The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-01-24

'cif> MI "itAi sAis SupJttl III WHICH they are interested may request that their | names b. filed for this purpose This in diVidual service is one of the libra " $ best features.
 Not long ago tho subject of good roads was taken up ana an exhibit of pictures ot good and bad roads was shown fin the | library corridor. The collection was quite good and attracted attention at time when the ma tier was of local interest. Business books are in great demand anu those on such texts as advertising sales nanship and accounting are scarcely eturned to the shelves before they are
 taken out asain
 classified list of Sunday school books | has been rlede. another for Kindergarten
 teachers. third for seventh grade teach l CTS, one on iiaturo study, on gardening, 1 or books on creras, and on opera scores. | When 20 or 3B operas were bought re- ceitly, lists of them were printed and | sent to all music teachers, all persons known to be interested in music and were distributed at a meeting of the music club. In this way some 300 or 400 people were notified that opera scores were in | the library.
 On the same line is the new plan which grants to scisooi teachers the privilege of witfdrsw wing SIX books from the children g department and keeping them 2S days, so that they may be used in the class rooms over the city. They are thus used in a more intelligent way than would be pos sible were the children only allowed to use them. There are. however, many chil- dren, even little children, who have their own cards and draw books from their de- partmeiit They have an attractive room at the central library, with Miss Partlow
 in charge, and there seems little to be desired except more books M
 Books for foreigners who are learning
 English gbnWp af
 and in other collections, each of which IS small, are books written in Spanish, Greek, swedish. Hungarian, Yiddish and Italian. The demand for the last is grea l. est. Beside these books in foreign Ian guages. the central library receives the
 Atlantls newspaper published in New
 York in modern Greek.
 It is the intention of the library authori ties to make some provision in books, De-
 rlodica's and references for every person m the city This intention is berinnine
 to De realized. even though the diversity
 or work Is so great that it requires A
 wlde selection to meet every call. Some one Was in the other day asking for a
 November Outlook someone else for the
 no"nd copies of old Harpers, another for the current number of the Survey. A man III Khaki ana legsings was evidently look Ing Tor book on bridge building or com crete construction. At one table were two
 iadles with White hair, and a schoolgir, studying. An artist was at the rack
 where the periodicals are kept, and where
 she might find the School Arts margarine and others on the same subject. A eroun of schoolgirls were asking for help on a
 uepate, teacher was in the children,s department looking for something for her class. and they were leaving but for their
 places to be filled by others
 A classified list of the number of people
 III the city engaged in each occupation is
 Kept for reference in purchasing so that additional books may be selected wjtb an intelligent idea of the proportion of people
 who Will be interested in each class, More business DOCKS are needed, and when these may De bought the director will know approximately how many calls there will pc Tor those on diffeEent professions and .iaues' fosslDie and future needs are Kept Tn mind as well as immediate calls
 When Mir Milan came, some months ago, and the work was reorganized if was believed that the library would ha or more service than ever, and that if, would be civic enterprise that would De worth much; but not until now, when there mas been time to test the present ihanagement was it possible to see how much 1t would be worth and of what real service it would be. One reason foy tiis IS the energy and enthusiasm with winch the staff carries on the work of the library. Another reason is that inc work Is conducted on business principles. There is ability as weii as enthusiasm.
 Management of Library
 The central library is open every day III the year On week days it is open rom O clock in the morning until in the evening. On Sundays and holidays the hours are shorter. All departments are open on Sunday from to 6 o'clock in the afternoon, that books may be borrowed and carried home In some cit les the loan department is not open on sunday, but here both that department and the reading room are open on Sun cay afternoons. The branch libraries are open from l o'clock to 9 in the evening, each librarian at the branches being re- lieved one afternoon a week by someone from the central library
 Every person in the library except one stenographer, who is a graduate of the commercial department of the Central High school, has had library experience or has certificate or a diploma from a library school. A six months appren- tce course Is given in the library here to those who wish to enter the library service without attending a library school. Applicants for positions as ap- prentices are required to stand an ex- animation showing that they have the equivalent of a high school education Promotions are given the apprentices after examination.
 Each member of the library staff ex- cept the director and the vice director signs a time sheet morning. noon and evening; and lost time is made up. There is no wasted time at the library as one can easily see. Every member of the staff Is busy all the time while on duty: