1899, when a similar questionnaire was sent out, the average graduate of the school worked 421⁄2 hours a week with 4 weeks and 5 days vacation for $686 a year, in 1913 the same average person works 401⁄2 hours a week, has 6 weeks vacation and receives $1081 a year. May not these figures be taken as indicative of a general upward tendency in the profession at large toward better conditions of work and more adequate pay?

FOR THE LIBRARIAN'S STUDY "The librarian who does not read, is lost."

A COUPLE of years ago Mr. Henry Adams, the historian of the period of Jefferson and Madison, printed for private distribution a volume to which he gave the somewhat indifferent title "A letter to American teachers of history." Under this title the author offers an interesting discussion of two tendencies of modern thought and the influence they have, or should have, on historical teaching. The two tendencies are expressed in the terms of the theory of evolution (or conservation of energy) and the theory of dissipation of energy. How can the latter be reconciled with the former? Can it at all? If the latter theory is more than a hypothesis, what of human progress?

The author quotes, in the first of the two chapters of the book, called "The problem," one after the other of the physicists, biologists and anthropologists of the last few decades, showing that they, one and all, have accepted, for their own sciences, the theory of the dissipation of energy. In the second chapter, "The solutions," he discusses the various solutions that have been offered, and offers, if not very distinctly, what one might suppose to be his own, namely, that while the physical universe, including man as a biological phenomenon, is subject to the law of dissipation, humanity need not be: "If the physicist cannot make mind the master, as the metaphysician would like, he can at least abstain from making it the slave." In the following paragraph we have the essence of the book, if I understand the author rightly: "Since

the year 1830, when the great development of physical energies began, all school-teaching has learned to take for granted that man's progress in mental energy is measured by his capture of physical forces, amounting to some fifty million steam horse-power from coal, and at least as much more from chemical and elementary sources; besides indefinite potentials in his stored experience, and progressive rise in the intensities of the forces he keeps in constant use. He cares little what becomes of all this new power; he is satisfied to know that he habitually develops heat at 3000° centigrade and electricity by the hundred thousand volts, from sources of indefinitely degraded energy; and that his mind has learned to control them. Man's reason once credited with this addition of volume and intensity, its victory seems assured. The teacher of history need then trouble himself no further with doubts of evolution; but the teacher of physics seems—at least to an ignorant world whose destiny hangs on the balance-very much required to defend himself." No matter what the author's solution might be, the book is stimulating in raising a real problem.

It would be an interesting bibliographical study for one of the maturer students in some library school or for a younger working member of the profession, to prepare an annotated bibliography of the books referred to or quoted in Mr. Adams' book, extending it, perhaps, beyond the date of the latter to the present year.

The two theories discussed by Mr. Henry Adams have found authoritative propounders in two works recently published by the University of Chicago Press: Professor Jacques Loeb's volume of popular biological essays entitled "The mechanistic conception of life," and a volume of lectures on "Heredity and eugenics," by several authors. The keynote of Professor Loeb's book is given in the first essay, which has given its name to the whole volIts object is "to discuss the question. whether our present knowledge gives us any hope that ultimately life, i.e., the sum of all life phenomena, can be unequivocally explained in physico-chemical terms.” And

the author draws the conclusion that "if on the basis of a serious study this question can be answered in the affirmative our social and ethical life will have to be put on a scientific basis and our rules of conduct must be brought into harmony with the results of scientific biology." "Not only is the mechanistic conception of life compatible with ethics; it seems the only conception of life which can lead to an understanding of the source of ethics." These are the final words in this first essay. The others deal with such subjects as "The significance of tropism for psychology," "On the nature of the process of fertilization," "On the nature of formative stimulation (artificial parthenogenesis)," "Experimental study of the influence of environment on animals."

