 
necessary to give the individual child a fair 
supply of reading. As a matter of fact only 
very small schools would find that number 
sufficient to go round. In large elementary 
schools a group of four hundred books is 
necessary to meet the demand, and with such 
a number the library should, in my opinion, 
be permanent, and not movable except for 
special cause. In schools other than ele- 
mentary the library is always larger, five hun- 
dred books or more, and being specially se- 
lected for each school interchanges do not 
take place. 

The question of how the cost of school li- 
braries can best be met is not of interest 
internationally. On your side the libraries 
can in most cases undertake the cost. With 
us the attempt to put the cost on the library 
funds leads to a breakdown because of our 
strictly limited rate. We have been obliged 
to seek a way round by asking the education 
board for the money, the library finding the 
service. This leads naturally to a joint com- 
mittee for administration. I mention these 
points because this combining of forces car- 
ries with it important consequences. It is not 
only the officers (school teachers and libra- 
rians) who have to come to agreement for 
common action but also the governing bodies. 
If the school authority finds the money for 
the establishment and upkeep, and the library 
authority the skilled service of its officials, 
then both are pledged to efficiency and con- 
tinuity. The inclusion in the scheme of the 
governing authorities brings strength and 
power. 

Such a combination gives the librarian a 
fixed status in the administration of the 



scheme, and at the same time relieves the 
teachers from organization work with which 
they are unfamiliar. The librarian ceases to 
be a voluntary worker in the schools, forcing 
books upon indifferent or unwilling teachers. 
He has the support of and reports regularly 
to the school authority, and is responsible to 
school and library authority alike for the 
efficient performance of his part. The 
teachers are responsible to the school au- 
thority. 

These relations established, the librarians 
and the teachers become fellow-workers. The 
building up of a system of co-operative work 
is comparatively easy. And if, as is the case 
in Cardiff, the head teachers have repre- 
sentation on the School Libraries Committee, 
there are few or no difficulties. 

The aim of the library work with children, 
so far as we have developed it, is to interest 
the children in the best books, to draw them 
away from pernicious reading by supplying 
what is better. We seek to turn the power 
to read, which is the inheritance of every 
child, into a channel calculated to be a bless- 
ing, not a curse in after life. We believe that 
a child started on the right road by its teach- 
ers during school life will continue on that 
road, or at any rate have a better chance. 

The habit of steady and thorough reading 
can be more readily cultivated during school 
life than afterwards, and the children so 
trained will use the larger libraries with more 
intelligence and profit. 

With us the school library is not designed 
to directly assist the school work. Its aim 
is chiefly recreative, though indirectly it is 
highly educative also. Teachers have told me 
over and over again that the reading of 
"penny dreadfuls" has practically ceased since 
the establishment of the school libraries. 
They also say that the written essays of the 
children show more grasp of a subject, a 
wider range of ideas, and a better vocab- 
ulary ; that the children who read are quicker, 
more intelligent, easier to teach, and brighter 
in disposition. They develop a better sense 
of humor, can see a point, and laugh more 
readily than children who do not read, or 
only read morbid trash. We believe that 
"the cultivation of children's taste for read- 
ing is among the most important influences 
that education can bring to bear on char- 
acter." 



ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. 



BOOK PRODUCTION IN GREAT BRITAIN. 
BY WALTER POWELL, Deputy Librarian, Birmingham Free Libraries. 



A PART from that great body the "general 
public," those concerned or interested 
in book production may perhaps be divided 
into five classes, viz.: i, The publisher; 
2, The paper-maker; 3, The printer; 4, The 
binder; and 5, The librarian. I think it must 
be admitted that number 5 is the only one 
among them who is both interested and dis- 
interested. The publisher is commercially 
interested. The paper-maker, printer and 
binder are interested in their own depart- 
ments only, and sometimes spoil one another's 
work. Especially does this apply to the 
binder, whose destructive shears have re- 
moved the splendid margins from many a 
beautifully printed sheet of hand-made paper, 
with the sole object of glorifying his own 
art by elaborately gilding or marbling the 
edges. 

In writing on the question of "Book pro- 
duction in Great Britain," I have thought it 
best to deal with the subject under certain 
definite headings, and to give as far as pos- 
sible a collection of facts. 

The first section relates to the paper. 
Paper. 

In the production of a book the quality of 
the paper used is perhaps the most important 
consideration. 

A book may be badly printed, but it would 
have to be unnaturally bad to be unreadable 
It may be badly bound, but it can always be 
rebound if the paper is good enough to b^ar 
the stitches. If, however, the paper is bad the 
case is hopeless, and in a comparatively short 
time the book perishes beyond recovery. 

Shakespeare states that "there is good in 
everything," and there is comfort in the re- 
flection that bad paper sometimes does good 
work, by shortening the lives of books that 
deserve no better fate. On the other hand 
it is a distressing sight to see works of great 
value and importance printed on . inferior 
paper. Dr. Murray's "New English diction- 
ary" .(Clarendon Press) is a case in point. 
Better paper would have increased the al- 



ready enormous cost of production, but there 
is little doubt that those who can afford to 
buy the "Dictionary" would have been glad 
to pay the slight increase in price that this 
would have entailed. 

It is quite the fashion when discussing the 
quality of present-day paper to make a com- 
parison with the paper used in the early days 
of printing. This is not reasonable. The 
number of books produced to-day compared 
with the number produced in the isth and 
1 6th centuries puts a proper comparison out 
of the question. Moreover, it is reasonable 
to suppose that some of the paper used in the 
early days of printing has perished long ago, 
and that the best specimens only are now ex- 
tant 

While endeavoring, however, to be as fair 
as possible to the paper of to-day, it must be 
admitted that there is some very poor stuff 
manufactured. The so-called "art-paper," 
which is largely employed for modern illus- 
trated works, is mostly a poor quality paper, 
coated with a material containing clay. It is 
used chiefly because it takes good impressions 
of half-tone illustrations. Against this ad- 
vantage may be set the disadvantage of its 
great weight and the fact that it is very try- 
ing to the eyes. In many cases of books 
printed entirely on this paper, it would be 
practicable to print the illustrations separately 
on "art" paper, and the text of the book on 
paper of a more suitable kind. A thick 
spongy paper is also very much used, par- 
ticularly for novels. It is an especially bad 
paper for public libraries, being so spongy 
that it will not hold the stitches, and conse- 
quently many books have to be replaced long 
before they are really dirty, because the paper 
will not carry the binding. This paper, not- 
withstanding its poor quality, is likely to 
hold its own on the market because it is light 
in weight, a fact which finds great favor with 
a public who give little thought to durabil- 
ity. 

In 1897 a most important inquiry into the 



POWELL. 



quality of paper produced in Great Britain 
was undertaken by the Society of Arts, who 
published in 1898 a "Report of the Committee 
on the Deterioration of Paper." A circular 
letter was addressed by the secretary of the 
society to paper makers, publishers, libra- 
rians, chemists, and artists. The following 
extract from the letter, which invited ex- 
pressions of opinion and results of expe- 
rience, shows the line of inquiry undertaken 
by the committee: 

"It has been brought to the notice of the 
Council of the Society of Arts that many 
books of an important character are now 
printed upon paper of a very perishable na- 
ture, so that there is considerable risk of the 
deterioration and even destruction of such 
books within a limited space of time. This is 
believed to be especially true of books which 
are in constant use for purposes of reference, 
and are therefore liable to much handling." 

The replies mostly agreed that modern pa- 
per does not last well, owing to the fact that 
it is largely made from wood-pulp instead of 
unbleached linen rag. The report includes a 
specification recommended by the committee 
for a "normal standard of quality for book 
papers required for publications of perman- 
ent value." 

How far this report has had practical re- 
sults I am unable to say. It is, however, in- 
teresting to note that a "permanent" paper 
has been used for a number of the recent pub- 
lications of the Trustees of the British Mu- 
seum. It is very pleasing in appearance, and 
not too heavy in weight, though it remains 
to be seen whether it will sustain what is 
claimed for it as regards durability. 

The Printing. 

This is a much less controversial subject 
than that of paper. 

Perhaps the most remarkable feature of 
modern printing is what is known as the 
"Revival of printing" which began with Wil- 
liam Morris's Kelmscott Press publications. 
Many imitations of these magnificent speci- 
mens of printing have since been issued, and 
while it is not my intention to attempt to 
make comparisons I may remark that I have 
heard the edition of "The Bible" issued by 
the Doves Press described by an eminent au- 
thority as "perfect." Other followers of 
Morris's revival have been the Vale Press, 



the Essex House Press, and several minor 
presses. I believe I am right in stating that 
all the publication of these presses are on 
hand-made paper, with large paper copies, if 
any, on vellum. 

The Binding. 

This stands on quite a different footing 
from the paper and printing, and conies nearer 
home to us as librarians, because while we 
cannot select the paper or control the print, 
we are often responsible for the binding. 

My paper is addressed to librarians and I 
do not, therefore, propose to seriously dis- 
cuss the pros and cons of publishers' cases. 
Perhaps, however, it would be well to remark 
that in Great Britain it is the custom to pub- 
lish books in cloth cases and not in paper 
wrappers as is more often done on the con- 
tinent. The continental system has the ad- 
vantage of allowing the purchaser to have a 
binding to his own taste put on his books, 
though the advantage is more apparent than 
real, the actual fact being that many books 
never get bound. The British system, though 
perhaps not so desirable bibliographically. 
certainly gives longer life to many books. 

It is, however, with permanent bindings 
and re-bindings that I propose to deal. 

Like the deterioration of paper, the decay 
of leather for bookbinding has been made 
the subject of a special inquiry by the Society 
of Arts, who published in 1901 a "Report of 
the Committee on Leather for Book- 
binding." 

This very thorough and comprehensive 
inquiry, together with the "Report on Paper" 
already dealt with, undoubtedly forms the 
most important effort to raise the standard of 
book production in this country that has been 
made. 

The committee, which was formed in 1900, 
appointed two sub-committees, the first of 
which was appointed to visit a number of li- 
braries, and to ascertain the comparative 
durability of the various book-binding 
leathers used at different periods and pre- 
served under different conditions. The 
second sub-committee was appointed to deal 
with the scientific side of the matter, to as- 
certain the cause of any deterioration noticed 
and if possible to suggest methods for its 
prevention in future. The report gives most 



ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. 



interesting and important details of the work 
of the two sub-committees, which, however, 
are too lengthy to set out here. 

The conclusions at which the committee 
itself arrived were summarized as follows: 

1. They consider that the general belief that 
modern bookbinding leather is inferior to 
that formerly used is justified, and that the 
leather now used for binding books is less 
durable than that employed fifty years ago, 
and at previous times. They believe that there 
ought to be no difficulty in providing leather 
at the present time as good as any previously 
made. 

2. They think that the modern methods of 
bookbinding are to some extent answerable 
for the lessened permanence of modern bind- 
ings. The practice of shaving down thick 
skins is a fruitful source of deterioration. 

3. They consider that the conditions under 
which books are best preserved are now fairly 
well understood, except that the injurious 
effect of light on leather has not previously 
been appreciated. They are satisfied that gas 
fumes are the most injurious of all the in- 
fluences to which books are subjected. They 
consider that with proper conditions of ven- 
tilation, temperature, and dryness, books may 
be preserved without deterioration for very 
long periods, on open shelves, but there is 
no doubt that, as a general rule, tightly fit- 
ting glass cases conduce to their preservation. 

4. The Committee have satisfied themselves 
that it is possible to test any leather in such 
a way as to guarantee its stability for book- 
binding. They have not come to any deci- 
sion as to the desirability of establishing any 
formal or official standard, though they con- 
sider that this is a point which well deserves 
future consideration. 

In addition to the work of the sub-com- 
mittees, a circular letter was addressed by 
the secretary of the Society of Arts to a 
number of prominent librarians who were in- 
vited to answer four questions. 

Thirty-nine replies were received as fol- 
lows: 

1. (a) Doanyof yourleath- (a) Thirty-one replied 

er bookbindings "yes." Two replied 

show marked deteri- "no." Four were un- 

oration, and if so, decided. 

(b) What is, in your (b) Twenty-one, "gas." 

opinion, the cause ? Six, " bad leather." 

2. What class of leather Morocco and pigskin rec- 
do you consider the best ommended by almost all ; 
for bookbinding ? cloth by six ; calf by three ; 



What are the conditions 
of your library as to 
lighting, heating and 
ventilation ? 



Have any regular means 
been taken to prevent 
your leather bindings 
from decaying, by the 
use of preservative ap- 
plication ? 



russia by one ; vellum by 
three ; bark tanned leather 
by one ; sealskin by one 
(a member of the Commit" 
tee) ; persian recommended 
by one and condemned by 
one. 

Twenty-eight now use elec- 
tric light where gas was 
formerly used ; hot water 
and open fires generally 
used ; ventilation good in 
twenty cases. 

Twenty-five have not used 
regular means; four used 
vaseline ; two used cuirine ; 
one (a member of the Com- 
mittee) used furniture pol- 
ish. 



At a meeting of the Library Association in 
January last, however, Dr. J. Gordon Par- 
ker, director of the London Technical School 
of Leather Manufacture, read a paper on 
"The manufacture of bookbinding leathers." 
At the next meeting of the Council of the Li- 
brary Association, a committee was appointed 
to report on the advisability of publishing Dr. 
Parker's paper in a separate form, with cer- 
tain additional information. At the sugges- 
tion of this committee the Council appointed 
Dr. Parker examiner in leather to the As- 
sociation, the object being that members 
of the Association should be able to obtain 
reports on binding leathers from Dr. Parker 
at a reduced charge. The Sound Leather 
Committee as it is called is still at work, 
and it is to be hoped that the practical out- 
come of these inquiries and reports may be 
the production of sound bookbinding leathers 
without the objection of too great an in- 
crease in cost. 

Methods of Publication. 

It is not necessary under this heading to 
say anything of books issued in the ordinary 
way through a publisher of repute, and sold 
through the booksellers. There is, however, 
a practice, which I regret to say is extend- 
ing, of publishing from certain houses books 
which are not obtainable through the trade, 
but are only to be had direct from the pub- 
lisher or his representative. There does not 



POWELL. 



53 



seem to be any reason why such a system 
should find favor. The books published in 
this way are seldom of a very high standard, 
and owe their success, as far as they have it, 
to their popular subjects. To librarians, the 
gentlemen (and latterly ladies also) whose 
calling in life is to advertise these works, 
are, to say the least of it, a nuisance. They 
can demonstrate with great volubility that 
the "Encyclopaedia" issued by their firm in 
four volumes at S/- each contains far more 
than the "Encyclopaedia Britannica," and that 
the information is much more reliable. No 
doubt some of the books issued in this way 
are readable, but there is little doubt that any 
original work likely to be of permanent value 
or interest will be able to find a publisher 
through the ordinary channels. 

The system of book-production, or perhaps 
more properly book-distribution, recently in- 
troduced by The Times and taken up by 
other great newspapers, and various pub- 
lishers of high standing, is quite a different 
matter. This is the method of "payment by 
instalments," and whatever one's private 
feelings in reference to the instalment sys- 
tem under any circumstances may be, there 
is no doubt that the innovation has resulted 
in many comparatively poor people having 
become the possessors of expensive works, 
which under ordinary circumstances would 
have been quite beyond their reach. Many 
thousands of copies of the "Encyclopaedia 
Britannica" have been distributed by this 
method, and among other standard works 
offered for sale in this way have been the 
"Dictionary of national biography," 66 vols., 
Grove's "Dictionary of music." 4 vols., Mor- 
ley's "Life of Gladstone," 3 vols., "The En- 
cyclopaedia of names," and others. 

Price. 

The chief question agitating the book world 
at present, so far as librarians are concerned, 
is that of price. A few years ago practically 
all books were subject to a discount of 25% 
to the public, and anything from 25% to 
40% to libraries. During the last few years, 
however, the great publishing houses have 
mutually agreed to fix net prices at which 
their publications are offered for sale. Al- 



most all books except works of fiction are 
now published "net." As a result, libraries 
which spend hundreds of thousands of 
pounds a year on books get no better terms 
than individuals who spend as many pence. 
Librarians somewhat naturally contend that 
this is not fair, and not on a parallel with 
terms in other trades, where discounts vary 
in proportion to the amount of business 
done. Up to the present, however, the pub- 
lishers stand firm or obstinate. Undoubted- 
ly they are losing a certain amount of cus- 
tom, as many books are being waited for until 
they get into the second-hand market that 
would be bought new if a small reduction 
were made. It is only reasonable to suppose, 
however, that the publishers are quite aware 
of this and consider that the loss is counter- 
balanced by the gain. The Library Associa- 
tion has discussed the question more than 
once, and has endeavored to come to some 
agreement with publishers, but so far 
vainly. A proposal at a recent monthly 
meeting for co-operative book-buying has re- 
sulted in the appointment of a standing Com- 
mittee on Book-Production, whose object is 
not merely to consider the net book ques- 
tion, but "to watch over all points connected 
with book-production, in regard to the 
methods of issue, prices, bibliographical de- 
tails, binding, etc., and to obtain, if possible, 
the co-operation of American and European 
societies of similar character." 

Fashions and "Crazes'' 

In the book world as in all things there is 
a constant succession of ''fashions." The five 
or six volume novel of the i8th century gave 
way to the three volume novel of the iQth 
century. In the last decade of that cen- 
tury, the three volume novel gave way to the 
one volume novel at six shillings, and this 
will apparently have hard work to hold its 
own against the three-and-sixpenny or even 
sixpenny novel of the near future. 

In the i8th and early IQth centuries, many 
volumes of biography and poetry were is- 
sued in handsome quarto volumes. To-day 
such volumes in these classes are practically 
unknown. 

Perhaps the most notable feature to-day 



54 



ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. 



is the large number of expensive "series" 
and cheap "series." 

As typical examples of the expensive sets 
may be mentioned "Goupil's historical series" 
which appears to find a ready sale at 63/- net 
a volume, unbound; "Historical monograph*'' 
of which the first volume has just been is- 
sued at 42/- net; "The Victoria history of 
the counties of England" of which about 10 
volumes have been issued at one guinea and 
a half net a volume, (this great undertaking 
is to be completed in 160 volumes costing 
240) ; and others. 

The cheap series are naturally much more 
numerous, and quite one of the features of 
modern book production is the large number 
of classical works that can be had in a com- 
pact, neat, handy form, in a cloth binding for 
a very small sum. The fashion in this direc- 
tion was begun by Messrs. Dent & Co., with 
their Temple Classics and so great was the 
success of these charming little volumes, 
which are publihed in cloth at 1/6 net and 
lambskin at 2/-net, that imitations galore 
followed within a very short time. Methuen's 
"Little library," Newnes's "Thin-paper series," 
Nelson's "New century library," "The unit 
library" (the prices of which are fixed by 
the number of sheets the volumes contain), 
Grant Richards's "World's classics," a 
wonderful series at i/- net a volume, and 
"Cassell's national library" at 6d net a vol- 
ume, are some of the most popular of these 
cheap series.. 

In addition to these "series," which are all 
duodecimo volumes in cloth cases, many hun- 
dreds of standard works can now be had in 
paper covers at 6d. A sixpenny book is no 
new fashion, but whereas the works formerly 
published in this way were almost entirely 
fiction not of the highest quality many 
standard works of fiction are now to be had, 
and in addition a large number of important 
works of general literature by such writers 
as Newman, Huxley, Matthew Arnold, 
Clodd, and others. 

A recent innovation in the publishing 
world is the system, introduced by Messrs. 
A. & C. Black, of including in their publica- 



tions reproductions in color of illustrations 
by eminent artists. Some of the works issued 
in this way are very beautiful and have met 
with a well deserved success. 

Statistics. 

No doubt the subject would be incomplete 
without a reference to statistics. The follow- 
ing table, taken from the Publishers' Circular 
for January 2, 1904, gives a comparative 
statement of the books issued in the years 
1902 and 1903. 



Divisions 


1902 


1903 


|| 


> 

OT3 


H 


* 


Theology, Sermons, Biblical, etc.. . 
Educational, Classical, and Phi- 


567 


81 


639 


63 




5O4 


68 


650 


OH 


Novels, Tales, and Juvenile Works 




727 


I,8,S9 


801 


Law, Jurisprudence, etc 


88 


46 


57 


3 


Political and Social Economy, 
Trade and Commerce 


4 6^ 


130 


509 


100 


Arts, Science, and Illustrated 










Works 


420 


44 


413 


32 


Voyages, Travels, Geographical 










Research 


162 


38 


172 


34 


H istory, Biography, etc 


480 


57 


482 


9 1 


Poetry and the Drama 


272 
4 o8 


76 


33 
457 


88 


Year-Books and Serials in Volumes 


Medicine, Surgery, etc 


'53 


84 


187 


95 


Belles-Lettres, Essays, Mono- 












227 


44 
147 


284 
687 


319 


Miscellaneous, including Pamph- 
lets, not Sermons 




^ 




6,699 


1,682 






5,839 




6,699 






7,38i 




8,381 



Statistics can be made to prove anything. 
An American writer, Dr. E. C. Richardson, 
has made a justifiable protest against the 
method adopted in some countries of in- 
cluding in such summaries as the above all 
pamphlets and parts of books and magazines, 
the numbers thus obtained giving an entirely 
false idea for purposes of comparison of the 
book production of various nations. I believe 
the above table to be a bona fide state- 
ment of the number of actual books produced 
in this country, and if statements compiled 
on the same lines were available for all 
countries, there is little doubt that Great Brit- 
ain and America would be found to be the 
leading nations in the matter of "Book-pro- 
duction." 



CHILOVI. 



55 



SOME PENDING MATTERS OF IMPORTANCE. 

A COMMUNICATION FROM DESIDERIO CHILOVI, Librarian Biblioteca Nasionale Centrale 

di Firense. 



To Mr. Herbert Putnam: 

T REGRET to have delayed so long in re- 
sponding to the courteous letter with 
which you have honored me. I had hoped 
that my health would improve sufficiently 
to enable me to attend the International 
Congress of Librarians, about to meet in 
St. Louis. But it is now only too evident 
that I shall be unable to undertake the jour- 
ney, greatly as I desire to do so, and with 
much regret I find myself obliged to renounce 
the great pleasure of seeing you again, and of 
making the personal acquaintance of many 
,iibrarian!s whom I have always esteemed 
most highly, as also that of seeing in prac- 
tical operation the taws governing American 
libraries. . . . 

You will, I trust, permit an old Italian 
librarian to state what, in his opinion and 
according to his most earnest desire, this 
Congress of Librarians which is to meet in 
America should accomplish. Assuredly the 
study and knowledge of the history, present 
condition and administration of libraries of 
different nations is of great importance: and 
even more so is an acquaintance with the 
special function of each library in the general 
plan of national education whether assigned 
by the government or not. Thus the mere 
comparison of the amounts granted to vari- 
ous libraries, and of the methods pursued by 
them, would be useful. 

But since, as you have stated, all this 
may be learned through printed papers, it 
would seem to me to be very desirable that 
on this occasion all themes dealt with in 
the public discussions should be international 
in character; for that which is most urgent, 
and yet most difficult of accomplishment, is 
to bring the librarians of the various coun- 
tries into accord upon certain questions. The 
special conditions existing in the libraries 
of any nation may be examined with ease and 
discussed to advantage by the librarians of 
that country in their own conferences, as is 



done each year with such good results by 
the American Library Association. On the 
other hand, if one of the foreign librarians, 
taking part in the Congress, should wish to 
make his memoir more widely known or to 
present a proposition which in his judgment 
would be useful, I should concede that he 
might have printed copies of his paper dis- 
tributed among the members of the Congress, 
as an homage to that body, but upon the 
condition that it should not be read or dis- 
cussed unless bearing upon some subject 
which should come within the scope of the 
program as planned by the Executive Board. 

Thus if my health should permit, I myself 
would take advantage of this occasion to 
send you a printed memoir upon a subject 
which is not of international interest, and 
which for this reason does not need the 
approval of the entire body. If those libra- 
rians who judged it useful for their own 
institutions should accept its suggestions, its 
purpose would be accomplished. 

The educational congresses in Europe 
(namely at London and at Paris) did not 
greatly further the international relations of 
libraries. The French do not accept with 
cordiality the propositions made by the Ger- 
mans; the Germans value little those of the 
French; the English confine themselves to 
their own libraries, which are very different 
from ours. 

The international congress convened in free 
America will find there a land friendly to all 
and, what is of great importance, one which 
offers splendid examples worthy of imitation 
and study. 

Now I believe that if you will announce 
with the authority which you possess because 
of your official position, and still more, by 
reason of the innovations which in so short 
a time you have succeeded in introducing 
in the Library of Congress, if you will an- 
nounce, I say, in the name of the American 
Library Association that the Congress about 
to meet shall deal exclusively with the inter- 



ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. 



national relations of the great libraries of the 
world, and the assistance which they should 
render to the common cause as well as to 
the smaller libraries, I firmly believe that 
this Congress will be forever remembered as 
making an advance in civilization, not only 
in the study of bibliography, but also in that 
of the administration of libraries. 

In the field of our own study and activities, 
the subjects which might be discussed and 
acted upon are numerous. 

To enumerate these subjects is easy; to 
choose among them is not so easy. The most 
difficult of all is the introduction of a univer- 
sally accepted symbol to indicate and explain 
the meaning of an inappropriate, capricious, 
ambiguous or fantastic title, even to one who 
does not understand the language in which the 
book is written. It is of little use to read in 
a catalog the title of a book when it is not 
possible to judge from that title of what sub- 
ject the book treats. And here it seems to 
me, and I have said as much publicly, that 
the symbol, or classification number of the 
Dewey decimal system would serve best as 
an international symbol, leaving full liberty 
to each librarian to use his own system in 
the systematic arrangement of his literary 
stores and in his own catalogs. 

The international symbol, or classification 
number, as I regard it, will be merely a means 
of indicating to all librarians the contents of 
a book, even if written in Chinese. 

The numerical symbol adopted by the 
Royal Society of London does not answer 
this purpose; for among other reasons it does 
not embrace the whole field of knowledge, 
and it does not show in what form the author 
-presents his book. 

Be it one system or another, what is im- 
portant is that in co-operative card catalogs, 
'bibliographies, etc., the character of each 
book should be indicated by a symbol or clas- 
sification number universally understood. 

It is furthermore advisable that the Con- 
gress should recommend the custom of send- 
ing with each book a printed slip and also, 
as is done by the Royal Society of London, 
the R. Institute Lombardo in Milan, etc., 
of giving the corresponding slips with the 
lists of titles of the memoirs which appear 
in the publications of learned societies and in 
library and scientific reviews. Each of these 
printed slips should have its respective clas- 



sification number. How much more useful 
the titles of the university theses printed in 
Berlin, Paris and elsewhere would be if they 
bore a symbol which would make clear to all, 
librarians as well as students, the subject 
discussed in each thesis ! As it is, every 
library is obliged to examine for itself each 
of these titles, often with great difficulty and 
at an enormous loss of time. 

The Congress should also urge upon the 
governments there represented to send such 
printed slips with all publications issued or 
subsidized by them. This would be similar 
to the work undertaken by the International 
Congress in London to collect the necesary 
material and publish a catalog of scientific 
literature. It is impossible to estimate how 
much such arrangements would facilitate co- 
operative work in bibliography and of how 
much more use such works would be to li- 
braries and to students. As proof of this 
I would cite the bibilographic publications of 
the International Institute in Brussels. 

The compilation of an approved list of 
abbreviations in various languages to be used 
in bibliographical works would also be a work 
of great value. 

Furthermore, arrangements should be made 
to establish a form of correspondence to be 
adopted and practice to be followed by 
the great libraries in order to facilitate biblio- 
graphic research, and information as to the li- 
brary in which any desired book may be found. 

Better provisions should be made for in- 
ternational interchange; but that is not 
enough. It will be necessary to find new 
methods of furthering this interchange in 
order to make international loaning easier 
and to bring about what the Germans call 
transmarine exchange to the fullest possible 
extent, not only of manuscripts and of rare 
books, but also, in cases of recognized neces- 
sity, of ordinary books, or, to express it bet- 
ter and more clearly, of books which are ordi- 
nary in one country whereas in another they 
are not to be found at all. 

Ways and means should be sought by 
which a great library may aid those of other 
nations in the choice and in the acquisition of 
the books best adapted to represent in dis- 
tant countries the literary and scientific prog- 
ress of its own country, etc., etc. 

And now one more consideration. 

How much more successful would this 



BIAGI. 



57 



Congress be, and how much more productive 
of results for us Europeans, if each subject 
of international character should be examined 
by prominent American librarians, and if their 
papers should be printed and distributed. 
They would form a publication similar to the 
report on the history, conditions and man- 
agement of American libraries, published at 
Washington in 1876, by the Bureau of Edu- 
cation. These memoirs, read by all before 
the opening of the Congress, would aid and 
guide public discussion, having been written 
under the restrictions previously agreed upon. 
In answer to your question concerning the 
new building for our library, I can, as yet, 
say nothing definite, because the second com- 
petition in which twelve Italian architects 
are entered, remains open to December 31 
of the current year. The library will be built 
on the place mentioned, near Santa Croce, 
the Pantheon of the great Italians. It will 
have in the arrangement of the interior some 
entirely new features. Among these is that 
the hall for the distribution of books will be 
the center of the library. There will be spe- 
cial reading rooms for manuscripts, periodi- 
cals, etc. There will be "la sala dei reparti," 
which does not exist in any other library and 
does not even appear in my original project 
of 1892. It will be a success, I am confident, 



and well adapted for administrative purposes. 

Students will find rooms reserved for bib- 
liographical research : the large rooms for 
the catalog of books in our possession, and 
others for catalog and cards merely for con- 
sultation. The material for this has been in 
preparation for some time. 

Moreover, in the new library, the Archives 
of Italian literature (at the present 500,000 
letters) will have a worthy place. There will 
be a bibliographical museum; two monuments, 
one in honor of Dante, and the other in honor 
of Galileo, etc., etc. 

And now, thanking you once more for your 
honorable invitation, I conclude by predicting 
that the Congress about to meet will leave 
an indelible trace as regards its interna- 
tional usefulness. I also predict that every 
librarian in leaving hospitable America will 
feel tied to all the other librarians by the 
bond of intelligent and cordial fraternity, 
and will depart with the desire and purpose 
of rendering mutual aid. Thus alone will he 
be able to make his own library more efficient 
and more useful to the student; for the 
book is the open letter which moves, main- 
tains and brings to perfection an exchange of 
ideas, sentiments and purposes, bristling with 
life between people different by nature and 
circumstances. 



A NOTE ON ITALIAN LIBRARY AFFAIRS. 
By DR. GUIDO BIAGI, Biblioteca Mediceo-Laurenziana, Florence, Italy. 



TV/I" Y friend Chilovi, the dean of our Italian 
librarians and the head of the most 
important national library in Italy, the Na- 
zionale Centrale of Florence (formerly Mag- 
liabecchiana) my friend Chilovi, a pioneer 
of all library improvements, and myself were 
both requested to present to this conference 
papers on the library situation in Italy. 

But we have both imitated the example of 
the famous preacher, who had only one pet 
sermon in his stock one on confession. 
This preacher being summoned on a certain 
occasion to speak in honor of St. Joseph, be- 
gan with the words: "St. Joseph was a car- 
penter, and in this quality should have made 
confessionals. Therefore I will speak to you 
of the confession." 



And cur "confession" will be this: That it 
is preferable to write about international li- 
brary congresses, as my friend Chilovi has 
done with his unwearied enthusiasm, or to 
speak of some peculiar features of Italian li- 
brary work, as I propose to do, than to write 
upon the library situation in Italy. 

In the life of nations, as well as in that 
of individuals, there are days and years 
which in the book of the memory should be 
marked out with a black scratch. 

These are the periods of sore disease, when 
we feel discouraged, depresssd, abated, weak; 
when the heat of fever throbs in our veins, 
when the times of crisis come for the fate of 
a patient. 

The fire of the 26th January in the 



ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. 



National Library of Turin, the tremendous 
misfortune which deprived us of so many 
glorious treasures of culture, and which ought 
to have revealed the imminent dangers with 
which the ancient libraries are threatened 
that fire was the fever fortunately followed 
by a beneficial crisis. The alarm was given 
and the government, the parliament and the 
citizens began to seek for the dangers and 
for the remedies. An inquiry was made to 
learn the real conditions of the 31 other pub- 
lic libraries of the government, including 
university libraries, and the result was that 
no one of them could be considered thor- 
oughly safe from harm. Then an act was 
presented by the government to the parlia- 
ment, at the end of June, in order to have 
a special fund for rebuilding some parts of 
the destroyed library, and for preventing the 
dangers of fire in the other royal libraties and 
in the national archives, where are preserved 
the documents of our history and art. The 
Hon. P. Boselli wrote on that occasion an 
admirable report in which the most important 
questions concerning the libraries are pointed 
out and examined, and made a motion, 
adopted by the government, to cover by a 
special law all the library field. When the 
law is carried out, I trust that the whole mat- 
ter will be settled in a definite way, so that 
we may look with firm security to our glo- 
rious collections, and with cheterful con- 
fidence to the future results of the educational 
public library to be established by the same 
act. 

As this is a peculiar feature of our present 
library work, we need a classification of 
libraries ; we need the help of such public 
libraries as those started first in England in 
1850 under the Ewart Act, which in this 
country have found such a favorable soil for 
growth. Our government libraries, a few ex- 
cepted, are obliged to accomplish a double 
task to be a laboratory for scholarly work, 
and at the same time to be an educational 
library for young students. And this double 
task is to be accomplished with the same 
stock, so that a pupil of a secondary school 
may have at home for his school work a val- 
uable edition of a classic, lent by the library; 
so that a girl of a high school can read for 
the first time a Shakespearean drama in a 
valuable edition with precious engravings in 



the original English binding of the i8th cen- 
tury. 

All this, I fancy, will appear rather ex- 
traordinary to you ; but it is the natural result 
of the extreme freedom of our regulations 
about lending books and manuscripts, with- 
out any fee or material guarantee. Every- 
body who has in Italy an official position is 
entitled to the loan of five books from a 
government library; and in some towns 
where as in Rome there are seven li- 
braries, a single person can get 35 books with- 
out any expense. And the same persons can 
sign a guaranty for outsiders ; and each of 
these is entitled to a loan of three books from 
every library, always without any expense. 
Moreover the government libraries, united 
under the same rules, interchange with all 
institutions of public instruction, with one 
another and with several town and provincial 
libraries, with free postage; so that books 
and manuscripts journey from one end to 
the other of the peninsula, from Palermo to 
Venice, without any expense to those who use 
them, and the different libraries of the king- 
dom become, in this way, one single library. 
As you see, our libraries do their best for the 
public, without any requital. The time is 
coming when the nation ought to do some- 
thing more for her libraries. The desired 
law must consider all kinds of libraries 
not only those ruled by the government; we 
have town libraries, provincial libraries, libra- 
ries in monasteries and in chapters, libraries 
supported by private associations, by insti- 
tutes; they are all scattered here and there, 
on the top of our Alps and Appenines in a 
silent convent, with battlemented walls 
in the churchyard of one of those artistic 
cathedrals where every stone speaks a gloomy 
story of the past they are all the patrimony 
of the nation, like our pictures and statuary, 
like our art treasures. Speed the day when 
they may be considered by our people, and 
by our rulers, more precious than the mil- 
lions of the treasury, than the dirty bills of 
the national banks ! 

However, a great step forward was made 
when the motion for a library law was 
adopted by the Italian Government, and let 
us hope that in the next International Li- 
brary Conference we may be able to talk to- 
gether about the law and its good results. 



BIAGI. 



59 



In the meantime, it will be useful to ex- 
amine what we are doing, both on the educa- 
tional and on the scholarly side. The trav- 
elling libraries have found a patron in the 
Ministry of Agriculture, Industry and Com- 
merce in Rome, where a special department 
is devoted to this undertaking The wood- 
cases, with a selected collection of useful 
books, carry far away to the most remote 
towns and villages the benefit of instruction 
and education. You may be proud of this 
result; you can repeat with Milton: 

"I gave, thou sayest, the example, I led the way." 

The popular lending libraries, founded 
forty years ago by Antonio Bruni, and after- 
wards neglected, have now a new and vig- 
orous revival, because we have now new and 
vigorous allies, the women; and one of them, 
Countess Maria Pasolini, must here be men- 
tioned not only as the founder and the sup- 
porter of two lending libraries in Ravenna 
and in Peargamo, but as an apostle, a con- 
vinced and convincing one, of the best read- 
ing, who reads and illustrates with critical 
notes the books bought and presented. 

We have the emigrants' libraries collected 
and presented by the Dante Alighieri Society, 
an institution for the promotion of Italian 
language, to the ships where the emigrants 
are crowded in the steerage, to help their 
first steps in the new life of hope and labor. 

On the other side, the scholarly one, much 
more has been done. Bibliographical re- 
search is now more easy, and fresh and 
important material of information is daily 
gathered by our scholarly society, by our pro- 
fessors of the university and secondary 
schools and by our students. The theses 
presented every year for a diploma or degree 
in our universities, are full of up-to-date ma- 
terial, collected with patient diligence and 
with admirable skill. Our scientific methods, 
learned in Germany, are serious and by our 
practical results justified. Guglielmo Marconi 
has justified his master, the professor of the 
Bologna University. Augusto Righi. Alfredo 
Trombetti, a self-made philologist, has scien- 
tifically established the affinity of all the lan- 
guages of the world, and the results of a 
decade of laborious work have been recog- 
nized by the highest German authority. 

The libraries are also with us th,e labora- 
tories of science; and librarianship is now 



considered as a profession, no longer as a 
pastime or a sinecure. I hope to start this year 
in Florence an international library school, 
for the study of ancient culture and of Amer- 
ican improvements, in a friendly exchange of 
mutual aids. We reproduce our most 
precious manuscripts, like the Pandects of 
Justinian, the two Laurentian Tacitus, the 
Venetian Homer and Aristophanes, the Laur- 
entian Aeschylus for the benefit of scholars 
abroad; and we would be willing to repro- 
duce and perpetuate in the same way all our 
archetypes if some Carnegie would support 
the material expense; we would also send to 
you the bulk, the iuice of the ancient knowl- 
edge, if you can find a patron for this grand 
undertaking. 

If you like culture and learning, you may 
aid us in these enterprises. You cannot limit 
your work to the modern output only, you 
must go farther and take some interest in the 
sources of our modern culture. Leaining is 
a very ancient pedigree, of which you should 
know the ancestors, the trunk and thr roots. 
And now let me have the honor of pre- 
senting to the A. L. A. on behalf of the two 
editors, Giosue Carducci, our great Italian 
poet, and Vittorio Fiorini, his learned pupil, a 
copy of the new edition of the Rerum Itali- 
carum Scriptores of Muratori, critically re- 
vised and completed. What the value of the 
Muratori collection is does not need to be 
stated to an audience of librarians. All the 
history of the Middle Ages, as in Monu- 
menta Germanics, is gathered in these vol- 
umes. A new edition adequate to the 
modern needs of science was necessary, 
and the parts hitherto published prove that 
this admirable undertaking could not be 
better performed. Giosue Carducci and 
Vittorio Fiorini deserve the praise of your 
American scholars, as they deserved that of 
the International Historical Congress of 
Rome in April, 1903. 

But these two words International Con- 
gress remind me of an important plan which 
must be carried out before this Conference 
is over. You all remember the powerful and 
eloquent speech of that great Kentucky man, 
President Francis, who gave us his hearty 
welcome. 

Since I tame here, I have had several times 
the privilege of hearing Governor Francis on 
the stand, and each time I applauded not only 



6o 



ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. 



his eloquence, but the practical appropriate- 
ness of his views. Last Monday he proposed 
an International Library Association, and he 
anticipated that this might be the result of 
the international character of this World's 
Fair. I think that an International Federa- 
tion of Library Associations and of Biblio- 
graphical Societies, which are substantially 
the same, should be established here, with 
the co-operation of all the foreign delegates. 
This is the right moment, it seems to me. 
We have assisted at the birth of the Biblio- 



graphical Society of America, why cannot we 
also assist at another baptism, with Governor 
Francis as godfather? 

There are many international questions 
which cannot be resolved in these rare con- 
gresses, and which deserve a continuous prep- 
aration and care. Such a federation would 
constitute a strong and powerful organization, 
worthy of consideration and respect. There 
are leagues of tradesmen, why not a league 
of learned men, for the benefit of science and 
mankind ? 



THE ORGANIZATION OF STATE SUPPORTED LIBRARIES IN NORWAY. 
BY HAAKON NYHUUS, Librarian Det Deichmanske, Bibliothek, Christiania, Norway. 



TV/T Y limited time will not permit me to 
*** enter extensively into the library his- 
tory of Norway. And yet much could be said 
on that subject. A century ago representa- 
tives of enlightened rationalism, then in vogue 
all over Europe, endeavored to start small 
parochial libraries for the benefit of the peo- 
ple in the thinly populated country districts, 
suffering from the effects of hard times and 
unfortunate wars. Anyone, who would take 
the trouble of studying this subject, would 
certainly be impressed with the sight of a 
people hungering, physically and mentally, for 
lack of food and books. The difficulties 
which the Norwegians of a century ago had 
to contend with can hardly be conceived by 
a man of to-day, surrounded as he is with 
books, overfed with printed matter. At that 
time there were few books in the homes of 
the average citizens ; now almost all homes 
have their bookcase. If I could lay before 
you the literary output of Norway during the 
first 30 years of the iQth century, it would 
be clearly understood that there were not 
enough books published in the country to 
furnish libraries. 

The Patriotic Society of Norway (Sels- 
kabet for Norgesvel) in 1838 issued a catalog 
of best books for parochial libraries, a 
pamphlet of 16 pages in I2mo., containing 
a list of about 80 books and pamphlets. 
Many, if not most, of them were not suited 
for the purpose. How these early libraries 
of Norway could fill their mission and do the 
work they really did is indeed astonishing. 



They were libraries without books and with- 
out librarians. 

The municipal reform of 1837, which 
brought self-government to the Norwegian 
municipalities, forced the farmer to read in 
order to enable him to take part in politics. 
And it was not long before the Storting 
was asked to grant money for the estab- 
lishment of rural libraries. Already in 1836 
it was moved that the Storting should 
grant $25 to each school district for the 
purchase of books for public use. The motion 
did not pass, however, but 5 years later the 
Storting voted $2000 for the establishment of 
such libraries. During the following 30 years 
the Storting granted about $6000. From 1876 
the budget of Norway has always made some 
provision for the support of libraries. Start- 
ing with $2000 the amount has now reached 
$6000 a year. The amount granted to any one 
library does not exceed $54 (200 kroner). 
For many years the Education Department 
limited its library efforts to the disbursement 
of said appropriation. But in 1901 the Minis- 
ter of Education requested Mr. Karl Fischer 
of the University Library of Kristiania, Mr. 
Heiberg, chief of Bureau in the Education 
Department, and myself to form a library 
committee to plan a new organization for the 
state supported libraries. In the same year 
we submitted to the department our report : 
"Public libraries in Norway." Next year I 
entered the service of the department to carry 
out the plans of the library committee. 
The problem laid before the committee was 



NYHUUS. 



6l 



not easily solved. Norway had about 750 
mostly small libraries scattered all over the 
country from North Cape to Lindesnes, a 
distance of about 900 miles. The librarians 
had no training. We had no library schools. 
We had no handbooks in library economy. 
It seemed almost a hopeless case. If we 
could have expected to get an appropriation, 
we should certainly have advised the depart- 
ment to start a library school, to send out 
library organizers, to publish handbooks. 
But the prosperous times which we had en- 
joyed for several years came to a sudden end 
in 1901, and we had to give up any plan that 
would cost money. 

So we took up the question of co-opera- 
tion. If we could consolidate all the 75 
libraries into one library association, would 
not that give us strength and make the work 
easier? The more closely we followed the 
idea of co-operation, the more clearly we saw 
that this was the only solution for us. 

We went to the publishers and told them 
about our plans. The state-supported libra- 
ries of Norway had consolidated themselves 
into one union of 750 members. Were the 
publishers willing to give 20-25% discount 
on their books? They could expect to sell 
books for $10,000 or more a year. The Edu- 
cation Department would issue a catalog of 
the books selected. No other agency in the 
country would furnish a demand for books 
to equal that of the library ring. The cata- 
log would be a good advertisement. The li- 
braries would stop buying second-hand books, 
if they could get new copies at reasonable 
prices. I do not know if the American pub- 
lishers have the same difficulties to struggle 
with as their European brethren have. Copies 
given to papers and journals, and prominent 
citizens, and well-known reviewers, are 
thrown on the market in one way or another. 
One copy given away is a copy less sold. 
When the librarians go to the second-hand 
shops they do not buy according to carefully 
made-up lists, but they are tempted to 4 .ake 
what they find on the counter and books sold 
at a bargain. But our aim was to stop buying 
books in such ways We liked to induce the 
libraries to buy new and clean copies of 
good books. 

In order to give a selection of the best Nor- 
wegian books the Education Department 
asked the good services of a score of well- 



known literary and scientific men. Every 
one consented to do his share of the work. 
I think it speaks highly of the interest for 
public education in Norway that so many 
busy, scientific men and captains of industry 
volunteered to serve. 

As we intended to make it a condition tor 
state support that the books bought with pub- 
lic money should be selected from the catalog 
of the Department, it must necessarily cover 
a wide field. The books selected should be 
there in sufficient number, and the different 
views should be represented. The only con- 
dition sine qua non should be that the books 
should be worth reading. 

To my share fell the task of collecting the 
material for the literary advisers. As soon 
as possible I laid before them lists of books 
in their different departments. When the 
material was returned it was found that about 
3000 books were accepted; about 1200 were 
works of fiction, about 700 were non-fictional 
books. At once I went to work preparing the 
catalog. After some hesitation I decided to 
use the Decimal system of Dr. Dewey. I had 
hoped that a new edition would have ap- 
peared, amended, altered, revised. But, I 
am sorry to say, no such edition came, and I 
had to use the old carriage with its ten 
wheels, some of which are a little loose and 
shaky from wear and tear. 

So it happened that 750 libraries in Norway 
in the course of time probably will be class- 
ified according to the system of Dr. Dewey. 
Our plan i"s that all the state-supported li- 
braries should use the numbers, which they 
find in the catalog issued by the Education 
Department. And we intend every year by 
the ist of April to issue a supplement to the 
catalog, containing the books which have been 
published in the course of the year, recorded 
and cataloged according to the rules once 
laid down. To guard against abuse all orders 
for books must be issued in duplicate, one 
copy to be sent to the bookseller, the other to 
the department. 

The booksellers send, the books ordered to 
a bindery controlled by the Department, 
where they are bound in a uniform cloth 
binding. The cover used is called granitol, 
made in Germany. The inside cover is spe- 
cially designed for the state-supported libra- 
ries. Every book has an ex-libris, book-card 
and pocket. The number of the book, its au- 



62 



ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. 



thor and title are printed on a paper label. 
Some libraries pay extra for gilding. But 
the great majority use the ordinary binding, 
which costs 0.40 kr. (n cents) a volume re- 
gardless of size. 

In this way the libraries receive their books 
ready for the shelves. The bound volumes 
are neatly wrapped up in the bindery and sent 
free of charge by mail as public business. 
When checked by the librarians they are 
ready for use. 

Our system of co-operation does not stop 
here. We keep the main catalog and supple- 
ments in type and on demand make finding 
lists for the different libraries. So far we 
have printed 15 catalogs containing from 200 
to 3000 books. Printing is rather expensiv 
in Norway, and the means of the libraries are 
very limited indeed. But in this way we hope 
that a great many libraries will get their own 
catalogs. In a city library you can get along 
very well with a card catalog and open 
shelves. But in sparely populated country 
districts it is of great value to have inex- 
pensive finding lists to spread all over the 
field. 

Our libraries certainly have many books 
which are not found in the catalog of the 
Department. This is one of the drawbacks 
of our system. But we do the best we can 
to get over this difficulty. Libraries with a 
stock of old and obsolete books are advised 
to put them aside as a special collection. 
Their current books, if not already in our 
catalogs, are classified and cataloged, but 
not printed, free of charge, when they or- 
der a separate catalog. In this way the 
number of books cataloged is constantly in- 
creasing. The card catalog of the Education 
Department will be more complete and one 
day it will probably cover all the literature 
found in small and medium sized Norwegian 
libraries. 

From the start we have sold printed cards 
at the moderate price of 3 ore. (not fully i 
cent) apiece, the cards being also printed 
from the type of our catalogs. So far we 
have not dared to enter into subject work, 
but the day may not be so far off when we 
are going to issue a circular of information 
regarding dictionary cataloging. But we have 
to work our way slowly forward. 

Just before I left Norway I examined the 
first annual reports for 1903 which each li- 



brary has to submit to the department with 
the application for state support. The city 
libraries have all the way from one to seven 
issues a volume. The public library of Tron- 
dhjem is leading. It has 13,000 books and 
100,000 issues. It is organized and managed 
by Miss Martha Larsen, formerly of the 
New York State Library School in Albany 
and Deichmanske Bibliothek. The country li- 
braries have from one to three issues a vol- 
ume. The Department will probably refuse 
to support libraries which do not reach two 
to five issues a volume in the towns and one 
issue a volume in the country, or it will give 
them time to reach those figures. 

It is very difficult indeed to outline the 
future of the library movement in Norway. 
But I hope that we shall never give up the 
idea of co-operation. One of my favorite 
dreams is that one day all the state-supported 
public libraries in Norway shall use the same 
classification and the same lending system, 
that one central bureau shall do their catalog- 
ing, and that they all shall receive their books 
ready for the shelves. 

Our system may not prove so practical as 
we now have reason to hope. An actual test 
may show that the scheme looked better on 
paper than in real life. But even if it should 
go down it will have done much good in 
arousing library interest in our country. 

I see very plainly that there are too many 
libraries in the world, which do the same 
work over and over again. Many small li- 
braries are struggling hard with small results, 
when one expert should do the work. The 
finest cataloging, classification and indexing 
can only be done by experts. The same rules 
which govern the industrial world will pretty 
soon come down upon us. Each country will 
make use of a few high salaried experts, in a 
central or national library, and the great 
number of library workers will simply avail 
themselves of their efforts. And thus expert 
work can be within the reach of every li- 
brary in the land for the benefit of all its 
people. 

The library organization of Norway owes 
very much to American experts and to Amer- 
ican library progress in general. I think it 
would make all of you feel well pleased to see 
a small library under the polar circle using 
the latest American lending system. In our 
business we do not need to look upon each 



S TEEN BERG. 



other with anxious eyes, trembling that some- 
body might have stolen our latest patent. 
Any one of us who has been fortunate enough 
to do something to shorten the way between 
the book and an interested reader will be 
delighted to see his system and ideas copied 
and used. 



I admit and recognize with the greatest 
pleasure the influence of the American li- 
brary movement on our efforts in far away 
Norway. And in the name of the Norwegian 
state supported libraries I tender the Amer- 
ican librarians, who are here so prominently 
represented, our sincere thanks. 



RECENT PROGRESS IN THE POPULAR LIBRARIES OF DENMARK AND 
THEIR PRESENT CONDITIONS. 



BY ANDR. SCH. STEENBERG, Horsens, Denmark. 



"pOR understanding the place of the Danish 
popular libraries, "Folkebogsamlinger" 
(people's libraries), it is necessary to keep 
in mind that until now there has not been 
anything in Denmark which can be compared 
with the free public libraries of the English 
speaking nations. The difference between 
these free libraries and the Danish libraries 
for the sake of brevity "libraries" in this 
article means popular libraries will easily 
be understood from the fact that nearly all 
the Danish libraries are without a reading 
room. They give out books for home-reading 
and these books for the most part (75 per cent, 
and more) are fiction. They are open only 
a few hours every week and have no trained 
librarians. 

In 1885 an inquiry was made of the condi- 
tions of the popular libraries. The results 
were published in 1889.* Of the 1697 parishes 
in Denmark 1068 had libraries; some exten- 
sive parishes had more than one. 318 of them 
were the property of the municipality, the 
other of reading associations; out of these, 
105 received a small grant from the munici- 
pality. A further inquiry into the materials 
on which this report was founded, shows that 
the larger part of those libraries was very 
small; they contained only a few hundred 
volumes, some of them less, and had often 
not more than 8-10 borrowers. They de- 
pended for their existence on the interest 
taken by a single person (generally the teach- 
er.) Such libraries had of course but little 
vitality and resisting power. 

* Beretning fra Komiteen til Understottelse af 
Sogne-og lignende Bogsamlinger om Sogne-og Sko- 
iebog-samlinger, printed in Ministerialtidende. B 
3889, Nr. 37, p. 915-19. 



For several reasons among them the 
vehement political struggle in the eighties 
and nineties the interest in the libraries 
was diminishing more and more. And when 
about the beginning of this century a new 
effort was made for bringing the libraries 
more forward in the public mind and giving 
them a more advanced position in the educa- 
tional work, it turned out that a great part 
of the libraries had perished. So heavy had 
the mortality been that even now, after eager 
work for the promotion of the libraries, the 
number of libraries cannot be more than 
half of the number recorded in 1885. The 
present situation, it must be understood, is 
for the most part the result of only a few 
years' work. 

What has been said here will apply mainly 
to the country. In the towns it was in earlier 
times the social clubs which had small li- 
braries (very often only fiction) for the use 
of their members. 

The last few years have seen the libraries 
advancing, though at a very slow pace. New 
libraries have been founded in the country, 
old ones have risen from the dead and the 
municipalities have begun to understand that 
the libraries ought to be supported. In the 
towns there has been progress also; 47 of the 
77 towns have now got public libraries pos- 
sessed or supported by the municipality. The 
government works for supporting and or- 
ganizing the libraries. And one of the most 
important advances is the fact that teachers 
and others have begun to ponder whether the 
schools teach their pupils in the proper way 
the difficult art of reading, and they begin to 
understand that the lack of good and well 
used libraries tells of a standard of education 



6 4 



ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. 



that has several defects in comparison with 
the education of some other nations. 

The popular libraries in Denmark can be 
grouped in three divisions the libraries in 
Copenhagen and the town Frederiksberg 
(lying close to Copenhagen), the libraries of 
the towns, and the village libraries.* 

The largest of the popular libraries in 
Copenhagen ( c. 400,000 inhabitants) is "The 
People's Libraries of the Municipality of 
Copenhagen" (Kobenhavns Kommunes Folke- 
biblioteker), founded in 1885. They contain 
seven libraries. The budget is c. $11,000, 
of which $5400 are spent by the municipality. 
They have a total of 45,000 volumes. In 1903 
they received 3094 new books, of which 2191 
were duplicates or books replacing worn out 
ones. The libraries are open five week days 
from 7-9 p. m. They are intended for the use 
of people only fairly well off. 70 per cent, 
of the borrowers belonged to this class; 
24 per cent, were women. The borrowers 
pay 4 c. every month. Their number was 
6000 on an average every month. 366,096 
volumes were given out (on an average 60 
volumes to every borrower, every book given 
out 8 times, every loan costs c. 2j^ c.) Three 
of the libraries had reading rooms, opened 
week days from 7-10 p. m. and Sundays from 
5-10 p. m. ; they have been visited about 11,000 
times. 

In these libraries has been incorporated 
the People's Library of the suburb Valby, 
which had 100 borrowers every month and 
gave out 12,000 volumes. 

"The People's Libraries of the Municipality 
of Frederiksberg" (Frederiksberg Kommunes 
Folkebiblioteker. Frederiksberg has c. 80,- 
ooo inhabitants) were founded in 1887. There 
are three libraries. Their budget is $2000, of 
which the municipality pays $1100. The li- 
braries contain 10,800 volumes. They are open 
9 months of the year, i l / 2 hours 4-5 times 
every week. The borrowers pay as in Copen- 
hagen; they numbered in 1902-3 1152 on an 
average every month. They come from the 
same classes as in Copenhagen ; 71 per cent, 
were men. 73,000 volumes were given out 
(on an average 63 volumes to every borrower, 

* In the following report the informations are 
based on library reports for 1903 or 1903-4, when 
not otherwise stated. 



every book given out 7 times ; every loan- 
costs 2 c.) There are no reading rooms. 

Besides these municipal libraries there are 
in Copenhagen many libraries founded by 
societies. Some of the most important are 
mentioned here. 

The Women's Reading Society (Kvindelig 
Laeseforening) was founded in 1872. Five 
ladies form the governing committee. The 
budget is $6000 ($540 grant from the gov- 
ernment). The staff has n persons, all 
ladies. The subscription is $2.70 a year. 
There were in 1902-3 12,700 members. The 
lending library contains 25,000 volumes ; it is 
open 11-4 and 6-8 p. m. ; the classification is 
a modified form of the Dewey classification ; 
the charging system is by book cards. 109,190 
volumes were given out (every borrower 40 
volumes, every volume lent out 4 times). 
There are much frequented reading rooms, 
with a reference library (500 volumes), news- 
papers and magazines, open 9 a.m.-io p.m. 
The society arranges lectures for its members. 

The Workingmen's Reading Society (Ar- 
bejdernes Laeseforening) is founded by work- 
ingmen and is governed by 12 members and 
a president (he has a salary of $60). The 
budget is $2500 (herein $150 from the govern- 
ment). The staff has 5 persons. There were 
2100 borrowers, who pay 10 c. monthly. 
The lending library has 9554 volumes; it is 
open 7-10 p.m.; 75,000 volumes were, given 
out (every borrower 35 volumes, every book 
given out 9 times). There are reading rooms 
open 10 a.m. to II p.m., with a reference li- 
brary (280 volumes), newspapers and maga- 
zines, where also new books are placed and 
given out; no account is given of these loans. 
The society arranges lectures and visits to 
the museums for its members. 

The Workingmen's Union of 1860 (Ar- 
bejderforeningen af 1860) is founded by well- 
to-do people for helping the workingmen. 
Besides other purposes it lends books to its 
members. The budget (for the library only) 
was $750. The lending library has 20,000 vol- 
umes ; 1300 borowers got 50,491 books (every 
borrower has got 70 books, every book was 
given out 2^ times). Reading rooms with- 
600 volumes, newspapers and magazines are 
open from 9 a.m. to n p.m. 

Smaller libraries are The Library of the 



S TEEN BERG. 



Young Men's Christian Association (Kriste- 
lig Ynglingeforenings Bibliotek), 2800 vol- 
umes, with 3000 volumes given out, and The 
Library of the Supply Association of Eastend 
(Osterbro Husholdningsforenings Bibliotek), 
3000 volumes, with 7000 volumes given out. 
The libraries of the towns, 47 in number, 
are founded in different ways, some by an 
association, some by a committee, a few by 
the municipality. But they are all supported 
with small sums by the municipality, for 
the most part also by lending of premises 
(in a school or in the town hall). Some of 
them are lodged in technical schools ; a few 
of them have their own building. Sometimes 
they get support from savings banks. They 
are opened a few hours every week. The 
borrowers get the books gratis, or generally 
by paying a small sum (c. 5-9 c.) every 
month. They have for the most part class 
divided, printed catalogs; a few have a 
dictionary catalog. The charging system is 
very often a card system. The 36 libraries, 
which are subsidized by the government in 
1904-5, have in all 100,000 volumes, 10,000 
borrowers (the population of these towns is 
together 300,000 persons) and gave out 226,- 
ooo volumes. On an average each library 
had 2500 volumes, 250 borrowers and 6000 
loans (every borrower got 23 books, every 
book was given out twice). Nine of the 
libraries had reading rooms. 

In four towns the library gives out books 
to the surrrounding country also. The bor- 
rowers out in the country, who participate 
in the management of the library, are organ- 
ized in reading circles and get boxed con- 
taining 10 books or more, sent to them; the 
boxes can be changed as often as the bor- 
rowers wish. The largest is the Library of 
Vardi (on the west side of Jutland) ; it has 
250 borrowers in the town and 550 in the 
country; it gives out 12,000 and 30,000 vol- 
umes to them. Two libraries have other 
arrangements for co-operation between town 
and country. 

Different from the common form of the 
town libraries is The Reading Society of 
the Diocese of Funen (Fyens Stifts Lsese- 
forening), founded 1838. It owns a large 
property in Odense (on the island Funen), 
with a large garden, where concerts are given. 
The staff consists of 5 persons. There are 
2055 members, who pay $3 (town people) and 



$2 (other members) in the year. The lend- 
ing library, open 10-1 and 3-7, contains 29,- 
ooo volumes and was used by 1689 borrowers. 
There are several reading rooms, with news- 
papers, magazines, and reference library (1260 
volumes), open 8 a.m.-ii p.m. 

The village libraries are often called parish 
libraries (Sognebogsamlinger) or reading so- 
cieties (Lseseforeninger). They are mostly 
founded by private means and are possessed 
by a society; a few are the property of the 
municipality; some of them get support from 
the municipality. In the last year the grants 
from the municipalities have been much more 
common because the government now, when 
subsidizing the libraries, takes into account 
whether the library has got local support. 
The libraries contain only a few hundred of 
volumes. The librarian is generally the teach- 
er, who works for the library without getting 
any fee. In many parishes the library is 
closed during the summer months. A few of 
the libraries have a reading room. The bor- 
rowers pay a small sum (20-60 c.) every 
year. Of these libraries there exist c. 450. 
In 1904-5 the government subsidizes 366 li- 
braries; they had together 140,000 volumes, 
16,000 borrowers and 300,000 loans; on an 
average every library had 400 volumes, 44 
borrowers and 800 loans (every borrower 
got 18 books, every book was given out twice 
in a year). 

Some of the village libraries have tried 
to help the smallness of their book stock by 
co-operation. On the island Samso, the li- 
braries have formed a central library (with 
a reading room), from which the district 
libraries every fall get a box containing c. 50 
volumes for use during the winter. In some 
parishes (with more than one school) the 
library is divided in parts, which are placed 
in the different schools and changed from 
school to school every year. Sometimes sev- 
eral parish libraries co-operate by mutual 
changing of their books or a part of them. 
Co-operation between town and the surround- 
ing country has been mentioned above. 

The Danish state subsidizes popular li- 
braries in two ways through the State Li- 
brary Commission, and through the Com- 
mittee for the Promotion of the People's 
Enlightenment. 

The State Library Commission (Statens 
Komite til Understottelse af Folkebogsamlin- 



66 



ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. 



ger) in 1899 succeeded a former commit- 
tee, whose only aim was to distribute grants 
from the government to the libraries. 
The commission spends yearly c. $4000. It 
distributes grants to the libraries, works for 
arousing the interest in public libraries and 
helps in organizing them. In 1904-5 it sub- 
sidizes 366 village libraries and 36 town li- 
braries (besides 6 in Copenhagen), with sums 
of from $2 to $54. 

A member of the commission gives lec- 
tures on libraries, followed by lantern slide 
pictures, or gives opening addresses to dis- 
cussions of libraries and reading. He works 
for getting the teachers interested in the li- 
brary question by lecturing at school meet- 
ings and on the normal schools. More re- 
cently the commission has taken up the ques- 
tion of the use of books in the schools 
and will soon publish a little book about it, 
which will be distributed to all Danish schools. 

For teaching the libraries how to manage 
a library the commission presents to every 
library a library handbook,* bound in a model 
binding, for helping them in choosing their 
books, the commission presents to them a 
catalog in two volumes,! containing the titles 
and prices of the best books for popular li- 
braries. The catalog has been published by 
the Royal Danish Agricultural Society; this 
society has through many years worked for 
agricultural and parish libraries; it published 
its first catalog in 1807. 

In order to help the libraries in the ar- 
rangement of the libraries, a member of the 
commission visits the libraries and gives 
advice about their management. 

As it often is very difficult for small village 
libraries, when founded, to get enough books 
to be able to begin to lend out, the 
commission lends to such libraries gratis, 
for six months, boxes containing 40-50 vol- 
umes. Every box has a printed catalog and a 
handy charging system. 

* A. S. Steenberg, Folkebogsamlinger, deres His- 
toric og Indretning. Aarhus og K6benhavn, 1900. 
vi. + 176 pages, 8. 

t Fortegnelse over Boger passendi for Sogne-og 
Landbrugs bibliotheker, udgivet af det kongelige 
danske Landhusholdningsselskab. Kj6benhavn, 1889. 
vn. + 151 pages, 8. Supplement to this book, 
Kobenhavn, 1902. vii. + 172 pages, 8. 



The commission sometimes receives books 
from private persons or public institutions 
for distribution to the libraries. 

The Committee for the Promotion of the 
People's Enlightenment (Udvalget for Folk- 
eoplysnings Fremme) was founded in 1866. 
It is the aim of the committee to publish 
books treating in an intelligent form sub- 
jects which enlarge and make clear the ap- 
prehension of the world and the human life. 
By support from the government the com- 
mittee is able to sell its books very cheap 
or give them away. To people's libraries 
and libraries in the public schools it has, 
since its foundation, presented books to the 
value of $13,000 (the last two years $900). 
But besides that it sends books to the soldiers' 
libraries, sailors' libraries, to teetotal so- 
cieties, young men's Christian associations, 
workingmen's clubs and to private persons 
(pupils in the common schools, "high 
schools," evening schools, normal schools, 
etc.). For this purpose it has spent $65,000 
(the last two years $8000). 

In this article the libraries, founded by 
associations, whose principal object is some- 
thing else than reading and enlightenment, 
are not mentioned. There are, and especially 
have been, many of them, but they are for the 
most part very small. The Teetotallers' As- 
sociation has formed a system of travelling 
libraries, sending books to the local associa- 
tions from a central library. 

From this account of the Danish popular 
libraries it may be seen that they do not play 
a prominent part in the educational work in 
Denmark. But upon the whole there are 
good conditions for their advancement. Dan- 
ish literature, if the smallness of the country 
is taken into consideration, can very well 
stand comparison with the literature of other 
countries ; more than 1000 new books are pub- 
lished every year. The public schoo], upon 
the whole, is well organized and great efforts 
are made for giving the young people a con- 
tinued education after they have left the 
school for children. The nation is not poor, 
and its democratic institutions are constantly 
developing. On these facts can be based a 
firm hope for a further development of popu- 
lar libraries in Denmark. 



LANGE. 



6 7 



DANISH RESEARCH LIBRARIES. 



BY H. O. LANGE, Principal Librarian, Royal Library, Copenhagen. 



*"pHE relation of popular libraries to re- 
search libraries is very different in Den- 
mark from what it is in the greater countries. 
The smallness of the Danish literature, com- 
pared with the literatures of the great nations, 
makes a serious study of any branch of hu- 
man knowledge (the national history, lan- 
guage and literature excepted) almost impos- 
sible to anybody who does not know one for- 
eign language or more. The purchase of 
books in other languages than the Dano-Nor- 
wegian becomes then the distinguishing fea- 
ture between the research libraries and the 
popular libraries. Only one Danish library, 
and that the youngest, the State Library, 
Aarhus, aims clearly and consciously at unit- 
ing both objects, but the financial resources 
of this library do not yet allow it to carry 
on the work of a research library to any 
great extent. 

Just as the popular libraries are essentially 
communal institutions, supported by the state 
in different ways, the research libraries with- 
out exception have been founded by the 
state and are supported by state means. Pri- 
vate initiative has not made itself felt in Den- 
mark in the case of libraries. The only re- 
search library founded by private initiative, 
the Classenian Science Library was in 1867 
united with the University Library. Big for- 
tunes are rare in this country, and as yet only 
very few people are fully awake to the real 
importance of libraries. 

On the other hand the present generation 
has incurred a heavy debt of gratitude to the 
long series of scholars and book-collectors 
of the past, whose libraries form the founda- 
tions of the present research libraries, as 
either the owners with a rare liberality placed 
them at the disposal of the state, or else they 
were bought by the state authorities. With- 
out the wise and strenuous exertions of these 
men, the research libraries of modern times 
would not be able to boast such literary 
treasures of the past. 



The small size of the country should make 
it practicable in Denmark to centralize the 
organization of the research libraries and to 
establish a thorough co-operation. A begin- 
ning has been made by publishing an annual 
catalog of the foreign literature yearly ac- 
quired by the research libraries. We must 
look to the future for a further development 
of this principle. Experience teaches that 
minor libraries connected with learned in- 
stitutions and serving more or less as refer- 
ence libraries for such institutions, are very 
difficult to incorporate in a larger whole. 

The abnormal size of the capital in relation 
to the total number of population (with sub- 
urbs containing about 490,000 of a total of 
2,500,000 inhabitants), and the fact that it is 
the seat of nearly all the learned institutions, 
will always make its two great libraries the 
chief seats of library life and traditions. The 
State Library at Aarhus in Jutland was first 
opened in 1902, and in course of time it may 
be reasonably expected to become of real im- 
portance for the development of learning in 
that part of the country, but as yet its means 
are too small. For the rest the Copen- 
hagen libraries lend their books to readers 
residing in the country, and when the reor- 
ganization of the Royal Library in its new 
building is complete this side of its work 
will be more developed. 

The Royal Library is the principal library 
of the country. It was founded in the middle 
of the I7th century by King Frederick in., 
who for that purpose erected the building 
in which it is still kept. Since that time it 
has, by the liberality of the kings and of 
private persons, acquired the most important 
of the literary treasures collected in this 
country. Its development has of late been 
hampered by the wholly inadequate local 
accommodation, and a new era in its exist- 
ence will begin, when in another two years 
it will be transferred to its new building now 
in course of erection. It is calculated to con- 



68 



ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. 



tain about 600,000 volumes (whereof about 
2600 are incunabula) and about 20,000 manu- 
scripts, and to this must be added large col- 
lections of music, maps, portraits, prints, and 
pamphlets innumerable. Last year's budget 
was 83,915 kroner 27 ore. The present staff 
consists of the principal librarian, two sub- 
librarians, 12 ordinary assistants, eight extra 
ordinary assistants, and three servants. Last 
year 41,410 volumes were issued to readers. 

All this will necessarily be altered in the 
course of the next few years. The new build- 
ing, with its large reading room and modern 
accommodations, will make a quite new de- 
velopment possible, which will make itself 
deeply felt. While the library in its capacity 
of a national library must preserve its national 
collections and will not be able, like a popular 
library, to place them in unrestricted cir- 
culation, it will be able in many other ways 
to make its great treasures of foreign litera- 
ture more useful for a larger public. 

The existence in the capital of the two 
great libraries and many smaller special li- 
braries has led to a certain specialization; 
thus the University Library gives special at- 
tention to the natural and the medical sciences, 
and the Royal Library to the liberal arts. 
It is possible that in a near future we shall 
see a further development of this specializa- 
tion in our research libraries. 

The University Library with the Classenian 
Library united to it is the oldest research li- 
brary in Denmark, having been founded, to- 
gether with the University, in 1482. The lit- 
erary treasures collected there were, however, 
almost entirely destroyed in the great fire of 
Copenhagen in 1728. Since that time it has 
risen again to a size of about 300,000 volumes, 
besides about 100,000 academical dissertations 
and a great number of Danish pamphlets. It 
possesses about 7000 manuscripts. Its yearly 
budget amounts to 44,400 kroner. The pres- 
ent staff consists of a principal librarian, 
two sub-librarians, five ordinary assistants, 
four extra ordinary assistants and two ser- 
vants. Last year 59,666 volumes were issued 
to readers. 

Besides these two large libraries there are 
in the capital several special libraries, 
founded for special purposes, or serving as 
reference libraries for special institutions. 
Only few of them have specially appointed li- 



brarians, but the work is mostly done by a 
functionary of the institution in question. 

The Library of the Rigsdag has -a consid- 
erable collection of law books, and historical, 
statistical and economical works. It is in- 
tended chiefly as a reference library for the 
members of the Rigsdag, but is open to others. 
The number of volumes cannot be ascertained, 
but is considerable. Annual budget 6250 
kroner. 

The Town Hall Library is a communal 
institution, chiefly consisting of works of local 
interest regarding municipal affairs. It 1 was 
founded in 1896, and contains about 10,000 
volumes. An annual income of 5000 kroner 
and a reading room in the new Town Hall 
have been placed at its disposal. Last year 
about 1500 volumes were issued to readers. 

The Library of the Royal Veterinary and 
Agricultural College is specially intended for 
the sciences taught there. It contains about 
37,000 volumes and has excellent rooms in 
the college building. It is managed by a 
librarian with the assistance of one servant. 
Annual budget 6000 kroner. Last year's issue 
about 5200 volumes. 

The Library of the Royal Academy of Fine 
Arts contains 11,704 volumes, about 10,000 
photographs, and about 5000 drawings. It is 
managed by a librarian, with the help of one 
assistant and one servant. Annual budget 
9100 kroner. Last year about 12,500 volumes 
and 3000 portfolios containing photographs 
and drawings were issued for use in the read- 
ing room ; 1226 volumes were issued for home 
use. 

The Library of the College of Pharmacy 
was founded in 1892. It contains about 
4000 volumes. There is no special librarian ; 
h:st year aboiu 720 kroner were expended in 
acquisitions. 

The Library of the State Teachers' High 
School was founded in 1896 and contains 
about 8000 volumes. Annual budget 2050 
kroner. It is managed by a librarian with a 
salary of only 400 kroner. There is no read- 
ing room. Last year about 3000 volumes 
were issued for home use. 

The Library of the Danish Meteorological 
Institute was founded in 1872 and now con- 
tains 13,120 volumes. Annual budget about 
1300 kroner. Last year about 300 volumes 
were issued for home use. 



LANGE. 



69 



The Library of the State Statistical Bu- 
reau is now a little more than 50 years old; 
it contains about 3000 volumes, and is man- 
aged by the staff of the Bureau. Annual 
budget 800 kroner. 

The Library of the Patent Commission was 
founded in 1894, an d now contains about 
651,800 descriptions of patents and about 
1200 volumes. There is no special staff ; about 
2000 kroner are annually expended in buying 
and binding of books. 

The Library of the Royal Picture Gallery 
dates from 1848, and is principally a refer- 
ence library for the staff of the Fine Arts 
Museum. It now contains about 6000 vol- 
umes, and about 2000 kroner are yearly spent 
in acquisitions. 

The Library of the National Museum is 
principally a reference library for aid in the 
archaeological, ethnographical and historical 
studies represented by the collections of the 
museum. Further data cannot be furnished. 

There are in Copenhagen four military and 
two naval libraries, but their reorganiza- 
tion is only a question of time. The follow- 
ing table will give the necessary information: 



Number 

of vols. Staff Budget 
Library of the Gen- 
eral Staff c. 13,000 2 

Library of the Ar- 
tillery c. 15,800 i 

Lib'y of the Royal 

Engineers c. 12,000 i 

and 
c. 1 1 oo 
maps 
The Royal Garrison 

Library c. 20,000 2 

Lib'y of the Royal 

Navy, i. Dep't. c. 6000 2 
Lib'y of the Royal 

Navy, 2. Dep't. c. 5500 



Vols. 
issued 



c. 3000 kr. 

c. 1800 kr. 740 

c. 780 kr. 560 

c. 2500 kr. c. noo 

2000 kr. c. 600 

800 kr. 154 



There are several libraries connected with 
the learned institutions of the university, 
principally serving the studies in question. 
Only the library of the Botanical Gardens has 
a special librarian. These libraries are chiefly 
supported by gifts and by exchanges ; regular 
budgets do not exist. 

Number of 
volumes Budget 

Library of the Astronomical 

Observatory c. 5000 

Library of the University 

Zoological Museum 200 kr. 

Library of the University 

Mineralogical Museum. .... c. 7000 
Library of the Botanical 

Gardens c.i6,ooo c. 1900 kr. 



To these must be added the laboratories 
founded in the last few years, correspond- 
ing to the seminars of the German univer- 
sities, with real reference libraries and 
specially appointed librarians. Books are not 
issued for home use. 

Number of 

volumes Budget 

The Theological Laboratory.... 1400 kr. 

The Philologico-Historical La- 
boratory c. 4000 3500 kr. 

The Statistical Laboratory c. 3000 1800 kr. 

Of the libraries outside Copenhagen the 
State Library of Aarhus must first be men- 
tioned. It began its activity June 17, 1902, in 
a beautiful newly erected building. The stock 
of this library was formed by the Danish 
duplicates of the Royal Library (which re- 
ceives by law two copies of every book print- 
ed in Denmark), besides great parts of the 
Aarhus Diocese and Cathedral School Li- 
brary; in addition to these the state suc- 
ceeded in acquiring two large private collec- 
tions, and by the Act of May 2, 1902, this 
library acquired right to one copy of every- 
thing printed in Denmark. It now contains 
about 200,000 volumes, a great number of 
pamphlets, and a large collection of music 
(about 2800 volumes), portraits, maps and 
prints. Annual budget 33,370 kroner. The 
staff consists of the principal librarian, one 
sub-librarian, two ordinary and one extra 
ordinary assistants and one servant. Last 
year 10,500 volumes were issued for home use ; 
the reading room was visited by about 30,000 
persons. 

In the beginning of the igth century Diocese 
Libraries were founded in the cathedral cities 
of the kingdom; they were intended chiefly 
for the use of the clergy, but also for the 
use of the learned public at large. One of 
these libraries, the Aarhus Diocese Library, 
has been incorporated in the State Library 
of Aarhus; another, the Aalborg Diocese 
Library, has been united with the library of 
the Aalborg Cathedral School. The rest 
are still existing, but owing to their inadequate 
means their activity is very restricted. The 
librarians are so miserably paid that they 
cannot spend much time in library work. Not 
one of these libraries has a reading room 
worthy of the name. 



ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. 



These libraries are as follows: 



c-o 

S 



Maribo Diocese 

Library, Maribo . 1795 c. 14,000 c. 480 c. 4000 

Funen Diocese Li- 
brary, Odense. .. 1813 c. 40,000 c. 2000 c. 600 

Ribe Diocese Li- 
brary, Ribe 1806 c. 3000 c. 100 95 

Sealand Diocese Li- 
brary, Roskilde.. 1812 c 30,000 c. noo 182 

Viborg Diocese Li- 
brary, Viborg.... 1817 c. 800 c. 80 

The libraries connected with the State 
Grammar Schools form a class by them- 
selves. They are intended not only for the 
use of the teachers, but more or less as 
missionaries of book culture each in its lo- 
cality, and for that purpose they issue books 
for home use; only very few of them permit 
their books to be consulted on the spot, as 
special reading rooms are lacking. Each 
library is managed by one of the teachers of 
the school to which it belongs. 



II 



gsfc 

c &CB 
S-o o 




Library of the Metropoli- 
tan School, Copenhagen, c. 20,000 800 c. 400 

United libraries of Aalborg 
Diocese and the Aalborg 
Cathedral School 0.38,000 1350 0.2150 

State School Library, 

Frederiksborg c. 20,000 c. 900 c. 1000 

Herlufsholm College Li- 
brary c. 30,000 

State School Library, Hor- 

sens c. 20,000 

Library of the Higher 
Common School, Kolding. c. 8000 

Nykjobing Cathedr'l School 

Library c. 10,000 c. 1200 c. 500 

Odense Cathedral School 

Library 0.20,000 c. 1000 1410 

'State School Library, 

Randers c. 9500 1120 c. 700 

"Ribe Cathedral School Li- 
brary 15,589 870 1222 

Hoskilde Cathedral School 

Library 0.14,000 1190 

State School Library, 

Ronne c. 16,000 900 0.3000 

Viborg Cathedral School 

Library 0.20,000 noo c. 800 

Library of the Soro Acad- 
emy c. 35,ooo 1950 c. 850 

Finally, we must mention the Askor High 
School Library which is doing excellent work 



in the intellectual development of Southern 
Jutland. It contains about 20,000 volumes, 
and about 5000 volumes were last year issued 
for home use. About 800 kroner are ex- 
pended annually in buying and binding of 
books. One of the professors is librarian. 

LITERATURE. 

Chr. Bruun: Det store kongelige Bibliothek og Uni- 
versitetsbibliotheket. Nogle Bemserkninger. Kjo- 
benhavn, 1860. 

Katalog over Erhvervelser af nyere udenlandsk 
Litteratur ved Statens offentlige Bibliotheker 
1901 og 1902. Udg. af det store kgl. Bib- 
liothek ved Emil Gigas. Kjpbenhayn, 1902-1903. 

1903 ved Axel Anthon Bjornbo. ibid. 1904. 

Chr. Molbech: Kort Efterretning om det store konge- 
lige Bibliotheks Stiftelse, Skiebne og Tilstand. 
Kiobenhavn, 1816. 

Aarsberetninger og Meddelelser fra det kongelige 
Bibliothek. Udgivne af Chr. Bruun. Bind. 
1-4, for Aarene 1864-1897. Kjobenhavn. 
Herein: Chr. Bruun: Den danske Literatur fr_a 
Bogtrykkerkunstens Indforelse i Danmark til 
1550. 

Chr. Bruun: De illuminerede Haandskrifter i 
det store kongelige Bibliothek. I. A. Boiling: 
Index librorum saeculo xvmo impressorum, 
quorum exempla possidet Bibliotheca Regia 
Hafniensis. 

Aarsberetning om det store kongelige Bibliotheks 
Virksomhed i Finansaaret 1901-02 og 1902-03. 
Af givet til Ministeriet for Kirke-og Undervis- 
nings-vaesenet af H. O. Lange. Kjobenhavn, 
1902-1903. 

E. C. Werlauff: Historiske Efterretninger om det 
store kongelige Bibliothek i Kjobenhavn. Kjo- 
benhavn, 1825. 2. Udgaye. Kjobenhavn, 1844. 

Chr. Bruun: Det store kongelige Bibliotheks Stiftelse 
under Kong Frederik den Tredie og Kong 
Christian den Femte. I Anledning af Biblio- 
thekets 2oo-aarige Jubilaeum. Kjobenhavn, 1873. 

John Erichsen: Udsigt over den garnle Manuscript- 
Samling i det store kongelige Bibliothek. Kio- 
benhavn, 1786. 

N. C. L. Abrahams: Description des manuscrits 
frangais du moyen age de la Bibliotheque Royale 
de Copenhague, precedee d'une notice historique 
de cette bibliotheque. Copenhague, 1844. 

N. L. Westergaard & A. F. Mehren: Codices 
orientales Bibliothecae Regiae Hauniensis enu- 
merati et descripti. Haun, 1846-57. 

Charl. Graux: Notices sommaires des manuscrits 
grecs de la Grande Bibliotheque Royale de 
Copenhague. Paris, 1879. 

Kr. Kalund: Katalog over de oldnorsk islandske 
Handskrifter i det store kongelige Bibliotek. 
Kobenhavn, 1900. 

S. Birket Smith: Om Kjobenhavns Universitets- 
bibliothek for 1728 isaer dets Haandskrifts- 
samlinger. Udg. til Minde om Universitets- 
bibliothekets grundlaeggelse for 400 Aar siden. 
Kjobenhavn, 1882. 

S. Birket Smith: Beretning om Universitetsbiblio- 
thekets Virksomhed i 18^-198?. Kjoben- 
havn [Extract from Aarbog for Kjobenhavns 
Universitet.] 

N. L. Westergaard: Codices Indici et Iranici Biblio- 
thecae Universitatis Havniensis. Havn. 1846. 

Kr. Kalund: Katalog over den Arnamagnaeanske 
Handskriftsamling. i.-2. Bd. Kjobenhavn, 
1889-94. 

Erling Steensgaard: Statsbiblioteket i Aarhus. Aar- 
hus, 1902. 

Andr. Sch. Steenberg: De laerde Statsskolers Biblio- 
teker. Horsens, 1898. 



ANDERSSON. 



THE RESEARCH LIBRARIES OF SWEDEN. 



BY DR. AKSEL ANDERSSON, Vice -Librarian of the University of Uppsala. 



T N Sweden three libraries may be called 
national libraries, inasmuch as they are 
supported by public grants and have the 
privilege of receiving and the duty of pre- 
serving the national literature. They are the 
Royal Library, Stockholm, and the univer- 
sity libraries in Uppsala and Lund; but the 
Royal Library in Stockholm is the National 
Library in a strict sense. The fourth im- 
portant general library in the country is the 
Library of the City of Gothenburg, being at 
the same time the library of the Faculty of 
Letters of that city. 

All publications bearing upon the history 
and the present state of these libraries were 
reported in the "Catalogue de 1'ecxposition 
suedoise de 1'enseignement superieur," at 
the Paris exhibition of 1900. 

The present Royal Library dates oniy from 
the beginning of the i8th century, three 
other considerable Royal Libraries having 
existed before that time. The first, dating 
its origin from the first half of the i6th cen- 
tury, for a great part composed of the mon- 
astic libraries confiscated at the Reformation, 
and also of books collected by the literate 
kings of the House of Vasa, was presented by 
the King Gustavus Adolphus to the Univers- 
ity of Uppsala in 1620 and constituted the 
effective beginning of the library of that 
university. Of the second, formed during 
the reign of the Queen Christina, partly from 
libraries conquered in the Thirty Years' War, 
partly bought by the queen's learned agents 
in all parts of Europe, the most valuable part 
was brought by the queen after her abdica- 
tion, to Rome, where its manuscripts are now 
preserved in the Vatican Library under the 
name of "Bibliotheca Reginae." Of the third, 
the main part was destroyed in the great 
conflagration of the royal castle in 1697, when 
out of 24,000 books and 1400 manuscripts 
only 6286 books and 283 mss. were saved. 

During the i8th century the growth of the 



Royal Library was not very great, owing to 
the insufficient appropriations granted for the 
purpose, the principal sources of enrichment 
being a considerable number of donations. 
By far the most important acquisition, how- 
ever, was that of the books and manuscripts 
of the Royal Antiquarian Archives (Kongl. 
Antiquitetsarkivet), transferred to the Royal 
Library in 1786, and with them one of its 
most important collections, the one of mediae- 
val Scandinavian manuscripts. Also during 
the last century the library's department of 
foreign books, increased for a long time 
chiefly by several private donations and by 
the incorporation of some other public libra- 
ries, for instance, the collections brought 
from three royal country palaces. It was only 
in 1778 that it received its first fixed, very 
modest, regular annual appropriation for the 
purchase of foreign books and binding. 
Gradually augmented by comparatively insig- 
nificant sums, this appropriation was in 1896 
raised from 25,000 crowns* to its present, 
still insufficient, amount of 34,000 cr. Of this 
sum about 8000 cr. are spent for binding. 
For expenses of other kinds (incidentals and 
equipment) the Royal Library is within 
limits entitled to draw upon the public treas- 
ury as occasion requires. These expenses 
amounted in 1903 to 10,500 cr., and in this 
sum the cost of the union Swedish "Acces- 
sions-katalog" is also included. 

The Royal Library is calculated to have 
contained about 30,000 volumes at the begin- 
ning of the igth century. There are, however, 
no exact figures in this respect till the end 
of 1903, when the library was properly 
counted and measured according to the prin- 
ciples set forth below in my account of the 
Uppsala library. It was then found to con- 
tain 315,000 vols., including 10,900 cases con- 
taining pamphlets under 100 pages each and 
all kinds of small things, broadsides, circu- 

* i crown = nearly 27 cents. 



ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. 



lars, and the like, and nearly 10,500 vols. 
or cases of manuscripts, the whole library 
occupying 10,069 metres of shelves .(exclu- 
sive of empty space). 

The pearl and the pride of the Royal Li- 
brary is its department of Swedish books, 
thanks to the late Chief Librarian, G. E. 
Klemming, the most complete and the best 
conditioned existing. In the department of 
foreign books the chief importance of the 
Royal Library is to be found in the domain 
of humanistic sciences, while the two univer- 
sity libraries naturally have to provide for 
all faculties. As there are in Stockholm 
some very good libraries for special branches, 
as for instance, for natural and for medical 
sciences, the Royal Library has had the ad- 
vantage of being allowed to leave these sub- 
jects aside and of thus being able to central- 
ize its means upon the bibliographical, phil- 
ological, archaeological, historical, geograph- 
ical, and political sciences. The department of 
manuscripts is very important, especially in 
the domain of mediaeval Scandinavian manu- 
scripts, and for Swedish history and biog- 
raphy. Famous are the Codex Aureus (a 
Latin evangeliarium of the 6th century) and 
the "Gigas librorum" or, as it is also called, 
the "Devil's Bible." The collection of in- 
cunabula is also very valuable, containing 
nearly 700 volumes, many of which contain 
several works bound together in one volume. 

The growth of the Royal Library in the 
year 1903 was: 

1. In the department of Swedish books : 

a. Received in virtue of the press law, 
22,896 nos. (besides several thousands of 
small things not counted) this accession be- 
ing equal for this library and the university 
libraries of Uppsala and Lund; 

b. Purchased or presented, 713 nos. 

2. In the department of foreign books: 

a. By gift and exchange, 1461 nos.; 

b. Purchased new works, 985 nos. ; 

c. Purchased periodicals and other con- 
tinuations, 2085 nos. 

3. In the department of manuscripts : 41 nos. 

The Royal Library has since 1878 a mod- 
ern, appropriate building, completed at a 
total cost of nearly one million crowns. It 
is constructed of stone and iron on the mag- 
azine or stack system, has a good reading 



room with about 50 tables, each for one per- 
son, and a well supplied reference library of 
3000-4000 vols., a great exposition hall, etc. 
It is situated in a park and has no other build- 
ings close to it. There is electric light in the 
reading room, in the offices, and. in the part 
of the basement story adapted for receiving 
the newspapers. The building is heated by 
a good hot water system. 

It is open to the public from 10-3 and 5-7, 
the evening hours being only for study in the 
reading room, the stacks (without electric 
light) not being accessible in the dark part of 
the year. 

