Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 12.djvu/218

LIBRARIES. 200 LIBRARIES. than lower-priccii oiif?. Kubber tips for chair- legs are ueeded on bare floors. LIUKABY ADllIMSTKATION. The work of the larger libraries falls naturally into the following departments: ExEtiTivE. Seven hours daily is the limit of good work in cataloguing and similar steady, e.xact work. Kight hours are usually required uf attendants having a margin of free time. Libra- ries which have studied results most closely give a full month's vacation with pay, and some allow one additional month during the year for total absence from illness or other causes. Salaries are steadily working u|)ward. with the demand for higher <iualitieations and fuller training. Small rural libraries may be kept open a few hours a Aveek for .$100 to $:iOO a year. The grc;it libraries now pay .$5000 or more to their directors. The tendency is to open libraries on holidays. Sunday afternoons, evenings, and earlier in the morning. Forenoon use is so comparatively small that if the staff is not large enough for relays the public is convenienced more by afternoon and evening opening. Where practicable, hours are from 8 A.M. to 10 P.M. Closing for annual inventories is needless under a proper system. AccEssio.N Dei-.vktme.nt. This includes the whole subject of selecting and getting books and other material, gifts, sale or exchange of dupli- cates, plating, 'pocketing,' and writing the acces- sion book. This is a business record, giving on one line for each volume in the library a record of the life history of that special volume. This accession book shows total volumes added to the library, and the accession number placed on the first right-hand page after the title of each book is the quickest and most accurate means of iden- tification. For cataloguing liepartment, sec Cata- l-OGllNG; for classification, see below. Refebence Department. Systematic aid to readers is given by means of an information desk or reference librarian. In larger libraries the demand has led to adding various assistants who devote their time to answering questions, helping readers to find what they wish, and incidentally showing them how to use bildiographics and cata- logues for themselves. The children's librarian is one of the most useful. Larger institutions are developing a library faculty of specialists, each assisting readers in his S])ecial field. The rapid development of reference work comes from recognizing the library as an educational centre. The room of a skillful reference libra- rian, surrounded by the best reference books sup- plemented with card indexes, notes, and the rapidly increasing bibliogra])hie devices, becomes like an enlarged universal encyclopa>dia. Such a librarian not only answers questions on every conceivable subject and utilizes French, GermaTi, and probably other languages freely, but also teaches applicants how they may find out for themselves next time, and thus in time develops the ability to use to the bc<t advantage a well- equipped library. This department becomes the information bureau for its whole constituency. Some investigations require considerable time and are not in their nature of sich public value as to he justifiahle at public expense. These are made for any one willing to pay the pro rata cost of the assistant's time. This gives free tise of all library resources and facilities and pro- tects against using the time of public officers for private purposes. Free access to the shelves is becoming more conunon, and in most libiaries serious students have no difficulty in getting shelf privileges. Loan Department. Many libraries allow a second book to be lent, not Action. For special investigations it is easy to get permits for an extra numlwr of copies or for extra time. Loan records are kept on cards. Books may be re- served, and notice is freely sent when books asked for are ready. Interlibrary loans are common. A lending library has ceased to be a mere store- house, but aims to induce its readers to borrow better books bv restricting the siipply of the less desirable and inciting interest in the best by annotated lists in newspapers and on slips for free distribution, by illustrated bulletins, by per- sonal suggestions, and by shelves open freely for all to browse among tempting books. Immense gains have resulted from these systematic, intel- ligent, sympathetic efforts to improve the aver- age of books lent. Binding Department. Public libraries care chiefly for durability, and demand the best mate- rials, methods, and work; tight backs, vellum instead of leather corners, signatures sewed all along and laced in boards, Turkey morocco, cow- hide, duck, or muslin according to amount of wear. Genuine Turkey more than pays its extra cost in wear. Books specially exposed to heat are safer in vegetable fibre like duck, as heat dis- integrates leather. Sheep, calf, Russia, and all fancy materials and tooling are avoided. Back lettering should be: (1) author's name (at top); (2) title of book: (.S) volume number ; (41 class and book (call) number, about 5 era. from the bottom where it will not be worn by the hand, e.g.: (iREEX HiSTOHV OF THE English I'eople 942 G82 Many libraries in addition stamp their name at the extreme bottom. See also Bookbinding. Shelf Department. This has entire charge of arrangement and preservation of books, and all other material. It must keep all the library col- lections in order and clean, and find or replace missing books. A complete inventory is taken once a year, but well-managed libraries no longer close for this purpose, but distril)ute the work of stock-taking and cleaning throughout the year. The inventory is called a shelf list. This" has class, book, volume, and accession numbers, au- thor, and brief title of every book, written on loose sheets laced together in a binder, or on cards arranged in the order in which the books stand on the shelves. . It forms a brief and very convenient subject catalogue. As this is the check list for losses, the old rule was not to al- low it on cards, which coiild be removed by a book-thief without detection except by accidenf. As books are constantlv added, a bound book is