The lectures on "Heredity and eugenics" were held at the University of Chicago during the summer of 1911, under the auspices of the biological departments of the University, by Professors J. M. Coulter and W. L. Tower, of Chicago; W. E. Castle and E. M. East, of Harvard, and Dr. C. B. Davenport, of the Station for Experimental Evolution, Carnegie Institution of Washington. Professor Coulter opens the series with a general introduction on "Recent developments in heredity and evolution," subjects which, he says, "have to do, not only with the most fundamental conceptions of biology, but they have come to be of immense practical importance in animal and plant breeding. From every aspect, therefore," the author continues, "they appeal to all persons intelligent enough to be interested in the progress of knowledge and in human welfare." The purpose of the series is, then, to present these facts in a popular form, but authoritatively, so as, if possible, to counteract the misleading suggestions contained in many ephemeral publications. This first lecture presents the historical background necessary for an understanding of the problems discussed in the rest of the series: on "Heredity and sex," on "The application of biological principles to plant breeding," on the "Modification of the germinal constitution of organisms by experimental processes," on

"The inheritance of physical and mental traits of man and their application to eugenics"—and here we come to the final purpose of the book, to show what conclusions may be drawn from known biological facts and from biological theories pertaining to the future conscious development of the human race.

In this connection I wish to call attention to an article in the last volume (1912) of Annalen der Naturphilosophie (Leipzig: Akademische Verlagsgesellschaft): "Ueber die Gefährdung unserer nationalen Tüchtigkeit im modernen Staat," by A. Nordenholz. The author shows how, in modern society, we find a "counter-selection," as he calls it, an undercurrent of forces that work for the survival of the unfittest. The capitalistic organization of society with its grip on the industrial world causes a degeneration of the working masses, physical, intellectual and moral. The milieu in which the individual lives becomes unfavorably differentiated and acts as a degenerative force. It is from this great mass of individuals whom the circumstances have made unfit that the race is mainly recruited. The most intelligent, the physically and morally strongest element which rises above the milieu into which it was born becomes comparatively unproductive. Another element in the counter-selection is to be found in modern charity, which makes it so much easier for the degenerates not only to subsist, but to propagate. To counteract this phase of the counter-selection the author suggests a "conscious adaptation of our personal activity and our social institutions to the demand for a raising of the standard of our race," or, as he also expresses it, a "harshness of pity."

In the same volume of this journal is an article on "Das Aufsteigen geistiger Begabter in England," by a man whose name is quite well known in the library world, Dr. Ernst Schultze, of Hamburg, the founder of the Volksbücherei in that city. "The causes of the growth of talent and genius, the conditions under which they develop, how they rise to importance and fame-of all this we know next to nothing. Science has just begun to turn to the investigation of these im

mensely difficult problems." The author does not intend to solve the problem, but to show how in England gifted men from the "lower" strata of society have risen to positions of eminence, and the means that in each case have accomplished such results. Another article of particular interest to librarians is called "Gedanken über praktische Litteraturwissenschaft." The author, Reinhard Buchwald, had been asked to give a series of popular lectures on literary history, and in preparing for these he decided to set forth nothing that he had not himself used as preparation for his own reading or to clear up already existing independent judgments. The article, then, is a study of what makes for literary value, and a discussion of the place of literary history in the republic of sciences; the author places it among the historical disciplines, besides church history, as a part of "kulturgeschichte."

This journal is specially called to the attention of librarians. It is one of those very general periodicals to which one might turn for a discussion of almost anything under the sun. And a browsing through its eleven volumes is particularly stimulating, because every article is written from a definite philosophical standpoint, that of energetics, or the theory of combined conservation and dissipation of energy, whose foremost modern exponent, Wilhelm Ostwald, is its editor.

AKSEL G. S. JOSEPHSON.

SUGGESTIONS FOR GREATER LI

BRARY PUBLICITY

GREATER publicity for libraries and their work was a topic which received considerable attention at the meeting of the Council in Chicago. At the first session Mr. Willis H. Kerr read a report on "Possible newspaper publicity for the American Library Association, its conferences, and work in general," which provoked discussion and which is here reprinted in full:

A report has been asked on greater publicity for the American Library Association, its conferences and work in general.

