USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Worcester > Town annual reports of the several departments for the fiscal year ending December 31, 1867-1870 > Part 71
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MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS.
A Bibliometer has just been received. By the use of this instrument we shall be enabled to tell just how many books are taken out of the library every day. A record book will be kept in connection with it, and by keeping the columns of figures in it closely fooied up, we shall be able at the end of the year to tell in a few minutes how many books have been taken out of the circulating library during the year. The re- cord book will also afford us the means of keeping other sta- tistics and of seeing at a glance how rapidly the number of borrowers of books is increasing and the state of other matters interesting to the directors and officers of a library.
A binding list has been introduced lately. A book has also been procured, in which citizens are invited to enter the titles, &c., of books which it would please them to have us pro- cure.
All books are now collated before being put upon the shelves.
Some new cases for books have been put in the room of the circulating department during the year, and the occasion has been taken to rearrange the books of that department so that they might be more readily handled.
The Committee had wished to discuss the question of the desirability of introducing an Indicator here, but refrains from doing so, at present, on account of the length of this report.
Having now stated what has been done during the current year under the supervision of the committee on the library, we should close this report did not our immediate needs demand the discussion, at the present time, of two pressing questions
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in library economy. We must consider now the subjects of the Delivery of Books, and of Catalogues.
DELIVERY OF BOOKS.
The library committee has examined with some care our plan of giving out books. Accounts, here, are kept with bor- rowers, an account being opened, on a ledger, with every person holding a card, in which the borrower is charged with a book when delivered to him, or on his card, and credited with its return when brought back. Accounts could be kept with books instead of with persons. That is, every book might have a page or portion of a page in the ledger assigned to it, and when that book is given out, the number of the card belonging to the person taking it out might be placed in the account. Accounts are kept thus with books in some libraries. This is the case "at Charlestown in this State, where a system was introduced in the public library of that place, by a former librarian, which is still in use there, and has been adopted in the library recently opened in Newton, and in some other places. According to this system, accounts, however, al- though kept with books, instead of with persons, are not kept on a ledger, but .on cards. One card (and the cards are of considerable size), is assigned to a book, and when it becomes filled with entries, a new one is substituted, or the old figures are erased, and the old card used again.
It is of interest, often, to know just who has a certain book, and this system enables you to tell at a glance. It is of more importance to be able to ascertain readily, probably, this fact, than to be able to tell instantly, as in our system, what par- ticular book any individual may have out on a given day.
There is no reason except that of the time which would be used in putting it in practice, why a system of double entry in which accounts should be kept with borrowers and books alike might not be employed.
The system in use at Charlestown and elsewhere has this serious disadvantage in common with our own system. You do not know without considerable investigation when a book is kept out over time, and books may be lost before you become
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aware that they are missing. A third system of receiving and delivering books is that in use in the Boston Public Library, which, in this respect as in every other, has admirable ar- rangements for the conduct of the affairs of its library. This system is substantially as follows :
A person desiring a book puts down its number upon a blank provided for the purpose outside the counter, writing his name also and place of residence on the blank if using his own card; or the name and place of residence of the person whose card he is using, when he is taking out a book on an- other's card. The blank thus filled out the borrower passes with his card (which shows that he has a right to use the li- brary) to the receiving assistant. She gives the blank to a " runner," who goes to the shelves and procures the book. The book is then given to the person who has charge of the Indicator, that that instrument may be made to show that the book is out ; and is then passed to the distributing assistant. Were there no indicator, the runner would of course pass the book at once to the distributing assistant. This latter officer looks at the name, &c., on the blank to see if the writing is legible, then write the number of the book taken out plainly in a space left for the purpose at the top of the blank, writes the date of delivery in the inside of the book delivered on a piece of white paper pasted on the inside of the cover, for this purpose, stamps the date of delivery on the card, and then hands the book to the borrower. The blank is put into a drawer by the officer's side ; and all the blanks received dur- ing a day are assorted according to the numbers on them, and transferred to the receiving assistant, by whom they are placed in a compartment of a drawer provided for the purpose. Here they await the return of the books. This drawer has twelve compartments, and if at the end of two weeks any slips remain in the first of them, it is evident that the books re- presented by these slips have been kept out over time. The persons whose names appear on the slips, are notified of the delinquency at the residences indicated on the slips ; and if the books are not soon returned they are sent for, all expenses being charged to the delinquents. Of course the
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name and residence of the applicant for a book are verified by the receiving assistant by comparison with the card of the ap- plicant.
