THE AMERICAN LIBRARY JOURNAL. "If such an organization [of Librarians] could be created upon a solid basis without ostentation, and without attempting to achieve too much, some, at all events, of the difficulties which beset appointments, under circumstances such as have been glanced at, would be put in a way of removal. In proportion as the number of Public Libraries shall increase and as the public concern in them shall be broadened, both the means and the desirableness of creating a Librarians' Association will, in all probability, evince themselves. But unless an association bring with it increased means of systematic study, and of public evidence of the fruits of study, no result of much worth can be looked for."-EDWARD EDWARDS. THE THE AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION. BY MELVIL DEWEY. HE interest manifested in the proposed library co-operation is sufficient to satisfy the most sanguine. Evidence from all sides proves that the time is fully come for something to be done. An editorial note on page 178 of the JOURNAL called attention to this subject, and the Constitution reported by the Board is simply another step in the same direction. The satisfactory organization of the Association should take precedence of every thing else, for individuals are backward in urging their plans when there is no authority to which they can be submitted for consideration. Even when brought forward, they amount to little, whatever may be their real excellence, because of the need of official approval. An equally important service will be rendered by this tribunal in pointing out worthless propositions before time and labor are wasted in trying what has been repeatedly found without value. Here again individuals hesitate to come forward and demonstrate the folly of the crude ideas submitted and zealously supported by those of little actual experience. There are scores of matters already broached, all of them worthy the examination and attention of the Library Association. But until the organiVOL. I., No. 7. zation is perfected, and some one has the authority to appoint committees and divide the work, each waits for the other, and while all are anxious to have something done, comparatively few feel at liberty to do any thing. We have had the Conference, and it was a success beyond all that its most sanguine friends had hoped. If there were those who doubted the necessity of a library organization, their doubts vanished after those three days of earnest and profitable labor, and there was established the American Library Association. The next thing of importance is agreement on a constitution under which to work, and after due consultation that is now adopted. The interest had to be developed—of the profession and of the public. The Government Report, the establishment of the JourNAL, the Conference, the permanent organization, the preparation and adoption of a constitution-all these things have taken time and deserved it, are done and well done. The necessary preliminaries are finished, and we are ready for actual work. One of the oldest living librarians recently said, in reviewing the year," Through all coming time 1876 will be looked upon as the most eventful year in the history of 31 libraries the year in which the librarian fairly claimed and received at the hands of the public his place among the recognized professions." Something of this feeling has spread, not through this country alone, but in nearly all countries a new interest and activity in library matters is noted. It has been the proud fortune of America to lead in this movement, and the best informed of other countries are frank to say that they have much to learn on this side the Atlantic. The result of this interest is naturally a large number of new ideas and suggestions from those experienced, and from those little versed, in the technicalities of library work. It is no small part of the work of the Association to control this interest and to guide it into profitable channels. For a time much attention must be given to details, and only a librarian appreciates the importance of library details. Most of these, once fairly settled, will require little, if any, more attention, and, when fairly out of the way, the Association will have opportunity to attempt that work which to the public will seem more important and profitable. But we cannot build the house until we have made the bricks, for they are not ready to our hands. The problem before us is briefly this: to make the libraries better their expenses less. If the average voter cannot be made to understand the importance of improvement, he is very susceptible to arguments in favor of economy, and the proposed work receives the most cordial endorsement of practical men. As much uniformity as is consistent among the differently constituted libraries is a necessity for the full measure of economy; the present extravagance is almost entirely in doing things by ones, instead of by thousands, and the possibility of labor-saving in cataloguing and money-saving in supplies is conditional upon the degree of uniformity in methods and appliances. If no two libraries use the same size catalogue card, it will be difficult to devise any system of co-operative cataloguing applicable to all alike, and it will be wholly impossible to make the cards by the hundred thousand, and thus reduce their cost one half. There are several hundred different blanks and appliances already sent in as contributions to the Bibliothecal Museum. Many of these are of exceeding convenience, and help materially in the satisfactory and economical administration of both large and small libraries. If they could be obtained of the most approved patterns and at the lowest. possible cost, it would be desirable to use them in many places where it is not desirable for the librarian to spend the amount of money and time necessary to devise and superintend the making of the few that he himself needs. A competent committee on supplies could do some exceedingly valuable work for the Association by carefully comparing the great variety in use, selecting the best models for all needed purposes, reporting them as standards, and then securing, as could easily be done, their manufacture in large quantities, so that they could be distributed to all libraries desiring, at a much lower price than they could otherwise be obtained. The advertising value of such supplies to any book house competing for library trade would induce it to furnish them at a trifling advance on the wholesale cost of manufacture; or should there be objections to this plan, offers have already been made by prominent and responsible parties to make needed library supplies under direction of a committee of the Association, and to hold them in stock subject to the orders of the committee, who may pay for them as fast as distributed to participating libraries. It would thus be possible for a Supply Committee to carry on this work without drawing on the Association for capital or support, and still the whole matter would be under the control of the Association. Without discussing