LIBRARY 



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LIBRARY 



most intricate of these specialties is that of the 

 classification of books, that is, their grouping 

 by subjects, and the application of some plan 

 of numbering or notation indicating the proper 

 location of each book with reference to all 

 others in the same class. 



Several highly ingenious and practical sys- 

 tems of classification have been devised, two 

 of which are in general use in American libra- 

 ries. The decimal classification, compiled by 

 Melvil Dewey, and first published in 1876, is 

 the most widely used. The ninth edition is 

 now extant, and constant revision and addition 

 keeps it abreast of scientific progress. It is 

 based on an arbitrary division of the field of 

 knowledge into ten main classes, capable of 

 indefinite subdivision by means of figures and 

 the decimal point. It possesses elasticity, 

 adaptability and mnemonic qualities rendering 

 it applicable to the largest as well as the small- 

 est collection of books. The expansive classifi- 

 cation, devised by Charles A. Cutter, is more 

 complex and fuller in its schedules, and is, 

 perhaps, better adapted to the needs of large 

 scholarly collections such as university and ref- 

 erence libraries. Cataloguing is another branch 

 of librarianship which demands a large measure 

 of scholarship, expertness and accuracy. A 

 number of manuals cataloguing rules have been 

 issued, the first American compilation being 

 the Rules for a Dictionary Catalog, by Charles 

 A. Cutter, 'mentioned above, published by the 

 United States Bureau of Education in 1877. 

 Known as "Cutter's Rules," this is still the 

 leading authority and forms the basis for all 

 subsequent American codes. 



Librarianship as a profession, in its func- 

 tions, duties and emoluments, closely parallels 

 that of the teacher, and is enlisting in its ranks 

 a steadily growing number of men and women 

 of high character, ability and education. For 

 women, especially, the opportunities for useful 

 and congenial employment are very promising. 

 In the thousands of small and medium-sized 

 public libraries of America most of the po- 

 sitions, including that of chief librarian, are 

 filled by women. In the largest institutions, 

 and those of special grade, the chief adminis- 

 trative offices are usually occupied by men. 

 There are now ten professional schools for 

 training librarians, the pioneer and still the 

 leading institution being the New York State 

 Library School at Albany. Other schools, usu- 

 ally affiliated with a university or a large 

 library, are the New York Public Library 

 School; Pratt Institute, Brooklyn; Simmons 



College, Boston; Syracuse (N. Y.) University; 

 Western Reserve Library School, Cleveland; 

 Southern Training School, Atlanta, Ga. ; Uni- 

 versity of Illinois Library School, Urbana, 111., 

 and Wisconsin State Library School, Madison. 



In a number of these schools the completion 

 of a general college course or its equivalent is 

 necessary for admission, while most of the oth- 

 ers require at least two years of college work 

 or equivalent educational credits before en- 

 trance. Personal qualifications, temperament, 

 disposition and general adaptability of appli- 

 cants are also taken into account. The course 

 extends over two years, combining theoretical 

 instruction with much practical work in libra- 

 ries of various kinds. Several of these institu- 

 tions confer the degree of Bachelor of Library 

 Science. The Carnegie School for Children's 

 Librarians, with a two-year course wholly de- 

 voted to that specialty, is conducted as an 

 adjunct to the Carnegie Free Library of Pitts- 

 burgh. Entrance requirements are similar to 

 those indicated above. 



Library Commissions. Thirty-seven states 

 of the Union now have, as a part of the state 

 government, boards or commissions for the 

 advancement of library interests. These com- 

 missions are composed of three or five mem- 

 bers serving without pay, and a staff of salaried 

 executives who devote their energies to pro- 

 moting the establishment of new public libra- 

 ries, the improvement of conditions in existing 

 libraries, the circulation of traveling libraries in 

 rural communities, maintenance of summer 

 schools (in Wisconsin and Indiana of a fully 

 organized library school) and other measures 

 for the extension and development of library 

 facilities throughout the commonwealth. 



National Libraries. The great national li- 

 braries of the United States, France and Great 

 Britain are described in the articles LIBRARY OF 

 CONGRESS, BIBLIOTHEQUE NATIONALS and BRIT- 

 ISH MUSEUM. Other notable national libraries 

 are the Imperial Public Library at Petrograd, 

 the Imperial-Royal Library at Vienna, the 

 royal libraries of Berlin, Munich, Stockholm, 

 Copenhagen, and the Biblioteca Nazionale 

 Centrale at Florence. Record must be made 

 here of the magnificent Library of the Vatican, 

 first in the importance of its contents and 

 sheer wealth of its possessions. Founded in 

 1447 by Pope Nicholas V, and housed in the 

 most sumptuous library quarters in the world, 

 it contains, besides the secret Papal archives, 

 a staggering profusion of ancient Biblical and,; 

 classical manuscripts and other book rarities 