Thé number of losses of books under this system, and with the other guards adopted in the Boston Library, is very small. It will be seen that the strength of the system lies in the readi- ness with which it is discovered that a book has been kept out longer than it should be. It is a useful system, also, as enabling one to tell in a moment who has any book that is out of the library. These slips are kept and assorted, and by their means, owing to the division of the books into classes sepa- rately numbered, it can be told, at the end of the year, just how much use there has been made during the year of books of any given class, or, if desired, just how many times a given book has been read. Such statistics as these are very useful, and other libraries owe much to the Boston Library for keep- ing them.
We have now given a description of so much of this system as relates to the delivery of books, and will not stop to describe the forms used in receiving books that are returned.
Do we wish to adopt the system in use in Boston? It does seem very desirable to do so, or to substitute some other sys- tem for ours in the case of the delivery of valuable books. As stated above we cannot tell without considerable trouble when a book has been kept out over-time. A new system is needed for valuable books on another account. Our library is used by everybody, almost, who wishes, and among the users there must be some that are careless and dishonest. Valuable books should be received, when returned, more deliberately than under our present system, and examined to see that they have not been mutilated or defaced.
It seems best to establish a separate delivery for these books to effect the double object had in view. New, expensive works the Committee would advise the Board to place on the shelves of the Green Library, although in the catalogue of the circulating department, and plainly marked as belonging to that department ; and to have such books given out at a sepa- rate delivery in the Green Library to secure their safety.
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This system could be used for the comparatively small num- ber of books to which it is now advised to apply it, without having to employ additional help.
The Committee would also advise that a few of the books already in the Circulating Library be put in the reference de- partment, marked and catalogued as above ; to be given out at the new place of delivery.
The Committee sees that certain objections of a practical nature might be made at first sight to such a course, but thinks it has successfully removed them.
It may be asked why not retain our present method of de- livering books, only giving them out and taking them in with more ceremony. It would answer to do this, so far as the pre- vention and discovery of mutilations and defacements are con- cerned. · The present system is inadequate, however, to tell us of the retention of books beyond the time allowed for them to be held by borrowers.
But, it will be asked, why not, if our present system of de- livery is defective, introduce a new system for all the books in the circulating department. The Committee does not feel sure that it is well to make so great a change in our methods. The examination of the books in the department under consider- ation, recently made, does show the loss of a greater number than the directors had supposed to have been lost. It should be remembered, however, as before stated, that the accounts of the library relating to this matter have been kept lately with some inexactness, and that it is not improbable that many of the books unaccounted for have really been taken from the library because worn out. But, taking things at the worst, and supposing forty books a year to have been lost since the library was founded, would such a loss call for a change of system ?
The Committee would advise that no change be made at present in our system. At the end of the coming year, such arrangements have been made, we shall know very nearly how many books are likely to be lost under a careful working of the present system. We shall have had time, too, to note the character, variety, and money value of the books lost, and 5
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can then tell much better than now whether a new system is required. Our system is considered good of its kind, and books are now given out and taken in with very small expen- diture of time. Should the system in use in Boston be intro- duced here we should need more help, and, as has probably been noticed, the system requires work of the borrower additional to what is at present imposed. It may prove that with the check of a rigid collection of fines, which is a part of our present system, the class of common books is now sufficiently well guarded.
The Committee advises, therefore, a suspension of judgment in regard to our present methods until materials for an intelli- gent opinion can be gathered, only urging the adoption of a new system in the case of valuable books.
CATALOGUES.
Book-seekers desire answers to many different kinds of questions. One inquirer wishes to know whether there is a book in the library by a certain author. He remembers, for example, to have seen it stated that Alexander Bain has writ- ten a treatise on Mental Philosophy, but fails to remember that the work is in two volumes which are entitled respectively, " The Senses and the Intellect," and "The Emotions and the Will." He wishes to see a catalogue in which the names of Authors are arranged alphabetically. "Is 'Ecce Homo' in your library ?" asks another inquirer. He must have a cata- logue of titles, or, at least. one of subjects. Another person comes to a librarian, and says, "A work on the science of government has been published in this country within a year or two ; I don't remember its title or author. Have you any means of telling me whether it is in the library ?" The infor- mation sought for by the inquirer is to be looked for in a cata- logue of subjects, where the book, if in the library, will be found under some such head as " Political Science."
Some other person is looking for some good book treating of the elements of Chemistry or Physics. He knows little, perhaps nothing, about the literature of the subject. He needs a catalogue of subjects ; that is, a catalogue in which
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he will find all the works in the library on Chemistry grouped under that head. This is not all that he needs, however. As he finds the title of a book he must know in what year it was published, for treatises on subjects in Natural Science soon grow old. This is peculiarly the case with works which contain the record of chemical researches.
It is important for catalogues to state where books are pub- lished. Thus an admirer of Ruskin's writings would wish to know whether ours is a copy of the beautifully illustrated Lon- don edition, or belongs to the less attractive edition issued in New York. Again, whoever wishes to read Gibbon's famous history, would probably desire the edition edited by Milman. Thus the editor of a work must be stated in a catalogue, as well as the date and place of issue.
