Part 24

From all this we may learn, as I have stated more than once before, that libraries and librarians are as yet held in small esteem by the educational people of this country. Our influence among them is not great. It is not considered that we are connected in any important way with educational work. This is the opinion held by the rank and file. I believe this to be true in spite of the fact that the leaders of the N. E. A. have themselves been more than generous to the library department. Those leaders, largely through the influence of Mr. Hutchins of Wisconsin, gave a special appropriation of over $500 to a committee of this department for the publication of a report on the relation of libraries and schools. This report has been quite widely circulated and has been well received by both teachers and librarians. We owe that to the N. E. A. We owe it to the appreciation of library work by the leaders of the N. E. A. Nevertheless, taking the teaching profession at large, I think it safe to assume that our experience with the educational journals during the past winter is indicative of the teacher's attitude toward libraries and their possible helpfulness in the school room. This fact should not discourage us. On the contrary it should stimulate us to make our collections and our work with them of still more consequence until it becomes quite impossible for anyone in the educational world to be ignorant of, or to fail to take advantage of, the assistance to every day teaching work which we believe our libraries can give.

It is quite difficult, of course, if not impossible, for us to produce any great effect on the teachers of the present day save through individual work in our respective communities. No one can ask for a better opportunity to see the result of such work than I have had myself. I have seen two or three hundred teachers in the course of four or five years changed from an attitude of indifference toward the library as an aid in every day school room work, to one of readiness not to say eagerness, to take advantage of every opportunity the library could possibly offer. Many other librarians have had similar experiences. But this work does not go on rapidly enough to influence the profession as a whole. The teaching profession as it now stands is, as I have said, indifferent toward us. One thing we can do, and that is, arouse an interest among those who are to become teachers. After individual work in our own towns the best thing we can do, and especially the best thing we can do as an association, is to stimulate an interest in library training in the normal schools of this country. Interest in this phase of practical work has increased very much in normal schools the last few years. This is especially true in the west; and perhaps more true in Wisconsin than in any other state.

Mr. Dewey has recently given this matter consideration and I shall be much pleased if he will say something further by way of supplementing this informal report of mine, on what has been done and what can be done in normal schools toward interesting teachers in the use of libraries in teaching.

MELVIL DEWEY: What Mr. Dana has said, though perhaps a little discouraging in its tone, is pretty nearly the truth; but we ought to remember this--the public school teachers and the other teachers of this country are a badly overworked class. Many a man and woman has broken down of nervous prostration in school, who has entered a library and worked hard and kept well. Our friends on the school side of educational work have a strain that comes from the disciplinary side. Worry kills more than work, and teachers have to meet this question of discipline; they have to take responsibility in the place of parents; they have an interminable number of reports to fill out; they have a mass of examination papers to read and deal with; and they have examinations to make until they are driven almost wild. Now, we go to them and present our case, our arguments for co-operation with the library. They admit it; they are convinced of it; but they have not vital energy and force enough to take up the matter and do much work in our cause. It is not that they doubt. They won't question the high plane on which we want to put the library, and they want to fulfil all their duties. I believe if we were to change places and were put into their routine, the majority of us would do just what they do--put it off until a more convenient season. I think that is the real trouble with our teachers. They are overworked, many of them; they are in certain ruts; and my suggestion is to try to reach them when they begin their work, through the normal schools. If we can get the normal school authorities to give the right kind of instruction and the right kind of a start to the teachers, we will accomplish a great deal more. We can do twice as much in working with the student teacher; it is like working in plaster of paris--easy while in a soft and plastic stage, but you leave it awhile and it hardens. So I should say, in considering this report, that we ought not to be discouraged. It is what we should expect, and we should turn our attention to, doing all we can to reach the young teachers who are now in a plastic state, ready to be moulded, but who in ten years will be dominant forces in education.

