Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-07-03
Herbert Putnam Announces
Additions to His staff.
THE MERIT SYSTEM
PECULIAR QUALIFICATIONS RE-
CURED AND MANY APPLICANTS.
No Hope Held Out for Those Whose
Names Are Still on
File.

The librarian of Congress announces the
following recent appointments in the library
service including those effective July l.,
1902:
Mary Moffat, Indiana, 1850; Entity 7.
Earle, New York. s720; Anna Perry, South
Carolina, $500; Harvey w. Tuttle Ohio.
$500; Harold w. Porch, New Jersey, $500;
Helen Sharpless. Pennsylvania, s720; Jes-
sica L. Farnum New York. 500: Theodore
w. Koch. Pennsylvania, $500; William 8.
Fuller, District Of Columbia, $500: Charlotte
st. ]. Elliott, Tennessee. s720; Charles G..
Leonard. Maryland. 81 200; Earl G. Sven.
Iowa, $1,000; Hattie 1. Herriott, Indiana,
$720; Alfred F. w. Schmidt, California.
1900: Lucy c. Daniels. West Virginia, ST.
20U; Marian J. McCants, Tennessee, $500;
Sallie F. Waller. Alabama, S720; Jessie H.
Thomas, New York, $500: Omar G. Gillett,
Missouri, $3.50: John f. Bulmahn, Indiana,
$500; William H. Cole. Colorado, $1,000; Mil
bred J. Searle Colorado, $500; Walter H. Lee,
District of Columbia, $72O; Olive NJ Jack,
Nebraska. 5000: Olive c. Lathrop. Michigan,
$720; Alexis V. Babine. California, $1,000;
Eliza ]. Skinner. West Virginia, 81 200; Ste
phen c. Stuntz, Wisconsin, S1,20O; Bertha
E. Hyatt. New York $780, Helen L. Plum
mer. Colorado, S720; Helen NJ. Thompson,
Maryland. $500; Charles A. Barr, New
York. s., 200; Philip s. Goulding, Vermont,
$500; Willard o. Waters, Illinois, $500; VIII
helm B. Schultz, Virginia, $40; Anna M.
Priest, Pennsylvania, $500: Mary B. Coffin.
District Of Columbia. $500; Clara E. A.
Won Tangen, District of Columbia, 5000;
James H. Graham. Texas, $500; Cora e.
Jones. New York, $500.
The Librarians Statement.
With reference to the above appoint
ments the librarian states:
THE list includes % employees recently
confirmed after probationary service; ca
appointments to certain positions that have
recently become vacant through resigna-
ton or death; GO appointments to certain
positions in the copyright office, which,
though carried by the appropriation act
for the year beginning July 1, were made
Immediately available and SO became eff
fective in April last, and % appointments
to positions carried by that act, but eff
fective only on July l. These latter posi-
lions were all in the catalogue division.
THE appropriation act provided in all
for but thirty-three positions, nine in the
copyright Office and twentyfour in the
catalogue division. For these there were
considered (a) persons in the regular serv-
ice in lower grades whose claims to promo
ton customarily take precedence Of consid-
Grafton Of applications from outside of the
force; CO. persons who had been previously
in the employ Of the library for special or
temporary work, and who had demon
strated their fitness for our particular
"OTh, anu (C) dppllcdtlONS from without.
When it came to these about 1.6O0 applica-
tions were considered.
THE above list includes forty-one per-
sons. A few other positions besides the
above have been arranged for, but the
appointees will not take Office until the
fail. Their names will be given in a sub
sequent list.
Training Required.
1.-The positions in the library proper re-
quIre. Cor the most part. technical library
training. and in some cases a very high
4. gree Of technical training and actual
] b-ary experience.
Certain of the positions in the copyright
office also require this training. since that
office Is handling books in various lam
guages, and Is doing cataloguing. But
there Is also In this Office some clerical
work, and there are required the quaiifica-
tons which go to make a serviceable en-
ploye in any office Of record, administer
Ing a considerable business promptly. ac-
curately and intelligently, and Of which a
progressive improvement is expected.
There are no further appointments to
be made or arranged for, and there is no
encouraging prospect for the hundreds of
applicants whose applications are still on
file. Among them are scores Of persons
who would be useful to the library; scores
In fact who have had special training for
our work. These have not been rejected
as disqualified. The question was not Of
rejection, but of selection
What We have done was to select out of
the 1880 two score persons whose expert
ence and apparent capacity offered a pre-
sumption Of fitness for our work. These
have been or are to be put at work for a
probationary period Of from three to six
months. This period Is. in sense, an ex-
animation. At the end Of it they discon-
tinue unless their fitness has then been
proven.
Future Chances Of Employment.
Tho chance for further appointments In
the near future is very meager. The cata-
logue force. to which there have been the
largest additions during the past two years,
has now reached a normal, and an endeavor
will be made to keep the general service
within the present general limits The
business Of the copyright Office is increas-
ing at about the rate of 10 per cent year.
and will require each year some slight addi-
ton to the force there.
1T will be noticed that Of the new positions
filled some carry salaries as low as $50 per
month. Some Of the appointees who have
accepted these low salaries have done so
not In admission that their services are
worth no more. but only that they may
get an opportunity to show qualifications
for a higher salary later"
do you require a college degree or a
certificate from a library SCHOOL,
The Scholastic Requirements.
There Is no such requirement whatever.
This is library. 1t is dealing with books
and with knowledge. A good general
education Is an advantage in every position
in It's service In certain positions the
work is technical and cannot be efficiently
done without the technical training in cata-
loguing, classification. &c. But we make
no arbitrary rules. We consider each posi-
ton with reference to it's requirements, and
each applicant with reference to the quail
tiles which he offers.
How he got them whether any insti-
tuition has recognized them by a diploma
or certificate we do not regard as material
In some positions we are obliged to require
the technical training. but wherever this
Is not necessary we expressly avoid insist
ing upon 1t. Education and experience Of
fer a presumption Of usefulness. but no
more. 1t Is not, however, economical for
US to put out expert service In training I'M
trained people when we can get for the po-
sitions requiring special training specially
trained people, who from the moment they
enter the service can do efficient work
without instruction"
Are vacancies frequent from resignation
or from death?
1.-THE entire force under the Library Of
Congress consists Of but go people. In so
small a force vacancies from these causes
are very rare"
Suspected Of Theft. :.