Evening star., 1912-09-07
C|WCS ROOM OPENED
IN CHICAGO LIBRARY
Printed and Other Material
Collected Dealing With Mu-
nicipaI Problems.
From the Municipal Journal.

From the Municipal Journal
On the first floor of the Chicago pub
lie library building in the heart Of the
Loop district, the management Of that in
stitution has installed what is termed a
civics room. Its main purpose is to con-
centrate in one place. in such form and
with such easy access is to be conven-
iently useful, printed and other material
dealing with every phase of questions and
problems that arise in a large and rapid
ly developing city. While there are
shelves of books bearing on these topics,
the greater bulk of the material Is to be
found in many hundreds of pamphlet
cases. properly labeled. wherein are
stored fugitive pamphlets. official reports
and ephemeral printed matter OF all sorts
all extremely valuable data to all who
are connected with the direction OF the
movements for public betterment now ac-
tive in Chicago. A committee of the chi
cago Association of Commerce. which mas
recently formally applied for assistance
at the public library. is making an eN-
haustive and scientific study of the ques-
ton of electrification of railroads. COM
mittees of the City Club are struggnnS
with questions of housing. age limit III
employment. extended use OF schooi
larly, active committees of the Woman
City Club are engaged in voluntary con
tributons to social and community pet
terment This is also true of the Chlcago
Woman's Aid, of many of the improve
ment clubs which are locally organized
in nearly every ward of the city, and
other organizations. Their need In this
direction is emphasized by their own at
tempts to get together material OF TINS
sort bearing upon the particular sub
s,>A~ %a1 Sy1 fNr 10
being.
OF the great value which such a de-
partment proves to the aldermen and TO
the city hall departments there Is no need
to go into detail. Constant requlsitions
from the city hall are coming therefor
and to enable its greatest use provision
has been made whereby entire sections
Of the material, as needed or as furnish
ing information upon pending ordinances,
may be transported to some sultaDle pace
of consultation in the city hall for periods
of sufficient duration to give fullest
measure of opportunity.
Other uses. important though perhaps
minor, which suggest themselves are IN
connection with the universities and
other institutions of learning.
To carry out these plans it has been
found essential that the material shall
be fully indexed and classified, as well
as evaluated. For want of this treat
ment. what may well be termed the most
live and productive printed matter In the
library has heretofore been consigned to
the literary cemetery, whence it has sell
dom known resurrection. AT small cost
for vertical files and pamphlet boxes
suitable place for housing the material
has been equipped on the first floor of
the library. In connection Herewith
business information bureau is maintain
ed, giving to business concerns short
cut to facts needed In everyday transac-
tions. Gazetteers. city directories, maps
showing postal and trade routes. cable
codes, files of house organs. railway
time tables. trolley maps and maps of
cities and states. maritime and CONNER
cial aliases. trade periodicals. a working
collection of books on business topics.
including accounting and efficiency meth
ods, and an alphabetically arranged col
lection of the latest Chicago manufac-
turers' catalogues have been grouped
here for quick and convenient reference.