B3 yC-NRLF n BOOK SELECTION BY ELVA L. BASCOM PREPRINT OF ^lANUAL OF LIBRARY ECONOMY CHAPTER XVI 78 E. WASHINGTON ST., CHICAGO 1915 A.L.A. MANUAL OF LIBRARY ECONOMY Types of Libraries I. IL III. IV. VI. VII. VIII. Chapters and Authors "American Library History/' Mr. Bolton. Printed. "Library of Congress," Mr. Bishop. Printed. "The State Library," Mr. Wyer. Printed. "The College and University Library," Mr. Wyer. Printed. "Proprietary and Mercantile Libraries," Mr,. Bolton. Printed. "The Free Public Library," Miss Lord. Printed. "The High-School Library," Mr. Ward. Printed. "Special Libraries," Mr. Johnston. Nearly ready. Organization and Administration IX. X. XL XII. XIII. XIV. XV. XVI. XVIL XVIII. XIX. XX. XXI. XXII. XXIII. XXIV. XXV. XXVI. Special Foi of Worls: XXVII. "Library Legislation," Mr. Yust. Printed. "Library Architecture," Mr. Eastman. Printed. "Fixtures, Furniture, Fittings." Unassigned. "Administration," Dr. Bostwick. Printed. "Training for Librarianship," Miss Plummer. Printed. "Library Service," Dr. Hill. Printed. 'BranchyUHiMftttiiAAihii^ttili^^'^^^g Agencies," MM " •inted. lent," Mr. Hopper. "Classia^iSillBSiliiSifiUI^N. In hands of Committee. "TheCat„__. __.---_-. "Shelf Department," Miss Rathbone. Printed. "Loan Work," Mr. Vitz. Printed. "Reference Department," Dr. Richardson. Prmted. "Government Documents," Mr. Wyer. Printed. "Bibliography," Miss Mudge. Now in hand. "Pamphlets, Clippings, Maps, Music, Prints." Unas- signed. "Bookbinding," Mr. Bailey. Printed. XXVIIL XXIX. XXX. XXXL XXXII. "Library Commissions and State Library Extension, or State Aid and State Agencies," Mr. Wynkoop. Printed. "The Public Library and the Public Schools," Mr. Kerr. "Library Work with Children," Miss Olcott. Printed. "Library Work with the Blind," Mrs. Delfino. Well advanced. "Museums, Lectures, Art Galleries, and Libraries," Mr. Rae. Now in hand. "Library Printing," Mr. Walter. Printed. http://www.afGhive.org/details/bookselectionOObascrich XVI BOOK SELECTION ELVA L. BASCOM Wisconsin Free Library Commission OUTLINE Introduction Principles of selection The book Tests for books of information Tests for books of inspiration Tests for fiction The reader Practice of selection Use of printed aids The book committee The book fund Collecting and sifting titles for purchase Free material Quick vs. deliberate buying Selection of periodicals Selection of children's books Editions PubUshers Aids in book selection Advice from individuals Printed lists Book reviews List of printed aids Bibliography . INTRODUCTION The most important work of the public library, the selection of its books, is often given little thought and in many libraries is relegated to the odds and ends of time left over from the day's routine or crowded into the last day or two before a book order is to be made up. That any system should be employed 302470 2 MANUAL OF LIBRARY ECONOMY in making the selection is not recognized by many otherwise excellent librarians, yet one will be found to exist in libraries which are most successful in meeting their people's needs with an adequate supply of good books. It is, nevertheless, the work in a library which lends itself to a system less easily than any other. This is accounted for by the two constantly changing elements on which selection depends, the readers and the books. A title may be held for many months until the expendi- ture is warranted, only to find that a better book is obtainable; or, when the purchasable book appears the need may no longer exist. The librarian can be truly called successful in book selection who knows, at a given time, what he can afford to buy on a subject, how to select the best for his conmiunity, whether the demand justifies the necessary expenditure, and when the need has passed. With the enormous and constantly increasing output of books, the problem of selection becomes more diflScult each year. Add to that the growing tendency among authors toward specialization, the ever-widening range of t)rpes of books — ^from mere compilation to special pleas — the large number of books on questions of the hour, the increased practice of revising and enlarging magazine literature for book publication, and the concession must be made that the librarian who selects for the average public library— often out of reach of the books them- selves — can hardly have too many aids, provided they are reliable and he knows how to use them with discrimination. PRINCIPLES OF SELECTION A library should be built up according to a definite plan, to approach a certain ideal. Each book cannot, of course, be added solely to fit into that plan or ideal, and the growth of, or changes in, the community may wisely lead to a modification of it, but it should constantly be a controlling force in selection and should decide the question of purchase in cases of doubt. BOOK SELECTION 3 "A building might be filled with books without there t^ing a library. A collection of books is no more a library than a collection of lumber is a building or a collection of furniture constitutes a furnished home or a collection of pipes makes an organ. A library, however small, involves systematic selection and correlation of books. It must be built upon a plan and all materials that are to go into its making must be chosen to fit that plan, just as all the units that go to make up a house must be chosen to fit its plan. In a very small library, as in a very small house, the plan is very simple, but it is none the less essential." The book. — As most public libraries are, however, striving to accomplish much the same purpose, there are certain prin- ciples of selection which are applicable to aU of them.' 1. Select books that will tend toward the development and enrichment of life. Test a book by asking what its effect will be on the life of the cormnunity. "The function of the library is the development and enrichment of human life in the entire conamunity by bringing to all the people the books that belong to them." — Mrs. Fairchild. 2. Let the basis of selection be positive, not negative. If the best you can say for a book is that it will do no harm, question your need of it. Every book should be of actual service to somebody, in inspiration, information, or recreation. 3. Select books on subjects in w^hich individuals and groups in the community have a natural interest. 4. Provide for all the people of the commimity, not merely for those who are enrolled as borrowers. ^Acknowledgment is due to Mrs. S. C. Fairchild, who formulated the first principles of selection for the New York State Library School, and to a very helpful article printed in New York libraries in May, 1914, "Out- lines and references for library institutes: Stocking the library; part i, Selecting books." The excerpts quoted above and later are taken from the latter. 4 MANUAL OF LIBRARY ECONOMY 5. So far as good books are obtainable and funds permit, represent in your selection every race, profession, trade, religious or political doctrine, interest, and local custom found in the community. Keep in mind, however, that the library is primarily an educational agent, and do not admit books con- taining harmful doctrines or teachings. 6. Select some books of permanent value, regardless of whether or not they will be much used. The great classics and the more popular "standards" should be in every library. They give it dignity and worth, and gain for it the respect of the educated portion of the conmiumty. The expense is proportionately small, as they can be obtained in inexpensive editions. It is difficult to determine the current book that will have permanent value, except in the case of a few that are beyond question. Great discrimination is needed in selecting among recent publications those that are of no immediate interest to the community as a whole, but are the best presentations of important subjects. Some concessions should be made to the thinkers and leaders in the community, but not to the extent of depriving the general public of its right- ful share of good reading. 