m> 



THE UNIVERSITY 

OF ILLINOIS 

LIBRARY 



V"^ ' . -■ V 






PAPERS AND PROCEEDINGS 



THIRTY-THIRD ANNUAL 
MEETING 



AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION 



PASADENA, CALIFORNIA 



MAY 18-24, 1911 



AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION 
78 E. WASHINGTON STREET 
CHICAGO, ILL. 
1911 IZ- 



CONTENTS 



General sessions: PAGE 

Addresses of welcome and response 51 

President's address: What the 

community owes the library James I. Wyer. Jr 55 

Is library censorship desirable? Willard Huntington Wright 59 

Exploitation of the public library Arthur E. Bostwlck 60 

Secretary's report George B. Utley 65 

Treasurer's report Carl B. Roden 82 

Reports of boards and committees; 

Co-ordination Charles H. Gould 71 

Co-ordination among college libraries William C. Lane 75 

Co-operation with the National Education 

Association Mary Eileen Ahem 75 

Bookbinding A. L. Bailey 7fl 

Library training A. S. Root 77 

Brussels Congresses N. D. C. Hodges 79 

Federal and state relations B. C. Stelner 79 

Trustees of endowment funds W. C. Kimball 80 

A. L. A. Publishing Board Henry E. Legler 83 

Finance C. W. Andrews 90 

Public documents G. S. Godard 90 

Library administration H. W. Graver 91 

Library work with the blind Emma N. Delflno 97 

Effect of the commission plan of city govern- 
ment on public libraries Alice S. Tyler 98 

Limitations of the branch librarian's Initiative. .C. H. Brown 105 

Branch library and Its relation to the district. . .Clara E. Howard 109 

Eternal "Or" of the librarian Francis F. Browne 112 

Municipal civil service as affecting libraries J. T. Jennings 119 

Humors and horrors of municipal civil service. .Jessie F. Hume 127 

Administrative units in library extension M. S. Dudgeon 130 

California county free libraries Harriet G. Eddy 138 

County libraries In Oregon Mary F. Isom 144 

An Ohio county library Corlnne A. Metz 146 

Basis of support of organizations for public li- 
brary work F. F. Hopper 148 

Increasing the educational efficiency of the 

library A. H. Chamberlain 154 

Materials and methods in bookbinding Cedrlc Chlvers 164 

Books and the efficient life J. A. B. Scherer 179 

Report of resolutions committee G. S. Godard 188 

Report of Executive board 192 

Report of the Council 193 

Report of tellers of election 195 

Social side of the Conference 195 

Travel side of the Conference 197 



PAGE 

Aftlliated organizations: 

American association of law libraries.... 204 

League of library commissions 206 

National association of state libraries.... 21.^ 

Special libraries association 217 

Sections: 

Catalog 21S 

Children's librarians' 240 



PAGE 

Sections — continued 

College and reference 251 

Professional training 263 

Trustees' 271 

Public documents round table 272 

Attendance summaries 274 

Attendance register 275 






PASADENA CONFERENCE 



MAY J8-24, I9tl 



PRELIMINARY SESSION 

(Thursday, May 18, 1911, 8:15 p. m.. 
Hotel Maryland) 

The preliminary session of the Thirty- 
third annual conference of the American 
library association was called to order by 
Mr. E. L. Conger, of Pasadena, who spoke 
a few words of welcome and introduced 
the Rev. Dr. D. F. Fox, of Pasadena, who, in 
the absence of the mayor, welcomed the 
conference to the city in a brief, witty and 
pleasing address. 

Dr. Fox said he was sure that all the 
members were going to like Pasadena and 
feel that the Crown City was the real 
crowing glory in the realm of God's won- 
derful out-of-doors; that all were sure to 
be favorably impressed with the spirit of 
progress there displayed, and would be well 
repaid by a visit to some of the education- 
al institutions In the neighborhood as well 
as to the famous scenic attractions which 
he hoped all the delegates would see be- 
fore they departed; and that when they 
returned to their homes they would carry 
with them the best memories of delightful 
days spent in their beautiful valley. 

Following Dr. Fox, Mr. J. W. Wood wel- 
comed the members of the Association in 
behalf of the board of trustees of the Pasa- 
dena public library. He referred with pride 
to the fact that the people of the city had 
built their own library building, had bought 
its books and ably supported it, and that 
the character of the books read showed 
Pasadena to be an exceptional center of 
study and culture. The speaker said that 
the one note of sadness was the illness 
of the librarian. Miss N. M. Russ, who had 
planned and worked for two years for this 
Conference and now most unfortunately 
was sick and could only send her message 
of greeting with the hope that the visit 
would be pleasant and enjoyable to all. 



Mr. L, W. Ripley, president of the Cal- 
ifornia library association, was next intro- 
duced and in a few cordial words expressed 
the welcome of the state association. Mr. 
Ripley said that the influence left by the 
Association's visit of twenty years ago had 
not yet died away and that Californians 
anticipated from this visit even more bene- 
fit and uplift to their state. 

Dr. FOX: There is unusual Joy and 
pleasure in connection with the appearance 
of the next speaker. The response to the 
greeting, in behalf of the president of the 
American library association, in the ab- 
sence of your president, is to be made by 
Mr. Samuel Swett Green, of Worcester, 
Massachusetts, who, when your Associa- 
tion met in San Francisco twenty years 
ago, was the president of the American 
library association. I have the distinguished 
honor, ladies and gentlemen, of presenting 
to you Mr. Green. 

Mr. GREIEN: Angels' visits, Mr. Presi- 
dent, are generally far between. It is with 
the heartiest gratitude that the members 
of the American library association thank 
you for the offers of hospitality which you 
have made. 

It is with extreme regret that we have 
met in the absence of our presidentj but 
perhaps it was wise for him to select, in 
naming him who should respond, one who 
had already realized how fully you carried 
out your promises and how much better 
a time we had when here before than we 
had any anticipation of. Twenty years ago 
representatives of your state met us at 
the borders of the state. We received a 
dispatch as we were crossing Nevada, tell- 
ing us that representatives of libraries and 
of those interested in libraries, would meet 
us at Truckee, on the way to Sacramento. 
Those representatives reached Truckee be- 
fore we did and were there to receive us. 
They brought us fresh salmon they had 
caught the day before in the Sacramento 



^~^r^t^,e^Yj^fi^\y 



52 



PASADENA CONFERENCE 



River. They brought a hamper of quail and 
a great abundance of the luscious grapes 
which are in such profusion in this state 
in the autumn and quantities of the rare 
and beautiful chrysanthemums which this 
state has the greatest reason to be proud 
of. 

Our cook took the provisions that were 
brought and served breakfast in the dining 
car to the members of the Association and 
the representatives from Sacramento. We 
were then taken down to that beautiful 
city and carried to the capitol, where we 
were received by one of the officials of the 
state, and there we found representatives 
from San Francisco, where the conference 
was to be held, waiting to escort us from 
Sacramento to San Francisco. 

After receiving profuse hospitality in the 
greatest city of the state, we started on a 
journey south. I well remember that sun- 
shiny morning that we came to Pasadena, 
and that before we had finished our 
breakfast your representatives were at our 
sides with a profusion of the fruits and 
flowers of the season, and with carriages 
in which you took us on a most interesting 
drive and then brought us to your beautiful 
public library building, where we met the 
assembled representatives of the refine- 
ment of the city, who gave us another cor- 
dial welcome. 

We find, of course, immense changes In 
California. We have just come here, but 
we know that we are to expect great 
changes. Twenty years ago, Pasadena had 
only a few inhabitants. To-day you have, 
as has been stated to-night, 30,000 people. 
Los Angeles had 50,000 inhabitants at that 
time, but now there are over 300,000. San 
Francisco has passed through a terrible 
calamity and is rising in triumph from 
its troubles. I remember that at certain 
places where the trains stopped twenty 
years ago, the citizens were there in their 
own carriages, driving their own horses, 
and came to the station and took us about 
the town and when spontaneously we ad- 
mired the beauty of everything we saw, 
they said to us, "You would hardly suppose 
that only three years ago there was nothing 



here but sage brush." No such story, I 
believe, could be told of the state to-day. 

My interest in California is a deep and 
binding one. I first became acquainted 
with this locality when I landed here after 
serving two years before the mast, when, 
in 1S49, I became quite excited over the 
sudden discovery of gold, and I have 
watched the progress and growth of the 
state with great Interest ever since. I 
am afraid we shall find many changes, 
immense changes, but whatever those 
changes may be, they cannot alter the 
beautiful surroundings of Pasadena. They 
cannot change its delightful climate, and 
we are finding here, and are sure we shall 
find while we stay here, that there is no 
change in the hospitality and hearts of its 
people. 

Dr. FOX: Secretary Utley has a letter 
which he will read you at this time. 

The SECRETARY: You will notice on 
your programs that the Rev. Dr. Robert J. 
Burdette was to have been with us to-night. 
1 wish to read you a note from Dr. Bur- 
dette, who is in the East, to Mr. Wyer, the 
president. 

Boston, May 6, 1911. 
My dear Mr. Wyer: 

I am sorry as a boy who has played 
hookey and is facing the consequences. 
But I will not be at home to welcome the 
A. L. A. to our city. I had planned to re- 
turn home May 10th, but the Fates, re- 
morseless old girls, have crossed my wires 
and opened my switches and marooned me 
in Boston, this state. I am studying the 
language. I have already learned to drop 
both "R's" in Harvard and to add a final 
one to "Africar." Cordially yours, 

ROBERT .1. BURDETTE. 

An informal reception was held in the 
lobby of the hotel, at the close of the even- 
ing's program. 

FIRST GENERAL SESSION 

{Shakespeare Club House, Friday, May 
19, 2:30 p. m.) 

In the absence of President Wyer, Mr. 
Henry E. Legler, as temporary chairman 



MEEKER 



53 



of the Executive board, called the session 
to order. 

Mr. LEGLER: In the absence of the 
president, Mr. Wyer, the duty devolves up- 
on me, as representative of the Executive 
board to call to order this, the Thirty- 
third Annual Session of the American li- 
brary association. 

We all regret Mr. Wyer's inability to be 
present with us to-day and we deplore the 
compelling cause that has made his ab- 
sence inevitable. In this emergency the 
Executive board members feel themselves 
particularly fortunate in having been able 
to persuade some of the ex-presidents of 
the Association to preside at the several 
meetings which comprise the program for 
this conference. Into their capable and 
experienced hands, therefore, the sessions 
of this Association will be placed, and I 
take great pleasure in yielding the gavel 
of the presiding officer to Mr. F. P. Hill, 
ex-president of the American library asso- 
ciation. (Mr. Hill takes the chair.) 

The CHAIRMAN: At this, the Thirty- 
third Annual Meeting of the American li- 
brary association, we meet with two un- 
usual handicaps; first, the illness of Miss 
Nellie M. Russ, the librarian of the Pasa- 
dena public library, and second, the ab- 
sence of our president, Mr. James I. 
Wyer, Jr. 

We are gathered here in this beautiful 
auditorium at the invitation of the Shake- 
speare club, and I have pleasure in in- 
troducing to you Miss Anna L. Meeker, 
the president, who will extend to us a 
hearty greeting on behalf of the club. 

Miss MEEKER: Members of the Amer- 
ican library association: On behalf of the 
Shakespeare Club, I am most happy to 
welcome you to our club house. We appre- 
ciate the honor of entertaining so large a 
body of distinguished people. It is safe to 
say that never before has there so large 
an amount of book lore been packed with- 
in these walls. It seems particularly fitting 
that the American library association 
should meet in the home of a woman's club, 
for the libraries and the women's clubs are 
mutually dependent. The women of our 



clubs are steady patrons of our libraries, 
many of which have been founded by wo- 
men's clubs. In our own state of California, 
before the state library covered the ground 
as completely as it does now, much of the 
energy of our women's clubs was spent 
in sending traveling libraries to communi- 
ties where there were no libraries at all, 
and so a great deal of library work was 
done by women's clubs. 

On the other hand, the woman's club 
would languish and die, perhaps, without 
the library. The library is the source from 
which we gather our mental food. It is our 
powder magazine from which we get our 
ammunition. It is our tool house from which 
we get our tools. The library is our school 
from which we get our training. It is the 
place in which we crystallize our ideas and 
it is our hospitable home where we are 
always sure of finding friends to talk to 
us. The library is essential to our well 
being and our well doing. Therefore, to 
you, representing all of the libraries of this 
great nation, our club is most happy to 
extend a cordial greeting and we are glad 
that you are here and we are happy to 
have the honor of offering you the use of 
our club house while you remain with us. 
We hope you will use it as freely as if it 
were your own homes. On behalf of the 
Club, I give you a most hearty welcome. 

The CHAIRMAN: In speaking of the 
officers, or the ex-presidents who are to 
preside, it may be well, perhaps, to let 
you know how they will appear. To-day, 
the librarian of the Brooklyn public li- 
brary; at to-morrow's session, Mr. C. W. 
Andrews of The John Crerar library will 
preside; at the next session, Mr. Henry J. 
Carr, librarian of the public library of 
Scranton; at the fourth session, Mr. A. E. 
Bostwick, of the public library of St. Louis; 
and at the fifth and last meeting, Miss Alice 
S. Tyler, of the Iowa library commission, 
who is not an ex-president simply because 
she would not stand for it, but who is an 
ex-vlee-president. 

A resolution of regret at the illness of 
Miss Nellie M. Russ, librarian of the Pasa- 



54 



PASADENA CONFERENCE 



dena public library, and of hope for her 
speedy recovery, was moved by Miss Alice 
S. Tyler, warmly and appreciatively sec- 
onded by Miss M. K. Ahem and passed 
unanimously by a rising vote. 

The CHAIRMAN: The program which 
is before you has been planned altogether 
by the absent president, Mr. J. I. Wyer, 
Jr., of the New York state library. He even 
planned that the ex-presidents should pre- 
side, so that everything up to and including 
this moment was outlined by the foresight 
of our president. We all regret his absence 
and I am glad to know that the Executive 
board has prepared a resolution in relation 
thereto, which I will call upon Mr. Henry 
M. Utley, ex-president of the American li- 
brary association and librarian of the De- 
troit public library to present. 

Mr. UTLEY: I am sure we all share 
the disappointment and regret of Mr. Wyer, 
our president, that he is not able to be 
present on this occasion. That he Is de- 
tained away is due to circumstances with 
which you are doubtless more or less fa- 
miliar. The burning of the capltol building 
at Albany, or the wing of the capitol in 
which the state library was situated, re- 
sulted in the almost entire wiping out of 
that library, and the Legislature which Is 
In session at this time, as 1 understand it, 
is considering a measure for the rebuilding 
and rejuvenation of the library Itself. Un- 
der these conditions, it seems necessary 
that Mr. Wyer should be at his post of 
duty. Therefore, he has given up the pleas- 
ure and satisfaction which he must have 
expected to obtain by being present at 
this conference. But the Association is 
under obligation to him for the wisdom and 
thought and time which he has given in 
the preparation of our excellent program. 
1 am sure we shall all appreciate its ex- 
cellence as we proceed with its consider- 
ation from day to day. 

Recognizing these conditions, and the 
circumstances which detained Mr. Wyer, 
the Executive board has adopted a minute 
In reference thereto, which I have been 
asked to present. 

"The members of the American library 
association assembled in Pasadena for 



their annual conference, desire one and all, 
to express their regret that Mr. Wyer, their 
president, is detained at Albany by the du- 
ties and responsibilities of his office, and 
can not be with them and preside over 
their meetings. Regretting his absence for 
their own sake, they also realize the dis- 
appointment it must be to him to lose an 
ojiportunity which ordinarily comes to a 
man but once in a lifetime, and accom- 
panies the highest honor which the Asso- 
ciation can bestow. 

They unite in sending him a message of 
encouragement and confidence as he takes 
up the difficult task of reconstruction made 
necessary by the calamity which lately 
swept away the great library of the State 
of New York, and left the nation poorer by 
the destruction of the precious collections 
of books and manuscripts, and by the in- 
terruption of beneficent and widely effec- 
tive educational activities." 

Mr. Chairman, I move you, sir, that this 
minute be spread upon the records of the 
Association and that a copy of the same 
be forwarded to Mr. Wyer. 

The CHAIRMAN: You have heard the 
motion of Mr. Utley, is it seconded? 

Mr. RIPLEY: On behalf of the Cali- 
fornia library association, I take great plea- 
sure In seconding the resolution as read. 
The California library association, not to 
speak of the members of the American 
library association, have been greatly ani- 
mated through the last year by the asso- 
ciation with this extremely choice spirit 
of our profession, and we deeply deplore 
the unforeseen circumstances fhat prevent 
our coming in personal contact with this 
very livest of live wires. 

The CHAIRMAN: Mr. R. R. Bowker, 
who, by the way, is not an ex-president, was 
also to second this resolution, but he is 
not in the hall at present. We have, with 
us, however, one who is not only a friend 
of the Association but a personal friend 
of Mr. Wyer. Will Mr. Burpee also second 
the motion? 

Mr. BURPEE: I am sure that Mr. Utley 
and Mr. Ripley have expressed what we all 
feel in this matter. It must be a bitter 
disappointment to Mr. Wyer to be absent 
from this meeting, and it is equally dis- 
appointing to us. We miss Mr. Wyer not 
only as a friend, but also as one of the 
principal factors making for library prog- 



55 



ress in this country and throughout this 
continent. The destruction of the state li- 
hrary at Albany, it seems to me, is much 
more than a local loss, or a national loss. 
It is, in every sense, an international ca- 
lamity. As president of a Canadian library 
association, and as a member of the Amer- 
ican library association, it gives me very 
special pleasure to second this resolution. 

The CHAIRMAN: Anything further to 
be said? If not, as many as are in favor 
of the re.solution as presented by Mr. 
Utley, and seconded by Mr. Ripley and 
Mr. Burpee, will manifest it in the usual 
manner of to-day, by rising. 

(The entire assemblage rose to their feet 
and the motion was passed unanimously.) 

The CHAIRMAN: We trust that the 
Secretary will transmit this by lettergram 
to Mr. Wyer to-night. I am going to read 
a letter from him which he prepared in 
anticipation of not being able to be here 
and not as an answer to the resolution 
which has just been adopted. 

Albany, N. Y., May 13, 1911. 
Greetings to the A. L. A. 

There is a possibility that I may not be 
able to reach Pasadena. Aside from the 
strenuous conditions immediately resulting 
from the destruction of the State Library, 
important pending legislation is likely to 
reach a stage at any day that will make it 
impossible to be so far away or so long ab- 
sent from Albany. 

No one who has been chosen president 
of the American Library Association will- 
ingly foregoes the honor and pleasant priv- 
ilege of presiding over your annual con- 
ference. Nothing short of a great calamity 
such as that melancholy one, the stress of 
which threatens to detain me, would be 
counted a sufficient excuse for absence. 
Should it be imperative for me to remain 
at home, I can only hope that my plea of 
superior official duty will seem as adequate 
and convincing to you as it does to your 
president. 

For six weeks he has confidently planned 
to be with you, and has steadily hugged the 
precarious hope that he might cross the 
continent to this meeting, in the face of the 
knowledge that at the last moment, or at 
almost any moment, events might so shape 
themselves as to make it wholly out of 
the question. 

If finally he does not come, it will be 
only because it is quite clear that he has no 
right to be anywhere else than in Albany 
at this time — that there is too much now at 



stake, and that no reasonable conception 
of duty will warrant any other course. In 
this event the opportunity will be presented 
to utilize the corps of ex-presidents, those 
ornamental by-products of our organiza- 
tion. To their kind and experienced offices 
the conduct of the general sessions of the 
Association may confidently be entrusted, 
with the unique and attractive element of 
variety which has certainly much to com- 
mend it when contrasted with the monotony 
accruing to a series of meetings all con- 
ducted by the same person. 

Should it be necessary to read these sen- 
tences, they are offered with the keenest 
expressions of regret, a regret which you 
can not feel in equal measure, but with 
every confidence that beautiful and hospit- 
able Southern California, the five hundred 
enthusiastic librarians of the Golden State 
and the representative attendance now as- 
sured from all parts of the country will all 
conspire to bring about a thoroughly mem- 
orable meeting. 

J. I. WYER, JR. 

The CHAIRMAN: President Wyer's 
address will now be read by Mr. W. C. 
LANE, ex-president of the American library 
association and librarian of Harvard uni- 
versity, whom I have the pleasure of pre- 
senting to you. 

Mr. LANE: You understand, of course, 
the address I am about to read is Mr. 
Wyer's address, and not mine. I am simply 
a voice, and nothing more. The subject of 
the address is 

WHAT THE COMMUNITY OWES THE 
LIBRARY 

For fifty years the free public library 
has been "finding itself"; has been trying 
to discover its precise point of attachment 
in a complex social order; has been deter- 
mining and evolving its proper functions 
and seeking to fix the scope of its activities. 
During this experimental period there have 
been some excesses to curb, some fungous 
growths to lop off, and some mistaken 
policies to revise. These have been, how- 
ever, but the natural marks of quick 
growth. They have revealed no funda- 
mental malady or fault. All in all the 
notion of what a public library shall be 
and do has become steadily clearer and 
more definite. Through work preeminently 
characterized by earnestness and devotion 



56 



PASADENA CONFERENCE 



it has commended itself to the people, and 
its place In our intellectual life as an in- 
stitution and not as an appurtenance seems 
pretty securely fixed. What the library 
owes the community has been often dis- 
cussed, what the library can do for the 
community is being abundantly demon- 
strated every day in every corner of the 
land and will be demonstrated with more 
and more effectiveness each year. It is 
highly becoming that the library should 
thus first have considered its own debt 
and duties before inquiring too straitly 
into those of the public which it serves. 

The obligations are not all on one side, 
however. There are some things which 
the community owes the library, certain 
things which the community can do for the 
library which it can not do for itself and 
which can be done for it only by the organ- 
ized local government or by its influential 
individual members. Fundamentally every 
community owes it to itself to have a 
library. This is a statement which in the 
past it has been far more necessary to sup- 
port by argument than now in the day of 
its general acceptance. It is perhaps not too 
much to say that the burden of proof has 
somewhat shifted and now tends to rest 
upon the state, city, county or village 
which neglects suitable library provision 
for its people. Once a library is started, 
however, and by the very act of starting, 
obligations are assumed which are less 
generally and clearly recognized than 
would be well. 

Certain fundamental statutory provisions 
touching the organization and control 
of the library should be so shaped as 
to emphasize by law, and so executed as 
to establish by precedent and tradition, 
the fact that partisan politics and i)ersonal 
self-seeking have no place in the governing 
board of a library. No mere phrase in 
charter or statute will achieve this. No 
single mode of appointment holds sov- 
ereign virtue sufficient to insure the right 
sort of trustees. They will result only 
from the rooting and acceptance of a 
firm conviction that the library and school 
concern, not the externals of life — fire, 
water, police, roads and bridges — but 



the everlasting things of the spirit, the 
foundations of citizenship and character, 
and that on no account whatsoever shall 
their government be intrusted to that base 
metal which is welded into the links, 
wheels and shafts of a political machine. 
The ideal trustee is the active, clear- 
headed man of affairs, of large acquaint- 
ance with the city's business and its 
men of influence, who, if he does not 
believe thoroughly in the library, is open- 
minded and wholly free from pledge or 
prejudice, who knows or is willing to learn 
enough of its work to recognize its expert 
and specialized character, and so to avoid 
the melancholy confusion of legislative 
and executive functions which sometimes 
exists between trustees and staff. Such 
an appointive tradition and practice as is 
here urged is happily already widely prev- 
alent in this country and yearly becomes 
stronger and is more consistently fol- 
lowed. 

The community owes the library a com- 
petent staff as well as the right sort of 
trustees. It may be objected that the 
community has nothing to say about the 
personnel of the library staff. Indeed! 
Let a vacancy occur and every trustee will 
testify that numerous, insistent and very 
earnest citizens will instantly appear to 
urge certain candidacies on every ground 
except that of fitness as shown by tempera- 
ment, training or experience. Well-mean- 
ing and high-minded trustees are con- 
stantly importuned, and too often consent, 
to favor a local candidate or one who needs 
the money and will work for very little, or 
somebody's sister, cousin or aunt, upon 
grounds wholly irrelevant and immaterial. 
Some communities which maintain public 
libraries and seem to take a sort of pride 
in them, have but the faintest conception 
of the splendid work which such institu- 
tions can do in the hands of a carefully 
chosen staff of trained and experienced 
people who are filled with the spirit of 
service. What can be hoped from a library 
administration which tacitly assumes 
either that a candidate's need is a suflicient 
measure of ability or that all the talent 
needed to manage a library in the best way 



WYER 



57 



surely exists under the local vine and fig 
tree. This insistence on the mere accident 
of residence is one of the chief conten- 
tions of the merit system of civil service 
which librarians seem to be practically 
unanimous in condemning as thoroughly 
unsatisfactory for recruiting the staff in 
municipal public libraries. 

The community owes the library a 
reasonable financial support. Reasonable 
is here a relative term. It may be defined 
roughly as the amount, not extravagantly 
disproportioned to the total city budget, 
which a thoroughly competent librarian 
can spend wisely. Perhaps fifty cents per 
capita is not unreasonable though it is 
likely that no American city yet spends so 
much. In fixing the amount of the library 
budget, the community (that is, the press, 
the city council, sometimes even the library 
board) often unjustly compares the total 
library expenditure of its city with others 
of about the same size, unjustly — because 
the bare statistics are the only factors that 
can really be compared and they tell no 
vital part of the tale. The real factors 
are the energy, interest and wisdom of the 
library board, the competence of the libra- 
rian and the staff, the excellence of the 
library buildings and equipment, and to a 
lesser extent the character and temper of 
the people. The people of many cities 
cheerfully pay a library tax twice that of 
other cities of equal size and would be 
instant to oppose a reduction, because the 
policy and conduct of the library have been 
wise and able and have won for it a cordial 
and tacit approval. 

Yet the pet art of the demagogue bawl- 
ing economy is to marshal meaningless 
figures intended to show that a large ex- 
penditure necessarily spells waste, when 
the truth is likelier to be that an un- 
usually large appropriation shows an effi- 
cient administration which has been given 
the money because it has proved that it 
knows how to spend it wisely. The real 
waste is far oftener found in the very 
budget cited by the demagogue or the 
partisan paper to prove economy — a budget 
disproportionately small when compared 
with the size of the city, because an inert, 



incompetent administration has never won 
the confidence of the powers behind the 
purse. It is not just to a library or to any 
other municipal enterprise to start it and 
then starve it to the accompaniment of a 
running criticism of its inefficiency. Li- 
brary and school finances sometimes suffer 
temporarily because of maximum tax levy 
provision in state laws and in city char- 
ters. These fiscal safeguards probably 
originated when tax-supported schools and 
libraries were dubious innovations, worth 
a trial perhaps, but innovations which must 
be carefully hedged about till their useful- 
ness was proved. Now their usefulness is 
fully proved. No one seriously questions 
the propriety, the desirability nor the civic 
and social necessity of publicly supported 
and administered schools and libraries. 
The day is long past when statutory limita- 
tions on expenditures for education are 
regarded seriously. The history of library 
legislation shows that provisions limiting 
the tax levy to one-half a mill, one mill, two 
mills, or to any stated sum, are being con- 
stantly repealed or extended to reflect the 
growing willingness of the American peo- 
ple to invest in education and to emphasize 
their approval of the results which are 
being achieved. Why then, is there fur- 
ther need for such provisions at all? They 
are now purposeless hindrances set in the 
path of social and educational progress — 
they may add zest to the race but they 
assuredly delay arrival at the goal. The 
state and municipal fiscal machinery affords 
enough checks to extravagant appropriating 
without arbitrary and antiquated provisions 
in the organic and statute law. There is 
no recognized tax rate, expressed in mills, 
which by general agreement represents a 
fair, generous or proper appropriation for 
public library purposes. There never can 
be such a rate. Assessed valuations vary 
widely among the states. The rate in one 
state will produce twice as much money 
on the same valuation as in another. And 
worse than all — that imitation in legisla- 
tion which has modeled so many state 
constitutions on that of Ohio, tends to per- 
petuate in library laws and city charters 
with too little regard for differing condi- 



58 



PASADENA CONFERENCE 



tions, the provisions which some other 
city or state has found salutary. 

The community owes the library a taste- 
ful, substantial, reasonably adequate build- 
ing, the interior planned by library people 
for library purposes and the whole set upon 
a central site. Some of the most melan- 
choly chapters in municipal library annals 
treat of bitter personal or sectional squab- 
bles over where the library shall be 
located, out of what it shall be built, 
and the library buildings are many which 
were planned and erected before it be- 
came the fashion to let librarians have 
even as little to say about the interior as 
they now may. The library may not be 
housed in the city hall, a school house, in 
residence houses left as legacies, or in any 
building not primarily made for library 
purposes without serious administrative 
waste and loss of efficiency, and, more im- 
Iiortant still, without robbing the library 
iind its work of the dignity and inipressive- 
ness which belong to it. 

The entire community owes the public 
library open-mindedness, patience and a 
better understanding of its work and 
needs. This is especially true of those 
persons and institutions that are potent in 
civic affairs and in the making of public 
opinion — the press, public men, the pulpit, 
the chamber of commerce, etc. The city 
council should never consider the library 
budget as the measure of any jiarty — it is 
above party — nor regard the library staff 
as offering even indirect opportunities for 
patronage. The press should be as ready 
to commend as to criticize and both praise 
and blame should be discriminating and 
informed. Public men and influential 
citizens should be ready to say a good 
word for the library whenever it is de- 
served and equally ready to lend a hand and 
render it a service when help is necessary, 
for a library, like most public institutions, 
will have its ups and downs, depending 
usually upon the personality and power of 
the librarian and the most interested and 
influential men on its board. 

Once the community has decided to have 
a library its trustees and staff properly 
may assume that it wants the best possible 



library of size and scope commensurate 
with local conditions. This will require 
a home, books, competent help, in a word 
money. It will require more money than 
another community of equal size which is 
content with a library only half as good as 
it can be made. Out of this proper assump- 
tion, logically arise the obligations of the 
community to the library which have just 
been dwelt upon. These obligations depend 
upon and interact with those which the 
library owes to the community. Neither 
library nor community can furnish more 
than one of the oars by which the boat 
must be moved forward. A competent 
library board and staff without enough 
money is almost an unthinkable proposi- 
tion for such a board and staff assuredly 
will get money. A good building and more 
money than the library administration 
can spend wisely is a commoner condition. 
There are more libraries that are not 
returning to the community in service full 
value for the money spent than libraries 
that are without money for wise and really 
necessary development. 

In this somewhat formidable catalog of 
what the community owes the library, it 
must be ever in mind, despite the com- 
morcial sound of the phrase, that the com- 
munity and the library do not occupy 
towards each other the usual positions of 
parties to a commercial contract where 
each is seeking his own gain and is willing 
to secure it at the expense of the other. 
In a business contract the privileges and 
emoluments ceded and alienated by each 
party are parted with absolutely for some 
real or supposed advantage ceded and 
received in return. The reciprocal obliga- 
tions recognized between the library and 
the community, however, are but mutual 
privileges arranged between members of 
the same social family. No whit of good, 
no tithe of advantage can be lost to the 
larger community which includes both the 
library and its public, because of the fullest 
performance of their obligations by both 
parties. The resulting benefits are still 
"all in the family." There is, therefore, 
no excuse between library and community 
for that attitude of suspicion or distrust 



59 



which sometimes marks the strict enforce- 
ment of buiness contracts. There should 
be, there must be the frankest understand- 
ing, the heartiest cooperation arising from 
the knowledge that whatever benefits 
either library or community benefits both. 
The CHAIRMAN: In introducing the 
next speaker I can do no better than to use 
a quotation from President Wyer's letter 
of instruction: "Mr. Wright is vouched for 
by Mr. P. B. Wright, no relation, by the 
way, who has promised for him an inter- 
esting, vigorous and stimulating address." 
Mr. WILLARD HUNTINGTON WRIGHT, 
literary editor of the Los Angeles Times, 
will speak to us on the subject 

IS LIBRARY CENSORSHIP DE- 
SIRABLE? 
Mr. Wright said in part: 

Censorship unfortunately is not confined 
to public libraries, the most objectionable 
forms being found outside these institu- 
tions. Furthermore the problem of censor- 
ship is not so large an issue in libraries 
as the outsider supposes. Subterraneanly, 
however, it influences the board's selection 
of books. Though actively no intolerance 
may be shown, the principle is ever pres- 
ent. Censorship in libraries is an offshoot 
of the general practice of censoring letters, 
and censorship in general includes library 
censorship in particular, as the principle 
is the same. 

Censorship has had a long and inglori- 
ous career, dating from the days of early 
Rome to the present. Primarily it grew 
out of a sense of racial preservation; 
was originally in the hands of the church; 
and to-day is composed largely of that Pur- 
itan prejudice which is a survival of medi- 
eval superstition. Modern censorship is 
founded largely on the assumption that the 
sinner Is the man of gaiety and impulse, 
and that the path of virtue is a highway 
of solemn reason, trodden only by serious 
minded folk. As a result stupidity and so- 
lemnity have been considered by censors as 
synonymous with morality. 

The question of censorship hinges large 
ly on the question of morality, and morality 
depends upon nationality, civilization and 



period of development. What is strictly 
proper and moral in the heart of Africa 
would not be acceptable to the standards 
set by Americans of the present age, and 
consequently many things would pass cen- 
sorship there, which would be questioned 
here. Strictly the only proper literary cen- 
sorship is that exercised over wildly an- 
archistic philippics, diatribes against the 
government or hortatory tracts advocating 
lawlessness. The expurgation of memoirs, 
or the exclusion of erotic novels from li- 
braries are not acts of true moral cen- 
sorship, but are really only the practical 
application of Puritan prejudices. 

In literary censorship the term "im- 
moral" is often confounded with "sexual," 
and in consequence the works of Boccac- 
cio, Dumas /ilx, Pinero and Sudermann are 
often stamped as immoral when the mur- 
dering rascals of Hawthorne, Conrad and 
Conan Doyle, fully as immoral, pass muster 
at the library. 

In all these instances the rascally and 
erotic heroes and heroines are made to 
reap their just deserts and as soon as 
this is accomplished, the book, philosophic- 
ally speaking, becomes moral. Some, how- 
ever, will argue that the moral lesson is a 
hypocritical subterfuge and that the charm 
of the book lies not in the moral dicta, 
but in the glamour of the crime. How- 
ever this may be, it is an undeniable fact 
that books of ethical lectures and volumes 
of homiletics have never yet been tabu- 
lated among the best sellers; that it is a 
psychological fact that ethics and moral- 
ity appeal to us not through reason but 
through the emotions, and that the more 
attractively clothed the moral precepts are, 
the more apt we are to read them. 

Morality in its last analysis means but 
one thing — custom. The assertion that it 
means aught else places the ban of bigotry 
— or at least of incorrectness — on the per- 
son who makes it. Morality is the code of 
niiinuers adoiited by a people for its racial 
preservation. These manners are governed 
entirely by conditions. Thus as conditions 
have changed morals have changed; and 
as conditions are different In different 
countries, so are morals different in differ- 



60 



PASADENA CONFERENCE 



ent countries. Conditions and necessities 
are always transitional. Progress is merely 
a changing of values. All of these changes 
must have new codes of laws to govern 
them. The whole question of censorship 
hinges on the proper use of the word 
"moral." The confusion of immorality with 
sin leads many people into difficulties, al- 
though sin is no more invariable than im- 
morality. However, a distinction must be 
drawn between immorality and sin. Sin 
depends altogether on the individual's or 
institution's private belief; while morality 
is whatever the majority of the nation 
sanctions. 

Consequently any progress or upward 
step not sanctioned by the majority is really 
immoral, and nations have advanced by 
the courage of those who have dared to 
be "immoral." If the early nations had 
succeeded in preserving their morality, 
slavery would still be in vogue and the 
crucifixion of martyrs would still be en- 
acted in order to preserve the morals of the 
community. Only in leniency toward im- 
morality is progress possible. 

We have a law limiting the amount of 
benzoate of soda for preservative purposes 
in food to one-tenth of one per cent. Sup- 
pose, though, that some obscure govern- 
ment official should suddenly decide that 
the one-tenth of one per cent of this salt 
was injurious; he could not forbid the man- 
ufacturers who came under his jurisdiction 
to make use of this chemical. But this is 
precisely the principle involved in literary 
censorship. The law of our nation permits 
the publication of certain books, contain- 
ing the one-tenth of one per cent of pre- 
servative spice or of heretical doctrine, and 
the moral censor, standing outside the 
law, decides that these ingredients are 
not moral, and the book is excluded from 
public libraries. Thus, the law permits the 
publication of a book the circulation of 
which the moral censor inhibits. The un- 
fairness of this sort of thing is obvious. 

The danger of individual censorship, or 
of clique censorship, as opposed to legal 
censorship, lies in the fact that the one 
is governed by personal prejudice, belief 
and superstition; while the other is reg- 



ulated by what has been found to be the 
best for the people as a whole. No matter 
what a prosecutor's own personal convic- 
tions may be, his prosecutions are governed 
by the printed law. But in the case of the 
censor, this does not hold. A censor may ex- 
cise or abolish according to his individual 
opinion, irrespective of the fact that, from 
a legal point of view — which is the 
real moral point of view — the book is per- 
fectly proper. It seems to me that it would 
not be at variance with the American ideals 
of government — which, after all, are 
founded on our composite ideals of jus- 
tice and right — should librarians permit on 
their shelves any book whatsoever that the 
law countenances; provided, of course, 
there is a sufficient demand to warrant its 
purchase. 

The CHAIRMAN: I have the pleasure 
of Introducing Mr. ARTHUR E. BOST- 
W'lCK, librarian of the St. Louis public 
library, who will speak on the subject 

THE EXPLOITATION OF THE PUBLIC 
LIBRARY 

Two and a half years ago; or, to be more 
exact, on January 22, 1909, in an address 
at the dedication of the Chestnut Hill 
Branch of the Free library of Philadelphia, 
the present writer used the following 
words: 

"I confess that I feel uneasy when I 
realize how little the Influence of the public 
library Is understood by those who might 
try to wield that influence, either for good 
or for evil ... So far there has been no 
concerted, systematic effort on the part 
of classes or bodies of men to capture the 
public library, to dictate its policy, to 
utilize its great opportunities for influenc- 
ing the public mind. WTien this ever 
comes, as it must, we must look out! . . . 

"Organizations . . . civil, religious, scien- 
tific, political, artistic . . . have usually 
let us severely alone, where their influ- 
ence, if they should come into touch with 
the library, would surely be for good . . . 
would be exerted along the line of morality, 
of more careful book selection, of judicial 
mindedness instead of one-sidedness. 

"Let us trust that influences along this 



BOSTWICK 



61 



line ... if we are to have influences at all 
. . . may gain a foothold before the oppo- 
site forces . . . those of sordid commer- 
cialism, of absurdities, of falsities, of all 
kinds of self-seeking . . . find out that we 
are worth their exploitation." 

There have been indications of late that 
the public, both as individuals and in or- 
ganized bodies, is beginning to appreciate 
the influence, actual and potential, of the 
public library. With this dawning appre- 
ciation, as predicted in the lines just 
quoted, has come increased effort to turn 
this influence into the channels of per- 
sonal or of business advantage, and it may 
be well to call the attention of librarians to 
this and to warn them against what they 
must doubtless expect to meet, in increas- 
ing measure, as the years go by. Attempts 
of this kind can hope for success only when 
they are concealed and come in innocent 
guise. It is extremely hard to classify 
them, and this fact in itself would indicate 
that libraries and librarians have to deal 
with that most ingenious and plausible of 
sophists, the modern advertiser. 

But in the first place I would not have it 
understood that the use of the library for 
advertising purposes is necessarily illegi- 
timate or reprehensible. If it is open and 
above board and the library receives 
proper compensation, the question resolves 
itself into one of good taste. The taste of 
such use may be beyond question, or it 
may be very questionable indeed. Few 
would defend the use of the library's walls 
or Vt-indows for the display of commercial 
advertising; although the money received 
therefor might be sorely needed. On the 
other hand, the issuing of a bulletin paid 
for wholly or in part by advertisements in- 
serted therein is approved by all, though 
most librarians doubtless prefer to omit 
these if the expense can be met by other 
means. Under this head come also the 
reception and placing on the shelves of 
advertising circulars or catalogs contain- 
ing valuable material of any kind. Here 
the library gets considerably more than 
its quid pro quo, and no librarian has any 
doubt of the propriety of such a proceed- 
ing. 



Again, where the advertising takes the 
form of a benevolent sort of "log-rolling," 
the thing advertised being educational and 
the quid pro quo simply the impulse given 
to library use by anything of this nature, 
it is generally regarded as proper. Thus 
most libraries display without hesitation 
advertisements of tree courses of lectures 
and the like. When the thing advertised 
is not free, this procedure is more open to 
doubt. Personally I should draw the line 
here, and should allow the library to adver- 
tise nothing that requires a fee or payment 
of any kind, no matter how trifling or nomi- 
nal, and no matter how good the cause. 

These thing are mentioned only to ex^ 
elude them from consideration here. The 
library is really exploited only where it is 
used to further someone's personal or busi- 
ness ends without adequate return, gener- 
ally with more or less concealment of pur- 
pose, so that the library is without due real- 
ization of what it is really doing. Attempts 
at such exploitation have by no means 
been lacking in the past. Take if you 
please this case, dating back about a dozen 
years: An enterprising firm, operating a 
department store, offered to give to a 
branch library a collection of several 
thousaad historical works on condition 
that these should be kept in a separate 
alcove plainly labeled "The gift of Blank 
Brothers." Nothing so unusual about this. 
Such gifts, though the objections to the 
conditions are familiar to you all, are fre- 
quently offered and accepted. In this in- 
stance, however, the name of the branch 
happened to be also the name of the enter- 
prising firm. The inference would have 
been overpowering that the branch had 
been named after the firm. The offer was 
accepted on condition that the books should 
be shelved each in its proper place with a 
gift label, to be of special form it desired, 
and that the donation should be acknowl- 
edged on the bulletin board. These condi- 
tions were not acceptable — a sufficient 
indication of the real object of the gift. 
Other cases might be cited, to say nothing 
of the usual efforts to induce the library to 
display commercial notices or to give offi- 
cial commendation to some book. 



62 



PASADENA CONFERENCE 



Several cases of the more ingenious 
attempts at exploitation having come to 
my notice during the past few months I 
set myself to find out whether anything of 
the kind had also been noted by others. 
Letters to some of the principal libraries 
in the country elicited a variety of replies. 
Some librarians had noted nothing; others 
nothing more than usual. One said frankly 
that if the people had been "working" him 
he had been too stupid to know it. But 
others responded with interesting in- 
stances, and one or two, in whose judgment 
I have special confidence agreed with me 
in noticing an increase in the number of 
attempts at this kind of exploitation of 
late. 

I may make my meaning more clear, 
perhaps, by proceeding at once to cite 
specific Instances which must be anony- 
mous, of course, in accordance with a 
promise to my informants. 

A photographer offered to a public library 
a fine collection of portraits of deceased 
citizens of the town. This was accepted. 
The photographer then proceeded to send 
out circulars in a way that rendered it 
very probable that he was simply using the 
library's name to increase his business. 

A commercial firm, which had issued a 
good book on a subject connected with its 
business, offered to print for various 
libraries, at its own expense, a good list of 
works on this subject on condition that it 
should be allowed to advertise its own 
book on the last page. Submission of a 
proof revealed the fact that this advertise- 
ment was to be printed in precisely the 
same form and with the same kind of head- 
ing as information about the library given 
on the preceding page. The reader's in- 
ference would have been that the matter 
on the last page was an official library 
note. Of the libraries approached, some 
accepted the offer without finding any 
fault with the feature just noted; others 
refused to have anything at all to do with 
the plan; still others accepted on condi- 
tion that the last page should be so altered 
that the reader could see clearly that it 
contained advertising matter. 

A lecturer gained permission to dis- 



tribute through a library complimentary 
tickets to a free lecture on an educational 
subject. When these arrived, the librarian 
discovered that the announcement of the 
free lecture was on the same folder with 
advertisements of a pay course. The free 
tickets were given out, but the advertise- 
ment was suppressed. Efforts of this kind 
are perhaps particularly noticeable in con- 
nection with the use of library assembly- 
rooms. There is no reason, of course, why 
libraries should not rent out these rooms 
in the same way as other public rooms, 
but it is usual to limit their use to educa- 
tional purposes and generally to free public 
entertainments. Some efforts to circum- 
vent rules of this kind are interesting. 

Application was made to a library for 
the use of an assembly-room for a free lec- 
ture on stenography. On cross-examina- 
tion the lecturer admitted that he was a 
teacher of stenography who desired to 
form a class, and that at the close of his 
lecture he intended to make announce- 
ment of his courses, prices, etc. He was 
told that this must be done outside the 
library. 

It is very common, where the exaction 
of an admission fee is forbidden, to take 
up a collection before or after the lecture. 
When told that this is inadmissible, the 
lecturer sometimes takes up his collection 
on the sidewalk outside. There have been 
cases where employees of a library have 
embraced this opportunity to gather con- 
tributions. A colored janitor of a branch 
library was recently admonished for stand- 
ing outside his own assembly-room door 
and soliciting money for a pet charity. 
Another janitor made a pilgrimage to the 
central library to collect from the staff. 
A classic instance of this kind is that of 
the street gamin who for several hours 
stood at a branch library door and col- 
lected an admission fee of one cent from 
each user. The branch was newly opened 
and its neighbors were unused to the ways 
of free libraries. 

An example of the difficulty of deciding, 
in matters of this kind, whether an un- 
doubted advertising scheme may or may 
not legitimately be aided by the public 



BOSTWICK 



G3 



library is found in tlie offer, witli whicli 
all of you are familiar, of valuable money 
prizes for essays on economic subjects, 
by a firm of clothiers. The committee in 
charge of the awards is composed of emi- 
nent economists and publicists; the com- 
petitors are members of college faculties 
and advanced graduate students; the 
essays brought out are of permanent value 
and are generally published in book form. 
Under these circumstances many libraries 
have not hesitated to post the announce- 
ments of the committee on their bulletin 
boards. Others regard the whole thing as 
purely commercial advertisement and 
refuse to recognize it. One library at 
least posted the announcement of the com- 
petition for 1910, but refused to post the 
result. It would be hard to tell just how 
much altruism and how much selfishness 
we have here and the instance shows how 
subtle are the gradations from one motive 
to the other. 

Advertising by securing condemnatory 
action of some sort, such as exclusion from 
the shelves, has also not been uncommon. 
This requires the aid of the press to con- 
demn, abuse or ridicule the library for its 
action, and so exploit the book. The press, 
I grieve to say, has fallen a victim to this 
scheme more than once and has thereby 
given free use of advertising space ordi- 
narily worth thousands of dollars. A fla- 
grant instance of this kind occurred in one 
of our greatest cities about ten years ago. 
The work of a much-discussed playwright 
was about to be put upon the boards. A 
wily press agent, in conversation with an 
unsuspecting librarian, obtained an ad- 
verse opinion. The aiding and abetting 
newspaper, which was one of ostensible 
high character, proceeded at once to heap 
ridicule and contumely on the library and 
the librarian for their condemnation and 
exclusion of the play (which really wasn't 
excluded at all). The matter, having 
reached the dignity of news, was taken up 
by other papers and for a week or more 
the metropolitan press resounded with 
accusation, explanation, recrimination and 
comment. The gleeful playwright cabled 
objurgations from London, and the press 



agent, retiring modestly into the back- 
ground, saw advertising that would have 
cost him $100,000, at the lowest estimate, 
poured into his willing lap by the yellow, 
but easy, press of his native burg. It is 
possibly unfair to cite this as an attempt 
to "work" the library — it was the public 
press that was ingeniously and successfully 
exploited through the library. 

The fact that the mere presence of a 
public library is an advantage to the neigh- 
borhood in which it stands has led to nu- 
merous attempts to locate librai-y buildings, 
especially branches, in some particular 
place. These are often accompanied by 
offers of building-lots, which, it is sad to 
say, have occasionally appealed to trustees 
not fully informed of the situation. I recall 
several offers of lots in barren and unoccu- 
pied spots — one in an undeveloped region 
whose owner hoped to make it a residence 
park and another in the middle of a flour- 
ishing cornfield, whose owner considered 
it an ideal spot tor a branch library — at 
least after he had sold oft a sufficient 
number of building lots on the strength of 
his generous gift. These particular offers 
were declined with thanks, but in some in- 
stances members of boards of trustees 
themselves, being only human, have not 
been entirely free from suspicion of per- 
sonal or business interest in sites. Here 
it is difficult to draw the line between the 
legitimate efforts of a particular locality 
to capture a branch site and those that 
have their origin in commercial cupidity. 
Both of course have nothing to do with 
the larger considerations that should 
govern in such location, but both are not 
exploitation as we are now using the word. 
A curious instance of the advertising 
value of the mere presence of a public 
library and of business shrewdness in tak- 
ing advantage of it, comes from a library 
that calls Itself a "shining example of 
efforts to 'work' public libraries for com- 
mercial purposes." This library rents 
rooms for various objects connected with 
its work, and finds that it is in great de- 
mand as a tenant. Great effort is made 
by property owners both to retain and to 
move quarters occupied for library pur- 



64 



PASADENA CONFERENCE 



poses. The board has recently refused 
to make selection of localities on this 
basis. 

There is another respect in which the 
public library offers an attractive field 
for exploitation. In its registration files 
it has a valuable selected list of names 
and addresses which may be of service in 
various ways either as a mailing-list or as 
a directory. Probably there are no two 
opinions regarding the impropriety of 
allowing the list to be used for commercial 
purposes along either line. The use as a 
directory may occasionally be legitimate 
and is allowable after investigation and 
report to some one in authority. I have 
known of recourse to library registration 
lists by the police, to find a fugitive from 
justice; by private detectives, ostensibly 
on the same errand; by a wife, looking for 
her runaway husband; by persons search- 
ing tor lost relatives; and by creditors on 
the trail of debtors in hiding. Where there 
is any doubt, the matter can usually be 
adjusted by offering to forward a letter 
to the person sought, or to communicate 
to that person the seeker's desire and let 
him respond if he wishes to do so. One 
thing is certain: except in obedience to an 
order of court, it is not only unjust, but 
entirely inexpedient from the library's 
standpoint to betray to anyone a user's 
whereabouts against that user's wishes or 
even where there is a mere possibility of 
his objection, if it were clearly understood 
that such consequences might follow the 
holding of a library card, we should 
doubtless lose many readers that we 
especially desire to attract and hold. 

Of course the public library is not the 
only institution whose reputation has ex- 
posed it to the assaults of advertisers. 
The Christian ministry has for years been 
exposed to this sort of thing, and it is the 
belief of Reverend William A. Lee, who 
writes on the subject in "The Standard," 
a Baptist paper published in Chicago, that 
in this case also increased activity is to be 
noted of late. Persons desire to present 
the minister with a picture on condition 
that he mentions the artist to his friends; 
to give him a set of books or a building- 



lot that his name may be used to lure other 
purchasers; they even ask him for mailing- 
lists of his parishioners' names. "I am 
constantly being besieged." says Mr. Lee, 
"by agents of divers sorts, and of divers 
degrees of persistency, for indorsements of 
patent mops, of 'wholesome plays," of cur- 
rent periodicals, of so-called religious 
books, of "helps" almost innumerable for 
church-workers and of scores of other 
things which time has charitably carried 
out of memory." 

It is refreshing to find that the kind of li- 
brary exploitation most to be feared seems 
not yet to have been attempted on any 
considerable scale or in any objectionable 
direction. I refer to interference with our 
stock and its distribution — an effort to 
divert either purchases or circulation into 
a particular channel. My attention has 
been called to the efforts of religious bod- 
ies to place their theological or controvers- 
ial works on the shelves of public libraries. 
When the books are offered as donations, 
as is usually the case, this is hardly exploi- 
tation in the sense in which we are consid- 
ering it, unless the library is so small that 
other more desirable books are excluded. 
A large library welcomes accessions of 
this kind, just as it does trade catalogs or 
railroad literature. Attempts to push cir- 
culation are occasionally made, but usually 
without success. 

But up to the present time it is the glory 
of the public library that it knows neither 
North nor South, Catholic nor Protestant, 
Democrat, Republican nor Socialist. It 
shelves and circulates books on both sides 
of very possible scientific, economic, relig- 
ious and sectional controversy, and no one 
has raised a hand to make it do otherwise. 
We should be proud of this and very jeal- 
ous of it. As we have seen, there is some 
reason to think that newly awakened inter- 
est in the public library as a public utility 
has led to increased effort to gain its aid 
for purely personal and commercial ends. 
Naturally these interests have moved first. 
It is comparatively easy to steer clear of 
them and to defeat them. But attempts to 
interfere with the strict neutrality of the 
public library and to turn it into partisan- 



UTLEY 



65 



ship in any direction, if they ever come, 
should be at the earliest betrayal of their 
purpose be sternly repressed and at the 
same time be given wide publicity, that we 
may all be on our guard. We may legiti- 
mately and properly adopt a once famous 
and much ridiculed slogan as our own, in 
this regard, and write over the doors of 
our public libraries "All that we ask is, let 
us alone!" 

The CHAIRMAN: Now, I hope you will 
remain a few moments to listen to the re- 
ports of the Secretary and of the Com- 
mittees. Most of the committee reports 
have been distributed by placing them upon 
the chairs in the hall and will not be read. 

It falls to my pleasant lot to introduce 
Mr. George B. Utley, a worthy successor 
in the line of A. L. A. secretaries, who will 
now present the Secretary's report. 



SECRETARY'S REPORT 

The report which is here presented covers 
so far as a written statement can the work 
of the EJxecutive office since the report 
made by Mr. Hadley at the Mackinac con- 
ference. Mr. Chalmers Hadley, who became 
Secretary on October 1st, 1909, resigned in 
January of the present year to accept the 
llbrarianship of the Denver public library, 
and the present occupant began his work 
at the Executive office on February 13th. 

The Executive office finds itself still in 
possession of the roomy and commodious 
quarters generously given by the trustees 
of the Chicago public library and of the ex- 
cellent equipment donated by the Chicago 
library club, and the year's tenure has 
only deepened our feelings of gratitude and 
obligation for these beneficent acts which 
have gone so far toward making possible 
an Executive office for the Association. We 
are also the recipient of many other cour- 
tesies; from the Chicago public library, 
light, heat, excellent janitor service, and 
many acts of kindness on the part of the 
staff which help the work very materially; 
from Mr. C. W. Andrews the free services 
of his treasurer's assistant when the service 
of a notary public is needed, which happens 



at least once a month; from Mr. Henry E. 
Legler, the personal loan of pictures and 
furniture; and free clerical assistance from 
a number of friends of the work, which has 
enabled us at rush times to do more than 
our limited appropriation would have per- 
mitted. 

The present Secretary, as did, I am sure, 
his predecessor, feels that certain phases 
of the work are materially assisted by the 
fortunate location of the offices in the same 
building with a library of no mean refer- 
ence facilities and in close proximity also 
to two of the choicest refei'ence libraries 
in the country. During the past year Mr. 
Hadley succeeded in organizing much more 
perfectly the routine of the office than was 
possible the first few months, and the work 
is now moving forward with considerable 
smoothness. It is not necessary to remind 
the membership that the ordinary business 
routine of the office, about which little 
needs to be said in an annual report, is 
nevertheless the part that takes the most 
time, that which must be attended to before 
excursions are made into fields of new- 
activities, and which increases steadily in 
proportion to the success of the work ac- 
complished. The editing of the Bulletin and 
various publications of the Publishing 
board, the reading of large quantities of 
proof, the sale of publications with the 
attendant mailing, billing and bookkeeping, 
the distribution of the Bulletin and the 
Booklist, the necessary bookkeeping of 
membership dues, changes of addresses of 
members, attending to a correspondence 
averaging 35 to 40 letters per day, preparing 
copy for advertisements, arranging con- 
tracts with printers, and making the busi- 
ness arrangements for the annual confer- 
ence and mid-winter meetings; all these 
and many other matters must be regularly 
looked after each month as they come up. 
The remaining margin of time has been 
filled with a variety of activities of which 
it is only possible to give a suggestion, 
as work of this character is not easily 
classified, or reduced to statistics. The Sec- 
retary feels that the work of the Executive 
office is intensely interesting and respon- 
sible and fully deserving of the very best 



66 



PASADENA CONFERENCE 



thought and brain and business acumen 
that can be brought to bear upon it, and 
earnestly hopes that the efforts of the head- 
quarters office are contributing in some 
measure at least to the increase of effi- 
ciency in modern library development. 

The Executive office receives an immense 
amount of correspondence from library 
workers in all parts of this country, of 
the continent of Europe and of the world, 
letters not only coming to us from every 
state of the union and every province of 
Canada, but from Mexico, Cuba, Porto Rico, 
South America, England, Germany, France, 
Norway, Russia, Bulgaria, China, Austral- 
ia, Hawaii and Straits Settlements. This 
correspondence is an able argument for the 
service that an Executive office can render 
to a very wide circle of workers. In most 
instances the Secretary has been able either 
to give the desired information or to direct 
the inquirer to the proper source for ob- 
taining it. It can readily be seen that such a 
mass of correspondence occupies necessa- 
rily a donsiderable amount of the Secre- 
tary's time. As the Secretary pointed out 
In his last annual address, frequently the 
advice sought was of sufficient importance 
to require considerable thought and prepa- 
ration in replying. Among the many items 
of information which have been asked from 
the present occupant in the past two months 
It may be of interest to show their trend 
and scope by recalling the following: Assis- 
tance on book purchases from a library in 
Mexico; how to start a free library in a 
town of 800 people: establishment of a 
library school in Russia; information on 
library laws for use in Norway: particulars 
on our civil service system from a govern- 
ment official of Bulgaria; how one may 
learn to become an expert indexer; whether 
it would be well for a small village library 
and a small college library to combine; 
assistance in establishing a library com- 
mission in a state now without one; sug- 
gestions for a reading list for a boy's 
summer camp; opinion regarding the value 
of certain designated juvenile books for 
library use; correspondence and personal 
conference with several persons regarding 
proposed additions to their library build- 
ings; etc. 



In his report last year the Secretari' 
outlined the publicity work of the Execu- 
tive office, calling attention to the various 
articles written for newspapers and other 
periodicals, for encyclopedias and annuals 
and for convention bureaus and commer- 
cial clubs. Mention was also made of the 
publicity given through library school lec- 
tures, through the sale of publications to 
non-members, as well as through official 
representation at various state meetings 
and through other agencies. As very much 
the same policy has been carried out the 
past year it is unnecessary to repeat in 
detail these employed methods. Along some 
lines the office has been enabled to do more 
publicity work than last year, but, as 
pointed out by Mr. Hadley, more money is 
needed for this work, though a certain 
amount can be accomplished on the present 
income. 

During the year the Secretary has recom- 
mended about thirty librarians to positions, 
about half of whom received appointments; 
has been consulted regarding building plans 
by nearly twenty librarians or library 
trustees; has sent plans of buildings and 
photographs to eleven different cities; se- 
cured a valuable lot of magazines for one 
library; helped to select books for purchase 
by one of the three U. S. penitentiary 
libraries; and sent exhibits of library pub- 
lications to Germany and to Russia. These 
exhibits were sent at the request of Hugo 
Miinsterburg and Count John Tolstoi, re- 
spectively. 

Library building plans are proving very 
useful. Many requests are received for 
loans. We wish we might receive plans 
of all libraries erected in the past eight 
or ten years. Such a donation would be 
a real help to the cause of greater effici- 
ency In library administration, and would 
not be a very great expense to the con- 
tributing libraries. 

About one-fourth of the time of the Sec- 
retary, and about three-fourths of the time 
of the other staff members are occupied 
in work connected with the Publishing 
board. It is not necessary, however, to 
speak further of this feature of the Sec- 
retary's activities as the report of the A. 



67 



L. A. Publishing board covers this with 
sufficient fulness. The office has sold 10,273 
copies of its various publications at an 
aggregate cost of $4,778.12. 

Membership. The Association needs 
more members, institutional and individual, 
and I believe just as firmly that the in- 
dividuals and the libraries need the Asso- 
ciation. Throughout the year a systematic 
and continuous campaign for new members 
has been conducted, and although our ef- 
forts have gained a fair addition of new 
names the number is woefully small com- 
pared with the total number of library 
workers in the country. 

Every library that has an income of 
at least $5,000 a year ought to belong to 
the A. L. A. both for its own good and for 
the help it can render the Association by 
its membership fee, and every librarian 
and library assistant whose salary is not 
less than $60 a month would find it a 
personal asset and an advantage to be 
allied with the national association. Many 
a library board who have decided they 
could not afford to have their institution 
placed on the membership roll would un- 
hesitatingly vote five dollars a year for pe- 
riodicals which are of far less service than 
the A. L. A. Bulletin and Booklist, which are 
secured free through membership, to say 
nothing of the other very substantial bene- 
fits derived. 

In addition to our desire to enroll a large 
number of libraries as institutional mem- 
bers, and entirely in addition to the pecuni- 
ary profit which membership brings to the 
work of the Executive office, we would like 
to welcome to the Association a host of 
library workers, in order that they may 
have the feeling of being a part of a great 
organized professional movement, of being 
one in a vast fraternity working for the 
uplift of their respective communities. We 
earnestly request librarians to recommend 
membership in the Association to their 
staff members. This, we are confident, can 
be tactfully done in a way to preclude any 
suspicion of duress on the part of the 
chief and to impress the assistants that it 
is solely for their good and advantage that 
the suggestion is made. A number of trus- 



tees are already members of the Associ- 
ation, several having recently joined. We 
recommend to librarians that they extend 
a cordial invitation to join the A. L. A. 
to members of their boards, explaining to 
them the advantages accruing, and the 
opportunity, on their part, by a very small 
outlay, of aiding in library development 
beyond the confines of their own com- 
munity. The library horizon of the aver- 
age trustee would be considerably broad- 
ened by the perusal of the papers of such 
a conference as we are now holding, and 
he might look at things thereafter more 
nearly from the same point of view as 
his librarian. The membership is far more 
than national, it is world-wide. Besides hav- 
ing our members in every state in the 
union, and in nearly every province of 
Canada, our Bulletin goes to members in 
England, Scotland, France, Germany, Nor- 
way, Denmark, China, Japan, India, Aus- 
tralia, New Zealand, Hawaii, Philippine Is- 
lands and Porto Rico. If the Secretary could 
find the time for the necessary corre- 
spondence our membership could undoubt- 
edly be widely extended among the li- 
braries of Great Britain, as only two of 
the English libraries are now institutional 
members. The Secretary hopes to take up 
this matter in the near future and suggests 
that as a return courtesy some of our large 
libraries join the British library association 
and receive their official publications. 

For the year 1910 only fourteen members 
of the Association were registered from 
Canada. The Secretary hopes to Induce 
more of our Canadian cousins to take an 
active part in the association. Here too he 
can be greatly assisted if Canadian libra- 
rians who are interested in the Association 
will urge membership to their friends when 
attending local meetings or writing other 
librarians. If an official representative of 
the A. L. A. could attend some of the 
provincial library association meetings, 
good returns in membership would prob- 
ably result. 

There are at the present time 284 insti- 
tutional members in the Association. The 
Secretary has recently addressed a special 
letter to the boards of about 350 libraries 



PASADENA CONFERENCE 



In various parts of the country placing 
before tliem the advantages of member- 
ship and heartily inviting them to join 
the Association. This will, we hope, result 
in quite a list of new members. California 
has more members, both institutional and 
individual, than any other state west of 
the Mississippi, and it is a pleasure to 
report this fact here on California soil. But 
we suspect that even California has some li- 
brarians who have not yet found their 
way into the folds of the A. L. A. 

On May 4th there were 2,118 members 
enrolled, of which 284, as stated above, 
were institutional members. From May 15, 
1910, to May 4th, 1911, 29G new members 
have joined the Association as compared 
with 154 for the nine and one half months 
preceding — of this number 53 were insti- 
tutional members, and by a strange coin- 
cidence in numbers 53 of the 154 new mem- 
bers of 1909-10 were also institutional 
members. 

Notices regarding dues for 1911 were 
mailed the first of January; second no- 
tices were sent out the first part of April, 
and at the close of this conference third 
notices will be mailed, accompanied by a 
letter urging librarians not to let their 
membership lapse, and informing them that 
those who fail to remit before July 1st, 
will no longer be regarded as members. 
Until we know how many fail to respond 
to this notice it will be Impossible to state 
the net increase in membership over last 
year, but there will probably be some gain. 
In 1910, 320 new members joined the Asso- 
ciation, but 137 allowed their membership 
to lapse. 

It is a serious problem how best to combat 
the tendency to let membership lapse when 
the member cannot attend the conference. 
If those who join the Association with the 
serious desire and intention to receive good 
and impart good find that they cannot 
attend the annual conference they should 
be all the more desirous of having the con- 
ference come to them in the form of the 
printed proceedings. This point of view we 
are endeavoring to force to the attention 
of delinquent members. We sincerely trust 
t^at many library workers on this coast 



who have joined this year because the con- 
ference has been accessible to them will 
see wisdom in this position and will see 
to it that even though the next conference 
may not be near enough for them to attend 
they will keep in touch with the national 
movement by having the conference come 
to them in print. 

In urging and discussing membership 
extension the Secretary feels the firm con- 
viction that however much the Association 
may profit financially by an increased mem- 
bership that the institutions and individ- 
uals who join reap far more benefit, and 
that to persuade persons to join the A. L. 
A. is to bestow on them far more advantage 
than is represented in the small fee which 
is annually levied. 

A. L. A. Representatives at Other Con- 
ferences. The policy of sending official 
representatives of the A. L. A. to state 
library meetings proved even more popular 
this past year than ever before and more 
invitations were received than could be 
accepted. Unless, however, the pressure 
of work at headquarters was too great, or 
a conflict of dates prevented, either Mr. 
Hadley or some other delegated representa- 
tive responded to these calls from state 
associations. Unquestionably mutual bene- 
fit has resulted from this interchange of 
speakers and the policy has broadened the 
horizon of many library associations. 

Following the Mackinac conference Mr. 
Hadley was Invited to lecture at five sum- 
mer library schools, and three of these 
invitations were accepted. One talk was 
given on the A. L. A. and its work before 
the Minnesota summer library school, and 
the "Place of the library In a community" 
was discussed before all the departments 
at the University of Minnesota. A talk on 
the same subject was given at the Univer- 
sity of Iowa, at Iowa City, Iowa, and a 
general address was given at the Indiana 
summer library school, Earlham College, 
Kichmond, Indiana. 

In the latter part of September upon 
invitation from the University of North 
Dakota, Mr. Hadley represented the A. L. 
A. at the exercises incident to the inaug- 
uration of Dr. F. LeR. Macvey, as president 



of that University. The A. L. A. was one 
of twenty-five national organizations rep- 
resented on that occasion. As these exer- 
cises were attended while the Secretary 
was on his way to the meeting of the 
North Dakota library association no ex- 
pense was incurred either by the A. L. A. 
or by the state association. At the North 
Dakota meeting, Sept 30 and Oct. 1, Mr. 
Hadley spoke on "Affiliation of the state 
association with the A. L. A.," and also 
helped to conduct a meeting of the trustee 
section. On this trip he gave an address 
before the State normal school and opened 
the citizen's free lecture course at Fargo 
with a talk on the American public library. 

From North Dakota the Secretary went 
to Fairmont, Minnesota, to attend a meet- 
ing of the Minnesota library association, 
Oct. 4-6. Here he also spoke on the subject 
of State affiliation with the A. L. A., and 
gave an address before the general public 
on the "Place of the library in a com- 
munity." 

Mr. Legler represented the A. L. A. at 
the Illinois state meeting at Rock Island, 
Oct. 11-12, and spoke on "Extension work 
of the Chicago public library," and Mr. 
Hadley also attended in order to speak 
upon the subject of state affiliation with 
the A. L. A. Following this meeting the 
Secretary attended the Iowa state meeting 
at Davenport, Oct. 11-13, speaking on the 
state library association and its work, and 
also on the subject of affiliation with the 
A. L. A., and going on from there to Abi- 
lene, Kansas, to the Kansas state meeting, 
Oct. 13-14. Here he spoke on the importance 
of a state library commission and what it 
means to library work. 

The Nebraska state meeting, held at Lin- 
coln, Oct. 19-21, was attended officially by 
Mr. Legler who gave an address on the 
subject, "What of the rural library?" 

Mrs. Elmendorf, first vice-president of the 
A. L. A., attended the Michigan meeting 
at Jackson, Oct. 18-19 and spoke on "Child- 
ren's right to poetry." 

Dr. Bostwick attended, as the official 
representative of the A. L. A., a meeting 
of librarians at Little Rock, Jan. 26, at 
which time the Arkansas library associ- 



ation was most auspiciously and enthu- 
siastically organized and launched. Dr. 
Bostwick's principal address was on the 
subject "The public library as a public 
utility." He also addressed the business 
session and spoke on the subject of the 
public library movement before the Senate 
and House of Representatives. Although 
Mr. Hadley was unable to attend this Ar- 
kansas meeting he helped to draw up the 
plans for it. 

The present Secretary attended the Wis- 
consin state meeting at Milwaukee, Feb- 
ruary 22-23, and spoke on the work of the 
A. L. A. 

Mr. Wyer attended the Atlantic City meet- 
ing of March 9-11 and gave an address, 
"Outside the walls," and also discussed 
state affiliation with the A. L. A. Mr. Leg- 
ler attended the Georgia state meetings at 
Athens, April 17-19, and gave the prin- 
cipal address. 

In addition to these attended meetings 
Mr. Hadley spoke before the Milwaukee 
libi'ary club on the American library asso- 
ciation and its work and at the Wisconsin 
state normal school, in Milwaukee, on "The 
Place of the American Library." The Sec- 
retary was obliged to decline invitations 
from the State association of Indiana, 
Ohio, Kentucky and North Carolina, ow- 
ing either to conflicting dates or pressure 
of work at the Executive office. 

Changes in Officers and Committees. Mrs. 
H. L. Elmendorf, upon election to the 
position of first vice-president, i-esigned 
as one of the two members of the Execu- 
tive board whose terms expire in 1911 and 
Miss Alice S. Tyler was designated by the 
Executive board to serve pro tempore, un- 
til 1911, to succeed Mrs. Elmendorf. 

Chalmers Hadley's resignation as Sec- 
retary of the A. L. A., in January has al- 
ready been recorded elsewhere in this 
report. 

Asa Don Dickinson resigned in January 
from the Committee on work with the 
blind, and J. L. Gillis was appointed to 
succeed him. 

The present Secretary succeeded Mr. 
Hadley as member of the Program com- 
mittee. 



70 



PASADENA CONFERENCE 



Necrology. During the year the Asso- 
ciation has suffered the loss of eight of 
its members by death. The list includes 
a charter and life member who had served 
as treasurer; three library trustees who 
had sufficient interest in their trusts to 
look for support and inspiration beyond 
their local library horizons, and one who 
by his winning personality, his desire to 
be a "friend to man," and his accomplish- 
ments in the world of letters had endeared 
himself in the hearts of all of us whose 
fortune it was to know him. 

Sam Walter Foss, librarian of the Som- 
erville (Mass.) public library, and widely 
known also as a poet and lecturer, died 
February 26, 1911. Mr. Foss joined the 
Association in 1899 (No. 1851) and at- 
tended the conferences of 1899, 1900, '01, 
■02, '03, '04, '06, '09. He served the A. L. A. 
as chairman of the finance committee 1904- 
1906. 

James Madison Pereles, for 18 years 
president of the board of trustees of the 
Milwaukee public library and chairman of 
the Wisconsin free library commission 
since 1905. died December 11, 1910. Judge 
Pereles joined the A. L. A. in 1908 (No. 
4514) and attended the Minnetonka con- 
ference. 

C. A. Preston, of Ionia, Michigan, died 
October 2, 1910. He joined the A. L. A. 
in 1910 (No. 4973) but had attended four 
conferences. 

Cass Richardson, who was with E. P. 
Dutton & Co. for many years, died June 9, 
1911. He joined the .Association in 190.'5 
(No. 2758), and attended the conferences 
of 1903 and 1908. 

Mary W. Taylor, librarian of the Bureau 
of chemistry, Washington, D. C, since 
October, 1905, died December 13, 1910. Miss 
Taylor joined the A. L. A. in 1904 (No. 
3108) and attended the Minnetonka con- 
ference. 

Frank J. Thompson of Fargo, N. D., died 
Feb. 25, 1910. He was a director of the 
public library of Fargo, North Dakota, and 
for a time librarian; one of the founders 
of the North Dakota library association 
and its first president; active in the cre- 
ation of the North Dakota library com- 



mission and its first president. He joined 
the A. L. A. in 1906 (No. 3972). He never 
attended any of the annual conferences. 

Henry Mitchell Whitney, librarian of the 
James Blackstone memorial library of 
Branford, Connecticut, since 1899, died 
March 26, 1911. Before entering library 
work he was for many years a professor 
in Beloit College. Mr. Whitney joined the 
Association in 1886 (No. 568) and attended 
the conferences of 1886, 1900, 1902, 1905 
and 1906. 

James Lyman Whitney, formerly libra- 
rian of the Boston public library, died at 
his home in Cambridge, September 25, 1910, 
after a professional service of nearly forty- 
one years. In 1868 he became assistant 
librarian of the Cincinnati public library, 
but the following year began his long con- 
nection with the Boston public library. 
From 1874 to 1899 he was chief of the Cata- 
log department; from 1899 to 1903 he was 
librarian; but finding the duties too oner- 
ous for his advanced years he resigned as 
librarian in 1903 and was appointed chief 
of the department of documents and statis- 
tics and of the manuscripts. As a bibliog- 
rapher and man of learning Mr. Whitney 
will long be remembered. Although not the 
author of the card catalog he did much to 
perfect its system and was one of its chief 
developers. He was a charter member (No. 
59) as well as life member of the A. L. A., 
treasurer from 1882 to 1886, and an attend- 
ant at ten conferences of the Association, 
namely 1876, 1879, '82, '83, '85, '86, '96, '99, 
1900 and 1902. He also attended the inter- 
national conference at London in 1897. For 
further particulars see "Librarj' Journal," 
v. 35, no. 10, p. 478; v. 36, no. 3, p. 146. 

Mrs. Agnes Fairbanks Willard, trustee of 
the St. Johnsbury (Vermont) Athenaeum, 
died March 15, 1910. She joined the Asso- 
ciation in in02 (No. 2512). and attended the 
Magnolia and Bretton Woods conferences. 

The following persons at various times 
belonged to the Association but were not 
n. ambers at the time of their death: 

George Hall Baker, librarian emeritus of 
Columbia university library, died March 
27, 1911. Mr. Baker joined the Association 
in 1885 (No. 478), and attended the confer- 



GOULD 



71 



ences of 1S85, '86, '90, '92, '93, '94 and '97. 
For further particulars see Library Journal, 
24; 23L 

Prof. Edward W. Hall, librarian of Colby 
College, died September 8, 1910. He was 
one of the early members of the Associa- 
tion, joining in 1877 (No. 76) and attended 
three of the early conferences. 

Thomas Wentworth Higginson, historian, 
author, minister, soldier, for many years 
trustee of the Cambridge, Mass., public 
library, died May 9, 1911. He joined the 
Association in 1897 (No. 1566). So far as 
recorded, Col. Higginson attended none of 
the annual conferences. 

Miss Mary F. Macrum, of the staff of the 
Carnegie library of Pittsburgh, died No- 
vember 1, 1910. She joined the A. L. A. 
in 1896 (No. 1481) and attended four con- 
ferences. 

Edward W. Mealey, trustee of the Wash- 
ington County free library of Hagerstown, 
Maryland, died April 28, 1910. He joined 
the Association in 1901 (No. 2298) and at- 
tended the conference of that year. 

James H. Stout, of Menomonie, Wis., a 
friend of libraries and active in library 
legislation and development, died Decem- 
ber 8, 1910. He joined the A. L. A. in 1896 
(No. 1518) and attended two annual con- 
ferences. 

Rt. Rev. Alexander H. Vinton, bishop of 
the Protestant Episcopal diocese of West- 
ern Massachusetts, died Jan. 18, 1911. He 
joined the Association in 1889 (No. 769), 
and attended the conference of that year. 

The following reports were then read by 
title, received and referred to the Program 
committee: 



COMMITTEE ON CO-ORDINATION 

At a meeting of the Committee on Co- 
ordination, which was held at Mackinac 
last summer, the Committee decided that 
Its Report for the ensuing year should con- 
sist of a short series of special reports on 
divisions of the general subject. 

As a result, the following papers have 
been prepared by the gentlemen whose 
names are appended to them. They are 



now submitted as the Report of the Com- 
mittee on Co-ordination. 

C. H. GOULD, 
Chairman. 

Exchange of Duplicates 

The public library of Cincinnati has 
sent away tons of bound newspapers and 
unbound medical periodicals, and has other 
tons which it would be glad to send to 
any library of standing willing to accept 
them. What little has been received in 
return has been selected at great labor, 
and probably unprofitable labor, from lists 
of duplicates offered by other libraries. In 
a few words, the experience of the public 
library of Cincinnati in the exchange of 
duplicates has not been satisfactory, relief 
will now be sought in the auction room. 
But there are still exchange enthusiasts, 
and that this report may not seem biased, 
we give the views of two of these. 

The first writes: "My experience has 
been that duplicates, unless they are books 
of some considerable rarity or costliness, 
do not sell tor enough in the auction room 
to make that a very profitable device for 
handling them. I much prefer to send the 
titles to other libraries, when I can find 
a man who looks at the thing in the large 
and who will take what he wants and give 
me the same opportunity to select from 
his duplicates. A man who desires, how- 
ever, to figure out to a cent the value of 
each duplicate, and is always fearful lest 
perhaps he does not get his fair share in 
return, it is not of much use to bother with. 
I think a very generous policy on the part 
of libraries in exchanging duplicates, where 
there is a reasonable chance of return, is. 
on the whole, the best way of disposing of 
them, but the process must be reduced to 
a business system. Our own plan is to 
file away duplicates as they are received in 
a numerical order, this order being the key 
to the whole situation. A rough author 
entry is made for each duplicate and these 
entries are then sent, when a sufficient 
package has accumulated, to some library 
with which we have exchange relations. 
They select anything they desire and re- 
turn the slips to us. We can quickly find. 



72 



PASADENA CONFERENCE 



by the numbers, any given duplicates and 
ship them by freight. The expense of the 
entire transaction is not great, and, accord- 
ing to our experience, the returns abund- 
antly warrant the time and cost of the 
transaction. My own feeling is that this 
is a more desirable thing for libraries to 
do than to attempt to get money out of 
their duplicates through the auction-room. 

"One other way of obtaining money from 
them, however, is also feasible. I always 
go through the book wants columns in 
Publishers' weekly each week and send 
out from a dozen to twenty cards in 
response to titles asked for. Of these I 
usually sell enough so that the entire money 
receipts for the year represent practically 
all the expense that is put into our dupli- 
cate collection. In this way I feel that 
whatever we get out of our duplicates in 
the shape of exchanges is so much to the 
good. 

"I do not know as this will be of the 
slightest value to you but I infer from your 
letter that you are not much of a believer 
In the exchange of duplicates, and con- 
sequently I have written a little more at 
length to show you that in our case, at 
least, the trouble of handling them seems 
to be quite worth while." 

The second advocate of exchange is con- 
vinced that while It takes a great deal of 
labor to handle duplicates through corre- 
spondence, yet the results are usually en- 
couraging. Exchange work draws libraries 
closer together and promotes co-operation. 
"In medicine" he says, "we have acquired 
thousands of dollars' worth of journals 
through exchange and these have been in 
better shape and more complete than 
similar material bought from some of the 
New York medical booksellers." 

The above divergent views appear to us 
to formulate the chief arguments for and 
against the auction-room as a substitute 
for direct exchange of duplicates between 
libraries; also the arguments for and 
against such direct exchange. Both plans 
have disadvantages which, in the opinion 
of a third correspondent, go to show that 
a regular clearing house for duplicates is 
really essential. But, as he looks at the 



question, the clearing house, if it is to be 
thoroughly effective, should be connected 
with one, or more, great libraries: not 
much could be expected of it, if it were 
operated by itself. N. D. C. HODGES. 

Co-ordination In Library Work in California 

The term "state library" has almost as 
many meanings as there are states in 
which the institution exists. In some states 
it is a law library, owned by the state, and 
operated for the use of state ofHcials. In 
some, the state library is a historical de- 
partment, devoting Its chief energies to 
the collection of material bearing upon 
the state's history. In some, it is a division 
of the state's educational system. And in 
some, the state library is a general collec- 
tion of books. 

To appreciate fully the work of co-opera- 
tion and co-ordination already accomplished 
in California, and the possibilities for still 
broader work along this line, it is nec- 
essary to understand just what the term 
"state library" means in California, and the 
plan of its organization. The California ; 
State library is a library for the entire I 
state, and its first great advantage is that ' 
it is made up of all those departments 
usually operated by commissions, historical ' 
societies, law libraries, and so forth. These 
different activities are united under one 
management, with one head, and thus the 
first great step in co-ordination is taken, 
since each department operates as part 
of a whole, dovetailing into each other • 
part, but with no over-lapping of parts, nor ' 
chinks and spaces between. The Califor- ' 
nla State library thus comprises the fol- 
lowing departments: Books for the Blind, 
Callforniana. Catalog, Documents, Law,[ 
Legislative Reference. Reference, and; 
Traveling Libraries; and all are equally! 
in the service of the entire state. The 
State library Is moreover entirely inde- 
pendent of any other organization, being a 
complete unit in the state government, able 
to initiate and promulgate whatever is for 
the best library Interest. 

The second great advantage which is 
enjoyed by the California State library 



73 



and which makes possible a free play for 
co-ordination, is the elasticity of the laws 
creating and governing the institution. No 
hampering restrictions require legislation 
authorizing any enlargement of the work; 
and no iron-clad appropriation fixes the 
amount to be paid for a salary, or for 
books, or for other equipment. On the 
contrary, the management is left abso- 
lutely free to follow its own judgment in 
establishing or discontinuing any policy; 
and the funds are appropriated in lump, 
to be paid out as necessitated according to 
the policy adopted by the institution. As 
a result, this freedom, both in policy and 
in expenditures, makes possible a line of 
action scarcely to be hoped for in less 
favored states. 

With these two points gained, then, for 
complete freedom of action, namely, a 
union under one management of all state 
activities in library work; and second, 
freedom from any restrictive legislation, 
the California State library desired to find 
the most efficient means of reaching all the 
people of the state. The well perfected 
engine and machinery stood ready, the fuel 
and cargo were at hand, but sufficient track 
and stations were lacking. 

It must not be understood that municipal 
libraries do not offer means of co-ordina- 
tion with the state library, for the state 
library supplements In every way any li- 
brary in the state which asks such assist- 
ance. The fact remains, however, that an 
infinite multiplication of municipal libraries 
in California would not reach the entire 
people, nor, acting Independently, would 
they make for that co-ordination which is 
more and more becoming the accepted 
slogan of the library world. 

It was necessary, then, to find some 
agency by which all the people could be 
reached, and through which the State li- 
brary could become supplemental to the 
needs of the entire people. That agency 
has been found in the county free library, 
which, together with those municipal li- 
braries that prefer to act independently, 
will cover the entire state area; and it also 
affords opportunity by which the work of 
every library in the system may be com- 



pletely co-ordinated, no two libraries use- 
lessly wasting time in covering the same 
ground, but each one covering thoroughly 
the ground it starts out to cover. And this 
is how it is being done: 

In the counties which are operating 
county free libraries, the central library 
at the county seat owns all such books and 
material as is in usual demand in the 
county, and can be worn out there. 
Branches are established in different parts 
of the county, through which the books 
reach all the people. Bach branch keeps 
the books only as long as it has use for 
them. Books desired but not found in the 
collection are supplied from the central 
library. 

These branches are capable of develop- 
ment in an infinite variety of ways, but 
their aim is always to satisfy all the read- 
ing needs of the particular community. Nor 
is a community limited to one branch; it 
should have as many as the varied interests 
need. Every activity is to be served, and 
can always be served more effectively from 
a central reservoir of books than when each 
activity attempts to serve itself independ- 
ent of any other library. In one small com- 
munity there are already three branches — 
one for general use, one for a woman's club, 
and one in the high school, with a fourth 
contemplated, to be placed in the packing 
house, and to be made up of books for gen- 
eral reading, and also on that particular 
fruit industry. Railroad shops, factories, 
chambers of commerce, municipal refer- 
ence reading rooms, newspaper establish- 
ments, will have their special collection 
bearing upon their technical problems. 
Hospitals, asylums, prisons, reform schools, 
and all county and state institutions will 
be provided with branches of the county 
free library; for we believe that each in- 
stitution, whether county or state, should 
receive library service from the county in 
which it is situated, the same argument 
applying to this as to other service, 
namely, economy, professional oversight, 
care of books, access to greater collec- 
tions, a supply of books most appropriate 
to the needs of the borrowers, etc. Hence 
each county will consider any such insti- 



74 



PASADENA CONFERENCE 



tution as an integral part of itself, to re- 
ceive county free library service just as 
logically as the general public or the school 
or the clubs. 

Already several counties are turning over 
to the county free library their teachers' 
library, and the various district school li- 
braries with the money levied for their 
support; for the school people know full 
well that the best results can be obtained 
by this correlation of work, this wider ex- 
change that will result, the economy in 
purchase, the care for books beginning to 
wear out, and a wiser choice than the 
teacher has often time to make. 

More often than not, the law libraries of 
the various counties are unavailable be- 
cause of lack of care and cataloging. The 
county free library is helping to put them 
on a usable basis, and take charge of their 
care and distribution. 

By all these various ways of developing 
branches of the county free library, a high 
degree of efficiency can be obtained and 
economy of effort and expenditure result. 
But just as great opportunities for co-or- 
dination of effort are possible between 
county free libraries. The informal lend- 
ing of books across the border is but a 
first step leading to formal arrangements 
for loans between the different centers, 
for it will not be long before each county 
will have collections developed along cer- 
tain lines, which will be available to any 
other county. Another formal arrangement 
about to be adojUed is a borrower's card, 
enabling the patron to borrow not only 
from any branch within the county, but 
from any county free library in the state. 

With the counties taking care of the 
ordinary demands of their readers in this 
thoroughgoing manner, the State library 
is left to its legitimate business of further 
building up its permanent collections of 
material which have a permanent value, 
and which will mean something more to 
the people of the state than a collection of 
traveling libraries possibly can. At present, 
where county free libraries are just be- 
ginning, the State library is helping them 
with such material as they cannot afford 
to purchase. When they are once in run- 



ning order, however, they will own all the 
material which can be worn out in their 
own county, and the State library will sup- 
plement them with all material which they 
are not justified in purchasing either be- 
cause of cost, scarcity of request, or in- 
frequent periodic recurrence of use. To 
this end the State library will build up 
particular collections of music such as 
would be sought by the advanced student 
or the composer. Books for the blind are 
already available from the State library, 
and will be added to by the state rather 
than by the county, for no county could at 
present be justified in maintaining a col- 
lection, since demands would be too in- 
frequent. The State library tried the plan 
of keeping collections for the blind in 
different places, but it was not satisfactory, 
owing to the impossibility of having enough 
books of different type, and to satisfy the 
various classes and ages of the readers. A 
supply of material for visual instruction, 
such as slides, stereoscopic views, illustra- 
tions, mounts, and moving pictures is also 
being made. 

We recognize the bearing upon co-ordi- 
nation of the questions of storage, and 
means of information as to where any ma- 
terial is available, such as a union catalog 
will give. No definite plans have matured, 
however, for either, beyond legislation 
making it possible to establish branches 
of the California State library at I>os 
.\ngeles and at San Francisco. When these 
are realized, better means will be available 
of knowing the resources of different li- 
braries, and possibilities for gathering ma- 
terial and for storage will be offered which 
are now out of the question because of 
big distances and cramped quarters. 

The cost of transportation often offers a 
real difUculty to the would-be borrower. 
Where the county free library system is in 
operation all expenses within the county 
are paid from the county fund, and all car- 
riage to and from the State library is paid 
from the State library fund. We expect 
soon to obtain a reduction in express rates. 

Mr. Gould defines co-ordination as 
"planning and arranging for the advance- 
ment of co-operation on a large scale." 



75 



Someone else has said, "Co-ordination is 
that self-restraint on the part ot most li- 
braries which will cause them to mind 
their own business and look to national, 
state and special libraries as great store- 
houses and reservoirs of books." We be- 
lieve that it is all this, and even more. It 
is not enough for us to plan for systematic 
co-operation, nor for the small library to 
mind its own business. The large library 
must be alive to all the needs it will be 
called upon to supplement, and the trans- 
mission must be perfect. It co-ordination 
is to succeed, the central power house must 
be in perfect order, and the connection the 
best. If they fail, the small lights will go 
out. J. L. GILLIS. 

COMMITTEE ON CO-ORDINATION 
AMONG COLLEGE LIBRARIES 

The Committee on co-ordination among 
college libraries reports that it has little 
of importance to add to the report made to 
the Association last year and presented at 
the Mackinac conference. The general 
opinion of the Committee was at that time, 
and continues to be, that the plan for a 
Bureau of information and Central lending 
library, which had been submitted to it, is 
a plan which, if there were the means to 
carry it out on an effective scale, might 
render district service to American scholars 
and to college and reference libraries, but 
the Committee was not encouraged to think 
that such an endowment (from thirty to 
fifty thousand dollars a year) could be ob- 
tained. In the absence of support of this 
character, it was glad to recognize the 
practical aid in this direction which could 
be given by the Library of Congress and 
by other large libraries working independ- 
ently for the same general ends, and it 
hoped that the work already done by the 
Library of Congress in collecting informa- 
tion in regard to the resources of American 
libraries, and in making this information 
available to all inquiries, would be con- 
tinued and supported, and might even be 
increased by means of a special endowment 
therefor. 

The Committee has no further sugges- 



tions to make at the present time, and since 
the character of the subject referred to it, 
apart from the special proposal which was 
submitted, is covered in the field of an- 
other committee, it recommends that the 
Committee be discharged. 

W. C. LANE, 
Chairman. 

COMMITTEE ON CO-OPERATION WITH 

THE NATIONAL EDUCATION 

ASSOCIATION 

The past year has witnessed a nearer 
approach to common ground in the in- 
terests of both the school teachers and 
librarians in the matter of co-operative 
work for young people, whatever may be 
said of the larger organizations to which 
librarians and teachers respectively belong. 

It will be remembered that there was a 
disposition, apparently without particular 
foundation, on the part of the management 
of the National Education Association to 
abolish the library department of that or- 
ganization. We are glad to report that 
owing to the united and emphatic protests 
of a large number of librarians and school 
authorities the disposition was abandoned 
without action, and the library department 
of the N. E. A. continues. In the judgment 
of this Committee, there still remains much 
ground to cover before it can be said truth- 
fully that there is active or continued co- 
operation between the A. L. A. and the 
N. E. A. 

The question of time and place of hold- 
ing their respective meetings has again 
been decided by each association without 
reference to the action of the other. There 
seems to have been an utter absence of 
consideration of the existence of the plans 
and purposes of the N. E. A. in providing 
for a meeting ot the A. L. A., and the time 
and place of meeting had been definitely 
settled when a letter from the Secretary 
of the N. B. A. asking for consideration of 
the matter was received. 

The meeting of the library department 
of the N. E. A. at Boston, July 5 and 7, 1910, 
was the occasion for the presentation of 
some very important papers and addresses. 
The set papers were all presented by 



70 



PASADKNA CONFERENCE 



school people, while the round tables and 
discussions were largely conducted by li- 
brarians. The report of the meetings in the 
Proceedings of the meeting of the N. E. A. 
tor 1910, furnishes some very valuable li- 
brary literature. 

An important meeting, which doubtless 
will contribute largely to a better under- 
standing between the libraries and schools, 
was that of the school librarians, who held 
a meeting under the auspices of the New 
York state teachers' association, Decem- 
ber 28, 1910. This illustrates what has 
been said before, that it is easy to interest 
individuals in the work that is common to 
both schools and libraries, but the national 
organizations do not seem to come any 
nearer cooperation or conservation of re- 
sults of the efforts of either or of both, in 
the furtherance of the use of books. 

The Committee would again make the 
suggestion, which may have grown familiar 
by oft repeating, that the governing au- 
thorities of the A. L. A. seek closer rela- 
tionship with the like powers in the N. E. 
A., to the end that a more serious consid- 
eration of the purposes and power of the 
A. L. A. may be brought to a fuller realiza- 
tion on the part of the N. E. A. As yet the 
N. E. A. Is apparently not sufTiciently im- 
pressed with the national body of librarians 
to invite a representative to a place on its 
general program, although such recogni- 
tion has been tendered at various times to 
persons prominent in law, literature, medi- 
cine, social welfare, statesmanship, religion 
and politics. 

It would further recommend that a defi- 
nite place on the annual program of the 
A. L. A. be provided for a discussion of the 
problems that are common to schools and 
libraries, particularly as a source of help- 
fulness to the constantly growing class of 
school librarians. 

Third, that a more definite understanding 
be developed in the majority of college and 
university libraries, both as regards their 
contribution to the training of all college 
students in the use of books and the stand- 
ing of the library among other departments 
of their respective Institutions. To this 
end, it Is suggested that the A. L. A. com- 



mittee on co-operation with the N. E. A. be 
enlarged sufllclently to cover the entire 
country, each member of the Committee re- 
porting the progress in the district 
assigned, in library instruction to teachers 
or students, in colleges, normal schools 
and public schools, with a view to finding 
out the needs and recommending definite 
assistance. 

While there is not much to say as to 
progress in cooperation, the Committee Is 
not on that account, the least inclined to 
discontinue Its attempts to bring about 
more real and effective co-operation be- 
tween these two great organizations which 
are attempting to effect real educational 
progress. For the Committee, 

M. E. AHERN, 

Chairman. 

COMMITTEE ON BOOKBINDING 

During the past six months nearly all the 
energy of the Committee on binding has 
been expended in inducing the publishers 
of the 11th edition of the Encyclopaedia 
Britannica to issue a special edition for the 
use of libraries. Early in November speci- 
fications for a special edition were sub- 
mitted. These specifications were sent to 
England and evidently not approved, since 
In December the Committee learned in a 
roundabout way that there would be two 
editions for library use, neither one of them 
following the specifications of this Com- 
mittee. One of these editions was to be 
bound by Mr. Chivers according to his own 
specifications and the other was to be in 
leather, bound according to rather elabor- 
ate specifications of the T^ibrary associa- 
tion In England. The specifications of the 
A. L. A. Committee were not nearly so 
elaborate as those of the English com- 
mittee, and called for cloth instead of 
leather. It was reported that the main 
reason that the specifications of this Com- 
mittee were not approved in England was 
because they called for cloth. In order 
that there might be no chance for argu- 
ment, forty letters were sent out by our 
Committee to librarians in this country, 
asking for an expression of opinion as to 



77 



the respective merits of cloth or leather for 
small libraries. Only four of those who re- 
plied favored leather. Therefore, the Com- 
mittee made a vigorous protest to the pub- 
lishers, with the result that it was decided 
to issue a cloth edition as well as the two 
leather ones. The other specifications, 
aside from cloth, correspond to those of 
the English committee. They should be 
amply sufficient to make the volume so 
strong that they never need be rebound. 

The prices of these different library 
bindings are, for Chivers, $5.75 a volume; 
for the Library association (Great Britain), 
Binding halt morocco, $5.50; for A. L. A. 
binding, bucl^ram, $5. 

It is a pleasure to record the fact that 
the Book production committee in England 
worked in harmony with this Committee, 
and perhaps it is only fair to say that more 
credit for the successful issue is due to 
that Committee than to this. 

Much interest in this special edition has 
been manifested by librarians all over the 
country. The Committee wishes that 
similar interest might be extended to other 
reinforced bindings. The combined pres- 
sure of the entire library world would 
enable us to get anything desired from the 
publishers. As matters now stand, only a 
few librarians make it a point to order 
books that can be obtained in reinforced 
binding. 

During the year the correspondence of 
this Committee has largely increased, 
many inquiries having been received from 
librarians, publishers and booksellers. In 
fact, owing to the limited time at the dis- 
posal of the members of the Committee, 
its chief function at present seems to be 
that of acting in an advisory capacity. 

Last year's report included an account 
of a brief examination of magazine binders. 
A supplementary report on this subject 
follows: 

Since the Committee's last report on 
binders for magazines two new varieties 
have been widely advertised. They are for 
current magazines intended to last, and are 
therefore somewhat expensive. Both are 
better than any previously reported to the 
Committee, and their faults are not particu- 



larly glaring. One is light but strong in 
construction, has pigskin back and keratol 
sides, and the metal strips that hold in the 
magazines are fastened by tying a string. 
The other has a wooden back covered with 
cowhide or pigskin, buckram sides, and the 
metal strip fastens with a sort of hook and 
eye. The former being light and flexible 
stands wear better, but the string is some- 
what bothersome. The latter's fastening 
is quicker, but being heavy and hard in 
the back, the binder shows wear sooner. 

The Committee has not tested either long 
enough to be dogmatic, but at present con- 
siders both improvements on other models, 
and pending further light as to durability, 
prefers the binder without strings. 
A. L. BAILEY, 
MARGARET W. BROWN, 
N. L. GOODRICH. 

COMMITTEE ON LIBRARY TRAINING 

Your Committee would report that during 
the year it made another attempt to secure 
from the Executive Board an appropriation 
sufficient to begin the examinations of li- 
brary schools contemplated in previous 
reports of the Committee. The Committee 
regrets to report that the effort again has 
been unsuccessful, although we were 
assured unofficially from members of the 
Executive Board that had the money been 
available it would gladly have been given. 
The Committee waits in hope that in the 
coming year it will be possible to begin 
this much desired work. Prom many of 
the library schools there have come ex- 
pressions of interest in the movement and 
the Committee has every reason to believe 
that prompt advantage of the opportunity 
for sucli examinations will be taken by 
many, if not by all, of the library schools. 

Since nothing has been done in this di- 
rection, the report this year must perforce 
be confined to a summary of such changes 
as have come under the notice of the com- 
mittee during the year. 

The parent school, the New York State 
Library School, suffered the loss of its 
quarters, together with its large collection 
of illustrative material, in the disastrous 
fire which destroyed the New York State 



78 



PASADENA CONFEREiXCE 



library and the west wing of the capitol 
building at Albany. The Committee de- 
sire to express their sincere sympathy 
in this loss and their confidence that the 
energy which has always characterized the 
school will result in the prompt re-equip- 
ment of the school for its work. Whether 
for the next year the school will be able 
to continue in its present quarters seems 
still undecided but it will be the hope of 
the entire library profession, already 
greatly indebted to the school, that the 
school will soon be re-equlpped and in con- 
dition to do the splendid worlt which has 
characterized it in the past. The changes 
which had occurred in the curriculum of 
the school prior to the fire indicate a dis- 
position on the part of the school to adjust 
Itself to the demand for library worli of 
varied sorts. Among these may be men- 
tioned the announcement of a course which 
was to have been given in 1911-1912 on law 
library and legislative reference work, thus 
making provision for training in a rapidly 
growing field of library service. Another 
course, also intended to be given in 1911- 
1912, contemplated an extended study of a 
specific community with special reference 
to its present and possible future library 
activities. Such courses equip students to 
look at library service in the large and are 
greatly to be recommended. The summer 
session of the school was divided into two 
three-week courses, instead of one con- 
secutive course of six weeks, for the pur- 
pose of giving more work in a more limited 
number of subjects than has heretofore 
been offered in the course. 

The school connected with Pratt Institute 
reports having made arrangements for 
practice work on the part of its students 
In various high school libraries and 
branches of the New York public library, 
thus giving experience in a variety of types 
of library work. 

The school in connection with Drexel 
Institute, now under the charge of Miss 
Jane R, Donnelly as director, reports an 
increase in the number of lectures on cata- 
loging; a corresponding reduction in the 
practice time devoted to the subject; more 
attention given to the Expansion Classi- 



fication in the study of classification; a 
considerable expansion in the course of 
lectures on the history of libraries and a 
considerable enlargement in the attention 
given to children's work, in which provision 
is now made for practice work in a settle- 
ment library, each student being required 
to conduct four story hours. In practice 
work, one hundred of the two hundred 
hours required are now spent in a solid 
two weeks in a public library, the other 
hundred hours in work under supervision 
of the staff of the Drexel Institute library. 

The University of Illinois Library school 
announces the opening of a summer sesslou 
whose stalT for the first year is largely com- 
posed of the teachers in the regular school 
and in which cataloging, classification, 
reference work, children's work, book se- 
lection, loan desk work, accession work, 
binding and administration are given care, 
ful consideration. 

The library school of Western Reserve 
university adds two members to its staff, 
Mr. Strong, the new librarian of Adelbert, 
taking up the work in reference and bibli- 
ograi)hy. anil Miss Gertrude Stiles, super- 
visor of binding in the Cleveland public 
library, taking up the work of instructor 
in book binding and repair work. 

The department of library science of 
Simmons college reports the addition of 
Miss Isabella M. Cooper as instructor in 
reference and Mrs. Frances Rathbone Coe 
as general assistant. A course in docu- 
ments, national, state and municipal, by 
Miss Isadore G. Mudge; a course of thirty 
lectures on library work with children, 
under the direction of Miss Alice M. 
.lordan, of the Boston public library, and a 
course in advance cataloging given to the 
seniors once a weelc during the second 
term, by Miss Mary E. Robbins have been 
added to the curriculum. 

The library school of Syracuse univer- 
sity reports the addition of Miss Elizabeth 
Thorne, who gives instruction in classifica- 
tion, reference, library administration and 
book-binding, and Miss Edith Clarke, who 
gives instruction in government documents. 
The certificate course provides additional 
electives in reference work and cataloging, 



STEINER 



79 



and genetic psychology, taught by the dean 
of the Teachers' college, has been made 
an additional elective of courses A and C, 
a requirement in course B, and will here- 
after be required of all students intending 
to take up children's work. A general in- 
formation examination has been added to 
the requirements for admission to the cer- 
tificate course. 

The Wisconsin free library commission 
library school reports the addition to the 
faculty of Miss Helen Turvill and Miss 
Ethel F. McCoIIough. Miss Turvill gives 
instruction in cataloging and library econ- 
omy, and Miss McCoUough in book selec- 
tion and administration. 

Respectfully submitted, 

AZARIAH S. ROOT, 
Chairman. 

COMMITTEE ON THE BRUSSELS 
CONGRESSES 

Your Committee on the Brussels Con 
gresses respectfully reports that the Con 
gres International de Bibliographie et de 
Documentation was held at Brussels 
August 25 to 27 inclusive, and the Congrgs 
International des Archivistes et des Biblio 
thgcaires, August 28 to 31, inclusive. The 
official A. L. A. delegates were Dr. E. C 
Richardson, Miss M. E. Ahem, Messrs. G 
P. Bowerman, A. J. F. Van Laer, and 
Clement W. Andrews. In the absence of 
Dr. Richardson, Mr. Andrews acted as 
chairman. 

The Association was recognized at the 
first Congress by the appointment of Mr. 
Andrews as Vice-President, and at the sec- 
ond by his appointment as Vice-President. 
of Section 2, and by Mr. Bowerman's ap- 
pointment as Vice-President of Section 4. 

Provision was made for a permanent 



bureau, which will take charge of the ar- 
rangements for a meeting of archivists and 
librarians not earlier than 1913, not later 
than 1915. The American library asso- 
ciation will be asked to name one member 
of this bureau. The entire American repre- 
sentation numbered over forty. 

Respectfully submitted, 

N. D. C. HODGES, Chairman. 

E. C. RICHARDSON. 

FEDERAL AND STATE RELATIONS 

The Committee has no further report 
than that printed in the March A. L. A. 
Bulletin which for convenience of reference 
is here re-printed. 

The Committee on Federal and state re- 
lations came into correspondence with the 
Chairman of the Postal committees of Con- 
gress, and learning from them that there 
was no hope of any new postal legislation 
at the session of 1910-1911, has postponed 
any active attempt to obtain changes in 
the laws. It continues its recommendation 
that the American library association sup- 
port such changes as shall place all public 
libraries and library commissions in the 
list of institutions entitled to second class 
mail matter privileges. 

The association must determine its policy 
with reference to the sending of books 
through the mails. Three plans have been 
prosposed: 

1. That we advocate a special library 
post. 

2. That we join with the publishers in 
advocating a special book post. 

3. That we support the movement for a 
general parcels post. 

BERNARD C. STEINER, 

Chairman. 



PASADENA CONFERENCE 



REPORT OF THE CARNEGIE AND ENDOWMENT FUNDS 



To the President and Members of the 

American Library Association, 
Gentlemen: 

The Trustees of the Carnegie and En- 
dowment funds, in presenting their annual 
report, are pleased to say that the interest 
upon all bonds held for account of the 
funds has been paid up to date. 

During the year one thousand dollars of 
U. S. Steel bonds were purchased for credit 
of Carnegie fund, and one thousand five 
hundred dollars of same bonds for credit 
of Endowment fund from moneys on de- 
posit in the Union Trust Company and 
Dime Savings Institution. 

The condition of the bond market so far 
as It affects the securities held by the 
Trustees has remained the same during the 
past year, so that they have not been able 
to change any of the securities for the 
betterment of the Trust. 

The Trustees watch the market con- 
ditions closely in the interest of their trust, 
and are very anxious to substitute for cer- 
tain pf their securities others which will 
bear a higher rate of income than is now 



obtained. While there is no question as to 
the stability aud value of all the securities 
they hold, yet certain of them do not bear 
as high a rate of interest as the Trustees 
desire and the needs of the Association de- 
mand. 

