The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-05-14
Library Work as a Profession for Women.

purely technical. .. e.: Binding a14
binderies: Catalogues and claaG1AoAp
tions; Library legislation: Charging
systems. Others are of general inter.
library to the public school; Relation of
libraries to college work; Library archi-
lecture; Reading for the young: Uni.
versity extension; Home libraries; Sc.
lection OF books. The conventions of this
association are the reverse Of 'junket-
ing TRIPS. Sight seeing, except In the
nours set aside for such purposes, u
trowned down and any regular library
worker absenting herself from the ses.
sions finds 1t remembered against her
In seeking q desirable position. Not
only librarians. and assistants, but also
trustees and others concerned With
Libraries are members of the American
Library Association, while those not 20.
tually connected with libraries are al.
ways urged to attend, and gladly vel.
coined. These conferences are Of %
much interest that they are looked for
ward to and remembered as an 'eyeuts'
equally well by the library student a.
by the professional who may have been
present at that Oft mentioned 6rst con.
ference of librarians In the United
States. held In 1853.
These National conferences occur bat
once year. however, and necs0ssy1ly at
localities too distant to permit ~9 t3lng
attended, by oil who wish to = ~
Thsrefors various
STATE ASSOCIATIONS.
have been formed. Pennsylvania
has an active one with il
headquarters In Philadelphia, and hold.
Ing most OF its meetings there. One
meeting has been held in Northeastsrn
Pennsylvania, at Wilkes-Barre In 1894.
with visit In Scranton and inspection
Of the beautiful Albright Memorial
Building. and 1t II planned 70 meet In
other localities at intervals.
Library work has its organ" In the
Library Journal. Q monthly maQAsins
Bowker. who Ia well known to various
Scrantonians both In a literary and
business way; the latter through large
orders at the Dickson Manufacturing
Works In connection with his interest
In the Edison Electric Light Company
Of New York city. The Library Jour
nal Is now in its twenty-first volume
having commenced publication In lS7o.
about the time Of tho organization Of the
American Library Association. Com:
plete sets Of that periodical Oosnman6
a much higher price than the agGrs-
gate of the $500 annual subscriptions.
Another outgrowth OF the library
movement is the Library Bureau. whose
chief headquarters II in Boston. Or.
ganized originally to furnish supplies
OF catalogue cards, and various ethA1
library furniture and fittings. it Aaa
grown until 1t has branches In New
York. Philadelphia, Chicago, g. Issuia
and now in London, England. It sup
plies not only libraries, but also banks
and commercial houses; for businses
ho 20 thA nAs
vantages of the card catalogue In keep.
ing accounts, and record indexes. an4
many other allied purposes.
A LIBRARIANS DUTIES.
One Of the first duties of librarian!
especially in accepting a position 10 .
strange locality. should be. to acQuaint
herself with tho local history Of The
town and county, and Its place IN the
lar interest In building up that Depart
ment Of the library. In this she Will
usually obtain cheerful aid from old
residents Of the place. She must have
the Mohammedans respect for every
piece Of paper, written or printed. that
touches upon or relates to such mAsterv
and look upon 1t as sacrilege to DESTROY
old letters, journals, and pamphlets.
Library work Is no sinecurs. yet to
alIuOSI SVSIy PCIo0u Vi C0bSuH0 WuV
undertakes II 1t 10 peculiarly fAscinat-
ing; and some Of the ablest men In the
profession remain in it when the same
ability would readily command far
larger salaries in the business world.
| Speaking Of men as librarians, Il may
here be said that It Is only a. CHIEF
librarians or the heads Of the leading
libraries, and those of q special char.
acter. that men are now mostly consid-
cred as preferable. Women. on the oon-
trary, fill the larger part Of the places
as assistants; while they are In the
great majority as Librarians Of the aver
age sized libraries. As such they have
made an excellent record, too. and in
| the progress Of events have done much
to show their fitness for the highest
places.
men librarians are Miss Mary Salome
Cutler Vice Director Of the New York
State Library; Miss Ellen M. Coe. that
was, (now the wife OF the Rev. DR..
Rylance), previous to her marriage
librarian Of the New York Free Circu-
lating Library; Miss Hannah p. James,
Barre; Miss Theresa H. West, Of the
Milwaukee Public Library; Miss Tessa
L. Kelso, for many years at the head
Of the Los Angeles Public Library, but
now with Charles Scribners Sons In
New York city; Miss Adelaide r. Hasso,
of the Document Library, Washington.
D. c.: Miss Caroline M. Hewins, Public
Library. Hartford, Conn.,; Miss Alice B.
Kroeger, of the Drexel Institute. Phila-
delphia; Miss Mary w. Plummer, Of the
Pratt Institute, Brooklyn; Miss Kath-
arine l.. Sharp, Of the Armour Tech
biological Institute. Chicago; Miss Nina
z. Browne, cataloguer, Library Bureau,
Boston; Mrs. Minerva A. Sanders. Pub.
lie Library, Pawtucket, r. l.; Miss
Caroline H. Garland, Public Library.
Dover, N. H.
Library work in a certain sense, 10
woman's work, for It Is never done. The
hours spent in the library represent only
portion of the time that must be de-
voted to the work. All the leading
newspapers and magazines are to be
scanned in order that one may be ready
| to assist readers; the Publishers Week.
| ly, and other book notices studied, 80
as to make the best selection OF new
works at the least outlay of money; and
other odd moments given to buiiding
| up special departments or to consider.
| alton of innumerable matters essentlA
| to the growth and advancement OK the
| particular library under ones charge.
! There Is one class Of library work
that Is yet far from attaining Its fuf
possibility and that is to be found u
the Sunday School library. Most Sun.
day Schools have small collection, a.
least. of we'll selected books; but NOT
many have grown to see the need OF 9
trained librarian to make the most Of
those books in the work OF the school,
Here Is an unoccupied field for tact
full missionary spirit on the part Of col
lege trained women Of leisure.
The salaries paid to library workers.
fall short Of adequate compensation for
the amount Of time and money expsnd.
ed in preparation for the profession;
although, quoting from q writer in
Library Notes, "the average pay oe
librarians is increasing year by year
as the Importance of the work II moro
generally recognized ana as workers