Readers wish to know also the size of volumes.
The aim of the cataloguer should be to adopt some practi- cable system, to answer as many as possible of these and other natural questions of inquirers. A good librarian could prob- ably answer all these questions without a moment's hesitation, because they refer to well known or recently published books. But he would very often be unable to give desired information in a library of the size of our own, without the aid of good cata- logues ; and as the number of books increases, the need of these will grow more and more apparent. It would often, too, be more satisfactory to readers and students to be sent to the shelves of a library instead of to a catalogue to get an- swers to their questions. Such a privilege cannot be granted, however, in a large public library. A good catalogue is indis- pensable.
The users of a library may be grouped in two general classes. Those in the one class are looking for a particular book about which they remember something,-its title,-say, or its author,-or the general or specific subject matter of the book. The members of the other class are not in pursuit of any particular book, but wish a book of a certain kind on a certain subject, or a book that will afford entertainment or in- struction. How, now, shall we find out what system of cata- loguing will give the most information to book-seekers, and
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best answer the questions they are likely to ask? By making use, certainly, of our own experience, and by availing our- selves of the experience of persons who have had the care of other libraries, and have made library economy a subject of study.
Experience teaches that a library must have a catalogue of authors. It is not well provided unless it have, also, a cata- logue of subjects. It cannot get along, however, without one of authors. This kind of catalogue is one, you know, in which the names of the authors of the books in a library, when known, are arranged in an alphabetical list. In case the author of a book is unknown, under this plan, the book is cata- logued under the head of the leading word in the title, or of the most important word. The printed catalogue of authors, is- sued by the Library of Congress is an admirable example of this kind of catalogue. Our own card and book catalogues of the Green library are substantially of this kind. In our catalogues, however, every book is entered twice, at least, if its author is known ; once under the author, and once under what has been considered the most important word in the title. An at- tempt has also been made, in our card catalogue, to group books on similar subjects. Thus books relating to the History of England are brought together under one head, as well as being catalogued under the name of their authors and of their titles where these latter are such as not to bring them regularly under the general title of English History or England.
John Timbs's Nooks and Corners of English Life, would, in our catalogue, be placed, first, under "Timbs (John)," next under "Nooks," and, finally, under some general head such as English History or England.
This example shows that our card catalogue is not merely one of authors, such as the catalogue of authors printed by the Astor Library, and the Library of Congress. It is a cata- logue of titles as well as authors. Some attempts have also been made it will be noticed, to make it a catalogue of sub- jects.
The second lesson of experience is, that it is very desirable
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to have the books of a library catalogued by subjects ; i. e. to have those books which treat of the same subject brought to- gether in the catalogue under a single head. It is also found of advantage to group, in some instances, books which, al- though they do not deal with the same subject, yet belong to the same class. Thus, lists of the Novels, Plays, Poems and Biographies in a library, are very useful.
It was formerly doubted whether it were possible to make a satisfactory catalogue of subjects. All doubts, however, are now dispelled in the presence of existing catalogues which answer their purpose so admirably as do the card catalogue of Harvard College Library, and the printed catalogues of the Boston Public Library, and the Library of Congress. There is a difference of opinion, now, in regard to the plan on which a catalogue of subjects for a public library should be constructed ; but no difference of opinion, in this coun- try, at least, regarding its desirability, or the feasibility of making one. The two principal plans proposed for a cata- logue of subjects, both of them in use among us, are the Dic- tionary system and the mixed system.
The former, the plan, it is stated, of Mr. Panizzi of the British Museum, is substantially that in use in the Boston Public Library, and explained in a monograph of Charles C. Jewett, published in 1853 by the Smithsonian Institution "On the Construction of Catalogues of Libraries, &c."
The catalogue of the Boston Athenæum, although not a card catalogue, but kept in books is made on this plan, except in one particular. The entries of titles under subject heads are fuller than is usual in catalogues constructed on this plan. Examples of the second or mixed system of arranging books according to subjects, are the fine card catalogue of Harvard College, and the catalogue of subjects recently put in print by the Library of Congress.
This system which is a very elastic one, has been very lu- cidly and admirably explained, as in use at Cambridge, by its author, Mr. Ezra Abbott, in a document of considerable length accompanying the "Report of the Committee of the
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Overseers of Harvard College appointed to visit the Library for the year 1863."
The library committee is much indebted to Mr. Abbott, and to the Superintendent, Assistant Superintendent, and Libra- rian of the Boston Public Library for courteously attending them in the inspection of their respective catalogues, and also for much valuable information regarding methods of cata- loguing, and other subjects of library economy.