In 1903 the number of visitors to the Royal 
Library was in the morning hours 22,610, 
using in the reading room 53,484 vols., and 
taking home about 12,000 vols.; in the 
evening hours 9063 persons using over 
20,000 volumes in the reading room, exclusive 
of the books in the reference library, which 
is naturally at the public's free disposal. 

The officers of the Royal Library, appointed 
by the King in council, are: 

One chief librarian, salary 6400, after five 
years' service, 7000 cr. 

Two librarians, salaries 4500 cr., after five 
and ten years' service, 5000-5500 cr. 

Five assistants ("amanuenses"), salaries 
beginning with 3000 cr. and with the same 
periodical increments as the librarians', 
up to 3000-4000 cr. 

An unlimited number of supernumerary 
assistants ("extra ordinary amanuenses"), 
for the present 6. For their remuneration 
and for extra work done .(for instance, copy- 
ists' work and extra remuneration to the 
"e. o." amanuenses for evening service) there 
is a yearly credit of 10,000 cr. 

The qualification required for being ap- 
pointed an "e. o." amanuensis is a university 
degree. 

Office hours for the supernumerary officers 
are generally two hours a day. 

There is one first porter, salary noo cr., 
and there are four other porters, salaries 
800, after five years' service, 900 cr. 

The "e. o." amanuenses and the porters are 
appointed by the chief librarian. 

Besides the salaries mentioned above there 
has been voted for the last two years a tem- 
porary increase of 10 per cent, of the salaries 



ANDERSSON. 



73 



for all officers and attendants attached to 
public offices in the country whose regular 
appointments do not exceed 6ooc cr. 

The officers have to retire at 65 years of 
age, with life pensions amounting for the 
Chief Librarian to 4400-5000 cr., varying ac- 
cording to the rate of his actual salary when 
retiring; for the librarians, to 3000-3500-4000 
cr. ; for the assistants, to 1800-2300-2800 cr. ; 
for the first porter, to noo cr. ; and for the 
other porters, to 700-800 cr. for all accord- 
ing to the same rule as mentioned for the 
Chief Librarian. 

The Royal Library is an independent in- 
stitution, the Chief Librarian of which is di- 
rectly responsible to the government. The 
Chief Librarian, therefore, decides independ- 
ently upon all matters concerning the direc- 
tion and organization of the library, in con- 
ference, however, with the two librarians, 
who may in certain questions have put on 
record their dissenting votes. 

There are, as mentioned already, in Stock- 
holm many very good special research libra- 
ries. 

In the first place I mention the Library of 
the Royal Academy of Science. Founded the 
same year as the Academy (1739 Linnaeus 
was one of the founders), the library is de- 
voted to the natural sciences and is one of 
the richest libraries existing in these branches. 
It has now about 100,000 vols. and between 
30,000 and 40,000 pamphlets, dissertations 
and the like. The collection of manuscripts 
is especially rich in Swedish scientists' letters 
and manuscripts, for instance, those of Swed- 
enborg and Berzelius. The Academy assigns 
yearly 10,000 crowns for the purchase and 
binding of books ; other expenses are paid by 
the Academy as occasion requires. The 
Academy also often assigns extraordinary 
appropriations for the purchase of special 
collections, expensive works and so on. A 
very extended exchange of publications is also 
of eminent value to the library. Although the 
property of the Academy, it is practically 
public, and lends books most readily to all 
the scientists of the country. 

The librarian's salary is 5000-5500 cr. ; 
there are two assistants with salaries of 1500 
and 700 cr. 

A very promising library exists since 1901 



in the Nobel Library of the Swedish Acad- 
emy. The Academy having tc award the 
Nobel prize for literature founded this li- 
brary for the polite literature, classical as 
well as modern, of the modem occidental 
peoples. At first 100,000 cr. were at once 
assigned for the purchase and binding of 
books. The librarian then visited all parts 
of Europe for this purpose and 20,000 cr. 
were assigned for the equipment of the 
library. The average annual appropriation 
for books is about 6500 cr. and for other 
expenses 2000 cr. It has had a quick 
growth and counts already about 25,000 
vols. The reference library contains a very 
good collection of dictionaries, encyclopaedias, 
biographic dictionaries and the like. Properly 
this library has to provide for the Nobel In- 
stitute of the Swedish Academy, but prac- 
tically it is in fact public as far as research 
is concerned. 

The officers are the librarian and two as- 
sistants, besides extra help for cataloging. 

Other special libraries are: that of the 
medical faculty of Stockholm, the richest 
library for medical sciences in the country 
(about 40,000 vols.) ; for political sciences, 
the library of the Parliament; for statistics, 
the library of the Royal Central Statistical 
Office; for technology, that of the Royal 
Technical High-School ; for geology, in the 
Geological Survey of Sweden; a considerable 
pedagogical library organized by Dr. N. G. 
W. Lagerstedt, and many others. 

The oldest as well as the greatest of the 
Swedish libraries is the Library of the Royal 
University of Uppsala. The university was 
founded in 1477, but from its first century 
we do not know more of a university library 
than that we must suppose that a university 
must have had some books, and that the old 
cathedral library as was the case in Lund 
no doubt was accessible to the professors 
of the university, although it w&s only at the 
end of the i8th century that it was incor- 
porated into the university library. The uni- 
versity, however, was not in action during a 
great part of the i6th century. In 1593 it was 
effectively reestablished; but it is only from 
1620 that we can, properly speaking, date the 
origin of its library, for that year King 
Gustavus Adolphus, as already mentioned, 



74 



ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. 



presented the then Royal Library to the uni- 
versity, and therewith the very valuable li- 
brary of the convent of Vadstena and re- 
mains of other monastic libraries were 
brought to Uppsala, constituting still an im- 
portant part of the department of manu- 
scripts. The same king constantly cherished 
the university, which he presented with his 
great hereditary estates, as well as its li- 
brary, which received the very important 
foreign monastic libraries conquered in the 
wars. Many of the treasures, manuscripts, 
and early printed books thus acquired are 
still distinguished ornaments to it. And 
up to this time our kings as well as our 
magnates have favored it by numerous and 
important donations, so numerous that it 
would hardly be possible to mention here 
even the principal ones ; for the ambition, 
so to say, of many of the magnates of the 
kingdom was to see their collected treasures 
preserved for after ages in the Uppsala Li- 
brary. Our greatest treasure, the Codex 
Argenteus, is a present from the university's 
great chancellor and benefactor, M. G. 
De la Gardie, the first gentleman of the 
kingdom during the latter pare of the I7th 
century, who with the Codex Argenteus gave 
a considerable number of valuable manuscripts 
to the library, as for instance, many of its 
principal Icelandic manuscripts, among them 
the well-known so-called Uppsala-Edda. The 
whole of his library, no doubt the finest pri- 
vate library of the country in that time, was 
after his death presented to the university. 
At the beginning of the i8th century the 
Uppsala library was justly famous; it 
contained about 30,000 vols., at that time a 
high figure. But later, as the production of 
books has increased beyond comparison faster 
than the modest grants of money to the li- 
brary, it has relatively been going down from 
its prominent place among the great libraries 
of the world, although, as far as the collec- 
tions of manuscripts and early printed books 
are concerned, it would at any rate be in the 
front rank among university libraries. It 
is naturally for Swedish history in all its 
branches that the department of mss. has 
its chief importance. Of mediaeval mss. 
there are nearly 1000 vols., besides a con- 
siderable collection of smaller mediaeval 
documents on vellum and paper. The collec- 



tion of incunabula contains oni> 1155 vols.; 
but considering the numerous collective vol- 
umes among these old books, nearly all of 
them in original bindings, the number of 
works is considerably higher. 

In 1886 the Uppsala library was found to 
contain 230,000 vols. The last week of the 
last year it was counted and measured again. 
The result shows a total of above 340,000 
vols., including 12,260 cases of pamphlets, dis- 
sertations, etc., and 13,637 vols or cases of 
manuscripts, occupying nearly 14 kilometres* 
of shelves. Every bound volume was counted 
as a unit without regard to the number of 
separate works that may be bound together 
in each of the very numerous old collective 
volumes. In order to save binding cost, as 
many years or volumes of periodical publica- 
tions are bound together in one volume as 
can conveniently be made, and in many cases 
for the same reason little used serials are 
kept unbound together m very thick open 
pamphlet cases. Each such case, as well as 
every case with pamphlets, dissertations, etc., 
was also counted as a unit. And here is the 
explanation of the fact, that in the Uppsala 
library the average number of volumes upon 
a metre of shelving is so low as about 26. 
In the great national libraries ot St. Peters- 
burg and Paris the proportion was shown to 
be about 50 volumes a metre, and in the 
libraries of Strassburg and Giessen the metn- 
contains about 40 vols. These figures prove 
that in reality the Uppsala library compared 
with others is greater than indicated by the 
340,000 vols. and the same is also true with 
regard to the Royal Library in Stockholm 
for taking the last stated proportion of 40 
vols. a metre, the 12.000 metres in Uppsala 
occupied by 315,000 bound volumes strictly 
speaking (except pamphlet cases and manu- 
scripts) would represent nearly half a 
million vols. in the two German libraries. 
The pamphlets, preserved in generally very 
thick cases (nearly all the foreign disserta- 
tions, for instance, are kept in this way) 
amount to several hundred thousand pieces 
not to speak of the immense number of broad- 
sides, circulars and so forth, in the Swedish 
department. 

In addition to the above figures the library 
possesses 285 very voluminous portfolios with 

* i ki lorn. = 1094 Engl. yards. 



ANDERSSON. 



75 



maps, portraits, engravings and the like. The 
leaves are not counted, but may be estimated 
at about 70,000. 

Till 1834 the Uppsala library was sup- 
ported only by the university's own resources. 
Regular annual appropriations, however 
modest, have been assigned to it for the pur- 
chase of books since 1620, and since 1692 ic 
has received, in virtue of a royal ordinance 
of that year, certain university nomination, 
promotion and matriculation fees. In 1834 
it received its first regular annual state ap- 
propriation, in the beginning- only 3150 
crowns. Gradually raised, the annual ap- 
propriation for the purchase and binding of 
books and all other expenses (exclusive of 
salaries) is since 1896 24,000 cr. Be- 
sides there is a varying yearly revenue from 
old donation funds, university fees, etc., gen- 
erally amounting to nearly 3000 cr., and a 
grant of 1500 cr. from the university for 
heating, etc., the total income for the year 
1903 amounting to little more than 28,000 cr., 
which may be considered as the actual aver- 
age income. A not very considerable addition 
comes from the Uppsala reading union, a 
kind of Athenaeum, supported by the annual 
subscriptions of the members and by an an- 
nual subvention from the university of about 
500 cr., the reviews taken in by the union 
going to the university library. It is not 
worth while to point out in this assembly how 
very insufficient these means are to a library 
that has to provide for all the faculties of a 
great university. 

The average annual cost for books during 
the last five years has been about 16,000 cr. ; 
binders' accounts (not only binding, but also 
pamphlet cases, carton work and the like) 
6800 cr. ; office expenses, extra help and all 
kinds of other expenses, about 3400 cr. ; 
heating and water supply (the elevator is 
driven by the municipal water-service), 
3000 cr. 

The average growth of the foreign depart- 
ment in whole volumes for the last five years 
is 4350 bound vols., including the important 
factor of gifts and exchanges, contributing 
annually during the five years 3125 bound 
vols.; of foreign dissertations and university 
and school programs, kept in cases, 6874 nos. 
were received in 1903. The library is rather 
rich in learned periodical publications. The 



collection of foreign maps increased the same 
year by 18 nos., containing 375 leaves ; the 
collection of engravings and the like (chiefly 
received in virtue of the press-law) by 2225 
leaves. The growth of the Swedish depart- 
ment is for Uppsala and Lund the same as 
stated above for the Royal Library. In length 
of shelves the annual growth during the last 
five years has been 240 metres. 

The library is open to the public from 
10-3, the absence of light in the long winters 
making reading in the evening hours impos- 
sible. In the summer, however, students who 
apply for it are freely admitted to the read- 
ing room any time of the day, even though no 
officer should be present; an order is simply 
given to the porter to let them in and out at 
the hours agreed upon. Practically every- 
body who applies for it is admitted to the 
stacks, a permission that can be given without 
great danger in a small city where most of 
the visitors belong to the university, and 
where those who come from other places gen- 
erally are well-known scholars. I cannot re- 
member any book having been lost in this 
way during my time of service. 

The reading room was, in 1903, visited by 
8265 persons using over 40,000 vols. (among 
them 6230 manuscripts), exclusive naturally 
of the books belonging to the reference li- 
brary. The average number of books lent 
during the last five years has been about 
19,000 vols. yearly. 

The officers of the Uppsala library are : 

One librarian, salary 6000 cr. ; after five 
and ten years of service, 6500-7000 cr. At 65 
years of age he has to retire with a life pen- 
sion of 4000-4500-5000 cr., according to the 
actual amount of his salary. 

Two vice-librarians with salaries of 4000 
cr., after five years 4500 cr. 

Four assistants ("amanuenses") with sal- 
aries of 2500 cr., after five and ten years 
3000-3500 cr. 

An unlimited number of supernumerary 
("extra ordinary") "amanuenses" (actually 
there are five) ; 3500 cr. yearly are granced 
for their remuneration. 

Three porters, salaries 700, after five and 
ten years 800-900 cr. One of them is at the 
same time engineer for the heating appara- 
tus, with special pay for that service 

Periodical increase of the salaries prevails, 



7 6 



ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. 



as noted above for the Royal Library. Only 
the librarian is entitled to a pension when re- 
tiring, but the Diet will never refuse to vote 
a pension for other officers after long service. 

Office hours, five hours a day. 

The librarian is appointed by the King in 
council, and has in all respects the position 
of an ordinary professor of the university. 
The other officers are appointed by the Chan- 
cellor of the university; the "extra ordinary'' 
officers and the porters, upon the presentation 
of the librarian, by a committee of professors 
known as the Minor Academical Consisto- 
rium. 

There are no stipulations concerning quali- 
fications required for appointment as an 
"extra ordinary" assistant, but the rule is to 
accept only candidates who have taken a uni- 
versity degree. 

The present library building was erected in 
the first half of the last century on a very 
appropriate open place, with parks practically 
all round it, at a total cost of nearly half a 
million crowns ; in 1841 the books were trans- 
ferred to this building from the then central 
university palace known as the Gustavianum, 
where the library had been housed since 
1691. Although thus by no means modern, 
the present building, partly reconstructed in 
1893 after the magazine or stack system, an- 
swers its purpose fairly well. For that time 
it was a very good one, with lofty rooms, 
plenty of light, and an old though not un- 
practical system of movable shelves. Since 
1877 the whole building has been heated by a 
good hot-water system. The most urgent 
actual need of the library is light. This year 
it was proposed by the government to 'the 
Diet to vote a grant for electric light, but 
unhappily the news of the disastrous confla- 
gration in the Turin Library then passed 
through the press and frightened the mem- 
bers of the Diet; this was, I think, the rea- 
son why the grant was not voted. It is in- 
tended, however, soon to take the question 
up again in connection with the final equip- 
ment of the top story of the building, ne- 
cessitated within the next few years for want 
of space, and then to consider a satisfactory 
technical measure to ensure safety. The 
reading room contains a good reference li- 
brary of 5000-6000 vols. with a special catalog, 
but it is too small: there are only about 30 



tables, each of them for one person alone; 
it is hoped that it will be considerably en- 
larged in connection with the planned altera- 
tions mentioned above. Now readers often 
have to work in the stacks, which must 
be considered as a serious inconvenience, and 
not least so to the students themselves, being 
thus far away from the reference library. 

The library being strictly a research li- 
brary * there is certainly not the same need 
of a large reading room as in a so-called pub- 
lic library. Those who visit the library for 
reading a certain book are relatively few ; 
they prefer of course to take the book home. 
The students have not the habit of reading 
their text books in the library, and as a rule, 
there is in the university library only one 
copy of each work. The best and numerically 
strongest readers are those who write their 
scientific papers and dissertations in the read- 
ing room, and for them it seems very ap- 
propriate; everybody who comes regularly 
has besides the reference library a table 
for himself with as many books taken out 
from the stacks as the shelves standing on 
the table can hold. It is also to be consid- 
ered that the university institutions (corre- 
sponding to the departments of the American 
universities) and seminaries have libraries 
of their own with special appropriations, 
however modest. These libraries are in Swe- 
den entirely independent of the university 
library. The 13 student "nations" (cor- 
porations of students coming from the same 
diocese) also have libraries of their own, 
raturally provided in the first place with 
books needed for the examinations. The 
union of all the students ("studentkaren") 
forming an organization of its own has a 
very good library, especially rich in Scan- 
dinavian history, philology and literature and 
much used in these branches. The profes- 
sors, as a rule, have considerable private 
libraries, and every student has at least a 
little collection of books. To a certain ex- 
tent these facts also account for the relatively 
small statistical figures above. 

The third of the Swedish libraries is the 
Library of the Royal University of Lund. 
Founded by Royal charter of 1666 in order to 
promote the amalgamation of the conquered 

* Swedish fiction is, as will be shown below, 
neither lent nor given out in the reading-room. 



ANDERSSON. 



77 



southern provinces, this university was in- 
augurated and began to act in 1668. The 
origin of the university library was the old 
library of the Chapter of Lund. A private 
library soon was purchased by the king and 
presented to the university, and the learned 
bishop's library also seems to have beer at the 
disposal of the professors. The library's 
growth during the first centuries of its ex- 
istence was essentially due to private dona- 
tions, some of them of considerable value. 
It contains now about 200,000 vols., the count 
of 1897 giving a result of about 174,000 vols., 
including about 6000 cases of pamphlets, dis- 
sertations, etc., and nearly 5000 manuscripts. 
A statement as to the length of shelves 
occupied by these books is not at hand, and 
the old library being overcrowded, with dou- 
ble and more rows of books on many 
shelves, an exact measuring would have been 
very difficult to perform. 

The Lund library has had a regular 
though very modest income since the end 
of the I7th century, university matriculation, 
promotion and nomination fees, etc. In 1881 
the annual public appropriation was raised 
from 10,000 to 15,000 cr., and in 1901 again 
to 24,000 cr. for books, binding, and all kinds 
of expenses, exclusive of salaries, with an 
additional yearly revenue from old donation 
funds, university fees, etc., generally amount- 
ing to 3000-4000 cr. a year. In 1903 the total 
income was about 27,300 cr., which may be 
considered as about the average annual in- 
come. The same year books were bought for 
20,260 cr., binding expenses were 4360 cr.. 
heating and other expenses 2330 cr. 

The accession to the department of foreign 
books in 1903 was 2800 vols.; of these 845 
vols. were gifts or exchanges, besides 5850 
dissertations and other university publications 
ot an analogpus kind. The addition to the 
department of Swedish books is the same as 
for the Royal Library and the Uppsala li- 
brary. 

In 1902 the university library of Lund was 
visited by 11,630 persons; 37,846 books were 
used ; of these 14,902 were taken home. 

Office hours, admission at other hours, 
lending conditions and the like are practically 
the same as in Uppsala. 

Officers are: the librarian, one vice-libra- 
rian, and three assistants ("amanuenses"), 



and an unlimited number of "extra ordinary" 
assistants, for the present seven. The salar- 
ies, periodical increases of the salaries, and 
pensions, are the same as in Uppsala, as well 
as the qualifications for the extra ordinary 
assistants. Office hours for these are two 
hours a day ; the annual public grant for their 
remuneration is 2500 cr. 

The local conditions of this library have 
long been far from satisfactory. In its ear- 
liest days housed in one of the cathedral's 
chapels, it was in 1697 moved to the building 
which for a long time served also other uni- 
versity purposes but now, after many different 
arrangements and reconstructions, is wholly 
occupied by the library alone. A new build- 
ing, very carefully planned, in every respect 
modern, with electric light throughout, with 
final accommodation for more than 500,000 
vols., and well situated in the middle of a 
park, is now in course of construction, at a 
calculated total cost of 450,000 cr. The gen- 
eral reading room of course with a great 
reference library will contain 35 places, 16 
of them at tables for one person each ; an- 
other reading room is provided for special 
purposes, and one for periodicals. The li- 
brary will probably take possession of the 
new building next year. 

The university reading union ("Akademiska 
Lasesallskapet") in Lund is something of 
the same kind as the one in Uppsala men- 
tioned above. The Academic Union ("Aka- 
demiska Foreningen," upon the whole corre- 
sponding to the union of Uppsala) has a very 
good and useful library, and the libraries of 
the university institutions .(departments) and 
seminaries are organized in the same way as 
in Uppsala. 

The youngest Swedish research library of 
a general kind is the Library of the City of 
Gothenburg, at the same time the library of 
the Faculty of Letters of that city ("Gote- 
borgs Hogskola"). It dates only from the lat- 
ter part of the igth century, and its present 
organization is of the same year as the Fac- 
ulty (1891) ; but thanks to a great number of 
private donations of high-minded citizens of 
Gothenburg it is developing very fast, a 
good many private libraries, partly important 
ones, being in this way bought and pre- 
sented to it. An exquisite Swedish library, 
{he late Chief Librarian Count C. Snoilsky's, 



ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. 



was in 1903 bought by four persons for 20,- 
ooo cr. and presented. Extraordinary appro- 
priations have been given several times for 
such purposes, and the libraries of some 
learned corporations of the city, in the first 
place that of the Royal Society of Science 
of Gothenburg ("Kungl. Vetenskaps-och Vit- 
terhets-Samhallet), have been incorporated 
or deposited in the Library of the City. Thus 
it now contains more than 100,000 vols., in 
1869 only 10,000 vols. 

The library has a fund of its own, given 
by the Municipal Council from the Renstrom 
municipal donation fund ; in 1903 the interest 
of this library fund was about 4700 cr. Be- 
sides, its chief regular incomes are granted 
by the Municipal Council (in 1903, 24,500 cr.) 
and by the Board of Directors of the Faculty 
(in 1903, 4500 cr.). In the same year books 
were bought for nearly 10,000 cr. ; binding 
cost over 2700 cr., and salaries amounted to 
13,000 cr. 

The total addition to the library in 1903 
was 2750 vols. ; of them 1850 were gifts and 
exchanges. 

The library is open to the public from 11-3, 
and in the winter also from 5-8, in the eve- 
ning hours only for study in the reading 
room. In 1903 the visitors were nearly 20,000, 
using in the reading room 12,500 vols., ex- 
clusive of the reference library, and taking 
home nearly 7000 vols. 

The officers, appointed by the Board of 
Directors, are : the librarian, salary 4500 cr. ; 
two assistants ("amanuenses"), salaries 3000 
and 2000 cr., and for the present, three "ex- 
tra ordinary" assistants ; three porters. 

The Board of Directors is composed of 
nine members elected for two years, four by 
the Municipal Council, one by the body of 
the town magistrates, two by the Board cf 
Directors of the Faculty, one by the Board of 
Directors of the City Museum, and one by 
the Royal Society of Science, with the libra- 
rian as ex officio member, three of them re- 
tiring annually. 

In looo the library took possession of its 
new modern building, erected at a cost of 
nearly 300,000 cr. and with final accommoda- 
tion for about 300,000 vols. There is a good 
reading room with 41 tables, each for one 
person, and a good reference library, also a 
supplementary reading room for visitors 
wanting a greater number of books for 



their daily use. There is electric light in the 
offices, the reading rooms, and the basement,, 
with room for the newspapers, but as yet 
not in the stacks, and a hot water heating ap- 
paratus. The situation of the building is 
good with plenty of room for extension. 



These libraries are generally speaking or- 
ganized according to the same principles. 
The statements regarding their general or- 
ganization given below, therefore, will except 
as otherwise noted be applicable to them all. 

The regulations of the Royal Library are 
given by Royal Charter; those of the univer- 
sity libraries are sanctioned by the chancellor 
of the universities, and those of the Gothen- 
burg library are enacted by authority of the 
Municipal Council. All these regulations are 
administered in a most liberal way; where 
they seem antiquated,, innovations appr;O- 
priate to the times are often informally made 
by the officers. 

Characteristic of the Royal Library and the 
two university libraries is that their collec- 
tions of printed books are divided into two 
general departments, the national (domestic) 
and the foreign. This arrangement seems 
particularly suitable to these libraries, as re- 
ceiving by virtue of the press law everything 
printed in the country. By this means, for 
one thing, the shelves of the department of 
Swedish books are, so to say, a national 
bibliography, and besides, the libraries have 
not to mix up their other books and espe- 
cially pamphlets with all kinds of rubbish. 
In the Swedish department are placed books 
printed in Sweden, concerning Sweden, writ- 
ten by Swedes, and printed in the Swedish 
language. The first thr.ee categories are in 
fact considered as belonging to the national 
bibliography; the fourth is chosen from a 
more practical point of view. The third 
group all books written by Swedes 
causes some trouble with regard to American 
citizens, and the boundary can here naturally 
not be very sharp. The rule is. I should 
say, to place books written by a Swedish- 
American, even though in English, in the 
Swedish department, if the author has re- 
ceived his education in Sweden, and can so 
be considered to have been once a reaf 
Swedish citizen. 
In the Royal Library the Chief Librarian 



ANDERSSON. 



79 



decides upon the purchase of books. In either 
university there is for this purpose a com- 
mittee, composed of the librarian as pres- 
ident, the vice-librarian and six (in Lund, 
seven) professors from all faculties. In 
Uppsala two of them, in Lund three, retire 
yearly, according to seniority as professors ; 
in Uppsala the retiring members are re- 
eligible. According to the regulations those 
committees dispose of two-thirds of the an- 
nual income of the library for the purchase 
of books, the third being at the librarian's 
free disposal for books and all kinds of ex- 
penses. Only four meetings are held in the 
year, at the beginning and at the end of 
each term, and therefore the librarian oc- 
casionally must buy books without consult- 
ing the committee. There are no other trus- 
tees for the libraries than these committees 
for the purchase of books. The library has 
formaliter just the same position in the uni- 
versity as what in this country would be 
called a department of the university, and 
the librarian has in all respects the position 
of a professor at the head of a department. 

The Swedish libraries have no foreign 
agents: the new foreign literature is generally 
bought through Swedish booksellers. It is 
generally believed that the library, at least in 
the small university cities, ought to encour- 
age the booktrade of the place. It is ques- 
tionable whether this is wise or not I 
hardly believe it is, ihough it is certainly 
convenient in some respects to have one's 
bookseller in the place. To a certain extent 
the same question arises regarding the 
binding. 

Gifts and exchanges are important factors 
in the development of the Swedish libraries. 
The Uppsala library rejoices in regular re- 
lations of exchange with more than 1300 
foreign learned institutions and societies ; a 
considerable number of them are American, 
and among these many of the greatest value. 
It is my hope to see our relations with this 
country's eminent learned institutions con- 
siderably extended and deepened, these scien- 
tific relations being, in my opinion, in many 
directions of an importance that can hardly 
be overestimated. 

The accessions of foreign books to the 
greater Swedish libraries are since 1886 re- 
ported in a yearly union "Accessions-kata- 
log." published by the Royal Library. Twen- 



ty-nine Swedish libraries now report yearly 
their foreign additions in it.* A somewhat 
fuller account of this Accessions-katalog will 
be given in another report to this Congress. 

The principal Swedish publications are 
registered in the Swedish publishers' yearly 
catalog. 

It is not necessary to say that accession 
lists for foreign books are kept. In the Upp- 
sala library this list is, as far as periodicals, 
transactions and the like are concerned, ar- 
ranged entirely according to the classification 
of the printed catalog of accessions, and this 
method has proved especially convenient 
when the titles are copied out for that cata- 
log. It is also very convenient for everybody 
who is acquainted with the system of the 
printed catalog to find a publication in this 
list. No numbers are . needed. For the 
Swedish department the printers' lists serve 
at the same time as accession-lists. 

The catalogs are of different pattern. In 
the Royal Library, the University Library of 
Lund, and the Gothenburg Library, the alpha- 
betical and the systematic catalogs are both 
on cards, or rather leaves, kept loose in cases 
like small pamphlet cases, each leaf contain- 
ing only one title, except different editions of 
the same work. The leaves are of a different 
shape, rather too large, in these libraries. In 
the Royal Library the size is 20 x 12 cm., the 
leaf standing on the short side; in Lund 
and Gothenburg 20 x 15^ cm., standing on 
the long side. In order to save space they 
have invented in the Royal Library a few 
years ago a kind of double catalog case, 
one half of it behind the other on the shelf, 
both united in their narrow sides. In certain 
Swedish libraries, for instance, that of the 
Royal Academy of Science, the American 
card catalog is employed. 

In Uppsala there is a printed authors' 
catalog of the old stock of the library up 
to 1796 (published in 1814) in three quarto 
volumes, and for the old books this is still 
the main catalog, although the titles are grad- 
ually transferred to the actual written cata- 
log. This so-called supplement (to the 
printed catalog) is based upon a system of 
bound volumes in common quarto size, the 

* Up to 1885 annual catalogs of accessions were 
published separately by the university libraries of 
Uppsala (since 1850), and Lund (since 1853). 



8o 



ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. 



leaves measuring 27 x 22 cm. Only one 
author is entered on each leaf, but as many 
titles of books by the same author as there 
is room for. For authors with, for instance, 
20 or even more titles no order needs to be 
observed between the titles ; the pages may be 
run over in a moment. For great authors, 
such as Cicero, Luther, Goethe, and the like, 
the titles should be divided into sections 
according to the well-known rules of Cutter. 
When a leaf is full, another is begun for the 
same author, the new leaf being pasted into 
the volume in the proper place. If a leaf 
should for some reason need to be replaced 
by a new one, it is not a very serious matter 
to have it copied. When a volume becomes 
too crowded, it is separated and rebound in 
two volumes. I cannot give statistics as to 
the average time a volume will last till it is 
filled up and has to be divided, but certainly 
long enough not to cause any serious incon- 
venience. This system seems to be a good 
combination of cards and the convenient 
bound catalog. There is, however, a con- 
siderable inconvenience, viz. : that it is pos- 
sible to catalog only in one room ; but this 
inconvenience is removed if the books are 
first cataloged on cards or slips, to be copied 
in the general catalog and afterwards used 
for other special catalogs. 

The weak point in the actual Uppsala 
catalog is the catalog of anonymous works. 
In the old printed catalog, instead of being 
arranged alphabetically these are classified 
systematically and arranged chronologically 
in each division ; unhappily this system was 
not only continued in the first so-called sup- 
plement to the printed catalog, but carried on 
for so long (till about 20 years ago, when 
the now retired librarian, Claes Anner- 
stedt, set about the new anonymous works 
catalog) that it is a heavy task to have all 
those books recataloged according to the new 
plan. A satisfactory system for cataloging 
anonymous works being, as we know only 
too well, not only difficult to find, but not 
yet found, or at least not generally recog- 
nized, the methodical work with this catalog 
v/as put off too long as a very disagreeable 
task that one would like to set about to- 
morrow rather than fo-day. And the truth 
is, that there is in Uppsala still some experi- 
menting with the different systems in this 
respect. 



In Uppsala, for practical reasons, the for- 
eign dissertations are not entered in the 
main catalog; it is thought advisable not to 
augment the bound quarto catalog never- 
theless growing very fast by such an enor- 
mous mass of leaves with generally only 
one title on each. They are cataloged 
on cards kept in cases, for ^he present 257 
in number. The annual catalogs of the 
French, German, Swiss and Swedish disserta- 
tions printed on thin paper are cut and the 
slips pasted on the cards. 

The modern Swedish dissertations are en- 
tered into the main catalog; for the earlier 
ones we have the very good catalogs of 
Liden, printed 1779 and 1780, continued oy 
Marklin, printed 1820 and 1856, and for 1855- 
1890 by Mr. Aksel Josephson. 

In Sweden all pamphlets and disser- 
tations are cataloged just as carefully as a 
valuable work and according to the same 
principles except of course in the Swedish 
department, where a great number of small 
things naturally could not be cataloged. With 
this exception our great libraries are entirely 
cataloged, only the Gothenburg catalog being 
not yet finished. 

In Lund a really grand work has been done 
within the last 20 years, the whofe library 
being reclassified and recataloged. The work 
was begun and carried through by the un- 
commonly vigorous and energetic late libra- 
rian, Elof Tegner. 

Authors and anonymous headings, mixed 
together into one alphabetical series, are in 
the alphabetical catalogs of Stockholm, Lund 
and Gothenburg. In Uppsala they are di- 
vided into three alphabets one for authors, 
one for anonymous works, and one for trans- 
actions of learned societies and analogous 
works cataloged under the name of the place. 
And there is in fact no inconvenience what- 
ever in this method, for everybody acquainted, 
however superficially, with the system of the 
catalog knows immediately to what part of 
it he has to go in order to find a given title. 
I have heard the late librarian of the Uni- 
versity Library of Gottingen, Karl Dziatzko. 
say that, after having practised in Breslau 
for a long time the same method of keeping 
the authors' catalog separated from the anon- 
ymous one, he had found it very practica- 
ble and commendable. Some other parts of 
the main catalog, such as Bibles and statis- 



ANDERSSON. 



81 



tical tables, which are in reality special cata- 
logs, are also kept separately. 

The American system of the so-called dic- 
tionary catalog is not in use in Sweden at all. 
We make neither subject nor catchword nor 
title entries. 

For want of means the Swedish libraries, 
like many others, are unable to print the 
titles for their catalogs. In the Royal Li- 
brary, in Lund, and in Gothenburg, two copies 
are made of every title, one for the alphabetical 
catalog, the other for the systematic one. Th?. 
latter is classified according to the same 
system as the books on the shelves and is, 
therefore, really an. enlarged local catalog 
or shelf list. In the Uppsala library there is, 
I am sorry to say, no systematic catalog ai 
all and I do not think I shall live to see 
the beginning of one, for want of workers. 
For several reasons, however, I for my part 
am inclined to believe that this deficiency is 
not so very great in systematically classified 
libraries as it is generally considered to be. 
In the first place the technical question is so 
difficult by far the most difficult of all bib- 
liographical or library technical questions 
that I do not think that I have seen a satis- 
factory systematic catalog. It is also much 
too difficult for the general public to find 
their way in it, and I am sure that even 
most university professors would be rather 
helpless with such a catalog if not guided 
in its use by a librarian. In most cases 
the systematic catalogs are very nearly 
local catalogs, but the shelf itself is no doubt 
the best local catalog. Let the student go and 
look there if practicable; in most university 
libraries it is proved to be practicable. And 
the more the bibliographical literature de- 
velops in quantity and quality, the more easily 
we can do without the systematic catalog. 
All the Jahresberichte and similar works of 
our days are eminent helps to the librarians 
in their efforts on behalf of the students, not 
to speak of such great enterprises as the 
Royal Society's "Catalogue of scientific lit- 
erature." Concerning the grand work done 
in this country in this respect I need not 
more than quote the "Lists" issued by the 
Library of Congress and the New York State 
Library in Albany. 

It is my belief that a dictionary catalog, 
generally speaking of the American pattern, 
with subject or catchword cards, or both, 



is a much more useful catalog than a system- 
atic one only I should prefer to have the 
authors' cards filed separately from the 
others. 

The cataloging system in Sweden is, gen- 
erally speaking, based on the same principles 
as the German one, set forth in the Prus- 
sian "Instruktionen fur die alphabetischen 
Kataloge . . .," though naturally with 
certain differences. We catalog, for in- 
stance, an anonymous work under the first 
substantive in nominative case; if there is no 
such substantive we take for instance a pre- 
position for heading, as "Over the sea." 
Transactions of learned societies, and official 
publications of boards, corporations and 
ether institutions are cataloged under the 
name of the place, as Smithsonian Institution, 
or U. S. Department of Agriculture, under 
Washington, with cross-references as needed 
from the title of the work or from another 
geographical name. The latter is regularly 
the case with institutions of one of the United 
States, for instance, Geological Survey of 
Maryland under Baltimore, with cross- 
reference from Maryland to Baltimore. In 
the Royal Library and in Lund, however, the 
main entry is made under the title of the 
work, with cross-reference from the name of 
the place. The name of a society is not 
used as a heading in Sweden. 

The three principal libraries have good 
catalogs of their manuscripts, the Gothen- 
burg mss. catalog being in progress. In 
Uppsala there are special catalogs for some 
very great mss. donations; these as well as 
the one of the main collection for the 
greater part a splendid work of the retired 
librarian C. G. Styfre are classified cata- 
logs. The scholarly catalog of the mediaeval 
mss. (about 1000 vols.) is in its present 
state chiefly due to the retired librarian, 
Claes Annerstedt. There is a special catalog 
of the great collection of litterae doctorum 
virorum, on leaves kept in 35 cases, a work 
of another retired officer, the Count Eugene 
Lewenhaupt. 

The extremely useful alphabetical index to 
the manuscripts does not exist in Sweden any 
more than in other large libraries. One of 
the "e. o." assistants m Uppsala began one 
last year; I do not know what generation 
shall see it finished. 

Hitherto the Swedish libraries have gen- 



ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. 



erally bound their books in a good half 
binding, which is indeed much too expensive 
for libraries with our insufficient grants, such 
a binding for an ordinary octavo volume 
costing in our country 2-3 crowns. It is only 
lately that we have begun to use cloth or linen 
to a greater extent ; we now often even give 
the books only quarter bindings cut flush, at 
a cost of about one crown for a big octavo 
volume, and in Uppsala little used serials 
nowadays are often kept unbound in open 
pamphlet cases, a book never being placed in 
that library unbound on the shelf unless in a 
case. It is TO be considered that we can 
bind in less durable bindings, because in a 
research library books generally are not so 
worn away as in a popular library. In case 
of need it will generally be cheaper to rebind 
one or more volumes of a series in a cheap 
binding than to bind the whole collection in 
a more expensive way 

Pamphlets are never bound together in one 
volume now; we consider it better in all re- 
spects to keep them unbound in open pam- 
phlet cases, shelved at the end of the division 
they belong to. The classmark with the in- 
dication "case" is written on the front cover. 
About twenty years ago in Uppsala and Lund 
the foreign dissertations were bound to- 
gether in volumes, a method found to have 
great inconveniences. Two persons may 
demand different dissertations in the same 
volume, but only one of them can have it. 
And, besides, we do not consider it safe to 
lend such a volume, for if it were lost, all the 
pamphlets bound in it could hardly be pro- 
cured again. On the contrary, our principle 
is to separate such volumes as much as our 
means allow. Old original bindings, or those 
of any historical interest, however, naturally 
are never touched by the knife. 

I have mentioned already that the three 
greatest Swedish libraries are divided into a 
national and a foreign department of printed 
books. Both these departments are classified 
systematically. The subdivisions are separ- 
ated by dummy books where there is not an 
open space left between them, as is generally 
the case. The classification, however, is not 
so minute as, for instance, the Decimal sys- 
tem, or the German one of Halle, two or more 
neighboring subdivisions being for practical 
reasons consolidated into one when they con- 



tain only a few books. Thus in Uppsala the 
aboriginal languages of America or general 
floras of the United States and of the individ- 
ual states form each only one subdivision, be- 
cause there are not more books on these sub- 
jects than are easily looked over, on the other 
hand there is a subdivision for the geology of 
each state. The system is no doubt question- 
able, especially because it makes it more diffi- 
cult to the cataloger to know the subdivisions 
by heart ; but it saves space, and one larger 
division is in fact more easily kept in order 
than many small ones, especially where the 
public is admitted to the stacks. 

The cataloging officer decides the class- 
mark. This is not composed of single letters 
or figures ; it is an abbreviation of the name 
of the subdivision in which the book is placed, 
for instance, Math., Geom., Phys., Electr., 
Philol., Lat, Diet., and so on. The books are 
not numbered at all except in the collections 
of early printed books and, naturally, manu- 
scripts. They are arranged alphabetically 
in each subdivision according to the authors' 
names or the word of an anonymous title 
used for heading in the catalog, the first letter 
of that word being underlined on the title 
page. We have found this system in mam" 
respects more convenient than the numbering 
and, as far as I can see, in no way incon- 
venient. 

Books are ordered from the shelves to 
the issue desk by means of pasteboard slip* 
sent to the stacks with the book's abbreviated 
title, classmark and the lending date on them. 
The slip rests in the book's place as a 
substitute for it till it comes back to its place 

Borrowers' order forms are kept in the al- 
phabetical order of the borrowers' surnames. 
Every day these are copied in ledgers in 
alphabetical order of authors, this order be- 
ing only so far observed that each letter of 
the alphabet is divided into a convenient num- 
ber of sections, for instance, A-Af. The book 
card system is not used in Sweden any more 
than the borrowers' card system. 

In the Royal Library and in the Gothen- 
burg library books are lent for one month ac- 
cording to the regulations, but this limit is 
generally not observed unless the book is 
required by another reader. In the university 
libraries the loan periods are too long, all 
the books having to be returned only at the 



ANDERSSON. 



end of each university term. Professors of 
the universities may even keep them during 
the whole academic year. At the universities 
and in Gothenburg university professors are 
entitled to demand the return of books lent 
to non-professors. In Uppsala there are fines 
stipulated for books not returned in due time. 

The regulations require a guarantee from 
borrowers, except for professors in the uni- 
versity libraries, but this rule is observed in 
a most liberal way, a guarantee never being 
requested from a known borrower. The num- 
ber of books allowed to be taken home by one 
person is practically unlimited, even for stu- 
dents at the universities. Also the university 
libraries are in fact public; they welcome 
everybody who comes for the purpose of re- 
search, university man or not, though, nat- 
urally, the general reading public in these 
libraries is different from that in the Royal 
Library in the metropolis. Practically every- 
body who applies for it is admitted to the 
stacks. 

Books are lent in a most liberal way be- 
tween the Swedish libraries. This system is 
neither ordered nor organized by any regu- 
lations; it is entirely voluntary and works 
extremely well. By means of the union 
Swedish "Accessions-katalog" everybody can 
find out in what library a desired book is 
to be had, and within a couple of days he can 
have it. Applications are never refused ex- 
cept regarding periodicals which are much in 
demand. Demands from private scholars all 
over the country, where there is no great 
library to act as an intermediary, are met 
with the same liberality. 

As the Royal Library and the two univer- 
sity libraries, as well as government offices 
in general and many public institutions, en- 
joy the franking privilege for letters and 
parcels sent through the post, this lending 
system causes no expense whatever to the 
borrowers. We also readily lend books and 
manuscripts to foreign libraries (sometimes 
even to private scholars abroad directly), 
and we borrow a good deal from abroad 
but never books that can be procured through 
the booksellers. We do not think it proper to 
ask a foreign library to keep current books 
for our students. We also send our books 
abroad free of postage, and we do not charge 
borrowers for packing. 



Modern Swedish fiction is neither lent nor 
supplied in the reading room except for 
the purpose of research. We receive the 
national literature in order to preserve it, 
which would be impossible if it were lent to 
the general public ; nor would our small staffs 
be able to answer to the demands of a free 
public library service. Our officers are too 
few and their salaries too low ; a great por- 
tion of our work must be done by super- 
numerary officers, who are either very poorly 
or not at all remunerated a very bad sys- 
tem which needs a thorough reformation. 
In the Uppsala library 27 students have en- 
tered the library service during the last 
twenty years; 18 of them have given it up, 
seeing no possibility of an adequate promo- 
tion. Women are not employed in the great 
general libraries in Sweden; one woman only 
has been a supernumerary officer in the Upp- 
sala Library. She was a university graduate. 
In some special libraries in Stockholm, how- 
ever, women are employed as assistants, in a 
few cases even as librarians. 

For the systematic training of young li- 
brarians nothing has, as yet, been done in cur 
country. For a special library school we are 
evidently too few in number; but even in the 
service there is hardly any system in the train- 
ing of the beginners, the small number of offi- 
cers not permitting a strict division of the 
work into departments, so that everybody 
has occasionally to do all kinds of work 
on the same day. 

Before finishing I may say a few words on 
the Swedish press-law. It has been stated 
above that the Royal Library in Stockholm 
and the two university libraries of Uppsala 
and Lund enjoy the privilege, of receiving 
each one copy of everything printed in the 
country. This privilege is not connected with 
the copyright, the copyright act not prescrib- 
ing to the publisher any deposit of copies. 
But the -printers have the obligation of de- 
livering four complete and perfect copies of 
everything printed by them, nothing, however 
insignificant, being excepted. The printer 
who has printed the main work has to 
deliver the whole, even though the plates 
were printed abroad; the libraries claim also 
the productions of the job-printing offices and 
of the lithographical printing offices, engrav- 
ings and the like. 



8 4 



ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. 



Three of these copies have to be delivered 
to the said libraries, the fourth to the Minister 
of Justice in Stockholm or to this minister's 
deputies in the country towns for the purpose 
of censure. For although the press is in 
Sweden practically entirely free, there are 
naturally certain grave abuses of it exempted 
from this liberty; for instance, blasphemy, 
grave personal insults, and so on. 

The printers are entitled to send in their 
book-parcels by the post free of postage, and 
the libraries are entitled to receive their copies 
free of any charge. If, therefore, the printer 
sends his books any other way than through 
the post, he has to pay the carriage himself. 

The delivery is very slow, the law provid- 
ing only that what is printed in one year must 
be delivered before the following July. Many 
printers, however, especially the greater ones, 
deliver their productions twice a year. 

A list of all printing offices in the country 
is kept in the Department of Justice, so the 
libraries can always have their lists complete. 
But to exercise an effective control over the 
printer is more than difficult; it is in fact im- 
possible, although his name, and the place 
and the year of publication have to be printed 
on everything. The printers are advised to 
send in lists of what is printed by them dur- 
ing the year, and generally they do so, but the 
librarian cannot compel them to do it. The 
deputies of the Minister of Justice have to 
keep lists of what is printed in their places, 
but they are not obliged to send in copies of 
them to the libraries. The librarian may, it 
is true, ask them for information in doubtful 
cases but how to know whether a printer's 
list is complete or not ? The publishers' 
annual catalog naturally does not contain 
more than a fraction of what has been 
printed. And besides, even the most scrupu- 
lous printer is liable by inadvertence to send 
in an incomplete list. It is, therefore, prob- 
able, or rather certain, that some productions 
of the press escape the librarian's notice, al- 
though he may display any amount of vigil- 
ance and energy. 

Fortunately absence of readiness on the 
printers' side to deliver their press-law copies 
is rare. The printers have not the same 
reason as the publishers to struggle against 
this law, and the fights fought in other coun- 
tries between librarians and publishers con- 



cerning the copyright copies are unknown in 
Sweden. 

When a printer is found not to have de- 
livered a certain book to a library, he is sum- 
moned to send in a copy. If he does not, 
the librarian notifies the Minister of Jus- 
tice, who then proceeds against him and fines 
him 37 or 50 cr. for each omission. There 
is no time provided in the press-law within 
which an action against a printer for defec- 
tive delivery shall be commenced. 

The press-law does not contain any stipu- 
lations as to the quality of the paper upon 
which the copies have to be printed. The 
law is older than the invention of the ex- 
tremely bad paper of our days, so there was 
then hardly occasion for such stipulation. 
Recently the question has been under dis- 
cussion by the authorities, and it is to be 
hoped that this deficiency may be remedied. 

The amount of Swedish press-productions 
delivered to the three libraries during the 
year 1903 was 22,896 nos., besides several 
thousands of small things. 

This obligation of the printers, originally 
for the censure of the printed literature, and 
now, as we have seen, serving two purposes 
the censure, and the preservation of the 
national literature exists since 1661, the 
date of the first royal ordinance for this pur- 
pose. In this ordinance, however, the univer- 
sities were not comprehended and it was only 
at the end of the I7th century that the priv- 
ilege was extended to them also. For a long 
time these ordinances were of very little ef- 
fect, though often repeated and although the 
fines for non-observance in the earlier times 
were heavy enough. It is only since the 
middle of the last century that the law has 
been more strictly superintended and ob- 
served. 

The present press-law dates from 1812, and 
is one of the fundamental laws of the king- 
dom a good thing in so far as it cannot 
easily be changed according to an occasional 
opinion; but on the other hand it is thereby 
also made difficult to have deficiencies 
amended, for instance, to obtain a quicker de- 
livery, a more durable paper for the library- 
copies, and to make the printers' requirement 
to send in correct and complete lists con- 
trolled by the deputies of the Minister of 
Justice, on pain of fine. 



REYER. 



THE LIBRARY MOVEMENT IN AUSTRIA. 
BY DR. EDOUARD REYER, Central Bibliothek, Vienna. 



*T*HE public libraries of Vienna have now 
a circulation of three millions. In the 
year 1887 they had 100,000 and it was and 
is still very hard work to advance along this 
road. Our difficulties, and our means and 
methods, are different from those existing and 
employed in other countries, as will be seen 
from the following statement. 

Before the year 1870 little was done in 
Austria in regard to public libraries. In 
the cities old state libraries existed, libraries 
of the universities and of the corporations, 
and the learned classes looked with indiffer- 
ence on the great work done in your coun- 
try. Some men tried the work, but they found 
no aid; most newspapers declined to publish 
articles on a matter of so little interest. If 
the progressive, liberal part of the population 
felt so little inclination towards public libra- 
ries, it was natural enough that the mighty 
aristocratic, conservative and clerical parties 
made a firm opposition. Rich men of the lib- 
eral party, asked to do something for a li- 
brary, answered : "Come and ask something 
for the poor, for an asylum or for an hos- 
pital and we will give willingly, but what will 
you do with these libraries? You will create 
half-culture, you will increase the discontent 
of the masses." If even the liberals think in 
this way, we may not wonder that the cler- 
icals fight openly against our public libraries. 

So began our work. We have many foes, 
few friends, nearly no help. In some small 
towns we opened libraries with some 100 
volumes; people came, but after the lapse of 
some years the books were worn out and it 
was harder to raise the necessary means 
again. The municipality gave nothing, rich 
citizens who had given something at first, 
were not willing to continue. So these first 
free libraries were soon regarded as un- 
successful charity work. 

The second difficulty to be surmounted 
was the general tendency to subordinate the 
library to a certain political creed. The 



authorities never declared it, but in fact 
everyone felt it immediately. When I first 
worked as member of a corporation creating 
public libraries, I proposed to introduce the 
leading newspapers in the reading room; 
the proposal was accepted, but when I men- 
tioned the names of the leading clerical and 
socialistic newspapers, the president protested 
and I saw that he accepte'd only liberal and 
conservative newspapers as suitable for pub- 
lic libraries. 

After some years of practical work I had 
formulated my methods which differed in 
so many points from the formula adopted in 
Vienna that I was obliged to try the ex- 
periment, at first on a small scale in one of 
our provincial towns. The society which we 
created ten years ago in Graz accepted all 
essential points and its success was full. In 
the next year we had attained a circulation 
of 200,000 for 100,000 inhabitants. Return- 
ing to Vienna we founded a corporation un- 
der the name Central-Bibliothek, which in the 
course of seven years has opened 18 libraries 
with a circulation of 1,800,000. 

Our regulations provide that books and 
periodicals shall be given to readers, without 
regard to religious or political tendencies. 
This may seem to you natural, but in our 
country many people find it dangerous and 
there is opposition. And this is not only the 
case in Austria but also in Germany. Visit 
any reading room sustained by a liberal mu- 
nicipality and you will never find the leading 
socialistic newspapers, and the socialists 
avoid those reading rooms. 

In Graz we had opened the library and 
reading room under the auspices of the gov- 
ernor, the mayor and other leading persons, 
and not only the liberal, but also the clerical 
and socialist newspapers were provided. The 
effect was good, no political party was of- 
fended and we had at least no determined 
enemies. 

Now it seems difficult to maintain this prin- 



86 



ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. 



ciple without expending considerable sums 
for a great variety of clerical, socialist and 
other publications. But in fact the solution 
of this problem is not so difficult. We had 
the works of Lassalle, Marx and other lead- 
ing socialists, but they were little used even 
by socialistic workingmen, because they had 
long ago read the same works in the social- 
istic library, and in the same way it was not 
necessary to buy a great stock of clerical 
works, as the clerical readers of high culture 
found the literature in our old state libraries, 
and the clerical readers of low culture were 
satisfied with a small collection. 

The next question of importance was how 
to raise the necessary means. For nearly 
twenty years we had seen, in Germany as 
well as in our state, that it is impossible to 
maintain free libraries for many years in a 
decent condition. America and England have 
municipalities and rich men who give the 
necessary means ; we have nothing of that 
sort. We have not a shadow of a Carnegie, 
and every politician would laugh at the sug- 
gestion of a library tax. How can a free 
library exist under these conditions? "Free 
library" is an empty, even a pernicious phrase 
in our country. In the beginning the reader 
must pay a trifle till we have educated a 
generation, ripe for library taxes and free 
libraries. At first we introduced a tax of 10 
kreuzer (4 cents) a month, later we took 
20 and 25 kreuzer in the richer districts of 
Vienna. 

In the poorer districts where the working 
classes prevail, the tax is mostly four cents 
a month, and even the laborer does not ob- 
ject to pay this trifle, which for a long time 
will be a necessary contribution to maintain 
our public libraries in a decent condition. At 
the present time our libraries spend about 
200.000 kronen a year, which is little for a 
circulation of three millions. 

The question of economy, unknown in your 
country, is dominating in our work and we 
lave introduced methods and made experi- 
ments under this constraint. 

For years the great publishers of Germany 
and Austria have given us almost half the 
books we want as gifts. We buy on a large 
scale and have the books bound in quantities. 
Some hundred volumes of the same author 



are frequently delivered at once in the cen- 
tral library and distributed afterwards to the 
libraries in Vienna and in the provinces. The 
binding is cheap and excellent (black cloth 
with illuminated letters, price per volume 24 
kreuzer 9 cents). A further economy was 
introduced by dividing thick volumes, so that 
a volume seldom has more than 300 pages. 
The books are so well preserved that re- 
binding seldom occurs. If the pages are dirty 
or worn out, we remove the books. 

The space which is at our disposal must be 
used in the most economical manner, as we 
must pay a high rent. The work is done 
mostly by women workers, because women's 
wages are low in our country (50 and 60 
kronen, or 10 to 12 dollars a month). Every 
worker has a vacation of four weeks, she 
receives a percentage of the income of the li- 
brary, and we pay the cost of doctor and 
medicines in the case of sickness. 

The central library has introduced a system 
of delivery only for the scientific department ; 
the books are delivered every day to most of 
the public libraries of Vienna. Co-operation 
with some scientific libraries has been intro- 
duced. The Chamber of Commerce, the 
Juridische Leseverein and the Railway club 
allow us to record the books contained in 
their libraries and we send those books in 
case of demand to the library where the 
reader has requested the book. About 60,000 
volumes are contained in the scientific libra- 
ries of these corporations. Our central li- 
brary, including branches, contains 240,000 
volumes. The public libraries of other socie- 
ties have about 150,000 volumes. 

The circulation of our central library with- 
out the branches was last year 644,000 (236,- 
ooo books from the scientific department). 
The central library inclusive of branches has 
a circulation of 1,800,000; the public libraries 
of other societies have 1,300,000, so that Vi- 
enna has a circulation of 3,100,000. As we 
divide thick volumes, this number must be 
reduced, and it results in a net circulation 
of two million complete volumes for a 
population of 1,600,000. We have done 
much under the prevailing circumstances, but 
more is left to be done by the rising genera- 
tion. 

In the provinces most of the library work 



PIETSCHMANN. 



done is rather poor; only in some towns 
were sufficient means raised to create a free 
library. Most of the public libraries must 
demand from the readers a fee of a few cents 
a month. 

For the Alpine provinces Dr. Michael 
Hainisch, who gives every year 6000 kronen 
has done a good deal. These provinces have 
now a circulation of about half a million. 
But Dr. Michael Hainisch, who is a man of 
great idealism and of moderate income, stays 
isolated in this regard, for no one of our rich 



citizens has the ambition to work in the same 
line. 

I have mentioned many difficulties. Last 
but not least I must say a word on our con- 
flicting nationalities, which lead to the same 
enmity as does the question of color in your 
country. Once I thought it possible to create 
mixed libraries in districts with mixed pop- 
ulation, and I hoped to bring better under- 
standing and peace to these districts. To- 
day I know that this is impossible. The 
library would be destroyed by both nations. 



KARL DZIATZKO: A MEMORIAL SKETCH.* 



BY PROF. DR. RICHARD PIETSCHMANN, Director, University Library of Gottingen. 



T T is not without hesitation that following 
a kind suggestion of your president I 
shall try to speak some words on the late 
Karl Dziatzko. I would have wished to have 
had leisure to prepare a somewhat elaborate 
address; but time did not permit. Neverthe- 
less I feel obliged not to let pass the oppor- 
tunity of speaking to so select and competent 
an audience in memoriam of a man whose 
work has been widely appreciated, and under 
whom I have worked more than twenty 
years. 

Karl Dziatzko received his first instruction 
in library science when he was a student at 
the university of Bonn. He worked there 
under Friedrich Ritschl, who, besides being 
one of the most successful teachers of phil- 
ology, had also charge of the administration 
of the university library. Ritschl entirely 
reorganized the library and did a great deal 
for its development. He made it a rule for 
the members of the philological seminar 
to assist in the library, and Dziatzko served 
for a long time in the circulating depart- 
ment. Many of the best librarians of Ger- 
many received their training from Ritschl, 
of whom I mention only Aug. Wilmanns, 
general director in Berlin, Jos. Stander, di- 

* Translated by Miss Selina Nachmann, student 
Pratt Institute Library School. 



rector of the university library at Bonn, and 
Wilhelm Brambach, until recently librarian 
at the Court library in Karlsruhe. 

At first Dziatzko had apparently no inten-. 
tion of making library work his vocation. 
He received his degree in 1863, his disserta- 
tion being a work on the prologues in 
Plautus and Terence, and chose the career 
of a teacher, first at the Gymnasium at Op- 
peln and later in the Lyceum at Lucerne. In 
1871 he was appointed director of the univer- 
sity library in Freiburg, Baden, but very 
soon exchanged his position for one at the 
gymnasium in Karlsruhe. 

In the fall of 1872 the Prussian govern- 
ment, upon the advice of Anton Klette, ap- 
pointed him head librarian of the Royal and 
University Library in Breslau and from that 
time on he remained faithful to the pro- 
fession; for not until then were the high 
ideals of his calling brought home to him. 

In Breslau he found a large field of activity. 
First of all he had a new alphabetical card 
catalog made. In doing this he examined 
personally every book and compared every 
title page. Questions which arose were dis- 
cussed in conferences of the library staff 
and the decisions arrived at were reduced to 
rules. The fundamental principle's estab- 
lished by this experience were published by 
Dziatzko in 1886 under the title "Instructions 



ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. 



for the arrangement of titles in the alphabet- 
ical card catalog of the Royal and University 
Library in Breslau." As early as 1887 an 
Italian translation of the book appeared and 
Klas August Linderfelt utilized it in his 
"Eclectic card catalog rules," which were 
published in Boston in 1890. It forms the 
basis of the first discussions for the instruc- 
tions for form and arrangement of headings 
now used in Prussia. 

Adolph Friedrich Stenzler awakened his 
interest in the history of early printing and 
the research work that he now began led him 
to the discovery that Caspar Elyan was the 
first printer of Breslau. 

A new field of activity was opened to him 
when he was called to Gottingen as profes- 
sor of library science and head librarian of 
the university library. Here he found one 
of the most important documents regarding 
the history of printing, the "Helmersperger 
instrument." He published a new edition 
of it from the original and continued his re- 
searches in connection with the subject. I 
mention only one of his works, which is im- 
portant on account of its results as well as its 
method, his "Gutenberg's friiheste Drucker- 
praxis." Up to that time it had been a ques- 
tion which of the two oldest Bibles was the 
work of Gutenberg. Dziatzko proved beyond 
a doubt that the Bible with 42 lines was 
printed before the one with 36 lines. His 
research work was not limited to this sub- 
ject. He also studied seriously questions 
touching the books and libraries of the an- 
cients. 

According to his idea the field of knowl- 
edge in regard to library science is a very 
wide one and embraces everything that can 
be brought in connection with books. He 
liked to occupy himself with questions con- 
cerning the booktrade and copyright laws, 
and he had a very clear conception of jurist- 
ical problems. 

He objected to being called a scholarly 
librarian. He treated the daily routine of the 
administration with the same importance as 
his scientific studies. For his subordinates 
he was a splendid example of most rigorous 
and careful attention to duties. He de- 



signed the arrangement for locking the card 
catalog in the library in Breslau and was in- 
terested in other technical details, as for 
instance bibliographical photographic repro- 
ductions. He possessed organizing and ad- 
ministrative ability in a very high degree. 

During his career a great reform in library 
matters took place in Prussia. It is true 
that as early as 1872 some measures were 
taken for the improvement of university li- 
braries ; they differed, however, very little 
from previous methods. A more general re- 
form began in 1884. At this time a number 
of radical measures were started which, free 
from theoretical prejudices and doctrines, 
brought about a complete reorganization of 
library management in Prussia. Uniform in 
execution and plan, they can be traced back 
to one strong personality, the present director 
in the Kultus-ministerium, Friedrich Althoff. 
If the history of this reform is to be written 
Karl Dziatzko has to be mentioned as coun- 
sellor in many important questions. 

Dziatzko devoted a great deal of care and 
attention to the training of assistants. The 
practice of the German printers of the i5th 
century had the foremost place in his stud- 
ies. He lectured on library administration, 
history of printing, and booktrade before 
and after the Reformation, history of books 
and libraries of the ancients, development of 
modern library methods, and also on the 
palaeography of the Latin classics and the 
legal status of the book world. His assist- 
ants were also given a systematic training 
in library work, advancing from the simple 
to the difficult through all phases of practical 
service. 

Dziatzko was chairman of the commission 
on examinations for librarians. He worked 
constantly towards elevating the profession 
and was instrumental in bringing about the 
association of the librarians of Germany. 
He was earnest and firm in his ideas and 
principles, at the same time a friend of 
social intercourse, and he always endeavored 
to come into personal contact with his offi- 
cials. Many of those who worked with him 
were closely attached to him, and all will 
remember him with gratitude and admiration. 



BAILLIE. 



8 9 



LIBRARY WORK IN NEW ZEALAND. 



BY HERBERT BAILLIE, Librarian Public Library, Wellington, N. Z. 



"M"EW ZEALAND appears to have been al- 
ways generous in the matter of public 
libraries ; every community possesses a section 
of land which was reserved for library pur- 
poses when the town or village was laid out 
by the government. Subsidies are paid an- 
nually, to all libraries that make application, 
in proportion to the revenue which may be 
received either in rates, donations or sub- 
scriptions. The subsidy is allotted by a 
system which is advantageous to the smaller 
libraries. No library is credited with a 
larger revenue than 75, and a nominal 
addition of 25 is made to the income 
of each library. The library with an 
income of say 20 is assessed for subsidy 
at 45. The library with an income of 
100 or more receives the same grant as 
the one with 75. The stipulations are that 
the subsidy is to be spent in the purchase of 
books, and that in the case of libraries within 
a borough a free reading room must be pro- 
vided.* 

The Public Libraries Act was passed by the 
New Zealand Parliament during the session 
of 1869, being based upon the "Ewart 
bill" of Great Britain. Sir G. M. O'Rorke, 
who introduced the bill, stated "that so far 
as he was aware there was no library freely 
open to the public at large in the colony." 
The act was passed with practically no dis- 
cussion. This act stipulated that a charge 
of not less than s/- per annum was 
to be made for the privilege of borrowing 
books. The Municipal Corporations Act, 1890, 
incorporating the Public Libraries Act, as 
far as boroughs are concerned, left it optional 
for the corporations to make a charge to 
borrowers. As far as I know, there is no 
purely free library in the colony, excepting, 
of course, the General Assembly Library, and 
that is restricted to certain privileged persons. 



* According to latest available returns 364 libra- 
ries participated in vote of 3000 granted for sub- 
sidies, 1902-1903. 



As Carnegie grants have been accepted by 
Dunedin (10,000), Westport (2000), and 
Thames (2000), it will be necessary for 
these libraries to be perfectly free. 

.The first community to take advantage of 
the act was Auckland, which struck a li- 
brary rate in 1879, ten years after the pass- 
ing of the act. 

Methods. The first card catalog was in- 
troduced into the General Assembly Library 
by Mr. H. L. James, who was then (1898) 
acting-librarian. Mr. James has also the 
honor of introducing Mr. Dewey's system of 
classification. 

The Wellington Public Library, Mr. T. 
W. Rowe being then librarian, soon followed 
the lead of the General Assembly Library 
in both these important particulars. Other 
libraries are now compiling card catalogs, 
but unfortunately, most of our librarians are 
of a conservative nature. The usual method 
of loan charging is by means of ledgers 
either single or double entry. Books are num- 
bered in classes designated A, B, C, etc. 
"A," theology; "B," history and biography; 
"C," travel. This facilitates charging, be- 
sides classifying the books roughly very 
roughly. One important library uses a ledger, 
in which is entered the full name of book 
borrowed, and seems quite satisfied with 
it. The Newtown branch (Wellington) will 
complete the Newark system of charging 
as soon as our supply of pockets arrive; we 
have been using a card system there since 
the opening in 1902, and although it is an im- 
provement on the ledger system, it was too 
intricate during rushes. I hope to install the 
Newark system at the Wellington library as 
soon as convenient. 

In the matter of book supplies, I think that 
we may consider ourselves fortunate as far 
as fiction is concerned. The English pub- 
lishers issue what are called "colonial edi- 
tions" of all important works ; in most cases 
the colonial edition is issued at the same 
time as the original edition, and the books are 



ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. 



retailed at 3/6 for cloth bound copies and 2/6 
for paper covers. They cost libraries, on an 
average, 3/- per copy for the cloth edition. 
The American publisher is now beginning to 
deal direct with this colony, with special 
prices, much to our pecuniary benefit. 

I shall now give a few details of the prin- 
cipal public libraries of the colony. New 
Zealand was first colonized by the British in 
1840, the first settlers coming out under the 
auspices of the New Zealand Company, a 
company formed in England for that purpose. 

The Aurora, the first ship conveying set- 
tlers, arrived at Wellington Jan. 22, 1840, and 
by the end of that year there was a population 
of about 1200, among whom the library spirit 
was evidently well developed, as we find that 
on Dec. i a meeting was held at Barrett's 
Hotel "to consider the advisability of open- 
ing a public library and reading room." A 
number of names famous in New Zealand 
history are mentioned in the short report of 
the proceedings that has been handed down 
to us. A house was bought for 30 and a 
librarian, in the person of Dr. Knox, was 
appointed librarian at a salary of 75 per 
annum, which must have been a good salary 
for the duties to be performed. It is fair 
to say that Dr. Knox reciprocated in gen- 
erosity, as there are now in the Wellington 
Public Library a number of medical books 
that he presented to the infant library. In 
these days of anti-fiction it is refreshing to 
find a librarian who put such books as Fyfe's 
"Anatomy," Beclard's "Elements of Anatomy," 
and similar works into his collection, but, 
judging by the appearance of the books after 
this space of time the public were as wilful 
as they are 1 now-a-days and would only 
read what they liked. Towards the end of 
1843 Governor Fitzroy granted a portion of 
a reserve that had had been set aside by 
the New Zealand Company when they were 
laying out the town, and the foundation of a 
permanent home was laid on May 2, 1844, 
the name of the institution then being "The 
Port Nicholson Mechanics' Institute, Public 
School and Library." Trouble seems to have 
cropped up which delayed building operations 
until 1849, in which year the central portion 
of the building was completed and opened, 
the name at the same time being changed 



to "Wellington Athenaeum and Mechanics' 
Institute." This building, with subsequent 
additions, appears to have fulfilled its func- 
tions satisfactorily, those who had the man- 
agement of the institute being animated with 
a true sense of the value of intellectual cul- 
ture. In 1876 the members of the institute 
were advised that something more pretentious 
was required, and the foundation stone of a 
large building was laid Jan. 20, 1877. This 
proved a disastrous step, as after a few years' 
struggle with a heavy mortgage the concern 
passed from the hands of the members. In 
1890 a movement was inaugurated to estab- 
lish a Public Library, and the citizens agreed 
that a library rate should be levied ; the move- 
ment was helped considerably by a donation 
of 1000 received from Mr. W. H. Levin for 
the purchase of books. The books of the 
defunct Athenaeum were purchased, thus en- 
abling that ill-fated concern to clear off its 
liabilities. 

The foundation stone of the present central 
library, which is only a part of the original 
design, was laid Dec. 15, 1891, and the build- 
ing was opened to the public on April 23, 
1893. A subscription of $/- a year is charged 
for the privilege of borrowing books, all 
other branches being free. There are about 
1700 subscribers. The reference library con- 
tains 14,000 volumes, and the lending branch 
10,000 volumes. The Newtown branch was 
opened May, 1902, being the first branch li- 
brary in New Zealand. Plans for another 
branch to be erected at Brooklyn have now 
been approved. On the completion of this 
branch Wellington will have a central library 
and two branches for a population of 50,000. 

In Auckland in 1880 the City Council 
took over for the purposes of a public 
library the "Mechanics' Institute," which 
had been established in 1843, and had had a 
checkered career until the City Council came 
to its aid, as was the case in Wellington. In 
1887 the library took possession of its fine 
new quarters which are part of the Auckland 
Municipal buildings. 

Auckland has been particularly fortunate 
in having been the recipient of some generous 
donations, the principal one being that of Mr. 
Edward Costley, which amounted to over 
12,000. Sir George Grey, a former governor 



KINGSLAND. 



of the colony, and who had always been 
keenly interested in public libraries, pre- 
sented his library, which contained a large 
number of valuable books and mss. Though 
the Auckland Library is second in point of 
age it is easily first as to its fittings and 
collection. The librarian is Mr. E. Shilling- 
ton. The subscription to the lending branch 
is io/- per annum. 

The Christ Church Library was opened 
as a Mechanics' Institute in 1859 eight years 
after the arrival of the first settlers in 
that province. This settlement was promoted 
by a company under the auspices of the 
Church of England. Large endowments were 
reserved for the benefit of church and educa- 
tional purposes. In 1868 permanent buildings 
were erected which took the place of the 
temporary home of the library. In 1873 the 
property was transferred to the Superinten- 
dent of the Province, and by him transferred 
to the control of the Board of Governors of 
Canterbury College. It has been maintained 
by them since out of endowments with the aid 
of a subscription fee from borrowers. The 
library has had one or two handsome dona- 
tions, it is a very popular institution and has 
been well managed. The reading rooms and 
reference library are free to the public; the 
subscription to the lending branch is io/- per 
annum; there are 1800 subscribers. The ref- 
erence library contains 15,000 volumes, and 
there are over 22,000 volumes in the lending 
branch. Mr. H. Strong is librarian. 

In Dunedin, Mr. Mark Cohen, one of the 
principal promoters of the public library 



movement, has promised to contribute a short 
history of library work in that city; it has 
not arrived in time to enclose with this paper. 
There is no public library in Dunedin; the 
City Council are now advertising for competi- 
tive designs for the Carnegie library building. 
A Mechanics' Institute and Athenaeum was 
established in 1859; it is restricted to sub- 
scribers who pay an annual fee of i. i. o. 

Mention should also be made of the Gen- 
eral Assembly Library. It was first proposed 
July 28, 1856, during the sitting of the second 
parliament after the colony had been granted 
responsible government. A motion was passed 
granting 100 to carry out the recommenda- 
tion of the Legislative Council's committee 
that that amount be expended in purchase 
of books ; the committee also reported that the 
Auckland Provincial Council had agreed to 
amalgamate and to provide an equal vote for 
purchase of books and at their own expense 
to provide fittings and pay the librarian's 
salary. When the seat of government was re- 
moved to Wellington the library was also 
removed. The library has had in the past 
the benefit of the literary knowledge of mem- 
bers of both branches of the legislature, which 
has been of the highest order. In 1871 the 
Hon. Alfred Domett (the "Waring" of Robert 
Browning) on his retirement from the public 
service received a valedictory letter of thanks 
from the New Zealand Government, in which 
his services in connection with the formation 
and management of the Parliamentary Li- 
brary were gratefully acknowledged. Mr. 
Charles Wilson is librarian. 



REPORT ON THE LIBRARIES OF GUATEMALA. 



BY L. D. KINGSLAND, Consul-General of Guatemala at St. Louis. 



'npHE City of Guatemala was the capital 
* of the kingdom of the same name in 
the time of the Spanish government, and for 
this reason it was the residence of the higher 
officials and nobles who attended to the pub- 
lic affairs, consequently Guatemala was the 
center of learning and education of the king- 
dom, which comprised at that time what now 



forms the five republics of Central America 
the State of Chiapas and the Province of 
Soconusco, that now belong to Mexico, and 
the territory known to-day as Belize or Brit- 
ish Honduras. In this long past epoch, edu- 
cation and intellectual culture were almost 
entirely in the hands of the many convents of 
monks and friars; consequently all these con- 



ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. 



vents were the owners of valuable libraries 
containing important works of history, philos- 
ophy, literature, etc. 

After the revolutionary movement of 1871 
a decree was issued by the Liberal Govern- 
ment, prohibiting all convents of monks and 
nuns and nationalizing all their property, in- 
cluding their valuable libraries, which were 
taken to form the basis and the foundation of 
the National Public Library of Guatemala. 
The library since that time has been gradually 
and constantly increased, and contains to-day 
over 25,000 volumes, being far ahead of 
any other in Central America, not only as the 
possessor of the largest number of volumes, 
but also the most valuable works, specially 
on account of their antiquity. As an illustra- 
tion, we have a Bible in seven languages, all 
written by hand on parchment. 

Besides this library, the capital contains 
the following libraries: the Supreme Court 
Library; the Medical School Library; the 
Archbishop's Library; the High School Li- 
brary; the Society of Artisans; the Por- 
venir de los Obreros ; the Guatemala Club ; 
and many other smaller libraries of societies 
and private parties. 

The general archives of the government 



may be regarded also as a library, because it 
contains complete collections of all the laws, 
decrees, codes, etc., that have been in use 
since the beginning of our independence 
(1821). 

The municipal archives of the city include 
in good preservation all the official and many 
non-official documents of the colony since this 
section of the country was conquered by Don 
Pedro de Alvarado (1524). These docu- 
ments include among many other interesting 
ones the complete correspondence of the 
Spanish monarchs to the conquerors and royal 
auditors of the kingdom. 

In the principal cities and capitals of the 
departments we have libraries and reading 
rooms; the principal ones being those of the 
following cities : Quezaltenango, San Marcos, 
Coban, Salama, Totonicapan, Chiquimula, 
Jalapa, Antigua, Mazatenango, and many 
others of minor importance. 

The natural tendency and disposition of 
the Guatemalan people to literature make it 
necessary to enlarge these libraries constantly 
in all the branches of human learning. It is 
a well-known fact that Guatemala has the 
largest number and the best equipped libra- 
ries of Central America. 



NOTE ON THE NATIONAL LIBRARY OF CHILE. 



COMMUNICATION BY FRANCISCO ARAYA BENNETT, Government Delegate to the St. Louis 

Conference. 



present era, in the felicitous phrase of Carlyle 
permit me to call your attention to the 
work accomplished by the National Library 
of Santiago, and to solicit, in its behalf, re- 
ports which may be useful alike to scholars 
in Chile, and to those who are, although for- 
eigners, interested in advancing the intellec- 
tual life of my country. . . . 

The history of the library of Santiago . . , 
was published on the occasion of the Inter- 
national Congress of Librarians at Paris in 
1900. When national authority was first 
established in Chile, at the same time were 
founded a library, a newspaper, and an edu- 
cational institution, the diffusion of knowl- 
edge being regarded as fundamental, and the 



absent from my own land, and 
already charged with two official com- 
missions, I was honored with that of repre- 
senting my country in the Congress of Li- 
brarians now in session at St. Louis, in the 
character of secretary ad hoc to his Ex- 
cellency the Minister-Plenipotentiary of Chile 
to the United States and Mexico. When I 
arrived here his Excellency the Minister of 
Chile was in Mexico ; and on account of this 
circumstance it has not been possible for me 
to take part officially in the proceedings of 
the Congress. However, in my private char- 
acter as a citizen of a young country, who 
thoroughly appreciates the civilizing agency 
of the libraries the real universities of the 



RICHARDSON. 



93 



corner-stone of free institutions. The jour- 
nalist par excellence of the Revolution, 
Gamilo Henriquez, at one time was also the 
librarian of Chile. 

The library, at present directed by a dis- 
tinguished man of letters, is a center for use- 
ful studies and for investigations, which have 
illuminated with the light of history all 
phases of the national life. In its work, it 
now counts upon the co-operation of all edu- 
cational establishments, both secondary and 
higher, which have at least regular collections 
of books. Libraries of special character are 
steadily increasing ; and, among these, that 
of the National Congress occupies a promin- 
ent place on account of its richness in pub- 
lications which comprise the more important 
of the social sciences. The National Insti- 
tute (another foundation dating from the 
epoch of Chile's independence), the Peda- 
gogical Institute, the School of Medicine, the 
Agricultural Institute and the Commercial 
Institute ; the Catholic University, and the 
leading educational institutions that are sus- 
tained by the ecclesiastical authorities and 
the religious congregations ; and, moreover, 
a great number of workmen's societies all 
these [are gathering] collections of books, 
regularly classified, and placed at the service 
of a continually increasing number of readers. 

In the general Congress of Public Instruc- 
tion held at Santiago in December, 1902, un- 
der the auspices of the University, one of the 
subjects especially discussed was the forma- 
tion of popular libraries. 

The National Library has issued the follow- 
ing publications : 

Annuario de la Prensa Chilena, issued from 
1886 to the end of 1900. 



Boletino Bibliografico, October, 1901. 

Catalogo de los manuscritos relatives a los 
antiguos jesuitos de Chile. 

Catalogo del Archivo de la Real Audiencia 
de Santiago. 2 v. 

Catalogo de autores griegos y latino. 

Catalogo de la seccion Americana (America 
en general). 

Bibliografia musical Chilena, 1886-1896. 

Catalogo de la seccion de Lectura a Domi- 
cilio. 

Chile has much to learn from nations who 
can depend on greater resources and ex- 
perience ; and the discussions and conclu- 
sions of this Congress will assuredly be of 
interest to us. Since it has not been possible 
for me to be personally present at your de- 
bates, permit me to ask you for such publica- 
tions as may be issued in consequence of those 
discussions ; and, if I may, for any others 
which relate to the work of the American Li- 
brary Association. 

I do not know whether that association 
possesses its own library, or is merely an 
association of librarians. If the former sup- 
position be correct, let me place at its dis- 
posal twenty-four volumes, comprising the 
publications of the National Library of San- 
tiago and of its director, Sefior Don Luis 
Montt. . . . 

Among the books which he sent, the Bib- 
liografia Chilena (of which only the second 
volume has been published) deserves especial 
mention, because it is a work of well-directed 
investigation, placed in methodical form. Its 
introduction contains information that is val- 
uable to the foreigner who wishes to under- 
stand the bibliography of my country of 
which Senor Montt's work is a full and sum- 
mary account. 



INTERNATIONAL BIBLIOGRAPHY. 



BY ERNEST GUSHING RICHARDSON, Librarian of Princeton University. 



1DIBLIOGRAPHY may be pure or applied, 
and may be international in scope, inter- 
national in method, or international in exe- 
cution. As librarians we are interested in 
applied rather than pure bibliography, and as 
a conference, international in its composition, 
we are especially interested in the interna- 



tional execution, or what is known as interna- 
tional co-operation in the carrying out of 
bibliographical plans. 

The foundation in connection with this 
conference of an American Bibliographical 
Society is in itself a distinct contribution 
to the conception of what belongs to a confer- 



94 



ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. 



ence of librarians. It marks off the field of 
pure bibliography from that section of the 
field of applied bibliography which belongs to 
the librarian. Briefly, the distinction is this 
pure bibliography concerns itself with the gen- 
eric book, applied with the specific. The pure 
bibliography gives a list of a given class, say 
books printed on vellum, or on a given sub- 
ject, say Dante, without regard to the loca- 
tion of any particular copy, or even strictly 
speaking any description of value or pecu- 
liarities of individual copies. The applied 
bibliography gives a list of specific copies of 
books, and it is intended to guide a reader to 
where he may find one for his use, either by 
purchase or by loan; if for purchase then 
the applied bibliography takes the form of 
the bookseller's or auction catalog; if for 
loan it is the library catalog. 

With pure bibliography the librarian, as 
librarian, has nothing to do, although as 
student or booklover, he may be deeply in- 
terested in it. The formation of the Biblio- 
graphical Society, composed so largely of 
members of the Library Association, shows 
that this is in fact the case among American 
librarians. As a matter of science pure bib- 
liography is indeed one of the most important 
and characteristic features of the librarians' 
equipment, ranking even above the knowl- 
edge of languages, but it is not the character- 
istic business of the librarian nor the proper 
business of a library association. 

In the same way that applied bibliography 
which relates to the obtaining of specific 
copies for use by purchase is, like pure bibli- 
ography, knowledge of languages, of the en- 
cyclopaedia of the sciences, etc., an important 
part of a librarian's equipment, but not his 
direct business. It belongs to booksellers' and 
publishers' associations, rather than to library 
associations. 

The special applied bibliography in which 
every librarian is most directly interested is 
the catalog of his own library, whether 
printed or unprinted. But every librarian 
very soon finds the limitations of his own 
library at a thousand points, and the practical 
need of referring readers to books that one 
does not have in one's own library has led 
to the inter-library loan and the development 
of the inter-library catalog the so-called 
joint or co-operative list. 



The best example of the inter-library cat- 
alog in America to date is the co-operative 
list of periodicals. Such lists have been pub- 
lished for the libraries of Boston and vicinity, 
of New York, Washington, Chicago, and 
California. These co-operative catalogs are 
of the very highest usefulness, both as time- 
savers and as contributors to the highest 
scientific work. One of the best things which 
could be done for the progress of scientific 
method in this country would be to unite, 
bring up to date, and somewhat extend the 
best of these lists. Other essays in this direc- 
tion of the co-operative catalog have been 
made in various fields, such as historical 
sources, etc., and the librarians of the larger 
reference libraries in America are feeling 
their way towards farther practical develop- 
ment. Mr. Lane and Mr. Putnam among 
others have written or spoken on this subject. 
In Europe the Prussian Gesamt-Katalog is 
perhaps the best illustration of the joint cat- 
alog. 

This joint catalog, or co-operative catalog, 
or inter-library catalog, is the highest devel- 
opment of applied bibliography to-day and 
the proper theme of such a session as this 
is the possible extension of the co-operative 
catalog now being successfully developed for 
local needs, to international undertakings. 
Good examples of the international joint 
catalog are somewhat rare. The work of the 
International Catalogue of Scientific Liter- 
ature is rather pure than applied bibliography, 
although it might very easily be turned into 
an inter-library catalog and a very practical 
one simply by printing a list of a limited 
number of chosen points where each of the 
periodicals, especially those not found in 
many libraries, might with certainty be found. 

There is, however, one kind of the true 
international, inter-library catalog of which 
there have been many examples during the 
last eight centuries that is the general cat- 
alog of manuscripts. As early as the I4th 
century a catalog was prepared of works 
existing in all the various Franciscan mon- 
asteries of England and Scotland. This, in 
the enlargement by Boston, included the libra- 
ries of no less than 182 monasteries. The 
aim of this catalog seems to have been pre- 
cisely that which underlies our co-operative 
lists of periodicals, the idea being that if 



RICHARDSON. 



95 



books are not in one library a person may 
use them in another or else have them sent 
to him. Provided only he knows where a 
copy may be found he may in some way or 
other consult it. In modern times there have 
been many examples of the inter-library cat- 
alog of manuscripts including many of the 
so-called bibliographical journeys like 
Blume's Iter Italicum. Some of these are 
strictly national like that of Robert for 
France and Mazzatinti for Italy. The great 
catalog of the French Departments also falls 
under this head. Among the older catalogs 
those of Bernard and Montfaucon are the 
most famous and most comprehensive, but 
the best example of the truly international 
manuscript catalog is that of Haenel, pub- 
lished in 1830 and covering British, French, 
Swiss, Spanish, Portuguese, Belgian and 
Dutch libraries. 

It has been said that the international char- 
acter of a bibliographical undertaking may 
be as regards scope, method, or execution. 
The scope may be international as regards 
the books included or the libraries referred 
to. Most high-class bibliographies are inter- 
national in respect of the books included. 
In the co-operative lists of periodicals, for 
example, there is no distinction of nationality, 
and almost all library catalogs are inter- 
national in this regard. On the other hand, 
however, most reading lists and ordinary bib- 
liographies are confined to the books of a 
single country, or at most of a single lan- 
guage, and there are the strictly national 
bibliographies such as Heinsius, Keyser, 
Lorenz, the English and American catalogs, 
etc. Bibliographies which are international as 
regards the libraries referred to are the joint 
catalogs of manuscripts before referred to. 

By internationality of method is to be un- 
derstood a uniformity of method in various 
countries, so that work done independently 
in each may be available for a joint result. 
This sort of thing is attained where the 
card bibliographies of the European institutes 
and councils can be joined with those of 
the American Library Association Publish- 
ing Board, the Library of Congress, etc., in 
a uniform whole, as has actually been done 
to some extent. These matters of method 
include (i) a uniform size of card. This, 



thanks to the foresight of Mr. Dewey, in 
almost forcing the metric system on Amer- 
ican librarians, to the great advantage of 
the librarians, is practically secured for us 
and the i2 T /2 by 7^ centimeter card is, to- 
day, the de facto basis of a wide range of 
important international bibliographies. (2) 
A very important matter for uniformity in 
method is that of cataloging rules, and more 
especially the matter of entry. Some progress 
has been made in this regard by an actual 
evolution, and Mr. Jast is bringing to this 
conference a proposition for definite co-oper- 
ation between British and American libra- 
rians in this matter. This is a distinct step 
towards the bibliography which is interna- 
tional in method. (3) Another matter on 
which some lay stress, but which can hardly 
be counted in the same class of necessity 
with uniform entry, is the uniform classi- 
fication. The Decimal classification has the 
field just now through its adoption by the 
Brussels Institute and frequent use in Great 
Britain and the ready incorporation of the 
Zurich cards, for example, with other cards 
having the Decimal classification, has actually 
produced international bibliographies with 
this uniform classification. The classification 
of Brunet, in earlier times and for long was 
practically an international classification. 

The matter of the international execution of 
bibliographies, or international co-operation 
in bibliographical work, is of more immediate 
interest to such a conference as this than 
even the matters of international scope and 
method. The International Catalogue of 
Scientific Literature is the most admirable 
and suggestive example of international bib- 
liography in this aspect. This remarkable un- 
dertaking, thoroughly international in scope, 
carried out in a method arrived at by formal 
convention and executed internationally is, 
whatever one may think of particular meth- 
ods adopted, a most remarkable and encour- 
aging exhibition of the possibilities of inter- 
national co-operation in bibliographical work 
and as has been already suggested needs only 
an indication of where the periodicals may be 
found to make a complete example of the 
most practical type of international bibliog- 
raphy. 

Whenever we attempt co-operation in any 



9 6 



ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. 



branch of human endeavor we face two 
methods: (i) The contribution of labor, (2) 
the contribution of money to purchase labor. 
Poole's Index is a good example in the bib- 
liographical field of the actual contribution 
of labor by scattered individuals. Poole is, 
in fact, itself, to some degree international 
in that it had Canadian contributors. It may, 
perhaps, be fair to count the Zurich Index 
as an example of international co-operation 
through the contribution of money. The In- 
ternational Catalogue is in some sense a 
combination, for work is done chiefly at 
single centers, though in different countries, 
and is not scattered as in the Poole's Index 
or even the cards published by the Publishing 
Board of the A. L. A. It must be confessed 
that co-operation by means of volunteer labor 
represents a relatively elementary and unsat- 
isfactory method. The more highly central- 
ized and organized the work is in most lines 
the more economically and accurately it will 
be done, and well endowed bureaus for this 
sort of thing are undoubtedly the thing to 
be desired. Still, even with the bureaus 
there would be ample field for international 
co-operation between the bureaus and even 
through voluntary contribution of individ- 
uals. Librarians are all the time being 
called upon to revise and improve check lists, 
and the best organized bureau for bibliog- 
raphy would make large calls for co-opera- 
tion at the point of indicating what works 
the library contains in any essay in applied 
bibliography. 

On the whole we have reason to congratu- 
late ourselves that there are so many en- 
terprises which, in one way or another of 
an actual international character, are in prog- 
ress and we hope to see these multiplied in 
the near future. One of the lines which has 
been most urgently and anxiously proposed 
is the extension of the international catalog 
to historical and philological periodicals. An- 
other useful thing might be a list of the pub- 
lications of learned societies showing at what 
particular libraries copies can be found in 
short the extension of what was suggested 
before regarding scientific periodicals. 