7. Select some books to meet the needs of only a few persons if by so doing society at large will be benefited. "The library benefits not only those who use it, but all who come into relations with those who use it." 8. Do not allow the selection to be influenced by the personal equation or fad of any single person or group of persons. " Strong men or women in the community are apt to over- emphasize some subject, and, as they are apt to be on library book committees, this subject gets overemphasized in the library. Get something that these people want, but not all. Remember that quiet, unobtrusive people who are not interested in any * movement' have just as much right to the benefit of library money as more aggressive, forthputting people." BOOK SELECTION 5 9. Keep a just proportion in the collection as a whole,. Hold constantly in mind the fact that a library's value is as dependent on a well-balanced selection in the different classes as on a good supply of fiction and children's books. The prefaces of the A. LA. Catalogs give tables which will serve roughly as a guide, but they should not be slavishly adhered to. Make a general rule, then modify it as may seem wise. 10. Of sectarian books get only those that are truly repre- sentative and likely to be used by the general reader or at least by a considerable nimiber of readers, and treat all sects alike. The same rule appUes in general to textbooks, law books, medical books, or books devoted strictly to any profession. "The public library is not to supply the specialist with his regular tools, but only with the general literature of his subject." 11. As a rule, prefer an inferior book that will be read to a superior book which will not be read. This is not always a safe rule to follow, since the inferior book may be of questionable worth, or interest in the subject may force readers to the better book if the poorer one is unobtainable. 12. Do not reject a book on the opinion of a few narrow- minded people who think it harmful or even bad. The book which provokes thought, or even arouses opposi- tion, regarding any of the constantly changing concepts of thought or springs of action is to be welcomed provided it does not seek to destroy the principles on which our civilization is based. Have a definite standard of admission on mooted sub- jects and keep within it except in the case of books which, despite over-radical tendencies, present a constructive plan for needed reforms. 13. Do not sacrifice the interests of the student to those of the home reader. The Ubrary should care for the person who uses reference books either for study or for unrelated information as carefully as for the one who reads only at home. 6 MANUAL OF LIBRARY ECONOMY 14. Do not strive for completeness. Select the best books on a subject, the best by an author. Do not get all of a series unless their merit or your need warrants it. 15. Study your community and compare its needs with its demands. Welcome its recommendations, but use your judgment in following them. Be a leader, a guide, rather than a follower. Besides the principles which define a library's policy in the matter of book selection in general, the following specific questions will aid in deciding the value of a single book in a library. They are submitted only as suggestive of the sort of examination any book can be given, and make no pretense to completeness. Tests for books of information. — Subject-matter. — Is it a survey of a whole subject, or a part of it? Does it present theory or practice? Is it a history of the subject or a discussion of modern conditions? Is it a statement of facts or an argument? Is it the pronouncement of a man of authority, or a compilation of data from many sources? Does it relate to foreign conditions or to American, or does it cover both? Is it brief, exhaustive, or neither? If selective, is it well balanced and representative? These and^ other equally pertinent questions which arise as to the text should be considered solely with respect to the actual needs of the library for which the selection is being made. Unless care is exercised it is very easy to get books which treat only of the theory or history of a subject, when the demand is largely for books relating to practice or current conditions. Authority. — What are the author's qualifications? What has been his education and experience? Has he used source material? If secondary material, is it reliable? Does he understand thoroughly the period, facts, or theories with which he deals ? Has he any bias ? BOOK SELECTION 7 Treatment. — Is the treatment concrete or abstract ?,^ Is it technical, semi-technical, scholarly, or popular? Is it a technical subject treated in such a popular manner as to be worthless ? Is it designed for advanced or beginning students or the general reader ? Date. — Is it an old book ? If so, does its date give it value or make it worthless ? Is it valuable as the latest word on the subject ? Or is the subject it treats so new that any book would be too slight to have value ? General make-up. — ^All books of information should have a table of contents and an adequate index. There has been great improvement in these aids to the quick and exact use of a book, and very few publishers send out important books without them. There is still considerable room for reform in the quality of the index, which is sometimes found in the test of actual use to be only a makeshift. Where the nature of the book makes it valuable, a bibliography, or, better, a carefully selected list of recommended books, should be included. The "list of books consulted by the author" as usually printed is of doubtful value, since it includes many titles which have no direct relation to the subject of his own book; such a list should be culled, not printed complete. There should be illustrations if the nature of the book gives them value. They should be pertinent to the text, well repro- duced, and with definite, adequate legends. But no illustra- tions at all are preferable to those that are false or misleading. In some books of travel and description, and in many technical and scientific works, illustrations are often as valuable as, or even more valuable than, the text, and their omission is sufficient to condemn the book. Certain classes of books a.emand maps, such as histories, accounts of explorations, and routes of travel in less-known parts of the world. In others charts are more illuminating than many pages of text to show advance, develop- ment, comparison, etc. A complete list of all such illustrative 8 MANUAL OF LIBRARY ECONOMY material should precede the text, as a convenience to the reader and in collation. Physical make-up. — ^The typography is the most important feature of a book's physical make-up. The rule among libra- rians awake to the evils of badly printed books used to be, without cause for exception, to buy no book that was printed in very small type or that was not leaded (space between the lines). The rule regarding type no longer holds good, since there are now excellent, clear-cut makes of the smaller types which when properly leaded and spaced make an attractive, readable page. There is an increasing tendency to use the larger types with confusing lack of space between words and also between the lines. The result is a page that is far more tiring to the eye than the well-leaded and spaced smaller type produces. The quality, tone, and finish of the paper also affect very largely the clearness of the page. A cream-tinted, dull- finished paper of sufficient thickness to permit no penetration of the printing on the other side offers the best combination. (See chapter xxxii, "Library printing," by F. K. Walter, for more about typographical merits and defects.) Binding and covers are beyond this brief survey. The quality of the binding processes is important, since the life of the book depends largely on them. The character of the covers is less important, except in children's books, where an attractive appearance means much in recommending a book. (See chapter xxvi, "Bookbinding," by A. L. Bailey, for a descrip- tion of the traits of good library binding.) The physical make-up of a volume cannot weigh very heavily beside the question of the text itself, especially in books of information. Where there is a choice of volumes, however, and the librarian is able to examine the books themselves, these matters should be taken into account. Tests for books of inspiration. — Discussion of the qualities an inspirational work should have would require more space than BOOK SELECTION 9 can be given to a single chapter. The following questiens are intended to be only suggestive: 1. Does the work show any degree of creative power? 2. To what extent does it reflect the author's personaUty ? 3. Is it sincere? 4. Has it originality of conception ? of expression ? 5. Does it appeal primarily to the intellect or the emotions ? If to the latter, has it self-restraint? 6. Is it of purely human interest, or has it also literary, artistic, religious, ethical, or philosophic value ? 7. Is the style a help or a hindrance to the thought? 