REESE LIBRARY 
 
 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 Class 
 
 
HINTS 
 
 TO 
 
 SHALL LIBRARIES 
 
 Brooklyn : 
 
 Pratt Institute Free Library. 
 1894- 
 
COPYRIGHT, 1894, 
 
 BY 
 
 M. W. PLUMMER, 
 librarian of Pratt Institute, of Brooklyn, New York. 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 Of DMITTING the wisdom of the saying that ' ' children should 
 
 /Jr be seen and not heard," and the fact that Pratt Institute 
 
 / \ Free library is still of tender years, it is also not to be 
 
 ^^denied that there comes a time when even children must 
 speak and abide by the consequences. The Library has had so 
 many letters from persons at a distance, as well as many visitors, 
 asking advice or suggestions in regard to the starting or reor- 
 ganizing of small libraries or the best methods of carrying them 
 on, that it seems best to put its suggestions into tangible form. 
 They profess to be no more than suggestions ; some of them the 
 Library has tried, others it has heard of and thought reasonable. 
 The main endeavor throughout these few chapters has been to 
 keep in mind the fact that there are libraries scattered all over the 
 country that have very little of anything but ambition and good 
 will to go upon. Their stock of money, labor, and time is lim- 
 ited, wherefore it is of no use to recommend to them tools or pro- 
 cesses that require much of these commodities. 
 
 The trained librarian will not feel the need of such a pamphlet 
 as this, since he or she probably knows of or could evolve a system 
 equally well or better adapted to the circumstances, so the audi- 
 ence sifts itself down to small libraries which have to consider 
 
4 HINTS TO SMAIyL LIBRARIES. 
 
 economy, whose librarians are not trained and have no opportunity 
 to take training. And even for them, it is hoped these sugges- 
 tions may be only a point of departure from which to continue 
 their own investigations in the field of library economy. 
 
 Thanks are due and are sincerely tendered to several friends 
 interested in librarianship, who have kindly read these chapters, 
 and whose suggestions have been gladly received. 
 
 To those other friends who, individually or collectively, have 
 helped to feed the springs of interest and enthusiasm in which this 
 little undertaking has had its origin, thanks are no less due, 
 though their part in it can be less definitely specified. If there 
 is any profession in which there is community of ideas, it is that 
 of librarianship, and from the common stock every one is encour- 
 aged to take that which he can make of use to himself and others. 
 When the long-desired A. L,. A. manual shall appear, no one 
 will greet it more gladly than the present writer ; meanwhile, 
 since the choice is between a half loaf and no bread, she feels 
 herself constrained to offer the former. 
 
 PRATT INSTITUTE, M. W. P. 
 
 Brooklyn, N. Y., 
 
 March, 1894. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 1. RECEIVING AND ENTERING BOOKS 5 
 
 2. BOOK-NUMBERS AND CATALOGUING 13 
 
 3. CATALOGUING 18 
 
 4. SHELF-LIST AND INVENTORY 24 
 
 5. MECHANICAL PREPARATION OF BOOKS FOR THE SHELVES : 
 
 BINDING 27 
 
 6. RELATIONS WITH THE PUBLIC: REGISTRATION .... 32 
 
 7. CHARGING SYSTEM 35 
 
 8. READING-ROOM AND REFERENCE-ROOM WORK .... 42 
 
 9. SELECTING AND ORDERING BOOKS 46 
 
 10. ROOMS AND FIXTURES 49 
 
 11. LIBRARY TOOLS 52 
 
CH AFTER 1. 
 
 RECEIVING AND ENTERING BOOKS. 
 
 \ TE will suppose that your books are already bought, and 
 lAl that they are still in the boxes. 
 
 ^ Generally the librarian of the small library is relieved 
 
 of the pleasant duty of selecting books by his or her committee, 
 who are often persons of literary tastes, and who undertake to do 
 the ordering. A chapter on selecting and ordering will be given 
 at the end of this handbook, however, for the use of those 
 librarians to whom the work is new, and who have the sole 
 responsibility of buying. 
 
 The first thing to do is to compare your bills with the books, 
 as you take them from the boxes, checking on the bill every 
 item that is found correct. Errors in price, or books sent which 
 have to be returned for any reason, should not be deducted from 
 the bill, as this method would surely cause discrepancies between 
 the library's accounts and the dealer's. Whatever is sent back 
 should be charged to the dealer in a small book, opened for the 
 purpose, and a bill sent. Errors in the dealer's favor should 
 also be charged back to him in this book, and a memorandum 
 be sent him. 
 
 Some librarians, as the bills are checked, enter a memoran- 
 
6 HINTS TO SMALL LIBRARIES. 
 
 dum in pencil in each book, on the inside margin of the first 
 page after the title page, thus: "5 N 92, Sm 1-67," meaning, 
 "billed Nov. 5, 1892, by Smith, at i.oo, 33^ off." This 
 memorandum is frequently found useful, and saves a hunt 
 through old bills or a trip to the accession-book. 
 
 Having taken the books from the boxes, checked your bills, 
 and compared the bill or books with your order list, to make sure 
 that nothing has been sent which was not ordered, the next 
 process is to arrange the books according to a rough classifica- 
 tion for entering in the accessions-book. We will suppose that 
 your library is not to have more than 5000 volumes, nor less 
 than 1500, for its start, and that it is not to grow very fast say, 
 at the rate of not more than 500 volumes per year. With this 
 understanding, a classification under 1000 heads would probably 
 be enough for a long time, and it is always possible to sub- 
 divide your heads and classify more closely when it becomes 
 necessary. It is not necessary that the final classifying be done 
 now, provided books of the same general character are grouped 
 together before entering, and even this is a mere matter of 
 convenience, to help in finding the record of any given book of 
 the original stock, when the book itself is not at hand. 
 
 The following 100 heads from the Dewey classification are 
 those which we recommend for a very small library : 
 
 (Reprinted from the Decimal classification by permission of the publishers, Library 
 Bureau, 146 Franklin street, Boston.) 
 
 ooo GENERAL WORKS. 
 
 oio Bibliography. 
 
 020 Library economy. 
 
 030 General cyclopaedias. 
 
 040 General collections. 
 
 050 General periodicals. 
 
 (Periodicals on a special subject are put with that subject.) 
 
 060 General societies. 
 
 070 Newspapers. 
 
RECEIVING AND ENTERING BOOKS. 7 
 
 080 Special libraries. Polygraphy. 
 090 Book rarities. 
 
 (Books about rarities, as well as books chiefly valuable for their rarity, 
 go here.) 
 
 loo PHILOSOPHY. 
 
 no Metaphysics. 
 
 1 20 Special metaphysical topics. 
 
 130 Mind and body. 
 
 140 Philosophical systems. 
 
 (Discussions of the systems as such. Philosophical works themselves are 
 put in 190.) 
 
 150 Mental faculties. 
 
 1 60 Logic. 
 
 170 Ethics. 
 
 1 80 Ancient philosophers. 
 
 190 Modern philosophers. 
 
 (Their collected works only. Individual works are put with their subjects.) 
 
 200 RELIGION. 
 
 210 Natural theology. 
 
 220 Bible. 
 
 230 Doctrinal theology. Dogmatics. 
 
 240 Devotional and practical. 
 
 250 Homiletic. Pastoral. Parochial. 
 
 260 Church. Institutions. Work. 
 
 270 Religious history. 
 
 280 Christian churches and sects. 
 
 290 Non-Christian religions. 
 
 300 SOCIOLOGY. 
 310 Statistics. 
 
 (Statistics too general to be included in any topic. Statistics of a special 
 subject are put with that subject.) 
 
 320 Political science. 
 330 Political economy. 
 
8 HINTS TO SMALL LIBRARIES. 
 
 340 Law. 
 
 350 Administration. 
 
 360 Associations and institutions. 
 
 370 Education. 
 
 380 Commerce and communication. 
 
 (Railroads, etc. Desirability of government ownership, control, etc. See 
 also 650.) 
 
 390 Customs. Costumes. Folk-lore. 
 
 (The heads under 390 are for discussion by topic. The customs, etc., of a 
 special country go in 913-919. Books on a special topic in a special 
 country go here, as the grouping by topics is the more important.) 
 
 PHILOLOGY. 
 
 (Put a dictionary of two languages with the less known language. A dic- 
 4OO tionary of several languages with 410, or with the least known language. 
 
 410 Comparative. 
 
 420 English. 
 
 430 German. 
 
 440 French. 
 
 450 Italian. 
 
 460 Spanish. 
 
 470 Latin. 
 
 480 Greek. 
 
 490 Minor languages. 
 
 500 NATURAL SCIENCE. 
 
 510 Mathematics. 
 
 520 Astronomy. 
 
 530 Physics. 
 
 540 Chemistry. 
 
 550 Geology. 
 
 560 Paleontology. 
 
 570 Biology. 
 
 (Put here only those books which cover both 580 and 590.) 
 
 580 Botany. 
 590 Zoology. 
 
RECEIVING AND ENTERING BOOKS. 9 
 
 600 USEFUL ARTS. 
 
 610 Medicine. 
 
 620 Engineering. 
 
 630 Agriculture. 
 
 640 Domestic economy. 
 
 650 Communication and commerce. 
 
 (Railroads, their practical administration, making up and dispatching of 
 trains, time tables, etc. Steamboats. See also 380.) 
 
