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THE  BOSTON  PUBLIC  LIBRARY 
PROFESSIONAL  STAFF  ASSOCIATION 


JANUARY  1956 


THEQUESTIONMARK 
Published  by  the  Boston  Public  Library  Professional  Staff  Association 

Volume  XI,  Number  1 January  1956 


Publications  Committee:  Robert  P.  Giddings,  Felicia  J.  Langdon,  Sheila  W,  Pierce 

Robert  C.  Woodifjard,  B.  Gertrude  Wade,  Ghainran 

Publication  date:  Deadline  for  submitting  material: 

The  fifteenth  of  each  month   The  tenth  of  each  month 


EDITOR'S  NOTES 

Reviewing  the  year  that  most  of  the  members  of  your  Publications  Committee 
have  served  (two  members  left  the  library  for  greener  pastures),  we  might  observe 
that  our  editorial  temper  has  had  cause  to  improve.  We  have  been  agitated  during 
the  past  year  by  the  thought  of  staff  vacancies  going  even  longer  unfilled  and  by 
other  matters  of  a  less  serious  nature.  By  year's  end  we  see  new  faces — and  more 
faces — around  us.  Slowly  but  surely  the  shadows  of  the  dimly  lit  public  areas  of 
this  venerable  building  have  been  lifted.  At  some  future  time  even  the  areas  where 
people  read  or  have  to  work  are  scheduled  to  be  brightened. 

One  matter  which  may  make  for  rejoicing,  in  some  quarters  at  least,  deserves 
our  parting  attention.  Perusing  the  Budget  recommendations  of  the  City  for  the 
fiscal  year  19?5,  we  were  reminded  that  several  departments  never  did  get  the  Chiefs 
for  which  money  was  to  be  appropriated.  This,  of  course,  has  meant  a  substantial 
saving  for  which  some  of  us  may  be  grateful.  We  have  gone  so  long  with  no  Chiefs 
for  the  Information  Office  and  for  the  Music  Department  and  no  Supervisor  for  the 
Division  of  Reference  and  Research  Services,  that  we  may  only  think  of  the  situation 
as  one  in  which  much  money  has  been  saved  by  leaving  these  positions  vacant.  After 
two  years  we  may  no  longer  notice  that  nobody  is  there. 

This  suggests  a  possible  new  departure  in  library  econony.  We  can  continue 
to  save  money  by  having  no  succession  to  his  high  office  •vrtien  a  Chief  departs.  The 
indians  can  continue  to  organize  themselves  around  someone  called  an  assistant-in- 
charge.  By  this  device,  if  money  is  appropriated  for  a  position  that  is  unfilled, 
literally  thousands  of  dollars  can  be  saved.  This  practice  is  flexible  and  can  be 
applied  to  braves  as  well  as  Chiefs,  of  course.  One  department,  for  instance,  which 
has  long  gone  without  a  Chief  is  now  on  the  verge  of  having  only  two  indians.  When 
you  reflect  that  it  used  to  be  thought  that  at  least  four  people  were  required  to 
permit  a  department  to  be  open  69  hours  a  week  (and  still  allow  for  days  off,  lunches, 
and  other  of  our  fringe  benefits) ,  it  can  easily  be  seen  that  there  is  no  end  to  the 
possibilities  of  this  new  departure. 

As  we  leave,  we  of  the  Publications  Committee,  having  recently  read  of  the 
Trustees  action  at  their  last  meeting  on  January  6,  1956,  wish  an  especially  happy 
New  Year  to  the  Director  and  those  in  Grade  P9  ■who  have  finally  been  granted  the  pay 
raises  denied  them  in  the  general  personnel  reclassification  of  1953.  "We  only  hope 
that,  despite  what  was  interpreted. at  Staff  Meetings  as  the  Director's  denial  of  the 
possibility,  there  may  yet  be  in  this  new  year  hope  for  further  pay  raises  among  us. 


CALENDAR  OF  EVENTS 

Januaiy  20.  HPLPSA  Aiintiai  Business  Meeting,  Lecture-  Hall,  Central  Library,  9  a.m. 

January  23.  SvL.A.  Meeting  at  the  B.U.  School  of  Fine  and  Applied  Arts, 
25  Blagden  Street. 


-2- 


PERSOWAL  NOTES 


BIRTHS 


New  Employees 

James  S.  Healey,  General  Reference 
Mary-Elizabeth  P.  Huntington,  Parker  Hill 
Allen  J.  Sevigny,  Parker  Hill  {Mr   Sevigny 
has  been  working  by  the  hour  in  Audio- 
Visual) 
Ifeureen  T.  McCarthy,  Book  Stack  Service 
(Miss  McCarthy  was  formerly  employed 
in  this  department) 
Phebe  D.  Ham,  Book  Selection,  (R  and  RS) 

Transferred 

Alice  G.  Hoag,  from  Connolly  to  Jamaica 

Plain 
Hope  B.  Brown,  from  Parker  Hill  to  South 

Boston 
Elizabeth  C.  Bowling,  from  Parker  Hill  to 

Faneuil 

Resignations 

Evelyn  Levy,  Egleston  Square,  to  accept 
a  position  at  the  Enoch  Pratt  Free 
Library,  Baltimore,  Maryland,  as  assist- 
ant coordinator  of  adult  services  and 
head  of  the  book  selection  room. 

Marriages 

Joan  M-arie  Cottier,  Adams  Street,  to 
Robert  P.  Kyle,  on  November  27,  19$5 

ENGAGEMENTS 

Fifty  percent  of  the  staff  of  the  Office 
of  Records,  Files,  Statistics  has  an- 
nounced its  engagement: 

Josephine  A.  ViTaldron,  who  will  wed 
Donald  J,  Miirphy  in  October  19S^i   and 

George  T.  Armstrong,  who  will  be  married 

to  Marie  M.  McElaney  on  May  ^,  1956 


Geraldine  Coynan,   Cataloging  and 
Classification,  (R  and  RS) ,  to  Donald  J. 
Sullivan. 


Mary  Curado,  Book  Ptirchasing,  and  David 
Sheehan,  Book  Stack  Service. 


■}«• 


"Mary  J.  McGah,  Business  Office,  to 
Ronald  Ksichstein. 


* 


On  December  31,  1955,  in  St.  Johns ville. 
New  York,  a  daughter,  Susan  Elizabeth,  to 
llir  and  llrs  James  Yauney.  IJirs  Yauney  will 
be  remembered  as  Edna,  #10  delivered  mail 
in  Central  Library  for  several  years,. 
Susan  has  two  brothers,  Bruce  ard  Alan. 


A  son,  Brian  Joseph,  born  to  Mr  and  Mrs 
Richard  IfcNamee  on  January  3,  1956.  Mrs 
McNamee  is  the  former  Mary  Kenney,  on  the 
staff  of  the  Personnel  Office.  Best  -wishes 
to  the  proud  parents  I 


Congratulations  to  Mr  and  liirs  Robert 
Secatore  on  the  birth  of  their  daughter, 
Elaine  Marie,  on  December  26,  1955.  I&'s 
Secatore  is  the  former  Marie  Crowley  pre- 
viously employed  in  Central  Charging 
Records.  Congratulations,  Also,  to  Grand"- 
father  Crowley,  Book  Stack  Service. 

BEST  WISHES  FOR  A  SPEEDY  RECOVERY 

to 

Alice  Hoag,  assistant,  Jamaica  Plain, 
recuperating  from  an  appendectony.  Mrs 
Helen  O'Leary,  Faneuil,  Patrick  J,  Reilly, 
Buildings . 

FINAL  REPORT 

The  combination  Dance  and  Card  Party 
sponsored  by  the  BPLPSA  on  December  2,  1955> 
yielded  a  profit  to  the  Association  of 
.^73.30. 

STAFF  IN  PRINT 

Members  of  the  staff  with  little  ones  at 
home  will  find  some  excellent  suggestions 
for  crafts,  hobbies  and  games  in  the  list 
entitled  "For  Family  Fun  and  Creative  Play- 
time] Books  of  Interest  to  Parent  and 
Child",  prepared  by  Virginia  Haviland, 
Readers  Advisor  for  Children,  and  published 
in  the  Library  Journal,  December  l5,  1955* 


Appearing  currently  in  Jewish  Book  Annual 
is  an  article  by  Fanny  Goldstein,  Curator 
of  Judaica,  on  "The  Jewish  Juvenile". 


-3- 


PRESIDENT'S  NOTES 


GOOD  FELLOWSHIP  NIGHT 


At  the  January  meeting  of  the  Executive 
Board  it  was  voted  to  present  to  the  mem- 
bership in  advance  of  the  annual  meeting 
the  following  recommendations  for  effect- 
ing an  adequate  increase  in  remuneration 
for  temporary  Assistants-in-Charge. 

1.  (Endorsed  by  a  majority  of  the 
Executive  Board) 

A  person  designated  as  Assistant- 
in-Charge  shall  receive  an  increment 
at  the  rate  of  ^?100  per  year  immedi- 
ately.    At  the  end  of  each  6-month 
period  in  his  position  as  Assistant- 
in-Charge  he  shall  receive  an  addi- 
tional incre':a3nt  at  the  rate  of 
$^100  per  year  until  the  minimim 
salary  of  the  vacant  position  is   . 
reached J  and  thereafter,  he  shall 
receive  the  scheduled  increments  of 
that  position, 

2.  (Endorsed  by  a  minority  of  the 
Executive  Board) 

A  person  designated  as  Assistant-in^ 
Charge  shall  receive  immediately 
the  minimum  salary  of  the  position 
of  Chief  of  the  Department  vjhioh  he 
is  assuming,  and  thereafter,  he 
shall  receive  the  scheduled  incre- 
ments of  that  position. 

These  recommendations  of  the  Executive 
Board  and  the  recommendations  of  the  Per- 
sonnel Committee  vdll  be  presented  for 
discussion  and  action  at  the  anmxal  meet- 
ing.    It  is  hoped  that  the  membership  will 
give  serious  consideration  to  the  relative 
merits  of  the  proposals  and,   perhaps,  dis- 
cover a  solution  to  the  problem  even  more 
equitable  and  satisfactory. 

Although  it  is  not  possible  for  every 
member  of  the  Association  to  be  present 
at  the  January  20th  meeting  EVERY  IIEMBER 
CAN  AND  SHOULD  VOTE .     Absentee  ballots  are 
available  through  your  staff  represent.- 
ative  and  president.     If  you  have  any 
doubt  about  being  able  to  visit  tYe    polls 
in  the  Elliott  Room  from  9  A.M.  to  2  P.14. 
on  Friday,  January  20,  obtain  an  absentee 
ballot  and  return  it  in  accordance  with 
instructions. 

To  those  iiew  members  of  the  staff  who 
have  postponed  joining  the  Association 
we  extend  a  cordial  invitation  to  join 
NOW.     Paym^it  of  dues  now  by  new  members 
will  be  credited  for  the  year  1956  and 
will  enable  them  to  participate  in  the 
approaching  meeting  and  to  vote  for 
officers . 

Louis  Rains 


On  Thursday  evening,  December  15,  Fanny 
Goldstein,  hostess  at  the  annual  Good 
Fellowship  Night  at  West  End,  brought  to 
her  friends  and  associates  gathered  there 
in  large  niambers,  an  imusually  interesting 
and  enjoyable  program.  She  introduced  to 
the  audience;  Richard  G.  Hensley,  Chief 
Librarian,  Di^T-sion  of  Reference  and  Re- 
search Services,  who  brought  greetings 
from  the  Library;  Manuel  Zymelman,  a  cantor 
from  Buenos  Aires,  Argentina,  and  a  student 
at  M. I.T.,  who  lighted  the  Hanukah  candles; 
Rabbi  David  Lieber,  director  of  Harvard's 
Hillel  work  and  a  newcomer  to  this  area, 
who  brov.ght  the  Hani.kah  mi^.ssage;  The 
Reverend  Mason  !IcG:i.rjiies ,  Assistant  to  the 
President  of  the  American  Unitarian  Assoc- 
iation, who  brought  the  Christmas  message; 
Ruth  Green  and  six  charming  teen-age  young 
ladies  from  the  Children's  Museum,  who 
delighted  thoir  listeners  with  their  bell 
ringi.:p;;  and  Elwyn  Adams,  violinist  ani  a 
recent:  viinner  with  distinction  at  the 
International  Music  Competition  in  Munich, 
T/ho  thrilled  the  audience  with  his  superb 
playinr;,  Horry  Fein,  the  poet,  who  is  well 
remembered  from  other  West  End  programs, 
talked  briefly  about  the  place  of  the 
Sabbath  loaf  in  Je-rdsh  lif'e  and  said  the 
traditional  grace  before  cutting  the  bread. 

Believing  that  the  best  is  none  too  good 
for  these  parties.  Miss  Goldstein  had  in- 
vited fotir  members  from  each  of  the  branches 
of  the  Armed  Forces,  but  only  the  Ikrines 
liYed  up  to  their  tradition.  The  four 
Marines  who  appeared  were  joined  by  present 
and  former  members  of  the  staff  in  the 
singing  of  Christmas  carols. 

The  branch  library  was  most  attractively 
decorated,  courtesy  of  Filene's. 

The  evening  closed  with  the  serving  of 
a  Kosher  collation  as  friends  greeted 
friends  and  met  the  evening's  guests  of 
honor. 

Sarah  M.  Usher 


CHRISTMAS  1955 


-U- 


On  Thursday,  December  22,  the  annual 
Christmas  Tea  iwas  held  in  the  Women's 
Loun^.  Barbara  Fee  ley,  this  year's 
man,  managed  somehow  to  be  in  two  places 
at  once.  She  supervised  the  goings-on  in 
the  kitchen,  keeping  track  of  a  thousand- 
and-one  seemingly  trivial  points ,  neglect 
of  which  might  lead  to  disaster,  and  yet 
she  seemed  always  to  be  at  her  place  in 
the  lounge, greeting  arriving  guests. 

The  most  charming  part  of  the  Christmas 
Tea  has  always  been  (and  we  hope  it  alwajs 
will  be)  the  presence  of  so  many  former 
staff  members.  Most  of  us  would  never  see 
these  friends  we've  worked  with  and  think 
of  fondly,  if  it  weren't  for  this  occasion. 
They  seem  to  enjoy  it  too,  and  look  for- 
ward to  it,  for  they  keep  coming  year 
after  year,  very  often  from  some  distance. 

The  Women's  Lounge  was  beautifully  de- 
corated for  the  occasion  and  a  vote  of 
thanks  is  due  the  Committee  in  charge  of 
it.  The  appearance  of  the  Lounge  seemed 
to  set  spirits  high  from  the  very  begin- 
ning of  the  tea. 

An  apparently  endless  succession  of 
trays  containing  every  conceivable  kind 
of  delicacy,  and  carried  by  attractive 
young  ladies  in  fancy  aprons,  could  be 
seen  coming  and  going  all  afternoon.  The 
specialties  of  various  staff  members  were 
in  particular  demand,  and  were  pronounced 
better  than  last  year  even.  Every  one 
seemed  happy  and  inspired  with  Christmas 
spirit,  and  the  Christmas  Tea  of  1955 
ended  with  guests  and  Committee  alike 
pleased  with  its  success. 

MEN'S  OPai  HOUSE 

On  Thursday,  December  22,  from  10:30  to 

12:30,  open  house  was  held  in  the  "Men's 

Suite"  in  Stack  I.  This  affair  which  is 

now  an  accepted  part  of  the  Christmas 

festivities,  attracted  the  ladies  in  large 

were 
numbers.  The  men^^cordial  hosts  as  they 

dispensed  coffee,  doughnuts,  and  other 

delicacies.  Dancing  to  the  accompaniment 

of  music  furnished  through  the  courtesy 

of  Audio-Visual  was  enjoyed  by  many.  The 

entire  "suite"  was  effectively  decorated 

and  the  affair  was  pronounced  a  decided 

success. 


Chai3>  December 


AMDNG  CATALOGUERS 


Cataloging  and  Classification  (R  and  RS) 
held  its  annual  Christmas  Party  on  Monday, 
19,  at  the  Salmagundi  Restaurant, 
for  luncheon.  Guests  included  John  J, 
Connolly,  Richard  G.  Hensley,  and  May 
Crosby,  a  former  member  of  the  Department 
who  retired  a  year  ago.  Santa  Claus,  in 
the  person  of  Esther  Lissner,  greeted 
members  and  guests  at  the  door,  with  a  sack 
bulging  with  gifts,  largely  of  a  utilitarian 
nattire,  including  soap,  chewing  gum,  shoe 
laces  and  a  back  scratcher.  Appropriate 
music  was  provided  by  a  record-player 
belonging  to  Mrs  Mary  Ellis  Lebert.  Mrs 
Catherine  Macauley  made  favors  in  the  form 
of  snow  boots,  which  were  filled  with  candy, 
for  each  person  at  the  party  and  there  were  | 
Christmas  carol  song-books  at  each  place. 
Catherine  Evans  received  the  door-prize, 
a  pound  bcx  of  chocolates,,  and  Mildred 
O'Connor  was  presented  with  a  gift  from 
the  entire  Department.  The  party  ended 
with  a  story  and  remarks  from  Mr  Hensley. 

BOOK  SELECTION  STYLE 

On  Monday  evening,  December  5,  the  staff 
of  Book  Selection  (HR  and  CS) ,  an  alumnus 
of  that  staff,  Mrs  Frances  Kelley,  and 
Virginia  Haviland  were  entertained  at  the 
home  of  Edna  G.  Peck.  A  most  delicious 
supper  was  served  by  Miss  Peck  in  her  usual, 
capable  manner — the  piece  de  resistance 
being  a  "Dessert Delicious"  which  was  espe- 
cially enjoyed  by  all.  Afterwards,  lA^iile 
all  were  settled  in  "fullest"  comfort, 
Miss  Haviland  showed  the  very  attractive 
slides  taken  of  her  recent  trip  to  Europe. 
The  pictures,  coupled  with  Miss  Haviland 's 
entertaining  comments^ completed  a  very 
enjoyable  evening. 


* 


On  Thursday  evening,  December  29,  the  old 
year  was  properly  ushered  out  by  the  staff 
of  Book  Selection.  Grace  I'larvin  and  her 
mother,  Mrs  Marvin,  were  hostesses  at  their 
home  in  Roslindale.  Colorful  slides  were 
shown  by  Mary  Kett.  The  pictures,  which 
included  nearly  every  state  in  the  Union, 
were  taken  by  Miss  Kett  on  a  recent  tour 
of  the  United  States.  Delicious  shrimp 
and  chicken  sandwiches,  dessert  and  coffee 
were  served.  Some  time  later  the  guests 
departed,  regretfully  so,  for  it  was  a  night 
enjoyed  by  all. 

Catherine  T.  Duffy 


-5- 


CHRISTJTAS  IN  BRANCH  ISSUE 


C0NC3RATTJLATI0NS  TO 


Tha  annual  Christmas  party  was  held  on 
Wednesday,  December  22,  and  \vas  attended, 
as  in  former  years,  by  several  invited 
guests:  Edna  G.  Peck,  Sarah  M.  Usher, 
Chester  A.  S.  Fazakas,  Palmira  Piciulo, 
Annie  J.  Daley,  Mrs  Helen  Hirson,  Robert 
Greenland,  a  former  en^iloyee,  and  Sheila 
Pierce,  iirtio  has  been  adopted  by  the  depart"]- 
ment  as  a  blood  sister.  Fdss  Daley  and 
JIT  Fazakas  are  former  members  of  Branch 
Issue. 

The  luncheon,  eaten  by  candlelight,  con- 
sisted of  lobster  salad,  ham,  roast  beef, 
and  potato  salad  (made  by  I'r  0 'Toole,  a 
blood  brother  of  Branch  Issue).  The  coffee 
■was  delicious,  made  as  usual  by  Jits  ':  -./•^I; 
Kes-wick,  and  there  were  pickles,  nuts, 
olives,  several  kinds  of  candy,  including 
Mss  Doherty's  incomparable  penuche.  The 
desserts  included  toss  Peck's  famous 
seven-layer  cake  and  Miss  Usher's  equally 
famous  cookies.  Favors,  made  by  Miss 
Pierce,  consisted  of  angels  for  the  ladies 
and  choir  boys  for  the  men,  with  names 
inscribed  in  silver.  A  pleasant  touch  was 
added  to  the  festive  occasion  by  the  soft, 
sweet  caroling  from  Book  Preparation, 
which  also  had  its  party  that  day. 

Claire  0 'Toole 

AN  INSPIP.ED  INNOVATION 

During  the  afternoon  of  Friday,  Decem- 
ber 23,  the  staff  was  pleasantly  surprised 
by  three  male,  roaming  musicians  who, 
starting  on  the  top  floor,  serenaded  each 
level  down  to  the  first  floor  where  they 
lingered  in  the  Coffee  Shop  long  enough 
for  those  on  relief  to  join  in  the  singing 
of  Christmas  carols.  From  there,  they 
made  their  way  to  the  front  hall  and  were 
joined  by  female  carolers  from  the  Divi- 
sion's offices  and  by  Henry  Bowditch  JhnBS^, 
Book  Stack  Service,  and  his  recorder. 
The  trio  were:  George  I.!.  Pahud,  Music 
(bassoon),  Martin  TJaters,  History  (trum-/ 
pet),  and  Louis  Ugalde,  Rare  Book  (violin'). 
Those  who  heard  were  enthusiastic  in  their 
agreement  that  it  was  one  of  the  nicest 
things  that  had  ever  happened  in  Central 
Library  during  a  Christmas  season.  It 
just  might  be  the  beginning  of  another 
happy  tradition;  we  hope  so! 


Mrs  Francis  Loncich,  who  baked  and  decorated 
the  impressive  white  church  which  graced  the 
table  at  the  annual  Christmas  tea  in  the 
'■/omen's  Lounge,  was  featured  at  the  Open 
House  in  the  Men's  Suite,  and  which  was  fi- 
nally cut  with  reluctance.  The  artistry  of 
Ife-s  Loncich  is  familiar  to  many  who  have 
enjoyed  her  masterpieces  in  former  years  and 
who  remember  particularly  the  handsome  Santa 
Claus  of  several  years  ago.  We  are  indebted 
to  Sheila  Pierce,  Central  Charging  Records, 
and  to  Mrs  Claire  0 'Toole,  Branch  Issue, 
who  bring  in  these  woiks  of  art  made  by 
their  sister. 

THE  SOCIAL  WHIRL 

On  January  12,  thirty-two  friends  attended 
a  luncheon  at  Eddie  Davis ' s  in  honor  of  Mrs 
Rosemary  Corcoran  of  the  Office  of  the  Divi- 
sion of  Home  Reading  and  Community  Services, 
whose  maternity  leave  starts  Monday.  A 
second  guest  of  honor  was  Rosemary's  husband 
who  joined  the  gathering.  Upon  her  arrival, 
she  was  given  a  corsage  of  red  roses. 
Following  the  luncheon  she  was  presented  a 
rattle  and  cash  to  be  used  for  the  "new 
arrival"  next  May. 

A  BIT  OF  INFORMATION 

The  following  is  from  the  Saturday 
Evening  Post  of  January  7,  1956,  page  62 
in  the  first  installment  of  James  Cagney's 
life,  ^e  had  various  jobs  while  at  school. 

"The  most  important-sounding  job  I  had 
was  custodian  of  books  of  the  New  York 
Public  Library.  For  that  I  got  twelve  and 
a  half  cents  an  hour  from  the  city  of 
Nev^  York,  or  around  -.ilT.SO  a  month.  Mien 
people  took  books  off  the  shelves  and  put 
them  on  the  tables  to  read,  it  was  my  job 
to  see  that  they  got  back  on  the  shelves  in 
alphabetical  and  numerical  order.  The  worst 
day  of  all  was  Saturday.  There  was  no. 
school  then  and  the  kids  came  in  and  they 
scrambled  the  books  just  for  the  hell  of 
it." 

This  made  me  wonder  how  much  Fred  Allen, 
our  representative  from  the  B.P.L.  service 
in  the  movies,  iised  to  earn. 

I  should  also  like  to  call  to  your  atten- 
tion the  fact  that  this  month's  Yankee  has 
an  interesting  and  well  illustrated  article 
on  the  Bacchante  statue  which  had  been  des- 
tined for  our  courtyard. 

Esther  Lissner 


-6- 


BFIANCH  NOTES 


Adams  Street 

On  Wednesday  evening,  January  h,   The 
Friends  of  the  Adams  Street  Library  pre- 
sented to  their  members  a  Theatre  Evening. 
The  showing  of  the  ffarch  of  Time  film  ' 
On  Stage  preceded  a  talk  by  Grace  Tuttle  ; 
on  The  C\irrent  Theatre  in  Boston. 

Miss  ■  Tuttle  spoke  of ' the  advantages  and 
disadvantages  of  being  one  of  the  try-out 
cities  for  plays  heading  for  Broadway  and 
of  the  contributions  of  the  "off  Broadway" 
theatre  to  the  culture  of  the  city. 
Being  director  herself  of  the  workshop 
program  of  Lyric  Productions,  she  was  able 
to  describe  the  aspirations  of  Boston's 
"off  Broadway"  theater  which  hopes  to 
present  to  the  people  of  Boston  opportu- 
nity to  see  some  of  the  classics  as  well 
as  new  and  foreign  plays. 

Miss  Tuttle 's  presentation  was  casual 
and  charming.  Her  audience  plied  her 
with  many  questions  and  they  hope  to  go 
as  a  group  to  Lyric  Productions'  first 
play  which  will  open  early  in  March. 

?/e  are  indebted  to  Veronica  Yotts  who, 
through  the  services  rendered  by  her 
department,  came  up  with  this  delightful 
program  on  very  short  notice  when  the 
scheduled  speaker  was  unable  to  come. 

Ruth  M,.  Hayes 

Dorchester  Branch 

Christmas,  being  the  perfect  time  to 
renew  old  friendships  and  to  welcome  new 
ones,  was  greeted  with  a  psirty  ■vrtiich  was 
well-attended  by  both  present  and  former 
staff  members.  On  Thursday,  December  1$, 
the  group  gathered  in  relays  in  the  gaily 
decorated  staff  room  to  enjoy  h  delight- 
ful hour  of  Christmas  cheer.  Guests  in- 
cluded Margaret  Morgan,  Eleanor  O'Leary, 
yiTS   Beatrice  Frederick,  Margaret  Holzman, 
and  Pasquale  Vacca.  The  table  was  attrac- 
tively and  bountifully  spread  with  all 
sorts  of  good  things :  crabmeat  and  tuna 
rolls,  crackers  spread  with  cream  cheese 
and  cherry,  stuffed  eggs,  a  large  festive 
cake,  ice  cream,  cookies,  candy,  and 
coffee,  "Santa  Glaus"  presided  over  the  ' 
distribution  of  gifts  and  cards  for  all, 
and  the  party  concluded  amidst  good  wishes 
for  Christmas  and  the  New  Year. 

I 
Egleston  Square  1 

In  honor  of  Evelyn  Levy,  librarian,  the  ] 
staff  of  the  Egleston  Square  Branch  had  a  I 
farewell  party  on  Wednesday,  December  28,  } 
at  the  home  of  Edward  Cullinane.        1 


A  small  cart  piled  with  little  gifts 
for  her  new  apartment  in  Baltimore  was 
Tirtieeled  in,  and  the  highli^t  of  the  evening 
was  the  presentation  of  a  gold  wrist  watch 
with  the  love  and  best  wishes  of  her  staff, 
and  with  many  hopes  for  her  happiness  in 
the  future. 

On  January  9,  Miss  Levy  will  assume  her 
new  duties  as  a  member  of  the  Staff  of  the 
Enoch  Pratt  Free  Library  in  Baltimore, 
Iferyland,  as  Assistant  Co-ordinator  of 
Adult  Services  and  Head  of  the  Book  Selec- 
tion Department. 

Jamaica  Plain 

On  Tuesday,  December  20,  the  Friends  of 
the  Jamaica  Plain  Branch  Library  held  their 
annual  Open  House  from  three  until  six 
o'clock.  In  a  festive  Christmas  setting 
the  staff  welcomed  friends  and  patrons, 
while  choir  boys  of  St  Thomas  Aquinas 
church,  under  the  direction  of  Sister  Roger, 
entertained  with  Christmas  carols.  Among 
the  pourers  were  two  former  Jamaica  Plain 
staff  members—Iilrs  !'largaret  W.  Haverty 
and  Marjorie  Obenauer. 

Mattapan  Branch 

On  Tuesday  morning,  December  27,  Senior 
Girl  Scout  Troop  3U7,  under  the  direction 
of  Mrs  Albert  Slavin,  Director  of  the  Blue 
Hills  Nei^borhood  Girl  Scouts,  presented 
a  puppet  play,  Christmas  Babes  in  the  Woods, 
in  the  Children's  Room.  The  talented  nine 
members  of  the  troop  are  evidently  jacks- 
of -all-trades ,  for  they  made  the  stage, 
scenery,  and  puppets,  read  the  parts  of  the 
characters  with  dramatic  expression,  and 
manipulated  the  puppets  during  the  show. 

The  smooth  and  finished  performance  which 
the  children's  audience  witnessed  vas 
preceded  by  a  brisk  and  bustling  dress  re- 
hearsal which  the  librarians  witnessed. 
Mr  Slavin,  both  a  professor  at  Northeastern 
University  and  an  expert  carpenter,  oblig- 
ingly hammered  boards  together  as  a  foun- 
dation for  the  stage;  the  girls  tested  the 
strings  of  their  puppets;  and  the  members 
of  the  library  staff,  among  other  things, 
ransacked  their  purses  for  safety  pins  to 
insure  the  workability  of  the  stage  curtains. 

The  Branch's  new  record  player  made  its 
initial  appearance  as  a  provider  of  Christ- 
mas background  music.  The  eighty  boys  and 
girls  in  the  audience  enjoyed  the  puppet 
show  thoroughly  and  asked  for  more  plays 
from  the  versatile  girl  scouts. 


-7- 


North  End 

During  the  Christmas  holidays,  the 
NortJli  End  was  glad  to  welcome  back  two 
part-time  staff  members.     The  misses  who 
returned  from  school  to  visit  with  their 
former  co-work.ers  at  the  staff  Christmas 
party  were  Ann  Piemonte  of  Mount  Holyoke 
College  and  Geraldine  D'Amico  on  a  fellow- 
ship at  Wellesley. 

West  End 

On  Tuesday,  December  20,  Joyce  P.  Ellis, 
Acting  Children's  Librarian,  took  part  in 
the  program  at  the  Christmas  party  held 
for  the  Junior  Boys •  Group  at  the  Yfest 
End  Neighborhood  House.  Some  two  hundred 
boys  between  the  ages  of  ten  and  fourteen 
attended  her  telling  of  the  story  "Giant 


Grummer's  Christmas"  and  "the  reading  of 
the  poem  "Jest  before  Christmas". 


Jewish  Book  Month  was  officially  cele- 
brated from  November  h   to  December  U. 

On  November  18  the  Boston  Yiddish  Cul- 
ture Club  presented  a  Yiddish  Night,  at 
which  time  Professor  A.  A.  Roback  spoke 
on  "Can  There  Be  Yiddish  Culture  in 
English?" 

On  December  11,  over  Station  TOZ,  Miss 
Goldstein  interviewed  Rabbi  Roland  B. 
Gittelsohn  of  Temple  Israel,  Boston,  on 
his  latest  book.  Little  Lower  Than  the 
Angels . 

On  that  same  evening,  at  the  Central 
Library,  two  eminent  Israeli  scholars, 
now  teaching  in  greater  Boston  colleges, 
were  the  speakers.  Dr  Jacob  Landau  spoke 
on  Israeli-Arab  Cultural  Communications. 
Dr  Fanuel  Ben-Dor  gave  an  illustrated 
lecture  on  The  Development  of  the  Book 
in  Ancient  Israel.  The  meeting  was 
opened  with  the  lighting  of  the  Hanukah 
candles  by  ^'filliam  A.  Marel,  cantorial 
soloist  of  the  Temple  Israel.  Miss  Gold- 
stein brought  greetings  from  the  Book 
Month  Committee.  Lewis  H.  Yfeinstein  was 
chairman. 


Any  contribution  to  the  Soap  Box  must 
be  accompanied  by  the  full  name  of  the 
Association  member  submitting  it,  together 
with  the  name  of  the  Branch  Library,  Depart- 
ment or  O^f  fice  in  which  he  or  she  is  em- 
ployed. The  name  is  withheld  from  publi- 
cation, or  a  pen  name  used,  if  the  contrib- 
utor so  requests.  Anonymous  contributions 
are  not  given  consideration.  The  author 
of  the  article  is  known  only  to  the  Editor- 
in-Chief.  The  contents  of  the  articles 
appearing  in  the  Soap  Box  are  personal 
opinions  expressed  by  individual  Association 
members  and  their  appearance  does  not  neces- 
sarily indicate  that  the  Publications  Com- 
mittee and  the  Association  are  in  agreement 
with  the  views  expressed.  Only  those  con- 
tributions containing  not  more  than  300 
words  will  be  accepted. 


To  the  Soap  Box; 

I  would  like  to  have  an  explanation  of 
the  following  condition  that  has  existed 
for  many  years. 

On  the  library  payroll,  employees  are 
docked  6  days  vacation  and  6  days  sick 
leave  per  week,  although  according  to  City 
law,  employees  of  the  City  of  Boston  are 
on  a  5-day  week. 

This  is  an  obvioiis  discrepancy  7*iich 
seems  to  me  illegal. 

Law-Abiding 


To  the  Soap  Box; 


-8- 

To  the  Soap  Box 


"For  those  who  have  been  -waiting  a  year 
or  two  for,  and  earned  advancement  to, 
the  fourth  or  fifth  step  levels,  this 
should  be  a  season  for  special  rejoicing". 
(Editorial  in  Question  Mark) .  That's 
lovely  for  those  who  have  been  waiting 
TTO  years  I  Has  anyone  given  thought  to 
those  Reference  Division  employees  who 
passed  their  examinations  FIVE,  TEN, 
FIFTEEN  years  ago,  and  still  wait,  be-  ,- 
cause  vacancies  in  the  narrow  fields  cov- 
ered by  our  overly-specialized  examina- 
tions occur  once  or  twice  in  a  lifetime, 
if  ever?  Home  Reading  has  approximately 
thirty  transfer  possibilities  at  each 
titular  level  ...  Reference  in  most  in- 
stances, one,  as  goal  for  all  members  of 
one  departmental  examination  system,  with 
no  transfer  possible.  Isn't  it  true  that 
vacancies  often  are  WAITING  in  Home 
Reading  for  someone  to  pass  the  examina- 
tions? Reference  employees  wait  for 
openings  which  may  NEVER  occur.  The 
November  l^th  list  named  twenty-eight 
5th  and  twenty-four  i|th  step  vacancies  in 
Home  Reading,  four  each  in  Reference. 
The  new  "To  be  filled"  list  gives  eleven 
5th  arji  one  iith  step  in  Home  Reading,  two 
each  in  Reference. 

There  will  be  little  rejoicing  over 
titular  vacancies  in  Reference  this  year 
or  any  other  year  I  Mary  will  retire 
without  going  one  step  higher,  since 
transfer  is  permitted  in  the  Division 
only  through  passing  another  extremely 
specialized  examination  series,  leading 
to  another  probable  dead-end.  We  lose 
morale  and  interest  without  any  adequate 
compensation  adjustment  for  this  highly 
necessary(?)  specialized  knowledge,  re- 
alizing there  will  be  no  hope  of  higher 
status  and  that  we  will  receive  a  smaller 
pension  in  the  end,  as  penalty  for  doing 
reference  work.  ?/e  see  newer  employees, 
with  no  better  qualifications,  gain  titlee 
and  salary  we  cannot  expect,  simply  be- 
cause they  are  in  another  division.  ISay 
those  "rejoicing"  spare  us  a  tear  on  pay 
days! 

De.iected 


Last  spring  a  real  step  forward  was  taken 
when  library  aid  for  those  attending  meet- 
ings of  the  American  Library  Association 
was  expanded  beyond  the  original  five  grants 
•which  have  been  in  existence  for  several 
years.  Perhaps  now  is  as  good  a  time  as 
any  to  consider  the  problem  of  extending  aic 
to  those  vrtio,  because  of  serving  on  A.L.A. 
committees,  are  expected  to  appear  at  mid- 
winter meetings  where  the  planning  is  done 
for  the  annual  meeting  in  June.  j 

It  wovild  seem  that  any  staff  member  iirtio  '  1 
is  allowed  to  accept  membership  on  a  com-   ' 
mittee  of  the  state  or  the  national  library 
association  should  be  granted  library  aid  tc 
help  defray  expenses  at  required  meetings. 
For  years,  certain  Boston  Public  Library 
staff  members  have  attended  mid-winter  meet- 
ings entirely  at  their  own  expense,  while 
those  serving  on  the  same  committees  from   1 
other  libraries  have  been  sent  at  the  ex- 
pense of  their  libraries. 

If  others  can  do  thus,  should  the  Boston 
Public  Library  be  far  behind? 


Edna  G.  Peck 


Dear  Editor: 


In  the  June  issue  of  the  QM  Disillusioned 
had  this  question  to  ask:  "Knowing  the 
acute  shortage  that  exists  on  the  staff, 
they  (the  Trustees)  have  sat  idly  by  and 
will  do  nothing  until  July  1,  1955.  How 
cruel  and  cynical  they  must  be  I  What  is 
the  money  that  has  been  saved  to  be  used 


for?" 

-  Well,  Disillusioned  now  knows  the  answer. 
It  must  also  be  quite  clear  to  even  the 
most  naive  that  salary  increases  do  not 
have  to  originate  at  City  Hall  but  simply 
necessitate  a  willingness  on  the  part  of 
the  Trustees  to  entertain  'a  pf-esentatioh 
in  that  direction.  The  next  step  is  up  to 
the  staff.  "Ask  aind-ye  shall  receive." 

Eamon  McDonough 


™ 


uestion 


THE  BOSTON  PUBLIC  LIBRARY 
PROFESSIONAL  STAFF  ASSOCIATION 


FEBRUARY  1956 


THE    QUESTION    MARK 

Published  by  the  Boston  Public  Library  Professional  Staff  Association 

VoluflE  XI,  Wumber  2 February  1956 

Publications  Committee:  Barbara  E.  Coffey,  Jean  L,  Eaton,  Mary  A.  Hackett,  Girard  D. 

Hottleman,  Richard  Eo  Lyons,  Robert  C.  Woodward,  B.  Gertrude 
Wade,  Chairman 


Publication  date ; 
The  fifteenth  of  each  month 


Deadline  for  submitting  material: 
The  tenth  of  .each  month 


^f  ^f-  *  ■»■  -K-  •>> 

* 
* 


-;;-  ^i-  •«•  -;,<•  ^  -;(■  ■;><•  ■«•  <-  *  ^t  ■»■  «  -a-  ^t  -a-  ^  ->  ^  ^  -)t  ^  ^  a- 


* 


On  behalf  of  the   Boston  Public  Library  Professional  Staff 
Association,  the  Publications  Committee  welcomes 
m:fJN  D.  CANHAIil, 
Editor  of  The  Christian  Science  Monitor, 
as  the  newly-appointed  member  of  the  Board  of  Tnistees 
of  the  Boston  Public  Library 


■M- 

it 


*  ■«•  *  ^«-  •«•  •)!■  -!(-  -;{■  ->   ^«-  -r<-  ^   -x-  -;;-  -«■  -x-  ■«■  -m-  ->  -;.'•  -s-  -k-  * 


■ji-  -;!■  -X-  -X-  ^^   J5-  ■»  -a- 


EDITOR'S  NOTES 

The  last  few  weeks  have  seen  what,  by  ordinary  standards,  seems  to  be  a  flood  of 
publicity  for  the  Library.  Branch  reorganization  plans,  trustee  changes,  charges 
hurled  at  the  Director  and  the  Reference  Division,  and — ^now — proposals  for  State  aid. 
Tf  r-.C'/^  all  made  for  unusually  lively  reading  in  the  press.  It  is  good,  at  least,  to 
SRe  the  Library  get  some  serious  attention  thou^  some  of  us  may  despair  that  it  :never 
makes  the  papers  until  it  becomes  a  political  plaything— or  a  tax  problem.  Worse 
still,  some  of  the  news  concerning  the  B.P.L.  has  been  misinformation. 

When  the  papers  quote  a  City  Councilor's  charge  that  the  Reference  Division  is 
maintained  for  one  man's  glorification,  isn't  it  time  for  someone  to  defend  the 
Director  and  the  Division?  We  know  that  the  charge  is  just  not  so.  The  Reference 
Division  is  not  used  for  anyone's  glorification.  It  may  appear  otherwise  to  persons 
who  know  it  only  as  an  item  in  a  budget,  but  anyone  who  works  in  it  must  be  amazed  to 
Isarn  that  it  is  regarded  an  anything  other  than  part  of  an  inheritance  from  Winsor, 
Putnam,  and  Belden — along  with  the  real  estate,  for  instance.  The  Reference  Division 
was  there  in  the  olden  days  and  it  has  been  perpetuated.  It  receives  so  little 
serious  attention  that,  it  may  be  predicted,  ■when  the  next  batch  of  appointments  ever 
is  announced  the  list  will  be  composed  overwhelmingly  of  people  from  another  division. 
Many  of  these  will  be  relative  newcomers  in  comparison  to  many  Reference  people  whose 
excellence  has  gone  unrewarded  for  over  ten  years. 

No,  the  Councilor  is  wrong  and  he  has  done  an  injustice  to  the  Director  with  his 
baseless  charge.  It  would  have  been  perhaps  more  nearly  correct — ^if;  ec^ually  irresponsi- 
ble— to  announce  to  the  press  of  this  city  that  the  Reference  Division  has  been 
neglected.  Its  magnificent  resources  are  seldom  publicized;  it  is  under-used  by  the 
public;  and  apparently  only  a  few  business  finns,  individuals,  and,  of  course,  the 
administrators  of  the  generally  inadequate  college  libraries  near  Boston,  fully 
appreciate  it. 


CALENDAR  OF  EVENTS 
BPLPSA  Reception  to  officers,  Yifiggin  Gallery,  Central  Library,  8:30  p.m. 

S.L.A.,  Boston  Chapter,  Institute  on  Acquisitions,  Simmons  College, 
1:30  p.m. 


February  2U. 
March  20. 


PERSONAL  NOTES 

New  Employees 

Janice  Charney,  Book  Stack  Service. 

(Formerly  part-time  at  the  West  End 

Branch  Library) 
Margaret  T.  Brassil,  Memorial.  (Formerly 

part-time  at  Charlestown) 
Mrs  Helen  M.  Harrington,  Book  Preparation. 

(Formerly  Information  Office) 
l^ureen  C.  Foley,  Office  of  the  Division 

of  Home  Reading  and  Community  Services 
Patricia  L.  Leahy,  Roslindale« 
Letitia  Y.  Woodson,  Jamaica  Plain- 
Mrs  Doris  M,  TJhigham,  Central  Charging 

Records.  (Formerly  part-time  in  the 

branch  libraries) 
Martha  A.  McDermott,  Brighton- 
William  Cc  Slemmer,  Open  Shelf- 


Transferred 

Rioa  Taddonio,  from  Roslindale  to 

Egleston  Square 
Christine  J.  Umano,  from  Neponset  to 

Mattapan 
Jeanne  Fitzgerald,  from  Open  Shelf  to 

Egleston  Square 

Resignations 

Jean  Bates,  Mattapan. 

Arden  Brook,  Book  Stack  Service,  to 

accept  another  position. 
Lawrence  R.  Bushey,  Fine  Arts,  to  accept 

a  position  with  the  New  England  Tele- 
phone and  Telegraph  Company. 
Elizabeth  C.  Dowiing,  Faneuil. 
Ephigenia  K.  Fillios,  Neponset,  to  remain 

at  home. 
A.  Phyllis  Freeman,  Codman  Square,  to  be 

married  and  live  in  Philadelphia. 
Alice  G.  Hoag,  Jamaica  Plain,  to  be 

married. 
Patricia  C.  Iseman,  Jamaica  Plain,  to 

remain  at  home . 
Nancy  Lovis,  Director's  Office. 
George  Pahud,  Music,  to  accept  a  position 

with  the  Sigma  Instrtiments  Company, 

Braintree,  Massachusetts, 
Norma  Sherman,  Egleston  Square,  to  remain 

at  home. 
Clairanne  IVyman,  Charlestown. 

CONGRATULATIONS  TO 

Mr  and  Mrs  Louis  C.  Fillios  (Iphigenia 
Fillios,  Children's  Librarian,  Neponset) 
on  the  birth  of  a  daughter,  November  13, 
1955. 


llr   and  ¥xs  Walter  Robinson  (formerly 
Muriel  Figenbaum,  Print)  on  the  birth  of  a 
son,  Philip  Edward,  February  3,  in  Needham 
where  the  family  are  now  residing. 


Duilia  Capobianco,  Assistant-in-Charge, 
East  Boston,  who  just  announced  her  engage- 
ment to  I.lario  Alfano,  Lieutenant,  U.S.A.F. 
A  summer  wedding  is  being  planned. 


Pauline  Eaton,  Book  Stack  Service,  and 
Martin  Murphy,  Buildings  Department,  who 
celebrated  Valentine's  Day  by  announcing 
their  engagement.  A  fall  wedding  is  plan- 
ned. 


* 


Joan  O'Brien,  Book  Stack  Service,  who  has 
become  engaged  to  Robert  Parker. 


Russell  A.  Scully,  Trustees'  Office,  iniho 
has  become  engaged  to  Eleanor  L.  Jewett, 
formerly  of  tha  Trustees'  Office. 

DEVOTION  TO  DTJTY 

After  the  ill-fated  Titanic  first  stnick 
the  iceberg  there  was  a  period  of  calm. 
On  page  22  of  A  Night  to  Remember,  Walter 
Lord  describes  the  reactions  of  one  crew 
member  thus:  "There  was  no  one  in  the 
Second  Class  Lounge  to  send  the  librarian 
looking,  so  he  continued  sitting  at  his 
table,  quietly  counbxng  the  day's  loan 
slips . " 

A  CIVIL  DEFENSE  QUERY 

Have  you  marked  yo-ur  radio  dials  so  that 
you  can  get  CONELRAD  (6U0  and  12iiO)  in  a 
hurry?  CONELRAD — control  of  electromagnetic 
radiation — ^when  effective,  mil  permit  the 
operation  of  certain  AM  radio  broadcast 
stations  without  giving  navigational  aid  to 
enemy  aircraft,  WHY  NOT  MARK  TOUR  DIALS 
TODAY! ! 

CIVIL  DEFENSE  PLANNING  COIitaTTEE 
Sarah  M.  Usher,  Cl^irman 


-:>- 


PRESIDENT'S  NOTES 


THE  SOCIAL  raiRL 


The  Officers  and  :'\xecutive  Board  take 
this  opportunity  to  thank  the  Association 
for  the  confidence  and  trust  placed  in 
them  as  shown  by  the  past  election.  Our 
organization  has  completed  ten  years  of 
existence.  We  believe  the  record  proves 
that  the  accomplishments  of  the  Associa- 
tion have  been  impressive  and  constructive. 
We  shall  endeavour  to  make  our  program 
this  year  worthy  of  the  precedent  that  has 
been  established.  In  order  to  achieve  our 
objectives  the  cooperation  and  participa- 
tion of  the  entire  membership  is  essential 
and,  we  trust,  will  be  forthcoming. 
Please  let  us  know  your  views  and  opinions. 

At  the  annual  business  meeting  held  on 
January  20,  1956  it  was  voted  unanimously^: 
That  the  Executive  Board  in  person 
request  that  the  Board  of  Trustees 
initiate  steps  to  grant  the  em- 
ployees of  the  Boston  Public  Li- 
brary a  10^  increase  in  salary  as 
suggested  in  the  Report  of  the 
Personnel  Committee,  1955« 
A  letter  has  been  sent  to  the  Director 
asking  him  to  bring  the  matter  to  the 
attention  of  the  Board  of  Trustees  and  to 
arrange  for  us  a  meeting  with  the  Trustees 
at  their  earliest  convenience. 

A  letter  has  been  sent  to  the  Director 
setting  forth  the  recommendations  of  the 
Personnel  Committee  in  the  matter  of  ade- 
quate compensation  for  temporary 
Assistants-in-charge.  The  text  of  this 
proposals  is  too  lengthy  to  include  here  • 
but  will  appear  with  the  committee  reports 
and  the  report  of  the  annual  meeting  which 
will  be  distributed  shortly. 

In  order  to  expedite  our  business, 
the  February  igeeting 
of  the  Executive  Board  was  held  on 
January  31.  At  this  meeting  it  was  voted 
that  the  Personnel  Committee  be  asked  to 
make  an  overall  study  of  the  examination 
and  promotion  system.  If  our  members 
wish  to  express  themselves  on  this  subject 
th^  may  write  to  The  Chairman,  Eamon 
McDonough,  General  Reference,  or  to  any 
member  of  the  committee. 

Louis  Rains 

SOUTHING  NEF  HAS  BEEN  ADDED 

Staff  members  may  be  interested  to  know 
that  the  newly-opened  branch  of  the 
Rockland-Atlas  National  Bank  at  32  Hunti? 
ington  Avenue  will  be  happy  to  extend  to 
them  the  same  covirtesy  already  extended  by 
other  banks  in  the  neighborhood — ^the  cashr- 
ing  of  salary  checks,  etc. 


A  farewell  luncheon  was  held  at  Eddie 
Davis's  on  February  2  for  Nancy  Lovis  of 
the  Director's  Office,  where  friends  gath- 
ered to  wish  her  good  luck  in  her  new 
undertakings . 

At  the  conclusion  of  the  luncheon  John 
J.  Connolly  of  the  Director's  Office  made 
an  amusing  speech  and  presented  on  behalf 
of  those  present  and  many  who  were  unable 
to  attend  a  gift  of  a  handbag  and  matching 
gloves.  Miss  Lovis  also  discovered  some 
money  in  the  nether  regions  of  her  bag. 
Since  her  plans  were  still  indefinite,  she 
promised  to  keep  her  friends  in  the  Library 
posted. 

Vitty  Vangos 


it- 


Phyllis  Freeman  was  the  guest  of  honor  at 
a  farewell  luncheon  given  by  eleven  friends 
at  the  Tedberry  Room  of  the  Hotel  Lenox  on 
Tuesday,  February  7.  The  well-wishers. 
presented  Mss  Freeman  with  a  corsage  of 
pink  camellias. 

Miss  Freeman,  formerly  Young  Ad\ilt  Li- 
brarian at  Mattapan,  has  recently  occupied 
that  position  at  Codman  Square.  She  was 
also  in  charge  of  the  American  Heritage 
project  at  Mattapan  and  Adams  Street. 


On  Saturday,  February  11,  Tliss  Freeman, 
was  married  to  Robert  Ca]e  se  in  Boston. 
The  couple  plan  to  live  in  Philadelphia, 
where  Mr  Calese,  a  graduate  of  Simmons, 
School'  of  Library  Science,  is  continuing 
his  music  studies. 


On  Sunday  afternoon,  January  29,  A.  Ger- 
trude Barry  of  the  Personnel  Office  was 
married  at  Gate  of  Heaven  Church  in  South 
Boston  to  Donald  Brown  of  South  Boston. 
The  bride  was  radiant  in  an  antique  satin, 
full-length  gown  trimmed  with  a  collar  of 
seed  pearls  and  wore  an  orange  blossom 
crown  with  illusion  veiling.  She  carried 
a  prayer  book  Ydth  a  white  orchid  and  ste- 
phanotis  streamers. 

Gertrude's  cousins,  Mary  Kane  and  Denise 
Lally,  who  served  as  maid  of  honor  and 
jvmior  bridesmaid  respectively,  wore  iden- 
tical waltz-length  gowns  of  emerald  green 
taffeta  and  small  pink  hats  and  carried 
bouquets  of  pink  camellias. 

The  wedding  reception  was  held  at 


-u- 


TJhitton  Hall  in  Dorchester  following  which 
the  bride  and  groom  flew  to  New  York  City 
for  their  wedding  trip. 

Catherine  MacDonald 


"Ask  Not  For  iffhom  the  Bell  Tolls" 

Once  again  Eddie  Davis's  was  the  scene 
of  library  festivities,  this  time  on 
Valentine's  Day,  February  lU.  Meeting  at 
lunch  there,  several  of  his  long-time  li- 
brary associates,  and  all  who  work  with 
Russell  Scully  in  the  Director's  Office, 
gathered  to  congratulate  him  on  his  recent 
engagement  to  Eleanor  Jewett,  formerly 
of  the  library  staff.  Frank  Viyers   stood 
poised  throughout  the  proceedings  with 
his  camera,  and  we  look  forward  particui^ 
larly  to  the  snapshot  he  took  of  Russell 
when  he  entered  the  room— a  man  disarmed  I 

Merriment  vras  under  way  when  Ivir  Lord 
launched  proceedings  by  suddenly  bestow- 
ing a  patriarchal  kiss  on  each  fair  cheek 
of  our  prospective  bridegroom.  This  no 
doubt  provided  him  with  the  comfort  any 
man  would  need  surrounded  by  married  men 
as  he  was,  all  gazing  at  him  will  ill- 
concealed  gratification.  Miss  Peck  arose 
to  deliver  some  amusing  remarks  about  the 
occasion,  remorselessly,  however,  and 
triumphantly  pointing  out  that  there 
would  soon  be  one  less  bachelor  left. 

Since  the  motif  was  too  obvious  to  be 
ignored,  "shower"  gifts  were  presented  to 
Russell,  giving  Samuel  Green  of  the  Busi- 
ness Office  an  opportunity  to  realize  a 
life-long  ambition  to  serve  as  a  flower 
girl.  Tom  Manning  and  George  Scully 
served  as  maids  of  honor.  They  were 
adorable . 

Russell  found  inside  two  large,  dainty 
valentine  boxes,  many  gifts,  each  wrapped 
and  accompanied  by  a  rhyme  appropriate  to 
the  package.  There  were  bottle  brush, 
dish  drainer,  dish  pan,  sponges,  bowls, 
measuring  cups,  strainers,  peelers,  forks, 
pot  holders,  a  tool  chest  (which  surpris- 
ingly drew  a  very  pleased  smile  from  o\ir 
boy)/  and  many  others  too  numerous  to 
mention.  One  package  contained  an  ice 
breaker,  bottle  tops,  zipper  bag,  and 
icebox  dishes  with  the  following  verse: 
We're  sorry  we  haven't 
Any  rice 

But  use  one  of  these 
To  break  the  ice. 

After  all  the  gifts  were  unwrapped  he 
was  presented  with  a  heart-shaped  box 


bearing  these  lines : 

Now  you've  arrived 

At  the  end  of  the  line; 

So  from  US  to  HER 

Our  Valentine. 
Inside  the  box,  on  a  white  doily  rested 
a  bouquet  of  violets  with  a  rose  in  the 
center. 

We're  not  through  yeti  Follcwing  this, 
a  giant-sized  card  was  handed  over  to  our 
dazed  and  exhausted  guest  who  opened  it  to 
find  various  inscriptions  which  he  read  to 
a  complacent  audience  (it  being  the  author 
of  them) .  At  the  conclusion,  Russell  Scul^ 
expressed  his  thanks  to  the  gathering  vrtio, 
looking  at  him  fondly,  probably  saw  a 
little  valentine  suspended  over  his  head 
instead  of  the  usual  halo. 

Vitty  Vangos 

LETTERS  FROM  THE  ALUl^JNI 

Received  by  the  Editor 

I  should  like  to  write  individual  notes 
of  thanks  to  all  the  people  in  the  B.P.L. 
who  wished  me  good  fortune  just  before  I 
left  for  Baltimore  but  I'm  afraid  the  time 
would  stretch  out  far  too  long.  So  will 
you  please  let  me  say  thank  you  via  the 
Question  Mark  and  also  add  that  I  shall 


always  remember  all  the  nice  things  every- 
one said  and  did. 

I've  been  quite  busy  since  I  arrived 
but  am  now  a  bit  more  settled  since  I  moved 
into  a  one  room  furnished  apartment.  I  saw 
I'Irs  Javelin  the  week-end  of  the  lUth  when 
she  was  in  Baltimore  and  we  both  talked 
Boston  I'm  afraid.  Baltimoreans  are  very 
understanding! 

Sincerely, 
Evelyn  Levy 

Received  by  Edna  G.  Feck 

It  seems  incredible  that  four  months  have 
passed  since  I've  left  the  B.P.L.  And  in 
that  four  months  I've  been  intending,  and 
intending  to  drop  a  note  to  you,  but  such 
are  the  vagaries  of  human  proposals  and 
inertia  becomes  an  excuse  if  not  a  justi- 
fication. . .  • 

At  the  Norwalk  Public  Library,  First 
District,  the  Librarian  has  arranged  things 
in  such  an  excellent  administrative  fashion 
that  he  does  not  have  to  do  aiything. 
Except  for  reading  book  reviews,  LJ,  Kirkus 
&  NYTj  arranging  for  exhibits;  writing 
publicity  releases;  taking  problem  patrons j 


took  selection;  book-keeping  and  budget 
balancing  and  of  course  talking  to  teach- 
ers, clergymen,  club-women  and  sales-men, 
there  is  not  much  for  him  to  dOc 

The  Library,  here,  is  like  a  branch 
library  in  Boston;  in  physical  appearance 
that  is.  The  children's  section  is  on  a 
lower  level  (that  terra  is  a  holo.  over 
from  the  0,S:,D.:  what  I  mean  is  that  it's 
downstairs) .  We  have  f lorescent  lighting 
and  some  new  modern' shelving. . . 

Sincerely  yours, 
John  J.  Hallahan 

PRE-COLLEGE  READING 

Members  of  the  Round  Table  of  Young 
Adults  Librarians  were  indeed  fortunate 
in  having  Dr  Harold  C,  Martin  as  their 
speaker  at  the  meeting  held  on  Thursday, 
February  2,  in  the  Elliott  Room  at  the 
Central  Library.  Dr  Martin  is  Director 
of  General  Education  at  Harvard,  He  is 
also  in  charge  of  Freshman  Corapaosition 
and  a  member  of  the  board  of  Freshman 
Advisers. 

In  discussing  the  problem  of  young  col- 
lege students  viho   have  not  acquired  suf- 
ficient reading  background  in  high  school 
Dr  Ifartin  decried  the  gap  between  the 
limited  reading  done  in  the  high  school 
years  and  that  vtiich  a  student  is  forced 
to  do  in  his  freshman  year  at  college. 
Dr  Martin  feels  that  while  most  colleges 
do  not  prescribe  the  reading  of  specific 
books  as  an  entrance  requirement,  they  do 
expect  a  certain  amount  of  "reading  read- 
iness" from  entering  freshmen.  Beyond  a 
sizeable  vocabulary,  sufficient  ability 
to  comprehend,  and  sufficient  speed  in 
comprehension  (none  of  which  can  be  accu- 
rately defined  or  measured  by  ar^r  reading 
test) ,  it  is  essential  that  a  student 
believe  that  books  are  a  normal  part  of 
living;  that  he  be  able  to  persist  with  a 
book,  not  expecting  an  easy  jrield;  that 
he  have  his  ears  tunable  to  an  idiom  and 
pace  different  from  his  own;  that  he  be 
acquainted  with  different  literary  genre; 
and  that  he  know  how  and  when  to  skim. 

Unfortunately,  most  students  enter  col- 
lege with  very  little  "reading  readiness.' 
Reading  in  high  school  has  been  sparse, 
stereotyped,  and  bowdlerized.  After  four 
years  scarcely  straining  the  "muscles"  of 
his  brain,  a  student  is  suddenly  plunged 
into  difficult  reading  courses  covering 
the  whole  range  of  civilization. 
Dr  Martin  read  a  list  of  required  books 
from  General  Education  courses  taken  by 


->" 


Harvard  freshmen  (similar  to  those  of  other 
colleges)  to  prove  his  point. 

To  help  bridge  this  gap  Dr  Martin  urged 
Young  Adults  Librarians  to  work  first 
toward  vitalizing,  and,  second,  broadening 
the  reading  interests  of  the  young  people 
with  whcm  they  have  contact.  Hs  smilingly 
suggested  thjit  this  may  be  done  through 
clever  tactics  and  devious  means,  to  appeal 
to  the  young  adult's  sense  of  vanity, 
glamour,  his  interest  in  fads,  or  his  cru- 
sading spirit  (against  depraved  tastesl). 
Librarians  can  recommend  the  unusual  book, 
use  current  events  as  a  springboard  into 
other  times,  cater  to  specific  interests 
while  introducing  different  genre.  The 
overall  aim  of  the  Young  Adults  Librarians 
should  be  to  move  the  student's  reading  out 
of  his  own  time  into  other  times,  and  out 
of  novels  into  other  forms  of  literature. 

Wb   Elizabeth  F.  Howard 

ALA  MID-WINTER  CONFEREMCE 

Chicago,  January  3Q  -February  3,  19$6 

The  open  meetings  were  principally  con- 
cerned with  the  management  survey  of  ALA 
made  in  195U  and  1955  by  Cresap,  McCormick, 
and  Paget. 

At  the  request  of  the  ALA  Council  Steering 
Committee  on  the  Implementation  of  the  Man- 
agement Survey,  appointed  at  Philadelphia 
in  July  1955,  the  various  divisions,  boards, 
and  committees  submitted  reports  early  in 
November  outlining  their  fields  of  interests. 
On  the  basis  of  these  papers  the  Steering 
Committee  made  a  Preliminary  Report  recom- 
mending changes  in  the  Management  Survey 
which  it  submitted  to  the  Divisions,  boards, 
and  committees  for  ci*iticism. 

On  Monday  evening  January  30  Lucille 
Morsch,  Chairman  of  the  Steering  Committee, 
discussed  the  Preliminars^  Report  and  its 
revisions.  The  principal  revisions  were 
the  elimination  of  elected  alternates  in 
the  General  Assembly  (ALA  Council);  provi- 
sion for  the  divisions  to  nominate  their 
representatives  in  the  General  Assembly; 
provision  for  divisions  by  type  of  activity 
(so-called  Covmcils)  to  create  sections  by 
type  of  library;  provision  for  interdivi- 
sional  committees  to  be  established  vrithout 
approval  of  the  General  Assembly;  provision 
for  a  Council  on  Acquisitions  and  Resources 
and  a  Council  on  Cataloging  in  place  of  the 
proposed  Council  on  Acquisitions,  Cataloging, 
and  Technical  Services. 

The  Report  and  its  revisions  were  discussed 
at  the  meeting  during  the  Conference,  with 


-(,- 


members  of  the  Steering  Committee  present  j 
to  answer  questions  and  clarify  the  pro-  | 
posed  changes.  The  committees  and  roiiTid 
tables  that  siirvived  vmder  the  reorgani- 
zation were  satisfied;  those  that  were 
discontinued  argued  in  vain  against  this 
decision. 

The  proposal  that  the  ALA.  Bulletin  be 
converted  into  a  news  journal  with  infor- 
mation about  all  the  divisions  met  with 
quiet  but  firm  resistance.  None  of  the 
divisions  were  happy  at  the  prospect  of 
losing  their  journals  and  seemed  determi- 
ned to  find  ways  to  continue  them. 

At  the  Council  Meeting  on  Thursday  eve- 
ning, February  2,  Miss  Morsch  presented 
the  recommendations  of  the  Steering  Com- 
mittee. Representatives  of  the  divisions 
pledged  their  support  and  the  report  was 
accepted  by  the  Council.  Each  member  of 
ALA  will  be  sent  a  questionnaire  to  deter- 
mine to  what  division  he  wishes  to  belong 
So  that,  the  Steering  Committee  will  be 
ready  to  go  ahead  with  the  full  implemen- 
tation of  the  management  survey  at  the 
Miami  Beach  Conference.  The  reorganiza- 
tion becomes  effective  January  1,  1957. 

Julia  Bennett  of  the  ALA  Washington 
Office  reported  at  the  meeting  of  the 
Federal  Relations  Committee  that  the  out- 
look for  the  passing  of  the  Library  Serv- 
ices Bill  to  promote  rural  librarj.es  is 
the  best  in  ten  years.  $7,500,000  will  be 
distributed  every  year  for  five  years  to 
the  states  on  the  basis  of  rural  popula- 
tion areas  of  2^00  or  less.  Once  given  to 
the  states  it  may  be  used  in  rural  areas 
up  to  10,000  population.  The  federal 
allotment  must  be  matched  by  the  states 
receiving  it.  The  basic  amount  is  :ipiiO,000 
annually  for  each  state  with  additional 
allotment  to  each  state  based  on  its  rural 
population  in  proportion  to  the  rural 
population  of  the  United  States. 

At  this  meeting  a  representative  of  the 
New  Jersey  Library  Association  announced 
a  gift  of  one  hundred  dollars  to  help  de- 
fray expenses  of  delegates  to  the  hearings 
on  the  bill.  By  the  end  of  the  Conference 
twenty-five  hundred  dollars  had  been 
pledged  for  this  purpose. 

The  Catalog  Code  Revision  Committee  of 
the  Division  of  Cataloging  and  Classifica- 
tion prepared  a  statement  of  objectives 
and  principles  as  a  framework  for  the  new 
code.  It  was  decided  to  ask  Seymour 
Lubetzky  to  be  editor. 

Vfork  on  the  sixteenth  edition  of  the 
Dewey  Decimal  Classification  is  contiuing 
under  the  editorship  of  David  Haykin. 


About  forty  percent  of  the  schedules  have 
been  completed,  with  the  finished  manu- 
script to  be  in  the  hands  of  the  printers 
by  December  31,  1957. 

Mildred  O'Connor 
Forecast  for  Miami 

Plans  for  the  ALA  June  conference  at  Mami 
Beach  were  a  considerable  part  of  the  busi- 
ness discussed  at  the  midwinter  session. 

Staff  members  interested  in  storytelling 
will  be  pleased  to  learn  that  a  series  of 
three  Children's  Library  Association  sessions 
will  be  devoted  to  a  "Storytelling  Festival." 
Each  of  these  meetings  will  feature  story- 
telling on  a  different  level  of  experience 
and  artistry.  The  first  will  offer  the 
storytelling  of  a  nationally-known  artist 
(it  is  expected  to  be  Frances  Clarke  Sayers); 
the  second  a  symposium  of  skillful  library 
storytellers  whose  work  has  won  wide  recog- 
nitionj  the  third  a  panel  of  "debutante" 
tellers  -mho,   though  relatively  inexperienced, 
have  displayed  noticeable  ability  in  their 
own  library  story  hours. 

It  was  also  decided  that  the  Division  of   I 
Libraries  for  Children  and  Young  People's 
program  will  present  Jessamyn  West  as  speaker, 

V,  Haviland 


I 


BRANCH  NOTES 


North  End 


Over  100  North  End  young  adults  and  sever- 
al adults  filled  the  lecture  hall  on  Janu- 
ary 30  attending  a  special  program  IN  DEFENSE 
OF  IDUTH.  This  was  a  large-scale  project 
presented  by  the  Young  Adults  Council  a  group 
of  23  boys  and  girls  ■s\4io  are  the  official 
representatives  of  the  youth  served  by  the 
social  and  educational  organizations  in  the 
district,  Robert  Castagnola  of  the  North 
End,  a  Boston  College  graduate,  class  of  '51^ 
and  a  former  special  agent  with  the  Office 
of  Special  Investigation,  USAF,  was  moderator 
of  the  program. 

The  panel  of  youth  authorities  consisted 
of  Jane  Manthorne,  Young  Adults  Librarian, 
Central  Library;  Paul  Buchanan,  Teacher, 
Boston  Public  Schools  and  co-leader  of  the 
American  Heritage  Discussion  group  at  Adams 
Street;  Basilla  Neilan,  social  worker  and 
lecturer  and  Joseph  P.  Connolly,  Probation 
Officer,  Boston  Juvenile  Court, 

Among  the  special  guests  who  attended  were 
Reverend  Wilfred  Bouvier,  S.J.^St.  Mary's 
Parish  youth  activities'  director; 


-7- 
David  Werner,  Assistant  Pastor  and  youth 
worker,  Boston  Baptist  Bethel;  Frank 
Havey,  Director,  North  End  Union j  John  T. 
Dexter  and  Bfeilo  De  Leo,  Boys'  Vforkers, 
North  Bennet  Street  Industrial  School; 
Larch  Foxon,  Girls'  worker,  North  Bennet 
Street  Industrial  School;  Attorney  Pat 
Ventola,  co-leader,  American  Heritage 
Discussion  group  at  North  End;  John 
Barresi,  Assistant  Secretary,  Boston  Jfu- 
nicipal  Research  Bureau;  and  from  the 
Library,  Pauline  Winnick,  Readers  Advisor 
for  young  adults;  Gracemarie  V,  Alfe, 
children's  librarian,  East  Boston;  Helen 
Sevagian,  Information  Office;  Robert 
Giddings,  Cataloging  and  Classification 
(R  and  RS) .  j 

The  members  of  the  Young  Adults  Council  i 
acted  as  hosts  and  hostesses.  An  exhibits! 
committee  set  up  special  displays  of     t' 
reading  matter  under  the  headings : 
"Teens — Meet  Your  Problems"  and  "Construc- 
tive Pastimes  for  Youth".  The  latter 
featured  an  exhibit  of  infonnaoion  con- 
cerning local  youth  activities  and  clubs. 
Also  on  display  were  exhibits  of  news- 
paper clippings  showing  the  accomplish- 
ments of  local  young  people  and  feature 
articles  on  home  life  in  the  district  and 
work  done  by  the  social  houses  as  contri- 
butions to  the  stifling  of  delinquency. 

A  tape  recording  of  the  program  was 
made  for  broadcasting  over  radio  station 
V^^BUR  on  February  28th  at  7:30  P.M. 


■K- 


Gira  Barile  of  21  March  Avenue,  Fast 
Ro:/:bury,  formerly  of  the  North  End,  has 
entered  the  United  States  Foreign  Service. 
Lliss  Barile,  who  is  fluent  in  Italian  and 
Spanish,  will  be  given  foreign  service 
training  in  Washington  and  then  will  be 
a.TSJgned  to  a  foreign  post.  During  her 
jun-.or  and  senior  years  in  high  school, 
;3he  was  a  library  extra  at  the  NORTH  END 
LIUNCH.  She  took  particular  interest  in 
vhe  making  of  marionettes  under  the 
direction  of  the  late  Mary  U.  Nichols. 

South  Boston 

On  Monday  evening,  January  16,  adult 
patrons  enjoyed  the  annual  review  of  the 
recent  books  presented  by  Ediia  G.  Peck 
Chief  of  Book  Selection  for  Home  Reading 
Services.  Miss  Peck,  becomingly  adorned 
with  a  gorgeous  corsage  of  pink  camellias, 
held  her  audience  enthralled  for  more 
than  an  hour. 


West  End 

West  End J  in  cooperation  with  the  Greater 
Boston  Medical  Association,  sponsored  a 
meeting  on  Sunday  afternoon,  January  22. 
Dr  Fritz  Lipmannj.Ncbel  Laureate  19^3  in 
medicine,  who  has  recently  returned  from 
Israel,  was  the  speaker. 

Dr  IlpinrJin  was  a  guest  of  the  Weizman 
Institute  at  Rehovot,  where  he  lectured 
and  did  special  research  work.  He  spoke 
on  his  experiences  and  impressions  of  Israel, 
illustrating  his  talk  with  exquisite  color 
slides  which  he  bad  taken. 

The  12^  people  present  at  an  informal 
reception  after  the  talk  enjoyed  a  bit  of 
medical  chit-chat  with  a  cheering  cup  and 
the  privilege  of  meeting  a  world-famous 
personage. 

Fanny  Goldstein,  Branch  Librarian,  opened 
the  meeting  with  a  brief  talk  on  the  history 
of  West  End.  Dr  Herman  J.  Freedman  was 
chairman  of  the  afternoon. 


On  Sunday  evening,  January  29,  Fanny 
Goldstein  spoke  to  the  Adult  Group  of  men 
and  women  of  the  Boston  Y.M.H.A.  Her 
topic  was  "The  Jew  in  Contemporary  American 
Literature" . 


-8- 


O 


^ 


O 


-/- 


Any  contribution  to  the  Soap  Box  must 
be  accompanied  by  the  full  name  of  the 
Association  member  submitting  it,  together 
with  the  name  of  the  Branch  Library,  De- 
partment or  Office  in  which  he  or  she  is 
employed.  The  name  is  withheld  from  pub- 
lication, or  a  pen  name  used,  if  the  con- 
tributor so  requests.  Anonymous  contri- 
butions are  not  given  considerationo  The 
author  of  the  article  is  known  only  to  the 
Editor-in-Chief,  The  contents  of  the 
articles  appearing  in  the  Soap  Box  are 
personal  opinions  expressed  by  individual 
Association  members  and  their  appearance 
does  not  necessarily  indicate  that  the 
Publications  Committee  and  the  Association 
are  in  agreement  with  the  views  expressed 
Only  those  contributions  containing  not 
more  than  300  words  will  be  accepted. 


Dear  Editor: 

It  is,  of  course,  a  commonplace  obser- 
vation that  this  city  is  run  on  Benjamin 
Franklin's  dull,  tawdry  and  fiscally 
inaccurate  aphorism,  "A  jjenny  saved  is  a 
penny  earned."  However,  when  in  the  face 
of  monies  retiirned  to  the  city  treasury, 
a  department  is  reprimanded  for  a  slight 
overage  in  its  weekly  part-time  bill, 
despite  the  fact  that  the  library  saves 
about  $50  per  week  due  to  the  shortage 
in  the  department,  then  economy  has  become 
not  a  by-word  but  a  fetish.  How  redicu- 
lous  can  you  become I 

Parsimonious 


To  the  Soap  Box; 

No  more  deliveries  from  Stock  and  Supplies 
Section  says  the  General  Administrative  Notice 
irehy?     Inadequate  staff  down  there?  Other 
departments  have  less  "essential  tasks"  to 
perform  than  stock  delivery? 

V>/hat  happens  now  in  departments  manned 
only  by  women?  Much  of  our  stock  in  daily 
use  comes  in  bulky,  heavy  packages.  In  many 
cases,  trucks  for  suoh  work  simply  do  not 
exist — thanks  to  present  econong^  measures. 
And  pushing  trucks  really  isn't  women's  work 
in  any  case — or  is  it? 

Are  we  going  to  hire  a  few  extra  boys  to 
do  this  work?  Vu'ouldn't  it  be  just  as  simple 
to  have  another  person,  if  necessary,  in 
Stock  and  Supplies  as  to  drain  the  time  and 
energy  of  one  person  per  Central  Department 

to  perform  this  work? 


B.  Gertrude  Wade 


Dear  Editor: 


This  seems  to  be  truly  a  winter  of  dis- 
content, with  dramatic  goings  and  comings 
of  trustees.  One  must  admire  the  courage 
of  the  incoming  trustee  in  his  willingness 
to  assume  what  has  usually  proved  to  be 
a  thankless  task. 

I  am  happy  to  see  that  he  does  not  come 
to  us  completely  unarmed  in  the  way  of  ex- 
perience with  similar  groups.  His  expe- 
rience at  Cherry  Hill  should  stand  him  in 
good  stead.  I  only  hope  we  can  prove  as 
literate  and  persuasive  as  Mr  Flaherty. 

At  any  rate,  vre  welcome  him  to  the  family 
and  if  at  times  the  exchange  of  views  be- 
comes a  bit  heated,  as  it  does  in  all  fami- 
lies, we  are  sure  his  weekly  television 
panel  wilJ.  have  toughened  him  up  for  the 
encounter. 


Eamon  McDonough 


Dear  Editor : 


"A  time  to  be  born,  and  a  time  to  die;.  •  • 
a  time  to  break  down,  and  a  time  to  build 
up" .  .  .  This  letter  concerns  the  time  to 
break  down  as  provided  for  in  the  regula- 
tions for  sick  leave  at  the  Boston  Public 
Library.  The  writer,  feeling  ill  one  after- 
noon last  week,  decided  he  had  better  go 
home.  However,  in  order  to  cover,  he  man- 
aged to  stay  longer  than  he  should  have, 
and  did  not  actually  leave  until  2:30  P.M. 


He  thus  incurred  a  fractional  absence 
which  cannot  be  charged  against  sick  leavej' 
but  was  charged  against  his  pay  (he  could  j 
not  conveniently  make  the  time  up).  As  a 
fillip  to  this,  he  found  himself  losing 
even  more  pay.  Last  August,  it  seems,  he 
took  an  hour  off  for  the  dentist,  and 
never  made  it  up.  Now  he  had  forgotten 
about  this  hour,  the  Chief  of  his  depart- 
ment had  forgotten  about  it,  probably  God 
in  His  infinite  mercy  had  forgotten  about 
it,  but  the  Personnel  Office  had  not  for- 
gotten about  it.  He  was  docked  a  total 
of  3|-  hours  for  fractional  absences.  The 
moral  of  the  story  is  this:  if  you  are 
going  to  be  sick,  be  sick  at  12:30  on  the 
dot J  for  if  you  are  sick  any  earlier  you 
will  lose  a  full  day  of  sick  leave,  and 
any  later  will  be  charged  with  fractional 
absence. 

Macchiavelli 


-P- 


A  TV  STAR  IS  BORN 

Those  who  were  fortunate  enough  to  be 
tuned  to  WGBH-TV,  Channel  2,  on  Friday 
evening,  February  3,  at  8:30,  enjoyed  a 
very  pleasant  half  hour  program  called 
I'VE  BEEN  READING.  This  program,  devoted 
to  reviewing  current  literature  by  means 
of  panel  discussion,  was  moderated  by 
Professor  P,  Albert  Duhamel,  Professor  of 
English  at  Boston  College.  Guest 
panelists  for  the  evening  included  our 
own  Edna  Go  Peck,  Chief  of  Book  Selection 
for  Home  Reading  Services,  and  Samuel 
H.  Beer,  Chairman,  Department  of  Govern- 
ment at  Harvard  University.  The  book 
discussed  ^was  THH  lAST  HURRAH  by  Edwin 
O'Connor.  The  panel  agreed  that  this 
book  possesses  many  merits.  Miss  Peck 
quoted  several  passages  virhich  she  found 
particularly  enjoyable  and  in  her  usual 
lively  manner  summed  up  her  reasons  -vrtiy 
she  thinks  the  book  will  be  poprilar. 

Reports  from  BPLers  and  non-BPLers  are 
most  enthusiastic  about  Miss  Peck  as  a 
TV  personality.  She  evidenced  qualities 
which  make  for  success  in  this  popular 
medium — ease  of  manner  and  imperturbabi- 
lity, to  mention  only  two. 


The  answer  is  "Yes" 

A.   L.  A. 

still  needs  YOU 

and  TOU  can  share  in 
the  benefits  A.  L.  A. 
offers  professionally 


by  joining  now. 


Seei 


Sarah  M.  Usher 

A.  L.  A.  ffembership  Committee 
Office  of  Records,  Files, 
Statistics,  Central  Library 


™ 


uestion 


THE  BOSTON  PUBLIC  LIBRARY 
PROFESSIOm  STAFF  ASSOCIATION 


MARCH  1956 


THE   QUESTION   MARK 
Pablished  by  the  Boston  Public  Library  Professional  Staff  Association 
Volrjne  XI,  Number  3 March  1956 


Publications  Comnittee:  Barbara  Eo  Coffey,  Jean  L.  Eaton,  Mary  A.  Hackett,  Girard  D. 

Hottleman,  Richard  E.  Lyons,  Robert  Co  Woodward,  B.  Gertrude 
Wade,  Chairiran 

Publication  date ;                        Deadline  for  submitting  material; 
The  fxl'teenth  of  each  month  The  tenth  of  each  month 

EDITORIAL  NOTES 

Among  the  mary  pi'cblems  that  staff  members  have  asked  the  Personnel  Committee  to 
solve  is  the  problem  of  superiors  (chiefs  and  others)  uriio  do  not  know  how  to  handle 
their  authority »  It  rras  called  to  the  attention  of  that  committee  that  many  staff 
members  sviffer  under  what  is  considered  regimes  of  personal  prejudice  and  have  person- 
ality difficulties  with  their  chiefs  which  do  not  stem  in  any  way  from  deficiencies 
in  their  work.  Many  suggestions  were  presented  by  our  always  creative  staff,  such 
as  shifting  chiefs  from  place  to  place  so  that  everyone  will  have  to  bear  his  or  her 
fair  share  of  unreasonable  supervision  or  having  a  training  covirse  for  chiefs  in  inter- 
personal relationships. 

These  various  suggestions  broached  to  alleviate  the  problem  of  a  prejudiced  or 
difficiilt  chief  did  not  strike  at  the  heart  of  the  matter,  however.  The  heart  of  the 
matter  is  this:  A  chief  must  be  made  to  realize  the  responsibilities  of  his  position 
and  he  must  use  his  authority  as  a  sacred  trust.  To  a  chief,  this  means  that,  when 
necessary,  he  must  disregard  the  needs  of  his  own  personality  to  administer  justice 
honestly.  A  chief  must  realize  that  he  affects  the  happiness  or  \inhappiness  of  his 
staff  members  for  a  total  of  thirty-five  hours  a  week.  In  many  cases,  this  amounts 
to  more  waking  time  than  one  spends  with  one's  family.  The  human  beings  under  his 
authority  are  more  fragile  than  books  and  typewriters  and  much  more  valuable  and  must 
be  handled  accordingly. 

Other  offenses  committed  by  chiefs,  according  to  letters  submitted  to  the 
Personnel  Committee,  include  talking  behind  an  employee's  back  or  stating  a  derogatory 
and/or  personal  opinion  about  a  staff  member  to  others  who  have  no  stake  in  the  matter 
of  supervision  or  discipline o  Offenses  of  this  type,  although  just  a  matter  of  a 
few  words,  can  and  do  produce  human  suffering  of  a  very  high  degree.  The  type  of  boss 
who  sinks  to  the  level  of  deliberately  damaging  reputation  is  difficult  to  deal  with. 
If  one  attempts  a  defense  by  showing  that  it  is  the  chief's  error  which  he  has  blamed 
you  for,  then  one  is  challenging  authority.  To  this  type  of  boss,  authority  means 
Ego.  The  only  solution  lies  in  an  examination  of  conscience  by  the  chief  himself. 

The  whole  problem  of  proper  administration  of  authority  could  be  solved  very 
simply.  An  administrator  should  remember  just  two  things :  First  that  he  should  not 
run  his  department  for  the  glorification  of  his  own  ego;  and  second  that  he  should 
at  all  times  be  a  gentlenan  (or  she,  a  lady).  If  the  chief  does  these  things,  not 
only  will  he  make  all  of  his  staff  a  lot  happier,  but  he  will  get  better  work  done 
more  easily,  and  he  will  have  the  great  satisfaction  that  comes  from  the  realization 
that  he  has  treated  the  most  important  asset  of  his  department,  his  staff,  with  the 
proper  respect  that  human  beings  deserve. 

