tary and director of the North Dakota Public Library Commission; C. W. Sumner, librarian of the University of North Dakota; Miss S. Blanche Hedrick, assistant librarian of the University of North Dakota; Miss Russell Edwards, cataloger.

This is the third year that the University of North Dakota has offered a course of this kind, and it is expected that a number of teachers will avail themselves of the opportunity of taking the work. Seven teachers were enrolled in the work last year.

LIBRARY INSTRUCTION AT PRATT INSTITUTE

AN account of what has been accomplished in one effort to instruct students in the use of a library may interest some who have a like problem to solve. This instruction at Pratt Institute is given to nearly two hundred first-year day-class men in the School of Science and Technology, and the Applied Science Department of the library is the laboratory. The School of Science and Technology is one of the five schools of which the institute is composed. It embraces day courses in mechanical and electrical engineering, industrial chemistry, machine work, and in carpentry and building, and evening courses in corresponding subjects, to which are added some of the trades.

Pratt Institute Free Library occupies a separate building, across the street from the Institute. The Applied Science room of the library is a reference and reading room for the general public, and at the same time is the reference library and reading room of the School of Science and Technology, there being no departmental libraries in the school.

The courses in the school being only two years in extent, the time of the students is very fully occupied with the schedule of studies. It was, therefore, not easy to obtain time for even a short assignment for library instruction. Formerly it was the custom of the head of the department to obtain permission to address the students in their class rooms at the beginning of

each year. This led in later years to visits of sections numbering thirty or forty men, with an instructor, to the library, where they were talked to and shown around the department for half an hour. The coöperation of the school having been enlisted to this extent, the time seemed ripe last year for some systematic library training for the men. The advances of the library were cordially met and an arrangement was made by which the school was to assign each first-year man to five hours' work in the library. This is two hours' regular laboratory time and three hours usually required to prepare reports, but necessarily the whole five hours are spent in the library, as the report consists of a short bibliography.

The men come to the Applied Science room in groups of five, each man bringing a printed laboratory assignment slip on which his instructor has written the subject of his report. The following subjects are chosen at random from last year's work: low temperature measurements, unipolar motor, search lights, annealing of glass, burners for heavy oils, effect of different paints on the efficiency of radiating surfaces, light standards, design of friction clutches, efficiency of worm gear, applications of the gyroscope, block signals, Humphrey pump, lighting precaution in mill construction, tan bark as boiler fuel, use of stranded wire in winding armatures, gas engine ignition, refrigeration of public buildings, gas burners for the laboratory, thermit, construction of ozonator, method of making aluminum splices, autoclaves, and so on through over one hundred and fifty subjects relating to work in the physics, chemistry, and electricity laboratories, and in the shops and drafting rooms.

An index card is made out for each man on which is recorded his name, the subject of his report, and the time spent on the work, the time being entered at the beginning and end of each visit to the library in connection with the assignment.

The instruction begins with a short talk on the many kinds of books which go to make up a library, and on the necessity of having some systematic method of arrang

ing them in shelves in order that confusion may be avoided and books readily found. This leads up to the explanation of the Dewey decimal classification, the practical working of which is demonstrated by reference to the shelves, the 500 and 600 classes with their subdivisions being chosen as containing the books which the men would need to use in searching for material for their reports. After this object lesson they are taken to the catalog case, where the arrangement of cards is explained, and they are given some exercise in using it— finding books by author and subject heading, noting call-numbers on slips and thereby finding books on the shelves, or obtaining books by presenting call-numbers at the circulating department.

Technical periodicals are then inspected, the features of the leading ones being explained, which leads to methods of searching for matter in bound files of periodicals. The Engineering Index with its annual cumulation, the Industrial Arts Index, Chemical Abstracts, and the individual periodical indexes are examined, attention being called to their various peculiarities of arrangement. The indexes of books are explained, also the value of the literature references which may be found as footnotes or lists in books.

The trade catalog collection and its catalog are then inspected.