 660 Chemical technology. 
 670 Manufactures. 
 
 (General subject of metal, wood, etc., manufactures, and such specific 
 manufactures as would not be of more value elsewhere. An account 
 of a specific manufacture is commonly more useful with its own 
 subject.) 
 
 680 Mechanic trades. 
 690 Building. 
 
 (Practical side. 720, artistic side.) 
 
 700 FINE ARTS. 
 
 710 Landscape gardening. 
 
 720 Architecture. 
 
 730 Sculpture. 
 
 740 Drawing. Design. Decoration. 
 
 750 Painting. 
 
 760 Engraving. 
 
 770 Photography. 
 
 780 Music. 
 
 790 Amusements. 
 
 800 LITERATURE. 
 
 8 10 American. 
 
 820 English. 
 
 830 German. 
 
 840 French. 
 
 850 Italian. 
 
10 HINTS TO SMALL LIBRARIES. 
 
 860 Spanish. 
 
 870 Latin. 
 
 880 Greek. 
 
 890 Minor languages. 
 
 HISTORY. 
 
 (The history of wars goes with the country invaded unless especially per- 
 9 taining to the invading people.) 
 
 910 Geography and description. 
 920 Biography. 
 
 (Arrange individual biography by subject of the life, collective by author.) 
 
 930 Ancient history. 
 
 940 
 
 950 
 960 
 970 
 980 
 990 
 
 Modern. 1 
 
 Europe. 
 Asia. 
 Africa. 
 
 North America. 
 South America. 
 . Oceanica and Polar regions. 
 
 The 1000 heads give subdivisions of the classes just enumer- 
 ated : these are issued in pamphlet form by the Library Bureau, 
 as also a full explanation of the use of the classification. 
 
 When you have decided to which of these classes a book 
 belongs, write the number of the class in pencil on the reverse of 
 the title page just above the copyright entry. Then arrange 
 together all the books that belong to one class. 
 
 Then enter one class at a time in your accessions-book, or 
 entry-ledger, as it is sometimes called. For 1000, 2000 or 5000 
 volumes you can get the Condensed Accessions-book made by the 
 Library Bureau, which has the accession numbers stamped in the 
 margin and printed headings for the columns. This costs $1.00, 
 $3.00 or $5.00, according to the number of lines, 1000, 2000, or 
 5000. If you cannot afford this, get a good sized blank book with 
 plenty of vertical rulings, and do your own numbering and head- 
 ing. Perhaps you can draw up an outline and some local manu- 
 
RECEIVING AND ENTERING BOOKS. 
 
 11 
 
 1 
 
 OF THK 
 
 UNIVERC5ITY 
 
12 HINTS TO SMALL LIBRARIES. 
 
 facturer can make a book for you, but this would be likely to be 
 quite as expensive as the book from the Bureau. {See Fig. i. ) 
 
 In order to make it still easier to find what you want in 
 the accessions-book, it might be well to arrange the books of each 
 class alphabetically, by the author's name, before entering. 
 Enter the fiction first, so that it can be catalogued and put into 
 circulation before anything else, as it is the class of literature 
 most in demand. 
 
 Give every volume a line and a number in the accessions-book. 
 Many libraries do not do this, and consider it a waste of time 
 and paper, but the extra pains justifies itself in the end. As the 
 book is for the sake of recording accessions, the numbering 
 must begin at i and run in regular order. A glance at the 
 number of the last entry will at any time show how many 
 volumes the library has received. 
 
 When a book is entered, it must receive, on the page after 
 the title-page, written in ink, the number that it has in the 
 accessions-book. The accessions-book is of great importance aside 
 from its use as a record, as in case of fire it enables you to esti- 
 mate the loss and secure your insurance, if prices are carefully 
 recorded in it. 
 
 If you have an assistant, it would be well to set him or her to 
 cataloguing the books as fast as you enter them, and if you are to 
 do all the work yourself, we should recommend, as before stated, 
 the entry of all the fiction and the cataloguing of that, in order 
 to give it to the public while you are engaged in entering and 
 cataloguing the rest of the books. Biography and history being 
 the classes next in demand in most libraries, enter and catalogue 
 those next, then literature in general, then travels, etc. 
 
 The public generally grow very impatient to get into a new 
 library, and think it takes a long time to get it ready ; so it is 
 as well to have an occasional sop for Cerberus, administered as 
 recommended above. 
 
CHAPTER 2. 
 
 BOOK-NUMBERS AND CATALOGUING. 
 
 IT is evident that the class-number alone does not make a 
 sufficient call-number there must be something to distin- 
 guish each book from all others in the same class, and for 
 
 this reason we have the book-number. This, taken in 
 connection with the class, should identify the book thoroughly, 
 as the full name does a person. 
 
 A book-number may be made to indicate various things, as 
 well as to identify a certain book. It may show how many 
 books the library has of its class, as would be the case if all 
 books under each class were assigned a strict numerical arrange- 
 ment e. g., 942-1 would be the first book in that class, 942-2, 
 the second, and so on. It may show how many books there are 
 in a class whose author's name begins with a certain letter ; e. g., 
 942-Gi would be the first book in the class whose author's name 
 begins with G, and 942-02 would be the second. It may show 
 the date of publication, as by the scheme of time-numbers 
 invented by Mr. W. S. Biscoe of the New York State Library ; 
 and it may show how many books the library has in any 
 one class by a given author. This last is the best arrange- 
 ment, as it keeps together on the shelves an author's books 
 in any one line of writing, which none of the others 4o, 
 beyond a certain point. For this reason the Cutter book-numbers 
 are recommended, the table of which may be had from the 
 Library Bureau or by applying to the author, C. A. Cutter. 
 
14 HINTS TO SMALL LIBRARIES. 
 
 Explanations are supplied with the tables, and a little study 
 should make the system easy to use. For a large or fast-grow- 
 ing library this style of book-numbering is decidedly the best, 
 especially for fiction and biography, as it is very desirable to 
 have all of an author's novels together and all the biographies of 
 a person in one place. In the case of biography, the number 
 would be assigned from the name of the subject, of course, rather 
 than that of the author. 
 
 Bach book should receive its book-number on the reverse of 
 the title-page under the class-number. It has then been christ- 
 ened and is ready to be described, or catalogued, for cataloguing 
 is only a description, more or less detailed, by which the borrower 
 may satisfy himself whether the book is the one he wants. 
 
 Persons taking books from a library usually wish to know 
 one of three things; i. e., Has the library a book by a given 
 title ? What books has it by a given author ? How many and 
 what books has it on a given subject ? And it is the duty of the 
 smallest library to furnish answers to these questions by means 
 of some kind of catalogue. 
 
 Almost the first thing that a small library does is to print a 
 catalogue. Usually the local printer does the work, and owing 
 to the necessity for economy on the part of the library, and the 
 small outfit of the printing-office, the outcome is not a thing of 
 beauty, poor cataloguing, poor paper, and poor type, make a 
 wretched combination ; and before the book is fairly out there 
 are volumes enough added to the library to form a brief supple- 
 ment. Books continue to be added, and in a short time the 
 catalogue utterly misrepresents the library's resources. The 
 librarian is persuaded to print a supplement. If he has money 
 enough, and if there are enough additions to warrant it, he may 
 do so. People then either drop the original catalogue and 
 depend upon one supplement until another comes out, or for 
 every book they want they must look through both lists. The 
 more supplements there are added, the more there are to consult 
 in a search for a given work. In no one place are the whole 
 contents of the library catalogued, and between the issues of 
 
BOOK-NUMBERS AND CATALOGUING. 15 
 
 supplements there is nothing to show properly the additions 
 from month to month. 
 
 There is this in favor of even a small printed catalogue or 
 finding-list, it may be consulted at home for the making out of 
 lists of call-numbers to be sent in by a messenger ; and this is 
 its only recommendation. Where the borrowers live at long 
 distances from the library, this is a matter for serious considera- 
 tion, however. 
 
 The card-catalogue must be consulted at the library, but it 
 can be kept up to date, even to the day, and it can be arranged 
 in one alphabetical series, so that there is but one place in which 
 to look for a book. 
 
 A small library which must consider expense may use the 
 
 o 
 
 Fig. 2. 
 
 index size of card (See Fig. 2), which is 5x2 inches, instead of 
 the postal size, on which there would often be waste space, 
 especially if a finding-list were projected rather than a catalogue. 
 The thickness of the card becomes a matter for thought, since if 
 too thick it takes too much space in the catalogue-drawer and 
 fills it sooner than necessary ; and if too thin it is apt to tear and 
 difficult to turn with the fingers. Of these evils, the too thick 
 card is to be preferred, but a good medium weight is the 
 No. 32 x of the Library Bureau. These cards come at $2.60 
 
16 HINTS TO SMAI.lv LIBRARIES. 
 
 per thousand. In case the library cannot afford the ready-made 
 card, or one made to order by a stationer, small pads of thick 
 paper near the required size could be used, not more than one 
 entry being placed on each leaf. lyight-colored manilla pads of 
 heavy weight would not be bad. These small pads are sold by 
 most stationers, and are very cheap. The ruling of the ready- 
 made card is shown in Fig. 2. 
 
