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THE  BOSTON  PUBLIC  LIBRARY 
STAFF  ASSOCIATION 


JANUARY      1961 


THE     QUESTION     MARK 

Published  by  the  Boston  Public  Library  Staff  Association 

Volume  XVI     Number  1 January  I96I 

PuDlications  Committee:  Constance  Broadhurst,   Helen  E.   Colgan,   Elizabeth  A.   Drrne, 

James  J.   Ford,   I.   Roger  Stevens,   Cartoonist,   Dorothy  P. 
Shaw,   Chairman 

Publication  Date:  Deadline  for  submitting  material: 

The  fifteenth  of  each  month  The  tenth  of  each  month 


Vath  this  issue,     along  with  the  patron  of  this  month,   Janus,    the  Staff 
looks  in  two  directions.     The  year  just  ending,   now  merging  into  the  Past, 
we  see  as  a  new  low  in  frustration,   as  we  attempted  to  maintain  service 
standards  with  a  smaller  staff,   fewer  materials,   shorter  hours  and  over- 
crowded conditions.      But,    gazing  toward  the  coming  months,   we  hopefully  look 
to  a  bettering  of  conditions  with  the  advent  of  State  Aid, 

The  Staff  looks  in  two  directions   too,   to  assess   the  gains  made  during 
the  year  by  the  Association  officers  and  committees,   and,   after  the  elections 
on  the  20th,   forward  toward  new  goals  under  new  officers  and  workers. 

In  this  brief  pause  between  Past  and  Future,   let  each  of  us  assess  most 
carefully,   his  or  her  value,   both  as  a  member  of  the  Library  working  team 
?nd  as  a  member  of  the  Association.     Has  each  of  us   contributed  not  only  the 
f'jll  value  due  to  the  whole,   but  that  little  extra  needed  to  make  the  differ- 
ence between  success  and  failure?     If  there  have  been  complaints,   has   the 
complainor  really  earned  that  right,   through  his  own  competent  service  to   the 
public  and  the  Association,   or  has  he  merely  been  a  wind  blowing  in  a  void? 

And  what  of  the  place  of  each  individual  in  the  future  of  the  Library 
and  the  Association?     Shall  it  be  as  Contributor  or  Deterrent?     Happily,    the 
choice  is  ours.     Let  it  be  graven  on  Time  with  tools  of  true  service,   strong 
integrity,   and  understanding  kindness,  when  January  I962  is  here J 

THE  PUBLICATIONS  COMiITTEE 


-2- 


PRESIDENT'S  MOTES 

We  would  like  to  call  to  your  attention 
the  annual  business  meeting  of  the  Staff 
Association  which  will  be  held  on  Friday- 
January  20.  This  meeting  is  also  the 
occasion  for  the  election  of  officers  for 
the  coming  year.  Be  interested  enough  to 
come  and  vote,  or  send  in  your  absentee 
ballot. 

Remember  this  is  your  organization  and 
your  responsibility.  It  is  your  interest 
that  will  make  the  BPLSA  a  vitally  alive 
body.  However,  you  must  participate 
actively. 

If  you  are  interested  in  serving  on  one 
of  the  committees,  please  communicate 
with  the  Executive  Board,  and  if  you  are 
interested  in  a  particular  committee, 
please  so  indicate.  This  is  one  way  to 
keep  the  BPLSA  alive  and  serving  you, 

,  RUTH  M.  HAYES 

PERSONNEL  NOTES 

New  Btiployees  j 

Robert  J.  Allen,  Book  Stack  Service      ! 
Esther  S,  Chute,  Periodical  and  Newspaper  i 

Transferred  I 

Mrs.  Mary  V.  Curado,  Jamaica  Plain  to 
Egleston  Square 

Philip  Flattick,  Book  Purchasing  to 
Science  and  Technology,  Patent  Section 

Mrs.  I'inifred  Frank,  Codraan  Square  to 
Jamaica  Plain 

Martin  J.  Laughlin,  Science  and  Technology 
to  Periodical  and  Newspaper 

James  A.  Monahan,  Central  Charging  Rec- 
ords to  Science  and  Technology,  Patent 
Section 

Sarah  Richman,  Judaica  to  Uphara's  Corner 

Minna  Steinberg,  Catalog  and  Classifica- 
tion (R  &  RS)  to  Judaica 

Michael  J.  Venezia,  Cataloging  and 

Classification  (R  &  RS)  to  Science  and 
Technology,  Patent  Section 

Married 

Joella  B,  I'ferlin,  Rare  Book,  to  Lawrence 
Zivin,  January  1 

Resigned 

Josephine  Del  Longo,  Cataloging  and 

Classification  (R  &  RS)  to  accept      j 
another  position  j 

Mrs.  Nanella  barren,  Egleston  Square,  to 
move  to  New  York  ' 


Retired 

Catherine  P.    Loughman,    Lfphams  Oonier 

Anna  L.   Manning,    Education 

Olive  M.    Neilson,   Alls ton 

^JHO'S  NEW? 

Theresa  Ouellet,  Book  Purchasing,  is 
one  of  the  co-op  students  from  North- 
eastern. After  graduating  from  Billerica 
Memorial  High  she  entered  the  College  of 
Education  at  Northeastern  and  hopes  to 
become  a  high  school  history  teacher. 
Theresa  likes  bowling,  ice  skating, 
roller  skating,  and  most  of  all,  dancing. 

-;«■ 

Carolyn  Rees,  Education,  attended  Hiram 
College,  Ohio,  and  graduated  from  Wheaton, 
with  a  major  in  French,  and  minors  in 
German  and  Music.   She  worked  nearly  a 
year  in  the  reference  department  of  the 
Newton  Library,  was  selected  as  one  of 
the  Massachusetts  guides  for  the  U.S. 
pavilion  at  the  Brussels  World  Exposition, 
travelled  extensively,  met  a  charming 
Italian  representative  to  whom  she  is 
engaged,  returned  home  to  help  move  her 
family  to  their  newly  restored  200  year 
old  home  in  Holliston,  returned  to  Rome 
to  work  in  a  public  relations  office  for 
l5  months.  She  is  now  attempting  to  cut 
the  red  tape  necessary  to  get  her  fiance 
into  this  country  by  next  summer,  when 
they  plan  to  marry. 

Book  Purchasing's  Richard  F.  Siillivan 
comes  from  Fitchburg  and  is  now  living 
in  Boston  while  attending  Boston  College 
evenings.   He  is  majoring  in  Social 
Sciences  and  plans  eventually  to  teach. 

-;t 

Gordon  Hayden  of  Book  Preparation  is 
married  and  the  father  of  a  three  and  a 
half  year  old  son.   He  has  lived  in  South 
Boston  all  his  life,  spent  three  years 
in  the  Marines  after  graduating  from 
high  school.   Gordon's  leisure  time 
activities  include  reading  (philosophy, 
psycho-analysis,  psychology)  and  chess. 

Our  "mail-man",  John  McGivney,  Records, 
Files,  Statistics,  is  also  a  Northeastern 
co-op  student.  A  sophomore,  he  is  major- 
ing in  government  and  minoring  in  history. 
John  hopes  to  enter  the  Foreign  Service 
after  graduation.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
military  honor  society  Pershing  Rifles 
which  sponsors  a  drill  team  and  has  many 


-3- 


aspects  of  a  fraternity.  ]He  is  also  a 
member  of  the  Newman  Club, 

Another  Northeastern  cooperative  student 
•with  us  is  Martin  Qualters^  Book  Stack 
Service.  He  is  class  of  I963  and  a  Modern 
Languages  major,  Martin  thinks  he  might 
like  a  job  in  the  BPL  after  graduation. 
His  home  is  in  Roslindale  and  he  is  an 
avid  reader  of  science  fiction,  and  his 
favorite  sports  are  hunting  and  football, 

■«• 

Personnel's  Frances  Hale  also  is  a 
Northeastern  cooperative  student,  major- 
ing in  English- Journalism,  She  commutes 
from  Marshfield,  by  bus  when  working,  by 
motorcycle  when  in  class.  At  Northeastern 
she  has  won  her  snorts  letter  and  second 
prize  in  the  freshman  Talent  Show,  served 
as  a  NEl-JS  staff  reporter,  sang  in  the 
Church  Choir,  and  was  a  member  of  the 
Modern  Dance  Group  and  Pegasus  Poetry 
Club.  Interests  are  sports,  dancing, 
singing,  drawing,  writing  and  oratorical 
speaking.  She  is  working  on  a  novel, 

Pete  Ranney  of  Science  and  Technology, 
is  now  a  Sophomore  at  Northeastern,  after 
a  year  at  Theil  College  in  Pennsylvania, 
He  lists  his  interests  as  music,  books, 
politics,  foreign  relations,  getting 
through  school,  and  people.   Pete  still 
is  undecided  about  what  he  wants  to  do 
but  says  he  is  going  to  try  his  hardest 
to  be  successful  in  whatever  field  he 
does  enter, 

■i'r 

Thomas  C,  Saimders,  Jr.,  Book  Stack 
Service,  is  a  graduate  of  English  High 
and  is  now  attending  Newman  Preparatory 
with  a  view  to  entering  Boston  University, 
College  of  Liberal  Arts.   Tom  would  like 
to  be  a  social  worker.  In  his  spare  time 
he  enjoys  checkers,  swimming,  and  reading 
about  youth. 