A short visit is made to the circulating department, where the men are shown the full catalog and can see that the same system is employed there, and that any one of the 100,000 books in the library, no matter what its class, may be found as readily as are the 3000 technical books in the catalog which they have seen in the Applied Science room. At the same time they are told that the same system prevails in practically every public library which they are likely to use. The men are then taken through the stacks, where they see the arrangement of the various classes of books, after which they are told how to obtain borrowers' cards. This ends the direct instruction, and has used up a considerable portion of the first two hours of the time.

The remainder of the five hours time may

be made up at the convenience of the student and is devoted to the preparation of the report, which is in the form of a short bibliography on a subject which has been assigned by an instructor in the Institute. A printed and ruled card, 71⁄2 x II in., suitable for vertical filing in a case, is employed for this purpose. The entries are under four divisions: (a) books, (b) periodicals, (c) trade catalogs, (d) indexes. Form of entry and space given to each item are: (1) call-number, 11⁄4 in.; (2) title, 234 in.; (3) author, 1% in.; (4) short note, relating scope of reference and any other comment which will guide the person who may be selecting a reference, 334 in.; (5) date, 1⁄2 in.; (6) vol. no., 1⁄2 in.; (7) paging, 1⁄2 in.

The finished reports are examined and the students are marked on them as on laboratory reports. The reports become library property, are filed, and form valuable reference matter on hundreds of subjects.

The object in giving this instruction to first-year men is that they may become familiar with the library early in their course, and by using it while in the Institute be more likely to continue to make use of libraries in after years.

The library assignment is popular with the men. The only man who did not do the work last year, having been prevented by illness, asked permission to be admitted this year. It is gratifying to notice the independent manner in which these men proceed to consult catalog and indexes, in marked contrast with the helplessness of former classes in this respect.

DONALD HENDRY.

LIBRARY PROGRESS IN NEW YORK STATE IN 1913

ASA WYNKOOP, head of Public Libraries Section of the New York State Education Department, has prepared a comprehensive summary of library affairs in New York state for 1913, which contains some interesting facts and figures.

Reports were received last year at the New York State Education Department from 477 free lending libraries in the state,

showing a total of 4,707,472 volumes in stock and a circulation of 21,530,294. These figures show a gain over the previous year of 13 in the number of libraries reporting, 285,571 in their stock of books, and 1,221,118 in circulation. Since 1893, when the present state system of supervision and aid for free libraries was adopted, there has been a five-fold growth in the number of volumes in free libraries, and a nine-fold growth in public use of the libraries. The per capita circulation is now more than six times greater than in 1893, and notwithstanding the great increase in stock of books, the circulation per volume in stock has almost doubled. There are five times more books, and each book receives nearly twice the amount of use.

In their financial statements for the past year the libraries of the state show a total of $3,814,875 available for the year's expenses. Of this amount $1,738,420 was provided from local taxation, $687,955 from interest on endowments, $196,447 from the state (including $136,860 for support and rehabilitation of the State Library), $79,023 from gifts, $21,317 from entertainments, and $1,091,710 from balances on hand and miscellaneous sources. Library appropriations from local taxation were greater by $116,988 than in the preceding year. The amount expended for books, periodicals, and binding was $1,030,804, and for library salaries $1,661,104. Estimating salaries in terms of circulation, it appears that the libraries are paying 71⁄2 cents in personal service for each book issued. This, however, includes libraries where circulation represents perhaps less than half the service rendered.

Of the 52 cities of the state, 46 are now provided with free public libraries, two others have subscription libraries available to all on the payment of a small fee, two provide limited library service through the public-school library, and two provide no public library facilities whatever. The latter, however, Lackawanna and Watervliet, are in a sense parts of neighboring cities, and individuals may obtain library privileges from those cities. There are 24 villages in the state having each a population of 5,000 or above. In all but

three of these free or public libraries have been provided. They have an average stock of 9,174 volumes and an average circulation of 29,651.