It is assumed that we all grant there is

room for more of the right sort of publicity for the Association and library work in general. The sort of publicity here in mind is this: Not that we shall get at the people, but that the people shall get at us.

First, publicity for the A. L. A. conferences. Traveling through England during the early days of last September, I was impressed by the amount of space devoted by all of the best British newspapers to the Bournemouth meeting of L. A. U. K. The London Times ran nearly a column each day and commented editorially. One could not help being glad that the indexing of periodicals is vital to the British newspaper public, or that rural libraries and books for the holiday makers make news. And then I discovered that the London

Telegraph, the Manchester Daily Mail, some of the Devonshire papers-in fact, all the best newspapers-carried the same story. The account must have been furnished to all the papers by a discerning L. A. U. K. publicity man. The Salt Lake meeting of the National Education Association was more adequately reported in the daily press, nation-wide, than any preceding meeting-better even than the rows and battles of Boston and Chicago-with this difference, that education and not politics was heralded from the Salt Lake meeting. The Associated Press representative at Salt Lake got his "stuff" from the N. E. A. publicity man. It was telegraphed daily and appeared in 870 dailies in all parts of the country. Material for special stories in Chicago and New York papers was furnished by the N. E. A. publicity man. Several days before his election to the N. E. A. presidency, the photograph and a biographical sketch of Dr. Joseph Swain were on file with several hundred newspapers, with release conditioned on telegraphic advice; the publicity man had made a shrewd guess. On the last day of the N. E. A. sessions the publicity man released to the local papers and to the Associated Press interviews with 160 "leading educators," many interviews accompanied by photographs. To interview 160 men in five busy days is a feat at which even the newspaper men wondered. Direct dispatches were sent to newspapers in local

ities honored in the election of officers and committees. A summary of the week was furnished to the educational press and the patent-inside publishers of the country. Each day each of the four Salt Lake papers ran from eleven to thirty columns of N. E. A. material. Moreover, this N. E. A. publicity man advertised the Salt Lake meeting in advance and helped to bring in a very large attendance from adjacent states and cities. Articles about the great interests to be represented at Salt Lake and photographs of speakers were used by many papers and syndicates.

Mr. J. W. Searson, professor of English at Kansas State Agricultural College, at Manhattan, was the publicity man. I here record my gratitude to Mr. Searson for his willingness to let me inquire into his methods and results, and for his personal interest and intelligent conception of the library cause.

How did Mr. Searson accomplish these results? First, by having the news sense, Second, he had the substantial backing of the Salt Lake Commercial Club. The club was anxious that the Salt Lake meeting should be a success and that Salt Lake's name should be heralded far and wide. The club carefully obeyed Mr. Searson's instructions for advance preparation, reserved and paid for his room and publicity headquarters and his meals at the headquarters hotel, furnished three stenographers "and if you want anything else, name it." The N. E. A. paid travel expenses, postage and telegrams, the cost being about $240.

Advance press abstracts of all papers presented were furnished to Mr. Searson. Stories for each general session and section meeting were prepared in advance. Lists of officers and tables of statistics were ready for use. The stenographers made copies of all this material and of dictated personal notes and convention news. Mr. Searson was always on hand at headquarters and always had what the newspaper boys wanted. He was one of them, working on the inside.

I have a strong conviction that these methods may be adapted to obtain publicity for the A. L. A. conferences. An item

for practical consideration is that the A. L. A. custom of meeting in out-of-the-way places, once characterized by one of the literary journals as the "annual going into retreat," is not conducive to publicity. We lose all the advantages of local pride and influence. Another item to be remembered is that apparently library operations and interests are not regarded as vital news. I believe this is more apparent than real, however; we must make our news, as others do. At the Missouri-Kansas meeting, at St. Joseph recently, this plan was tried, without any help of previous organization, sufficiently to prove this; that the newspapers welcome the help and will use material furnished. At St. Joseph the addresses for which abstracts were not furnished were written up from program and the substance guessed at.