Cataloging  and  Classification  (R  &  RS) 
has  still  another  Northeastern  student, 
John  Souza,  who  is  a  prelegal  major  who 
hopes  to  go  into  corporation  law.  He 
comes  from  Tiverton,  R.I.  and  is  interest- 
ed in  all  sports,  astronomy,  photography 
and  biology, 

* 

Book  Stack  Service  also  has  Peter  Dwyer, 
who  graduated  from  Melrose  High,  Hunting- 
ton Prep,  and  is  a  senior  in  Education 
at  Northeastern.  He  has  served  as  sports 
editor  of  both  the  NEIv'S  and  the  CAULDRON, 


and  is  a  member  of  the  Ski  Club  and  the 

track  team.   Peter  is  married  and  is  a 

prospective  father.   His  hobbies  are 

athletics,  reading  and  bowling, 

•;(■ 

Brendan  Stafford,  Book  Preparation, 
comes  from  South  Boston  where  he  graduat- 
ed from  the  Gate  of  Heaven  High  School 
last  year.  His  ambition  is  to  write, 
teach,  and  arrange  music  after  obtaining 
his  Master's  degree.   In  his  spare  time 
he  plays  the  piano,  horn,  and  drums, 

■i'c 

Delores  Link,  Cataloging  and  Classifi- 
cation (R  &  RS) ,  is  a  sophomore  majoring 
in  Sociology  at  Northeastern  University. 
Her  home  is  in  Roxbury.  She  spent  three 
years  in  Germany  with  her  father,  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Armed  Forces,  Her  future 
plans  include  obtaining  her  Master's 
degree.  She  belongs  to  the  Sociology 
Club  and  the  Modern  Dance  Group,  and 
outside  of  school,  belongs  to  Alpha 
Kappa  Alpha. 

THE  STORK  FAVORS  DORCHESTER 

Phyllis  Ferrant  Carr,  ex-Dorchester  and 
ex-  Codman  Square,  sent  in  this  announce- 
ment: "Introducing  the  Newest  in  a  Small 
Carr  Model,  Sheila,  born  December  3; 
Weight  -  8  lbs,  5  1/2  oz.;  Proud  Owners: 
Phyllis  and  Joe  Carr,"  The  Carrs  live 
in  Winthrop, 

Roberta  Sacco  Conte,  formerly  YA  worker 
at  Dorchester,  and  before  that  part-time 
in  Information  Office,  sent  news  of  her 
new  daughter,  Robin  Jeanmarie,  born  Nov- 
ember 20,   The  Contes  are  still  in  El  Paso, 
Texas,  where  Richard  is  in  the  Army, 

CONGRATULATIONS... 


To  Trustee  Sidney  Rabb  on  his  selection 
as  Man  of  the  Year  for  I96O  by  the  JEV.ISH 
ADVOCATE,  The  staff  is  very  proud  of  this 
honor  for  hirai 


CALEl\njAR  OF  EVEI^TS 


\ 


January  20  BPLSA  Annual  Meeting  and 

election  of  officers.  Lecture 

Hall 
January  20-February  I4.     ALA  Midwinter 

meeting,  Chicago 
February  16  MLA  Midwinter  meeting 

Sheraton- Plaza,  Boston 


WHY  DON'T  WE  ...?  :  had  been  provided.   The  students  were  all 

:  at  sea,  so  were  the  reference  assistants 

Have  two  police  officers  on  duty  at  all  j  on  ^'2,  during  a  period  when  we  had  hordes 
times  as  formerly?  There  is  greater  need j  of  other  students  to  help.  Not  all  the 
now  for  an  officer  on  duty  in  the  front   ''  students  were  using  the  BPL. 
lobby  at  all  times  to  control  the  racing  * 

children,  their  noise,  and  prevent  using  '  Sharon  High.  About  30  seniors.  Assign  - 
the  elevator  as  a  toy.  The  second  officeij  ment  to  select  one  part  of  the  body  and 
would  then  be  available  for  more  patrols  i  write  a  paper  on  it.  Most  of  them  were 
throughout  the  building.  j  asking  for  "health"  magazines  and  did  not 

**■  i  seem  to  know  there  were  subject  indexes 

i^rovide  some  means  for  furnishing  pat-  |  for  periodicals,  or  how  to  use  them.  This 
rons  with  ink,  pencils  and/or  ball-point  ;  too  was  a  Christmas  vacation  assignment, 
pens  through  vending  machines  which  are   |  -;«• 

available  for  dispensing  these  items?    '  Cardinal  Cushing  High.  Class  of  50 
(The  defunct  BPL  Employees  Benefit  Associi  seniors  asagned  to  write  a  paper  involving 
ation  had  similar  machines  for  vending   j  the  reading  of  several  reviews  of  the 
pencils  and  ink.)   This  might  be  done    i  RETURN  OF  THE  NATIVE, 
through  the  Staff  Association  or  an  out-  j  * 

side  firm.  A  convenient  location  might   j  Boston  Technical  High.  Overusing  the 
be  in  the  area  near  the  public  telephones.)  OXFORD  ENGLISH  DICTIONARY  for  an  origin 
It  would  be  a  real  public  relations  ges-  j  of  words  assignment, 
ture  as  many  of  the  public  now  resent    |  -^ 

being  told  it  is  against  library  policy   |  Malmonides  School.  6  7th  grade  debaters 
to  give  away  ink  to  fill  fountain  pens  etcj. assigned  this  topic:  Should  the  Chinese 

*  j  Communists  move  the  coastal  population 

Or  sell  pencils  and  small  pads  of  paper  \   to  the  less  populated  areas  of  the  in- 
at  the  Information  Desk?  Pencils  loaned  j  terior?  This  required  rather  more  selec- 
to  patrons  rarely  return  to  the  desks,     tion-of-material  ability  than  a  child  of 
and  scrap  paper  does  not  satisfy  the     !  that  age,  who  has  never  used  periodical 
needs  of  many  of  our  patrons.  ■■   indexes,  has.  The  assignment  was  given  at 

"'<"  !  our  period  of  peak  use  so  that  there  was 

Equip  the  Staff  Library  with  a  pencil   ;  little  opportunity  to  provide  much  needed 
sharpener?  Anyone  taking  notes  there  must  j  aid, 
go  to  a  nearby  department  for  this  ser-   j 

vice,  which  wastes  time  and  interrupts         ANOTHER  SORT  OF  SCHOOL 
departmental  business,  j 

i   Ann  Hamer  Smith,  ex-worker  with  Children 
MORE  STUDENT  ASSIGNl'JENTS         I  at  i^orchester  and  i^eponset,  now  lives  at 

I   the  American  Baptist  Mission,  5  l-ancaster 
Rockland  High  School.  About  100  students  i  Rd,  Kowloon,  Hong  Kong.  She  writes,  "Hugh 
in  one  teacher's  classes.  2000  words  due  ■   has  been  appointed  acting  Mission  Secre- 
after  Christmas  vacation  on  one  of  these  j  tary  and  Treasurer. . .One  of  the  newest 
three  topics:  j  projects  is  the  Kun  Tong  Swatow  Baptist 