8. Is the form appropriate to the thought ? 9. Has it charm, beauty, color, imagery, melody ? 10. Has it vitality? Will it endure as a permanent con- tribution to literature ? Tests for fiction.^ — In addition to the tests above: 1. Is the life it pictures true to nature? Or is it sensa- tional? melodramatic? exaggerated? distorted? morbid? 2. Are the characters alive? Does the psychology of their acts ring true ? Are they worth delineating ? Do they throw any new light on the workings of the human mind and heart ? 3. Is the plot original ? hackneyed ? ingenious ? probable ? involved? simple? Is it successfully worked out? Does it hold the interest? 4. Does it blur the hard-won line between right and wrong ? 5. If it depicts sin, is the author's attitude moral ? immoral ? unmoral ? 6. Is its spirit that of good-will toward men? Does it engender a more kindly feeling toward human nature? 7. Does it leave a sense of completeness and satisfaction? Does it stimulate, inspire, or merely amuse ? The reader as an element in selection. — A librarian may be a discriminating critic of books, with a fine appreciation ^ Partly taken from Shmnan's How to judge a hook. lO MANUAL OF LIBRARY ECONOMY of good literature and good workmanship, a keen scent for the false and superficial, and equally keen pleasure in able scholarship and clear analysis, but he must also be a lover and student of people in order to select books successfully. He needs to study his community as thoroughly as the suc- cessful merchant who buys clothing to suit its varied tastes. A detailed knowledge of its institutions, nationalities, religions, degrees of intelligence and education, moral and social stand- ards — everything that indicates the nature, characteristics, and interests of the people the library aims to serve — should be as much a part of his working equipment as a knowl- edge of cataloging and classification. Without this grasp of the community life and intelligence it is not possible to make a wise selection among a dozen, or even six books, on any subject which has a fairly large and varied literature. When a librarian asks a library commission to recommend two or three of the best books on a subject "for her library," the question imme- diately arises: What class of readers does the librarian intend to satisfy with these books ? In a small library, at least, the two factors in the problem, the book and the reader, can never be separated. For this reason the best book on a subject, intrinsically considered, may be the worst for a certain library to buy, if the test of a book is the good it may do in a community. The phrase "the best book" can seldom be used unmodified without being misleading. For instance, the work on the Panama Canal called the best in the technology department of the Carnegie library of Pittsburgh would certainly not be the best for a tiny village on a western prairie, or even for a cultured eastern town. This wide difference in the intelligence, training, and needs of our public-library users renders general lists of recommended books indifferent aids, however carefully selected and annotated. Their selection must of necessity be based largely on inherent or comparative value; the touch- stone — the community the list is to serve — cannot be applied. BOOK SELECTION II It is of greater importance that the librarian should know his people than that he should know personally the books they may desire. Some one can usually be found, in the state library commission or elsewhere, who can inform him concerning the books, but the librarian must be depended on for the informa- tion necessary to select those that will fit his readers. The activities, interests, institutions, and public spirit of a community should be reflected with some degree of complete- ness on the shelves of its public library. This is sometimes an unfair test of the librarian's ability, owing to the short life of the library, a paucity of funds, incapable predecessors, etc. but as a rule, if such subjects as moral education, child labor, women in industry, municipal government, civic improvement, public health and sanitation, and other matters of special interest in our wide-awake towns are represented by only a few stray titles or not at all, it is safe to conclude that the librarian is not living up to his opportunity; that he is probably following the line of least resistance by adding only to the obvious and already well-represented classes of history, travel, and literature, forgetting or ignoring the fact that he is thus serving only a part — and the most easily satisfied part — of his conomunity, that he is not "bringing to all the people the books that belong to them." When he does that, every trade and industry, every homely, healthful, or artistic after-hour employment, every worthy club and society, will be reflected on the shelves of the library. PRACTICE OF SELECTION Granted that a librarian appreciates the need of definite principles of selection and has a thorough grasp of them, his community will not profit from them unless he is willing to give considerable time and thought to the actual work of selection. This should be accepted as a regular part of the day's work, not considered an added burden to be postponed until necessity forces it into the schedule, to the detriment of other duties. 12 MANUAL OF LIBRARY ECONOMY Use of printed aids. — ^The first step in the routine of selec- tion is to decide what aids are to be depended on for information about current books and about the older literature. This decision depends largely on the size of the library and the amount of the book fund. With a collection of ten thousand books or less and an appropriation of $i,ooo or less, the average library can manage very well with the two A.L.A. Catalogs and the A.L.A. Booklist, supplemented by the assistance obtainable from the state library commission. Libraries larger than this and having a larger appropriation will, as a rule, need a larger list to select from. This is especially true for the older books, since the two Catalogs represent a much more limited selection than does the Booklist. Many libraries find the addition of the volumes of the Book Review Digest sufficient. Its value for selection is increased since the inclusion of a subject index. Librarians of other libraries no larger in size think they cannot do effective work without the U.S. Catalog and the Cumulative Book Index also: This equipment entails a con- siderable expenditure, and should be undertaken only after a careful canvass of the situation. There is much to be said, however, in favor of as large a supply of bibliographic tools as can be afforded, since the librarian who takes the trouble to find exactly what he needs by use of them can usually borrow what he is not able to buy, either from the state commission or from another library. Few libraries today are dependent solely on what they can afford to buy. Besides these publications there are many other useful aids, as the Classified catalogues of the Carnegie library of Pittsburgh, the New York State library Best books lists, Sonnenschein's Best books, etc. (see List of aids, p. 27). All lists should be consulted with a realization of their limitations or bias; e.g., the three Pittsburgh catalogs represent the gradual growth of a single large library striving to meet the needs of its own city; in using them one should keep in mind the fact that many of the books in the earlier catalogs are now BOOK SELECTION 13 out of date and perhaps replaced by better ones, that many titles are not suited to the small library, etc. In selecting books other than current, no title should be chosen, no matter how excellent the list containing it or how favorable the note accompanying it, without careful search in later or current lists to ascertain if it has not been supplanted by a better book, or has not been issued in a new edition. For the selection of current literature the Booklist answers the need of most small libraries. Where a larger list is wanted, the Book Review Digest is usually added next. Many librarians do not feel satisfied without the longer reviews in the Dial and Nation. Many, too, feel the need of the more complete and frequent news of books that is supplied in the Publishers' Weekly^ the New York Times Review of Books, the Boston Transcript^ and other newspapers. To these the libraries of 25,000 and over usually add the Cumulative Book Index, the Athenaeum or Spectator or both, and perhaps one of the EngUsh trade journals — the Bookseller or Publishers' Circular; the