 To estimate the number of cards needed to catalogue a given 
 number of books, we may take it for granted that each work 
 (not each volume) will need two cards, an author and subject; or, 
 if fiction, an author and a title card. There will occasionally be 
 more cards to a work, and on the other hand several volumes, 
 copies or editions of. one work, can go on the same card ; an 
 allowance of three cards to a volume would give the cataloguer 
 greater liberty and often make the catalogue more useful. 
 
 The perforation in the card in Fig. 2 is for the purpose of 
 stringing the cards on a rod which passes through the catalogue- 
 drawer, fastening at the front. If they were not held by some such 
 arrangement, they would often be taken out and lost or destroyed, 
 or put back in the wrong place. 
 
 The drawer or box for the card should be just as wide as the 
 cards are long, giving only room enough for them to move back 
 and forth as they are handled. A block shaped thus / /J 
 should be placed before and behind the cards to keep them up- 
 right. Great depth of drawer is to be avoided, as the cards 
 should have all the light possible ; they should be almost flush 
 with the top of the drawer. 
 
 A long drawer is also disadvantageous. It is better to have 
 two shorter ones, as more persons can then consult the cards at 
 one time ; and for the same reason it would be better to have the 
 drawers side by side, rather than one above the other. 
 
 In a clean village or small town, where no all-pervading soot 
 has to be guarded against, it would be possible to have wooden 
 boxes instead of drawers for the catalogue, and lids to be put on 
 only at night or when the library is closed. There would then be 
 no need of a heavy, immovable case of drawers ; the boxes could 
 
BOOK-NUMBERS AND CATALOGUING. 17 
 
 be carried to the window or to the gas for light, and consulted at 
 the desk or table, or wherever it might be most convenient. Many 
 such privileges as this can be granted in the little library whose 
 patrons are all known to the librarian and to one another, which it 
 would not be safe to allow in the large public library, where the 
 librarian often has to defend a part of his public against the rude 
 or inconsiderate remainder. 
 
 Starting then with the box, rod, and cards, we are ready to 
 make our catalogue, and are confronted at the outset by the ques- 
 tion, What kind of catalogue ? 
 
CHAPTER 3. 
 
 CATALOGUING. 
 
 I HK most elaborate cataloguing gives many facts that it is 
 undesirable to insist upon in the catalogue of a small library; 
 
 v partly because the kinds of books in a small library do not 
 require it and are not worth it ; partly because .elaborate cata- 
 loguing takes time and training, and these demand money ; and 
 partly because the simpler the catalogue, the better the average 
 public likes it. 
 
 For these reasons, it is recommended that the small library 
 make a finding-list rather than a catalogue, confining itself to 
 only the most necessary facts. 
 
 It is possible to catalogue a book in either of the following 
 ways : 
 
 Du Maurier, George. 
 
 D 1161 
 
 Peter Ibbetson, with an introd. by his cousin, 
 Lady " Madge Plunket". . .7 + 418 p. il. O. N. Y., 
 Harper, 1892. 
 
 Fig. 4. 
 
CATALOGUING. 
 
 19 
 
 D 1161 
 
 Du Maurier, George. 
 
 Peter Ibbetson. 
 
 Fig. 5- 
 
 Ten to one, the latter card will give all that most people care 
 to know. 
 
 If the accession-number be down at the bottom of the card or 
 on the back, the librarian can easily refer to the accessions-book 
 for any further facts he may wish to learn in regard to the book. 
 
 Take another instance, not in fiction. 
 
 921 
 
 Amiel, Henri-Frederic. 
 
 Amiel's Journal : The Journal intime, tr. with 
 an introd. and notes by Mrs. Humphrey Ward. 
 43 + 318 p. por. O. Lond., Macmillan, 1890. 
 
 Fig. 6. 
 
20 HINTS TO SMALL LIBRARIES. 
 
 The finding-list could shorten this to 
 
 921 
 
 Amiel, H. F. 
 
 A 
 
 Journal intime, tr. by Mrs. Humphrey Ward. 
 Lond., 1890. 
 
 Fig. 7- 
 or even 
 
 921 
 
 Amiel. 
 
 A 
 
 Journal intime, tr. by Ward. 1890. 
 
 Fig. 8. 
 Biographical subject-card. 
 
 928 
 
 Keats, John.* Life, by 
 
 K8 
 
 Rossetti, W. M. Lond., 1887. 
 
 
 *In red ink. 
 
 Fig. 9. 
 
CATALOGUING. 
 
 21 
 
 Author card for same. 
 
 928 
 
 Kossetti, W. M. 
 
 K8 
 
 Life of John Keats. Lond., 1887. 
 
 Fig. 10. 
 
 Ordinary subject-card. 
 
 636 
 
 Cats.* 
 
 88 
 
 Weir, Harrison. Our cats and all about them. 
 Bost, 1889. 
 
 Fig. II. 
 
 Neither paging nor size of volume need be given by the small 
 library, unless the dimensions are such as to make the book dis- 
 appointing by reason of smallness, or troublesome by reason of 
 weight. A rule might be made to give no paging unless the 
 book has fewer than 50 pages, or more than 500, and to mention 
 the size only when the book is over octavo size or under six- 
 teenmo. 
 
 The mention of illustrations may always be dispensed with in 
 the case of a novel, unless they are a special feature of the book, 
 being by some celebrated illustrator. As for the portrait of 
 Amiel, for instance, there is no need to mention it in this case, as 
 
 * In red ink. 
 
22 HINTS TO SMAU, LIBRARIES. 
 
 we expect to find a man's portrait in his biography or his journal, 
 if we are to find it anywhere, and if we were looking for it that 
 would be our first place of search. There is no need of the pub- 
 lisher, and small use for the place, in an ordinary finding-list. 
 The year and the number of the edition are desirable in all cases 
 except in fiction. If a work is in more than one volume, the fact 
 should be stated, as it often decides the choice of a book. Contents, 
 should be given, in the case of collections of essays, short stories,, 
 dramas, etc. , even though each one may have its entry under the 
 title on a separate card. 
 
 Certain tools are necessary for cataloguing, even of the simple 
 kind described, and bibliographical tools are expensive. The 
 small library, or one forced to the practice of strict economy, 
 would do well, therefore, to obtain the printed catalogue of some 
 larger library as a guide. Sometimes these may be had for the 
 asking, sometimes they are sold, but in any case they are cheaper, 
 and answer a greater variety of questions, than most of the biblio- 
 graphical publications which served to guide their compilers. A 
 good dictionary catalogue, recently issued, is that of the Cleve- 
 land Public Library ; and good classified catalogues are those of 
 the Milwaukee Public Library, and of the Fitchburg Public 
 Library in Massachusetts. The A. L. A. catalogue, published 
 this year (1894) by the U. S. Bureau of Education, is the latest 
 good authority. 
 
 The subject of the arrangement of catalogues, both card and 
 printed, has been a matter of much discussion and difference of 
 opinion. In the dictionary catalogue, authors, titles and subjects 
 are placed in one alphabetical series, e. g. : 
 
 (Author) Decatur, Stephen. 
 
 (Subject) December. 
 
 (Title and subject) Decimal system in numbers. 
 
 (Author) Decker, Thomas. 
 
 ( Title and subject) Declaration of independence. 
 
 The advantage of this arrangement is that a person coming in 
 with one thought, that he wants a book or several books on cats, 
 has only to look under the word cats to find a certain quantity of 
 material, either books or parts of books, on the subject. 
 
UN] 
 
 ^CALi* 
 CATALOGUING. 23 
 
 This is much easier for most people than the process of think- 
 ing, * ' Cats are animals, so they must be in the class Zoology ; 
 they have backbones, so they must be in the sub-division Verte- 
 brates, etc." Many people, children especially, might not know 
 what vertebrates are, or even what zoology means, and would be 
 an endless time picking out a book on cats if they had to do it 
 from a classed catalogue. 
 
 If the classed catalogue has an alphabetical index in which 
 they may find the word cats with a reference to the number or 
 name of the class in which it is to be found, the matter is easier ; 
 but there are still two processes to be gone through in place of one. 
 
 The advantage of the classed catalogue is that when you do 
 find your subject you find it surrounded by its kindred classes. 
 
 This is doubtless a great advantage to scholars, but I query 
 if it is of much use to the general public, especially in a card-cat- 
 alogue, where but one entry appears on a card and the seeker 
 would have to turn over a great many cards in order to see all 
 the books on his own subject, not to mention kindred ones. 
 
 Therefore, simply for practical every-day usefulness, and as a 
 matter of satisfaction to its constituency, the specific headings 
 are to be recommended to the ordinary public library. The time 
 of assistants in making explanations will be saved, as well as con- 
 siderable energy in the form of temper, on the part of the public. 
 Another consideration influencing this decision will be given in 
 the next chapter. 
 
