Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-04-01
Remarkable Growth
Shown Since 1875.

Remarkable Growth volumes or more.
Shown Since 1875. III ise zoe mere mere
libraries. ten years after that there were
5000. and now there are not less than 49,
0oo libraries of more than 1000 books. The
recorded number of libraries comprising
200 volumes or more now reaches to a
total of 1854, and of these no less than
2.29S have in excess of 5000 volumes each
In the United States there are 1222 in
corporated cities of 5000 or more inhabi-
tants, and their libraries boast of no less
than 10000 900 bookstore for every man.
woman and child in the country. These
have total yearly circulation Of no.
100000 issues. These libraries are adding
TO their collections at the rate of 100000
volumes a year, and collectively they re-
Ceive and expend S20OOO.O 900 annually.
Nearly all Of these libraries occupy
buildings of their own, the total value
reaching s1OO.OOO,O 600 approximately half
ofwhich has been donated by Andrew Car
negie. : The population of these 1,222
places is 80, 0oO, 00O-considerably less than
half of the population of continental
United States. However, their book pos
sessions are nine times as great as those
of all the rest of the country and the
circulation of the books is nearly twelve
times as great in volume.
In this last statement may be found
an inspiration for many of the discussions
that will occupy the time of the Wash
inston conference.-the extension of Ii
hrary work in communities not now
reached Especial emphasis will be put
on the plans of extending the work of
travelling libraries and in other ways to
meet the necessity of taking the library
into the rural communities of the coun-
try.
In fact the coming convention, 1t is
announced, will concern itself much less
fhl oil
of Guardianship. but will be devoted to
the larger and more national aspects of
library work. 1t will have a certain lit
erary flavor, although it will be largely
devoted to some of the great questions
of the day and their bearing on library
work. In the sectional meetings more at
tention will be given to technique, though
even in these the close relations of the
library to present-day affairs Will be re-
fected.
The sections that will hold separate
meetings include the following: College
and reference
Sections to Hold section. trustees,
Separate Meetings. ~ work with
children, professonl training and agri-
cultural library sections.
a particularly instructive feature plan
ned for the Washington conference is the
exhibition of library labor-saving devices,
which will be open to the delegates
throughout the time of the conference.
In an earlier article of this series men,
ton was made of the fact that the
American library. among other things, is
business organization and that libraries
collectively spend large sums of money
Modern librarians, being wide-awake
business men, heenly realize the value of
the economy and efficiency movement,
and are on the lookout for all the latest
and most approved appliances and de-
vices to save time and money. and to
eliminate non-productive drudgery.
In an effort to bring to the attention of
Librarians all labor-saving devices suita-
BILE for library work, the committee on
administration has arranged for a COM
parative exhibit and demon stration The
committee is composed of DR.. Arthur Z.
Bostwick, librarian of the st. Louis Pub
Tic Library: DR.. George +. BoWerman,
librarian OF the Washington Public Ii
brary. and John s. Cleavinger librarian
of the Jackson (AIich.) Public Library.
me exhibition. which will be installed in
the central building of the Washington
Public Library, will be under the imme-
date direction of C. Seymour Thompson
assistant librarian of that institution
The library profession has contributed
TO modern commerce the card catalogue
idea and all of its notifications, includ
ing the vertical file. 1t is therefore ap.
propriate that the library should get back
from the business world all the many
devices invented by 1t. as far as they are
applicable either 20 the commercial side
or the professional and technical side OF
library administration.
The articles shown in this exhibit will
range from manifolding machines and
Vacuum cleaners to staple fasteners an6
other desk appliances. Among then
VIII be improved shelving. book supports
DOCK dummies. catalogue card trays, type
writers. computing machines, perforatins
machines, debating machines machine.
Tor photographing manuscripts and docu
ments. and many other appliances, larg,
and small
The present officers of the American
Library Association well represent tn,
dive sity O
Present Officers of American Ii
Library Association. ests TIN ,n' tn
clude the president, Edwin H. Anderson
director of the New York Public Library
and vice presidents, Hitler C. Wellman
librarian Of the Public Library of Spring
field, Mass, and Miss Gratia A. Country
man. librarian of the Minneapolis Publi
Library. The other members of the ex
ecutive board are DIR. Clement W. An
drews, librarian of the John Crerar Ii