former is perhaps in most general favor. The lists of additions in the bulletins of the large public libraries, which are sometimes followed closely by small libraries in the same section, are helpful only when used with discrimina- tion. They vary greatly in value, the selection in some being excellent and well balanced, in some very uneven, and in others decidedly poor as a whole. In most of them there is no way of determining what books have been chosen as valuable additions, what bought to meet an urgent need regardless of inherent value, and what added as gifts (sometimes worthless). In some, new and old books are not distinguished. Book committee. — ^The usual order of procedure in selection is somewhat as follows: The librarian collects the titles for consideration by the board or the book committee. The latter is preferable, as the board is likely to be too large a body to consider and agree on a list of books with wisdom and 14 MANUAL OF LIBRARY ECONOMY dispatch. This committee should be composed of educated people, but people who are in actual touch with the life of the community and who appreciate the responsibility and honor of acting for it. The school superintendent is usually a mem- ber, and frequently a valuable one. The membership should never be composed wholly of women, nor, if possible to avoid it, wholly of men, and none of them should be ruled by hobbies. Through his thorough knowledge of his library and its resources and his ability to give good reason for the selection of books he submits for approval, the librarian should command the confi- dence of the committee, and he should attend its meetings with- out question. Book fund. — The book fund is greatly affected by the size of the library. It is relatively larger in the smaller library, since the cost of service is less. About 20 per cent of the library appropriation is perhaps near the average amount spent for books. Of this not more than one-fourth should be spent for fiction and one-fourth (or more) for children's books. This leaves about half the book fund for reference and classed books and periodicals, which is none too much considering their greater cost. The fund should be divided into fairly equal portions and spent at regular intervals. The frequency of buying depends on the size of the fund, on the size of the library, and on the attitude of the readers. A library spending $200 or less a year hardly needs to buy oftener than once in three or four months. The majority of libraries buy monthly; if near a large city even small libraries are inclined to buy oftener. Frequent purchases keep interest alive, but, on the other hand, they are more expensive (as to time and transportation charges) and tend to lower the standard of selection. Collecting and sifting titles for purchase. — The mechanical routine of selection is simple. Current lists and reviews are systematically checked, chosen titles (author, brief title, pub- BOOK SELECTION 15 Usher, price, and source of information, note or review) are copied on cards of uniform size, or, better still if there are notes, the entries themselves are clipped and mounted on cards. A tray or filing box should be provided for this purpose. Books on special subjects or to meet special needs, new editions and replacements are added to this "possible purchase file." It can be kept in author order or classed according to the appor- tionment of the book fund: Class books. Fiction, Reference, Children's books, Foreign books. When a book order is to be prepared, this accumulation of titles is sorted by subject and carefully sifted by consulting available reviews and by taking into account immediate needs and the amount of money available. They are compared with the catalog and shelf-list to avoid duplication of titles, and some sort of balance is attained between subjects. After the order has been made up, the withdrawn titles can be returned to their original file to await the next order or they can be arranged behind guides according to the decision made about them; e.g., the next to buy, desirable but too expensive at present, buy second hand, discarded, etc. Readers should be encouraged to recommend books for purchase, and cards should be furnished for this purpose. To discourage indiscriminate requests, a reason for the purchase of the book should be required and any favorable information about it solicited. If the library finds it unwise to buy a book so requested, the reader should be given the reason for the decision. Free material. — ^The librarian who practices economy in book selection is constantly alert to discover the good material which can be acquired free of cost or for very little. The follow- ing classes are only suggestive: I. Public documents: city, state, and federal. Among them is some of the most valuable material a library can possess. Often a government bureau is the first to publish a 1 6 MANUAL OF LIBRARY ECONOMY bulletin on a new subject. The small library cannot make room for many long sets, but it cannot afford to neglect the current output of all but the more technical departments and bureaus. In larger libraries it should be a matter of pride to make easily available every federal, state, and city report or bulletin which could possibly be useful. The Monthly Catalogue and the Price lists on various subjects that are compiled from time to time in the Superintendent of Documents Office are worth the time it takes the busiest librarian to scan them. Many useful sets and single documents are noted in chapter xxiii, ''Government docimients," and in the A.L.A. Publishing Board Handbook 7, "U.S. Government documents in small libraries." 2. Railroad and steamship "literature." While not always strictly reliable, this material is often a very ready help. If the text is not needed, the illustrations are useful in the picture collection. 3. Philanthropic, charitable, civic, and political organiza- tions' publications. Some of the first and best surveys of new movements are obtained from these sources, and they are more convenient and usually more reliable than magazine articles relating to them. Quick vs. deliberate buying — ^The wise librarian has also learned to question whether or not his need for a new book is urgent. While it is often true that half the value of a book lies in having it when it is first wanted, it is ahnost as often the case that waiting will not lessen its usefulness. There are three reasons for waiting: (i) the book may not after all prove a worthy purchase when the opinion of expert reviewers (usually late) is obtainable; (2) a better one may follow close on the heels of the one chosen; this is frequently the case in new sub- jects; (3) a year after publication a larger discount is obtain- able, or the book may be purchased at half-price or less through second-hand or remainder dealers, or through advertisement. BOOK SELECTION 17 Reasons (i) and (2) bring up the matter of immediate (or quick) versus deliberate buying, as to which every librarian must be his own judge. It is no doubt necessary in some libraries to buy promptly — at least in some classes of books — but it is difficult to believe that a group of fairly intelligent people who have confidence in their librarian will not wait with a reasonable degree of patience until the value of a book can be ascertained, especially if they understand that a worthless or unusable book deprives them of the good one which might have been bought in its place. The quality of the selection in small libraries, especially in fiction, is greatly improved where the librarian has assimied this reasonable attitude on the part of his readers and has won them to it. The small library does not reap the benefit it might from the second-hand agencies. A great saving can sometimes be effected through them if the librarian knows just what books he wants. The two difficulties are that the catalogs sent out con- tain all sorts of literature, making an actual knowledge of the books essential, and that the cost of transportation may make a small order cost as much as if bought through the regular trade. In the case of an expensive reference work, or one that is out of print, an advertisement in the Publishers^ Weekly "Books wanted" column sometimes brings a copy when the second-hand dealers have failed to secure it. (See chapter xvii, "Order and accession department," by F. F. Hopper.) The librarian who needs to economize will not buy sub- scription books. While it is true that some valuable works are published in this way, they are a very small part of the whole output and they can usually be obtained later in the regular trade or from second-hand dealers, often at a great reduction. As a rule, a subscription work is inferior in text, binding, and make-up to the ordinary book and far more costly. Selection of periodicals. — Closely allied with the problem of the choice of books is that of the selection of periodicals. i8 MANUAL OF LIBRARY ECONOMY In these days of a surfeit of popular magazines even the large library must select with some care. In the smaller library the problem is a serious one. Even more than in the case of books, its solution depends on local conditions. As a rule, however, the following requirements should be met with each periodical. 