One of the most practical and attractive 
things which could be undertaken would be 
a new general catalog of manuscripts. There 
has been no comprehensive attempt since 



that of Haenel in 1830, and there are few 
things which would save as great an aggre- 
gate number of hours in research as a com- 
plete short title index to all codices. It rep- 
resents the maximum usefulness because 
every item represented is unique ; it is not a 
question of going from one library to an- 
other until a copy is found; there is but one 
copy of each. Moreover it is a work which can 
be done in sections, Latin, Greek, Oriental, 
etc. How far it could be done by voluntary 
contribution of labor is a question. It would 
certainly be best done by some moderately 
endowed central bureau not depending too 
much on the voluntary labor of overworked 
librarians, but there would be in any event 
a large field of co-operative work. It may 
strike the average American librarian as not 
a matter of the first practical importance for 
him and yet, in a sense, it is peculiarly im- 
portant with reference to Americans. In 
the first place it saves Americans more time 
than others because they are further away 
from the bulk of the manuscripts. But it is 
also more important to-day than it ever has 
been before because of the growing number 
of manuscripts here in America. The contin- 
ental worker in any particular line is now 
uncertain whether he has exhausted his- 
sources until he knows whether some manu- 
script may have or may not have crept to- 
America. One of the important needs of 
European scholarship to-day is a list of the 
ancient Greek and Latin and more especially 
the Oriental manuscripts (for there are sev- 
eral Oriental collections which number in the 
thousands) in the libraries of this country. 

Another line to which the co-operative cat- 
alog, as distinguished from the co-operative 
bibliography, is applicable is to the matter of 
very rare books. It will be safe to predict 
that before many decades have passed there 
will, in fact, be a universal international cat- 
alog, or at least, finding list, of incunabula; 
an extensive but by no means impossible task 
if attempted in a practical method. It would 
not be by any means as useful scientifically 
as the manuscript finding list, but it appeals 
to bibliographers where the catalog of manu- 
scripts appeals more to students. 

Doubtless many other lines will develop. 
Meantime we congratulate ourselves on 
progress made and now making. 



ADLER. 



97 



THE INTERNATIONAL CATALOGUE OF SCIENTIFIC LITERATURE. 
BY CYRUS ADLER, Washington, D. C. 



\ S the history and scheme of organization 
of the International Catalogue of Scien- 
tific Literature have been brought to the atten- 
tion of the American Library Association on 
several occasions in the past, it will only be 
necessary at the present time to give a brief 
resume of the principal facts showing the 
growth of the undertaking, together with a 
short account of the present condition of 
this important aid to scientific research. 

Professor Joseph Henry, the first secretary 
of the Smithsonian Institution, originated the 
idea of producing, through international co- 
operation, a catalog of scientific literature, 
and in 1855 pointed out the great need for 
such work to the British Association for the 
Advancement of Science. Nothing came of 
this suggestion until 1867 when as a partial 
fulfilment of Professor Henry's idea the Royal 
Society began the publication of its "Cata- 
logue of scientific papers." 

The inadequate scope of this work, to- 
gether with the total lack of a classified sub- 
ject index of the papers cited, emphasized the 
need of Professor Henry's plan, but not until 
1893 was any determined effort made to im- 
prove on the work so begun. 

In that year the Royal Society of London 
began making a systematic effort to obtain 
international co-operation for the production 
of a classified index to current scientific lit- 
erature. 

Based on a request from the Royal Society 
the British Foreign Office issued an invita- 
tion to the governments of the world to send 
representatives to a conference to be held in 
London in 1896. As a result of this and sim- 
ilar conferences held in 1898 and in 1900 
it was determined to issue an authors and 
subject catalog embracing all original sci- 
entific literature, beginning with the publica- 
tions of 1901. 

All of the sciences were grouped under 
the seventeen following named main divi- 
sions, and one volume a year was to 



be devoted to each of these divisions : 
Mathematics, Mechanics, Physics, Chemistry, 
Astronomy, Meteorology (including Terrest- 
rial Magnetism), Mineralogy (including 
Petrology and Crystallography), Geology, 
Geography (Mathematical and Physical), 
Palaeontology, General Biology, Botany, Zool- 
ogy, Human Anatomy, Physical Anthro- 
pology, Physiology (including experimental 
Psychology, Pharmacology and experimental 
Pathology), and Bacteriology. 

Supreme control of the catalog was vest- 
ed in an International Convention to be held 
in London in 1905, in 1910, and thereafter 
every ten years. In the interim the admin- 
istration was intrusted to an International 
Council, convening at stated intervals in Lon- 
don. The actual work of collecting and 
classifying the material forming the catalog 
devolved on Regional Bureaus caring for 
the several countries taking part in the enter- 
prise. Regional Bureaus have been estab- 
lished in each of the following named coun- 
tries : Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, 
Egypt, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, 
Holland, Hungary, India and Ceylon, Italy, 
Japan, Mexico, New South Wales, New Zeal- 
and, Norway, Poland (Austrian, Russian and 
Prussian), Portugal, Queensland, Russia, 
South Africa, South Australia, Sweden, 
Switzerland, the United States of America, 
Victoria, and Western Australia. At present 
these Bureaus collect, index, and classify all 
scientific matter published within their regions 
and forward the manuscript in the form of 
index cards to the Central Bureau, whose 
duty it is to ^assemble and publish these ref- 
erences in the form of the annual volumes. 
The Smithsonian Institution, several attempts 
to obtain governmental aid to carry on the 
work in the United States failing, has from 
its private funds set apart a small annual 
sum to provide for a Regional Bureau in this 
country. 

In beginning the work of the Regional 



9 8 



ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. 



Bureau in this country it was hoped and ex- 
pected that much aid could be had from the 
card indexes kept by the various scientfic 
branches of the Government Service in Wash- 
ington, but experience has shown that it is 
far preferable to obtain the references di- 
rectly from the publications themselves than 
to depend on the work done largely from the 
point of view of narrow specialties. Aside 
from this objection it was found that, on ac- 
count of the lack of uniformity in the sev- 
eral systems used, the labor involved in trans- 
posing the references to the International 
Catalogue system was greater, and the result 
less exact and on the whole much less satisfac- 
tory than was the plan at present employed, to 
examine each publication and get the informa- 
tion necessary to properly index the subject 
directly from the paper itself. In this way t"he 
point of view of all branches of science can 
be given equitable consideration and the vari- 
ous phases of interest be brought forward by 
references and cross references to the sciences 
treated. When a paper is classified in this 
way an abstract of its contents is in effect 
made through the use of the "shorthand" 
methods adopted in the International Cata- 
logue Schedules of Classification. 

The general method employed to index the 
periodical literature coming within the scope 
of the Catalogue is briefly as follows : a list 
is kept of the titles of all periodicals published 
in the United States in which matter of sci- 
entific interest is even likely to appear. For 
the sake of convenience a transposed card 
index of these titles is also kept and at 
frequent intervals this card record is gone 
over and the periodicals needed to bring the 
record up to date are called for from the 
Smithsonian Library or the Library of Con- 
gress. Reference cards to all articles to be 
included in the Catalogue are prepared, and 
to each card the classification letters and 
numbers are added and the card copied by 
a mechanical process as many times as is 
necessary in order that a separate and com- 
plete card may be supplied to the Central 
Bureau for each of the references required 
to properly cover the ground embraced in the 
subject of the paper, beside providing those 
cards required for the record in the Smithson- 
ian Regional Bureau. On the proper classifi- 



cation of the thousands of papers yearly pub- 
lished depends the value and utility of the 
Catalogue, and as all branches of Science 
come within the scope of this work the under- 
taking is one of no little difficulty. The 
rather small force at command is greatly 
aided by the members of the scientific staff 
of the Smithsonian Institution and of the 
scientific bureaus of the government, who 
have freely rendered aid when called upon. 

Some delay has necessarily been occasioned 
in the beginning of so great an enterprise, but 
at the present time all of the first annual 
issue has been published, together with 13 
volumes of the second annual issue, and a vol- 
ume containing a list of the periodicals in- 
dexed. 

In a report from the Central Bureau issued 
last May the statement was made that the to- 
tal number of reference cards received from 
all of the Regional Bureaus was 343,503. Of 
these 37,688 were from the United States. At 
present the total number of references from 
the United States is over 50,000. 

It is now believed that within a year the 
work will have been brought fully up to date 
and that then the annual volumes will prac- 
tically embrace references to all of the litera- 
ture of the preceding year. The importance 
and need of an exhaustive index of this kind 
should be fully appreciated by individual 
workers and by the large reference libraries, 
as the plan aims to assemble and make ac- 
cessible in a compact and concise manner all 
the works published iri any special department 
by means of the minutely classified subject 
catalog. 

In these days of voluminous authorship on 
endless subjects an aid of this kind is an 
imperative necessity if all of the writings 
daily appearing are to be rendered available 
or to be brought to the attention of students 
working in a given field. Brief accounts of the 
different phases of the enterprise, by the writer 
of this paper, may be found in Science, Aug- 
ust 6, 1897, June 2, and 9, 1899, and August 
29, 1903, which together give a more detailed 
history than can be attempted within the 
limits of the present paper. 

The yearly cost of subscription to the whole 
set of 17 annual volumes is $85, but volumes 
on any of the -subjects may be purchased 



FIELD. 



99 



separately. The money received from the sub- 
scribers is used exclusively to defray the ex- 
penses of actual publication, that is, the ex- 
penses of the Central Bureau, which has 
charge of editing and printing. The cost of 
all work done by the Regional Bureau is 
borne by either private or governmental aid 
from the countries co-operating, each country 
supporting its own Regional Bureau. As the 
idea of the catalog originated in the United 
States it is a matter of congratulation that 
this country is the largest subscriber, there 
being about 100 individual subscribers equiva- 
lent to over 70 full sets. The success of the 
publication has been such that it is now ten- 
tatively suggested, after the first period of 
five years shall have elapsed, to broaden the 
scope of the work to include some of the so- 
called applied sciences, such as Medicine, 
Surgery, Agriculture, Horticulture and For- 
estry. With the publication of the volumes 
for 1905 ends the first period of five years in 
which it was decided to make no change in 



the scope or manner of classifying the catalog. 

This was to allow time for the organization 
to obtain a sure footing and also to find out 
how successful the enterprise was to be finan- 
cially. All questions of changes from the 
original plan are to be brought for decision to 
the International Council at the meeting to be 
held in 1905. 

It now appears that a proper beginning has 
been made in the great task of recording and 
grouping in a permanent and available form 
references to all published records of man's 
attempt to fathom the secrets of nature, and 
it is to be earnestly hoped that the task will 
be aided by those for whom the work is being 
done, the librarians and their clients, the 
students and investigators of the world. To 
further this object criticism is invited, and 
co-operation of authors and publishers is 
sought, for it is only through these means that 
it will ever be possible to reach that degree of 
perfection which is the ultimate aim of the 
International Catalogue. 



THE CONCILIUM BIBLIOGRAPHICUM IN ZURICH. 



BY HERBERT HAVILAND FIELD, Director. 



*T*HE movement which led to the founda- 
tion of the Concilium had its ori- 
gin in the keenly felt needs of a group of 
graduate students at Harvard University. As 
early as 1890 the writer began a series of 
negotiations and of studies which soon came 
to take all his time and energy. Having 
become acquainted with the views of Amer- 
ican biologists, he visited every country of 
Europe (save Portugal and the Balkans) and 
believes that it would hardly be possible to 
found an enterprise on a more careful study 
of international needs and of the world's 
experience. 

Five years later the Third International 
Congress of Zoologists gave its stamp of 
approval to the work, and in 1895 operations 
began. The Concilium looks back to-day on 
nearly nine years of unremitting work and 
has reason to be proud of what has been 
accomplished. 

That a card bibliography of scientific liter- 
ature forms a crying need, there can be no 



doubt whatsoever. In July 1896, an inter- 
national conference was held in London under 
the auspices of the Royal Society of London, 
which in its minutes declared unqualifiedly 
for the card system. In consequence of this 
vote, detailed plans were made for the pub- 
lication of a great card bibliography to in- 
clude all the natural sciences. The plans 
failed ; for it was decided at a later confer- 
ence that the undertaking required resources 
such as it would be impossible to provide. 
The enterprise was backed, one might almost 
say, by the united governments of the world. 
Its failure renders the achievement of the 
Concilium little short of a marvel. Let us 
then consider what has been accomplished 
by our modest undertaking. 

First, the number of individual cards dis- 
tributed. The number of cards issued by the 
Concilium aggregates 13 millions, compris- 
ing some 200,000 entries of primary cards 
and 100,000 secondary cards. At the time of 
my recent visit to the Library of Congress. 



IOO 



ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. 



we were slightly in the van in regard to the 
number of cards handled. Now the Library 
of Congress doubtless stands first. 

In point of thoroughness with which the 
text of a publication is considered, it is 
probable that no approach to the methods of 
the Concilium have ever before been at- 
tempted. Each work is studied by a special- 
ist and every observation recorded. Numer- 
ous are the publications in which as many as 
a hundred new species of insects are de- 
scribed. Here every new species is especially 
noted, together with the district where it was 
found. To prepare the manuscript of a single 
such card will often require many hours' 
labor. In other cases we are unable to ascer- 
tain from the text the exact systematic posi- 
tion of an animal mentioned in a work under 
review. Having used all the works of ref- 
erence at our disposal, we then invariably 
write to the author to ask his assistance. 
Cards requiring 50 lines of print are by no 
means uncommon. 

The zoological classification alone com- 
prises nearly 1500 different headings. It is 
probable that such detailed treatment of a 
science was never attempted before. 

Each of these headings can be ordered by 
itself. Indeed there is no limit to the com- 
binations of cards that may be supplied. 

Individual cards from the collection of the 
Concilium cost one cent each; for all larger 
orders the price is one-fifth of a cent per 
card. Those who have been intimately con- 
nected with card publishing assure us that 
this rate of charge is the most inexplicable 
feature of our success. 

With what resources has the Concilium 
been able to accomplish this result? As is 
well known, the institution receives certain 
subsidies for its work. Without these failure 
would have been inevitable. Few, however, 
are aware that the subsidies received since 
1896 amount annually on the average to only 
$1055. With this insignificant sum, it has 
been possible to accomplish all that has thus 
far been done. Of course there is a further 
imponderable subsidy to the Concilium, that 
consisting in the devotion and self-sacrifice 
of those who have given their lives to the 
work. It seems only reasonable for relief 
to be obtained here, for provision to be made 
to carry on the work in the event of the in- 



ability of the present director to continue. 
The present sections of the Concilium can be 
given an assured future, if only an endow- 
ment of $10,000 can be secured. 

Unfortunately, the Concilium has not yet 
come adequately into touch with American 
libraries. Much of the work is perhaps too 
special for public libraries; but there is one 
section of the bibliography which ought to 
be taken by all the libraries of the land which 
include natural history within the scope of 
their purchases. I refer to the bibliography 
of the works on the animals of the United 
States. Most libraries would find it advan- 
tageous to take all the cards on North Amer- 
ica (costing about $10 for the eight years) ; 
but others would limit themselves to their 
own section. Thus the cards on Missouri 
cost 12 cents for the eight years and yet no 
library nor individual in Missouri has seen 
fit to order them. Offered at such rates, it is 
evident that we can appeal to librarians to 
make use of this series without fear of ap- 
pearing to seek financial advantage. Our 
only object lies in the desire to be in touch 
with the libraries and to have our work 
turned to account. It is thoroughly discour- 
aging to maintain for so many years a spe- 
cial section on Missourian fauna without ever 
having a subscriber for it. The same is true 
of the other states of the Union. 

Turning now to plans for the future, it 
may be of interest to point out that the last 
year has witnessed a distinct movement on 
the part of the old established bibliographies 
of the world to enter into intimate relations 
with the Concilium. The international bib- 
liographies of botany, of physiology and of 
anthropology will undoubtedly eventually be 
affiliated with the institute. Already the 
great zoological bibliography which runs back 
to the beginning of the i8th century has 
passed into our hands, and the success attend- 
ing this step seems to point out the means 
of reaching our goal by co-operating with 
existing enterprises instead of trying to sup- 
plant them. 

Should it be possible for us to obtain 
the modest endowment which we seek, our 
work would be at once doubled and an 
adequate card bibliography for all the natural 
sciences would seem possible of speedy at- 
tainment. 



LA FONTAINE. 



101 



THE INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE OF BIBLIOGRAPHY. 



BY HENRI LA FONTAINE, Director, Brussels. 



HTHE International Institute of Bibliography 
was officially founded in 1895. But the 
work it since performs dates from many years 
ago and it was after a long experience and 
careful inquiries about the best systems of 
classification and cataloging that the Univer- 
sal Bibliographic Catalog (Repertoire Biblio- 
graphique Universel), which is the main aim 
of the Institute, was definitely started. 

It is sufficiently known, by all librarians and 
bibliographers, that American cataloging rules 
in part and the Decimal classification were 
adopted in order to realize the Universal 
Bibliographic Catalog. Even the size of the 
cards, and the furniture cases and drawers 
used by the International Institute of Bibliog- 
raphy are those employed by most American 
libraries. Accordingly it can be affirmed that 
the largest bibliographical work now realized 
is as much an American as a European enter- 
prise. It therefore probably was discussed 
and questioned as strongly on the western as 
on the eastern side of the Atlantic. But, as 
has been said here and elsewhere, every new 
fact or scheme, be it intellectual or material, 
has its defenders and its opponents. Along 
each century there live men belonging to the 
last or to the next century, and we accept 
readily the charge of being in the twentieth 
century in the bibliographical field men of 
the twenty-first century. 

Nevertheless, the idea of having somewhere 
a general catalog of bibliographical notices 
referring to any written matter of every kind, 
on every subject, in every country, is not a 
new one. Even in the Middle Ages the idea 
of forming a catalog as complete as possible 
of all existing printed books was proposed and 
attempted. But the need of such a catalog 
was not felt at that time and the necessity of 
having a tool as elaborate as a general cata- 
'log or index ought to be in our modern time, 
is a new and contemporaneous one. The in- 
creasing number of books, pamphlets, articles 
in periodicals renders it impossible for the 
most trained scientist, and yet more difficult 
for a single reader, to collect rapidly and en- 



tirely the literature about a special question. 
The actual average number of publications of 
all kinds, appearing in the different civilized 
countries is about 290,000 a year. This ex- 
plains the constantly increasing number of 
bibliographies which are published year after 
year, and whose average number is about 700 
at the present time. 

These motives are sufficiently explicit by 
themselves and do not need further explana- 
tions to justify the existence of a central bib- 
liographical enterprise, gathering systematical- 
ly and bringing up to date the elements of a 
Universal Bibliographic Catalog. 

Such a Universal Bibliographic Catalog 
must be at once international and extensible. 
Once established and completed it must be 
definitive and adapted to be used everywhere 
and forever. It must contribute a prototype 
from which partial or general reproductions 
can be obtained at the least cost and with the 
most rapidity.* 

The Universal Bibliographic Catalog, as it 
was established by the International Institute 
of Bibliography, is extensible for the very 
simple reason that all the titles collected are 
written, pasted or printed on cards. It is 
international by the adoption of the Decimal 
classification: all the numbers of the classi- 
fication are readily explained in all possible 
languages and understood by Chinese and 
Japanese as well as by Russians, Scandina- 
vians and Brazilians. The methodical tables 
and the alphabetical index alone need to be 
translated. The bibliographical cards, with 
their classifying numbers, remain untouched 
and useful in all countries and for all times. 
This would have been impracticable if any 
other system had been applied. Catchwords 
must be translated, and symbols formed by 
letters must be transliterated. Figures alone 
are quite international. 



* It would be possible to have duplicates of the 
Universal Bibliographic Catalog in such cities as 
Washington, New Orleans, San Francisco, Buenos 
Ayres, Melbourne, Rome, Berlin, St. Petersburg, etc. 



102 



ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. 



GENERAL INVENTORY OF ACCESSIONS. 



I. INDEX 

OF 

SUBJECTS 


Not. of 
Bibl. 
Classifica'n 


NUMBER OF NOTICES 


TOTALS 


Classed ace. to 
abridged tables 


Classed ace. to 
full tables 






OI 
02 
3 
4 
OS-6 
07 
08 
09 
1 

2 
3 

3 
3 1 
33 
33 
34 
35 

3 I 5 
36 

37 
38 
39 
4 
5 

5 
5i 
52 

53 
54 

U 
57 
58 
59 
6 
60 
61 
612 

62 

3 

64 

65 

66 

67-68 
69 
7 
71-77 
78 
8 
9 
90 

91 
92 

93 
94 
941-942 

943 
944 
945 
946 

947-948 
949 
9493 
95 
96 
97 


24,000 

35,000 
174,000 

< 98,000 

29,000 
5,000 
16,000 
2,000 
21,000 
2,000 
i ,000 

20,000 
337,000 

17,000 
25,000 
15,000 
46,000 
71,000 
43,000 
12,000 
6,000 
21,000 
81,000 

200,000 

47,000 

50,000 
55,000 


35,000 

23,000 
1,500 

so 
800 
8,000 
800 
850 
30.000 
60,000 
230,500 
4,000 
6,500 
13,000 
55,ooo 
71,000 
25,000 
5,ooo 
16,000 
11,000 
16,000 
8,000 
8,500 
282,000 
1,000 
23,000 
25, coo 
10,000 
50,000 
35.000 
11,000 

10,000 

37,000 
80,000 
564,000 

2,000 
390,000 
38,000 
74,000 
16,000 
2,000 
10,000 
19,000 
10,000 
3,000 

91,000 

19,000 
72,000 
45,000 
195,750 

9,000 
60,000 
59,000 
6,000 
2,000 
3,000 
12,000 
13,000 
2,000 

2,000 

1,000 
6,000 
16,000 
2,000 

750 

2,000 


59,000 

30,000 
95,000 
404,500 

28,500 
619,000 

764,000 

138,000 

95,000 
250,750 






Encyclopedias and Collections of 
Essays 


Reviews and General Societies . 
Political Journals 




Manuscripts, Rare books .... 










Politics 


Political Economy 






Art of War ... .... 


Charity and Thrift 






Customs, Folklore 


Philology, Languages 




General 


Mathematics 


Astronomy 








Paleontology 


BioJofifv 


Botany 






General 


Medicine 


Physiology 


Engineering 




Domestic Economy 




Chemical Technology 


Various Industries . . ... 


Building 


Fi* Art 


Various 


Music 




.History and Geography 


General 


Geography 


Biography 


ancient 


of Europe 


i of Great Britain 


of Germany 


of France . 


x of Italy 


o of Spain 


te of Russia and the Scandinavi- 
an Countries 


small European States .... 
of Belgium 






of America 


TOTALS 




942,000 


1,541,750^:,; 


2,483.75 
3,061,000 


II. ONOMASTIC INDEX, OR ACCORDING 
Number of cases of drawers for each letter of 
of authors: A (218), B (380), C (264), D (174), 
I (19), J (61), K (66), L (181), M (261), N (75) 
(289), T (129), U (13), V (68), W (135), X (2), T 
III OTHER INDEXES 


TO NAMES OF AUTHORS. 
the alphabet according to names 
E (108), Fd4o), 6(150), H(i6i), 
. (50), P (227), Q (7), R (176), S 
T (8), Z (22) 




TOTAL OF ALL INDEXES .... 


6,269,750 



LA FONTAINE. 



103 



The choice of the Decimal classification by 
the promoters of the Universal Bibliographic 
Catalog seems, now more than before, to 
have been a very practical one ; from the most 
different countries of the world we have heard 
of its adoption and, if criticisms were justified, 
they relate to mere details and leave the prin- 
ciples of the system intact. 

As it was explained by its author, the Deci- 
mal classification was intended simply in the 
beginning to classify books on the shelves, 
but more recently librarians felt the necessity 
of a closer classification. The Universal Bib- 
liographic Catalog, as planned by the Inter- 
national Institute of Bibliography, could only 
be realized if the most minute classification 
were used. For ten years the elaboration of 
an enlarged edition of the Decimal classifica- 
tion was the constant preoccupation of the 
founders of the Institute. Aided by scientists 
and specialists, it was possible for them to ac- 
complish this difficult and elaborated work and 
the new edition is now nearly ready and 
printed. Each main subdivision is printed 
separately so as to permit the intercalation of 
new developments without being obliged to 
reprint the whole tables. The alphabetical in- 
dex will contain about 35,000 entries; each 
entry forms a single line composed by lino- 
type and the index can be readily reprinted 
at a low price as often as the inclusion of 
new entries becomes a necessity. 

Besides this it will be possible to print spe- 
cial alphabetical indexes of special subdivi- 
sions, as was realized recently for Sociology, 
and to place in the hands of the specialists 
separate tables as has been done already for 
Physics, Zoology, Physiology, Railroading, 
Photography, Agriculture, Sports. 

The classification, as it is now enlarged, was 
applied on a large scale to the titles collected 
by the International Institute of Bibliography 
and an experimentation of the new tables was 
constantly made. At the end of June, 1904, 
the systematic part of the Universal Biblio- 
graphic Catalog contained about 2,500,000 
cards and more than 3,000,000 cards were 
classed in its alphabetical part. In addition to 
these about 750,000 cards form special cata- 
logs of different kinds, which it would be 
interesting to describe, but whose description 
would go beyond the object of this short ad- 



dress.* From the 2,500,000 cards now sys- 
tematically arranged 625,000 are titles printed, 
with the symbols of Decimal classification, 
or directly on cards (105,000), or in book- 
form (316,000), but in this case each entry 
is complete by itself and can be cut out and 
pasted on cards, and directly introduced in a 
catalog. It will be interesting to give here the 
list of the different printed contributions to 
the Universal Bibliographic Catalog. They 
form together what was called the Bibliografia 
Universalis.^ The list is as follows : 

Approximate no. of 

notices appearing up 

to Jan. i, 1904. 

1. Bibliographia Zoologica Univer- 

salis, from 1896. Edition A, in 
weekly numbers, fr. 18.75 a 
year ; Edition B, in weekly num- 
bers, fr. 25.00 a year; Edition 
C, on cards (fr. 10 per 1000 

cards) 

Sent out in series of about 50 cards. 

2. Bibliographia Philosophica Uni- 

versalis, from 1895. Edition B, 
in quarterly numbers, fr. 5.00 
a year 

3. Bibliographia Physiologica Uni- 

versalis, from 1893. Edition B, 
3 or 4 numbers a year, fr. 0.50 
a number; Edition C, on cards, 
price varying 

4. Bibliographia Anatomica Univer- 

salis, from 1897. Edition A, 24 
numbers a year, fr. 10.00; Edi- 
tion B, 24 numbers a year, fr. 
14.50; Edition C, on cards, price 
varying 

5. Monthly Bibliography of Rail- 

ways, from 1897. Edition B, 12 
numbers a year, fr. 10.00, about 

6. Bibliography of Ewe - et - Loir , 

from 1898. Edition A, in 
monthly numbers, fr. 4.00 a 
year; Edition C, in printed 
cards, annually: in France, fr. 
4.00 ; abroad, fr. 5.00 

7. Bibliography of Belgium, from 

1897. Edition A, bi-monthly 
numbers 



102,952 

14,248 

9,007 

9,991 
25,000 

720 

93,915 



* The most prominent of these catalogs are: 
i, a geographical catalog; 2, a catalog of periodicals; 
3, a catalog of the articles in periodicals, classed 
under each periodical. 

t The numbers on the right are those of the notices 
published on January ist, 1904. The different edi- 
tions are indicated by letters and in the following 
sense : 

Edition A Ordinary book form. 

Edition B Printed on recto of pages only. 

Edition C On printed cards. 

Edition D Notices cut out and pasted on cards. 



104 



ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. 



Approximate no. of 

notices appearing up 

to Jan. i, 1904. 

8. Bibliographia Geologica Univer- 

salis, from 1896. Edition A, in 
annual volumes, price varying. 38,112 

9. Bibliographia Juridica Pprtugal- 

ensis, from 1898. Edition B, 
appearing irregularly, 1800 reis 
a year ; Edition C, per 100 cards, 
300 reis 1,106 

10. Bibliographia Medico Universalis, 

from 1900. Edition A, about 
36,000 notices a year, fr. 120.00. 108,000 

11. Bibliographia Bibliographies Uni- 

versalis, from 1898. Edition B, 
in an annual pamphlet, fr. 4.00; 
Edition C, on printed cards, fr. 
12.00 a year; Edition D, on 
gummed cards, fr. 7.00 a year. . 2,146 

12. Bibliographia Economica Univer- 

salis, from 1902. Edition B, in 

an annual volume, fr. 6.00 3,375 

13. Bibliographia Agronomica Uni- 

versalis, from 1903. Edition B, 
in quarterly numbers, fr. 12.00 
a year 2,094 

14. Bibliographia Technica Univer- 

salis, from 1903. Edition B, in 
monthly numbers, annually : 
Belgium, fr. 10.00; abroad, fr. 
13-25 15,064 



Total number of notices, about. .. 425,730 

We think it is unnecessary to go into fur- 
ther details concerning the task performed by 
the International Institute of Bibliography. 
If the work done by it is not the most perfect 
ever accomplished it is certainly the most ex- 
tensive and the boldest ever undertaken. And 
we dare affirm that, if the requisite intellectual 
and pecuniary means could be placed at the 
disposition of the Institute, the Universal 
Bibliographic Catalog could be realized in 
less than ten years and the world would pos- 
sess the most accurate tool of education and 
progress. The work hitherto accomplished, 
with very inadequate resources, proves vic- 
toriously, and this was our first aim, that the 
idea of the Universal Bibliographic Catalog 
is a practical and a practicable one. 

Our next aim is to achieve the work so 
boldly undertaken. As state aid was claimed 
for the advancement of national libraries and 
bibliographies, world aid ought to be claimed 
for international bibliographical and biblio- 
theconomical enterprises. And what private 
persons have done for the endowment of local 
and national libraries and bibliographies can 
also be done for the completion and fulfil- 
ment of our international scheme. 

Whatever can be obtained from the gov- 



ernments or by private contribution, the in- 
ternational bibliographical work must be per- 
formed in fact. It can only be realized by 
international co-operation and we think it is 
desirable to add, on this question, a few words 
to the present address. 

The whole field of human knowledge can 
be covered by two different methods. Na- 
tional or regional bureaus may be established 
in every country and the titles of the publi- 
cations appearing in each country sent to a 
central office ; this system was adopted for the 
International Catalogue of Scientific Litera- 
ture. Special bureaus can also be established 
for each branch of knowledge, to collect in- 
dependently the bibliographical notices con- 
cerning the science or art considered; the 
associate institutions of the International In- 
stitute of Bibliography constitute in reality 
such special bureaus. However, the Institute, 
in accordance with the Association des Li- 
braires de Belgique, publishes the Biblio- 
graphie de Belgique, which contains the titles 
of all the publications appearing in Belgium 
(books, pamphlets, articles in periodicals). 
Moreover the cards issued by the Library of 
Congress, as well as the cards edited by the 
Publishing Board of the A. L. A., are intro- 
duced in the Universal Bibliographic Catalog, 
and we think that, for Belgium as for the 
United States of America, this system of a 
national bureau, collecting all bibliographical 
material, gives full satisfaction.* The very 
complete system adopted by Norway can also 
be considered as a contribution to the Uni- 
versal Bibliographic Catalog by the medium 
of our national bureau. 

Perhaps a double organization will be the 
more fitted to assure mutual control and 
maintain a useful emulation. We are of the 
opinion that it would be premature to adopt 
a resolution on this question. 

The most important thing, in this moment, 
is that the Universal Bibliographic Catalog 
could be completed by one method or by the 
other and we trust that if the A. L. A., in 
this international conference, would express 
its warm sympathy in favor of this completion 
the means and the ways would be readily 
found and the work performed without diffi- 
culty or delay. 

* We express, however, the wish that the Library 
of Congress and the Publishing Board of the A. L. A. 
would add the symbols of the Decimal classification 
to the catchwords used on the cards published by 
them. 



FIGK. 



105 



THE PRUSSIAN CENTRAL CATALOG ("GESAMTKATALOG"). 
BY DR. RICHARD FICK, Librarian Royal Library, Berlin. 



I. ORIGIN. 

A T a congress of librarians, which sits in 
the classic land of organization of labor 
and labor methods, and which has taken up 
co-operative work as a separate part of its 
program, a word about the Prussian "Gesamt- 
katalog" will not be unwelcome. This under- 
taking represents the first effort to compile 
a central catalog by means of the co-operation 
of several libraries, a catalog which gives 
the contents not of one, but of eleven great 
libraries of one country, and which, if it were 
completed and printed, could be regarded as 
a solution of the frequently discussed problem, 
how scholars can do away with superfluous 
writing and librarians with the endless repeti- 
tion of one and the same work. For, if the 
nearest and chief aim of our Gesamtkatalog 
is the establishment of a central bureau, which 
gives information to the scientific world in 
the widest sense, whether a wished-for book 
is to be found in the Prussian scientific libra- 
ries, and where, it may also become valuable 
for the compilation of bibliographies and for 
the cataloging of the libraries concerned, sav- 
ing much work and expense. 

To be sure, the printing of the catalog is 
still far off, and if it is encouraging on a 
long and weary day sometimes to think of the 
enticing view which is to be seen at the end, 
it is not less important, especially at the be- 
ginning of an undertaking, to bear the attain- 
able constantly in mind. What will be laid 
before you to-day is a glimpse over the course 
of the work and a statement of the results 
attained up to the present. 

Before, however, we begin to consider the 
work itself, it is advisable to touch upon the 
history of the origin of the "Gesamtkatalog" 
in a few words. In Milkau's work, "Central- 
kataloge und Titeldrucke," Leipzig, 1898, we 
possess an exhaustive treatment of the whole 
problem, which starting from historical dis- 
cussions criticises all the propositions which 



have been made up to the present time, and 
then sketches the plan for the organization of 
the undertaking, as it afterwards took shape 
in its essential parts. Through a short review 
in the Library (new ser. vol. 2, 1901, p. 274- 
81) the contents of this book have become 
accessible and also probably known to our 
English speaking colleagues. Therefore, it 
will be enough to repeat, in as short a form 
as possible, in what way the plan sketched 
for the Prussian "Gesamtkatalog" differs from 
similar projects, and what points of view 
have been decisive for its present organization. 

In contrast to former proposals as they 
had been made in Italy by Narducci, and in 
Germany, under the influence of an essay 
of Treitschke's, by Kochendorffer which 
aimed at bringing together copies of the 
card-catalogs of the provincial libraries at 
a central office and there forming them into 
an alphabetical "Gesamtkatalog," Milkau, 
whilst he proved in a striking way the un- 
avoidable waste of work through such a 
method, accentuated the necessity of making 
the inventory of one institution, that of the 
greatest, the Royal Library, the basis of the 
"Gesamtkatalog," of sending this catalog in 
alphabetical parts following one another to 
the university libraries, and then on one hand 
to note the possession of a work already rep- 
resented in the catalog, and on the other hand, 
to add the works in their own library. The 
saving of work compared with the sending-in 
of the cards to the central office is evident. 
Whilst the university library to which the por- 
tion sent comes first in the order now de- 
termined, Breslau has to note everything on 
the cards which it possesses over and above 
the contents of the Royal Library, the second 
Halle only needs to add that which is to 
be found neither in the Royal Library nor at 
Breslau; and so on. The further the portion 
comes, the fewer cards have to be added and 
the less is the work required. 

Although the question of the simplest or- 



io6 



ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. 



ganization of the comparison seemed to have 
found its answer, yet an important problem 
remained to be solved: it was necessary to 
guard against the catalog becoming anti- 
quated ; every new book added, the title of 
which belongs to the part of the "Gesamt- 
katalog" already finished, would have to be 
registered in it afterwards. This continual 
completion and rejuvenation of the catalog 
was attained through the following rule: 
In so far as the subsequent acquisitions be- 
long to literature which has lately appeared, 
their registration must take place through 
the title-prints of the Royal Library, which 
have been extended since October, 1897, to 
a collective list of the additions to the Prus- 
sian libraries, and which give the share of the 
various libraries in the year's increase at the 
end of every year by a numbered register. 
The acquisitions from the older literature 
are sent in to the central bureau by the li- 
brary concerned either on original cards or 
in copies, as far as they belong to the fin- 
ished part of the "Gesamtkatalog." The cen- 
tral bureau then copies and arranges the 
cards, or, if the book is already represented, 
registers the fact of possession, and de- 
stroys the card. 

The preparation of an alphabetical card- 
catalog in manuscript was taken the more into 
consideration as an object of the work, be- 
cause it would be valuable as a necessary 
preparation for the subsequent printing; so 
the possibility offered itself to put the ques- 
tion of the definite form of the printed cata- 
log aside for the present. We too need not 
take the question of printing into account, 
and, when the "Gesamtkatalog" is spoken of, 
have only the manuscript of the alphabetical 
card-catalog before our eyes. The attainment 
of this object alone is more important for 
Germany and especially for Prussia than it 
could be for any other country, because the 
German libraries almost without exception 
send their books out, and because every one 
who makes use of the lending institution is 
able for quite a small fee to send to another 
library for a book which is not to be found 
in the place where he lives. This lend- 
ing institution will fulfil its object more 
and more with the progress of the "Gesamt- 
katalog," for the further the catalog pro- 



gresses, the oftener the central bureau will 
be able to give information not only on the 
presence of a book and its different editions, 
but also on the stock of works of an author. 

II. METHODS OF WORK. 

Before the work itself could be begun, one 
difficulty above all had to be removed; in 
the place of the different methods of regis- 
tering which had been used so far in the 
libraries, uniform rules had to be introduced 
not only for the registration, but also for the 
ordering of the titles. A way had also to be 
found by which the existing parts of the 
catalogs of all libraries would be utilized and 
taken into consideration as much as possible. 
These requirements were fulfilled through 
the issue of the "Instructions for the alpha- 
betical catalogs of the Prussian libraries and 
for the 'Gesamtkatalog,' May 10, 1899." The 
rules contained in the instructions have 
to anticipate this one result of the work done 
up to the present time on the whole proved 
themselves good. If at first views concerning 
the interpretation of these rules differed and 
opinion stood against opinion, yet an agree- 
ment regarding the interpretation has been 
gradually arrived at through the progressive 
understanding of the spirit of the instruc- 
tions. The maxim, "in dubiis libertas, in 
necessariis unitas" which rules throughout, 
was felt as a particular advantage by the 
central bureau, because through it it was 
possible to come to a decision from case to 
case in the revision of the parts which were 
sent back from the libraries, and to find a 
balance between differences of opinion. 

Naturally it was not intended to alter the 
catalogs of all the libraries made before 
the beginning of the work in the smallest de- 
tails according to the new maxims ; only the 
foundation of the comparison, the card-cata- 
log of the Royal Library, had to show the 
principles which were to be used hence- 
forth, in the strictest manner before the 
copying. After the revision which had been 
undertaken for this purpose was ended, it 
was possible to begin with the copying on the 
23d June, 1902. Up to the end of August of 
this year 201 boxes of the card-catalog of 
the Royal Library, reaching to the beginning 



PICK. 



of the letter D and containing in round num- 
bers 175,000 cards to be copied, have been 
finished. As the catalog consists of 1045 
boxes, there is a prospect of finishing the 
copying by the year 1910, if similar progress 
is further made. 

The numerous titles of Oriental literature 
with names such as Abdallah, Abraham, An- 
nambhatta amongst others, which appear 
especially at the beginning of the alphabet, 
have proved themselves a particularly dis- 
turbing element in the smooth progress of 
the work. The copying of such a title, for 
example in Hebrew, Arabic, or Sanscrit, even 
if it had been transcribed already, could 
only be trusted to persons acquainted with 
the language, and these were not always easy 
to find; besides the copying of an Oriental 
title with its many diacritical signs requires 
a care which essentially lessens the quan- 
tity of work done by a copyist, which quantity 
is besides very often reckoned too high. As 
it was afterwards found out by the compari- 
son that the university libraries often had 
not officials with the knowledge necessary to 
undertake a new registration of Oriental 
titles or to identify with certainty a title con- 
tained in their catalog with those of the 
Royal Library, it was decided to leave the 
Oriental literature out of the plan of the 
"Gesamtkatalog" for the present, as has al- 
ready been done with the university and 
school publications, as well as with maps and 
music. It is intended to compile special cat- 
alogs for their registration, after the ex- 
ample of the British Museum, into which the 
probable increase of about 8 per cent, from 
the university libraries will be worked easily 
in another manner. 

It was planned to send out, beside the copy- 
ing work, after gaining a small start, separate 
portions of the catalog to the university li- 
braries in strict alphabetical order. The first 
portion, comprising the part of the catalog 
A-Aar, began its journey on the 2d Jan- 
uary, 1903 ; it went the prescribed way over 
Breslau, Halle, Marburg, Bonn, Minister, 
Gottingen, Kiel, Greifswald, Konigsberg, and 
returned after also being attended to at 
the University Library in Berlin on the 
28th January to the central bureau. Like 
this first portion, the other 456 consignments 
sent up to now, of which the last contained 



the part of the catalog Berk, each contained 
150 cards on an average. It was found that, 
at least with the first and most heavily bur- 
dened libraries, this number represented the 
amount of work that can be. accomplished by 
an official in one day, and generally the con- 
signments could be sent out again on the day 
of their .arrival or the day after. Meanwhile un- 
expected difficulties arose in the regular dis- 
patch of some parts; for example the part 
Augustinus required about three weeks for 
its journey, a circumstance which is easily 
explained when we consider the plus added 
by the university libraries which will be 
spoken of afterwards. As it was now to be 
feared that, through the frequent occurrence 
of similar parts, the course of the comparison 
would be made much slower or would be- 
come so irregular that one library would at 
one time be overburdened with portions and 
another time would not be able to go on with 
the work, it was decided to take the particu- 
larly difficult parts out of the regular turn 
and to dispatch them side by side with the 
usual day's portions. How far this regula- 
tion will help in bringing a greater regularity 
into the work of the university libraries re- 
mains to be learnt from experience; up till 
now four consignments (the articles Beden- 
ken, Beitrage, Bemerkungen, and Bericht) 
have been taken out of the regular series, but 
have not yet come back to the central bu- 
reau. 

The final work of the central bureau proved 
to be particularly interesting, and also as re- 
gards extent and difficulty equally consider- 
able. According to the instruction for the 
"Gesamtkatalog," the remarks and correc- 
tions given on the prescribed (green) cards 
by the officials of the university libraries con- 
cerning this or that title, are completed in an 
expert manner and the libraries concerned 
are informed of the completion. An example 
will show better than theoretical explana- 
tions how the process takes place in prac- 
tice. The copy of a card from the Royal Li- 
brary was sent round from the central bu- 
reau, on which was to be read "Joannis Adlz- 
reitter a Tetenweis : Annalium Boicae gentis 
pars 3. Ed. nova cum praef. Godofr. Guilielmi 
Leibnitii. Francofurti a.M. 1710." The card 
had passed the libraries 2-9 without any re- 
mark, these libraries all having added their 



io8 



ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. 



note of possession. At last the tenth library, 
Konigsberg, remarked on the green card: 
"Author according to Wegele, Gesch. d. His- 
toriographie, S. 388: Vervaux. The collec- 
tion is placed here under this name." The 
central bureau examined the reference, which 
allows of no doubt that not Adlzreitter 
who in his profession as keeper of archives 
had only provided documentary material for 
the book but the Jesuit P. Vervaux is the 
author; a glimpse into A. de Backers "Bib- 
liotheque des ecrivains de la compagnie de 
Jesus" showed that this bibliography also 
gives Jean Vervaux as author. The central 
bureau sent the Konigsberg card round now 
with the remark: "Now placed by the Royal 
Library and the "Gesamtkatalog" under Jean 
Vervaux," upon which the separate libraries 
noted this fact in the shortest form. In a 
similar way as in this case, a number of green 
cards containing corrections, inquiries or re- 
quests to examine the matter in question by 
means of the book sent, are daily added to the 
portions of the catalog. 

III. PRESENT RESULTS. 

The result of the comparison up to the 
present time expressed in numbers is as 
follows. Up to the end of August 406 con- 
signments which had been sent out had 
come back to the central bureau; they went 
out with about (in round numbers) 64,000 
cards (45,000 main and 19,000 reference 
cards), and came back again with about 72,- 
ooo main and 29,000 reference cards. The 
increase in main cards according to this was 
27,000, that is 60 per cent., while it had been 
computed beforehand at about 50 per cent. 
Now of course such a number does not say 
much in itself; firstly it can alter in course 
of working and become materially lower ; 
secondly the number does not give a correct 
idea of the real state of possession because, 
through the exclusion of Oriental literature, 
the percentage has been considerably altered 
to the detriment of the Royal Library. Be- 
sides this, however, and this is the chief 
point, the principal consideration in the es- 
timation of the increase is not its extent but 
its inner worth. The question : How high is 
the percentage? is of less importance than 
the questions: Of what kind is the increase? 
Is there much worthless literature amongst 



it (school-books, reprints and so on) ? Are 
there translations or new editions of which 
the Royal Library already possesses the origi- 
nals or older editions? 

Further, it is of importance to find out 
what is the participation of the libraries in 
the different departments of knowledge, if, 
and at which libraries, particular branches 
of literature have been especially cultivated. 
We must also examine the question : How is 
German literature represented, and how that 
of foreign countries? Further: In what re- 
lation does the result of the Gesamtkatalog 
stand to the two greatest printed catalogs in 
the world, that of the British Museum and 
that of the Bibliotheque Nationale? The an- 
swer to all these questions is only possible 
after a thorough examination of a larger 
continuous part taken out of the Gesamtkata- 
log, a task which has been begun and the re- 
sults of which are to be made public later 
on. Perhaps, however, we can arrive at a 
tolerably if not absolutely correct idea of the 
whole by selecting a few important and pro- 
ductive authors from different departments 
of literature, and thus attempt to obtain a 
useful result by answering the question: 
How are their works represented in the 
"Gesamtkatalog ?" 

We will begin with an author of classic 
antiquity, L. Apuleius Madaurensis. He is 
represented in the Gesamtkatalog by 94 
different independent editions of his works, 
of which 65 are to be found in the Royal Li- 
brary, so that the increase in the case of this 
author amounts to 26 works, about 38%. 
Thirty-four editions are to be found only in 
one library; of these 16 only in the Royal 
Library, 6 only at Gottingen, 4 only at Kon- 
igsberg, two each only at Marburg and Greifs- 
wald, one each only at Breslau, Halle, Bonn, 
and Kiel. Compared with the catalogs of the 
British Museum and the Bibliotheque Na- 
tionale the list of the Gesamtkatalog exceeds 
that of the Paris library by nine works, 
but is, on the contrary, behind that of the 
British Museum by 33. The Bibliotheque 
Nationale has 38, the British Museum 61 
editions, which the Gesamtkatalog does not 
contain; on the other hand there are 12 
works in the Gesamtkatalog, which are to be 
found neither in the British Museum nor in the 
Bibliotheque Nationale catalogs. A compari- 



FIQK. 



109 



son with the literature given by Teuffel 
shows that all the editions mentioned by him 
are represented in the Gesamtkatalog. Ac- 
cordingly the conclusion is justified that 
nothing important of the works of Apuleius 
is wanting in the Gesamtkatalog, and that a 
scholar who makes this author the object of 
his study, so far as the works of Apuleius are 
concerned, can find and reach all that is im- 
portant for him through the Gesamtkatalog. 

In order not to weary through continual 
repetition of the same comparison of num- 
bers, we may limit our attention in the case of 
the following authors to particularly inter- 
esting points, whilst reserving the detailed 
statistics for another occasion. For, if for 
example, to pass on to the middle ages, Au- 
relius Augustinus and his representation in 
the Gesamtkatalog were made the object of 
an accurate bibliographic examination, an 
extensive monograph would be the result. 
Here we will only say that he is represented 
in the Gesamtkatalog by about 500 editions, 
of which 242 are to be found in the Royal Li- 
brary, so that the increase amounts to 258 
works, over 100%. Most of these belong 
to the University Library of Breslau, whose 
wealth in other theological literature has its 
origin principally in the former Silesian mon- 
astery libraries, which formed its nucleus. 
Breslau, which possesses altogether 212 writ- 
ings by Augustinus, has 129, which are not 
to be found in the Royal Library, and 90, 
which are to be found only in Breslau. Got- 
tingen takes the third place with 163 editions, 
of which 22 are to found only in Gottingen, 
whilst Miinster with only 30 editions occupies 
the fourth place. However, each of the other 
libraries represented in the Gesamtkatalog 
can boast of having some edition of Augus- 
tinus, which is not to be found in any other of 
the 10 great libraries of Prussia. 

The rhetorician Batteux and the politician 
d'Argenson may serve as examples from the 
French literature of the i8th century. Bat- 
teux found particular favof especially in 
Germany, which in his time was greatly under 
the dominion of French taste, and had a last- 
ing influence on the art theories flourishing 
with us at that time; in accordance with this 
his writings given in the Gesamtkatalog are 
comparatively numerous. The British Mu- 
seum only possesses 12 editions of him, 
amongst them four German translations and 



one English translation, but 28 works of 
Batteux are to be found in the Gesamtkatalog 
whilst without counting the references and 
university publications we find about 40 
numbers in the Bibliotheque Nationale. The 
edition of the work, "Les beaux arts reduits a 
une meme principe," Leide 1753, which is in 
possession of the library at Miinster, is not 
to be found in Paris; further, the work 
"Quatre memoires sur la poetique d'Aristote," 
which appeared in Geneva in 1781 and is to 
be found in the Royal Library and at Bonn, 
as well as a German and a Danish transla- 
tion .(which is to be found at Kiel) of the 
"Cours de belles lettres," are also missing in 
the Paris library. Out of the 28 works of 
Batteux the Royal Library possesses 23 and 
only five are not to be found there; the 
increase, which is limited to other editions or 
translations, consequently amounts to only 
about 22% in the case of this author. This 
preponderance of the Royal Library, which 
can be called a disproportion from the point 
of view of the Gesamtkatalog, appears still 
greater in the case of the Marquis d'Argen- 
son; here the university libraries have not 
added a single new card to the 16 cards sent 
out from the central bureau. The reason for 
this may be the favor which the Royal Li- 
brary, in the time of Frederick the Great, was 
obliged to show, whether it wanted to or not, 
to French literature, as it was dependent on 
the supplies of the Frenchman Pitra. 

If the state of things were similar in the 
Ceases of the majority of the important au- 
thors to that of the last named, we should 
be right in saying that the result of the 
Gesamtkatalog did not justify the trouble 
taken, and that it would have been better to 
print the catalog of the Royal Library, and 
thus to save the great cost of copying and 
comparison. This, however, as we saw al- 
ready with Augustinus, is not the case. The 
examples also taken from English literature 
gave quite another idea of the share of the 
university libraries. Francis Bacon is repre- 
sented in the Gesamtkatalog by 125 works, of 
which the Royal Library possesses 79, whilst 
46 have been added by the other libraries. 
That this increase is not made up by different, 
reprints or translations may be shown by 
a short list of particularly important editions 
that are wanting in the Royal Library. Bonn 
possesses the first English edition of the 



no 



ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. 



work "De dignitate et augmentis scienti- 
arum," which appeared in London in 1605 
under the title of "The two bookes of Francis 
Bacon of the proficience and advancement 
of learning," and was later on repeatedly 
published in Latin. At Gottingen are to 
be found the first edition of Bacon's work, 
"The elements of the common lawes of 
England," the second edition of the "His- 
toric of the reigne of King Henry VII," 
which appeared in 1629, and the second edi- 
tion of the "Silva Silvarum," of the year 
1628. 

Still more unfavorable for the Royal Li- 
brary, more favorable for the university li- 
braries and consequently for the Gesamtkata- 
log, is the state of possession of the writings 
of the English doctor of the i8th century, 
John Arbuthnot, of whom the Royal Library 
only possesses three works: a Latin trans- 
lation of the "Essay concerning the effects 
of air," of which the original edition, the 
editio princeps, is to found at Breslau and 
Gottingen, an edition of the "Essay concern- 
ing the nature of aliments" of the year 1753, 
of which work the first edition, of 1731, is 
also at Gottingen and, lastly, a Latin transla- 
tion of "Tables of ancient coins," of which 
the original edition, of 1727, is again to be 
found at Gottingen and Halle. Go.ttingen 
possesses nine editions in all, among them the 
new edition which appeared in 1770 of the 
"Miscellaneous works," a wealth, which is 
easily explained by the intimate relationship 
that the Gottingen University maintained 
with England in the i8th century. 

In the case of Arbuthnot's contemporary, 
Joseph Addison, the great number of edi- 
tions which are to be found only once is 
striking. Of the 62 numbers of the Gesamt- 
katalog there are about 170 in the British 
Museum, whilst the Bibliotheque Nationale 
has about the same number as the Prussian 
libraries together ten are only in the Royal 
Library, ten only at Konigsberg, five only at 
Bonn, four only at Kiel, three only at Bres- 
lau, two only at Halle and at Minister, one 
only at Marburg and at Halle. The first 
complete edition of the works, of the year 
1721, of which copies are only to be found 
at Gottingen, Kiel, and Greifswald, must be 
especially mentioned; also the translation 
of "Cato" by the Gottschedin (Leipzig) 1735, 
which is to be found at Halle and Greifswald, 



and the treatise "Dialogues upon the useful- 
ness of ancient medals," which appeared 
anonymously and which is not in the British 
Museum. 

In closing the list of English authors, we 
will say, that the philosopher and novelist 
Grant Allen, who died in 1899, is only rep- 
resented in the Gesamtkatalog by ten works, 
of which Bonn alone possesses the "Physio- 
logical aesthetics" and "The evolution of the 
idea of God," Gottingen alone "Force and 
energy." This state of possession, which is 
small in comparison to the number of works 
that have really appeared, is probably to be 
due to the fact that Allen's works belong to 
light and popular literature; this, however, 
is on!y an explanation, not a justification 
of the rtglect of this author. 

Of course for our Prussian libraries Uie 
question, How is German literature repre- 
sented in the Gesamtkatalog? is of far greater 
interest and importance than the state of 
foreign literature. Here also at present it 
must be enough for us to attempt to obtain 
an 4 proximate ic'ea of the state of things 
by means of a few examples. Johann Agri- 
cola of Eisleben, the pupil of Luther and 
Melanchthon, is represented by 72 editions of 
his works in the "Gesamtkatalog," of which 
the Royal Library possesses 58, among them 
several rare items from the bequest of Frei- 
herr von Meusebach, the celebrated collector 
and connoisseur of older new high German 
literature. This large and valuable collection 
of the Royal Library allows us to suppose 
from the beginning, that the increase con- 
tributed by the university libraries is neither 
in quantity nor in quality very considerable ; 
at the same time it is of interest to learn 
that the pamphlet referring to the Antinomis- 
tic dispute "De duplici legis discrimine," of 
the year 1539, which is not to be found in 
Berlin, is to be found at Breslau, Kiel, and 
Konigsberg, and that Greifswald is the only 
library that possesses a low German transla- 
tion of the "130 Fragstiicke" (Wittemberch, 
1528), which, by-the-bye, is not mentioned at 
all in Godeke's Grundriss. 

Let me in conclusion deal more fully with 
a man whose name is dear to all Germans, 
and the possession of whose works, up to 
the smallest and remotest editions, lies as a 
matter of honor near to the hearts of all 
German librarians: I mean Ernst Moritz 



PICK. 



Ill 



Arndt. The Royal Library possesses 119 
of his works, of which 20 are to be found 
there only, whilst the university libraries 
have added 22 editions, of which 15 are to 
be found only in one library. Of these 22 
works, 12 form a less important addition, as 
the Royal Library possesses other, mostly 
older, editions. So, for example, the "Geist 
der Zeit" is to be found in the Royal Library 
in the ist, 2nd, and 4th edition, in the uni- 
versity libraries in the 3rd (Th. I Altona 
1815), 5th (1863) and 6th (1877) edition. 
Of essential importance, on the other hand, 
are about ten writings, of which we will 
mention the most important, Arndt's first 
attempt at writing, from the beginning of his 
career, when he was Privatdocent at Greifs- 
wald: "Ein menschliches Wort iiber die 
Freiheit der alten Republiken" (Greifswald 
1800). This is only to be found at Greifs- 
wald. The first edition of his poems, which 
is not mentioned in Godecke's Grundriss and 
which is given falsely in the "Allgemeine 
Deutsche Biographic" as having appeared 
at Rostock in 1804, was really published in 
the year 1803 at Greifswald, as the only copy 
which is at Greifswald shows. Greifswald 
further possesses the Swedish translation 
of the "Reise durch Sweden," which is to 
be found elsewhere only at Konigsberg, and 
the pamphlet, "Noch eine kleine Ausgiesung 
in die Sundfluth," referring to the movement 
of 1848, which is to be found only at Konigs- 
berg and at Bonn. Like the first edition of 
the poems, a large number of other writings 
added by the university libraries are not 
mentioned by Gqdeke, and must consequently 
be considered as quite unknown up to the 
present time: e.g., the poem, "Auf Scharn- 
horst's Tod," 1813, added by Breslau, the 
"Kriegslieder der Teutschen," 1814, only 
to be found at Bonn, and "Ideen iiber die 
hochste historische Ansicht der Sprache," 
Greifswald (1804), only to be found at 
Ko.nigsberg, which up till now were only 
known in the edition Rostock, 1805. 

As we could, naturally, establish the fact 
of a preponderance in the possessions of 
the British Museum and the Bibliotheque 
Nationale in the case of the English and 
French authors, so those libraries are far be- 
hind the Gesamtkatalog in their possession 
of works by Arndt. The British Museum 



has 65 works, among which are two Eng- 
lish translations that are not represented in 
the Gesamtkatalog; the Bibliotheque Na- 
tionale has only 31, among which is the edi- 
tion of the first part of the "Marchen und 
Jugenderinnerungen" which appeared in 
Berlin in 1818 and which strange to say is 
not among the works we have. 

The comparison with Godeke's Grundriss 
already made, and the proof that many works 
represented in the Gesamtkatalog are not 
mentioned there at all or incorrectly, show 
plainly what a valuable means of help 
the Gesamtkatalog can already be under 
certain circumstances. It must remain to 
be seen whether during further progress 
the conviction will be won that the Gesamt- 
katalog must be consulted before everything 
else by every scholar who wishes to make 
bibliographic researches; only so much seems 
to be proved by the impartially selected re- 
sults of the comparison, which are set forth 
without any extra coloring, as that the under- 
taking is useful and promises to become 
more so. 

Quite independent of these present results 
of the Gesamtkatalog or those which will 
appear later, other unexpected advantages 
arise from this work for the libraries con- 
cerned, which have nothing to do with the 
real object of the catalog, but which can be 
welcomed as useful bye-products of the work. 
To these belongs the correction of the cata- 
logs, of which one example out of many has 
been given above, and which extends to the 
discovery of authors, the putting in of orig- 
inal titles, the removing of false dates and 
the like. To these can further be reckoned 
the identification of defective works with 
missing title. So, for example, it could be 
proved through the Gesamtkatalog that the 
copy of the Low German translation of Joh. 
Agricola's 300 Proverbs in which the title 
and the last leaf are wanting, and which is 
to be found in the Library of the Berlin Uni- 
versity as a part of the bequest of Jacob 
Grimm, is identical with the copies printed 
in Magdeburg, which are to be found in the 
Royal Library, at Gottingen, and, with small 
variations in the print, at Greifswald. How 
pleasant it is for the librarian to be able, 
in the case of rare and valuable works, to re- 
place the registration of his catalog which 



112 



ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. 



had been conjectural or incorrect by one 
which is absolutely correct; how delightful 
it is for him, if by means of the Gesamtkata- 
log, he can inform the scholar, who disap- 
pointed brings the defective copy back, be- 
cause just the pages which are most import- 
ant for him are wanting, that this or that li- 
brary possesses a complete copy. As the libra- 
ries are obliged to indicate every defect, the 
loss of single parts, and even single pages, 
such mutual completions could repeatedly be 
proved. So, for example, only Konigsberg 
possesses the second part of a small work 
by J. W. v. Archenholtz on the war in the 
Vendee, whilst only the first part is to be 
found in the Royal Library. The Appendix 2 
of the work, "Appendix ad opera edita ab 
Angelo Maio," Romae, 1871, is wanting in the 
Royal Library and at Kiel, whilst it is to be 
found at Halle, Gottingen, and Greifswald. 

In this way, though their collaboration in 
the work of the Gesamtkatalog, the libra- 
ries have their attention drawn to the gaps 
in their own stock, which they will naturally 
try to fill up, if possible, by procuring the 
missing copies; these gaps, however, are al- 
ready filled by the Gesamtkatalog. 

That, with the exception of these side re- 
sults, not many practical results can be re- 
corded, seems partly to result from the fact 
that the existence of the undertaking is too 
little known. Only a short time ago a South- 
German library, instead of applying to the 
Gesamtkatalog, addressed a request to all 
the Prussian libraries for information on the 
Amadis works in their possession. 



In order to make the Gesamtkatalog now 
as useful as possible for scientific work, it was 
made known a short time ago by order of the 
Ministry, through advertisements, that the 
central bureau is ready to give information 
for a small fee. 

Perhaps this paper will also help to make 
the undertaking better known in the world 
of science and thus call forth frequent in- 
quiries. The oftener the Gesamtkatalog 
is in a position to give satisfactory informa- 
tion, the firmer the consciousness of those 
who are helping in the work will become 
that they are collaborating in a useful under- 
taking, and the more the energy of all those 
concerned will be stimulated to further it 
with all their strength and to bring it to an 
end as soon as possible. 

Of course in the short glimpses given here 
on the position of the Gesamtkatalog many 
questions above all that of expenses 
have not been mentioned. We must not, 
however, leave the fact unmentioned that the 
expenses are very considerable, as well as 
that an unexpected weight of work for the 
libraries concerned has grown out of the 
comparison. Also the fact that the catalog 
is for the present limited to Prussia is 
found a defect. It is being taken into consid- 
eration how the defects named can be rem- 
edied, but these questions are still so difficult 
to answer that a definite decision cannot yet 
be given. At the same time I believe myself 
not justified in discouraging the lively inter- 
est which has been shown in the undertaking 
on the part of American librarians. 



THE SWEDISH CATALOG OF ACCESSIONS (SVERIGES OFFENTLIGA BIB- 
LIOTEK: STOCKHOLM, UPPSALA, LUND, GOTEBORG: 
ACCESSIONS-KATALOG) . 

BY DR. , AKSEL ANDERSSON, I 7 ice-Librarian Uppsala University Library. 



T N his annual report for 1885 the late li- 
brarian of the University of Lund, Elof 
Tegner, suggested that a co-operative catalog 
of the accessions of new foreign literature 
to the greater Swedish research libraries 
should be published annually. The sugges- 
tion was immediately taken up with sympathy 
by those first concerned. In 1886 representa- 



tives from the Royal Library in Stockholm 
and the university libraries of Uppsala and 
Lund met in Stockholm to discuss the ques- 
tion; the scheme for the catalog was agreed 
upon, and in 1887 the catalog of the acces- 
sions to seven libraries for 1886 was pub- 
lished. At present the participant libraries 
are 29, all of them situated in the four cities 



ANDERSSON. 



indicated in the title, and among them being 
the libraries of the institutions (departments) 
and the seminaries, and of the medical so- 
cieties at the universities of Uppsala and 
Lund, counted for each university as a unit. 

The catalog is published by the Royal Li- 
brary in Stockholm. The years 1886-1895 
were edited by E. W. Dahlgren, now chief li- 
brarian of that library, who also compiled a 
general index to these 10 years. It is in- 
tended also in future to publish an index 
for every ten years. The present editor is 
E. Haverman, likewise an officer in that li- 
brary.* The cost is defrayed from the sum 
which the Royal Library is entitled to draw 
upon the public treasury for its incidental 
and equipment expenses. 

The catalog is issued only once a year, 
more frequent issues requiring more work- 
ers and a larger sum than is available for 
the purpose. There is, however, no doubt a 
certain advantage in publishing the whole 
yearly accession together in one volume. 
The annual issue is an octavo volume of 
400-500 pages. 

Distributed gratuitously in a very liberal 
way to most scholars in the country, and 
practically to everybody who applies for it, the 
catalog renders good service. In the uni- 
versity libraries especially it has proved to 
be extremely useful. Everybody can find out 
in it in what library a desired book is to be 
had. Thus it has occasioned a widely ex- 
tended system of lending between the libra- 
ries and also to private scholars all over 
the country a system that has developed 
itself in an entirely voluntary way without 
any official regulations at all. The franking 
privilege accorded to public institutions also 
facilitates this lending system in a high de- 
gree, borrowers receiving books free of pos- 
tage and any other charge. 

The catalog reports only the accessions 
of foreign literature and, as a rule, nothing 
published at an earlier date than 1886, its 
first year. Unimportant pamphlets and ex- 
tracts from reviews are generally omitted, 
and of university dissertations only the more 

* The editor's work is considered as office work, 
and thus it is not remunerated, although a good deal 
of night work at home is requisite for prompt issue. 



important ones are given, catalogs of this 
kind of literature being published annually 
for the French, German and Swiss univer- 
sities. 

From each of the participating libraries the 
titles of the books acquired during the past 
year are sent in to the editor on cards in 
January, each card containing only one work. 
Each library is marked by a letter in full- 
faced type after the title by the right-hand 
margin, indicating by what library or libra- 
ries the work has been acquired during the 
year. If the same work was acquired by a 
library at an earlier date, this library's letter 
is put in a parenthesis. A star with the letter 
indicates gift or exchange.* * 

The catalog is classified systematically, in 
great general divisions. 

Each division is arranged in three 
sections : books, properly speaking, alpha- 
betically according to author's names; trans- 
actions of learned societies and analogous 
publications, alphabetically according to the 
names of the cities where they are estab- 
lished; other periodical publications, alpha- 
betically according to the chief substantive of 
the title, for instance, Journal, Revue, Zeit- 
schrift, this word f in heavy-faced type. The 
titles and imprints are given in full, omitted 
words being marked by three dots, but not 
number of pages and plates. No cross-refer- 
ences are made in the annual issues, but in 
the decennial index they are given amply. 

There is no printed catalog of accessions 
for the books printed in Sweden; the most 
important ones, however, are reported in the 
annual catalog published by the Association 
of Swedish Publishers ("Svenska bokhand- 
elns arskatalog"). As the Swedish press- 
productions, according to the press-law, 
have to be sent into the libraries only 
during the year succeeding their publication, 
such a catalog published by the libraries 
would necessarily be very late; but it is 
nevertheless to be hoped that the Royal Li- 
brary in Stockholm will some day take up 
this question also and solve it. 

** Proof-sheets are sent by the editor to the several 
libraries. 

t As well as, in the other sections, authors' and 
cities' names put in front of the title. 



ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. 



HANDBOOK OF LEARNED SOCIETIES. 
BY JAMES DAVID THOMPSON, Editor, in charge, Science section, Library of Congress. 



*T*HE purpose of these remarks is to tell 
briefly about an investigation of inter- 
national interest which is being carried on 
at the Library of Congress, and for the ac- 
complishment of which I have been made re- 
sponsible. A bibliographical handbook of the 
learned societies and institutions of the world, 
which publish contributions to knowledge, 
has long been desired by librarians. To 
know whether a set is complete, to be able 
to trace any given publication through its 
various changes in title and through the 
various changes in the organization of the 
societies and institutions which have issued 
it, is a thing which is very much needed by 
all those who handle this kind of material. 
But it is not only the librarians who require 
a reference book of this character; learned 
societies and institutions which have publica- 
tions for exchange desire to know the char- 
acter and the extent of the publications of 
other societies and institutions in order that 
they may establish exchange relations which 
will add to their libraries desirable publica- 
tions for the use of their members. Then, 
too, in the organization of an international 
congress it is extremely difficult to-day to get 
into communication with the societies and in- 
stitutions, which deal with the particular sub- 
ject. Also individual investigators, finding a 
reference to a publication, not in the library to 
which they have access, very often wish to 
know how to secure the particular volume or 
number required, or, if necessary, the set. 

During the last 30 or 40 years a small 
library of reference books giving information 
about learned societies has come into ex- 
istence. Many of them are excellent, but al- 
most all are restricted to a particular field. 
Scudder's catalog is restricted to scientific 
and technical serials. It gives no other in- 
formation about the societies publishing them 
and is now 30 years old. Of those restricted 
to a particular country I may mention the 
admirable bibliographies of Miiller, for Ger- 
many, and of Lasteyrie, for France. The 
former of these, however, omits entirely the 
great academies and all the technical socie- 



ties; the latter treats only the historical pub- 
lications, and the supplementary work deal- 
ing with scientific societies has not yet got 
beyond the first few letters in the alphabet 
of departments. Of a different type is the 
"British year-book of learned societies," 
which is exceedingly useful for current in- 
formation but rather weak in its bibliog- 
raphical features. Of those attempting to 
cover the whole world and all subjects the 
"Annuaire" of M. A. d'Hericourt in the 
'sixties was soon discontinued. "Minerva" 
is the one publication which may seem to 
some to cover the ground adequately, but this 
is primarily a handbook of learned institu- 
tions. Not more than about one-eighth of 
the learned societies find a place in it, and 
while it is exceedingly valuable for current 
information, e.g., personnel, budget, etc., it 
very rarely gives any information about pub- 
lications except the brief title of a serial 
and possibly the first date of issue. 

I might mention many others, but this is 
sufficient to show that to cover the whole 
field comprehensively and to collect into a 
single manual all the important information 
about learned societies and institutions is a 
task of considerable difficulty and one re- 
quiring considerable resources. The com- 
pilation of such a handbook is obviously an 
indispensable preliminary to bibliographical 
work in any region of knowledge. When, 
therefore, the trustees of the Carnegie In- 
stitution, in planning the initial activities of 
that foundation, appointed an advisory com- 
mittee on bibliography to report on the most 
necessary undertakings in that field of re- 
search, it was considered both an excellent 
opportunity to have this necessary work done 
and a suitable undertaking to be recom- 
mended to be carried out under such aus- 
pices. The Library of Congress was consid- 
ered the most suitable place for an office 
in which the work should be done because of 
its extensive collection of the publications of 
learned societies, received chiefly through 
the Smithsonian deposit, and its proximity to 
important collections of similar material in 



. 



THOMPSON. 



the various libraries of the government bu- 
reaus. My connection with it began when our 
president, Dr. Putnam, who was chairman 
of this committee, requested me to outline a 
plan and prepare a brief for presenting the 
case to the Trustees of the Institution. In 
order that something might be accomplished 
in a short time he suggested to me that the 
time should be limited to two years ; that the 
subjects medicine and agriculture should be 
excluded; that only living societies should 
be taken into account and that the complete 
bibliographical statement should not be at- 
tempted in the first issue; that we should 
collect the best we could and leave the rest 
for a second edition. 

The appropriation was made to be expended 
under Dr. Putnam's direction, and the work 
was commenced at the beginning of February, 
1903. As it was to be carried on in an 
office, the first method which had to be 
adopted was to send out a circular letter to 
the societies and institutions, requesting the 
information which we desired to incorporate 
in the handbdok. Circulars were prepared, 
consisting of a printed outline of information 
and a facsimile typewritten letter. In these 
we asked for (i) the full official name, (ii) 
the permanent postal address and the name 
of the permanent official, if any, (iii) brief 
historical notes, giving date of foundation, 
changes of title, with bibliographical refer- 
ence to any published sources of fuller in- 
formation, (iv) object, .(v) meetings, (vi) 
membership and (vii) under "serial pub- 
lications" the exact title of each serial, 
changes of title, if any, number of volumes, 
period covered, place and dates of publica- 
tion and size; wherever a publication was 
issued jointly by a number of societies that 
was to be noted. With regard to special 
pubfications, if there was a published list in 
existence we desired a reference to it and a 
copy if possible. Then too we asked for the 
conditions of exchange as far as they could 
be definitely stated; a price-list or a reference 
to one, if published, and the place where the 
publications were sold. Finally, an account 
of the research funds and prizes of the so- 
ciety or institution was requested. There does 
not exist to-day any adequate statement of the 
resources of the various societies and institu- 
tions in the way of funds available for the en- 
couragement of investigation, and as the pro- 



motion of original research is the fundamental 
object of the Carnegie Institution it was 
thought desirable to include such a statement 
in this handbook. 

A list of the societies was first prepared 
on cards to be. used as an index to the re- 
plies received and as a record of the corre- 
spondence, and about 4000 circular letters 
were sent out in 1903. As was expected, 
more than half of the societies did not reply 
to this first request and further efforts to ob- 
tain information about them where necessary. 
These further efforts consisted in personal 
investigations in Europe by various members 
of the Library of Congress staff, in assistance 
rendered by the United States diplomatic 
service in South America (and we hope also 
in Algeria and Turkey) and in further cor- 
respondence, using new addresses and circu- 
lars in various languages, to bring replies from 
the societies which had not already answered. 

The chief sources of these new addresses 
were the "Annuaire international des societes 
savantes," published by M. Delaunay (Paris, 
1903), and the "Geographen-Kalender," 1904- 
1905 (Gotha, 1904), in addition to recent 
numbers of the publications of the societies 
themselves. The circulars, originally in 
English and French, were translated into 
German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Rus- 
sian, Danish and Norwegian. 

Great Britain, France, Belgium, Holland, 
Germany, Italy and Switzerland were visited 
last fall by Mrs. Thompson and myself. 
We collected bibliographical notes in the 
national libraries of these countries and in 
the libraries of some of the great Academies. 
The secretaries of a large number of so- 
cieties in many of the principal cities were 
visited and in each country we found those 
who volunteered to co-operate with us. 
Among these may be mentioned Dr. Johannes 
Miiller, of Berlin, who has supplied notes of 
the publications of German historical societies 
from the manuscript supplement of his bibli- 
ography, and Dr. A. B. Meyer, of Dresden, 
who has collected the necessary information 
from the societies of Saxony. For Belgium 
and Switzerland, respectively, M. Victor 
Luerquin and Dr. J. Bernoulli have rendered 
important service. 

Last fall and winter Mr. A. V. Babine, 
while on a visit to his native country, Rus- 
sia, collected information for the Handbook 



ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. 



in St. Petersburg, Moscow and other cities 
and on his return journey visited Budapest, 
Vienna and Prague to obtain material about 
the societies of Austria-Hungary which had 
not replied. 

Advantage was taken of Dr. A. R. Spof- 
ford's visit to Spain and Italy last spring to 
obtain some missing information about so- 
cieties in these countries, and Mr. J. Diese- 
rud has just returned from a tour in the 
Scandinavian countries, during which he has 
collected sufficient material to complete the 
statement for this region. 

In Australia we have had the help of the li- 
brarians of the Public Libraries of Sydney, 
Adelaide and Perth and the Secretary of the 
Royal Society of Victoria, and in Japan the 
Department of Education has assisted us very 



considerably. Here in St. Louis I find a col- 
lection of the publications of the learned so- 
cieties of France exhibited in the Education 
Building which I am working over now, and 
Dr. Biagi has supplied me witk names of per- 
sons in Italy to whom I may write for further 
information necessary there. International co- 
operation has therefore been an important 
factor in this undertaking, which, I trust, we 
shall soon bring to a successful conclusion. 
In reply to questions asked, it may be added 
that the Handbook will include American 
universities publishing series of contribu- 
tions to knowledge; and that it is hoped to 
send the material for North and South Amer- 
ica to press before the close of the year, and 
the remainder of the work, for the rest of the 
world, by next February. 



ON A BIBLIOGRAPHY OF PUBLIC DOCUMENTS. 
BY ADELAIDE R. HASSE, New York Public Library. 



T S a bibliography of public documents feas- 
ible? What does the effort of production 
involve ? What is the return which reasonably 
may be expected from the consummation of 
the effort? Where does the province of this 
bibliography encroach upon that of bibliogra- 
phies of similar nature? These are ques- 
tions which suggest themselves in considering 
the possible performance of a bibliography of 
public documents. 

While it may be necessary, at this time, to 
touch incidentally upon these questions, no 
attempt will be made towards giving a defi- 
nitive answer to them. 

There have been, particularly in America, 
tentative references to a bibliography of this 
subject. Not until this present occasion, how- 
ever, has the consideration of the practical 
aspect of the project been favored with so 
distinguished an audience. It has been deemed 
wiser, therefore, rather to indicate what the 
term "a bibliography of public documents" 
implies, than to indulge in the, as yet, prema- 
ture consideration of ways and means. The 
subsequent working out of the idea may safely 
be left to the scrutiny of that interest which 
shall have been aroused by this preliminary 
statement. 

If, as is averred, a bibliography of public 



documents, to be adequately considered, de- 
mands to be considered as an independent 
enterprise, it is because it is believed that 
any adequate bibliography is a constructive 
operation in which detail is a variable quan- 
tity. The management of detail is determined 
by the purpose of the production. 

To present the history of a subject in 
general, and to present it by means of a co- 
ordination of the literature of that subject 
are two different occupations. The former 
is historiography, the latter is bibliography. 
To compile the bibliography of a subject which 
is closed is one thing, and to compile that of 
a subject which not only is not closed, but 
which never will be closed, is another thing. 
Again, to compile the bibliography of a living 
subject dependent upon documentary evidence 
for its dissemination, as scientific discovery 
must do for instance, and to compile that of 
a living subject itself producing the docu- 
mentary evidence to be co-ordinated, are two 
different occupations. 

It is this intimate association of agent and 
product which differentiates a bibliography of 
public documents somewhat from an ordinary 
bibliography. 

When, in 1896, Mr. Frank Campbell, then 
of the British Museum, published his "Inter- 



BASSE. 



117 



national bibliography," and for the first time 
called attention to the bibliographic possibili- 
ties of public documents, he advocated the 
separation, in practical bibliography, of official 
from general literature. His assigned reason 
was, that as compared to general literature, 
official literature was chiefly distinguished by 
having, as a rule, no authors, and that because 
of this deprivation it could be cataloged ac- 
cording to rules of a subject catalog only. 

In assuming it to be necessary to separate 
official literature from general, because, as 
a rule, it has no authors, Mr. Campbell makes 
the all too common, but none the less de- 
plorable, error that a bibliography is a literary 
compilation subject to a certain artificial and 
invariable method. 

There really is no more reason why public 
documents should be segregated for any ex- 
ternal cause than there is for segregating the 
proceedings of learned societies, or those of 
sectarian institutions. 

It is this assumption that public documents 
are books per se, are entities, finalities, which 
is the starting point of the misapprehension 
in regard to a bibliography of them. Inher- 
ently they are anything rather than stationary, 
final or independent units. They represent not 
the opinion of one man, nor yet the consensus 
of opinions of men joined in social or scientific 
compact. They do represent the activities of 
those intensely, ceaselessly active unions, the 
body politic, and the body politic and cor- 
porate. 

Wherever and whenever organized society 
has been developed, this union, the body 
politic, has lived and died. During every 
stage in the evolution of these unions, two 
sustaining activities have manifested them- 
selves, viz., the local activity of the compo- 
nent agencies of each union, and the relations 
between union and union. These activities 
are expressed tangibly, and preserved, in what 
we term public documents. 

In even a tentative furtherance of a bibliog- 
raphy of public documents two fundamental 
items are to be noted; namely, provision for 
continuous, or current, production, and con- 
struction on a basis of function. 

The great basic fact to be recognized is that 
there is no cessation in the activities of bod- 
ies politic. A single body may have become 
defunct by reason of impotence, as in the 
Central American Confederation, by reason 



of lack of power of resistance, as in the South 
African Republic, or through voluntary sur- 
render, as in the case of the Republic of Texas. 
The result is not an interruption of political 
activity, but, merely by a change of sov- 
ereignty, a modification of the proportions of 
one or more usurping bodies. Even where 
the authority is compar?tively fixed, as in the 
American commonwealths, to terminate a bib- 
liography of the public documents of any one 
jurisdictional authority is to produce a frag- 
ment. 

The second great fact to be recognized is 
the importance, in construction, of deference 
to function. The method of functional opera- 
tion of bodies politic is moderately uniform, 
though the functions themselves are widely 
varying in development and in complexity. 
When a record of the publications which rep- 
resent these functions is dominated by the 
regulations of an artificial method, the result 
is distortion and deformity. 

The success of a bibliography of public 
documents depends primarily upon the execu- 
tion of a plan which shall insure the sys- 
tematic accretion of current material. 

Precedents for a centralized accumulation 
and re-issue of federal publications are the 
existing international compacts for the mu- 
tual exchange of certain information. 

In 1875 there was concluded at Paris a 
treaty whose provisions established an inter- 
national bureau of weights and measures. 
There are seventeen signatory powers. The 
object is international uniformity and pre- 
cision in standards of weight and measure. 
The functions of the bureau are consultative 
and directive. There is no publication. The 
bureau is maintained at the common expense 
of the contracting parties, contributions being 
apportioned on a basis of population. Paris 
is the seat of the bureau, and the agency is the 
French ministry of foreign affairs. 

In 1883 there was concluded, also at Paris, 
a convention for the international protection 
of industrial prosperity. There are eleven 
original signatory powers. The object is to 
insure protection of industry and of com- 
merce. For this purpose an office is estab- 
lished at Berne and provision is made for 
the publication of a periodical and other 
docurnents. The office is maintained at com- 
mon expense, the maximum expenditure of 
any one state being stipulated in the provi- 



n8 



ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. 



sions of the convention. The ratio of ex- 
penditure is computed according to a fixed 
classification declared in the final protocol of 
the convention. The superior administration 
of Switzerland is the agency of the union. 
In 1886 there was concluded at Brussels a 
convention for the international exchange of 
official documents, etc. There are nine origi- 
nal signatory powers. The convention estab- 
lished no central bureau, and is merely an 
agreement to facilitate certain exchanges. 

On the day of the conclusion of the last 
named convention, March 15, 1886, there was 
concluded, also at Brussels, another conven- 
tion for the immediate exchange of official 
journals, parliamentary annals and documents. 
There are eight original signatory powers. 
The convention established no central bureau, 
and is merely an agreement to deposit the 
documents named in the legislative chambers 
of each contracting state. In 1890 there was 
concluded at Brussels a convention for the 
formation of an international union to pub- 
lish customs tariffs. There are forty-one 
original signatory powers. The object is to 
make known, as speedily as possible, the cus- 
toms tariffs of the various states of the globe. 
The seat of the office of the union is at Brus- 
sels, and the office is maintained at common 
expense. The maximum expenditure for 
maintenance is stipulated in the provisions of 
the convention. Contributory shares are com- 
puted according to a fixed classification de- 
clared in art. 9 of the convention, the ratio 
being the volume of commerce of the respec- 
tive states. The organ is the International 
Customs Bulletin, and the agency is the Bel- 
gian ministry of foreign affairs. 

In so far as governments have, by these 
compacts, conceded the practicability of and 
the advantage to be derived from a central 
distributing bureau of information and con- 
sultation, in so far has the advantage and the 
practicability of an international bibliography 
of public documents been conceded. 

It may, then, safely be assumed that a 
bibliography of public documents, if once 
realized, will be the outcome of something 
quite apart from any than the most perfunc- 
tory association with literary compilation. 

During the time from which we are just 
emerging, governments were far less keen than 
they are at present about the public import 
of their domestic affairs. Conflicts for the 



supremacy of power, or for the maintenance 
of a certain balance of power, whether peace- 
ful or belligerent, are, it is significant, now 
induced by commerce. 

International points of contact have grown 
more and more complex. This new condition 
causes each competing government to scruti- 
nize the habits of every other competing gov- 
ernment, and all competing governments to 
scrutinize those of non-competing govern- 
ments. The feeders of national commerce 
are to-day infinitely more varied and more 
active than before these young years of com- 
mercial expansion. Government has come to 
be more keenly alive to the need of supervi- 
sion, protection and inspection of these feed- 
ers all manner of local trade and industry. 

Those regulations which a nation imposes 
for the development and carriage of natural 
resources, for their promotion in local trade 
and industry, and for the advancement of 
that trade and industry, comprise the major 
portion of that nation's public documents. 
That medium which will give information 
concerning these regulations will be a bibliog- 
raphy of public documents. 

Whether this medium be mobilized on an 
international reciprocal basis, or as a local 
indicator, its success will depend on its ability 
to supply authoritative current record of gov- 
ernmental activity. The objection may be 
raised that the bulk of such a bibliography 
would soon be a bar to its utility. Certain 
temporary provisions would, it is admitted, 
be necessary to eliminate the extraneous 
habits of traditional bibliography. 

There are at the present moment about 40 
federal governments, divided into about 800 
local governments and 182 colonies and de- 
pendencies. In these federal and local gov- 
ernments there are some 1000 cities appre- 
ciably producing material such as we have 
under consideration. This nets a total of 
some 2022 political organizations. 

These 2000 political and corporate bodies, 
carrying on an industrial, commercial and 
financial business, publish a record of their 
business amounting annually, by a conserva- 
tive estimate, to 50,000 pieces. 

Private industry, finance, commerce and in- 
vestment are very seriously concerned in these 
official operations. In a measure private inter- 
est is advised of these operations. 

The industrial combinations, i.e. leather, 



HASSE. 



119 



paper, glass, etc., the natural product com- 
binations, i.e. coal, iron, etc., and manufac- 
turing combinations, i.e. cotton, wool, imple- 
ments, appliances, and machinery of all sorts 
are, as a rule, each represented by a trade 
medium. Incidentally these trade journals 
publish advice of official rulings. This advice 
is mainly secured by private agency. It is, 
naturally, selected advice. The field of the 
proposed bibliography of public documents 
i to supply impartially and in the most con- 
cise form advice of international intercourse, 
federal decisions, rulings, declarations, etc., 
on all matters affecting public welfare, advice 
of interstate relations and of municipal prog- 
ress, as they are reflected in the public docu- 
ments of these several organizations. 

Such a bibliography is, of course, not one 
man's work, nor yet a work the time of whose 
accomplishment may be estimated. It would 
seem, however, that what is possible for the 
mind to conceive, it would be possible to 
execute. 

A bibliography such as has been outlined, 
is, it will have been seen, not so much a 
description of titles, as it is an indication of 
political administration. Technically it might 
more properly be referred to as an index. 

The underlying motive for the preparation 
of such an index is to really make available 
the information in this accumulating class of 
public documents. 

A list of titles, no matter how well attend- 
ed bibliographically, or even a subject catalog 
based on titles of documents, will never quite 
give this information. If a man wants the 
official return showing the value of Panama 
stocks during the four years preceding the 
crash, he does not care about the title of the 
report in which this particular information is 
published. The man who is looking for the 
report on the origin of British supervision of 
Chinese maritime customs, for the text of the 
unratified Squier Treaty, or for that of the 
peace of Westphalia, will never find them by 
the title of any report, or in any catalog where 
subject entries are based on titles. And yet 
the only, at least the main contribution of 
public documents is this specific information. 
The compilation of title bibliographies, or 
of subject bibliographies based on titles, is 
a satisfactory medium only to the collector of 
documents, be he librarian, curator or archiv- 
ist. The reader using such a bibliography will 



either have to make a supplementary internal 
investigation of the titles listed, or he will 
have had his attention drawn to a specific 
title by some agency foreign to the bibliogra- 
phy. It is while we are still on the threshold, 
so to speak, of this question, that we may well 
stop to consider the most economical method 
of re-conducting the utilizable material at 
present stored away in public documents. It 
is believed that if we unquestionably follow 
the present tendency to let title lists suffice, 
we will be involved in years, perhaps even 
generations, of experiment, only patently to 
realize, in the end, the inadequacy, as an in- 
dicator, to the reader, of this form of bibliog- 
raphy. And it is for these reasons that you 
are asked to consider the index as the most 
immediately economical bibliography of cur- 
rent public documents, a bibliography, you are 
reminded, which by the very nature of its con- 
struction, presupposes a bibliography by titles. 
The index form is not submitted to you 
as a final solution of the whole subject of a 
bibliography of public documents. It is a 
form which would hardly be practicable for 
the older records; documents, let us say, ante- 
dating the constitutional period. These older 
records are subject to the scholarly interpre- 
tation of specialists. A good deal of biblio- 
graphical work with archives has been done 
in England and on the continent, but that 
which has been done has been largely in the 
nature of inventories of single collections. It 
remains for a bibliography of public docu- 
ments to assemble from these inventories the 
official material and to rearrange it in order 
that we may have a consecutive record in one 
place of the papers of sovereigns and of their 
ministers of state. In other words, a bibliog- 
raphy of early official records will reconstruct, 
as nearly as records can, the political organiza- 
tion of extinct and pre-organic governments. 
Whether, in the case of the records of the 
organic period, the index form would be best 
for all records, or only for those of the cur- 
rent and future issues, is a question. The 
estimated 50,000 pieces now annually appear- 
ing produce an average of five index entries 
each, or 20,000 entries monthly and 5000 week- 
ly, covering every phase of governmental ac- 
tivity. 

Adverting for a moment to what has been 
done in official bibliography, there should be 
mentioned as of first importance the reprints 



I2O 



57'. LOUIS CONFERENCE. 



of government archives, now in course of 
appearing in England, the Continent and in 
the colonies. They are too well known and 
have too recently been made the subject of 
work of French bibliographers to require col- 
lation here. Much valuable work in official 
bibliography will be found to have been al- 
ready done in histories of regional jurispru- 
dence, as for instance in those three volumes 
of the Documentos Ineditos, dealing with 
Spanish colonial law; as well as in disserta- 
tions on obsolete administrations such as you 
find in the fascicules of the Bibliotheque de 
1'Ecole des Hautes Etudes. 

Catalogs of official libraries contribute some- 
what to official bibliography, those of depart- 
ment libraries more than those of national li- 
braries. Catalogs on finance, economics and 
jurisprudence of British and continental book- 
dealers contribute quite as much, if not more, 
than do library catalogs. 

Of official bibliography per se, built on the 
lines which we are accustomed to consider as 
confining bibliography, there may be men- 
tioned the monthly and quarterly lists of H. 
B. M. Stationery Office, Mr. Campbell's "Cat- 
alogue of Indian official publications," the 
recent index to British Parliamentary Papers, 
and the productions of the American office of 
Superintendent of Documents. 

