Los Angeles herald., 1905-07-27
e444se84@xe* 444Sss~sFs4ess

sss4@4@44s4@@*@@#+%44s4et4
like this, day by day are the bony
structure upon which the historian of
the future will have to try to replace
the flesh. If no bones are saved for
him, his model cannot be satisfac-
tory one.
Preserve Local History
"A simple card, four by six inches in
size, such as is used in every pro-
gresslve library for something, and in
almost every progressive business
house for some detail Of its CONNER
cial work, would contain that infor-
NATION in alphabetical order, so that
anyone who cared to know could find
out within two minutes after appli-
cation at the library. Besides this con-
densed information, that card would
refer the more curious student to the
files in which he could find all the
details which were matters of public
record.
People of some value to this COM
iiullly are uyAAlB eNSIy udy' AhCii
death Is not their most important act,
but 1t at least furnishes convenient
pivot upon which to hang such infor-
nation as is a part of proper record
of the city's history. Buildings of
some Importance are being erected ev-
cry week; legislation or more or less
lasting significance is constantly be-
ing enacted; new systems of transit
are put in operation; new communities
spring UP and so on through all the
subdivisions into which a trained cata-
loguer could divide the activities of
human life or local history.
"All these things, whose value or in
fluence have any lasting quality, could
be-and should be-recorded in such
shape that the information is what
we might fairly call instantly access
sible.
Record of Events
IT think such a system should be
conducted along the lines already well
established by serious students outside
of libraries and that instruction in it
should. be included in the curriculum
of our library training schools
This general index should be un-
dertaken by making each day, perhaps,
a dozen cards of such news of the
day. as careful editor would him
self select to be reviewed as record
twenty years from now. On the same
day. and every. day until it is finished,
there should be an equal amount Of
like work in bringing up to date the
like record from the past, beginning
with the first files of publications in
this city, and when brought up to
date this record should be kept there.
1t would then be a universal index of
local chronicles. Later, this could and
should be made to include the record
back to the very beginning of Cali
fornia.
II observe in this library a large, and
I think undue, amount of carrying of
heavy armloads of books by the young
women of the force. l understand that
this has been permitted without ques-
porterage does not require trained IL
brarians nor women. Wholly aside from
sentimental or hygenic reasons, which
are probably recognized by the most
intelligent people, this does not seem
to me business economy.
II beg respectfully to submit to your
consideration the suggestion that a
corps of pages be employed at a very
small monthly expense, who would re-
lease to the general service of the Ii
brary partly the time and still more,
the energy of the young women who
now have to trundle volumes. A stack
of books of eight octave size, twelve
inches high, weighs from eighteen to
twenty pounds and this Is far below the
average load that / have seen being
carried by these young women.
Il would suggest, and prefer for many
reasons, corps of page girls, except
that l am doubtful whether the carry
Ing of heavy loads is any better for a
girl of twelve years than for a girl Of
twenty-five. l realize that as, perhaps,
the foremost merchant Of this town has
wittily said: 'One boy is boy, two
boys is half a boy and three boys is
no boy at ALL I am quite aware of the
tendency of this coordination Of male
youth to punch the mutual rib and 70
indulge In play; on the other hand,
am quite willing to undertake that no
boy will punch anothers rib more than
twice in this library, and have cer-
tain faith, without experience that
there are American boys, who even in
their youth. can be taught RESPONSE
bility I understand that It is part Of
my duty as librarian to teach RESPONSE
biIity wherever 1t needs.
II have spoken thus frankly that I
might more properly leave the consider
alton OF this whole matter to your dis
cretion."
GOES EAST FOR TRIAL ON