Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-04-15

ton in which the public may travel at
pleasure. liz on the first floor the maya
zine section. Here the leading maya
zines in covers that would never be
| recognized, are on the shelves. They
are bound in neat covers with several
numbers Of the magazine in volume.
All the numbers of certain magazines
that were ever published are here, and
the list OF the others are being filled
out as fast as possible. This Is the
tanned therein as well as the illustra-
lions. are not only interesting to the
reader. but are extremely valuable as
a reference. Many subjects In maya
zines are better than the same amount
Of information in an encyclopedia. In
the latter it is information OF the
stereotyped sort, passed down from
one to another. In the magazine it is
in the form Of personal experience, and
thus more easily understood and far
more valuable.
| To get at the subjects in these maya
| zines the Poole's index is used. This
| index is one made of every magazine
since they We're published. The pub
| fishers of the index issue monthly
edition to keep the librarians and the
| readers in touch. In this index one
can find at glance, in just what
| magazines, the number and pages. he
the end Of each year there is a yearly
index issued. There are also several
| large volumes containing all the infor-
nation up to 1896.
On the second tier in this section are
The State reports. All the public docu.
ments of the various states of the
Union are to be found here. New
York and Michigan send out the great
er number of these, while Massachu-
sets and other states are not far be-
hirl.
See the difference in the binding OF
the reports" says the guide as he
shows those of each state. There is
no report that comes to this library
that Is equal in the material and work
10 those that come from Names State
press work of Maine is equal to any
of them"
The steel shelves. adjustable and
slight. take up but little room. and are
very neat looking. Over on the cas-;
shelf are thousand or more French
reports that We're exchanged and
bought years ago. A special law was
passed. not many years ago, prohibit
ing the taking of these from the
looked at.
over in the northern section are the
government reports. They are almost
numberless and comprise all the differ
ent subjects. The patent office reports
are kept here. The report for one Of
the latest months of the department
makes a book with over 5000
pages. AT this rate. four specifications
are given on each page and the de-
scriptions are as brief as possible In
addition 10 this there is weekly
bulletin.
10, hx, Esv,cr
lish reports. The Legislatures have
from time to time appropriated money
to complete this set. AS fast as it is
possible to obtain the money and the
books. this is done. One little report
of about 100 pages. the book being not
over four inches long and three wide,
cost $50. This was all that was needed
to complete set of reports of the old
English courts on chancery matters,
and the set that is incomplete is like a
breakfast without coffee. Some of
these reports date back into the 18th
century Some are but few years later
than the discovery of the printing
press.
The book buyers know what the
libraries of the different states need. as
they have list. When a state makes
an appropriation the librarian will de-
eide which is needed most Of all, and
he will tell the foreign buyers to obtain.
certain books if possible. They attend
all the auction sales and go into the
second hand stores of England and
constantly run across the books needed
by their different costumers.
The last. though not the least. place
of interest to the library department IS
the private office of Librarian Carver.
that is a secluded spot, though one
that is cheerful. and teeming with
shelfioad after shelfload of books, with
the chair that Speaker Reed once occu-
pied and with other luxuries.