The British Stationery office lists are sales 
lists; British bluebooks not being distributed 
gratuitously. The lists are published monthly 
in two series, namely, parliamentary and offi- 
cial, corresponding to the American congres- 
sional and departmental. Every quarter there 
is a cumulative list and index. These lists 
are very well prepared, and the index for the 
fourth quarter, together with the fuller an- 
nual index to the parliamentary papers, is a 
very fair indication of British official publica- 
tions for the year. 

Mr. Campbell's India catalog is a very care- 
ful, very able piece of compilation. In method 
it is a compromise between a check list ar- 
ranged by subjects and an index. 

The index to British Parliamentary papers, 
issued a few months ago, is a conscientious 
example of the title list catalog, of which 
more presently. 

We Americans have suffered so long from 
an inundation of public documents, with only 
occasionally a weak dam to stem the flow 
meaning the catalogs preceding those of our 



Superintendent of Documents that we are 
not disposed to allow cavil with these later 
productions. The congressional indexes and 
the monthly catalogs of this office would seem 
to admit of no improvement. They are so 
good that the only fault I have to find with 
them is that I cannot get them sooner. 

The sessional catalog, like the index to Brit- 
ish parliamentary papers referred to it dis- 
tresses one to have to appear to find fault 
with such good work in its way suffers in 
usefulness from being a title catalog. Tech- 
nical form overbalances technical conformity 
to subject. Let me illustrate. In 1854, France, 
England and the United States were jointly 
involved in Hawaii. In American public 
documents much of this correspondence was 
not printed until 1892 or 1893, with the custo- 
mary caption titles: "Message of the Presi- 
dent, accompanying the report of the Secre- 
tary of State, &c." According to the method 
of the present catalog, this document would 
appear under State Department as author and 
under Hawaii as subject, the only date being 
that of the report, namely, 1892 or 1893, 
with no reference to or indication of the 1854 
correspondence. And yet the only place in 
American documents where this 1854 cor- 
respondence, and it was important, is printed, 
is in this document of forty years later. 

I am asked to produce a letter written by 
Dudley Mann during his Hungarian mission. 
This antedates the period of the series now 
known as diplomatic correspondence, and 
which is indexed. There is no cue whatever 
to the Dudley Mann correspondence. It may 
have been printed and it may not. If I find 
it, it is by a combination of accident, patience 
and experience. If a catalog made on the 
lines of the present catalog had existed, it 
would not have helped me. 

A publisher comes to me and says: "The 
United States Government publishes each 
year a table showing by States the production 
of staple crops. I am revising a school geog- 
raphy and want the table for 1903." I find 
it in the Agricultural Year Book, but not by 
means of the catalog. 

I will ask you to consider in how far the 
requirements could be met, if current lists 
such as the British and American monthly 
lists and sessional indexes were published by 
the several governments and an international 
index were published by a central bureau. 



BOWKER. 



121 



RECENT NATIONAL BIBLIOGRAPHY IN THE UNITED STATES. 



By R. R. BOWKER, Editor Library Journal. 



*T*HE twentieth century is here, and "the 
librarian of the future" has arrived. He 
confronts the vast task of the handling of 
books, books, books, in yearly increasing num- 
bers, the world over, and without end. The 
problem of record, and still more of selection, 
becomes more difficult and serious each year, 
and thus bibliography, and notably "eval- 
uated" bibliography, becomes more and more 
important. 

I have been asked to present a summary of 
the present state of bibliography in our own 
country, which may be of service at this time, 
on an occasion which is of more than passing 
scope and interest. I shall not endeavor to go 
over the field covered in my paper on "Bib- 
liographical endeavors in America,"* at the 
International Conference in London, 1897, 
.which summarized the history of bibliography 
in and of this country up to 1897, but rather 
to present briefly the facts as to bibliographies 
of recent issue and current value. 

The "A. L. A. catalog" of 1904, of which 
the first copies are presented at this confer- 
ence, renewing the similar work of 1893, pub- 
lished at the time of the Chicago World's 
Fair, should have first mention as the most 
practical and helpful work placed, within this 
period, at the service of libraries and readers. 
It was prepared under the general editorship 
of Melvil Devvey, with the help of Miss May 
Seymour of Albany and Mrs. H. L. Elmen- 
dorf of Buffalo as associate editors, with the 
co-operation of the New York State Library 
and Library of Congress staffs in preparing 
and revising lists, and of over a hundred spe- 
cialists in passing on the books to be included 
in the several departments, under the author- 
ization and general oversight of the Publish- 
ing Board of the American Library Associa- 
tion, with the Government Printing Office as 
printer, and the Library of Congress as pub- 
lisher a happy conjunction which has re- 
sulted in a volume of about 900 pages, cata- 

* Transactions and Proceedings of the ad Inter- 
national Library Conference, London, 1897, p. 150- 
154; L. j., Aug., 1897, p. 384-387- 



loging, with notes, 8000 volumes best suited 
for a popular library. A copy will be sent 
gratuitously to each library in the country, 
and copies may be had by individuals from 
the Superintendent of Documents at Wash- 
ington at the extraordinary price of 50 cents 
in cloth or 25 cents in paper, for the complete 
work, and at a lower price for the two parts. 
These two parts consist respectively of a 
classed catalog arranged on the Decimal sys- 
tem, preceded by an address list of publish- 
ers, a list of series abbreviations, a list of 
authorities for notes, and a schedule of gen- 
eral abbreviations, and also by a synopsis of 
the Decimal classification, going to the third 
figure; and of a dictionary catalog including 
designation of the Expansive classification 
mark for each book and of its place in the 
Decimal classification. It is impossible to 
overestimate the value of this work for libra- 
ries and for all who have reason to consult 
books. 

The "American bibliography" of Charles 
Evans, of which the first volume, covering 
the period 1639-1729, was published by the 
author in 1903, is one of the most ambitious 
bibliographical undertakings current in any 
country. It is to be "a chronological diction- 
ary [sic] of all books, pamphlets, and period- 
ical publications printed in the United States 
of America from the genesis of printing in 
1639 down to and including the year 1820, 
with bibliographical and biographical notes." 
The period is limited to 1820 probably because 
in that year Roorbach began the bibliograph- 
ical work which has since been continued in 
one shape or another under the editorship of 
James Kelly, Frederick Leypoldt, and the 
present writer, in the several forms of the 
American Catalogue. Mr. Evans in this first 
volume records in chronological order, and so 
numbered, 3244 items of the work of our 
American printers, including even books of 
which no issues are now known to exist, but 
of which trace is somewhere found ; and gives 
in the case of unique or rare issues very full 
descriptive and bibliographical notes. There 



122 



ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. 



is an endeavor to cite auction prices, so far as 
practicable, which, if not always accurate, are 
indicative of value. An index of authors, a 
classified subject-index of a limited nature, 
and a list of printers and publishers supple- 
ment the main part of the volume. The work 
has been severely criticised by bibliographical 
scholars for inaccuracies and omissions, and 
for lack of research in large and representa- 
tive collections; but much is to be forgiven 
in an undertaking so vast, and on the whole 
so satisfactory. Its importance is such that 
it should be found in all national libraries and 
ii! every important library the world over. 

Of the monumental work of Joseph Sabin, 
his "Dictionary of books relating to Amer- 
ica," or "Bibliotheca Americana," of which 
the publication was begun in 1868, and which 
was left unfinished at his death in 1881 
nineteen completed volumes have now been 
published, covering the alphabet from A to 
Simms, and two additional parts, nos. 115- 
116, covering Simms-Smith (Henry Hollings- 
worth). Mr. Wilberforce Eames, who has 
been the general editor since Mr. Cutter's re- 
lations with the earlier volumes, does not find 
himself able to add to his burdens as a libra- 
rian the work of continuing this series, and 
although much material for the remainder of 
the alphabet has been accumulated, the com- 
pletion of the work cannot be said to be 
assured. 

The quarto series of the "American cata- 
logue," originated by Frederick Leypoldt in 
1876 and continued under the editorship of 
the present writer, approximately in five- 
yearly volumes, came to an end with the vol- 
ume covering the period July i, i8Q5-Jan. I, 
1900. The original volumes, covering books 
in print in 1876, were published in quarto size, 
partly because the large editorial and publish- 
ing outlay demanded a form which would 
seem to justify the price necessarily charged 
for the volumes. But the size proved cum- 
brous for general use, and with the close of 
the century it was decided to begin another 
series in another form. It may be interesting 
to note that the total outlay on the original 
two-volume work was $27,622, without com- 
pensation to its editor, and the return $27,321, 
a loss of $301 ; while the expense of the suc- 
ceeding two volumes, 1876-84 and 1884-90, has 
been $23,258, and the returns $28,928, a gain 



of $4770; and the expense of the final two 
volumes, 1890-95 and 1895-1900, has been $26,- 
645 and the returns $22,461, a loss of $4184. 
Thus a total expense exceeding $76,000 has 
been almost exactly balanced by the returns, 
with no or little reckoning either of interest 
on investment or return to editor and pub- 
lisher. Except for the fact that the editions 
of the first volume of the 1876 work, of which 
looo copies were printed, and the supplement- 
ary volumes for 1876-84 and 1884-90, of each 
of which 1000 copies were issued, were by per- 
sistent "pushing" completely sold, permitting 
a substantial increase of price as the volumes 
were running out of print, the loss would 
have been serious, as was in fact the case on 
the Subject- volume of 1876 and the volumes 
1890-95 and 1895-1900, of each of which 1250 
copies were printed, but the entire edition 
was not sold. The last-named volume in- 
volved a maximum loss of nearly $3000, prob- 
ably owing in part to the division of the field 
by an enterprise covering in some measure 
the same period. These figures show the lim- 
itations of the bibliographical market and the 
difficulty of obtaining a commercial basis for 
bibliographical work in this country. 

I may say here that Mr. Evans's undertak- 
ing will make unnecessary the scheme, on 
which some though little progress had 
been made, of publishing a volume of the 
quarto American Catalogue series, to com- 
prise books published within the nineteenth 
century previous to those included in Mr. 
Leypoldt's monumental work of 1876, as a 
preliminary to the greater undertaking of 
publishing a comprehensive bibliography of 
American books of the nineteenth century 
also on the quarto American Catalogue plan. 
Both these projects would have involved so 
much outlay above any possible return thai it 
is a relief to find such a bibliographer as Mr. 
Evans ready to cover the only part of this 
field in which there is a serious gap. The new 
American Catalogue series is planned to be in 
five-yearly cumulative volumes, in a one- 
alphabet entry by author, title, subject, and 
series, comprehending the material of the 
Publishers' Weekly monthly record as cumu- 
lated quarterly and yearly; and the plan may 
include a second five-yearly volume giving the 
full titles from the Publishers' Weekly original 
record. This work will be a utilization, with 



BOWKER. 



123 



editorial revision, of the actual linotype 
"slugs" used in the Publishers' Weekly for 
its Weekly Record of full title entries and for 
the condensed entries by author, title, subject, 
and series making up its monthly list, its 
quarterly cumulation, which becomes an an- 
nual cumulation in the Annual Summary 
Number, published each January, and finally, 
the cumulation covering two, three, and four- 
year periods, issued in one alphabet pending 
the culminating and final five-yearly publica- 
tion as the American Catalogue. 

The most important comprehensive volume 
covering current publications is the "United 
States catalog," published by the H. W. Wil- 
son Co., of Minneapolis, originally recording 
books in print 1899, under the editorship of 
George F. Danforth and Marion E. Potter. 
The issue of 1899 covered 738 pages of author 
entry, a list of publishers, and a title index 
of 361 pages, in all a volume exceeding noo 
pages, with the purpose of doing for the book- 
trade and libraries at the close of the century, 
though in condensed form, the service which 
Mr. Leypoldt had rendered a quarter of a 
century before. In this original issue au- 
thors' names were given in full-face type, 
with condensed single line titles of the sev- 
eral works arranged under the author's name, 
while the title index was confined to the short 
title with "see" author. The improved edition of 
1902, edited by Marion E. Potter and brought 
up to January i, 1902, presented a single al- 
phabet system, covering 2131 pages, with en- 
tries under author, subject, and title, includ- 
ing author's birth and death dates in many 
cases, and particulars of binding, price, date, 
and publisher, forming a remarkabiy com- 
pendious and practical volume. This had 
been preceded by a preliminary issue of 
author entries only. The catalog is sup- 
plemented by the "Cumulative book in- 
dex," which on the same system presents 
monthly, progressive and annual cumula- 
tions, which last are combined into a Cumu- 
lative Index for 1902-4, continuing the main 
catalog up to date from year to year. 

The "Publishers' trade list annual," which 
has been continuously issued since Mr. Ley- 
poldt's beginning of the series in 1873, had 
been published until 1902 (except for a brief 
index in 1875) without an index, but the in- 
clusion of a book index as a part of Whit- 



aker's English "Reference list" emphasized 
the demand for a book index to the American 
publication. The great cost of such a work, 
and the difficulty of publishing an index with- 
out delaying the volume, as the Whitaker 
publication had always been delayed, had pre- 
vented such an index, until in 1902 the "Index 
to the Publishers' trade list annual," cover- 
ing in a single alphabet by author, title, and 
subject catchword entries the books included 
in the volume of catalogs was issued in a 
supplementary volume of noo pages, soon 
after the issue of the huge annual itself. This 
result was accomplished by working from the 
catalogs of the previous year and filling out 
from information furnished by publishers in 
advance of the new catalogs. A Supple- 
mentary Index covered the new material of 
1903, and a second Supplementary Index, in- 
cluding in one alphabet the new material of 
1903 and 1904, have since been published 
this last being also issued bound up with the 
original Index in a single volume as the Com- 
bined Index, 1902-3-4. 

In addition to editing the regular volume 
of "Poole's index to periodical literature" 
covering the period 1897 to 1902, being the 
fourth volume in continuation of the reissue 
of 1882, Mr. W. I. Fletcher has done ihe ex- 
cellent service of preparing in a single volume 
an "Abridged Poole's index," which fur- 
nishes a subject-index to the leading sets of 
important periodicals which are to be found 
in most libraries, from 1815, the earliest date 
of their beginnings, through 1899. He has 
also edited for the Association a second 
edition of the "A. L. A. index to general 
literature/' (1901), also known as the "Essay 
index," which, in a large octavo volume of 
680 pages, furnishes a valuable and needed 
key to the essays, papers, and chapters on 
distinctive specific subjects which form part 
of composite or general books. 

The "Annual literary index," in continua- 
tion both of Poole's "Index to periodical liter- 
ature" and of the "A. L. A. index to general 
literature," has been continued yearly under 
the editorship chiefly of Mr. W. I. Fletcher, 
covering periodical articles, chapters in com- 
posite books, notable events and the bibliog- 
raphy and necrology of the year. It is pro- 
posed, beginning with 1905, to utilize this an- 
nual material monthly and quarterly in the 



124 



ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. 



new shape of a periodical which shall permit 
small libraries to subscribe to a monthly index 
to periodicals covering the forty publications 
taken in the greater number of libraries, on an 
improved plan of entry, covering both subject 
and author in one alphabet this monthly 
publication including probably also a short- 
title purchase list of books recommended for 
libraries, and an evaluation of new books as 
soon after their publication as practicable, 
these features being supplied by the Publish- 
ing Board of the A. L. A. It is proposed 
that a quarterly cumulation, including an ad- 
ditional number of periodicals, shall also be 
published at a separate subscription price, and 
finally that this material, with other period- 
ical entries completing and extending the 
Poole's Index list, should supplant the present 
system of the "Annual literary index" and 
furnish the material for future issues of the 
Poole series. In this same field the "Cumu- 
lative index to periodicals," originated by Mr. 
William H. Brett at the Cleveland Public Li- 
brary, is now published by the H. W. Wilson 
Co. in combination with the Reader's Guide, 
providing a monthly index, cumulated month- 
ly and yearly, to the sixty-two periodicals for- 
merly covered by the two separate publica- 
tions. 

The Publishing Board of the A. L. A., en- 
dowed by Mr. Carnegie with a fund of $100,- 
ooo which should have the result of fur- 
nishing adequate bibliographic helps at low cost 
to the many libraries which he has so nobly 
and generously established or strengthened 
has continued its good work by several pub- 
lications. The foremost of these is the great 
evaluation of the "Literature of American 
history," for which Mr. George lies contrib- 
uted not only the original inspiration but a 
ftmd exceeding $10,000, and which Mr. J. N. 
Lamed has edited without compensation. 
This great work, which does for American 
history what has not been done in any other 
country or for any other subject Mr. lies' 
evaluation for Fine Arts excepted is con- 
tinued by a supplement for 1901 edited by 
Philip P. Wells, and by a yearly bibliography 
covering current books on English and Amer- 
ican history, which can be had either on cards 
or in pamphlets. The Publishing Board has 
also published a most useful "Guide to refer- 
ence books," by Miss Alice B. Kroeger, of the 



Drexel Institute Library, and has nearly ready 
for publication the great A. L. A. index to 
portraits in printed books, which has been in 
preparation for many years. It has also con- 
tinued the issue of the special card indexes to 
certain current periodical publications, to bib- 
liographic serials, and to special sets and 
books of composite authorship. Reference 
may here be made to the "Bibliography of 
American history," prepared by Prof. E. C. 
Richardson, of Princeton University, and to 
the fact that Mr. George lies plans a reissue 
of the "Reader's guide in political science," 
originally prepared under the editorship of Mr. 
lies and the present writer some years ago. 
The bibliography of United States govern- 
ment publications is now so well cared for 
by the Superintendent of Documents, a posi- 
tion established in 1895, and now held by 
Mr. L. C. Ferrell, that little remains to be 
done outside that office. As Miss Hasse's 
paper at the present meeting will cover more 
fully the subject of official publications, I 
need but briefly mention that this office has 
published a "comprehensive index" for the 
two-year period of each Congress from the 
53d, 1893-95, to the s6th, 1899-1901, covering 
the two or three sessions of each in a single 
volume or in two volumes, known as the 
"Catalogue of public documents," and also 
?. "consolidated index" for each session from 
the first session of the 54th Congress, 1895- 
96, to the second session of the 57th Congress, 
1902-03, known as the "Index to subjects of 
documents and reports," etc., as well as a 
monthly "Catalogue of United States public 
documents," from January, 1895, to July, 
1904. Besides these regular publications, it 
has issued priced lists of official publications 
on sale or for exchange, usually at intervals 
of about six months; priced lists of laws of 
the United States, usually yearly; and special 
bibliographies or priced lists on irrigation, 
on labor, industries, trusts and immigration, 
on interoceanic canals and transcontinental 
traffic, on explorations, on new navy, and on 
agriculture; and various schedules indicating 
the series and volume relations of govern- 
ment publications. A check-list of public 
documents containing debates and proceed- 
ings of Congress from the first to the 53d, 
is also included in its publications. This 
office also has taken a most important step 



BOWKER. 



125 



in the direction of making public documents 
useful to depository libraries, by the issue, 
beginning in January of this year, of printed 
cards, which are supplied in duplicate to 
such libraries in connection with which 
there has been printed a valuable schedule 
of "Author headings for United States pub- 
lic documents," giving an official method of 
classification in this difficult field. 

Several of the states are now giving more 
careful attention to the bibliography of their 
own publications, bibliographies of state 
documents having been issued by, or for, 
Ohio, Iowa, Kansas, and California the 
work perhaps stimulated by the "Bibliography 
of state publications" prepared under the edi- 
torship of the present writer, of which the 
parts covering the New England states and 
the North Central states have been issued, 
and of which the third part, covering the 
Western states, is nearly ready. Bibli- 
ographies for Vermont and Kansas, as well 
as an earlier bibliography for Texas, have 
been issued, covering, however, books printed 
in the state rather than by the state. The 
bulletins of the New York Public Library 
have contained interesting material relating 
to the boundaries, etc., of New York state. 
Mr. T. H. Cole has continued his bibliogra- 
phies of statute law and has issued schedules 
for Alabama, Arkansas, and Florida. 

A record of the "Publications of societies" 
was issued in 1899, under the editorship of 
the present writer, but the important pub- 
lication in this field will be the forthcoming 
"Handbook of learned societies and their pub- 
lications" to be issued by the co-operation 
of the Carnegie Institution and the Library 
of Congress. 

The Library of Congress, under the pub- 
lic-spirited and enterprising headship of 
Herbert Putnam, has finally assumed its 
proper function as the chief center of library 
bibliography in this country. It has, at last, 
realized the long-discussed project of pub- 
lishing catalog cards for the leading books 
issued from the American press, furnishing 
any library at a price covering only the me- 
chanical cost, not the large outlay in prepara- 
tion, not only the series of cards, but such 
selection as an individual library may desig- 
nate. Its special department, the Copyright 
Office, publishes the weekly Copyright Bul- 
letin in improved shape, and it is now pro- 



posed to print the certificates of copyright 
record also on catalog cards. The great 
medical "Index-catalogue" to the Surgeon- 
General's Library, originated by Dr. J. S. 
Billings, has been continued in a second series 
of supplementary volumes, of which the 
ninth, covering the alphabet as far as Lyuri, 
has recently been published, and by the re- 
sumption of the Index Medicus originally is- 
sued by Frederick Leypoldt. The New York 
State Library has continued its interesting 
publications, of which the most noteworthy 
are the yearly lists of the Best Books of each 
year, and its yearly Summary and Index of 
Legislation, covering the several states of 
the Union. It is intended by Mr. Putnam 
to work out a similar plan, extended 
and improved, for the legislation of the 
United States and other countries, should 
Congress authorize the International Index 
to Current Legislation, which he has pro- 
posed. Much good work has been done by 
other libraries in their individual bibliogra- 
phies and bulletions, but these it is not prac- 
tical to follow in detail. 

Important contributions to general bibliog- 
raphy in relation with the booktrade have 
been made by Mr. A. Growoll in his work 
on "Booktrade bibliography in the United 
States in the xixth century," his monograph 
on "American book clubs," and, with the co- 
operation of Mr. Eames, in the book on 
"Three centuries of English booktrade bib- 
liography." 

One of the most notable advances in Amer- 
ican bibliography has been the better work 
done in supplying individual volumes with 
indexes, as an integral part of the work, and 
in supplementary indexes, printed separate- 
ly. It is impracticable, however, even in a 
"dry-as-dust" paper like the present, to cover 
in detail the individual bibliographies issued 
in this country in recent years, of which the 
annual list will be found in the successive 
volumes of the "Annual literary index." Bib- 
liography has perhaps taken the place of 
political economy as the "dismal science"; 
but it is a necessary evil in view of the 
enormous cumulation of books from year 
to year, and it is a problem of increasing 
difficulty how this record shall be provided 
continuously and adequately in the face of 
the enormous production of books with which 
the presses of the world are now teeming. 



126 



ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. 



SUGGESTION FOR A YEARBOOK OF LIBRARY LITERATURE. 
BY W. DAWSON JOHNSTON, Library of Congress. 



T N undertaking systematically to collect and 
make more available and more complete 
our information about libraries and library' 
administration two methods are open first, 
to index existing library literature; second, 
to add to that literature. In a paper upon the 
"Relation of library history to library science 
and administration," which I have presented 
to this Association, I have set forth the mo- 
tives which led the national library to in- 
augurate the preparation of the series of 
"Contributions to American library history." 
It is the desire of the authorities of the library 
to gather together in this series existing in- 
formation regarding American libraries and 
American library methods. I now wish to 
present for your consideration another under- 
taking of no less consequence, the preparation 
of an annual summary of or index to the 
literature of libraries. As the one series looks 
to the past, the pursuit of the historical meth- 
od, and the description of the conditions of 
library progress in America, so the other 
looks to the future, the pursuit of the com- 
parative method, and the description of the 
ideals which animate the profession at home 
and abroad. 

The first requisite of the progress of library 
science, as of all science, is permanent and 
systematic records. This has been recognized 
in the establishment of the numerous journals 
devoted to library interests and bibliography. 
But with all these there is no publication 
devoted to library literature. Among gen- 
eral periodicals we have our reviews of re- 
view's, and among the periodical publications 
devoted to special sciences we have our jahres- 
berichte the most German, and, therefore, 
perhaps, the most scientific of our periodicals, 
but we have not an index to the current lit- 
erature of library science. A few years ago 
there was no need for such an index, but the 
increasing number of periodicals devoted to 
library interests and the multiplication of 
articles upon library questions in other periodi- 
cals literary, historical, educational, archi- 
tectural, etc. makes an index now both de- 



sirable and necessary. Desirable because in it 
we would have in convenient form a summary 
of the most noteworthy matters of interest 
to librarians, that is, such as have been thought 
worthy of discussion or notice among con- 
temporary publications ; necessary because few 
if any of us can now keep track of all the 
literature of our profession. 

The practical value of such an index must 
be obvious, particularly to members of an 
association which has produced a Poole. It 
may, therefore, be sufficient to say a few words 
regarding its scientific value, its importance 
as a contribution to the comparative study 
of library law and custom. Existing records 
of library literature, particularly those which 
are contained in foreign periodicals, are not 
generally accessible. When accessible they 
are not readily available because sandwiched 
in between the current news and notes. And 
when finally discovered they are unsatisfactory 
because of their incompleteness both in re- 
spect to the selection of the literature record- 
ed and in respect to the description of it. 
Such a report as we are considering, consist- 
ing of (i) a summary of the contributions of 
each country to library science, to be prepared 
by specialists representing the different sec- 
tions of the library world, (2) a classified list 
of current books and articles in magazines re- 
lating to libraries and library administration, 
and (3) an index such a report, I say, 
should remedy these defects in our existing 
record of library literature. As an annual 
it would not have the scrappiness inseparable 
from a monthly, and as the work of experts 
it would possess a completeness and an ac- 
curacy which is most to be desired. 

Furthermore, it should be observed, bib- 
liographical criticism must remain compara- 
tively barren as long as it remains provincial, 
and our generalizations in library science must 
fall short of universal validity as long as we 
reason from mere local experience. A work 
which shall present us with additional data 
for comparative study of library administra- 
tion should, therefore, prove useful not merely 



FOCKE. 



127 



as a work of reference, but as a factor in the 
reorganization of thought upon library ques- 
tions. 

Among the practical results to be expected 
from such a widening of the field of library 
science we may note two, (i) the discovery of 
new possibilities and responsibilities in inter- 
national, national and local bibliography, (2) 
the suggestion of new ideals and methods of 
library administration. 

This widening of the field of library science 
should in the first place be suggestive of new 
methods of international co-operation. As 
we broaden our intellectual and moral horizon 
new duties and opportunities are brought 
within our view, and the better definition of 
existing duties is made possible. Certainly 
nothing will promote the development of bib- 
liography more surely than the latter, particu- 
larly the definition of the functions of bib- 
liographical agencies, international, national, 
and local, a definition of those functions from 
a cosmopolitan point of view. 

This widening of the field of library science 
should in the second place be suggestive of 
new ideals and methods of library admin- 
istration. We need to project ourselves be- 
yond the circle of our immediate surroundings 
in order to understand the real nature of our 



work; we need to orient ourselves, as the 
phrase is. American and European libraries 
particularly have much to gain by a free ex- 
change of ideas, not only because the com- 
munities which we have to serve, English, 
German, Scandinavian and other, are similar 
in character, and our needs therefore similar, 
but because our experience has been different. 
Europe has been in possession of libraries for 
hundreds of years and has books that we shall 
never have. We can profit by the experience 
of these ancient institutions, learn from them 
the wisdom of conservatism, as they from us, 
the desirability of change. American and 
English libraries above all must profit by inter- 
course and co-operation, because of their com- 
munity of speech, of science and of literature. 
An organ of international library activity 
which shall, to this end, gather up whatever 
is of general utility in the experience of the 
libraries of the world, and make more ac- 
cessible the best of what is being thought and 
said, should widen the range of our view, Hit 
us to a participation in each other's labors, 
settle some questions, raise new ones, help to 
clarify our conceptions of what is important 
and what is not, and, in short, place us in pos- 
session of the net results of current profes- 
sional experience. 



CLASSIFICATION: THE GENERAL THEORY. 



BY PROFESSOR DR. RUDOLF FOCKE, Director Kaiser-Wilhelms-Bibliothek, Posen, Germany. 



n ^ HE higher a profession stands, the more 
scientific are its foundations. It is not 
only our preparatory general scientific train- 
ing, not only our daily dealings with science 
or with scientific material that give us the 
right to characterize our labors as scientific. 
The essential element of the scientific nature 
of our profession lies rather in the intrinsic 
necessity of conducting our official business 
in a scientific manner, that is, according to 
scientific principles and general well defined 
premises. 

Foremost among the librarian's activities 
stands the making of the catalogs. In these 
also centers the scientific part of his pro- 
fessional labors. All else is matter of tech- 
nique, of practical experience and routine. 



Three catalogs are indispensable to every 
well managed and well arranged library: 
The accession catalog, the alphabetical [au- 
thor and title] catalog, and the subject cata- 
log [realkatalog]. I consider this proposition 
as an axiom of library science. The shelf-list 
may be dispensed with, in as much as one of 
the other three catalogs may serve its pur- 
pose. The distinction here made is correct 
because it is based upon a scientific difference 
between the catalogs. Other classifications, 
for example the division into general and 
special catalogs, depend upon a graduated 
distinction which cannot be a first principle 
of division. 

Each one of the three catalogs registers 
the books in a manner peculiar to itself. The 



128 



ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. 



elementary constituents, that is the titles of 
the books, are the same in all of the three 
catalogs. The difference consists in the ar- 
rangement or order of the titles. For the 
accession catalog the governing principle is 
the date of the incorporation of the books 
into the library, for the alphabetical catalog 
the order of the letters of the constituent 
parts of the title, for the subject catalog 
[realkatalog] the contents of the books. The 
order of the titles in the accession and in 
the alphabetical catalog is therefore due to 
external reasons and is accidental, in the 
subject catalog it is due to intrinsic reasons 
and is obligatory. Wherefore it is evident 
that it is the subject catalog [realkatalog] 
only which is constructed upon a scientific 
basis. 

To be sure we must have scientific knowl- 
edge even for the accession catalog and for 
the alphabetical catalog, especially knowledge 
of languages. But that knowledge has, 
nevertheless, only the value of a scientific 
working tool. The more he knows of lan- 
guages, to mention no other qualifications, 
the more fit the librarian will be to run these 
two catalogs. This indeed holds good for the 
subject [realkatalog] as well, but here make 
themselves felt in addition to these auxiliar- 
ies, first the sciences themselves, which are 
to be exhibited in the subject catalog [real- 
katalog] as they express themselves in liter- 
ature and which the librarian therefore must 
command more or less, and second, the 
theory of the scientific classification of books. 

The requirements in the way of scientific 
accomplishments are least in the case of the 
accession catalog, they rise with the alpha- 
betical catalog, and reach the highest point 
with the subject catalog [realkatalog]. 

The leading principle for the accession cat- 
alog is, as we have seen, the chronological 
order of the incorporation of the books into 
the library. There is nothing simpler than 
the rule based upon this. The accession cat- 
alog contains in addition information about 
the provenance of books, about their con- 
dition, price, etc. All of which is very im- 
portant indeed, but involves no principle, no 
rule for the arrangement of the titles. 

The leading principle for the alphabetical 
catalog is the order of the letters of the main 
component parts of the titles. Here diffi- 
culties arise. For the consistent carrying 



out of this principle demands first, a uniform 
alphabet for all sorts of script, and second, a 
definition of what are the main component 
parts of the titles, the words under which 
the titles shall be entered, and the relation 
of these words to one another. In order to 
find one's way in the alphabetical catalog of 
a large reference library one must know the 
standard alphabet, which presupposes the 
transcription of foreign letters on the basis 
of a particular alphabet. In the second place 
one must be familiar with the rules govern- 
ing the alphabetical arrangement of the titles. 
But if the very use of the catalog with any 
degree of certainty depends upon this knowl- 
edge, how much more must the librarian be 
sure of it, who is to continue and complete 
the catalog. 

The leading principle of the subject cat- 
alog [reaikatalog] is the subject of the books. 
Three demands are therefore made upon the 
librarian in this connection : first, he must 
have a sure judgment upon the subject of 
of the books; second, he must arrange the 
titles according to the subjects, that is ac- 
cording to their relation and their place in 
the sciences; third, he must know the rules 
governing this arrangement with respect to 
subject; in other words he must be at home 
in the theory of the scientific classification of 
books, because trie sciences in themselves do 
not convey a rule for the scientific classifica- 
tion of books, as we shall see. 

How then are the rules established for the 
three several catalogs? 

The rule for the accession catalog elabo- 
rates itself. It is contained in the definition 
of the accession catalog. The rule demands 
the arrangement of the titles in the order of 
accession, or chronological incorporation of 
books into the library. The observance of 
the rule is as simple as the definition. 

The rule for the alphabetic catalog also is 
given by the definition of that catalog and 
in so far is just as easily determined. The 
rule says: The books are to be registered in 
purely alphabetical order; that is according 
to the sequence of the letters of the words 
under which the titles are entered. But 
since the conception of alphabetic order is 
not exact it requires closer definition and 
here the difficulties begin. Opinions as to 
what should govern and is essential with re- 
gard to the alphabetic arrangement of titles 



FOCKE. 



129 



differ widely in certain cases, as is well 
known. A decision upon principle arrived 
at deductively does not exist any one prac- 
tice or another may be followed. There are 
three ways in which a uniform treatment in 
the arranging of titles may be reached for 
one or more libraries : Custom founded on 
tradition; simple agreement; and official 
rules. While formerly custom prevailed ex- 
clusively, lately resort has often been had to 
official rules. And rightly so. For by means 
of voluntary agreement various practices are 
scarcely to be welded into a single one, while 
progressive technique certainly demands uni- 
formity to the greatest possible degree. 

The rule for the subject catalog [real- 
katalog] again, stated in its most general 
terms deduced from the definition is : The 
books are to be entered in groups and 
successive divisions according to the subject. 
The question arises: Is it really the subject 
alone that determines the arrangement of the 
titles? The answer can only be: Not at all. 
For besides the intrinsic principle of arrange- 
ment, i.e., the subject, an external objective 
factor the use of the books must be rec- 
ognized. This principle of arrangement, con- 
sideration of the chief end of every library, 
governs of course for the alphabetic catalog 
as well, while the accession catalog is des- 
tined primarily to serve the administration. 
But in the alphabetic catalog the two prin- 
ciples of arrangement, the rule deduced from 
the definition, and facilitation of the use, co- 
incide. Not so in the case of the subject 
catalog [realkatalog], as we shall soon see. 

The principle of order of the subject cat- 
alog [realkatalog] comprised in its defini- 
tion is the subject of the books. The titles 
therefore are grouped and arranged accord- 
ing to the subject. This grouping, this order, 
in turn is determined by the diversity of the 
sciences and their branches. There is com- 
plete agreement on this point; the thesis is 
an axiom of library science. Books are ar- 
ranged in the order of the sciences and their 
branches. 

All the sciences combined constitute science. 
Its subdivision into special sciences may take 
the form of empirical enumeration or may 
follow a systematic classification. The sys- 
tematization of science is a philosophical 
problem. Many solutions have been at- 



tempted but no system has received general 
recognition. 

Each separate science which is to be fitted 
into the general system is, like the whole, an 
organism. To reduce to a system the or- 
ganism of a special science is already easier 
of accomplishment. In this way originates 
the classification of the special sciences. The 
degree to which such classification may be 
carried is unlimited in so far as subdivision 
must needs stop only when it arrives at the 
single idea, the single fact. 

The systematic arrangement of books, or 
rather of their titles, must closely follow the 
classification of the sciences, as long as no 
other principle of arrangement is adduced, 
and this with regard to the system as a whole, 
as well as with reference to the systems of 
the special sciences. This is demanded by 
the general rule of the subject catalog [real- 
katalog]. 

To this principle of arrangement, which 
we will call the systematic principle, is op- 
posed another one, which proceeds entirely 
from a practical standpoint. It seeks in the 
first place an arrangement which facilitates 
the most rapid, easy use of the collections 
of the library as classed by subject in various 
groups. 

To attain this there exists, aside from ap- 
plication of the systematic principle, only 
the one way: To resolve the entire matter 
of science or portions of it into subject catch- 
words and arrange them alphabetically. We 
will therefore call this the subject-alphabet 
principle. I have already pointed out that 
it is most certainly entitled to consideration. 

We have therefore now obtained two prin- 
ciples of arrangement for the subject cat- 
alog [realkatalog] : the systematic order and 
the subject-alphabet. We call subject cat- 
alog [realkatalog] every catalog which ex- 
hibits an arrangement, carried out according 
to the one or the other of these principles or 
a combination of both. 

As greatly as these principles seem to differ 
and even to be opposed to each other, it may 
now be pointed out that the general principle 
is in both the same; the matter is resolved 
into separate groups or parts according to 
subject. There is no specific or material 
difference between the two principles, but 
merely a difference of form. The separate 



130 



ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. 



groups or divisions are the same m the sys- 
tematic as well as in the subject-alphabet 
arrangement. But they are arranged from 
different points of view and by different 
methods, bringing them into a different rela- 
tion to one another. 

May we then designate as classification 
any arrangement of material which results 
from the application of one of these prin- 
ciples? In order to answer this question we 
will now try to fix the definition of classifi- 
cation. Upon this philosophers are in general 
agreed. It is therefore an easy matter for 
us. Classification is an elementary process of 
cognition and consists according to its gen- 
eral concept in the systematic arrangement of 
ideas (Begriffe) into classes thoroughly car- 
ried out. We think always in a multiplicity 
of concepts. The multiplicity of concepts 
may be either an aggregate in form, that is, 
an agglomeration without inner connection, 
or it may be a system, that is, it may possess 
logical unity. As long as our multiplicity of 
concepts forms an aggregate our thinking is 
fragmentary; it rises and becomes systematic 
when the multiplicity of concepts forms a 
unity. 

We will now apply this general rule to our 
subject. When we divide the whole subject 
matter of the sciences or of a special science 
into a series of co-ordinate divisions strung 
together one after another it is not classifica- 
tion but simply division. In classification 
subordination must accompany co-ordina- 
tion. Subordination consists in the estab- 
lishment of main divisions and subdivisions. 
Classification is therefore not a mechanical 
but a logical process of division, and more- 
over a logical division which proceeds from 
a supreme concept limits the scope of the con- 
cept by addition of distinctive attributes, 
forms new and subordinate concepts with 
reference to opposite characteristics, and ar- 
rives finally at the lowest species. 

In the light of the definition given just now 
we will easily be able to recognize the essen- 
tial difference between the principle of the 
systematic and that of the alphabetical sub- 
ject catalog. While the latter contents itself 
with the empirical enumeration of the sec- 
tions of the system and of the specific con- 
cepts falling within them, brought into al- 
phabetic order, the systematic principle seeks 
the very closest conjunction with the logical 



classification. It follows, therefore, that in the 
strictest sense of the term we can only speak 
of a classification in connection with the 
subject catalog [realkatalog] when the sys- 
tematic principle is taken as a basis. In a 
broader sense, however, we call classification 
any arrangement of the subject matter or 
the content of a science which is carried out 
according to some plainly recognizable prin- 
ciple. For these two methods, which are the 
only ones possible, stand nevertheless in a 
certain closer relation to one another. In 
rank the systematic order stands, however, 
above the subject alphabet form; the former 
is the primary one. The logical classification 
is the necessary premise of the alphabetical 
subject arrangement. Without the former 
the latter could not even come into possession 
of those catchwords, which express more 
than one single concept, for it will not do to 
limit oneself to the titles of books in choosing 
such general conceptions. 

The two kinds of arrangement whose prin- 
ciples I have just developed permit a three- 
fold method in the construction of the subject 
catalog [realkatalog] : i. Adoption of a sys- 
tem; 2. Alphabetical grouping of the matter 
of the sciences as resolved into subject catch- 
words ; 3. The combination of these two 
methods. The last mentioned procedure is 
applied when the co-ordinate divisions of one 
or more sections of the system are arranged 
alphabetically, on account of greater per- 
spicuity, or when an alphabetical subject in- 
dex is added to the classed catalog con- 
structed upon the systematic principle, or 
when both occur. 

Whoever goes to work carefully following 
one of these three methods will soon see 
clearly that there exists a specific difference 
between science and its literature, i.e., the 
books, a difference which it is easy to make 
clear by definition. Science, its whole body 
as well as any given special science, is an 
organism. Its clasification results in the first 
place not in books but merely in branch 
sciences and scientific subjects, which may be 
left either in their organic gradation or 
arranged alphabetically by catchwords. The 
sciences and their branches are the matter 
which finds expression in books. Science is 
material, literature formal. In books science 
is exhibited in various forms. I have pointed 
out this fact, which is of considerable im- 



FOCKE. 



portance, already in a former paper * and 
have called the feature which is brought out 
here, this peculiarity of the book, the formal 
principle of literature (das formale prinzip 
der literatur). 

We will call the two principles of order, 
with which we have dealt so far, together 
the scientific or material principle of order. 
To this is to be added as equivalent the 
principle of order by literary form (Liter- 
arisch-f or males anordnungsprinzip) which we 
may also designate [briefly] as the literary 
or as the formal principle. But we may 
not stop at dividing books according to 
the material principle into scientific groups 
and materials ; we must also arrange the 
books in divisions and sections according 
to the form in which they present the mat- 
ter of science. Each group of books con- 
nected by contents be it that they treat 
science as a whole, or a special science, or 
a specific subject may therefore fall into 
the following subdivisions: Bibliography; 
History; Philosophy and Methodology; 
Sources ; Periodicals ; Collections ; Miscel- 
lanea ; Dictionaries ; Systematic treatises ; 
Monographs. In one rank, and in one sub- 
ject there will be many, in another rank, or 
another subject, but few such [literature] 
for divisions. I refer to my former paper, in 
which I also demonstrated how to proceed in 
order to construct the scheme of a systematic 
catalog, with equal regard to both principles, 
the material or scientific and the formal or 
literary. What was said there also holds 
good for the subject catalog. For the lit- 
erary form, divisions will not be arranged 
co-ordinate but subordinate to the subject 
divisions, just as they must be subordinated 
under the gradations of the systematic cat- 
alog. 

The gradations of the systematic and the 
subject catchword divisions are [therefore] to 
be strictly differentiated and separated from 
the literary form divisions in the construc- 
tion of the subject catalog [realkatalog]. 
Whoever offends against this rule, commits 
a blunder in method and makes the use [of 
the catalog] more difficult. One should not, 
for instance, as is done sometimes, place all 
the periodicals belonging to a science in the 

* "Grundlegung zu einer theorie des systemati- 
schen Katalogs." In: Sammlung bibliothekswissen- 
schaftlicher arbeiten. Heft 13, 1900. 



same rank with the main systematic divi- 
sions. The periodicals belonging to the va- 
rious systematic main divisions should rather 
be placed with those divisions, while only 
those periodicals devoted to the science in 
general will find their place in the first sys- 
tematic subgroup "General." It would be 
easy to quote numerous examples of mistakes 
of this and similar kinds from printed and 
manuscript catalogs, while many systems, as 
for instance that of Mr. Melvil Dewey, have 
avoided such errors. 

If we sum up the substance of our study 
the following fundamental rule holds good: 
Classification may follow the systematic prin- 
ciple or the subject alphabet plan, but it must 
strictly differentiate the divisions originating 
in logical subdivision of the subject from the 
literary form divisions. 

Adherence to the systematic principle sat- 
isfies the methodological demand that the 
whole of anything which may be the object 
of scientific investigation and literary treat- 
ment must be capable of presentation in the 
form of a clearly and logically developed 
chain of subdivisions. We feel the necessity 
of arranging the existing literature in an 
easily surveyed inventory, based upon logical 
relations, in order that we may find under the 
guidance of scientific system the writings 
which exist upon a certain science or branch, 
or upon any given subject. 

Adherence to the subject alphabet prin- 
ciple takes into account the undeniable fact 
that no logical classification can group all 
the co-ordinate and subordinate divisions of 
science or of a special science so that even 
one, or the few, (not to mention the un- 
trained many) may rapidly find their way 
through the intricate structure. It renounces 
that methodological demand and, with an eye 
to didactic value, puts in place of the sys- 
tematic arrangement a mechanical co-ordina- 
tion of the divisions standing in a relation of 
subsumption to one another, depending upon 
the alphabet, and shifting in this manner the 
trouble of finding one's way from the head 
to paper. 

Both methods have their advantages, both 
have their drawbacks. It has therefore been 
attempted, to combine them, and rightly. 
The best combinations following constitute: 
' i. The systematic classification is taken as 
a basis, but with it is combined the subject 



132 



ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. 



alphabet order of arrangement in such a way 
that whenever any section of the system con- 
tains so large a number of co-ordinate divi- 
sions as not to be readily surveyed, these 
divisions or subjects are arranged alphabet- 
ically; 2. To the subject catalog [realkatalog] 
made in this way, with some attention to the 
subject alphabet principle, an alphabetic sub- 
ject index is joined. 

There are no other methods of classifica- 
tion than these three: i. The method of sys- 
tematic classification ; 2. The method of sub- 
ject alphabet classification; 3. The method 
which consists of a combination of these two. 
At bottom there is but one method of sys- 
tematic classification, for the subject alphabet 
method is of secondary importance; it cannot 
exist without the other. In truth, there is also 
but one system of classification, the logical 
system ; it is the classification nar' E^OX^V. 

As there are but three methods of classifi- 
cation, so the possible varieties of the subject 
catalog [realkatalog] also are limited: there 
is the systematic subject catalog, the alpha- 
betical subject catalog, and the subject cat- 
alog [realkatalog] combining the character- 
istics of these two. 

Forms, apparently new, as for example the 
Dictionary catalog, and the Alphabetico- 
classed catalog, are only varieties of the 
three basic forms. There are no important 
objections to their adoption; for certain 
classes of libraries they are even much to 



be recommended. To this class of innova- 
tions belongs also the system of Mr. Melvil 
Dewey, which is nothing more than the 
method of systematic classification with the 
superaddition of an extraneous principle, to 
wit: the decimal system, the objects aimed 
at being external symmetry and practical ad- 
vantages. It is permissible to inject such a 
new principle into the original principle of 
systematic order provided an actual practical 
gain results, as is the case with the subject 
alphabet principle. Whether we have such a 
case here, or whether the acceptation of the 
Decimal system, which acts upon the classifi- 
cation of the sciences like a Procrustes bed, 
whether this and other considerations do 
not tend to prove the whole thing unsuitable 
it is not the province of this paper to decide ; 
its thesis is the general theory of classifica- 
tion. Nevertheless I would not refuse Mr. 
Dewey the acknowledgment that his system 
represents an energetic attempt to introduce 
technical uniformity into the subject catalog 
[realkatalog]. 

In conclusion I will remark that every- 
thing I have said about the relation of classi- 
fication to the subject catalog [realkatalog] 
holds also good for the relation between bib- 
liography and classification. The close re- 
lation between the subject catalog [real- 
katalog] and bibliography makes both of 
them subject to the same principles of con- 
struction. 



CLASSIFICATION: PRESENT TENDENCIES. 



BY CHARLES MARTEL, Library of Congress. 



TT is nearly a quarter of a century since the 
late Mr. Cutter presented before the fourth 
A. L. A. Conference, held at Washington, 
1881, a report on classification, taking his cue 
from a custom prevailing with other learned 
bodies of giving a periodical survey of the 
activities and progress in the several domains 
of science cultivated by them. His suggestion 
of covering in this way the various depart- 
ments of library science met with warm ap- 
proval. Reports on classification followed 
with more or less regularity at succeeding 
conferences. In the interval between formal 



reports there were papers and discussions on 
various features of the classification problem 
for public libraries, centering around the 
merits or advantages of particular schemes, 
especially the D. C. and the E. C. or Cutter 
classification. That series of reports and dis- 
cussions is very instructive and helpful for 
the study of tendencies, but there does not ap- 
pear to be much inner connection or continuity 
between them with reference to that particu- 
lar purpose, and they embody only a fragmen- 
tary record of the literature of classification, 
which is imperfectly supplemented by periodi- 



MART EL. 



133 



cal lists of current publications like the rubric 
"Cataloging and classification," opened in 1885 
in volume 10 of the Library Journal. 

Naturally, the handbooks of library science 
like Maire and Graesel treat the subject and 
present the literature more systematically and 
comprehensively. Even here, however, the 
limits are drawn more or less closely, and 
sources when not including theoretical dis- 
cussions are barely touched. The most com- 
plete record is the bibliographical history of 
systems of classification in Dr. Richardson's 
"Classification, theoretical and practical," 1901. 
But the bibliographical history confines itself 
to a record of comprehensive systems. There 
is a chapter vn. : "Partial system of classifica- 
tion," where it is said, "It would be vain to at- 
tempt to give any comprehensive survey of the 
enormous number of partial classifications, but 
this account would be incomplete if atten- 
tion were not called to the fact of the exist- 
ence of these, and to the great advantage that 
they may be in the preparation of a general sys- 
tem." I am grateful for this eminent prece- 
dent and may well plead that space forbids the 
insertion of a bibliography within the limits 
of a short summary like the present, of cer- 
tain phases of the subject. 

I propose to confine myself to a statement 
of the existence of certain classes of docu- 
ments of interest to the classifier of books 
and will offer on the basis of a few typical 
examples my interpretation of their signifi- 
cance, without prejudice or pretension, hoping 
nevertheless that my interpretation may be 
true and that many of you will agree with me. 
I will add that it is to be hoped that the 
next report on classification may have the ben- 
efit of the annual bibliography of library lit- 
erature projected in another paper before this 
Conference by Mr. William Dawson Johnson. 

Among the reports presented to your Con- 
ferences, that of Horace Kephart before the 
World's Library Conference, Chicago, 1893, 
is distinguished by unusual comprehensive- 
ness. It was based on the returns to a cir- 
cular of inquiry to American librarians and 
presented a digest of the answers, together 
with an interpretation of the tendencies in the 
form of a masterly summary of conclusions 
by the editor. 

It is not for the purpose of comparison to 
my own disadvantage, however, that I revert 
to that report, but because, though confined 



almost wholly to a consideration of American 
expert opinion and practice at that time, its 
conclusions seem to me borne out by the trend 
of doings since then both at home and abroad. 
As far as American library practice is con- 
cerned the situation seems but little changed, 
if at all. I have had an opportunity of exam- 
ining the returns to a circular similar to 
that of 1893, sent out a few years ago. The 
proportion of libraries using or adopting the 
Decimal classification, pure or modified, of 
those using the Cutter E. C. and the re- 
mainder, chiefly the larger libraries or spe- 
cial libraries using individual schemes has 
remained almost constant with a relatively 
larger increase in the number using the E. C. 
classification. 

This seems to indicate that there are two 
apparently opposed tendencies, each holding 
its own : on the one hand, the tendency toward 
corporation and uniformity, on the other, 
the tendency toward specialization and in- 
dividuality. Since the report of 1893, some 
important bibliographical events have taken 
place which seem to justify the reasonable 
belief that the two may be combined in a 
measure to great advantage. Taking a glance 
at the various classes of documents and facts, 
which bear evidence in this question, we 
have (i) Systems of classification of the 
sciences; (2) Systems of classification for 
libraries or for books ; (3) Schemes underly- 
ing the catalogs of general libraries with more 
or less leaning towards development in cer- 
tain subjects; (4) General schemes for special 
libraries; and (5) Schemes for general and 
special bibliographies, i.e. for the classification 
of titles, rather than of books; (6) The ar- 
rangement of many general and special li- 
braries, public and private, whose classification 
is not in print in any form. 

Within the last four groups falls the "enor- 
mous number of partial classifications," re- 
ferred to by Dr. Richardson. Of the prodigi- 
ous number of libraries, catalogs, and bibliog- 
raphies a relatively small number have the 
same classification an astonishing fact, con- 
sidering the undeniable advantages of a rea- 
sonable degree of uniformity in arrangement 
and the great economy which would be effect- 
ed in adopting a system already devised. What 
can be the explanation? It is in the very 
nature of classification that it should closely 
fit the collection of things classified. The gen- 



134 



ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. 



eral library, the universal bibliography, the 
select reference library, the small popular li- 
brary, the special library according to its 
subject, if classified with the fine discrimina- 
tion and regard for extent, nature of collec- 
tions, character of use, etc., etc., will have 
an ideal classification as far as the purpose 
of classification, the use of the collections, goes, 
but their classification will differ from one 
another in various ways. Idealism and indi- 
vidualism need not go too far, however, and 
concessions can be made with profit in the 
interest of co-operation and uniformity. The 
problem is, how far? 

One of the bibliographical events alluded 
to above is the foundation in 1895 of the In- 
stitut International de Bibliographic of Brus- 
sels. True to its program, it has during the 
first decade of its existence worked energeti- 
cally through publication and propaganda for 
unification of method ; n bibliography and 
classification. With the help of collaborators, 
it has extended the Decimal classification 
tables for a great number of subjects, and a 
revision of the entire system has progressed 
to the number of 20 sections. 

The other event is the co-operative publica- 
tion of the International Catalogue of Scien- 
tific Literature. Some advance has, I believe, 
been made toward the organization of similar 
enterprises for the literature of the technical 
arts, for history and philology. All great 



divisions of literature may eventually be cov- 
ered. We shall then possess classifications, 
originally devised by specialists, expert both 
in science and bibliography, classifications 
improved as experience and use may seem to 
dictate and modified from time to time in 
accordance with the progress of science. 
There will be local lists to be applied in the 
natural history and physical sciences, others 
for historical subjects; there may be language 
and period tables, and simple and extended 
arrangements of the form divisions at the 
beginning of subjects. The librarian will co- 
ordinate them for his use in a general collec- 
tion, and libraries, large and small, may have 
their normal standard schemes adapted to 
their requirements. A notation also will be 
easily adjusted, using perhaps the symbols of 
the special classification for the form divisions, 
local divisions and systematic subdivisions, 
but different libraries prefixing their own gen- 
eral class symbols to place the main subjects in 
the order suitable to their character and use. 
This seems to me the legitimate and desirable 
extent to which uniformity may go. The 
attempt to assign to every subject a significant 
symbol, absolutely fixing its position and limit- 
ing the use of that symbol I believe explains 
the relatively slow progress of the Decimal 
system in Europe as against its successes in 
the United States, where it is used in libraries 
mostly of the same character and scope. 



PRESENT TENDENCIES OF CATALOG PRACTICE. 



BY WILLIAM COOLIDGE LANE, Librarian of Harvard University. 



HTHE present tendencies of catalog practice 
may be conveniently summed up under 
three heads, as tendencies toward enrichment, 
simplification and economy. 

I. 

Under enrichment, we note all the endeav- 
ors to make the library catalog a more perfect 
and serviceable tool by expanding it into a 
combined author and subject list, and by 
enlarging its scope, in both these ways adapt- 
ing it to meet a greater variety of demands 
and to serve a greater number of persons. 

The typical catalog has been a simple au- 
thor list, its entries arranged alphabetically 



by authors' names, or by titles when no au- 
thor's name could be found. Its entries may 
have been of the briefest, a title a line per- 
haps, or they may have been full, careful, 
accurate, distinguishing one edition of the 
same book from another, and describing the 
peculiarities of the individual copy in hand, 
as does the great catalog of the British Mu- 
seum, perhaps the most complete and carefully 
worked out example of the pure author cata- 
log that exists. In the case of biographies, to 
be sure, this catalog enters under subject as 
well as under author, and its entry of anony- 
mous works necessarily introduces a certain 
number of subject headings, but these excep- 



LANE. 



135 



tions only emphasize the fact that it does not 
pretend to show what the library has on any 
subject or in any special department. A col- 
lection of the enormous extent of the British 
Museum can hardly be expected to do this; 
at least it cannot be expected to provide a 
complete catalog by subjects or a subject 
index* for its whole collection, though this 
very project was discussed with some heat in 
letters in the Times in October and November, 
1900, and was commended by Dr. Garnett. 

Of other libraries, however, more is de- 
manded. Every library must, according to 
our present lights, have its subject catalog 
as well as, or combined with, its author cata- 
log. For the smaller libraries this is espe- 
cially true, and here the necessity of the sub- 
ject catalog is unquestioned. In the case of 
the larger libraries the large libraries of 
reference conducted mainly in the interest 
of students the relative merits of subject 
catalog and bibliographies as keys with which 
to unlock the treasures of the library is some- 
times discussed with a decided leaning in 
favor of the bibliography. 

In practical use can the bibliography take 
the place of the subject catalog? The ques- 
tion assumes many different aspects, according 
as it is looked at from the point of view of the 
small library or the great one, the highly 
specialized library or the general one, ac- 
cording as one considers the needs of the un- 
trained reader or the experienced scholar, and 
also according to the special subject one has 
in mind. A full discussion of the question 
is therefore impossible in a paper which must 
deal with other subjects as well. An article 
by C. H. Hull, then of the Cornell University 
Library, in the Library Journal for June, 1890, 
(15:167) is the best statement that has been 
made of the shortcomings of subject catalogs 
and the advantages of working with a gener- 
ous collection of bibliographies, yet the author 
confesses at the end that he is only half con- 
vinced by his own well-put arguments, and 
no library already provided with a subject 
catalog has been induced, or has had the cour- 
age, to discontinue it, though many librarians 
feel the burden of keeping it up and look 

* In England a subject catalog is distinguished 
from a subject index, the former being understood 
to be in classed form, the latter in dictionary form. 
I shall use the term subject catalog to include both 
forms. 



with apprehension upon the bulk to which 
their catalogs are likely to grow. The most 
recent statement in favor of the subject cata- 
log is that by Mr. J. C. M. Hanson, of the 
Library of Congress, in the Library Journal 
for September, 1904, a statement called out 
by a request for advice with regard to the 
policy to be pursued by the Royal Library in 
Vienna. I must confine my remarks to one 
or two points only. 

It may readily be admitted that no subject 
catalog is equally useful in all its parts. Lists 
of general works on music, philosophy, the- 
ology, history, etc., which do not admit of a 
natural subdivision, gradually increase in 
bulk, become wearisome to examine, and after 
all are seldom of service, books of this kind 
being oftener known by their authors and 
sought in the author catalog. General works 
on scientific subjects accumulate in the draw- 
ers of a subject catalog as the years go by, 
and the superseded books overshadow and 
conceal the recent and authoritative ones. 
Such cases may lead us to prune our subject 
catalogs on some sides or to modify their 
arrangement. Such headings, if omitted al- 
together, would be less missed than others, 
or they might be restricted to include only a 
few select titles. In large libraries, bibliogra- 
phies could fill their place reasonably well. 
Or, to suggest a different policy, the arrange- 
ment of the cards under such classes in 
chronological order (instead of in the ordi- 
nary or alphabetical sequence) would imme- 
diately give the titles under even such subjects 
a new interest and value. 

Against the bibliographies it is rightly urged 
that, more often than not, the needed bib- 
liography either does not exist or is hope- 
lessly out of date, and it will always be 
true that any thorough bibliography will 
present such a mass of titles not to be 
found in any one library, as to require great 
labor to select those titles that may be had, 
and any searcher who has not a command of 
the whole subject already will be discouraged. 
Relief from the difficulty of too great bulk 
seems to lie in two directions: .(i) in the 
printing from time to time of certain whole 
sections of the catalog (subjects in which 
the library is specially strong) and the can- 
cellation of the corresponding cards, or (2) 
in the printing of select lists to include only 
books of current interest and value for the 



136 



ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. 



general reader. In the first case the size of the 
catalog itself would be diminished, in the 
second, the necessary use of the catalog. 

Another plan might be worth trying in cer- 
tain cases. Take such a bibliography as En- 
gelmann's Bibliotheca Scriptorum Classico- 
rum, comprehensive, exact, minute, corrected 
and completed by the issue of successive edi- 
tions; check in it all the titles to be found in 
your library, cancelling the corresponding 
cards in your catalog and leaving in their 
place under each author (i.e. subject) a refer- 
ence to the volume and page of the bibliogra- 
phy. Leave in the catalog cards for such 
books only as have escaped the notice of the 
bibliography, and add cards for books pub- 
lished since its completion. The bibliography 
thus becomes a catalog of the library so far as 
its titles serve, and the catalog becomes a 
continuation of the bibliography so far as the 
material is represented in the library. The 
expense will be considerable in the end 
perhaps not less than the expense under the 
ordinary system. The advantage will be some 
reduction in the bulk of the card catalog 
and probably some convenience in consulta- 
tion. I cannot stop to work out the details, 
but offer the suggestion as a possible way 
of reconciling in some cases the claims of the 
subject catalog and the bibliography. Notice, 
however, that it presupposes the existence 
of a subject catalog in fairly complete form, 
certain portions of which, and certain por- 
tions only, may be supplemented or displaced 
by published bibliographies. I do not myself 
believe that any library, large or small, that 
already has a subject catalog, can afford to 
discontinue it as a whole; on the other hand, 
a large library that undertakes now to make 
a subject catalog after its collections have 
been accumulating for a long term may wisely 
omit the older books or the most of them, and 
leave these to be sought either on the shelves 
or in bibliographies. This is in effect the 
course pursued by the British Museum, whose 
Subject Index includes modern works only, 
being limited in most cases to books printed 
between 1880 and 1900. Another library 
might include a selection of older books, but in 
any case the labor of preparation and the bulk 
of the catalog would both be substantially re- 
duced by such limitation. 

Let us then have a subject catalog and let us 
have it as perfect as we can manage to make 



it, will continue to be the cry of librarians, 
in my opinion, and the scholars who some- 
times scoff at our imperfect results will in time 
find that the subject catalog justifies itself. 

The question still remains What kind of 
a subject catalog? Shall it be in dictionary 
or classed form? Which is to prevail? This 
is a problem, one of the problems, it seems 
to me, which has not at present a definite 
answer. Long ago the class catalog held the 
field with no competitor, but with many rival 
claimants in its own family. Then came the 
dictionary catalog, and at present in America 
it has almost driven out its older and more 
aristocratic rival, while in Europe it has made 
steady and notable gains both as applied to 
library use and in bibliographical publica- 
tions. Among classed systems, almost the 
only one which shows any vigor of life is the 
Decimal classification; but this, though in- 
tended for the classification of titles in a cata- 
log as well as of books on the shelves, has 
been mainly adopted as a shelf classification 
in this country, and with some notable ex- 
ceptions has made comparatively little head- 
way as the basis of a subject catalog. It was 
designed primarily for popular libraries, and 
in such libraries it has done its best service. 
But lately there has appeared in the field the 
Bibliographical Institute of Brussels, a vig- 
orous young champion of the Decimal classi- 
fication as a system of cataloging. The en- 
ergetic directors of this Institute have taken 
the Decimal classification as used in America, 
have translated it into European languages, 
and with amazing ingenuity and perseverance 
have expanded and modified it, and added new 
elements of elasticity and new methods of 
combination to its already flexible system of 
notation, so that for purposes of bibliographi- 
cal subdivision and record, a far greater de- 
gree of exactness and detail can be attained 
now than ever before. At the same time, 
with the greatest industry, the Institute has 
been bringing together for its Repertoire an 
enormous mass of bibliographical material, 
already amounting to two and a half million 
references classified by subjects according to 
the expanded Decimal classification. This it 
is ready to put at the disposal of all comers 
gratuitously, while copies of what it has col- 
lected are furnished at very low rates. It 
has also established, or affiliated with itself, 
numerous bibliographical periodicals or cur- 



LANE. 



137 



rent title-lists, in all of which the Decimal 
classification numbers are attached to each 
title and in many of which the titles are 
classified on this system. It has made the sys- 
tem more widely known than ever before, has 
shown by actual practice its applicability to 
the most minute records of bibliography, and, 
what is more, has demonstrated the necessity 
of a classed system with a simple notation for 
work that is to have international significance 
or secure international co-operation. 

A dictionary catalog must necessarily be 
compiled, so far as its headings are concerned, 
in a single language, but a classed catalog, in 
which the headings are represented by figures, 
is equally applicable to any language, and 
simply requires an index in the language most 
familiar to the student. Will the Decimal 
system finally prevail as the normal type of 
subject catalog? Who can say? It has a 
strong hold as a shelf classification in a very 
large number of libraries; the advantages of 
uniformity and of employing, as it were, a 
universal language are very great; the Bib- 
liographical Institute has certainly extended 
the possibilities of its use as a bibliographical 
tool of great precision and adaptability; yet 
the rough and ready convenience of the dic- 
tionary catalog, its simplicity apparent from 
the very start, and the directness of its an- 
swers to the questions put to it will no doubt 
prevent its being displaced by any other sys- 
tem in popular libraries, while the example of 
Mr. Fortescue's "Subject index of the modern 
works added to the library of the British Mu- 
seum, 1881-1900," shows that the dictionary 
principle can be satisfactorily applied even to 
the greatest collections. This catalog also 
shows that even in a dictionary catalog a 
certain amount of classification necessarily 
creeps in under its larger headings (especially 
country headings) in order to reduce into a 
manageable shape the great mass of titles that 
accumulates there, and in some cases this 
catalog frankly slips over into the classified 
form while keeping its alphabetical arrange- 
ment, as in putting under Psychology the 
sub-heads, Attention, Belief, Consciousness, 
Effort, Imagination, etc.* 

Our normal catalog has become then, and 
is to remain, enriched by subject entries. It 

* Precisely the same arrangement that character- 
izes the subject catalog of the Harvard College 
Library. 



is also frequently enriched by annotation. It 
is not content, that is to say, with simply plac- 
ing the contents of its library before readers 
in orderly fashion and leaving them to, it may 
be, an uninstructed choice. The demand 
grows that the reader shall be guided. He 
is not expected, like the profound scholar, 
to know his subject before he comes to the 
catalog, and even the scholar is not expected 
to be a universal genius, and to be as familiar 
with the field which his neighbor cultivates 
as with his own. 

Notes indicating the relative value and 
scope of different books on the same subject, 
even notes designed to catch the casual eye 
and awaken an interest where no interest be- 
fore existed, are all natural outgrowths of the 
general desire to make the library an active 
educational force, not a mere storehouse from 
which the educated alone may draw what they 
have already learned to value. Hence comes 
the desire to reach out after the reader, after 
the child before he becomes a reader; and 
the appropriate tools have to be provided 
bulletins of new books with short, interesting 
accounts of them, select reading lists on sub- 
jects of current interest, even picture bulletins 
to attract the notice of the young or the un- 
interested. "Best book" cards have been rec- 
ommended and used to some extent. Mr. 
Johnston, of the Library of Congress, has late- 
ly proposed the preparation of printed cards 
summing up under each specific subject the 
best books on each subject, with brief notes 
as to their scope, etc. It is not impossible 
that something of the kind may be done and 
the cards distributed to libraries. All devices 
which help the unpractised reader are wel- 
comed, and fit in acceptably into the general 
purpose to make our libraries, even the small 
ones or especially the small ones, count for 
all they can. 

The introduction of annotation into library 
catalogs is really the introduction of a feature 
characteristic of bibliographies as distin- 
guished from catalogs, but it must be con- 
fessed that hitherto there have been too few 
bibliographies so enriched. Most bibliogra- 
phies are still unannotated, bare lists of classi- 
fied titles in whose mounting numbers the 
compiler takes solid satisfaction, whether he 
knows anything of the contents of the books 
recorded and can give the student some useful 
hint or not. The German Jahresberichte are 



138 



ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. 



the best examples of that richer bibliography 
which not only lists but describes or even 
summarizes. Our own Association has taken 
an honorable part in adding to a hitherto 
meagre company annotated bibliographies 
which are of real service as guides to readers. 
But I am wandering from my subject, which 
is the catalog, not the bibliography. My 
excuse is that catalogs are introducing biblio- 
graphical features and are inclined to pattern 
themselves on the more popular form of criti- 
cal bibliography. 

A third method of enriching the catalog is 
by the inclusion of references to articles in 
periodicals, society transactions, etc., a field 
which was once considered to belong to the 
bibliography alone. The catalog of the Bos- 
ton Athenaeum was one of the pioneers in do- 
ing this, but the smaller libraries were quick 
to learn the lesson that with their limited re- 
sources they could make what they had more 
directly useful by displaying in their catalogs 
essays, articles, etc., which would otherwise 
be overlooked. The smaller the library the 
more important this is, for the greater is the 
difficulty and loss of time involved in using 
elaborate bibliographical tools, when so little 
of what is recorded there can be found at 
hand. Yet for most libraries, the appearance 
of Poole's Index, with its successive supple- 
ments, makes the insertion in their catalogs 
of what can there be traced unwise and cum- 
bersome. In more learned fields, with the 
better organization of bibliographical work, 
with the completer records of current produc- 
tion presented first in periodicals arid annual 
lists and finally in systematic bibliographies, 
the chance of such articles being overlooked 
becomes less and less. 

At the same time production has enor- 
mously increased, and while every great li- 
brary tries to keep itself supplied with the 
principal periodical publications, and is con- 
stantly enlarging its list, the bibliographical 
record as constantly outstrips it and still 
presents a great mass of material not to be 
found in any but the very largest libraries. 
Under these conditions is a library justified 
in attempting to include in its catalog any 
part of this material, in periodicals and society 
transactions, which lies more or less remote 
from the ordinary processes of book catalog- 
ing? 



During the last few years, the inclusion of 
such material has been directly encouraged 
by the issue in several quarters of printed 
catalog cards. The number of such cards 
representing articles contained in other pub- 
lications is now really very large, far larger, 
I imagine, than most of us realize. To men- 
tion them very briefly, with no attempt at 
completeness, there are : cards for the whole 
current literature of zoology prepared at Zu- 
rich by H. H. Field (103,000 titles) ; cards 
indexing the descriptions of new American 
botanical species issued formerly by Miss 
Clark in Washington and now by Miss Day at 
the Herbarium in Cambridge (about 30,000) ; 
similar cards issued by the Herbier Boissier 
for European species (about 4000) ; cards is- 
sued by the Torrey Botanical Club for the lit- 
erature of botany (about 8000 titles) ; cards is- 
sued by the Department of Agriculture in 
Washington for the contents of its own Year- 
books and the publications of Experiment Sta- 
tions, and cards now in process of printing, 
prepared by the same department, to cover the 
contents of certain long sets of agricultural 
periodicals (2800 titles) ; cards issued by 
our own Publishing Board, prepared by five 
great libraries working in co-operation and 
covering the contents of some 235 periodicals 
of a more or less learned character ; cards for 
certain sets of government publications, so- 
ciety transactions and books of composite au- 
thorship, like Warner's library, the Chicago 
University Decennial publications, etc., and 
cards for the contents of bibliographical pe- 
riodicals, all issued by our own Publishing 
Board (25,000). Cards of a similar kind, 
intended to cover all material of a biblio- 
graphical nature, whether found in periodicals 
or in other books, and cards for titles m 
physiology, anatomy, Portuguese law and the 
history of Eure et Loire, all published by or 
in connection with the Bibliographical In- 
stitute of Brussels (20,000) ; cards for the 
literature of mathematics published by Gau- 
thier Villars in Paris (about 10,000 titles). 

There are doubtless other undertakings of 
a similar nature which I have overlooked in 
this hasty survey, but those which I have 
mentioned alone have produced in the last 
few years something over two hundred thous- 
and titles printed on cards to be incorporated 
in card catalogs. 



LANE. 



139 



What is lo be the attitude of libraries tow- 
ard cards of this kind? The work of the 
smaller libraries is not seriously touched by 
them, but so far as these libraries have the 
material covered by these cards, they should 
accept and use them freely (more freely than 
they do), for they make accessible material 
to which there is no other clue except in the 
elaborate bibliographies which the small li- 
brary is not expected to own and does not 
find it practicable to use. The A. L. A. Pub- 
lishing Board, in all the work which it has 
undertaken on its own initiative, has tried 
to keep the needs of such libraries in view, 
and it may be said in passing that the work 
of this kind that it has carried on has been 
more profitable financially than any of its 
book publications (with one exception). 

But what are the large libraries to do with 
these new cards which are beginning to de- 
scend upon them like the leaves in autumn, 
and which, if full advantage were taken of 
them, might easily double the number of 
entries to tie added to the catalog yearly? For 
the most part, the titles found on these cards 
are specific in subject and therefore the easier 
classified ; they represent additions to knowl- 
edge or are discussions of matters of current 
interest, and therefore have a value for the 
immediate present, a value that in some cases 
will diminish as time goes on. But a large 
part of them will soon get to be incorporated 
in the standard bibliographies and be as easily 
found in that way as in the card catalog. 
What shall we do with them? Shall we drop 
them into our card catalogs? Shall we make 
a separate "repertoire" of them, to borrow 
the expression of our Brussels friends? And 
if so, on what basis shall we arrange them? 
Those which reach us from Brussels bear 
the Decimal Classification mark in its ex- 
panded form and can be arranged accordingly. 
The American cards, for the most part, bear 
a suggested dictionary-heading, modestly 
printed at the bottom, for we know from 
experience that our catalogs differ so much 
one from another that no generally satis- 
factory heading can be assigned by a central 
bureau. This suggested heading is a substan- 
tial help in classifying, yet, even so, the handl- 
ing, classification and arrangement of these 
cards is a serious burden, and if the system 
should break down, this difficulty will be the 



principal cause. From this point of view, 
the work done in Brussels is on a better plan, 
for net only the cataloging and printing, but 
the classifying is done at the central point. 

If we put them into our general catalogs, 
these new titles stand side by side, as they 
should do, with earlier books and articles on 
the same subject. The student has but one 
place to look. Beside finding books that con- 
cern his subject, he finds references to some 
of the latest periodical contributions, refer- 
ences that he may be already familiar with 
from recent bibliographical records in the 
journals, but others also, just ahead of the 
bibliographical record or just behind what is 
being currently reported, and this latter ma- 
terial, until it has got established in systematic 
bibliographies, is perhaps the most likely to 
escape notice. For the specialist in his own 
field this may not be so, but we are too apt to 
forget in discussions of this subject that the 
specialist has to make frequent incursions 
into other fields, and that there is a great num- 
ber of beginners in literary investigation who 
have not the whole thing already at their 
fingers' ends. 

Once in the catalog, however, these cards 
cannot be readily extracted. They will in 
all probability remain there, swelling the bulk 
of the catalog, and in some cases, not by any 
means all, giving information which might 
just as conveniently be sought in a bibliog- 
raphy. 

If, on the other hand, these cards are kept 
as a separate catalog by themselves, we 
have the inconvenience of separated entries 
relating to the same subject, and of a second- 
ary parallel catalog growing up by the side 
of the main one, yet on the whole this may 
be the best practical solution. It is at any 
rate a safe temporary solution until the final 
outcome is more clear. Under this treatment, 
we shall build up a new general bibliography, 
full and minute in some departments, frag- 
mentary in others, having the same relative 
advantages and disadvantages with respecc 
to bibliographies in book form that card 
catalogs have with respect to book catalogs. 
Library practice in general has decided in 
favor of the card catalog; the card bibliog- 
raphy may come into equally general use. 
Whether in that case it will eventually be 
combined with the catalog or will remain a 



140 



ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. 



separate collection, it seems to me too early 
to decide. 



n. 



Other tendencies in cataloging are in the 
direction of simplicity and uniformity. The 
card catalog itself, as a substitute for a print- 
ed catalog with a succession of supplements 
or a cumbrous system of interleaving, was 
a step in the direction of simplicity, and the 
gradual codification of cataloging custom and 
tradition has brought about a certain degree 
of uniformity. The card catalog, as the sim- 
plest permanent complete record of a library's 
contents, seems to be an established and ac- 
cepted fact, despite certain inconveniences 
which are inseparable from it. 

It occupies much floor space, it is not as 
readily consulted as a printed book, and in- 
dividual portions of it can be used by only 
one person at a time, but no better method 
which retains its advantages of unity, com- 
pleteness and simplicity has yet appeared. Its 
bulk gives some cause for uneasiness, both 
on account of the space it occupies and be- 
cause of increased difficulty of finding in it 
what one seeks. The question of space must 
be seriously reckoned with by the architect, 
but so must the question of shelving for the 
books, and the difficulty of providing room 
for a million additional cards is as nothing 
compared to providing for the half million 
volumes of which they give the record. As 
to difficulty of consultation, it is quite true 
that it is more troublesome to find a given 
card among 500,000 other cards than among 
5000, but it is not very much more so. A 
card catalog is made up of a number of 
trays arranged in alphabetical order. Each 
tray contains a certain number of groups 
of cards arranged in alphabetical or nu- 
merical order and distinguished one from 
the other by a common heading (author or 
subject). In each group the individual cards 
are arranged in a precise and easily under- 
stood order, with nothing haphazard from 
beginning to end. If a catalog increases 
from 5000 to 500,000 cards, the trays increase 
in the same proportion, but it is still almost 
as easy to put one's hand on the special tray 
one wants ; the tray contains no more cards 
than one of the trays in the small catalogs; 
it probably contains fewer groups (authors 
or subjects), for these do not increase in the 



same proportion as the catalog. Under each 
group there are likely to be more cards, but 
all are still arranged in the same order, and on 
the average there will not be very many 
more than before, for if, while the catalog 
has increased a hundred times, the number of 
specific groups will have increased (let us 
say) fifty times in the author division and 
twenty-five times in the subject division, and 
the number of cards under each group will 
only have doubled (on the average) under the 
authors, and quadrupled under the subjects. 
It would seem therefore that, while the con- 
tent of the catalog increased a hundred fold, 
the difficulty of consulting it might increase 
by a tenth or possibly a fifth. The ratio of 
I -10, or even 1-5, to 100 is not an alarming one 
to contemplate. Moreover the book catalog 
is subject to the same progressively increas- 
ing difficulty in consultation. If the catalog 
has been reprinted in a complete form, the 
proportional increase of difficulty is doubtless 
less than in the case of a card catalog, but 
if the catalog has grown by successive sup- 
plements, as most book catalogs must, the 
inconvenience of the book form is immensely 
greater than that of the card form, and on the 
ground of simplicity, the advantage is alto- 
gether on the side of the card catalog. 

Nevertheless, while the card catalog seems 
to have come to stay, printed book catalogs 
on a large scale are still undertaken, but main- 
ly, it should be remarked, by national libraries 
having an obligation to make their riches 
known to others. The British Museum cata- 
log is complete and a supplement, bringing 
down its accessions to 1900, is well under 
way. Will it continue to issue printed sup- 
plements? The Bibliotheque Nationale has 
already printed sixteen volumes of a general 
alphabetical author catalog, which reaches 
part way through the letter B. A commission 
in Berlin is collecting material for a joint 
catalog of eleven Prussian libraries, which 
I suppose will be printed in book form. The 
Surgeon-General's Office, in Washington, is 
still issuing the great quarto volumes of its 
catalog. Sixteen volumes sufficed to go 
through the alphabet the first time; the sup- 
plement contains already nine volumes, and 
has reached the letter L. Probably not less 
than a million and a quarter entries (author 
and subject) are contained in the work so far. 
On the other hand, the Library of Congress, 



LANE. 



141 



which is not behindhand in recognizing its 
obligations to other American libraries, is 
printing its catalog in card form, and is pre- 
pared to send its cards as a whole to deposi- 
tories in different parts of the country. 

In matters of form, the movement is also 
in the direction of simplicity and uniformity, 
and to attain this end many new codes of 
rules have been issued or are now under 
revision. The codes, it is true, become longer 
the oftener they are revised, but the object 
is to make the work simpler and more uni- 
form by providing specific instructions to fit 
a greater number of cases. In this country, 
in England, in Prussia, in Austria, in Bel- 
gium, in Spain, this work has been, or is now, 
in progress, and we ought to be nearer to the 
next great step forward, an international 
agreement so that co-operation between the 
bibliographers of different nations may be 
fostered. 

The changes in our own rules (those with 
which I am most familiar) have been gen- 
erally in the direction of making the catalog 
simpler from the reader's point of view, with- 
out sacrificing substantial accuracy or exact- 
ness; theoretical considerations are made to 
give way to practical convenience. For in- 
stance, in theory an author's full name should 
be given in the heading, but practically the 
introduction of names which he may have 
received at baptism, but which he never uses, 
is confusing, and the present tendency is to 
omit them. For it is held that a library cata- 
log is not a biographical dictionary, its prime 
object simply being to show, as directly and 
quickly as possible, what books the library 
has. For the same reason entry under pseud- 
onyms is permitted when the pseudonym is in 
everybody's mouth. 

In theory every book or series of books 
should be entered under an author or under 
some one who stands to the book in the 
place of an author, as an editor, compiler, 
translator, or even a publisher, but many such 
books or series are commonly known under 
the title only, and title entry is the easier and 
better. In this we approach nearer to Euro- 
pean practice, which commonly enters all such 
cases and frequently even the publications of 
learned societies under their titles. 

Uncommon abbreviations, however ingeni- 
ous and however satisfactory they may be to 



the inventor, we should be ready to drop if, 
after trial, the public is not inclined to adopt 
them. Peculiarities of type, capitalization, 
spelling, or punctuation which make a cata- 
log look strange or unnatural, even if they 
may be defended on theoretical grounds, 
catalogers are now disposed to give up and 
to make their work, when it comes to print, 
conform to the best trade usage. 

in. 

The other tendencies in catalog methods 
which deserve . mention are those which in 
one way or another secure economy. The 
chief methods of securing economy are by 
uniformity, by co-operation and by centraliza- 
tion. 

The tendency to uniformity has already been 
mentioned in connection with simplified meth- 
ods of cataloging and revised codes of rules. 
A certain degree of uniformity is one of the 
prerequisites for successful co-operation and 
centralization, and the desire to bring these 
into practical operation has been the main 
incentive to the adoption of uniform cata- 
log rules. Too great uniformity, however, 
in matters of detail must not be insisted upon, 
or all possibility of co-operation is cut off. 
A librarian who by careful attention to these 
matters has secured a high degree of uniform- 
ity and consistency in his catalog in matters 
of form or style, finds it hard to let go his 
hold on any of these details and to accept 
cards varying ever so little in punctuation, 
arrangement and capitalization from his own. 
But if one takes a little broader view, con- 
cessions in these things are well worth mak- 
ing for the sake of attaining a practically sat- 
isfactory result at a real saving of labor and 
expense. 

Co-operation and centralization have already 
brought us good results in cataloging as in 
other departments of library administration, 
and from a still larger application of these 
principles are to be won some of the most 
useful developments of the future. Co-opera- 
tion has already given us admirable "union 
lists" of periodicals taken by libraries in the 
same vicinity, and the co-operation in the 
issue of bulletins has been attempted with a 
moderate degree of success. Co-operation in 
bibliographical work is especially effective, and 
to its aid we owe Poole's Index, the A. L. A. 



142 



ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. 



Index, the A. L. A. Catalog and the Portrait 
Index, to mention only the undertakings in 
which members of this association have lent 
their aid. The printed cards for the contents 
of periodical publications issued by our Pub- 
lishing Board is another instance of the same 
method. Five libraries working in co-opera- 
tion prepare the copy and send it in to our 
office, which looks after the printing and dis- 
tribution. Already nearly 21,000 titles have 
been prepared in this way.* 

Centralization of work is closely connected 
with co-operation, and the cataloging of books 
seems to be a particularly favorable field in 
which to apply it. A popular new book is 
bought by, let us suppose, 500 different li- 
braries. Each library has to go through a 
closely similar process in order to insert the 
title in its catalog and place the book on its 
shelves. So far as the preparation of the 
catalog card is concerned, this might be done 
once for all at a central point instead of being 
repeated 500 times by 500 different persons in 
500 different places, provided the result could 
be communicated in suitable form, at the 
right time, and without too great expense, 
to the 500 libraries. The Library of Congress, 
receiving new publications more completely 
and promptly than any other library, equipped 
with every facility for carrying on the work, 
and recognizing and accepting the opportunity 
to serve the general library interests of the 
country, is the natural central point for this 
work in the United States; the printing-press 
supplies the means of inexpensive multiplica- 
tion in satisfactory form, the post-office ser- 
vice delivers the cards promptly in every part 
of the country, and the cost is no more than 
that at which a far less perfect card can be 
produced in the library itself in most cases 
it is much less than the cost at which the 
corresponding work is now done by the in- 
dividual library. All the necessary favorable 
conditions seem to be present and the libraries 
of to-day may be congratulated upon having 
already come into the enjoyment of advan- 
tages which those of any other time have 

* For a complete record of all work of this kind 
undertaken up to 1902 see Jahr and Strohm's "Bib- 
liography of co-operative cataloging and the printing 
of catalog cards" appended to the Report of the Li- 
brarian of Congress for 1902. 



never had. If the method of ordering indi- 
vidual cards can remain simple, if the cen- 
tral bureau can keep the cards in stock so as- 
to fill orders without delay, and if the library 
receiving them does not have to make too 
many additions (such as shelf-marks) or 
corrections to fit them to its use, the plan 
which Mr. Putnam has put in operation in 
Washington will surely succeed, and there 
seems every reason to believe that all these 
conditions will be fulfilled. 

One difficulty has appeared. Cards which 
in point of bibliographical elaboration are 
satisfactory in the Library of Congress and in 
other great libraries, are objected to as con- 
fusing from their very fullness by those who 
have made or used the simpler catalogs of 
the smaller town or society libraries. A sim- 
pler form of card corresponding to what Mr. 
Cutter has called "Short" or "Medium" in 
his catalog rules, is demanded, and perhaps 
some way can be found to supply it, but it is 
too much to expect that the Library of Con- 
gress itself shall print two kinds or modify 
to any extent its present carefully considered 
system. This is one of the points where 
uniformity pinches at first (like ready-made 
shoes when first tried on) but may be expect- 
ed to wear easier on longer acquaintance. 

Of the different ways in which this scheme 
of making and printing catalog cards at a 
central office can be adapted to the service 
of other libraries, I need not speak in detail, 
since the subject at the present time is a 
familiar one to this company. The work as 
done by the Library of Congress has its limi- 
tations, it is true. It catalogs only books 
received within the walls of that library. This 
is a large number, but large as it is, other 
large libraries find that they buy great num- 
bers of books which the Library of Congress 
does not receive. This is true both of cur- 
rent publications, and to a still greater degree, 
of older works. The success of the work now 
done by the Library of Congress suggests 
the possibility of its being carried still further. 
Why should not a number of the larger li- 
braries establish a central office at which all 
their titles not provided by the Library of 
Congress should be printed, the results being 
distributed to all the participating libraries? 
A saving would result whenever the same 



LANE. 



143 



book was owned by two or more libraries, and 
a further saving could be expected from 
organizing the work on a larger scale, but 
even if the saving were inconsiderable, the 
fact that each library would thus be kept in- 
formed of the acquisitions of the others would 
be no slight advantage. 

This suggests another direction in which 
co-operation is likely to be fostered by the 
easily reproduced printed card. Interlibrary 
loans are a familiar method of co-operation, 
though not one with which we are at the 
moment concerned, but as such lending be- 
comes more common, it will become more and 
more desirable for each library to possess 
accurate information in regard to what books 
its neighbors own. The printed card makes 
it possible to impart such information prompt- 
ly and economically, I might almost say, auto- 
matically. The Library of Congress deposits a 
full set of its cards at several different points ; 
the John Crerar Library sends its printed 
cards to the other libraries in Chicago, and 
libraries in other places will doubtless in time 
follow the same practice. 

The work done by the Library of Congress, 
while by no means confined to American 
books, only makes any approach to complete- 
ness in American publications. 

The question naturally comes: Cannot 
other nations establish the same system for 
the books printed within their own borders? 
Such a proposition for Italy was made some 
time ago by Mr. Richardson of Princeton, 
and was cordially received by Signor Biagi 
and Signor Chilovi of Florence, but I have 
not heard that any progress has been made. 
The success of such an undertaking would 
doubtless depend in each case upon the sup- 
port to be found for it in its own country. 
American libraries could profit by the issue 
of such cards in European countries, only 
if through the booksellers some arrange- 
ment could be made, so that catalog cards 
could be imported along svith the books to 
which they belong. 

Centralization of work or of administra- 
tion as a principle is something of which we 
are apt to be shy in America, or in some parts 
of America. We are inclined to value highly 
our local independence and individual initia- 
tive, and to be restive under any system of 
central control. It is a fair question to ask 



whether in library matters, where individual 
initiative has been a fruitful source of prog- 
ress, this is to be checked by such plans as 
we have been discussing. The danger certain- 
ly exists and must be guarded against. If 
the difficult and expensive part of the work is 
done at the central point, and the more me- 
chanical processes left for the library, the 
result may be the gradual introduction into 
the library of rule-of-thumb methods in place 
of trained personal judgment and understand- 
ing. Such a result would be a calamity; 
there is a tendency toward it whenever well 
devised machinery is introduced to accomplish 
what has heretofore depended upon personal 
interest, and illustrations of it are found from 
time to time in many departments of library 
work. It is possible, however, to use mechani- 
cal improvements in a better way, and to turn 
the effort and the ability which were once 
exhausted on elementary or routine matters 
into channels where they will accomplish bet- 
ter things. We must see to it that improve- 
ments in administrative details are made use 
of in this higher way to give new force and 
intelligence to the whole. 

This paper has covered the ground but im- 
perfectly. It has raised more questions than 
it has answered, but library administration 
would be a cut and dried affair indeed, if 
every question were to find its final answer 
on the spot. 

To sum up, the questions in connection with 
this subject which the library profession now 
has before it are in my opinion the following: 

How to establish a just relation between 
subject catalog and bibliography. 

How to improve our subject catalogs. 

What form of subject catalog is best. 

How to make use of printed analytical cards 
to the best advantage. 

How to make the best possible use of print- 
ed cards from the Library of Congress and 
how to extend the work on similar lines. 

