that there is any hope of getting it in the near future.

     "I do think, however, that the parcels post bill which Senator
     Bourne has proposed, if passed at this Congress, will very rapidly
     develop into a law which will be entirely satisfactory for library
     purposes. The average library book weighs slightly over a pound,
     but will come easily within two pounds. Under Senator Bourne's
     bill the rate on rural routes would be 5 cents for the first
     pound and 1 cent additional for each additional pound; within
     the fifty mile zone, 6 cents for the first pound and 2 cents for
     each additional pound; within the two hundred mile zone, 7 cents
     for the first pound and 3 cents for each additional pound. These
     rates were decided upon with a certain margin of profit to the
     government so that there would be no possibility of the government
     sustaining loss. It was believed that it would be disastrous to
     the parcels post movement to have any loss at the beginning. Such
     a loss would serve as an excuse for the abandoning of a parcels
     post. I am very certain that if this bill should be passed one
     year's experience would demonstrate that the rural rate could be
     reduced to 4 and 1 cent, making 5 cents for a two pound package;
     the 50 mile zone could be abolished and the rate for the 200 mile
     zone fixed at 5 cents for the first pound and 1 cent for each
     additional pound. The 200 mile zone, at that rate, ought to give
     you as good a library post service as you can expect to have
     within a number of years. I do not think that you can expect to
     get a law enacted which will provide for the carrying of library
     books at less than cost. It is no argument to say that the
     government is now carrying newspapers at less than cost. It made a
     mistake in establishing such a rate, but having made it, it cannot
     easily increase the rate.

     "You ask whether there is anything the library people can do to
     forward this matter. My opinion is that the one thing you could
     do would be to help get sentiment back of a general parcels post
     so that a bill on a zone basis with rates varying according to
     distance, will be passed by this Congress. When we once get a law
     of that kind, its development will be very rapid. The trouble will
     be to get the first law on the statute books."

=Senator Bourne's Bill=

The bill introduced by Senator Bourne seems to be all that we can hope
for at present. A summary of it follows:

Postal rates on parcels vary with distance, thus protecting local
merchants and competing with express companies.

Third and fourth classes of matter are combined.

A special rate of one cent an ounce up to four ounces is provided for
circulars and small packages of goods.

Rates are as follows:

Local, city and rural delivery only, 5cts for the first pound and one
cent for each additional pound.

Within 50 miles zone, 6cts for the first pound and 2cts for each
additional pound.

Within 200 miles zone, 7cts for the first pound and 3cts for each
additional pound.

Within 500 miles zone, 8cts for the first pound and 5cts for each
additional pound.

Within 1,000 miles zone, 9cts for the first pound and 5cts for each
additional pound.

Outside 2,000 miles zone, 12cts for the first pound and 10cts for each
additional pound.

These rates are based on a careful computation of the actual cost of
collecting, distributing and delivering packages, plus the actual cost
of transportation.

Weight limit, 11 pounds and maximum charge 12cts, the international
limit and rate.

=Committee Progress and Recommendations=

The committee has canvassed the situation carefully and corresponded
at some length with many persons. It has also suggested that the
various commissions take up and follow the matter with their respective
congressmen. Many commissions have done this. South Dakota, at its
annual library association meeting adopted a formal resolution to be
forwarded to senators and congressmen for the state.

The committee recommends:

1. That the secretary of each commission which has not already done so
immediately communicate in a personal letter as already suggested with
each senator and congressman from his state.

2. That each state commission at its next annual meeting adopt a
resolution endorsing a parcels post law similar to Senator Bourne's
measure, urging low rates on rural routes, and a zone system and
send such resolutions, signed if possible by all the members of the
commission, to each senator and congressman in the state.

3. That each state library association do the same.

4. That this League adopt such a resolution, and that the secretary
from each commission sees that such resolution reaches the senators and
congressmen in his state.

5. That efforts to secure a separate library post law be abandoned for
the present.

  Respectfully submitted,

  M. S. DUDGEON, Chairman.

The report was accepted and the committee continued and the secretary
of the League was instructed to place its recommendations before the
Council of the A. L. A., in order to secure the coöperation of that
body. The members of the League were particularly urged to assist the
committee in its efforts.

A report of the committee in state school library systems, in the
absence of Miss Martha Wilson, the chairman, was read by the secretary.
It consisted chiefly of a summary of the school library laws of the
different states. The report was accepted.

The report of the committee on study clubs outlines, prepared by Miss
Margaret Brown was read by Mr. Dudgeon. It was as follows:

REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON STUDY OUTLINE

The committee finds that the difficulties encountered by traveling
libraries in attempting to supply satisfactory and adequate reference
material to the many study clubs largely dependent upon them for books,
is chiefly because of the miscellaneous program, covering a wide
variety of subjects.

In addition to this, many traveling libraries receive requests for
study outlines or are asked to prepare them; hence it was decided by
the committee that a plan should be submitted for the preparation of
study outlines.

This plan once in use by traveling libraries preparing outlines, would
bring about a certain standardization, thus making an outline prepared
by one useful to all. Such a plan could not only be utilized by
traveling libraries but by other organizations concerned in providing
outlines for study clubs.

A plan was presented at the midwinter meeting of the middle-west
section of the League, which after discussion has been revised and is
herewith again presented with the following recommendations:

=First.= Plan for preparation of study outlines.

=Basis.=

     =A. One book selected as foundation for outline.= If a single book
     suitable for text cannot be found, outline to be based on fewest
     number of books necessary for the purpose. Texts selected to be
     authoritative, reasonable in price, readable and stimulating.

     =B. Five to ten books as collateral reference.= Selected to cover
     subject in study outline and amplify the text. Publisher and
     price given for all books included, for use in purchase. A more
     extended list of books can easily be prepared by any library where
     additional material is available.

=Lessons should be outlined by:=

     =C. Question method.= Five to ten definite questions on each
     lesson.

     =D. Or, Topical method.= Topics assigned under each lesson should
     be those which present special phases of the general subject.
     The two methods may sometimes be combined. Written papers, if
     included under either Question or Topical form of study outline,
     should be assigned only for subjects which require some degree of
     original thought; all information to be derived from text books
     and encyclopedias should be covered by the regular lesson for oral
     discussion. Note. Number of meetings of study clubs vary. Probably
     not less than sixteen or more than twenty-six lessons. Many
     average two meetings a month. October to May.

     =Second.= That this committee be authorized to draw upon the
     League treasury for a definite sum for the employment of a capable
     compiler to prepare outlines based on this plan.

     =Third.= That if possible the coöperation of some publisher be
     secured to print the outlines thus prepared, or others passed
     upon by the committee, and furnish them at reasonable cost to the
     various commissions operating traveling libraries and to club and
     individuals desiring them.

     =Fourth.= That the study outline committee be constituted a
     sub-committee of the publications committee and be empowered to
     select subjects, revise and pass upon all outlines submitted,
     before printed.

  MARGARET BROWN, Chairman.

=Explanatory Notes on the Plan of Preparation of Study Outlines=

=A.= The use of a few designated books (or a single book) as a basis
for common study of the same subject, or closely related topics,
provides the means by which the unity and co-ordination is secured,
which is essential for effective and satisfactory results.

Each member may, if she so desires, provide herself at nominal cost
with the source references necessary to cover the essential point
contained in the outline.

=B.= The books for collateral reading should be carefully evaluated and
selection based upon their real value in supplementing text, from the
standpoint of reliability, readableness and stimulative quality, also
that the price shall not be prohibitive of purchase by clubs, local
public libraries and duplication in traveling libraries of large number
of copies for use in supplying many different clubs.

Any local or traveling library may easily provide additional books
for collateral reading whenever the collection permits. It is not,
however, deemed advisable to have such extended lists incorporated in
the outlines; as a demand would then be created which could not be
supplied by the small library, and therefore would become a handicap
and embarrassment.

=C.= In outlining lessons by the question method, the questions should
be so formulated as to stimulate discussion; not simply to be answered
in the affirmative or negative.

The question method permits a free expression of individual opinions
based on personal reading. Such "discussion awakens the keenest
interest through the activity of different minds upon the same fact
or idea," as each member is expected to prepare herself to answer all
questions.

The question method is endorsed by many educational experts as a
desirable method for the conduct of study classes, and has been found
to be practical and satisfactory by many study clubs.

=D.= In outlining lessons by the Topical method, care should be taken
to include no more topics than can be thoroughly discussed, and such
phases of the subject assigned as topics as will amplify the general
subject which has been studied in common by all members from the text
upon which the outline is based.

The report was accepted. On the motion of Mr. Bliss it was voted that
the chairman of the committee be authorized to draw upon the treasurer
of the League for any amount not to exceed $100.00 to defray the
expenses of preparing some experimental outlines carrying out the plans
suggested in the report. It was moved by Mr. Dudgeon that the chairman
be instructed to enter into negotiations with some publisher to secure
coöperation in printing study outlines approved by the committee, to
be sold to study clubs and library commissions at reasonable cost.
Carried. On the motion of Mr. Bliss, it was voted to continue the study
outline committee, with Miss Brown as chairman, and to authorize the
committee to select subjects, revise and pass upon all outlines before
printed.

Adjourned.

SECOND SESSION

(Saturday, June 29, 8:30 p. m.)

As there were several important committee reports still to be received
it was voted to hold a meeting on Monday afternoon at 4:30 to complete
the transaction of business. Mr. Milam then turned the meeting over to
Miss Miriam E. Carey, of Minnesota, and the evening was devoted to the
consideration of libraries in institutions.

Miss E. KATHLEEN JONES, librarian of the McLean Hospital, Waverley,
Mass., read a paper on

LIBRARY WORK AMONG THE INSANE

I have been asked to talk about two things to-night,--our library
at McLean Hospital in Waverley, Massachusetts, and my idea for
organization among the state hospitals of the different states. By
dint of considerable money, much thought and labor and an unlimited
amount of interest and coöperation with the librarian on the part of
superintendent and trustees, we have been able to build up at the
McLean Hospital something which approaches pretty near our ideal of
what a library in a hospital for the insane should be. But in regard to
the second subject I feel a little diffident, since there are several
among you who have actually organized the institution libraries of
your different states and combined them under one head, while I have
only dreamed about it. Still, the dream and the vision must always be
forerunners of accomplishment, and you also must have dreamed before
you were able to build.

At McLean Hospital we have two libraries,--one for the use of the
patients, which was started in 1835 with 160 volumes and now numbers
over 7,000, and a medical library organized in 1887 and containing
over 5,000 volumes. The two are kept entirely distinct with separate
accession-book, catalog, classification and finances. The medical
library comprises a fairly good department in general medicine and a
very fine one in chemistry; but of course, its principal features are
books and periodicals in psychology and psychiatry. We take 85 medical
and chemical journals, most of them German, and the care of these
periodicals alone is no slight task for the librarian. I will just
say incidentally that, unable to find any classification for medical
books which seemed at all adequate to our needs we have evolved one
for ourselves, using the decimal idea in numbering. It is a thoroughly
satisfactory scheme for us and we hope some time to print it for the
benefit of the medical libraries in other hospitals for the insane.

Although our general library for the patients has been in existence
for seventy-five years and more, for the first six decades it was
conducted in a rather desultory manner, as indeed, most libraries were
at that time. It was not till 1895 that any attempt at classification
and cataloging was made, and not until 1904 was a trained librarian
installed and the whole department put on a business basis. The
expenditure of the annual appropriation was at that time put into the
librarian's hands with directions to build up the library at her own
discretion, subject, of course, to the approval of the superintendent
and trustees. That the business basis is the only successful one, these
figures show:--in 1904, after seventy years, the library numbered only
4,000 volumes, with few new books but a large assortment of old sermons
and evangelical biography, and its circulation was about 5,000. During
the eight years of the new regime, more than 3,000 volumes have been
added and the circulation has increased to over 8,500.

