Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-07-22
PUBLIC LIBRARIES
Interesting Talk With Mr..
George F. Bowerman.
A RECENT MEETING
OF THE AMERICAN LIBRARY AS
ISOLATION.
Over 200 Delegates Were Present
Some of the Interesting Papers
That Were Read.

"a public library" says Mr.. George f.
Bowerman, librarian of the public library,
ito fully subserve its purpose must be
considered an integral part of the system
Of public education. It's function is not to
amuse, but primarily to instinct, and 1t is
most significant that the field of Its en-
deavor is supplementary to that of it's
schools proper. While the interests of the
child are looked after, the great mass of
the people to whom schools are no longer
accessible the special pupils of a great
library. A library, then, best answers its
purpose when there is happy co-opera-
ton between It's efforts and those of the
schools"
American Library Association.
Mr. Bowerman when seen yesterday had
recently returned from a trip to Portland,
Ore, where the twenty-seventh annual meet
ing of the American Library Association
had been held. The meeting the first
west of the Rockies since 81 and was at
tended by nearly four hundred delegates,
two hundred Of whom had been sent out
from Atlantic-coast cities. The first west
ern meeting of the American Library AsSo-
citation was held in San Francisco in SO.
A meeting was also held in Denver in 80,
but the rapid growth of the war west and
its energy of development made it almost
missionary work could be done. The great
Cities" says Mr.. Bowerman. sent out
Macedonian cry. Come out and help u.s.
and the congress was held in Portland as
an adjunct to the Lewis and Clark EXPOSE
ton"
The majority Of the delegates were sent
out by library boards of their respective
cities. They were taken in special cars to
Buffalo, where a special train over the
Michigan Central, Chicago, Milwaukee and
st. Paul and the Canadian Pacific took them
west.
mot the least value of the congress" says
Mr. Bowerman, was the six days trip on
which countless opportunities occurred for
that Intimate observation-disclosures were 200
men and women, experts In their lines
which naturally resulted in a stimulation of
energies and arousing of interests, which
Is the legitimate end of all Institutional
conventions.
Library Conditions in the Northwest.
One OF the most interesting papers read
at the convention was that of Mr. c. w
Smith, librarian Of the Seattle Public Ii
brary, on Library Conditions in the North
west There as fast as the relationship of
libraries to the public development is
brought to the attention of the busy money
making towns, the library is established.
Tacoma, Seattle, the British northwest the
Pacific coast in general, even Alaska and
Hawaii. are earnestly engaged in library
activities. 1t is an interesting fact that in
the Iar northwest not single Carnegie
grit has been turned down, as has ham
pened in many eastern cities The CITY
municipalities are actively engaged in con-
sider1ng library laws, organizing library
commissions and framing such enactments
as empower given municipalities to levy a
tax. as in some progressive cities, for edu-
catlonal purposes, of a specific rate The
library development is thus munificently
assured assured, In Seattle the public library
building is to large degree copied after
the building of the Washington Public Ii
brary. 1t Is probably the finest in the
northwest. ~
Mr.. Smith, the librarian. carefully in
spected the Washington building. and the
architect for the Seattle building had the
dement, OF his trained criticism. But the
British northwest Is not to be behind the
librarian Vancouver, B. c., made most in
teresting reports on the progress of the
traveiing library of that province. The
.ravellng library is sort OF missionary
which arouses the people to the necessity of
a permanent possession. Gov. John G.
Brady of Alaska sent a most valuable re-
port on the historical collection at Sitka
Hawaii evinced its energy in the move
ment by the report Of Miss Helen Hille-
brand, who gave account of the work
of the subscription library of Honolulu.
Mr.. Putnam's Address.
THE most generally interesting address
was that of DR.. Herbert Putnam. librarian
of Congress. on The Library of Congress
as a National Library, The development
of the Congressional Library has been mar
Vicious. 1t is now not merely library for
Congress or the various executive depart
ments but in many very real senses a
national institution. In the matter of the
catalogue cards alone which the library
now issues the work of every library in the
country is lessened. Every school with a
slowly growing body of books has only to
send to the national library to obtain
cards for each book, the cataloguing hav
Ing been done there. In another way the
loans of reference books to library institu
lions in various parts of the country make
the Congressional Library not merely a
great central repository. but source of ac-
tive information to the whole country. DR..
Putnam's address was of the most
important features of the convention
Two great topics of discussion during
the convention were the questions of train
ed service for library employees and chill
dren's departments. The question of spe-
cial training for library appointees was
argued with much vigor.' The present con-
dition in consequence of meager appropria-
tons necessitates the appointment of junior
assistants, who have not had special train
ing. The library becomes, in measure,
normal school of methods and much of the
energy and force of the institution is ex-
pended in making its assistants effective.
The library should be school only In spe-
cial cases. Many libraries, including our
own have apprentice classes; but the Car
negie Library of Pittsburg has such a
school for training it's assistants and espe-
cially for training childrens librarians.
A Part Of the School System.
There the institution is recognized as an
integral part OF the school system. The
peculiar efficiency of the senior assistants
for conducting national library work for
children and the preparation is recog
niZed that throughout the country where
chldren's departments are being opened
there is demand for superintendent
trained at Pittsburg.
This has resulted in course specially
designed to prepare assistants to organize
and carry on library work for children.
The Pittsburg library looks after many
special activities. It controls playground
libraries, school room Libraries and home
libraries. Every man, woman and child
is in a measure made a target for library |
activity A poor washerwoman may be |
given charge of several volumes. and she |
can circulate them among those whose time |
or clothing may prevent a personal visit
to stately central library or branch |
building.
1.-The work thus becomes largely sociologi-
cal and the library true university for the |