THE  PUBLICATIONS  COMMITTEE 


2  - 


CALENDAR  OF  EVENTS 

March  20.  S.L.A.,  Boston  Chapter,  Insti- 
tute on  Acquisitions,  Simmons 
College,  1:30  pc.m. 


April  3-6.  Catholic  Library  Association 
Conference,  Somerset  Hotel. 

PERSONAL  NOTES 

New  Employees 

Paul  E.  Cawein,  Open  SheLf . 

Jeremiah  F.  Long,  Exhibits  Office. 

(Mr  Long  was  formerly  part-time  in  Book 

Stack  Service  and  Statistical.) 
Edward  A.  Munro,  Science  and  Technology. 

(Mr  Mxinro  was  formerly  part-time  in  that 

department . ) 
Robert  W.  Holmes,  Music. 
Anne  M.  Degnan,  Director's  Office. 

Transferred 

Mrs  Vera  L,  Cheves,  from  Branch  Issue  to 

Cataloging  and  Classification  (HR  and  CS) 
Bettina  M.  Coleiiti,  from  Open  Shelf  to 

Codman  Square. 
Audrey  V.  Jewell,  from  Cataloging  and 

Classification  (HR  and  CS)  to  Open 

Shelf. 
William  T.  Casey,  from  Open  Shelf  to 

Branch  Issue. 

Marriages 

Helen  T.  Leydon,  City  Point,  to  Joseph  W. 

Schwartz,  February  11. 
Sona  Semerjian,  Kirstein  Business  Branch, 

to  Ashod  Jelalian,  February  9. 

Resignations 

Jacquelin  M.  Coutu,  Cataloging  and  Classi- 
fication (R  and  RS),  to  take  a  position 
nearer  her  honie. 

John  F.  Keneavy,  Book  Stack  Service,  at 
the  termination  of  his  Military  Leave. 

John  J.  Daley,  Open  Shelf,  to  enter 
Military  Service. 

Patricia  M.  Nolan,  Book  Preparation,  to 
accept  another  position. 

Mrs  Donna  M.  Graves,  Personnel  Office,  to 
move  to  Florida  where  her  husband  was 
transferred. 

William  F.  O'Donnell,  Book  Stack  Service, 
to  attend  college  on  his  discharge  from 
the  Air  Force. 

Mrs  Katherine  L.  Williams,  Central  Charg- 
ing, to  move  to  Connecticut. 


CONCaiATULATIONS  TO 

Gracemarie  Alfe,  Children's  Assistant  at 
East  Boston,  who  has  just  «!.nnounced  her 
engagement  to  Francis  J.  Leblanc,  physicist 
at  the  Cambridge  Research  Laboratories, 
and  Grand  Knight,  Coltjmbus  Council  #116, 
Knights  of  Colvimbus. 


Mary  Alice  Rae,  Book  Purchasing,  who  was 
recently  elected  a  trustee  of  the  Westwood 
Public  Library. 


Henry  B.  Jones,  Book  Stack  Service,  who 
was  the  subject  of  a  long  article  in  THE 
BOvSTON  SUNDAY  GLOBE,  March  6,  on  his  hobby, 
steam  locomotive  -mhistles. 

LffiMORIAL  LECTURE 

It  has  been  announced  that  Dr  Paul  Herman 
Buck,  Francis  Lee  Higginson  Professor  of 
History,  Director  of  the  University  Library 
and  Librarian  of  Harvard  College,  will  be 
the  speaker  at  this  year's  Bertha  V.  HartzeH 
Memorial  Lectxxre,  May  11.  ■' 

VISITOR 

Mrs  Vanja  Boklund,  Upsala  (Sweden)  Public  ' 
Library.  ; 

HAVE  YOU  READ?  ' 

In  The  City  Record,  February  25,  1956,    I 
the  abridged  summary  of  the  reports  on  the   " 
Library  Department  by  the  Citizen's  Commit- 
tee on  Municipal  Finance.  Since  this 
committee,  directed  by  Charles  J.  Fox,  re- 
commended several  changes  in  the  personnel 
system,  in  the  organization  and  administra- 
tion of  the  Library  Department,  its  report 
is  of  vital  interest  to  all  staff  members. 

A  SPRINGTDffi  REtHNDER 

ALA  membership  blanks 

still  available 


Sarah  M«  Usher 
ALA  Membership  Committee 


-:3  - 


PRESIDENT'S  NOTES 


It  is  very  gratifying  to  be  able  to  re- 
port that  the  Subcommittee  on  Personnel  of 
the  Examining  Committee  invited  represent" 
atives  of  the  Professional  Staff  Associa- 
tion to  meet  with  them  again  this  year  to 
discuss  staff  morale  problems  and  staff 
facilities.  At  this  meeting  on  FebnEi27  23, 
were  Paul  H.  Buck,  Chairman,  Dr  Leon  S. 
Medalia,  and  the  Right  Reverend  Edward  G. 
Murray  of  the  Committee,  and  William  T. 
Casey,  Eamon  E.  I'fcDonough,  Sidney  Weinbei^ 
and  Louis  Rains  representing  the  Staff 
Association.  The  meeting  iffas  most  pleasant 
and  cordial.  The  members  of  the  Committee 
displayed,  through  their  very  pertinent 
and  searching  questions,  a  surprisingly 
thorough  knowledge  of  the  problems  facing 
the  staff. 

As  a  natter  of  fact,  the  Executive  Board 
had  held  a  special  meeting  the  preceding 
Tuesday  to  decide  on  the  major  morale 
problems  we  ivished  to  stress,  but  in  the 
light  of  the  broad  interests  and  informa- 
tion of  the  Committee,  the  meeting  was 
apparently  unnecessary.  Among  the  many 
topics  discussed  were  the  promotional 
system,  allowances  for  vacations  for  sub- 
professionals,  vacancies,  allowances  for 
illness  for  absences  of  less  than  half  a 
day,  increases  in  salaries,  adequate  rec- 
ognition of  job  performance,  and  that  old 
troublesome  problem  of  satisfactory  remu- 
neration for  assistants-in-charge. 

On  the  night  of  February  23,  it  was  the 
pleasure  of  the  President  to  represent 
the  Staff  Association  as  a  guest  of  the 
Trustees  at  an  awards  dinner  of  the  19^6 
Red  Feather  Campaign  of  Metropolitan 
Boston.  At  this  banquet  it  was  announced 
that  the  employees  of  the  City  of  Boston 
Library  Department  had  received  an  Honor 
Award  in  recognition  of  their  support  of 
the  Greater  Boston  Red  Feather  Services p 
Among  the  group  of  representatives  of  the 
Library  were  Milton  E,  Lord,  Elizabeth  L. 
Wright,  Samuel  Green,  Barbara  Feeley, 
Rosemarie  Mulcahy,  and  officers  of  the 
various  staff  organizations.  The  occasion 
was  most  enjoyable — good  food,  pleasant 
companions,  entertainment,  addresses,  and, 
of  course,  recognition  of  the  staff's 
generous  contribution  to  a  very  worthy 
cause . 

An  account  of  the  reception  to  the  new 
(and  a  few  old)  Officers  of  the  Associa-  . 
tion  follows.  We  thank  Euclid  Peltier, 
Albert  Brogna,  Genevieve  Moloney  and  the 


Entertainment  Committee,  and  May  McDonald 
and  the  Program  Committee  for  their  work 
that  evening. 

Louis  Rains 

WELCOtCENG  OUR  OFFICERS 

On  Friday  evening,  February  2U,  the 
Professional  Staff  Association  was  "at  home" 
in  the  Wiggin  Gallery,  Central  Library. 
The  purpose  of  the  meeting  was  to  welcome 
the  newly-elected  officers  of  the  associa- 
tion who  are  to  serve  during  the  current 
year. 

The  meeting  was  called  to  order  by  Presi- 
dent Louis  Rains  yiho   called  upon  lfe.y 
McDonald,  Chairman  of  the  Program  Committee, 
to  carry  on.  Miss  McDonald  introduced 
Euclid  J.  Peltier  of  Audio-Visual  who  gave 
a  verbal  explanation  of  the  three  films 
that  followed.  These  films  were  both  enter- 
taining and  informative,  especially  to 
those  not  familiar  with  modern  techniques 
in  this  medium.  After  the  films,  the 
officers  were  welcomed  individually  in  a 
very  impressive-looking  receiving  line. 

A  social  hour  ensued,  with  an  attractive 
tabie  well-ladened  with  tempting  food  and 
punch,  arranged  under  the  competent  manage- 
ment of  Genevieve  Moloney  and  her  efficient 
Entertainment  Committee. 

BOOKS  K\KE  THE  MAN 

I'lTien  the  television  people  wish  to  set 
a  scene  that  quickly  will  provide  the  stamp 
of  culture,  refinement,  solid  character, 
learning,  and  respectability,  how  do  they 
proceed? 

Everybody  knows  that  they  gain  the  effect 
they  want  by  presenting  the  characters  in 
front  of  a  background  of  books. 

The  use  of  books  in  television  is  so 
effective  that  the  kids  who  sometimes  re- 
quire a  few  moments  to  puzzle  out  -vidiich  is 
the  bad  guy  in  a  western  picture,  qviick]^ 
spot  the  good  guy  in  the  society  drama. 
He's  the  fellow  who  owns  all  the  books. 
(THE  SATURDAY  REVIEW) 


-u  - 


PRINTING  DEPARTMENT 
1863-19^6 


Since  I663  the  Library  has  done  some  of 
its  printing,  93  years  is  a  lorig  time  in  | 
the  history  of  libraries  in  the  United  j 
States,  never  mind  library  printing  depart-j 
ments.  Since  l895>as  the  first  library  j 
printing  department  equipped  with  lino-  I 
type  machines  and  under  the  supervision  | 
of  Francis  ViT.  Lee,  Chief  (189U-1937),  and  ! 
William  B.  Gallagher,  Chief  (1937-1954),  1 
it  has  pioneered  in  libraiy  printing  for  ! 
sixty-one  years  and  modeled  most  present-  ; 
day  library  printing  departments,        | 

On  March  Ih,   Edmund  F,  Roche,  linotype 
operator  and  George  H,  Hulme,  Jr,,  press- 
man, were  transferred  to  the  Printing 
Section,  Administrative  Service  Department 
of  the  City  of  Boston. 

So  ends  the  Printing  Department,  I863- 
1956. 

James  P.  Mooers 

NEW  BOOKS  PI  THE  STAFF  LIBRARY 

Non-Fiction  -■"  Library  Science 

American  library  annual,  1955/56 

New  York,  Bowker,  1956 
Association  of  Research  Libraries 

Problems  and  prospects  of  the  research  j 

library.  i 

New  Brunswick,  N.J.,  Scarecrow  Press,   | 

1955  I 

Murison,  William  J.  ' 

The  public  library. 

London,  Harrap,  1955  | 

Sayers,  William  C,  B,  | 

An  introduction  to  library  classifica-  | 

tion,  9th  ed. 

London,  Grafton,  1955 
Toser,  Marie  A. 

Library  manual.  5th  ed. 

New  York,  Wilson,  1955 

Fiction 

AbrahaiDS,  Peter 

Mine  boy. 

New  York,  Knopf,  1955 
Adams,  Samuel  H. 

Grandfather  stories. 

New  York,  Random  House,  1955 
Asimov,  Isaac 

The  end  of  eternity. 

The  Garden  City,  N.Y,,  Doubleday,  1955 


Bonner,  Paul  H. 

Excels iorl 

Nevr  York,  Scribner,  1955 
Daninos ,  Pierre 

The  notebooks  of  Major  Thompson, 

New  York,  Knopf,  1955 
Dolson,  Hildegarde 

Sorry  to  be  so  cheerful. 

New  York,  Random  House,  1955 
Feld,  Rose  C. 

Ui^  Aunt  Lucienne, 

New  York,  Scribner,  1955 
Huxley,  Aldous  L, 

The  genius  and  the  goddess. 

New  York,  Harper,  1955 
Mackay,  Margaret 

The  four  fates. 

New  York,  J.  Day  Co.,  1955 
O'Connor,  Edwin 

The  last  hurrah, 

Boston,  Little,  Brown,  1956 
Potts ,  Jean 

Death  of  a  stray  cat. 

New  York,  Scribner,  1955 
Schulberg,  Budd 

Waterfront. 

New  York,  Random  House,  1955 
Shapiro,  Lionel  S.  B. 

The  sixth  of  June, 

Garden  City,  N«Y.,  Doubleday,  1955 
Thomas,  Dylan 

Adventures  in  the  skin  trade, 

Norfolk,  Coim,,  New  Directions,  1955 
Warren,  Robert  P. 

Band  of  angels. 

New  York,  Random  House,  1955 
Waugh,  Evelyn 

Officers  and  gentlemen, 

Boston,  Little,  Brown,  1955 
Wilson,  Sloan 

The  man  in  the  gray  flannel  suit. 

New  York,  Simon  and  Schuster,  1955 
Wouk,  Herman 

Marjorie  Morningstar, 

Garden  City,  N.Y.,  Doubleday,  1955 

Non-Fiction 

Bemelmans,  Ludwig 

The  world  of  Bemelmans. 

New  York,  Viking  Press,  1955 
Burns,  George 

I  love  her,  that's  whyl 

New  York,  Simon  and  Schuster,  1955 
Carson,  Rachel  L, 

The  edge  of  the  sea. 

Boston,  Houghton,  Mifflin,  1955 


-6  - 


Davson,  Sir  Geoffrey  Leo  Simon  bart. 

Elinor  Glyn. 

Garden  City,   N.Y.,  Doubleday,  19^5 
DeVoto,  Bernard  A. 

The  easy  chair.  I 

Boston,   Houghton,  Mifflin,  1955  j 

Gunther,  John  . 

Inside  Africa.  j 

New  York,  Harper,  1955  j 

Gutwirth,  Samuel  W.  i 

How  to  free  yourself  from  nervous  tensioni 

Chicago,  Regnery,  1955 
Hanson,  Lawrence 

Passionate  pilgrims;  the  life  of  Vincent 

van  Gogh. 

New  York,  Random  House,  1955 
Hill,  Patricia 

The  pit  and  the  century  plant. 

New  York,  Harper,  1955 
Howe,  llarvine 

The  Prince  and  I. 

New  York,  J.  Day  Co.,  1955 
Izzard,  Ralph 

The  Abominable  Snowman . 

Garden  City,  N.Y^,  Doubleday,  1955 
Keith,  Agnes 

Bare  feet  in  the  palace. 

Boston,  Little,  BroTim,  1955 
Kimbrough,  Emily 

So  near  and  yet  so  far. 

New  York,  Harper,  1955 
Lee,  Reba,  psued. 

I  passed  for  white. 

New  York,  Longmans,  Green,  1955 
Lefebure,  Molly 

Evidence  for  the  Crowi. 

Philadelphia,  Lippincott,  1955 
McClintic,  Guthrie 

Me  and  Kit. 

Boston,  Little,  Brown,  1955 
Maltz,  Maxwell 

Adventures  in  staying  young. 

New  York,  Crowell,  1955 
Ifeeker,  Arthur 

Chicago,  with  love. 

New  York,  Knopf,  1955 
Morison,  Samuel  E. 

Christopher  Columbus,  mariner. 

Boston,  Little,  Brown,  1955 
Perelman,  Sidney  J. 

Perelman's  home  companion. 

New  York,  Simon  and  Schuster,  1955 
Richardson,  Vifyman 

The  house  on  Nauset  Marsh. 

New  York,  Norton,  1955 
Spectorsky,  Auguste  C. 

The  exurbanites. 

Philadelphia,  Lippincott,  1955 


Thurber,  James 

Thvtrber's  dogs, 

N.Y. ,  Simon  and  Schuster,  1955 
Truman,  Harry  3.,  Pres.  U.S», 

Memoirs.  V,  I 

Garden  City,  N.Y.,  Doubleday,  1955 
Wallace,  Irving 

The  fabulous  originals ^ 

New  York,  Knopf,  1955 
Willis,  William 

The  gods  were  kind. 

New  York,  Button,  1955 

BRANCH  NOTES 

Codman  Square 

A  farewell  coffee  hour  was  held  for  A. 
Phyllis  Freeman  on  February  9,  when  the 
staff  gathered  to  wish  her  luck  on  her 
forth-coLi3.ng  marriage  to  Robert  Cales. 

Two  surprises  were  in  store  for  Miss 
Freeman— one  a  lovely  :" four-tiered  wedding 
cake  filled  with  good  luck  charms ,  baked 
by  Mrs  Rotondo,a  member  of  the  staff,  and 
the  other,  a  useful  steam  iron. 

Mrs  Sydney  L.  Whitman 

Jamaica  Plain 

On  Thursday  evening,  February  9,  the 
Friends  of  the  Jamaica  Plain  Branch  Library 
held  their  mid-winter  meeting.  A  large 
amd  enthusiastic  audience  -ft-as  on  hand  to 
greet  the  speaker,  our  own  Edna  Peck,  whose 
anniial  appearance  has  become  one  of  the 
outstanding  events  of  the  Friends'  activi- 
ties. After  an  entertaining  and  illiominating 
talk  on  current  books,  the  audience  had  a 
chance  to  chat  with  the  guest  of  honor  over 
a  cup  of  coffee. 

West  End 


West  End  celebrated  Catholic  Book  Week 
this  year  by  playing  host  to  the  students 
of  St  Joseph's  Parochial  School.  Some  300 
children  from  grades  four  through  eight 
came  as  visitors  by  classes  between  the 
dates  of  February  13  and  March  5.  The  fifth 
through  eighth  graders  were  given  an  exten- 
sive tour  of  the  old  historic  building  in 
which  TVest  End  is  housed,  with  the  idea  of 
conveying  to  them  a  sense  of  reverence  and 
respect  for  the  past.  Fanny  Goldstein, 
Branch  Librarian,  told  them  the  fascinating 
story  of  the  part  which  the  old  West  Church 
played  in  United  States  history  from  its 
beginnings  in  1737  up  to  the  present. 
History  came  alive  for  them,  and  their 


~6i- 


enthusiastic  interest  was  evidenced  in 
their  responses.  The  classes  were  also 
introduced  to  the  mysteries  of  the  Tower 
Room  and  were  even  taken  up  to  see  the 
T.'orkings  of  the  clock  high  in  the  church 
steeple.  They  were  particularly  impressed 
with  seeing  for  themselves  the  area  under 
the  eaves  where  legend  has  it  slaves  were 
hidden  during  the  days  of  the  Underground 
Railway,  and  they  were  astonished  at  the 
view  of  Bunker  Hill  rnonument  across  the 
river.  The  fourth  grade  class,  which  was 
perhaps  too  young  to  appreciate  fully  the 
historical  aspects  of  the  building  were 
given  an  introduction  to  the  Children's 
Room.  Our  display  of  Catholic  Authors , 
which  included  photographs  of  various 
authors  surrounded  by  book  jackets  of  so 
some  of  their  works,  was  pointed  out  to 
all  the  visitors.  Attention  was  also 
called  to  our  shelves  devoted  to  Lenten 
Reading .  Several  book  reports  written  by 
Junior  High  students  and  judged  best  by 
the  Sisters  of  St  Joseph  School  were  on 
display  to  complete  our  Catholic  Book 
Week  celebration. 

On  Saturday  afternoon,  February  25,  the 
Saturday  Evening  Girls,  held  a  special 
meeting  and  social  hour.  About  forty 
ladies  heard  Fanny  Goldstein,  Branch 
Librarian,  and  an  S.E.G.  herself,  tell  of 
her  trip  to  Europe  and  Israel  last  summer. 
The  audience  was  so  interested  arri  appre- 
ciative, asking  rcany  questions,  that  the 
talk  had  to  be  terminated  before  Israel 
was  reached.  Tentative  plans  were  made 
then  and  there  to  have  another  meeting 
to  hear  Miss  Goldstein's  further  adven- 
tures in  Israel  and  Spain.  An  unusual 
and  gratifying  feature  of  this  year's 
meeting  was  the  presence  of  several  men, 
husbands  and  sons,  who  wanted  to  hear  the 
travel  talk,  Delicious  Purim  holiday 
pastries  and  tea  were  served  at  the  con- 
clusion of  the  meeting. 

FRESIDEMTIAL  AFTERTHOUGHTS 

The  list  of  staff  representatives  will, 
we  hope,  be  distributed  very  soon.  This 
will  be  followed  by  an  announcement  that 
dues  are  payable,  and  this,  in  turn,  will 
be  followed  immediately  by  an  influx  of 
money  and  new  rrerabers,  we  hope. 

Louis  Rains 


6>. 


0 


^ 


Any  contribution  to  the  Soap  Box  must 
be  accompanied  by  the  full  name  of  the 
Association  member  submitting  it,  together 
with  the  name  of  the  Branch  Library,  De- 
partment or  Office  in  which  he  or  she  is 
employed.  The  name  is  withheld  from  pub- 
lication, or  a  pen  name  used,  if  the  con- 
tributor so  requests.  Anonymous  contri- 
butions are  not  given  consideration.  The 
author  of  the  article  is  known  only  to  the 
Editor-in-Chief.  The  contents  of  the 
articles  appearing  in  the  Soap  Box  are 
personal  opinions  expressed  by  individual 
Association  members  and  their  appearance 
does  not  necessarily  indicate  that  the 
Publications  Committee  and  the  Association 
are  in  agreement  with  the  views  expressed. 
Only  those  contributions  containing  not 
more  than  300  words  will  be  accepted. 


To  the  Editor  of  the  Question  Mark: 

It  was  kind  of  the  administration  to 
announce  its  decision  to  jettison  the  POINT 
SYSTEM  a  full  l6  days  before  deadline  time 
for  the  March  SOAP  BOX.  Thus  we  all  .  Lu 
could  give  the  document  the  many  readings 
such  notices  often  require.  The  central 
message  was  clear  enough — ^we  have  suddenly 
gone  off  the  POINT  STANDARD~but  the  reason 
given,  that  qualitative  considerations  are 
more  important  than  quantitative  ones,  is 
an  obvious  truism,  which  couldn't  just 
have  been  discovered  by  the  Administration, 
Some  staff  members  think  the  change  was 
made  in  order  to  facilitate  appointment 
of  some  new  chiefs  not  entitled  to  promo- 
tion on  the  point  system.  Others  quipped 
that  our  stormiest  petrel  had  finally  piled 
up  100  points  and  broke  the  bank.  It  is 


-7r 


not  siorprising  that  so  many  of  us  are 
ready  to  put  the  worst  construction  on 
any  new  announcement.  It's  a  shortsighted 
Administration  which  goes  in  for  heavy 
fait  accompli-ing  all  over  the  place  for 
years,  then  thinks  people  will  always 
take  things  in  stride.  There  is  much 
cynicism  and  unconcern  in  other  people's 
affairs  on  the  surface,  but  slowly  there 
accvmrulates  a  reservoir  of  ill  will  into 
which  we  lazily  dip  for  judgment  of  any 
new  thing  emanating  from  the  front  office, 
instead  of  judging  decisions  on  their  own 
merits.  Except  for  the  unfairness  to 
those  who  have  accepted  it  in  good  faith 
and  took  the  trouble  to  collect  the 
points,  this  is  probably  a  good  move. 
Any  act  of  dismantling  the  cumbrous  system 
which  has  become  so  rigid  that  the  A(inin" 
istration  is  itself  a  sort  of  prisoner  of 
it — the  system  wagging  the  Administration-^ 
is  a  good  move.  On  the  other  hand  this 
change  will  put  too  much  appointive  power 
in  the  hands  of  the  Promotional  Panel. 
On  the  point  system  in  the  past  the  Admin- 
istration got  itself  some  beauts.  Let  us 
pray  that  the  Lord  fill  the  Promotional 
Panels  with  wisdom  and  fairness  to  prevent 
such  whoppers  in  the  future. 


Harry  Andrews 


Dear  Editor*. 


We  have  all  been  alarmed  and 
justifiably  so  at  the  petty  thievery  that 
happens  in  the  library.  However,  there 
has  been  another  sort  of  thievery  going 
on  for  some  time  not  only  with  official 
sanction  but  under  official  auspices. 

Each  year  a  number  of  people  retiring 
or  resigning  from  the  staff  are  cheated 
of  up  to  four  weeks  vacation  pay.  This 
is  doiB  in  accordance  vath  the  ruling  of 
a  minor  city  official.  To  the  best  of  my 
knowledge,  no  positive  action  has  been 
taken  to  reverse  this  ruling.  The  rulings 
of  petty  officials  are  not  the  word  of 
God,  nor  even  necessarily  the  law.  They 
are  frequently  not  even  the  voice  of  right 
reason. 

Vacation  time  is  not  a  privilege  granted 
by  a  benevolent  19th  century  despot  to 
his  cowering  slaves.  In  the  20th  century 
it  is  a  fringe  benefit  of  the  employment 
contract  and  as  such  is  a  moral  obligation 
on  the  part  of  the  employer,  inviolable 
in  the  eyes  of  God.  Anyone  taking  part 


in  this  violation  of  rights,  even  though 
guided  by  the  worthy  motive  of  governmental 
economy,  is  committing  a  sin  against  the 
Seventh  Commandment.  It  is  stealing,  plain 
and  simple. 


Eamon  McDonough 


Dear  Editor: 


The  administration's  new  policy  of  con- 
sidering quality  rather  than  quantity  is 
a  good  one«     Why  not  extend  this  policy  to 
all  promotions? 

There  are  many  sub-professionals  whose 
excellence  makes  the  good  reputation  of 
their  chiefs.     Such  people  deserve  advance- 
ment on  their  merit  alone  but  have  been 
stalemated  by  the     difficult  system  of 
advancement  that  the  library  applies  to 
such  people,     Viihy  can't  worthwhile  sub- 
professionals  jump  the  breach  on  merit  as 
their  superiors  will  be  doing  in  the  very 
near  future? 

If  such  a  merit  system  were  extended  to 
the  vliole  staff,   it  would  encourage  the 
ambitious  and  sustain  the  hard  working. 
Such  a  system  would  be  beneficial  to  both 
the  library  and  to  the  staff. 


Girard  D.  Hottleman 


Dear  Editor: 


It  has  become  increasingly  evident 
throughout  the  library  that  sub-professionals 
of  high  caliber  are  leaving  the  library  as 
well  as  professionals.  This  situation  is 
undoubtadly  caused  by  the  barrier  erected 
by  the  administration  that  prevents  sub- 
professionals  from  aspiring  to  either  higher 
positions  or  higher  wages. 

To  point  out  how  unfair  this  situation 
is,  let's  take  the  case  of  any  Sub- 
professional.  He  can  pass  all  ten  examina- 
tions, and  he  is  in  the  library  for  ten 
years  and  still  be  earning  a  salary  of  less 
than  sixty  dollars  per  week.  This  salary 
is  unrealistic  condensation  for  an  employee 
who  has  given  ten  years  of  faithful  service 
to  the  library. 

It  is  not  a  conqjlaint  against  the  much 
higher  wage  scale  of  the  professionals 
that  is  being  voiced,  but  simply  a  cry  for 
fair  play  and  an  honest  wage  for  sub- 
professionals  who  would  like  to  stay  with 
the  library. 

The  administration  claims  that  any 


8  - 


sub-professional  who  has  the  desire,  can 
move  into  the  professional  ranks.  This 
task  is  so  difficult  however,  that  only- 
three  people  without  college  training 
since  1938,  have  done  it.  As  tirae   goes 
on,  the  barrier  becomes  more  difficult 
to  surmount.  A  double  entrance  examina- 
tion plus  three  other  difficult  examina- 
tions must  be  passed  before  a  candidate 
can  ever  be  considered. 

There  is  only  one  solution  for  this 
ridiculous  situation.  A  new  classifica- 
tion must  be  introduced  into  the  library 
system.  A  new  rating  of  senior  sub- 
professionals  should  be  initiated.  With 
this  rating,  a  sub-professional  can  pass 
his  ten  examinations,  and  then  after  a 
five-year  period,  will  automatically  be  li 
classified  as  a  senior  sub-professional,  !l 
with  a  suggested  increase  of  three      '' 
hundred  dollar  per  annum  over  and  above 
tjie  already  stipulated  anniversary  raises^ 

It  is  evident  that  only  high  caliber   ' 
sub-professionals  \i±ll  reach  this  level  j 
and  that  they  should  therefore  be 
rewarded. 


LATE  FLASH 


Announcement  has  been  made  of  the  birth, 
on  March -8,  of  a  daughter,  Donne,  to  Mr 
and  Mrs  Clyde  Carter.  Mrs  Carter  is  on 
leave  of  absence  from  Central  Charging 
Records, 


Paul  W.  Smith 


To  the  Editor: 


Snow,  snow,  snow 

Dazzling  to  the  eye, 

Hexagonic  pearls, 
Oystered  in  the  sky. 

Fleecy,  downy  mantle. 
Coating  all  the  green. 

Wall  to  wall  wide  carpet, 
Whitest  ever  seen. 

Blemishes  of  ages 
Disappear  from  earth. 

Miracle  proclaiming 
Virginal  rebirth. 

Would  that  such  a  mantle 
Camouflaged  us  too. 

Hiding  all  the  sinful 
Ravages  from  view. 

Thus  at  least  a  season 
See  each  other  new, 

Feuds  and  rancors  hidden, 
Charity  in  view. 

Harry  Andrews 


-■?  - 


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-10- 

BOSTON  PUBLIC  LIBRARY  PROFESSIONAL  STAFF  ASSOCIATION 

Off  icers  and  Committees — 19^6 


President 
Vice  President 
Corresponding  Secretary- 
Recording  Secretary- 
Treasurer 


Executive  Board 


G.  Florence  Connolly 
Eamon  E.  McDonough 


Standing  Coimnittees 


Louis  Rains 
William  T.  Casey- 
Jean  E.  Watson 
Marion  K.  Abbot 
Mary  C.  Robbins 


Linda  M.  Pagliuca 
Ellen  Richwagen 


Constitution  Committee 
Mildred  C.  O'Connor,  Chairman 

Mchael  W,  Barden 

G.  Florence  Corjiolly 
Rita  A.  Farina 


Cataloging  and  Classification, 
Reference  and  Research  Services 

Cataloging  and  Classification, 
Reference  and  Research  Services 

Fine  Arts 

Hospi-bal  Library  Service 


Entertainment  Committee 
Euclid  J.  Peltier,  Chairman 
Margaret  D.  Butler 
Catherine  M.  Flaherty 
Shirley  A.  Gildea 
Anne  D.  Kelly 
Daniel  ¥.  Kelly 
Veronica  Yotts 


Audio-Visual 
Periodical  and  Ne-wspaper 
Bookmobile  I 
Information  Office 
Charlesto-«vn 
Audio-Visual 

Office  of  the  Division  of  Home 
Reading  and  Community  Services 


Bertha  V.  Hartzell  Memorial  Lectiire 
John  M.  Carroll,  Chairman 

Mildred  R.  Adelson 
Emilia  M.  Lange 
Mary  M.  McDonough 
Pauline  A.  Walker 

House  Committee  for  Men 
Paul  F.  I'lulloney,  Chairman 
^Hf-  Walter  Coleman 
Robert  F.  Ferris 
*  Sumner  Fryhon 
Donald  L.  Ne-wman 
Lawrence  J.  Sindone 


Office  of  the  Division  of  Home 

Reading  and  Community  Services 
Jamaica  Plain 
Print 

Book  Preparation 
Yfest  Roxbury 


Science  and  Technology 

Buildings 

Book  Stack  Service 

Buildings 

Book  Purchasing 

Book  Stack  Service 


House  Committee  for  Women 
Joan  McA^ris,  Chairman 
Laura  M.  Bondi 
Ruth  V.  Marshall 
Marie  T.  Orth 
•«■  Mary  T.  Sands 
•sHf  Helen  Schubarth 


Science  and  Technology 

Trustees 

Teachers 

Personnel 

Buildings 

Accoxinting 


■M-  Representative  of  the  Boston  Public  Library  Building  Service  Employees 
International  Union,  Local  #U09,  (AFL) 
•iHt  Representative  of  other  groups  not  represented  in  the  Association  or 
thff  TTninr 


.^11^ 


Membership  and  Hospitality  Committee 
Ellen  Richwagen,  Chairman 
Linda  Iberis 
Catherine  M.  MacDonald 
Gladys  L.  Murphy 

Personnel  Committee 

Eamon  E.  McDonough,  Chairman 

Albert  J.  Brogna 

Charles  J.  Gillis 


Julia  A.  Lenzi 
Taimi  E.  Lilja 
May  C.  McDonald 
B.  Joseph  O'Neil 
David  T.  Sheehan 
Sidney  Yfeinberg 

Program  Committee 

Linda  M.  Pagliuca,  Chairman 

Albert  J.  Brogna 

Bettina  M.  Coletti 

Angela  A.  Sacco 

Bridie  P.  Stotz 


North  End 
Charlestown 
Personnel 
Roslindale 


General  Reference 

Audio-Visual 

Cataloging  and  Classification, 
Division  of  Home  Reading 
and  Community  Services 

East  Boston 

Codman  Square 

Bookmobile  I 

Periodical  and  Newspaper 

Book  Stack  Service 

Patent  Room 


North  End 
Audio-Visiaal 
Codman  Square 
Allston 
Adams  Street 


Publications  Committee 

B.  Gertrude  Wade,  Chairman 

Barbara  Coffey 


Jean  L.  Eaton 
llary  A-  Racket t 
Girard  D.  Hottleman 
Richard  Lyons 

Special  Services  Committee 
Louis  M.  Ugalde,  Chairman 
Daniel  J.  Koury 
Felicia  J,  Langdon 

Staff  Library  Committee 

Dorothy  K,  Becker,  Chairman 

H.  Anna  Brennan. 

Paul  V.  Moynihan 

Anne  C.  Kearney 

William  Meehan 

Gertrude  Stuhl 


Book  Selection,  Division  of  Home 
Reading  and  Community  Services 

Cataloging  and  Classification, 
Division  of  Reference  and 
Research  Services 

Science  and  Technology 

Parker  Hill 

Book  Purchasing 

Open  Shelf 


Rare  Book 
Music  Room 
Audio- Visual 


Central  Charging  Records 

Mt  Bowdoin 

General  Reference 

Lower  Mills 

Teachers 

Central  Charging  Records 


Special  Committees 


CARE  Committee 

Walter  J.  Bluhm,  Chairman 

Marie  T.  Has tie 

Minna  Steinberg 


Periodical  and  Newspaper 

Parker  Hill 

Cataloging  and  Classification, 

Division  of  Reference  and 

Research  Services 


Mmn^n^EBBWH 


*U2- 


Centennial  Gift  Coinmittee  (Staff) 
Ada  A.  Andelman ,  Chairman 

Geraldine  M«  Altinan 
Charles  J.  Gillis 


Jeanne  M.  Hayes 
Bradford  M.  Hill 
Prise ilia  S.  MacFadden 
Thomas  J.  Manning 
Pauline  A.  Walker 
Pauline  Winnick 

Representing  Quarter  Century  Club 
Grace  M.  Caution 
Daniel  W,  Sheeiran 

Representing  Employees  Benefit  Association 
(now  disbanded)     """  — — 

Frank  P,  Bruno 
J.  Joseph  Danker 
Catherine  A.  Farrell 
George  W.  Gallagher 
Patrick  Jo  Reilly 
Representing  Arnavets 
John  J,  Tuley 
Sidney  Weinberg 

Concession  Committee 
Frank  P.  Bruno,  Chairman 
■»«•  Michael  Dello  Russo 
*  William  Donald 
Louis  Polishook 
David  T.  Sheehan 

Insurance  Committee 

Harry  C.  Fletcher,  Chairman 


Office  of  the  Division  of  Home 
Reading  and  Community  Services 

Jamaica  Plain 

Cataloging  and  Classification, 
Division  of  Home  Reading  and 
Community  Services 

Book  Purchasing 

Periodical  and  Newspaper 

Fine  Arts 

Exhibits  .  '  - 

West  Roxb\iry 

Open  Shelf 

Accounting 
Binding 


Science  and  Technology-r-Patent  Room 

Buildings 

Accounting 

Binding 

Buildings 

Fire  Control  Center 

Science  and  Technology — Patent  Roan 


Patent  Room 

Binding 

Buildings 

Central  Charging  Records 

Book  Stack  Service 


Cataloging  and  Classification, 
Division  of  Reference  and 
Research  Services 


Pe  ns  ions  C  ommitt e  e 
Louis  Polishook,  Chairman 
Abraham  B,  Snyder,  Special  Advisor 


Catherine  M.  MacDonald 
B.  Joseph  O'Neil 

Publicity  Committee 
Gracemarie  V.  Alfe,'  Chairman 
Mary  Brigante 
Mary  T.  Crosby 

Committee  to  Investigate  Travel  to  Miami 
Pauline  Winnick,  Chairman 
Richard  E.  Lyons 
Margaret  A.  Morgan 


Central  Charging  Records 
Cataloging  and  Classification, 

Division  of  Reference  and 

Research  Services 
Personnel 
Periodical  and  Newspaper 


East  Boston 
Allston 
Jeffries  Point 


Open  Shelf 
Open  Shelf 
Connolly 


** 


Representative  of  the  Boston  Public  Library  Building  Service  Employees 

International  Union,  Local  #1409  (AFL) 
Representative  of  other  groups  not  represented  in  the  Association  or  the  Union. 


c 

0  1956  United  Red  Feather  Campaign 

P  of  Metropolitan  Boston 

Y 


February  2U,  19^6 
Dear  Award  Winner: 

The  enclosed  citation  conveys  the  thanks 
of  over  500,000  Greater  Boston  citizens  who  will  use  one 
or  more  of  the  277  Red  Feather  services  during  1956.  I  am 
happy  to  send  this  citation  and  hope  that  it  will  bring  a 
sense  of  satisfaction  to  you  and  your  employees. 

Sincerely  yours, 
(signed)      J.  A.  ERICKSON 

Joseph  Ao  Erickson,  Chairman 
Comraunity  Fund  Division 

JAE:o 
Enclosure 


^<  :c 

*  H  0  N  0  R   A  V:  A  R  D  % 


Presented  to 


* 


X  % 

••                                EWLOYEES     *^ 

I                     CITY  of  BOSTON  LIBRARY  DEPARTlffiNT  •  x 

* 

In  Recognition  of  Their  Support  of  277  .if 

Greater  Boston  Red  Feather  Services.  Their  ^ 

Generosity  Shows  Keen  Awareness  of  Civic  Duty  'X 

and  Concern  of  the  Needs  for  Their  Fellowmen.  .7 


I  FRANCIS  W.  HATCH         fi 

^  Campaign  Chairiaan        -^ 

"  V 

f:  1956  United  Red  Feather     J»  A.  ERICKSON i 

^  Campaign  of  Metropolitan     Chairos-n,               S 

Boston  Comiminity  Fund  Division   ;; 

f,  ^ 

..  •" 


™ 


uestion 


MA^ 


THE  BOSTON  PUBLIC  LIBRARY 
PROFESSIONAL  STAFF  ASSOCIATION 


APRIL  1956 


THE   QUESTION   MARK 
Published  by  the  Boston  Public  Library  Professional  Staff  Association 
Volume  XI,  N\imber  h April  195^6 

Publications  Committee:  Barbara  E«  Coffey,  Jean  L.  Eaton,  Jfery  As  Hackett,  Girard  D. 

Hottleman,  Richard  E.  Lyons,  Robert  Co  Woodward,  B.  Gertrude 
Wade,  Chairman 

Publication  date;                        Deadline  for  submitting  material; 
The  fifteenth  of  each  month The  tenth  of  each  month 

EDITORIAL  NOTES 

What  with  income  taxes  falling  due,  April  is  an  unsettling  month  for  all  of  us. 
It  is,  also,  the  month  in  which  we  join  our  admnistrators  in  bemoaning  the  annual 
library  budget  appropriation.  Although  the  total  figure  this  year  is  $l6,630  more 
than  last  year's  allotment,  it  is  almost  $300,000  less  than  the  amount  requested. 

That  economy-minded  city  councillors  and  librarians  anxious  to  expand  services 
rarely  agree  on  the  amount  of  money  needed  for  the  functioning  of  a  large  library, 
we  understand.  A  close  look  at  separate  budget  items,  on  the  other  hand,  led  us  to 
the  discovery  of  an  especially  disturbing  facto  We  regi-et  the  slight  reduction  in 
our  vital  book  budget,  lowered  to  $31ii,000,  but  even  worse  is  the  substantial 
reduction  in  the  allotment  for  personnel  services.  Answer  to  our  inquiries  has 
revealed  the  hope  that  a  supplementary  budget  will  be  passed  to  bring  us  back  up  to 
last  year's  appropriation  in  this  area,  but  there  is  apparently  no  hope  of  an  increase 
that  would  enable  us  to  finance  the  enlarged  staff  that  most  of  us  feel  is  necessary 
to  spend  the  book  appropriation  wisely — and  to  maintain  other  library  services. 

To  our  amazement,  we  have  discovered  that,  despite  the  fact  that  in  1953  (when 
we  did  not  feel  vre  were  "overstaffed" )f  there  were  6I1.7  people  on  the  payroll,  our 
Trustees  have  set  a  limit  of  602  as  the  total  staff  to  which  the  Library  is  entitled. 
Since  on  April  1956  our  personnel  totaled  595,  we  have  at  the  moment,  it  seems,  only 
seven  vacancies — three  in  the  branch  libraries,  the  other  four  spread  over  the 
remaining  departments  and  divisions.  Those  of  us  who  know  the  difficulties  involved 
last  year  in  selecting,  purchasing,  processing  and  utilizing  $325,000  worth  of  books 
despite  short  staffs  wonder  how  this  discrepancy  between  necessarily  large  book 
budget  and  extreme  limitation  of  personnel  will  affect  us  this  year. 

In  many  units,  department  heads  and  chiefs  are  still  performing  clerical  and 
routine  functions,  manning  central  desks  and  taking  charge  of  the  floor  because  they 
do  not  have  enough  assistants,  professional  or  subprofessional,  to  perform  these 
indispensable  tasks.  If  the  department  head  vacancies  now  in  the  process  of  being 
filled  remove  more  personnel  from  the  rank  and  file,  as  we  assiime  at  least  some  of 
them  will,  we  shall  have  even  fewer  assistants  for  the  daily  chores.  Seven  new  staff 
cambers  will  certainly  not  fill  in  all  of  these  gaps.  Yet,  to  spend  the  book  budget 
to  greatest  advantage,  department  heads,  branch  librarians,  and  supervisors  need 
time  to  survey  their  collections  and  work  out  adequate  purchase  plans.  How  can  we 
transmit  from  publisher  to  patron  the  best  and  most  essential  books  available  in 
return  for  the  taxpayers'  money  while  we  remain  so  inadequately  staffed? 

THE  PUBLICATIONS  COMETTEE 


CALENDAR  OF  ETONTS 


VISIIDRS 


April  16   S.L.A.,  Boston  Chapter,  April 
Meeting,  Federal  Records  Club, 
Dorchester,  7:ii5  P»ni. 

May  2,  3   M.L.A.  Spring  meeting,  Lord 
Jeffery  Hotel,  Aniierst 

PERSONAL  NOTES 

New  Employees 

Richard  L.  Oilman,  Charles town 

¥srs   Aline  B,  O'Neill,  L^ttapan 

Loyce  Fairfax,  Book  Stack  Service 

S.  Robert  Johnson,  Fine  Arts 

Mrs  Edith  L.  Lebman,  Personnel  Office 

Transferred 

Catherine  M.  Hannon,  from  Brighton  to 

West  End 
Wcs   Elaine  E.  Sherer,  from  Mt  Bowdoin  to 

Brighton 
Mrs  Christine  Umano,  from  Mattapan  to 

Dorchester 
Mrs  Millicent  A.  Smith,  from  Dorchester 

to  Neponset 

Resignations 

Ellis  P.  Batchelder,  Office  of  the 

Division  of  Reference  and  Research 

Services ,  because  of  illness . 
Donold  M.  Koslow,  Kirstein  Business 

Branch,  to  accept  a  position  in  the 

Naval  War  College  Library,  Nevrport, 

Rhode  Island. 
George  E.  Ear ley,  General  Reference,  to 

accept  a  position  as  Assistant  Director 

of  the  Freeport  Memorial  Library, 

Freeport,  Long  Island. 
Hope  Bq  Brovm,  South  Boston,  to  accept 

a  position  at  the  Mlton  Public  library. 
Mrs  Mary  K.  McNamee,  Personnel  Office,  to 

remain  at  home. 
Jolin  F.  Collins,  Business  Office,  to 

accept  a  position  with  Trans-World 

Airlines,  New  York  City, 

Retirement 

Albert  F.  Hunt,  Working  Foreman  Carpenter, 
Buildings,  retired  on  March  13,  1956. 
Mr  Hunt  has  been  on  the  staff  of  the 
Library  since  July  I6,  1928,  and 
TTorking  Foreman  Carpenter  since 
November  8,  195U. 


:  Mrs  Adelheid  Laro  Mekkila,  Finland. 

From  USIS 

Musa  Absy,  Jordan 

Kimsan  Doeur  Nouth,  Cambodia 

J,  E.  Pasanibu,  Indonesia 

Phar  Thuy  Dung,  Vietnam 

Hector  Perera,  Ceylon 

Sook  Wongsason,  Bangkok,  Thailand 

Ishaq  Ao  S.  Husseini,  Tripoli,  Libya 

Miss  Nguyen  Kim  DiiJi,  Saigon,  Vietnam 

CONGRATULATIONS 

To  Samuel  Green,  Deputy  Assistant  to  the 
Director,  who  has  been  elected  a  director 
of  the  City  of  Boston  Employees  Association, 
Inc.  The  Association  has  a  membership  of 
2600,  80  from  the  B=P.L. 


To  Ann  C.  McCluskey,  extra  assistant  at 
South  Boston  and  student  at  Girls*  Latin 
School,  who  has  just  been  awarded  a  four- 
year  partial  scholarship  to  Emmanuel  College. 


To  Gilda  Tecce,  Children's  Assistant  at 
Hyde  Park,  who  announced  her  engagement  to 
Paul  W.  Barrett  of  Braintree,  Massachusetts, 
on  Easter  Sunday 

BPLPSA  WELCOME  TO  NEVlf  MEMBERS 

Joan  Bianchi,  North  End 

Margaret  T,  Brassil,  Memorial 

Cornelia  M.  Harrington,  Division  Office, 

HR  and  CS 
Margaret  Hewey,  South  End 
Marie  Ann  Orth,  Personnel  Office 
Leslie  Vance,  East  Boston 
Letitia  Y*  Woodson,  Jamaica  Plain 

WELL-DESERVED  PRAISE 

Bow  of  the  month  to  the  men  in  the 
Buildirss  Eep-';::tin3-;it  and  the  Book  Stack 
for  their  magnificent  job  of  clearing  the 
snow  dioring  those  three  severe  March 
blizzards. 


See  back  cover  for  a     SPECIAL     EVENT 


-3- 


MEET  OUR  NEW  ARRIVALS 


This  month  we  are  inaugurating  a  new 
column  which,  we  hope,  will  become  a  regu- 
lar feature  of  The  Question  Hark.  So  that 
vre  can  get  acquainted  xvith  new  staff 
members,  we  will  present  each  issue  brief-i 
and-lively  sketches  of  each  newcomer,     i 
beginning  with  the  group  listed  as  "New   j 
Employees"  in  the  March  issue  of  The  Quss-I 
tion  Itarko  The  Publications  Committee    j 
welcomes  any  and  all  commentary  upon  this 
department.  We  hope  ttiat  you  will  enioy 
it. 


Open  Shelf  has  a  welcome  new  male  member 
in  Paul  Cawsin.  After  graduation  from 
Ohio  University,  Paul  began  to  attend 
Episcopal  Theological  School  in  Cambridge 
but  left  there  to  enter  library  woi-k  of 
which  he  had  had  a  taste  in  the  university 
library  as  an  undergraduate.  At  the  mo- 
ment Paul  is  still  assistant  to  the  minis- 
ter at  St  Paul's  Episcopal  Church  in 
Newton  Highlands  Ti^ere  he  is  in  charge  of 
the  youth  program. 

Mr  Cawein's  past  experience  has  included 
employment  at  Robert  Bentley,  Inc.  in 
Cambridge,  a  firm  from  which  the  Library 
buys  many  of  its  English  books.  Summer 
1951;  found  him  traveling  through  western 
Europe  0  And,  in  the  midst  of  this  busy 
life,  he  found  time  to  get  married. 

Already  Paul's  interest  in  literature 
has  made  him  valuable  to  Book  Selection 
as  a  reviewer.  He  also  enjoys  music  and 
takes  a  deep  interest  in  politics  and 
current  events . 


* 


The  Director's  Office  newest  employee 
is,  Anne  Marie  Degnan.  After  graduation 
from  high  school,  and  prior  to  her  en- 
trance to  the  library  staff,  Anne  was 
employed  at  Boston  Civil  Defense. 
Although  she  enjoys  traveling,  the  most 
distant  state  she  has  visited  as  yet  is 
Maryland . 

She  enjoys  most  sports,  but  prefers 
bowling  ard  dancing  to  any  other.  Her 
stay  at  the  library  has  proved  most  enjoy- 
able thus  far,  she  says,  and  she  feels 
quite  confident  that  it  will  continue  to 
be.  Those  of  us  who  have  met  her  hope 
that  her  warm  smile  and  friendly  manner 
will  remain  with  us  for  a  long  while. 


■»• 


On  February  29,  1956,  Jeremiah  F.  Long 
began  full-time  employment  as  an  Unclassifipi- 
Assistant  in  the  Exhibits  Office.  Up  until 
that  time  he  had  been  working  part-time  in 
Book  Stack  Service. 

Mr  Long  started  working  as  newspaperboy 
during  grammar  school  days.  From  there  he 
went  on  to  be  a  soda  clerk  and  then  delivery 
boy  in  a  local  grocery  market.  It  was  at 
this  point  that  he  decided  upon  and  took 
the  Library  examination-  This  v.-as  an 
important  step  in  his  life,  he  says,  because 
when  he  began  working  here  he  met  many  new 
friends  and  acquaintances  and  had  an  oppor- 
tunity to  familiarize  himself  with  one  of 
the  city's  most  well-equipped  buildings. 

Upon  graduating  from  Boston  College  High 
School  last  June,  he  attended  Newman 
Preparatory  School-  Completing  the  necessai^y 
courses  there  in  January  of  this  year,  he 
began  to  seek  permanent  employment.  Only 
a  few  weeks  elapsed  before  he  happily 
assiiited  his  new  position  in  the  Exhibits 
Office  tohere  he  is  learning  many  new 
interesting  facets  of  library  work*  His 
earnest  application  to  his  new  duties 
indicates  that  he  should  become  a  decidedly 
valuable  assistant. 


Guess  you  all  know  tall,  friendly  Edward 
A.  Munro  11*10  began  working  in  the  Patent 
Room  March  2.  Up  to  that  time  Ed  had  been 
a  part-time  employee  there  since  September 
195U.  Perhaps  he  has  been  best-known  up 
to  now  for  his  performance  in  the  BPL  pro- 
duction of  "Free  to  All"  as  the  boy  in  the 
khaki  uniform  singing  "Betsy,  She's  lHy   Gal" 
to  Veronica  Yotts. 

He's  a  busy  man  these  days  working  on  his 
Masters  Degree  at  the  New  England  Conserva- 
tory of  Music,  maintaining  two  church 
singing  jobs,  and  accepting  all  other  sing- 
ing engagements  he  can -fill.  .He  has  been 
soloist  for  one  or  more  times  with  17 
different  choral  groups  and  orchestras. 
Besides  all  this,  twice  last  year  he  was 
tenor  soloist  with  the  Boston  Symphony 
Orchestra  under  Charles  Munch. 

Don't  get  your  hopes  up,  gals,  Mr  Munro 
cheerfully  says  that  he  plans  to  be  married 
in  August. 


.4;- 


CATHOLIG  LIBRARY  ASSOCIATION 
AiTtmL  CONFERENCE 

BOSTON,  APRIL  2.-6,  1956 

The  Conference  opened  Tuesday,  April  2, 
1956  with  a  Pontifical  High  Mass  at 
St  Clsment's  Church,  Archbishop  Gushing 
officiating.  His  topic  TOas — The  truth 
shall  make  you  free.  He  discussed  the 
necessity  of  reading  not  only  for  acadendc 
learning,  but  also  as  an  aid  for  the  pre- 
servation of  liberty  and  the  free  press . 

The  Archbishop  also  spoke  at  a  meeting 
of  the  Nursing  Section-  The  lack  of  an 
accredited  School  for  Medical  Librarians 
Twas  discussed  and  the  Archbishop  offered 
scholarships  if  such  a  school  woTild  be 
organized  at  the  Catholic  University 
in  Washington. 

One  of  the  most  active  groups  is  that 
conducted  by  Sister  Camillus  of  Pittsburg, 
the  Elementary  school  section.  Special- 
ists in  work  with  children  were  ajiong  the 
speakers — Mrs  Margaret  Ludwig  of  the 
Carnegie  Public  Library  in  Pittsburg; 
Ethna  Sheehan,  Queens  Borough  Public 
Library,  New  York;  Jennie  Lindquistj 
Mrs  lilary  Reed  Newlandj  and  Dr  Frances 
Henne  of  Columbia  University. 

At  the  first  general  session  Monsignor 
John  S.  Kennedy,  Editor  of  the  Catholic 
Transcript  of  Hartford,  took  for  his 
subject  the  general  theme  of  the  Confer- 
ence :  Reading  in  the  Homo.  At  the  Confer- 
ence Luncheon  on  Wednesday,  Riley  Hughes, 
author  of  The  hills  are  liars  talked  on 
The  Novel  and  I.  Both  these  speakers 
xirged  more  reading  and  declared  that  a 
good  reading  foundation  could  never  be 
supplanted  by  television. 

But  the  events  which  will  be  remembered 
and  talked  about  most  were  the  meetings  at 
the  Boston  Public  Library.  All  were  most 
enthusiastic  about  the  dinner  and  recep- 
tion in  the  Lecture  Hall.  Their  comments 
were  "Aren't  you  fortunate  to  work  with 
such  fine  people  and  in  such  beautiful 
surroundings."  The  presence  of  Archbishop 
Gushing  and  Mayor  Hynes  added  to  the  cele- 
bration, and  guests  all  went  away  to 
spread  the  fame  of  the  Boston  Public 
Library. 

Among  the  Boston  speakers  at  the  various 
sections  were  Mary  Alice  Rea,  John  M. 
O'Lcughlin  of  Boston  College,  Reverend 
Brendan  C.  Connolly,  S.  J.,  of  Weston 
College,  Reverend  John  A.  Broderick, 
Charles  L,  Higgins,  Gerald  L.  Ball, 


Martha  C.  Engler,  Sally  Ann  Quinn,  Sister 
Walter,  of  Mission  Church  School,  Dr  Frederick 
Rosenheim,  Mrs  Kathleen  Landry  McCormick, 
Reverend  John  P.  Redding,  and  Rudolph  Elie. 

Over  600  members  were  registered,  from 
33  states  and  U  Canadian  provinces.  And 
those  from  California,  Texas,  Florida,  and 
Mississippi  were  thrilled  to  see  snow  and 
frozen  ponds. 

Martha  Engler  was  appointed  Secretary  of 
the  Elementary  School  Section  and  Anna  L. 
Manning  was  appointed  a  member  of  the 
Nominating  Committee, 


Anna  L.  Manning 

Secretary, 

New  England  Unit,  C. 


L.  A. 


On  behalf  of  the  New  Englard  Unit  of  the 
Catholic  Library  Association,  may  I  say  one 
great  big 

THANK  TOU 

to  every  member  of  the  Boston  Public  Library 
staff,  for  their  wonderful  spirit  of  cooper- 
ation and  their  gracious  courtesy  to  the 
Catholic  Library  Association  delegates  who 
recently  visited  us. 

Sincerely  yours, 

(Signed)       MARY  ALICE  REA  : 

Mary  Alice  Rea,  Chairman 
New  England  Unit,  CLA 

ARIJAVETS 

At  the  annual  meeting  of  the  ARNAVETS 
held  on  April  2,  the  following  officers 
for  1956/57  were  elected: 
Commander — Henry  F.  Barry 
Vice-Commander — Charles  L.  Higgins 
Adjutant  and  Quartermaster  (21st  term)-* 

James  P,  J.  Gannon 
Chaplain — Thomas  J.  Daly 


-5- 


IN  MEMDRIA-M 
BESSIE  LAVINIA  EOHERTY 

We  shall  never  know  whether,  when 
Bessie  Lo  Doherty  closed  her  desk  on 
Thvo-sday,  April  fifth,  she  sensed  that 
she  had  spent  her  last  day  in  the  service 
of  the  Library;  but,  ws  do  know  that  the 
Shock  of  her  passing  as  a  new  day  began 
on  Wednesday,  April  eleventh,  Tras  felt 
throughout  the  entire  system. 

In  the  fifty-one  years  which  had  elapsadi 
since  she  entered  the  then-called  Issue 
Department,  she  had  worked  conscientious- 
ly and  devotedly,  having  learned  well  her 
lessons  in  her  first  years  of  training 
under  M.  Florence  C^ifflin.  Her  only 
transfer  in  this  half  century  was  to 
Branch  Issue,  T^ere  she  served  as  First 
Assistant  and  as  Assistant-in-Charge. 

Five  of  the  Library's  staff  associations 
received  Iiliss  Doherty 's  ardent  support — 
the  staff  association  which  flourished 
in  the  early  twenties;  the  Employees' 
Benefit  Association  v;hich  was  organized 
three  years  before  she  entered  the  Library 
and  of  "w^ich  she  served  as  president  from 
1938  to  I9UO;  the  Employees'  Union  and 
its  successor'.  The  Library  Club;  and 
finally,  the  Quarter  Century  Club. 

Miss  Doherty' s  outside  interests  were 
varied  and  she  pursued  each  with  vigor 
and  enthusiasm.  To  achieve  the  best  was 
the  very  lowest  aim  she  set  for  herself, 
and  she  worked  steadily  and  confidently 
toward  the  accomplishment  of  her  goals. 
Rewarding  years  in  religious  education 
work  found  her  in  great  demand  as  a 
teacher  and  administrator  both  in  church 
schools  and  at  summer  conferences.  One 
field  which  was  very  dear  to  her  heart 
and  in  t^iich  she  was  especially  outstand- 
ing was  storjrtelling.  Her  proficiency  in 
this  sphere  brought  recognition  which 
resulted  in  the  inclusion:  of  this  subject 
among  those  which  she  taught  most  success- 
fully. 

As  her  creative  mind  sought  new 
mediums  of  expression,  she  entered  the 
field  of  writing — drama,  essay,  and 
poetry — and  experienced  the  satisfying 
reward  of  seeing  many  works  in  print. 

During  the  second  World  War,  when  the 
Boston  Metropolitan  Chapter  of  the  Amer- 
ican Red  Cross  sent  out  an  appeal  for 
volunteers  to  train  for  the  Nurses  Aide 
Corps,  Miss  Doherty  was  one  of  the  first 
to  accept  the  challenge.  Possessed  of  a 
deep  \inderstanding  of  human  nature,  a 


quiet,  even  disposition,  and  a  -ivillingness 
to  expend  herself  unselfishly  if  by  so 
doing  she  could  bring  comfort  and  cheer  to 
others,  she  was  admirably  suited  to  this 
particular  type  of  service. 

To  have  shared  a  friendship  with  Miss 
Doherty  was  a  privilege  for  she  exemplified 
those  characteristics  which  many  strive, 
without  success,  to  develop  but  which  were 
an  intrinsic  part  of  her  personality — 
loyalty,  integrity,  generosity,  dignity,  , 
stability,  and  the  possession  of  a  keen 
sense  of  humor. 

Each  friend  she  made  will  cherish  his  or 
her  own  individual  memories  of  experiences 
shared  with  Bessie  Doherty,  but  all  will 
treasure  the  common  memory  of  a  gallant 
spirit  who  faced  life  with  high  courage,  a 
strong  will  power,  and  deep  and  unfaltering 
faith,  Tfhat  friendship  meant  to  her,  she 
summarized  in  the  closing  paragraphs  of  a 
pamphlet  she  titled  Bridges  &  Friends ; 

"¥Jith  reverent  gratitude,  tnerefore,  one 
bows  one's  heart  before  all  the  linking- 
together  bridgeways  of  life,  with  their 
ability  to  draw  people  and  places  into 
closer  understanding  and  fellowship; — before 
the  glorious  magic  of  friendship,  with  its 
constant  thrill  of  adventure,  warm  assurance, 
unchanging  faith,  its  comforting  ability  to 
make  one  see  life  in  the  right  perspective, 
its  disciplining  powers,  its  challenging 
visions,  and  quiet  sharing  of  all  that  is 
most  worth  while. 

"Thank  God  for  all  bridges,  far  flung, 
and  close  at  hand,  which  tend  to  unite  in 
friendship,  ease  the  hardships  of  the 
journey,  or  simply  grace  the  landscape  with 
their  beauty.  Thank  Him,  too,  for  friends, 
who,  like  bridges,  graciously  assist  one 
along  the  beautiful,  interesting,  and 
of times  dangerous  steps  of  life," 

Sarah  M.  Usher 

MARIA.  REYNCLDS 

Many  of  the  members  of  the  staff  were 
saddened  to  learn  of  the  death  of  Mary  A. 
Reynolds  on  March  lii,  1956.  Miss  Reynolds 
retired  in  19U3  after  fifty  years  of  service 
She  will  be  remembered  by  those  who  knew  her 
for  the  courtesy  and  graciousness  with  which 
she  served  the  patrons  at  the  Issue  Desk  for 
over  a  period  of  thirty  years;  for  her 
loyalty  to  the  Library  and  the  sincerity 
and  kindness  shown  to  her  fellow  staff 
members  ^ 

Beatrice  Coleman 


-6- 


PRESIDEMT'S  NOTES 

The  President,  vdth  the  approval  of  the 
Executive  Board,  has  sent  to  the  Director 
a  letter  recommending  that: 

Fractional  absence  due  to  sudden 
illness  be  chargeable  to  allowance 
for  illness,  with  the  stricken  staff 
member  having  the  option  of  making 
up  the  lost  timee 

At  the  regular  meeting  of  the  Eixecutive 
Board  held  on  April  10,  19^6,  it  was  votad 
that  Sarah  Mt  Usher  be  nominated  for  mem- 
bership on  the  19^6-1958  SORT  Steering 
Committee.  Miss  Usher  has  accepted  the 
nomination  and  her  name  will  appear  on  the 
the  SORT  ballot  at  the  election  this 
coming  June. 


Walter  Miir  TifhitehiH,  the  author,  and 
Rudolph  Riiaicka,  the  illustrator  of  The 
Boston  Public  Library;  A  Centennial 
History,  will  be  guests  of  the  Staff 
Association  at  a  tea  to  be  held  in  the 
Women's  Lounge  on  the  afternoon  of 
Wednesday,  lilay  9,  19^6,  All  staff  mem- 
bers are  invited  to  come  to  "meet  and 
greet"  our  guests,  who  have  kindly  con- 
sented to  autograph  copies  of  the  History. 
If  you  want  your  copy  autographed,  bring 
it  with  you. 


The  call  has  gone  out  to  the  Staff 
Representatives  that  now  is  the  time  for 
all  good  members  to  pay  their  dues  for 
the  current  year.  We  can  make  life  more 
pleasant  for  the  Staff  Representatives, 
the  Treasurer,  and  the  Chairman  of  the 
Membership  and  Hospitality  Committee  if 
•we  pay  our  dues  promptly. 

Louis  Rains, 
President 

BERTHA  V.  HARTZELL  MEMORIAL  LECTURE 

Due  to  the  fact  that  he  has  had  a 
serious  accident,  Dr  Paul  Buck  has  in- 
formed us,  with  his  sincere  regrets,  that 
he  will  be  unable  to  deliver  this  year's 
Bertha  V.  Hartzell  Memorial  Lecture  as 
previously  anno\inced«  The  committee  is 
busily  working  to  secure  a  new  speaker. 
VJ^atch  bulletins  for  announcement  of  the 
new  plans,  including  time  and  place,  as 
soon  as  they  are  completed. 


DEPARTl^lENT  ^DTES 

Kirstein  Business  Branch 

Neither  warnings  of  an  MIA  shutdown  nor 
prospects  of  spending  the  night  on  bunks 
at  City  Hall  Annex  could  keep  11  staunch 
KBB'ers  from  a  combination  dinner  party  for 
Elaine  Hanson  and  Donald  Koslow  on  Monday, 
l/^rch  19*  A  few  quick  telephone  calls  to 
the  City  Club  merely  altered  the  dinner 
plans  into  luncheon  plans  when  a  12  noon 
elos'ing  of  tfe  Library  was  declared. 

Elaine,  who  is  to  be  married  in  Washingtoj 
on  April  7,  was  delighted  with  a  serving 
spoon  in  her  silver  pattern^  and  Donald, 
who  has  accepted  a  position  with  the  Naval 
War  College  Library  in  Newport,  Rhode 
Island,  was  pleased  with  his  Sheaf fer  pen 
and  pencil  set.  The  group  parted  with  many 
fond  good-bye's  and  good  luck's,  ready  to 
brave  the  elements  and  whatever  transpor- 
tation difficulties  that  were  ahead  of  them. 

BRANCH  ^DTES 

Connolly 

An  April  Shower  brought  together  the 
staff  to  honor  Barbara  Cotter  on  her  forth- 
coming marriage  to  John  Travers,  The 
shower  was  held  at  the  home  of  Marie  Benner. 
Children's  Librarian,  on  Friday  evening, 
April  6.  The  bride-to-be's  complete  sur- 
prise and  obvious  pleasure  in  receiving 
so  many  lovely  gifts  made  ihe   evening  very 
successful, 

Hyde  Park 

Gilda  Tecce,  Children's  Assistant  at 
Hyde  Park  has  just  returned  from  two  weeks 
spent  in  New  York  where  she  did  her  prac- 
tice work  for  Simmons  College.  Miss  Tecce 
had  a  busy  two  weeks  both  professionally 
and  socially, 

Neponset 

On  Tuesday  afternoon,  April  10,  the 
Annual  Children's  Hobby  Show  was  held. 
Almost  one  hundred  eager  and  enthusiastic 
children  crowded  around  the  tables  upon 
which  the  entries  had  been  arranged.  The 
three  local  judges  exclaimed  upon  the 
variety  and  quality  of  the  hobbies  presented 
Each  one  was  an  excellent  example  of  the 
handicraft  and  ingenuity  of  Neponset 's 
children.  There  were  doll  collections, 
china  animal  collections,  flags,  drawings 
and  paintings,  sea  shells,  antique  post 
cards,  pot  holders,  a  postmark  collection, 
model  automobiles  and  boats,  etc.  To  the 
three  top  entries  went  ribbon  awards,  and 


-7- 


to  the  next  three j  ribbon-  bookmarks. 
These  were  all  very  proudly  received  and 
displayed  by  their  young  winners. 

THE  SOCnL  17HIRL 

Thxirsday,  April  12,  was  Children's 
Librarians  Day  at  Eddie  Davis'  Steak  Ifouse 
•when  the  group  gathered  for  Ivmcheon  in 
honor  of  ttro  departing  members,  Mrs  Mary 
West  and  Mrs  Iphigenia  Fillios,  Mew 
Easter  bonnets,  happy  faces,  good  food 
and  good  companions  added  up  to  a  gay 
affair  but  mixed  with  the  gayety  were  the 
regrets  of  all  of  us  who  were  bidding 
farevrell  to  t\TO  of  our  most  able  and 
beloved  co-workers. 

In  presenting  gifts  to  the  two.  Miss 
Gordon,  Deputy  Supervisor  of  Work  with 
Children,  expressed  the  sentimsnts  of 
everyone  present  wj.shing  Mrs  West  joy  and 
success  in  her  new  position  in  Spring- 
field, Illinois,  and  Iti's  Fillj.os  a  life- 
time of  happiness  with  daughcir  Dispena. 
Mrs  West  vras  presented  with  a  starter  set 
of  Revere  Ware;  Mrs  Fillios  received  a 
Swedish  glass  vase. 

We  were  happy  indeed  to  have  John 
Carroll,  Chief  Librarian  of  the  Division 
of  Home  Reading,  drop  in  to  "kiss  the 
girls  good-bye". 


On  April  12  it  was  proved  beyond  a 
doubt  that  George  T.  Armstrong,  although 
on  the  payroll  of  the  Office  of  Records, 
Files,  Statistics,  did  not  belong  exclu- 
sively to  that  small  office  but  rather 
to  the  whole  Central  Library  building. 
On  that  day  literally  hundreds  of  his 
friends  there  joined  in  a  dual  gift — of 
appreciation  for  the  fine  service  he  has 
given  the  Library  and  of  congratulations 
upon  his  approaching  marriage.  George 
will  begin  his  new  work  with  Westinghouse 
on  the  sixteenth  and  his  wedding  day  is 
May  fifth.  He  was  guest  of  honor  at  a 
small  liincheon  at  the  Darbury  Room. 
Symbolizing  his  last  appearance  as  a 
bachelor  at  a  social  gathering  of  BPLers, 
his  "corsage"  was  one  blue  bachelor's 
button.  John  J.  Connolly  presented  the 
gift  of  money  with  most  appropriate 
remarks.  The  sincerest  good  wishes  from 
his  many  friends  go  with  George  as  he 
enters  into  his  two  new  ventures. 


JOIN 


A.  L.  Ac 


NCWJ  J  ] 


VISIT 


MIAMI 


IN  JUNEJI 


For  application  blanks,  see: 


Sarah  M.  Usher 

A.L.Ao  Membership  Committee 

Office  of  Records,  Files, 

Statistics 


Still  GARE-ir^? 

This  past  winter  was  exceptionally 
severe  in  Europe,  Your  contributions 
to  CARE  can  help  to  alleviate  this 

N  0  W, 


-8- 


^^^50:5 


SOA'P         BOX 


Any  contribution  to  the  Soap  Box  must 
be  accompanied  by  the  full  name  of  the 
Association  member  submitting  it,  together 
with  the  name  of  the  Branch  Library,  De- 
partment or  Office  in  which  he  or  she  is 
employed.  The  name  is  withheld  from  pub- 
lication, or  a  pen  name  used,  if  the  con- 
tributor so  requests,  Ancnjnnous  contri- 
butions are  not  given  consideration.  The 
author  of  the  article  is  known  only  to  the 
Editor-in-Chief.  The  contents  of  the 
articles  appearing  in  the  Soap  Box  are 
personal  opinions  expressed  by  individual 
Association  members  and  their  appearance 
does  not  necessarily  indicate  that  the 
Publications  Committee  and  tiie  Association 
are  in  agreement  with  the  views  expressed. 
Only  those  contributions  containing  not 
more  than  300  words  will  be  accepted. 


not  have  a  degree.  No  accomodation  is  made 
for  those  simple  folk  in  cloth  coats. 
Instead  they  are  forced  to  submit  to  inferior 
in-training  courses  for  which  the  subject 
Batter  icast  be  contrived  and  ultra-super- 
simplified;  their  capacity  for  prof  ess  iozial 
work  is  completely  ignored;  they  are  expected 
to  wear  their  nerves  threadbare  pushing  Book 
Stack  caarts,  counting  patrons  of  the  library, 
sorting  transaction  cards,  until  they  are 
finally  forced  by  desperation  and  discouragS' 
ment  to  leave  the  library. 

This  thin  spot  in  the  personnel  classifi- 
cation system  could  be  mended  by  instituting 
a  cloth  coat  republic  for  these  people. 
They  would  be  classified  as  neither  sub- 
professional  nor  professional,  but  as  semi- 
professional.  They  would  do  work  of  a 
professional  nature  and  would  be  encouraged 
to  take  profossional  in-training  courses 
and  courses  at  Simroons  College,  receiving 
credit  which  would  be  recognized  upon  their 
attaining  a  degree.  Upon  their  attaining  a 
degree  they  would  immediately  transfer  to 
the  Professional  Service.  This  system  would 
not  only  grant  recognition  to  a  now  unac- 
k-nowledged  class  of  library  employees,  but 
would  also  provide  the  library/  with  a  stock 
of  trained  librarians. 

"Ben  Franklin" 


To  the  Editor: 

The  automatic  two-fold  disjunction, 
based  on  academic  degrees,  of  all  biblio- 
thecal  personnel  into  either  the  Profes- 
sional or  Sub-Professional  category  no 
doubt  has  its  merits  insofar  as  the  safe- 
guarding of  professional  standards  is  con- 
cerned; but  this  dichotomy  also  has  its 
non-laudable  aspects,  especially  the  waste 
of  qualified  personnel  -v^io  are  mechanically 
stamped  Sub-Professional  because  they  have 
not  yet  earned  academic  degrees,  even 
though  they  may  have  been  studying  for  a 
degree  at  the  time  of  classification  and 
may  have  only  a  year  or  two  before  their 
studies  are  complete. 

This  factory  reject  system  is  based  on 
the  assumption  by  those  v/ho  are  supposed 
to  be  judges  of  the  intellectual  fabric 
that  an  employee  is  either  garbed  in 
intellectual  luxury  if  he  has  a  degree  or 
ia  intellectually  stark  naked  if  he  does 


To  the  Soap-Box ; 

Consideration  is  not  an  unknown  word,  yet 
it  often  seems  to  have  little  meaning  in 
otir  Administration-Employee  relations.  Take 
the  storm  closings  for  just  one  example. 
On  Monday  when  the  library  closed  at  noon, 
no  attempt  was  made  for  concerted  notifi- 
cation of  that  portion  of  the  staff  who 
were  reporting  for  afternoon  and  evening 
coverage.  Nor  was  the  closing  carried  on 
radio  networks.  Consequently  some  employees 
reported  for  work  at  their  usual  hour.  Had 
consideration  been  included  in  the  vocabulary 
of  the  Officers  of  the  Library,  this  eould 
have  been  avoided.  So  too  on  the  Tuesday 
closing.  Little  thoughtfulness  was  shown 
in  notifying  those  below  the  level  of  "key 
people".  We  too  would  have  been  grateful 
to  stay  in  bed.  With  the  decision  made  on 
Monday  evening,  all  radio  stations  could 
have  been  asked  to  carjry  the  information. 
Other  working  closings  were  carried  every 
half  hour  on  WBZ  and  WCOPI  And  department 
heads  could  have  been  notified  and  asked  to 
set  up  a  phone  chain  to  their  staffs.  Some 
did,  for  many  of  the  Office  and  Home  Reading 


-9- 


staffs  were  phoned.  Why  was  not  this 
notification  library  wide  instead  of  to 
the  favored  few?  Why  did  WMEX,  which  the 
majority  do  not  tvine  in  regularly,  carry 
the  closing ,  iffhen  Wffi  is  noted  for  its 
public  service  coverage?  Morale  of  those 
staff  members  ti*io  made  a  distinct  effort 
to  report  for  duty  Tuesday  at  nine,  from 
a  strong  sense  of  responsibility,  is 
justifiably  low.  Can  anyone  seriously 
expect  them  to  make  any  effort  at  a  futuire 
date  Ti*en  the  Administration  made  no 
attempt  to  care  about  their  welfare?  And 
what  of  the  library  patrons  who  heard 
no  announcement  on  the  networks  and  also 
came  to  the  library? 

One  who  had  a  long  cold  two-way 
walk,  after  hours  of  listening 
to  WBZ. 

For  Those  It  Concerns: 


Yet,  examination  of  the  last  titular 
; appointments  shovre  that  the  same  rule  does 
not — or  no  longer  applies— in. the  Division 
of  Home  Reading  and  Community  Services, 
where  opportunities  for  advancement  come 
after  only  three  or  foiir  years' service. 
Within  a  year  of  passing  the  required 
Promotional  Examinations,  a  member  of  a 
unit  with  a  staff  of  fotir,  two  already 
holding  titular  rank,  was  advanced,  leaving 
only  one  untitled  person  in  the  unit. 

If  the  long-standing  rule  about  the 
number  of  titular  personnel  permitted  in 
a  unit  of  five  or  less  has  been  changed, 
when  can  general  assistants  in  the  Reference 
Division  who  passed  their  required  Promo- 
tional Examinations  for  their  specialized 
departments  as  much  as  five,  six,  or  even 
eight,  years  ago,  expect  their  recognition? 


'??99'?  '?9? 


Since  the  inauguration  of  the  present 
Promotional  Examination  system  in 
January  1938,  it  has  teen  proved  by  the 
number  of  promotions,  past  and  present, 
that  opporttinities  for  advancement  in 
the  Division  of  Reference  and  Research 
Services  are  still  extremely  limited. 
The  reverse  is  true  in  the  Division  of 
Home  Reading  and  Community  Services.  This 
situation  has  arisen  because  examinations 
for  departments,  requiring  specialized, 
advanced  knowledge,  are  applicable  to 
only  one  unit  of  the  Division.  In 
addition,  most  of  the  subject  units  are 
small,  having  a  staff  of  five  or  less, 
with  rare  turnover  at  titular  levels. 

Since  1938,  whenever  recommendation  has 
been  made  that  a  general  assistant  in 
these  small  units  be  advanced  to  titular 
rank  in  recognition  of  his  completion  of 
Promotional  Examinations,  general  work 
accomplishment,  and  years  of  service, 
the  administrative  reply  has  teen  that 
the  organisational  plan  of  the  Library 
permits  only  two  persons  to  hold  titular 
rank  in  ar^r  unit  staffed  by  five  or  less 
personnel.  Therefore,  if  the  unit  already 
has  two  titular  people,  the  recognition 
cannot  be  ard  is  not  given  the  general 
assistant. 

A  long,  indefinite  wait  ensues  on  the 
part  of  the  general  assistant  for  one  of 
the  titular  people  in  his  unit  to  advance 
or  resign — or  he  resigns  himself.  Both 
alternatives  have  been  used  by  Reference 
and  Research  assistants. 


ITondering 


To  the  Editor: 

There  seems  to  be  a  difference  of  opinion 
as  to  T*iat  General  Administrative  Notice 
No.  15,  1956,  means.  Ify  own  interpretation 
is  that  while  the  new  promotional  appoint- 
ment procedure  starts  out  with  a  new  name 
("Open  List"  instead  of  "Point  System"), 
and  Tfliiile  the  so-called  "Evaluation  Sheet" 
of  the  former  "Point  System"  is  to  be 
eliminated,  yet  the  new  procedure  is  to 
embrace  both: 

(a)  the  qualitative  (subjective)  approach, 
plus 

(b)  the  quantitive  (objective)  approach 
of  the  former  "Point  System". 

Thus,  the  new  procedure  would  appear  to 
meet  recommendations  made  in  the  past  by 
Personnel  Committees  of  the  PSA  and  at  the 
same  time  to  satisfy  the  objections  of  those 
v^o  have  not  liked  the  exclusive  use  of  the 
"Point  System".   (An  official  clarification 
of  the  Notice  would  be  welcome,  however.) 

Just  a  PSA  Member 


-10- 


To  the  Soap  Box  Editor: 

We  ol'  chiefs  sure  took  it  on  the  chin 
in  the  last  issue  of  The  Question  Ifark, 
didn't  we?  Now, we  have  no  wish  to  be 
exclusive.  If  members  of  any  other 
groups — Branch  Librarians,  Supervisors, 
Deputy  Supervisors,  etc, — ^wish  to  join 
us,  we  would  be  glad  to  have  tham.  Come 
on  in the  water's  hot! 

We  all  realize  that  the  comments  of  the 
editorial  referred  to,  do  not  necessarily 
apply  to  all  "chiefs"  or  all  "others" . 
I  cam  speak  for  no  one  except  myself.  As 
for  me  the  editorial  caused  me  to  do 
considerable  self-ssarchi-ig.  I  shall  not 
take  space  to  enurisrate  tae  questions  I 
have  asked  myself  these  last  few  weeks. 
One  thing  I  know — there  were  too  many 
negative  answers  to  make  me  feel  comfort- 
able .  Naturally,  during  the  last  few 
days,  I  have  been  asking  nysfilf — "did  I 
come  out  of  my  shell  of  self^.ihaesa  long 
enough  to  mske  Miss  Donerty's  last  feff 
weeks  with  us  more  pleasant  than  they 
otherwise  were?"  0'  course  not,  I  was  too 
immersed  in  ny  petty,  personal  trivial- 
ities to  even  give  a  thought  to  the  joys, 
sorrows  or  worries  of  other  staff  meaibers. 
It  is  too  late  to  do  anjiihing  to  help 
Miss  Doherty.  It  is  not  too  late  to  be 
more  sympathetic,  understanding  and  help- 
ful to  my  own  staff  and  n^r  fellow  workers. 
I  shall  try. 

Even  if  the  editorial  aroused  only  me 
to  self  analysis  and  subsequent  (we  hope) 
improvement,  it  will  not  have  been  in 
vain. 

Personally,  I  should  like  to  say  "thank 
you"  to  the  Editorial  Board  for  bringing 
to  my  attention  things  which  I  as  a  head 
of  a  department,  should  have  known  and 
been  practicing  for  many  years,  but  which 
through  thoughtlessness  had  too  often 
gone  in  the  discard  file. 

Edna  G.  Peck 


LATE  PUSHES 

Frederick  E.  Danker  was  guest  of  the 
faculty  of  Harvard  University  at  a  dinner 
on  Tuesday  night,  April  10,  1956.  Be   was 
cited  as  the  outstanding  Senior  Student 
from  the  Dudley  House.  His  name  has  been 
engraved  on  a  perpetual  trophy  which  is  to 
be  on  exhibit  at  the  Dudley  House.  Fredericl 
is  a  part-time  employee  in  Book  Stack  Service 
and  son  of  J»  Joseph  Danker,  Superintendent 
of  Buildings, 


Mr  and  Mrs  Francis  Corcoran  are  receiving 
congratulation  on  the  birth  of  a  son  on 
April  12.  Mrs  Corcoran  (Rosemary)  is  on 
leave  of  absence  from  the  Office  of  the 
Division  of  Home  Reading  and  Cormminity 
Services. 

LATER  FLASH 

The  Corcoran  baby  has  been  named  Stephen 
Mark . 


BOSTON  PUBLIC  LIBRARY  PROFESSIONAL  STAFF  ASSOCIATION 


1/1j1(IQa  aAxd  Q^e, 


The  Author  and  The  Illustrator 


of 


BOSTON  PUBLIC  LIBRARY:  A  Centennial  History 


// 


loe.  cjAMSdii  of  haTiOt  cd  a  iea  on 


wednesday     may   9,    1956 
/1En'5   lounge,  central  library 

3:00  -  4--30  D.m. 