During its seventy-five years of service our library has exemplified
at least four important things:--first, as has been shown, that
one cannot get such good results from the old desultory method of
having a few books on the wards looked after by nurses, or even in a
central library run by a stenographer in her spare moments, as from
an organized, central library with a trained librarian at its head.
Second, that although the business basis is the only successful one,
the administration of it should be as simple and free from "red tape"
as possible. The nearer a hospital librarian can keep her library to
the idea of the private library and the more friendly and personal
relations she can establish with the patients the more good she can
accomplish. The third point I would make is that unless they are very
ill and destructive, books are treated as carefully by the insane as
by the users of the public libraries. Last year, out of 8,686 volumes
taken out by patients and nurses, only 9 were lost or destroyed, and
of these only two were charged to patients. It is the proud boast of
one of our head nurses who has under him the next to the most violent
and destructive ward on the men's side, that he has had out for his
patients over 450 volumes in the last two years, and has not lost or
had mutilated one single book!

The fourth and most important lesson we have learned is that the
value of a well-selected library can hardly be over-estimated as a
therapeutic agent. I do not mean by this that a cure can be effected
simply by reading the right books; that of course is absurd. But it
is a fact recognized by all psychiatrists and at the basis of the
treatment of the insane in all hospitals today, that whatever takes
a patient's mind off himself and his own troubles and directs his
thoughts into other and more wholesome channels, contributes to his
recovery. And when amusement pall, handicrafts tire and golf and
tennis are too strenuous, books and pictures will almost always help.
It is for this reason that we have to be so careful of the kind of
reading, especially of fiction, which we put into the hands of our
patients. They must be wholesome stories; anything dealing with suicide
or insanity is strictly tabu; also stories which are morbid or would
be apt to arouse a morbid train of thought. With these exceptions
the insane want and should have the same books which you and I read.
Moreover, and I wish I could say this loudly and emphatically enough to
be heard over the whole country, the insane are not imbeciles and they
are not children, and they resent it when they are treated as such just
as much as you or I would. If the old ladies like to reread the stories
they loved when they were young, so do old ladies everywhere, but they
do not want kindergarten stories. And they are as interested in what is
going on in the world and in keeping up with the times as anyone.

About once a week I go to Boston, look over the new books, select the
ones I like the looks of and have them sent out "on approval." Every
book of fiction is read by me, or if it is distinctly a man's book,
by someone of the staff in whose literary judgment I can rely. The
books which are kept are then classified and cataloged and either sent
directly to some patient or ward where I know they will be appreciated,
or else placed on the "new book shelves." Neither staff nor nurses
are allowed to have the new books until the patients have read them.
The patients come over four evenings a week to the library, the men
Mondays and Fridays and the women Wednesdays and Saturdays. Our library
consists of two large and very beautiful rooms with open shelves and
open fires. Some of the patients roam about and browse among the
books, others sit at the tables and look at pictures and magazines,
while still others join the ladies of the house who generally sit in
the front library in the evening with their fancy-work and the fire.
Sometimes we play cards with them.

Besides these four evenings, certain patients are sometimes allowed
to come over in the daytime, and the nurses come in at any time of
day to get books for some particular patient or for their ward. These
"traveling libraries" on the wards are our most successful means of
reaching those patients who are too feeble, or too ill, or who lack
the initiative to come to the library and select their own books, but
who will often get interested in a book which lies on the sitting-room
table of their ward.

I am often asked what kind of books aside from fiction the patients
call for. I suppose books with pictures would rank first, for patients
who are too ill to read will often look at these by the hour. These
picture-books comprise art books, of which we have a very fine
collection bought and added to each year with money from a bequest to
the hospital; Black's travel books; Country Life in America, etc. Next
come the nature and out-of-door books; then literature, especially
Longfellow, Whittier and Tennyson. History is seldom called for by the
patients,--sociology and economics never; yet our nurses, especially
our Canadian nurses who want to know about conditions in the States,
frequently ask for these, and we have books on all these subjects; for,
though our hospital motto is "Patients first," we find that whatever
increases the intelligence of the nurses increases their efficiency,
and we are glad to have them avail themselves of every opportunity for
reading and study.

Frankly humorous books I have learned never to give to a depressed
patient, and Miss Carey tells me she has had the same experience. If
a patient is much depressed he seems to resent being cheered up if
he knows it, and we all have realized in ourselves that unless we
are in the mood for it there is nothing in the world so dreary as an
avowedly funny story. Neither is there any call for collections like
the "International library of famous literature," and the "Library of
American literature," and in this matter too, Miss Carey agrees with
me. Short stories also are at a discount here. The patients want novels
which shall grip and hold their attention in spite of themselves. We
all know that the complete librarian is supposed to have an extra sense
of intuition, and I think I unconsciously say to myself in selecting
books for the patients, "If I felt the way that patient looks as if he
felt, what kind of books would I want?" Sometimes, though, one makes
mistakes. For instance,--we have one patient, a dear old lady, somewhat
prim, a little austere, a typical New England aristocrat of the old
school, with whom one immediately associates "Cranford" and "Oldfield"
and Mrs. de la Pasture. But this dear lady wants detective stories,
if you please, and the more gruesome and bloodier they are the more
she revels in them. In her estimation, "The Marathon mystery" and "The
Boule cabinet" and "The Mystery of the yellow room" totally eclipse
"Down our street" and "Queed" any day.

But while short stories are seldom called for, the "short story in
long dresses" and bound by itself, is very popular with patients who
are physically weak and unable to hold large volumes or to read very
long at a time. I always keep a collection of these little books
in a special bookrack so I can lay my hands on them at any moment.
They comprise such titles as "Pigs is pigs," "The good Samaritan,"
"Philosophy Four," "Stickeen," "The perfect tribute," "Songs from
Vagabondia," "The friendly craft," etc. Then I have other racks on
tables and window shelves which I keep filled with different books,
changing them often. And I find that shifting the books on the shelves
every little while brings into prominence some which have heretofore
been overlooked. In short, I try to keep something new in the library
all the time, even if only a new plant or arrangement of flowers, for
the patients in a hospital of this sort are very dependent on outside
agencies for diversion and interest, and their attention must be caught
and held by some means or other.

So much for the reality: now for the dream.

Because the library in our hospital has been such a success, because
it has so thoroughly proved its therapeutic value, I dream of the time
when one as efficient shall be in every hospital in the country. The
fact that ours is a private hospital means that we are not helped by
the state; it also means that most of our patients, but by no means
all, are on a paying basis; it most emphatically does not mean that
we have the monopoly of the educated class. While it is true that
there are many illiterates in the state hospitals, it is also true
that there are in them thousands of men and women as well educated, as
refined, as great lovers of books as those in our private hospital.
For the majority, it is the question of money, not of education, which
determines a patient's place in the state or the private institution.
If our people value our library so highly, what must be their
deprivation when because of lack of funds they have to go to state
institutions where there are no books and periodicals or at best only a
few old ones, never changed and seldom added to.

The state says it cannot afford to appropriate for each of its
hospitals and asylums an annual sum sufficient to build up such a
library as ours and maintain so many trained librarians, and the state
is justified. But I have dreamed of a coöperation by means of which
there shall be in every state one trained librarian who shall organize
into a library what books there already are in each institution,
advise and train in library methods those in charge, and buy from an
annual appropriation such as the state can afford, new books which
shall be sent from one hospital to another in the form of traveling
libraries, and after they have gone the round be divided up among the
individual institutions,--thus slowly building up each library. This
organizer should be in the employ either of the State Board of Insanity
(or its equivalent) or else of the State Library Commission. It would
seem that the former would be more satisfactory and less complicated,
as the state institutions already are under their control, but in
some states the library commission seems to have have been entirely
successful in co-operating with the state board. One thing seems
certain, that unless the state board and the hospital superintendents
can be interested in the scheme little can be done; while with their
interest and coöperation success is insured.

That this dream is practical has been proved in Iowa, Minnesota,
Nebraska and a few other states. In New York, most of the state
hospitals seem to have fairly good libraries, and the one at
Middletown, N. Y., ranks very nearly with McLean in the number of
volumes, and seems to be carried on very efficiently. In Trenton, N.
J., there is a state hospital which has a memorial library with a good
annual appropriation and which adds about one hundred and fifty books a
year. I have with me the figures of the hospital libraries in nineteen
states, if anyone cares to see them.

In my dream I see equal library advantages to every state hospital in
the country, and I hear from them all the words they will say to you
who are able to realize these dreams,--words our patients at McLean
have said to us over and over again,--"You don't know what this library
has meant to me!" This is an opportunity for intimate helpfulness and
real, practical usefulness which I hope everyone of you will try to
introduce into his state.

In the discussion that followed, Miss Jones said the McLean Hospital
library had an appropriation of about $300 a year for books alone for
the patients, but thought that a state hospital library could get on
nicely with less. Miss Templeton gave an account of state institutional
work in Nebraska where the policy has been to get library work in these
institutions under the control of the state library commission.

Mr. Dudgeon said that a list of simple industrial books had been
prepared with much care for the prisoners in the Wisconsin state
prison. Also that the chaplain helped in recommending reading for the
prisoners, those who expected to get out being especially anxious to
keep up with events and not be Rip Van Winkles when released.

Miss Carey, of Minnesota, said their state commission has made special
efforts to know what the libraries of the institutions were doing, how
many readers they had, and how many books they circulate. She said this
familiarized the institutions with the commission and so the officers
were glad to put the burden off on the commission. She thought it was
impossible to do anything until the officers of the institutions were
on your side; that this must be worked for until secured.

After discussion the session adjourned.

THIRD SESSION

(Monday, July 1, 4:30 p. m.)

The third session of the League opened with a report from Mr. F. F.
Hopper, of Tacoma, on the work of the Committee on federal prison
libraries. His report was as follows:

REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON LIBRARIES IN FEDERAL PRISONS

The report of this committee made by Mr. Hadley at the Pasadena
meeting, outlined correspondence with the Department of Justice in
Washington, which Department has supervision of the penitentiaries
including their libraries. After repeated efforts by Mr. Hadley, the
department seemed to become interested in the libraries in the prisons,
and friendly to suggestions for improving them, but the officials
considered that proper library facilities were dependent upon the
provision by Congress of a system of education for the prisoners.
However, the department already had the authority to appropriate money
from its own funds for the purchase of books for the prison libraries.
In his report, Mr. Hadley recommended that a bill be introduced in the
next Congress for an annual appropriation for books and their care in
penitentiary libraries.

In 1911 catalogs of the libraries in the penitentiaries at Atlanta and
at McNeil Island were prepared by the prison librarians and printed.
After these were submitted to the Department of Justice, it seems to
have been decided to adopt a definite policy for the annual expenditure
of money for the purchase of books for one of these libraries, that at
McNeil Island. This decision was probably hastened by the disclosures
the catalogues made in regard to the kind of books already in the
libraries. It is evident that fiction constitutes almost the whole of
the collections. At any rate in January the attorney general wrote
the secretary of the American Library Association that the department
would spend $100 annually for the purchase of books for the library
at McNeil Island, and requested that a list of books be prepared,
none of the books to be fiction, but chiefly history, biography and
science. Mr. Utley asked the present chairman of your committee to
prepare the list since the Tacoma library is the nearest to McNeil
Island and the present chairman was somewhat acquainted with the
conditions and needs there. A list of 500 titles, with a first choice
of books to cost $100.00 was considered, but the list was reduced to
175 titles, since it was deemed best to provide only for purchase for
two years. Since the library already contained considerable fiction and
the public libraries of both Seattle and Tacoma frequently send the
prison selected books from their discards, it was fortunate that the
department wished no fiction on the list.

