The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1918-02-13
Management Will Be Placed
on a Basis of Modern
Efficiency
OUTLINE OF THE
CHANGES PROPOSED
Gua1antors' Certificates No Longer to
Be Required-New Charging System
to Be Observation-Disclosures Possible
Use of Library Invited.


The forthcoming annual town re-
port will contain an announcement by
the trustees Of the Brattleboro Free
Library of important changes which
are TO be made in the library $ general
management and routine work. While
the library s work has always been
well done, its growth has been such in
recent years that the trustees have felt
that, in order to give the people n full
equivalent in service for the money
spent, changes in methods ought TO lee
made which would place the library 5
management on a basis of modern eff
cheney
The present time seemed to be ia
vorable for making these changes, and
as q preliminary step the services and
advice Of Miss Rebecca w. Wright of
Montpelier We're secured early in Jan
nary. Miss Wright, who is a trained
and experienced librarian. was for sew
eral years the secretary of the Vermont
Free Library Commission and is widely
known as an expert in library manage
ment. That her services could be had
was rare good fortune. She came to
Brattleboro on the 14th of January
and spent two weeks, when, with the
ready help of Miss Florence Pratt, act
ing librarian, and her assistants, a large
amount of preliminary work was ac-
complished. Early in February Miss
Wright returned for another week. when
equally efficient work was done and
the way was prepared for the modern
methods which new librarian is ex-
pected to take up and carry forward
early in March Briefly stated. this
IS the work so far done:
Upwards Of 1000 worn-out and m
used books have been taken from t:,e
shelves and disposed of and room has
thus been made for re-arrangement of
books in regular use
As beginning in this direction the
hction, both adult and juvenile. has
been arranged alphabetically bv au-
thorS, and the biography has been sep
arated into collections and arranged al
phabetieally by lives of persons Tie
advantage of this arrangement for ease
OF hndlng any book wanted is readily
apparent.
Books in the alcove OF Juveniles have
been re-arranged with special refer
enee 10 the convenience of the Younger
children. Other work of similar char
acter will be done as time permits.
The most important changes of
methods in doing the lbrarv's work
will be these:
All persons taking books from the
library viii sign registration cards,
providing in this way complete list OF
the library = borrowers
Guarantor : certificates signed bv
member Of the board of trustees will
no longer be required, but all books will
be loaned in the discretion of the libra
rian.
A new charging system for books
borrowed will be introduced uae
has already been begun-under which
borrowers individual cards will be
done away with, and books will be
charged on permanent book slips under
the date when they are due to be re-
turned. This is a change which all
users Of the library will especially ap
preciate
A radical new departure will be that
OF changing the age when children NAV
begin taking out books for themselves
from II years old to = The children
VIII thus be given the use of the Ii
orary as soon as they can read. and
thelr taste for reading will be rightly
directed. Attractive books for these
Younger readers have already been
bought, and the ready cooperation of
the mothers in the wise use of this priv
llege IS confidently expected.
In due time the alphabetical card
catalogue will be revised and arranged
N one alphabet like the names in a tele-
phone directory. The advantage of sucb
an arrangement for finding any title
Is self-evident.
All these changes, it will readily be
seen, are intended to promote the con
venlenee of the library users. and TO
invite the widest possible use of its
privileges Besides the essential nre-
IAnlnary changes here enumerated Miss
wright has made many valuable sle-
8estlons OF ways and means by which
the library s usefulness may be great
y extended and the institution be made
more and more an active factor in onr
community life.
MISS Edith /. Wright, who has been
engaged to take charge of the library
under its new departure, began her
lprary work in her home town of
springfield (Nt.). From Springfield
'he went to the Free Public Library
commission of Vermont as first assist.
ant, remaining upwards of two wears
-,