1. It should be of as high standard as wiU be read. 2 . It should offend no part of the community by its unfairness. 3. It should, if possible, be of permanent value and worth binding. 4. It should be within the means of the library. 5. The selection as a whole should cover all the important interests of the community and meet its most pressing needs. 6. It should not include periodicals which are taken in the majority of the homes unless the fund is large, or the periodical of special reference value. 7. Partisan or religious periodicals representing a single church should not be purchased. If room can be given them the of&cial organs of well-recognized societies and denomina- tions should be accepted as gifts. If this is done, make an effort to have the collection represent the majority of the com- munity. Various groups of selected periodicals are given in the articles cited in the "References" given at the end of this chapter. Selection of children's books. — ^The choice of books for children is a special field, and does not come within the province of this chapter. It is discussed briefly in chapter xxix, *' Library work with children," by Frances J. Olcott, and a list of books and articles is appended. The best lists for use in building up a collection of children's literature are cited under "Aids in book selection." EDITIONS In the public library of any size the question of editions is of sufficient importance to warrant much closer study than it BOOK SELECTION 19 usually receives; in the^mall library hardly too much attention can be given it. Here every book, where there can be so few, should be made to count — should be frequently in demand by a reader. The word "edition" is loosely employed in two ways: (i) for a classic or standard work in which the subject-matter is unchanged, the variation from the earlier editions or edition consisting in its physical make-up, with perhaps the addition of an introduction, notes, or appendixes; (2) for a republication of a work, usually of fairly modem origin, in which the text has been changed and enlarged to a greater or less extent, in order to bring it into line with present-day thought or to insert later facts or events — to "bring it up to date," in library terms. The word "reprint" is often used synonymously with "edition," but a reprint means to publishers the reprinting from the same type and without change, except for textual errors. The long-held idea that the classic and standard authors should be bought as cheaply as possible because they are so little read is a mistaken one, at least with respect to those of more popular character. Even the small library must have a few books which are very seldom called for and which may well be bought in fairly cheap editions, but there is a large body of standard literature — especially the novels — ^which will be read ahnost as eagerly as the newest books if presented in the same kind of dress, with good paper, legible type, satisfactory illus- trations, and attractive covers. Even readers who know the charm of Jane Austen, Charles Lamb, Thackeray, and Dickens (unknown authors to many young people except for painful memories of English lessons) are repelled by the ugly, unread- able editions which are to be found on many library shelves. In recognition of this need there has been in recent years a con- siderable output of handsome editions. Some of the money all but wasted in mediocre fiction might well be diverted into this channel. Choose editions which are illustrated if the 20 MANUAL OF LIBRARY ECONOMY illustrations are not of the impossible type, and, if necessary, sacrifice a strong binding to attractive covers. If attractive editions are worth buying for adults, they surely are for children. The average adult has opportunities outside the library to see and enjoy fine books; he may even satisfy his love for them by occasionally buying one. Many children know no better books than those they handle at school and in the public library. How is a respect for the dignity and value of literature to take root if they see nothing superior to the little cheap editions with which some children's rooms are filled ? These are necessary for circulation, but every classic approved for children's reading should be represented by at least one copy of a satisfactory edition — ^well printed, well illustrated, well bound — and frequent opportunity should be given the children to read them. There is an increasing tendency among publishers to issue frequent editions of books on growing or rapidly changing subjects. In many instances the changes and additions are important; in many more they are too slight to warrant the replacing of the older edition, except in large libraries or in case the subject is so important as to demand the latest information. Much depends on the character of the use of the book in the individual library. In the case of a popular subject, the period- ical literature will usually be found to bring it to date satis- factorily enough for the average reader. The incorporation of valuable new material or the changing of statistical data, as after a new census, often makes a new edition practically a necessity. There are doubtless hundreds of persons daily gathering data from books in our public libraries which have not been according to facts for ten, twenty, or even thirty years. If such books are not replaced, they should be discarded or plainly labeled as out of date. As a rule, expensive editions should not be bought. Occa- sional exceptions should, however, be made where the book BOOK SELECTION 21 fund allows it. Even a few handsome volumes, or substantial, well-bound sets, give a library a charm and a look of distinction that is too often lacking, and help to create a love for books. In our fine new Carnegie libraries there is frequently a sad con- trast between the smart, shining equipment and the books which are its sole excuse for being. It is usually in the fine arts collection that a librarian finds excuse for indulging in a few beautiful books, but every lover of good literature would like to see its great leaders — ^past and present — ^more worthily clothed. On the other hand, there are many books which, issued first in expensive form, are as useful in the much cheaper one which follows in a few weeks or months. The difference is usually only in paper, process or amount of illustration, and binding. Books issued in impractical white or light bindings should not be bought. If good public-library material, they will usually appear in appropriate binding in the course of time. PUBLISHERS The librarian who has a good knowledge of publishing houses, their history and present status, has a great advantage in book selection over the one to whom the name of a house means nothing, or at most a magazine or single type of book. It is still true, despite recent changes, that as a whole the output of each of the older houses has certain characteristics so dis- tinctive that those with long experience can usually name their books on sight. They can usually also name the strong points and weaknesses which are instinctively associated with each publisher. There are, of course, exceptions, and as a whole the boundaries between publishers, especially as to classes of subjects handled, are rapidly disappearing. We can no longer say that such and such a New England author's books must have been published by Houghton Mifflin, that Appleton "carries" all the good popular science, that Scribner imports the art books, 22 MANUAL OF LIBRARY ECONOMY etc. There have been some startling innovations of late in houses the heretofore strong family resemblance of whose books gives one the feeling that these newcomers are unwelcome changelings. While it is not possible for any one who is not constantly handling a fair proportion of a house's output to follow its development (or changes), every