Vac  TVhitehill  and  Mr  Ruzicka  have  graciously- 
consented  to  autograph  copies  of  the  History- 
purchased  by  the  staff.     So,  come  and  bring 
your  copyl  Or,    just  come  and  "Meet  and  Greet". 


ENTERTAINMENT  COMJIITTEE 
Euclid  J,  Peltier,  Chairman 


Margaret  D.   Butler 
Catherine  M.  Flaherty 
Shirley  A.  Gildea 


Anne  D.  Kelly 
Daniel  W,  Kelly 
Veronica  Yotts 


™ 


best  ion 


THE  BOSTON  PUBLIC  LIBRARY 
PROFESSIONAL  STAFF  ASSOCIATION 


MAY  1956 


THE   QUESTION   MARK 

Published  by  the  Boston  Public  Library  Professional  Staff  Association 

Volume  XI,  Number  5 ^7  ^956 

Publications  Committee:  Barbara  E.  Coffey,  Jean  L.  Eaton,  Mary  A,  Hackett,  Girard  D. 

Hottleman,  Richard  Ee  Lyona,  Robert  C,  Tfoodiward,  B.  Gertrude 
Wade,  Chairman 

Publication  date;                        Deadline  for  submitting  material; 
The  fifteenth  of  each  month The  tenth  of  each  month 

EDITORIAL  NOTES 

Now  as  an  academic  year  at  good  old  BPL  dra-sfs  to  a  close  comes  the  time  when  a 
young  man's  fancy  turns  to  exam  sched'uleso  So  nice  to  loll  in  the  courtyard's  noon- 
day sun  with  a  copy  of  ViTiitehill's  Boston  Public  Library;  A  Centennial  History  or 
a  book  of  reference  notes  a  foot  thick  I  So  delightful  to  ponder  a  last— mirrate^  mne- 
monic device  to  aid  in  the  memorizing  of  classification  tables i  And  so  pleasant  a 
day  in  Ifey  when  vocabulary  lists  in  French  and  German  are  crammed  in  the  last  few 
hours  before  those  fateful  exams '. 

Strenuous  are  these  days  for  the  novice  library  employee  t&io   is  required  by  the 
administration  to  meet  specific  qualifications.  And  all  this  on  his  own  time.  He  is 
not  even  granted  the  time  for  the  covirses  that  he  is  compelled  to  take,  despite  the 
fact  that  often  times  he  is  well  able  to  pass  -ttie  qualifying  exam  without  benefit  of 
class  room  study. 

Our  employees  highly  resent  all  this  rugged  application  after  either  completing 
degree  requirements  in  any  of  our  good  universities  or  achieving  a  diploma  from  one 
of  the  excellent  high  schools  in  this  area.  But  the  promotional  system  here  demands 
the  passing  of  examinations  not  only  by  high  school,  college,  and  even  library  school 
graduates,  but  also  by  persons  holding  several  graduate  degrees.  A  limited  budget 
provides  for  an  "extremely  limited"  pay  raise  only  to  those  hardy  souls  -vrtio  will 
squander  their  spare  time  on  classes  and  outside  studying.  Is  it  any  wonder  we  are 
having  difficulty  filling  our  existing  vacancies  with  fresh  school  graduates!  Most 
of  them  would  like  to  feel  that  their  exam  days  are  over. 

It  is  a  well  recognized  fact  that  most  organizations  reward  the  efforts  of  their 
employees  to  better  themselves  by  allowing  them  "company  time"  for  programs  emanating 
from  their  personnel  departments.  Here  where  a  program  is  required  for  an  individual 
to  qualify  in  his  position  he  is  forced  to  reduce  lunch  hours  by  a  half,  give  up  his 
morning  off,  or  otherwise  bargain  with  his  department  head.  The  problem  is  especially 
acute  with  Branch  workers  who  must  commute  to  Central  for  their  classes.  Even  labor 
contracts  recognize  the  need  for  portal  to  portal  pay. 

Immediate  recruiting  isn't  the  only  personnel  problem  affected  by  the  system. 
Many  of  the  so-called  old  timers  begin  to  lose  heart  when  they  reach  a  point  where 
they  have  neither  the  time  nor  the  inclination  to  continue  a  program  netting  them 
slight  gain  for  much  sacrifice.  There  are  other  places  these  people  can  go  for  better 
remuneration  at  more  regular  vorking  hours.  Our  vacancies  in  both  the  offices  and 
departments  of  the  Central  Library  building  and  the  Branch  Libraries  are  becoming 
increasingly  difficult  to  fill.  Perpetuation  of  this  archaic  exam  system  does  not 
alleviate  matters. 

It  may  generally  be  accepted  that  some  examinations  cover  necessary  requirements 
to  maintain  high  library  standards  and  that  in  some  instances  the  co\u:ses  offered 
under  the  Training  Program  are  not  only  necessary  but  beneficial  to  both  the  employee 
and  the  administration.  But  steps  should  be  taken  to  ease  this  bxirden  of  taking 
classes  and  studying  on  the  employee's  own  time. 

THE  PUBLICATIONS  COMMITTEE 


-2- 


PERSONAL  ^DTES 

New  Employees 

Harold  A.  Brackett,  Open  Shelf. 

(Mr  Brackett  was  formerly  employed  in 

Book  Stack  Service) 
Mrs  Marcia  Goldfarb,  Open  Shelf, 

Children's  Section 

Transferred 

Helen  M.  Donovan,  from  West  End  to  Adams 

Street 
Mrs  Mary  M. O'Neill,  from  Phillips  Brooks 

to  Bookmobile  III 
Mrs  Elaine  R.  Sherer,  from  Brighton  to 

Mt  Bowdoin 

Resignations 

Mrs  Joan  M.  Kyle,  Book  Selection,  Division 

of  Home  Reading  and  Community  Services, 

to  remain  at  home. 
Francis  J.  Donovan,  Book  Stack  Service, 

to  accept  another  position. 
Mrs  Rosemary  Corcoran,  Office  of  the 

Division  of  Home  Reading  and  Community 

Services,  to  remain  at  home. 
Mrs  Millicent  A.  Smith,  Keponset,  moving 

out  of  Boston, 
Mrs  Mary  C.  West,  Children's  Section, 

Open  Shelf,  to  accept  the  position  of 

Director  of  Children's  Work  at  the 

Lincoln  Library,  Springfield,  Illinois. 
Mary  Z.  Lynch,  Book  Stack  Service,  to 

accept  another  position. 
George  T.  Armstrong,  Office  of  Records, 

Files,  Statistics,  to  accept  a  position 

elsewhere . 

Retirement 

Mrs  Helen  Edmunds,  Cleaner,  Jamaica  Plain 

Mrs  Edmunds  is  retiring  after  19  years 

of  service. 

CAIEMDAR  OF  EVENTS 

May  17  Round  Table  of  Children's 

Librarians,  Brookline  Public 
Library  Lecture  Hall,  10  a.m. 

May  18  BPLPSA  Business  Meeting,  Lecture 
Hall,  Central  Library,  9  a.m. 

May  2k     Round  Table  of  Librarians  for 
Young  Adults.  North  Branch  of 
the  Tufts  Library,  Weymouth, 
9:30  a.m. 

May  28  S.L.A.  Boston  Chapter,  Annual 
Meeting  at  Gordon  College, 
Beverly  Farms. 


May  31  8th  Annual  Award  of  the  Mary  U. 

Nichols  Book  Prizes  at  North  End, 
8  p. mo  Speaker,  Oscar  Handlin. 

June    A.L.A.  Annual  Conference,  Miami, 
17-23   Florida. 

CONGRATULATIONS  TO 

Pauline  E.  Harrison  and  Sally  A.  Sheehan, 
both  extra  assistants  at  Connolly.  Pauline, 
who  now  attends  Blessed  Sacrament  High 
School,  and  Sally,  who  is  at  Girls'  Latin 
School,  have  each  received  a  four-year 
partial  scholarship  to  Emmanuel  College. 


Mary  Sheehan,  twin-sister  to  Sally 
Sheehan.  lilary,  who  attends  Girls'  Latin 
School  and  works  in  Central  Charging  Records, 
is,  also,  the  recipient  of  a  four-year 
partial  scholarship  to  Emmanuel  College. 


Daniel  We  Kelly,  Audio-Visvjal,  who  was 
recently  awarded  a  gold  pin  by  the 
FitzGerald  Motion  Picture  Company  for 
"general  excellence  in  movie  projection". 

EXTRA-CURRICULAR  ACTIVITIES 

For  this  year's  Museum  Treasure  Hunt, 
sponsored  by  the  Museum  Covmcil  of  Greater 
Boston,  Elizabeth  M.  Gordon,  Deputy  Supervi- 
sor in  Charge  of  Work  with  Children,  and 
George  W.  Scully,  Exhibits  Office,  were  two 
of  the  juiy  to  select  prize-vdnning  works  of 
art  submitted  by  students  of  Boston  and 
Cambridge  Public  and  Parochial  Schools, 
These  pieces  of  art  are  now  on  display  in  the 
Puvis  de  Chevanne  Gallery  and  in  the  Elliott 
Room,  Central  Library.  On  Monday,  May  21, 
Arthvir  W.  Heintzelman,  Keeper  of  Prints, 
will  make  the  awards  in  the  Little  Theatre. 

HARTZELL  LECTURE 

The  Bertha  V.  Hartzell  Memorial  Lecture 
will  be  delivered  by  Doctor  Paul  Hy  Buck, 
Director  of  the  Harvard  University  Library, 
on  October  26,  19^6.  The  topic  will  be 
announced  later. 

Doctor  Buck  had  originally  accepted  an 
invitation  to  speak  on  May  11,  1956.  A 
severe  accident  forced  him  to  cancel  all 
Spring  commitments. 

The  Bertha  V«  Hartzell 
M'emorial  Lecture  Committee 


PRESIDENT'S  NOTES 

The  following  letter  has  been  sent  to 
the  Director: 

•Dear  Mr  Lord: 

"In  a  notice  issued  by  the  Director  on 
9  April  1951  and  entitled  Appeal  Procedure 
for  Bibliothecal  Employees,  there  is  pro- 
vided under  the  'Panel  Method'  that  'each 
year  there  will  be  constituted  a  panel  of 
ten  individuals  to  serve  for  one  year 
beginning  on  May  1st',  and  that  'the  bib- 
liothecal employees  (acting  through  their 
formal  organization  or  organizations  com- 
prising a  substantial  majority  of  their 
number)  may  name  five  individuals  (and  an 
alternate  for  each  . ) ' 

"Accordingly  the  Executive  Board  of  the 
Boston  Public  Library  Professional  Staff 
Association  has  authorized  the  naming  of 
five  individuals  (and  an  alternate  for 
each)  to  serve  on  this  panel  until 
30  April  1957.  The  following  persons  have 
indicated  their  willingiess  to  be  members 
of  the  panel I 
Harry  Andrews,  Allston  Branch 

Alternates  Edward  Cullinane,  Egleston 

Square  Branch 
Gerald  Ball,  Book  Purchasing  Department 

Alternate:  Barbara  Feeley,  Business 

Office 
Margaret  Butler,  Periodical  Room 

Alternates  Edward  Casey,  Cat.  &  Class. 

Div.  of  Ref.  &  Res.  Ser. 
Beryl  Robinson,  Egleston  Square  Branch 

Alternate:  Jean  Eaton,  Sci.  &  Tech. 

Department 
Pauline  Walker,  West  Roxbury  Branch 

Alternate:  Arma  li4anning.  Teachers 

Department 

Very  truly  yours, 
(Signed)     LOUIS  RAINS 
Louis  Rains 
President" 

In  addition  to  the  Library  Demonstration 
Bill  Tshich  may  be  a  law  by  the  time  this 
appears,  there  is  another  document  which 
may  be  of  even  greater  significance  to  the 
BPL;  the  Report  on  State  Aid  to  Public 
Libraries  \Tiiich  has  been  sent  by  the 
Governor  to  the  Legislature  and  is  desig- 
nated HOUSE No.  2763.  However, 

this  is  a  report  and  not  a  pending  bill 
and,  according  to  the  past  history  of  such 
legislation,  it  may  be  many  years  before 
any  of  the  recommendations  are  passed  into 


-3- 


law  unless  there  is  a  concerted  and  well- 
directed  effort  on  the  part  of  all  interestec 
to  gain  support  for  future  legislation. 

The  Bertha  V.  mrtzell  Memorial  Lecture 
has  been  postponed  until  the  Fall.  The 
scheduled  lecturer  sustained  an  accident 
Trtiich  precluded  the  possibility  of  his 
delivering  the  lecture  any  time  this  Spring. 
A  full  report  of  the  reasons  for  postponing 
the  lecture  will  be  given  at  the  l£iy  busines 
meeting. 

We  thank  Mr  Peltier  and  the  members  of  the 
Entertainment  Committee  for  their  splendid 
work  in  connection  with  the  tea  for 
Mr  Whitehill  and  Mr   Ruzickac  A  report  of 
this  association  activity  appears  elsewhere 
in  this  issue. 

We  hope  that  as  many  members  as  possible 
will  attend  the  May  business  meeting.  Only 
by  your  active  participation  and  cooperation 
can  the  Association  be  strong  and  active. 


Louis  Rains 


CARE 


The  following  is  a  translation  of  a  German 
letter  recently  received  by  the  chairman  of 
the  Special  Committee  for  CARE.* 

As  a  stranger,  I  should  like  herewith 
to  express  my  hearty  thanks  to  you  for  the 
fine  present  that  our  Pastor  Faber  at 
Kirchberg  has  permitted  to  come  to  us. 

YJe   are  a  family  of  six;  I  have  two  boys 
whose  ages  are  twelve  and  ten  years,  and 
two  girls,  one  of  whom  is  six  years,  the 
other  four  months  old.  I  myself  am  severely 
injured  from  the  war,  and  earn  little.  A 
livelihood  here  is  very  expensive.  These 
good  things  from  you  were  for  us  something 
special,  and  very  welcome.  I  have  not 
failed  ,  with  my  family,  to  remember  you  in 
prayer.  May  God  give  you  yet  many,  many 
years  of  health  and  a  blessed  life.  Herewiti 
I  should  like  to  close  and  wish  you  every- 
thing good  from  my  heart. 

Artur  Heppel  and  wif e- 

The  above  letter  shows  the  good  work 
CARE  Food  Crusade  is  still  doing.  It  only 
continues  as  you  remember  to  give. 

TALKS  BY  STAFF  MEMBERS 

On  April  15^  Fanny  Goldstein,  who  has 
long  been  active  in  penal  docial  work, 
spoke  at  the  dedication  of  the  Jexvish  Chapel 
at  the  new  Massachusetts  Correctional  insti- 
tution at  South  Walpole, 


-h- 


"MEET  AND  GREET" 


The  BPLPSA  has  added  two  new  "Firsts" 
to  its  list.  On  Wednesday,  May  9,  in  the  ' 
Women's  Lounge  at  Central  Library,  it  held 
its  first  author-illustrator  tea,  Walter 
Muir  T'Fhitehill,  the  author,  and  Rudolph 
Ruzicka,  the  illustrator,  had  graciously 
consented  to  autograph  copies  of  BOSTON 
PUBLIC  LIHIARY:  A  CEOTENNIAL  HISTORY  for 
members  of  the  staff. 

Seated  at  the  long  black  table,  in 
chairs  of  the  type  so  long  associated  with 
the  BPL — black,  '"^indsor  arm— and  supplied 
with  library  blotters  and  non-spill  ink- 
wells, they  made  an  impressive  appearance 
as  they  cheerfully  and  efficiently  affixed 
their  signatures  to  copy  after  copy  of  the 
Hist6ry.  Solicitous  Association  members 
nade  sure  that  there  were  breathing  spells 
during  which  the  guests  of  honor  could 
refresh  themselves  with  coffee,  tea,  and 
cookies . 

The  second  "First"  of  the  afternoon  was 
the  appearance  of  Erwin  D,  Canham,  the 
newest  member  of  the  Board  of  Trustees, 
who  made  his  first  appearance  at  a  staff 
fvinction.  In  a  friendly  and  congenial 
manner  he  chatted  iniLormally  with  many 
staff  members  who  were  introduced  to  him 
by  the  Director. 

At  the  close  of  the  "work  session" 
Mr  WhitehiU  and  Mr  Ruzicka  were  photo- 
graphed with  Wr   Lord,  Llr  Rains,  President 
of  the  BPLPSA,  Mr  Peltier,  and,  of  co\irse, 
the  History.  The  pictures  will  be  on 
display  at  the  SORT  booth  at  the  ALA 
meeting  in  Miami  in  June. 

Flowers  for  the  occasion  were  supplied, 
as  so  many  times  in  the  past,  from  the 
gardens  of  Mr  and  Mrs  Ronald  KesTd-ck. 
Nine  member  of  the  "younger  set"  acted  as 
pourers.  The  Association's  Entertainment 
Committee,  of  which  Ed  Peltier  is  chair-- 
r'Vin,  was  in  charge  of  this  successful 


•'■;j.c3t  and  greet"  tea. 


Sarah  M.  Usher 

FOUND 

Found  on  the  floor  of  the  Teacher's 
Department  a  sum  of  money  which  may  be 
claimed  in  the  Personnel  Office. 

7  lilay  1956 


THE  SOCIAL  WHIRL 

On  Thursday,  May  U,  Russell  A.  Scully  was 
the  guest  of  honor  at  a  bachelor  luncheon 
at  the  Hotel  Vendome .  Forty-five  men  were 
present  to  extend  their  best  wishes  for  a 
happy  married  life  to  the  prospective 
bridegroom. 

At  the  head  table  with  the  guest  of  honor 
Trere  John  J.  Connolly,  Chief  Executive 
Officer  and  the  Reverend  H.  Robert  Smith, 
the  clergyman  who  will  perform  the  marriage 
ceremony  on  May  19  in  Gloucester. 
Mr  Connolly  opened  the  festivities  with  a 
fine  tribute  to  an  old  friend  and  colleague 
and  to  the  bride-to-be,  Betty  Jewett. 

After  the  Reverend  Mr  Smith  said  grace, 
the  guests  sat  down  to  a  most  enjoyable 
luncheon,  followed  by  a  community  sing  con- 
ducted by  Eamon  McDonough,  accompanied  on 
the  88  by  Dan  Khoury.  A  hi^  spot  of  the 
sing  was  the  rendition  of  "Bridget  O'Flyim" 
by  the  inimitable  George  Gallagher. 

Mr  Scully  was  presented  with  a  gift  of 
money  from  his  many  friends  on  the  staff — 
males,  in  attendance j  females,  "in  absentia" 


■^ 


CC  &  MS  mAVES  BLIZZARD 

The  high  winds  of  the  March  l6  blizzard 
were  followed  by  slowly  clearing  skies, 
snowplows,  and  a  group  of  intrepid  members 
of  the  Chowder,  Chatter  and  Marching  .Society 
■wtio  mushed  their  way  to  the  China  Star  in 
Quincy  the  following  night  to  do  honor  to 
Mrs  Vanda  Cariani  of  Science  and  Technology 
who  was  about  to  embark  on  something  called 
the  blessed  state  of  maternity. 

The  fare  was  excellent,  with  the  piece  de 
resistance — or  whatever  the  Chinese  phrase 
is — being  roasted  tender  young  mandarins 
with  cold  lamb  gravy.  Of  course,  nobody 
was  completely  at  ease  until  some  bright 
soul  suggested  that  we  all  take  off  our 
snowshoes. 

JIrs  Cariani,  the  guest  of  honor — or  had 
you  forgotten? — was  presented  with  a  very 
handsome  navy  blue  leather  pocketbook  with 
a  red  lining  and  an  expansion  attic. 

A  sort  of  secondary  guest  of  honor  was 
Louis  Polishook  whose  departure  from  Science 
and  Technology  was  being  celebrated*  Mr 
Polishook  was  the  recipient  of  a  few  asscrtet 
jeers  and  a  handsome  necktie  which  he  is 
ashamed  to  vrear.  Actually,  the  Science  aiid 
Technology  members  of  the  CC&MS  wept  a  little 
as  they  pushed  ISr   Polishook  along  to  Central 
Charging  Records — and  the  members  of 
Central  Charging  Records  just  wept. 


-5- 


On  Tuesday,  May  8,  a  luncheon  was  held 
at  the  Darbxiry  Room  in  honor  of  Anastasia 
Efthemeou,  Print.  Eighteen  of  Tasia's 
friends  joined  in  good  wishes  for  her 
coining  marriage  on  llay  26,  She  was  pre- 
sented wi-th  a  lovely  corsage  of  delicate 
baby  orchids  and  a  sterling  silver  fil- 
agreed  bracelet.  Tasia  will  leave  the 
library  on  May  18  and  as  Mrs  John  Krupa 
will  make  her  new  home  in  Detroit.  Best 
wishes,  Tasia,  from  all  of  us  for  a  very 
happy  future. 


■«■ 


McCafferty— Karrlilgton  Nuptials 

On  Friday,  May  k,   for  an  indeterminable 
tine  after  8:30  P.M.,  a  mixed  group  of 
bibliothecal  types,  B.PoL.  alumni,  and 
invited  guests  net  in  the  sumptuous  l&uve 
Room  of  the  Lobster  Claw  to  properly  cele- 
brate the  imminent  nuptuals  of  John 
McCaffertyo  Refreshments  were  served. 
Music  was  provided  by  a  chamber  music  duet 
composed  of  Dan  (88)  Khoury  and  George 
Pahud.  Several  original  compositions  were 
presented  in  honor  of  the  beaming  groom- 
to-be  who  is  a  renowned  music  lover. 
Following  the  formal  program,  which  had 
been  deftly  arranged  by  Chairman  Arthur 
Mulloney,  many  spontaneou.S2y  formed  choral 
groups  entertained  John  iniio  had  graciously 
accepted  an  appropriate  gift  with  a  superb 
off-the-cuff  acknowledgement. 


Co-workers  of  Monica  Harrington,  Cata- 
loging and  Classification  (R  and  RS) , 
held  a  surprise  shower  for  her  on  May  k 
in  the  department  offices,  in  honor  of  her 
impending  marriage  to  John  McCafferty, 
formerly  of  General  Reference,  Shower 
gifts  were  an  electric  toaster  and  a 
silver  pitcher. 


Monica  Harrington  and  John  Joseph 
McCafferty  were  married  on  May  12  at  the 
Blessed  Sacrament  Church  in  Cambridge. 
The  10  o'clock  Nuptial  Mass  was  performed 
by  the  Reverend  James  Harrington,  cousin 
of  the  bride. 

Miss  Harrington  was  attended  by  her 
sister  Maureen,  as  ma id-of -honor,  and  two 
bridesmaids,  Cornelia  Harrington,  of  the 
Home  Reading  and  Community  Services 
Division,  sister  of  the  bride,  and 


.Winifred  Ryan.  Mr  McCafferty's  best  man 
was  George  McCafferty.  Ushers  were  Eamon 
McDonough  of  Reference,  Charles  Augustus 
Ferguson  and  Francis  Donlan. 

The  bride  wore  a  gown  of  white  Chantilly 
lace  over  satin,  with  a  chapel  train,  and 
a  finger-tip  illusion  veil  with  a  crown  of 
orange  blossoms.  She  carried  a  missal 
covered  with  miniature  calla  lilies.  Her 
attendants  wore  identical  gowns  of  white 
embroidered  nylon  organdy  over  pink  taffeta, 
with  matching  pink  caps,  and  carried  fans 
of  pink  carnations  ard  white  hyacinths. 

Following  the  wedding,  a  reception  was 
held  at  the  University  Club  in  Boston. 

The  couple  will  spend  their  vredding  trip 
in  Mew  York  and  Bermuda  and  vdll  afterwards 
make  their  home  in  Cambridge. 

A  FAREWELL  TO 

Mrs  Jfery  Logue  who  is  leaving  "Sam's  Coffe^ 
Shop"  to  remain  at  home  temporarily.  For 
her  ready  smile  and  cheerful  willingness  to 
serve  us  all,  we  will  miss  ykry  very  much. 
The  corsage  and  gift  from  the  staff  which 
were  presented  to  her  by  the  Concession 
Committee  are  tokens  of  the  best  wishes  that 
will  go  with  her  from  the  many  friends  whom 
she  has  made  at  the  B.P.L. 

Editor's  Note;  Mary  has  asked  me  to  express 
her  gratitude  to  all  staff  members  who  have 
helped  to  make  her  stay  here  a  pleasant  one 
and  to  extend  her  hearty  thanks  to  those 
who  joined  in  giving  her  the  above-mentioned 
farewell  gift.  She  says  she  will  always 
remember  all  of  us  with  deep  affection. 

FANNY  GOLDSTEIN  HONORED 

Fanny  Goldstein,  Branch  Librarian,  West 
End,  has  been  named  a  member  of  the  National 
■Advisory  Board  of  the  recently  organized 
AMERICAN  JEWISH  PERIODICAL  CEKTER«  This 
project  has  been  established  by  virtue  of  a 
grant  from  the  Jacob  R,  Schiff  Fundo  Its 
purpose  is  to  microfilm  every  J'swish  news- 
paper and  periodical  in  the  United  States 
from  the  early  19th  century  to  approximately 
192^0  The  Center  will  then  make  available 
copies  of  the  microfilm  on  an  inter-library 
loan  basis  to  any  library  or  institution 
in  the  countryo  A  loan  collection  such  as 
this  will  be  of  tremendous  research  value 
to  all  American  historians. 


-^,- 


BPLPSA  I'ELCOliE  TO  NEliY  MEI.IBERS 


Harold  A.  Brackett,  Open  Shelf 

Paul  S,  Cawein,  Open  Shelf 

Janice  Charney,  Book  St^ck  Service 

Paul  J«  Delahanty,   Ifyde  Park 

Loyce  Fairfax,   Book  Stack  Service 

Richard  Oilman,  Charlestoum 

Catherine  M.  Hannon,  West  End 

Helen  M.   Harrington,  Book  Preparation 

James  S«  Healey,  General  Reference 

Robert  ¥•  Holmes,  Music 

Mary-Elizabeth  Huntington,  Parker  Hill 

William  V»  Hurley,   Business  Office 

Sc  Robert  Johnson,  Fine  Arts 

Anne  Po  Kearr^y,  Lower  Mills 

Patricia  L«  Leahy,  Roslindale 

Anna  E.  Lynch,  Book  Stack  Service 

Thomas  McLaughlin,   Book  Stack  Service 

Maria  A.  Mechini,  Records,  Files, 

Statistics 
Edward  J/hinro,  Patent  Section  of  Science  & 

Technology 
Joan  V.  O'Brien,  Book  Stack  Service 
Mary  V,  Querela,  Book  Stack  Service 
Frank  Saunders,  General  Reference 
Allen  Sevigny,  Parker  Hill 
Anne  C?  White,  Book  Stack  Service 

I#:ET  OUR  MEW  ARRIVALS 

Book  Stack  Service's  latest  addition, 
Loyce  C.  Fairfax,  inas  brought  up  right 
here  in  Boston  even  though  she  completed 
her  high  school  education  at  the  Palmer 
Memorial  Institute  in  Sedalia,  North 
Carolina.  Upon  graduation  she  enrolled 
at  Boston  University's  College  of  General 
Education  for  one  year  where  she  was 
active  in  club  affairs  and  secretary  of 
her  class c  Loyce  is  artistically  inclined 
and  includes  interior  decorating  and  ce- 
ramic jewelry  classes  among  her  many 
hobbies.  Although  a  busy  girl  these  days, 
she  isn't  too  occupied  to  keep  in  close 
touch  with  a  certain  boy  trtio  is  now  in 
the  Army  at  Fort  Knox,  Kentucky, 


* 


Richard  Oilman  viio  began  his  Library 
career  at  Charlestown  on  March  21  is  a 
Tufts  University  graduate  where  he  msjored 
in  English  and  minored  in  an  interesting 
assortment  of  supplementary  fields. 

Before  college  he  spent  B^-  years  in  the 
Army  and  after  college  entered  the  real 
estate  field.  It  would  require  a  monumen- 
tal volume  to  explain  how  library  work 
naturally  evolved  from  real  estate.  That 
volume  is  in  the  notebook  stage. 


His  leisure  hours  are  spent  in  a  quite 
catholic  range  of  activities  that  run  from 
hi-fi  to  handball  and  from  mountain  climbing 
to  putting  golf  balls  in  the  living  room. 


In  Music,  the  newest  staff  member  is  Robert 
W.  Holmes.  In  19^$,   Mr  Holmes  received  an 
M.A.  degree  in  Musicology  at  Boston  University 
For  the  past  two  years .  he  has  served  as 
graduate  assistant  to  Dr  Karl  Geiringer, 
chairman.  Graduate  Division,  School  of  Fine 
and  Applied  Arts,  BoU.  Currently  he  is  both 
working  for  his  Ph. -P.  degree  and  giving  a 
weekly  lecture  on  music  history  at  that 
university.  Bob  was,  also,  a  panel  member 
of  the  Fine  Arts  Festival  at  the  University 
of  Connecticut  in  1956. 

Editor's  Note;  The  above  profile  should  have 
appeared  in  last  month's  issue  of  The  Questioi 
Mark.  For  its  ommision,  Mr  Holmes  has  re- 
ceived the  apology  of  your  Publications 
Committee . 


S«  Robert  Johnson,  who  is  now  shelving 
books  up  in  Fine  Arts  comes  to  the  Library 
well  prepared  for  his  job.  He  was  on  the 
staff  of  both  his  jrnior  high  school  and 
senior  high  school  libraries  in  Quincy  for  a 
total  of  five  years  where  he  was  president  ■ti" 
the  library  staff  association  and  chief  stu- 
dent assistant  to  the  librarian  in  his  senior 
year.  Upon  high  school  gradioation  in  1955, 
he  took  a  job  with  an  insurance  company  for  a 
few  months  but  soon  decided  to  try  his  hand 
at  the  B.P.Lo 

Working  at  the  Library  ties  in  with  Rob's 
hobbies  and  ambitions o  In  his  spare  time  he 
is  busily  acquiring  a  background  for  scenario 
writing,  his  ultimate  goal,  by  taking  coia^es 
at  Boston  University  and  the  Newspaper  Insti- 
tute of  America.  And,  of  course,  he  reads   ■ 
as  much  as  he  can  fit  into  a  full  schedule. 


Before  coming  to  the  Boston  Public  Libraiy, 
Mrs  Aline  Be  O'Neill,  now  at  Mattapan,  lived 
in  West  H£r;)pton  Beach,  Long  Inland.  Mrs 
O'Neill  went  to  Rivier  College  for  two  years j 
then  she  attended  the  University  of  New 
Hampshire  Tirtiere  she  majored  in  English  Litera- 
ture and  graduated  in  1955 •  The  same  year  she 
rarried  W©  Jo  O'Neill,  Jr.  Prior  to  her  li- 
brary work,  lirs  O'Neill  held  a  position  as 
bookkeeper  in  a  bank.  Among  her  current 
interests,  a  love  of  music  rates  high. 


LIBRARY  CONFERENCE  ACTIVITIES 


The  Massachusetts  Library  Association 
held  its  annual  meeting  with  the  Western 
Massachusetts  Library  Club  at  Amherst  on 
May  2  and  3« 

After  greetings  from  Gertrude  Callahan, 
President  of  IiJIA^and  from  President  J.  P. 
Mather  of  the  University  of  Utassachusetts, 
Professor  Marine  Leland  of  Smith  College 
told  a  most  interesting  story  of  New 
Englanders  captured  by  Indians  for  ransom 
in  Canada  during  the  French  and  Indian 
wars,  and  of  the  historical  importance  of 
the  little -known  diaries  kept  by  some  of 
these  captives  during  their  "captivation," 
and  particulary  of  the  captivity  of  Mrs 
Susanne  Johnson,  who,  with  her  husband, 
their  three  children  and  some  neighbors 
made  the  long,  arduous  trek  into  Canada, 
Her  story  of  the  hardships  of  the  journey, 
of  the  birth  of  her  baby  girl  whom  she 
named  Captive ,  and  of  life  among  the 
Indians  reads  like  a  modern  historical 
novel. 

Tea  followed  at  the  "Lord  Jeffrey".  At 
the  dinner  meeting,  Professor  Earl  Latham 
of  Amherst  College  gave  a  witty  and  devas- 
tating appraisal  of  the  presidential  can- 
didates. 

At  Thursday's  session,  Channing  L.  Bete 
of  the  Massachusetts  State  Library  Commis- 
sion gave  an  inspiring  picture  of  vfliat  the 
public  library  of  1976  might  accomplish. 
The  business  meeting  was  devoted  largely 
to  a  discussion  of  the  proposed  bill  for 
state  aid  for  Massachusetts  libraries, 
and  its  somewhat  discouraging  outlook,  as 
Mrs  Wallace  reported  the  total  lack  of 
interest  in  the  bill  by  the  legislative 
members  of  the  bill's  committee,  neither 
of  whom  attended  a  single  meeting  of  the 
committee.  Mr  Philip  McNiff  reported  on 
ths  federal  library  aid  bill  which,  it 
is  expected,  will  pass  Congress  this  month, 

It  was  a  restful  and  pleasant  confer- 
ence, with  good  accommodations,  and  good 
food,  and  an  opportunity  to  see  the  beau- 
tiful Jones  Library,  with  its  easy  chairs 
and  oriental  rugs  and  its  Eugene  Field, 
Robert  Frost  and  Emily  Dickinson  collec- 
tions, plus  the  Amherst  College  Library, 
vrith  its  spacious  rare  books  room  and  its 
special  collections  of  Leigh  Hunt,  Robert 
Frost,  and  Emily  Dickinson. 


POEM,'  ty  Ife^rry  Andrews 

Kon-tiki  and  Titanic, 

In  same  ambition's  grip: 
Conquest  of  the  ocean. 

On  a  maiden  trip. 

Kon-tiki  barely  boards. 

An  elemental  raft, 
Bobbing  apprehensive. 

Periled  fore  ani  aft. 

Titanic  grand  creation. 

Leviathan  on  tide; 
Ocean-going  palace. 

Riding  high  with  pride. 

An  amateurish  pishing, 

Kon-tiki  sails  freej 
Mighty  planned  Titanic 

Perishes  at  sea. 

A  moral's  in  the  story, 

For  them  whose  faith  is  small j 

I'd  point  it  if  we  had  them 
In  BPL  at  all. 

^Editor's  Note;  For  alternative  final  stanzas 
to  the  above  poem,  see  the  June  and  July 
issues  of  The  Question  Mark. 


On  the  Air 

On  Tuesday,  April  2k,   Mrs  Elizabeth  L. 
Wright  and  four  members  from  the  B.P.L. 
Staff  appeared  on  THE  BOSTON  PUBLIC  LIBRARY 
PRESENTS  over  Station  WBUR.  The  program 
endeavored  to  give  an  overall  picture  of  the 
different  types  of  positions  in  the  library 
service.  Louis  Ugalde,  Rare  Book,  repre-  • 
sented  the  specialist j  Mrs  Ifery  Burns,  Book- 
mobile II,  the  professional  staff  member  Tf*io 
works  full-time  and  also  attends  library 
school;  Catherine  Duffy  typified  the  sub- 
professional  assistant  and  Frank  Paine, 
Central  Charging  Records,  the  part-time 
worker.  Each  of  the  four  gave  a  brief  resum* 
of  the  particular  kind  of  work  involved  in 
his  position,  while  Mrs  Wright  correlated 
their  remarks,  Bert  Williams  of  the  staff  o: 
WBUR  was  moderator.  The  half -hour  was,  we 
hope,  both  enjoyable  and  enlightening  to  our 
public . 

QUARTER  CENTURY  CLUB  OFFICERS 

President — Bradford  M,  Hill 
Vice  President — Charles  J.  Gillis 
Secretary — Bertha  S.  Keswick 
Treasurer — Harry  C.  Fletcher 


-0- 


IN  MEtORIAM    ;■   -.. 
CHRISTINE  mjES 

It  is  with  regret  that  'we  record  the 
death  of  Christine  Hayes,  Chief  of  Book 
Selection  for  Reference  and  Research  Serv- 
ices, Emeritus,  who  passed  away  at  her 
home  in  Natick  on  Monday,  May  lit.     Miss 
Hayes  was  born  in  Natick  and  received  her 
early  education  in  its  public  sbhools. 
Following  her  graduation  from  the  Natick 
High  School,   she  attended  Radcliffe 
College,  graduating  in  1908.     After  three 
years  vdth  the   Library  of  the  Harvard 
Mfedical  School,,  she  joined  the  staff  of  the 
Boston  Public  Library.     During  her  forty 
years  of  service  she  was  associated  with 
the   Book  Purchasing  Department  until  1937, 
triien  she  was  appointed  Chief  of  the  Book 
Selection  Department,  Reference  and  Re- 
search Services.     She  served  in  this 
capacity  until  her  retirement  in  September 
1952. 

At  one  period  of  her  life  Miss  Hayes 
was  actively  interested  in  the  drama.     For 
five  years  she  studied  play-producing  and 
acting  with  the  late  Professor  George 
Pierce  Baker  of  Harvard  University  and  in 
the  Dramatic  Department  of  the   New  England 
Conservatory  of  Music,     Her  interest  in 
dramatios  and  music  was  evidenced  by  her 
continued  participation  in  the  Radcliffe 
Drama  Group  and  in  her  regular  attendance 
at  the  Boston  Symphony  Orchestra.     She  had 
been  a  member  of  the  Friends  of  the  Boston 
Symphony  Orchestra  for  several  years  and 
took  an  active  part  in  the  program  of  that 
organization. 

During  Miss  Hayes'   many  years  with  the 
Boston  Public  Library  she  made  a  major 
contribution  to  library  service.     She  had 
a  keen  interest  in  her  fellow  workers  and 
was  always  ready  to  contribute  time  and 
talent  to  library  projects.     She  possessed 
an  innate  charm  and  graciousness  which, 
enhanced  by  her  subtle  wit,   endeared  her 
to  her  friends  and  associates.     It  was  a 
real  privilege  to  be  closely  associated 
with  Miss  Hayes.     Our  fifteen  ysars  to- 
gether in  Book  Selection  slall  always 
remain  one  of  ray  most  cherished  memories. 

E,   G.   Peck 


SOAP 


Any  contribution  to  the  Soap  Box  must 
be  accompanied  by  the  full  name  of  the 
Association  member  submitting  it,  together 
with  the  name  of  the  Branch  Library,  De- 
partment or  Office  in  which  he  or  she  is 
employed.  The  name  is  withheld  from  pub- 


lication,  or  a  pen  name  used,  if  the  con- 
tributor so  requests.  Anonymous  contri- 
butions are  not  given  consideration.  The 
author  of  the  article  is  known  only  to  the 
Editor-in-Chief.  The  contents  of  the 
articles  appearing  in  the  Soap  Box  are 
personal  opinions  expressed  by"  individual 
Association  members  and  their  appearance 
does  not  necessarily  indicate  that  the 
Publications  Committee  and  the  Association, 
are  in  agreement  with  the  views  expressed. 
Only  those  contributions  containing  not 
more  than  300  words  will  be  accepted. 


To  the  Soap  Box; 

Having  been  "inarticulate"  thus  far,  I 
should  like  to  add  my  bit  on  the  subject  of 
the  very  able  editorial  which  appeared  in 
the  March  issue.  Perhaps  those  chiefs,  de- 
partment heads  and  branch  librarians  irtio 
should  have  seen  it  were  the  very  ones  who 
overlooked  it I  We'll  hope  for  the  best. 
Further,  we'll  trust  that  those  who  were 
annoyed,  rather  thacn  gratified  hy   it,  have 
looked  deep  within  themselves  and  blushed 
somewhat  at  their  reactions. 

Time  was  when  the  word  "librarian"  had  its 
connotation  of  gentility,  graciousness,  gbdd 
manners;  and  such  was  the  mould  into  which 
library  schools  attempted  to  cast  their  cvir- 
rent  catch.  But,  boys  ani  girls,  chivalry 
is  not  only  dead — it  seems  badly  decomposed. 

Perhaps  in  the  word  "graciousness"  we  have 
much  of  the  secret  of  administrative  siiccess 
in  the  head  of  a  department  or  a  branch  li- 
brary, "Webster  defines  graciousness  in  part 
as,  "kindliness  and  courtesy,"  "cordial    | 
warmth,"  "approachability,"  "the  qualities 
that  make  for  good  cheer,  warm  human  sympathy 
(our  italics),  a  fine  sense  of  humor." 
Obviously  this  is  a  most-needed  quality  in 
one  dealing  with  the  public  and  with  a  staff 
with  Tihom  he  or  she  lives  eight  hours  out  of 
each  day.  But  how  can  this  quality  dwell 
side-by-side  with  the  big-stick  policy?  How 
with  the  kind  of  smallness  that  would  high- 
light another's  ineptitude;  that  would  let 
impatience,  physical  discomfort  or  disap- 
pointment vent  itself  on  one's  staff  in  sour 
disgruntlement ,  harping  criticism  or  unrea-  ^ 
sonableness?  A  branch  librarian  without 
graciousness  is  a  missionary  without  Bible;  a 
Plato  without  philosophy;  a  Bernhardt  without 
Voice.  Certain  it  is  that  when  arrogance, 
domination,  surliness,  prejudice,  conceit  and 
contempt  are  discernible  in  a  "head,"  then, 
watch  out  Headl  'S  time  to  study  that  word   , 
"graciousness".  Personnel  greats  say  it's  ^ 
a  MUST.  You  can  see  why.' 


■aia^nMUilMUMJUUIIIIJUMIIlMUUULUMIMiJIMIMBIHllMWMMa 


THEQTIESTION   MARK 
Published  by  the  Boston  Public  Library  Professional  Staff  Association 
Volume  XI,  Number  6  Jiine  19^6 

Publications  Conmittee:  Barbara  E.  Coffey,  Jean  L.  Eaton,  Mary  A,  Hackett,  Girard  D. 

Hottleman,  Felicia  J.  Langdon,  Richard  E.  Lyons,  B.  Gertrude 
Wade,  Chairnan 

Publication  date;  Deadline  for  submitting  material; 

The  Fifteentii  of  each  month  ^    The  tenth  of  each  month 

EDITORIAL  MDTES 

Response,  both  favorable  and  unfavorable,  to  recent  editorials  has  confirmed  our 
belief  that,  as  the  official  bulletin  of  the  Professional  Staff  Association,  The 
Question  tfark  can  and  should  serve  primarily  as  an  instrument  of  communication  among 
staff  members  and,  indirectly,  betaveen  staff  and  administration*  To  serve  this  aim 
Tfre  have  in  tiie  past  utilized  one  editorial  page  per  month.  Beginning  with  the  fall 
issues— Tfe  feel  that— in  addition  to  reporting  social  activities  and  organizational 
meetings,  it  would  be  most  desirable  to  include  serious  articles  in  ifhich  important 
issues  affecting  personnel  and  service  to  the  public  mi^t  be  discussed  at  some 
length.  Areas  of  continuing  controversy  such  as  the  sub-professional  service,  the 
examination-promotional  system,  shortcomings  of  our  charging  procedures,  and  the 
effects  on  public  service  inevitably  resulting  from  present  limitation  of  total 
nvunber  of  staff,  deserve  careful  consideration  based  upon  facts,  plus  reasoned 
opinions  of  those  concerned. 

Too  often  we,  as  staff  members,  do  not  know  all  the  facts.  In  many  cases  it  is 
difficult  to  acquire  a  wide,  representative  range  of  opinions.  To  discover,  combine, 
and  publish  facts  and  viewpoints  on  matters  affecting  our  common  interests  and  our 
professional  needs  seems  to  us  to  be  the  most  useful  function  that  The  Question  Mark 
could  perform. 

Since  the  Personnel  Gomnittee  and  the  Executive  Board  are  empowered  by  the  Staff 
Association  to  take  action  and/or  make  recommendations  on  just  such  vital  issues,  the 
Publications  Committee  feels  that  in  this  area  of  activity  it  should  work  as  closely 
as> possible  with  these  groups.  As  a  first  step  in  that  direction,  tfee  Chairman  of 
the  Publications  Committee  has  asked  for  and  received  (not  without  controversy— see 
President's  Notes)  permission  to  attend  Executive  Board  meetings  and  -me  will  seek 
permission  to  have  a  Publications  Committee  member  present  at  Personnel  Committee 
meetings.  In  so  doing  our  intention  is  not  to  publicize  arqr  discussion  within  these 
bodies  but  rather  to  make  readily  available  to  these  groups  the  use  of  The  Question 
Mark  as  a  ssethod  for  gathering  further  opinions  and  commijnicating  facts  whenever 
they  wish  to  do  so  before  making  official  decisions.  At  the  same  time,  we  hope  to 
increase  our  own  awareness  of  staff  needs  and  general  trends  in  staff  opinoin. 

We  invite  suggestions  and  criticism  from  all  Prof essional  Staff  Association  mem- 
bers in  regard  to  this  new  venture.  If  you  agree  with  us  that  serious  discussion 
articles  would  serve  a  useful  purpose  for  clarification  of  problematical  issues, 
please  tell  us  i^at  issues  you  would  like  investigated— when  and  as  time  permits — and, 
of  course,  -ne  will  welcome  any  help  you  can  give  us  in  the  work  that  vdll  be  involved, 

THE  PUBLICATIONS  COMMITTEE 


-2- 


CALENDAR  OF  EVENTS 

June  17-23,     A.L.A.  Annual  Conference, 
Miami,  Florida. 

PERSONAL  M)TES 

New  Employees 

William  V,  Hurley,  Business  Office 

Sameul  Goldstein,  Science  and  Technology 

(formerly  part-time) 
Milton  L.   Heller,  Tfest  End 
Ellen  T.   Buckley,  Adams  Street  (formerly 

part-time  at  Dorchester) 
Marlene  T.  McLaughlin,   Book  Preparation 

(formerly  part-time  at  Tyler  Street) 
Ronald  C.  Conant,  Office  of  Records,  Files, 

Statistics  (formerly  part-time  in  Open 

Shelf) 
Jtrs  Mary  B.  LaFollette,   Brighton  (formerly 

full-time  in  branch  libraries  ) 
Anne  E.  Wayland,   Personnel  Office 

Transferred 

Mrs  Irene  K.   Shea,  foom  Adams  Street  to 

Bookmobile  III 
Richard  L.  Oilman,  from  Gharlestown  to 

Bookmobile  I 
Mrs  Gertrude  L.  Bergen,  from  Lower  Jlills 

to  Phillips  Brooks 
Mrs  Dolores  G.  Cerulli,  from  Bookmobile  I 

to  Bookmobile  III 
Bettina  M.  Goletti,  from  Codman  Square  to 

General  Reference 
Mary  T.  Crosby,  from  Jeffries  Point  to 

Bookmobile  I 
C,  Ikrjorie  Groves,  from  Mattapan  to 

Codman  Square 
Etta  Kessell,  from  ITashington  Village  to 

Lower  UilJs 
JIrs  Gene  S.  Kupferschraid,  from  West  End 

to  J&ttapan 
Katherine  I.  LaMontagne,  from  fit.  Bowdoin 

to  Jeffries  Point 
May  C.  McDonald,  from  Bookmobile  I  to 

Bookmobile  III 

Resignations 

Paul  F.  JJiulloney,  Science  and  Technology, 

to  accept  a  position  with  the  U.  S, 

Civil  Service  Commission 
Anastasia  Efthemeou,  Print,  married  and 

moved  to  Detroit 
}iirs   Doris  VJhigham,  Central  Charging 

Records,  to  remain  at  home 
Joseph  J.  Foley,  Book  Preparation 
Mrs  Edith  L.  Lebman,  Personnel  Office, 

to  live  in  Detroit  for  the  STimmer 
Paul  J.  Delahanty,  Hyde  Park,  to  accept 

another  position 
Phyllis  Glasener,  Codman  Square,  to  live 

in  Rhode  Island 


PRESIDENT'S  NOTES 


At  the  meeting  of  the  Executive  Board, 
June  5,  the  Editor  of  The  Question  tfark 
presented  a  request  that  a  representative 
of  the  Publications  Committee  be  present 
at  Executive  Board  meetings.  Such  repre- 
sentation, it  was  indicated,  would  enable 
the  Editdx  to  co-ordinate  editorial  policy 
with  information  developed  at  the  Executive 
Board  meetings,  and,  through  the  medium 
of  The  Question  Mark,  to  stimulate  the 
thinking  of  the  staff  on  pertinent  issues. 
If  The  Question  ^rk  is  to  offer  not  merely 
personnel  items  and  re potts  of  professional 
meetings  but  discussions  of  Library  issues 
as  well,  then  the  editorial  board  should 
be  informed  of  the  issues  that  are  under 
eondideration  by  the  Executive  Board. 

The  majority  of  the  members  of  the 
Executive  Board  voted  to  grant  permission 
for  a  representative  of  the  Publications 
Committee  to  be  present  at  Executive  Board 
meet.ijigs.  The  constitutionality  of  this 
action  was  questioned  and,  upon  a  motion 
duly  made  and  seconded,  it  was  voted  that 
the  ruling  cf  the  President  upholding  the 
constitutionality  of  the  action  be  sus- 
tained; Miss  Connolly  and  Hiss  RobbiriS 
opposed  and  vdshed  to  be  recorded  as  con- 
sidering the  above  action  unconstitutional. 

It  is  hoped  that  those  who  wish  to  ex- 
press themselves  on  the  advisability  of  a 
representative  of  thie  Publications  Committee 
or,  for  that  matter,  anyone  not  duly  el- 
ected to  the  Executive  Board,  being  pre- 
sent at  Executive  Board  meetings  will  pre- 
sent their  arguments  pro  and  con  in  the 
pages  of  The  Question  Mark.  This  matter 
can  be  presented  for  discussion  and  action 
at  the  November  business  meeting. 

It  was  brought  to  the  attention  of  the 
Executive  Board  that  our  present  blood 
bank  arrangments  have  not  been  satisfactory. 
A  special  committee  -  P.  Joseph  O'Neil, 
chairman,  Emilia  Lange,  aid  Edna  Follent  - 
was  appointed  to  investigate  the  situation 
and  report  its  findings  and  recommendations 
to  the  Executive  Board. 

Tlie  decision  of  the  Trustees  to  award 
again  this  year  an  additional  grant  toward 
the  expense  of  attending  the  ALA  Conference 
to  the  President  of  the  Staff  Association 
is  most  gratifying.  This  recognition  of 
the  many  positive  contributions  that  the 
staff  has  made  to  the  Library  and  to  the 
library  profession   prompts\  us  to  extend 
our  thanks  not  only  to  the  Trustees  but, 
also,  to  all  our  members,  past  and  present. 

Louis  Rains 


-3- 


BIRTHS 

CQngratiilations  to  Mr  and  Mrs  Jack  Trocki 
on  the  birth  of  a  son,  William  George,  on 
Ifey  l5»  Mrs  Trocki  formerly  worked  in  the 
Office  of  Records,  Files,  Statistics.  On 
hand,  to  give  their  brother  a  hearty 
welcome  were  Hie  two-year-old  twins, 
Jackie  and  Joey. 

CONGRATULATIONS 

To  Roberta  Kalafatas,  a  stiident  at 
Girls'  Latin  School  and  extra  assistant 
at  South  Boston,  Trtio  has  been  awarded  a 
$U0O  scholarship  to  Boston  University. 
Roberta  is  receiving  one  of  the  Bird 
scholarships  available  to  residents  of 
South  Boston. 


To  Ann  Lynch,  extra  assistant  at  South 
Boston,  Ydio  has  been  chosen  as  a  delegate 
to  attend  the  National  Junior  Achievement 
Conference  to  be  held  in  Cleveland  next 
August.  Ann  is  a  junior  at  South  Boston 
High  School  and  a  member  of  the  National 
Honor  Society. 


To  Pauline  Winnick,  Readers  Advisors 
for  Young  Adults,  Open  Shelf,  vflio  has  just 
been  elected  to  the  Board  of  Directors  of 
the  American  Library  Association,  Division 
of  Libraries  for  Children  and  Young 
People,  as  representative  of  the  Associa- 
tion of  Young  People's  Librarians,  for 
the  1957-1959  term.  Since  July,  1955, 
Miss  Winnick  has  been  serving  that  Divi- 
sion as  adve3rbising  manager  for  Top  of 
the  News. 

THE  SOCIAL  miDL 

The  spacious  gardens  at  the  home  of 
Mr  and  Mrs  Albert  Carpenter,  Eliot  Street, 
Jamaica  Plsiin,  were  the  setting  for  a  veiy 
happy  occasion  on  Monday,  fey  28,  1956. 
Catherine  Duffy,  Book  Selection,  HR  and  CSi, 
and  Louis  O'Halloran,  HR  ani  CS  Division 
Office,  had  been  invited  to  have  dinner 
with  Mr  and  llrs  Carpenter.  Wn.en  they 
arrived,  they  founi  to  their  surprise 
that  they  had  been  preceded  by  fifty  or 
more  of  their  fellow  libraiy  workers  who 
also  were  "having  dinner"  with  the 
Cerpenters.  The  joy  of  the  event  was  not 
dimmed  one  bit  by  the  fact  that  "the 
dinner"  was  a  box  lunch,  with  plenty  of 


warming  wine  and  hot  coffee  to  take  the 
chill  off  the  atmosphere,  the  only  element 
Trtiich  failed  to  cooperate  in  making  this 
gathering  an  unqualified  success. 

The  weather  did  however  leave  "the  shower" 
part  to  the  guests  yiio  presented  the  bride- 
and-groom-to-be  with  a  substantial  check  to 
buy  something  "to  remember  the  Library  by" 
(as  the'  they  could  ever  forget  usl)  for 
their  new  home  in  Dedham.  The  presentation 
was  made  by  Miss  Peck  and  Mr  Carpenter, 
Library  "Mom"  and  "Pop"  of  the  happy  couple, 
A  Continental  touch  was  added  by  the  fetchin4 
berets,  so  jauntily  worn  by  Mr  Connolly, 
Mr  Carroll  and  the  host. 

With  good  wishes  to  the  happy  couple  and 
many  thanks  to  their  kind  host  and  hostess, 
the  guests  departed  early  in  case  some 
blizzard  might  be  about  to  descend  upon 
the  Boston  area. 


Dear  Friends, 

Certainly  Jfey  28,  1956  will 
always  hold  a  wonderful  place  in  our 
meraoryo  Words  fail  to  tell  how  much  we 
enjoyed  your  surprise  party  for  us  at 
Mr  and  Mrs  Carpenter's  home.  The  gift  is 
most  sincerely  appreciated  ard  will,  we 
know,  do  much  to  enhance  our  home. 

Thank  you  again,  one  and  all.  We  shall 
never  forget  it. 


Very  sincerely, 
Kay  and  Lou 


On  April  28,  a  shower  was  held  for  Mary 
V.  Curado  at  the  home  of  Mrs  Margaret 
Morrissey.  Mary  opened  her  1rery  beautiful 
and  useful  gifts  under  a  green  and  yellow 
bell,  from  which  rose-petal  confetti  was 
showered  over  the  bride-to-be.  The  dining 
room  was  decorated  in  green  and  yellow 
streamers  and  hanging  from  the  streamers 
were  tiny  umbrellas.  Over  the  center  of 
the  table  was  a  green  and  yellow  watering 
can.  lUrs   Morrissey  served  a  delicious 
buffet  including  her  famous  and  delicious 
Irish  Bread. 


-ii- 


On  Thursday  evening.  May  31,  a  shower  -was 
held  at  Margaret  Morrissey's  home  for 
Pauline  Eaton  and  Marty  Murphy  in  honor 
of  their  marriage  next  fall.  About  fifty 
people  gathered  for  the  occasion,  filling 
every  nook  and  cranny  of  the  house. 

In  the  dining  room  the  decorations  were 
most  attractive  in  blue,  -white  and  silver. 
Dainty  white  slippers,  filled  with  almoncb, 
were  the  individual  favors,  a  cluster  of 
bells  was  suspended  above  the  table  and 
the  centerpiece  of  i/iJiite  gardenias  was 
beautifully  arranged. 

The  prospective  bride  was  surprised, 

the  gifts  were  lovely,  the  food  was ^weH, 

Mrs  Morrissey  gave  the  party,  so  need  we 
say  more?  Just  that  a  wonderful  party 
was  enjoyed  by  all  the  guests. 


* 


* 


On  Saturday,  June  2,  the  "fair  sex"  of 
Book  Purchasing,  were  invited  to  the  home 
of  ISrs   Gertrude  McCabe  in  Concord,  Massa- 
chusetts for  an  outside  barbecue  and  "get 
together" . 

The  party  was  planned  by  Mrs  McCabe  as 
a  little  reception  for  Mary  Curado  on  her 
approaching  marriage  in  July  to  David 
Sheehan  of  Book  Stack  Service.  It  was  a 
beautiful  afternoon  with  the  sun  shining 
on  the  McCabe  lawn  and  garden.  The  Book 
Purchasers  sat  in  the  patio  porch  watch- 
ing the  chickens  brown  on  the  revolving 
spit  in  the  open  fireplace.  The  luscious 
aroma  filled  the  air  and  mouths  were 
watering  just  waiting  to  devour  the  birds. 

When  the  feast  was  over,  the  hostess 
appeared  carrying  a  tall  silver  hat  which 
held  glasses  of  orange  juice  for  a  toast, 
the  object  of  -vrtiich  was  to  award  a  prize 
to  the  one  pulling  the  shortest  glass,  and 
as  planned,  the  guest  of  honor,  was  the 
lucky  one,  and  for  a  prize,  Mary  was  pre- 
sented with  a  personal  gift  of  underwear 
for  her  tjrousseau.  It  was  a  complete 
surprise  to  the  bride-to-be,  and  everyone 
utterly  enjoyed  the  day  in  the  country. 

Margaret  Morrissey 


•«• 


^ 


Duilia  Capobianco,  who  has  been  guiding 
staff  activities  at  East  Boston  since  the 
ifiarriage  of  the  former  Branch  Librarian, 
Mrs  Robert  Pitman,  has  decided  to  go  and 
do  likewise.  In  recognition  of  this  wise 
decision,  Miss  Capobianco  was  twice 
honored  on  Thursday,  May  2U. 


At  the  conclusion  of  the  Home  Reading 
Division  May  meeting,  those  in  attendance, 
along  with  other  Library  officers  closely 
allied  with  the  Division,  gathered  in  the 
Women's  Lounge  which  was  gay  with  spring 
flowers,  an  attractive  table  setting,  and 
tempting  mid-morning  delicacies.  After  a 
brief  interlude  of  sociability,  John  M. 
Carroll,  Chief  Librarian  of  the  Division, 
with  his  usual  apt  phrases,  presented  Miss 
Capobianco,  on  behalf  of  the  group,  with  a 
purse  containing  a  substantial  check  and 
many  good  wishes  from  her  fellow  workers  for 
her  future  happiness. 

Following  the  afternoon  session  of  the 
Adult  Book  Selection  Committee  that  august 
body  laid  aside  its  dignity  and  the  burdens 
of  the  day  to  betake  itself  to  the  Towne 
Lyne  House  in  Lynnfield.  As  an  expression 
of  good  will  towards  Miss  Capobianco  who 
has  served  on  the  Committee  for  the  past 
year,  each  member  ate  a  hearty  meal  as  thoug 
she  really  enjoyed  it.  As  a  token  of  their 
appreciation  for  her  past  services  and  their 
best  wishes  the  Committee  also  remembered 
to  present  the  guest  of  honor  with  a  small 
gift. 

We  are  sure  that  everyone  who  has  ever 
worked  with  ^iss  Capobianco  is  aware  of  the 
deep  loss  which  will  be  felt  by  the  Adult 
Book  Selection  Committee.  Her  years  of 
outstanding  service  as  a  member  of  the 
Boston  Public  Library  Staff  will  long  be 
remembered. 


Recently  the  Staff  of  East  Boston,  plus 
Linda  Pagliuca  and  Jennie  Femino  of  North 
End,  gathered  for  a  double  celebration  at 
Anthony's  Hawthorne  Inn  in  Lynn.  The  reason 
for  celebrating  was  the  recently  announced 
engagement  of  two  staff  members — Gracemarie 
Alfe  and  Duilia  Capobianco. 

To  the  amazement  of  all,  upon  entering  we 
were  ushered  to  a  private  room  i/diere  we  were 
treated  royally.  To  add  to  the  festivities, 
the  management  presented  our  guests  of  honor 
with  champagne  and  an  elaborately  decorated 
cake. 

Along  with  all  our  best  wishes  for  a  happy 
fut\are,  Duilia  was  presented  with  a  crystal 
cocktail  set  and  Gracemarie  with  a  set  of 
bronze  bon-bon  dishes. 

For  a  momento  of  the  happy  occasion, 
Anthony  himself  presented  each  of  the  guests 
of  honor  vrith  a  photograph  of  the  group. 


■»■ 


-6' 


Mrs  Marion  Dubrawski's  associates  on  the 
Char lest ovm  staff  signalized  her  departure 
from  the  branch  on  maternity  leave  by- 
taking  her  to  a  lobster  dinner  at  the 
Tovm  Line  House  on  Friday,  May  25.  Dinner 
over,  the  party  adjourned  to  Mrs 
Dubrawski's  attractive  honE  in  Orient 
Heights  where  a  baby  shower  ended  a  very 
pleasant  evening. 


# 


■M- 


Many  friends  of  Laura  Abate,  Office  of 
Division  of  Reference  and  Research  Serv- 
ices, gathered  together  for  a  surprise 
luncheon  for  her  at  Eddie  Davis'  Steak 
House,  Thursday,  May  31.  The  affair  was 
a  fond  farewell  to  "Laurie"  prior  to  her 
maternity  leave.  She  was  presented  with 
a  corsage  of  small  yellow  roses  along  with 
a  gift  of  a  tiny  toy  baby  carriage,  indi- 
cating the  purpose  of  the  money  neatly 
tucked  in  under  a  miniature  doll. 

Richard  G.  Hensley,  for  iidiom  Laurie  has 
worked  during  her  years  at  the  BPL,  spoke 
of  her  many  fine  qxialities  and  her  good 
service  to  the  Division  Office.  Needless 
to  say,  she  will  be  very  much  missed  there 
and  throughout  the  building. 


An  informal  supper  party  at  the  home  of 
Mrs  Marjorie  Bouquet  on  Monday  evening. 
May  28,  was  the  setting  for  a  surprise 
baby  shower  for  Lauira  Abate.  Former 
co-workers  of  Laurie's  were  among  the 
invited  guests,  including  Joyce  Kelly  and 
Barbara  Cotter. 

Mrs  Bouquet  was  a  charming  hostess  and 
served  a  delicious  dinner.   After  the 
leisiirely  meal  was  enjoyed,  Laurie  opened 
her  many  attractive  gifts. 

*   *   * 

On  Saturday,  June  2,  the  feminine 
members  of  Allston  gave  a  luncheon  at  the 
Abner  TUheeler  House  tO  Mrs  !&iry  Ellen 
Brigante,  Children's  Librarian,  Tiftio  is 
going  out  on  maternity  leave.  (The  male 
member  of  the  staff,  rather  understandably, 
declined  to  attend  the  ftmction).  A  •:•. 
corsage  of  red  roses  and  a  gift  were  pre- 
sented to  Mrs  Brigante,  and  for  once  the 
affair  came  as  a  complete  surprise  to  the 
recipient.  All  her  co-workers  and  the 
public  at  Allston  wish  her  happiness  with 
a  new  baby — and  a  new  home  that  she  and 
her  husband  are  building  in  North  Easton. 


Rita  Desaulni6rs,  newly  appointed  Business 
Branch  ■;  Librarian,  was  taken  to  dinner 
at  the  Hotel  Bellevue  on  June  h   by  the 
Business  Branch  staff.  To  properly  cele- 
brate this  long-awaited  event,  one  and  all 
devoxured  steak  or  broiled  live  lobster 
?rith  relish,  while  the  guest  of  honor 
seemed  satisfied  vrith  a  delicate  omelet. 
She  was  the  recipient  of  a  corsage  of  pink 
roses,  plus  some  light  verse  composed  for 
the  occasion. 

ENGAGEMENTS 

Angela  C.  Hennessey,  Information  Office, 
to  Paul  P.  Heffernan  of  South  Boston. 
Mr  Heffernan,  a  nephew  of  James  Crowley, 
Book  Stack  Service,  was  fcarmerly  en^jloyed 
as  a  part-tine  assistant  in  Open  Shelf. 

ALUMNI  KDTES 

Friends  of  Lillian  Kovars,  former  employee 
of  the  Boston  Public  Library,  will  be  inter- 
ested to  hear  of  her  forthcoming  marriage 
in  July,  Since  leaving  tte  B.P.L.,  she 
has  had  several  interesting  positions.  She 
worked  for  the  American  Red  Cross  and  as 
secretary  for  Drew  Pearson.  At  present 
she  is  employed  by  the  C.I.O.  Miss  Kovars 
resides  in  Washington,  D.C.,  iirtiere  the 
wedding;  TriJl  take  place. 


William  J.  Mulloney,  Jr.,  his  wife 
Gertrude  and  small  son.  Tommy,  visited  the 
library  last  Monday  to  see  old  friends. 
Bill  was  formerly  employed  in  the  Book 
Stack  Service.  They  are  now  living  in 
Denver  and  came  to  Boston  for  a  two  week 
visit.  Bill's  father,  William,  Sr.,  has 
been  retired  from  the  library  since  l^lUt. 

MEET  OUR  NBIT  ARRIVALS 

The  newest  subprofessional  in  Open  Shelf 
is  Harold  A.  Brackett.  The  B.P.L.  is  a 
tradition  in  Harold's  family:  his  mother 
is  on  the  staff  of  West  End,  his  sister 
(Mrs  Dorothy  Ekstrom)  is  at  Adans  Street, 
and  his  younger  brother  was  formerly  a 
part-timer  at  School  Issue.  Harold  himself 
worked  in  Book  Stack  Service  after  his 
graduation  from  South  Boston  High  School. 
In  1952  he  was  drafted  and  spent  two  years 
in  the  Medical  Corps,  serving  in  Virginia, 
Colorado,  and  Massachusetts,  After  his 
discharge  from  the  arny,  he  worked  for  a 
while  with  an  insurance  company.  But  the 


■«• 


* 


•»• 


B.P.L.  called  and  he  has  been  at  Open 
Shelf  since  April  '56,  Harold  (who  is 
not  married)  lists  automobiles  in  first 
place  simong  his  hobbies. 


The  new  girl  in  the  Children 'd  Section 
of  Open  Shelf  is  Marcia  Goldfarb  who  hails 
from  Portland,  Maine,  She  is  now  living 
in  Brookline  -wiiile  her  husband  attends 
Tufts  Medical  School.  Before  coining  to 
the  B.P.L.  she  did  part-time  secretarial 
work  at  M.I.T.  ^n  her  spare  time  she 
pursues  her  interest  in  all  sports,  espe- 
cially skiing  in  the  winter. 

A  graduate  of  Pembroke  College  T*ere 
she  majored  in  International  Relations, 
Marcia  says  she  is  thoroughly  enjojring 
her  new  field  of  library  work  with  chil- 
dren. 

CATHOLIC  LIBRARY  ASSOCIATION 
SPRING  tffiETDJG 

The  Archbishop  Williams  High  School  in 
Braintree  was  the  scene  of  the  New  Eng- 
land Unit  meeting  in  May,  1956.  The 
Membership  Director  reported  a  total 
membership  of  3l5  members,  a  gain  of  2U 
since  last  year.  As  this  membership 
covers  all  of  New  England,  a  suggestion 
was  made  to  hold  the  October  meeting  at 
St.  Michael's  College,  in  Burlington, 
Vermont.  The  suggestion  was  received 
favorably. 

Various  section  chairmen  reported  on 
the  recent  Conference.  Sister  Mary  Mercy 
of  Fall  River  urged  the  development  of  a 
High  School  Section  within. the  Unit  and 
invited  all  high  school  librarians  and 
teachers  to  join.  Martha  Erjgler,  South 
Boston,  requested  the  cooperation  of  all 
Children's  Librarians  in  the  establish- 
ment of  an  Elementary  School  Section. 
She  recommended  a  book  list  compiled  by 
Rev.  Ai^rew  Bowvftiuis  S.J.,  which  may  be 
secured,  free,  through  New  England  News. 
Miss  Engler  has  been  appointed  Chairman 
of  the  Elementary  School  Section  of  the 
National  Catholic  Library  Association 
and  is  now  planning  the  program  for  the 
Conference  to  be  held  in  Louisville  next 
year. 

Sister  Mary  Walter  gave  an  interesting 
and  instructive  talk  on  Science.  Sister 
is  a  teacher  in  the  liission  Church 
Grammar  School  and  is  a  member  of  many 
national  and  local  science  associations. 
She  is  well  known  in  library  circles  and 


I  has  talked  to  the  Young  Adult  Librarians 
here  at  this  Library. 

The  meeting  adjourned  at  Us 30  and  a 
delightful  luncheon  was  served  by  the  Home 
Economics  Class  of  the  High  School. 

Anna  L.  Manning 

CHILDREN'S  ROUND  TABLE 

The  Round  Table  of  Children's  Librarians 
held  its  Spring  meeting  at  the  Brookline 
Public  Library  on  Thursday  morning,  May  17 , 
at  10  o'clock.  An  attendance  of  about  one 
hundred  was  delighted  with  a  group  of  new 
films  for  pre-school  and  elementary  grade 
children,  Morton  Schindel  of  Weston  Woods 
Studios,  producer,  director,  and  distribu- 
tor of  the  productions  described  their 
beginnings  and  explained  the  methods  of 
photographing  which  were  finally  evolved. 
Using  the  actual  pages  of  the  book  "with 
its  original  color,  Mr  Schindel  and  his 
associates  have  developed  an  exciting  idea 
of  bringing  apparent  action  to  the  pages 
of  a  pictvire  book.  Those  present  were 
thrilled  by  the  showing  of  Make  Way  For 
Ducklings  by  Robert  McCloskey, 

YDUNG  ADULTS  ROUND  TABLE 

The  Round  Table  of  Librarians  for  Young 
Adults  held  its  May  2k  meeting  in  a  square 
room  that  suddenly  appeared  at  one  end  of 
the  Txifts  Branch  of  the  Weymouth  library, 
in  North  Weymouth.  This  appearing  and 
disappearing  room  is  only  one  of  the  many 
modern  features  of  the  branch.  Others 
include  an  invisible  heating  system,  a 
movie  screen  that  disappeared  into  the 
ceiling,  a  magazine  rack  for  current  issues 
that  suddenly  folds  inward  to  reveal  the 
back  issues,  and  a  shadowless  lighting 
system  that  gives  the  distinct  illusion 
of  daylight.  Christine  E.  Evarts,  Chief 
Librarian  at  Weymouth,  demonstrated  these 
things  for  the  group,  then  went  on  to  tell 
how  ths  branch  grew  from  a  small  collection 
in  a  store. 

A  short  business  meeting  followed,  with 
the  minutes  read  and  accepted,  and  two  new- 
amendments  to  the  constitution  accepted 
unanimously.  Barbara  Cotter  of  Connolly 
Branch  resigned  as  chairman  of  the  Round 
Table  and  asked  the  executive  committee 
to  appoint  a  new  chaii*man  to  fill  out  her 
term  until  next  year. 

The  high  point  of  the  morning  was  meeting 
Miss  Esther  Carlson  of  Belmont,  author  of 
Milestones  and  The  long  way  around,  who 


-7- 


gave  a  talk  on  "writing  for  teen-egers"  and 
answered  many  questions  from  the  group. 
Significant  points  for  iwriters  made  by- 
Miss  Carlson  were  the  necessity  for  action , 
for  imagination,  conciseness,  sticking  to 
the  point,  familiarity  with  subject  mattarj 
and  a  central  problem  to  interest  the 
teen-ager.  Personal  qualities  she  stressed 
were  a geniii-ne interest  in  teen-agers,  and 
constant  reading  habits.  She  also  pointed 
out  the  advantages  and  disadvantages  of 
vomiting  for  this  age  level. 

Following  the  meeting,  the  group  gath- 
ered at  Cain's  for  luncheon. 

SPECIAL  LIBRARIES  ASSOCIATION 

The  annual  meeting  of  the  Boston  Chaptar, 
was  held  on  Monday  evening; May  28; at 
Gordon  College  in  Beverly  Farms.  The 
college  moved  last  year  to  the  1000  acre 
tract  of  land,  complete  with  five  ponds 
and  a  castle,  ■which  was  purchased  from 
the  Prince  fanaly  for  the  new  campus. 
Members  had  supper  in  the  school  cafeteria 
and  were  taken  through  part  of  the  castleo 
The  business  meeting  was  held  in  the  new 
library  building,  now  partly  occupied  by 
classrooms  \mtil  further  expansion  of  the 
building  program.  Guided  tours  through 
the  library  were  conducted  by  the  friendly 
staff  of  the  college  and  libraiy  treasures 
were  displayed. 

This  was  the  final  meeting  of  the  Boston 
Chapter  until  next  fall. 

ON  YE  PAYT^iENT  FOR  BOOKS  LOST . .  . 
by 
Sir  Francis  Bacon 

" . . .because  it  may  and  hath  fallen  out 
that  some  booke  may  be  sent  for  by  the 
King  himself e,  or  nay  for  a  time  be  taken 
out  for  some  publicke  use  of  the  Church, 
w*h  a  purpose  to  return  it  againe  (be- 
sides all  other  casualties,  unto  which 
all  things  in  this  mortall  life  are  sub- 
.■;^ct)  when  notwithstanding  all  the  care 
and  diligence  which  ye  Archbishop  can 
possibly  use,  this  booke  or  bookes  may, 
(by  some  accident  or  default  of  another) 
not  be  returned  unto  the  Librarie  againe; 
in  TTjhich  or  the  like  case,... the  value  of 
this  booke  or  bookes  w'^'^  are  lost  (and 
the  losse  thereof  might  have  ben  hindred) 
should  be  made  good  to  the  Librarie  againe  i' 
Transactions  of  the 
Cambridge  Bibliographical 
Society,  vol.  II,  part  2, 
1955  p.  106. 


MARY  U.  NICHOLS  AV'ARDS 


The  Eighth  Annual  Award  of  the  Mary  U. 
Nichols  Book  Prizes  was  held  at  North  End 
on  Thursday  evening,  May  31.  Milton  E. 
Lord,  Director  of  the  Boston  Public  Library, 
awarded  the  prizes  to  Patricia  ?fary  Sasso 
and  "'incent  Michael  Jjfusto,  Jr.  Patricia, 
•vriio  is  a  senior  at  the  Julie  Billiart 
Hish  School,  received  the  OXFORD  BOOK  OF 
AMERICAN  VERSE,  beautifully  bound  in  blue 
morocco  with  gold  trim.  Patricia  has  been 
a  member  of  the  Young  Adults  Council  at 
North  End  for  three  years  and  was  formerly 
with  the  North  End  puppeteers  group.  She 
is  currently  an  extra  assistant  in  Open 
Shelf.  Vincent,  a  senior  at  the  Christophei 
Columbus  High  School,  received  the  STEPHEN 
CRANE  OMIBUS  Titoich  contains  his  favorite 
novel — The  Red  Badge  of  Courage. 

The  address  of  the  evening  was  by  Oscar 
Handlin,  Professor  of  "istory  at  Harvard, 
vho  spoke  on  the  immigrant  in  America. 
John  A.  Scanga,  Director  of  the  Michelangelo 
School  Center,  was  chairman  of  the  program. 
The  J  alie  Billiart  High  School  Chorus  sang 
several  selections  and  Philip  Di  Mattia 
played  the  accordian.  The  Reverend  Father 
John  A.  Madden,  S.  J,,  of  St.  Mary's  Church? 
represented  the  community.  Father  Madden 
knew  Miss  Nichols  and  has  been  an  active 
borrower  at  North  End  and  in   Open  Shelf 
for  many  years.  The  Young  Adults  Council- 
lor  were  ushers  and  helped  serve  the  re- 
freshments -which  were  made  and  contributed 
by  the  community.  An  added  festive  note 
for  the  many  friends  of  i^^iss  Nichols  from 
outside  of  the  I'Jorth  End  was  the  Corpus 
Christi  procession  in  progress  as  they 
approached  the  Library. 

The  Boston  Globe,  May  30,  carried  an 
interesting  account  of  the  history  of  the 
Nichols  A-wards  with  a  picture  of  an  en- 
thralled audience  of  small  children  -watch- 
ing the  last  puppet  show  of  the  current 
season.  Miss  Nichols  had  been  particularly 
interested  in  working  with  puppets,  and  had 
organized  the  puppeteers  at  North  End. 

Miss  Nichol's  mother,  Mrs  Katie  Nichols 
of  Peterborough,  New  Hampshire,  attended 
the  program.  Now  in  her  82nd  year,  it  WgS 
her  first  visit  to  North  End  Branch  Library 
since  her  daughter's  librarians hip. 


ti 


-8- 


VALE  ATQUE  AVE 


The  Cataloging  and  Classification  Dept-the  waiters  were  so  admiring  that  they  didn't 


ment  (flR  and.C3)  wishes  the  best  for 
Charles  J.  Gillis,  who  has  been  promoted 
to  Chief  of  Central  Chari^ing  Recordg, 
Fe  all  will  miss  him  very  much,  since  he 


has  been  an  ideal  boss,  quiet,  efficient— the  fifth  course  most  of  us  had  trouble 


never  any  friction.     Central  Charging 


Records  have  gained  a  perfect  Chief,  a  man  been  steak  or  lobster.     After  the  seventti 


who  has  been  associated  with  the  Library 
over  30  years  and  iiriio  has  proved  his 
ability  to  handle  many  kinds  of  Library 
problems.     The  staff  of  the  Cataloging 
Department  presented  }1r  Gillis  with  a 
folding  travel  clock  as  a  gift,  a  small 
measure  of  their  appreciation  of  his 
consideration  for  his  staff, 

Louise  K,  Murphy 


At  1  PM  on  Wednesday,   June  6,  Charles 


the  waiters  from  the  complicated  task  of 
taking  orders.  It  vrasdsne  so  quickly  and 


even  mind  when  he  came  up  with  eighteen 
orders  from  seventeen  people. 

Courses  one,  three,  five,  and  seven  of 
the  seven  course  meal  were  liquid  and  after 


remembering  whether  our  main  course  had 


course,  none  of  us  cared. 

Miss  Becker  reminisced  about  her  year- 
and-a-half  hitch  in  CCRj  Mr  Polishook  told 
anecdotes  about  France  and  someone  kept 
calling  for  a  community  sing.  The  idea  was 
discouraged — probably  by  the  management. 
The  party  lasted  for  three  ho\irs  and  most 
of  us  had  recovered  by  Monday. 

On  Tuesday  afternoon,  June  5,  the  staff 
(a  more  sober  and  serious  group,  now)  pre- 
sented Miss  Becker  with  a  shoiilder  bag  to 
take  with  her  on  her  trip  to  Eiirope  this 
Summer.  Later,  the  official  glee  club  of 
CCR  sang  her  a  medley  of  old  time  favorites. 


Gillis  arrived  in  Central  Charginc;  Records  among  viiich  were  "After  You've  Gone"  and 


his  new  department.  7!r  Polishook  met  him 
at  the  door  and  escorted  him  to  his  desk. 
Everyone  said  "Good  morning,  Jlr  Gillis". 
Mr  Gillis  said, "Good  morning",  admired 


"Auld  Lang  Syne",  Miss  Becker's  eyes 
remained  conspicuously  dry,  however,  and 
at  five  o'clock  she  gave  us  a  big  smile, 
thanked  us  f<r  everything,  and  left.  She's 


the  bouquet  of  flowers  on  his  desk  and  sat awfully  happy  about  her  new  job— almost 


down.  Thus  began  what  the  staff  of  CCR 
is  sure  will  be  a  long  and  pleasant  re- 
lationship. 

In  a  department  like  ours  unpredictable 
things  hapoen  all  the  time.  Anyone  who's 
ever  worked  with  the  public  knows  the 
number  of  problems  that  can  cone  up  in 
the  course  of  a  day,  Mr  Gillis  has  run 
into  some  upsetting  problems  already  and 
come  through  unniffled.  Now  he's  lost 
the  apprehensive  look  he  had  the  first 
few  hours.  He's  besjinning  to  look  more 
at  home  at  that  desk.  He's  gotten  his 
first  inkling  of  what  we  all  knew  a  week 
after  we  came  to  work  here.  CCR  is  the 
most  wonderful  department  in  the  system 
as  long  as  you  keep  your  sense  of  humor. 


indecently  so. 


To  Miss  Becker: 


Hot  diggetyl 


Once  upon  a  Saturday  nieht  the  staff 
of  Central  Charging  Records  held  a  fare- 
well party  fcr  Dorothy  Becker  in  a  back- 
room of  the  Town  House,  The  group  of 
seventeen  was  exceptionally  gay  and  at 
times  Miss  Becker  wondered  aloud  if  we 
were  celebrating  because  we'd  enjoyed 
having  her  or  were  happy  to  see  her  go, 

Mr  Polishook,  OCR's  social  director, 
greeted  us,  seated  us  and  then  rescued 


Translation  -  welcome  from  a  very  grate- 
ful and  happy  staff. 

Eglestcn  Square 


Alice  Hackett,  newly-appointed  head  of 
the  Home  Reading  and  Community  Services 
Cataloging  and  Classification  Department, 
las  a  notable  record  of  seBvice  in  the 
Boston  Public  ^brary. 

She  began  as  a  part-time  eToployee   at 
Andrews  Square  (now  Washington  Village)  and 
then  transferred  to  a  full-time  position 
at  the  main  library.  In  19U5  she  was  ap- 
pointed Second  Assistant  in  the  Reference  and 
ind  Research  Cataloging  and  Classification 
Department  and  was  promoted  to  First  (Ad- 
ninistrative)  Assistant  in  1950, 

On  Jvine  5,  the  last  day  of  her  service 
in  the  Reference  and  Research  Cataloging. 


'i- 


Department,  Miss  Hackett's  co-workers 
gave  a  luncheon  for  her  at  the  Salmagundi 
Farewell  gifts  to  her  vrere  a  brown  leathar 
hand-bag  and  a  corsage  of  baby  orchids. 
In  her  honor  the  followng  poem  was  drama- 
tically proclaimed; 
TO 
ALICE  HACKETT 
6th  of  June  19^6 

In  19UU  the  6th  of  June  was  D-Day 

Now  here  a^ain  in  '56  the  6th  is  A-Day. 

We've  always  held  that  June  was  such  a 

joyful  season. 
Leave  it  to  us  to  destroy  any  such 

illusion. 

For  today  is  the  day  we  give  Alice  a^vay . 
And  tho  it's  only  a  step  across  the  way 
We  may  be  pardoned  if  we  complain 
We're  no  satisfied  that  our  loss  is 
their  gain. 

