newspaper clippings on the subject of emblems closer relations with the young people of the and devices, making the total number of vol-city; and this is brought about, to a great extent, umes or cases 74. Large additions have, as usual, been made to the pamphlet collection; they will be rearranged under subjects as rapidly as time permits. The collection of maps has been increased by donations from the United States Geological Survey and the War Depart ment and from other sources. by the distribution of readers' tickets among the pupils of the public schools. The number of tickets so distributed has recently been raised to 1000, and generally speaking there is excellent use made of them. More and more of the teachers in the schools are interesting themselves in the guidance of the reading of their pupils, and the "The alterations to the building, commenced effect is unquestionably stimulating in several in March, 1894, were not entirely completed ways. So long as Buffalo has no free public liuntil the last of December. The foundations brary from which books can be drawn for home were strengthened and increased, the wooden reading-or none beyond the meagre school licolumns and girders from the first floor to the braries which the state has given to it, and on ro of taken out and replaced by those of steel. which it expends nothing from its own funds The large room on the first floor, formerly used these school tickets are a most important conas the reading-room, has been fitted up with tribution to the educational system of the city. bookcases, delivery-desk, card catalogs, etc., | They go a little way towards redeeming us from and is now the book delivery room. The read- the discredit in which we stand, as being very ing-room has been removed to the west side of nearly the only city in America which does not the second story, the newspaper-room occupy-support a collection of books for free public use." ing the space formerly used for the book delivery department in the front of the building. The lights have been readjusted on this floor as well as on the first story, and as the floors of the reading-rooms and of the reference hall have been covered with linoleum laid over carpet lining, the rooms are much more quiet than was formerly possible. The special collection of books forming the reading-room library has been shelved in the alcoves and on the west side of the present reading-room. The classes of books most in request have been placed on the first floor near the delivery-desk. Fiction, travels, biography, and music are here, aggregating 54,000 vs., while the remainder of the library has been readjusted to the best advantage in the additional space thus gained in the shelfroom of the second and third floors. The stowage capacity of the library has been increased by the alteration from 150,000 to 200,000 vs." Brooklyn N. Y. Pratt Institute F. L. The library and library training class of the institute are briefly described in an article on "The Pratt Institute," by J. F: Hopkins, in the New England Magazine for September; it contains illustrations of the main building, of the reference-room and reading-room, and a portrait of Miss Healy, the director of libraries. Buffalo (N. Y.) L. (59th rpt.) Added 3978; total 77.046. Issued, home use 128,222 (fict. .6055%; juv. .1052%); ref. use 39.582. New members 588; total membership 1619. Receipts $18,159.66; expenses $17,140.27. (3282 v. were bought at a cost of $5066.24.) The chairman of the library committee also takes up the subject of a free library and says: "It is an interesting question as to whether the citizens of Buffalo should remain satisfied with their library advantages since there is no public library in the city for the free withdrawal of books. Cleveland, Detroit, Toronto, Milwaukee, Cincinnati, San Francisco, Newark, and many other American cities, have such libraries which are supported by large municipal appropriations. In Buffalo the only free public libraries from which books may be drawn are the public school libraries which are used extensively by the pupils, the number of withdrawals from them being over 95,000. The circulation of the Buffalo Library in the past year was 128,222, making, therefore, a total for the city of over 223,000. It is evident from these figures that there is scope in Buffalo for a library permitting the free withdrawal of books. It is very questionable whether it would be wise for the Buffalo Library to surrender its management to municipal control, but it may be well that some arrangement might be made by which the institution should have a semipublic character, and furnish the city with the practical benefits of a free public library for withdrawal of books under restrictions as to class of books to be so drawn, and granting additional privileges to paying members. Buffalo should no longer remain behind her sister cities in a matter so important as this, and we offer these suggestions