We have learned from the Department of Justice in the last few days
that similar purchases were not contemplated for the much larger
prisons at Atlanta and Leavenworth. No attempt was made to secure
the introduction of a bill in Congress providing for an annual
appropriation for books and their care in the penitentiary libraries,
since it was already so late in the present session; since the new
interest of the department under the present law appeared promising;
and since it seemed desirable first to secure the discussion and
coöperation of the American Prison Association and other societies
interested in prison administration and reform. It was hoped that a
member of this committee could present the subject of libraries in
the federal prisons at the meeting of the Conference of Charities and
Corrections in Cleveland during the present month, but it was not
possible to carry out the plan. The American Prison Association has
formally invited a member of the committee to discuss the same subject
at the annual meeting of the association at Baltimore in November, and
it is highly desirable that the invitation be accepted. It should be
possible to interest and secure the powerful backing of the American
Prison Association in securing the passage of any contemplated
legislation looking to the improvement of prison libraries.

The warden of the prison at McNeil Island secures some fifty magazines
as gifts by merely begging them from the publishers! At both Atlanta
and Leavenworth, the only new magazines the prisoners see are those
which they subscribe for themselves or which are sent by their friends.

In the Atlanta prison, a regular school is conducted, and whatever
books are purchased from the general funds are school books. A school
should be established at McNeil Island. At present there are no
facilities for such work there but with the example of the one at
Atlanta, it should be possible to urge effectively that the department
establish a school at McNeil Island.

In the coming year the commendable start which the Department of
Justice has made in purchasing books for the prison at McNeil Island,
should open the way for successful efforts in persuading the department
to undertake much more liberal purchases of books for the libraries of
the much larger prisons at Atlanta and at Leavenworth.

It is earnestly recommended that a vigorous presentation of the needs
of the prison libraries be made to the department by someone in person,
backed by all the influence obtainable. It is also urged that a list of
fiction suitable for prison libraries be co-operatively made with the
utmost care. The needs of the prisoner in his reading for recreation
are very special, and many books entirely suitable for the open shelf
room of a public library should be ruthlessly excluded from the prison.
Expert knowledge of the psychology of the prisoner should in some way
be obtained in preparing a list of fiction for reading in prison. It is
better that the prisoner read not at all than that he should be given
many of the books eminently fit for one in the normal conditions and
relations of life.

  FRANKLIN F. HOPPER, Chairman.

Mrs. Sneed supplemented Mr. Hopper's report with a report of conditions
in the federal prison at Atlanta and of conferences which she had had
with officials from Washington. It was her opinion, based on advice
from the prison authorities that the only way to accomplish anything
is for some one to go to Washington, put the case plainly before
the Department of Justice and ask that an appropriation be made for
libraries in the federal prisons. Mr. Dudgeon moved that Mrs. Sneed,
Dr. Owen and Mr. Hopper act as a committee representing the League
with full power to act, and that the League pledge itself to hearty
coöperation. Carried. Miss Tyler moved that the secretary of the League
send a communication to the Council of the A. L. A., stating the
progress of the committee and asking for its coöperation. On the motion
of Mr. Dudgeon, $50.00 was placed at the disposal of the committee to
carry on its work.

The report of the publications committee was then presented by the
chairman, Mr. M. S. Dudgeon. At his suggestion the recommendations of
the committee were voted on as they were read.

The League adopted the first, second and third recommendation of the
committee; took no action on the fifth, and adopted the sixth. The
report of the committee was then accepted.

REPORT OF THE PUBLICATIONS COMMITTEE

Your committee respectfully reports the following:

1. A very definite demand has been presented to the committee from the
various commissions calling for the publication of a buying list of
about one thousand titles for use by small libraries. The committee
has investigated the matter and is glad to report that Miss Zaidee
Brown's list has been revised and brought up to date by Miss Webster
of New York, and that this will admirably meet the demand. After going
over the matter with Mr. Utley, it appeared that no advantage would
result should this committee handle this publication. The committee
recommends that the separate commissions deal directly with the New
York state library. The committee is informed that the commissions will
be circularized by the New York authorities for this purpose. The price
is exceedingly reasonable, probably not exceeding two cents each in
large quantities. It seems likely that arrangements can be made so that
each commission can stamp or print upon the title page such matter as
it sees fit.

We understand that copy of the list is now ready for the printer. When
printed this list will also contain a magazine list.

2. It was suggested by the president of the League that the committee
collect and print short paragraphs suitable for publication in
newspapers during local campaigns for a library. The committee
recommends that this be undertaken by one of the commissions as a
sub-committee, rather than by the publications committee.

3. Mr. Gillis of California, has suggested that each commission prepare
a list of the best material available treating of the history of its
state. This seems to the committee the function of the state library
rather than the commission and it recommends that this request be
referred to the National Association of State Libraries.

4. It was suggested that the committee reprint Moulton's "Aids to
Library Work with Foreigners." This matter was referred to the A. L. A.
Publishing Board, which has arranged for its publication.

5. The committee has been asked also to consider the publication of a
buying list for traveling libraries, to be followed by a periodical
supplement probably issued in mimeograph form. The questionnaire
submitted to the commissions indicates that there would be only a
limited use of such a list, many commissions maintaining that present
aids are sufficient. The commissions exhibited so little interest
in the matter that this question is submitted to the League without
recommendation.

6. The loss resulting from the susceptibility of the trustee or
librarian of many of the smaller libraries, to the subtle wiles of
the eloquent book-agent, calls for some authoritative pronouncement
upon the value, or lack of value, of subscription books. To make such
a pronouncement seems to be the function of the A. L. A. Publishing
Board. The committee therefore respectfully recommends that such board
be requested to make proper provision for such pronouncement.

  Respectfully submitted,

  M. S. DUDGEON, Chairman,
  ZAIDEE BROWN,
  MARY E. DOWNEY.

In the absence of the chairman of the committee on uniform financial
reports for library commissions, the following report was read by the
secretary:

REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON UNIFORM FINANCIAL REPORTS

The difficulties confronting the compiler of statistics of expenditures
of library commissions or library extension departments are obvious,
owing (1) to variations in organization and scope of work in different
states, (2) to variations in accounting systems which must conform
to the state accounting system, and (3) to variations in methods of
appropriations. For example, in some states definite appropriations
are made for certain departments of work, in others certain expenses
such as printing, binding and office supplies are paid from the
general state fund for all departments. In view of these facts, many
commissions are of the opinion that a uniform accounting system which
will meet the needs of every state is impracticable.

Your committee collected the financial reports of each library
commission, or other state department doing library extension work and
made a careful comparison of the items included.

It was found that these items could practically all be grouped under
a few general headings, as given in Table I. It was further suggested
that another summary giving approximate totals for various departments
be added, as outlined in Table II.

The committee therefore submits this summary of expenses, as a
tentative form, to be used in the annual report of the League for
purposes of comparison.

The work of the committee has shown that such a summary can readily
be made from the financial reports of the several commissions as they
are now published and it is believed that this table would be a useful
addition to the yearbook.

The outline here presented is not regarded as final, but is submitted
for your discussion and amendment.

  CLARA F. BALDWIN, Chairman.

TABLE I.

  =Summary of Expenditures=

  Books and binding
  Direct aid
  Pamphlets for distribution
  Express, freight and cartage
  Office supplies and furniture
  Periodical clearing house
  Periodical subscriptions and memberships
  Postage
  Printing
  Salaries
  State institutions
  Summer school
  Traveling expenses
  Traveling library boxes
  Miscellaneous
      Total

TABLE II.

  =Summary of Expenses by Departments=

  Field work
  Instruction
  Traveling library
  Direct aid
  Legislative reference
  School library work (for Oregon)
  Educational reference (for N. Dakota)

The report was accepted.

The secretary then presented the following report of what the League
Yearbook should contain.

LEAGUE OF LIBRARY COMMISSIONS' YEARBOOK

In accordance with the request of the president of the League, the
secretary has made the following outline of the matter which should be
included in the Yearbook to be published this coming autumn:

  List of members of the League.
  Officers.
  Committees.
  Constitution.

Report by states, giving under each the names of the executive staff,
a list of the publications in print, and new legislation pertaining to
library extension, any distinctly new phase of work taken up, and in
the case of a new commission a full account of its form of organization
and scope of activities.

Traveling libraries: Number of volumes in fixed groups; number of
volumes on open shelves; loans.

Number of requests in answer to which books have been sent; number of
volumes sent out.

Requests classified as follows: Groups of taxpayers, public libraries,
schools, institutions, study clubs, individuals, other organizations.

Summary of public library conditions by states: Population, number of
towns of over 2,000; number of libraries supported by tax; number of
libraries supported by associations; number of subscription libraries;
number of library buildings; number of trained librarians.

Financial report according to the recommendations of Miss Baldwin's
report.

The report was accepted.

The nominating committee then presented the following names as officers
of the League for the ensuing year:

For president, Mr. C. H. Milam, Indiana; for first vice-president,
Miss Elizabeth B. Wales, Missouri; for second vice-president, Dr.
Thomas M. Owen, Alabama; for secretary-treasurer, Miss Zaidee Brown,
Massachusetts; publications committee: M. S. Dudgeon, Wisconsin,
chairman; Miss Fannie C. Rawson, Kentucky; Miss Caroline F. Webster,
New York.

It was voted to instruct the secretary to cast the ballot for these
officers.

The meeting adjourned.

SPECIAL LIBRARIES ASSOCIATION

Fourth Annual Meeting, Ottawa, Canada, June 26-July 2, 1912

FIRST (GENERAL) SESSION

(Thursday, June 27, 2:30 p. m.)

In the absence of the president, the vice-president, Herbert O.
Brigham, state librarian of Rhode Island, called the meeting to order
in, the ball room of the Chateau Laurier.

The VICE-PRESIDENT: Ladies and Gentlemen, we will open the session this
afternoon with the consideration of a general topic, which will be
taken part in by Mr. Dudgeon and by other speakers who will discuss Mr.
Dudgeon's paper. It so happens that this year we have been so fortunate
as to have the article reprinted beforehand in the publication of
the Special Libraries Association, so that doubtless many of you are
already familiar with the paper.

I am going to appoint on the nominating committee Messrs. George W. Lee
of Boston, John A. Lapp of Indianapolis, and Miss E. V. Dobbins of New
York City.

We are very fortunate in having with us to take the main paper for this
opening session a man who has been actively engaged in special library
work for some time in the west, one who is very familiar with the
development of the "Wisconsin idea" of legislative reference work, and
closely associated with Dr. McCarthy in developing that idea.

I take great pleasure in introducing to you Mr. M. S. Dudgeon,
secretary of the Wisconsin library commission, who will talk upon the
subject of "The plan, scope and results of special libraries."

Mr. DUDGEON: Mr. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen--There are those who
maintain that there is no such thing as a special library in a class of
its own, but that what we call a special library is simply a general
reference library which by the needs of its patrons has become somewhat
specialized in its methods and in its equipment. On the other hand,
there are those who maintain that a special library has so distinctly
a different function and purpose, that its scope is so different,
that its equipment is so different, and that the equipment, the
qualities and the characteristics of those who man the library are so
different, as to entitle such an institution to an entirely different
classification; that it is not a general reference library, but a
special library, something entirely different. It seems to me to be
more or less a distinction without a difference, more or less a play
upon words. I have, at the request of the Program Committee, written
down what seemed to me the perfectly obvious things that might be said
about the scope and purposes of the special library. You have the paper
before you as printed in "Special Libraries," and will probably be
fortunate enough to escape some detail, as I will try to shorten this
somewhat in the reading.[13]

[13] Mr. Dudgeon's paper appeared in full in "Special Libraries," June,
1912, pp. 129-133.

The VICE-PRESIDENT: I think we all have a clear understanding of
just what a special library means, and I think we should all notice
especially the allusion that Mr. Dudgeon made to the reference library
as compared to the public library, in the definition of the use of the
book.

I think one of the finest examples of a special librarian one can find
is in our absent president. Dr. Whitten is doubtless one of the best
authorities today on public utilities, and he has this month gone to
London, where he is spending the summer investigating public utilities
for the National Civic Federation. That, I think, accounts for his
absence, and we regret very much that he is not here.

I am going to ask Mr. Josephson of the John Crerar Library, Chicago, to
lead the discussion.

