The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-04-16
MISS EMILY VANDORN MILLER REFERENCE
 LIBRARIAN TALKS ABOUT LIBRARY WORK
By DOLLY DALRYMPLR

There hasn't been a visitor to the public library within the past fortnight who
 hasn't been impressed with the latest ae- quisition to the library forces in the per- son of Miss Emily VanDorn Miller, who occupies the responsible position of ref erenoe librarianS
 Miss Miller is young woman of un- usual charm and magnetism, her fair beauty and keen intellect, her splendid knowledge of library work and her broad understanding of people and situations, making her an unusual type-one seldom encountered in the general of the old work-a-day world.
 Miss Miller since her residence in Bir- mingham has not only made her impress upon those with whom she has come in contact in her library work, but socially she has been welcomed with great cordial ity
 Miss Miller has frequently visited in Birmingham as the guest of her rela- tives, Dr. and Mrs. J. D. Dabney and has made many friends, all of whom have vied with each other in their attentions to her since her arrival here as a perma- nent resident of Birmingham.
 Miss Miller is in every way, by birth and education, fitted to adorn any sphere that she chooses, and her name and the name of her honored family in Missis- sipp, of which her father Gen. T. Mar shall Miller former attorney general of that state, is pre-eminent, spells dignity elegance and an aristocracy that is un- questioned.
 Chancing to find Miss Miller unoccupied a few days ago at the library, I was more than pleased to have her express her views regarding library work, and how she happened to chose 1t as a profession and a number of other things in regard to the question in which every good citi- zen of this vast city is interested.
 To begin at the very beginning, and tell me of her education and her progress in her work, was what I requested, and to my first question Miss Miller replied:
 T may say nothing was farther from my mind when I was receiving my educa- ton in New Orleans at the Sophie New comb university, which as you know is the woman's college of Tulane university, than becoming a librarian. Like most southern girls my education was cultural rather than technical, and after l had graduated l spent a year abroad travel ing, going as far east as Constantinope and St. Petersburg. l was what we com monly call 'finishing,' but the more tray eled and the more I saw of the world, the more l began to realize that l was not finishing my education at all, but merely beginning.
 After my return I followed the routine of the average southern society girl, lead ing sort of butterfly existence and really not doing anything especially. Later, how ever, l decided to go back to school, and I entered the New York State Library school at Albany, taking my first practical course in library training" she continued.
 What suggested library work as a profession?" I asked.
 T might say that it was the influence of Birmingham woman, one of your own townswomen," Miss Miller replied 'I visited the public library at Newark, N. J., and Kate Meade Howze, now Mrs. McQuigg, was there and gave me my first inspiration. Top know the Newark li- brary Is one of the most famous in the country. It is quite up-to-date in every respect, thoroughly equipped and under the directorship of MT. John Carter Dana. who is one of the most advanced men and one of the foremost in library work in the entire country, the library has attained a splendid standard, and is pointed to with great pride by all those who are interested in library work. I kept thinking afterward about my visit to the Newark library, and while I didn't de- eide on library work as a profession un- til long time after that still I never