Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1907-10-10
LIBRARIANS OF NOTE SPEAK
DR.. w. X. Jewett and A. E. Bostwick
Among the Orators.
Is WELL ATTENDED
over One Hundred and Fifty Active
Book workers Are at the
Dual state Meetings In
in Omaha.


the lecture room of the Omaha Public
library building 1t was one of the most
important and interesting sessions OF the
three days convention. G. H. Thomas,
superintendent of schools at McCook and
president of the Nebraska association.
presided.
''The Libraries of the City of Wash
ton" was the subject of an address by
DR.. w. X. Jewett librarian at the Uni
versity of Nebraska. He told of the ex-
cellent system by which the big libraries
OF the various departments of the govern
ment are indexed and OF the manner in
which the most esoteric information on
even the obscurest subjects of deepess
technicallty is available at a moments
I notice.
He mentioned the libraries of the Bureau
OF Agriculture, the patent office, the
weather bureau the bureau of education
and the department of state, but did not
touch on the library of congress, which
is entirely too big to be treated except
in a separate paper. All these are open
to the public except that of the department
OF state. Upon the shelves of the latter
library are volumes containing. perchance.
! deep state secrets and therefore they may
| be used only with special permission.
I The library of the surgeon general is
the third largest storehouse of medical
| lore in the world And the benefcent gov
! ernment in an effort to disseminate as
widely as possible such knowledge as may
! lead to a dimnution of human suffering,
loans any desired volumes from these
shelves to any library or physician in the
country, making no charge except that
| for transportation.
President A. f. Bostwick of the American
Library association, spoke on Library As
sociations."
Association Gives Strength.
Association in any work gives strength"
he said. This is true from the most primi-
tive states of men, or even of animals. Two
savages striving unitedly to lift a heavy
log are drawn together and strengthened
by their community of interest. Also their
united strength results in lifting a heavier
load than either could lift alone. The same
is true of our library association. We are
drawn into closer fellowship and we are
strengthened to accomplish much more than
we could separately"
Mr.. Bostwick is in charge of the crcula-
ton OF the public library of New York
City.
His subject was to have been Book
Buying Methods At the close of his ad-
dress questions were asked him on this
topic, which is OF interest to all librarians.
''It Is my decided opinion that no reliance
should be put ON published book reviews" "
he said. 1T is true that OF the making of
books there is no end, and it is Impossible
for book reviewers of the magazines and
papers to carefully read all the volumes
poured in upon them. Possibly the best
solution of the problem is to have a COM
petent assistant in the library read books
and thus determine whether they are suit
able for the shelves
The meeting adjourned at IL o'clock and
the delegates went to Fifteenth AID Far
nam streets. where they took street cars
for a sightseeing trip over the city. This
was by courtesy of the Commercial club.
The ride ended at the South Omaha library
building where luncheon was served at l
o'clock
Afternoon Session Mt south Omaha.
The afternoon session was held in the
South Omaha library. Mrs o, ]. Wortmar
of South Bend told Of the organization OF
a library for circulating books among the
farmers and of its great popularity. Purc
b. Wright of st. Joseph. Mo, spoke OF
1.-THE Library and the Mechanic Miss
Edna Lyman Of Oak Park, Ill. taking as
her subject "The Listening Child" told Of
the branch of the work which consists OF
reading TO children.
Last evening at the Omaha library build
ing a college and reference librarians
round table was held at 1870 o'clock anc
at O'Clock there were talks on Spain
Yesterday and Today by Il. P. Fitch o
Council Bluffs. and c. w. Martin o
Omaha. A stereopticon talk with motion
pictures was on the program.
The program for Thursday is as follows
JOINT SESSION - COUNCIL BLUFFS
PUBLIC LIBRARY.
| $50 a. m.-"Reference Use of Public
Documents" Miss Alice Marple, reference
! librarian public library Des Moines, la.
Discussion-Miss Margaret A O'Brfen as
, Some Demands of Librarianshfp Miss
NJ. L, Ahern, editor public libraries. Chi
"'The Book Side of Things"-Miss Harrie
4. Wood. librarian public library. Ceda
D. m.--seeing Council Bluffs, courtes,
, Council Bluffs library board
JOINT SESSION = COUNCIL BLUFFS
PUBLIC LIBRARY.
2:S0 p. m.-"Library Inytruction in tn
Normal school" Miss Anna V. Jennings
librarian, Normal school. Kearney. Neb
The Library and the School. ."--Superin
tendent f: f. Lark. president Iowa Teach
! ers' association, Onawa, la.
e Discussion--w N. Clifford superintendent
= OF schools, Council Bluffs; w. NJ. Davidson
superintendent of schools, Omaha
T y. m.-Reunion dinner Society of low
r Library School, at the Grand hotel
q / COUNCIL BLUFFS PUBLIC LIBRARY
i s p. m.-Address DIR. n. E. Schaeffel
state superintendent OF public instruction
J. Harrisburg. Pa; reception by Council Blum
library board.
Sessions in Bluffs Today.
r The Iowa and Nebraska Library associa
tions will hold Joint sessions in Counc
: Bluffs today. The delegates to both con
ventions will be the guests of the Counc
Bluffs Library board on a motor tour @
the city. Starting from the public librar
= building at lis p. m, the guests will b
j. taken 10 Fairmount park. where a shoI
a stop will be made to enable the visitor
h 10 take look around. Leaving Fairmour
, park. the cars viii go east on Pierce stree
$ around the loop at Oak street. back t
4 Pearl street. and then TO Lake Manaws
where another short stop viii be mad,
The guests will then be brought back {
the library building for the afternoon ses
R sion.
In the evening az the conclusion of III
Il address Of Ii. X. q. Sosaeffer. state super
intendent of puDlic instruction, HARRISBURG
Pa. the visiting delegates will be tendere
a reception at the Library building by tn
Il library board. There win be music b