 A compromise between the dictionary and classed catalogue 
 may be suggested, which will enable the borrower to find his book 
 on cats under the word cats, but will put all subjects apart from the 
 authors and titles, in a separate box or drawer. Authors and titles 
 may also be separated, since, if the drawers are labeled "Authors," 
 ' 'Titles, ' ' ' 'Subjects, ' ' it makes the catalogue appear much simpler. 
 
 Biographies need two entries always, one under the author, 
 which would go in the author-drawer, and one under the subject 
 of the biography, which would go in the subject-drawer. 
 
 The advantage of this system of separate catalogues will be 
 more and more appreciated with use. 
 
CHAPTER 4. 
 THE SHELF-LIST AND INVENTORY. 
 
 IT is a very shiftless business man who goes on from year to 
 year without ever taking acount of stock and finding just 
 what he has on hand ; and if a library is to be conducted on 
 business principles, it should take an inventory of its books 
 once a year if practicable. 
 
 We will suppose that your books stand on your shelves in 
 classified order, beginning at i and running to 999 in regular 
 numerical arrangement, first by class and then by book-number, 
 unless you have taken fiction, for instance, out of the regular 
 order, in order to place it nearer the loan desk for convenience' 
 sake. And here be warned not to let theory or an extreme love 
 of system interfere with practical convenience. 
 
 The usual method of conducting an inventory being to read 
 from the inventory-book, or shelf-list, to the shelves, this list 
 must be arranged in the same order as the books on the shelves, 
 i. e. y all of a class together, the arrangement under the class 
 being by the order of the book-numbers. This list is useful, not 
 alone for inventory purposes but also as a classed catalogue, to 
 show at any time all that the library has in any class or sub- 
 class ; and having this in numerical or class arrangement, the 
 small library that should make, in addition, a classed catalogue, 
 would be duplicating work. It is true that this is an official 
 record, not for public use ; still, if an emergency should occur to 
 which the alphabetical subject catalogue was inadequate, it would 
 be a very narrow-minded library that would not allow the use of 
 its shelf-list. 
 
 Many librarians keep their shelf-lists on sheets laced together, 
 to admit of slipping new sheets into their proper numerical place 
 
THE SHELF-LIST AND INVENTORY. 
 
 25 
 
 as new classes are introduced ; others keep their shelf-lists on 
 cards, entering one work to a card. 
 
 The card arrangement is growing more popular, as it never 
 requires rewriting, while the shelf-list on sheets is certain to fill up 
 in time, and then when additional books come in it must be rewrit- 
 ten, unless a whole leaf is allotted to one class, which would be 
 rather expensive for a small library. It is very hard, too, to keep 
 shelf-list sheets from tearing and slipping out of the covers. 
 
 We will suppose that you have chosen the cards, or stiff slips, 
 for your shelf-list, intending to keep them in a box or drawer as 
 you do your catalogue cards. As it is to be mainly an official re- 
 cord and will not be so much handled, you will not need so strong 
 a card. It is advisable, however, to have the cards fastened in, 
 as it would be a serious matter to lose an entry from your inventory. 
 
 The chief difference between these cards and those of your 
 catalogue will be that these are briefer, giving only the surname 
 of the author, a very brief title, and no imprint. The call- 
 number, accession-number, and number of volumes, must be 
 given. An example is given of a book of which the library 
 has more than one copy : 
 
 320-73 
 
 976 
 
 
 Bryce 
 
 Amer. Commonwealth. 
 
 320-73 
 
 4001 
 
 
 
 
 COp. 2. 
 
 
 
 
 
 Fig. 12. 
 
 These cards are arranged in the drawer or box by the call-num- 
 bers in the upper left-hand corner of the cards, and you can easily 
 
26 HINTS TO SMAUv LIBRARIES. 
 
 see that all the 3205, for instance, will thus be together, arranged 
 by their book-numbers ; and as 320 represents Political Science 
 and all your books in that class stand together on the shelves, the 
 shelf-list is shown to be, as we first described it, a subject cata- 
 logue and an inventory -book combined. If you are obliged to 
 choose between a subject catalogue with written headings on the 
 one hand, and a shelf-list on the other, choose the latter, with an 
 index, because of its answering two purposes ; but if you can 
 have both a shelf-list and a subject catalogue, let the latter have 
 subject headings and keep the cards in alphabetical order by these 
 headings, rather than in numerical order. 
 
 The making of the shelf-list need never keep the books wait- 
 ing, for the call-number and title may be hastily written in in 
 pencil and verified later from the catalogue cards, after the books 
 have gone on to the shelves. This should be done as speedily as 
 possible, so that your shelf-list may always be referred to for the 
 latest book in a class. 
 
 When it comes to taking an inventory, choose the time of 
 year when your circulation is lowest, so that most of your books 
 will be in and their condition may be noted, and also because it 
 is your least busy time. 
 
 If you have any one to help you, let that person find the book 
 on the shelves as you call it off from the shelf-list. When you have 
 gone over your shelves and have taken a list of the books not in 
 place, look for them in your charging-system (which will be 
 explained later), to see if they are out. If they are charged to 
 some one, they are accounted for and can be checked off the list. 
 Not finding a book in circulation, see next if it is charged to the 
 binder, if it is on your mending-table, or anywhere in your work- 
 room or work-corner. Then come back to the shelves again, and 
 see if it has not turned up in its place. When all possible places 
 have been searched in vain, put it on your list of * ' Books unac- 
 counted for." Often books will come to light after a disappear- 
 ance of months or years, and this list need never be accepted as 
 final. 
 
CHAPTER 5. 
 
 MECHANICAL PREPARATION OF BOOKS FOR THE 
 SHELVES BINDING. 
 
 |HE classification and cataloguing of a book are a part of its 
 
 preparation for the shelves, but there is more to be done. 
 A. If a library can afford it, a tasteful plate is an addition 
 
 to the good appearance of its books and helps to identify them if 
 lost or mislaid, and this should show both call-number and acces- 
 sion-number ; but the library in straitened circumstances can 
 not afford items which are not necessary to the progress of its 
 work, and will compromise with necessity by causing to be made 
 a rubber stamp, with which the statement of the library's owner- 
 ship can be stamped upon the reverse of the title-page, on the 
 last page if there is blank space there, and on various blank 
 spaces throughout the book. 
 
 The pocket, if one is to be used in the charging-system, should 
 be of linen or manilla paper, folded and pasted on the inside of the 
 back cover, with the call-number printed on it by hand ; the dating- 
 slip tipped in opposite it ; the call-number printed or stamped on 
 the back of the title-page, where the classifier has written it 
 in pencil. Then comes the question of labels and covering. 
 
 A great many libraries cover their books in order to preserve 
 the clean new look of the original cover ; but why preserve this 
 when no one can see it ? If the dirt that would collect on a dark 
 
28 HINTS TO SMALL LIBRARIES. 
 
 book collects on a light paper cover, it is more of an offense than 
 if it were not brought into so strong a contrast. And say what 
 you will, the re-covering, which takes a great deal of time, will 
 not always be done when it should be. 
 
 Then, when the inside of the book is worn out, there is your 
 clean, fresh-looking book-back to throw away, whereas without 
 covering, all would have shared wear and tear alike, and the 
 work of covering and re-covering would have been saved. 
 
 Further than this, book-covers have individuality, and often 
 help to select books. Assistants learn to know the appearance of 
 a book and can point it out across the room, or make a dart at 
 it out of a whole case, when seeking it in a hurry. It is hardly 
 necessary to warn the busy librarian against covering books, he 
 or she knows too well the value of time and the short life-tenure 
 of press- work bindings ; it is usually the library board which has 
 to be persuaded against entering upon so troublesome a path. 
 
 Labels can be bought, with the class-number ready printed, 
 from P. Van Bveren & Co., leaving only the book-number to be 
 put on ; but the work of labeling is such a trifle that it is better 
 to save the money than the time, provided your own printing is 
 heavy and in large figures. Do not get ready-gummed labels; they 
 are apt to peel off, as the gum makes the label curl and stiffens it 
 in that shape. When your book is stamped, provided with label, 
 dating-slip, and pocket with book-card in it, it is ready for the 
 shelves. If it is a new book (not a new copy of an old book), 
 place it where its title can be seen by the people who come in ; a 
 row of new books placed where the titles can be read often gives 
 help to persons who do not know just what they want. 
 
 Many small libraries are safe in letting new books go into the 
 hands of borrowers for examination ; and indeed some large 
 libraries do this, but there is always a risk. It is much to be 
 desired that large libraries should have space railed off in the 
 loan-room for examination of new books by the public, as is fre- 
 quently done in book-stores. 
 
 When a book comes in that needs mending, it should be laid 
 aside in the book-hospital until the librarian or assistant can 
 
MECHANICAL PREPARATION OF BOOKS. 
 
 29 
 
 attend to it. If pages are torn, use paste and tissue paper to 
 mend them, as binders do ; and if they are torn out or loose, tip 
 them in with paste. Do not use mucilage for mending, as it 
 hardens and cracks, and makes it next to impossible to rebind the 
 books when necessary. Strips of book -muslin or strong cheese- 
 cloth can be pasted across loose backs, and a hinge made of dark 
 lining cambric or some similar fabric, can be used to fasten on a 
 lid that has broken away from the book. 
 