1,  An  exploration  of  Elizabethan  be-   !  Primary  School.   Over  10,000  refugees  with 
lief  in  witches  as  compared  with  Salem    !  whom  we  had  been  working  in  Tiger  Tail 
witches.  (Cf  Arthur  Miller's  the  CRUCIBLE);  Village  have  been  resettled  in  Kun  Tong, 

2,  An  exploration  of  Elizabethan  am-   '  Our  roof-top  school  is  the  first  one  to 
bitions  (Cf  Machiavelli's  THE  PRINCE  etc.)j  be  opened  ...where,  within  a  few  years, 

3,  An  exploration  of  Shakespeare's    :  approximately  250,000  people  will  be  re- 
women  as  found  in  MACBETH,  JULIUS  CAESAR,  ■  settled.  ...  Our  best  news  is  that  by 
and  ROMEO  AND  JULIET.  ;  Christmas  we  expect  to  have  a  baby  with 
Juniors  were  required  to  write  on  #1,     !  us  again,  and  needless  to  say  we  are  de- 
seniors  might  select  any  one  of  the  three  ,  lighted.'  He  just  hope  that  Stephen  (aged 
topics,  but  those  about  to  attend  a  lib-  ,  3)  likes  his  Christmas  present  of  a 

eral  arts  college  were  urged  to  take  #2.   brother  or  a  sister." 
A  mimeographed  sheet  of  instructions  on 
how  to  submit  the  paper  was  given  each 
student,  but  no  instruction  on  selection 


CI-ffilSTMAS  CAi^  TO  THE  BPL 

Complete  with  a  bewhiskered  and  rotund 
Santa  who  delighted  part  of  the  staff  by  i 
suddenly  appearing,  during  the  lunch  hour, 
in  the  I'Jomen's  lunch  room  and  the  Coffee 
Shop  to  wish  us  a  merry  Christmas,  Un- 
fortunately he  did  not  remain  long  enough  , 
to  seat  each  lady  on  his  knee,  or  listen  ' 
to  the  needs  of  the  men  for  gifts.  And 
his  voice  was  strangely  similar  to  that 
of  Bradford  HillJ  Ve   thank  Santa  for  a 
definite  lift  of  snirit  after  his  brief 
visit] 

CENTRAL'S  CIffiISTMi\S  TEA  ' 

Although  the  Annual  Staff  Christmas  Tea, 
i960,  given  by  the  Staff  of  the  Central 
Library  for  all  staff  members,  now  seems  > 
ancient  history,  it  will  be  remembered  as  '. 
one  of  the  most  delightful  observances 
of  the  Yuletide  season  ever  held  by  the   j 
staff.  Even  though  plans  and  preparations 
were  telescoped  into  a  few  days,  the  re- 
sults gave  no  evidence  of  pressure  or 
haste.  Each  of  the  twenty- four  "sponsors"! 
assumed  his,  and  her,  duties  with  such    ; 
dedication  that  no  one  was  overworked  and  i 
the  results  were  quite  remarkable.  Those  I 
responsible  for  decorations  made  the     ' 
I.bmeh's  Lounge  and  corridors  leading  ther^ 
"more  beautiful  than  they  had  ever  been, "  j 
according  to  the  opinion  of  those  who     t 
attended  the  tea.   As  usual  the  staff  was 
most  generous;  sufficient  funds  were  col-  ' 
lected  to  pay  for  essentials  and  to  pro-  ■ 
vide  decorations  for  several  years  to     ' 
come.  The  daintily  arranged  trays  at-    ; 
tested  once  again  to  the  fact  that  the    ; 
BPL  staff  are  superb  cooks  -  and  this  art  I 
is  not  limited  to  the  distaff  side.       ' 

The  "pourers"  under  the  direction  of  ', 
Mrs.  Grace  Loughlin,  were  kept  busy  at  ! 
the  tea  and  coffee  urns,  while  Barbara  ] 
IMtledge's  "servers"  looked  charming  in  ', 
their  gay  party  dresses  as  they  dispensed  i 
goodies,  * 

The  kitchen  crew,  unseen  but  very  es-   ' 
sential,  played  their  key  roles  with  the  I 
efficiency  which  always  characterizes 
those  who  carry  out  these  essential  but   ; 
undramatic  tasks,  such  as  filling  trays  t 
and  washing  dishes.  ("They  also  serve 
who  only  stand  -  and  wash  dishes"). 
Dorothy  Shaw  and  Edna  peck  served  as 
"official"  hostesses  and  did  a  very 
efficient  job  -  in  more  ways  than  one,    j 

The  annual  custom  of  music  by  staff 


members  throughout  the  corridors  was 
threatened  with  extinction  this  year, 
since  so  many  of  those  who  participated 
have  left  the  service.   However,  under 
the  initiative  of  Betty  Drane,  this  cus- 
tom was  happily  retained.   The  singers 
were:  Sopranos  -  Veronica  Yotts  and 
Caroline  Stanwood.  Alto  -  Elizabeth 
Drane.   Tenor  -  Richard  Beauregard.   Bass 
-  Edmund  Mietzener.   Soloist  -  George 
Conroy.   Celeste  -  Mary  Ann  Conroy, 
Violin  -  Louis  Ugalde.   Everyone  was 
happy  to  see  Louis,  former  staff  member 
and  now  of  Brandeis  University,  join  the 
group  in  his  usual  role  of  violinist. 

After  the  carolers  brought  cheer  to  the 
staff,  they  went  on  to  the  main  stairway 
where  they  provided  music  for  the  public, 
both  those  then  in  the  Library  and  via 
television  to  those  listening  later  that 
evening.  As  the  television  announcer 
said,  he  had  been  looking  all  over  the 
city  for  an  expression  of  the  Christmas 
spirit  and  found  it  most  fully  expressed 
at  the  Boston  Public  Library. 

The  entire  staff  is  grateful  to  Miss 
Drane  and  her  group  for  rescuing  this 
heart-warming  custom  from  its  threatened 
oblivion. 

As  is  always  the  case,  one  of  the  most 
gratifying  parts  of  these  annual  Christ- 
mas teas  is  the  welcoming  of  retired 
staff  members.  This  year  it  was  especial- 
ly gratifying  to  have  so  many  "graduates" 
with  us:  Elizabeth  A.  Barry,  Gertrude  L. 
Bergen,  J.  Joseph  Danker,  Ethel  I'i.  Hazle- 
wood,  Frances  Kellej'-,  Elizabeth  M.  Kerna- 
chan,  Marion  C.  Kingman,  Jean  B.  Lay, 
Esther  Lissner,  Anna  L.  Manning,  John 
McNally,  Rebecca  E.  Milmeister,  Mary  M. 
Prall,  Helen  Schubarth,  Loraine  A.  Sulli- 
van, 1/fiLlliam  F.  Sullivan  and  Julia  Zaugg. 

This  year  too,  we  were  happy  to  have 
with  us  three  branch  librarians:  Mrs. 
Geraldine  E.  Herrick,  Margaret  A.  Mbrgan 
and  Mrs.  Irene  H.  Tuttle. 

Of  course,  the  "Belle  of  the  Ball"  was 
Martha  Stevens.  Martha,  from  ihe   secur- 
ity of  her  adoring  father's  arms  and  her 
two  month's  experience  in  this  best  of 
all  worlds,  observed  events  with  a  detach- 
ment which  seemed  to  say  "So  this  is  what 
my  daddy  endures  every  day  -  and  this  is 
what  my  mummy  left  for  me".  However,  her 
final  conclusion  seemed  to  be  that  she 
approved  of  us.  Her  "A  iierry  Christmas 
to  you  all",  observed  as  decorating  that 
garment  reserved  solely  for  infants  of 
tender  age,  was  reinforced  by  her  re- 


-  6  - 


assuring  smile.     Martha  is  no  longer  just 
the  daughter  of  Roger  and  Sheila  Stevens  - 
she  is  now  the  "Library  baby",  as  we  all 
lost  our  hearts  to  her.     She  had  competi- 
tion,  however,   in  the  person  of  Linda, 
the  charming  two-year-old  daughter  of  Jean 
I'/atson  Weitz, 

Thus  being  able  to  share  the  Christmas 
spirit  with  those  who  have  many  years  of 
library  service  to  their  credit,    as  well 
as   those  who  have  just  ventured  into  this 
bewildering  world,    the  staff  felt  that 
this  was  indeed  a  Christmas   tea  long  to 
be  remembered, 

E.  G.  P. 

THANK- YOU 

The  "sponsors"  of  the  Christmas  Tea 
take  the  opportunity  afforded  by  the 
QUESTION  MARK  to  say  "thank  you"  to  all 
those  who  gave  so  generously  of  their 
time,  talent  and  money  to  help  make  the 
tea  the  success  it  so  obviously  w^s.  It 
would  be  impossible  to  cite  all  those 
who  contributed.  However,  special  thanks 
should  go  to  Jeanne  Hayes,  the  "ribbon 
artist"  and  to  Mildred  Somes  for  her 
attractive  invitation-flyer  and  appealing 
table  centre  arrangement,  which  she  so 
generously  arranged  and  loaned  for  the 
occasion.  The  Christmas  spirit  was  em- 
phasized by  the  sweet  melodies  of  the 
staff  carolers. 

