The morning journal-courier., 1908-10-19

stOrN, snort StOrleS, hlstoFlCal HpNrlt love story or else by the general term Q good novel His Idea is that the new plan of "by subject increases the Interest in and consequent read ing of the older books and assists in keeping before our patrons books of merit that have stood the test of time All such types, under the new plan are brought into one section. or neigh borhood and can there be found by any patron who Is looking for books of a particular class; they are also catalogued under the appropriate head Instead of by author or title Novels in these later days are largely used as vehicles for the dissemination of all kinds of information, and the exploit- ation of all sorts of schemes, If man has ideas regarding submarine vessesl he writes something on the or der of Jules Nernes "2o,000 Leagues Under the Sea-" f he has history in mind 1t Is given in form perhaps sim liar tc CoRspell's "Regicides. In other words, the type is very different from that of fifty years ago and the number is increased a thousand fold consequently they have In great meas ure outgrown inquiry for them by author Our librarian, therefore feels confident that the new arrangement tory than the old one, and his position seems fairly reasonable. The re- classification was finished during the present season and is now on trial; If It has any serious defects they will certainly soon appear
 The books of fiction, not included In the new classification and supposed to constitute large part of the one third mentioned as called for by author, are the standard English novels such as Cooper, Dickens. Scott and others. These are kept separate and arranged upon shelves alphabetically "by au- thor as usual.
 Speaking of catalogung. leads me to say that I doubt If any library in the country, public or private. is more com pletcly catalogued than our own. 4 single book is frequently catalogued under a dozen or more different head l ings. We may he in danger of being criticized for over much catalosuing rather than the opposite.
 The general service of the Institute has been fairly well conducted through out the year, though during the sum mer vacation season we seemed at times somewhat short handed Our one l anhrnntiSa Mr r,s1a eth Ia te ,it,o, to us In June, has been very faithful and Increasingly efficient. Tt will very likely be necessary to put in at least one more apprentice before another vacation season begins Your directors have already empowered the service and supplies committee to do this for a period o' six months If they deem it advisable and that authority may be sufficient to take care of any need likely to arise In the near future.
 The service and supplies committee were fortunate in securing Mir. James NJ Scranton, ir., to serve as janitor and thus far we have had much intel liFcnt and efficient service. Our faith full office people, Mir Shelley and Miss French under the headship of Librari- an Borden. still remain in the places they have occupied for so many years. greeting and serving our patrons with their usual courtesy and ability
 The special committee appointed for l the purpose. under the chalrmanship of ex-Presldent French. reported a year ago and recommended for adop- ton now set of bylaws the old ones having become obsolete by req son Of age and numerous amend . ments. The proposed bylaws were much shorter and simpler than the former ones and after very little amending were unanimously adopted at A special meeting of the institute held october l7. l9G7. The printing of the hy-laws was made by tho d. rectors the duty of tho committee on service and supplies and when so
 printed and distributed, We snail have good working and understandabl ble
 code of rules to govern our delihera
 lions over and management of nsti-
 ute eafairs
 Tho membership of tho institute i'
 always an interesting subject and ire
 qucntly one of dominant importance
 On Its size largely depends our abil-
 Ky to fulhll the purposes of the insti-
 ute and properly carry on its work
 Last year and this years memberships
 compare as follows:
 October |. 1907 Members compli. ] n. c. cnoria1 Ina 6k
 regular 2Ta Total 514
 October 1 Members compli. mentary. 5s: life 1a. special loan s
 regular S6s. Total, 46s.
 ] While by tho figures given we art but eleven of the regular class o' paving members short of last year: numbers, and but fifty six less in al
 classes I note by the treasurer's re
 port that tho receipts from member shipr are sA12 loss than those q year aga, and we them were fni short of the membership we ough ! t1 have had Ii seems to me so rious state of affairs over tNent,
 years ago with two-thirds as man
 books as now p'e had as large mem hershp. With out present facilities , we should he able, in my opinion, t | satisfactorily serve twice our presen { rur1ber of members and thus accon
 plish far greater amount of good il ( the community we are supposed t serve. and to ourselves as well. 0u Q mission in these days Is different iron . that of the institutes besinnine w - are literary rather than educational
 and should make our pleasant duar ] tors center for lovers of literature |. and also incidentally of art and music , An enlarged membership would mak l for deeper interest on the part Of ou {" members, and wider and bette - knowledge genoraly of our institution [ hN the people of NeH Haven. M