 Much mending can be done in the library, but the time 
 comes when books require professional attendance and must go 
 to the binder. Take out the book-cards and charge them to the 
 binder (i. e., fasten them together, mark with binder's name and 
 the date of sending, and place the package in your charging- 
 tray). 
 
 Have a small blank-book, in which you make record, before 
 the books go, as follows : 
 
 Binder's 
 No. 
 
 Accession 
 No. 
 
 Author 
 
 Title 
 
 Vol. 
 
 No. 
 
 Cost 
 
 Remarks 
 
 I 
 
 TOO2 
 
 Everett 
 
 Orations. 
 
 I 
 
 
 1 A morocco. 
 
 2 
 
 3 
 
 275 
 901 
 
 Longfellow 
 Smith 
 
 Poems. 
 Wealth of nations. 
 
 
 
 X " 
 
 Same cover. 
 
 4 
 
 108 
 
 Stowe 
 
 Uncle Tom's Cabin. 
 
 
 
 Yz roan. 
 
 5 
 
 467 
 
 Wallace 
 
 Ben Hur. 
 
 
 
 Y Z roan. 
 
 13- 
 
 Let the lettering be exactly what you wish put on the book. 
 For economy's sake, as a binder's charge is generally by the 
 line, have lettered on the book only the author's surname and a 
 brief title, leaving the call-number and volume-number to be put 
 on by label when the book comes back. The accession-number 
 it is necessary to set down in your blank-book for identification 
 of different copies or editions. Arrange your entries alphabet- 
 ically by author's names. Put into each volume before it goes a 
 slip showing the lettering you desire and giving directions, and 
 
30 HINTS TO SMALL LIBRARIES. 
 
 require this slip to be returned with the book. A narrow slip of 
 any kind of paper pencilled thus : 
 
 3 y 2 roan. 
 Smith. 
 
 Wealth of 
 Nations. 
 
 Fig. 14. 
 
 is all that is necessary. When the books are returned by the 
 binder, first arrange them by authors, see that the lettering of 
 each corresponds with the slip, then check them off on your 
 book as returned. Put on the labels, put in pocket, dating-slip, 
 etc., re-insert book-card, and the book is ready for the shelves 
 again. 
 
 For the sake of statistics it is well to give each book as it 
 goes out a binder's number. Beginning at i with the first book 
 sent after the beginning of the library-year, number your binder's 
 blank consecutively down the page. In the first book, before it 
 goes to the binder, place the number i in pencil on the first 
 recto (right-hand page) after the title-page, in an inconspicuous 
 place, the number 2 in the next book, and so on. By this means 
 you can refer at any time during the year from a book to its 
 entry in the binder's book, and see when it was bound and how 
 much the binding cost. 
 
 Make an agreement with your binder to charge a regular 
 price for books of a given size, the size being estimated by inches. 
 Have an ordinary wooden ruler made, and one side covered with 
 white paper. On this, mark off with ink the usual sizes of books, 
 with prices agreed upon for each size. Measure your books 
 when returned, and see if the price on the binder's bill agrees 
 with that required by your ruler. Transfer prices, if correct, to 
 your book, keep the columns of figures footed, and at any time 
 during the year you can say just how many books you have 
 bound and how much your binding has cost. 
 
 Do not let the binder lump the books in his bill. Require 
 
MECHANICAL PREPARATION OF BOOKS. 31 
 
 each book to be priced separately. If the library could afford a 
 copy-press, the routine and tools advised would be somewhat 
 different from this, but very few small libraries would feel a 
 press to be necessary. 
 
 In the case of periodicals, keep the back numbers of each 
 together, so that no time need be lost in collecting them for 
 binding when the time comes. Hunt for the title-page and put 
 it on the top of the volume, placing the index at the front or 
 back, as the paging may require. Let the binder tear out 
 advertising pages, but have the front covers, at least, bound in,, 
 if in good condition, in the place where they occur. They are 
 sometimes a great help afterward, in consulting the bound 
 volume. 
 
 Have it understood with your binder that his bill for any one 
 lot will be paid when the entire lot has been returned. 
 
 Pamphlets with stiff paper covers are often received as gifts, 
 and many libraries buy paper-covered novels. Where economy 
 is an object, these covers can often be strengthened by an extra 
 one of manilla paper, and may then last a long time. 
 
CHAPTER 6. 
 RELATIONS WITH THE PUBLIC :-REGISTRATION. 
 
 I HE library in the small town has an advantage over the one 
 in the large town, in that the librarian can generally know 
 \ of his own knowledge the character and standing of the 
 persons who apply for books. If an applicant is notoriously slow 
 in paying his debts or given to evading financial responsibilities, 
 the librarian is apt to know of it, and can, if backed by his trus- 
 tees or his board, decline to lend books to so suspicious a char- 
 acter. If, on the other hand, the applicant has a good reputa- 
 tion, the librarian is apt to know that, too, and can proceed 
 accordingly. It would be a pity therefore for any small library to 
 saddle itself with the guaranty system, which means double 
 work, two people to be dunned instead of one, each blaming the 
 other in case of fines or loss of books and sending the poor col- 
 lector back and forth like a shuttlecock. 
 
 The man who is honest and willing to bear the consequences 
 of his remissness does not need a guarantor ; the man who is dis- 
 posed to shirk consequences has it made easy for him by the pro- 
 vision of security, and often the guarantor is no more responsible 
 than the applicant. The principle is a wrong one and its appli- 
 cation is disagreeable from every point of view. 
 
 The fact that the librarian can know the people of his village 
 or town makes it unnecessary to require the usual delay in grant- 
 ing cards, which is ostensibly for the purpose of looking up the 
 standing of applicants. He is generally safe in receiving an 
 application, registering the applicant, and giving him a card and 
 
RELATIONS WITH THE PUBLIC. 33 
 
 a book, all at one interview ; and nothing is more desirable than 
 to dispense with the long waits which are so vexatious to the 
 public, because they can see no reason for them. 
 
 The small library may make the signing of its register a 
 pledge by having printed at the top of each page a promise to 
 * ' obey the rules of the library and make good any loss or damage 
 incurred through me." Each applicant who writes his name 
 below has thus given his pledge. His address should be given as 
 well, if the town has numbered and named streets. This makes 
 unnecessary the keeping of a file of written applications. The 
 lines of the register should be numbered consecutively, begin- 
 ning at one, each number representing a borrower. This 
 will show the number of persons using the library since the 
 beginning. 
 
 The date should be written in each morning before the day's 
 work begins. Each person's number should be placed on his 
 card before that is given to him, and his privileges should begin 
 from the date of his registration, the date of their expiration 
 appearing on the card. In order that a borrower's registration 
 may be easily found, it would be necessary to have an alphabet- 
 ical index bound in with the register, referring from the borrow- 
 er's name to his number, or the same sort of index on slips. This 
 index could be used also in connection with the charging-system, 
 to find the borrower's number if he should forget it. Account 
 should be kept of the number of expirations and the number of 
 renewals of library privileges, in order that at any time an 
 approximate idea may be had of the number of borrowers using 
 the library. 
 
 The assessment and collection of fines is the most disagree- 
 able part of a librarian's duty. 
 
 Collections should be attended to promptly, in order that fines 
 may not accumulate and become a burden to the borrower ; firmly 
 and without respect to persons ; if possible, by an assistant rather 
 than by the librarian, in order that she may shelter herself behind 
 the statement that it is the rule of the library, to change which 
 she has no discretion ; and if the librarian thinks best to suspend 
 
34 
 
 HINTS TO SMAIvIy LIBRARIES. 
 
 or set aside the rule, it should be done at a private interview and 
 never before other borrowers. 
 
 The charge in most libraries is two cents per day for books 
 overdue, not counting Sundays and holidays. 
 
 I/ost books should be paid for at a slight advance on their 
 original cost to the library, to offset the inconvenience of being 
 without them, and the work of ordering new copies and preparing 
 them for circulation. 
 
 A penalty should be attached to the loss of borrowers' cards 
 in the form of either a small fine or a period of waiting for a new 
 card, or a combination of the two. The disappearance of a card 
 means not only inconvenience to the library, but also possible 
 loss, as some irresponsible person may find the card and use it, 
 leaving no one accountable for the fines or damages charged on it. 
 
CHAPTER 7. 
 
 THE CHARGING SYSTEM. 
 
 I HE great difficulty in selecting a charging system is to find 
 
 one that will answer all the questions the library wishes 
 
 ^ answered from time to time, in regard to its accounts with 
 
 books and borrowers, and yet that can be handled quickly and 
 
 managed by a few persons, perhaps by only one. 
 
 At inventory-time the great question is, "Where is 82I-J6, 
 which is not on the shelves ?' ' and the charging system should 
 answer this. At many other times the inquiry may come up, as 
 call after call for the book without avail shows that it is not in 
 its place, and that some one is keeping it out longer than is 
 allowed, or that it is temporarily lost. 
 
 Another question that has frequently to be answered is, 
 
 " What or how many books are charged to Mr. or Mrs. ?" 
 
 And the charging system should answer this, if possible. 
 
 It must tell how long books have been out and how much 
 overdue they are, so that fines may be properly assessed. It 
 should show what class of books is most popular, and how all 
 classes compare as to circulation. 
 