During the year, by direction of the Ex- 
ecutive committee, Mr. E. H. Anderson, of 
the New York public library, made a thor- 
ough and complete examination of the se- 
curities held by the Trustees and deposited 
in the vaults of the Union Trust company 
of New York, Fifth Avenue Branch, and 
audited the accounts of the Trustees. 
Every facility was accorded for the audit 
and inspection. He will report to the Asso- 
ciation at the annual meeting the result. 

Annexed will be found a detailed state- 
ment of all our transactions in both funds 
covering the period from January If), 1910, 
to January 15, 1911. 

W. C. KIMBALL, 

W. T. PORTER, 

W. W. APPLETON. 

Trustees of A. L. A. Endowment Fund. 



CARNEGIE FUND, PRINCIPAL ACCOUNT 

Cash donated by Mr. Andrew Carnegie ?100,000.00 

Invested as follows: 

June I. 1908 5.000 4% Am. Tel. & Tel. Bonds 961/2 $4,825.00 

June 1. 190S 10.000 4% Am. Tel. & Tel. Bonds 94% 9,437.50 

June 1, 190S 1.5,000 4% Cleveland Terminal 100 15,000.00 

June 1, 190S 10,000 4% Seaboard Air Line 95V4 9,550.00 

June 1, 1908 15,000 5% Western Un. Tel 108^ 15,000.00 

Jime 1, 1908 15,000 3%% N. Y. Cen. (Lake Shore Col.).. 90 13,500.00 

June 1. 1908 15,000 5% Mo. Pacific 104% 15,000.00 

May 3, 1909 15,000 5% U. S. Steel 104 15,000.00 

Aug. 6, 1909 1,500 U. S. Steel 106% 1.500.00 

July 26, 1910 1,000 U. S. Steel 102% 1,000.00 99,812.50 

102,000 
Jan. 15, 1911 Union Trust Co. on deposit 187.50 

$100,000.00 



In addition to the above we have on hand at the Union Trust Company $150.00 profit 
on the sale of the Missouri Pacific Bonds, which we have carried to a special surplus 
account. 



TRUSTEES ENDOWMENT FUND 

CARNEGIE FUND, INCOME ACCOUNT 

Cash on hand January 15, 1910 $2,245.23 

F'ebruary 2, 1910 Int. N. Y. Central 262.50 

March 1, 1910 Int. Missouri Pacific 375.00 

March 2, 1910 Int. Seaboard Air Line 200.00 

May 1, 1910 Int. Cleveland Terminal 300.00 

June 16, 1910 Int. U. S. Steel 412.50 

July 1, 1910 Int. Am. Tel. & Tel. Co 300.00 

July 1, 1910 Int. Western Union Telegraph Co 375.00 

July 1, 1910 Int. Dime Savings Bank 14.72 

July 1, 1910 Int. Union Trust Co 25.83 

August 5, 1910 Int. N. Y. Central 262.50 

September 1. 1910 Int. Seaboard Air Line 200.00 

September 1, 1910 Int. Missouri Pacific 375.00 

November 5, 1910 Int. Cleveland Terminal 300.00 

November 5, 1910 Int. U. S. Steel 437.50 

December 31, 1910 Int. Union Trust Co 40.55 

January 3, 1911 Int. Am. Tel. & Tel. Co 300.00 

January 3, 1911 Int. Western Union Telegraph Co 375.00 

Disbursements: 

February 21, 1910 Carl B. Roden, Treas $2,245.23 

July 27, 1910 Premium U. S. Steel Bonds 26.25 

July 27, 1910 Accrued Interest U. S. Steel Bonds 12.09 

November 5, 1910 Carl B. Roden, Treasurer 2,000.00 

November 15, 1910 Rent, Safe Deposit Co 30.00 

January 1, 1911 Cash on hand 2,487.76 



ENDOWMENT FUND, PRINCIPAL ACCOUNT 

Cash on hand January 15, 1909 $6,961.84 

February 5, 1910 Lite membership Mrs. D. P. Corey 25.00 

February 5, 1910 Lite membership Dr. G. E. Wire 25.00 

December 27, 1910 Life membership Irene Gibson 25.00 

December 27, 1910 Life membership Mary Failing 25.00 

December 27, 1910 Life membership Bertha Gault 25.00 

Invested as follows: 

June 1, 1908 2 U. S. Steel Bonds 9Sy2 $1,970.00 

October 19, 190S 2 U. S. Steel Bonds 102% 2,000.00 

November 5, 1908 IV^ U. S. Steel Bonds 101 1,500.00 

July 27, 1910 IV2 U. S. Steel Bonds 102% 1,500.00 

January 15, 1911 Cash on hand. Union Trust Co 141.84 



ENDOWMENT FUND, INCOME ACCOUNT 

January 15, 1910 Cash on hand $167.32 

June 16, 1910 Int. U. S. Steel 137.50 

July 1, 1910 Int. Dime Savings Bank 26.09 

November 5, 1910 Int. U. S. Steel 175.00 



$6,801.33 



$6,801.33 



$7,111.84 



$7,111.84 



$505.91 



Disbursements: 

July 27, 1910 Premium on U. S. Steel Bonds $39.38 

July 27, 1910 Accrued interest on U. S. Steel Bonds 18.12 

January 15, 1911 Cash on hand 448.41 



$505.91 



S2 PASADENA CONFERENCE 

AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION 

Report of the Treasurer, January 1 to April 30, 1911. 

Receipts 

January 3: Balance, Union Trust Company, Chicago $2,425.97 

February 1: George B. Utley, Headquarters collections 167.71 

February 23: Trustees Endowment Fund, Interest 448.41 

March 3: George B. Utley, Headquarters collections 1,297.90 

April 5: George B. Utley, Headquarters collections 1,543.19 

April 28: George B. Utley, Headquarters collections 736.40 

Interest on Bank Balance, January — April 11.20 $6,629.78 

Expenditures 
Checks No. 15-19 (Vouchers No. 267-322, inc.) 

Distributed as follows: 

Bulletin $297.43 

Headquarters: 

Secretary's salary 663.28 

Other salaries 807.00 

Miscellaneous 255.92 

Travel 35.40 

Trustees Endowment Fund (Life members) 75.00 $2,134.03 

Balance Union Trust Co 4,495.75 

$6,629.78 
CREDITS 

George B. Utley, Balance National Bank of the Republic $250.00 

Cash on hand 23.05 

Total Balance $4,768.80 

Respectfully submitted, 

C. B. RODEN, Treasurer. 



A. L. A. PUBLISHING BOARD 



83 



REPORT OF THE A. L. A. PUBLISHING BOARD 



It is a quarter of a century since the 
Publishing board came into existence, 
though in the words of an early chairman, 
Mr. W. I. Fletcher, "its existence was pre- 
figured in the arrangements made ten 
years earlier for the production of the new 
edition of Poole's Index." In noting this 
twenty fifth anniversary date, the present 
board may fittingly record their apprecia- 
tion of the great service rendered under 
difficult and discouraging conditions by that 
able and far-seeing pioneer group who con- 
stituted the initial membership. That they 
planned wisely and builded enduringly is 
attested by the fact that the work to-day 
practically follows the scope and direction 
outlined by them. Perhaps even more 
helpful in the development of librarlanship 
than the printed aids which their efforts 
supplied the workers of their generation 
and of those who have followed, has been 
the fine spirit of co-operation and united 
effort which has made for greatest power, 
and permanency of results achieved. In a 
record of accomplishment during the 
earlier period of the Publishing board, the 
names of Justin Winsor. W. F. Poole, Mel- 
vil Dewey, W. I. Fletcher, \V. C. Lane, R. R. 
Bowker, S. S. Green, C. A. Cutter, J. L. 
Whitney and others are inseparably asso- 
ciated. 

In 1902, Mr. Carnegie made possible by 
his gift of $100,000 bibliographical under- 
takings of great importance to the library 
world. In announcing the gift in his presi- 
dential address at the Magnolia conference. 
Dr. Billings said: 

"In considering the questions as to the 
kinds of bibliographical work the results 
of which would be most useful to the great 
majority of the public libraries of this 
country and as to the means of doing such 
work, it appears to me that it is best that 
it should be done under the direction of 
the Publishing board of this Association, 
which has had practical experience in this 
line, and will always be well informed as 
to the needs of such libraries. 



"This opinion was brought to the atten- 
tion of Mr. Carnegie, with the suggestion 
that he should give to the American library 
association a special fund, the income of 
which should be applied to the preparation 
and publication of such reading lists, in- 
dexes, and other bibliographical and library 
aids as would be specially useful in the 
circulating libraries of this country. The 
main part of the income would be expended 
in employing competent persons to pre- 
pare the lists, indexes, etc., and to read 
proofs. The cost of paper and printing 
would be met by sales to the libraries. It 
was represented that such a gift would be 
wisely administered by the Publishing 
board of the Association, and that the re- 
sults would be of great value in promoting 
the circulation of the best books. 

"In response to this suggestion a check 
for $100,000 was sent to me as 'a donation 
for the preparation and publication of read- 
ing lists, indexes, and other bibliographical 
and literary aids as per (your) letter of 
March 14.' I shall take great pleasure in 
turning over this money if the Association 
accepts it for the purposes and under the 
conditions stated. It is a unique gift from 
a unique man. who deserves our best 
thanks." 

The Board think it desirable to place 
on record for the information of the mem- 
bers of the Association a statement as to 
their general policy. No such statement 
appears to have been made for some time. 

The income of the Board is derived from 
two principal sources, the interest on the 
Carnegie Fund and the receipts from the 
sales of publications. The Board feel that 
under the terms of the Carnegie gift, the 
income should be spent for the prepara- 
tion of more popular lists, and in fact by 
far the larger part is spent for the prepara- 
tion of the A. L. A. Booklist. It is intended 
to sell publications at a price which will 
just cover the cost of printing and dis- 
tribution. The price of others than the 
Booklist must be placed sufficiently high 



84 



PASADENA CONFERENCE 



to pay (or the cost of preparation aud 
editing as well, but in no case Is it in- 
tended to secure any considerable profit. 

The readjustment of the business affairs 
of the Association has enabled the Board 
to arrange a similar adjustment of its 
affairs. The Secretary of the Association 
serves as acting Treasurer of the Publish- 
ing board, and his accounts are audited by 
the Chairman of the Board monthly. All 
payments are turned over to the Treasurer 
of the Association at least once a month, 
and the accounts of the Treasurer as Treas- 
urer of the Publishing board have been 
made identical in form with those of the 
Association. The board have adopted a 
definite schedule of appropriations, and 
have based these appropriations upon 
estimated Income, approved by the Finance 
committee. 

Supplementing the reports of progress 
as to important publications in prepara- 
tion, as noted by their respective editors 
and hereto appended, it may not be amiss 
at this time to call attention to certain 
suggested policies which seem to be vital 
as to future procedure. 

Observation of the magnitude of the task 
of the revision of subject headings after 
a long interval; of the importance to a 
great majority of the profession of a 
competent list for this purpose; of the 
difficulty of finding a well-equipped, ex- 
perienced, practical person able and will- 
ing to take up such a piece of work as a 
temporary employment, forces upon the 
Board the opinion that the time Is not 
far distant — if it Is not already come — 
when it will be necessary to add a person 
able to cope with this problem to the per- 
manent staff at Headquarters. 

Constant development In the philosophy, 
sciences, arts, employments, productions 
and distributions of civilization involve 
constant changes and additions to the 
terminology used in the literature of these 
almost infinite activities. The task of 
collecting, ordering and connecting this 
vast terminology into an intelligent and 
intelligible scheme for practical use can- 
not be successfully disposed of by a mind 
new to the undertaking once In ten years. 



If the tool is to be fit and worthy for 
its use, it should be under constant con- 
sideration and improvement by an able, 
disciplined mind familiar with the task. 

A mind fit tor this task would, moreover, 
be of value In aiding and strengthenmg 
other enterprises of the Board. For ex- 
ample, the Booklist attempts to cover far 
more than book selection, as it Indicates 
classification, subject headings and author 
forms for its chosen books, and correct 
work in these matters is a severe addition 
to the labors of the editor. 

It is quite too much to expect of one 
human mind that it should be equal to the 
survey of the book out-put of each month, 
to choose wisely from It, and give atten- 
tion to expert professional details of this 
kind as well, especially, when the whole 
task is done in a race with time. 

Many worthy pieces of work are offered 
to the Board of value to the profession, 
and, therefore, desirable for the Board to 
publish; but, almost without exception, 
they need editing in some particulars be- 
fore it is possible to send them to the 
printer. A part of the salary of a new 
expert person could be saved by elimi- 
nating printers' bills for authors' correc- 
tions. 

There are also opportunities for original 
work in the compilation of aids which are 
not attacked by outside persons. So that, 
taken all in all, the lines of possible activity 
for a permanent editor would very easily 
occupy the time to advantage. 

Difficulties encountered in resuming work 
where dropped when the A. I.. A. Catalog 
was Issued in 1904 suggest the need for 
continuity of service in planning five-yearly 
supplements. That work was made pos- 
sible then through the good offices of the 
New York State library and the Library of 
Congress. This work ought to be organized 
with relation to the editorial necessities of 
the A. L. A. Booklist. 

When the initial number of the Booklist 
was issued in the beginning of 1905, the 
purpose sought was to furnish to the 
smaller libraries a suggestive list of books 
for current purchases, evaluated with such 
authority as to Inspire confidence of 



A. L. A. PUBLISHING BOARD 



85 



librarians anil book committees. It was 
also the aim to supply information as to 
classification, and subject headings for 
cataloging the bocl<s listed. Due to the 
pressure from the medium sized and larger 
libraries for the inclusion of more books, 
the little leaflet has grown to consider- 
ably larger proportions. Many sugges- 
tions have come to the members of 
the Board for enlargement, for change 
of form, for change of name, for modi- 
fication of character, for enlarged use- 
fulness by ai)peal to the public through 
elimination of technical aids and inclusion 
of popular features of various kinds. While 
many of these suggestions contain merit, 
the members of the Board have for reasons 
which seem to them good, consistently 
maintained the title, character and form as 
first projected. They have borne con- 
stantly in mind the terms of the trust con- 
tained in Mr. Carnegie's deed of gift, and 
would deem it a violation thereof to divert 
the funds to finance a publication for the 
general public, much as they might be in 
sympathy with the motive behind the sug- 
gestion. More than 80 per cent of the 
entire edition of the Booklist is distributed 
through the state commissions, and goes 
to the small libraries. Under these circum- 
stances, were other reasons lacking, there 
would be no justification for a change of 
the general policy outlined. 

New Publications — Since the last report 
of the Board new publications have ap- 
peared as follows: 

Subject index to the A. L. A. Booklist, 
vols. 1-6; January 1905 to June 1910. The 
Index was published in the fall and is 
having a very good sale. 

Ijist of editions selected for economy in 
bookbuying, by LeRoy Jeffers, of the order 
department of the New York public library. 

550 Children's books; a purchase list for 
public libraries, compiled by Miss Harriet 
H. Stanley. 

Supplement, 1909-10, to Miss Kroeger's 
Guide to the study and use of reference 
books, compiled by Isadore G. Mudge, of 
the Columbia university library. This 
Supplement is now in the press and will 
probably be published before this report 



appears. It will contain about twenty 
pages. 

Hints to small libraries, by Mary W. 
Plummer, has been thoroughly revised by 
the author, and a new edition published by 
the Beard, who will have charge of its sale. 

Reprints — During the year the following 
publications have been reprinted: A. L. A. 
Catalog rules; the second edition, revised, 
of the List of subject headings; Kroeger's 
Guide to reference books; Handbook No. 1, 
Essentials in library administration, by L. 
E. Stearns; No. 5, Biniling for small 
libraries, suggestions by the A. L. A. Com- 
mittee on bookbinding; No. 6, Mending and 
repair of books, by Margaret W. Brown; 
No. 7, U. S. Government documents in small 
libraries, by J. I. Wyer, Jr.; and Tract No. 
10, Why do we need a public library, com- 
piled by Chalmers Hadley. 

League of Library Commissions publica- 
tions — By arrangement with the League of 
library commissions, the Board at the be- 
ginning of the calendar year undertook 
the sale of the publications issued by this 
organization, including the following: 
Magazines for the small library, Graded 
list of stories for reading aloud and Anni- 
versaries and holidays. The officers of the 
League have turned over to the Board their 
entire available stock of these publications, 
with the generous stipulation that all pro- 
ceeds from sales shall be added to the 
funds of the Publishing board. 

Sales — Sales of most publications show 
an increase, gratifyingly large, over the 
previous year's business. This is attribu- 
tive in large measure to aggressive methods 
of advertising, special efforts having been 
made by the Secretary to bring to the 
attention of librarians the tools of service 
obtainable at nominal cost. Exhibits of 
publications were sent to several state li- 
brary associations, and 3,000 copies of 
printed lists of publications were dis- 
tributed. 

Manual of library economy — Manuscript 
for the following chapters approved by the 
Editorial committee, comprising Mr. J. I. 
Wyer, Jr., Miss Mary W. Plummer and Mr. 
P. L. Windsor has been sent to the print- 
ers, and the work will probably be ready 



PASADENA CONFERENCE 



for distribution before the Pasadena con- 
ference. 

I. American librarj- history, by C. K. 
Bolton. 

II. Library of Congress, by W. W. 
Bishop. 

IV. The college and university librarj', 
by J. I. Wyer, Jr. 

XVII. Order and accessions department, 
by F. F. Hopper. 

XXII. Reference department, by E. C 
Richardson. 

XXVI. Bookbinding, by A. L. Bailey. 

These chapters will be printed as separ- 
ate pamphlets until the completion of the 
entire work, when they will be assembled 
in book form. The separates will be sold 
at ten cents each. 

List of Subject headings — It is now the 
expectation that the end of the year will 
see the completion in printed form of the 
compilation which has been in progress 
for several years. Concerning her work 
Miss Mary J. Briggs reports: 

"I had hoped to be able at this time to 
report the manuscript for the third edition 
of the List of subject headings as com- 
plete. The headings, for the most part, 
were decided upon more than si.x months 
ago, but the necessary, connecting refer- 
ences have proved to be the time-consuming 
part of the work. 

I expect now that the list of headings 
and references will be practically com- 
pleted in about three weeks from date, or 
a month at most. There will then remain 
a few subjects which I have left for 
further consideration, the preparation of 
the preface; the marking of copy for the 
printer, and the final checking of refer- 
ences. 

The new edition will probably be about 
three times the size of the second edition, 
as, in addition to many new headings in 
the classes included in the former edition, 
the scope has been enlarged by the in- 
clusion of the more Important wars and 
historical events, the chief languages, 
literatures, and ethnic races, and a few 
important buildings and similar headings. 



Subdivisions of many of the larger sub- 
jects are also included. 

Geographical names are omitted, except 
for a few regions not having a political ex- 
istence, and several countries for which 
historical period subdivisions are given. 

Country and other subheads will be in- 
cluded in the main alphabet instead of the 
appendix. 

In order to simplify the alphabetical 
arrangement, following the latest available 
authority, Webster's New international 
dictionary, I have eliminated hyphenated 
words as far as possible. The International 
omits the hyphen from many words com- 
pounded in the Century dictionary, the 
authority followed in former editions. It 
has seemed wise to follow the Interna- 
tional, as recording the latest practice, and 
as being much more widely used." 

A. L. A. Booklist — Miss Eiva L. Bascom 
has prepared the following report: 

The eight numbers of this volume that 
are now published (September-April) have 
contained 1296 titles, as follows: General 
literature, 828 titles; New editions, 157 
titles; Government documents, 59 titles; 
Fiction, 135 titles; Children's books, 117 
titles. The whole number represents an 
increase of 246 titles over the number in 
eluded for the same period in volume 6. 
The number of volumes examined has been 
about 2260, 340 less than were examined 
for the whole of the preceding volume. 

Owing to an increase of subscriptions 
the edition was raised from 4600 to 5000 
with the September number. This was, 
however, reduced to 4600 again with the 
April number, the increased rate for the 
bulk orders subscribed for by the state 
commissions having caused a material 
change in the size of their orders. 

By action of the Publishing board at 
their January meeting some changes were 
made in the price of the Booklist in 
quantities. Additional copies up to ten 
to a single address are furnished at fifty 
cents a year; ten or more copies, at forty 
cents. These rates were partly made to 
enable libraries wishing extra copies for 
clipping and mounting to obtain them at 



A. I^. A. PUBLISHING BOARD 



87 



the same cost as that for which the press 
proofs were provided. The latter were 
discontinued with the March number owing 
to a decision of the Post office Department 
that they could not he mailed at second 
class rates. The Board voted that sub- 
scribers to these proofs should receive 
finished copies of the Booklist till their 
subscriptions expired. The former rate 
of $2.50 per one hundred copies of the 
Booklist was withdrawn since that rate no 
longer covers actual cost of printing. 

There has been no change worthy of 
comment in the assistance received from 
the University of Wisconsin faculty, in- 
dividual readers or library workers. I 
very much regret the comparatively small 
amount of assistance from the latter 
source. The "tentative list" sent out the 
first of each month is faithfully checked 
by about fifty librarians, with occasional 
comments. Three large libraries — two 
public and one state — contribute dupli- 
cates of notes written by their staffs. The 
assistance from this source is, however, 
very slight during the months January, 
February and March — the busiest period 
in the library year. The Booklist would 
certainly profit from the aid of individual 
librarians who find time to read some of 
the books of the hour, or who have readers 
on whose judgment they can rely. The time 
required to write down an opinion and for- 
ward it would be slight. The claims of 
the Booklist to such assistance are pre- 
sented whenever possible, but my range 
of acquaintance and opportunity is com- 
paratively small. I would appreciate the 
asistance of the members of the Publish- 
ing board in securing more of this valuable 
co-operation. 

The source of the largest amount of 
assistance has been cut off, doubtless for 
several months, through the destruction 
by fire of the New York State library. 
From fifty to one hundred and fifty notes 
were sent to the Booklist each month from 
the annotation division. These were dupli- 
cates of notes written for the large "Notes 
file" maintained by that division for many 
vears, which was used very extensively in 



preparing notes for the A. L. A. Catalog. 
These duplicates comprise over one half 
of the notes file in the Booklist office. 

Subject Index to Booklist— The Subject 
Index was completed In August 1910 and 
distributed to the subscribers the follow- 
ing month. The first annual supplement, 
for which the Board gave authority at their 
January meeting, will be printed imme- 
diately after the entries in the June num- 
Ijer are available. The material for it is 
prepared from month to month, and is in 
constant use, in card form, in assigning 
subject headings. 

Supplement to A. L. A. Catalog — All the 
work preliminary to the actual selection 
of titles from the large number on file has 
been done, a provisional list of critics has 
been made up, and the routine established. 

Periodical Card Work — In the ten months 
since the last report, nine shipments have 
been printed, containing 1984 titles and 
122,578 cards. These figures do not Include 
titles that have been reprinted because of 
errors. This work has called for a con- 
siderable amount of correspondence, and 
is not yet in a satisfactory condition. It 
should be put on a more business-like basis, 
the records should be revised and re- 
written, and if possible the routine simpli- 
fied. The length of time between the re- 
ceipt of copy and the printed cards should 
be greatly decreased. Since the list of 
periodicals indexed is under revision, no 
attempt has been made to do more than 
carry on the current work. 

The increased amount of work has made 
it necessary to relieve the Editor of the 
Booklist from the editing of the periodical 
cards, and the whole question of the issue 
of these cards has been placed in the hands 
of a special committee. No complete re- 
port can be made at this time, but it may 
be said that the new editor, Mr. William 
Stetson Merrill of the Newberry library, 
has already secured through this Com- 
mittee authority to make the subject head- 
ings agree with those of the Library of 
Congress, and that correspondence has 
been undertaken in the hope that some 
agreement may be reached as to general 



88 PASADENA CONFERENCE 

cataloging rules. The code under which I hope to have them in such shape as to 

the worlv has heen carried on since the be- be able to present them to the original 

ginning is a composite one, and differs in Committee on A. L. A. catalog rules. I 

several important respects from the in- want first to send copies to several cata- 

ternational rules endorsed by the A. L. A. logers and librarians of small libraries all 

More radical changes in the work, affecting over the countrj- for criticisms and sug- 

the number of titles and to a certain extent gestions and I hope to have a few informal 

the character of the titles to be printed are discussions with any I may meet at 

under consideration. Pasadena." 

Abridged Catalog Rules — Miss Theresa Finances — But ten months have elapsed 

Hltchler reports as follows with reference since the Publishing board's last annual 

to this proposed publication: report was submitted. For the financial 

"I expected to be able to submit the statement usual at conferences, it may 

Abridged A. L. A. catalog rules in com- suffice at this time to refer to the seml- 

pleted form at this coming conference, but annual figures ofllcially printed in January, 

1 am not sufficiently satisfied to call the and the statement for the full year will 

final meeting of my committee, so I shall appear in the Proceedings issue of the A. 

have to postpone it till fall. Meantime I L. A. Bulletin. 

may report that they are nearing com- HENRY E. LEGLER, 

pletion, and that by October or soon after. Chairman. 

FINANCIAL REPORT 
Cash Receipts June 1, 1910 to May 31, 1911 

Balance June 1, 1910 $3,365.38 

Trustees of Endowment fund 2.000.00 

Interest on Carnegie fund 2,487.76 

Receipts from publications: 

Cash sales $2,346.50 

On account 4,310.83 6,657.33 

Interest on bank deposits 14.82 

Sundries 76.87 $14,602.16 

Payments June 1, 1910 to May 31, 1911 
Cost of publications: 

A. L. A Booklist $1,529.15 

A. L. A. Booklist subject index 627.35 

Mending and repair of books 111.70 

Government documents in small libraries 83.30 

Essentials in library administration 62.00 

Binding for small libraries 16.44 

Why do we need a public library 220.90 

Catalog rules 168.30 

Jetfers' List of editions 108.50 

Guide to the use of reference books 456.21 

List of Subject headings 1 52.00 

550 Children's books, Stanley 334.30 

Hints to small libraries 251.89 $4,122.04 

Periodical cards 812.98 

Addressograph machine and plates 29.88 

Typewriter "^.Og 

Advertising 185.87 

Postage and Express 285.8 1 

Rent at Madison office (thirteen months) 325.00 

Travel 1^2.34 

Salaries ' 7Knft 

Expense at headquarters 875.00 

Supplies and incidentals 966.79 

Printing 57.05 

Balance on hand May 31, 1911 2,337.70 $14,602.16 



A. L. A. PUBLISHING BOARD 



SALES OF A. L. A. PUBLISHING BOARD PUBLICATIONS 
June 1, 1910, to March 31, 1911. 

A. L. A. Booklist, regular subscriptions 1108 $1,078.00 

Bulk subscriptions paid 1,009.05 

Extra copies 867 94,24 $2,181 2!t 

Handbook 1, Essentials in library administration 364 43.39 

Handbook 2, Cataloging for small libraries 294 43.30 

Handbook 3, Management ot traveling libraries 44 6.36 

Handbook 4, Aids in book selection 293 31.83 

Handbook 5, Binding for small libraries 316 40.00 

Handbook C, Mending and repair of books 892 109.3a 

Handbook 7, U. S. Government documents in small li- 
braries 819 91.96 $365.19 

Tract 2, How to start a library 63 3.15 

Tract 3, Traveling libraries 2 .10 

Tract 4, Library rooms and buildings 71 2.04 

Tract S, Village library 62 3.10 

Tract 9, Library school training 201 6.55 

Tract 10, Why do we need a public library? 251 9.54 $24.48 

Foreign booklists, French 36 8.83 

Foreign booklists, French fiction 17 .84 

Foreign booklists, German 36 17.35 

Foreign booldists, Hungarian 16 2.40 

Foreign booklists, Norwegian and Danish 17 4.25 

Foreign booklists, Swedish 27 6.65 $40.32 

Reprints, etc. Arbor day list 8 .40 

Reprints, etc. Bird books 8 .80 

Reprints, etc. Christmas bulletin 5 .25 

Reprints, etc. Library buildings 25 2.41 

Reprints, etc. National library problem today 52 2.10 

Reprints, etc. Rational library work with children 116 2.80 $8.76 

Periodical cards, Subscriptions 884.52 

Periodical cards. Facsimiles of early texts 

Periodical cards. Old South leaflets 15 v 6.75 

Periodical cards, Reed's modern eloquence 11 sets 27.50 

Periodical cards, Smithsonian reports 1 set 9.39 $928.16 

Catalog rules 465 261 .60 

Children's reading 73 17.73 

Girls and women and their clubs 17 4.15 

Kroeger, Guide to reference books 409 571.44 

Larned, Literature of American history 27 147.90 

Larned, Literature of American history. Supplement 55 44.53 

List of editions selected for economy in bookbuying. . . . 536 130.30 

Music list 98 23.61 

Reading for the young 14 10.07 

Reading for the young, Supplement 9 2.16 

Small library buildings 90 109. .S2 

Stanley, List of 550 children's books 612 SO. 58 

Subject index to A. L. A. Booklist 1726 478.36 $1,213.49 

Anniversaries and holidays 16 3.94 

Graded list of stories for reading aloud 63 6.19 

Magazines for small libraries 53 5.30 $15.43 



Total sales of publications $4,778.12 



90 



PASADENA CONFERENCE 



The CHAIRMAN: Mr. W. L. Brown, 
chairman of the Committee on bookbuying, 
has a short statement to present. 

Mr. WALTER L. BROWN: The Council 
of the American library association, in Jan- 
uary, requested the Committee on booltbuy- 
ing to obtain an expression from the book 
sellers as to the proper discount to the 
library Association on net fiction. We 
hoped to have a conference with a com- 
mittee appointed by the Booksellers' Asso- 
ciation. This committee was not appoint- 
ed until the convention of the Booksellers' 
Association which was held May 8, this 
year. It is not feasible to make a report 
for discussion until this conference has 
been held, and consequently the committee 
does not think it wise to present any at 
this time. This statement is made as a re- 
port of progress. 

The CHAIRMAN: What action do you 
wish to take with regard to the report of 
the Committee? The report will be re- 
ceived as one of progress. 

The report of the Finance Committee is 
in the hands of Mr. Andrews, the Chair- 
man. 

Mr. ANDREW'S: In accordance with the 
provisions of the constitution, the Finance 
committee submits the following report: 

REPORT OF FINANCE COMMITTEE 

To the American Library Association: 

In accordance with the provisions of the 
constitution, the Finance Committee sub- 
mit the following report: 

They have duly considered the probable 
income of the Association for the current 
year and have estimated it at $16,850, 
and have approved appropriations made by 
the Executive board to that amount. The 
details of the estimated income and of 
appropriations are given in the January 
number of the Bulletin. For the first time 
the receipts and expenditures of the Pub- 
lishing Board have been included, so that 
the figures now exhibit the total financial 
resources and expenditures of the Asso- 
ciation. 

On behalf of the committee the chairman 
has audited the accounts of the treasurer 



and of the secretary as assistant treasurer. 
He has found that the receipts as stated 
by the treasurer agree with the transfer 
checks from the assistant treasurer, and 
with the cash accounts of the latter. The 
expenditures as stated are all accounted 
for by properly approved vouchers. The 
bank balances and petty-cash, as stated, 
agree with the bank books and petty- 
cash balances. The accounts of the 
assistant treasurer have been found cor- 
rect as cash accounts. It has not seemed 
necessary to check the bills collectable, 
which consist of many items, mostly of 
very small amounts. 

On behalf of the committee Mr. E. H. 
Anderson has examined the accounts of 
the trustees for 1910, has checked the vari- 
ous items from bank books, vouchers, etc; 
has examined the securities, and certifies 
that to the best of his knowledge and be- 
lief, the accounts are correct and that the 
securities are held as stated. 

He has similarly examined the accounts 
of the trustees of 1909, which were not 
audited last year, and certifies that all 
items which can now be checked have 
been found correct. 

All of which is respectfully submitted 
for the committee. 

CLEMENT W. ANDREWS, 
Chairman. 

The CHAIRMAN: The last Committee to 
report is that on public documents and 
Mr. G. S. Godard of the state library of 
Connecticut is to report for the committee. 

Mr. GODARD: I desire to have this re- 
port presented later in order that we may 
have advantage of the correspondence 
now in progress. 

The report was later presented, received 
and referred to the Program committee for 
printing. 

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON 
PUBLIC DOCUMENTS 

Your Committee on public documents de- 
sires to express to the Librarian of Con- 
gress the appreciation of the American 
library association for the timely and valu- 
able assistance rendered to libraries 



91 



through the medium of the Monthly list of 
state publications Issued by the Document 
section of the Library of Congress. In this 
monthly list are announced the publications 
issued by our several states, month by 
month, with a brief summary of their con- 
tents. Your committee has been informed, 
however, that the publication of this list 
is often delayed through failure to re- 
ceive copies of these documents promptly. 
As no publication is mentioned in the List 
which is not in the actual possession of the 
Library of Congress, state officials are 
urged to make special effort to forward 
their publications immediately upon publi- 
cation. By so doing, not only will there 
be a copy of each such publication acces- 
sible in our national library, but the time, 
place and source of its publication and a 
suggestion of its contents will be correctly 
announced, and the necessary cards for 
cataloging it, based upon the document 
itself, will be printed and made available 
at an early date. 

As many librarians are seriously handi- 
capped in their reference work through 
lack of definite information as to what pub- 
lications have been issued by the several 
departments at Washington, until the re- 
ceipt of the Monthly catalogue of govern- 
ment publications, which is not published 
until several weeks after the period covered 
by each issue, it is recommended that the 
Superintendent of Documents be respect- 
fully urged to publish, if possible, a daily 
or weekly check-list of all such government 
publications issued by the several depart- 
ments at Washington. Through such 
a cheek-list librarians will be informed con- 
cerning the many documents and reports 
now called for, having been mentioned in 
the daily press. We believe this early in- 
formation should be regularly supplied to 
depository libraries also. 

At a time when the advantages of reci- 
procity in trade have been recognized by 
the United States and Canada, it is appro- 
priate that steps should be taken to bring 
about something in the nature of reciproc- 
ity in public documents. The Government 
of the United States issues annually a large 
number of public documents that would be 



of service to Canadian public libraries; 
similarly the Government of the Dominion 
issues many publications that would be of 
value to the libraries of the United States. 
Reprei-entations might be made to the two 
gcveinments looking to the adoption of 
some plan by which the Superintendent of 
Documents at Washington could be made 
an agent for the distribution of Canadian 
public documents to American libraries, 
and the King's Printer at Ottawa an agent 
for the distribution of United States public 
documents to Canadian libraries. 

Respectfully submitted. 

GEO. S. GODARD, 
Chairman. 

The reports of the committees on inter- 
national relations, library administration 
and work for the blind were carried over 
to the next general session. 

The secretary read greetings from Mr. 
Herbert Bailie. Secretary of the Libraries 
association of New Zealand, and from the 
Texas library association and library com- 
mission. 

Adjourned. 

SECOND GENERAL SESSION 

(Shakespeare Club, Saturday, May 20, 
9:30 a. m.) 

Mr. C. W. Andrews presiding. 

The CHAIRMAN: From the program of 
the first general session three items have 
come over in the nature of unfinished busi- 
ness. The Chairman is informed that the 
Committee on international relations have 
no report to present. 

The Committee on library administration, 
the rei)ort of which came very late last 
evening, was placed in the hands of the 
Chairman just in time for him to look it 
over and as it consists largely of statistics, 
which must be read to be understood, and 
unless there is other disposition desired, 
this report will be received, under the rule, 
and referred to the Program committee. 

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON LI- 
BRARY ADMINISTRATION 

During the past year the committee sent 
to the 1S7 libraries which had replied to 
the questionnaire circulated in 1908 copies 
of the new questionnaire approved by the 



92 



PASADENA CONFERENCE 



association at the 1910 meeting. This ques- 
tionnaire would, it was hoped, bring fortli 
some information of interest relating to 
current practice in the treatment of the 
staff in various libraries. Your committee 
herewith presents some of the answers 
received. 

Of the 187 libraries addressed, 137 re- 
plied more or less fully. As in former re- 
ports, these have been arranged in 3 



Promotions. Only 1 library in class B 
and 2 in Group C give examinations for 
promotion. In these three cases civil ser- 
vice examinations are given to determine 
fitness. Fifteen libraries of Group B base 
promotions on length of service, but all but 
3 of these state that fitness is also consid- 
ered. Nine make promotions upon merit, 
but whether length of service is considered 
is not stated. 



The following table shows the size and expenditures of the libraries included: 







Geoup a 


Group B 


Geodp C 




Highest 


Lowest 


Average 


Highest Lowest Average 


Highest Lowest Average 


Size 














Number of volumes 


9650 


5093 


7149 


47494 


10164 26400 


224361 50931 103742 


Volumes added annually 


1275 


206 


541 


5072 


343 1903 


26320 1588 8451 


Finances 














Total annual income 


$4699 


$329 


$2815 


827282 


$922 $9311 


$180078 $9004 $43266 


eipenditurtl 


449G 


245 


2724 


22000 


780 8206 


125892 9004 42084 


Expenditures for hooks, 














periodicals, binding, elf. 


1493 


104 


691 


8598 


514 2491 


35288 2149 11476 


Expenditures for salaries 


2-209 


100 


1234 


10137 


550 3598 


62275 5141 18000 


Expenditures for other 














purposes 


3197 


140 


923 


9377 


240 2157 


28009 1714 8268 



groups: Group A (17 libraries) 1,000 to 
10,000 volumes; Group B (79 libraries) 
10,000 to 50,000 volumes; Group C (41 li- 
braries) 50,000 to 200,000 volumes. One in 
Group C has recently passed the 200,000 
mark, but its figures were used. 

Grades. The libraries of Group A are 
evidently too small to consi<ler the ques- 
tion of graded service. Eleven libraries 
reported, but none of these had grades. In 
Group B, 62 reported, only 4 of which had 
a graded service, although 1 other reports 
that it hopes soon to establish grades. In 
Group C, 11 libraries have a graded service, 
28 do not, and 2 did not answer the ques- 
tion. 

In regard to the question of what is in- 
cluded in the graded service, the answers 
are too indefinite to admit of any conclu- 
sions of value. There seems to be no uni- 
formity in regard to grading and conse- 
quently no method of comparing the sala- 
ries paid the grades in various libraries; 
at least the information necessary for this 
is not available to your committee. 



Of the 11 libraries of Group C which have 
a graded service 3 use examinations as a 
means of determining fitness for promo- 
tion; in the others promotions are based 
on fitness for the position as determined 
by past work. In the case of the other 22 
libraries reporting, the basis of promotion 
is the merit of the assistant as determined 
by the librarian. 

Qualifications of Assistants. Eleven li- 
braries of Group A answered. Two of 
these require apprentice training, 2 re- 
quire a high school education, and 3 re- 
quire a high school education supplement- 
ed by apprenticeship. The others do not 
report any fixed standards. 

In Group B, 35 libraries require a high 
school education or an equivalent; 10 of 
these require in addition satisfactory ap- 
prenticeship for a period varying from 4 to 
12 months and 2 require a summer library 
course. Two libraries require a one-year 
library school course and 2 require pre- 
vious experience. One unfortunate libra- 
rian reports "political influence only" as 



93 



the neceasary qualification aud hastens to 
disclaim personal responsibility for this 
standard. The other libraries from which 
answers were received have no formal 
standards. 

Seventeen Group C libraries require at 
least a high school education, 1 requires in 
addition a municipal civil service, 1 a sum- 
mer library school course and 1 an appren- 
ticeship. Eight libraries require library 
school training, but 3 of these will accept 
their own apprentice training instead. 
Two use civil service examinations to de- 
termine fitness, and 2 others require a col- 
lege education. The other 8 libraries 
which answered the question did not give 
any definite statement of requirements. 

So far as there is any agreement as to 
the necessary educational qualification, a 
high school course is the minimum. In the 
case of the larger libraries there is a ten- 
dency to require a college education tor 
important positions. Courtesy and tact 
are the two personal qualities most often 
mentioned, while executive ability, neat- 
ness and accuracy are often mentioned. 

Library School Graduates. Of the 10 li- 
braries in Group A reporting, 4 have 1 
graduate each, 2 of these being graduates 
of a school having a two-year course. 
Four have 1 person each who has attended 
a summer school and 2 have no school 
trained persons. 

In Group B, 64 libraries answered, 25 of 
which had no trained people; 6 had stu- 
dents from summer schools, but no stu- 
dents from the regular schools. The re- 
maining 33 libraries employed 25 gradu- 
ates of two-year courses and 32 graduates 
of one-year courses; of these one library 
had 6, another 4, anotlier 3 and 15 had 2 
each, the remaining 14 having only 1 each. 

Forty libraries in Group C answered. 8 
reporting none of the staff as having for- 
mal instruction and 1 other having only 
an assistant trained in a summer course. 
The remaining 32 libraries reported 169 as- 
sistants who had had systematic training. 

Xo tendency to insist upon the value of 
training in siiecial departments could be 
discovered. The trained assistants are 
scattered through all departments. 



College Graduates. Three libraries in 
Group A have a total of 5 college gradu- 
ates, 2 having 2 each. 

In Group B, 31 libraries reported no col- 
lege graduates and 28 from 1 to 5, the 
total number being 41. One library had 5, 
one had ;1, and 7 had 2 graduates. Nine of 
these 41 were librarians, 8 were assist- 
ant librarians, 8 were in reference deparr- 
nients, 3 catalogers, 10 in the lending de- 
partment and 3 unspecified. 

Forty answers were received from Group 
C, and of these libraries 9 reported no col- 
lege graduates. Nine of the other libra- 
ries had only one graduate, 6 had two, 4 
had three, 2 had five, 3 had six, 1 had 
seven, 4 had eight, 1 had twelve, and 1 fif- 
teen. As in the other groups these gradu- 
ates are distributed throughout all depart- 
ments. So far as can be discerned, there is 
no general tendency to insist upon college 
training as a requisite for any branch of 
the work in libraries of the size under dis- 
cussion. 

Control of Staff. In 13 Group A libraries 
the board of trustees make appointments, 
in 12 the librarian appoints, subject to the 
approval of the board. Two libraiies did 
not answer. In 11 libraries the assistants 
are responsible to the librarian and in 2 
to the board; 4 libraries did not answer. 
Evidently removals are very uncommon in 
these libraries, as only 5 answered the 
question concerning them. In two of these 
the librarian, in the other 3 the board, 
makes removals. 

In Group R, 67 libraries reported on 
question eighteen. In 15 of these the libra- 
rian makes appointments, while in 52 the 
board of trustees appoints directly. In 
many of these libraries, and probably in 
nearly all, the board merely ratifies the 
recommendation of the librarian. Seventy 
libraries reported that the assistants were 
responsible to the librarian, only 1 report- 
ing that the stalt was responsible to the 
trustees. Evidently removals are not se- 
rious practical administrative problems, 
for only 46 libraries answered, many oth- 
ers saying merely that none had ever been 
made. In 7 libraries the librarian makes 
removals, in 36 the board, and in 3 the 



94 



PASADENA CONFERENCE 



Salaries of Librarian and Assistant Librarian 



(jRtlUF 

Llhn. 

2-10 

•260 

300 

350 

360 

400 

416 

420 2 

450 1 

480 

500 

520 

540 

550 

560 

eoo 5 

624 

660 

690 1 

700 

720 3 

750 1 

780 

800 

840 1 

850 

900 1 

930 

1000 1 

1080 1 

1100 

1200 

12G0 

1320 

1400 

1416 

1500 

1600 

1650 

1700 

1740 

1800 

1946 

2000 

2100 

2200 

2230 

2400 

2500 

2700 

3000 

3200 

3500 

3600 

4000 

4500 

5000 

6000 



Number of libraries 



1 


1 


1 


3 


1 


3 


3 


2 


1 


1 


1 


1 



Group C 

Libn. ,\sst. 
1 



05 



civil service commission after ttie presen- 
tation of charges. One librarian says that 
removals have never been necessary as 
"the unsatisfactory assistant resigns; the 
satisfactory ones marry. " 

In 12 libraries of Group C the librarian 
makes appointments directly, in 27 the 
board of trustees exercise this function. 
Of 39 libraries reporting, only 1 states 
that the assistants are directly responsible 
to the board. In 11 libraries the librarian 
makes removals, in 1 the civil service 
board has this authority and in 22 the 
board of trustees remove unsatisfactory 
assistants. The other libraries did not 
answer the question. 

Salaries of Assistants. Only Group C li- 
braries are here considered, and the re- 
turns from these are often not clear, as in 
many of the smaller libraries the work is 
not clearly differentiated into departments. 
The average salaries for the senior as- 
sistants are as follows: Cataloging $950; 
Reference 11.010; Circulation $S7o; Chil- 
dren's $770; Order |970; Binding ?770; 
Branches $760. The junior assistants in 
all the departments are paid practically 
equal salaries, these ranging from $360 to 
1900. The average for the highest grade 
of junior assistants is approximately $750. 
The best paid department is the reference 
department, in which 45 per cent of the 
senior assistants receive $1,000 or more; 
the corresponding figures for the other de- 
partments being: Catalog 23 per cent. Cir- 
culation 34 per cent. Children's 28 per cent, 
Order 40 per cent, Binding 17 ]ier cent. 

While these averages probably represent 
current practice with a fair degree of ac- 
curacy, it must not be forgotten that the 
returns are very incomplete and that fuller 
information might modify them consider- 
ably. Your committee had hoped that defi- 
nite information could be obtained on this 
point and is disappointed in not being able 
to render a precise report. 

Substitutes. In Group A substitutes are 
paid from 7% to 25 cents an hour, 10 cents 
an hour being the usual rate. In Group B, 
the prices range from 10 to 2a cents, 15 
cents an hour being the most common 
rate. Where substitutes are engaged by 
the day the usual rate is $1. A few libra- 



ries in Group C pay 35 cents an hour for 
substitutes, the popular rates are 15 and 
25 cents an hour, and the daily rate is $1 
in nearly every case. 

Hours of labor. In Group A the average 
is 40 hours weekly, the extremes being 48, 
and 30 hours and 44 hours the usual time 
required. 

The average for Group B, 71 libraries 
reporting, is 41 hours. Thirty of these li- 
braries require 42 hours, six require 41, six 
require 45, nine 48 and five 39. The re- 
mainder require from 29 to 52 hours 
weekly. 

In Group C, 41 libraries reported; one 
reporting a schedule of 72 hours weekly! 
Leaving this one extreme case out of con- 
sideration, the average is 45 hours. 
The shortest schedule calls for 39 hours 
and the longest for 48 hours, the common- 
est being either 42, 44, or 48 hours. 

Four libraries in Group A reported that 
they did not open on Sunday. Of the 10 
others which reported, 5 required work 
without extra pay and 5 did not require it. 
Two of the latter pay extra for Sunday 
work. 

In Group B, 74 libraries reported. Thir- 
ty-six require Sunday work, of which num- 
ber 7 pay extra. Eight others say that 
time is allowed on other days and this is 
probably true with most of the others. 
Fourteen libraries do not require Sunday 
work, nine of these paying members of the 
staff who work on that day. Twenty-four 
libraries are closed on Sunday. 

In Group C, 12 libraries require Sunday 
work, 2 paying extra. Twenty-six do not 
require it, 17 of these paying extra. Three 
libraries do not open. 

Holidays. Of 12 Group A libraries, 6 
close on holidays, 2 pay extra, 2 require 
assistants to serve in rotation, 1 gives 
equivalent time and 1 uses substitutes. 

In Group B, 43 libraries close on all hol- 
idays and 8 others close on those generally 
observed. In 7 which are open equivalent 
time is allowed, in 3 others extra pay and 
in 7 the assistants work in rotation, while 
2 libraries employ substitutes. Only 3 re- 
port no observance of holidays. 

In Group C, 24 libraries close on all im- 
portant holidays. 6 employ substitutes, 



iW> 



PASADENA CONFERENCE 



9 give extra pay, 1 calls for volunteers 
unci 1 is open as usual. 

Sick leave. In Group A, 6 libraries pay 
full salaries for short sick leaves, 1 i-e- 
quires the absentee to furnish a substitute 
and 1 treats each case individually. 

In Group B, 6 libraries allow no sick 
leave, 3 require the absentee to furnish a 
substitute, 2 deduct the time from vaca- 
tions and 8 treat cases individually. One 
library allows 3 weeks sick leave annually, 
fi allow 2 weeks, 1 allows 16 days, 1 allows 

10 days and 1 allows 6 days. Three deduct 
no pay for a month, 1 for three weeks, 2 
for two weeks, 1 for ten days, 2 for one 
week, 1 for three days, 1 for two days. 
Twenty-one give full pay for sick leave in 
reasonable amount. 

In Group C, 2 libraries allow no sick 
leave, 3 treat cases Individually and 3 re- 
quire a substitute to be furnished. One 
gives one month annually, 1 three weeks, 
one 15 days, 10 give 2 weeks and 1 gives 
10 days. Of the others one gives half pay 
for 1 week and one-quarter pay for 3 
weeks. Two make no deductions for a 
month of illness, 2 for 3 weeks, 4 for 2 
weeks, and 6 give full pay for an unspeci- 
fied length of time. 

Vacations. Six libraries in Group A give 
1 month of vacation, 2 give three weeks 
and 5 give 2 weeks. One library in each of 
the last two classes gives an extra week to 
the librarian. In Group B. 20 libraries give 
a month of vacation, 4 give 4 weeks, 9 give 3 
weeks, 24 give 2 weeks, and 1 no time. 
One library gives two weeks including sick 
leave. Four libraries give 1 month to the 
librarian, and three weeks to assistants, 4 
give 1 month to the librarian and 2 weeks 
to assistants, and 3 give 4 weeks to the 
librarian and 2 weeks to assistants. 

In Group C, 1 library gives the librarian 
and heads of departments 2 mouths, other 
assistants 1 month. Seven give 1 month 
to all, 1 gives department heads a month 
and assistants 3 weeks. Four give 4 weeks 
to all. Sixteen give 3 weeks; one of these 
allowing an extra week to the librarian. 
Twelve give 2 weeks. Two of the last 
class allow 2 extra weeks and 2 allow 1 
extra week to department heads. 



Staff Meetings. Only 1 library in Group 
A has formal staff conferences. In Group 
B, 27 do not and 36 do have them. Six 
of the latter hold their meetings at monthly 
intervals, 2 bi-weekly, 19 weekly, and 9 at 
irregular intervals. All these libraries but 1 
require attendance, 27 give the time to the 
assistants and 8 require them to attend 
in addition to the regular time. Only 9 
Group C libraries report no form of staff 
meetings, while 31 have them. Two libra- 
ries have weekly meetings, 4 have them 
every two weeks, 13 every month, 1 bi- 
monthly and 10 irregularly. Nineteen re- 
quire attendance and 11 do not. Three do 
not give the time, 3 give one-half the time 
and 23 give all time required. 

Annual Reports. In regard to the men- 
tion of special members of the staff in annu- 
al reports practice is about equally divided. 
In Group A, 5 libraries do and 4 do not 
mention individuals, in Group B the figures 
are 24 and 34 respectively and in Group 
C 19 and 16. The usual reasons given 
against the practice are that the reports 
are too brief to permit such mention, that 
it is unwise to discriminate between mem- 
bers of the staff and that those not men- 
tioned feel injured, that the library work 
should be presented impersonally or that it 
is impossible to differentiate accurately 
the work of individuals. The usual rea- 
sons for the practice are that justice re- 
quires credit to be given and that it en- 
courages members of the staff to do good 
work. 

Apprentice Classes. Eight Group A li- 
braries reported, 4 of which had appren- 
tice courses. All required a high school 
education for admission and none guar- 
anteed positions. One course is five 
months, 1 six months, and 1 two years. 
Two hours of formal instruction and 2 
hours of practice work were required daily 
in each. 

Forty libraries of Group B give appren- 
tice courses, 28 do not. Twenty-three ad- 
mit on high school certificates, 1 requires 
a collegiate education and 9 give entrance 
examinations; the others admit at the dis- 
cretion of the librarian. The time required 
varies from 1 to 12 months, the periods of 



DELFINO 



97 



three, six and nine months being usual 
and equally popular. The one-month 
course calls for 208 hours of practice work. 
The twelve-month course averages 360 
hours of formal instruction and 1,200 hours 
of practice. The nine-month courses aver- 
age 117 hours formal instruction and 1,300 
hours of practice. The averages in the 
six-month courses are 215 and 872 hours 
respectively. In the three-month courses 
400 hours is an average and very little for- 
mal instruction is given. 

Twenty Group C libraries have no ap- 
prentice courses; IS give them. Three 
courses cover 3 months' work, 9 six 
months' and 5 from 7 to 9 months'. The 
three-month courses call for an average of 
52 hours of formal instruction and 400 of 
practice, the six-month courses for 145 and 
G50 hours and the others for 200 and 1,130 
hours respectively. 

HARRISON W. GRAVER, Chairman. 
H. M. LYDENBERG, 
ETHEL F. McCOLLOUGH 

Committee. 
The CHAIRMAN: Another committee re- 
port not presented yesterday is that on 
library work with the blind, and Mr. J. L. 
Gillis, of the State library, Sacramento, 
will present a report from that Committee. 
Mr. J. U GILLIS: Mrs. Delfino, of Phila- 
delphia, was to present this, but was un- 
able to attend, and I received this part of 
the report yesterday afternoon, which is 
merely a statement of her work, giving the 
events that have taken place in the work 
among the blind within the last year. I 
don't know as it is necessary to read the 
report, but I move the adoption and recom- 
mend that it be referred to the Committee 
for printing. 

The CHAIRMAN: Unless there is ob- 
jection, under the rule, the report will be 
received and referred to the Program com- 
mittee, 

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON 
WORK WITH THE BLIND 

The Committee on work with the blind 
reports as follows: 

Following the resigjiation of Mr. Asa Don 
Dickinson from the committee, Mr. James 



L. Gillis, state librarian of California, was 
appointed in his place. 

By request of the editor the report of the 
Committee presented at the Mackinac 
Island Conference, 1910, was reprinted in 
the Outlook for the blind, January, 1911, 
vol. 4, no. 4. 

With the exception of two or three hun- 
dred volumes in circulation at the time, the 
New York state library for the blind was 
totally destroyed by fire, March 29, 1911. 

After July 1, 1911, the reading room for 
the blind in the Library of Congress will 
be discontinued. The embossed books 
have been transferred to the public library 
of Washington, D. C, under whose auspices 
they will hereafter be circulated. 

The chairman of the committee attended 
the sessions of the Blind Workers' Exhibi- 
tion held in the Metropolitan Opera House, 
New York, April 26-29, 1911, under the aus- 
pices of the New York Association for the 
blind. The exhibit of the Department for 
the blind of the New York public library, 
in care of Miss L. M. Goldthwaite, was very 
complete and exceedingly well arranged. 
The Pennsylvania home teaching society 
also sent an exhibit in Moon type in charge 
of a home teacher. 

The New Jersey commission for the blind 
now employs two home teachers who in- 
struct the adult blind in their homes. The 
Free public library of Trenton, N. J., has 
begun the circulation of embossed books. 

The Perkins institution has about 1,000 
old and new line type books for distribu- 
tion among libraries provided recipi- 
ents will pay freight charges. Any libra- 
rian desiring to take advantage of this offer 
may secure a list of the titles available by 
writing to E. E. Allen, Director, South Bos- 
ton, Mass. 

The New York Association for the blind 
of New York City issued a new magazine 
for children in American Braille entitled 
"The Searchlight." 

The plates for embossing the New Testa- 
ment in American Braille were recently 
completed by the Missouri School for the 
blind and transferred to the American Bible 
Society to whom orders for copies should 
be sent. 



98 



PASADENA CONFERENCE 



The Xavier Braille Publication society 
for the blind, 824 Oakdale Avenue, Chicago, 
was organized during the year. "The aim 
of the Society is to place gratuitously with- 
in the reach of the blind throughout the 
United States Catholic literature in raised 
Braille print, of which they have hitherto 
been wholly deprived." 

The Society for the promotion of church 
work among the blind, Philadelphia, is 
about to issue a second edition of the Hym- 
nal of the Protestant Episcopal Church, in 
American Braille, the first edition being 
exhausted. The Society has also arranged 
to publish the music of the Hymnal. 

The eleventh convention of the American 
association of workers for the blind will be 
held at Overbrook, Pa., June 20-21'. 

EMMA R. NEISSER DELFINO, 

Chairman. 

This brings us to this morning's program 
and the first item is "The effect of the com- 
mission form of government on library con- 
trol." I have the pleasure of introducing 
Miss ALICE S. TYLER. 

EFFECT OF THE COMMISSION PLAN 

OF CITY GOVERNMENT ON PUBLIC 

LIBRARIES 

In presenting so new a subject as this, 
it seems necessary to consider some 
fundamental facts regarding the origin 
and evolution of the commission plan, 
and also to note in some degree the 
rapid spread of the Idea in the few 
years since its Inauguration. The plan 
dates from the year 1901 after the disaster 
at Galveston, Texas, when the necessity 
for the immediate rehabilitation of that 
city was confronted by her people. The 
Texas legislature enacted the laws promptly 
which were urged by the Galveston citizens 
to meet the emergency, and other cities in 
that state seeing the success which attended 
the plan in Galveston also adopted it, no- 
tably the city of Houston, where with cer- 
tain modifications the plan has been equally 
successful. The splendid results which 
followed the new method of government 
inaugurated in Galveston became known 
throughout the country as the "Galveston 
plan." Other states, one after another, have 



followed Texas in enacting legislation, mak- 
ing it possible for cities within their borders 
to adopt a similar plan of local govern- 
ment, though in some it is greatly modified; 
the states being Alabama, California, Colo- 
rado, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa. Kansas, Louisi- 
ana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, 
Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, 
North Dakota. Oklahoma, Oregon, South 
Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, 
Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin.* 
In New York state such legislation has 
been actively urged by the city of Buffalo 
and other cities but has not yet been en- 
acted. About 125 cities in 26 states have 
acted favorably upon the adoption of the 
commission plan of municipal government. 
What is the commission plan of govern- 
ment? The underlying principle is com- 
paratively simple. It centralizes municipal 
authority and responsibility in a limited 
group of men called commissioners. These 
with the mayor are elected by the city at 
large. The jilan does away with party 
nominations, ward divisions and aldermen, 
and with the petty prejudices and antag 
onisms of the various localities in the city 
This board or commission, (usually 5 mem 
bers) devote their entire time to the man 
agement of the affairs of the city, and are 
paid reasonable salaries therefor. They 
divide the duties of the city government 
among themselves into five departments, 
usually designated as public affairs, 
accounts and finance, public safety, streets 
and public improvements, and parks and 
public property. They then elect all the 
subordinate officers necessary to con- 
ducting the city business, such as 
chief of police, police judge, city clerk, 
library trustees, city engineer, city treas- 
urer, city auditor, etc. All other sub- 
ordinates, except common laborers, are 
selected under civil service rules adminis- 
tered by a civil service commission, and 
are removable only for misconduct or lack 
of attention to duties, or activity in political 
matters. The commissioners and mayor 
not only act as the administrative heads of 
their respective departments, but also con- 

• .Some of these slates allow cities to frame their 
own charters, and hence may be termed "home 

rule" states. 



99 



stitute the city council and as such legislate 
for the city. They are usually elected for 
a period of two years. Emphasis is laid 
upon a business-like administration, and 
responsibility is definitely fixed upon each 
commissioner who is the head of a special 
department. Publicity is one of the im- 
portant features of the plan. The meetings 
of the commission are open, and the public 
can easily know whether matters are man- 
aged with integrity and efficiency, or if a 
commissioner Is failing in his responsi- 
bility. 

It has been said that tlie commission 
system of government has in effect re- 
introduced the New England system of 
town government by a board of selectmen. 
We recognize the fact that large town 
meetings of all of the electors could not be 
conducted upon a deliberative basis, and 
the ballot must of necessity be made use of 
to secure an expression of the popular will. 
The election is therefore a substitute for 
the town meeting and the recall, initiative 
and referendum incorporated in most of 
the commission plan schemes give to the 
citizens all of the privileges reserved by 
the electors of the New England town. 

No attempt is here made to discuss the 
strength or weakness of the commission 
plan of city government, further than to 
consider such points as are related to 
library interests. It should be borne in 
mind, however, that under the plan, the 
council or commission is vested with all 
executive, legislative and judicial powers, 
formerly possessed and exercised by vari- 
ous boards and officers, under the ordinary 
method of city control. Those who ques- 
tion the wisdom of the plan find in this 
feature much to criticise; i.e. the difficulty 
of one body both legislating by determining 
policy, and at the same time administering; 
or, in other words, levying the taxes and 
also disbursing the funds. Within the last 
month, however, we have seen the declara- 
tion of so thorough a student as Governor 
Woodrow Wilson, of New Jersey, that it is 
not inherently impracticable to combine 
the legislative and executive functions In 
one body. He says, "There is no necessity 
tor keeping the three coordinate branches 



of government distinct, and free from inter- 
ferences. The pretense that the three 
branches are distinct is responsible for 
more corruption than any other single 
feature of our system. They are not, and 
cannot be kept separate, and all that the 
pretense accomplishes is that it substitutes 
underground relations for open, honorable 
i-elations."* 

Among the modifications of the original 
Galveston plan, one of the best known is 
that which is sometimes termed the Des 
Moines plan, which was secured by an act 
of the Iowa legislature in 1907. Inasmuch 
as the actual operation of this law is in a 
degree familiar to the writer, on account of 
residence within that state, some of the 
features of that law are the basis for certain 
statements made herein. 

In securing information for this paper 
a list of questions was sent to about 50 
libraries in cities under the commission 
plan. The questions were: 

1. How long has the commission plan 
been operative in your city? 

2. Did it make a change in number of li- 
brary trustees and method of appointment? 

3. Is the supervision of the library 
assigned to a department of the city govern- 
ment? Or, have the trustees full authority? 

4. How many library trustees and how 
appointed and for how long a term? Is 
there provision for continuity by varying 
length of terms? 

5. What is your method of levying the 
(ax for library maintenance? Does this 
differ from former practice? 

6. Do you consider that your library has 
profited by the change of your city to the 
commission plan? In what way? 

7. Does the plan place the librarian and 
staff under civil service rules? 

8. Has there been any effort to include 
other eilucatioiial interests, (i.e. the 
schools) under the commission plan of 
your city? 

9. Is the general law of your state rel- 
ative to public libraries still operative, 
even though the commission plan has been 
adopted? 

Replies were received from libraries 

♦ Wo,y\ Work. M;.y. 1911. 



im 



PASADENA CONFERENCE 



located in nineteen different states. None 
of the great cities have adopted the plan 
except Boston, where It is greatly modiiied 
and does not in any way affect the public 
library. The majority ot those replying 
were unable to give definite answer as to 
distinct changes either for better or for 
worse in the library management under the 
plan. The entire limit of ten years is too 
short a period to enable conclusions to be 
drawn with certainty; the majority of the 
cities that have adopted the modified Gal- 
veston plan have operated under it much 
less than 10 years. A hopeful attitifde is 
manifest toward the results that are likely 
to come from the change, but lack of uni- 
formity in the various state laws makes 
generalization impossible as to results 
already attained. The liberty given in 
some states for cities to incorporate in 
their charters features that seem locally 
desirable is found exemplified in the state 
of Massachusetts, where Uie modified com- 
mission plan has been adopted in Bos- 
ton, Taunton, Haverhill, Gloucester, Chel- 
sea and Lynn, but where with the excep- 
tion of Lynn the new city charters do not 
affect the library situation. In that city, 
however, provision is made that the public 
library shall be under the exclusive man- 
agement and control of the municipal coun- 
cil, which shall have the power to name the 
trustees and remove them for cause. It 
further states that the municipal council 
may increase or diminish the number ot 
trustees, and make such rules and regula- 
tions concerning the public library as it 
may deem expedient. The librarian in 
Lynn writes that the present council seems 
to have full confidence in the trustees of 
the library, and has up to the present 
time made no change in the old method of 
government. As the charter does not make 
any one of the council a library trustee a 
method of Interesting them in the library 
has been to appeal to various commissioners 
for specific needs, e.g., if money Is needed 
over and above yearly maintenance fund 
the appeal is made to commissioner of 
finance; if additions to building, the appeal 
is made to commissioner of public prop- 
erty. 



In Texas, where the first commission 
plan law was enacted, we find that the 
libraries are under Boards elected by the 
commission, and are all reported as being 
free from the evil effects of political inter- 
ference. Dallas reports an increased main- 
tenance fund from year to year, which is 
now more than double the amount pro- 
vided by the city for library maintenance 
before the commission plan was adopted 
in 1907. In Galveston where the plan 
originated, the library is not affected, be- 
cause, as the librarian states, the Rosen- 
berg Library is a private corporation in- 
corporated under the state law, and is en- 
tirely independent of the city government. 
The revenues are entirely from endow- 
ment, and no money is received from taxa- 
tion. The librarian further states that 
while the commission plan has been very 
successful indeed in that city, it has 
affected the library in no way. The libra- 
rian at Houston writes: "I do not believe 
that the library has really been affected 
by the commission form except in the fact 
that the city's more economical administra- 
tion has probably made it possible to 
receive a more liberal appropriation, 
though this is far from satisfactory. I do 
think that the general improvement of 
the town through good administration 
helps the library indirectly in many ways." 

But one city in Wisconsin (Eau Claire) 
is actually operating under the plan, and 
the librarian writes that she believes the 
library^ has profited by the change. She 
states that the council seems interested In 
maintaining the standards of the library 
and are now willing that the necessary 
money for its support shall be appropri- 
ated. It is easier to bring matters to their 
attention and they act more promptly than 
heretofore. 

While several libraries in Illinois will be 
affected by the plan which has been inaugu- 
rated by a number of cities this spring, it is 
too soon for any report of the effect to be 
made; the law in that state, however, 
seems to have defects similar to that of 
Iowa in the indefiniteness of provision 
regarding the number of trustees, their 
powers and length of term. 



101 



In Minnesota the plan has been effective 
one year in Mankato, and the librarian 
writes that it has been a good thing for the 
library. The city ofTicers seem to recog- 
nize the value of the institution and in- 
creased the annual appropriation $1000 the 
first year. A municipal library has been 
placed in the city hall. 

Inasmuch as the recall feature of the 
commission plan was made effective In 
Tacoma, Wash., the past year, it is inter- 
esting to note the statement of the librarian, 
that the library there was saved from dis- 
aster by the result of the recall election for 
mayor, the deposed mayor having made 
political appointments on the library board. 
The librarian further adds, "What saved 
us was woman's suffrage added to the form 
of government." 

In the state of Kansas, where there are a 
large number of towns and cities operating 
under the commission plan, a considerable 
proportion of the public libraries are under 
the control of the local school board, while 
the others are managed by 12 trustees 
elected by the council, this matter seeming 
to be optional. One of the Kansas librarians 
reports that the chief effect of the commis- 
sion plan on her library is that it has done 
away with the librarian's two weeks' vaca- 
tion on pay, because of the fact that other 
city employees do not have one. In some 
instances the library appropriations have 
been reduced, not through antagonism to 
the library, but because of the avowed 
policy of securing an economical admin- 
istration of city affairs in all departments. 

In California the plan has been adopted 
by eleven towns and cities, and while in- 
formation was not secured from all of the 
libraries affected, the general opinion seems 
to be that the adoption of the plan has not 
caused any radical change in management, 
which Is by a board of trustees. Belief 
is expressed, in most instances, as to the 
library possibilities under the commission 
form of government. 

In Colorado Springs, the one city in Col- 
orado under this plan, the librarian writes 
that the chief difference has been in the 
mode of handling the finances of the 
library; the city auditor and treasurer 



receiving and disbursing all of the funds, 
otherwise the board of trustees elected by 
the council have control. 

In Iowa, where there are now seven 
public libraries affected by the law (Bur- 
lington, Cedar Rapids, Des Moines, Ft. 
Dodge, Keokuk, Marshalltown and Sioux 
City), there has been much uncertainty as 
to the intent of the law both as to the num- 
ber of library trustees to be elected by the 
commission and their powers; the Des 
Moines plan law is capable of two construc- 
tions as it now stands, as there is doubt as 
to whether the general law with 9 trustees 
holds, or whether there shall be only 
3, which the commission law states are 
to be appointed by each new commission. 
Three of these libraries are operating with 
3 trustees, three with 9, the seventh not 
having had the decision of their city at- 
torney. The problem of continuity with 
only 3 trustees is a serious one. Two 
able Iowa lawyers, who are also library 
trustees, prepared a bill providing for 
5 trustees and continuity by one annual 
appointment, which was introduced in the 
last Genera! Assembly, but which failed 
to pass the House (in the midst of 
the senatorial deadlock) ; hence unless a 
decision of the state supreme court should 
be secured, there will be uncertainty for 
another two years (until another legis- 
lative session) as to whether the number 
of trustees and their powers, as fully set 
forth in the general library law of the state, 
still hold. The uncertainty of the law can 
in a measure be safe-guarded by a some- 
what detailed ordinance, and this has been 
done in some of these cities. However, 
the assignment of the library trustees and 
the library to the department of public 
affairs (or to the department of accounts 
and finance, as is done in one city) makes 
it necessary for the library board to have 
the approval of the head of that depart- 
ment for many details that have heretofore 
been decided by the library board. 

One of the Des Moines commissioners, 
who is recognized as one of the most 
thorough students of municipal problems 
in this country, and who is now secretary 
of the League of American Municipalities, 



102 



PASADENA CONFERENCE 



states that he has long advocated that the 
levj'ing ot all municipal taxes should be 
centered in one body, and that both library 
boards and school boards should be annexed 
directly to the city government; the fact 
that libraries are educational institutions 
is not a reason for separating them from 
municipal government. The Iowa law 
definitely classifies all of the city's activ- 
ities (except schools) under one of the five 
departments, each with a commissioner 
(or the mayor) at its head; but provides 
that libraries shall have further super- 
vision, hence provision is made for the 
appointment of three library trustees by 
the council immediately after they have 
been elected and assume office. These 
library trustees, however, do not seem to 
have full authority, but are the agents of 
the council to look after the details which 
cannot be classified directly under the 
duties of the commissioner. 

From the communications received it 
seems that the civil service feature of the 
municipal commission plan law as applied 
to libraries varies. It seems to be inci- 
dental and may or may not be included, 
according to the provision of the city or- 
dinance in most cases. It would seem that 
the sentiment of the librarians is not favor- 
able to this. Several did not reply to the 
inquiry, 24 stated that civil service rules 
did not apply and 5 that they did. One 
librarian writes in its defense, "There 
seems to be no other way of placing work 
on a merit basis. Whatever the conditions 
may be in individual cases, as a general 
principle, choice must be made in public 
work between civil service and the spoils 
system." On the other hand several who 
replied no. emphasized it by underlining 
or an exclamation point, and one librarian 
added with unction, "No, thanks be!" 
Another writes, "I would consider it very 
unwise to place the library under civil 
service — librarians are not made by rule." 

In some states the control of the library 
is not included in the municipal plan, but 
is placed under the direction of the school 
board or board of education, and hence is 
not affected in any way by this form of 
government. The educational function has 



thus been recognized, either consciously or 
unconsciously, as shown by such assign- 
ment. This leads to the consideration of a 
vital point in connection with any discus- 
sion of the municipal control of libraries, 
and that is the recognition of the educa- 
tional function of the library. The fact that 
the public library is unlike any other of the 
city's activities, such as parks, streets, 
police department, etc., led most states 
in the very beginning to the provision in 
the general law for a board of library 
trustees with separate functions, powers, 
responsibilities and funds; this being nec- 
essary because the requirements for the 
management of such an institution are 
as much out of the ordinary as those 
of the public schools with a separate board; 
while in others the library board is ap- 
pointed by the school board, as a sort of 
sub-educational interest. 

When we come to examine the commis- 
sion plan law, we find that there seems 
to be no definite recognition of the edu- 
cational functions of the municipality, and 
hence an uncertainty as to the exact 
place of the library in the general scheme; 
this seems to be the problem that now con- 
fronts the public libraries where this plan 
is likely to be adopted. It is the old and 
still new question of classifying and admin- 
istering civic educational interests, i. e., the 
schools, museums, libraries, art galleries, 
free lectures, etc., that may exist for the 
benefit of all the people under the possible 
direction of the municipality. Shall all 
educational interests be grouped under one 
management or board, one degree removed 
from the commission, by appointment, or 
shall they be separated or arbitrarily clas- 
sified in some entirely unrelated depart- 
ment of the city as is done in some cities? 
So far as information could be obtained, it 
would seem that in a number of states the 
recognition of the special function of the 
public library has usually been incorporated 
in the commission plan law in an indefinite 
way by the provision for a board of library 
trustees of varying number elected by the 
commission, but under the supervision of 
one of the commissioners or heads of de- 
partments. 



WOOD 



1 OS 



Educational interests are certainly as 
vital a part of a municipality's responsibil- 
ity as the more material interests. If the 
chief value and strength of the commission 
plan consists in directness and simplicity 
and the concentration of responsibility and 
authority on a tew responsible men, it 
would seem that the separate and independ- 
ent organization of the school system in a 
commission governed city is scarcely any 
more defensible than that of a public li- 
brary system; while the scope of the school 
system and the funds involved in the school 
management are much larger, the principle 
is the same. It is found, however, that in 
very few instances, have the schools been 
placed under the commission plan; the 
most notable instance, however, seems to 
be that of the city of Houston, Texas, where 
a school board of seven members is ap- 
pointed by the city commission in a manner 
similar to the library board. The success 
of such centralization seems evident as set 
forth in an interesting article by the super- 
intendent of the Houston schools in the Ed- 
ucational Review, April, 1909. 

If we believe that the various means of 
popular education, outside the school room, 
should be strengthened and dignified in the 
municipality, there should be a serious ef- 
fort made to bring to the attention of those 
who are interested in commission plan leg- 
islation the most advanced and enlightened 
views regarding it. Can a comprehensive 
scheme of education such as is now being 
developed in the commonwealth of New 
York be applied to a municipality? If so, 
could a commissioner of education, as one 
of the city council or commission, wisely 
direct all of the educational interests of 
the city, i. e., the schools, libraries, muse- 
ums, etc? Or, is the present tendency of 
the plan to provide a small board of 3 or 5 
members appointed under the commission, 
to have charge of the library, and another 
similar board to have charge of the schools, 
the better method? The election of a com- 
missioner of education ex officio chairman 
of these two boards would strengthen the 
latter plan greatly. 

It is of vital interest to librarians, in view 
of the popularity of the commission plan 



and the likelihood of its more extended 
adoption, that we give consideration, in a 
constructive way, to the securing of a more 
comprehensive recognition and classifica- 
tion of the public library as an educational 
factor in this new scheme of city govern- 
ment. There seems to have been no serious 
consideration given to this in the past and 
laws are taken over from other states 
without investigation. Whatever recog- 
nition there has been given the library In 
the plan seems to have been more by 
chance than by careful forethought. While 
the plan may be an experiment, it is one 
that continues to be tried. It is essential 
that active efforts be made to strengthen 
the weaknesses in the existing laws and 
safeguard those laws that are likely to be 
enacted in other states. 

The CHAIRMAN: Miss Tyler has pre- 
sented a subject entirely new to our pro- 
gram and, I think, to the thoughts of most 
of the members of the Association. It is a 
subject, as she says, which is now of vital 
importance to a large number of libraries 
and is evidently going to be of vital im- 
portance to a still greater number. We in 
the East and center of the country look 
rather to the western states for pioneer 
work, and I should like to have some ampli- 
fication of some of the details and perhaps 
criticism, or some tentative answer to Miss 
Tyler's last question, and I hope some of 
our western friends will speak. I under- 
stand Miss Harriet Ann Wood, of Portland. 
Oregon, has made some study of this sub- 
ject, and I will ask her to say a few words. 

Miss WOOD: I was librarian of the Cedar 
Rapids library when the city adopted the 
commission plan. All of the trustees of 
the library were very progressive, forming 
an ideal board in every respect. They 
were all ardent advocates of the commis- 
sion plan of government and worked very 
hard for its adoption in the city. One of 
the features of the commission plan of gov- 
ernment is that no man who has any con- 
nection with a corporation which holds a 
city franchise is eligible to membership on 
the library board. One of the strongest 
members of the library board, one w'ho had 
been a member from the first, who knew 



104 



PASADENA CONFERENCK 



the whole history of the library and who 
knew more about the conditions which pre- 
vailed than anyone in the city, was thereby 
made ineligible to membership. 

The city attorney was very much Inter- 
ested in the library, but he decided that 
three was the right number for the library 
board. A board thus constituted works 
very well, except in a crisis when it be- 
comes virtually a one-man board. After 
the plan had been working for about two 
years, the new set of city officials came 
in and a new city attorney, who decided 
that the library should operate under the 
regular state library law and that the proper 
number for the library board was nine, 
and that the old board should have been 
serving all the time. Therefore, he advised 
the council to this effect, and they reinstat- 
ed the old board. At the end of two years 
more there may be a new city attorney and 
under the law there is no way of telling 
whether the library will go back to the 
three-men board or not. 

Library affairs have progressed very 
smoothly. The library board has en- 
deavored to keep in touch with the com- 
missioners and has inspired so much con- 
fidence that the internal affairs of the 
library have not been interfered with. At 
one time, however, the council, without 
consulting the trustees, passed a resolution 
that the binding of the books which be- 
longed to the city, should not be done out- 
side of the United States. Of course, this 
was a matter which was very easily com- 
plied with, but it indicated the power that 
rested in the hands of the officials if they 
chose to exercise it. 

The appropriation was increased. It was 
evident that the new commissioners were 
anxious to make their city library what 
it should be and they worked with the 
trustees in perfect harmony to promote the 
interests of the library. The trustees of 
the library tried to promote the things that 
were of interest to the commissioners. The 
commissioners had Charles Mulford Robin- 
son make a plan for the beautification of 
the city, and this the library trustees circu- 
lated very freely and generously. This I 
simply mention as a method of keeping in 



close touch with the council and of ad- 
vancing all the interests of the city. 

We certainly feel that the commission 
plan, so far as the city of Cedar Rapids is 
concerned, is a success, provided the law 
can be properly amended. 

The CHAIRMAN: Miss Tyler has stated 
that there are eleven towns and cities in 
California who have the commission form 
of government and she has given us a gen- 
eral expression of the average opinion, but 
I thought perhaps we might receive from 
some representatives of those towns and 
cities further details of the question under 
discussion here. Is there anybody who 
represents a commission town or city who 
would tell us a little more in detail how it 
lias worked out? 

Mr. J. L. GILLIS: The city of Sacra- 
mento has not adopted the commission 
form of government, but the citizens there 
expect to do so. I am not very familiar 
with the changes in the law in regard to 
libraries in those cities where the commis- 
sion form of government has been adopted, 
but from what I do know, there has been 
very little change. The libraries are either 
to be operated under the state law as form- 
erly, or the changes are very slight. I do not 
believe it makes any particular difference 
in the government of libraries in this state. 
In Sacramento, it is proposed to place the 
library under the charge of one commis- 
sioner, the object being to get direct com- 
munication with the governing powers so 
that interest in the library may be taken by 
one who has the power to raise the money 
and to dispense it. Later perhaps we can 
tell you how it works out. 

The CHAIRMAN: While the question of 
the commission plan of government as it 
affects libraries is the particular phase 
which we are personally and most vitally 
interested in here, there is, of course, the 
wider aspect of the question, whether the 
educational interests of the city are suffic- 
iently distinct to be treated differently 
from the other interests of the city and 
whether the library is sufficiently distinct 
from the school to be treated differently 
from that interest. Mr. .John Judson Ham- 
ilton, author of the book, "The dethrone- 



105 



ment of the city boss," Is with us this morn- 
ing and perhaps will speak to us on that 
broader aspect of the question. 

Mr. HAMILTON: Mr. President, ladies 
and gentlemen: I should hesitate very 
much to put my own theoretical ideas on 
this question against either those of Miss 
Tyler, or against your personal experiences 
of the commission form of government, as 
some of you have had it in your capacity 
as librarians. I could not add very much, 
if anything, to what Miss Tyler has said 
on the general question. I don't believe 
that even Governor Woodrow Wilson him- 
self could have given a more statesman- 
like summary of this question than Miss 
Tyler has given and I will ask her to re- 
member that I don't offer this as an argu- 
ment for women's suffrage. I am willing 
that you draw your own conclusions. As 
to the question of including the education- 
al side of the community's work with the 
political, under the commission form of 
government, I agree with those in Des 
Moines who think that ought to be done. 
I heard a very interesting address by Gov- 
ernor Wilson at Los Angeles a few even- 
ings ago, in which he discussed the ques- 
tion of communities putting all their eggs in 
one basket, and then wateliing that basket, 
and I believe in doing that very thing. I 
think the educational and library work 
ought to be put in the full blaze of publicity 
along with the city's government, in cities 
having the commission form of govern- 
ment. I think there is no better informa- 
tion that your Association could get along 
this line than the individual experience of 
librarians in commission governed cities. 
You certainly have that which is of more 
value than I could offer. 

The CHAIRMAN: The question of "The 
relation between the library and the mu- 
nicipality" is really the main topic of the 
morning, and we shall revert to the ques- 
tion suggested by the latter part of Miss 
Tyler's paper, the question of the adminis- 
tration of civil service, later, but now Is 
the time to take up, according to the print- 
ed program, the question of branch library 
problems and I have the pleasure of intro- 
ducing to you Mr. CHARLES H. BROWN, 



assistant librarian of the Brooklyn public 
library, who will speak on 

LIMITATIONS OF THE BRANCH LIBRA- 
RIAN'S INITIATIVE 

As good American citizens we have from 
our earliest days been thoroughly imbued 
with the spirit of Patrick Henry, "Give me 
liberty, or give me death." We as libra- 
rians have sometimes applied this motto to 
our professional work, holding up before 
ourselves as our ideal, independent posi- 
tions. We dislike to be limited in our work 
in any way, and it is possible we may at 
times spend many minutes in thinking how 
much more successful our libraries would 
be if we were not hampered by what we 
may at times consider necessary evils, such 
as boards of trustees, chief librarians and 
and In our larger libraries superintendents 
of departments. It cannot be denied that 
there are many advantages in allowing 
heads of libraries, whether they be branch 
librarians or librarians of independent city 
libraries freedom of action. Why should 
not branch librarians be given the same 
privilege of initiative which the chief li- 
brarians expect in dealing with their 
boards? Those directly in charge of 
branches know the immediate needs of 
their own communities better than those 
at the head of large systems of libraries, 
many of which have to deal with different 
types and races of people. An over-cen- 
tralized system may involve the loss of 
originality and what is worse the loss of 
enthusiasm and interest among the assist- 
ants. Even in these days of mechanical 
progress a machine will not do as a refer- 
ence librarian or a loan desk attendant. If 
the decision of the small every-day prob- 
lems which are continually arising must 
wait until some administrative officer, usu- 
ally several miles away, can be consulted, 
we shall have continual trouble and vexa- 
tion of spirit not only on the part of the 
assistants immediately concerned, but also 
of the public. On the other hand, it Is obvi- 
ous that there are many reasons why it is 
inexpedient for a branch to be entirely in- 
dependent of its neighbors, as if it were in 



106 



PASADENA CONFERENCE 



another city. The economic loss in doing 
the work of ordering, accessioning and cat- 
aloging the same title 25 or 30 times in- 
stead of once, the confusion to the public 
through different rules in different 
branches and the unnecessary duplication 
of books are a few of the many arguments 
against a decentralized system which will 
at once occur to us. How tar, then, can 
we retain the advantages of decentraliza- 
tion and independent administration with- 
out injury to the service? To what extent 
must the initiative of the branch librarian 
be limited? Is it feasible to increase or 
decrease the limitation of freedom of ac- 
tion and what are the corresponding gains 
and losses? 

It may be of Interest to compare in a 
few points the administration of a branch 
library with that of an independent city 
library. How much of the authority that 
is usually given to the head of a city li- 
brary can be given to a branch librarian? 
What are the agreements and what are 
the differences in the underlying condi- 
tions? How much actual and absolute in- 
dependence of action can be given to the 
one and not to the other? bet us take as 
a basis of comparison branches and inde- 
pendent libraries of about the same circu- 
lation. At the head of the independent 
city library is the board of trustees with 
its various committees on administration, 
books, buildings, etc., to which the recom- 
mendations of the librarian are submitted. 
The branch librarian on the other hand 
has as her superior officers the chief libra- 
rian and the heads of departments to 
whom her recommendations may be sub- 
mitted. The chief librarian is an expert in 
library economy; the trustees usually are 
not. The assistants are appointed and re- 
moved in the one case by the board or a 
committee of the board after recommenda- 
tion by the librarian; in the second case the 
branch librarian may or may not make 
recommendations as to the appointment or 
transfer of the assistants employed In a 
branch. The rules and regulations for the 
public are in the case of the independent 
library fixed by the board upon the recom- 
mendation of the librarian; the assistant 



in charge of a branch may or may not 
make recommendations to her superior 
officers as to changes of rules. In rela- 
tion to other libraries and Institutions 
there is a marked difference. The inde- 
pendent library does not usually have to 
consider the limitation of scope due to 
other libraries in the same city doing the 
same general work; the branch library 
must bear this continually in mind. The 
main difference, however, is in the amount 
of money available for library purposes. 
'Ihe circulation of the larger branches in 
New York and Brooklyn, such as Seward 
Park, Brownsville and Bushwick, com- 
pares not unfavorably in number with such 
cities as Worcester. Denver, Providence, 
Springfield, Grand Rapids and New Haven. 
The population of the districts reached by 
iliose branches varies from 50,000 to 150,- 
000, as does the population of the cities 
mentioned, with the exception of Denver, 
which is larger. But the amount of money 
available for the support of these branches 
is, roughly speaking, in each case about 
one-half the library appropriation of the 
cities, even if the cost of the administra- 
tion of the central office is distributed pro- 
portionally among the branches. This 
means in the case of the branches smaller 
buildings, fewer assistants and lower sala- 
ries. As the circulation is the same and 
requires the services of the same number 
of assistants in both cases, there will ob- 
viously be in the case of the branch li- 
brary a smaller force available for other 
routine work. 

Now to what an extent do these differ- 
ences limit the comparative freedom of 
action of the branch librarian, and how far 
do the agreements permit it. Let us take 
it as granted that it is desirable to give 
the branch librarian as much initiative 
as is consistent with economical adminis- 
tration and satisfactory service to the pub- 
lic. Bearing these facts in mind, it is not 
difficult to come to some general conclu- 
sions with regard to the administration of 
a large system of branches. 

In the first place, the fact that the 
money available for a branch is much less 
than that for an independent city library 



107 



with the same circulation, must involve 
certain economies of cooperative adminis- 
tration. The saving in cataloging and 
accessioning at the general office is con- 
siderable and cannot be ignored. In the 
ordering of books and supplies there is 
even a greater economy in having the 
work done at one place for the entire sys- 
tem, for by this means larger discounts 
may be obtained through the purchase of 
large quantities at one time. However, 
this routine work is not such as affects 
the initiative of the branch librarian to 
any great extent, provided certain essen- 
tials of this work are left largely to her 
discretion. These essentials are first, rec- 
ommendation as to the selection of books 
and supplies, second, the addition in cata- 
loging of certain subject headings such as 
may be in her opinion needed in her 
special branch. In the selection of books 
the branch librarian may not have the 
knowledge possessed by the head of an in- 
dependent library. The former receives 
less salary and has a narrower experience. 
But, knowing her own community with its 
various factories and industries, she 
should be given the initiative as to what 
books should go into her special branch. 
Her recommendations may well be exam- 
ined at the central office, as the recommen- 
dations of the independent librarian are 
examined by his book committee. This is 
the more essential in the case of the 
branch library, as the chief librarian, while 
he may not know the 40 or 50 different 
communities of his city, does have a better 
knowledge of the value of various books 
and editions. The same argument ap- 
plies to additional subject headings. In a 
general book on technology a bibliography 
of steel works management may be worth 
a subject heading in a library near the 
steel mills. The addition of such subject 
headings and the analysis of special arti- 
cles or chapters may well be left to the 
branch librarian, if the headings selected 
by her are approved by the head of the 
cataloging department. It follows, there- 
fore, that although a certain part of the 
routine work must for purposes of econ- 
omy be done in the central office, yet this 



centralization does not necessarily lessen 
the branch librarian's initiative. 

In regard to the personnel, it has been 
found necessary in the larger libraries to 
conduct training classes for embryo libra- 
rians. It is not possible, even if it were 
desirable, for each individual branch with 
its small force to conduct its own school, 
but the apprentices may be given experi- 
ence in various branches, and the branch 
librarian allowed an opportunity to report 
and recommend as to their appointment. 
In the case of an undesirable assistant, 
the branch librarian may have even more 
opportunity for initiative than the inde- 
pendent librarian, for it is far easier for 
the former to transfer an assistant from 
one branch to another than it is for the 
latter to make an absolute dismissal. The 
branch librarian should know the efficiency 
of her various assistants and should be 
encouraged to report upon them to the 
chief librarian. If this be done, her initi- 
ative as to the personnel of her force does 
not compare so unfavorably with other 
librarians and is superior to the privileges 
many librarians enjoy under city civil ser- 
vice rules. 

The reference work is another depart- 
ment which calls for decentralization. 
Each branch should have its own refer- 
ence collection. Although it must of neces- 
sity be smaller than that of the inde- 
pendent library with its larger building 
and greater income, yet it should be suffi- 
cient to answer most of the questions that 
are asked. The remaining inquiries call 
for cooperation. If the information sought 
cannot be given at the branch, the reader 
should be referred to the central build- 
ing or the question should be forwarded to 
the chief reference librarian for investi- 
gation and report. This, however, is not 
so much a case of centralization as of 
cooperation, and would be found to a less 
extent perhaps in our larger libraries. 

The rules and regulations for the public 
must involve some degree of centraliza- 
tion, although even here the initiative of 
the branch librarian may not be necessa- 
rily limited. It is clearly desirable to al- 
low the public to use different branches 



108 



PASADENA CONFERENCE 



if they wish. This involves some uniform- 
ity as to registration, charging systems, 
etc. It also implies uniformity as to cer- 
tain regulations. It will not do to allow 
persons in one branch to take out 5 books 
at one time for 3 months, and in another 
branch a mile away to limit them to one 
book for 2 weeks. This uniformity does 
not imply, however, a central registration 
office. The branch librarian may well be 
given charge of her own registered list of 
patrons, thus keeping in closer touch with 
the people of her community. As the 
librarian makes recommendations to his 
board as to changes of rules, so should the 
branch librarian be encouraged to study 
and recommend any amendments to the 
regulations of her own library. She has 
the further assurance that any improve- 
ment she can propose will benefit not only 
her special branch, but all the branches 
of the city. Thus she may be given a 
great incentive for originality and initi- 
ative. 

So far, I have attempted to show that 
the opportunities for initiative of a branch 
librarian do not necessarily compare unfa- 
vorably with those of the independent li- 
brarian. While a certain portion of the 
routine work for purposes of economy 
must be done in a central ofiice, yet this 
does not affect necessarily the opportuni- 
ties in branch work, and this centraliza- 
tion may be even a. relief to the individual 
and thus an advantage to the public. Most 
of us will not consider that the decrease 
of routine work lessens our initiative. 

Centralization does not mean uniform- 
ity along all lines. The individuality of 
the branch and the brancli librarian must 
be retained. The branch librarian should 
and must study her community and the 
conditions in her neighborhood which may 
affect her branch, and should make recom- 
mendations embodying her conclusions. 
Different neighborhoods have different 
needs. A duplicate pay collection may be 
an excellent thing in a residential district 
and a total failure in Little Hungary. A 
collection of books in a Fifth Avenue 
branch on How to live on |500 a year 
would he absurd. The branch librarian 



should be given and should feel the re- 
sponsibility for the success or failure of 
her branch. She should make recommen- 
dations to the administrative officers as to 
the selection of books, changes of rules, 
the personnel of her force, and the exten- 
sion of the library's activities within her 
neighborhood, as the independent librarian 
makes his report to his trustees. 

How may the initiative and originality 
of the assistants in a large system of 
branches be encouraged? It is possible to 
foster the spirit of cooperation among the 
branches of a system. Advice and counsel 
should be given in place of direct orders in 
so far as may be possible. The military 
system is not to be commended in library 
work. It is perfectly feasible to discuss 
any proposed changes at the meetings of 
the branch librarians, who should be en- 
couraged to take part in such discussions. 
The assistants should be urged to recom- 
mend at any time possible improvements 
in the library service, and should feel free 
to talk over such recommendations inform- 
ally with those at the head. If this is done 
the originality and interest of the assist- 
ant will not be lost; the decision of every 
small point need not be postponed. It is 
not sufficient to say, the "Work for the 
work's sake." It is the "Work for the pub- 
lic's sake." You all have heard of the 
library assistant who exclaimed when in- 
terrupted in her routine work by a reader: 
"If the public would only let us alone, 
we could get some work done." 

Those of us who may be longing for 
independence should remember that there 
is no such thing as an absolutely independ- 
ent position in library work or any other 
work. Sometimes I think independence 
is what we think the other fellow has and 
the other fellow thinks we have. The 
head of the library has his trustees and 
the city officials, who, with their civil ser- 
vice rules and their inclination to cut our 
budgets, can make more trouble than any 
chief librarian would ever dare to make. 
No one ever accomplished anything by 
thinkin.g continually of the limitations in 
his work and by telling himself that op- 
portunity has knocked and fled, never In 



109 



return. Opportunities are always with us; 
it is for us to see how we can malte the 
best use of them. 

The CHAIRMAN: The discussion of this 
subject will be continued by Miss CLARA 
E. HOWARD of the Carnegie library, 
Pittsburgh, who will speak on 

THE BRANCH LIBRARY AND ITS RE- 
LATION TO THE DISTRICT 

Within the past ten years the duties of 
a branch librarian in Pittsburgh have 
changed. When the branches were first 
opened it was found necessary to keep a 
great many records, but since the running 
machinery is in order, many of the details 
of the organization have been done away 
with. At present the only records kept 
are those which are not obtainable at the 
central library. The branches depend 
upon the central for figures of additions 
and number of volumes in their collec- 
tions, and the central expects from the 
branches only those figures for which the 
branch is responsible. The monthly and 
annual statistical reports of each branch 
are now compiled in the central office 
where they have an adding machine. As 
much routine as possible has been done 
away with and as our books come to us 
already accessioned, shelflisted and cata- 
loged it remains for us only to check our 
orders, file our cards and get our books 
into circulation. 

The object of this change was, first to 
do away with unnecessary duplication of 
work, and secondly to give the branch li- 
brarian more time for field work which is 
much more vital. In some of the funda- 
mental principles a certain amount of uni- 
formity is required, but as the eight branch 
districts in Pittsburgh are so different and 
individual, it is the policy of the library 
to give the branch librarian full power to 
develop the district as she may see fit, so 
long as she keeps within her appropria- 
tion and the general policy of the library 
system. She has no limits except the phy- 
sical ones, the size of her building and 
staff. She is made to feel that the library 
uoard and the librarian particularly are in 



sympathy with what she is trying to do, 
and that she has their hearty cooperation. 
She becomes a part of the community in 
which she works, and is vitally interested 
in all its activities. In this respect a 
branch library closely resembles a library 
in a small community. 

The Wylie Avenue Branch is situated in 
the heart of what is known as the "Hill 
District." At one time this was a very 
well-to-do part of Pittsburgh with sub- 
stantial and well built homes, but for the 
most part this better class of people, the 
old families and even the lower middle 
class have left the district, and their 
places have been taken by foreigners and 
negroes. The homes were originally built 
for one or two families, but they have 
been changed to such an extent that we 
now find five or six families occupying the 
same building. Many of the parlors have 
been turned into storerooms and here we 
find tailors, grocers, butchers, bakers and 
toby-makers who make up the trades peo- 
ple of the neighborhood. The entire neigh- 
berhood is badly congested, and it is a com- 
mon occurrence for a family to move five 
or six times a year in their efforts to find 
more livable quarters. 

The nationalities represented at the 
branch are American, English, Jewish, Rus- 
sian, German, Austrian, Italian, Roumani- 
an, Hungarian, French, Negro, Scotch, and 
Irish. The district is essentially Jewish, 
but the people are divided into groups of 
German Jews, Russian Jews and Rouma- 
nian Jews, so there is a lack of community 
life and community interest. Few women 
among the foreigners use the library. 
Either they are suspicious of all reading 
on account of the years of oppression in 
their native land, or they have very little 
time from their household drudgery or 
they do not know how to read. The for- 
eign men seem more anxious to get books 
In their native languages and read con- 
stantly. The library has been working to 
get a good collection of books in the for- 
eign languages, as they are now looked 
upon as a means of establishing a home 
feeling in a new country where the for- 
eigner can be brought into a sympathetic 



no 



PASADENA CONFEREXCE 



understanciing of our lite and institutions. 
The public school looks after the children 
of the aliens, but the parents land in Amer- 
ica when they are beyond the age of the 
elementary school and very often the only 
way they can learn is through unpleasant 
experiences. Books which tell the parent 
that it is against the law to send his child 
to work before he is fourteen, what the 
taxes are for and where they go, where to 
get naturalization papers and questions of 
similar nature save the foreigner a great 
deal of embarrassment at times and ren- 
der him a service which he does not soon 
forget. It is really marvelous how readily 
the foreigners do assimilate. They are 
quick to learn and many times their ef- 
forts to secure an education after they are 
advanced in years is pathetic. They want 
to learn English and will even ask for a 
copy of the alphabet that they may learn 
to read and write at home. Primers, first 
and second readers are in constant demand 
by the parents, and the library buys all the 
so-called "Helps to Foreigners" that can 
be procured. 

One of the most important agencies of 
the district is of course the public school. 
Regular visits are planned in the fall when 
the schools are well started to meet the 
principal and new teachers, to tell them 
about the library and its catalogs especi- 
ally The Children's Catalog and Graded 
List of Books for use in the schools, the 
picture collection and the books on the 
Teachers' Reading Circle list. Our plan 
of cooperation is explained and the teach- 
ers are usually most cordial. One of the 
strongest points that we try to make is 
to get the teachers to notify us in advance 
if they are to assign a special topic for 
composition work or outside reading so 
that we may have the material looked up 
before the children come in for it. If the 
principal is willing, and usually she is most 
anxious for us to visit the different rooms, 
we tell the children about the library, how 
they may get cards to take books home 
and that the library has many books which 
their fathers and mothers might like. An 
announcement is also made at this time 
of the story hours for the little children 



and the older boys and girls. If requested 
to do so, we tell stories in the different 
rooms. In my own district we visit the 
schools only once a year, as each visit 
brings in such overwhelming results that 
we cannot take care of all who con^e. We 
also feel that we might wear out our wel- 
come if we visited more often. Friendly 
visits are made at other times, however, to 
see the work of the school. 

An arrangement is also made whenever 
possible with the two high schools in the 
district to enable us to have the material 
looked up and reserved before the demand 
comes. 

A very progressive night school is also 
conducted in one of our schools, designed 
especially to meet the needs of foreigners. 
The enrollment is 1,200 and 29 nationalities 
are represented. Old men and women, 
husbands and wives and half-grown chil- 
dren eager to learn take advantage of 
every opportunity. A great many of the 
teachers are regular borrowers at the 
branch and have asked for cooperation 
with their evening classes. Debates, reci- 
tations and questions in civics are looked 
up for them and a list of good books for 
foreigners to read after they have reached 
a certain degree of proficiency in E^nglish 
is about to be prepared. 

There are two large and very active 
social settlements in the districts. Kings- 
ley House conducts many classes in gym- 
nasium work, basketry and bead work, 
sewing, dressmaking, typewriting and 
stenography, telegraphy, domestic science, 
manual training, weaving and dancing and 
the library is constantly called upon for 
books along these lines. Just now the resi- 
dents are making their plans to open their 
summer home, about twenty miles in the 
country, where they entertain parties of 
250 for two weeks at a time from the 
poorer districts of the city from June to 
October, besides many hundreds of visi- 
tors who go for one day only. The in- 
structor in manual training is having the 
boys make kites, stilts and bird houses 
and such things that will be used in the 
country, and the library was asked to fur- 
nish patterns and designs for this work. 



Ill 



We are also going to furnish a case of 
books about insects, birds, flowers and 
trees and a general collection of books 
for the children and mothers for use dur- 
ing their stay at the summer home. 

The other settlement is Jewish entirely 
and much of the class work is among for- 
eigners who have recently come to the 
city. The Jewish children are very preco- 
cious and much of the work done for them 
is along the line of debating clubs and lit- 
erary societies. This settlement has a 
large reading room for the use of the mem- 
bers, but for the most part the collection 
consists of books for recreation so that 
practically all of the reference work for 
the clubs is done at the branch. 

In this connection I may mention a se- 
rious defect of the branch library system 
and that is the lack of a Poole set of mag- 
azines kept at the branch. It is out of 
the question to buy a complete set even 
were there room at each branch to store 
it. The borrowers usually want the informa- 
tion right away and are unwilling to pay 
the car fare necessary to get to the cen- 
tral library, nor do they want to wait until 
the messenger can bring it. At present we 
have messenger service three times a 
week, but we hope some day to have a 
daily messenger and this will in a way 
alleviate this difficulty. We have esti- 
mated for this for several years, but the 
final appropriation has not warranted it. 

Each of the settlements has one or two 
friendly visitors and nurses with whom we 
cooperate. If children come to the library 
and we think they need attention or medi- 
cal aid we find out which settlement they 
attend and ask the nurse of that settle- 
ment to look after them. If not a member 
of either settlement we refer all Jewish 
cases to one and the rest to the other set- 
tlement. 

We are occasionally called upon to look 
after some of the proteges of the Juvenile 
Court who are released upon probation. 
They are allowed to come to the library 
for books and the assistants at the branch 
make a special effort to see that they get 
the proper sort of books. 

A children's librarian is occasionally sent 



down to the Temporary Home for Children 
to tell stories and the matron has at times 
brought the children to the regular branch 
for story hour. 

The Boy Scout movement has recently 
developed in Pittsburgh and within the 
neighborhood there are several patrols al- 
ready established. This gives rise to the 
demand tor Boy Scout books and also 
books on allied subjects such as camp-life, 
fishing and hunting. 

Besides the foreigners in the Hill Dis- 
trict there is also a large colored popula- 
tion. Very little is done for them in the 
city. While the settlements do not actu- 
ally bar their doors against them the ne- 
groes do not feel free to avail themselves 
of the privileges. The playground of the 
district admits them because it is more or 
less a city institution, but they have found 
that separate classes for them is the best 
plan. 

The library conducts a study club for 
colored women. The work taken up is 
literary in character and prominent men 
and women, both colored and white, have 
given their services for an evening's enter- 
tainment. For the basis of good work 
the club membership is limited to 
twenty-five, and all vacancies are filled 
from a waiting list. The members are 
the better class negroes, and most of the 
young women are employed in some kind 
of work, such as hair-dressing, dressmak- 
ing, stenography or general office work. 
While most of the members come from the 
district aroimd the branch a few are from 
the surrounding suburbs. The club is 
looked upon as one of the social organiza- 
tions of the city, its meetings are an- 
nounced from the pulpits, and at the an- 
nual open meeting there is usually a very 
representative negro audience. A list of 
books of interest to colored people was at 
one time sent to the local colored news- 
paper and this list has appeared weekly 
with the call number of the books. There 
was also an editorial urging the men and 
women to become familiar with the books 
which were to be found in the library. 

So far I have spoken only of the work 
that has been accomplished at the Wylie 



112 



PASADENA CONFERENCE 



Avenue Branch. We feel that very little 
has been done to advertise the library be- 
cause we have been handicapped by the 
size of our building and staff. The great- 
est problem has been to handle effectively 
the crowds that come of their own accord, 
for during the busy months our attendance 
is often over two thousand a day. We are 
looking forward to the time when our 
building can be enlarged, when we can 
take a more active interest in the district 
working especially through the toby-facto- 
ries. 

The other branches in the city have 
worked along different lines. The West 
End Branch has reached good results 
through several clubs conducted by the 
branch. South Side, which is in a great 
mill district, has found it advisable to open 
the branch as a social meeting-place for 
the men, and very crude quarters are pro- 
vided for them in the basement, where 
they may smoke if they wish. In the 
Homewood district the Board of Trade has 
been very much interested in the branch 
and its work, and there has been active 
cooperation with the Homewood Civic 
Club. The East Liberty Branch has co- 
operated with the local Board of Trade 
of that district and one of the strongest 
allies has been the churches. Mothers' 
meetings have also been a potent factor. 

The problems of the branches are so 
many and so diversified that once a week 
the branch librarians meet with the super- 
intendent of adult circulation to talk them 
over and make such recommendations as 
seem feasible. This meeting follows the 
regular weekly book order meeting. Once 
a month a meeting is held of all leading 
department assistants who can be spared 
and still keep the branches running. At 
this time there are usually one or two 
speakers from outside the field and one 
speaker from the library staff who tells of 
the special work she is trying to do. 
These meetings are planned to keep the 
assistants in touch with what is going on 
in their own library and round about them. 

The CHAIRMAN: The subject of branch 
libraries has been rarely treated in the 
programs of tie Association and is certain- 



ly one of the live questions, because I 
recollect reading, within the last two or 
three months, such very opposite opinions 
on the question of the use of our small 
parks for branches, as that of Chicago, 
which is enthusiastic over it, and that of 
Boston, which repudiates it entirely. The 
Association might well have a most inter- 
esting discussion following this paper, yet 
I feel obliged to remind the Association 
that they were very dilatory in assembling 
and there remains no time for such discus- 
sion. We are to have the pleasure of hear- 
ing an address on "The 'Eternal Or' of 
the librarian," from Mr. FRANCIS F. 
BROWNE, editor of "The Dial." I don't 
think that in an assemblage of librarians 
it is necessary for the chairman to refer 
to the position of "The Dial" as a literary 
paper. I need only recall the remark of a 
Bostonian of the Bostonians, the late Dr. 
William Everett, when he suggested that 
he would consider it a greater honor to 
write for "The Dial" than for the New York 
"Nation." More than that cannot be said. 