To  view  it  from  the  joyful  Bide 
Our  grief  is  overcome  by  pride, 
Our  best  wishes  go  with  you 
Happy  we'll  still  be  seeing  you. 

On  Thursday  when  you  are  laden 

With  all  the  money  ynu'll  be  taking 

We'll  tie  there  with  helping  hands 

Tb  ease  the  burden  of  all  those  grands. 


wishes  her  well  in  her  new  position  at 
East  Boston, 


The  Cataloging  and  Class  if  icati'^n 
Department  for  Home  Reading  and  Commun- 
ity Services  cordially  welcomed  with  a 
floral  offering  Alice  E,  Hackett,  the 
well-knovm  and  much -loved  former  cata- 
loeer  of  the  Division  of  Reference  and 
Research  Services  ^  in  the  \indertaking 
of  her  new  duties  as  our  chief. 

We  congratulate  her  upon  her  promotion 
to  the  position  of  chief  of  our  depart- 
ment and  we  condider  ourselves  fortunate 
that  one  so  oleasant  to  know  has  been 
selected  to  fill  this  position.  We  v;ish 
her  success  and  hopefully  look  forward 
to  many  pleasant  vrorking  years  under  her 
supervision, 

Geraldine  Cudmore 


On  the  eve  of  her  transfer  from  Book- 
mobile I,  the  staff  presented  Hrs  Evelyn 
i-arden  with  a  navy  blue  bag  with  gold 
fittings  and  red  leather  lining;  and  also 
a  corsage  of  c  ymbidi\im  lilies.  Her  staff 


The  staff  at  East  Boston  joined  in  wel- 
coming its  new  Branch  Librarian,  Mrs 
Evelyn  Harden,  at  a  coffee  hour  in  her 
honcT  on  her  first  morning  in  her  new 
position.  In  order  that  she  might  begin 
her  introduction  to  the  district  without 
further  delay,  she  was  the  guest  of  several 
members  of  the  staff  for  luncheon  at  the 
East  Boston  Airport  that  same  day,  A 
bouquet  of  beautiful  spring  flowers  ap- 
peared on  her  desk  as  a  greeting  from 
I'Irs  Dorothy  Mourse  Pitman,  Branch  Librar- 
ian, Emeritus , 

C,  C.  M.  S.  LOSES  TVro  TiEMBERS  ' 

On  Saturday,  May  26,  about  UO  members 
of  the  Chowder,  Chatter,  and  Marching 
Society  and  their  friends  met  at  the  China 
Star,  out  Merrymount  way,  to  bid  fond  fare- 
well to  two  of  our  departing  members :  Fob 
Foodward,  late  of  History,  and  Paul  Mulbney, 
usually  late  in  Science  and  Technology. 
Spirits  ran  hio;h  and  flovied  almost  as  freely 
as  the  tears.  The  fare  included  some 
rather  lively  shrimp  and  tired  water  chest- 
nuts, accompanied  by  mounds  of  fried  rice. 
Tito  of  the  grouj)  pretentiously  proud  of 
their  heritage, mildly  rebuked  the  rest  cf 
us  by  having  fried  chicken. 

The  brilliant  salutatory  remarks, 
fraught  vfith  the  wisdom  that  only  age  can 
bring,  were  delivered  by  our  self-styled 
emcee  and  president  from  whom  all  blessings 
flow,  Lou  Rains.  Upon  being  presented  vrith 
a  leather  brief  case  and  money.  Bob  Tfocd-ward 
made  some  rather  serious  remarks  on  what 
he  cherished  most  from  among  his  many  BPL 
blessings;  he  said  in  part,  ",,.and  when  I 
look  -Tack  I  realize  that  there  was  nothing 
quite  so  important  as  this  money."  Paul 
?Iulloney,  too,  was  given  a  brief  case. 
To  avoid  invidious  comparisons  it  was  ex- 
actly like  Bob's,  including  the  initials, 
Paul's  valedictory  remarks  (he  was  as  ner- 
vous as  a  kitten  and  had  hardly  eaten  a 
bite)  included  a  brief  history  of  Book 
Stack  Service  from  Ft-ed  Allen  to  Lenny 
Kanter  m  th  thumbnail  sketches  of  all  the 
luminaries  in  between. 

The  party  woxind  up  in  a  rowdy  songfest 
with  3-thumb  Koury  at  the  87  (Chinese 
piano J)  and  super-sonic  McDonough  f ollom ng 
the  singers  and  rending  (sic)  all  the 
classics  into  semi-classics.  Quietly  we 
wended  our  separate  ways  homeward  to  the 
dulcet  strains  of  Alexander's  Rag-time  Esnd. 


IN  MEM3RIAM 
KATHERINE  F,  ALBEET 

Katherine  F.  Albert,  Branch  Librarian, 
Emeritus ,  passed  away  at  her  home  in 
Jamaica  Plain  on  Monday,  Jfey  28.  She 
would  have  been  eighty-eight  years  of  age 
in  August* 

Miss  Albert  graduated  from  Roxbury  High 
School. in  1188  and  later  took  courses  in 
evening  high  schools  and  at  Lowell  Insti- 
tute, Simmons  College, and  the  Dorchester- 
Roxbury  School  of  Religious  Education.  Dur- 
ing her  active  career  in  the  Library,  inhich  Kon-tiki  and  Titanic 


began  in  I883  and  ended  vjhen  she  retired 
on  August  31,  1936,  she  worked  in  two 
branch  libraries  only — ^Roxbury  and  JamaL  ca 
Plain.  In  the  latter  she  served  as  Branch 
Librarian  from  1923  until  her  retirement. 

In  addition  to  her  library  work,  'tLss 
Albert  was  for  many  years  active  in  church 
school  Work.  Her  vacations  were  spent  in 
her  cottage  at  Oak  Bluffs  on  Martha's 
Vineyard. 

Those  ■vSio  worked  at  Jamaica  Plain  under 
Miss  Albert  testify  to  the  fact  that  she 
was  always  kind,  helpful,  and  considerate j 
firm  -vdien  necessary,  but  consistently 
gentle.  Her  interest  in  her  staff  members 
continued  long  after  their  service  with 
her  had  ended.  The  Christmas  parties  at 
the  branch  library  included  all  former 
staff  members  and  had  much  of  the  cliarra  of 
large  family  gatherings.  Even  after  her 
retirement  she  remembered  her  friends — and 
very  often  members  of  their  families — in 
their  joys  and  in  their  sorrows.  Alumni 
retain  a  warm  persona.1  regard  foa?  liiss 
Albert  and  a  lasting  affection  for  Jamaica 
Plain  under  her  leadership.  She  will  be 
sadly  missed  by  many  and  long  remembered, 

VISITORS 

Kenneth  Ames,  Yorkshire  England  -  on  ex- 
change service  at  the  Alcron,  Ohio, 
Public  Library 

Carl  J.  J.  Braband,  Allgemeine  Elektrici- 
tats-Gesselschaf t ,  Frankfurt /l&in 

Mrs  Mihin  Eren,  University  of  Ankara, 
(Turkey),   Library  School 

Emma  H.  Linares  de  los  Santos,  Director, 
Library  of  the  l^iational  Atomic  Energy 
Coimnission,   Buenos  Aires,  Argentina 

Salah  El-Din  Taher,  Director,  Tluseum  of 
Modern  Art,  Cairo,  Egypt 


TORE  SOCIAL  WHIRL 

On  June  U,  Mrs  Evelyn  Jferden  was  guest 
on  honor  at  a  surprise  supper  paarty  at  the 
home  of  ?feiry  Daly,  Statistical.     Some 
twenty  of  her  library  friends — including 
one  brave  man,  Albert  Brogna— gathered  to 
wish  Mrs  ilarden  happiness  in  her  new  work 
as  Branch  Librarian  at  East  Boston.  She 
was  presented  with  a  luggage  brown  hat 
bag  and  a  corsage. 

PDEI/i  -  SECOND  VERSION 


A.  L.  A. 


In  same  ambition's  grip: 
Conquest  of  the  ocean 
On  a  maiden  trip. 

Kon-tiki  barely  boards. 
An  elemental  raft. 

Bobbing  apprehensive. 
Periled  fore  and  aft» 

Titanic  grand  creation, 
Leviathan  oh  tide. 

Ocean-going  palace. 
Riding  high  in  pride. 

An  amateurish  plaything, 
Kon-tiki  sails  freej 

Mi.^hty,  planned  Titanic 
Perishes  at  sea, 

A  moral's  in  the  story. 
To  greatest  morals  kin: 

Overweening  hybris 
Is  unpardonable  sin. 


Barry  Andrews 


STILL  NEEDS  TOU 
STILL  FANTS  TOU 


JOIN  NDWI 


Sarah  11.  Usher 
A.LJV.  Membership  Committee 


-11- 


YffiDDING  BELLS 

Anastasia  Efthemeou  (Tasia  to  her 
friends),  assistait  in  Print,  vas  married 
on  Saturday,  May  26,  to  John  D.  Krupa  of 
Detroit,  Michigan.  The  double-ring  cere- 
mony took  place  in  Nashua,  New  Hanpshirej 
the  pastor  of  St.  Christopher's  Church 
officating. 

The  birde,  taAio  looked  as  truly  beauti- 
ful as  all  brides  are  supposed  to  look, 
wore  a  -white  tulle  gorni  with  an  empire 
bodice  of  Madrid  lace  and  a  full  skirt 


over  blush  pink  taffeta  which  terminated 

in  a  short  train.  Her  shoulder-length  veiXand  seed  pearls  with  a  fingertip  veil  and 


was  draped  from  a  crown  of  tiny  seed  pearls, 
She  carried  a  bouquet  of  pink  sweetheart 
roses*  Her  sister,  Ida,  was  the  maid  of 
honor}  Barbara  Krupa,  sister  of  the  groom, 
was  bridesmaid;  and  another  sister  of  the 
groom,  Christine  Krupa,  was  the  flower  cirL 

A  reception  at  the  'ianchester  Country 
Club  followed  the  wedding,  and  luncheon 
was  served  in  a  delightful  room  which 
overlooked  the  beautiful  gardens  and  golf 
course.  Over  a  hundred  guests  participat- 
ed in  this  gathering,  including  the  Keeper 
of  Prints,  Arthur  IT.  Heintzelman,  and  his 
wife,  who  were  enchanted  by  the  dignity 
and  charm  of  the  Greek  dances,  and  the 
warmth  of  Tasia 's  friends  and  family. 

The  Krupas  will  be  living  in  Detroit. 


* 


On  Saturday,  lHay   19,  Eleanor  L.  Jewett 
(Betty),  formerly  of  the  Trustees'  Office 
became  the  bride  of  Russell  a,  Scully  of 
the  Trustees'  Office,  The  four-o'clock  - 
ceremony,  attended  by  members  of  the  im- 
mediate families  only,  was  held  in  St. 
James  Espiscopal  Church,  Gloucester.  The 
reception  was  held  at  the  home  of  the 
bride's  parents.  Following  a  honeymoon 
at  Martha's  Vineyard,  Vtr   and  lUrs  Scully 
areijuaking  their  home  in  Dorchester, 


The  radiance  of  the  bride  made  up  for 
the  lack  of  sunshine  on  the  morning  of 
June  9,  as  Catherine  T.  Duffy,  Book  Sel- 
ection (H.  R.  and  C.  S.)  and  Louis  R. 
O'Halloran,  Office  of  the  Division  of 
Home  Reading  and  Community  Services, 
were  married  in  a  double-ring  ceremony 
at  the  Holy  Name  Church,  West  Roxbury, 
A  Nuptial  J&iss  was  celebrated  by  the 
bride's  uncle.  Father  Thomas  McLaughlin, 
0.  F.  M. 


The  bride  was  attended  by  her  sister, 
Patricia,  as  maid  of  honor,  and  the  groom's 
brother,  James,  served  as  best  man.  The 
bridesmaids,  Catherine  Doherty,  s  former 
staff  member  of  the  BPI^  and  Ann  McGonigle 
of  Everett,  were  attired  in  mint  green 
nylon  chiffon  gowns  with  deep  green  sashes 
to  complement  the  maid  of  honor's  gown  of 
candy  pink  with  a  deep  red  saeh. 

Given  in  marriage  by  her  father,  Kay 
was  very  beautiful  in  a  cathedral  length 
gown  of  nylon  tulle  with  an  overskirt  of 
Chantilly  lace  and  neckline  of  scalloped 
lace.  She  wore  a  crown  of  orange  blossoms 


carried  a  bouquet  of  white  carnations, 
stephanotis,  and  an  orchid. 

Following  a  reception  at  the  Dorchester 
Plaza,  the  couple  left  on  their  wedding 
trip,  after  which  they  will  reside  in 
Dedham. 


BRANCH  NOTES 


Nor-Ui  End 


The  Young  AduLte  Council  was  featured 
in  a  special  article  in  the  !fey  27  issue 
of  the  BOSTON  SUNDAY  POST.  The  group  was 
cited  for  its  efforts  in  promoting  better 
community  life  for  young  people  through 
the  library.  This  is  the  second  consecu- 
tive year  that  the  Council  has  been  given 
the  "Teens  of  the  Week"  Award  by  the  Postd 


We  welcome  back  to  North  End  Mrs  Belle 
Levin,  who  has  returned  from  a  cross- 
country tour  of  the  United  States, 
Mrs  Levin,  a  part-time  worker,  and  her 
family  visited  many  national  shrines  and 
parks  en  route  to  California  to  visit  rel- 
atives. 


A  special  art  exhibit,  featuring  the 
works  of  three  local  young  artists,  is 
currently  on  display  as  a  sidelight  of  the 
Boston  Arts  Festival.  This  display  in- 
cludes various  types  of  art  work  by  Berrio 
Gizzi  of  North  Ilargin  Street,  a  student 
at  the  DeBenedictis  School  of  Artj 
Constance  Tarquini  of  Tileston  Street,  of 
the  Massachusetts  School  of  Art  and  a  part- 
time  assistant  at  North  End;and  Dorothy 
Dodworth  of  Cambridge,  formerly  of  this 
Branch's  children's  room  staff. 


* 


-12- 


Louis  Sasso,  a  part-time  worker,  was 
recently  elected  to  the  Jesuit  National 
Honor  Society,  Alpha  Sigma  Nu.  Mr  Sasso 
is  a  junior  at  Boston  College.  He  will 
be  Managing  Editor  6f  the  B.C.  Yearbook 
SUB  TURRI  for  1957.  Louis  was  also  the 
winner  of  the  Mary  U,  Nichols  Book  Prize 
in  1953  and  is  the  brother  of  Patricia 
Sasso,  a  1956  winner. 

South  End 

Thvirsday  afternoon,  fey  10,  was  a  time 
of  festivity.  Spring  flowers  in  profusion 
and  gay  posters  lent  a  holiday  air  to  the 
library  for  its  third  annual  Open  House 
held  in  honor  of  the  City  of  Boston  Clean 
Up  Campaign  Poster  Contest.  Many  notable 
guests  witnessed  the  presentation  of  award 
certificated  to  the  winners  of  the  Poster 
Contest,  all  junior  high  pupils  in  the 
South  End  Schools.  Th«  winners  will  re- 
ceive gifts  of  art  supplies  at  school 
graduation,  through  the  generosity  of  the 
South  End  Businessmen's  Association, 

Christopher  Mitchell,  President  of  the 
South  End  Planning  Council  was  chairman  of 
the  afternoon's  program,  David. K.  Farns-- 
worth  of  the  Greater  Boston  Chamber  of 
Commerce;  Helen  Morton,  Secretary'  of  the 
South  End  Neighborhood  Rehabilitation  and 
Conservation  Committee j  and  Frank  Roberts, 
President  of  the  South  End  Business  Men's 
Association  spoke  enthusiastically  of  the 
Clean  Up  Campaign.  Ttie  Library  was  well 
represented  by  two  officials  from  the 
Office  of  Home  Reading  and  Community  Ser- 
vices, John  M»  Carroll  and  ISrs   Ada  A. 
Andelman.  Mr  Carroll  addressed  the  group 
briefly,  and  Miss  Kingman,  Branch  Librar- 
ian, added  a  few  words  of  greeting.  Teach- 
ers from  each  South  End  School  district 
were  also  present,  as  were  a  large  number 
of  neighbors  and  friends  of  the  branch. 
Following  the  formal  program  there  was  a 
social  h'^ur  and  refreshments  vere  served. 

West  End 

On  Friday,  May  25,  Ifrs   Arlene  llullin,  a 
former  Assistant  in  the  Children's  Room, 
visited  the  Branch  with  her  husband,  the 
Reverend  Richard  i^illin  and  their  year- 
and-a^^lf  old  son,  Daniel.  They  now  live 
in  Delaven,  Illinois,  where  Mr  luUin  is 
iiiinister.  Their  trip  East  had  a  double 
purpose,  first  to  attend  a  reunion  at 
Gordon  College,  and  on  May  27  to  partici- 
pate in  the  observance  of  the  200th  anni- 
versary of  the  Ifiddleboro  Baptist  Church, 
y*iere  Mir  Kullin  preached  before  going  to 
De33ven.' 


On  Tuesday,  June  5,  a  graduation  and 
farewell  party  was  held  in  honor  of  two 
part-time  members  of  the  Staff,  Marlene 
Oxman  and  Elliot  Ernest.  Miss  Oxman,  i/rfio 
vas  graduated  from  Memorial  High  Scholl, 
left  to  begin  a  full-time  library  career 
in  the  Bookmobiles,  llir  Ernest  received 
his  A.B.  from  BU,  and  is  planning  to  do 
graduate  work  at  Columbia  this  fall.  Be- 
fore settling  down  to  further  study,  a 
Eupopean  trip  is  on  his  agenda.  The  Staff 
gathered  informally,  and  after  refreshments 
and  the  presentation  of  gifts.  Miss  Gdd stain 
sped  the  two  young  fledglings  on  their  way 
with  a  warm  and  witty  farewell  message. 


Some  eighty  members  of  the  Spring  Festi- 
val Reading  Club  witnessed  the  awarding 
of  certificates  of  reading  achievement  and 
book  prizes  to  thirty  of  their  number  at 
a  party  held  on  Wednesday  afternoon,  June  6, 
The  festivities  began  when  Mrs  Ellis, 
Children's  Librarian.,  welcomed  the  group 
and  discussed  the  success  of  the  club, 
which  was  well  illustrated  by  the  three 
girls  and  one  boy  who  reviewed  favorite 
books  for  fellow  club  members.  These 
children  were  unaware  that  they  were  to  be 
honored  later  with  special  prizes  for 
their  fine  performances.  Miss  Goldstein, 
Blanch  Librarian,  added  her  greetings  and 
congratulations.  The  guest  speaker, 
Elizabeth  M,  Gordon,  Deputy  Supervisor  in 
Charge  of  Work  with  Children,  expressed 
her  pleasure  at  meeting  such  enthusiastic 
readers  and  reminded  the  children  '  - 
of  the  many  library  privileges 
now  available  to  young  people  as  contrasli- 
ed  with  those  of  earlier  days.  She  then 
made  the  presentation  of  thirty  reading 
certificates  and  fovir  book  prizes.  The 
book  prizes  were  donated  by  IJIiss  Goldstein 
and  were  avarded  for  the  quality  and  num- 
ber of  the  written  book  reports  nade  by 
the  winners  during  the  span  of  the  club's 
activities.  Two  films  in  color  were 
shown;  The  Loon's  Necklace  and  Johnny 
Appleseed  ■  The  program  concluded  with 
ice  cream  and  cake. 


-13- 

confine  their  interest  in  it  to  35  hours 
a  week,  minus  25  minutes  a  day  relief  time? 
Who  is  conqpelled  to  take  courses?  Even 
cataloging  and  reference  may  be  studied 
and  psssed  without  them,  though  doing  so 
would  be  a  feat I  But  no  one  is  compelledi 
Those  who  are  interested  may  want  to» 

We  are  unimpressed  by  the  number  of 
lunch  hours  cut  in  half,  mornings-off 
surrendered,  or  the  amount  of  time  spent 
commuting.  We  are  impressed  by  the  num- 
ber of  hours  each  one  of  us  squandrrs  every 
day  by  poor  planning I 

It  is  unfortunate  that  this  article 
received  top  billing  where  library  people 
throughout  the  country  may  ponder  the 
wisdom  of  BPL  employees. 


Any  contribution  to  the  Soap  Box  must- 
be  accompanied  by  the  full  name  of  the 
Association  member  submitting  it,  together 
vri-th  the  name  of  the  Branch  Library,  De- 


paETtment  or  Office  in  which  he  or  she  is 
employed.  The  name  is  withheld  from  pub- 
lication, or  a  pen  nane  used,  if  the  con- 
tributor so  requests.  Anonymous  contri- 
butions are  not  given  consideration.  The 
author  of  the  article  is  known  only  to  the 
Editor-in-Chief.  The  contents  of  the 
articles  appearing  in  the  Soap'iBox  are 
personal  opinions  expressed  by  individual 
Association  members  and  their  appearance 
does  not  necessarily  indicate  that  the 
Publications  Committee  and  the  Associatio 
are  in  agreement  with  the  views  expressed. 
Only  those  contributions  containing  not 
more  than  300  words  will  be  accepted. 


(Editor's'-  Notes:  .When  writing  the  liay  edi- 
torial,  the  Publications  Committee,  judging 


To  the  Soap  Box; 

A  propos  of  the  editorial  on  the  first 
page  of  the  May  "Question  i'^krk" ,  this 
writer  has  a  few  remarks  to  make.  Most 
of  us  who  have  taken  or  are  taking  Boston's 
myriad  of  exams  agree  that  the  exam  systan 
needs  revision.  Would-be  employe;es  are 
frightened  away  before  th^  are  hired,  and 
those  of  us  who  are  employed  often  face 
long  periods  of  added  study  and  discour- 
agement before  we  are  condidered  "quali- 
fied" for  the  positions  toward  which  we 
are  working. 

However,  we  disagree  with  many  of  the 
ideas  of  the  editorial  which  seem  to  us 
immature  and  non-professional.  Every 
novice  in  every  job  is  required  "to  meejf 
specific  qualifications",  and  many  on 
their  own  time  I  Are  our  new  employees  so 
apathetic  about  their  work,  so  lacking  in 
general,  healthy  curiosity  that'ithey 


"Concerned" 


1. 


nbe 


from  their  own  past  experiences  and  those 
of  others,  believed  that  a  Cataloging  and 
Classification  Course,  taken  in  the  library 
of  elsewhere,  was  a  requirement  for  taking 
the  qualifying  examination  in  this  field. 
A.t  the  meetings  wiith  the  Directcr  on  Tifednes- 
day,  May   23,  and  Friday,  May  25,  it  was 
with  great  surprise  that  we  learned  that 
no  courses  are  actually  required,  even 
though  probationary  assistants  without 
degrees  in  library  science  have  always 

en  urgently  requested  to  take  courses  in 
both  General  Reference  and  Cataloging  and 
Classification,  ffe  stand  corrected  and 
are  very  glad  to  have  had  this  point  offici- 
ally clarified. 

2.  By  questioning  the  time  spent  stMy- 
:iEig  for  our  library  wxaminations  as  they 
:stlB  now  set  up,  we  did  not  mean  to  imply 
that  m^jmbers  of  the  library  profession  do 
not  vrant  or  need  to  read  and  leam  mater- 
ial relevant  to  their  work  after  their  " 
hours  of  active  duty  are  finished.  Posi- 
tive suggestions  for  revitalization 
of  the  examination  system  in  the  direction 
of  this  relevancy  to  specific  positions 
within  the  library  will  be  one  of  the  re- 
sults of  the  discussions  proposed  on  this 
month's  editorial  page.) 


m  CANHAM  VISITS  CEJviTRAL  LIBRARY 

Finding  that  he  could  get  away  from 
his  duties  as  Editor  of  THE  CRISTIAN 
SCIENCE  JDNITOR  and  his  many  other  out- 
side activities  for  a  few  hoxirs  on  Thurs- 
day afternoon.  May  31>  Erwin  D.  Canham, 
the  HKDSt  recently  appointed  Tnistee,  paid 
a  visit  to  Central  Library.  His  purpose 
was  to  acquaint  himself  with  the  work 
carried  on  in  open  departments  and  behind 
the  scenes  in  closed  departments. 

On  the  spur  of  the  moment,  the  Director 
made  arrangraents  for  a  tea  in  the  Trustees' 
Office  so  that  the  nev/  Trustee  might  meet 
and  talk  informally  ¥/ith  members  of  the 
Officer  Group,  at  the  end  of  his  tomr. 
Because  of  the  impromptu  natxire   of  the 
affair,  it  was  not  possible  to  notify  all 
Branch  Librarians,  but  those  who  happened 
to  be  in  Central  were  cordially  invited 
to  attend. 

After  being  introduced  by  the  Director, 
Mr  Canham  spoke  briefly,  prefacing  his  re- 
marks try  telling  of   his  early,  happy 
experiences  in  public  libraries  in  ffeine. 
He  then  stressed  the  importance  of  public 
library  service,  in  general;  and  the  op- 
portiinites  for  development  which  face  the 
Boston  Public  Library,  in  particular. 


Reminder 

Don't  let  the  hot  weather 

allovf  you  to  forget 

those  TiTho  look  to  you  through 

C  A  "^R  E 


BON  VOYAGE  TO  AIA  ATTENDAOTS 


General  Administrative  Off iose 

Milton  E.  Lcrd  -  Director,  and  Librarian 

John  J,  Connolly  -Assistant  to  the  Director,  and  Chief  Executive  Officer 

Elizabeth  L.  Wright  -  Personnel  Office 

Catherine  M»  MacDonald  -  Personnel  Office 

Helen  H,  Sevagian  -  Information  Office 

Division  of  Business  Operations 

IJary  C»  Robbins  -  Business  Office 
Mary  K,   McDonough  -  Book  Preparation 
Gerald  L.  Ball  -  Book  Purshasing 
Jeanne  M,  Hayes  -  Book  Purchasing 
Harriett  V,  Mulloy  -  Book  Purchasing 
Mary  A.  Rea  -  Book  Purchasing 

Division  of  Reference  and  Research  Services 

Beatrice  Coleman  -  Book  Stack  Service 

Santa  M.  Koster  -  Book  Stack  Service 

midred  C.  O'Connor  -  Cataloging  and  Classification 

Minna  Steinberg  -  Cataloging  and  Classification 

Paxil  V.  I'Toynihan  -  General  Reference 

Emilia  M.  Lange  -  Print 

Joan  P.  Morris  -  Science  and  Technology 

Louis  Rains  -  Science  and  Technology 

Elizabeth  G.  Barry  -  Statistical 

Anna  L.  J/ianning  -  Teachers 

Division  of  Hoice  Reading  and  Community  Services 

Ada  A*  Andelman  -  Division  Office 
Elizabeth  M.  Gordon —  Division  Office 
Veronica  T.  Yotts  -  Division  Office 
Felicia  J,  Langdon  -  Audio-Visual 
Edna  G.  Peck  -  Book  Selection 
Anne  E.  Armstrong  -  Open  Shelf 
Virginia  Haviland  -  Open  Shelf 
Pauline  Winnick  -  Open  Shelf 
Bridie  P.  Stotz  -  Adams  Street 
Harry  Andretra  -  Allston 
Tyyne  M,  Saari  -  Allston 
Ethel  Kimball  -  Connolly 
Gracemarie  V.  Alfe  -  East  Boston 
Evelyn  B.  JJarden  -  East  Boston 
Mildred  R.  Adelson  -  Jamaica  Plain 
Anne  F.  Coleman  -  Hount  Bowdoin 
Jennie  M.  Femino  -  North  End 
Ifergaret  Donovan  -  Orient  Heipjits 
Grace  C.  Chippendale  -  Parker  Hill 
Rose  Moorachian  -  Uphams  Corner 
Fanny  Goldstein  -  Vfest  End 


» 


Wi 


uestion 


\^A\^K 


THE  BOSTON  PUBLIC  liBRAW 
PROFESSIONAL  STAFF  ASSOCIATION 


JULY  1956 


I 


THE   QUESTION   MARK 

Published  by  the  Boston  Public  Library  Professional  Staff  Association 

Volume  XI,  Number  7 July  1956 


Publications  Committee;  Barbara  E.  Coffey,  Jean  L.  Eaton,  Mary  A,  Hackett,  Felicia 

J.  Langdon,  Richard  E.  Lyons,  Paul  ¥.  Smith,  B.  Gertrude 
Yfede,  Chairman 


Publication  date : 
The  fifteenth  of  each  month 


Deadline  for  submitting  material: 
The  tenth  of  each  month 


EDITORIAL  NOTES 

The  number  of  staff  members  ivho  have  left  the  service  recently  or  are  about  to 
do  so  is  far  larger  than  the  size  and  content  of  oiir  occasional  Aliunni  Notes  column 
would  indicate.  The  positions  that  these  people  have  gone  on  to  are  in  many  cases 
of  interest  not  only  to  their  personal  friends  but  to  professional  librarians  as  a 
group.  Gathering  information  on  a  formal  basis  for  publication  is  always  difficult, 
but  there  must  be  several  staff  members  who  correspond  with  our  alvunni.  This 
editorial  is  an  appeal  to  those  staff  members  to  send  in  amy  material  that  might  be 
used  in  the  Alvimni  Notes  colvimn.  Even  a  bare  outline  of  the  facts — v/ho  went  where 
to  do  what — would  be  of  interest;  and,  of  course,  if  the  alumnus  himself  is  willing 
to  write  a  little  more  fully,  his  contribution  will  be  most  vrelcome. 

Another  suggestion  ■v^iich  we  put  forward  for  your  consideration  is  the  establish- 
ment of  a  new  column  \7here  staff  members  could  advertise  articles  for  sale  or  ex- 
change. Many  staff  organs  have  this  feature,  frequently  called  the  Trading  Post. 
Things  of  every  size,  shape,  and  value  might  be  conveniently  disposed  of  in  this 
way.  The  Question  Mark,  of  course,  could  serve  only  as  a  medivim  of  communication, 
not  as  a  retailer  or  guarantor.  The  publications  committee  could  assume  no  responsi- 
bility for  accurate  representation  of  the  articles.  Let's  hear  some  response  to 
this  suggestion  and/or  contributions  for  the  coluran. 

Meanwhile  Happy  Vacationing  to  everyone.  If  you  do  or  see  anything  out  of  the 
ordinary — and  Question  Mark  readers  are  interested  in  almost  everything — ^why  not 
tell  us  about  it,  or  else  tell  one  of  your  friends  who  will  tell  us, 

THE  ■PUBLICAT-IONS  COMMITTEE 


PERSONNEL  NOTES 


New  Employees 

Mrs  Mary  M.  Bowker,  Washington  Village 
(formerly  Children's  Librarian  in  the 
branch  libraries) 

Claire  M.  Hurney,  Print. 

Paul  V,  Kean,  Cataloging  and  Classifica- 
tion (R  and  RS) 

Norma  A.  Lowery,  South  End. 

Macy  J,  Margolis,  History  (formerly  worked 
in  the  Department) 

Raymond  L,  Jfullin,  Kirstein. 

Marlene  Oxman,  Bookmobile  (formerly  part- 
time  at  West  End) 

Carole  M.  Sweeney,  Book  Stack  Service. 


'  Julia  P,  Talanian,  Office  of  the  Division 
of  R  and  RS. 

Transferred 

Mrs  Gerti*ude  L,  Bergen,  from  Phillips  Brooks 

to  Lower  Mills. 
Charlotte  R,  Cooper,  from  Tyler  Street  to 

the  Office  of  the  Division  of  KR  and  CS. 
Jeanne  M»  Fitzgerald,  from  Egleston  Square 

to  Kirstein. 
Mrs  Beatrice  P.  Frederick,  from  Tyler  Street 

to  Open  Shelf. 
Marcia  F.  Goldfarb,  from  Open  Shelf  to 

Charles town. 
Margaret  A.  Hewey,  from  South  End  to 

Neponset. 
Etta  Kessell,  from  Lower  Mills  to  Y/ashington 

Village. 


-2- 


Katherine  I.  LaMontagne,  from  Jeffries 

Point  to  East  Boston. 
Tyyne  M.  Saari,  from  Washington  Village 

to  Allston. 

Retired 

Harold  H.  McAnney,  Buildings,  after 

3  years  and  8  months  of  service  in  the 

Boston  Public  Library. 
Patrick  J.  Re illy.  Buildings,  after 

30  years  of  service  in  the  Boston 

Public  Library 
J4rs  Veronica  Shenk,  Washington  Village, 

after  30  years  of  service  in  the  Boston 

Public  Library. 

Resignations 

Jason  Berkovitz,  Central  Charging  Records, 

to  accept  another  position. 
Duila  Capobianco,  I^st  Boston,  to  be 

married. 
Phebe  D.  Ham,  Book  Selection,  Division  of 

R  and  RS. 
Charles  A.  Hanson,  Cataloging  and  Classi- 
fication, R  and  RS,  to  accept  another 

position. 
Girard  D.  Hottleman,  Book  Purchasing,  to 

accept  another  position. 
lUra   Elaine  H.  Raitt,  Kirstein,  to  live 

in  Kansas  City. 
Mrs  Vivian  D.  Troutman,  Jeffries  Point, 

to  move  to  the  Cape  where  her  husband 

will  preach. 
Robert  C.  Vfeodward,  History,  to  become 

Head  Librarian  of  the  Dedham  Public 

Library. 

PRESIDEMT'S  NOTES 

At  the  Executive  Board  meeting,  June  5, 
19^6,  it  was  voted  to  send  the  following 
letters  to  the  Trustees: 

1.  Covering  letter 

2.  Letter  from  Personnel  Committee 

Louis  Rains 

12  June  1956 

Trustees  of  the  Public  Library 

of  the  City  of  Boston 
Copley  Square 
Boston  17,  Massachusetts 

Dear  Sirs; 

The  Executive  Board  of  the  Boston 
Public  Library  Professional  Staff  Associ- 
ation is  forwarding  herewith  a  letter 
received  from  the  Staff  Association's 


Personnel  Committee.  The  Executive  Board 
endorses  the  views  expressed  in  the  letter 
and  requests  that  the  Board  of  Trustees 
give  due  consideration  to  the  matter. 

Very  truly  yours, 
(Signed)    LOUIS  RAINS 
Louis  Rains 
President 


9  April  1956 


To  the  Executive  Board: 


Because  of  the  notice,  "Revision  in  Pro- 
cedure" (General  Administrative  Notices, 
1956  -  No.  15,  dated  Feb.  23,  1956),  the 
Personnel  Committee  is  requesting  that  the 
Executive  Board 

1.  find  out  why  such  an  important  change 
in  policy  was  not  discussed  with  the  staff, 
and 

2,  tiy  to  obtain  some  assurance  that  the 
Tnistees  are  interested  in  obtaining  the 
views  of  the  Staff  Association  on  matters 
of  policy  affecting  the  bibliothecal  staff 
and  that  the  Trustees  will  give  the  re- 
presentatives of  the  staff  an  opportunity 
to  discuss  such  matters  before  they  are 
put  into  effect. 

The  Committee  is  making  this  request  be- 
cause we  feel  that  no  useful  purpose  can 
be  accomplished  by  the  Committee,  unless 
the  recommendations  of  the  Committee, 
endorsed  by  the  Association,  reach  the 
Trvistees,  and  the  staff  has  some  opportunity 
for  discussion  of  such  policies  before  they 
are  put  into  effect. 

The  procedure  delineated  in  this  notice 
is  contrary  to  the  recommendations  of 
previous  Personnel  Committees  -vrfiich  indi- 
cate that  the  'Point  System',  if  combined 
with  the  consideration  of  personal  qualities 
and  a  few  minor  changes  preferred  by  the 
Committee,  would  be  an  adequate  means  of 
equitable  promotion  (195U),  and,  again, 
that  the  Evaluation  Sheet  for  the  Promotional 
Appointment  (by  the  Point  System)  ...  is  an 
objective  qualitative  summary  of  a  candi- 
date 's  education,  training,  and  experience 
to  determine  his  eligibility  for  a  given 
promotional  appointment  over  that  of  another 
candidate  (provided  it  is  supplemented  by 
a  rating  of  the  personal  qualities  of  the 
candidate  by  his  immediate  superior  and 
division  head).  (1955) 

The  manner  of  presentation,  without  prior 
discussion  with  the  staff  or  its  represent- 
atives, is  contrary  to  the  request  of  the 
Executive  Board,  endorsed  by  the  membership. 


-3- 


that  the  Board  of  Trustees  consider  some 
procedure  whereby  representatives  of  the 
Staff  Association  might  present  the  views 
of  the  membership  before  the  Board  of 
Trustees  had  formulated  their  decisions 
of  policy  affecting  the  bibliothecal 
staff. 

Yours  very  sincerely, 
Committee  on  Personnel, 
(Signed)  EM©N  McDONOUGH,  Chairman 

CONGRATULATIONS  TO 


Mr  and  Ifrs  Anthony  Cariani  (Vanda 
Cariani,  Science  and  Technology)  on  the 
birth  of  a  son,  Peter  Anthony,  on  June  lU, 
who  weighed  6  pounds,  15  ounces. 


Mr  and  llrs   David  L.  McDonald  (Ellen  M. 
McDonald,  Book  Stack  Service)  on  the 
birth  of  a  son,  David  Lee,  Jr.,  on  May  10, 
who  weighed  ten  pounds. 


Mr  and  Mrs  James  J.  Gray  (Barbara  R. 
Gray,  Book  Stack  Service)  on  the  birth 
of  a  son,  Jonathan  David,  on  June  1,  who 
weighed  8  pounds,  7  ounces. 

IHE  SOCIAL  ITHIRL 

On  Tuesday  afternoon,  June  26,  Library 
friends  of  Joan  O'Brien,  Book  Stack 
Service,  presented  her  with  an  electric 
frying  pan  at  a  surprise  shower  in  the 
V'fonien's  Lounge  where  refreshments  were 
served  and  well  v/ishes  extended  to  the 
bride-to-be . 


Many  Library  friends,  both  past- and 
present,  of  Faureen  McCarthy,  Book  Stack 
Service,  gathered  at  the  home  of  Mary 
Quercia  on  Thursday  evening,  June  28,  for 
her  surprise  bridal  shower.  Among  the 
many  gifts  received  by  the  ever-popular 
Maureen  were  silver  flatware  service  for 
eight  and  a  complete  set  of  Revere  YJare. 

A  FOND  FAREIELL 

Good  luck  wishes  were  extended  to 
Girard  D.  Hottleman,  Book  Purchasing, 
Thursday,  July  5j  when  Donald  Neiraian  pre- 
sented "Gerry"  with  a  farewell  gift  of 


money  in  the  Department.  Gerry's  many 
friends  throughout  the  building  congratulate 
him  as  he  embarks  on  his  new  career  of 
teaching  English  at  Dedham  High  School  next 
fall. 

ROMANCE  IN  THE  STACKS 

On  Saturday,  May  26,  Frances  A.  Cotter 
Book  Stack  Service,  became  engaged  to 
John  J,  Bent,  also  of  Book  Stack. 

TOPPING  BELLS 

On  Sattirday,  June  23,  Barbara  E.  Cotter 
of  Connolly  and  John  F.  Travers,  a  teacher 
at  the  Lowell  School,  vfere  married  at  a 
Nuptial  Mass  at  St  Thomas  Aquinas  Church 
in  Jamaica  Plain.  The  bride  was  attended 
by  her  twin  sister,  Marjorie,  as  maid  of 
honor,  and  three  bridesmaids.  Following 
the  wedding,  a  reception  was  held  at 
Longwood  Towers.  After  a  wedding  trip  to 
Maine,  the  couple  will  make  their  home  in 
Arling:ton. 


4t- 


On  June  2ii.,  Miss  Duilia  Capobianco  of 
East  Boston  became  the  'bride  of 
Capt.  Mario  A.  Alfano  of  the  U.S»A.F.  at 
tl^  Assumption  Church  in  East  Boston. 
The  bride  was  gowned  in  viiite  silk  taffeta 
and  lace  and  carried  a  bouquet  of  white 
orchids.  Anna  Capobianco,  maid-of -Honor 
for  her  sister,  wore  a  gomn  of  coral  color 
and  the  two  bride's  maids  wore  identical 
gowns  of  turquoise.  Following  the  double- 
ring  ceremony,  a  reception  was  held  in  the 
Hotel  Beaconsfield  in  Brookline  and  was 
attended  by  several  library  friends  of 
Miss  Capobianco. 

After  a  wedding  trip  to  Canada,  the 
couple  i/idll  make  their  home  in  Washington, 

D.Ce 


Maureen  McCarthy  of  Book  Stack  Service 
became  the  bride  of  John  P.  TlShite  at  a 
simple  evening  ceremony  at  St  Williams 
Church,  Dorchester,  at  7:30,  July  3. 
Maureen  wore  a  street  length  dress  of 
white  nylon  lace  over  Trtiite  taffeta  and  a 
small  white  hat.  She  carried  a  white 
orchid  on  her  missal.  A  home  reception 
followed  where  Library  friends  were  includ- 
ed among  the  invited  guests. 


-li- 


ALUMNI  NDTES 


Several  Library  friends  of  Agzies  Luc«hesi 
and  Edith  Trocki,  both  foiTnerly  of  the 
Office  of  Records,  Files,  and  Statistics, 
•were  on  hand  to  -vTelcome  the  girls  for 
luncheon  at  the  Darbury  Room,  Tuesday, 
July  3*  Agnes,  Tn*io  left  the  BPL  three 
years  ago  for  Phoenix,  Arizona,  is 
visiting  here  in  Boston  for  a  nonth.  She 
is  now  employed  as  a  secretary  in  the 
School  Department  of  Phoenix.  Her  engage- 
ment to  Richard  Piccoli  has  been  announced 
and  she  plans  to  be  married  next  October. 
Edith,  "Who  recently  became  the  mother  of 
a  new  son,  YJilliam  George,  now  has  three 
boys.  Her  older  ones  are  twins. 

Among  those  attending  the  luncheon  were 
Sarah  M.  Usher,  Maria  Mechini,  Jo  Waldron, 
Kay  0 'Halloran,  Peggy  Morrison,  Shirley 
Gildea,  and  ?Ielen  Sevagian. 

PATRICK  JOSEPH  REILLY 
HONORED  ON  HIS  RETIREMSMT 

Patrick  Joseph  Reilly  has  many  friends— 
co-workers  v*io  remember  him  vdien  he  en- 
tered the  service  of  the  Library  in  1526 
as  a  painter  under  the  able  supervision  of 
Alexander  HcGeej  others  who  have  known 
him  only  since  he  became  Foremen  of  Paint- 
ers in  1914;  o 

Some  80  of  these  friends  of  long-standing 
and  those  whose  friendship  has  been  of 
shorter  duration  gathered  in  the  Lecture 
Hall  at  Central  Library  on  July  2  to  wish 
him  well  in  his  years  of  retirement,  which 
began  officially  pn  July  3,  1956.  Sharing 
honors  with  him  were  his  wife,  his  son, 
Joseph,  Jr.,  and  one  of  his  two  daughters, 
Marion,  a  former  BPL  employee. 

Following  a  catered  dinner,  in  his 
capacity  as  toastmaster,  J.  Joseph  Danker 
read  letters  from  Archbishop  Richard  J. 
Gushing  and  Erwin  D.  Canham,  president 
and  vice  president,  respectively,  of  the 
Library's  Board  of  Trustees;  a  telegram 
from  John  J.  Connolly,  Assistant  to  the 
Director  and  Chief  Executive  Officer j  and 
brought  a  message  from  Milton  E.  Lord, 
Director — all  of  whom  were  prevented  from 
attending  because  of  previous  commitments. 
Speaking  in  representation  of  the 
Trustees,  Patrick  J.  McDonald,  who  was 
accompanied  by  his  sister,  Mary,  brought 
warm  greetings  from  that  Board  and  an 
expression  of  appreciation  for  Mr  Reilly' s 
fine  contribution  to  the  service  of  the 
Library.  Francis  X,  Moloney,  Assistant 
to  the  Director,  in  Charge  of  Business 


Operations,  and  on  this  occasion  representing 
the  Director,  saluted  Joe  Reilly,  the  man,  the 
craftsman,  and  the  friend  in  a  Y/arm  and 
understanding  tribute. 

The  clinax  of  the  evening  came  when  George 
Patterson  presented,  on  behalf  of,  and  with 
the  best  wishes  of,  his  mar^  friends  through- 
out the  entire  Library  system,  an  impressive 
array  of  equipment  which  would  bring  delight 
to  either  a  fresh-water  or  a  salt-water 
fishing  enthusiast— and  the  committee  knew 
that  Joe  Reilly  is  a  master  at  both.  His 
response  was  brief  but  sincere. 

Misic,  lively  and  spirited — d\iring  dinner 
and  for  dancing  later  on — was  most  ably 
provided  by  the  Library's  trio — Martin  Waters 
piano  J  Frank  liters,  drtimsj  and  Pavil  Tiiles, 
saxophone. 

As  Mr  Reilly  joined  that  constantly-growing] 
group  of  younger-looking,  carefree,  active 
alumni,  he  received  a  cordial  invitation  to 
come  back  often  and  always  to  "keep  in  touch" 
He  was  the  recipient,  also,  of  one  of  the 
handsomely-bound  memory  books  which  the 
Library's  Binding  Department  prepares  and  in 
which  his  friends  had  written  their  Jjrersonal 
messages . 

Sarah  M.  Usher 


LATE  FLASHES 

Congratulations  to  our  most  recent  alum, 
Gerry  Hottleman,  Book  Purchasing,  on  the 
birth  of  a  second  son,  Tuesday,  July  10. 


A  note  from  Texas  sent  by  Mrs  Janice  Hunt 
announces  the  birth  of  their  second  baby, 
a  boy,  Roger,  Jr.  Mrs  Hunt  formerly  worked 
in  the  Office,  Division  of  Home  Reading  and 
Community  Services. 


* 


Mr  and  Mrs  Alexander  J.  Mankus  announced 
the  birth  of  their  son  on  July  1,  1956. 
Proud  Grandmother  of  the  new  baby  is    Mrs 
Margaret  Morrissey,  Book  Purchasing. 

ADDITIONAL  ALA  BON  WYAGE 

Our  apologies  for  omitting  the  name  of 
Julia  Zaugg,  Fine  Arts,  from  last  month's 
listing  of  BPL  staff  members  bound  for 
ALA. 


-5- 


IN  MEM3RIAM 
JOHN  T.  EHxE 

The  many  friends  and  co-workers  of  John 
T.  Kyle  were  deeply  saddened  ty  tjie  shock- 
ing news  of  his  sudden  death.  We  who  knew 
him  well  can  scarcely  realize  that  he  is 
no  longer  with  us» 

Jack's  life  inas  a  full  and  very  active 
one.  After  graduating  from  the  High  , 
School  of  Commerce  in  19U2,  he  entered  the 
Navy  and  served  in  the  Pacific  Area  of 
Operations  where  he  distinguished  himself 
as  a  first-class  Radioman  throughout 
several  major  engagements.  In  June  of 
I9U7  Jack  entered  the  service  of  the  Li- 
brary as  a  Clerk  Messenger  in  the  Stock 
and  Supplies  Section.  Almost  immediately 
he  became  well  known  and  equally  well 
liked  as  he  made  his  weekly  trips  through 
the  Central  Library  Building  distributing 
supplies.  His  quick  smile  and  ready 
"Hello"  made  him  a  favorite  among  his 
fallow  workers.  While  working  at  the  Li- 
bnicy,   Jack  attended  Northeastern  Univer- 
sity, Evening  Division  and  through  his 
determination  and  ambition  received  his 
Bachelor  of  Arts  Degree  in  195U.  His 
sterling  qur.lities  and  superior  workman- 
ship not  having  gone  unnoticed  in  the 
Library,  he  was  made  Principal  Clerk  in 
charge  of  ths  Stock  and  Supplies  Section. 

Jack's  affability  and  cooperation  will 
not  soon  be  forgotten.  The  Lita-ary  has 
lost  a  very  able  and  qtialified  worker  but 
far  more  thp.n  that  many  of  us  have  lost  a 
vory  dear  friend.  I  am  sure  that  I  speak 
for  all  wten  I  extend  our  heartfelt  sympa- 
thy to  his  jT^other,  Jfrs  Kyle,  and  hope  that 
she  vrill  find  a  little  solace  and  comfort 
in  kno7Jlng  that  Jack  will  ever  be  remem- 
bered in  our  kindest  thoughts  and  prayers. 

Louis  R.  O'Halloran 

MEET  OUR  NEW  ARRIVALS 

E!iJ.en  Theresa  Buckley,  better  known  as 
"Terry" ,  is  the  newest  member  on  the  staff 
at  Adams  Street.  Terry  formerly  worked 
part-time  at  Dorchester  and  also  worked  on 
Bookmobile  II  for  a  short  time. 

June  6,  1956  was  a  big  day  in  Terry's 
life.  She  graduated  from  Hyde  Park  High 
School  and  annovmced  her  engagement  to 
Thomas  C.  Ifijrphy  Jr.  of  Brighton. 

Along  with  Terry's  hobbies  of  reading 
and  sewing  she  has  done  volunteer  work 
with  the  children  at  the  Joseph  P.  Kennedy 
Jr.  Hospital  in  Brighton. 


To  those  of  you  who  have  not  yet  learned 
the  name  of  Central's  new  mail  carrier,  we 
introduce  Ronald  C.  Conant  of  the  Office 
of  Records,  Files,  Statistics. 

Ronnie  formerly  worked  part-time  in  Open 
Shelf  and  upon  graduation  from  English  High 
School  he  started  full-time  in  the  Record 
Room.  In  the  fall,  he  plans  to  attend 
night  school  at  Northeastern  University, 
aiming  for  a  degree  in  Commercial  or  Indus- 
trial Accounting.  Automobiles  are  on  the 
top  of  the  list  of  his  many  interests, 
expecially  since  he  recently  received  his 
driver's  license. 

Ronnie  seems  to  have  started  a  family 
trend  since  his  brother,  Richard,  has  now 
assumed  Ronald's  former  duties  in  Open 
Shelf. 


Samuel  Goldstein  is  the  new  professional 
member  of  the  staff  in  the  Science  and 
Technology  Department.  Sam  graduated  from 
Boston  University  in  1952  where  he  majored 
in  government,  minored  in  Russian,  and 
earned  a  Phi  Beta  Kappa  key.  After  a  stint 
with  the  Defense  Department  he  entered  the 
am^''  and  served  in  the  S-.,"nal  Corps  in 
Germany.  He  is  currently  working  nights 
towards  a  Master's  degree  in  government  at 
B.  U.  Sam  has  been  married  for  three  years. 
His  hobbies,  when  he  has  time  left  from 
work  and  study,  are  reading  and  photogra- 
phy. 


The  newest  addition  to  the  staff  of  the 
Business  Office  is  Yifill iam  V.  Hurley.  Bill 
graduated  from  Hyde  Park  High  School  in  '55 
and  has  been  working  at  the  B.P.L.  for  the 
past  three  months.  In  school  he  played 
baseball  and  hockey,  and  he  puts  sports  at 
the  top  of  his  hobby  list.  The  only  unmarried 
man  in  an  office  full  of  women.  Bill  seems 
to  be  holding  his  own — expecially  since  he 
spends  a  lost  of  his  time  "on  the  road," 


At  Brighton  Branch  tes  Mary  A.  La  Follette, 
formerly  Ifery  Blute,  has  returned  to  the 
library  after  an  absence  of  two  years.  She 
began  working  full  time  in  the  B.P.L.  about 
eight  years  ago  at  IJJattapan.  She  was  at 
Brighton  for  three  and  one  half  years,  then 
went  to  Uphams  Comer,  After  her  marriage, 
she  served  at  South  End  for  about  three 
years,  during  -vnhich  time  she  had  two 
daughters.  She  is  once  again  at  Brighton 


-6- 


and  delighted  to  be  back. 

* 

Things  at  Book  Preparation  are  a  little 
bit  brighter  since  Jferlene  T.  McLaughlin 
joined  their  subprofessional  staff  inlfey, 
A  1956  gradiiate  of  South  Boston  High 
School,  Iferlene  comes  to  Central  with 
good  experience  at  a  branch  o  V/hile  at 
school,  she  worked  for  two  years  as  a 
part-time  assistant  at  the  lively  South 
Boston  Branch  (and  not,  as  previously 
reported,  at  the  moribund  Tyler  Street 
Reading  Roomc)  The  pert  young  lady  lists 
reading  and  photography  as  her  hobbies. 


* 


Anne  E,  Wayland  has  joined  the  subpro- 
fessional staff  in  the  Personnel  Office. 
A  1956  graduate  of  Mt  St  Joseph  Acadenor, 
where  she  sang  in  the  Glee  Club,  Anne- 
has  a  number  of  hobbies  and  activities 
to  keep  her  busy  when  she  is  not  working. 
She  is  Chairman  of  the  Cultural  Committee 
of  the  CJD   of  St  Anne's  parish  in  Dor- 
chester. It  is  surprising  that  the  slim 
red  headed  young  lady  plays  softball  and 
loves  it.  Marital  status:  S. 

KOTES  FROM  THE  MIAMI  CONFERENCE  OF 
THE  AIi^ERICAN  LIBRARY  ASSOCIATION 

Feature  Film  on  Librarianship 

The  first  general  session  of  the  Confer- 
ence was  highlighted  by  the  showing  of  the 
film,  STORM  CENTER,  starring  Bette  Davis. 

In  this  film,  the  Librarian  in  a  small 
community  refuses  to  remove  a  book  on 
Commixnism  from  the  library  shelves. 
Because  of  this,  she  is  discharged  by  the 
politically-minded  Council. 

After  her  dismissal  only  one  person  in 
the  town  remains  friendly.  Even  the 
children  to  whom  she  has  been  especially 
devoted  in  her  twenty-five  years  as  Li- 
brarian snub  her.  One  child  who  has  been 
guided  ty  the  Librarian  in  his  reading 
becomes  unduly  upset.  General  talk  and 
town  gossip  about  the  harm  that  might  be 
done  by  a  subversive  increase  his  fear  to 
such  an  extent  that  he  finally  burns 
down  the  Library. 

Bette  Davis  plays  the  part  of  the  Li- 
brarian. She  is  not  a  "typical"  librarian 
but  there  are  librarians  like  her.  She 
is  her  usual  emotional  self.  Throughout 
the  play  there  is  much  stress  and  tension. 


which  becomes  boring. 

Of  course  novdiere  is  the  name  of  the 
offending  book  mentioned.  If  the  Librarian 
was  courageous  enough  to  oppose  the  author- 
ities ,  why  was  she  not  coxirageous  enough 
to  continue  her  fight  for  principle?  True, 
the  boy's  father's  comments  were  not  good, 
but  no  normal  child  of  ten  years  would  reach 
such  heights  of  despair.  And  in  the  vihole 
town,  there  was  only  one  person  who  even 
spoke  to  the  Librarian. 

In  icy  opinion  the  theme  was  overdrawn, 
and  the  presentation  technically  poor. 
The  fire  burned  in  such  detail  that  it  was 
of  interest  to  no  one  but  a  fire  spark. 

Anna  L.  I&nning 


A  Meeting  on  Personnel 

The  Joint  Committee  on  Library  Work  as  a 
Career  held  its  meeting  on  Jxme   19,  1956 
devoted  to  the  subject  of  recruiting  for 
librarianship.  In  the  absence  of  John 
Harvey,  Chairman,  Helen  Focke  of  the  T/estern 
Reserve  University  Library  School  served  as 
chairman. 

Raymond  C«  Lindquist  of  the  Cleveland 
Public  Library  read  a  paper  on  the  subject 
ALA  Plans  to  Recruit.  He  stated  that  the 
new  Public  Relations  Office  was  established 
for  ALA  generally,  although  recruiting  was 
its  primary  purpose.  Recruiting  is  one  of 
the  objectives  of  the  Board  of  Education 
for  Librarianship  of  ALA,  in  addition  to 
its  main  purpose  of  developing  standards 
for  accreditation  of  library  schools  and 
applying  those  standards,  Mr  Lindquist 
stated  that  in  19U7  BEL  held  a  2-day  confer- 
ence on  recruiting,  which  he  says  is  every 
librarian's  duty.  The  restilt  of  this  con- 
ference was  the  formation  of  the  Joint 
Committee  on  Library  T/brk  as  a  Career  whose 
purpose  is  the  planning,  sponsoring,  and 
carrying  out  of  programs  for  recruiting. 
In  1953  BEL  appointed  a  subcommittee  on 
recruiting  with  Miss  Amy  Winslow  of  the 
Enoch  Pratt  Free  Library  as  Chairman.  This 
committee  studied  all  materials  available 
on  recruiting  and  suggested  a  campaign  for 
funds  for  the  establishment  of  a  permanent 
recruiting  office  at  ALA  headquarters.  Lack 
of  funds  and  lack  of  centralization,  becaxise 
the  work  is  done  by  changing  committees, 
hampered  a  recruiting  program.  BEL  then 
appointed  a  sub-committee  of  its  avm  members 
to  supplement  the  Winslow  report  but  the 
work  of  accrediting  library  schools  took 
most  of  the  Board's  time.  The  Management 
Survey  of  ALA  then  came  into  being  and  the 


-7- 


Public  Relations  Office  established. 

Mr  Lindqulst  suiamarized  AIA's  recruiting 
program  as  follows: 

(1)  Division  of  Cataloging  and  Classi- 
fication has  established  a  speakers' 
bureau; 

(2)  Public  Libraries  Division  has  de- 
voted a  complete  issue  of  its  bulletin  to 
tiie  subject  of  recruitings 

(3)  Association  of  College  and  Refer- 
ence Libraries  has  issued  a  pamphlet  on 
llbrarianship  for  college  students  active-! 
ly  promoting  Alpha  Beta  Alpha,  a  national 
undergraduate  library  science  fraternityj 

(U)  American  Association  of  School 
Librarians  has  issued  a  folder  entitled 
"How  about  School  Librarians hip  for  "You" 
However,  this  folder  is  now  out  of  date 
and  a  new  committee  is  working  on  a  new 
recruiting  folderj 

(5)  Division  of  Libraries  far  Children 
and  Young  People  Executive  Board  assumes 
the  duty  of  recruiting  and  circulates, 
materials  available,  such  as  a  reprint  of 
an  article  on  children's  librarianship 
which  appeared  in  the  IVlay  19SS   issue  of 
Mademoiselle.  This  Division  also  issues 
an  excellent  new  pamphlet  on  recruiting, 
prepared  by  a  committee  of  the  Children's 
Library  Associationj 

(6)  Board  of  Education  for  Librarian- 
ship,  whose  administrative  offices  are  at 
ALA  headquarters,  handles  about  3000 
requests  a  year  for  recruiting  materials 
of  which  a  supply  is  alnays  on  hand. 

Mr  Lindquist  read  a  letter  from  David 
Clift,  Executive  Secretary  of  ALA,  in 
which  he  stated  that  recruiting  will  be  a 
duty  of  the  Public  Relations  Office  and  a 
telegram  from  Len  Arnold,  Director  of  the 
Public  Relations  Office,  in  which  he 
stated  that  a  conference  of  the  best 
recruiting  brains  in  the  country  vifaLch 
will  collect  ideas  is  noc'/  in  the  planning 
stage . 

Otis  McBride  of  the  Florida  State  Uni- 
versity Library  School  represented  LoTiis 
Shores,  t/ftio  was  scheduled  to  speak  on 
Plans  for  a  Recruiting  Film.  This  film 
which  the  Library  School  plans  to  produce 
will  show  all  phases  of  library  work. 
It  vd.ll  be  a  20  mm.  film  in  color  and  it 
is  estimated  to  cost  about  $7000.,  which 
cost  has  yet  to  be  underwritten.  Much 
of  tte  film  has  been  taken  but  a  script 
has  not  yet  been  prepared. 

Eugene  P.  Watson  of  the  Northwestern 
State  College  Library  in  Natchitoches, 
Louisiana  told  of  ACRL's  recruiting 
pamphlet  for  vocational  counselors  as  well 


as  for  students.  It  has  been  edited  by 
Robert  Kingery  of  the  New  York  Public  Li- 
brary. It  contains  32  pages  and  is  color- 
ful to  arouse  counselors  to  read  it  and 
use  it.  The  publication  figure  has  been 
set  at  50,000  copies  and  it  is  expected  to 
be  distributed  by  libraries.  In  addition, 
ACRL  is  actively  promoting  a  fraternity. 
Alpha  Beta  Alpha,  for  library  school  stu- 
dents. 

Mrs  Elsa  S.  Freeman  of  the  Geography 
Library,  U.  S.  Department  of  the  Interior, 
Washington,  D.C.  who  was  Chairman  of  Special 
Libraries  Association  Recruiting  Committee 
which  was  responsible  for  the  SIA  publicatior 
"Putting  Knowledge  to  Work",  was  unable  to 
be  present  at  the  meeting.  Her  report  on 
the  work  of  gettir^  the  publication  produced 
was  read  by  a  member  of  her  committees.  It 
is  too  soon  yet  to  have  definite  reports  on 
the  pamphlet's  use  and  practicability,  but 
examination  showed  it  to  be  attractive  and 
informative.  A  copy  of  the  pamphlet  and 
of  Mrs  Freeman's  report  were  distributed  to 
the  audience. 

Catherine  MacDonald 

Reference  Librarians  Section  of  the 

Association  of  College  and 

Reference  Libraries 

The  topic  discussed  at  Monday's  meeting, 
June  18,  was:  Reviewing  Reference  Books, 
The  three  speakers  represented  three  impor- 
tant revievong  journals  which  at  intervals 
each  year  evaluate  reference  books.  All 
three  speakers  agreed  that  it  was  not 
always  easy  to  obtain  the  agreement  of  all 
publishers  and  all  readers  of  reviews  on 
what  is  and  what  is  not  a  "reference  book" , 
while  most  reference  librarians  recognize 
such  books  promptly. 

Mrs  Helen  Wessells  spoke  from  the  point 
of  view  of  editor  of  Library  Journal.  LJ 
tries  to  maintain  a  corps  of  reviewers  that 
vary  widely  in  subject  background  and 
positions  held.  Requisites  for  LJ  reviewers 
are  the  ability  to  write  concisely  in  their 
reviews  and  possession  of  as  complete  a 
knowledge  as  possible  of  their  subject  field. 
Books  to  be  reviewed  are  obtained  before 
publication  date  and  are  then  seJit  to  the 
reviewers.  Problems  of  time  and  .space  for  a 
review  are  created  because  of  the  amount  of 
advertising  that  may  have  to  be  incJ-uded  in 
each  issue. 

Mrs  Wessells  expressed  her  satisfaction 
with  the  now  more  frequent  occurrence  of 
the  names  of  librarians  on  the  editorial 


-8- 


boards  of  several  reference  publications. 
This  of  course  helps  to  create  that  needed 
contact  between  librarian  and  publisher. 

The  "Professional  Reading"  section  of 
LJ  each  issue  tries  to  provide  reviews  of 
mterial  covering  library  techniques  and 
frequently  will  give  longer  reviews  of 
standard  reference  works  that  are  observ- 
ing their  anniversary  of  publication.  In 
the  section  "You  May  T/fant  To  See",  the 
attempt  is  made  by  the  editor  to  provide 
reviews  of  pamphlets  and  ephemeral  materi- 
al of  some  substance. 

Ifrs  Frances  Cheney,  of  George  Peabody 
Library  School  and  reviewer  for  the 
"Current  Reference  Books"  section  in 
Wilson  Library  Bulletin,  emphasized  her 
aim  of  providing  reviews  of  books  that 
throw  new  light  on  subjects,  Wilson 
Library  Bulletin  restricts  itself  to  re- 
viewing books  in  the  field  of  reference 
and  does  not  concern  itself  with  films  or 
records;  sometimes  reviews  of  pamphlets 
are  given,  Itrs  Cheney  spoke  of  the 
importance  for  the  reviewer  of  keeping  in 
mind  the  audience  for  whom  the  review  is 
written.  Although  the  Wilson  Library 
Bulletin  is  aimed  at  vddely  varied  read- 
ers,  mostly  from  the  staff  of  public 
libraries,  the  "Current  Reference  Books" 
section  is  addressed  to  all  libraries. 
Many  reference  books  are  omitted  each 
issue,  not  deliberately,  but  because  they 
were  not  listed  by  FW  or  publishers' 
announcements.  Foreign  titles  usually  are 
omitted.  About  lOJ^  of  the  books  for  which 
reviews  were  given  in  the  Sept,  '55 — ^June 
'56  period  were  not  recommended.  Reasons 
for  not  recommending  a  reference  book  were 
faulty  indexing,  the  material  presented 
was  not  new,  and  titles  were  misleading. 

Mrs  Cheney  cited  the  disadvantages  of 
the  "one-man  review".  These  disadvantages 
etrise  from  the  limited  intelligence  of  the 
reviewer,  his  limited  subject  knowledge, 
his  biased  judgement  and  over-emphasis  on 
matters  that  are  of  special  interest  to 
the  reviewer  personally.  ¥irs   Cheney  Tirged 
readers  to  write  to  reviewers  in  cases 
where  one  holds  differences  of  opinions 
from  the  reviewer  on  certain  books* 

Miss  Donna  Finger  of  the  Public  Library 
st   Kansas  City,  Mo,,  and  chairman  of 
Subscription  Books  Committee,  spoke  of 
the  important  work  of  that  Committee  in 
providing  reviews  for  the  qviarterly  Sub- 
scription Books  Bulletin.  The  Committee 
of  35  to  Ti^om  books  are  sent  for  review 
have  a  manual  for  reviewing  to  guide  them 
in  writing  their  reviews .  The  aim  of  the 


Committee  is  to  provide  an  evaluation  of 
books  sold  on  subscription  basis  which  will 
enable  the  purchaser  to  determine  whether 
the  book,  or  set  of  books,  is  suitable  for 
their  needs.  Many  noted  librarians  have 
served  on  the  Committee,  Titles  for  con- 
sideration are  compiled  from  sources  such 
as  advertising  matter,  individual  recommen- 
dations made  to  the  Committee,  and  occasions 
where  certain  books  are  being  promoted  in 
local  areas. 

Inexpensive  material,  under  $5«00,  is  not 
usually  included  in  reviews  given.  Partially 
completed  sets  are  not  usually  reviewed, 
vmless  they  are  published  at  long  intervals. 
The  Subscriptj.on  Books  Bulletin  will  make 
a  note  for  sets  where  the  publisher  has  been 
\inwilling  to  subiuit  a  set  for  review. 

Every  review  is  mimeographed  and  sent  to 
all  committee  members  v^ho  make  important 
conments  on  that  review.  Sometimes  a  re- 
vision is  suggested  for  a  particular  review. 
All  galley  proofs  of  SBB  issues  are  sent  to 
A.L.A.  legal  advisors  to  make  certain  that 
only  legally  approved  comment  is  included, 

Pa\J.  Hoynihan 

Cataloging  Activities 

The  highlight  of  the  8:00  A.  M.  business 
meeting  of  the  Cataloging  and  Classification 
Division  on  Tuesday,  June  19,  was  the  pre- 
sentation of  the  1956  Margaret  Mann  Citation 
to  Susan  Akers,  author  of  Simple  Library 
Cataloging,  Jfeirgaret  Ayrault,  Catalog  Li- 
brarian  of  the  University  of  Michigan,  took 
office  as  the  new  president  of  the  Division, 
Mrs   Orcena  D,  Mahoney  reported  on  her  two 
years'  activities  as  the  Division's  first 
full-time  executive  secretary. 

At  the  joint  meeting  with  the  Serials 
Round  Table  at  10; 30  A.  M,  case  studies  on 
the  application  of  the  Lubetzky  principles 
to  serials  were  presented  by  Hiss  M,  Ruth 
MacDomld  of  the  Armed  Forces  Medical  Library 
and  JSr  Paul  B.  Kebabian  of  the  New  York 
Public  Library,  Both  advocated  treating  as 
a  new  publication  with  a  new  catalog  entry 
a  periodical  that  changed  its  title.  Miss  F. 
Bernice  Field,  Yale  University  Library, 
disagreed  with  this  point  of  view  and  argued 
for  a  catalog  entry  that  would  include  the 
con5)lefbe  holdings  of  a  periodical,  including 
its  various  changes  of  title. 

A  card  reproduction  workshop  was  held  on 
Thursday,  June  21,  at  8:00  A.  M,  Mimeograph, 
multilith,  addressograph,  Xerox,  and  Card- 
master  equipment  were  demonstrated  by  repre- 
sentatives of  the  respective  companies. 


-9- 


The  luncheon  meeting  of  the  Council  of 
Regional  Groups  enabled  the  chairmen,  or 
their  representatives,  to  discuss  common 
problems.  JiLss  Ayrault  suggested  inaugu- 
rating an  enlarged  program  for  the  Council 
at  the  Midvrinter  meeting. 

A  punch  party  and  fashion  show  against 
the  colorful  background  of  the  SeriUe 
cabanas  completed  the  day's  activities. 
Nobody  will  forget  the  black  lace  bathing 
suit  or  the  girl  in  the  pink  dress  with 
hair  dyed  a  matching  shade  of  pink. 


Mildred  O'Connor 
BPL  Staff  Participation 

About  five  hundred  conference  members 
participated  in  the  Adult  Education  Work- 
shops held  each  morning  at  8  o'clock. 
The  coordinator  of  these  sessiors  vias 
Mrs  I/Furiel  Javelin,  Member  of  tha  staff 
of  the  ALA  Library-Community  Project  and 
President  of  the  Public  Libraries  Divi- 
sion, Adult  Education  Section.  Typical 
of  these  sessions  was  one  of  the  Wednes- 
day morning  meetings  dealing  with  the 
problems  of  planning  a  book-based  discus- 
sion using  the  Notable  Books  of  1955* 

Under  the  able  chairmanship  of  IUss 
Margaret  E.  Monroe,  Rutgers  University, 
this  role-playing  session  featvired  people 
from  WatertoT/im,  N.Y.,  Washington,  D.Co, 
Newark,  NoJ.  and  Boston.  They  assumed 
the  roles  of  school  teacher,  busybody 
club  woman,  technical  advisor  on  social 
work  and  coordinator  of  activities  at  the 
Youth  Service  Board  of  Ducktown,  an  . 
average-size,  normal,  industrial  town  in 
eastern  U.S.A.  (Edna  G.  Peck  -vas  the  very 
new,  naive  and  willing-to-be-told  coor- 
dinator of  the  youth).  The  discussion 
waxed  lively  and  the  decisions  regarding 
the  books  to  be  suggested  for  discussion 
were  not  without  controversy. 

A  good  time  was  had  by  all,  especially 
"the  actors"  ii*io  prefaced  their  perform- 
ances by  several  jolly  "rehearsals". 


One  of  the  unique  occasions  at  the  con- 
ference was  the  ABC  parts'"  sponsored  by 
the  Notable  Books  Coxincil  of  the  Public 
Libraries  Division.  Some  four  hundred 
delegates  gathered  in  the  Coronation  Room 
of  the  Empress  Hotel  on  Tuesday  afternoon 
immediately  following  the  Second  General 
Session.  Each  table  was  arranged  to 
accomodate  about  a  dozen  people.  The 


best  food  provided  was  nental,  although 
some  enjoyed  the  cocktails  and  cookies. 
The  conversation  centering  around  Notable 
Books  of  last  year  and  this  was  stimulating, 
especially  nihen   it  wandered  far  afield  as 
it  frequently  did.  As  an  innovation  this 
informal  getting-together  to  talk  about 
authors  and  books  was  pronounced  a  success 
and  it  may  become  an  annual  event  at  the 
Conference . 

As  a  member  of  the  National  Notable  Books 
Council,  Edna  G.  Peck  served  as  one  of  the 
hostesses  at  this  ABC  party. 

SORT  Business  Meeting 


The  Stiff  Organizations  Round  Table 
business  meeting  was  held  in  the  Ocean 
Terrace  of  the  Sovereign  Hotel  at  10  A.  M,, 
Tuesday,  June  19.  Present  as  delegates 
from  the  BPLFSA  were  Jeanne  M.  Hayes,  Edna 
G,   Peck,  Veronica  T.  Yotts  and  Louis  Rains. 
The  meeting  s'oarted  off  most  agreeably  with 
coffee  and  Drxiiish  pastry,  to  celebrate  SORT'S 
twentieth  birthday. 

Despite  the  fact  that  Miss  Yotts  and  It^ 
Rains  were  appointed  to  count  the  ballots 
(obviously  because  of  their  frank,  open 
countenances)  our  own  candidate,  Sarah  M. 
Usher,  lost  the  election  to  the  Steering 
Committee  by  only  one  vote.  However,  this 
year's  constitutional  amendment  provides  i 
that  a  member  of  the  Steering  Committee 
who  cannot  or  will  not  fiifill  his  duties 
and  obligations,  may  be  dropped  from  the 
Steering  Committee,  and  the  candidate  with 
the  next  highest  vote  shall  become  a  member 
•of  the  Steering  Committee.  The  new  members 
of  the  Steering  Committee  are:  Samuel  F. 
Lewis,  Alice  Taylor,  Helen  Barron,  and  Mabel 
Rust. 

Jeanne  Hayes,   v*io  has  a  very  acute  sense 
of  hearing,  was  able  to  note  above  the 
clatter  of  coffee  cups  and  the  munching  of 
crisp  pastry,  that  the  SORT  treasury  had  a 
balance  of  $288.88  as  of  30  May  19^6,  that 
it  was  noted  to  allow  the  Editor  of  the 
SORT  Bulletin  ,'^)50.00  per  year  for  expenses, 
that  the  Editor  was  to  be  permitted  to  choose 
his  own  committee  members  to  help  him  get 
out  the  Bulletin,  that  there  are  now  98  mem- 
bers of  SORT,  that  this  year  will  see  a  con- 
certed effort  to  ^in  more  members,  and  that 
Edna  G.  Peck  wanted  another  cup  of  coffee. 

Louis  Rains 


-10- 
30 RT  &  Board  on  Personnel  Administration — |  personal  opinion,  but  transmits  the  opinion 
Joint  Meeting  I  of  the  staff. 

The  joint  meeting  of  the  Staff  Organiza- 
tions Round  Table  and  the  Board  on  Person- 
nel Administration  was  held  in  the  Ball- 
room (late  French  dementia)  of  the 
Fontainebleau  Hotel,  Thursday  morning, 
21  June  1956.  Betty  Lewis,  Chairman  of 
SORT,  introduced  Amy  Tfinslow  of  the  Enoch 
Pratt  Free  Library  who  acted  as  moderator 
of  a  panel  discussion  on  the  role  of  staff 
organizations  in  the  library.  Members  of 
the  panel  were  Edwin  Castagna,  Public  Li- 
brary, Long  Beach,  California j  Ralph  H. 
Hopp,  University  of  Ivlinnesota  Libraries j 
Alpha  ryers,  Public  Library',  Newark;  and 
Katherine  Prescott,  Public  Library, 
Cleveland.  Messers  CastagrA  and  Hopp 
spoke  from  the  administrator's  viewpoint, 
and  Ifrs  Myers  and  Katherine  Prescott 
acted  as  spokesmen  for  iiie  staff  organiza- 
tions. 

From  the  opinions  expressed  by  the  pane] 
members,  it  would  appear  that  staff  organ- 
izations are  taking  their  place  along  with 
motherhood,  babies,  and  ico  cream  cones" 
as  an  accepted  American  insxdtution.  ItTOS 
agreea  that  staff  organizations  afford  an 
excellent  means  of  communication  between 
the  staff  and  the  administrator,  that  the 
staff  organization  can  do  much  for  staff 
morale,  promote  leadership  among  its 
members,  further  the  professional  and 
economic  interests  of  the  staff,  and  be 
of  great  assistance  in  helping  to  solve 
administrative  problems. 

There  was  some  disagreement  among  the 
panel  members  on  the  question  of  staff 
representation  at  meetings  of  governing 
bodies,  ftr  Castagna  thought  that  the 
representation  of  staff  organizations  at 
trustees  meetings  was,  in  effect,  an 
effort  to  bypass  the  administrator.  He 
did  say  that  police  and  firemen  are  often 
represented  at  council  meetings,  but  that 
their  officers  were  usually  Trell  armed 
with  the  opinions  of  the  membership.  He 
did  not  make  it  clear  why  representatives 
of  library  staff  organizations  could  not 
also  be  well  armed  with  the  opinions  of 
their  membership.  I/trs  Myers  thought  that 
staff  organizations  should  be  present  at 
trustee's  meetings  only  vihen  the  agenda  ' 
was  of  interest  to  the  staff  in  general. 
Miss  Prescott  was  of  the  opinion  that 
staff  organizations  should  be  present  at 
budget  hearings,  official  administrative 
committee  meetings,  etc.  provided  the 
privilege  is  not  abused,  and  the  spokes- 
man for  the  staff  does  not  voice  his 


Louis  Rains 
BRANCH  NDTES 

Dorchester 

On  Tuesday  evening,  June  19,  with  the 
weather  cooperating  beautifully,  the  staff 
of  Dorchester,  with  several  invited  guests, 
met  at  the  Toll  House  in  Tfhitman  for  a 
dinner  party  celebrating  the  graduation  of 
four  extra  assistants  from  their  various 
schools,  and  their  departure  to  other  fields 
of  endeavor.  The  graduates  were  Mary 
McPherson  from  Teachers'  College j  Ann  Sullivai 
from  Boston  College  (magna  cum  laude)j  SLlen 
T«  Buckley  from  Hyde  Park  High  School j  and 
John  Milan  from  Boston  College  High  School. 
Ellen.!.  Buckley,  now  a  sub^professlonial  at 
Adams  Street,  had  just  become  engaged,  and 
this  fact  lent  an  especially  festive  air  to 
the  occasion.  Mary  McPherson  is  to  teach 
in  Hull,  Mass.,  this  coming  yearj  Ann  Sullivai 
will  teach  in  Newton;  and  John  Ifilan  is 
entering  the  Franciscan  Order  of  Capuchins 
in  July. 

Margaret  Morgan,  Beatrice  Frederick,  and 
Eleanor  O'Leary,  all  Dorchester  alumnae, 
added  a  pleasant  reunion-like  touch  to  the 
party,  while  Mrs  Shirley  Waters  also  carried 
out  the  librsiry  family  tradition  as  an  ex- 
young  adults  worker  at  Adams  Street. 

Over  a  delicious  chicken  dinner  served  in 
the  Tree  Room,  there  was  much  talk  and 
laughter,  especially  over  the  little 
"diplomas"  made  by  Rosemarie  DeSimone  and 
containing  some  of  her  famous  efforts  in 
verse.  Gifts  of  faun  nylon  gloves  for  the 
girls  and  a  flashlight -lantern  for  the  one 
male  were  opened  and  admired  hy  all.  The 
special  "girl  graduate"  centerpiece  in  cap 
and  gown  was  raffled  off  and  went  to  John 
Milan,  but  he  graciously  gave  it  to  the  next 
lucky  person,  Ellen  Buckley.  After  dinner, 
little  graduation  cakes  and  a  special  engage- 
ment cake  were  presented  to  the  guests  oJ| 
honor  with  the  compliments  of  the  Toll  House. 

The  party  was  officially  over  at  about 
10  P.M.,  but  rumor  has  it  that  certain  mem- 
bers dropped  in  for  late  coffee  at  Jane 
Manthorne'3  in  Brockton. 

West  End 


The  three  famous  travelers  who  toTired 
Europe  and  Israel  together  in  19^$:   Ethel 
Kimball,  Minna  Steinberg  and  Fanny  Goldstein, 
once  again  combined  vacation  forces  and 
jpintly  attended  the  A.L.A.  Conference  in 
Miami. 


-n- 


The  majority  of  the  people  who  attended 
the  A.L.A.  in  Miami  went  on  post-ccnference 
tours.  F.G.  and  M.S.  vrent  on  to  Puerto 
Rico  and  St  Thomas  of  the  Virgin  Islands 
which  was  an  alluring  tropical  adventure 
where  we  salted  away  many  new  impressions 
and  sent  back  many  cards  for  our  YTest  End 
Children's  Room,  which  kept  the  members 
of  the  Summer  Reading  Club  very  happy 
spotting  the  places  on  the  map.  Ihe  im;-. 
press ions  gathered  will  lend  much  warmth 
for  armchair  reflections  in  next  winter's 
zero  weather. 

Fanny  Goldstein 

LETTERS  RECEIVED  BY  THE  CARE  COIi'IITTEE 

Dear  Mr  Bluhm: 

Your  grand  CARE  parcel  reached  us  safely 
here,  and  we  thank  you  very  much  for  your 
generosity.  It  is,  indeed,  moving  to  see 
bonds  of  charity  established  between  human 
beings  separated  by  thousands  of  miles. 

As  we  find  ourselves  unable  to  express 
our  gratitude  in  other  terms,  we  beg" to - 
accept  our  heartfelt  wishes  for  your  well 
being.  God  bless  you  and  all  your  loved 
ones  I 

Yours  truly 

ALFRED  KURZAWA  &  FAIULY 

Berlin  -  Zehlendorf,   12  June,   1956 
Ramsteinweg  21 


* 


Dear  Sir: 


We  have  received  your  CARE  package  with 
great  joy.  We  thank  you  real  heartily 
for  it.  The  butter  tasted  good  to  our 
three  children  and  they  now  have  powdered 
milk  every  day  to  drink  with  their  cocoa.. 
The  children's  eyes  shone  so  brightly  for 
when  the  father  was  long  without  work, 
there  were  days  without  butter  and  milk. 
Once  again  hearty  thanks  for  your  chari- 
table gift. 

From  Berlin,  greetings  from  Edith  and 
Gunther,  together  with  Beruch,  Doris  and 
Anita  Wolf. 


Any  contribution  to  the  Soap  Box  must 
be  accompanied  by  the  full  name  of  the 
Association  member  submitting  it,  together 

with  the  name  of  the  Branch  Library,  De- 
partment or  Office  in  which  he  or  she  is 
employed.  The  name  is  vrithheld  from  pub- 
lication, or  a  pen  name  used,  if  the  con- 
tributor so  requests.  Anonymous  contri- 
butions are  not  given  consideration.  The 
author  of  the  article  is  know  only  to  the 
Editor-in-Chief.  The  contents  of  the 
articles  appearing  in  the  Soap  Box  are 
personal  opinions  expressed  by  individual 
Association  members  and  their  appearance 
does  not  necessarily  indicate  that  the 
Publications  Committee  and  the  Association 
are  in  agreement  with  the  views  expressed. 
Only  those  contributions  containing  not 
more  than  300  words  will  be  accepted. 