How to obtain international uniformity. 

How to get foreign government libraries 
to print catalog cards. 

How far libraries should go in keeping on 
file cards for books in other libraries. 

These questions are left to this company to 
take up in the hope that new light may be 
shed upon them, but looking toward final so- 
lutions only in the future. 






144 



ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. 



ANNOTATION. 
BY WILLIAM I. FLETCHER, Librarian of Amherst College Library. 



'yHE subject assigned to me is "Annota- 
tion." I understand this term to mean, 
for present purposes, the addition to book 
titles in a library catalog or elsewhere of 
notes intended to aid to a better understand- 
ing of the titles, a fuller knowledge of the 
contents of the books, or a more complete and 
ready appreciation of their value. Notes have 
always formed a part of book catalogs, but 
more especially those of booksellers and auc- 
tion sales rather than those of public libraries. 
They are recognized as indispensable if the 
catalog is to serve its ends of giving a fairly 
adequate account of the various books, and 
of identifying editions or copies that have 
special excellences or peculiarities of any kind. 

Catalogs of public libraries have generally 
exhibited much less of annotation than those 
of booksellers for the main reason, probably, 
that those who made them lacked the book- 
seller's motive. The librarian's object was to 
furnish a list from which one might select a 
given book or a book on a given subject; and 
his catalog need not set forth his wares in 
glowing colors to attract the knowing patron, 
or to dazzle and partially blind the unwary 
one. This is consistent with one theory, and 
that for a long time the accepted one, of the 
public library, by which it was regarded as a 
storehouse of literature, more or less available 
to those who could use it, the ends sought in 
its administration being, first (and most im- 
portant) the acquiring and preservation of 
books, and second, making them available to 
those who inquired for them. 

So long as this was the prevailing theory of 
the library, annotation might, and did, nourish 
in booksellers' lists so that many pages in 
them might be oceans of notes with sparse 
islets of titles, while nothing of the kind ap- 
peared in a library catalog. But the public 
library of the last fifty years, and more espe- 
cially of the last twenty-five years, is based 
on quite a different theory, which if it is to 
be described in one word, is perhaps best 
called the educational theory, particularly 



with the use of the word "educational" which 
reflects the modern concept of "compulsory" 
education. This theory regards the public 
library as an agency established in the name 
of the community to accomplish definite re- 
sults in public culture through the use of 
books. These results can only be secured 
when an intelligent and well directed use 
of the library is, if not universal, at least 
prevailingly common in the community. 

Such a theory of the library smacks 
strongly of "paternalism" in government, and 
has been wholly disapproved by Herbert 
Spencer and writers of his school, but it is 
not too much to say that it is the accepted 
theory wherever free public libraries have been 
numerously established, and that in fact on no 
other theory could they have been made the 
object of the generous expenditure of public 
money, and the truly lavish outpouring of 
private means, which have made possible their 
wonderful growth and development in recent 
years. 

It is, in fact, quite evident (we may remark 
in passing) that neither in England and her 
colonies, nor in the United States will the 
economic advantages of public co-operation 
for culture be surrendered at the demand of 
an individualistic social philosophy. This 
"educational" (or more properly cultural) 
theory of the library, while cropping out in 
the utterances of the far-sighted men who 
initiated the modern library movement, both 
in England and the United States, at the mid- 
dle of the last century, only gradually broke 
through the trammels of usage and conven- 
tion, and affected the practice and the regula- 
tions of libraries. Long after the theory 
was generally accepted, libraries maintained 
their rigors of administration. Readers were 
debarred from all access to the books ; only 
one volume could be taken at a time; fines 
for over-detention were rigorously collected, 
until in many places, a large share of the 
possible readers, having burned their fingers 
with fines, were escaping further inflictions by 



FLETCHER. 



145 



letting the libraries severely alone; incipient 
readers, hungry for books, were excluded be- 
cause they were under fourteen years of age. 
Only within about ten years has the liberal 
theory fairly taken possession of the library 
machinery, and this only in some small sec- 
tions of the country where the library move- 
ment has attained its riper stage. 

But it is thirty years since Justin Winsor, 
then librarian of the Boston Public Library, 
in prophetic recognition of the bearing of the 
educational theory of the public library on the 
making of library catalogs, brought out the 
pioneer annotated library catalog in his "List 
of books in history, biography and travels 
in the Lower Hall of the Boston Public Li- 
brary." After a generation this catalog stands 
as a model of what an annotated library cata- 
log should be. A comparison between it and 
the annotated bookseller's catalog is instruc- 
tive. In the bookseller's catalog the notes 
refer to individual books, saying all that can 
be said in favor of the book, the edition, and 
the particular copy offered. In the library 
catalog, on the other hand, the notes con- 
stitute rather a guide to the choice of books, 
comparing them, as impartially as may be 
done, showing how one will best serve one 
purpose and one another and opening up to 
the reader whole vistas of information to 
which the ordinary library catalog gives no 
clue. 

Was then a new era in library cataloging 
inaugurated by the Boston Public Library 
List? If this was the sort of catalog de- 
manded by the new theory of public library 
management, we might suppose that its ex- 
ample would have been followed by many 
other libraries, and that no longer would the 
old-fashioned catalog, with its bare list of 
titles, be tolerated. Such, however, was not 
the case. Even the Boston Public Library 
itself, while it did issue two or three other 
rinding lists with notes similar to those in the 
one we have referred to, did not long continue 
the practice, nor extend it to anything like 
the whole scope of the library ; nor have other 
libraries to any considerable extent prepared 
such catalogs either in ms. or in print. The 
practice has indeed become somewhat common 
of printing with titles of new books in library 
bulletins notes extracted from critical reviews, 
but this is quite a different practice. 



One other library, however, stimulated by 
the example of the Boston Library, did issue 
an "Educational catalogue" in 1875, which 
is, in fact, so far as the present writer is in- 
formed, the one example of this method as 
applied to the catalog of an entire library. 
This was the Crane Library of Quincy, Mass. 
Mr. Charles Francis Adams, now of Lincoln, 
Mass., was president of this library and the 
compiler of the catalog. In 1879 he read a 
paper before this association at its meeting 
in Boston, giving his views of the subject, 
after four years of experience with this cata- 
log. In this paper he expressed much doubt 
as to the real value of his notes, saying: 
"I have since come to the conclusion that for 
the purposes, at least, for which I designed 
them, the notes of the Quincy catalog were 
almost wholly useless." He further indicated 
that the notes needed for such a catalog must 
be very much more popular, less scholarly, 
than were his, and outlined his idea of them 
as being "unpretentious and compact, and 
above all else, human." He further ex- 
pressed his "confident belief" that with such 
annotated catalogs as might be produced "the 
public library would very speedily become a 
far more important and valuable factor in 
popular education than the whole high school 
system." 

Perhaps the most suggestive remarks in 
this paper of Mr. Adams's are those in which 
he intimated that only by "combined action" 
of various libraries can such a result be se- 
cured. He said : "The immense cost of doing 
the same copy and press work over and over 
seems at present to be the chief obstacle in 
the way of all educational catalogs. It is an 
obstacle which seems to require very little in- 
genuity to overcome." 

As Mr. Adams indicated, the educational 
catalog demanded more resources, intellectual 
and material, than the individual library could 
furnish. As to the intellectual, a Winsor or 
an Adams might be found here and there, who 
was capable of executing such a task, but not 
many libraries were provided with such men, 
nor were the libraries generally financially able 
to bear the expense of such undertakings. 

As, however, the American Library Asso- 
ciation grew and assumed importance as an 
agency for such "combined action" as Mr. 
Adams had desired, it was inevitable that an 



146 



ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. 



"appraisal of literature" for the benefit of 
libraries in general should be urged upon it 
as one of its legitimate functions, through its 
Publishing Board. This was done by Mr. 
George lies in papers presented to the Asso- 
ciation in 1891 and 1892. In these papers, in 
the second of which the term "evaluation of 
literature," so often heard since, was intro- 
duced, Mr. lies based his argument for action 
by the Association on the inadequacy and 
partiality of the book reviews and notices 
found in critical or other journals, his own 
sense of the need of an unprejudiced and sys- 
tematic appraisal having arisen from his ex- 
perience as a writer and student. 

Mr. lies followed up his vigorous exposition 
of this idea by engaging seriously in the work 
of securing the issue, through the Publishing 
Board of this Association, of "annotated bib- 
liographies." Three have been published : 

List of books for girls and women and their 
clubs. 

Bibliography of fine art (including Music). 
Literature of American history. 
In the. preparation of these bibliographies 
Mr. lies has endeavored to carry out his idea 
of expert and competent testimony to the 
value of the individual works, and has gone 
so far as to include some titles which are 
adversely criticised, in which cases the notes 
serve the purpose of warning. In order to 
secure this expert appraisal of books, Mr. 
lies has paid the collaborators a reasonable 
sum for their services, which has made the 
undertaking an expensive one; and he has 
endowed the enterprise to the extent of the 
several thousand dollars he has thus expended, 
the proceeds from the sales of the books barely 
covering the publishing expense. It has been 
demonstrated that such publications, while 
eagerly sought by a limited number of libra- 
ries and scholars, and proving extremely use- 
ful to them, cannot be paid for out of the 
proceeds of sales, and must be prepared if at 
all at the expense of some sort of an endow- 
ment fund. For lack of such support the 
scheme has not been carried beyond the issue 
of the three lists named. It is hoped that the 
Publishing Board may find it feasible to pre- 
pare similar lists for other fields of knowledge, 
by the co-operation of librarians reasonably 
expert in certain departments of knowledge, 
thus avoiding the large cost of a paid staff 
of expert reviewers. 



The need of periodically issued annotated 
lists of desirable new books, to serve as a 
guide to libraries in their purchases, has been 
much felt, and is emphasized by observing 
how quickly guides like those referred to 
above get out of date and need supplementing. 
In the annual report of the Publishing Board 
for the current year will be found some state- 
ments regarding efforts now making in this 
direction. 

Meantime the English Library World has 
for some months had a department called 
"The book collector," giving monthly a small 
number of titles of new publications ("ap- 
praisal by selection") with the addition of 
brief descriptive, and to some extent critical, 
notes. 

There is as yet no consensus of opinion as 
to the kind of notes that should be given in 
these publications for the use and benefit of 
libraries. To meet Mr. Iles's idea of a superior 
sort of appraisal, at once competent and im- 
partial, notes must be essentially critical; his 
call is for something more authoritative than 
the notices in our reviews and journals. 

Various objections to such a scheme of 
"authoritative" criticism have been made. 
That which is based on the impropriety of any 
effort on the part of librarians to "direct" 
the reading of their patrons an objection 
oftener expressed in England than here, the 
English people being more jealous of the 
"liberty of the subject" than are Americans 
needs little attention; as has been already re- 
marked, our libraries are committed to an 
educational policy, and will not shrink from 
exercising a directive and helpful function any 
more than will our school authorities in their 
department. 

Another and better-founded objection to 
this expert appraisal is that there are in every 
department of knowledge differing schools of 
thought, and that to select one expert to ap- 
praise a certain book may result in getting a 
one-sided and far from impartial view. As an 
English scholar said to the present writer, 
speaking of the plan of the "Literature of 
American history," "to make that sort of note 
a man would need the acumen of a Casaubon 
and the candor of an archangel !" 

It is easily argued that it is much better 
for the librarian and his patrons to be left 
to form a well-rounded idea of a book by 
reading notices and reviews from different 



FLETCHER. 



147 



quarters than to have this nominally "expert" 
judgment from some one source. And as 
the work must have an editor it is inevitable 
that his predilections will give more or less 
color and tone to the publication, e.g. through 
his selection of a staff of contributors. 

This general objection to the appraisal 
scheme was well (perhaps too strongly) set 
forth by Prof. Richard T. Ely, in a paper 
before this Association in 1901. Dr. Ely, 
indeed, came very near denying the right or 
propriety of any effort on the part of libraries 
or of this Association to assist readers in their 
choice of books. 

Doubtless there is hesitation among our 
librarians as to the scheme of expert appraisal 
as conceived by Mr. lies. This is apparent in 
the "Symposium" on the subject in the Li- 
brary Journal for December, 1901. At the 
same time the general expression of those who 
contributed was commendatory of the "Lit- 
erature of American history," which was the 
special subject of notice, and favorable to 
future efforts in the same line. A paper by 
Mr. W. Dawson Johnston, in the same num- 
ber, and another in the number for August, 
this year, discuss intelligently questions as 
to the kinds of notes most useful and as to 
the places where notes can best be made of 
service. Notes on single books in a list under 
authors (as for example in a card catalog) 
must be confined to statements about the par- 
ticular book, and their value is much affected 
by the passage of time. In a subject-catalog 
on the other hand, a note under a given sub- 
ject may constitute a general view of its 
literature, and be of the greatest service in 
showing which books are of the most value 
for this or that phase or portion of the sub- 
ject. 

It would appear that four forms of "annota- 
tion" may well be cultivated by this Associa- 
tion and will be welcomed by the libraries of 
the country, ist, Lists of books in all depart- 
ments of literature, exemplifying the idea 
of "appraisal by selection" and also accom- 
panied by notes which shall not undertake to 
pass critical judgment on them so much as 
give descriptive information with references 
to and citations from critical reviews. 2d, 
Introductory notes to these lists, which, like 
that in the "Literature of American history" 
or the notes in the Boston Library's Finding 



lists shall discuss the literature of the subject 
and especially the sources. 3d, A periodical 
issue, giving as promptly as possible, especially 
for the benefit of the smaller libraries, which 
generally buy books at long intervals, and 
whose librarians do not see many critical jour- 
nals, a selected list of the best new books with 
descriptive notes such as are best adapted to 
be helpful in the choice of these books for 
purchase, and in their use by the readers. 
4th, Cards for subject-catalogs giving under 
subject names a summary guide to the best 
reading. Mr. W. Dawson Johnston, of the 
Library of Congress, whose interest in this 
matter has already been mentioned, has issued 
some experimental cards of this sort, which 
will commend themselves to many librarians. 
This kind of card has been made in some of 
the larger libraries, but most libraries will 
welcome an opportunity to secure them at a 
reasonable price, as they cannot hope to make 
them for themselves. 

Some confusion of thought has arisen from 
a failure, in discussing this subject, to dis- 
tinguish between the needs of the larger and 
the much more numerous smaller libraries. 
Mr. Iles's scheme has had in view the sup- 
plementing of the resources for judging books 
of even the largest and best supplied library. 
The efforts of our Publishing Board have 
been directed rather to doing for the numer- 
ous smaller popular libraries what the larger 
libraries habitually do for themselves. An- 
notation is a very different thing for one 
purpose than for the other, and that which 
may be usefully done in the latter case should 
not come under the objections which may be 
made in the former. This Association may 
well be interested in whatever can be done by 
united or endowed effort in either of these 
directions. But our most immediate and most 
hopeful work, as has been said, is along the 
line indicated by the terms of gift of our 
Carnegie Fund : "The income of which should 
be applied to the preparation and publication 
of such reading-lists, indexes, and other bib- 
liographical and library aids as would be 
especially useful in the circulating libraries of 
this country." 

That a simple, unpretentious, mainly de- 
scriptive kind of annotation may well have 
a large place in the work thus described can- 
not be doubted. 



148 



ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. 



STATE AID TO LIBRARIES. 



BY GRATIA COUNTRYMAN, Librarian Minneapolis (.Minn.) Public Library. 



T N order that this topic may be somewhat 
limited, it will be understood as pre- 
cluding all state aid to public school and 
district school libraries, to state law libraries 
and state historical libraries. It will be in- 
terpreted as meaning that form of state aid 
which has sought to promote the establish- 
ment of free public libraries by the appro- 
priation of state funds. It will also include 
the effort to furnish, through state agency, 
the free use of books to the entire population 
of the state, and to supervise and organize 
this library effort through state organizations, 
as the public school system is organized. 

The aid of the state was first invoked when 
the movement for library extension felt the 
need of help which could not be supplied 
by any other means. The story of state 
aid and of library extension are therefore 
nearly identical, and state aid has been the 
good right arm without which little would 
have been accomplished toward library ex- 
tension. 

Library extension has been the battle cry 
of the library leaders for the last decade and 
a half. Previous to that time nearly every 
city or large town had its well equipped li- 
brary, more or less properly maintained by 
municipal taxation. The advantage which 
the city had over village or country life was 
as marked in its library facilities as in every 
other. The continual and alarming drift of 
the country population into the cities was due 
to the barrenness of opportunity which up 
to that time library workers had done little 
to mitigate. 

There have been many movements looking 
toward a reversal of this condition of barren- 
ness, such as rural mail routes, rural tele- 
phones, better school privileges, and not 
least among them, the village and travelling 
libraries which have been made possible 
through state aid. The city no longer has a 
monopoly of libraries, and perhaps no more 
significant thing has happened in the history 



of libraries than the rapidity with which the 
spirit of library extension has spread over 
the country, and the zeal with which the 
work has been prosecuted. For the most 
part, the initiatory work has been accom- 
plished by the voluntary and unpaid services 
of enthusiastic library workers and by the well 
directed efforts of women's clubs, and the 
wisdom of an occasional legislator. 

To most of us state aid to libraries seems 
as natural a use of trie functions of the state 
as aid to schools or commercial enterprises. 
It seems as legitimate to have a library com- 
mission as a state board of education or a 
dairy and food commission. But in the ear- 
lier history of the work, and in some local- 
ities still, it was considered as an act of 
paternalism not to be countenanced. In the 
Minnesota legislature Ignatius Donnelly, a 
literary legislator, said in regard to the pro- 
posed law for state aid to libraries that the 
state might as well furnish the people with 
boots as with books. No arguments, how- 
ever, have prevailed against the conviction 
that if libraries were a good thing for cities, 
they were equally good for all towns, villages 
and country communities, and that since the 
smaller towns and country places could not 
maintain libraries themselves that the state 
should give aid in some systematic way that 
could be applied impartially to all of its peo- 
ple who needed such aid. 

Under this conviction 22 states have en- 
acted laws embodying state aid in some form. 
State aid is therefore a principle established 
by practice, the experimental stage is passed 
and it remains to us to review what it has 
accomplished for library extension, and the 
methods by which a great educational and 
constructive work has been begun. 

State aid, having for its object the build- 
ing up of free libraries, has taken two chief 
methods of accomplishing this result that of 
a direct gift of money or books, and that of 
a loan of books by the travelling library 



COUNTRYMAN. 



149 



method. Each state has placed the distribu- 
tion of state aid under a state library commis- 
sion or under its state library, so that the 
personal aid of expert librarians has been em- 
ployed to carry on the distribution, and has 
become in fact the most important application 
of state benefit. 

Of the 22 states above mentioned, seven 
use both forms of state aid, u use the travel- 
ling library only, and three give direct aid 
only, and two, Colorado and Georgia, have 
library commissions which are at present ad- 
visory only. Of the ten states which give 
direct aid nine are Eastern states, and of the 
18 which use the travelling library method 
II are Western states. Quite a distinct dif- 
ference of method seems to be drawn between 
the East and West, the East preferring to 
use the direct money aid. The difference 
also in the amount of personal visitation 
given by Eastern and Western commissions is 
very marked, the West making it a chief 
feature. This difference has come about 
partly by accident in that one state is liable 
to pattern its law after an adjacent state, 
but chiefly because of the difference of popu- 
lation. Eastern states like Massachusetts 
and Connecticut have a much larger town 
population than states like Wisconsin, Minne- 
sota or Nebraska, which have a large and 
scattered country population. In the West, 
moreover, where the towns and villages are 
comparatively new, other necessary improve- 
ments make it difficult to levy a library tax. 
The travelling library has exactly fitted the 
conditions of both town and country. Whereas 
in the East many towns which were able to 
support a library needed only the initial im- 
petus of state aid in some form, and a wise 
direction of their efforts. East and West 
have, therefore, developed along somewhat 
different lines, as will be manifest from the 
following resume. 

Massachusetts was the pioneer state in this 
direction, establishing a library commission 
in 1890 which was authorized to grant $100 
in books to any town upon the establishment 
of a free public library. These books were to 
be selected by the commissioners, who used 
the greatest care in selection and required 
the assurance of each town receiving the gift 
that they would take all reasonable means to 



make the books accessible. Information and 
advice on library economy have been freely 
given, but no actual personal assistance in 
the organization or classification. In 1890, 
when the law was enacted, there were 105 
towns out of 352 without free libraries. At 
the end of five years this number was reduced 
from 105 to 24, and now in 1904, every town 
in Massachusetts has a library. The work of 
the commission has been altogether through 
direct aid, but it has recently been consider- 
ably supplemented by the Women's Educa- 
tional Association, who themselves have 
equipped travelling libraries, and have 43 
in the field. 

This pioneer step of Massachusetts quick- 
ened library interest everywhere. It sug- 
gested this new possibility of aid from the 
State Treasury. Within a year, the com- 
missioners received requests for information 
from nearly every state in the Union, and 
even from Great Britain and Continental 
Europe. 

New Hampshire followed the next year, 
1891, enacting a law nearly identical with the 
Massachusetts law, giving $100 to each town 
founding a free library. The New Hamp- 
shire commission was not satisfied, however, 
with starting a library which had no assur- 
ance of further support, so in 1895 they were 
instrumental in passing a compulsory library 
law, which is unique, and which comes 
nearer to paternalism than any other piece 
of library legislation known to the writer. 
According to this law, every town in New 
Hampshire must levy a certain assessment to 
maintain a library; the minimum amount in- 
stead of the maximum is prescribed ; if the 
town has no library, or does not wish to 
establish one immediately, then the fund ac- 
cumulates. If a town wishes to omit an as- 
sessment, it must especially vote to do so; 
failure to vote results favorably to the library 
fund. So when the New Hampshire com- 
mission establishes a library by a gift of 
$100, that library is assured a continuous 
support. The commission also publishes a 
bulletin of much merit for the instruction of 
libraries. In 1903, 144 libraries had been 
established by state aid during the 12 years, 
leaving but 24 towns without a free library. 
The Board of Library Commissioners was 



ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. 



then abolished, and the work turned over to 
the trustees of the State Library, who as- 
sumed the work, and are in effect a State Li- 
brary Commission. 

The next year, 1892, New York entered 
the list with quite an elaborate law, the re- 
sults of which we will review a little later on. 

In 1893, Connecticut established a commis- 
sion to be annually appointed by the State 
Board of Education. This commission, like 
the others, was advisory and was authorized 
to give an amount, in books equal to the 
amount spent by the town for the establish- 
ment of a library, not exceeding $200. In 
1895 an act was passed allowing an annual 
grant to any town equal to the amount ex- 
pended by the town not exceeding $100. In 
1903, an increased appropriation was made 
for travelling libraries, and for a library vis- 
itor, who should personally encourage and 
assist new libraries. 

In 1894 Vermont's law was passed, follow- 
ing the Massachusetts law, but in 1900 the 
commission was empowered to buy travelling 
libraries, and in 1902 to hire a secretary, the 
whole appropriation being $900 annually. 

Maine and Rhode Island had by this time 
passed laws giving direct aid under certain 
conditions, but Maine did not establish a 
commission until 1899. Since that time 
Maine has had an appropriation of $2000 
annually for travelling libraries, besides giv- 
ing $100 to new libraries and 10% cash on 
the yearly appropriation. The commission in 
1904 conducted a training school of two 
weeks' duration, and the state librarian, who 
is secretary of the commission, assists new 
libraries by visits and correspondence. 

It will be noticed in all these states that in 
the beginning the method of state aid was 
confined to the direct gift of books or money, 
following Massachusetts as a model. The 
amendments authorizing travelling libraries 
were made quite recently, after that plan was 
a well established movement 

To return to New York: In 1892 the 
Regents of the State University established 
the Public Libraries Division of the State 
Library, and in 1893 the first system of 
travelling libraries was organized. The 



regents were given power to charter libra- 
ries which fulfilled certain conditions, and to 
give them financial aid. These libraries are 
supervised and inspected yearly, which gives 
opportunity for much valuable personal coun- 
sel. Attention has been particularly given 
to library architecture, and the furnishing of 
library buildings. The state appropriations 
have varied from $25,000 to $62,000 at pres- 
ent, and could be expended for travelling 
libraries, for direct aid to town libraries, and 
for the necessary administration. The direct 
aid given is equal to the amount spent by 
the town, not to exceed $200, and may be 
granted annually. The New York Public 
Libraries Division has engaged in numberless 
activities, it does very valuable work for 
clubs, prints most helpful reports and lists 
of books and conducts the finest training 
school in the country. Not only have the 
libraries of New York benefited by the activ- 
ities carried on under state aid, but other 
states have watched and learned from New 
York experiments, and the publications and 
reports sent throughout the country have 
been most suggestive. 

The story must now pass to the West. 
Wisconsin established a commission in 1895, 
Ohio in 1896 and Georgia in 1897. Then 
the labors which had been going on in a 
number of states for several years came to a 
head in 1899, when seven states passed laws 
establishing commissions, all carrying ap- 
propriations for travelling libraries except 
Colorado. The seven states were Maine, In- 
diana, Kansas, Colorado, Minnesota, Pennsyl- 
vania and Michigan. Then followed Iowa 
and New Jersey in 1900, Idaho, Washington, 
Nebraska and Delaware in 1901, and Maryland 
in 1902, and so the movement has crossed 
and recrossed the continent. 

Just as Massachusetts had been the model 
for the New England States, and New York 
a model for us all, Wisconsin became the 
pioneer and inspiration of the West. Mas- 
sachusetts gave direct aid only to libraries, 
New York added the features of travelling 
libraries and library inspectors, while Wis- 
consin, dropping the feature of direct aid, 
made the plan of field workers and per- 



COUNTRYMAN. 



sonal visitation and instruction the chief 
feature, with the travelling library as a 
necessary but subordinate feature. They be- 
gan with a nominal appropriation of $500 
and now have $18,000. From the begin- 
ning, most of the appropriation has been 
spent in salaries and administration, but the 
work has been largely missionary work, the 
creation of a desire for books, and the per- 
sonal work was the first necessity. Right here 
it seems fitting to express our appreciation of 
that great hearted man, Frank A. Hutchins, 
who has worn himself out in the service of 
Wisconsin libraries, and who in spite of his 
unceasing efforts to reach every man, wo- 
man and child in Wisconsin with free books, 
still had time to give sympathetic counsel to 
every other worker, and to impart to them 
his own earnest spirit. Wisconsin activities 
include general and special travelling libra- 
ries, a magazine clearing house, a state docu- 
ment department, publications of book lists 
and other helps. They also help without cost 
to organize and classify new libraries, to re- 
organize old ones, and to visit and interest 
towns having no libraries. They conduct a 
summer training-class, which will probably 
be changed soon to a permanent school. 

Ohio began work in 1896, in connection 
with the state library. Indeed the Library 
Commission has charge of the state library, 
and appoints the state librarian. The State 
Library of Ohio is a state library in fact as 
well as in name, and is open to all citizens 
of the state. It consists of two departments, 
the general library and the travelling library 
department, which in 1904 had an appropria- 
tion of $8600. According to the 1903 report, 
Ohio sent out 923 travelling libraries, and 
reached 553 different communities, more than 
any other state in the Union. The travelling 
libraries of Ohio are not in fixed collections, 
but are made up anew each time they are sent 
out. This flexible feature may account for 
their great popularity, and might well be 
copied. The Ohio law does not authorize 
field workers, or the free organization of 
town libraries; that work has been accom- 
plished in other ways than by state aid. 

In Minnesota, Iowa, Indiana, Kansas, Ne- 



braska and Idaho, the work has proceeded 
along lines very similar to Wisconsin, with 
more limited facilities, but just as commend- 
able work. Each has a travelling library 
system with salaried officers to administer 
the work. Each, except Kansas and Idaho, 
do as much organization and field work as 
their appropriations will allow. Each is seek- 
ing to establish free libraries and to better 
those already in existence. Minnesota, In- 
diana and Iowa have summer training 
schools. 

While the working details vary somewhat, 
yet so nearly akin is the work of the Western 
states, that more or less co-operative work 
has been found practicable, and more is con- 
templated for the future. And the time will 
certainly come when all the commissions 
will find it economical and practicable to do 
many things which are for the common good 
at one central office. But to return to the 
resume of each state: 

In Kansas, the commission has confined its 
efforts to travelling libraries, having 15,000 
books in circulation, visiting 371 localities, 
which is as extensive a work, considering the 
time and money so far expended, as is done 
in any other state. They expect to send out 
a library organizer as soon as possible. 

Indiana has at present an appropriation of 
$7500 for commission work. Besides the 
usual features of travelling libraries, club 
libraries, free organization of libraries and 
training school, Indiana is making a spe- 
cialty of library Institutes. For this purpose 
the state has been divided into 17 dstricts, 
which will be covered systematically; five 
institutes were held in 1903 and eight in 
1904. A new department of library work with 
schools has just been formed, which will be 
watched with interest. 

Minnesota with an appropriation of $6000 
has now about 300 travelling libraries, con- 
taining over 10,000 books, and having a cir- 
culation of nearly 60,000 annually. Since the 
establishment of the commission the number 
of free libraries has increased from 34 to 74 
and the number of library buildings from five 
to 32. The plans for many of these buildings 
have been made in accordance with the advice 



152 



ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. 



of the commission, and most of the new 
libraries have been organized and cataloged 
free of cost. 

State aid in Michigan is carried on by two 
organizations ; the state library has charge 
of the travelling library system, and supplies 
books to communities having no libraries. 
The Board of Library Commissioners are 
concerned with building up town libraries, 
and to this end have a system of registered 
free libraries to whom 100 books are loaned 
for six months. Each library in the state 
through a mandatory law must make a report 
to its County Commissioner of Schools, who 
in turn must make report of every district, 
school and public library in his county to the 
Library Commission. This method seems to 
affiliate schools and libraries very closely. 

Iowa, established in 1900, makes a specialty 
of the personal assistance of town libraries 
in the way of visits and correspondence, and 
also through the publication of a Quarterly 
Bulletin. They also have spent much time 
and labor in aiding library boards to plan 
their new buildings. They have accom- 
plished at least a beginning in the better dis- 
tribution of state documents. 

Nebraska, nearly the last to form a commis- 
sion, is following along the same lines as its 
predecessors, with equally successful results. 

In California, the state library has recently 
formed a department of travelling libraries 
which are loaned throughout the state. They 
began in December, 1903, and now have 100 
libraries in use. 

Idaho has 6000 books in circulation at 100 
stations, many of these being lumber and 
mining camps. 

Washington, which has so new a field be- 
fore it, is organized like Ohio, with a com- 
mission having the state library also in 
charge. A good beginning has been made 
with 57 travelling libraries in use. Their 
law authorizes direct financial aid to libra- 
ries, though no appropriation has yet been 
made for this purpose. 

Pennsylvania has now an appropriation of 
$6000 annually, and has about 7000 volumes 
in use in 227 communities. 

Maryland unfortunately has two organiza- 



tions working separately in that small state. 
Each commission has $1000 annually. The 
Public Library Commission is attempting to 
establish county library systems. The State 
Library Commission uses the travelling li- 
brary plan, and in 1903 sent our 109 libraries ; 
they are also anxious to prosecute the work 
of establishing town libraries more vigor- 
ously. 

The Delaware commission has sent a li- 
brary organizer over the state, has remodelled 
the library law and has published a handbook 
on library economy, which has recently been 
revised and greatly enlarged. 

New Jersey has an appropriation of $2500 
annually, $1000 of which may be used directly 
to aid free libraries. They have published a 
handbook of instruction and a list of 1000 
best books, and have sent out an organizer to 
aid small libraries. They have a good field 
for missionary effort, as only $400 out of 
$1000 has been used any one year to aid free 
libraries, and of the 62 travelling libraries 
which they possess but 12 are in use. 

And so in brief we have reviewed very in- 
completely the work which various states 
have undertaken. It will not serve for any 
purpose except to show the direction of 
effort under state aid; for it is impossible in 
this paper to enter into much detail of the 
work of each state; a handbook of library 
commissions will shortly be a necessity. It 
is even more impossible to tabulate the re- 
sults, for the very best results have been in- 
tangible. That many towns have felt the 
awakening of library interest through the 
efforts of some enthusiastic library worker, 
that dead libraries have been put into working 
shape, that laws have been remodelled, that 
many country comunities have rejoiced in 
the use of free books, that these and many 
other things have been brought about, are 
matters which do not yield readily to statis- 
tical tables. But these and many others 
are the fruits of library extension carried out 
through state aid, which we believe are only 
the first fruits. 

The field is unlimited, and the only wonder 
is that fourteen years have accomplished so 
much. 



DOREN. 



153 



THE LIBRARY AND THE SCHOOL: WORK NOW DONE. 



BY ELECTRA COLLINS DOREN, Librarian Dayton (Ohio) Public Library. 



'"PHIS paper confines itself strictly to the 
work of public libraries with public 
schools and aims to present a composite view 
of the practice and the working ideals of 
American librarians, as gathered from replies 
to a circular inquiry upon the subject, sent in 
July, 1904, to 300 representative libraries. 

Responses were received from 218. A spirit 
of alertness and interest, even when but little 
definite or systematic work on their part 
with the school was possible, was a distin- 
guishing characteristic. Not all of the libra- 
ries which replied to the circular answered 
all of the questions in it, but with very few 
exceptions each of the 218 was prosecuting 
some kind of work with schools. In other 
words, such work is plainly a prominent con- 
sideration in the scheme of administration of 
American public libraries. 

The school work of libraries falls practically 
into two broad divisions distribution and 
reference. Under the former are classed 
book resources, classroom libraries, deposit 
stations and teachers' cards. Under the 
second come ordinary reference work and 
assistance to students, library and biblio- 
graphic instruction, museum and extra illus- 
trative material. Auxiliary interests are (i) 
the co-operation of librarians and teachers, 
and (2) the story hour. 

Resources; supplementary readers: From 
the reports before us we find that the book re- 
sources of the country for free distribution to 
the public schools are only equalled by the dil- 
igence of publishers in exploitation of buyers. 
Libraries are not the only purveyors of 
books; schools have collections, largely con- 
fined, however, to text-books and supple- 
mentary readers, and among them, it may 
be said, are some very excellent ones. From 
a count of answers from 15 cities upon 
this class of books which is furnished almost 
exclusively by boards of education, it appears 
that in these 15 cities alone there is a total of 



340,000 volumes of supplementary reading. 
A small town in Pennsylvania has in addition 
to an excellent public library a proportion of 
1.7 supplementary readers to each child of 
the school population. Several cities have 
one to every child, and those cities lowest in 
the scale have one to every 16 pupils. These 
collections, of course, are very largely com- 
posed of duplicates or sets for entire classes. 
In some instances, as at Los Angeles and 
Alameda, California, and at Columbus, Ohio, 
the local library is made a depository and 
makes the distribution to schools. 

One hundred and thirty-four cities on our 
list are reported as furnishing free sup- 
plementary readers; in 60 of these cities 
there are public libraries which also furnish 
schools with classroom libraries of general 
literature. 

Classroom libraries: Twenty-five public li- 
braries having classroom or school duplicate 
collections aggregating 69,000 volumes had last 
year a total annual circulation to public school 
pupils of a million and a quarter volumes. 
One library, that of Buffalo, New York, 
with a collection of 33,000 volumes, circu- 
lated over 309,000, while a little library in 
Wisconsin (Kenosha) with a collection of 
825 volumes had a proportionately large is- 
sue of 8500. In addition to its 105,000 sup- 
plementary readers (one book to each pupil), 
Milwaukee has as a part of the public library 
a school duplicate collection of 15,000 vol- 
umes, which has an annual circulation of 
143,000 volumes. The 'New York Public Li- 
brary circulates from 11,000 volumes 115,000. 
That children in the public schools are read- 
ing at such a rate seems incredible; yet these 
are simply cited as examples and the records 
show that the average annual circulation of 
each book in the 97 library collections re- 
ported is 7% times. To return to the recital 
of statistics: 97 public libraries (44%) of 
libraries reporting furnish the schools with 



154 



ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. 



classroom libraries; 49 of the public li- 
braries (29%) report that they also lend col- 
lections to private, parochial and Sunday 
schools. 

Of the 97 libraries which lend classroom 
libraries, 22 do not distinguish between the 
main collection and that for distribution to 
schools. The other 75 libraries maintain 
school duplicates as a separate collection, 
the earliest noted having been opened in 1879. 

In the 17 years from 1879 to 1896, 19 libra- 
ries, a little more than one per annum, opened 
such collections. In the last eight years 
(1897-1904) 56 libraries (or 80%) have fol- 
lowed suit. 

In 27 libraries (or 30%) the schools defray 
carriage expenses. In all the rest the library 
bears all expenses. The school duplicate 
collections vary in size from 200 volumes 
to 33,000 volumes and comprise books in all 
classes of literature. Two only report exclu- 
sion of fiction, and four the inclusion to any 
great extent of supplementary readers, such 
as those usually furnished by boards of edu- 
cation. All others report "general," "all 
classes," "best juvenile literature." Three 
libraries Buffalo, Pittsburgh and Dayton 
have duplicates as reference libraries for 
teachers. All libraries duplicate from three 
to four copies of each book. Many duplicate 
more liberally, averaging 15 to 20 copies of a 
single book, while still others run up to 50, 
68 and 100 copies. The maximum number of 
volumes sent to a single classroom varies in 
different libraries from 10 volumes to 150 
volumes. Forty-six libraries .(or over 50%) 
send books to all grades from the kindergar- 
ten to the high school ; 12 omit the first 
grade ; nine the first and second grades ; 21 
the third and below, and nine make no reply. 
The length of time that the libraries may be 
kept is from one month to a school year ; 
three month? is the average. 

One hundred and fifty-three libraries 
(66%) independent of and in addition to 
school duplicate collections allow special 
cards to teachers upon which from three to 
30 books may be drawn at one time ; the min- 
imum time limit being four weeks; the max- 
imum a school year. 



School deposit stations: 

These are branch libraries in miniature for 
the use of the adults as well as the children 
in the immediate vicinity of the school build- 
ing. Thirty-three libraries employ this means 
of distribution; some add reference work 
for the school and a periodical room for the 
public. Collections vary from several hun- 
dreds to three or four thousand volumes. 

Apart from the general value to the child's 
direct education is the social one of uniting 
the interests of parents and children. This 
is also the rule in the case of classroom libra- 
ries, the books of which are read by the 
adults of the family. We know of one such 
library of thirty volumes which was read by 
nearly 500 people within a period of three 
months. Many touching stories have come to 
us of the new sense of companionship awak- 
ened between the father and child through 
the reading of these books together. 

Reference work: 

In respect to the reference work for 
schools, 72 libraries (or 33%) have special 
collections of reference books for children, 
of from 20 volumes to 3500 volumes. Mil- 
waukee reports 10,000 volumes. Fifty-six 
libraries (25%) supply subject catalogs and 
book lists, either printed or typewritten for 
school subjects; 28 libraries have special as- 
sistants for children's reference rooms ; 62 
libraries (29%) report one or more special 
rooms reserved for teachers and students; 
126 (56%) make reserves of circulating books 
for class use in the library. 

As to differing methods of work for high 
schools and grammar schools, 25% discover 
nothing essential, except that which naturally 
arises from differences in subject and the 
superior attainments of older students. Sev- 
enty-five per cent, however, of the libraries, 
note these differences as follows, named in 
order of emphasis : 

(1) High school reference work is both 
greater in extent and more minute, tending 
to research and source work. 

(2) It more frequently makes demand for 
reserves of circulating books for class use. 

(3)' High school students receive more 



DOREN. 



155 



definite class instruction in the use of refer- 
ence books, catalogs and bibliographies, etc. 

One library (Atlanta) regularly furnishes 
lectures to high school students upon subjects 
for debate. 

Many libraries lack provision for reference 
work to pupils of the grammar grades. Books 
are therefore sent to the teachers. When 
such reference work is given at the library, 
however, it requires personal direction and 
more detailed and specific help from the li- 
brary assistant than does the high school 
work. 

Library instruction: 

The report upon library instruction in 
schools, i.e., in the use of reference books, 
catalogs, special bibliographies and resources 
of the local library, is somewhat surprising. 
Evidently the experiences of the reference 
librarian are bearing fruit in organization of 
effort in this department, so that a larger 
number of students may benefit from the 
opportunity to increase their independent 
power in utilizing literary materials. Sixty- 
three libraries (29%)' offer such class in- 
struction. (In one case, that of a high 
school, it was declined.) In 28 libraries 
instruction consists of informal talks and 
lectures and is occasional, as necessity arises 
from year to year; in 35 libraries, however, 
it has taken the definite form of a regular 
course although still more or less experi- 
mental. In all cases it is an elective and 
does not as a rule count in credits. Such 
courses have been given in 20 high schools 
and in a number of normal schools as well 
as a few grammar schools. In addition to 
the foregoing 63 libraries, 19 report that this 
work will be introduced during the present 
school year. A total of 82 librarians con- 
sider it necessary and very desirable. Three 
are doubtful as to the expediency and 25 re- 
port that some interest has been evinced upon 
the part of the teachers. Eight libraries offer 
courses to teachers and normal school stu- 
dents in children's literature. Of 40 col- 
leges to which inquiries upon this subject 
were addressed, Oberlin College, University 
of Michigan, Western Reserve University, 
University of Texas and the University of 



California responded with outlines of definite 
courses. Nearly all the college librarians 
who replied felt that it would be a distinct 
gain to the student were he to have biblio- 
graphical instruction as a part of his en- 
trance preparation. 

Museums and illustrative material: 

Fifty-six libraries have, under the same 
governing board, either direct or co-ordinat- 
ing, museum collections comprising objects 
of art, natural history, ethnological and his- 
torical material. Nine of these are supported 
by taxation, the others by gift, endowment or 
corporation. Independent of such collections, 
82 libraries make collections of pictures, lan- 
tern slides, photographs, picture bulletins and 
toy picture books to lend as supplementary 
material for class work. 

Story hour: 

The introduction by library workers of this 
method of leading children to the use of 
books is of comparative recent adoption in 
the schools, but may be said to have had its 
prototype some 30 years ago in the weekly 
reading hour in some of the public schools of 
Boston. 

Fifty libraries now employ it as a perman- 
ent feature of their work and in a number of 
cases in the classroom itself. 

In all but four instances the story hour 
has had the effect of noticeably increasing 
the circulation of a higher class of books. 
Going a step further, the Wagner Free In- 
stitute, Philadelphia, and the Cincinnati Pub- 
lic Library have been very successful in il- 
lustrated lectures to children. Both serve 
as a strong incitement to the use of books. 

The library work with schools is steadily 
growing. Since closing this report (October 
!5)> word has been received from the secre- 
tary of the Indiana Library Commission that 
a trained librarian and teacher has been ap- 
pointed to organize library work in the schools 
throughout the state. The outline which ac- 
companies this report presents a very compre- 
hensive program and indicates study of al- 
ready existing methods. 

Such, briefly, are the facts as to the 
methods of American libraries in their prac- 



156 



ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. 



tice in the direct field of public school work. 
It is to be regretted that it is told from trie li- 
brary side only. On the continent schools have 
their special libraries, but have no working 
connection with the public library. In Eng- 
land co-operation is under discussion and 
interim report has been made this year by the 
special committee appointed at the Leeds 
conference. Until we can have school views 
of this same library practice and repeated 
critical discussion of it by teachers, we ought 
perhaps to curb our fancy and credit our- 
selves only with a subjective existence. 

To the question as to the nature of the de- 
mands upon the library from pupils and 
teachers, the 104 replies indicate that such 
demand is dependent first, upon the scope 
of the curriculum, and second, upon the en- 
thusiasm of teachers. Librarians find that 
the calls classify first and most insistently 
along the lines of reference work, including 
illustrative material, i.e., pictures, bulletins 
and museum specimens (when they can be 
had), and second, supplemental and collateral 
reading. In both of these emphasis seems to 
be laid most strongly and most generally 
upon the reading which bears upon literature 
and English composition; history and debates 
rank next; then follow in order geography 
and natural science, fiction and fairy tales. 
Special stress is laid upon the fact that sim- 
ple attractive books are needed for the more 
immature children of all grades. 

The possibilities of work for the library 
in the school as viewed by 76 librarians seem 
to be limited only by time and money. (I 
confess to a consciousness of another and 
more serious limitation. It is that arising 
from a system which crowds too many pupils 
into one class and burdens the teacher with 
details of routine.) Suggestions from libra- 
rians as to lines of work to be emphasized 
in the future are given below in order of em- 
phasis, (i) A distinct bias toward instituting 
regular, definite and systematic library in- 
struction in schools is indicated by 26 libra- 
rians, who urge it on various grounds. Ad- 
vices are as follows : 

It should be given by the normal school ; 
it should be given in all grades to prepare 



children for the independent use of books and 
libraries; teachers should have a course in 
children's literature; and lastly, such courses 
should be outlined and systematized by a com- 
mittee from the American Library Associa- 
tion. 

(2) Another suggestion is for more class- 
room libraries and deposit stations. 

(3) More detailed work and expansion 
along all the lines indicated by the circular. 

(4) More study of literature in the schools. 

(5) Develop reference work for the gram- 
mar grades: (a) by sending a special assist- 
ant to the schools to forecast subjects; (b) 
by a card catalog for reference in each school. 
(Several libraries do this by means of dupli- 
cated cards.) 

Certain principles which belong to the 
proper exercise of function are suggested as 
limitations upon the work of the library in 
the school ; these are : 

(i), That the library should jealously main- 
tain its own distinctive character as a prompt- 
uary and purveyor of books, not arrogating 
to itself the function of formal instruction. 

(2) In rendering service to the schools, a 
due sense of proportion is to be preserved in 
considering the claims of school work and 
those for other classes of readers. 

(3) Care must be exercised not to check 
the initiative of the school by doing too much, 
or by doing those things which it would bet- 
ter do for itself, i.e., supplying text books, 
supplementary readers, and the like. 

.(4) Avoid anything which would savor of 
imposing upon children or teachers, a com- 
pulsory use of the library. Children should 
be allowed full scope for the independent 
choice of their reading, and librarians should 
wait for requests to come from teachers! 
(By waiting is doubtless meant that in- 
viting silence which may be construed as 
courteous attention to unspoken desires.) 

While the relation of library and school 
has been seriously discussed for the past 26 
years, the most noticeable growth in new 
lines of work has taken place within the last 
eight years. It may be said, in describing the 
animus of the movement toward the school, 
that however crude the methods and however 



FAIRCHILD. 



meager the product of reality may appear to 
the superficial observer, the attempt to 
meet, shall I say the endeavor to invent, 
opportunities- of service have been genuine 
attempts. They have proceeded from definite 
convictions; they are informed with ideals 
and they are directed toward a purpose 
the evidences are found in continuity of de- 
velopment and a certain logical progression 
from less to greater. As for example, the 
expansion of distributing systems, or the 
growing sense of organization in reference 
work to deepen and broaden its efficiency by 
its bibliographic and library instruction; or 
the feature of collecting illustrative mate- 
rials for class use, carrying illustration a step 
further by lectures with stereopticon for 
children. 

In all these things, though so recent as to 
be regarded as experiments only, the ten- 
dency is nevertheless toward regularity, 
repetition, established procedure and further 
extension. 

While constantly aiming to spread knowl- 
edge by attractive means and to supply the 
schools, as they are, with such books as 



are needed for tools, following in greater 
and greater detail the curriculum from the 
primary to the graduating class, there is 
evident a determination on the part of the 
library, both in book-selection and organ- 
ization, to use the schools as distributing cen- 
ters for literature; to use them as conduits 
of purely literary writing to the large mass 
of people, who are distinctly unliterary, even 
though lettered; and to affirm directly and to 
all the fact of the book as a transforming 
power through the exercise of the imagina- 
tive faculties. 

To those who are open to the aesthetic ap- 
peal of literature either as a presentment of 
experiences of a high order, or as in itself 
a regenerating influence, this is the final and 
greatest justification of such activities of the 
library in the school as are exemplified in 
provisions for other things than the printed 
book, such as art collections, picture bulle- 
tins and story hours. It is not to coax or 
coddle the child into learning, but so to nur- 
ture his fancy and inform his intellect that 
in manhood he shall know what a book 
can do for him. 



WOMEN IN AMERICAN LIBRARIES. 



BY SALOME CUTLER FAIRCHILD, Vice-Director New York State Library School. 



A STRIKING illustration of the change of 
*T sentiment and practice with reference 
to the prominence of women in American 
libraries is afforded by a comparison of three 
conferences of the American Library Asso- 
ciation. At the first meeting of the Associa- 
tion in Philadelphia, 1876, only 12 of the 103 
members present were women ; at the Chicago 
meeting in 1893, 166 of the 305 members pres- 
ent were women; at Magnolia in 1902, the 
largest conference yet held, 736 out of 1018 
members present were women. The change 
as shown by attendance is thus from about 
eleven per cent, in 1876 to nearly 72 per cent, 
in 1902. 

The Library Journal, commenting editorial- 
ly (November, 1876) on the first meeting, 



says : "They (the women) were the best of 
listeners and occasionally would modestly 
take advantage of gallant voices like Mr. 
Smith's, to ask a question or offer a sugges- 
tion." 

Miss Caroline M. Hewins, librarian of the 
Hartford (Ct.) Public Library, has the dis- 
tinction of being the first woman to lift her 
voice in a meeting of the American Library 
Association. In 1877 at the second meeting, in 
New York, she asked whether in any other 
state besides Massachusetts the income from 
the dog tax was used to support the public 
library. 

Miss Mary A. Bean, at that time librarian 
of the Brookline Public Library, was the first 
woman to appear on a library program. She 



158 



ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. 



read a paper on "The evil of unlimited free- 
dom in the use of juvenile fiction" at the 
Boston meeting in 1879. 

In 1893, of the 28 papers making up the so- 
called "World's Fair papers," six were writ- 
ten by women. In 1902, of the 21 formal pa- 
pers printed in the Proceedings, three were by 
women. In the same year two of the seven 
section meetings were presided over by wo- 
men ; one was the Children's Section, the other 
was a large general evening session in which 
prominent men like Dr. Canfield and Dr. 
Dewey gave addresses. The names of 36 men 
and 16 women, excluding foreign delegates, 
appear on the present program. From the 
role of modest listener in 1876 to a represent- 
ation of nearly one-third on the program of 
an international conference is a long step. 
The proportion of participation in the work 
of the conference is still small in relation to 
the proportion of attendance. 

It would appear to me, therefore, evident 
that there is practically no discrimination 
with regard to sex in the American Library 
Association. For many years women have 
been constantly represented on the Council 
and Executive Board. Any woman who has 
anything to say may be sure of a fair chance 
and no undue favor in saying it. What she 
may write or say or do in the work of the As- 
sociation is usually rated at its real worth. I 
may not be a fair judge, but. it would seem 
to me that the work of women in the Asso- 
ciation shows a pleasing lack of self-con- 
sciousness. There is very little posing or ap- 
parent effort to be conspicuous. The broad- 
minded attitude of the men who have been 
leaders in the library movement from 1876 to 
the present day accounts for the place of 
women in the American Library Association. 

Quite another question, however, is her 
place in the library field itself. What propor- 
tion of women are holding responsible posi- 
tions? Are those positions varied or con- 
fined within narrow lines? Are her services 
considered valuable as tested by a money 
standard? I have undertaken to gather some 
statistics which may throw light on the rela- 
tive service of men and women in American 
libraries, both as regards the character of that 
service and its remuneration. The inquiry 



does not particularly interest or attract me, 
but I am glad to undertake it because of my 
confidence in the judgment of our president 
who thinks that such a statistical statement, 
with a slight analysis of the statistics, will be 
of value. 

I have used as a basis for inquiry 100 libra- 
ries originally chosen as representative for 
a course of lectures on American libraries 
given by me in the New York State Library 
School. A tentative list was secured as fol- 
lows: Mr. W. S. Biscoe, of the New York 
State Library, and the writer of this paper, 
read through with some care the list of li- 
braries contained in "Public, society and 
school libraries," published by the Bureau of 
Education in 1901, checking those that seemed 
in any way worthy to be considered. The ten- 
tative list thus formed was submitted to about 
43 librarians, as follows: all the members of 
the Council and Executive Board of the A. 
L. A. 1902-3, the directors of library schools, 
and persons specially familiar with the libra- 
ries of certain states. The list of representa- 
tive libraries thus formed includes all large 
general libraries in the country and a selection 
of smaller libraries of different types in dif- 
ferent parts of the country. Special collec- 
tions like the Surgeon-General's Office at 
Washington have been excluded. The follow- 
ing is the list of 100 representative libraries 
thus selected: 

REPRESENTATIVE LIBRARIES. 



Free, circulating, endowed or tax-suported. 

Boston P. L. ' Newark F. P. L. 

Chicago P. L. Northampton, Forbes L. 

Philadelphia F. L. Peoria (111.) P. L. 

Cincinnati P. L. *Brooklyn, Pratt Insti- 

Baltiraore, Enoch Pratt tute F. L. 

F L. *Hartford P. L. 

New York P. L. *Newton (Mass.) F. L. 

Cleveland P. L. *Brookline (Mass.) P. L. 

Detroit P. L. *Los Angeles P. L. 

Buffalo P. L. *Omaha P. L. 

St. Louis P. L. Syracuse Central L. 

Brooklyn P. L. New Haven F. P. L. 

Worcester F. P. L. * Day ton (O.) P. L. 

San Francisco F. P. L. *Kansas City (Mo.) P. L. 

Milwaukee P. L. Somerville (Mass.) P. L. 

Springfield (Mass.) City New Orleans, Fisk F. 

L. Ass'n. and P. L. 

Minneapolis P. L. Salem (Mass.) P. L. 

Pittsburg, Carnegie L. *Burlington (Vt.) Fletch- 
"Indianapolis P. L. er F. L. 

Providence P. L. Wilmington (Del.) Inst. 

Denver P. L. F. L. 

* Have a woman as librarian. 



FAIRCHILD. 



159 



REPRESENTATIVE LIBRARIES. 

PUBLIC. 

Free, circulating, endowed or tax-supported. 



Scranton P. L. 
*Utica P. L. 
*Wilkes-Barre, Osterhout 

F. L. 

Philadelphia, Drexel In- 
stitute L 

Dover (N. H.) P. L. 
Evanston (111.) F. P. L. 
Medford (Mass.) P. L. 
Gloversville (N. Y.) F. 

L. 

Washington, P. L. of 
L>. C. 



Atlanta, Carnegie L. 

Dubuque (la.) Carnegie- 
Stout P. L. 

North Adams (Mass.) 
P. i^. 

Jamestown (N. Y.) 
James Prendergast F. 
1* 

Oak Park (111.) Scoville 
Inst. L,. 

Eau Claire (Wis.) P. L. 
Galveston (Tex.) Rosen- 
berg Library. 



FREE REFERENCE. 



Newberry L., Chicago. 
Peabody Institute L., 

Baltimore. 
John Crerar L., Chicago. 



Grosvenor L., Buffalo. 
Watkinson L., Hartfoid. 
Howard Memorial L., 
New Orleans. 



GOVERNMENT. 



Library of Congress, 
Washington 

New York State L., Al- 
bany. 



Massachusetts State 
Boston. 



UNIVERSITY OR COLLEGE. 



Harvard University. 
Chicago, University of. 

Columbia University. 

Yale University. 

Cornell University. 

Pennsylvania, Univer- 
sity of. 

Michigan, University of. 

Princeton University. 

Brown University. 

Johns Hopkins Univer- 
sity. 

Dartmouth College. 

California, University of. 



Amherst College. 

Bowdoin College. 

Wisconsin, University of. 
'Vermont, University of. 

Wesleyan University. 

Mass. Inst. of Technol- 
ogy. 

Oberlin College. 

Nebraska, University of. 
"Northwestern University. 
'Illinois, University of. 

Adelbert College. 

Leland Stanford Jr. 
University. 



WOMEN S COLLEGES. 



"Wellesley College. 
^Vassar College. 



'Bryn Mawr College. 
'Mount Holyoke College. 



PROPRIETARY. 

Phila., Library Company New York Society L. 

of. Providence Athenaeum L. 

Boston Athenaeum L. Redwood L., Newport. 

SUBSCRIPTION. 



N. Y., Mercantile L. 

Ass'n of. 
Pbila., Mercantile L. Co. 

of. 



St. Louis Mercantile L. 
Ass'n. 

San Francisco, Mechan- 
ics' Inst. L. 



The following blank was sent to the 100 
representative libraries : 

I have been asked by the President of the 
American Library Association to prepare for 
the printed Proceedings of the St. Louis Con- 
ference a statistical statement on "Women in 
American Libraries." Will you co-operate to 
that end by filling the following blank for 
the library which you represent : 

1. Total number of staff members. 

2. Total number of women. 

i and 2 sl'ould include all full-time employees, 
excluding janitors. 

* Have a woman as librarian. 



3. State relative salaries of men and women for: 

1. Positions involving administrative responsi- 

bility. 

2. Responsible positions, technical and otherwise, 

not administrative. 

3. Others. 

in the following form: 



Admini 
Respon 
Men 


strative 
sibility. 
Women 


Other Re 
Posit 
Men 


sponsible 
ions. 
Women 


Oth 
Men 


en. 
Women 


i at $5000 
a at 2400 


i at $2100 
3 at 1800 


i at $2400 
3 at 2100 
3 at 1500 
3 at 1200 


i at $1500 
3 at 1200 
4 at 900 


a at $720 
a at 600 
3 at 480 
4 at 360 


7 at $900 
5 at 720 
21 at 600 
14 at 480 
3 at 360 



State frankly (so far as you are willing) 
the policy of the library board and your in- 
dividual opinion as to the employment of 
women on a library staff. Mention all the ad- 
vantages and limitations which occur to you. 
Indicate positions or lines of work for which 
you may think women specially fitted, or un- 
fitted, with reasons. Every statement regard- 
ing individual libraries shall be held as entire- 
ly confidential. 

Will you kindly give the matter immediate 
attention. Very truly yours, v 

SALOME CUTLER FAIRCHILD. 

Replies have been received from 94 of 
the loo libraries. A few declined to answer 
the questions regarding salaries. 

Dividing the 54 public libraries investigated 
into two groups by size, and including in the 
larger group the first 21, the Newark library 
being the last of the first group, the following 
is true: In 19 out of 21 libraries in the large 
library group the librarians are men, the 
Minneapolis and Indianapolis libraries being 
the two in charge of women. In 21 out of 
33 libraries in the small library group the 
librarians are women. Men are in charge 
of each of the six reference and of the three 
government libraries. Of the 24 college or 
university libraries (excluding those exclu- 
sively for women), 20 have men as librarians, 
four have women, namely, Chicago, Vermont, 
Northwestern and Illinois. Women are in 
charge of the four women's college libraries. 
Men are in charge of the five proprietary and 
of the four subscription libraries. Thirty- 
one of the loo representative libraries are in 
charge of women. 

In the first group, including 21 large public 
libraries, all reported, but only 18 reported 



i6o 



ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. 



fully. Of these, 46 administrative positions 
are held by men, 73 by women. In the second 
group, of 33 smaller public libraries, 29 re- 
ported fully. Of these, n administrative po- 
sitions are held by men, 29 by women. In 
the free reference libraries reporting, all ad- 
ministrative positions are held by men. In 
the government libraries, 24 are held by 
men, five by women. Of the 19 college libra- 
ries reporting fully (excluding those for 
women only), 47 administrative positions are 
held by men, 14 by women. All the ad- 
ministrative positions in the four women's 
college libraries are held by women. No 
women hold administrative positions in the 
five proprietary or four subscription libraries. 
In all statements made above regarding ad- 
ministrative positions, the head positions are 
included. 

The following is a summary of facts with 
reference to responsible positions not admin- 
istrative. Of 18 reporting fully in the large 
library group, 69 are held by men, 205 by 
women. Of 29 reporting fully in the small 
library group, eight are filled by men, 77 by 
women. In the free reference libraries report- 
ing one such position is filled by a man, seven 
by women. In the government libraries, 102 
by men, 84 by women. Of the 19 college li- 
braries reporting fully (excluding those for 
women only), 20 are held by men, 44 by 
women. All such positions in the women's 
college libraries are held by women. In the 
five proprietary and four subscription libraries 
reporting, six are held by men, seven by 
women. 

Of the 94 libraries of various types report- 
ing, 514 subordinate positions are filled by 
men and boys, 1211 by women and girls. 

2958 is the total number of persons employed 
by all the 94 libraries reporting; 2024 is the 
total number of women. One library employs 
only men, 21 employ only women, 10 employ 
less than one-half women, 36 from one-half 
to three-quarters women, and 25 more than 
three-quarters women. 

In tabulating salary returns only public li- 
braries have been considered. The number 
of libraries of the other types is small, the 
number reporting is smaller than for public 
libraries and fewer women are employed. The 



comparison of salaries would therefore be of 
little value. 

In the large library group the highest salary 
reported for men is $7000, the lowest $3000; 
the highest salary paid to a woman is $2100.* 
The average highest salary paid to men hold- 
ing responsible positions not administrative is 
$1208, to women $946. The average mean 
salary paid to men and boys in subordinate 
positions is $532, to women and girls $530. It 
will be remembered that the statistics include 
pages but not janitors or part time employees. 

The highest salary paid to a man as libra- 
rian in the small library group is $3000, the 
lowest $1500, the average $2118. The highest 
salary paid to a woman as librarian in this 
group is $2000, the lowest $800, the average 
$1429. 

The figures prove that women greatly out- 
number men in the libraries selected. It is 
a safe conclusion that they outnumber them 
by a larger proportion in the libraries of the 
country. They hold a creditable proportion 
of administrative positions but seldom one in- 
volving large administrative responsibility. 
They outnumber men in responsible positions 
other than administrative, but they seldom- 
hold the most responsible of such positions in 
the largest libraries or in those which might 
be called distinctly libraries for scholars. 
They vastly outnumber men in other positions. 
Broadly speaking, they hold a large number 
of important positions, seldom the most im- 
portant. 

They do not hold the positions offering the 
highest salaries, and broadly speaking, ap- 
parently they do not receive equal remunera- 
tion for the same grade of work. 

The utmost kindness and courtesy have 
been invariably shown by librarians in stating 
the peculiar advantages and limitations of 
women, and most replies have been full, frank 
and discriminating. They throw considerable 
light on conditions as shown by statistics. 

Economic reasons go far to explain the 
situation. 

"Women will accept much smaller salaries 
than men of equal ability and preparation. 
There is an abundant supply of women who 
will work for less than men require and gen- 

* Not the highest salary paid to a woman in-- 
American libraries. 



FAIRCHILD. 



161 



erally can afford to do so. Therefore, women 
drive men out of the library profession as they 
do out of the teaching profession." 

"Women do not cost as much as men. This 
you may say is a mean advantage, but with 
little money and many books needed it is a 
very potent one." 

Library trustees in filling a position can 
usually choose from a larger number of 
women than of men who are fitted by natural 
ability, education, training and experience 
to do the work. A woman thus chosen will 
usually accept a lower salary and remain 
satisfied with the salary longer than a man 
would. If she has others dependent on her 
support the burden is more likely to decrease 
than to increase, and her social obligations 
are less in a pecuniary way. She is more 
likely than a man to prefer a comfortable 
position at a moderate salary among her 
friends to strenuous responsibility at a high 
salary in a distant city. Women in the future 
may have more people dependent on their 
support. They will never have so many as 
men. A growing desire in the single woman 
for independence, for personal comfort and 
for travel may make her more ambitious. 

Women are quite generally acknowledged 
to work under a handicap because of a more 
delicate physique. This shows itself in less 
ability to carry calmly the heavy burdens of 
administrative responsibility, to endure con- 
tinued mental strain in technical work or to 
stand for a long period. It also doubtless 
accounts for the "nerves and tears" men-, 
tioned by one librarian (a woman) and the 
"tears" mentioned with profuse apologies by 
a man. It is quite probable that the physical 
handicap of women will be reduced as greater 
emphasis is placed on the importance of 
athletics and of out-of-door life and sports 
for girls. I do not see how it can be elimi- 
nated. Whether women will ever hold the 
highest administrative positions in libraries 
may remain perhaps an open question. That 
such positions are not now held by women is 
i fact. It is evidently believed by men holding 
>uch positions and probably by trustees hold- 
ing the appointing power, that women are not 
in the present stage of civilization fitted to 
hold such positions. The following reasons 
ire given: 

i. She has not the temperamental fitness for 



the exercise of large authoritative control over 
a mixed staff. 

2. She is not in touch with the world of 
affairs. 

3. She is distinctly unbusinesslike. 

4. She shuns rather than courts responsi- 
bility. 

5. She is conservative and afraid of legiti- 
mate experiments. 

6. She lacks originality. 

7. She lacks a sense of proportion and the 
power of taking a large, impersonal view of 
things. 

Some of the criticisms just cited have come 
from women. In many cases men stating cer- 
tain disadvantages of women as a class have 
recognized that exceptional women are not 
only free from them but positively excel in the 
opposite direction. It is quite possible that 
with larger experience they may as a class 
rise above all disadvantages and ultimately 
hold the highest positions. There could be 
no agreement on such a point and individual 
opinion is of slight value. It is doubtless 
true that since women fill satisfactorily ad- 
ministrative positions of considerable impor- 
tance, they might easily hold some others now 
held by men. A certain degree of conserva- 
tism and prejudice in the appointing power 
should not be left out of account. It may 
also be said on the other side that in the 
medium sized libraries, of which so many 
women have charge, some one or more of the 
trustees may in reality deal with city officials 
and make business decisions which would 
fall to the librarian if a man. How far such 
is the case it would be impossible to discover. 
But I know that trustees frequently elect a 
man instead of a woman because as they say 
they have not time to devote to the business 
interests of the library. They assume that a 
woman would not have business capacity. 
Such sentiments on the part of trustees ac- 
count for what I believe to be a fact that a 
woman is seldom appointed from the outside 
to a head position in even the medium sized 
libraries. She is promoted from a responsible 
position in the same library or she was made 
librarian when the institution was small. 

It is quite generally conceded that in posi- 
tions which do not involve the highest degree 
of executive or business ability but which 



1 62 



ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. 



of women by comparing them to a familiar 
character 

"There was a little girl, 
And she had a little curl 

Right in the middle of her forehead. 
When she was good 
She was very, very good, 

And when she was bad she was horrid." 

It is interesting to observe the proportion 
of men on the staffs of libraries in charge of 
women. Of such libraries reporting, by far 
the greater proportion of them have a staff 
made up entirely of women. In most others 
(there are exceptions) the masculine element 
is represented by pages, or by men who do 
evening work, or who fill comparatively un- 
important positions. It seems to me that the 
library serving a constituency of men and 
women can render better service through a 
staff on which the important positions are 
divided between the two sexes. Men and 
women represent different elements, they look 
at things from a different point of view. If 
they work together side by side in an indi- 
vidual library as they do in the home, in social 
life, in the church, and as they already do in 
the library association, each contributing his 
or her best, the result is broader, richer and 
more vital than if men alone or women alone 
take part. 

The economic reasons already dwelt upon 
operate in many libraries to prevent such an 
arrangement. One reporting library attempts 
as even as possible a division of positions 
between the sexes. In many other libraries I 
suspect such a division is recognized as an 
ideal. 

Reviewing all the facts it seems clear that 
women in American libraries have accom- 
plished much creditable work which has won 
generous recognition. Still more avenues of 
opportunity are open. At the same time, on 
account of natural sex limitations, and also 
actual weakness in the work of many women 
as well as because of conservatism and preju- 
dice, many gates are at present closed to 
women. 

To the ambitious every form of handicap 
acts as a spur. In the long run, however, 
women may prefer to work mainly in those 
lines where they can if they will equal men 
hi the various forms of scholarly effort; 
and in those where they naturally excel him 
in positions where the human element pre- 
dominates. 



require a certain "gracious hospitality," women 
as a class far surpass men. Such positions 
are: the head of a small or medium sized li- 
brary, first assistant and branch librarian in 
a large public library, the more important 
positions in the loan department and all work 
with children, both in the children's room and 
in co-operation with schools. Here it is said 
her "broad sympathies, her. quick wits, her 
intuitions and her delight in self sacrifice" 
give her an undoubted advantage. 
One librarian writes: 

"The enthusiasm a woman usually puts into 
her work is a great leaven and tends to lift 
the most monotonous task out of the common- 
place." 

And again : 

"There should be at least one woman in a 
responsible position on every large staff where 
women are employed. There is always a cer- 
tain amount of housekeeping and of matroniz- 
ing (he might have said mothering) which 
is essential for the health and comfort of all 
concerned." 

There are a few exceptions, but it is the 
consensus of opinion that, granted equal edu- 
tional advantages, women are as well fitted 
as men for technical work, even the higher 
grades of cataloging. They are preferred by 
most libraries reporting for all ordinary cata- 
loging positions because of "greater conscien- 
tiousness, patience and accuracy in details." 

Women and girls are generally preferred 
to men or boys in the routine work of a li- 
brary. They are thought to be more faithful 
and on the whole more adaptable. The lack 
of permanence because of marriage is largely 
balanced by the fact that boys who take cleri- 
cal positions in a library so generally do it 
as a stepping stone to other work. Women 
lose more time on account of illness and their 
health must be more carefully watched. They 
are more subject to petty jealousies, more 
easily upset and demoralized in their work 
by little things. Although in the main more 
conscientious than boys, girls show a curious 
lack of reliability in the matter of punctuality. 
Women in charge of libraries have not in- 
frequently told me that the hardest thing they 
had to do was to make the girls on the staff 
realize that it is dishonest to be habitually 
five or ten minutes late in the morning. 

One librarian of large experience sums up 
his highly appreciative estimate of the work 



EASTMAN. 



163 



REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON LIBRARY ADMINISTRATION. 
BY W. R. EASTMAN, CORNELIA MARVIN, HILLER C. WELLMAN. 



~V7"OUR committee on library administra- 
tion is instructed to report at this 
meeting "a schedule of library statistics to 
be recommended for use in making and col- 
lecting annual library reports, this schedule 
to include or be accompanied by rules for 
counting circulation and for estimating other 
forms of library service." 

In order to present in bold outline the 
work of a library year it is necessary to 
select certain salient features which are es- 
sential and to neglect those which are sub- 
ordinate. We must also keep in mind the 
important distinction between permanent or 
fixed items and those which mark the history 
of a single year. Much confusion may be 
avoided if the fixed items are given once for 
all by each library in a preliminary report to 
be kept on file in the state office. Any 
changes which may afterward occur can be 
included in any annual report under the 
head of "Additional Information." 

Preliminary Report. 

For such a preliminary report the following 
form is proposed : 

Preliminary library report October 17, 1904. 
to state library commission. 

Name of library 

Place 

Postoffice 

Date of foundation 

Under what law 

Trustees Number 

Chosen by 
Term of office 
Names 

Term expires 
19 
19 
19 

If the library is connected with another institu- 
tion as a college, church or association, a statement 
of that fact will take the place of the report on 
trustees. 



Source of income Local taxation $ 

State aid 
Endowment 
Membership fees 
Gifts and other sources 
State income from each source for current year. 

Terms of use Free for lending 

Free for reference 
Free to limited class, as 

students 
Subscription 

Underscore words that apply or add explanation. 
Building Date of completion 

Material 
Cost 

Source of building fund 
Book capacity 
Facilities for special 

work 
Other particulars 

If the library occupies rooms in a building not its 
own a statcn.ent of that fact will take the place of 
the report on building. If rent is paid the amount 
should be stated. 

Number of volumes. 

Count only bound volumes. 

System of classification 

Catalog Accession book 

Card 

Printed 

Manuscript 

Underscore words that apply and add any needed 
description such as "author," "dictionary," "classed," 
etc. 

To what extent have readers free access to 

shelves ? 
Charging system by cards 

ledger entry 

Underscore words that apply and add any needed 
description. 

Number of books allowed to each borrower 

at one time. 
Number of books of fiction allowed to each 

borrower at one time. 
Librarian Name 

Salary 

Number of assistants 
Salaries of assistants 
Number of branches 
Number of delivery stations 

Give details of branches and delivery stations on 
separate paper, giving name and /location of each. 



164 



ST. 'LOUIS CONFERENCE. 



Additional information 



Date 



(Signed) 
(Librarian.) 



I have carefully read this report, have 
caused an exact copy to be filed with the 
library records, and with the consent of the 
library board it is submitted to the state li- 
brary commission. 

(signed) 

President of 

Whenever any changes in the items above reported 
occur, the fact should be noted in the next annual 
report under the head of "Additional Information." 

The above report will usually be addressed 
to the state library commission, but in some 
cases to the education department or some 
designated state officer. 

Annual Report. 

It is a question of some importance and 
of some difficulty to decide at what date the 
library year should end. In the attempt to 
secure uniformity, the choice seems to lie 
between June 30 and December 31. In favor 
of June 30 it must be said that it corresponds 
with the school year, which is important 
when the library is recognized as part of the 
educational system. The break also occurs 
at a season of diminished activity in most 
cases. On the other hand, the year ending 
December 31 is the calendar year. It corre- 
sponds more generally with the municipal 
and business year, and the break comes at a 
season when not only the librarian but also 
the library officers are likely to be accessible 
for business purposes. The summer would 
be a quiet and ideal time for the librarian to 
make out reports if he could do it alone. But 
if the treasurer is absent in Europe there 
may be trouble about the items of receipt 
and expense. An experience of 12 years in 
trying to collect library statistics in the sum- 
mer has satisfied the writer that promptness 
in returns is seriously compromised by the 
vacation habit. The busy months are better 
for all sorts of business. The committee 
therefore recommend that, the library year 
be the same as the calendar year wherever 
feasible. 

It is a question what kind of record of 
reference work shall be attempted. It is not 
easy to express its value in figures. An ac- 
tual count of the books used in an open 
room would not only be impossible to make 



but also misleading in a multitude of cases. 

When feasible, the number of persons using 
the library for reading and study should be 
reported. 

In the annual report blank which follows, 
three or four of the fixed items, name, place, 
postoffice and terms of use, are repeated for 
the sake of definiteness. All other items rep- 
resent the work of the year. This form will 
serve for reports submitted to the state; or, 
by omitting unneeded particulars, for annual 
printed reports. 

Annual library report for year ending Dec. 31, 
1904. 

Name of librarv 

Place 

Postoffice 

Terms of use Free for lending 

Free for reference 
Free to limited class, as 

students 
Subscription 

Underscore words that apply. 

Days open during year 
Hours open each week for lending 
Hours open each week for reading 
Number of volumes January I, 1904 
Number of volumes added during year by pur- 
chase 

Number of volumes added during year by gift 
Number of volumes lost or withdrawn during 

year 
Total number Dec. 31, 1904 

Count bound books only. 

Number of. volumes of fiction lent for home 
use 

Total number of volumes lent for home use 

Number of new borrowers registered during 
the year 

Number of newspapers and periodicals cur- 
rently received 

Number of persons using library for reading 
and study 



RECEIPTS FROM 

Unexpended balance.? 
Local taxation 


PAYMENTS FOR 

Books | $ 
Periodicals >- 






Endowment funds ... 
Membership fees.... 


vice, janitor service 
Rent 


Fines and sale of pub- 
lications 


Permanent improve- 


Gifts and other 
sources 


Other expenses 






Total 


Total 



Additional information 

Here insert statements regarding changes in or- 
ganization, brief description of new rooms or build- 
ing, increased facilities and any benefactions 



EASTMAN. 



165 



announced but not received, with names of givers 
and amount, object and conditions of each gift, to- 
gether with any other information useful for the 
summary of library progress printed in the report 
to the Legislature. 

(Signed) 

(Librarian.) 

Date 

I have carefully read this report, have 
caused an exact copy to be filed with the li- 
brary records and with the consent of the 
library board it is submitted to the State Li- 
brary Commission. 

(President.) 

Every library, large and small, can readily 
make this report and upon this basis the state 
summary can be presented with a complete- 
ness which will be of real service. But an 
attempt to require more from small libraries 
and untrained librarians will not only cause 
uneasiness and hesitation, but will also result 
in uneven and partial returns and in many 
cases in failure to secure any reports at all. 

It is claimed that an elaborate report blank 
is educational; that it suggests many lines of 
library enterprise beyond the mere lending of 
books, such as work with children, with 
schools and with clubs; that it may enforce 
the need of employing a more capable and 
advanced librarian, and that it can do no 
harm for a careless library to be reminded 
year by year how much is expected of it in 
detail of organization and in progressive 
schemes for public enlightenment. The ob- 
jects sought are such as we all have at heart 
but there may be other and more suitable 
agencies for securing them than the annual 
report blank. This should neither be made 
an instrument of torture nor a summons to 
judgment. The state commission have other 
resources. They may send out circulars of 
inquiry, encouragement, instruction or ad- 
monition without limit as they deem it wise; 
thej' may make their personal appeal and 
gather the librarians in institutes to press 
these matters home. But the library that 
chooses to disregard their persuasiveness has 
nevertheless its rights, and one of them is to 
have the opportunity of reporting what it has 
done without being too forcibly or insistently 
reminded of what it has not done in matters 
which are non-essential. We cannot afford to 
make our smaller and weaker libraries feel 
that they are outside the pale or disgraced 



in any way because they cannot answer all 
our questions affirmatively. 

Supplemental Report. 

But there are many libraries which might 
with profit both to themselves and to the pub- 
lic make a much more detailed and compre- 
hensive report. To such, a supplemental form 
may be offered. It was suggested last year 
that an expansive form of report might be 
useful, printing essential items in bold type 
and the details in smaller letters. But fur- 
ther consideration, combined with an attempt 
to work out the table on such lines, has led 
your committee to prefer the use of a sup- 
plement, leaving the original report in which 
all libraries join, to stand in more simple, 
clean cut outline. In the supplement the 
number of volumes may be separated into 
subject classes, the lending of books distrib- 
uted among the various agencies for lending 
and the work of each department set by 
itself. This will call for an analysis of the 
main report and may be employed by all who 
wish to use it ; but, if required at all, it 
should be required only from libraries of a 
certain size or importance or from those 
which apply for special grants or privileges. 
With this distinct understanding the form 
may be suggestive and valuable. 

A library with delivery stations will state 
either in the supplement, or on a paper at- 
tached to it, the number and location of each 
and the circulation from each. This circu- 
lation will then be included with that of the 
main library. A library with branches will 
make a similar record for these, adding their 
circulation to the general total, and in ad- 
dition, each branch should make its separate 
report as other libraries do, so far as the 
material for such report is available under 
the system employed by that library for 
branch relations. 

In the department of travelling libraries 
or collections of books sent out for distribu- 
tion from another center another considera- 
tion is involved. The use of these books 
whether in schools, institutions, factories, 
engine houses or distant neighborhoods is 
not within the direct control of the library. 
It is a circulation carried on by outside 
agencies and the results are known only at 
second hand. The conditions of use are often 



i66 



ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. 



such as to make an exact account impossible, 
and yet by reason of these very conditions 
the work may merit the highest commenda- 
tion. A system so elastic as to adapt itself 
perfectly to school life, work life and home 
life is likely to defy expression in the terms 
of statistics. Yet the use of such books while 
issued is very great and the expense of re- 
placing worn books is considerable, so that 
libraries seem to feel that these books ought 
to be counted in their circulation which is the 
figure used most frequently for comparative 
purposes. Hence much pains has been taken 
to express properly the value of this use. 
Exact records have been tried, but they do 
not cover all forms of use which the books 
invite and even in partial form are secured 
with difficulty and accepted with much un- 
certainty. Libraries have resorted quite gen- 
erally to averages and estimates. Here are 
some of the various plans proposed. In one 
place a volume counts once when sent to a 
school, and again for each time it is taken 
home by a pupil, but school room use is not 
recorded. Tn another case the circulation of 
each volume sent to a school is estimated at 
four, certainly a low figure in the case of 
books retained from five to ten months. 
In certain other libraries it is the custom to 
count one in the circulation for each month 
a book is at a school. Others count one for 
each fortnight. Cases are known of count- 
ing one for each week, and some do not 
count such circulation at all. Most of these 
estimates are fair and can be defended. It 
would be hard to say which is best ; but in 
the face of such variety and manifest uncer- 
tainty, we cannot avoid raising the question 
whether any one of them is really worth 
while. The simplest solution of the diffi- 
culty is to state the case as it is, report the 
number of books sent out, tell where they 
went and how long they were retained, and 
stop with that. This is just as strong an 
appeal for credit or for recompense as if the 
attempt were made to translate these facts 
into equivalent terms of circulation. If so 
many books go to a school, that tells the 
whole story for which the library is com- 
petent to vouch, and tells it more clearly than 
if the facts are concealed in an indefinite and 
disputed translation. The books are used in 
various ways, of course; they come back 



badly worn, of course. Such results are to 
be expected when the books go to a school, 
and the public as well as state and local au- 
thorities are entirely capable of reading all 
this into the report. If some exceptional 
teacher has done exceptional work with the 
books, that also can be separately stated and 
considered. The same principle will hold in 
regard to devising equivalent statements of 
reference work in terms of circulation. It is 
not necessary to reduce all library activity to 
circulation. There are different departments 
to be recognized and each has its own value. 
Circulation, reference and travelling libraries 
are three distinct departments, each to be 
judged on its own merits and recognized 
accordingly, and hence to be separately re- 
ported. 

It will be easier to reckon the value of ser- 
vice rendered from a plain statement of 
known facts than to follow a circuitous line 
of estimation, translations or equivalents. 

Rules for Counting Circulation. 
The following rules for counting circula- 
tion are recommended : 

1. The circulation shall be accurately re- 
corded each day, counting one for each lend- 
ing of a bound volume for home use. 

2. Renewal of a book under library rules 
at or near the end of regular terms of issue 
may also be counted, but no increase shall 
be made because books are read by others or 
for any other reason. 

3. Books lent directly through delivery sta- 
tions and branches will be included, but the 
circulation from collections of books sent to 
schools or elsewhere for distribution will not 
be included. A separate statement of such 
travelling libraries will be made. -, 

4. Books lent for pay may be included in 
the circulation, but must also be reported sep- 
arately. 

In these rules there is no intent to deter- 
mine the policy of any library as to the 
manner or terms of circulation, but only to 
place the count on a uniform basis which will 
render comparison possible. 

Supplementary Report for Larger Libraries. 

A form for supplementary report from 
more important libraries follows: 

Supplemental library report for year end- 
ing Dec. 31, '04. 



EASTMAN. 



I6 7 



Name of library 

Place 

Postoffice 

Number of branches 

Number of delivery stations 

Give on separate sheet the statistics of branches 
and stations, including name, location, volumes in 
branches and circulation. 

Classes of books added and total in library 



Additions Total No. in Library 



Classes 


Circulating 
department 


Reference 


Circulating 
department 


Reference 


Adit's 


Chil- 
dren 


Adit's 


Chil- 
dren 


General works. 
Periodicals 
Philosophy 
Religion 














Sociology 
Language 
Natur'l science. 
Useful arts 
Fine arts 


Music scores.. . 
Literature 
Travel 


History 
Biography 
Fiction 
U. S. Docu- 
ments 


State documents 
Books, foreign 
languages 
Total . . . 















Number of unbound pamphlets 

Number of maps, pictures, manuscripts, etc. 

Other library material 

Classes of books lent 



Classes 


From main 
library 


From branches 
and stations 


Total 


Adults 


Chil- 
dren 


Adults 


Chil- 
dren 


General works 
Periodicals. . 
Philosophy . 
Religion .... 












Sociology . . . 
Language. . . 
Natural science 
Useful arts. . 
Fine arts.... 
Music scores 
Literature . . 
Travel 




Biography 
Fiction 


Books in for- 
eign languages 


Total... 













Number of schools to which books were sent 
Number of books sent to schools 
How long retained by schools (average) 
Number of other travelling libraries sent out 
Number of books in other travelling libraries 



How long retained in places other than schools 
(average) 

Number of Sundays the library has been open 

Number of children using library for reading 
or study 

What departments in library other than de- 
livery and reading rooms ? 

Give account on separate sheet of work done 
for children, schools, clubs and societies 

Any other form of special service ' 

Additional information 

(Signed) 

Date Librarian 

It will be borne in mind that while certain 
forms of report are required by the state 
and perhaps also by the city or village, no 
library is obliged to submit its case without 
argument. Each has opportunity to make 
all additions and explanations it may think 
desirable and the larger libraries are really 
under obligation to their own communities 
to enlarge upon and emphasize the tabular 
presentation of their activities, successes and 
failures. In printing reports for the infor- 
mation of the local public they will often 
find it convenient to arrange some items in 
forms differing from those here proposed 
and to add others. 

Your committee have sought to present 
with the utmost possible simplicity three 
forms of statistical reports: one to convey 
preliminary information of each library, an- 
other to show its annual service on certain 
elemental and essential lines, and a third to 
suggest details in regard to which a fuller 
presentation from some libraries will be 
found valuable. These are intended to be 
filed with the state and used in making up 
a general summary report, but the infor- 
mation asked should be furnished also in 
annual printed reports. The leading purpose 
has been to take a step toward uniformity. 
To this end it has been necessary to leave 
out many interesting items of inquiry that 
seemed of subordinate consequence or that 
have appealed only to a few, and to include 
only those respecting whose vital importance 
we are all agreed. The aim has been to free 
the statistical question from its complications 
and to reduce it to its simplest terms as an 
accurate record of known facts. With the 
light to be gained by discussion and by 
comparison of views, may we not hope soon 
to be able to express the results of library 
activity in a common language? 



i68 



ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. 



REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC DOCUMENTS. 



BY ROLAND P. FALKNER, Chairman. 



T T has been customary for your Committee 
on Public Documents to present in its 
annual report an account of the legislation 
and publications during the preceding year 
which may be of interest to librarians. 

The sole legislation of Congress affecting 
the public documents of the United States 
was a Joint Resolution of March 24, 1904, 
authorizing the publication in two volumes 
instead of one of the Index to Congressional 
Documents from 1881 to 1803, in preparation 
by Dr. John G. Ames. This may be noted as 
presaging perhaps the early appearance of a 
part of the work.. 

The indexing of public documents, render- 
ing them more valuable for general use, con- 
tinues. The work of the Superintendent of 
Documents has been carried on under lines 
already familiar and continues to enjoy the 
grateful appreciation of librarians. 

The executive bureaus feel more and more 
the need of a survey of their own publications 
aiid one after another prepare indexes of 
them. Such an index, covering the period 
1867-1902, has been prepared by the Bureau 
of Ordnance of the War Department. The 
United States Geological Survey, in its Bul- 
letin no. 215, has continued the index of its 
own publications for the period 1901-1903. 
Still more helpful is the Bulletin no. 222 of 
the Survey which indexes the publications of 
the several official surveys which preceded 
the present organization. 

Contributions to library science are found 
in the publications of the Library of Con- 
gress. The revised edition of the "A. L. A. 
catalog" is published under its direction. It 
has? also issued a pamphlet on the "Classi- 
fication of music," thus adding another chap- 
ter to its work of classification. It has in 
press the first volume of a "History of the 
Library of Congress," prepared by Mr. W. 
Dawson Johnston. 

Contributions to general bibliography have 



been made in large numbers by the Library 
of Congress and by other offices of the Gov- 
ernment. Since the date of our last report 
the Library of Congress has begun the pub- 
lication of selected reference lists already 
familiar to librarians generally. These are 
less exhaustive in scope than general bibliog- 
raphies which have been published by the 
library, and are designed for the guidance 
of the general reader. 

The last report of this committee submitted 
a list of the general bibliographies to be 
found in public documents issued between 
May I, 1902, and May I, 1903. A similar list 
for the year ending May, 1904, is appended 
to the present report.* Like the former list, 
it bears testimony to the fact that references 
to existing literature are coming to be recog- 
nized as an important part of the scientific 
and executive publications of the government. 

It has been our practice to note the activ- 
ities of the several states which tend to make 
the official publications of the states more 
valuable for libraries and to make their con- 
tents better known. For information on this 
point we are indebted to the courtesy of the 
state librarians, who, as heretofore, have gen- 
erally replied to the circulars of inquiry ad- 
dressed to Ihem. With respect to legislation 
it should be remembered that the states which 
hold legislative sessions in years terminating 
with an even number are comparatively few. 
Laws of interest to librarians have been en- 
acted in Iowa (Ref. Laws, Session of 1904: 
exact content net known to writer). In 
Rhode Island the recent enactment of the 
Legislature has placed at the disposal of the 
state librarian 25 copies of all public docu- 
ments for distribution among the public li- 
braries of that state .(See Acts and Joint 
Resolutions, 1904, pp. 55 and 93.) 

Of kindred interest to librarians are any 
steps which may be taken in the direction of 

* This will appear later in The Library Journal. 



FLETCHER. 



169 



bringing the state documents to the atten- 
tion of librarians generally. In this connec- 
tion it may be noted with pleasure that the 
Wisconsin Free Library Commission has pub- 
lished a brief list, with some annotations, of 
state publications from July I, 1902, to Sep- 
tember 30, 1903. with directions how they 
could be obtained and indications as to those 
which have a peculiar interest for permanent 
preservation in a library. 

Less directly the publication of bibliog- 
raphies of the state documents tends in the 
same direction. Our inquiries reveal consid- 
erable activity among the state librarians in 
preparing lists for Part III. of Mr. R. R. 
Bowker's "State publications." The editor 
advises us that this Part will cover the 
western states that is to say, all states and 
territories west of the Mississippi with the 
exception of the southern states, Arkansas, 
Louisiana, and Texas. The volume will con- 
tain about 300 pages, one-third of which is 
already in print. Work is well under way 
and the publisher hopes that the volume can 
be issued in the early part of 1905. 

