The bibliography of folk-lore has never received the attention here given to it. Signor Pitré for Italy, M. Sébillot for France and Creole literature, Señor Rodriguez for Venezuela, and the Rev. J. C. O'Hanlon for Ireland, fully presented the folk-lore bibliography of those lands. What may be called literary folk-lore received excellent treatment in Dr. Prato's exhaustive article on "The Symbolism of the Vase," Mr. Field's charming poem, Mrs. Catherwood's Loup-garou story, Professor Dragomonov and Mr. Head's "Taming of the Shrew," Dr. Carsten's analysis of Longfellow's "Golden Legend," and the Hon. John Abercromby's magic Finnish poetry.
But it was in folk-song particularly that this Congress excelled. Besides the full collection of Navajo songs made by Dr. Matthews, and the really beautiful folk-songs of Mr. Smigrodzki, Mr. Mihic, and Mr. Cable, a concert consisting of more than forty solos and choruses, and embracing folk-music from Japan, India, Ceylon, Turkey, Africa, Sweden, Norway, Russia, Poland, Bohemia, England, Italy, Scotland, Spain, France, Wales, and North and South America, was rendered by natives of those lands in the costumes and languages of the countries, and accompanied frequently by their own strange instruments. This concert, made possible only by the presence of specially-organized World's Fair choruses, and by the courtesy of various foreign commissioners, was given free to the public in the two great halls of the Art Institute, to more than six thousand people, the numbers given in one hall being repeated to the audience in the other immediately after their performance in the first. Mr. Frederick W. Root, who arranged the concert, deserves the greatest credit for successfully accomplishing this task, without a rehearsal, and with no precedent to guide him.
In the Folk-lore Congress, as in others, women played a very important part. Very much of the success of this Congress was due to the admirable tact, perseverance and effort of the acting chairman of the Woman's Committee, Mrs. S. F. Bassett. Eight essays were contributed by women, and much of the success of the concert was due to them.
THE CONGRESS OF LIBRARIANS.
The annual meeting of the American Library Association, which is always an occasion of very great interest to all persons engaged in library work, was merged, this year, into the Congress of Librarians,— the papers read and subjects discussed taking, in consequence, a somewhat wider range than is usual at the meetings of the Association. The Congress was opened on Wednesday morning, July 12, by the chairman of the local committee, Mr. F. H. Hild. Mr. Melvil E. Dewey, President of the American Library Association, who was selected to preside at the first day's Congress, delivered the opening address, in which he comprehensively reviewed library progress in the United States during the present century. He was followed by Mr. Frederick M. Crunden, Librarian of the St. Louis Public Library, who read an interesting paper on "The Librarian as Administrator." The second session of the Congress, on Thursday morning, was presided over by Mr. Samuel S. Green, Librarian of the Worcester Public Library, who read an able paper on "State Library Commissions." Mr. R. R. Bowker, of "The Library Journal," followed with a paper on "National Bibliography," and the session closed with a paper by Prof. R. C. Davis, Librarian of the University of Michigan, on "An Over-use of Books." On Friday morning Mr. Frederick M. Crunden called the third session of the Congress to order. The first paper was by Mr. Charles A. Cutter, formerly Librarian of the Boston Athenæum, who spoke on "The Note of the American Library." Mr. E. H. Woodruff, Librarian of the Leland Stanford University, read an admirable paper on "Present Tendencies in University Libraries." He was followed by Dr. Emil G. Hirsch, President of the Chicago Public Library Board, whose remarks on "The Public Library in its Relation to Education" were listened to with the greatest attention. Among other papers read at this session were one on "The International Mutual Relations of Libraries," by Dr. Carl Dziatzko of the University Library of Gottingen, and one on "The Direct Interchange of Manuscripts between Libraries," by Dr. O. Hartwig, of the Royal University Library of Halle. Both of these papers were read by Mr. E. F. L. Gauss, who had made excellent translations of the German originals. Two excellent papers were presented by women librarians; viz., Miss C. M. Hewins, Librarian of the Hartford Library Association, on "The Pictorial Resources of a Small Library," and Miss Jessie Allan, of the Omaha Public Library, on "The Library as a Teacher of Literature." The closing session of the Congress, on Saturday morning, was presided over by Miss M. S. R. James, Librarian of the People's Palace, London, who read a most interesting paper on "The People's Palace and Its Library." Mr. Peter Cowell, Librarian of the Liverpool Public Libraries, addressed the Congress on the subject of "How to Popularize the Public Library." Mr. E. C. Richardson, Librarian of Princeton College, read a paper on "Library Science and Other Sciences," and was followed by Miss Tessa Kelso, of the Los Angeles Public Library, who gave an animated address on "Some Economic Features of a Library." Mr. William I. Fletcher, Librarian of Amherst College, spoke on "The Library Catalogue of the Twentieth Century," and Miss Katherine L. Sharp, Librarian of the Armour Institute, read in conclusion an interesting paper on "The Library Exhibit at the World's Fair." For want of time, some six additional papers on the programme were read by title only before the Congress adjourned. Following the four sessions of the Congress, the American Library Association held six meetings, at the various libraries in Chicago, during the week beginning July 17.