 Many borrowers object to carrying ..their cards, and the small 
 library often undertakes the charge of them and keeps them as a 
 part of its charging system. The very large public library would 
 find this too burdensome, and therefore must require borrowers 
 to share something besides its benefits, by taking the responsibil- 
 ity of keeping their own cards. 
 
 We shall describe here two systems, suitable for small 
 libraries, one in which the library keeps all cards, and the 
 
36 
 
 HINTS TO SMALL LIBRARIES. 
 
 other in which the borrower's card is carried by himself and 
 presented each time a book is drawn. The former is not suitable 
 at least it would mean a great deal of trouble for a library 
 having over five hundred borrowers. This will be described first. 
 When the book has been catalogued, a card is made from 
 stiff paper, if the library cannot afford book-cards ready-made, on 
 which are inscribed at the top the call-number, the author's sur- 
 name, and a very brief title, thus : 
 
 813 
 
 S 26 
 
 
 
 
 
 St 
 
 owe 
 
 
 
 
 
 Un 
 
 cle 
 
 To 
 
 m's 
 
 Cab 
 
 in 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Fig. 
 
THE CHARGING SYSTEM. 
 
 37 
 
 This is the book-card ; when a book is in, its card is kept in 
 a tray with those of other books not in use, in the order of the 
 call-numbers. 
 
 Bach borrower, when admitted to the privileges of the library, 
 has had a card made out like the following, showing his name, 
 address, number in the library-register, and the date of expira- 
 tion of his privileges : 
 
 462 12 Jan., '94. 
 JOHN SMITH, cor. Brown and Green. 
 
 No. 
 
 
 No. 
 
 
 No. 
 
 
 8T 3 - 
 S26 
 
 D5 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 | 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Fig. i 6. 
 
 These cards must be kept in a tray, in order of the borrowers' 
 names. 
 
 John Smith comes in to get "Uncle Tom's Cabin." He has 
 
38 
 
 HINTS TO SMALL LIBRARIES. 
 
 the number first on his list. The book is found in its place, the 
 book-card taken from its tray, and placed at one side. John 
 Smith's card is then found in the tray of borrowers' cards 
 
 813 
 
 S 26 
 
 
 
 
 
 St 
 
 owe 
 
 
 
 
 
 Un 
 
 cle 
 
 To 
 
 m's 
 
 Cab 
 
 in 
 
 462 
 
 D5 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 | 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Fig. 17. 
 
 arranged by their surnames, and a record made on it in pencil, 
 as shown in Fig. 16. 
 
 On a thin slip of paper, called the dating-slip, pasted in the 
 back of the book, is stamped D 5 in order to remind him when 
 
THE CHARGING SYSTEM. 
 
 39 
 
 the book was charged, and therefore when it is due. Mr. Smith 
 can then take his book and go. The rest of the process can be 
 carried out without his assistance. His card will not be put 
 back into the same division of the tray as before, but into 
 another representing borrowers who have books out, where cards 
 are arranged by the borrowers' numbers. Before this is done, 
 however, the book-card receives in pencil the record shown in 
 Fig. 17- 
 
 This record can be made from the borrower's card at any time 
 before that is put into the tray representing borrowers with books 
 out ; but unless there are several people waiting to be served, it 
 is better to do all the charging at once. 
 
 This means that " Uncle Tom's Cabin " was taken out by No. 
 462 on December 5. 
 
 There should be a second tray or box, for the book-cards rep- 
 resenting books out. When a card is removed from the first 
 tray to this, bearing the proper charge, it should be filed away by 
 date, at the end of the day, the days being separated by thin 
 blocks of wood bearing the number of the day in the upper left- 
 hand corner in very black ink or paint, and in large figures ; thus : 
 
 Fig. i 8. 
 
 Behind the block marked 5 (which should be taller than the 
 card, when both are standing upright), will then be placed the 
 book-cards of all books taken out on the 5th, arranged in the 
 order of the call-numbers. 
 
 One division of the tray should be used for the cards of books 
 
40 HINTS TO SMAIvIv LIBRARIES. 
 
 out over time. This division can be subdivided into three or 
 four parts, one for books overdue one week or less, the next for 
 books overdue between one and two weeks, etc. 
 
 When John Smith comes in to bring his book back, the book- 
 card is first found by means of the date, which appears on the 
 dating-slip. The charge is then canceled, either by stamping or 
 marking the date of return over the other date, or by punching 
 it with a small punch. From the book-card John Smith's num- 
 ber can be found, and the same canceling process gone through 
 with on his card. If he does not wish to take out another book, 
 the book-card and book can be laid aside, in case of a rush, and 
 his card looked up later. In that case, his card would go back 
 into the first tray again, in alphabetical order. If he wishes 
 another book, the same process is gone through as before. This 
 system answers all possible questions : Is 813-826 on the shelves ? 
 No. Where is it ? John Smith has it. How long has it been 
 out? Since December 5. Has John Smith a book ? Yes. What 
 book? No. 813-826. How long has he had it ? Since Decem- 
 ber 5. It prevents the annoyance of lost cards, as the borrower 
 has nothing to do with his card. It prevents also all tampering 
 with the dates on the card. By keeping the book-cards at the 
 desk the librarian can tell if a book is in without going to the 
 shelves. 
 
 In the other system to be described, the borrower keeps his 
 own card, and presents it when he comes for a book or brings one 
 back. This relieves the library of the responsibility of identify- 
 ing the borrower, as the presentation of the card is considered 
 proof sufficient of his right to draw a book. In the village or 
 small town library identification would be possible without a card, 
 the constituency being so small. The date is then taken either 
 from the dating slip or his card, the latter is stamped and given 
 back to him, and the book-card can be picked out at leisure by 
 means of the book and its dating-slip. There might be a com- 
 promise between these systems, by which the library should 
 retain a borrower's card when he has no book out, keeping such 
 cards in alphabetical order, and finding them when needed. By 
 
THE CHARGING SYSTEM. 
 
 41 
 
 invariably retaining the card in this way, an approximate esti- 
 mate could be made of the number of cards in use as compared 
 with the number of cards given to applicants. Many large libra- 
 ries keep the book-card in a pocket in the book, when the book is 
 on the shelves. The pocket serves to hold the borrower's card 
 when the book is out. This system necessitates a visit to the 
 shelves to see if the book is in when called for, and this fact, with 
 the work of pasting in pockets and putting cards in and taking 
 them out, makes the custom unadvisable for the small library. 
 
 There are other systems in which the account is kept by 
 means of the borrower's card only, in which case it is only as the 
 entire charging-system is overhauled that an answer can be found 
 to the question, "Where is book 813-826 ? " As this is the ques- 
 tion most frequently asked, no system can be called satisfactory 
 which does not answer it easily. 
 
CHAPTER 8. 
 
 READING-ROOM AND REFERENCE-ROOM WORK. 
 
 you have neither reading-room nor reference-room, 
 but it does not follow that you have none of the work per- 
 taining to such rooms, for no library can escape something 
 
 it. 
 
 Everything is reading-room work that pertains to the handling 
 of periodicals, either magazines or papers. Perhaps you keep 
 them behind the desk and hand them out as people ask for them, 
 and your only reading-room may be the space in front of your 
 desk. It is a pity if this is so, for one of the chief attractions of 
 a reading-room is the freedom to handle the papers and maga- 
 zines without the intervention of an assistant. If every number 
 has to be receipted for, so much less must be the attraction of the 
 room. If you can possibly arrange it, have the case or rack 
 placed where people can help themselves to the current numbers, 
 and let them do it without requiring any writing. It is better to 
 
 Atlantic Monthly. (Agent's name and price.) 
 Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. 
 
 1890 
 
 X 
 
 X 
 
 X 
 
 X 
 
 X 
 
 X 
 
 X 
 
 X 
 
 X 
 
 X 
 
 X 
 
 X 
 
 1891 
 
 X 
 
 X 
 
 X 
 
 X 
 
 X 
 
 X 
 
 X 
 
 X 
 
 X 
 
 X 
 
 X 
 X 
 
 X 
 X 
 
 1892 
 
 X 
 
 X 
 
 X 
 
 X 
 
 X 
 
 X 
 
 X 
 
 X 
 
 X 
 
 X 
 
 1893 
 
 X 
 
 X 
 
 X 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Fig. 19. 
 
READING-ROOM WORK. 
 
 43 
 
 let statistics go, sometimes, when they hinder the good work the 
 library might be doing. 
 
 Keep a little card-catalogue of your periodicals, with the card 
 ruled into twelve divisions representing months. (See Fig. 19.) 
 
 When your copy is received, check it in the square represent- 
 ing the month and year. If the magazine is quarterly, the same 
 card may be used, the checks being three months apart. 
 
 If it is a weekly, put the necessary four or five checks in each 
 square, thus ; giving the day of the month on which the magazine 
 was received, or the number of the magazine itself, thus : 
 
 Fig. 20 (enlarged.) 
 
 Fig. 21 (enlarged.) 
 