librarian should try to gain a knowledge of two things regarding the forty or fifty publishers who print most of the current books from which the average library selects; these are: the subjects in which they specialize, and the relative rank of their books as to their mechanical processes. Of two books on radium of seemingly even value, the one published by a house having a long record for its good scientific publications will probably be preferred. Likewise of two books on any subject which, from all available informa- tion, differ little in textual value, the choice naturally falls on the one which is printed better and is likely to wear longer. Much of this information can be gained by constant observa- tion and comparison of new books and by study of publishers' catalogs. It is one, but not the most important one, of the many good reasons for a librarian forming the habit of visiting large bookstores at as frequent intervals as possible. Even if the distance is too great to admit of such a visit more than once a year, it is well worth some sacrifice of vacation pleasure to accomplish it. AIDS IN BOOK SELECTION The statement is quite safe that the majority of librarians are too far removed from book centers to enable them to examine new books before making their selection. But even the librarian who has access to the new books is often at a loss to decide on the merits of publications in subjects of which he has no special knowledge. In the average public library he has too little time to devote to the book side of his work to keep pace BOOK SELECTION 23 with the subjects with which he has some familiarity, much less to acquire a knowledge of the new ones which arise sufficient to make a wise selection in its literature. Only in the large libraries, where special departments with trained people at their heads and throughout the staff are possible, is the work of book selection carried on with independence from outside aid; and here the work is less that of selection, on the whole, than of collection. Hence there is absolute necessity for possessing as many aids as it is possible to have for acquiring reliable information about current literature. Help in selecting the older literature is also needed, in forming collections for new libraries, and in building up weak collections in libraries already organized. Advice from individuals. — This help is acquired through several different channels. The most valuable to the small library usually is, or should be, the personal assistance of a member of the state library commission or a fellow-librarian who knows the principles of selection and the books, and knows also the community sufficiently well to adapt their selection to its needs. The second-best aid should be the persons in the com- mimity who have a fundamental knowledge of a subject and keep themselves thoroughly informed of its literature; such people as the ministers, the school superintendent and principals, the heads of large industries or their assistants, professional men who know the general literature of their subjects, women who are leaders in educational and social work, etc. Many larger libraries have a "book board" composed of such citizens, into whose hands is given the task of selection, subject some- times to the revision of the hbrarian, or the board of trustees. The librarian in even the small town should utilize the special knowledge that is available among its citizens, but will need to scrutinize carefully the resulting reconomendations. It is difficult for experts to acquire the unbiased viewpoint of the public library, to free themselves of the belief that the literature 24 MANUAL OF LIBRARY ECONOMY of their own subject is the most important to add. If titles submitted for purchase are not pruned, therefore, there will almost unfailingly result an over-supply of books which as a whole are useful to only a small group of readers. Printed lists. — In the average small library, " Book selection aids" mean neither of these two just discussed, but the printed lists published by the A.L.A. Publishing Board and the Ubrary commissions. In these the selection is made from the viewpoint of the small or medium-sized library, and the annotation, when there is any, aims to give the information necessary to make a closer selection possible. Such annotation, to be most helpful, should have the following qualities: It should give an unbiased statement of the book's value, authority, scope, treatment, point of view, and style, and should indicate its special virtues or deficiencies. It should be written with the sole purpose of enabling the librarian to decide, without examination of the book itself, whether or not he should buy it and to what class of readers it will make an appeal. To be of the greatest value, sometimes to be of any value, it should make a definite comparison with earlier books on the subject. It takes time to write a just, discriminating, and yet com- prehensive note, but better a dozen of this kind than fifty of the sort known as publishers' notices. These are written to aid the sale of a book and, therefore, must be considered biased. The notes from many houses are helpful in giving information regard- ing the book's content, point of view, and treatment, and also the author's ability to write it, but at its best the publisher's note emphasizes a book's strong features and ignores its weak ones; at its worst, even its weak features are made to pose as shining virtues. The public-library selection cannot be made wisely on such incomplete or prejudiced information, yet there are still librarians to be found who buy regularly from pub- lishers' and booksellers' announcements. BOOK SELECTION 25 The chief printed aids in book selection are too famij^iar to need description. They are listed at the end of this chapter. Book reviews. — There is still another aid in selection and one which is doubtless consulted more than all others, if all classes of libraries are taken into account, and that is the book review. Its importance warrants a fuller consideration than its imitator, the publishers' notice. The book reviews of today fall roughly into two groups: those that treat a book as a contribution to literature, science, or the arts, and those that treat it as a piece of news. The reviews in the literary, scientific, and technical periodicals are, or should be, of the first class, those in the newspapers and maga- zines (with a few exceptions) are of the second class. The latter review may be as scholarly in diction as the former, but it is largely descriptive in character, the tone is usually laudatory, and no attempt is made at criticism. The reviewer who treats a book as a contribution to literature usually shows some ear- marks of scholarship, a sense of responsibility to the task in hand, and some understanding of, and more than a perfunctory interest in, the subject under discussion. He sometimes even gives his reader a fair idea of the book, but this is not to be expected. He is more certain to give his own idea of the subject in hand and his conception of the proper way to treat it — which sometimes is illuminating and sometimes is not. Both these kinds of reviews are useful in case one does not take the first class too seriously and does not fail to consider the latter as news — ^placing it in the same category as the pub- lishers' notices. The news review often gives more actual in- formation as to the subject-matter of a book, and is written more nearly from the point of view of the average reader, than the scholarly review. Herein lies its usefulness, but unfor- tunately the librarian sometimes fails to wait for the latter (and it is often a long and trying wait) to make sure of the book's actual worth. 