r xepensive = = =For^ Resources Small Libraries r ANGE V. MILNER State Normal University Normal, 111. ad before Illinois Library Association, Springfield, 3. 1906. . \ Id u Inexpensive Resources for Small Libraries* If I were fitting up the reference de- lartment of a new “small ’ library any- where in Illinois, the first two books I hould ask for would be the latest edi- ion of the unabridged International lictionary, costing about ^8, and the :urrent volume of the Daily news al- nanac, costing 30 cents. I never real- ized how many different questions an mabridged dictionary could answer, imtil I had a bright country boy for a /student assistant.” I think his school library must have contained few books aesides that dictionary He went to it for almost every kind of information, and found it, too. Further experience has taught me that nearly everything that is not in the dictionary is in the almanac— current events, recent statis- tics, government institutions, etc., all treated concisely and satisfactorily,.^^ almanac making a specialty of Illinois. Having these two books, what should :we ask for next? If we decide to have a good cyclopedia, we want to know which to choose. If we begin to con- sider a cheap one, we find that the dic- tionary and almanac have reliable infor- Reprinted from July 1906 Public Libraries. mation on a greater number of subjects and we don’t need the unnecessary wordj or the red and yellow pictures of the cheap cyclopedia. We have begun with two first-rate books. From the standpoint of the small library the unabridged dictionary niay typify the line of standard, expen- sive reference works that we shall need, while the little almanac stands for the line of small, inexpensive publications that are also necessary. Having sys- tematized our plans to that extent, we look for reliable book lists to help in making specific selections. Then again,^ the department may be greatly aug- mented by valuable publications to be had for the asking or for the cost of transportation. We must find what these are, and how to get them, and whether they will fully take the place of any books that we should otherwise have to buy. We fully appreciate the facts that wise management means more money for books, and skillful arrangement and cataloging greatly augment the value of a small collection. We are anxious to accomplish these according to methods that experts will pronounce correct, that will prove satisfactory in our own libra- ries, and that will come within the powers of a library force perhaps even smaller than the library, and probably. 4 ke the reference books thus far se- cted. numbering only two. Thus we find that before selecting ook number three, we need to consider nnotated book lists, free publications, nd library economy as adapted to small ibraries. My plan is to speak of sorne if the things that I have found partic- larly useful to a librarian trained only y friendly advice, observation, and xperience in a small but growing and ery active library. First, the library economy ; a variable cience depending much on personality, nvironment, income, and immediate leeds, but having a sound basis in its .im to promote “the best reading for he most people at the least expense.” There are three books that seem to me he simplest, clearest, and best adapted o a beginner. They are Mr Dana s Li- irary primer; Miss Hitchler s A. L. A. ibrary tract. Cataloging for small libra- ’ies; and Mr Wyer's New York state li* xary bulletin. United States government documents. Would that all our other duties were treated bysimilar handbooks ind with equal clearness, showing why to do things, how to do them, and what to omit. Next comes the A. L. A. catalog for 1904, with its select, annotated lists. We can check it and our library is tem- porarily cataloged. We can turn to it 5 for a guide in buying, classifying, and; cataloging. True, its classification is sometimes exasperating, but then our refuge is to fall back on Mr Dewey’s explanation that a book is to be classi- fied wherever it will be most useful, and put it there with a clear conscience. Our needs are sometimes different from those of the Albany library school. With these four books, costing all together $i.8o, we have covered the ground once and can go to work. We shall buy the standard tools as we need them, Classification, Library school rules, and all the rest. A small pam- phlet. How to catalog my library% to be had for the asking, and Esther Craw- ford’s pamphlet. Cataloging, to be had for 25 cents, both from the Library Bu- reau, contain reliable information on that subject. There are other helpful little things written especially for our use. Miss Plummer’s Hints to small libraries, and several A. L. A. library tracts, each bringing its own message in its own best way. If we are going to work With the schools we shall need the N. E. A. Report of the committee on the re- lations of public libraries and public schools. It covers that subject better than anything else I know of, and costs 1 5 cents. We can not keep up with the times without a library magazine, and 6 ortunately the needs of the smaller li- jraries and the interests of the Middle A^est are especially considered by Pub- lic Libraries, which is comfortably in- expensive. The new periodical, IjibTdTy work, is a helpful little thing, to be had :or the asking — a friendly message from ;he H. W. Wilson Company. By the time we have begun to use these things to advantage we are ready for some economical library tools that at first sound decidedly expensive. Think for a moment of those libraries where clubs, teachers, pupils, and all the rest come for their reference work. Funds are limited and the earnest, overworked librarians examine books and magazines, depend on their memories, make refer- ence lists and catalog as they can. Consider the time and strength thus expended in one year; the resulting- weariness and the nervous anxiety be- cause of the work crowded out; the li- brary itself unable to give all the help for which it really has the resources, be- cause of the constant hindrance of work undone, and the deprivations caused by material unclassified and uncataloged. Which is the more costly, such methods as these or an investment in magazine indexes. Library of congress cards, and a typewriter? So much for library economy. Now let us turn to bibliographies. As you 7 know, there are excellent ones in some, of the publications already specified.