Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1916-05-17

pieces of the Maine Library Commits
sion and which opened Tuesday morn
inS in Library hall, Associate Justice
Leslie Cornish delivered an address of
welcome to the visiting librarians, in
which he gave a brief history of the
Lithgow Library building. He said
among other things that he did not
agree with State Librarian Dunnack,
who on Monday stated that he thought
some of the library buildings were too
| fine. Judge Cornish advocated the
building of fine libraries, for, as he
said "a fine building is educational
and inspiring Of itself
| TO the librarians he said: "You are
| teachers in a school that never closes
and if you can hold your tempers for
! 40 years as our local librarian, Miss
! Julia Clapp has succeeded in doing,
; you don't need to be transformed to
! become saints" Then in few appro-
pirate words he welcomed the visitors
to the city. and announced that dinner
would be served at 1 O'Clock in the par
| Tors of the Unitarian church on State
street. His address and words of well
/
| librarians, and State Librarian Dun
mack thanked him for the assembly,
and next introduced Miss Farr of Phil
adelphia. who has been an active
organizer in many different states.
| In opening. she said that she thor
oughly agreed with Judge Cornish in
that public libraries should be fine
buildings, and she spoke of the in
| scription over the door of the Boston
Public library, Free to ALL" which
she said should express the spirit of all
public libraries. The first part of her
address was on the topic, Making the
Library a Force in the Community"
| and she said in regard to past condi-
tions, there was day when libra
ries were considered merely as a sort
of storehouSe for books, with the Ii
brarian in the capacity of grim guard
IAN"
She went on to show that at pres
ent the average library is open to any
one who wishes to take advantage of
the works contained in it, with open
shelves. where folks may browse
among the books and select what they
will. She explained a number Of plans
which have been adopted by different
librarieS to advertise and get their
books before the public. She spoke of
one library where she was in charge,
and one of the trustees bought fine
set of books bound in white leather
She demonstrated with him, on ac-
count of the rapidity with which the
books would get soiled, and he re-
marked: why, you don't mean to tell
me that you are going to let the girls
use those books"
She strongly advocated the use of
newspapers as a medium for advert's-
ing the library, and stated that in
many places local papers had a space
reserved each week for the announce
ment of new books in the town or city
library Cooperation with local clubs
is another form of advancing the WORK
Of the library, and she spoke oe her use
Of lhe Wilson Package library in con-
nection with club work. She told the IL
/ brarianS that in a good many places
the library has a table with approprl-
ate and selected books for gifts just
! before Christmas, and said that this
is a fine idea, as many people who
! would otherwise waste time and mon
/, ev on cheap works of fiction can be
! led into buying good books in this
manner Then she spoke of the posi-
bilties which lie in the use of the
moving pictures and of the stereopti-
! con machine in advertising the libra
nv and also spoke of the use OF
| street cars as a medium for advertis-
| ing.
| She stated that sending circulars 70
! people who do not use the library is
| often productive of good results, and
| added that the loaning of books to
prison libraries is also good Wo k. Tor
| among the prisoners there are sure TO
| be some educated men, who will be
| only too glad to get the chance TO lead
! thus afforded. She told Of he" own sys-
| tenn of preparing a model i;Lrary, and
/ said that the Puritanical notion that
| children should read nothing hut the
| Bible on Sunday has to a great extent
| died out Then she told of several of
her own interesting experiences as
| State ORGANIZER of Missouri, AMI OF the
| work and methods employed by libra
rans in many cities. In closing, she
| said that Judge Cornish was right in
| saying that the success of a library
| depends almost entirely upon the Ii
brarian in charge of it.
! Her address was followed by gem
er1l discussion of topics, problems
| and expedients of interest, and sever
al of the members told of their own
methods Of interesting the people in
| their communities.
/ Following the meeting a fine lunch
con was served in the parlors of the
{ Unitarian church, the tables were laid
! for about 40, and the menu consisted
| of cold ham, chicken SALAD. hot rolls,
olives, coffee, ice cream with straw
| berry sauce, and cakes. which were
prepared and served by the following
| young ladies': Misses Ethel Partridge,
! Barbara johnson, Grace Van Allen,
| Dorothy Trask, Helen i3oothby with
Miss Clapp, the local librarian, in
| charge.
| Afternoon Session
| At the afternoon session Miss Mary