THE ETERNAL "OR" OF THE 
LIBRARIAN 

It could hardly be without a savor of 
presumption that one quite outside the 
field of practical library work should ven- 
ture to address a great body of experi- 
enced librarians on matters pertaining to 
any phase of library administration. 
Something of the disdain with which 
Othello spoke of one who "never set a 
squadron in the field, nor the division of 
a battle knows" might well be aroused 
among librarians at the pretense of in- 
struction from one whose practical knowl- 
edge of library work is almost nil — who 
never set a book-stack in its place, nor 
knows the divisions of the Decimal Clas- 
sification. But as libraries are made of 
books, and the collecting and dispensing 
of these is the chief end and aim of the 
librarian's life, there may be points of 
interest between him and one whose work, 
in quite a different way, has been con- 
cerned with books, — who, like the libra- 
rian, has lived his life among them; 



113 



who has written them, edited them, print- 
ed them, published them; who, most of 
all, has been engaged in attempts at es- 
timating them, trying to form a judgment 
of their rank and value, not only in 
cold and formal print, but often in 
a prior stage of their existence, before 
they were printed, with many aspiring 
manuscripts that were destined never to 
be books at all; who has always been 
glad to praise them when he could, sori-y 
to blame them when he must, and anxious 
chiefly to arrive as nearly as might be at 
a just and fair appraisal of their worth. 
And here, it would seem, might perhaps 
be found matters of common interest re- 
garding books, and topics bearing upon the 
work and problems of librarians. 

From the title of this paper one may sur- 
mise that it refers to what is oftentimes 
the most vexing problem of the librarian's 
professional life — the problem of book se- 
lection. The problem is ever present and 
ever pressing. Every new book that is 
presented or announced flings at them its 
disturbing challenge. The average library 
can buy comparatively few of all the 
books that are offered, and but few of 
those the librarian would really like to buy. 
Which shall it be?— This? or That? or 
T'other? Ever the Eternal "or," and ever 
the necessity of choosing. The problem is 
a doubly complex one, since every choice 
of a book for purchase involves the rejec- 
tion of others perhaps equally desirable. 
This rejection, indeed, is often the most 
trying part of the affair, since it seems to 
affix to many excellent books the stamp of 
the librarian's disapproval. His position 
is much like that of the boarding-house 
guest who, when his landlady sounded him 
as to his preferences with respect to pie 
— "mince, custard, apple, rhubarb" — ap- 
preciatively suggested apple and custard, 
only to receive the disconcerting rejoinder, 
'■What have you against the rhubarb and 
the mince?" While the most favored li- 
brarian can hardly hope for such prodi- 
gality of choice as was available to the 
pie-eater, who was granted two selections 
out of every four, yet their defense against 
the charge of unjust discrimination must be 



much the same; they cannot possibly take 
all the pie or all the books that are offered 
them. They must weigh, deliberate, and 
choose. And so to both comes the eter- 
nal "or," the hard necessity of choosing. 
And both must choose wisely — the one in 
peril of his stomach's peace, the other in 
peril of peace with his Directors, and with 
the Anxious Reader who is keenly disap- 
pointed if be does not find the special book 
he long has sought and mourns because he 
finds it not. The librarian might well take 
to heart a paraphrase of Carlyle's words 
from Goethe — 

Scan all the Book Lists — 

Study their pages 

Of bo6ks of all ages — 

Then hear the Voices: 

Choose well, your choice is 

Brief and yet endless. 
Brief indeed is the time for choosing, and 
endless are its consequences for the good 
or ill of the library, and possibly of the 
librarian. A consideration of some of the 
aids to this choosing process — to answer- 
ing the challenge of this "Eternal OR" — 
may justify the few minutes' attention 
called for by a brief discussion of the sub- 
ject in some of its more obvious phases. 

The problem of book-buying is obviously 
one of far greater difficulty for a librarian 
than for a private buyer. Not only is it 
harder for a conscientious person to spend 
another's money than to spend his own, 
but the considerations involved in the se- 
lection are vastly more complex. The pri- 
vate buyer, especially one with ample 
means, may buy what best suits his fancy 
or his needs, vt-ithout fear of being called 
to account by any one; if he makes mis- 
takes, it is his own affair, involving a 
loss which may be no serious matter to 
him. Or if his ability to buy books is lim- 
ited, he simplifies the problem by confining 
his selections chiefly to his favorite field 
of study or amusement; and thus his 
range of choice is comfortably narrowed. 
But the librarian must not only take the 
responsibility of making purchases for 
other people — he must distribute his pur- 
chases as judiciously as he can through 
all realms and provinces of literature. 



114 



PASADENA CONFERENCE 



Not ouly must his quest extend to the gen- 
eral fields of science, history, or philoso- 
phy, where tests of scholarship and knowl- 
edge may be more definitely applied and 
the judgment of experts be available for 
his guidance, but he must be alive to the 
claims of special works in the newer and 
more novel fields of research or specula- 
tion where the attempts to keep up with 
what is really new and vital, while at the 
same time shunning what is freakish and 
unworthy, may well bewilder him and 
make him wish there were no such things 
as "advanced thought" or any further "ex- 
tension of the boundaries of knowledge." 
Biography and memoirs and -'light essays" 
are perhaps less difficult — the name of the 
subject and of the writer being sufficient 
for at least a clue to the importance and 
interest of a book. 

It is In the fields of fancy and imagina- 
tion, however, that the task of selection is 
undoubtedly hardest — the books which ap- 
peal to the larger number of readers, and 
the ones in which the range in merit from 
worst to best is greatest. The most diffi- 
cult problem of all is probably the New 
Novel. Happy is the librarian who has a 
real book committee to take or share the 
responsibility In this field. Without this 
aid, he must seek light and guidance from 
whatever source he may. Perhaps he 
tries — often vainly — to read some of the 
newer books himself; or a member of the 
board may be willing to give the library 
the benefit of his literary zeal and knowl- 
edge; or friends of the librarian will re- 
port their impressions of a book — some- 
times in too diffuse a manner to be of 
much practical service, sometimes with 
the cryptic but expressive formula "n. g." 
— a formula hardly to be commended as 
a model of literary criticism, but having 
at least the advantage of deflniteness and 
brevity. 

In any event, not even the most catholic- 
minded and Impartial of librarians can 
succeed in satisfying all classes of readers. 
Any general approval of his selections he 
need hardly hope for; expressions of dis- 
approval are much more likely to be 
heard. The reader of fiction who is impa- 



tient for the latest if not the most sensa- 
tional novel is scornful at seeing good li- 
brary money spent for "poky old books" 
on religion and philosophy; while the 
reader of "solid literature" is pained to see 
the concessions made to the perverted 
tastes of readers of "silly novels." All 
these classes have their rights in the li- 
brary, and a right to the expression of 
their opinions. The librarian is a servant 
of the people, who are really his employ- 
ers. He is a literary caterer, whose busi- 
ness it is to find out what the public — 
his public — want, and to supply this want, 
within reasonable limits, to the best of his 
ability and resources. His business in 
buying books is to buy the best of those 
that are offered; not merely those that are 
best in themselves, or best for him, but 
those that are best for his library and his 
public — those that will give the most sat- 
isfaction and the most profit to the com- 
munity that supports the library and him. 
This does not mean that he is not to direct 
readers and raise the standards of taste 
whenever he can; he should try to lead 
and guide in the right direction — but he 
should not be too keen to officiate as guide, 
nor keep so far ahead as to be out of 
sight of the procession. 

It is time to narrow the discussion to 
what was intended to be its main topic — 
the printed aids available to the librarian 
in his task of book selection. In this, as 
in what has already been said, reference 
Is had chiefly to the average-sized public 
library, in which the task falls heavily 
upon the librarian, who must keep its re- 
quirements continually before him. And 
by "him" is of course meant always, and 
in a large sense, also her— the estimable 
and cultivated woman who has found a 
useful and honorable place in the ranks of 
library workers, as her presence adorns 
and her influence stimulates the national 
conferences of librarians. These printed 
aids are so varied and numerous that their 
very abundance may be an obstacle to 
their usefulness. They begin to appear 
before a book is born; they proclaim its 
advent, they accompany its birth, they at- 
tend the various processes of its introduc- 



115 



tion to the public and of finding its proper 
place and rank in the literary world. 
Sometimes they continue after it is dead; 
occasionally a belated review appears of a 
book so long in peaceful desuetude that no 
one remembers that it ever lived. Libra- 
rians must sometimes be wearily amused at 
reading enthusiastic laudations of "epoch- 
making" books that have long existed in 
their consciousness only as unvenerated 
■plugs." 

The multiplicity and variety of these 
printed aids to book selection, with the diffi- 
culty that must be found in trying to keep 
track of them, suggests the query — if even 
a query may be ventured by an outsider on 
so practical a detail of library work and 
method — the query whether some practi- 
cable means might not be found tor a more 
systematic handling of this material; for 
classifying it, and keeping it in some 
simple and orderly arrangement. Possi- 
bly some such methods are already used 
by librarians — indeed, I have learned of 
two or three libraries in which they are 
used, but for more special purposes; and 
it may be that a system could be devised 
more general in character and suited to a 
larger number of libraries. The details of 
sucli a plan would of course have to 
be carefully worked out, and be matter for 
study and experiment. For purposes of 
illustration, it might be supposed that a 
librarian has a lot of convenient small hold- 
ers or envelopes — whatever form is sim- 
plest and cheapest — each endorsed with 
the title of a new book, starting with some 
printed item when it is first announced — • 
when, like a new planet it "swims into his 
ken." These announcements could be 
made up, to some extent, from the circu- 
lars and advertisements of publishers; but 
these have the disadvantage of not being 
at all uniform in style, and they are often 
indefinite as to the character of a book, and 
incomplete. Better results would doubt- 
less be had by taking the regular advance 
announcement lists given by some of the 
leading literary journals preceding the reg 
ular spring and fall publishing seasons. 
The best of these lists are systematically 
and accurately prepared, with uniform 



style of entry, classification showing kind 
of book, title, name of author and pub- 
lisher, illustrations if any, size and price; 
and as the lists are substantially comiilete, 
they afford a survey of all the forthcoming 
American books, and reprints of English 
books, that are likely to appear between 
one list and its successor. The cutting of 
these lists into slips and distributing them 
into their holders might be the first step 
toward this "working bibliography," a 
foundation on which to build. It will prob- 
ably be objected that such an apparatus 
would be too complicated and expensive — • 
far beyond the dreams of avarice of the 
average librarian; but we are not now con- 
sidering that part of the matter — rather, 
trying to see what results it might lead to. 
Into each packet might go, from time to 
time, items of information as to when the 
book was to appear; printed items of in- 
terest regarding it, or indicating its im- 
portance; clippings from the better class 
of trade lists and bulletins of new books; 
or any pencilled memoranda that might be 
worth making and saving. In a word, the 
packet would become the repository of 
compact and easily accessible information 
about that particular book; and it might 
perhaps contain also more private pencil 
jottings, such as "Mrs. Jones asks for 
this," "Dr. Pundit praises this author," 
"Miss Squeems thinks this is horrid," and 
similar illuminating intimations for the li- 
brarian's quiet hour. The result would be 
a collection of what might be called foun- 
dation knowledge about new books, in 
which each book could be considered by 
itself, without the confusion of impres- 
sions resulting from attempts to use the 
same material unassorted and in the mass. 
The librarian and assistants would at least 
know that a certain book was coming, and 
in a general way what sort of book it was 
to be; and the sometimes mortifying effect 
of the too ingenuous answer to an inquiring 
reader, "Never heard of it," would largely 
disappear. New information could be 
added at any time, and inquiries quickly 
answered by turning to these Easy Ref- 
erence I?nvelopes, which might appropri- 
ately be endorsed "Inquire within for what- 



116 



PASADENA CONFERENCE 



ever is now kuowu" about the particular 
book referred to. After a book was bought, 
the envelopes, permanently preserved, 
vvould show at a glance why the purchase 
was made, should it be found a question- 
able one. All this is suggested very ten- 
tatively, and with the thought that a 
consideration of it might possibly lead to 
the working out of some practicable meth- 
od for the plan desired — If desired it 
should prove to be. It might at least be 
better than carrying about unassorted and 
unassimilated material in the vest-pockets 
of men, or the shirt-waists or sleeves or 
whatever corresponds to pockets in the 
affairs of women. 

Our consideration of the general subject 
of printed aids to book selection brings us 
now to the most important part of all, and 
the most dilTicult to consider within due 
limits of time and space. This is the matter 
embraced under the general term of " Opin- 
ions," — including "book reviewing" or "no- 
ticing," "book booming" or "puffing," and 
other minor categories. Into the great field 
of literary criticism in general it is not 
intended here to go. The principles of lit- 
erary criticism are matters not for a para- 
graph in a brief address, but for a book or 
an extended and finished essay; and these 
are presumably as familiar to librarians as 
to other classes of cultivated readers. 
What most concerns the librarian as book- 
buyer is the practical appraisal of books 
— something which will aid him most in 
grappling with the problem of the "Eternal 
OR" with which this paper was begun. In 
this appraisal, as practiced in literary Jour- 
nalism, comes first what is known as the 
"Review," and next what is usually called 
the "Notice." The terms are rather loosely 
used; indeed, the one Is often only a 
briefer form of the other. The "Review" 
is more extended, and goes more deliber- 
ately into a description of the book, with 
a more careful consideration of its merits 
and defects; the "notice" is usually con- 
fined to description mainly — though in 
cases where approval or condemnation 
may be safely and unqualifiedly expressed, 
this is often done tersely and emphatic- 
ally; and the value of the opinion, unsup- 



ported by the citations or evidence that 
would be expected in a long review, will 
depend on the character of the journal or 
of the writer. Librarians of experience 
and insight learn how to judge literary crit- 
ics and literary journals, and what weight 
to give their opinions. The ideal apprais- 
al of a book, for the purposes of a libra- 
rian, would be somewhat like the analysis 
of a chemist, formulated in the verdict. 
"Here is what you gave me; here is what 
I find it to contain," signed ''Helmholtz, 
Chemist," or "Hazlitt, Literary Apprais- 
er." But such short-cut processes as are 
possible for insensate matter can hardly 
be applied to that living thing, that some- 
thing next to the human soul, a Book. Its 
qualities are too subtle and refined, its 
substance too ethereal, to be weighed in 
any chemist's scales; a higher alchemy 
and a clearer vision are needed to dis- 
cern spiritual facts and forces and expound 
their meaning and effect. 

In one respect, it is true, the really au- 
thoritative book review should resemble a 
chemical analysis: it should be the product 
of an expert, and bear the warrant of his 
name — the reputable historical scholar for 
the new book in the field of history, the biol- 
ogist for new researches into the origin and 
mystery of life, the geologist for geology, 
and so on down the list. Of course this 
method of treating books in the domain 
of exact knowledge, of science properly 
so-called, will not apply to books of a very 
different class — to poetry and fiction and 
some other categories whose appeal is to 
the taste and judgment and experience of 
readers, rather than to exact knowledge or 
established principles of science. In 
these cases, so long as taste is something 
not to be disputed about, opinions must 
continually differ. The most we can rea- 
sonably ask is that criticism in these fields 
shall represent a taste that is cultivated, 
and that rests upon such canons of liter- 
ary art as may fairly be called established 
It may also properly be required of all 
reviews in serious literary journals that 
they be intelligent and impartial, without 
predisposition either to praise or blame, 
but only to be just; they should be instruc- 



BROWNE 



117 



tive and informing to the reader; they 
should be interesting, or as interesting as 
the subject may reasonably allow; they 
should be appreciative and sympathetic 
rather than destructive and severe, not 
savage for the sake of appearing smart. 
They should above all be honest — as free 
from the suspicion of dishonesty as a li- 
brarian must be above the suspicion of 
stealing the books entrusted to his care. 
Indeed, the literary editor or reviewer who 
would praise books dishonestly, for per- 
sonal gain, is worse than the librarian who 
would steal them; the latter may cause his 
library the loss of a single book, while the 
former may cause a hundred libraries to 
be loaded with a worthless one. An editor 
is responsible for the honesty of his re- 
viewers, but not for their opinions when 
honestly given. He must leave their judg- 
ment free and untrammelled; if they prove 
unworthy of his confidence, he will soon 
drop them. "Tell us exactly what you 
think of this book — its merits and defects, 
and all about it that you think worth 
while," are the instructions, expressed or 
understood, sent out with every book that 
goes to a reviewer from the editor of any 
literary journal worthy of the name. Even 
such details as the amount of space to be 
given a book are left largely to the re- 
viewer, to be decided after examination, 
according to his judgment of the book's 
importance. The competent and experi- 
enced reviewer will rightly expect reason- 
able latitude in such matters; and he will 
rightly expect also freedom from editorial 
interference with his opinions and conclu- 
sions. With this freedom and confidence 
goes also the assumption of the good faith 
and fairness of the reviewer. He must 
write with a full sense of his responsibil- 
ity; he must not say things he is not pre- 
pared to stand by; and he must be per- 
sonally disinterested. Reviewers who. 
whatever their other qualifications, make 
their reviews occasions for "log-rolling" for 
friends or "getting even" with enemies 
quickly find themselves undesired by the 
discerning editor. This matter of honesty 
i.s not only one of conscience — it is essen- 
tial to the very existence of a literary jour- 



nal on any high and worthy plane. The 
whole success of such a journal is based 
on its reputation for honesty and fairness; 
its obligation is always to its readers, and 
its chief value is given by the hold it has 
on their esteem. A journal with influence 
and standing in the literary world could 
find no shorter road to suicide than by for- 
feiting the confidence of its readers by sor- 
did methods and unworthy aims. It is 
sometimes fancied that advertisers — pub- 
lishers of books — exert a pressure upon 
literary journals adverse to their literary 
independence. This would mean that the 
publishers — who are usually intelligent 
men — would try to destroy the one thing 
that gives a journal influence with its read- 
ers and its chief value for their advertise- 
ments; and publishers worthy of the name 
have not only too much self-respect and 
decency, but too much shrewdness for 
such a course. The hold a journal has on 
its readers is the very cause of their ad- 
vertising in its columns; otherwise they 
would do their advertising in papers of a 
different class but of far greater circula- 
tion. 

The misconceptions that sometimes pre- 
vail regarding the relations between book 
publishers and literary journals are not 
only unfounded, but do great injustice to 
a high-minded and honorable class of busi- 
ness men. The notion that publishers dis- 
pense advertisements to literary journals 
in consideration of their books being 
I)raised in their columns is too absurd to 
be treated seriously. If it be permissible 
to illustrate by personal evidence, it might 
be added that in an experience of thirty 
years in the conduct of a literary journal 
I do not recall an instance of an attempt 
io exercise an unworthy influence upon the 
review of a book by considerations of adver- 
tising patronage, from a house of estab- 
lished high standing in the publishing 
world. From houses of a different class, 
such attempts have sometimes been made, 
one of which may be permitted to enliven 
this discussion. A review of a certain 
book — a very favorable one, as it hap- 
pened — had been put in type and was 
awaiting publication, when a communica- 



118 



PASADENA CONFERENCE 



tion was received from the publishers of 
the book, enclosing a generous advertise- 
ment of it, to be published on condition 
that a "favorable review" of the book be 
given in the same issue. The only result 
was that the proof of the review was 
quickly cancelled, and it never saw the 
light of print. Aside from this misconcep- 
tion of the relations between book publish- 
ers and critical journals, the notions re- 
ferred to involve a conception of the rela- 
tions between editor and reviewer which 
is, to say the least, naive. These review- 
ers are scholars, often university profes- 
sors, scattered throughout the country 
from the Atlantic to the Pacific; and they 
neither know nor care whether the book 
they are reviewing ever has been or ever 
will be advertised in the journal for which 
they write. They have no more to do with 
the advertising columns of a journal be- 
cause they write for it than librarians 
have because they subscribe for it. 

Some interesting comments have lately 
been made by a competent observer (Miss 
Helen E. Haines) on the decline of book- 
reviewing in this country. If by this term 
Is meant the old-fashioned literary essay 
with some notable book serving as a text 
— the method used so cleverly by Macau- 
lay and Jeffrey in England, and by Ripley 
and Whipple and Lowell here — the state- 
ment is doubtless true. One explanation 
may probably be found in the decline of 
the literary essay; another in the immense 
increase in book-production, and in the de- 
mand of the book-reading public, not so 
much for elaborate essays on a few books 
as for information and appraisals on a 
large number of them. It is obviously im- 
possible for any literary journal to give 
extended reviews of all the books that 
might be thought deserving of such treat- 
ment; their number is far too great. In 
spite of the comparatively small number of 
extended critical reviews now published, 
there probably never was a time w'hen so 
much attention was given to books by the 
newspapers as now. Twenty years ago, 
the "literary department" or "supplement" 
was a feature of but a few of the larger 
dailies; now most dailies in the larger cit- 



ies make at least a pretense to a "literary 
supplement" which, while often having no 
great literary importance, at least attests 
the increasing volume of new books and 
the growth of interest in them. Authori- 
tative critical opinions are not usually 
looked for from such sources; but they 
may perform a certain service in the diffu- 
sion of literary news to the general public. 

Mention of the literary features of the 
daily press brings us back to the libra- 
rian's needs in the appraisal of books, and 
to the scheme of 'Easy Reference Envel- 
opes" suggested for his assistance — or his 
distraction, as the fact might prove. We 
left him at the point where he had accum 
ulated classified items of information about 
new or forthcoming books; and in some 
cases his order lists would now contain 
entries made up from these details, of 
books approved for purchase. But the 
most important part of his printed aids is 
ypt to reach him — the printed opinions 
whose character and varieties have led to 
a somewhat wandering survey of their 
quality and modes. The items and quota- 
tions sent by publishers would now begin 
to come in, with the short notices and ref- 
erences by the daily press; the clippings 
would increase rapidly, to be sorted and 
placed in their appropriate envelopes, 
ready to receive them. Then would come 
the more extended and searching reviews, 
and the longer and better notices. When 
these were too bulky to go into the envel- 
opes, or the journals containing them 
could not be cut into, short extracts could 
be copied on slips of paper giving the gist 
of opinions from the more authoritative 
sources. Some important aids would come 
later — such as the practical if necessarily 
belated "A. L. A. Lists, " the "Book Review 
Digest," and others whose handy use is 
known to all librarians. 

The suggestion of a possible method for 
handling material regarding new books is 
of course but an incident — a by-product, as 
it were — in the discussion of the main 
topic of the nature and value of printed 
aids to the librarian in his task of book- 
selection. How best to use these aids 
must be a not unimportant problem in li- 



119 



brary admiuistration. The objections to 
such a plan as has been outlined are ob- 
vious: the hard-working librarian and his 
staff might well complain of this addi- 
tional burden; they already have more 
woric than tliey can keep up with, and 
have little time or strength (or new and 
untried things while they are well-nigh 
submerged with the old ones. 

"Like children bathing on the shore. 
Buried a wave beneath, 
The second wave succeeds before 
They have had time to breathe." 

But, still, "their fate is the common fate 
of all"; in an age of stress and hurry, libra- 
rians, like other busy people, must feel the 
strain. Many things must be neglected — 
short-cuts are inevitable. Whether what 
has been suggested, or something that 
might be worked out from the first rude 
outline, might prove a short-cut and an 
aid in an important branch of library 
work, may possibly be worth considering. 
Next to solving problems, perhaps the 
most useful thing we can do is to state or 
re-state them. There is no ready solu- 
tion of all the problems of books, or of 
other problems; and to the librarian, as to 
other mortals, life will doubtless continue 
to present itself largely in terms of an 
"Eternal OR." 

The CHAIRMAN: On behalf of the Asso- 
ciation, Mr. Browne, I thank you for your 
very interesting and suggestive address. 
Ladies and gentlemen, I said suggestive be- 
cause I do think that while Mr. Browne has 
noted the difficulty of our taking more 
work on ourselves, yet we ought to have in 
mind the possibilities of doing exactly such 
work as he has outlined, through our cen- 
tral organization. You see, I am like Cato, 
though Instead of saying on all occasions, 
"Carthage must be destroyed," I say, 
"Headquarters must be enlarged." 

I will call on Mr. J. T. JENNINGS, of 
the Seattle public library, to speak to us on 
the subject 

MUNICIPAL CIVIL SERVICE AS AF- 
FECTING LIBRARIES 

In searching for the beginnings of civil 
service reform or the application of the 



merit system, we find that while the ma- 
jority of the appointments to the civil ser- 
vice in the British Empire previous to 1855 
were made by nomination, still in some of 
the government departments in England 
examinations as a test for appointment had 
been in use since 1834. By 1870 the prin- 
ciple of open competition had been estab- 
lished there as a general rule. 

It was the intention of the founders of 
the American government that the tenure 
of office in the government employ should 
be permanent or at least during good be- 
haviour, and this laudable idea was rigidly 
adhered to during the first forty years in 
the life of the Republic. In 1820, however. 
Congress passed what was called the "Four 
years' tenure of office" act, which opened 
the doors of the service to all the evils of 
the spoils system. This act was suggested 
by an appointing officer, who wished to use 
the power It gave in order to secure his 
own nomination for the presidency, and 
was passed without debate and apparently 
without any conception of its effect. The 
theory that "to the victor belong the 
spoils" was not actually applied, however, 
until 1829, or nine years after the passage 
of the act. In 1836 the four-year rule was 
further extended to include postmasters, 
and it rapidly became the practice to re- 
gard public office not as an agency for the 
transaction of public business, but as a 
tremendous political power or piece of 
party machinery. These corrupting influ- 
ences steadily increased and developed a 
system of spoils and corruption that culmi- 
nated in the assassination of a president. 
The death of Garfield at the hands of a dis- 
gruntled office-seeker undoubtedly gave a 
great impetus to the civil service reform 
movement. The spoils system had previ- 
ously been vigorously opposed in the Sen- 
ate by such men as Clay, Webster, and Cal- 
houn, but the fight was long and hard and 
the sentiment in favor of reform gathered 
force slowly. In 1867 Thomas A. Jenckes 
of Rhode Island made a report to the 
House of Representatives recommending 
the establishment of a merit system. Thi.s 
report was submitted again in 1868. In 
1871 a clause in the general appropriation 



120 



PASADENA CONFERENCE 



bill authorized the President to appoint a 
commission to prescribe rules for admis- 
sion to the civil service. Under this author- 
ity. President Grant named the first civil 
service commission, but this first move- 
ment was entirely suspended in 1875. Two 
years later, in 1877, the Civil Service Re- 
form League was organized and this league 
gave valuable help in bringing about the 
reform. The movement was also ably sup- 
ported by George William Curtis and other 
men of great prominence in public life. 
"Every four years," said Mr. Curtis, "the 
whole machinery of the government is 
pulled to pieces. The country presents a 
most ridiculous, revolting, and dishearten- 
ing spectacle. The business of the nation, 
the legislation of Congress, are subordi- 
nated to distributing the plunder among 
eager partisans." 

The real beginning of civil service in 
this country was made in 1883 when Con- 
gress passed the Pendleton act for the rem- 
edy of the abuse known as the spoils sys- 
tem. This act empowered the President to 
determine from time to time by executive 
order what classes of the public service 
should come under the civil service law. 
The national civil service at first covered 
only 14,000 positions, but its scope has been 
extended by each succeeding president 
uutil it includes at the present time about 
240,000 positions or 60 per cent of the total 
number of government employees. The in- 
auguration of the system at Washington 
has been followed by its adoption in six 
of the states and in about 100 cities, and 
also in Cuba, Porto Rico, and the Philip- 
pines. 

Unlike many of the other prominent re- 
form movements, such as woman suffrage, 
prohibition, popular election of senators, 
and uniform divorce laws, the civil service 
reform movement has steadily gained head- 
way and has at all times had popular sup- 
port. A somewhat significant indication 
of this public support is the fact that what 
was formerly known as "civil service re- 
form" has popularly come to be known by 
the shorter name of "civil service." The 
present sentiment in regard to the move- 
ment is well stated by the Board of Free- 



holders of Kansas City in the following 
words: "Any city in the present state of 
municipal advancement and progress 
which has no provision for civil service is 
as much behind the times as a city with- 
out electric lights, telephones, or street 
cars." The commission form of govern- 
ment now being adopted by so many cities 
usually provides for the selection of em- 
ployees by a civil service system, and there 
is little doubt that the popular support 
given to civil service reform will cause it 
to be adopted sooner or later for all mu- 
nicipalities. 

In view of these facts it is time that we 
as librarians and as the American library 
association should pause to consider the 
advantages and disadvantages of civil ser- 
vice especially as applied to libraries. Is 
it desirable that assistants in our city li- 
braries should be selected by municipal 
civil service commissions? Or to state the 
question in a broader way, what is the 
best and safest method of selecting library 
workers? Is there any better plan than 
that of selection by the civil service com- 
mission? One obvious method of ap- 
proaching the problem would be to ask: 
To what extent has municipal civil ser- 
vice been applied to public libraries? And 
with what result? Are public libraries 
under civil service better or worse than 
libraries not under civil service? Some 
two years ago when investigating this 
question in connection with the Seattle 
public library, which was at that time op- 
erating under a civil service law, we sent 
to .53 different libraries one of those ponder- 
ous communications so heartily welcomed 
by the busy librarian, a questionnaire. 
The 53 libraries to which this list of 25 
questions was sent included all in cities of 
over 100,000 population, as well as all that 
we knew to be under municipal civil ser- 
vice, and a few smaller libraries because 
of their reputation for good management 
or because they were near Seattle. The 
answers sent us in reply to the question- 
naire showed that of the 53 public libraries 
only nine were controlled by municipal 
civil service, 8 of the 9 reported unsatis- 
factory results, although only 4 of the 9 



121 



were under as rigid restrictions as the 
Seattle public library then was. None of 
these nine civil service libraries took high 
rank among libraries. The nine were: Du- 
luth, Chicago, Milwaukee, Los Angeles, Se- 
attle, Everett, New Haven, Syracuse, New 
Orleans. Perhaps I may be pardoned for 
mentioning the names since Seattle is in- 
cluded in the list. 

The general conclusions that may be 
reached, then, from this investigation are 
that civil service has been applied to com- 
paratively few of our public libraries, only 
about 17 per cent, and in these it has not 
been a success. The statement has just 
been made that eight of the nine libraries 
having civil service reported dissatisfaction 
with the plan. I might add that a short 
time after making this Investigation, it 
was my privilege to visit the ninth library 
— the one that had no complaint to offer 
when replying to our questionnaire. The 
assistant who showed me about had been 
employed there 17 years and he explained 
to me that the service in the library was 
much inferior in character and spirit since 
the installation of civil service. Several 
of the nine libraries mentioned were hop- 
ing to substitute internal for municipal 
civil service. The Brooklyn public library 
and the Queens Borough public library, two 
strong institutions, had already made this 
change, and with great joy I may add that 
Seattle has since followed suit. So that in 
Seattle we no longer have to say, ''We are 
nine," but rather, "They are eight." 

A second method of approaching this 
question might well be the reverse of the 
above, that is, of the 53 cities investigated, 
how many have municipal civil service sys- 
tems and of these how many exempt the 
public library from the contyol of such 
system. We find that 28 of the 53 cities 
have civil service commissions and that in 
19 of these 28 the library is exempt. In 
many of these 19 cities, notably Pittsburgh 
and Buffalo, the libraries take high rank. 
From this point of approach, then, we learn 
that the majority of civil service cities 
have considered it advisable to exempt the 
public library and that the results seem to 
justify the exemption. The most notable 



exemption in this countiT is the Library of 
Congress. While civil service is in force in 
most of the departments at Washington, it 
is not applied to the Library of Congress. 
The Librarian of Congress has the author- 
ity to select and employ the best available 
assistants without examination. The ques- 
tion of placing the Library of Congress 
under national civil service was discussed 
at great length by a congressional commit- 
tee in 1897 when that library was thor- 
oughly reorganized and placed in its new 
building. Several prominent librarians 
were called to testify before this commit- 
tee. It was finally decided to leave the 
power of appointment in the hands of the 
Librarian without civil service restrictions. 
The wisdom of that decision has since been 
amply justified. It would be hard to find 
to-day a better managed library or a more 
efficient staff. A few extracts from the 
evidence given at this investigation are 
worth quoting. 

Mr. Spofford, Librarian of Congress, tes- 
tified: "I think that the librarian who is 
responsible tor the results in so great and 
useful an institution should have the selec- 
tion of the means of accomplishing those 
results." 

Melvil Dewey, state librarian of New 
York: "The head of the library should 
have power to dispense with the services 
of any one found incompetent for his place 
and of the people who become mere ma- 
chines and do their work perfunctorily, 
only to get out as soon as their hours are 
over." 

Representative Qulgg asked Mr. Herbert 
Putnam, then librarian at Boston: "Should 
you be willing to have the selection of 
your employees so tar taken out of your 
hands that you were compelled to choose 
from a list of two or three alleged-to-be- 
qualified persons, which list was submitted 
to you by a board of examiners over which 
you had no authority?" 

Mr. Putnam: "I should be willing only 
in place of worse evils, if I saw those to 
exist; I mean greater embarrassments. . . . 
It is much easier to test technical library 
training, library science, than it is to test 
persons of administrative ability. ... I 



122 



PASADENA CONFERENCE 



should say that if the Librarian of Congress 
is absolutely free from political control In 
the selection of his men, if he will not have 
to recommend persons who are forced upon 
him, then it is safe to leave it to him. . . . 
I believe that librarians in general if they 
have the responsibility vested in them . . . 
will not misuse their authority. . . . 

"I believe so much in the centering of 
responsibility and 1 deem it of so much 
advantage that the men that are finally re- 
sponsible should choose their subordinates 
that I would not altogether favor a civil 
service in the selection of the employees in 
the Congressional library." 

Mr. Fletcher, librarian of Amherst Col- 
lege, testified: "I am not prepared to 
recommend a system by which any library 
is brought under any sort of supervision 
from outside iiarties." 

Mr. Harris, Commissioner of Education, 
testified in favor of "efficient clerks, such 
as library schools furnish, because they 
can do more work in a day each than six 
unskilled persons can do." It seems quite 
evident that Mr. Harris had tried both 
kinds. 

Mr. Putnam was afterwards appointed 
Librarian of Congress and had an oppor- 
tunity to put his theories into practice. 
After nine years' experience, he wrote in 
answer to our questions: "During the 
past nine years, political influence has not 
impaired the efficiency of appointments to 
the Library of Congress, although this was 
not protected by the civil service system. 
That it has not done so is due in part to 
patient representation and consistent ac- 
tion by the librarian, but also to the funda- 
mental desire of Congress as a whole to 
promote efficiency in the service. . . . 

■'Applicants quite commonly write to sen- 
ators or representatives asking their influ- 
ence or recommendations, and communica- 
tions are frequently received from sena- 
tors and representatives. They are treated 
as introductions, but see paragraph in red 
at the head of the application form." 

The paragraph which is printed In red at 
the head of this form reads as follows; 
"In view of these requirements, any recom- 
mendations or 'endorsements' of a politi- 



cal nature are not merely unnecessary but 
a disadvantage to the applicant as suggest- 
ing considerations in the appointment not 
recognized by law." 

He also adds: "The decision of the li- 
brarian in dismissal as in appointment Is 
final." 

In the scheme of library service adopted 
by the library board after the Seattle 
library became exempt is the following 
sentence: "Appointments to positions In 
the library service will, so far as possible, 
be based on merit only, and recommenda- 
tions from members of the board of trus- 
tees or the use of influence or pressure of 
any kind to secure an appointment will be 
considered prejudicial to the interests of 
the candidate." The scheme of library 
service, including this sentence, was unani- 
mously adopted by the board. 

Another important instance of the ex- 
emption of libraries is the new civil service 
law in the state of Wisconsin. This law 
was adopted in 1905 and is considered by 
experts as one of the best and most scien- 
tific codes. As stated in the Canadian 
Magazine for April, 1906 — "There are nec- 
essarily certain persons exempt from the 
control of the Wisconsin civil service com- 
mission. These comprise chiefly those se- 
lected by the people, all professors, teach- 
ers and librarians, and heads of the state 
reformatory, charitable and penal institu- 
tions." 

So far as I have been able to ascertain 
the British Museum is not under civil ser- 
vice, although it is practically a depart- 
ment of the government and appointments 
to positions in the English government de- 
partments are usually controlled by civil 
service examinations. 

If now we approach this question from 
still another viewpoint and compare the 
library with other similar institutions, we 
find that the public library is most often 
classed with the public school as an edu- 
cational institution. Every succeeding num- 
ber of the periodical "Public libraries" re- 
minds us that the public library Is an Inte- 
gral part of public education. The justi- 
fication for the support of libraries by pub- 
lic tax is chiefly on the ground that they 



123 



are educational institutions. To what ex- 
tent, then, we may aslj, are teachers se- 
lected by municipal civil service commis- 
sions? I have been unable to discover any 
city in the United States where teachers 
are chosen in that way. In investigating 
this subject we discovered a draft of a 
model civil service law for cities, prepared 
by Elliot H. Goodwin, secretary of the 
National civil service refoi'm league, and 
in this law superintendents, principals, and 
teachers in the school system of the city 
are placed in the unclassified or exempt 
class. This is strong testimony in view of 
the fact that the civil service reform league 
is composed of civil service enthusiasts 
and is usually exerting its efforts to extend 
the scope of the system. 

It is thought that character and person- 
ality are such important qualifications for 
successful teachers that they could not be 
well chosen by competitive examination. 
Also that the schools are so closely in 
touch with the people that there is little 
danger of their coming under political con- 
trol, and further that the schools are under 
the control of non-partisan boards of trus- 
tees, and therefore not in the same danger 
as the single headed city department. 

Every one of these reasons for exempt- 
ing schools applies with equal force to li- 
braries. It is true that every teacher is 
required to hold a state certificate and 
that this certificate is secured by passing 
an examination, but it is a qualifying, not 
a competitive, examination and the plan is 
entirely different from civil service. 

The advantages claimed for civil service 
are: That it prevents appointments 
through political influence; that it selects 
for each position the best qualified candi- 
date; that it promotes continuity of ser- 
vice by protecting employees from removal 
when the administration changes, or for 
insufficient reasons; that it is democratic, 
the opportunity for appointment being 
open to every citizen; and finally that it 
saves the time of the appointing officer. 

On close examination or in actual prac- 
tice many of these claims appear to be not 
well founded. It does, in the majority of 
cases, eliminate politics. This is the main 



purpose of civil service, and the strongest 
argument in its favor. If your library is 
under political control and there is no 
other way out, by all means take the civil 
service route, as it is undoubtedly better 
than the political road. 

There is no question but that the opera- 
tion of the civil service law has greatly im- 
proved the conditions in the government 
departments at Washington and elsewhere 
for such positions as could be fairly well 
filled by competitive examination and 
wliere the only alternative was the spoils 
system. It has produced greater economy 
and efliciency. Many unnecessary posi- 
tions have been abolished. Stability has 
been secured in the service. Superfluous 
positions are no longer desired since it is 
impossible to give such places to favorites. 
Employees are no longer required to con- 
tribute to campaign funds. It is claimed 
that a saving of from 10 per cent to 20 per 
cent in salaries has resulted. 

For these reasons the civil service com- 
missions and the advocates of civil service 
are always trying to extend the scope of its 
application and are constantly on the de- 
fensive to prove that it may be successfully 
applied even to positions requiring expert, 
or technical, or confidential service. By 
executive order in 1909 the President ex- 
tended the service to include the lower 
grades in the diplomatic service. By an- 
other order in 1908 over 15,000 4th class 
postmasters were placed in the competitive 
class. Chemists in the government service 
are now selected by civil service exami- 
nations. The additional clerical force for 
the 13th census was so chosen. In 1910 
assistant postmasters and clerks in first 
and second class postofflces were included. 

In New York Mayor Gayuor has de- 
cided in favor of placing the selection of 
probation officers in the hands of the civil 
service commission. They were formerly 
appointed by a board of judges. 'This 
change has also been made in Buffalo in 
spite of the fact that many students of 
probation claim that the character of the 
work of probation officers demands pecu- 
liar personal qualifications that cannot be 
l)rought out in a competitive examination. 



124 



PASADENA CONFERENCE 



The civil service commissions and advo- 
cates are also constantly making and urg- 
ing changes in the rules to overcome the 
difldculties heretofore supposed to be in- 
herent in the system. One of the most 
important changes was that made last year 
in Chicago where the rules were so amend- 
ed as to provide for efficiency tests and 
records kept up to date in the office of the 
civil service commission for all civil ser- 
vice employees. 

The New York City scheme also provides 
for such efficiency records, but they are 
made by and kept in the department and 
submitted to the civil service commission 
only at annual periods. They apparently 
are not so thorough, nor are the results 
so rigorously applied as in the Chicago 
plan. 

Civil service rules have been confined 
heretofore to appointments and removals 
only, and paid no attention to the employee 
during his term of service. These new 
efficiency records, if widely applied, will 
probably have an important effect. In 
Chicago they are to form the basis for ad- 
justment of salaries and for promotions or 
reductions in rank, as well as for remo- 
vals. If applied to libraries this might 
have the obvious advantage of relieving 
the librarian of embarrassment, since pro- 
motions, removals, reductions in rank, and 
salary would be based on the candidate's 
own record, as shown by his efficiency card, 
and not on what he probably would regard 
as the bad judgment or personal enmity of 
the librarian. Most librarians, however, 
would prefer to submit to the embarrass- 
ment rather than have such important mat- 
ters taken out of their hands. 

Another change now being made is de- 
signed to overcome the objection that an 
examination is no test of personality. This 
is supposed to be accomplished by an oral 
test in addition to the written examination 
In spite, however, of these extensions in 
the service and improvements in the rules, 
we find that civil service is admitted even 
by its advocates to bo not ideal but merely 
better than the spoils system. Senator 
Lodge, who is an ardent advocate of civil 
service, made the following admission on 
the floor of the Senate: 



"Nor do I undertalce to defend the merit 
system as an ideal or as an absolutely 
perfect system. Very few things of human 
manufacture are perfect, certainly civil ser- 
vice is not. The real proposition is that it 
is better than the patronage system. If 
the head of a department could select his 
own subordinates there would be no need 
of competitive examinations, or of an arti- 
ficial system to select them for him. He 
would certainly select good assistants, for 
his own credit and reputation would be 
boimd up in the success of his administra- 
tion. But when they are forced upon him 
from outside then we have the injurious 
condition of one set of persons selecting 
subordinates and another being responsible 
for their work." 

C. D. Willard writing on civil service in 
the Outlook says: "The drawbacks of the 
civil service reform methods are those that 
arise inevitably out of the effort to apply 
any general system — necessarily more or 
less rigid — to so complicated a proposition 
as that of securing hundreds of helpers in 
a great variety of lines of work. The 
commission and their examining force un- 
fortunately are not inspired and they some- 
times make mistakes. Excellent men fail 
to pass examinations and those of medi- 
ocre ability manage to pull through. Heads 
of departments are often cursed with men 
who are too good to throw out and not 
good enough to keep. Worse than all else 
the commissioners themselves are now 
and then accused of playing politics, and in 
some cases the accusation has been true." 

It may be well at this point to outline 
some of the chief objections to civil service 
as applied to libraries. First among these 
I should place the fact that the examina- 
tion is not a satisfactory test. Many people 
can give good accounts of themselves in 
such tests but afterwards prove to be very 
poor and inefficient assistants. On the other 
band many industrious and reliable em- 
ployees are very much at a loss when they 
try to write or tell of their work. A writ- 
ten examination does not touch the qualifi- 
cations of character, personality, industry, 
gumption, integrity and tact; such consid- 
erations are of vital importance for any 
educational work, and if they are lacking. 



125 



the work must be, to a great extent, a fail- 
ure. 

Under the civil service system the ap- 
pointing officer is often required to appoint 
candidates against his better judgment, 
simply because they are on the civil ser- 
vice eligible list. Mr. Frank Vrooman writ- 
ing on this subject in the Arena says: 
"While possibly the best test in sight, the 
competitive e-\amination is an overworked 
idol. It is only better than the irresponsible 
power of partisan appointment to which 
no one but a spoilsman would return. The 
competitive examination is a register of 
too much of the memorizer and too little 
of the man. No one who has ever seen 
advanced standing given in college not to 
the ablest men but to the men with 
the most fatal facility for chattering 
their "Polly wants a cracker" forwards and 
backwards and sideways, can fail to see 
one of the pitfalls of the competitive ex- 
amination system. 

"Almost nothing of the educational side 
of competitive examination counts for 
standing but the fact that the candidate 
remembers so much of what he has been 
taught. It registers almost nothing of the 
ability to think, to act to do; only to re- 
member." 

As Ex-governor Black of New York 
pointed out: "Experience, character, tact, 
and even muscle may be of more import- 
ance in some cases than the fraction of a 
per cent in an examination." 

A second objection is the geographical 
limitation which forms a part of most civil 
service systems, and which requires that 
candidates for examination shall be resi- 
dents of the city, or the state, or the nation, 
as the case may be. The absurdity of this 
limitation ought to be apparent at a glance. 
Under such rules a government depart- 
ment at Washington may select from the 
entire country, a state department from the 
state only, and a city department from the 
residents of its own city. The state depart- 
ment is at a disadvantage since it cannot 
compete with a government department for 
good assistants unless they happen to re- 
side in that particular state, while the city 
is hopeless handicapped when it wishes to 



fill positions for which special training is 
required, and for which the number of de- 
sirable candidates is very limited. This 
residence rule is probably more burden- 
some to a library than to any other city 
department because of the limited number 
of trained or experienced library workers. 
There is ordinarily only one library in each 
city and that library usually has already on 
its staff those residents who are experienced 
in library work and who want positions. 
The number of library schools is also lim- 
ited as compared to the number of other 
special schools. If the city wishes to em- 
ploy an engineer, or a clerk, or a police- 
man, or a fireman, or an architect, there 
are plenty to choose from right in their 
own town. This is not true of the library. 
To be sure the civil service regulations per- 
mit the commission to waive the residence 
rule when in their judgment it is neces- 
sary. We had illustrations in Seattle of 
the fickleness of their judgment in this con- 
nection. How can they be expected to 
have judgment in such a matter? When 
asked to waive the rule for four positions, 
they granted it in two cases and declined 
in the other two. Of the two requests that 
were refused, one was to fill a vacancy, for 
which they had at a previous time waived 
the residence rule; the other position was 
that of confidential secretary, the kind 
of position for which commissions usually 
waive, not only residence qualifications but 
examination as well. 

But suppose the rule is waived, what hap- 
pens? The imported assistant is required 
to pass the examination after she arrives, 
sometimes after working for six months. 
If for any reason she fails to pass it, or 
is beaten by some other unexpected candi- 
date, who happens to be more glib at writ- 
ten examinations, then she loses her posi- 
tion. Having persuaded her to give up a 
position elsewhere, the librarian is now 
under moral obligation to take care of such 
an assistant and to find work for her else- 
where. Under such conditions, I need 
hardly tell you it is difficult to persuade 
good candidates to relinquish positions 
elsewhere to come to your library and take 
chances. 



126 



PASADENA CONFERENCE 



To my mind this residence restriction is 
only another liind of spoils system. In 
this rule the citizen practically says, "We 
pay the salaries, we ought to get the jobs." 
Like many other phases of civil service, es- 
pecially the restrictions on removal, its 
real result is the protection of the em- 
ployee, not the improvement of the service. 

A third difficulty, and perhaps a more 
serious one. Is the impossibility of remov- 
ing an employee except for charges of the 
most flagrant nature. When the assistant 
is removed, charges in writing must be 
filed with the civil service commission. 
The discharged employee then has the 
right of appealing within ten days. A trial 
is then held at which the librarian and 
members of the library board and library 
staff must appear as witnesses. The evi- 
dence is usually held and Judged by men 
who know little or nothing about library 
work and to whom the finer qualities of 
character and personality, that count for 
success in librarj' work, have little or no 
weight. 

If an appeal is sustained the employee is 
reinstated, and the last condition of that 
library is worse than the first. No librarian 
can afford to take such chances. No self- 
respecting man wishes to prefer charges or 
give testimony against a woman in such a 
trial. The scandal and newspaper noto- 
riety in such a proceeding will injure the 
library as an institution. 

Except for this right of appeal it would 
be possible for the librarian to remove in- 
competent or undesirable assistants qui- 
etly and without upsetting the whole li- 
brary and the whole staff. Under civil ser- 
vice, employees know that their positions 
are practically safe, and that fact alone, 
in many cases, destroys efficiency and pro- 
motes laziness and insubordination. In my 
opinion, it is poor business judgment to 
place a man in charge of a number of em- 
ployees and expect to hold him responsible 
for results unless these employees are 
strictly accountable to him. not only for 
their work, but for their tenure of office. 
This point can be appreciated fully only by 
those who have actually had the direction 
and control of a large force of people. Re- 



sponsibility and authority go hand in hand 
and without one it is useless to expect the 
other. If given this authority, his adminis- 
tration fails, the place to begin correction 
is at the top and not at the bottom, as civil 
service tries to do. 

The fourth objection is that the system 
wastes time through an unlimited amount 
of coi-respondence and interchange of 
blanks and "red tape" with the civil ser- 
vice commission. While we are manipu- 
lating the machinery it frequently happens 
that some other library not handicapped 
by civil service secures the good assistant 
whom we were trying to engage. 

The general conclusions that were de- 
rived from our study of this subject of 
civil service show that it has been applied 
to but few libraries, and in these libraries 
it has not been a success. The consensus 
of opinion is in favor of exempting libra- 
ries from civil service control, since there 
is just as much reason for the exemption 
of libraries as for the exemption of schools. 

The problem before us, as librarians, is 
the selection of the best persons to carry 
on the work of the library. The librarian 
should have more to say about this than 
any one else, since it is the most impor- 
tant duty he has to perform. If he is to 
be responsible for the success of the li- 
brary he should have authority here, as the 
institution may succeed or fail according to 
the judgment shown In appointments. 

The establishment of several good li- 
brary schools during the last 20 years has 
developed a corps of trained library work- 
ers, entirely removed from politics, that is 
helping rapidly to impove the library ser- 
vice of the country. If your library is to 
keep pace with those in other cities you 
must be able to compete with them in the 
open market for the best training your sal- 
aries will secure. 

The CHAIRMAN: Ladies and gentlemen, 
we had hoped to supplement Mr. Jennings' 
very instructive and very profitable expo- 
sition of the situation with some examples 
of experience from those who have been 
through the trials, and also I had hoped to 
call on Mr. I^egler for some statement as to 
the way in which those clauses which make 



127 



for the objections stated might be modi- 
fied. The objections Mr. Jennings stated 
are those of method, rather than those of 
principles. For instance, I suppose a good 
many of you know that Mr. Legler himself 
is under civil service rules; that the Civil 
Service Commission of Chicago does not 
determine individual cases, but states that 
certain positions are not subject to the 
residence rule, that ruling holding for all 
time. I had the honor to serve the city in 
its selection of its librarian. I hope you 
will agree with me in thinking that I did 
not fail in my duty in the selection which 
was made. Now, that selection was made 
under the civil service rule, unabridged and 
directly administered. I am not speaking 
so particularly of the examiners as I am of 
the board which laid down the conditions. 
They did allow us to give 50 per cent 
weight to the experience and arm to arm 
knowledge of the personality of the man. 
Without such a condition as that, we would 
have been unable to take the man whom we 
thought would succeed, and, I am glad to 
say, is succeeding. I had hoped to have 
Mr. Legler speak on the efficiency of the 
system as it exists in the city of Chicago, 
and also Miss Hume has prepared for us 
some of her experiences, but our time is 
now up and we must adjourn. 

(The following paper was prepared by 
Miss JESSIE F. HUME for this session, 
but was not read for lack of time.) 

HUMORS AND HORRORS OF MUNICI- 
PAL CIVIL SERVICE 

Had I the making of the title of this dis- 
cussion, the humor would have been left 
out, as there is no humor at the time in the 
activities of the municipal civil service 
commission. Afterwards perhaps, one sees 
a gleam here and there. 

The Initiative action of the municipal 
civil service commission is insidious. It is 
only later when struggling in the grasp 
of the octopus, that one realizes its power. 
We were required to send our pay roll 
for approval and did so. From that moment 
no change could be made in it without the 
approval of the commission, and of the 
board of estimate and apportionment, both 



of them bodies slow in movement and hard 
to convince when an expenditure of mon- 
ey is under consideration. Moreover, we 
found out all the restrictions through ex- 
perience, by the breaking of them and con- 
sequent friction and delay. 

Increases in salary were voted by our 
library board, entered on pay roll and 
forwarded. Increases in salary were de- 
ducted. Upon inquiry we were directed to 
obtain the approval of the board of esti- 
mate and apportionment. They were noti- 
fied, our letters were laid on the table or 
never taken up at all. Increases made in 
the salary of two of the highest employees 
in the library were thus refused or de- 
layed for more than two years, and were 
finally obtained only by the appearance 
before a committee of the board of esti- 
mate and apportionment of a representa- 
tive of the library who convinced them of 
the propriety thereof. This resulted in the 
resignation of some of our most efficient 
librarians who asked for and deserved in- 
creases, over which the various boards and 
committees delayed so long that resig- 
nations were filed. So the staff was de- 
pleted of its best equipped members. 

As to the filling of vacancies, this had 
to be done under set rules, fearfully and 
wonderfully made, obtaining an eligible 
list of not more than three names, and 
offering the position to each one of the 
three, selecting one. It commonly happened 
that all declined, usually on account of 
distance, and the whole process had to be- 
gin again. Thus it took two months to 
obtain a janitor for a Carnegie branch 
library. Three men were written to and all 
came. The first could speak no English at 
all, he came with an Italian interpreter, 
and as it was manifestly Impossible to 
engage the interpreter also, he was not 
considered. The next man had no fingers, 
but said he could do all that need be 
done. The third was an old German, in- 
troduced by Mr. Blank, the ward leader, as 
he told me twice over. The old man was 
irascible, stupid, and scarcely knew a 
dozen words of English. The ward leader 
was inclined to be masterful, but after 
a contemplative look at the old man, he 



128 



PASADENA CONFERENCE 



broke dowu, laughed and left, saying he had 
to bring him, it was expected of him, and 
we parted on friendly terms, — very neces- 
sary under civil service rules. 

When we were first marshaled in the 
ranks of the civil service commission, they 
called a general examination, and our li- 
brarians were notified. One of them came 
to my ofiice, a high school graduate, doing 
well in a subordinate position. She had a 
madonna face with great blue eyes. She 
assured me with tears standing in them 
that she could not undergo an examination, 
and would have to resign unless she was 
excused, and held to her resolution until 
I chanced to say that the civil service com- 
mission required the examination. Then a 
gleam of angelic joy crossed her features 
and she said in a low, confidential, happy 
voice, "Oh! is it a civil service examination? 
Then Papa'll fix it." And Papa did, and later 
when promotion was in question, Papa 
"fixed it" again, and others papas did like- 
wise, and the eligible list was a most re- 
markable thing. 

On the eligible list for assistant librarian, 
a grade higher than chief of department, 
we had people who commonly used such 
expressions as "I done It," and "I seen it," 
and "Them's the ones." There was only one 
course to pursue, we refrained from ap- 
pointing to any but the lowest grades, and 
for a time and quite a long time, tlie li- 
brary was conducted without the higher 
grade people needed for the proper devel- 
opment of the library. 

Then as to education — after our release, 
our board held a general examination for 
regrading, assuring the staff that none 
would be dismissed nor any salary reduced. 
Some forty or fifty candidates responded. 
I corrected the papers and as I read I 
was aghast, then wholly discouraged, till 
I passed the critical stage and became 
simply the looker on, whereupon I per- 
ceived through the meaningless verbiage, 
the throes of drowning ignorance, the mas- 
ter strokes of mother wit, and the engag- 
ing boldness of young America. They 
classed themselves into groups, the wily 
diplomat, whose answer would be partly 



right in any case; the boldly ignorant, 
who took chances gaily; the fine imagi- 
native; the common sense girl; and in a 
great majority, those of obscure mind; al! 
full of human nature. 

The questions were the usual ones, on 
natural phenomena, on noted people, on 
terms of expression, historical, et cetera. 
1 give a few examples of replies, all ver- 
batim. 
Diplomatic. 

The Renaissance was a period in French 
history when the kings and queens were of 
a certain type. 

Ocean currents are caused by the water 
changing all the time. (How undeniable!) 

Trade winds were winds which start 
around the Gulf of Mexico and come west 
as far as the Pacific Ocean and go back 
again, and if a captain on a boat is caught 
in those trade winds, why, he wouldn't 
keep sailing, he would dock the boat right 
away and wait until they calmed down. 

Auto-suggestion deals with automobiles. 
Would be on explaining the mechanism 
and the working of the mechanics. 

Evolution. The general changes which 
take place the world over as time goes on. 

New York City churches. They are 
needed in this wide world. They do some 
good. 
Guesses. 

Out-door relief means that when one 
goes out of doors they find relief from 
the work inside. 

Mirage is caused by the meeting of 
heavenly bodies after a storm. (One of our 
trustees suggested that it must have been 
a brain storm.) 

Mirage. The cause of a mirage is the 
action of the wind and heat upon the naked 
eye. 

Balance of trade. Wien persons trade 
they trade equally, that is, both get trade 
alike or their trade balances. 

Balance of trade is if a man iS' failing 
very badly in business and he is loosing 
(sic) his customers the remainder of his 
customers would be called balance of trade. 

Watered Stock comes from other coim- 
tries, and has to cross the ocean. 



129 



Watered stock are fowls, such as ducks 
and geese. 

And one girl, led away by the liquid 
syllables wrote boldly that "Savonarola was 
noted for her beauty." 
Library Economy. 

Psychology. The language of the soul. 
Two books on the subject are The spirit 
in prison, by Robert Hichens. Science and 
health, by Mary Baker Eddy. 

A classic is something select, good Eng- 
lish, and good form, not too thrilling. 

1 would look in the catalog for the wives 
of Henry VIII. under Polygamy. 

For the average boy who is anxious to 
educate himself after he leaves high school, 
or for one who would bother himself to ask 
conscientiously for a course of reading. I 
would suggest first, an excellent diction- 
ary, one of the modern encyclopedias and 
the Bible. 

When a book is to (sic) bad for mending 
and to good to throw away, it is sent to 
the binder. 
Obscure. 

Invincible Armada. A Spanish vessel, 
made in the shape of a half moon, to 
stand the siege of any country, finally 
captured by the British. 

Renaissance is a country in Italy, and 
it is noted for those fine laces which are 
sent to this country. 

Earthquakes are caused by overpressure 
of heat and gas in the earth, and it has 
to come forth some v/ay. In this state the 
earth cracks in the form of earthquakes. 

Marshall Ney is known for his wit and 
humor. 

Taking of Moscov/. I know that Cromwell 
was prominent in this event. 

Holy Roman Empire was that part of 
Europe governed by Augustus, the Holy 
Roman Emperor. 

But not all the civil service candidates 
are impossible. Here are some definitions 
from a mind of different type. 

St. Helena. The little island in the At- 
lantic where Napoleon I. ingloriously ended 
his glorious career. 

Hendrick Hudson. A Dutchman of the 
16th century who discovered and sailed up 



the waters of our beautiful river named 
Hudson in his honor. 

Joan of Arc. The mystic and girlish lead- 
er of the French in the time of Charles VII. 

Holy Roman Empire was the empire 
established by Charlemagne, including all 
of Europe nearly, and never really holy. 

The exception proves the rule, and the 
clear and limpid mind which expresses it- 
self thus is a lone star in the sky of the 
municipal civil service eligible lists, reveal- 
ing the void in which it shines. 

Mr. HILL: I don't like to leave this 
hall without saying that I believe in civil 
service, that is, civil service within the 
library itself. I believe that such civil ser- 
vice is the very best thing for a library. 
In Brooklyn promotions are made under 
this system and I am sure from the experi- 
ence we have had in ten years in the 
Brooklyn public library that such civil 
service as obtains there does not lead to 
inefficiency, but on the other hand keeps 
every member of the institution up to the 
highest possible standard. 

The CHAIRMAN: I am very glad that 
Mr. Hill said what he did, because I think 
that is the ideal, and it is being carried 
out in a few libraries. Few of you realize 
the enormous prevalence that the patron- 
age system still maintains among libraries. 

Dr. STEINER: I don't want to leave 
the hall either without saying the same 
thing, that a system within the library is 
absolutely the proper way of administer- 
ing a library. We have had that system 
for the last twenty years in Baltimore and 
I would be ashamed to administer a library 
that did not have it. 

Mr. D. C. BROWN: I myself have been 
brought into contact with civil service 
boards for twenty years and I find all the 
objections of the spoils system of politics 
exactly the same as in the paper read 
this morning, and so I would like to move 
a postponement of this discussion to the 
next session of the association. 

The motion was carried, and the dis- 
cussion was postponed to the third general 
session. 

Adjourned. 



130 



PASADENA CONFERENCE 



THIRD GENERAL SESSION 

(Shakespeare Club. Monday, May 22, 
9:30 a. m.) 

Joint session with the League o( library 
commissions, Mr. Henry J. Carr presiding 
in behalf of the American library associ- 
ation, and Miss Clara F. Baldwin in be- 
half of the League of library commissions. 

Mr. Carr took the chair and after brief 
preliminary remarks stated that the sec- 
retary had a telegram from President Wyer 
which would now be read. 

Secretary Utley read the following: 

Albany, N. Y., May 20, 1911. 
Geo. B. Utley, Secretary, 

Hotel Maryland, Pasadena, Calif. 

Please convey to the members of the 
Association my deep appreciation of the 
expressions of confidence and encourage- 
ment which reached me to-day in the 
message transmitted by you. 

(Signed) J. I. Wyer, Jr. 

The CHAIRMAN: This particular ses- 
sion is a joint one of the League of li- 
brary commissions and the A. L. A. Rep- 
resenting and acting as the chairman for 
the A. L, A. on this occasion, it gives me 
pleasure to call forward to the chair, for 
that part of the program which comes 
under the League of library commissions. 
Miss Clara F. Baldwin, president of the 
League. 

The CHAIRMAN: (Miss Baldwin takes 
the chair). The problem of library exten- 
sion is one in which we are all interested 
and one which we are all trying to solve. 
The first paper this morning is "The ad- 
ministrative units in library extension," 
a comparative study of the library exten- 
sions to the county, state and township, 
and this will be presented by Mr. MAT- 
THEW S. DUDGEON, of the Wisconsin 
free library commission. 

ADMINISTRATIVE UNITS IN LIBRARY 

EXTENSION— STATE, COUNTY, 

TOWNSHIP, CITY 

The most interesting feature of modern 
library work is the unanimity with which 
librarians are seeking to search out the 
unhooked individual — he who has no books 
within his reach — to make of him a booked 



if not a bookish individual. It is now as 
always the aim of all librarians to get 
the greatest number of the best books 
into the hands of the greatest number of 
the most book-hungry people at the least 
expense. In accomplishing this, how- 
ever, the definite emphasis seems at pres- 
ent to be placed upon locating the book 
hungry and giving to them a library re- 
lationship that will enable them to feed 
their book hunger. 

Standard of library efficiency. The suc- 
cess of any unit of any library extension 
system must be comparative. In order, 
therefore, to arrive at a just judgment 
upon the efficiency with which any system 
can be operated or any unit organized, 
some standard of efficiency must be em- 
ployed. Many a school boy reading present 
day periodicals can state with the greatest 
accuracy how many bricks a skilled brick- 
layer ought to lay under the efficiency sys- 
tem of scientific management. He can ex- 
plain just how many pounds and pieces 
of pig iron an efficient man under scien- 
tific management can jiile upon the plat- 
form of a flat-car in an eight hour day. 
When, however, one commences seriously 
to study the comparative efliciency of the 
different units of library extension, it de- 
velops that there seems to have been 
established no standards of efficiency with 
which to measure the comparative efficien- 
cy of any of the units under consideration. 

There seems, therefore, to be nothing to 
do but to make a standard of efficiency — 
to search for a standard in the records of 
the achievements of various library enter- 
prises. In this search, however, many diffi- 
culties arise; for books can not be counted 
as bricks, nor can the cost of the library 
work be placed on the same basis as the 
cost of moving blocks of pig iron. It seems, 
however, that four elements must be con- 
sidered in determining the efficiency of any 
literature work: 

1. The book need — the acuteness of the 
book hunger of the person served. 

2. The quality of the book, both intrin- 
sically and also with reference to its value 
to the individual who comes in contact 
with it. 



131 



3. The frequency with which the av- 
erage book on the shelves is delivered to 
the patrons of the system; and 

4. The cost of distribution per booli. 
Just as Fredericli W. Taylor and those 

with him established their standard of 
former efficiency by measuring the ac- 
complishment of the average workman of 
average intelligence, performing the av- 
erage task in his trade or branch of work, 
so in seeking to establish a standard for 
library work, it seemed necessary to take 
the average performance of the average 
city library performing the average func- 
tions of such an institution, as representing 
average efficiency. 

It must, of course, be remembered that 
it is impossible to obtain definite results 
in establishing such a standard of excel- 
lence. Two of the elements that enter into 
the standard, first, that of the book need 
or hunger, and second, that of the quality 
of the book, are elements that cannot be 
measured in any definite way. Futbermore, 
until the need of the persons served by 
the unit has been demonstrated and the 
quality of the book delivered has been 
established, figures representing merely 
the number of books circulated by any 
unit and the cost of the circulation are 
empty and valueless figures. To deliver one 
book of great human value to one person 
greatly in need of it at a cost of one dollar 
for the single circulation might constitute 
a more efficient service than to deliver 
fifty less valuable books to fifty people 
needing books less, at a cost of one cent 
only for each circulation. It must be re- 
membered therefore that the application of 
this standard of efficiency, while it throws 
an interesting sidelight on the situation, 
does not always result in an accurate 
estimate of the efficiency of the institution 
investigated. If a library, however, realizes 
that it is costing it twice as much per 
circulation as it is costing some other 
instrumentality to do the same amount 
of work, an investigation of the reasons 
for the difference in cost as well as a com- 
parison of the character of the work per- 
formed is at once suggested, although it 
must be remembered also that this in- 



vestigation and comparison may lead to 
the conclusion that the more expensive, 
less extensive library work, is after all, 
the most efficient work. 

For purposes now under consideration, 
however, we think it will be found that to 
use some standard in comparing the work 
of the different administrative units with 
the work of the average public library 
doing the average city library work, is 
a profitable as well as an interesting proc- 
ess. In seeking to determine the efficiency 
of these various units, we therefore ask 
four questions: 

1. Do these extension systems reach 
persons who need books as badly as do 
those persons who are reached by the av- 
erage city library? 

2. Do these systems handle books of 
as high a quality as does the average city 
library? 

3. Do they circulate each book as freely 
and as frequently? 

4. Do they obtain as large results from 
the expenditure of their money? 

1. The need of books. Let us consider 
first the question as to whether the need of 
the public reached by the extension work 
under consideration is as great as the need 
of the public reached by the average small 
city library. 

The very phrase, "rural extension," 
raises in the mind a definite conception 
of the isolation surrounding the rural in- 
dividual served. To those who know rural 
conditions at their worst the phrase im- 
plies not only scarcity of books but pov- 
erty of human interests. It implies an in- 
tellectual hunger that cries out for books, 
an intellectual hunger so great in some 
cases as to amount to an intellectual 
famine. 

We think, therefore, that we may safely 
conclude that extension work as performed 
by the units under discussion has in it 
the first element of efficiency in that it 
seeks to serve those whose need of books 
is great — greater far than the need of those 
served by the average city library. 

2. The quality of books. In seeking to 
answer the question whether or not the 
quality of the book delivered under these 



132 



PASADENA CONFERENCE 



systems is as high intrinsically and as well 
fitted to the needs of those reached, as 
is the book in the average city library we 
observe: 

The very existence of any of the systems 
under discussion implies that at its head 
is an individual of force and intelligence. 
It is within the observation of all that noth- 
ing hampers a library more than the fact 
that the person in charge is some im- 
pecunious individual whose financial needs 
have been her recommendation for the 
position, or possibly some person of former 
influence whose days of usefulness have 
passed. There are, however, at the head 
of extension systems no "village widows," 
no local "lame ducks" pensioned off at the 
expense of the library funds. The heads of 
these extension systems are not "dead 
ones," but aggressive, progressive individ- 
uals with an intimate knowledge of the 
needs of the people whom they serve and 
an intense interest in the people them- 
selves. In such a leader we expect to find, 
and usually do find, somewhat unusual abil- 
ity for book selection. This ability is of a 
sort too which selects books which are 
not only intrinsically excellent but which 
are well suited to the particular needs of 
those who are to be served by the system. 

Our observation is also that those in 
control of such systems select the books 
to be used in the extension department of 
their work more carefully than they select 
books for the ordinary library work. They 
fully realize that, since the personality of 
the librarian is not back of the book to aid 
its circulation, the Inherent excellence of 
the book must be so great as to demand 
of its own weight consideration from the 
possible patron of the system. The book 
must of necessity be an attractive and suit- 
able one. In other words, the book must 
have v.ithin itself a vitality which enables 
it, without the aid of a skilled librarian, 
to go out to find a possible taker. The 
librarians in charge of such systems also 
realize that, while it is a poor investment 
to buy a book which will lie idle on the li- 
brary shelves, it is a disastrous Investment 
to buy a poor book for an extension system, 
since the selection of such a book makes 



necessary additional expenditure of effort 
and money in sending it to those to whom 
it is of no use. A poor selection for ex- 
tension work is, as the head of the system 
will discover, a greater mistake and a 
greater waste than a poor selection for 
regular city work. Accordingly she exer- 
cises great care in her selection work. 

Serious study group work is also often a 
part of an extension system. This study 
group is sometimes connected with univer- 
sity extension or rather organized educa 
tional work. Books selected for such ser 
vice will consequently be carefully and wel 
selected and of definite educational value 

These considerations as well as the ob 
servations of those who come in contact 
with the books selected for use in such 
systems justify us in the conclusion that 
the books in the systems are not only ex- 
traordinarily high in character, but also 
extraordinarily well fitted for the use of 
those to whom they are to be delivered; 
that their average quality is higher than 
that found in the average city or town 
library. 

3. Frequency of circulation. Having 
found evidences, first that those reached 
by rural extension systems are in dire 
need of the books delivered to them and, 
second, that the books handled by these 
systems are of a high quality, we reach 
a point where we must consider the further 
questions, somewhat statistical in their 
nature, as to whether or not these books 
circulate as freely and frequently as the 
city books and whether the same amount 
of money invested in the maintenance of 
these systems produces as good results as 
money Invested in the maintenance of the 
average public library. 

In seeking to arrive at figures showing 
the frequency of circulation and the av- 
erage cost of circulating a book in exten- 
sion work, we find great difficulty in 
arriving at definite results. Those libraries 
which serve both rural and city residents 
often do not keep their rural circulation 
separated from their city circulation, nor 
do they keep the amount expended in each 
distinct from the amount expended in the 
other. We find also that some of the trav- 



133 



eling library systems do not record the 
exact number of home readers who take 
books from the traveling library station. 
Even those systems which seek to keep an 
accurate record find that the results are 
unsatisfactory In one particular at least. 
While every recorded circulation is an 



quently, and are, in a sense, therefore, 
earning a higher profit upon the capital 
invested. 

4. Cost of service. By reference to this 
same table also it will be seen that the 
cost of circulating a volume in the exten- 
sion work is less than the cost of circulat- 



Cost of circulating Circulation per 



System 

1. Average of all city libraries in six 

representative states 

2. Portland, Oregon (city and country) . . . 

3. Van Wert, Ohio (city and country) .... 

4. Minnesota state traveling library sys- 

tem 

5. Wisconsin state traveling library sys- 

tem 

6. Hagerstown, Maryland (country circu- 

lation alone) 

7. Wisconsin county traveling library sys- 

tem (incomplete) 



each volume 

.128 
.126 
.108 

.077 

.07 



.052 



volume 

2.22 
5.63 

3.0 

4.07 



:.70 



actual circulation, much of the actual cir- 
culation is unrecorded, since the books 
often leave the station without any record 
having been made of the loan. We assume, 
however, in the following table, that the 
actual circulation is no larger than the 
recorded circulation. 

By reference to this table it will be seen 
that these extension systems have dem- 
onstrated their efficiency so far as free 
and frequent circulation of the books upon 
their shelves is concerned. Every one of 
these extension systems has a higher cir- 
culation in proportion to the number of 
books at hand than has the average li- 
brary in t-he six representative states. 
Particular attention should be called to the 
Portland system which circulates each 
book on its shelves 5.63 times per year 
as against the average of 2.22 times per 
year for the average city library. If, there- 
fore, we take the average circulation per 
volume per year of the average city library 
as a standard of efficiency for frequency 
of delivery of books we can conclude that 
these extension systems are in this particu- 
lar more efficient than the average city 
library in that they have, as it were, 
turned over their stock in trade more fre- 



ing a volume in the average city library. 
It will also be noted that where the figures 
are given for the country service only, the 
cost is less than where it is given for city 
and country circulation combined. We 
wish also again to call attention to the fact 
that the recorded circulation of the country 
work is not as great as the actual circu- 
lation. 

We apprehend that someone will at once 
raise the point that the city library does 
reading room work, reference work, and is 
engaged in other forms of activities that 
are not paralleled in extension systems. 
In view of this situation we have excluded 
from our figures representing circulation 
in extension systems, a very large amount 
of study group work, which corresponds to 
the reference work of the city library. 
This study group work occupies fully as 
prominent a position in the extension sys- 
tem as does the reference work in the city 
library. We have also excluded from the 
consideration a vast amount of the miscel- 
laneous work done by the extension sys- 
tem, such as free distribution of magazines 
and periodicals to lumber camps, to indus- 
trial centers and to reading rooms of all 
sorts, as well as educational, art and Indus- 



134 



PASADENA CONFERENCE 



trial exhibits sent out in connection with 
the traveling libraries and otherwise. We 
have also not taken into consideration cor- 
respondence, which in some instances con- 
stitutes almost a correspondence course of 
an educational nature. 

We wish to repeat, however, that we are 
not enamored of the maxim that figures 
cannot lie. We are not disposed to insist 
that any one rely on the veracity of the 
results obtained but simply give the results 
of a rather interesting view of the recorded 
results of this class of worli. 

On the whole, however, we feel that so far 
as comparison can be made as to efficiency 
we may safely say: 

1. That the need of books — the book 
hunger — which is met by the extension 
system, is greater and more intense than 
the book hunger of those who are served 
by the average town and city library; 

2. That the quality of the book delivered 
is better intrinsically and better fitted to 
meet the needs of those receiving it than 
is the book which circulates within the 
city system; 

3. That the extension systems circulate 
the books on their shelves more freely than 
do town and city libraries; 

4. That it costs less to deliver good 
books in the book-hungry rural districts 
than it costs to deliver the poor and less 
needed books to urban dwellers. 

To address ourselves more particularly 
to a discussion of the units of extension 
work, it seems to us that these units drop 
naturally into two classes: first, state 
work, and second, local work. 

State traveling libraries needed. From 
correspondence and consultation, we con- 
clude that it is the consensus of expert 
opinion that local extension work will 
never attain a scope and an efficiency 
which will make unnecessary state travel- 
ing libraries. If we had ideal geographical, 
industrial, social and financial conditions, 
including distribution of population and 
population centers, state traveling libraries 
might become unnecessary. 

It has been suggested that possibly the 
state of Iowa was by reason of natural situ- 
ation and industrial development as likely 



to be able to dispense with traveling li- 
braries as any state in the Union. Inquir- 
ing more particularly, however, into con- 
ditions in that state, it develops that there 
are still many portions of the state which 
would be without books if not served by 
state traveling library systems. Those in 
charge of the work assure us that, after 
giving the matter careful consideration, 
they have come to the conclusion that even 
in that state they cannot in this generation 
at least dispense with the state traveling 
library. Conditions elsewhere are such as 
to make the state unit still more necessary. 

In such a state as Wisconsin, to cease 
to work under the state unit would be to 
starve certain portions of the state. We 
have for example, one county which has 
a total population of less than four thou- 
sand with a very small property valuation. 
The only concentration of population is in 
a village of a few hundred on the extreme 
edge of the county. This county has never 
appropriated anything for library service 
and would be unable to appropriate any 
considerable amount. The state, however, 
has stepped in, and by establishing seven 
active traveling library stations has at 
comparatively small cost placed books 
within fairly easy reach of every individual 
in the county. Such a system cannot be 
dispensed with. It only remains to make 
this indispensable unit as efficient as pos- 
sible, which, of course, is another story. 

Difficulties. To determine what unit 
system is the type for most effective local 
extension work is a difficult problem. The 
investigation along this line might be 
termed the unsuccessful search for the sys- 
tem which is inevitably successful. The 
search was necessarily unsuccessful. As 
might have been expected, the universally 
successful system has not been discovered. 
The system that will make library success 
easy, the system under which few books 
and little money and less effort achieves 
wide distribution of the best literature to 
an appreciative and book-hungry people, 
has not yet been discovered. Every unit 
fails. It is equally true, however, that 
every unit succeeds. Whether it succeeds 
or fails is due to the conditions under 



DUDGEON 



135 



which each system exists and the efficiency 
with which each operates. 

Certain essentials. From the data that 
has been obtainable as well as from the 
personal opinions that have been expressed, 
we have been able to formulate a state- 
ment of certain features of an extension 
system which present themselves as es- 
sential to efficiency. 

1. No unit of extension work can suc- 
ceed unless it is gathered around and has 
as a center a library with considerable re- 
sources of books and funds. 

2. A centralization of population and 
wealth found only in a city or large village 
Is necessary before there can exist a li- 
brary with resources of funds and books 
sufficient to form a center of a successful 
system. 

3. Each unit for extension work must 
embrace a community of natural solidarity. 
Political divisions, whether they be coun- 
ties, towns or cities, are mere blocks of 
real estate bound together by artificial po- 
litical bonds. E?very farm family and every 
farmhouse, however, is a part of a natural 
community. The individual who has lived 
In a rural home knows that for every farm 
there is a city or village which is spoken 
of in the circle as "town." No one is in 
doubt as to what is meant by the word. 
Each farm naturally adheres to some city 
or village as its business and social center, 
and possibly also as its educational and 
religious center. On the other hand, an in- 
telligent general merchant in any village 
or city would take a map of the vicinity 
and with a pencil circumscribe the terri- 
tory which is naturally tributary to the city 
in which he operates. 

Our conclusion therefore is that the nat- 
ural unit for library work is the community 
which naturally centers itself around some 
city or village. No farmer and no farmer's 
family should be asked to travel in one 
direction for their books while they travel 
in another direction for their commercial, 
social, and Industrial associations. 

The ideal unit, as we have suggested, 
cannot be an artificial unit. We think we 
may go farther and say that no one, no 
matter how familiar with a community. 



should endeavor to prescribe the exact 
limits to its library activity. A library 
unit is a gradual development, not an arti- 
ficial structure completed according to pre- 
conceived policies, and with definite plans 
and specifications. Most commonly such a 
unit begins as a city or village library and 
extends its borders of effective extension 
service as the demands arise and as its re- 
sources grow. 

An instance of this natural development 
is the system as it has grown up at Port- 
land, Oregon. The process was, as we un- 
derstand it, as follows: First there was the 
central library furnishing service only to 
thosie who called at the central building. 
As distance increased and the demand for 
books as well as the resources of the li- 
brary grew, four branches in different parts 
of the city of Portland were established, 
all of them, however, in daily communica- 
tion with the central library. Later there 
were established what might be termed 
country branches, eleven in number. In 
each of these there was a reading room 
open at least five hours each day — each of 
these country branches was also in at 
least weekly communication with the cen- 
tral library. To reach a still more inac- 
cessible portion of the county it became 
necessary to establish a large number of 
deposit stations where groups of books in 
the nature of the traveling library groups 
were placed. I am informed that never 
has any city branch, country branch or de- 
posit station been established in accord- 
ance with any set plan. The development 
of the community has created a definite 
demand for each feature of the work, and 
each branch or station has been estab- 
lished as a special demand for it arose. 
The whole territory covered is the terri- 
tory naturally tributary to the city of Port- 
land. The boundaries of political units 
have been largely ignored. 

Opinion evidence. That the ideal unit 
cannot be an artificial political unit, but 
that the unit must change as the situation 
and surroundings vary is borne out by the 
opinion of those who have been instrn- 
mental in developing extension systems. 

Miss Margaret W. Brown, of the Iowa 



136 



PASADENA CONFERENCE 



library commission, says: "Rural use of 
books must be through a well organized 
center. A single township without a large 
town or city cannot provide sufficient funds 
to give this efficient service or adequate 
collections of books. Therefore, the logic- 
al provision should be through extension 
from a county seat center ... In some 
cases the center for county distribution 
may not be the county seat, but this would 
be the exception and not the rule." 

Miss Corinne A. Metz, of Van Wert, Ohio, 
says: "In an agricultural community like 
Van Wert County, with few large towns and 
with the central library located in the prin- 
cipal town of the county, 1 consider our 
county plan admirable, but with several 
cities of almost equal size In a county, 1 
think this problem might be a live issue." 

Ida K. Galbreath, Superintendent of Ohio 
traveling library department, says: "In 
our traveling library experience we have 
found the township a most satisfactory ad- 
ministrative unit. It seems to me to be the 
best imit for rural library extension be- 
cause all persons are conveniently near to 
the point of distribution. Also, local pride 
in a township library would be much great- 
er than in a substation belonging to the 
county." 

(Miss Downey of the same commission, 
however, in response to an inquiry states 
that it is only in a township where there is 
a village of considerable size that they 
have been able to establish such a system.) 

N. D. C. Hodges, librarian of the public 
library at Cincinnati, writes: "The county 
extension system has been in force since 
1898, thirteen years. It has worked well. 
The small outlying libraries, instead of be- 
ing dependent upon their own resources. 
have at their command all the resources of 
the central library. There is a large loan 
collection of books which are deposited in 
one agency or another in response to spe- 
cial needs of a locality, to be removed else- 
where when that need is satisfied. Finally, 
there is a well organized and central ad- 
ministration in place of the haphazard ad- 
ministration inevitable in a small com- 
munity." 

Carl H. Milam, secretary and state organ- 



izer of the Indiana public library commis- 
sion, summarizes the situation thus: "I 
believe the ideal arrangement would be for 
each city and large town to have its own 
public library and for each such library to 
serve the rural district of which the city or 
town is the business and social center. Thus 
each community would work out its own 
problem and no arbitrary rule would be 
adopted. Some libraries would serve one 
township, some several, some perhaps 
whole counties, and all the population of 
the state would be reached ... If such 
a system were perfected, the use of the 
traveling libraries would be in supplement- 
ing the limited collections in the small pub- 
lic libraries." 

Contributions from country districts. In 
view of the universal permanent paucity 
of funds it is but natural that libraries 
everywhere should cast about for addition- 
al sources of income. It has naturally oc- 
curred to library authorities in many places 
that the surroimding territory which could 
be served by the city library, might and 
should make contribution to the funds of 
the city library as a condition precedent 
to receiving service. 

In coming in contact with the rural au- 
thorities, therefore, they take the position 
that, If the rural authorities will contribute 
to the support of the city library, the city 
library will in turn extend the services to 
the rural residents. We make the sugges- 
tion that in reaching this conclusion rustic 
psychology has not been sufficiently con- 
sidered. Every farmer is psychologically 
from Missouri. You cannot imitate the 
pieman in his transaction with Simple 
Simon, and ask the town or county offlcial 
first to show his penny before you deliver 
your product to him. If you do not demon- 
strate to him the value of library service, 
if you do not, in other words, deliver the 
goods before you make demand for a show- 
ing of the money he Is very likely to make 
the same reply to you that simple Simon 
made to the pieman and inform you that 
indeed he hasn't any penny to exchange for 
the library service. I have in mind two 
cases illustrative of this principle. 

In one case a close-flsted farmer who was 



DUDGEON 



137 



the controlling spirit of the library board of 
a small city absolutely prohibited the li- 
brarian from furnishing any service to any 
individual outside of the city. He then 
went to the various town authorities of 
surrounding towns and demanded that each 
town should pay one hundred dollars to 
the city in order to secure library privileges 
for its residents. It was but natural that 
the equally close-fisted town authorities ap- 
proached in this abrupt manner made 
prompt reply that they did not propose to 
spend the public funds of the town for the 
private advantage of a few residents. As 
a result, antagonism arose between the city 
library and the country residents. The 
city library absolutely refused to deliver 
so much as an old magazine to any person 
residing beyond the city limits. A child 
who could not present a certificate of resi- 
dence was not permitted in the reading 
room. To a certain extent, the antagonism 
toward the library created an antagonism 
toward the city in general and a very un- 
pleasant and unprofitable condition result- 
ed. All hope of successful extension work 
in the neighborhood of that city is gone 
until God in his providence removes from 
the local library situation some of the ob- 
streperous members of the present g?ner- 
ation. 

In another instance it occurred to the li- 
brary board that the library could be made 
an instrument for attracting rural trade. 
They proposed to exploit it legitimately for 
civic advancement purposes. They passed 
resolutions freely extending the privileges 
of the library to all who lived in that por- 
tion of the county. The merchants adopt- 
ed the habit of recommending the library 
to all their rural customers. One member 
of the board who was a merchant made a 
practice of taking new customers to the 
city library and Introducing them to its 
privileges. He was convinced that, if he 
could make a library patron out of a rural 
resident, he had made a customer for the 
commercial interests of the city. He real- 
ized, of course, that the person who took 
the book from the library would return to 
the city when the book was due. It was 
but natural that upon his return he should 



deal with the local merchants and probably 
take another book from the library, estab- 
lishing an endless chain of visits to the 
city. It naturally followed that the com- 
mercial interests of the city were definitely 
advanced by the library service furnished 
to the country residents. 

The service thus rendered was probably 
as good an investment of city funds as 
could have been made, since the Increased 
circulation cost little. But a still more de- 
sirable result was that the country resi- 
dents became not only patrons of the mer- 
chants of the city but warm friends and 
supportei-s of the library. A point was 
soon reached where the surrounding towns 
became willing to make appropriations, 
which, while small, were probably ample 
to cover the expenses incurred in furnish- 
ing country service. 

Flexible law needed. From the principle 
that a library unit cannot be artificially 
created and cannot always be made co- 
extensive with a political unit, it follows 
that the law relative to the support of coun- 
try extension should be elastic. In some 
cases, it would be well to permit the coun- 
ty to contribute to the city library. In still 
other cases, one village or city should be 
permitted to contribute to the support of 
the library in another city or village, re- 
ceiving in return their traveling or branch 
library service in proportion to amount con- 
tributed. In short, the law should permit 
any political unit to make a contract with 
any other political unit for library service. 
And I believe that for demonstration pur- 
poses at least, any library ought to be 
legally at liberty to serve the people of any 
political unit without charge. 

RSsumfi. 1. Assuming that the efficiency 
of library service depends upon the need 
of the person served, the quality of the 
book furnished, the frequency with which 
the average book is circulated, and the 
cost of the service, experience demon- 
strates that every unit of library extension 
work, state, county, township, or city, is 
capable of being efficiently operated. 

2. Under existing conditions it is for the 
present, at least, necessary to employ the 
state as a unit in traveling library work. 



138 



PASADENA CONFERENCE 



3. The boundaries of a unit of local 
library extension work can not follow the 
boundaries of political divisions. 

4. No unit is suited to all needs; the 
unit must vary with social, Industrial and 
educational conditions. 

5. The essential characteristics of an 
efficient unit are: 

a. It must center in a library with 
considerable resources of books and funds. 

b. The existence of such a library 
presupposes the existence of a city or vil- 
lage of considerable size. 

c. Each unit must include a com- 
munity of natural solidarity bound together 
by social, industrial and natural interests. 

6. The natural order of extending li- 
brary service into surrounding territory is 
that the value of library service must be 
demonstrated before funds are demanded. 

7. The law providing for library exten- 
sion should be such as to render contri- 
butions by one community to another vol- 
untary rather than compulsory, and should 
permit any political division to contract 
with any other political division for library 
service. 

The CHAIRMAN; The library extension 
through the country has probably been de- 
veloped in California more than in any 
other state in the Union, and we are now 
to hear the story of that development from 
Miss HARRIET G. EHJOY, the county 
library organizer of the California state 
library. 

CALIFORNIA COUNTY FREE LIBRA 
RIES 

What justifies county free libraries in 
California? The answer is CALIFORNIA. 
From the Mexican line, 1000 miles to the 
north; from the Ocean, 3.50 miles to the 
east; down to hard pan, and two miles 
straight up, every inch of California justifies 
the idea and existence of a county tree 
library; from orange groves to snow banks 
every month in the year; from steam 
plows on the plains, to mills and mines in 
the mountains; from gas engine irrigat- 
ing plants in the valleys to stupendous en- 
gineering enterprises among the peaks. 



Single counties bigger than some states, 
where you take a sleeper on a fast train 
at the county line at sundown, and reach 
the county seat only in time for breakfast 
next morning! Our fathers thought of 
California as the land of gold. It is rather 
the land of grain and alfalfa, the land of 
lumber, of salt, and of borax, the land of oil, 
the land of fruit, and fast becoming the 
land of rice and of cotton. Its vast extent 
has scattered its population; its topog- 
raphy has isolated it; its varied industries 
have diversified it; and necessities have 
made much of it keen-witted and intelli- 
gent. 

Why county free libraries in California? 
Climb into a county automobile with me 
and glimpse some of our opportunities and 
responsibilities. Here is the beautiful 
Capay valley, settled by intelligent, thought- 
ful, reading-loving English people, living 
thirty miles away from a library. Forget 
your native tongue now while we go to a 
Portuguese settlement up near the San 
Francisco Bay, where only a year ago an 
attorney said discouragingly: "No use to 
put a branch of the county free library 
down there. The people won't look at a 
book." But to-day they tell me that nearly 
all the children, and at least half the 
grown people are reading. 

From there we would go to one of our 
large counties where until a year ago, 
when the county free library was started, 
there was not one free library privilege 
within its confines, save the state travel- 
ing libraries of 50 volumes. There you 
would see at least eight thriving towns, 
almost cities, eager to be abreast with the 
procession of library supporting towns, yet 
diffident about undertaking the establish- 
ment of what has so often proved a medi- 
ocre institution. We pass farm colony 
after farm colony, growing up all over 
California with mushroom-like rapidity, 
desirous of having the best and most re- 
cent books on farming, but unable to buy 
them while meeting the heavy expendi- 
tures incident to the development of the 
new ranch. 

Has the gasoline given out? Then we 
will stop at one of the many oil leases. 



EDDY 



139 



where you will be surprised, not only at 
the oil, but at the high quality of intelli- 
gence of the people, and where you will 
find your technical and professional books 
in steady demand. You will meet educated 
mothers who welcome your books by say- 
ing, "We do not want our children to grow 
up in bookless homes," a condition other- 
wise forced upon them as their nomadic 
life from lease to lease eliminates books 
from the home equipment. One mother 
wrote to the county librarian, "There's 
nothing out here to look at but the stars. 
Can't you please send us a book about 
them?" 

We would then visit a construction camp 
up in the Sierra Nevada mountains sixty 
miles from a railroad. Graduates and post- 
graduates from every notable college in 
the Union will greet you there, and you 
discover that the need for books is unpre- 
cedented, both because of previous oppor- 
tunities which made books their portion 
in life, and because of present isolation, 
which makes books doubly welcome. 

When we have taken this trip and many 
others like unto it, and only then, are we 
in a position fairly to consider the subject 
of ("alifornia county free libraries. They 
have been a natural and inevitable out- 
growth of California conditions and de- 
velopment. While the work of the county 
libraries in Maryland, Ohio, Oregon and 
other states has offered a background, 
those methods could be applied to Cali- 
fornia onlji when modified to meet Cali- 
fornia conditions. Owing to the reversal 
of ways of thinking and doing things 
which the newcomer must make it he will 
succeed here, it seems impossible tor a 
stranger, or anyone who has not had op- 
portunity to study conditions, to realize 
the problems which are confronted here in 
California, in attempting to provide com- 
plete library service. The immense size of 
the counties, with their population so scat- 
tered as to require endless small com- 
munity centers for marketing; the break- 
ing up of ranches into smaller acreages, 
and the consequent establishing of hun- 
dreds of colonies; the springing up of 
numerous small towns; the superior qual- 



ity of readers in the oil leases, construc- 
tion camps and other places calling for 
professionally trained men, all these rea- 
sons and undoubtedly many others have 
shown the futility of attempting to secure 
a library service for all the people by the 
use of the two conventional and time- 
honored methods, the municipal library, 
and the traveling libraries. 

Even though every municipality in this 
state were to have its own established 
library, nine-tenths of them would be too 
poorly supported to maintain more than 
a third rate reading room. And then what 
about the thousands of people living 
beyond the municipal line? The municipal 
library could not possibly shed its bene- 
ficent beam far enough to lighten the 
country gloom. Clearly, then, the muni- 
cipal library does not solve the problem 
of complete library service. And even if 
there were a traveling library in every 
unincorporated community in the state, 
what could it avail for full library service, 
with its fifty miscellaneous books kept for 
three months? What would it mean, for 
instance, to the engineer who wishes to 
spend his spare time studying some of the 
books published since he left school? or to 
the ranchman who wants the latest books 
on alfalfa? or to the union high school 
located out at some country cross-roads? 
But even granted that state traveling 
libraries could furnish adequate service, 
the extravagance of transportation and 
duplication would be prohibitive. It is. 
however, too highly theoretical even to 
suppose such a service, for with the state 
library as a wholesale distributor of books 
through unlimited traveling libraries, the 
medium of connection between book and 
borrower would be too elusive, too filmy. 
To get the best results, there must be 
more concrete relations, a definite means 
of service through a more personal super- 
vision. That is, in a huge state like this, 
traveling libraries have proved to be a 
good whetstone to sharpen a library 
appetite, but scarcely a good meal with 
which to satisfy it. Instead of having the 
state library deal directly with the people, 
it is better to have much smaller units 



140 



PASADENA CONFERENCE 



as a base, presided over by a live, enthu- 
siastic person who Ijnows the people and 
who gives them direct personal service, 
leaving the state library to its more legiti- 
mate worit of supplementing and co- 
ordinating the smaller units. The state 
library is usually an abstraction in the 
minds of most people. The institution 
that is most concrete and is personified in 
the work of its librarian can secure most 
effective results. 

With a conviction, then, that California 
had its ov.n peculiar problem to work out; 
that it wished only to evolve a plan by 
which all the people of this state might 
receive library service; that half service 
is not business-like; and that a library 
has demonstrated its right to be con- 
ducted along sound business lines, — with 
this conviction, California set herself 
single-mindedly to the task of looking 
towards the best library interests of her 
people. What factors must be considered 
before the best results could be induced? 
What conditions were hampering the 
present attempts at library service? 
First, not a library could be found in the 
entire state which had sulTicient funds 
to promote all the plans for advancement 
which it could well be justified and ex- 
pected to undertake; clearly then it was 
the part of wisdom to seek means to secure 
more funds; second, the endless duplica- 
tion in schools and libraries of the first 
few thousand books in numerous small 
towns showed the need of co-ordination 
with a larger unit as the base; third, the 
small libraries with their pittance of In- 
come prohibit trained workers, and it was 
clear that If library service Is to be- 
come a science, professional supervision 
must be provided. And finally what unit 
would insure service to everybody? Only 
one answer to these propositions was in- 
evitable: The county. In California the 
county is the unit of civil government 
which corresponds to the township of 
many of the eastern states. The county 
high school here corresponds to the town- 
ship high schools around Chicago. The 
county, then, offered a logical unit, al- 
ready organized, and affording machinery 



for library development which make arti- 
ficial organizations unnecessary. Then, 
too, the county represents enough valua- 
tion to insure adequate financial aid; more- 
over, its size is great enough to justify 
trained supervision. It would also furnish 
opportunity for co-operation and co-ordina- 
tion, checking useless duplication, minim- 
izing wasted effort and useless expense. 
And finally, with every county in the state 
organized, it would give all the people a 
library service. 

Every reasoning, tlien, justified the 
adoption of the county as a library unit, 
and with this base, the first county free 
library law was passed in 1909, with these 
as its principal features: 1. The entire 
county was made the unit for library ser- 
vice. 2. Any municipality might withdraw 
If it did not wish to be a part of the sys- 
tem. 3. The county librarian, who was to 
be certificated, was given large power in 
carrying on the work. 4. A committee of 
the county board of supervisors consti- 
tuted the library board. 5. An alternative 
or contract plan could be entered into be- 
tween the supervisors and any library 
board, by which the library could in return 
for an appropriation of county money 
render library service to the entire county. 

Probably no upward pull has ever been 
attempted in any undertaking by any or- 
ganization in history, but what has had Its 
dltficulties, its setbacks and its obstacles. 
And the progress of coimty free library 
work In California has been no exception. 
Its difficulties came from two widely dif- 
ferent sources: objections on the part of 
some library people, and defects In the law 
itself. The objections from the library 
side were that the county as a whole was 
made the unit, from which the munici- 
pality not wishing to be Included must 
withdraw; and even when withdrawn Its 
position was deemed to be Insecure, since 
the city trustees could cause It to be In- 
cluded by their own vote. The other ob- 
jection by some libraries was to the con- 
trol by the supervisors. 

As for the form of the law. It was fatally 
defective in the conflict between two sec- 
tions. The original plan had been to put 



141 



the county free libraries into operation 
through petitions, just as in the law pro- 
viding for the establishment of municipal 
libraries. But during the passage of the 
bill through the legislature, amendments 
were inserted requiring an election. The 
sections providing tor this did not accord, 
however, and so rendered the law inoper- 
ative, except in the section providing for 
a contract between the county and a city 
library. 

Notwithstanding the objections made to 
the content of the law from the libraries, 
and notwithstanding its inherent defects 
from the legal side, it was a matter of 
deep significance, and most encouraging 
to those whose hearts were alive to the 
hope of improving library service, that the 
work of organizing and developing the 
counties went forward with an impetus 
that nothing could stop. The eagerness 
of the people for the adoption of the plan 
was instantaneous, for they saw possibil- 
ities for library privileges such as they 
had not before dreamed of. The plan 
appealed to them as comprehensive, 
logical, economical, and business-lilie, 
designed to get what the business world 
is seelviug more and more these days — 
results. Eleven counties in quick succes- 
sion adopted the contract plan, making in 
all twelve counties in the state, which are 
now giving county free library service, 
for Sacramento county had pioneered the 
work even before the formal passage of 
the law. 

The mere mention of the Sacramento 
county free library is the touchstone to 
awaken the happiest and fullest feelings 
of reminiscence. I am glad that my first 
connection with the work was from the 
people's side of it; that my first impression, 
and the indelible one, of the true purpose 
of the county free library is service and 
always service, that every means to bring 
this about must always be a means, and 
only a means, and never magnified in its 
importance to endanger or overshadow the 
end. We never want to be in the embar- 
rassing position of the traveler who could 
not see the woods for the trees. Nor do 
we want to be like the business firm that 



had just adopted a new but complicated 
system of administration. On being asked 
how it was working out, the manager 
rubbed his hands in satisfaction and said, 
"Fine! just fine! We know to a cent 
about every department." "How's busi- 
ness?" the first man asked. The man- 
ager looked rather blank and then said, 
"Business? Wliy, we've been so busy 
getting the system to work that we 
haven't done any business." The teacher 
thinks because the class room order is 
good that the school is a success. Li- 
braries and librarians, like all other pro- 
fessions, are apt to confuse the issue, to 
mistake the means tor the end. In a big 
issue like this, the library is liable to 
entangle itself in meshes of confusion, 
mistaking the mechanics of organization 
for the single-hearted purpose — which is 
service. 

So I reiterate, that I am glad my first 
idea came from the people's end of It. 
I shall all my life be proud of that branch, 
acquaintance with the county free libran- 
number 1, which we had in our country 
high school. The library had the goods. 
We wanted the goods. The county free 
library established the connection. That 
was the whole story, a very simple one. 
If any of you have ever faced the problem 
of making bricks without straw, you can 
appreciate what it means to trv to make 
a first class high school without the labora- 
tory service that a library affords. But 
we got the service that year. Think of one 
country high school having over $2,000 
worth of books put on its shelves for use 
as it needed them throughout the year! 
Is it any wonder that high schools all over 
the state, as they hear of this beautiful 
new plan, are eager for it! 

Is it any wonder that as the work of in- 
formation and organization has been 
carried on, people in the county make 
every effort in their power to help toward 
success. One high school principal said, 
"We'll go on our hands and knees to the 
county officials." Others said, "We'll snow 
them under with petitions." This method 
has been necessary in only one county, 
however, for usually the county super- 



142 



PASADENA CONFERENCE 



visors are as keen to see that the adop- 
tion of the plan will bring satisfaction to 
their people, as the people are eager to 
see it adopted. The time so far actually 
spent in the starting of county free libraries 
has been ten months. One ultra con- 
servative county required the combined 
efforts of two organizers for a month. No 
particular opposition existed, but merely a 
desire on the part of the offlcials to be 
thoroughly informed that the people 
wanted the library. The very next county 
required only four days, and resulted in 
an appropriation of $5,200. Another 
county bade fair to take up the plan with 
only a three days' canvass; the super- 
visors were ready to, but an unexpected 
legal question caused the final action to 
be postponed two weeks. The ultimate 
appropriation of $12,000 made the two 
weeks seem trivial. Still another county 
voted $10,000 after only a week's mission- 
ary work. 

They tell me that organizing work is 
easier here than in most states. I do not 
know, as my experience is limited. We 
have met temporary difficulties here in 
various ways. Sometimes the plea is that 
the county first needs good roads; some- 
times the bridges have all been washed 
out by last winter's rain; once the county 
superintendent of schools wanted us to 
waft till the county had voted bonds for a 
new high school. But opposition is never 
met from the general public, for they 
want the library service; and only one 
board of supervisors was completely in- 
different, but you will agree with me that 
the circumstances were extenuating; they 
really were not to be held responsible 
for their strange actions; they were in the 
throes of a hotly contested primary elec- 
tion, a condition which being undergone 
for the first time in our state produced 
symptoms of incipient insanity. 

The work of organization under the 
contract plan continued till it seemed 
wise not to carry it any farther, but wait 
for the new law, which was inevitable 
both because of the defects in the first 
one and the objections to it. The utmost 
care was taken to eliminate completely 



these two difficulties, by continued con- 
ferences and submitting the proposed bill 
to library folk who had found reason to 
complain; and by having the bill com- 
pletely constitutionalized by expert law- 
yers and approved from the attorney- 
general's office. Only expressions of 
satisfaction and congratulation have come 
from all sources over the result of these 
efforts, and there now stands as a conse- 
quence upon the statute books of California 
a county free library law which we are 
confident will prove to be all that every 
one hopes for — a medium of library ser- 
vice to all who wish. I do not mean 
by that, that we consider it final. We 
are seelving only results. If this plan 
does not give them the desired results, 
or if a better one appears, we shall 
greet the new, and lay aside the old, with 
the same open mindedness that now in- 
fuses itself into the present conduct of 
the work. We believe, however, that the 
new law offers an elastic medium to meet 
our present needs. It contains seventeen 
sections, and attempts to cover whatever 
points may be logically a part of the 
county free library's policy. It differs 
from the former law, which it repeals, in 
a half dozen or more vital features. 
First of all, the establishment of the county 
free library is left entirely permissive 
with the board of supervisors, no petition 
or election being called for, as it had 
been i)roved conclusively by the work 
of organization that boards of super- 
visors will, if they think best for the 
county, take up the work on their own 
initiative. A provision for a notice to be 
published three times before establish- 
ment gives sufficient publicity to the con- 
templated action. The second main point 
of difference is that while the former law 
included the entire county as a unit, with 
provisions for a municipality to stay out, 
the present law turns the whole plan dia- 
metrically around, making the unit to 
start with only that portion of the county 
not receiving public library service. If a 
town has no library, it is included; if it 
has a library, it is automatically excluded. 
Two plans are provided however, by 



143 



which a town thus left out may if it wishes 
enter the system. It may by action of 
its board of city trustees become an in- 
tegral part in event of which, notices of 
intention must be published, and the town 
is taxed as a part of the system; or it may 
contract with the county free library for 
any or complete service, in which event the 
town is not taxed, but it pays whatever 
sum is agreed upon by the contract. Under 
either plan a town may withdraw from the 
system. 

Counties may also contract with each 
other for joint service — a plan which will 
undoubtedly work out with advantage 
and economy, as in cases of a small and a 
large county close together, or two com- 
paratively small counties, or an inter- 
change of service along the dividing line, 
or for particular service of various kinds 
such as the use of a special collection ot 
books. 

The new law also provides for a board 
of library examiners, made up of three 
members, the state librarian, the libra- 
rian of the San Francisco public library, 
and the librarian of the. Los Angeles 
public library. This boai'd will issue 
certificates to any desiring to become 
county libraiians, whom they consider 
capable of filling the position. It is per- 
haps unnecessary to explain this provision 
of the law, as its wholesome intent is 
clearly manifest. It forestalls the appoint- 
ment of any but those qualified for the 
position, and thus insures the carrying 
on of the county work along efficient and 
professional lines. The suggestion has 
been made by the board of library exam- 
iners to prospective candidates that they 
spend a short time at the state library, 
since it is the clearing house, so to speak, 
for records and for information of the 
county free libraries already started, 
which will pi-ove helpful to those coming 
new into the work; on the same general 
principle that progressive teachers gather 
as often as possible for the summer ses- 
sion at the University, which in turn be- 
comes a clearing house of good ideas for 
the schools all over the state. 

The power to make rules for general 



supervision over the county free libraries 
is vested in the board of supervisors, an 
arrangement necessary to insure the library 
sufficient attention from those who fix 
the income; but maximum power is given 
to the county librarian, who determines 
what books and other library equipment 
shall be purchased, recommends where 
branches are to be established, the per- 
sons to be employed, and approves all 
bills against the county free library fund. 
Salaries are fixed according to the class 
of the county, and range from $2,400 to 
$500. 

