Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-06-05
CREATING ALIBRARY.
Important Recommendations Made to
Allegheny CCuncilmen.
THE RESULT OF A LITERARY TOUR.
Some Points on CultiTating the Public
Taste for Books.
ELECTION OF ASSISTANT LIBRARIANS

Swift's Battle Of the Books" was no
where in comparison to the battle of the
Allegheny Library Committeeman in the
Library Hall last evening. c. w. Dahlln-
ger took the chair, and proceedings began
at about S:15 P. NJ. Chairman Dahlinger
apologized for the unavoidable postpone
ment of the meeting from Monday last
letter of thanks was then read from the Al
legheny Musical Association, who had been
allowed to rehesrse in the Music Hail.
Librarian W. N. Stevenson then read the
report of the subcommittee which visited
the libraries in various Eastern cities.
The report states that the subcommittee of
the Library Committee, appointed pursu-
ant to resolution passed May IL, Messrs.
Charles W. Dahlinger, Arthur Kennedy.
Adam Ammon, A. H. Mercer, A. c. Groet-
ringer and George Lsppel, accompanied by
Librarian Stevenson. carefully inspected
the libraries of Boston, Brookline, Cam
bridge, New York, Brooklyn, Baltimore
and Washington City,
A BIG LIBRARY.
in the country, containing $50, 900 volumes,
and employing 100 people. Its system OF
keeping track of books is very elaborate, but
is not recommended for adoption by the
Carnegie Free Library at present. Books are
purchased by the librarian, subject to the ap-
proval Of the trustees. All American publlca-
lions bought are through one agent experience
showing the plan to be the cheapest and pest
generally. New publications are bought after
inspection. A secord of titles, authors SUD
jects time, place of purchase and edltlon ID
kept in an accession pook, ana i nun iJrI q
il is received. The label contains Diank
space for the accession number. Inc rlgnt 10
reserve and pass upon the character OF aoha-
tion books is maintained in most horarles IN
order that unhealthy moral pabulum may be
excluded. THERE'S no strictly sclentnc dlVls-
ion of the alcoves. the aim being to place az
the distributing points the books usually calleo
for.
The decimal system of shelf-numbering
usually in vogue does not recommend itself Tor
adoption, not to the committee, AT least MI
Poole recommends modihed form Oh Lne
decimal system for a circulating library. de
would letter the cases and number the sheiyes'
Chief Librarian Chamberlain said il was I'M
portant to carefully ascertain whether AHe-
gheny City is likely ever TO become llteraryy
center. If not il would be useless to e1pend
time and money in special collections, some IN
foreign languages. The Boston library was
founded 10 supply the wants Of all classes.
CREATING AN APPETITE.
He thought the taste of the public should be
consulted and considerable fiction and juvenile
literature would be found a necessity, so as to
gradually develop and strengthen the reading
habit among the uneducated- An appetite for
stronger diet will grow. Mr.. ChamDerlaln
favors the issue of circulars asking for lists of
books wanted as guide to the taste OF the
public. In the Boston library are blank sug-
gestion books in which the public gives ao-
vice. The committee is advised 20 print a
catalogue of the best books in the library and
have it distributed in every home in the CITY,
so that parents could study the list at leisure
Judge Chamberlain would not allow the pro-
miscuous handling of the books In the library
rooms except reference books, but would have
readers select from a bulletin what they want
nor would he allow perloalGSais 10 he
The Brookline public library is over SO years
old, and has been most OF the time under the
care of Miss Mary Bean. 1t has grown from
goo to 26 900 volumes The selections are mainly
made for the benefit of the youth, and begin
with those OF tender years.
The Cambridge public library is mainly OF
has 500 volumes, and is managed by Miss
Elmira l. HAYWARD. 1t is a great aid to the In
dustrial school of Cambridge.
A HARVARD RECOMMENDATION.
Mr. winsor, Librarian of Harvard Univer-
sity Library, recommended the committee IN
selecting books to follow pretty closely the cat
alogue of the Roxbury branch of the Boston
Public Library, and the librarian of the Car
necle Library has secured the catalogue.
The Cooper Union Library, of New York,
did not afford much in the way of points as its
Hcope and plan are radically different from
that of the Allegheny Institution. The reading
room is the main feature and the library does
not circulate.
The model library that especially recon-
mended itself to the committee was that OF the
Pratt Institute in Brooklyn. 1t also impressed
Mr.. Carnegie similarly. 1t has 10000 volumes
fan
papers in the reading room. Miss E. Miller, |
librarian, is a trained pupil of Melvil Derry, |
New York State Librarian. She thought the |
selection. purchase and cataloguinS OF lUOUO |
volumes would require nine months time. She |
thought everything should be in ship-shape ere |
the library is thrown open to the public.
The Pratt Library. Of Baltimore, has been
open little over four years, contains 54,OOO |
volumes, and employs 40 persons. 1t opened |
with q, 600 volumes, and two years were spent
in purchasing and cataloguing. Its annual cost
$50 900 and women assistants are paid S25 to $50
o month. The number of reference books and
bound periodicals is large. The committee
states that it hadn't time to make the neces-
sary examination. and recommends that the
librarian be authorized to extend the inquiry |
until the time for opening the Carnegie Lii |
brary arrived.
THE NATIONS LIBRARY.
The committee visited the Congressional |
Library a: Washington and made arrange 1
ments with Colonel Bavne and others for the |
sending of large collection of Government |
publications many of which have already ar
rived.
Summing up, the committee urge that the |
Carnegie Library be thoroughly grounded on a |
welr-defned svstem-that system must not only |
be the corner stone. but the rest of the SUBJ |
structure as WELL 1t ought to have the latest |
equipments without regard to cost, where |
necessary. 1t must be emphatically pub |
lie and emphatically free. From all |
the committee could learn it is estimated that |
16 months will elapse from the time the libra |
rian and assistant take charge before the in |
stitution can be opened TO the public. but it |
NAV be done in a much shorter time if an |
expert cataloguer be temporarily employed
On the question of general subsequent man. |
apement the committee makes no delverance,
but offers the following recommendations:
First-Number of books-That the Carnegie
ihrarv contain collection of not less than 10 600
Nv classified catalogued and arranged in
fhc shelves before the library be formally opened |
to the public; said coHectlon Oh books to be of
Judgment Of the librarian subject to the approval
of the library subcommittee, shall subserve the
best interests of the public.
Second-ReadIng room-That the reading room
be stocked as soon as possible with not less than
100 nor more thar zoo perlooleas OF pom G M
limited capacity of the reading room as compared
with those Of other large Libraries visited 6y the
present except those Of local ISSUE
AN ASSISTANT UNNECESSARY.
Third-No chief assistant-That the election of
an Assistant Librarian. provided by ordin-
ance, be for the present postponed as your COM
mittee are satisfied, from all the information
they could gather on the point in their visit to
other Libraries, that no such assistant is now
necessary.
Fourth-Library aids-That in view of the dis
advantages under which the librarian labors at
the outset OF ms WORK from the lack OF the neces-