Smyrna times., 1890-09-03
WHOLE NO. 1889.
A Library's New Feature.
NEWSPAPER CLIPPINGS PLACED ON FILE
IN THE BROOKLYN READINGROOMs,

A scrap-bOOk library is being formed
in the Brooklyn Library to utilize the
great amount of valuable material re-
lating to topics ofpublic interest, which
would be lost in the accommodating files
OF daily newspapers. The nucleus of
the collection was the gathering of
large number of extracts from the COL
umns OF newspapers by H. K. W. Will
cox, war correspondent, who had
collected them in relation to several
lines a score of years. He left the COL
lection to the library, after they had
remained useless fer a considerable per-
lod OF time. Librarian Bardwell deter
mined to utilize them. He set soma
OF his assistants to sort the SCRAPS. and
they were arranged by subjects and
pasted on sheets of uniform size.
They are not bound but are on heavy
manila paper, and additions can be-
MADE at any time in the proper places
from the constantly increasing clip
pings added to the original number.
those relating to any particular SUBJ
Ject are put together in box, properly
labeled, and the subjects are arranged
together in alphabetical order. For
some subjects several boxes are re.
CURED, as biography for instance. It
Is as as easy to find any particular top
lc IN the boxes as in an encyclopedia
or dictionary. The classification of
subjects is the same as in the admir-.
able catalogue of the library, the work
OF the late Stephen B. Noyes. The
collection has been greatly added to
since tina first compilation was bepun.
and a large number of recent events of
public interest are fully covered in the
volumes already prepared.
There are upward of fifty volumes
already made up, with about $50 clip
pings in each, and three times as many
not yet pasted and prepared for use.
making total of over $4,000 clippings.
The collection can be indefinitely ex-
tended by the addition of clippings re-
latlng to current events. Much valua-
Die local history will be preserved in
this way which it would be exceeding
ly difficult to find in few wears in
bound volumes of newspapers without
indexes. 1t is not designed to make
the collection take the place of books
or magazines. but simply to supple
ment them and make the library as
complete as possible in the record of
recent events and contemporary history.
the raw materials from which books
are made.
In regard to the collection, Mr..
Bardwell said that it was consulted al
ready as much as the reference vol
erence volumes placed upon the
central part of the library for the con-
venient use of members. The boxes
are put where they may be easily con-
suited, and each looks like a volume of
large size, as it stands in the row.
One side is lid and when it is opened
it is easy to draw out sheets and con-
suit them without disturbing the order.
Persons unable to find what thew
want in books OF reference, often secure
the needed information in the library
OF clippings. Some of the recent
importLnt events covered by COM
plete collection of scraps are the bliz-
zard of March II, 1888, the Johnstown
Hood, high tides at Coney Island, the
Worlds Fair and the Kemmler case.
The field of biography is also com.
pletely covered in certain lines, and
the collection of facts in this line re-
sembles that which is customary in
newspaper offices for the obituary col
umns. 1t is believed that the collec.
ton will prove of great value for pre-
serving fugitive facts for the use of
posterity. Especial pains will be taken
to make the collection as complete as
possible.