The state librarian is authorized to co- 
operate with the counties, by sending 
a representative to visit them, and by call- 
ing an annual meeting of county librarians, 
just as the state superintendent of public 
instruction convenes the county superin- 
tendents of schools. An annual report Is 
required to be sent to the state library, 
just as at present municipal libraries send 
one. A tax ot not more than one mill on 
the dollar can be levied for the county 
free library on that part of the county 
receiving service from it, and the county 
is authorized to issue bonds for any part of 
its support. County law libraries, county 
teachers' libraries, and school libraries 
may be made a part of the county free 
library. The law also includes the con- 
tract section from the former law, in case 
any county should prefer that plan. 

Such are the salient features of the new 
law. It became operative less than a 
month ago, but already two counties have 
taken the first step in establishment. 
The growth is bound to be rapid, as has 
been evidenced by the enthusiastic but 
sober, serious way the work has so far 
been taken up. In the short time that 
county free libraries have been in opera- 
tion, over $70,000 has been appropriated 
by the different counties, 114 branches 
have been established, and over 12,000 
people are reading county books. Com- 
pare that support with the $7,000 that the 
state library was able to spend this last 
year on traveling libraries! At the end 
of seven months one county librarian sent 
in the triumphant note that her card- 



144 



PASADENA CONFERENCE 



holders topped the thousand mark. An- 
other reported a circulation of over 37,000 
for the first year. The work is already 
spreading itself into every branch of 
activity and industry. School libraries 
are being co-ordinated with the county 
work, women's clubs have their special 
study books, some fruit-packing houses 
have been made branches, a collection of 
books has been put into a jail, another at 
the agricultural farm, county teachers' 
libraries have in two instances been 
turned over to the county free library, 
and home libraries are being sent out in 
some counties. 

This is the merest beginning. It fur- 
nishes, however, some basis for prophecy; 
too often there Is too much talk, too little 
done, and California does not covet such 
a stigma; but in the light of what has 
already been accomplished I look forward 
to the time when our ideal shall have 
been realized; when the annual appropri- 
ations for library work by the counties 
shall aggregate half a million dollars; 
when in each of the 58 counties of this 
state there shall be a library centre with 
branches reaching out to every com- 
munity needing them; when in every 
county seat there shall be a servant — 
trained, indeed, in the technique of library 
work — but beyond this and above it and 
first of all, fired with the inspiration of a 
mighty ambition to make his library a 
living, pulsing power to broaden and deep- 
en and sweeten the whole life of his 
county; when in every little community 
there shall be a branch custodian, set on 
fire by the county leader, with vision wide 
enough to see that care of the branch li- 
brary is a minor incident — that to know 
all the people and their needs, to quicken 
the desire to read, to direct that desire 
when awakened, and to furnish the 
books for the satisfaction of the desire 
— that this is the real work. I love to 
dream of the time when library organi- 
zation and equipment and service shall be 
so complete and efficient that every resi- 
dent of this coast state, whether in the con- 
gestion of the cities, or the solitude of 
the farm distant on the mountain side 



shall have not only the opportunity, but 
the persuasion to read wisely and well. 

This was the vision seen by those who 
launched the plan. This is the daydream 
that has quickened the zeal and strength- 
ened the arms of those who have made the 
beginnings. In the gleam of this vision, 
under the inspiration of this dream, have 
we not the right to hope that the work will 
continue till our ideal shall become real, 
and the people shall enter into their true 
heritage of a home university. 

The CHAIRMAN: "We have time for a 
very brief discussion of the library sys- 
tems in other states. Miss MARY F. 
ISOM, of Portland, will give us a little dis- 
cussion on 

COUNTY LIBRARIES IN OREGON 

Library development is still in its be- 
ginning in the state of Oregon. The Port- 
land library has been a public institution 
only nine years, and for four or five years 
enjoyed the distinction, joyfully given up, 
however, of being the only public library 
in the state. It has been a county library 
for seven years. Consequently, with li- 
brary work slowly a-building and fairly 
well centralized, we do not meet the com- 
plications existing in California and other 
older and more fully developed states, and 
ii has been an easy matter to prepare and 
adopt a law simple in itself, but covering 
existing conditions and providing for future 
growth and extension. 

The Oregon library law as first enacted 
authorized any county containing a popu- 
lation of 50,000 or more to take advantage 
of its provisions, and limited the special 
tax for library purposes to 1-5 of a mill. 
This was passed primarily for the benefit 
of Multnomah County, the only county in 
the state whose population exceeded or 
equaled 50,000, and to enable the Portland 
library to extend its activities through the 
county, which it was exceedingly anxious 
to do. 

The Portland library was so eager for 
this privilege that an emergency clause 
was added and the bill became a law at 
once. The Library Association of Portland 



145 



is a private corporation. A contract was 
made with the county court similar to the 
one already existing between the city and 
the Library Association. Under these two 
contracts the county library was organized. 
Its work may now be summarized as fol- 
lows: 

The central library containing the ad- 
ministration offices and the usual depart- 
ments, reference, children's, circulating, 
etc.; four branches in the city with daily 
delivery from the central library; 406 class- 
room libraries in the city schools; traveling 
libraries in the engine houses and in the 
club houses of the street railroad men; 
then, through the suburbs of the city, where 
the population does not justify the main- 
taining of a branch, and in several of the 
small towns of the county, there are read- 
ing rooms, each open five hours a day, 
afternoon and evening, and containing a 
deposit for circulation of from 500 to 1,000 
volumes. These have weekly deliveries 
from the central library. One of these 
reading rooms is a reference library of 
agricultural books and periodicals, with 
perhaps 75 volumes of general reading for 
circulation. 

In the country districts there are 16 de- 
posit stations of from 50 to 100 volumes 
each placed in the post-office, the general 
store, the hospitable farmhouse, the grange 
nail, occasionally the school house, in one 
instance in a barber shop, and in another in 
a church. These are practically traveling 
libraries, but a shifting collection and un- 
der elastic rules, for the interested custo- 
dian often brings in an armful of books for 
exchange to freshen up his collection, as he 
comes into town on his weekly or monthly 
errands. These deposit stations consist of 
adult books entirely. The juvenile libra- 
ries are placed in the country schools. 
There were over 60 of these libraries sent 
out last fall and placed in 89 class rooms. 
Does a county library pay? In the last 
ten years Multnomah County gained 119 
per cent in population. In six years the 
circulation of the library increased 212 per 
cent. 

To meet the changing conditions, at the 
session of the Oregon legislature last win- 



ter, the county law was amended, removing 
the clause specifying the amount of popu- 
lation, and increasing the library tax to 
1-2 a mill, so that now any county in Ore- 
gon can avail itself of this law. The sec- 
tion specifies that the tax shall be assessed, 
levied and collected in the same manner as 
other taxes for county purposes, the pro- 
ceeds to be known as the "library fund" to 
be expended solely for the purpose of es- 
tablishing and maintaining, or the assist- 
ing in the establishment and maintenance 
of a public library within the county. 

The second section of the law provides 
that the county court for any county which 
has levied this special tax may use the li- 
brary fund to establish, equip, maintain 
and operate at the county seat of the coun- 
ty, a public library, including branch libra- 
ries, reading rooms, lectures and museums 
and may do any and all things necessary 
or desirable to carry out this purpose. A 
clause follows which permits the county to 
contract for public library service with any 
corporation maintaining a public library at 
the county seat. This of course is equally 
applicable to a city library or to a private 
corporation giving public service, as is the 
case with the Library Association of Port- 
land. 

The third and fourth sections cover 
the usual provisions that no money can be 
expended except upon warrant drawn by 
the order of the county court and that 
every library so maintained by the county 
library fund must be entirely free to the 
inhabitants of the county, subject to such 
rules and regulations as are prescribed by 
the county court or the management of the 
library were not amended. These bills be- 
came laws on Thursday, the 18th of May, 
and Wasco County has already signified 
its intention of establishing a county li- 
brary and Hood River County is consider- 
ing the matter. The Library Association 
of Portland will henceforth enter into con- 
tract with the county alone, as the % mill 
tax will provide sufficient maintenance. In 
order to provide tor the housing of libra- 
ries under this act, a county library build- 
ing law was adopted. The first section of 
this law permits any county of the state 



146 



PASADENA CONFERENCE 



containing a population of 50,000 inhabi- 
tants or more, to assess, levy and collect 
in the usual manner a special tax not to 
exceed 1% mills on a dollar for the purpose 
of erecting a public library building. The 
Library Association of Portland is imme- 
diately taking advantage of this new law, 
and has plans under consideration for the 
much needed new building. The second 
section provides that this tax may be di- 
vided and may be assessed, levied and col- 
lected in not more than two successive 
years, but it shall never aggregate more 
than the 1% mills. The third section pro- 
vides that this tax shall be used solely for 
the erection of a public library building 
at the county seat upon a site approved by 
the county and conveyed to the county by 
any person, firm or corporation. The 
county court is also authorized to contract 
for the use and occupation of this building 
with any corporation maintaining and oper- 
ating a public library at the county seat. 
This contract may be upon such terms and 
conditions and extend for such a period as 
may seem advisable to the county court, 
but in the contract it is provided that the 
plans for the county library building are to 
be in accordance with the plans prepared 
by architects to be selected and under the 
control of the management of the library, 
subject to the approval of the county court. 
A fourth section reiterates the command 
that the library shall be free to all the in- 
habitants of the county. 

In addition to the amended county library 
law and the new law relating to county 
library buildings, the Oregon legislature 
also passed a bill concerning farm libraries. 
This bill was introduced by a legislator 
who quoted J. .1. Hill that "every farmer 
should have a library of agricultural 
books." This law provides that the county 
commissioners may appropritate $200 of 
the general fund of the county for the pur- 
pose of establishing farm libraries. The 
value of the Oregon law, it seems to me, 
is its extreme simplicity. No new elements 
are Introduced; no new boards are estab- 
lished. The contracts are made with the 
county court which consists of the county 
judge and two commissioners. This is the 



governing body of the county with whom 
all contracts are made. The power, the re- 
sponsibility, are left where they should be, 
with the librarian and directors of each 
county library. 

The CHAIRMAN; We will have a very 
brief presentation of an older library sys- 
tem, by Miss CORINNE A. METZ, of the 
Brumback library. Van Wert County, Ohio. 

AN OHIO COUNTY LIBRARY 

The Hrumback library of Van Wert 
County, Ohio, is the result of the liber- 
ality of a former citizen of Van Wert, 
John Sanford Brumback, who in his will 
directed that a sufficient sum from his 
estate be expended in the erection of a 
library building, on condition that the 
county equip and maintain it. The con- 
ditions of the will were accepted by the 
County t^ommissioners, who entered into a 
contract with the heirs of Mr. Brumback to 
name the library in his honor and for- 
ever maintain it by levying a tax on all 
taxable property of the county for its sup- 
port. 

In 1899 there was no county library to 
accept as a model, no county librarians 
with whom to compare notes, so the li- 
brary of Van Wert County has gradually 
worked out its own county library system. 

The library is situated in the county 
seat, Van Wert, a city of 8,000 inhabitants 
and the center of a prosperous agricultural 
district, the only town of considerable size 
in the county, with the exception of Del- 
phos, a city of 5,000 situated partly in 
Van Wert County and partly in an adjoin- 
ing county. There are, in addition to Del- 
phos, five towns with a population of 500 
or over and each of these we have utilized 
as a distributing center. In addition we 
have selected other points of vantage, often 
the village jiost-offlce or the cross-roads 
store, from which the surrounding country 
can be served. Fixed collections of books 
are sent from the central library, accord- 
ing to a regular schedule, so that the sta- 
tions receive four times a year new col- 
lections of 125 books. Extra collections 
varying from 50 to 100 volumes are sent 



147 



to the stations requesting these and we 
urge the caretakers of the stations to send 
us titles of all books requested by their 
patrons. The branch librarians, as we call 
them, in most cases the postmaster, clerk 
or owner of the store, receive $50 a year 
for their services, in return for which we 
require of them monthly reports of circu- 
lation, careful attention to the packing and 
return of the boxes, and as much interest 
in the work as we are able to get, some- 
times not a very large amount. 

Our school collection, though a separate 
department, continues the work of rural 
extension, since we loan to any teacher 
of the country schools, collections of books 
for school room use, to be changed as 
often or as seldom as the individual teacher 
wishes to make the exchange. Our greatest 
development during the past year has been 
in this department, due partly, I think, to 
the fact that there are in several town- 
ships of the county school supervisors, 
whose co-operation we have been able to 
secure, and partly because we have this 
year placed a trained assistant in charge 
of the work, her duty being to aid the 
teachers in their selection of books, make 
up collections when these are called for, 
and compile lists of books for given grades. 
I have also attended a number of teachers' 
meetings and township institutes, some- 
times merely calling attention to the school 
collection, but more often talking about 
books themselves. We find that the teach- 
ers need not so much to have their interest 
awakened as to have their knowledge of 
children's books increased. We have no 
settled plan of distribution, but consider 
each case an individual one, even though 
extra time is consumed in doing so. In 
one town of SOO, the superintendent of the 
town schools is also superintendent of the 
township schools and we have sent to him 
a collection sufficiently large to supply each 
of the seven teachers under his direction. 
The teachers go to him to make their 
selection and when one collection is used 
up, he is promptly supplied with another. 
In another township the school supervisor 
in his visits of inspection, changes from 
one school to another the seventeen fixed 



collections sent out from the library. Both 
plans work admirably and the rivalry re- 
sulting further stimulates the work. 

We keep no separate record of town and 
country borrowers, since the library exists 
impartially for all, and we have placed 
the emphasis on the personal side of the 
work rather than on the compilation of 
statistics. During the past year, I have vis- 
ited each of the fifteen branch stations 
at least once and many of them several 
times, but in the future I hope to make a 
round of the stations at least three times 
a year. Last year we held a meeting of the 
branch librarians at the central library and 
although the attendance was small, we 
considered it worth while. We shall make 
it an annual event and shall also have, 
this year, a teachers' day, when the coun- 
ty teachers will be made welcome and an 
unobtrusive effort made to interest them 
in the school collection. 

With the impetus recently given in Ohio 
to the teaching of agriculture in the country 
schools, we shall be enabled to reach many 
teachers and individuals who have thus 
far been skeptical of the practical help to 
bo gained from the library. We are also 
gradually accumulating a comprehensive 
agricultural reference collection which we 
hope in time to make effective. With a 
state institute speaker on our library board 
we are able to keep in close touch with 
the granges and farmers' institutes and 
have secured from him invaluable aid in 
the selection of agricultural books. County 
fair is in Van Wert County an event looked 
forward to from one year to the next and 
we have utilized this opportunity to ex- 
ploit the library. We have had, at various 
times, exhibits of bulletins and lists, model 
children's collections, recent books on ag- 
riculture, etc. The direct results are not 
always easy to see but our endeavor is 
to relate the library to every activity of 
the county. 

In a sense I believe that the rural prob- 
lem is bigger than the city problem. As 
Liberty Hyde Bailey puts it: "We must 
do constructive work. We must inspire the 
reading habit, direct it and then satisfy it." 
Because of this we must, I think, devote 



148 



PASADENA CONFERENCE 



much of our time and energy to activities 
•wlilch have always seemed to me to lie 
rather outside of library work, the for- 
mation of clubs and debating societies, 
lectures and institute work, and story tell- 
ing in the country schools. The average 
man or woman dwelling In an agricultural 
community is both busy and independent 
and unless v.e can persuade him that what 
we have to offer is what he needs or wants 
we can accomplish little. Nor can we ap- 
proach the problem with any feeling of 
condescension or patronage. The idea that 
I occasionally find existing in the minds 
of librarians and trustees, that the people 
of rural communities will hasten to take 
advantage of an opportunity they have so 
long been deprived of, seems to me to be 
wholly without foundation. As a matter 
of fact, they are slow to seek of their 
own accord what they have for so long 
been able to do without. Tact and a knowl- 
edge of local conditions are necessary 
tools, together with a rigorous application 
of the golden rule. 

The advantages of the county as the unit 
have been too well brought out in the 
earlier discussions of the subject to re- 
quire repetition,— the disadvantages, as I 
know conditions in my own county, I have 
been unable to find. 

The CHAIRMAN: The next paper is by 
Mr. FRANKLIN F. HOPPER, librarian of 
the Tacoma public library on 

THE BASIS OF SUPPORT OF ORGAN- 
IZATIONS FOR PUBLIC LIBRARY 
WORK 

Taxation, a fundamental necessity for 
the maintenance of civilization, must in 
some form provide the chief means of sup- 
port of public libraries. In spite of the 
universal aversion to paying taxes, there is 
no one act which can be performed by a 
community, which brings in so large return 
to the credit of general happiness, as the 
judicious expenditure, for public purposes, 
of a fair percentage of general wealth 
raised by an equitable system of taxation. 
At the same time, consider the multitude 
of services and the tremendous demands 



for expenditure which are being forced 
upon local government by modern urban 
life. In a paper In the Atlantic Monthly 
for April, Ex-mayor McClellan stated that 
the gross municipal expenditure Is increas- 
ing at the rate of S.OS per cent per annum, 
which If continued will double in eleven 
years, and that the per capita cost is in- 
creasing at the rate of three per cent per 
annum, which, if maintained, will double 
in 33 years. He says that: 

"Even under normal conditions, if the 
present rate of increase In the cost of 
municipal government continues, the tax 
on city real estate must ultimately equal 
its rental value. Of course, the moment 
that this occurs taxation has become con- 
fiscation, and the dearest wish of the pure 
socialist has been realized. The only alter- 
native is retrenchment; retrenchment so 
merciless as to be beyond practical consid- 
eration until the pendulum of public opin- 
ion, having reached its collectivist limit, 
begins to swing in the opposite direction. 
Time alone can show whether we are on 
the eve of an Individualistic reaction or 
whether the present collectivist tendency 
is destined to grow stronger and more 
widespread until it commits us to a policy 
of governmental activity hitherto un- 
dreamed of. and only possible of realiza- 
tion through repudiation of public debt 
and the confiscation of private property." 

We must be awake to the tendency of 
the times, watchful that In the rapid social 
Hud economic changes the library is 
strengthened in Its position In our civic 
life. There Is nothing to fear for the li- 
brary in a possibly ultimate socialistic 
society or in a city supported by single 
tax, but we must be on our guard. It is 
time y/e studied more carefully taxation 
In relation to libraries, the principles 
which underlie their support, discover 
their present status in municipal activi- 
ties, and be prepared for the future. 

Four chief considerations are naturally 
suggested by the topic, "The bai-ls of li- 
brary support," first, the reasons for asking 
for support by taxation; second, methods 
of effectively presenting budgets to appro- 
priating bodies; third, principles which 



HOPPER 



149 



govern the amount of budgets; and, fourth, 
means by which libraries may secure con- 
tinuously progressive support in propor- 
tion to advance in efficiency and work ac- 
complished. 

The reasons why libraries are fully jus- 
tified in asking and expecting adequate 
support from their public, whether state, 
county or municipal, have been so often 
fully discussed in meetings of librarians 
that there is no need for me to dwell upon 
them here. Ample support of free public 
education needs no argument, and it is 
simple repetition to mention the solid 
basis on which libraries rest in that re- 
spect. It does remain our duty fully 
and finally to conrincc our citizens of our 
complete justification. Our position will 
never be without danger until fieri/ one in 
the community takes for granted the value 
of the public library, and the first impor- 
tance of its support as he does the public 
schools. Certainly such is not yet the 
fact, and we librarians are to blame. The 
so-called "leading classes," the large tax 
payers, are as yet merely tolerant, if even 
cognizant of the existence of the public 
library. We must prove to them the im- 
portant factor which the library is In pub- 
lic education, the elevating and enriching 
influence which it should have on the char- 
acter of the people, the economy which it 
is In the ownership and use of books, the 
increased value which it undoubtedly 
gives to property, the reduction which Its 
existence probably causes in taxes neces- 
sary for the care of crime, the slight per 
capita cost, the value the business and 
trades of the city may derive from the effi- 
ciently administered public library. The 
work which the library commissions are 
doing for the people in small towns, in 
remote communities, for granges and rural 
debating clubs, Is of the first importance 
in spreading broadcast the conviction of 
the library's value and necessity. 

The presentation of budgets to most city 
councils or state legislatures is one of 
the things which make us librarians gray 
before our time. Fortunate is the libra- 
rian whose board of trustees, presumably 
a sympathetic body, has the power to levy 



the library tax. Most of us must each 
year ask either for a lump sum or a per- 
centage of the tax levy from the general 
appropriating body. Difficult as may be 
the task, I believe the publicity and the 
struggle work together for the good of the 
library. If our appropriating bodies are 
made up of the strong business-like men 
they ought to be, they will rightly demand 
full justification for the increased appro- 
priations we are certain to ask. It is to 
be feared that few library budgets would 
stand analysis from the point of view of 
an experienced financial man. Our esti- 
mates for expenditure, for administration 
and books need more careful preparation. 
First, we must demonstrate that the li- 
brary is efficiently serving the community 
in strict proportion to its resources. We 
are judged not by our promises to do, but 
by what we have done. The more efficient 
a city administration is, the more explicit 
must be our facts. We must show exactly 
what we have done with the money we 
have already had, and we must be able to 
demonstrate by comparison with other li- 
braries of known efficiency in the same 
section of the country that the proportion 
of money spent for salaries, books, etc., 
is right. We must show that the cost per 
capita is attended by corresponding use per 
capita. I find that the Idea of trained, ex- 
pert people at the head of library depart- 
ments appeals to business men. They 
know the value of efficiency, but we ought 
to be able to prove that our experts keep 
down costs and increase use; that the li- 
brary receives proper return for the larger 
salaries paid. We should be able to show 
what it costs to run the different depart- 
ments in our libraries. For instance, what 
are the costs for preparing books for cir- 
culation. How many of us know just what 
we pay for ordering, cataloging and shelf- 
listing our books? Most of us do not care 
to know, for we realize we should be 
ashamed of the facts. We may never be 
asked for these figures by our legislatures 
and our city councils, but we should all of 
us be able to compare the cost of these 
phases of our work with those of other li- 
braries. How else are we to know If we 



150 



PASADENA CONFERENCE 



are getting due return for the money spent 
and at what points the outlay shows the 
best returns? But no one of us Is able to 
make any such comparison, because our 
bookkeeping is so bad and because we do 
not want to make it any better. 

Professor Goodnow says, "perhaps no re- 
form in municipal financial administration 
is so desirable as the general adoption of 
some effective form of uniform accounting, 
which shall be so framed as to make it 
possible to determine whether the adminis- 
tration of a given city is efficient." Can 
anyone doubt that the shoe fits the libra- 
ries? At the Narragansett Pier Confer- 
ence, the Committee on library administra- 
tion submitted an admirably simple form 
for an annual report, designed specially for 
the reports from libraries to state commis- 
sions. We have proved the value of this 
form and particularly of its classification 
of expenditures, but surely the time has 
come when the American library associa- 
tion needs to adopt and recommend to all 
libraries a more detailed form for expendi- 
tures and for circulation statistics, per- 
haps two forms, one for the larger and one 
for the smaller libraries. We have stan- 
dardized our catalogs, our charging sys- 
tems, our mechanical contrivances, our 
assistants, and our own qualifications until 
we are all so standard we bore one an- 
other; but two things which need stan- 
dardizing as much as any, we have pretty 
completely overlooked. May we not rea- 
sonably hope that some committee of the 
association, perhaps working with an ex- 
pert accountant familiar with our require- 
ments, will devise a scheme of accounts 
which will help us to know where we are 
extravagant and where stingy, to compare 
our own costs with those of our neigh- 
bors. We are neither businesslike nor 
sensible until we keep our books in such 
a way that comparisons can easily be 
made. The suggestion of the secretary of 
the A. L. A. In the last number of the Bul- 
letin for reporting and tabulating various 
library statistics is admirable. As to cir- 
culation statistics, a word later. 

In considering our library expenditures, 
it may be of some profit to study the re- 



cently issued fifth bulletin of the Carnegie 
Foundation for the advancement of teach- 
ing, giving results of investigations into 
what the author considers the extravagant 
and unsystematic administration of our 
colleges. Prof. Bushnell's acute criticism 
in the Atlantic of the standards and argu- 
ments presented in the bulletin is perhaps 
equally illuminating. Certainly the "stu- 
dent-per-foot-per-hour" or the "circulatlon- 
per-diem-per-dollar" standards are not the 
only measures of college or library effi- 
ciency. 

To return to the presentation of budg- 
ets: The average city official will do what 
he believes to be his duty by the library, 
but the demands for appropriations for 
many municipal enterprises are insistent, 
and we must never for an instant let him 
foryct his duty to the library. Of great 
value are tables and diagrams of increas- 
es in number of volumes and circulation, 
percentages of increase in appropriations 
for the different city departments, in pop- 
ulation, in valuation of property; such 
tables as we find in the last report of the 
Seattle public library. It pays to keep 
councilmen interested throughout the year, 
not only at the time for appropriations. 
Much depends on the personal relations 
between librarians and councilmen, even 
more, I think, than between board and 
councilmen. 

Influential men of the city, who have no 
official connection with the library, should 
see the councilmen in its behalf. Appro- 
priating bodies take it for granted that 
boards of trustees and librarians are inter- 
ested to" the point of bias, but it is another 
story to have leading business men talk 
library to them. Personally I believe that 
women's suffrage is a tower of strength 
for a library. There is no force so potent 
for civic betterment as the women's clubs 
as they are conducted on the Pacific coast. 
They Interest themselves actively in the 
best things, and I know from experience 
the wonderful work they can and will do 
for library efficiency. Powerful as were 
the women's clubs before women were en- 
franchised, they are to-day, in the state of 
Washington at least, holding the balance 



151 



of the power. May I also say that I per- 
sonally believe the presence of women on 
library boards is of great importance, par- 
ticularly where women's suffrage exists. 
The increased ease with which appropria- 
tions are secured from city councils when 
women members of the board appear be- 
fore them is a sidelight worth notice. All 
over the country the Socialist party is 
gaining strength. Socialists stand for lib- 
eral appropriations to public institutions, 
good salaries and efficient administration. 
Remember that they will work for us if 
we prove to them our cause is just. 

The principles which govern the amount 
of money libraries are justified in expect- 
ing for their maintenance have received 
little systematic investigation. My brief 
study and tentative conclusions I venture 
to consider merely an introduction to the 
subject. 

Given two cities, each having 100,000 
inhabitants, other things being equal, a 
public library in one city should do as 
much worlc and be of as much service as 
the other. It should be possible to meas- 
ure in terms of use the normal efficiency 
of either library. It is safe to say that 
our first factor in determining the extent 
of work is population. But one city is 
prosperous, progressive, the other is not; 
one has a high property valuation, the 
other is poor. The former city can conse- 
quently afford to spend more for its public 
library. The library in the latter city will 
as nearly as possible approximate the ser- 
vice and use of that in the former city, 
and it can serve only in proportion as the 
means for service are provided. The sec- 
ond factor in determining our budgets is 
the amount of taxable property in the city 
and the income it will produce. Under 
present conditions, one ought also to take 
into consideration city income from li- 
censes, police court fines, etc. Single tax 
would remedy this complexity. These then 
are the two cliief factors in our budgets, 
first, population and library service per 
capita; and, second, property values. But 
other factors everywhere must be consid- 
ered; as the location of the city, the char- 
acter of the population (as in the South 



the use per capita will be reduced by the 
non-reading negro population), the density 
of population, affecting the number of 
branch buildings (which inevitably in- 
crease per capita cost), the special and 
endowed libraries which tend to reduce 
per capita use and also per capita cost, 
the plans of our library buildings, making 
great differences in the cost of adminis- 
tration. You say we cannot all fully con- 
sider all these factors; we take what we 
can get. Yes, but that is neither science 
nor business. Perhaps if we subject our 
budgets to scientific and business tests, 
what we get will more approximate our 
needs. Someone may say, "All these fac- 
tors of character of population, character 
of buildings and so on, completely alter 
my special problems." Do they alter the 
problem more than they do that of the pub- 
lic schools? The basis of support for the 
public school systems varies in almost as 
many ways as there are states, but school 
authorities have given the subject careful 
thought, and the foundation principles 
which they seem to be actually accepting 
are illustrated by the practice of some of 
the most advanced states. There seems 
to be a double basis for maintenance 
(buildings are a separate consideration). 
First, a per capita basis; that is the num- 
ber of children of school age in the state. 
A state tax is levied to produce say $10 per 
child. That gives a distinct and equitable 
foundation for every district of the com- 
monwealth. But the character of the coun- 
ties varies, so the county commissioners 
are instructed by law to levy a county tax 
which will produce up to a certain amount 
for each child of school age, say again |10. 
These two levies will produce in the max- 
imum, say $20. There is another basis in 
which one takes into consideration prima- 
rily property values and such other local 
factors as were referred to above. Local 
school boards decide how much the local 
property can stand for school purposes In 
addition to the two tax levies already men- 
tioned; just what are the local characteris- 
tics which cause the problem to vary; and 
they then make whatever additional levy 
is necessary to meet the needs. You will 



152 



PASADENA CONFERENCE 



observe that the law in so tar as it applies 
to the state and county tax provides an au- 
tomatic increase in the total income in pro- 
portion to the increase in the number of 
children of school age. The office and 
travelling expenses of the state boards of 
education are provided by direct appro- 
priations by the legislature. Now, it seems 
to me the conclusions of those states 
which have either adopted or are working 
toward the plan just outlined are sugges- 
tive as a basis of support for libraries. 
The population which the public schools 
consider is the number of children of 
school age; the population which libra- 
rians have to consider is the total popu- 
lation. The schools do not reach all their 
population; and certainly the libraries do 
not reach nearly as large a percentage of 
theirs, but the difference is not in kind, 
but one of degree only, and that difference 
will gradually disappear as our libraries 
grow in efficiency. The organization to- 
wards which the public libraries in many 
of the states are tending seems to be 
roughly about as follows: 

(j) A strong central library system con- 
sisting of commission and state library, 
supplying the rural districts, district 
schools and the small towns with library 
facilities, organizing new libraries, and in 
addition acting as the central library store- 
house on the lines of the New York State 
library whose collection was so recently 
destroyed. 

(2) A county library system, sui)plying 
the needs of every nook and corner of 
the counties. To support this dual system, 
a state tax might be levied, which would 
produce a certain sum for the service the 
commission should render to every inhabi- 
tant not served by the county libraries, 
and in case an efficient county organiza- 
tion exists, making it unnecessary for the 
commission to act, the amount raised for 
state tax for such a county could be paid 
over to the proper county library board. 
It should be possible to find a unit of per 
capita cost varying of course in different 
states in proportion to property valua- 
tion and other factors. Such a cost unit 
once discovered could be embodied in 



state law and the revenue would accord- 
ingly increase with the increase in popu- 
lation to be served. In this way a certain 
minimum amount would come automati- 
cally to every public library organization 
in the state, directly proportional to the 
population to be served. In addition each 
county should be empowered to levy a tax 
for libraries which would produce enough 
to meet estimated expenses. The millage 
of the state tax would vary with the num- 
ber of people to be served; the millage 
of the county tax would either remain the 
same from year to year, thus producing ad- 
ditional revenue as the county property 
valuations increase, or it would vary be- 
tween certain maximum and minimum lim- 
its, the degree of variation to be decided 
by the appropriating bodies. So we would 
have a dual basis of support, one a definite 
minimum income for the service of each 
person whom it is our duty to serve, and 
the other the additional income increasing 
or diminishing with property valuations. 
Under the present conditions it is possible 
for a municipal library partially to adopt 
some such method by determining what a 
fair cost per capita would be, taking into 
consideration local conditions and com- 
parison with other libraries. Once having 
determined such cost per capita, it is easy 
to find what millage of the tax levy 
would produce the total amount. Even if 
such millage is not prescribed by state law 
or city charter, it is not difficult to accus- 
tom an appropriating body to consider a 
certain rate of tax on property as the 
proper amount to appropriate each year. 
Until the relationship between state com- 
missions and state libraries becomes what 
it Is eventually likely to become, one or- 
ganization working for all the people of 
the state, it will be difficult to work out 
a proper basis of support for these state 
institutions, but as the organization is 
gradually perfected, it seems that it will 
become more and more easy to determine 
Lie proper method of their support by 
some form of combination of the per cap- 
ita and the property valuation bases. 

A corporation determines each year the 
degree of its success or failure by the re- 



II. STATISTICS FROM 



City 


6 

3 

a, 


.26 
>>. 

li 

< 


■o 

1 
< 

a 


> 

£2 


a 

Id 

§2 


pi 

o -a 

£<:h2 


Brookline, Mass 


27.792 
32,811 
78,466 
73,409 
66,525 
31,433 
89,336 
66.950 
77.403 
88,926 
83.743 


$25,000,000 00 
41,385.224.00 
57,408.430.00 
25.254,803.00 
20,000.000.00 
72.648.640.00 
20.548.876.00 
37.743.520.00 

119.081.778.00 
69.939,177.00 


100% 

33 M% 

100% 

40% 

100% 

100% 

33!.^% 

60% 
100% 

60% 


$25,000,000.00 
124,155,672.00 
57.408,430.00 
63,137,000.00 
20.000,000.00 
72.648.640.00 
61,646,628.00 
62,958.600.00 
119.081.778.00 
116.565.295.00 


123,500. 00(?) 
10,916.92 
14,652.31 
17,335.00 
15.050.00 
10,000.00 
16,000,00 
17,664.44 
21.000.00 
46,012.04 
26,425.76 


Fines etc. not re] 
$1,720.12 


Duluth. Minn ... . 


Elizabeth, N.J 










4,501.32 
1,831.91 


Peoria, III 




3,449.00 









































1 


. STATISTICS OF CITIES 


HAVING A POPULATION OF MORE THAN 


100,000 












City. 


6 

1 

§ 

a, 


Is 
■3" 

> >. 

II 

•< 


•0 

i 

1 

£ 
a. 


> 

|8 


a 

£ 

So 
§2 

u 

an 


Hi 
■"38 

th 


a "0.6 

2SS 

III 
gl 


111 

Pl 


Rate of Levy in Mills 
in 1910. Based on 
Valuation of 100%. 

Rate of Levy in Mills 
Based on Valuation 
of 100%. Which 
would produce Total 
Income from All 
Sources. Eicept En- 
dowments. 1910. 


.2h 

^£ 

ifi 


■p. 

"is 


ii 
si 


ii 

||2 



i 

.1 


bO 

ji 


Albany^N.Y^. 


100.253 
132,283 

164,839 
558,485 
132,685 
670.585 
102.054 
1,634,351 

423,715 

104,839 

2,185,283 

364,463 

560.663 
181,548 
116,577 
213.381 
465,766 
119,295 
112,571 
233,650 
267,779 
248.381 
319,198 
223,928 
106,294 
131,105 
373,857 
301,408 
110,364 
133.605 
339.076 
2,848.491 
. The Bron 
347,469 
150,174 
124.098 
125.600 
1,649.008 
401,622 

207,214 1 
224,326 
284,041 
127.628 
218,149 
687,029 

214.744 

416,912 
129,867 
237.194 
104,402 
137,249 
168,497 
331,069 
145,986 


JIOO.000.000 00 

(approximate) 

[nsulEcient report. 

Unusual part of inco 

New library. No 

1,393,765,423,00 
No report. 

1,463,368,346.00 

307.300.585.00 
No report. 

848.994.538.00 

306.973,240.00 

(Hamilton County) 

274,970,605 . 00 
No report. 

62.631,280.00 

132.909.000.00 

377,335.980.00 

92.488,520.00 

85..324.200,00 

135,986.655.00(real«Bt.) 

No report. 

No regular appropri 

332,489,169 00 

166.000,000.00 

No report. 

93.445.488.00 
Valuation figures inc 
No report. 

76,023,612,00 
Insufficient data. 
No report. 

5,613,546,713 00 
X and Richmond) 
348.105.216.00 
Insufficient data. 

28.607,002,00 
No report. 
1,458,851,880,00 
709.905,751.00 

231,161.600.00(City) 

301.823,650.00 (Co.) 
269.145.060.00 
339.922,440.00 

No public library. 

No public library. 
664.875,720.00 

126,281,180.00 

492,329.885.00 
74.364.445.00 

186.317.470.00 
85.619,406.00 

106.498,627,00 

83.002,450.00 

Disregarded, becaus 

141.212,607.00 


90% 

ne from 
>uilding. 
100% 

100% 

75% 

33% 
60% 

36% 

45% 

50% 
100% 
100% 
100% 

60% 

ation. S 
50% 
80% 

60% 
orrect. 

80% 

100% 

100% 

20% 

66% 
90% 

}76%{ 

100% 

100% 

65% 
60% 

60% 
75% 
46% 
60% 

100% 

60% 

e the figu 

100% 


8111.111,111 00 
(approximate) 

no support. 
1,393,765,423.00 

1,463,368.346,00 

409,734.113-00 
Year ending 
26.727,107.151.00 
511,612,266 00 

786,621,300.00 

139,180,622.00 
265.818,000,00 
377.335,980,00 
92.488,520.00 
85.324,200.00 
226.611,090,00 

upported from schoo 
664.978,300,00 
208,250.000.00 

156,742,480,00 

95.029,515.00 

5.613,546,713 00 

348,105,216,00 

143,035,010.00 

2,244.387.507,00 
788.784,167,00 

308.216.333.00(City) 

402.431.633.00 (Co.) 

259,145.060-00 

339.922.440,00 

869,039.500 00 
208,801.966.00 

820,549,816 00 
99,139,260,00 
411.816,600.00 
142.698.800,00 
105.498.527,00 
138.337,410,00 
res are inadequate fc 
141.212,607.00 


(26,862.00 

tted. »50.000 

351,978 00 

424,739.00 

99.950,00 
July 1. 1910. 
328.729,90 
149.312,47 

253.574,38 

23,041,98 
30.000.00 
104.717,86 
26,134,04 
34,129,63 
71.860,00 

1 funds. 
132,775.00 
60,567 . 68 

26,000.00 

16.000.00 

620.812.00 

109.308.00 

29,000.00 

234,600.00 
226,000.00 

J 61,822.30 
Only small pa 
120,207.00 

212,137.22 

29.000.00 

74,309.36 
18,300,00 
99,555,43a 
28.481.04 
39,200,00 
27,764 , 27 
r purposes ol 
44,000,00 


?'ines, etc. not reported 

from endowment: $20,000 
Fines, etc. not reported 
{28,111.94 

8.188, 60 
Year ending July 1. '10. 
Fines, etc. not reported 

6,191 63 

15.596.01 

Fines, etc. not reported. 
3.000 00 
11,613,00 
6,329,97 
7.625,52 
2.634.11 

4.034.56 
4,178.00 

Fines, etc. not reported. 
798 47 

34.834.06 

11.373.00 
1.500.00 
3.000.00(7) 

2,932.00 
rt of funds come from city. 
Infornaation not full enoue 

SIO.OOO fines, eto. (approx. 
f $27,000 (rent) 
1 3.000 (fines eto.) 
i $30,000 approx. ' 
9.369.10 
877.07 
46,982,82 
1,354,72 
683,76 
Fines, etc. not reported, 
comparison, more than 5 
8,638.22 


$26,862,00 3/11 ,24 ,24 

rom city. 

351.978,00 .264(lump8um) ,254 ,254 

460.850,94 ,29 ,29 30 

108.138.60 .32 (lumpsum) .24 .26 

328,729,90 ,411 ,135 ,127 
155,504,00 ,5 ,29 ,33 

289,169,39 1,5 (?) 

23,041,98 .4 .180 .180 
33,000.00 .23 (lumpsum) .115 12 
116,230,86 .25 .25 .36 
32.464.01 .28 (lumpsum) .28 .36 
41,755.15 .4 ,4 .48 
74,394,11 .4 ,31 .32 

138,809.65 ,4 ,20 .206 
84,735,68 .325 ,29 31 

26,000,00 .3 .16 .16 

15,798,47 ,19 ,16 ,16 

855,646.08 11 .11 116 

120.681,00 ".SS^S **.33M •*.34 

30,500,00 1 01 .20 .21 

237,600,00 ,16 ,104 ,105 
225,000 00 .32 ,288 ,288 

64,754,30 ,26 .19 ,20 

h for comparison. 

222,137.22 .4 .24 25 
59.000,00 .23 (lumpsum) .14 282 

83,678 46 .15 .094 ,119 
19,177,07 .246(lumpsum) .18 .19 
146,538,26 .5045 .227 .355 
29.835.76 .437 .19 .208 
39.883.75 .37 (lumpsum) .37 .38 
27,764 27 .36 .21 .21 
) % of the real esta te being exempt fr om taxat ion. 

50.538 22 .31 (lumpsum) .31 35 

3825 .218 1 .26 


$0,154 

.518 

,03 

.24 

.16 
.18 

,18 

.16 
.205 
.19 
154 

.26 
061 
.103 

.18 

.161 

.127 
,28 

,134 
.09 

.105 
.12 
.17 
.207 
.21 
.13 

.34 

.178 


$0 203 

,524 

,276 

,26 

.122 
,426 

,48 

,19 
,166 
.25 
.27 
,37 
.35 

,42 
,28 

,19 
.14 

23 

,347 

,24 

,16 
,58 

,312 

.323 

.279 

.20 
.147 
.617 
.286 
.363 
.164 

.346 

.29 


.86 

2,36 

54 

2.5 

.82 

1 25 

2,51 

1,57 
2.74 
1,71 
1,69 

2 11 

3.5 
No library then. 

.5 
No record. 

1.33 

1.3 
2.2 
1 94 

1,41 
1,33 

Not established as 
public library. 

1,23 

1.01 

1.861 
1.08 
1.91 
88 
1.5 
1.68 

1.7 

1 617 


1 17 

2.38 

2.48 

3.2 

.9? 
2.93 

3.99 

2.38 
1.73 
1.78 
1.68 
2.73 

2.13 
2,74 

16 
1,32 

2 64 

2,7 
2,91 
2 16 

1.17 

2,8 

2,86 

2,49 
1,73 

1,726 
.94 
2,74 
2,04 
1,8 
2,23 

2.2 

2.187 


$0,158 










BirminBham, Ala 

Boston. Mass 

Bridgeport. Conn 

Brooklyn, N. Y 

Buffalo. N. Y 

Cambridge, Masa 

Chicago. Ill 

Cincinnati. Ohio 

(County Library) 

Cleveland. Ohio 

Columbus, Ohio. 


.219 

.11 

.078 

.16 
.114 

.12 

.083 


Dpover ' Colo 




Detroit, Mich 

Fall River, MaBa._ 

Grand Rapids, Mich. . . - 

Indianapolis. Ind 

Jersey City, N. J 

Kansas City, Mo 

Lob Angeles, Cal 


.17 
,136 

20 
.10 




12 


Memphis, Tenn 

Milwaukee. Wie 

Minneapolis, Minn 

Nashville, Tenn 

New Haven, Conn 

New Orleans, La 

NewYork. N. Y 

(Including Manhattan 
Newark. N. J 


.107 

.08 
.129 
.11 






Paterson. N. J 

Philadelphia, Pa 


.13 

.19 


(excluding Allegheny) 


117 


Providence, R. I 

Queens Borough 




Rochester, N. Y. 




St. Paul. Minn 

San Francisco, Cal 


.116 
.156 
,226 




■ J39 




■j'55 




.074 






Washington. D. C 

Worcester, Mass 


.133 


Averages 
















1 


1 


se from 1900 to 1910 


82% 




35% 





•This is the gross income; the city keeps $9,000 each 

"Including levy for the $9,000. 

o $99,555.43 is actual receipts from taxes in 1910. 
t The figures given for library income from taxes 11 
collected, etc. 



year, towards interest and sinking fund charges on the building. 

, .. ;„ iQin would have been $93,492.66 baaed on a library levy of .5045 mills and _ 
:tTy"co?".pond^?h the' result oSed by multiplying .s«..ed valuation by rate of levy. The diflerenc. 



assessed valuation of $185,317,470.00, 



ally caused by receipts from overdue I 











II. 


STATISTICS FROM ELEVEN SMALLER CITIES 
















City 


S 


.2d 
>>. 

< 


1 
1 

1 


> 


a 

£ 

id 
|S 

ts 
.-en 


III 
11 

i-l 


io-2 
III 






Rate of Levy in Mills 
Based on Valuation 
of 100%. Whicii 
Would Produce Total 
Income from All 
Sources. Except En- 
dowments. 1910. 


ill 


D. O 

u£ 

Kt 

i|| 


ai 
£| 

III 
o 


a2 

III 


G 

Is 
id 


Brookline, Mass 


27,792 
32,811 
78,466 
73.409 
66.525 
31,433 
89.336 
66,850 
77,403 
88.926 
83.743 


$25,000,000.00 
41.385.224.00 
67.408.430.00 
25.254.803.00 
20.000.000.00 
72.648.640 , 00 
20.548.876.00 
37.743.520.00 

119.081.778.00 
69.939.177.00 


100% 
33H% 
100% 

40% 
100% 
100% 
33 M% 

60% 
100% 

60% 


125,000,000.00 
124,155.672.00 
67.408.430.00 
63.137.000.00 
20.000,000.00 
72,648.640.00 
61.646.628.00 
62.958.600.00 
119.081.778.00 
116,565,295.00 


$23,600. 00(?) 
10.916.92 
14.652.31 
17.335.00 
15.050.00 
10.000.00 
16.000.00 
17.664.44 
21.000.00 
46.012.04 
26,425.76 


Fines etc. not reported. 

»1.720.12 

683 06 

500.00 
4.501.32 
1.831,91 

3,449.00 
733.46 


J23.500.00 
13.637.04 
15.335 36 
17.355 00 
16.050.00 
10.500,00 
20.501.32 
19.496.35 
21.000.00 
49.461.04 
27,159,22 


(Lump sum) 
.44(?) 
.4 

.33H 
,628 

6 
.22(?)(1"™P«1M1) 

.4 
.38 
.5 


.44 

.11 

.33K 

.238 

.6 

.22 

.28 

.33 

.38 

.22 


.505 
.12 
.333 
.238 
.525 
.282 
.311 
.33 
.415 
.232 


1.05 
.208 
.19 

,39 

.13 

.28 

.46 
.16 


.84 
.38 
.19 
.236 
.226 
.334 
.229 
.291 
,271 
,556 
.32 


6.24 
1.36 
1.20 
No library in 1900 
2,7 
3.30 

2,99 

2.6 
1,53 


6.176 

3,6 

2,25 

1.85 

2,8 

2,88 

2.69 

3,09 

2,6 

5.9 

2,66 


,132 
.106 




.087 


Elizabeth. N. J 


.131 
.082 




.116 




.088 




.094 










Taco^ 








4 


















.304 


,329 


.357M 


,355 


2 61 


3.259 

























ELEVEN SMALLER CITIES 





a 0.0 




111 


ate of Levy in Mills 
Based on Valuation 
of 100%, Which 
Would Produce Total 
Income from All 
Sources, Except En- 
dowments. 1910. 


■-Cd ■ 

a 


5 c 

a£| 


|2 


Is 

.S ft 


3 

G 




ij 




a 






" 








-' 


jorted. 


t23.500.00 


(Lump sum) 






1.05 


.84 


5.24 


6.175 


132 




13,637.04 


.44(?) 


.44 


.605 


.208 


.38 


1.35 


3.6 


.106 




15.335 36 


.4 


.11 


.12 


.19 


.19 


1.20 


2.25 


.087 




17,355 00 


.33H 


33H 


.333 




.236 


No library in 1900 


1.85 


.131 




15,050.00 


.628 


.238 


.238 


.39 


.226 


2.7 


2.8 


.082 




10,500.00 


S 


.5 


.525 




.334 


3 30 


2.88 


.116 




20,501.32 


.22(7) (lamp sum) 


.22 


.282 


.13 


.229 




2 59 


.088 




19,496.35 




.28 


.311 


.28 


.291 


2 99 


3,09 


.094 




21,000.00 


.4 


.33 


.33 




.271 




2 6 


.101 




49,461.04 


.38 


.38 


.415 


.46 


.556 


2.6 


5.9 


.093 




27,159.22 


.6 


.22 


.232 


.15 


.32 


1.53 


2.66 


.122 








.304 


.329 


.357K 


.355 


2.61 


3.259 


.106 











153 



turn on the investment. If the profits are 
less than they should be, considering the 
volume of business, an investigation of 
the different departments follows with a 
view to reduction in costs. There is no 
absolute test to a library's efficiency. Com- 
parative study of work accomplished and 
cost of maintenance must be our chief re- 
sources. In making comparisons of work, 
circulation is by no means the only test, 
for much of the work and expenditure of 
libraries is devoted to other fields, such 
as reference work and reading rooms. But 
it is still a fact that comparative statistics 
of reference work and reading room at- 
tendance are too inaccurate to form a 
basis for comparison. Neither is the num- 
ber of card holders as yet much of a test, 
as the life of the cards varies altogether 
too much. It remains true then that sta- 
tistics of circulation are the best compar- 
ative test we have of work accomplished. 
Unfortunately, even circulation statistics 
are not strictly comparable, so great Is the 
divergence in methods of counting. 

Next in importance to the adoption of 
some good definite system of accounting it 
seems to me that the American library 
association should adopt some standard 
system for counting circulation statistics. 
Varying rules in regard to the loaning 
of books for two weeks or four weeks, the 
counting of renewals, seven-day books, 
counting circulation of books loaned to 
schools, clubs, etc., are merely some of 
the reasons why accurate comparison is 
so difficult. However, in order to come 
to any conclusion at all, we must find 
some basis of comparison if it is only ap- 
proximate. 

In collecting some statistics of library 
support and use in the United States, I 
tried to get returns from each of the 51 
cities which has more than 100,000 popu- 
lation, according to the census of 1910. 
Counting Allegheny, Brooklyn, and Queens 
Borough separately from Pittsburgh and 
New York, there are in all 54 such cities; 
three of them have no public libraries, and 
from 19 others insufficient data was ob- 
tained to make comparison possible. I was 
also able to secure figures from 11 cities, 



ranging in population from 27,000 to 90,000. 
To get a common basis of comparison for 
appropriations. I reduced the assessed val- 
uation of property in all the cities to a 
100 per cent valuation, ascertained what 
millage on these property values produced 
the income for 1910 from taxes, even if ap- 
propriations were made in a lump sum, 
and what millage would have produced the 
total income for the year 1910 includ- 
ing income from dog licenses, police court 
fines, library fines, etc., but excluding in- 
come from endowments, because compara- 
tively few public libraries have more than 
very small endowments, and even in such 
cases the interest is usually spent for the 
purchase of certain classes of books, for 
which the library would, without the en- 
dowments, spend but little of its own 
appropriations. 

In the group of large cities the rate of 
levy in mills which produced the income 
from taxes in 1910 averaged .218 of a mill, 
and the rate of levy which would have pro- 
duced the total income, except from en- 
dowments, averaged .26 of a mill. The in- 
come per capita averaged 17.8 cents in 
1900, and 29 cents in 1910, an increase of 
62 per cent. The circulation per capita In 
1900 averaged 1.617, and in 1910 averaged 
2.187, an increase of 35 per cent. 

It is interesting to note that in 1910 the 
average expenditure for each book circu- 
lated was 13.3 cents (of course you remem- 
ber that for purposes of comparison we 
are considering only circulation, and disre- 
garding entirely reference work). The cor- 
responding averages in small cities are in- 
teresting. I venture to read the list of 
these 11 cities: 

Brookline (Mass.), Cedar Rapids. Du- 
luth, Elizabeth, Erie, Jackson (Mich.), 
Lynn, Peoria, St. Joseph (Mo.), Springfield 
(Mass.), Tacoma (Wash.). 

The rate of levy in mills which produced 
the income from taxes in 1910 (based on a 
valuation of 100 per cent) averaged .304 
of a mill, and the rate of levy which would 
have produced the total income except 
from endowments averaged .329 of a mill. 
The income per capita averaged 35.7 cents 
in 1900, and 35.5 cents in 1910 (practically 



154 



PASADENA CONFERENCE 



the same), but the circulation per capita 
increased from an average of 2.61 in 1900 
to 3.259 in 1910, or 25 per cent. The aver- 
age expenditure for each book circulated 
in 1910 was 10.5 cents. In 1910 the small 
cities received an average income per cap- 
ita of 22 per cent more than the larger cit- 
ies, and had an average per capita circula- 
tion of 49 per cent more than the larger 
cities. As showing the very distinct con- 
nection between income and circulation, it 
may be noted that in the two groups of 
cities, the one which has the largest per 
capita income (Brookline) also has the 
largest per capita circulation, and the one 
which has the smallest per capita income 
has the second smallest per capita circu- 
lation. 

Unfortunately, I could not obtain suffi- 
cient data to complete accurate compara- 
tive statistics of increases in appropria- 
tions for schools and libraries. It Is I 
think approximately correct to say that in 
1910 appropriations for schools averaged 
about 15 or 16 times those for libraries, 
but the percentage of increase since 1900 
was greater for libraries. According to 
the Census Bureau, in the 148 largest cit- 
ies of the United States, from 1902 to 1907. 
the per capita expenditures for the police 
departments increased 10 per cent; for 
fire departments 21 per cent; for schools 
23 per cent; for libraries and museums 37 
per cent. From these figures it seems evi- 
dent that the per capita expenditures for 
libraries have increased more rapidly 
than those for any other department of 
municipal activity. 

In conclusion, may I venture the opin- 
ion based on the comparative statistics 
studied, that the only way in which a li- 
brary may be sure of continuously pro- 
gressive support in proportion to growth 
of population and increase of library 
needs, is to secure either by state law or 
city charter a certain minimum millage 
of the annual tax levy, such minimum to be 
adequate for at least the essential needs 
of an efficient library, and to be determined 
in the first place by the amount needed to 
reach the present population, and by the 
necessary modifications of property val- 



ues, character of population, plan and 
number of library buildings, etc. Such a 
millage carefully determined will increase 
the library revenues each year, as the 
wealth of the community and its conse- 
quent ability to spend increases. At pres- 
ent the average rate which will produce 
our library incomes is approximately .3 of 
one mill on the dollar, reckoning on the 
basis of 100 per cent valuation. It is safe 
to say that this average rate is too small-, 
for the inadequately supported libraries 
are in the majority. 

The CHAIRMAN: (Mr. Carr here again 
takes the chair.) I think we owe a great 
deal to Mr. Hopper for the presentation 
of this most interesting paper. Few except 
those who have done this kind of work 
realize the amount of labor he must have 
put into that paper. I have no doubt it 
will be a great help to us in the future, 
and further suggestions in that line will 
amplify the results to be derived there- 
from. 

We have with us to-day Professor 
ARTHUR H. CHAMBERLAIN of the Uni- 
versity of California, who comes to us as 
the accredited representative of the Na- 
tional Education Association. I now have 
great pleasure in introducing Prof Cham- 
berlain. 

INCREASING THE EFFICIENCY OF THE 

LIBRARY AS AN EDUCATIONAL 

FACTOR 

On the fourth day of July and one year 
short of three quarters of a century ago 
the first real apostle of popular education 
in this country wrote in his journal: "The 
people who speak to me on the subject of 
my Secretaryship seem to think that there 
is more dignity or honor or something in 
being President of the Senate, than to be 
Missionary of Popular Education. If the 
Lord will prosper me for ten years, I will 
show them what way the balance of honor 
lies. But this is not a matter to be done 
sleeping."! And on October twentieth, 
seventy one years later, four months be- 
fore his death, a great soul said: "How do 

lal. Sec HuWiell, Horace 



.Ma 



1 Horace Maitn'' 
nn. r. SI. 



CHAMBERLAIN 



155 



I know that life is worth living unless I 
learn that somebody else has found it so? 
Where shall I find that? In a book! How 
shall I know that victories are to be won 
unless I find the records in books? Men 
and women who have been successful in 
life are telling us of this on the printed 
pages. This is uplifting. A book is noth- 
ing but an individual. If you sit down with 
one of Howell's books you sit down with 
Howell. If you have a public library you 
have the best men and women of the 
world as neighbors. "2 

Horace Mann was prospered tor his ten 
years. His work as secretary of the Board 
of education of Massachusetts laid the 
foundation of the most far-reaching re- 
forms in school administration that our 
country experienced to the sunset of the 
last century. And James H. Canfield 
as teacher, librarian, and man, performed 
a work in stimulating the individual and 
community mind for good books, that rises 
to-day his monument. East and west and 
from the Gulf to Canada, there are men and 
women, of whom those before me are wor- 
thy representatives, whose duty and de- 
light it is to bear witness to Mann's message 
of a rich and purposeful popular education. 
Daily these "Prophets in Israel," your fel- 
low workers and you, sit down with boys 
and girls as did Canfield. And as the artist 
traces with his brush upon the canvas the 
landscape that speaks to you from those 
yesterdays which were once to-morrows. 
or as the musician strikes the chord that 
sets vibrating the strings of memory; so 
do you spread before your boys and girls 
the lives and deeds of those who have 
been successful and of service — lives and 
deeds reflected in the pages of the book. 

Not mine the interesting task to trace 
the development of the school and library 
as factors in the life of the community. 
Our topic is the more circumscribed, if 
fully as intense and more important one, 
of how to increase the value of the library 
as a means of education. That the library 
is or should be one of the most vital of 
educational factors, you of all people need 



not be told, for it is you who have made it 
such. You agree with Draper that, "The 
state which can put a mark upon its map 
wherever there is a town or village library, 
and find its map well covered, will take 
care of itself."3 With MacCunn do you also 
agree that. "Many an end really within the 
individual's reach is never grasped simply 
because it is concealed by the screen of 
ignorance; and many a man in later years 
can, with bitter, unavailing regret, see 
clearly how his whole career might have 
been different if only this end or that had 
been brought within his ken by the written 
or the spoken word."-! 

The school and the library are parts of 
one and the same great organic institution. 
Whether housed in the school building or 
in a separate structure on the campus, or 
in a public building, managed by a special 
board and financed by the municipality, the 
library is part and parcel of the educational 
scheme. The books of the library are as 
much a part of the school machinery as are 
the various pieces of apparatus in the phys- 
ical laboratory, the biological specimens, 
the collections used in the study of miner- 
alogy, or the tools and materials in the 
craft shop or the school kitchen. To think 
of the library as apart from education and 
as simply a desirable aid to the school, is to 
place it in the amusement column. Al- 
ready some libraries, and the major por- 
tion of most, I fear, judged by the books 
on their shelves, belong with the theatre 
and the summer resort. A collection of 
books meeting this requirement merely 
is not a library. Of course we must have 
a care for relative values and your speaker 
fully realizes the legitimate place the li- 
brary plays as a means of entertainment 
and recreation. s "After the church and the 
school, the free public library is the most 
effective influence for good in America." 
said Theodore Roosevelt. This is stating 
in another form that the church, the school 
and the library are three of the elements. 
without which any educational organiza- 
tion is less than perfect. 

^American Education, p. 4C. 
4 The Making of Character, p. 193. 
SJewett. The public lihran- anri the public school. 
Public libraries. 14:119. 1909. 



156 



PASADENA CONFERENCE 



Your speaker had occasion to say re- 
cently tbat with building and equipment 
and playground and library facilities and 
all that goes to constitute the material and 
physical side of a modern school, the plant 
would prove inadequate to meet the de- 
mands imposed, unless the teacher of pur- 
pose and of power was the guiding genius 
of the whole. Personality in the teacher 
counts for more than all else on the success 
side of the balance sheet. So is it with 
your librarian. Before building or equip- 
ment or books, the librarian stands su- 
preme. The librarian is the center of the 
system and all else depends upon her. 

The first element necessary in making 
more efficient the library you represent is 
a more efflcient you. For what constitutes 
a library? A beautiful building construct- 
ed by private funds or public bond issue 
and raised amid charming surroundings 
of lawn and lake and grove? Furniture and 
equipment of the most modern type? A 
large collection of books? Too often this 
Is indeed the library. It is a show place. 
It constitutes "Erxhibit A" when visitors are 
taken proudly about town on a tour of in- 
spection. But what of the librarian? Do 
her townspeople, her friends and associ- 
ates, realize the part she is daily called 
upon to play in shaping the ideas and ideals 
of the community? A man or woman of 
personality, of tact, and one trained in li- 
brary lore and possessing a knowledge of 
books, of teaching, and particularly of in- 
dividuals — such will be the librarian in fact. 
And a humble structure housing a handful 
of well selected volumes may be the library 
of real educational value in any commun- 
ity. 

"There is, undoubtedly, a certain benefit 
to the growth of the civic spirit in a small 
town, in the presence of a beautiful, digni- 
fied library building, and where it can be 
maintained without detriment to the real 
service of books, it is the fulfillment of a 

commendable ambition to have such a 
building. But, oftentimes the library ser- 
vice would be stronger in rented quarters, 
appropriately and adequately equipped, 

with a sufficient collection of books, a 
sympathetic, up-to-date librarian in charge 



to make known the contents of the library 
to the community."' By all means have the 
beautiful building where possible. But am- 
bition to possess "the best library building 
in the state"; to be able to furnish on the 
initial request, the novel fresh from the 
press; or to show in the annual report an 
unparalleled percentage of increase in 
stock — these are not necessarily commend- 
able ambitions either on the part of libra- 
rian or board. The vital questions are: 
Has the individual been reading, what 
does he read, and how? Is taste develop- 
ing? Is there an increased demand for the 
best in history and biography and science 
and poetry and travel and art? Are books 
read, or do patrons go through the 
library as the average tourist visits an art 
gallery or "sees Europe?" 

How often has there come home to me 
the distinction as between a real library, 
and a collection of books, when in one or 
another city throughout the country I have 
been shown the library — a beautiful, cold, 
unsympathetic monument in stone and 
steel, its exterior without a blemish, its 
rooms palatial, its shelves spotless, and 
ninety per cent of the books light fic- 
tion, novels of the passing moment, origi- 
nally printed serially in the magazines. Or 
interest has been centered upon volumes 
of such specialized character that the dust 
of months is upon them or the leaves uncut. 
Fiction in this instance is fact. Here the 
main business of the librarian is indeed to 
be up-to-date with the latest fiction, and to 
see that the building is kept immaculate 
and the rooms absolutely quiet. Seeing 
this I have said: "What a waste of the 
people's money!" 

Other kinds of libraries there are and 
other types of librarians. This brings me 
to the second point in the discussion. All 
librarians must be teachers in spirit and 
temperament, and all teachers must under- 
stand how to work with books. Some one 
has truly said in speaking of the untrained 
that "you should not put drugs of which 
you know nothing into a body of which 
you know less." The individual who under- 

6 BuililitiKs are not libraries. Eilitorial. Public li- 
l.iaries, 14:56, 1909. 



CHAMBEJRLAIN 



157 



stands books slightly and boys and girls 
not at all can not be expected to make eith- 
er a good librarian or an excellent teacher. 
It is then not only necessary to train libra- 
rians for their profession, but all normal 
and training schools must offer courses of 
instruction in the use of the library to pros- 
pective teachers. This suggestion has in 
it no element of originality. You remind 
me that already many schools are attempt- 
ing this work. And in any event, you say 
this is a matter for the school people and 
not for the librarians. It must, I submit, 
in point of fact, be worked out jointly by 
librarian and teacher, the training and ex- 
perience of the librarian being a positive 
force. 

The replies to a recent inquiry as to li- 
brary instruction in normal schools show 
that of thirty-two schools replying (and 
representing eighteen different states), 
twenty schools offer instraction in the use 
of the library. Four schools offer no in- 
struction whatever; one replies "yes and 
no"; in one school occasional instruction is 
given; in one instruction is incidental; in 
two there is individual instruction, and in 
three courses are in contemplation. The 
number of lessons per year range from one. 
two or four in several schools to sixty in 
one school. Between these limits one school 
offers ten to eighteen lessons, three give 
eighteen to twenty, one school thirty. In 
only twelve schools is the work obligatory 
and in all but three of these the instruction 
is given by the librarian. Where library 
work is optional, either the librarian or a 
faculty member gives the instruction.' 

While extremely suggestive as indicating 
the trend of affairs, it is quite evident that 
as yet few school boards, superintendents, 
principals, teachers or librarians have se- 
riously considered the necessity of prepar- 
ing all our teachers in the elements of li- 
brary work. Such work in normal schools 
and education departments in colleges must 
be obligatory, for regardless of grade or 
type of school, and in whatever subject, the 
teacher must handle books. And no stu- 
dent should graduate from such a school 

7 Library Instruction in Normal Schools. Results 
of replies to a circular sent out from Newark, N. J. 
public library. Public libraries, 14:147. 1909. 



until he or she is proficient in the elements 
of library administration. This knowledge 
is of greater importance than much else the 
student is required to know. If programs 
are now over full, room must be made 
through the process of elimination; for 
library work is not a subject as in mathe- 
matics or Latin. "It is a method of work." 
Without it no work can be effective. We 
have thus to consider what should 
be taught to teachers in training. Since 
this depends upon what pupils should 
be required to know that they may use the 
library understandingly, we must here 
speak of library administration from the 
standpoint of the school. 

One has but to study conditions as they 
exist, whether in the public or the school 
library, to note that adults, not to speak 
of boys and girls, are practically at sea 
when making investigations. In a general 
way the location of certain books may be 
known. How to find books on a particular 
subject new to one; how to locate material 
bearing upon the text in use; how to find 
parallel studies, or substitutes, provided the 
required book be missing; how to separate 
the wheat from the chaff, and gather up the 
main points in a discussion; how to study 
to the best advantage — in fact how to use 
the library; on these matters the average 
boy or girl, man or woman is comparatively 
ignorant. Many well-meaning students 
spend more time in groping through the li- 
brary in a fruitless search than they give 
to reading, and many a one remains away 
from the library altogether when now and 
again he finds a few moments for study, 
knowing that only a prolonged period will 
reveal the desired material. 

And with the book in hand how few 
know how to use it. Surely you have all 
had occasion to wish that the school taught 
))upils in the art of study. I sat recently in 
the library of a great university observing 
a number of young people, the product of 
our high schools, as they pursued their 
studies. In the make-up of most of them 
the art of concentration seemed entirely 
lacking. Pages were turned listlessly. 
Notes were made, passages were read and 
re-read, positions were shifted. Only for 



158 



PASADENA CONFERENCE 



the briefest periods were minds centered 
upon the subject In hand. Five minutes of 
concentrated, consecutive, understanding 
study will bring better results than will pro- 
longed reaches of time given under such 
conditions. And these college people, well 
meaning and ordinarily bright and intelli- 
gent are typical of those found the country 
over. Conditions with higli school and 
grade pupils are even worse. Not inter- 
ested, you say. They simply do not know 
how to use books. Is it then the duty of 
the teacher and the librarian to first in- 
struct readers in this art, or is the time to 
be given to the mechanics of school keeping 
and to library routine? Welcome the time 
when with Elizabeth l^arrctt Browning 
"We gloriously forget ourselves and plunge 
Soul forward, headlong, into a book pro- 
found, 
Impassioned for its beauty and salt of 

truth— 
'Tis then we get the right good from a 
book."* 
Every well regulated school of several 
teachers should have a carefully selected 
list of books and a librarian to preside over 
them. This librarian should be a member 
of the faculty. Eveo' public librarian 
should possess the instincts of the true 
teacher. Much of the pupil's time during 
the first days of school (and here I speak 
particularly of the last two years of the ele- 
mentary and the secondary school period) 
should be spent in the library, or in the 
recitation room with portions of the library 
brought to him. Where the school is with- 
out a librarian, the public library should 
furnish a demonstrator. And in any event, 
all pupils should report to the public li- 
brary for instruction. They should be 
taught in groups. The first lesson should 
acquaint the students in a general way 
with their library home. They should 
know each member of the library staff, 
should visit every room and be told some- 
thing of the units composing the entire 
plant. They should know how a book is 
ordered, how shipped, what happens when 
it reaches the receiving room, how it is 
classified, cataloged and shelved. In the 
8 Aurora Leigh. 



beginning, specific books need not be men- 
tioned, but those covering the general sub- 
jects In which the particular class is most 
interested may be located. Subjects over- 
lap and a given book may touch upon a va- 
riety of subjects while another may deal 
distinctly with a narrow phase of a given 
subject. This the pupils should under- 
stand, and thus they may more readily ap- 
preciate the basis of classification of books. 
The main features of the use of the card 
catalog may be illustrated, together with 
the value of the subject, author and title 
index and how to use the cross references. 
All of this. In simplified fashion, can be 
given to a class in one or two lessons. And 
together with the instruction on the use of 
the library there can be given, here and 
there, hints on authorship, the value of 
good books, methods of opening and hand- 
ling new volumes, the place of good litera- 
ture and of books as friends. All this will 
stimulate the class to a better care of books 
and an increased desire to begin a collec- 
tion that shall develop into a library. 

As opportunity offers, specific details 
should be presented. Many high school 
pupils and most children believe their text 
books contain practically all the informa- 
tion available on a given topic. Indeed, 
you librarians have still a task in convinc- 
ing many otherwise excellent teachers that 
they need go outside the prescribed text 
book for teaching material. When failing 
to find a particular reference the boy or 
girl does not know how to locate other ref- 
erences just as good perhaps; may not 
even know there are other references in 
existence. Or, having a subject to investi- 
gate, the student may have forgotten the 
name of the author cited to him. He may 
know the author and cannot recall the sub- 
ject or the title. A few minutes spent with 
a class, working on a typical case, will re- 
sult in the saving of hours to each pupil 
during the year. Nothing will tend to draw 
young people to the library for serious 
work as will a knowledge on their part of 
how to use the tools. 

Schools and libraries receive my first at- 
tention on visiting a city. Continually have 
I been disappointed on entering a library 



CHAMBEIRLAIN 



159 



for the first time, eithei' on a search for a 
particular item, or to study the library or- 
ganization. Being familiar with the num- 
ber of the book wanted I may be told it is 
not in unless upon the shelf where it prop- 
erly belongs. The library being new to me 
and my time limited, I may not be able to 
locate the shelf. Or, putting myself in th(> 
position of one who knows nothing of li- 
brary system, I cannot locate my book 
even though I have time. In matters of this 
kind it is the surriral of the iiisistevt. The 
timid go away mentally starved. 

The librarian must show the student how 
failure to find a given book in its accus- 
tomed place is no guarantee it is missing 
from the library. The book I ask for may 
simply be misplaced, but the pupil may not 
realize this; or he may be unable to trace 
a book so misplaced. A book may have 
been returned to the library and be lying 
upon the receiving trucks, or it may be re- 
served. It may be in the bindery. Just 
because these matters are not understood, 
and because of young and old, students and 
teachers, few know how to trace a subject 
unless they are in possession of all the 
data, or how to secure a substitute for a 
book that is unavailable, they go without. 
Human nature is much the same in all of 
us, and what we speak of as "our igno- 
rance" we do not wish to exhibit. We 
therefore prowl about here and there. We 
thumb this book and that, make a pretence 
at interest, and finally take ourselves from 
the library altogether, thenceforward to 
rest content with the dictionary and ency- 
clopedia, which by the way, we think we 
know how to use but probably do not. "The 
fact that many of those who frequent pub- 
lie libraries are inexperienced, and the still 
more obvious fact that a vast number 
of people who do not frequent public 
libraries, stay outside because they do not 
know what books to ask for, if they enter, 
leave a responsibility with the libraries and 
committees which they cannot escape."' 

Not only should the public librarian offer 
Instruction to the students who come from 
the schools, but many librarians will, if 

9 Hill. Responsibility for the public taste. Library. 
Vew Series 7. p. 260. 1906. 



called upon, be ready to visit the schools, 
and there, in the absence of a trained school 
librarian, give instruction to the classes. 
Class room demonstrations on the care of 
books, opening and handling, keeping them 
unsoiled and sanitary, on the meaning of 
title, introduction, copyright and dedica- 
lions, how to use the table of contents or 
index — these topics can be made of interest 
and value to the pupils. The making of 
outlines, abstracts, or briefs, and the work- 
ing up of a bibliography are of prime im- 
portance and should be required of all high 
school students. The librarian should seek 
an early opportunity to address the school 
in assembly. Here can be brought out the 
necessity for an organic unity between li- 
brary and school. The pupils and public 
may be made to understand that to locate 
and hand out books is the least important 
part of the librarian's business. The great 
question is: "What will the library do if 
the people will permit it to do it?" 

As books of reference, our most common, 
the dictionary and the encyclopaedia are, 
as previously hinted, very little under- 
stood by the average reader. Practically 
the only use to which the dictionary is put 
is to give the proper spelling of a word, 
syllabification, and in all too few cases 
where the art is understood, of pronuncia- 
tion. The length of time required for most 
high school pupils to search out a given 
word is appalling. They know little or 
nothing of how to ascertain the various 
tones or shades of a word; how to get at 
the meaning through illustration In the con- 
text; to weigh the various forms of usage; 
to search for synonyms or derivations. 
For the one who knows how to use it to 
the best advantage, there is more real in- 
formation in the commonplace dictionary 
than comes to the ordinary reader from an 
armful of volumes. It can be easily under- 
stood how the 1.1 Die, Pilgrim's Progress and 
the dictionary laid ine foundation for a lib- 
eral education in the life of Abraham Lin- 
coln. 

The particular field and function of the 
reference books should be pointed out, and 
here the librarians will again find their first 
work with the teachers themselves. For 



160 



PASADENA CONFERENCE 



just as few teachers know how to use the 
Cumulative index, the Readers' guide to pe- 
riodical literature, or have the courage to 
work over public documents or state papers, 
so there is lost to them much of the wealth 
contained in manuals, yearbooks, alma- 
nacs, hand-books of dates, facts and quota- 
tions. The Readers' Hand-books, Adams' 
Manual of historical literature, and the 
many general and special bibliographies. 
Could librarians instruct the rank and file 
of the teaching profession in the technique 
of real reference work a new world would 
be opened to many a teacher. She could 
accomplish more in less time, and perhaps 
feel that she could afford to satisfy her 
desire for general reading for culture. 

You will not presume me so narrow as to 
hold the librarians entirely responsible for 
shortcomings in our schools, and tor all es- 
sential instruction in library and book use. 
But before the teachers can instruct the 
pupils the teachers must themselves be 
taught. Before class work opens in the fall 
the librarian should meet and instruct the 
teachers. In the elementary school this 
may be done by grades. In the high school 
the teachers of a given subject may form 
a group for instruction, or all may assemble 
in a body. It is absolutely necessary that 
teachers be proficient, for from no one can 
Instruction so well come as from the class 
teachers. Like morals, the use of books 
and the significance of good literature can 
best be taught incidentally to the Immature 
mind. While the set lessons of librarians 
must be in a sense abstract and formal, in- 
struction in class comes in such mannner 
and at such time as to show direct applica- 
tion to the work in hand.'" 

The teachers should submit to the libra- 
rian a list of topics upon which the various 
classes will be asked to report during the 
first days of school. Together with each 
list the teacher should give the titles of 
books she desires the class to study. No 
book or reference should be thus suggested 
with which the teacher is not perfectly fa- 
miliar. If she desires the librarian to add 
to this list she should make this known. 
The reference list should then be posted in 

10 Mendenhall. Library Instruction in Normal 
Schools. Public libraries. 13. p. 39. 1908. 



the library. Both teacher and librarian 
must keep in touch with the progress of 
pupils, and encourage them to add to the 
lists any desirable references found. This 
will assist the pupils in working out their 
bibliographies later in the term. 

With this proper understanding between 
teacher and librarian, the former will not 
shoulder her responsibilities upon the lat- 
ter. Nor will the librarian fail to meet the 
emergency call of the student. If the teach- 
er does not inform herself on what the li- 
brary has to offer, but simply admonishes 
the student to "go and ask the librarian," 
both teacher and librarian lose cast with 
the student. The teacher is held to be ig- 
norant and the librarian a servant. The 
process as between school and library must 
be one of integration. The teacher and li- 
brarian must work together. Whether in 
school or in library we must realize the 
force of Dr. Harris's remark: "It is our pol- 
icy rather to develop ability than to give 
exhaustive information. The printed page 
is the mighty Alladin's lamp which gives 
to the meanest citizen the jjower to lay a 
spell on time and space." 

The teachers and the public librarian 
must strike hands in the matter of selecting 
books to be ordered. The librarian should be 
given extended powers in all matters of ad- 
ministration and then held for results. The 
board is an advisory body and must have 
the final word as to funds, but if the judg- 
ment of the librarian is not to be taken 
in the matter of selection of books, 
having first advised with the teachers, 
he had best seek a new field. The 
teachers should keep in touch with trade- 
list journals, catalogs, publishers' bulletins 
and review columns. Teachers themselves 
should keep a bibliography on each subject 
taught and add to it from time to time. 
They should work in the library side by 
side with their students, thus giving to the 
latter the same zest and enthusiasm as 
comes to them when their instructors take 
part in their games and sports. This will 
tend to relieve the library work of any ele- 
ment of drudgery that might attach to it 
in the pupil's eyes, did they think it was 
only for those who had to recite. 



CHAMBERLAIN 



161 



Librarians frequently remark: "We must 
order what our patrons demand. The peo- 
ple pay the bills. Our readers call (or nov- 
els and light literature; they do not call 
for the other Icind." This is in part an- 
swered by saying that one reason novel 
readers patronize the library and other 
readers do not is because the first find their 
wants gratified, while the others may not 
be so fortunate. Students can be made of 
novel readers, just as a course of treat- 
ment will make strong healthy boys out of 
weak and dissipated ones. Many times a 
boy may be led to better reading by en- 
couragement and by telling him he is capa- 
ble of going deeper into his subject than 
are those about him. The books he is read 
ing are interesting but you have something 
for him along the same line, only of a bet- 
ter order. Little by little a wrong tend- 
ency may be changed. The influence here 
of the teacher is of the utmost value. To 
preach a taste for good books and then be 
found reading trash, robs the teacher's 
opinion of weight and her advice of force. 

Many a library is rich along one line of 
school work and almost barren of books 
touching other phases. This will probably 
be due to the bias of the librarian, or more 
likely to the fact that some particular 
teacher requires considerable library work 
of his students, and little by little, books 
have been purchased for his department. 
Naturally, the English and history depart- 
ments in their various phases make the 
greatest draft upon the library. But care 
must be exercised lest the library become 
top-heavy. All subjects have a strong hu- 
manizing side and those who study science 
or mathematics or industrial or technical 
education must be made to feel that the 
library is for them as well. Too frequently 
we endeavor to force the boy who is me- 
chanically inclined to read poetry or Eng- 
lish history and try to turn the attention 
of his more bookish brother toward natural 
science and the industries. In this way, 
we say, we shall make well-rounded stu- 
dents. Librarian and teacher must beware 
lest the boy, halted in his purpose, stop 
reading entirely and forsake the library. 
By suggestion and careful direction the boy 
may be led where he can never be forced. 



That the school and library may inte- 
grate still further it has been found ad- 
vantageous in some localities to organize 
libraries and schools under one and the 
same management, or, as elsewhere, to 
have a member of the board of education 
a member also of the library board. The 
librarian may in fact be a member of the 
school board. The same argument would 
apply to the desirability of this double rep- 
resentation for library and school, as to 
playgrounds and schools. The same care 
shown in planning a school building 
should be exercised in planning a library, 
and experts should be intrusted with this 
work. Lighting, heating, ventilation, loca- 
tion of stacks and shelves, arrangement of 
rooms, offices and desks — these are mat- 
ters of the first importance. All of this 
suggests that from the financial side the 
advantages of the dual representation are 
obvious. No question would then arise as 
to the librarian giving necessary time to 
the school, and here could be located a 
branch library presided over by a librarian 
salaried by the school. 

Care should be taken not to duplicate 
unnecessarily the magazines and period- 
icals found in the school library and those 
in the public library. In so far as possible 
the permanent pictures should also be dif- 
ferent. Simple but artistic decoration and 
finishing should always be secured. 

Tactful librarians may be of great ser- 
vice in advising with school authorities 
and principals as to the location of the 
school library room. If space is at a pre- 
mium, as it usually is, the library will likely 
be found in a dark alcove, or in the base- 
ment, or on the third floor, or at one side 
of a dreary study room. Without excep- 
tion, the library should occupy the best lo- 
catiou in the building. It should preferably 
be removed from sound of playground or 
street, and be placed on the first or second 
floor. It should be sunny and commodious, 
and unless the school is unwieldy, the 
study periods should be spent here rather 
than in a study room. The books should 
be grouped as to subjects — ancient history, 
English literature, French, chemistry, ge- 
ography and the like. The pupil should 
report for study in the library, and take up 



162 



PASADENA CONFERENCE 



his position in the alcove where the books 
of his subject are grouped. The librarian 
or an assistant may thus, without loss of 
time, know what each student is doing and 
can lend aid or suggestion. If the book or 
books needed in a given instance are not 
available the librarian should know this. 
The pupil, with proper adjustment between 
teacher and librarian, may not return to 
his class unprepared and with the excuse 
that his book was "not in." The small 
room library with its selected list to meet 
the needs of the class from week to week, 
is essential to good work. However, too 
great a draft must not be made upon the 
public library. The subject will determine 
whether one copy of each of several books 
or several copies of one should be placed 
in the class room. It sometimes happens 
that teachers themselves, thoughtlessly or 
otherwise, have levied on all the reference 
books in a given subject and then refuse 
to accept the explanation from the pupils, 
that nothing can be found. 

And "Let the student be sent to the li- 
brary early and often; there is no more 
welcome visitor, but let him be sent upon 
an errand of dignity. Let the subject be 
one which will broaden his outlook, in- 
crease his store of valuable knowledge and 
increase his pleasure in the use of good 
books. Do not, I beg of you, even if he 
be sent, let him work so long over an allu- 
sion in a classic which he is studying that 
he lose all appreciation of the literature 
and go away from the library with a dis- 
taste instead of a taste for 'the best that 
has been thought and said in the world.' 
A teacher fails somewhat if the pupils are 
not led to books. What use if a child be 
taught to read if he be not taught what to 
read and where to get it? The teacher 
should seek to create an appetite for books, 
the librarian to gratify the appetite cre- 
ated."" 

Some of the money used in the purchase 
of new books could more profitably be 
spent in issuing a series of bulletins, these 
in sufficiently large editions to provide stu- 
dents and others interested. Clear, simple, 

11 Jewett. The public library and the school prob- 
lem. Public libraries, 14:119. 1909. 



but comprehensive abstracts of books and 
articles should from time to time appear. 
Every dollar put into cheap novels, which, 
when read are out of date and will never 
again be referred to, would better be de- 
voted to securing additional library assist- 
ance and in publishing bulletins. Only in 
rare Instances should a book of fiction or a 
volume of more pretentious foundation, by 
an untried author, find place on the library 
shelves in less than a year from its appear- 
ance. The major portion of cheap books 
would thus never be brought within the li- 
brary. One authority advises against buy- 
ing for school libraries, literature less than 
twenty to twenty five years old. '2 One of 
the evils of the day is found in the unwhole- 
some novel, the cheap magazine, and the 
Sunday newspaper. The danger lies not 
so much in the story itself as in a warped 
habit of mind soon established in the 
reader. It is for the teacher and librarian 
to so analyze the mind of the boy as to 
properly direct his reading into normal 
channels. 

The children's or juvenile room, if prop- 
erly conducted, is of the greatest value. 
Because teachers have their own tasks to 
perform they can give little assistance here 
In person. Through counsel and advice they 
can do much. Story telling and reading to 
children should have a large place, and 
hence, to be of the greatest service a suffi- 
cient number of assistants or associates 
must be in attendance here. Our children's 
rooms in libraries must be modern in 
method. Stories and readings, given along 
the line of the school program and school 
activities, will greatly facilitate the regular 
teacher's work. 

If then the curriculum be crowded and 
the school system so rigid that no place re- 
mains for the humanizing Influence of good 
books, the teacher and the librarian must 
work the problem out between them. If 
the pupil's interest lies in statescraft and 
oratory give him Patrick Henry and Web- 
ster and Pitt and Lincoln; if he wishes 
verse, there is Stevenson and Lowell and 
Riley and Kipling; if applied science or In- 



12 Public schools and their librari 
Bries 7. p. 373. 1906. 



Library, New 



163 



vention, then Franklin and Fulton and 
Morse and Edison. For each one, young or 
old, the library may be "made to talk" if 
only the teacher and the librarian are wise 
and tactful. The day of the few books is 
past, and it is worse than useless to de- 
plore the change from the few well known 
to the many scanned; but at least some 
good books revealing the life and times of 
the great epochs in all countries can 
be well assimilated. A few books should 
be well digested. But with our libraries 
overflowing with richness, with books and 
newspapers and magazines; with pictures 
and exhibits and lectures; with museums 
and concerts and recitals, and all given in 
the name of education, teachers and libra- 
rians have great opportunities and in- 
creased responsibilities. They must also 
pave the way that the pupil may gather the 
kernel from many books of many kinds, 
and from these manifold sources, all .of 
which are more or less closely related to 
the library. 

Modern methods of teaching lay more 
and more stress upon the use of the library 
as a working laboratory for all depart- 
ments, a means of supplementing the regu- 
lar text-book work in the class room by the 
use of books and illustrative materials so 
as to give the pupil a broader view of the 
subject and awaken an interest which may 
lead to further reading on his own account, 
to create a love of reading and develop a 
library habit which will lead him to the 
best use of the public library after school 
days are over as well as during his school 
life. "Through the cooperation of principal, 
teachers, and librarian, the library may 
be made the very center of the school 
work."'^ And if either teacher or librarian 
is disposed to be impatient or pessimistic 
or narrow she has but to say with Rizal, 
"Las ideas no tienen patria" — Ideas have 
no Fatherland. 

The CHAIRMAN: The discussion of 
municipal civil service as affecting libraries 
was postponed from the last general session 
to this. Is there any one who has anything 
lo say ou that subject? Mr. Jennings is 

13 Elall. What the librarian may do for the high 
school. Library journal. 84:164. 1909. 



here and I presume he would like to ex- 
plain his position a little more thoroughly. 

Mr. JENNINGS: From the discussion 
which followed my paper on Saturday 
morning, it seems that I failed to make my 
meaning clear on one important point. 
The title of the paper was "Municipal civil 
service as related to libraries" and 1 
thought it was understood that my criti- 
cisms were directed at external not at 
internal civil service. I am convinced that 
no outside commission should control in 
any way the library staff. 1 think we all 
agree on that. 

Two excellent arguments or illustrations 
have come to my attention during the last 
two days and 1 beg to mention them here. 
The employees of the state Department 
of Education and the state library at Al- 
bany have been chosen for years by 
the New York state civil service commis- 
sion. .The Commissioner of Education, Dr. 
Andrew S. Draper, has, however, come at 
last to the conviction that this system does 
not secure the best grade of men and 
women for positions above the grade of 
clerks and he is seeking either a modifica- 
tion of the system or a complete change 
that will enable the department to get the 
best. He finds the need sometimes of per- 
sons who do not happen to reside in the 
state of New York and he desires a method 
of selection sufficiently elastic to permit 
the use of judgment on the part of the 
appointing officer. 

The second illustration is the story of a 
town in the middle West, the name of 
which I am not at liberty to mention. The 
library board in this town decided that the 
library needed a change of librarians and 
presented their views as delicately as pos- 
sible to the person who was then librarian. 
She declined to resign and appealed to the 
Civil Service Commission and to the may- 
or. Her appeal was sustained. Now, the li- 
brary trustees in that town, as in all other 
towns, were appointed to control the li- 
brary and manage its affairs. Their first 
and chief duty, I take it, was to select a 
competent librarian. Civil service took this 
power from them and the librarian still 
retains her position. 



164 



PASADENA CONFERENCE 



The CHAIRMAN: We are very much 
obliged to Mr. Jennings for showing us 
a little further light. Is there anyone else 
In the room who wishes to speak on this 
subject? If not, the time has arrived when 
we ought to adjourn and I now declare this 
session closed. 

Adjourned. 

FOURTH GENERAL SESSION 

(Shakespeare Club, Tuesday, May 23, 
9:30 a. ra.) 

(Mr. A. E. Bostwick, presiding.) 
The CHAIRMAN: When a serious 
problem comes up for consideration, it 
can be treated in different ways. Some 
people avoid it, others deny that there is 
any problem and others admit that there 
is a problem, but say that it is insoluble, 
and still others investigate it seriously and 
bring out at least something worth while. 
Those of you who listened to Mr. Chivers' 
paper at Bretton Woods know he has seri- 
ously investigated the question of book- 
binding. I now have the pleasure of intro- 
ducing Mr. CEDRIC CHIVERS of Brook- 
lyn. 

MATERIALS AND METHODS IN BOOK- 
BINDING 

(Supplementary to Bretton Woods 
Exhibit.) 

Speaking of the behavior of books in 
public libraries, as issued by the publish- 
ers, the report of the Binding Committee 
of the American library association says: 

"Cloth-bound books must be withdrawn 
from circulation and sent to the bindery 
when they have been in the hands of less 
than twenty readers. Larger books of 
travel, history, etc., can seldom be used 
more than ten times before being rebound, 
and it is not uncommon to have them torn 
from their covers before being in the hands 
of five readers." 

It is a matter of concern that we should 
recognize the seriousness of such a state- 
ment as this, and it is our business to 
remedy such a condition of things if we 
can. 



We recently learned in Investigating the 
qualities of paper of which modern books 
are composed, that they differ very greatly 
in so many ways and in such degree as is 
set forth In Fig. 1. These variations occur 
in ordinary books, having deleted all the 
books of extraordinary sizes and qualities, 
either of the poor or excellent varieties: 

6%"x4%" will not be recognized as too 
small a book, and 10',4"xS" will be recog- 
nized as not too large a book. 

Books of less weight than % lbs. and 
greater weight than 5% lbs. may be dis- 
covered in a library. 

Thinner paper than 2.5M. and thicker 
than 13.25M. may be found. 

Tensile strength so slight that the ordi- 
nary machines would not record it, and 
again paper so stout as greatly to exceed 
20 lbs. to the inch, occur in every library 
of any considerable size. 

There are also sections thinner and 
thicker than those recorded on the accom- 
panying diagram. 

It may, therefore, be taken that the va- 
riations of quality and condition here shown 
are such as have to be dealt with in the 
everyday handling of books in a lending 
library. 

It has been shown that previous to 1S90 
papers in vital respects were more nearly 
alike and were stronger by more than 50 
per cent than those used to-day. Indeed, 
the corhparison is as 8 to 3. There has 
been little effort made, except in one or 
two directions, to deal with these altera- 
tions in the qualities of books as far as 
their binding is concerned. Librarians and 
bookbinders are fully aware of the far 
greater use to which books are subject in 
the public library over the use they would 
got in the case of the private purchaser. 
We see clearly that the binding which 
would hold in the one case is totally in- 
adequate for the other. 

The cord holding the smaller weight in 
Fig. II is seen to be too slight to hold the 
larger weight. Yet this illustrates the 
state of the case as between the private 
use of a book and the public use of a book, 
with the additional disadvantage that ow- 
ing to the deterioration of paper the bind- 



165 



ing represented by the cord has been 
weakened. 

The improved methods which we recom- 
mended for dealing with the different 
classes of paper of which we had become 
cognizant, implied the use of the most ap- 
propriate materials for binding and cover- 
ing books. An examination of the more 
important of these is the matter in hand. 

Testing the various materials used for 
covering the books, we find, as we would 
expect, considerable difference between the 
breaking strain in the direction of the warp 
and the strain suffered by the woof, and 
on Fig. Ill is given the results of a num- 
ber of such tests. It will be seen that the 
ordinary edition cloth, chiefly used in pub- 
lishers' bindings, suffers a strain in the 
warp of 25 and in the woof of only 10 lbs. 
to the half-inch. With stouter library cloth 
the difference is even larger, being 30 for 
the warp and 10 for the woof. 

A practical suggestion is here made — 
that if the cloth were used so that the 
warp should run across the book rather 
than up and down the cover, a certain 
amount of strength would be added to the 
binding. It would not be as much as the 
difference between the two strains, because 
attrition and friction would be the same, 
but considerable additional strength would 
be obtained. An objection to using the 
cloth in this way would be urged, that the 
pattern or design, when it is not an all- 
over and even one will be found in the di- 
rection of the warp, and it is supposed 
aesthetically to be of more importance that 
such a pattern should be up and down the 
book and not across it. This may even on 
aesthetic grounds be an arguable point, but 
as a constructive advantage it would seem 
wise to adopt the suggestion to use the 
cloth in the strongest way of the threads. 

Fig. IV gives the result of testing a num- 
ber of materials one inch wide, used in 
bookbinding for end paper lining, plate lin- 
ing, jointing, etc. These again show the 
variation of strength value in the warp and 
woof. It would be evident that in the use 
of these materials, advantage should be 
taken of the stronger way of the warp, and 
use it in the line of strain. 



Figs. V, VI, VII show the warp and woof 
of several kinds of cloth photomicrographed 
to 56 diameters. They have been prepared 
in order to visualize the difference between 
the warp and the woof, which they there 
clearly do, but are of little importance or 
advantage to our inquiry, other than as il- 
lustrating this one point. It may be of a 
little interest to observe the penetration 
of the coloring matter in the case of the 
thinner face cloth, and the partial permea- 
tion with the thicker qualities. 

We now come to the consideration of the 
mechanical values of leather, the subject 
being of much rpore importance than that 
of dealing with cotton or linen materials. 
Leather has qaalities which no other ma- 
terials possess in adaptability to the bind- 
ing and covering of books, because If wisely 
chosen, it is of far greater variety in thick- 
ness, softness, pliability, tenacity of adhe- 
sion and strength, being capable of adapta- 
tion to the exceedingly varied conditions 
which our diagrams illustrate modem 
books to exhibit. 

The Royal Society of Arts of England 
appointed a committee in 1901 to discover 
the reasons for the decay observed with 
modern leathers, and their very valuable 
report dealt exhaustively with the phase 
of the subject they undertook to consider. 
Some amplification of their inquiry appears 
to be necessary along the lines we are 
now pursuing, for supposing leather to be 
properly tanned and dyed in the manner 
the report specifies, it is still desirable to 
know which leathers supply the best me- 
chanical qualities, as above indicated. 

Apart from the actual wearing of the 
leather in use, which it is impossible to 
follow for the purpose of testing, we may 
subject leather to tearing and breaking 
strains, and obtain some useful data of 
value. The tearing strain is ascertained in 
the fashion depicted by Fig. VIII. 

Fig. IX represents a skin of leather. A, 
B and C represent pieces of leather cut 
for the purposes of testing in different di- 
rections of the skin, A diagonally across 
the shoulder, B horizontally across the 
back, C vertically to the back. There is a 
grain with skins, but not so distinct as 



166 



PASADENA CONFERENCE 



with artificial materials, and a further test 
of breaking strain along the lines of A and 
B will demonstrate this. We have then a 
test with a piece cut as with C, with an- 
other as with B, and a third as A diagon- 
ally across the skin. 

In Fig. X we have set out the result of 
testing a number of different kinds of 
skins. First the thickness in thousandths 
of an inch is given, then the tearing strain 
in pounds. The strength ratio is shown 
and the order of value of the skins com- 
pared with each other. 

The first leather given, Niger leather un- 
pared, with the total thickness of 190, suf- 
fers a tearing strain of 1S9 lbs., with a 
strength ratio of .99. If this be taken as 
a standard one may readily appreciate the 
values of leathers in respect to thoir tear- 
ing strains. It is a valuable coincidence 
that the best leather gives a tearing strain 
of one pound for a thousandth of an inch 
in thickness, as it facilitates comparisons. 
An examination of these figures will be in- 
structive. 

Our experiences are ratified with the 
skins of poor quality. Their lives being 
short, we had become cognizant of their 
failure, but our interest is aroused by the 
results given of the more costly and the 
leathers of greater repute. We were pre- 
pared from our practical experience to see 
that the calf leather should be demonstrat- 
ed to be very weak, the strength ratio being 
.21, and the order of value to be 18 in the 
list given, but it must be viewed with some 
alarm to discover that French levant mo- 
rocco should show a strength ratio of .40, 
and to offer for a thickness of 242 thou- 
sandths a tearing strain of only 97 lbs. 
This is against Niger morocco 190 thou- 
sandths to 189 lbs. It arouses the reflec- 
tion that in the effort to obtain the colors 
and brightness required with modern book- 
binding, much of the strength and nature 
of the morocco has been destroyed. 

The leathers in the upper part of the 
table have been chosen with care, and the 
moroccos 7 and 5 and pigskins 6 and 12 
have been prepared under the specifica- 
tion of the Society of Arts. 

The leathers under the title of odd 



pieces, were collected from a small book- 
binder's shop where library books had not 
been bound. In other words, no effort had 
been made to obtain the best leather of the 
different sorts. The results are seen to 
be bad. 

The deterioration of levant morocco is a 
matter to be viewed with alarm. The or 
der of value of one piece is 7, with a 
strength ratio of .63, while for another, the 
order of value is 16, and the strength ratio 
is only .29. These pieces of leather are 
similar in color, and were purchased from 
the same firm, but the poorer quality had 
been In house some fifteen years, showing 
a very serious deterioration. 

The high value which is shown by the 
Niger leathers is not a little surprising 
when it is remembered that these leathers 
have been tanned by uncivilized natives. 
The figures have been submitted to Mr. 
Seymour Jones, who was a member of the 
committee appointed by the Society of Arts 
above mentioned, and the following val- 
uable letter has been received, dealing 
with the subject from the point of view of 
an expert: 

"The breaking strains, as given in yours 
of the 5th, go to confirm my work in the 
same direction, and all I have written or 
spoken on the subject. Two anomalies 
would appear to require explanation. Le- 
vant 87 M. thick breaks at 36 lbs. 'Again, 
a piece 55 M. breaks at 35 lbs. Both, I 
assume, are unpared. You will find that 
substance, as it increases, does not carry 
with it a corresponding increase In 
strength, that is, strength In proportion to 
substance Increases at a decreasing ratio. 
This is due to the fact that as age creeps 
on the number of fibres do not increase, 
but do Increase in thickness and some mus- 
cular strength, but later not proportion- 
ately. Examples: a rope made of 6 strands 
of Vi" thick is not as strong as a rope made 
of 12 strands and Vt" thick in diameter. 
The more fibres to a given area, so is 
the increase in strength proportionately. 
Hence if you have a piece of leather 2" 
square and 87 M. thick, and assume you 
have 1,000.000 fibres, it will not have a 
breaking strain equal to a 2" say 45 M. 



CHIVERS 



167 



thick and containing 1,500,000 fibres. The 
second anomaly, namely, why does levant 
pared to 47 M. break at 22, and Niger pared 
to 32 M. break at 33? The explanation 
rests entirely upon two factors: 

1. Levant contains from 40 to 50 per cent 
of tan, which implies over-tanning, whereas 
Niger contains about 27 per cent of tan. 

2. The levant has been robbed of its nat- 
ural nourishing fat prior to tan. The small 
amount of fat in Niger has been left in. 
If the levant contains grease, and still has 
a lower tearing factor, it follows that the 
displaced natural fats have not been prop- 
erly replaced to insure absorption by the 
fibres as in life. The Nigerian tanner in 
his so-called ignorance, has been working 
along the lines of least resistance, allowing 
atmospheric conditions, temperature and 
time to operate, with results which give a 
higher satisfactory result than can be ob- 
tained under civilized conditions. In fact, 
we have much to relearn, but unfortunately 
the civilized tanner thinks he knows bet- 
ter. I do not know of any skin on the 
market at the present time which possesses 
the qualities appertaining to longevity, 
withstanding attrition, etc., as is pos- 
sessed by those tanned in Nigeria, and now- 
known as Niger skins. 1 am of the opinion 
that of the bookbinding skins on sale, the 
Niger skins are the most suitable and meet 
all the demands made by the Society of 
.\rts report. Upon that point I have no 
hesitation in expressing that opinion." 

It must be borne in mind that the figures 
here given deal with only one quality of 
the leathers under consideration, that is, 
their strength in resisting the tearing 
strain. Other important qualities are nec- 
essary. This may be illustrated by refer- 
ring to the hand-grained Persian goat, 
whose order of value is 10, and whose 
strength ratio is .52 in tearing strain. This 
leather has been subjected to the following 
criticism by the Society of Arts Commit- 
tee, and we may therefore expect to dis- 
cover very different results after two or 
three years' use in the library. The report 
says: "The Persian tanned goat skins are 
extremely bad. Books bound in this ma- 
terial are shown to have become unfit for 



use in less than twelve months after bind- 
ing." This doubtless because of bad tan- 
ning, the results of which are not immedi- 
ately apparent. 

The breaking strain of various leathers 
is arrived at by taking strips in the way 
depicted in Fig. IX, A and B. These will 
be found set out on Fig. XI, first the thick- 
ness, then the breaking strain, the strength 
ratio follows and its order of value. 

In a general manner the tests for break- 
ing coincide with the "tearing" tests, and 
become together valuable as giving data of 
the comparative mechanical strength of 
leathers. It is necessary always that this 
strength should be allied with good tan 
ning and dyeing, in order to obtain the full 
advantages required. 

This short inquiry has already shown the 
necessity for constant watchfulness in the 
selection of leathers for books requiring to 
be protected either for extra hard usage or 
for a very long lite. 

Until these tests were undertaken we 
have always assumed that the higher 
priced French levant moroccos were above 
any reproach, except that of their cost, but 
it is here demonstrated that they are not 
reliable, and that the native tanned skins 
of Africa are greatly their superior in both 
respects of strength and probable long 
evity. 

Are we therefore to select from the open 
market Niger leather when it is required 
for either of these two purposes — of 
strength and longevity — for the binding of 
books? 

The following experiment will show the 
danger of trusting with any confidence to 
the commercial use of the word "Niger." 
Leathers purporting to be Niger leather 
and to have the wearing qualities which 
have already become known In the trade, 
were recently offered for sale and were 
subjected to chemical and mechanial tests. 
The results showed that in one case the 
leather was decidedly not Nigerian, and 
in the other that if it were Nigerian it 
had been so abused in its tanning and dye- 
ing treatment as to destroy its distinguish- 
ing merits. 

The mechanical tests show the results 



168 



PASADENA CONFERENCE 



depicted upon Fig. XII. While real Niger- 
ian leather shows a tearing strain of 189 
to a thickness of 190, the leather offered 
as Nigerian leather and now under ques- 
tion showed for a thickness of 88 a tear- 
ing strain of only 27. In other words, real 
Nigerian leather showed three times the 
strength of the imitation. 

This demonstrates either one of two 
cases: the leather, which we will call 
"Imitation," could not have been Nigerian 
leather at all, or it had become partially 
destroyed in fitting it for the market. The 
grain was evidently plated, the color far 
too even and the skin too perfect in ap- 
pearance to be real Nigerian leather. A 
breakdown in use would occur indubitably 
where strength would be required, and 
should the leather be used for books re- 
quiring to give long service, its treachery 
would become presently more apparent and 
disastrous. If the leather were real Niger- 
ian and had been dealt with so that two- 
thirds of its original strength would be 
lost, other results of premature decay would 
most certainly follow. It is, therefore, ap- 
parent that care and inquiry must be made 
by librarians who intend to have their 
books properly bound and covered. 

The importance of using the best of 
leathers for the binding of books cannot be 
overestimated. These are not necessarily 
high in price it fine finish is dispensed with. 

There is no material existing which can 
be compared with leather for lining or 
binding the backs of books. 

It is the only thing we know of which, 
with its many qualities of thickness, pli- 
ability, strength and tenacious adhesive- 
ness, is at all adapted to the varying quali- 
ties of modern books. 

Fig. I shows how many varieties there 
are. and a calculation from these data or 
the experience of any librarian or book- 
binder will tell of many hundreds of kinds 
of books. 

The range of appropriate materials when 
leather is not used is woefully short, and 
in no case can any of them be used for 
the linings of the backs of books; their 
effectiveness is limited to their service as 
covering materials only. Leather answers 



both purposes of covering and lining or 
binding the back. 

The statement in Fig. XIII will illustrate 
this point. While the books themselves 
have a very wide range of inconstancy, the 
materials at the disposal of the machine 
binder, as distinguished from the leather 
binder are, as seen, very limited. 

In cloth, endpapers, linings, etc., as here 
set out, the qualities are very few. The 
case is totally different with leather. A 
careful and informed binder is able to ob- 
tain such a range of qualities in leather 
as enable him appropriately and effectively 
to deal with the hundreds and more varia- 
tions of modern books. 

Much has recently been written of ma- 
chine sewing and its value for library 
books, but machine sewing can be used 
only by sewing through the fold, and it 
has been demonstrated that with 7,000 dif- 
ferent books published during the last 
three years, only 400 of them were of good 
enough quality to allow of being sewed 
through. 

All the other 6,600 books were of paper 
so bad that the act of folding deprived the 
paper of 50 per cent of its strength, while 
its original strength showed a deterioration 
of more than 50 per cent over that in com- 
mon use twenty years ago. 

Nearly all modern books must be hand- 
sewed in order to give reasonable service, 
and they must be bound and covered with 
pliable, tough and chemically pure leather 
to insure long life. 

The librarian who is interested enough 
to give the subject a little time and atten- 
tion, may obtain both these qualities for 
the books under his charge, and this at no 
greater cost than is often incurred for un- 
reliable work and materials. 

Mr. HILL: Mr. Chivers showed us a 
piece of levant morocco, a piece which 
had been in use fifteen years, and I wonder 
if he has a piece of pig skin for comparison 
in the same way. 

Mr. CHIVERS: No, I have not, but I can 
tell you about the pig skin. I was chiefly 
instrumental, twenty-five years ago, in 
bringing pig skin on the market. Pig skin 
Is only the grandson of hog skin. I never 




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169 



(.'LOUIS i'i;sii;i) for uu i:akl\(; strain 

SIZK OF PIRCE TKSTEO 7's ini-h x ^i iiuti 


M \ 111;! \i 


|!i;i'.\kim; si i; \i\ 


I'iciri 
pm; Vu;i. 