hoping that the subject will receive consideration in the near future." The increase in home and reference use has decided to raise funds for a new library building Des Moines (Ia.) P. L. The city council has been very large, the former being nearly 10,000 by making a levy of three mills on the $16,500,over the previous year. "In fact, the use of 000 of taxable property in the city. This will the library for purposes of reference and study is growing far beyond all that could have been produce about $45,000 with which to purchase a site and procure plans; a further levy is planned expected a few years ago, and it is not improbable that the dimensions of the reading-needed new quarters for several years past, to raise money for building. The library has rooms, which seemed ample when the building its work being seriously hampered by lack of was planned, will be found inadequate at some day not distant." Mr. Larned says: "I am pleased to say that every year brings the library into larger and space. Evanston (III.) F. P. L. (Rpt.) Added 1390; total 13,968; issued 52,435 (fict. 25,845); new cards issued 464; total registration 1718. Receipts $6682.63; expenses $6666.36. Hampton (Ia.) P. L. Added 240; total 1006; issued 5763; no. visitors 8621. Receipts $434.28; expenses $433.33. Hartford, Ct. Silas Bronson L. The library received, early in August, a collection of 16c0 mineralogical specimens, to be the nucleus of a museum of natural history. The collection was mostly obtained at the World's Fair, and was arranged by Dr. E. O. Hovey, of the Museum of Natural History, New York City. It was given to the library by Cornelius Tracy and several other persons whose names are not made public. Heath, Mass. At a town meeting on July 27 it was voted to erect a public library building within a year from September 1, 1895. A committee was appointed to obtain a site, select plans, and superintend erection. A bequest of $500 was left to the town in 1893 for the erection of a library building, on condition that the town erect the building within five years of the donor's death. A site has not yet been decided upon. Hoboken (N. J.) P. L. Plans for the new library building were selected on August 6. Out of nine drawings submitted, three received final consideration. The plans chosen were drawn by Albert Beyer, a local architect, and call for an ornate four-story and basement structure of stone and brick, with pinnacles, clock-tower, and much ornamental work. The loan and stack rooms are on the first floor, space and light being somewhat sacrificed to a large and imposing entrance. On the second floor are the librarians' and trustees' rooms, catalogers' room, and reference-room; the third floor is devoted to the general reading-room, and the basement contains storage and receiving rooms. An L is devoted to the manual training school, which, according to the wishes of the Stevens family, who have given $26,000 to the building, is to be housed under the same roof as the library. The new building is estimated to cost about $50,000. The two architects whose plans were disregarded have entered a protest as to the action of the trustees, who in advertising for plans stated that the final competition would be decided by an expert architect, and then did not submit the drawings to any outside authority, but chose Mr. Beyer's plans at a meeting attended only by the members of the board. Indianola (Ia.) P. L. The board met and organized under the new library law on August 3, 1894, at which time the library contained 2679 v. In August, 1895, it contains 2929 v., including 585 v. of public documents. The total number of visitors for the year is 25,875. No record of home circulation is given, but it is probably insignificant, as a charge of 10 cents is made for each book taken from the library. Iowa libraries. An "Iowa library column" is an interesting feature of the Daily Iowa Capital, of Fort Dodge, Ia. It is conducted by W. H. Johnson, of Fort Dodge, and is published monthly in the Capital. The column is devoted to the monthly and annual reports of the libiaries of the state, and to items of interest coninterest in library work" throughout Iowa. cerning them, "for the purpose of promoting an Le Mars (la.) P. L. Added 347; total 3065; $1619.16; expenses $884.80. There are 25 periissued 17,240; new cardholders 348. Receipts odicals on file in the reading-room. Lawrence (Mass.) F. P. L. (23d 1pt.) Added 1251; total 37,999. Issued, home use 124,254 │(fict. 42.4%; juv. 33.7%); visitors to ref. room 8957. New cardholders 989; total registration 7184. Receipts $11,009.12; expenses $11,009.12; the appropriation for 1894 was overdrawn $1547.43, owing to the introduction of electric lighting. Work with the schools has been continued, and on 121 teachers' cards 2038 books have been issued. The librarian has found that many of these books are subjected to unnecessarily severe usage, and he thinks that teachers should be held strictly