details, it is evident that there is opportunity for a material saving in one considerable factory system of each entirely for himself. item of library expense. The catalogue In addition to the direct saving in money, cards, call slips, special blank books, no- such a series of standard supplies would tices, borrowers' cards, placards (many ap- assist a young librarian very materially in ply equally to all libraries), ledgers, slip adopting the best methods, besides tending boxes, devices for holding books upright, largely to secure uniformity in other matlibrary trundles, steps, indicators, check ters. The Supply Committee, if it do vigboxes, etc., etc., while costing comparatively orous work, can effect a substantial saving little to any one, amount to a very large in money and patience to all the profession. sum when many libraries or a number of At the first it will be no little labor, but, years are considered, for many of the sup- once done, the standing committee will have plies named from their nature require con- simply to consider actual improvements stant replenishing. worthy adoption, and to keep the plan in repair. The proposed saving should not be confounded with Co-operation in the ordinary sense, which is simply a device for reducing the cost of getting articles from producer to consumer, without paying too much to middlemen. Library supplies are hardly any of them in the ordinary market, but are things made to special order. Such co-operation will conflict little with any established business. In each town some stationer, carpenter, and jack-of-all-trades may miss an occasional job of "puttering up something for the library;" but heretofore it has been about as practicable to make the supplies in quantity for all the libraries as it would have been to make the false teeth for an entire commonwealth from a single mould. Every thing had to be fitted to its special destination. While the field is not large enough to bring in capital and competition so that what is wanted can be secured, like the necessities of life, at a simple living profit above cost, the field is altogether too large to continue the wasteful and unsatis Similar foundation work must be done by other competent committees, so that uniformity of some kind may be established in regard to a code of library abbreviations, capitals in cataloguing, preparation of titles; in fact, the foundation will only be laid when the Association has given suitable attention to all these matters, and recommended to its members for uniform use what seems to be the best. Then we can intelligently and with some hope of success enter upon measures for co-operative cataloguing and indexing, and important bibliographical or bibliothecal works. At present the diversity in details is so great, that it is a serious impediment to progress in these more important matters. Then with these details properly disposed of, we shall be ready to grapple directly with the main problem-the education of the masses through the libraries, by securing the best reading for the largest number at the least expense. THIS REFERENCE BOOKS IN ENGLISH. BY JUSTIN WINSOR. HIS for a list to equip a small library in a way that will equally serve the public and assist the librarian in his duties. Each can choose between the alternatives according to funds and fancy. I. Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, in more respects superior than inferior to Worcester, which may be preferred in some instances of spelling and pronunciation. The smaller editions are makeshifts, and I would not advise their purchase, unless under an enforced economy. II. Keith Johnston's or Black's Atlas, each costly, and the best for the world at large; but better for America are A. J. Johnson's, Mitchell's, and Colton's, and they cost less. If you have classical students among your patrons, Smith's Ancient Atlas, though expensive, will not be amiss. III. Appleton's" American Cyclopædia" is better illustrated and stronger on American topics than Chambers', which costs, however, a good deal less, and is very serviceable. Johnson's Cyclopædia is its leading rival. Zell's "Popular Encyclopædia" is more compact, and costs still less. I would not advise a subscription to the new edition of the "Encyclopædia Britannica" unless your library is a large one. IV. Haydn's "Dictionary of Dates," Harpers' edition; but Putnam's "World's Progress" costs less money. The English edition of Haydn, lacking, however, the adaptability for American readers of the Harpers' revision, is brought down nearly to date; and Townsend's "Manual of Dates" may stand for a good alternative. Woodward and Cate's "Encyclopædia of Chronology" condenses a great deal of biographical as well as historical dateknowledge. Of less cost is Bond's convenient" Handy Book for Verifying Dates." Blair's "Chronological Tables" gives parallel summaries of events, while the same matter is put into an alphabet of items in Rosse's "Index of Dates"-together a useful means of commanding general chronology. V. Allibone's "Dictionary of English and American Authors," alphabetically arranged, may be supplemented for chronological order by Chambers' "Cyclopædia of English Literature," and Duyckinck's "Cyclopædia of American Literature." For less costly books substitute Underwood's "American Authors" and "British Authors," or some of the manuals, like Shaw's, Hart's, and Angus'. VI. For making lists of books to purchase, use Bohn's edition of Lowndes' "Bibliographer's Manual," with Low & Co.'s "English Catalogue," 1835-71, and Annual Supplements and Index of Subjects, for English books, if you have the money to buy systematically. For American books you will get equivalent help in the American Catalogue of Roorbach and Kelly, if you can afford the money to buy them, and the time to find a complete set; but you will probably do best to trust the Publishers' Trade List Annual, for books in print, till the new American Catalogue, announced by Mr. Leypoldt, is ready. Still, for quick reference and ordinary purchases of American and English books, Perkins' "Best Reading" will answer every purpose. VII. For universal biography Thomas' "Dictionary of Biography and Mythology" is the best, supplemented for living and less known Americans by Drake's "Dictionary of American Biography." Phillips' "Dictionary of Biographical Reference" is good for following up search in other cyclopædias. VIII. To elucidate references and allusions, you will be well provided if you choose Bartlett's "Familiar Quotations," with a capital catchword index. Wheeler's "Noted Names of Fiction," but if you have Webster's "Unabridged," you get it in a less extensive form in an appendix. Brewer's Phrase and Fable," which borrows largely from Wheeler, but complements it somewhat. Clarke's "Concordance to Shakespeare." Cruden's "Concordance to the Bible." Smith's Dictionaries of Greek and Roman Antiquities, Biography, Mythology, and Geography, if they can be afforded; if not, substitute his general "Classical Dictionary." Lippincott's "Gazetteer," not brought down to date and not near as satisfactory |