As regards accounts kept by means of a regular ledger or record book, 36 are reported; of which II are in "F. P.," 9 in " L.," 12 in "A.," and 4 in "S." libraries. In such ledgers the accounts, as a rule, are with the borrowers merely. In 5 libraries, however, the charge is made at the time of issue on a ticket or slip; which latter, after being at due convenience posted to the taker's ledger account, is left at liberty to be arranged in order of issue date, and thus gives a double-charging system, to good advantage. This method works very well indeed with a limited constituency, such as in an association or college library.

In 2 other libraries the charges, while first made in consecutive order on a day-book, are likewise posted to a member ledger; and in 1 library, from day-book to both a book ledger and a member ledger.

The just limits at command for a report of this nature have quite likely been exceeded; and hence many interesting special practices which have come to the notice of the reporter cannot now be spoken of. So, too, any critical study or comparison of merits must await other opportunity. For the chief aim of the queries sent out and the collation of the answers (so far as made) has been to ascertain as much as possible regarding the current practice of the average libraries in connection with the loaning of books, and allied topics in library administration. And in doing, to place on record definite data for future consideration thereof by such as may be interested.

III.

SO

It may be said further, however, that during the existence of the American Library Association much has appeared in the Library journal, and elsewhere, upon this general topic. Therefore, in addition to the items and replies collated from the Query circulars, as stated, the reporter appends a sort of chronological list of a goodly number of such special articles and discussions; adding some brief notes of the salient points of each one. 1. Poole, W. F. Register of books borrowed. (In "Organization and management of public libraries.") U. S. Special. Lib. Report, 1876, pp. 499-504.

[Temporary slips (2 x 22 inches) headed with borrower's registration number, also showing number of book drawn, date, and initial of attendant. Slips arranged in a partitioned box or tray, in order of borrower's number; each day's issues in a separate bundle, divided by movable date blocks.]

2. Perkins, F: B. [Registration and delivery service.] (In "How to make town libraries successful.") U. S. Special Lib. Report, 1876, pp. 426-427.

[Dated page, day-book fashion; acc. no. of book, and daily issue no. given. Date, and same issue no. noted on inside cover of book also.]

3. Same. [Boston P. L. issue system.] (In "Public libraries of ten principal cities.—II.") U.S. Special Lib. Report, 1876, p. 872.

4. Whitaker, A. E. [San Francisco Mercantile L. book delivery.] (In "Public libraries of ten principal cities.-X.") U. S. Special Lib. Report, 1876, pp. 998–9.

[An octagonal revolving wheel register, 3 feet in diameter by 3 feet 6 inches high; containing 2,000 holes, each 34 inch wide by 3 inches deep. Adopted in 1875, in lieu of two books of 2,500 pp. each.] 5. Dewey, Melvil.

[Amherst College check-box book accounts.] (In "Catalogs and Cataloging.") U. S. Special Lib. Report, 1876, pp. 631-2.

[Blank slips 5 by 5 cm. Call no. of book, name of borrower, and date. Arranged in numerical book-no. order, in check boxes of 100 compartments.]

6. Cadwallader, B. Record blanks [of books loaned, in use by Evansville P. L.]. Lib. j., 1:254-5. (1877.)

[Permanent book check or slip, illustrated.]

7. Yates, James. The Leeds indicator. Lib. j., 1:255-6; and 443. (1877.)

[English pigeon-hole "indicator," receiving borrower's card; also daily check sheets.]

8. [Dewey, Melvil. (?)] Defacing books. Lib. j., 1:327. (1877.)

[Gummed date slips attached inside of cover to caution against marking, etc., and show dates of circulation.]

9. Vinton, F: Registration of books borrowed. (In "Hints for improved library economy, drawn from usages at Princeton.") Lib. j.,

16. Winsor, Justin. The charging system at Harvard. Lib. j., 3:338. (1878.)

[Call slips for delivery; posted at leisure to individual ledger accounts.]

17. Cutter, C: A. Another charging plan [and] Mr. Cutter's charging system. Lib. j., 4:17; and 445. (1879.)

[A double charging: manilla book slip, signed by borrower and kept in class order; white book slips, kept in order of takers. Manilla cards began Jan., 1879; use of white cards added later.]

