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                            LIBRARY ESSAYS

            PAPERS RELATED TO THE WORK OF PUBLIC LIBRARIES




                            LIBRARY ESSAYS

                      PAPERS RELATED TO THE WORK
                          OF PUBLIC LIBRARIES

                      ARTHUR E. BOSTWICK, PH. D.


                       THE H. W. WILSON COMPANY
                               NEW YORK
                                 1920




PREFACE


The author of these papers began his service in librarianship in April,
1895. He celebrates his silver jubilee by gathering them into a single
volume. Before becoming a librarian he had worked for many years as
teacher, editor and journalist, and the use of the pen having become
second nature, he took it up in behalf of libraries and librarians,
somewhat sooner, perhaps, than experience would warrant. However, the
papers reflect to a certain extent the progress of library work during
the past quarter century.

                                                        A. E. B.




CONTENTS


PAINS AND PENALTIES IN LIBRARY WORK                                    3

Read at the Magnolia Conference of the
American Library Association, June, 1902.
(_A. L. A. Proceedings_, 1902, p. 29-34)


HOW LIBRARIANS CHOOSE BOOKS                                           17

(_Public Libraries_, April, 1903, p. 137-41)


THE WORK OF THE SMALL PUBLIC LIBRARY                                  29

(_Library Journal_, August, 1903, p. 596-600)


LAY CONTROL IN LIBRARIES AND ELSEWHERE                                39

Read before the Trustees’ Section of the
American Library Association, at the Niagara
Conference. (_A. L. A. Proceedings_, 1903,
p. 199-202)


THE WHOLE DUTY OF A LIBRARY TRUSTEE: FROM
A LIBRARIAN’S STANDPOINT                                              49

An address before the Trustees’ Section of
the American Library Association (_A. L. A.
Proceedings_, 1906, p. 40-4)


THE DAY’S WORK: SOME CONDITIONS AND SOME
IDEALS                                                                59

Presidential address before the New York Library
Association, Lake Placid, September
21, 1903. (_Library Journal_, October, 1903,
p. 704-7)


LIBRARY STATISTICS                                                    69

(_Library Journal_, January, 1904, p. 5-8)


OLD PROBABILITIES IN THE LIBRARY--HIS
MODEST VATICINATIONS                                                  79

Read before the Pennsylvania Library Club,
Philadelphia, May 9, 1904. (_Library Journal_,
October, 1904, p. 517-23)


THE LOVE OF BOOKS AS A BASIS FOR LIBRARIANSHIP                        97

Read before the New York Library Association,
Twilight Park, September, 1906. (_Library
Journal_, February, 1907, p. 51-5)


THE LIBRARY AS THE EDUCATIONAL CENTER OF A TOWN                      111

(_Public Libraries_, May, 1907, p. 171-4)


THE LIBRARIAN AS A CENSOR                                            121

Presidential address before the American Library
Association, Lake Minnetonka Conference,
June, 1908. (_Library Journal_, July,
1908, p. 257-64)


HOW TO RAISE THE STANDARD OF BOOK SELECTION                          141

Read at the meeting of the Library commissions
of the New England States, Hartford,
Conn., February 11, 1909. (_Public Libraries_,
May, 1909, p. 163-7)


LIBRARY CIRCULATION AT LONG RANGE                                    221

(_Library Journal_, July, 1913, p. 391-4)


CONFLICTS OF JURISDICTION IN LIBRARY SYSTEMS                         231

Read before the round table of branch librarians
at the Washington conference, May 28,
1914. (_Library Journal_, August, 1914,
p. 588-91)


THREE KINDS OF LIBRARIANS                                            241

Read before the Missouri Library Association,
Sedalia, November 18, 1914. (_Public
Libraries_, January, 1915, p. 1-4; February,
1915, p. 47-50)


SCHOOL LIBRARIES AND MENTAL TRAINING                                 255

(_School Review