A. G. S. JOSEPHSON: I am afraid that you will not find my paper what
you expected it to be, a discussion of Mr. Dudgeon's paper. When Mr.
Lapp wrote me some time ago to ask if I would not discuss the question,
I began to try to make up my own mind as to what a special library was.
I had made my mental notes on that subject, and when Mr. Dudgeon's
paper came and I read it and undertook to discuss it, it happened that
my own ideas came first.[14]

[14] Mr. Josephson's discussion will appear in a later issue of
"Special Libraries."

The VICE-PRESIDENT: I am going to ask Mr. W. P. Cutter, librarian of
the Engineering Societies of New York City, to contribute either by a
paper or an oral discussion of Mr. Dudgeon's address.

Mr. CUTTER: I do not know that I have anything to offer as a
contribution to the discussion of Mr. Dudgeon's very interesting
paper and Mr. Josephson's very interesting discussion of it. I might,
perhaps, with my usual liking to express things briefly, say that I
consider a special library as one that serves people who are doing
things, and a reference library one which serves people who are
thinking things. The former are not thinking about doing things, they
are already doing them. I think that applies also to people who are
serving as legislators, who are making laws; to sociologists, who are
making attempts to handle crime and other sociological questions. I
believe that the development now in the public library world is in the
direction of service to the public. For twenty-five or twenty-six years
now we have been talking about, first, books, and then about places for
storing books, buildings to put them in, methods of cataloging them,
charging them, of making picture bulletins for children and all that,
and we have finally arrived at a discussion of the methods of serving
the people who are really doing things. It has taken about twenty-five
years to arrive at that point, and I think we are reaching that goal. I
noticed, although I was not present at the meeting this morning, that
in two reports of committees of the American Library Association, an
instrument was mentioned which has been used in one library, at least,
to my knowledge, for the reproduction of material for people who are
doing things, a reproduction of printed material, manuscripts, maps,
drawings, etc. This is the first time that has come up, I think, in a
report in the American Library Association on the reference side.

The VICE-PRESIDENT: I hoped that Dr. McCarthy, the head of the
legislative reference department of the Wisconsin library, and Mr.
Galbreath, former state librarian of Ohio, who is now secretary of the
Constitutional Convention of Ohio, would be present today. In their
absence the discussion is now open to the members, and I hope there
will be a very general and free discussion.

JOHN A. LAPP: I have not very much to say except to emphasize one or
two points which Mr. Dudgeon brought out in his paper. One of those
points is the fact that the material which we deal with in special
libraries is not found in books. In a short experience of only four
years, I think, outside of those references to legal works, to law
periodicals and law books, I have not been able to do one-tenth of
my work from books or from published material. Most of the work, the
real work, which has been done by the legislative reference department
of Indiana has been done through work which we have prepared, which
we have drawn up from the general material scattered here and there
in obscure sources and from letters which we had written to experts
outside. I say scarcely one-tenth, and I do not know but perhaps
that is too liberal. One-tenth of the questions we have been able to
answer from published material. That would seem to me to be the most
distinguishing point about the special library. I believe that the
heads of the industrial libraries, the manufacturing libraries, the
commercial libraries, will agree with me on that point.

The subject of the training of special librarians is the one subject
here upon which there seems to be, thus far, a division of opinion.
I have always believed that the person who has a general knowledge
of the subject, with a library training, is the person who is best
qualified to do the work of a special library. I think that is true
particularly in legislative and municipal reference work; but, on the
other hand, it should be emphasized that if that person did not have a
pretty good knowledge of library work, or if he did not have a pretty
efficient librarian with him, he would make a sorry failure, as Mr.
Dudgeon has suggested. At the same time, I do not believe that the
librarian who is trained as a librarian merely, who loves books and
so on, can get hold of the real vital part of the work in a way that
the person who is using the special library demands. On the whole I am
inclined to believe that the best working arrangement is to have a man
in the library who has a knowledge of the subject matter and a person
who knows something about library work and library training, and then
to have him supplemented by some one who knows the library side of it,
with a bare knowledge of the other subjects, and, working together,
they can bring about a very efficient special library service. That
is the ideal of a special library combination. I think it has worked
out in most cases. But, again, speaking from personal knowledge, I
do not think that I could ever do very much in legislative reference
work if I were a librarian without the other training. Whatever I had
of librarian training, through the school, when I went into the work,
might be placed in very small compass--I haven't told this before
but I will confess now that when I began I knew very little about
librarianship. If my assistants knew that at the time, at any rate,
I have never told It before, but I have learned something about it
since that time. But I think I could have made a better success of
librarianship if I had had more library training. On the other hand,
I do not believe I could have gotten along if I had not had the other
side of the subject more largely. So I agree with Mr. Dudgeon on most
points as to that question; but I would suggest that the person who is
in charge, if he is not fairly well grounded in librarian skill and
librarian art, should have some one with him who would keep him off the
rocks, because he will go on the rocks if he does not have some one to
guide him.

The special library meets a very special need. That has been pointed
out many times. We deal with material that is not in print. We
manufacture it. Many times we must color it with our own opinions.
Some people say that in public affairs, in municipal and legislative
reference work, we should not allow our own personality or our judgment
to enter into the work. I should like to find a librarian who is able
to keep from doing that. If I have knowledge which to me seems certain,
if I know a certain fact and have the information right at hand, I
cannot refrain from telling the person who ought to know that fact; I
cannot refrain from telling him that a certain thing is right, or a
certain thing is wrong. While we must all do it diplomatically, it is
out of the question, I believe, for a man to be efficient as a special
librarian, even in dealing with the public affairs in libraries, to
avoid giving his own opinions on subjects. What is the use of his
getting a knowledge of the subject if he cannot really use it? But he
should use it very discreetly.

The special library was very well described by Mr. Cutter when he said
it was a library for those who do things, while the reference library
is for those people who think of things. This is the age of efficiency.
I believe that the librarian is the efficiency engineer, or ought to be
the efficiency engineer, of the educational world. I think the general
reference librarian ought to be that, and I think the librarian of
the special library, particularly of the manufacturing and industrial
library, can be to a large degree the efficiency expert of such a
concern.

GUY E. MARION: I think the people who are present here would take
a good deal of satisfaction in knowing who the people are that are
actually and most vitally interested in special library work, and
I have analyzed an up-to-date membership list which I hold here in
my hand, of which I should be glad to show copies to any who may
be interested. We have now grown to a group of 224 people who are
interested. That is a growth, roughly, of twenty-five per cent since
our last meeting in New York City. There are four insurance libraries
in the country. There are nineteen people who are interested in public
utilities. There are five financial libraries. There are among the
commercial, technical and scientific libraries (many of which are
in manufacturing concerns), forty-eight. Among the public affairs
libraries, which cover the legislative reference departments of
state libraries as well, there are something like thirty-six. It is
interesting to note that the public libraries have themselves been
sufficiently interested to know what we are doing, so that forty-five
of them have become members of this association, to be in touch, I
presume, with what we are aiming for. There are twenty-nine colleges
and universities interested; and of miscellaneous people whom we can
hardly classify, not knowing where they belong, there are thirty-eight.
In this connection I think it is worth while to say to you, many
of you who frequently change about the country, or are looking for
advancement, that it would not be amiss for you to fill out one of the
little blanks showing your qualifications, the things in which you are
interested. At the present moment I know of the largest automobile
concern in this country, the automobile trust, which is looking for
an active, wide-awake librarian, probably a man. Those opportunities
are coming to the attention of your secretary quite frequently, and we
shall always be glad to have you keep in touch with us by filling out
one of these little blanks. We may be able to readjust you.

The VICE-PRESIDENT: The Secretary has an announcement to make in regard
to city planning.

Mr. MARION: I think it would not be amiss for me to speak of three or
four of our bibliographies. There has been one list published under the
direction of Mr. Meyer of the Library of Congress, called "Selected
list of references on the short ballot," which is easily obtainable at
our headquarters; also a list of references on street railway service
by Robert H. Whitten, our president. There was prepared by Mr. Dana,
"The social questions of today," which is a very useful compilation of
subjects, and institutions and people interested in social questions.
Then, in addition, our May number of "Special Libraries" has published
probably the most remarkable collection of city planning items that
has ever been gathered together. It was done co-operatively between
the Library of Congress and the Department of landscape architecture
of Harvard university. (Here the Secretary read a notice of a later
complete bibliography of City planning which will be published by the
Library of Congress in which a new complete classification scheme for
the arrangement of all the articles will be used.)

I think that the classification alone will be exceedingly useful to
you who ultimately, with the growth of American cities and their rapid
development, are going to be forced to take an interest in the subject
of their re-arrangement. This is going to become more and more a vital
problem, it seems to me, in the future here in America than it ever has
been in the past; and when the final list is published it will consider
not only American experience, but also European, appertaining to that
subject.

GEORGE W. LEE: I should think this might be a good chance for people
to express themselves as to the need of bibliographical matter to go
into "Special libraries," as members who receive "Special Libraries,"
whether they think the trend of articles is about right and to make
suggestions. Possibly it might be some guide to the editorial committee
to know whether the material they are putting in is about right, or
whether there are certain things that might with advantage be inserted.
Then the question comes, are you helping, yourself, to make up these
bibliographies?

The VICE-PRESIDENT: Perhaps Mr. Lapp can speak of the various ways in
which we made the bibliographies, working with the Library of Congress
methods and various others.

Mr. LAPP: That question might properly come up later, but I just
mention at this time that we should be thinking about it, and report
at a later session of this organization, this week. The matter is very
important to us, because we have some difficulty in selecting. We have
some difficulty in knowing just what the members of the association
desire most, and at the present time we have a working arrangement
with a number of people who are supplying things regularly. We should
be glad to enter into arrangements with others if the demand seems to
be great. Just now we have an arrangement with the Public Utilities
Committee, which supplies every two or three months a summary of the
best public utility references of the period before. We also have an
arrangement with the Library of Congress, through Mr. Meyer, by which
we receive a bibliography for every issue, a short bibliography on some
obscure subject, some subject that is not covered in any systematic
bibliography, or not covered adequately; and the desire is to get
questions which would be of the widest interest and at the same time
not conflict with something that has already been published, because
the whole purpose of the Special Libraries Association is to do those
things which nobody else does. If we find that we are doing something
now which somebody else can do better, we should be very glad to
transfer it to them, and merely undertake those things which nobody
else does. We have an arrangement also by which we are going to receive
some of the best references to material on city documents, beginning
with the next issue. That I think will add very materially to the value
of the publication, because city documents, as you know, are now almost
inaccessible for the reason that no one knows that they are published
until they are perhaps out of print, and they cannot be obtained.

I would like to take this opportunity of asking all our friends to
contribute whenever they know of anything that is done or that has
happened regarding a bibliography or in the way of a special locality
that you think should be mentioned, that you send a note to the
editors, or send us a copy of the publication itself. This is purely
a co-operative enterprise, and it is by co-operation that we get the
real value of the work. The hope is to cover the whole country, so that
if a man is working on a subject in Boston some one in San Francisco
can learn about it, and, if he is thinking of doing the same thing,
have him co-operate and perhaps get that thing done better; and any
information which can be given which will facilitate that plan will be
of very great value to the association and be a very great help to the
editors.

Mr. CUTTER: The first statement Mr. Marion made, about obtaining
assistants for the people who need them, is, I think, the most
searching question in connection with special libraries. It seems to me
it would be wise for this association to communicate with graduating
classes of some of our universities and suggest to the members of
those classes well enough in advance that the library profession is
a desirable thing for young men to enter. I think it would be a very
wise thing for this association to take that up, and tell them the
reasons why, and the demand for assistants. At the present time I have
knowledge of several positions, but the specification is made that men
are desired, as most of our business men are so ignorant that they do
not know how efficient women are.

I would say in regard to what Mr. Lapp mentioned, that I have some 250
bibliographies on engineering subjects, some of them too special, but
some of them would, I think, be of general interest, and I will take
the opportunity of sending him a list of these.