Wm:i- 


\\\.,.i 


Ml VN 


Wlliiiii Hiiokraiu 


70 


4;! 


.">(; :> 


41.- 


Ditto 


OG 


42 


54 


34o 


Ditto 


ii;i 


30 


40 ■ 5 


41c 


Ditto 


5'> 


38 


40 • 5 


41c 


Art Hiukrani (all liiioii) 


S3 


44 


Ol! 5 


lie 


(."auvas Buikruui 


41' 


U 


28 ■ 5 


2"^c 


Ditto 


:>;• 


20 


32 5 


2Sc 


11. Cloth 


,;.-. 


21' 


47 


25c 


I'liglazod Hiu-kraiii 


t!S 


40 


54 


41c 


Library Cloth 


.">."• 


;!!' 


47 


34c 


Ditto 


30 


10 


20 


21c 


All l.inon 


1- 


:;.-, 


11 :. 


34c 


Durabliiif (thick) 


(!S 


30 


40 


1 • 07c 

(Kxtni WWe) 


Ditto (thin) 


45 


IS 


31-5 


44c 


Kilitioiis Cloth 


-■' 


10 


17 5 


20r 



Kio. Ill 
170 



IJ.\l.\(iS TKSTKI) KOU I',UKAKL\(i CHAINS 

Sl/,|-; ()!•' I'lI'lCh; 'n'",S'l'F,l) 7'.: in.-h V 1 iivli 


MATIOKIAr. 


liKIOAKlNti HTKAI.N 


PUKJK 
I'EB YaUD 


WaIII' 


WooK 


Mkan 


SilkcUf (.Slcf\(: l>iliili,U) 


11 


22 


:;i 5 


27c 


Ditto 


:;i 


15 


23 


26c 


Taffetine 


25 


14 


10-5 


31c 


JiicDiiet 


31 


12 


21 -5 


1 5c 


Ditto 


w") 


17 


21 


1 :.<• 


Ditto 


IS 


15 


1 6 • 5 


14c 


Ditto 


10 


H 


9 


14c 
73c 


Li lion 


35 


25 


30 


Ditt.i 


55 


28 


41-5 


52c 


Ditto 


40 


21 


30 • 5 


38c 


Liiieiielte 


32 


22 


27 


lOc 


Ditto 


20 


18 


23 ■ 5 


It;,: 


Cambric 


31 


10 


20 ■ r> 


12c 


Ditto 


24 


13 


18-5 


1 Oc 


Holland 


33 


27 


30 


24c 


Glove Liniiiif 


32 


18 


25 


UJc 



171 



PHOTOMICROGRAPHS 

OF TRANSVERSE SECTIONS OF 

"EDITIONS" CLOTH 



WARP 

(x 56) 

BREAKING 

21 lbs 




WOOF 

{-kSQ) 

BRfAKlNQ 
ST/PWN 

nibs 




PHOTOMICROGRAPHS 

OF TRANSVERSE SECTIONS OF 

LIBRARY CLOTH 



WARP 

(x56) 

BAEAKINQ 
STJZAIfyf 

55 lbs 




WOOF 

Cx56) 

BREAKINQ 
5TRA/N 

391bs 




173 



PHOTOMICROGRAPHS 

OF TRANSVERSE SECTIONS OF 

LIBRARY CLOTH 

i^SMO o rj-i suRj^^K C£:) 


V/ARP 

Cx56) 

B/i£AKINQ 
STPAIN 

eoibs 


"m^^^ 


WOOF 

BUEAKJNQ 
STRAIN 

401bs 


"^^m^m- 



TEARINC^ STRAINS OF VARIOUS LEATHERS 

SIZK OF PIKCK TKSTP:I) -Ji, inch x l-'^^' in. -I, 


Ref 

No. 


Lf^ATHER TESTED 


Thickness in WHWIi 4 in. 


Th;,\kinc. Str.\in in llis. 


Strength 
Ratio 


Order cl 
Value 


A 


B 


C 


ToT.\L 


A 


K 


C 


ToT.\ L 


il 


Nijrcr Li'.ather(uii-pare<] ) 


7(1 


(15 


5 5 


I'.KI 


o:: 


81 


45 


180 


00 


2 


2 


Niger Leather (goat) 


45 


40 


30 


124 


31 


40 


32 


lo;-! 


•83 


4 


— 


;• ■• (sliee),) 


4(1 


40 


3(; 


lie. 


3(.! 


41 


35 


112 


•0(i 


3 


— 


" (i.are.l) 


H2 


ob 


3H 


OS 


33 


21 


20 


74 


75 


5 


1 


Soft Niger Leatlier 


21 


21 


20 


•32 


k; 


10 


12 


44 


70 





11 


Imitation Niger Leatlier 


2!:» 


20 


:!() 


S8 





7 


11 


27 


■30 


15 


— 


Ditto 


2 'J 


20 


20 


87 


10 


11 


10 


31 


35 


14 


— 


'I'liick Levant (un-])ared) 


87 


SO 


75 


242 


30 


24 


37 


07 


•40 


13 


3 


Levant ilorocco 


50 


55 


50 


155 


20 


21 


22 


03 


■40 


13 


14 


Ditto 


45 


48 


45 


08 


10 


10 





2'.t 


■20 


Ki 


10 


Ditto 


55 


50 


50 


155 


35 


l!5 


28 


OS 


■63 


7 


7 


Morocco (thiclv) 


70 


57 


55 


182 


20 


21 


23 


73 


■40 


13 


5 


Morocco (tliin) 


37 


37 


30 


113 


15 


1(5 


10 


50 


•44 


11 


i:i 


Hard (ilrainM Persian Goat 


31 


32 


:!4 


07 


10 


2(1 


12 


51 


52 


10 


i; 


Pigskin 


3(i 


34 


32 


1(12 


14 


IS 


11 


4:; 


42 


12 


12 


Pigskin 


33 


30 


:!o 


03 


20 


13 


15 


54 


■ 58 


8 


— 


Seal 


40 


45 


3(j 


121 


2:'. 


23 


2(1 


(iO 


54 


!( 


s 


Roan 


22 


22 


23 


07 


20 


15 


12 


47 


7(1 





— 


Cowhide 


23 


25 


18 


(o; 


5 


5 


H 


^H 


■21 


IS 


— 


Cowhide 


12 


12 


12 


;!() 


4 


2a 


21 


i'l 


■25 


17 


4 


Calf 


25 


23 


32 


so 





5 


''^ 


171 


.21 


IS 


— 


Veihun 


10 


1(1 


IS 


:is 


11 


14 


20 


45 


■IS 


1 


(»hl) lMi;( KS OF ISOdKl'.IXDFKS' IJ;.\T11FKS TESTFl) 




Moroci-o 


34 


— 


— 


34 


12 


— 


— 


12 


:;5 






Ditto 


;>5 


— 


— 


35 


20 


— 


— 


20 


57 






Ditto 


31 


— 


— 


31 


k; 


— 


— 


1(1 


■51 






Ditto 


23 


— 


— 


23 


•; 


— 


— 


(i 


■20 






Law Shee]) 


38 


— 


— 


38 


(1 


— 


— 





■15 






Cowhide 


28 


— 


— 


28 


5 


— 


— 


5 


■17 






Ditto 


33 


— 


— 


3:; 


7 


— 


— 


7 


■21 





BREAKING 8T1IAINS OF VARIOUS LEATHERS 

SIZE OK PIECE TESTED 7'^ x 3 2 i"'"li 


Ref. 
No. 


LEATHER TESTED. 


Thickness 
thousandths of in. 


Bkkakinu Strain 
in 11)S. 


R.tio, 


DrJiT lif 
Value. 


.•\ 


B 


Total 


A 


B 


Total 


;t 


Niger Leather 


60 


52 


112 


01 


111 


172 


1 53 


- 


- 


Niuer Leather (Goat) 


4;! 


40 


SI! 


7:; 




105 


1 118 


1 


1 
11 


Soft Niger Leatlier 


21 


21 


42 


21 


28 


41) 


110 


4 


Iiiiilatioii Niger Leather 


:;o 


.'jO 


i;o 


;ii 


22 


5 1 ! 


■88 


7 


3 


Levant Morocco 


ti:! 


(15 


I2S 


02 


75 


137 


1 • 07 


5 


14 


Levant Morocco 


45 


4S^ 


!l3i 


18 


28 


40 


■411 


12 


10 


Levant Morocco 


5(1 


52 


lOS 


32 


33 


05 


■ 00 


11 


7 


Mciroeco (thick) 


(14 


50 


114 


34 


35 


Oil 


00 


11 


5 


Morocco (thin) 


40 


4(;i 


SOI 


30 


32 


02 


■71 


10 


13 


Hard Grained Persian 
Goat 


.H 


H21 


(i5 


25 


35 


00 


■112 


(> 


1; 


Pigskin 


:;4 


■171 


7U 


43 


53 


'.to 


1 34 


■' 


IL' 


Pigskin 


2 


HO 


02i 


25 


28 


53 


■84 


8 


8 


Roan 


27 


24 


51 


20 


18 


38 


■74 


;i 


4 


Calf 


24,1 


25 


4111 





8 


14 


" 28 


13 



I H, M 

177 



I M I TAT I O N C30jLI> JJS /f^j^L.) 

NIGERIAN LEATHER 





THICKNESS 


TCAt^lNG STRAIN 






THICKNESS 


TEARINQ STRAW 


A 


29 


9 


A 


29 


lO 


B 


29 


7 


B 


29 


11 


C 


30 


II 


C 


29 


lO 




88 3^ 


2r 


87 


Tfa-' 


31 



















NIGERIAN LEATHER 



THIN 



HICK 





THICKNESS 


TEARING STRAIN 




THICKNESS 


TEARING STRAIN 


A 


21 


16 


A 70 


63 


B 


21 


16 


B 65 


81 


C 


20 1 


12 


C S5 


45 


62 


^ 


f-, 


44 


190 


^ 


189 



















N EAR LY 

CONSTANTS 



PR AC TICAL. 

VARIANTS 



INCONSTANTS 



Quality of eiorh . . 

jboards 

Thread 

J^lls, supers ar>d\ 
o//r)//D^s • • J 
o^pes ar)ds^/n^s. 
Ond-papers- . . . 

to cocrer. 



3 Values 

2 

3 

5 
4 

2 



BOO/<S 



THICKNESS or PAPERS ( 0.5 1325 



STRENGTH OF PAPERS 
THICKNESS OF SECTIONS 

SIZE OF BOOK 
WEIGHT or BOOK 



\iAKI£S fflOM 

2 lbs Tcieibs 



VAO/£S fOOM 
6T-4|Tt,IOi«8 

OR 30 . e4 59 /A'j 

VARfCS fffOM 

%lb 7D5^1bs 



178 



179 



would allow it to be called hog skin. Some 
of the manufacturers wanted to call it that, 
but I would not permit it. It would be a 
case of living on the reputation of its an- 
cient relatives. This pig slvin was sent from 
Chicago, but it was never used generally. 
At any rate, it was used more largely for 
library purposes than anything else. And 
the leather never was allowed to be treated 
as sheep and these other leathers which 
show signs of deterioration. I don't believe 
pig skin is as good a leather as sheep. Pig 
skin has really been kept out of the com- 
petitive market and the result is very 
good. 

The CHAIRMAN: The subject is an 
interesting one, but there is hardly 
time to pursue it further, and we will now 
proceed to the regular business of the day 
and hear the report of the Committee to 
confer with the publishers of newspapers 
on the deterioration of newspaper paper, 
Mr. Frank P. Hill, of the Brooklyn public 
library, Chairman. 

Mr. HILL: Mr. President, the Committee 
appointed to confer with the publishers 
on the deterioration of newspaper paper, 
consists of Messrs. Wadlin, of Boston, Chiv- 
ers and Hill of Brooklyn. Notice of the ap- 
pointment of this Committee was received 
by the members so late as to make it im- 
possible to present a satisfactory report 
at this meeting. Mr. Chivers has made a 
large number of experiments with news- 
paper paper and the Committee has made 
arrangements with a number of the pub- 
lishers in New York to meet in conference 
some time in the fall. Therefore, all I 
can do now is to make a report of progress 
and request a continuance of the Com- 
mittee. 

Mr. ANDREWS: Mr. Chairman, perhaps 
Mr. Hill could say if they have made any 
further experiments in the strengthening 
of paper. Mr. Chivers alluded to the use of 
cellit. Is that the same as the German so- 
lution which we heard about at Bretton 
Woods? 

Mr. HILL; Mr. President, it is similar, 
but the members of the Committee feel 
they would prefer not to make a partial 
report at this time, because it would be 



more satisfactory to complete the experi- 
ments which Mr. Chivers has already be- 
gun, rather than make the report piece- 
meal. 

The CHAIRMAN: The report will be 
received. I suppose that the Executive 
Board will continue the Committee. 

I am sure that you do not wish me to 
introduce President Benjamin Ide Wheeler, 
of the University of California, in a long 
speech. That is not necessary. You all know 
him and I am sure it is your wish that 
he should proceed as soon as possible to 
the address. I therefore have pleasure in in- 
troducing President BENJAMIN IDE 
WHEELER, of the University of California. 

(President Wheeler spoke on the atti- 
tude librarians should hold toward the 
work of their profession, but as his re- 
marks were entirely extempore he has re- 
quested that they be not published.) 

The CHAIRMAN: We thank President 
Wheeler for his charming address, 
which I am very certain will help 
many of us to realize that we are emerg- 
ing. I would venture the assertion that 
some of us had gotten our heads above 
water and stretched out our arms and 
were preparing to strike out vigorously for 
the professional shore. 

Some one said yesterday that California 
seemed to be a composite photograph of 
the United States. We meet people from 
all sections of the country and we find 
the conditions of many sections reproduced 
here. Especially is this true of the educa- 
tional institutions of California, not only 
of the state university, of which Dr. Ben- 
jamin Ide Wheeler is president, but also 
of Leland Stanford University. We have 
here in Pasadena a most admirable insti 
tution, the Throop Polytechnic Institute 
and the head and guiding soul of that in 
stitution is President J. A. B. SCHERER 
whom we are to have the pleasure of hear- 
ing now. 

BOOKS AND THE EFFICIENT LIFE 

Efficiency is the ability to get profitable 
results with a minimum of friction and 
waste. Everybody is in favor of efficiency 



180 



PASADENA CONFERENCE 



except Mr. Gilbert K. Chesterton, that 
strange quadrangular contemporary rein- 
carnation of Samuel Johnson, Thomas Car- 
lyle, Protagoras, and Thomas ^ Kempis. 
"There is nothing that fails like success," 
says this paradoxical Jovian sophist; and 
again the medieval mystic in him exclaims, 
disdaining our modem efficiency: "I will 
lift up my eyes to the hills, from whence 
cometh my help; but I will not lift up my 
carcass to the hills, unless it is absolutely 
necessary." 

In spite of Mr. Chesterton, the slogan 
of modern educational theory is efficiency. 
The latest and very good word on the sub- 
ject points out that 'predigested educa- 
tion and printer's ink will not produce suc- 
cessful and virile men. In the school of 
to-morrow It will be boys more than books, 
and living more than letters." The new 
school "will make for the health of the 
body — fresh air, wholesome food, adequate 
exercise, and manly work; it will make 
for the health of the mind — sanity, alert- 
ness and reliability; it will make lor the 
health of the spirit — habits of social jus- 
tice and expressions of divine truth. Fur- 
thermore, it will direct its youth into the 
paths of industrial efficiency and world 
service." 

I suppose that half of the reason why 
this particular subject was assigned to me 
is the fact that 1 happen to be president 
of one of those schools that confessedly 
stand for Industrial efficiency — "one of 
those schools," as Mr. Roosevelt said when 
he spoke for us on the twenty-first of 
March, "the development of which has 
meant more for the permanent efficiency 
of Germany in the modern European world 
than any other one thing." And I suppose 
that the other half of the reason why 1 
am asked to discuss the subject, "Books 
and the Efficient Life," is because the 
trustees of this new technical college, 
being resolved that it should not be too 
technical, called to its presidency a mau 
who knows no more of technical engineer- 
ing than the traditional pig (who was 
probably a college president among the 
pigs) knew about holiday. 

It Is a part of our creed and curriculum, 



our preachment and practice, at Throop 
Polytechnic Institute, that books and the 
efficient life should go together — the boys 
are getting it drilled into them, I hope, every 
day. Of course 1 do not mean text-books — 
these are but tools for the teacher; but the 
great books, of the stuff that make verities; 
books of the sort that charmed Gilbert de 
la Porree in the twelfth century into his 
now famous rhapsody; 

'I sit here with no company but books, 
dipping into dainty honeycombs of litera- 
tuire. All minds In the world's history find 
their focus in a library. . . Never was such 
an army mustered as I have here. No gen- 
eral ever had such soldiers as I have. No 
kingdom ever had such illustrious sub- 
jects as mine, or half as well governed. 
I can put my haughtiest subjects up or 
down, as it pleases me. 1 call 'Plato,' and 
he answers 'Here' — a noble and sturdy 
soldier, '.\ristotle,' 'Here' — a host in him- 
self. 'Demosthenes,' 'Cicero,' 'Caesar,' 'Tac- 
itus,' 'Pliny' — 'Here!' they answer, and 
they smile at me in their immortality of 
youth." 

The supreme example and illustration of 
the influence of a few great books on an 
efficient life is of course the modern in- 
stance of Lincoln — doubly impressive be- 
cause his life was so singularly efficient 
and the books that moulded him were so 
great and so few. Mr. Herbert Croly, in 
"The Promise of American Life." says: 

"With the sound instinct of a well-bal- 
anced intelligence, Lincoln seized upon 
the three available books, the earnest 
study of which might best help to develop 
harmoniously a strong aud many-sided in- 
telligence. He seized, that is, upon the 
Bible, Shakespeare, and Euclid." 

The assiduous study of Euclid made Lin- 
coln an intellectual rail-splitter. He used 
to lie abed at nights in the inns on his law 
circuit aud split Euclid's rails by the light 
of a tallow dip. Shakespeare, that "priest 
to us all of the wonder and bloom of the 
world," broadened and deepened his very 
human sensibilities; while "the grand 
simplicities of the Bible" nourished and 
directed his will. His life was supremely 
efficient because it was harmonious and 



181 



full. He was not a typically intellectual 
man, nor a dominantly emotional man, nor 
yet an indomitably practical man; he was 
better than any of these: he was a man. 
He "saw life steadily and saw it whole" — 
and his great books exactly helped him to 
this wholesome ease of the spirit, this 
rounded efficiency of character. 

The chief need of the merely efficient 
man is character. Books help to give him 
that, if wisely chosen and properly di- 
gested. Among the elements of character, 
for example, is a reasonable modesty, a 
sense of proportion and relative values, 
to keep a man from making a fool of him- 
self by thinking of himself more highly 
than he ought to think. Now, one of the 
dangers of the merely efficient man, who 
has not read the great books, is his danger 
of coming to the pass when he will have 
to carry a shoe-spoon around with him to 
put his hat on with. Your merely efficient 
man is liable to be worried with the never- 
absent notion that he has got to be proving 
all the time that he is just as good a man 
as you are, and probably a little bit better. 
Owen Wister hits it off neatly as one of 
our national traits: 

"We cannot seem to let ourselves alone; 
we must talk when there is nothing to say; 
we must joke — especially we must joke — 
when there is no need for it, and when no- 
body asked to be entertained. This is the 
nervousness of democracy; we are un- 
certain if the other man thinks we are 'as 
good' as he is; therefore we must prove 
that we are, at first sight, by some sort 
of performance." 

The most grotesquely humorous per- 
formance of this sort that has ever come 
under my notice is itself in the shape of 
a book — O books! what crimes are com- 
mitted in your name! — printed by a merely 
efficient man for the apparent purpose of 
declaring that he is a great deal smarter 
than any of those who ordinarily write 
books or read books or teach books. He 
is a highly efficient person, he is even a 
"captain of industry," with a store of in- 
dustriously acquired technical knowledge, 
although he is not. thank Mercury, the 
product of a technical school — being a 



self-made man who worships his creator 
every day. The book is deliciously hu- 
morous, but naively, unconsciously so. 
My point is, that if the author (whose 
name might be Croesus Malvolio, but 
isn't) had ever read half a dozen great 
books in his life, he would never have 
thought of writing this one; they would 
mercifully have saved him from writing 
himself down, as it were, in this ludicrous 
attempt to demonstrate that a man may 
be a very great and Important personage 
indeed without an iota of education or 
culture. 

In the presence of the great books the 
fool is silent and the knave afraid. Upon 
him who snubs their noble company they 
may wreak a terrible revenge. 

There is a single writer of whose works 
even a cursory knowledge will prevent 
the twentieth-century enthusiast from the 
flamboyancy of ignorant pride. He lived 
four hundred years before Christ, yet he 
wrote what Professor Paul Shorey calls 
"a book of tomorrow." "The division of 
labor, specialization, the limitation of the 
right of private property, the industrial 
and political equality of women, the im- 
provement of the human breed by arti- 
ficial selection, the omnipotence of public 
opinion, the reform of the letter of the 
creeds to save their spirit, the proscrip- 
tion of unwholesome art and literature, 
the reorganization of education, the kinder- 
garten method, the endowment of re- 
search, the application of the higher 
mathematics to astronomy and physics — 
such are some of the divinations, the 
modernisms, of that wonderful work," 
The Republic of Plato; to say nothing of 
its brilliant and compelling poetry. 

The great books implant modesty in 
the efficient man, and they also ripen his 
tolerance into a positive broad generosity. 
He has thought of the medieval ages as un- 
relievedly dark; but an essay like that of 
Frederic Harrison's shows him that the 
thirteenth century was only a little less 
wonderful than the nineteenth, while 
Storrs's Bernard of Clairvaux lights the 
"dark ages" with beacons. His wholesale 
contempt for paganism may be tempered 



182 



PASADENA CONFERENCE 



by another American historical writer, Mr. 
James Freeman Clarke, while his ignorant 
"jingoism" may get Its antidote in Gold- 
win Smith's political history of this coun- 
try, and his patriotism be illuminated by 
a reading of Alexis de Tocqueville and 
Bryce. Should he be Southern, he will 
read the letters and addresses of Lincoln; 
or Northern, the recollections and letters 
of Lee. In either case he will be a better 
American. A history of philosophy will 
relieve him from the bigotry of science 
and from a cheap contempt for pure spec- 
ulation. A dipping into the red-blooded 
heroic life of Martin Luther will teach 
him that the German Reformation was 
worth while, although he read of it In the 
balanced pages of Mr. Lilly, as well as in 
the bludgeon chapters of Carlyle. When 
discussing the universal hope of immor- 
tality he will not affect to forget the testi- 
mony of Jesus Christ, as the Ingersoll 
lecturers have done; broad minded enough 
to revere the great pagans, he will be 
brave enough to acknowledge Christianity 
as a historic fact of considerable import- 
ance, to say the least. From Japan and 
China he may learn that a genuine civiliza- 
tion may be built upon totally different 
architectural plans from those employed 
by the Occident, and he will acquire a 
new and healthy respect for old Asia. 
There is nothing more awakening and 
stimulating to a dormant sense of catho- 
licity than this — to make for oneself the 
intellectual discovery of Asia. 

"Then felt I like some watcher of the skies 
When a new planet swims Into his ken; 

Or like stout Cortez when with eagle eyes 
He stared at the Pacific . . . 
Silent, upon a peak in Darien." 

The great books, while enlarging the 
scope of the sympathies, also deepen and 
enrich them. Such books not only teach 
a man to respect other nations and ages — 
they do what is better; they help him to 
know men. To the efficient man nothing 
else is quite so important as this. If the 
engineer is to know the men of his kind, 
with whom he has to deal far more for- 
midably or Intimately, as you please, than 



with bridges or dynamos, he must read 
them in the pages of the great writers of 
English, at least, from Chaucer and 
Shakespeare to Rudyard Kipling and Mark 
Twain. 

To me this is the chief glory, as it Is 
the unsurpassed distinction, of Charles 
Dickens: that he built up a human labora- 
tory with his books, wherein you may 
study at your leisure the salient types of 
the every-day folk that you meet on the 
street or in parlors or churches or slums, 
so that you have a mental card-index 
ready at hand for classifying almost any 
new acquaintance, provided only that he 
have the slightest affinity for caricature. 
You may see a mild Pecksniff marching 
down the aisle of almost any Protestant 
church of a Sunday, while Merry and 
Cherry sit demurely in his pew well 
towards the front. I know at least one 
Mr. Lorry here in Pasadena, and have met 
Sidney Carton and Lucie Manette in the 
flesh. I used to know Micawber and have 
even seen Uriah Heep blowing down the 
friendly ear of a village doctor's mule. 
Mr. Boffin and Jenny Wren and the scal- 
awag Silas Wegg are our mutual friends. 
Who does not know and love Tom Pinch 
and Mark Tapley and Little Nell and 
Captain Cuttle and the Dombey boy, as 
well as David Copperfield himself, to say 
nothing of Peggotty and Aunt Betsy? The 
progeny of Mr. Gradgrind still survive, a 
type of the unflttest, in the modern school, 
while the Podsnaps and the Veneerings 
continue to bourgeon In contemporary 
society, and Bill Sykes and Fagan infest 
our modern slums. I do not speak now of 
Dickens' vast beneficent influence in less- 
ening the square miles of slum areas in 
our cities, In redeeming the more hideous 
horrors of the jails, in straightening out 
the schools and the courts of chancery, 
in brightening childhood. He Is one of 
the most efficient humanitarians of any 
age. But at present I speak of him as a 
powerful and delightful psychologist, of 
whom it may be said as of no other Eng- 
lish author, that he actually creates his 
characters, so that you do not remember 
them as having been met in a book, but 



schere:r 



183 



as having been actually known and loved 
or dreaded in a life that you lived in com- 
pany with this "cockney novelist" at whom 
some critics sneer. 

In the really great humanists of English 
literature you get down to the radical laws 
of truth as affecting humanity. Take 
Shakespeare, for example. He is not a 
conscious preacher of moralities — far from 
it. Indeed, he is not a conscious preacher 
or teacher of anything, because he never 
intended any of his writings, except some 
of his short poems, for a life between 
book-covers; his plays were written to 
satisfy the clamor of the stage, and he 
doubtless never dreamed of their immor- 
tality when he begot them. But what a 
teacher of profound human truth is he 
become! How clearly (for example), and 
with what passionate earnestness, does he 
set forth the workings of treachery, which 
to him was the quintessence of sin, — the 
canker eating out the heart of man, the 
worm that kills truth, the acid rust that 
breaks the ties of human brotherhood. 

In Hamlet you see all the bonds break- 
ing. Human ties snap harshly, one by 
one — the bond between ruler and subject, 
the bond between mother and son, the 
bond between maiden and lover, the bond 
between friend and friend — and it all 
grows out of a single act of treachery be- 
tween brother and brother. Likewise 
the three tragedies that reveal the prog- 
ress of spiritual struggle in Shakespeare's 
soul deal severally with the sundering of 
sacred ties. In Macbeth it Is ruler and sub- 
ject, in Lear it is fathers and children, in 
Othello, husband and wife — and through 
them all creeps the shadow of Judas, 
clothed now in some queenly giant shape of 
"steely feminine cruelty," or again in 
glittering heroic armor or in kingly trap- 
pings, or yet again in the most perfect 
garments of lago. Nowhere save in the 
pages of Holy Writ itself is treachery made 
so terrible, or falsehood so revolting, or a 
lying life so black, as when we see these 
velvet-footed devils in their prime. The 
measure of Shakespeare's greatness as a 
moral teacher is discerned when you com- 
pare his treatment of sin with the treat- 



ment which modern "moralists" such as 
Zola accord to crime. In the latter case 
the esthetic sense is rudely shocked; but 
Shakespeare leaves you with a shuddering 
horror tor sin in its acme and essence. 

In these days when, as Emerson says, 
we need to revise our theory of success, 
it is Shakespeare that helps us to do it. 
The example reaches its summit in Lear. 
There is the poor old king on the moor- 
land, ragged, pinch-bellied, bleeding; his 
companions only heightening his misery 
— the crazy clown with his whimpering 
wit, crazy Tom with his blood-curdling 
folly. The storm beats and howls, the 
lightning flashes, the heavens bellow with 
woe; and all the time the serpent's tooth 
is gnawing at the old king's heart. Then 
later you see him with the dead Cordelia. 
Shakespeare could have spared her to 
him if he had followed the ancient story 
as he found it; but he is not that kind of 
a moralist. This modern Job will face 
the hard facts as they are, though they 
wrench the marrow from the joints. And 
so we see her with the hangman's livid 
mark about her neck, dead in the old 
king's arms. But look you! Do you not 
feel in that moment, as you view the 
lowest depths of mortal woe, that you 
would rather be the poor old jabbering 
Lear, or the stark and sallow thing that 
was Cordelia, than the triumphant smiling 
duke upon his throne? This is what 
Shakespeare has done for us: he has 
stripped innocence and purity so bare 
that you see them as nothing but a name; 
he has surrounded them and clothed them 
with failure, with abject ruin, with utter 
and absolute loss, while wrong sits smil- 
ing on the throne; but he has made you 
cnry the vanquished. 

Macbeth is the moral counterpart to 
King Lear. It shows the other side, and 
in detail; depicting the triumph of un- 
righteousness, but showing by far subtler 
methods than didacticism that such a 
triumph is failure. Lear illustrates the 
victory of defeat; Macbeth, the failure of 
success. The lord and his lady accom- 
plish everything for which they have 
plotted; but her outraged woman's nature 



184 



PASADENA CONFERENCE 



takes revenge, being too frail for sucli 
heavy business. First comes woeful 
dreaming, and then a tortured death. As 
for him, he is highly efficient; he achieves 
success. He is the man of destiny; his 
luck has not yet failed him; he is at the 
very summit of prosperity. But listen! 
From the height of his perfect ambition he 
utters that hopeless, heartbroken cry about 
the sear and yellow leaf — of "curses, not 
loud, but deep." That is Shakespeare's 
moral judgment of "the gospel of success," 
although the phrase had not been minted 
in his time. It is a lesson we need at this 
hour. The efficient man who triumphs 
really fails unless he triumphs righteously. 
Thus the great books reveal the radical 
truths of humanity, and teach the deep 
lessons of character. 

I am old-fashioned enough to believe 
that your efficient man cannot afford to 
neglect his Bible. I do not allude now to 
its literary majesty and beauty; reams 
have been written recently in praise of 
"that vast Oriental beaker brimming with 
poetry," as Victor Hugo has called it; and 
here in America Richard G. Moulton is 
doing a man's work In unveiling it, a ver- 
itable hidden Grail these several centuries. 
I praise it now not as a vessel of beauty, 
though it is that too, but as the true 
"chalice of the grapes of God," whereof if 
a man drink valiantly he may know the 
truth that makes men truly free. 

A knowledge of the great books will be- 
get self-confidence, and that is a good 
gift of efficiency. I think that history 
and biography tend especially to do this. 
In our enthusiasm for the present we must 
not ignore the past; it has sap for our 
sinews. Inspiration for our hardest en- 
deavor. To cut oneself off from the past 
is to break with the record of human 
experience. The efficient man should find 
the line of historical continuity which 
binds him to the race, trace it, and so link 
himself in the chain of universal endeavor. 
He discovers that he is what he is be- 
cause the past has made him what he is; 
the clash of ancient arms, the rush of 
centuries, the rise and fall of nations, 
have all mixed in the molding of a man. 



So a thoughtfully directed study of his- 
tory brings a large and noble self-respect 
to be gained in no other way. History is 
the memory of the race. It heightens the 
sense of identity which the individual 
memory had established. It multiplies 
the lessons of wisdom indefinitely by broad- 
ening the imagined experience — teaching 
the conservation of past good and the 
avoidance of what the race has learned to 
be futile or evil; and thus stiffens a man's 
self-confidence while limbering and indeed 
liquefying his self-esteem. 

Biography is of comparable value, even 
though history be not, in Carlyle's phrase, 
the mere biography of great men. It is 
a good thing to come close to these giants, 
and feel the touch of nature that makes us 
all akin. They help us to mount obstacles 
by the splendor of lustrous example; but 
they also keep us from despair of our fol- 
lies as we smile at their foibles, and cheer 
us in the humdrum tedium of the common 
lot. I like to know that Shakespeare, 
the supreniest of poets, kept a practical eye 
to the windward of business affairs, and 
so prospered; I even like to think that in 
his youth he may have poached. It is 
good to see our own cold Washington 
fling an inkstand at the head of one of his 
pinchbeck soldiers — much better than to 
swallow poor old Weems's pious lie about 
the hatohet; and it is delightful to hide 
behind a tree while the father of his 
country rolls upon the ground in fits of 
laughter over the plight of the young men 
and the peddler. Then there is Tennyson, 
groping on his knees amid the grass below 
his window in the dewy English morning, 
searching earnestly for his smelly pipe, 
and sweeping up carefully the crumbs of 
his precious tobacco, he having impuls- 
ively "sworn off" smoking just the night 
before, and tossed out the devil's imple- 
ments altogether. One knows, moreover, 
that Robert Browning could not be a prig 
or a pedant when one hears him jovially 
exclaiming that when Sordello was first 
written only two beings in the universe 
knew its meaning — "God and Robert 
Browning; now God alone knows," says 
he. Martin Luther is a pleasanter picture 



185 



punching the gentle Philip in the short 
ribs over a sophisticated bit of exegesis 
than when refusing to shake hands with 
Zwingli; and the apostles themselves are 
more lovable companions in the frank 
undress of New Testament Greek than 
when clothed with the euphemisms of a 
pure but at the same time puritanical 
English. They all had humanity; so have 
we; and it makes a man bolder for the 
efficient life if he can come into homespun 
earthy contact with those "dead but scep- 
t'red sovereigns who rule us from their 
urns." They swing scepters now; but 
once upon a time they swung crutches or 
walking canes or inkstands or hockey 
sticks, and it is good to know it. So we 
give thanks to the awful great, with Sidney 
Lanier, for 

" . . . . your little mole that marks 
You brother and your kinship seals to 
man." 

That, while it is not the chief good, is 
one of the good things of biography. 

There remains the one supreme reason 
for reading the great books — "just for 
fun." I don't want to be conscious of 
ulterior motives when I play tennis or 
undertake golf or read Keats — I just want 
to enjoy myself. The benefits may come 
of themselves; they should be "benefits 
forgot" while they are coming. There 
are few enjoyments equal to the enjoy- 
ment of literature read "just for fun." 
This pleasure may begin in early youth, 
and continue throughout old age, until it 
becomes a pleasure of memory as well as 
a delight of dally renewal; lifting us above 
the petty and sordid cares of life into the 
faery realm of the imagination, where we 
eat ambrosia and drink nectar as we will. 
It is only in the thoughtful analytic moods 
that we realize what has been done for us. 
Charles Eliot Norton has described it 
admirably in his introduction to the study 
of Dante. He says: 

"To acquire a love for the best poetry, 
and a just understanding of it, is the chief 
end of the study of literature; for it is by 
means of poetry that the imagination is 
quickened, matured, and invigorated, and 
it is only through the exercise of his im- 



agination that man can live a life that is 
in a true sense worth living. For it is the 
imagination which lifts him from the petty, 
transient and physical interests that en- 
gross the greater part of his time and 
thoughts in self-regarding pursuits, to the 
large, permanent, and spiritual interests 
that ennoble his nature, and transform 
him from a solitary individual into a mem- 
ber of the brotherhood of the human race." 

It is not needful to "scorn delights" in 
order to "live laborious days" if only we 
keep company with those who either 
"build the lofty rhyme" or the more 
spacious palaces of prose. 

So, then, let us forget all about efficiency, 
and steal a journey every chance we get 
to the orchards of the Hesperides. Swing 
hands with Homer and Dumas, with Cer- 
vantes and dear R. L. S. through lands of 
adventuresome delight, whether it be 
"far on the ringing plains of windy Troy," 
or on Treasure Island. Enlist with Ten- 
nyson in the Table Round, go afield with 
Shelley and Queen Mab, stand tiptoe with 
Keats upon his little hill, become a strayed 
reveler with Arnold, a mariner or a moun- 
taineer with Coleridge, or "a God-intoxi- 
cated man" with Robert Browning. Let 
Carlyle stir you with his heroes, or Dick- 
ens make you laugh and weep with hum- 
bler folk. Let Shakespeare take you by 
the hand, make friends with Goethe, and 
do not stand in far-off awe of Plato or of 
Moses, but make boldly up to them all, 
and company with them. That is what I 
would say to the efficient man chiefly, If 
I could. Let him forget himself and his 
efficiency in those who minister of joy; 
and he will not only find the friction and 
waste of his life reduced towards their 
minimum, but he will also get his head up 
into a world where men can breathe. 

At the conclusion of this address the 
session adjourned. 

FIFTH GENERAL SESSION 

(Shakespeare Club, Wednesday, May 
24, 2:30 p. m.) 

.loint session of the American library 
association and the California library asso- 



186 



PASADENA CONFERENCE 



ciation, Miss Alice S. Tyler, presiding for 
the former, and Mr. L. W. Ripley for the 
latter. 

(Miss Tyler takes the chair.) 

The CHAIRMAN: We now come to the 
closing session of this annual conference 
and In the vicissitudes of conduct of meet- 
ings, it has fallen to my lot to have the 
honor of introducing to this assembly the 
president of the California library associ- 
ation, Mr. L. W. Ripley, who will preside 
during the California program and present 
to you our distinguished visitors. 

(Mr. Ripley takes the chair.) 

The CHAIRMAN: California is a proud 
state just now, for we are told that we have 
advanced further in reform legislation than 
any other state in the Union, and there is 
just one man in California that can claim 
the largest share of credit for such a state 
of affairs. President David Starr Jordan, 
a few weeks ago, said that all good citizens 
throughout America could rejoice with the 
Republicans of California in having se- 
lected a governor who was a man before 
he was a governor. In introducing the next 
speaker to you, I wish to present a man 
who is giving California the best that is 
in him, a true servant of the people, HI- 
RAM W. JOHNSON, governor of the state 
of California. 

Governor Johnson gave a very stirring 
presentation of the political issues at pres- 
ent before the citizens of California, dwell- 
ing upon the "recall"; "initiative and ref- 
erendum"; how the state has been freed 
from railroad rule; and what the recent 
legislature had accomplished along reform 
lines. 

The CHAIRMAN: We have another 
native son with us, a man who has turned 
the searchlight of truth into the darkest 
corners of our social and business affairs, 
and he will speak to us on the position that 
the library can occupy in a democracy. I 
present, with pleasure, Mr. LINCOLN 
STEFFENS. 

Mr. Steffens spoke of the recent re- 
forms in public affairs, pointing out how 
librarians could further this good work. 
As he spoke extempore he prefers that his 
remarks be not printed. 



The CHAIRMAN: We will now have the 
pleasure of listening to an address on 
"What the world of literature owes to 
California," by Dr. GEORGE WHARTON 
JAMES. 

Dr. James said that the hand of destiny 
had been for generations steadily pointing 
to California and the Pacific Coast, that de- 
velopment and population from the dawn 
of history had been steadily pushing west- 
ward; that California, by its remarkable 
scenery, diversity of climate and products, 
was well equipped for receiving this Influx. 
He depicted in glowing terms the various 
charms of the region, its climate, moun- 
tains, coast line and varied beaches, pic- 
turesque rocks, and harbors, its mysterious 
deserts, forests, rivers, and islands, and 
called attention to the influence which all 
of these factors had had on literature. Its 
literature had also been influenced by the 
numerous political changes of the last hun- 
dred years, and by its romantic and thrill- 
ing settlement and early days, accompanied 
by such hardships and such dramatic situ- 
ations. 

Dr. James then mentioned briefly a large 
number of California authors, beginning 
with the Indian tribes whose literature 
has been partially preserved by such trans- 
lators as Jeremiah Curtin, Charles F. Lum- 
mis, Joaquin Miller, Mary Austin and 
others. Next in order came the epoch of 
Spanish discovery and the literature of the 
padres, followed in turn by the era of the 
pioneers. California names in literature are 
many, among the most prominent men- 
tioned by the speaker being Mark Twain. 
Bret Harte, Joaquin Miller, Charles War- 
ren Stoddard, Noah Brooks, Clarence King, 
Joseph Le Conte, John Muir, Charles Fred- 
erick Holden, David Starr Jordan, Stewart 
Edward White, Mary Austin, John C. Van 
Dyke, Olive Thorne Miller, Charles F. Lum- 
mis, Edwin Markham, Ina Coolbrith, Ed- 
ward Rowland Sill, Frank Norris, Helen 
Hunt Jackson, Gellett Burgess, Gertrude 
Atherton, Eleanor Gates, Frances Charles, 
Jack London and Hubert Howe Bancroft. 
In conclusion the speaker expressed his 
opinion that for the Pacific Coast region 
there was not only the possibility but the 



GODARD 



187 



certainty of the development of the highest 
in literature and civilization that the world 
has ever known. 

The CHAIRMAN: That ends the 
California program and Miss Tyler will 
preside over this session until its adjourn- 
ment. 

(Miss Tyler takes the chair.) 

The CHAIRMAN: There are some matters 
of business that must of necessity be taken 
up in this closing session of the meeting. 
First we will ask if there is any unfinished 
business that has come over to us from 
the previous session. Probably it would 
be well at this time for the Secretary 
to make such announcements as are neces- 
sary. 

The SECRETARY: At the direction of 
the Executive Board last night, the Secre- 
tary sent the following telegram for the 
Association. 

May 23, 1911. 
Dr. JOHN S. BILLINGS, 

Director N. Y. Public Library, 
New York City. 

The American library association in con- 
ference at Pasadena sends congratulations 
to authorities of the public library and 
citizens of New York on the auspicious 
opening of the greatest of municipal li- 
braries in the noble building dedicated to- 
day. GEORGE B. UTLEY, 

Secretary. 

The CHAIRMAN: At this juncture, it 
seems to me well that we should hear from 
our Committee on resolutions, Mr. Geo. S. 
Godard, chairman. 

Mr. Godard presented the following 

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON 
RESOLUTIONS 

RESOLVED: That the grateful thanks of 
the American library association are due 
and are hereby given to those who by 
their united efforts have made this our 
Thirty-third annual meeting so successful. 

First: To those who assisted in the 
program: Willard Huntington Wright, of 
Lob Angeles; Dr. Benjamin Ide Wheeler. 
President University of California; Dr. J. 
A. B. Scherer, President Throop Polytech- 
nic Institute; Hon. Hiram W. Johnson, Gov- 
ernor of California; Mr. Lincoln Steffens, 



and Dr. George Wharton James, whose sev- 
eral addresses have added much to the 
meetings; and to Mr. A. C. Vroman, whose 
illustrated lecture on California Missions 
will long be remembered. 

Second: To the Pasadena Local Com- 
mittee of arrangements, Miss N. M. Russ, 
librarian of the Pasadena public library, 
Chairman, and her Board of trustees, for 
the hearty welcome extended and abundant 
provision made for our comfort and en- 
tertainment. 

Third: To the Shakespeare Club and 
its president. Miss Anna L. Meeker, for 
the courtesies extended to us in providing 
so convenient and comfortable a meeting 
place. 

Fourth: To the Pasadena Board of 
Trade and the Los Angeles library board 
and Chamber of Commerce for the cordial 
hospitality shown us and to the citizens who 
kindly made it possible for us to acquaint 
ourselves with the beauties of their cities. 

Fifth: To the ladies of Pasadena and 
librarian and friends of the Long Beach 
public library, who so thoughtfully and gen- 
erously met us with flowers at San Bernar- 
dino, and provided flowers for the adorn- 
ment of our several rooms. 

Sixth: To the management of the Hotel 
Maryland for unfailing courtesies and ex- 
cellent service rendered. 

Seventh: To the representatives of the 
press who have done so much to make 
accessible, both here in California and at 
our homes, the proceedings of our several 
meetings. 

Respectfully submitted, 
GEO. S. GODARD, 
DEMARCHUS C. BROWN, 
MARY F. ISOM, 

Committee on Resolutions. 

Mr. GODARD: Madam Chairman, I move 
the acceptance of the report and the adop- 
tion of the resolution. 

A DELEGATE: Second the motion. 

The CHAIRMAN: It is moved and 
seconded that the report be accepted and 
the resolutions adopted. I know it will give 
you all great pleasure to vote for this and 
thus express the sentiment which the Com- 
mittee have so well voiced. All those who 



188 



PASADENA CONFERENCE 



are in favor of the adoption of this report 
and its resolutions will indicate it by rising. 
(The vote was unanimous.) 

Mr. HILL: Madam Chairman, following 
the report of the Committee on Resolutions. 
I beg to submit the following minute for 
the expression of the association: 

"The American library association, 
assembled at its Thirty-third annual meet- 
ing, sends greeting to Miss Helen E. 
Haines, of Pasadena, who has been so in- 
strumental in drawing this Association to 
this lovely state. It is with sincere regret 
we note her absence from our Association 
and we desire to thank her for the splendid 
work she has done for libraries and to ex- 
press the wish that she may soon return to 
us improved in strength and health." 

I move the adoption of that minute, it 
now being in the form of a resolution. 

Miss AHERN: It gives me great pleasure 
to second the vote of greeting to be sen\. 
to one who for so many years was a famil- 
iar figure to the members of the American 
library association. To her interest in ex- 
tending the library service in general, we 
are all debtors. To her particular work in 
trie extension of librarj' knowledge, there 
is a personal debt on my part as one who 
learned much from the lines well laid down 
by her for so many years. We are all grate- 
ful for the pleasure we have had in Pasa- 
dena, our chief regret being that we are un- 
able to tender to her personally our recog- 
nition of her part in bringing us to this 
beautiful city. There is deeper regret, 
also, in the thought that her absence is 
caused by her attention to the affairs of 
our Association. It is with the greatest 
pleasure that I second the vote of recogni- 
tion of Miss Haines' services. 

The CHAIRMAN: Are there any other 
remarks on this resolution? I am sure there 
could be many words added to those which 
have been so beautifully spoken and I 
will ask you again to express your approval 
of this resolution by a rising vote. 
(The vote was unanimous.) 
The CHAIRMAN: Are there any other 
matters that should come before the Asso- 
ciation at this time? 

Miss AHERN: Many of you know of the 
effort of a number of the strong members 
of the different state associations to bring 



about a closer relation between the Ameri- 
can library association and the various li- 
brary organizations throughout the country, 
for mutual helpfulness in library work. This 
matter has been before the council for 
something over a year and has now come 
to a favorable conclusion. Under the exist- 
ing form of the constitution of the Ameri- 
can library association it will be impossible 
for this affiliation to take the effective and 
favorable form that it should, and it is 
therefore with the desire to bring the 
various associations throughout the country 
into closer affiliation with the American 
library association at an early date that I 
offer at this time an amendment to the 
constitution of the latter. 

I move to amend Section 14 of the 
constitution by striking out such provision 
as is therein made for the election of 
twenty-five members by the Council and 
inserting in lieu thereof the following as 
the second paragraph of the section on 
membership: 

"Other members may be added under such 
conditions and restrictions as the Associ- 
ation may determine by resolution adopted 
at any annual conference thereof, notice of 
such proposed change having been given 
not later than one month prior to the date 
of the conference." 

So Section 14, amended, shall read as 
follows: 

"Section 14. Membership. The Council 
shall consists of the Executive board, the 
ex-presidents of the American library asso- 
ciation who continue as members thereof, 
the presidents of affiliated societies who 
are members of the Association, and 
twenty-five members elected by the Associ- 
ation at large. The elected members shall 
be chosen five each year by the Associ- 
ation to hold office for five years. Other 
members may be added under such condi- 
tions and restrictions as the Association 
may determine by resolution adopted at any 
annual conference thereof, notice of such 
proposed change having been given not 
later than one month prior to the date of 
the conference." 

This will give the Association the power 
to add to its Council such members of the 



189 



Association as it may deem desirable to 
serve in such position, and, as stated in 
the beginning, shortens the time which 
must elapse before we may have the bene- 
tii of the proposed affiliation. I think there 
may be a number of other reasons that 
would support this, but as the time is short, 
I move its adoption. 

The CHAIRMAN: You have heard the 
motion. Is there a second to it? 

Mr. LEGLER: I take great pleasure in 
seconding the motion. 

The CHAIRMAN: You have heard the 
motion and it has been seconded; any re- 
marks? 

Mr. HILL: I would merely ask if there 
is any limit placed on the number of the 
Council? It would appear from that amend- 
ment that all the members of the Associ- 
ation could be elected on the Council. 

Miss AHERN: "Other members may be 
added under such conditions and restric- 
tions as the Association may determine." 

Mr. HILL: An unlimited number? 

Miss AHERN: If they want them. 

Mr. ANDREnVS: The Council has 
appointed a Committee to consider the affil- 
iation. This Committee has been asked to 
submit a scheme and the state 
associations have been asked to con- 
sider that scheme, and it seems to me 
a lack of courtesy to take action at this 
time. I oppose the adoption of the amend- 
ment now, not that I oppose its ultimate 
adoption, or that there are not strong 
reasons for making a change in the elec- 
tion of the members of the Council. 

The CHAIRMAN: Any other remarks? 

Mr. LEGLER: I think the question ought 
to be thoroughly understood. Those of you 
who were present at the Bretton Woods 
conference, when the Association adopted 
the revised code, by-laws and constitution, 
remember that the discussion centered 
around this particular clause and that if it 
had come to a final determination by a vote 
upon this proposition separately, there is 
no question but that the amendment, as 
proposed, would have been absolutely and 
overwhelmingly defeated. It was adopted 
because those who were opposed on prin- 
ciple realized that it was essential to adopt 



some modified form of the constitution, and 
so, as you will recall, they waived, for the 
time being, their objection to this particu- 
lar clause and adopted the constitution as 
a whole, reserving for themselves the priv- 
ilege of drafting such amendments there- 
after as might seem advisable. The only 
argument that has been made in justifica- 
tion of the position which permits the 
Council to add to its own membership is 
that the Association at large might at some 
time fail to select or overlook some one 
who would prove a valuable member. It 
would thus be possible for the Council to 
give to the rank and file of the Association 
membership what was good for them in- 
stead of what they might want themselves. 
I believe it is entirely undemocratic not to 
allow an association to select for itself the 
members of the Council. I think it advis- 
able to add to our membership that large 
body of workers all over this country who 
to-day have practically no representation 
in any of the conferences held from year 
to year. A plan was outlined this morning, 
aiming to add to our membership some 
five or six thousand library workers 
of whom at the present time we have only 
relatively a handful. We can get these 
members if we can offer something to give 
them a personal interest. I think that would 
be a mighty good thing. I am, therefore, 
very glad to second the resolution pre- 
sented by Miss Ahern. 

Mr. CARR: I suppose a majority of us 
know this action will not be final but mere- 
ly the first step; and will require subse- 
quent action at another conference. I do 
not think there would be anything dis- 
courteous whatever in taking this tenta- 
tive step, and also that it would be very 
much in the interest of the association to do 
so. 

Mr. ANDREWS: Let the president 
remind the members that only those who 
have been members three-quarters of a year 
can vote. 

Mr. RANCK: This resolution, the amend- 
ment to the constitution, interests me very 
much as a member of the Committee to 
bring about closer relations between the 
local library organizations of the country 



190 



PASADENA CONFERENCE 



and the national organization, the A. L. A. 
The feeling I have about this is that while 
this may not be the best form of amend- 
ment, its adoption to-day may enable us to 
gain a year, as this is only the first step. 
Therefore I am heartily in favor of hav- 
ing it passed at this time and if, in the 
light of a year's study which this Com- 
mittee is going to give this subject, we feel 
that it is the best form of amendment then 
definite action can be taken accordingly a 
year hence. By passing this resolution to- 
day we are certainly putting ourselves in 
position to gain a year's time. 

Mr. LANE: I think it is a mistake to 
pass an amendment of this kind. It seems 
to be extremely indefinite in its system 
and application, and I cannot quite imagine 
just how it might work out. We want 
something more definite. I am heartily in 
sympathy with the idea of having in the 
Council representatives from state associ- 
ations and other associations of a similar 
character who are connected with us, but I 
think the time to make arrangements for 
that is after the subject has taken a more 
definite shape. 

I am also sorry to see by this amendment 
the dropping of what seems to me a very 
valuable element of our present arrange- 
ment, namely, the provision for addition to 
the Council by a vote of its own members. 
I think it would be a great mistake to drop 
that. 

Mr. HILL: For one, 1 can't quite see how 
we are going to gain a year by passing 
this amendment, because the constitution 
says it requires two years, — two consecu- 
tive years — to adopt an amendment, and it 
this amendment is amended now there 
would still be two years ahead of us and 
I feel, while I am in sympathy with some 
parts of the amendment, certainly 
with the desire to affiliate with state 
associations, still, that the amendment 
ought to be thought over a little longer and 
a little more carefully. I wonder if it could 
be referred to some committee, or the 
Executive board, to await the report of 
that special committee. 

Mr. LEGLER: If I may be permitted to 
answer, very briefly, Mr. Hill's question,— 



it seems to me that if it requires two con- 
secutive adoptions to amend the consti- 
tution, we certainly gain a year by adopt- 
ing the proposed amendment now rather 
than to let it go over for another year. 
Otherwise, it would require two years from 
now for final action. This amendment con- 
templates no special scheme beyond a 
general enabling act to incorporate under 
its provision such definite plan, as the Com- 
mittee appointed for that purpose may 
formulate. 

Mr. HILL: I should like to agree with the 
remarks of the speaker, but the resolution 
certainly says the membership may be 
unlimited. The A. L. A. can put anybody 
into the Council and the Council itself 
could be as large as the Association. 

The CHAIRMAN: That would mean 
abolishing the Council, practically? 

Mr. HILL: Practically. 

Mr. ANDREWS: I am in doubt whether 
this resolution, if adopted, would have any 
legal effect as long as the present pro- 
vision for amendments to the constitution 
is in force. You cannot provide for changes 
in the membership of a selected body other- 
wise than by amendment of the organic 
law. 

Miss AHERN: This amendment will have 
to be acted upon again under the present 
constitution, and that means certainly two 
years before it becomes effective. 

Just one word in regard to Mr. Lane's 
objection. The amendment does not take 
from the Council all nominations of mem- 
bers of the Council. But the Council should 
be a small body and might well consist 
alone of the various members named — 
the members of the Executive board, the 
ex-presidents of the Association, the presi- 
dents of affiliated societies and twenty-five 
members selected by the Council and 
elected by the Association. Ex-presidents 
are supposed to be men who have contrib- 
uted their best to the development of the 
Association; the presidents of affiliated 
societies, we take it, will be the best ma- 
terial they may have to offer. There will be 
the members of the Executive board, who 
are nominated by the Council, and ought 
to represent it, and who are people that 



191 



in the judgment of the Council will best 
conduct the business of the Association. 
Now, here comes a chance for the Asso- 
ciation itself, under such restrictions and 
terms as it may think best, and the Asso- 
ciation itself ought to have the power of 
saying what those restrictions shall be, 
to place certain members on the Council. 
It seems to me that it is in no way reflect- 
ing on any member of the Council, for the 
Association at large to preserve to itself 
the right to say that such other members 
shall be in the Council in addition to those 
which the Council itself has proposed shall 
be there. 

I want to refer again to the promise that 
was made on the floor of the conference 
at Bretton Woods to those of us who wished 
to have that particular clause modified. 
The promise was definitely made that we 
should be given a chance to offer to the 
Association this amendment, and you will 
also recall that the matter went over, just 
as It has this time, until it was almost the 
close of the last business session. Now, 
there is a whole year ahead before this 
amendment could become effective. If, iu 
the meantime, the Committee or the state 
associations shall have worked out a plan 
of affiliation and offered it to the Associ- 
ation, the Association can vote as it pleases 
on that which the Committee offers. We 
do not know at this time that it will accord 
with the constitution as it is at present. 
We are all supposed to be interested in 
promoting the best interests of the Asso- 
ciation, and I don't believe that we incur 
much danger by leaving in the hands of 
the Association itself as much power as 
is given by this amendment when so many 
other things are delegated to the Council. 
I would not have brought the amendment 
in here at this time if there was any other 
way of getting it on record. 

Mr. LANE: I understood by the amend- 
ment, as read, that the provision for elec- 
tion of members by the Council was left 
out. Is that not so? 

Miss AHERN: Not at all. The Council 
shall consist of the Executive board, the 
ex-presidents of the American library asso- 
ciation who continue as members thereof. 



the presidents of affiliated societies who 
are members of the Association, and 
twenty-five members elected by the Associ- 
ation at large. The elected members shall 
be chosen five each year by the Associ- 
ation and hold office for five years. All the 
nominations are still made by the Council. 
I don't see how the small body is any 
safer in its choice of the people who shall 
direct the best efforts of the Association 
than is the Association itself. Surely the 
created has nothing to fear from the cre- 
ator. 

Mr. LANE: May I add just one word? It 
seems to me we have lost sight of the 
main object of the Council. It provides a 
small body to discuss library matters in 
a handier way than can be done by the 
larger body of the Association. Moreover 
the provision of our constitution which 
allows the Council Itself to add to its 
membership from those who may have been 
overlooked seems to me an admirable plan. 

Mr. HILL: Will the chair read that arti- 
cle which applies to the amendment of the 
constitution and those who are qualified 
to vote. 

The CHAIRMAN: The Secretary will 
please read the article. (The Secretary 
reads Sections 25 and 2 of the constitu- 
tion.) 

Mr. BLACKWELDER: I would rather 
have some person or committee delegated 
to consider this question and give us a re- 
port at the next meeting than to vote for 
the amendment which has been proposed. 

Miss AHERN: I am perfectly willing to 
answer any questions Mr. Blackwelder may 
ask. 

Mr. BLACKWELDER: The main ques- 
tion, which I do not think can be answered, 
is how is the thing going to work. There 
is an indefinite proposition there and I 
would like to have a little more time. 

Miss AHEIRN: You have two years be- 
fore it is adopted. 

Mr. BLACKWELDER: If you adopt it in 
one form tentatively it has to be adopted 
finally in that form. 

Mr. LEGLER: Any action we take now 
does not make it final. You have a whole 
year to make up your mind whether on 



192 



PASADENA CONFERENCE 



the final vote you are in favor or against 
it. 

The CHAIRMAN: Are you ready for the 
question? All those in favor of this reso- 
lution as presented by Miss Ahem will 
indicate it by rising. The Secretary will 
please count the votes. 

Mr. ANDREWS: Will the chair ask those 
who claim to have two votes and repre- 
sentation twice to so indicate it? 

The CHAIRMAN: All those who claim 
to be represented twice, will please indi- 
cate it. 

The Secretary reported number of votes 
cast, 50; necessary for carrying the motion, 
38; Affirmative 36, negative 14. The motion 
was declared lost. 

The CHAIRMAN: The Secretary will 
present the report on the meetings of the 
Executive board and the Council. 



REPORT OF THE EXECUTIVE BOARD 

There were two meetings of the Execu- 
tive board. At the first only matters of 
routine business were transacted. 

At the second meeting, held after the 
election of oflScers, Mr. Henry E. Legler, 
resigned as non-oflicial member, having 
been elected first vice-president, and Miss 
Alice S. Tyler was elected to fill the un- 
expired term. 

Committees 

The following committees were appointed 
for the ensuing year: 

Publishing board: Messrs. Henry E. 
Legler and H. C. Wellman were reappointed 
for a term of three years each. 

Finance committee: C. W. Andrews, 
F. F. Dawley and Edwin H. Anderson. 

Public documents committee: G. S. 
Godard, Johnson Brigham. Ernest Brunck- 
en, L. J. Burpee, T. W. Koch, T. M. Owen, 
S. H. Ranck. Adelaide R. Basse and J. I. 
Wyer, Jr. 

Co-operation with the N. E. A.: Mary E. 
Ahern, Genevieve M. Walton, Irene War- 
ren, J. C. Dana and George H. Locke. 

Library administration: Harrison W. 
Craver, H. M. Lydenberg and Ethel F. Mc- 
CoUough. 



Library training: A. S. Root, A. E. 
Bostwick, Mary W. Plummer, Adam J. 
Strohm, Caroline M. Underbill, Daisy B. 
Sabin, Cornelia Marvin and Frank A. 
Hutchins. 

International relations: Herbert Put- 
nam. E. C. Richardson, J. S. Billings, W. C. 
Lane and R. R. Bowker. 

Bookbuying: W. L. Brown was desig- 
nated as Chairman with power to select 
two other members. 

Bookbinding: A. L. Bailey, Margaret W. 
Brown and N. L. Goodrich. 

Federal and state relations: B. C. Stein- 
er, T. L. Montgomery, J. L. Gillis, H. R. 
Mcllwaine and C. F. D. Belden. 

Catalog rules for small libraries: There- 
sa Hitchler, Margaret Mann and Emma 
F. Cragin. 

Work with the blind: Mrs. Emma Neis- 
ser Delfino, J. L. Gillis and Laura 
Smith. 

Travel: F. W. Faxon was designated 
Chairman, with power to add to Commit- 
tee's membership. 

Co-ordination: C. H. Gould. J. L. Gillis, 
N. D. C. Hodges, W. C. Lane, Herbert Put- 
nam, T. W. Koch and J. C. Schwab, with 
power to add to its number. 

Program: Mrs. H. L. Elraendorf, Henry 
E. Legler and George B. Utley. 

Place of 1912 Conference 

Invitation to hold the 1912 Conference in 
Ottawa, Canada, having been received from 
the authorities of that city it was voted 
that this invitation be accepted, on con- 
dition that satisfactory arrangements for 
hotels, railroad rates and place of meeting 
can be made. 

The following resolution by the A. L. A. 
Catalog section regarding the appointment 
of a committee to compile an official code 
for classifiers was read ,upon which it 
was voted that the communication be 
referred to the editor of the A. L. A. Man- 
ual of library economy for advice whether 
same could be incorporated in a chapter 
of the Manual, and requesting report from 
him at the January meeting of the Board. 



COUNCIL REPORT 



19:'. 



WHEREAS, there has hitherto been no 
general code of practice for the use of li- 
brary classifiers, embodying the principles 
of classifying books and codifying the gath- 
ered experience of expert classifiers; and 

WHEREAS, such a code may be of ser- 
vice in connection with any recognized 
system of classification or notation: 

BE IT RESOLVED, by the A. L. A. Cata- 
log Round Table, in conference assembled, 
that the Executive board of the American 
library association be advised and re- 
quested to appoint a Committee (1) to con- 
sider the advisability, practicability and 
mode of procedure of compiling an official 
code for classifiers; (2) to report at an 
early date to the Executive board; and Vi) 
to be empowered by the Executive board to 
take such further steps as shall be deemed 
best. 

The question of an exchange of public 
documents between the United States and 
Canada which was referred to the Execu- 
tive board by Council was brought up. 
and it was voted to refer this matter in 
turn to the Committee on international 
relations. 



REPORT OF THE COUNCIL 

There have been two meetings of Coun- 
cil during the present Conference. The 
subject of affiliation of state library associ- 
ations with the A. L. A. was discussed at 
the first meeting and Miss Tyler, Chairman 
of the special committee, reviewed the 
work accomplished, outlined its present 
status and presented the following reso- 
lutions, which were adopted: 

RESOLVED: That Council favors some 
form of connection or federation of the 
state and provincial associations with the 
A. L. A. and recommends that the Com- 
mittee on relations of the A. L. A. to state 
associations continue their investigation 
and present a tentative basis for such 
connection at the mid-winter meeting of 
Council. 

RESOLVED: That Council recommends 
to the Program committee the inclusion 
in the A. L. A. conference program for 
1912 of a round table of the officers and 
representatives of state and provincial li- 
brary associations for the discussion of 
topics relating to such organizations as 
suggested by the A. L. A. Committee in 
its report to the January, 1911, meeting of 
Council in Chicago and subsequent meet- 
ings, and that the secretary notify the 



various organizations of tlie proposed 
meeting. 

The expression was voiced that there 
should be such geographical distribution of 
members of the Council as to strengthen 
both the A. L. A. and state associations. 

The application of the Special libraries 
association for affiliation "with the A. L. A. 
which had been carried over from the mid- 
winter meeting, came before Council. After 
discussion it was voted that Council grant 
the request for affiliation of the Special 
libraries association subject to the con- 
ditions now governing this relationship, 
and those which may be adopted hereafter, 
and that a committee of three be ap- 
pointed by the Chair to formulate the con- 
ditions of affiliation for all except local, 
state and provincial associations. The 
Chair appointed by this Committee: Dr. 
Herbert Putnam, Miss Mary F. Isom and 
Mr. C. W. Andrews. 

Mr. Bowker spoke on the subject of 
printed cards, calling attention to recent 
work in Germany, Belgium and other 
countries of Europe, and expressing the 
belief that some effort should be made to 
induce foreign countries to supplement, not 
duplicate, our work, that it would probably 
be desirable for each country to have its 
own code, as catalogers are reluctant to 
give up their own methods, but that an 
international committee on Code would be 
able to fuse many particular items. 

It was voted that a committee of five be 
appointed by the Chair to promote and 
co-operate in the development of printed 
catalog cards in relation with international 
arrangements. The Chair appointed the 
following committee: Messrs. W. C. Lane, 
C. W. Andrews, C. H. Hastings, E. H. An- 
derson and J. C. M. Hanson. 

A letter was read from Mr. Ranck rel- 
ative to the lighting and ventilation of 
libraries, expressing the hope that some- 
thing might be done by the association to 
secure a scientific and satisfactory stand- 
ard. It was voted to refer this matter as a 
special topic to the mid-winter meetings 
and to appoint a special committee to se- 
cure information, literature, etc., on the 
subject. The Chair appointed on this com- 



194 



PASADENA CONFERENCE 



mittee Mr. Ranck, with power to complete 
the committee. 

At the second meeting of Council, Mr. 
Andrews presented the matter of a munic- 
ipal year-book, and offered the following 
resolution which was adopted: 

RESOLVED, that in the opinion of Coun- 
cil the interest shown by library users in 
municipal affairs is already great, and is 
constantly increasing, and that an annual 
publication which should furnish accurate 
and carefully edited information on these 
subjects would meet a real need. 

Mr. Bowker in behalf of the committee 
appointed at the first meeting of Council 
offered the following resolution, which it 
was voted to present for action at the next 
general session of the association. 

RESOLVED: That the American library 
association in Conference at Pasadena, Cal- 
ifornia, May 24, 1911, records a strong 
protest against the return of state libra- 
rianship or other library positions to the 
spoils system; when changes are made in 
such posts it holds that the test of motive 
in removals Is the test of fitness in ap- 
pointments and partisan political service 
affords no evidence of capability for li- 
brary administration. The education of the 
people through libraries and schools should 
be far removed from partisanship and ap- 
pointments therein should be based solely 
on merit and fitness, and this is true in 
largest measure in the important office of 
state librarian where experience and ef- 
ficiency serve the people of the whole state. 

RESOLVED, that the Secretary of the 
Association be directed to send a copy of 
this Minute to Governor Harmon of Ohio. 

At this meeting Council elected the 
following persons as members of the Coun- 
cil for a term of five years each: Mr. J. 
L. Gillis, Mr. E. O. S. Scholefleld, Mr. G. 
H. Locke, Miss Grace D. Rose and Miss 
Clara F. Baldwin. 

Mr. Godard presented the following com 
munication and resolutions: 

As many librarians are seriously handi- 
capped in their reference work through 
lack of definite information as to what 
publications have been issued by the sev- 
eral departments at Washington, until the 
receipt of the monthly catalog of govern- 
ment publications, which is not published 
until several weeks after the period cov- 
ered by each Issue, it is 



RESOLVED, that the Superintendent of 
Documents be respectfully urged to publish 
if possible a daily or weekly check list 
of all such government publications issued 
by the several departments at Washington, 
that through such a check list librarians 
may be informed concerning the many 
documents and reports now called for hav- 
ing been mentioned in the daily press; 
and that we believe this early information 
should be regularly supplied to depository 
libraries also. 

At a time when the advantages of reci- 
procity in trade have been recognized by 
the United States and Canada, it is ap- 
propriate that steps should be taken to 
bring about something in the nature of 
reciprocity in public documents; as the 
government of the United States Issues 
annually a large number of public docu- 
ments that would be of service to Cana- 
dian public libraries; and similarly as the 
government of the Dominion of Canada 
issues many iiublications that would be 
of value to the United States: 

RESOLVED, that representations be 
made to the two governments looking 
toward the adoption of some plan by which 
the Superintendent of Documents at Wash- 
ington, or some other official, could be 
made an agent for the distribution of 
Canadian public documents to American 
libraries and the King's Printer at Ottawa 
an agent for the distribution of United 
States government documents to Canadian 
libraries. 

It was voted that Council heartily ap- 
proves the suggestion relating to the recip- 
rocal exchange of public documents be- 
tween the United States and Canada and 
that the matter be referred to the Execu- 
tive board. 

Miss Marvin, in behalf of the special 
committee appointed at the first meeting 
of Council, reported that the special com- 
mittee appointed to consider the petition 
of librarians of agricultural libraries ap- 
proved their petition and recommended 
that they be received as a section of the 
A. L. A. It was thereupon voted that an 
agricultural libraries section be created. 

Mr. ANDREWS: I move the acceptance 
of the report and the adoption of the reso- 
lution of Mr. Bowker in regard to the ap- 
pointment of librarians. 

Mr. HILL: I will second it with the added 



SOCIAL SIDE OF THE CONFERENCE 



196 



recommendation that that matter be re- 
ferred to the Executive board. 

The motion was carried. 

The CHAIRMAN: We will now hear the 
report of the tellers of election, from the 
Secretary. 



REPORT OF THE TELLERS OF 
ELECTION 

For President: Votes 
Mrs. H. L. Elmendorf, Buffalo 115 

For 1st Vice-President: 

Henry E. Legler, Chicago 116 

For 2d Vice-President: 

Mary W. Plummer, New York 112 

For Executive board: 

C. W. Andrews 116 

Linda A. Eastman 116 

For Members of the Council: 

Chalmers Hadley 116 

Mary L. Titcomb 121 

Sarah B. Askew Ill 

A. S. Root 115 

Minnie M. Oakley 120 

For Trustee of Endowment fund: 

W. W. Appleton 115 

M. J. FERGUSON, 
JOHN F. PHELAN, 

Tellers of Election. 

The CHAIRMAN: It affords me, person- 
ally, a great deal of pleasure to officially an- 
nounce that Mrs. Elmendorf is to be at the 
head of our organization next year, and in- 
asmuch as she has been informed by tele- 
graph of the result I am indeed glad to 
read to the Association a telegram from 
her. Her telegram was sent to the chief 
of the Buffalo public library, who has 
handed it to me. It reads as follows, — 

"Thank you. Say to the association, 'Now 
is the time for all good men and true to 
come to the aid of the party.' " 

Mr. HILL: Madam President, the good 
men and true will come to her aid. 

The CHAIRMAN: In the absence of Mrs. 
Elmendorf, which is, of course, very great- 
ly regretted by all of us, I will ask the first 
vice-president, Mr. Legler, to come to the 
platform. 

(Mr. Legler comes to the platform.) 



Inasmuch as Mr. Legler personally rep- 
resents the new officers that the associ- 
ation has been pleased to elect, I wish to 
present to the Association the first vice- 
president, who will accept the gavel from 
the presiding officer of the day on behalf 
of the newly elected president. 

Mr. LEGLER: Madam Chairman and 
members of the Association: If the sun 
were in the heavens, no dim star of minor 
magnitude would be visible to you this 
afternoon. It is with all humility that I 
take this gavel on behalf of Mrs. Elmen- 
dorf and I wish to assure the Association 
that as far as one insignificant mem- 
ber of her official family can contribute 
to that end her leadership will 
receive entliusiastic support. New and 
important opportunities have come to li- 
braries. We realize that the economic con- 
ditions of to-day are bringing many complex 
problems for consideration and that their 
solution is vitally interwoven with the work 
of public libraries; that what we are do- 
ing is not an end in itself, but a means to 
an end, and that we can contribute much 
by placing the facts bearing on these prob- 
lems before the large body of people, and 
their governing officials, to aid in the right 
solution of these problems. Thus, through 
the best use of its accumulated information 
the library world can take its part in the 
advancement of civilization. 

What is the further pleasure of the 
Association? If there is nothing further, I 
hereby declare this, the Thirty-third An- 
nual Conference of the Amerfcan library 
association, adjourned. 

Adjourned. 



THE SOCIAL SIDE OF THE CONFER- 
ENCE 

One speaks of the social side, but in real- 
ity there was no definite side; the social 
thread would be more nearly correct, for 
those things which make for sociability 
wound through all the uays, and sometimes 
the nights. 

This thread was of various colors, ac- 
cording to its source, and of various thick- 



196 



PASADENA CONFERENCE 



nesses, according to its purpose. Among 
the traveling librarians themselves this was 
particularly true, for all kinds and condi- 
tions of humanity were aboard and much in 
evidence. There were those who are bored 
to extinction unless something is "doing" 
every minute, and who feel it their duty to 
fill in the gaps, using whatever material is 
at hand. The garrulous, the quiet, the 
meek, the haughty, the frivolous, the sol- 
emn (and, oh! how solemn some can be!), 
the prude, the daring coquet, the scold, the 
jollier, the gay old maid, the demure young 
one, the lady-like gentleman and the ca- 
pable lady, the amiable and the grouch, the 
aristocrat and the democrat, the thought- 
ful and the flippant, the wise and the fool- 
ish, the considerate and the selfish, the dis- 
agreeable and the pleasant, the discerning 
and the undiscriminating, the lofty and the 
low, the known and the unknown — all these 
and many others gave color and form to 
days and nights of travel. 

There was no set program, but in the 
changing moods and environment of the 
travelers themselves none was needed. The 
tempers, feelings, desires were kaleido- 
scopic, and sought and found the setting 
that suited the situation. 

In California, there was the strange mix- 
ture that all organized bodies find in hold- 
ing meetings on the Pacific coast. The gen- 
uine personal hospitality is always in evi- 
dence on the part of those in the same 
craft, of those whose earlier days were 
spent elsewhere and to whom the sight of 
one from "back home" is always a pleasure 
to be made the most of, of those who, 
wherever they are, never forget to enter- 
tain the stranger within their gates, and 
last, but by no means least, those who for- 
ever are sure that nothing else can com- 
pare favorably with the Golden State and 
of their duty to make that fact known. The 
A. L. A. met all these, enjoyed them thor- 
oughly and was beflttingly grateful for 
much kindness. 

The entertainment offered during the ten 
days at Pasadena was most enjoyable. It 
did not reach a point where it was a ques- 
tion of pleasure or duty, as sometimes hap- 
pens, but there was always the evidence of 



thoughtfulness on the part of the entertain- 
ment committee that is most pleasing 
wherever met. This thoughtfulness took 
the form of flowers for the most part, and 
from the time when the A. L. A. train 
reached San Bernardino till the last day, 
these welcome signs of hospitality were 
in evidence. Roses, sweet peas, honey- 
suckles and carnations shed their fragrance 
in the convention hall, in the corridors of 
the hotels, in the rooms of delegates, and 
were presented individually as occasion of- 
fered. 

A pleasant welcome was spoken on the 
first evening in Pasadena, and throughout 
the week those interested in library mat- 
ters came from time to time from Los 
Angeles, Long Beach and other nearby 
towns to express their pleasure informally 
at the presence of the visitors. 

An automobile ride one afternoon by the 
courtesy of Pasadena citizens gave all an 
opportunity to see the city in its beauty, 
while the cordial reception at Throop Poly- 
technic Institute at the close of the ride 
gave just the glimpse of the social side of 
the college that was most enjoyable. 

Another evening provision by the local 
commttee of a splendid dance-music pro- 
gram filled the hearts of dancers with un- 
usual satisfaction. Feasting as a form of 
enliM'tainment was happily absent, save as 
a last tribute to the gentlemen of the con- 
vention on the part of Manager Linnard of 
the Maryland, who will long be pleasantly 
remembered by all. Many of the visitors 
were invited to the homes of friends of 
other days who are now settled in the land 
of flowers, and these were treated as be- 
fitted the occasion. Miss Jones, librarian of 
Bryn Mawr college, is the happy possessor 
of an orange grove at Pasadena and those 
who were among the number that enjoyed 
her hospitality counted themselves as high- 
ly fortunate. Each day saw a new party 
exulting over the privilege of picking 
oranges from a tree. 

The visits to Mt. Lowe, Riverside and 
Redlands were most enjoyable and gave 
many an opportunity to become acquainted 
or to renew old friendships under most de- 
lightful conditions. Los Angeles, which has 



TRAVEIL SIDE OF THE C0NFE:RENCE 



197 



been an entertaining factor of no small 
moment for many years In the gyrations 
of its library situation, through its cham- 
ber of commerce showed the library visit- 
ors, on the occasion of the A. L. A. con- 
ference, what it has to offer in the way of 
seaside resorts, parks, public buildings, 
mineral waters and business enterprise gen- 
erally. The library itself was acephalous 
and was therefore the more interesting, 
especially to quite a number of men libra- 
rians who were willing to be considered 
suitable timber for the mast-head. The 
women of the party, who were con- 
tinuously reminded that a woman ad- 
ministrator was out of the running, para- 
phrased the milkmaid's reply: "'Nobody 
wants you, sir!' they said," at the same 
time recalling that the best work of the 
best years of the library has been done by 
women. But that has nothing to do with 
the social side? Perhaps not; but it was 
vastly entertaining just the same, and it 
certainly was a bright thread in the warp 
of its day. 

So we finish as we began; there was no 
social side to the Pasadena conference, 
but many bright threads wove themselves 
into the pattern of the event of the Pacific 
coast meeting which will probably be seen 
and remembered long after the dull tints 
of the days' duties shall have faded to 
nothing. M. E. A. 

THE TRAVEL SIDE OF THE CONFER- 
ENCE 
The Pre-Conference Trip 

Saturday evening, May 13th, saw the start 
of the "A. L. A. special" from Chicago with 
about 140 librarians aboard. Sunday morn- 
ing we took on recruits at Kansas City, 
spent the day renewing old friendships 
while crossing the Kansas plains, and with 
Monday morning's light came the strangely 
weird and arid New Mexico country. The 
succession of Mexican and Indian villages 
was a fascinating novelty to those who 
were making their first "crossing," and the 
geological formations and desert foliage 
caused frequent exclamations of wonder. 

A welcome break in the journey was 



made at mid-day at Albuquerque, where we 
had dinner at Fred Harvey's deservedly fa- 
mous railroad hostelry, and another hour 
for buying Indian pottery, baskets and 
Navaho blankets. During the afternoon we 
caught a more intimate glimpse of Indian 
life, when our train stopped for fifty min- 
utes at the ancient pueblo of Laguna, giv- 
lus; us time to wander through the village; 
dodge the chickens and the papooses; peer 
into some of the adob6 huts, inspect the 
"home-made" church, with its crude bel- 
fry and native American "barker" who 
guarded the entrance and "undimed" all 
whose curiosity prompted a visit within the 
sacred portals; to take snap-shots, photo- 
graphically or optically, of squaws and 
antique braves; and to purchase whatever 
bits of gay colored pottery we dared risk 
to the perils of the road. 

The next morning brought us to the 
Grand Canyon and El Tovar Hotel. After 
breakfast some started on coaching trips 
along the rim, others started on mule-back 
down the Bright Angel trail, while others 
professed a delight for walking and de- 
cided to make the trip down to the Colo- 
rado river and back by "Shank's mare." 
The latter set out enthusiastic enough, but 
when seen near the close of day, puffing 
painfully up the trail, they were not so 
positive of the delights of footing it down 
a seven-mile cobbly and rocky trail, under 
a pitiless tropical sun, then retracing their 
weary way seven miles up the trail with 
the altitude pounding harder and harder 
at their breathing apparatus. But it was all 
in a day's work and an experience never to 
be foi-gotten — not even regretted. 

Those of us who chose mules for con- 
veyance and company, at first nearly had 
heart failure at the alarming proportion of 
anatomy that "Bessie" or "Jennie" pro- 
jected over the yawning abyss while de- 
liberately rounding Cape Horn and other 
nearly equally perilous promontories. But 
it's all in getting used to things, so before 
long we were content to throw the reins on 
"Bessie's" neck and trust to her tender 
mercies and sure feet. The good book tells 
us that the Lord taketh no delight in the 
legs of a man, but those who travel by 



198 



PASADENA CONFERENCE 



the Bright Angel route surely learn to take 
delight in the legs of a mule. 

Sore in foot or otherwise, we all gath- 
ered for an appreciated dinner at El Tovar 
and a sound night's sleep, while we 
dreamed of cutting the figure 8 on a 98 
per cent incline, as we wound down the 
tortuous ways of the Bright Angel trail. 
The next day some of the party took a 
thirty mile drive to Grand View, and al- 
though the journey was dusty and the re- 
gion traversed most desolate, yet the mag- 
nificence of the sudden burst of grandeur 
well repaid the travelers, and the cheerful 
"whoppers" with which the genial driver 
beguiled the weary miles prepared them 
for what they should soon encounter from 
the enthusiastic lips of dwellers in the 
Golden State. 

Taking to Pullmans that evening, the 
night and next forenoon were spent trav- 
ersing the "land of little rain," the state so 
truly called the "arid zone," but withal pos- 
sessing so many fascinating and drawing 
features. Out from the Colorado Desert, 
noon of Thursday, May ISth, saw the "A. 
L. A. special" descending the western slope 
into the "garden of the world," and at two 
o'clock the end of the journey was reached 
in the comfortable and hospitable Mary- 
land. G. B. U. 

The Post Conference Trip up the Coast 

The Conference closed on Wednesday. 
May 24th, and the post conference trip be- 
gan with tours of the interesting places 
around Pasadena and Los Angeles. Some 
of the party scaled the heights of Mt. Lowe, 
experiencing sensations of delight and won- 
der at the marvelous views mingled with 
internal qualms caused by the sudden lift 
of 3,000 feet on an inclined cable railway 
supplemented by a dizzy trolley ride along 
the face of high cliffs and over yawning 
chasms. 

The visit to Riverside and Redlands was 
one of unmixed delight. The charm of the 
Glenwood Mission Inn at Riverside was 
felt by everyone, and the drive furnished 
by the Riverside people through the orange 
and lemon groves and to the summit of 
Mt. Rubidoux, will long be remembered. 



The Riverside library was inspected with 
great interest and Its beautiful building 
was considered a successful adaptation of 
the mission style of architecture to library 
purposes. At Redlands a drive through 
orange and olive groves and through the 
beautiful Smiley Heights Park, was the 
contribution of the Redlands people. This 
was followed by a lunch at the public li- 
brary, where the ever-present rose shed 
its fragrance and a punch made from the 
local characteristic fruit was most refresh- 
ing. 

On the morning of Saturday, May 27th. 
the post conference travel through Califor- 
nia began. The party was composed of 
about 110 members, mostly from the East, 
but with many friends from California and 
the Northwest. At Santa Barbara pleas- 
ant quarters were found at the Hotel Pot- 
ter. An automobile drive along the shore 
through Montecito with stops at some of 
the beautiful homes was given by the pub- 
lic library, and on the way the Santa Bar- 
bara mission was visited under the intel- 
ligent guidance of one of the monks. A 
new insight was gained into the motives 
which inspired the founding one hundred 
and twenty-five years ago by Father Juni- 
pero Serra of that famous series of mis- 
sions in California. The party felt a great 
respect for the enthusiasm and religious 
fervor of those old monks whose great 
civilizing work was done under severe 
hardship. This mission is one of the few 
still maintained, and restorations in the 
buildings are being made with good taste. 
The tropical and desert garden delighted 
the visitors and the men were admitted to 
the sacred inner garden which women are 
not shown. As some of the party took 
photographs of this charmed enclosure, the 
curiosity of the ladies will be in part sat- 
isfied later by these pictures. 

A delightful feature of the afternoon's 
entertainment was a tea at the home of 
Mrs. F. B. Linn, the librarian. The semi- 
tropical garden where heliotrope grew on 
trellises over the second story of the house 
was the wonder and envy of the New Eng- 
land members of the party. 

A day's ride brought the party to Mon- 



TRAVEL SIDE OF THE CONFERENCE 



199 



terey over a route partly along the shore 
and partly in the mountains, a trip cool and 
free from dust owing to the burning of oil 
in the locomotives. At Hotel Del Monte, 
Monterey, the party stayed a day and two 
nights enjoying the delights of this famous 
hotel with its wonderful desert garden of 
cacti, its groves of pines and live oaks, and 
its tropical ferns and palms. Its bewilder- 
ing maze fashioned like that of Hampton 
Court allured and then perplexed the visit- 
ors. Automobiles whirled the party over 
the Seventeen-Mile Drive along the shore 
through the funereal and aged cypress 
trees whose origin is unknown. On the 
way the public library and citizens of Pa- 
cific Grove entertained the party with one 
of the many examples of California hospi- 
tality. In rambling about Monterey a 
glimpse of the old Spanish influence was 
seen in the old adob^ buildings and general 
air of drowsiness which pervaded the town. 
Objects of interest were the house in which 
Stevenson lived in 1S7S and the oak under 
which Father Junipero Serra took posses- 
sion of California in the name of Spain. 

A few hours' ride from Monterey through 
impressive mountain scenery brought the 
party to Santa Cruz where the hospitality 
of the citizens was enjoyed at lunch in the 
Big Tree Grove. The big trees surpassed 
in size and majesty the pictures of the 
imagination and were surpassed only by 
the tall stories of the marvels of Califor- 
nia with which we were regaled at the 
lunches or dinners where our California 
friends dispensed hospitality.) The lunch 
at Santa Cruz was no exception to the rule. 
We had seen so many wonders by that 
time, however, that we believed all the 
marvelous tales. 

At San Jos^, the next stop, the semi- 
tropical trees and plants were interspersed 
with the familiar trees and flowers of the 
north. Here we found ourselves in a belt 
of fertile country, the Santa Clara valley, 
famous for its wine and small fruits, such 
as prunes and peaches. Speeches of cor- 
dial welcome by San Jos6 citizens warmed 
our hearts. The next day we were taken 
by trolley through the farming towns of 
Santa Clara valley to Leland Stanford .Ir. 



University. After a visit to the Palo Alto 
public library and an inspection of the 
beautiful university buildings in the mis- 
sion style of architecture, we partook of 
lunch served by the Stanford Library Club 
and listened to cordial speeches of wel- 
come by our hosts with felicitous replies 
from our party. A few more hours of 
travel brought us to San Francisco, where 
we were housed in the magnificent Fair- 
mont Hotel. 

A visit to Chinatown seemed the proper 
entertainment for the evening. Parties of 
twenty-five were arranged with two guides, 
one to lead and the other to guard the rear 
and lend a spice of danger to the expedi- 
tion by admonitions not to stray from the 
party. Frequent countings of the party In- 
dicated the anxiety of the guides that none 
should escape on the way and thereby be 
relieved of the necessity of paying a good 
silver dollar for the experience. Interest 
was divided between the strange objects 
arranged by the wily orientals for our en- 
tertainment and the picturesquely incorrect 
language of our Irish-American guide who 
showed us with equal zeal and naivete 
"sacreligious" prayer urns in joss houses 
and a fake Chinese wooden tenement, said 
to be the only one allowed to be built since 
the fire and maintained no doubt by the 
city or the hotels to satisfy the curiosity 
of the tourists. The ladies were sadly dis- 
appointed in the expedition. They saw 
nothing to shock their moral sensibilities. 
The air even in the fake opium joint was 
fairly good and dirt was no more in evi- 
dence than in the foreign quarters of any 
large city. We were cheered, however, by 
the assurance that before the fire things 
were immeasurably worse. 

The entertainment furnished next day 
by the San Francisco library people and 
Board of Trade was one of great delight 
and satisfaction. Automobiles took the 
party through the residential sections with 
their many fine dwellings erected since the 
fire and through the Presidio and Golden 
Gate Park with their fine views of the beau- 
tiful harbor. The park was a marvel of 
natural beauty, and was admired the more 
when it was known that it had been made 



200 



PASADENA CONFERENCE 



in a few years from an unpromising waste 
of sand. The making of this park is cliar- 
acteristic of ttie energy and indomitable 
will of tlie California people in conquering 
the desert and converting it into smiling 
gardens or fertile farms by the magic of 
irrigation. At the end of the ride, after 
inspecting the temporary headquarters of 
the public library, simple but effective in 
its arrangements and indicative of the great 
recuperative power of San Francisco after 
the fire, the party were entertained at 
lunch at the California Club. After an ap- 
petizing lunch and kind words of welcome 
by our hosts, the party took the boat for 
Mt. Tamalpais. The sail across the bay 
and the ride up the mountain were greatly 
enjoyed, as the air was clear and the view 
from Mt. Tamalpais was especially fine. 
The view can probably not be equalled in 
beauty, including as it does the cities of 
Berkeley, Oakland and San Francisco, the 
magnificent bay dotted with islands, and 
the Pacific Ocean. 

The next day Berkeley and Oakland en- 
tertained the party with a sail across the 
bay to Oakland, a trolley ride through the 
city, and a visit to the interesting public 
library and the art museum. A lunch was 
given at Piedmont park by the Oakland 
people and then a short trolley ride brought 
the party to the University of California 
at Berkeley, where welcome was given in 
the Greek theater. The library of the 
university was being moved into its new 
building and this novel sight was of great 
Interest. The fine new building was greatly 
admired both from the architectural view- 
point and for Its adaptability to use. Re- 
turning to San Francisco the party divided, 
about fifty-five taking the train that even- 
ing for the Yosemite Valley, the rest leav- 
ing San Francisco the next morning for 
Sacramento and the East. 

The Yosemite party awoke the next 
morning at EH Portal, had an early break- 
fast at Hotel Del Portal and then started 
on a stage ride of about fifteen miles into 
the valley. The road followed the course 
of the Merced River, sometimes along the 
face of a cliff at a dizzy height above the 
river, and sometimes through a bit of quiet 



meadow or stretch of forest. The moun- 
tains soon began to pile up precipitously 
and hem in the road, and the views became 
grander, culminating in that of the great 
El Capitan, a cliff rising 3,300 feet above 
the valley. The road then wound along the 
level floor of the valley for several miles 
to Camp Ahwanee, where about half the 
party found delightful quarters in tents. 
The rest went on to the Sentinel Hotel at 
the center of the valley. Camp Ahwanee 
with its outdoor life, its great campfire at 
night, and other sylvan delights, was called 
the best place in the valley until a lizard 
was discovered in one of the beds. This 
visitor was harmless, but the care with 
which the beds were scrutinized at night 
after that chilled the enthusiasm of some 
of the ladies for camp life. Three delight- 
ful days were spent in the valley with 
climbs by the more strenuous either by 
mules or on foot to Glacier Point and Eagle 
Peak, or quiet drives through the valley to 
Mirror Lake, Bridal Veil Falls, and Yo- 
semite Falls. All were loath to leave the 
valley. 

The detour from the Yosemite Valley to 
visit the Mariposa big trees was made by 
only one member of the party, the patri- 
arch. The sight of the trees was declared 
by him to amply repay him for the eight- 
een hours he passed in a stage on two suc- 
cessive days. He reports that the trees 
were all accounted for and as described in 
the guide book, and that they all seemed 
to be older than he is. 

The return trip by rail along the Merced 
River was made by daylight that the party 
might marvel at and be thrilled by the en- 
gineering feats in railroad building. 

From Merced to Sacramento the road 
passed through fertile valleys, and glimpses 
were caught of the energy of the county 
library workers, some of whom boarded 
the train at Merced, Modesto, and Elk 
Grove with words of welcome and gifts of 
flowers and the characteristic fruits. Cher- 
ries were offered in abundance everywhere, 
and at Elk Grove in addition to marvelous 
roses and sweet peas, the ladies handed 
each one a huge lemon. 

.\t Sacramento the Board of Trade took 



TRAVEX SIDE OF THE CONFERENCE 



201 



the party in automobiles about the city and 
into the country over perfect roads allow- 
ing time for a visit to the state and pub- 
lic libraries and giving a chance to see a 
gold dredger at work. A dinner given in 
the evening by the Sacramento library peo- 
ple was a fitting climax to the many ex- 
pressions of hearty welcome given in Cali- 
fornia. 

That night the majority of the party left 
for the East to visit on the way more won- 
ders in Utah and Colorado. A few of the 
party returned by way of the Northwest. 
This small party went north by the Shasta 
route through a rugged mountainous coun- 
try with the magnificent snow-capped Mt. 
Shasta in sight nearly all day. A short 
stay was made in Portland to visit the fine 
public library and enjoy the Rose Festival. 
The substantial character of the city and 
the finely equipped, progressive library ap- 
pealed particularly to the visitors. A few 
hours' ride brought the party to the two 
great cities on the wonderful Puget Sound — 
Tacoma and Seattle, rivals in beauty, trade, 
progressiveness and library equipment. 
Several very pleasant days were spent by 
some of the party in these two cities, en- 
joying the bracing air, the glorious views 
of the mountains, and trips on the Sound. 
The hospitality dispensed by the librarians 
and their assistants was most cordial and 
the libraries were pronounced models of 
progressiveness and efficiency. 

Several of the party made a detour into 
a foreign country and enjoyed the charm- 
ing bit of old England which they found 
in Victoria, B. C. The librarian of the 
province in his light-hearted way made all 
wish their stay could be longer. 

The Northwest was left with much re- 
gret. The charm of its cool climate, the 
wonders of its fertile soil, and the beauty 
of its luxuriant vegetation, its great for- 
ests, and its rugged mountains made all 
want to revisit this great empire which, it 
is prophesied, is destined to be the future 
home of the Anglo-Saxon race. 

The party broke up in the Northwest, the 
different ones returning over many differ- 
ent routes, some by way of the Canadian 
Rockies, and some by way of the mouu 



tains of Idaho and the Yellowstone Park 
with stops at Spokane, St. Paul and Chi- 
cago, where libraries were visited and hos- 
pitable welcome was extended by the li- 
brarians. J. G. M. 

Party No. 1 — Eastward Trip 

"For to admire an' for to see. 

For to be'old this world so wide, 
It's always done some good to me 
And I can't drop it if I tried." 

— Adapted. 

Judging by the difficulties in assembling 
the first A. L. A. party for departure at the 
various stops on the return journey, each 
person had applied Kipling's last line to 
the cities of our hosts. It was reported that 
applications for library positions were 
strewn broadcast from Sacramento to 
Denver, and also that certain members of 
the party might waive their aversion to the 
married state, should suitable local talent 
with the necessary requisites in the way 
of bungalows present themselves. 

Leaving San Francisco the morning of 
.lune 3d, our first stop was at Sacramento, 
which proved one of the most pleasant sur- 
prises of the trip. We were met at the 
station by the members of the state library 
staff and escorted to the beautiful home of 
Mr. and Mrs. Gillis, where lunch was 
served. We were reminded too soon that 
we were still librarians by the arrival of 
the car to take us to the state library, 
where a number of new devices attracted 
our attention. Later in the afternoon 
motor boats were placed at our disposal 
for a trip up the river. The mistletoe on 
the banks was not needed to explain the 
popularity of the river; the natural scen- 
ery itself was sufficient. Dinner at the 
hotel with impromptu speaking closed a 
day that will never be forgotten. On the 
way to the train many stopped to visit the 
public library and to bid farewell to the 
staff. 

Monday morning found us at Salt Lake 
City, which impressed one as combining 
the hustling activity of the West with the 
culture of the East. In the morning after 
a visit to the library of the university and 
the public library, we were taken in auto- 



202 



PASADENA CONFERENCE 



mobiles around the city, and up to Fort 
Douglas, where the view of the valley, the 
lake and the mountains was magnificent 
beyond description. Lunch was enjoyed at 
Saltair on the lake, or rather over the lake. 
Upon return to the city opportunity was 
given to hear the wonderful organ at the 
Tabernacle. Some of the more venture- 
some returned to the lake for a bath. The 
cordiality and the courtesy with which we 
were entertained by the trustees of the 
public library were greatly appreciated. 

The trip from Salt Lake City to Manitou 
was remarkable for the scenery and the 
dust on the observation car, the only gift 
we received that failed of appreciation. 
Manitou gave an opportunity for two days 
of rest for those who did not wish to ex- 
plore. Cheyenne Canyon on burro back. 
Pike's Peak and Colorado Springs attracted 
many. 

Denver was our last stop, and after a 
visit to the library, a trip around the city 
and dinner at the Country Club, we 
climbed into our Pullmans, resolved that 
the next trip to the Coast should find all of 
us present. C. H. B. 

Party No. 2 — From Departure from Sacra- 
mento, East 

About thirty-five of us in two specinl 
Pullmans left Sacramento at bedtime on 
June 7th and on Thursday, .Tune 8th. we 
awoke in Nevada and saw Reno from the 
windows of our dining car without miss- 
ing any of our number. After this the 
only event of interest during that day was 
the parting of one of our ladies who in- 
sisted on being put off at a small station 
In the desert called Mill City, where neither 
mill nor city were visible. Her brother 
was waiting for her at the station and we 
felt much relieved on that account, for the 
region did not look promising for a ten- 
derfoot even though she had had much 
practice on mule-back while with us. 

Early on the morning of June 9th those 
who were fortunate enough to wake early 
or who roomed near the lady with the 
alarm clock saw the Great Salt Lake in all 
its glory from the Pullman windows as the 
train traversed the long "cut-off" which 



has been filled in for miles across the 
northern part of the lake. In time we ar- 
rived at Salt Lake City, where a good 
breakfast soon put us in trim, so we were 
easily persuaded to walk two blocks and 
trolley out to the University grounds un- 
der the guidance of Miss Nelson, the li- 
brarian. The surrounding snow-capped 
mountains were of as much interest to us 
as the University buildings and the sightly 
location. Shortly after 10:30 all were at 
the public library, where Miss Sprague, the 
librarian, and her trustees took us in 
charge and after a short tour of inspection 
in the library, "autoed" us all over town 
through the rows of Lombardy poplars and 
splendid residences till we began to think 
that after all we might come here to live 
instead of Pasadena as was determined 
upon when we left Southern California. 
Not content with showing the city, our 
hosts took us to Saltair to a happy lunch- 
eon on the Great Salt Lake, and three 
hardy members of the party took a swim 
under the escort of one of the resident 
ladies. It was most enjoyable in spite of 
the fact that all the rest of the party looked 
on from a point of vantage nearby and 
mentally put us down as the "too fresh" 
members. Our dip removed that stain from 
our character and at luncheon we could 
dispense with the salt cellars, a shake of 
the head being entirely suflicient to flavor 
anything near by. Then, to end the day, 
a special organ recital was given for us 
at the Mormon Tabernacle and much en- 
joyed by all. We here parted from the 
lady-with-the-Scandinavian-reach, but we 
found a former member of our party who 
had come on this far by himself, so our 
number was still intact. 

June 10th will long be remembered for 
its Rocky Mountain views. .\'l day long we 
threaded tunnels, climbed passes, and de- 
scended canyons until all were satisfied as 
to the extent and grandeur of Colorado's 
Rockies. That night we were comfortably 
settled at the Cliff House at Manitou, where 
our long expected trunks were in the 
rooms all ready to greet us. We foimd 
here and enjoyed a round-robin letter from 
Party No. 1. 



TRAVEL SIDE OF THE CONFERENCE 



203 



Sunday was given up to a beautiful drive 
in the morning through Williams Canyon 
to the Cave of the Winds and thence into 
the Garden of the Gods. The Cave was 
wonderfully worth the trouble and expense, 
and of course the Garden came up to ex- 
pectations. We were very glad to learn 
that- recently this natural wonder place 
had been acquired by the city of Colorado 
Springs. That afternoon was free for in- 
dividual trips and some went up the in- 
cline, some did Pike's Peak, while, others 
visited Crystal Park and a few drove to 
South Cheyenne Canyon and the Seven 
Falls, sadly commercialized now, the visitor 
being importuned to sit upon a 46-year-old 
burro and have a group taken with the 
Falls as a background. 

Monday, June 12th, twenty-seven planned 
a trip to Cripple Creek over the ''Short 
Line" noted for its scenic route along the 
mountain sides, climbing until nearly 10,- 
000 feet above the sea level. A special car 
was put on the morning train for us and 
we all thoroughly enjoyed the winding 
road and its many views of peak and plain. 
At Vindicator Junction, by previous ar- 
rangement, we left the train and took a 
trolley along the upper circuit among the 
mines and shaft houses. A thunder shower 
gave pleasant variety and the distant 
sunny snow-capped Sangre de Christo 
Mountains beneath the curtain of the rain 
clouds will long be remembered. After a 



good dinner at the Imperial and a walk 
down the main street of Cripple Creek, we 
took the train back, and would that here 
might end the description of our travels, 
for a few miles from Colorado Springs our 
special car without warning turned over 
on its side — providentially picking out 
about the only place on the line where the 
shelf was wide enough to hold it without 
rolling down several hundred feet. In the 
crash of breaking glass and splintering 
wood our party never uttered a groan or 
a cry, a truly wonderful thing, and as we 
gradually extricated ourselves, cut and 
bruised, and assembled on the bank, it was 
found that eight were quite badly hurt and 
a lady, not of our party, was crushed to 
death and a gentleman who had asked if 
he might ride in our car was badly cut and 
bruised. After twenty minutes the wrecked 
car was uncoupled and we were taken to 
Colorado Springs, where six went to the 
hospital and the rest were able to return 
to the hotel at Manitou, where nurses and 
the doctor awaited us. Our Denver stop 
scheduled for the next day was reluctantly 
abandoned, and by the evening of June 13th 
all were able to resume the journey home 
except two whom we left with two others 
to care for them at St. Francis Hospital at 
Colorado Springs. These sufferers re- 
turned East ten days later, and were at last 
accounts improving rapidly. 

F. W. F. 



AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF LAW LIBRARIES 

Sixth Annual Meeting at Pasadena, Cal., May 18-24, 191 1 



When it was learned that the American 
library association had decided to meet at 
Pasadena in May, there was a strong feel- 
ing on the part of many members of the 
American association of law libraries 
that it was inadvisable to meet at the 
same time and place because the distance 
from the center of the country was so great, 
and because sessions during May of courts 
and legislatures would prevent many from 
attending. 

The conference, although smaller than 
usual, was most gratifying, showing as 
It did an interest in the work of the Asso- 
ciation on the part of many who had never 
met with us before, and giving others an 
opportunity to make new acquaintances 
and to learn of library activities which had 
not before come to their attention. 

Lack of space makes it impossible to 
give detailed accounts of all the papers 
and reports presented. These will be found 
in extenso in future numbers of the Law 
Library Journal, which is published as a 
supplement to the Index to Legal Periodi- 
cals. The issues of this publication can be 
secured from the Secretary, the subscrip- 
tion price being $5 a year. 

There was presented a valuable paper on 
Ohio Reports by ex-President E. A. Feazel, 
of Cleveland. The information contained in 
this paper will be of great use to law li- 
brarians, giving as it does a key to the 
confused series of Reports published in 
Ohio. 

Vaseline treatment of leather bindings 
was minutely described by Dr. G. E. Wire, 
who is an expert on matters of binding. 
Those institutions, whether general libra- 
ries or law libraries, having many sheep 
bound books, will do well to examine this 
paper. 

Mr. O. J. Field, Clerk of the Department 
of Justice, made two contributions to the 



program, one being the history and func- 
tions of the Department of Justice, a most 
interesting and enlightening paper which 
should be of general interest at the present 
time. The other contribution was a report 
made by him as Chairman of the committee 
on the bibliography of Latin-American 
laws. With the rapid growth of commerce 
with these countries, has come an increas- 
ing demand for information as to their 
laws, legal institutions, etc. In the past 
It has been impossible to secure such in- 
formation, except on the rare occasion 
when some specially qualified scholar has 
made a trip to those countries and has 
found time to look into the matter. There 
Is no organization in the law book trade 
in those countries, and seldom does one 
bookseller handle the publications of an- 
other. It was to meet this condition that 
the Committee was appointed. Some time 
ago a carefully drawn circular letter in 
Spanish was sent to universities, bar asso- 
ciations, etc., throughout Latin America 
asking for bibiographical information, and 
information as to booksellers from whom 
the works could be secured. Only two re- 
plies were received to this first effort, 
which well illustrates the difficulty of se- 
curing either books or information. One 
of the replies, however, was from Juan 
B. Barrios, Secretary of the Academia 
Colombiana de Jurisprudencia. It was a 
thorough hibliography of Colombian laws 
and outlined the kind of information which 
librarians — particularly law librarians — 
need. 

There was submitted an interesting re- 
port on the reprinting of session laws, 
showing just what states had undertaken 
the work, how far the work had been 
completed, and what states were contem- 
plating such reprinting. It was the senti- 
ment of the Association that such work 



LAW LIBRARIES 



205 



be encouraged, as it was considered im- 
possible for any institution to build up a 
complete collection of original editions. 

The National legislative reference ser- 
vice, which was started in 1910, was not 
continued during the current year on ac- 
count of lack of sufficient subscribers. This 
much-regretted discontinuance, it was 
hoped, would be only temporary, and the 
joint Committee with the National asso- 
ciation of state libraries was continued, 
with instructions to do what was possible 
to make the service permanent. 

There were other papers and reports on 
the following subjects: 

I-aw and legislative library conditions 

in Texas. 
The use of Library of Congress cards 

by law libraries. 
The training of law librarians in library 

work. 
Bibliography of bar association pro- 
ceedings, being the results of the study 
by Mr. Francis Rawle of Philadelphia, 
who allowed the Committee to use the 
data which he had secured by careful 
investigation covering many years. 
The Association made a protest against 
the custom in the Federal courts of charg- 
ing fees for copies of opinions. A committee 



was appointed to report upon some method 
whereby law libraries could secure the de- 
cisions more cheaply. 

The death on May 11, 1911, of Mr. A. 
H. R. Praser was reported. Mr. Fraser 
was librarian of the Cornell University 
Law School, and one of the leaders in the 
law library profession. 

It was reported with regret that Mr. 
Gilson G. Glasier had resigned as editor 
of the Index. His self-sacrificing and ef- 
ficient editorship was commended by suit- 
able resolutions. 