To  the  Soap  Box; 

In  June ,  THE  QUESTION  MARK  Editorial  Notes 
and  President's  Notes  reported  that  the 
Editor  had  asked  for  and  received  permission 
to  attend  Executive  Board  meetings.  Two 
Board  members  went  on  record  as  believing 
this  undesirable  and  unconstitutional.  We 
agree,  for  the  following  reasons: 

1.  As  we  interpret  the  Constitution,  it 
does  not  provide,  either  by  word  or  impli- 
cation, for  committee  chairmen  to  sit  in  on 
Board  meetings.  The  Editor  is,  first, 
chairman  of  the  Publications  Committee  and, 
as  such,  should  be  given  no  privileges  which 
could  not  be  claimed  equally  by  every  other 
Standing  Committee  chairman.  We  do  not 
believe  Executive  Board  deliberations  could 
be  carried  on  expeditiously  should  all  13 
Chairmen. claim  the  privilege  of  "sitting  in- 
on  discussions. 


-12- 


2.  It  is  the  duty  of  the  President, 
•vre  believe,  not  the  Editor,  to  keep  the 
staff  informed  on  both  sides  of  important 
issues~(a)  at  Association  business  meet- 
ings, and  (b)  through  President's  Notes 
(Sees  Volvune  III,  Number  3,   page  3, 
column  1),  We  do  not  believe  it  desirable 
for  the  Editor  to  take  over  any  part  of 
this  important  President's  duty. 

3,  The  office  of  Publications  Comniittere 
chairman  is  in  itself  probably  the  most 
time-consuming,  next  to  that  of  president. 
To  add  to  its  duties,  attendance  at 
Executive  Board  meetings  would  seem  too 
heavy  a  burden  for  one  Association  member, 

k»     To  over  knowledge,  it  is  not  accept- 
ed practice  for  the  Editor  of  a  house 
organ  to  sit  in  at  meetings  of  the  govern- 
ing board  of  the  organization. 

5,  While  it  is  unquestionably  desirable 
for  the  Editor  to  work  as  closely  as  pos- 
sible with  the  Executive  Board,  can  this 
not  be  done  as  effectively  by  the  Editor 
conferring  with  the  President,  after  each 
Board  meeting,  on  matters  to  be  brought 
to  the  attention  of  the  Association 
through  the  Question  I-ilark? 

In  special  cases  (when  the  occasion 
warrants)  there  is  nothing  in  the  Consti- 
tution to  preclude  the  Publications 
Committee  Chairman  from  attending  an  Ex- 
ecutive Board  meeting  at  the  invitation 
of  the  Board  as  has  been  the  practice  in 
the  past  with  other  committee  chaimien. 

Sarah  M.  Usher 
Grace  B.  Laughlin 
Louisa  S»  Metcalf 

Dear  Editor: 

The  report  of  the  Mayor's  Citizens' 
Committee  on  Ifunicipal  Finance  concerning 
the  Library  carried  many  criticisms  which 
were  heeded  either  in  the  form  of  changes 
or  contemplated  studies.  One  that  seems 
to  have  been  ignored  is  the  criticism 
that  in  the  Division  of  Reference  and 
Research  Services,  the  offices  of  Chief 
Librarian  and  Supervisor  seem  an  unneces- 
sary duplication. 

Might  it  not  be  wise  before  filling  the 
position  of  Supervisor  and  risking  repeatr- 
ed  criticism  to  undertake  an  agonizing 
reappraisal  of  that  office.  Is  the  office 
of  Supervisor  intended  primarily  as  an 
administrative  one  responsible  for  the 
open  departments  of  all  three  divisions 
during  the  hours  ■v*ien  their  division 
offices  are  closed?  In  that  event,  would 


it  not  be  more  practical  to  have  such 
supei-vision  emanate  directly  from  the 
Director's  Office? 

If,  on  the  other  hand,  the  purpose  is  to 
give  coordination  to  the  reference  function 
of  the  division,  as  would  seem  likely  from 
a  recent  tendency  of  that  office  to  oversee 
the  work  in  individual  units,  would  it  not 
be  as  effective  to  have  three  coequal  full- 
time  coordinators  responsible  to  the  Chief 
Librarian  handle  this  work  at  let  us  say  a 
deputy  level?  The  figure  three  is  suggested 
in  order  to  give  maximum  coverage  during 
the  77  hours.  With  two  on  duty  during  a 
busy  afternoon,  one  could  tour  the  building 
while  the  other  stands  by  for  intricate 
reference  queries. 

Eamon  McDonough 
To  the  Soap  Box; 

Again  this  year  at  the  American  Library 
Convention  in  Miami  I  remembered  a  sugges- 
tion which  I  first  made  after  the  1952  New 
York  Conference  regarding  the  fact  that  many 
BPL  people  who  attend  a  conference  for  the 
first  time  wander  around  confused,  not 
knowing  iiiiich  meetings  it  is  to  their  advan- 
tage to  attend.  I  do  not  wish  to  recommend 
a  guided  to\ir  with  every  group  regimented 
and  held  in  check  for  the  entire  conference, 
but  I  quote  frcrn  what  I  wrote  at  that  time 
..."It  would  be  a  good  thing  to  delegate 
one  Senior  member  in  charge  of  the  delegatior 
and  trust  him  with  the  list  of  those  BPL 
members  attending  plus  their  hotels  in  the 
city,  where  they  can  be  reached.  I  also 
think  that  at  least  once  so  large  a  group 
should  be  drawn  together  at  a  . . .breakfast 
or  a  luncheon  is  possible,  and  that  somebody 
should  be  made  responsible  for  doing  this. 
. . .  (Jilany  of  the  people  who  attended  did  not 
even  know  the  other  members  of  the  BPL.) 
Such  a  get  together  would  add  a  homey  social 
note.  A  wise  monitor  could  serve  as  a  sort 
of  advisor  to  the  new  and  uninitiated  and 
could  guide  them  to  interesting  book  shops, 
around  the  -town  features,  or  the  private 
■parties  given  by  the  publishers,  which  they 
would  otherwise  lose  out  on,  because  they  did 
not  know,  or  were  alone,  or  too  timid,  or 
not  on  time  to  register.  There  were  many 
opportunities  for  doing  things  which  many 
of  the  BPL  monbers  missed  out  on,  for  just 
no  guiding  hand  and  somebody  who  could  have — 
had  there  been  a  cheerful  happy  interested 
mentor,  with  discretion  to  serve  as  a  co--- 
ordinator.  This  is  one  of  the  things  I  would 
like  to  see  instituted  at  another  time." 
Fanny  Goldstein 


-13- 


To  the  Soap  Box; 


Congratulations  to  the  Publications 
Committee  on  its  proposal  made  in  the 
June  issue  of  the  Question  Mark  to  devote 
more  space  in  subsequent  issues  to  serious 
articles  in  -wAiich  important  matters  af- 
fecting personnel  and  service  to  the  pub- 
lic will  be  discussed. 

This  should  be  conducive  to  clarifying 
topics  on  •which  scuttlebutt  often  circu- 
lates more  rapidly  than  unembellished 
facts . 


Interested 


To  the  Soap  Box; 


In  Jan\iary  of  the  present  year,  two 
letters  were  sent  from  the  Executive  Board 
of  the  Association  to  the  Director,  at  the 
request  of  the  membership:  1.  Asking  him 
to  arrange  for  the  Board  to  meet  with  the 
Trustees  in  regard  to  a  10^  increase  in 
salary;  and  2.  Setting  forth  the  recom- 
mendations of  the  Personnel  Committee  in 
the  matter  of  adequate  compensation  for 
temporary  Assistants-in-Charge.  At  the 
last  Business  Meeting  of  the  Association, 
it  Twas  reported  that  no  reply  had  yet  been 
received  to  either  of  these  letters. 

To  many  of  us,  silence  in  the  face  of 
what,  we  feel,  are  legitimate  requests 
is  very  disturbing.  If  no  replies  are 
received  by  the  November  Business  Meeting, 
let  us  stand  behind  our  Executive  Board 
and  empower  them  to  ascertain,  if  possi- 
ble, reasons  why  their  letters  have  appar- 
ently been  laid  aside. 

B.  Gertrude  Wade 


SOVIET  LIBRARIES 


In  answer  to  a  recent  question  concerning 
libraries  in  Russia,  Edna  G.  Peck,  Book 
Selection,  HRS,  received  the  following  reply 
from  Daniel  Schoor  on  the  Allan  Jackson's 
CBS  World  News  program,  July  9,  1956: 

"Books  are  published  in  tremendous  volume, 
but  apparently  not  enough  to  meet  the  demand. 
New  books  sell  out  quickly  and  there's  even 
a  black  market  in  them.  However,  copies 
are  usually  reserved  for  the  libraries,  of 
which  there  are  more  than  sixty  thousand  — 
at  least  one  library  in  every  town  of  any 
size.  The  libraries  are  usually  divided 
into  reading  rooms  and  circulating  sections 
where  books  can  be  borrowed.  The  books 
in  libraries,  of  course,  tend  to  follow 
the  line,  but  vfithin  these  limits  there 
are  a  good  many  translations  of  foreign 
authors,  especially  classics  such  as  Victor 
Hugo  and  Dickens.  The  bigger  libraries  also 
have  collections  of  western  books  that  don't 
follow  the  line  but  usually  these  are  avail- 
able only  to  students  and  other  specially 
q\xalified  persons.  Librarians,  on  the  whole, 
are  poorly  paid." 

LATE  LATE  PUSH 

Wedding  bells  rang  for  Joan  O'Brien,  Book 
Stack  Service,  when  she  became  the  bride  of 
Robert  J.  Park  at  St  Mark's  Church  in 
Dorchester  on  Sunday,  July  1,  The  petite 
and  attractive  Joan  wore  a  ballerina  gown 
of  white  lace  and  net  over  taffeta  ^Tith  a 
finger-tip  veil.  She  was  given  in  marriage 
by  her  father  and  attended  by  her  sister, 
Ii4rs  Marie  Madden,  and  two  bridesnaids.  Her 
brother,  Jerome,  was  best  man.  A  reception 
followed  the  ceremony  at  the  bride's  home, 
after  which  the  happy  couple  set  off  for  a 
wedding  trip  to  Cape  Cod. 


ra 


hestion 


THE  BOSTON  PUBLIC  LIBRARY 
PROFESSIONAL  STAFF  ASSOCIATION 


AUGUST  1956 


THE   QUESTION   MARK 
Published  tty  the  Boston  Public  Library  Professional  Staff  Association 

Volume  XI,  Ntimber  8 August  19^6 


Publications  Conmittee;  Barbara  E.  Coffey,  Jean  L.  Eaton,  Mary  A.  Hackett,  Felicia 

J.  Langdon,  Richard  E.  Lyons,  Paul  W,  Smith,  B.  Gertrude 
Wade,  Chairman    \ 


Publication  date: 
The  fifteenth  pf  each  month 


Deadline  for  submitting  materials 
The  tenth  of  each  month 


EDITORIAL  NOTES 

The  question  of  music  in  the  courtyard  is  once  again  being  bruited  about  the 
conversational  salons  of  Copley  Square  habitues.  Are  the  charms  of  the  interior 
court  of  an  Italian  palace — shaded  views  of  brilliantly  svmlit  arcades,  the  soothing 
drone  of  a  playing  fountain,  a  rich  air  of  gracious  repose — too  nearly  perfect  to  be 
improved  upon,  or  would  they  be  enhanced  by  the  addition  of  symphony  and  song,  rondo 
and  rhythm?  Shall  Vfe  have  music  of  silence?  One  school  of  thought  seems  to  hold 
that  the  main  business  of  the  courtyard  is  reading,  and  that  music  is  not  a  background 
for  reading.  Another  group  feels  that  most  people  on  their  lunch  hours  would  much 
prefer  sitting  and  listening  to  sitting  and  reading.  Perhaps  a  majority  can  be  found 
in  between  these  two  extremes.  They  would  like  recordings  played  during  certain 
specified  hours,  leaving  the  rest  of  the  time  to  silence.  Many  reasons  in  favor  of 
music  can  be  found.  The  work  in  the  surrounding  offices  might  be  speeded  up,  hot- 
weather  tempers  might  be  soothed.  As  for  the  public's  use  of  the  covurtyard  libraries, 
a  judicious  choice  of  type  of  music  could  well  stimulate  certain  areas  of  the  collec- 
tion. For  exanple,  the  slow-moving  religious  books  mi^t  receive  more  attention 
during  a  playing  of  Parsifal  or  the  Messiah.  The  Eroica  might  stimulate  interest  in 
biographies  of  Napoleon,  Boris  Gudounov  in  those  of  the  Russian  Czar.  All  this  may 
be  too  complex  and  if  we  are  to  have  recordings,  perhaps  we  ought  to  content  ourselves 
with  finding  music  that  will  blend  well  with  the  tempi  and  rhythms  of  the  fountain, 
the  arcade,  and,  one  day,  of  the  roof.  In  any  case,  in  summertime,  "if  music  be  the 
food  of  love,  play  on." 

THE  PUBLICATIONS  COMMITTEE 


PERSONNEL  NOTES 


New  Emplo^i^ees 

Mrs  Ruth  A.  Adleman,  Hyde  Park 

Pearl  I.  Brown,  Book  Purchasing 

Richadean  Few,  Book  Stack  Service 

Audrey  E.  Hunter,  Bookmobiles 

Jean  H.  Munsell,  CharlestoTOi 

Jaya  L.  Ramulu,  Dorchester 

Helen  V.  Varsos,  Book  Stack  Service 

Transferred 

Mrs  Dorothy  M.  Hanna,  from  City  Point  to 

Codman  Sqviare 
Mrs  Maiy  T.  C.  O'Neill,  from  Bookmobile 

to  Phillips  Brooks 
Barbara  A.  Tuthill,  from  Roslindale  to 

City  Point 


Retired 


Charles  F.  Weider,  Buildings,  after  9  years 
of  service 

Resignations 

Jane  C.  Cohen,  West  Roxbury,  to  be  married 

Paul  J.  Delahanty,  Hyde  Park,  to  take  a 

position  elsewhere 
Phyllis  E.  Glasener,  Codman  Square,  to  live 

in  Rhode  Island 
Mrs  Mary  C.  Kennedy,  Memorial,  to  remain  at 

home 
Mrs  Gene  S.  Kupferschmid,  Mattapan,  to  live 

in  Argentina 
Mrs  Anne  C.  TBhite,  Book  Stack  Service 
Anna  C.  Lynch,  Book  Stack  Service 


-2- 


MEET  OUR  mn  ARRIVALS 


BPL  Staff 


Mrs  Mary  M.  Bovirer,  formerly  a  part-tise 
assistant  at  Adams  Street  has  joined  the 
staff  of  Washington  Village.  Ifrs  Bowker, 
■who  Tivas  once  childjren's  librarian  at  North 
End,  took  time  out  to  raise  a  family  of 
two  boys  and  two  girls  before  returning 
to  children's  work  at  her  present,  post. 


The  petite,  auburn-haired  young  lady 
who  has  been  seen  arovind  Print  since  June 
is  Claire  M.  Hurney.  Kate  graduated  from 
the  Yfocdward  School  for  Girls,  and  has 
completed  two  years  at  Jackson  College. 
Although  she  is  cinrrently  taking  a  course 
in  portrait  drawing,  her  real  interest 
seems  to  be  music.  She  has  been  studying 
voice  for  some  time  and  has  appeared  with 
several  choral  groups.  Last  year  she 
sang  Mabel  in  the  Pirates  of  Penzance 
■«*ien  it  was  presented  at  Tufts.  In  the 
winter  she  sings  with  the  Handel  and 
Haydn  Society.  Despite  all  this,  Kate 
says  she  likes  working  at  the  Bj.P.L.,  very 
much* 


Paul  V.  Kean  Joined  the  staff  of  Cata- 
loging and  Classification  (R  and  RS)  in 
June  of  this  year.  He  graduated  from 
Mission  High  School  in  '56.  In  school, 
-vrtiere  he  was  known  as  "Tiger",  Paul 
played  football,  baseball,  basketball, 
and  Softball.  Right  now  he  is  interested 
mostly  in  fishing  and  football.  That 
complicated  mimeograph  machine  in  Stack  2 
is  Paul's  particular  donain  here  at  the 
E.P.L. 


Norma  A.  Lowery  (who  prefers  to  be 
called  Ann)  started  work  on  July  3  at 
South  End  as  assistant  children's  librar- 
ian. Ann  was  graduated  this  year  from 
Colby  College  in  Waterville,  and  lives 
now  ih  Cambridge  although  her  family. home 
•is  in  Tilton,  Nev/  Piarapshire.  In  addition 
to  "her  interest '.  irt  children,.  Ann  enjoys 
music  and  photography. 


Macy  J.  Margolis  is  the  newest  member 
of  History.  He  graduated  from  B.  U«  in 
'51  and  received  his  Jfeister's  in  history 
the  following  year.  Macy,  ti^o  is  not 
married,  was  on  the  full-time  staff  from 
June  to  September  in  1952.  The  army  took 
up  his  time  for  the  next  three  years.  But 
he  has  been  back  at  his  old  desk  since  June 
of  this  year. 


Ray  Mullins  is  the  new  member  of  the  staff 
of  Kirstein  Business  Branch.  Ray  attended 
Dartmouth  and  then  Simmons.  He  worked  for 
a  while  at  Dartmouth  before  joining  the 
BPL.  Ray  is  married  and  has  a  young  daugh- 
ter. 


Jeanne  Elizabeth  Staples  joined  the  staff 
of  General  Reference  in  April  after  2^  years 
isrith  Army  libraries  in  Germany.  Jeanne 
received  her  B.  A.  in  literature  in  1952 
from  the  University  of  Syracuse,  and  her 
M.  S.  in  L.  S.  the  following  year  from  the 
same  school.  Originally  from  Providence, 
Rhode  Island  and  now  living  in  Cambridge, 
Jeanne  says  she  is  almost  adjusted  to  the 
rigors  and  high  cost  of  stateside  life. 


Every  once  in  a  while  the  gloom  of  the 
stacks  is  brightened  by  a  pretty  new  face. 
The  latest  is  Carole  M.  Sweeney,  'vrfio  has 
been  with  the  BPL  since  J\ine,  after  her 
graduation  from  Roxbiury  Memorial  High  School. 
Carole's  principal  interest  is  in  singing. 
She  studied  voice  for  a  while  at  the  Conserv- 
atory and  plans  to  again.  Right  now  she 
sings  in  the  choir  of  the  Dudley  Street 
Baptist  Chirch.  Swimming  and  basketball 
take  up  the  rest  of  Carole's  spare  time. 


Julia  P.  Talanian  is  the  new  addition  to 
the  Office  of  Reference  and  Research 
Services.  After  her  graduation  from  Jamaica 
Plain  High  School  in  '55,  Judy  attended 
secretarial  school  before  joining  the  BPL 
in  June.  Ihile  at  school,  the  dark-haired 
young  lady  played  Softball  and  basketball, 
and  now  does  quite  a  bit  of  swimming.  Judy 
also  says  that  she  is  a  baseball  fan. 


-3- 


" Great  Books"  Staff 


A  comer  of  the  office  of  the  Division 
of  Home  Reading  and  Connminity  Services  has 
new  tenants  this  month.  Dorothea  Davis, 
who  returned  after  four-years,  absence, 
and  Ralph  Soderberg  can  now  be  found  at 
the  Great  Books  Foundation  desks  formerly 
occupied  by  Ruth  Soter  and  Edward  Muir. 

Dorothea  Davis  has  worked  for  the  past 
four  years  furthering  the  cause  of  the 
Great  Books  Foundation  in  northern  New 
England.  She  has  now  settled  here  as 
director  of  the  Greater  Boston  Great  Books 
program. 

Ralph  (Gus)  Soderberg,  New  England 
director  of  the  Great  Books  Foundation,  is 
a  grad\iate  of  Yale  and  has  studied  at  the 
Sorbonne  and  Leeds,  England.  Previous  to 
joining  the  foundation,  Gus  taught  at 
Iowa  State  College  and  the  University  of 
Nev;  Hanpshire. 

VISITORS 

Francis  Tighe,  City  Librarian,  Notting- 
ham, England. 

G.  Kamaloedin  Anang  Djakarta,  Indonesia. 

BIRTHS 

llr  and  Ilrs  Frank  Dubrawski  announce  the 
birth  of  a  son  on  July  29.  Mrs  Dubrawski 
is  the  former  Tfeirion  Siraco  of  Charlestown. 


* 


}Sr  and  Fjts  Joseph  T .  "l^ite  ( jmrie  Mur^, 
formerly  of  Chariestown- and. Parker  Hill) 
announces  the^birth  of  a  son,  Peter  Joseph, 
on  -August  2 , 


Mr  and  Mrs  Charles  Eeehan  (Teachers) 
have  announced  the  birth  of  a  son,  Sean, 
on  August  8.  The  Meehans  now  have  "one 
of  each". 

A  WORD  OF  APPRECIATION 

Before  publication  of  the  last  issue 
of  The  Question  Mark,  Girard  Hottelraan, 
former  member  of  the  Book  Purchasing  staff, 
made  a  personal  call  to  the  Editor  from 
his  summer  job  in  Nantasket  to  ask  that 
there  be  included  in  the  next  issue  a  note 
of  thanks  from  him  to  his  co-workers  for 
their  gift.  Apologies  to  Gerry  for  being 
late  in  this  "word  of  appreciation" .  From 


him  to  all  who  contributed  to  this  parting 
gift  a  heartfelt  "thank  you". 

ALUMNI  NOTES 

Virs   Edith  H.  Bailey,  Branch  Librarian 
Emeritus,  recently  sold  her  home  in  Hyde 
Park  and  has  moved  to  Honolulu  where  she 
will  live  -with  her  daughter  Ruth  (a  former 
assistant  at  Phillips  Brooks,  East  Boston 
and  Lower  IvtLlls)  who  has  been  appointed 
Director  of  Religious  Education,  Central 
Union  Church,  in  Honolulu.  Mrs  Bailey's 
future  address  is : 

c/o  Central  Union  Church 

Punahou  and  Beretania  Streets 

Honolulu  II4. 

Territory  of  Hawaii 


ISrs   Dorothy  Novirse  Pitman,  Branch  Li- 
brarian, Emeritus,  who,  when  she  left  her 
duties  at  East  Boston  some  three  years  ago, 
took  up  residence  in  Brooklyn,  New  York, 
and  joined  the  staff  of  the  New  York  Public 
Library,  has  recently  been  promoted  to  the 
position  of  Branch  Librarian  of  the  Hamilton 
Grange  Branch  Library  at  West  ll^^th  Street. 
She  assumed  charge  of  this  Camegie-type 
building — relighted  ard  redecorated~on 
July  23  when  the  branch  library  was  reopened 
after  having  been  closed  for  a  period  of 
three  months.  Congratulations  to  this  Branch 
Librarian  "raised  to  the  second  power" I 

THE  SOCIAL  TimiRL 

On  Tuesday  evening,  July  31,  Joanne 
Neviera,  extra  Assistant,  South  Boston, 
was  hostess  to  the  staff,  both  full  and 
part-time  workers,  at  a  shower  given  at 
her  home  for  Helen  Ivanauskas,  also  extra 
assistant.  Helen^  v4io  is  to  enter  the 
Convent  of  the  Sisters  of  Jesus  Crucified, 
Brockton,  in  September,  was  svirprised  mth 
a  number  of  beautiful  religious  gifts  as 
well  as  some  eminently  practical  items. 

Martha  C.  Engler 


The  staff  at  Codman  Square  presented  a 
lovely  gift  to  Phyllis  E.  Glaesner, 
children's  assistant,  upon  her  resignation. 
In  the  fall  Miss  Glaesner  will  teach  music 
at  the  Cambridge  Adult  Education  Center. 
The  staff  wishes  her  success  on  the  start 
of  a  new  career. 


-u- 


On  Thursday,  August  2,  at  the  Darbury 
Room,  Mrs  Gertrude  Brovm  of  the  Personnel 
Office  staff,  was  a  surprised  guest  at  a 
luncheon  attended  by  Ul  of  her  friends 
T»ho  wished  to  say  their  farewells  to  her 
prior  to  the  beginning  of  her  maternity 
leave  of  absence.  She  was  presented  with 
a  corsage  of  yellow  tea  roses  and  a  gift 
of  money.  It  goes  without  saying  how  much 
Gertrude  will  be  missed  in  the  Library, 
especially  in  the  Personnel  Office  and  by 
the  undersigned. 

Catherine  IlacDonald 


* 


Rita  Desaulniers,  Business  Branch  Li- 
brarian, was  honor  guest  at  a  Bon  Voyage 
party  held  August  9th  at  the  home  of 
Gilda  Rossetti,  High  point  of  the  evening 
was  a  magnificent  Italian  cake,  specially 
decorated  for  the  occasion.  Rita  was 
presented  with  a  silver  disk  for  her 
charm  bracelet,  engraved  with  "KBB  Staff" 
and  the  date  of  her  appointment  as  Basi-. 
ness  aranoh  Librarian. 

She  sails  on  August  li+  from  Boston  on 
the  Nieuw  Amsterdam  on  a  pilgrimage  to 
Germany,  France,  Switzerland  and  Italy. 

WEDDING  BELLS 

Rita  R,  Taddonio,  Egleston  Square, 
became  the  bride  of  Patrick  F.  Walsh  on 
Saturday,  June  l6,  at  a  Nuptial  I\flass  in 
Saint  Joseph's  Chiirch,  Orient  Heights, 
The  bride  wore  a  princess  styled  gown  of 
peau  de  soie  and  French  Alencon  Lace  wiih 
a  full  cathedral  train  and  carried  a 
cascade  bouquet  of  ■v\*iite  glamour  lillies 
and  lillies  of  the  valley.  Ilaid  of  Honor 
for  the  bride  was  her  cousin,  Marilyn 
Petronio  of  West  Medf ord,  who  wore  a 
waltz-lengtii  dress  of  pale  yellow  nylon 
chiffon  and  carried  a  cascade  bouquet  of 
green  glamellias  and  galax  leaves.  Other 
attendants  of  the  bride  were  her  two 
sisters-in-law  who  wore  nile  green  chiffon 
dresses  and  carried  pale  yellow  glamellias 
and  galax  leaves. 

The  double  ring  ceremony  was  followed 
by  a  reception  at  the  Starlight  Terrace 
Room  of  the  Sherry  Biltmore  Hotel  where 
fellow  staff  members  from  Egleston  Square 
and  former  staff  from  Roslindale  gathered 
to  celebrate  with  the  bride  and  groom  and 
many  other  invited  guests. 

The  happy  couple  retiorned  July  8  from  a 
wedding  trip  to  Fdami  Beach, 


On  Jtily  21  at  a  10  A.M.  Nuptial  Mass 
in  St  Theresa's  Chapel,  West  Roxbury,  Jfery 
Curado,  Book  Purchasingi  and  David  Sheehan, 
Book  Stack  Service ,  were  married.  Ifery 
was  an  extremely  pretty  bride  in  an  ankle - 
length  gown  of  white  organdy  and  lace 
trimmed  with  seed  pearls.  Rumor  hath  it 
that  Jfeiry's  mother  made  the  gown  and  that 
pary  herself  made  the  bridesmaids'  gowns 
of  pale  yellow  cotton  'vrtiich  looked  as  if 
they  came  strai^t  out  of  a  book  on  early 
Nineteenth  Century  costume. 

The  chapel  is  lovely,  and  just  the  sort 
of  place  in  which  a  girl  dreams  of  being 
married.  The  priest  was  audible  to  every- 
one there,  I'm  sxire,  and  the  whole  ceremony 
was  one  to  make  sentimentalists  weep  and 
realists  rejoice. 

The  bride's  mother,  I>)Jrs  Curado,  Egleston 
Sqixare,  looked  even  nicer  and  more  charming 
than  usual  in  a  simple  blue-orchid  dress. 
And  David's  mother,  wearing  Dior-blue,  beamed 
as  only  the  mother  of  an  only  son  can  beam 
at  his  wedding. 

During  the  ceremony,  Sebastian  Lima, 
Book  Preparation,  sang  Ave  Maria,  Panis 
Angelicus  and  Oh,  Lord,  I  Am  Not  Worthy, 
Later,  at  the  reception,  an  amazing  number 
of  people  commented  on  his  singing  and 
wanted  to  know  v4io  he  was  and  where  he  came 
from. 

The  reception  was  held  at  the  Lord  Fox  in 
Foxboro.  It's  a  charming  place  that  seems 
to  be  made  for  wedding  receptions.  The 
music,  during  an  excellent  dinner  and 
afterwards  for  dancing,  was  furnished  by 
Martin  Waters  (piano),  Paul  Miles  (saxophone) 
and  a  dnammer  whose  name  I  can't  remember, 
but  it  doesn't  matter  because  he  doesn't  work 
in  the  library.  The  first  dance  was  danced 
(naturally)  by  the  bride  and  groom,  wxih 
Mary  looking  becomingly  shy  and  David 
looking  pretty  pleased  with  himself- 

LOST  AND  FOUND 

Belonging  to  members  of  the  staff 

1.  3  sets  of  keys 

2.  1  pocketbook 

3.  2  sums  of  money 
h»     8  pieces  of  jewelry 
$,     1  small  religious  article  may  be 

claimed  in  the  PERSONNEL  OFFICE 


-5- 


PRESIDENT'S  NOTES 


Ordinarily  there  is  very  little  to  re- 
port during  the  months  of  July  and  August 
since  no  regular  Executive  Board  meetings 
are  held  then.  Ife  were  pleased  to  note 
that  at  least  three  members  of  the  organ- 
ization had  definite  opinions  concerning 
the  advisability  of  inviting  the  Chairman 
of  the  Publications  Committee  to  sit  in 
on  the  Executive  Board  meetings ,  and  we 
trust  that  other  members  of  the  Associa- 
tion will  express  opinions  before  the 
November  business  meeting. 

The  follcrvTing  letter  received  from  the 
Director  is  welcome  evidence  of  the  spirit 
of  cooperation  that  can  exist  between  the 
Administration  and  the  Staff  Associationj 

9  August  1956 
Dear  Mr  Rains: 

At  last  December's  series  of  staff 
meetings  I  invited  aid  in  the  matter  of 
finding  an  adequate  basis  for  the  remuner- 
ation of  individuals  who  have  to  serve  in 
the  capacity  of  Assistant-in-Charge  in  a 
manner  that  would  be  appropriate  and  fair 
to  all  concerned.  From  the  Personnel 
Committee  of  the  Boston  Public  Library 
Professional  Staff  Association  there  was 
made  a  recommendation  concerning  this 
matter  which  was  very  helpful,  and  which 
in  due  season  was  presented  by  me  to  the 
Trustees  of  the  Library. 

The  Trustees  approved  my  recommendation 
for  the  adoption  of  substantially  the 
procedure  Wiich  was  recommended  by  the 
Personnel  Committee  of  the  Professional 
Staff  Association,  with  the  possibility 
of  putting  it  into  effect  as  early  after 
July  1,   1956,  as  the  budgetary  situation 
for  the  current  year  would  permit.  It 
will  be  recalled  that  at  the  May  series 
of  staff  meetings  I  indicated  that  the 
Personal  Services  Account  for  1956  for  the 
Library  had  been  passed  in  the  original 
instance  in  so  substantially  reduced  an 
amount  that  further  action  in  a  supple- 
mentary budget  would  be  necessary  to  the 
extent  of  approximately  | 70, 000,  The 
supplementary  budget  allowance  as  finally 
passed  has  turned  out  to  be  only  in  the 
amount  of  $35,000.  Thus  ttere  has  been 
the  necessity  of  administering  the  person- 
nel budget  with  a  view  to  saving  in  fevery 
direction  possible  during  the  current 
months,  with  the  view  to  ascertaining  what 
its  situation  in  the  latter  part  of  the 
current  fiscal  year  of  1956  may  permit  in 


the  way  of  effecting  desired  action  on  this 
and  other  matters. 

I  send  this  letter  by  way  of  interim 
report,  in  order  that  you  may  be  informed 
that  the  recommendation  of  the  Professional 
Staff  Association  in  respect  to  the  situation 
of  AssistantB-rin-Charge  has  had  approval  for 
being  put  into  effect  as  promptly  in  the 
latter  part  of  the  fiscal  year  of  1956  as 
the  situation  of  tte  personnel  budget  may 
permit . 

Yours  sincerely 
(Signed)  MILTON  E.  LORD 
Director 
To 

.  Mr  Louis  Rains 
President,  Boston  Public  Library 
Professional  Staff  Association 

Louis  RaitB 
President 

AU  ANNOAL  CONFEREMJE 

Second  General  Session 

The  second  General  Session  of  the  1956 
ALA  Conference  was  Jointly  sponsored  with 
the  Public  Libraries  Division  with  John  S. 
Richards,  President  of  the  American  Library 
Association,  and  Mildred  W.  Sardoe,  Presi- 
dent of  the  Public  Libraries  Division, 
jaresiding.  The  introduction  of  the  Local 
Committee  for  the  Conference  was  made  by 
President  Richards,  ^irtio  then  introduced 
Eleanor  Plain,  Chairman  of  the  Jury  on 
Citation  of  Trustees,  who  announced  two 
citations  of  merit  for  outstanding  contri- 
butions as  library  trustees  to  Mrs  Otis  G. 
Wilson  of  Huntington,  West  Virginia,  a 
member  of  the  West  Virginia  Library  Comnds- 
eion  who  was  cited  for  her  leadership  in 
bringing  about  passage  of  library  legisla- 
tion in  her  state  and  her  continuing  inter- 
pretation of  library  needs,  and  to  Judge 
Eugene  A,  Burdick  of  Vfilliston,  North  Dakota, 
vdio  was  cited  for  his  woric  in  restoring 
and  developing  library  service  in  Williston, 
his  promotion  of  public  interest  in  lj.brar- 
ies  and  his  contributions  to  public  library 
welfare  in  his  state.  Mrs  Wilson  was  pre- 
sent to  accept  her  citation  but  Judge 
Burdick  was  unable  to  attend  the  Conference. 

President  Richards  announced  that  Presi- 
dent Eisenhowsr  had  just  that  morning 
(June  19)  signed  the  Library  Services  Bill. 

Mr  Richards  turned  the  meeting  over  to 
Miss  Sandoe  who  introduced  the  moderator  of 
a  panel  and  the  members  of  the  panel  who 
were  to  speak  on  the  subject  A  Case  for 


-6- 


Notable  Books.  Mrs  Florence  S«  Craig, 
Chairman  of  the  Notable  Books  Council,  mas 
moderator  and  the  panel  consisted  of  the 
following:  Vbrs   Louise  Hall  Tharp,  author; 
Raymond  Walters,  Jr., book  review  editor, 
Saturday  Re view j  Joseph  Barnes,  editor, 
Simon  and  Schuster 3  William  C.  Clarke, 
Public  Library,  East  Cleveland,  Ohj.oj 
Grace  W.  Oilman,  Lincoln  Library,  Spring- 
field, Illinois. 

Itrs  Tharp  whose  topic  was  The  Case  for 
the  Writing  of  Notable  Books  said  that  it 
takes  a  long  time  to  prcduce  a  notable 
book,  and  as  far  as  she  is  concerned,  the 
people  she  writes  about  are  notable  and 
not  her  books «,  She  believed  that  the 
annual  selection  of  a  list  of  notable 
books  increased  the  use  of  books  in  li- 
braries. She  told  of  her  ami  inability 
to  obtain  copies  of  the  books  vdiich  have 
appeared  on  the  Notable  Books  lists  in  her 
local  library  because  of  the  great  demand 
Mr  Barnes  commented  on  the  vague,  unsatis- 
factory use  of  the  word  "notable".  He 
asked  "notable  for  whom?"  and  "in  what 
respect  notable?"  J5r  Y/alters  believed 
that  too  many  books  of  non-faction  or  fact 
appeared  on  the  Notable  Books  lists.  He 
felt  that  more  fiction,  poetry,  and  humor 
should  be  included  and  that  the  lists 
shoTild  be  more  hvimanized.  He  suggested 
that  if  the  lists  could  become  well-knoiiyn 
and  well-publicized  as  other  atjards  in 
other  creative  fields,  they  would  provide 
a  national  stjjnulus  to  readingo 

Catherine  I&cDonald 

Adult  Education  Workshop 

During  the  I\/[iami  Conference  there  were 
almost  five  hundred  librarians  who  were 
eager  and  enthusiastic  enough  to  meet 
every  day  at  8:00  a«m«  to  participate  in 
the  Adult  Education  Workshop.  The  pro- 
gram was  a  masterpiece  of  engineering 
skill  (Architects:  Consultant  JiSalcolm  S. 
Knowles,  Administrative  Coordinator  of 
the  Adult  Education  Association^and  Pro- 
gram Coordinator,  Mrs  Muriel  C.  Javelin). 
Panel  discussion,  role-playing,  buzz 
groups,  special  interest  groups,  individ- 
ual participation,  and  feedback  were  all 
incorporated  into  the  morning  sessions. 
By  the  happy  method  of  involving  various 
Sections,  Committees,  and  Round  Tables  in 
the  program  planning,  each  session  was 
presented,  discussed,  and  evaluated  by 
experts. 

The  opening  session  used  role-playing  to 


demonstrate  how  a  group  of  community  leaders 
who  have  been  invited  to  meet  with  the 
librarian  can  cooperate  in  Planning  a 
Library  Adult  Education  Program.  The 
principles  and  techniques  folloiTed  by  the 
librarian  were  criticized  and  discussed  by 
a  team  of  observers  and  reporters  from  the 
audience  buzz  groups.  The  discussion 
continued  the  next  morning  viien  the  total 
workshop  divided  into  small  discussion 
groups.  On  the  basis  of  the  panel's  dem^ 
onstration  and  back-home  experiences,  each 
group  discussed  further  the  problem  of 
Finding  and  Using  Community  Resource  People. 


On  the  third  day  the  participants  were 
ready  to  study  the  Use  of  Commtnity  R^ources 
in  Program  Planning.  In  five  concurrent 
discussions ,  as  many  different  programs 
using  community  resources  were  demonstrated, 
discussed,  and  evaluated.  These  included: 
Planning  a  Book-Based  Discussion  Using  the 
Notable  Book  of  1955 J  Planning  a  Series  of 
Film  Programs  for  the  PTAj  Notable  Books 
Read  Better  with  Soundj  Library  Works  with 
Labor  Groups  j  and  The  Library  Plans  to 
Study  the  Community. 

Thursday  this  same  method  was  used  to 
demonstrate,  discuss,  and  evaluate  Types 
of  Library  Programs.  Among  those  presented, 
the  group  which  discussed  Using  Films  with 
the  PTA  showed  the  film  Age  of  Turmoil  to 
demonstrate  the  advantages,  limitations, 
and  applications  of  this  sort  of  program, 
while  another  group  evaluated  the  use  of 
recordings  and  35mm  slides  in  a  music 
appreciation  program.  In  a  third  group  the 
Right  to  Read  was  the  subject  of  a  demonr- 
stration  of  a  book-based  discussion  at 
which  community  leaders  show  how  censorship 
can  be  handled.  The  sample  film  forum 
program  discussed  Can  ¥e  Immunize  Against 
Prejudice?  using  the  7-minute  film  pro- 
duced  by  Columbia  University.  As  an 
example  of  a  library  program  used  in  work 
with  the  aging.  Using  Audio- Visual  Ifeterials 
with  Senior  Citizens  demonstrated  a  film 
discussion  based  on  the  new  labor  film. 
Posse.  In  all  groups  the  particular  pro- 
gram^which  was  demonstrated  was  evaluated 
and  other  possible  programs  and  materials 
were  suggested,  with  pertinent  comments 
drawn  from  the  rich  experience  represented 
in  the  audience. 

At  the  final  eval\iative  session.  Have  We 
Met  Our  Goals?  the  audience  was  given  a 
critical  analysis  of  the  results  of  reports 
which  had  been  submitted  by  the  observers. 
These  undercover  reporters  had  been  present 
at  each  program  and  group,  noting  accom- 
plishments and  dissatisfactions,  and  inter- 


-7- 


viewing  various  participants  for  their 
personal  reactions.  The  preliminary  anal- 
ysis revealed  a  general  satisfaction  with 
the  workshop,  a  great  respect  for  the 
mechanics  of  its  construction,  and  many 
requests  for  a  workshop  next  year  on  adult 
education  activities, 

Bosto-n  Public  Library  staff  members  who 
were  involved  in  the  T^orkshop  as  program 
participants,  observers,  and  discussion 
leaders,-  included  I3rs  Ada  A,  AndeL-nan, 
Felicia  Langdon,  Edna  G.  Peck,  and 
Veronica  T«  lotts.  Many  other  Boston 
Public  Library  faces  were  evident  in  the 
audience  each  morning  at  8:00  a.m,  al- 
though they  v;ere  not  quite  so  fresh  and 
eager  on  Friday  as  they  had  been  on  Monday. 
The  enthusiasm,  however,  lingers  on. 

.Veronica  T.  Yotts 
The  Newbery-Caldecott  Dinner 

One  of  the  highlights  of  the  Conference 
was  the  annual  Ifewbery-Caldecott  Awards 
Dinner  which  was  held  in  the  gorgeous 
Pompeian  Room  of  Eden  Fioc  Hotel, 

The  vast  room  hummed  with  happy  voices 
as  librarians  from  all  over  the  country, 
adorned  with  tiny  corsages  of  baby 
orchids,  chatted  with  their  neighbors 
over  the  delicious  turkey  dinner  at  tables 
of  ten  each.  Each  table  had  a  hostess  to 
introduce  the  guests  to  each  other  and 
"to  start  the  ball  rolling".  After  the 
delectable  dessert  of  ice  cream  and 
strawberries  in  tasty,  individual  cake 
cups  and  the  last  drops  of  the  really  good 
coffee  had  been  consumed,  all  eyes  turned 
to  the  tvro  head  tables  vrhere  the  special 
guests  sat  in  resplendent  array,  their 
colorful  evening  raiment  enhanced  by  the 
floodlights . 

Jane  Darrah,  Chairman  of  the  Children's 
Library  Association,  introduced  the  hoiv 
ored  guests  in  her  charming  manner  and 
then  gave  the  floor  to  Marian  C.  Young, 
vice  chairman  and  chairrcan  of  the  Newbery- 
Caldecott  Awards  Committee,  who  had  the 
honor  of  presenting  the  Newbery  Medal  to 
Jean  Lee  Latham  for  her  excellent  biogra- 
phy of  Nathaniel  Bowditch,  the  famous 
American  authority  on  navigation.  This 
book  Ttiich  Miss  Latham  called  "Carry  on, 
Mr  Bowditch"  had  been  selected  by  the 
children's  librarians  as  the  most  distin- 
guished contribution  to  American  litera- 
ture for  children,  published  in  1955.  The 
Caldecott  Medal  was  presented  by  Miss 
Young  to  Feodor  Rojankovsky,  the  illus- 
trator of  the  most  distinguished  picture 


book  for  children  in  1955,  the  "Frog  went 
a-courting' ,"  by  John  Langs taff.  Both 
Miss  Latham  and  iJlr  Rojankovslqr  had  already 
seen  and  even  held  their  beautiful,  coveted 
medals  -v^en  the  awards  for  the  year  had 
been  announced  in  Chicago  last  March,  but 
now  the  medals  were  presented  to  them-  "for 
keeps" . 

As  she  accepted  the  award  Miss  La-tham 
entertained  her  audience  wi'tti  her  lively 
account  of  how  she  set  about  to  familiarize 
herself  -mith  navigation  and  the  life  and 
achievements  of  Mr  Bowditch  in  order  to 
write  an  interesting  book  about  him.  In 
lier  low,  articulate  voice  she  told  of  grow- 
ing up  with  brothers  and  of  her  young 
nephews  who  proved  to  be  invaluable  critics 
in  her  writing  for  boys. 

Mr  Rojankovsky  in  his  charmingly  inflected 
English,  spoke  of  his  family,  all  of  whom 
were  artisti  so  it  was  ofily  natural  for  }iim 
to  become  one.  His  father  had  been  a 
government  official  in  old  Russia  which 
meant  that  the  family  had  to  move  about  a 
great  deal  from  one  vast  end  of  the  empire 
to  another.  The  children  were  consequently 
born  in  various  parts  of  the  country:  one 
in  Ukraine,  another  in  Latvia,  while  Ifr 
Rojankovsky  was  born  in  Esthonia.  This 
caused  him  considerable  embarrassment  when 
he  came  to  America,  for  the  immigration 
officer  insisted  that  since  he  Tras  born  in 
Esthonia  he  iwas  an  Esthonian.  Mr  Rojankovsky 
was  equally  emphatic  in  maintaining  that 
he  was  Russian.  Finally  in  despair  he 
asked  the  officer  if  a  sparrow  born  in  a 
stable  thereby  became  a  horse. 

Both  speakers  were  so  delightful  that 
"Mr  Melcher  was  moved  to  pronounce  Miss 
Latham  a  citizen  of  Cape  Cod  because  of  the 
love  and  interest  she  had  manifested  in 
that  area.  He  pronounced  Mr  Rojankovsky 
a  special  citizen  of  United  States,  State 
Department  nothwithstanding.  Then  in  his 
own  inimitable  style  he  recited  his  beloved 
A.  A.  ItLlne's  "The  king's  breakfast."  which 
has  become  the  traditional  closing  number 
of  the  Dinner. 

Immediately  following  the  Dinner  all  the 
participants  sojourned  to  the  beautiful, 
moonlit  garden  of  Eden  Roc  where  Houghton, 
Mifflin,  and  Harcourt,  Brace  and  Company, 
the  publishers  of  the  award-wixming  books, 
were  holding  a  reception  for  the  honored 
guests  and  their  friends.  It  was  a  beauti- 
ful, balmy  evening,  exactly  the  proper 
final  touch  to  make  the  Newbery-Caldecott 
Dinner  one  of  the  most  memorable  events  of 
the  Miami  Beach  Conference. 


Tyyne 


Saari 


-8- 


A  Storytelling  Festival 


The  lucky  four  hundred  persons  admitted 
to  each  of  the  three  days  of  the  Children's 
Library  Association's  Storytelling  Festi- 
val found  themselves  enthralled  in  the 
simple  art  of  tte  storyteller.  Listening 
to  four  selected  storytellers  on  Tuesday 
telling  beloved  tales  so  beautifully,  in 
honor  of  Mary  Gould  Davis,  all  realized 
the  joy  each  storyteller  felt  in  creating 
his  version  of  these  timeless  stories. 
Again,  on  Wednesday,  as  four  more  gifted 
storytellers  told  their  favorite  stories 
in  honor  of  Gudrun  Thorne-Thomsen,  the 
audience  sat  silent  in  the  deepest  enj<^- 
ment.  On  Thursday,  Ruth  Sairayer  Durand 
Day,  Mrs  Frances  Gierke  Sayers,  alone, 
held  the  audience  spellbound  with  her 
incomparable  telling  of  three  old  tales 
from  the  folk-lore  of  the  world* 

Each  morning  as  Eulalie  Steinmetz  Ross 
graciously  introduced  the  participants, 
anticipation  mounted,  and  each  day  the 
enthusiastic  audience  left  fully  satisfied 
thoroughly  convinced  of  the  tremendous 
values  of  good  storytelling,  and  eager  to 
put  into  practice  the  fine,  simple  tech- 
niques observed. 

Elizabeth  M.  Gordon 

Pre-Conf erence ,  Conference  and  Post- 
Conl'erence  With  an  English  Visitor 

Attending  A.L.A.  affairs  with  an  English 
visitor  gave  me,  as  her  official  A.L.A. 
hostess,  occasion  to  look  at  our  libraries 
and  our  professional  activities  with  new 
eyes.  The  guest  was  Eileen  Colwell,  Head 
of  Fork  with  Children  in  the  Hendon  Li- 
braries of  London — ^founder  of  the  Youth 
Section  of  the  English  Library  Associa- 
tion, well-known  storyteller  and  book 
reviewer,  and  author  of  a  forthcoming  1956 
book  for  young  people  on  the  profession  of 
librarianship.  She  was  a  guest  of  the 
Division  of  Libraries  for  Children  and 
Young  People  and  appeared  on  the  A.L.A. 
program  in  the  Storytelling  Festival.  Her 
telling  there  of  the  famous  Eleanor 
Far jeon  story,  "Elsie  Piddock  Skips  in  Ifer 
Sleep,*'  was,  in  the  words  of  another 
special  guest  artist,  "an  unforgettable 
experience." 

Miss  Colwell  began  her  library  visiting 
Tfith  the  Boston  Public  Library  and,  after 
a  visit  to  Toronto,  continued  down  the 
coast  to  Florida  and  back  to  7fest  Virginia* 
In  branch  libraries,  large  central 


libraries — New  York,  Brooklyn,  Enoch  Pratt, 
Washington — in  town  libraries  and  the  tiny 
village  library  in  Mason,  New  Hampshire, 
where  author-artist  Elizabeth  Orton  Jones 
is  doing  creative  work  with  children,  we 
found,  of  course,  a  variety  of  program  and 
organization.  Miss  Colwell  met  children 
in  story  hours  (including  our  Connolly 
pre-school  story  hour) ,  young  adults  in  a 
New  York  program  on  jazz,  talked  with 
librarians  working  on  book  selection  and 
storytelling  problems.  It  pjrcsented  a 
total  picture  that  is,  she  said,  like  her 
English  program  in  many  ways,  but  with  a 
greater  emphasis  on  work  with  pre-school 
and  young  adult  groups. 

All  around  there  was  extra-c;irricular 
entertainment,  including  sightseeing,  and, 
on  the  return  from  Florida,  a  trip  through 
Great  Smokies  National  Park  and  along  the 
Blue  Ridge  Drive.  The  mountain  beauty  was 
heightened  by  the  season's  peak  of  rhodo- 
dendron bloom  (we  found  it  to  be  Rhododen»i 
dron  Sunday  on  Roan  Movmtain) ,  mountain 
laurel,  and  flame  azalea  growing  in  masses 
along  the  highways.  There  was  a  delightful 
overnight  visit  at  Penland  Craft  School 
indiere  at  the  informal  evening  entertainment 
Miss  Colwell  contributed  Rose  Fyleman's 
"Magic  Umbrella,"  told  for  everyone's  pleasur 
with  proper  English  country  speech. 

Mami  Beach  added  unique  setting— mentionec 
by  Mr  Tynge,  another  English  librarian,  in 
his  official  conference  greetings  as  "the 
somewhat  exotic  surroundings" — to  an  out- 
standing conference.  It  seemed  an  espe- 
cially rich  week,  with  so  many  scheduled 
and  unscheduled  meetings,  formal  and  in- 
formal gatherings,  and  in  all  a  warm  friend- 
liness, hospitality  and  interchange  of 
ideas.  English  children's  librarians 
usually  attend  at  their  own  annyial  conven- 
tions the  one  day  set  apart  for  the  program 
of  their  section. 

Virginia  Haviland 

TRAVEL  KDTES 

A,  Few  Memoii.es 
from  the  Pearl  of  the  Antilles  .  .  » 

Some  200  miles  over  Florida  Everglades 
and  dazzlingly  green  ocean  took  us  to 
another  civilization.  The  Hotel  Rresidente 
in  Havana  was  our  home  base  during  the 
sojourn  of  two  nights  and  three  days. 

Ovir  first  meal  was  at  the  "Ambos  Mundos" 
roof  which  brou^t  to  mind  Ernest  Hemennay 
and — oh,  yes I — some  of  his  books.  Then, 


-9- 


back  at  the  hotel,  as  true  travelers,  we 
started  to  think  of  ovtr   next  meal.  Where- 
upon Emelia  Lange,  the  social  type,  v/as 
observed  in  a  conversation  with  a  striking 
Chinese  woman  who  was  connected  with  the 
UN  and  the  International  Quota  System  and 
one  John  Ho,  a  wovild-be  medical  student, 
who  for  the  time  being  operated  the  "Hong 
Kong  Club."  Getting  a  back-log  of  pa-r 
tients,  we  wondered?  But,  no,  John  Ho 
was  instnMental  in  giving  the  BPL  group 
the  best  Chinese  dinner  we  ever  had, 
complete  with  gaily  swinging  Chinese 
lanterns  and  soft,  exotic  music,  A  sweet 
little  Chinese  nightingale  serenaded  our 
"Cuban  Sheik"  (Louis  Rains).  But  Louis, 
as  Lord  High  Protector  of  Lee  and  tv/elve 
traveling  librarians,  kept  his  head. 

Our  excellent  tour  guide,  Armando,  came 
forth  with  the  tidbit  that  Cuba  has  the 
third  largest  Chinese  settlement  in  the 
world.  In  view  of  this,  we  were  not  too 
amazed  at  the  Cuban  "Exeter"  displaying 
movies  in  Chinese  with  Spanish  subtitles. 
But  we  had  no  yen  for  it] 

Armando  steered  us  through  the  usual 
tourist  fare,  including  the  National 
Capital — ^built  like  the  one  in  Washington, 
D.C.,  but  containing  a  huge  diamond  from 
wMch  one  measures  all  distances  in  Cuba- 
(paid  for  by  a  day's  earnings  contributed 
by  the  laborers  at  completion);  the 
oldest  church  in  Cuba  with  its  exquisite 
murals  J  Morro  Castle  which  juts  out  into 
the  harbor — ^with  its  infamous  "Sharks' 
Nestj"  the  cigar  factory — piece  work  at 
peak  efficiency — reward  on  relief:  all 
the  stogies  you  can  stand;  the  rum  dis- 
tillery where  who  sampled  the  most  is  a 
tightly  bottled  secret;  a  bus  ride  in 
Cuba  where  the  horn  means  "Stop!"  "Go I" 
and /or  "Drop  Deadi"  El  Encanto,  the 
department  store,  had  a  sale.  'Hhat  more 
could  F.B.  fans  desire?  Then  we  had  food 
again—at  the  famed  "El  Carmelo"  which 
was  all  that  Armando  promised.  By  night- 
fall it  was  "Sloppy  Joe's"  and  the  four- 
inch  Submarine  Sandwich  Deluxe  and  on  to 
the  Tropicana  floor  show,  an  extravaganza 
that  out-Hollywoods  DeHaile.  Mamr  wished 
for  Louis  Ugalde.  The  jokes  (fortunato-r 
lyl)  were  en  espanol.  Lee  Rains  managed 
to  rescue  us  all  from  a  pack  of  Lions 
also  on  convention. 

Much  too  soon  we  had  to  pile  into  our 
plane  for  the  first  lap  of  the  home 
flight.  In  between  bottles  of  Triple  Sec 
and  Cigaros  Superfinos,  we  packed  the 
memory  of  a  tropical  jewel  Cuba. 

Joan  Morris 


See  America  First 


Are  you  going  to  Cuba?  No.  Are  you 
going  to  Nassau?  No.  Mexico?  No.  South 
America?  No.  To  Florida,  only. 

So  the  quartet  left  for  a  pre-convention 
trip — to  Florida,  only. 

We  flew  to  Idlewild.  There  at  the  air- 
port we  saw  planes  headed  for  France, 
Yugoslavia,  Sweden,  Cuba,  But  no  foreign 
visits  for  us.  But  we  did  visit  the  new 
airport  chapel  dedicated  to  Our  Lady  of  the 
Airways. 

The  next  jump  was  to  Washington,  and  as 
we  skirted  the  Potomac  River,  the  Capitol, 
Lincoln  Memorial,  Jefferson  Memorial,  etc., 
all  came  into  view.  Just  time  for  a  quick 
drink  and  off  again  in  our  Silver  Falcon 
to  Jacksonville. 

Florida  is  on  standard  time,  so  at  nine 
o'clock  when  we  landed  it  was  dark.  From 
the  airport  we  rode  for  thirty  minutes 
along  a  straight  road  lined  with  trees, 
palm  trees,  maybe,  but  too  dark  to  distin- 
guish, Presvunably  there  were  swamps 
nearby,  as  damp  heavy  odors  hung  over  the 
district. 

Early  morning  we  had  breakfast  in  a 
coffee  shop  and  had  oxir  first  introduction 
to  GRITS  (cream  of  wheat  to  us)..  The 
dining  room  was  all  pink  and  white,  table- 
cloths, napkins,  dishes,  vases  of  roses. 
Our  bus  left  at  nine,  and  then  we  saw  the 
flat  Florida  country-side,  and  the  gardens 
of  hibiscus,  crepe  myrtle,  oleander,  again 
all  pink  and  white  and  beautiful.  Silver 
Springs  was  a  lot  of  fun  watching  the 
Catfish  Ball  through  the  glass  bottom 
boats  and  schools  of  fishes  going  by  the 
portholes  of  the  xinderwater  boats. 

Here  we  had  our  first  encounter  with 
souvenirs — shells,  cups,  coconut  masks. 
And  until  we  left  Florida  we  saw  these 
same  horrors  everyv^iere. 

Orlando  where  we  spent  the  night  is  a 
lovely  place. 

We  were  awakenai  next  morning  by  chimes 
from  a  neighboring  church.  (Not  by  Anna 
Manning's  clock  which  had  mysteriously 
stopped  during  the  night,  and  never  did  go 
again, ) 

By  noon  we  were  at  Cypress  Gardens,  where 
we  saw  the  watershow,  rode  through  the 
canals,  and  strolled  through  the  gardens 
where  lilies,  begonias  and  camellias 
blossom  in  profusion.  YJe  had  previously 
seen  much  of  this  in  Cinerama,  but  we 
experienced  it  here.  And  the  guides  said, 
'Of  course  you  have  seen  Moon  over  Miami 
(we  hadn't)  and  here  is  where  Esther  ' 


-10- 
Williams  dived  into  the  -water,  and  here 
is  where  Esther  Williams^..."  C;^'press 
Gardens  is^exotiCj  peaceful,  and  inspiring 

St  Petersbm-g  vrith  its  green  "tenches, 
lovely  homes  sxid   churches,  beaches,  snd 
Webb's  City  was  next  on  our  itinerary/ 
Another  first,  a  rainstcra,  and  we  ran 


fur  chslter  into  fJebb's,  In  -fhis  store, 
one  r£7  buy  practioally  everything,  from 
fr.iit  to  footwear,  from  cosmetics  to  comic 
crc.rcs,  and  fvom  love  birds  to  lassos.  The 
Sv'.iiee  Hote].  tfhere  we  stoyed  was  one  of 
t}:3  fe-T  opan  in  the  sunnor  and  again  we 
had  a  pink  ?'\'.  goDd  dinj.nj  rotTTio  With 
Bf^atri'ie  Co] .iinan  ?5  gtiic^t?,  having  been 
there  before ^  we  tcared  the  cioj',  en^o^^ed 
a  dip  in  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  at  Passe-a- 
GriJ.  beach,  with  Mary  HcDonough  as  s:.'in>- 
ntiiig  instructor,  and  in  the  evening 
joined  the  Community  Sing  at  the  Municipal 
Auditorium.  It  was  on  the  way  to  this 
Ar:.ditorium  that  Anne  Armstrong  almost 
^iijaped  out  of  the  car  when  the  driver 
asked  "What  part  of  Brighton  do  you  come 
from?"  Our  Boston  accent  was  a  source 
of  comment  and  we  constantly  heard  from 
librarians,  taxi-men,  and  chance  acquint 
ances,  "I  came  from  T'^orcester,  Manchester, 
or  Everett."  Were  they  a  bit  lonesome 
and  glad  to  hear  a  voice  from  home?  We 
wondered . 

The  long  seven  mile  bridge  from  St 
Petersburg  thrilled  us.  It  is  an  extraor- 
dinary piece  of  construction.  At  inter- 
vals we  passed  little  islands  where  a  few 
fishermen  were  lazily  fishing  for — red 
snappers,  perhaps?  Places  which  were 
formerly  only  names  came  to  life, 
Bradenton,  Sarasota,  and  Fort  Myers- 
reminiscent  of  the  circus,  big  hotels, 
and  base  ball.  Of  course  all  camera  fans 
took  pictures  of  the  Hoine  of  the  Red  Sox_, 
a  ball  field  surroxmded  by  palm  trees 
and  banyan  trees  with  hundreds  of  roots, 
instead  of  night  lights. 

The  ride  through  the  Everglades  was 
long,  but  interesting  every  foot  of  the 
way.  It  is  a  heterogeneous  place,  much 
swamp  land,  then  stretches  of  open  meadow 
Twith  tufts  of  grass  and  scrub,  and  then 
dense  woods.  For  miles  the  road  was  lined 
with  royal  palms.  At  one  interval  a 
stream  ran  close  to  the  road  and  jumping 
boats  like  huge  grasshoppers  came  at  us. 
We  were  too  late  to  witness  the  bird 
migration  but  saw  native  birds,  cranes, 
cardinals,  thrushes  and  many  others  which 
WB  did  not  know  or  which  flew  so  swiftly 
we  could  not  identify  them. 

And  so  we  reached  Miami. 

We  saw  Florida;  not  the  night  clubs  of 


Havana,  but  the  old  folks  in  St  Petersburg 
happily  singing  "Wait  till  the  sun  shines, 
Nelly"/  not  the  junfle  beauty  of  Nassau  but 
orchids  grow:liig  on  the  trees  in  the  Ever- 
glades, and  parrot  and  alligator  farms  5 
not  suQ;3rcans  in  Jans.ica,  but  orchards  of 
citn-.s  i'ruit.  The  poople  whom  we  met  in 
hotel's,  stor'^s,  or  en  tiie  street,  were 
cordD-3.1  and  liolpful,  and  the  people  whom 
we  vxsr  3d,  fjiom  th.e  New  Yorkers  who  lived 
in  a  t"?.iler  in  Orlando  to  the  native 
Florifian  who  lived  in  a  beautiftil  home 
furn:rhti  wivh  handcarved  teak  wood,  all 
made  v.;-:  feel  vrelcoi^-o. 

No,  -■■•■s   did  not  r2^-,ret  our  choice  of  a 
"side  -a-ip"  and  ouv  opport^unitj  to  see 
another  part  of  our  United  States. 


A.A. 


B.C. 


A.M. 


M.M. 


Among  the  numerous  ALA  post-conference 
tours  headed  for  Havana,  Cuba  were  Grace - 
marie  Alfe,  Itrs  Marion  Alfe,  Jennie  Femino 
and  her  sister,  Ii*s  Helen  Mores co.  Havana, 
a  city  of  extremes  both  socially  and 
structurely,  filled  with  historical  as  well 
as  social  points  of  interest  captured  the 
fancies  of  these  travelers.  For  those 
looking  for  something  different  we  highly 
recommend  a  trip  to  this  interesting  isle 
in  the  West  Indies. 

NEW  BOOKS  IN  THE  STAFF  LIBRARY 
Non-Fiction 

Brinnin,  John  M. 

Dylan  Thomas  in  America 

Boston,  Little,  Brown,  19$^ 
Brooks ,  Van  Wyck 

Hellen  Keller 

N.Y,,  Dutton,  19^6 
Comandini,  Adele 

Doctor  Kate 

N.Y.,  Rinehart,  1956 
Fontaine,  Robert  L. 

Hello  to  springtime 

N.Y.,  Crowell,  195$ 
Hatch,  Alden 

Ambassador  Extraordinary 

N.Y.,  Holt,  1956 
Ives,  Elizabeth 

My  brother  Adlai 

N.T. ,  Morrm,   1956 
Kennedy,  John  F. 

Profiles  in  courage 

N.Y.,  Harper,  1956 


Lord,  Walter 

A  night  to  remember 

N.Y.,  Holt,  1955 
Schofield,  Tllliam  G. 

Seek  for  a  hero 

N.Y.,  Kenedy,  1956 
Temko,  Allan 

Notre-Dane  of  Paris 

M.Y.,  Viking,  1955 

Non-Fiction  —  Library  Science 

Collison,  Robert  L. 

Library  assistance  to  readers,  2nd  ed, 
N.Y.,  John  de  Graff,  1956 

Fiction 

Buck,  Pearl 

Imperial  woman 

N.Y.,  Day,  1956 
Greene,  Graham 

The  quiet  American 

N.Y.,  Viking,  1956 
Shirer,  William  L. 

The  consul's  y/ife 

Boston,  Little,  Brovm,  1956 


BRANCH  KTDTES 


South  End 


Recently  the  senior  members  of  the 
Reading  Club  planned  a  trip  to  the  State 
House.  The  trip  carried  out  this  year's 
reading  club  theme,  "It's  Your  Vote"  and 
created  even  more  enthusiasm  for  submitting 
book  "ballots".  Two  of  the  children  •vtrote 
a  report  of  the  visit  for  the  local  news- 
paper SOUTH  END  CITIZEN.  They  seemed  to 
be  much  interested  in  the  historical 
objects  of  interest:  the  replica  of  the 
Liberty  Bell,  the  Hall  of  Flags  wilii  its 
banners  and  murals,  and  the  gavel  used  by 
the  Governor  at  Council  meetings.  The 
photostatic  copies  of  the  original 
Massachusetts  Bay  Colony  charter  were 
provided  through  the  courtesy  of  the 
Bureau  of  Archives  and  serve  as  a  special 
remembrance.  DiH-ing  the  visit  Clarence 
Elam,  Secretary  of  the  Executive  Council, 
greeted  the  club  members  and  expressed  his 
interest  in  the  club  activities.  A  brief 
visit  to  the  House  of  Representatives  and 
the  Senate  included  the  hearing  of  a  roll 
call  in  both  houses.  The  club  members 
agreed  that  the  trip  was  entertaining  as 
well  as  informative. 


11- 

Vfest  End 

The  Staff  was  very  happy  to  welcome  back 
after  a  five  week  illness,  Diane  G.  Farrell, 
Children's  Assistant.  She  returned  full  of 
energy  and  ambition,  ready  to  help  guide 
the  destinies  of  the  Summer  Reading  Club. 


On  the  afternoons  of  July  2k   and  26,  in 
a  setting  of  shady  trees  and  cool  breezes, 
girls  attending  the  Camp  Fire  Girls  Day 
Camp  on  the  Charles  River  Esplanade  spent 
a  relaxing  hour  listening  to  stories  told 
by  Vts   Joyce  P.  Ellis,  Children's  Librarian, 


* 


On  Sunday  evening,  July  29,  Fanny  Goldste^ 
was  guest  speaker  at  Ebenezer  Baptist  Church 
on  West  Springfield  Street  in  Boston.  The 
occasion  was  the  annual  University  Concert 
and  Lecture  Night  in  honor  of  visiting 
students  and  teachers  attending  the  summer 
sessions  of  the  varioiis  universities  and 
colleges  in  Greater  Boston.  Miss  Goldstein 
spoke  on  the  need  and  importance  of  minority 
group  literatures.  The  CHRONICLE,  in  its 
August  h   issue  Jaad  this  to  say  about  the 
event:  "The  guest  speaker  was  Miss  Fanny 
Goldstein,  nationally  known  authority  on 
library  science.  Her  lecture  was  full  of 
new  information  and  inspiring." 


On  AugTost  3>  an  informal  farewell  party 
was  given  to  Milton  L.  Heller,  Probationary 
Assistant  in  the  Professional  Service.  lir 
Heller  is  returning  to  Boston  University 
to  do  graduate  work  in  the  field  of  sociol- 
ogy. He  left  laden  with  good  wishes. 


-12- 


Any  contribution  to  the  Soap  Box  must 
be  acconipanied  by  the  full  name  of  the 
Association  member  submitting  it,  together 
with  the  name  of  ths  Branch  Library,  De- 
partment or  Office  in  vitiich.  he  or  she  is 
employed.  The  name  is  withheld  from  pub- 
lication, or  a  pen  name  used,  if  the  con- 
tributor so  requests.  Anonymous  contri- 
butions are  not  given  consideration.  The 
author  of  the  article  is  known  only  to  the 
Editor-in-Chief.  The  contents  of  the 
articles  appearing  in  the  Soap  Box  are 
personal  opinions  expressed  by  individual 
Association  members  and  their  appearance 
does  not  necessarily  indicate  that  the 
Publications  Committee  and  the  Association 
are  in  agreement  with  the  views  expressed. 
Only  those  contributions  containing  not 
more  than  300  words  will  be  accepted. 


Dear  Editor: 


I  wish  to  apologize  for  a  misstatement 
of  fact  in  my  letter  of  the  July  issue. 
The  report  of  the  Mayor's  Citizens  Com- 
mittee on  Municipal  Finance  does  not  make 
any  reference  to  a  duplication  of  the 
offices  of  Chief  Librarian  and  Supervisor. 

It  was  not  fair  of  me  to  assume  that 
when  the  report  spoke  of  an  oversupply 
of  professional  help  in  the  Division 
Office  (vfhich  includes  the  Supervisor's 
office)  that  it  necessarily  meant  the 
supervisory  staff  even  though  on  page  ^0 
of  the  report  it  states  that  the  library 
has  "an  undue  number  of  supervisory  posi- 
tions." It  may,  of  covirse,  have  meant 
the  other  divisions  as  well. 

Eamon  McDonough 


CONTEST  AT  ROCKPORT  BEACH 

The  sun  without  mercy 

Pours  dovwi  heat, 
Baking  us  from  crown, 

To  bottom  of  the  feet. 

Yet  before  we  shrivel, 

Like  parchment  in  the  Sand, 
Neptune  offers  haven 

ViTith  Oceanic  Hand. 

And  waves  of  buoyant  waters 
Extinguish  every  blaze. 

And  sun  finds  his  dominion, 
A  temporary  phase, 

I  caper  in  the  ocean. 

Not  just  to  beat  the  heat- 
It's  fun  to  see  a  bully 

Go  down  to  defeat. 

Iferry  Andrews 


lU 


best  ion 


\^Am 


THE  BOSTON  PUBLIC  LIBRARY 
PROFESSIONAL  STAFF  ASSOCIATION 


SEPTEMBER  1956 


THE   QUESTION   MARK 
Published  by  the  Boston  Public  Library  Professional  Staff  Association 
Volume  XI,  Murriber  9 September  1956 

Publications  Committee:  Barbara  Eo  Coffey,  Jean  L,  Eaton,  Mary  A.  Hackett,  Felicia 

J.  Langdon,  Richard  E.  Lyons,  Paul  IK   Smith,  B.  Gertrude 
Wade,  Chairman 

Publication  date:  Deadline  for  submitting  material: 

The  fifteenth  of  each  month  The  tenth  of  each  month 


EDITORIAL  NOTES 

In  response  to  requests  from  staff  members,  the  Publications  Committee  presents 
on  the  following  and  succeeding  pages  an  .article  on  the  Sub-Professional  Library 
Service.  This  article  is  divided  into  two  sections.  Part  I  provides  a  description  of 
the  present  set-up  of  this  Service,  particularly  in  its  relationship  to  the  Profes- 
sional Library  Service.  For  Part  II,  four  Sub-Professionals — chosen  for  their  active 
interest  in  library  work  in  general  and  in  the  Professional  Staff  Association—were 
each  asked  to  submit  a  possible  plan  for  revision  of  the  organization  of  this  branch 
of  our  librarjr  personnel.  It  should  be  understood  that  whereas  the  first  section  of 
this  article  consists  of  a  statement  of  present  facts,  the  second  section  is  made  up 
of  personal  opinions  and  suggestions.  Presentation  of  these  latter  opinions  does  net 
constitute  endorsement  by  the  Publications  Committee,  although  we  as  individual  staff 
members  may  be  in  accord  with  some  of  the  views  expressed. 

It  is  our  hope  that  this  article  will  answer  some  questions  and,  perhaps,  clear 
up  a  few  misconceptions  -wMch  have  been  brou^t  to  our  attention,  ?rith  the  existing 
facts  of  the  sitiiation  in  mind,  we  hope  that  you  will  carefully  consider  the  proposed 
methods  of  revision.  Within  them  are  suggestions  for  titles  which  may  be  more  accept- 
able than  the  term  "sub-professional",  for  sub-divisions  within  the  group  now  classi- 
fied in  the  Sub-Professional  Library  Service,  and  for  different  means  of  advancement. 
Do  you  personally  agree  with  any  one  of  these  plans?  If  not,  why  not?  With  what 
specific  recommendations  within  ttese  plans  do  you  agree?  Have  you  a  totally  different 
plan  which  you  think  should  be  considered?  In  order  that  the  Personnel  Committee  may 
be  as  fully  infoarmed  as  possible  of  staff  opinions,  we  hope  that  you  will  give  them 
your  answers  to  these  questions. 

This  article  is,  as  you  know,  an  ex'periment  on  our  part.  If  it  proves  useful 
to  you  and/or  the  Personnel  Committee,  it  might  become  upon  your  requests,  the  first 
of  a  series  of  similar  articles  on  various  aspects  of  our  library  work.  If  this  is 
your  desire,  these  articles  will  be  assembled  when  and  as  time  permits. 

THE  PUBLICATIONS  COMMITTEE 


CALENDAR  OF  EVENTS 

September  28.  Fall  Professional  meeting.  Panel  Discussion:  What  Sells  a  Book? 
Lecture  Hall,  Central,  8  p.m. 

October  U  -  6  NEIA  Annual  Meeting,  New  Ocean  House,  Swampscott 

October  26    Bertha  V.  Hartzell  Ifemorial  Lecture,  Central  Library 


-2- 


WHITHER  THE  SUB-PROFESSIONAL  ? 

The  Sub-Professional  Library  Service  was 
established  at  the  Boston  Public  Library 
in  19h3,   at  a  time  vihen  there  existed  in 
the  library  world  a  general  movement 
towards  differentiating  between  profes- 
sional work  (requiring  wide  book  knowled^, 
ability  to  assimilate  written  materials 
and  assess  their  usefulness)  and  clerical 
or  routine  tasks  like  the  shelving,  charg- 
ing or  discharging  of  books.  5y  this  date 
in  large  libraries  much  time  was  inevitably 
consumed  by  the  latter  tasks*  To  take 
care  of  these  duties  and  leave  profession- 
al librarians  free  to  spend  their  time 
upon  problems  of  reference,  book  selection, 
program  planning,  and  Administration,  it 
seemed  best  to  assign  routine  tasks  to  one 
particular  group  of  library  workers.  This 
group,  made  up  largely  of  high  school 
graduates,  usually  received  compensation 
at  the  going-rate  paid  in  the  community 
for  clerical  work.  In  addition  to  the 
existing  Professional  Libraiy  Staff,  all 
of  whom  retained  their  professional 
status,  the  Sub-Professional  Library 
Service  was,  therefore,  inaugurated  at  the 
Boston  Public  Library. 

Throughout  the  United  States,  all  larger 
libraries  except  our  own  have  accepted 
American  Library  Association  standards 
for  professional  librarianshipj  four  years 
of  college  leading  to  a  degree,  plus  a 
master's  degree  in  Library  Science.  At 
the  Boston  Public  Library  a  unique  oppor- 
tunity has  been  offered  to  personnel  in 
the  Sub-Professional  Library  Service.  For 
this  service,  ten  Qualifying  Examinations 
have  been  established,  covering  areas  of 
work  and  duties  which  the  Sub-Professional 
may  be  asked  to  perform.  Once  these  ten 
examinations  are  passed,  the  Sub- 
Professional  may  qualify  for  consideration 
for  transferral  into  the  Professional 
ranks.  Of  course  attainment  of  a  college 
degree  would  q-ualify  any   Sub-Professional 
for  entrance  into  the  Professional  Libraiy 
Service,  but  without  college  natriculationj 
he  may  prove  his  fitness  for  professional 
work  by  passing  the  two-part  entrance 
examination  for  that  service,  plus 
Qualifying  Examinations  in  General  Refer- 
ence and  Book  Selection.  This  possibility 
is  carefully  explained  to  all  Sub- 
Professionals  upon  their  completion  of  the 
ten  Sub-Professional  examinations. 

Since  the  duties  of  personnel  in  the 
Reference  and  Research  Division  demand  a 

•hvnaH    VnnwIpHcrp    nf   a    nay+.if.nl  ar  aTe^^    of 


printed  materials,  it  has  been  deemed 
impossible  to  admit  into  the  professional 
ranks  of  departments  in  that  division  peopiLe 
who  lack  such  a  background  gained  from 
years  of  study.  In  most  other  areas, 
however,  the  qualified  Sub-Professional 
becomes  eligible  for  consideration  as  a 
Professional.  In  fact,  his  performance 
record  is  immediately  brought  to  the  atten- 
tion of  administrative  heads  so  they  will 
be  fully  aware  of  his  eligibility. 

In  regard  to  this  process  as  a  whole, 
several  factors  should  be  kept  in  mind. 
First,  since  professional  librarianship 
demands  both  ability  to  acquire  factual 
knowledge  and  ability  to  evaluate  books 
and  organize  ideas,  it  is  logical  that 
these  capacities  must  be  proved  by  some 
means.  In  lieu  of  demonstration  via  college 
records,  there  is,  then,  a  measure  of  these 
abilities  in  the  General  Reference  and 
Book  Selection  examinations.  It  should  be 
remembered,  secondly,  that  not  everyone  does 
possess  these  talents  and  that  many  individ- 
uals are  more  suited  by  temperament  to 
clerical  work  than  to  other  forms  of  library 
endeavor.  For  such  people,  professional 
librarianship  is  not,  probably,  the  most 
desirable  goal.  Finally,  acceptance  of  any 
candidate  riho   presents  himself  with  full 
qualifications  depends  ultimately  on 
department  heads.  They  have  the  right  to 
establish  qualifications  for  their  ovm  area 
and  the  duty  to  select  the  candidates  whom, 
they  feel,  would  make  the  best  possible 
additions  to  their  departments.  Competition; 
for  entrance  into  the  Professional  Service 
may  be  difficult  to  meet  at  times. 

Question  has  been  raised  as  to  how  rsany 
Sub-Professionals  have,  in  practice,  quali- 
fied for  and  been  accepted  into  the  Profes- 
sional Service  by  means  of  our  examination 
system.  Since  191^3  only  2  people  have  so 
qualified.  Both  of  these  people  became 
professional  assistants. 

In  so  far  as  we  have  inquired,  those 
are  the  facts  regarding  the  Sub-Professional 
system  as  it  now  operates.  Suggestions  from 
four  Sub-Professionals  for  possible  revisions 
follow  on  the  next  pagea. 


-3- 

PLAN  MP.  I 

Requires  the  recognition  of  three  distinct  tjTpes  of  workers  not  considered 
professionals 

I — Clerical  Aides 

Title ;  CLERICAL  AIDES j  Junior  and  Senior  to  be  determined  by  training  and  experience. 

Qualifications ;  High  school  diploma j  some  business  training,  experience  in  such 

skills  as  typing,  shorthand,  operating  biisiness  machines,  filingietco 
Must  pass  an  aptitude-clerical  examination  provided  by  the  library. 

Duties:  Non-bibliothecal— includes  all  secretaries,  receptionists,  office  workers  in 
many  library  departments,  especially  the  administrative  offices.  Also,  where 
needed,  clerical  aides  could  be  used  in  branches  and  other  library  departments 
where  there  is  an  excessive  amount  of  typing  to  be  donej  also  to  do  revenue 
reports,  registration  and  to  be  at  charging  and  information  desks. 

Advancement  system;  Promotions  determined  by  length  of  service,  satisfactory  perform- 
ance of  duties,  and  proficiency  in  technical  skills  as  acquired 

through  private  study  and  in  in-service-training  courses ■»■ 

Number  1.  THE  BOSTON  HTBLIC  LIBRARY  AS  AN  INSTITUTION  (to 
include  information  on  location,  functions  and 
special  services  of  various  B.P.L.  departments! 
also  descriptions  of  Central  Library  building, 
branches,  bookmobiles,  extension  work, etc.) 
Number  2.  TECHNIQUES  AND  RULES  OF  CLERICAL  SERVICE  IN  THE  B.P.L. 
(to  include  library  filing,  registration  procedures, 
fines  and  fees ,  special  -reports ,  forms ,  mimeograph- 
ing machines....) 

Benefits ;  Salary,  vacations,  sickness  and  leaves  of  absence  to  be  given  in  accordance 
with  practice  in  similar  institutions  in  this  city. 

*  These  courses  could  be  given  in  the  Central  Library  on  a  similar  arrangement  as  the 
present  in-service  training  classes;  however,  each  of  the  two  coiorses  could  last 
one  year,  with  a  condensation  of  information  given  in  lectures  and  workshops. 
Again,  these  courses  coiild  be  offered  but  not  made  compulsory. 

II — Biblio thecal  Aides 

Title:  BIBLIOTHECAL  AIDES:  Part-time  and  full-time  (this  then  would  eliminate  the  term 
"extra"  assistant  which  is  also  looked  upon  with  disfavor  by  many;  would 
include  people  tpAio   do  not  wish  to  do  clerical  work  but  do  not  qualify  for 
professional.) 

Qualifications ;  Hi^  school  diploma,  some  form  of  higher  education  or  experience  in 
related  work  for  full-time  applicants;  two  years  of  high  school  with 
intention  to  complete  four  years  for  part-time  applicants.  Must 
pass  a  general  aptitude  examination  provided  by  the  library. 

Duties ;  Book  preparation,  mending,  overdues  procedures,  discontinues,  shelving, 
general  assistance  to  professional  workers  (similar  to  work  now  done  by 
sub-professionals  but  with  the  exception  of  registration  and  typing) 


Advancement  system;  Length  of  service,  satisfactory  completion  of  duties,  advanced 

study  especially  in  library  techniques  and  services  as  acquired 
through  courses  in  outside  schools  and  completion  of  in-service 
training  courses: 

Kuiaber  1.  THE  BOSTON  PUBLIC  LIBRARY  AS  AN  INSTITUTION  (same 

as  under  I — Clerical  Aides) 
Number  2.  TECHl^IQUES  AND  RULES  OF  BIBLIOTHECAL  SERVICE  OF  aP.L. 
(to  include  B.P.L.  system  of  book  selection,  book 
ordering,  charging  procedures,  book  preparation, 
shelving,  basic  references  etc. — to  exclude  catalog- 
ing and  classification) 

Benefits;  Can  be  same  as  Clerical  workers  or  -with  slight  favor j  up  to  administration. 

Ill — Pre-Professional  Aides 

Title ;  PRE-FflOFESSIONAL  AIDES  OR  ASSISTANTS:  (might  also  include  present  group  of 
Probationary  Assistants  in  Professional  service) 

Qualif  icat ions ;  College  graduates  or  students  having  completed  two  years  of  day 

college  with  intention  of  completing  other  two  years;  emphasis  on 
social  science  and  literature  courses  in  any  higher  education 
acquiredi  exjsrience  in  a  library  or  related  work.  Must  pass  a 
General  aptitude  examinationj  whether  or  not  a  language  examination 
is  also  necessary  is  debateable.  NOTE;  Provision  is  made  here  for 
those  present  employees  of  the  Boston  Public  Library  who  have  been 
in  the  service  for  a  reasonable  length  of  time,  have  performed 
assigned  duties  and  completed  the  required  roster  of  ten  examinations 
satisfactorily  and  have  expressed  intentions  of  pursuing  further 
training  in  order  to  advance  from  their  present  status  as  sub- 
professional  assistaifs  into  the  professional  service.  Others 
presently  in  the  service  may  revert  to  either  one  of  the  other  two 
services  (clerical  or  bibliothecal)  or  by  some  arrangement  with  the 
administration  be  given  an  equivalent  of  the  lO-Exam  system.... 

