430 



LIBRARY ECONOMY, PROGRESS OF. 



library movement in the United States. Sixteen 

 meetings have been held, constantly developing 

 new features of interest and laying out new 

 lines of work. 



The "American Library Association Hand- 

 book " is kept in print and revised up to date, 

 and may be had by any one interested in library 

 matters on application to the President of the 

 Association, J. N. Lamed, Superintendent Buf- 

 falo (N. Y.) Library, or to the Secretary, P. P. 

 Hill. Newark (N. J.j Public Library. 



Within the association are several suborgani- 

 zations of those engaged in the same specific 

 work, or seeking to accomplish some common 

 purpose too technical or novel, or involving too 

 great outlay, to belong properly to the associa- 

 tion at large. 



The Publishing Section, organized in 1886, has 

 as its object to secure the preparation and pub- 

 lication of such catalogues, indexes, and other 

 bibliographical helps as may be best produced 

 by co-operation. It publishes each year a " Co- 

 operative Index to Periodical Literature," and 

 thus supplements " Poole's Index." These an- 

 nual supplements, once in five years, are com- 

 bined in a single alphabet and again printed. 



The section published in 1890 " Reading for 

 the Young," by John P. Sargent a classified, 

 an no ted, and indexed list of best books for young 

 people. It has just issued the A. L. A. (American 

 Library Association) " Index to General Litera- 

 ture," indexing in a single alphabet of subjects 

 several hundred volumes of miscellaneous essays, 

 collected biography, and travel, historical mono- 

 graphs, reports of societies, etc. The section is 

 now greatly interested in the proposal to pub- 

 lish signed and dated reviews of new books by 

 the best available authority in each field, and, 

 besides the full review, a condensed catalogue 

 note stating whether the work is elementary or 

 advanced, and its relative value, and noting im- 

 portant errors and where full criticism may be 

 found. Several annotated lists of books on 

 special subjects have been published, and others 

 are to follow. 



The important work immediately before this 

 section is the preparation and publication of the 

 " A. L. A. Catalogue," intended to be a classified 

 and annotated bibliography of 25,000 to 50,000 

 best books on the plan of Sonnenschein's (Eng- 

 lish) " 20,000 Best Books." This will be the co- 

 operative work of specialists, edited by the asso- 

 ciation. 



Central card cataloguing i. e., the issue of 

 printed catalogue cards to libraries from a cen- 

 tral office discussed since 1877, has in this year 

 become an established fact. The Rudolph In- 

 dexer Company, of New York city, and the 

 Library Bureau of Boston, are now prepared to 

 supply printed titles of new books of the United 

 States and Great Britain simultaneously with the 

 date of publication, and will continue the work, 

 to include 100,000 volumes of standard books. 



There is also a College Library Section, a 

 Trustees' Section, a State Libraries, and a Law 

 Section, each having its own organization and 

 special work, and holding annual meetings in con- 

 nection with the conferences of the association. 



Allied agencies are the "Library Journal," 

 official organ of the American Library Associa- 

 tion, published monthly at 28 Elm Street, New 



York city, and the Library Bureau, for the 

 manufacture and sale of library fittings and sup- 

 plies, with a publication and printing office for 

 preparation of catalogues, etc., and an employ- 

 ment department. The offices are at 146 Frank- 

 lin Street, Boston, Mass., and Stewart Building, 

 New York city. 



Clubs. On" June 18, 1885, the New York Li- 

 brary Club was organized to promote, by meet- 

 ings, discussion, and co-operation, the library in- 

 terests of" New York and vicinity. Its success 

 has shown the need of similar clubs in all great 

 cities, wherever, within a convenient distance, 

 there are a number of library workers inspired 

 by the modern spirit of progress. The Chicago 

 club was organized Dec. 17, 1891 ; Philadelphia, 

 Jan. 29, 1892. 



State Associations. The New York State As- 

 sociation, organized July 11, 1890, was the first 

 association devoted wholly to promoting the 

 library interests of a single State. The handbook 

 of this organization may be had by applying to 

 the President, W. T. Peoples, Mercantile Libra- 

 ry, New York city. Similar associations have 

 been organized in Iowa, New Hampshire, Massa- 

 chusetts, New Jersey, Connecticut, Wisconsin, 

 Maine, Michigan, Kansas, southern California, 

 Minnesota, Indiana, Colorado, and Pennsylvania. 



Schools and Training Classes. The Amer- 

 ican Library Association recognizes officially 

 these institutions for the training of librarians, 

 and has among its standing committees one spe- 

 cially appointed to supervise the work. The Li- 

 brary School was opened at Columbia College in 

 January, 1887. The first year a course of three 

 months in library economy was offered, and 20 

 students were entered. At the middle of the 

 term the course was extended to four months, 

 and at its end a majority of the class decided to 

 take the two years' course then offered. The 

 second year the annual session was extended to 

 seven months, and in the third to eight. In the 

 fourth year the school was transferred to the 

 State Library at Albany, under the control of 

 the Regents of the University of the State of 

 New York. Certificates and diplomas were 

 awarded to 19 students. In the fifth year a 

 course of study was laid out, and the conferring 

 of a degree (B. L. S., bachelor of library science) 

 was authorized. It is conducted by a faculty of 

 12 professors and instructors, and lectures are 

 given by nonresident librarians and others. 



There are Training Classes at the Pratt In- 

 stitute, Brooklyn, N. Y. ; the Drexel Institute in 

 Philadelphia ; the Armour Institute in Chicago 

 (each directed by a graduate of the Library 

 School) ; the Free Public Library at Los An- 

 geles, Cal., and the Summer School conducted 

 by Mr. Fletcher at Amherst, Mass. Admissions 

 to these classes are not limited to graduates of 

 colleges or academies, the examinations are not 

 so severe, and the courses of study include Eng- 

 lish composition and general literature. 



Conference of Librarians. At the confer- 

 ence held in Chicago, in July, 1893, the pro- 

 gramme was so planned as to make the proceed- 

 ings a handbook of library economy, setting 

 forth on each subject treated the points of 

 agreement to which the profession has attained, 

 and also the points of difference. Topics were 

 assigned to several librarians by vote of their 