accountable "for all unnecessary wear and tear of books committed to their charge"; he also deprecates the use of fiction on teachers' cards. A duplicate card catalog is now in preparation. The library possesses no printed catalog. bulletins, containing works in the library re"There have been 11 special lists printed in the lating to the useful arts. Two or three more such lists will complete the subject, ard then it log, consolidating these lists, in order that all would be a good plan to publish a special cataworks on the industrial arts the library contains. who are interested may know at a glance what We have a manuscript catalog of fiction and invenile literature, brought up to date, which it would pay to print, and sell at a small sum per follow, until we should virtually have a classified copy. Other special finding-lists might in time catalog of the whole library." Macon (Ga.) P. L. According to the last report presented by the librarian, the library is ta last self-supporting. Within the past few months the membership has increased from 188 to 276, and the circulation for July was 1136, as against 605 in March. The interest on the building debt is now the only obligation to be met by the library, and this it is proposed to raise by subscription. Minneapolis (Minn.) P. L. The South Side branch of the library was reopened on August 7, in new and attractive quarters. The branch occupies the first floor of a corner building on Franklin avenue, and consists of reading-room, newspaper-room, library-room, the latter divi ded into book-room and delivery-room, and toilet-rooms. Reading tables and chairs for children are arranged in the delivery-room. The branch contains about 4000 v., exclusive of reference books; of these, 1700 are printed in some of the three Scandinavian languages, and 100 are in Welsh. $500 was recently appropriated to the collection at this branch. for the purchase of English fiction, to be added New Orleans (La.) City L. Plans have been submitted for the new city library, which it is pro The was 4495 volumes. The books so issued are read not only by the pupils, but also in a great number of cases, as reported by the children, they are read with avidity by the pupils' parents, who thus derive advantage from the library brought more nearly within reach. "The work of revising and enlarging our system of classification has gone on steadily during the year, and we hope to complete the work easily during the coming 12 months. The number of new cards already in place in the drawers of the subject catalog now exceeds 18,000." posed to establish in St. Patrick's Hall. building, which for some years past has been used as a criminal court, is to be altered by the removal of partitions, so as to form a large main hall, surrounded by a gallery with alcoves for study; it will be thoroughly refitted and furnished, and will house the present library now in the city hall, and probably the Fiske collection, formerly in the possession of Tulane University. It is possible that provision may be made for a more adequate support by the city. New York P. L.-Astor, Lenox, and Tilden Foundations. Securities and other property valued at about $2,000,000 have been turned over by the trustees of the Tilden estate to Edward King, treasurer of the recently consolidated New York Public Library. The endowment funds of the Lenox and Astor libraries were some time since placed in Mr. King's hands, and active arrangements for the organiza-Chicago. The building will be three stories and tion of the library will soon be under way. New York libraries. The New York State Library bulletin "Public libraries, no. 3," June, 1895, is devoted to "Statistics of New York libraries for 1894." It is similar in plan and arrangement to the bulletin of the same name for 1893, but brings the record of library progress down to June, 1894. Full statistical tables show the condition of 475 libraries registered by the university, and of 225 libraries that are unregistered; information as to name of librarian, number of volumes, home and reference use, endowment, ownership, terms of use, etc., is given. The record for the year includes new libraries established, gifts and bequests, new buildings erected or in process of erection, changes in administration, and improvements in arrangement and cataloging. New York State L. The Abell investigating committee, appointed by the legislature to examine the civil service system and the Regents' office of the state university, devoted several days early in August to an investigation of the administration of the state library and of Mr. Dewey's work as secretary of the Regents. A series of charges which had been preferred against Mr. Dewey, alleging his use of his position for personal purposes, were disposed of by him in detail at the committee session of August 10. He explained the library work of the university, the system of travelling, libraries, the methods of the library