The following officers were elected for 
the coming year: 

President, George S. Godard, state li- 
brarian of Connecticut; 1st Vice-President, 
Frederick W. Schenk, law librarian. Uni- 
versity of Chicago; 2d Vice-President, 
Miss Gertrude E. Woodard, law librarian, 
University of Michigan; Secretary, Frank- 
lin O. Poole, librarian of the Association 
of the Bar of the City of New York; 
Treasurer, E. Lee Whitney, asst. librarian, 
Vermont state library; Members of Execu- 
tive Committee; Gilson G. Glasier, state 
librarian of Wisconsin; Ethelbert O. S. 
Scholefleld, legislative librarian of British 
Columbia; Thomas W. Robinson, librarian, 
Los Angeles County law library. 



LEAGUE OF LIBRARY COMMISSIONS 

Eighth Annual Meeting, Pasadena, May 19-22, J9J I 



FIRST SESSION 

Friday, May 19. 

The first session was a business meeting, 
held Friday, May 19, at 8:15 p. m. with the 
president. Miss Clara F. Baldwin, in the 
chair. The secretarj' being absent, Miss 
Guess Humphrey, of Nebraska, was asked 
to act as secretary. The report of the sec- 
retary-treasurer was read and approved. A 
report of the sectional meetings held in the 
winter of 1911 at Chicago and Boston was 
read. Mr. Milam, in the absence of Mr. 
LOUIS R. WILSON, chairman of the com- 
mittee on second class postal rates for 
Commission bulletins, read the following 
report: 

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON 

SECOND CLASS POSTAL RATES 

ON BULLETINS 

In behalf of the committee appointed to 
secure second class postal rates for com- 
mission publications, I wish to report as 
follows: 

1. That under the existing laws It is 
held that commissions are not entitled to 
the privileges desired. 

2. That after correspondence with the 
Chairman of the Postal Committees of Con- 
gress of 1910-19U, it became evident that 
no legislation favorable to commissions 
would be enacted. 

3. That inasmuch as the Congress now 
in session is assigned special duties, it will 
not be able to give the proposed matter 
consideration. 

In view of the fact that no action has 
been taken by Congress, the committee 
wishes to offer the following recommenda- 
tione: 

1. That the League, in connection with 
the A. L. A., continue Its endeavor to have 
library commissions and public libraries 
placed in the list of institutions entitled to 
second class postal rates. 



2. That a committee appointed to repre- 
sent the League be instructed to push the 
request at the coming session of Congress 
in December, and that it be empowered to 
call on the various commissions to co-oper- 
ate with it in waging an active campaign 
in behalf of the measure. 

3. That the committee ask merely for 
an amendment to the present law by which 
library commissions and all public libra- 
ries may be placed on the list mentioned. 

LOUIS R. WILSON, 
Chairman. 

In the absence of Mr. A. L. Bailey, chair- 
man of the committee on a library post, 
Dr. B. C. Steiner, chairman of the A. L. A. 
committee on federal relations, was called 
upon to report the present status of this 
matter. Dr. Steiner presented a clear out- 
line of the problems involved In the ques- 
tion of a library post, book post or parcels 
post. A discussion followed in which the 
opinion seemed to prevail that a library 
post was the most desirable, since it al- 
lowed no special privileges to commercial 
interests. A motion was made by Mr. 
Milam that the committee on postal rates 
be Instructed to make a definite report to 
members of the League within the next 
two months, as to what is wanted in the 
way of postal rates. The motion carried. 
On the motion of Mr. Dudgeon, it was voted 
to retain the committee on library post and 
to instruct it to confer with the A. L. A. 
committee as to the best method of bring- 
ing about a lower postal rate on library 
loans. 

Mr. CHALMERS HADLEY presented the 
following 

REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON LIBRA- 
RIES IN FEDERAL PRISONS 

For nearly two years your special com- 
mittee on libraries in the United States 
penitentiaries has endeavored to Improve 
the conditions in these libraries. It Is a 



206 



LIBRARY COMMISSIONS 



207 



cause of regret to the chairman that more 
definite results have not been secured dur- 
ing that time, but he believes that the pre- 
liminary work, which has been consider- 
able, win prove valuable In future action 
which the League may take. 

Without repeating at too much length, 
members of the League may be reminded 
that at the Bretton Woods Conference this 
committee was empowered to investigate 
conditions in the United States peniten- 
tiary libraries and to take action for their 
improvement. Personal visits were paid to 
the various penitentiary libraries by mem- 
bers of your committee and others. Dur- 
ing the year 1910 various changes were 
made in the Department of Justice in 
Washington, which Department has super- 
vision of the penitentiaries, including their 
libraries. Much time was therefore con- 
sumed in getting new officials in Washing- 
ton informed as to the penitentiary libra- 
ries. 

It became evident a year ago, that the 
Department of Justice seemed not to be im- 
pressed with the desirability of special at- 
tention to the penitentiary libraries, other 
than had been given them in the past. 
Therefore at the mid-winter meeting of the 
League held in Chicago last January, the 
chairman of your committee was empow- 
ered to have a bill introduced in Congress 
providing for better financial support of 
these penitentiary libraries, and it was 
agreed that when this bill was introduced, 
the co-operation of all library commis- 
sions in the country should be secured to 
further the passing of the bill. Immediate- 
ly upon the adjournment of the League In 
January, it was discovered that congress- 
men could not easily be persuaded to make 
a special appropriation except through the 
Department of Justice, and that the Depart- 
ment budget for 1911 was already made up. 

Mr. Walter I. Smith, a member of the 
Way and Means committee, was written to 
by your chairman and Mr. Smith replied 
as follows: 

"I have your letter of January 9th. Con- 
gress is, as a rule, unwilling to make any 
appropriation for the support of Federal 
Institutions not recommended by the prop- 



er officials in charge, and ordinarily it will 
not exceed the estimates sent by the De- 
partment of Justice for the support of peni- 
tentiaries, nor would the committee on ap- 
propriations recommend Increase of mis- 
cellaneous expenses in excess of that 
recommended by the Department of Justice 
in the hope that It would be spent for li- 
braries when it might be spent for any- 
thing else. I would not say that it was 
probable that you could accomplish any- 
thing now in this session on this subject 
but would regard the most hopeful method 
of procedure to be for you to try and get 
an estimate for the next year's bills directly 
for libraries in the penitentiaries." 

Other officials at Washington were ap- 
proached but all agreed that it was quite 
futile to get a bill passed by the last Con- 
gress at that particular time. The presi- 
dent of the League stopped in Washington 
and inquired as to the possibilities for the 
proposed legislation and with the chairman 
of the committee agreed that it would be 
unwise in the face of certain defeat to try 
to secure this legislation at this time. 

When it became evident, however, that 
the co-operation of the Department of Jus- 
tice was so important, a final appeal was 
made to the Department to which the reply 
was received last January from the Acting 
Attorney-General which was In part as fol- 
lows: 

"As I wrote you June 18, ISIO, the Attor- 
ney-General, under whose authority this 
appropriation is disbursed, is empowered 
to incur such expenses for library books as 
he deems proper and it is not thought that 
any change is necessary or advisable. 
Under this sub-appropriation the Attorney- 
General is authorized to purchase as many 
books as in his judgment are required. 
Should the appropriation be found at any 
time insufficient for the purchase of an 
ample supply of books, the Department in 
submitting its estimates of appropriations 
to Congress would ask for an increase in 
this sub-appropriation. It has never been 
found necessary or advisable as yet to ask 
for any increase for this purpose, and I am 
of the opinion that no increase is neces- 
sary." 



208 



PASADENA CONFERENCE 



Two librarians, Mr. Hopper of Tacoma, 
and Mr. Lucht of Leavenworth had. In the 
meantime, visited the libraries at McNeil 
Island and Ft. Leavenworth respectively. 
Mr. Hopper reported that the warden was 
anxious to improve the library conditions 
and gave him permission to withdraw and 
destroy a number of undesirable books on 
the librarj- shelves in the penitentiary. 
Mr. Lucht reported that the Ft. Leaven- 
worth penitentiary seemed to be trying to 
aid the prisoners through the library, but 
that the methods in vogue were obsolete 
and that as two men occupy a cell together, 
only the one in the upper berth could get 
sufficient light from the electric bulb in the 
ceiling to do any reading. The warden at 
Ft. Leavenworth hoped that later a reading 
room could be opened when privilege can 
be given to trusted men to make use of this 
room. There is no card catalog of the 
books and there is no fixed appropriation 
for the library. No new magazines are 
subscribed for, and no special efforts seem 
to be made to Induce the men to read or to 
direct their reading. The chaplain who 
selects their books has none of our aids in 
book selection. 

Following this information from the two 
librarians, the chairman of your committee 
then wrote to the Department of Justice 
and asked for information regarding cer- 
tain conditions in the penitentiary libra- 
ries, not for the information itself, but to 
show the Department of Justice that the li- 
brary conditions of the penitentiary libra- 
ries were not in the excellent shape that the 
letter of January 12 written by the De- 
partment would seem to indicate. These 
questions were replied to at length by the 
Department on February 9 in part as 
follows: 

As you have been heretofore informed, 
the Department does not need larger ap- 
propriations from Congress merely for the 
purchase of books for the prison libraries, 
for the reason that the item of books is 
included with other items in the general 
appropriation, and therefore the Attorney- 
General can allow as much of this sum as 
he thinks necessary for the purchase of 
such books as may be selected for the use 



of the prisoners at the Federal penitenti- 
aries. 

Up to the present time no special plan 
has been adopted with regard to the pur- 
chase of library books. Some time ago 
the attention of Congress was called to the 
necessity of providing teachers for the 
prison schools, but Congress did not ac- 
cede to the request and we have at present 
no school teachers in the penitentiaries, 
other than the chaplain and now and then 
a guard who is more or less accomplished 
in teaching. 

The total amount expended for books for 
the Federal penitentiaries during the past 
few years is extremely small. There have 
been contributions to the prison libraries 
on the part of people living generally in 
the neighborhood in which the institution 
is located, and these books have been 
placed in the library for the general use of 
the prisoners. 

In reply to your direct inquiries, the fol- 
lowing information is given as to each in- 
stitution. 1 will first recite your question 
and then give the answer for each of the 
three Federal prisons, using the abbrevia- 
tion "L" for Leavenworth, "A" for Atlanta 
and "M" for McNeil Island. 

1. Does the one who purchases the 
books of the penitentiary libraries have 
any special training or experience in this 
work so as to guarantee financial economy 
in these purchases? 

(L) All purchases that we are permit- 
ted to make are by order of the Depart- 
ment subject to the lowest bidder, other 
things being equal. 

(M) Practically all books for the prison 
library are donated; few. If any, purchases 
have been made. 

(A) No books have been purchased for 
the library in this penitentiary. 

2. What are the principles of selection 
on which the books purchased for the 
penitentiary are based? 

(L) Educational, reformatory, and rec- 
reational. 

(A) We have made no selection further 
than to cull from the books which have 
been given us those which are suitable for 
use here. 



LIBRARY COMMISSIONS 



209 



(M) From the books donated any tliat 
are thought objectionable are destroyed. 

3. Are the books in the library designed 
to provide reading along any special lines, 
if so, what lines? 

(L) We have a few books of a technical 
character, especially along the lines of car- 
pentry, plumbing, electricity, and farming. 

(A) We have not yet formulated a de- 
sign because in order to obtain any books 
we have been compelled to accept all that 
were suitable for our use. 

(M) The books In the prison library are 
designed to provide entertaining and in- 
structive reading. 

4. What ratio, if any, exists between the 
number of books of a recreational nature 
and those of an educational nature? 

(L) It is difficult to say. 

(A) No fixed ratio for the reason stated 
in question 3. 

(M) About 93 per cent of the books In 
this library are fiction, 7 per cent educa- 
tional. 

5. What per cent of the books circulated 
are fiction? 

(L) About 65 per cent. 

(A) As a large per cent of the books re- 
ceived were fiction, a large proportion of 
those read have been fiction, although we 
are unable to state the exact proportion. 

(M) Practically 95 per cent of the pris- 
on library books circulated are fiction. 

6. Is any ratio maintained between the 
number of volumes in the library and the 
number of prisoners? 

(L) No. 

(A) As our library is the result of gifts 
no ratio has been attempted. 

(M) No ratio is maintained between the 
number of volumes in the library and the 
number of prisoners. 

7. Are any means taken to interest the 
prisoners in the books, especially those pris- 
oners who have not been in the habit of 
reading? 

(L) Only in a general way. 

(A) Yes. We have adopted various 
means to create an interest in reading. 
In addition to establishing a school for the 
purpose of teaching illiterates. 

(M) A library catalog in each cell. The 



librarian calls at each cell every evening, 
distributes and exchanges books and maga- 
zines, and inquires of each prisoner if there 
is not some reading matter he would like 
supplied from the library. 

8. Are special books provided tor pris- 
oners who have a better reading knowl- 
edge in some foreign language? 

(L) None. 

(A) No, excepting text-books. 

(M) No. 

9. Are the prisoners given any assist- 
ance in their endeavors to progress along 
certain lines; along those lines which will 
be of assistance in helping them to employ- 
ment when they are released from prison? 

(L) This could not be done here to any 
extent, as we have no school. 

(A) Yes, such as our limited library 
and facilities will afford. 

(M) Present facilities are meager for 
affording prisoners opportunity for study 
along given lines. 

10. Are dictionaries and other necessary 
reference books provided for the use of 
the prisoners? 

(L) Yes. 

(A) Only such have been provided as 
have been received in the form of gifts from 
interested people on the outside. 

(M) Dictionaries and general reference 
books are poorly and meagerly represented 
in the prison library. 

11. Is any attention given by the prison 
officials to see whether the books donated 
to the libraries are objectionable in char- 
acter? 

(L) Yes. 

(A) Yes; no book is admitted to our 
library until it has been read and approved 
by one of the prison chaplains. 

(M) Yes. 

12. In what condition are books, and 
how often are they cleaned and repaired? 

(L) In good condition for the most part, 
though some are old and shelf worn. They 
are repaired whenever necessary and fre- 
quently cleaned. 

(A) They are generally in a more or 
less dilapidated condition when we receive 
them, and constant use does not improve 
their condition. We repair them as well as 



210 



PASADENA CONFERENCE 



we can, but there are probably 5,000 vol- 
umes in our library which should be con- 
signed to the furnace because of their bad 
condition. 

(M) The books in the library are in 
good condition. They receive daily attention 
as to cleaning and repairing. 

13. Have the libraries in the peniten- 
tiaries any particular place in the scheme 
for helping the men or are they merely 
incidental? 

(L) The latter. 

(A) Rule 57 provides that the chaplain 
shall have charge of the penitentiary li- 
brary and see that no improper or sen- 
sational books or publications are admitted 
therein. This rule implies that a prison 
library is eventually intended, but thus 
far the government has not provided any 
books for the library. 

(M) The intent of the prison library 
is to be of an elevating, instructive, and 
entertaining help to each prisoner. 

14. Is there any way to tell whether the 
libraries have been of assistance to the 
prisoners, or of knowing whether there has 
been development In the use of books? 

(L) Yes, the demand for reading mat- 
ter; the increased circulation; the call for 
books of reference, etc. 

(A) The Department's letter of June 
18, 1910, answers this question as to the 
Atlanta penitentiary. 

(M) The records kept by the librarian 
afford knowledge as to the development in 
the use of the prison library books, but 
there is little, if any, way of telling if the 
library has been of assistance to the pris- 
oners. 

The Department fully appreciates the 
importance of providing a library along 
modern, scientific lines, and any recom- 
mendations you may have to make upon 
the subject will be given very careful con- 
sideration by the Department. 
(Signed) 

J. A. FOWLED, 
Acting Attorney-General. 

Your chairman believes that the Depart- 
ment at Washington is concerned regard- 
ing the welfare of the prisoners and is 
friendly to suggestions for improving li- 



brary facilities for them. The keynote re- 
garding its position is found in the letter 
just read, namely, "Until Congress pro- 
vides a system for the education of pris- 
oners, it is not seen how any successful 
efforts can be made looking towards the 
furnishing of a properly arranged library 
for the prisoners." 

Your chairman believes that while a 
library can be of greatest value in an 
educational system in the penitentiaries, 
that its usefulness is in no wise dependent 
on such a system; that the reading of 
recreational and inspirational books alone 
would more than compensate the peniten- 
tiary for their cost; and that there are 
hundreds of prisoners of education who 
are not dependent on a special system for 
the enjoyment of reading. The greatest 
value of books will not be secured until 
they are in charge of skilled persons who 
can select them most intelligently and 
make their contents accessible through 
modern library methods, but it is a dis- 
grace that a wealthy nation should limit 
the reading, even of its prisoners, to books 
that frequently are filthy and In rags, and 
which are largely chance contributions by 
visitors. 

The chairman of your committee recom- 
mends that a bill be introduced into the 
next Congress for an annual appropriation 
for books and their care in penitentiary 
libraries. Even if Congress adhere to the 
rule that requests come through the super- 
vising department, it is believed that the 
publicity which would be given through 
discussion would be of great value in Im- 
proving penitentiary libraries. 

In resigning from the Committee the 
chairman recommends that the present 
Secretary of the A. L. A. be appointed 
on the committee with another member 
who lives in or near Washington. 

CHALMERS HADLEY, Chairman. 

Mr. Dudgeon moved that the committee 
on libraries In Federal prisons be continued 
and that steps be taken to co-operate with 
other associations such as the National 
Prison Association to push along the work 
along the lines suggested in Mr. Hadley's 
report. The motion carried. 



LIBRARY COMMISSIONS 



211 



Mr. Dudgeon read the report of the 
publications committee in the absence of 
the chairman, Mr. R. P. BLISS. The report 
was as follows: 

REPORT OF THE PUBLICATIONS 
COMMITTEE 

At the Mackinac meeting several matters 
were referred to the committee for action 
and these will be treated in order. 

It was voted that the Publications Com- 
mittee confer with the A. L. A. Publishing 
Board in regard to the relations of the two 
bodies. This was taken up immediately 
after the summer meeting. After some con- 
ference it was decided that thePublications 
Committee of the League should be con- 
sidered as an advisory body by the Pub- 
lishing Board. If it decides that a certain 
publication is needed it will recommend it 
to the Board, which will issue it through 
the A. L. A. Headquarters. It was also 
decided that the A. L. A. should take over 
all of the publications of the League now 
in print and sell them with other library 
publications at Headquarters. This will 
centralize the sale of all such things and 
prevent any doubt as to where they will 
be found. In accordance with this decision, 
the following pamphlets were sent to A. 
L. A. Headquarters: List of magazines for 
small libraries. Anniversaries and holidays, 
and the List of stories to read aloud, to- 
gether with a few unimportant items. 
Hereafter, inquiries regarding these should 
be addressed to the A. L. A. oflSce in 
Chicago. 

In this latter arrangement an exception 
was made of the Suggestive list of books 
for children. It transpired that the Pub- 
lishing Board was issuing a somewhat sim- 
ilar list and it was feared that if they 
were sold together there might be con- 
fusion. Your committee therefore arranged 
with the company which was printing it, 
to attend to the sale of the Suggestive list. 
All communications regarding this should 
be addressed to the Democrat Printing Co., 
Madison, Wis. They have fixed the price at 
$15.00 per hundred copies, single copies 
will be 25 cents. Those of you who have 
seen the list will agree that this is a very 



reasonable figure for such a piece of work. 
The commissions had subscribed for four- 
teen hundred copies before it was issued. 

The matter of study outlines was referred 
to this committee with power to appoint a 
subcommittee to investigate and report 
at mid-winter meetings. Following these 
instructions Mr. M. S. Dudgeon of Wis- 
consin, Miss Grace Betteridge, of New 
York, and Miss Margaret Brown of Iowa, 
were appointed a subcommittee to consider 
the matter. They reported in January that 
they were not ready to make a definite 
report but were inclined to recommend 
outlines based on the use of one book as 
a text-book with only a few references to 
other books.. 

In accordance with the action of the 
League at Mackinac, the Handbook was 
prepared with the idea of its being used 
for some time without reprinting. Here- 
after, the annual issues will contain only 
statistics and new material. By this means, 
it is hoped to reduce the cost of this 
publication. 

One matter which your committee has 
been seriously considering is the possi- 
bility of preventing the duplication of effort 
and expense in preparing and printing lists 
of books and other material. The situation 
as it exists to-day is illustrated by our 
experience with the Suggestive list of 
children's books. At the Mackinac meeting 
the question of having this published by 
the A. L. A. Publishing Board was pre- 
sented to them and it was learned that they 
were on the point of issuing a similar 
list. While we were corresponding with 
various commissions to ascertain the num- 
ber of copies of our list that they would 
need, one secretary replied that they 
would not need any as they were about 
to issue a list of their own. At the same 
time that the A. L. A. list made its ap- 
pearance, its editor issued still another 
with the imprint of her library. Here we 
have four lists, similar in purpose, in prep- 
aration, all making their appearance at 
the same time. Would it not have been 
better if these four persons had been at 
work on different problems instead of one? 
This is not an exceptional case but well 



212 



PASADENA CONFERENCE 



illustrates a condition which should be 
changed. There are problems enough for 
all and there should be something done to 
secure a wider distribution of effort. 

With this in mind, we wrote to a number 
of commissions asking them to send us, 
on cards, in the form of subject entries, 
titles of any material which might be of 
help to others and which they can supply. 
In reply to this request many cards have 
been sent and there is at the office of the 
chairman of this committee the begin- 
ning of an index to such material as Is in 
print. At the same time we asked for sub- 
jects on which pamphlets might be useful 
and received several answers. These will 
be gone over and if it seems wise will 
be assigned to members of the League to 
prepare for publication. Some of the sub- 
jects are as follows: 

Suggestive list of one thousand books, 
revised annually. 

List of children's books to be kept up to 
date. 

A discussion of the library budget. 

Reprint of Soule's Library rooms and 
buildings. 

Plans for small library buildings costing 
less than $5,000.00. 

List of books for penal institutions and 
hospitals for the insane. 

List of books in elementary English for 
use with immigrants. 

It will probably be found that some of 
these topics are impracticable, but others 
will be made use of. Your committee 
would suggest that if commissions, or li- 
brarians, feel the need of material on any 
subject they write us and we may be able 
to tell them where they can find what they 
want, or it may be a hint to us to go to 
work and put something in print. 

The Eastern section of the League at 
its meeting in Boston, requested this com- 
mittee to ascertain each year what lists 
the various commissions had published or 
were preparing to publish. Nothing has 
been done with this as yet but it should 
be kept in mind and such information se- 
cured. It was also suggested that the Com- 
mittee issue a circular containing news 
which might be of interest to the com- 



missions. As we could not see just what 
was desired it was decided to wait for 
more light before undertaking such a work. 

Recently it was learned that the Wis- 
consin Commission was printing in the 
current number of their Bulletin a list of 
material on sociological topics which could 
be secured at little or no cost. As the list 
was very good, the A. L. A. Publishing 
Board was asked to issue this for general 
use. This has been arranged for and it is 
advertised at three cents each for ten or 
more copies. Commissions will find this a 
very useful list. 

The Massachusetts Commission is issuing 
a revised edition of Miss Zaidee Brown's 
Directions for the librarian of the small 
library. This will not take the place of 
Miss Stearns' Essentials in library admin- 
istration, but will give the main points in a 
more concise statement and will probably 
be more useful in many places. This has 
also been reprinted by the Publishing 
Board. 

The need of a list of books for use in 
penal institutions and hospitals for the in- 
sane has been considered, and Miss Carey, 
of the Minnesota Commission, was asked 
to undertake such a work. She has not 
completed the work as yet but is making 
careful preparatory investigation. We feel 
sure that when this list is published it 
will be well worth while. 

ROBERT P. BLISS, 
Chairman. 

Mr. Dudgeon asked that the considera- 
tion of the amendments to the Constitution 
be deferred until the next meeting. 

On the motion of Mr. Hadley, it was 
voted that Mr. D. C. Brown of Indiana be 
delegated to represent the League at the 
National Conference of Charities. 

The president announced as a nominat- 
ing committee Miss Margaret Brown, Miss 
Isom, and Miss Allin. The meeting then ad- 
journed. 

SECOND SESSION 
Saturday, May 20. 

At the opening of the second session 
of the League, held May 20, at 8 p. m., 



LIBRARY COMMISSIONS 



213 



the president called to the chair Miss 
Cornelia Marvin, of Oregon, who conducted 
a round table on the relation of library 
commissions to educational extension. Miss 
Marvin Introduced the subject briefly, 
dwelling on the importance of encouraging 
the establishment of civic center and pub- 
lic question clubs, especially in the west- 
ern states, where the initiative and refer- 
endum has placed larger responsibilities 
on the people. Miss Marvin read a number 
of letters from Commissions not repre- 
sented, telling what they were doing in 
encouraging and directing educational ex- 
tension. 

The first topic taken up was Plans for 
definite work with organized agencies and 
Mr. Milam of Indiana opened the discus- 
sion on civic centers and public question 
clubs. Mr. Milam thought that the Com- 
mission should help to organize such clubs 
only in towns where there is no public 
library, and that it should do so only to 
establish agencies through which to cir- 
culate books. Miss Marvin told of the plans 
which they have for work in Oregon where 
they expect their field organizer to help 
in the organization of civic clubs. She will 
work in co-operation with the state super- 
intendent largely through the county su- 
perintendents who will really be the active 
field workers. Public meetings will be 
planned, clubs organized, and programs 
and books will be furnished by the Com- 
mission. Miss Helen Kennedy told of the 
plans to be carried out next year in Wis- 
consin. A field visitor of the Commission 
will assist in organizing boys' clubs, civic 
leagues, etc., the work to be carried on 
usually through the local library, with di- 
rection and encouragement from the Com- 
mission. 

Miss Brown of Iowa discussed the Com- 
mission's work with women's clubs. They 
are becoming more or less public question 
clubs, since women are growing more and 
more interested in civic affairs. The Iowa 
Commission assists clubs with outlines 
and lends them books from the open shelf 
collection. They have no fixed study 
groups. The relation of the Library Com- 
mission and the grange was discussed by 



Miss Isom of Oregon. The Oregon Com- 
mission makes up programs and has pack- 
age libraries to send out to grange meet- 
ings. The Massachusetts Commission made 
up a brief list of good agricultural books 
and gave them to public libraries to dis- 
tribute among farmers. In Iowa a traveling 
library of agricultural books is placed in 
each traveling exhibit sent out In special 
cars by the State Agricultural College. In 
Oregon an exhibit of books is always made 
"by the Commission during the short course 
at the Agricultural College. The relation 
of the Commission to teachers' organiza- 
tions was next discussed, and the impor- 
tance of teaching teachers something of 
the use of books and helping them In the 
matter of book selection was dwelt upon. In 
Oregon special help is given to High 
School graduates preparing commencement 
essays. A suggestive list of commencement 
essay topics is sent out by the Commission. 

At the close of the round table a business 
meeting was held. Mr. Dudgeon reported 
for the committee on plans for study out- 
lines as follows: 

In study group work there is seldom a 
teacher. It would seem that it is necessary, 
therefore, that the outline be prepared 
with reference to a single text-book, this 
text-book to be the unifying factor in the 
study group work. The commission should 
recommend to the study groups that this 
text-book be purchased by every member 
of the club. (In some subjects it may be 
found impossible to find a single book 
covering the entire subject, and it will be 
necessary to base the outline on several.) 

In additon to the text-book, there should 
be made up a group of three to ten books, 
the best obtainable covering the subject 
matter considered by the study group. 
These should be selected to serve the pur- 
pose of elaborating the text-book. The out- 
line should contain references to all these 
books. 

The library should be supplemented by 
as many books suitable for collateral read- 
ing as can be obtained. It is not contem- 
plated that these additional books should 
be necessarily furnished, but it is thought 
that in this way good use can be made 



214 



PASADENA CONFERENCE 



of books which are already the property 
of the Commission. (This gives latitude 
to those commissions which wish to send 
a larger number of books.) 

The outline should be followed by a 
bibliography, a list of books and material 
valuable as collateral readings to be ob- 
tained elsewhere than of the commission. 
This list should include fiction, pamphlets, 
magazine articles, etc. 

On Mr. Milam's motion, the report was 
accepted. It was voted that the publications 
committee be instructed to appoint a com- 
mittee of three on study outlines, with 
instructions to follow the recommendations 
of the committee report, and to take steps 
toward the publication of such outlines. 

Mr. Dudgeon read the report of the com- 
mittee on the revision of the constitution, 
which was as follows: 

The following amendments to the con- 
stitution of the League of Library Commis- 
sions are proposed: 

Article 5. Executive Board. Omit the 
present second paragraph and insert the 
following: 

The Executive Board shall appoint a 
chairman for sectional meetings when 
neither the president nor any vice-presi- 
dent can be in attendance. 

Article 6. Committees. First paragraph 
to read as follows: 

There shall be a publications committee 
of three members who shall co-operate 
with the publishing board of the A. L. A. 
in securing suitable materia! required for 
commission work and in the organization 
and equipment of libraries, and who shall, 
subject to the approval of tbe president of 
the League, arrange through co-operation 
with such publishing board or otherwise 
for the printing of such publications, and 
for the price at which they may be sold. 

Article 7. It is proposed to reduce the 
amount of the yearly membership fee now 
fixed at five dollars, to some smaller 
amount. (Two dollars, two dollars and 
fifty cents, and three dollars have been 
suggested as proper amounts.) 

Article 8. Annual meeting. The annual 
meeting of the League shall be held at the 
time and place of the annual meeting of 
the A. L. A. 

Sectional meetings. Any group of mem- 
bers representing 5 (or other proper num- 
ber) states in the East, Middle-West, West. 
South, or other section of the country, may 



by mutual agreement hold a sectional 
meeting at such time and place as may be 
agreed upon. At such meeting such mat- 
ters shall be considered as shall be select- 
ed by the members there assembled or' 
by the Executive Board. No vote taken at 
such meeting shall be binding on the 
League, but shall be advisory only. The 
executive board and committees of the 
League may ask for an advisory vote which 
may guide them in determining questions 
arising in the prosecution of their work. 
No such vote shall release the committee 
from its responsibility in any matter. 

It was voted to dispense with the amend- 
ment to Article 7. 

It was moved to amend the proposed 
amendment to Article 6 by adding after 
the word "members" the following "and 
president of the League" and by striking 
out after the words "commission work" 
the words "and in organization and equip- 
ment of libraries" and by striking out after 
the words "who shall" the words "subject 
to the approval of the president of the 
League." 

In the amendment to Article S, it was 
moved to strike out the following "5 (or 
other proper number)" and insert in lieu 
thereof "3 or more" and to strike out the 
words "in the East, Middle-West, West, 
South, or other sections of the country" 
and to add after the words "mutual agree- 
ment" the words "and with the approval 
of the executive board." Mr. Milam moved 
that the amendments as amended, be 
adopted. The motion carried. 

The nominating committee presented the 
following report: For president. Miss Cor- 
nelia Marvin, of Oregon; for first vice- 
president, C. H. Milam, of Indiana; for sec- 
ond vice-president, R. P. Bliss of Pennsyl- 
vania: for secretary -treasurer. Miss Char- 
lotte Templeton of Nebraska; for mem- 
bers of the publications committee, M. S. 
Dudgeon, Wisconsin, chairman, Miss Zai- 
dee Brown of Massachusetts, and Miss 
Mary E. Downey, of Ohio. On Miss Tyler's 
motion the report of the committee was 
accepted and the secretary was instructed 
to cast the ballot for the above named 
ofiicers. 

Adjourned. 



NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF STATE LIBRARIES 

Fourteenth Convention, Pasadena, California, May 22, 1911 



The meeting was called to order by the 
President, Demarchus C. Brown, of Indiana. 
Mr. George S. Godard, of Connecticut, was 
chosen acting secretary, and committees 
on auditing, nominations and resolutions 
were appointed. The president then read 
his annual address. 

PRESIDENT'S ADDRESS* 

State librarians, like all librarians, should 
be lovers of books, not their janitors. How 
well are state libraries leading their com- 
monwealths In the development of better 
citizenship, in the diffusion of knowledge, 
in betterment of the conduct of govern- 
ment and In the enactment of better laws? 
Are they the center of the readers of their 
states, and do the citizens look to them for 
expert advice? Are the history lovers of 
the state grouped around its state library, 
and does the library stand for proper care 
and organization of the public archives? 

The state library should be the center 
of the historical work of the state — espe- 
cially of that on state history. Private his- 
torical societies should be encouraged; but 
a state society should keep its collections 
and records at the state library and hold 
its meetings there. This would lend a 
sense of security to their work which would 
result In more gifts of manuscripts, rare 
books, etc. It would also spread the study 
of the history of the state among the peo- 
ple, and the system would be more demo- 
cratic than that of a private society. 

The archives of the state are historical 
and should be properly cared for and made 
accessible. Officers do not like to give up 
their records; but a campaign of education 
and the use of tact will avoid this difficulty. 
Many state records are stored in damp cel- 
lars, the state officers know nothing of 
them, and they are thus Inaccessible to 
everyone and are decaying. Provision 

* Abstract. 



should be made for their preservation and 
classiflcation, and all public officials should 
be authorized to turn over to the state li- 
brary — when made the depository— all rec- 
ords not in current use. 

The merit system is a necessity in a state 
library. Partisanship should not control 
appointments. In a library where train- 
ing, scholarship and love of books should 
bo the dominant influences, it is humiliat- 
ing to find the spoils system in control. 
Where a library touches politics, even re- 
motely, the merit system is the safest way 
to insure permanency, in spite of all that 
may be said against examinations. The 
judgment of the librarian on personal qual- 
ifications, etc., should count one-half. The 
system drives away the politicians in dis- 
gust. 

The state library should be a university 
extension work-room, especially in political 
science, sociology and history. There 
should be close co-operation with colleges 
and universities. Their students may work 
in the state library and have some super- 
vision from the library staff. The legisla- 
tive reference department can do much 
that will be mutually profitable along this 
line. The same co-operation can be ar- 
ranged for the schools of the state, espe- 
cially in debating. 

The legislative reference work should be 
extended to cover municipal reference. 
Collections on municipal affairs should be 
formed and material freely loaned to cities 
as they need it for light on municipal prob- 
lems. The state library and the state 
museums should be closely connected; not 
necessarily in administration. Both are 
necessary to each other; they overlap. 

The state libraries should at once arrange 
a system of inter-library loans, so that each 
state library can profit from the collections 
in which other state libraries have special- 
ized more fully. 



216 



PASADENA CONFERENCE 



In the discussion wtiich followed, Mr. 
Godard told of what Connecticut was doing 
in archives work, and Mr. Hitt told of the 
beginning which the state of Washington 
had made. Mr. Henry, of the University 
of Washington, emphasized the value of 
museums, and Mr. Scholefield, of British 
Columbia, described the close relationships 
of the provincial library and provincial 
museum in that province. 

Mr. Gillis, of California, then read his 
paper on: 

THE STATE LIBRARY AS HEAD OF 

THE LIBRARY ACTIVITIES OF 

THE STATE* 

The trend of modern ousiness methods 
is entirely toward unification of organiza- 
tion. The numerous charities which have 
long been struggling to improve living con- 
ditions have realized the waste of energy in 
duplication and are reorganizing under one 
management. An efficient management 
will quickly do away with needless machin- 
ery of organization, and bring all necessary 
departments into close and vital connec- 
tion. This is also sound public policy and 
as applicable to library affairs as to in- 
dustrial. 

If all the library activities of the state 
are under one control, extra organization 
is done away with. It means economy of 
administration and unity, continuity, and 
concentration of policy and effort. It will 
receive better financial support from the 
state than will several organizations, the 
distinction between which may be difficult 
for the legislator to realize. The same is 
true of support by the citizens of the state. 

If it is good business then to have all 
the library activities of a state under one 
head, what shall that head be? In practi- 
cally every state the state library has been 
the first expression of library service 
through a central medium. As It has de- 
veloped its organization and collection 
along various lines, it has laid a solid 
foundation for other lines of activity if it 
should be called on to conduct them. Its 
activities and recognized position will give 
It assured financial support. With these 

* .\bstract 



advantages the burden of proof is with 
those who are against its leadership rather 
than with those who are for it. Rather 
than create offshoots, hold to the original 
organization and investment and improve 
its management and expand as may be 
necessary. 

Remarks on the paper were made by 
the president, Mr. Hitt, and Mr. Henry, of 
Washington, Mr. Severance, of Missouri, 
Mr. Godard, of Connecticut, Miss Lee, of 
Kansas, Miss Downey, of Ohio, and others. 
They commended the points made; but 
showed the practical difficulties in the way 
of carrying them out in some states where 
the development of the state-supported li- 
braries had not laid as steady a founda- 
tion as it had in California. 

Mr. Hitt, of Washington, then read his 
paper on: 

DISTRIBUTION OF PUBLIC DOCU- 
MENTS TO COLLEGE, UNIVERSITY, 
AND PUBLIC LIBRARIES 

(No summary of this paper can be given, 
as no copy is as yet in the hands of the 
secretary.) 

The report of the secretary-treasurer 
was then read. 

SECRETARY-TREASURER'S REPORT 

The financial report showed receipts of 
$359.30 and expenses of 1254.27, leaving a 
balance of $105.03. The library members 
added during the year were the Tennessee 
state library and the Philadelphia free li- 
brary. The recommendation was made that 
a summary only of proceedings be printed 
In the A. L. A. proceedings and that pro- 
ceedings in full be printed separately. This 
would enable the association to get out Its 
proceedings more promptly and would 
have other advantages. 

The auditing committee reported that the 
financial report was in good form and cor- 
rect. The recommendation referred to the 
executive committee with power to act. 

The nominating committee reported and 
recommended the following names: 



STATE LIBRARIES 



217 



President, Mr. Charles F. D. Belden, of 
Massachusetts. 

First vice-president, Mr. J. M. Hitt, of 
Washington. 

Second vice-president, Mr. E. J. Lien, of 
Minnesota. 

Secretary-treasurer, Mr. A. C. Tilton, of 
Connecticut. 

The report was accepted and after the 
necessary formalities the persons recom- 
mended were declared elected unani- 
mously. 

The committee on resolutions presented 
and recommended the passage of the fol- 
lowing resolution: 

WHEREAS, It is with great surprise and 
regret that we have learned of the recent 
removal "for political expediency" of C. B. 
Galbreath as state librarian of Ohio, who 
during a service of fifteen years has proven 
himself to be a faithful, efficient, and com- 
petent public official, both in the affairs 
of his own state and in his relations to 
this association; 

RESOLVED, That we, the National as- 
sociation of state libraries, deplore this re- 
newed entrance of politics into a depart- 



ment of government which to be success- 
ful requires not only personal adaptability, 
but also professional skill, which is greatly 
increased by years of experience; 

RESOLVED, That a copy of these reso- 
lutions be sent to Mr. Galbreath and to 
Governor Harmon. 

The resolutions passed unanimously. 

Mr. Ranck, of Grand Rapids. Michigan, 
reported informally for the committee on 
the publication of a municipal year book, 
a joint committee with the Special libra- 
ries association. The committee has inter- 
ested other organizations and individuals 
who are active in municipal affairs, and 
good progress is being made. 

After discussion, the committee was in- 
structed to proceed with its work and to 
co-operate with other committees. 

After other papers and committee re- 
ports were ordered printed, the meeting ad- 
journed to meet at the call of the presi- 
dent, if a supplementary meeting before 
the next A. L. A. conference seemed advis- 
able. 

tThe Association will print its proceedings in full 
in a separate pamphlet.] 



SPECIAL LIBRARffiS ASSOCIATION 



(Hotel Maryland, May 22, 1911, 8:15 p. m.) 
In the absence of the officers the meeting 
was called to order by Mr. S. H. Ranck, 
librarian public library, Grand Rapids. Mr. 
A. J. Small, librarian of the Iowa State law 
library was elected president pro tempore 
and Mr. R. H. Johnston, librarian Bureau of 
railway economics, Washington, D. C, sec- 
cretary pro tempore. 

Reading of the minutes was omitted. Mr. 
Ranck, as chairman of the committee on 
the Municipal Year Book, which committee 
co-operates with similar committees of 
other bodies, presented his report which 
showed progress. It was resolved on motion 
of secretary, seconded by Mr. F. B. Graves, 
librarian Mercantile library, San Francis- 
co, "That the Special Libraries Association 
has heard with interest the report of Mr. 
Ranck on the work of the Committee on 



the proposed Municipal Year Book; that 
we endorse the work of this committee, 
recommend its continuance, and approve 
the suggestion that the work be pub- 
lished and feel that details may safely be 
left to the committee in charge. We sug- 
gest, however, that in its first appearance 
the proposed Municipal Year Book be lim- 
ited to such scope and detail as may en- 
courage a publisher of standing to under- 
take the work of placing it on the market." 
At the request of the president, Mr. F. W. 
Faxon, of the Boston Book Co., gave an 
interesting account of the work of the 
special libraries in Boston and an unofficial 
report of the winter meeting of the Massa- 
chusetts special libraries. Mr. Purd B. 
Wright, librarian Kansas City public li- 
brary, described the growth of a special 
collection of works relating to the packing 



218 



PASADENA CONFERENCE 



industry at his former charge at St. Joseph. 
Mr. R. A. Campbell, legislative reference 
librarian, California state library, responded 
to a request for an account of the legisla- 
tive reference work of the state library 
and Mr. R. H. Johnston outlined the work 
and methods of the recently established 
library of the Bureau of railway economics 
at Washington, D. C. 

On motion of Miss Grace M. White, of 
the Los Angeles public library, it was voted 
that the association ask the editors of 
the Municipal Journal and Engineer to pub- 
lish separate copies of this Municipal in- 
dex, for sale, preferably printed on one side 
only. 

After some interesting and instructive 



informal discussion it was moved by Mr. 
Campbell, seconded by Mr. Wright, that 
the officers of the Association be re-elected 
for the coming year. The officers of the 
past year were as follows: President, J. C. 
Dana, Free public library, Newark, N. J.; 
vice-president, Robert H. Whitten, Public 
service commission. New York City; sec- 
retary-treasurer, Guy E. Marion, 93 Broad 
St., Boston; executive board, the president, 
the vice-president, the secretary-treasurer, 
George W. Lee, care Stone & Webster, Bos- 
ton, Herbert O. Brigham, State library. 
Providence, R. L, John A. Lapp, State li- 
brary, Indianapolis, Ind. The secretary 
was instructed to cast a ballot, after which 
the meeting was declared adjourned. 



CATALOG SECTION 



FIRST SESSION 

Saturday, May 20, 2:30 p. m. 

SYMPOSIUM ON CATALOGING FOR 
SMALL LIBRARIES 

Miss Jeannette E. McFadden, librarian 
public library, Santa Ana, California, pre- 
sided, in the absence of Mr. Andrew Keogh. 
of Yale university, chairman. 

After reading of the minutes. Miss AR- 
TEINA M. CHAPIN, librarian public library, 
Redlands, California, opened the program 
with a paper on 

CATALOGING IN A SMALL CITY 
LIBRARY 

Miss Chapin said in part: 

The first rule is to make the catalog 
simple. The second is to make the entries 
and imprints brief. They should be as brief 
and as simple as can be done without tak- 
ing away from the clearness of the catalog. 
The staff of a small city library is limited, 
and the cataloger must do other work, so it 
is a large item for her to economize time by 
shortening the detail work of her cataloging. 
Of course she must be sensible in this, and 
must always keep before her the point of 
view of her public, and while she is lessen- 



ing her own work she must not omit any- 
thing which will take away from the ease of 
the use of the catalog. 

It is not necessary to spend much time 
looking up full names, or dates. The object 
is to have names entered uniformly. It is 
ofttlmes more confusing to the public to 
find a name entered in full, especially when 
this name is somewhat different than the 
one by which the author is best known, 
than to have the name entered without 
sufficient fulness. It seems to me that the 
best rule is to enter always the name 
by which the author is most commonly 
known. It is excellent training at a library 
school to compel the student to look up real 
names and full names, but it is not so prac- 
ticable to make use of all this training when 
actually engaged in preparing a catalog 
for the public. 

Another way in which the cataloging 
may be shortened is in the imprint. The 
size, pages, illustrations and plates, may be 
omitted as a rule, except in books where 
these might add value to the enquirer. It 
your library is one in which there is much 
student work, or research work, of course 
these items should be included, but in the 
average public library no mention need be 
made of illustrations or plates except in 



CATALOG SECTION 



219 



extra Illustrated books; and the size and 
number of pages never seem necessary. 
The publisher's name should be used rather 
than the place of publication. 

In fiction use only the author's name, the 
title and date. As tor the classification, 1 
am not fully persuaded that the custom of 
some libraries of omitting Cutter numbers 
from fiction, is desirable. Of course no 
classification number should be used, but a 
Cutter number seems to me almost indis- 
pensable. 

It Is not necessary to carry out the clas 
sification number In non-fiction beyond two 
decimal points, except in rare cases. It is 
better to make all American poetry 811, and 
English poetry S21, without attempting to 
subdivide into periods. Also, certain 
periods of history are more confusing than 
otherwise, when brought out under a long 
subdivision, as, for instance, the many 
places provided tor in Dewey tor the civil 
war period, or for more modern events in 
United States history, or many European 
periods. 

The problems of a cataloger in the library 
of a large city are, of course, in many 
respects just the opposite to these, but the 
small library needs no such detail of long 
title and sub-title, editor, etc., for the use 
of its public. In tact, co-editors and co- 
authors, translators sometimes, need not 
be emphasized by a special added entry 
card, in the catalog of the small library. 

I suppose all of us are anxiously awaiting 
the new Decimal Classification. Doubtless 
there will be a definite place tor the many 
new subjects which have come into being 
and prominence since the last edition. It 
seems to me some of the distinctions made 
in the classification are unnecessary for 
the public library. For instance, I see 
no reason why English and American 
poetry should be separated, or English and 
American essays, or dramas. The patron 
of a public library who asks to see the 
books of poetry must be shown the shelves 
for American poetry and English poetry, 
and French and German poetry, unless he 
has a certain writer in mind. Why would 
it not be clearer for the public, easier for 
the cataloger and less contusing all around. 



to place all poetry written in the English 
language, in one place in the classification, 
and also all essays, dramas, miscellanies, 
etc. When a book Is written in French or 
German, It should be classified with French 
and German literature, but if written in the 
English language whether by a Frenchman, 
a Swede or a Japanese, why shouldn't it be 
placed on the shelves with other books of 
literature in the English language. 

Although the Library of Congress cards 
are in many ways a great help to the cata- 
loger, especially in suggesting subjects, 
and in furnishing full names, yet the extra 
labor involved in sending for the cards, the 
liability of a delay in receiving them, the 
necessity for adding the call numbers, the 
subject headings, and making certain extra 
cards, seem to be great enough to make the 
cataloger in the average public library 
doubt the advisability of using them. The 
fulness of entry is of course a great 
advantage, and one sufficiently large to 
warrant purchasing these cards by many 
librarians. 

There is one place where the cataloger 
in the small library must use a large 
amount of wisdom, and also must consci- 
entiously and painstakingly force herself 
not to shirk, and that is in the analyticals. 
Analyticals are Important in catalogs of 
any size, but in the catalog of the small 
library where material on many subjects is 
apt to be scarce, they are most necessary. 
In making analyticals, the subject analyt- 
ical is for the most part the only form of 
entry needed. I think it is the experience 
of most libraries, large or small, that the 
use of the card catalog by the public is 
limited to a select tew. The mere mention, 
to the casual inquirer of a certain book, that 
he may find whether the library contains 
it and if not what other books there are on 
the same subject In the library by looking 
in the card catalog — I say the mere mention 
of this is sufficient to cause the casual In- 
quirer to say, "Oh, I think I'll just look 
along the shelves and see If I can't find 
something else. I wasn't very particular 
about it anyhow." 

Probably every cataloger prides herself 
on her ability to place herself In the atti- 



220 



PASADENA CONFERENCE 



tude of the public, and having made cross- 
references from every conceivable subject 
(and by the way, cross-references are a 
most important factor in the cataloging of 
the small library) she feels that she at last 
has left no loophole whereby the searcher 
after knowledge could miss finding exactly 
what he is after, provided it is in the library. 
But this feeling of complaisance rests only 
on the inexperienced cataloger, for the one 
who has been through the ordeal knows that 
only after many trials the desired result is 
approached. 

The shelf-list card may be shortened to 
a mere entry of author and brief title. The 
author's initials may be omitted in most 
cases, except where there might be a con- 
fusion through similarity In name; the 
briefest title may be used which will indi- 
cate the book, and in fiction, no date need 
be given. 

To sum It up: brevity, clearness, consist- 
ency — these three are the essentials of cat- 
aloging in a small city library. The cat- 
aloger who follows these rules cannot go 
far astray in her endeavors to give the 
greatest satisfaction to the public, and to 
make accessible every book in the library. 

In the discussion that followed. Miss 
Hitchler deprecated the use of either class 
or Cutter number in fiction, saying that 
the contusion of arrangement on the 
shelves, illustrated by Smiths and Steven- 
sons, was not so important as the saving 
of time, and the better appearance of the 
books. 

The suggestion that all poetry and other 
literature written in the English language 
be given one place in the classification 
aroused several dissenting voices. Miss 
Babcock of Los Angeles thought the educa- 
tional value of a close shelf classification 
important and did not think it involved an 
appreciable saving of time. Another 
speaker doubted the advisability of tamper- 
ing with the classification, saying that it 
usually ended with a confusion of numbers. 

That the cataloging for a small library 
should be done as accurately and carefully, 
and with perhaps greater attention to ana- 
lytical entries, was conceded, although 
greater brevity was more desirable than 



in the catalog of a large or reference 
library. The question of growth must 
always be taken into consideration. 



Miss FRANCES R. FOOTE, librarian of 
Occidental college, Los Angeles, continued 
the program with the following paper on 

CATALOGING FOR SMALL COLLEGE 
LIBRARIES 

After rashly promising to write a paper 
on cataloging for small college libraries, 
I began to wonder just what was meant by 
that title and whether my own experience 
could be considered representative of that 
of the average librarian of the average 
small library. A glance through the pages 
of the bulletin issued by the Bureau of Edu- 
cation entitled "Statistics of public, society 
and school libraries" soon convinced me 
that there were many small libraries where 
in all probability the conditions were very 
similar to those with which I am best 
acquainted, that Is, where the librarian 
serves as reference librarian, cataloger 
and even desk attendant with perhaps only 
one more or less experienced assistant, or 
possibly relies upon student help altogether. 
In either case, the cataloging becomes a 
problem which must be solved as quickly 
and easily as possible, not only because the 
librarian and the college public need a cat- 
alog, but because the efficiency of the assist- 
ants or student attendants largely depends 
upon it. 

\\'hile in the past there has been much 
discussion as to the choice between printed 
or card, dictionary, or classed catalogs, the 
small and especially the new college 
library will in all probability decide upon 
the dictionary card catalog as the one best 
suited to its needs. 

It must, I think, be apparent that the two 
principal factors which enter Into the deter- 
mination of the general policy to be fol- 
lowed in cataloging a library are first the 
size and general make-up of the library and 
second the purpose for which it exists. 
Considering first the constituent elements 
which enter Into the up-building of a college 
library, we find that the very manner of its 



CATALOG SECTION 



221 



growth is generally conducive to irregular 
development, that is, some classes will 
greatly exceed in size and value other 
classes of perhaps little it any less real 
importance. 

Those who use the catalog, and especially 
those who do not use tie catalog, but rather 
pursue their investigations through the 
librarian, rarely have any idea of either the 
absolute necessity of a catalog or the work 
involved in making one. The college 
professor and member of a library com- 
mittee who remarked one day when he 
found me studying the "A.L.A. list of sub- 
ject-headings," "How lucky you librarians 
are, with time to read poetry" saw only the 
wide margins of the aforesaid book, and 
his remark was quite natural considering 
his probable state of ignorance concerning 
the details of library management. 

Another thing discouraging to the college 
library cataloger is the difficulty only with 
which the necessary books and tools can be 
obtained. I suppose and indeed have been 
told that this is common in public libraries 
as well, but it is certainly too true that in 
school libraries the librarian's needs are 
often subordinated to the needs of all other 
departments. Fortunately it is true that 
many of the general reference works to be 
found in even a small college library will 
supply much of the information which in a 
large library would be sought for in special 
cataloger's aids. 

Enough has been said to make it evident 
that under average conditions cataloging 
becomes a task which can only be accom- 
plished by outlining a definite policy which 
will admit of the adoption of such methods 
as will the most easily and economically 
achieve the sought-for end, that of making 
available not only the visible contents of 
the library, but much that is hidden from 
ordinary sight. 

Inasmuch as the librarian of the small 
library need have no fear of a catalog be- 
coming too large or bulky to house, it will 
be rather the lack of time which will deter- 
mine the limits to which the work is carried 
than the size of catalog which is either 
possible or desirable. 

The cataloger who is beginning work to- 



day will find it much easier to determine 
upon the general lines to be followed than 
the one beginning work even a few years 
ago, for the whole trend of practice today 
is toward uniformity, and the longer one 
works with any of the codes of rules in 
general use today the more one realizes 
that they are founded on sound common 
sense as well as scholarly research. These 
rules are so well established and formu- 
lated that this paper will make no attempt 
to even touch upon the technique of cata- 
loging, but instead will be confined to a few 
mere suggestions of ways and means where- 
by a small college library can be cataloged 
with the minimum expenditure of time and 
labor. 

I doubt if it is possible to find any reliable 
statistics of the cost of cataloging in the 
type of library with which this paper deals, 
for much of the work is done at odd mo- 
ments, subject to constant interruption, 
but we can feel sure that the use of the 
Library of Congress catalog cards as 
largely as possible is not only the best but 
indeed the only possible provision whereby 
the cataloging can be done at all; but my 
own experience makes me feel that unless 
cards can be obtained corresponding very 
closely in edition and imprint to the book 
for which they are desired, it is better to 
do all the work by hand than to try to make 
many erasures or corrections. I under- 
stand than some libraries disregard differ- 
ences in date, edition and publisher, in 
ordering cards, but the labor involved in 
making corrections must in many cases be 
greater than in doing the work first-hand. 

When we have been able to obtain the 
proper Library of Congress cards, we need 
pay no more attention to fulness of entry, 
for that in minute detail is done for us. 
but taking it for granted that the small 
library will not find it possible to catalog 
books by hand or typewriter with all this 
detail, we must come to some conclusion as 
to what is essential information and 
required in the case of author and subject 
entries, in the absence of printed cards. 
This will depend to some extent upon other 
library records, for while we must have 
somewhere enough memoranda to Identify 



222 



PASADENA CONFERENCB 



each volume, yet it is not at all necessary 
to duplicate all this information as much is 
done if the accession book is fully used and 
if the cataloging is carried on with fulness 
of entry. While I have never quite wanted 
to give up the use of the accession book 
entirely, my preference is to simplify this 
record and supply to the public in the 
catalog the edition, date and publisher, 
which with author and title I take to be 
the really essential knowledge needed of 
the average book. I can, however, see 
that there might be conditions under which 
it would be more practicable to have these 
records made in the accession book with 
fulness than in the catalog. It is un- 
doubtedly true that an inexperienced 
assistant would be able to keep the acces- 
sion book records with accuracy when it 
would be absolutely impossible to entrust 
the same person with any of the cataloging. 
If student help is plentiful, the small library 
might reduce the work of cataloging very 
considerably by thus keeping a full acces- 
sion record, and in some cases, if not in 
all, abbreviate the catalog entries by leav- 
ing out everything except author, title and 
date. 

In a college library there are of course 
certain classes where such abbreviatior. 
would be obviously inadvisable, for in- 
stance in that of "Science," but in other 
classes, particularly that of "Literature, ' 
it is possible in some cases to give only 
author and title, leaving out edition, pub- 
lisher, and even date, without injury to the 
practical usefulness of the catalog. A 
large proportion of this class is likely to 
consist of cheap reprints, but Boswell's 
"Life of Johnson" is Boswell's "Life of 
Johnson," whoever the publisher and what- 
ever the date. If our Boswell is the one 
edited by George Birkbeck Hill or some 
other particularly good edition, then wi.' 
should of course have a full entry, but an 
unimportant edition requires no biblio- 
graphic detail. 

I am aware that the foregoing suggestion 
must have a distinctly heretical sound to 
some of you and, as I have stated, it is not 
to my mind the preferable thing to do. but 
it might be the practicable thing. 



To proceed to the short entries. Editor 
and translator cards are as brief as possible 
and a college library will find that com- 
paratively few title entries will be needed, 
for so many of our books will have decid- 
edly undistinctive titles. In the case of 
the masterpieces of literature with which 
college libraries are well supplied, we will 
use title references in many cases, rather 
than duplicate title entries. 

Now that the Library of Congress some- 
times enters under the pseudonyms a few 
authors who are better known by their pen 
names than their real names, the library 
can feel that it Is no longer breaking a 
tradition if it adopts college phraseology in 
this matter. Probably no college bulletin 
ever announced a course in the "Nineteenth 
century novelists" including Mary Ann 
Evans Cross with Dickens, Thackeray, 
Jane Austen and Scott as the novelists 
studied. 

Everyone agrees that successful diction- 
ary cataloging calls for the most careful 
and painstaking discrimination In the 
choosing of subject headings, that each 
book should be entered under the word 
which most peculiarly and specifically 
describes the subject of the book, and In 
order to gain this end the main subject- 
heading is often followed by sub-divisions 
which serve to qualify or modify it to some 
extent. A tendency toward elaborate sub- 
division is noticeable in the suggested 
subject-headings on the Library of Con- 
gress cards. It is a practice which is of 
course necessary in large libraries but I 
believe easily overdone in small libraries, 
for it may mean the duplication of entries 
for the same book under the same general 
heading, but under different sub-divisions, 
and even when not carried to such an ex- 
treme as that, there is still the danger that 
in searching for books dealing with one 
phase or aspect of a subject, books treat- 
ing the same subject, but of a general 
character may be overlooked. For in- 
stance, in our library we have three 
books on Fungi, for all of which we were 
able to get the Library of Congress cards. 
The suggested subject-headings on the 
cards for two of these books was simply 



CATALOG SECTION 



228 



"Fungi," but on the third the subdivision 
"North America" was added. Again we 
have only six boolis cataloged under the 
subject-heading "Gases," but had we fol- 
lowed the suggested subdivisions three 
would have stood with the heading "Gases," 
the fourth heading would have been "Gases- 
Analysis," the fifth, "Gases-Kinetic theory 
of," the sixth, "Gases-Liquefaction of," 
and yet the scope of each book was 
plainly indicated by the title in each case. 
These examples have been given not in the 
way of criticism of what is undoubtedly a 
necessary practice in the case of large 
libraries, but to show that such subdivisions 
of the subject headings are not for the 
small library. Sooner or later as the 
library grows, and as the cards under the 
main subject-heading increase in number, 
it will very likely be necessary in many 
cases to add the sub-divisions, but this can 
easily be done as the need arises. 

Given a typewriter with the bi-chrome 
ribbon attachment, the use of red ink for 
subject-headings is, I think, most desirable. 
This is particularly so when the library 
is strong in biographical works and critical 
essays on the authors studied in the literary 
courses. It is often quite confusing to any- 
one who is not accustomed to consulting 
card catalogs to distinguish between author 
and subject entries when the same name 
appears first as author and again as sub- 
ject. 

There is one respect in which even the 
small college library is quite likely to differ 
very largely from the same sized public 
library, and that is in the use made of in 
dexes and bibliographies. In many small 
public libraries it is thought a mistake to 
encourage readers to use such books them- 
selves as the "A. L. A. index to general liter- 
ature," the "Poole's index," or the "Readers" 
guide," because of the discouragement like- 
ly to follow when it is learned how little of 
the material thus found can be supplied by 
the library. But the college library can 
justly feel that it is a part of the educative 
process to not only require the student to 
use these books, but to encourage him to be- 
come acquainted with just as many books 
of that character as possible. 



This practice will not only help the stu- 
dent, but by taking advantage of everything 
of this kind which has already been done by 
others, it makes it possible to accomplish 
much other work which would otherwiso 
be out of the question, for there will remain 
many books not already analyzed by such 
co-operative undertakings, which will weli 
repay in service for the time and effort 
spent in analytical cataloging. Now that 
the Library of Congress cards contain a 
table of contents in many cases, it is pos- 
sible to analyze a volume of essays with 
very little work by following the directions 
in the Library of Congress handbook. 

Personally I like the use of the slantine 
line drawn from the subject-heading to the 
underscored chapter or essay in the table 
of contents. It is a convenience to add thc- 
inclusive pages, but it is sometimes a diffi- 
cult matter to find room on the card for 
them, and they do not as a rule, attract the 
notice of the ordinary user of the catalog. 
When Library of Congress cards suitable 
tor use as analyticals are not procurable, a 
very simple and brief analytical form can 
be followed so long as it has enough uni- 
formity with the Library of Congress cards 
to permit of easy filing and arrangement. 

Another phase of analytical work which 
cannot be too strongly insisted upon is that 
of entering both bibliographies and maps. 
Historical maps are always in demand, and 
there are never enough atlases to supply ai; 
the members of a class at the same time. 

It is very noticeable in a college library 
that the same subjects are called for over 
and over again. This is true not only be- 
cause whole classes are studying the same 
subject at one time, but because the same 
process is repeated each year. In some 
cases therefore a bibliography of material 
in the library will take the place of too mi- 
nute analytical work. Such a bibliography 
once prepared for a course given each year 
may be used again and again by merely 
rewriting occasionally for the sake of in- 
serting recently added material, and for the 
sake of convenience It should include the 
references found by means of the co-opera- 
tive and printed Indexes. A carbon copy of 
this list or bibliography furnished to the 



224 



PASADENA CONFERENCE 



professor or instructor is a small attention 
but one much appreciated. Such a bibliog- 
raphy also saves much time in getting 
books upon the reserved shelves, but it 
should itself be entered in the catalog, else 
its existence may not be suspected some 
time when it is needed. 

There are many ways in which the prac- 
tical usefulness of a card catalog can be in- 
creased, which will occur to any one who is 
interested in the subect. Any material 
once found perhaps by long searching can 
be produced again at a moment's notice, if 
it is entered at once in the catalog. Not 
long ago I saw a catalog which indexed a 
collection of newspaper clippings by sim- 
ply adding the words "See clippings" to the 
cards containing the subject-headings. Of 
course in this case no information was 
given to the catalog either as to the con- 
tents or the character of the clippings; but 
for practical purposes it is enough to be di- 
rected to the clippings themselves and that 
can be done most easily by some such 
simple means. 

After all, cataloging for a small college 
library is essentially the same process as 
cataloging for a small public library or any 
other library for that matter, the only real 
and vital differences being the conditions 
under which the work is done and those 
which arise from the variation in the na- 
ture of the demand to be met by the catalog. 

The Chairman appointed Artena M. Cha- 
pin, librarian of the Redlands, Cal., public 
library, and Matthew H. Douglass, librarian 
of the University of Oregon, as the nomi- 
nating committee of officers of the Section 
for the following year. 



SECOND SESSION 

Wednesday, May 24, 9:30 a. m. 

SYMPOSIUM ON CLASSIFICATION 

In the absence of Mr. Andrew Keogh, 
chairman. Miss M. M. Oakley, secretary, 
presided. The first paper presented was 
written by W. P. CUTTER, librarian of the 
Engineering Societies library. New York 



City, and read by Miss A. L. Sawyer, libra- 
rian of Mills College, Cal. 

THE EXPANSIVE CLASSIFICATION 

The Expansive Classification owes Its or- 
igin to the study and labor of Charles Ammi 
Cutter. It was designed primarily as a 
working classification for the library of the 
Boston AthenEBum, which at that time con- 
tined 100,000 volumes or more, to which 
the members of the Athenaeum were al- 
lowed free access. The original notation 
comprised some features which appeared 
to stand in the way of its general accept- 
ance, and Uie author devised another nota- 
tion (not however changing the classifica- 
tion), which was applied to the Gary Library 
at Lexington, Mass. There were so many 
requests from persons interested in other 
libraries to have the Athenaeum classifi- 
cation, with the Lexington notation, adapt- 
ed to their needs, that Mr. Cutter was led 
to prepare a scheme applicable to libraries 
of every size from the village library in its 
earlier stages to the national library of a 
million volumes. 

The old "fixed location" of books in defi- 
nite places on definite shelves has almost 
universally given way to the "relative lo- 
cation," by which each book has its place 
assigned, not to any fixed location in the 
library, but to those other books to which it 
is related in subject. This grouping to- 
gether of all books on the same or related 
subjects is of the utmost importance 
wherever the public is allowed free access 
to the shelves. Indeed, the "free access" 
system is in large part made practicable by 
systematic classification. Even where ac- 
cess to shelves is not granted, the time 
saved in getting and replacing books is 
more than enough to justify the adoption of 
some good classification. The rapid adop- 
tion of various schemes by all classes and 
sizes of libraries Is one of the strongest ar- 
guments in favor of the practical nature of 
classification and of its adoption by those 
libraries which do not as yet have it. 

Inasmuch as a scheme of classification 
once adopted can be discarded only with 
considerable difficulty, it is Important that 



CATALOG SECTION 



22i5 



the system chosen should be both theoreti- 
cally correct and practical in application, 
it should arrange the books according to 
modern ideas and provide for books which 
are in actual use. A good classification 
should be: (1) Easy to apply. Its flotation 
should be simple, Its classes easily distin- 
guishable, its call numbers as short as pos- 
sible, its practical application easy for the 
Inexperienced as well as the experienced 
cataloger. (2) It should be scientific and 
logical so that the public consulting the 
shelves may be able to find books on re- 
lated subjects grouped together. Its point 
of view should be modem so that modern 
scientific works may be assigned to proper 
positions. (3) It should be flexible, al- 
lowing choice in special schemes for spe- 
cial libraries or collections. (4) It should 
be expansive, providing simple schemes 
for small libraries, and an elaborate 
scheme for large libraries. Provision 
should also be made by which, as a small 
library increases in size, the classification 
may be made more minute with a mini- 
mum of additional work or change in the 
books already classified. 

The notation of the Expansive Classifi- 
cation is based on the use of the alphabet 
from A to Z for subjects, making subject 
subdivisions by the addition of second, third 
or fourth letters. Figures are used only 
either to indicate form subdivisions (where 
the digits 1 to 9 are used), or geographical 
subdivision (where the numbers 11-99 are 
used). These subdivisions by numerals are 
common to all classes, even the most mi- 
nute, and cannot be mistaken for subject di- 
visions. The use of the letter notation re- 
sults in simplicity. The single letters of 
the alphabet furnish 26 great subdivisions; 
the addition of a second letter allows each 
of these to be again divided into 26 or 702 in 
all; the third letter furnishes 26 divisions 
of each of these, or a grand total of 14,304; 
finally, the fourth letter furnishes 367,280 
total subdivisions. To allow of such minute 
subdivision on a decimal system requires 
six figures. 

The classes are easily distinguished; 
there is not the danger of mistaking a let- 
ter for another; while when figures are 



used, the 3 and 5 are not easily distin- 
guished, and the 1 and 7 are often mistaken. 
No single letter can mean more than one 
thing, whereas, where figures are used for 
form, subject and geographical divisions, 
there is great danger of confusion. 

The call marks are short, even for the 
most minute subjects. This is especially 
noticeable in the minute divisions in sci- 
ence. For example: "Economics of elec- 
tric power plants" is TEO; "Emerson trans- 
mission dynamometer" is TPCP; "Arthros- 
traca" is OTG; "Comparative anatomy" OB; 
"Electric currents" TE (in the Decimal, 
621.313); "The Knights of Malta" is FTM. 

Especially should it be noted that the use 
of the local list numbers from 11 to 99 re- 
sults in short marks for all books having 
local significance, especially in geography 
and history. 

The practical application is easy to the 
most inexperienced person. For many 
years I have had pupils in cataloging and 
classification. They have had generally 
only a high school education or its equiva- 
lent. Yet within a few weeks they have 
been able to classify rightly a large percent- 
age of the books. Conversely, young girls 
and boys have learned very quickly to find 
the books on the shelves, without special 
help, and without consulting the catalog. 

The Expansive Classification is scientific 
and logical. It groups, for instance, philol- 
ogy and literature together. Language is 
X, literature Y; the same local list may be 
applied to each. It places Architecture 
with the Fine Arts, and Building with Tech- 
nology. It classes Mining and Metallurgy 
together. The general development of the 
classification is from the spiritual through 
the historical to the scientific, and thence to 
the methods of recording thought. Through- 
out, a logical sequence has been followed. 

It is modern iu its science. The natural 
history, mathematics, astronomy, physics, 
technology, have all been compiled within 
the last few years. There is provision for 
modern discoveries in pure and applied sci- 
ence. There are places for aeroplanes, au- 
tomobiles, radioactive substances, factory 
costs. It is no longer necessary to classify 
illuminating gas and smallpox in adjacent 



226 



PASADENA CONFERENCE 



classes. The great subjects of biology are 
developed on the basis of the most modem 
knowledge and nomenclature; for example, 
the zoology is based on the last edition of 
Bronn's "Klassungen und Ordnung des Tier- 
reichs." The arrangement of Aseomycetes 
follows that of Strasburger in 1908, the Bot- 
any in genei-al the last edition of Engler 
und Prantl's "Pflanzenfamilien," abandon- 
ing the antiquated nomenclature used in 
every other classification. 

It is modern because it has not only been 
made recently, but the most recent author- 
ities have been consulted. 

Flexibility is secured by numerous cross- 
references to related or alternative places. 
Whole classes have alternative schemes; 
there are two for philosophy, radically dif- 
ferent, but so designed that a part of each 
may be used. A scheme is given for the 
arrangement of the whole library or any 
part of it on a geographical basis. Special 
schemes are worked out for special collec- 
tions, especially in literature, e. g. those for 
Goethe, Dante, Shakespeare. In the origi- 
nal draft for the sciences, the letter notation 
allows of such great flexibility that in many 
instances the classification has been entire- 
ly worked out before the notation has been 
applied. It would be manifestly impossible 
for any such procedure to be followed using 
a decimal notation. 

The Expansive Classification provides 
seven classifications of varying length, the 
first containing ten classes, the second thir 
ty-one classes, and the final development 
the seventh classification, many thousand 
thus adapting it to use in the smallest li 
brary and at the same time provide for any 
possible amount of growth, with the small 
est possible amount of additional labor in 
changing book marks on the records of the 
library. Abundant provision is made for 
further subdivision of classes and the intro- 
duction of omitted or overlooked subjects. 
Being practically unlimited by the notation, 
additions and changes may be made with 
the utmost freedom. 

Subjects vary according as they relate to 
different countries. Thus in zoology, there 
are not only books which treat separately 
of the Invertebrates and of the vertebrates. 



of mammals and monkeys, but also books 
which describe the animals of Africa, of 
Madagascar, of Borneo. So in the form 
class Literature the form divisions marked 
by letters are Fiction, Drama, Poetry, Orato- 
ry and the like; the local divisions are Eng- 
lish literature.French literature, German lit- 
erature. These differences in nature require 
a corresponding division on the shelves 
when there is material enough to divide. 
Since the fiora of Africa is not the same as 
the flora of North America, the books on it 
should not be in the same place in a botani- 
cal library. The history, laws, language 
and literature of England are so diverse 
from the history, laws, language and litera- 
ture of France that no general library of 
size would for a moment hesitate to sepa- 
rate them. This kind of subdivision it is de- 
sirable to mark in some different way from 
the other, for two reasons: first, because It 
is different, a division not by subject but 
by locality; and second, because it is suit- 
able and convenient that the mark for each 
country should be the same in all the dif- 
ferent classes, and also that it should not 
be used for any other purpose. We cannot 
take letters for this purpose, for they are 
already taken for subject marks; we there- 
fore use figures. If for example, 45 is the 
mark for England, and D is Church History, 
then D45 is English Church History; F is 
History, F4r) English History; O is Zool- 
ogy, 045 is English Zoology. Whenever one 
meets 45 one knows it means England, 
and can he nothing else. 

While nothing is sacrificed to mnemonics 
as letters themselves are more easily re- 
memhcrcd than figures, constant use of 
the letter notation will reveal many places 
where the memory is assisted. For ex- 
ample, C has a connection with Christian- 
ity, G with Geography, HM is Money, IC is 
Criminal Classes, FC Chronology and so on. 
Again, the alphabetical sub-arrangement 
often suggested assists largely in this direc- 
tion. The main countries in the local list, 
once their notation is memorized, are 
always the same. 

In the seven years of my experience as 
editor of the Expansive Classification, I 
have never heard one word of fault or criti- 



CATALOG SECTION 



227 



clsm from those who use it. The only criti- 
cism has been from those who were impa- 
tient because certain sections had not been 
published. I have never lieard a suggestion 
of the need of amendment, except where 
rendered necessary by such non-appear- 
ance. The users are enthusiastic advocates 
of its adoption. 

The only objection to the use of the Ex- 
pansive Classification which has any legiti- 
mate basis is that the "seventh is not fin- 
ished." The delay has, I know, been very 
exasperating to some, especially in those 
libraries having large sections in the nat- 
ural sciences, natural history and technol- 
ogy. 

The seventh classification is complete 
and printed, except Chemistry and the man- 
ufactures section of Technology. In the sci- 
ences, the following are ready for distribu- 
tion: 

Mathematics 40 pages 

Physics 40 

Microscopy 16 " 

Meteorology, Mineralogy, Crystal- 
lography, Geology 48 " 

Biology 19 

Botany 29 

Zoology 88 

Anthropology and Ethnology 36 

316 pages 
The following have been distributed: 

Military and Naval 24 pages 

Astronomy 18 

Technology 64 

Since therefore I took charge in 1904, 414 
pages have been compiled, edited and print- 
ed. The whole Decimal Classification has 
256 pp. of classification in the sixth edition. 
Some comparisons may be made without 
invidiousness between the Decimal Clas- 
sification and the Expansive as regards ex- 
tensiveness. 

D.C. E.C. 

Astronomy 6 pp. 18 pp. 

Physics 5 " 40 

Geology, etc 4 " 48 " 

Biology & Anthropology 3 " 55 " 

Botany 7 " 29 " 

Zoology 5 •• 88 " 

Agriculture % " 10 

Technology 14 " about 100 " 



Is there to be an index to the Expansive 
Classification? I can only say that a por- 
tion of such an index is compiled. I esti- 
mate that with the additions made neces- 
sary by the indexes to science such an 
index would require more pages than the 
whole Decimal Classification(three columns 
set close in the same type as the Decimal 
Classification Index.) There are now 65,000 
entries in the index, and none of the four 
hundred pages of science are indexed. The 
mere printing and composition would cost 
thousands of dollars, enough to make the 
Expansive cost over twenty thousand dol- 
lars from its inception. 



In the absence of Miss MAY SEYMOUR, 
reviser of the Decimal Classification, her 
paper on that subject was read by Miss 
Theresa Hitchler, head cataloger of the 
Brooklyn public library. 



DECIMAL CLASSIFICATION 

For convenience 
D C is used for Decimal Classification 
C D for Classification Decimale 
I I B for Institut International de Bibllog- 
raphie. 

Scope of revision. The D C is undergoing 
comprehensive revision and enlargement, 
of which the 7th edition is merely a first in- 
stallment. Changes proposed will be care- 
fully studied and the few that promised 
clearly to justify their cost will be made. 
But no change will be made merely to fit a 
new theory, for theories are constantly 
changing and a shifting classification is im- 
practicable for libraries. Private schemes 
for lectures or treatises may be changed 
with each season or edition to conform to 
the latest theories; but for libraries the cost 
would be prohibitive of renumbering a 
whole subject every time a new discovery 
showed a possible improvement in the 
scheme, while the necessity of classifying 
not only new books written with new light 
but also old books, all of which it is a li- 
brary's function to keep, demands of a li- 



228 



PASADENA CONFERENCE 



brary classification a place for obsolete as 
well as current topics. If a scheme brings 
related subjects together, provides for ad- 
ding new topics, and enables books on the 
same phase of the same subject always to 
be classed together and readily found when 
wanted, it is of comparatively little moment 
whether exact sequence on shelves accords 
with the latest theory. The Decimal Classi- 
fication has now become so much the com- 
mon language of libraries and bibliogra- 
phies in all countries, that it is clearly 
undesirable either to make frequent 
changes or to ignore growth. Apparently 
a revision about every quarter century 
would be the golden mean between the 
costly and Impracticable changes of trying 
to keep up to date, and the opposite extreme 
which would in time make any scheme seem 
medieval. 

Plan. Besides subdivision of any subject 
to any required extent, there will be an in- 
creasing number of compact notes giving 
dates, facts, distinctions between allied 
numbers and similar data, often saving clas- 
sifiers long search and greatly enhancing 
the value of the book for reference. 

The revised index, being in linotsTie, will 
always be in a single alphabet, in which new 
entries will be inserted in their regular 
places instead of appended as heretofore in 
a supplement. The index aims to include 
every subject that classifiers may need 
to number, and missing ones will be added 
as fast as brought to notice and their place 
in the scheme decided. 

Order of revision. The most imposing 
results (in both senses) in a given time 
would be reached by revising the easiest 
subjects first. Instead, they are taken up 
in order of greatest need, a policy which 
has placed some of the most difiicult first. 
Those well under way for which farther 
criticism is needed are: 340 (I^aw), 570 
(Biology, including anthropology and evo- 
lution), 581 (Physiologic botany), 660 
(Chemic technology, including metallurgy), 
the rest of 610 (Medicine), with an exten- 
sion of 132 (Mental derangements) closely 
allied to 616.8 (Diseases of nervous sys- 
tem), and 620 (Engineering). Apparently 
the next should be 200 (Religion) and 300 



(Sociology). Expression of opinion is spe- 
cially desired on choice of subjects for earli- 
est revision. 

When demand warrants, important sub- 
jects as fast as finished will be printed for 
the double purpose of accommodating users 
and of discovering faults by actual test be- 
fore incorporation in the main work. 

Details of 7th edition. The most import- 
ant additions are in 

020 Library economy, now carried 

only through 025.29, but to be 
completed this summer for the 
new collection of the New York 
state library school. 
070.1 — .9 Journalism: theories, organiza- 
tion and business details. 
136.7 Child study. Though the basis 

of methods in elementary educa- 
tion, the subject Itself is a ques- 
tion of "mind and body." Those 
strongly preferring the material 
with education may add the sub- 
divisions of 136.7 to 372.1, which 
is left vacant for this purpose. 
355-358 Military science, subdivided 
closely enough for military col- 
lections even in large libraries, 
but to be carried much farther 
for military experts and special 
libraries. 
370 Education. Made with the facil- 

ities of the large New York state 
library collection. 
540 Chemistry. Revised from C D 

by agreement with I I B and with 
advice from .John Crerar and 
Mass. Institute of Technology li- 
braries and Concilium Uibliogra- 
phicum. Revision of 546 and 547 
was postponed by common con- 
sent. 
611-612 Anatomy and physiology, includ- 
ing embryology, histology and 
general physiology of organisms. 
In agreement with Concilium and 
C D schemes are as they will be, 
except for a single minor item. 
621 Mechanical engineering. Includ- 

ing electric engineering. Revised 
in collaboration with University 
of Illinois, Mass. Institute of 



CATALOG SECTION 



229 



Technology and three practlcrl 
engineers, with much minor crit- 
icism. 
623 Military engineering, substan- 

tially the same as C D. 
640 Domestic Economy. Revised 

from the tentative table pre- 
pared by the Lake Placid confer- 
ence on home economics and 
published In New York state li- 
brary Bibliography Bulletin 22, 
1901. 
975.4&977 West Virginia, Ohio, Wisconsin, 
Iowa and Missouri schemes 
made by New York state library 
for its local history collection. 
Besides these, isolated new notes and 
topics are scattered through the tables and 
added to the index. The index is reset in 
linotype, consolidated into one alphabet, 
and enlarged from 196 to 305 pages not only 
by heads from new tables but also by many 
new references to unrevised tables; e. g. 
automobiles and airships, 629. 

Of the 49 numbers in the list of chonges 
only 18 are really changed and n'ost of 
those had been used either very little or 
not at all. Others are merely broadened, 
vacated, or varied by loss or addition of a 
single topic; and only 4 of the 49 are 3 
figure numbers, while 2 of these 4 are only 
made more Inclusive. 

New features are: Biscoe and Olln book 
numbers appended after the Index tables, p. 
789-91, and an Index to the IntroducUon, n 
47-48. 

Use of new tables. Repeating the cau- 
tion and request Introducing the new edi- 
tion, classifiers are asked to use the new 
tables critically and report defects of any 
kind, witli proposed remedies and anv addi- 
tional needed subdivisions; for, as the new 
schemes involve many new interrelations, 
and extensive advance testing has been im- 
practicable. It Is expected that practical ap- 
plication will develop unnoticed faults. 

Corrections and minor additions. A list 
of errors with corrections, minor additions 
to tables and new index references applying 
to earlier editions will be made up and 
mailed this summer. Owners of the 5th and 
6th editions who fall to receive the list after 



seeing notice of it in Library journal or 
Public libraries may know that we lack 
their correct addresses. 

Separates. In response to a large de- 
mand by engineers, mechanical and electri- 
cal engineering will be separately pub'ished 
in a few weeks. Whenever demand will 
cover expenses, any other revised subject 
will be Issued separately with general ex- 
planation, 3 figure tables of other subjects 
and index. 

Basis of revision. New subdivisions are 
based on those made by the I I B in its 
greatly enlarged French translation La clas- 
sification d^cimale. The reason is this: 
when in 1895 the new Institut Interna- 
tional de Bibllographie adopted the D C 
as best adapted to its stupendous enterprise 
of making a classed bibliography of all sub- 
jects in all languages in all periods of the 
world's history, its promoters urged the 
author to expand the whole scheme Imme- 
diately. Ofiicial duties made It then equally 
impossible either to make the extensions 
or to criticise adequately those drafted by 
the Institut, so that the Institut was 
authorized to publish Its tables and prom- 
ised that the American revision would 
adopt them with the least practicable 
change. 

Existing differences between D C and C 
D are of two kinds: (1) those where C D 
abandons D C subdivisions and substitutes 
Its special signs, so that there is no conflict 
or confusion; (2) those where the same 
number has a different meaning In D C 
and C D. These will soon disappear, as the 
Institut has already accepted the D C mean- 
ing for some and it is the settled purpose 
of both Institute and Mr. Dewey to harmon- 
ize the few remaining differences. 

Adoption by I I B of the D C has naturally 
given a great impetus to its use in foreign 
countries and led to its translation into the 
leading European languages. It is the offi- 
cial classification of Norwegian and Cana- 
dian public libraries. 

I I B combination signs. These fascinate 
a close classifier and multiply numbering 
capacity with relatively few characters 
almost to infinity. They are explained in 
the prefatory note to the 7th edition, but are 



230 



PASADENA CONFERENCE 



not incorporated in the tables because be- 
lieved too complex for ordinary use. The 
secretary general ot the Institute, M. Henri 
La Fontaine, assured us, however, when 
at Lake Placid a few days ago, that the In- 
stitute clerks, who are public school boys 
and girls 16 or 17 years old, assign and ar- 
range numbers containing these signs ac- 
curately and easily, so that our fear of them 
is really groundless. 

Future of the Decimal classification. The 
decision to seek a golden mean between 
stagnation and instability by periodic re- 
vision (perhaps every 25 years) to fit un- 
foreseen needs, the permanence of the clas- 
sification shown by the few changes needed 
at the close of its first 35 years, the constant 
enlargement of tables and index, the inher- 
ent capacity of the scheme for unlimited 
growth, its adaptability to any language, 
the international nature of its notation, its 
increasing industrial applications, its al- 
ready widespread and rapidly growing use 
by libraries and for international coopera- 
tive bibliography, seem to justify the confi- 
dent expectations of its European sponsors 
that it will become the standard classifica- 
tion of the world. 



CHARLES MARTEL, chief classifier of 
the Library of Congress, sent a paper con- 
cerning the "Library ot Congress Classifl 
cation," which was read by Miss Harriet A. 
Wood, of the Portland, Ore., library asso- 
ciation. 

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CLASSIFICA- 
TION 

During several years past requests for 
information in regard to its classification 
were received by ihe Library of Congress in 
increasing number. The interior service 
of the library itself could not be supplied 
readily with the requisite number of copies 
of the schedules as the re-classification ad- 
vanced. To satisfy administrative require- 
ments and to meet more promptly and sat- 
isfactorily requests from other libraries It 
was decided therefore to put the existing 
schedules into print. As the re-classifica- 



tion of several main classes was still in 
progress (three being incomplete at this 
date), revision ot the substance had to be 
dispensed with for the time being and prep- 
aration for printing was practically limited 
to matters pertaining to the typographical 
disposition and arrangement. 

A similar request was recently addressed 
to the library by your chairman who 
thought that a statement concerning the 
Library of Congress scheme would prove 
profitable and interesting to this meeting 
of the Catalog Section. In offering the fol- 
lowing brief description in response to that 
request it may be noted that the scheme is 
not and does not mean to be competitive. 
It is a scheme devised for the library's own 
collections. Its possible interest to theo- 
rists and its possible applicability to other 
libraries is gladly recognized by furnishing 
copies of it and answering questions con- 
cerning it. But it is not offered as a model 
scheme nor one compiled with a view to uni- 
versality. In these respects it differs fun- 
damentally from both the Decimal and Ex- 
pansive classifications and in presenting It 
in conjunction with them on the same pro- 
gram it is desired to disavow any intention 
of seeking to compete with them. As it 
stands, the statement is taken substantially 
without modification from a paper prepared 
by me for the New Zealand Library Con- 
ference, April 17-21, 1911, entitled "Classi- 
fication. A brief conspectus of present li- 
brary practice." 

In 1907 a descriptive pamphlet on "The 
Library of Congress and Its work" was is- 
sued from which the following may be 
quoted: "The new system of classification 
is devised from a comparison of existing 
schemes (Including the 'Decimal' and the 
'Expansive') and a consideration of the 
particular conditions in this library, the 
character of its present and probable collec- 
tions, and its probable use. It is assumed 
that the departments of history, political 
and social science, and certain others will 
be unusually large. It Is assumed that in- 
vestigators will be freely admitted to the 
shelves. The system devised has not 
sought to follow strictly the scientific order 
of subjects. It has sought rather conven 



CATALOG SECTION 



231 



ient sequence of the various groups, con- 
sideriug them as groups of books, not as 
groups of mere subjects. It has sought to 
avoid technical, foreign, or unusual terms 
in the designation of these groups. It has 
selected for the symbols to denote them: 
(1) for the classes, a capital letter or a 
double letter; (2) for the subclasses, these 
letters combined with a numeral in ordi- 
nary sequence. Provision for the insertion 
of future groups is: (1) in intervening num- 
bers as yet unused; (2) in the use of deci- 
mals." 

This notation secures for future develop- 
ment the greatest possible elasticity in pro- 
viding for intercalation of new classes or 
subclasses as well as for divisions and sub- 
divisions under subjects. A third letter 
could be resorted to without inconvenience 
if desired, while the numbers for divisions 
might be easily converted into decimals by 
writing them in the form 0001 to 9999. 
The advantage of a shorter mark for many 
thousands of books was considered to 
outweigh the slight esthetic defect of 
a little less symmetry in appearance. 
This consideration was also one of the fac-. 
tors which determined the incorpora- 
tion of the local lists in the sched- 
ules themselves wherever a country or 
other local subarrangement was desired 
under a subject, at the loss (to a certain 
degree only, however) of the mnemonic 
value of a constant symbol for such divis- 
ions when afBxed to the subject number as 
is the practice in the Expansive and the 
Brussels schedules and less effectively in 
the Dewey Decimal classification. 'The 
other factor and the far more important 
one is that the Library of Congress arrange- 
ment permits the grouping under a country 
of all the subdivisions of a subject in logical 
order which are immediately related among 
themselves and have jointly a more inti- 
mate relation to the country than to the 
general theoretical works on the subject, 
while the mechanical application of a local 
list under every subject and various subdi- 
visions under it has the effect of scattering 
in many places material which belongs to- 
gether. The value of the Library of Con- 
gress practice will be recognized, I believe, 



if for instance the subarrangement of such 
subjects as Money, Banking, and Insurance 
is examined in class HG. This does not pre- 
clude the introduction of more or less ex- 
tended local lists under special subjects 
whenever that interest predominates, as is 
often the case with questions of the day in 
tue stage of discussion. The schedules also 
embrace a mass of technical detail in the 
way of tables of form divisions and similar 
devices for the treatment and orderly ar- 
rangement of masses of material such as 
official documents and the like. As a con- 
venient and reasonable compromise be- 
tween the chronological (or scientific) ar- 
rangement of single works which separates 
editions of the same work, and the alpha- 
betical arrangement by author, which 
places side by side works belonging to dif- 
ferent periods of development of a science, 
period divisions with alphabetical subar- 
rangement have been introduced; they are 
fixed to correspond as nearly as may be to 
the periods of development of the science 
In any given case. Pamphlets and similar 
material are, however, as a rule arranged 
by date even within the period division. It 
is hoped that such specifications in the 
schedules may be of service to others who 
have occasion to deal with these minor 
problems. 

The general principle of arrangement 
within the classes or under subjects is as 
follows: (1) General form divisions: Period- 
icals, Societies, Collections, Dictionaries, 
etc. The placing of this material at the 
head of a class, or subject, has besides its 
logical justification, the great practical 
advantage of marking on the shelf, visible 
even at a distance, the beginning of a new 
subject. (2) Theory. Philosophy. (3) 
History. (4) Treatises. General works. 
(5) Law. Regulation. State relations. (6) 
Study and teaching. (7) Special subjects 
and subdivisions of subjects progressing 
from the more general to the specific and 
as far as possible in logical order. When 
among a considerable number of coordinate 
subdivisions of a subject a logical principle 
of order was not readily discernible, the al- 
phabetical arrangement was preferred. The 
general principle has also, to a certain 



232 



PASADENA CONFERENCE 



extent, governed the order of the main 
classes, looking upon the group as a compre- 
hensive class; A Polygraphy; B Philosophy, 
Religion: C — G Historical sciences; H — K 
Socio-political sciences. Law; L Education; 
M Music; N Arts; P Language and Litera- 
ture; Q Science; R — V Applied sciences, 
Technology, etc.; Z Bibliography, the Index 
to the whole. 

It is expected that in the course of the 
year all the schedules will be printed. They 
have been applied in the classification of 
over 1,000,000 volumes in the Library of 
Congress and when completed will have 
been tested on twice that number. A num- 
ber of other libraries, among them several 
highly specialized ones, are using this clas- 
sification and have expressed themselves 
well satisfied. Their experience in some 
cases points to the conclusion that with the 
Library of Congress printed cards and clas- 
sification a library may be more economi- 
cally cataloged and classified and with bet- 
ter results than by any other method at 
present available. 



The next i)aper. written by WILLIAM 
STETSON MERRILL, chief classifier of 
the Newberry library, Chicago, was read 
by Miss Bertha Wakefield, head cataloger 
of the Seattle public library. 

THE PROBLEMS OF CLASSIFICATION 
AND AN A. L. A. CODE 

In American and English libraries and 
presumably to some extent in Continental 
libraries, the problems of classification are 
becoming more and more practical in their 
scope. The makers of classifications to-day 
must work out their schemes with an eye 
to practice and convenience as well as to 
theory. The classification of human knowl 
edge, the true or ideal arrangement of the 
sciences in orderly sequence, is a problem 
that has occupied thinkers from the 
time of Aristotle to our own. This 
problem, Interesting in Itself, is of im- 
portance to the librarian. But in adopt- 
ing a classification for his own use, 
the librarian must bear in mind many other 



features of a classification besides its ideal 
unity, consistency or logical arrangement. 
One may say that any system, however con- 
sistent and philosophic, which does not suit 
the every-day needs of public librarieb 
lo-day, has no chance of general adoption 
or of continued use. Libraries must move 
with the time; they share In the bustle of 
business to some extent and they must 
yield to its demand for organization; they 
are susceptible to the strife of competition 
and must suit their practice to bring about 
quick and effective results. Information is 
demanded to-day in compact and authentic 
form, and people must have it "right away." 
Belated subjects are looked for near one 
another; the plan of classification is ex- 
pected to reflect the literature which it ar- 
ranges, not to break it up into arbitrary di- 
visions. So far as classification can accom- 
plish these ends and meet these demands 
it is bound to do so. Practical usefulness is 
the criterion by which a new system must 
be selected; it is also the test by which ex- 
isting systems will be tried in the future. 

There are a number of systems of classi- 
fication in the field, logically arranged 
and carefully worked out with reference 
to the practical needs of libraries. The 
librarian who is about to classify or 
to reclassify his library may choose be- 
tween them. Each has certain points 
of advantage and of disadvantage which 
must be weighed and considered with 
reference to the character and needs 
of the library adopting it. Certain prime 
requisites may, however, be mentioned 
which should be found in any system of 
classification either now in use or intended 
for the use of American libraries, and with- 
out these characteristics it is safe to say 
rhat no system will continue to hold its own 
in library science. 

The first requirement of a classification 
is that it shall be adapted to classify the 
literature of the present time as well as of 
past time; that is to say, in nomenclature 
and arrangement it must be either up to 
date or else capable of modification to 
make it so. The second requirement of a 
classification is that it shall be expansive or 
susceptible ff addition to accommodate new 



CATALOG SECTION 



233 



topics, new points of view, new sciences and 
new affiliations of old sciences. The word 
expansive is used here In a wide sense. 
Any system that allows the insertion of 
new headings in their proper places in 
the scheme, either by leaving gaps or by 
allowing for an indefinitely expanded no- 
tation, fulfils this requirement, whether 
the system is called expansive by its 
author or not. This brings us to a third 
feature of classification, namely, that its 
notation shall not hamper its due ex 
pansion and growth, but shall serve as 
a means of conserving its orderly ar- 
rangement. Too often, it is to be feared, 
a desirable change or the addition of a new 
heading in a system of classification is de- 
ferred because the notation does not allow 
for it. This is to invert the true function of 
a notation. 

Such may be called the general problems 
of the classifier. They form part of the law 
of his profession; let us turn now to its 
practice. That there are serious problems 
In the actual assignment of books to their 
appropriate classes has been brought home 
to every classifier of experience, and the 
longer he classifies the more numerous and 
serious seem these problems; at least such 
is my experience after sixteen years de- 
voted almost exclusively to this branch of 
library service. Some of these problems 
may be grouped as follows: (1) the deter- 
mination of the primary content of a book; 

(2) choice between two or more topics in a 
book, given equal or nearly equal weight; 

(3) conflict of two classes facing, like 
Janus, two ways; (4) the treatment of indi- 
viduals; (5) form versus content; (6) In- 
dexing. As these headings are somewhat 
abstract, let us consider them briefly in the 
concrete. 

The first principle of library classification 
is, or in my opinion should be, to classify 
a book according to what may be called its 
primary content, or in scholastic terms, ac- 
cording to the "first intention" of its author. 
"What is this book about?" should be in 
the mind of the classifier, not "Why is it 
■written?" or "Where will It be useful?" 
Let it be noted that usefulness is, of course, 
the main purpose of classification but for 



practical purposes it is best attained by fol- 
lowing a scheme of classification and not by 
departing from it. The scheme Itself is sup- 
posed to group a class where It will be most 
useful; the practice of the classifier should 
be to place under its class every book that 
belongs there by its main content. 

The choice between two topics treated in 
a book has two aspects. First, the arrange- 
ment of the classification itself may sepa- 
rate, for example, art from archaeology, 
politics from history, drama from theatre. 
Or a question may arise from the dual con- 
tent of the book itself, which may treat of 
two things, two subjects, or the influence of 
one agency upon another. Shall a book on 
the influence of Italian upon French litera- 
ture go under the first or under the second 
literature? Where shall we class the con- 
troversy between F^nelon and Bossuet re- 
garding Quietism, a matter both personal 
and theological? Shall memoirs and biog- 
raphies of individuals always go in the class 
biography or shall the classification be de- 
termined by the amount of personal ele- 
ment in the book? Books on "geography 
and history," "music and morals," "evolu- 
tion and the fall of man" are problems 
seemingly indifferent as to solution unless 
the classifier is guided by certain principles 
of procedure; and unless he have a grasp of 
principles, a classifier runs the risk of con- 
tinual inconsistency in his work. 

The question of form versus content re- 
lates to the proper classification of series, 
poetry, drama, ballads, historical fiction, 
periodicals and the like. Here classifiers 
will differ as to following the subject of the 
book or classing it by Its literary form. 

Finally the bearing of an index of the 
classification upon the subject catalog of 
the library is one that demands careful con- 
sideration. The relation of the classifica- 
tion itself to the catalog and to reference 
work is a broad subject, and all that may be 
said here is that duplication of work should 
be avoided. The subject catalog should be 
planned to bring out always some aspect, 
grouping or bearing of a subject that is not 
brought out by the classification, and vice 
versa. 

This most cursory survey of the field cer- 



234 



PASADENA CONFERENCE 



tainly reveals one significant feature of clas- 
sification to-day, namely its lack of code of 
procedure. Every classifier must learn 
somehow or other to classify; he learns this 
partly by instruction but more by experi- 
ence. Yet the fruits of his experience are, 
as a rule, available to no one besides him- 
self. Some libraries keep a record of im- 
portant decisions regarding the classifying 
of books, such as series, memoirs, books of 
dual content and the like. But it is doubt- 
ful if any library has set seriously to work 
to reduce these decisions to a system of 
principles applicable to various types of 
books. Certainly classifiers of less experi- 
ence get practically no assistance in this di- 
rection from their better equipped col- 
leagues. 

The time has come, in my opinion, for the 
A. L. A. to take in hand the compilation of 
a code of procedure for library classifica- 
tion. The task may well be undertaken by 
a committee acting along lines similar to 
those followed by the committee on cata- 
log rules. The field is virgin soil; its capac- 
ities are as yet almost unknown. But I 
am convinced that when we begin to culti- 
vate It the yield will be a surprise all 
round. The cataloger has had perhaps all 
the aid and attention that he needs for the 
present. Let us turn now to the classifier. 
The course of procedure in classification 
has been left either to the incidental direc- 
tions or expressions of opinion scattered 
through the published schemes, or to the 
individual judgment of classifiers or teach- 
ers in library schools. Procedure in the de- 
partment of classification is in the stage 
that cataloging was before the publication 
of Cutter's Rules. It Is a congeries of max- 
ims, opinions and local practices. Let us 
gather and sort these maxims, and when we 
have discerned the principles underlying 
them, let us formulate these principles into 
a code that may be as practical and as use- 
ful to the profession as our catalog code has 
proven to be. Such a work is timely, it 
looks practicable, and it is certainly worth 
the doing. 

The following resolution sent by Mr. Mer- 
rill, was read and approved and ordered 
referred to the Executive board: 



WHEREAS, there has hitherto been no 
general code of practice for the use of li- 
brary classifiers, embodying the principles 
of classifying books and codifying the gath- 
ered experience of expert classifiers; and 

WHEREAS, such a code may be of serv- 
ice in connection with any recognized sys- 
tem of classification or notation, 

BE IT RESOLVE:d by the A. L. A. Cata- 
log section, in conference assembled, that 
the Executive board of the American li- 
brary association be advised and requested 
to appoint a Committee (1) to consider the 
advisability, practicability and mode of 
procedure of compiling an official code for 
classifiers; (2) to report at an early date to 
the Executive board; and (3) to be empow- 
ered by the Executive board to take such 
further steps as shall bo deemed best. 

The subject of the next paper was "In- 
dexing and Indexes." by EMMA HELEN 
BLAIR, of Madison, Wis., one of the edi- 
tors of "The Philippines," and an expert 
indexer. In the absence of Miss Blair her 
paper was read by Miss Oakley. 

INDEXING AND INDEXERS. 

Mr. W. F. Poole is quoted as saying that 
'indexing is a task that is only fit for prison 
convicts, but nevertheless it demrinds 
brains." It is often tedious, and much of it 
is drudgery to even the most optimistic 
temperament; but it has some compensa- 
tions withal. There is a satisfaction in any 
kind of work which reduces chaos to order, 
which erects an edifice from scattered piles 
of brick and lime and lumber, which cuts 
roads through the wilderness for travelers 
and explorers; and just such benefits as 
these are conferred on the reading public 
hy good indexers. Most bonivs outside of 
fiction and other light reading are used 
more for reference than for steady perusal, 
and those who use them — from the high- 
school lad who wants material for his exer- 
cise in composition to the botanist who is 
listing all the mosses in the Lake Superior 
region — need guides to the information de- 
sired, even as a saving of time alone. And 
this not only for historical works, and sci- 



CATALOG SECTION 



235 



entific monographs, and records of research 
on special technical lines, but even more for 
biographies, travels, books on education and 
literary criticism, etc. — wherein highly val- 
uable and recent information is often hid- 
den away in odd corners where few would 
think to search. An index is therefore a 
most helpful addition to a book which has 
added anything of value to the general 
store of knowledge, in any line of thought 
or discovery. Both publishers and writers 
realize this fact more than they did a few 
decades ago, and most "worth while" books 
now have indexes of some sort. 

E.it there are indexes and indexes. Often 
the reader encounters a mere finding-list of 
names, personal and geographical, not un- 
frequently attached to a string of figures 
without distinction or explanation. It talves 
much enthusiasm to make him wade 
through 25 to 50 page-references, many of 
which may prove to be mere mentions of 
the subject. Sometimes the indexer — es- 
pecially if hp be the author of the book, and 
a novice in indexing — will add a sort of 
drapery to this framework of name- 
lists by giving similar strings of page- 
references for a few subjects in which he 
happens to be especially interested, and to 
such extent as he regards important. The 
only really satisfactory style of index for a 
book is the analytical; bjit the extent and 
closeness of the analysis will of course vary 
with the nature and needs of the book in- 
dexed. The important series of voyages, 
travels, and historical works published by 
the Hakluyt Society of England is a per- 
fect treasure-house of information about all 
the countries in the world and their peoples, 
and sadly needs an index; presumably one 
for the first series (containing 100 volumes) 
is in process of making by the secretary, 
who announced this undertaking some five 
years ago. Another series of great value 
is The Sacred Books of the East, in 49 vol- 
umes; the index to this has just been fin- 
ished by Prof. M. Winternitz, who has 
worked at it since 1894, and it is character- 
ized as "an analytical index aiming to be a 
scientific classification of religious phe- 
nomena." 

Many books of scientific and technical 



nature are hard to index, except by a per- 
son who has had training on such lines or at 
least some acquaintance with the subject, 
especially when they deal with the science 
of thought; such books usually require at 
least the supervision of a scientific expert. 
But when they are concerned with the sci- 
ence of fact, they should be handled with- 
out serious difficulty by a person of clear, 
systematic mind who has a wide range of 
general knowledge and reading. Indeed, 
this background of general knowledge is an 
important factor of success in any quasi- 
literary work, as proof-reading, indexing, 
and translating; in any of these there 
seems to be use for every scrap of knowl- 
edge that one has ever picked up. The old- 
time printing office rule was, "Follow copy, 
if you follow it out of the window;" but it 
will not answer to take refuge behind this 
in some cases, even when the copy is type- 
written. At times, the responsibility falls 
on proof-reader, indexer, and translator of 
deciding what the copy or original ought to 
be, rather than what it is; they must have 
some understanding of what the author 
meant to say, or really thought, or ought to 
have stated, and make due correction or 
query. 

Another field for indexing is that of mag- 
azines and newspapers, and the journals 
and transactions of learned societies; this 
is usually an easier kind of work, since in 
most cases only the names of writers, the 
titles of papers, and the subjects of the lat- 
ter, are required. Unfortunately, most 
work in this field has been very poorly done 
— so much so, that Mr. Poole in his invalu- 
able index of periodicals was compelled to 
adopt the rule, for himself and his assist- 
ants, of not using the magazine indexes. 
Occasionally a periodical devoted to some 
scientific or professional field will desire a 
fairly comprehensive index of that special 
subject in its various aspects or connec- 
tions. Some of the leading daily newspa- 
pers in the large cities have had their files 
indexed; some others have attempted or 
begun such indexes, but soon abandoned the 
effort, because of its cost. This timidity, 
however, is short-sighted, if the proprietors 
can possibly spare the money; for each 



236 



PASADENA CONFERENCE 



year's neglect renders greater the difficulty 
of reference to the past flies, and the appa- 
rent cost of the necessary work, while the 
yearly cost of keeping It up is compara- 
tively small when once the previous files 
are indexed. An index of this sort requires 
the best sort of work, and a person of expe- 
rience, judgment, and knowledge of the 
world of affairs — especially an acquaint- 
ance with political matters, both general 
and local. 

Still other places where this sort of work 
is demanded (and it is a steadily increas- 
ing demand) are state departments and 
commissions, municipal offices, banks, in- 
surance and railway companies, law offices, 
commercial firms and publishing houses. 
In all these places the idea of indexing 
has arisen with the great increase of busi- 
ness the world over, in both extent and 
complexity; and it is simply a feature of 
the systematic and methodical organiza- 
tion which is everywhere rendered nec- 
essary by that increase. 

What sort of person is suited for doing 
such work? The qualifications and equip- 
ment that it requires are more native than 
acquired, more in personality than in book- 
learning; yet these latter furnishings are of 
great value. The first-cla^s indexer is, like 
the poet, the critic, the translator, "born, 
not made;" yet we would all rejoice if there 
were fewer vacancies in the ranks of the 
second class, in all those kinds of achieve- 
ment. Indexing is not commonly classed 
with the fine arts or the learned profes- 
sions; but let not him who practices it re- 
gard it as a trade. To him, at least, it 
should be as an art and a profession; and, 
If he so regards it, that feeling will be evi- 
dent in the quality and value of his work 
when done. It is only work of this sort that 
will bring the demand for more. It is cer- 
tainly as true in indexing as in all other 
employments that really successful work 
must be the expression of high ideals in 
standards and aims; and that, since such 
ideals are all too rare among workers in 
every line, there is "always room at the 
top." 