The total number of incorporated villages in the state is 456. In 224 of these, or just about one-half, there are regularly chartered free libraries, and in about onehalf of the remainder the school libraries provide some free library privileges. Outside of incorporated cities and villages, there are 134 communities or districts which have regularly chartered free libraries, supported in part by district or town taxes, but depending mainly on voluntary contributions, membership fees, and proceeds from entertainments.

Of the total of $1,738,420 appropriated from local taxes last year for library support, $1,651,324, or 95 per cent., was provided by the cities. Greater New York provided $1,232,366, or 70 per cent., of this amount. Reduced to a per capita basis, the figures mean that Greater New York is paying for each unit of population a library tax of 25 cents, Buffalo 24 cents, Syracuse 32 cents, Rochester 14 cents, Utica 34 cents, Mt. Vernon 46 cents, Albany 14 cents, Yonkers 17 cents, New Rochelle 44 cents, Poughkeepsie 43 cents, Schenectady 15 cents, Binghamton 22 cents, Niagara Falls 25 cents, Watertown 26 cents, Troy 8 cents, Auburn 15 cents. The tax per volume circulated in these cities was: Greater New York 8.6 cents, Buffalo 10 cents, Syracuse 12.5 cents, Rochester 30 cents, Utica 14 cents, Mt. Vernon 9 cents, Albany 4 cents, Yonkers 7 cents, New Rochelle 10 cents, Poughkeepsie 12 cents, Schenectady 7 cents, Binghamton 6 cents, Niagara Falls 10 cents, Watertown 9 cents, Troy 6 cents, Auburn 9 cents. It is worthy of note that several of the cities which are paying the highest per capita rate for their libraries are getting a more than corresponding circulation, so that their tax per unit of issue is among the lowest, illustrating the fact that in many cases an increased tax makes for positive economy in results.

One hundred and ten different libraries were benefited during the year by gifts or bequests, each valued at $100 or more, the largest number of libraries ever thus ben

efited in a single year. The total amount of gifts and bequests is estimated at $1,123,291, the greater part of which was for buildings, grounds, or permanent endowments. The larger gifts were as follows: To Columbia University, a building to house the library of architecture and art, costing $500,000, from S. J. Avery; to New York Public Library, by will of W. A. Spencer, one-half his residuary estate and his private library; to Glens Falls, by will of Henry Crandall, estate worth $500,000, to be applied at discretion of trustees to public park, Boys' Saving Club, and public library; to Hamilton College Library, $100,000 for a building from unnamed benefactor.

Of the 110 gifts reported, only three were from Mr. Carnegie, and these represent less than 3 per cent. of the total value of the year's gifts. It is worthy of note also that for every dollar given to libraries by the state, $32 was given by private donors.

To complete this survey of the library resources and activities of the state, there must be added the statistics of library facilities and circulation provided by the State Library, with its unique department of traveling libraries, which serves as a free library for all the people of the state, particularly for those without other library facilities. Last year small libraries, averaging 41 volumes each, making a total of 45,651 volumes, were sent for local use to no less than 1114 localities or groups of readers. This was a gain over any previous year of more than 250 libraries sent out, and is double the number reported ten years ago.

In the library situation of the state as a whole, the most striking feature is, of course, the rapid development and huge totals shown by the great city libraries. Thus of the total stock of 4,707,472 volumes in all the free libraries of the state, 3,459,359 are in the cities and 2,051,743 in Greater New York alone; and of the total annual circulation, numbering 21,530,294 volumes, 18,300,454 were issued to city borrowers. But when it is considered that 76 per cent. of the population of the state is contained in cities, and that the population outside of

cities is now actually less than it was twenty years ago, the development of libraries in the villages and rural districts of the state must be regarded as even more notable than that in the cities. Thus, of the 477 free libraries shown in the year's reports, 319 are outside of cities, and these have a total stock of books numbering 1,248,113 and an annual circulation of 3,228,840-an average for each of these libraries of 3912 volumes in stock and 10,122 circulation. Of the total gain last year of 1,221,118 in circulation from free libraries, 598,077, or nearly one-half, was from libraries outside of cities, representing only onequarter of the population.