school and the various departments under his charge, and demonstrated that the Regents were, at the present time, doing more work with $25,000 for public library purposes than was done previous to two years ago, when $55,000 was the annual appropriation for distribution pro rata among the public libraries of the state. Peoria (Ill.) P. L. (38th rpt.) Added 3062; total 52,821. Issued, home use 136,083 (fict. 45.85%; juv. 26.03 %); lost and pd. for 21; no record of ref. use. New cardholders 2932; total registration 5715. Receipts $14,817.26; expenses $14,764.98. "The total issue from the Garfield, Sumner, and Lee schools, which from October to June each year serve to some extent as branch libraries, Mr. Wilcox gives a short history of the library from its organization in 1855 as the Peoria City Library, apropos of the new building, the contract for which was signed on July 10. Work on the building has already begun. Bids were submitted in competition, the successful architects being Richardson & Salter, of basement in height, 87 x 135 feet, costing, it is estimated, $75,000. The first story will be of Stone, and the others of sand brick. The roof will be a hip-roof of slate and the building will be provided with all modern conveniences. The main entrance will be through a large vestibule to be devoted to the uses of the Peoria Scientific and hallway. To the right is a room, 65 x 25, Association, which for more than two years has been without a home. To the left of this room are the rooms of the city superintendent of schools, the board of school inspectors, the bindery, and the unpacking rooms. On the second floor are to be the directors' room, the librarian's office, a large readingroom, the newspaper department, catalogingroom, and cloak-room, the women's readingroom, the delivery-desk, and the stack-room. Then there are the general reading-room and the attendant's work-room. On the third floor will be a study-room, patent-room, two classrooms and stack-room, also an art gallery. The building will probably be completed this year, and it is the intention of the authorities to at once greatly increase the number of books. Philadelphia. Univ. of Pennsylvania L. The library of the university has recently been enriched by the purchase of the library of the late Prof. Beckstein, of the University of Rostock. The collection is noted especially for its full sets of German philological journals and periodicals, its reference books, and its many works in ethnography, philology, archæology, etc.; it contains about 15,000 volumes and pamphlets. Rochester, N. Y. Reynolds L. The work of removing the library from its old quarters to its new building is now in progress. The new home of the library is the old Reynolds homestead, which has been thoroughly refitted for the purpose. On the first floor all the partitions which divided the main body of the house into four rooms have been removed and the whole space turned into a reading-room. A large bay-window occupies the place of the former front door, and the windows have been walled up, leaving a series of square windows near the ceiling, which admit abundant light and do not interfere with the bookcases ranged round the wall. This room will contain the reference collection, of some 3000 volumes, which will be shelved along the sides, classified and accessible; it will also contain the office of the reference librarian, Mr. Bowerman. Back of the reference-room is the main hall, connecting with the delivery-room. At the right is one stack-room, with a book capacity of 20,000 v.; a similar stack-room is in the floor above. On the second floor also is the cataloger's room, a room for special study, and a lecture-room for societies or clubs. The third floor is to be occupied by the Rochester Historical Society. The building has been made as nearly fireproof as possible, and in fitting and arrangement everything has been done to meet the needs of the library. South Orange (N. J.) F. P. C. L. (9th rpt.) Added 468; total 4331. Issued, home use 19,118; visitors to reading-room 13,606. New cardholders 239; total registration 1077. dent Cleveland. The investigation into Mr. Spofford's accounts has, it is said, revealed a deficit of about $35,000 in the pay-roll, copyright, and search-fee accounts. No official information on the subject has been given out from the Treasury department, and Mr. Spofford, in a recent statement, repeats his former assertion that the shortage is due simply to overpressure of work, lack of adequate force, and careless methods. This view seems to be the generally accepted one, and Mr. Spofford, in press comments on the matter, is accused of blamable carelessness and bad management, but not of intentional wrong-doing. Westerly (R. I.) P. L. On August 17 the library completed its first year of work. During that time the 5000 v. on its shelves have been increased by 2000 more, the greater part of which were gifts. About 1600 v. are