Thus far, publicity for the A. L. A. conferences. Now publicity for the work in general. general. I quote from a friend of the library cause:

"Some day I should like the A. L. A. to awaken to its larger opportunity. It should have a section in connection with every national organization, from the Congress of Governors to the national labor organizations. . . . Correlating English (teaching) and library work is but one specific phase of larger correlation with all forms of reading, investigation and organization. The librarian and the library are absolutely indispensable to any progressive worker, whether in iron, wood, finance, art, or literature."

Possibly one fair interpretation of Miss Hasse's recent address upon "Socialized bibliography" is that she pleads for a highly efficient publicity that lets the people get at the library. The discussions by the League of Library Commissions, this week, regarding duplication and coöperation in extension work by state universities and state library commissions, and threatened amalgamation of state departments of education and library commissions both pointed to the need of persistent widespread and concentrated enlightenment of powers and professors that be. Personally, I feel that just as soon as possible the A. L. A. should employ a permanent pub

licity officer. The publicity methods and results of individual libraries would not be interfered with, except to advise and reinforce. We are trying a plan of statewide library publicity in Kansas, which might possibly be adapted for countrywide application.

Your committee recommends that a permanent committee on publicity be appointed, whose duty it shall be in coördination with the secretary, to prepare and execute plans for publicity for the annual conferences and for the general work of the Association.

At the second session Miss Mary W. Plummer opened a discussion on "A campaign of library publicity in the general magazines," as follows:

In an attempt to gain the public's ear, to interest and hold the public's attention, and to secure the natural consequence, larger liberality on the part of municipalities toward a department hitherto ignored or treated perfunctorily and on a theoretic basis, libraries must live down two things: 1st, the impression, still influential with the majority of tax-payers, that libraries are chiefly or wholly for recreative purposes; and 2d, that the workings of a library are of a purely technical or administrative character, that there is something esoteric about their administration which only librarians (and trained ones at that) can understand, and that their results are principally statistics, the most uninteresting of reading to people in general.

The first difficulty is gradually being solved, and the solution of it depends largely on the local library, since it can best convince the local people of the value and extent of its resources and show the uses they can be put to. Where this is done by a live librarian who knows his or her business, the community is learning very gradually to respond with more substantial appropriations and a higher library taxrate; but there are parts of the country still where the community, including often the library board, fail to recognize financially the generosity, self-sacrifice, and professional skill of some local librarian who is prevented by circumstances from seeking a better fortune in some other and

Advan

more liberal or enlightened place. tage is taken of this very inability, in fact. "Let her spend extra hours on a new catalog, or in getting up a Christmas exhibit, if she wants to; no one is making her do it. It is just what she likes to do." But if recognition of this public spirit in the form of addition to salary were suggested, you would find even some members of library boards saying: "Why, she has never asked for an increase. And she'd rather live at home, or else she'd go somewhere else and get more. It would cost her more to live away from here, probably. Anyhow, the town can't afford it, with sidewalks and waterworks and electric lighting, etc., to pay for. The important things must come first." Notice that word "important." In the minds of at least half the voters of a community, material improvements take precedence of what goes into the minds and spirits of the people to make better people, and hence better citizens, and every one knows that when a reform administration comes in, on the cry of economy, the first things to be cut down in cost are the public schools and the public library.

This materialistic attitude must be changed before the library can come into its own. Looked at closely, it is not so far removed from the attitude of the mob in the Reign of Terror, which destroyed museums, libraries, monuments and works of art. Our communities are perhaps a little worse, for while they do not actually destroy, they hamper and starve their most potent agencies for good in favor of institutions and works that spell only material progress and often feed the greed of private interests, and they do it in cold blood and not in the rage of reprisals.

How are we to convince people generally that libraries count for something in progress, that they are worth liberal support, that the good results of their work, while more or less intangible, are as undeniable as the results of building a system of sewerage, and cleaning the town streets and alleys, and extending the street car lines?

The second thing to be lived down is the odor of professionalism. We all know the innocent personal friend who admires