Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-09-12

lied largely by specialists in different
| lines. The trade unions now require
their members to study professionally
and report back on the work. Mem
bers of the carpenters union have
been patrons. Government depart
ment clerks and chiefs come here for
advice, and often the librarian has
saved these readers a considerable ex-
pense. The officer in charge is Miss
Ruth Todd.
Lately, at an industrial exhibit. a
real estate firm was discussing the
| purchase Of a set of books costing
about $3.50, when the librarian, with
an exhibit next to theirs, overhead
them and was able to supply them
from the library. Readers are often
so grateful for the help cheerfully
| given here that they return to thank
the librarian, adding that money really
could not pay for it.
| In the periodical room, on the first
floor, Miss Emma Hance is in charge.
A great variety of induces are main
| tanned here, to give full information
as to current literature, especially
| magazine articles on timely subjects
| The drama catalogue is particularly
valuable. Adjoining this room is the
! Office Of Miss Katharine Patten, who
handles the reference work. For years
she has collected every printed scrap
| of information about Washington.
reading The Star and other news.
| papers daily for such articles, which
| nave been clipped and bound in vol
umes, yearly becoming more useful
and entertaining to those who seek
such material for historical writing or
| addresses. The story Of the Washing
ton Monument. the women of the
White House, the Rambler letters and
many others fill large, carefully in.
dexed books of clippings.
"A bindery department is also in
the Library for the rebuilding and
renovation of books. This is in the
main building. already overlooking
with crowded rows of stacks bevond
the reading rooms
BRANCH libraries are located in
different parts Of the city, at
Mount Pleasant, Takoma Park. in
the Southeast and elsewhere. They
are all we'll patronized, as shown by
photographs of the children's rooms.
Miss Marjorie Quigley. head of the
| Mount Pleasa Branch Library, is
| the author of new book, Etiquette
, Junior offering practical informa-
! ton on manners and social customs
to high school boys and girls.
The art department of the Public
Library is under the direction Of Miss
Dorothy Stokes The collection in
| >ludes more than 81 900 attractively
mounted pictures and an even larger
number of unmounted ones. These
have been derived largely from illus
trated magazines and books discarded
| by the library, but'a few sets have
been bought. No special appropria-
! ton has been made for this work
! although it would seem quite worthy
! Of a fund. The pictures are care
fully arranged in filing cabinets, ac-
cording to subject or artist, and may
be borrowed by schools or individuals
! The circulation was more than
10000 last year
| Sunday school teachers often call
for the Biblical material. which adds
! much to the lessons. whether from
! the Old or the New Testament Eng
lish and American literature are well
| illustrated in this department, as are
geography and history, filling the
! two largest files.
! Commercial artists or advertisers
frequently come for pictures, as do
/ the newspapers. Sometimes these are
! hurry calls over the telephone, fol-
| lowed shortly by a painting messen-
; ger, in haste 20 get the picture Il
to his paper for reproduction in the
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