To "index" a book Is, according to the dic- 
tionary, "to point out, to render available 



the information therein contained." But 
the Indexer himself must first see those 
things before he can show them to others; 
nor can he safely halt at mere facts and 
figures in the text. He must be able to see 
the real meaning or import when it is only 
implied, the undercurrent of the author's 
thought or purpose, the tendencies of a 
nation's social life, the basis of its eco- 
nomic conditions, or the gradual develop- 
ment of a scientific theory. Next is needed 
what a well-known librarian calls 'the clas- 
sified mind," which marshals all these facts 
and theories in orderly array, in systematic 
connection, in logical sequence. There are 
three main plans of arrangement under the 
respective headings: the alphabetical, the 
chronological, and the logical. Each of 
these has special advantages for special 
purposes; the nature of the matter indexed 
must determine which should be chosen in 
each case. Always the aim should be to ren- 
der the information accessible to its readers 
in terms as simple, clear, and accurate 
as possible — to which end the indexer 
should not let himself be trammeled before- 
hand by any mere theory or cut-and-dried 
plan of work. It is as true in indexing as 
in cataloging and classification that any 
system must, to be really useful and valu- 
able, have sufficient elasticity and flexibility 
to adapt it to varying circumstances and 
needs, and that "cast-iron" rules are often 
far more honored in the breach than in the 
observances. It would be folly to use the 
same plan for indexing Prof. William 
James's book on "Pragmatism" and Lieu- 
tenant Shackleton's report of his Antarctic 
explorations. Each book shapes a system 
for Itself, according to its purpose and 
scope. Shall the analytical index be full or 
short? This requires a suitable sense of 
proportion: the subjects discussed within 
one book may be of varying importance, 
and sometimes but few of them need exten- 
sive development, so that it would be waste 
of time to treat them all alike. Nor is it 
well to supply much predlgested food for 
the reader; as long as he can reach it eas- 
ily, it is better that he do most of his own 
cutting and chewing, unless the matter is 
unusually difficult or complicated. 



CATALOG SECTION 



237 



When the Indexer undertakes a piece of 
work, how can it be best performed? The 
prime requisite in method is economy of 
labor and time, both of these being equiva- 
lent terms for money — which neither pub- 
lishers nor authors, and still less commer- 
cial houses, are inclined to lavish upon such 
work. Very few persons have any adequate 
idea of the cost of making an index of any 
sort. The other day I received a letter rela- 
tive to "a card index for the Jour- 
nal (27 volumes). Kindly give an estimate 
of the time this work would require, and 
the probable charge for the same." As no 
other data were furnished for the estimate 
asked, it reminded me of the experience of 
the prophet Daniel, when the king not only 
desired him to interpret his dream, but to 
relate the dream itself, which the king had 
forgotten. 

Some printed instructions for indexing 
advise the student to make all his single 
index cards, then verify and check each 
entry from the text, then arrange the slips 
in the desired order, and finish by copying 
them all on clean sheets for the printer. I 
have known of a few indexes made in this 
way, and consequently about twice as ex- 
pensive as they ought to be; but the em- 
ployers are not likely to follow this plan a 
second time, and no publisher or editor who 
knows anything about indexing is willing to 
pay for such waste of time. A good in- 
dexer will make each entry correctly at the 
start, and not need to verify it; he will 
write each card in a good legible hand 
which can be used as it stands for printer's 
copy; and he will so plan the work as to 
avoid copying or rewriting cards, whenever 
possible. If you will pardon the personal 
allusion, I will describe my own plan for 
economy of time and effort. As I make 
each card with its subject-heading and first 
reference thereto, I lay it on the table be- 
fore me, in its proper alphabetical place; 
and for each new reference to that subject 
I add simply the page-number to that card, 
until it is full, or the subject is no longer 
mentioned; one card will thus contain from 
20 to 40 page-references. As the cards in- 
crease, I place them in piles keeping t(j- 
gether those of a similar meaning or rela- 



tionship, and following wherever practi- 
cable, an alphabetical arrangement. Per- 
sonal names I place in one pile, alphabet- 
ically. If I want any card I can turn to it 
quickly, to add a new reference; nor do I 
use as much time in this as I would spend in 
writing a new heading for another card; 
moreover, I thus save the handling of an 
immense number of cards when I come to 
the sorting and arranging after the first 
cards are written. At the present time I 
have on my table about 5,000 cards, thus 
classified, in 50 piles, representing the 
work of indexing a series of over twenty 
volumes; and most of them are all ready 
for the printer. If each entry had been 
written on a separate card, I probably 
would have on hand some 15,000 cards, at a 
low estimate. To do work in this way 
requires considerable experience, with a 
good memory, and what the phrenologists 
call a good bump of locality; and many 
persons choose the more diffuse and cum- 
bersome method rather than try to keep so 
many cards in mind. But, as it has been 
already stated, there is no iron rule for 
this; each person should find out in what 
way he can work most naturally and effect- 
ively, and follow it. 

The headings for cards should be selected 
with judgment, accuracy, and sense of 
their relative importance, and should be 
worded very clearly and concisely; they 
constitute the basis on which the index- 
matter will be classified in its compilation, 
and should be such as the reader of the book 
would most naturally look for. After all 
are written, they are arranged in alphabeti- 
cal order, cards under one heading com- 
bined when necessary, and cross-references 
inserted when these are desirable to con- 
nect subjects related to each other; finally, 
all are pasted on sheets, in due order, and 
are ready for the printer. 

A few suggestions may be made as to in- 
dexing the clippings, circulars, old maga- 
zines, and other stray material that drifts 
into a library or a professional man's study. 
We all know how such flotsam accumulates 
— often not worth classifying and catalog- 
ing, yet containing something one wishes 
to use and preserve. The daily newspapers 



238 



PASADENA CONFERENCE 



contain much that is useful for reference 
and for library bulletins, especially where 
school children and study-clubs undertake 
to keep track of current events. The speci- 
men or duplicate copies of magazines and 
illustrated weeklies, sometimes also book- 
circulars, contain views, portraits, historic 
scenes or buildings, fine engravings, col- 
ored pictures of birds and flowers, which 
are worth saving. There is much material 
in magazines and newspapers describing 
the educational and philanthropic move- 
ments of the day, that may be used to 
advantage by local welfare associations. 
The librarian may save much of the above- 
named material, and friends of the library 
can be secured in almost every community 
who will aid her in similar ways. If pic- 
tures, clippings, etc., are roughly classified, 
and placed in pamphlet cases, or card or 
envelope boxes, or large manila envelopes, 
they will occupy but little space and can 
be easily found when required. For this 
purpose, each should have a corresponding 
index-card, on which is written the subject, 
name of magazine or paper from which it 
was taken, and a reference to the box or 
envelope in which it is kept — the latter to 
be designated by some word, letter, or num- 
ber, which is repeated on the card. As these 
cards are for merely occasional or tempo- 
rary use, they may be written with a pencil 
and require no elaboration in style; centi- 
meter spacing, and red-ink headings, and 
canary cards are quite superfluous for this 
use. When the club-woman wants informa- 
tion about open-air schools, or folk-dances, 
or juvenile courts, the librarian is quite 
likely to find in her boxes some information 
on these subjects that is not in printed 
books, but showing what is being actually 
done at this very time in Chicago or Ro- 
chester or Boston. Or she can give the 
school children a description of King 
George's coronation, or an account of the 
way In which Uncle Sam recently obtained 
in Algeria, many new varieties of dates to 
be planted in the hot deserts of Arizona, or 
the narrative of Dr. Grenfell's noble mission 
work in Labrador — all beautifully Illus- 
trated: and the simple index above de- 
scribed will enable her to turn very quickly 



and easily to any of them. This is only 
one of the many ways in which the people, 
especially the children, may be brought into 
closer contact with the world of affairs, the 
great movement of human progress which 
never before in the world's history has been 
so rapid and broad. 

I have not had leisure to ascertain to 
what extent indexing is taught in the 
library schools; but 1 was told about three 
years ago, by two of the most prominent 
librarians in the country, that the demand 
for such instruction was increasing and 
that it ought to be given in the library 
schools. It would seem a pity to load upon 
most of their students much work addi- 
tional to their present strenuous and in- 
tense curriculum; but, where judicious 
substitution can be made for some of their 
work, or where some of it can be required 
before entrance, those schools would seem 
to be a fit and proper agency for providing 
instruction in both indexing and proof-read- 
ing. Room for this may be found in the 
probable changes which for some time have 
been visible on the horizon, in the scope, 
conduct, and methods of the library schools 
of this coimtry — changes which will doubt- 
less be hastened and shaped to a consider- 
able extent by the establishment of the 
proposed institute for library training in 
New York City with a rich endowment by 
Mr. Andrew Carnegie. This new institu- 
tion may reasonably be expected to estab- 
lish new and higher standards of training, 
and to furnish advanced and more highly 
specialized courses of study, with new and 
up-to-date methods; and those features 
will naturally reflect their influence and 
be to some extent repeated in the other 
schools. Definite results in the advance- 
ment of library work and standards must 
certainly result from the recent establish- 
ment of the A. L. A. section for matters 
connected with professional library train- 
ing. The outlook is very hopeful in all 
directions. 

Mr. C. W. Andrews read the following 
letter from Miss Harriet W. Pierson, of the 
catalog department of the Library of Con- 
gress: 



CATALOG SECTION 



239 



Mr. Andrew Keogh, May 13, 1911. 

Yale University, 

New Haven, Conn. 
Dear Sir: 

I wish that the question of the official 
English form of name for international 
congresses and bodies might be discussed 
at the meeting of the American library 
association. The A. L. A. rule is as fol- 
lows (101): 

International meetings. Enter inter- 
national meetings, conferences, and con- 
gresses, of private persons, under their 
English names provided their publications 
have appeared in English or that language 
is specified as one of the official languages 
of the conference. In other cases enter 
under the name in the language in which 
most of the publications have appeared, 
or when this cannot be ascertained, under 
the name by which the conference is best 
known. 

International congress of Orientalists, 
with references from Orientalists, Inter- 
national congress of; Congr^s international 
des orientalistes; Internatlonaler oriental- 
isten congress, etc., etc. 

This seems, on the whole, to be the most 
satisfactory rule that could be framed. 
Experience has shown, however, that much 
time is consumed in searching tor the Eng- 
lish form of name; if found, it is difficult to 
choose one of several forms; if not found, 
and entry Is printed in vernacular form, 
it frequently happens that the English name 
soon afterward appears, and the cards have 
to be reprinted, involving no little expense. 

As is no doubt known to you, there exists 
at Brussels an institution called the "Office 
central des institutions Internationales," 
which has published a work most useful 
to catalogers, entitled "Annuaire de la vie 
Internationale. 1908-09." 

It seems to be within the scope of the 
work of the Office to simplify and to make 
uniform the names of international meet- 



ings and bodies. May not American libra- 
rians very properly make a recommenda- 
tion to the Office to the effect that they 
secure from the various international or- 
ganizations which have English speaking 
delegates, an official form of the name in 
English, this to be printed in a new edition 
of the Annuaire, or in the publications of 
the congresses, as is already done in a few 
cases. 

I understand that the committee to con- 
sider the extension of the international 
cataloging rules will probably have Its 
headquarters in Brussels. If invited to do 
so by the A. L. A. Catalog section, would 
not this committee be able to arrange the 
matter with the Office central des institu- 
tions Internationales? 

Very respectfully, 
(Signed) HARRIET W. PIERSON. 

Mr. Andrews said he heartily endorsed 
her suggestion; that at The John Crerar 
library the French form is used, but he 
would be glad to see an official form adopt- 
ed. It was voted to refer the matter to 
the Executive board. 

Mr. Lane, librarian of Harvard univer- 
sity, explained the system of classification 
in use in the university library, and also 
gave much information in regard to the 
printing of catalog cards undertaken by 
the library, the field covered, price of 
cards, etc. 

After miscellaneous discussion the nomi- 
nating committee reported as follows for 
officers for 1912: 

For chairman. Miss Laura A. Thomp- 
son, cataloger. Library of Congress, Wash- 
ington, D. C. 

For secretary. Miss Mary Elizabeth Haw- 
ley, asst. cataloger, John Crerar library, 
Chicago. These officers were elected. 

Adjourned. 



CHILDREN'S LIBRARIANS' SECTION 



FIRST SESSION 
Saturday afternoon, May 20. 

The first session of the Children's libra- 
rians' section was a public meeting held In 
the Shakespeare club-house, under the aus- 
pices of the Pasadena women's clubs. Mr. 
HENRY E. LEGLER, librarian of the Chi- 
cago public library, gave an address, illus- 
trated with lantern slides, on 

LIBRARY WORK WITH CHILDREN 
Not long since a man of genius took a 
lump of formless clay, and beneath the cun- 
ning of his hand there grew a great sym- 
bol of life. He called it Earthbound. An 
old man Is bowed beneath the sorrow of 
the world. Under the weight of burdens 
that seemingly they cannot escape, a 
younger man and his faithful mate stagger 
with bent forms. Between them is a little 
child. Instead of a body supple and straight 
and instinct with freedom and vigor, the 
child's body yields to the weight of heredity 
and environment, whose crushing Influence 
press the shoulders down. 

In this striking group the artist pictures 
for us the world-old story of conditions 
which meet the young lives of one genera- 
tion, and are transmitted to the next. It 
is a picture that was true a thousand years 
ago; it is a picture that is faithful of con- 
ditions to-day. Perhaps its modern guise 
might be more aptly and perhaps no less 
strikingly shown, as it recently appeared 
in the form of a cartoon illustrating Mrs. 
Elizabeth Barrett Browning's verse: 

The Cry of the Children 
Do ye hear the children weeping, O my 
brothers. 
Ere the sorrow comes with years? 
They are leaning their young heads against 
their mothers. 
And that cannot stop their tears. 
The young lambs are bleating In the mea- 
dows. 
The young birds are chiriiing in the nest. 



The young fawns are playing with the 
shadows, 
The young flowers are blowing towards 
the west — 
Dut the young, young children, O my broth- 
ers. 
They are weeping bitterly! 
They are weeping in the playtime of the 
others, 
In the country of the free. 

Do you question the young children in the 
sorrow, 
Why their tears are falling so? 
The old man may weep for his to-morrow 

Which is lost in long ago; 
The old tree is leafless in the forest. 
The old year is ending in the frost. 
The old wound, if stricken, is the sorest. 

The old hope is hardest to be lost; 
But the young, young children, O my broth- 
ers. 
Do you ask them why they stand 
Weeping sore before the bosoms of their 
mothers, 
In our happy Fatherland? 

« • * * * * 

Go out, children, from the mine and from 
the city. 
Sing out, children, as the little thrushes 
do. 
Pluck your handfuls of the meadow cow- 
slips pretty, 
Laugh aloud to feel your lingers let them 
through! 

Only in recent years has there grown 
into fulness a conception of what the duty 
of society is towards the child. For near two 
thousand years it was a world of grown-ups 
for grown-ups. Children there have been — 
many millions of them — but they were 
merely Incidental to the scheme of things. 
Society regarded them not as an asset, ex- 
cept perhaps for purposes of selflsh ex- 
ploitation. If literature reflects contempo- 
rary life with fidelity, we may well marvel 
tliat for so many hundreds of years the 



CHILDREN'S LIBRARIANS' SECTION 



241 



boys and girls of their generation were so 
little regarded that they are rarely men- 
tioned in song or story. When they are, 
we are afforded glimpses of a curious atti- 
tude of aloofness or of harshness. No- 
where do we meet the artlessness of child- 
hood. In a footnote here, in a marginal 
gloss there, such references as appear point 
to torture and cruelty, to distress and 
tears. In the early legends of the Chris- 
tians, in the pagan ballads of the olden 
time, what there is of child life but illus- 
trates the brutal selfishness of the elders. 

Certainly, no people understood as well 
as did the Jews that the child is the 
prophecy of the future, and that a nation 
is kept alive not by memory but by hope. 
Childhood to them was "the sign of fulfill- 
ment of glorious promises; the burden of 
psalm and prophecy was of a golden age ui 
come, not of one that was in the dim past." 
So in the greatest of all books we come 
frequently upon phrases displaying this at- 
titude: 

"There shall yet old men and old wouieu 
dwell in the streets of Jerusalem, and 
every man with his staff in his hand for 
very age. And the streets of the city shall 
be full of boys and girls playing in the 
streets thereof." 

"They shall remember me in far coun- 
tries; and they shall live with their chil- 
dren." 

And most significant of all: "Suffer the 
little children to come unto me." 

In the centuries intervening, up to a hun- 
dred years ago, the men of pen and the 
men of brush give us a few touches now 
and then suggestive of childhood. How- 
ever, they are observers rather than inter- 
preters of childhood and its meaning. In 
the works of the great master painters, the 
dominant note is that of maternity, or the 
motive is devotional purely. Milton's great 
ode on the Nativity bears no message other 
than this. In the graphic tale that Chaucer 
tells about Hugh of Lincoln, race hatred is 
the underlying sentiment, and the Inno- 
cence of the unfortunate widow's son ap- 
pears merely to heighten the evil of his 
captors and not as typical of boyhood. 

Of the goodly company known collect- 



ively as the Elizabethan writers, silence as 
to the element of childhood is profound. In 
all the comedies and the tragedies of the 
greatest dramatist of all, children play but 
minor parts. In none of them save in King 
John, where historic necessity precludes 
the absence of the princes In the Tower, 
they might be wholly omitted without im- 
pairment of the structure. In the Merry 
Wives of Windsor, Mistress Anne Page's 
son is briefly introduced, and is there made 
the vehicle for conversation which in this 
age might be regarded as gross suggestive- 
ness. 

True, that is a rarely tender passage in 
the Winter's Tale wherein Hermione 
speaks with her beloved boy, and the pa- 
thos of Arthur's plea as he asks Hubert 
to spare his eyes is of course a master- 
piece of literature; these, however, the sum 
total of the great dramatist's significant 
references to childhood. 

In the great works on canvas, save where 
the Christ-child is depicted, may be noted 
that same absence of the spirit of child- 
hood. Wealthy and royal patrons, indeed, 
encouraged great artists to add favorite 
sons and daughters to the array of portraits 
in their family galleries. In time, the ar- 
tists gave to the progeny of the nobility 
and the aristocracy generally, such crea- 
tions as to them seemed appropriate to 
their years. These poses are but the cari- 
cature of childhood. Morland, Gainsbor- 
ough, Sir Joshua Reynolds and other artists 
of their day represented the children at 
their wealthy patrons in attitudes which 
savor somewhat of burlesque, though it 
may have been intended quite seriously to 
hedge them about with spontaneity. 

It has been said that "a child's life finds 
its chief expression in play, and that in 
play its social instincts are developed." If 
this be true, we find in some contemporary 
canvases of this English school a curious 
reproduction of the favorite pastimes of 
children. One is called "bird-nesting," the 
title descriptive of the favorite diversion 
thus depicted. Another bears the legend 
"Snow-balling," and with no apparent dis- 
approval save on the part of the little vic- 
tims, shows a group of larger children ruth- 



242 



PASADEXA CONFERENCE 



lessly snow-balllng some smaller ones who 
have sought shelter in the portico of a 
church. Some distance down the street the 
form of an aged woman suggests another 
victim of youthful playfulness. 

A century and a half ago there was boni. 
frail at first but with constant growth, a 
perception that the great moving forces of 
life contain elements hitherto disregarded. 
Rousseau sounded his thesis, Pestalozzl be- 
gan to teach, and but a little later on, Froe- 
bel expounded his tenets. We need not be 
concerned as to the controversial disputa- 
tion of rival schools of pedagogues whose 
claims for one ignore the merits of the 
other. A new thought came into being, and 
both Pestalozzl and Froebel contributed to 
its diffusion — whether in the form of Pes- 
talozzi's ideal, "I must do good to the child," 
or Proebel's, "I must do good through the 
child," or perhaps a measurable merging 
of the two. 

Responsive to the note of life and thought 
around them, the great authors of prose 
and verse began to inject the new expres- 
sion of feeling into what they wrote. Per- 
haps best reflected, as indeed it proved 
most potent in molding public opinion, this 
thought entered into the novels of Charles 
Dickens. These, in the development of 
child life as a social force, not only re- 
corded history; they made history, and the 
virile pencils of Leech and Phiz and Cruik- 
shank aided what became a movement. 

For the first time in literature, with sym- 
pathetic insight, there was laid bare the 
misery of childhood among the lowly and 
unfortunate, and the pathos of unhappy 
childhood was pictured with all its tragic 
consequences to society as a whole. In 
the story of Poor .loe. the street-crossing 
sweeper, who was always told to move on, 
we read the stories of thousands of the 
boys of to-day. His brief tenantry of Tom- 
all-Alones shows us the prototype of many 
thousands of living places in the slums of 
our own time. Conditions which environ 
growing boys and girls — not only thousands 
of men, but many millions — in the con- 
gested cities of the Anglo-Saxon world, are 
well suggested by the names which have 
been given in derision, or brutally descrip- 



tive as the case may be, to such centers of 
human hiving as the House of Blazes and 
Chicken-foot Alley, in Providence; Hell's 
Kitchen in New York; the Bad Lands in 
Milwaukee; Tin Can Alley, Bubbly Creek 
and Whiskey Row back of the stockyards 
in Chicago. In these regions and in others 
like them darkness and filth hold forth to- 
gether where the macaroni are drying; 
broken pipes discharge sewage in the base- 
ment living quarters where the bananas 
are ripening; darkness and filth dwell to- 
gether in the tenement cellars where the 
garment-worker sews the buttons on for 
the sweat-shop taskmaster; goats live ami- 
ably with human kids in the cob-webbed 
basements where little hands are twisting 
stems for flowers; in the unlovely stable 
lofts where dwell a dozen persons in a 
place never intended for one; in window- 
less attics of tall tenements where frail 
lives grow frailer day by day. 

Lisabetta, Marianna, Piametta, Teresina, 
They are winding stems of roses, one by 

one, one by one — 
I^ittle children who have never learned to 

play ; 
Teresina softly crying that her fingers ache 

to-day. 
Tiny Flametta nodding when the twilight 

slips in, gray. 

High above the clattering street, ambulance 

and flre-gong beat; 
They sit, curling crimson petals, one by 

one, one by one. 
Lisabetta, Marianna, Flametta, Teresina, 
They have never seen a rosebush nor a 

dewdrop in the sun. 
They will dream of the vendetta, Teresina, 

Flametta, 

Of a Black Hand and a Face behind a grat- 
ing; 

They will dream of cotton petals, endless, 
crimson, suffocating. 

Never of a wild rose thicket, nor the sing- 
ing of a cricket; 

But the ambulance will bellow through the 
wanness of their dreams. 

And their tired lids will flutter with the 
street's hysteric screams. 



CHILDREIX'S LIBRARIANS' SECTION 



243 



Lisabetta, Marianna, Fiametta, Teresina, 
They are winding stems o£ roses, one by 

one. one by one; 
Let them have a long, long playtime. Lord 

of Toil, when toil is done; 
Fill their baby hands with roses, joyous 

roses of the sun. 

Reverting to Poor Tom, well may the 
words of Dickens in Bleak House serve as 
a text for to-day: "There is not an atom 
of Tom's shrine, not a cubic inch of any 
pestilential gas in which he lives, nor an 
obscurity or degradation about him. nor an 
ignorance, nor a wickedness, nor a bru- 
tality of his committing, but shall work its 
retribution, through every order of society 
up to the proudest of the proud and the 
highest of the high." 

Whatever of permanence the ideal de- 
mocracy which underlies our institutions 
may achieve, it will not be the survival of 
conditions such as these, but the fruition of 
their betterment. Recognition of the sinis- 
ter elements involved determines the mod- 
ern type of library work with children. 
That work rests upon a knowledge of the 
background which has been pictured, upon 
the use of methods that shall reach sanely 
and effectively the contributing causes, 
upon correlation of all the social forces 
that can be brought to bear unitedly. 

Recognition of conditions and causation 
gives power to, and justifies the modern 
trend of, library work with children as the 
most ijnportant and far-reaching of all its 
great work. Of thirty million men and 
women, and their children, who have come 
from over-seas in two generations, 83 per 
cent were dwellers along the rim of the 
Mediterranean. Largely from that source 
have our towns grown overnight into 
swarming cities. Their children of to-day 
will be the men and women who in a gen 
eration will make or unmake the RepuDiic 
Ignorance and greed, rather than necessity 
breed the chief menace in our national life 
Alone, as a detached social force, the li 
brary cannot hope to combat these, but in 
correlation with other forces may serve as 
one of the most potent agencies. In the 
children's rooms and in kindred places. 



the missionaries of the book take the dis- 
regarded bits of life about them and weave 
them into a human element of power. The 
children's rooms in the library and what 
they imply in the life of the people, are of 
such recent origin and growth that the 
complete force of their present-day worK 
will not be fully apparent for a quarter 
century. What they hope to do, the in- 
struments they purpose to use, are given 
succinctly in the pronouncement of one of 
our most progressive libraries. 

OBJECTS OP UHR.4RY WORK WITH CHILDREN 



To make good books available to all childri 
lity. 



of 



To traJn boys and girls to use with discrimination 
the adult library. 

To reinforce and supplement the class work of the 
city schools (public, private, parochial and "Sun- 
day" schools). 

To co-operate with institutions for civic and social 
betterment, such as playgrounds, settlements, mis- 
sions, boys' ajid girls' clubs; and with commercial 
institutions employing boys and girls, such as fac- 
tories, postoffice special delivery division, telegraph 
and telephone agencies and department stores. 

And fir^t and last to build character and develop 
literarv- taste through the medium of books and the 
influence of the children's librarian. 

Pursuing these purposes, endeavoring to 
meet these tests, library work with chil- 
dren will make for better citizenship. It 
will take account not only of the children 
of the poor, but of the children of the 
well-to-do, who may need that influence 
even more. In the cities, which now over- 
shadow our national life, there are no 
longer homes; there are flats, where the 
boys and girls are tolerated — perhaps. 

"Our problem is not the bad boy, but 
rather the modern city," says Prof. Allen 
Hoben. "The normal boy has come hon- 
estly by his love of adventure, his motor 
propensities and his gang instincts. It is 
when you take this healthy biological prod- 
uct and set him down in the midst of city 
restrictions that serious trouble ensues. 
For the city has been built for economic 
convenience, and with little thought for 
human welfare. Industrial aim is evidenced 
to every sense. You smell industrialism in 
the far-reaching odors of the stockyards. 
You hear it in the roar of the elevated 
hard by the windows of the poor. You see 
it in a water front that people cannot use, 
and you touch it in the fleck of soot that is 
usually on your nose. The proof of Indus- 



244 



PASADENA CONFERENCE 



trial aggression ceases to be humorous, 
however, when It shows itself In the small 
living quarters of many a city flat where 
boys are supposed to find the equivalent of 
the old-time house. Constituted as he Is, 
the boy cannot but be a nuisance In the 
flat community. And because the flat 
dweller moves frequently, he will be with- 
out those real neighbors of long standing 
whose leniency formerly robbed the law of 
its victims. Furthermore, he has no par- 
ticular quarters of his own where he may 
satisfy his sense of proprietorship and save 
up the numerous things he collects with a 
view to using them In construction. The 
flat dwellers will not permit the noise or 
litter Incident to such building as a boy 
liltes; and he has little if any part In the 
labor of conducting the house. He loses 
dignity as a helpful and necessary member 
of the family, he loses that loyalty which 
attaches to the old familiar places of boy- 
hood experience and strengthens many a 
man to-day, making him more kind and 
consistent In his living by virtue of home- 
stead memories." 

So the boy is driven to the street as his 
domain. It is his playground. And here 
he encounters the policeman. Of 717 chil- 
dren arrested in one month In New York 
City, more than half were arrested for 
playing games. Parenthetically, the fact 
may be quoted that in this children's chief 
playground in a period of ten months 67 
children were killed and 196 injured. 

Unerringly, these facts point to a union 
of social forces — the children's library and 
the children's playground, a realization of 
that clear comprehension which the ancient 
Greeks had of the unity between the body 
and the mind. Quoting Plato: "If children 
are trained to submit to laws in their plays, 
the love of law enters their souls with the 
music accompanying their games, never 
leaves them, and helps them in their devel- 
opment." 

Having in thought physical recreation as 
a Btlmulus to mental development. In com- 
bination bringing home the joyousness of 
life, an ideal union of forces is being ef- 
fected in some of the larger cities. In 
some places, the movement has assumed 



but an initial stage — a bit of tent shelter 
for distribution of books to children gath- 
ered at the sand pile. In some Instances 
co-operation has joined the work of park 
breathing centers and library organiza- 
tions. This has reached completed form In 
the placement of branch libraries as part 
of the park equipment, either quarters 
within a general building, or a separate 
little building adjacent to or on the ath- 
letic field. 

But whether in place of high or low de- 
gree; whether in rented store or memorial 
building of monumental type; whether in 
the rooms of a school building or a corner 
in a factory; whether by this method or 
by that, the children's librarian employs 
the printed page to serve as Instrument to 
these ends: 

The building of character, making for 
the best in citizenship. 

The enlargement of narrow lives, bring- 
ing the joy and savour and beauty of life 
to the individual. 

The opening of opportunity to all alike, 
which is the essence of democracy. 

And in the doing, an incidental and a 
great contribution is made to society as a 
whole. For, as the story hour unfolds a 
new world to the listener whose life has 
been bounded by a litter-covered alley and 
three bare walls, or whose look into the 
outside world has been perhaps a roof of 
tar and gravel and a yawning chasm be- 
yond, so the development of the imagina- 
tion through the right sort of books shall 
make possible the fullest development of 
the individual boy and girl. In many a 
life there has been a supreme moment 
when some circumstance, some stimulus 
has changed that life for good or ill. For 
want of that stimulus, the dormant power 
of many a man has gone to waste. Half 
the derelicts of humanity who are but out- 
casts of the night had In them the making 
of good men — perhaps some of them of 
great men, in science or In art. There is 
no waste that Is greater than lost oppor- 
tunity; there Is no loss so great as undis- 
covered resource. Speaking of imagina- 
tion in work, Mr. Hamilton Wright Mabie 
points out that: 



CHILDREN'S LIBRARIANS' SECTION 



245 



"So long as the uses of the Imagination 
In creative work are so little comprehended 
by the great majority of men, it can hardly 
be expected that its practical uses will be 
understood. There is a general if some- 
what vague recognition of the force and 
beauty of its achievements as illustrated 
in the work of Dante, Raphael, Rembrandt 
and Wagner; but very few people perceive 
the play of this supreme architectural and 
structural faculty in the great works of en- 
gineering, or in the sublime guesses at 
truth which science sometimes makes when 
she comes to the end of the solid road of 
fact along which she has traveled. The 
scientist, the engineer, the constructive 
man in every department of work, uses the 
imagination quite as much as the artist; 
for the imagination is not a decorator and 
embellisher, as so many appear to think; 
it is a creator and constructor. Wherever 
work is done on great lines or life is lived 
in fields of constant fertility, the imagina- 
tion is always the central and shaping 
power." 

I would have liked in this over-lengthy, 
but yet fragmentary survey of the field 
from the viewpoint of the library, to say 
something of the mistakes which have per- 
haps been made, and which may still be 
made unguardedly by reason of over-zeal, 
whereby the relationship of the work to 
other things may be ignored or misunder- 
stood; of the danger that over-strong con- 
sciousness as to possession of high ideals 
may dictate too urgent use of books that 
may have literary style, but do not reach 
the heart of the boy — driving him to the 
comic supplement and to the dregs of print 
for his reading hours. These, and other 
comments must be left for another occa- 
sion. 

I would also have liked to say something 
of the history of work with children in libra- 
ries, hut Miss Josephine Rathbone has told 
the story fully and well. In that history, 
when it shall be written a quarter century 
hence. It will be fitting to give full meed 
of honor to Samuel Swett Greene, Edwin 
H. Anderson, Mrs. H. L. Elmendorf, Miss 
Frances J. Olcott, Miss Linda A. Eastman 
and some of the other splendid women of 



the profession whose presence here pre- 
cludes the mention of their names. 

So, too, I would have liked to give the 
result, statistically, of an inquiry, which the 
helpful kindness of Miss Faith E. Smith, 
chairman of this section, has enabled me to 
make. It must suffice here to limit the 
statement to a brief summary that shows 
less what has been accomplished than what 
remains to be attempted: 

There are in the United States to-day 
approximately 1,500 public libraries con- 
taining each more than 5,000 volumes. The 
number reporting children's work is 525, 
with a total of 676 rooms having an ag- 
gregate seating capacity of 21,821, and an 
available combined supply of 1,771,161 vol- 
umes on open shelves. The number of li- 
braries in which story hours are held is 
152, and 304 report work with schools. Of 
course, this work is pitifully meager as to 
many libraries. The number of children 
who come more or less under the direct 
influence of children's librarians is gener- 
ously estimated as 1,035,195 (103 libraries, 
including all the large systems reporting). 
There are in the United States of children 
from 6 to 16 years of age, approximately 
thirty-three millions. 

Behind the work of the children's libra- 
rians there is a fine spirit of optimism — not 
blind to difliculties, but courageous, ardent 
and hopeful. 

Disregarding ridicule, which is but a 
cheap substitute for wit; regardful of criti- 
cism, which is often provocative or promo- 
tive of improvement, inspired with the dig- 
nity of their high calling, and with a fine 
vision that projects itself Into the future, 
the librarians engaged in the work with 
children willingly give thereto the finest 
and the best of personality that they pos- 
sess. Descriptive of their spirit, we may 
aptly paraphrase the words of a great hu- 
manitarian of our own generation: 

"Some there are, the builders of human- 
ity's temples, who are laboring to give a 
vast heritage to the children of all the 
world. They build patiently, for they have 
faith in their work. 

"And this is their faith — that the power 
of the world springs from the common 



246 



PASADEXA CONFERENCE 



labor and strife and conquest of the count- 
less ages of human life and struggle; that 
not for a few was that labor and that 
struggle, but for all. And the common 
labor of the race for the common good and 
the common joy will bring that fulness of 
life which sordid greed and blighting ig- 
norance would make impossible." 

And you have the faith of the builders. 

SECOND SESSION 
Monday evening, May 22. 

The second session consisted of a round 
table discussion, conducted by the chair- 
man, Miss Faith E. Smith, director of train- 
ing class, Chicago public library. The first 
topic was Intermediate work and the dis- 
cussion was led by Mr. W. L. Brown, libra- 
rian of the Buffalo public library. Mr. 
Brown had with him a most interesting list 
of the books included in the intermediate 
department by the Buffalo public library. 
These books, he said, are at present 
shelved in one corner of the children's 
room, but their use could be increased by 
putting them on separate shelves in the 
open shelf room and placing an assistant 
in immediate charge of this work. The 
concensus of the opinions brought out by 
the discussion showed that the best use of 
the books was made when they were near 
the adult collection, but in charge of a spe- 
cial assistant. 

Mr. R. R. Bowker, editor of the I^ibrary 
journal, spoke to the section concerning 
Mrs. Minerva Sanders, for many years li- 
brarian at Pawtucket, Rhode Island, who 
thirty years ago was doing work with chil- 
dren. It was voted that a telegram of con- 
gratulations for her years of service, and 
good wishes for the years to come, be sent 
to Mrs. Sanders, who was affectionately 
known to the older members of the Asso- 
ciation as "Mawtucket." Mr. Bowker and 
Mr. Peacock of Westerly, R. I., were ap- 
pointed a committee to send this telegram. 

The next discussion was on the ques- 
tion of Library work in summer play- 
grounds, led by Miss Gertrude Andrus. su- 
perintendent of the children's department 
of the Seattle public library. Miss Andrus 



confined herself to the practical details and 
mechanical routine of playground library 
work. She said in part: 

The library in a summer playground 
serves a double purpose; It supplys books 
in a district not otherwise reached by the 
library and it acts as a lure to the use of 
the main library. If the books are attract- 
ive, the children will follow them to the 
library and thus become permanent bor- 
rowers. So it is plain that the books we 
place in our summer playgrounds must be 
of the most popular type. Easy books, pic- 
ture books, fairy tales, stories, histories, 
books of travel, and books on games and 
manual arts are the ones in most demand. 
A knowledge of the district in v/hich the 
playground is located is also necessary. If 
the children have a school library and are 
accustomed to reading, the books sent to 
the playground will differ from the kind 
sent to one in a foreign district where little 
reading has been done. 

As the library room is invariably used for 
other work on other days, the books must 
be locked up. A satisfactory solution of 
this is a built-in bookcase with adjustable 
doors which may easily be lifted from their 
sockets and set aside when access to the 
books is desired, and may be replaced and 
padlocked when the day's work is done. 
The arrangement of the room and the 
charging desk should always be made so 
that the exit can be very carefully super- 
vised. 

In order to conserve our time so that we 
may have leisure to give attention to indi- 
vidual children, we must arrange to have 
the mechanical part of the work as system- 
atic as possible. Playground library work 
is a life of stress and strain. Everything 
comes in rushes. There is always a mad 
dash for the door as soon as the library is 
opened, for each child is sure that unless 
he is the first he will miss the good book 
that he is convinced is there. This rusti 
of course makes it difficult to discharge the 
books, slip them, shelve them, and at the 
same time charge the ones the children 
have selected, to say nothing of helping the 
children in their choice. We have there- 
fore found it best to collect the books be- 



CHILDREN'S LIBRARIANS' SECTION 



247 



forehand, discharge them and distribute 
the cards among the children before open- 
ing the library doors. When the Newark 
system is used, however, and a child has 
drawn two books, this may result in con- 
siderable confusion, for the books may be 
separated and one may not be sure that 
both charges on the card should be can- 
celled. When our first playground library 
in Seattle opened, we used the Browne sys- 
tem of charging and this proved so satis- 
factory that we have continued to use it 
in the others. According to this method, 
each borrower receives two cards. When 
a book is borrowed, the book slip is drawn 
and put with one of the borrower's cards 
in a small envelope. It is readily seen how 
easy it is to avoid complications when the 
books are gathered before the opening of 
the library, for the slip of each one is with 
the borrower's card, and if the borrower 
returns no book, no card is given him. 
After the books are discharged and shelved 
and the cards distributed, the children are 
admitted. In this way much of the con- 
fusion incident to opening is eliminated 
and more time is secured to help the chil- 
dren make their choice. 

In order that the care of the books may 
not interfere with the children's play, we 
have devised a checking system by means 
of which the children may leave their 
books In charge of the librarian until they 
are ready to go home. This not only allows 
the children freedom in play but obviates 
the possibility of loss of books through 
their being left on benches and swings. 
The playground is a place of freedom and 
fun and good fellowship, and the library's 
rules should be made as inconspicuous as 
possible. 

The librarian should be not only willing, 
but anxious to enter into the life of the 
playground as far as her duties permit. 
One way in which she will be able to make 
herself popular not only with the children 
but with the instructors is by means of 
story telling. Joseph Lee says that story 
telling is the only passive occupation per- 
missible on a playground and the librarian 
thus finds her work ready to her hand. 
She is able to advertise her books, make 



friends with the children in a most effect- 
ive way, and at the same time relieve the 
playground instructor of a duty which is 
sometimes found irksome. 

She must remember that she Is an in- 
tegral part of that playground, not a weekly 
visitor, and she must throw herself into 
the interests and activities of the children 
with all the enthusiasm at her command. 



In the discussion which followed, Mr. A. 
Zelenko, special correspondent of the Mos- 
cow newspapers, told of the "graphic 
hours" held in a settlement house in Moa- 
cow and resembling the story hours held 
in American libraries. Paper, crayons, and 
water colors are furnished the children who 
then draw any story they choose. The 
drawings are submitted to a committee who 
choose the best for exhibition. Mr. John 
F. Phelan, of the Chicago public library, 
gave a brief description of the public play- 
grounds of Chicago and the way in which 
the library co-operates. In the small parks, 
where emphasis is placed on work with 
children, story hours are held once or twice 
a week, and there is an organized library 
league for the purpose of teaching the chil- 
dren to use the books carefully. Miss Jane 
Conard, supervisor of playground libraries, 
Pittsburgh, told of the work there and the 
eagerness with which the libraries were 
welcomed by the playground authorities. 



Miss HARRIET A. WOOD, supervisor of 
work with schools. Library Association of 
Portland, Oregon, read a paper on 

PROBLEMS OF WORK WITH SCHOOLS 

The first problem in organizing the work 
with the schools Is the relation of the 
school department to other lines of library 
activity. Shall it be attached to one of the 
regular departments of the library or have 
a separate organization? In Portland the 
latter course has been taken for the fol- 
lowing reasons: 

\ school department is intended to serve 
all thf^ teaching force in the community. 



248 



PASADENA CONFERENCE 



private and public, secular and religious, 
from kindergarten to college. As its chief 
function is to bring all teachers to a full 
conception of their library privileges, this 
can be best accomplished if the school de- 
partment makes its work tributary to every 
other department. 

In serving the grade teacher the school 
department must be familiar with the juve- 
nile books; in helping the high school and 
college teacher, it must know the resources 
of the adult circulating and reference col- 
lections. To care properly for the libraries 
already in schools and temporary collec- 
tions it must work hand in hand with the 
catalog department; while a clear concep- 
tion of relations with all other forms of 
extension work such as branches and sta- 
tions is imperative. 

The second fundamental problem is the 
real attitude of school authorities toward 
library work as related to schools. Dr. 
Herbert Putnam in May Public Libraries 
expresses "the doubt whether the zeal for 
'extension work' is not inducing librarians 
to activities outside of their proper prov- 
ince or feasible abilities; and incidentally 
tending to enfeeble the sense of responsi- 
bility on the part of other agencies, par- 
ticularly the schools." To test the truth of 
this statement a number of school reports 
were consulted. Do school boards, super- 
intendents and principals have sufficient 
belief and interest in the work to give it 
definite and hearty support? Shall the li- 
brarian be left to persuade each Individual 
teacher of the value of a library card and 
familiarity with books? In short, what 
shall be the functions of the teacher and 
what the functions of the librarian? The 
president of one school board (Milwaukee) 
puts himself on record in the following 
words: 

"We cannot flatter ourselves that all 
learning is obtained in the school-house. 
Closely allied to our school system by vir- 
tue of the character of Its work Is the pub- 
lic library. 

"Realizing and appreciating the valuable 
assistance which our schools have received 
from the public library in the past, still 1 
feel called upon to urge a greater co-opera- 



tion between these educational institu- 
tions. I fear that generally throughout the 
city not enough stress has been laid upon 
the value and necessity for a library edu- 
cation. It is not enough that material 
should be furnished the boys and girls by 
the library; it is essential that the pupils 
should come into personal contact with the 
library, its methods and facilities. I believe 
that it Is as essential for the pupils from 
the early grades to acquire a knowledge of 
the library and the methods of obtaining 
its benefits, as it is for them to study the 
various subjects In the several grades. Is 
it not true that as a supplement to the reg- 
ular work in the school, the public library 
system is of inestimable value and that as 
an assurance of a continued education after 
leaving the public schools, no matter what 
are the circumstances of the parents, it is 
of vital importance that the public library 
habit should be formed by all our pupils? 
I suggest that principals and teachers in- 
form themselves as to the material to be 
found in the library nearest their buildings, 
and then with the co-operation of the li- 
brarian in charge urge upon the pupils the 
value and necessity of the systematic use 
of that institution." 

In another part of his report he says: 
"The school system which does not each 
year demand more of every teacher has al- 
ready begun to decline. As members of 
the board of school directors, we must ever 
bear In mind that our obligation is first to 
the children." 

The superintendent of Oakland writes: 
"It Is the duty of the school to train the 
children in the proper use of the means af- 
forded by the city for educational develop- 
ment." 

The superintendent of Indianapolis 
states: "Art museums, public libraries, 
public parks and buildings, factories, 
banks, etc., in short, the whole city, is 
becoming a part of the schoolroom." 

In the report of the superintendent of 
Newark we read: "Teachers should be suf- 
ficiently at home in the great world of 
prose literature dealing with real things to 
select suitable material, and professionally 
trained to place It before their classes In a 



CHILDREN'S LIBRARIANS' SECTION 



249 



way to stimulate their activity and liking." 
The practice of omitting important classes 
of literature such as biography is explained 
"As the faulty application of a principle of 
education, namely, that the interests of the 
children are determining factors in the 
choice of books. This principle has been 
interpreted to mean a laissez faire attitude 
on the part of the teachers, a passive wait- 
ing to see whether the child likes the piece 
and if not — that settles the question." In 
the course of study issued by this same 
school system occur the following suggest- 
ive directions: 

"The teacher should frequently read from 
a library book and comment on it for the 
purpose of directing the pupils to the Free 
public library." 

"Pupils should be taught to consult ref- 
erence books and others for information. 
One-half of education consists in knowing 
where to find knowledge. Pupils should be 
encouraged to use the Free public library." 

"Topics for research in history, science 
and literature should be assigned as train- 
ing in the use of reference books." Under 
the headings, "Physiology" and "Civics," is 
the excellent advice: "See book list pre- 
pared by Free public library." 

The fact that most of the reports ex- 
amined made no mention at all of the li- 
brary, while others spoke of it in compli- 
mentary but unrelated terms and only a 
few seemed conscious of unused resources 
leads librarians seriously to consider their 
present relations with the schools in their 
immediate fields. There is a great diver- 
sity of opinion among librarians as to the 
best way to work with children. Some say 
that the classroom library is bad in its ef- 
fects, making the pupils and teachers con- 
tent with a meager collection of books; 
that the children should be served from 
children's rooms in central and branch li- 
braries; while others would do away with 
children's rooms except as laboratories and 
reach the children through the teachers. 

All librarians are agreed, however, that 
every child should be reached, so that he 
shall read the best books at the right age, 
that he shall understand how to use a book 
as a tool, that he shall come to look upon 



books as necessary to his progress and 
happiness and become a permanent user of 
the library. 

When the active support of the school 
board and school superintendent has been 
gained, the teacher will receive definite in- 
structions as to her part in the problem to 
be worked out, and the librarian will be 
solicited to make suggestions when courses 
of study are being planned. Is this not 
due both teacher and librarian? 

Speaking concretely, the experience of 
one year's work in Portland bears testi- 
mony to the value of a system of library 
work with schools in which the schools 
carry a large share of responsibility. 

When School District No. 1, Multnomah 
County, was approached by the Library 
Association of Portland, it was found not 
only quite ready to appropriate $20,000 for 
the purchase of books, but also to care for 
classroom libraries according to the rules 
already in force throughout the library sys- 
tem and to deliver the books to the build- 
ing. The library on its part agreed to em- 
ploy the librarians, to select and prepare 
the books for circulation, and to take gen- 
eral charge of the work. 

Thus from the beginning the teachers as 
a whole were sure that the school authori- 
ties believed in the library. The faithful 
teacher was relieved of the burden of car- 
rying books back and forth from the chil- 
dren's room, and the indifferent teacher 
was aware that the children's interests 
were first in the minds of the board. So 
far, the teaching side of work with schools 
has not received much attention, but in 
planning for next year it is the Intention 
to organize the instruction of teachers and 
pupils only with the full support of the 
school authorities. A joint committee of 
school and library board takes up all mat- 
ters of common interest. Therefore this 
body must first be convinced of the im- 
portance of any radical measure. While 
there will always be necessity for work 
with individual teachers and pupils, we are 
convinced that greater progress will be 
made if we attack our problem at the other 
end of the line. 

Miss .TESSIE H. MILLARD, children's li- 



250 



PASADENA CONFERENCE 



brarian of the Library Association of Port- 
land, talked on "Reference work with chil- 
dren." Miss Millard said in part: 

"Reference work with children reaches 
further than with ailults, In that it includes 
not only the finding of the material wanted, 
but also the instruction and training In the 
use of that material. The aim of our chil- 
dren's department is to give the child a 
knowledge of the use of books for a defi- 
nite purpose — not only is he to gain infor- 
mation in looking up a subject, but he is 
to learn the use of books in general. 

It seems almost unnecessary to say that 
the fewer books your department contains, 
the better returns must those few be forced 
to yield. Our catalog is extremely analyti- 
cal and contains references to all subjects 
that are used by school children. A chap- 
ter or a few pages on certain subjects often 
prove sufficient. Many books, if carefully 
analyzed will answer the questions brought 
every day by the children, and amply re- 
pay for the time and trouble taken to 
analyze them. 

While a general effort has always been 
made to Instruct the children individually 
in the use of the library, only this year 
have we done class work and one of the 
most interesting phases of our work is tne 
visit to the library in a class of the eighth 
and ninth grades. 

In April, 260 children were given instruc- 
tion in the use of the library. First, a 
short talk was given on the development 
of the book, and the various parts of a book 
were explained, the title-page, table of con- 
tents. Index, preface. Then the children 
were told how to use the dictionary, ency- 
clopedia and the card catalog, and how to 
find a book on the shelf from the numbers 
on the card. Whatever we tell them in the 
way of instruction is always supplemented 
by practice. A set of test questions is 
given at the end of the talk. 

Mrs. ALICE G. WHITBP^CK, librarian of 
the public library, Richmond, California, 
spoke very briefly on "Work with children 
in small libraries." 

She said in part: 

In considering the work with children in 
a small library, the limitations might at 



first seem to be due to lack of funds, lack 
of room, lack of help, lack of time. But 
a second thought will show us that the only 
real limitations the work may have, will 
be those of the librarian herself. 

Let us consider a few things that the 
very busy librarian can do. She can create 
a library atmosphere in that small room 
or corner. She can teach children who 
never saw a library before and who have 
never been taught to enter a room in any 
but the noisiest and roughest way, how to 
enter that little library room with hats off 
— to leave giggling outside, to step gently, 
to care for the comfort of others, to treat 
the books with respect. 

She can very quietly and unobtrusively 
create a taste in these children for the re- 
fined and best in pictures, by making a 
start with the very best, if only one is 
added at a time. She can keep from mak- 
ing her room a hodge-podge of interior pic- 
tures and exhibits, under the plea that It 
makes the room look "homey." Once in a 
while the picture-bulletin can be used with 
poster effect, but from the first she should 
try to keep Ideals before the child rather 
than the realities, no matter how funny or 
Interesting the latter may be. 

She can steadily lead the children to the 
best In literature by supplying only the 
best. As her limit in funds will be small, 
her choice of books can be made more care- 
fully and her one or two hundred books 
represent the very choice of children's lit- 
erature. 

If the room Is too small to admit of very 
many children, and if an increase In at- 
tendance will In any way discommode the 
larger reading-room patrons, then she must 
take her library to the children and with 
the co-operation of the siiperintendent of 
schools arrangements can be made to send 
books to the schools. This will be an in- 
novation In many small places, but it will 
soon appeal to the teachers, and If the ex- 
periment is tried in a small way and proves 
successful, it will become known in the 
right places and more funds will be given 
for another year. 

Owing to the lateness of the hour the 
discussion was not vigorous and when the 



COLLEGE AND REFERENCE SECTION 



251 



business meeting was called only a tew 
faitliful friends responded. Miss Andrus 
of Seattle, fillerl the position of secretary 
left vacant by the resignation of Miss Mary 
Douglas of St. Louis. After the reading of 
the minutes, the secretary read the report 
of Miss Esther Strauss of Cincinnati, who 
had been appointed the previous year to 
investigate the organization of other sec- 
tions, to see if an Executive board were 
necessary, and to provide for a succession 
in office. Miss Strauss recommended one 
of the following methods: 

1. Creation of the office of vice-chairman. 

2. Creation of standing committees. 

An amendment to the constitution was 
voted, providing for the election of a vice- 
chairman. The committee on nominations 
reported and Miss Mary de Bure McCurdy, 



supervisor of work with schools, Carnegie 
Library, Pittsburgh, was elected chairman, 
and Miss Adeline Zachert, director of chil- 
dren's work, Louisville free public library, 
secretary. 

An exhibit of books prepared for the 
Section by the children's department of the 
Carnegie library of Pittsburgh was very 
helpful. It consisted of three parts: 

Exhibit A: Mediocre and harmful books 
for children. 

Included under this head were the Nickel 
Libraries, Alger, Castlemon, the Elsie 
books. Optic, Outcault, and others. 

Exhibit B: Some good popular books 
which may take the place of mediocre and 
harmful fiction. 

Exhibit C: Editions of some classic and 
standard books for children. 



COLLEGE AND REFERENCE SECTION 



The College and reference section was 
called to order by Mr. J. C. Rowell, libra- 
rian of the l_!ni versify of California. Miss 
Julia Stetfa, librarian of Pomona college 
library, was appointed secretary. 

The first paper on "Some problems in 
book numbers" by H. RALPH MEAD, of 
the University of California library, was 
read by Mr. G. T. Little of Bowdoin college 
library. 

SOME PROBLEMS IN BOOK NUMBERS 

Book numbers are used to differen- 
tiate individual books of the same class. 
The class number indicates the subject. 
Copy numbers are usually added to dis- 
tinguish duplicates and volume numbers to 
distinguish volumes of the same work. The 
combination of class number and book 
number forms the call number for a 
specific book. To be of practical use in 
procuring books from the shelves and in 
manipulating library records, the call 
number needs to be as concise and simple 
as possible. The book number depends 
a great deal upon the system of classi- 
fication and the minuteness of classifica- 
tion. So, although it is not likely that 



any two libraries will have a uniform 
method of assigning book numbers, still 
the fundamental points can be compared. 
As a basis for such comparison the scheme 
of book numbering, as used in the Uni- 
versity of California library, will be 
briefly explained. 

The system of classification in use in 
the library of tlie University of California 
is one devised by the librarian, Mr. J. C. 
Rowell; the scheme assigns numbers to 
the main divisions and numbers followed 
by one or more letters to the subdivisions, 
e. g., 305=Education, 305d=History of Ed- 
ucation, 305dv=:History of Education in 
the United States. The books are arranged 
alphabetically under the class number by 
means of the Cutter author number; this 
number is carried to three places in classes 
of any considerable size, while two places 
suffice for the smaller classes, such as 
subject bibliography. The simplest form 
of book number is like 305-B9S6 for But- 
ler's Meaning of Education. Books by the 
same author, in the same class, are dis- 
tinguished by using the initial letter of 
first word of the title, that is not an 
article, of the original language; transla- 



262 



PASADENA CONFERENCE 



tions are designated by initial letter of the 
language of the translation followed by 
initial letter of translator's name, e. g., 
305-R864-eEw=Rousseau's Emlle trans- 
lated into English by Worthington. This 
mark might be called the work-mark to 
distinguish it from the author number. 
Copy numbers, dates of editions, and vol- 
ume number are included in the book 
number and any hook requiring all that 
information has a long and unwieldy call 
number, e. g., 19 F848 g 1900 v.3 cop.2= 
Volume 3 of the second copy, second 
edition, of Frazer's Golden bough. 

Some authors, like Shakespeare and 
Cicero, have a special scheme of classifi- 
cation, so that the book number is com- 
paratively simple. Biography is arranged 
by the Cutter number of the person who 
Is the subject of the biography followed 
by the Cutter number of the biographer, 
e. g., 278-G543-M86r=Morley's Life of 
Gladstone. Several classes are devoted 
to biography alone, here the initial letter 
of the biographer, instead of the Cutter 
number, is used, e. g., 305z-P719-m^Mon- 
roe's Thomas Platter. Local United States 
history is arranged by Cutter number of 
the place described followed by Cutter 
number of author, e. g., 176t-L77-Cl=:Cal- 
houn's Litchfield County Sketches. The 
literature of educational institutions is 
kept together by the Cutter number for 
the name of the institution. 

Sometimes a special scheme is required, 
for Instance, many government publica- 
tions are classed with their subject and as 
all have the Cutter number U 58, it often 
complicates the book number consider- 
ably, as one can judge when class 626 
(Minor army tactics) contains publica- 
tions of seven different departments, one 
of which, the War department, has twenty- 
five different titles or publications with 
various editions of some. To simplify 
this, the U 58 is followed by initial letter 
of the department issuing the publication, 
e. g., U 58n keeps together all the Navy 
department publications and a subletter 
is used as a work-mark for each publica- 
tion of that department. Manuscripts are 
Indicated by prefixing capital M to the 



class number, and reading room books 
by prefixing the capital R. 

As regards a few points in particular. 
Shall a library hold rigidly to the Cutter 
author number? It does not seem nec- 
essary in a small library nor in a large 
library with very close classification. 
When two or more books by the same 
author fall in the same class, give each as 
a book number the letter followed by three 
figures, of which only one number would 
be the true Cutter number. This is equiva- 
lent to letting the first two figures repre- 
sent the author number and the third 
figure the work-mark. That would sim- 
plify the number and ordinarily be satis- 
factory, but. In some cases, it might make 
complications in assigning future members. 
Some librarians have adopted this to a 
certain extent and if they are represented 
here we would like to hear from them. 

Size symbols seem quite desirable as an 
aid in locating oversize books, q to indi- 
cate all books between twenty-five and 
thirty centimeters and f all books over 
thirty centimeters high. If desired, the 
symbols q and f need not be used In letter- 
ing the backs of the books, but appear 
only on the catalog records and on the 
bookplate, prefixed to the author number. 
It would thus form a part of the call num- 
ber and apparently serve every purpose 
intended. 

Some libraries arrange books by first 
letter of title regardless of language, in- 
stead of by initial letter of original lan- 
guage, thus doing away with the capital 
letter to represent language and letter for 
translator's name. This would seem quite 
desirable in all classes with the exception 
of those for texts of literature where It Is 
very desirable and helpful to have the 
texts of one work all grouped side by side. 

Dates for editions can ordinarily be 
omitted by using the figures 2, 3, etc., 
after the work-mark for the second and 
third edition, e.g., Preston's Theory of 
Heat, 2 ed, would be 376 P 941t2 instead 
of 376 P941 t 1904. '^'here there are likely 
to be over nine editions of a work It is 
better to use dates. 

As regards the position of the lower 



COLLEGE AND REFERENCE SECTION 



case letter, which represents initial letter 
of title, some libraries place it on the same 
line directly after the Cutter number, as 
D55s, others place it underneath on an- 
other line, as D 55. The second arrange- 

s 
ment provides for placing additional figures 
after the Cutter number if necessary, bal- 
ances the call number more evenly when 
mark for translation or editions has to be 
added, and makes it more easily put on a 
thin book. Has any one had experience 
in using initial letter of binder's title, of 
a catch-title, or of a prominent word of the 
title instead of first word of title as it 
appears on the title page? 

It seems desirable that a number scheme 
be used for book numbers so as to avoid 
the use of all letters except the letter for 
the author's name. It seems especially 
desirable when the class number con- 
tains a letter or letters, or when there are 
both capital and lower case letters in the 
call number; for it is hardly to be ex- 
pected that the average person will very 
often copy such a call number correct in 
all details. The following scheme of 
work-marks for the writings of any author 
is designed for use in conjunction with the 
Cutter author number of two or three fig- 
ures. The work-mark may be separated 
from the Cutter number by a period or a 
dash, but the simplest way is to let it 
follow as one number; since by using the 
shelf list in assigning future numbers, one 
can readily distinguish the author number 
from the work-mark. 

The scheme has four main divisions for 
collected works, translations of collected 
works, single works and translations, and 
biography and criticism. 1 stands for 
editions of collected works, arranged 
chronologically, and 11 to 19 provides for 
nine editions; 19 may be reserved for 
selections. 2 stands for translations of 
collected works, arranged by language, 
22=French, 23=German, 24=Italian, 25= 
Spanish, and 26 to 29:=other languages. 
Thus the second figure always denotes 
language of translation and the addition 
of a third figure provides for nine trans- 
lations under any one language. The 
numbers 30 to 89 stand for single works 



arranged alphabetically, and they provide 
for sixty different titles; 1 to 8 added as 
a third figure provides for eight editions 
of any one title; 9 added as a third figure 
is reserved for translations, and with many 
translations a fourth figure corresponding 
to the language figure as given above is 
added. As a guide to alphabetical loca- 
tion, use the table for the division of the 
alphabet into ten parts, as devised by Mr. 
Cutter. (L.J. 3:250.) The number 9 
stands for biography and criticism ar- 
ranged alphabetically by author. One 
figure (0-9) after the 9 provides for ten 
titles and two figures for one hundred; 
the same table as heretofore mentioned 
will assist in alphabetical location. The 
following are samples of the numbers as 
applied to the works of Adam Smith: 

315 ) 
c ^jo ..o - Works, 3d edition, 
o o4,i.ld J 

315 ) 
c /.^ooo - Works, German translation. 

O D4Z.JJ i 

315 ] Inquiry into the wealth of na- 
S 642.522 j tions, 2d edition. 

315 j Inquiry into the wealth of na- 
S 642.5292 j tions, French translation. 

315 ) 
S 642.937 ( Hirst's Adam Smith. 

As all the numbers are used as decimals, 
the scheme permits of practically indefinite 
expansion, as the addition of one figure in- 
creases the capacity tenfold. In many 
cases the use of only one figure after the 
Cutter number is sufficient. The scheme 
shows the possibilities of numbers which 
are more legible and more accurately 
copied than any combination containing 
many letters. 

The second paper was by J. E. GOOD- 
WIN, Leland Stanford Jr. university li- 
brary, on 

NECESSARY RED TAPE 

Red Tape, as used in this paper, will 
mean to the librarian the ordinary meth- 
ods for promoting regularity of practice in 
the various departments of the library; 
unfortunately, to the impatient professor, 
or member of the student body it too fre- 
quently means a succession of hurdles to 
be negotiated with all possible speed. 



254 



PASADENA CONFERENCE 



Practices, which may seem entirely ob- 
vious from the standpoint of the librarian, 
are often regarded with suspicion by fac- 
ulty and students; and if perchance the 
method in question replaces one which has 
the local stamp of time upon it, the libra- 
rian may hear that the old system was 
much simpler and easier to understand. 

The time element is very essential in the 
process of procuring books for a library, 
and especially is this true in the case of 
libraries that are situated outside the great 
centers of population, and consequently 
away from the large book supply houses. 
This time element often looms up as an 
annoyance to the professor. 

Books, needed at once, are often either in 
Europe or at distances varying from the 
neighboring city to the width of the conti- 
nent; and the professor who plans his 
course during the summer, or perchance 
during his sabbatical leave, and makes no 
provision for the checking of the resources 
in his home library until time for the open- 
ing of college and the meeting of his class- 
es, will sometimes find that his plans for 
a semester are greatly disarranged, be- 
cause the material he wishes his classes 
to use is not at hand. The desired authors 
may not be represented at all, or what 
more frequently happens, stress is placed 
upon references which the library has in 
inadequate numbers. i 

The buying of supplies for a university, 
including the books for the library, is now 
commonly managed through one office, so 
that it becomes impracticable, even if it 
might at times be desirable, for the libra- 
rian to take a professor's single order and 
send it to the publisher by next mail. 

Faculty men occasionally discover books 
which they wish the librarian to buy for 
them on the counters of department stores. 
Their orders for these books may or may 
not have been sent in from the library to the 
regular agent, but it becomes necessary 
to explain why their orders should not at 
once be filled from the stock at the neigh- 
boring shop, and the order, if it has been 
placed with the regular dealer, cancelled. 
This practice could tend only to confusion 
in business records, while it would at the 



same time add to the cost of the books; 
for an express or mall package costs more 
than a single item in a freight shipment. 

Again, it is reasonably expected that the 
professor will furnish a list of the books he 
wants to buy for his department; a list 
sufficiently legible so that it can be read 
without spending hours in the process and 
exhausting the ingenuity and patience of 
the librarian. 

A friend of mine, who had labored in 
vain to unravel items on one of these lists, 
finally appealed to the writer of the list 
who, after puzzling over the offending en- 
tries said, "Well, it is now some time since 
I wrote that, and I guess I will have to take 
it with me and see if I can remember what 
it w-as I intended to order." The professor 
is evidently still puzzling, at least those 
cards have never been returned. 

We will assume that there is a definite 
and limited amount of money to be spent 
for books each year, and that the money 
is apportioned on a basis to meet equably, 
if not adequately, the needs of the several 
departments. 

Most faculty men easily spend all their 
yearly allowance; indeed their problem is 
purely one of selection, for two books are 
commonly wanted where one can be pur- 
chased; an occasional man will have no 
idea in regard to what proportion of his 
fund he has used, and he would cheerfully 
continue to send in order cards, if he were 
not informed that his funds were all gone. 

More rarely the man appears who for 
certain reasons is not interested in spend- 
ing his annual allotment, and if there be a 
regulation providing that the fund be not 
allowed to accumulate until the next year, 
other members of the department will 
doubtless put in a plea for the privilege 
of siiending the money rather than have it 
revert to the general library fund. How- 
ever these details of apportionment and 
expenditure may be managed, the librarian 
must have his book account so readily ac- 
cessible that there will be no danger of 
allowances being exceeded. 

In the whole list of library processes, 
classification presents more reasonable and 
indeed more fruitful grounds for difference 



COLLEGE AND REFERENCE SECTION 



255 



of opinion between the librarian and the 
reader than any other. 

"Why is this book placed here?" 

"This book ought to be classified In the 
group I use in connection with this course 
in engineering." 

"Really now, no one would ever think of 
looking for that book in any other con- 
nection than this." 

These sentiments may be expressed In 
various ways and will depend for their 
force upon the temperament of the man 
whose sense of Intellectual relationships 
has been offended by the grouping of the 
books. He may simply say, "Oh!" He 
may look at you with a superior and know- 
ing smile and say nothing. This may mean 
that he is willing to concede your location 
for the book, or that the point will not. In 
his opinion, lend itself to discussion. 

We do feel, however, that the man who 
is working on church history, and finds, for 
example, that he must collect his Luther 
material from three apparently equally im- 
porant sections, before he goes into sub- 
sidiary sources at all, has just grotmds for 
complaint. The classes 920, 838, and 270, 
so far as they apply to Luther, might well 
be united; for then the man who uses the 
catalog would be directed to the proper 
section, the man whose instinct directs him 
to the section used would find the bulk of 
the material available, and the man who 
found nothing in the place where he ex- 
pected to find the material would undoubt- 
edly be led to investigate; while if he 
found one of three or more equally import- 
ant sections, he might conclude that any 
one of these represented the bulk of the 
library's resources on Luther. 

But, whatever course Is followed, the 
classifier will receive a protest sooner or 
later; for the history student who finds 
that Luther's works have an entirely lit- 
erary environment, and the student in lit- 
erature who must go to church history for 
his Luther, are going to make known their 
displeasure. 

We can see but one solution for the diffi- 
culty so fas as the professor is concerned, 
and that solution lies in his making a 
friend and confidant out of the card cata- 



log; for as soon as the librarian has made 
the classification to square up with the 
ideas of a particular man, he is almost sure 
to have placed it on a bias with the ideas 
of another, and the latter may have the 
greater capacity for saying unpleasant 
things. 

However, the card catalog is seldom con- 
sulted by the faculty man except when the 
book wanted is not found on the shelves 
where his preconceived notion would place 
it. And I conceive that in this point lies 
Lue foundation for the feeling In occasional 
men that the catalog and classiacauon may 
ordinarily be depended upon to be a few 
points out of true. 

There is trouble between the classifica- 
tion and the mind of the professor before 
he appeals to the index at all, so when this 
guide points in an unexpected direction, 
he questions its accuracy. He is used to 
piloting himself about the stack and giving 
no special thought to the classincatlon so 
long as he finds the books where he ex- 
pects; ordinarily, he has no use for the 
catalog. Hence, it follows that a really 
excellent catalog and good classification 
are made to appear very unsatisfactory to 
him, because in the large proportion of 
cases in which he uses the catalog he gets 
unexpected results. 

When we have our books placed so that 
their positions are perfectly defendable, 
then we are justified, with a feeling of all 
the composure that is allowed us, to let our 
mental bias govern the situation. The 
work we do in changing records seems out 
of all proportion to what should be war- 
ranted; it takes more time to change the 
classification, cataloging and marking than 
it does to accomplish the processes In the 
first place. Perhaps the conditions for 
necessity of change in the records arise 
because we are too often led to classify 
for a special or temporary purpose when 
the book might better be given a number 
it could hold for all time. 

Having said this, I do not wish to appear 
to be advocating the upholding of mistakes 
that may have been made, but simply to 
maintain that when classification is good, 
it must be shown that it can be made much 



256 



PASADENA CONFERENCE 



better before changes in the records in- 
volved are justifiable. 

The practice of classifying copies of the 
same book in different sections of the li- 
brary seems to me to defeat its own pur- 
pose, which purpose may be conceded to be 
to get the resources of the library into the 
hands of the reader in the shortest possible 
time and with a minimum expenditure of 
work. The assistant who handles a book 
which carries a copy number at once 
knows that he should be able to locate at 
least one more copy when the second call 
for the book comes; but if he has handed 
out a book with no copy number on it, and 
practice allows the regular classification 
of books in more than one place, he must 
appeal to the catalog for a check upon his 
work, otherwise he cannot be sure of his 
ground. The general practice of placing 
all copies of the same work in one place in 
the classification thus simplifies the 
amount of pure memory work required of 
the library assistant, and gets the book into 
the hands of the student more quickly, 
while it places upon the users of the li- 
brary who have access to the stack a 
greater part of this necessity of supple- 
menting their own efforts in locating books 
with help from the catalog. 

A general plan of department libraries, 
unless it is conducted on a system of du- 
plicating copies of books before they are 
transferred to departments, tends to re- 
move from the main library many of our 
purely technical books and serial sets cov- 
ering the fields represented. This system 
leaves for the main library the antiquated 
and obvious books in these subjects, but 
does not leave a really scholarly collection. 
Many of these sets of books are brought 
to the attention of the main library only at 
the times when a volume is returned from 
the bindery, and sent over to be placed with 
the rest of the set; and many of the single 
volumes are so purely in the specialist's 
province that they are not called for from 
one year's end to the other. However, 
there are many cases where one copy 
of the book is really all that is neces- 
sary tor the library to own, and the 
books can be temporarily transferred from 



the department to the main collection. 
Nevertheless, there are desires which are 
effectively and forever quashed by the re- 
port that a book is in a department library. 
This condition may be set down as repre- 
senting a deplorable state of indifference 
on the part of the student; but looked upon 
in the most favorable light, the fact that 
the book is not at hand is an obstacle, es- 
pecially to the student who is not Inter- 
ested in the department where the book is 
lodged. 

One of the most fruitful sources of an- 
noyance for the student, and a real obsta- 
cle in his access to the books, is the pro- 
fessor who keeps just far enough ahead of 
his class, in preparing his lectures, to draw 
out the books on his personal account, be- 
fore assignments for reading are an- 
nounced or syllabus sheets distributed. 

We can always look with a degree of 
sympathy upon the young instructor who 
has to build up his lectures from week to 
week as he carries his class along; he has 
not really found himself, as yet, in the 
realm of the professor, and has accumulated 
but a fraction of his authorities in his pri- 
vate library. Yet, however sympathetic 
we may feel for this instructor, and know- 
ing full well that he cannot support him- 
self, and buy all the books he needs on 
a thousand dollars a year, the fact yet re- 
mains that students are often put days 
behind in their reading and the librarian 
left to turn away call after call, on the 
part of these students, while he diplomati- 
cally suggests to the instructor that he has 
in his possession some books to which he 
has referred his students and for which 
there is constant clamor on the far side of 
the loan desk. 

This condition Is not always limited to 
instructors; there is an occasional profes- 
sor who manages his classes In the same 
way. The annoyance from this source 
manifests itself in varying degrees; It 
takes on a semi-tragic aspect when there 
is a single copy of the book, or when the 
time of accounting on the part of the stu- 
dents draws near and the supply of books 
to meet the demand is short. 
It sometimes happens that the student 



COLLEGE AND REFERENCE SECTION 



257 



really has no use for the book and a mere 
glance inside it would satisfy him; but 
the fact that the Instructor considers the 
book of sufficient importance to occupy his 
attention makes the student feel that it 
must contain the basic principles of the 
whole subject; and so the conscientious 
student is troubled until he has a chance 
to see for himself what there is in the book. 

With many instructors, the annoyance 
from this source is purely a negligible 
quantity and the librarian finds not only 
that the materials for class use are in their 
places when the demand for them com- 
mences, but he is often notified that certain 
material will be needed at a given time. 
When the librarian is not warned by the 
well-timed syllabus, or a word from the 
professor, the students wno get their read- 
ing done early, of whom there are always 
a few, may withdraw the important books 
from the library; and when the big de- 
mand comes, we must wait upon a postal 
or telephone message before we can get 
the books into active use again. 

There is another source of friction for 
the library when books, which are not rep- 
resented in the catalog and which upon in- 
vestigation are found never to have been 
in the library, are referred to or appear 
upon syllabus sheets. This condition 
of affairs obtains when a professor has 
been arranging a new course or working 
over an old one, and neglects to check his 
sources in the home catalog for citations 
gathered in other libraries. 

References sometimes appear, which to 
the student mean absolutely nothing, and 
which, to the librarian, mean that someone 
has blundered. These come about in one 
of several ways — the reference may be to 
an analytic which the assistant will not 
recognize on sight, as he has failed to fix 
in his memory all the entries in the card 
catalog together with references in Poole, 
and other periodical indexes. Sometimes 
an elaborate syllabus is handed to the stu- 
dents In which publishers, dates and prices 
of books are given; then we get such call 
slips as this presented: "Heath and Co., 
1898." The student will then probably look 



at you in surprise when he is told that the 
information he is furnishing tells abso- 
lutely nothing from which we can identify 
the book wanted. Of course the student, in 
a case like this, has perversely selected the 
strictly non-essential part of the entry and 
excluded the essentials — namely the author 
and title. Or the student may ask for 
"Jones," or for "The Inquisition," and, if 
there is no author of this name especially 
in the limelight at the given time, or if 
no particular edition of "The Inquisition" 
is being commonly used, the attendant 
must insist that the request be made more 
specific. 

You may now be ready to raise the 
query as to why call numbers are not al- 
ways required, and this is as good a place 
as any for its discussion. An assistant 
who must depend upon call numbers is 
of very little use when it comes to the 
hour of stress, when he has a hand full 
of cards for books which he must collect 
and knows that the number of demands 
awaiting his attention, in a short time, will 
be limited only by his ability to handle 
them. If he does not know the classifica- 
tion and outward appearance of the books, 
it will take him at least a third longer to 
collect them. But having familiarized him- 
self with the books that are used through- 
out the year and those used at the same 
relative time in succeeding years, the at- 
tendant is still forced to call upon the 
student to use the catalog and procure call 
numbers for part of his books. 

Many students will go without a book 
before they will make this small effort to 
help themselves; or they will get around 
the difficulty by holding the card in ques- 
tion until a more experienced attendant 
comes to the desk, when they will present 
the card to him and see, it by chance, they 
can get the book. When possible these 
students should be made to produce the 
numbers. Theoretically, every call slip 
presented at the desk for a book should 
carry the call number; practically, this is 
entirely superfluous, and both the library 
and the student lose time if it is insisted 
upon. The problem then is to keep the 



258 



PASADENA CONFERENCE 



student in a frame of mind where he will 
produce numbers cheerfully, when they are 
needed, and not burden him with them 
when they are not. 

Finally: How can we impose a system 
of penalties for infringement of rules. 
without spending too much time in the pro- 
ceases involved? Some system of regula- 
tion Is imperative, and whatever the sys- 
tem may be, it will sometimes present un- 
pleasant personal features in its adminis- 
tration; these we must expect. 

Suppose we have instituted a system of 
fines. Can we reduce the process of col- 
lecting them to a simpler basis than the 
one outlined in the following plan? 
Each student, when he presents himself 
at the library wishing to withdraw a book 
signs a guarantee card. This card states 
that the student agrees to abide by the 
rules of the library, and make good fines 
and losses incurred by him. These cards 
are renewed each year on the return of 
the student to college, and are filed alpha- 
betically. When a fine is incurred a state- 
ment is sent to the student, the guarantee 
card is taken from the file and the facts 
Involved noted on the back with the amount 
of the fine due. When the fine is paid, its 
receipt is entered on the back of the guar- 
antee card, and the card refiled in its place 
in the guarantee register. This gives data 
on students who are regular offenders, and 
enables the library readily to tell whether 
there has been a response to its statement. 

Where no system of readers' cards for 
drawing books from the library is in use, 
the penalty of depriving an offender of the 
privileges of the library cannot be im- 
posed, since there is sure to be an obliging 
'"friend" who will secure the books, and, 
save for causing a little inconvenience, 
the penalty proves a farce. 

The whole penalty system should be 
conducted so that the offender is made to 
square accounts, and the discipline secured 
is sufficient to compensate for the time 
and effort expended. 

W. E. HENRY, librarian of the Uni- 
versity of Washington library, read the 
last paper of the session, on the subject 



THE ACADEMIC STANDING OF COL- 
LEGE LIBRARY ASSISTANTS AND 
THEIR RELATION TO THE CAR- 
NEGIE FOUNDATION 

In taking up this topic for consideration 
we must realize that w'e are dealing with 
a new profession in educational work, that 
this profession is an outgrowth of new 
conceptions in educational materials and 
processes and that the terms and condi- 
tions are fixed by these materials and 
processes. We must, therefore, treat 
briefly certain origins before coming spe- 
cifically to the apparent topic. 

This new relationship expressed in the 
words "college library assistant" came 
upon us unawares as a part of recent evo- 
lution in the conceptions of education — 
new conceptions of studentship and schol- 
arship. 

This new learning of less than fifty 
years is characterized by broad scope, 
searching investigation, infinite detail, 
first hand authority and such variety as 
would have been bewildering a few years 
earlier. The old learning wrote the natu- 
ral history of the world from Adam; the 
new learning writes volumes on bacteriol- 
ogy, and the new library is as unlike the 
old as the books they contain. They pre- 
sent jirecisely the same differences. 

The type of student that uses books and 
in turn produces them is less than half a 
century old. The mass of books that con- 
stitute the working collection of most 
American college libraries have been writ- 
ten since the American library association 
held its first session in 1876. The "new 
learning" covers the half century after 
18G0. In 1S7G there were but three college 
libraries in America that contained more 
than 45,000 volumes each; only one pos- 
sessed more than 100.000 volumes. Very 
few professors placed Ph.D. after their 
names in the college catalog, and this 
growth of these two facts since then may 
be traced side by side as interchanging 
cause and effect — a new studentship and a 
new library. The new learning demanded 
detailed information "ready to serve hot," 
therefore a new well-organized library. 



COLLEGE AND REFERENCE SECTION 



259 



The new library is a hundred times more 
varied than the old. The more varied li- 
brary has the greater variety of function 
and demands more perfect organization as 
in all forms of organic life. This higher 
type and more complex organization origi- 
nates the demand for the modern library 
assistant, and fixes the condition in educa- 
tion and training. 

In the old college library there were 
relatively few subjects, few authors, 
few investigations, few readers, few de- 
mands of any ijind. The new learning 
fixed the standards for the new profession. 
Breadth of scholarship, detail of informa- 
tion, cosmopolitan and comprehensive, 
were demanded, and all of it ready on call. 
Compare the college curriculum of 1876 
with that of the present. The librarian 
in the old college library becomes the staff 
in the new; one becomes many, and the 
college library assistant comes into being. 

In the older pedagogy the teacher did 
mere textbook recitation work or occa- 
sionally did worse by lecturing, but there 
was almost no thought of bibliographical 
work in connection with the recitation as- 
signments. He needed no library service, 
hence no library nor librarian. The new 
pedagogy values the work done in the li- 
brary as quite as vital and more informing 
than that of the class room. No subject 
is well treated now until a fair bibliog- 
raphy of the subject is mastered. Here the 
librarian is quite as necessary as the 
teacher and quite as helpful. Neither 
could do his work without the other. Co- 
operation has become a necessity, and the 
preparation of the two is essentially simi- 
lar, in slightly different directions, but 
complementary. The library staff must be 
the equals in scholarship and preparation 
of the faculty of any one academic depart- 
ment, and if it is not so the library will fall 
short of the work that ought to be done in 
cooperative education. 

The reference librarian must needs pos- 
sess a larger grasp of information than is 
expected of any professor, for this member 
of the staff must know in general all that 
all the faculty knows in detail. The lend- 
ing librarian, if she does her whole duty. 



must know the book resources as well as 
the combined faculty knows them. It has 
been said that the girl who can measure 
ribbon over the counter at three dollars 
per week can hand out books at the same 
price. My own belief is that the readiest 
and best informed mind as well as the best 
business head in the staff is none too good 
for the loan desk, and the work of other 
departments could be shown relatively as 
important in the particular fields. 

The member of the faculty obtains his 
rank in part because of his academic prep- 
aration, and in part because he has to do 
with directing the education of others. His 
work in the education of others is some- 
times in the actual processes of teaching. 
— the hearing of recitations, lecturing, di- 
recting the reading, or it may be largely in 
mere administrative work. This rank, 
so far as it depends upon academic prepa- 
ration is usually indicated by a degree 
granted from some institution. This de- 
gree means that he has completed a cer- 
tain course of instruction but does not in- 
dicate that he can do any particular kind 
or grade of service. In short, his rank is 
evidence of scholarly relationship. Meas- 
ured by these tests, which I believe to be 
fair, the members of the library staff bear 
a very similar relation to educational ac- 
tivities. We do not think of a college li- 
brary assistant coming to his position on 
the staff on any other basis than one of 
general scholarship, and not usually with- 
out some special training for the work he 
assumes, either in a library training schoov 
or valuable experience in a well-managed 
library. The professor has not usually a 
training for his work as a teacher, how- 
ever much he may have in scholarship. 
The library assistant is not usually a 
teacher in the sense of a hearer of recita- 
tions or a formal lecturer, yet anyone who 
knows his real work must admit that it is 
frequently as personal and quite as scho- 
lastically helpful as that done by the 
teacher. If this equality does not exist 
then the staff should be revised. With 
such preparation and such relationship to 
the educational processes 1 shall claim 
that the library staff must rank with the 



360 



PASADENA CONFERENCE 



faculty or teaching staff ol any depart- 
ment. The librarian or head of the staff 
should have the rank and pay of a pro- 
fessor; the assistant librarian, it such a 
title for a distinct position exists, should 
be accorded the ranlc and pay of an asso- 
ciate professor; and the other members of 
the staff that of assistant professor or in- 
structor, this to be determined by the 
nature of the work, the preparation and 
particular ability required; and those not 
fitted to so rank should not be members 
of the staff but some other name should 
be adopted. 

I am sure that this doctrine will sound 
a bit revolutionary and somewhat like the 
closed shop to persons who have been ac- 
customed to think of the library staff 
along with janitors and scrubwomen, but 
to me librarianship is a learned profession 
and in college must rank with the teaching 
profession. As before defined, I do not in- 
clude in the library staff mere student as- 
sistants uneducated and untrained persons 
in the most subordinate position. The staff 
must be respected as educators by the fac- 
ulty, not merely for the satisfaction of the 
staff but for the good of the library in Its 
power for efficiency. 

It would have been infinitely more fort- 
unate for colleges in their library adminis- 
tration if instead of the word "librarian" 
the title Professor of books and reading 
had been substituted as suggested in the 
"Special report on public libraries" In 1876. 
Mr. Perkins in that report emphasizes the 
doctrine that the office of librarian shall 
be "a professorship teaching method," not 
subject; how to discover, not what to dis- 
cover. Mr. Matthews in the same report, 
bore upon the thesis that the college 
should provide "a professor to assist the 
student." These men back In the early 
age of modern libi-arianship outlined pre- 
cisely the duty of a modern college li- 
brary staff — to assist the student In the 
method of discovery. Each member of a 
well organized staff holds a professorship 
or an Instructorshlp in the department of 
books and reading. 

As I have thought over the peculiar mis- 
sion of each member of the staff I am per- 



suaded that each is vitally essential to the 
work of the professorship of books and 
reading. The person who selects the book, 
the one who catalogs it. Is just as vitally, 
though less directly, helping the student as 
is the one who hands him the book with 
the page designated. 

Then, In the department of books and 
reading we have precisely the relationship 
and must demand the scholarship and spe- 
cific training as Is demanded in the depart- 
ments of history, English, German, or en- 
gineering. The library staff must rank 
with the teaching staff of a given depart- 
ment, for the instructor and guide in meth- 
od of scholarship boars the same vital re- 
lation to the education of the student as 
does the guide In matters of scliolarship. 

For comparative relations the term "Pro- 
fessor of books and reading" is much more 
significant than "Librarian," tor the latter 
term has brought with it the suggestion of 
the inactive police relation of a keeper of 
books, while the former has in it the impli- 
cation of active help — of progressive edu- 
cational purpose. I do not mean that it 
would be wise to change the name of this 
office In the college catalog, but I use it 
here with the hope that I may make the 
relationship clearer and thereby place the 
library staff where I tliink it belongs in ed- 
ucational economy. 

Whatever may be said of individual per- 
sons or positions as to requirement It is 
clear that so far there exists no uniform- 
ity of appreciation or organization within 
the college library staff. We are not 
agreed among ourselves as to how many 
and what departments naturally and logi- 
cally exist, and the term "Head of the 
Department" has a great variety of Indefi- 
nite meanings. There is likewise no de- 
fined notion as to the essential require- 
ments for heads of certain departments, 
there is neither uniformity nor consistency 
of names for college library assistants; 
and finally there is no fixed conception as 
to just what constitutes a library staff. 
Does staff Include only heads of depart- 
ments with the librarian, or does It include 
assistants in the departments as well as 
student assistants or even pages? These 



COLLEGE AND REFERENCE SECTION 



261 



questions must be answered and the no- 
menclature fixed before the questions of 
this paper can be fully and satisfactorily 
answered. We shall not be ranked out- 
side of the staff until we rank within it. 
If, however, we desire and expect the li- 
brary staff to rank with the teaching staff 
of a department we must demand acade- 
mic and professional preparation and a 
kind and quality of work that will com- 
mand respect from the faculty and from 
others having knowledge of college rank 
and standing. Their work must be pro- 
fessional and educational. 

Admission to the staff of a college li- 
brary must demand at least the bachelor's 
degree and added thereto should be the 
training of a library school preferably cul- 
minating in a professional degree; or, in 
lieu of school training, such experience 
in library work as shall leave no question 
of capacity or efficiency. 

It is true that in a large staff there is 
much petty detail that, for economic rea- 
sons, well prepared people cannot afford 
to perform. A considerable per cent of 
any large staff will be composed of lower 
grade relatively untrained persons who 
cannot and ought not attain to faculty 
rank. These I should not consider as 
members of the staff but should provide 
some other title such as helper or attend- 
ant, and let that title become definite and 
fixed. 

Let us make our staff a very specific and 
very exclusive body clearly defined in the 
minds of all having official relation to the 
institution. Let the line be distinctly 
drawn but not snobbishly maintained. Let 
us classify closely on the basis of prepa- 
ration and demonstrated efficiency and 
then be exacting in our nomenclature. I 
have pointed out upon purely historical 
and theoretical grounds what should be 
the academic rank of the college library 
assistant. I shall briefly state the theory 
of this same assistant's relation to the Car- 
negie Foundation for the Advancement of 
Teaching and follow up this theoretical 
statement with a few facts as to what con- 
ditions do actually prevail with regard to 
both of these questions in a dozen repre- 



sentative institutions in all parts of the 
country. 

Whatever reasons may have prevailed 
for admitting teachers in any college or 
university faculty to retiring allowances 
from the Carnegie Foundation are equally 
valid when applied to the library staff, not 
perhaps as it is now constituted in many 
cases, but as above defined. If present af- 
fluence be the measure then I am sure the 
librarian has equal claim with the profes- 
sor. If the insufficiency of salary either in 
fact or in prospect be taken in evidence 
then I am sure no professor could urge a 
stronger claim than can the library assist- 
ant. If a long and faithful service be a 
condition, then the library staff must stand 
side by side with the professor inviting the 
generosity of the Foundation. If single- 
ness of purpose and devoted service be the 
test then the library assistant admits no 
superior. If scholarly requirements and 
extensive preparation are to be considered 
evidence of fitness there is no difference. 
As valiant and efficient helpers in the pro- 
cess and progress of higher education I 
know of no claim that will admit one to 
the privileges of the Foundation and deny 
the same to the other. 

From any point of view I cannot see a 
single argument that will admit the assist- 
ant professor and the instructor to par- 
ticipate in the foundation that will deny 
the library assistant when the library staff 
shall be composed on as high standards of 
efficiency as the teaching staff. It then 
becomes the business of the college libra- 
rians to define carefully, through the exec- 
utive authorities of the colleges, the library 
staff and the qualifications demanded, and 
to see to it that only such persons are ad- 
mitted. 

What conditions now prevail in college 
libraries? In preparing this paper I tried 
to collect facts from college and univer- 
sity libraries covering the entire country 
form east to west, including both state and 
endowed institutions. From seventeen in- 
quiries I had sixteen replies for which I 
sincerely thank the responding libraries. 
Only about 43 per cent of those persons 
now holding positions as college library as- 



262 



PASADENA CONFERENCE 



sistants hold even baccalaureate degrees. 
About 20 per cent have had some library 
school training, a considerable proportion 
of these hold the B. L. S. degree. 

As to faculty rank it appears that the 
librarian usually has the rank of a pro- 
fessor. Below the librarian all sorts of 
conditions prevail. In one instance all 
members of the staff are considered mem- 
bers of the faculty, yet less than half of 
them have any degree. The reference li- 
brarian ranks as instructor, and all below 
him rank with the lowest grade of the 
teaching force. I do not find what that 
rank is. Below the librarian and a first 
assistant there seems to be no faculty rank 
in most cases. With the above figures as 
to preparation it is not at all surprising 
that most assistants have no rank. 

As to the relation to the Carnegie Foun- 
dation, usually the librarian and assistant 
seem to be eligible to a retiring allowance, 
as these usually have some professional 
rank. However, the term "assistant libra- 
rian" is used without discrimination. In 
some instances it means a specific rank 
next the head of the staff, but in quite a 
number of cases it seems to apply to 
almost any person working in the library. 
The library assistant Is so far scarcely 
considered. 

For reasons of internal organization and 
external respect and proper standing, I 
am convinced we must standardize our 
college libraries just as the colleges and 
universities are being standardized under 
the guiding and commanding influence of 
the Carnegie Foundation. I wish that 
some one would recommend that a com- 
mittee from this organization might be 
appointed to take up the work of standard- 
izing the college library force, and make 
recommendations as to staff organizations, 
qualifications of members of the staff and 
nomenclature that some time in the fu- 
ture we may have a common language. 

I can bring to you at this time three 
guiding facts for our future action; the 
ruling of the Foundation itself and the 
action of two of our leading universities 
—Columbia and Harvard. That portion of 
rule five of the Carnegie Foundation which 



provides for librarians participating in the 
retiring allowance reads as follows: "Li- 
brarians, registrars, recorders, and admin- 
istrative officers of long tenure whose sal- 
aries may be classed with those of profes- 
sors are considered eligible to the benefits 
of a retiring allowance." Now, whether 
librarian means head of the staff only, or 
whether it means a number of persons 
doing the higher quality of library work 
may be questioned since some assistants 
in libraries have been granted allowances. 
Yet in a letter from the secretary of the 
Foundation under date of April 1, 1911, 
this sentence occurs, "Ordinarily we have 
not considered that assistant librarians 
might count their service toward a retir- 
ing allowance," yet later in the same letter 
this writer makes the possible exception 
of such large libraries as Columbia and 
Harvard. 

The Harvard rules for retiring allow- 
ances specify that "librarians and assist- 
ant librarians" are covered by the provis- 
ion. Assistant librarian at Harvard is not 
a specific single position but applies to 
two persons of equal rank. 

The Columbia university trustees on 
February 6 of this year provided as fol- 
lows: "The librarian shall have the rank 
of professor, the assistant librarian that of 
associate professor and the supervisors 
(with grade of assistant librarian) shall 
rank as assistant professors and bibliogra- 
phers as instructors." The action of these 
two great leading universities is so specific 
and well defined and apparently so just I 
quote from them as a guide which the rest 
of us may follow if even at some distance. 

On motion of Mr. Lane it was voted that 
separates of Mr. Henry's paper be printed 
by the Secretary of the A. L. A. and sent 
to all of the college and university libra- 
ries in the United States. 

Mr. W. C. Lane spoke of the meeting 
of the Association of New England libra- 
ries, held at Wellesley recently, where the 
question of inter-library loans was dis- 
cussed. He spoke of the time and labor 
involved in sending out books and in check- 
ing up lists for books both in the bibrary 



PROFESSIONAL TRAINING FOR LIBRARIANSHIP 



263 



and those not in the library. The advis- 
ability of charging a small fee was con- 
sidered, the fee being not for the use of 
the book but simply to cover in some de- 
gree the cost of the extra labor involved. 
The payment of a fee would perhaps in- 



library loans. Discussion by Messrs. An- 
drews, Henry, Lane, Leupp and Miss M. 
L. Jones. 

On motion of Mr. Andrews it was voted 
that the matter of the purposes, principles 
and methods of inter-library loans be re- 



sure greater freedom in asking for inter- ferred to the Committee on Co-ordination. 

SECTION ON PROFESSIONAL TRAINING 
FOR LIBRARIANSHIP 



The annual meeting of the Professional 
training section was held on Wednesday, 
May 24, and was largely attended. In the 
absence of the chairman, P. L. Windsor, 
Chalmers Hadley of the Denver public li- 
brary presided, and Miss Charlotte Eliza- 
beth Wallace of the Seattle public library 
acted as secretary. 

The program for the meeting was as fol- 
lows: 

Library training in California — Mary L. 
Sutlift, California state library. 

Discussion — L. W. Ripley, Sacramento 
public library and W. R. Watson, San 
Francisco public library. 

The theory of the training school in the 
large library system — Faith E. Smith, Chi- 
cago public library. 

Discussion — Arthur E. Bostwick and 
Paul Blackwelder, St. Louis public library. 

Miss MARY L. SUTLIFF opened the 
program with a paper on 

LIBRARY TRAINING IN CALIFORNIA 

The first library training in California of 
which we have any record was that given 
in the training class of the Los Angeles 
public library. The first class of six mem- 
bers began work under the direction of 
Miss Kelso, the librarian, in November, 
1S91. The pupils were required to pass an 
entrance examination and agreed to give 
to the library three hours service daily for 
six months, at the end of which time they 
were, upon passing an examination, placed 
upon the substitute list of the library. The 
board of library directors announced frank- 
ly that the class was an experiment. 



"adopted as possibly affording a solution" 
of the difficulty arising from the too fa- 
miliar combination of low funds and an 
overburdened staff. 

So successful did the experiment prove 
that other classes followed in quick suc- 
cession. At first no formal class work was 
given, the pupils gaining their knowledge 
from their work in the various depart- 
ments. Beginning, however, with the third 
class, June, 1S92, a regular course of in- 
struction was given. 

This course of study was outlined in the 
Library journal, v. 17, and afterward ampli- 
fied by Miss Hasse in her articles on "The 
training of library employees" (Lib. jour. 
20). After the lapse of twenty years one 
reads with admiration the description of 
this thorough, systematic and well-planned 
course. Undoubtedly much of the future 
success of the training class was due to the 
excellent foundation laid by Miss Kelso 
and Miss Hasse. 

One feature of the training of these early 
classes seems especially worthy of con- 
sideration to-day. Pupils passing an ex- 
amination at the end of the first six months 
were given employment in the library on 
partial time while their training was con- 
tinued for another six months, the more 
difficult technical points being taken up. 
A final successful examination was followed 
by employment on full time. Somewhat 
too much of examination here perhaps, and 
the added six months must have imposed 
a heavy burden upon the teaching staff, but 
there can be no doubt of the benefit to the 
class of this prolonged period of instruc- 
tion. 



264 



PASADENA CONFERENCE 



Through all the vicissitudes of the Los 
Angeles public library the training class 
has persisted. During the incumbency of 
Miss Jones in particular, careful, thorough 
work was done. In 1904 Mr. Lupimis add- 
ed a physical examination to the list of 
entrance requirements and raised the 
standard of the examinations. The aver- 
age number of students in each class has 
been about ten, and in all over a hundred 
pupils have been graduated. 

There can be no doubt that to the in- 
fluence of this training class more than to 
any other single agency is due the high 
quality of library service in Southern Cali- 
fornia. Mr. Lummis in his report for 1906 
after calling attention to the fact that the 
Los Angeles public library was the first in 
America "to introduce the training class 
which has been copied throughout the 
country," says, "This library stands some- 
what in relation of Alma Mater to other 
libraries of Southern California. Most of 
them have as librarians the graduates of 
our training class or of our service. The 
librarians of Los Angeles public schools, 
the Los Angeles high school, the Los An- 
geles state normal school, the public li- 
braries of Long Beach, Pomona, and other 
communities are daughters of this institu- 
tion and it feels proud of them." 

While the Los Angeles public library has 
been thus steadily casting its beams other 
lesser candles have been lighted here and 
there. Apprentices have been received in 
the public libraries of Long Beach, Pomona, 
Redlands, Oxnard, Stockton, Oakland, San- 
ta Rosa, and perhaps others which have 
not come t6 the writer's knowledge. 

Moving northward we find that apprenti- 
ces were first appointed in the California 
state library in 1906. The instrutlon given 
to the two students who entered during the 
year was largely individual, but in 1909 
when a class of five was admitted regular 
class room work was offered. Several of 
the younger members of the staff were 
given the privilege of attending the classes 
and of doing the practice work. 

Nov. 1, 1910, seven apprentices were re- 
ceived. This class was under the imme- 
diate supervision of Miss Kumli and the 



instruction was the most thorough and 
systematic that has yet been given. The 
Sacramento public library gave generous 
aid, both by sending members of its staff 
to give special lectures and by supervising 
practice work at the loan desk. For the 
last two weeks of the course four of 
the pupils went with Miss Kumli to Auburn 
to classify and catalog the public library 
there — a most valuable bit of practical ex- 
perience. In all eleven apprentices have 
completed the training in the state library, 
and all have been given employment there. 

There have been apprentices in the coun- 
ty library work, under the direction of Miss 
Huntington of the Yolo County library. 
Miss Humphreys of Merced and Miss Field 
of Oxnard, and Mrs. Linn of Santa Barbara. 

Aside from the regular classes, most of 
the important libraries of the state have 
served in some measure as training schools 
to the novices who have been connected 
with them. The substitutes in the San 
Francisco public library, for example, are 
given instruction in the various depart- 
ments before receiving regular employ- 
ment. 

Leaving now the training classes in the 
individual libraries, we find that the next 
effort toward library training in the state 
was the summer school. Three sessions of 
six weeks each have so far been held, all at 
Berkeley in connection with the regular 
summer school of the State University, 
with J. C. Rowell in charge. Only libra- 
rians or persons under an appointment to 
a library position were admitted to the 
classes. 

The first session in 1902 was under the 
direction of Miss Mary Floyd Williams, as- 
sisted by Miss Florence Whittler. Twenty- 
four students were admitted, sixteen of 
whom were given certificates. There were 
72 lectures. 

Miss Mary L. Jones, assisted by Miss 
Helen Sheldon, was the director of the sec- 
ond and third sessions, held in 1906 and 
1907. The second class consisted of 21 
students, to whom a total of 82 lectures 
were presented in the six weeks. Mrs. Alice 
G. Whitbeck gave the instruction in chil- 
dren's work. In the third class of 24 stu- 



PROFESSIONAL TRAINING FOR LIBRARIANSHIP 



265 



dents Miss Kumll and Miss Prentiss each 
gave two weeks' time for class work and 
for the consideration of individual prob- 
lems. 

All three sessions of the summer school 
were highly successful from every point 
of view except the financial one. Owing to 
the deficit for the last two classes, the Uni- 
versity did not feel justified in continuing 
the course. 

In 1908, then, as there was no means of 
securing another summer school, and as 
the desire for further instruction on the 
part of the librarians of the state was still 
insistent, the California library association, 
under the leadership of its president, J. L. 
Gillis, decided to furnish at least a crumb 
of the loaf it would have liked to give, and 
offered an institute of two and a half days 
immediately preceding the annual meeting 
at San Jose. This institute was under the 
charge of the state library organizers. Miss 
Prentiss and Miss Kumli. Talks were 
given on the use of the Library of Con- 
gress cards, How to get the most out of 
books. Book repairing, and Librarians' re- 
ports and business methods. Only a few 
students were expected, but to the sur- 
prise of all concerned, over 60 attended the 
various sessions, listened to the talks and 
took part in the lively discussions. 

The interest aroused by this institute was 
so great that the state library decided to 
hold later in the year three classes in li- 
brary methods. These classes, each of two 
weeks' duration, were popularly known as 
institutes and were under the direction of 
Miss Kumli and Miss Prentiss. The stu- 
dents were all library workers, chiefly from 
the small libraries of the state. As the 
numbers were small, it was possible to give 
a good deal of individual instruction in ad- 
dition to the class room work. The classes 
were intended to take the place, to some 
extent, of individual visits of the organizers 
to various communities, and were in some 
ways more valuable than individual visits, 
as the librarians from isolated towns were 
able to enjoy the privilege of personal con- 
tact with their fellow workers. 

The first class, consisting of twelve mem- 
bers, was held in the San Francisco state 



normal school, Aug. 31-Sept. 12, 1908. In- 
struction was given in only two subjects, 
cataloging and reference work. The next 
class, at Colton, Oct. 5-17, 1908, had also 
twelve students, drawn from the southern 
part of the state. The public library at 
Colton was being organized while the class 
was in session, thus affording the students 
a most valuable opportunity for object les- 
sons and practice work. 

The last class began Nov. 2 and was held 
in Red Bluff. As this was in a more sparse- 
ly settled part of the state, only five libra- 
rians were in attendance. It was felt, how- 
ever, that it was in just such scattered 
communities that the classes were of the 
greatest benefit. 

The annual meeting of the California 
library association at Long Beach in 1910 
was preceded, April 11-23, by another li- 
brary institute of two weeks. Two parallel 
courses were offered, one in reference work 
and book selection by Miss Beckley and 
Miss Darlow of the Los Angeles public li- 
brary and the other in cataloging and class- 
ification by Miss Kumli, Miss Sutliff and 
Miss Oddie of the state library. Nearly 
fifty students were in attendance at this 
institute. As a rule only one of the courses 
was taken by each pupil and there was a 
corresponding gain in the thoroughness of 
the work. 

At the annual meeting of the California 
state board of education held in San Jos6, 
April 8, 1910, State Librarian Gillis and 
Miss Susan T. Smith of the state library 
presented the results of an investigation 
made by them on library training in normal 
schools. A suggestive course of study was 
also presented and Mr. Gillis urged that 
such instruction be given in the normal 
schools of the state. As a result of this 
meeting, there has just been started, April. 
1911, in the Chico state normal school, a 
course of ten lessons in library economy 
under the direction of the librarian. Miss 
Margaret Dold. In view of the possible de- 
velopment of the county library work, it is 
felt that this instruction to the future 
teachers of the state Is of the greatest im- 
portance. 

It must not be supposed that the libra- 



266 



PASADENA CONFERENCE 



rians of California have thought during all 
these years that the various agencies for 
library training that we have been enumer- 
ating were adequate and all-sufficient. The 
efforts made were in each case the best 
possible under the existing circumstances, 
but particularly in recent years it has been 
felt more and more that the great need of 
the profession in this state is a permanent 
school. 

In 1908, the California library association 
appointed a committee on library training 
consisting of J. L. Gillis, J. C. Rowell, G. T. 
Clark, C. S. Greene and W. R. Watson. 

As a result of the work of this committee, 
a bill was introduced into the legislature 
of 1909 providing for the setting aside from 
the funds received by the secretary of state 
the sum of $700 monthly for the establish- 
ment of a school for library training under 
the direction of the state library. Many 
of the prominent librarians of the state per- 
sonally urged the passage of this act, but 
although it passed the assembly, it died in 
a senate committee. 

According to the terms of the bill, the 
school was to be under the control of the 
Board of trustees of the state library. In 
case the measure had been successful, 
however, it was the intention to establish 
the school in the San Francisco public li- 
brary, the trustees of this library having 
offered suitable quarters. It was felt that 
with its public library and branches, with 
two great university libraries within easy 
reach and many small libraries in its imme- 
diate vicinity, San Francisco was in many 
ways an ideal place for a library school. 

While the question of a school was be- 
fore the legislature the San Francisco Call 
expressed in an editorial the opinion that 
any intelligent person could learn in six 
weeks all that was necessary to flt him for 
work in a library and there was some sur- 
prise on the part of the legislators that 
special training should be considered neces- 
sary for a librarian, but on the whole the 
measure met with very little active oppo- 
sition. 

Many of the legislators thought, however, 
that if instruction in library matters was to 
be given at all, the State University was 



the proper place for it. Mr. Gillis wrote 
accordingly, April 27, 1909, to President 
Wheeler urging him to establish a library 
school and assuring him of the co-opera- 
tion of both the state library and the 
California library association. President 
Wheeler replied briefly that while there 
might some time be a library school, there 
was no immediate prospect of one. So 
this hope also vanished. 

ArVhen the legislature met in 1911, the 
state library asked for an increased appro- 
priation, with the understanding that if the 
increase were granted, the library would 
conduct a library class on more liberal 
lines than Its former apprentice classes, 
though not aspiring to the dignity of a 
library school. But in the unsettled con- 
dition of the state's finances, it was not 
possible to secure the increase. 

Having completed our survey of the past, 
let us glance at the situation as It is at 
present. Lying on the western edge of the 
continent, remote from the great library 
centers, California has, nevertheless, in- 
tense library activities within her borders. 
Her field of work is continually broadening 
and taking on new aspects. Her youth, her 
comparative isolation and her magnificent 
distances, make her problems in some ways 
difficult of solution and tljere is the greater 
need of expert workers. Her harvest fields 
are white, the workers are zealous, but 
where can they learn how so to whet and 
swing their scythes that their work will be 
most efficient? The nearest library school 
is so far away that attendance is possible 
only for a few. Moreover, the peculiar con- 
ditions in the state require special instruc- 
tion. 

