Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-12-06

AAN'A' CO. 'iiS 6NoiOSitat SuiNCS.
Capt. Howard L. Prince, the patent Of
flee librarian, is an employee OF that Of
flee who is struggling with the same over
grown conditions that confront other pat
ent office officials. and is man of long
experience in his work. and there are few
other bureau librarians whose duties are
as exacting and constantly increasing. Of
the work Of all ii is impossible to s-eak
so complex has become the government .
book-collecting activities, and so scat
tered are its repositories of printed lore.
The attainment of w. ID. Horigan to
the position he holds as librarian at tho
Naval Observatory is worthy of mention
as an instance of the educational infiu-
ences OF government service. as Mr.. Hor-
igan. who is very familiar with aStrono-
mlcal photography, acquired most OF his
expert knowledge of the subject as an en-
ploye' of the observatory. Mr.. Charles T..
Babcocks work at the bureau OF Ameri-
can republics is another illustration OF
the opportunities that come to those who
enter government service merely I'm the
capacity of clerks. The manner i'm which
MIR. Babcock has taken hold OF the work
OF the late DR.. ]. /. Rodriguez has been
revelation to experts in library work.
Another young man who succeeded to an
important library position is Ralph NJ.
Brown. at the coast and geodetic survey.
Nothing has been said here about the H.
VI dildu WHO IS rnOSI 1amllar TO WASH
ington citizens, George F. Bowerman. In
charge of the Public Library. and of any
of his staff because while they rank az
government employees theirs is not gov.
eminent service as it is popularity under
stood. The reading public has many op-
portunities to become familiar with theii
share of the great educational activities
OF Washington as 4 community. OF the
librarians who are in Washington be-
cause Washington is the National CAPT.
iOl,f fn 1,,,%
complete catalogue Of their talents and
records would be almost as stupendous an
undertaking as the catalogues some of
them have been called upon to prepare.
Asked why there is no library school
in Washington. which would seem such
fertile field for an institution of the char
acter, prominent librarian said:
Few librarians here have time for
work outside of their own offices or the
work they may carry from their offices
to their homes. The need for a library
school is not so great because the Ii
brarieS themselves are training schools
and many young men and women have
gone from subordinate positions in the
Library Of Congress and other libraries to
take most responsible positions else
where. There is always demand for IL
brary school graduates. but an equally
good opportunity for t.lose who attain
skill by actual experience, for a library is
in itself a school IL the librarian has the
qualifications Of teacher Good libra
rians have"
AS a whole the government librarians In
Washington are patient and painstakins
instructors Of all who seek for knowledge
and, while few of them are famous. Their
ranks are filled with some of ,ne most
intelligent men and women In the city,
and long periods of service attest the fact
that while the work of a librarian II
often arduous it is such as few care to
abandon, and promotion when it comes is
usually in the special field of usefulness
that has been undertaken as lifework.