still to be cataloged, but these are roughly classed and not withheld from circulation. About 30 magazines are on file in the reading-room. There are, at the close of the year, 1358 cardholders; the circulation for the period was 26,905 (fict. and juv. 23,747), and the estimated use of books in the There has been a most gratifying increase in the use and appreciation of the library; most encouraging of all has been the interest shown by the children, who have contributed $113 for the purchase of juvenile books and $40.73 to be added to the building fund. Both these contri-reading-room was 6000. butions were unsolicited, and the entertainments, by which the money was obtained, were planned and carried out by the children themselves." On November 28 the trustees were offered a site for a new library by Eugene V. Connett, on condition that $7500 be raised as a building fund. This offer was accepted and the sum of $7000 has already been raised for the purpose. The library was in 1893 granted $300 by the town, but this has not been continued and its support is derived chiefly from gifts, proceeds of entertainments, etc. Troy (N. Y.) Y. M. A. L. A. The fine me morial window, given to the library by Mrs. W: Howard Hart, of Troy, as a memorial of her late husband, is described and illustrated in the September issue of The Bookbuyer. The window, which was designed by F: Wilson and executed by the Tiffany Glass Co., " represents an interesting scene in the printing-office of Aldus, on the 22d of August, in the year 1502. when the printer exhibited to the Doge Leonardo Loredan the first pages of the eight-volume edition of the Terza Rima' of Dante. The artist assumed that upon that occasion there were present the artist Francesco Francia, who designed and engraved the type; Bembo, who edited the work; and Alberto Pio, whose money enabled Aldus to issue this, the first popular edition of Italy's great poet. All the personages represented appear to have been drawn from portraits, while the details of costume and architecture are uniformly correct." Washington, D. C. Congressional L. On August 22 A. R. Spofford, librarian of the Congressional Library, whose accounts are in process of investigation by the Treasury department, transferred to the Treasury of the U. S. $22,000 from his private funds, in settlement of the shortage said to exist in the pay-roll accounts of the library. The money was not accepted, and the matter now rests with Presi- | FOREIGN. Battersea (Eng.) P. Ls. (8th rpt.) Added 1479; total 34,460 (ref. 9961). Issued 296,519 (ref. 20,753). Receipts £4295 16s. 10d.; expenses £3312 14s. 4d. Leeds (Eng.) F. P. L. (25th rpt.) Added 6355 (ref. 1. 2058); total 189,362 (ref. 1. 49,039). Issued, home use 893,798 (fict. 481,656); ref. use 145,114; no. borrowers 29,088. delivered in the art gallery on "Art,' sional men." Besides the central lending library and the reference library, there are 22 branch libraries in operation. London, Eng. An association for assistant librarians has been formed in London, having for its objects the promotion of the social and intellectual interests and professional efficiency of its members. It is intended to unite all persons engaged in library work other than chief librarians. Gifts and Bequests. Portland (Ct.) Town L. The directors of the library recently received from Horace R. Buck, of Worcester, Mass., an offer of $2000 for the library, on condition that the name be changed to the Horace R. Buck Library. The offer was accepted on July 10, and an addition to the present building will be constructed. The library contains at present about 800 v. Librarians. ARNOLD, Edwin C., librarian of the Taunton (Mass.) Public Library, resigned that position on August 2, his resignation to take effect October I. Mr. Arnold has been librarian of the Taunton Public Library for the past 20 years, and in accepting his resignation the trustees passed resolutions expressing their full appreciation of his work. ATKINSON, J: D., librarian of the Seattle (Wash.) Public Library, resigned his position July 27, his resignation going into effect September 1. BANKS, Mrs. Martha H. G., of Newark, N. J., a graduate of the New York State Library School, has been engaged to assist in the recataloging and reclassification of the Springfield (Mass.) City Library, necessitated by the alterations of arrangement and shelving now in progress. The fixed location numbering heretofore used in the library is to be replaced by a modified Cutter system. CUTLER, Louisa S. The following resolutions on the recent death of Miss Louisa S. Cutler, were adopted by the trustees of the Utica (N. Y.) Public Library on August 16: "The trustees of the Utica Public Library announce with feelings of deep regret the sudden death of Miss Louisa S. Cutler, who within a day or two before her death was in the discharge of her duties as chief librarian; and who has, ever since the organization of this library, been its