Miss M. E. AHERN: I wish to call attention to the fact that the program of the Library Department of the National Educational Association calls for a greeting from some representative of the A. L. A., and I therefore request, as secretary of that section and as an earnest member of the A. L. A., that you appoint some member to carry such greetings to the Library Department of the N. E. A.

It was voted that Mr. Crunden be appointed to represent the Library Association at the N. E. A. meeting.

F. M. CRUNDEN: Touching the subject before this meeting, I want to corroborate the statement made by Mr. Dana regarding the progress that comes quickly if you once induce the teachers of a city to accept, even in a small measure, the co-operation of the library. Only a few years ago we almost had to beg the teachers to use our books. We had to offer every inducement to them, and they did it, most of them, rather reluctantly. Now the great majority of our schools use the library books. Not long ago I asked three questions of the teachers using the library in their work: What value do you place upon the library in supplementary reading? What effect has it had thus far on the progress of your pupils in their studies? Is it an aid to the pupils? All these question were answered most satisfactorily to us. Several say the library books are worth as much as any study in the curriculum, while two of them say that the library books are worth all the rest. And regarding discipline, the universal testimony is that the library is an aid to the discipline. In the school where most reading is done, the principal tells me that the problem of discipline has been practically eliminated; they give no more thought to it, because the children are interested and pleasantly occupied, so they do not get into mischief. The library has aided in all studies, is the basis of language work, has improved the language of the children, and has given an interest to the school work that it did not have before. Now if the teachers can only understand that this is going to lighten their work instead of increasing it, they will accept the co-operation of the library.

Dr. CANFIELD: Just one word to express my appreciation of the fairness with which Mr. Dewey put before you the position of the teachers and to add this statement: You are all likely to forget that you determine the lines of your own work and that a teacher's work is laid out for her by other people, and it takes about all the time and strength of the pupil to meet the immediate demands of the curriculum, which is often very unwisely laid out. I want to add to that, as a proof of the interest taken by teachers, I know of my personal knowledge that the teachers of the high schools of New York have frequently placed their personal endorsement upon library cards for the pupils they have sent to the libraries and for whose books they are personally responsible. They cannot prove their interest in any better way than that.

Mr. DANA: I just want a moment to correct a possible impression that I was finding fault with the educational profession of this country. I was not finding fault with them, but finding fault with ourselves. If we are not yet a power to the teachers of this country, then it is our own fault. We do not as yet understand our own fitness, especially in relation to schools and reading in the schools, and we do not even know what we want to do, or what books to recommend. We do not know what the field of work in the schools is. How, then, can we expect to teach it; to urge a thing in regard to which we are not yet free of all doubts? The fault is our own possibly, and yet it is not all our own fault. It is largely a question of necessary time.

In the absence of Dr. E. C. RICHARDSON, chairman, the secretary read the

REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON INTERNATIONAL CO-OPERATION.

The Committee on International Co-operation in taking up the work referred to it by the Association has limited itself this year to a consideration of the question of a uniform standard of book statistics. This question is a two-fold one, first, what should be called a book, second, when statistics are classified, what are the most practical and useful classes?

In respect of the first matter, it recommends that all books for statistical purposes be divided into two or three classes. (1) Books of 50 pages or over; (2) books under 50 pages; or, where books of under eight pages are regarded at all, books of from eight to 49 pages; and (3) books under eight pages.

In respect of the second question, the chairman has prepared a comparative table of the usage of the _Publishers' Weekly_, _Bookseller and Newsdealer_, _Publishers' Circular_, _Bibliografia Italiana_, _Hinrichs_ and _Reinwald_, arranging these in the order of the Dewey classification. This was printed by Mr. Bowker for the use of the committee, and is herewith submitted.