Duties;  Pre-professional  aides  would  act  as  general  assistants  to  the  already — 

established  professional  assistants;  such  as  is  the  case  witii  present  pro- 
bationary assistants. 

Advancement  system.:   Satisfactory  completion  of  any  specialized  library  courses  as 

provided  by  in-service  training  (e.g.  present  system  of  $ 
qualifying  exams — to  be  changed  to  h — Central  and  Branches 
exams  to  be  incorporated  into  THE  BOSTON  PUBLIC  LIBRARY  A3  AN 
INSTITUTION  as  aforementioned.)  Also,  personality,  experience, 
specialized  training,  health  and  record  would  be  considered. 
Upon  passing  all  these  requirements,  any  pre-professional  may 
enter  professional  service. 

Benefits ;  All  in  accordance  with  present  plan  for  probationary  assistants,  in  profes- 
sional service. 

NOTE;  RE  the  problem  of  transferring  from  one  of  the  above  systems  to  another,  there 

should  be  no  such  step-by-step  process.  Due  to  the  high  standards  of  librarian- 
ship  as  a  profession,  acceptance  into  this  service  should  be  based  on  stipulated 
qualifications  only.  Hovrever,  if,  for  example,  a  Bibliothecal  Aide  wished  to 
enter  the  Pre-professional  service  any  experience  in  the  Bibliothecal  Aide 
Service  would  be  to  the  applicant's  favor. 


-5- 

PLAN  m,   II 

The  Sub-Professional  Library  Service  should  be  sub-divided  into  two  classes , 
each  class  being  determined  by  the  type  of  work  performed  and  the  qualifications 
and  skill  required  to  execute  the  duties. 

A. 

I— The  Clerical^ecretarial  Staff 

Qualifications  for  entrance;  Graduation  from  high  school  with  at  least  two  years 
of  hj.gh  school  training  devoted  to  business  subjects  and  methods.  (Further  training 
at  a  business  college  Tifould,  of  course,  admit  an  entrant  at  a  higher  level  within 
the  Clerical-Secretarial  Staff  than  someone  entering  directly  from  high  school.) 

Advancement  within  the  Clerical-Secretarial  Division 

Advancement  within  this  division  would  involve  several  factors.  The  present  ten 
sub-professional  examinations  should  be  abolished.  Two  examinations,  more  extensive 
and  inclusive,  should  take  their  place:  one,  covering  the  Central  Library  and  Branch 
Libraries  as  well  as  the  entire  organization,  administration  and  workings  of  the 
Library;  the  second  devoted  to  secretarial  and  clerical  techniques  for  Boston  Public 
Library  clerical  and  secretarial  workers.  Within  this  division  there  should  be 
several  levels  and  degrees  of  advancement.  Having  successfully  passed  the  above  named 
examinations  a  person  should  then  be  eligible  to  advance  according  to  tenure  of 
service,  experience  acquired  on  the  job,  merit,  initiative,  conscientiousness  and 
value  to  his  supervisor.  The  maximum  in  this  division  should  be  on  a  level  with  the 
minimums  in  the  professional  service. 

II— The  Bibliothecal  Staff 

Qualifications  for  entrance;  Gradtoation  from  high  school  with  some  training  in 
business  methods ,  enough  to  give  some  typing  knowledge  for  any  such  work  required 
in  the  Bibliothecal  Service. 

i>.dvancemenb  within  the  Bibliothecal  Division 

Two  examinations;  one  dealing  with  the  B.P.L.  as  stated  above  and  another  dealing  mth 
B.P.L.  techniques  for  Bibliothecal  staff.  On-the-job  training,  that  is  actual  working 
in  the  position,  would  give  sufficient  kncfwledge  of  work  to  be  done  rather  than  taking 
such  examinations  as  Cataloging  or  Book  Shelving.  Promotion  would  be  made  through  the 
person's  gradual  experience  aid  rise  from  book  shelving,  discharging,  etc.  into  the 
more  involved  processes  of  branch  library  desk  work,  registration,  etc.  Advancement 
in  this  division  should  also  be  made  available  through  personal  recognition  as  stated 
above  until  maximum  is  reached.  The  maximum  would  be,  also,  on  a  salary  level  with 
the  miniratuns  in  the  Professional  Library  Service. 

PUN  MP.  Ill 

The  present^  group  of  personnel  classified  as  Sub-Prof esMonal  Library  Service  . 
should  be  divided  into  two  groups:  one  called  Sub-Professional,  the  other  Junior 
Professional.  Each  should  have  its  own  wage  scale. 

I — The  Sub-Professj.6nals 

Starting  group  for  all  entering  non-professional  personnel.  Present  starting 
salary  to  be  lowered  somewhat  with  provision  far   automatic  salary  increases  every 
three  to  six  months  up  to  present  minimum  paid  Sub-Professionals.  (This  would 
encourage  more  people  to  stay  and  eliminate  the  high  cost  of  training  workers  who 


-6- 

leave  in  a  year  or  less.)     Advancement  in  this  group  should  be  by  means  of  either  the 
present  ten  exarainatioiis  system  or  by  years  of  service  (the  latter  manner  of  advance- 
ment in  salary  being  particularly  applicable  to  people  doing  tstrictly  clerical  work.) 

II — ^The  Junior  Professionals 

Qualifications ;  Passage  of  ten  qualifying  examinations  in  the  Sub-Professional. 

Service  or  completion  of  ten  years  of  service.  In  either  case  these 
people  would  have  demo:istrated  their  genuine  interest  in  library 
work  and  would  have  acquired  many  library  skills.  Upon  completion 
of  qualifications,  passage  from  Sub-Pi-ofessionalto  Junior  Professional 
ra.nk  should  be  automatic. 

Payt  On  a  higher  salary  schedule  than  that  of  Sub-Professionals. 

Duties ;  Should  include  super'/isicn  cf  work  done  by  those  in  Sub- Professional  Library 
Service,  assisting  Professionals  in  answering  reference  questions  (doing 
the  leg  work,  perhaps) .  typing  replies  to  reference  questions  once  Profession- 
als have  checked  facts,  assisting  in  other  professional  chores,  etc,  (Note 
that  these  duties  suggest  possibility  of  utilizing  Junior  Assistants  in  the 
Reference  and  Research  Division. ) 

PLAN  Wo   IV 

At  the  present  time,  all  full-time  library  personnel  below  the  rank  of  Profession- 
al Service  are  grouped  together  under  the  classification  of  Sub-Professional  Library 
Service  at  a  standard  rate  of  pay.  This  practice  makes  no  allowance  for  the  type  of 
work  performed,  the  proficiency,  or  the  length  of  tenure  of  the  job-holder.  For  these 
reasons  I  feel  that  the  following  reclassification  is  in  order: 

1 — Clerical  Service 

Perhaps  confined  to  people  in  the  offices  of  the  Business  Division.  Here 
salaries,  qualifications  and  advancement  should  be  determined  by  treatment  accorded 
those  holding  comparable  positions  in  modern  industrial  and  business  offices. 

II — A  Graded  Sub-Professional  Library  Service 

Here  sub-professionals  engaged  in  bibliothecal  work  would  be  classified  in  stepss 
Step  I — Positions  requiring  a  minDjmim  of  educational  requirements  and 

adaptability.  People  who  are  required  to  perform  only  such  tasks 
as  book  shelving,  book  labeling,  and  obtaining  books  from  the  stacks 
would  be  included  hare. 

Requirements  i     passage  of  entrance  examination  and  interview. 
Pay;  minimum  the  same  as  minimum  now  paid  Sub-Professionals j 

maximum  lower  than  maximum  now  paid  Sub-Professionals  who 
have  passed  ten  Qualifying  Examinations. 
Step  II — Positions  requiring  equal  or  more  education  th€^n  Step  I,  plus  greater 
knowledge  of  library  skills.  Duties  to  include  she If -reading,  desk 
work,  etc. 

Requirement-.S!  as  above,  plus  passage  of  three  or  fo'or  appropriate 
qualifying  examinations. 
Step  HI — ^Positions  demanding  some  specialized  library  work — ^book  accessioning, 
assistant  cataloging,  mending,  etc. 

Requirements ;  Same  as  Step  II,  plus  additional  qiialifying  or 
""   positional  examinations. 
Step  IV — Requirements ;  Same  as  Step  III,  plus  demonstration  (by  examination?) 
of  supervisory  ability.  People  on  this  step  level  would  be  expected 
to  supervise  work  of  sub-professionals  on  lower  step-levels. 
.  Stop  V— Some  sort  of  Pre-Professional  Level.  (Requirements  and  duties  open 
to  discussion.) 


-7- 


PERSOMEL  I^TES 

New  Eraployees 

Iiirs  Elizabeth  F.  Greer,  ITest  Roxbury 
Josephine  Del  Longo,  Book  Stack  Service 
Mrs  Barbara  A.  Simon,  Dorchester  (formerly 

part-time  at  Roslindale) 
Jane  M«  Barry,  Mattapan 
Mrs  Sheila  Fa  Borges,  Bookmobile  Service 

Transferred 

CHarlotto  Ro  Cooper,  from  Tyler  Street  to 

Mt  Bowdcin 
Rose  Marie  DeSimone,  from  Dorchester  to 

Connolly 
Ethel  Kimball,  from  Connolly  to  Brighton 

Resignations 

Mrs  Vanda  Po  Cariani,  Science  and  Tech- 
nology, to  live  in  Oxford,  Mssissippi 
Milton  L.  Heller,  West  End 
Mrs  Josephine  M.  Carter,  Central  Charging 

Records,  to  remain  at  home 
Mrs  Ruth  Adleman,  %de  Park 
Albert  J.  Brogna,  Audio-Visual,  to  attend 

Boston  College 
Mrs  Elizabeth  F.  Howard,  Soutli  End,  to 

move  to  Long  Island 
Katherine  T.  LaMontagne,  East  Boston,  to 

accept  position  of  school  librarian 

at  Billerica  Public  Schools 
Maureen  C.  Foley,  Office  of  Division  of 

Home  Reading  and  Community  Services,  to 

attend  Boston  College. 

IHIELCOME  TO  ^W  JilEMBERS  OF  EPLPSA 

Pearl  I,  Brown,  Book  Purchasing 
C.  Marjorie  Groves,  Codman  Square 
Audrey  Hunter,  Bookmobile 
Norma  Ann  Lowsry,  South  End 
Marie ne  Oxman,  Bookmobile 

ALUMNI  N3TES 

Robert  Woodward,  late  of  History,  and 
now  Librarian  at  Dedham  Public  Library, 
did  a  very  creditable  piece  of  work  on  TV 
Thursday  evening,  September  6,  when  he 
appeared  on  the  I'VE  BEEN  READING  program 
discussing  Roosevelt,  The  Lion  and  The 
Fox,  by  James  M.  Burns. 

VISITORS 

Mr  Osman  Ersoy,  Library  School,  University 
of  Ankara,  Ankara,  Turkey. 


PRESIDENT'S  MOTES 

The  first  meeting  of  the  Executive  Board 
since  June  was  held  on  11  September  1956. 
At  this  meeting  it  was  voted  to  accept  an 
invitation  from  the  Director  to  the  Execu- 
tive Board  and  the  Personnel  Committee  to 
meet  with  the  Director  and  discuss  with  him 
possible  salary  and  wage  revisions.  In  the 
meantime,  the  Personnel  Committee  is  making 
a  study  of  the  data  contained  in  A  STUDY  OF 
THE  SALARIES  AND  ¥JAGES  CURRENTLY  IN  EFFECT 
IN  THE  BOSTON  PUBLIC  LIBRARY  and  will  make 
a  report  to  tfe  E:cecutive  Board.  Comments 
and  suggestions  from  the  membership  will 
be  warmly  welcomed. 


Robert  Ferris,  Book  Stack  Service,  is  the 
new  chairman  of  the  Men's  House  Committee 
which,  by  the  way,  is  one  of  our  most  active 
and  articulate  committees. 


Congratulations  to  the  Program  Committee 
for  arranging  what  promises  to  be  a  most 
interesting  and  stimulating  program  for 
the  evenii^  of  Septembsr  28,  We  hope  ovir 
members  and  friends  will  be  present  in  large 
numbers  to  enjoy  the  panel  discussion, 
inspect  the  nswly  decorated  Lecture  Hall, 
greet  old  friends,  aisd,  maybe,  have  a  piece 
of  Miss  Peck's  delicious-but-fattening 
seven  layer  cake. 

Louis  Rains,  President 

THE  SOCIAL  WHIRL 

Members,  friends  and  relations  of  Audio- 
Visual  honored  Albert  Brogna  Saturday 
evening  September  8  at  a  party  in  Felicia 
Langdon's  JJarlboro  Street  apartment. 
Merriment,  music,  and  dance  prevailed  as 
lessons  and  demonstrations  were  offered  in 
exotic  steps  imported  from  Italy,  the 
Caribbean,  Mexico,  Arabia,  Brooklyn,  and 
other  romantic  spots  around  the  globe.  The 
spotlight  was  all  but  stolen  from  Albert 
by  a  two  year  old  competitor,  Bruce  Lerch, 
who  waltzed  through  the  evening  with  the 
suavity  of  a  veteran  party-goer.  Albert, 
who  leaves  the  full-time  library  service 
to  enter  Boston  College  this  fall,  was 
presented  a  Parker  pen  and  pencil  set  to 
speed  him  toward  his  degree. 


-8- 


CC&MS  RANKS  DEPLETED  BUT  NOT  DEFEATED 

Two  more  nanss  were  added  to  tlie  distin- 
guished list  of  alumni  of  the  Chowder, 
Chatter  and  Marching  Society  when  Mr  and 
Mrs  Anthony  Cariani  left  to  go  to  the 
University  of  liississippi  where  Mr  Cariani 
will  teach  geology  and  Vanda  will  study 
advanced  boll  weevilling.  Lest  some  of 
our  nastier  critics  think  we  let  this  sad 
occasion  pass  unmarked  by  appropriate 
ceremonies,  forthwith  to  an  account  of 
the  revelries. 

On  the  night  of  Saturday,  August  25,  a 
horde  of  hungry  librarians  descended  upon 
an  unsuspecting  restaurant  and  tried  to 
soothe  their  hurt  with  food  and  drink. 
That's  vAiat  a  horde  of  hungry  librarians 
did,  but  if  you  want  to  find  out  more 
about  that  brawl  you  will  have  to  ask  one 
of  them  because  we  of  the  CC&li©,  on  the 
evening  of  August  25,  1956,  were  gathered 
together — and  we  can  prove  it— sit  the 
China  Star  to  join  in  a  farewell  toast  to 
the  migrating  Carianis  and  offer  them  a 
hash  of  old  Yanlcee  proverbs  concerning 
the  hazards  of  Southern  hospitality. 
Slightly  more  useful  and  decorative  was 
the  group  offering — an  Utrillo  print  to 
all  to  Vanda 's  collection. 

Following  a  little  dancing  and  a  lot  of 
dinner,  the  horde  adjourned  to  the  bayside 
estate  of  Louis  and  Lee  Rains  for  parakeet 
chatter  and  a  coffee  nightcap. 


A  farewell  party  for  Dolores  Cerulli  was 
given  by  the  Bookmobile  staff  on  Friday, 
September  7,  at  the  Red  Coach  Grill » 
Dolores,  who  is  resigning  this  month,  will 
move  to  New  York  where  her  husband,  a 
former  member  of  The  Boston  Globe  Staff, 
is  now  working  with  Downbeat  tegaeine. 
As  a  momento  of  her  long  association  vdth 
the  Bookmobile  ard  as  a  token  of  good 
wishes  for  the  future,  Dolores  was  pres- 
ented with  a  handsome  silk  shirt  from  the 
entire  Bookmobile  staff. 

Although  the  party  itself  v^ras  most 
enjoyable,  the  prospect  of  Dolores'  leav- 
ing was  far  from  pleasant  as  we  shall  miss 
her  greatly. 


« 


On  Wednesday,  September  5,  1956  the 
Cocktail  Lounge  of  Eddie  Davis'  Steak 
House  was  privileged  to  have  as  its  guests 
Ma^lreen  Foley's  celebrated  friends,  who 


were  in  attendance  to  shed  a  tear  of  fare- 
well and  enjoy  a  last  laugh  before  Maureen 
left  to  "live  it  up"  at  Boston  College. 

The  g'aest  of  honor  was  seated  between 
J.  M.  Carroll  and  A.  L.  Carpenter  who 
shared  toastmaster  honors  in  presenting 
Maureen  with  the  two  necessities  for  a 
well-balanced  college  life:  a  large  note- 
book for  class  work  and  a  small  sweater. 

.Tlie  guests  left  wishing  Maureen  success 
and  good  luck  and  hoping  that  the  gifts 
will  fulfill  expectations  I 


On  "Wednesday,  August  22 ,  a  farewell  gift  was 
presented  to  Robert  Giddings,  Cataloging  and 
Classification,  RRS,  who  is  about  to  embark 
on  his  new  career  of  Librarian  and  French 
teacher  this  fall  at  the  Rivers  Countjiy  Day 
School  in  Brookline.  Best  of  luck,  Bob, 
your  fellow  workers  will  miss  you. 


■M- 


On  Y/ednesday,  September  12,  members  of 
the  Copley  Square  Caffeine  Club  held  a 
luncheon  at  Durgin  Park  in  honor  of  one  of 
their  fellows,  Hinda  Greyser.  Hinda  is 
leaving  the  part-time  staff  of  Book  Stack 
Service  to  continvie  studies  at  Jackson 
College . 


■»■ 


Ifrs  Betty  Fitzgerald  Howard,  formerly  of 
Cataloging  and  Classification  Department, 
R&RS,  was  :guest  of  honor  at  a  luncheon 
given  at  Eddie  Davis'  Steak  House  on 
Augiist  23.  ^frs  Howard  is  resigning  her 
position  at  South  End  in  order  to  move  with 
her  husband  to  the  neighborhood  of  New  York 
City,  where  he  has  accepted  a  new  position. 

Marion  C.  Kingman,  Branch  Librarian  at 
South  End,  was  in  charge  of  the  luncheon, 
which  was  attended  by  the  children's 
librarians  of  the  various  branch  libraries, 
and  several  of  Mrs  Howard's  former  associ*- 
ates  in  the  Cataloging  and  Classification 
Department . 

Farewell  gifts  to  Mrs  Howard  were  a 
modern-style  wooden  salad  bowl  with  serving 
fork  and  spoon,  and  an  electric  percolator. 


* 


The  Open  Shelf  Department  was  a  three- 
time  loser  this  month.  With  appropriate 
gifts,  we  bade  farewell  to: 

Paul  E.  Cawein,  "English  Master"  Lenox 


"9- 


School  for  Boys,  Lenox,  Massachusetts, 
Richard  E.  lyons,   "Tyro"  Auditor, 

Hcinover  Bank,  Mew  York  City, 

Francis  Mo  Taylor,  full-time  student, 

Boston  College J  part-time  assistant  in 

the  Statistical  Department. 
We  are  certain  that  their  individual 

capabilities  and  likable  personalities 

will  be  valued  in  their  new  capacities  as 

surely  as  they  will  be  ndssed  in  the 

library  they  have  served, 

IWEDDIMG  BELLS 

In  a  simple,  candle-light  ceremony  at 
7  o'clock  Friday  evening,  August  10, 
Mary  Brains,  Central  Charging,  became  tls 
bride  of  John  J.  Fahey  at  St  Mary's 
Church  in  Charles  town.     The  bride  wore 
white  frosted  nylon,  ballerina  length. 
She  was  attended  by  Anna  Douglas  and  the 
Best  Man  was  Edward  Geary. 

Following  a  reception  at  the  Lobster 
House  in  Charlestomi  for  members  of  the 
bride  and  groom's  families,  the  happy 
couple  took  off  for  tls  ir  honeymoon  on 
Cape  Cod. 

BIRTHS 
It's  a  boyj 

For  Mr  and  Mrs  William  Scanlon,  July  29, 
Neil  Vifilliam.  Mrs  Scanlon  formerly  worked 
in  Information  and  Central  Charging  Rec- 
ords . 


^ 


For  Mr  and  Mrs  Paul  J.  Dolan,  August  9, 
Paul,  Jr.     Mrs  Dolan  is  the  former  Anne 
Moore  of  Open  Shelf  and  Mrs  Javelin's 
Office. 


» 


For  Mr  and  Mrs  John  Hallahan,  August  18, 
William  Ignatius.  John,  formerly  of  Open 
Shelf,  is  now  Librarian  at  South  NoiTvalk, 
Connecticut . 


For  !&•  and  Mrs  Joseph  Hart in, 
September  h,   Edward.  ¥r  Hartin  is  Prin- 
ciple Clerk  in  Stock  and  Supply. 


It's  a  girl! 

For  Ifr  and  Ifrs  Thomas  Aglio ,  September  7, 
Susan  Mary.  Mr  Aglio,  formerly  of  Peri- 


odical and  Newspaper,  is  engaged  in  social 
service  work  in  Albany,  New  York. 

CONGRATULATIONS 
TO 

Edward  Casey,  Cataloging  and  Classif icatio* 
R  and  RS,  who  has  been  made  Chairman  of  the 
Boston  Regional  Group  of  Cataloguers  and 
Classifiers. 


Thomas  Manning,  Chief,  Exhibits,  for  his 
recent  appointment  as  Chairman  of  the  Art 
Ccmmittes  of  the  American  Foundation  for 
Preservation  of  the  Christian  Heritage. 


Rose  Moorachian,  Young  Adults  Librarian, 
Uphams  Corner,  who  has  been  made  Chairman 
of  the  Round  Table  for  Young  Adults, 
Massachusetts  Libraiy  Association. 

FAREWELL 
TO 

Jeanne  Marie  Gannon j  a  former  part-time 
employee  in  the  Book  Stack  Service,  and 
daughter  of  James  P.  J,  Gannon  of  Binding, 
who  has  entered  St  Joseph's  Novitiate  at 
Framingham. 


Virginia  Sullivan,  daughter  of  Ifr  and 
Mrs  William  F.  Sullivan  of  Binding,  who 
has  entered  St  Joseph's  Novitiate  at 
Framingham. 

QUOTE  FROM  THE  BOSTON  TRAVELER 
Libraries  Minus  Books  Visioned 

East  Lansing,  Mich.  (AP)— Libraries 
without  books  are  envisioned  by  an  educator. 

He  says  books  are  being  printed  so  fast 
these  days  they  become  outdated  before 
libraries  find  room  for  them. 

John  S,  Millis,  president  of  Western 
Reserve  University,  Cleveland,  says  micro- 
film, microcards,  magnetic  tapec  and 
similar  devices  may  take  the  place  of  books. 


-10- 


DI  ?!EMDRIAM 
CHESTER  A.  S.  FAZAKAS 

The  calmness  of  a  beautiful  fall  morning 
on  Monday,  September  tenth,  was  shattered 
when  word  reached  the  Library  that  Chester 
A.  S.  Fazakas  has  passed  awayo  Hospital- 
ized with  a  heart  condition  for  one  ni^t 
only,  he  had  no  time  to  bid  farewell 
officially  to  the  Library  and  to  its  staff 
in  tdiich  and  with  whom  he  had  spent  fifty- 
three  years  of  service  and  two  years  of 
retirement . 

Although  his  home  stand  had  always  been 
the  Branch  Issue  Department,  hin  duties 
had  taken  him  to  so  many  otiaer  parts  of 
the  building  that  there  were  no  units  in 
which  he  was  not  known.  The  official  and 
public  catalogs  were  his  second  home  and 
these  he  knew  with  a  thoroughness  equaled 
by  few. 

To  think  of  Chester  Fazakas  is  to  rsmem' 
ber  a  shock  of  red,  wavy  hair  Tfcich  he 
was  always  reluctant  to  have  cut,  or  even 
trimmed;  a  quick,  firm  step;  twinkling 
blue  eyes  behind  tortoise-rimned  glasses, 
which  he  was  forever  adjusting;  pockets 
full  of  candy  t^iich  he  dispensed  to  his 
friends  with  such  freedom  that  one 
wondered  if  he  ever  had  any  left  for  him- 
self; and  a  cigar  ready  to  be  lighted  at 
any  opportune  moment.  Add  to  these  a 
keen  wit;  a  lively  enjo3rnent  of  an  argu- 
ment; a  delight  in  making  puns;  a  love  for 
books  and  books  collecting;  a  decided 
preference  for  city  noises  over  country 
quiet;  a  fund  of  libraiy  anecdotes;  an 
old-fashioned  courtesy  rairely  encountered 
in  these  days  of  accelerated  living;  a 
generous  spirit;  a  willing  helpfulness; 
and  a  loyalty  to  retired  BPLers,  with  a 
genuine,  friendly  interest  in  their 
v/f.lfare  and  activities/ and  you  have  the 
pictTore  of  a  man  not  soon  to  be  forgotten 
by  those  who  knew  him. 

That  the  Library  v,fas  his  world  was 
evidenced  by  the  fact  that  he  returned 
to  Copley  Square  almost  daily  after  his 
retirement  in  19?U.  His  presence  here 
will  be  missed  day  by  day  but  the  memory 
of  his  friendship  will  continue  as  long 
as  there  remain  those  who  shared  it. 

Sarah  M.  Usher 


BOOK  CH3ICES  IN  ISRAEL 

During  her  recent  tour  of  the  Near  East, 
Sarah  Richman,  Mattapan,  took  a  few  notes 
on  what  people  are  reading  in  Israel  and 
passed  them  along  to  the  Book  Selection 
Committee,  H.R.  and  C.S.  The  following 
quotation  is  from  her  correspondence  with 
that  committee: 

"I  was  impressed  by  the  number  of  book 
shops  in  the  cities,  both  new  and  second 
hand.  In  fact,  lA^erever  you  see  a  knot 
of  people,  with  the  exception  of  lines 
ws.iting  for  a  bus—there  you  will  notice 
people  browsing  over  bools  in  English, 
Hebrew,  German,  Russian,  Arabic — almost 
any  vlanguage  you  can  name.  American 
titles  seem  to  be  the  most  popular.  Here 
are  some  I  jotted  down  from  a  book  store 
window:  Andersonville ,  Olympia,  Truman 
Scandals,  Churchill's  Hiscoiy  of  English 
Speak Jr.g  People,  Ihitehead's  Modes  of 
fhoui^t,  Kinsey's  Seprual  Report  on  Women, 
^ildbirth  Without  Fear,  Plevier's  Moscow. 
A  coiumon  practice  is  to  read  on  taxi- 
cheroots  going  to  Haifa,  Jerusalem,  etc. 
Everybody  carries  briefcases.  Almost  like 
a  signal,  everybody  opens  and  removes  (a) 
fruit  or  sandwich  (b)  a  paper-bovmd  book, 
usually  a  current  American  novel." 

ALA  CONFERENCE 

Young  Adult  Meetings 

At  the  initial  business  meeting  of  the 
Division  of  Libraries  for  Children  and 
Young  People,  the  main  topic  of  discussion 
was  the  creation  of  a  separate  young  people 's 
division  as  part  of  the  general  reorganiza- 
tion of  ALA  to  take  place  on  January  1,  1957. 
X?hether  or  not  Top  of  the  News  should  be 
continued,  by  vdiom  and  on  what  basis,  Tiras  a 
major  question  which  went  unresolved  at  this 
meeting.  Virginia  Haviland,  Readers  Advisor 
for  Children,  B.P.L.,  described  her  work  on 
the  International  Relations  Committee. 
Proposals  have  been  made  for  an  exchange  of 
librarians  working  in  the  children's  or 
yoxmg  people's  fields  and  a  list  of  books 
suggested  for  translation  has  already  been 
sent  to  the  Hague. 

On  Tuesday  morning  the  first  workshop, 
"Introducing  Books  to  Young  People", 
sponsored  by  the  Young  People's  Librarians, 
had  as  its  nain  speaker  I^argaret  Edwards, 
Coordinator  of  work  with  Young  Adults, 
Enoch  Pratt  Free  Public  Library,  Baltimore. 
She  emphasized  the  need  of  making  reading 
an  exciting  experience  for  young  people,  of 


-11- 


offering  them  books  to  help  develop  per'- 
sonality  smd  character  and  of  keeping 
them  reading  on  the  highest  level  of 
which  they  are  capable.  It  is  in  this 
last  connection  that  the  juvenile  delin- 
quent who  is  emotionally  disturbed  or 
possesses  a  low  IQ  is  a  challange  to  the 
social  worker,  not  the  problem  of  a 
librarian* 

The  remainder  of  the  program  was  a 
presentation  of  meliiods  for  msJcJ-ng  yo\ing 
people  aware  of  the  great  variety  of 
reading  matter  available  to  themo  Ray 
Frye,  Co-Ordinator  of  Young  People's 
Services,  Dallas  Putiic  Library,  demon- 
strated a  book  talk.  Next  Olga  Pobutsky 
of  Detroit  Public  Library  described  the 
radio  and  TV  programs  put  on  by  her  li- 
brary in  which  young  people  themselves 
discuss  with  a  librarian  books  they  have 
been  reading.  The  last  speaker,  Roxanna 
Austin,  State  Education  Department, 
Atlanta,  Georgia,  described  the  American 
Heritage  Progect  in  her  area. 

On  Wednesday,  Dr  Evelyn  M.  Duvall, 
psychologist  and  author  of  several  yoiing 
adult  books,  spoke  on  "I'That  Young  People 
Want  to  Know  about  themselves" .  From 
questionnaires,  she  has  discovered  that 
they  are  concerned  over  relations  with 
their  parents,  over  how  to  make  friends, 
how  to  become  attractive  and  lilreable, 
and  how  to  attract  the  other  sex.  They 
want  some  guidance  but  also  wish  to 
assert  their  ri^ts  as  individuals.  They 
are  confused  over  the  conflict  in  American 
culture  between  Puritanism  and  romanti- 
cism. 

At  the  Friday  Business  Meeting  there 
was  announcement  of  a  workshop  to  be  held, 
probably  in  conjunction  with  Rutgers 
University,  in  June  19^7  on  young  adult 
work  for  people  in  small  libraries.  This 
T\-L11  be  aimed  primarily  at  the  adult 
general  assistant  doing  young  adult  work 
and  will  cover  books  for  young  people, 
their  arrangement  and  means  of  introducing 
them.  The  Membership  Committee  reported 
a  gain  of  1217  members  for  the  year. 

The  main  topic  at  this  closing  session 
was,  naturally,  further  discussion  of  the 
problems  which  vrill  arise  from  reorgani- 
sation. The  statement  of  responsibilities 
for  the  new  division  for  young  adult 
services  is  as  follows:  1)  The  establish- 
ment of  criteria  for  the  production, 
selection,  interpretation  and  use  of  books 
and  noni-boo!c  materials  for  the  teen-ager 
and  young  adult;  2)  The  development  of 
special  services  and  programs  for  this 


group;  3)  The  promotion  of  mutual  cooper- 
ation with  youth-serving  agencies,  local, 
state  and  national,  in  further djtig  enter- 
prises for  the  welfare  of  young  people. 

Rose  Moorachian 

MIAICE  ADDEIDA:  TRAVEL  DEPARTMENT 

A  West  Indian  Journey 

Flying  from  one  Island  to  another  was  a 
delightful  experience,  heightened  by  various 
treats . 

Haiti 

Approached  Tjy  air  from  the  southwest,  the 
island  of  Santo  Domingo  presents  a  grim  and 
forboding  appearance.  Ranges  of  high 
mountains  with  knife-like  ridges  appear  to 
be  scarcely  covered  by  trees,  and  in  the 
month  of  Jxine,  dry  river  valleys  slide 
mysteriously  in-between.  Signs  of  habitation 
6re  very  few  and  far  between,  and  the  possi- 
bilities of  an  agricultural  livelihood  seem 
very  remote.  It  would  appear  that  much 
money  is  needed  for  Haiti's  economic  develop- 
ment, but  the  people  were  polite,  charming, 
and  the  quietest  I  met  in  the  tropics. 

I  had  thought  to  see  the  citadel  of  Henri 
Christophe,  but  the  necessity  for  a  full 
day's  travel,  a  pair  of  slacks  for  riding, 
plus  $35  for  the  trip,  rather  dampened  my 
enthusiasm.  Ihlo.  corplixd  with  th^.xJbctor'.s 
iKj'mction  toTost  betweon  any  Mcertions 
changed  my  mind*,  so  after  a  long  siesta  I 
went  out  in  a  glass-bottomed  boat  to  coral 
grounds,  and  watched  divers  feed  fish  of 
:jany  hues.  Later  on  we  visited  the  Cathe- 
dral across  the  harbour,  on  the  side  of  a 
hill  overlooking  the  towno  At  10:00  a.  m. , 
a  number  of  the  townspeople  were  in  and 
aro\md  the  central  benches,  or  invoking 
the  intercession  of  their  favorite  saint 
in  some  obscure  comer.  The  interior  was 
in  keeping  with  the  European  civilization 
which  years  ago  had  constructed  it,  but 
disappointing  in  that  it  evinced  so  little 
of  the  culture  of  the  people  surrounding 
it.  Further  along  we  visited  the  Episcopal 
Cathedral. 

Dominican  Republic 

The  Dominican  Republic  is  located  in  what 
is  undoubtedly  the  better  or  eastern  half 
of  the  island  of  Santo  Domingo.  This  is 
apparent  from  the  air  where  one  notes  the 
whole  central  portion  of  the  island  almost 


-12- 


devoid  of  habitation,  except  for  the 
border-land  Seminary  conducted  by  the 
Jesuits . 

The  dictatorship  is  of  course  still  in 
power,  even  though  the  General  is  offi- 
cially out  of  office,  for  his  place  has 
been  taken  by  his  brother.  In  our  own 
time  we  have  noticed  dictatorships  making 
rapid  changes  in  other  civilizations 
around  us.  One  advances  two  hundred  years 
in  one-half  an  hour  between  Haiti  and  the 
Dominican  Republic.  Whatever  one  may  say 
pro  and  con  about  the  unspoiled  and  happy 
primitives  versus  the  iron  hand,  this  new 
republic  has  roads,  houses,  motor  cars 
and  sanitation  to  an  astonishing  degree. 
The  national  debt  was  completely  paid 
several  years  ago — a  feat  of  which  we 
ourselves  cannot  boast.  The  government 
provides  low-cost  homes  for  workers  to 
purchase  without  a  down  payment.  Though 
small  from  our  vie\7point,  they  are  neat 
and  brightly  coloured.  True  thoy  do  not 
have  hot  water — ^but  they  have  running 
cold  water  in  all  but  a  fexir  of  the  old 
houses  which  are  "pre-hurricane,  1R32." 
Government  loans  may  be  advanced  for 
building,  but  not  to  purchase  buildings 
already  up.  The  streets  have  sewers, 
unheard  of  in  many  backvirard  countries, 
and  drinking  water  is  safe  throughout  the 
province . 

Their  World's  Fair  is  a  sad  blight,  but 
even  here  some  sense  of  planning  appear- 
ed. Instead  of  frame  buildings  which 
would  later  disappear  a  la  Flushing 
Ifeadows,  the  Fair  buildings  of  the  Domini- 
can Republic  are  Tvell  and  solidly  conr- 
stmcted  with  an  eye  to  future  use  for 
the  secretariats  presently  housed  else- 
vrtiere. 

A  visit  to  the  horticultural  park  and 
zoo  found  a  few  masters  with  groups  of 
schoolboys  shouting  over  alligators  and 
wanting  to  see  the  lions.  But  what 
delighted  me  most  was  a  group  of  native 
nuns ,  Sisters  of  Mercy  in  white  habits , 
discovering  the  elephant  cage,  chattering 
over  the  monkeys  in  a  moat,  and  like  nuns 
everywhere,  gathering  into  their  arms  and 
admiring  the  children  of  former  pupils 
whom  they  met  in  the  park. 

Like  all  countries  seeking  a  place  in 
the  sun,  this  is  a  land  of  contrasts. 
One  goes  from  the  ancient  battlements 
that  weathered  from  the  days  of  Columbus 
to  the  modern  Ambassador  hotel  that  out- 
does even  the  fabulous  Fontainbleau. 
Ordinary  working  men  pay  no  income  tax, 
jet  a  cab  driver  has  an  enormous  fee  to 


pay  twice  a  year  on  his  taxi,  since  they  are 
considered  a  luxury.  Though  cars  are  plenti- 
ful, food  sufficient,  people  well  and  gaily 
dressed,  against  this  are  the  many  who  walk 
the  streets  at  unusual  hours  proclaiming 
a  lack  of  interest  in  work  or  a  lack  of 
work  in  which  to  be  interested. 

Puerto  Rico 

Puerto  Rico,  planned  as  a  mere  port-of- 
call,  was  made  pleasant  by  the  hotel  dinner 
and  floor  show  in  the  company  of   delight- 
ful companions  from  a  plane  trip.  Puerto 
Rico  seems  to  be  the  island  with  a  good 
business  future.  The  nomsnt  one  steps  into 
the  airport,  the  signs  of  American  bustle 
are  apparent,  and  the  cheerful  noisiness 
of  the  Puerto  Ricans  reaches  one's  ears. 
Yet  under  the  noisiness  and  bustle  is  a 
strong  sign  of  American  efficiency  -  or 
maybe  it's  just  that  we  are  more  accustomed 
to  this  way  of  life. 

Saint  Thomas,  U.  S.  Virgin  Islands 

Saint  Thomas  (quaintly  or  derisively 
known  as  an  American  Virgin)  and  it's  chief 
city  Charlotte  Amalie  proved  to  be  the  high 
point  of  tte  West  Indies  for  me.  Miss  Enid 
Baa  the  government  librarian  put  herself 
and  her  car  at  my  complete  disposal.  At 
French  town  and  old  St,  Anne's  high  on  the 
rocks,  the  decendants  of  the  French  Bretons 
still  maintain  their  blond  hair  and  thus 
stand  out  in  this  island  of  black  haired 
dark  complexions.  The  ancient  women  with 
their  hi^  crowned  straw  hats  passed  along 
the  streets,  aixi  one  remembered  the  recent 
styles  Tiiich  chapeaux-designers  have  based 
on  tiiese— recreated  after  visits  to  the 
island. 

From  the  point  where  Francis  Drake  spied 
out  the  islands'  channel,  while  the  Spanish 
fleet  attempted  to  bottle  his  craft  in  the 
harbour,  we  watched  the  beautiful  Mageen 
Bay.  Evidences  of  the  freebooters  still 
remain  in  the  island  in  the  towers  of 
Blackboard,  and  in  Bluebeard's  Castle. 
The  embarcadero  has  been  recently  built 
with  a  wide  black-top  road,  and  concrete 
walk  at  the  quay  side.  Here  small  merchant 
sailing  vessels  tie  up  to  offer  their  many 
wares  for  sale,  St.  Thomas  being  a  free 
port  from  the  days  of  the  booty  from  the 
Spanish  main.  In  olden  times  pirates  like 
Drake  and  Morgan  beached  their  small  boats 
in  the  middle  of  what  is  now  this  road,  and 
bartered  their  spoils  to  shopkeepers  whose 
back  doors  opened  on  the  shoi^. 


-13- 


In  the  evening  Miss  Baa  and  I  with  two 
other  friends  took  a  small  boat  to  Water 
Isla?.d.  We  passed  Hassel  Island  which  is 
known  in  the  local  parlance  as  Lion  Island, 
since  one  of  its  residents  has  a  pet  lion., 
Transferring  from  boat  to  jeep,  we  then 
covered  the  narrow  dirt  roads,  somewhat 
reminiscent  of  Block  Island,  passed  the 
island's  few  private  homes,  to  its  one 
hotel  where  we  had  one  of  the  most  enjoy- 
able dinner  parties  I  can  remember.  It 
was  almost  eleven  when  we  again  cljjabed 
into  the  jeep  for  the  retijrn  trip  to 
Charlotte  Amalie,  and  my  leave  taking~- 
since  the  following  morning  I  was  off  to 
New  lork.  But  St.  Thomas  hospitality 
would  not  permit  me  to  msike  this  last 
jaunt  alone.  I  was  escorted  next  morning, 
in  the  new  Ford  Zepher,  and  en  route 
through  the  airpcrc.  was  introduced  to  an 
instructor  from  Ifeimpton  Institute  who  with 
his  wife  was  arriving  for  St.  Thonas 
holidays—an  idea  v^hich  I  waj^nly  recommend 
to  you  all. 

Mary  Alice  Rea 

MEET  OUR  NEW  ARRIVALS 

Pearl  I.  Brown,  the  newest  member  of  the 
staff  of  Book  Purchasing,  comes  to  the 
B.  P.  L.  TTith  a  rich  and  varied  backgrouni. 
After  two  years  at  Cheyney  State  Teacher's 
College,  Pa.,  she  taught  primary  grades 
for  8^  years.  For  two  years  she  was  a 
Visitor  with  the  Department  of  Public 
Assistance  in  Philadelphia.  For  the  last 
two  years.  Miss  Brown  has  been  with  the 
New  England  Jfotual  Life  Insurance  Company. 
Currently  studying  part-time  at  North- 
eastern for  her  Bachelor's  degree,  this 
active  young  lady  nevertheless  manages  to 
indulge  her  interests  in  music  and  base- 
ball. 


■M- 


Another  new  face  in  the  stacks  is  that 
of  Richadean  Few.  "Rickki"  graduated 
from  Roxbury  Memorial  Hi^  School  in  Juno 
cf  this  year  and  has  been  with  the  B.P.L. 
since  July.  She  is  fond  of  dancing, 
bowling,  reading,  and  horseback  riding. 


The  hard-working  new  assistant  on 
Bookmobile  II  is  Audrey  E.  Hunter.  A  195U 
graduate  of  South  Boston  High  School, 
Audrey  worked  for  the  Boston  Mutual  Life 


Insurance  Company  before  joining  the  B.P.L. 
There  she  was  presented  with  a  trophy  as 
"Miss  Boston  Ifutual" .  Among  her  many 
interests  are  swiraning,  music,  dancing, 
and  arts  and  crafts . 


■  Ja^-g,  L.  Ramulu,  a  new  probationary  assist- 
ant at  Dorchester  since  July  l6,  has  already 
done  a  lot  of  traveling  in  her  young  life. 
She  has  spent  11  years  in  India  and  has  lived 
on  the  West  Coast  of  this  country  for  several 
years,  Ker  official  home  is  in  Seattle, 
Washington,  but  at  present  she  is  living  in 
Bi'ookline.  Although  Miss  Ramulu  says  she 
has  no  special  talents,  she  is  interested 
in  music  and  plays  the  piano,  at  least  for 
her  awn.  amusement — and  perhaps  with  more 
ability  than  we  know. 


I  If  call  slips  are  being  handled  a  bit 
faster  in  the  stacks  these  days,  it  is 
because  another  bright  new  face  has  been 
added  to  the  staff  roster.  Helen  V.  Varsos 
joined  the  B.P^L.  in  July,  after  graduating 
in  June  from  Girl's  High  School.  The  slender, 
brown-eyed  "Vicki'"  is  fond  of  swimming, 
instrumental  music,  and,  of  course,  the  B.P.L. 

BRANCH  CLOSINGS 

JeffrJ.es  Point 

The  closing  of  a  vital  landmark  in  the 
Jeffries  Point  section  of  East  Boston  was 
accomplished  •vTith  nothing  like  the  fanfare 
and  excitement  of  its  inauguration  almost 
thirty  years  ago.  Since  there  had  been 
no  local  publicity,  many  were  unaware  that 
this  unhappy  event  was  taking  pHxice  that 
last  Friday  in  June.  Outside  of  the  imme- 
diate, neighbors  and  regular  patrons ,  most 
of  the  public  became  aware  of  the  impending 
event  when  they  saw  the  Bookmobile  on  the 
streets,  and  learned  that  it  would  replace 
the  familiar  and  well- loved  library  on 
Webster  Street. 

Library  patrons,  seeing  books  piled  up 
OTi  floors  and  tables,  and  shelves  emptied, 
inquired  vjhether  we  were  going  to  paint  the 
inside  or  rearrange  the  books.  Even  when 
they  were  told  that  the  library  was  closing 
they  could  not  comprehend  and  asked  if  it 
were  for  the  summer,  or  for  temporary  repairs. 
When  the  people  were  assiired  that  they  would 
not  have  to  go  all  the  way  over  to  Central 
for  books  but  would  be  served  by  the  '. 


-lU- 


Bookmobile  in  their  immediate  vicinity, 
they  continued  to  look  doubtful,  and  we 
hastened  to  inform  them  that  they  might 
fare  even  better  than  before,  since  the 
Bookmobile  would  be  able  to  purchase  books 
in  much  greater  numbers  then  had  their 
branch. 

It  was  difficult  for  the  staff  to  try  to 
explain  convincingly  the  reasons  for  the 
discontinuance  of  the  library  to  the  local 
public,  to  tiiom  it  had  been  an  object  of 
great  local  pride  as  well  as  faithful 
service  most  of  their  lives.  Many  asked 
if  there  was  anything  they  could  do  to 
save  th3  branch;  others  told  of  efforts 
made  in  that  direction.  Children  asked 
me  why  I  was  closing  the  library,  and 
parents  told  of  the  great  importance  of 
the  libraiy  to  them  when  they  were  gi'owing 
up  in  the  neighborhood,  and  of  how  they 
had  fully  expected  that  their  children 
would  make  the  branch  as  much  and  even 
more  a  part  of  their  lives  than  had  their 
parents . 

Some  took  a  very  personal  view  of  the 
situation,  claiming  that  they  had  made 
good  use  of  the  library  and  expressing 
dismay  at  the  thought  of  being  deprived 
of  it  in  the  future.  Others  chose  to 
regard  the  proposed  closing  as  discrimi- 
nation against  their  neighborhood.  On  the 
closing  days  many  patrons  came  in  to  "shed 
a  few  tears"  as  they  expressed  it  and 
commiserate  with  one  another  over  their 
loss.  Since  I  realized  hew  mrach  that  most 
attractive  library  with  its  cliarming 
colonial  interior  must  have  meant  to  the 
residents  of  Jeffries  Point  which  is  an 
old  district  vri.th  houses  crowded  close 
together,  many  inadequate  by  any  modern 
standards,  I  could  well  understand  and 
sympathize  with  the  lady  who  said,  "in/he n 
this  building  opened  when  I  was  a  young- 
ster, I  thought  it  waff  the  most  beautiful 
house  in  the  world.  You  may  not  believe 
it,  but  I  still  get  a  thrill  every  time 
I  walk  in  to  this  room". 

A  few  days  after  the  closing,  I  met  a 
librarian  t^o  asked  me  about  details  of 
the  event.  She  told  me  that  she  had  been 
an  assistant  at  Jeffries  vAien  the  "new 
building"  had  opened  and  Trtiat  a  joyful 
occation  that  had  been  in  the  neighborhood. 
I  coixld  not  help  reflecting  that  I  too 
would  very  much  have  preferred  to  have 
been  a  member  of  the  Jeffries  Point  staff 
at  that  happy  time,  rather  than,  in  the 
month  of  June,  19$6, 

Anne  Coleman 


Phillips  Brooks 


On  August  31,  the  Phillips  Brooks  Branch 
closed  its  doors  to  its  patrons,  bowing  to 
progress  which  denands  for  each  branch 
a  potential  public  larger  than  that  found 
in  ReadviHe.  Located  in  a  suburb  on  the 
margin  of  Boston,  this  small  branch  had  been 
one  of  the  few  civic  enterprises  cutting 
across  racial  and  religious  groups  to  serve 
all  the  peop3.e  in  this  community  t^ich  is 
bordered  by  Dedham  and  Milton.  While  it  is 
chiefly  known  today  as  the  site  of  the 
repair  shops  of  the  New  York,  New  Haven  and 
Hartford  Railroad,  historically  ReadviHe 
is  famous  as  the  location  of  Camp  Meigs 
vihere   Robert  Gould  Shaw  trained  the  first 
Negro  soldiers  to  serve  in  the  Civil  War. 

The  small,  brown-shingled  building,  vftiich 
stands  on  part  of  the  land  used  for  the 
Camp,  ras  given  to  the  Blue  Hills  Evangel- 
ical Society  as  a  memorial  to  Bie  Reverend 
Phillips  Brooks,  noted  Bishop  of  the  Episco- 
ppil  Church,  by  litrs  Ellen  F.  Stetson  in 
li397.  The  first  library  was  run  by  that 
Society,  though  it  was  for  the  use  of  all 
residents  "irrespective  of  sex,  race  or 
creed".  It  consisted  of  a  collection  of 
about  U75  volumes  of  fiction  and  miscella- 
neous reading,  including  books  of  reference, 
given  by  Mrs  Stetson.  There  was,  also,  in 
an  ante-room,  "The  Hamilton  Park  Libraiy" , 
the  gift  of  Ifirs   J.  Huntington  Wolcott  and 
other  friends.  Later  these  libraries,  now 
united  to  form  one,  were  operated  as  a 
branch  of  the  Hyde  Park  Public  Library, 
with  access  to  the  collection  of  the  larger 
libiary  through  weekly  deliveries.  Vhen, 
in  1912,  P^de  Park  became  a  part  of  Boston, 
the  Ifyde  Park  Library  and  its  branch,  The 
Phillips  Brooks  Memorial  Reading  Room, 
automatically  became  part  of  the  Boston 
system^  This  set-up  was  continued  until 
192$,  when  due  to  a  variety  of  reasons  the 
smaller  library  was  closed.  Opening  again 
in  1931,  under  a  new  agreement,  the  Boston 
Public  Library  ran  it  as  a  branch  library 
until  this  fall. 

ReadviHe  is  more  aware  of  its  distance 
from  Boston  than  it  is  of  its  political 
unity  with  the  city,  so  it  was  as  inevitable 
that  the  branch  should  function  like  a  small 
town  library  as  it  was  that  its  patrons  pre- 
ferred it  to  remain  that  way.  It  was, 
however,  al\mys  a  small  town  library  per- 
fectly aware  of  the  modern  aids  to  dissemi- 
nation of  knowledge  and  cultiire  through 
other  mediums  than  books,  for  we  had  film 
programs  even  while  we  were  still  dependent 
on  agencies  outside  the  library  for  films, 


-15- 


projectors,  and  operators.  JAisic  listen- 
ing groups  were  formed  using  the  radio 
before  record  plajrers  became  library 
equipment.  Trips  to  musexims  and  the 
Children's  Theatre  brought  Boston  arrl  its 
riches  a  little  closer  to  the  childrenj 
while  such  activities  as  puppet-making 
and  wild-flower  identification  made  them 
turn  to  books  as  sources  of  information 
as  well  as  pleasure. 

As  for  those  of  us  who  participated  in 
bringing  the  children  and  adults  together 
■vtiether  for  meetings  sponsored  by  the 
library,  or  those  by  the  Friends  of  the 
Library,  oin*  working  hours  and  indeed 
our  whole  lives  wei^  enriched  by  a  deepeir 
knowledge  of  our  patrons  and  thus  a 
stronger  interest  in  our  work.  We  will 
be  fortunate  if,  in  the  larger,  busier 
branches  where  we  virill  soon  be,  we  are 
able  to  have  such  a  feeling  of  personal 
accomplishment  and  as  interesting  and 
varied  activities.  But  we  do  know 
Phillips  Brooks  will  also  be  open  in  our 
hearts . 

La\irelle  Cole 

Tyler  Street  Reading  Room 

The  closing  of  a  library  is  indeed  a 
sad  experience  both  for  the  staff  and  for 
the  neighborhood.  Even  though  Tyler 
Street  Reading  Room  had  been  reopened 
such  a  short  period,  yet  a  more  loyal 
public  would  have  been  difficult  to  find. 
Their  expressions  of  appreciation  were 
indeed  gratifying  to  Charlotte  Cooper, 
Barbara  Kirby,  Carol  Semonian  and  Tr/sell. 
We  had  all  enjoyed  our  short  stay  at 
Tyler  Street  and  were  saddened  at  the 
thought  of  leaving. 

George  Horns i,  a  man  vho   had  been  most 
instiaunental  in  the  reopening  of  the 
libraiy,  came  in  the  last  day  at  Tyler 
Street  to  express  his  regrets  at  the 
closing  and  his  appreciation  of  vfliat  the 
staff  had  done  for  the  community.  He  was 
optimistically  hoping  to  get  the  library 
reopened  againi  I'Thile  mentioning  our 
patrons  we  shouldn't  omit  our  good  borrow- 
ers from  the  Medical  Center.  They  were 
always  most  helpful  in  "keeping  up"  the 
circulation. 

Some  of  the  highlights  at  Tyler  Street 
in  our  work  with  the  children  were  the 
kindergarden  story  hours  ard  the  puppet 
groups.  These  story  hoiurs  with  audiences 
almost  entirely  Chinese  were  indeed  rare 
experiences  in  library  work.  The  . 


children's  bright,  attentive,  little  faces 
would  watch  every  move  of  the  storyteller 
ard  a  wai'e  of  applause  would  be  heard  when 
the  stories  were  ended.  Such  politeness 
was  doubly  gratifying  when  one  realized 
that  many  of  them  at  the  beginning  of  the 
fall  understood  little  or  no  English.  Thus 
the  story  hour  was  a  real  challenge  to  do 
one's  best. 

The  puppet  group,  started  by  Dorothy 
Becker  who  was  formerly  Assistant-in-Charge 
at  Tyler  Street,  spent  mar^'  happy  hours 
at  the  library  working  with  the  puppets, 
rehsarsing,  and  talcing  part  in  the  plays. 
Large  audiences  would  always  appear  for  the 
puppet  shovj-s.  Mrs  Dorothy  Hanna,  a  former 
assistant  at  the  Reading  Room,  had  a  real 
knack  in  looking  after  the  mar^  boys  ard 
girls  T/ho  filled  eveiy  available  seat. 
¥;hatever  the  nationality  background,  and  we 
had  many  different  ones  at  Tyler  Street, 
almost  every  child  seemed  to  greatly  enjoy 
the  puppet  shows. 

There  have  been  many  meinbers  of  the  staff 
at  Tyler  Street  Reading  Room  in  the  past 
years  which  space  prevents  me  from  listing 
but  I  think  that  all  of  them,  along  with 
me,  will  treasure  many  happy  memories  of 
our  days  at  Tyler  Street  on  the  edge  of 
Chinatown. 

Beatrice  Frederick 

SEPTEIJBER  8,  1956 

MAJIS  is  circling  grimly, 

In  vassalage  to  SUNj 
Veiy  near  to  trespass 

On  EARTH'S  appointed  run. 

Swerve  it  even  slightly 

From  its  elliptic  path, 
EARTH  would  pay  the  tribute 

Of  EVERLASTING'S  wrath. 

Rapt  I  watched,  yet  certain 

Disaster  can't  ensue j 
Knew  by  instant  instinct 

Our  ancient  FAITH  is  true. 

Order  reign  forever. 

Says  spheres'  enchanting  song; 
Human  touch  is  missing. 

So  nothing  can  go  wrong. 

H&rry  Andrews 


-16- 


THE  TRADING  POST 

Haven't  you  a  summer  cottage  that  needs 
a  new  second-hand  gas  stove?  I  have  a 
Magic  Chef,  cream  and  green,  table-top 
model,  in  good,  clean  condition  which  I 
will  relinquish  with  reluctance,  divulging 
the  reason  to  all  interested  comers. 
Can't  we  dicker? 

Elinor  D.  Conley,  Dorchester 

Does  anyone  need  a  second-hand  refriger- 
ator, still  running — ^but  limping  a  bit. 
19h9   International  Harvester,  plenty  of 
space — all  space  in  fact,  except  for  a 
small  freezing  compartment  (Sorry,  no 
fancy  bins  or  containers.)  Owner  will 
listen  to  best  offer.  For  further  details, 
if  you  are  interested,  contact  Gertrude 
Wade,  Book  Selection,  H.R.  and  C.S.  (P.S. 
Does  ar^one  have  in  their  attic  a  pair 
of  women's  show  shoes.  I  would  pay  a  fair 
price  for  a  pair  in  practically  whole, 
still  useable  condition.) 


Gaily  striped  sun  umbrella  for  the  beach 
to  protect  you  from  the  sun's  fierce  rays. 
A  real  bargain  at  ''■U.95.  Purchaser  must 
collect  the  umbrella,  no  delivery  service. 

G.  M,  Marvin 


* 


Has  anyone  a  pair  of  heavy  metal  book- 
ends  very  reasonably  priced?  A  single 
bookend  will  do. 

G.  M.  Marvin 

■»• 

Urgently  Wanted:  One  and/or  two  good 
homes.  Meow,  Meow!  Two  small  kittens, 
2  months  old  are  in  need  of  a  nice  home. 
Exactly  alike,  they  are  smoke  grey  except 
for  an  N  of  white  on  their  foreheads  and 
white  tipped  tails.  Please  contact  the 
Chairman  of  Publications  Committee  if 
interested. 

WORTH  END  GROUP  i/TINS  AWARD 
(QUOTATION  FROM  CHRISTIAN  SCIEWCE  MONITOR) 

Parents '  l&igazine  has  just  named  10  co- 
winners  of  its  annual  Youth  Group  Achieve- 
ment Award  of  .^l^ljOOG  for  "outstanding 


community  service"  by  teen  and  sub-teen 
groups . 

Two  Boston  teen-age  clubs  are  among  those 
slated  to  receive  honor  certificates — 
Young  Adults  Council,  North  End  branch, 
Boston  Public  Library,  and  the  Sky  Club  of 
the  YWCA. 

At  high  school  age,  when  attendance  at 
libraries  is  inclined  to  drop  off,  the 
Young  Adults  Council  in  the  North  End  is 
whipping  up  new  interest  in  library  programs, 

Conqjrised  of  12  girls  and  12  boys,  the 
group  meets  once  a  month  from  October 
through  May  to  plan  and  carry  out  three 
major  educational  and  recreational  programs 
to  promote  better  community  life  for  teen- 
agers in  this  area. 

It  has  become  a  recognized  honor  to  serve 
on  the  council.  One  girl  and  one  boy  from 
each  of  the  five  neighborhood  houses,  as 
well  as  representatives  from  the  high  schools 
and  the  junior  high  school  are  selected. 

'Career  Week'  First 

Their  first  major  project  three  years 
ago  was  "career  week."  The  subject  was 
studied  in  the  schools  and  highli^ted 
with  informative  exhibits  in  the  library. 

By  helping  the  library  staff  select  a 
topic-of -the -month  for  special  display, 
the  council  is  keeping  the  library  in  time 
wi-fch  teen  agers'  interests  and  steadily 
increasing  library  attendance. 

Wm   BOOKS  IN  THE  STAFF  LIBRARY 
Non-Fiction 

Arnothy,  Christine 

I  am  fifteen  and  I  don't  want  to  die. 

N.Y.,  Dutton,  1956 
Bromfield,  Louis 

Animals  and  other  people. 

N.Y.,  Harpor,  1955 
Burke,  Norah 

Jungle  child 

N.Y.,  W.W.  Norton,  1956 
Burrows,  Millar 

The  Dead  Sea  Scrolls. 

N.Y.,  Viking  Press,  1956 
Caldwell,  John 

Family  at  sea. 

Boston,  Little,  Brown,  1956 
Campbell,  J.J. 

Legends  of  Ireland 

London,  Batsford,  1955 
Carmer,  Carl  L. 

The  screaming  ghost. 

N.Y.,  Knopf,  1956 


-17- 


Cloete,  Rehna 

The  nylon  safari. 

Boston,  Houghton  Jiifflin,  19$6 
Coccola,  Raymond  de. 

Ayorama . 

N.Y,,  Oxford  University  Press,  19$6 
Corwin,  Edward  S. 

The  Presidency  today. 

N.Y.,  New  York  University  Press,  19$^ 
Cranston,  Ruth 

The  miracle  of  Lourdes 

N.Yo,  McGraw-Hill,  1955 
Donovan,  Robert  J. 

Eisenhower . 

N.Y.,  Harper,  1956 
Furnas,  Joseph  C. 

Goodbye  to  Uncle  Tom. 

N.Y.,  W.  Sloane  Associates,  1956 
Graham,  Filliam  F* 

The  secret  of  happiness. 

Garden  City,  N.Yo,  Doubleday,  1955 
Hoehling,  Adolph  A. 

The  last  voyage  of  the  Lusitania, 

N.Y.,  Holt,  1956 
Higgins,  Marguerite 

Red  plush  and  black  bread. 

Garden  City,  N.Y.,  Doubleday,  1955 
Holiday 

The  USA  in  color. 

Philadelphia,  C\irtis  Pub.  Co.,  1956 
Lariar,  Lawrence 

You've  got  me  from  9  to  5» 

N.Y.,  Dodd,  Mead,  1956 
Johnson,  Thomas  He 

Emily  Dickinson. 

Cambridge,  Mass.,  Belknap  Press,  1955 
Magidoff,  Nile  I. 

Nila 

N.Y.,  Simon  and  Schuster,  1956 
Meissner,  Hans  0. 

The  man  with  three  faces. 

N.Y.,  Rinehart,  1955 
Mikes,  George 

Leap  through  the  cxirtain. 

N.Y.,  Button,  1956 
Pollard,  John 

Journey  to  the  Styx. 

London,  Johnson,  1955 
Prescott,  Orville 

The  five-dollar  gold  piece. 

W.Y.,  Randon  House,  1956 
Quoriez,  Francois 

A  certain  smile 

N.Y.,  Button,  1956 
Randall,  Ruth 

Lincoln's  sons 

Boston,  Little,  Brown,   1955 
Rich  iouise 

The  coast  of  Jfeine. 

N.Y.,  Crowell,  1956 


Robbina,  Phyllis 

Maude  Adams. 

N.Y.,  Putnam,  1956 
Smith,  Walter  B. 

Eisenhower's  six  great  decisions. 

N.Y.,  Longmans,  Green,  1956 
Truman,  Margaret 

Souvenir 

N.Y.,  McGraw-Hill,  1956 
Stevenson,  Elizabeth 

Henry  Adams 

N.Y.,  Macmillan,  1956 
"Whelpton,  Eric 

Tte  road  to  Nice. 

London,  R.  Hale,  1955 
Wright,  Richard 

The  color  curtain 

Cleveland,  World  Pub.  Co.,  1956 

Non-Fiction  —  Library  Science 

American  Library  Association.  Buildings 
Committee . 

Planning  a  library  building. 

Chicago,  American  Library  Association, 

1955 
Bavies,  Bavid  W. 

Tte  world  of  the  Else^ers,  1580-1712. 

The  Hague,  Nijhoff,  195U 
Hunt,  K.  G. 

Subject  specialization  and  co-operative 

book  purchase  in  the  libraries  of  Great 

Britain. 

London,  Library  Association,  1955 
Jackson,  Ellen  P» 

A  manual  for  the  administration  of  the 

Federal  documents  collection  in  libraries. 

Chicago,  American  Library  Association, 

1955 
Manley,  Marian  Co 

Business  information 

N.Y.,  Harper,  1955 
Ottervik,  Cost a 

Libraries  and  archives  in  Sweden. 

Stockholm,  Swedish  Institute,  195U 
Wallace,  Sarah  L. 

Patrons  are  people.  Rev.  and  enl.  ed., 

Chicago,  American  Library  Association, 

1956 
Whitehill,  Walter  M. 

Boston  Public  Libraiyj  a  centennial  history 

Cambridge,  Mass.,  Harvard  University  Press, 

1956 
Wilson,  Louis  R, 

The  university  library.  2d  ed. 

N.Y.,  Columbia  University  Press,  1956 


-18- 


Fiction 

Ashton,  Helt-ii 

The  Half-<3ro-vm  House. 

N.y,,  Bodd,  Mead,  1956 
Cronin,  Archibald  J, 

A  thing  of  beauty. 

Boston,  Little,  Brown,  1956 
Dovmes,  Anne  M» 

The  captive  rider. 

Philadelphia,  Lippincott,  1956 
DuBois,  William 

A  season  to  beware. 

N.Y.,  Putnam,  1956 
Ertz,  Susan 

Charmed  circle 

N.Y.,  Harper,  1956 
FuechtTAranger,  Lion 

Raquel. 

N.Y,,  Messner,  1956 
Goudge,  Elizabeth 

The  roseirary  tree. 

N.Y.,  Coward-McCann,  1956 
Hargrove,  IJIarion 

The  girl  he  left  behind. 

N.Y.,  Viking  Press,  1956 
Hersey,  John  Ro 

A  single  pebble. 

N.Y.,  Knopf,  1956 
Roberts,  Kenneth  L. 

Boon  Island. 

Garden  City,  N.Y.,  Doubleday,  1956 
Secondari,  John  H. 

Spinner  of  the  dream. 

Boston,  Little,  Browi,  1955 
Seifert,  Shirley 

Let  my  name  stand  fair. 

Philadelphia,  Lippincott,  1956 

BRANCH  NOTES 

South  End 

The  South  End  Summer  Reading  Club  recent- 
ly celebrated  the  close  of  a  very  sucess- 
ful  season  with  a  party  for  all  those 
nvho  had  read  at  least  ten  books  during 
the  summer*  Ten  of  the  sixteen  eligible 
members  came  to  the  party.  They  played 
games  employing  the  names  of  books  and 
characters  from  the  books  they  read  during 
the  stmmer.  Refreshments  were  served. 
The  members  present  received  a  Boston 
Public  Library  certificate  of  progress 
and  book  prizes  went  to  five  members « 
Elaine  Haddad  received  one  for  having  read 
and  reported  on  forty  books  during  the 
sumrner.  Tallying  the  total  number  of 
books  read  and  reported  on  by  members 
during  the  season,  the  number  came  to  well 
over  three  hundred.  Our  Elephant  team 


reported  on  only  nine  more  books  than  the 
Donkeys  to  win  a  very  close  race.  (Is  this 
possibly  a  suggestion  of  things  to  come  in 
the  realm  of  national  political  affairs?) 

West  End 


Out  of  the  Past; 

In  the  July  issue  of  the  Amherst  Alumni 
News  appeared  an  item  of  great  interest 
and  sentimental  value,  to  West  End.  An 
anonymous  friend  has  established  a  loan 
fund  in  memory  of  the  late  George  Washington 
Forbes,  «92,  and  his  wife,  Elizabeth  Harley 
Forbes.  Mr  Forbes  was  Reference  Librarian 
at  West  End  from  its  opening  in  I896  until 
his  death  in  1927.  To  this  day  men  and 
women  come  to  the  Branch  and  ask  about  him. 
The  Forbes  Fund  is  available  "to  students 
in  economic  need  without  regard  to  their 
race,  color  or  creed".  This  is  indeed  a 
fitting  tribute  to  a  fine  scholar  and  a 
noble  man. 


Mrs  Joyce  ?,   Ellis,  Children's  Librarian, 
held  a  story  hour  for  some  thirty  five 
children  at  "Playlaixl"  on  Boston  Common, 
on  August  16, 


Members  of  the  "Balloting  for  Books" 
Summer  Reading  Club  held  their  own  political 
'Convention'  on  August  2l;th  to  nominate  and 
vote  for  their  favorite  book  candidate. 
Those  children  who  had  read  at  least  eight 
books  during  the  summer  were  allowed  to 
serve  as  delegates  and  to  give  speeches  in 
favor  of  the  book  they  most  enjoyed.  After 
the  voting  took  place,  it  was  discovered 
that  The  Secret  Garden  was  the  winning 
candidate,  with  Lou  Gehrig  numing  a  close 
second. 


The  latest  edition  of  the  Jewish  Book 
Annual  contains  a  bibliography  of  American 
Jewish  Juvenile  Books  for  1955-1956,  com- 
piled by  Farmy  Goldstein,  Branch  Librarian 
and  Curator  of  Judaica. 


-19- 


IN  MEMORIAM 


CATHERINE  C.  KELLY 


Catherine  C=  Kelly  passed  away  at  her 
home  in  Neponset  on  Wednesday,  September 
twelfth.  We  who  knew  her  well  can  hardly 
realize  that  she  won't  be  coming  into  the 
Neponset  Branch  Library  again,  with  her 
cheery  hello  and  smile,  to  catch  up  on 
library  news  and  tell  us  what  she  has 
been  doing. 

l^Jhen  she  retired  in  195)4  she  had  been 
in  the  library  33  years,  most  of  which 
were  spent  at  Neponset;  but  she  had  many 
friends  throughout  the  whole  system. 

To  the  staff  she  was  cheerful  and 
understanding;  and  to  the  public,  cour- 
teous and  gracious.  In  emergencies  shs 
was  calm  and  collected  and  no  natter  vihat 
happened  she  met  each  situation  unper- 
t\jrbed.  She  was  always  poised  and  her 
special  charm  was  eriianced  by  the  pale 
blues  and  pastel  shades  she  wore. 

She  loved  to  ccme  back  to  little  parties 
at  Neponset  and  kept  in  touch  vrith  the 
library  in  general  through  the  Quarter 
Century  Club,  the  Cat2nolic  Library 
Association,  and  the  Massachusetts  Libraij 
Association. 

Since  her  retirement  she  had  been  kept 
busy  with  church  and  hospital  activities 
and  having  traveled  a  great  deal  was 
always  interested  in  the  trips  of  others. 

She  will  be  greatly  missed  and  long 
remembered  by  those  who  knew  her. 

I&delene  D.  Holt 

LETTER  RECEIVED  BY  TI^  CARE  COMMITTEE 

August  9,   19?6 
Dear  Ifr  Bluhm: 

7fe  have  received  your  CARE  -  parcel  for 
which  I  should  like  to  thank  you  very 
much.  V'fe  are  a  family  of  refugees  from 
East  Prussia  (KGnigsberg)  and  having  fled 
from  there  to  the  Altraark  in  tte  Soviet 
Zone,  we  had  to  flee  a  second  time,  again 
leaving  everything  behind,  in  order  to 
reach  Y/estern  Berlin.  Our  family,  that 
is  Ey, -parents,  two  brothers,  and  I,  have 
received  a  small  flat  only  at  the  begin- 
ning of  this  year.  We  are  very  glad  to 
have  had  the  possibility  for  a  new  start. 
My  father  is  still  out  of  work,  unfortu- 
imtely,  like  so  many  refugees  are  here  at 
Berlin.  There  are  between  two  to  six 
thousand  refugees  per  week,  coming  to 
Western  Berlin,  that  is  between  fifteen 


to  twenty-five,  thirty  five  thousand  per 
month.  As  most  of  them  have  to  stay  here 
for  quite  sometime,  you  can  imagine  that  is 
very  hard  to  find  either  flat  or  work,  and 
1^7  father  is  quite  lucky  to  have  found  the 
first.  ISy  twin  brother  Wolfgang  is  a  student 
of  agriculture  and  biology  at  the  Technical 
University  of  Western  Berlin  while  I,  a 
student  of  medicine  at  the  Liberal  University 
have  to  pass  the  Western  "Arbitur"  first, 
the  one  from  the  Soviet  Zone  not  being 
acknowledged  by  the  West,  before  I  can  go 
on  studying.  Our  Abitur  would  be  the 
equivalent  to  your  gradxiation  from  Junior 
College  to  Senior  Colfege. 

My  younger  brother  Hans  is  an  apprentice 
with  a  firm  doing  electrical  repair  work. 

Thanking  you  another  time  for  your  kindness 
in  forwarding  such  a  nice  parcel  to  a  very 
indigent  family  completely  iinknown  to  you  and 
sending  you  the  regards  of  all  the  family. 


I  am 

Yours  truly,  Manfred 

MarJ'red  Fischer,  German,  Westberlin 
Slidende,  Steglitzer  Str.  Fh 

UTE  FLASH  li 
(ON  AN  EARLY  IDRNING— 2  A.M. ^ARRIVAL) 

Lauren  Ang^le  Abate,  on  September  16,  at 
the  Yfinthrop  Community  Hospital,  kk   Lincoln 
Street,  Winthrop  52.  Her  proud  parents  are 
Mr  and  Mrs  Angelo  Abate.  Mrs  Abate  is  on 
leave  of  absence  from  the  Office  of  the 
Division  of  Reference  and  Research  Services. 


-20- 


Any  contribu,1rf.on  to  the  Soap  Box  must 
be  accompanied  by  the  full  name  of  the 
Association  member  submitting  it,  togGxh.- 
er  with  the  name  of  the  Branch  Library, 
Department  or  Office  in  which  he  or  she 
is  employed.     The  name  is  withheld  from 
publication,  or  a  pen  name  used,  if  the 
contributor  so  requests.     Anonymous  con- 
tributions are  not  given  consideration. 
The  author  of  the  article  is  known  only 
to  the  Editor-in-Chief.     The  contents  of 
the  articles  appearing  in  the  Soap  Box 
are  personal  opinions  expressed  by  indi- 
vidual Association  members  and  their 
appearance  does  not  necesaarily  indicate 
that  the     Publications  Committee  and  the 
Association  are  in  agreement  with  the 
views  expressed.     Only  those  contributions 
containing  not  more  than   300  words  will 
be  accepted. 


This  space  is  blank  because  of 
Y  0  U   I! 


LAST  CALL 


A  few 
autographed  copies 
available 
at  $2<,8ij  to  staff  roeinbers 


Boston  Public  Library;     A  Centennial  History 

by  Walter  Muir  Whitehill 
illustrated  by  Rudolph  Ruzicka 


Contact: 


Office  of  Records,  Files,  Statistics 


BOSTON  PUBLIC  LIBRARY  PROFESSIONAL  STAFF  ASSOCIATION 


-^>> 


^— c 


A 


/^ 


y 


vV5 


VV  H  A  \ 
WHtN 

WHEIU" 
WHY 


—  SUGGESTION  BOX 

—  SEPTEMBER  l5 
~  STAFF  LIBRARY 

—  TO  RECEIVE  YOUR  SUGGESTIONS  FOR  THE  IMPROVEMENT  OF 

STAFF  FACILITIES 


.^'s-y 


^j 


/ 


HOUSE  COMMITTEE  FOR  WOlffiN 

Joan  Morris ,  Chairman 
Laura  M«  Bondi 
Ruth  V,  Marshall 
Marie  T.  Orth 
liary  T.  Sands 
Helen  Shubarth 


BOSTON        PUBLIC        LIBRARY       PROFESSIONAL       STAFF       ASSOCIATION 


Jal^  1/lHte^ 


FRIDAY-    SEPTEMBER    2  8  , 1  9  56  •  8  P.  M  <  LECTURE    HALL 


PANEL     DISCUSSION 


:7 


"^i 


Pc)nel     Membei's 


Mr.  Peter  Wensberg  .  .  . 
I\ir.  Stephen  Zoll  .  .  .  . 
Jfrs.  Alice  Dixon  Bond  .  . 
Mr,  Ted  Laycock  

Mod  era  to  I- : 

Dr.  P.  Albert  Diihamel  ,    . 


Little  Brown  Co. 
Houghton-Mifflin  Co. 
Boston  Herald 
Boston  Globe 


;.  Boston  College 

\       (Moderator  "I'VE  BEEN 

I    READING"  program,  WGBH-TV) 


X::^^ 


Ji^aJ!^ ^ 4!^iynxev\AA  tv^ it    foe.    AeAAJ- e^ d. 


J 


PROGRAM  COfflCETTEE 

Linda  M.  Pagliuca,   Chairman 

Albert  Brogna  Angela  Sacco 

Bettina  Colletti  Bridie  Stotz 


THE       QUESTION       MARK 
Published  by  the  Boston  Public  Library  Professional  Staff  Association 
Volume  XI,  Number  10    ;_ October  1956 

Publications  Committee:     Barbara  E.  Coffey,  Jean  L.  Eaton,  Mary  A.  Hackett,   Daniel  J. 

Koxiry,  Paul  W.  Smith,  B.  Gertrude  Wade,   Chairman 

Publication  dates  Deadline  for  submitting  ijritei*ial: 

The  fifteenth  of  each  month  The  tenth  of  each  month 

;■  ■  I  ■  I  III  ■^— ^— ^w^— ^» 

EDITORIAL  NOTES 

Congratulations  are  due  all  of  you  for  your  accomplishments  during  recent  g»i;itha. 
o&espite  curtailment  in  total  number  of  staff  and  further  handicaps  set  by  illnesses, 
Ha^eriu.ty  and  military  leaves  for  which  replacements  are  usually  not  possible,  you 
*i^  helping  to  run  a  big  business  iniiich  is  growing  bigger  every  year.  In  January, 
1^^,  282,855  books  were  circulated  lay  this  library;  in  the  so-called  ''lean  month"  of 
J^i^y,  2lU,737  books  were  borrowed.  These  you  processed,  handled  and  got  to  the 
ri?ht  borrower.  If  we  could  count  the  number  of  reference  questions  you  answered 
'JuMng  the  first  half  of  the  year,  the  total  figure  would  probably  be  staggering. 
in  addition,  some  people  in  Central  and  many  in  the  branches  have  initiated  and 
harried  through  a  wide  variety  of  group  programs.  Meanwhile,  2733  different  non- 
fiction  titles  alone  have  passed  through  the  Approval  Rooaa  and  over  80,000  volumes 
have  been  purchased;  catalogued,  prepared,  shipped  to  and  received  by  the  units  of 
the  Home  Reading  and  Community  Services  Division  between  January  and  October  1,  1956. 

You  are  wonderful  workers.  Are  you  also  good  librarians?  It  has  been  brought 
to  our  attention  more  than  once  that  there  are  often  long  lapses  of  time  between 
statements  of  administrative  decisions  and  their  execution,  between  the  occurence  of 
a  vacancy  and  the  hiring  of  a  replacement,  between  the  announcement  of  appointments  to 
be  made  and  the  actual  appointments.  We  are  concerned  about  the  morale  pi^blems  that 
sometimes  arise  during  this  time  gap.  Are  you?  Many  of  us  feel  that  our  present 
salaries  are  inadequate.  They  certainly  are  for  those  with  dependents.  Recently 
our  Director  placed  in  your  hands  a  study  of  comparative  salaries  and  rises  in  cost 
of  living,  with  an  invitation  for  your  commentary.  How  many  of  you  wrote  to  him  in 
regard  to  this  study?  So  you  have  elected  officers  to  handle  this  type  of  problem 
for  you?  They  requested  that  you  inform  them  of  your  views  so  that  in  their  meeting 
with  the  Director  they  might  include  a  representation  of  your  ideas  as  well  as  the 
results  of  their  own  study.  Did  you  give  them  any  suggestions?  Some  of  us  feel  that 
the  present  examination  sj^tem  could  bear  some  revision,  that  sub-professionals  who 
have  proved  their  worth  to  the  library  should  receive  higher  condensation,  and  that 
competent,  faithful  members  of  the  Reference  and  Research  Division  should  have  some 
form  of  reward  where  specialized  department  set-ups  make  it  impossible  for  them  to 
be  made  titular  assistants.  Are  you  concerned  about  these  matters? 

If  you  are  not  concerned,  if  you  are  satisfied  with  the  status  Quo,  if  you  have 
no  views  at  all  on  any  of  these  matters,  are  you  good  librarians?  We  believe  that 
librarianship  is  a  profession.  Members  of  a  profession  are  devoted  not  only  to  their 
work  but  also  to  the  welfare  of  their  fellow  workers.  They  think  about  the  problems 
of  others  and  they  make  their  thoughts  known  to  their  leaders  in  one  way  or  another. 

If  you  are  among  the  apathetic,  remember  that  you  have  no  right  to  expect  yotir   * 
administrators  to  be  concerned  with  problems  to  which  you  give  no  time  or  attention. 
Remember,  too,  that  your  Professional  Staff  Association  has  only  as  much  strength  as 
you  give  it  by  your  active  support.  And  renumber,  finally,  that  you  will  gain     i 
professional  status  in  the  eyes  of  the  non-library  world  not  merely  by  circulating 
books  but  by  promoting  the  ideals  and  interests  of  your  profession  and  insisting  upon 
recognition  of  your  stature. 

THE  PUBLICATIONS  <X)MMITTEE 


-2- 


October  22. 


CALENDAR  OF  EVENTS 

S.L.A.  dinner  meeting  at 
Amalfi  Restaurant.  Guest  of 
honor,  Marian  Luchius,  Exec- 
utive Secretary  of  the 
National  Special  Libraries 
Association. 


October.  .26. 


Bertha  V.  Hartziell  Memorial 
Lecture,  Central  Library, 


Richard  J,  Waters,  from  Dorchester  to 
Branch  Issue 

Marriuges 

RoSe  L.  LaConca,  Kirs tain  Business  Branch 
to  Create  Cimnartita . 

Resignations 


Julia  V.  Capone,  Office,  Division  of 
Reference  and  Research  Services.,  to-retum 
to  school. 

topic  "The  American  UnivBrs±t34Mrs  .Irenemarie- Cullinane,  Ifeahington  V1 1  Tage . 

and  the  Research  Library"     to  attend  library  school. 

Dr  Paul  Buch,  Director.      Frances  Freedman,  Fine  Arts.,  i>o  return  to 

HarvajTd  University  Librajries,   the  J-fioseum  School  of  Art. 


6  p.m. 

November  16,  Professional  Staff  Associ- 
ation, ^JBusiness  Meeting, 
Lecture  Hall,  Central  Library, 
9  a.m. 


PERSOWJEL  FGTES 


Ne'w  Employees 

Henry  C.  Camlllo,  Audio  Visual 

Mrs   Suzanne  H.  Fishman,  South  Boston 

Mrs  Winifred  C.  Frank,  Central  Charging 

Records  (formerly  part-time) 
Marilyn  Kind,  Cataloging  and  Cla.asifica- 

tion.  Division  of  Reference  and 

Research  Servicss 
J.irs  Anitra  B.  Kolenkow,  Botrfonobile 
Herman  0.  Peterson,  Open  She]J' 
Susan  E.  Royal,  Roslindale 
Itrs  Nanella  J,  Warren,  Mattapan 
Ruth  E.  Winn,  Open  Shelf  (a  former  em- 
ployee who  resigned  to  attend  Pratt 

Institute  Library  School.) 

I 
Transferred  j 

Mrs  Dorothy  E*  Bavicchi,  from  Hyde  Park  t0| 

Mt  Pleasant  I 

Mrs  Laurelle  W.  Cole,  from. Phillips  Brooks ^ 

to  Washington  Village  i 

Virginia  A.  Dalton,  from  Central  Charging  j 

Records  to  Codman  Square  j 

Mrs  Lucia  S,  Faulkner,  from  Mt  Pleasant   1 

to  South  End  j 

Marjorie  M.  Gibbons,  from  City  Point  to 

Hyde  Park 
Etta  Kessell,  from  Washington  Village  to 

Lower  Mills 
Mrs  Mary  B.  LaFollette,  from  Brighton  to 

City  Point 
Mrs  Mary  T.  C.  O'Neill,  from  Phi  Hips 

Brooks  to  City  Point 
David  T.  Sheehan,  from  Book  Stack  Service 

to  Cataloging  and  Classification, 

Division  of  Reference  and  Research 

Services . 