The full strength of the showing in the smaller towns will perhaps best appear from a comparison with conditions reported in other states having state library commissions or bureaus of recognized efficiency. Thus, Wisconsin is generally recognized in the West and Middle West as a model for other states in its library system and its library propaganda. It has a population almost exactly equal to that of New York outside of cities. In the whole of that state, according to its last report, there were 165 free libraries, 90 library buildings, 987,254 volumes, and a property in library buildings amounting to $1,764,000. The extra-city population of New York has twice the number of free libraries, twice the number of buildings, a quarter more books, and a greater valuation in library buildings than the whole state of Wisconsia.

Indiana, with a population greater than that of rural New York and a model library law and commission, reports 145 free or public libraries and 106 library buildings, more than one-half the latter being gifts from Carnegie. Both in libraries and buildings rural New York has twice the facilities reported for the whole of the Hoosier state.

California, with a population substantially larger than that of rural New York, and with a model library system, reports for the whole state 124 free libraries supported by city tax, 21 county library systems, 54 subscription libraries, and 60 association libraries, a total of 259, of which

not more than 205 are free. It has 117 library buildings, 80 of which are Carnegie gifts. The total of free libraries and buildings is at least a third less than that of the smaller population in rural New York. Even Massachusetts, which was the first state to establish a state department for library extension, and which boasts a free library for every township, has fewer free libraries in operation in proportion to population than the village and country part of New York.

THE NEW CONNECTICUT STATE LIBRARY BUILDING

ALTHOUGH the new Connecticut State Library and Supreme Court building at Hartford was finished three years ago and has been in use since that time, it was not formally turned over to the state until Feb. Io last, when the building commission which has had the construction in hand for ten years, through its president, ex-Senator Morgan G. Bulkeley, presented the certificate of the completion of its work to Governor Simeon E. Baldwin. The exercises attendant upon the ceremony were held in the beautiful Memorial Hall of the building, where are deposited the original charter of the state, and the first constitution ever drawn, with the table upon which Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation.

The ceremony itself was simple. Around the table in the hall were grouped exGovernor Bulkeley, who, as president of the building commission made the address for it; Governor Simeon E. Baldwin, who received the building in behalf of the state, and his two associates on the state library committee, which will now supervise the building-Secretary of the State Albert Phillips and Hon. William Hamersley. The members of the building commission, exSenator Charles C. Cook, Comptroller Daniel P. Dunn, H. Wales Lines, Willie O. Burr and L. W. Robinson, grouped around the principal actors, while the other spectators stood in an outer circle.

Former Governor Bulkeley in his address reviewed the work of the commission

which was appointed in November, 1903. In 1907 the commission, after having been twice continued, was directed to secure land, contract for and fully complete and furnish a building suitable for the use of the state as a library, supreme court room and memorial hall. The cornerstone of this building was laid on May 25, 1909, and on November 25, 1910, the state librarian, George S. Godard, took charge of the building under the commission. During the three years and more which have since passed the new quarters of the library have been found satisfactory in every respect. The appropriation made for the building amounted to $1,665,099.22, of which $1,655,693.04 has been expended, leaving a balance of $10,006.18 in the hands of the treasurer.

Governor Baldwin received the parchment document containing the formal transferral of the building from the commission to the state, and made a brief address, after which he committed the care of the building to the state librarian.

In accepting the charge Mr. Godard spoke of the interest he had felt in the Connecticut State Library since his boyhood days, and of the pleasure with which he accepted a position in it in 1898, under Dr. Charles J. Hoadley.

LEAGUE OF LIBRARY COMMISSIONS-MID-WEST SECTION

MEETING

THE midwinter meeting of the Mid-West section of the League of Library Commissions was held in Chicago December 31 and January 1.

At the opening session, 25 delegates were present, representing 13 states. At the close, the attendance record showed 39 delegates from 15 states; Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Dakota and Wisconsin. More visitors were present than could be accommodated in the room, all interested in the animated debates. There was not a dull moment in the three sessions, nor a hackneyed discussion. Credit is due the officers, particularly the president, Miss Wales, for the way in which things were