 Keep your cards in a box, in alphabetical order, and when 
 one side of a card is filled, turn it over and use the other side. 
 For dailies it would be easier to keep account of the numbers 
 which do not come than of the 300 and odd numbers which do, 
 and report the lapse at once to the dealer. 
 
 The covers of magazines are apt to get very much soiled and 
 worn while in the reading-room and to be unfit for binding ; but 
 the same temporary binding can be given to these as to pamphlets 
 or paper-covered books, as described in the last chapter. If 
 covered in this way, print the title on the outside in very large 
 letters. If you can afford ready-made binders, the National, the 
 Springback and the Triumph are good, as they do not require 
 holes to be punched in the magazine. Have posted up in some 
 conspicuous place a list of the periodicals taken by the library, 
 also a list of the bound sets, or parts of sets, with the volume- 
 numbers attached. This will save you the answering of a great 
 many questions. Some libraries circulate the single numbers of 
 periodicals, and it is certainly a way of making their reading- 
 matter go as far as possible. No number should circulate, how- 
 ever, until the two succeeding ones have come, as many readers, 
 
44 HINTS TO SMALL LIBRARIES. 
 
 in following a serial, call for the current number and the previous 
 one, in order to get the thread of the story afresh. 
 
 There are certain books that you wish always to have on hand 
 for consultation, not for reading. Such books are reference 
 books, and they, like the periodicals, should be where people can 
 get at them without asking for them or signing a receipt. They 
 are generally large or heavy books, and not apt to be carried off. 
 If you cannot have a real reference-room, see if you can have a 
 reference-corner in the front of the library, where every one can 
 see the books. Place here your dictionaries, gazetteers, atlases, 
 biographical dictionaries, encyclopaedias, concordances, etc., and 
 all indexes to magazines. When you have a spare moment, take 
 up these works, one by one, examine them, and find out their 
 
 vol. page. date. 
 
 Escurial. 
 
 Harper. 
 
 86 : 531 : Mar., 93. 
 
 Fig. 22. 
 
 Slavery, African. 
 
 Harper. 
 
 86 : 613 : Mar., 93. 
 
 Fig. 23. 
 
 intention and scope, in order that you may be able to help chil- 
 dren and young people or persons unaccustomed to the use of 
 such tools. Take special pains to show children the use of 
 indexes and, indeed, of all sorts of reference-books, they will 
 soon be familiar with them and handle them like lifelong students. 
 Gain the interest of teachers in this sort of work and urge them 
 to bring their classes and make a study of your reference-books. 
 Be as helpful as you can in making out courses of reading or 
 study for the village clubs, contributing for their use lists of 
 the material in the library on the subject or subjects selected. 
 
READING-ROOM WORK. 
 
 45 
 
 If you cannot afford to subscribe for the various indexes pub- 
 lished, try to find time to make a little slip-index of your own, 
 arranged by subjects, and referring to articles in books, magazines 
 or papers, that are likely to be of use. Make this as brief as 
 possible. (See Figs. 22 and 23.} 
 
 If nothing or not enough can be found in your slip-index, the 
 card-catalogue, or the reference-books, on a given subject, think 
 what class it would be likely to come under, and let your student 
 examine the books in that class likely to contain the information 
 he is in search of, either admitting him to the shelves or taking 
 the books to the desk. In short, do everything you can think of 
 to make the library the centre of intellectual life in the town. 
 
CHAPTER 9. 
 
 SELECTING AND ORDERING BOOKS. 
 
 3 OMB general rules : 
 Of standard authors, get well-bound and well-printed 
 editions, and save rebinding and readers' eyes. 
 Of books in science, useful arts, social and political 
 science and economy, get the latest editions. 
 
 Of classics, get some full edition, such as Bohn's. 
 
 Of novels (by authors not called standard) , get such an edi- 
 tion as the Tauchnitz. 
 
 Of translations from the French and German get only the 
 very best, such as Wormeley's Balzac, or Wist ar's translations 
 from the German, and buy on approval in order that you may 
 return them if found unsuitable. Certain publishers, such as 
 Jenkins in New York, Ginn of Boston, and Heath of Chicago, 
 who make a specialty of translations and reprints of Continental 
 works, state that their lists contain no objectionable works, as 
 the books are intended for young people. 
 
 Do not buy French or German works in the original, if there 
 are good translations, unless you have plenty of money. They 
 are expensive, and in a small place there would probably not be 
 much call for them. 
 
 If you have the original purchase of books to make, divide 
 your stock that is to be, into ten classes, and make out your list 
 of books by classes. Take the catalogue of the Model library 
 of 5000 vol., prepared by the American library Association, 
 published by the United States Bureau of Education in 1893, and 
 
SELECTING AND ORDERING BOOKS. 47 
 
 by it distributed free to libraries ; go through its list of fiction 
 and check off on your list the works of standard novelists ; do 
 the same for children's stories. Follow this plan with regard to 
 other classes, leaving out all works of which you feel doubtful. 
 
 When your lists are made, take each class to some one in the 
 town or village whose reading or study has been in that particu- 
 lar line, and submit the list Tor alterations and additions. Do 
 not feel bound to accept all the additions, if you think you 
 already have enough books or as many as you can afford, nor 
 the alterations, if you have reason to think your reviser preju- 
 diced. 
 
 In the A. I,. A. catalogue you will find publishers' prices 
 given. Having noted these opposite each title, for your own 
 use, submit a copy of the list to several large bookdealers, choosing 
 those nearest your town in order to lessen freight charges and 
 insure the early receipt of books, and ask for their discount. 
 
 Desirable out-of-print books, the small library will usually 
 have to do without, on account of the expense of keeping an 
 agent on the lookout for them. It is a good plan to have a list 
 of such out-of-print books as are wanted, and to take it to the 
 nearest city when you go, with a view to picking up some of the 
 books in the second-hand shops ; or to intrust this duty to the 
 minister or the school principal, or some such person, giving him 
 a limit in price. If you have a board of directors or trustees, 
 some one of them might occasionally do this. 
 
 After your first stock is bought, your next care must be to 
 prevent duplicates, for no library has money to spare for more 
 copies of a book than are needed. 
 
 If your card-catalogue is kept strictly up to date, there is 
 very little danger of duplicates, as before sending an order every 
 item should be compared with this record, and also with any out- 
 standing orders. But it often happens that in the press of work 
 the catalogue is not up to date. A list on slips of those books on 
 hand which have not yet been catalogued then becomes neces- 
 sary. It is better to keep this list on slips in order to insert fresh 
 slips in their proper alphabetical order. 
 
48 HINTS TO SMALL LIBRARIES. 
 
 The order-list, if kept on slips, may serve for this list also, for 
 as soon as a book is received and checked on the bill, the fact 
 with date and price can be noted on the order-slip, and the slip 
 transferred to another box of slips representing books received but 
 not yet catalogued. 
 
 These order-slips should not take much time to make, having 
 only the author 1 s surname, brief title, volume number or number of 
 volumes, abbreviated note of place, publisher, year, if other than the 
 current year, publisher's price, if known, and name of dealer. It 
 may even answer its main purpose by having a record only of the 
 items here italicised. By consulting the order-list, " received "- 
 list, and catalogue, you make the chance of ordering a duplicate 
 infinitely small. 
 
 Of course, in a very small library, the librarian knows her 
 books pretty well and can better depend on her memory of its 
 contents than in a larger one ; but buying a duplicate means not 
 buying some other book that you want, and it is better to take 
 some certain means of avoiding the former purchase. 
 
 For selection of current books, two or three of the critical and 
 literary periodicals taken in the reading-room may be used as 
 guides ; such, for instance, as the Critic, of New York, the Liter- 
 ary World, of Boston, and the Dial, of Chicago. Booksellers' 
 publications are not safe to buy from without further investiga- 
 tion, as their reviews are naturally nothing if not favorable. 
 
CHAPTER 10. 
 ROOMS AND FIXTURES. 
 
 IT is not often that the librarian has a chance to say how he 
 would like his library planned and fitted up, though it is 
 oftener the case now than formerly. library Boards would 
 think it a very eccentric proceeding to order a suit of clothes 
 or a hat for the librarian without consulting him ; and if it were 
 done, and the sleeves came only to his elbows, or the coat-tails 
 dragged, or the hat brim rested on his shoulders, they would at 
 once see what foolishness they had been guilty of, and say to one 
 another, ' ' Why on earth didn' t we consult him and take his 
 measure? He can't see anything with that hat on, and he'll be 
 forever stepping on that coat. He was the one to wear it ; he 
 knows what he needs, and we ought to have asked him." But 
 they seem not to see the similarity of such a course to that of 
 building the librarian a workshop without asking his opinion 
 about it. They give him little high windows that don't let in 
 any light, and they build him shelves that he has to climb up to 
 on a ladder, and they arrange the spaces of the library symmetri- 
 cally, but where they can be of no value in the case of growth 
 and crowding. Then they go outside, and look at it and say, c ' Isn't 
 it picturesque ? Looks like the Middle Ages, doesn't it ?" And in 
 their secret hearts, some of them would like a drawbridge and a 
 moat. And inside, the poor librarian is carrying a lantern about to 
 see the top and bottom shelves, and wondering where he is going to 
 put the next new book, and risking his neck ten or twelve feet 
 from the ground to get a ' ' Commentary on Job ' ' that some one 
 
50 HINTS TO SMALL LIBRARIES. 
 
 without any sense of the ridiculous happens to want, and trying 
 to hide his unsightly pastepots and mucilage bottles behind a 
 screen for want of a work-room. But perhaps the librarian is as 
 new at the work as the trustees, and could not give an opinion, 
 if asked. In that case, a collection of the printed matter on library 
 architecture should be carefully studied by both trustees and 
 librarian before any plans are made. 
 
