Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-05-16

each other better In the field in which
we know each other the least.
Another South American diplomat to
address the meeting was DR.. Enrique
Olaya, Minister of Colombia.
"A better knowledge of divergent
opinions would be of better Importance
to continental understanding and
peace" DR.. Olaya declared.
He advocated closer relations between
the United States and Latin America
and cited as one of the best means of
effecting this a free interchange of
good books between the countries.
The annual three-day convention Of
the special library association closed
last night at the National Press Club
with program of speeches led by Sem
ator Capper of Kansas and Frederic
j. Haskin, Washington newspaper man.
Senator Capper defended the Senate
against its public critics and suggested
that the librarians could do much to
foster respect for the lawmaking bodies
of the United States.
Modern Facilities Shown.
Contrasting the meager facilities Of
fered by libraries in the small public
schools of 20 years ago with those now
enjoyed by modern institutions, Edith
A. Lathrop, assistant specialist in rural
education, the United Safes Bureau of
Education, this afternoon related to the
school libraries section the gist of her
long observation relative to the devleop-
ment of school libraries over the country.
The speaker cited the instance of a
school where she was teacher 20 years
ago, which was then thought to pro-
vide adequate educational advantages
for $50 pupils.
I'm one corner of the principals Of
fee" the educator continued, was a
bookcase which held the schools entire
library, although this was supplemented
slightly through a small public library
in the town.. Yet this school was ac--
credited by the North Central Associa-
ton OF Colleges and Secondary Schools
and its library facilities met the stand
ard of the association at that time.
Last Fall I visited a typical high
school of the smaller class and found
it equipped with large well-lit library
quarters centrally located in the main
building. The students at this school
had the advantage of doing their read
ing under a competent librarian and
the books and periodicals were adequate
for their needs
The speaker stressed the fact that
libraries are as important as labora-
tories and gymnasiums and that Ii
brarianS are as helpful in guiding the
students as instructors in other
branches of school work She said that
the library standards for small high
schools have been raised steadily for
20 years, although limited building
funds was hampering this growth in
many communities.
Speaker From California.
Other speakers before the school
library section which met at the Will
lard Hotel included Marjorie Van
Dusen of the Belmont High School,
Los Angeles, Calf, chairman; Edith L.
Cook, School of Library Science of the
Western Reserve University of Cleve-
land, and Harriet A. Wood, library
division, State department of education,
Minnesota.
Other meetings which occupied the
2,700 delegates after the mornings gen.
eral session were group of conferences
of the American Association of Law
Libraries at the Washington Hotel and
the college and reference section at
the Library of Congress and the Music
Auditorium. The committee on library
extension was to meet at the audito-
rum also the trustee section of the
American Library Association.
Several other group meetings will be
held tonight in various Washington no.
tells. The final general session of the
convention is set for 10 o'clock Satur-
day morning at the Auditorium, with F.
p. Keppel, president of the Carnegie
Corporation of New York, New York
City, leading the speaking program.
Others who will address the meeting in
clude Everett Dean Martin, the Peoples
Institute, New York City. At this time
the committee on resolutions and the
committee on elections will present
their reports to the convention.