Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-04-13
ASSOCIATION MEETS
GATHERING OF LIBRARIANS AT
PUBLIC LIBRARY.
Discussion of the Means of Bringing
Collections of Books to Public
Attention.

Many prominent librarians of Washing
ton, and others interested in library
work, were present last evening at the
eighty-fifth regular meeting of the Dis
trict of Columbia Library Association,
held in the children's room of the public
library building, on 9th street at the juno
ture of New York and Massachusetts
avenues northwest. Present also at the
meeting was Mrs. S. c. Fairchild, vice d.
rector of the New York State Library, AL
bany, N. Y, who is on visit to the capt.
tai
In the absence of President Arthur, Vice
President ]. c. M. Hanson was in the
chair. Frederick w. Ashley, secretary,
was present. After short business ses-
sion Librarian George F. Bowerman was
announced to speak on Library Adver-
Using" After taking up the educational
side of advertising and of public libraries
and the need for advertising the equip
ment of the public library Mr.. Bowerman
took up the means of advertising, saying
in part:
LAS in business house the best adver-
tlsement is satisfied customer, it is
in a library. Let the first effort there
fore. be inside the library. OF course the
classification and catalogue, the charging
system and all the mechanical helps will
be what they should be; but by all means
the proper spirit should prevail, so that
beyond all else there shall be invariable
courtesy, hospitality, good will, helpful
ness without condescension, plenty of at
tractive books on open shelves and red
tape reduced to the minimum.
Should Interest Casual Visitors.
Another important means of advertis-
ing is the library building OF course it
is agreed that the building should first
be useful and after that beautiful. But
by all means do not neglect the latter
qualification. 1t should be one of the
most attractive buildings in town. 1t
should be speaking building with pub
lie library written all over it-not neces-
sarily in words cut in stone-and by its
very form and structure should stand for
the idea of books
This idea must be maintained inside
the building to hold the casual visitor
If the architect has planned a great cor
ridor without provision for book in
sight-So that the building might be
taken for mausoleum or anything but
library-in spite of the hindrance he has
placed In your way, accomplish your pur-
pose by bringing out cases of books and
comfortable chairs, and thus contrive to
introduce the visitor to books as soon as
he enters the building. If the building
be modern it has a lecture hall. Allow
the use freely to all proper organizations
and interpret the proper pretty liber-
ally. This may be a powerful agent as an
advertiser.
.Some of the principles underlying sue
cessful advertising are also fundamental In
the work of chldrens rooms and school
room libraries. Few children read adver-
tisements, but they are open to suggestions
from parents and teachers and they pass
on the news IL they find a thing to enjoy.
If the library has an opportunity to make a
strong appeal early in life the impression is
likely to be lasting one. Since children do
not make close determinations 1t Is 1mpor-
tant in the case of the school room libraries
to impress the idea that the books are not
text books and are not furnished by the
school, but that they are sent by the pubic
library where there are hundreds more just
as good and thousands that they will like to
read when their school days are over. IN
the effort to tie people to the library the
children's room and the school room IL
braries are agencies for catching them while
they are young, and of SO impressing upon
them the library idea that it will persist
through life.
Newspaper Best Medium.
Turning now to what is more generally
understood as library advertising matter, l
think it is safe to say that the columns of
the newspapers are best of all, especially
for attracting the attention of those who
have never used the library before. The
keeptng Of the library before the public in
a live, up-to-date fashion Will do more TO
convince the public of the indispensability
of the library to the whole people imam any
thing else.
sometimes it is possible to have certain
amount of matter appear on certain Gays IN
a stated place, as, for example, news notes,
select lists of accessions or reading lists, as
a part of a Saturday book page. The more
timely and newsy the matter prepared for
the papers is made the more surely II Will
be used.
generally regarded by most libraries as
practicable. The printing of subject cat
alogues in sections is more usual, ana the
issuing of monthly or quarterly bulietlns
ht1lIa OT
be distributed at the library free of charge.
Good results may also be obtained from the
use of bookmarks each listing ten or twelve
books on a given subject
Libraries in Prussia.
Charles Martel of the Library of Congress
was the next on the program, his subject
being THE Prussian Gesamtkatalog.'
In Prussia, he said, there is the Royal Ii
brary, containing million volumes approx
imately; and, besides, there are scattered
through the empire in provincial centers
many other book collections. Continuing,
he said, in part:
IAN article in the Preussische Jahr-
brichen suggested that a general collective
catalogue of the libraries of Germany, de-
posted at Berlin, would be of a value to
investigators scarcely to be overrated. In
course of time the Prussian ministry Of
spiritual affairs took the matter under adj
visement. The whole subject of a coop
erative catalogue was investigated, cat
alleging rules were adopted, and in con-
junction with the rules the plan of OPP
Grafton for the union catalogue, to go into
immediate effect, was published by author
ity Of that government May 10, 1899. The
project was limited for the time being to
the compilation of collective manuscript
card catalogue of the Royal Library and
the Prussian university libraries. fourteen
institutions in all. This plan provides for
the comparison of manuscript copy of the
card catalogue of the Royal Library with
those Of all the university libraries by
means of postal cards sent to all the libra
ries.
1.-THE methods employed and the progress
made are described in detail in paper
nresented before the St Louis libra ry CON-