The  sponsors  are  grateful  to  each  one 
who  helped  make  the  tea  successful, 
especially  those  who  so  valiantly  washed 
dishes  -  and  then  washed  more  dishes. 

EDNA  G.  PECK 
for  The  Sponsors 
P.S,  Since  the  Christmas  tea  seems  to  be 
now  recognized  as  being  staff-sponsored, 
I  would  like  to  suggest  that  next  year 
the  "young  folks"  pick  up  the  ball  and 
infuse  some  new  ideas  into  this  best  of 
all  BPL  Christmas  traditions, 

AND  CHRISTMAS  COFFEE  ... 

followed  tea,  when  the  next  morning 
the  Men's  House  Committee  held  open  house 
for  the  staff  in  the  Men's  quarters,  with 
the  world's  hottest  coffee  flowing  freely, 
mounds  of  doughnuts,  trays  of  cakes  and 
cookies,  music  for  dancing,  and  good 
conversation,  bringing  the  holidays  one 
step  closer, 

i 


CHRISTMS  SPECIALS 

Christmas  Day  1960  was  very  special 
for  the  Joseph  Para  tores.  Little  i''iaryann, 
7  lbs.,  12  02.  arrived  on  the  holiday. 
Her  mother  is  the  former  Anne  Degnan  of 
the  Director's  Office, 

Announcement  was  made  of  the  engagement 
of  Patricia  Madsen  of  Dorchester,  a  senior 
at  Massachusetts  College  of  Art,  and 
Ronald  C.  Conant,  formerly  of  Records, 
Files,  Statistics,  and  currently  a  sopho- 
more at  Suffolk  University,  College  of 
Liberal  Arts. 

IN  VIE\^^  OF  STATE  AID 

Members  of  the  staff  might  like  to  see 
what  others  are  doing  or  planning  in  this 
field,  or  catch  up  to  date  on  our  own 
state  plans. 

There  is  an  article  in  the  December  l5 
issue  of  the  LIBR/\RY  JOURNAL,   pages  14^29 
to  i|431  by  our  own  Francis  X.  Moloney 
under  the  title  of  State  Aid  in  Massachu- 
setts. 

The  I^LSON  LIBRARY  BULLETIN  for  Januaiy 
presents  an  account  of  the  Michigan  Plan 
on  pages  368-369. 

The  LIBRARY  JOURNAL  of  January  1,   pages 
52-53,   in  the  article  Two  Sides  of  the 
Same  Coin  by  James  E,   Allen,   Commissioner 
of  Education,   State  of  New  York,   is  an 
interim  report  which  advocates  a  state- 
wide cooperative  Reference  and  Research 
Library  Service  for  New  York, 

The  January  1  LIBRARY  JOURNAL  also  has 
an  interesting  editorial  on  pages  5i|.-55 
discussing  the  "reasonable  portion" 
clause  of  the  Massachusetts  State  Aid 
Bill, 

BOOKS  CURRENT 

Is  well  recognized  on  page  68  of  the 
January  1  issue  of  LIBRARY  JOURitoL. 

BELATED  BIRTHDAY  GREETINGS 

To  that  Library  Institution  which 
celebrated  its  lOth  birthday  in  mid- 
November  -  the  Coffee  Shop.'  And  our 
very  best  wishes  on  that  anniversary 
to  Sam  and  Dorothy  for  all  they  have 
done  in  ministering  to  a  hungry  and 
thirsty  staff  over  the  years,... 


-7-.. 


MORE  RETIREMENTS 

Manning  Tea  ; 

On  December  l5,  a  tea  was  held  in  the   ! 
Vfomen's  Lounge,  in  honour  of  Anna  L. 
Manning,  Curator  of  Education,  who  re-    ' 
tired  from  Library  service  on  December  31. ■ 
She  was  assisted  in  greeting  her  friends 
by  her  sister  and  brother-in-law,  Mr  and 
Mrs  Charles  Curtaz.  i 

Visits  of  distinguished  guests,  flowers,! 
telegrams  and  gifts  received  from  her  i 
former  assistants,  the  many  friends  who  \ 
came  to  greet  her  from  Branch  libraries,  [ 
all  testify  to  her  warm  personality  and  . 
the  esteem  in  which  she  is  held,         j 

Jt  was  a  pleasant  afternoon  for  those  ! 
who  gathered  in  the  lounge.  Bradford  M.  i 
R-i-al,  Chief  Librarian  of  the  Division  of  • 
Reference  and  Research  Services,  in  his  j 
usual  delightful vay,  presented  Anna  with  i 
a  handsome  purse,  a  gift  from  her  associ-  j 
at^s.  She  accepted  in  an  equally  charm-  [ 
inc  manner.  \ 

Those  of  us  who  have  known  Anna  through  | 
the  years  loved  her  for  her  warmth  and  , 
understanding,  and  all  agree  on  how  very  [ 
raurh  she  will  be  missed.  1 

BEATRICE  COLEMAW       j 

\ 
To  all  my  Friends:  j 

Thare  are  so  many  people  to  thank  for  j 
my  tea  that  it  would  be  too  much  of  a  \ 
ta'=^k  for  an  Old  Retired  Librarian  to  write 
to  each  individually.  i 

May  I  mention  some  of  the  things  that  \ 
impressed  me  and  will  remain  in  my  memory  j 
for  a  long  time?  f 

The  long  list  of  names,  typed  so  beauti-j 
fully,  and  a  ttached  to  the  gift  card...  j 
some  I  have  known  for  a  long  time  and  som^ 
for  a  verv'-  short  time,  and  some  merely  by  \ 
correspondence.  j 

I  am  still  trying  to  tiink  what  I  shall  j 
buy  wi  th  your  very  generous  contribution,  i 
My  friends  are  all  making  suggestions,  i 
and  if  I  follow  the  latest,  you  may  see  j 
me  appearing  in  a  mink  scarf.  f 

Ify  mantle  is  decorated  with  cards,  let-  \ 
ters  and  even  a  telegram  from  Washington.  • 
They  all  congratulate  me,  but  I  wonder  if  | 
I  am  to  be  congratulated  for  leaving  such  ; 
good  friends.  , 

I  appreciated  the  visits  of  those  who 
came  in  from  the  Branches,  from  their    • 
homes  and  from  other  libraries,  particu- 
larly in  that  freezing  weather,         ' 


And  the  party  itself  —  no  party  would 
be  complete  without  Seven  Layer  Cake  and 
Irish  Bread,  with  or  without  butter. 

So  to  all,  particularly  the  cooks,  the 
pourers,  the  servers,  those  on  K.P.  duty, 
and  the  Committee,  my  gratitude  and  af- 
fection, and  my  prayers  and  hopes  for  a 
bright  and  happy  New  Year. 

Very  sincerely  yours, 
ANl^A  MANNING 

IffiMORIES  OF  THE  FUTURE 

To  appreciate  the  work  of  Anna  L,  Mann- 
ing is  to  trace  an  adventure  in  achieve- 
ment at  once  sure,  yet  subtle.  Sure, 
because  not  a  day  goes  by  without  our 
being  thankful  -Uiat  f-^ss  I'tenning  provided 
for  certain  materials  in  Educationj  subtle 
because  there  were  no  earth-shaking  events 
but  there  was  a  "vein  of  iron"  determina- 
tion to  do  the  things  that  needed  doing. 