The VICE-PRESIDENT: It might be of interest to note what has already
been printed in connection with the Library of Congress, to show the
character of the publications received from that source. You will
recall, for instance, a bibliography on the drinking habit, the short
ballot, on anti-cigarette ordinances and laws, the open shop, public
utility rates, the pardoning power, compulsory voting, preferential
voting, and, finally, city planning, and, also, I might say, one on the
administration of charities and correction boards, a rather technical
subject, which appeared in the April number, 1911.

(There here followed a discussion led by Mr. C. A. George, of
Elizabeth, N. J., in which he asked for information as to the real
purpose of the Special Libraries movement. Mr. Josephson, the
vice-president, and Mr. G. W. Lee, of Stone & Webster, Boston, offered
replies to the questions asked.)

Mr. DUDGEON: My connection with this association was due to this
conception, that in my business, which was legislative work, etc., I
conceived that there was a great deal in books that ought to be brought
to the attention of the people who were doing the work, and I was glad
to join an association whose special function seemed to be to help
one another devise ways and means of getting book knowledge into the
hands of the actual workers. Now, that seems to me to be somewhat of
a distinct proposition. I think Mr. Cutter's definition justifies our
existence. We are specialized in getting knowledge out of books and out
of the experience of others into the hands of workers rather than into
the hands of people who are just thinking about working. It seems to me
that it is quite distinct although hard to distinguish.

Miss LINDHOLM: I believe in the effort to make the business public more
appreciative of the work we are doing, we should write more articles
about our work and our libraries. I think if there were articles
written for the different electrical, engineering, automobile and
manufacturing periodicals it would help a great deal.

Mr. CUTTER: I would suggest, Mr. President, that you can combine all
those periodicals the lady mentions by writing articles for the Wall
Street Journal. That is the place where the people read things.

The VICE-PRESIDENT: The editor of the Wall Street Journal was with us
at our September meeting and gave us a very interesting description
of his own part of the work in connection with the business, and the
information bureau established by the Wall Street Journal. I sometimes
think we fail to note the speed with which that information must be
obtained, either in the reference department or the newspaper. They
will sometimes employ a mere mechanical device to save two minutes in
connection with the information given.

I think Miss Lindholm's suggestion is a very good one and possibly
can be worked out by getting more and more in touch with the trade
periodicals. Many of those trade periodicals are not taken by the
public libraries, are not listed in any indexes of periodicals, and
much of the material afforded there is of unusual value.

Mr. CUTTER: I would suggest that we have a committee on publicity for
the association.

The VICE-PRESIDENT: The committee have a plan to advance for that which
I think they will bring out at the next meeting.

SECOND (FIRST JOINT) SESSION

(Friday, June 28, 2:30 p. m.)

The second session was a joint session held in conjunction with the
National Association of State Libraries, the American Association of
Law Libraries and the Bibliographical Society of America. Mr. George S.
Godard, acting secretary-treasurer of the National Association of State
Libraries, called the meeting to order and occupied the chair.

Before beginning the regular program, Mr. Beer, librarian of the Howard
Memorial library at New Orleans, called attention to a bibliography
of French fiction, which he had come across during his travels in
Europe last year. He said in part: "I discovered that there was being
published at Lisle on the borders of Belgium by a Roman Catholic
priest the most honest, the bravest review of fiction that exists
in any language. He does not fear to mention every book which is
published. He praises those which are good, and he scathes with the
most bitter sarcasm and truthfulness those that are absolutely bad.
He is the Abbé Bellian. If a young lady goes to buy a book she is
asked if that particular book is in the list of Abbé Bellian. If it is
not that store refuses to supply it to any one who is not of lawful
age. It has been supplemented by a monthly publication which is very
reasonable in price. It has been published since 1903." He urged that
all become familiar with this book in order that the supply of French
books generally throughout the United States in our libraries may be
much more carefully selected and be more representative of the great
French fiction. Dean Walton of the McGill University law school,
Montreal, prepared a paper entitled "Legal systems of Canada, with a
list of statutes and other legal papers of the Province of Quebec."
This paper opened the formal program and was read by Mr. Charles H.
Gould. This paper was followed by another entitled "Present Status of
legal bibliography" by Dean Wigmore of the Northwestern University
law school. This was read by Mr. Edwin M. Borchard, law librarian of
the Library of Congress, in connection with his own paper on "The
bibliography of international and foreign law, with an account of the
method of building up the collections of foreign and international
law in the Library of Congress." After reading Dean Wigmore's paper
and discussing the present literature in this field and existing
bibliographies, Mr. Borchard called attention to the effect which
the increase in foreign travel had had upon all law library problems
in America, bringing in as it had the wider international relations
from year to year. He said "There are three points of view that have
guided us" (in the formation of the Library of Congress collection)
"the practicing lawyer's necessity of knowing foreign law, the
legislator's necessity for knowing the solution of social and economic
problems, the scientific object, the students' need of developing
the science of law." He dwelt at some length upon the methods which
he had used in arriving at the best selection of foreign continental
law books. Through his connection as international law expert at the
Hague Fisheries Arbitration he was enabled to get first hand judgment
regarding the actual books by foreign lawyers. Further in the name of
the Government by correspondence he approached the law departments
of universities, judges of Supreme Courts, practicing lawyers, etc.,
of other countries. In Latin America he worked through the consuls
and ministers of the United States to get such information. By these
methods the books were ordered and many have now arrived. The question
now presents itself as to how to make available this new material. This
is being done by the publication of guides to the foreign law. "The
first guide, the guide of the law of Germany, appeared about a month
and a half ago.... It undertakes to furnish an introduction to the
German system as a whole, and to the principal leading institutions,
as parts of the system in some detail, mentioning particularly the
important literature and how to use it, what the American lawyer in
terms of his own law may expect to find in these European books....
The guide of the law of France is now in course of preparation, and
will probably appear about the first of next year. We hope then to
continue with Austria, Spain and Italy, which we consider the important
countries. Later we may publish Belgium and Switzerland in one volume,
perhaps including Scandinavia, and then one volume for the law of
Latin America. If we do not get to the publication of guides we will
publish the material that we have received, editing it with perhaps
bibliographic notes of such information as we can convey in order to
open up this bibliographic source to the general investigator....
We are getting many letters every week in Washington from lawyers
throughout the whole United States, asking for information on foreign
law.... Comparative law is a field which is now getting great impetus,
partly through the work of developing legal collections, partly through
the necessities of a case. We are no longer an insular nation. Growing
international relations are making necessary some knowledge of foreign
law and the desirability of its knowledge to legislators is admitted, I
think, without a question."

Mrs. Margaret C. Klingelsmith, librarian of the Biddle law library
of the University of Pennsylvania, followed with a paper upon "The
books of the beginnings." Prof. Archibald McGoun of McGill university
next presented a paper entitled "The bibliography of Canadian law."
Dr. G. E. Wire of the Worcester county law library of Massachusetts
opened the discussion. Speaking of the ordinary bar library for the
working lawyer, he urged that there was needed an extension of Mr.
Soule's Manual referred to in Dean Wigmore's article. He advocated
also a much shorter list of citations than that employed in Soule. He
further referred to the need of some publication on Spanish American
bibliography, which would cover such things as the number of Porto
Rican reports in a given series. He would like also some publication
which would give the various codes and compilations of laws, both
official and unofficial, in advance of "our law book friend" who comes
along to tell us about it. From the practical standpoint he said that
books on foreign laws were so much more useful when translated, that in
the average law library the same books in the original language would
be rarely used.

THIRD (SECOND GENERAL) SESSION

(Monday, July 1, 1912, 2:50 p. m.)

The third session was the second session for discussion of problems
peculiar to the special library and was called to order by
Vice-President Brigham.

The VICE-PRESIDENT: We have one paper which remains from our first
session, and I am going to call for that paper first.

That will be a paper by Mr. T. J. Homer, member of the Massachusetts
bar, on "The Boston co-operative information bureau." The development
of that bureau is interesting and is the first attempt, I think, in
this country co-operatively to work the libraries by exchange of
publications, and I think probably you can be supplied on application
with copies of their bulletins which some of us have here, and which
will show you the extent of the movement. I am going to ask Mr. Marion
to read Mr. Homer's paper.[15]

[15] This will be published in full in the Library journal and
reprinted in Special Libraries.

The VICE-PRESIDENT: We will now proceed to the regular program for the
day. We have a paper by Mr. D. N. HANDY. The topic has been changed
by the speaker so, that it reads, "The library as a business asset;
when and how?" and I introduce now Mr. Handy of the Insurance Library
Association of Boston.

THE LIBRARY AS A BUSINESS ASSET; WHEN AND HOW?[16]

I feel that this subject of the asset value of the special library is
one that is bound to be constantly growing in interest, because, of
course, the tendency of business is to scrutinize carefully the things
which it pays money for, and unless it can be shown that the library
has some asset value, naturally, the library will come in for the
first cuts in the budgets, and, later on, a complete cutting off. When
the subject was assigned me by Mr. Marion he put the subject as "The
library as a business asset." I have therefore discussed the subject
from that standpoint, and inasmuch as it seemed to me that the whole
thing resolved itself into a few very general and broad principles I
have not made any attempt to consider details at all, but have assumed
one or two things that it seemed to me must lie at the bottom of the
whole proposition and must decide for us whether the library is to find
a place among commercial assets and is to receive from business the
support to which as an asset it is entitled.

[16] Abstract. The full paper will appear in "Special Libraries."

An asset, in business, is a debt-satisfying possession. In determining
business solvency assets are set over against liabilities, and if the
former exceed the latter, the business is said to be solvent. The term
assets is applied technically to _material_ possessions. But there
are possessions other, and even more essential than material: these
are the _moral_, out of which assets grow. At the foundation of every
business lie courage, competency, integrity, perseverance. These cannot
be computed or averaged, but their commercial value is everywhere
recognized.

Wherefore, let us at the outset agree that when we speak of the library
as a business-asset, we speak not of its value as so many books and
pamphlets, but of its value as a contributing agency to those more
fundamental possessions to which material assets owe their existence.

What, then, has the library contributed and what may it in the future
hope to contribute that will add to business courage, integrity,
competency, perseverance In a word, to business efficiency?

The answer is found in a measure in our conception of a library and its
function. Shall we then describe what we have in mind when we speak of
the library that may become a business asset?

It certainly is not any collection of books and pamphlets under any
custodian and handled probably more often by the janitor than the
manager. That is not the kind of library that we have in mind. Our
library is a collection organized and planned for a definite end....

The measure of its value is to be sought in increasing efficiency
of personnel; wider outlook, clearer vision, firmer grasp, greater
fortitude.

It would be pleasant to think of the precise manner in which a library
might entrench itself in business favor, until it became admittedly
indispensable. Such an experience is not uncommon. Libraries there
are today--adjuncts of successful business houses--which stand on a
plane of equality with every other department; whose directors are in
every sense advisers; whose position in importance and dignity yields
precedence to none. They add efficiency to the entire staff, and by
breadth and merit bring distinction to the business they serve.

The asset value of a library is dependent upon a variety of conditions.

Foremost among them, I should say, must be a condition of receptivity
on the part of business itself.

Again, and only second in importance, is the attitude of the library
towards business. If the library shall cling to traditional aims;
shall overestimate the importance of conventional methods; shall hold
disdainfully aloof from those adaptations and changes which alone can
make it useful to business, then its asset value will never be large or
general.

Finally, assuming business and the library to agree as to their mutual
helpfulness, the lines along which they are to co-operate, if the
results are to be satisfying to both, must be susceptible of being
easily seen and followed....

At no time in the history of the modern business world has the
opportunity been so favorable for a lasting alliance between the
library and business. Business was never more complex, nor more moral.
Greater wisdom is required to develop it. It is more sensitive.
Results come quicker, failure follows more promptly on the heels of
error--success almost anticipates the footsteps of sound judgment.
Consequences are more far reaching. Disaster to one involves
many--while bankruptcy carries overthrow and panic to hundreds of
others.