26 MANUAL OF LIBRARY ECONOMY There are no wholly reliable book reviews from the librarian's point of view, w^hich must be somewhat at variance with the expert's or college professor's point of view, and very different from that of the magazine and newspaper hackwriter. The lack of balance or perspective, or the inaccuracies that ban a book for the student may not affect its value for public-library uses (although they sometimes do), while the exhaustive analyses and subtle reasonings that make a book a source of true joy to the scholar may render it useless to the average reader, and to the small library. In the case of fiction, the literary review is likely to be as misleading as the popular one. The one looks at a novel as a piece of literature, usually without regard to its possible effect, the other regards it as legitimate amusement for adults, while the librarian must judge it from his knowledge of a multi-minded public, which, having widely varying conceptions of what is interesting and uninteresting, moral and immoral, funny and only silly, fine sentiment and "sentimental bosh," subtle analysis and "dull reading," on the whole agrees remarkably well as to what the library should or should not have on its shelves for its young people to read. Sometimes by accident an ideal librarian's review appears — one which gives an adequate idea of the book's authority, an analysis of the subject-matter, definite statements as to manner of treatment, bias if any, style, virtues and defects, and a com- parison with other books on the same subject. This is a good deal to ask of a reviewer except in the scholarly and professional papers, which offer something more than the book itself in pay- ment. In spite of the inadequacy of reviews the librarian is de- pendent on them to some extent. Comparative safety lies in selecting as many of the most reliable review periodicals as can be afforded and reading them all. In this way one gradually learns the peculiarities of each and allows for them. This is BOOK SELECTION 27 especially true of periodicals having signed reviews contributed by a fairly stable corps of reviewers. AIDS IN BOOK SELECTION LIBRARY PUBLICATIONS A.L.A. booklist, a guide to the best new books, 1905-date. A.L.A. pub. bd. $1 a yr. A.L.A. catalog; 8,000 volumes for a popular library; prepared by the New York State library and the Library of Congress. 1904. Supt. of Docs. $1. "AX.A. catalog, 1904-1911. Class list: 3,000 titles for a popular library; ed. by Elva L. Bascom. 1912. A.L.A. pub. bd. $1 . 50. A.L.A. Publishing Board. Foreign book Usts. A.L.A. pub. bd. 15C.-50C. Selected lists of German, Hungarian, French, Norwegian and Danish, Swedish, Polish, and Italian books. Brown, Zaidee. Buyinglist of books for small libraries; new edition revised by Caroline Webster. 1913. A.L.A. pub. bd. loc. Kroeger, A.B. Guide to the study and use of reference books. 2d ed. 1908. A.L.A. pub. bd. $1.50. Annual supplements by I. G. Mudge, printed in Library journal; also in pamphlet form, 1909-10, 25c.; 1911-13, 40c. A.L.A. pub. bd. New York libraries (quarterly). New York State library, Albany, 25c. a yr. Contains good brief lists. New York State library. A selection from the best books with notes (annual since 1897). Pub. by library. loc. Open shelf: books added to the Cleveland Public library (monthly). Pub. by library. Good notes. Pittsburgh. Carnegie library. Classified catalogs. Pub. by library. ist series, 189 5-1902. 3V. $12. 2d series, 1 902-1 906. 2V. $5. 3d series, 1907-1911. 3V. $8. 28 MANUAL OF LIBRARY ECONOMY Pittsburgh. Carnegie library. Monthly bulletin. Pub. by library. 25c. a yr. Good notes. Pratt Institute library, Brooklyn. Technical books (annual since 1908). Pub. by library. Graded lists with good notes. Sonnenschein, W. S. The best books. 3d ed. 1910-12. pts. 1-2. Putnam. $3. 50 each (incomplete). Walter, F. K. Periodicals for the small library. 1913. A.L.A. pub. bd. IOC. Wilson, Martha, comp. Books for high schools. 1913. A.L.A. pub. bd. 50c. Contains about 1,400 titles, classed and annotated. Wisconsin library bulletin (monthly). Wis. lib. com. Madison. 60c. a yr. Contains selected lists. Wyer, J. I., Jr. U.S. government docimients in small libraries. New ed. 1914. A.L.A. pub. bd. 15c. TRADE PUBLICATIONS Book review digest, 1906-date (monthly). H. W. Wilson Co. $5 a yr. Yearly cumulation in January number, $3. Cumulative book index, 1912-date (bi-monthly). H. W. Wilson Co. $6 a yr. English catalogue of books (annual). R. R. Bowker Co. $1.50. Publishers' weekly. R. R. Bowker Co. $3 a yr. Publishers' trade list annual. R. R. Bowker Co. $2. Reference catalogue of current literature (English). 3V. 19 13. R. R. Bowker Co. $6. Severance, H. O. Guide to the current periodicals and serials of the United States and Canada. 3d ed. 1914. Wahr. $3.50. United States catalog: books in print 191 2. H. W. Wilson Co. $36. U.S. Superintendent of documents. Catalogue of United States public documents (monthly) . Gov't printing office. $1 . 10 a yr. The Price lists are furnished free on request. The lists of current publications of the more popular depart- ments, like the Department of Agriculture, are also very useful. BOOK SELECTION 29 BOOK-REVIEWING PERIODICALS American Bookman (monthly). New York. $2. 50 a yr. Dial (semi-monthly). Chicago. $2 a yr. Nation (weekly). New York. $3 a yr. New York times review of books (weekly). New York. $1 a yr. English Athenaeum (weekly). London. £1, los. 6d. Spectator (weekly). London. £1, 125. 6d. Of the newspapers and periodicals having a book section, or occasionally reviewing recent literature, the most reliable — ^judging from their use — seem to be the following: Atlantic monthly. Boston. $4 a yr. Boston transcript (Wednesday and Saturday edition). Boston. $3 ayr. Independent (weekly). New York. $3 a yr. North American review (monthly). New York. $4 a yr. Yale review (quarterly). New Haven, Ct. $3 a yr. SPECIAL SUBJECTS In some subjects selection can be made wholly from general lists; in others special lists are valuable aids, either in furnishing additional or more recent titles or in confirming the choice of titles made from the general lists. The date of the special list should be carefully noted and the more recent books on the subject should be examined if possible. The source of special lists should be considered, the selection in some being more reliable than in others. For the convenience of their readers large libraries print many lists which include practically everything the library contains on a subject. Such lists are useful to the small library because they show what material is available, but they should be used not as a selection, but as a basis for selection, just as one would use the card catalog of a large library. The briefer reference lists included in library bulletins (and sometimes issued separately also) usually represent a selection and are often very helpful. An index to these was compiled by the Providence Public Library and published by the 30 MANUAL OF LIBRARY ECONOMY Boston Book Co. in 1907 (25c.) and is continued annually in the Bulletin of bibliography. (Boston Book Co. $2.) Many good lists are published also by organizations and insti- tutions of all kinds, but specially those of the propaganda type. Good lists on a subject are often to be found in new books. If they are selected and annotated they are specially valuable; if merely a list of the books the author has consulted their value is questionable. To learn of new bibliographies and lists it is necessary to keep close watch of library periodicals. The largest number are cited in "Bibliographical notes" in the Library journal. A closely selected list of bibliographies in book form chosen for small libraries is found in the A.L.A. Catalog igo4-iiy under 016. CHILDREN'S BOOKLISTS Arnold, G. W., comp. Mother's list of books for children. 1909. McClurg. $1. Brooklyn public library. Books that girls like. 19 14. Pub. by library. 3c. Buffalo public library. Graded list of books. 1909. Pub. by library. 25c. Carnegie library of Pittsburgh. Catalogue of books in the children's department. 1909. Pub. by library. $1. Annotated catalogue of books used in home libraries and reading clubs. 1905. Pub. by library. 25c. Cleveland public library. Seventy-five books of adventure for boys and girls. 19 13. Pub. by library. 3c. Harron, J. S., and others. Course of study for normal school pupils on literature for children. 191 2. Elm Tree Press, Newark, N.J. $1. Hewins, C. M. Books for boys and girls. Revised edition. 1915. A.L.A. pub. bd. 20c. New York public library. Heroism: a reading list for boys and girls. 1914. Pub. by library. 5c. Olcott, F. J. The children's reading. 191 2. Houghton. $1.25. Power, E. L. List of books for older girls. 19 14. St. Louis pub. lib. 5c. BOOK SELECTION 31 Utica public library. Books for home reading. 4th ed. 1913. Pub. by library. 5c. Wilson, Martha, camp. Minnesota school library list: books for elementary and rural schools. 19 13-14. Minnesota State Dept. of Education. 50c. Wisconsin free library commission. Suggestive list of children's books for a small library, compiled by H. T. Kennedy. 