In  1961  a  stranger  coming  to  Education 
for  the  first  time  will  not  see  Mss 
Manning,  but  she  is  there  ...the  very 
books  cry  out:  W:e   are  here  because  Miss 
Manning  wanted  the  best  material  in  educa- 
tion, " 

It  is  interesting  to  note  that  she  re- 
tired as  Curator  of  Education  in  I96U, 
the  year  marking  the  centenary  of  Eliza- 
beth Peabody's  Pinckney  Street  Kinder- 
garten, for  the  present  many  faceted  de- 
partment grew  out  of  a  request  in  I9OO 
by  the  VJheelock  staff,  that  books  on  the 
theory  and  methods  of  teaching  the  young 
child  be  made  available  in  the  Childrens 
Room. 

Miss  Manning  came  from  South  Boston  to 
the  Childrens  Room  in  I9I8.  Other  requests 
for  added  materials  increased  the  collec- 
tion until  the  Teacher's  collection  occu- 
pied the  Elliott  Room.  It  was  made  an 
independent  department  in  1933  with  Miss 
J'lanning  in  charge.  The  collection  moved 
to  its  present  quarters  when  the  Child- 
rens Room  moved  downstairs, 

TJhat  is  Miss  l-lanning  really  like?  Those 
who  have  known  her  a  long  time  answer, 
"Anna  is  the  same  wonderful  person  she 
has  always  been. "  Those  with  a  briefer 
acquaintance  place  her  in  that  small  but 
wonder-class  of  GIVERo.   Yes,  her  bounty 
and  concern  knows  no  limits.  Serving  the 
public,  she  felt  it  keenly  the  few  times 
she  was  not  able  to  find  the  needed  in- 
formation in  the  department  or  another 
part  of  the  library.  Those  who  had  the 
good  fortune  to  work  with  her,  cannot 


-8- 


forget  her  constant  kindness.  She  set  a 
high  standard  df  Work  for  herself  and 
expected  the  same  fi'om  those  she  trained 
and  worked  With.  And  she  fought  with 
quiet  but  constant  determination  to  raak^ 
the  department  the  best  possible.  Stead- 
fast, dedicated  and  generous,  she  taught, 
discussed,  wrote,  organized,  and  built  up  , 
the  department  we  use  and  enjoy  today. 

There  is  no  end  to  the  list  of  those  \ 
she  has  helped:  students  of  all  ages,  ' 
teachers,  administrators,  priests  and  j 
other  religious,  servicemen,  business  men, 
and  ordinary  people  trying  to  better  them^ 
selves. 

Outside  the  library  she  has  worked  too  ! 
with  the  library  at  the  Paulist  Center,  j 
her  parish  library,  the  Catholic  Library  \ 
Association  (which  recognized  her  work  j 
by  electing  her  president.)  And  at  pre-  • 
sent  she  is  working  on  the  library  cat-  ' 
alog  for  the  s  chool  a  t  the  Good  Sheperd  | 
Home,  j 

¥e  wish  her  continued  success  and  every  j 

'■'0  ye  silver  trumpets  be  ye  lifted  up 
And  cry  to  the  great  race  that  is  to 

come 

That  they  may  hear  our  music  and  awake," 

(1  J.  B.Yeats) 

JAMES  FORD  i 

OLIVE  IOlII^EN  RETIRES  ! 

Miss  N.eilson,  after  fifty  three  years  | 
of  service  to  the  people  of  Boston,  re-  • 
tired  on  December  31.     She  began  her  j 

library  career  under  the  directorship  of  j 
of  Horace  VJadlin  in  1907  at  Upham's  Corn-  ! 
er.  From  there  she  went  to  North  End,  ■ 
Orient  Heights,   and  finally  to  Alls ton.       i 

As  a  Professional  Librarian  with  her 
special  position  at  the  registration  desk, 
she  had  the  opportunity  to  give  a  pleasant 
welcome  to  all  who  came  to   the  library.       ! 

l^ss  Neilson  will  he  especially  remem-  I 
bered  for  her  warm  and  gay  personality  as  , 
well  as  her  punctuality,   although  she  j 

commuted  from  I'dnthrop  daily,      ^r  faith-  ' 
fulness  in  arriving  for  work  every  day 
despite  all  difficulties  can  be  explained 
somewhat  when  you  learn  that  traveling 
is  one  of  her  favorite  pastimes. 

Another  of  her  interests  is  the  theatre 
and  one  which  she  will  certainly  be  able 
to  continue  now  that  she  has  retired.  ; 

All  her  friends  hope  they  continue  to  ; 
hear  about  the  further  adventures  of 


Johnny  Ray,   her  cat, 

V^e  all  w  ish  liiss   i^eilson  best  wishes 
in  her  retirement. 

E.D. 

LOUGHI^IAN  LUl^ICHEON 

On  Friday,   January  6,    Catherine  Lough- 
man  was   entertained  at  a  luncheon  party 
by  the  Branch  Librarians,   Department 
Heads,   Supervisors  and  Chief  Librarian 
of  the  DHR&CS,   a  group  euphemistically 
known  -  probably  only  to  themselves  -  as 
the  Thursday  Morning  Group.      (Since  they 
now  meet  on  Friday  morning,   some  people 
may,  with  a  certain  show  of  logic,   think 
of  them  as  the  Friday  ^'^orning  Groupj   but 
due  to   the  pressure  of  other  business, 
and  pending  State  Aid,   no  committee  action 
has  yet  been  taken  to  change  the  name. ) 
Miss  Loughman,   an  honored  member  of  this 
Group,    retired  on  December  31j   from  her 
position  as  Branch  Librarian  of  Uphams 
Corner.     Alumnae  iiebecca  i^illis,   Fanny- 
Goldstein,   and  Marion  Kingman,   returm  ; 
for  the  celebration]  with  retired  staff- 
members  Helen  Berkowich  and  Anna  Manning, 
and  colleagues  from  the  other  Divisions, 
forty-four  friends  in  all,   gathered  to 
pay  a  deeply-felt  tribute  to  Miss  Lough- 
man for  a  lifetime  of  dedicated  service. 

The  Red  Coach  Grill,   which  seems   to 
have  become  the  Main  Dining  Room  of  the 
BPL,   provided  a  private,   softly-lit  room 
with  a  seating  around  a  horse-shoe  table. 
The  principal  decoration,   next  to  the 
charming  guest  of  honor  herself,  was  a 
stunning  arrangement  of  yellow  and  orange 
chrysanthemums,   gold  leaves  and  birds  of 
paradise.     A  corsage  of  matching  chrysan- 
themums  complemented  Miss  Loughman's  out- 
fit of     beige-wool-dress  and  orange-vel- 
vet-beret.    Mr.   Carroll  expressed  to  her 
the  gratitude  of  all  of  us  for  the  legacy 
of  benefit,   respect  and  affection  which, 
through  her  devotion  to  her  work  and  her 
public,   she  is  leaving  to   the  Library; 
and  then  he  presented  the  gift  -  an  ele- 
gant black,   gold-and-silver- tooled  Ital- 
ian leather  wallet  with  fitting  contents. 

Your  friends  and  colleagues,   Catherine, 
are  sad  to  see  you  leave.     We  shall  miss 
your  sincerity,   your  friendliness  and 
your  generosity!   and  we  shall  miss,   most 
of  all,    the  rare  example  of  your  tremen- 
dous battling  courage.      VJe  hope,   with  all 
our  hearts,    that  you  will  be  able  to  come 
and  visit  with  us  again,   one  day  soon. 
The  very  best  of  luckj      j^nCES  C.    LEPIE 


'9- 


CATHEhlNE  P.    LOJGhl^N 

l^iiss  Loughman  was  notable  for  devotion 
to  her  library  work,  often  at  great  per-    . 
sonal  sacrifice,   and  for  her  integrity 
of  character,   tempered  by  a  cheerful  and    , 
outgoing  personality.     She  inspired  con- 
fidence and  devotion  in  her  staff,   to  : 
whom  she  was  a  friend  as  well  as  a  super-  ' 
ior.  ' 

She  left  the  Library  Service  in  19^6  and 
was  reinstated  in  19l]Si.  , 

It  was  her  sad  task  to  close  two  bran-  j 
ches,  Fellowes  Athena eun,  which  posed  un-  | 
ique  problems  because  of  the  large  special^ 
collections,   and  City  Point.  j 

The  list  of  "home"  branches  for  her  is 
long:  Parker  Hill,   Roxbury,   Allston,  j 

Jeffries  Point,  Uphams  Comer,  Jamaica  j 
Plain,  Mt.  Bowdoin,  Fellowes  Athenaeum,  I 
City  Point,    then  Uphams  Corner  once  more,  ' 

VERA  CHEVES  j 

i 

HOUSEKEEPER  RETIRES  ; 
! 