- Of the many others useful to us, I shall only mention a few. We are under great obligations to the A. L. A. Pub- lishing board for their consideration of our especial needs. Their Books tor boys and girls^ by Miss Hewins, is a first- class list of juvenile literature, costing 1 5 cents. Their Guide.to reference books, by Miss Kroeger, will be of much service in helping to select that third and the nc xt succeeding books for the reference department we are considering. The monthly numbers of the A. L. A. booklist keep us closely up to date, and inform us of the valuable bibliographies that the large libraries publish, and that they fur- nish so generously to the small ones. The best lists of books for school libra- ries apply directly to our needs. Nota- ble among these are two: The list of books for township libraries is published by the Wisconsin state superintendent of education for 25 cents, and Annie Carroll Moore’s List of books for a chil- dren’s library is published by the Iowa library commission for ID cents. The Illinois federation of women’s clubs has considered the needs of Illinois children in a list. Books for the children and the home, costing 6 cents. It may be con- venient to know that the School ?ieu's is about to publish a Brief list of reference 8 >ooks for schools below the high school, rhis was prepared in our library, and I hall be glad to mail a copy to any one ending in a “self-addressed stamped nvelope.'’ Another local bibliography )f importance is by Mrs Jessie Palmer ^^'eber on Illinois state history. It is )ublished as Circular No. i of the Illi- lois state historical library, and is for ree distribution. Some of the bibliog- aphies from the Library of congress :over popular topics and aid greatly in )ur reference work. While this memorandum might be extended indefinitely, the bibliographies nentioned will serve as an introduction o the entire field, and show us that ex- ictly the help we need is at hand and vithin our means. The two classes of resources thus far :onsidered, library economy and ele- nentary bibliography, have consisted essentially of tools for the librarian. Dur third subject, Free publications, in- dudes books and pamphlets for the benefit of our readers. A carefully :hosen supply of these may change our )ther selections somewhat and make )ur dollars go farther. How about beginning with a travel- ng library — or two? We have the Illi- lois farmers’ institute and the Illinois federation of women’s clubs to draw apon. Both furnish libraries for gen- » 9 eral reading, and the State federation has some sets on purpose to help wom-i en’s clubs. The expense is only that of transportation. The Farmers’ institute at Springfield distributes a catalog. In formation about the State federation li braries may be obtained from the chair- man of that committee, Mrs Evelyn E. Jones, Henry, 111 . But loans are by no means all that the state offers for our assistance. Are you being called upon for information about Illinois history, geography, and civics? Perhaps you have noticed the helpfulness of the Illinois Blue books and the information about our geog- raphy, geology, and state institutions tc be found in the report of the Illinois world's fair commissioners for 1893 Have you a copy of their World’s fail report for 1904? It was only printed ir a limited edition, but is ver}^ desirable There is a state geological map in th( State farmers’ institute report for 1903 that is highly appreciated by scientists and the entire set is valuable in a refer ence library. The publications of th( State historical association are valuable and interesting Then there are the publications of state institutions, the re ports and other scientific works of the State entomologist, the monographs is sued in serial form by the University o Illinois, and by the several state nor 10 lals. These special publications are 0 be had from the institutions issuing hem. Those by the state are supplied >y the secretary of state, and all cost »nly the price of transportation. While Illinois provides so much, the Jnited States government does infinite- y more, and without even charging us or transportation. If public documents vere supplied with less freedom and nore system, our involuntary thought vould not so frequently be of them as a nass of dusty library lumber, encumber- ng the shelves, and puzzling the brains ind vexing the spirit of the busy libra- ian. Are our constituents interested in :alifornia, birds, or gardening; Cuba, ruit growing or forestry; education, )ure food, or Canada thistles; niosqui- oes, statistics, or the Philippine islands? There is reliable, illustrated literature )n each of these and hundreds of other mbjects. Almost all may be had free Trough our co-ngressman, and all are Decoming more and more accessible by neans of the Document catalog, and ;he cards from the Department of agri- :ulture, the Library of congress, and the ^ L. A. Publishing board. Our problem is how to protect our- jelves from the mass of public docu- ments that we don’t want; how to find 3ut what there is that we do want; how :o secure it and make it accessible to 1 1 the public. The helps are at hand as never before. First get a copy of Mr Wyer’s Bulletin on United States gov- ernment documents, to which I have already referred, and use it for a guide Write to the superintendent of docu- ments and to each department for their latest lists of