The greater demands of business are seen not only in the enormous
growth of industrial enterprises, and the larger responsibilities of
management, but in the increasing numbers of college and university men
who are seeking business careers.

Again, an almost revolutionary change has taken place in the public
attitude towards business of every kind. It matters not what it is.
The idea now is that men live for service; that men organize socially,
commercially, and industrially for service. And if any organization
is unable to undergo this test it must reform, or stand aside and
let a better take its place. This I take it is the interpretation of
the great unrest which has possessed England and America in the last
decade....

All these--this increasing complexity, growing sense of social
responsibility, demand for an increasing inflow of college men into
business--spell opportunity for the library as an indispensable
adjunct for business enterprise. Answering for our first condition,
then, it may be said that business is in a receptive mood, and that it
stands ready today to welcome among its productive forces the library
organization.

But if the library is to be truly an asset to business enterprise,
the library itself must recognize not only its opportunity but its
responsibility. The failure of the general library to lead in this work
of aiding business in the solution of its problems has been inevitable.
Business wants its own technology; it wants pamphlets, clippings,
reports--all sorts of special things which no public library with all
its other obligations could ever hope to get and to classify.

Hence the need of specialized libraries and special methods. It is
evident that the special library has a whole field of methods yet to
amplify, systematize and unify. If the library is to help business
it must be organized as business is organized. To get everything
on a subject may be necessary for some purposes, and is always
interesting to the bibliographer; but to get the adequate thing is the
business-librarian's ideal of service, and if he misses it he may wake
up surprised to find his labor unappreciated.

Business is multiplying short-cuts, motion-savers, "efficiency" getters
in every department; it will tolerate nothing less from the library.
It is for the library to prove its value--to demonstrate its practical
worth by adjusting itself to the business environment. It must not
follow too closely the traditions of general library work. It ought
to be familiar with general library methods; but it should never lose
sight of the fact that general library methods were devised with an eye
single to general library problems. The problems of a business library
are different.

This, then, is the duty of the business library if the title to
asset-value is to go unchallenged. And the library may be certain that
business will not take it at its own appraisal but will demand to see
for itself whether its claims are justified.

Business libraries in many cities are justifying their existence and
are gradually making for themselves a secure place among the assets of
the enterprises which they represent.... Finally, how are the library
and business to co-operate for their mutual advantage?

It is evident that in this respect business has to perform a duty even
greater than we have laid upon the library itself. If the library is
under obligation to adapt itself to the needs of business, business is
under special obligation to place its resources more completely at the
disposal of the library. It must take the library seriously and plan
for it accordingly....

Business fails to appreciate the ally that it might have in the well
conducted library. It appreciates and at times is mildly grateful for
the library's service; but it has shown no great discernment when
it came to an understanding of the means by which the service was
rendered. It asks for and expects results; but has little appreciation
of the price at which results must be bought.

An indispensable requisite of a business library is a librarian
thoroughly conversant with the main facts of the business. He must know
its theory and history. He must be freed from routine at least to the
extent necessary to enable him to become an expert in the materials
which he handles. He must be treated as a literary adviser and given
the opportunity to develop literary discrimination and judgment in the
field which he covers. Then he becomes more than a custodian of books;
he is a counselor, impressing his personality upon a unique source of
business inspiration, namely, the business literature of his collecting
and bringing direct to his superiors the information which they will
know how to use for the good of the business as a whole.

Subordinates, working under him, will assemble, classify, card index,
bulletin and distribute, while the library itself will stand on a level
with manufacturing, accounting and selling. It will be a department of
the business, organized like other departments, for efficiency....

The library may adapt itself to business, but it is for business to
say whether the adaptation shall be thoroughgoing and effective. Is
the library, then, a business asset? My answer is that it is such just
in proportion as business is willing to let it be. When business shall
treat it as it treats other factors of business success, discerning
its possibilities of usefulness, encouraging and planning for its
development, adapting it to the requirements of business activity, then
it will justify itself unquestionably....

Business has already awakened to the possibilities of library help,
and wherever it has done so with insight and courage it has answered
for itself the question which we have here proposed. In banking, in
finance, in engineering, in applied chemistry, in insurance and in
numerous other fields, business has set itself to the task of adapting
library methods to business needs. Special collections administered
for special requirements are springing up in every large city, and the
liberality with which these are beginning to be supported is in some
respects an indication of business' own estimate of their value.

The VICE-PRESIDENT: The matter is now open for discussion, and I will
ask Mr. Morton, librarian of the United Gas & Fuel Company, to be the
first speaker.[17]

[17] Mr. Morton's discussion will appear in "Special Libraries."

The VICE-PRESIDENT: The next speaker is Miss MARGARET E. MURRAY,
librarian of Wm. Filene's Sons, Boston, who will address us on the
subject

THE EARNING POWER OF A SPECIAL REFERENCE LIBRARY ON RETAIL DISTRIBUTION

The Wm. Filene's Sons Company of Boston are retailers of men's,
women's, children's and infants' wearing apparel and employ at present
about 900, but in a few months will employ 2000 employees. Among other
innovations they have made provision for a Business Reference Library
in their new building, which they are to occupy this coming fall, and
which is, so far as we know, the first in this line of business.

It is planned to have on file all information relating to the business
and such other information as may be helpful to the management and all
other employees in the discharge of their duties, such as daily papers,
technical and general reference books, trade journals, newspaper
clippings, and typewritten material.

The library was created because there was a definite need for a
central clearing house of information on the latest and best in retail
distribution and because it was urgent that one department should be
responsible to care for safely and mobilize the valuable information,
books and pamphlets scattered throughout the various offices of the
organization.

Now what will the earning power of this special reference library be?
It will be in exact proportion to its use and efficiency, based on just
how well and how often it can make or save a dollar for the business.
It will depend largely on how aggressive the library policy will be in
creating needs and meeting the needs for its material, and although it
may not be able to show quite as tangible a profit and loss statement
as a merchandise department, still there should be the same effort and
desire to know the stock on hand the first of the month, the purchases,
the expenses of the department, the stock on hand at the end of the
month (having in mind depreciation) and the sales, which would be
services rendered.

The more efficiently and oftener the reference library serves the
organization, the more time it saves high-priced executives, and helps
the rank and file, the more certain it will become a permanent paying
department of the business and make itself indispensable. This is in
general how the earning value will be determined. However, if the
library is to succeed, such general statements will not be sufficient.

The chances for service and making definite contributions toward
business efficiency in a large retail establishment are innumerable,
and especially in a progressive house like the one with which I have
the honor to be associated.

But such service and such contribution must be made very definite,
must be made very specific and must be applied to every member of the
organization.

For some years past our company has been experimenting with profit
sharing agreements, and one of the difficulties has been for general
profit sharers, men and women in non-selling departments, working for
the whole store, to show what has been his or her contribution toward
profits.

Therefore, if a reference librarian, who would be termed a general
profit sharer, fails to study, position by position, just how he or she
can contribute to the needs of the men and women connected with the
organization, the library will not be recognized and felt as a money
making investment. It is, therefore, along these lines that the Filene
reference library will be operated.

In all the initial steps and preparatory work of organizing, the
methods of the legislative reference libraries are as far as possible
being applied.

The work of some of the successful legislative reference libraries
is divided into three main divisions--comparative, critical and
constructive, and in analyzing the store material on hand, it is found
that pretty nearly all of these main divisions of reference work have
in the past been practically ignored. In isolated cases, comparative
work has been attempted, as for instance, furnishing specific
information from some other store on some store policy for some one
manager, but it has not been disseminated and placed at the service of
all. The need of having this work done has been recognized and in the
future will be done through the library.

Retail distribution has its laws and policies, but the laws and
policies are, to a large degree, empirical. They are the result of
years of effort and experience, and what was good five years ago, may
not be good today. All policies are constantly changing.

Therefore, the first work, and at present in hand, before the library
can start on its aggressive mission is to tabulate, classify, index and
fit for use the present valuable information scattered throughout the
offices of the management, destroying everything obsolete or whatever
has become a permanent part of the store organization.

For it is imperative in a fast growing business employing an
increasing number of executives, that new employees should profit
to the fullest extent by the experience of past years and how other
people have handled problems new to us, and the library can assist
very definitely by placing in their hands brief summaries on important
subjects connected with the business, revised copies of duties of
various positions, bibliographies on important subjects related to the
business, and any other material that will help them absorb in the
shortest possible time the fundamentals of the business.

Perhaps it may be of interest to mention briefly what special subjects,
both general and technical, the library must watch out for. The best
way is, with apologies, to give you an idea of the personnel of
the management. The Filene brothers and their partners are public
spirited citizens; one brother, Mr. Edward A. Filene, with a few
other men, organized the present successful Boston City Club and was
largely responsible for the amalgamation of the numerous commercial
organizations of the city into the present Boston Chamber of Commerce,
and was chairman of the recent Metropolitan Plan Commission of
Massachusetts. The other brother, Mr. A. Lincoln Filene, served for
three years on the State Commission for Industrial Education and is
now a member of the Executive Board of the National Society for the
Promotion of Industrial Education, and also contributed largely in
time and money to the Boston Vocational Bureau. The other partners are
also serving on special committees of various organizations and are
all, with the Filenes, very keenly interested in labor problems, the
relations of employers to employees, and each has on his desk the best
books on scientific management, as Taylor's, Gantt's, Emerson's and
Brandeis'.

Therefore, first of all the business reference library will have on its
shelves six or seven of the best books on scientific management, also
books on organization and finance. Then will be added special books on
bookkeeping, auditing, insurance, statistics, advertising, decorating,
buying, selling, materials, and subjects of interest to the Filene
Co-operative Association (an organization consisting of all employees
and members of the corporation, each member having a single vote) such
as pensions, arbitration, compulsory insurance, co-operative housing,
etc.

Perhaps it might also be well to add that this association has
maintained a library of all the popular fiction for the past twelve
years, and no fiction will be placed in the new business reference
library.

The librarian is also custodian of all the private contracts, leases
and corporation records, and is expected to prepare digests of any
important papers at any time.

This is what the Filene library expects to do and must arrange for
resources to actually obtain and devise ways and means for the
dissemination of information needed.

The VICE-PRESIDENT:--We have with us today Miss E. V. Dobbins, who is
librarian of the Edward Accounting library of the American Telegraph &
Telephone Company, New York City, and she will add to the discussion.

Miss DOBBINS: I desired not to write a paper, because I might write one
too long and not say much in the end, so I thought perhaps it would
be interesting just to tell you why our immense corporation found it
necessary to have a library. We have a large engineering library; that
is, we have a very fine collection of technical books--unfortunately,
as yet, no librarian; we have a splendid legal library, and I represent
the accounting library. Two years ago our comptroller, who is an
authority on accounting in the United States and has some reputation
abroad, decided that it was necessary to get together the material,
and they were good enough to offer me the position, which I was very
glad to accept. So we collected what few books we had. We didn't have
much. We bought largely. All our men are authorities on the particular
subjects with which they deal, so, consequently, in buying books for
our library we cannot select, as we used to in the public library, with
due respect to the library, any and all books on a particular subject.
We have to have the last word upon it. Accounting is a peculiar subject
inasmuch as there are only about four or five authorities--I may be
wrong, that is all I could ever find. If anybody knows of any more I
should be more than glad of the information.

We go largely into economics. We also take up public utilities and
reports of county and state governments and city reports. We do some
little work in scientific management. I do not think the sympathies
of the officials lie very largely in the direction of scientific
management, however. Everybody there is supposed to know his job and
do it. We are very fortunate in not being handicapped for money. We
can buy whatever is out, just as soon as it is out, and as many copies
as we find it necessary to have. We deal primarily with the accounting
department, which includes the statistician's department too, and the
executive department. Those are two very big departments and they keep
us pretty busy all the time. We have quite a file of pamphlets. We do
not give as much care to the pamphlets as we do to the books. When
we came to the question of cataloging I realized that we had a very
big piece of work on our hands, and we were short of help, and it was
essential that we have everything up to date just as quickly as we
possibly could. So I bought Library of Congress cards, and it was a
very happy inspiration, for we had everything done by sub-headings
and everything assigned in about two weeks, and of course that helped
considerably.