18. Walker, R. C. A library recorder. Lib. j., 4:203; and 375. (1879.)

[English "indicator," in a primitive form.]

19. Cotgreave, A. Library indicators vs. bookkeeping. Lib. j., 5:51. (1879.)

[Extract from pamphlet describing Cotgreave's Indicatorbook; "indicator" and "book register" combined.] 20. Schwartz, Jacob. A "combined" charging system. Lib. j., 4:275-7. (1879.) [Taker's card kept at library; date slip in book, etc.] 21. Estabrook, C:, Schwartz, J., and Dewey, M. More about charging systems. Lib. j., 5:72-5. (1879.)

[Evansville and Newburgh, etc., charging methods.] 22. Foster, W: E. New charging system [at Providence P. L.]. Lib. j., 5:320. (1880.) [Double-charging method; modification of Cutter's, of

1879.]

23. Dewey, Melvil. Slip indicator [at Boston P. L.]. Lib. j., 5:320. (1880.)

[Check box of books "out," etc.]

24. Mann, B. Pickman. Library fines. Lib. j., 4: 441-2. (1879.)

[Plus brief comments by Cutter, Dewey, and Bowker. 25. Massey, A. P. Colored cards [for recording loans]. Lib. j., 6:34. (Notes & q.) (1881.)

26. Chamberlain, Rev. L. T. [Charging methods] for Sunday-school libraries. Lib. j., 6:159. (1881.) (From S. S. Times.)

[Pigeon holes for each book; taker's tag to hang over the empty place of book out.]

27. [Shute's Time-saving record for] the Sundayschool library. Lib. j., 6:288. (1881.) (From S. S. Times.)

[Ledger having a composite number list printed to each account for check marking.]

28. Schwartz, J., and Cutter, C: A. Scraps of script. Lib. j., 7:6. (1882.)

[Respecting merits of call lists by numbers, or by names of books, etc.]

29. Linderfelt, K. A: Charging systems. [A. L. A. paper, Ist report on.] Lib. j., 7:178–182. (1882.)

[Milwaukee double-charging method described in detail.] 30. Kite, W: Book registry [for a small library]. Lib. j., 8:40. (Notes & q.) (1883.)

[Taker ledger (Borrower vs. book), and book ledger (Book vs. borrower); with cross entries.]

31. Perkins, F: B. Charging-card rack. Lib. j., 10:63. (Notes & q.) (1885.)

[Illust. To insure serving takers in order of coming.] 32. Cutter, C: A. Inconvenience of library cards. (Editorial.) Lib. j., 10:48. (1883.)

[Commenting vs. new practice at Phil. Mercantile L., per extracts from its annual report in L. j., 10:57.]

33. Stetson, W. K. Charging [by day-books]. Lib. j., 11:121. (Notes.) (1886.) [Consecutive entries in a daily register.]

34. Arnold, G: U. Charging by day-book. Lib. j., 11:167. (Notes.) (1886.)

[Commenting on Stetson's plan of daily register, and recommending it for larger circulation than first named.] 35. Little, G: T. A charging system for small libraries. [A. L. A. paper.] Lib. j., 11:212-3. (1886.)

[Putting on shelves for each book loaned a wooden dummy showing name of borrower.]

36. Larned, J. N. Some new devices and arrangements. Lib. j., 11:295. (1886.) [Double-entry card scheme for charging and self-dating.] 37. Restricted reference books. [Columbia College Library issue slips for.] Lib. notes, 2:216. (Dec., 1887.)

[Form illust. and commented upon.]

38. Dated book-marks. (H. C. Bolton.) Lib. notes, 2:216. (Dec., 1887.) [Form illust. and commented upon.]

39. Peck, A. L. Charging by means of baggage checks. Lib. j., 13:315. (1888.)

[Pins and checks for borrowers, and same for books; cross exchange of checks to the respective pins.]

AT

T the meeting of this association which was held at Lake George, a report was made on the School of Library Economy, which it was then proposed to establish, and which has now been in existence for three years, in which the writer, addressing the librarians present at the conference, said: "We shall most of us agree, probably, that the most important departments of college instruction for us were (and are) the courses in language, literature, and history."

This remark seems to indicate inadequacy of appreciation of the value of the work that a librarian may do in aiding persons engaged in mechanical and other industrial pursuits. Knowledge of the principles of the natural sciences is of the greatest importance to a librarian who is to become a guide and teacher in a town which thrives because of its industries or in which a technical turn is given to a considerable portion of the education imparted in the place.