The comparative merits of the Dictionary and Mixed Sys- tems have been discussed with great ability and fairness in an article in the North American Review for January 1869, enti- tled "The New Catalogue of Harvard College Library," by Mr. Charles A. Cutter, the librarian of the Boston Athe- næum. Mr. Cutter's experience both in the Harvard College Library and the Boston Public Library, before he was chosen to his present position, gave him the best of opportunities for noticing the capabilities, advantages, and defects of both sys- tems ; and in the article just referred to, he has given of them a clear and exhaustive account, which is accepted as just by the advocates of both plans. These published results of his observations, and his own kind explanations have very mate- rially lightened the labors of this committee in seeking the best method of cataloguing our own library.
The mixed is a mixture of the Dictionary and the class sys- tems. There is no better way, perhaps, of bringing out the important point in which the two differ than to suppose repre- sentative catalogues to be before us, and ourselves looking in the two for books on the same subject. Take an example used by Mr. Abbott and look in the two catalogues (which we suppose to be catalogues of the same library) for books treat- ing of the subject Future Life. You look in both of them for the words Future Life. In the catalogue constructed on the plan of a dictionary you find under this head several works. One of them is Rev. W. R. Alger's Critical History of the Doctrine of a Future Life. In the catalogue constructed on the mixed system, under the head Future Life, you find only a reference to a more general subject,-Theology. Now, if Mr. Alger's book (which,you find somewhat fully catalogued
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under Future Life), or some other book under the same head, is the book that you want to see, is evidently so, you need look no further. By turning to a single place in the catalogue you have found what you wanted, and have saved the time it would take under the other system to refer to the subject Theology at the other end of the catalogue. You have escaped, too, the danger of being puzzled in having to trace your way among the various sections of a general subject.
By turning to a single place in the catalogue you have found the book you desired. This would be the case, also, soon, if you were in the habit of using a catalogue constructed on the other principle ; for you would quickly learn not to look for subjects too specific under specific heads, but to look under more general heads at once; to turn at once to the head Theology instead of going first to Future Life to be thence re- ferred to Theology.
Still a catalogue made on the Dictionary system is some- what easier for the common reader to use than one constructed on the mixed system. Such a catalogue is easier to make, also, as it does not require so much thought in the cataloguer as is needed with the other system.
A catalogue made on the mixed system, although some- what more difficult to use than one made on the other plan, is not so much more difficult as to make that a serious objection to its introduction with us. Persons frequenting our library would most of them need some instruction to enable them to use any catalogue that would be likely to be used here, and it would not be difficult to teach them to use a mixed cata- logue.
With the excellent example of a mixed catalogue furnished by the Library of Congress, and the aid which would readily be afforded us at Cambridge, a librarian here could probably, with thought on his part, acceptably construct such a one, and this system has decided advantages which render it prefer_ able to the other. To take our former example in seeking for books on the Future life, we need, not only the books to be found in a catalogue constructed on the Dictionary system under that head, but the books also therein catalogued under
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such heads as Immortality, Death, Heaven, Purgatory, &c. These subjects being subdivisions of Theology, would, in a catalogue constructed on the Mixed system, be found treated of in books brought close together in the catalogue, as all the books treating of them would be contained in the single draw- er Theology. Thus, to find the literature on the given subject, we do not, as in the other kind of catalogue, have to go from one drawer to another, and from one end of the catalogue to the other, and then perhaps back again, and to the other end once more, but find all the books we wish to consult near each other.
The great recommendation, then,of the mixed system, is, that it brings together books which are likely to be wanted at the same time. It is also more scientific in its arrangement of the books of the library. Of course it should not be the first aim of the cataloguer to secure a scientific arrangement of the books. His first aim should be so to construct a catalogue as to enable users of the liberary to find most readily what they want to find. Still it is a satisfaction when it is found that the best arrangement is also the most scientific. An orderly mind is pleased by the discovery, and instruction is given to users of the catalogue, also, in the relations of different branches of knowledge where some attempt is made at orderly arrange- ment of books according to the mutual relations of the subjects treated in them.
Gentlemen, were the means at your disposal we should re- commend to you to provide at once a good catalogue of sub- jects made on the Mixed or Alphabetico-classed system. As it is we wish you to bear in mind our conviction of the desir- ability of having such a catalogue here, and to remember that we believe it to be important to begin to make one as soon as possible. The larger the library grows the greater, of course, will be the difficulty of cataloguing it. It would not be pru- dent for us to undertake this work now, however, unless we feel able to add another to the corps of assistants employed in the library. One of the assistants already here could be relied upon for efficient aid in the preparation of such a catalogue. The librarian would, of course, supervise its construction, and after a time, perhaps, could do a good deal of the work neces-
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