19 10. Pub. by com*n. 25c. (New edition in preparation.) BIBLIOGRAPHY Some of the best material is contained in English library journals. Excerpts from some of these articles can be found in the cumulated volume of Library work (edited by A. L. Guthrie, H. W. Wilson Co., 191 2, $4) . They are fully indexed in Cannons' Bibliography of library economy (Stanley Russell & Co., London, 1910, 7s. 6d. net). BOOK SELECTION: PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICE Adams, C. F. The problem of the small public library. Library journal, 29:365-67, July 1904. Andrews, C. W. The acquisition of books. Public libraries, 8 : 195- 202, May 1903. Askew, S. B. The place, the man and the book. A.L.A. bulletin, 150-57, Sept. 1908; also N.Y. libraries, 1:163-69, Jan. 1909. Bacon, Corinne. Principles of book selection. N.Y. libraries, 1:3-6, Oct. 1907. Bascom, E. L. How shall we select our books? Iowa library quarterly, 7:65-69, Jan.-March 1914. Bostwick, A. E. How libraries choose books. Public libraries, 8: 137-41, April 1903. How to raise the standard of book selection. Public libraries, 14:163-67, May 1909. Bowerman, G. F. Principles governing the choice of religious and theological books for public libraries. Library journal, 30: 137- 40, March 1905. Cutter, C. A. Should libraries buy only the best books or the best books that people will read? Library journal, 26:70-72, Feb. 1901. 32 MANUAL OF LIBRARY ECONOMY Cutter, W. P. Report of the A.L.A. Committee on bookbujring. A.L.A. bulletin, 4:506-9, March 1910. Foster, W. E. Where ought the emphasis to be placed in library- purchases? Library journal, 29:229-37, May 1904. Knowledge of books (editorial). N.Y. libraries, 2:251, July 191 1. Perry, Bliss. Libraries and the community. Brookline (Mass.) public library. Dedication exercises, pp. 19-39. Shuman, E. L. How to judge a book, chap. 2, "First steps in analysis." Slosson, E. E. Books no public library should be without. Inde- pendent, 65:1559-62, 24 Dec. 1908. Wright, P. B. Some book-buying and other library problems. Public libraries, 13:165-68, May 1908. Wynkoop, Asa. Expensive books and the small library. N.Y. libraries, 2 : 251-52, July 1911. Outlines and references for library institutes:!. Stocking the library; part i. Selecting books. N.Y. libraries, 4:82-88, May 19 14. Consult for many good references not included in this limited selection. Available in pamphlet form. Selection for all the people in the community. N.Y. libraries, 4:2-5, Nov. 1913. Waiting ior bargains. N.Y. libraries, 2:156, Oct. 1910. Fiction Bacon, Corinne. What makes a novel immoral? N.Y. libraries, 2:4-12, Oct. 1909; Wisconsin library bulletin, 6:83-95, July- Aug. 1910. Also in pamphlet form (revised 1914), H. W. Wilson Co. IOC. What novels? Public libraries, 18:55-56, Feb. 1913. Bascom, E. L. Selection of fiction. Wisconsin library bulletin, 9: 34-40, April 19 13. Bostwick, A. E. Purchase of current fiction. Library journal, 28:C3i-33, 1903. The librarian as a censor. Papers and proceedings of the 30th annual meeting of the A.L.A., 1908, pp. 1 13-21. BOOK SELECTION 33 Bostwick, A. E. Uses of fiction. Papers and proceedings of the 29th annual meeting of the A.L.A., 1907, pp. 183-87. «► Rathbone, F. L. Some suggestions for fiction purchase and circula- tion. Library journal, 28:110-12, March 1903. Shuman, E. L. How to judge a book, chap. 9, "Morality in art." Steiner, B. C. Some problems concerning prose fiction. Library journal, 28:033-35, iQOS- Wadlin, H. G. Ought public libraries to radically restrict their purchases of current fiction? Library journal, 29:60-63, Feb. 1904. Children's books References are given in chapter xxix, "Library work with children," pp. 33-34- Periodicals Archer, William. American cheap magazines. Living age, 265: 579-87, 4 June 1910. Brett, W. H. Use of periodicals. Library journal, 2o:Ci2-i6, Dec. 1895. Campbell, J. M. Foreign periodicals. Mass. library club bulletin, May 19 14, pp. 62-69. Clarke, E. P. Periodicals, their selection and purchase. N.Y. libraries, Aug. 19 14, pp. 108-10. Massachusetts library club. Committee on periodicals. Report. Mass. library club bulletin, May 1914, pp. 60-62. Nelson, H. L. American periodicals. Dial, 28:349-52, i May 1900. Parham, N. E. White list of periodicals for a public library. Public libraries 19:451, Dec. 1914. Periodicals: their selection and use. Library occurrent, Sept. 19 14, pp. 199-202. Rathbone, F. L. Magazines in a small library. Public libraries, 14:377-78, June 1909. Walter, F. K. Periodicals for the small library. 19 13. A.L.A. pub. bd. IOC. EDITIONS ^ - Expensive books and the small library. N.Y. libraries, 2:251-52, July 1911. Fine editions of children's books. Wisconsin library bulletin, 5 : 10- II, Jan. 1909. / 34 MANUAL OF LIBRARY ECONOMY Foster, W. E. How to choose editions (Lib. handbook no. 8). A.L.A. pub. bd. 15c.; also N.Y. libraries, 2:85-92, April 1910. MacDonald, K. Choice of books in traveling libraries. Wisconsin library bulletin, 2:39-43, May 1906. Marvin, C. Children's books in inexpensive editions. Wisconsin library bulletin, i : 54-56, July 1905. PUBLISHERS Brett, G. P. Book publishing and its present tendencies. Atlantic, 111:454-62, April 1913. Discussion, Dial, 54:401-3, 16 May 1913. Browne, F. F. American publishing and publishers. Dial, 28 : 340- 43, May 1900. Holt, Henry. Commercialization of literature. Atlantic, 96:577- 600, Nov. 1905. Discussion, Bookman, 24:134-39, Oct. 1906. Page, W. H. An intimate view of publishing. World's work, 4:2561-65, Sept. 1902; also Library journal, 27:0166-70, July 1902. Parsons, E. Growth of the publishing industry in the United States. World today, 4:97-108, Jan. 1903. Townsend, R. D. The American publisher and his service to litera- ture. Outlook, 81:740-47, 25 Nov. 1905. Yard, R. S. The publisher. 1913. Houghton. $1 net. BOOK NOTICES AND REVIEWS Book "notices" and book reviewing. PubHshers' weekly, 14 and 21 Jan. 1911, pp. 47-48, 76-77. Booming books. Publishers' weekly, i July 191 1, pp. 39-41. Burpee, L. J. Are reviews reliable? Library journal, 33:101-2, March 1908. Collins, J. C. Ephemera critica, pp. 3-44. 19 10. Dutton. $2 net. Haines, H. E. Present day book reviewing. Independent, 69: 1 104-6, 17 Nov. 1910; also Publishers' weekly, 14 Jan. 191 1, p. 48-49. Morton, A. H. The reviewer reviewed. Critic 39:535-42, Dec. 1901. BOOK SELECTION 35 Periodicals useful for book reviews. New York State library school. Bulletin 34, 19 13, pp. 73-80. Perry, Bliss. Literary criticism in American periodicals. Yale review, n.s. 3:635-55, July 1914. The American reviewer. Yale review, n.s. 4:3-24, Oct. 1914. Rice, W. Practical book reviewing and manuscript reading from the inside. A.L.A. Bulletin, 4:630-33, Sept. 1910. "Tainted" book reviews. Dial 56:97, 173, i Feb. and i March 1914. Value of book reviews. N.Y. libraries, 3:3-4, Oct. 191 1. PUBLICATIONS OF THE AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION PUBLISHING BOARD 78 E. Washington St., Chicago, III. A.L.A. Catalog, 1904-11. Edited by Elva L. Bascom. Cloth, $1.50, postpaid. Guide to reference books. Edited by Alice B. Kroeger. Revised and enlarged edition. Cloth, SI. 50 (postage. 11 cents). Cataloging for small libraries. By Theresa Hitchler. New and greatly enlarged edition. Cloth, SI. 25. Hints to small libraries. By Mary W. Plummer. Cloth, 75 cents. Selected list of music and books about music for public libraries. By Louisa M, Hooper. Paper, 25 cents. Aids in library work with foreigners. Compiled by Marguerite Reid and John G. Moulton. Paper, 10 cents. LISTS OP FOREIGN BOOKS Selected list of Hungarian books. Paper, 15 cents. Selected list of German books. Paper, 50 cents. List of French books. Paper, 25 cents. List of Norwegian and Danish books. Paper, 25 cents. French fiction. Paper, 5 cents. List of Swedish books. Paper, 25 cents. List of Polish books. Paper, 25 cents. LIBRARY HANDBOOKS Intended to help the hbrarians of small libraries in the various details of library work. I. Essentials in Ubrary administration. By Miss L. E. Stearns. Paper, 25 cents. 3. Management of traveling libraries. By Edna D. Bullock. Paper, 15 cents. 5. Binding for small libraries. Paper, 15 cents. Suggestions prepared by the A.L.A. committee on bookbinding. 6. Mendmg and repair of books. By Margaret W. Brown. Paper, 15 cents. 7. U.S. Government documents in small libraries. By J. I. Wyer, Jr. Paper, 15 cents. 8. How to choose editions. By W. E. Foster. Paper, 15 cents. 9. Normal library budget. By 0. R. H. Thomson. Paper, 15 cents. FOURTEEN DAY USE RETURN TO DESK FROM WHICH BORROWED /J.EilARY SCijpOL L: This book is due on the last date stamped below, or on the date to which renewed. Renewed books are subjea to immediate recall. DEC 2 190 ' 1 JAM ■'•■■ "i vr^'-^ DEC 1 X 1968 * LD 21-100m-2,'55 (B139s22)476 General Library University of California Berkeley