LIBRARY REPORTS

INDIANAPOLIS PUBLIC LIBRARY. Five-year Survey, 1917-1922. 8vo, 38 pp. July, 1922.

"This is not a report for librarians. It is a report for the citizens of Indianapolis. We want them to know what their library has been doing during these last five years, how much of a force it is in community life, and how much more of a force it could be. . . . We would prove that the expenditure of $500,000 for the proper housing of their library" [a new central library building "which critics rank as one of the most beautiful classic structures in America" was opened in 1917] "has been a paying investment for the people of Indianapolis."

This is quoted from the first page of this" story of growth," the following paragraphs of which take the reader through the various departments and activities of the libraries, dealing in turn with staff, stock, borrowers, issues, and so on. Although in its essentials the work described falls within the general experience of librarians a few details and innovations are mentioned which may be of general interest. For example, the provision of special rooms for physicians and medical students and for those engaged in genealogical research is something of a novelty. A book campaign was organised in 1920-21 with a view to counteracting the effect of increased costs upon the extent of the additions, and as a result 53,443 gifts were received.

"The delivery and deposit stations require a word of explanation. Through the delivery stations are received requests for special books, which the library attempts to fill at once and leave at the stations on the weekly round of deliveries." Most of these delivery stations are located in drug stores. To certain of the deposit stations, known as non-supervised stations, the books are lent without supervision," these collections being located in such places as fire stations, hospitals, detention homes, settlements, and the Preachers' college. In two of the hospitals "library workers make these weekly visits, taking books and magazines round the wards to the patients."

In short, not only will this booklet succeed in interesting all who are able to make use of the system, but it will also be of immense publicity value, as behind all the information given is the best argument for all who may be drawn to use the library in the future—that is, the fact that it has been a great success in the past.

KETTERING (URBAN DISTRICT COUNCIL). Abstract of Statistics for the year ended March 31st, 1922. Librarian, Miss Kate E. Pierce. Population, 29,692. Income (from rate of 2.82d., £1,435), £1,579. Expenditure: Books, Binding, and Periodicals, £610 (including £424 from the Special Book Fund); Salaries, £522; Rents and Loans, £147; Rates and Taxes, £190; Heating, Lighting, Cleaning and Upkeep, £456. Stock; Lending, 10,517; Reference, 4,141. Issues: Lending, 110,941; Children's, 37,541 ; Reference, 9,123.

Nothing gives us greater pleasure than to read of a small library with a big issue; and when, as in this case, there is also a large increase (11,717 this year, and 18,647 the year before), and evidence of all-round excellent work, we can do nothing but record our sincere appreciation of a library which does a good share in proving to the public the genuine advantage of libraries, in a way that outstrips all other forms of publicity work.

Increased stock is largely responsible for the augmentation of the issues. Although 915 volumes were withdrawn the net increase in stock amounts to nearly 600 volumes, the sections particularly strengthened being those devoted to music, fine arts, social science and economics, education and psychology.

REVIEWS

Hutchins (Margaret), Johnson (Alice Sarah) and Williams (Margaret Stuart) GUIDE TO THE USE OF LIBRARIES: A MANUAL FOR COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY STUDENTS. Second Edition. Cr. 8vo, cloth, pp. 227. New York, H. W. Wilson. (London, Grafton & Co.). 1922. 7s. 6d. net.

There is no doubt with the enormous modern growth of libraries coincident with the expansion of the mass of printed matter that the unguided student is prevented from doing satisfactory research work by his absolute inability to understand the complications necessary in the modern library. The present book takes its origin from a course of lectures for freshmen at the University of Illinois, and aims at reducing this ignorance on the part of students. It includes chapters on the general organization of libraries, suggestions as to the use of books, and annotated lists of the more important reference books. An excellent piece of work.

PROFESSIONAL LITERATURE. Friedel (J. H.) Training for LIBRARIANSHIP: LIBRARY WORK AS A CAREER. Cr. 8vo, cloth, pp. 234. J. B. Lippincott. 1922. 7s. 6d. net.

It is curious to note from the preface to this interesting work that there is a shortage of librarians [in the United States]. A large city library recently reported more than two hundred vacancies on its staff. "Positions ranging in salary from $1,500 to $3,000 have been vacant for months because of the difficulty in finding the right person for each position." When we compare this statement with what we know of the conditions in this country we can imagine the shipping companies receiving many enquiries as to the passage rates.

