Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1899-10-04

Iowa Federation OF Women's Clubs and
the state organizations Of the r. p. O.
Society, in the formulation and presen-
tation of such q measure as in their
combined Judgment should and would
command the approval of the next
general assembly. The invitation was
gladly accepted and conference Is
soon to be held with that end In view.
Librarian Brigham says 1t is the evil
dent purpose Of this joint committee to
ask for a non-salaried commission Of
not more than five members, the state
librarian to be ex-officio member, two
OF the other members to be from the
north half of the state and two from
the south half, the present appropria-
ton for the associate libraries to be
turned over to the commission, to be
expended for travelling library pur-
poses as the commission may author
lie. Recommending the creation of the
commission the librarian says:
Though the state through its librar-
ian, With the aid of his competent assoc
lciates, is abundantly able to carry on
the travelling library department and to
extend it's operations far beyond pres
ent attachments, yet it becomes clearer
to me with every months experience
that the true library policy OF the state
is, rather, to stimulate the library
spirit in the hundreds-yes, thousands
-of Iowa communities which at the
present time are without public libra
ries; to inaugurate methods of county
and district exchange and distribution,
and to stimulate to activity the hun
dreds of cities of the second class that
have not yet taken advantage of the
excellent local library law already on
our statute books. In my Judgment,
such policy should not be SO carried
out as to revolutionize the present sys-
TEN, which, SO far as it has gone, has
done and is doing much good, and can
be extended much farther with certain
ty of increasing benefits. 1t should
rather be developed as an outgrowth of
the present system, the adoption of a
purpose to strengthen and elevate ou.'
local community life, rather than an
extension Of the present beneficial sys-
tenn beyond the point of healthful slim
ulation to local library spirit 1 there
fore look with favor on the proposed
measure"
HAS Go .093 VOLUMES.
At the close of the last preceding BIZ
ennial period there were 57,5O1 volumes.
in the library, $500 of which belonged
to the travelling library section. To
these there have been added during the
period now closed total of 1882 vol
umes, acquired as follows: BY purchase
for the state, 4.223: for the travelling IL
brary, $50; by exchange and donation,
2.129; total. 1892 The number of VOL
umes of record in the state library
1850. total of all books in the state Ii
brary being O.. 093.
PERIODICALS.
A relatively small annual expenditure
in filing sets of periodicals will in a few
Years give Iowa one of the best period
zeal Libraries in the country. A begin
ming has already been made in that di-
rection, and a number of fortunate pur-
chases have been made which are not
iyet of record. Large accessions of val
liable public documents have also been
made.
CATALOGUING.
| The most important change inaug,l-
rated since MIR. Brigham's induction
into office is the scientific classified ton
and cataloguing of the library now in
/ processb The classification adopted is
known throughout the library world as
the Dewey decimal system. The work
lin progress, says Mr.. Brigham, Should
4 be completed before the close of another
! biennial period-also the cataloguing of
the next two years accessions, which
should be handled as they are received,
taking precedence of the special work.
1 ! recommend supplemental appropri-
alton of 5000 TO carry on and complete
the work of classifying and cataloguing
the library Without such an appropri-
lation disastrous lapse must ensue.
i part OF the library scientifically cata-
Elogued and the rest either wholly un-
Icatalogued or catalogued inadequetely.
jewelers. strike.
New York Oct. "A thousand unior
Jewellers struck for eight hours, so pei
cent increase in wages for overtime anG
double wages for Sunday work.