My tastes lead me to the study of history and the philosophical explanations of social, moral, and religious phenomena.

My duties as a librarian require me to serve persons interested, largely, in the principles and applications of mechanics and other subjects of inquiry belonging to the province of natural philosophy, chemistry, and other physiical sciences.

Mr. Perkins, of San Francisco, shows that he feels the importance of this part of the work of a librarian. In speaking of the functions of a popular library, he writes: "Its first object is to supply books to persons wishing to improve their knowledge of their occupations, etc." He states, furthermore, that books of that kind "are constantly and eagerly used" in the Public Library of San Francisco, of which he was recently the Librarian.

Miss Hewins, of Hartford, writes, in regard to the selection of books to be placed in small libraries: "The books which you buy

should depend, like your catalogue, on your class of readers. A library in a village where there are farms and gardens should have the latest and best books upon farming, gardening, the care of cattle and poultry, and several agricultural and horticultural papers and magazines, that may be allowed to circulate after they are bound. . . . A town with telephones, electric lights, machine-shops, and manufactories, where many young men of intelligence electrical engineers, machinists, and draughtsmen, needs all the newest books that it can afford to buy on electricity, applied mechanics, and mechanical drawing. We find in Hartford a steadily increasing demand for books of these classes."

are

Samuel Smiles, in his work entitled, "Lives of the Engineers," undertakes to give an account of some of the principal men who were influential in enlarging the internal resources of England. In speaking of the subjects of his biographies, he writes: "In one case the object of interest is a captain, like Perry; a wheelwright, like Brindley; an attorney's clerk, like Telford; or an engine brakeman, like Stephenson."

After reading such a passage as this, a superficial man will not improbably draw the hasty inference that the self-reliance and mental vigor which are needed in solving the great problems that present themselves to practical men are either inborn or the result of the discipline alone of poverty and neglect.

It cannot be doubted, however, by thoughtful men that Brindley and Stephenson, however admirable was the work which they did, would have worked easier and accomplished more if they had had a good preparatory education and access to books in which the experiences and achievements of other practical men are recorded.

The natural intellectual vigor of the selftaught man is reinforced and becomes more wisely and prolifically productive when his

own experience has been enlarged and enlightened by feeding upon the experiences of other men as they are found set forth in books. He gains by learning of the experiments which have led to their successes, and equally by becoming acquainted with the mistakes which have resulted in failure.

Self-made men are generally conscious of their deficiencies and of the disadvantages under which they have labored, and anxious to have their children well educated and given access to the wisdom and knowledge which have crystallized in the form of literature. Certainly," writes Mr. Andrew McFarland Davis, so far as Stephenson was concerned, we know that he was painfully conscious of the impediment which the lack of education proved to his progress in life, and to the extent of his ability he sought to overcome the same in the career of his son Robert, by furnishing him with an education at the Edinburgh University.

The methods employed by the latter in after life, in the construction of the Brittania Tubular Bridge, were so thoroughly scientific, they were so distinctly in accord with what we expect from an educated mind, there was so little left to chance, and so much of the debatable ground was explored in advance, that they furnish an admirable illustration of the ways of modern science, and refute the idea that culture crushes ingenuity and perseverance.

The problem laid before Robert Stephenson was this: The Island of Anglesey is separated from Wales by a navigable strait, through which each day tides violently race, rising and falling to the height of from twenty to twenty-five feet. A railway bridge was to be constructed here, high enough above the water to enable vessels to pass beneath, and which should not interfere with navigation while being erected. The proposition to use a suspension bridge was not approved. A cast-iron arch had been suggested; but, if there had been no other objection, the interference of the centering with the navigation of the straits was necessarily fatal to its adoption. The novel idea of an iron tube was suggested, and a series of experiments were begun to

determine the breaking weight of such a structure, the proper distribution of materials to resist the strains of compression on top, and the tensile strains on the bottom, and what would be the best section — whether circular, elliptical, or rectangular. Tubes of various shapes were subjected to breaking strains, and the results of the experiments were accepted, even where they dispelled the theories of the experimenters.