Mrs  Barbara  Gray,  Book  -Stack  "Service,  to 

remain  at  home . 
t Claire  M.  Hurney,  Print,  to  return  to  Jackson 

College . 
Martha  A.  McDermott,  Bock  Selection,  Division 

of  Home  Reading  s.nd  Cojamnity  Services,  to 

take  a  nursing  x-rse. 
Edmund.  L,  Myerd,  Music,-  to  accept  another 

position. 
Claire  C.  Spellmaa,  Cataloging  and  Classifi-  . 

cation,  Di'/ision  of  Reference  and  Research 

Services,  to  accept  another  position. 
Carole  M.  S'TOeney,  Book  Stack  Service,  to 

enter  coll'?g3. 
Helene  V.  Varsos,  Book  Stack  Service,  to 

enter  college. 

CONGRATUUTICNS 


TO 


I     Mr  and  Mrs  Thomas  Briganteon-the  birth 
I  of  a  daughter,   Beth  Allen,  on  September  3, 
1I956.     Mrs  Brii^ante  is  Children's  Librarian 
tat  Allston. 


Mr  and  Mi^  Thomas  Canavan  7«ho  -announced 
the   arrival  of  their  fourth  child,  William 
Hart,  on  September  13.     Mrs  Canavan  is  the 
f oriaer  Mary  Hart  who  worked  .both  in  the 
Office  of  Records,  Files,  Statistics  and 
in  the  Office  of  the  Division  of  Home 
Reading  and  Coiramnity  Services. 


Louis  Ugalde,  Rare  Book,  ^rtiose  son  David 
Anthony  was  born  on  October  1,  19^6.     (The 
f athe  r  reports  that  he  came  out  of  the 
ordeal  splendidly.) 


-?- 


ALUMNAE  NOTES 

Catherine  Doherty,  formerly  of  the 
Office  of  Records,  Files,  Statistics,  has 
announced  her  engagement  to  Charles  M. 
Kane,  of  Worcester,  Massachusetts,  now 
serving  in  the  USMC. 

VISITORS 

Dr  Luigi  Crenascoli,  Director,  Bibli- 
oteca  Comunale  Laudense,  Lodi,  Italy. 

Stan  G.  Lindberg,  Assistant  Librarian, 
The  Royal  Library,  Stockholm,  Sweden. 

PROFESSIONAL  STAFF  ASSOCIATION  MEETING 

About  100  membei^  and  friends  of  the 
Professional  Staff  Association  gathered 
in  the  lecture  hall  on  Friday  evening 
September  28,  for  a  panel  discussion  on 
"What  sells  a  Book?" 

Dr  P.  Albert  Duhamel  was  the  moderator, 
vrith  Peter  Wensberg  and  Stephen  Zoll 
representing  publishers  and  Mrs  Alice 
Dixon  Bond  and  Ted  Laycock  representing 
the  book  reviewers. 

The  panel  seemed  in  accord  about  the 
factors  affecting  the  sale  of  a  book.  "Hie 
popularity  of  the  author,  timeliness  of 
the  subject,  publicity  alloted  the  title, 
readers  inexplicable  and  unpredictable 
interest  in  a  certain  place,  person  or 
period  and  other  intangible  elements  cause 
some  books  to  climb  to  the  top  of  best 
seller  lists  while  others  languish  by  the 
way.  Unequal  expenditures. fcr  book  adver- 
tising and  publicity  and  the  validity 
of  best  seller  lists  as  criteria  for 
Judging  books  resulted  in  an  animated 
discussion  by  the  panel. 

It  was  an  interesting  meeting,  well 
controlled  by  the  noderator,  viho   gave  all 
panel  members  opportunity  to  express  their 
opinions.  After  questions  from  the  floor, 
punch  and  cookies  were  served  in  the 
Eliot  Room.  Miss  Pagliuca  and  her 
conmittee  are  to  be  congratulated  for 
providing  such  a  stimulating  program  to 
the  membership. 

Grace  M.  Marvin 

FAREWELLS 

On  Wednesday,  October  ID,  Donald  L. 
Hewnan  resigned  from  tte  library  service 
to  accept  a  position  with  Gorin  Stores, 
Inc.  This  position  will  aJCford  Mr  Newman 
an  excellent  opportrunity  to  utilize  his 


training  in  the  Business  Administration 
field.  The  many  friends  liiich  Mr  Newman 
has  made  during  his  eight  years  with  the 
library  presented  him  with  a  cash  gift  on 
his  departure.  The  libraiy  is  sorry  to  see 
Donald  go  but  we  wish  him  the  best  of  luck 
in  his  new  position. 


.  An  artificial  Japanese  plant  set  in 
driftwood  was  presented  to  Claire  Spellman, 
Cataloging  and  Classification,  R  and  RS, 
September  l8,  by  her  friends  as  a  farewell 
gift.  Best  TTishes,  Claire,  in  yovu"  new 
position  at  Boston  College. 

THE  SOCIAL  miBL 

Murphy-Eaton  Dessert  Party 

On  Tuesday,  Septen4)er  18,  from  12:30  to 
2  p.m.  the  Women's  Lounge  and  the  Women's 
Lunch  Room  took  on  an  air  of  festivity  not 
usually  associated  with  that  particular 
period  of  a  weekday.  In  the  Lunch  Room, 
not  interfering  with  the  tables  reserved 
for  those  ^ose  normal  hunger  was  being 
satisfied  in  routing  fashion,  an  efficient 
committee,  under  the  chainnanship  of  Edna 
G.  Peck,  was  preparing  a  tempting  combina- 
tion of  morning  coffee  hour  and  afternoon 
tea.  Appreciating  the  results  of  their 
efforts  in  a  most  gratifying  manner  were 
the  guests  assembled  in  the  Women's  Loxinge 
to  fete  Pauline  Eaton  and  Marty  Murphy 
upon  their  approaching  marriage.  The  room 
was  a  veritable  bower  of  flowers  from  the 
gardens  of  Mr  and  Mrs  Ronald  Keswick  (Branch 
Issue)  and,  on  loan  from  Open  Shelf,  giant 
yellow  chrysanthemums,  a  parting  gift  to 
that  department  from  PaiiL  S.  Cawein.  The 
family  of  the  bride  was  represented  by  her 
sister,  i&*s  Claire  Ddiertyj  of  the  groom, 
by^his  sister  and  niece,  Mrs  Mary  Bailey  and 
Mrs  Mary  O'Halloran. 

The  high  moment  of  the  party  came  trtien  Edn 
G.  Peck,  chairman,  and  Francis  X.  Moloney, 
Assistant  to  the  Director,  in  Charge  of 
Business  Operations,  silenced  the  guests 
momentarily  by  producing  two  hat  boxes- 
each  with  decorative  bows — one  ostensiblj' 
from  Chandler's  and  the  other  from  Brooks 
Brothers.  There  was  only  one  stipulation 
made  in  the  witty  and  friendly  speeches 
of  presentation;  that  was  that  the  bride 
and  groom  should  open  her  and  his  box 
immediately  and  try  on  "for  size"  the  hats 
reposing  therein.  To  the  astonishment  of 
the  recipients  and  the  guests,  each  box 


-u- 


contained  a  hat  fashioned  from  crisp,  new 
bills — one  dollar,  five  dollar,  and  ten 
dollar—by  Frances  Landrigan,  Open  Shelf 
milliner  "par  excellence"  and  her 
"apprentices".  The  bride's  hat  was  of  the 
wide,  picture  type  with  many  "flowers" 
hanging  down  the  back  on  streamers  of 
white  satin  ribbon  and  with  a  band  of 
"flowers"  around  the  crown.  The  groom's 
was  reminiscent  of  his  Army  days — a  trench 
hat,  with  embellishments.  Making  one  of 
his  first  public  speeches  on  behalf  of 
himself  and  his  bride-to-be,  Marty  acquit- 
ted himself  with  ease.  A  photogr-apher 
made  a  permanent  record  of  the  affair  by 
taking  pictures  of  the  bride  and  groom — 
with  hats,  of  co\irse— in  various  poses, 
ending  with  one  of  them  cutting  the  artis- 
cally  decorated  cake  made  by  Mrs   George 
Loncich,  sister  of  Tfrs  Claire  0 'Toole, 
Branch  Issue,  and  Sheila  Pierce,  Central 
Cliarging  Records. 

Their  many  friends  thoroughly  enjoyed 
this  opportunity  of  personally  extending 
good  TTishes  to  Paiiline  and  Marty,  and 
declared  unanimously  that  it  was  a  grand 
way  in  vhich  to  spend  a  lunch  hour! 

Sarah  M.  Usher 

The  Special  Committee  responsible  for 
the  Murphy-Eaton  noontime  party  wishes 
to  thank  all  those  who. gave  so  generously 
of  their  time,  talents  and  tangible  good 
wishes.;. -Special  -uhanks  go  to  Frances 
Landrigan  whose  facile  fingers  fashioned 
the  unique  "hats." 

E.  G.  Peck,  for  the  Committee 


On  Tuesday  evening,  Septembs'c-  25, 
Carolyn  Linshan,  of  Mount  Bowdoin  was 
guest  of  honor  at  a  pre-wedding  celebra- 
tion held  by  Anne  Coleman  and  her  staff 
at  the  Old  Colony  Lobster  House  on 
lioTTiasey  Boulevard  in  Dorohester.  The 
happy  bride-to-be  was  thrilled  at  re- 
ceiving a  beautiful  corsage  of  red  roses 
and  a  set  of  Reed  and  Barton  stainless 
steel  ware.  Frances  Lepie,  former  Branch 
Librarian  at  I/fount  Bowdoin,  joined  in  the 
festivities  and  had  a  happy  reunion  with 
her  former  staff. 


On  Tuesday  evening,  October  2,  a  few 
friends  ventured  out  to  the  Toll  House  in 
i/.Tiitrcan  in  honor  of  Helen  Sevagian  of  the 
Information  Office  who  was  leaving  shortly 
on  a  long  anticipated  trip  to  Etirope.  .A 
festive  dinner  was  enjoyed  by  all  who 
attended. 

The  girls  presented  Helen  with  a  lovely 
corsage  and  a  blue  leather  Travelogue 
hoping  that  it  would  be  filled  with  inter- 
esting and  enjoyable  remembrances  of  her 
first  trip  abroad. 


* 


On  Tuesday,  October  9,  Library  friends 
gathered  at  ^ddie  Davis'  Steak  House  to 
honor  Jo  ¥aldron,  RecorJ.s,  Files,  Statistics 
on  her  approaching  marriage  to  Donald  Murphy 
The  happy  bride-to-be  was  presented  with 
two  place  settings  cf  her  china,  appropri- 
ately named  "Bridal  Rose",  and,  also,  a 
very  lovely  "unmentionable"  for  her  trous- 
seau. Mr  Connolly  expressed  the  wishes  of 
all  her  friends  for  a  life  of  happiness, 
love,  and  contentment  and — judging  from 
that  certain  spark3.e  in  Jo's  eyes --we  belieVf 
she's  assured  all  three  1 

liVEDDING  BELLS 

If  the  old  adage  "Happy  is  the  bride  the 
sun  shines  on"  is  true,  then  Pauline  Eaton 
should  have  an  exceptionally  happy  married 
life  for  the  sun  shone  in  all  its  autuim:al 
splendor  on  the  twenty-ninth  of  September 
when  sYiB  became  the  bride  of  Martin  F. 
Murphy. 

The  double-ring  ceremony  was  performed 
at  a  ten  o'clock  Nuptial  Mass  at  St  Cecilia' 
Church,  Back  Bay.  The  Right  Reverend 
Charles  R.  Flanigan,  a  former  B.  P.  L. 'er, 
and  the  Right  Revei-end  Francis  L.  Phelan, 
paster  of  the  Church,  honored  the  occasion 
by  their  presence  within  the  altar  rail. 
The  bride  looked  radiant,  in  -.vhite  nylon 
floral  lace  over  taffeta,  Juliette  cap  with 
seed  pearls,  and  a  finger-tip  illusion  veil. 
She  carried  a  boiiquet  of  white  shaggy,  spide* 
chrysanthemums.  The  gowns  of  the  two  brides- 
maids, white-rose  taffeta,  worn  by  nieces 
of  the  groom,  were  beautifully  complimented 
by  the  blue-grape  taffeta  gown  of  the  Matron 
of  honor,  sister  of  the  bride.  Following 
the  ceremony  a  reception  was  held  at  the 
Eeaconsfield  Hotel,  Brookline.  Family  and 
personal  friends  of  the  bride  and  groom 
were  gracious  hosts  and  hostesses  to  the 
large  number  of  library  fellow  workers  who 
gathered  to  enjoy  their  hospitality  and  to 


-5- 


wish  the  couple  many  years  of  happiness. 
Frankie  Myers  and  his  orchestra  provided 
music  for  singing  and  dancing.     The 
bride ' s  bouquet  throvm  into  the  midst  of 
a  group  of  young  hopefuls  was  caught  by 
Dorothy  Chabot,   Book  Stack  Sei*vice. 
Prior  to  their  departure  for  a  Florida 
honeymoon,  Mr  and  Flts  Murphy  bade  a 
gracious  farewell  to  their  guests.     Mrs 
Murphy's  going  away  suit  was  tan  wool 
tweed  with  matching  hat. 

The  groom,  too,  was  there.     He  was  so 
poised  and  seemed  to  be  having  such  a 
good  txms  that  he  failed  to  fulfill  the 
proverbial  concept  of  a  flustered, 
harried,  worried  groom.     In  fact  as  they 
drove  away,   he  looked  mighty  pleased  with 
himself I  -  and  why  not? 


One  of  the  season's  very  loveliest 
brides,  Josephine  A.  YiTaldron  became  Mrs 
Donald  J.  Murphy  on  October  Hi  at 
3  o'clock  in  the  Sacred  Heart  Chm'ch, 
Roslindale.     Jo  wore  a  ballerina  length 
gown  cf  Chantilly  lace  over  ice-blue 
satin,  a  shoulder-length  illusion  veil 
fastened  with  a  crown  of  dainty  seed 
pearls.     She  carried  a  bouquet  of  gladioli 
buds  centered  with  roses  and  snapdragons. 
Jo's  sister,   Patricia,  was  Maid  of  Honor 
and  wore  a  ballerina  length  gown  of  aqua 
silk  accented  with  deeper  aqua  through 
the  bodice  and  panel  at  the  back  of  the 
gown.     She  wore  matching  accessories  and 
carried  a  bouquet  of  gladioli  clirysanthe- 
mums,  and  rosebuds.     John  Cronin,  a  friend 
of  the  groom,   served  as  Best  Man. 
Following  the  double -ring  ceremony  a 
reception  was  held  at  the  Knights  of 
Columbus  Hall  in  Roslindale.     After  the 
delicious  tui^key  dinner  dancing  and 
singing  made  thH  wedding  a  very  festive 
one.     A  B.  P.  L.  Alumna,  Kay  Doherty, 
cau^.t  the  bride's  lovely  bouquet — very 
appropriately  so  since  there  was  somsthing 
new  and  sparkling  on  her  third  finger, 
left  hand.     Following  their  trip  to 
Florida,  !fr  and  Mrs  Murphy  will  make  their 
home  in  Roslindale. 


PRESIDENT'S  NDTES 


This  has  been  a  veiy  busy  period  for  the 
Executive  Board  and  the  Personnel  Committeei. 
Since  our  last  report,  there  have  been  three 
joint  meetings  of  these  two  groups  for  the 
purpose  of  studying  and  discussing  the 
Direrbor's  stu::<y  of  BTL  salaries.     The  two 
groups  also  had  a  meeting  vrith  the  Director 
on  Wednesday,   10  October. 

To  siun  up  briefly  the  conclusions  of  the 
joint  meetings  of  the  Executive  Board  and 
the  Personnel  COiimittee: 

1.  Comparison  of  salaries  ciurently  paid 
by  comparable  libraries  justify  asking  for 
an  increase  in  BPL  salary  scales. 

2.  Statistics  of  salaries  paid  by  com- 
parable libraries  J  conipiled  by    the  Pe-rsonnel 
CommJi.ttee,  mch  figiires  fvirnished  by  the 
Personnel  Office  are  more  tenable  than  those 
a-ope3j'iv;.g  5ui  the  ciTTjDY  OF  THE  SAI ARIES  AND 

wages  currently  in  effect  in  the  boston 
Public  lih'ary. 

3.  In  respect  to  cost  of  living  as  a 
basis  for  raise  in  pay,  it  appears  that 
1938  is  net  a  satisfactory  year  to  use  as 
a  basr.a,   but  that  s.   lOJg  cost  of  living 
incresDs  is  warrented  when  1953  is  used  as 
a  basis  for  comparison  iirith  19^6. 

h'     There  appeared  to  be  so  roach  variation 
in  the  reports  of  rent  incrsarca  in  the 
Boston  area  that  it  was  decided  to  conduct 
our  own  poll  in  an  effort  oo  determine  how 
we  as  a  group  had  fared.  The  results  of 
the  questiorjiaire  show  that  rents  increased 
an  average  of  23.39^  and  taxes  increased 
an  average  of  lS.S9%' 

At  the  begi:ining  of  the  meeting  with  the 
Director,  Mr  Lord  reviewed  briefly  the  back- 
gromid  of  some  of  the  many  financial  problems 
besetting  mionicipalities  •wfiiich  would  greatly 
influence  the  likelihood  of  a  revision  of 
salary  schedules  in  the  iiranediate  future. 
The  Director,  after  referring  to  soms  of  the 
points  sho'.'m  in  his  stud^"  of  salaries,  invite 
a  general  dii5cussion.  The  President  read  the 
reports  of  thv^  Pers-jnnel  Conmiittee  and  of 
the  joint  meetings  of  the  Executive  Board  and 
the  Personnel  Corurdttee. 

The  Director  indicated  that  there  was  a 
need  for  a  general  revision  in  salary  scales, 
and  that  he  would  examine  very  carefully  the 
additional  data  presented  by  the  joint 
committee. 

In  addition  to  the  general  re^dsion  of 
salaj^"-  scales,  the  Director  stated  that  he 
WES  giving  much  thought  and  study  to  some 
basic  changes  in  the  system  of  classification 
and  advancement  for  the  SU'>Professional 
Library  Service.  In  connection  with  this 


«»Qm» 


study,  the  Executive  Board  and  the  Person- 
nel Conunittee  were  asked  to  furnish  any 
data  available  to  them  in  regard  to  wages 
paid  by  local  firms  for  work  comparable 
to  that  performed  by  the  Sub-Professional 
Library  Service.  The  Executive  Board,  in 
turn,  yrill  welcome  such  information  frcaa 
the  association  members. 

The  panel  discussion  "Yifhat  sells  a  Book?" 
was,  we  thought,  one  of  the  most  inter- 
esting programs  the  Staff  Association  has 
ever  presented.  An  account  of  the  discus- 
sion appears  elseYrtaere  in  this  issue,  but 
we  do  wish  to  express  our  sincere  thanks 
to  the  Program  Committee,  Miss  Linda 
Pagliuca,  chairman,  and  to  Mr  Peltier  and 
the  rest  of  the  Entertainment  Committee. 

The  Bertha  V.  Hartzell  Memorial  Lecture 
will  be  delivered  by  Dr  Paul  Buck,  Direc- 
tor of  Libraries  at  Harvard  University, 
on  Friday  evening,  26  October.  We  urge 
all  members  who  can  possibly  come  to 

attend  this  program.    ,   .  „  . 

Louis  Rains 

CIVIL  DEFENSE 

The  Civil  Defense  Planning  Committee, 
Trtiich  made  its  last  report  of  activities 
in  the  October  195U  issue  of  THE  QUESTION 
MARK,  prepared  an  exhibit  in  connection 
with  the  Program  Planners  Institute  -which 
was  held  in  the  Lecture  Hall  at  Central 
Library  on  October  3j  and  v*iich  remained 
on  view  through  October  U. 

It  was  assumed  that  organizations  in- 
terested in  planning  Civil  Defense  pro- 
grams might  wish  to  supplement  the  message 
brought  by  a  speaker  with  films,  books, 
and  free  literatta:e  which  the  audience 
might  take  home  and  read  at  leisure. 
Accordingly,  the  exhibit  was  planned 
along  these  lines.  The  li'  x  3'  table 
alloted  was  covered  with  blue  paper,  the 
color  prominent  in  all  Civil  Defense 
publicity.  A  large  poster,  a  copy  of 
those  used  extensively  in  the  recent 
Civil  Defense  Week,  shared  the  background 
with  one  of  the  mobile  units,  many  of 
which  had  been  displayed  throughout  the 
system  in  past  weeks.  Five  film  con- 
tainers, each  labeled  attractively  with 
the  title  of  a  Civil  Defense  film  avail- 
able for  circulation  in  the  Audio-Visual 
Dejartment,  formed  a  semi -circle  in  back 
of  a  pile  of  mimeographed  lists  of  the 
films.  These  lists  and  three  Civil 
Defense  informational  pamphlets  were  for 
free  distribution.  Completing  the  exhJMt 
were  books  on  Civil  Defense  idiich  might 
be  borrowed  for  home  use. 

Sarah  M.  Usher 


FROM  THE  BDRROIER'S  VIEW 


(The  following  verses  were  received  in  the 
Teachers ' s  Department  f row  a  steady  patron) 

Advice  to  Prospective  Librarians 

To  succeed  in  your  duties  librarious 
You  must  never  be  gay  or  hilarious; 

Let  your  mind  never  think 
Of  a  smoke  or  a  drink, 

And  you're  fired  if  your  talk  becomes  snearious 

Let  your  person  be  never  unsightly; 

Answer  questions  both  quickly  and  brightlyl 
Do  all  -Uiis  and  you'll  get 

Jxist  one  cause  for  regret: 
Your  halo  will  fit  you  too  tightlyl 

The  Outlook  on  Librarians. 

In  igr  day,  the  woman  librarian 

Was  a  fossilized  octogenarian 
Who  frowned  ndien  you  took 

Your  eyes  up  from  your  book 
And  whose  active  distrust  was  unvaiyin' . 

Today — ^young,  attractive  and  curvous. 
She  puts  you  at  ease  when  you're  nervous. 

And  with  maxinum  speed 

Gets  the  books  that  you  nesd. 

Hurrah  for  the  present  day  service. 

But  maybe  its  just  that  I*m  old 
For,  in  thinking  of  boyhood  so  bold, 

I  begin  to  surmise 
That  the  "fossil"  was  wise 

To  have  acted  distrustful  and  cold. 

And  the  young  lady  bringing  ray  books 
Is  throwing  sane  blistering  looks 

At  a  group  of  young  boys 
Who  are  making  much  noise 

In  one  of  the  library's  nooks. 

So,  girls,  carry  on  with  your  plan. 

But  remember:  the  look  on  yo\ir  "pan" 
Is  not  "helpful"  or  "mean", 
:  It '  s  jus  t  ishether  you  i  re  seen 
Through  the  eyes  of  a  boy  or  a  man. 


-7- 


NEW  ENGLAND  LIBRARY  ASSOCIATION,  SlfAMPSCOTI 


Opening  Meeting 

The  first  General  Session  began  vrlth  the 
reading  of  official  greetings  from  each  of 
the  six  New  England  governors.  Notices  of 
interest  to  the  general  membership  were 
then  read,  following  which  David  A.  Clift, 
Executive  Secretary  of  the  American  Li-.  ■ . 
brary  Association,  was  introduced.  His 
talk  was  in  the  nature  of  a  comment  upon 
topics  currently  of  interest  to  American 
librarians.  He  noted  that  the  newly- 
created  agency  of  the  Ford  Foundation  for 
the  study  of  library  problems  would  begin 
operation  soon  and  it  was  expected  that 
its  program  would  have  important  bearing 
upon  the  development  of  librarianship  here 
and  abroad.  Comment  was  then  made  on  the 
significance  of  the  new  standards  for 
public  libraries,  called  Public  library 
service.  Hope  was  expressed  that  all 
librarians  will  closely  examine  this  "i 
document  yJien  it  is  published  later  this 
year.  Mr  Clift  went  on  to  point  out  the 
added  significance  this  publication  had 
for  all  in  view  of  the  fact  that  this  year 
Congress  enacted  a  Library  Service  Act 
which  for  the  first  time  enables  the 
government  to  undertake  the  administration 
of  direct  financial  aid  to  states  in  an 
effort  to  equalize  public  library  service 
throughout  the  country. 

Charles  Siepman  of  New  York  University 
followed  Mr  Clift  to  the  rostrum.  His 
general  topic  was  "The  influence  of  mass 
communications  on  our  culttire'.' .  With 
humor  and  adroitness  he  commented  upon  the 
impact  of  such  media  as  the  printed  word, 
radio  and  television  on  our  thinking 
habits.  Stating  that  the  media  themselves 
were  a  blessing,  he  took  forceful  issue 
with  the  way  in  which  all  have  frequently 
been  used  in  the  search  for  profits.  At 
times  epigrammatic,  his  greatest  impact 
probably  occurred  at  the  point  vtfiere  he 
reminded  his  audience  that  it  was  impor- 
tant to  bathe  ovir  minds  of  befouling  in- 
fluences viiich  at  times  seem  to  crowd  all 
the  communication  media.  Mr  Siepman 's 
remarks  were  well  received,  and  closed 
the  morning  session. 

Adult  Education  and  Community  Needs 

The  Adult  Education  Committee  of  the 
H.PwL.A.  presented  the  afternoon  program 
on  October  I4.  Dr  Kenneth  Benne,  Director 
of  the  Human.  R©lati.ons  Center  at  Boston 


University,  moderated  a  panel  of  librarians 
representing  the  ^,six  New  England  States. 
The  panelists  role— played  to  the  .oxteht 
that  they  divorced  themselves  from  their 
roles  as  librarians  in  order  to  discuss 
community  needs.  A  resource  panel  including 
Robert  AkC;  Sigrid  Edge,  Muriel  Javelin,  and 
Miriam  Putnam  observed  the  procedtire. 

As  is  typical  of  Adult  Education  programs, 
the  total  audience  was  involved  in  the 
afternoon's  work.  Divided  into  four  sections, 
one  group  listened  for  the  needs  discussed 
by  the  panel,  assigning  priorities  in  terms 
of  the  library's  purposes;  another  listened 
for  the  needs  the  library  could  do  something 
about;  the  third  listened  for  needs  which 
were  omitted,  while  the  fourth  group  acted 
as  researcher.  Recognizing  the  differences 
between  communities  in  reference  to  needs, 
this  group  listened  for  methods  of  discovering 
wheire  needs  exist. 

After  the  panel  discussion  the  audience 
divided  into  small  groups  to  discuss  the 
aspects  for  which  each  section  had  listened. 
Reporti^js  announced  each  group's  concensus. 
At  this  point,  the  resource  team,  again  led 
by  Dr  Benne,  gathered  together  tlie  information 
garnered  from  the  panel  and  audience  and 
pointed  trends  and  directions  as  well  as 
commenting  on  the  suggestions. 

The  following  morning,  the  meeting  was 
continued  in  an  open  discussion  conducted 
by  Mrs  Muriel  Javelin,  Deputy  Supervisor 
in  Charge  of  Work  with  Adults  at  the  Boston 
Public  Library ,  Areas  which  were  discussed 
included : 

1.  Kinds  of  services  to  adults  which 
libraries  offer  to  meet  comraunity  needs. 

2.  Who  does  adult  education  in  the 
library? 

3.  Ways  that  libraries  study  adult 
community  needs. 

h'     Obstacles  in  developing  adult  education 
programs . 

Once  again,  a  resource  team  commented  upon 
an'l  made  suggestions  additional  to  those 
brought  out  in  the  discussion.  The  entire 
program  served  to  clarify  some  of  the  issues 
in  library  adult  education  for  those  individ- 
uals who  participated. 

Veronica  T.  Yotts 

New  England  Children's  Book  Clinic 

"Meet  the  Author  and  Illustrator . " 

After  briefly  defining  the  function  of  the 
clinic,  Phyllis  Oilman,  of  Campbell  &  Hall, 
Itic.,  introduced  the  first  speaker  of  the 


•8. 


thoroughlj  MTSonabla  group  on  tho  plat- 
form, Marx  Adrian*  Petite,  attractiv«« 
with  nice  natural  hunor,  Idss  Adrian, 
long  interested  in  giving  soaething  to 
ehildren  in  the  middle  group,  sounded  a 
kejmote  of  persistence  in  research  and 
mriting.  Convinced,  Justifiably,  that  the 
liidtless  mrateriea  of  nature  and  the 
universal  appeal  of  the  aorstery  alenent  to 
children  can  dov«tail  in  her  pattern  of 
vritlng,  she  enteavors  to  pack  her  fiction 
full  of  the  science  lore  in  which  she  is 
80  interested.  Har  non-fiction  research 
is  personal,  enthusiastic  and  unfailing. 
Be  it  a  praying  mantis,  a  falling  aapGLe- 
seed-ving,  a  bee  or  tihatever,  Hiss  Adrian 
wants  to  know  how,  why  and  when.  With 
that  ability  to  anticipate  a  child's 
pseudo-skepticism,  she  has  wisely  experi- 
nanted  with  aost  of  that  which  islMt  pn»- 
pounds. 

John  TVinis,  long,  lean,  tanned,  sparse 
of  frame  and  hair,  of  spcsrts  stories 
reputation.  Inserted  his  ami  bit  of  humor 
in  dryly  remarking  that  had  he  known  he 
wbls  to  be  on  the  same  platform  with  the 
Corner  editor  of  Vogjue,  he  wotald  hare  had 
•  different  haix-3oT  ^Ife  plunged  his 
listeners  into  surprised  speculation, 
hcrwever,  on  announcing  he  was  going  to 
talk  of  the  "loneliness  of  writers."  Then 
followed  a  yery  definitely  off-the-beaten- 
track  plea  for  tolerance  toward  the  slips 
and  fuables  of  hitherto  successful  writes, 
Citing  the  case  of  a  friend  watching  a 
potential  $25,000  for  a  serial  alaply 
fail  to  jell,  Mr  Tunis  oame  perilsasly 
olose  to  eii^barrassing  his  audience.  Were 
"■ft  too  tuned  to  eff erreacence  that  day? 
^8  it  good  timing  for  Ur  Tunis?  In  any 
6Vent,  be  had  surrandered  a  World  Series 
Tloket  for"TIie  meeting,  and  the  sinceri^ 
Ih  his  plea  was  unmistakeable ,  Potent 
Medicine,  we  knew,  oust  have  made  him 
^peak  as  he  did.  And  so  we  all  were  very 
«vr«j|htful. 

A  fascinating,  mischievous,  impulsive, 
"©t*y-^olored  mouse  then  came  fonnird 
while  Barbara  Cooney,  lllvtstrator,  who 
likes  to  draw  mice,  "made  with  the  easel". 
Ug^tly  she  picked  up  the  ball  of  Ulss 
Adrian's  humor  and  kept  it  in  the  air  wst 
of  her  aUotted  time.  Her  sparkle, 
J«>apl«te  lack  of  inhibition,  her  tongue- 
in-cheek  running  coanentary  during  her 
jouse  drawings  kept  the  audience  in  a 
J^PPy  buAle  awi--what  else?— she  was  gpodi 
gher  husband,  a  worthy  U.D..,  and  her 
i^3»-«loe«ly  pwsallal  some  of  har  nice, 

^- ""xraBT  jdteL  i<M* 


•'(has'*  ••i««i. , 


her  mice  are,  in  a  way,  people,  and  the 
cartooning  never  hurts  the  feelings  of  the   I 
mice,  Miereas,..  Only  once,  probably  vii en 
in  her  toaster  "up  popped  a  singed  mouse, " 
did  the  IC.D.  have  to  take  drastic  steps. 
Perhaps  her  closit^  remark  about  **lonelin»ss*' 
jolted  some  of  us*  Was  her  fun  in  poor 
tasta?  More  probably  she  said  it  impetuously 
and  mentally  clapped  her  hands  over  her  mouth 
immediately  after.  Definitely  delightful— 
def  IzxLtely  not  Court  of  St  James  I 

If  lirs  Cooney  tossed  the  ball,  Col  Coltgr, 
faiaed  for  writing  on  mny  fields,  slammed 
it  around  until  we  were  dizzy  following  it. 
Dapper  (how  he'd  hate  that),  ispeecably 
gx^oasd,  not  too  unlike  Bob  Benchley  in 
general  type,  but  not  leisurely  in  his  humor, 
he  nurtures  an  almost  tickler  rejection-slip- 
flle,  but  can't  gainsay  the  fact  that  the 
F.B*I*,  having  once  tried  to  brush  hia  off, 
finally  bought  1700  eopias  of  his  F.B.I. 
book  and  now  uses  it  in  their  visual  aid 
program  at  their  school.  Knowi:^  the  importu- 
nscy  of  children,  Cd  Colby  tries  to  keep 
his  •atisfled.  That's  his  story,  but  we  see 
the  way  channels  are  cleared,  the  excellence 
of  the  photos  he  obtains,  the  authenticity 
of  his  text.  He  loves  to  talk,  he's  an 
amazingly  warm  and  perceptive  father,  and  he, 
too,  made  his  sacrifice  that  day  by  8xirrenr> 
dering  an  invitation  to  mis^ty  doings  at  tiie 
Aberdeen  Proving  Qroundl 

Harriet  Carr,  author  of  Bor^illde  of 
Brooklyn  followed  with  an  interesting  account 
of  a  visit  to  the  sixth  grade  of  an  experi- 
mental school  in  Brooklyn  which  sparked  her 
whole  approach  to  writing  and  talking,  the 
intelligence  level  having  been  what  it  was  and 
tha  questions  so  searching.  Vhere  many  would 
have  felt  quite  rueful  to  diminish  thet  tea^x) 
maintained  by  Col  Colby,  plurop,  pleasant 
ICLss  Carr,  unassusdj^ly,  yet  with  coopltfts 
serenity,  moved  along  in  leisurely  fashion 
to  tell  us  of  how  auoh  her  <rm  background 
figures  in  her  books  and  that  the  integrity 
of  her  reseazvh  will  always  be  traoeable  to 
that  Bro^lyn  s<^ool  caqMrienee. 

Nbroa  Harris,  of  ^e  editorial  department 
of  the  Sci«sace  Museum,  author  of  "Slim  Green," 
and  "Hmmoer  and  Buzz,"  quite  naturally  esifte- 
sized  the  urgency  of  stimulating  science 
interest  in  the  young,  and  that  soon  eno\ig^» 
In  coaaaon  with  many  educators,  he  dreads  the 
substitute  outlet  for  interests,  the  effect 
of  a  suffocated  first-interest.  C(»|>lst6 
with  market  basket  full  of  science  books',  he 
gave  us  all  an  interesting  picture  ot  the 
way  we  ply  our  trade  in  our  own  boolc  talks. 
One  exception,  perhape.  The  secoffd  markfftr 


-9- 


so-^o-o-  Slim  Green  and  Slim  Green  J\inior 
made  our  acquaintance,  safely  wound  round 
Ifr  Harris '  fingers— thank  heaven! 

Let's  hope  this  wonderful  spiral  of 
good  to  excellent  in  the  panel  of  N.E.C 
B.C.  speakers  can  continue.  Quite  a 
challenge,  Miss  Gilraanl 

Lucia  Fatilkner 

Young  Adults  Author 

Rose  Maorachian,  Young  Adults  librarian, 
Boston  Public  Library,  and  Chairman  of  the 
Round  Table  for  Young  Adults  Librarians, 
introduced  Mrs  Rosamond  Du  Jardin,  author 
of  teen-age  fiction  for  girls,  who  was 
the  speaker  featured  at  the  Friday  after- 
noon meeting  of  the  Round  Table  of  Li- 
brarians for  Young  Adults .  Mrs  Du  Jardin 
conveyed  a  warm  motherliness  to  the  large 
assembly  as  she  described  her  philosophy 
and  technique  of  writing  for  young  adults. 

A  mother  of  two  girls  and  a  boy,  this 
author  believes  that  young  people  should 
be  treated  as  individuals.  Their  only 
common  denominator  is  their  desire  to  be 
liked  by  their  contemporaries.  She  feels 
that  the  delinquency  problem  is  probably 
a  result  of  the  irresponsible  moral 
atmosphere  of  the  age  where  "deals  are 
made"  and  tickets  are  "fixed". 

Mrs  Du  Jardin  injected  a  pleasant  wit 
into  her  commentaries  on  youth.  She  noted 
that  teen-agers  are  like  ripe  olives: 
"Either  you  like  them  or  can't  stand  them 
at  all".  Obviously  liking  them,  Mrs 
Du  Jardin  attributed  her  successful  half 
a  million  words  of  fiction  to  the  fact 
that  youngsters  identify  themselves  with 
the  young  people  in  her  novels. 

Cherished  Traditions 
among  Children's"  Librarians 

One  of  the  highlights  of  the  Conference 
was  the  Friday  afternoon  program  sponsored 
by  the  Round  Table,  of  Children's  Librar- 
ians.^ -This  program  consisted  of  two 
major  features. 

At  three  o'clock  the  sixth  annual 
Caroline  M.  Hewins  Lecture  was  delivered 
by  Alice  Cushman,  Children's  Librarian, 
Youth  Library,  Fitchburg.  The  subject  of 
the  lectvire  this  year,  "The  American 
Sunday  School  Library",  made  heavy  demands 
on  the  lecturer.  Miss  Cushman 's  paper 
showed  evidences  of  wide  research  and 
diligent  application  to  the  subject. 

Since  this  year  imrks  the  fiftieth 


anniversary  of  the  founding  of  the  Round 
Table  of  Children's  Librarians,  the  second 
half  of  the  program  was  a  special  tribute 
to  Alice  M.  Jordan,  Supervisor  of  Work  with 
Children,  Emeritus,  Boston  Public  Library. 
Edna  Boutwell,  Chairman  of  the  IJassachusetts 
section  of  the  Round  Table,  presented  Miss 
Jordan  wilh  a  corsage  festooned  with  fifty 
one-dollar  bills.  Frederic  G.  Ifelcher, 
presiding  officer  for  the  session,  paid  high 
tribute  to  Miss  Jordan's  contribution  to 
children's  work,  not  only  in  her  own  state 
but  nationally.  He  offered  his  congratula- 
tions to  Miss  Jordan  as  one  of  the  charter 
members  of  the  RoTind  Table.  In  her  usual 
sincere  and  modest  manner,  Miss  Jordan 
accepted  the  tribute.  She  noted  that,  as 
far  as  she  knows,  Carrie  Allen,  former  li- 
brarian, Milton  Public  Library,  is  the  only 
other  living  charter  member. 

Following  this  presentation,  an  informal 
reception  was  held  at  viiich  all  present  had 
an  opportunity  to  greet  Miss  Jordan  and 
extend  to  her  sincere  congratualtions  and 
best  wishes  for  continuing  participation  in 
Library  events.  A  beautiful  anniversary 
cake,  served  with  sparkling  punch,  was 
enjoyed  by  the  many  gathered  to  pay  tribute 
to  ft  great  lady  and  an  outstanding  personal- 
ity in  the  library  field. 

Edna  G.  Peck 

Friday,  General  Session 
Virgilia  Peterson;  Does  Literature  Reflect 
the  World  We  Live  In? 


Superlatives  grow  feeble  in  reporting  on 
Virgilia  Petersoni  If  the  brief  biographical 
sketch  T*iich  was  her  introduction  by 
President-Elect,  Richard  W.  Mbrin,  is  now 
a  bit  nebulous  in  our  minds,  it  is  under- 
standably so,  for  the  air  is  always  charged, 
I  find,  j\ist  prior  to  an  address  by  this 
darkly  beautiful,  completely  channing, 
completely  fearless  and  completely  able 
author  and  critic. 

Contending  that  "in  the  world  we  live  in" 
Colin  Wilson's  The  Outsider  has  a  partial 
parallel  in  all  our  lives:  that  we  all  sxiffer 
at  one  time  or  another  from  outsideness, 
Mrs  Peterson  tailored  her  subject  to  high- 
light the  dominant  theme  of  outsiders. 
Inpatient  that  the  critics  tried  to  "prick 
the  bubble  of  his  (Wilson's)  success"  and 
resented  his  "intelligent  arrogance,"  she 
nevertheless  dubbed  Wilson  "an  unregenerate 
snob."  addict  of  "excusivity"  and  himself 
an  outsider.  In  further  probing  this  out- 
sideness—incubus  of  so  many  in  "the  world 


-10- 


we  live  in,"  she  referred  to  "the  too- 
highness  by  -which  we  measure  man"  as  re-^ 
sponsible,  in  part. 

Under  the  "umbrella  term  of  outsidcness", 
too,  comes  Francoise  Saigan.  Product  of 
the  post-war  era,  she  is  not  at  home  in 
this  world,  Mrs  Peterson  feels j  and  in 
her  A  Certain  Smile  gives  evidence  that 
she  is  not  unconventional  in  a  conven- 
tional way,  but  has  "stepped  outside  the 
normal  framework  just  to  show  off j"  that 
she  is  a  "lonely,  disillusioned  girl, 
mistaking  possession  for  reality."  In 
the  ■Ksjrai  compassion  -which  so  finely  sof- 
tens the  searchlight  of  her  in-bollect, 
Mrs  Peterson  then  dipped  richly  into  her 
wealth  of  me-taphor  to  declare  that  these 
French  girls  of  today  "have  no  bannisters 
on  the  tortuous  ascent  to  maturity." 

Simone  de  Beau voir,  author  of  The  Manda- 
rins, was  the  object  of  some  tongv.e- 
lashing  from  Mrs  Peterson,  de  Beauvoir 
flailing  her  ami  sex  of  ivriters  as  ex- 
alting a  middle-class  well-being.  lUrs 
Peterson  wonders  if  the  epidemic  of  in- 
tensified anxiety  is  the  curse  vhich  has 
driven  -writers  today  to  expose  the  most 
intimate  details  of  their  own  lives, 
"for,"  she  pronounced  crisply,  "Miss 
de  Beauvoir  has  certainly  in-vaded  her  own 
pri-vacy." 

Born  of  this  anxiety  which  pervades  -tiie 
"world  we  ].ive  in,"  come  ail  the, 
questions,  '"^^'ho  am  I?  Hiy  am  I  here?  To 
what  shall  I  comnit  myself?  How  shall  I 
face  my  time  to  die?  To  the  outsiders 
these  questions  come  from  the  "storm 
centers  of  their  beings,"  as  Ws   Pe"berson 
iterated  and  reiterated  as  she  assessed 
each  outsider.  V/i-th  the  briefest,  "Sorry, 
Kentucky,"  to  the  Kentuckians  present , 
she  then  moved  to  Robert  Penn  Warren's', 
Segregation,  and  Lucy  Daniels '  Caleb,  My 
Son."  Fearlessly,  ringingly,  almost 
cinically  Mrs  Peterson  then  led  her 
audience  to  examine  their  hearts  on  the 
mat-ber  of  segregation,  -via  Warren's  and 
Daniel's  strong  contributions,  to  see 
vrfiether  or  not  such  examination  would 
reveal  a  whited  supulchre . 

Anne  Lindbergh,  another  outsider,  whose 
"fins  strengths"  paled  disappointingly 
in  "Gift  from  the  Sea,"  expresses  them 
intensely  in  her  new  book  of  poetry,  "The 
Unicorn,"  claimed  Kirs  Peterson,  confident 
that  poetry  is  Mrs  Lindbergh's  vehicle 
for  answering,  Yilho  am  I?  Why  am  I  here? 
etc. 

A  little  ripple  was  definitely  percep- 
tible as  the  speaker  pointed  to  her  last 


outsider,  Katherine  Hulme,  via  "The  Nun's  St 
Story."  Vfith  great  objecti-vity  she  gave 
a  stirring  sketch  of  "The  Nun's  Story," 
searchingly  challenged  her  audience's 
intellectual-moral-stamina  in  approaching 
it  and  condemned  categorizing  in  her 
summation  of  the  author  and  her  book. 

Mrs  Peterson's  superb  demands  on  her 
audience  for  single-mindedness ,  discernment, 
erudition  and  stature,  plus  her  tremendous 
integrity,  flawless  mastery  of  words  and 
ability  to  wrest  from  a  book  its  veiy 
essence  of  thought  and  expression,  maiic  her 
as  a  vivid  "top"  in  her  field. 

Lucia  Favilkner 

Virginia  Kirk-gs — ^The  Sliape  of  Books  to  Come 

Operator  of  a  book  reviewing  ser-vice  which 
reaches  over  15,000  sijbscribers ,  both  domestic 
and  foreign.  Miss  Virginia  Kirkus,  in  a 
stinulating  talk  on  "The  Shape  of  Books  to 
Come" ,  delineated  certain  trends  to  antici- 
pate if  -we  -wish  owe  libraries  to  ser-ve  not 
for  today  alone,  but  for  tte  future. 

Among  books  for  an  elecbj.on  year,  which, 
of  course,  al-nays  breeds  a  s-pate  of  politi- 
cal books,  she  mentioned  The  last  Hurrah  as 
one  which  will  live  because  its  central 
character  comes  alive~is  three  dimensional; 
Donovan's  Eisenhower:  The  Inside  Story, 
because  it  discloses  the  workings  of  politics 
in  a  way  that  is  informative  for  the  future; 
and  Roosevelt:  The  Lion  and  the  Fox, 
commended  for  its  objecti-vity.  Each  of 
these  has  value  for  the  social  scientist  as 
-well  as  the  ci-fcizen-reader . 

The  current  popularity  of  books  on  Africa 
and  India  she  cited  as  perhaps  e-vidence  of 
o\ir  unwillingness  to  face  up  to  our  own 
problem  of  segregation- — a  kind  of  escape 
reading.  She  felt  that  in  such  books  as 
Huddleston's  Not  For  Your  Comfort,  Nadine 
Garden's  Six  Feet  of  Countyy  (written  with 
more  detachment),  and  the  forthcoming 
Montseirat's  Tribe  That  Lost  Its  Head 
(concerning  the  conflict  of  resiirgent 
nationalism  and  dydng  colonialism),  we 
mi^.t  see  -the  problem  in  its  context,  -with 
characters  -who  merit  the  reader's  compassion. 

Librarians  nay  find  Graham  Greene's  The 
Quiet  American  recovering  its  previous 
place  on  best-seller  lists  because  of  -the  ". . 
recent  Russian  review  of  it  a 5  " England's 
attack  on  America" .  Viewed  as  such,  it  will 
have  to  be  considered,  too,  as  a  political 
novel. 

Visiting  in  Greensboro,  South  Carolina 
recently,  Jliss  Kirkus  found  plans  afoot  to 


-11- 


celebrate  the  centenarj'  of  the  War  Between 
the  States.  If  this  receives  adequate 
publicity  (which  it  undoubtedly  will)  it 
should  create  an  even  greater  demand  for 
books  about  the  Civil  War.  A  new  title 
on  this  subject  which  liiss  Kirkus  found 
especially  appealing  is  James  Street's 
Captain  Littleaxe  (due  in  Deceicber) . 
Apparently  there  is  no  saturation  point 
for  this  subject,  with  no vies  and  TV  doing 
their  share  to  stimulate  interest. 

In  contrast  to  English  readers  -who 
prefer  definj-tive  biographies,  Americans 
seem  to  like  their  stories  of  real  people 
spiced  with  a  bit  of  fiction.  Louise 
Hall  Tharp  provides  such  spice  in  her 
Three  Saints  and  a  Sinner,  the  story  of 
Julia  Ward  Howe's  famous  family,  rascally 
brother  Sam  being  the  sinner  of  the  title. 

Recent  output  in  the  field  of  children's 
books  has  produced  a  regrettablj'-  high 
degree  of  mediocrity,  according  to  Miss 
Kirkus.  Not  bad  enough  on  either  moral 
or  artistic  grounds  to  be  rejected,  but 
merely  innocuous,  many  of  these  books 
become  mere  time-fillers  for  tlieir 
readers,  contributing  nothing  positive 
in  the  way  of  delight,  wonder,  or  inspi- 
ration. In  picture  books  she  hopes  for 
more  than  pictorial  appeal  in  judging 
books,  recognizing  that  small  children 
require  meticulous  detail  and  satisfying 
h^imony  in  picture  and  text.  Rather  than 
"•/rriting  do:TC"  to  children,  authors  and 
publishers  need  to  be  aware  of  how  diverse 
and  wide  ranging  are  the  interests  of 
children,  and  Miss  Kirkus  felt  that  they 
will  give  us  the  best  only  as  Vfe  demand 
it  of  thsm. 

Anne  Armstrong 

NM  EOOIS  IN  THE  STAFF  LIBRARY 

Non-Fiction 

Allen,  Steve 

The  funny  men. 

N.Y.,  Simon  and  Schuster,  19^6 
Burns,  James  M. 

Roosevelt 

N.Y.,  Harcourt,  1956 
Cassini,  Marguerite 

Never  a  dull  moment. 

N.Y.,  Harper,  1956 
Garrison,  Maxine 

The  angel  spreads  her  wings. 

Westwood,  M.J.,  Revell,  1956 


Hanson,  Lawrence 

The  tragic  life  of  Toulouse-Lautrec. 

N.Y. ,  Random  House,  1956 
Overstreet,  Harry  A. 

The  mind  goes  forth. 

N.Y.,  Norton,  1956 
Sevareid,  Arnold  E. 

Smr.ll  sounds  in  the  night. 

N.Y.,  Knopf,  1956 

Fiction 

Iferrangpn,  Eloise 

How  to  travel  with  parents. 

N.Y.,  Dial  Press,  1956 
larrett,  William  E. 

The  sudden  strangers. 

Garden  City,  N.Y. ,  Doublcday,  1956 
Harriman,  Margaret 

Blessed  are  the  debonair. 

N.Y.,  Rinehart,  1956 
Tallant,  Robert 

The  voodoo  queen  . 

N.Y.,  Putnam,  1956 

MEET  OUR  NIWCOMERS 

Jane  Barry  is  a  newcomer  to  the  library 
service  in  every  sense  of  the  word.  Before 
becoming  an  assistant  in  the  Young  Adult 
Room  at  Mattapan,  she  taught  school  for 
two  years  in  ConTiecticiit.  Since  Jane  is  a 
native  New  Hampshirite,  she  comes  naturally 
to  a  liking  for  outdoor  sports  and  cou-itiy 
square -dancing.  However,  Boston  and 
vicinity  has  very  definitely  become  a  niU'^h- 
loved  second  home  to  her. 


* 


Native  Bostonian,  Sheila  Borges,  who 
graduated  from  Radcliffe  in  195U  (magna  dum 
laude),  is  a  happy  addition  to  the   Book- 
mobile Staff,     '^ile  at  college  Dlirs  Borges 
took  part  in  dramatic  work;  she  was,  also, 
connected  for  a  time  with  the  Newport 
Casino  Theatre.     Along  with  ner  graduation 
in  195U  came  her  marriage  to  Edward  Borges. 
TfJhile  he  was  in  the  Army,   she  travelled 
along  TiTith  him  to  all  parts  of  the  country. 
Now  that  her  husband  is  a  student  at     Har- 
vard Law  School,  Sheila  is  content  to  settle 
down  in  Boston  for  a  while . 

We  hope  that  the  smile  she  habitually  wears 
is  partly  a  result  of  her  having  fovmd  cor:- 
genial  companions  among  us|  but  we  suspect 
that  she  must  be  thinking  often  of  her  tv/o 
year  old  son,   Dain.  Sheila  declares  that  if 


-12- 


and  when  she  has  any  spare  time  left  over 
from  her  dual  mother-librarian  role,  she 
hopes  to  do  a  little  more  acting  and 
directing. 


Mrs  Elizabeth  F.  Greer,  now  assisting 
in  the  Children's  Room  at  West  Roxbury, 
came  to  Boston  from  Butler,  Pennsylvania, 
a  toTOi  near  Pittsburgh.  After  attending 
Muskingum  College  in  Ohio,  she  returned 
to  Butler  for  a  time  to  teach  elementary 
school.  At  present,  Mrs  Greer  is  living 
in  Brockline  while  her  husband  attends 
Harvard  Medical  School.  Among  her  many 
interests,  Mrs  Greer  places  high  her 
fondness  for  classical  music. 


Back  in  1953,  Mrs  Barbara  (Moselle) 
Simon  worked  at  Roslindale  as  an  extra  for 
a  short  time.  Then  she  returned  to  her 
hometown,  Springfield,  Ifessachusetts, 
where  she  served  in  the  library — first  as 
an  extra,  later  as  a  regular  staff  member — 
between  1953  and  1956.  In  August  of  this 
year,  she  was  married.  In  her  spare  time, 
Mrs  Simon  enjoys  attending  plays  or 
reading  and  she  is,  also,  a  spoits  enthu- 
siast;. 


« 


Josephine  Del  Longo  has  been  with  Book 
Stack  Service  since  August.  She  is  a 
graduate  of  Woodward  Institute  and  Quincy 
High  School.  Reading  and  oil  painting 
are  her  special  interests  and,  between 
working  hours,  we  expect  she  will  become 
well-acquaiated  with  the  Fine  Arts 
Department . 

ACKKOIXEDGMENT  FROM  ISRAEL; 
RECEIVED  BYl'HE  GAl^  COMMITTEE 

2li-7-56 

We  hereby  are  happy  to  acknowledge  with 
thsjiks  your  response  to  the  needs  of  the 
children  of  our  State,  through  the  valu- 
able medium  of  "CARE". 

Again  we  thank  you  from  our  hearts  for 
our  enjoyment  of  the  gift  T/i4iich  you  sent 
us! 

Histadrut  Mizvachi 
and  Hapvel  Mizvachi 


A  BOOST  FROM  PENTJSYLVANIA 


Recently  Mr  Rains  was  asked  to  provide 
for  a  Pennsylvania  Library  Assocation  Con- 
ference a  description  of  our  Professional 
Staff  Association  and  its  activity  during 
the  last  few  years.  This  he  did.  The 
acknowledgment  which  he  received  for  this 
cooperation  may  be  of  interest  to  members 
of  the  association* 

October  9,  1956 

Mr  Louis  Rains,  Pres. 

Boston  Public  Library  Professional 

Staff  Assoc . 
Boston  17,  Massachusetts 

Hy  dear  Mr  Rains: 

The  Permsylvania  Libraiy  Association 
Conference  for  1956  ir;  now  a  thing  of  the  ' 
past.  The  S.O;.R.T.  meeting  was  well  at  .^  .  -■ 
tended  and  drew  many  favorable  comments. 
Miss  Cynthia  Fo  Tucker,  President  of  the 
Staff  Association  of  Pennsylvania  State 
University  Library,  handled  the  topic  ALL 
SORTS  in  a  very  interesting  manner, 
treating  of  the  philosophy  of  Staff  Or- 
ganizations, their  background,  etc.  Mr 
Emsrson  Greeraway  of  Philadelphia  spoke 
from  the  standpoint  of  the  Administrator, 
leaving  no  angle  untouched,  and  thanks  to 
all  you  good  people  out  there,  my  contribu- 
tion. From  WithJn,  from  the  member's  eye view, 
so  to  speak,  received  flattering  attention. 

Your  Staff  Association  in  Boston  sounds 
so  alive  and  professional  and  your  fund- 
raising  out  of  this  world. 

Thank  you  very  much  Mr  Rains,  for  helping 
me.  If  I  can  ever  be  of  like  service  to 
you  just  let  me  know  and  I'll  do  my  best  to 
accomodate . 

Very  sincerely, 

SUE  H.  WEIR 

MORE  VISITORS 

Br  Giuseppe  Sergio  Martini,  Librarian  in 
Charge  of  Cataloging  and  Classification, 
Biblioteca  Nazionale  Centrale,  Florence, 
Italy.  Dr  Saxiro  Pesante,  Trieste,  Italy. 
Dr  Michalangelo  Callo,  Italy. 


•J^" 


BESSIE  L.  DOHERTY  MEIDRIAL 

The  Bessie  L.  Doherty  Ifemorial  gift  was 
presented  to  the  Board  of  Trustees  at  its 
meeting  on  Friday,  October  5j  1956,  with 
the  accompsuiying  letter  of  transmittal: 

Boston  Public  Library 
5  October  1956 

To  the   Tnjstees  of  the 
Public  Library  of  the 
City  of  Boston 

Gentlemen: 

On  April  11,  1956,  Miss  Bessie  L. 
Doherty,  Assistant  In  Charge  of  the  Branch 
Issue  Department,  passed  away.  Many  of 
her  library  friends ,  both  active  and  re- 
tired, who  had  known  her  during  her  fifty- 
one  years  of  service  in  the  Boston  Public 
Library,  expressed  a  desire  to  contribute 
to  a  memorial  in  her  name.  A  committee 
was  formed J  a  notice  was  sent  to  the  staff 
on  May  16,  1956  (copy  attached);  and  the 
committee  received  contributions  •wiiich 
were  made  voltmtarily. 

The  committee  considered  carefully 
all  suggestions  made  to  it  concerning  the 
form  the  memorial  might  take.  It  recalled 
Bessie  L.  Doherty,  the  person — her  warm, 
outgoing  personality!  her  friendly  inter- 
est in  people — as  friends,  as  co-workers, 
as  students  in  her  classes,  and  as  members 
of  audiences  in  her  storytelling  groups; 
her  sympathetic  understanding  of  staff 
problems;  and  her  keen  enjoyment  of  staff 
parties.  Remembering  all  these  things, 
the  committee  concluded  that  a  gift  which 
would  bring  continuing  enjoyment  to  the 
staff  as  people  would  be  one  which  would 
most  fittingly  honor  her. 

Acting  upon  its  decision,  and  on  be- 
half of  her  many  friends,  active  and  re- 
tired, in  the  Boston  Public  Library,  the 
Committee  hereby  presents  to  The  Trustees 
of  the  Public  Library  of  the  City  of 
Boston,  as  a  memorial  to  the  late  Bessie 
L.  Doherty  and  for  use  by  the  staff  at 
social  functions,  a  brass  coffee  urn  and 
trays,  the  urn  inscribed  as  follows: 

In  Memory  of 
Bessie  L.  Doherty 
Boston  Public  Library  Staff  Member 
1905—1956 

Given  by  Her  Associates 


Sincerely, 
THE  COMMITTEE 


BERTHA 
GRACE 


S.  KESWICK 
"LDUCHLIN 


B. 


(s) 

(s)  

(s)  MARY  M. 

(s)  LOUISA  S.  MKCCALF 
(s)  EDNA  G. 


MCDONOUGH 


(s) 
(s) 


MILDRED  R 


PECK 
SOMES 


SARAH  M.  USHER 


Bertha  S.  Keswick 
"Grace  B.  Loughlin 
"Mary  M.  McDonough 
"Louisa  S.  Metcalf 
"Edna  G.  Peck 
'Mildred  R.  Somes 
"Sarah  M.  Usher, 
Chairman 


The  following  letter  of  acceptance  has 
been  received  from  the  Director: 

Miss  Sarah  M.  Usher 
Boston  Public  Library 
Copley  Square 
Boston  17,  Ifessachusetts 

Dear  Miss  Usher: 

To  the  Trustees  of  the  Li- 
brary, at  their  meeting  on  October  5,  I 
presented  the  very  pleasant  memorial  gift 
which  the  friends  and  associates  of  Mss 
Bessie  L.  Doherty  had  made  in  tribute  to 
her  long  and  fruitful  period  of  activity 
in  their  midst.  The  Tnistees  accepted  this 
gift  with  warm  appreciation.  I  am  inclosing 
an  attested  copy  of  their  vote  of  acceptance. 

This  fine  gift  is  particularly  pleasant 
in  that  it  pays  tribute  to  Miss  Doherty,  and 
does  so  in  a  manner  v4iich  isill  be  for  the 
continuing  benefit  of  those  vtho  were  her 
fellow  workers  as  well  as  those  who  will  come 
in  succession  to  her  and  the  others  of  her 
period  in  the  Library.  Such  a  memorial 
gift  is  particularly  pleasant  also  in  its 
being  for  use  by  the  library  staff  at  social 
and  similar  functions  for  the  future. 

Yours  sincerely, 
(Signed)       M.  E.  Lord 
Director 

5  October  1956 

"VOTED:  that  there  be  and  hereby  is 

"accepted  with  warm  appreciation 
"by  the  Trustees  of  the  Public 
"Library  of  the  City  of  Boston  the 
"gift  from  staff  members  and  former 
"staff  members  of  a  brass  coffee 
"urn  and  trays  for  use  by  the  staff 
"at  social  functions,  donated  in 
"memory  of  Bessie  L.  Doherty  a  member 
"of  the  staff  for  5l  years." 

A  true  copy. 

Attest:      ELIZABETH  B.  BROCKUNIER 
Clerk 


-lU- 


The  memorial  gift  is  on  display  in  -Uie 
Director's  Office.  All  staff  members  are 
cordially  invited  to  inspect  it  any  week- 
day, Monday  through  Friday,  betireen  the 
hours  of  9  a.m.  and  5  p.m.  Enter  through 
the  Abbey  Room,  second  floor. 


Sarah 


Usher 


EEIANCH  NOTES 

North  End 

Dr  Luigi  Cremascoli,  noted  Italian 
librarian,  -was  guest  of  honor  at  the  pre- 
sentation of  the  Parent's  Ifagazine  Award 
to  the  Young  Adults  Council  of  Worth  End 
on  Monday,  September  2l4..  The  Award  vras 
presented  to  the  group  by  Mrs  Muriel 
Javelin,  Deputy  Supervisor  In  Charge  of 
"Work  Tdth  Adults. 

Dr  Cremascoli  toured  the  library 
building,  taking  note  of  the  Italian 
marble  works  of  art  and  the  scale  model 
of  the  Doges  Palace  of  Venice.  He  was 
particularly  interested  in  North  End 
because  of  its  large  collection  of  books 
in  Italian  and  of  Italian  interest.  On 
an  extended  tour  of  the  United  States,  he 
is  visiting  various  library  systems  and 
obseirving  techniques  of  public  library 
service.  Dr  Cremascoli  comes  from  Lodi, 
Italy.  He  is  Director  of  the  Biblioteca 
Comunale,  Laudense,  Lodi,  Inspector  for 
Soprintendenza  Bibliografica  della 
Lombardia  and  Soprintendenza  al3a  Antic  hita, 
Milan. 


South  Boston 

On  Friday  afternoon,  September  7,  the 
grand  finale  of  the  Summer  Reading  Club 
was  held  in  the  Children's  Room.  The 
members  and  their  parents  were  invited  to 
attend  and  about  60  children  and  10  adults 
were  present.  Harry  C.  Shepard,  publisher 
of  the  SOUTH  BOSTON  TRIBUNE  and  a  person 
of  prominence  in  South  Boston  civic  af- 
fairs, was  the  guest  of  honor  and  awarded 
the  reading  certificates  to  those  children 
who  hJid  earned  that  particular  distinction 
Mr  Shepard  was  so  favorably  impressed  with 
the  group  that  he  made  a  special  trip  to 
his  office  to  fetch  his  camera  in  order 
to  photograph  the  boys  and  girls.  Mrs 
Irene  H.  Tattle,  Branch  Librarian,  intro- 
duced Mr  Shepard  to  group.  The  program 
included  films,  balloting  for  favorite 
books,  and  lollipops.  A  total  of  91  boys 
and  girls  took  part  in  Summer  Reading 


Club  activities  and  of  these,  hh   received 
certificates.  A  total  of  668  books  were 
read  and  reported  upon  by  the  members. 


Martha  C.  Engler 


West  End 


During  the  summer  months  the  Branch  had 
its  "face  lifted"  in  a  most  pleasing  manner. 
The  Library,  a  lovely  old  historic  brick 
building,  which  once  housed  the  Old  West 
Church,  proudly  started  the  fall  season  with 
a  new  coat  of  gray-white  paint  adorning  its 
wooden  trimmings .  As  any  woman  knofws ,  a  new 
coat  is  nothing  without  accessories,  and 
the  Library  boasts  these  too.  No  longer  can 
the  residents  of  the  area  compS^in  about  not 
being  able  to  see  the  time  of  day,  for  the 
hands  and  numerals  of  the  Tower  Clock  have 
been  re-gilded  ani  can  now  be  seen  from  a 
great  distance,  shining  in  the  sun.  Even 
the  weathervane  glitters  as  it  turns,  re- 
splendant  in  its  new  golden  finery. 


Of  course  all  of  the  events  at  the  N.E.L.A. 
conference  at  Swaaqjscott,  on  October  5th, 
were  exciting,  Arii  all  of  the  exhibits  were 
stimulating.  But  the  big  thrill  of  the  day 
for  West  Enders  attending,  came  tUvsh.  Fanny 
Goldstein,  Branch  Librarian  was  announced  the 
the  winner  of  a  Remington-Rand  ladies' 
electric  razor,  raffled  off  by  Remington- 
Rand  at  the  Conference. 

Mr  and  Mrs  Vincent  Trunfio,  of  Holliston, 
have  annotmced  the  birth  of  a  son,  Mark 
Vincent,  in  September,  Mrs  Trninfio  formerly 
worked  in  Audio-Visual  (Recordingsi). 


REMINDER 

A.  La  A«  Is  still 

YOUR 

National  Professional  Association 

Have  You  Joined? 

For  application  blanks,  see: 
Sarah  M,  Usher 
Office  of  Records, 
Files,  Statistics 


-*5- 


SOAP    Box 


Any  contribution  to  the  Soap  Box  must 
be  accompanied  by  the  full  name  of  the 
AssoQiation  member  submitting  it,  togeth- 
er with  the  name  of  the  Branch  Library, 
Department  or  Office  in  -which  he  or  she 
is  enployed.     The  nam©  is  withheld  from 
publication,  or  a  pen  name  used,  if  the 
contributor  so  requests .     Anorgmious  con- 
tributions are  not  given  consideration. 
The  author  of  the  article  is  knoim  only 
to  th«  Editor-in-Chief.     The  contents  of 
the  articles  appearing  in  the  Soap  Box 
are  personal  opinions  expressed  iQr  indi- 
vidual  Association  members  and  their 
appearance  does  not  necessarily  indicate 
that  the  Publications  Committee  and  the 
Association  are  in  agreement  with  the 
views  expressed.    Only  those  contributions 
containing  not  more  than  300  words  will 
be  accepted. 


To  the  Editor: 

The  suggestions  made  in  the  editorial 
of  last  month's  Question  Mark  appear  to 
me  a  stroke  of  genius.  Anyone  working 
in  the  Reference  departments  of  the  li- 
brary is  aware  of  the  amo\int  of  work  being 
done  by  professionals  which  could  be  taker 
care  of  quite  adequately  by  sub- 
professionals  .  Surely  those  who  have 
spent  years  in  college  and  library  school 
shotild  be  allowed  to  use  their  knowledge 
and  skills  to  full  advantage,  to  devote 
all  of  their  time  to  "professional"  work 
instead  of  having  to  spend  much  of  it 
typing,  verifying  shelves,  filing  and 
chasing  into  the  stacks  after  books,  to 
say  nothing  of  filling  inkwells,  opening 
windows  and  sharpening  pencils.  Even 


some  of  the  s inkier  reference  questions 
could  be  taken  care  of  by  more  "advanced 
sub-professional*".  I  am  sure  even  They 
could  point  out  the  location  of  the  catalog 
or  find  the  dates  of  the  American  Revolution. 
I,  for  one,  am  in  favor  of  bigger  and  better 
sub-professionals . 

A  PROFESSIONAL 

To  the  Soap  Box: 

The  Publications  Committee  is  to  be  com- 
mended on  its  fine  editorial  in  the 
September  1956  issue,  vrtierein  four  plans 
for  revising  the  present  Sub-Professional 
Library  Service  were  submitted  by  four 
sub-professionals.  If  the  plans  as  sub- 
mitted were  evolved  and  written  up  by 
members  cf  the  sub-professional  group,  they 
certainly  reflect  thought  and  execution 
which  makes  much  of  the  material  submitted 
by  so-called  "professionals"  look  rather 
anemic. 

T  trust  that  soma  plan  can  be  worked  out 
which  will  eliminate  the  term  "sub"  since 
this  seems  to  connotate  "below  par"  or 
"lowest  of  the  low",  "substandard"  or 
"subterranean" . 

It  would  be  helpful  and  morale-boosting 
for  all  the  staff  if  something  oould  be 
done  as  soon  as  possible  to  remedy  the 
situation  in  general  for  sub-professionals. 
There  is  such  a  time-lag  often  between  what 
we  say  and  what  we  do  that  it  is  very  dis- 
couraging for  those  seeking  surcease  from 
a  frustating  situation. 


Edna  G.  Peck 


Dear  Editor: 


Just  a  word  of  congratualtions  to  the  staff 
of  QM  and  those  sub-professionals  who  took 
part  in  last  month's  symposium  on  the  im- 
provement of  the  status  and  nomenclature  of 
the  sub -professional  service.  The  plans  were 
all  intelligently  thou^t  out  and  clearly 
presented. 

The  Personnel  Committee  will  be  happy  to 
take  up  the  different  s\jggested  plans  as  soon 
as  the  present  salary  adjustment  work  is  out 
of  the  way.  I  hope  last  month's  issue  will 
stimulate  a  great  deal  of  discussion  of  the 
subject.  The  Conmittee  welcomes  any  and  all 
ideas  that  will  add  to  the  "common  solutiort' 
of  the  problems  of  the  aub-professionals. 
It  is  just  s\ich  action  as  the  Editor  took 
in  this  case  that  will  provide  for  the  meet- 
ing of  minds  so  necessary  for  intelligent 
action . 

Eamon  MdDonough 


THE  BOSTON  PUBLIC  LIHIARY  PROFESSIONAL  STAFF  ASSOCIATION 
INVITES  YOU  TO  ATTEND  THE  SIXTH  ANNUAL 

BERTHA  V  HARTZELL 
MEMORIAL   LECTURE 

.TO '..BE  PRESENTED  IN  THE 
WIGGIN  GALLERY  -  CETJTRAL  LIBRARY  BUILDING 
FRIDAY  EVENING     -     OCTOBER  26,   1956     -     AT  8:00  0 'CLOCK 


THE  SPEAKER 


JJn.  haul 


uc 


A  u  in  Of,  AclmiTiLsiyo.ior,  Echtcaior,  Cihranan 


WILL  GIVE  A  LECTTJRE  ON 


Jhe   Clmerican  Unwersit 
ne  VedeoTch  uhraru 


AFTER  THE  LECTURE,  REFRESHMENTS  WILL  BE  SERVED,  AI®  AW  OPPOR- 
TUNITY OFFERED  TO  MEET  DR.   BUCK  AND  TO  ASK  HIM  QUESTIONS. 

THE  BERTHA  V.  HARTZELL  IvIEI/DRIAL  LECTURE  COMIITTEE 

John  M.  Carroll,  Chairman 

Mildred  R.  Adelson  Mary  M.  McDonough 

Emelia  Lange  Pauline  A.  Walker 


THE     QUESTION     MARK 
Published  by  the  Boston  PuW.ic  Library  Professional  Staff  Association 

Volume  XI,    Number  11 November  19^6 

Publications  Coitmitteej     Barbara  E.  Ccffey,   Joan  ^.  Eaton,  Mary  A.   Hackett,  H>Ton  Kaplan, 

Caniel  J.  Koury,  Felicia  J.  Langdon,   B.   Gei-trude  Wade,  Chairman. 

Publication  date:                                                                      Deadline  for  submitting  tratorial: 
The  fifteenth  of  each  month The  tenth  of  each  month 

EDITORIAL  i.'OTES 

During  tho  Director's   staff  meetings   last  v;ock  v^c  were   presented  with  a  number 
of  possible    changes   in  tho   classification  of  personnel  and  aslcod  for    jommcnts  and 
suggestions.     Wc  were   pleased  to  note   that  the  Director  appears   to   to   gjiving  fair- 
minded   consideration  to   some   of  tho   various   suggestions  made   in  those   editorial 
columns  during   rcoent  months   -  especially  to  those    concerned  v^ith  tho    status   cf   sub- 
professionals. 

Thinking  over   the  various  topics   thrown  open  for  discussion  by  Mr.    Lord,   at 
least   three   possible    changes   seem  to   be   under   consideration,   aside   from  revisions  of 
tho    salary  schedules: 

1.  Pcrmxincnt   status   for   professional   candidates   after  one  year   of   satisfactory 
service   and  tho   passing  of  an  examination  on  the    Bt,P. L. 

2.  Consolidation  of  the   present   two  examinations   on  tho    Central   and    Branch 
libraries  into  a  single    r. PsL.   examination. 

3.  Development  of  a   classification  for  the    sub-professionals  which  will  more   or 
less   parallel   the   present   classification  of  professionals,   thus   providing 
for   supervisory  and  administrative  positions  of  their  own  whore   needed. 

Thoso    suggestions   arc   indeed  a   step  in  the   right  direction  and  wc  hope   that   all 
the   discussions  and  meetings  will   result   in  some  real  revisions   of  the   existing 
schedules  with  the  least   possible  delay. 

In  view  cf  tho   fact  that   such  rovisibns  arc   now  being   considered   and    since  wo 
havo   teen  askod  for  comments,   it  is   an  appropriate   time   to   point   out   some   additional 
aroas  which  wc   feel  need  to   bo   considorcd: 

1.  Distinction  ought  to  be   clearly  mado  between  non-pro fossional  bibliothccal 
work  (i.e.   those   activities   peculiar  to   libraries)   and  non-professional 
work  of  a  universal  nature.      For  oxamplo,    the   activities   of  the    Business 
Office   arc  net  in  any  way  peculiar  to  libraries  -  including  tho  activities 
of  ovoryone   from  the  Assistant  to  tnc  Director  down  to   the   Messenger   -  yet 
thoy  arc  not  now  included  under   Civil   Service.      IMiy  are   people   in  this   group 
loss    subject  to   Civil   Service   regulation  than  aro   the   people   in  the  Account- 
ing  Office?     (Vfo  do  not  moan  to   suggest   that   correction  of   chis   condition 

bo   rushed  by  an  acceptance   of   Civil  Service   for  the   present  p-rsonnol  of 
the   D.B.O.    since  J  while  much  might   bo   gained,   a  good  deal   could   bo   lost 
by   such  action. ) 

2.  In  view  of  the   fact   that   subject    specialists   are   apparently  considered   to 
to  valuable   to   the   library  and   in  view  of  the   typo   of  activities    carried   on 
by  them  in   some   of  the   special  departments,   recognition  ought  to   be   given 
those    specialists  aside   from  tho   more   possibility  of  administrative   pro- 
motion. 

3.  There   aro  within  the    B.P.L.    system  a  number   of   specialists  who   can  and 
should   bo    considered  individually,   e.g.    the   Nurse   (an  older   profession  by 
far   than  that   of  tho   librarian),   the   Public  Relations  Officer   (at   present 
non-cxi stent),   and  the  Exhibits  specialists. 

It   is   beyond  the    scope   of  this  editorial   to   offer   specific   solutions    for  those 
problems.     Wo    can  only  hope   that  the   administration  and   the    staff  as   a  wholo  will   to 
interested  enough  to   investigate   them,    perhaps   by   seeing  what   other   libraries  aro 
ocirg;  and  have   dono   about  thorn.      Romombcr,    solutions   acceptable   to  everyone    can  be 
found  only  if  you  voice  your  opinions.      IF  THERE  ARE  SOllE   CHAITOES   TOU  THINK  SHOULD 
M  M-ADE,   THIS   IS  THE  TISE  TO  SPEAK  UPJ 


-2~ 


CALEflDM  OF  EVENTS 


November  l6. 


BPLPSA  Business  Meeting, 
Lecture  Hall,  Central,  9   a„ni, 


PERSONNEL  NOTES 

New  Employees 

Barbara  Jo  kthe,   Book  Stack  Service 

Mary  Casey,  Book  Stack  Service 

Lawrence  T.  Doherty,  Central  Chars^ing 
Records 

Gerard  LaCentra,  Jro,  Kirstein 

Astrida  Plukse,  Cataloging  aid  Classifica- 
tion, R  and  RS 

Natalie  J.  Rastau,  Charlestovm 

Mrs.  Greta  Ho  Sharp,  Hyde  ^ark 

Transferred 

Mrs  Aline  3,  O'Neill,  from  %ttapan  to 
Tfeshington  Village 

Resignations 

Mrs  Elizabe'ch  Re  Dalton,  Cataloging  and 
Classification,  R  .and  RS,  to  remain 
at  home 

Loyce  C.  Fairfax,  Book  Stack  Service^ 
to  accept  another  position 

Robert  P.  Goldman,  Audio-Visual,  to  ac- 
cept another  position 

James  S.  Healey,  General  Reference,  to 
become  Head  Librarian  of  Stoneham 
■i^ublic  Librarj^ 

Gerard  J.  M  oney,  Central  Charging  Recordaj,  Especially  hard  hit  in  this  respect  has 


SOCIAL  WHIRL 


On  Thursday,  November  1,  the  Darbury 
Room  was  the  scene  of  a  farewell  luncheon 
for  Maria  A.  Mechini,  Office  of  Records, 
Files,  Statistics o  Many  of  her  friendo 
had  gathered  to  msh  her  well  in  her  new 
position  with  the  Italian  Airlines*  A 
navy  blue  pocketbook  and  accessories  were 
presented  to  her  on  behalf  of  her  friends 
by  John  J.  Connolly,  Our  sadness  at  los- 
ing Jferia  was  overcome  by  our  happiness 
arii  excitment  for  her  in  her  new  venture, 
YJe   are  all  looking  forvrard  to  seeing  her 
in  the  uniform  of  the  Italian  Airlines 
aiid  hearing  about  foreign  lands  from  our 
world  traveler 0 

BIRTH  CONGRATULATIONS 

A  son,  Bruce  Douglas,  was  born  to  Mr 
and  Mrs  Paul  Williams,  on  October  l6,      ^ 
Mrs  Williams  i3  the  former  Katherine  LaBonte 
Williairs,  who  was  working  in  Central  Charg- 
ing Records  at  thg  time  she  left  the  BPL. 

FAREWELL 

On  Thursday,  November  8,  Pail  W:,  Smith 
resigned  from  the  library  service  to  ac- 
cept a  position  elsewhere o  Thus  the  Lib- 
rary loses  another  of  its  valuable  young 
employees. 


to  accept  jt  position  with  the  Federal 

Government 
Raymond  L.  M'ollin,  Kirstein,  illness 
Maria  A.  Mechini,  Office  of  Records,  Files, 

Statistics,  to  accept  a  position  with 

the  Italian  Airlines 
Jean  Munsell,  Codman  Square,  to  be  married 

and  move  to  California 
Joan  V.  Park,  Book  Stack  Service,  illness 
John  J.  Parker,  Central  Charging  Records, 

to  accept  another  position 
Donald  L.  Newman,  Book  Purchasing,  to 

accept  a  position  with  the  Gorin  Depart- 
ment Stores 
Paul  W.  Smith,  Book  Purchasing,  to  accept 

another  position 

VISITORS 

Itsuaki  Hatsiikade,  Librarian,  Chiba  Cen- 
tral Library,  Cniba-shi,  Japan 
Joseph  Sano,  Department  of  State 


been  Book  Purchasing,  since  ¥sr   Smith  is 
the  third  young  man  to  leave  there  in  re- 
cent weeks, 

Paul's  ready  wit  made  him  a  popular  chap 
throughout  the  building.  Upon  his  departure 
his  many  friends  presented  him  with  a  cash 
gift.  And  so  good  luck  to  a  fine  fellowl 

Mike  Kaplan 


LETTER  RECEIVED  IN  BOOK  PURCW.SING 

Envelope  addressed  to: 
Copley  Squan 
Boston  Public  •'^ibrary 
Boston  17,  Mas So 

Salutation: 

Dear  Mr  Squan; 


-3- 


ANNUAL  ALIB/IME  TEA 

Edith  Guerrier,  Supervisor  of  Branch 
Libraries,  Emeritus,  ivas  hostess  for  the 
ninth'  consecutive  year  at  the  annual 
alumnae  tea  at  her  home  in  Brighton  on 
Saturday,  October  26 o  Because  the  tea  had 
to  be  postponed  to  a  later  date  than  usual 
this  year,  several  members  of  the  group 
had  commitments  which  made  it  impossible 
for  them  to  attend.  They  were  all  missed 
and  cordial  greetings  are  sent  to:  Itrs  Ada 
A,  Andelman,  J'lirs  Edith  H.  Bailey  (now  liv- 
ing in  Htnolulu),  Beatrice  Mo  Flanagan, 
Clara  ^,   Maxi/rell,  305  Cummins  Highway, 
Roslindale  31,  c/o  Mary  VifilliamSj  Carrie 
Lo  Morse,  100  I'Yarren  Street,  Needham  92, 
Ethel  M,  Hazlewood,  Mrs  Dorothy  Pitman, 
Katharine  S.  Rogan,  and  Geneve  ¥fetsono 

Enjoying  the  friendly  exchange  of  rem- 
iniscenses  and  plans  for  the  future  were: 
Mary  Eo  Ames,  M,,  Florence  Cufflin,  Alice 
M,  Jordan,  Margaret  I.  McGovern,  who  left 
the  follomng  Thursday  for  the  v:inter  in 
Florida,  Elizabeth  P.  Ross,  vsho  returned 
from  a  visit  witJa  her  nephew  just  in  time 
for  the  tea,  Mary  M.  Sullivan,  Rebecca  Eo 
Willis,  and  Mrs  Sara  Lyon,  -v^io  brought 
with  her  isome  delicious  cookies,  the 
receipe  for  which  was  in  such  demand  that 
we  print  it  here  and  recommend  the  cookies 
hirhly: 

Chocolate  Macaroons 

2  egg  whites  J  ^  cup  granulated  sugar j 
^  teaspoon  salt;  -^  teaspoon  vanilla j  1 
package  Nestles  chocolate  bitsj  1-|  cups 
shredded  cocoanut  (Durkee's  Stayfresh). 

Melt  chocolate  bits  in  double  boiler.  Beat 
egg  whites  until  foamy.  Gradually  stir  in 
eagar,  beating  after  every  addition  until 
the  mixture  is  smooth  and  stands  in  peaks. 
Add  salt  and  vanilla,  fold  in  melted  choc- 
olate and  cocoanut.  Mix  well  and  drop  in 
small  mounds  on  ungreased  brown  paper  on 
ungreased  cookie  sheet.  Bake  at  325degreeja 
for  20  minutes.  Cool  slightly  before  re- 
moving from  paper  (sometimes  they  stick?) 
Almond  flavoring  may  be  substituted  for 
the  vanilla  0 

.  Pictures  were  taken  of  Miss  Guerrier 
blowing  out  the  candles  around  the  attrac- 
tive birthday  cake,  which  was  presented  to 
her  by  The  8-8,  who  were  serving  as  cat- 
erers as  they  have  done  at  the  eight  pre- 
ceding^ teas. 