The library is used frequently and primarily by the officials and the
directors. The employees of the company have the privilege of coming,
and they come often and freely. The comptroller has told me time and
time again that he could not measure in actual money value the service
the library has given the house and himself primarily. We take all
the leading economic and scientific journals and they circulate. I
have a list of the names of the various men to whom they go. I tried
to have a specified time for their return, but I am sorry to say it
did not work out. Our desks are all equipped with telephones, so we
telephone, and if they can find them they return them. When they cannot
find them the oldest office boy, Joseph, is enlisted. I think he was
the leader of the Boy Scouts. He knows generally where to get them. I
think he says they are generally behind the desks, but in any event
we get them, and if they are very badly torn, mutilated or marked, we
buy other copies to bind. The leading magazines we bind as soon as the
volume is completed. They form the largest part of our reference work.
I go over those magazines very carefully and find what I would like to
bring out more prominently than in a bound magazine, and we catalog
those particular subjects, buy extra copies, put them in the pamphlet
file, catalog them and put them in the pamphlet catalog, so that if
by any chance the bound volume is out and a particular article is
sought, we have it. We find in those two places we can generally meet
all the needs of the library. I do not think any of the people of the
corporation have really ever become familiar with the actual library
side of it. They look upon a shelflist as something fearful and awful,
and they do not understand it, but as long as they get what they want
when they want it, they seem thoroughly happy. Speaking in a quite
impersonal way, I think our library is quite a business asset, because
I can candidly say that the men who are at the head of our corporation
would not tolerate it five minutes if it were not.

The VICE-PRESIDENT: We were to have a paper by Miss Abbott of the
reference department of the Studebaker Corporation of South Bend, Ind.
She was hindered, however, in the preparation of this paper, and also
from coming to this meeting, but the paper will be furnished later and
printed in "Special Libraries."

The VICE-PRESIDENT: I would like to inquire whether Mr. Pack, Secretary
and Comptroller of the Toronto Electric Light Company is here.

Mr. LAPP: Mr. Chairman, I have a letter from Mr. Pack which I wish to
read. When Mr. Pack was asked to be present at this meeting he said he
would write his views at least, if he could not come. He has written a
general statement of his belief in the special library.

(Mr. Lapp here read the letter which is available at the office of
Secretary.)

Mr. MARION: May I ask whether Miss Tutt, who is present, I think,
might not have something to say in relation to the automobile library,
inasmuch as she is actively representing Miss Elizabeth Abbott here?

Miss TUTT: Mr. Chairman, I scarcely feel prepared to say anything
about her library, particularly as an automobile library, for I do not
know that she has done anything especially in the automobile work of
her library, her work taking up all lines. Her work has grown to such
an extent that she told me just a day or two before I left that she
really did not know but that they would have to get another name for
it; she had not as yet found anything in the corporation that she had
not been called upon to do, so that she was at a loss to know just what
it was that she was expected to do. It has developed wonderfully and
very satisfactorily. It has been up-hill work, as you all know. The
corporation has changed hands, gone into various companies, come back
again, and she had it all to meet and arrange. All that work and all
the papers and records have just simply piled up, are all being sorted
out now, indexed and put in order. She is doing a wonderful work. The
other institutions there in South Bend are watching very closely her
work and I think it will be but a short time before the other factories
will be following suit; but so far as the automobile part is concerned,
there is nothing any more special in that than in any other line of
work that she has done; that is to say, nothing that I know of.

The VICE-PRESIDENT: I am going to ask Mr. Marion, our secretary, who is
at the head of a technical library, to take part in this discussion.

Mr. MARION: I must say, as one of the other speakers, that I have not
prepared a paper, believing that in such an assemblage of essayists and
discussers it would not be impossible to find some very good material
from which to talk extemporaneously. I have not been disappointed.
Two or three points I will mention in what may be only a rambling
discussion, but they may be worth while to some of you.

Mr. Handy mentioned in a passing way only the entrance of a large
number of college men into business today. I do not think he put the
matter nearly strong enough. It is this very entrance of well-educated
men into business, rather than coming in through the long process of
experience, entering, that is, half way up the scale of life, equipped
with a fine technical training, making them already professional men,
as the physician steps into the community a professional man, that
has forced business to equip itself along a little different line. It
seems to me this is one of the great telling reasons why more and more
special libraries are going to be built up in manufacturing concerns
and industrial plants; for with these men coming in, they do not come
as mechanics wanting a plane, a saw or a hammer; they come primarily
wanting books and nothing else. They have been trained to the ample use
of books for four and sometimes six years previous to their entrance
to business, and to take books away from them would be like taking
the plane or saw or hammer away from the carpenter. So these men must
be provided for, and I think that is one of the chief causes that is
compelling business to adopt libraries.

Regarding the type of librarian that is required for administering this
sort of a library, I think enough emphasis has not been put upon the
keen aliveness which is required in these people, if I may be pardoned
for saying so, in comparison to those who are employed in public
institutions, where the term of office is likely to run anyway for a
year. In business, we have to make good, and to make good seriously,
daily. Our reputation is at stake every time a question is asked.

Then it seems to me there is no opportunity for the quiet type of
librarian who would like short hours and the freedom to come and go at
leisure. It requires primarily some one of tireless vitality and one
who is ready to sacrifice himself to build up not only the efficiency
of his own department, but to support other departments when they may
be overworked.

This brings me to the point of the preparation for special
librarianship. I question very much whether the librarian who is
prepared through the regular source of supply, the library school,
today, is going to become just the type of person to take up this
special library work. It seems to me the more I consider it that a
great many of the most successful special librarians are those who
have grown up through business, at least to a certain degree, and have
taken on the library training in their own quiet moments. If this is
the case, would it be worth while for the library schools to consider
a list of special libraries where candidates for their certificates
or diplomas might go to spend a fraction of their summer vacation in
actual special library work and receive credit in their schools toward
their diplomas? I think that that might be worked out with more careful
thought.

Mr. Morton mentioned the fact that the statistics of the library do not
show up against the operating department, the manufacturing department,
etc. I want to say that with the Arthur D. Little, Inc., Library, we
are now obliged to pass in time slips. In other words, the library has
been put upon a par with the other departments, the chemical, the
research and the engineering departments, and at the end of every month
we are given an opportunity to show what we have done in the way of
results.

If there has been a quiet month of course there will be little put in
the way of service, in time, but the time slips show and it is up to
the library to maintain its standing, to show just what it has done
during the month in actual time, because with a concern of the nature
of ours, which is a consulting and engineering corporation, time is a
great element. Mr. Handy touched upon that, but not half emphatically
enough. In the insurance library I am sure he does not appreciate it.
The monthly report is based primarily on the time spent on different
problems, and these time slips are all assorted and tabulated against
special pieces of work which are generally known in an engineering
organization by what is called a job number; and so the librarian's
time is now being accounted for in the same way that that of the head
of the research department is being accounted for. It seems to me that
that is a step in advance and indicates progress.

It occurred to me to say to you that while I have been here at this
conference I have received application for another membership, so that
while we came with 224, we now have 225 members. The Metropolitan Life
Insurance Company have requested their librarian to become a member of
this association, so that we grow daily.

Mr. Brigham has called my attention to the fact that it ought to be
brought out forcibly here how necessary it is for every one of you
people, no matter what part of the country you may go to, to bring
to the attention of this association officially, either through the
secretary or the president, the birth of every such library that you
may know of. Business does not know us. We know business of course, but
until this association has had a much wider publicity campaign than we
have been able with our meager means to give it, business cannot come
to us and cannot get the help that we can give it. If, then, when you
go to your respective places, you would be alive to the creation of
every special library in your part of the country, and when you know of
a collection of books where a librarian might be necessary, you would
bring it to our attention, we would write them and tell them of the
service that we can render them.

I think the thing that has impressed me most in the discussion that
has gone on just now is the fact that the company that employs Miss
Dobbins has three special libraries. That is unique, it seems to me,
that one corporation should employ three special libraries; not merely
one, but a library for the legal department, another for the accounting
department and a third for the engineering department. That it seems to
me represents a pretty high development of the special library idea.

Miss DOBBINS: May I just interrupt a moment to say that I too submit
a report at the end of every month. It was my own suggestion, for I
wanted the company to know that we were doing something, and we would
possibly be lost sight of in such an enormous place. So I sent in a
report, very brief, just giving the number of books circulated in the
various departments, the number of pamphlets and the reference work
done. They said they were very glad to get it, and that it put us on a
working basis.

The VICE-PRESIDENT: Before opening a more general discussion I would
like to have the secretary make a few announcements regarding certain
things of interest.

Mr. MARION: I have here a bound volume of "Special Libraries" that all
may see everything that has been published to date. I think it would
be of interest to some of you who are not familiar with its contents.
We also have for sale, if any one cared to purchase them, three copies
of Volume 2 complete. Then we have for distribution to any who might
care for it, "The earning power of chemistry," which is written by Mr.
Little, the president of the concern which I serve. As you know, Mr.
Little is, today, one of the foremost industrial chemists in this
country, if not in the world. He is also this year, by a very fortunate
circumstance, it seems to me, president of the American Chemical
Society. I say fortunate because this year America is entertaining the
International Congress of Applied Chemistry that meets in Washington
and New York in September. This is a review to convince the business
man of the usefulness of chemistry in solving his everyday problems. It
is a reprint of a free public lecture delivered to the business men of
Indianapolis last June. It is simply a talk upon business from another
angle. In the same way Mr. Handy's talk is equally strong, it seems to
me, from the library standpoint.

We have also for sale here, should any one care to purchase it, the
city planning bibliography which was published as the May issue of
"Special Libraries." It is 25 cents a copy. This was compiled by
Harvard university and the Library of Congress.

I have a few copies left of "The library as an adjunct to industrial
laboratories," a paper which I submitted originally to the American
Chemical Society at its Boston meeting, and describing in minute detail
my own personal library. It may be of interest to some and you are
welcome to it if any of you wish to take it away.

Mr. HANDY: I was particularly interested in Mr. Marion's discussion,
and in one suggestion more especially, that the library school might
specialize somewhat more along the lines of special library work.
While I think that might well be brought up as a subject of discussion
this evening, I should like to say just now that it seems to me, in
the first place, that there is a great dearth of properly prepared
assistants to do the kind of work that is needed in the special
library. I think the libraries that specialize in business library
work have found that to be true, and that these library schools in
general are not particularly adapted to meet that requirement. It
occurs to me, then, that it might be possible for special libraries,
possibly through the co-operation of the American Library Association,
to get the library schools of the country, at some time in their
course, to offer a more specialized course which could be taken by
those students who intend to specialize in library work, and that
in that course an attempt be made to develop the special library
attitude, which is absolutely and wholly different from the general
library attitude, toward the subjects handled. It seems to me that
several exceedingly good things could come of it. In the first place,
if the library schools would do for special libraries as they do for
general libraries, that is, if they would select a certain number
of libraries, which measure up to certain standards, throughout the
country, and assign pupils to those libraries, with the understanding
that before they could be qualified they would have to measure up to
a certain standard; then a student who spent a certain amount of time
in such a library would receive credit for special library work in
the library course, exactly the same as students do now in general
library work. Then I think you would find that you would get, in the
first place, more specialized students; in the second place, I think
you would lift the plane of special library work immensely, you would
lift it to a much higher plane of professionalism and you would find
that your directors and your people who pay the money to support these
libraries would vie with one another to be qualified by the leading
library schools in the country, and I think that in itself would be an
inducement to a good many halting business concerns to support, as they
are not supporting now, their libraries; they would see the advertising
value of being endorsed by the leading library schools in the country,
if they did not see anything else, and they would pay the money
necessary to bring their own libraries up to that degree of efficiency.