principal manager. "Coming to this position in November, 1893, after thorough preparation under the most experienced teachers, highly educated and very enthusiastic in everything relating to books, it is largely owing to her ability, constant care, tact and good judgment, that in the brief years of its existence we have been able to achieve so great success, which has tended so largely to increase the usefulness of this library. "The Board of Trustees deem it fitting that there should be spread upon the minutes an expression of our high regard for the character and abilities of Miss Cutler; therefore be it Resolved, That in the death of Miss Louisa S. Cutler we have sustained a loss that seems to be irreparable: possessing as she did in a remarkable degree, executive ability in the arrangement of her duties; organizing and classifying the different departments in such a way that all worked in perfect harmony; at the same time meeting most fully the wants of all classes and conditions of those who availed themselves of the privileges of the library. "Courteous, obliging, and always kind, she impressed upon every visitor, by her culture, familiarity with everything connected with books and their arrangement, a remarkable knowledge of their contents, and their use to best advantage by every student. "The catalogs and finding-lists prepared under her supervision are models of convenience, the almost daily use of which brings to the mind of every visitor an appreciation of her service and her acquirements. While her death will prove to the general public a great loss, to the members of this board it will be a personal grief. "Resolved, That a copy of this minute be sent to the family of Miss Cutler by the secretary, with an expression of our sincere sympathy for their loss by this be reavement. "J. G. GIBSON, "R. S. WILLIAMS, "H. S. MOORE, "Committee." CRANE, Joshua E., of Bridgewater, Mass., has been appointed librarian of the Taunton (Mass.) Public Library, succeeding E. C. Arnold, resigned. Mr. Crane is a graduate of Brown University, a teacher of considerable experience, and a member of the Old Colony Historical Society. EASTMAN, Miss Linda A., assistant librarian of the Cleveland (O.) Public Library, has been appointed assistant librarian and cataloger of the Dayton (O.) Public Library. Miss Eastman has been connected with the Cleveland Public Library for the past three years, and for some time past has been in charge of the Niles avenue branch of the library. HOPKINS, Anderson Hoyt, assistant librarian of the general library of the University of Michigan, has been appointed assistant libraChicago. Mr. Hopkins was born in Carroll rian of the John Crerar Scientific Library, of County, Michigan, in 1861. He entered the University of Michigan with the class of 1887 and slowly worked his way through college. For some time he was assistant to the professor of physics in the Ann Arbor High School, and for the past eight years he has been assistant librarian of the university library, having especial charge of the cataloging. He has made a study of the general subject of library administration, and was to have read a paper on "A handbook of library economy" at the Denver Conference of the A. L. A., but was unable to attend that meeting. SAUNDERS, Frederick, librarian of the Astor Library, celebrated his 88th birthday on August 14. Mr. Saunders has been connected with the Astor Library for 36 years, having been appointed assistant librarian in 1859 and librarian in 1876, and he is still active and energetic in its management. He has for some time been engaged in the preparation of a history of the library, which, when completed, he intends to present to the consolidated New York Public Library-Astor, Lenox, and Tilden foundations. STEARNS, Miss Lutie E., superintendent of circulation of the Milwaukee (Wis.) Public Library, was on July 1 elected assistant librarian of the Cleveland (O.) Public Library at a salary of $1000. The action was taken without any previous communication with Miss Stearns, and when she was informed of it the board of the Milwaukee library promptly raised her salary to equal the Cleveland offer. Miss Stearns thereupon declined the Cleveland position and continues in her previous post at the Milwaukee Public Library. Underhill, Miss Caroline M., of Derry, N. H., has been appointed librarian of the Utica (N. Y.) Public Library, succeeding the late Miss Louisa S. Cutler. Miss Underhill is a graduate of the Columbia College class (1886) of the New York State Library School, and since her graduation has been assistant librarian of the Newark Public Library and librarian of the Apprentices' Library of Philadelphia. In the autumn of 1894 she came to Utica to take charge of the library in Miss Cutler's place while the preparation of the finding-list was in progress, and she continued at the library, after the publication of the catalog, until her present election as librarian. |