Reports come to us of bibliographical un- 
dertakings in other states. One of the most 
comprehensive is the proposition for a state 
bibliography of Connecticut which is being 
undertaken by a committee of librarians in 
that state.. The bibliography will include the 
state publications, which will be especially in 



charge of the state library. The state libra- 
rian of Indiana advises us that he has in press 
a new catalog of the state library. In Iowa 
a comprehensive list of the state publications 
has recently been prepared by the state li- 
brary and published by the Iowa Library 
Commission. A recent issue of the Iowa 
State Historical Society consists of a general 
bibliography of state documents which has 
been prepared by Miss Budington of the Iowa 
State University. In the state library of 
Maine there has just been completed a card 
index to the special laws of the state from 
1820 to 1903. This index, whose value for 
local history must be manifest, is now on 
cards (27,000), but its publication in book 
form is looked for at an early date. In New 
Hampshire the state library has recently 
issued volume i of its catalog. In Wisconsin 
Mr. I. S. Bradley is at work upon a complete 
bibliography of the state, including not only 
official publications but all other matter relat- 
ing to the state. 

In concluding our report we desire to ex- 
press our grateful thanks for the courtesy 
of the state librarians, who have in many 
instances furnished us with valuable infor- 
mation relating to the bibliographies of their 
states which the committee is unable to pub- 
lish in detail, since its only function is to 
record the most recent undertakings along 
these lines. 



REPORT OF THE PUBLISHING BOARD. 



BY W. I. FLETCHER, Chairman. 



HP HIS report is made to cover the time be- 
tween the Niagara and St. Louis confer- 
ences, practically fifteen months. 

The personnel of the Board remained the 
same during the past year, as the term of 
no member expired. The services of Miss 
Katharine L. Swift as assistant to the secre- 
tary have been retained. The Board is still 
looking forward to the time when the long- 
talked of "headquarters" of the Association 
shall provide it with suitable accommoda- 



tions for its growing work, and also facili- 
tate that work by closely associating it with 
the general office work of the Association. 

As is shown by our financial statement, 
work on the "A. L. A. catalog" has absorbed 
$1500 of our income since our last report. 
The Board voted to pay $100 a month for 
12 months for clerical work on the catalog 
at the State Library in Albany, and later 
voted an additional $300 to pay Mrs. H. L. 
Elmendorf for special service in the final 



ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. 



revision of the work. Melvil Dewey has 
given the catalog his personal supervision, 
and the Library of Congress is issuing it as 
one of its special publications. At the writ- 
ing of this report the printing is nearly com- 
pleted, and it is hoped that it will be issued 
before the meeting of the Association. It has 
been decided to issue it, for greater con- 
venience, in two parts ; the first part contain- 
ing the classified and annotated list, the sec- 
ond the dictionary catalog of the same books. 
The number of volumes cataloged is about 
7500, and most of these are on exhibition in 
the "Model Library." 

The ^'portrait index" is much nearer com- 
pletion than it was a year ago. It has proved 
necessary to put a great deal of work into 
the revision of the ms., especially in rightly 
identifying and distinguishing persons of 
similar names, particularly those entered (as 
monarchs, etc.) under their Christian names. 
A few first pages of the work are in print 
and will be exhibited at this conference, and 
it is hoped that the work of printing can 
proceed with some rapidity during the com- 
ing year. This work has now for several 
years absorbed much of our income, being 
chargeable with a considerable share of our 
"office expenses," as the secretary and one 
assistant (and for several months a second), 
have been quite largely occupied with it. 

Of the "A. L. A. index," 75 copies were 
sold during 1903. There are still many li- 
braries that fail to appreciate the value and 
usefulness of this book. 

The "A. L. A. list of subject headings," 
compiled by Mr. Gardner M. Jones, con- 
tirues to have a sale of about 500 copies a 
year, being on the whole our most successful 
publication. It now needs a thorough re- 
vision, and it is hoped a new edition may be 
prepared soon. 

Miss Kroeger's "Guide to reference books" 
has also been welcomed by the libraries, and 
over looo copies have been sold, so that the 
book has become a slight source of profit to 
the Board, and we have been able to make a 
small payment to Miss Kroeger for her 
work as compiler. 

The Library Tracts go rather slowly, less 



than 700 copies being called for in 1903. 
They have been less used by state commis- 
sions and others for distribution as a means 
of forwarding library interests than was ex- 
pected. 

For two or three years a movement has 
been on foot looking to the preparation by 
the Children's Librarians' Section of the 
A. L. A. of a somewhat extended list of 
books for young readers. The committee of 
the Children's Librarians' Section made a re- 
port last year outlining a scheme for the 
work and addressing some queries to the 
Publishing Board, to which the matter had 
been referred by the Association. (Proc. 
Niagara Conference, p. 206, 207.) 

After consideration of these queries the 
Board reached the conclusion : 

1. That a list of children's books prepared 
by the committee arranged for by the Chil- 
dren's Librarians' Section would be emi- 
nently worth while; 

2. That it should be a selected list rather 
than a full bibliography of children's litera- 
ture; 

3. That the expenditure of a sum not ex- 
ceeding $150 for the mechanical preparation 
of the list should be authorized. 

4. They appointed a member of the Board 
as an adviser to confer with the chairman 
of the committee in charge of the list. 

5. They were not able to present "a crit- 
ical estimate from the publisher's standpoint 
of the strong points and weak points in the 
lists of children's books which have been 
published already" ; but they felt that in 
general the list should include from 1500 to 
3000 titles, with critical and descriptive 
notes, designed largely to interest the chil- 
dren and parents, but of such a character as 
to be of great assistance to librarians. 

A conference was held by the sub-commit- 
tee of the Board with the chairman of the 
committee of the Children's Librarians' Sec- 
tion, at which it was learned that the latter, 
owing to the approaching publication of the 
"A. L. A. catalog," felt that a selected list 
was no longer desirable, but desired to know 
whether the Board would be willing to print 
a bibliography which should represent a 



FLETCHER. 



171 



guide to children's literature. She felt that 
she could not at present give any estimate 
of the time necessary to prepare such a bibli- 
ography, or of its size when completed, or of 
the cost of its mechanical preparation. 

After further consideration the Board felt 
that it must defer decision as to its willing- 
ness to print such a bibliography until its 
scope and cost could be outlined by the Sec- 
tion with more definiteness. The Board is 
convinced that a list prepared by the Section 
would be of great value, and hopes that the 
plan may be matured in the near future. 

As it was evident that the proposed list 
of young people's books would not be forth- 
coming this year, Miss Hewins was asked 
to revise and have reprinted at once her 
"Books for boys and girls," to be issued in 
similar form to the "Tracts." She consented 
to do so, and the list in a form much su- 
perior to the earlier edition is expected from 
the press before the St. Louis meeting. 

The card publications of the Board have 
proceeded since the last report with very 
little change. Some changes have been made 
in the list of serials covered by the serial 
cards, due mostly to the dropping of some 
sets which have been taken up as subjects 
for printed cards by the Library of Con- 
gress. The number of serials indexed has 
been kept good by the addition of other 
titles. The revised list has been sent out 
quite recently to the libraries, and the Board 
would call special attention to the advantage 
to many of the smaller libraries of subscrib- 
ing for cards for a part of the list such 
as are, in each case, taken by the li- 
brary. No addition has been made to the 
cards for "Miscellaneous sets," but cards are 
in preparation and will soon be issued for 
the set of Decennial publications of the 
University of Chicago. Cards are in 
stock for most of the sets that have been 
indexed, and the Board invites suggestions 
as to additional sets that should be covered. 
We still have a good supply of the cards 
printed in 1903 for the Massachusetts public 
documents, and can also supply the cards 
for articles in bibliographic periodicals, 
which have been issued for the last two 



years, the Bibliographical Society of Chicago 
doing the indexing. 

Our "annotated bibliographies," with the 
exception of Miss Kroeger's "Guide to refer- 
ence books," already referred to, find a slow 
sale, largely because they are of a special 
character, not appealing strongly to the 
smaller libraries. It is apparent that no suf- 
ficient support can be obtained from the li- 
braries for the extension of the scheme to 
other departments of literature, unless the 
material can be provided less expensively 
than has been the case with the lists already 
issued. 

The high appreciation on the part of the 
libraries using them of these annotated lists, 
and the fact that they so soon become out 
of date and need supplementing, has led to 
a demand for something in the way of a 
periodical issue of selected ~~and annotated 
titles of new books, prompt enough to be of 
service in the selection of books for pur- 
chase. The difficulties in the way of such 
an issue are considerable, especially as to 
its promptness. The Board has given much 
attention to this matter for the last two 
years, and is at the present writing consid- 
ering a proposed arrangement with Mr. 
Bowker of the Library Journal for the issue 
of a library purchase list in combination 
with a monthly index to leading periodicals. 
It is hoped that the feature of annotation 
may soon be added, and the Board is pre- 
pared, if this undertaking develops as it is 
expected to, to provide for competent editor- 
ship and give the idea of early and period- 
ical annotation of current literature a thor- 
ough trial. 

The attention of librarians is called to the 
fact that the Board is its own selling agent, 
and that it is a matter of mutual advantage 
for orders for its publications to be sent di- 
rectly to the Board and not given to the 
trade. 

The usual financial statement is attached 
to this report. It is for the calendar year 
1903 ; as the conference comes later in the 
year than usual, the treasurer will present 
at the conference a summary statement of 
the affairs of the Board up to Oct. i, 1904. 



172 



ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. 



A. L. A. PUBLISHING BOARD 
STATEMENT OF ACCOUNTS, JAN. i TO DEC. 31, 1903 



PUBLICATIONS. 


Copies 
sold in 
1903. 


Copies on 
hand 
Dec. 31, 
1903. 


Balances Jan. i , 
1903, on the basis 
of expenditures 
over receipts to 
date. 


Operations 
Jan. i to Dec. 31, 
1903. 


Balances Dec. 31, 
1903, being excess 
of expenditures 
over receipts to 
date. 








Spent 


Received 


Expenses 


Receipts 


Spent 


Received 


A. L. A. Proceedings 


6 
477 
13 pap. 
43 cl. 
37 
32 pap. 
54 cl. 
363 Pts. 

796 

156 cl. 
a sheep 

677 
4 pap. 

2 Cl. 

2 J-2 mor. 

46 
457 
74 cl. 
i % mor. 


58 
36 
1190 
1 66 
172 
3560 
4 cl. 
200 sheets 
Bel. 
85 sheep 
277 sheets 
2292 

129 pap. 
219 cl. 
323 
51 cl. 
7^ mor. 
55 sheets 





17.69 




$4.90 
18.76 

37-43 
1.89 

ro 3 .6s 
864.14 
8".45 




$12.59 
26.36 






[$274.45 






1237-03 


French fiction 


42.99 


14.70 
103.65 

187.34 
811.45 


30.18 


Books for girls and women. . -j 
Guide to reference books ! 

Larned's Am. history \ 
Library tracts, 1-4 


\ 




\ 
\ 578.47 

i 






104.81 






( 
153-50 

\ 349-85 

j 








Reading for the young : 
Complete.. - 

" Sup..- 






44.28 

785.00 
679.60 


305.57 




1059.69 


283.49 


1561.20 


A. L. A. index -| 


V 1252.15 


572-55 


Portrait index, prelim, exp 








Bibliographical cards 








"39 

584-97 

1131.62 
639-54 


180.42 


151-33 
5 21 

191.00 

1705.92 
169.51 


17.70 




Current books 








590.18 


English history cards -j 

Periodical cards -I 
Miscellaneous, 17-28 


38 sets cds 
27 pams. 
199.795 
cards 
84 sets 


[= 


86.33 


228.50 
1202.90 
42.39 


123.83 


1634.64 
766.76 
17-03 


Mass. Pub. Doc. cards 






Warner library cards 


63 
198 


So 
in 


461.03 






37800 


83-03 


Wells' Sup. to Lamed 




















Totals 






14895.28 


$3502.52 


$3961.54 


$6151.45 


$3940 22 
803.53 


$4743-75 
803.53 


General balance 


























14895.28 


$4895-28 


$6151-45 


$6i5i-45 


$4743-75 


$4743-75 


OTHER ACCOUNTS. 


Balance Jan. i, 1903 


Operations of 1903 


Balance Dec. 31, 1903 


Dr. 


Cr. 


Dr., 


Cr. 


Dr. 


Cr. 


A. L. A. catalog 










1200.98 
$801.13 


$1703." 
27.27 
688.89 

263.60 


General expense and income ace 
Old members' account 


ount 




$1175.41 
38-65 
82.14 


$2084 10 

11.38 
82.14 
7634.28 
3374-06 
683.38 


$2611.80 

688.89 
77i3-5i 
1709 45 
334-14 






Charges unpaid 




Balance of cash 


$980 36 


Library Bureau account . ...r 




1928.21 
349-24 


Houghton, Mifflin & Co. accoun 


t 








1484.49 














Totals 


$2180.89 


$3573-65 








$2682.87 
803.53 


Balances 






$3486.40 














$3573-65 


$3573-65 






$3486.40 


$3486.40 



HARRISON. 



1/3 



REPORT ON GIFTS AND BEQUESTS TO AMERICAN LIBRARIES, 1903-1904. 
BY J. L. HARRISON, Librarian The Providence (R. /.) Athenaum. 



*"PHE report covers trie period from June I, 
1903, to May 31, 1904, and includes single 
gifts of $500 or more, of 250 volumes and 
upwards, and such others, miscellaneous in 
character, as seem specially noteworthy. 
The material has been obtained from the 
Library Journal, Public Libraries, Public* 
Library Monthly, the daily press, from re- 
sponses to 800 circular blanks sent to li- 
braries and from 75 letters addressed to 
state commissions, state associations and 
local library clubs. To all those who by 
their replies have so kindly assisted in his 
work, the reporter acknowledges with grate- 
ful thanks his deep indebtedness. 

Five hundred and six gifts are reported, 
representing in all 137,318 volumes and $6,- 
!03>I37- An analysis of the moneyed gifts 
shows that $732,359 were given as endow- 
ment funds for general library purposes, 
$198,654 for the establishment of book funds, 
$78,709 for the cash purchase of books, $i,- 
507,600, of which $970,100 is reported as ac- 
cepted, from Andrew Carnegie for build- 
ings; $2,750,419 from various donors for 
buildings, $27,400 for sites and $642,496 for 
purposes the objects of which could not be 
ascertained. This item consists for the 
most part of bequests, and presumably will 
be largely invested as endowment funds. In 
addition, 15 sites, the value of which is not 
known, are reported, and also the gifts of 
buildings and grounds to the amount of 
$155,000. 

The gifts of the year, other than those 
made by Mr. Carnegie, amount to $4,595,537- 
This includes 36 gifts of $5000 each, 18 of 
$10,000, nine of $15,000, seven of $20,000, 
five of $25,000, two of $30,000, four of 
$35,000, three of $40,000, one of $45,000, and 
21 of from $50,000 to $600,000. 

The total amount of the 21 largest gifts 
is $3,055.000, given as follows: $50,000, a 
bequest from Mrs. Daniel Hussey to Na- 
shua, N. H. ; $50,000 from the family of the 



late Frederick Billings to the University of 
Vermont; $50,000 from Mrs. George R. Cur- 
tis to Meriden, Conn.; $50,000 from Willard 
E. Case to Auburn, N. Y. ; $50,000 from the 
Robert Wright estate to the Apprentices li- 
brary company of Philadelphia; $50,000 from 
the heirs of Simon Hernshein to New Or- 
leans; $51,000 from Silas L. Griffith to Dan- 
by, Vt. ; $59,000 from Judge William H. 
Moore and James H. Moore to Greene, 
N. Y. ; $60,000 from Ralph Voorhees 
to Rutgers College; $65,000 from an 
unknown donor to the Historical Society 
of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia; $65,000, a be- 
quest from Col. Nicholas P. Sims to Waxa- 
hachie, Texas ; $80,000 additional from the 
Sibley estate to the Massachusetts Historical 
Society, Boston; $100,000 from the Maxwell 
family to Vernon-Rockville, Conn. ; $100,000, 
a bequest from Mrs. Mary Kasson, to Glov- 
ersville, N. Y. ; $100,000 additional from 
Mrs. T. B. Blackstone to Chicago; $125,000, 
a bequest from Wilbur F. Braman, to Mont- 
pelier, Vt. ; $200,000, a bequest from Kendall 
Young, to Webster City, Iowa; $250,000 
from William Baldwin Ross to Yale Uni- 
versity; a building valued at $300,000 from 
Martin A. Ryerson to Grand Rapids, Mich. ; 
$600,000, a bequest from Charles F. Doe, to 
the University of California, and $600,000 
from Mrs. Leland Stanford to Leland Stan- 
ford Junior University. 

Among the notable collections of books 
given may be mentioned the Konrad von 
Maurer collection of German history, com- 
prising 10,000 volumes, from Prof. Archi- 
bald Cary Coolidge to Harvard University; 
the Sidney S. Rider collection of Rhode 
Island history, a collection of 10,000 volumes, 
manuscripts and broadsides from Marsden J. 
Perry to Brown University; a collection of 
20,000 volumes on magic from Dr. S. B. El- 
lison to Columbia College; the private li- 
brary of 4000 volumes of the late John Sher- 
man to the Ohio State Library; 8000 vol- 



174 



ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. 



umes relating to fungi from E. W. D. How- 
lay to the University of Minnesota, and 2700 
volumes on ichthyology from David Starr 
Jordan to Leland Stanford Junior Univers- 
ity. 

Among the interesting gifts may be men- 
tioned Mrs. Phoebe Hearst's gift of a li- 
brary valued at $100,000 to Anaconda, Mont. ; 
Mrs. Charles A. Cutter's gift of $5000 to 
Forbes Library, Northampton, Mass., as a 
memorial to her husband and for the pur- 
pose of establishing an endowment fund, the 
income to be used for increasing the libra- 
rian's salary; $6000 from Edwin H. Cole to 
St. Lawrence University, also for the pur- 
pose of creating an endowment fund for the 
salary of the librarian ; the Morse collection 
of Japanese carvings, valued at $10,000, to 
Princeton University, and a handsome 
stained glass window, "Hans Christian An- 
dersen with the children," purchased with 
money raised by popular subscription and 
given as a Christmas gift to the children's 
room of the Milwaukee public library. 

The report confines Mr. Carnegie's gifts 
to the United States. They number 100, and 
amount to $1,507,600. In their distribution 
the North Atlantic division of states re- 
ceived $505,800, the South Atlantic $100,000, 
the South Central $75,ooo, the North Central 
$601,800 and the Western $225,000. Of the 
states receiving the greatest number of 
gifts, Minnesota ranks first with 13, Cali- 
fornia second with 12, and Iowa and Wis- 
consin third with nine each. There were 14 
gifts under $10,000, 51 of $10,000, 16 between 
$10,000 and $15,000, six between $15,000 and 
$20,000, five of $25,000, three of $30,000, one 
of $40,000 and four of $50,000 or more. The 
larger gifts include $50,000 to Mount Holy- 
oke College, $50,000 to Beloit College, $100,- 
ooo to Clark University and $250,000 to the 
General Society of Mechanics and Trades- 
men of New York City. A further analysis 
shows that two gifts were for branch li- 
braries, 13 for college libraries, one for an 
institutional library, one for library equip- 
ment, and 83, including 12 additional gifts, 
for public libraries. The total additional 
gifts amount to $107,900, varying in sums 
from $2500 to $25,000, and the gifts to col- 
leges, which seem to be increasing, to 
$390,000. 



It may not be inappropriate at this time 
to review briefly the history of the "gifts 
'and bequests" report, and to express the 
hope that a few words spoken in its behalf 
may lead to a larger service in the future. 

In 1884 the Library Journal established as 
a regular feature a department of "gifts and 
bequests." It was not until 1890, however, 
that the report on gifts and bequests became 
a part of the fixed proceedings of the A. L. 
A. meetings. Since, and including that year, 
10 reports have been presented. Those of 
1890, 1891, 1896 and 1897 were made by 
Miss Caroline M. Hewins, of 1894 by Mr. 
Horace Kephart, of 1898 by Miss Elizabeth 
P. Andrews, of 1900 by Mr. George Stock- 
well, of 1901 and 1902 by Mr. George Wat- 
son Cole, and of 1903 by the present re- 
porter. There were no reports in 1892, 1893, 
1895 and 1899, but those of 1896 and 1900- 
each covered two years, so that apparently 
the only breaks during the past 15 years are 
those of 1892 and 1893. 

The reports vary in length from one to 23, 
pages, in the months comprising the year 
covered, in the minimum number of vol- 
umes and amount of money required as a 
basis of record, in the treatment of subject 
matter, and in what, perhaps, is of most 
importance, the classification of gifts in the 
tabulated summaries. 

It may be stated, however, that the year 
from June to May predominates, and that 
the minimum number of volumes most used 
is 250, and the minimum amount of money 
$500. In treatment of subject matter five 
reports are tabulated, three are printed solid, 
the text arranged under state, city and li- 
brary, with a summary under divisions and 
states, grouped after the plan used by the 
United States Bureau of Education in its- 
library statistics, while one is confined to a 
brief statement of a general character. The 
headings under which the gifts are classified, 
both in the tabulated reports and the tables 
of the text reports, vary to some extent in 
nearly every case, the tendency of each suc- 
ceeding year being to a more minute classi- 
fication. 

No one can realize more fully or regret 
more sincerely the incompleteness of the re- 
ports presented than those who have pre- 
pared them. The sources of information. 



HARRISON. 



175 



so far as the reporter is personally con- 
cerned, are practically limited. For the 
completeness and accuracy of his work he 
must rely on the co-operation of the libra- 
ries. It has been suggested several times in 
these) reports that the state commissiona 
might collect the information for their 
states, as the Massachusetts commission is 
so thoroughly doing, and at a definite time 
turn the material over to the reporter who 
has been assigned the work of covering and 
summarizing the entire field. As the state 
commissions must be more familiar with the 
libraries of their states and have facilities 
for coming into closer touch with them than 
the reporter, this method, especially if the 
proposed national organization of state li- 
brary commissions is effected, would seem 
the most practical and businesslike means of 
securing accurate and complete reports. 

In the first report, prepared by Miss Hew- 
ins for the Fabyan conference, she said : 

"Last June 800 postal cards asking for state- 
ments of gifts and bequests received were sent 
to libraries in the United States. Only about 
200 of these libraries have answered the 
cards. Some request more definite informa- 
tion as to whether all gifts, or only gifts of 
money, are to be counted. Many send min- 
ute particulars, many more only vague gen- 
eralities. Some tabulate their statements, 
others scatter them through letters of several 
pages." 

After more than a decade of reports the 
reporter last year met with the same old dif- 
ficulties. This year an attempt was made 
to avoid at least some of them by sending 
out blanks, with spaces for answers left un- 
der each of the ten headings used. By this 
means a somewhat more minute classifica- 
tion of the gifts reported has been possible. 
Attention is called to the method employed, 
however, not for the purpose of discussing 
the headings, but with the object of suggest- 
ing the official adoption by the Association 
of a carefully worked-out classification to 
be used in future reports. 

It would seem, in short, that the gifts and 
bequests reports would be more serviceable 
if it could secure I. Greater accuracy and 
completeness, 2. Uniformity of entry and 
tabulation of summaries, thereby facilitating 
comparison. 

The first end could doubtless be obtained 



with the hearty co-operation of the state 
commissions, and the second by the official 
adoption by this association of definite rules 
of entry and headings for classification. 

ALABAMA. 

NORMAL. Agricultural and Mechanical Col- 
lege Library. $10,000 for a building from 
Andrew Carnegie. 

TALLADEGO. College Library. $15,000 for a 
building from Andrew Carnegie. Accepted 
Jan. 18, 1904. 

TUSKEGEE. Normal and Industrial Institute 
Library. 462 volumes, largely educational 
and general literature, from the estate of 
Miss Anna E. Moore, of Altoona, Pa. 

ARIZONA. 

PHOENIX. Public Library. $25,000 for a 
building from Andrew Carnegie. 

ARKANSAS. 

FAYETTEVILLE. University of Arkansas Li- 
brary. 500 volumes from Col. F. M. Gun- 
ter. 

CALIFORNIA. 

BENICIA. Public Library. $10,000 for a build- 
ing, from Andrew Carnegie. 

BERKELEY. University of California Library. 
$6co,ooo, a bequest from Charles F. Doe, 
of San Francisco. The will provides that 
the gift shall be used for the construction 
of a building, and, in the event of a sur- 
plus, the income of the same for the pur- 
chase of books. 

650 volumes relating to French language 

and literature from Madame F. V. Paget. 

CHICO. Public Library. $10,000 for a build- 
ing, from Andrew Carnegie. Accepted. 

FRESNO. Public Library. A library site, 
given by a number of citizens. 

$500, for books, from Louis Einstein. 

HANFORD. Public Library. $12,500, for a 
building, from Andrew Carnegie. Ac- 
cepted. 

HAYWARDS. Public Library. $10,000, for a 
building, from Andrew Carnegie. Ac- 
cepted. 

NEVADA CITY. Public Library. $10,000, for a 
building from Andrew Carnegie. Ac- 
cepted. 

OAKLAND. Free Public Library. Three large 
mural paintings from the artist, Mrs. Ma- 
rion Holden Pope. The subjects are "Lit- 
erature crowned by fortune," center panel, 
"Poetry," and "Prose." 

REDDING. Public Library. $10,000, for a 
building, from Andrew Carnegie. Ac- 
cepted. 

REDWOOD CITY. Public Library. $10,000, for 
a building, from Andrew Carnegie. Ac- 
cepted. 

SAN FRANCISCO. Mechanics Institute. Mural 
decoration, from Rudolph J. Taussig. 



176 



ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. 



SAN FRANCISCO. Public Library. $15,000 ad- 
ditional, for a branch library, from Andrew 
B. McCreery, making a total gift of $42,500. 

SAN Luis PBISPO. Public Library. $10,000, 
for a building, from Andrew Carnegie. 
Accepted. 

SANTA CRUZ. Public Library. $750, for 
furnishing the library, from the Santa Cruz 
improvement society. 

$100, for improving the grounds, from 
the same society. 

SANTA MONICA. Public Library. $12,500, 
for a building from Andrew Carnegie. Ac- 
cepted. 

SANTA ROSA. Public Library. $1000, from 
Nelson Carr. The gift was used for the 
construction of stacks. 

STANFORD UNIVERSITY. Leland Stanford Jr. 
University Library. $600,000, for a build- 
ing, from Mrs. Leland Stanford. (Gift 
noticed in 1903 report, but amount not 
given.) The library will be the last of the 
buildings to complete the quadrangle at 
Palo Alto. It will be 305 feet by 194 feet, 
in Byzantine style, of buff sandstone, with 
an especially ornamental front. The en- 
trances will be at each corner of the build- 
ing and these entrances will be supported 
by pilasters of sandstone. The great ro- 
tunda, 140 feet in height, will occupy the 
center of the building and will be 70 feet 
in diameter. On the ground floor the space 
in the rotunda will be used as a general 
reading room. The corner stone will be 
laid soon after the opening of the fall 
term. 

2700 volumes on ichthyology, probably 

the finest library in existence on the sub- 
ject, from Dr. David Starr Jordan. 

VALLEJO. Public Library. $20,000, for a 
building, from Andrew Carnegie. Ac- 
cepted. 

WATSONVILLE. Public Library. $10,000, for 
a building, from Andrew Carnegie. Ac- 
cepted. 

WOODLAND. Public Library. $10,000, for a 
building, from Andrew Carnegie. Ac- 
cepted. 

YOSEMITE VALLEY. Le Conte Memorial 
Lodge. $5000, from the Sierra Club of the 
Pacific, for a library, reading room and 
headquarters, given as a memorial to Jo- 
seph Le Conte, whose death, in 1901, oc- 
curred near the site of the lodge. 

COLORADO. 

BOULDER. University of Colorado Library. 
$15,000, for a building from Andrew Car- 
negie. Accepted. 

PUEBLO. Public Library. $10,000 additional, 
for a building, from Andrew Carnegie, 
making a total gift of $70,000. 

CONNECTICUT. 

BERLIN-KENSINGTON. Public Library. $10,- 
ooo, for a building, from H. H. Peck, of 



Waterbury, and Mrs. N. L. Bradley, of 
New Britain. 

BRIDGEPORT. Public Library. $1000, a bequest 
from W. B. Hincks, for the purchase of 
books. 

COLCHESTER. Bacon Academy Library. $12,- 
ooo, for a building, from Dr. Edward B. 
Cragin, of New York City, as a memorial 
to "his father. 

COLUMBIA. 5\ B. Little Free Library. $2500, 
for a building, from Saxon B. Little, of 
Meriden. 

$500, a bequest from Judge Dwight 

Loomis, of Hartford. 

DARIEN. Public Library. Building site, from 
Dr. and Mrs. Noxon. 

EAST HADDAM - MOODUS. Public Library. 
$5000, a bequest from Mason H. Silliman, 
available on the death of his son. 

ELLINGTON. Public Library. $13,000 addi- 
tional, from the Hall family, making a total 
gift of $43,000. 

FARMINGTON. Public Library. $3000, a be- 
quest from Frederick Augustus Ward. 

KILLINGLY-DANIELSON. Public Library. $15,- 
ooo, for a building, from Edwin H. Bugbee. 

looo volumes, from the same donor. 

MERIDEN. Curtis Memorial Library. $50,000, 
for a building, from Mrs. George R. Curtis. 
(Noticed in 1901-02 report, but amount not 
given.) 

'$7885, f r a fund, subscribed by a num- 
ber of citizens. 

$1000, from Russell Hall, for the estab- 
lishment of the "Russell Hall Alcove." 

MIDDLEFIELD. Levi A. Coe Library Associa- 
tion. $2000, a bequest from Judge Levi A. 
Coe. 

MIDDLETOWN. Berkeley Divinity School Li- 
brary. $500, for the general endowment 
fund from various alumni. 

Wesleyan University Library. 454 volumes 
relating to theology, from the family of the 
Rev. S. M. Stiles, of Hartford. 

394 volumes of U. S. public documents, 

needed to complete sets, from the Hon. Jo- 
seph R. Hawley. 

NEW BRITAIN. Public Library. $20,000, for 
a fund, from John B. Talcqtt. 

NEW HAVEN. Free Public Library. $5000, a 
bequest without restrictions, from Philo S. 
Bennett. 

Yale Law School Library. 700 volumes, 
from Francis Wayland. 

Yale University Library. $250,000, for an 
extension of the library building, from Will- 
iam Baldwin Ross, of New York City. 

$37,000, a bequest from Mrs. Henry Far- 

nam, of New Haven, the income to be used 
for the purchase of books. 

$22,000, a bequest from Edward Wells 

Southworth. (This sum has been realized 
by the estate in addition to the $150,000 re- 
ported in 1902-03.) 

RIDGEFIELD. Public Library. $500, a bequest 
from John Adams Gilbert. 



'HARRISON. 



177 



RIDGEFIELD. Public Library. Building, from 
James Morris. 

SOUTH NORWALK. Public Library. $1000, a 
bequest from R. H. Rowan. 

SOUTH SALEM. Public Library. $5000, from 
Cyrus J. Lawrence, of New York City. 

SOUTHINGTON. Public Library. $25,000, a be- 
quest from Charles D. Barnes, available on 
the death of the two legatees named in the 
will. 

Building, given by various citizens. 

STAMFORD. Ferguson Library. $5000 toward 
an endowment fund. Name of donor with- 
held. 

STRATFORD. Public Library. $1000, a bequest 
from Mrs. Charles Olney, of Cleveland, 
Ohio. 

SUFFIELD. Kent Memorial Library. 2000 
volumes, comprising one of the most val- 
uable antiquarian libraries in the state, from 
Hezekiah S. Sheldon, of West Sufneld. 

VERNON-ROCKVILLE. Public Library. $100,- 
ooo, for a building, from the Maxwell fam- 
ily. 

WESTBROOK. Public Library. $6000, for a 
fund, from Edwin B. Foote, Thomas P. 
Fiske, Nancy A. Perry, Cornelia Chapman 
and John S. Spencer. 

WINSTED. Beardsley Library. $10,000, a be- 
quest from Amanda E. Church, comprising 
her entire estate. 

DELAWARE. 

WILMINGTON. Wilmington Institute Free Li- 
brary. $20,000, from William P. Bancroft, 
on condition that the city council agree to 
give the library $50 a year in perpetuity for 
each $1000 given. The gift was accepted 
with the proviso that the appropriations un- 
der the terms of the contract should not 
exceed $5000 in any one year. 

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. 
WASHINGTON. Howard University Library. 

263 volumes, from Gen. Whittlesley. 
304 volumes, from Dr. J. E. Rankin. 

Library of Congress. A collection of 1500 
pieces, comprising letters, papers and a 
manuscript autobiography in six volumes, 
of Martin Van Buren, from Mrs. Smith T. 
Van Buren, of Fishkill-on-the-Hudson, 
N. Y. 

A collection of papers known as the 

"Chancellor Kent collection," from William 
Kent. 

Public Library. $25,000 additional, for 
buildings, from Andrew Carnegie. 

GEORGIA. 

ATLANTA. Carnegie Library. 414 volumes on 
labor and monetary questions, from James 
C. Reed. The collection is valued at $1000. 
IDAHO. 

BOISE. Public Library. $5000 additional, for 
a building, from Andrew Carnegie, making 
a total gift of $20,000. 



BOISE. Public Library. $5000 toward the 
building, subscribed by various citizens. 

ILLINOIS. 

ALTON. Jennie D. Hayner Library. $20,000, 
from Mrs. W. A. Haskell and Mrs. John E. 
Hayner, to be known as the "John E. Hay- 
ner endowment fund." 

$500, an endowment fund in memory of 

John E. Hayner, from John A. Haskell. 

$250, for an endowment fund, from Mrs. 

William Eliot Smith. 

ANNA. Public Library. $40,000, for an en- 
dowment fund, from Captain A. D. Stenson. 

CHICAGO. Newberry Library. A valuable 
collection of maps and manuscripts, cover- 
ing the history of the French marine from 
the I3th century to 1870, made by Paul 
Carles, from Edward E. Ayer. 

Public Library. $100,000 -additional, for a 
building, from Mrs. T. B. Blackstone, mak- 
ing a total gift of $250,000. 

The John Crerar Library. 300 volumes and 
200 pamphlets relating to political economy, 
from Henry D. Lloyd. 

EVANSTON. Northwestern University Library. 
$215, for German books, the proceeds of a 
performance of Schiller's Wallenstein, given 
in Chicago. 

LINCOLN. Public Library. $5000 toward the 
building fund, from Stephen A. Foley. 

LITCHFIELD. Public Library. $5000 addition- 
al, for a building, from Andrew Carnegie, 
making a total gift of $15,000. 

ROCK ISLAND. Public Library. $5369.32 ad- 
ditional toward the new building, from 
Frederick Weyerhaeuser, making a total 
gift of $7869.32. 

ROCKFORD. Public Library. A museum of 
natural history, collected ' by Dr. J. W. 
Velie, from the Beattie family. 

SALEM. Public Library. $25,000, for a build- 
ing, from William J. Bryan. 

$15,000, for the purchase of books, from 

the same donor. 

TUSCOLA. Public Library. $10,000, for a 
building, from Andrew Carnegie. 

URBANA. Burnham Library. $10,000, from 
W. B. McKinley. 

University of Illinois Library. 384 vol- 
umes and 544 pamphlets on chemistry, the 
private library of the late Prof. Arthur W. 
Palmer, from Mrs. Palmer. 

INDIANA. 

COLUMBUS. Public Library. $2500 toward 
the building fund, from Joseph Irwin. 

ELWOOD. Public Library. $5000 additional, 
for a building, from Andrew Carnegie, mak- 
ing a total gift of $30,000. 

FORT WAYNE. Public Library. $15,000 ad- 
ditional, for a building, from Andrew Car- 
negie, making a total gift of $00,000. 

HAMMOND. Public Library. $25,000, for a 
building from Andrew Carnegie. 

HANOVER. College Library. $10,000, a be- 



i 7 8 



ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. 



quest from Mrs. Eliza C. Hendricks, for 
the completion of the Thomas A. Hendricks 
Memorial Library, making a total gift of 
$35,000. 

INDIANAPOLIS. Butler College Bona Thomp- 
son Memorial Library. $15,000 additional, 
for a building, from Mr. and Mrs. E. C. 
Thompson, making a total gift of $45,000. 

$600, from alumni, for the purchase of 

books. 

Public Library. Building and site, valued 
at $2500, for a branch library, from the 
Riverside Sunday-school Mission. The 
building can be utilized with few alterations. 

534 volumes relating to Indiana history, 

said to be the most valuable collection on 
the subject in existence, from Judge Daniel 
Wait Howe. 

MICHIGAN CITY. Public Library. $5000, for 
an endowment fund for books, from John 
H. Barker, given on condition that an equal 
amount be raised by subscription. 

. $7000 given by various citizens to se- 
cure Mr. Barker's offer. 

MUNCIE. Public Library. $5000 additional, 
for a building, from Andrew Carnegie, mak- 
ing a total gift of $55,000. 

PERU. Railroad Y. M. C. A. Library. $4000, 
from Miss Helen Gould. 

TERRE HAUTE. Emeline Fairbanks Memorial 
Library. $25,000 additional, for a building, 
from Crawford Fairbanks, making a total 
gift of $75,000. 

IOWA. 

BURLINGTON. Free Public Library. 250 mis- 
cellaneous volumes, from Philip M. Crapo. 

Rear Admiral George C. Remey, a na- 
tive of Burlington, has presented the library, 
upon its request, an oil portrait of himself, 
by Harold L. MacDarold. 

CHEROKEE. Public Library. $10,000, for a 
building, from Andrew Carnegie. 

DUBUQUE. Public Library. A collection of 
minerals, numbering some 1000 specimens, 
from Mrs. James Hervey. 

IOWA FALLS. Public Library. $10,000, for a 
building, from Andrew Carnegie. Ac- 
cepted. 

$2500 toward the building, from E. S. 

Ellsworth. The library will be known as 
the "Carnegie-Ellsworth Free Public Li- 
brary." 

LE MARS. Public Library. $2500 additional, 
for a building, from Andrew Carnegie, 
making a total gift of $12,500. 

ODEBOLT. Public Library. $4000. for a build- 
ing, from Andrew Carnegie 

STORM LAKE. Public Library. $10,000, for a 
building, from Andrew Carnegie. 

TAMA. Public Library. $7500, for a building, 
from Andrew Carnegie. 

WATERLOO. Public Library. $20,000 addi- 
tional, for a second building, in another 
part of the city, from Andrew Carnegie, 
making a total gift of $50,000. 



WEBSTER CITY. Kendall Young Library. 
$200,000, for a building and endowment 
fund, a bequest from Kendall Young, which 
became available on the death of his wife, 
in September, 1903. The will provides $25,- 
ooo for the erection of the building and 
$175,000 as an endowment fund. 

WEST BRANCH. Public Library. Library 
building, costing $2000, from Mrs. Hulda 
Eulow. 

WEST LIBERTY. Public Library. $7500 for a 
building, from Andrew Carnegie. 

WINTERSET. Public Library. $10,000 for a 
building, from Andrew Carnegie. 

KANSAS. 

KINGMAN. Public Library. $10,000, for a 
building, from Andrew Carnegie. 

LAWRENCE. University of Kansas Library. 
$500, for an endowment fund for the pur- 
chase of books on English literature, from 
the Kappa chapter of the Kappa Alpha 
Theta fraternity. 

MANHATTAN. Carnegie Free Public Library. 
Site valued at $1500, from the Manhattan 
Institute. 

Real estate valued at $600, from the 

same donor. 

$1025, for establishing and maintaining 

a library, from the Manhattan Library As- 
sociation. 

TOPEKA. Washburn College Library. $40,000, 
for a building, from Andrew Carnegie. Ac- 
cepted March, 1904. 

KENTUCKY. 

BEREA. Berea College Library. $30,000, for 
a building, from Andrew Carnegie. Ac- 
cepted June 9, 1904. 

LOUISIANA. 

NEW ORLEANS. Public Library. $50,000, 
from the heirs of the late Simon Hern- 
shein. 

270 volumes relating to agriculture, from 

Lewis Stanton. 

MAINE. 

BRUNSWICK. Bowdoin College Library. 400 
volumes relating to education, from Mrs. 
Thomas Tash, of Portland. 

FARMINGTON. Public Library Association. 
Building and site, valued at $35,000, from 
John L. and Isaac M. Cutler. 

$4000, an endowment fund, the income 

to be used for general repairs to the build- 
ing, from Isaac M. Cutler. 

$2000, for furnishing the building from 

the same donor. 

PORTLAND. Public Library. 949 miscellaneous 
volumes, from Edward M. Rand. 

WATERVILLE. Colby College Library, iioo vol- 
umes relating to ethics and theology, from 
Mrs. Caroline M. Fairbanks. 

200 volumes in fine bindings, with black 

walnut bookcase, from Dr. William 
Mathews. 



HARRISON. 



179 



MARYLAND. 

HAGERSTOWN. Public Library. $16,000 to- 
ward paying off an indebtedness of $21,000, 
from the children of B. F. Newcomer. 

$5000 toward the same purpose, from E. 

W. Mealy. 

$5000, for the establishment of branch 

libraries in the county and a department 
for the young, from an unknown donor. 

TRAPPE. Philemon Dickinson Library. Build- 
ing and grounds, from Miss Laura Dickin- 
son, a daughter of the founder. 

MASSACHUSETTS. 

ACTON. Public Library. Oil painting from 
E. M. Raymond, of Boston. 

AMESBURY. Public Library. $500, to be used 
at the discretion of the trustees, from Rob- 
ert T. Davis, of Fall River. 

Card catalog case, periodical cases, pic- 
tures and reference books, valued at $500, 
from Moses N. Huntington, as a memorial 
to his sister, Ruth A. Huntington. 

AMHERST. Library Association. $952.50, a 
bequest from Isaac Gridley. 

ASHLAND. Public Library. $10,000, for a 
building, from Andrew Carnegie. Ac- 
cepted. 

BOSTON. American Congregational Associa- 
tion Library. $1000, from the estate of S. 
Brainerd Pratt, the income to be used for 
caring for the Bible room of the library. 

Boston Athenaum. $10,000, from the es- 
tate of Robert Charles Billings. The gift 
forms an endowment fund, one-half of the 
income of which is to be used for printing 
and one-half for books. 

$800, for books, from Howard Payson 

Arnold. 

Boston University Library, noo volumes, 
from Prof. Augustus Buck. 

Massachusetts Historical Society. $80,000 
additional, from the Sibley estate, making 
a total gift of $180,000. 

Public Library. $4154, a bequest from Lu- 
cius Page Lane, for the establishment of a 
fund to be known as the "Sarah Chapin 
Memorial," the income to be used for the 
purchase of books on natural religion, 
moral philosophy and sociology 

Memorial tablet of Robert Charles 

Billings, by St. Gaudens. 
2480 miscellaneous books, from the late 

Joseph H. Center. 
505 miscellaneous books from Charles 

A. and Nathaniel T. Kidder, in the name of 

the late Henry T. Kidder. 
466 miscellaneous volumes from Mrs. 

Harriet T. Boyd, of Dedham. 
2388 numbers of German patents, from 

the patent office, Germany. 
BROCKTON. Public Library. $3000, a bequest 

from Mrs. Henry L. Ford. 
CAMBRIDGE. Harvard University Library. 

$34So for books from various donors, for 

purchases in specific departments. 
$1000, from Edward Mallinckrodt, of 

St. Louis, for refitting the library of the 



Boylston laboratory and purchasing books 
on chemistry. 

$900, from J. H. Hyde, of New York 

City, for cataloging and binding books of 
the Moliere collection. 

10,000 volumes on German history, from 

Assistant Professor Archibald Cary Cool- 
idge. The collection was formed by the 
late Professor Konrad von Maurer, of Mu- 
nich, and will probably be known as the 
"Hohenzollern collection," in memory of the 
visit of Prince Henry of Prussia to Har- 
vard in 1902. 

750 volumes, from the family of the late 

J. Elliot Cabot, of Brookline. 

CHELSEA. Fits Public Library, $500, a be- 
quest from W. T. Bolton. 

CONCORD. Public Library. $10,000, a bequest 
from Samuel Hoar, available on the death 
of his wife, the income t6 be used for the 
purchase of books. If no lineal descend- 
ants survive, the residue of his personal prop- 
erty is to be divided between the library 
and the fellows of Harvard University. 

$2000, for the art department, a bequest 

from the same donor. 

Mr. Hoar also bequeathed the library 

his office table. It was used as a cabiriet 
table by successive presidents of the United 
States, from Madison to Grant. 

DRACUT. Public Library. Oil portrait of Dr. 
Israel Hildreth, presented through the ef- 
forts of Col. Butler Ames. 

DUXBURY. Public Library. Painting of the 
brig "Smyrna," built in Duxbury and the 
first vessel to bear the American flag into 
the Black Sea after it was opened to our 
commerce, presented by William B. Wes- 
ton, of Wilton. 

EAST DOUGLAS. Simon Fairfield Public Li- 
brary. $25,000, for a building and site, from 
James Marshall Fairfield, of Boston, as a 
memorial to his father and mother, Simon 
Fairfield and Phoebe Churchill Fairfield. 

$500, for books, from James M. Fair- 
field. 

EASTHAM. Public Library. $15,000, a be- 
quest from Robert C. Billings, $1000 for 
present improvements and $14,000 as a gen- 
eral endowment fund. 

EDGARTOWN. Public Library. $1000 toward 
the Carnegie library building, from Mrs. 
Caroline Warren, of Boston. 

Site for the building, from the same 

donor. 

FRANKLIN. Public Library. $15,000, for a 
building, from Andrew Carnegie. 

$5000, a bequest from Albert D. Mason, 

available on the death of his wife. 

GREENWICH. Public Library. $475, a bequest 
from Mrs. R. Spooner. 

HARDWICK. Public Library. $10,000, a be- 
quest from the Rev. Lucius R. Paige. 

HAVERHILL. Public Library. $15.000, for an 
endowment fund, the income to be used for 
the purchase of books, from James H. 
Carleton. 



i8o 



ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. 



HAVERHILL. Public Library. Bound volumes 
of the Haverhill Gazette, 1828-1835, cover- 
ing the editorship of Whittier, from Miss 
Sarah D. Thayer. 

HEATH. Public Library. 400 volumes, from 
Marshall Field, of Chicago. 

LANCASTER. Public Library. $1000, a be- 
quest, the income of which is to be used for 
developing the library's collection of Lan- 
castriana, from Henry S. Nourse. 

$500, a bequest from Francis N. Lincoln. 

LEE. Public Library. $10,000, for a building, 
from Andrew Carnegie. Extension of time 
in which offer can be accepted has been 
requested. 

LEICESTER. Public Library. 250 volumes, from 
the Springfield City Library Association. 

LYNN. Public Library. Antique clock, a be- 
quest from W. Henry Herner. 

Oil portrait of the late Orsamus B. 

Bruce, superintendent of schools, from the 
teachers and scholars of the city. 

MALDEN. Public Library. $15,000, a bequest 
for a fund, the income to be used for the 
purchase of works of art, from Mrs. Elisha 
Converse. 

MEDFIELD. Public Library. $5000, from the 
Billings estate, the income to be used for 
the purchase of books. 

MELROSE. Public Library. $3500, contributed 
in small amounts, towards the new Carnegie 
building, by the citizens of the town. 

MIDDLEBOROUGH. Public Library. $1000, a be- 
quest from Joseph E. Beals. 

MILLBURY. Public Library. $1000, a bequest 
from Calvin W. Barker. 

MILTON. Public Library. $21,000 toward the 
building, from Nathaniel T. Kidder. 

$1000, for the building, from A. L. Hol- 

lingsworth. 

$500, for the same, from Mrs. William 

H. Forbes. 

Lot, valued at $5000 and containing an 

acre and a half, from various citizens whose 
names are not announced. 

NATICK. Morse Institute Library. Life-sized 
portrait of himself, from J. O. Wilson. 

Bronze memorial tablet, commemorative 

of the life and works of Henry Wilson, 
from George F. Hoar. 

NEEDHAM. Public Library. Site for the new 
Carnegie library, from J. G. A. Carter. 

NEW BEDFORD. Public Library. Marble bust 
of the late librarian, Robert C. Ingraham, 
by Walton Ricketson, from friends of Mr. 
Ingraham. 

NEWBURYPORT. Public Library. Portrait of 
Edward Strong Moseley, for 40 years a di- 
rector of the library, from C. W. and F. S. 
Moseley. 

Portrait of William Cleaves Todd, 

founder of the reading room, from his as- 
sociates in the work. Both portraits are by 
Robert G. Hardie. 

NORTHAMPTON. Forbes Library. $5000 as a 
memorial to her husband, Charles A. Cutter, 
the income to be devoted to the librarian's 



salary, from Mrs. Cutter. The gift was 
made on the condition that a yearly amount 
equal to the income of the fund should be 
added to the salary appropriated by the city 
council. 

$500, from the trustees of Smith College. 

The gift is annual. 

OXFORD. Charles Lamed Memorial Library. 
$30,000, for a building as a memorial to his 
mother, from Charles Larned. 

REVERE. Public Library. $3100, for furnish- 
ing the reading rooms, from Revere Wo- 
man's Club. 

Drinking fountain in memory of his 

mother, Mary E. Grover, from Theodore 
Grover. 

Stained glass window, from the Current 

Events Club of Beachmont. 

ROCKLAND. Public Library. $12,500, for a 
building, from Andrew Carnegie. Accepted 
April 29, 10x14. 

ROCKPORT. Public Library. $10,000, for a 
building, from Andrew Carnegie. Accepted 
Nov. n, 1904. 

SALEM. Essex Institute. One-half interest 
in the Ropes homestead and all its contents, 
as a memorial to the Ropes family, a be- 
quest from Miss Mary P. Ropes. The gift 
is available on the decease of her sister, Miss 
Eliza O. Ropes. It is the wish of the donor 
that a botanical garden be maiatained on 
the grounds, and that free classes, with a 
competent instructor, for the study of bot- 
any, be held in the house. Real estate and 
bonds were given to support this object. 

$25,588, a bequest from Walter Scott 

Dickson. 

SOUTH HADLEY. Mount Holyoke College Li- 
brary. $50,000, for a building, from An- 
drew Carnegie. Accepted. 

$50,000, from various sources. $3000 of 

this amount was given by friends and un- 
dergraduates, $1000 from the class of iox>4 
and $15,000 from citizens of Holyoke. 

$1700. for general endowment fund. 

SOUTHAMPTON. Public Library. $5000, for 
a library building, to be known as the "Ed- 
wards Memorial Library," from Winslow 
T. Edwards, of Easthampton, as a memorial 
to his father. The gift is made on condition 
that a site be furnished and that $100 be 
granted annually for maintenance. 

SpRiNGFtELD. City Library Association. 
$5000, the income to be used for the pur- 
chase of books of permanent value in his- 
tory, science and the useful arts, a bequest 
from Albert D. Nason. The gift is avail- 
able on the death of his widow. 

$1500, to be divided equally between the 

library, art and science museums, a bequest 
from Richard W. Rice. The gift is avail- 
able on the death of those having a life in- 
terest in the estate. 

$1000, to be known as the "Astor fund," 

the income to be used for specimens of the 
wood engraver's art, either books or proofs, 
from the estate of Mary R. Searle. 



HARRISON. 



181 



SPRINGFIELD. City Library Association. $1000, 
from E. Brewer Smith. 

$1000, from D. B. Wesson. 

Siooo, from Henry H. Steinner. 

$1000, from Nathan D. Bill. 

$600, from Dr. L. Corcoran. These five 

gifts to be applied to the reduction of the 
library debt. 

Large and valuable collection of coins, 

from the heirs of Henry S. Lee. 

Cases for the display of the collection, 

from the trustees of the Horace Smith 
estate. 

STOCKBRIDGE. Public Library. $1000, a be- 
quest from Daniel R. Williams. 

STONEHAM. Public Library. $15,000, for a 
building, from Andrew Carnegie. Accepted. 

TUFTS COLLEGE. College Library. $1144, for 
books, from various alumni. 

$500, for books, from T. T. Sawyer, of 

Boston. 

$500, for books, from Taber Ashton, of 

Philadelphia. 

1670 volumes, from the estate of the 

Rev. G. H. Emerson. 

TYNGSBORO. Public Library. $5000, for a 
building, to be known as "The Littlefield 
Library," a bequest from Mrs. Lucy Little- 
field. 

WAKEFIELD. Public Library. Crayon por- 
trait of Mrs. Harriet N. Evans, a benefac- 
tress of the library, from her nephew, 
Harry B. Evans. 

WALPOLE. Public Library. $10,000 toward 
the new Carnegie library, from various 
citizens. 

WELLESLEY. Public Library. Three bronzes, 
from the Hunnewell estate. 

Wellesley College Library. $5000, for an 
endowment fund, the income to be used for 
the purchase of books, a bequest from A. A. 
Sweet, of Newton. 

SQO volumes relating to Italian litera- 
ture, from George A. Plimpton, of New 
York. Presented as a memorial to Frances 
Taylor (Pearsons) Plimpton, Wellesley, '84. 

WEST BRIDGEWATER. Public Library. $499.50, 
the income to be used for general library 
purposes, a bequest from Francis E. How- 
ard. 

WOBURN. Public Library. $500, a bequest 
from John Clough. 

WORCESTER. Clark University Library. $100,- 
ooo as an endowment fund for the new li- 
brary, from Andrew Carnegie. The gift is 
designated as an honor to Senator George 
F. Hoar. 

MICHIGAN. 

ADRIAN. Public Library. $15,000, a bequest 
from Amos M. Baker, of Clayton. The 
gift was made for the purpose of founding 
a scientific library, to be kept separate from 
the main library, and to be called the "Amos 
M. Baker Scientific Library." 

EATON RAPIDS. Public Library. $10,000, for 
a building, from Andrew Carnegie. 

FLINT. Public Library. $10,000 additional, 



for a building, from Andrew Carnegie, mak- 
ing a total gift of $25,000. 

GRAND RAPIDS. Ryerson Public Library. 
Building completely furnished, valued at 
$300,000, from Martin A. Ryerson, of Chi- 
cago. 

HILLSDALE. College Library. 300 volumes, 
for the Ambler alcove, from Judge W. E. 
Ambler. 

IONIA. Public Library. 1000 volumes as a 
nucleus, from the Ladies' Library Associa- 
tion. 

PORT HURON. Public Library. $5000 addi- 
tional, for a building, from Andrew Car- 
negie, making a total gift of $45,000. 

MINNESOTA. 

ALEXANDRIA. Public Library. $10,000, for a 
building, from Andrew Carnegie. Accepted. 

BLUE EARTH. Public Library. $10,000, for a 
building, from W. E. C. Ross. 

CROOKSTON. Public Library. $12,5000, for a 
building, from Andrew Carnegie. Ac- 
cepted. 

-$5000, for a site, from various donors. 

FAIRMONT. Public Library. $10,000, for a 
building, from Andrew Carnegie. Ac- 
cepted. 

FERGUS FALLS. Public Library. $13,000, for 
a building, from Andrew Carnegie. Ac- 
cepted March, 1904. 

HUTCHINSON. Public Library. $12,500, for a 
building, from Andrew Carnegie. Ac- 
cepted June 10, 1903. 

Site from various citizens. 

500 volumes, from W. W. Pendergast. 

LITCHFIELD. Public Library. $10,000, for a 
building, from Andrew Carnegie. Ac- 
cepted April I, 1903. 

$2000, for a site, from citizens. 

600 volumes, from various citizens. 

LUVERNE. Public Library. $10,000, for a 
building, from Andrew Carnegie. 

MARSHALL. Public Library. $10,000, for a 
building, from Andrew Carnegie. 

MINNEAPOLIS. University of Minnesota Li- 
brary. 8000 volumes relating to botanical 
researches in fungi, from E. W. D. Howlay. 

MOORHEAD. Public Library. $10,000, for a 
building, from Andrew Carnegie. 

MORRIS. Public Library. $10,000, for a build- 
ing, from Andrew Carnegie. Accepted 
Dec. 10, 1903. 

$650, for a site, from various citizens. 

$500, from citizens, for beautifying 

grounds. 

PARK RAPIDS. Public Library. 500 miscella- 
neous volumes, from Lucius T. Hubbard, 
of St. Paul. 

PIPESTONE. Public Library. $10,000, for a 
building, from Andrew Carnegie. Accepted. 

$2000, for site, from citizens. 

REDWOOD FALLS. Public Library. $10,000, for 
a building, from Andrew Carnegie. 

WINNEBAGO CITY. Public Library. $1000, for 
books, from George D. Gygabroad. 

WORTHINGTON. Public Library. $10,000, for 
a building, from Andrew Carnegie. 



1 82 



ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. 



MISSOURI. 

FAYETTE. Central College Library. $1400, 
from Samuel Cupples. 

MARSHALL. Missouri Valley College Library. 
$5000, for books, from Joseph McClintick. 

$1000, from G. H. Althouse and wife. 

MARYVILLE. Public Library. $13,500, for a 
building, from Andrew Carnegie. 

PARKVILLE. Park College Library. $15,000, 
for a building, from Andrew Carnegie. 

$5000, from Mrs. Carrie E. Parsons. 

$4200, from Stanley G. McCormick. 

ST. JOSEPH. Free Public Library. 750 vol- 
umes on education, from Mrs. E. B. Neely. 

ST. Louis. Eden College Library. $660, from 
the German Evangelical Synod. 

Missouri Botanical Garden Library. 450 
volumes and an index of 52,300 cards, from 
the E. Lewis Sturtevant Library. 

Missouri Historical Society. $5000, a be- 
quest for an endowment fund, from Prof. 
Sylvester Waterhouse, of Washington, D. C. 

Public Library. 375 miscellaneous volumes, 
from Mrs. John C. Learned. 

SPRINGFIELD. Drury College Library. 250 
volumes, from the law library of Judge M. 
L. Gray. 

MONTANA. 

ANACONDA. Hearst Free Library. Mrs. 
Phoebe Hearst has turned over to the city 
the Hearst Free Library, valued at $100,000. 

NEW HAMPSHIRE. 

ALEXANDRIA. Haynes Public Library. $4000, 
a bequest from Elias A. Perkins, of Quincy, 
Mass. 

CONCORD. Historical Society. $15,000, the in- 
come to be used for the purchase of his- 
torical and genealogical works, a bequest 
from William C. Todd. 

'3517 miscellaneous volumes, from the 

estate of Lorenzo Sabin, of Roxbury, Mass. 

!233 volumes, valued at $7000, given in 

memory of Rev. Charles Langdon-Tappan, 
from Miss Eva March Tappan. 

FRANKLIN. Public Library. $15,000, for a 
building, from Andrew Carnegie. 

GREENFIELD. Public Library. $6000, a be- 
quest, for a memorial library to her parents, 
from Albe Stephenson, of Hillsboro. 

HILLSBOROUGH BRIDGE. Fuller Public Library. 
$1000, for a building lot, a bequest from 
Albe Stephenson. 

NASHUA. Public Library. $40,000, for a 
building, a bequest from Mrs. Daniel Hus- 
sey, of Kentucky. 

$10,000 as an endowment fund, for the 

purchase of books, a bequest from Mrs. 
Daniel Hussey. 

NEWINGTON. Public Library. $1000 to be 
added to the library fund, from Woodbury 
Langdon, donor of the library. 

PORTSMOUTH. Public Library. Building and 
site from J. Albert Walker, made on condi- 
tion that city would annually appropriate 
$2500. The condition has been accepted. 



ROCHESTER. Public Library. $17,500, for a 
building, from Andrew Carnegie. 

WARREN. Public Library. $500, a bequest 
from Mrs. Damon G. Eastman. Gift is 
conditional on the raising of $2000 addi- 
tional, and is for a building to be known as 
the "Joseph Patch Public Library." 

NEW JERSEY. 

BERNARDSVILLE. Public Library. $12,000, for 
a building. 

CAPE MAY. Public Library. $10,000, for a 
building, from Andrew Carnegie. Ac- 
cepted. 

MADISON. Drew Theological Seminary Li- 
brary. $500, for books on sociology. Name 
of donor not given. 

NEW BRUNSWICK. Gardner A. Sage Library. 
$12,000, to form an endowment fund, the 
income to be used for general expenses, 
from 10 friends whose names are not an- 
nounced. 

Rutgers College Library. $59,000, for a 
building, from Ralph Voorhees, of Clinton, 
N. J. The library will be known as the 
"Ralph Voorhees Library." 

$1000, for equipment, from the same 

donor. 

$4000, for equipment, from various 

alumni. 

Scientific and mineral collection made 

by the late Prof. Chester, given by Albert 
H. Chester, as a memorial. 

NEWARK. Public Library. Two bronzes of 
heroic size, an Apollo Belvedere and a bust 
of Caesar Augustus, from Dr. J. A. Coles. 

PATERSON. Public Library. $30,000 addi- 
tional, for a building, from Mrs. Mary E. 
Ryle, making a total gift of $130,000. Mrs. 
Ryle has offered to purchase the Market 
street site at a sum not to exceed $65,000 
in case the library board could not find a 
purchaser at a satisfactory price. 

PLAINFIELD. Public Library. 265 law reports, 
from Mason W. Tyler. 

PRINCETON. Princeton University Library. 
$2000 as an endowment fund, for the pur- 
chase of books, from various persons. 

$1000, for library helps. 

$500, for books, from various sources. 

1253 volumes, from three donors whose 

names are not announced. 

Morse collection of Japanese carvings, 

valued at $10,000. 

SOUTH ORANGE. Public Library, $1000, for 
the purchase of children's books, from Mrs. 
F. Le Baron Mayhew, of Brooklyn, N. Y. 

TRENTON. Public Library. $1500 without 
condition, from Col. Washington A. Roeb- 
ling. 

NEW YORK. 

ALBANY. New York State Library. 1338 
volumes, from the Brookline Public Li- 
brary. 

647 volumes, from Fairfield Academy. 

557 volumes, from Clavernack Institute. 

AUBURN. Seymour Library Association. 



HARRISON. 



183 



$50,000, for a building and site, from Wil- 
lard E. Case, conditioned on the city giving 
nine cents for every volume of approved 
circulation. (Mentioned in 1900 report, but 
amount not given.) 

BROOKLYN. Library of the Medical Society 
of the County of Kings. 6042 volumes, li- 
brary of the physicians to the German hos- 
pital and dispensary of New York City, 
purchased by subscription and presented to 
the library. 

1476 volumes, the library of the late Dr. 

Joseph Jones, of New Orleans, purchased 
and presented by Dr. William Browning. 

Long Island Historical Society. $1000, a 
bequest from Charles A. Hoyt. 

BUFFALO. Historical Society. 1269 volumes, 
from various sources. 

CAMBRIDGE. School Library. $6800 for a 
building, from Mrs. Lawrence Williams. 

CANTON. St. Lawrence University Library. 
$6000, for an endowment fund, the income 
to be used for the librarian's salary, from 
Edwin H. Cole. 

DUNKIRK. Free Library. $25,000, for a 
building, from Andrew Carnegie. 

EASTON. Burton Free Library. Bequest of 
$1000. 

FRANKLIN. Library Association. $5000, a be- 
quest from Albert E. Mason, of Springfield. 

GLOVERSVILLE. Free Library. $100,000, a be- 
quest without conditions, from Mrs. Mary 
Kasson. The gift is mainly in real estate, 
and includes the Kasson opera house and 
several business buildings. 

$12,000 toward the Carnegie library 

building, contributed by various citizens in 
gifts ranging from five cents to $15,000. 

GREENE. Moore Memorial Library. $40,000 
additional, for a building, from Judge Will- 
iam H. Moore and James Hobart Moore, 
making a total gift of $70,000. 

$50,000, for an endowment fund for 

maintenance, from the same donors. 

$9000, for organization expenses, also 

from the same donors. 

Library site from Mrs. Nathaniel F. 

Moore, mother of the donors, to whose hus- 
band the library is a memorial. 

HAVERSTRAW. King's Daughters Public Li- 
brary. $1300, for furnishings, from Mrs. 
Denton Fowler. 

HUDSON. Public Library. $20,000, for an en- 
dowment fund, the income to be used for 
general expenses and books, from Mrs. 
Francis Chester White Hartley. 

IRVINGTON. Guiteau Library. $500, for the 
purchase of books, a bequest from F. W. 
Guiteau. 

ITHACA. Cornell University Library. 880 
volumes relating to history and English lit- 
erature, from Dr. Andrew D. White. 

302 volumes relating to Arabic literature, 

from Willard Fiske, of Florence, Italy. 

JOSHUA'S ROCK. Public Library. Ground 
was broken for the new Mountain Side li- 
brary building at Joshua's Rock in July, the 



ceremonies being very simple. There was a 
large gathering in the pine woods on the 
beautiful spot of ground donated by Mr. 
Elwyn Seelye as a site. George Gary Eg- 
gleston, president of the association, who 
has secured the money to erect the building 
from Andrew Carnegie and other friends in 
New York, addressed the assemblage briefly, 
recalling how the institution had been 
founded just 10 years ago by Dr. Edward 
Eggleston, the nucleus being realized from 
a large and successful "garden party" given 
by the doctor. He also spoke of the plans 
which had been formed for the institution's 
growth. The first sod was then turned by 
Mrs. George Gary Eggleston and Mrs. El- 
wyn Seelye. 

LE ROY. Library Association. Bequest of a 
private residence, valued at $2500, for li- 
brary purposes. 

LONG ISLAND CITY. Queen's Borough Library. 
Site from residents of College Point. 

2093 miscellaneous volumes from the 

Conrad Poppenhusen Institute. 

MATTITUCK, L. I. Public Library. Building 
and site, valued at $20,000, from F. M. 
Lupton, of New York City. 

MONTOUR FALLS. Memorial Library. Re- 
modelled building, valued at about $3500, 
from Jesse C. Woodhull. 

NEW YORK. Columbia University Library. 
$10,000, for books, for Avery Library, from 
unknown donor. 

$3000, for same purpose, from another 

unknown donor. 

$1000, for current expenses of the Avery 

Library, from Mr. and Mrs. S. P. Avery. _ 

$600 for books, for medical reference li- 
brary, from unknown friend. 

Collection of 20,000 volumes on magic, 

said to be the largest of its kind in this 
country, from Dr. S. B. Ellison. 

1134 volumes, from Prof. J. McK. Cat- 
tell. 

250 volumes, from Dr. Nicholas Murray 

Butler. 

General Society of Mechanics and Trades- 
men. $250,000, for enlargement of building, 
from Andrew Carnegie. 

Public Library. 3000 prompt books, col- 
lected by Mr. Bliss during his long career 
as an actor, from James Becks. The col- 
lection contains notes by Garrick, Macready, 
Forrest and Booth. 

1817 volumes and 375 pamphlets relating 

to Egyptian and Hebrew mysticism and al- 
lied subjects, from the estate of Isaac Myer. 

406 volumes and 437 pamphlets relating 

to the Indian government, from the secre- 
tary of state for India. 

360 volumes, 91 pamphlets and 235 

prints, from Mrs. Henry Draper. 

338 volumes and 380 pamphlets, from 

Mrs. Henry Marquand. 

245 volumes and 53 pamphlets relating 

to naval history and sailing, from Charles 
T. Harbeck. 



184 



ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. 



NEW YORK. Public Library. 863 prints, 
American wood engravings, from Thomas 
D. Sugden. 

343 prints, a collection of engravings by 

Alfred Jones, comprising 268 bank note 
prints and 75 larger ones, from the Misses 
Jones. 

129 prints, the Lepha N. Clarke collec- 
tion of wood engravings, from Elbridge 
Kingsley. 

240 prints, 6p volumes and 74 pamphlets 

relating to music, art, etc., from Samuel P. 
Avery. 

71 field maps and 1168 orders used by the 

late Major-General Daniel Butterfield dur- 
ing the Civil War, from Mrs. Daniel Butter- 
field. 

Two oil paintings, William Cullen Bry- 
ant and Catskill landscape with portrait 
figures of Bryant and Thomas Cole, both 
painted by Asher Brown Durand, from 
Mrs. Julia S. Bryant. 

Bronze bust of George William Curtis, 

from the George William Curtis memorial 
committee. 

Bronze bust of Simon Sterne, by Victor 

D. Brenner, from Mrs. Simon Sterne. 

St. Francis Xavier College Library. 

$3500, for books, a bequest from John 
Mooney. 

POUGHKEEPSIE. Vassar College Library. 
$1200, for books, from Samuel D. Coy 
Kendall. 

ROCHESTER. University of Rochester Library. 
$10,500, for improving and furnishing Sib- 
ley Hall in the library building, from Hiram 
W. Sibley. 

Bronze bust of Hiram Sibley, valued at 

$2500, from his son, Hiram W. Sibley. 

ROCKVILLE CENTER. Public Library. $10,000, 
for a building, from Andrew Carnegie. 

SARANAC LAKE. Public Library. $10,000, for 
a building, from Andrew Carnegie. 

SCHENECTADY. Union College Library. 500 
volumes relating to classical and oriental 
literature and language, from the Taylor 
Lewis Library. 

SOLVAY. Public Library. $10,000, from Sol- 
vay Process Co., to supplement Andrew 
Carnegie's gift of $10,000 for building. 

$500 annually toward maintenance, from 

the same company. 

Site, valued at $1500, from F. R. Hazard. 

SYRACUSE. Syracuse University Library. 
$6000 as an endowment fund, the income 
to be used for "library improvements," a 
bequest from Mrs. John Morrison Reid. 

TICONDEROGA. Public Library. $5000, for a 
building, from Andrew Carnegie. Ar- 
rangements making for acceptance. 

WARSAW. Public Library. $10,000, for a 
building, from Andrew Carnegie. 

NORTH CAROLINA. 

DURHAM. Trinity College Library. 7049 vol- 
umes relating to literature and history, from 
Dr. and Mrs. Dred Peacock, of Greensboro. 



GREENWICH. Public Library. $30,000, for a 
building, from Andrew Carnegie. Accepted 
Dec. 8, 1903. 

NORTH DAKOTA. 

GRAND FORKS. Public Library. $2700 addi- 
tional, for a building, from Andrew Car- 
negie, making a total gift of $22,700. 

$5000, for site, from various citizens. 

OHIO. 

AMHERST. Public Library. $10,000, for a 
building, from Andrew Carnegie. 

ASHLAND. Public Library. $500, from an 
anonymous benefactor. 

ATHENS. Public Library. $30,000, for a 
building, from Andrew Carnegie. 

BELLEVUE. Library Association. $10,000, for 
a building, from Andrew Carnegie. Ac- 
cepted. 

$3600, for equipment, from Andrew Car- 
negie. 

$6750, for a site, given by popular sub- 
scription. 

$5000, for books, from Harlow C. Stahl. 

CINCINNATI. Public Library. $8000, a be- 
quest from Miss Mary Pitman Ropes, of 
Salem, Mass. 

CLEVELAND. Adelbert* College of Western Re- 
serve University Library. $500, for books, 
from Hon. John Hay, of Washington. 

$500, for books, from K. D. Bishop. 

Case Library. 1238 volumes, valued at 
$7000, known as the Koch collection, and 
rich in fine bindings and de luxe editions, 
from Mrs. Laura E. Koch, as a memorial 
to her husband, Joseph Koch. 

COLUMBUS. Ohio State Library. $4000 vol- 
umes, the private library of the late John 
Sherman, as a memorial. The library will 
be kept intact. 

Ohio State University Library. 600 vol- 
umes relating to general literature and 
medicine, from Eliza Haines, of Waynes- 
ville. 

DELAWARE. Public Library. $20,000, for a 
building, from Andrew Carnegie. Accepted. 
The library building will be erected on the 
site formerly occupied by the house in 
which President Hayes was born. 

GAMBIER. Kenyan College. $12,000, for a li- 
brary building, for the theological depart- 
ment, from Mrs. Colburn, of Toledo. 

$5000, to complete building, from the 

heirs of James Pullman Stephens. 

MANSFIELD. Memorial Library Association. 
700 volumes, from the library of the late 
John Sherman. The collection includes 
many first editions and valuable Americana. 

WILBERFORCE. University Library. $15,000, 
for a building, from Andrew Carnegie. 
OKLAHOMA TERRITORY. 

ENID. Public Library. $10,000, for a build- 
ing, from Andrew Carnegie. 

OREGON. 

EUGENE. Public Library. $10,000, for a 
building, from Andrew Carnegie. 



HARRISON. 



185 



} ORTLAND. Public Library. $10,000, as an 
endowment fund, the income to be used for 
the purchase of books, a bequest from Mrs. 
Amanda W. Reed, of Pasadena, Cal. 

PENNSYLVANIA. 

LNNVILLE. Lebanon Valley College Library. 
$20,000, for a building, from Andrew Car- 
negie, given without conditions. 

lERMANTOWN. Friends' Free Library and 
Reading Room. $10,000 without conditions, 
a bequest from Clementine Cope. 

IAVERFORD. Haverford College Library. $550, 
for books. Name of donor not announced. 

'HILADELPHIA. Apprentices' Library Co. 
$50,000, for an endowment fund, a bequest 
from Robert Wright. 

$7000, a bequest from Philip Jagode, 

available on the death of his widow. 

-Free Library. John Wanamaker has pro- 
posed to erect two buildings, the free use of 
which will be given to the trustees for 
branch library work. 

Site, 50x133 feet, at Fortieth and Wal- 
nut streets, for a branch library, from Clar- 
ence H. Clark. 

- Franklin Institute of the State of Pennsyl- 
vania. 436 volumes relating to physics as a 
memorial to the late Prof. Ogden Nicholas 
Rood, of Columbia University, from Mrs. 
Rood. 

-Historical Society of Pennsylvania. $65,- 
ooo, for a fire-proof addition to the present 
building. 

-Library Company of Philadelphia. $1000, 
a bequest from Charles G. Sower, the in- 
come to be used for keeping the Sower col- 
lection of books in proper repair. 

$1000 without conditions, a bequest from 

Lloyd P. Smith. 

2059 volumes, general in character, a 

bequest from Charles G. Sower. 

- University of Pennsylvania Library. 1000 
volumes, comprising the Hebrew and gen- 
eral scientific library belonging to the late 
Rev. Dr. Jastrow, from the rabbi's sons, 
Professors Morris and Joseph Jastrow. 

ITTSBURG. Carnegie Library. $10,800, for a 
branch library, from Andrew Carnegie. Ac- 
cepted. 

4765 volumes relating to German litera- 
ture, from the German Library Association. 
HAWNEE. Public Library. Library, theatre 
and public hall, from C. C. Worthington, 
of New York City. 

/EST CHESTER. Public Library. $4000, a 
bequest from Alice Lewis. 

RHODE ISLAND. 

RISTOL. Rogers Free Library. $2000 as an 
endowment fund, the income to be used for 
the purchase of books, a bequest from 
Sarah Hadwin Hoard. 
AST PROVIDENCE CENTER. Free Library. 
$5000, for a building, from Samuel Bridg- 
ham. 

EWPORT. People's Library. 274 miscella- 
neous volumes, from Mrs. J. C. Gray. 



NEWPORT. Redwood Library. $5000, the in- 
come to be used for the purchase of books, 
a bequest from John Nicholas Brown. 

$2000, a bequest from Miss Mary Leroy 

King. 

$500, a bequest from George W. Wales. 

NORTH KINGSTON. Public Library. $5000, for 
books, a bequest from William D. Davis. 

PORTSMOUTH. School Libraries. $2500 for 
the school libraries of Portsmouth and Mid- 
dletown, from Peter F. Collier. 

PROVIDENCE. Brown University Library. 
$1000 as an endowment fund, the income to 
be used for the purchase of books on biol- 
ogy, from Dr. William W.-~Keen. 

10,000 books, pamphlets, manuscripts, 

broadsides relating to Rhode Island, known 
as the "Sidney S. Rider collection" and 
valued at $15,000, from Marsden J. Perry. 

'346 volumes and pamphlets on interna- 
tional law, from Dr. William V. Kellen. 

Collection of 200,000 newspaper clip- 
pings on sociological subjects, covering the 
years 1883-1903, made by Walter C. Hamm, 
now United States consul at Hull, while on 
the editorial staff of the Philadelphia Press. 

Public Library. $36,000, a portion of a 
still larger bequest, for establishing a fund 
to yield an income, from Charles C. Hos- 
kins. 

$1000, from Mrs. T. P. Shepard, to be 

added to the book fund already donated 
by her. 

Two clocks and a portrait, from the es- 
tate of Charles C. Hoskins. 

Rhode Island Historical Society. $1000, 
the income to be used for general expenses, 
a bequest from Charles C. Hoskins. 

300 volumes relating chiefly to American 

history and biography, from the George T. 
Paine estate. 

The Providence Athenaum. $1000, a be- 
quest from Charles C. Hoskins. 

WARREN. George Hail Free Library. $1000 
as an endowment fund, for the purchase of 
books, from Anna R. Viall. 

WESTERLY. Memorial and Library Associa- 
tion. 550 miscellaneous volumes, from 
Anna E. Park, of New York City. 

SOUTH CAROLINA. 

CHARLESTON. Library Association. $45,000 
endowment fund, the income to be used for 
the purchase of books, from the South Car- 
olina Jockey Club. 

$3096, subscribed by several citizens, for 

the purpose of paying off an old debt. 

$1000 as a memorial to William Porcher 

Miles, for the purchase of books on Eliza- 
bethan literature, from Miss Sallie Bierne 
Miles. 

1000 volumes, known as the Legare Li- 
brary. Name of donor not announced. 

800 miscellaneous volumes, from Mrs 

William L. Trenholm. 

ROCKHILL. Winthrop College Library. $20- 
ooo, for a building, from Andrew Carnegie 



i86 



ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. 



SPARTANBURG. Converse College Library. 
$10,000, for a building, from Andrew Car- 
negie. 

Kennedy Free Library. $15,000, for a 
building, from Andrew Carnegie. 

SOUTH DAKOTA. 

Sioux FALLS. Carnegie Free Public Library. 
$800, for the purchase of books relating to 
history and biography, from J. W. Tuthill. 

400 volumes by Roman Catholic authors, 

from the Right Rev. Thomas O' Gorman. 

TENNESSEE. 

MEMPHIS. Cossitt Library. 398 volumes and 
404 pamphlets relating to Tennessee, from 
the state. 

NASHVILLE. Carnegie Library. 497 volumes, 
from George T. Coit. 

TEXAS. 

FORT WORTH. Public Library. 440 volumes 
of government documents, from the Fort 
Worth Commercial Club. 

Landscape by George Inness, valued at 

$1000. Name of donor not announced. 

HOUSTON. Lyceum and Carnegie Library As- 
sociation. 4000 volumes and pamphlets on 
varied subjects, known as the "Circle M 
collection," from a friend whose name is not 
announced. 

LAREDO. Public Library. $10,000, for a build- 
ing, from Andrew Carnegie. 

WAXAHACHIE. Public Library. $65,000, for 
the founding of a library and lyceum, from 
Col. Nicholas P. Sims. 

VERMONT. 

BURLINGTON. University of Vermont Library, 
$50,000, for an endowment fund, the in- 
come to be used for general library ex- 
penses, from the family of the late Freder- 
ick Billings. 

DANBY. Public Library. $51,000, from Silas 
L. Griffith. The use of the money is di- 
vided as follows : $14,000 for a building, 
$5000 for books, and the income of $32,000 
for the general support of the institution. 

MANCHESTER. Public Library. $40,000, as an 
endowment fund, from Mrs. Frances Skin- 
ner Willing, the income to be used for the 
maintenance of the library built and 
equipped by her. 

MIDDLEBURY. Middlebury College Library. 
$1000, for books, from Dr. Allen Starr, of 
New York City. 

MONTPELIER. Kellogg - Hubbard Library. 
$125,000, one-fifth of his estate, a bequest 
from Wilbur F. Braman. His widow has 
a life interest in the property. 

WOODSTOCK. Norman Williams Public Li- 
brary. $500, for books, from Edward H. 
Williams, Jr. This is an annual gift, Mr. 
Williams having paid for all books pur- 
chased since 1900. 



VIRGINIA. 

CHARLOTTESVILLE. University of Virginia Li- 
brary. Barnard Shipp, of Louisville, Ky., 
has presented the college with his library, 
valued at $100,000. 

WASHINGTON. 

WALLA WALLA. Public Library. $25,000, for 
a building, from Andrew Carnegie. 

WISCONSIN. 

BARABOO. Public Library. $1000, a bequest 
from Miss Alma Andrus. 

BELOIT. Beloit College Library. $50,000, for 
a building, from Andrew Carnegie. Ac- 
cepted June 20, 1903. 

DARLINGTON. Public Library. $10,000, for a 
building, from Andrew Carnegie. 

EAU CLAIRE. Public Library. 725 volumes re- 
lating to theology, from C. W. Lockwood. 

HAYWARD. Public Library. $10,000, for a 
building, from Andrew Carnegie. 

MADISON. University of Wisconsin Library. 
$500, for books, from John Kremer, of Mil- 
waukee. 

MILWAUKEE. Downer College Library. $10,- 
ooo toward the erection of a library build- 
ing, from Mrs. H. A. J. Upham. The gift 
is made as a memorial to her father and 
mother. 

$5000, from Mrs. Upham, $1000 for 

equipment and $4000 as an endowment fund, 
the income to be used for the purchase of 
books. 

Public Library. $5000, for the purchase of 
books on literature for the Keenan memorial 
room, from Mrs. Matthew Keenan. 

Stained glass window, valued at $700, 

for the children's room. The subject is 
"Hans Christian Andersen with the chil- 
dren." It was purchased as a Christmas 
gift for the library by popular subscription. 

MUNROE. A. Ludlow Memorial Library. 
$12,500, for a building, from Henry Ludlow, 
Edwin Ludlow and William Ludlow, to be 
known as the "A. Ludlow Memorial Li- 
brary," given on condition that the Carne- 
gie offer is not accepted. 

NEW LONDON. Public Library. $10,000, for a 
building, from Andrew Carnegie. 

RICE LAKE. Public Library. $10,000, for a 
building, from Andrew Carnegie. 

RICHLAND CENTER. Public Library. $10,000, 
for a building, from Andrew Carnegie. Ac- 
cepted. 

$2000 for a site, from W. H. Pier. 

$1525 from various donors whose names 

are not announced. 

VIROQUA. Public Library. $10,000, for a 
building, from Andrew Carnegie. Accepted 
Feb. 9, 1904. 

WAUPUN. Public Library. $10,000, for a 
building, from Andrew Carnegie. 

WAUSAU. Public Library. $2500, for a build- 
ing, from Andrew Carnegie. 



North Atlantic Division. 
South Atlantic Division 
South Central Division. 
North Central Division. 

Western Diviision 
Total 




Western North Central So. Central So. Atlantic North Atlantic 
Division. Division. Division. Division. Division. 


C/5 
(I 
O 

o' 

9 

M 

D 

O. 

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r* 


SUMMARY BY STATES OF GIFTS AND BEQUESTS TO LIBRARIES, JUNE i, 1903, TO MAY 31, 1904 




: 




.*-3; *>p. .... 


8s 


Os O f 


SS 




10 HHUtOHMH Htt O\OJ tO O H 
VJNMWMIOMO*. M M 4*. Qv^n O X J^)-#>>'^1 w H t/i w OJ (0 M H OO (0 H Oi 4^ H OB M ^ OxtOUl OOtjJ CO 


Total number. 


is 


: f 


:f 


::: ::: :: ^3 ::::: : i :::::::::: i^Hooojoj^S 


Endowment 
fund. 


Gifts in money for purposes 


Hi i;jSi[iijihiiJ]i:jiJJiii!i i^si 


s 

OS 


:!' 


s 

SoJ'o 

1) 'b 


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Object unknown 
(mostly bequests 
and probably 
largely used as 
endowment 
funds). 


$2,750,419! 827. 


H 

M -P- 

0000 

< o o 


8 




Building and 
equipment. 

Site. 


M* lA*' **OOOJOUl CT*^ *' ***O\*Ln O^4> tO tn O 4- O^ to 


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SUMMARY 


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Ut *Cn*Cn' O" W UOOOtntntnOJ* ' Wl O* O " * OOO*""*-I 


No. (includ- '.-. 

a 
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Accepted. n' 

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o 
o 


Ln 

8 


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H 


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cr 


* 


JO I 
O 


I s 







Building and site, 
value known. 

Building and site, 
value not known. 


Buildings and 


M 

"CT\ 


P -P^ 


J 




o *"i"i < *'!* M iiriiitii tn z*rrii w vaooj^jji 


Site, value not 
known. 

Endowment. 


2. 

n 
m 

CO 
O 


JP 


00 


8 * 


H tO 


...;;.. H H ^>* 


Money. 


o 


w"g 
O Os 


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. : . : :-H i : : : ^ : 


Volumes. 
Collections, 




8 

00 


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* U 


8 

VO 




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Collections, 
value not known. 

Pictures, busts, 
tablets, etc. 


Miscellaneous. 





: - 


00 




::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ^ :: H 


Other objects. 



i88 



ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. 



THE PROCEEDINGS. 



ST. Louis, Mo., MONDAY, OCTOBER ^-SATURDAY, OCTOBER 22, 1904. 



FIRST SESSION. 

.( HALL OF CONGRESSES, ST. Louis EXPOSITION, 
MONDAY AFTERNOON, OCT. 17.) 

THE first general session of the St. Louis 
Conference was called to order by the Pres- 
ident, HERBERT PUTNAM, at 3-2O o'clock. 

The SENIOR VICE-PRESIDENT, DR. RICHARD- 
SON : Mr. President, the present occasion is 
something more than a meeting of the Amer- 
ican Library Association. It is to be distin- 
guished not merely by contributions from 
abroad but by the actual presence of dele- 
gates from foreign countries; from govern- 
ments, from library associations, and from 
particular libraries. In recognition of this, 
the Executive Board recommends to the As- 
sociation the designation as Honorary Vice- 
presidents of the Conference of the delegates, 
whose names will be read by the President. 

The PRESIDENT : You have heard the recom- 
mendation of the Executive Board. The 
names are as follows : 

* Austria-Hungary : Dr. Paul Cohn, of the 
Technological Institute at Vienna, delegate 
accredited by the Commissioner-General from 
Austria-Hungary. 

Belgium: Monsieur Henri La Fontaine, 
Senator, Director Institut International de 
Bibliographic, Brussels. 

Chile: His Excellency, Senor Joaquin Wal- 
ker-Martinez, the Chilean Minister; Senor 
Francisco Araya Bennett. 

(Delegates accredited by the Chilean Gov- 
ernment.) 

China: Dr. Kimhao Yu-Tchu Su, of the Chi- 
nese Legation, delegate accredited by the Chi- 
nese Government. 

* France: Monsieur Jules Boeufve, accred- 
ited by the Commissioner-General from 
France. 

Germany: Prof. Dr. Richard Pietschmann, 
Director of the University Library of Got- 
tingen; Prof. Dr. A. Wolfstieg, librarian of 
the Prussian House of Deputies. 

(Delegates accredited by the German Gov- 
ernment.) 

Great Britain: L. Stanley Jast, Esq., chief 
librarian, Croydon Public Libraries, acting 
honorary secretary L. A. U. K., and special- 



ly accredited by the Library Association of 
the United Kingdom. 

Guatemala: Mr. L. D. Kingsland, Consul- 
General of Guatemala at St. Louis, accredited 
by the government of Guatemala. 

Honduras: Dr. Salvador Cordova, Consul- 
General of Honduras at New York, accred- 
ited by the government of Honduras. 

Italy: Dr. Guido Biagi, librarian of the 
Mediceo-Laurenziana Library of Florence; 
Hon. Attilio Brunialti, member of the Cham- 
ber of Deputies. 

(Both accredited by the Italian Govern- 
ment.) 

* Japan: Mr. Seeichi Tegima, Commis- 
sioner-General from Japan. 

Mexico: Senor Licenciado Emilio Velasco, 
accredited by the Mexican Government. 

Netherlands: Mr. J. G. Robbers, of Am- 
sterdam, accredited by the Government of the 
Netherlands. 

Norway: Mr. Haakon Nyhuus, librarian of 
the Deichmanske Library, Christiania. 

Peru: Dr. David Matto, of Lima, accred- 
ited by the Peruvian Government. 

Sweden: Dr. Nils Gerhard Wilhelm Lager- 
stedt, Commissioner-General from Sweden, 
accredited by the Swedish Government; Dr. 
Aksel Andersson, vice-librarian of the Uni- 
versity of Uppsala, accredited by the Univer- 
sity. 

This list is submitted to you by the Execu- 
tive Board with a recommendation that those 
gentlemen be designated as Honorary Vice- 
presidents of this Conference. I shall ask 
your approval of this recommendation by a 
rising vote. 

(The recommendation was unanimously 
adopted.) 

The American Library Association has not 
yet a headquarters, but that is not to say that 
it has not a home. It has, in fact, some eight 
thousand homes ; for wherever within the 
region of its activities there is a library, there, 
we may say, is its dwelling place. When, 
therefore, it came to St. Louis fifteen years 
ago, when it comes to-day it comes not as a 
stranger to a strange land, but as a resident 
revisiting a place where he has a friendly 
status, and is understood. It is greeted not 
by a stranger, but by one of its own family. 



