Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-02-28
IN PUBLIC LIBRARY.
Metal Stack Room a Model Of Its
Kind

A. +. Hood, salesman for the Art Meal
Construction 60. Of Boston, was in Wat
ervIlc. Monday, inspecting IN" work
which is being done or the new stacks
" hi.h are being erected IL ihr public III
brary. II will he about ~ days before
the stack room is no bc READY 10 receive
any books. Not only is this metal con
,trICton 10 contain the shelves. but ~
the floor of she stack room is in the base
ment Of The building another fiopf Is 10
be laid with this framework for a support
which will divide it INTO two rooms This
floor is 10 be Of glass. crm"ntcd to me
structure. and viii be laid immediately
as the framework il ALREADY adjusted
The work OF laying no squares begins to-
day ana will be completed III Il very short
time, although few days 0f inaction
viii BE- required in order that the cement
may become property hardened
Although the erection Of the stacks is
50 nearly completed it Will he nearly
three We ks before the books will he re Ifv
for the shelves An enormous amount Of
work has been don" and yei remains 10 he
accomplished before these preparations
shall have been Completed In addition
to the work If the card catalogue which
labor saving device is being empIoved
which. although it will maxi the progres,
OF The work much slower than was at first
hntl"lpated wili result in the end in hay
ing the books shelvcd in a more ut-to-
d;li" and convenient form. When the pa
uon OF The library makes his frs call for
a book 1t Will, Of course. BE- expected that
ne is 10 record his name and address i'm
order that the librarian shall have SOM.
security for the book in case it is lost
or some means to recover The damagf. in
case the book shall be dof.irrG or injured
The means taken in times past have re-
quired the librarian 10 record the name
Of the book, the number and the name of
the person to whom il is 10 lie given
This work requires 50 much labor and
time that when in the course Of Il day
several hundred people have presented
books to he taken to their homes the work
done at the desk is a severe TAX on the |
one who has to do ii.
BY the new system each book |
Is 10 have pOcket pasted with |
i'll one of the covers and each poke, |
is to contain a card which shall have |
written on 1T the name. author ana num- |
Der Of the book. This card will belong not |
to the borrower, bllc to the book: nut BE-
fore the book is taken from the libra ria II |
the caro- is placed on file in another peck |
ct which shah be reserved Tor The us !
OF the patron and shall bear his name |
The work OF recording then, it will be |
seen. is being done now once for all and
is to be great benefit 10 all VINO shall
be concerned in any way with the books
in the future. Since Mrs. Johnson has |
begun her duties As librarian for the city, |
about ll4o books have been accustomed. |
while the balance o. The $500 lately pur-
chased yet remain to be prepared for the
public use. There are also on hand be-
tween 80 and GO Of tine lot which have
been brought into the library i'll addition
to the first 10 be treated in similar
manner. There are at present five persons
employed in the above manner and the
work is being pushed as fast as possible.