Mrs.  Helen  Morrison,  our  very  efficient  j 
Housekeeper,  is  retiring  from  ttie  service  j 
0?  the  Library  on  January  31.  { 

She  came  to  us  in  19i|.6  as  a  cleaner  and  ■ 
was  promoted  to  the  position  of  Housekeep-j 
er.     Her  Indus triousness,    charm,  and  good 
nature,   together  with  an  innate  ability 
to   get  along  with  people,   enaMed  her  to 
do  an  outstanding  job  in  this  position. 
These  same  characteristics  won  for  her 
a  host  of  friends  in  the  Library,   and 
particularly  in  the  Buildings  Department. 

Mrs.  Morrison  will  continue  to  reside 
with  her  daughter  and  son-in-law,  Mr  and 
Mrs  Daniel  Coughlin,  in  Dorchester  where, 
we  are  sure,   she  will  pursue  that  favor- 
ite hobby  of  grandmothers  everywhere, 
spoiling  the  grandchildren. 

I  am  sure  her  many  friends  in  the  BPL 
join  me  in  wishing  her  good  health  and 
happiness  in  her  retirement. 


At  Carroll's  departure  the  queen  asked 
that  he  send  her  a  copy  of  his  next  book 
when  it  appeared. 

A  mathematician  by  profession,   Carroll 
dutifully  sent  her  his  next  book  -  a  thin 
volume  on  quadratic  equations, 

STAFF  LIBRARY 

The  Staff  Library  has  been  undergoing 
changes  recently.     After  a  survey  of 
practices  in  other  libraries  and  conver- 
sations with  the  Staff  Association,   it  was 
decided  that  purchase  of  popular  books  for 
staff  use  was  a  drain  on  the  book  budget. 
Popular  books  have  now  been  distributed  to 
other  units  of  the  Library  for  use  by  the 
public  as  well  as  staff.     From  now  on,   the 
Staff  Library  collection  will  be  reserved 
for  professional  material  only,   and  it  is 
expected  that  a  permanent  Book  Selection 
Committee  will  be  established  to  carry  on 
the  work  of  keeping  the  library  well 
stocked  with  pertinent  professional  books 
and  periodicals. 

Unfortunately  many  valuable  reference 
materials  are  not  now  on  shelf.     Staff 
members  are  urgently  requested  to   treat 
the  collections  with  care  and  to  charge 
out  all  books  removed  from  the  room  at  the 
Personnel  Office.      Carelessness  in  this 
matter  needlessly  deprives  staff  members 
of  materials  they  need  in  their  work  and 
s  tudy . 

ERVIN  J.    GAINES 

UNDER  NEW  NAME 


Changes  come  fast  in 
Rare  Book  Department. 
Werlin  was  introduced 
our  VJho's  Hew?  column, 
introduce  Mrs  Lawrence 
Joella  Werlin,  who  was 
day  in  Houston,   Texas, 

Mr  and  Mrs  Zivin  are 


the  otherwise  staid 
Last  month  Joella 
to  the  Staff  through 
This  month  we 
Zivin,    the  former 
married  New  Year's 


THOMS   P.    GEOGHEGAN 
(i'lrs.  Morrison's  friends  presented  her 
with  a  gift  of  money  on  the  last  day  she 
worked. ) 

SNITCHED  FROM  THE  GLOBE 

\lnen  Queen  Victoria  read  ALICE  IN  WON- 
DERLAND,  she  was  so  delighted  she  invited  . 
the  author,   Lewis  Carroll,    to  visit  Buck-  ; 
\  ingham  Palace  to  read  her  excerpts  from  it". 


living  in  Brookline. 

AND  NE'>7  PUCE 

We  hear  that  Jim  Healey,  formerly  of 
General  Reference,  and  late  of  the  library 
in  Stoneham,  is  now  the  librarian  of  New 
Bedford  Public  Library,  Congratulations 
Jim,' 


Any  contribution  to   the  Soap  Box  must 
tfi  accompanied  by  the  full  name  of  the 
Ap^ociation  member  submitting  it,    to- 
^e'-.her  with  the  name  of  the  Branch  Lib- 
rary, Department  or  Office  in  which  he 
'^v  she  is   employed.      The  name  is  with- 
} eld  from  publication,   or  a  pen  name 
iised,   if  the  contributor  so  requests, 
i.ronyraous  contributions  are  not  given 
consideration.     The  author  of  the  article,  ^^e  condition  of  our  books  in  the  stacks? 


when  I"' remember  being  told  that  the  per- 
sonnel office  would  not  hesitate  for  a 
moment  to  hire  anyone  outside  of  the 
system  that  was  a  specialist  in  a  parti- 
cular field,    that  couldn't  be  staffed 
from  within  the  system.      How  much  was 
this  position  advertised  outside  of  our 
own  circle?     Or  is   this  another  case  of 
tailoring  a  position  to  fit  a  particular 
person? 

FIR©'IANS  IaIFE 
(Editor's  note:  We  believe  the  Judaica 
Collection  is  not  yet  an  open  collection, 
but  rather  is  being  prepared  for  this 
status.      Cataloging  experience  is   the 
most  needed  qualification,   as   that  is   the 
first  process  in  readying  the  collection. 
Knowledge  of  Hebrew  is  necessary  to  the 
extent  that  the  cataloging  may  be  com- 
pleted.    Doubtless  a  person  of  proper 
stature  will  be  sought  to  serve  as  Curator 
-  once  the  collection  is  opened  as  a 
department, ) 

Dear  Editor, 

Is   there  no  one  else  concerned  about 


xs  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  Publica- 
tions Committee  and  the  Association  are 
in  agreement  with  the  views  expressed. 
Only  those  contributions  containing  not 
more  than  3OO  words  will  be  accepted. 


I  Some  volumes  appear  not  to  have  seen  a 
dvist  cloth  or  vacuum  cleaner  for  fifty 
years , 

Couldn't  this  condition  be  given  prior- 
'  ity  when  staff  is   available? 

DIRTY  HAlNiDS 


To   the  Soap  Box:  i 

Will  I  ever  see  the  day  that  an  appoint^ 
ment  makes  all  of  us  on  the  staff  happy?   j 
But  this  new  announcement  of  an  opening     j 
in  the  Judaica  section  was  especially         ] 
galling  to  me.     First  of  all  I  don't 
think  anyone  in  the  BPL  is  qualified  for 
such  a  position  of  responsibility,   as 
this  section  is  not  going  to  remain  a 
small  unit  tucked  away  in  a  little  room     ; 
forever.      The  Library  needs  a  person  of 
stature  and  scholarship  to  meet  with  ; 

and  speak  to   those  learned  men  who  have 
used  and  will   continue  to  use  the  facili- 
ties.    Why  the  particular  qualifications? 
Why  not  have  specified  a  PI  or  a  P3  rath-; 
er  than  a  P2?     How  much  knowledge  of 
Hebrew  and  Yiddish?     Why  should  this 
person  have  to  be  qualified  as  a  catalog-, 
er?     All   tliese  questions   come  to  my  mind  ■ 


REMEMBER 

TO 

VOTE 


ra 


uestion 


A^K 


THE  BOSTON  PUBLIC  LIBRARY 
STAFF  ASSOCIATION 


JANUARY     1961 


YU 


uestion 


THE  BOSTON  PUBLIC  LIBRARY 
STAFF  ASSOCIATION 


FEBRUARY      1961 


THEQUESTIONMARK 
Published  by  the  Boston  Public  Library  Staff  Association 

Volume  XVI     Nuraber  2 February  I96I 

Publications  Committee:  Arthur  V.   Curley,   A.    Kay  Decker,   James  J.   Ford,   Rose 

I'borachian,    Caroline  R.    Stanwood,    I  Roger  Stevens, 
Cartoonist,   Dorothy  P.   Shaw,   Chairman 

Publication  Date:                                                       Deadline  for  submitting  material! 
The  fifteenth  of  each  month The  tenth  of  each  month 

Michael  Keresztesi,   now  of  the  Grand  Rapids  Public  Library,  who  . 
served  in  the  Communist- controlled  Budapest  Public  Library  until  he 
escaped  during  the  October  1956  uprising,  has  written  the  lead  article 
in  the  February  I'.1LS0N  LIBRARY  BULLETIN,   Thought  Control  in  Communist 
Libraries .      Even  to  those  of  us  who  have  been  studying  Communist  pro- 
paganda and  methods,    this  is  a  shocking  perversion  of  library  prin- 
ciples. 