Names presented at later session. 



FIRST SESSION. 



189 



is particularly grateful to us that in this 
ise the member is not merely one who has 
jndered to it and to the public long and 
alued service, but has held the highest office 
i the gift of this Association Mr. 
runden. 

Mr. CRUNDEN : Ladies and gentlemen, fel- 
iw-librarians : President Putnam has given 
sry clearly the reason why I was selected 
)r this grateful office of tendering to you a 
elcome. It was done without my knowl- 
ige, without my consent, and at first I won- 
ered why he had chosen me to give you a 
elcome to this city. I am not the oldest 
tizen in St. Louis, though I am a pretty 
[d citizen, having been a life-long citizen 
id, I may add, a loyal citizen. It is, there- 
>re, as a fellow-worker; as, I may say, the 
Idest librarian in the city oldest in years 
id oldest in service, I believe that I am 
losen to bid you, my fellow-workers, wel- 
>me to this, my beloved city. 

I remember there were some differences 
f opinion about the advisability of meeting 
i St. Louis during this exposition year; it 
as feared that the librarians could not be 
rought together. I appeal to this assembly 
i absolute refutation of that fear. I am sure 
lat all who have come will be glad that they 
ime, while those who stayed away have lost, 
i our opinion, the opportunity of a lifetime. 
: was deliberately accepted that the con- 
;rence should be somewhat subordinated 
lis year. We can have conferences, as we 
ave had every year, with papers and dis- 
ussions ad libitum; but a world's fair does 
ot come every year. Such a scene of beauty 
nd magnificence as greets the eye from the 
.ouisiana Purchase Column or from the 
eights of Festival Hall will probably never 
e looked upon again by any member of this 
jsembly. Such an ordered aggregation of 
ic products of the hand and the brain of 
tan, such an exhibit of the achievements of 
ivilization, such a conspectus of the world 
nd its life and activity will probably never 
e seen again on the American continent in 
ur lifetime. 

It is now fifteen years since the American 
.ibrary Association honored this city with 
s presence. During that time there has 



grown up a new St. Louis. I think it is safe 
to say that four-fifths of the finest features 
of St. Louis its grounds and public build- 
ings and parks and residences have been 
added during that period, and the progress is 
going with accelerating pace. I speak with 
a proud consciousness of being the citizen of 
no mean city. As to libraries we have not 
much to show in the way of buildings. But 
if you will come again don't wait fifteen 
years next time, we shall be ready for you 
in five years we shall be able to show you 
more progress in the nexl five years than 
we are now able to show in the fifteen since 
you were last here. At that time we shall 
be able to show you a fine central public li- 
brary building and numerous branches; and 
I hope that the Mercantile Library also 
may be able to show a new building, though 
that library already is very comfortably 
housed and has, I think, the most attractive 
reading room that I have ever seen. But 
even if we could show you now all that we 
promise in ten years, still the great attrac- 
tion, the prime magnet, would be the Fair. 
Nothing could go beyond that. And I know 
that the Fair is the main thing in your minds 
and that your greatest present interest is to 
receive your welcome to it from the man 
who made it. Many years ago how many 
I hardly like to say my class in Washing- 
ton University, then in its junior year, one 
day received an accession in the person of 
a tall, young lad, as lean as a Kentucky race 
horse and as full of fire and energy as that 
famous breed. It was from this blue grass 
region that he came, with all the alertness 
and energy and daring and endurance that 
characterize the sons of that soil. He was 
found a little too young for the junior class; 
we were able to look down on him; and he 
was put with the freshmen. But long since 
then he outclassed us all and he has been 
for years our star alumnus in a class by him- 
self. When we, Washington University 
alumni, begin talking about what our insti- 
tution has done, the first thing we say is, 
it has given to the Merchants' Exchange a 
president ; it has given to St. Louis a mayor ; 
it has given to Missouri a governor; it has 
given to the United States a Secretary of the 



190 



ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. 



Interior and then we point to one man. 
He is the man who made the Fair. I have 
great honor and pleasure in introducing the 
Honorable David Roland Francis, President 
of the Louisiana Purchase Exposition. 

Gov. FRANCIS : Mr. President, and ladies 
and gentleman, the very flattering introduc- 
tion which brings me before you is almost 
embarrassing. You can attribute it, as I do 
not the embarrassment but the flattery 
to the long-standing friendship that has ex- 
isted between the man who introduced me 
and myself. As he stated, it was 37 years ago 
when I applied for admission to Washington 
University. I did not know that I then pos- 
sessed the qualities of a race horse ; but there 
are no qualities of which I would be more 
proud. I come from Kentucky, as he states, 
and I not only like speed but bottom as well. 
I had left a small school in a country town, 
of which I had the honor to be the head, with 
the expectation that I could go to college and 
enter the junior class. I found myself al- 
most a year behind the freshman class. I 
was able to enter the freshman class in math- 
ematics only; was an irregular freshman 
for a whole year, at the end of which time 
I became a full-fledged sophomore; and, as 
Mr. Crunden has stated to you, all of the 
collegiate education I have received was 
within the walls of this institution whose 
buildings we are occupying now. 

As President of this Exposition I feel it a 
very great honor to be permitted to welcome 
the members of the American Library Asso- 
ciation and also the delegates from abroad to 
this meeting of that association. I have had 
the pleasure of welcoming many assemblages 
within these grounds, but there are audiences 
and audiences, and while I am not disparag- 
ing other audiences, I do mean to say that it 
is somewhat embarrassing to rise before an 
audience of the culture of that now assem- 
bled in this hall. For that reason, however, 
we are the more delighted to have you hold 
your meeting of 1904 within the grounds of 
the Louisiana Purchase Exposition. I know 
of no association whose members can appre- 
ciate more thoroughly what the work of an 
exposition is than can the members of a li- 
brary association. It is true that we are proud 



of the area of this Exposition twice as large 
as that of Chicago and equal to that of Chi- 
cago and Buffalo and Paris combined. We 
are proud of the structures erected to re- 
ceive the exhibits that are installed therein; 
we are proud of the landscape effects that 
surround these buildings; we are proud of 
many features connected with this Exposi- 
tion ; but we realize the fact, as you do, that 
it is not brick and mortar, it is not struc- 
tures, it is not landscaping, that make an 
exposition of the character that we have at- 
tempted to install here, but it is the exhibits 
that are in these buildings, it is the friendly 
rivalry that here takes place between all civ- 
ilized countries, and that rivalry is not con- 
fined to material products. 

We have, in our effort to make this a uni- 
versal Exposition, made an experiment which 
by many was considered a dangerous one, in 
having in connection with this exposition an 
International Congress of Arts and Science, 
in which were assembled the savants of all 
civilized countries. The ambitious object of 
that international congress was to unify all 
human knowledge. That in itself, as you 
know, is a most difficult task; and in con- 
nection with it bear in mind what a classi- 
fication means a classification of all the ma- 
terial products of the human race. I know 
of no assemblage of people that can appre- 
ciate half so fully the difficulty of making 
such a classification of material products, and 
a classification, also, of the mental achieve- 
ments of the human race, as can an as- 
sociation of librarians. That is your bus- 
iness. You can form some estimate of 
the task we have had to perform in our clas- 
sification of the products that are on exhibi- 
tion here, and also of the magnitude of the 
undertaking upon which we entered when we 
determined to have an International Congress 
of Arts and Science. There have been inter- 
national congresses upon various subjects, 
and those congresses have often been held 
in connection with expositions, but there has 
never been an international congress such 
as was held in these buildings during last 
month. There has never been an organiza- 
tion formed such as we created for the pur- 
pose of classifying human knowledge, of se- 



FIRST SESSION. 



191 



lecting men from all sections of the world 
and from all lines of human thought to pre- 
sent papers upon subjects assigned them. 
When we looked around over the United 
States to select a board of administration and 
an executive committee, of course we had to 
bear in mind the accomplishments of the men 
whom we selected for that responsible work. 
I will not go through the personnel of the 
board of administration nor of the executive 
committee, but suffice it to say that we real- 
ized at the beginning of this work that no 
such administrative board would be complete 
if it did not have in its membership a libra- 
rian. We acknowledged at that time, and we 
were proud to do so, the important part per- 
formed by the librarians of the world in the 
promotion of human knowledge, in the pres- 
ervation of human knowledge, and we real- 
ized that its classification could not be ac- 
complished without the aid of an accom- 
plished librarian. 

The time has long since passed when libra- 
rians were mere custodians. It is admitted 
by every community that a librarian must be 
a person of culture ; that a librarian must not 
be qualified solely to shelve books, to keep a 
record of those that are given out; but, very 
wisely, it was some years ago determined 
that schools for the instruction of librarians 
should be established throughout the land, 
and to-day no first-class library in this coun- 
try would think of selecting as its librarian 
one who has not had training in the vocation 
of which you should all be proud. Yours is 
a profession, and one of the learned profes- 
sions. We welcome you, therefore, to these 
grounds, not merely as citizens ; we appre- 
ciate the interest you manifest by your pres- 
ence in this great enterprise; but we are 
also mindful of the critical eye with which 
you will view our work. We are mindful 
of your ability to utilize the information you 
gain here and we are prouder of the effect 
of this Exposition, of its lasting influence, 
after the Exposition shall have closed and 
the buildings shall have been removed, than 
we are of the Exposition itself, magnificent 
as it is. 

Libraries have been in existence many 
thousands of years. Without them what ad- 



vance would human knowledge have made? 
This Exposition is, we flatter ourselves, an 
epitome of civilization. We think it is a 
marker not only in the industrial develop- 
ment of the world, but in the intellectual 
progress of the human race. It could not be 
so, however, without system, and it would 
be of no avail if its records were not classi- 
fied and preserved in such a way that the 
human race could be benefited by reading 
them. I cannot overestimate the benefit that 
accomplished librarians can confer upon their 
fellows. That is recogru'zed all over countries 
where education is fostered. I do not know 
of any form of beneficence that has within 
the past generation in this country attracted 
more attention from men who are able to 
give than has the library. It is admitted by 
all that nothing can so benefit a community, 
nothing can so broaden its culture as a li- 
brary, and the men who have accumulated 
fortunes, and are desirous that their felloWJ 
should have the benefit of the means they 
have acquired, have found no better way of 
perpetuating their memory, or of benefiting 
the human race, than by endowing libraries. 
We of St. Louis may not have made so much 
advance in that line as have some cities of 
equal wealth and equal population, but that is 
not the fault of some people in our com- 
munity. The gentleman who introduced me 
to you, and who has been a member of your 
organization for many years, has always in 
this city, in season and out of season if it 
is possible for such good work to be out of 
season been advocating the benefit of a li- 
brary or additional library facilities for St 
Louis. If this exposition shall be the means of 
improving the utility of the libraries through- 
out this land, then we who have devoted 
years of time to its organization and to its 
operation shall feel that we are very amply 
repaid for all of the sacrifices we have made. 
We are pleased, I may again be permitted 
to say, that you are to hold your 1904 
meeting within the walls of this Ex- 
position. Upon inquiry a few minutes ago 
I learned that the American Library Asso- 
ciation was formed in 1876, not only the cen- 
tennial of our independence but the year of 
the exposition that commemorated that cen- 



ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. 



tennial, and although I am not familiar 
enough with the history of your organization 
to say, I would not be at all surprised to 
learn that the organization of this Library 
Association was the result of the meeting 
held at the Philadelphia Centennial of 1876. 
Whether that was the case or not, I trust 
that the meeting that you are holding at this 
Exposition in 1904, participated in as it is 
by representative librarians from foreign 
countries, may be the means of the organiza- 
tion of an international library association. 
We shall be very much pleased if that result 
should follow this meeting. 

Now I am not going to detain you, talking 
about this Exposition. It is here and speaks 
for itself. I am sure that you will admit its 
educational qualities. Bear in mind what 
may be seen in these Exposition buildings, 
and then bear in mind also that the exhibits 
that are here presented to our visitors are 
net dead exhibits they are exhibits of 
processes; and that in addition thereto there 
are free lectures being given in all of these 
exhibit palaces, almost every hour in the day, 
that are instructive to all who may desire 
to listen. You know that one of the great 
difficulties of this age is the education of 
adults. The libraries of the country con- 
tribute more toward that end than any other 
agency that I know of. But how few adults 
are there who can take a scientific book, 
without previous training, and read it in- 
telligently? How many thousands will there 
be who will read such scientific works in- 
telligently after this Exposition, after they 
have seen these processes and heard these 
lectures, and who will be benefited thereby? 
This Exposition, in my judgment, will make 
libraries even more useful in the future than 
they have ever been in the past. It will in- 
crease the demand for books in the great 
libraries of this country. 

There are other than educational features 
in connection with this Exposition, and there 
is a demonstration of one of those great 
features in this meeting of yours to-day. 
This Exposition not only serves to bring 
people together from all sections of our own 
country but also is the cause of bringing here 
representative men from foreign countries. 



It promotes fraternal feeling between all 
human creatures. It lessens the circumfer- 
ence of the earth. Here friendships are 
formed that will be as lasting as life. Here 
there will be better understandings arrived 
at between countries whose interests may 
have been conflicting. I have within an 
hour left a meeting of the Superior Jury of 
this Exposition, a jury composed of 63 mem- 
bers, 36 of whom are representatives of 
foreign countries. The work of that jury, 
according to the expressions made by the 
foreign members, has been eminently satis- 
factory. Foreign countries we invited to par- 
ticipate in this Exposition showed some hes- 
itation. They said, "Why should we go to 
America? Why incur the expense of taking 
cur exhibits there and maintaining custodians 
and directors through a season of seven 
months? You do not wish our trade; you 
are competing with us. You have built up 
a tariff wall that prevents us from selling to 
your people." We met that argument on 
every hand in Europe. We had many ob- 
stacles to overcome in order to induce foreign 
people to come and participate in this Ex- 
position. But they have come. There has 
been no more general representation in any 
exposition ever held in this or any other 
country than there is in this Exposition from 
every civilized country on the globe. And 
the expressions made to-day by the members 
of the Superior Jury from foreign countries 
were to this effect: "We are glad that we 
have participated in this Exposition. We 
have a different opinion of the American peo- 
ple. We feel that our experience here has 
made still closer the bonds of friendship that 
bind our representative countries." 

So, my friends, we who have been engaged 
in this Work for six years or more, who 
have devoted all of our time and thought to 
it, without any object other than to make it 
a success, feel greatly encouraged by the 
presence of such a representative convention 
as the members of the American Library 
Association. Speaking to Americans, I am 
sure that you have come here through a 
sense not only of interest in your association, 
but through a desire to assist a city, or a 
section, of this country, in doing credit t 



FIRST SESSION. 



193 



our common country, in helping us to en- 
tertain the people who visit us from abroad, 
in doing your share toward impressing upon 
them what this country is and what its limit- 
less possibilities are. I will not detain you 
longer, but thank you sincerely for your very 
considerate attention and express the hope 
that your stay here may prove pleasant and 
profitable, that it may be prolonged to the 
greatest extent possible, and that when you 
return to your homes you may use that in- 
fluence, which I know you all possess in 
your respective communities, to induce others 
to visit this Exposition during the remaining 
days of its existence, because it will be a long 
time before another universal exposition will 
be installed in this country. 

I thank 3 r ou for your attention. 

The PRESIDENT: We thank you, Mr. Pres- 
ident. We are sure of our welcome. It has 
been your privilege to welcome many con- 
ferences and congresses and to inform each 
that its deliberations were to be of the most 
entrancing interest of any exhibit upon the 
Grounds, and that the subject matter of its 
business was the most important which can 
engage the attention of man. We had won- 
dered where you would place us. We are 
very well satisfied. 

And this, you know, friends, is the Hall 
of Congresses. We are not its first occu- 
pants. Many bodies have met here bodies 
of high eminence and there has been much 
conflict here of opinion. I suppose this very 
room is strewn with corpses of 'ologies 
and 'isms, I mean that have contended here 
and been worsted. There has been a series 
of such frays, under the general direction of 
President Francis and his particular dep- 
uty, Mr. Rogers. They have marshalled them 
and incited them, and, I suppose at the end 
of each, gathered up the remnants. It must 
have been for them an exceedingly exciting 
period. We fear, sir, that our contribution 
to it will seem rather tame. Our purpose 
is distinctly peaceful. Our meeting is rather 
for conference than for discussion; rather a 
putting together than a shaking apart. We 
expect no violent adversities of opinion, and 
we look to march our convictions from here 
reasonably intact. We have the greater con- 
fidence in this because as a profession we 



eschew 'ologies and we do not permit our- 
selves 'isms scarcely truisms. It would be 
tempting to make a complete acknowledg- 
ment of your courtesies, Mr. President, but 
I understand that you have an engagement 
impending. Mr. Jast is, however, to share 
the acknowledgment in behalf of the visitors 
whom you have so kindly greeted from over- 
sea. Mr. Jast. 

Mr. JAST: While I feel, sir, that the honor 
of making this response might better have 
been placed in the hands of one possessing an 
importance of a less temporary and adven- 
titious character than mine, I, nevertheless, 
rise with extreme pleasure to acknowledge 
on behalf of the foreign delegates present at 
this meeting the very warm welcome ex- 
tended to us by the Public Library of St. 
Louis, by the Louisiana Purchase Exposition, 
and also to acknowledge to you, Mr. Pres- 
ident, the extreme honor which you have 
conferred upon us by electing us Honorary 
Vice-presidents of this Conference. We 
are, sir, all of us glad to be here, and you 
have made us feel that you are glad to have 
us here. After- an extended survey of this 
country of no less than two weeks' duration, 
I am inclined to think, sir, that perhaps the 
two most valuable and satisfactory character- 
istic products of American civilization are 
the librarian, on the one hand, and the cock- 
tail on the other. I will not attempt, sir, the 
delicate question of deciding which is best, 
but I am given to understand that some 
of us have sampled both and found them 
both equally satisfactory and equally stimulat- 
ing. 

There is no country in the world in which 
the profession of which we are proud to be 
members is held in such high honor as in 
this; in which the public library is so clearly 
recognized as possessing a great cultural and 
educational force in the community; in which 
library administration has been carried to 
a higher pitch of efficiency, and in which 
there are so many beautiful library buildings. 
We came here, sir, to see and to learn, and 
we shall each of us go back to our respective 
countries having seen and having learned, 
and with, I am sure, our enthusiasm for our 
work considerably and permanently aug- 
mented. 



194 



.ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. 



Speaking, sir, particularly with reference 
to the Library Association of the United 
Kingdom, it has been a matter of great regret 
to us that our official representation is lim- 
ited to myself alone, but I can assure the 
meeting that this is due to no lack of interest 
in your work on the part of English libra- 
rians. Indeed, the exact contrary is the case. 
We take and always have taken extreme in- 
terest in your work, and I am instructed by 
my association to convey to you their most 
cordial greetings and to express on their 
behalf the hope that this Conference will 
have an agreeable and a successful meeting. 

The PRESIDENT: In accordance with the 
provision of the Constitution, the Executive 
Board has appointed a Committee on Resolu- 
tions. It consists of Dr. Thwaites, of Wis- 
consin, of Prof. Dr. Wolfstieg, of Prussia, of 
Miss Ahern, of Illinois. 

Dr. PUTNAM then delivered the 

PRESIDENT'S ADDRESS. 
(See p. 23.) 

The PRESIDENT: Many who could not come 
here wish to be recorded and remembered. 
I have here letters from England, France, 
Austria, Russia, Australia, New Zealand, all 
expressing interest, all enthusiastic for the 
opportunities which might come with attend- 
ance, all profoundly chagrined to be unable 
to be with us. 

Dr. PUTNAM then read extracts from let- 
ters received from M. Emile Picot, of Paris; 
Dr. Fumagalli, of the Societa Bibliografia 
Italiana ; the Director of the Imperial Library 
of St. Petersburg; J. Y. MacAlister and 
Lawrence Inkster, of the Library Associa- 
tion of the United Kingdom ; Hew Morrison, 
of the Edinburgh Public Library; M. Wylie, 
of St. Petersburg; E. La T. Armstrong, of 
the Public Library of Victoria, Melbourne; 
Miss Margaret Windeyer, of the Public Li- 
brary of New South Wales, Sydney; and 
Herbert Baillie, of the Public Library of 
Wellington, New Zealand. A communication 
was also received on behalf of the Verein 
Deutsches Bibliothekare, from the secretary, 
Dr. Naetebus, expressing the hope that the 
society might be able to delegate a represen- 
tative for the St. Louis Conference. 



J. I. WYER, JR., presented his 
SECRETARY'S REPORT. 

American Library Association. 

Your secretary respectfully submits the fol- 
lowing report: 

There have been issued from this office the 

following publications since Niagara meeting : 

Announcement St. Louis Conference, 8 pages. 

Edition 5500. Cost $24.20. Mailed Aug. 25, 

1904. 

Handbook 1904, 65 pages. Edition 2500. Cost 
$129.50. Mailed Sept. 10. 

This is the first time that a complete 
new edition of the handbook has been pub- 
lished in each of two consecutive years. 
It costs little more and is vastly more 
satisfactory to print 2500 complete, up-to- 
date handbooks every year than under the 
old plan, to print 4500 or 5000 every other 
year and 2500 supplementary handbooks 
each intervening year. 
Program, 8 pages. Edition 1500. Cost $18. 

Advance distribution limited to officers, 
councillors, members of committees and 
those having place on the program. 
Advance attendance register, 12 pages. Edi- 
tion looo. Cost $25. 

Circular to trustess, i sheet. Edition 800. 
Cost $3.50. 

Prepared on request of Trustees' Sec- 
tion. 

Report of the Committee on Library Admin- 
istration, 16 pages. 500 copies^. Cost $24. 

This will be distributed in the session 
to which the report will be presented, to 
facilitate discussion and criticism. 

Membership. 

Our membership at this moment, slightly 
above 1400, shows an increase of 150 over last 
year and is now greater than ever before. 
Some random statements have been put in 
print during trie past year to the effect that 
there are 12,000 library workers in the United 
States, and that by a little effort the A. L. A. 
membership might be easily increased to three 
or four thousand. There may be 12,000 li- 
brary workers in the country, but the com- 
bined membership of the A. L. A., the 25 
state library associations and 11 local library 
clubs, shows only 5000, and has been almost 
constant at this figure for trie past three years. 
The annual revision of this consolidated mail- 
ing list in the secretary's office shows that 
about one-fourth of these names change every 
year; in other words, of the 5000 persons in 
the country most interested in library work, 
1200 appear to have a library life of less than 
a year, or at any rate they appear for only one 
year on the roll of any library association. It 
is probable that among the 5000 other library 
workers who have never been sufficiently in- 
terested to identify themselves with any local 
association, the percentage of annual change is 
still larger, the tenure of library service even 



FIRST SESSION. 



195 



shorter, or their library service nearly nom- 
inal (being in hundreds of instances only a 
few hours per week for little or no pay), so 
that they are practically out of the reckoning 
as far as A. L. A. membership is concerned, 
except as they may with time, experience and 
quickened interest come to form part of the 
more permanent body of library workers. It 
is then from this permanent body, numbering 
as we have seen somewhat less than 4000 and 
probably tending to grow slightly larger from 
year to year, that our association will add to 
its members. 

No systematic or extensive effort to secure 
new members has been possible in the past, 
because the annual income of the association 
has barely sufficed to pay for our annual vol- 
ume of proceedings, the expenses of our an- 
nual meeting, and strictly necessary adminis- 
trative expenses of the association. Some ef- 
fort has been made during the past year to 
secure new members by special letters to each 
of the 180 persons who are dropped from the 
rolls for a year's arrearage in dues, by effort 
to interest students at the leading library 
schools in A. L. A. membership and by per- 
sonal letters to a few librarians of larger li- 
braries, but even the small expense of this 
slight missionary work of necessity was borne 
by the fund set apart for the secretary's of- 
fice, which only rigid economy has made to 
answer for convention expenses, printing and 
postage. It would seem that the time is now 
come, with a growing annual income of nearly 
$3000, with no likelihood or necessity that our 
chief item of expense, the annual volume of 
proceedings shall increase, when the Executive 
Board might wisely add to the budget for 
the secretary's office a modest travel fund to 



be used for field work at library meetings and 
an increased allowance for printing and post- 
age, to be available for a dignified, legitimate 
but earnest and vigilant effort to interest li- 
brary workers in the A. L. A. The results of 
such an effort will not be startling, but they 
should be sufficient to bring to pass before 
many years (even in default of other pro- 
vision) a membership and income sufficient to 
provide the long-desired and never-more- 
needed permanent secretary. 

A word as to permanence of membership. 
Very many members and librarians regularly 
pay dues year after year without regard to 
whether they or their representative can at- 
tend the conference for that year. This is 
right. On the other hand, there are many 
members, more than there should be, who 
maintain a spasmodic or intermittent mem- 
bership in the A. L. A. Many of the first 
joined years ago, and have been continuously 
in library work ever since, but their sole cri- 
terion for payment of annual dues seems to 
be the chance for their personal attendance at 
conferences. There should be a broader view 
of the matter than this, and it would be highly 
desirable if the feeling might be greatly 
strengthened, that continued membership in 
the A. L. A. ought to be for all active library 
workers, a distinct, obvious, indisputable, pro- 
fessional obligation, to be cheerfully met year 
after year, thus not alone because the A. L. A. 
can use your $2, or because you will do the 
A. L. A. good, but chiefly because the A. L. A. 
can do you good by thus stimulating your fre- 
quent attendance at its meetings and by con- 
stantly increasing your interest and informa- 
tion in its work. 

GARDNER M. JONES presented the 



TREASURER'S REPORT. 

Balance on hand, Jan. i, 1903 (Niagara conference, p. 129) $12 38 

RECEIPTS, JAN-DEC., 1903. 

Fees from annual members: 

From 2 members for 1901, 
From 83 members for 1902, 
From 1116 members for 1903, 
From 6 members for 1904, 

1207 members at $2 $2,414 oo 

Fees from library members : 

From i library for 1902, 
From 31 libraries for 1903, 



32 libraries at $5 160 oo 



Li-fe membership : 
Andrew 



Keogh . 



Interest on deposit at New England Trust Co 

Interest on deposit at Merchants' National Bank, Salem. 



8 28 
16 oo 



$2,574 oo 
25 oo 

24 28 



$2,635 66 



196 



ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. 



PAYMENTS, JAN.-DEC, 1903. 
Proceedings : 

Oct. 5. Publishers' Weekly, Niagara proceedings and delivery $1,072 23 

Oct. 5. Helen E. Haines, indexing proceedings 10 oo 

$1,082 23 

Stenographer : 

July 27. Charles H. Bailey 18000 

Handbook : 

June n. Jacob North & Co 175 oc 

Secretary's salary: 

Mar. 4. J. I. Wyer, Jr., $50; July 22, $75; Nov. 18, $100; Dec. 21, $25 250 oo 

Secretary's and conference expenses: 

Mar. 4. J. I. Wyer, Jr., stamped envelopes, etc 6697 

May 8. J. I. Wyer, Jr., postage, etc 4633 

May 19. Edward R. Sizer, postage 6800 

July 22. J. I. Wyer, Jr., printing, etc 19222 

July 22. J. I. Wyer, Jr., printing ballots, etc 644 

July 22. Whitehead & Hoag Co., buttons 1095 

Oct. 5. J. I. Wyer, Jr., telegrams, etc 2 15 

Nov. 18. J. I. Wyer, Jr., stationery, express, etc 14 19 

407 25 

Treasurer s expenses : 

Mar. 4. Library Bureau, white slips I oo 

Mar. 4. Newcomb & Gauss, delinquents' notices 2 50 

Oct. 5. Gardner M. Jones, stamped envelopes 4280 

Oct. 5. Library Bureau, oak card case 1200 

Dec. 21. Newcomb & Gauss, stationery 13 25 

Dec. 21. Gardner M. Jones, clerical assistance, postage, etc 69 49 

141 04 
Committees and Sections : 

May 8. Snow & Farnham, postals, "gifts and bequests" 675 

July 22. Children's Librarians' Section, postage, etc 4 67 

July 22. F. W. Faxon, expenses travel committee 17 71 

Nov. 18. A. L. A. Publishing Board, mailing proceedings Trustees' 

Section 885 

Dec, 21. Bernard C. Steiner, travelling expenses, Booktrade 

Committee 850 

46 48 



2,282 oo 

Trustees of the Endowment Fund, life membership for investment 25 oo 

Balance on hand, Dec, 31, 1903: 

Deposit in New England Trust Co., Boston 27 10 

Deposit in Merchants' National Bank, Salem, Mass 1056 

Deposit in Merchants' National Bank, Savings Dept 291 oo 

32866 

$2,635 66 

The number of members in good standing This report covers the financial year from 

on Dec. 31, 1903, is as follows: Jan. to Dec., 1903. From Jan. i to Sept. 30, 

Honorary members 10 I QO4. the receipts have been $2303.77 and the 

Perpetual member I payments $712.37, the balance on hand OcL 

Life fellows 2 T being $1920.06. The unexpended balances 

Life members 38 f appropriations amount to $2195, but it is 

Annual members (paid for 1903).. 1118 expected that the receipts at this conference 

Library members (paid for 1903) . . 31 W 'H enable the treasurer to pay all the bills 

and to report a small balance on hand at 

1 200 the end of the year. 

During the year 1003, 240 new members GARDNER M. JONES, Treasurer. 
joined the Association, and n members died. 



FIRST SESSION. 



197 



NECROLOGY. 

1. Miss Elizabeth S. White (A. L. A. no. 
2666, 1902) librarian of the Weston (Mass.) 
Public Library, died at her home in Weston, 
Feb. 15, 1903, at the age of 38 years. Miss 
White graduated from Wellesley College in 
1886 and for several years was a successful 
teacher in the public schools of Kingston, 
Concord, and Weston. In 1893 she was 
chosen librarian of the Weston Public Li- 
brary. She joined the A. L. A. in 1902 and 
attended the Magnolia Conference. 

2. Charles Ammi Cutter ,(A. L. A. no. 20, 
1876) died at Walpole, N. H., Sept. 6, 1903. 
Mr. Cutter was born in Boston, Mass., March 
14, 1837. He graduated from Harvard Col- 
lege in 1855 and from the Divinity School in 
1859. In 1858 he became librarian of the 
Divinity School Library which he rearranged 
and reclassified and, in conjunction with Rev. 
Charles Noyes, prepared a new manuscript 
catalog. On May n, 1860, he became an 
assistant in the Harvard College Library 
where he remained about eight years. In 
1865 he began an engagement of several years 
at the Boston Public Library as a "special" 
assistant, during which he made a final re- 
vision for the press of the Prince Library 
catalog. On Jan. I, 1869, Mr. Cutter began 
his nearly 25 years' service as librarian of 
the Boston Athenaeum. He resigned early 
in 1893, and, after two visits to Europe, the 
second largely in the interests of the Forbes 
Library of Northampton, Mass., he was 
chosen librarian of that library Aug. i, 1894. 
This position he filled until his death. Mr. 
Cutter was one of the founders of the A. 
L. A. in 1876 and a life member and was al- 
ways active in its service.. He was a member 
of the Council from 1889-1902 and president 
for two years, presiding at the Catskills Con- 
ference in 1888 and at the St. Louis Con- 
ference in 1889. He was a constant attend- 
ant at the conferences, having been present 
at 21 out of the 25 held previous to his death, 
also at the International Conferences in Lon- 
don in 1877 and 1897. He was the first pres- 
ident of the Mass. Library Club (1890-91), 
and also the first president of the Western 
Mass. Library Club (1898-99). In addition 
to Mr. Cutter's almost constant service upon 



the working committees of the A. L. A., and 
as editor of and contributor to the Library 
Journal, his most important contributions 
to library progress were his Boston Athen- 
aeum catalog (5 vols. 1874-1882), the "Rules 
for a dictionary catalog" (first ed. 1876), 
"Author tables," and the "Expansive classi- 
fication," the latter being unfinished at the 
time of his death. The Library Journal 
for Oct., 1903, contained an extended and 
scholarly memorial sketch of Mr. Cutter, 
written by Mr. William E. Foster. See also 
the editorial in Library Journal for Sept., 
1903, and Mr. Solberg's "Memories" in the 
Nov., 1903, Library Journal. 

3. Philip M. Crapo (A. L. A. no. 2840, 
!903) died in Burlington, Iowa, Sept. 20* 
1903. Mr. Crapo was born near New Bed- 
ford, Mass., June 30, 1844. His early edu- 
cation was received in New Bedford but, 
at the outbreak of the Civil War, he aban- 
doned his plans for a collegiate course and 
enlisted as a private in the Third Mass. In- 
fantry, serving until the close of the war. 
In April, 1868, he went to Iowa in the in- 
terests of the Conn. Mutual Life Insurance 
Co., whose financial agent he became. Of his 
service the company said he had loaned for 
them more than $19,000,000 of which not one 
cent had been lost. Mr. Crapo was connected 
with the Burlington Free Public Library 
from its organization. He was instrumental 
in changing the original subscription library 
to a free one, having made himself person- 
ally responsible for a debt of $1000, which 
encumbered the former organization. He 
was chosen one of the first board of library 
trustees in 1885, became vice-president in 
1895, and president in 1897, which position 
he held at the time of his death. Towards 
the new library building opened in 1898, he 
gave a cash donation of $20,000, besides the 
most careful and painstaking oversight of 
its construction. To its final embellishment 
he contributed in addition many costly ar- 
ticles of artistic value. 

4. Sarah Polk Wharton .(A. L. A. no. 2045, 
1903) was born at Nashville, Tenn., Sept. 
27, 1876, and died at Memphis, Sept. 20, 
1903, of Bright's disease. Aug. 6, 1902. she 



198 



ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. 



was appointed as stenographer in the period- 
ical division of the Library of Congress. She 
married Mr. John F. Walker, of Memphis, 
Tenn., on July 20, 1903. She attended the 
Niagara conference. 

5. Henry Stedman Nourse (A. L. A. no. 
2601, 1902) died in Lancaster, Mass., Nov. 
14, 1903. Mr. Nourse was born in Lancaster, 
April 9, 1831. He graduated from Harvard 
College in 1853, and after a short period as 
teacher of classics at Exeter, N. H., engaged 
in the work of a constructive engineer in 
Pennsylvania and the West. From 1866-1874 
he was engineer and superintendent of the 
Bessemer Steel Works, Steelton, Pa. He 
served through the Civil War in the 55th 
Illinois Regiment, becoming adjutant and 
captain. He was present in forty pitched 
battles as well as numerous smaller engage- 
ments. 

He returned to Lancaster about 25 years 
ago and gave his time to priceless work for 
his town and state. He was representative in 
the legislature in 1883 and senator in 1885-6. 
At the time of his death he was a member 
of the State Board of Charities and the Free 
.Public Library Commission. He was one 
,of the original members of the latter, ap- 
.pointed in 1890, and although more than 150 
meetings were held, he was never absent. 
"His cheerful readiness to devote his time 
.and ability to its interests notably in the 
preparation of its historical ninth report 
?has produced more lasting results than the 
.work of any other member." 

In 1878 he was elected a trustee of the 
'Lancaster Town Library and his services on 
that board were invaluable. He instituted 
a most careful search for all material con- 
nected with local history, and, with patience 
and skill so arranged the collection that it 
forms a model for all others. The smaller 
pieces of printed matter were preserved in 
five scrapbooks. Pamphlets were classified 
and bound. Works of authors who, by birth 
or residence, could be claimed by Lancaster 
were secured. One folio volume is a record 
entitled, "Soldiers of Lancaster in the Rebel- 
lion," an exhaustive tabulation of all facts in 
their war experience that could be obtained. 
Another similar volume, called "Early Lan- 



castriana," is filled with copies of various 
manuscripts relating to Lancaster, 1644-1800, 
mostly from Massachusetts Archives and 
Middlesex County Records. This was an ar- 
duous task fulfilled by Mr. Nourse while he 
was a representative, as he considered that 
his whole time while in Boston should be de- 
voted to the service of the town. 

His own printed historical work was ex- 
tensive and valuable, including ''Early 
Records of Lancaster, 1643-1725," "Military 
Annals of Lancaster, 1740-1865," "Birth, 
Marriage and Death Register, Church 
Records, and Epitaphs of Lancaster, 1643- 
1850," "A Bibliography of Lancastriana," 
"History of the town of Harvard," "Address 
at Dedication of the Houghton Memorial, 
Littleton, Mass.," in 1895, "Address at Ded- 
ication of the Fogg Library, South Wey- 
mouth," "Address before the New York 
Library Association and the New York Li- 
brary Club." Numerous articles on the same 
subjects were printed in newspapers and 
magazines. His last service was to edit the 
"Mary Rowlandson Narrative," a fac-simile 
reprint of the earliest edition in existence, 
presented to the town as a memorial of its 
25Oth anniversary by Mr. John Eliot Thayer, 
in 1903. A pamphlet in commemoration of 
this anniversary has lately been issued which 
was in preparation by him at the time of his 
death, and contains his eloquent speech on 
that occasion. Td. this literary material 
should be added the collection and arrange- 
ment in the Library Museum of many ar- 
ticles connected with the town history, in- 
cluding numerous portraits. Outside of his 
work in local history he was joint author 
and editor of the "Story of the Fifty-fifth 
Regiment Illinois Infantry," 1887. He was 
a member of the American Antiquarian So- 
ciety, the Massachusetts Historical Society, 
and the Massachusetts Military Historical 
Society. His life was an example of con- 
scientious and faithful work, done with in- 
finite patience, great ability, and love of 
country in its best and highest form. 

ALICE G. CHANDLER, Lancaster Mass. 

6. Mary Stone Hosford (A. L. A. no. 1695?, 
1898) died at her winter home in Orlando, 
Florida, on Feb. i, 1904. She was born in 



FIRST SESSION. 



199 



Haverhill, Mass, in 1848, and was for many 
years a most successful teacher in several 
well known schools, resigning her beloved 
profession only under compulsion of failing 
health. 

7. Harriet Eliza Garretson (A. L. A. no. 
438, 1882) died in Cincinnati, Ohio, March 
14, 1904. Miss Garretson was born in Cin- 
cinnati, Nov. ii, 1841. She received her edu- 
cation at Hughes High School, supplemented 
by a thorough course in English literature. 
She was cataloger and classifier at the Cin- 
cinnati Public Library from May, 1866, until 
her death, practically all the new books pass- 
ing through her hands. She was a life mem- 
ber of the Cincinnati chapter of the Daugh- 
ters of the American Revolution and a mem- 
ber of the Mt. Auburn Presbyterian Church, 
devoting much of her spare time to charities. 

8. Helene A. Kingman (A. L. A. no. 2489, 
1002) died at the home of her sister in Vine- 
land, N. J., on Apr., 22, 1904. She was a 
graduate of the Drexel Institute Library 
School, class of 1900, and had been connected 
as cataloger with the Trenton (N. J.) Free 
Public Library from its organization in Jan., 
1001, until her short but fatal illness. She 
attended the Magnolia Conference. 

9. Adelaide M. Chase (A. L. A. no. 2384, 
1901) was born in West Medford, Mass., 
July 29, 1876, and died there May 19, 1904. 
She was educated in the public schools of 
West Medford and of Chicago, to which city 
her family moved in 1893. In 1895 she en- 
tered the academic department of Armour 
Institute of Technology, and the next year 
the Armour Library School. She went 
with the school on its removal to the Uni- 
versity of Illinois, finishing the library course, 
but her degree of B.L.S. was not granted 
until 1901, after she had made up at Tufts 
the required general college work. In 1897 
and 1898 Miss Chase was employed in the li- 
brary departments of A. C. McClurg & Co. 
and Hayes, Cooke & Co. of Chicago, and 
from April, 1899, to Aug., 1900, she was 
cataloger and classifier in the New Hampshire 
State Library. In July, 1901, she undertook 
to organize the private library of Stone & 
Webster, of Boston, general electrical en- 
gineers. Here there were few books to be 



dealt with, but many engineering periodicals 
and vast piles of documents. The question of 
time was a serious one, but by a common 
sense adaptation and application of library 
methods she fully demonstrated the value of 
a trained librarian to a large business house. 
Miss Chase attended the Waukesha, Mag- 
nolia, and Niagara Conferences. 

10. Daniel Willard Fiske (A. L. A. no. 
413, 1881) died at Frankfort, Germany, on 
Sept. 17, 1904. Prof. Fiske was born in El- 
lisburg, N. Y., Nov. n, 1831. He studied at 
Cazenovia Seminary, Hamilton College and 
the University of Upsala and he learned to 
use the Icelandic, Swedish, and Danish lan- 
guages with the facility of a native. He was 
first assistant in the Astor Library from 1852 
to 1859; general secretary of the American 
Geographical Society, 1859-60; attache to the 
American legation at Vienna, 1861-62 ; editor . 
Syracuse, N. Y., Journal, 1864-66, and of the 
Hartford, Conn., Courant, in 1867. He was 
elected Professor of North European lan- 
guages and chief librarian of Cornell Uni- 
versity in 1868, which position he held until 
1883. In 1880, Prof. Fiske married Miss 
Jennie McGraw, who died in 1881, bequeath- 
ing the bulk of her property to Cornell Uni- 
versity. The courts decided that the uni- 
versity had all the property it could legally 
hold and a large share of the estate went to 
Prof. Fiske. This matter caused so much 
ill feeling that he resigned his position and 
moved to Florence, Italy. He did not, how- 
ever, lose his interest in the library, but con- 
tinued to send it books. His collections of 
Scandinavian, Rhaeto-Romanic, Petrarch, and 
Dante literature were among the largest, if 
not the largest, in the world. The Dante 
and Rhaeto-Romanic collections he had pre- 
sented to Cornell before his death, and it is 
understood that the other two collections and 
practically all of his estate have been be- 
queathed to the university. Prof. Fiske 
joined the A. L. A. in 1881, but apparently 
attended none of its conferences. He was, 
however, present at the Librarians' Conven- 
tion in 1853, and his name was on this ac- 
count added to the list of honorary members 
of the A. L. A. in 1902. 

The treasurer's report was referred to the 
finance committee to be audited. 

CHARLES C. SOULE read the 



200 ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. 

REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES OF THE ENDOWMENT FUND. 

June 10, 1903, to Sept. i, 1904. 

CASH ACCOUNT. 

Receipts. 

1903, June 10. Balance brought over $3,876 oi 

Tune 20. Interest, Watson mortgage..., 0250 

Nov. 18. " Union Trust Co., N. Y., Carnegie Fund 1,380 82 

Dec. i. " International Trust Co 48 13 

Dec. 18. " Watson Mortgage 6250 

1904, Jan. 12. Brookline Savings Bank 44 16 

Mar. 5. Life memberships, F. B. Bigelow and J. I. Wyef, Jr.. 50 oo 

June 29. Interest. International Trust Co 6081 

July 2. Watson Mortgage 6250 

July II. Brookline Savings Bank 6960 

Aug. 31. " Union Trust Co., N. Y., Carnegie Fund... 2,383 56 

Sept. I. " International Trust Co 2788 

$8,128 47 

Payments. 

1903, Nov. 24. To A. L. A. Publishing Board 75<> oo 

1904, June 1 1. Rent of box Safe Deposit 10 oo 

Aug. 2. To A. L. A. Publishing Board 1,000 oo 

1,760 oo 



$6,368 47 

CONDITION OF FUNDS. 

Carnegie Fund: 

Principal (inalienable) on deposit with Union Trust Co., New York $100,000 oo 

A. L. A. Endowment Fund: 
Principal (inalienable), 

On hand June 10, 1903 $6,287 94 

Two life memberships (as above) 50 oo 

$6,337 94 

Interest Account: 

Carnegie Fund, available only for A. L. A. Publishing Board. . $2,716 04 
A. L. A. Endowment Fund Account, available for any purpose on 
order of Council 907 71 

3,623 75 

$109,961 69 

ASSETS, SEPT. I, IOX>4. 

Deposit at Union Trust Co., New York (principal $100,000, interest $2,383.56) 

Carnegie Fund $102,383 56 

Deposit at International Trust Co., Boston, Mass, (principal $2,630.96, inter- 
est $1,240.19) 3,871 15 

Deposit at Brookline, Mass., Savings Bank (principal) 1,206 98 

Watson Mortgage, South Boston (principal) 2,500 oo 

$109,961 69 

ESTIMATED INCOME FOR 1904-5. 

Interest on hand, Union Trust Co $2,383 56 

Interest on hand, International Trust Co 1,240 19 



$3,623 75 

To Accrue, Carnegie Fund, about 3,000 oo 

" Brookline Savings Bank. 50 oo 

Watson Mortgage 125 oo 

Bank deposit, about 75 oo 

Amount probably available $6,873 75 



SECOND SESSION. 



2OI 



Of this amount the Carnegie Fund income 
account shows that $5716.04 must be devoted 
to the publications of the Publishing Board, 
leaving $1157.71, which can be used for any 
other purpose at the discretion of the Council. 

The following account of audit was ap- 
pended : 

At the request of Charles C. Soule, treas- 
urer of the Endowment Fund of the Ameri- 
can Library Asociation, I have examined his 
accounts and securities. 

I find evidence of assets amounting to $109,- 
961.69, as stated in his report of Sept. 21, 1904, 
and also find his accounts correctly cast, with 
vouchers for all expenditures. 

S. W. Foss, of Finance Committee. 
Approved, 

GEO. T. LITTLE, Chairman. 

The PRESIDENT: This statement will be 
particularly pertinent in connection with the 
report of the Publishing Board which will 
be laid before us to-morrow, and with its 
projects in the future. Unless there be any 
special suggestions to the contrary, the chair 
will entertain a motion to adjourn. 

Adjourned at 5 p.m. 

SECOND SESSION. 

(LIBRARY HALL, WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY, 
ST. Louis, Mo., TUESDAV MORNING, 

OCT. 18.) 

The meeting was called to order by Presi- 
dent PUTNAM at 9.40. 
GEORGE T. LITTLE gave the 

REPORT OF FINANCE COMMITTEE. 

The finance committee makes a report of 
the usual brevity. It has attended to its 
duties laid down by the constitution, prepared 
a list of estimates for guidance of the Execu- 
tive Board, examined and approved the re- 
ports of the secretary and treasurer of the 
Association and of the Endowment Fund 
Trustees. 

In the absence of the chairman, Dr. FALK- 
NER, no report was submitted from the 

COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC DOCUMENTS. 

This report was later received for publica- 
tion in the Proceedings. 

(See p. 168.) 

The President announced that the report 
of the 



COMMITTEE ON LIBRARY ADMINISTRATION 

had been printed in advance, and distributed. 

(See p. 163.) 

Miss MARY W. PLUMMER reported infor- 
mally for the 

COMMITTEE ON LIBRARY TRAINING 

The committee found its task very much 
more serious than it x had anticipated, and 
found also that it was rather hard to come 
to an agreement about standards of library 
training. It is, therefore, only able to report 
progress, and to promise that if it is con- 
tinued it will make a more satisfactory report 
next year. 

Dr. E. C. RICHARDSON spoke for the 

COMMITTEE ON INTERNATIONAL CO-OPERATION. 

The report of the committee for the year 
is the section of the program devoted to 1 
bibliographical undertakings of international 
concern. This will give us a survey of the 
more considerable undertakings of this nature, 
and the committee, in view of the progress 
which has been made on these lines, recom- 
mend three complimentary resolutions con- 
cerning the work of the International Cata- 
logue of Scientific Literature, the work of 
the Brussels Bureau of International Bib- 
liography, and the work of the Zurich Bib- 
liographical Council. These resolutions will, 
I suppose, pass to the committee on resolu- 
tions, in due course, for approval. 

The resolutions were referred to the Coun- 
cil, and were later presented in amended 
form, to the Association by the Council, and 
adopted in general session. 

(See p. 237.) 
The secretary gave a summary of the 

REPORT ON GIFTS AND BEQUESTS, 

which had been distributed in printed form. 
(See p. 173.) 

The PRESIDENT: The next special commit- 
tee noted on the program is the 

COMMITTEE ON PERMANENT HEADQUARTERS. 

I think that was placed in this list by in- 
advertence. At the meeting last year the 



2O2 



ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. 



Association instructed the Executive Board 
to appoint such a committee and that com- 
mittee was to report not to the Association 
but to the Council. It has rendered its re- 
port to the Council and that report will be 
printed as part of the record of the Council 
proceedings. 

(See Transactions of Council.) 

The secretary read a communication from 
Dr. Canfield, chairman of the 

COMMITTEE ON CO-OPERATION WITH THE NA- 
TIONAL EDUCATIONAL ASSOCIATION. 

As chairman of the committee on co-opera- 
tion with the N. E. A., I beg leave to report 
that at the last meeting of that Association, 
held at St. Louis in July, this whole matter 
of co-operation was taken up in the Library 
Department, with careful discussion as to 
ways and means, etc. Because so many teach- 
ers are necessarily librarians, in connection 
with the libraries of their schools, and be- 
cause for other reasons it seems extremely 
desirable that all teachers should know some- 
thing of library economy, it was thought 
best to enter into correspondence with the 
leading normal schools of the country, with 
a view to placing some instruction in library 
economy in normal courses. 

Accordingly, a circular letter has been sent 
out, a copy of which is enclosed. I have 
personally taken the matter up with Dean 
Russell, of Teachers' College, Columbia Uni- 
versity, and at some time during October 
I am to meet Commissioner Draper at Al- 
bany for a conference concerning the possi- 
bility of doing some work of this kind in the 
teachers' institutes of this state. 

AS you will see by the circular-letter en- 
closed, this work is being carried on by some 
normal schools : at Whitewater, Wisconsin, 
and at Ypsilanti, Michigan, with unusual suc- 
cess. Those in charge of this work have 
already put out little booklets of instruction 
for their own use. 

I hope the committee appointed at the St. 
Louis meeting of the A. L. A. will feel in- 
clined to continue the work along the lines 
already determined. 

JAMES H. CANFIELD. 



Circular letter sent out: 



"President. 



.Normal School. 



"DEAR SIR: The American Library Asso- 
ciation and the National Educational Associa- 
tion have been seeking for some time to bring 
together in a helpful and stimulating way the 
librarians and the teachers of this country. 
It is believed that there is a common ground, 
that the public libraries are an integral part 
of the great system of public and free educa- 
tion, and that only as these mutual relations 
are appreciated will either the public schools 
or the public libraries accomplish the most 
satisfactory results. Just how far co-opera- 
tion may be carried and what may be the 
most practical details are questions which are 
still open to discussion. 

"This much, however, the Committee on 
Co-operation feels may reasonably be asked 
and undertaken. In by far the greater part of 
the schools so fortunate as to possess libra- 
ries, the teachers are necessarily and only too 
often exclusively the librarians. For this and 
for other reasons it seems extremely desirable 
that those preparing to teach should be given 
definite instruction in the fundamentals of 
library economy. This burden, if such it 
proves to be, necessarily falls upon the normal 
schools of the country. It is believed, how- 
ever, that all that is immediately necessary 
may be accomplished without unduly or un- 
wisely increasing the demands now made upon 
normal students. 

"The committee therefore begs leave to sug- 
gest that if instruction of this kind is not al- 
ready provided for in your curriculum, or, if 
provided, is for any reason not wholly satis- 
factory, you will correspond with the presi- 
dents or other proper officers of the normal 
schools at Whitewater, Wis. ; Normal, 111.; 
Charleston, 111.; Ypsilanti, Michigan; and 
with the librarians of the high schools at De- 
troit, and at Washington, D. C. All of these 
schools have given careful consideration to 
this work, have finally placed it definitely in 
their curricula, and have had an experience 
and a success which makes their advices pe- 
culiarly helpful in this undertaking. 

"The committee will be glad to continue 
this correspondence with you, if you so desire 
and if the committee can be of any service 
whatever. If there seems to be sufficient de- 
mand, the committee will even undertake, sub- 
ject to the general advice and direction of the 
Library Department of the National Educa- 
tional Association, to prepare a suitable text- 
book, unifying and harmonizing this work in 
all schools. Cordially yours, . 

"Chairman Committee on Co-operation." 



SECOND SESSION. 



203 



W. I. FLETCHER gave an abstract of the 

REPORT OF THE PUBLISHING BOARD 

which had been printed and distributed. 
(See p. 169.) 

A. L. A. CATALOG. 

The PRESIDENT : In connection with this 
report I may remind you that the new edition 
af the "A. L. A. catalog," which has just 
been issued, published by the Library of 
Congress, is available for distribution, one 
copy to each member of this conference. 
Those copies may be had at the Library of 
Congress Exhibit at the Government Build- 
ing. The free distribution in general of this 
work must be limited. One copy in cloth 
will be sent to each library in the United 
States in the last Bureau of Education list, 
3r, if omitted from that, a library that ap- 
plies directly. Copies will be issued to cer- 
tain foreign institutions. The 600 copies that 
have been sent out here for distribution to 
members of the conference are entirely in 
addition to any limited plan of distribution 
we had otherwise determined on. These are 
merely in paper. There was not time to send 
out the cloth edition. The last proof was 
received by the Government Printing Office 
a week ago to-day, last Tuesday. These 600 
copies started to St. Louis on Thursday. 
They are in paper, but as they are they in- 
dicate what the work is. 

Mr. FLETCHER: May I be permitted to 
add to what I said. This is an occasion for 
a remark other than can perhaps modestly be 
made by the Librarian of Congress, our presi- 
dent. The report of the Publishing Board 
calls attention to the fact that the Board is 
indebted, the libraries of the country are in- 
debted, most heavily to the State Library 
at Albany and its distinguished head for the 
editorial part of this work, and to the Li- 
brary of Congress for putting it in print in 
such fine shape and especially under great 
difficulties, with such remarkable promptness 
as has been done. The president has re- 
marked that the last proof was received a 
week ago to-day. Now, if any of you have 
sent a piece of printing through the press 
and in a week after you read the last proof 



have placed a book of this kind in the hands 
of those who asked for it, I should like to 
know it. (Applause.) 

The PRESIDENT: The Librarian of Congress 
is abashed (laughter) that as president of 
the Association he was obliged to call this 
work to your attention and thus seem to 
invite the encomiums which have just been 
given. The modesty with which Mr. Fletcher 
charged us is perhaps a novel attribute to 
be assigned to Washington. It would not be 
the desire of the Library of Congress to have 
any misunderstanding as to the policy adopted 
in distribution or in the charge for copies 
beyond those distributed free. It was deemed 
by the Publishing Board desirable that be- 
yond the one copy that should go to each 
library there should be a nominal charge 
affixed to the remainder of the edition that 
we shall issue. That charge does not re- 
imburse the government for the cost of pub- 
lication; does not cover the expense, by any 
means. It is a nominal charge, to prevent 
waste. The price of the entire work will 
be in this form (paper) 25 cents. It is a 
work of about 900 pages. In the cloth covers 
it will be 50 cents, 25 cents covering the 
cost of cloth, and you must remember this 
also covers postage. There will be no charge 
for postage. It will go to you franked. Be- 
sides the complete work, which consists of 
two parts (the first part classed, the second 
a dictionary), these two parts will be issued 
separately, and each part may be obtained 
separately, in paper, for 15 cents; in cloth, 
for 25 cents. The edition that we have print- 
ed is about 20,000 copies, but we are not 
necessarily limited. It has been plated. This 
edition may run out, of course, shortly, but 
we can reissue with considerable rapidity in 
case it should. 

I have had a note from the Director of 
Congresses apologizing for the transfer of 
our session this morning to this room and 
reminding me that when we were originally 
assigned to the other room for our sessions 
this week, it was with the stipulation that 
on this morning it might have to be used by 
the Deaf-and-Dumb Convention. Of course, 
the other room is larger than this and we 
shall hope to resume it to-morrow, with 
pleasure. 



2O4 



ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. 



Melvil Dewey made an informal report for 
the 

COMMITTEE ON A. L. A. EXHIBIT AT LOUISIANA 
PURCHASE EXPOSITION. 

The report is a brief one. We tried from 
the general Government and from a half- 
dozen different states, and from Mr. Carnegie 
also, but couldn't find money for the necessary 
expenses. The committee were agreed, in 
consultation with the Council, that it was 
unwise to undertake an exhibit with no funds, 
and there were no funds in the treasury. The 
Library of Congress, that helps us out of so 
many dilemmas, took up the general exhibit, 
in connection with its exhibit, and we turned 
over to it all the material we had accumulated. 
Mr. Crunden induced the Missouri people 
to give the beautiful room in the Missouri 
Building, which you have all seen, with that 
fine exhibit which is made as the Missouri 
library exhibit, but takes what would have 
been in our general exhibit. So, between the 
Library of Congress in the Government Build- 
ing and Mr. Crunden, who was made a sub- 
committee with power, on the exhibit in the 
Missouri Building, you have the library ex- 
hibits of this Exposition. The other exhibit 
is not properly a part of the work of this 
committee. That is the "A. L. A. catalog," 
which is here and which we are very glad to 
have at this meeting; but it was not prepared 
by the Exposition committee, though it has 
been spoken of repeatedly as being a part of 
our exhibit at this meeting. If Mr. Crunden 
is present he will give the report in regard to 
the library exhibit in the Missouri Building. 

W. C. LANE presented the report of the 

COMMITTEE ON REDUCED POSTAL AND EXPRESS 
RATES. 

The committee reports that but little prog- 
ress has been made this year in attaining the 
end for which it works. The bill to allow 
library books to be transmitted to and from 
libraries at the rate of one cent a pound was 
again introduced in Congress, but has not 
been acted upon. Correspondence between 
Dr. Canfield, acting as chairman of a com- 
mittee of the N. E. A. library section, and 
President Roosevelt and Postmaster-General 
Payne brought out the fact that the Post- 



master-General's only expressed objection to 
the bill was on the ground of overloading 
the carriers and requiring a general intro- 
duction of delivery by horse and wagon. 
This is distinctly encouraging, since delivery 
at the destination is no essential part of what 
we are asking for, and we should be satis- 
fied if the delivery of such matter were 
brought under the provisions of section 641 
of the postal laws and regulations. 

How the new Postmaster-General will look 
at the matter we do not know, but if the 
department has no other objection to offer 
there would seem to be no reason why the 
bill should not go through. 

The only thing for us to do is to take the 
matter in hand individually and press it 
upon the attention of senators and repre- 
sentatives with whom we are acquainted. The 
legislatures of Massachusetts and California 
have each passed strong resolutions in its 
favor, and if we can secure the passage of 
similar resolutions by other legislatures we 
shall do good work. 

Another winter we may be able to get 
another hearing in Washington, and we ought 
to be able to send on a persuasive and en- 
ergetic advocate. For this purpose we should 
need an appropriation of money. 

The committee is weak in not having 
representation in Washington, and if con- 
tinued it would be well to strengthen it by 
the addition of a member or members from 
that vicinity. 

The New England Education League has 
made the Library Post one of its special in- 
terests and the committee desires to acknowl- 
edge and praise the efficient aid to the cause 
given by the League's secretary, Mr. W. 
Scott. Mr. Scott, whose address is West 
Somerville, Mass., will be glad to send to any 
member of this association, or to any one else 
whose interest can be counted upon, printed 
matter relating to the subject. 

The committee submits with its report a 
printed slip issued by the New England 
Education League which gives a statement of 
what has lately been done, and copies of the 
Postmaster-General's letters. 

Respectfully submitted, 

WILLIAM C. LANE, 
for the Committee. 



SECOND SESSION. 



205 



The PRESIDENT: In one of the addresses 
at a later session you will find a report of 
conditions abroad that are peculiarly sugges- 
tive in the matter with which this committee 
has concerned itself. In this country we are 
modest enough to apply only for reduced 
postal rates for libraries. You will hear that 
in Sweden books may be sent from one li- 
brary to another without any charge what- 
ever for postage, and not merely that, but 
that books may be sent from Sweden to the 
Continent, to any point on the Continent, 
I believe, without any charge for postage 
whatever. The United States is not the only 
country that has reached the twentieth cen- 
tury. 

ARTHUR E. BOSTWICK presented the report 
of the 

COMMITTEE ON RELATIONS WITH THE BOOK 
TRADE. 

The resolution constituting this committee 
directs it to secure and communicate to li- 
brarians from time to time information re- 
lating to the limitations of discount on books 
purchased by libraries, and to advise them in 
regard to any feasible measures for avoiding 
the hardships of the net price system. 

Our duties have thus seemed to us to be 
divided into two categories the dissemina- 
tion of information and the giving of advice. 
As regards the medium of both, the monthly 
library publications naturally suggested them- 
selves and both Public Libraries and The 
Library Journal expressed willingness to 
print whatever we should desire to say to 
librarians. To reach a very considerable 
number who see neither of these papers it 
was decided to form a mailing list of one 
thousand names of such persons, and to send 
to them what we might desire to say, printed 
in small type on a postal card. Public Li- 
braries not only took out of our hands the 
work of preparing our list, but has acted as 
our mailing agent, charging only for postage 
and not for labor. By so doing it has earned 
the thanks of this committee and of the 
Association. 

As has been said, the contents of the bulle- 
tins, of which we have sent out eight, has 
consisted in accordance with our instruc- 



tions, partly of information and partly 
of advice. Under the former head we have 
printed a description of what the "net 
price system" is, with statistics showing 
that it has raised book prices to libraries, 
also figures showing that the same book 
is often sold at a lower price abroad 
than in this country; we have given the 
names of reliable importers and second- 
hand dealers in this and /other countries; we 
have given the titles of valuable aids to 
bookbuying; we have shown statistically the 
value of the library book-trade; we have 
pointed out the proper procedure in im- 
porting books, in buying at auction and in 
saving money by using special forms of bind- 
ings. Finally, we have called attention to 
certain public measures prejudicial to the 
interests of libraries, notably to Senate bill 
no. 5314, amending the copyright law so that 
libraries may not import books that are copy- 
righted in America, without the author's 
written consent, and the recent Treasury 
ruling requiring written receipts for all ar- 
ticles imported duty-free. 

Under the head of advice, we have urged 
librarians to spend more money in importa- 
tion and in the purchase of good books at 
secondhand and by auction. Besides these 
specific items of advice others may be in- 
ferred from our paragraphs of information. 
It was thought best to make no formal divi- 
sion between the two, and in fact, as may be 
seen from an examination of the bulletins 
themselves, a set of which is herewith sub- 
mitted, their contents are presented without 
special arrangement or classification and in 
the most informal manner, the main object be- 
ing to reach librarians quickly and effectively. 

It is a pleasure to record the reception that 
has been given to these little bulletins. We 
have had much evidence of their acceptability 
to librarians, both in the demand for them 
from unexpected sources and in voluntary 
letters of commendation from members of 
our profession. We have been aided in our 
distribution by the library commissions of 
the states of Wisconsin, Indiana, Connecti- 
cut, New Jersey and Iowa, who have under- 
taken to see that the smaller libraries in their 
respective states are supplied with the cards. 



2O6 



ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. 



In making our preliminary announcement, 
the committee stated that "if there seems to 
be any practicable method by which libraries 
may secure better discounts directly, such 
as by business combination or engaging di- 
rectly in the book business themselves" it 
would "investigate details and report results 
as soon as possible." 

Your committee is of opinion that there is 
no inherent impossibility in the formation 
of such a combination or company. The 
practical difficulties are the necessity for a 
considerable amount of capital and the lack 
of someone possessing both time and in- 
terest sufficient for the promotion of such an 
enterprise. Even the small amount of work 
done by this committee during the year is 
no inconsiderable tax on the time of busy 
men, but if there is some librarian who is 
willing and able to devote a much larger 
part of his attention to the matter than we 
have been able to do, we believe that the 
results may be interesting and worthy of fur- 
ther and more detailed consideration. 

As regards any direct result upon the 
publishing trade or the book trade of what 
we have done or what is likely to be done 
along the same line, we may say frankly that 
it is not apparent. And although we have 
not been unmindful of the possible results of 
a demonstration that the library trade is 
worth something and that its diminution or 
diversion into other channels means a loss 
to somebody, at the same time we feel that 
immediate relief from the hardships of the 
net price system must come from what the 
librarian may do toward adjusting himself 
beneath the burden, not by ineffectual strug- 
gles to throw it off, nor yet by attacks upon 
those who imposed it. 

Combination, in one form or another, is 
the order of the day and librarians should 
not be slow to recognize the fact. 

If, instead of combining against each other, 
however, publishers, booksellers and libra- 
rians could work together for the common 
good, they might discover that their aims and 
interests are not, after all, diverse. We li- 
brarians are perhaps in closer touch with the 
reading public than the members of any other 
profession. We believe that by stimulating 



the demand for literature and increasing gen- 
eral interest in the subject we have already 
helped the business of those who deal in 
books. But libraries could aid the book 
trade not only generally but specifically. 
Publishers, for instance, spend thousands of 
dollars in the preparation of book-lists which, 
if modified, librarians would be glad to circu- 
late for them. This is only another way of 
saying that those whose interest it is to in- 
crease the reading of books should pull 
together and not against one another. 

We feel that one of the most effective ways 
to improve the situation will be to increase 
the membership of this association, and to 
make librarians feel that membership is 
connecting them in some way with efforts to 
aid them in their work along the lines that 
have been followed by your committee. We 
would, therefore, recommend the appoint- 
ment of a committee to continue the work 
that we have begun, with definite instructions 
to send information along the lines followed 
by our bulletins of the past year, to all 
members of this association, as well as to 
persons likely to become members ; but to 
make it evident in the latter case that those 
who do not join us cannot expect to profit 
indefinitely by our activity. That this may 
be done thoroughly and effectively we sug- 
gest that the expense allowance of the com- 
mittee be placed at $500. 

We believe that in this way the member- 
ship of this association might be greatly in- 
creased, and that such enlarged membership 
of the American Library Association would 
be one of the most effective ways of promot- 
ing library combination and mitigating the 
hardships of the net price system. 

An account of the expenses of the com- 
mittee is subjoined: 

Dec. 21, 1903, Dr. B. C. Steiner, travelling 

expenses 

Jan. 19, 1904, Mr. J. Laurier, stationery.... 

Jan. 19, 1904, Baker Printing Co 

Jan. 19, 1904, M. A. Eichenauer, clerical work. 

Mar. n, 1904, Baker Printing Co 

Apr. 8, 1904, Mr. J. Laurier, stationery 

May ii, 1904, Baker Printing Co 

May ii, 1904, Library Bureau, postage 

June 1 8, 1904, Baker Printing Co 
une 1 8, 1904, J. C. Dana, postage and ex- 
press 

Aug. 2, 1904, J. C. Dana, postage and express. 
Aug. 2, 1904, New York Public Library, post- 
age 

Aug. 24, 1904, Baker Printing Co 



$8.50 
12.50 
13-50 

1. 00 

30.00 

1.50 

15.00 

12. OO 
15.00 

5-10 
2.70 

2.80 
IO.OO 



SECOND SESSION. 



207 



Aug. 24, 1904, Dr. B. C. Steiner, travelling 

expenses $8.00 

Sept. 17, 1904, J. C. Dana, postage and ex- 
press 2-io 

Sept. 17, 1904, Baker Printing Co 6.00 

October, 1904, Library Bureau, postage 25.08 

October, 1904, J. C. Dana, printing, postage 

and express 14.80 

$175.58 
Aug. 24, 1904, Library Bureau, postage.... 16.70 

$192.34 

PURD B. WRIGHT: In view of the recom- 
mendation of the committee I move that this 
report be referred to the Council with power 
to act. Voted. 

The PRESIDENT: One additional foreign 
delegate has presented his credentials, this 
one from Austria Dr. Paul Cohn, from the 
Technological Institute of Vienna. The 
Executive Board recommends that Dr. Cohn 
be added to the list of Honorary Vice-presi- 
dents chosen by you yesterday.. We shall 
certainly be glad to accord Dr. Cohn the 
compliment of a rising vote. 
.(Unanimously carried by a rising vote.) 
The first five or six topics upon the pro- 
gram this morning cover library work in 
Great Britain, treating it topically. It would 
be unfortunate that they should be broken. 
Yet it may not be feasible, owing to the ab- 
sence of Mr. Jast, to give them as they stand, 
consecutively, unless Mr. Jast succeeds 
where others have failed in pushing through 
the crowd outside. We will, therefore, pro- 
ceed, with your acquiescence, to the paper of 
Miss Countryman on State Aid to Libraries. 
Miss COUNTRYMAN read a paper on 

STATE AID TO LIBRARIES. 

(5V* p. 148.) 

The PRESIDENT: In its first plan for this 
conference the program committee had a 
large ambition. Succeeding the general re- 
view at the Congress of Arts and Science 
it thought that we might take up in our 
program the progress and present status of 
the various types of libraries in this country 
and the various types of library activities, and 
have each treated in turn. You will see 
that had we done this, this paper by Miss 
Countryman would most excellently have cov- 
ered this particular activity; and it does form 
a model of what we should have desired to be 



covered in each one of the other fields and 
will be a very valuable contribution to our 
published Proceedings. Of course, the first 
reflection upon a statement such as this, as 
to so large a work already in hand is, Where 
is it to end? We are to have from Mr. 
Dewey a discussion of that question not 
where it is to end, but where it should end. 
For various reasons, however, it will be de- 
sirable that Mr. Dewey's address and dis- 
cussion be withheld until' we can resume the 
larger room. The program committee, there- 
fore, suggests that we take a step now to a 
rather distant field and hear something of 
New Zealand. The paper by Mr. Baillie, 
librarian of the Public Library at Wellington, 
cannot, unfortunately, be read by Mr. Baillie 
himself, who is not with us, but an abstract 
of it will be read by Mr. Ranck. This pro- 
gram as a whole, in its arrangement for par- 
ticular days, was necessarily somewhat pro- 
visional. The program committee will have 
to take liberties with the order of papers for 
a particular day and somewhat as to the 
order of days. We have but one session each 
day. There is not a paper on the entire list 
that any one of us can really afford to miss, 
and I think that the Executive Board of the 
Association has a right to expect that mem- 
bers will attend as a matter of course, and 
that if they are disappointed at not hearing at 
a particular session the particular paper that 
they came to hear, they will have something 
else by way of recompense, but the loss will 
not be the real fault of the administration. 
We have compacted, in order to get into this 
single session, what we could not with any 
conscience leave out, and everything that has 
remained upon the program cannot be missed 
without a serious loss. 

SAMUEL H. RANCK read an abstract of the 
paper by Herbert Baillie on 

PROGRESS AND PRESENT STATUS OF LIBRARIES 
IN NEW ZEALAND. 

(See p. 89.) 

The PRESIDENT: Among the papers which 
we have down from Great Britain are three 
which will be printed in full in the Proceed- 
ings and are to be presented to us in abstract. 
Those three may, we think, be dissociated 



208 



ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. 



from the rest of the group and submitted 
now. The first, on Library Legislation; the 
second, on Production of Books; and the 
third, on Work with Children. 

Dr. BERNARD C. STEINER read an abstract of 
the paper by John J. Ogle on 

LIBRARY LEGISLATION IN GREAT BRITAIN. 

(See p. 37.) 

FRANK B. BIGELOW read an abstract of the 
paper by Walter Powell, on 

PRODUCTION OF BOOKS IN GREAT BRITAIN. 

(See p. 50.) 

Miss L. E. STEARNS read an abstract of the 
paper by John Ballinger on 

LIBRARY WORK WITH CHILDREN IN GREAT 
BRITAIN. 

.(See p. 46.) 

The president read the following cable- 
gram, received from Paul Otlet, secretary 
of the Institut International de Bibliog- 
raphic, Brussels: 

"Bibliographical Institute expresses confi- 
dence your Conference shall realize interna- 
tional co-operation." 

ARTHUR E. BOSTWICK read a paper by 
Henry Bond on 

RECENT LIBRARY PRACTICE IN GREAT BRITAIN. 

(See p. 28.) 

The PRESIDENT: This is the last paper 
which we shall have this morning. Mr. Jast 
is now here in person; but there are too 
many who failed to gain admission who 
would be disappointed not to both see and 
hear him, and, with his permission and yours, 
we shall reserve him, with Dr. Dewey, until 
to-morrow morning. The paper which we 
have just had was so comprehensive, so 
lively, so practical a presentation of problems 
in which almost every one of us have a 
practical interest that I think we should like 
to have some discussion or at least observa- 
tions upon it. Of the topics with which it 
dealt, three classification, cataloging and 
annotation will naturally be considered in 



our session of Thursday morning. As to 
some of the others we shall hope for some ob- 
servations to-morrow morning. In the mean- 
time, before we adjourn, the secretary has 
one or two announcements to make and the 
chair will state that a communication has been 
received from the Commissioner-General of 
the Siamese Royal Commission, extending 
greetings to this Conference and offering to 
all members a copy of the handbook "The 
Kingdom of Siam," published by the Com- 
mission and to be had at the Siam Building. 
Adjourned at 12 o'clock. 



THIRD SESSION. 

(HALL OF CONGRESSES, ST. Louis EXPOSITION, 
WEDNESDAY MORNING, OCT. 19.) 

The meeting was called to order at 9.45 
o'clock by President PUTNAM. 

The PRESIDENT: According to the provi- 
sional assignment, yesterday morning was to 
be given to a description of library work on 
the Continent. As I have at various seasons 
informed you, the arrangement was provi- 
sional and the topics will be more or less 
shifted. We shall have this morning among 
other topics the paper from Mr. Jast and 
the address of Dr. Dewey withheld from 
yesterday's session. 

Yesterday morning we concluded our ses- 
sion with statements with reference to certain 
of the more popular activities, particularly 
in Great Britain. The program committee 
has decided to begin this morning with the 
statement from Denmark regarding popular 
libraries there, preceding with that the paper 
by Mr. Jast. 

Miss ISABEL ELY LORD read an abstract of 
a paper by Dr. A. S. Steenberg on 

POPULAR LIBRARIES IN DENMARK. 

(See p. 63.) 

The PRESIDENT: In our original plan for a 
review of the recent progress and present ten- 
dencies in each country we, of course, con- 
templated a systematic statement from Great 
Britain. Putting ourselves in communication 
with the Library Association of the United 
Kingdom we invited their co-operation and 



THIRD SESSION. 



209 



sistance. They took so much interest that 
ey appointed a special committee that had 
scheme of topics which would adequately 
ver that field, and their selection is indi- 
ted in trie six topics given on page 3 of the 
ogram, set down originally for yesterday 
orning's session. Of these the paper on 
Draining for librarians," by Mr. H. D. Rob- 
ts, of Southwark, Honorable Secretary of 
e Education Committee of the Library As- 
ciation, will be read simply by title. It will 
)pear in the published Proceedings.* Of the 
:hers, we had yesterday the papers on li- 
rary legislation, on production of books, on 
ork with children, and on recent library 
ractice. The latter, as the chair suggested 
esterday, deals with topics which among us 
re apt to be provocative of discussion. The 
snditions yesterday were not favorable for 
iscussion. They are better to-day. But, as 
ie paper deals specifically with certain topics 
hich are on our program to-morrow 'das- 
ification, cataloging, annotation, evaluation' 
: will be more appropriate to withhold the 
omments and discussion until they may be 
indertaken in their proper place topically. 
Phe sixth paper is on "Library extension," by 
AT. Jast, who is here. 

I believe that in addition to Mr. Jast the 
Jbrary Association of the United Kingdom 
lesignated two other British librarians to at- 
end as delegates Mr. Sutton and Mr. 
Plummer who would gladly have attended, 
)ut were prevented by urgent business in their 
?wn libraries. Mr. Jast, we are happy to say, 
has come. He has not merely come, but he 
das been in the United States for over a fort- 
night and he has made two discoveries the 
librarian and the cocktail. He did not say 
which of them was a novelty. I feel not as 
president of your Association but in another 
capacity I feel a little responsible for this 
announcement by Mr. Jast, because he came to 
St. Louis via Washington. Librarians grow 
in Washington. They need to. In fact they 
have to grow faster there than in most other 
places in order to "catch up." But as to 
cocktails, I think I ought to bear witness that 
the only cocktail with which I saw our visitor 
make personal acquaintance was grown in 

* See p. 39- 



Ceylon, of rather dubious nativity at that. 
Mr. Jast is to tell us, however, of other 
phases of library extension besides this. 
L. STANLEY JAST read a paper on 

LIBRARY EXTENSION WORK IN GREAT BRITAIN. 

(See p. 34-) 

The PRESIDENT : We have an advantage over 
Mr. Jast that he did not have over his col- 
leagues of Great Britain whose papers have 
been read to us, but not by them in person. 
Mr. Jast is here. There are many topics 
which he has touched that awaken interest: 
many awaken curiosity. Some perhaps might 
suggest a challenge. I have no doubt that Mr. 
Jast would be happy to know that they did. 
Here is a chance to ask of Mr. Jast further 
information as to any particular points upon 
which he has touched as to library practice in 
general in Great Britain, which we have had 
treated somewhat in the other papers, or as 
to other phases of library activity upon which 
he, as representing the Library Association of 
the United Kingdom, can speak with author- 
ity. 

Miss CAROLINE MC!LVAINE: I would like to 
ask Mr. Jast how a library which had not al- 
ready a large clientele would advertise such a 
lecture, in order that when the lecture was 
given it might not be to an empty reading 
room. 

Mr. JAST: The reply is exceedingly simple. 
So far as our newsrooms are concerned, they 
are nearly always filled with people ; at all 
events, in the evening. The newsroom, of 
course, is one of the features of an English 
public library which differentiates it from the 
American libraries that I have seen. You do 
not make anything like as much of your news- 
rooms as we do. The newsroom in nearly 
every British public library that is to say, 
the room where newspapers are displayed and 
weekly papers, sometimes monthly periodicals 
as well is an exceedingly popular depart- 
ment of the library far too popular I think 
but anyhow there it is, and one of the ad- 
vantages of giving these talks in the reading 
room is that you capture a certain number of 
people who did not come there to hear the 
talk, but who are usually glad to remain and 
who come again to the next talk. With re- 



210 



ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. 



gard to the advertising of lectures proper, this 
is done, in our case, by syllabus bills. A cer- 
tain number, perhaps thirty or forty, are 
struck off, placed in all the libraries of course, 
and displayed in shops and other institutions 
of various kinds, clubs and so on. In addi- 
tion to that we print small hand syllabuses 
containing a list of the lectures, with lists of 
books in the library treating of the subjects, 
and these hand syllabuses are distributed to 
the readers in the libraries when they come 
for books. 

The PRESIDENT read a telegram from C. H. 
Gould, of Montreal, expressing regret at his 
enforced absence, reporting progress for the 
Committee on Foreign Documents, of which 
he is chairman, and sending best wishes to the 
conference. 

The PRESIDENT: We had yesterday Miss 
Countryman's admirable statement of the 
work done by the state in aid of libraries 
in this country a statement necessarily in 
part historical, by reference, but meant to 
be particularly a statement of the existing 
conditions, the work now done. This is not 
the only country in which the state aids. 
Mr. Nyhuus is to tell us of what Norway 
does, through its central government, in aid 
of the local libraries throughout Norway. 

HAAKON NYHUUS : I am the first foreigner 
to speak, and I trust you will kindly remem- 
ber that we foreigners have to use a foreign 
tongue. I hope that when you hear me you 
will think of yourself as in the same position, 
speaking Norwegian. I should certainly not 
have dared to call your attention to the work 
done in Norway for the benefit of our 750 
mainly small libraries had it not been for the 
kind' encouragement of your president, Dr. 
Putnam. 
Mr. NYHUUS read a paper on 

STATE-SUPPORTED LIBRARIES IN NORWAY. 

(See p. 60.) 

The PRESIDENT: The chair judges, from his 
post of observation, that to the mind of this 
audience things are extremely practical in 
Norway. We had to confess yesterday with 
reference to the franking of library books 
from research libraries to other research li- 



braries, not merely in Sweden but throughout 
the Continent, that the United States was not 
the only nation that has reached its twentieth 
century. I think we shall have to confess this 
morning that in certain comparisons some 
other countries are perhaps making steps to- 
wards the twenty-first. State support, a cen- 
tral state commission, a centralized authority, 
a centralized catalog an A. L. A. catalog, 
as it were centralized selection, printed 
cards our compensation must be (it is only 
partial) that part of Mr. Nyhuus' training 
was gained among us. If there is any one in 
this audience not of Scandanavian origin who 
could have presented in Norwegian a state- 
ment similarly lucid and equally delightful 
and charming in style, he has not yet been 
notified to the chair. 

The Executive Board have to report the ac- 
cession of another country to our conference 
Japan and to submit for your approval 
the name of Mr. Seechei Tegima, the chief 
commissioner of Japan, to be added to the list 
of honorary vice-presidents. I am sure your 
rising approval will be as cordial as before. 
(Unanimously adopted.) 

We have been hearing of the Decimal Sys- 
tem abroad. We heard of it in Russia, in 
New Zealand, in Australia, this morning from 
Norway, and as we progress throughout the 
Continent I have no doubt that we should 
hear of it in each region reached. Very com- 
monly, almost universally, librarians and 
others abroad attach to it the name of its 
founder, in its modern applications. We have 
not the slightest objection to that. It is a 
gratification to us to have the Decimal Sys- 
tem attached to Dr. Dewey. What we do in- 
cline to resent is that by those who have been 
interested in the study of the Decimal System 
abroad, but are not fully familiar with con- 
ditions in this country, Dr. Dewey has been 
attached to the Decimal System. We are not 
content to have him so limited. 

The decimal description of Dr. Dewey 
would be peculiarly inappropriate, a power 
decreasing as you progress. His influence be- 
longs fully on the other side of the point. If 
some slay their thousands, it would hardly be 
appropriate to say that one slays merely his 
tenths-ot-thousands ! There is no man who 



THIRD SESSION. 



211 



has meant so much to the library activities of 
this country, of which I spoke in my address 
on Monday. When I looked over the pro- 
ceedings of previous conferences I found that 
at the conference at Chicago in 1893 the pres- 
ident, in opening the sessions, said that he 
would defer any extended remarks. So far 
as I observed he did not later offer them. 
The president was Dr. Dewey. I felt rather 
abashed under the circumstances in submit- 
ting any formal address at this conference; 
for if one who has so much to say, and who 
says it with such surpassing facility, could 
exercise such self-denial on such an occasion, 
it hardly seemed becoming for me not to fol- 
low his example. I was not, however, quite 
equal to that abnegation. In a note to Bos- 
well you will find a reference to a visit to 
Litchfield of Johnson, the librarian "who 
propagates learning all over his diocese and 
advanceth knowledge to its just height." Now 
if we may modify that a bit and read it, "the 
librarian who propagates enthusiasm all over 
his diocese and advanceth confidence to its 
just height," and the diocese America, we 
shall have Dr. Dewey. 

Dr. Dewey was to discuss the proper limits 
of state aid. The admirable paper by Miss 
Countryman gave us a statement as to the 
work now done. Inevitably we inquire on 
such an occasion as this, How far beyond 
shall this work go? The proper limit, the 
feasible limit, the necessary limit; is there 
one? Whether Mr. Dewey has succeeded in 
finding it he will tell us. 

MELVIL DEWEY: I was asked to discuss 
Miss Countryman's paper, to which I listened 
with great interest. We cannot intelligently 
examine the limits of state aid without going 
back to fundamentals, and I haven't anything 
now to say but simply to restate in this con- 
nection the things for which some of us have 
stood for years. We have been on the ob- 
servatory, taking an outlook over the things 
that are being done. Come with me into the 
basement and let us examine our foundations. 

Now, any proposition that looks to broad- 
ening library work is going to be opposed. 
There are good men and women in this Asso- 
ciation who during all these years have in- 
variably been with the opposition when every 
new step of progress was made. When we 



discussed an annual meeting of the A. L. A., 
and the possibility of the life of the Library 
Journal and the library school, and printed 
cards, and open shelves, and annotations 
there were always those, wise and strong and 
interested, who protested that we were going 
too far and too fast; and yet all these things 
have been done and more is before us. But 
we need those people. The A. L. A. will do 
better work because of the conservative men 
and women that hold back. When I come, as 
I did last week, off the mountains in an auto- 
mobile weighing three thousand pounds, I was 
proud of the engine, but I was prouder still 
of the brakes that made it safe, and we ran 
steadier and surer to our goal and got there 
quicker because of these brakes and yet I 
confess it is more inspiring to ride on the 
cow-catcher than it is to be behind and al- 
ways holding back. Some people can't help 
this tendency. It reminds me of the Irishman 
who was driving the pig from Cork to Lim- 
erick. Some one said, "Where are you going 
with that pig?" "To Cork," said Pat. "I 
thought you were going to Limerick?" Says 
Pat, "Whist, I am going to Limerick; but 
don't let the pig know it." For twenty-five 
years we have been going to Limerick some- 
times, and have been a little cautious about 
letting the pig know it. These friends of ours 
do not say as much as they used to ; but they 
are still troubled, especially on these lines of 
state aid, because they feel we are doing 
things that we have no business to do. 

It has been inspiring to many of us to hear 
these reports from various parts of the world. 
We are proud to be humiliated, when we be- 
lieve so much in American library progress, 
to be told from New Zealand, from Canada, 
from Norway and from other parts of the 
world of progress so much beyond our own in 
postal facilities for distributing the best liter- 
ature. We have been content to sit still, an^ 
until recently some of our own people have 
antagonized the movement to rid ourselves of 
this incubus; we have been content with laws 
that charged as much to send the best book 
that we could select and buy and pay for at 
public expense to a man's home in sight of the 
library windows as it costs to send it to the 
other side of the world. We have been con- 
tent to let the worst enemy of the public li- 



212 



ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. 



brary, the yellow journal, be circulated at 
pound rates through the mails, while we pay 
the highest price for the best literature that 
we are circulating as an educational force 
simply for the public good. Here are limits 
to state aid that ought to be removed. When 
the American people decide that a thing ought 
to be done and is a good thing, and when it 
is clear that a certain way is the best way and 
the quickest way and the cheapest way, they 
are not concerned any longer with the doc- 
trinaire who explains that it ought not to be 
done in that way. They say "he's harmless. 
Let's go do it." 

And now I want to repeat what I have said 
many times, for some of you may not have 
grasped all that it means. We are fortunate 
enough to be living in a great world move- 
ment. It is taking shape. Libraries have 
been in a kind of unsettled equilibrium, and 
we are now coming to the time of centering 
them on solid foundations, and these founda- 
tions are state and national aid. Let us thank 
all the bibliothecal gods at once that at last 
we have in America a National Library ready 
to take its place as the chief cornerstone in 
this new work. (Applause.) And following 
upon that, in this great structure that reaches 
all over the land, in every state there should 
be another cornerstone, the state library. 

Every year those who follow its history 
see the growing strength of the state li- 
brary, the place that it is to occupy, and yet 
we know very well that it has not attained 
the A B C in the long alphabet through which 
it has to go. There are two supreme con- 
cerns of the state: the sordid one, to build 
material prosperity; the high one, to raise 
men, to build character. No one questions 
that these are the two great concerns of this 
state and nation. And I have yet to find any 
intelligent man who questions, when you put 
these fundamental facts before him, that it is 
the work of the library that is the cornerstone 
under both of these concerns, the one essen- 
tial that we cannot leave out. All civilization 
and the wonders that it performs is based on 
the printed page that passes on from father to 
son the accumulated wisdom of the race. The 
animal in the forest does what the animals of 
the same kind have done for a thousand gen- 
erations before; the savage passes his ac- 



quirements on orally from father to son and 
makes some progress perhaps; but the civil- 
ized man who does things like this wonderful 
Exposition about us, beyond the dreams of 
human possibility a few generations ago, the 
civilized man who does this, does it because 
he is all the while standing on the shoulders 
of the men who have gone before in all 
countries and in all ages. And it is the 
printed page, of which we are the official cus- 
todians, that has made the wonders of modern 
civilization. This is not the theory of the 
librarian; it is not the dream of an enthu- 
siast. It is the simple fact that we know if 
we stop to think. Then, on the other side 
repeating the statement that I made first at 
the last International Congress in London 
the supreme thing, the building of character, 
works back to the same beginning. The old 
statement of old Mother Church in regard to 
this holds perfectly true : that reflection begets 
motive, and motive begets action, and action 
repeated begets habit, and habit begets char- 
acter. Now, what makes people reflect? It 
is no longer so much the pulpit or the rostrum 
or the chance remark. What sets you think- 
ing on some important subject? Something 
that you have read ; something you have been 
talking of with a friend. What made the 
friend speak of it? Wasn't it something that 
he read, or that his friend read? Is it not 
true that in the great majority of cases reflec- 
tion among thinking men and women is based 
in the first, usually, or the second or at least 
the third remove, on something that was 
read ? So that this is perfectly true : that 
reading begets reflection, and reflection begets 
motive, and motive begets action, and action 
begets habit, and habit begets that supreme 
thing, character. Ignatius Donnelly once 
said the state might as well furnish boots as 
books. Do boots carry on the accumulated 
wisdom of the world and pass it from father 
to son, through all the generations, and build 
material prosperity? It is books, not boots 
that beget reflection and build character. Be- 
fore we discuss what limits state aid should 
have, we face this fundamental fact that our 
profession is charged with the custody of the 
printed page, and that the printed page is the 
cornerstone of the great concerns of the state. 
A second thought. We in our libraries are 



THIRD SESSION. 