 While no specific plans can be recommended that would suit 
 all cases, there are a few general rules that meet with the appro- 
 val of the library profession as a whole. These were summed up 
 at the twelfth annual meeting of the American library Associa- 
 tion in 1891, by Mr. C. C. Soule of Boston, the whole of whose 
 admirable paper may be found in the proceedings of the Associa- 
 tion for that year : 
 
 " A library building should be planned for library work. 
 
 ' ' Every library building should be planned especially for the 
 kind of work to be done, and the community to be served. 
 
 "The interior arrangement ought to be planned before the 
 exterior is considered. 
 
 ' ' No convenience of arrangement should ever be sacrificed for 
 mere architectural effect. 
 
 ' ' The plan should be adapted to probabilities and possibilities 
 of growth and development. 
 
 ' ' Simplicity of decoration is essential in the work-rooms and 
 reading-rooms . 
 
 ' ' A library should be planned with a view to economical 
 administration. 
 
 ' ' The rooms for public use should be so arranged as to 
 allow complete supervision with the fewest possible attendants. 
 
 ' ' There should be as much natural light as possible in all 
 parts of the building. 
 
 ' ' Windows should extend up to the ceiling, to light thoroughly 
 the upper part of every room. 
 
 ' ' Windows in a book-room should be placed opposite the inter- 
 vals between book-cases. 
 
 ' ' The arrangement of books in tiers of alcoves and galleries 
 
$* 
 
 UN, 
 
 - 
 ROOMS AND FIXTURES. 51 
 
 around a large hall .... is considered entirely obsolete. 
 The old style of shelving around the walls, in alcoves and in 
 galleries, has been generally superseded by the use of 'floor- 
 cases,' that is, double book-cases arranged in parallel lines 
 across the floor of a room 
 
 "In a circulating library the books most in use should be 
 shelved in floor-cases close to the delivery-desk. 
 
 ' ' In the floor-cases of a reference library the upper shelves 
 should be narrower than those below, with a ledge about three 
 feet from the floor. 
 
 ' ' Three feet between floor-cases is ample for all purposes of 
 administration. 
 
 ' ' No shelf, in any form of book-case, should be higher than a 
 person of moderate height can reach without a step-ladder. 
 
 ' ' Shelving for folios and quartos should be provided in every 
 book-room. 
 
 "Straight flights are preferable to circular stairs. . . ." 
 
 It might be added that shelves should not be more than two 
 and a half to three feet long, on account of the tendency to sag, 
 and that a height of ten inches and depth of eight inches are 
 good dimensions for ordinary shelves. In double-faced cases, as 
 in the floor-cases referred to, the depth of shelf would be six- 
 teen inches from face to face. In most libraries shelves are made 
 adjustable, to fit varying heights of books, and save vertical 
 space. 
 
CHAPTER 11. 
 
 LIBRARY TOOLS. 
 
 Ch. i. Receiving and entering books ; requires 
 Pencil with colored lead (for checking). 
 Small blank-book for counter-charges. 
 Table of the 1000 classification heads. 
 Entry-ledger or accessions-book. 
 
 Ch. 2. Book-numbers and cataloguing ; requires 
 Table of Cutter book-numbers. 
 Index size catalogue-cards. 
 Catalogue drawer, or box with rod and lid. 
 
 Ch. 3. Cataloguing; requires 
 
 Printed dictionary catalogue, such as the Model 
 Library catalogue of the American Library Associa- 
 tion, printed by U. S. Bureau of Education, catalogue 
 of the Cleveland Public Library, or of the Nevins 
 Library of Methuen, Mass. , etc. 
 
 Printed classed catalogue, such as the Model Library 
 catalogue above-mentioned, that of the Milwaukee 
 Public Library, or of the Fitchburg (Mass. ) Library. 
 
 Hand-printed labels for catalogue drawers. 
 
 Cataloguing Rules of the American Library Associa- 
 tion. 
 
 Cutter's Cataloguing Rules, published by U. S. Bureau 
 of Education. 
 
LIBRARY TOOLS. 53 
 
 Ch. 4. Shelf-list and inventory ; requires 
 
 Index size shelf-list cards. 
 Drawer or box with rod and lid, for shelf-list. 
 Small blank-book for recording books missing at time 
 of inventory. 
 
 Ch. 5. Mechanical preparation of books for the shelves, and 
 Binding; requires 
 
 Rubber stamp to stamp library ownership. 
 
 Labels. 
 
 Mucilage. 
 
 Paste. 
 
 Tissue-paper. 
 
 Cheesecloth. 
 
 Book- muslin, dark. 
 
 Blank-book for recording books sent to binder. 
 
 Slips of paper. 
 
 Binding ruler. 
 
 Paper for covering pamphlets. 
 
 Ch. 6. Registration ; requires 
 
 Register for borrowers, with pledge, and alphabetical 
 index. 
 
 Cards for borrowers. 
 
 Small book for keeping trace of unpaid fines and dam- 
 ages, arranged by date when book became due or 
 loss was incurred. 
 
 Ch. 7. Charging-system ; requires 
 
 Pockets (if borrower is to keep his card). 
 
 Book-cards. 
 
 Borrowers' cards. 
 
 Dating-slips. 
 
 Dating-stamps. 
 
54 HINTS TO SMALL LIBRARIES. 
 
 Ch. 8. Reading-room and reference-room work ; requires 
 Cards for check-list of periodicals. 
 Paper for binding current numbers of magazines, 
 
 unless ready-made binders are used. 
 Cardboard for lists. 
 Slips for subject-index. 
 Helps in reference-room work. 
 
 Boston Public library. Bulletin, giving lists 
 
 of historical novels. 
 Philadelphia Mercantile Library. Bulletin, 
 
 giving same, and various reading-lists. 
 San Francisco Mercantile Library. Classi- 
 fied list English Prose Fiction. 
 Milwaukee Public Library. Quarterly In- 
 dex, giving reading-lists. 
 Salem Public Library. Bulletin, giving 
 
 reading-lists. 
 Denver Public Library. Bulletin, giving 
 
 reading-lists. 
 
 Los Angeles Public Library. Bulletin, giv- 
 ing reading-lists. 
 
 Griswold's Descriptive Lists of Novels. 
 American Library Association's Index to 
 
 General Literature. 
 
 Poole's Index to Periodicals, and its con- 
 tinuations. 
 
 Ch. 9. Selecting and ordering- books ; requires 
 Slips for order-list and received-list. 
 Critic (weekly). 
 
 Dial (weekly). 
 Literary World (weekly). 
 f Literary News (monthly) 
 \ Publishers' Weekly. 
 Athenceum. 
 
 * For American books 
 and American reprints 
 of English books. 
 
 } For English books. 
 Saturday Review. ) 
 
 *l^ost English, books that would be wanted by a small library would be reviewed in 
 American critical journals. f Booksellers' publications. 
 
LIBRARY TOOIvS. 56 
 
 Catalogue of A. I,. A. Model Library for help in select- 
 ing original stock ; also 
 
 American Catalogue of books in print from 1876-90, 
 4V, with annual supplement. 
 
 English Catalogue, 1835-89, 4v, with annual supple- 
 ment. 
 
 American publications of any one year, arranged by 
 publishers, Trade L,ist Annual. 
 
 English publications of any one year, arranged by 
 publishers, Reference Catalogue of Current Liter- 
 ature. 
 
 "And with all thy getting," get the Library Journal, each 
 year, if the money has to come out of your own purse. It will give 
 you more than the worth of the money, in courage, enthusiasm, 
 ambition, and the feeling of belonging to a great system, which, 
 says Walter Pater, "has, in itself, the expanding power of a 
 great experience." 
 
Addresses of firms and individuals referred to in the foregoing chapters : 
 
 c Boston, 146 Franklin St. 
 
 Library Bureau, -I New York, Stewart Building, Broadway. 
 i. Chicago, 215-221 Madison St. 
 
 C. A. Cutter, care Library Journal, 28 Elm St., New York City. 
 P. Van Everen & Co., 60 Ann St., New York City. 
 
 W. R. Jenkins' Estate, 851-853 Sixth Ave., New York City. 
 Cinn & Co., 7-13 Tremont Place, Boston. 
 
 D. C. Heath & Co., 86 Wabash Ave., Chicago. 
 Triumph Binder Co., Buffalo, N. Y. 
 National Binder Co., Boston, Mass. 
 
 American Catalogue, ^ Office of Publishers' Weekly \ 28 Elm St., 
 
 Annual English Catalogue, / New York. 
 Library Journal, 28 Elm St., New York. 
 
NICOLL & ROY CO., 
 
 PRINTERS, 
 NEW YORK. 
 
yc lotos