publications for free dis- tribution and for sale. To keep up to date on the subject, ask the Department of agriculture to send regularly its monthly list of publications, and sub- scribe for Govcrumciit public ationSy a little periodical costing 50 cents a year, and published at 510 Twelfth st., Washing- ton. It describes both United States and state publications that are of inter- est to the public. The Free library of Philadelphia has also begun issuing se- lect monthly lists, but they are more limited in scope and more expensiv^e than the one from Washington. If we have done nothing whatever with the government publications that happen to be on hand, we are ready to follow these guides to the letter. If we have already begun on them, we have met difficulties that will make us appre- ciate these helps and use them all the more intelligently. In either case we shall soon appreciate the fact that a rich store of resources is open before us which will greatly increase the power for usefulness of our libraries. 12 i Not long ago, I had a letter asking dvice about spending ^lo for a school ibrary. I wanted to write of how it night be further increased with a few 'overnment publications and some of he advertising booklets that are so use- ul for school and club work. All of you :now what they are, the illustrated )Ooklets issued by railways and large nanufacturing companies. Where can we find a better illustrated vovk on the Yellowstone park than Vonderland? It is very nearly equaled )ythe Canadian National park, and the vhole great West is pictured and de- cribed in booklets on Colorado, Cali- ornia, the Yosemite, the Big trees, the jrrand canon, and all the rest. Similar booklets for the Middle West, iast, and South are issued by railroads n those sections of the country. Let- ers to the advertising, emigration, or passenger agent, explaining that the )ooklets will be put in the librar)/ and ised for reference, usually meet with a generous response. Throughout the West the boards of rade also have descriptive literature or distribution. Our geographical de- Dartment has benefited by such publica- ions from Washington, Oregon, Idaho, ind California. For miscellaneous examples of other Dookletsof information issued as adver- 13 tisements, we have Pillsbury’s Flour, the. Corticelli Company’s Silk, and the Pa-’ cific Coast Borax Company’s Death valley. Plow are we to learn about them? Read advertisements and keep our eyes open. The picture on a pack-j age of pulverized borax made me think) of writing to that company. A collection of pictures of informa- tion is now one of the requisites of a reference library, and advertisers help to supply them Some of their book- lets are beautifully illustrated. One from the Chicago National Bank has colored reproductions of their frescoes of historic Chicago. The Singer Sew- ing Machine Company has sets of views illustrating pioneer history and United States scenery. They will send them for the postage, i cent a package. Some of the railroads send out beau- tiful pictures upon occasion. Last fall they contributed generously to a picture exhibit which is described in Public Li- braries for January 1906. Many of the donations were undoubtedly sent to a state institution that would not be as accessible ^ a smaller place. Besides that, the undertaking cost a great deal of time and effort, together with the outlay of money, to secure, mount, ar- range and care for about 350 pictures. The reward is a valuable and interesting collection that we use a great deal and 14 ionietimes have the pleasure of loan- ng. 'Hie art department of the Norma! iniversity has had a good many picture •xhibits. Some book publishers loan 'he originals of their illustrations, and .rt companies such as the Horace K. Turner Company, Boston, and the Art education Company, Chicago, make a usinessof sending out exhibits These re all advertisements. They always ring some expense and a great deal of 'ork, but upon occasion the library enefits by the interest they create. Corporations are as desirous of dis- iminating information as we are._ They ave developed the art of advertising to a extent that is greatly to our advan- ige. They have so many beautiful and elpful publications that if it were not ) ephemeral, we should need a bibli- ?raphy of advertising literature. As is, we find it more useful to keep a emorandum of effective advertisers an of individual publications. The pply is so abundant and varied that IS another instance of the necessity selecting only that which is needed rneet our particular requirements. Evidently free publications include wide range of resources beneficial to e public, reaching all the wav from an vertising card to a traveling library d a scholarly monograph. 15 We have not yet selected our thi book for the reference department o^ small library. Perhaps you don’t e , agree with me about the first t Book selection is a careful matter un such circumstances as ours. Itbeco easier, the more we know about tk and the more money and time we ha Perhaps this review of our resources:' help us to increase our informatic money and time. We have atourse ice the knowledge and advice of tho wiser and more experienced to gui us in doing our work, saving our tir and choosing our books. There works on library economy that meet q needs and are within our means. The are bibliographies equally useful an accessible. There is valuable literatu freely at our service, much of which could not buy if we would. It will tak time and intelligence to benefit by ih; abundance, and to increase the pow and influence of our libraries as the may be increased. If we can only lear not to be penny wise and pound foolisi not to save a penny’s worth of outlay the expense of a pound’s worth ol tirv. and effort, and to omit the nonessc tials and attend to the essentials sk- fully, we can accomplish it. And ?' resources themselves will help us to quire this knowledge and skill.