Omaha daily bee., 1895-09-01
NO NEW LIBRARIAN YET
Election Which Was to Be Held a Month
Ago Again Deferred.
LIBRARY DIRECTORS WANT MORE TIME
Ecpcated Postponements of the Sc
lection of Librarian Insisted On
While the Present Incumbent
Draws Pay without Working.

d BY tie vote last night the library board
refused to proceed to the election OF a Ii
brarian. There were present Messrs Reed,
Sudborough, Knox, Chase, Rosewater and
Mrs. Mcintosh. The vote on the motion was:
Ayes, Chase, Rosewater and Mrs. Mcintosh;
nays, Knox, Halter and Sudborough-a tie.
on which President Reed declared it lost.
The election of librarian OF the Omaha
public library should have taken place, ac-
cording to the bylaws of the board, month
ago, at the July meeting, when the other
officers of the board were chosen. At that
time, although it had been known for months
that the librarian, Miss Jessie Allan was
physically unable to attend to the duties of
her office and was practically unavailable as
candidate for reelection, all but one or two
OF the board professed to be unprepared to
take action looking toward the selection of
successor and asked for time to inform
themselves as to possible applicants. An
effort was made to have an adjourned meet
ing held on August IS, two weeks later, for
the special purpose of proceeding with the
election, but at the urgency of certain mem
bers 1t was deferred one week longer
At the meeting held August "a all mem
bers were present except Mrs. Hull, who has
a leave of absence. A communication was
received from Miss Allan, stating that she
recognized the fact that the condition of her
health precluded her from being considered
for reelection, and that when her successor
should be elected and ready to qualify her
resignation would be at hand for the board
Applications for the position had been re-
ceived from Charles f. Catlin and DIR. Rich
ard Stebbins Of Omaha and Miss NJ. Il. Ahern
of indianapolis. Strong endorsements were
also ready urging the promotion of Miss
Margaret OBrien present assistant librarian.
A number of other available candidates eX-
perienced in other libraries were also men
md nf ha library directors who
had attended the meeting of the American
Library association at Denver reported the
results Of his consultation with leading IL
brarans Of the country, who were present
there. The three weeks that had elapsed
since the meeting when the election of IL
brarian should have taken place, however
did not seem to have been long enough for
a majority of the members to inform them
selves of the situation. Although a protest
was made that the library was suffering from
the lack Of head with Librarians authority
and that these datory proceedings were re-
acting to the detrment of the public serV-
ice the majority of the board preferred to
delay action one week until the regular
meeting, the secretary being instructed in the
interval to secure additional information con-
cerning certain candidates.
Another application for the lbraranship
was received last night, Robert b. Peatte
being the applicant. The secretary reported
the replies he had ELECTED to his inquiries,
but still the majority members of the board
asserted tlaI Iney were ulple epdItu " NoIt'
In order to give them further time, an ad-
journment was taken for one week to Sep
tember T. when it is expected that the cleo
tion of librarian, that should have taken
place on July 27, will be held
The board, with one dissenting voice, voted
the salary Of $3.50 for the month of August
to Miss Allan, although she has not been
Sble to come to the library but three or
four times since the ten days leave of alb
sence granted her the end of June, and had
not been performing the duties of librarian
at all during the month of August.
Besides passing the regular pay roll and
other bills, the application OF Mrs. Mary AL
Ian Book was received for the position OF
assistant librarian, backed by a petition with
formidable array Of business mems names
resolution adopted ordering the Ii
brary closed on Friday of this week ac-
count of Jubilee day. President Reed also
announced the committees for the ensuins
year as follows: Executive, Wallace, Hallar
Chase; books Mrs. Mcintosh, Mrs. Hull
Knox, Rosewater; judiciary, Sudborough