Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1924-01-28

Our teachers, our pastors, our
J ministers and our doctors after many
years Of service and ministration in
a community. attain q mellow place
| in the hearts of the citizens. who as
children, they watched over. cared
! for and directed their footsteps along
| lire's highway. Another calling or
| profession could well be placed in the
same category, and that is the libra
rian. In many instances these peo-
pie who have had so much to DO
| with our health, happiness, and edu-
cation, come to reap their richest re-
| ward in the satisfaction of having
served faithfully and to the best OF
their ability and capacity.
Perhaps more than any other OF
the professions named, does the IL
brarian influence the minds and
characters of the children who come
to them for service. and continue to
come for guidance and advice
through the age of adolescence. into
Young manhood and young woman
hood, on through the ripper years OF
, understanding. To these special
Significance will be attached to the
meaning of the title Of Librarian
Emeritus" 1t is indeed a distlng-
uished title. and it is a distinguished
honor to have achieved 1t through
years of patient service of love ana
enthusiasm of ones calling.
The first of next month Miss Julia
M. Clapp after Al years OF contin-
uous service as librarian in Augusta,
will retire as active librarian or the
Lithgow Library, and at her retire
ment will assume the title of "Liba-
Ran Emeritus" Her life has been
taken UP with books, and it would
be impossible to determine the ire
mendous influence that this flne
woman as custodian of the hooks in
the Public library has exertec on
the minds and thoughts. lives and
careers Of Augusta people.
In her nearly half century or
service, Miss Crapp has known the
UNIQUE experience of having the
grandchildren of some of those whom
she aided to select their reading IN
the early years of her service. come
to her for a similar guidance.
Many Amusing Experiences
"Where can 1 find a book about
the life of Benjamin Franklin" rs
there anything about the Einstein
'theory?" what book has in it all
about the French Revolution" and
II want a good love story, with not
too much blood and thunder
Those needs and many thousands, IL
is safe to say, have been answered
by Miss Clapp in her AZ years SER
vices as librarian in Augusta.
A high school boy asked a npfa-
rian for a copy of "Veine and Aden-
ODDS" A search through the books
on physiology failed TO reveal any
such title. He was asked IL he
knew the author and replied, Why,
Shakespeare, I guess" 1t was dis
covered he wanted Venus and Adon-
ia, This is comparable to the wonl-
an who wanted "She Sat in the
wood Box" which was found to be
..The Satinwood Box" BE that as
II may. those are only stories. But
Miss Clapp is as familiar with the
hooks in the Lithgow Library as
mother of big family is of her
brood. She can tell many many
books by their numbers alone.
"Where can I find such and such a
book?" might be the query or an as
sistant. II think you will hnd that
is B-250" and sure enough, she
thinks correctly.
Started Service in Old Water Street
Library
The most interesting part of Miss
Clapp's career as q librarian dates
back to the days of the first library
in the city. She just "happened' to
decide to apply for chance to work
in the library AZ years ago. Then. up
over the Hersey shoe store on Water
street, a collection Of books were
housed in one room. They had been
purchased by the Augusta Library
Association of which James II. Brad
bury was chairman of the Board of
Trustees. The dues to the associa-
ton were two dollars n year, the
money being expended in the pur-
chase of standard books and the best
sellers. The standards of then are
included. of course in the standards of
today. But CHASING among the most
popular fiction, were stories by Mary
Jane, including Tempest and Sun
shine"
When the rosy cheek slip of a
girl went to Mr.. Haynes, then in
charge of the library and applied for
the position, she was accepted with
out parley and told to come in the
next Saturday afternoon. The lib
rary was opened to the public two
afternoons a week, Wednesday and
Saturday. OF course she had con-
suited her father and he had told
her to try her luck.
So the next Saturday afternoon,
bright and early, before many of the