The author is an experienced librarian and the editor of Special Libraries, and he has produced a work which holds up our profession as an ideal to the young American, and shows how professional education can be acquired and how posts can be obtained. The descriptions of the various classes of libraries are full and useful.

GENERAL.

Manly (J. M.) and Rickert (E.) CONTEMPORARY AMERICAN LITERATURE, BIBLIOGRAPHIES, AND STUDY OUTLINES. Cr. 8vo, cloth, pp. xix., 188. Geo. G. Harrap and Co., Ltd. 1922.

This work is intended as a companion volume to Contemporary British Literature, recently published by the same firm, but the arrangement is slightly different. A very useful volume for all who wish to explore the wide field of present-day American literature.

Danielson (Henry) ARTHUR MACHEN: A BIBLIOGRAPHY. With notes, biographical and critical, by Arthur Machen, and an introduction by Henry Savage. pp. x., 60. Port. and facs. London, Danielson. 1923. 15s net.

A somewhat new and distinctly interesting development in modern bibliography. The bibliographer having described a book, the author himself annotates it with some account of its origins and the vicissitudes of its publication. When the author is Mr. Arthur Machen, who wields a pen full of humorous satire, the effect is distinctly interesting and renders the work one not only to be placed on the reference shelves for use when Mr. Machen's rare early editions come into the market, but makes it a book to be appreciated as the personal opinions upon his own books of an author who ranks high indeed in the imaginative school.

BOOKS RECEIVED.

Hudson (W. H.) and Guernsey (I. S.) THE UNITED STATES FROM THE DISCOVERY OF THE AMERICAN CONTINENT TO THE END OF THE WORLD WAR. (Great Nations Series.) Demy 8vo, cloth gilt, pp. 632. Geo. G. Harrap & Co., Ltd. 1922. 12s. 6d. net. CHILDREN'S BOOK OF KNOWLEDGE. Parts V., VI., VII., VIII. Cassell & Co., Ltd. 1922. 1s. 3d. net per part.

CORRESPONDENCE

To the EDITOR of The Library World.

DEAR SIR,

I read with interest A. P. Ullet's impressions of the November meetings, especially those which related to Mr. Creed's paper entitled "An Ideal for London." If I remember rightly, Mr. Creed at Camberwell advocated that the enlarged Metropolitan Boroughs referred to in the London County Council's evidence before the Royal Commission on the government of London should be constituted the library authorities, rather than that there should be one library authority for the whole area. The effect of the adoption of this suggestion would be a reduction in the number of authorities from twenty-eight to about nine in the existing county of London.

Your London readers will remember that it has been suggested that half-a-million should be the population of a Metropolitan Borough. They will also remember that the County Council proposals include its own abolition and the setting up in its place of a new Central Authority which will govern not only London but also Greater London. This would mean that in the new area there would probably be fifteen subordinate authorities or Metropolitan Boroughs, each with a population of half-a-million. At present I suppose there are between fifty and sixty library authorities in London and Greater London. The advantages of reducing this number to fifteen or so are obvious to all but those who shall be nameless.

It is proposed that the new Central Authority should be the authority for higher education, but that elementary education should be decentralised and entrusted to the Metropolitan Boroughs. The rate for elementary education, however, would be levied over the whole of London and allotted to each Borough, presumably upon a per capita basis. Should the Borough's expenditure on elementary education exceed its grant, the deficiency would have to be made up by a rate levied upon its own people. The Central Authority would fix scales of salaries for teachers, the local authority would have the power to appoint and dismiss them.

The local (or subordinate) authority would thus be both the elementary education and the library authority. In this respect its powers would be similar to those of a municipal borough. The possibilities of co-operation between the school and the library, so often hampered in London because the County Council controls the one and the Borough Council the other, would be improved a thousandfold.

Briefly, it would seem that the library ideal for London would be the enlargement of London, an amalgamation of local authorities into larger units which would become the library authorities for their own districts, and the levying over the whole of London of the library rate, based upon estimates of expenditure received from the library authorities, by the Central Authority.

Yours etc., A. C. OCKERELL.