Finally a miniature tube was constructed, similar in proportion, section, and distribution of material to the one which the results of the experiments had led them to adopt. When it was seen that this fully withstood the tests to which it was submitted, it was determined to proceed with the work. A suitable spot was selected on the Caernarvon shore, where the tubes which were to span the water were constructed. When completed they were floated on pontoons to the recesses in the piers prepared for them, and were raised by hydraulic power to the proper height. Masonry was carried up beneath them as they were raised, and the task was accomplished of making a railway bridge under the peculiar restraints imposed.

At every step during all these proceedings, records were kept of each experiment, and of the effect of the wind and weather upon the structure. thus adding a vast amount of valuable information to the scientific records of the age.

All this is essentially different from the expensive experiments in practice of Edwards, the stone mason, known as the bridge builder, who, in working out the problem of spanning the river Taff, in Wales, in the middle of the last century, saw two of his bridges totally destroyed, before he conquered all the difficulties in his way and succeeded in building the bridge which still stands as a monument to his genius and perseverance. It is radically different from the sublime faith in himself, with which Brindley met the sneers of those who scoffed at his projects; but not every man who believes in himself can hope for the success of a Brindley, nor would his success, or that of Edwards, have been less real if it had been less experimental - if, instead of

being based upon practice, it had been founded on instruction."

Why introduce here a defence of the value of training in schools, and of book learning to men engaged in industrial pursuits? Is it likely that librarians need to study the lesson which is taught in the narrative which has just been given? Perhaps it is not likely. Still, I have known librarians, who, having engaged in the occupation to which they belonged merely for the purpose of earning a livelihood, had no living faith in the value of learning to be had from books in the conduct of practical affairs.

At any rate librarians are frequently brought into contact with successful men of affairs whom it is advantageous to convince that book knowledge is of every-day service in common pursuits; and success in making friends for a library, and in causing it to do a good work in the community, often depends largely upon the power to show that practical benefits attend the acquisition of knowledge. The size of the annual municipal appropriation for the support of an institution is sometimes dependent on the ability of its officers to demonstrate that the privilege of a free use of a large collection of books treating of scientific and technical subjects adds to the material prosperity of a town or city.

The Librarian of the Public Library of Cincinnati, in an annual report which was made by him a few years ago, wrote as follows:

"It is seldom that we can measure in dollars and cents the usefulness of an institution whose benefits silently permeate the whole community, but occasionally an illustration presents itself. I am authorized by Judge M. W. Oliver and E. W. Kittridge, Esq., to state that the information derived from three volumes in the library, which could not have been obtained elsewhere at the time, saved the people of Cincinnati, in the contract with the Gas Company, at least $33,500 annually for the next ten years.

How much more of the reduction of the price of gas was due to these books, cannot be certainly known.

There can be no doubt that 7 cents per

1,000 feet reduction was due to the assistance rendered by these books.

This one item is alone more than one-half the annual cost of the library, and is nearly equal to the amount paid by the Board of Education from the general educational fund for library purposes."

The firm of Norcross Brothers stands high on the list of contractors and builders. Trinity Church in Boston, some of the finest buildings belonging to Harvard College, many costly edifices in New York City and in Pennsylvania and other States, have been erected by it. It has put up two large buildings in St. Louis. The late distinguished architect, Henry H. Richardson, always preferred to have his plans carried out by this firm.

Mr. O. W. Norcross, the leading spirit in this concern, told me a few years ago that he had for a long time been a constant reader of books and papers which treat of subjects connected with the branches of business in which he is engaged. He added that if he had had any success in his chosen avocation, and that success had certainly been very great, it was owing to the practice of keeping himself acquainted with the literature of his occupation.

Mr. Norcross's home is in Worcester. He wrote in 1880 in regard to the Public Library there: "The reading and library facilities which it gives are of great value, and have in my own case been of great assistance in my business. As a matter touching the value of a good library and its being appreciated, I will say that when we have taken men from Worcester and Boston to work in other places there has been a general complaint of the want of good reading and library facilities."

A large manufacturer in the same city wrote at the same time respecting his workmen: "Our superintendent informs me that hundreds of our employés make very free use of the library, gaining therefrom much of good to themselves, and, in some special cases, obtaining from it information of great value to us in our business."

Mr. Morgan, lately the active manager of the great Washburn & Moen Manufacturing Company, said of the library: "It has been