The  afternoon  ended  most  pleasantly  vdth 
the  shomng  of  colored  slides  by  Virginia 
Haviland. 

Sarah  M.  Usher 

On  the  beautiful  morning  of  October  13, 
Carolyn  Lindb.an,  assistant  at  Mount  Bovirioin, 
became  the  bride  of  Jack  Canale  of  Roslin- 
dale, at  a  colorful  double-ring  ceremony 
at  Sacred  Heart  Church,  Roslindale « 

Officiating  at  the  Nuptial  Mass  was  Rev, 
Bginiel  J,  O'Leary,  C.S.S.R.,  cousin  of  the 
bride,  -who  came  from  Brooklyn  for  the 
occasion. 

The  bride  was  radiant  in  her  lovely  gown 
of  nylon  tulle  over  Skinner  sitin,  with  a 
Chantilly  lace  apron,  front  and  a  back 
beautifully  decorated  with  Chantilly  lace 
appliques  attached  with  seed  pearls  and 
sequins  matching  those  around  the  neck  of 
the  gown. 

The  bride's  veil  was  finger-tip  length 
of  French  illusion  lace  with  delicately 
scalloped  edges  of  Chantilly , 

Maid  of  honor  was  June  Robinson,  a  former 
Extra  Assistant  at  Roslindale.  June  added 
to  the  stunning  picture  with  her  beautiful 
gown  of  emerald  green,  a  fitting  accompani- 
ment for  the  bridesmaid's  gowns  of  shrimp 
crystalette. 

Somewhat  of  a  show-stcaler  vras  the  flower 
girl,  a  tiny  niece  of  the  groom.  She  was' 
gaily  bedecked  in  yellow  and  swished  and 
swayed  in  true  vredding  style. 

After  the  church  ceremcny  the  wedding 
party  adjourned  with  some  one  hundred  and 
fifty  relatives  and  friends  to  Obert's 
Bungalow  in  "%ttapan  for  the  merry  making. 

The  bride  and  groom  honeymooned  in  up- 
per NcYiT  York  State. 


A  CHRISTMAS  GIFT  SUC-GESTION 


The  Boston  Public  Library; 
A  Centennial  History 

by 

Walter  Muir  Whitehill 

illustr^ated  by 
Rudolph  Ruzicka 

Autographed  Copies:  $2 <, 85 


Office  of  RecordSj  Files,  Statistics 


•^•> 


mj<  BOOICS  IN  THE  STAFF  LIBRARY 

Non-Fiction 

Fitzgerald,    John  D. 
Papa  married  a   Jibrman 
N.J,,    Prcnticc-Hall,    1955 

Singer,    Kurt  D. 

Spy  storios   from  Asia. 
N.Y. ,   Funl:,    1955 

Library  Science 

Downs,   Robert    B. 

Books  that   changed  the  v/orld. 
Caiioago,  American  Library  Assoc. ,   1956 

Liobcrman,    Irving 

Audio-visual  instruction  in  library 
education. 

N.Y. ,    Columbia  Ibivcrsity,   School  of 
Library  Service,   1955 

Phinnoy,   Eleanor 

Library  and  adult  education  in  action. 
Chicago,   American  Library  Assoc,    1956 

IK  ICMORIAM 

Bjxny  of  tho   oldor  members  of  the   B.P.L, 
were   saddened  to  learn  of  the   passing  of 
William  Cole  who   retired  from  the    Build- 
ings Department   in  1945  after  47  years   of 
service.      These  years  of  Library  service 
were   years   of  pleasure   to   I'fr,    Cole.      One 
could  not  knov;  him  and  not   be  aware  of  his 
keen  sonsc   of  onjoymunt  at  everything  re- 
lated to  the   Library, 

There  are  some  who  v.'ill  remember  happy 
Sundays  on  long  trips  to  country  and  sca- 
shprc  chauffered  by  Billy  Cole  in  his  fa- 
mous Cadillac.  Some  of  the  men,  too,  will 
remember  his  love  of  tho  outdoors  because 
of  happy  hours  spent  with  him  fishing  and 
vacationing  at   tho   beach. 

Groat  devotion  to  tho    B;,P.L,    a  fine 
sense  of  humor,   and  gcntlcnanly  dorooanor 
wore   all   characteristics   of   Billy  Cole; 
ho  will  not   bo    forgotten  by  those  v/ho  know 
him. 

VfHAT'S   IN  A  NAIE? 

Thinking  recently  about  possible  titles 
for  those  in  upper  brackets  of  the  Sub- 
Professional  service,  one  wit  came  up,  in 
high  humor,  with  the  following  suggestion 
MOST  HIGH  VIZAR  IN  CHARGE  OF  PAPER  CLIPS, 
PASTE   BOTTLES  AND   SHELLAC  JUGS. 


IN  THE  GOOD  OLD  DAYS 


"Boston  is  an  exceedingly  well-built 
town,    chiefly  of  rod  brick.      It  has   qui to 
an  air  of  wealth  about  it,  which  you 
oan't  mistake.     The   streets  are  on  tho  ir- 
regular  English  plan,  very  different   from 
tho   general  American   system.      There    is   a 
public   park.    Beacon  Street,  where    Col. 
Lav\rrenco  resides >   forming  ono   side.      One 
of  the   buildings   forming  tho   opposite 
side  of  the   square   is   the   public  library, 
founded  by  many  wealthy  contributors.     A- 
mong  the   chief  is   ffr.    Bates   of  the    firm 
Earing  <?:   Co.,   London,  who   contributed 
050,000  towards   the   erection  of  tho   build- 
ing in  addition  to   a  like   amount   for   books 
which  are   free  to  every  resident  in  tho 
town  of  Boston  to  take  home   for  a  limited 
time   (a   fortnight).      It   is  tho   finest 
democracy  possible,   as  many  of  the   most 
v/calthy  in  the   place   equally  avail   thom- 
solvcs  of  it   (if  thoy  have   not  tho  works 
in  their  own  libraries)  with  the   poor 
man,   and  to   show  how  admirably  the   system 
works  the   librarian  tells  me   thoy  never 
lose  any  books   -  in  fact  tho  annual  loss 
of  books  is   so  trifling  that  it  is  of  no 
moment.      It  speaks  great  things  in  a  dis- 
tribution of  200,000  vol.   annually,   as   it 
has  not  been  established  more   than  seven 
years."     Quotation  from:      Mr.  Vossoy  of 
England ;   being  the   incidents  and  ro- 
iSni sconces  of  travel   in  a  twelvo  weoks' 
tour  through  the~~'Sitod  States   and 
Canada   in  thc~yc'ar   185^«     "Edited""^ 
Brian  VilatersT 

Esther  Lissncr,    Cat.&Class.  ,RRl>. 

A  POSSIBLE  PROGRAI"!  SUGGESTION 

Reports   from  other   staff  library  as- 
sociations reveal  that   some  of  them  have 
hold  very  successful   staff  hobby  sho^vs, 
In  either  the  Wiggin  Gallery  or  tho  Lec- 
ture Hall,   it  ivould  seem  that  wo  have  a 
rnccting  place   large   enough  for  such  an 
exhibition.     Would  you,   as   staff  mem- 
bers be   interested  in  holding  such  a 
shovj  -  and   contributing  exhibits  for  it? 
Next  year's  Program  Committoo  might  wel- 
come your  ideas  on  this   cuggostion. 


-5- 


PRESIDENT'S  NOTES 

The  Executive  Board  and  the  Persormel 
Committee  have  had,  since  our  last  report, 
tx-jo  more  meetings  with  the  Director  con- 
cerning incr'3i.ses  in  sals.ry  a.rA   possib]p3 
revisions  in  the  salary  schedi;-les.  Kuch 
of  the  mater Ip.1  under  di:  lussi.on  was  cov- 
ered at  the  ijj  recto:- 's  sViff  iv.'j>?  tings. 
The  Executive  Board  and  the  Personnel 
Committee  are  now  engaged  in  making 
studies  of  the  wage  scales  existing  in 
comparable  librari?*?. 

We  wish  to  thank  Dr.  Paul  H.  Buck, 
Director  of  Harvrid  University  Librt.iles, 
for  appear: r?;  as  the  sixth  Bortl'.a  V,, 
Hartzell  Lccourer.  His  Lhought-provoliing 
talk  is  covered  in  more  detail  elsewhere 
in  this  issue  of  the  Question  Iferkj  It 
is  rather  a  pity  that  the  effor"^:s  of  Dr. 
Buck,  the  Ii-.rtzell  Memr.rial  Lecture 
Comjnittee  and  the  Entertdinm.-mt  Cor^iittee 
were  not  aj^p.-eciated  by  more  mejibevs  of 
the  Association, 

The  following  letter  has  been  sent  to 
the  Director: 

13  November  1956 

ifr.  llilton  E.  Lord,  Director 
Boston  Public  Library 
Copley  Square 
Boston  17,  Massachusetts 

liear  dr.  Lord: 

At  a  meeting  of  the  Executive  Board  of 
the  Boston  Public  Library  Professional 
Staff  Association,  Tuesday,  13  November 
1956,  it  was  voted  that  the  Director  be 
requested  to  grant  to  all  members  of  the 
Bibliothecal  Staff  overtime  compensation 
at  the  rate  of  one  and  one -half  times  the 
hourly  salar,''  scale  (subject  to  regula- 
tions of  the  City  of  Boston  now  in  effect) 
or  at  the  rate  of  one  and  one -half  times 
the  number  of  hours  overtime  worked,  with 
the  option  of  cnoice  of  salary  or  time 
resting  with  the  individual  concerned. 


(Signed) 


■K- 


Sincerely  yours, 

LeiUIS  RAINS 

Louis  Rains 
President 


xEET  OUR  NEW  ARRIVALS 

Audio-Visual  happily  presents  an  old 
friend,  Henry  Camillo,  as  newcomer  to  the 
full-time  staff.  Henry  has  worked  part- 
tine  ir  the  recordings  collection  since 
August  of  1952.  Since  h:.o  concentration 
will  now  sidtch  to  films ;  ae  sooii  will  be 
a  most  v:ell  rcunde  1  A-V  rn'-a,     A  f;raduate 
of  New  Bedford  High  School  in  1951,  Henry 
has  been  attending  the  New  England  Conserva- 
tory of  Music  part-time  and  has  completed 
three  ysars  of  s  tudy.  Piano  is  his  first 
love  and  his  aim  is  to  perform  and  teach 
music,  Henry's  activities  at  the  Conserva- 
tory include  llewinun  Club  and  Phi  Mu  Alpha 
Sinfonia  Fraternity^  Although  he  is  a 
"long-hair"  pianist,  who  enjoys  writing 
verse,  Henry  is  no  "square"  when  it  comes 
to  dancing,  sports,  and  club  activities. 


Mrs.  Suzanne  Fi^hman,  new  assistant  at 
South  Boston,  reports  that  she  was  born 
and  raised  in  New  York  City  and  graduated 
from  Vassar  College  in  Jime  1955.  Since 
then,  her  life  has  been  most  exciting. 
She  was  married  the  folloviing  October  and, 
with  her  husband,  spent  the  past  year  in 
Europe,  since  he  was  studying  in  Munich, 
I'Jhile  living  abroad,  thsy  both  taught  "basic 
Engli::h"  to  Russian  refugees  who  have  es- 
caped to  Germany  and  who  are  currently 
being  considered  for  ent>"y  into  the  United 
States o  It  was  a  wonderful  and  rewarding 
experience.  The  Fishmans  are  firmly 
established  in  Boston  now  while  Vir,   Fishman 
is  a  student  at  the  Harvard  Medical  School, 
Suzanne's  hobbies  include  their  cat, 
"Stethoscope",  home  decoration,  cooking, 
travelling,  and,  of  course,  reading. 


The  petite  young  lady  now  occupying  a 
desk  in  Cataloging  and  Classification,  RRS, 
is  Marilyn  Kind.  Marilyn  is  a  Boston 
University  graduate,  having  two  degrees: 
Bachelor  of  Music  in  Composition  from  the 
College  of  Kusic  (1953),  and  Master  of  Arts 
in  Composition  from  the  Graduate  School 
(195h),  She  is  currently  working  towards 
a  Ph.D.  in  Musicology  at  the  same  school 
where  she  has  been  a  graduate  assistant  of 
world-famous  Dr.  Karl  Geiringer,  Her 
musical  background  should  prove  very  use- 
ful in  cataloging  materials  for  our  Music 
Department. 


-6- 


Harry  Peterson  of  Open  Shelf  attended 
Boston  English  High  School  for  a  year 
and  then  went  to  Boston  Evening  Clerical 
High  School.  He  served  with  the  Ilarine 
Corps  during  the  Korean  kfar  (1950-52). 
In  1955  he  graduated  from  Burdett  College 
and  is  planning  on  further  education  in 
the  near  future =  Since  Harry  enjoys 
reading  very  muchj  he  should  feel  right 
at  home  in  his  new  surroundings. 


Originalj.y  from  Ruxton,  Maryland; 
Susan  Royal  is  now  working  at  Roslindale. 
Prior  to  emplojTnent  at  the  B^P.L,.  she 
attended  Oberlin  College  from  where  she 
was  graduated  in  1956.  An  all-round 
person,  Susan  particularly  enjoys  playing 
the  guitar  and  has  a  special  fondness 
for  children. 


Ruth  E.  l;imi  joined  the  staff  of  the 
Open  Shelf  Department  in  September  of 
this  year.  Ruth,  who  formerly  served 
as  children's  librarian  at  Tyler  Street 
Reading  Room  prior  to  its  closing,  took 
time  out  to  attend  Pratt  Institute  Library 
School  in  19514-55.  She  is  a  graduate  of 
the  University  of  New  Hampshire  and  also 
studied  for  a  year  at  Durham  University, 
Newcastle  upon  Tyne,  England.  Previous 
to  re-employment,  Ruth  worked  for  a  ynar 
at  the  Winchester  Public  Library, 


THE  TRji.DING  POST 

In  the  market  for  a  car  ?? 
1953  Plymouth  Cranbrook,  excellent  condi- 
tion. 28,000  miles,  two-tone  green, 
white-wall  tires.  Call  after  5:30  p.m., 
CO  7-5890. 


STILL  AVAILi^iBLEi ! 

STILL  TH^  BEST  BUY' II 

FOOD   CRUSADE   PACKAGES 
^1.00  each 

As  you  prepare  to  enjoy  the  holiday 
season,  remember  those  not  so  well  off. 
Your  continued  support  of  CARE  is  earnest- 
ly solicited., 

Give  in  the  spirit  of  Thanksciving, 

SPECIAL  COrCHTTEE  ON  CARE 


HARTZELL  LEoTUPE 

The  sixth  Bertha  V.  Hartzell  Memorial 
Lecture  was  privileged  to  have  as  speaker 
Dr.  Paul  Buck,  Director  of  University 
Libraries,  Harvard  University,  Dr.  Buck 
is  a  historian  of  note  and  his  experience 
encompasses  the  allied  fields  of  education 
and  librarianship.  Selecting  as  his  sub- 
ject "The  American  University  and  the 
Research  Library",  Dr.  Buck  began  by 
tracing  in  brief  form  the  evolution  of 
liberal  education  in  America.  He  em- 
phasized the  i.r,portant  fact  that  thrcup'b- 
out  the  history  of  this  country  there  has 
always  been  an  awareness  of  the  need  for 
a  system  of  education  even  in  the  frontier 

areas  of  American  civilization.  As  a 
corollary  to  this  idea  of  the  value  of 
learriing  in  an  expanding  nation.  Dr.  Buck 
noted  also  that  there  was  at  the  same 
time  a  realization  of  the  need  for  libraries 
to  supplement  the  work  of  the  schools  and 
colleges. 

Bringing  his  outline  forward  to  contemp- 
oi'ary  times  Dr.  Buck  placed  much  stress 
on  the  fact  that  universities  and  libraries 
have  an  increasingly  impcrtant  role  to 
play  in  a  way  of  life  that  is  b  ecoming 
daily  more  complex.  It  was  his  thesis 
that  the  university  and  the  library  must 
join  forces  in  a  program  of  research 
dedicated  to  the  solution  of  the  many  prob- 
lems that  plague  our  society. 

At  the  conclusion  of  this  stimulating 
lecture,  refreshments  were  enjoyed  by  all. 


ANOTHER  FARElyJELL 

Once  again  Cataloging  and  Classification, 
RRS,  bids  good-bye  to  one  of  its  best 
liked  employees.  Betty  Dal ton  has  retired 
to  home  life  as  of  Friday,  November  2,  Her 
many  frd.ends  in  both  the  Cataloging  Room 
and  offices  throughout  the  building  ex- 
tended their  best  wishes  to  Betty  and  pre- 
sented her  with  several  wonderful  gifts 
including  a  Universal  Coffeematic  percolatoi 
for  her  home  and  smart  black  velvet 
toreadors  for  herself  to  lounge  in, 

BIRTH  AMOUNCEMENT 

Mr,  and  Mrs.  Charles  £\  Kinne  have  just 
had  a  second  child,  a  girl^  Jeanne  Marie, 
born  October  29,  1956,  ¥lrs,  Kinne  is  the 
former  Anne  McCarthy  of  South  Boston, 


-7- 


BrtANCII  NOTES 


Faneuil 


On  Tuesday  evening  October  30,   members 
of  Faneuil  tendered  a  farewell  dinner  in 
honor  of  their  former  Custodian,  Joseph 
Farrell,  who  has  retired  because  of  ill 
health. 

The  Staff  journeyed  to  the  Pillar  House 
in  Nevjton,  where  a  delicious  dinner  was 
enjoyed  by  all» 

A  wallet  with  money  was  presented  by 
PIrs.  Helen  O'Leary  in  behalf  of  the  Staff 
and  I4r.  Farrell  was  most  grateful  in  his 
acceptance,  saying  he  was  sorry  not  to 
have  a  few  more  years  with  us  at  Faneuil. 

His  witty  quj.ps  and  willing  mariner 
will  be  keenly  missed  by  those  who  have 
worked  with  him  at  the  Branch » 

Helen  O'Leary 

t^de  Park 

On  Friday  evening,  October  26,  Mrs. 
Dorothy  Bavicchi  was  guest  of  honor  at  a 
dinner  party  in  IJarmuth's  Resta'orant. 
The  hostesses  were  the  staff  of  Kyde 
Park,  and  the  occasion  was  the  transfer 
of  Mrs.  r-avicchi  to  Mount  Pleasant.  i^'Irs. 
Bavicchi  was  presented  wita  a  black 
leather  handbag,  A  pleasant  evening  was 
enjoyed  by  all  those  presento 

Roslindale 

Announcement  has  been  made  of  the  forth- 
coming marriage  on  January  27,  1957  of 
Patricia  I«ahy,  Assistant  in  the  Children' 
Room,  to  Lee  Preston  of  Denton,  Texas. 
All  the  best  wishes  of  the  staff  at 
Roslindale  go  with  Lee  and  Pat. 

West  End 

The  spirit  of  neighborhood  cooperation 
ran  high  in  the  i/est  End  Branch  this 
month.  The  Halloween  story  hour  was  held 
on  October  2$,   at  3:30  p.m.  Spooks, 
spirits,  and  shadow^'  figures  were  every- 
where, and  as  a  backdrop  for  the  telling 
of  ghostly  tales  in  the  Lecture  Hall,  an 
enormous  jack-o-lantern  glowed  and 
glistened  with  its  carroty  nose  and  tin- 
sel teeth.  This  masterpiece  of  sculpture 
and  exhibition  was  created  and  donated  to 

the  Children's  Room  for  this  special 
occasion  as  a  gesture  of  goodwill  and 
neighborliness  by  FRUIT  ORCHARD,  a  well- 
known  emporinra  of  the  district. 


SC  AP       BOX        /\    ■     I   -y     - 


iX'l     -   --^V-'\nS-M 


Any  contribution  to  the  Soap  Box  must 
be  accompanied  by  the  full  name  of  the 
Association  member  submitting  it,  togeth- 
er with  the  name  of  the  Branch  Library, 
department  or  Office  in  which  he  or  she 
is  employed^  The  name  is  withheld  from 
publication,  or  a  pen  name  used,  if  the 
contributor  so  requests.  Anonymous  con- 
tributions are  not  given  consideration. 
The  author  of  the  article  is  known  on].y 
to  the  Editor-in-Chief.  The  contents  of 
the  articles  appearing  in  the  Soap  Box 
are  personal  opinions  expressed  by  indi- 
vidual Association  memi^ers  and  their 
appearance  does  not  necessarily  indicate 
that  the  Publications  Committee  and  the 
Association  are  in  agreement  with  the 
views  expressed.  Only  thoie  contributions 
containing  not  more  than  300  words  will 
be  accepted. 


To  the  Editor: 

With  due  regard  to  Miss  Peck's  thought- 
ful note  in  October's  Soap  Box,  I  don't 
care  if  they  call  me  "sub",  "below  par", 
"lowest  of  the  low",  "substandard"  or 
"suuterranean",  just  pay  me  morei 


A  Sub-professional 


To  the  Editor: 


At  a  recent  staff  meeting  for  the 
bibliothecal  personnel  xri.th  the  Director, 
mention  was  made  of  the  fact  that  a  flat 
raise  in  salary  would  not  be  fair  to  those 
of  the  higher  income  bracket  because  per- 
centagewise it  might  mean  only  o.  S%  or  \^<. 
raise  in  any  one  year,  while  it  might  mean 
10'^  to  those  in  the  lower  income  bracket. 
However,  if  such  a  raise  was  called  a  cost 
of  living  raise,  then  the  flat  raise  would 


-8~ 


be  in  order  because  food  and  groceries  in 
the  supermarkets  cost  the  same  for  the 
head  of  the  house  whether  he  is  a  chief 
of  a  department  or  a  sub-professional 
working  in  the  stacks  who  has  passed  six 
of  his  exaias. 

To  bring  the  matter  of  the  cost  of 
living  raise  a  little  more  closely  to 
home,  let  us  consider  recent  price 
increases  in  the  concession  (no  offense, 
Sam,  we  still  love  you).  Percentagewise 
the  prices  increased  from  20?i  to  lOO't  even 
though  the  actual  increase  was  only  a 
nickel  per  item  (and  it  takes  only  20 
nickels  to  make  a  dollar).  Real  estate 
taxes  were  increased  recently  in  the 
City  of  Bostonc  That  increase  has  affect 
ed  all  of  us  whether  we  own  our  own 
houses  or  whether  we  pay  rento  Food 
prices  go  up]  Rents  go  up J  Clothing 
prices  go  up J  All  these  things  are 
necessities  of  life.  So  how  about  our 
salaries  going  up  on  a  flat  cost  of 
living  basis? 


Daniel  W,  Kelly,  Jr. 


To  the  Editor: 


In  last  month's  Question  Mark  under 
the  Soap  Box  heading  there  appeared  an 
article  signed  by  'A  PiOFilSSIONAL"  in 
which  the  author  advocated  more  time  to 
do  his  professional  work,  A  few  helpful 
hints  to  that  individual  are  in  order. 
If  a  ball-point  pen  was  bought,  then  the 
necessity  of  inkwell  filling  would  cease. 
The  purchase  of  a  mechanical  pencil  would 
eliminate  pencil  sharpening.  As  for  the 
opening  of  windo^-.-s,  "A  PROPESSIOwAL" 
ought  to  be  thanlcful  that  he  works  in  a 
department  that  has  windows  to  open.,  Re- 
garding "the  bigger  and  better  sub-pro- 
fessionals" statement,  does  that  mean 
that  we  sub-professionals  have  to  pass 
a  physical  examination  and  all  those 
under  5  ft.  10  inches  in  height  would 
be  cut  from  the  service  of  .the  library? 


riawlesslyo  Ashtrays  on  every-other  seat, 
special  backdrops  for  displays,  in  fact 
every  consideration  which  should  be  shown 
our  guest  speakers  and  their  audiences] 
Doubtless  the  city  officials  deserve  all 
this,  but  do  our  programmers,  guest 
speakers,  and  public  deserve  any  lesser 
treatment? 

o .F .0 .L.P, 


A  sub-professional 


Dear  Editor: 


How  very  beautiful  and  effective  the 
lecture  hall  can  be  ,,.  as  illusti'ated 
on  the  morning  of  the  city  administrative 
meeting.  The  p,a,  system,  which  has 
embarrassed  our  prograirjtiing  staff  for 
several  programs  recently,  was  seen  to 
be  most  impressive  and  doubtless  working 


IN  rEIIORIAli 


With^ths-  retiremant  of  William  B* 
Gallagher  on  September  7,  19'5U,  the  Bc?ton 
Public  Libi'aiy  was  deprived  of  not  only  a 
master  printer  but  a  constant  friend.  We 
missed  his  patience,  generosity  and  thought 
for  his  fellow  workers,  and  he  touched 
every  one  of  us.  His  interest  in  our  prob- 
lems and  assignments  was  a  lesson  in 
personal  relationships  and  understanding 
at  all  times. 

One  cannot  think  of  printing  in  the 
Boston  Public  Library  without  recalling 
the  technical  virtuosity,  reverence  and 
love  of  his  work  to  which  he  brought 
artistic  principles.  Throu£;h  the  records 
he  left  behind,  we  feel  his  spirit  as  a 
living  and  vital  force  in  this  institution. 
Certainly  no  one  ever  treated  the  printed 
word  with  greater  fidelity„  Ardent  in 
his  wish  to  create  excellent  composition 
on  the  page,  his  knowledge  and  experience 
brought  him  to  a  high  level  of  attainment 
in  his  chosen  field, 

William  Gallagher  belonged  to  the  old 
school  and  his  apprenticeship  served  him 
well.  What  he  achieved  was  built  on  a 
solid  foundation,  and  his  ambition  to  change 
with  modern  trends  can  best  be  described 
in  his  own  words:  "I'5y  approach  is  to  de- 
velop with  the  times ;  and  through  the  good- 
ness of  my   friends  working  mth  me  in  this 
era  of  conflicting  ideas,  I  have  deepened 
and  become  more  mature.  The  love  of  it^r 
work,  I  hope,  gives  promise  for  improvement." 

With  the  passing  of  William  Gallagher  on 
November  11  his  many  close  friends  have 
been  deprived  of  his  personal  contact  and 
companionship.  However,  the  generosity 
and  tnought  for  his  fellow  man  can  never 
be  forgotten.  His  place  in  our  hearts 
and  minds  is  secure  for  all  tineo 

Arthur  W.  ?Ieintzelraan 


ra 


uesiion 


CxflAK 


THE  BOSTON  PUBLIC  LIBRARY 
PROFESSIONAL  STAFF  ASSOCIATION 


DECEMBER  1956 


THE  QUESTION  MARK 
Published  by  the  Boston  Public  Library  Professional  Staff  Association 
Volume  XI,  Number  12  December  19^6 


Publications  Committee:  Barbara  E,  Coffey^  Jean  L.  Eaton^  I4ary  A.  Kackett^  Myron 

Kaplan,  Daniel  J.  Kouryj  Felicia  J.  Langdon,  B.  Gertrude 
Wade ,  Chairman  o 


Publication  date: 
The  fifteenth  of  each  rrionth 


Deadline  for  submitting  material; 
The  tenth  of  each  month 


\ 


EDITORB.L  NOTES 

From  our  vantage  point,  knee  deep  in 
tinsel,  wrapping  paper,  and  Christmas 
bills,  we  pause  for  a  moment,  lay  a- 
side  our  sharper  pen  and  paint  out  a 
soft  brush  Season's  Greetings o 

Since  this  is  the  final  issue  of  the 
QM  in  the  calendar  year  1956,  we  look 
back  on  what  we  hope  has  been  some 
small  contribution  to  the  promotion 
of  staff  interests.  Knowing  that  most 
ideas  for  improvement,  as  well  as  the 
need  for  them,  come  from  within  the 
staff,  we  look  forvjard  to  a  New  Year 
of  increased  effort  to  draw  out  and 
publish  your  contributions  toward  a 
stronger,  happier,  more  efficient  BPL 


MERRY  CHRISTKAS  AND  A  HAPPY  NEW  YEivR 
from 
The  Publications  Committee 


Response  to  the  pleas  of  the  Editorial 
Board  for  ideas  and  comnents  has  been 
rather  disappointing.  Perhaps  we  have  the 
answer  in  the  following  letter,  written 
by  a  non-bibliothecal  worker,  which  offers 
suggestions  that  should  be  of  interest  to 
all  staff  members,  We  publish  it  here  in 
the  hope  that  it  will  stimulate  better  re- 
sponse on  the  part  of  the  bibliothecal 
staff: 

December  10,  1956 

"Question  Mark"  Editorial  Staff 

Professional  Staff  Association 
Boston  Public  Library,  Boston,  Mass. 

Within  the  past  year,  a  new  spirit  seems 
to  have  become  evident  within  the  Library 
despite  general  low  morale  or,  perhaps, 
partially  because  of  it.  There  appears  to 
be  a  more  understanding  attitude  towards 
the  staff  evinced  by  the  Directory  a  more 
sympathetic  recognition  of  the  predicament 
of  sub-professionals  by  the  professional 
members  of  the  staff  and  a  willingness, 
even  anxiety,  to  do  something  about  it; 
and,  especially  outstanding,  a  more  mature 
and  courageous  editorial  policy  in  the 
"Question  Mark",  The  latter  deserves  re- 
cognition and  commendation  even  from  those 
individuals  who  are  outside  the  PSA. 

Since  there  is  this  developing  spirit, 
it  would  seem  that  a  forward-looking  pro- 
gram might  be  proposed  which  could  stimu- 
late and  nurture  it  for  the  good  of  the 
Library  as  a  whole,  and  to  the  advantage 
of  every  individual  employee,  in  one  way 
or  another.  Why  not  attempt  to  bring  all 
library  personnel  together  to  build  a  real 
feeling  of  loyalty  to  each  other,  to  help 
solve  joint  problems,  and  to  reduce  or 
destroy  silly  jealousies  and  animosities? 
The  most  commonly-repeated  observation 
heard  during  the  past  summer  in  all  areas 
of  the  Central  Library  was:  "It  used  to 
be  a  pleasure  to  come  back  to  work,  but — 
etc.,  etc."  Many  of  us  feel  that  some- 
thing is  wrong,  and  that  it  is  not  all  a 
matter  of  salary.  Much  of  the  f ailt  uiay  Tio 
with  the  Administration,  from  the  Board 
of  Trustees  down^  yet  in  honesty  we  must 
admit  that  some  of  the  fault  lies  within 
ourselves.   If  we  expect  the  Director  to 
do  his  share,  wc  should  give  some  evidence 
of  willingness  to  accept  such  responsi- 
bility as  is  rightfully  ours,  and  do  some- 
thing tangible  to  correct  those  weaknesses 
\jhich  we  alone  can  correct.  For  example. 


we  could  do  much  to  correct  the  present 
lamentable  condition,  wherein  cooperation 
between  departments  appears  to  be  based 
on  the  personal  relationships  of  the  in- 
aividuals  involved.  We  could  do  a  great 
deal  among  ourselves  to  lessen  the  damage 
caused  by  resentment  of  what  many  of  us 
feel  to  be  recurring  administrative  disin- 
terest and  negligence  towards  some  of  our 
personnel  problems  or  particular  phases  of 
staff  work.  With  an  over-all  organiza- 
tion represented  by  a  central  council  as 
outlined  below,  we  could  overcome  weakness- 
es created  by  arbitary  divisions  of  em- 
ployees— a  condition  which  never  leads  to 
the  advantage  of  those  employed.  Accom- 
plishment of  these,, objectives  could  per- 
haps bring  a  realization  to  high  level 
Library  authorities  that  even  junior  em- 
ployees have  intelligent  and  constructive 
ideas  and  can  assist  greatly  in  the 
efficient  maintenance  of  a  great  organiza- 
tion when  given  fair  encouragement.  We 
might  even  succeed  in  slowing  the  general 
exodus  of  high-calibre  personnel  which  has 
been  taking  place, 

Relecvzing  the  antipathy  existing  towards 
the  creation  of  an  ovor-all  organization, 
based  on  fear  of  inadequate  representation 
of  particular  groups,  i-tc,,  I  would  merely 
suggest  establishment  of  a  representative 
council  for  two  stated  purposes: 
1,  To  provide  an  inter-departmental  forum 
for  the  airing  of  departmental,  afflictions 
such  as  personnel  shortages  or  inexperience, 
administrative  roadblocks,  etc.,  and  for 
consequent  joint  atteirpts  to  solve  the 
particular  problems  under  discussion  or 
to  accept  philosophically  the  existing  con- 
dition until  a  remendy  can  be  found; 
2o  To  more  easily  attain  unanimity,  or 
something  close  to  it,  in  programs  which 
should  command  the  interest  or  activity  of 
all  employees,  while  lacking  any  authority 
to  act  as  a  bargaining  agent  or  to  commit 
employees  as  a  whole  to  any  particular  ■ 
course  of  actiono  (All  such  authority 
should  remain  with  the  individual  groups 
as  presently  orgrnized). 

Wliatever  interest  this  suggestion  may 
command,  I  sincerely  hope  that  the  good 
work  performed  during  the  past  year  by 
the  PSA  and  particularly  by  your  editorial 
board  will  not  be  permitted  to  die  on  the 
vine. 


„3.> 


CALENDAR  OF  EVENTS 

December  20  Annual  Christmas  Tea,  Women's 

Lounge,  3-'-5  P»ni« 
December  21  Annual  Chris tnas  Men's  Open 

House,  10s 30  to  12  ;30.  poir., 

PERSONNEL  NOTES 

NeTT  Employees 

Robert  E,  Graham,  Central  Charging  Records 

Mrs  Rcsemarie  Ho  LaCedra,  Cataloging  and 

Classification  (^   and  RS) 
Barbara  J.  Whitledge,  Office,  Div.  of  Home 

Reading  and  Community  Services 

Transferred 

Mrs  Anna  Mo  Brackett,  from  West  End  to 
Roslmdale 


Ruth  E.  McNamee,  from  Central  Book  Stock 

to  South  End 
Gladys  L.  Murphy,  from  Roslindale  to  "Book 

Selection  (KR  and  CS) 
Helen  Jo  Nicholas,  from  South  End  to  ITest 

End 

Resimations 


Mrs  Mary  E.  Brigante,  Alls ton,  to  remain 
at  home 

Rita  A.  Farina,  Hospital  Library  Ser^rLce , 
to  remain  at  home 

Mrs  Lucia  S.  Faulkner,  South  End,  to  ac- 
cept another  position 

S.  Robert  Johnson,  Fine  Arts,  to  attend 
college  in  Florida 

IVErs  Mary  Scanlon,  Central  Charging  Records, 
to  remain  at  home 

Lavvrence  J.  Sindoni,  Book  Stack  Service, 
to  accept  another  position 

John  L.  Spicer,  Rare  Book,  to  study  for 
doctorate  at  University  of  California 

Anne  E,  Way land.  Personnel  Office,  to  ac- 
cept a  position  at  the  EoU»  School  of 
Nursing. 

MEET  OUR  imf  ARRIVALS 

Barbara  J.  Ashe  and  Mary  Casey  of  Book 
Stack  Service  both  graduated  from  Mission 
High  School  in  Roxbury  last  spring.  The 
two  friends,  who  majored  in  a  college-prep 
course,  embarked  on  a  nurses  training  pro- 
gram at  H'-'ly  Ghost  Hospital  in  Cambridge, 
■which  they  both  found  to  their  liking  but 
were  forced  to  leave  because  of  individual 
personal  reasons.  They  are  fond  of  bowl- 
ing and  dancing,  and  2fery  is  especially 
interested  in  r oiler-skating  <,  The  girls 


come  well  steeped  in  "library"  as  Barbara's 
uncle  is  none  other  than  Eamon  ^tcDonough, 
General  Reference,  and  her  cousin  is  Mary 
McDonough  of  Book  Preparation.  Old  timers 
may  remember  another  cousin.  Celie  McDonough 
iiviio  worked  in  the  stacks  many  years  ago. 


* 


Mrs  Winifred  C,  Frank  of  Central  Charging 
Records  is  a  graduate  of  South  Boston  High 
Schoolc  Before  coming  to  Central  Charging, 
she  vjorked  part-time  in  the  Bookmobile. 
Mrs  Fi-arik  has  two  daughters,  one  five,  the 
otiier  eleven  j'ears  old.  Yet,  as  busy  as 
these  young  ladies  must  keep  her,  she  still 
finds  time  for  her  hobbies,  reading  and 
sewing  o 


* 


Gerard  LaCentra,  Jr.,  Kirstein,  graduated 
from  Boston  University  as  a  major  in  Phil- 
osophy but  through  transfers  and  such  found 
himself  with  more  hours  credit  in  Economics 
than  any  other  subject o  He  c ernes  to  the 
3i:sinsss  Branch  virith  experience  in  this 
field  too — he  was  associated  for  a  while 
iTith  his  father  in  the  coffee  brokerage 
business.  He  is  ever  interested  in  sports 
of  all  kinds  —  er.joys  skiing  and  owns 
half  interest  in  a  l6^  ft,,  sloop  in  his 
home  port  of  Winthropo 


¥■ 


Cataloging  and  Classification,  RRS,  is 
pleased  to  grcei:  its  ncirest  employee— 
Astrida  Pliiksu.  After  escaping  from 
Latvia  by  vjay  of  Germany  v;here  she  lived 
for  six  years,  Astrida  and  her  family 
managed  to  reach  the  United  States  in  19^1 o 
She  became  acquainted  with  American  life 
in  tre  deep  south  -when  she  attended  IvtLss- 
issippi  State  College  for  a  year.  Then  on 
to  New  Ycxrk  City  and  graduation  from  Barn- 
ard College  -v'^ere  she  majored  in  German  and 
minored  in  ^ine  Arts.  Although  Astrida 
takes  off  for  New  York  to  spend  all  holidays 
with  her  mother,  she  frankly  admits  that 
she  prefers  to  live  in  Boston,  That  should 
make  her  fellow  catalogers  happy  for  this 
cheerful  girl  has  been  a  most  welcome  ad- 
dition to  the  staff. 


» 


Natalie  J.  Rastau,  Charlestown,  hails 
from  Brookline.  After  gradur.tion  from 
Barnard  College  in  19$S  where  she  majored 


-h^ 


in  Govornment  (International  Relations) 
she  attended  the  London  School  of  Economics 
for  a  year's  post  graduate  researcho  Alcng 
with  the  lighter  diversions  of  tennis  and 
bowling,  Natlie  enjoys  the  theatre  and 
concerts.  She  vcints  to  stay  in  Boston  and 
is  pleased  vdth  her  new  position  in  young 
adult  worko 


* 


Nanella  Jones  "I^arren,  Assistant  in  the 
Children's  Room  at  %ttapan,  was  bom  in 
Atlanta,  Georgia o  She  ivas  educated  in  the 
Atlanta  Public  Schools,  Spelraan  College 
and  Atlanta  University,  She  has  three 
years  teaching  experience  in  the  Atlanta 
Public  Schools  and  has  worked  -vTith  I.WoC.A 
and  Cairf)  Fire  groups.  Her  hobbies  are 
reading,  playing  piano,  and  semng.  ^cr 
husband,  recently  discharged  from  the  U.S. 
Air  Force,  is  a  student  at  Boston  Univer- 
sity La^T  School* 

BIRTHS 

To  Whom  It  May  Concern: 

Mr  and  Mrs  Hyman  li'ilhitman  are   the  proud 
parents  of  a  son,   Paul  Jeffrey,  born  on 
November  28 «     Mrs  'ffliitman  is  the  former 
Sydney  Schwon  of  Codman  Square « 


Donna  Elizabeth  Brown  -vvas  born  on  Friday, 
November  23.     Her  parents  are  Donald  and 
Gertrude  Brown.     i/Irs  Broivn  is   on  the  staff 
of  the  Personnel  Office  and  is  now  on 
maternity  leave. 

mmim 


in  back  vdth  a  full  bustle  bow  ending  with 
a  chapel  length  train.  It  was  fashioned 
with  a  moulded  bodice  of  re-embroidered 
French.  Alencon  lace  outlining  the  portrait 
neckline  vath  a  vri.de  band  of  lace  forning 
short  sleeves,  A  wreath  of  imported  orange 
blossons  of  seed  pearls  and  rhinestones 
held  in  place  the  full,  short  illusion  veil. 
She  carried  a  prayer  book  adorned  with 
orchids  and  stephanotis,  Jeannette  Alfc, 
long-time  BPL  part-time  staff  member,  was 
her  sister's  maid  of  honor  wearing  a  two- 
tone  turquoise  satin  ballerina  gown  with  a 
veiled  velvet  pillbox  hat  to  match.  She 
carried  a  cascade  of  red  roses.  In  the 
same  type  ensembles  but  carrying  yellow 
tea  roses  were  three  bridesmaids,  cousins 
of  the  bride.  The  best  man  and  the  three 
ushers  v/ere  very  good  friends  of  the  groon. 

The  reception  was  held  at  the  Longwood 
Tov^ers  where  many  BPL  friends  of  the  bride 
gathered  to  celebrate  with  the  bride  and 
groom  and  about  l50  guests.  It  was  most 
interesting  to  see  that  with  the  exception 
of  Julie  Lenzi  from  East  Boston  and  Mildred 
Adolson  from  Jamaica  Plain,  the  other  7 
library  people  at  the  reception  were  at 
Some  time  or  other  associated  with  Miss 
Alfe  at  North  End.  We  especially  liked 
the  remarks  made  by  the  orchester  leader 
in  reference  to  Miss  Alfe's  occupation, 
"Librarians  didn't  look  like  this  when 
I  was  a  youngster" J  And  delightful  she 
did  look,,,«our  Graceo  And  delighted  we 
did  look,  her  guests. 

Linda  M,  Pagliuca 

SOCIAL  ^JDHIRL 

The  staff  of  Codman  Square  extended  best 
wishes  to  Mrs  Mary  No one,  a  part-time 
assistant,  at  a  coffee  hour  held  Thursday, 
December  6.  Mrs  Noone  is  leaving  the  lib- 
"Happy  is  the  bride  the  sun  shines  upon"|rary  to  accept  another  position, 
and  no  happier  nor  lovelier  bride  could 
there  have  been  than  Gracemarie  Alfe  on 
the  warm  bright  day  of  her  wedding,  Nov- 
ember 2I4..  At  an  11  o'clock  Nuptial  Ifess, 
petite  and  radiant  ^'iss  Alfe  from  East 
Boston  exchanged  marriage  vows  \7ith  tall, 
handsome  Francis  Lc Blanc  at  St,  Leonard's 
Church,  North  End.  Follovdng  the  Mass, 
the  bridal  party  and  some  close  friends 
accompied  the  couple  to  the  chapel  at  Em- 
manuel for  a  brief  ceremony.  One  dollar  Food  Crusade  packages  are  now 

Given  in  marriage  by  her  brother,  Framk, available  to  Hungarian  refugees.  We  have 
the  bride  vrore  a  formal  gown  of  silk  taf-  [already  placed  an  order  for  $30eOO,  and 
feta  mth  a  bouffant  panel,  skirt  gathered  can  help  these  needy  people  with  your 


:  ENGAGEMENTS 

■  ^oxaouncement  has  been  made  of  the  en- 
gagement of  Julia  Talanian  of  the  Office 
of  the  Division  of  Reference  and  Research 
Services  to  Carl  P,  Topjian,  Jr. 

CARE 


_^.. 


continued  support  of  CAREo 

Special  CoinmitteG  for  CARE 

B^L  TRUSTEE  NA^-'IED 
CHAIRM'IN  OF  NATIONAL  MANPOWER  COTINCIL 

Er^vin  D.  Canham,   editor  of  THE  CHRISTIAN 
SCIENCE  I-DNITOR,  and  Vice-President  of  the 
Library's  Board  of  Trustees,  has  been 
named  chairnan  of  the  National  Manpower 
Coimcila 

The   council  vias  established  at  Columbia 
University  in  1951.     President  Eisenhower, 
then  president  of  the  university,  invited   I 
leaders  in  industry,  labor,   education,   nat-f 
ural  science,  and  public  affairs  to  parve   | 
as  council  members »  { 

The  duty  of  the  board  is  to  provide  "a  : 
continuing  appraisal  of  America's  resourosd 
in  a  period  of  enduring  emargancyo"  j 

NORTH-END ^-S  FAMS'S?gSr''.DS  i 

■  Lgtte'i.  f  :rom  Oklahoita 

COUNTY  COURT  OF  WAGONER  COUNTY 
STATE  OF  OKUHOMA 
PHONE  37 
WAGONER,  OKLAHOMA 

November  26,  19?6 

Young  Adults  Council 
North  End  Branch 
Boston  Public  Library 
Boston,  Mass, 

Gentle mens 

Congratulations  on  your  Certifi- 
cate of  Honor  from  Parents '  tegazine  for 
Commnnity  service  in  1955-56 <> 

Vfe  are  attempting  to  fotmulate  a  youth 
program  here  in  ¥fegoner,  and,  as  a  part 
of  that  program,  we  are  interested  in  or- 
ganizations such  as  yours. 

?fe  would  greatly  appreciate  it  if  you 
would  tell  us  how  your  organization  is  set 
up,  its  purposes,  and  the  projects  it  has 
undertaken,  and  the  more  details  you  can 
give,  the  better. 

Enclosed  is  a  self-addressed,  stamped 
envelope  for  your  convenience o  Thank  youo 

Ycrurs  very  truly, 

(signed)   ANQELBlE  A.  JONES 
An4;elyne  A.  Jones 
County  Judge  of 
?fagoner  County 


LIFE'S  LITTLE  IRONIES 

A  6-Act  Drayma 
(Submitted  by  Christiana  P.  Jordan, 
Alls ton) 

Scene;  The  A ^ton  Branch  Library 

Tines   12  ;59  Pom.,  of  a  Saturday 
DranBtis  personae  :  1  Leisiurely 
Borrower  (feminine) 
1  Smiling  Assistant 

ACT  I 

12s59  p^mo  Leisurely  Borrower  approaches 
charging  desk  mth  book  to  be  chargedo 
(Leisui-ely  Borrower  has  been  in  Branch  since 
11  a.m.,  but  is  just  getting  aroung  to  hav- 
ing book  chargedo) 

Smiling  Assistant  graciously  waits  for 
Leisurely  Borrovrer's  library  card. 

I  ACT  II 

jl-l?01  p,mo     Leisurely  Borrower  goes  through 
i  four  or  five  pockets ,  l)oking  for  library 
i  cardo 

Smiling  Assistant's  smile  gets  a  trifle 
I  fixed. 

ACT  III 

1:01-1 :02pom»  Leisurely  Borrower  takes  out 
wallet  and  goes  through  fifty-seven  compart- 
ments looking  for  library  card. 

Smiling  Assistant  begins  to  steam  visibly. 

ACT  IV 

l!02-lj03  p.m.  Leisurely  Borrower  empties 
hand  bag  the  size  of  a  vjeek-end  case  oh 
desk,  looking  for  library  cardo 

Smiling  Assistant  loses  smile,  and  clutchoE 
desk  tightly* 

ACT  V 

1:03-1  sOii  p^m.  Leisurely  Borrower  decides 
library  card  is  at  home,  scoops  junk  from 
desk  back  into  handbag,  leaves  book  on 
counter,  and  departs o 

Smiling  Assistant  turns  livid,  a:id  mut- 
ters into  her  beard. 

ACT  VI 

1 1:05  p.m.e  Ex-Smiling  Assistant  prepares 
I  to  return  book  to  shelf,  utters  cry  of 
j unholy  joy:  title  of  book  abandoned  by 

Leisurely  Borrower  -  How  to  win  Friends 

and  Influence  People, 

fTTTrpA  TM 


[Boston  Public  ^ibraiy  system^  The  Execu- 
tive Board  has  considered  the  proposal  for 


PRESIDENT'S  DDTES 

~     meetings 
The  Executive  Board  has  had  seve^al/sit-icdajoint  council  of  the  various  organizations 


we  reported  to  you  last  month.  Much  work 
has  gone  into  the  study  of  comparative  sal 
aries  paid  in  other  large  libraries  and^ 
after  careful  deliberation,  the  Executive 
Board  has  forwarded  to  the  Director  the 
results  of  these  studies. 

The  small  attendance  at  the  November 
business  meeting  and  the  necessity  for  a 
second  notice  requesting  people  to  return 
the  questionnaires  sent  out  to  determine 
the  preferred  t  imes  and  subjects  for  our 
meetings  denotes  a  lamentable  lack  of  in- 
terest on  the  part  of  many  members  of  the 
Staff  Association,  We  trust  that  the  nevr 
officers  to  be  elected  in  January  will  re- 
ceive the  encouragement  and  support  that 
can  be  manifested  only  by  your  presence  at 
and  participation  in  the  business,  profes- 
sional and  social  meetings  of  the  Associa- 
tion* 

The  Nomination  Committee  repoi-ted  the 
folloviing  nominations  for  office  for  1957; 
President 

Central  Book  Stock  Ser- 


within  the  Library  and  decided  that  a 
council  of  the  heads  of  all  organizations 
might  very  well  be  considered.  The  opin- 
ions of  the  membership  on  this  subject 
will  be  most  welcome » 

The  Officers  and  the  Executive  Board  of 
the  Boston  Public  Library  Professional 
Staff  Association  wish  one   and  all  a  Merry 
xV.letide  and  good  health  and  happiness  in 
the  year  to  conB„ 

LOUIS  RAINS 
President 


TiTilliam  To  Casey, 

vice 
B.  Gertrude  Wade, 
Vicc-Presidont 
"Efuc'li'd  Jo  Peltier  J  Audio-Visual 

Sarah  Richman,  Ifettapan 
Treasurer 

Catalog  and  Classifica- 


CARE  SPEAKS 


Dear  Gentlemen: 


Much  to  my  surprise  I  got  over  our 
Health  Department  a  care-gift-parcel «  I 
found  therin  your  address  and  I  am  glad 
that  I  can  say  you  personally— "Thank  you 
very  much  for  your  great  help." 

Surely  I  got  the  parcel,  because  I 
Book  Selection,  HSiandC^Vi2^e  ^^d  a  very  hard  tuberculosis.  But 

thanks  God  and  the  new  remedies  it  is 
noxj  finished — and  I  hope  forever.  You 
know  it  is  a  long  lasting  illness  and  so 
for  U  years  I  couldn't  work.  May  you 
see  that  your  parcel  got  in  the  right 
hands . 


Mary  D.  Farrell, 
tion,  R  and  RS 

T&ry  C.  Robbins,  Business  Office 
Recording  Secretary 
"Marion  K.  Abbot,  Charlestown 

Joan  Po  Morris,  Science  and  Technology 
Corresponding  Secretary 

l£.urelje  F.  Cole,  Tfeshington  Village 

Ruth  V.  Marshall,  Teachers 
Executive  Board  -  Professional 
"Edward  J.  Cullinane,  Eglestcn  Sqiiare 

Sarah  M,  Usher,  Office  of  Records,  Files,: 
Statistics 
Er-ecutive  Board  -  Sub-Professional 

Phyllis  Eo  Adams,  Book  Stack  Service 

Mary  T.  Crow,  West  Roxbury 

Mary  R.  Roberts,  Central  Charging  Records 

We  are  happy  to  announce  that  Elinor  D. 
Conley,  Dorchester,  has  accepted  the  chair- 
mans  hip  .-of  the  Bertha  V.  Hartzell  Memorial 
Lectur''  Committee. 

There  appears  in  this  issue  of  the  "Ques 
tion  Mark"  a  letter  received  by  the  Pub- 
lications Committee  concerning  the  ques- 
tions of  morale  and  cooperation  ivithin  the 


But  thinking  on  the  Hungarians  in  their 
misery  I  would  have  a  bad  feeling  to 
stand  aside.  So  I  spend  a  part  of  the 
spared  household-momiey  for  the  Hungarians- 
help,  and  I  hope  you  will  understand  that. 
This  was  a  special  joy  for  me,  I  would 
like  to  do  you  a  favour — but  I  don't  know 
how— if  you  have  any  questions? 

Once  more  my  wife  and  I  thank  you  very 
much  for  your  friendliness. 

I  wish  you  a  I'ferry  Christmas  and  a 
Happy  New  Year. 

Sincerely  yours, 

(Signed)  Heinz  K,  Werner 

Berlin-Wilmersdorf 
Geisenheimer  Str  hi 

2/12/56 


NEW  BOOKS   IN  TPIE  STAFF  LIWMY 

Non-Fiction 

Alcksandra 

For  love  of  a  king. 
N.Yc,  Doubloday,   1956 

Gorst,  Frederick  J, 
Of  carriages  and  kings. 


Nc 


■  "> 


Crowell,  1956 


Caroline  M,  Hevfins,  her  booko 
Boston,  xHorn  Book,  195^1 

Library  Science 

Asheim,  Lester,  ede 

The  future  of  the  booko 

University  of  Chicago,  Graduate  Library 
School,  1955 

Shera,  Jesse  H, 

The  classified  catalog. 

Chicago,  ATTicrican  Librarj'"  Association, 
1956 

ST,  JERQUE  GUILD 

December  2 ,  1956  tvas  vtho  date  on  •  ' 
vjhich  the  St,  Jerome  Guild  held  its  second 
Communion  Breakfast.  Over  l|0  Library  em- 
ployees attended  9500  llass   at  St,  Cecelia's 
Ch-ijirchs  Immediately  folloidng,  Guild  me  .a 
bars  enjoyed  a  most  delicious  repast  at 
the  Sherry  Biltmore,  The  main  speaker, 
Mon'5-xp,nor  Flanigan,  Chaplain  of  the  Guild 
spoke  on  the  necessity  of  the  meeting  of 
the  clergy  with  the  lay  people,  and   stem- 
m.ing  from  this  necessity,  the  origin  of 
the  Communion  Breakfast.  The  Officers  of 
the  Guild  elected  for  195?  are: 
Charles  L,  Higgins,  General  Reference, 

President 
Daniel  W.  Kelly,  Audio-Vis\ial,  Vice-Pres- 
ident 
Daniel  J.  Koury,  Music,  Treasurer 
\farie  Ann  T.  Grth,  Personnel,  Secretary, 

I  should  like  to  take  this  opportunity 
to  tha.nk  all  those  who  contributed  so  much 
to  make  this  occasion  the  success  that  it 
was« 

MARIE  ANN  ORTH 


THE  LIBRARY  ON  THE  AIR 

Over  Station  WiEX 

Every  Sunday,  at  5:30  p^m, ,  on  Boston 
Public  Library  Pro gram  of  Recordi ngs , 
La^ixeace  Vezin  introduces  classical  and 
semi-classical  recordings  which  are  avail- 
able for  circulation^  %  Vezin,  Audio-Visua] 
gives  a  brief  commentary  on  the  music  and 
a  biographical  sketch  of  the  composer  be- 
fore each  recording  is  played  over  the  air. 

Over  Station  TOUR-FM 

Station  WBUR-FM  has  been  Presenting  the 
Boston  Public  Library  every  T^aesday,  at 
TTJo  p,ra. 

On  November  20,  Elizabeth  M.  Gordon, 
Deputy  Supervisor  in  Charge  of  Work  With 
Children,  ?ath  the  assistance  of  Virginia 
Haviland,  Readers  Adviser  for  Children, 
celebrated  National  Children's  Book  Week 
with  a  review  and  preview  of  children's 
activities o 

On  November  2?  I&ss  Haviland  discussed 
books  as  Christmas  gifts  for  children. 

On  December  h   Euclid  (Ed)  Jo  Peltier, 
Chief  of  Audio-Visual,,described  the  films 
and  recordings  which  were  available  in 
his  department  and  told  how  they  could  be 
obtained. 

On  December  11,  there  was  a  transcription 
of  the  Lit-grary  Tcurs  program  on  Africa 
held  at  the  Central  Library  on  December  6.-, 
The  program  was  presented  in  the  form  of 
a  dialogue  between  Dr  Grace  Harris  and  Dr 
Daniel  McCall,  Research  Associates  in  the 
African  Research  and  Studies  Program  at 
Boston  University^ 

The  programs  for  December  18  and  25 
will  present  Christmas  recordings  from 
the  collections  of  the  Lihraryo 

Over  Station  WBZ 

Every  VJednesday,  at  9:05  pm,over  Station 
"iTEZV^'-issell  A,  Scully  speaks  of  books  en 
a  variety  of  tcpice.  The  program,  which 
began  on  November  7,  is  entitled  The 
World  of  Books  and  is  planned  to  cover  a 
2o-vreek-periodo 


-8- 


STAFF  IN  PRINT 


Congratulations  to  Zoltan  Haras zti. 
Keeper  of  Rare  Books,  whose  new  book  THE 
ENIGMA.  OF  THE  BAY  PSALM  BOOK  has  recently- 
been  published  by  the  University  of 
Chicago  Press  as  a  companion  volume  to  a 
facsimile  edition  of  the  BAY  PS/IM  BOOK, 
Both  volumes  are  on  exhibit  in  the  Trea- 
sure Room  through  December  31 • 


In  Mi-.CALL'S  magazine  for  November  1956 
there  appears  an  article  entitled  100 
Best  Books  for  Children,  compiled  by 
VTFginia  Havila^id,  Boston  Public  Library, 
Ruth  Gagliardo,  and  Elizabeth  Nesbitt,  allj 
specialists  in  children's  work.  In  the 
initial  lists  prepared  by  each,  it  was 
found  that  there  were  8?  titles  common  to 
all  three  lists.  The  13  remaining  titles 
were  picked  by  a  vote  of  2  to  1,  The 
magazine  has  given  a  double -page  spread 
to  a  fascinating  colored  illustration  by 
Gyo  Fujikawa  in  which  there  appear  pic- 
tures of  2U  of  the  characters  from  the 
books  chosen,  and  which  are  well  beloved 
by  both  children  and  adults  who 
appreciate  children's  books.  The  list 
has  been  reprinted  with  individual  an- 
notated lists  of  further  titles^  that 
could  not  be  included  in  the  100  and  is 
available  for  a  small  amount  from 
McCALL'S  Modern  Honemaker, 


•?«■ 


In  TODAY'S  HEALTH  for  November  1956, 
there  appears  an  article  by  Mildred  Lo 
Batchelder,  Executive  Secretary,  A.L.S.'s 
Division  of  Libraries  for  Children  and 
Young  People,  entitled  Children's  Books 
You,  Too,  Will  Like.  In  this  I^.ss  Batch- 
elder  has  included  a  list  compiled  by 
Virginia  Haviland— Lot's  Read  Together— 
which  had  been  previously  printed  and 
distributed  by  Campbell  &  Hall,  Inc. 


We  call  attention  to  a  very  unusual  book 
entitled  TOULOUSE-LAUTREC,  ONE  HUNDRED  TEt 
UNPUBLISHED  DRAVJINGS  with  an  introduction 
and  commentary  by  Arthur  W.  Heintzelman, 
Keeper  of  Prints. 

These  drawings  have  never  been  shown  in 
entirety  to  the  public  outside  of  Boston, 
and  were  purchased  for  the  Boston  Public 
Library  by  Albert  H.  Wiggin  in  19^0. 


In  the  book  there  are  110  facsimile  pages 
reproduced  and  printed  by  Daniel  Jacomet, 
the  world-reknowned  French  printer,  and 
the  paper  used  duplicates  the  original  as 
nearly  as  possible.  This  combination  has 
produced  a  really  sumptuous  publication. 
The  drawings  cover  the  period  of  several 
years  when  Lautrec  was  between  the  ages  of 
nine  and  sixteen,  and  while  some  of  the 
drawings  are  immature,  the  others  show  all 
the  promise  and  genius  of  the  accomplished 
artist. 

The  book  was  published  in  a  limited  ed- 
ition simultaneously  in  France  and  America 
in  1955 o  The  publisher  of  the  American 
edition  is  Boston  Book  and  Art  Company, 
and  the  French  edition  Au  Pont  des  Arts 
in  Paris  a 

IN  MEMORIAM 

JOHN  H.  REARDON 

Long-time  members  of  the  Library  Staff 
were  saddened  to  learn  of  the  death  of 
John  H.  Reardon  on  December  3«  He  had 
celebrated  his  eighty-sixth  birthday  last 
June.  Mr  Reardon  served  the  library  in 
many  capacities,,  He  was  first  employed  in 
188U  as  a  part-time  "runner"  in  the  Lower 
Hall  in  the  old  library  building  on  Boyl- 
ston  Street.  In  I896  he  began  the  first 
of  his  forty -four  years  of  service  as  a 
member  of  the  full-time  staff.  For  a  num- 
ber of  years  he  was  in  charge  of  the  extra 
assistants  for  the  day  and  evening  services; 
he  was  in  charge  of  the  Information  Office 
after  its  opening  in  1920|  and  at  the  time 
of  his  retirement  in  I9U0  he  was  the  Chief 
of  the  Open  Shelf  Department  and  Deputy 
Supervisor  of  General  Reference.  During 
World  War  I,  Mr  Reardon  was  actively  con- 
nected with  the  Library  War  Service  car- 
ried on  by  the  American  Library  Association 
at  Camp  Upton,  New  York, 

If  there  was  one  word  which  might  be  used 
to  describe  Mr  Reardon  it  was  his  loyalty 
—  he  was  loyal  to  his  library,  to  his 
friends,  and  to  his  family.  He  was  very 
proud  of  his  three  sons,  and  particularly 
so  of  his  grandson  Malcolm  who  so  tragical- 
ly lost  his  life  when  serving  as  a  photo- 
grapher in  the  Air  Corps,  Part  of  my 
first  six  months  in  the  Boston  Public  Lib- 
rary was  spent  working  with  Mr  Reardon, 
I  remember  him  as  a  kindly,  friendly  per- 
son, who  never  seemed  to  be  hurried  or 
upset,  even  at  the  greatest  prove cationo 
The  Library  occupied  a  great  part  of  his 
life.  He  is  still  remembered  by  the  mem- 
bers of  his  public  as  a  man  who  went  out 


— <^_ 


of  his  way  to  give  service  to  countless 
ntimbers  of  peopleo     He  xras  in  truth  a 
gentle.THn  of  the  old  school, 

lilURIEL  C.   JAVELIN 

BRANCH  NOTES 


Memorial 

Although  disguised  in  Czechoslovak  cos- 
tume,   (by  the  vray,  an  authentic  heirloom 
from  the  Kyov  region  of  Moiavia  )  the 
Mildred  Kaufman  whose  name  and  picture  have 
been  appearing  in  recent  newspaper  accounts 
is  Branch  Librarian  at  Memcrialo     Miss 
Kaufman  is  an  honorary  meinber  of  s.  Czech- 
oslovak group  Yifhich  has  been  performing 
Czech  and  Slovak  folk  songs  and  dances  at 
various  functions  in  Nevj'  England^.     Of 
special  interest  were  the  perfoAirBnces 
at  tlie  conference  of  the  Institute  of 
Tforld  Affairs  Association  at  ITarner,  New 
Hampshire,  and  for  the  United  Nations 
Day  celebration  by  the  term  of  Grotcn, 
I&ssachusetts c     For  the  latter.  Miss 
Kaufman  also  served  as  program  co-ordina- 
tor  for  a  unique  celebration*     Preceding    ■ 
the  program,  the  townsfolk  and  faculty 
members  of  the  famous  Groton  School  invited 
to  their  homes  as  gi?.ests   the  various  for- 
eign students  and  new  arrivals  who  came 
from  the  Inter-national  Institute  with 
Miss  Kaufman  to  perform  in  the  evening 
program. 

SoT-tth  %.5tcn 

Members   of  the  Imagination  Club  who  are 
also  members   of  th3  Horn  Book  Leeguc,   and 
thei.0  friends,   had  a  ver3/  enjoyable  visit 
with  Jennie  Dc  i^indquist,   editor  of  the 
HORN  BOOK  WiGAZINE,   in  the  Children's  Room 
on  Thursday  afternoon,  December  6.     Miss 
Lindquiat  told  the  children  about  son.o  of 
the  real  animals  vjhich  she  had  incorporated 
into  her  book,   THE  GOLDEN  M?1EDAYo     ' 
Elizabeth  Gordon,  Supervisor    of  Work  mth 
Children,  was  also  present.     After  Miss 
Lindquist's  talk,   tlie  boys  and  girls  sang 
ChxistrnxT-s  carols  in  honor  of  their  dis- 
tinguished guests. 

West  End 

Rock  and  roll  tempo  has  a  slow,  lazy  beat 
compared  to  the  fast  and  furius  rhyth'n 
of  this  month's  activities  at  West  End» 
The  celebrations  of  Children's  Book  Yfcek 
and  Jewish  Book  Month  called  the  tunes 
which  were  played  out  on  an  ascending  scale 
of  events  -  exhibits,  parties,  special 


programs  and  radio,  planned  and  impromptu, 
!for  both  the  juvenile  and  adult  patrons  of 
the  library. 

The  Children's  Book  Week  exhibit  of  orig- 
inal illustrations  represents  the  art  work 
of  some  of  today's  finest  illustrators  of 
current  children's  literature.  The  interest 
manifested  by  adults  and  children  alike  in 
these  drawings  by  some  thirty  different 
artists  has  been  so  great  that  the  exhibit 
Vv'as  held  over  until  December  l5« 

On  Friday  afternoon,  November  l6,  some 
twentj'--f  ive  members  of  our  Siommer  Reading 
Club  were  guests  of  the  Science  Park  Museum, 
Even  though  the  museiim  is  -within  walking 
distance  of  the  branch,  many  of  the  West 
End  children  had  never  been  there  before. 
They  vrere  fascJTiated  by  the  various  dis- 
plays and  exhibitions  that  were  given  for 
our  benefit,  and  some  of  the  children  were 
inspired  to  seek  further  information  on 
scientific  subjects  from  books  back  at  the 
library. 


NOVEMBER  30  -  A  day  of  days? 


.  »  ,  came  a  class  of  Divinity  School 
students  from  Harvard,  to  view  the  library 
building.  As  always.  Miss  Goldstein  took 
the  visitors  from  steeple  to  basement, 
accenting  at  each  point  the  highlights  of 
special  ecclesiastical  and  American  historyo 

In  the  evening,  the  lid dish  Culture  Club 
of  Boston  met  for  a  Jemsh  Book  Month  pro- 
gramo  Barnet  Rudman  spoke  on  the  'Search 
for  God  in  Yiddish  Literature,"  An  animated 


question  period  and  social  hour  followed. 


On  Sunday  afternoon,  December  2,  a  splen- 
did Je-.7ish  Book  Month  program  was  held  in. 


-10- 


the  inain  lecture  hall  of  the  library. 
V/hat  an  aesthetio  ■  ensemble  I     Everything 
co-crdinated  into  a  thing  of  beautyj  and 
the  comfort  of  those  new  seats  was  fully 
appreciated  by  the  sitting  audience. 
Jfeirie  Syrkin  spoke   on  how  she  came  to 
write  her  book,  Way  of  Valor,  a  biography 
of  Golda  Myerson,   now  Golda  Meir,  Foreign 
Minister  of  the  State  of  Israel,     I'lar-van 
Lowehthal,  author  of  the  Herzl  Diaries ,       , 
figuratively  brough  Herzl  to  life  in  his     ( 
talk  about  the  man  and  his  dramatic,   short 
life,  and  the  quality  and  place  of  his 
diaries  in  literatureo     Dro  Kyman  Morrison 
gave   the   Jewish  Book  Month  greetings  for     i 
the  Committee,  and  Fanny  Goldstein  presidsc 


A  CHRISTMS   BOUQUET  TO   B.P.L. 

By  chance  the  following  letter  came  to 
the  attention  of  a  member  of  the  Publica- 
tions  Committee,     Although  it  is  concern- 
ed primarily  with   only  one  branch  library, 
the  committee  feels  that  is  doubtless  ex- 
presses the  sentiment  of  many  appreciative 
hut  perhaps  less  vocal  patrons   of  any 
branch  or  department.     For  this  reason 
permission  was  requested  and  granted  from 
the  recipient  to  print  the  le,tter  in  full. 


r 


I3I4.O  Copnonwealth  Avenue, 
Boston  (31+) 

Dec.   2,   1956 


it 


On  Svjiday,  December  9,   Fanny  Goldstein 
interviewed  Charles  Angoff ,  the  prize- 
winning  author  for  the  best  Jewish  novel 
of  the  year,  over  Station  13DS  and  WEEIo 


On  November  25  and  December  9,  West  End 
was  host  to  two  distijiguished,  contempor- 
ary Jevri.sh  authors,  Meyer  Levin,  author 
of  Compulsion,  and  Charles  Angoff ^  Both 
guests  left  a  living  message  on  the  place 
of  the  contemporary  Jewish  writer  in  Am- 
erica „  They  were  enthusiastically  receiv- 
ed, receptions  and  teas  followed  their 
talks  . 


■» 


On  November  21,  Fanny  Goldstein  -vvas  in- 
terviewed by  Carl  deSuze  of  Station  ¥BZ 
on  the  occasion  of  her  thirty-fifth  an- 
niversary as  Branch  Librarian  at  West  End 


* 


Fanny  Goldstein  was  made  an  honorary 
member  of  the  Mass,  Correctional  Institu- 
tion Speechcrafters  Club  of  Walpole  on 
December  10,  which  entitles  her  ''to  the 
use  of  the  club  and  its  privileges  as  pro- 
vided by  the  established  Bylaws  so  made 
and  providing," 


Milton  Lord,  Director 
Boston  -^ublic  library 

Dear  Sir: 

For  many  years  books  were  only 
one  of  the  minor  amenities  of  life  to  me. 
Now  and  then,  as  a  casual  incident,  a  book 
might  be  borrowed,  or  perhaps  purchased  as 
a  Christmas  gift.  (Something  of  merely 
passing  interest  at  best,  in  the  routine 
of  a  busy  man's  crowded  schedules j) 

But,  vhat  a  vastly  different  outlook  de- 
veloped after  Polio  came  my  wayl  "PJhen  the 
doctors  reluctantly  pronounced  my  sentence 
of  life-imprisonment  in  a  whoel-chair,  I 
gradually  began  to  use  the  Boston  Public 
Libr'ary, 

Many  things  helped  to  restore  my  ebbing 
morale  in  varying  degrees,  such  as  certain 
understanding  friends,  congenial  neighbors, 
fine  music  (largely  via  W-C-R-B)now  and 
then  an  outstanding  movie,  etc., etc.  But, 
the  lion's  share  of  the  credit  for  my  suc- 
cessful adjustment  to  a  grim  predicament 
belorgs  to  the  Boston  Public  Library. 

Vfith  the  kindest  and  liveliest  personal 
interest  and  with  endless  patience,  the 
staff  of  the  Allston  Branch  have  carried 
armfuls  of  books  up  and  down  the  long  and 
steep  flight  of  stairs  to  and  from  my 
Y/heel-chair  parked  on  the  sidewalk — not 
once  a  week — not  twice — ^but  generally  three 
times  every  vieek,  for  more  than  20  years  t 

Talk  about  devotion  far  "above  and  beyond 
the  call  of  duty" ,  the  Allston  personnel 
have  uncomplainingly  braved  the  searing 
heat  and  jungle  humidity  of  Harvard  Avenue 
in  •Summed'    and  the  drenching  rains  of 
the  four  seasons.  But  the  special  miracle 
about  it  is,  they  alvfays  seem  to  enjoy 
doing  ite 


-11- 


During  these  two  decades,  week  in  and 
week  out,  their  selection  of  books  have 
covered  the  widest  possible  range,  embrac- 
ing virtually  every  classification  in  youi' 
general  circulationo  Largely,  through 
their  adept  guidance,  previously  unknown 
vistas  have  been  opened  to  ma — and  more 
than  a  few  new  and  deeper  interests  dis- 
covered. 

The  basic  therapy  for  the  shut-in,  the 
elderly,  6t   the  bereaved — 'forced  by  cir- 
cuTistance  to  live  alone — is  to  somehow 
focus  more  of  their  attention  outside  of 
themselves  0  Mental  activity,  or  fTt  least 
awareness,  pointed  in  new  directions  must 
supplant  physical  limitations ,  or  life 
becomes  a  lonely  existence  of  tragic  emptij- 
ness. 

After  the  callers  depart,  the  newspapers 
are  read  and  it  is  too  late  (or  too  early) 
for  the  radio,  iiihen  the  shut-in  is  wholly 
on  his  own  (as  he  inevitably  must  be  much 
of  the  time)  the  right  bocks  can  go  far 
to^vard  filling  in~the  gapso  Often  a  few 
sentences  on  the  first  page  can  transport 
oior  environment  across  the  distant  conti- 
nents, or  through  the  centuries ,  What  a 
galaxy  of  intriguing  characters  (actual 
and  fictional)  we  can  meet,  personifying 
every  facet  of  human  nature o  And  after 
closer  acquaintance  through  reflection  and 
rereading  many  vrill  become  our  literary 
friends,  as  much  alive  as  the  people  we 
know  hesto  Here,  in  truth,  is  rewarding 
and  memorable  companionshipi 

Surely  the  psychological  benefits  are 
almost  incalcuLali-e  in  many  cases  c  The 
broadening  range  of  one's  interests  and 
the  avrakening  of  a  receptivity  to  inoel- 
lectual,  aesthetic  and  even  spiritual 
values  may  be  virtually  priceless o  No 
doubt  there  are  countless  instances,  more 
cr  less  like  my  own  experience,  TA/hich  are 
unknown  to  the  library  administration  as 
well  as  the  public  at  large* 

"My  debt  in  particular  to  Christiai:ji 
Jordan,  Branch  Librarian  and  to  Har::y 
Andrews  is  beyond  estimate.   Both -of  them 
have  the  rare  talent  of  transmitting  to 
otliers  much  of  their  own  ■'love  of  books » 
Also  unstinted  in  their  constant  helpful- 
ness during  their  years  in  Allston,  were 
Alice  ^^.  Waters,  Francis  McGonagle  (now 
J,1rs  ¥m..   Pc  Kelley),  Evelyn  Harden  of  the 
"Bookmobile"  and  almost  every  past  and  pre- 
sent member  of  the  local  staffs 

Obviously  there  is  a  viarm  spirit  of  co- 
operation in  the  library  organization  that 
appears  to  be  rare  in  many  phases  of  civil 


service.  Because  the  Allston  workers  are 
too  self-effacing  to  claim  any  credit,  I 
am  impelled  to  ser/u  j'-ou  this  case  history. 

If  an  outsider  may  comment,  my  impres- 
sion of  the  B.PvL.  is  that  it  seems  to  be 
over-modest  in  this  age  of  publicity.  Your 
unique  work  for  the  coriimunity  may  be  under- 
rated by  the  average  citizens  simply  because 
they  do  not  know  about  the  ramifications 
of  your  constructive  service  and  the  impact 
that  it  makes  upon  the  lives  of  uncounted 
men  aiid  vroman,  to  lAhom  ho  other  similar 
assistance  is  available. 


With  profound  gratitude ,  I  am. 

Sincerely  yotirs, 

(Signed)A.  REMINGTON  CASVffiLL 

P.S,  (You  are  at  liberty  to  use  this  let- 
ter in  any  Tra.y  you  may  choose*  In  justice 
to  the  B.P.L,,  I  think  it  is  a  story  that 
needs  to  be  told-) 

*  ■«•  ■){•  ■«•  -^ 

The  HOLIDAY  SEASON  now  is  here 

To  one  and  all  good  health  and  cheer. 

But,  for  a  moment  let  us  pause 

To  think  of  others  and  their  cause. 

Of  the  Hungarian  refugees  we  do  speak 

V.Tiose  conditions  a:-e  so  dreary  and  bleak j 

Of  food,  clothing  and  shelter  they  are  in 

need 
To  give  them  aid  is  a  worthy  deed. 
Let  us  all  contribute,  however  slight, 
And  try  to  help  relieve  their  plighto 


•«■  ■)!■  ".'<■  -A-  ^;-  -;;-  ■)<•  -;s-  -;i-  -Ji-  *  ">'<■  ■«■  ---  -x-  ^«-  ^i- 


SEASONS       GREETINGS 


to  those 


on  the  sick  list 


*  •)«• 


-12- 
people  when  the  wisdom  of  the  Director  and 
the  humanitarianism  and  the  sense  of  res- 
ponsibility of  the  Board  of  Trustees  justi- 
fies their  ignoring  them.  After  all,  the 
maintenence  of  the  dignity  and  the  financial 
stability,  on  a  percentage  basis,  of  the 
important  people  of  the  Library  has  alvrays 
taken  precedence,  and  I  have  thus  far  not 
been  shoTiin  by  the  editors  why  the  status 
quo  should  be  changed. 

Sincerely,  and  so  whole-heartedly 

GEOFFREY 


IMEPRY  CHRISTMS  TO  'SOAPIE'I 


Any  contribution  to  the  Soap  Box  must  be 
accompanied  by  the  full  name  of  the 
Association  member  submitting  it,  togethe 
with  the  name  of  the  Branch  Library,  De- 
partment or  Office  in  v/hich  he  or  she  is 
employed.  The  name  is  withheld  from  pub- 
lication, or  a  pen  name  used,  if  the  con- 
tributor so  requests.  Anonymous  contribu- 
tions are  not  given  considerationo  The 
author  of  the  article  is  known  only  to 
the  Editor-in-Chief 0  The  contents  of  the 
articles  appearing  in  the  Soap  Eox  are 
personal  opinions  expressed  by  indivdual 
Association  members  and  their  appearance 
does  not  necessarily  indicate  that  the 
Publications  Gomjnittee  and  the  Association 
are  in  agreement  with   the  vie^ws  expressed^ 
Only  those  contributions  containing  not 
more  than  300  words  will  be  acceptedo 


Yuletide  greetings  one  and  all 
i-Ada  short  and  Moorfield  tall, 
Gei'ald  stout  and  Barbara  lean 
Marjorie  Brown  and  Sammy  Green, 


To  the  Editor 

AnB-singi  Most  amazing  J  That  editorial 
of  November  15^  I  means  'Te've  read  edi- 
torials in  The  Question  ^'^^arK  before,  full 
of  indignation  and  fire  and  furj'-,  replete 
Tfith  diatribes  against  the  injustices  per- 
petrated by  the  povrers  that  be  -  but  al- 
ways those  against  us  poor  professionals 
en  masse.  Thisi  V/hat  goes?  -  taking  up 
cudgels  for  the  poor  bloodsucked  individ- 
uals who  do  the  most  specialized  work  in 
the  Library  and  get  nothing  for  It  I     The 
nurse  -  appreciated  only  by  everyone  in 
distress  J  the  artist  whose  work  has  been 
admired  by  every  Library  visitor,  inter- 
national and  local  (especially  his  Christ- 
mas murals  and  reproductions);  the  non- 
existent public  relations  officer  (here 
we  must  concede  that  this  poor  devil,  so 
very  important  to  the  Library,  is  not 
competent  to  fight  for  himself) o 

Nevertheless,  by  what  right  does  the 
editorial  staff  presume  to  consider  such 


Blessings  on  the  Coffee  Shop 

Sam  and  Dot  and  Ginger-Top ^ 

Glaadelig  Jul  to  those  folks  amusing 

Ylhose   similar  naes  make  our  lives  confusing. 

Enjoy  your  Christmas  merrily 
Lang  without  ard  mth  an  "e"» 
Greetings  sent  devoid  of  malice 
To  r/aters — Martin,  Dick  and  Alice, 

Greetings  to  Caseys  of  either  sex 
Bill  and  Mary  and  Edwar'd  Xu 
Joy  to  those  Louies  of  mighty  brains 
O'Halloran,  Polishook,  Ugalde,  Rains « 


Greetings  to  Connollys  he  and  she 
Both  John  J«  and  Florence  Go 
Felicitations  to  Felicia 
fcDonough,  !{iss  and  McDonough,  Mister, 
The  Miirphys — Martin  and  Pauline 
Helen  Et  and  Josephine, 
Joyeux  Noel  to  the  Charlies  and  Harrys 
And  Anna  and  Sallys,  Irenes  and  J'iarys, 

To  Elizabeth,  Bettys,  ^ettinas  our  thanks, 
A  Froke  V'einocht  to  all  the  Franks, 
And  Catherines,  Kathleens,  Kittys,  and  Kays 
May  Christmas  be  one  of  your  happiest  days. 

And  to  Sheila  and  Eleanor  and  Rose  (and)  Mara§' 
And  Joanies  and  Jean(ne)3  have  a  bright 

Christmas  tree. 
To  omit  you  would  be  most  heretical  harm 
So  a  Benison  on  you  Zoltan  and  your  Bay 

Psalm, 

May  the  Season's  spirit  rightly  gladden 
The  hearts  of  Sullivan  and  McFadden, 


-13 
Be  happy  with  your  new  neckvrear 

Bachelors  Slemmer  and  Peltier » 

Buon  natale  to  all  of  the  Ronnies 

And  Joes  and  Jims  and  Jacks  and  Johnnies, 

A  New  ^ear  bright  and  devoid  of  Yrces 
To  Trustees,  Director,  Division  Heads — 

those 
And  the  lov/lier  Supervisors  and  Chiefs 
A  full  year  free  of  executive  griefs. 

Seasons  greetings  even  to  you 
Who  keep  your  books  out  overdue » 
Greetings  best  of  all  the  Season 
To  those  not  mentioned  for  simply  no 

reason 
Other  than  lack  of  space  and  time 
And  possibly  a  name  impossible  to  rhyme. 


Kalla  Christougena J 

Kris  Kr ingle 


A  FINAL  COKTRIBUTION 


The  stars,  in  rut  eternal, 
Ignore  all  else  beside j 
But  we  are  special  creatures- 
Cur  bailiwick  is  wideo 

AiLoebas  T^'ho,  compared, 
Report  us  to  be  stars. 
Get  just  as  much  attention 
As  Lci'rell  gave  to  %rs. 

Behold  vre  are  the  centre J 
'Twixt  greatest  and  the  least. 
Perennials  on  guest  list 
At  Inner  Sanctum  feasts 


Harry  Andrews 


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COMMITTEE  FOR  CHRISTMAS  TEA  


Bertha  So  Keswick,  Chairman 

Ml    Mary  0«  Cahill   Grace  Bo  Lcughlin   Margaret  Lc  Mcrr 

l:-,v>) 

m    Coloniba  N,   Gnesi  Mary  M^  McDonough       Edna  G,   Peck 

■fi   Emilia  Lange  Louisa  S.  Metcalf      Mildred  R.   Somes 

^arie  A.  Larkiri^      gg^ah  M.  Usher         ^.-^■ 


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December   7,   1956 


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BOSTON  PUBLIC  LIBRARY 


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