_Table showing classification of book trade statistics._

Some of the chief matters for attention are the questions of _Biography_, whether by itself or scattered in classes; _Literary History and Art_, by itself or under Philology, or under Bibliography, or scattered; _Juveniles_, by itself or divided among Fiction, Poetry, Education, etc.; _Scientific School Books_, _Geographies_, _etc._, under subject or under Education; _Art of War_, _Commerce_, _etc._, under Economics or Technology. All these conflict somewhere in usage shown and in the judgment of the various members of the committee, although there is a majority for keeping Biography as a separate class--contrary to unanimous foreign usage.

=================================================================== DEWEY (ORDER). | PUB. WEEKLY. | BOOKSELLER | | | AND NEWSDEALER. | -------------------+-------------------------+--------------------+ | | | 00 Collected and | Literature and | Unclassified. | mis. works. | coll. works. | | 010 Bibliography. | | | Period. and | | | proceedings. | | | 070 Newspapers. | | | 100 Philosophy. | Philosophy. | Philosophy. | 230 Theology. | Theology and | Religion. | | religion. | Christ sci., | | | occultism, | | | theosophy. | 320 Polit. Sci. | Law. | Law, tech. | and Law. | | Politics. | Economics and | Polit. and soc. | Sociological | social rel. | sci. | subj. | 370 Education. | Education. | Education. | 400 Philology. | | | 500 Natural | Physics and math. | Mathematics, | science. | sci. | chem. and physic. | | | Biology. Nat. | | | history. | 600 Useful arts, | Useful arts. | Technology. | Gen. | | | 610 Medicine. | Medicine and hyg. | Medicine. | 630 Agriculture. | Domestic and rural. | Farming and | | | gardening. | Art of war. | | | 700 Fine arts, | Fine arts, il. gift | Art, architecture.| Gen. | books. | | 780 Music. | | On music and | | | musicians. | 790 Games and | Sports and amusements. | Sports and | sports. | | games. | 800 Literary | | | hist. | | | Poetry and | Poetry and drama. | Poetry and drama. | drama. | | | Fiction. | Fiction. | Fiction. | Juveniles. | Juvenile. | Juveniles. | Other forms. | Humor and satire. | | 900 History. | History. | History. | 920 Biography. | Biog. and correspond. | Biography. | 910 Geog. | Descrip., geog., trav. | Travel. | travels and | | | descrip. | | | ========================================================================= | | | DEWEY (ORDER). | PUBLISHERS' CIRCULAR | BIBLIOG. ITAL. | | | | -------------------+-------------------------+--------------------------+ | | | 00 Collected |Misc. includ. pamphlets, |Enciclopedia. {| and mis. | not sermons. | {| works. | | {| 010 Bibliography. | |Bibliografia. {| Period. and |Year b'ks and serials in |Atti accademici. {| proceedings. | vols. | {| 070 Newspapers | |Giornale politici. {| 100 Philosophy | |Filosofia-Teologia. {| 230 Theology |Theol. sermons, Biblical |Pubbl. relig. e pie. lett.| 320 Polit. Sci. |Law, jurisp. Legislazione, Guirisp. | and Law | | Atti de senato, atti | | | duputati. | Economics and |Polit. and soc. sci. |Scienze polit. soc. Stat. | social rel. | Trade and commerce. | bilanci ecc. | 370 Education. |Education, classical and |Instruzione. Educaz. Libri| | philological. | scolastici. | 400 Philology. | |Filologia storia lett. | 500 Natural |(See below) |Scienze fisiche, mate. e | science. | | nat. | 600 Useful arts, | |Ingegneria-Ferrovie. | Gen. | | | 610 Medicine. |Medicine, surgery. |Medicina. | 630 Agriculture. | |Agricolt. Industr. comm. | Art of war. | |Guerra Marina. | 700 Fine arts, |Art, science and |Belle arti. | Gen. | il. books. | | 780 Music. | | | 790 Games and | | | sports. | | | 800 Literary hist.|(See below) | | and crit. | | | Poetry and |Poetry and the drama. |Lett. contemp. Poesie. | drama. | | Teatro. | Fiction. |{Novels, tales, juvenile |Romanzi e nov. | Juveniles. |{works and other fiction.