213 



duplicating exactly the story of the American 
public school. We have to recognize the 
public library as one-half, easily one-half of 
our system of education. We are committed 
absolutely in the civilized world to the prin- 
ciple that an education for every child born 
into the world is not only his birthright and 
the duty of the state, but its privilege. No 
civilized community dares to withhold that 
education. But it is a modern thought. It is 
of our own time. Education is in two parts. 
The school education that is carried on by 
elementary schools and high schools and col- 
leges and professional and technical schools 
and universities, the education carried on in 
the regular teaching institutions that is 
only half, the half that deals with people in 
youth for a limited period. It does not cover 
all of life for people who are engaged in other 
pursuits, who must get their education in the 
margins of life, holidays, evenings and Sun- 
days and vacation time ; that, the home educa- 
tion that reaches all through life for all our 
people, young and old, is quite as important 
a factor as the school education. 

In 1876, when this Association was organ- 
ized in Philadelphia, we came together to cele- 
brate the centennial of our independence, and 
curiously just that year we began the eman- 
cipation of the library from the trammels of 
association with schools and with churches 
and with various bodies that had recognized 
something of the power of the book and had 
begun to build libraries. We began an eman- 
cipation looking to our independence, just as 
the school had been going through the process 
of emancipating itself from the domination of 
the church. It is not so long ago. In my 
own time, young as I am, I remember very 
well a conference with that great figure in 
American education, Henry Barnard, so re- 
cently gone over to the majority, who went as 
a young man to nearly thirty different states, 
and by the courtesy of their legislature stood 
before them and in almost the words that I 
use to you to-day pleaded for the establish- 
ment, at public expense, of a public school 
system as a part of the state's organization. 
Curiously the first conference of librarians 
ever held in the world, in 1853, was held in 
the city of New York, in the city and the 



year in which the public turned over $600,000 
of property to the Public School Society of 
New York and established the department of 
public instruction. 

Now we have come to a time when most of 
the states have established state library com- 
missions. New laws are being made, larger 
appropriations are granted, legislatures are 
facing the question, What do these requests 
mean? And we who attend the A. L. A. 
should be prepared at' all times to defend our 
position, not by dealing superficially with 
symptoms on the outside, not by saying 
"books are a good thing, it is a good thing to 
give information, and inspiration, and inno- 
cent recreation," but by going straight to 
fundamentals and saying to our finance com- 
mittees and our governors, "This is not a 
question that admits of discussion." We 
should refuse absolutely to discuss it on any 
plane except that the modern public library is 
an absolute essential of modern civilization, 
and that will solve very largely the question 
of the limits of state aid. The limits are those 
of fruitful fields and furnished funds. 

Just a word as to the developments of state 
aid. The state library is bound to be for the 
state what the national library should be for 
the nation, the center of this work. There 
are those who still cannot see why this should 
be, but it is inevitable. It is perfectly useless 
to discuss it. We are coming to demand a 
single library interest for every state. We 
have had in New York for half a century this 
unfortunate duplication in education. Most 
of you know that after agonies that have ex- 
tended over years last year we put dynamite 
under the whole foolish duplication, and out 
of the pieces that have come down we have 
organized a better system than the state ever 
had before, and with larger appropriation, 
and we are going to do better work in New 
York than we have ever done before, under 
the man of all men in the country best fitted 
to head the work, Andrew S. Draper, late 
president of the University of Illinois. The 
other states will have to unify this work in 
the same way. The state library started 
probably in most states with the conception 
of a law library for the courts ; then some of 
them added to it the historical archives, with 



214 



ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. 



the thought that the history of the state 
ought to be preserved. In some others the 
historical society grew up with it, and we had 
a divided library law and history. The 
next development was books for the state de- 
partments, and that has been slow. Many 
states yet have not recognized the duty of the 
state library to provide the tools for every 
department of the state, with which it might 
do its work best ; and it was a much later 
conception that the state library was really 
the library for the whole state, encyclopaedic 
in its character, belonging to all the citizens 
of the state and bound to make its rules so 
that its books might be available to all parts 
of the state. Then came the other functions 
that have started often from the state library 
commissions. Every commission, of course, 
sends out printed matter, keeps up correspond- 
ence, and exercises a certain amount of super- 
vision and direction. The commissions have 
four natural functions: the founding of new 
libraries, the improvement of old libraries, as- 
sistance in the selection and perhaps in the 
buying of books and aid as a clearing-house 
for duplicates. Then comes the question of 
more definite aid, and the most natural step 
is lending from the state library, and the de- 
velopment of the home library and the house 
library in what we call the travelling library 
system. We are sending what we call the 
house library to individual homes in New 
York, so that a farmer in a distant part of 
the state, away from library privileges, may 
have a collection of ten books to keep all 
winter, adapted as well as possible to the dif- 
ferent members of his family. A next step is 
to give books the Massachusetts system of 
buying books and giving them to a library to 
keep and another is to give money out- 
right, coupled necessarily with the provision 
that the community shall raise an equal 
amount from local sources. So we lend books 
and give money, but we haven't done the main 
thing yet For that the best example is the 
state of Wisconsin, where they have skipped 
some of the steps that others thought more 
essential and that were much easier, and have 
given the library the personal touch, as Frank 
Hutchins, of Wisconsin, gave his very life to 
build up the libraries of his state. The trav- 
elling librarian the field librarian perhaps 



is the best word is one of the functions of 
the state that should be more cultivated if we 
are going to build up this great library move- 
ment. 

It is not alone in these directions that the 
state is to reach out further. There is no 
reason why we should send books if the same 
thing can be accomplished better with other 
things, and we are beginning now to take the 
next step in sending pictures, music, speci- 
mens from the museum. We tried an ex- 
periment last year that we are going on with 
this year in stimulating interest in choice lit- 
erature by a picture evening. We took the 
subject "Evangeline," with illustrations from 
photographs made by Rev. Mr. Compton, him- 
self a native of Nova Scotia, who spent three 
or four years in collecting the material, choos- 
ing carefully the historic costumes of the 
time, grouping his figures and getting as 
nearly as possible the scenes that we should 
have had if we had followed Longfellow's 
poem and had photographed from point to 
point. The story of Evangeline, in 150 pic- 
tures, was put upon the curtain while it was 
read by a good reader, the pictures moving 
across the scene, so that the audience took in 
the story not alone with the ear, but with the 
eye. It was an experiment and I watched in 
the audience, and I was immensely pleased to 
see among all classes of people an interest 
beyond what we had anticipated. An interest 
was developed in Evangeline and in that coun- 
try that could not have been developed so 
rapidly in any other way, as by this evening 
of pictures, helping them to see as well as to 
hear. We have had Miles Standish in the 
same way, and this year we have Hiawatha. 
Of course I believe in the circulation of pic- 
tures just as freely as of books whenever 
they will do the work. Just as proper a func- 
tion for state money is to supply in all our 
libraries the perforated paper for music. If 
you study the advertising pages of magazines 
they will tell you better than any other index 
how rapidly the mechanical piano and organ 
player is being distributed all over this coun- 
try. Now, there is no use of trying to make 
people understand art if they cannot see good 
pictures. You cannot cultivate music with- 
out hearing good music. What are people 
away from the great centers to do? How 



THIRD SESSION. 



215 



often will it be their lot to hear one of Beeth- 
oven's great symphonies? Once in five or 
six years, by good fortune, they may hear a 
competent orchestra play it. And yet with 
these simple piano-players a farmer out on 
the Western prairie, a lumberman back in the 
Adirondacks and this is not a fancy sketch 
may play the world's best music, over and 
over, and they and their children may hear 
the best music that the world has made. Why 
shouldn't Beethoven's Fifth Symphony be 
sent from the library to a home that cannot 
afford to buy those costly rolls, and played 
there as often as they want it, for a week or 
two weeks, just as you would send them 
Shakespeare's "Macbeth"? Such work is 
within our limits. 

The study clubs are within our limits. 
We have now over six hundred of those 
clubs scattered over the state that are 
registered in our state library. These are not 
desultory clubs, doing all kinds of work, but 
six hundred clubs that are taking systematic, 
continuous work on a single topic for at 
least ten consecutive meetings, and are learn- 
ing the charm of doing a piece of substantial 
work, learning to study, getting results. We 
help make their programs; we lend them 
books ; we lend them lanterns and slides and 
screens, and send them photographs, and en- 
courage the people everywhere who are try- 
ing to carry on educational work or to pro- 
mote culture in any practical and wise way; 
and all the extension of teaching that Mr. 
Jast told us about is within the proper limits 
of state aid. Lists of available lectures, 
whether for a single lecture or a full course; 
help in laying out programs, provision of 
books and pictures, telling people where they 
can find instruction in the summer and by 
correspondence on any topic in short, it is 
within the proper limits of state aid that any 
man, woman or child should be able to come 
to the public library and ask for help if he 
wishes to go on with his education, if he 
wishes to contribute to the widest practical 
culture. We have great things before us and 
the public believe in them. There are no ap- 
propriations that are granted with less oppo- 
sition than library appropriations, because the 
state is learning to believe that nothing pays 
better than to remove the limits and to let 
the library do the work that is needed. 



Now, when we climb laboriously to the 
heights of Pisgah let us look back, not on 
the dusty deserts and the Red Sea past, but 
over to the Promised Land, under the radiant 
bow that a good God puts in the intellectual 
heaven of every man and woman who has 
faith to look forward; and when we finish 
this meeting and go back to our homes, let us 
go forward toward this broad ideal, and look 
out and not in, forward and not back, up and 
not down, and, above all, lend a hand. 

The PRESIDENT: If Mr. Dewey has con- 
ceived a limit, it is quite obvious that he con- 
siders it not yet within sight. And you note 
a very interesting concurrence. Mr. Leh- 
mann, on Monday evening, gave us a most in- 
vigorating address, peculiarly invigorating 
from the confidence it expressed in the grad- 
ual amelioration of society and peculiarly be- 
cause that confidence was expressed by a man 
of affairs. On the other hand, we have here 
the confidence which we are well wonted to, 
of the men and women in the profession who 
justly exalt their own vocation and its oppor' 
tunities, because without that exaltation the 
work could not be done and progress made. 
I suppose Mr. Lehmann would call himself a 
meliorist. I believe we always think of Dr. 
Dewey as an optimist. But there is not much 
difference between the terms. No optimist 
believes that we can turn over the world be- 
tween now and to-morrow morning. It is all 
a question of gradual amelioration. And after 
all the question, when we have started, is not 
so much where we may have to stop one of 
these days, but whether we need stop now 
and here. Mr. Lehmann referred to certain 
discouraging phenomena to which the cynic 
is apt to point as evidence that the world is 
going the wrong way. Well, what is the other 
side? He spoke of corruption in the public 
service. The question is not whether cor- 
ruption exists, but what is the attitude of the 
community toward it. Is it looked upon with 
nonchalance and with tolerance, with a sort 
of a jaunty indifference, or does it now 
awaken indignation? We see flabby books 
published in immeasurable quantities, but does 
not the good book survive? We see plays 
produced day after day that are flabby, but 
does not the good play make its way? I have 
heard actors say so with comfort and confi- 
dence. The question is, Are things on the 



2l6 



ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. 



whole getting better with reference to our op- 
portunities? Have we yet gone a step be- 
yond the approval of the community? Dr. 
Dewey says that we haven't; that he has 
never heard a criticism expressed by the gen- 
eral public on its behalf as to any of these 
undertakings that we consider vital to our 
work, and he may justly say, Why stop now 
to consider where we may have to stop gen- 
erations hence? 

At first we thought of having the other side 
represented on the program, of having 
somebody who would be more apt to 
speak upon the conservative side, but we 
came to the conclusion that at such a confer- 
ence as this the conservative would be inap- 
propriate, even if we could find a man to pre- 
sent it. We are dealing not with pauses but 
with progress; not with limits but with op- 
portunities ; and we haven't any place for the 
doubter nor for the cynic. On the whole I 
am inclined to think that Dr. Dewey was cor- 
rect and appropriate to this occasion in not 
showing us the limit. 

Adjourned at 12 o'clock. 



FOURTH SESSION. 

.(HALL OF CONGRESSES, ST. Louis EXPOSITION, 
THURSDAY MORNING, OCT. 20.) 

President PUTNAM called the meeting to 
order at 9.50 o'clock. 

ELECTION OF OFFICERS. 

The PRESIDENT announced that the Council 
had selected nominees for office for the com- 
ing year, in accordance with sec. 17 of the 
constitution, and that these nominations had 
been posted at headquarters. Other nomina- 
tions sent in with the signatures of five 
members of the Association before three 
o'clock would be added to the official ballot. 
The election was announced for Friday 
morning, and the two assistant secretaries, 
Mr. A. D. Dickinson and Mr. M. G. Wyer 
were designated as tellers. 

Dr. R. G. THWAITES made a brief state- 
ment, on behalf of those members interested 
in historical societies, regarding various ex- 
hibits connected with the Exposition that 



possessed special historical and bibliograph- 
ical interest. 

The PRESIDENT: It was a confirmation of 
the theory of the program committee that the 
present would be an opportune season for 
a review of existing library conditions not 
merely in this country but abroad, that an in- 
dependent inquiry resulting in just such a 
statement was undertaken by the editor of 
Public Libraries. The results are given in 
the October number of Public Libraries. 
This number was ready for distribution sev- 
eral days ago, but at the request of the pro- 
gram committee was withheld until this time 
to prevent any misapprehension as to what 
these papers consisted of. They cover, in 
title, the libraries in Germany, modern Brit- 
ish libraries, public libraries in Austria, pub- 
lic libraries in Denmark, Swedish libraries, 
Dutch libraries and other regions, and in 
some cases the articles are by writers who are 
down as contributors to our program. They 
are not the same articles as were to be papers 
for our program, but there might have been 
that misapprehension, which would have been 
unjust to the statements that we are pro- 
posing to have to-day; and the editor of 
Public Libraries very courteously withheld 
the distribution of this number until this 
time when that apprehension need not exist. 
Copies may be had at the headquarters, and 
there are also a score or more copies here 
for any who desire them. 

If it be true that the fame of a librarian 
may not be lasting before the general public 
for those administrative qualities which have 
gone to make success in his work, that is 
not true as to his reputation within his own 
profession. Especially is it not true that a 
librarian who has accomplished much and 
given great distinction to the office that he 
holds will be allowed by the intelligent au- 
thorities of the institution with which he 
has been connected to be succeeded by one who 
will not hold up the traditions of that office. 
A standard has been created; there is a 
plateau of achievement upon which his suc- 
cessor must stand. It needs no description 
of the work of Karl Dziatzko to indicate what 
the presence here of Dr. Pietschmann, his 
successor at Gottingen, must mean in the li- 



FOURTH SESSION. 



217 



brary world of Germany and must mean as 
a recognition of Dr. Pietschmann's abilities 
for that office. Dr. Pietschmann has kindly 
consented to say a word to us in estimate of 
the position Prof. Dziatzko held in Germany, 
the work he did. He has deprecated his 
use of English and has rather preferred, 
if we would permit him, after beginning in 
English to relapse into German. I said that 
I thought there had not been any vote passed 
making English the exclusive language of 
this conference, and that we should all be 
complimented rather than otherwise to have 
any of our foreign friends speak to us in the 
tongue which is the home tongue to them. It 
takes us with them. 
Dr. PIETSCHMANN read -a paper on 

KARL DZIATZKO. 

(See p. 87.) 

At the request of the President, Dr. AN- 
DERSSON, Honorary Vice-president, took the 
chair. 

Mr. PUTNAM: From Italy the program, 
under the session of yesterday morning, had 
included two papers, one entitled "Recent 
general progress in Italy," by Dr. Biagi; the 
other, the "General library situation in Italy," 
by Signer Chilovi. Dr. Chilovi's contribution 
was not a paper but a communication ad- 
dressed to the president of the Association 
in answer to the invitation to participate. As 
the recipient in your behalf, of that com- 
munication, I ask the privilege of reading it 
to you, in translation. 

Mr. PUTNAM then read Dr. Chilovi's com- 
munication, on 

SOME PENDING MATTERS OF IMPORTANCE. 

(See p. 55.) 

Dr. ANDERSSON retired from the chair, 
which was taken by Mr. PUTNAM. 

The PRESIDENT: It seems to the president 
of the Association that the letter from Dr. 
Chilovi accepting the plan of this conference 
as upon a high plane with purposes of inter- 
national utility is not merely most interesting 
in itself, but likely to be most serviceable to 
the purpose we had in view. 



Dr. Biagi having at the Congress of Arts 
and Science contributed one of the two lead- 
ing statements there given one of which 
was upon the history and the other upon the 
fundamental concepts of libraries in the gen- 
eral scheme which treated all sciences 
might rightly feel that as that section of that 
Congress was in a sense preliminary to our 
conference, he had the/re made his contribu- 
tion to our conference. He has. And yet 
I am sure that you would not be satisfied 
not to hear in person from him at our own 
conference, because there is no librarian upon 
the continent whose name has been more in- 
teresting to those of us who have either vis- 
ited foreign libraries or been interested in the 
library movement abroad the custodian of a 
distinguished collection, full of the choicest 
flavor, in a building in itself a monument, Dr. 
Biagi has not confined himself, as he might 
have been tempted to do, to the bibliographic 
research for which he had such talents so 
admirably cultivated, but has been interested 
in the promotion of all library activities in 
Italy, in the education of librarians, in the 
perfection of the apparatus of libraries. There 
is no one, I suppose, upon the Continent who 
has followed with more assiduity all the liter- 
ature published, even on this side of the 
water, regarding even the more technical, 
dry, mechanical part of library administra- 
tion that part which has had to receive 
more attention from us here in America be- 
cause of the numbers with which we deal 
than would be supposed to be necessary under 
existing conditions in Europe. Dr. Biagi 
has had all these varying interests. You 
never would be satisfied with your program 
cominittee if they had assented to let this 
week pass without your seeing him in person. 
Dr. Biagi. 

Dr. BIAGI read 

A NOTE ON ITALIAN LIBRARY AFFAIRS. 

(See p. 57-) 

The PRESIDENT: Dr. Chilovi has said in the 
communication that I read to you that the 
library subjects which touched only one par- 
ticular country might well be treated in 
papers to be printed and that we should, at 



218 



ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. 



this conference, deal only with subjects of 
international concern. The difficulty with 
that is that there is not a subject of im- 
portance of local library concern that is not 
of international library concern. There is 
not a word that Dr. Biagi has told us of the 
conditions, the prospects, the spirit, the needs 
in Italy that is not of surpassing interest to 
us. We do not, in the case of libraries, form 
international conferences for the sake of 
making questions international. We form 
them because all library questions that are of 
real moment to-day are already international, 
and a conference that is international is 
merely a recognition of this. The program 
committee was not, I see, mistaken in insist- 
ing that we should hear from Dr. Biagi. 

During Dr. Biagi's address your president 
rose on your behalf in recognition of the 
proffer of a gift. In your behalf he is very 
proud to accept for the records and the li- 
brary of the American Library Association 
this superb new edition of Muratori, by the 
best, most critical editorship which Italy 
can now provide, and one could scarcely say 
more. I do not know how large a library we 
have already. I think we should be rather 
pleased if we had not begun one, in order 
that this might form the foundation stone. 
(Applause.) And in your behalf I wish to 
accept not in behalf of the American Li- 
brary Association merely but of this con- 
ference I wish to accept the suggestion 
with which Dr. Biagi concluded his paper, 
that this conference might see the birth, un- 
der these favoring auspices, of an interna- 
tional federation of library associations and 
organizations, including bibliographic socie- 
ties. It would be premature for me to in- 
dicate any details upon this subject. It is a 
matter as to which perhaps some expression 
will appropriately be formulated to-morrow. 
But in your behalf I accept that suggestion 
to be laid before you, and if there be a parlia- 
mentary distinction between accepting and 
adopting, I am sure that in this case any de- 
lay in its adoption will be due only to the 
fact that an international federation requires 
action of other bodies besides our own. 

We yesterday considered some phases of 
the library movement on the popular side, 
and the papers that came to us, from Great 



Britain, for the most part, dealt with ques- 
tions that touch the more popular side of 
library work rather than the research side. 
Upon our program for to-day are questions 
practical to library progress.. There is the 
research library in Norway, although Mr. 
Nyhuus did not speak of it; his scheme was 
other; there is the research library in Den- 
mark as to which we are to have the state- 
ment from Dr. Lange * ; there are the re- 
search libraries in Sweden. 

It is curious how non-descriptive the 
science of geography is and of cartography. 
A cartographer makes first a map of Eu- 
rope and he puts it up before us. We accept 
it for what he intends it to be, but it is not 
our Europe. Every one of us has a Europe 
different from his, and he cannot construct 
it. We have individualized Europe as we 
have individualized the rest of the earth's 
surface, each one of us. We use figures in 
common, but I believe it is the fact that our 
individual concepts of the running scale of 
figures differ ; that in the case of certain peo- 
ple the numbers from I to 4 seem to run up 
and then dip down to 5 and then up to 6 and 
so on. These are recognized phenomena al- 
though we use the same numbers and for 
practical purposes use them in much the same 
way. Now, in our conception of the map of 
Europe we have similar individualities. It 
is not a flat map; it is a relief. The tourist 
who has been through Europe constructs ex- 
periences upon various places that he has vis- 
ited. If his experience has been only the 
most trivial, where the muffins were good or 
the tea was bad, there is something left there, 
a little elevation or a depression that forms 
for him a certain permanent variation of the 
earth's surface at that point. I think we have 
all experienced this. And if it is not the 
question of the tourist at all I mean the 
man who travels physically but merely 
the tourist in mental matters, over the mental 
field, he also is constructing reliefs all over 
Europe. The man who is educated, who is 
interested in one field of science, sees grad- 
ually rising an elevation of interest in that 
field another man, another elevation; and 
they won't be the same elevations and the 

* Dr. Lange's paper was not read, but is printed 
among the papers. (See p. 67.) 



FOURTH SESSION. 



same places ; and the cartographer won't have 
noticed them at all. Now, the bibliographer 
and the bibliophile construct such elevations 
all over Europe; and so do the theologian, 
the student of ecclesiastical history, the stu- 
dent of texts. The student of texts thinks 
of codices, the great codex at St. Peters- 
burg, for instance, and that forms for him 
an elevation; another in the British Museum, 
and there is one; another in the Vatican, and 
there is one. And among all these there will 
be one that stands up on a very high pinnacle, 
and that is a certain one at Upsala. The in- 
terest of the bibliophile in it is different from 
the interest of the philologist, but to each 
it stands upon a pinnacle and gives a radiance 
to Upsala. This book is the version of the 
scriptures by Bishop Ulfilas; that is, not by 
him, but translated into Gothic by his direc- 
tion. It is one of the precious books of the 
world. The bibliophile looks upon it with 
reverence as a book of priceless dignity, and 
the philologist as the foundation of our 
knowledge of the Gothic. But Upsala has, 
with this great codex, a university, a very 
ancient seat of learning; and the university 
has a library, a most interesting library; and 
the town is a charming town. Those of you 
who have reached, as most of you will, Stock- 
holm, should never pass over beyond without 
going to Upsala, and if, as I did last autumn, 
you have the fortune to come t,o Upsala on 
a lovely autumn day when the brown leaves 
are crackling under your feet, and come into 
this tranquil old town, with its charming uni- 
versity and its air of sedate and tranquil 
scholarship, and if, beyond all, you find on 
that lucky day the vice-librarian to receive 
you, that will be a radiant day indeed in your 
recollection of Europe. ( Applause.) 

And now, Dr. Andersson. Dr. Andersson's 
contribution to our program is, from his 
great amiability and most obliging readiness, 
to be various. Part of it will, however, only 
appear in print. We shall be able through 
him to have in our printed Proceedings a 
systematic statement particularly for each 
of the great research libraries of Sweden, a 
systematic statement concerning those libra- 
ries which will form in itself a valuable mon- 
ograph. But I said to him, in behalf of the 



program committee, that our interest went 
beyond mere historical or analytical state- 
ment of the general conditions and statistics; 
that we were to take up at this morning 
session some questions of practical practice 
and that it might form a very proper intro- 
duction to the consideration of such ques- 
tions to hear how they were doing some 
of these things in those research libraries 
which have existed the University of Up- 
sala has existed since the fifteenth century 
which have existed for years, have been 
acquired from various sources, have had a 
picturesque and checkered career, have gener- 
ally been much embarrassed for space in 
which to grow and facilities for administra- 
tion; and what Dr. Andersson will treat this 
morning will be some of these practices which 
are common to the three great research li- 
braries of Sweden, particularizing only where 
their practice differs. ' 

Dr. ANDERSSON read part of a paper on 

RESEARCH LIBRARIES OF SWEDEN. 

.(See p. 71.) 

The PRESIDENT: I notice no face did not 
show interest, but I noticed many that 
showed surprise at the description of some 
parts of these processes, the practices in these 
research libraries. They are very usual in 
many research libraries abroad, and that is 
particularly why we asked Dr. Andersson to 
recite them to you this morning. It is quite 
evident that many of them are such as 
you cannot adopt. It may be healthy, never- 
theless, to remember that in the research li- 
braries of Europe learning has flourished. 

We are now coming to the region of con- 
troversy. We have this morning scheduled 
for treatment of course we shall only be- 
gin with it classification and cataloging, 
annotation, which you may call "evaluation" 
or "estimate" or "critical appreciation" or 
anything else that may avoid hurting some 
people's feelings sometimes or all people's 
feelings at other times. Most of our papers 
have of course been papers that have interest 
for us for their spirit and fact, the facts 
which they set before us, and for many other 
qualities, but at a conference such as this 
we cannot have omitted some discussion of 



22O 



ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. 



certain of the fundamental problems of li- 
brary practice upon which opinion differs. 
If we do not get a difference of opinion here, 
if that difference is not expressed with some 
warmth, the program committee will be dis- 
appointed. 

The first subject is classification, upon 
which we have had a contribution from Dr. 
Focke of the library at Posen, who has theo- 
rized much upon it, and a brief contribution 
from the chief classifier of the Library of 
Congress. We were hopeful of a contribution 
from Mr. Biscoe, of course; our thoughts 
would naturally turn to him; but he was un- 
able to prepare it. Mr. Martel of the Library 
of Congress is not here, and neither his 
paper nor Dr. Focke's will be read in full, 
but Dr. Richardson, who also, as you know, 
has given much attention to the theory of 
classification, will present some of the fea- 
tures suggested in those two papers, with 
some comments of his own. 

Dr. RICHARDSON gave a summary of the 
papers by Dr. Focke and Mr. Martel on 

CLASSIFICATION 

which are printed elsewhere. 
(See p. 127, 132.) 

W. C. LANE: I am pleased and interested 
to see the suggestion made by Dr. Focke 
in his theoretical paper, that the grouping of 
the minor subjects for ultimate subjects of 
a classified catalog can be improved by, in 
many cases, arranging them in alphabetical 
order under classified headings. This is 
precisely what has been done for the last 
forty years by the catalog of the Harvard 
Library. Planned in 1865, I believe it was 
modified somewhat since that time as the 
subject has developed, but that is precisely 
the principle followed. It is a classified 
subject catalog, arranged entirely in alphabet- 
ical order. 

W. I. FLETCHER: May I ask Dr. Dewey 
to answer a question? I take great inter- 
est in the prospective new edition of the 
Decimal classification which has been re- 
ferred to, and my question is, by what 
method, in a general way, is it hoped to meet 
the necessity of the introduction of quite 



new subjects the recasting, as we may say, 
of such subjects as come up nowadays in so- 
ciology and in the new views taken of the 
philosophical sciences. Using the Decimal 
classification myself and attempting to adapt 
it, I confess to serious difficulty in this matter 
of recasting whole divisions. I should like 
to ask if he can give us a hint of what it is 
hoped to do in the matter of making a new 
edition which shall meet the demands of the 
future; whether we may expect in the new 
edition a recasting of departments where 
there have been radical changes in scientific 
classification. I may instance sociology as 
one of the most noteworthy. 

Dr. DEWEY : We found, in checking over 
the users of the classification and asking 
their advice, a very general agreement on 
this principle : that it would be unwise to 
make many very radical changes because 
the number of users is so large. In view of 
the amount of cataloging that has been done 
by the present scheme the cost of changing 
would be so serious that we found nine- 
tenths of the people favored rather the plan 
of providing for new subjects by introducing 
them where they could be added, not exactly 
as we should have done if we were doing 
it for the first time, but in a way to provide 
practically for every subject. We have been 
actively at work on the new edition for the 
last two years. The work, which was well 
advanced, was suspended because of the "A. 
L. A. catalog," but now that that is off the 
press we are going to work on the classifica- 
tion. We are expecting almost any day 
the work from Brussels on which they have 
been doing so much, and of course it is ex- 
ceedingly important that we should be in har- 
mony in international use. I myself believe 
that it is foolish to dream of recasting and 
remaking a classification over twenty-five 
years old to fit new theories. The old books 
exist; they have been cataloged; they have 
been numbered. If we could change cer- 
tain details we should be glad to, it would 
be a great desideratum; but it wouldn't pay 
at all for the cost. Take an extreme case. 
Everybody recognizes that it would be much 
better if History and Philology changed 
places. That would bring History next to 



FOURTH SESSION. 



221 



Sociology, with which it is closely allied, and 
would bring Philology next to Literature, 
with which it is closely allied. I have urged 
people for many years to arrange those classes 
that way. But although it is a very simple 
thing to say that all the Q'S are changed to 
4's, and all the 43 to Q'S, it means hopeless 
confusion in the catalog as used. I do not 
think it is wise to improve our theory at so 
practical a cost. Even if we tried to do it, 
the great majority of libraries would not 
follow, on account of the expense, and our 
numbers would be badly jumbled. We got 
that as the opinion of the great majority of 
users. 

We have no theories in regard to this 
except to attain the maximum of usefulness. 
I do not think there is anyone in our library 
who cares a rap for the fact that the classi- 
fication has been associateed with my name. 
It never occurs to me as a thing that I have 
any interest in, except a responsibility to try 
to make it useful. We shall go to work on 
it again this fall, and if any one has any fur- 
ther suggestions that you haven't already 
made in writing, if you will send them in to 
us they will all receive full consideration. 
We do not feel at liberty to decide the matter 
alone. We consult constantly, especially with 
our friends in Europe who have done so 
much work in this matter; and where they 
have already worked out a solution even if we 
think we know a little better solution, we 
think it is much better to take theirs than 
try to make an improvement at the expense 
of lack of harmony. Harmony is worth 
more than theoretical perfection. There are 
some subjects, as Mr. Fletcher says, where 
the changes have been so radical that we 
shall simply have to explode them; but they 
are only a few. I think the result will be 
that we shall have a classification that is 
mostly a modification, that will work with 
the old with a minimum of change, and that 
will not mean serious expense for a library 
to adapt itself to. The changes will be in 
subjects where there is not a great volume 
of old books. May I repeat most earnestly 
this word : that we are simply trying to 
represent the wishes of those who are using 
this method for numbering books. 



The PRESIDENT : This is not a question for 
America alone. Are we not to hear from 
abroad, from Brussels, for instance? Mr. 
La Fontaine. 

Mr. LA FONTAINE: Mr. President, ladies 
and gentlemen, I must speak in English. It 
is not very easy for me, but I will try to ex- 
plain what we have done and what are the 
difficulties we have encountered in develop- 
ing the Decimal classification of Mr. Dewey. 
As he has said, we have to save things that 
we must change as little as possible. It was 
possible for us, for all the divisions, to pre- 
serve all the x numbers of the first Decimal 
classification. We have now only two great 
difficulties. One is chemistry, which has been 
so transformed in the last few years; the 
other is mathematics. In mathematics we 
have asked the first mathematicians of Eu- 
rope to help us in developing the original 
scheme, but they all answer that it is not pos- 
sible; that ideas in mathematics are so differ- 
ent now from what they were before that a 
radical change must be made. We have not 
taken a resolution on that question, because 
it is very hard to change a matter so divided 
as this division is now in the Decimal classi- 
fication, and we hope it will be possible to 
keep what exists for the older books, because 
the old ideas in mathematics exist. So I 
think it is necessary to maintain, as far as 
possible, the subdivisions of the main sub- 
division 51. We hope that we can come to 
an understanding with the new mathemati- 
cians and make a subdivision from one of the 
subdivisions already existing. The new edi- 
tion, our French edition, is not printed now. 
All the other parts will be printed and will 
be before you to-morrow, I hope. The great 
question is the question of history. We think 
that all the old divisions can be maintained 
but that new ones can be introduced without 
changing the old divisions. We have observed 
by chance that all dates can be written deci- 
mally; so all the years, centuries and even 
minute dates, as the date of the French Rev- 
olution, can be written decimally if you put 
zero before the numbers of the months and 
days which have only one figure. Take the 
date of the i4th of July, 1789, the date of the 
French Revolution. You may write it 



222 



ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. 



"1789 07 14" and that number is a decimal 
number. So you can classify all dates under 
a decimal scheme, using the dates of the 
months, and we think it is the easiest system 
to use. 

The great difference which now exists be- 
tween the American decimal classification and 
ours is that we have placed between paren- 
theses all the form subdivisions, and the geo- 
graphical numbers. Instead of writing 
"914.4" for geographical France we write 
"91(44)." We have done it because geo- 
graphical numbers are used in all possible 
subdivisions. Thus "Salaries in Europe" 
will be "331.2(4)." If we add directly the 
number 4 to the number 331.2, we will have 
"331.24," having two interpretations, one a 
subdivision of the question of salary and the 
other the salaries in France; and to avoid 
such confusion we have put all geographical 
numbers in parentheses. 

I think I have said enough for you to see 
that what Dr. Dewey has said is true, and 
that it will be possible to enlarge the classi- 
fication as it exists now so that it will be un- 
necessary to reform all that has been done 
until now. The little differences that exist 
will be very small and it will be easy to use 
the old cards as they are now and to bring 
them together with the new cards which will 
be printed with the new scheme. 

Adjourned at 12.30. 



FIFTH SESSION. 

(HALL OF CONGRESSES, ST. Louis EXPOSITION, 
FRIDAY MORNING, OCT. 21.) 

The meeting was called to order by Presi- 
dent PUTNAM at 9.45 o'clock. 

The PRESIDENT: The first portion of this 
morning's session will be devoted to that sec- 
tion of the program under the caption "Bib- 
liographic undertakings of international con- 
cern," and the president turns over the gavel 
to the senior vice-president, who is to conduct 
this portion of the session, having himself ar- 
ranged for it. 

Dr. RICHARDSON then took the chair, and 
spoke, in introduction of the topics to follow, 
on 



INTERNATIONAL BIBLIOGRAPHY. 

(See p. 93.) 

The CHAIRMAN: I am very glad that the 
arrangement was made for me to take the 
chairmanship for a few moments this morn- 
ing, if for no other reason than that it gives 
me the opportunity to say that it is to the 
world attitude of our president, the Libra- 
rian of Congress, that we owe not only the 
successful inception and progress of this in- 
ternational conference, but the live hope that 
we have that the American attitude, under 
his leadership, towards matters of interna- 
tional concern, will always be one of co- 
operation rather than rivalry, and of earnest 
endeavor to do our share in the co-operative 
work of the world. This word "internation- 
al" is the keynote of all meetings of our 
conference at this time. The difference be- 
tween this session and other sessions does not 
lie therefore in its international character, 
but in the word "bibliography," and more 
particularly with bibliography as applied to 
practical results. Now applied bibliography, 
as treated this morning, includes the co- 
operative catalog and the co-operative bibli- 
ography intended to be used for catalog 
purposes. We have to do, in the program 
this morning, with the international catalog 
and the international bibliography which may 
be used as a catalog. To the first class belong 
the paper by Dr. Fick on the Prussian 
Gesamtkatalog and the paper of Dr. Anders- 
son on the Accessions-katalog of Sweden ; 
and to the other aspect of applied bibliog- 
raphy which may be used as a catalog belong 
the papers of Dr. Adler and Mr. La Fontaine, 
and from another point of view the papers 
of Miss Hasse and Mr. Thompson. 

Now it has been my fortune to need more 
or less to use manuscripts, and Dr. Putnam 
has asked me to say a word regarding the 
extreme courtesy that I have met with in 
this use among the European libraries, so 
many of whom are represented here to-day. 
Time would fail if I were to begin to repeat 
the innumerable courtesies of foreign libra- 
rians in the matter of special facilities and 
special loans. When, e.g., the Laurentian 
Library was about to be closed for a num- 



FIFTH SESSION. 



223 



ber of days and Dr. Biagi saw my face fall, 
"Why," said he, "Let's see. This is a manu- 
script absolutely unique. Its illustrations are 
such that it would be a world disaster to have 
it lost. Almost anything else I would be glad 
to let you take elsewhere, but about this I 
don't know. But after all," he said, "it is 
for scholarship, and if you like I will send 
it over to the university library and you can 
work on it during the vacation here." So he 
sent it over to another part of the city and I 
was able to work it through. That is char- 
acteristic of what I have found in Italy, and 
Germany, and all over. 

But it is not of that phase that I was to 
speak. What I was to speak about is the 
sending of manuscripts from one library to 
another, even from one country to another, 
and that not only for the native but for the 
stranger from abroad, as a matter of inter- 
national courtesy. One summer I wanted 
manuscripts from the west, north and south 
of France. The question rose : Shall I travel 
to all those places? They were not manu- 
scripts of absolutely the first importance for 
my purposes, but they were manuscripts I 
ought to see for that particular work. But 
must 1 go to all parts of France for them? 
No. At the National Library in Paris they 
gathered those together for me, and I was 
able to see in two or three days what would 
have taken me as many weeks to get around 
to, and what seemed remarkable and even 
unnecessary courtesy I was not allowed 
even to pay expenses of transportation. The 
last time I was abroad I wanted something 
similar in Germany. There were two manu- 
scripts at Leipzig and one at Vienna which 
it would have required long special trips to 
see, so I wrote to the two libraries. Without 
any concern whatever, with the utmost cour- 
tesy and the utmost promptness, the manu- 
scripts were sent me Vienna to Munich, 
Leipzig to Munich and there I was able to 
use them with half a dozen Munich manu- 
scripts all together, to a great saving of ex- 
pense in time and money. When our govern- 
ment gives us the reasonable rates for 
postage on library books for which we hope, 
we may be able to do as well for one another 
and for foreign visitors in the matter of 



inter-library loans as they do abroad, but 
not until then. 

Mr. BOWKER : Before you pass to the papers, 
may I make this 1 suggestion, in line with your 
remarks a suggestion perhaps to the com- 
mittee on resolutions : A service to one is 
a service to all and I think it would be grace- 
ful at least in the American Library Asso- 
ciation to recognize thd service done to Amer- 
ican scholars by our friends from abroad. I 
would, therefore, suggest to the committee on 
resolutions that in expressing our gratifica- 
tion at the presence of foreign representatives 
they also record the gratification of American 
librarians at the most liberal and generous 
treatment which American scholars have had 
at the hands of our foreign brethren. (Ap- 
plause.') 

The CHAIRMAN : I ask all those who would 
like to confirm this recommendation which 
Mr. Bowker suggests to raise their hands. 
(Unanimously adopted.) It is unanimously 
supported. 

In taking up this portion of the pro- 
gram the order has been somewhat inverted. 
Taking first the Prussian Gesamtkatalog, 
I regret to say that Dr. Pick's paper, 
which is on the way here, has not come to 
hand and cannot be read therefore at this 
time. There was a certain delay in conse- 
quence of having to submit it to the Minis- 
terium, and the result was that although I 
had word last night that it would be sent, it 
has not yet arrived, and we miss from the 
oral, but not we trust from the printed, 
Proceedings this very interesting example of 
the application of this co-operative method 
to actual catalog work.* The paper of Dr. 
Andersson is next, his report on the Swedish 
Union Accessions katalog. Dr. Andersson. 

Dr. AKSEL ANDERSSON read a paper on 

THE SWEDISH ACCESSIONS-KATALOG. 

(See p. 112.) 

The CHAIRMAN: We have on the program 
two items which belong together. Both in 
their character and in their relation to gen- 
eral method, they belong rather with the prep- 

* Dr. Pick's paper is printed in the Papers. (See 
p. 105.) 



224 



ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. 



aration of further enterprises in international 
bibliography than with the actual enterprises 
which are now under way. They are in fact 
contributions to international bibliography. 
The first of these will be presented by Miss 
Adelaide Hasse, of the New York Public 
Library. 
Miss HASSE read a paper on 

BIBLIOGRAPHY OF PUBLIC DOCUMENTS. 

(See p. 116.) 

The CHAIRMAN : Miss Hasse has long been 
known as master of her subject. I fancy the 
bearing of her remarks on the question of the 
advantage of formal international co-opera- 
tion between library associations was lost on 
none of us. Our next paper is by a man who, 
though not so long known to us in the Li- 
brary Association, has equally become known 
as master of his subject, and the subject on 
which he speaks is that of a bibliography 
which is being waited for with eagerness by 
librarians. 

Dr. JAMES DAVID THOMPSON gave an ac- 
count of the 

HANDBOOK OF LEARNED SOCIETIES. 

(See p. 114.) 

The CHAIRMAN : We are happy in having 
for the remainder of our program three pa- 
pers on the three most active and character- 
istic enterprises in international bibliography 
at the present day. The first of these papers 
is on the International Catalogue of Scientific 
Literature, and we are especially happy in be- 
ing able to have this time the direct repre- 
sentative, Dr. Adler, who has shown himself 
a champion of international co-operation in 
many ways besides this. 

Dr. CYRUS ADLER read a paper on the 

INTERNATIONAL CATALOGUE OF SCIENTIFIC LIT- 
ERATURE. 

(See p. 97.) 

W. DAWSON JOHNSTON read a communica- 
tion from Dr. Herbert Haviland Field on the 

CONCILIUM BIBLIOGRAPHICUM OF ZURICH. 

(See p. 99.) 

The CHAIRMAN : The one remaining paper 
of this section of the program is the paper on 



the Institut International de Bibliographic of 
Brussels, and we shall have the pleasure of 
hearing this from Mr. La Fontaine, who is al- 
ready well known to you as a member of this 
conference, and who is also equally well 
known to you as the enthusiastic and com- 
petent promoter of the whole plan. 
HENRI LA FONTAINE read a paper on the 

INSTITUT INTERNATIONAL DE BIBLIOGRAPHIE. 

(See p. 101.) 

Dr. RICHARDSON then gave up the chair to 
the President. 

The PRESIDENT: I receive back the gavel 
with reluctance, for it seems to me that thih 
section of our session just closed is a very 
important notification of the broad work that 
this Association proposes beginning, and 
I should have liked to see this subject pro- 
longed into discussion of further practical 
detail. 

You recall my communicating a letter to 
you from M. Picot regarding his inability to 
be with us to represent France at our confer- 
ence. In the list of the countries represented 
upon our program additionally in delegates 
who have been selected as Honorary Vice- 
presidents France was, owing to the absence 
of M. Picot, unfortunately omitted. That 
omission has been made good. The Com- 
missioner-General representing France at the 
Exposition, realizing the significance of this 
conference, as possibly the beginning of a 
series, realizing the interest of France in a 
report of its proceedings, has designated M. 
Jules Boeufve recently counsellor to the 
French Embassy at Washington, now we sup- 
pose to be designated as amicus curia of the 
Commissioner-General as a delegate to us, 
and the Executive Board asks to add his name 
to the list of names of the Honorary Vice- 
presidents. I ask your approval as before by 
a rising vote. (Unanimously carried.) 

Dr. ADLER: Before resuming the regular 
business, I am going to ask permission to 
submit a resolution which might seem to come 
as a climax to the proceedings up to this 
point. Prof. Biagi, I think, yesterday struck 
the keynote of what was in the minds of 
every one when he suggested some closer 
association of the associations of librarians 
and bibliographers than has existed hereto- 



FIFTH SESSION. 



225 



fore; and I presume, sir, in "accepting" his 
proposition at the moment you voiced the 
sentiments of every member of the American 
Library Association. Nevertheless, it is nec- 
essary to put that in some business form, and 
I venture to present to you a resolution. It 
will, I understand, of course go to the com- 
mittee on resolutions and is subject to modi- 
fication. 
It is as follows: 

"The American Library Association, at its 
26th annual meeting, held in St. Louis, on 
the occasion of the Louisiana Purchase Ex- 
position, has been honored by the presence of 
distinguished delegates representing the li- 
brary and bibliographical interests of many 
of our sister nations, and the Association has 
heard from them with pleasure the suggestion 
of a federation of the various library associa- 
tions and bibliographical societies of the 
world. 

"Believing that international co-operation, 
which has already done so much to promote 
interests common to all nations may be ex- 
pected to be effective in the field with which 
we are concerned, 

"Be it resolved, That the incoming Execu- 
tive Board be requested to appoint a special 
committee of five to consider plans for the 
promotion of international co-operation among 
libraries; that the committee be directed to 
ascertain whether the library associations and 
bibliographical societies of other countries 
are disposed to entertain favorably such a 
proposal; that the committee be instructed to 
report to the next annual meeting of the As- 
sociation with such recommendations as it 
may deem fit. 

In submitting this resolution, Mr. Presi- 
dent, I would only like to make the single re- 
mark that just as there are great advantages 
from international association, so in such 
proportion must we enter upon international 
enterprises with caution and self-restraint. 
International enterprises have great advan- 
tages and can only be effective by mutual 
concessions and compromises. 

The PRESIDENT: Under the rules of the As- 
sociation the resolution as read by Dr. Adler 
goes to the Council. The Council meets this 
evening and will be able doubtless to report 
it back to-morrow morning. 

I express regret for the Commissioner of 
Japan that he could not wait this morning to 
hear this resolution read, for he was much 
interested in its prospective influence. He 



will, I hope, be with us to-morrow to hear it 
reported back. 

In our program yesterday we had two great 
fundamental questions of library practice 
one, classification ; the other, cataloging. Next 
came annotation, not perhaps one of the great 
fundamental problems, but one which is just 
now being considered with great vivacity. 
Now, I notice that when anybody is treating 
now of classification he is apt to refer to the 
tendencies in cataloging as bearing upon the 
problem of classification, and when he is 
treating of cataloging he is very apt to refer 
back to classification as bearing on cataloging, 
and now also on annotation just as he refers 
to subject bibliographies as bearing on the 
problem of cataloging. So it is not necessary 
for us logically to follow the order of the 
subjects in the list as given. It is convenient 
to vary the order, owing to Mr. Fletcher's 
necessary departure from town this after- 
noon, and to hear first something from hitn 
upon the subject of annotation. It is also a 
useful method, however, to begin the consid- 
eration of a general question by a specific 
question, and Mr. John Thomson, of Phila- 
delphia, will submit a communication em- 
bodying a specific question. 

JOHN THOMSON : For some years some of 
our librarians have been carefully consider- 
ing the importance of arriving at some method 
of classifying fiction. This matter was dis- 
cussed at several library meetings held in the 
state of Pennsylvania, and finally a com- 
mittee was formed by the Keystone State Li- 
brary Association to consider the question of 
the evaluation and classification of fiction in 
public libraries. That committee finally made 
a report urging that a tentative effort should 
be made to deal with the question, limiting 
the first attempt to classification and leaving 
the matter of evaluation for the future. An- 
other committee was formed, and it was final- 
ly decided to take one branch library, take all 
the books of fiction in that one branch, and 
classify them almost entirely on the Decimal 
system, adding only some supplementary 
headings 

I am much indebted to the president for 
the opportunity of saying a few words as to 
what we have done, and I desire then to ask 



226 



ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. 



co-operation and assistance from other libra- 
ries. We took the Wagner Institute branch 
of the Free Library of Philadelphia, because 
it was the oldest of our branches and there- 
fore had probably a larger selection of books 
than the other branches of the system. About 
4500 books were classified. As far as pos- 
sible they were classified under the Decimal 
classification, with the addition of supple- 
mentary headings, so as to bring in such sub- 
jects as Adventures, American Indians, 
Character sketches, Life, subdivided under 
different countries, Scandinavian, Norwegian, 
Russian and so on; Military tales, School 
tales, and Sea tales. A small note was ap- 
pended to each title, the notes comprising in 
most instances only two or three lines point- 
ing out the treatment of the subject, and es- 
pecially giving the names of legendary or his- 
torical personages introduced in the book. 
When the work was prepared for the printer 
it was thought it would be a valuable and 
useful addition to have an index of these his- 
torical or legendary personages, and an index 
of some forty pages was appended, showing 
in what novels you may find George Wash- 
ington, William Shakespeare and other fa- 
mous characters. We also used a system of 
rubber stamps, and indicated on the book 
label the subject according to our classifica- 
tion. 

I desire to-day specially to ask the 
kind consideration and co-operation of the 
librarians of other libraries in carrying on 
this work. We want to increase the work 
by a cumulative system until the classification 
shall include the ten thousand most important 
books of fiction printed prior to the end, say, 
of last year. The way in which co-operation 
and assistance can be given is to appoint a 
committee. The New York Library Associa- 
tion, at its recent meeting in the Adirondacks, 
formed a committee to co-operate in this mat- 
ter, and that committee and the Pennsylvania 
committee propose to issue a joint circular 
asking co-operation and showing how other 
libraries can classify the books on their own 
shelves and not included in this volume, and 
so enable us in the course of a year or so to 
bring out a new volume. In this way, by a 
cumulative system, it is hoped that we may 



furnish a weapon to answer the common but 
unsound objection that the circulation of books 
in free libraries is mainly of ephemeral and 
not valuable material. We hope by this 
classification to show that fiction is the mod- 
ern vehicle by which many serious subjects 
are submitted to the public, and that it is a 
useful thing to read and to study good books 
of fiction. These are the points which it oc- 
curred to me as desirable to lay before you, 
and I trust that when the proposed circular 
reaches the librarians of the different libra- 
ries in the state that it will not be put aside, 
but that you will, by offering us suggestions 
as to improvements, aid in bringing what has 
been a very laborious work to a better and an 
enlarged condition. The work has been 
printed in lintoype shape, so that what is use- 
ful may be preserved in the cumulative vol- 
umes and what is useless may be readily 
omitted. 

The PRESIDENT : I suppose the way in which 
annotation has come to be a practical matter 
with us librarians is the difficulty of obtain- 
ing information from other sources as to that 
very difficult class of material from which we 
have to select current literature. It is a ques- 
tion of depending upon the critic. We find 
that the critics nowadays are not particularly 
certain as guides. I am not sure that they 
were particularly more reliable in former 
days. I recall an estimate in a leading maga- 
zine in 1853 I do not recall it personally, 
but I recall the quotation of it of a work 
of fiction then just issued: 

"In our opinion the book is anything but a 
failure. It has all the nice power of observa- 
tion and picturesqueness of the author; but 
as the action is laid in past times it cannot 
have the freshness and truth of a novel re- 
lating to the present day. The story is a 
little too intricate, and not overinteresting." 

The book was "Henry Esmond." (Laugh- 
ter.) 

If we cannot depend on the critics we are 
very apt to go direct to the author and see 
what indications he gives. Well, we have al- 
ways been accustomed to think of the preface 
as an introduction. You remember, however, 
that when Mr. Boswell asked the mild sage 
who, he knew, had written a preface to a cer- 
tain dictionary of commerce by one Robert 



SIXTH SESSION. 



227 



Rolt asked him whether he knew Rolt: 
"Sir," said he, "I never saw the man and 
never read the book. The booksellers wanted 
a preface to a dictionary of trade and com- 
merce. I knew very well what such a dic- 
tionary should be, and I wrote a preface ac- 
cordingly." (Laughter.) 

There are questions, however, at issue, if 
the librarians come to undertake an estimate 
in their own behalf or to secure such an esti- 
mate by the aid of outside specialists. There 
are questions of policy, questions of pro- 
priety, questions of policy and utility. We 
heard from Mr. Bond that "in the matter of 
annotations there is a very sharp division of 
opinion amongst British librarians as to 
whether the annotations should be critical or 
not. . . . We understand there is the same 
conflict of opinion in America, but with you 
we believe the majority are prepared to stand 
for criticism or evaluation ; with us the greater 
number appear, for the moment, to be against." 
What position Mr. Fletcher takes we shall 
ask Mr. Fletcher to state. 

W. I. FLETCHER read a paper on 

ANNOTATION. 

(See p. 144.) 

The PRESIDENT : These three topics of clas- 
sification, cataloging and annotation are so 
interdependent and interrelated that they 
ought, in any discussion, to be considered to- 
gether. We shall conclude this morning with 
the main statement on cataloging. The pro- 
gram committee asked Mr. Lane to prepare 
that. Its treatment by him is what the com- 
mittee hoped it would be large, calm, and 
scientific. With that statement before us we 
shall be prepared to-morrow morning to take 
up the discussion, so far as we may desire to 
discuss them, of these three topics, and as 
this is one of the most technical and scientific 
of all the topics that can be considered in the 
Library Association, your President thinks 
that you are entitled to an authority superior 
to that of the present occupant of the chair. 
While Mr. Lane reads his paper I shall ask 
Dr. Pietschmann to take the chair. 

Dr. PIETSCHMANN, Honorary Vice-presi- 
dent, took the chair, and W. C. LANE read a 
paper on 



PRESENT TENDENCIES OF CATALOG PRACTICE. 

(See p. 134-) 
Adjourned, 1.15 p.m. 

SIXTH SESSION. 

(HALL OF CONGRESSES, ST. Louis EXPOSITION, 
SATURDAY MOR.WING, OCT. 22.) 

The meeting was called to order by Pres- 
ident PUTNAM at 9.45 o'clock. 

The PRESIDENT: With your leave I will 
call first for a brief statement from Mr. W. 
D. Johnston, with reference to an annual re- 
view of library literature. 

W. D. JOHNSTON : In order to bring before 
the Association a motion, I wish to make 
a very few remarks with regard to the prep- 
aration of the year-book of library science. 

Mr. JOHNSTON then spoke on 

} 

A YEAR-BOOK OF LIBRARY LITERATURE. 

(See p. 126.) 

Mr. JOHNSTON : With a view to the prepara- 
tion of a year-book of library literature, either 
under the auspices of this Association or by 
this Association in co-operation with the next 
international library congress, I move, Mr. 
President, reference of this matter of a year- 
book of library literature to the Council of this 
Association. 

The PRESIDENT: Are there any suggestions 
or remarks? It is proposed that the project 
of a year-book which shall be a library record 
and some other things shall be referred 
to the Council. 

S. H. RANCK: Does that mean that the 
Council has power to act, to carry this plan 
into effect? 

The PRESIDENT: It would not so mean un- 
less that were so designated. 

Mr. RANCK : I should like to have the 
motion amended to that effect. 

The PRESIDENT : It was perhaps Mr. John- 
ston's idea that such a hand-book would in- 
volve international co-operation and there- 
fore not be a matter simply for the Council. 
So that perhaps it would be undesirable to 
do more than refer it as a matter for inquiry, 
investigation, and subsequent report. Am 



228 



ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. 



I right in interpreting your ideas, Mr. John- 
ston? 

Mr. JOHNSTON : Yes, Mr. President. 

The PRESIDENT: All those in favor please 
say aye; opposed, no. Carried. 

The PRESIDENT: The paper on "Recent 
national bibliography in the United States," 
by Mr. Bowker, prepared as a necessary con- 
tribution to a conference such as this, has 
been systematically prepared and will be 
printed with the Proceedings ; but, at the sug- 
gestion of Mr. Bowker, will not be read.* In 
the session as arranged for Thursday there is 
a topic, "Women in American libraries," 
upon which we were to have a paper from 
Mrs. Fairchild. This topic was suggested from 
the fact that all of us who are administering 
libraries of considerable size in the United 
States, receiving visitors from abroad, are 
constantly asked as to the number of women 
employed and the kind of service they per- 
form, and so on, and it seemed that it might 
be appropriate, as part of our record of this 
year, to have a systematic tabulated statement 
as to the number of women employed in 
American libraries; the character of the 
positions they hold, the work they perform, 
their relation to the whole. We are familiar 
'with these conditions. Our colleagues from 
abroad are not so much so. They have 
shown constant interest in the utilization oi 
women in all types of positions in the libra- 
ries. Mrs. Fairchild very properly said that 
such a statement was in no sense required 
by the women of this country, if it were a 
question of their claim to recognition in 
library service. We all know that. This 
contribution is not a paper; it is a tabulated, 
systematic statement which will appear in the 
Proceedings, but will not come into our 
program this morning except to be accepted 
for publication.! 

We left off yesterday at the conclusion of 
the main paper on cataloging by Mr Lane. 
We are now to have some comments upon 
that by Mr. Clement W. Andrews, librarian 
of the John Crerar Library of Chicago. 

COMMENTS ON MR. LANE'S PAPER. 

C. W. ANDREWS : When I was asked to 
comment on Mr. Lane's paper, I was in- 



* See p. 121. 



t See p. 157- 



formed that the principal papers were ex- 
pected to be dispassionate and impartial in 
their reviews of the present tendencies in li- 
brary work, but that the comments on them 
could be as polemical as their authors chose 
to make them. Naturally, the opportunity 
offered me by the president for unsparing 
criticism is most tempting, but unfortunately 
for me, though fortunately for you, Mr. 
Lane's paper is so temperate, so accurate, and 
so thorough, as to offer me almost no points 
for dissent and but few for amplification. 

Passing over for the moment the first point 
of his paper, the question of the subject cata- 
log, it seems to me that what is said of the 
A. L. A. printed cards for analytical refer- 
ences fails to give an adequate idea of the 
difficulties met in this co-operative work. Al- 
though there are only five libraries respon- 
sible for the selection of the periodicals to 
be analyzed, there are almost as many and 
at least two very different lines of selection 
favored. Consequently the work done must 
suit in very different degrees each of these 
libraries and probably each of the other 60 
subscribing libraries. So far as our ex- 
perience is concerned, I see no reason to 
change the opinion which I expressed at 
Lakewood that a large library would not find 
it practicable to put all these titles in its cata- 
logs, but that it ought to insert the titles of 
all articles which from their style of publica- 
tion, e.g., with separate title-pages, or from 
their length, are likely to be republished in 
separate form or quoted as individual pub- 
lications. 

Another point which might well be em- 
phasized is the postponement, or perhaps 
even the elimination, of the question of a 
substitute for the card catalog, brought about 
by the general use of trays in place of 
drawers. 

Mr. Lane's paper was necessarily brief in 
its treatment of the minor details of catalog- 
ing. I wish, however, that I could share 
more fully his impression that American cat- 
aloging had been brought into closer agree- 
ment with the best literary style in its treat- 
ment either of English or of foreign languages. 
Some of us who heard Mrs. Fairchild's clear 
and apparently unanswerable statement at 
Magnolia of the proper position of the A. 



SIXTH SESSION. 



229 



L. A. in these matters a statement which 
appeared to be in accordance with the prac- 
tice of ihe great majority of the larger libra- 
ries as well as of those libraries represented 
at that conference ^- have been surprised and 
disappointed at the failure of our Committee 
on Rules to follow her advice. Not only on 
such questions of style as capitalization, ab- 
breviations, etc., are we at variance with 
recognized literary style, but en the very im- 
portant technical questions of main entry of 
books of indeterminate authorship we are at 
variance with the best European usage. If 
this conference does anything toward a recon- 
ciliation of these differences it will be by no 
means its least important result. 

Mr. Lane's suggestion of a central printing 
office for titles of new books not purchased 
by the Library of Congress, and for which 
therefore cards cannot be obtained from it, 
seems to me very practical. The John Crerar 
Library purchases annually, even within its 
limited field, some two or three thousand 
volumes not purchased by the Library of 
Congress. That some at least of these titles 
are wanted by other libraries is shown by the 
fact that at present three libraries (those of 
the Northwestern University, the University 
of Michigan, and the U. S. Geological Sur- 
vey) are regularly taking advantage of our 
offer to supply copies at cost. It is probable, 
therefore, that a more comprehensive plan 
would be successful. In this connection the 
possibilities of the monotype might be consid- 
ered. An examination of this machine has 
convinced me that it comes near to the ideal 
for library work. I am sure that you could not 
fail to be interested in the ingenuity of the in- 
vention, but lack of time forbids a description 
of it. Its adaptability to our needs is shown 
by the fact that the retention of a perforated 
slip of paper not over ten feet in length and 
costing not over one-fifth of a cent will make 
possible the reprinting of a catalog entry at 
any time and in any^sized type, while the cost 
of the first impression is much less than from 
type set by hand and no greater than from 
linotypes. 

Returning now to the first point of Mr. 
Lane's paper, that of the subject catalog, it 



is interesting to note that our last discussion 
of the fundamental questions in regard to 
it took place at our last Exposition meeting 
at Chicago eleven years ago. At that time 
the Association formally recorded its opin- 
ion that the days of the subject catalog were 
not yet numbered and that there was no 
prospect of its passing away within a genera- 
tion. With a third of that time already 
gone, Mr. Lane fully confirms that opinion 
and his summary of the reasons for its ex- 
istence appears to relegate its disappearance 
to the dim future. Accepting then its desir- 
ability as proved, the real question for a li- 
brary without one or without a satisfactory 
one is the kind to be chosen. 

Now Mr. Lane appears to consider the 
choice to lie between a dictionary or a classed 
catalog. A better answer is that of the 
tramp, who, when asked by his hostess 
whether he preferred apple or mince pje, 
replied promptly and emphatically, "Both, 
Madam, both." A still better answer is,, 
with Dr. Focke a combination of both. 
It is certain that many special subjects are 
not easily treated in a classed catalog, be- 
cause the books on them must necessarily 
be widely separated in a classed catalog 
according to their relation to larger sub- 
jects, and that again many special topics 
must be lumped together under a more 
general heading (ex., Cat-boats under 
Boat-building). In all such cases, alpha- 
betical entry under the most specific heading 
undoubtedly helps the reader most. 

On the other hand, the classed catalog fur- 
nishes the only practical means of serving the 
scholar who wishes to exhaust the resources 
of the library on a broad subject. If you doubt 
this statement read the list of cross-references 
under Botany in the "List of subject head- 
ings" and consider how many more would 
be found necessary in a library making a spe- 
cialty of botanical literature. 

That such considerations have made libra- 
ries dissatisfied with both classed and specific 
entry catalogs can be easily understood. A 
combination of the two was suggested by 
me as early as 1896, and has been worked 
out at ihe John Crerar Library in the past 
nine years. In the exhibit of the Library 



230 



ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. 



of Congress in the U. S. Government build- 
ing you will find a sample case. Its actual 
working has been so successful that I venture 
to describe it somewhat in detail. It is in 
three sections : 

1. Author catalog, not differing materially 
from that portion of other catalogs. 

2. Classed subject catalog, arranged ac- 
cording to the D. C. This part is very full, 
attempting to place a title wherever it might 
be of use to readers. Under each subdivision 
the arrangement is chronological, but with the 
latest title in front, an arrangement with 
which we are very well satisfied. 

As to the system of classification, I do not 
desire to make any especial plea for the D. C., 
but I do take issue with the statement that it 
was primarily designed for small public libra- 
ries or is necessarily limited in its application 
to them. 

Included in the classed catalog is a topo- 
graphical index which has seemed to us to 
avoid happily the many difficulties of the usual 
American methods of separating more or less 
effectively throughout the alphabet and sub- 
alphabets the material relating to a country. 
In this index the first entry is by the D. C. 
number for the place, under 900 to 999, and 
then by a subheading consisting of the first 
three numbers of the D. C. 

3. The third section is primarily an alpha- 
betical index to the classed catalog. Such 
an index is an absolute necessity without 
which no classed catalog is complete. One of 
its peculiarities is its being on cards, and so it 
has the advantages of that form in including 
at once new subjects and excluding all unnec- 
essary and misleading references. The other 
notable peculiarity is the insertion of titles 
tinder those specific headings which seem to 
us not well treated in the classed catalog. 

It must not be thought that I consider 
this the only possible solution of the problem. 
For libraries classified by the D. C. a simple 
form of a combined catalog can be obtained 
by following Miss Tyler's suggestion in the 
Library Journal for 1903, p. 21, to refer 
from all general topics to the shelf list. And 
on the other hand an alphabetically classed 
catalog like that of Harvard (which seems 
to be the type which the Library of Congress 



is approaching) can be conveyed into a com- 
bined catalog by a systematic insertion of 
specific subject headings in their proper 
places, referring to the more general heads 
and accompanied or not by titles, according to 
the principles suggested by our experience. 

The officials of a library possessing such a 
catalog undoubtedly would find themselves 
able to render better assistance in many cases, 
and nearly the only objection to be urged is the 
extra cost. Admitting that this would be 
prohibitive without the use of printed cards, 
though I am by no means sure of this, still 
with them I cannot consider the argument 
of any strength. The guides are required in 
any case, leaving the extra cost less than a 
card for every two titles, so that the cost of 
the cards is small. The cost of determin- 
ing the proper subject heading and that of 
storing the extra cards is more considerable, 
but without entering into an elaborate calcu- 
lation I may say that the total appears to 
be an insignificant fraction of the money 
spent in purchasing the book, preparing and 
printing the title, and determining its classi- 
fication. We find that on the average the 
total number of copies of a title used in the 
whole catalog is less than 5 (2.5 in the 
classed, 1.7 in the author, and 0.4 in the in- 
dex). As on the average i title covers two 
volumes, the number of cards for volumes is 
about 2.5. I can conclude, therefore, with 
the hope that those libraries which are dissat- 
isfied with either a classed or dictionary cat- 
alog alone may find this experiment at a 
combined catalog sufficiently promising to 
secure their efforts in obtaining from similar 
experiments the best possible results. 

The PRESIDENT : We are in receipt of a con- 
tribution to our Proceedings, a report on the 
libraries of Guatemala, by the accredited dele- 
gate to the conference, Mr. Kingsland, a 
statement of but two pages, which will be an 
interesting contribution to the Proceedings 
and will be printed there in full.* 

I am in receipt also of a communication 
from Mr. Bennett who represents, with the 
Chilean Minister, the libraries of Chile at our 
conference, giving a similar statement, as to 

* See p. 91. 



SIXTH SESSION. 



231 



the libraries of Chile. This statement also 
will be recorded with gratification in our 
Proceedings.* It contains, however, one pas- 
sage which I shall read to you, as follows : 

"Chile has much to learn from nations who 
can depend on greater resources and experi- 
ence, and the discussions and conclusions of 
this congress will assuredly be of interest to 
us. Since it has not been possible for me to 
be personally present at your debates, permit 
me to ask for such publications as may be 
issued in consequence of those discussions; 
and, if I may, for any others that relate to 
the work of the American Library Associa- 
tion. 

"I do not know whether that Association 
possesses its own library, or is merely an as- 
sociation of librarians. If the former sup- 
position be correct let me place at its dis- 
posal 24 volumes, comprising the publications 
of the National Library of Santiago and of 
its director, Senor Don Luis Montt." 

Mr. LANE: Mr. Bennett suggests, it seems 
to me, one thing in which we might well take 
part. So far, I believe, we have distributed 
our Proceedings only to our members. Why 
should not they be sent to a certain number 
of foreign libraries as well? I should like to 
move, Mr. President, that the Executive 
Board be requested to consider the advis- 
ability of distributing the Proceedings of our 
conferences to a certain number of foreign 
libraries and library associations. Voted. 

The PRESIDENT: We are now to hear from 
Mr. Jast on the 

REVISION OF THE CATALOGING RULES OF THE 

LIBRARY ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED 

KINGDOM. 

Mr. JAST : You have in your association an 
advisory catalog committee which has for 
some time past been engaged upon the work 
of preparing a new edition of your official 
association cataloging rules. We also in- 
cur association have had a similar committee 
appointed to consider and prepare a revised 
edition of our association rules, the rules of 
the Library Association of the United King- 
dom, for an author catalog. This committee 
was appointed at our Birmingham meeting 
in 1902, as the result of a paper which I had 
the pleasure of submitting to that meeting, 
in which I pointed out that our official rules 

* See p. 92. 



had been several years out of print and 
that as it was necessary to reprint to meet 
constant demand for them, and as we had 
been also put to shame by the New York 
State Library which had reprinted those 
rules, it was desirable that before reprint- 
ing we should reconsider the whole bus- 
iness and bring our nules into better harmony 
with the best current cataloging practice. 
That committee was appointed at Birming- 
ham and is a thoroughly representative com- 
mittee. That is to say, it represents the 
views and the practices of all kinds of libra- 
ries. It has upon it Mr. Fortescue, represent- 
ing the British Museum; it has Mr. Hulme, 
representing the Patent Office; it has Mr. 
Tedder of the Athaeneum, representing large 
club and institution libraries; and it con- 
tains in addition a considerable number of 
municipal librarians; so that all kinds of 
practices and all kinds of views are repre- 
sented upon it. 

When I was secretary of that committee 
I may say that I am no longer secretary and 
since my resignation that committee has ex- 
hausted no less than three secretaries I re- 
ceived a letter from Mr. Dewey in which he 
referred to the fact that your association had 
a committee engaged in doing the same work 
that our committee was doing, urging the 
importance of establishing a common code 
between the two countries, and suggesting 
that as we were engaged in the same work 
we might as well work together and in the 
same way. At the time I received that com- 
munication from Mr. Dewey the work of our 
committee had not assumed a definite enough 
shape to render it advisable for any action 
to be taken then, but I wrote to Dr. Putnam 
asking for copies of the advance edition of 
the rules issued by your committee, which 
had not then been published. He was good 
enough to send copies for the use of our 
committee and it is only just that I should 
state here that we have found those rules 
exceedingly useful in our work. They have 
been upon the table at every meeting of that 
committee and have been constantly con- 
sulted, and we have taken the opportunity 
indeed of "lifting" straightway a considerable 
number of them. In August of this year our 
work had advanced to the stage that we 



232 



ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. 



printed a draft code which was presented 
to our meeting at Newcastle in September 
this year. That draft code was submitted to 
the general meeting of the association, not 
for adoption, for we did not consider that 
the association was capable of really adopting 
those rules in a large general meeting, but 
simply for discussion. At that meeting the 
following resolution was unanimously 
passed, arising out of the letter of Mr. Dewey 
which was read by the then secretary of the 
committee : 

"That this meeting cordially approves Mr. 
Dewey's suggestion in favor of a common 
code of cataloging rules for England and the 
United States, and hereby instructs the Coun- 
cil to take the necessary steps to attain this 
object." 

(Applause.) That resolution was submitted 
in due course to the committee on catalog 
rules and that committee passed the follow- 
ing supplemental resolution: 

"That Mr. Jast be requested to convey the 
resolution of the annual meeting to the 
American Library Association Conference at 
St. Louis, and to ascertain if possible wheth- 
er the American Library Association is favor- 
able to the common action suggested, and 
what method of procedure in the opinion of 
the American Library Association or of its 
Catalog Rules Committee is desirable." 

Well, Mr. Chair, these two resolutions 
form the credentials upon which I venture 
to submit this matter to your attention. I 
do not think it necessary that I should en- 
deavor to be eloquent upon the advantages 
of such action as is here suggested between 
the two countries. Those advantages must 
be perfectly obvious to every librarian. They 
are obvious and they are immediate, and the 
time seems peculiarly opportune for this ac- 
tion because we both appear now to have 
arrived at identical stages in this work. The 
committees of both associations have printed 
draft rules or advance editions and neither 
committee I understand is finally committed 
to any of those rules. If we do not seize the 
present opportunity for common action, then, 
owing to the progress of various bibliogra- 
phic undertakings in one country or another 
for example, the vast card undertaking of 
your Library of Congress I am afraid the 



chance of rendering so signal a service both 
to library economy and to bibliography will 
never again present itself; at all events dur- 
ing our lives. And the work of co-operation 
does not seem to me to present any obstacles 
worth naming, in view of the results to be 
achieved. Nor, I think, need the work take 
any long time. If our two codes as printed 
are laid side by side you will see that we 
are agreed upon all the important points. 
There are no very important differences be- 
tween the two codes. Consequently, we can 
eliminate a large number of the rules and the 
two committees can simply deal with the 
residuum, the differences between which will, 
I am convinced, be easily adjusted. 

You will observe that we do not come be- 
fore you with any proposition as to an inter- 
national cataloging code. There can, of 
course, be no question that such an inter- 
national code would be a magnificent achieve- 
ment, but we are inclined to think that the 
time is not ripe, at any rate for the present, 
for any such result. For one thing, there 
are no such differences between our practice 
and yours as exist between our practices in 
England and in America and the general con- 
tinental practice. The way, for example, in 
which most continental catalogers deal with 
corporate authorship, by ignoring it, would, 
I am convinced, not be accepted by us or by 
you. Our practice in the matter seems hope- 
lessly at variance and I very much doubt 
whether continental practice is likely at pres- 
ent to follow ours, and, sir, if I may say so, 
without offence to any of the foreign delegates 
present, I cannot help personally feeling that 
if England and American agree on this mat- 
ter it is only a question of time before the 
rest of the world must follow. (Applause.) 

In conclusion may I say that in my opinion 
the fact that such a common code of cata- 
loging rules had been brought into being by 
the friendly co-operation of the librarians of 
the two countries would be secondary to the 
fact that we had co-operated. That seems to 
be the important thing, the most important 
thing; more important than the immediate 
subject of co-operation, because if we can 
co-operate on cataloging rules there is no 
reason whatever why we should not co-oper- 



SIXTH SESSION. 



233 



ate in other matters also; why, for example, 
we should not co-operate in the preparation 
of annotated bibliographies of English books. 
But the various fields of library endeavor in 
which we may together till, need not detain 
us now. I am sure you will agree with me 
that such co-operation as is here suggested 
in the preparation of a common cataloging 
code would, if translated, as I believe it will 
be, into deed, be of the happiest augury for 
the future of library work in both lands. 

Mr. LANE : Mr. President, I should be glad 
to propose a motion in line with Mr. Jast's 
remarks. 

The PRESIDENT: Mr. Lane proposes a mo- 
tion in pursuance, I presume, of the sugges- 
tion of Mr. Jast. The chair is informed, 
however, that Mr. Josephson would like to 
submit a suggestion pertinent to that of Mr. 
Jast, and perhaps we could consider Mr. 
Lane's motion more intelligently if we had the 
supplemental remarks before us. 

Mr. JOSEPHSON: When our president sug- 
gested some time ago that I comment on Mr. 
Jast's paper it seemed to me that it might be 
advisable for me to make some preliminary 
notes before I knew in detail what Mr. Jast 
had to say. I therefore made some notes on 
the subject of an international code of cat- 
aloging rules, and these notes I beg to read. 

In attempting to frame an international 
code of cataloging rules it should be remem- 
bered that while the first object of such a 
code is the preparation of entries that can be 
used in the catalogs of many libraries in many 
lands, bibliography has legitimate claims to 
attention. In fact, cataloging and bibliogra- 
phy are one thing, if looked at from the stand- 
point of international co-operation. The par- 
ties to such co-operatiou must be chiefly, if 
not exclusively, the national libraries, and the 
catalog of a national library will become to 
a large extent the bibliography of a national 
literature. But cataloging is not indexing, 
and in this respect bibliography has certain 
needs which cataloging should not be asked 
to meet. Cataloging has to do with books, 
roughly speaking with anything that has a 
title-page and with nothing that has not. The 
indexing, on the other hand, of articles in 
serials, of essays or chapters in books with 



more or less miscellaneous contents cannot 
come within the scope of cataloging. Special 
provision must be made for their recording. 
But international cataloging should provide 
the material for it as far as this can be done 
by giving full contents notes for all books of 
miscellaneous contents and even for other 
books, when this will aid in showing their ac- 
tual scope and purpose. For serials this is, of 
course, impossible. 

If the claims of bibliography must be ad- 
mitted as legitimate, those of the small and 
popular libraries, on the other hand, cannot 
be admitted. They must not be allowed to 
stand in the way of the demands of the large 
libraries and of bibliography for minuteness 
in the preparation of the entries. 

But another objection to minuteness will be 
raised, namely, that many cheap and common 
books do not require the same minute de- 
scription as old and rare books, to which fhe 
answer is that our rare books were in many 
cases common enough when first issued, and 
that what is now common and even unimpor- 
tant might some day become a great rarity. 
Therefore the cataloging of all books must be 
made so that it can stand the test of time. 
This is quite practicable in cataloging. The 
title-page should be copied with all practicable 
fulness, including the author's name and 
such titles of honor or occupation as may 
serve as identification or characterization. 
Uniformity should be aimed at in capitaliza- 
ton and transliteration. The bibliographical 
description of the books should be uniform. 
A uniform terminology for collation should 
be agreed on, and a uniform size notation and 
mode of measurement. 

In these cases, then, of title copy, collation, 
and notes an international agreement would 
be quite possible. When we come to the 
headings, however, the matter stands differ- 
ently. I need only to mention the question of 
corporate authorship, where it is not easy to 
reach agreement between two libraries in the 
same country, as we in America and our 
friends in England are well aware, while for 
the librarians of the European continent the 
very problem does not exist. In determining 
the headings, even for books with individual 
authorship, so many questions come up which 



234 



ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. 



each library must answer in its own way that 
I am tempted to suggest that in international 
cataloging no headings at all be given. If 
the title-page shows the authorship, if initials 
on the title-page be filled out in copying, if 
the author's name, when not given on the 
title-page, be stated in a note, then it might 
be left to each library using the entries to add 
^the headings in such form as is demanded by 
its own needs. In classed or alphabetical sub- 
ject catalogs, moreover, as well as in the case 
of added entries in author catalogs, a printed 
author heading is not necessary, at times not 
even desirable. 

Mr. LANE : It seems to me that the sugges- 
tions made by Mr. Jast, supplemented by 
what Mr. Josephson has said, appeal very 
strongly to this company and to all American 
libraries, especially in the present temper of 
this Conference, in which we are all alive 
to the advantages of international co-opera- 
tion, and I should like to move, Mr. Presi- 
dent, that this Association welcomes the pro- 
posal made by the Library Association of the 
United Kingdom for a uniform common code 
of catalog rules, and requests the Executive 
Board to take such action to further the pro- 
posal as may seem to it wise. Voted, 

The PRESIDENT : In trie paper by Mr. Bond, 
on recent library practice in Great Britain, 
there is this passage: "About the time of the 
last international congress there was a more 
extensive interest than ever before in the 
Dewey Decimal classification, but this inter- 
est has hardly been proportionately sustained 
as the years have gone by. Notwithstanding 
this, among the libraries which have a definite 
system of classification no system has been so 
generally adopted as the Dewey system. Of 
course, it has been modified by many libra- 
rians to suit the needs, or the imagined needs, 
of their particular libraries. Many other li- 
brarians have found Dewey, with its index, 
an invaluable aid to classification, whatever 
be their system, or even lack of system ; 
for of the libraries not closely classified 
all but a few are arranged in ten or more 
main classes, and in this connection Dewey is 
not infrequently consulted and appreciated. 
The Cutter Expansive classification has a few 
very ardent admirers in this country who pre- 
fer it to any other system, but its unfinished 
state has greatly militated against its adop- 
tion, even against its due consideration. De- 
spite the serious loss to librarianship in the 
passing of Mr. Cutter, it is sincerely hoped 



that the complete system will shortly be pub- 
lished, and so afford the opportunity of ade- 
quate consideration touching its serviceability, 
as well as of comparison with other systems." 

It is, I think, well known to us of the 
American Library Association that Mr. Will- 
iam P. Cutter, who has succeeded Mr. Charles 
Cutter as librarian of the Forbes Library 
at Northampton, has in hand the completion 
of his scheme of classification. If Mr. Cut- 
ter is here, perhaps he will state to us what is 
the present condition of the work and the 
prospect. 

Mr. CUTTER: I have prepared a statement 
in printed form which has been distributed, 
giving in detail the exact condition of the 
Expansive classification at present. A large 
portion of the classification is still in manu- 
script, but some of it is being put through the 
press. In press are Astronomy and Mathe- 
matics, two of the largest parts of the classi- 
fication. Those were in manuscript at my 
uncle's death, and were made very largely 
by him. They were started by Mr. Richard 
Bliss, of the Redwood Library, Newport, R. 
I. Mr. Bliss also had in preparation at the 
time of my uncle's death Physics, Botany and 
Zoology. The Applied Sciences I shall un- 
dertake to complete myself, with the assist- 
ance of such experts as I can obtain. I have, 
however, in manuscript, outlines of the Ap- 
plied Sciences which will be used in making 
up the rest of the classification. I think that I 
can promise definitely that all of the classifi- 
cation except the general index will be printed 
and finished within two years. Work will be- 
gin on the general index this winter, and I 
hope to be able to have the classification and 
the general index finished, printed and dis- 
tributed within three years. I sent out this 
circular to every subscriber to the classifica- 
tion. I may say that the mailing list was in 
very bad shape, so that I was unable to de- 
termine just who were subscribers to the clas- 
sification, but I sent to every name that I 
could find had been connected with it in any 
possible way a copy of the printed circular, 
requesting that indication should be sent to 
me of missing parts of the classification as it 
exists, and stating that I should be very glad 
to furnish those parts to any person sending 
such indication. 



SIXTH SESSION. 



235 



May I add another word. No one, I think, 
has called attention to the fact that the fourth 
edition of the "Rules for a dictionary cata- 
logue" is now ready for distribution. It can 
be obtained of the Commissioner of Education 
in Washington, on application. 

The PRESIDENT: Our last formal paper is 
to be on a subject which was touched in a 
contribution from Great Britain, but as to 
which we have accumulated our interest till 
now, as far as the United States is concerned. 
Just as we were desirous that our conference 
for this year should contain a statement as to 
the activities of the state through public com- 
missions and other agencies in promoting 
libraries, so we thought it appropriate that 
there should be a statement as to the relations 
between the libraries and the schools, which 
have been during the past few years the sub- 
ject of discussion at almost every one of our 
conferences, and at almost every one, I think, 
of the conferences of a local association. The 
same thing has been said over and over again 
a great many times probably never re- 
peated without a profit as to what might be 
done. Much account has been given of par- 
ticular work done. What we thought desir- 
able, and what I think that you will agree to 
be desirable, is a statement of what is done 
to-day typically in the United States. Now, 
that statement could be compiled only with 
the assistance of the libraries doing this work. 
It involved an inquiry and would result in 
statistics. Miss Doren, who consented to un- 
dertake the inquiry, reports to us to-day the 
statistics, with a brief summary of results, 
generalizing from the tables, which will of 
course not be read, but be printed. 
Miss ELECTRA C. DOREN read a paper on 

LIBRARIES AND SCHOOLS : THE WORK NOW DONE. 

(See p. 153-) 

The PRESIDENT: This is the last paper that 
we shall have at our conference. Our session 
this morning would not admit of the biblio- 
graphic excursion upon which Mr. Beer was 
to take us. The mere outline, however, of 
what he had proposed was in itself so inter- 
esting and so suggestive that I had asked him 
to sketch out this for us. Unfortunately, he 
has just been called to New Orleans by the 



sudden death of Mrs. Parrott, the donor of 
the Howard Memorial Library. We are thus, 
to our chagrin, deprived of the pleasure of 
hearing from him at all. 

We have concluded, therefore, the program 
which was before us at the beginning of the 
week. We are to have some communications 
from the Council, the, report upon the elec- 
tions, and then we shall have to take farewell 
of our friends from abroad, and perhaps they 
may express to us what value they have set 
upon their week with us, and then we shall 
have to take farewell, as a body, of St. Louis 
itself. 

Mr. CRUNDEN : Mr. President, before you 
begin those concluding numbers, may I make 
an announcement? On the morning when 
the report on the model library was called for 
I was barred out of the hall by the crowd. I 
should like to submit that report now. 

REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON A. L. A. EXHIBIT. 

At the last meeting of the committee at 
Niagara it became evident that as the com- 
mittee had no funds at its disposal it could 
do nothing as a committee, but must work 
through its individual members and through 
the agencies they might severally be able to 
command or influence. Accordingly, Doctor 
Putnam undertook the task of rearranging 
and enlarging the A. L. A. exhibit displayed 
at Chicago and Paris and incorporated it in 
the exhibit of the Library of Congress. He 
also agreed to publish the proposed "A. L. A. 
catalog." Doctor Dewey volunteered, on be- 
half of the New York State Library, to take 
charge of the editing of the catalog, and to 
Mr. Crunden was assigned the execution of 
his project of establishing at the Fair a work- 
ing library as a branch of the St. Louis Pub- 
lic Library. 

Each of these undertakings has been suc- 
cessfully carried out. In the Government 
Building is the admirable comparative exhibit 
of Chicago and Paris, enlarged and refitted 
and renovated, forming part of the exhibit of 
the Library of Congress. The "A. L. A. cat- 
alog" is now ready for distribution, and in 
the Missouri Building, occupying a hall 
75 x 75 ft. is what may be called, with certain 
unavoidable limitations, a "model library." 



236 



ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE. 



The "A. L. A. catalog," as you know, com- 
prises some 8000 titles, representing the best 
books in every department as determined by a 
consensus of two hundred or more librarians 
and university professors. The editing, as 
above stated, was done by the New York 
State Library, with the assistance of Mrs. 
H. L. Elmendorf as special bibliographer. 

The Missouri Commission provided the 
room in which the model library is housed, 
and appropriated $3500 for furnishing and for 
transportation of books and incidentals. The 
various publishers promptly supplied the 
books gratis; and the Library Bureau fitted 
up the room with stack, counter, card cabi- 
nets and tables and chairs of high grade and 
handsome appearance. 

Your committee, therefore, through the co- 
operating agencies mentioned, presents an A. 
L. A. exhibit, consisting of a "model library" 
in active operation, containing the bulk of the 
A. L. A. collection, a printed catalog of said 
collection, and a comprehensive comparative 
exhibit of library buildings, blanks, catalogs, 
and methods of administration. 

One other announcement in connection with 
this exhibit I think will be of interest. Some 
two or three weeks ago I received this formal 
communication from President Francis, ad- 
dressed to the American Library Association, 
sent in my care. It reads as follows: 

"In accordance with the rules I beg to in- 
form you that the Superior Jury has ap- 
proved the recommendation that you" that 
is, the American Library Association "be 
awarded the Grand Prize in Group A." 
(Applause.) Any expression of dissatisfac- 
tion with this award must be delivered to the 
president of the Superior Jury within three 
days, which notice must be followed within 
seven days thereafter by written statement 
setting forth at length wherein the award is 
deemed inconsistent or unjust. (Laughter.) 
You are not warranted in making any an- 
nouncement of the award until you have been 
formally notified, about Oct. 15." 

Another that may be interesting, although 
not of so much importance, is the same in 
form, except for the changing of a word or 
two, and is addressed to F. M. Crunden, 
"collaborator," announcing "in accordance 
with the rules, that you be awarded the Gold 
Medal in Group A. Any expression of dis- 
satisfaction," etc. (Applause.) 



The secretary presented the 

REPORT OF THE COUNCIL. 

(See Transactions of Council.) 

The PRESIDENT : The following resolutions 
are submitted by the Council for your con- 
sideration and adoption : 

REDUCED POSTAL RATES FOR LIBRARY BOOKS. 

"The American Library Association, at its 
26th annual meeting, held at St. Louis, in 
connection with the Louisiana Purchase Ex- 
position, notes with deep satisfaction the re- 
cent act of Congress providing for the free 
transmission through the mails of books for 
the use of the blind. It congratulates the 
community upon a measure so benevolent, 
and, it believes, so just. And it ventures to 
hope that Congress will regard this measure 
as a but partial justice, and will ultimately 
consider that the general interests of educa- 
tion require a similar exemption from post- 
age of other books transmitted from library 
to library for the public benefit. In certain 
other countries, as appears from the accounts 
at this conference, such a general exemption 
is customary and a matter of course. In the 
United States books lent between libraries 
are still subject to the full charges of fourth 
class mail matter, even though the libraries 
are both free and public, and as such have 
received from the government special ex- 
emption from tariff duties on their importa- 
tions, on the theory that the promotion of 
their usefulness is a matter of national con- 
cern. It is therefore 

"Resolved, That this suggestion be com- 
municated to Congress in connection with the 
so-called Lodge bill, now pending a bill 
which by no means provides for free trans- 
mission, but merely places books so lent upon 
the same basis as newspapers circulated in 
the ordinary course of business. 

"Resolved, That Congress be urged to take 
speedy, prompt and favorable action upon 
this or some equivalent measure of relief." 
Voted. 

ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF FACILITIES FOR RESEARCH 
ABROAD. 

"The American Library Association is im- 
pressed with the accounts at this conference, 
confirming the general report, as to the facil- 
ities accorded by the libraries of Europe to 
non-resident investigators, especially in inter- 
library loans for their benefit. The liberal 
policy of European libraries in this regard has 
laid American scholarship under lasting obli- 
gations, and, by deepening the confidence of 
investigators in the spirit and service of li- 
braries will promote the cause of libraries, as 
it promotes the cause of learning, throughout 



SIXTH SESSION. 



237 



the entire world. It is based on a true and 
lofty comity which this Association recog- 
nizes and rejoices in, and will gladly foster." 
Voted. 

BIBLIOGRAPHICAL UNDERTAKINGS OF INTERNA- 
TIONAL CONCERN. 

"The American Library Association, at its 
26th annual conference held at St. Louis in 
connection with the Louisiana Purchase Ex- 
position, having listened with great interest 
to accounts of various bibliographical under- 
takings of general concern, including the In- 
ternational Catalogue of Scientific Literature, 
the Concilium Bibliographicum of Zurich, and 
the Institut International de Bibliographic of 
Brussels, records its appreciation of the un- 
selfish labor, personal devotion, and even pe- 
cuniary sacrifice, which have established and 
are maintaining these, and expresses its con- 
gratulations upon the progress already made." 
Carried by a rising vote. 

INTERNATIONAL LIBRARY FEDERATION. 

"The American Library Association, at its 
26th annual meeting, held in St. Louis, on 
the occasion of the Louisiana Purchase Ex- 
position, has been honored by the presence of 
distinguished delegates r