On the other hand, it seems to me that the special library is offering
an exceptionally interesting field to young women going into library
work, and that the library schools as at present organized are not
pointing the way to them as they should; and possibly the library
schools are not in a position to do it. I did not mean to consider
this at this point, but I do think that is one of the subjects that
might be seriously considered now or this evening, and, if necessary,
a committee appointed to go over the whole subject, and possibly
co-operate with the American Library Association or the library
schools, whichever might be necessary, to bring it to a focus.

The VICE-PRESIDENT: It might be of interest to know that in Simmons we
have a library school which appoints special courses with a view to
fitting women especially for economic and business library work.

Do you desire, Mr. Handy, to put your suggestion in the form of a
motion now or later?

Mr. HANDY: My motion, then, would be this, that the subject of
co-operation between the library schools and the special libraries,
with the aim of preparing students especially for special library work,
be taken up at the conference this evening. (Carried)

The VICE-PRESIDENT: Before we take up any further discussion, out of
respect to the Chairman of the Municipal Year Book Committee, I wish
to ask for a report from that joint committee, of which Mr. Ranck is
chairman.

Mr. RANCK: I can only report progress again. I had hoped to be
able to report something very definite at this time. Our committee
had a meeting in New York in June, after the Pasadena meeting, at
which time there were present Mr. Baker, the editor of "Engineering
News;" Professor Hart of Harvard; Professor Rowe of the University
of Pennsylvania; Mr. Woodruff of the National Municipal League, Dr.
Whitten of the New York Public Service Library and myself. I think that
includes all of the persons who were present.

The committee discussed first of all what should be included in a
municipal year book, and as a result of that discussion, which lasted
three hours, in the City Club, Mr. Woodruff was delegated to take
up with certain publishing houses the project of putting this thing
through. I have had several letters from Mr. Woodruff within the last
few months, or weeks, on this subject, and he hoped to have a definite
announcement ready for this meeting. The delay has been on account of
the fact that the head of one of the publishing houses, the one that
seemed most favorable toward this project, and a publishing house
that is in the business of making year books and encyclopedias, was
in Europe, and so Mr. Woodruff could not get that thing put through.
However, he is in hopes that it may be put through almost any day.

I may say that thus far the prospects of our having for the cities
of the United States and Canada an American municipal year book, are
altogether favorable.

The VICE-PRESIDENT: Do you wish the committee to be continued?

Mr. RANCK: I think we have this in hand and that perhaps we might
continue it.

The VICE-PRESIDENT: This committee has rather a unique function anyway.
It speaks for both the State Libraries and the Special Libraries
associations, a joint committee.

Mr. RANCK: And there was brought into it the National Municipal League
and several others.

The VICE-PRESIDENT: Doubtless the National Municipal Review will
contain in time notes of the proceedings of that committee, so that the
members will be informed. Could it not be done that way?

Mr. RANCK: As soon as the thing is definitely decided I will notify the
secretary.

The VICE-PRESIDENT: Yes, but I mean it would be available for any one
to read in the National Municipal Review which appears from time to
time.

Mr. RANCK: Probably, yes. If I may be permitted, I should like to
say a word about another matter that was under discussion this
afternoon. I was very much interested in what was said about present
engineering training and the kind of training of men who are going
into business, in their use of books, and their demand on libraries.
A few weeks ago I had the privilege of going through one of the
largest electric lamp factories in the country, one of whose branches
has 2000 people employed, and I was particularly interested in the
corps of professional men. I went there to visit a friend of mine
who is a physical engineer. He was a professor at the University of
Pennsylvania, was afterward at the head of the department of physics
in one of our state institutions, and was taken from that into this
concern, and within the last three years that concern has engaged,
I think, four or five doctors of philosophy, four or five men who
have been professors in technical schools, and they are going at that
business altogether different from the rule of thumb method; and
that type of men who are accustomed to use books and who do use them
are coming into demand more and more. One thing my friend said, that
impressed me very much, was this, that in going about to a number of
engineering schools, Cornell, the State College of Pennsylvania and
several others, he has been talking to the boys taking engineering
courses, of the chances and opportunities for going into that sort
of work. These companies are after technically trained men from the
colleges and universities and they send men like him out to talk to the
boys and try to get them to come into their works. Another thing he
emphasized, and which I think we must keep in our mind all the time--it
is a thing we emphasize as librarians of the public libraries, but it
has a bearing in the work of this organization as well--he said he was
telling the boys at Cornell and those other engineering schools that
while engineers have to deal with things, they have to know science;
yet that more than half of the problems of the average engineer are
problems of men rather than problems of things. In other words, that
the humanities must be studied; that you must know sociology--that
was referred to here this afternoon--and economics, just as much as
chemistry and business and all that sort of thing. In short the two
must go together.

Mr. G. W. LEE: Mr. Chairman, you have a question box there which has
been forgotten all about, and I am not very sorry.

The VICE-PRESIDENT: No, I haven't. I am going to put it in for
discussion, the whole thing.

Mr. LEE: There were no questions, I think, except the question box. I
should like to question that. There ought to be some machinery at these
conferences for introducing the new members; some method by which we
can all let it be known what we especially want to know; some way to
meet the people that have this information.

Now, what I want to say about the question box is that it seems to me
that the Special Libraries Association might introduce a circular that
tells about the next conference of the American Library Association,
and could put in a little slip saying, "Please send to headquarters a
statement of what you want to know, what is your specialty." It would
help immensely. People come here to get some information; they want to
know about filing photographs, about dry-goods libraries and so on,
and we ought to make it possible for them to get something out of the
convention without trying too hard.

The VICE-PRESIDENT: I think Mr. Lee has raised a very natural question.
I have talked with some of the older members of the American Library
Association, and it seems to be the feeling that we have lost something
since we have grown so large. With eight hundred members, it is almost
impossible to know every one personally, as it was when there were only
a couple of hundred in attendance at the meetings. The New York library
meeting in September will bring together as many people as used to come
to the American Library Association meetings ten or fifteen years ago.
I do not see any way out of it except to follow some definite method
from headquarters so that the American Library Association itself can
arrange the matter. It is not a matter of hospitality necessarily, but
oftentimes the stranger within our gates is the one that suffers in
these respects. After you have been to three or four conventions you
enjoy yourself, but the first year it is difficult to know people.

Mr. MORTON: I should like to offer a suggestion with regard to the
difficulty of the newer members getting to know the older ones. I find
out that the way to get acquainted is to pitch in and do some work.
Then they have to know you. I would therefore suggest putting the
younger members on the various committees and make them work and work
hard; then they will come to know people.

The VICE-PRESIDENT: You have brought up a very important point, and
that is what we might call the committee system. The system has often
failed by being limited to three members. The chairman does the work
and sends around to the other members to sign up; or they live at
various points of the country and the chairman forgets to do the
work or for various reasons fails to report. The way to get the best
results is to appoint a committee of one and get the work done by
that committee, and if he does not do the work, discharge him and get
another person in his place who will do the work. We are suggesting now
a re-arrangement of that method by which we can get, I think, better
results, in answer to your remarks.

Mr. MARION: I wonder if Mr. Handy would develop a little the idea that
was brought out in a conversation that he held with me some little time
ago in Boston, in which he pointed out the sort of large opportunities
that come to the special librarian, that do not come to the public
librarian, and cannot from the very nature of things.

Mr. HANDY: I had in mind especially when I was talking with Mr. Marion
a man who at present holds the position of assistant manager in New
York of the Fire Insurance Exchange. I think his salary is between
six and seven thousand a year. It happens that he is a very bright
fellow, and he is taking charge also of evening classes in the New
York University school of commerce and accounts, which adds another
thousand dollars a year to his salary. I am speaking, in this, simply
from the standpoint of salary. He started in as a special librarian.
He came into opportunities solely through the close personal contact
with superiors who were looking for exactly this kind of advisory and
expert service that I tried to emphasize in my paper. Of course, he
made good in the smaller position, and through making good there got
the opportunity to go to New York in the first place, in a position,
which while not particularly better than the one he had occupied as
librarian, was better in opportunities and much beyond anything that
any special library would be likely to offer; and he has so far made
good in New York that he has come into the opportunity that I spoke
of, and he has the present salary, which of course carries with it
responsibilities; but it seems to me it will be a great many years
before in general library work one would find an opportunity like
that for advancement, because it was all done in about seven or eight
years. It is that possibility of getting in close contact with the
heads of great industrial organizations and great enterprises, and by
making one's self extremely serviceable and valuable there, that makes
the special library a particularly promising field either for bright
men or bright women. It is not the library service in itself but it
is the opportunity of getting into close contact with men who have
made great successes in business, and that opportunity, I think, does
not come to the general librarian. The person entering the general
library must expect that the top of the work is simply the library
opportunities themselves, and, of course, they are somewhat limited. A
person entering special library work feels that the top is the whole
vast industrial or commercial enterprise in which he is engaged, and if
he has the adaptability--and that is precisely the thing which we have
been trying to emphasize as necessary in library work,--he naturally,
as time goes on, sees the field of opportunity broadening, and the
opportunity comes for him to step out of the more restricted into the
larger, more active field.

I know another person who received a very interesting offer, with a
considerably larger salary and greater executive responsibilities, due
entirely to the fact that he had made good in special library work;
to the fact that that work brought him into contact with superiors who
were able to help him into a broader opportunity. I think that is well
worth emphasizing for either men or women interested in this meeting.

Mr. LAPP: Just that fact is the reason why we should have some means
of training special librarians. The good men are being drawn off so
rapidly that it is impossible for the demand to be supplied, and I
am glad that the question of training librarians is coming up, and I
hope that when it does come up we shall have some provision made for a
committee that will work out a complete scheme in co-operation with the
American Library Association and the library schools for the training
of special librarians. But right there we should also emphasize the
fact that it is not merely the librarians that should be trained, but
we should train the directors of the establishments, and it ought to be
emphasized in all special library work that there is a difference. I
would agree with many who have spoken before, that the director of an
establishment need not necessarily be a person trained in library work,
although a person trained in library wok could make a good success of
it if he also had an insight into the business. But I would emphasize
the fact that we need a training for directors of establishments and
we also need a special training for librarians and assistants. It is
a great deal in the library world as it is in the college world, that
the men who become really worth while as college professors, in the
commercial departments at least, and in the engineering departments,
unless they have a taste for the teaching work which would prevent
their leaving it, do not stay very long in the business of teaching,
and the college must continually recruit new men, and that is a
difficulty that is going to confront the Special Libraries Association
and people who are establishing special libraries, more and more. I
believe that if the number of concerns today that ought to have special
libraries and would profit wonderfully by them, were to attempt to
get special librarians or directors of departments, they would fail
completely and the whole movement would go to the bad, simply because
you could not supply the people who would be competent for the work.
The same thing is true of municipal reference departments. It is
unfortunate if they are established and men who are not qualified
are put in charge. The same thing is true of legislative reference
departments. We might better wait for years rather than establish them
before we can put them in charge of people who appreciate the work to
be done, and who have the ability to do it. So that I think our big
problem is to keep the special library movement from growing too fast
for us to supply the men and women who can do the work; and I would
emphasize again that we need two or three different kinds of training;
one for those who are to have general direction of the work, for those
who are to do the actual work on the library side, and also for the
assistant side.

Mr. LEE: One difference is that in the public library you are being
asked questions all the time, and in the special library you are being
asked questions two-thirds of the time, and the other third you ask
questions yourselves, so you get the benefit of variety; part of the
time you are a student, and the rest of the time you are a librarian,
and there is that stimulating, broadening effect, and to me it has been
a very uplifting effect.

Mr. MORTON: Mr. Marion spoke of the training of the librarian, also
Mr. Lapp and one or two others. I do not know whether our position
is particularly unique, but some months ago I lost my assistant,