| | Other forms. |Belles lettres, essays, |Misc. e lett. popol. | | monographs, etc. | | 900 History. |Hist., biog., etc. |Storia-Geografia | 920 Biography. | |Biografia contemp. | 910 Geog. travels |Voyages, travels, | | and descrip. | geographical research. | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ========================================================================= | | | DEWEY (ORDER). | HINRICH. | REINWALD. | | | | -------------------+-------------------------+--------------------------+ | | | 00 Collected {|Bibliothekswesen, |Divers. | and mis. {| encyklopädien, Gesammt. | | works. {| werke. Sammel werke, | | 010 Bibliography. {| Schriften Gelehrten. |Bibliografia. | Period. and {| Gesellschaften |Atti accademici. | proceedings. {| Universatätswesen, etc. | | 070 Newspapers {| |Giornale politici. | 100 Philosophy {| |Filosofia-Teologia. | 230 Theology |Theologie. |Religion (Philos. morale).| 320 Polit. Sci. |Rechts u. Staatswiss. |Droit et économie polit. | and Law | | | Economics and |Handel, Gewerbe | | social rel. | Verkehrswesen. | | 370 Education. |Erziehung u. Unterricht. |Education. | | Jugendschriften. | | 400 Philology. |Sprach u. |Linguistique. | | Litteraturwissen. | | 500 Natural |Naturwiss. Math. |Sciences, medicales et | science. | | naturelles. | 600 Useful arts, |Bau u. |Technologie. | Gen. | Ingenieurwissenschaft. | | 610 Medicine. |Heilwissenschaft | | 630 Agriculture. |Haus, Land u. Forstwiss | | Art of war. |Kriegswissenschaft |Art militaire et marine. | 700 Fine arts, |Kunst. |Beaux arts. | Gen. | | | 780 Music. | | | 790 Games and | | | sports. | | | 800 Literary hist.|(See below) | | and crit. | | | Poetry and |Schöne Litteratur. |Littérature. | drama. | | | Fiction. | | | Juveniles. | | | Other forms. | | | 900 History. |Geschichte. |Histoire, Biog. polit. | 920 Biography. | | | 910 Geog. travels Erdbeschreibung, Karten. |Geographie. | and descrip. | | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mr. Bowker, in behalf of the committee, has submitted the matter, through Mr. G. H. Putnam, to the International Congress of Booksellers, and it is hoped that there may be a committee appointed or empowered to confer with this committee, and that some practical result may be reached in spite of various difficulties. This committee therefore recommends for the purpose of library reports, etc., the use of the Dewey order and divisions given in the accompanying table, with such modification as may be necessary to meet book trade requirements, but in the case of all recommendations begs to make them subject to an international understanding, and asks that the committee be continued and given full power to adopt a recommended order, providing an understanding can be reached with a representative of the booksellers. If such an understanding is reached, efforts should be made to get the further concurrence of other library associations and bibliographical bodies generally.

ERNEST C. RICHARDSON, _Chairman, for the Committee_.

J. C. DANA for the

COMMITTEE ON LIBRARY TRAINING

made a brief statement, that the committee as a whole had been unable this year to visit and report upon the schools. He presented, as the report of the committee, a letter from Dr. E. C. Richardson, one of its members who had visited several of the schools as lecturer.[D]

WILLIAM BEER spoke briefly on

COLLECTION AND CATALOGING OF EARLY NEWSPAPERS.

The few remarks I have to make on this subject are prompted by a recent effort to collect from printed catalogs the scattered newspaper material for the first 15 years of the 19th century. The collection of information on the locality of files of newspapers up to 1800 has been commenced, and will in time be completed by Mr. Nelson, who publishes his results in the "Archives of the State of New Jersey." Many corrections will be necessary to his list, but it will even in its present shape be of great advantage to historical students.