"Recognizing  the  immense  propaganda  value  of  a  well- controlled 
public  library  system"  the  Communists   closed  the  stacks  and  forced 
applicants  to  wait  while  the  books   they  requested  were  searched  for 
forbidden  ideas  by  well- trained  censors,  before  the  privilege  of  read- 
ing the  books,  was  granted  or  refused.     The  reading  records  of  the 
patrons  were   thus  on  file  for  the  censors,  who  might  send  for  individ- 
uals for  discussion  on  reading  "proper"  books.     Special  C-talog  guides 
and  special  catalogs  of  ilarxist  materials  were  provided  to  channel  the 
reading  habits  of  the  public.     Anti-Marxian  materials  could  be  consulted 
for  certified  research  only. 

This  article  should  be  read  by  every  member  of  our  staff,   and 
thoughtfully  considered  in  reference  to  individual  practices  in  suggest- 
ing books  for  patrons  or  for  purchase.     It  should  also  raise  many  ques- 
tions in  our  minds.     Are  we  of  the  Free  World  providing  well-balanced 
collections,   representative  of  all  aspects  of  each  question,    or  are  we 
favoring  any  one  side  too  much?     Do  we  know  our  materials  sufficiently 
well  to  be  certain  we  are   able  to   effect  a  balance?     Do  we  know  the 
background  and  attitude  of  our  authors  and  publishers?     Or  do  we  depend 
too  often  on  reviews  in  "trade"  publications  whose  primary  aim  is  to 
sell  as  many  copies  of  the  book  as  possible?     As  librarians,  we  have 
a  responsibility  to  study  our  materials  carefully  and  to  avoid  empha- 
sizing any  one  ooint  of  view,   so  that  everyone  will  have  equal  access 
to   all  phases  of  today's  problems, 

THE  PUBLICATIONS  COMilTTEE 


-2- 


PRESIDaiT'S  NOTES 


VJHY  DON'T  I'-E 


The  first  meeting  of  the  new  Executive  Station  a  uniformed  adult  at  all  tiroes^ 

Board  was  held  on  the   morning  of  February  1  not  a  part-time  student,   at  the  front 
10.      Primarily  we  were  concerned  with 
setting  up  the  organization  of  committees 
and  iiH  terials  for  the  coming  year.      An 
order  for  additional  stationery  was  ap  -• 
proved.     •Approval  was  also  given  for  pay- 
ment of  dues   to  SORT.     A  letter  was  sent 
to  Mr.   Gaines  of  Personnel  asking  for  in- 
formation on  the  status  of  the  examina- 
tion system,   the  library's  present  policy 
and  it  s   future  policy.  A  second  letter 
was  sent  to  Mr,   Gaines  about  salaries. 
T-^e  hope  to  have  information  about  these 
matters  for  you  in  the  near  future. 

You  will  soon  be  receiving  a  question-     ' 
naire  regarding  the  Association  committeesi     Bernard  Dougherty  and  another  unidenti- 
1  ::_j.--_j.-j  _  j_-^        ^_         jfxed  public  spirited  man  from  the  Bindery 

iwere  observed  on  their  lunch  hour  a  week 


door  to  inspect  books  for  charging?     A 
;  boy  or  an  ununiformed  man  does  not  carry 
I  the  mental  image  of  enforcement  that  an 

adult  in  uniform  would. 

Permit  staff  to  enter  the  library  via 
the  front  door  or  the  Boylston  Street 
entrance  on. days  when  the  platform  is 
! icy  or  wet?     Crossing  the  platform  is 
'dangerous  at  these   times,   as  feet  slide 
'With  every  step. 

I  SNOW  i\IEWS 


Some  of  you  have  indicated  a  desire  to 
serve.  Please  fill  in  these  question- 
naires and  return  them  immediately. 
Please  help  your  organization  by 
accepting  a  place  on  the  committees. 
Here  is  your  chance  to  let  us  know  you 
are  available  and  willing.  The  same 
people  serve  over  and  over  again.  We 
welcome  new  blood  and  new  ideas, 
send  in  your  returns  soon. 


a 

! after  the  Inauguration  Day  blizzard,  in- 
jdustriously  clearing  the  gutter  and  drains 
[across  the  street  from  the  library. 


Please 


Our  Jane  Manthorne  did  not  make  it  home 
•  from  work  after  the  February  i|  storm.  She 
I  became  the  unwilling  guest  of  the  police 
in  the  Sharon  jail. 


RUTH  M.  HAYES 

CALENDAR  OF  EVENTS 

February  16       MLA  Midwinter  Meeting 
Sheraton- Plaza 

February  19-25  Catholic  Book  Week 


Jean  Babcock  picked  the  day  of  the  Feb- 


March  3 


Hartzell  Memorial  Lecture 
BPL  Lecture  Hall 


BOOK  STACK  SERVICE  BRAGS  ABOUT  ... 

Steve  Davis,  who  worked  on  the  North- 
eastern Book  Dance,  sponsored  by  the 
Student  Union.  Price  of  admission  was  a 
book,  which  was  to  stock  the  Concord  Re- 
formatory library.   Il50  books  were 
collected. 

And  Chris  Lee,  Library  Aide,  who  has 
been  elected  News  Editor  of  the  Boston 
College  Heights  for  the  coming  year. 
Perhaps  he  takes  after  uncle  Charlie 
(Gillis,  of  Central  Charging  Records), 


i  ruary  !(.  storm  to  move. 
didj 


What's  more,  she 


Esther  Chute  and  her  brand  new  fiance 
left  early  the  morning  of  February  l\.   to 
drive  to  Manchester  to  show  her  ring  to 
his  family.   They  reached  Peabody  by  noon. 
That  night  they  spent  in  the  Peabody  jail. 
Esther  thinks  the  floor  might  have  been 
more  comfortable  had  the  cigarette  butts 
been  cleared, 

Kay  MacDonald  went  to  a  wedding  on  Feb- 
j  ruary  i^,  which  turned  into  a  houseparty 
'through  the  next  day. 

'  CATHOLIC  BOOK  WEEK 

i 

'  Martha  C.  Engler,  South  Boston,  has 

ibeen  appointed  director  of  Catholic  Book 

iVeek  for  the  Greater  Boston  area  by  the 

:New  England  unit  of  the  Catholic  Library 

.Association. 

Features  of  the  week  will  be  a  book 
jfair  and  forum,  and  an  essay  contest 
*for  parochial  schools. 