It is true that experience has been the 
teacher in the past and that those who have 
trodden her devious and thorny paths have 
arrived as surely as those who entered by 
way of the schools. But we have dis- 
covered that the efficiency of a brick-layer 
can be doubled by proper instruction, and 
the day has gone by for questioning the 
value of preliminary training in a work 
that requires the best that can be had in 
the way of mental equipment. 

Of the desire for library training, there 



PROFESSIONAL TRAINING FOR LIBRARIANSHIP 



267 



can be no doubt. Over and over again the 
inquiry comes, "How can I fit myself for 
library work?" Only those who have had 
some part in scattering whatever crumbs 
of opportunity have been given in the past, 
can realize how eagerly they have been 
seized. 

At the close of her second summer school 
session, Miss Jones wrote: "When it is 
considered that twenty-four women, no one 
of whom receives more than $50 a month, 
are willing to devote their entire vacations 
and surrender their salaries in addition for 
from three to six weeks, as vacations vary, 
for the purpose of increasing their effici- 
ency in library work, the demand for a 
course in library methods seems unques- 
tionably a legitimate one." (News notes, 
2:298.) 

What California needs is a library school 
with adequate funds, good equipment and a 
trained faculty, that can offer at least a 
year's course of study and that in addition 
to giving the general training can fit her 
pupils for work in her own field. 

Probably there will always be individuals 
In the state who prefer to get their library 
training in the East and this is to be de- 
sired. There are always certain students 
who go to Harvard and Wellesley, but this 
does not prove that the State University 
and Stanford are superfluous. When a 
good library school is established here, it 
will doubtless draw a few students from 
the East and the mutual exchange will be 
for the benefit of all concerned. 

Of our prospects, not much can be said 
because we know so little of what the fu- 
ture may bring. As far as the state library 
is concerned, little or nothing can be done 
for the next two years. The attitude of the 
legislature and of the governor during the 
session just closed, however, was most 
friendly. The idea of an appropriation for 
providing library instruction created no 
surprise or criticism. So much at least 
had been accomplished by the efforts of 
1909. If the present tangle in the finances 
of the state can be straightened out, we 
hope for good things in 1913. 

The Riverside public library is consider- 
ing establishing a library school under the 



direction of its librarian, Joseph F. Daniels. 
Such a school, if established, would un- 
doubtedly be useful and do good work, but 
it might be hampered by lack of funds and 
equipment. 

Some at least of our training classes will 
be continued and we will keep on doing 
the best that we can with the means at our 
command, notwithstanding the fact that 
our best is so far from our ideals. Some 
day we shall have our school of our hopes 
and when it conies, we can truthfully say: 

"None can be glad as we are glad 
Unless they have waited as long." 

The discussion of Miss Sutliff's paper 
was opened by Lauren W. Ripley of the 
Sacramento public library. He said if a 
library school is to be opened in California 
it should be located in or near San Fran- 
cisco. "For the present and for some time 
such a school had best concern itself with 
preliminary and elementary instruction, 
leaving the higher grade of work to be 
taught by the schools already in opera- 
tion," Mr. Ripley declared. 

Miss Sutliff stated that she did not agree 
with Mr. Ripley's point that elementary 
training was needed, but believed the most 
proficient and best training was essential. 

In his discussion of the question, William 
R. Watson of the San Francisco public 
library said, "There are several reasons 
not necessarily valid elsewhere, which 
make it desirable, almost imperative in 
fact, that we should have a school for li- 
brary training established on this coast. 
Time after time the question has been 
asked, 'Where can I get library training?' 
And when the reply is given 'Not this side 
of the Mississippi' the inquirer often gives 
up in despair, for the distance from home 
and the expense make it impossible for 
many to consider the step farther. The 
establishment of a school here would do 
much to raise the grade of work which is 
being done in our western libraries by pro- 
viding a larger proportion of thoroughly 
competent people. The employment of 
more trained assistants would react on 
those who have not had such advantages, 
and would raise the standard of proficiency 



268 



PASADENA CONFERENCE 



to a point more nearly in accord with our 
needs and opportunities. A good school 
would create public opinion in favor of the 
employment of trained workers, and would 
demonstrate the importance of such ser- 
vice and would raise the standing of the 
))rofession in the eyes of the public. It is 
undoubtedly an advantage to have a large 
proportion of trained help on a staff, not 
alone for the better quality of service 
which such help renders, but because it 
stimulates the untrained local assistants 
to greater efforts and imbues them with 
ambition. All these advantages we greatly 
need on this coast and the establishment of 
a thoroughly equipped school would do 
more to improve library conditions than 
any other undertaking." 

Miss M. E. Ahern deplored the lack of 
library school facilities in California and 
urged the librarians of that state to work 
unitedly for the establishment of a library 
school. 

The second topic discussed was present- 
ed by Miss FAITH E. SMITH on 

THE THEORY OF THE TRAINING 
CLASS IN THE LARGE LIBRARY 

The training class in the large library is 
an evolution from the apprentice class. It 
signifies more formal and extended instruc- 
tion than did the apprentice class, and is 
supposed to be a necessity in libraries 
where the staff Is sufficiently large to make 
a number of recruits a probability each 
year. 

Not even In the minor positions in a 
large system can we use untrained help 
without detriment to the work of the li- 
brary. Our library schools cannot supply 
the demands for people to fill even the 
higher positions, neither are libraries will- 
ing to pay the salaries for minor positions 
which library school graduates have a 
right to demand. 

It therefore devolves upon the library to 
do its own training, at least for some sul)- 
ordinate positions. No general standards 
of admission or of instruction may be set 
for training classes as for library schools, 
because each class serves one library only, 
and there must be adaptation to local con- 



ditions, and moreover no person or commit- 
tee of persons in the library would have 
authority to act as censor for the work of 
other libraries than his own. 

But as we have agreed that the library 
profession should meet certain standards 
of excellence, so we may be justified in 
discussing the theories for the local train- 
ing of those who shall have a part in this 
service. 

Primarily the training class Is for the 
purpose of training assistants of the first 
grade of service. They may later rise to 
higher positions, after development by ex- 
perience and further study, but our first 
concern is with the first positions. 

Loath as we are to admit it, the en- 
trance requirements must be influenced by 
the salaries offered to the students after 
finishing the course of training. We would 
like "to paint or sing or carve the thing we 
love, though the body starve," and we 
might urge others to do so, if it were for 
their good and for the good of the library. 
We expect high standards of living to be 
maintained by those of whom we require 
high standards for entrance. We expect 
them to keep their self-respect, to realize 
the importance of their vocation, and in a 
material way we must help them to do this. 

As we Increase the salaries so may we 
raise the entrance requirements. 

But whatever the salaries may be, we 
can choose the best material from that 
which is available. We can advertise the 
class in high schools, academies, and col- 
leges, in our own city; we can maintain so 
high a grade of instruction and such a 
spirit of enthusiasm in the class, that it will 
become its own best advertisement. 

The library is a civic institution; Its 
work is social as well as educational and 
candidates chosen for the class must be 
those who can perform this service. We 
want young women who can recognize the 
civic idea, the fact that they are serving 
a government, not as political grafters, but 
as men in battle serve their country. We 
want the young women with broad sym- 
pathies and broad education (this by the 
way may be the college young woman or 
may not be), young women of culture, who 



PROFESSIONAL TRAINING FOR LIBRARIANSHIP 



269 



have enthusiasm, book lovers of course. 
As a rule they should have at least a high 
school course and not be over thirty-Jive 
years of age. At that age one's brain paths 
have been formed, and it is difficult to 
make new ones. A woman cannot then 
easily be trained in technical work, and ex- 
cept in cases of unusual personality, she 
cannot enjoy being directed by members of 
the staff who are younger than she, nor 
can she adapt herself to the freaks and 
foibles of the public whom she must serve 
with graciousness. 

From those candidates who may present 
themselves we may select the best by 
means of systematic marking based on a 
written test and on personality and edu- 
cation. 

The written examination is by no means 
a test of a person's fitness to do library 
work, but it is a safeguard, not so much for 
the purpose of admitting some, as to keep 
others out. A failure to pass a written ex- 
amination will be the only reason accepted 
by some candidates for not being allowed 
to enter a training class. It should be 
marked not so much on accuracy of state- 
ment as on the general intelligence shown 
in the manner of answering, and the ex- 
aminations should count as only a part, 
possibly a half, of the mark of admission. 
With this should be averaged a mark for 
personality and general fitness. 

The size of the class must depend upon 
the probable number of necessary addi- 
tions to the staff at the end of the course, 
plus a certain percentage allowed for drop- 
ping out, say 25 per cent. Until we can 
offer higher salaries we are not warranted 
in asking a tuition fee. If tuition is 
charged the class is at liberty to go to 
other libraries for positions; there is no 
obligation to the library giving the training. 
The course must then be broadened to that 
of a library school, including instruction in 
methods of libraries other than the one 
concerned. 

In planning the curriculum, we must con- 
sider the mental equipment of the students 
upon entrance and the kind of work for 
which they are to be prepared. Entrance 
requirement should be such that purely cul- 



tural studies will not be necessary. The 
curriculum should Include technical studies 
such as order routine, cataloging, classifi- 
cation, business methods, etc., studies in 
book selection and distribution, and lec- 
tures on and investigation of civic affairs, 
with emphasis on book selection and civic 
affairs. 

Fortunately the library profession is com- 
ing to recognize the fact that while knowl- 
edge of technical library work is necessary 
it by no means constitutes all the equip- 
ment of a library assistant. 

A large number of the assistants in a 
large library system are concerned in work 
with the public, and in whatever depart- 
ment they are engaged they must keep in 
mind the fact that all the work of the li- 
brary is for the people, whether it be di- 
rect or indirect, and to work intelligently 
for them, there must be an understanding 
of their interests and the conditions under 
which they live. 

More important than a knowledge of 
Watts' Bibliography is a study of the peo- 
ple of a city, their nationalities, their in- 
terests, their habits and conditions of living, 
a knowledge of the city government and in- 
stitutions, what the city is doing for its 
people in open air schools, special schools 
for the blind and deaf, playgrounds, hos- 
pitals, free lectures, juvenile court. There 
should be a study of the social settlements, 
religious organizations and their charitable 
work, the work of the United Charities, 
business houses conducting social welfare 
work, and all organizations that are aim- 
ing for social betterment. 

The courses in book selection should be 
given considerable time. The library as- 
sistants should know their stock in trade 
as a merchant knows his wares, cultivating 
the ability to understand what will best 
satisfy the needs of their patrons. 

Technical courses in a training class 
need not be as extensive as in a library 
school, because a certain definite library 
with certain fixed methods is to be served. 
Increased knowledge necessary to rise to 
higher positions may come with experience 
and individual study. 

Instruction should be given by those ac- 



270 



PASADENA CONFERENCE 



tually engaged in the work to be taught; 
otherwise the instruction may be theoretic- 
al and not practical. For example, it is 
difficult for one not doing reference work 
to know new reference books and new 
problems. 

A part of the director's work should be 
to correlate these studies, to learn by fre- 
quent quizzes whether the students are 
digesting what they have been taught, and 
how comprehensive and thorough the in- 
struction has been. She should be able al- 
ways to supplement the instruction with 
what may be lacking. She alone, knowing 
all the courses given to the students, can 
understand what each Instructor has 
omitted on the supposition that it may 
have been included by another instructor. 

Another important work of the director 
is Informal individual instruction and ad- 
vice, a word here and there, given at the 
moment the need occurs. It is for her to 
impart the right attitude towards the work 
for which the students are being prepared, 
to give them joy and enthusiasm in their 
labor, and to help them to keep in mind 
the meaning of it all. 

Practice work in the different depart- 
ments of the library should be an important 
part of the training, it properly overseen 
and conducted. There should be drills in 
all kinds of library work which the students 
are capable of performing without detri- 
ment to the service, and there should be 
sufficient repetition so that the methods 
will not soon be forgotten. As their 
courses of lectures advance, more difficult 
work should be given them, and such as 
will test their ability to assimilate their in- 
struction. But they should not be required 
to do such drudgery work as the library 
needs to have done, long after they have 
learned all there is to learn concerning it, 
when there are still other worlds to con- 
quer. 

To get the most out of the practice work, 
there must be co-operation of the heads of 
departments, an appreciation on their part 
that this is just as much their work as their 
regular routine, and there must be a will- 
ingness to give their time to its direction. 

Details regarding length of courses, ad- 



vanced classes, hours of practice work, I 
have not considered. They are governed 
by local conditions and needs, but are sub- 
jects which may properly be brought for- 
ward in the discussion to follow. 

In opening the discussion of Miss Smith's 
paper, Arthur E. Bostwick spoke of objec- 
tions to training classes on the ground that 
such classes were not exhaustively trained. 
He said, "Knowledge to fit needs is very 
useful and need not necessarily be super- 
ficial. What we need to do is to make sure 
that assistants understand that the course 
means partial and not complete knowl- 
edge." 

Paul Blackwelder emphasized the need 
for some lectures on cultural subjects be- 
fore the trainin.g classes. 

Henry E. Legler said the recruits to tie 
library through the training class was a 
valuable stimulus to the entire staff. 

Miss Anna McC. Beckley of the Los An 
geles public library and W. F. Clowdsley 
of the Stockton public library told of the 
instruction and methods of obtaining as- 
sistants in their respective libraries. 

In reply to a question as to the impor- 
tance that personality and general fitness 
should play in examinations to training 
classes, Miss Smith said she believed the 
written examination should count 75 per 
cent and personality 25 per cent. 

By vote of the Section, the By-law on 
active membership was amended to read as 
follows: 

"There shall be two kinds of member- 
ship, active and associate. All persons be- 
longing to the faculties of library schools, 
including summer schools, or who are 
lecturers for regular courses of three or 
more lectures in such schools, or who are li- 
brary school graduates in charge of training 
classes, or librarians of normal schools who 
are conducting classes in library economy, 
are eligible for active membership, includ- 
ing participation in the business of the 
section." 

Officers for the ensuing year were elected 
as follows: Chairman, Matthew S. Dud- 
goon, Wisconsin free library commission; 
Vice-Chairman. Miss Frances .1. Olcott, 



TRUSTEES' SECTION 



271 



Carnegie library, Pittsburgh; Secretary, 
Miss Faith E. Smith, Chicago public li- 
brary. Membership Committee: Miss 
Josephine A. Rathbone, Pratt Institute li- 
brary school, chairman; Miss June R. 
Donnelly, Drexel Institute library school; 



Paul Blackwelder, St. Louis public library. 
Program Committee: Miss Mary W. Plum- 
mer. New York library school, chairman; 
Miss Mary E. Hazeltine, Wisconsin library 
school; Frank K. Walter, New York State 
library school. 



TRUSTEES' SECTION 



(Hotel Maryland, May 20, 1911, 8:15 p. m.) 

In the absence of the officers of the sec- 
tion. Judge M. T. Owens, of Whlttier, Cali- 
fornia, was elected temporary chairman 
and Miss M. E. Ahern, temporary secre- 
tary. 

A. E. Bostwick of St. Louis outlined the 
customs of trustees in various parts of the 
country. He showed plainly that trustees 
and librarians have certain duties in com- 
mon which each is to perform to obtain 
certain results. The trustees should decide 
the general policy of the library and re- 
quire the executive officer to do the work, 
leaving all details of management and ad- 
ministration in his hands. A large board 
In unwieldy; it is hard to obtain a quorum, 
and in most cases a few members perform 
all the work, so it is better to have a small 
board of three, or five persons at the most. 

M. S. Dudgeon outlined conditions in 
Wisconsin, where the law provides five 
trustees, one from the school authorities, 
one from the council and three appointed 
by the mayor. R. R. Bowker told of a 
board of 50 members in the Brooklyn in- 
stitute of natural science, where a few 
people did all the work and the rest gave 
consent. The Brooklyn public library has 
a board of seven managers, which in Mr. 
Bowker's opinion, is the ideal number. 

Judge Rochester, trustee of the Seattle 
public library, told of their board of seven 
trustees appointed for the special purpose 
of looking after the interests of the library. 
It is an interested board. He expressed 
himself as opposed to elective officers act- 
ing as members, as it is likely to bring in 
either politics or friction with the Council. 

Miss Meeker of Pasadena found that 
since the mayor has been a member of 



their board they had had much more at- 
tention and interest from the city authori- 
ties than before. 

Mr. Greene of Oakland, Cal., told of the 
confusion at present arising out of the 
commission form of government. Trustees 
were formerly elected and the board was 
usually used as a kindergarten for those 
who wished to enter politics. He was op- 
posed to small boards, since they usually 
resolved themselves into a one-man power. 

S. H. Ranck of Grand Rapids spoke of 
the success of their elective board. They 
had no failure for lack of quorum and the 
election of trustees aroused general inter- 
est in the library. 

Judge Owens of Whittier cited a remark- 
able instance where no politics entered in- 
to any branch of the city government. This 
year the library tax is 75 cents per capita 
of the inhabitants; next year it will be ?1. 

Henry E. Legler of Chicago advocated a 
board of nine for large libraries, as it gave 
more material from which to form commit- 
tees and made it unnecessary to burden 
any one member with all the work. 

Mr. Newmark, president of the Los An- 
geles board, told of the five trustees ap- 
pointed by the mayor. They had recently 
taken their library out from under munici- 
pal civil service. 

P. B. Wright outlined the civil service 
scheme of the Los Angeles library, where 
the librarian and the staff are exempt from 
municipal civil service. Mr. Giffen, trustee 
of the Los Angeles public library, pointed 
out the new hope for better things in Los 
Angeles and spoke of the good qualities of 
the present board, which was likely to re- 
main for some time. Los Angeles has four 
cents on the dollar for library purposes. 



272 



PASADENA CONFERENCE 



Judge Rochester of Seattle spoke of the 
tremendous improvement that had been 
made in the service of the Seattle public 
library since the library has been exempted 
from municipal civil service. Mr. Legler 



told of the efficiency records in the Chicago 
public library and was quite positive in the 
good results that were coming from the 
use of these. The meeting was not large, 
but full of interest. 



PUBLIC DOCUMENTS ROUND TABLE 



The Public Documents Round Table was 
called to order by George S. Godard, state 
librarian of Connecticut, chairman of the 
Committee on public documents, at 8:35 
p. m., Friday, May 19, in the private din- 
ing-room of the Hotel Maryland. Samuel 
H. Ranck, librarian of the Grand Rapids 
public library, also a member of the Com- 
mittee on public documents, was chosen 
secretary. 

The prevailing interest in public docu- 
ments was made very evident by the large 
number of librarians present. 

The secretary read a letter from the Su- 
perintendent of Documents, Mr. August 
Donath, expressing his regret at not being 
able to be present to participate in the 
proceedings, as he believed it would bet- 
ter serve the interests of the office of Su 
perintendent of Documents and the libra- 
ries in whose behalf this office was origi- 
nally created if this representative of the 
government could meet with the librarians 
and talk over the needs and hopes of the 
library world. 

As Mr. Donath's paper concerning the 
Public Documents situation from the stand- 
point of the Superintendent of Documents, 
with accompanying suggestions, had not 
been received, the attention of the meet- 
ing was devoted to some of the letters 
which have been received by the com- 
mittee and the questions asked by those 
present. 

The first letter read was from Mr. Ernest 
Bruncken, assistant register of copyrights 
and a member of the Committee on public 
documents, who was unable to be present. 
In this letter Mr. Bruncken repeated his 
suggestions made at the Public Documents 
Round Table at Mackinac Island, viz.: 



That provision should be made whereby the 
Superintendent of Documents can issue a 
bulletin daily, or at least three times a 
week, showing all the new publications of 
the departments of government, especially 
during a session of Congress, which bulle- 
tin would be promptly and regularly sent 
to the larger libraries in order that libra- 
rians may know what has been officially 
published and endeavor to secure such as 
they require either from the Superinten- 
dent of Documents or through their rep- 
resentatives in Congress. Such a list 
would enable our librarians to secure 
needed documents very shortly after men- 
tion had been made of them in the daily 
press. The publication of such a list is 
very much needed and would without 
doubt do much in simplifying the whole 
document question. 

On motion of Mr. J. M. Hitt, state libra- 
rian of Washington, which was discussed 
by Mrs. H. P. Davison, librarian of the San 
Diego public library and by Mr. Elias J. 
Lien, state librarian of Minnesota, the rec- 
ommendation of Mr. Bruncken was en- 
dorsed by the meeting unanimously. 

The Committee on public documents 
summarized this recommendation and the 
debate on the same in the following reso- 
lution, which it reported to the council, 
where it was adopted. 

As many librarians are seriously handi- 
capped in their reference work through lack 
of definite information as to what publica- 
tions have been issued by the several de- 
partments at Washington, until the receipt 
of the Monthly catalogue of government 
publications, which is not published until 
several weeks after the period covered by 
each issue. 



PUBLIC DOCUMENTS ROUND TABLE 



273 



RESOLVED, that the Superintendent of 
Documents be respectfully urged to pub- 
lish, if possible, a daily or weekly check- 
list of all such government publications 
issued by the several departments at Wash- 
ington. Tlirough such a check-list libra- 
rians will be informed concerning the 
many documents and reports now called 
for, having been mentioned in the daily 
press. We believe that this early infor- 
mation should be regularly supplied to de- 
pository libraries also. 

The secretary then read a letter from 
Mr. J. David Thompson, chief of the Divi- 
sion of documents in the Library of Con- 
gress, another member of the Committee 
on public documents, expressing his regret 
that he was unable to be present at the 
meeting. Mr. Thompson called attention 
to the fact that the Monthly list of state 
publications with its several subject in- 
dexes had involved a great deal more labor 
than was anticipated, as several of the 
states have been rendering but very little 
assistance. Mr. Thompson stated that al- 
though this Monthly list is now well 
started, largely through his constant per- 
sonal attention, its continuance is likely to 
depend on the extent to which state libra- 
rians assist the Library of Congress by 
seeing that the Library of Congress re- 
ceives all of the material issued by their 
respective state governments. This closer 
co-operation by the states is all the more 
necessary now that the preparation of the 
Monthly list must soon become a part of 
the routine work of the office. 

On motion of Mr. Adam J. Strohm, libra- 
rian of the public library, Trenton, N. J., 
it was voted unanimously that we express 
our appreciation to the Librarian of Con- 
gress and the chief of Division of docu- 
ments for the preparation and publication 
of the Monthly list of state publications 
and that we express the hope that the sev- 
eral states will send their documents 
promptly to the Librarian of Congress so 
that all the official documents Issued by 
each state will be promptly included in 
the Monthly list of state publications, and 
also in order that the necessary Library of 



Congress cards can be made directly from 
the documents themselves. 

A roll-call by states was taken in which 
it was shown that a large number of states 
were represented. In every case the per- 
son answering from a state promised to do 
his utmost to assist in making the Monthly 
list of state publications as complete as 
possible so far as his particular state was 
concerned. 

The last letter read by the secretary was 
from Mr. Lawrence J. Burpee, librarian of 
the Carnegie library, Ottawa, Canada, in 
which he proposed and advocated an ex- 
tension of the distribution of United States 
public documents so as to include various 
libraries in the Dominion, and the exten- 
sion of the distribution of Canadian public 
documents so as to include various libra- 
ries in the United States. 

On motion of Mr. Hitt, of Washington, 
it was unanimously voted to endorse the 
following resolution, which was later 
adopted by the Council. 

At a time when the advantages of reci- 
procity in trade have been recognized by 
the United States and Canada, it is appro- 
priate that steps should be taken to bring 
about something in the nature of reci- 
procity in public documents, as the Gov- 
ernment of the United States issues an- 
nually a large number of public documents 
that would be of service to Canadian pub- 
lic libraries; and similarly the Government 
of the Dominion of Canada issues many 
publications that would be of value in the 
United States: 

RESOLVED, that representations be 
made to the two governments looking to- 
ward the adoption of some plan by which 
the Superintendent of Documents at Wash- 
ington, or some other official, could be 
made an agent for the distribution of Ca- 
nadian public documents to American li- 
braries, and the King's Printer at Ottawa 
an agent for the distribution of United 
States public documents to Canadian libra- 
ries. 

Adjourned. 



ATTENDANCE SUMMARIES 



By Position and Sex 



Men Women Total 



Trustees 18 

Commissioners 4 

Chief Librarians 58 

Assistants 23 

Library Schools 

Commercial Agents .... 8 
Others 29 

Total HO 



9 


27 


8 


12 


102 


160 


251 


274 


:>. 


2 



44-; 



By Geographical Sections 
5 of the 6 New England States sent. . . 
4 " 5 North Atlantic States and 





Dist. of Col. sent 






fi4 


2 


6 South-eastern States 


sent 


. 2 


7 


7 North Central 


States 




73 


3 


7 South Central 


States 




16 


6 


9 Western States 






20 


4 


8 Pacific States 






371 


Canada 








3 


England 








2 


Russia 








1 




Total 




582 




By states 






Ala. ... 


1 111. . 




32 


Ariz 


1 Ind 








Ark 


2 la 






Cal. . . . 


332 Kas. 






Col. . . . 


7 Me. 






25 




1 Md. 






D. of C. 


6 Mass 






Ga. ... 


1 Mich 






B 



Minn 


11 


Mo 


13 


Neb 


5 


N. J 

N. Y 

N. D 

Ohio 


2 

36 

3 

9 


Okla 


1 




14 


Pa 


19 


R. I 


1 



S. C 1 

Tex 3 

Vt 2 

Wash 24 



Canada 3 

England 2 

1 Russia 1 

Total 582 



By libraries 

Libraries having five or more reprnsenta- 
tives: 

Brooklyn Public L 13 

California State L., 16 

California, University of, L 13 

Chicago Public L 5 

Denver Public L C 

Leland Stanford Jr. University L 8 

Long Beach Public L ... 8 

Los Angeles Public L 79 

Minneapolis Public L 5 

Monrovia Public L 5 

Oakland Free L 7 

Pasadena Public L 22 

Pittsburgh. Carnegie L 12 

Pomona Public L 5 

Portland L. Association 7 

Redlands. A. K. Smiley Public L 5 

Riverside Public L 10 

St. Louis Public L 5 

Seattle Public L 11 



ATTENDANCE REGISTER 



: prefixed to : 



indicates Cripple Creek trip; y, Yosemite Valley trip. 



Abbreviations: F., Free; P., Public; L., 
Library; In.. Librarian; asst., Assistant; 
trus., Trustee; ref.. Reference; catlgr., 
Cataloger; Br., Branch; Sch., School. 

Aberdein, Ethel, asst. P. L., Riverside, Cal 

y Adams, Amy W., asst. Br. Dept., P. L., 
Boston, Mass. 

Adams, Edna C, asst. Wis. State Hist. See. 
L., Madison, Wis. 

Adams, Jean, Anaheim, Cal. 

Ahern, Mary Eileen, Editor "Public Libra- 
ries," Chicago, III. 

Albers, Elise, training class P. L., Los 
Angeles, Cal. 

y Allen, Marina D., asst. P. L., Grand 
Rapids, Mich. 

Allin, Eugenia, oi'ganizer Illinois L. Exten- 
sion Commission, Decatur, 111. 

Allison, Harriet C, asst. catlgr. P. L., 
Seattle, Wash. 

Anderson, John R., bookseller, 67 Fifth 
Ave., New York City. 

Andrews, Clement W.. In. The John Crerar 
L., Chicago, 111. 

Andrews, Jesselyn, asst. priu. catlg. dept., 
P. L., Los Angeles, Cal. 

Andrus, Gertrude E., supt. child, dept., P. 
L,. Seattle, Wash. 

c y Antony, Grace, 27 E. 46th St., New York 
City. 

Armstrong, Miss J., Hollywood, Cal. 

Arries, Leo W., In. East Pasadena Br., P. 
L., Pasadena, Cal. 

c y Auerbach, Mrs. A. M., Brooklyn, N. Y. 

c y Auerbach, Elsa L., asst. Montague Br.. 
P. L., Brooklyn, N. Y. 

Babcock, Julia G., Los Angeles Academy. 
Los Angeles, Cal. 

Babcock, Nina, Pasadena, Cal. 

Bailey, Zita G., asst. P. L., Los Angeles, Cal. 

Baldwin, Clara F., sec'y Minnesota P. L. 
Commission, St. Paul, Minn. 

Bankson, Georgetta, asst. P. L.. Los An- 
geles, Cal. 

Barker, Beatrice J., catlgr. Univ. of Oregon 
L., Eugene, Ore. 



Barraby, Miss M., county dept., F. L.. Oak- 
land, Cal. 
Barnes, Cornelia S., asst. P. L., Denver, 

Col. 
Barnett, Margaret Adelle, In. P. P. L. 

Santa Rosa, Cal. 
Barnwell, W. J. E., asst. In. P. L., Cincin 

nati, O. 
Barton, Edmund M., In. emeritus. Am. An 

tiquarian Soc. L., Worcester, Mass. 
Barton, F. S., Long Beach, Cal. 
Bass, Harriet E., Philander Smith Coll 

Little Rock, Ark. 
Bates, Mrs. Blanche, In. P. L., Modesto, Cal 
y Beale, Emily A., child. In. Homewood Br. 

Carnegie L., Pittsburgh, Pa. 
Bean, Mary R., training class P. L., Los 

Angeles, Cal. 
Beckley, Anna McC, prin. ref. dept., P. L. 

Los Angeles, Cal. 
Beckley, Stella, prin. child, dept., P. L., 

Los Angeles, Cal. 
Dedinger, Sarah E., In. Beale Memorial L. 

Bakersfield, Cal. 
Bell, Anna M., asst. P. L., Corona, Cal. 
Bell, Charles W., ex-officio trus. State L, 

Pasadena, Cal. 
Best, Charlotte S., asst. schools div., P. L, 

Seattle, Wash. 
Bevans, Mary M., 1232 S. Bonnie Brae St, 

Los Angeles, Cal. 
Bigley, Winifred H., asst. Univ. of Call 

fornia L., Berkeley, Cal. 
Birdsall, Mary J., In. Dean Hobbs Blanch 

ard Memorial L., Santa Paula, Cal. 
Blackwelder, Paul, asst. In. P. L., St. Louis, 

Mo. 
Blanchard, Mrs. Anne L.. shelf lister. State 

L., Sacramento, Cal. 
Blanchard, M. Gertrude, child. In. Law 

renceville Br., Carnegie L., Pittsburgh 

Pa. 
Blanchard, Sarah E.. Santa Paula, Cal. 
Connett, Marguerite, ref. dept., Carnegie 

L., Pittsburgh, Pa. 
Bostwick, Arthur E., In. P. L., St. Louis, 

Mo. 



275 



276 



PASADENA CONFERENCE 



y Bowker, R. R., editor "Library Journal," 

New York City. 
y Bowker, Mrs. R. R., New York City. 

Brittain, Caroline M., asst. P. L., Los An- 
geles, Cal. 

Broad, Mrs. Florence S., training class P. 
L., Los Angeles, Cal. 

Brooks, L. May, asst. In. Leland Stanford 
Jr. Univ. L., Stanford University, Cal. 

y Brown, Alice Harris, In. 125th St. Br., P. 
L., New York City. 

Brown, Charles H., asst. In. P. L., Brook- 
lyn, N. Y. 

Brown, Charlotte M., In. Univ. of Southern 
California L., Los Angeles, Cal. 

Brown, Demarchus C, In. State L.. Indian- 
apolis, Ind. 

c y Brown, Gertrude L., asst. P. L.. Evans- 
ton, 111. 

Brown, Henry J., member firm B. F. 
Stevens & Brown, London, Eng. 

Brown, Margaret \V., In. Traveling L. Iowa 
L. Commission, Des Moines, la. 

Brown, May, asst. P. L., Long Beach, Cal. 

Brown, Walter L., In. P. L., Buffalo, N. Y. 

Brown, Willie Elise, Chariton, la. 

Brown, Zaidee M., agent F. P. ^J. Com- 
mission, Boston, Mass. 

Browne, Miss Florence E., child. In. F. L , 
Oakland, Cal. 

Browne, Francis F.. editor "The Dial." 
Chicago, 111. 

Brownson, Gladys, In. Throop Polytechnic 
Inst. L., Pasadena, Cal. 

Branson, Ella C, asst. P. L.. Los Angeles, 
Cal. 

Buell, Frederick F., Troy, N. Y. 

Bumstead, Frank M., in charge Binding 
Dept., Univ. of California L., Berkeley, 
Cal. 

Burgess, Lizzie, P. L., Riverside, Cal. 

Burns, Agnes T., Monrovia, Cal. 

Burns, Anna R., asst. P. L., Los Angeles, 
Cal. 

Burpee, Lawrence .1., In. Carnegie L., 
Ottawa, Ont. 

Burrell, Norma, In. P. L., Hanford, Cal. 

Cadmus, Laura, asst. P. L., Long Beach, 
Cal. 

Cady, Anna B., ex-ln., Los Angeles, Cal. 

Campbell, Robert A., head leg. and munici- 
pal ref. dept., State L., Sacramento. Cal. 



Canright, Grace M., asst. P. L., Pasadena, 

Cal. 
Carnahan, H. L., trus. P. L., Riverside, Cal. 
Carr, Eunice, training class P. L., Los An- 
geles, Cal. 
Carr, Henry J., In. P. L., Scranton, Pa. 
Carr, Mrs. Henry J., Scranton, Pa. 
Carroll, Ethel, In. P. L., Oxnard. Cal. 
Carson, Jessie M., child. In. P. L., Tacoma. 

Wash. 
Carson. Mildred, Los Angeles, Cal. 
Carter, Mrs. C. W., trus., Grinnell, la. 
Carter, Nano, asst. P. L., Los Angeles, Cal. 
Cartter, Mabel G.. training class P. L., 

Monrovia, Cal. 
Caruthers. Eleanor \V., asst. ref. dept. P. 

L., Los Angeles, Cal. 
Carwyle, Eloise. asst. P. L., Los Angeles, 

Cal. 
Casey, Charlotte. In. City School L., Los 

Angeles, Cal. 
Caswell, Leona, asst. P. L., Pasadena, Cal. 
Chamberlain, Arthur Henry, Professor 

University of California, Berkeley, Cal. 
Chapin, Artena M., In. A. K. Smiley P. L., 

Redlands, Cal. 
Chapin, Emma M., In. P. L., Geneseo, 111. 
Chapman, Lila May, In. P. L., Birmingham, 

Ala. 
Chivers, Cedric, bookbinder, 911-1.'5 Atlantic 

Ave., Brooklyn, N. Y. 
Clancey, Elma A., asst. P. L., Tacoma, 

Wash. 
Clark, A Loretta, asst. prin. catlg. dept. 

P. L., Los Angeles, Cal. 
Clark, George T., In. Leland Stanford Jr. 

Univ. L., Stanford University, Cal. 
Clegg, Lola, asst. San Pedro Br., P. L., Los 

Angeles, Cal. 
Cloud, Josephine P., supt. of Circulation, 

P. L., Minneapolis, Minn. 
Clowdsley. William F., In. P. L., Stockton. 

Cal. 
Cobb, Edith H., asst. F. P. L., New Bedford, 

Mass. 
Cole, Agnes M., ex-In., De Kalb, III. 
Coleman, Shirley M., asst. P. L., Los An- 
geles, Cal. 
c y Collins, Angela W., In. Memorial L., 

Rockland, Mass. 
Compton, Charles H., ref. In. P. L., Seattle, 

Wash. 



ATTENDANCE 



Conard, Jane, supervisor Carnegie Play- 
ground L., Pittsburgh, Pa. 

Conger, Dr. E. L., Pasadena, Cal. 

Cook, Flora C, Redlands, Cal. 

Cooley, Laura C, asst. prln. catlg. dept., 
P. L., Los Angeles, Cal. 

Cooper, Agnes B., Miami Univ. L., Oxford, 
Ohio. 

Cooper, Everett, In. P. L., Escondido, Cal. 

Cooper, May, In. P. L., San Rafael, Cal. 

Cordes, Hilda, asst. P. L., Los Angeles, Cal. 

Cory, Mabel W., asst. prin. fiction dept., 
P. L., Los Angeles, Cal. 

Coulter, Edith M., head periodical dept., 
Leland Stanford Jr. Univ. L., Stanford 
University, Cal. 

Courtright, Helen, asst. P. L., Long Beach, 
Cal. 

Craig, Agnes S., In. North Pasadena B., 
P. L., Pasadena, Cal. 

Craig, Anna M., asst. Kern Br., Beale Me- 
morial L., Bakersfield, Cal. 

Criswell, Lois, Tacoma, Wash. 

Culver, Essae M., In. P. L., Salem, Ore. 

Curtis, Teresa, asst. P. L., Los Angeles, Cal. 

Gushing, Aileen, asst. P. L., Los Angeles, 
Cal. 

Danford, Alma J., Glendale, Cal. 

Daniels, Joseph F., In. P. L., Riverside, Cal. 

Darlow, Gertrude, prin. lit. dept., P. L., Los 
Angeles, Cal. 

Davis, Georgia S., asst. P. L., Grand Rapids, 
Mich. 

Davison, Mrs. Hannah P., In. P. L., San 
Diego, Cal. 

Degenhart, Bessie C, child. In. A. K. 
Smiley P. L., Redlands, Cal. 

Deming, Margaret, catlgr. P. L., Pasadena, 
Cal. 

DeMotte, Mary, ref. In. P. L., Pasadena, 
Cal. 

Dick, Jennie M., playground attendant, P. 
L., Los Angeles, Cal. 

Dickinson, Asa Don, In. State Coll. L., Pull- 
man, Wash. 

Dickson, Lillian, Hemet, Cal. 

y Dill, Minnie A., catlgr. F. P. L., Decatur, 
111. 

Dills, Clara B., asst. P. L., Pomona, Cal. 

Dixon, Prof. James M., chrmn. lib. com., 
Univ. of Southern California, Los An- 
geles, Cal. 



Doan, Jean, asst. P. L., Los Angeles, Cal. 

Dorman, Fannie B., asst. P. L., Los An- 
geles, Cal. 

c y Dorsett, Ella C, Johnson, S. C. 

Doty, Eilleen D., asst. P. L., Pasadena, Cal. 

Douglas, Jessie M., asst. P. L., Pasadena, 
Cal. 

Douglass, Matthew H., In. Univ. of Oregon 
L., Eugene, Ore. 

Douglass, Mrs. Matthew H., Eugene, Ore. 

c y Downey, Mary E., organizer Ohio L. 
Commission, Columbus, O. 

Dowse, George J., managing director, Edw. 
G. Allen & Son, Ltd., London, Eng. 

Doyle, L. Gertrude, In. P. L., Vallejo, Cal. 

Dudgeon, Matthew S., sec'y Wisconsin F. 
L. Commission, Madison, Wis. 

Dudgeon, Mrs. Matthew S., Madison, Wis. 

Dudley, Charles R., P. L., Denver, Col. 

Dudley, Mary E., asst. P. L., Los Angeles, 
Cal. 

Duncan, .Jessie L., Columbus, Ga. 

Dunn, Mabel S., In. Manual Arts High Sch. 
L., Los Angeles, Cal. 

Durst, Pearl, asst. L. Assoc, Portland, Ore. 

Eager, Sarah M., Pomona, Cal. 

c y Eastman, Linda A., vice-In. P. L., Cleve- 
land, O. 

Eastman, Margaret, head order dept.. State 
L., Sacramento, Cal. 

Eaton, Harriet L., In. State Normal Sch. 
L., Superior, Wis. 

Eddy, Harriet G., organizer State L., Sac- 
ramento, Cal. 

y Ekman, Ingegerd, Pratt Inst. L., Brook- 
lyn, N. Y. 

Ellis, Myrtle M., asst. P. L., Pasadena, Cal. 

Ellis, Victoria, In. P. L., Long Beach, Cal. 

Enright, Anna, In. P. L., Colton, Cal. 

Evans, Mrs. Alice G., In. F. P. L., Decatur, 
111. 

Evans, Helen, first asst. P. L., Riverside, 
Cal. 

y Ewing, M. Belle, trus. F. P. L., Decatur, 
111. 

Fagge, Ethelwyn H., Los Angeles, Cal. 

Fairbank, Georgia M., Joshua Rhoads 
Mem. L., Jacksonville, 111. 

Fargo, EHizabeth H., In. State Normal Sch. 
L., Los Angeles, Cal. 

Faulder, Mrs. Henrietta M., In. P. L., 
Covina, Cal. 



278 



PASADENA CONFERENCE 



c y Faxon, Mrs. Augusta C, Boston, Mass. 
c y Faxon, Frederick W., manager L. dept. 

Boston Book Co., Boston, Mass. 
y Faxon, Mrs. Frederick W., Boston, Mass. 
Fenton, Miss J. M., catlgr. F. L., Oakland, 

Cal. 
Ferguson, Milton J., asst. In. State L., Sac- 
ramento, Cal. 
Ferris, Katherine Post, 1327 Manhattan 

Place, Los Angeles, Cal. 
Field, Clara C, In. Madera County F. L., 

Madera, Cal. 
Field, Kirke H., trus. A. K. Smiley P. L., 

Redlands, Cal. 
Fifield, Winnifred F., 2355 W. 20th St., Los 

Angeles, Cal. 
Foote, Frances R., In. Occidental Coll. L., 

Los Angeles, Cal. 
Forman, Phoebe H., P. L., Azusa, Cal. 
Forst, Clara S., asst. P. L., Los Angeles, 

Cal. 
c Forsyth, Walter G., ref. asst. P. L., Bos- 
ton, Mass. 
c y Foss, Calvin W., ref In. P. L., Brooklyn, 

N. Y. 
Foster, Katherine, asst. Carnegie L., Pitts- 
burgh, Pa. 
Fox, Rev. D. F., D. D., Pasadena, Cal. 
Foye, Bessie M., asst. P. L., Los Angeles, 

Cal. 
Freeman, Florence M., Pasadena, Cal. 
c y Gardner, Mrs. C. B., Watertown, Mass. 
Gatch, Ruth G., South Pasadena, Cal. 
Giffen, George M., trus. P. L., Los Angeles, 

Cal. 
Gilbert, Edith M., asst. P. L., Los Angeles, 

Cal. 
Gilbert, Lucy B., asst. P. L., Minneapolis, 

Minn. 
Gillis, J. L., In. State L., Sacramento, Cal. 
Glass, Rev. Joseph, trus. P. L., Los Angeles, 

Cal. 
Gleason, Celia, asst. In. P. L., Los Angeles, 

Cal. 
Gleason, Pearl, prin. fiction dept., P. L., 

Los Angeles, Cal. 
Godard, George S.. In. State L., Hartford. 

Conn. 
Goddard, Edward M., member Vt. Board L. 

Commissioners, Montpelier, Vt. 
Goodell, Helen, training class P. L., Ix)s 
Angeles, Cal. 



Goodrich, Helen P., 474 Green St., Brook- 
lyn, N. y. 

y Goodrich, Nathaniel L., In. Univ. of Texas 
L., Austin, Tex. 

y Goodrich, Mrs. N. L., Austin, Tex. 

Goodwin, J. E., asst. In. Leland Stanford 
Jr. University L., Stanford University 
Cal. 

Goss, Edna L., asst. Univ. of California L. 
Berkeley, Cal. 

Graff, U., University of California, Berke 
ley, Cal. 

Grant. Mary, In. State Normal Sch. L 
Winona, Minn. 

Graves, Francis B., In. Mechanics-Mer- 
cantile L., San Francisco, Cal. 

c y Green, Samuel Swett, In. emeritus F. P 
L., Worcester, Mass. 

Greene, Charles S., In. F. L., Oakland, Cal 

Gresham, Mrs. Violet M., asst. P. L., Long 
Beach, Cal. 

Guiwlts, Nettle M., training class P. L., Los 
Angeles, Cal. 

Gulliver. Mrs. C. T., trus. P. L., Redondo 
Beach, Cal. 

Gunthorp, Pauline, head catlgr. Univ. of 
California L., Berkeley, Cal. 

Gwynn, William M., asst. Univ. of Cali- 
fornia L., Berkeley, Cal. 

Hackett, Irene A., In. F. P. L., New Castle, 
Pa. 

Hadden, Anne, In. P. L.. Palo Alto, Cal. 

Hadden, Elizabeth, asst. Leland Stanford 
Jr. University L.. Stanford University, 
Cal. 

Hadley, Chalmers, In. P. L., Denver, Col. 

Hagey, E. Joanna, In. P. L., Cedar Rapids, 
la. 

Haines, Alice J., head documents dept. 
State L., Sacramento, Cal. 

Haines, Elizabeth C, asst. extension dept. 
State L., Sacramento, Cal. 

Haines, Helen E., ex-editor "Library Jour- 
nal," Pasadena, Cal. 
Haines, Jessie M., In. Solar Observatory L 

Mt. Wilson, Pasadena, Cal. 
Haines, Mabel R., managing editor "Li 

brary Journal," New York City. 
Hall, Anna G.„ asst. catlgr. Leland Stan- 
ford Jr. Univ. L., Stanford University, 
Cal. 
Halliday, A. S., South Vallejo, Cal. 



ATTENDANCE 



279 



Hamilton, Eleanor F., asst. P. L., Los An- 
geles, Cal. 

Hart, Mary G., asst. P. L., Los Angeles, Cal. 

Hart, Veva L., training class P. L., Los 
Angeles, Cal. 

Hasbrouck, Marj' K., P. L., Ogclensburg. 
N. Y. 

Hawley, Mary E., asst. catlgr. The John 
Crerar L., Chicago, 111. 

Haynes, Faye R., asst. P. L., Monrovia, Cal. 

Heald, Mrs. B. M., P. L., Azusa, Cal. 

Hearne, Hazel B., asst. P. L., Long Beach, 
Cal. 

Hedrick, S. Blanche, In. Agric. Dept., Uni- 
versity of Missouri L., Columbia, Mo. 

Hemans, Ida M., ref. dept, Carnegie L., 
Pittsburgh, Pa. 

Henry, W. E., In. Univ. of Washington L., 
Seattle, Wash. 

Henry, Mrs. W. E., Seattle, Wash. 

Herrman, Jennie, In. Tulare County F. L., 
Visalia, Cal. 

Hibbard, Ethel M., asst. Margaret Carnegie 
L., Mills College, Cal. 

Hieber, Mary, asst. P. L., Los Angeles, Cal. 

Hill, Ellyn T., In. P. L., Monrovia, Cal. 

y Hill, Frank P., In. P. L., Brooklyn, N. Y. 

y Hill, Mrs. Frank P., Beech St., Richmond 
Hill, N. Y. 

Hill, Mary L., training class P. L., Pasa- 
dena, Cal. 

Hillkovvitz, Anna, child. In. P. L., Denver, 
Col. 

Hilton, Katherine M., asst. P. L., Los An- 
geles, Cal. 

Hirst. Mary J., catlgr. P. L., Cincinnati, O. 

Hitchler, Theresa, Supt. of cataloging, P. 
L., Brooklyn, N. Y. 

Hitt, J. M., In. State L., Olympia, Wash. 

Holmblad, Gertrude E., asst. San Pedro 
Br., P. L., Los Angeles, Cal. 

Hopper, Franklin F., In. P. L., Tacoma, 
Wash. 

Horgan, Georgia, asst. P. L., Los Angeles. 
Cal. 

y Howard, Clara E., In. Wylie Ave. Br., Car- 
negie L., Pittsburgh, Pa. 

c y Hubach, Charlotte J., asst. Bay Ridge 

Br., P. L., Brooklyn, N. Y. 
c y Hubbard, Anna G., order In. P. L., Cleve- 
land, O. 
Hubbell, Jane P., In. P. L.. Rockford, 111. 



y Hume, Jessie F., In. Queens Borough P. L, 

Jamaica, N. Y. 
Humphrey, Guess, In. Neb. P. L. Commis- 
sion, Lincoln, Neb. 

Humphrey, Jane, asst. P. L., Santa Ana, 
Cal. 

Humphreys, Antoinette M., In. Merced 
County F. L., Merced, Cal. 

Hunt, Katherine E., asst. L., Assn., Port- 
land, Ore. 

Hunt, M. Louise, asst. In. L. Assoc, Port- 
land, Ore. 

Hunt, May, In. Path. Lab., Whittier, Cal. 

Huntley, Mabel G., asst. P L., Sacramento, 
Cal. 

Hutton, Dorothy F., asst. P. L., Santa 
Monica, Cal. 

Hyde. Mary B., head catlg. dept., P. L., 
San Francisco, Cal. 

Hyer, Louise, State Normal Sch.. Los An- 
geles, Cal. 

Imhoft, Harriet J., In. P. L., Fargo, N. D. 

Ingersoll, Helen F., asst. P. L., Denver, Col. 

Ingrum, Roberta, asst. In. Occidental Coll. 
L., Los Angeles, Cal. 

Isom, Mary Frances, In. L. Assoc, Portland, 
Ore. 

Jackson, Mrs. Emilie, asst. P. L., Los An- 
geles, Cal. 

Jacobson, Mrs. Karen M., In. Ore. State 
Normal Sch. L., Monmouth, Ore. 

Jacobus, S. M., In. P L., Pomona, Cal. 

James, Dr. George Wharton, author, Pasa- 
dena, Cal. 

Janes, Dr. John Ely, Pasadena, Cal. 

Janes, Mrs. John Ely, Pasadena, Cal. 

Jansen, C, trus. P. L., Beatrice, Nebr. 

Jedofsky, Josephine, asst. P. L., Los An- 
geles, Cal. 

Jennings, Anna V., In. State Normal Sch. 
L., Kearney, Neb. 

Jennings, Judson T., In. P. L., Seattle, 
Wash. 

Joeckel, Carleton B., asst. ref. In. Univ. of 
California L., Berkeley. Cal. 

Johns, Nan V., Van Wert, O. 

Johnson. Hiram W., Governor of California, 
Sacramento, Cal. 

Johnson, Mary A., asst. P. L., Los Angeles. 
Cal. 

Johnston. R. H., In. Bureau of Railway 
Economics L.. Washington, D. C. 



280 



PASADENA CONFERENCE 



Jones, Eleanor B., In. Hollywood Br. P. L., 

Los Angeles, Cal. 
Jones, Elizabeth D.. catlgr. P. L., Pasadena, 

Cal. 
Jones, Elizabeth S., In. P. L., Pacific Grove, 

Cal. 
Jones, Florence L., asst. P. L., Indianapolis, 

Ind. 
Jones, Miss K. D., asst. F. L., Oakland, Cal. 
Jones, Mabel, Champaign, 111. 
Jones, Mary L., In. Bryn Mawr Coll. L., 

Bryn Mawr, Pa. 
Jordan, Lois M., head order dept., P. L., 

Minneapolis, Minn. 
Judson. Katharine, asst. P. L., Seattle. 
. Wash. 
Katz, Louise W., catlgr. Univ. of California 

L., Berkeley, Cal. 
Keith, Nellie E., In. P. L., South Pasadena, 

Cal. 
Kelley, Elizabeth, asst. P. L., San Jose, Cal. 
Kelley, Grace, In. 111. State Labratory of 

Natural History, Urbana, 111. 
Kennedy. Helen P., inst. Wisconsin L. Sch., 

Madison, Wis. 
Kennedy. John P., rep. Silver, Burdett & 

Co., San Francisco, Cal. 
Kennedy, Mrs. John P., San Francisco, Cal. 
Kidder, Mrs. Ida A., In. Ore. Agric. Coll. L.. 

Corvallis, Ore. 
Kimball, William P., Long Beach, Cal. 
Kingsbury, David L., In. State Hist. Soc. L., 

St. Paul, Minn, 
Kirkman, Lavina B., asst. P. L., Pomona, 

Cal. 
Klrkpatrick, Velma, asst. P. L., Riverside, 

Cal. 
Kitching, Mrs. Ethelene, asst. P. L., Long 

Beach, Cal. 
Knoch, Ulrich, printer, 218-20 Boyd St., 

Los Angeles, Cal. 
Krause, Florence, training class P. L., Los 

Angeles, Cal. 
Kumli, Bertha, organizer State L., Sacra- 
mento, Cal. 
Lahee, E. H., trus. P. L., Covlna, Cal. 
Landon, Bessie K., asst. P. L., Los Angeles, 

Cal. 
Lane, Grace, asst. P. L., Minneapolis, Minn. 
Lane, William C, In. Harvard University 

L., Cambridge, Mass. 
Lane, Mrs. William C, Cambridge, Mass. 



Larken, Edgar L., Mt. Lowe Observatory, 

Pasadena, Cal. 
Lauman, Caroline, asst. Mt. Washington 

Br., Carnegie L., Pittsburgh, Pa. 
Law, Marie H., asst. child, dept. Carnegie 

L., Pittsburgh, Pa. 
Leeds, Florence, P. L., Riverside, Cal. 
Leeper, Rosa M., In. P. L., Dallas, Tex. 
Lefler, Grace, catlgr. Univ. of Missouri L., 

Columbia, Mo. 
Legler, Henry E., In. P. L., Chicago, 111. 
Leighton, Edna M., asst. P. L., Long Beach, 

Cal. 
Leupp, Harold L., assoc. In. Univ. of Cali- 
fornia L., Berkeley, Cal. 
Levy, Kate, M.D., Los Angeles, Cal. 
Lien, Elias J., In. State L., St. Paul, Minn. 
Linn, Mrs. Frances B., In. P. L., Santa 

Barbara, Cal. 
Little, George T., In. Bowdoin Coll. L., 

Brunswick, Me. 
Little, Marjorie, Whittier, Cal. 
Long, Harriet C, County L. Dept., P. L., 

Santa Barbara, Cal. 
Lothrop, Alice B., periodical dept. Carne- 
gie L., Pittsburgh, Pa. 
Louderback. Caroline K., head circulating 

dept, F. L., Oakland, Cal. 
Louderbough, Ida A., training class P. L., 

Monrovia, Cal. 
Loveland, Bernice, asst. P. L., Riverside. 

Cal. 
Lowry, Annie, asst. State L., Sacramento, 

Cal. 
c Lucht, Julius, In. F. P. L., Leavenworth, 

Kan. 
Lumly, Marie, asst. Hollywood Br. P. L., 

Los Angeles, Cal. 
Lummis, Charles F., Los Angeles, Cal. 
Lyser, Alice I., asst. Univ. of California L., 

Berkeley, Cal. 
McCaine, Mrs. H. J., In. P. L., St. Paul, 

Minn. 
McCardle, Sarah E., In. P. L., Fresno, Cal. 
McCulloch, Maria R., In. High Sch. L., Ful- 

lerton, Cal. 
McDermont, Anna, trus. P. L., Fullerton, 

Cal. 
McDonald, Alice, asst. P. L., Los Angeles, 

Cal. 
McDonnell, Pearl, periodical In. Washing- 
ton State Univ. L., Seattle, Wash. 



ATTENDANCE 



281 



y McDowell, Grace E., In. Brownsville Br. 

P. L., Brooklyn, N. Y. 
McEwer, Mrs. Mary J., In. P. L., Visalia. 

Cal. 
McFadden, Jeannette E., In. P. L., Santa 

Ana, Cal. 
McParland, Andrea, asst. A. K. Smiley P. 

L., Redlands, Cal. 
McFarland, Isabel, asst. P. L., Los Angeles, 

Cal. 
McGinley, Nell, In. F. P. L., San Jose, Cal. 
McKinley, Mary L.. In. P. L., Redondo 

Beach, Cal. 
MacLachlan, Margaret, head circulating 

dept., L. Assn., Portland, Ore. 
McMillan, Adella, asst. P. L., Pasadena, 

Cal. 
McMillan, Agnes, asst. In. P. L., Alhambra. 

Cal. 
McPherson, Margaret, asst. P. L., Vallejo, 

Cal. 
Macpherson, Maud R., In. P. U, Hoquiam, 

Wash. 
Madison, Anne, In. Angelus University L., 

Los Angeles, Cal. 
Marshall, Mrs. C. D., Lincoln, Neb. 
Marvin, Cornelia, sec'y Oregon L. Com- 
mission, Salem, Ore. 
Mason, Dora L., asst. P. L., Los Angeles, 

Cal. 
Mast, Maude L., asst. P. L., Pomona, Cal. 
y Matthews, Harriet L.. In. P. L., Lynn, 

Mass. 
Maxwell, Minnie, In. P. L., Fullerton, Cal. 
Maynard, Clyde, asst. In. Pomona Coll. L., 

Claremont, Cal. 
Mecum, Frances, asst. Univ. of California 

L., Berkeley, Cal. 
Meeker. Anna L., trus. P. L.. Pasadena, Cal 
Meissner, Josephine O., circulation In 

Univ. of Washington L., Seattle, Wash. 
Mel, Clara F., asst. catlgr. P. L., San Fran 

Cisco, Cal. 
Melzer, Margaret, prin. fiction dept. P. L. 

Los Angeles, Cal. 
cy Merrill, Bertha H., book buyer P. L. of 

Calumet & Hecla Mining Co., Boston, 

Mass. 
c y Merrill, Mrs. Emily A., 12 Ashburton 

Place, Boston, Mass. 
Metz, Cortnne A., In. Brumback L.. Van 

Wert, O. 



Milam, Carl H., sec'y Ind. P. L. Commis- 
sion, Indianapolis, Ind. 

Millard, Jessie H., child. In. L. Assoc, Port- 
land, Ore. 

Miller, Kathleen M., asst. P. L., Los An- 
geles, Cal. 

Minier, Sara B., Pomona, Cal. 

Mitchell, Sydney B., head order dept. Le- 
land Stanford Jr. Univ. L,, Stanford 
University, Cal. 

Melons', Margaret V., asst. P. L., Los An- 
geles, Cal. 

Monfort, Jessie M., in charge Bureau of in- 
formation, Pasadena, Cal. 

Monroe, Miss K. A., In. P. L., Ontario. Cal. 

Montgomery. Jessie, Decatur, 111. 

Moody, Katharine T., ref. In. P. L., St. 
Louis, Mo. 

Morford, Alice M., In. Carnegie L., Phoenix. 
Ariz. 

Morgan, Ella S., In. High Sch. L., Los An- 
geles, Cal. 

Mosse, Elfie A.. In. P. L., Santa Monica, 
Cal. 

y Moulton, John G., In. P. L., Haverhill, 
Mass. 

Moyle, Katharine, asst. P. L., Los Angeles, 
Cal. 

Munsou, Ida G.. catlgr. P. L., Sacramento. 
Cal. 

Naismith. Mary A., asst. P. L., Los Angeles, 
Cal. 

Nerney, May C, asst. State L., Sacramento, 
Cal. 

Newell, Ray N., Atlantic City, N. J. 

Newmark, Henry M., trus. P. L., Los An- 
geles, Cal. 

Nutting, George E., In. P. L., Fitchburg, 
Mass. 

Nutting, Mrs. George E., Fitchburg, Mass. 

Oakley, Minnie M., asst. In. P. L., Los 
Angeles, Cal. 

O'Donnell, James L., trus. P. L., Joliet, 111. 

c y Ogden, Lucy, asst. L. of Congress. 
Washington, D. C. 

Olcott, Frances J., director Training Sch. 
for Children's Librarians, Carnegie L., 
Pittsburgh, Pa. 

Oldaker, Eva P.. asst. P. L., San Ber- 
nardino, Cal. 

Orendorff, Ida M., child. In. P. L., Whittier, 
Cal. 



282 



PASADENA CONFERENCE 



Osborne, Ruth B., catlgr. P. L., Pasadena. 

Cal. 
on, Mabel, asst. In. A. K. Smiley P. L., 

Redlands, Cal. 
Ott, Susanna C, asst. P. L., Los Angeles, 

Cal. 
Owens, M. T., trus. P. L., Whittier, Cal. 
Paddock, Alice M., In. P. L., .Jamestown. 

N. D. 
Parsons, Mildred F., 1430 W. 27th St., Los 

Angeles, Cal. 
c y Patten, Frank C, In. Rosenberg L., Gal- 
veston, Tex. 
Peacock, Joseph L., In. Memorial and L. 

Assn., Westerly, R. L 
Peoples, W. T.. In. Mercantile L.. New 

York City. 
Peoples, Mrs. W. T., New York City. 
Perry, Elizabeth, asst. P. L.. Los Angeles, 

Cal. 
Peter, Ida, P. L., Riverside, Cal. 
Phelan, John F., Supt. of branches, P. L., 

Chicago, 111. 
Phelps. Edith Allen. In. Carnegie L., Ok- 
lahoma City, Okla. 
Phillips, jDlive M., asst. P. L., Pasadena, 

Cal. 
Pierce, Mrs. Edward T., trus. P. L., Sierra 

Madre, Cal. 
Pinney, Grace E., asst. P. L., Los Angeles, 

Cal. 
Pollard, Ruth L., training class P. L., Mon- 
rovia, Cal. 
Poole, Franklin O., In. Assn. of the Bar L., 

New York City. 
Potter, H. J., trus. P. L., Sierra Madre, Cal. 
Proctor, Alvara R., asst. P. L., Seattle, 

Wash. 
y Prouty, Louise, custodian West End Br. 

P. L., Boston, Mass. 
Provines, Cornelia D., P. L., San Luis 

Obispo, Cal. 
Pugsley, Maud M., In. P. L., Little Rock, 

Ark. 
Quayle, Charles, trus. F. L., Oakland, Cal. 
Ranck, Samuel H., In. P. L., Grand Rapids, 

Mich, 
y Rathbone, Josephine A., asst. director 

Pratt Inst. L. Sch., Brooklyn, N. Y. 
Reagan, Ida M., In. P. L., San Mateo, Cal. 
Reed, Lois A., asst. In. Univ. of Rochester 

L., Rochester, N. Y. 



Reeves, Mrs. Kate K., asst. In. 111. State 

L., Springfield, 111. 
c y Remann, Henry C, In. Lincoln L., 

Springfield, 111. 
Reynolds, Lillian V. O., asst. P. L., Los 

Angeles, Cal. 
Richardson. Rev. C. F., trus. P. L., Azusa. 

Cal. 
Ripley, Lauren W., In. P. L.. Sacramento. 

Cal. 
Roberts, Jeanette, In. P. L., Champaign, 111. 
Robinson, Charlotte G., In. State Normal 

Sch. L., San Diego, Cal. 
Robinson, Mabel F., asst. Osterhout F. L., 

Wilkes-Barre, Pa. 
Rochester. G. A. C, trus. P. L., Seattle, 

Wash. 
Ross, Jean F., asst. State L., Sacramento, 

Cal. 
Rowell, Clara M., asst. P. L., Los Angeles, 

Cal. 
Rowell, J. C, In. Univ. of California L., 

Berkeley, Cal. 
Rowell, Mrs. J. C, Oakland, Cal. 
Royce, Lena M., In. San Pedro Br. P. L., 

Los Angeles, Cal. 
c y Ruckteshler, N. Ixjuise, In. Guernsey 

Mem. L., Norwich, N. Y. 
Russ, Nellie M., In. P. L., Pasadena, Cal. 
Russell, Alma M., catlgr. Provincial L., 

Victoria, B. C. 
Sawyer, Anna L., In. Margaret Carnegie 

L., Mills College, Cal. 
Scales, Katherlne, asst. P. L., Long Beach, 

Cal. 
Scherer, J. A. B., President Throop Poly 

technic Institute, Pasadena, Cal. 
Scheuble, Alma B., asst. P. L., Los Angeles, 

Cal. 
Scholefield, Ethelbert O. S., In. Provincial 

L., Victoria, B. C. 
Seegmiller, F. M., Whittier, Cal. 
Seely, Blanche M., In. Pillsbury Br. P. L., 

Minneapolis, Minn. 
Severance, Henry O., In. Univ. of Missouri 

L., Columbia, Mo. 
Severance, Mrs. Henry O., Columbia, Mo. 
Shaw, Theodore L., rep. Houghton, Mifflin 

& Co., Boston, Mass. 
Sheldon, Mrs. C. G., Berkeley, Cal. 
Sheldon, Helen G., asst. Univ. of California 

L., Berkeley, Cal. 



ATTENDANCE 



283 



Sherwood. Mrs. G. W., trus. P. L., Fuller- 
ton, Cal. 

c y Silsbee, Mrs. Alice M., Watertown. 
Mass. 

Simms, Clara A., asst. sec'y A. L. A.. Chi- 
cago, 111. 

c y Skinner, ETlizabeth M., In. Bay Ridge Br. 
P. L., Brooklyn, N. Y. 

Skinner, Winifred E., In. Throop Acad. L., 
Pasadena, Cal. 

Slade, Mrs. Louise F.. Los Angeles. Cal. 

Small, A. J., law In. Iowa State L.. Des 
Moines, la. 

Small, Mrs. A. J., Des Moines, la. 

Smith, Arthur B., Univ. of California L., 
Berkeley, Cal. 

Smith, Charles Wesley, Jr., asst. In. Univ. 
of Washington L., Seattle, Wash. 

Smith, Faith E., director training class, P. 
L., Chicago, 111. 

Smith, Florence S., head circulation dept., 
P. L., Omaha, Neb. 

Smith, Mrs. M. F., 5401 Ingleside Ave., Chi- 
cago, 111. 

Smith, Mary E., Los Angeles, Cal. 

Smith, Mrs. Mary P., In. P. L., Alhanibra, 
Cal. 

Smith, Maud M., asst. catlgr. P. L., St. 
Paul, Minn. 

Smith, Susan T., asst. State L., Sacra- 
mento, Cal. 

Smith, Van Tyne. asst. P. L., Los Angeles, 
Cal. 

Snipes, Mayme C, In. P. L., Plainfield, Ind, 

Solis-Cohen, Leon M., In. Brownsville Br. 
P. L., Brooklyn, N. Y. 

Speck, Mrs. Laura, asst. P. L., St. Louis, 
Mo. 

Spencer, Helen H., asst. Hollywood Br. P. 
L., Los Angeles, Cal. 

Stansbury, Alta L., In. P. L.. Spokane, 
Wash. 

Stearns, Minnie, In. P. L., Santa Maria. 
Cal. 

y Stechert, Mrs. Emma, 170 Mt. Prospect 
Ave., Brooklyn, N. Y. 

Steffa, Julia, In. Pomona Coll, L., Clare 
mont, Cal. 

Steffens, Laura, 2d asst. State L., Sacra- 
mento, Cal. 

Steftens, Lincoln, magazine editor. River- 
side, Cal. 



y Steiner, Bernard C, In. Enoch Pratt F. L., 
Baltimore, Md. 

Stilson, S. Ethel, asst. P. L., Brooklyn, N. Y. 

Strang, Mary L., In. McClelland P. L., 
Pueblo, Col. 

Stroh, B. F., In. Academy of the New 
Church L., Bryn Athyn, Pa. 

Strohm, Adam J., In. P. L., Trenton, N. J. 

Strother, Nell, asst. P. L., Fresno, Cal. 

Sutliff, Helen B., head catlgi-. Leland Stan- 
ford Jr. Univ. L., Stanford University, 
Cal. 

Sutliff, Mary L., head catlg. dept. State L., 
Sacramento, Cal. 

Swan. H. E., trus. P. L., Ontario, Cal. 

Taber, Grace M., In. P. L., Corona, Cal. 

y Taber, Josephine, Supt. of Branches, P. 
L., Seattle, Wash. 

Taylor, Annie M.. In. P. L., Azusa, Cal. 

c y Taylor, Grace A., asst. Carroll Park Br. 
P. L., Brooklyn, N. Y. 

Taylor. Mary E., asst. P. L., Los Angeles, 
Cal. 

Taylor, Nancy E., asst. P. L., Los Angeles, 
Cal. 

Thomas, Alta N., Los Angeles, Cal. 

Thompson, Adelaide J., In. P. L., Jeffer- 
son City, Mo. 

Thompson, Laura A., asst. L. of Congress, 
Washington, D. C. 

Thornburg, Florence, asst. P. L., Los Ange- 
les, Cal. 

Thum, William, Mayor of Pasadena, Pasa- 
dena, Cal. 

Tolhurst, Mrs. Shelley, trus. P. L., Los 
Angeles, Cal. 

Tollefson, Marie, Berkeley, Cal. 

Tower, M. B., Hollywood, Cal. 

Tristram, Elizabeth, Lorain, O. 

Trovillion, Madge M., asst. 111. State L., 
Springfield, 111. 

Tucker, lone, child. In. P. L.. Berkeley, Cal. 

Tyler, Alice S., sec'y Iowa L. Commission, 
Des Moines, la. 

Ulen, Esther C, asst. P. L.. Los Angeles, 
Cal. 

y Underhill. Caroline M., In. P. L., Utica, 
N. Y. 

Utiey, George B., sec'y American Library 
Association, Chicago, III. 

UtIey, Mrs. George B., 5750 Madison Ave., 
Chicago, III. 



284 



PASADENA CONFERENCE 



Utley, Henry M., In. P. L., Detroit, Mich. 

Utley, Mrs. Henry M., Detroit, Mich. 

Van Deusen, Marjorie, asst. In. State Nor- 
mal Sch. L., Los Angeles, Cal. 

Van Zolenburg, Minnie, asst. P. L., River- 
side, Cal. 

Waddell, Nina T., In. L. Assn., La Jolla, Cal. 

Wade, Edith S., head catlg. dept., P. L., 
Troy, N. Y. 

Wagner, Lila R., asst. P. L., Pasadena, Cal. 

Wakefield, Bertha, head catlgr. P. L., 
Seattle, Wash. 

Wakefield, M. Ethelyn, In. High Sch. L., 
Pasadena, Cal. 

Walker, Ella K., asst. L. of Congress, 
Washington, D. C. 

Walker, Mrs. Jennie A., Washington, D. C. 

y Wallace, Charlotte E., Supt. of circula- 
tion, P. L., Seattle, Wash. 

y Wallace, H. L., Seattle, Wash. 

Ward, Mary, Westtown, Pa. 

Washburn, Sherman, trus. P. L., Pasadena, 
Cal. 

Waters, Carrie S., in. P. L., San Bernar- 
dino, Cal. 

Watson, William R., In. P. L., San Fran- 
cisco, Cal. 

Watson, Mrs. W. R., San Francisco, Cal. 

Wescoat, Margaret L., auditor P. L., St. 
Louis, Mo. 

West, Lucy K.. asst. P. L., Los Angeles, 
Cal. 

West, Mabel C. In. State Normal Sch. Val- 
ley City, N. D. 

Wheat, Edith M., asst. P. L., Los Angeles, 
Cal. 

Wheatley. Florence B., In. P. L., Sierra 
Madre, Cal. 

Wheeler, Benjamin Ide, President Univer- 
sity of California, Berkeley. Cal. 

c Wheeler, Susan W., Rockland. Mass. 

Whelan, Katherine M., asst. P. L., Santa 
Monica, Cal. 

Whitaker, Alfred E., Denver, Col. 

Whitbeck, Mrs. Alice G., In. P. L., Rich- 
mond, Cal. 



Whitcomb, Adah F., In. Lincoln Center Br 

P. L., Chicago, III. 
White, Grace M., asst. P. L., Los Angeles, 

Cal. 
Whitney, E. Lee, asst. In. State L., Mont 

pelier, Vt. 
Whitten, Kate L., asst. P. L., Sacramento, 

Cal. 

Whyte, Florence, asst. State L., Sacra- 
mento, Cal. 
Wier, L. Louise, asst. P. L., Pasadena, Cal 
Willard, EHisa M., ref. In. Carnegie L. 

Pittsburgh, Pa. 
Williams, A. H., Vallejo, Cal. 
Williams, Mrs. A. H., Vallejo, Cal. 
Williams, Edgar, Redlands, Cal. 
Williams, Lizzie A., In. P. L., Maiden, Mass. 
Williams. Mary F.. Oakland, Cal. 
Williamson, Dawn, Pasadena, Cal. 
Wilsey, Delia, asst. P. L., Pomona, Cal. 
Wilson, Harry G., sec'y P. L., Chicago, 111. 
Wilson. Mrs. Harry G., Chicago, 111. 
Wilson, Ralph H., bookseller, 30 Church 

St., New York City. 
Wjnch, Elizabeth M., ex-ln.. Canton, Mass. 
Witham, Mrs. Ella C, trus. P. L., Glendale, 

Cal. 
Wolter, Peter, manager L. Dept.. A. C. Mc- 

Clurg & Co.. Chicago, 111. 
Wood, Harriet A., supervisor work with 

children, L. Assoc, Portland, Ore. 
Wood. .lohn W., trus. P. L.. Pasadena, Cal. 
y Woodin, Gertrude L., head catlgr. U. S. 

Bureau of Education L., Washington, 

D. C. 
Woods, Charles F.. Univ. of California, 

Berkeley, Cal. 
Woodward. Ora, asst. P. L.. Los Angeles, 

Cal. 
Wright, Purd B., In. P. L., Kansas City, Mo. 
Wright, Purd B., 2d., Kansas City, Mo. 
Wright, Mrs. Purd B., Kansas City, Mo. 
Wright, Willard Huntington, literary edi- 
tor, Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles, Cal. 
Zelenko, A., settlement worker, Moscow, 

Russia. 



INDEX 



Academic standing of college library 
aseiatants and their relation to the 
Carnegie foundation (Henry), 258- 
62. 

Affiliation of state library associa- 
tions with A. L. A., resolutions 
respecting, 193. 

Agricultural libraries section, created, 
194. 

Ahern, Mary Eileen, rpt. com. on co- 
operation with National education 
association, 75-6; seconds vote of 
greeting to Helen E. Haines, 188; 
proposes amendment to constitu- 
tion and discusses same, 188-91; 
member com. on co-operation 
with N. E. A., 192; discusses li- 
brary training in California, 268; 
secretary' pro tempore Trustees' 
section, 271. 

Allin, Eugenia, member nominating 
com. League of library commis- 
sions, 212. 

American association of law libraries, 
proceedings, 204-5. 

American Library Association, presi- 
dent's address (Wyer), 55-9; sec- 
retar>-'s rpt. (Utley), 65-71; rpt. of 
trustees of Carnegie and Endow- 
ment fund, 80-1; rpt. of treasurer, 
Jan. 1 to Apr. 30, 1911, 82; rpt. of 
Executive board. 192-3; rpt. of 
Council, 193-4; election of officers, 
195; attendance summaries and 
register, 274-34. 

A. L. A. booklist, rpt. of Publishing 
board on, 86-7. 

A. L. A. Catalog section, proceedings, 
218-39. 

A. L. A. Changes in officers and com- 
mittees (rpt. of secretary), 69-70. 

A. L. A. Children's librarians' sec- 
tion, proceedings, 240-51. 

A. L. A. College and reference sec- 
tion, proceedings, 251-63. 

A. L. A. committees on 
blind. See Bhnd. 
bookbinding. See Bookbinding, 
bookbuying. See Bookbu>'ing. 
Brussels congresses. See Brussels 

congresses, 
co-operation with N. E. A. See 
National education association, 
co-ordmation. See Co-ordination, 
co-ordination of college libraries. 
See Co-ordination of college li- 
braries, 
federal and state relations. See 

Federal and state relations, 
finance. See Finance international 
relations. See International rela- 
tions. 
librar>' administration. See Li- 
brary* administration. 
!ibrar>' training. See Library 

training, 
program, appointments, 192. 
public documents. See Public 

documents, 
resolutions. See Resolutions, 
travel, appointment of, 192. 
work with the blind. See Blind. 
A. L. A. conference in California in 

1891 (Green), 51-2. 
A. L. A. Council, amendment to 
constitution relative to election of 
members to. proposed (Ahern). 
188-91; rpl. of, 193-4. 



A. L. A. Executive board, rpt. of, 
192-3. 

A. L. A. headquarters (rpt. of the 
secretary), 65-71. 

A, L. A. membership (rpt. of sec- 
retary, 67-8. 

A. L. A. necrolog>', 1910-11 (rpt. of 
the secretary), 70-1. 

A. L. A. pre-conference and post- 
conference trips. 197-203. 

A. L. A. Professional training for 
librariansbip section, proceedings, 
263-71. 

A. L. A. publishing board, rpt. of 
(Legler). 83-9; policy of, 83-5; 
new publications, 85; sales. 89; ap- 
pointment of members, 192. 

A. L. A. representatives at other con- 
ferences (rpt. of secretary), 68-9. 

A. L. A. Trustees' section, proceed- 
mgs, 271-2. 

Anderson. Edwin H., member finance 
com., 192; member special com. on 
printed cards, 193. 

Andrews. Clement W.. rpt. of Finance 
com., 90; presides second general 
session, 91-129; discusses proposed 
amendment to constitution, 1S9- 
90; member finance com., 192; 
member a|pecial com. on conditions 
of affiliation, 193; member special 
com. on printed cards, 193; mem- 
ber Executive board, 195; discus- 
ses inter-library loans, 263. 

Andrus, Gertrude E., discusses li- 
brary work in summer play- 
grounds. 246; secretary' pro tem- 
pore Children's librarians* section, 
251. 

Appleton, W. W., trustee of endow- 
ment fund, 195. 

Apprentice classes (rpt. of com. on 
librar>- administration). 96. 

Askew, Sarah B., member of Council, 
195. 

Attendance summaries and register. 
see American librarj- association. 

Bailey. Arthur L., rpt. com. on book- 
binding. 76-7; member com. on 
bookbinding, 192. 

Baillie. Herbert. 91. 

Baker. George H., died. 70. 

Baldwin. Clara F.. presides third gen- 
eral session. 130-54; member of 
Council. 194; presides League of 
librar^• commissions. 206-14. 

Bascom. Elva L., rpt. on A. L. A. 
booklist. 86-7. 

Beckley, Anna McC, •discusses train- 
ing classes, 270. 

Belden, C. F. D., member com. on 
federal and state relations, 192; 
president Nat. as.'in. of state li- 
braries, 217. 

Billings, Dr. John S.. telegram to. 
187; member com. on international 
relations. 192. 

Blackwelder, Paul, discusses pro- 
posed amendment to constitution, 
191; discusses training classes, 270; 
membership com. Professional 
training section, 271. 
Blair, Emma H., "Indexing and in- 

dexera," 234-8. 
Blind, rpt. of com. on work with the 

(Delfino). 97-S; com. on, 192. 
Bliss, Robert P., rpt. of publications 
com. of League, 211-12; 2d vice- 
2S5 



president League of library com 
missions, 214. 

Book numbers, *' Some problems of " 
(Mead), 251-3. 

Book selection. "The Eternal 'Or' 
of the librarian" (Browne), 112-19. 

Bookbinding, rpt. of com. on (Bailey), 
76-77; materials and methods in 
bookbinding (Chivers) . 1 64-78 ; 
com. on, 192. 

Bookbuying, statement by Chairman 
ofcom.on(Brown).90;com.on.l92. 

Books and the efficient life (ScheSr), 
179-85. 

Bostwick, Arthur E., "Exploitation 
of the public library," 60-5; repre- 
sents A. L. A. at Arkansas library- 
conference, 69; presides at fourth 
general session. 164-185; member 
com. on library training, 192; dis- 
cusses training classes. 270; ad- 
dresses Trustees' section, 271. 

Bowker, R. R., member com. on in- 
ternational relations, 192; special 
com. Children's librarians' sec- 
tion, 246; addresses Trustees' sec- 
tion. 271. 

Branch librarian's initiative. Limita- 
tions of the (Brown). 105-9. 

Branch library and its relation to the 
district (Howard). 109-12. 

Brigham, Herbert O., member Exe- 
cutive board special libraries asso- 
ciation, 218. 

Brigham, Johnson, member public 
documents com., 192. 

Brown, Charles H., "Limitations of 
the branch librarian's initiative," 
105-9. 

Brown, Demarchus C. , discusses 
civil ser\'ice, 129; member com. on 
resolutions, 187; appointed by 
League delegate to National con- 
ference of charities. 212; presi- 
dent's address (abstract) Nat. 
assn. state libraries, 215. 

Brown. Margaret W., member com. 
on bookbinding. 192; member 
nominating com. League of library 
commissions. 212; discussion, 213. 

Brown, Walter L., statement as chair- 
man com. on bookbuying, 90; 
member bookbuying com., 192; 
discusses intermediate work. Chil- 
dren's librarians' section, 246. 

Brown, Zaidee M.. member publica- 
tions com. League of library com- 
missions, 214. 

Browne, Francis E., "Eternal 'Or' of 
the librarian." 112-19. 

Bruncken, Ernest, member public 
documents com., 192; letter read 
from. 272. 

Brussels congresses, rpt. of com. on 
(Hodges), 79. 

Burdette, Rev. Robert J., letter from, 
52. 

Burpee, Lawrence J., seconds minute 
on Pres. Wyer's absence, 54; mem- 
ber public documents com.. 192; 
advocates distribution of U. S. 
gov. documents in Canada, 273. 

California, Co-ordination in library- 
work in (Gillis), 72-5; county free 
libraries (Eddv), 138-44; what the 
world of literature owes to (James), 
186-7; library training in (Sut- 
HfF), 263-7. 



INDEX 



Campbell, Robert A., describes legis- 
lative reference work in California 
state library, 218. 

Cards, Printed catalog, recent de- 
velopment of, and com. to co- 
operate in, 193. 

Carnegie foundation, The academic 
standing of college Ubrarj' assist- 
ants and their relation to the 
(Henry), 25S-62. 

Carr. Henry J., presides third general 
session, 130. 154-64; discusses pro- 
posed amendment to constitution, 
189. 

Cataloging, see A. L. A. Catalog sec- 
tion. 

Censorship, "Is library c. desirable?" 
(Wright), 59-60. 

Chamberlain, Arthur H., "Increasing 
the efficiency of the library as an 
educational factor, 154-63. 

Chapin, Artena M., "Cataloging in a 
small city librarj-." 218-20; mem- 
ber nommating com. Catalog sec- 
tion. 224. 

Chicago, A. L. A. headquarters in. 
See A. L. A. headquarters. 

Children's books. Exhibit of, by Car- 
negie library of Pittsburgh. 251. 

Children's hbrarians' section. See 
A. L. A. 

Chivers, Ccdric, " Materials and 
methods in bookbinding" (illus- 
trated), 164-78. 

Civic clubs. 213. 

Civil service. "Municipal, as aflfect- 
ing libraries" (Jennings), 119-26, 
163: (Hume). 127-9. 

Classification, resolution respecting 
code for, 192-3; Expansive classi- 
fication (Cutter), 224-7; Decimal 
(Seymour) , 227-30 ; Library of 
Congress (Martcll), 230-2; prob- 
lems of, and an A. L. A. code (Mer- 
rill), 232^. 

Clowdsley, W. F., discusses training 
classes. 270. 

College and reference section. See 
A. L. A. 

College libraries, rpt. of com. on co- 
ordination of (Lane). 75. 

Commission plan of city government. 
Effect of. on public libraries 
(Tv.er). 98-103; (Wood). 103-4; 
(Gil'is). 104; (Hamilton). 105. 

Commlunity and the librar>'. "What 
the community owes the library" 
(Wyer). 55-9. 

Conard. Jane, describes librar>' work 
in Pittsburgh playgrounds, 247. 

Conger. E. L.. 51. 

Constitution, amendment to, pro- 

f>08ed (Ahern), 188; debated and 
ost. 189-91. 

Co-ordination. Rpt. of com. on 
(Gould. Hodges, Gillis). 71-5; 
com. on, 192. 

Co-ordination among college libraries, 
Rpt. of com. on (Lane). 75; com. 
on. 192. 

County libraries. California p. free 
I. (Eddy). 138-44; c. 1. in Oregon 
(Isom). 144-6; an Ohio c. library 
(Metz). 146-8. 

Cragin. Emma F., member com. on 
catalog rules for small libraries, 
192. 

Craver, Harrison W.. rpt. of com. on 
library administration, 91-7; mem- 
ber com. on librarj' administration, 
192. 

Cutter. W. P., "The Expansive 
Classification." 224-7. 

Dana. J. C. member com. on co- 
operation with N. E. A., 192; 
president Special libraries associa- 



Davison, Mrs. H. P.. addresses public 
documents round table. 272. 

Dawlev. F. F., member finance com.. 
192." 

Delfino, Emma R., rpt. of com. on 
work with blind. 97-8; member 
com. on work with blind, 192. 

Dickinson, Asa D., resigns from com. 
on work with blind. 69. 

Donath. August, letter read from, 

Donnelly. June R.. membership com. 

Professional training section. 271. 
Douglass. Matthew H.. member 

nominating com. Catalog section, 

Downey. Mary E., member publica- 
tions committee League of library 
commissions, 214; discusses paper 
by Gillis, 216. 

Dudgeon, Matthew S., "Administra- 
tive units in library extension." 
130-8; reads rpt. publications com. 
League of library commissions. 211; 
rpt. of com. on plans for study out- 
lines. 213; rpt. of com. on revision 
of constitution. League of library 
commissions, 214; member of pub- 
lications com. League of library* 
commissions, 214 ; chairman Pro- 
fessional training section. 270; ad- 
dresses Trustees' section. 271. 

Duplicates, Exchange of (Hodges), 
71-2. 

Eastman, Linda A., member Exe- 
cutive board. 195. 

Eddy, Harriet G., "California county 
free libraries," 138-44. 

Efficient life, Books and the (Scherer), 
179-85. 

Election of officers. See American 
library association. 

Elmendorf, Mrs. H. L., represents 
A. L. A. at Michigan library con- 
ference, 69; resigns as non-official 
member executive board. 69; mem- 
ber program com., 192; president 
A. L. A.. 195. 

Exploitation of the public library 
(Boatwick). 60-5. 

Extension, library, see Library ex- 



Faxon, Frederick W.. member travel 
com., 192; describes special li- 
braries in Boston, 217. 

Feazel. E. A., paper on Ohio reports, 
204. 

Federal and state relations, rpt. of 
com. on (Steiner). 79; com. on. 192. 

Ferguson, M. J., teller of election, 195. 

Field, O. J., historj' and functions of 
the Dep't of Justice. 204; rpt. of 
com. on bibliog. of Latin-American 
laws, 204. 

Finance, rpt. of com. on (Andrews), 
90; com. on. 192. 

Foote. Frances R.. "Cataloging for 
small college libraries," 220-4. 

Foss. Sam Walter, died. 70. 

Fox. D. F., address of welcome, 51. 

Fraser, A. H. R.. died. 205. 

Galbreath. C. B.. resolution respect- 
ing removal of. 217. 

Giffen, George M., addresses Trus- 
tees' section, 271. 

Gillis, James L., member com. on 
work with blind. 69. 102; rpt. com. 
on co-ordination. 72-5; presents 
rpt. of com. on work with blind, 
97; discusses commission plan, 
104; member com. on federal and 
state relations. 192; member com. 
on co-ordination, 192; member of 
Council. 194: the state library as 
head of the libran.- activities of the 
state (abstract). 216. 

Glasier, Gilson G.. resigns editorship 



Index to legal periodicals, 205; 
member Executive com. Am. assn. 
of law libraries. 205. 

Godard, George S., rpt. com. on 
public documents. 90-1; rpt. com. 
on resolutions. 187; member public 
documents com.. 192; president 
Am. assn. of law libraries. 205; 
acting sec. Nat. assn. state libra- 
ries, 215; discusses archives work 
in Connecticut, 216; presides public 
documents round table. 272. 

Goodrich, N. L.. member com. on 
bookbinding. 192. 

Goodwin. J. E., "Necessary red 
tape," 253-8. 

Gould, Charles H.. rpt. com. on co- 
ordination, 71 ; member com. on 
co-ordination. 192. 

Granges in relation to library com- 
missions. 213. 

Graves. F. B.. 217. 

Green, Samuel S.. response to ad- 
dresses of welcome, 51. 

Greene, Charles S., addresses Trus- 
tees' section, 271. 

Hadley. Chalmers, resigns secretary 
A. L. A.. 65; attends state library 
conferences. North Dakota, Min- 
nesota, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas. 69; 
member of Council. 195; rpt. com. 
on libraries in federal prisons. 206- 
10: presides professional training 
section. 263-71. 

Haines, Helen E., minute of regret at 
absence of. 188. 

Hall. Edward W., died. 71. 

Hamilton. John Judson, discusses 
commission plan. 105. 

Hanson, J. C. M.. member special 
com. on printed cards. 193. 

Hasse. Adelaide R., member public 
documents com., 192. 

Hastings. C. H., member special com. 
on printed cards, 193. 

Hawley. Mary E., secretary Catalog 
section. 239, 

Hazeltine, Mary E., program com. 
Professional training section, 271. 

Henrj', W. E., emphasizes value of 
museums, 216; discusses paper by 
Gillis. 216; "Academic standing of 
college library assistants and their 
relation to the Carnegie founda- 
tion." 258-02; discusses inter-li- 
brary loans, 263. 

Higginson. Thomas W., died. 71. 

Hill. Frank P., presides first general 
session. 53-91; discus-ses civil ser- 
vice. 129; statement behalf of 
com. to confer with publishers on 
deterioration of newspaper paper. 
179; submits minute of greeting to 
Helen E. Haines. 188. 

Hitchler, Theresa, member com. on 
catalog rules for small libraries, 
192: reads paper by May Seymour, 
227. 

Hitt. J. M.. discusses archives work 
in state of Waahinaton. 216; dis- 
tribution of public documents to 
college, university, and public li- 
braries. 216; 1st vice-president 
Nat. assn. of state libraries, 217; 
addresses public documents round 
table, 272. 273. 

Hodges, Nathaniel D. C, rpt. of com. 
on co-ordination, 7L-2; rpt. of com. 
on Brussels congresses, 79: member 
com. on co-ordination. 192. 

Holidays (rpt. of com. on library ad- 
ministration). 95. 

Hopper. Franklin F., "Basis of sup- 
port of organizations for public li- 
orarj' work," 148-54. 

Hours of labor (rpt. of com. on li- 
brarj- administration), 95. 



INDEX 



Howard, Clara E., "Branch librarj- 
and its relation to the district," 
109-12. 
Hume. Jessie F., "Humors and hor- 
rors of municipal civil service," 
127-9. 
Humphrey, Guess, acting secretary- 
League of librarj' commissions, 206. 
Hutchins, Frank A., member com. 

on library training, 192. 
Indexing and indexers (Blair). 234- 

S. 
Inter-library loans, 262-3. 
International congress of librarians 

at Brussels, See Brussels. 
International relations, no rpt. from 

com. on. 91; com. on. 192. 
laom, Mary F., "County libraries in 
Oregon," 144-6; member com. on 
resolutions, 187 ; member special 
com. on conditions of affiliation, 
193; member nominating com. 
League of Ubrarj' commissions, 
212; discussion, 213. 
James, George Wharton, addresses 

conference, 186. 
Jennings, Judson T., "Municipal 
civil service as affecting libraries," 
119-26. 
Johnson, Hiram W.. gov. of Califor- 
nia, addresses conference, 186. 
Johnston, R. H., secretarj' pro tem- 
pore Special libraries association, 
217; outlines work of library of 
Bureau of railway economics, 218. 
Jones, Marj' L., discusses inter-li- 
brary loans, 263. 
Kennedy Helen P., discussion, 213. 
Koch. Theodore W., member public 
documents com., 192; member 
com. on co-ordination, 192. 
Lane, William C, reads Pres. Wyer's 
address. 55; rpt. com. on co-or- 
dination among college libraries, 
75; discusses proposed amendment 
to constitution, 190-1; member 
com. on international relations, 
192; member com. on co-ordina- 
tion, 192; member special com. on 
printed cards, 193; explains system 
of classification at Harvard. 239; 
speaks of meeting of association of 
New England librarians at Welles- 
ley, 262. 
Lapp, John A., member Executive 
board Special libraries association, 
218. 
Latin-American laws, rpt. of com. on 

bibliog. of, 204. 
Law libraries, see American associa- 
tion of law libraries. 
League of library commissions, pro- 
ceedings, 206-14; amendments to 
constitution, 214. 
Lee. Miss, discusses paper by Gillis, 

216. 
Lee, George W., member Executive 
board Special libraries association. 
218. 
Legler, Henry E., calls conference to 
order, 53; represents A. L. A. at 
state library conferences, Illinois, 
Nebraska. Georgia, 69; rpt. A. L. 
A. publishing board, 83-9; discus- 
ses proposed amendment to con- 
stitution, 1H9-90; member Pub- 
lishing board, 192; member pro- 
gram com., 192; 1st vice-president 
A. L. A., 195; "Library work with 
children," 240-6; diseu.ssea train- 
ing classes, 270; addresses trustees' 
section, 272. 
Leupp, Harold L., discusses inter- 
library loans. 203. 
Library administration, rpt. of com. 

on (Graver), 91-7; com. on. 192. 
Library as an educational factor, In- 



tica,a.ng the eflBciency of the 
(Chamberlain). 154-63. 
Library assistants. "The academic 
standing of college library assist- 
ants and their relation to the Car- 
negie foundation" (Henry). 258- 

Library extension, administrative 
units in (Dudgeon), 130-S; Cali- 
fornia county free libraries (Eddy), 
138-44; county libraries in Oregon 
(IsomJ, 144-6; an Ohio county li- 
brary (Metz), 146-8. 

Library support. "Basis of support 
of organizations for public library 
work" (Hopper), 148-54. 

Library training, rpt. of com. on 
(Root), 78-9; com. on, 192; in Cal- 
ifornia (Sutliff), 263-7: theory of 
the training class in the large li- 
brary (Smith). 268-70. 

Library work with schools. Increas- 
ing the efficiency of the library as 
an educational factor (Chamber- 
lain), 154-63; problems of work 
with schools (Wood), 247-9. 

Libraries in federal prisons, rpt. of 
com. on (Hadley). 206-10. 

Lien, E. J., 2d vice-president Nat. 
assn. of state libraries, 217; ad- 
dresses public documents round 
table, 272. 

Lighting and ventilation of libraries 
(Ranck), 193-4. 

Little, G. T., reads paper by Mead, 
251. 

Locke, George H., member com. on 
co-operation with N. E. A., 192; 
member of Council. 194. 

Lydenberg, H. M., member com. on 
library administration, 192. 

McCoIlough, Ethel F., member com. 
on library administration, 192. 

McCurdy, Mary de B., chairman 
Children's librarians' section, 251. 

McFadden. Jeannette E., presides 
first .session catalog section, 218- 



Mcllwaine, H. R., member com. on 
federal and state relations, 192. 

Macrum, Mary F., died, 71. 

Mann, Margaret, member com. on 
catalog rules for small libraries, 
192. 

Marion, Guy E.. secretar>'-trea surer 
Special libraries association, 21S. 

Martel, Charles, "Library of Con- 
gress classification," 23C)-2. 

Marvin, Cornelia, member com; on 
library training, 192; conducts 
round table League of library com- 
missions, 213-14; president League 
of library commissions, 214. 

Mead. H. Ralph, "Some problems in 
book numbers," 251-3. 

Mealey, Edward W., died. 71. 

Meeker, Anna L., address of wel- 
come, 53; addresses Trustees' sec- 
tion, 271. 

Merrill, William Stetson, "Problems 
of classification and an A. L. A. 
code," 232^. 

Metz, Corinne A., "An Ohio county 
library." 146-8. 

Milam, Cari H., reads rpt. of com. 
on second class postal rates, 206; 
discusses civic centers and public 
question clubs, 213; 1st vice-presi- 
dent League of library commis- 
sions. 214. 

Millard. Jessie H., "Reference work 
with children." 250. 

Montgomery, T. L., member com. 
on federal and state relations, 192. 

Municipal civil service, see Civil ser- 



Mu 



:ipal year-book, 194, 217. 



National association of state libraries, 

proceedings, 215-7. 
National education association, Rpt. 
of com. on co-operation with 
(Ahem), 75-6; com. on. 192. 
Necrology. See A. L. A. 
New Zealand, libraries association 

of, greetings from, 91. 
Newmark, Henry M., addresses 

Trustees' section, 271. 
Oakley, Minnie M., member of 
Council, 195; presides second ses- 
sion Catalog section, 224-39. 
Ohio county hbrary (Metz), 146-8. 
Olcott, Frances J., vice-chairman 
Professional training section, 270, 
Oregon, County libraries in (Isom) 

144-6. 
Ottawa, invitation accepted for 191 

conference. 192. 
Owen, Thomas M., member public 

documents com., 192. 
Owens, M. T., presides Trustees' 

section, 271. 
Peacock, Joseph L. . special com 
Children's librarians' section, 246 
Pereles, James M., died. 70. 
Pbelan, John F., teller of election, 
195; describes library work in Chi 
cago playgrounds, 247. 
Pierson, Harriet W., letter from 
relative to English form of nam< 
for international congresses. 239. 
Playgrounds. Library work in sum 
mer (Andrus). 246-7; (Phelan) 
247; (Conard).247. 
Plummer, Mary W., member com 
on library training, 192; 2d vice 
president A. L. A., 195; program 
com. Professional training section, 
271. 
Poole. Franklin O., secretary Am, 

assn. of law libraries, 205. 
Postal rates on bulletins, rpt. of com, 

on (Wilson), 206. 
Preston, C. A., died, 70. 
Prisons, Libraries in federal, rpt. of 

com. on (Hadley), 206-10. 
Professional training for librarian- 
ship section. See A. L. A. 
Public documents, rpt. of com. on 
(Godard), 90-1; com. on, 192; ex- 
change and distribution of, 194, 
272-3. 
Public documents round table, pro- 
ceedings of, 272-3. 
Public question clubs. 213. 
Publications, Suggested, desirable to 
be compiled for use of library 
workers, 212. 
Publications committee of League of 
library commissions, rpt. of (Bliss), 
211-12. 
Publishing board. See A. L. A. 

Publishing board. 
Putnam, Herbert, member com. on 
international relations, 192; mem- 
ber com. on co-ordination, 1 92 ; 
member special com. on conditions 
of affiliation, 193. 
Ranck, Samuel H., discusses pro- 
posed amendment to constitution, 
189-90; member public documents 
com., 192; lighting and ventilation 
of libraries, 193-1; calls to order 
Special libraries association, 217; 
rpt. of com. on Municipal year- 
book, 217; addresses Trustees' sec- 
tion, 271; secretary public docu- 
ments round table, 272. 
Rathbone, Josephine A., member- 
ship com. Professional training sec- 
tion, 271. 
Reading. "Books and the efficient 

life" (Scherer), 179-85. 
Reference work, see A. L. A. College 
and reference section. 



28S 



INDEX 



UcpurU, aunuut (rpt. of com. on li- 
brary aduiiaistration), 00. 

Resolutions, rpt. of com. on (God- 
ard). 1S7. 

Uichardson, Cass, died, 70. 

liichardsuu. E. C, member com. on 
international relationa. 192. 

Ripley. L. W., address of welcome. 
51; seconds minute on Pres. Wyer's 
absence, 54; presides fifth eencrnl 
session, 185-95; discusses library 
training in California, 267. 

Robinson, Thomas W., member 
Executive com. Am. aaan. of law 
libraries. 205. 

Rochester. G. A. C. addresses Tru?^- 
tees' section, 271. 

Roden, Carl B., rpt. of treasurer. 82; 
rpt. of treasurer of A. L. A. Publish- 
ing board, 88. 

Root, Asariab S., rpt. com. on li- 
brary training, 78-9; member com. 
on library training, 192; member 
of Council. 195. 

Rose. Grace D., member of Council, 
194. 

Rowell, J. C, presides College and 
reference section, 251-63. 

Russ, Nellie M., resolution of regret 
on illness of, 53. 

Sabin. Daisy B., member com. on li- 
brary training, 192. 

Salaries of librarian and assistants 
(rpt. of com. on library adminis- 
tration). 94-5. 

Sanders, Mrs. Minerva, greetings 
sent to, 246. 

Sawyer, Anna L., reads paper by 
Cutter. 224. 

Schenk, Frederick W., 1st vice-presi- 
dent. Am. assn. of law libraries, 
205. 

Scherer, J. A. B., "Books and the 
efficient life," 179-S5. 

Scholcfield, E. O. S.. member of 
Council, 194; member Executive 
com. Am. assn. of law libraries, 
205; discusses relations of library 
and museum, 216. 

Schools, nee Librarj* work with 
schools. 

Schwab, J. C, member com. on co- 
ordination. 192. 

Selection of books, see Book selection. 

Severance, Henry O., discusses paper 
by Gillis. 216. 

Seymour, Mav. "Decimal classifica- 
tion." 227-30. 

Sick leave (rpt. of com. on library 
administration), 96. 

Small. A. J., president pro tempore 
Special libraries association, 217. 

Smith, Faith E., presides round table, 
Children's librarians' section. 246; 
theory of the training class in the 
larRc library, 268-70; secretary 
Professional training section, 271. 
Smith, Laura, member com. on work 

with blind, 192. 
Social side of the conference, 195-7. 
Special libraries association, received 



as affiliated organiiatiuu, 193; pro- 
ceedings, 217-18. 

Spoils system in librarianahip, resolu- 
tion of protest against, 194; 217. 

Staff meeting (rpt. of com. on li- 



of. See National association of 

state libraries. 
State lihrorv. functions of (Brown). 

215; (Gillis), 216. 
State relations, com. on federal and 

state relations. See Federal and 

state relations. 
Steffa, Julia, secretary pro tempore 

College and reference section, 251- 



63. 



confer- 



Steffens. Lincoln, addr 
encp, 186. 

Steincr, Bernard C, rpt. of com. on 
federal and state relations. 79; dis- 
cusses civil service, 129; member 
com. on federal and state relations. 
192; reports on present status of li- 
brary post. 200. 

Stout, James H., died, 71. 

Strauss, Esther, rpt. to Children's 
librarians' section, 251. 

Strohra, Adam J., member com. on 
library training, 192; addresses 
public documents round table, 273. 

Study outlines, rpt. of com. on plans 



iDK in California," 263-7. 

Taxation for library support. " Basis 
of support of organisations for pub- 
lic librarj' work" (Hopper), 148-54. 

Taylor, Mary W., died, 70. 

Teilera of election, rpt. of, 195. 

Templeton, Charlotte, secretar>-- 
treasurer. League of library com- 
missions, 214. 

Texas library association and library 
commission, greetings from, 91. 

Thompson, Frank J., died. 70. 

Thompson. J. David, letter read 
from, 273. 

Thompson, Laura A., chairman 
Catalog section, 239. 

Tilton, A. C, secretary- treasurer 
Nat. assn. of state libraries, 217. 

Titcomb, Mary L., member of Coun- 
cil. 195. 

Training class in the large librarj-, 
Theory of the (Smith). 268-70. 

Travel side of the conference. 197- 
203. 

Trustees* section, see A. L. A. Trus- 
tees' section. 

Tyler. Alice S.. elected to Executive 
board, 69, 192; "Effect of the com- 
mission plan of city government on 
public libraries," 98-103; presides 
fifth general session, 185-95. 

Underbill, Caroline M., member com. 
on library training. 192. 

Utley, George B., rpt. of secretary, 
65-71; represents A. L. A. at Wis- 
consin library conference, 69; mem- 
ber of com. on program, 69, 192. 



I'tley, Henry M., presents minute rr- 
garding absence of President 
Wyer. 54. 

\'acations (rpt. of com. on library 
administrations), 96. 

Ventilation of libraries (Ranck), 193- 
4. 

Vinton, Alexander H., died. 71. 

Wakefield, Bertha, reads paper by 
Merrill, Catalog section. 232. 

Wallace. Charlotte Elisabeth, sec- 
retary pro tempore Professional 
trainmg section, 263. 

Walter, Frank K., program com. 
Professional training section, 
271. 

Walton, Genevieve M., member 
com. on co-operation with N. E. A., 
192. 

Warren. Irene, member com. on co- 
operation with N. E. A.. 192. 

Watson, William R.. discusses li- 
brary training in California, 
267. 

Wellman. Hilier C, member Pub- 
lishing board, 192. 

Whitbeck. Mrs. Ajice G.. "Work 
with children in small libraries," 
250. 

White. Grace M.. 218. 

Whitney. K. Lee. treasurer Am. assn. 
of law libraries, 204. 

Whitney, Henrj- M., died, 70. 

Whitney, James L., died, 70. 

Whitten, Robert H., \ice-p resident 
Special libraries association, 218. 

Willard, Mrs. Agnes Fairbanks, died, 
70. 

Wilson, Louis R., rpt. of com. on 
second class postal rates on bul- 
letins. 206. 

Wire. Dr. G. E.. vaseline treatment 
of leather bindings, 204. 

Wood. Harriet Ann, discusses effect 
of commission plan of city govern- 
ment on public libraries. 103-4; 
reads paper by Martel. Catalog 
section, 230: "Problems of work 
with schools," 247-9. 

Wood, J. W.. address of welcome, 51. 

Woodard. Gertrude E.. 2d vice-presi- 
dent Am. assn. of law libraries. 
205. 

Wright. Purd B., describes special 
collection of books relating to pack- 
ing industry. 217-18; addresses 
Trustees' section. 271. 

Wright, Willard H.. "Is libran,- cen- 
sorship desirable?". 59-60. 

Wyer, James I.. Jr.. minute of regret 
at absence of. 54; letter of greeting 
from. 55; "What the community 
owes the library" (president's ad- 
dress), 55-9; represents A. L. A. at 
Atlantic City meeting. 69; tele- 
gram from. 130; memhiT public 
documents com.. 192. 

Zachert, Adeline B.. secrctarj* Chil- 
dren's librarians' section. 251. 

Zelenko. A., speaks on settlement 
work in Moscow, 247. 



BULLETIN 

OF THE 

AMEEiCAN Library Association 

Entered na Kecond-olasB matter December 27, 1909. at the PoBt-OflBce at Chicago, III. 
Under Act ot Congress, July 16, 1894. 

VoT.. 5, No. 4. CHICAGO, ILL. Jm.y, 1911 

CONTENTS: 

Papers and Proceedings of the Pasadena 

Conference 



OFFICERS OF THE ASSOCIATION : 
PRESIDENT 

James I. Wyer, Jr. - - - - New York State Library 

FIRST VICE-PRESIDENT 

Mrs. H. L. Ei.mendori' - - - Buffalo Public Libj-ary 

SECOND VICE-PRESIDENT 

W. Dawson Johnston - - Columbia University Library 

TREASURER 

Carl B. Roden Chicago Public Library 

SECRETARY 

George B. Utley - - - - A. L. A. Executive Office 



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