Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1872-12-05

j. DeWolf Smith,
A. d. knight,
c. Spauding, Directors,
| ii. X. Baker,
George Sampson,
Daring the winters of 1867, --'6G and &C. 'G7 !,
successful courses Of lectures were secured
by the officers of the library. In the spring
Of 1866 a number Of public spirited and ener-
getic ladies of the city formed an association
and inaugurated measures for the erection of
suitable Library Building. Already the
building fund has reached $4,000. The libra
ny rooms have hitherto been such as could be
fre-proof, or as convenient as desirable. The
first president of the association was Col.
Andrew Masters, who served in that capacity
twelve consecutive years, and subsequently
three additional years; he was succeeded by
DR.. Nj. G. Richardson who served six years
he was succeeded four years by Hon. S. X.
Gilman, and then Hon, Simon Page served
from C7 to II inclusive. All services are
rendered gratuitously; except those Of assis
tant librarian, to whom a small fee is paid
|
librarians, the first being II. X. Baker, ,
years; then I. b. Brooks, 10 years; j. c.
Dwight, years, f. X. Butler, year; G.
F. Wingate. year; T. w. Newman year;
/ Miss Lucy Emmons, ) years DR.. VI. c.
/ Richardson ID years; DR.. j. De Wolfe
Smith, who accepted the office in June 1867,
and whose culture, taste and judgment give
/ him rare fitness for the position, has rem
dered great service to the library, for which
the community owe him no small debt
of gratitude. When he began his labors
the library had far outgrown the old
system of numbering, which system, by Sc
lecting certain series of numbers for each
of the various subjects, answered very well
while there were but few books but as the
number of books increased to between Cat
that time) four and five thousand the series
became exhausted, and new ones had to be
adopted, which led to much inconvenience
and oftentimes confusion. DIR. Smith, upon
accepting the Office of Librarian, considered
that in order to make library useful every
book should have definite place, and some
easy method of ascertaining not only what
F.! the library contains, but also where its treas
ures may be found. In accordance with this
view, after a great deal of labor, the work of
rearranging, and cataloguing the entire IL
brary, was contaminated by the beginning of
the next year. The books were classified.
and located in eleven groups, according to
SUBJECTS n a ~
groups are:
LIST, Travels. ,th History
2d, References. Sth Periodicals.
Sd, Science. 9TH Biography
itn, neilSlOus. 10Th, miscellaneous
9Th. Poetry nth, Juvenile.
9th, Fiction.
The Travels are again arranged according
to country or place described; History, ac-
cording to nations; Biography, according to
the character of the persons whose lives are
given; Science, according to subjects; Ref
erences and Periodicals, according to title :;
Religious, Poetry, Fiction, Miscellaneous,
and Juvenile, according to authors. There
are 1913 shelves in the library, which are
numbered from ~" TO 1913" c0nsecutively,
and on the back of each volume is the num-
Der of its shelf and the number of its station
on the shelf. This arrangement is at once
simple, and admirably adapted to library of
the size of this one.
The catalogue, (not yet printed) compiled
by DR.. Smith, is admirably arranged
1t gives
lst.-The title of the book and the authors
name.
, 2d,-The authors name and all of his
books which the library contains.
! 3d,-1mportant subjects, with the authori-
ties and titles.
All these are arranged alphabetically. This
plan gives every book at least one entry upon
the catalogue, most books two entries, and
many three entries,-so that if person
knows the title, the authors name, or some
times even, the subject of book, it can at
once be found in the catalogue; and when so
found, the number of shelf and the number
of book on the shelf, as indicated in the cata-
logue, will show the exact place of the book
in the library.
The DR.. is entitled to many thanks for thus
devoting his time and talents CONTINUOUSLY
for the enduring benefit Of the library-one
of the choicest institutions of the city, and
one of the best Of the kind in the State
1t is unnecessary to suggest the advantages
of good public library, where all may re-
pair for intellectual culture and entertain
, ment. The founding of libraries cannot be
too much encouraged, and our statutes wise
ly provide that every town may have one.
Their value cannot be overestimated. The
IIallowel Social Library renders the city a
more inviting place of residence, adds new
value even to every acre of land, and higher
attractions to every home within its limits.
House to Let.
| yINHE new two.story house just finished by the
i subscriber on Winthrop street, in the rear o
| his nre sent residence. Auply to