Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1905-09-14
GIRL is LIBRARY GENIUS.
Great Book Collection at Washington
Managed by Bay State Young
Woman.

WCu1dA.
The library Of the department Of az
riculture at Washington holds a unique
place among the country's great store
houses Of literature.
Its librarian in chief, Miss Josephine
Adelaide Clark, is woman Of marked
ability and literary culture, who has
done much to bring the library TO Its
present state Of completeness, states
the Star.
Unlike many Of the so-called depart
ment libraries in the capital. the col
lection Of the agricultural department
is devoted almost entirely TO scientific
and technical publications.
In one corner are few old and worn
books that indicate the early existence
of a miscellaneous assortment OF fc-
ton, poetry and history, similar to
that which makes up the average IL
brary Of the departments: But these
are simply the recollection of what
once was and in no way reflect the
wonderful character Of that magnih-
cent collection of works that stands
to-day without peer In the world,
dealing exclusively with agricultural
and kindred industrial subjects.
There are on the shelves to-day 81
375 volumes, the largest collection OF
agricultural works ever gathered to-
gether in any country. There are
larger collections Of some specific
branch Of scientific inquiry, such as
the chronological library in Philadel-
phia, but nowhere such generous
array covering the whole field Of In
dustrial and agricultural literature
The current periodicals alone kept on
file aggregate 1,450.
The institution is free to the pub
lie. and it's shelves are constantly Wis
tied by students and persons making
research on scientific and technical
topics.
Miss Clark whose genius as IL
brarian has developed this library TO
the present limits Of its usefulness, has
had long and thorough training for
her task She is a native Of Massa-
chusetts, having been born in Weston
SO years ago. Graduating from Smith
college In 1880, Miss Clark took up the
occupation Of teaching. accepting a po-
sition In Prospect Hill school, Green
field, where she remained from 1880 TO
1888 when she became associate prin-
cipal of a private school at Rutland,
VT, from 1884 to 1888.
Library work, however, seems to
have attracted her more than teaching,
for In the last-named year she aban-
doned teaching and took course as a
student in the New York library school
from which she graduated to accept >a,
position as assistant in the Gray
herbarium at Harvard, where she re-
NAMED during 1S90-91.
Miss Clark's next advancement was
to the library of the agricultural de- d.
partment, where she Was assistant IL
brarlan until 1901, when she was APP
pointed librarian-in-chief.
Miss Clark is an authority on botan-
ical photography. Several years ago
she published an elaborate index to
all new species Of plants. Her duties
at the head of the government library
are so onerous, however, and exact so
much Of her time, that Miss Clark
was compelled to forego the work of
this index, and II is now
added to from year to year at the
Gray herbarium. The work was so
thorough In It's character that the
scientists in that field would not per-,
NIT It to be abandoned.
While Miss Clark is not linguist IN
the usual meaning of the word. she is
able to read German and French flu
emily. Many Of the most valuable
to scientific literature
come from France and Germany, and
Miss Clark has done much in The way
Of translating such works as are es-
sential to the purposes Of the experts
Of the department.
Although her time is occupied TO the
utmost, Miss Clark has prepared and
keeps current a card system index to
all the department publications cir
,ulated among the libraries Of the
country These cards are printed az
he library of congress for the de-
)artment and sent to the various H.
1rarles, with the result that their In
Ices are up to date. instead Of having
o walt the leisure Of librarians. many
If whom are frequently unable to com
,lle a comprehensive index. The
AMOUNT of labor involved In this task
nay be judged when 1t is known that
he general card catalogue of the IL
,rary, including author, subject and
tile card. now numbers 10000 cards.