-3- 


PERSONWEL  NOTES 

New  anployees 

M.  David  Allard,  Bookmobiles 

Mrs.  Frieda  Beitchman,  Brighton 

Mrs.  Elaine  A.  Comegys,  Business  Office 

Constance  M.  Cheves,  Cataloging  and 

Classification,  R  and  RS 
Donald  Chickering,  Book  Stack  Service 
Adrienne  C.  de  Vergie,  Charlestown 
Robert  A.  Fantasi,  Book  Stack  Service 
Patricia  J.  Fradsham,  Cataloging  and 

Classification,  R  and  RS 
John  A.  Gilmore,  Government  Documents 
Margaret  Glynn,  Cataloging  and  Classi- 
fication, R  and  RS 
Thomas  J,  Henshon,  Central  Book  Stock, 

Branch  Issue 
Barry  D.  Latta,  Book  Stack  Service 
Peter  T.  Lewis,  Music 
Paul  KcGerigle,  Kirstein 
Joan  R.  iierchant.  Cataloging  and  Classi- 
fication, R  and  RS 
Robert  M.  Murphy,  Book  Stack  Service 
Sandra  M.  Plank,  Codman  Square 
Janice  L,  Purington,  Personnel 
Daniel  C.  Sears  Jr,  Book  Purchasing 
Paul  Tooraey,  Open  Shelf 
Shirley  Utudjian,  I'lattapan 
James  L.  kMte,  Book  Stack  Service 
Arthur  M,  VJolman,  Uphams  Corner 
Thomas  J.  Zazulak,  Central  Charging  Rec- 
ords 

Re-entered  from  Northeastern 
Anthony  J,  Bajdek,  Book  Stack  Service 
Stephen  R.  Davis,  Science  and  Technology 
Mrs,  Brenda  S.  Franklin,  Book  Purchasing 
Neil  Kelly,  Records,  Files,  Statistics 
Elizabeth  I'IcLucas,  Cataloging  and  Classi- 
fication, R  and  RS 


return  to  school 

Delores  R.  Link,  Cataloging  and  Classi- 
fication, R  and  RS,  to  return  to  school 

John  F.  M.  McGivney,  Records,  Files,  Stat- 
I   is tics,  to  work  at  the  State  House 
I  Theresa  Ouellet,  Book  Purchasing,  to  re- 
\      turn  to  school 

Carolyn  Rose,  Division  Office,  R  and  RS, 
to  accept  another  position 

Elicia  Rose,  Cataloging  and  Classification,. 
R  and  RS,   to  return  to  school 

Peter  A.  Ranney,  Science  and  Technology, 
to  return  to  school 

John  J.  Souza,  Cataloging  and  Classifica- 
tion, R  and  RS,  to  return  to  school 

Diane  Thompson,  Cataloging  and  Classifi- 
cation, R  and  RS,  to  return  to  school 

Anthony  Tieulli,  Book  Purchasing,  to  re- 
turn to  school 

John  J.  Walsh,  Book  Stack  Service,  to 
return  to  school 

VMO'S  NEV.'?  ... 


Transferred 


Service  to 


Gerald  S.  Coles,  Washington  Village, 
'  recently  moved  here  from  Buffalo,  where 
i  he  obtained  a  B.A.  in  Psychology  from 
j  the  University  of  Brffalo,  and  later 
i  taught  in  the  Buffalo  school  system.   He 
is  married  and  has  a  16  month  old  son. 
Gerald  plans  to  attend  Simmons  for  his 
Library  Science  degree.  He  has  an  inter- 
est in  Art  History  and  would  like  to 
combine  it  with  Reference  work.   His 
other  interests  include  folk  music  and 
j  weight-lifting. 
I  * 

j   The  warm  smile  in  the  Director's  Office 
'belongs  to  Mrs.  Katheryn  Murphy.  Mrs. 
i Murphy  comes  to  the  B.P, L.  from  Liberty 
j Mutual  where  she  worked  with  the  drafting 
' department.  She  lives  in  West  Roxbury  and 
. is  kept  busy  by  her  husband,  a  12  year  old 
I  daughter,  Virginia,  and  a  Dalmatian.  Gimy 
is  very  bright  and  active,  and  finds  time 


Robert  J.  Allen,  Book  Stack 

Kirstein 
A.  Katherine  Decker,  East  Boston  to  Centralbetween  staying  at  the  top  of  her  class 

Book  Stock,  Branch  Issue  and  piano  and  German  lessons  to  take  good 

Nancy  E.  Kelly,  Brighton  to  East  Boston   |  care  of  Mummy  when  she  has  a  cold. 

i  * 

Resigned  .  Esther  Chute  has  joined  the  Periodical 

Peter  Dwyer,  Book  Stack  Service,  to  return,  and  Newspaper  staff  after  a  s  umiaer  in 


to  school 

Ernest  I.  Gam,  Book  Stack  Service,  to  re- 
turn to  school 

Frances  A.  Hale,  Personnel,  to  return  to 
school 

Thomas  A.  Incze,  Open  Shelf,  to  go  to 
Paris 

Michael  Konowitz,  Book  Stack  Service,  to 


Switzerland,  where  she  led  a  group  of  "Ex- 
perimenters", two  years  at  Radcliffe  while 
she  earned  an  M,A.  in  iliddle  Ea-tern  Stud- 
ies, and  four  years  at  Smith  during  which 

:she  spent  her  Junior  year  in  Geneva. 

■Esther  collects  shells  and  rocks  as  a  hob- 

■by. 


'h- 


THE  BROOKLYN  PLAN 


Librarians  in  Massachusetts  had  an  op-  , 
portunity  to  hear  about  the  new  "Young  j 
Teens"  service,  undertaken  by  the  Brooklynj 
Public  Library,  at  the  January  26  meeting  ■ 
of  the  Hound  Table  of  Librarians  for  Young' 
Adults,  I 

Geraldine  Clark,  Assistant  Co-ordinator  ■ 
of  iidult  Services  in  Charge  of  Young  Teens,j 
spoke  about  the  Brooklyn  plan  which  libra- | 
rians  all  over  the  United  States  are 
watching  with  great  interest. 

Young  Adult  work  began  in  Brooklyn  about'; 
the  same  time  as  it  did  in  Boston.  Almost, 
two  years  ago,  Brooklyn  felt  that  the  divi-I 
sion  of  pre-school  to  eighth  grades  in  thej 
Children's  Room  and  ages  fourteen  to  twen-| 
ty-one  in  Young  Adult  sections  was  not  a  i 
good  one.  Their  Young  Adult  book  collec-  ., 
tions  were  being  used  extensively  by  Jun-  j 
ior  high  school  students  who  had  to  get  a  i 
signed  slip  from  the  Children's  Librarian  { 
in  order  to  do  so.  Meanwhile  their  Senior 
high  school  students  were  using  the  adult  j 
book  collection.  The  administration  de-  j 
cided  that  the  library  could  give  better  | 
service  by  changing  the  Young  Adult  sec-  ( 
tions  to  Young  Teen  areas  to  serve  the  i 
twelve  to  fifteen  year  old  group.  The 
senior  high  school  students  would  be  ab- 
sorbed into  the  a  dult  area. 

Under  this  plan  a  borrower  is  given  an  i 
adult  library  card  when  he  enters  the  j 
seventh  grade.  He  is  encouraged  to  use  | 
the  Young  Teen  book  collection,  but  he  has' 
free  access  to  the  complete  adult  book  j 
collection,  j 

The  Young  Teen  book  collections  are  the 
former  Young  Adult  collections  with  little! 
if  any  changes.  Brooklyn's  Young  Adult 
book  selection  policy,  like  ours,  had 
followed  the  ALA  standards  of  twenty  per  j 
cent  teen  age  titles  and  e  ighty  per  cent  | 
adult  titles.  However,  Miss  Clark  stated  j 
that  the  volumes  in  any  given  Young  Adult  j 
collection  were  not  in  this  ratio.  The  i 
Young  Adult  collections  contained  many  } 
more  than  the  recommended  twenty  per  cent  j 
teen  age  titles.  Young  Adult  book  quotas  i 
have  now  been  allocated  to  Young  Teens.    • 

Former  Young  Adult  Librarians  were  made  ; 
Young  Teen  Librarians  if  they  wished  to  ! 
work  with  this  younger  age  group,        • 

High  school  students  now  form  one  seg-   , 
ment  of  the  adult  public.   Although  during 
this  first  year  of  change,  there  has  been  ■ 
little  opportunity  for  Adult  Librarians  to  | 
do  any  school  visiting  or  programing  for 


this  group,  it  is  hoped  that  in  the  fu- 
ture they  will  carry  on  such  a  program. 

Miss  Clark  felt  that  the  new  Young 
Teen  service  has  been  quite  successful 
and  that  it  is  providing  much  better 
service  for  the  junior  high  school  group. 

There  was  a  lively  and  quite  lengthy 
question  period  following  Miss  Clark's 
talk,  and  her  gracious  answers  and  ex- 
planations clarified  many  points  for 
her  large  audience. 

ROSE  MOORACHIAN 

OM  THE  STUDENT  FRONT 

Newspapers  recently  carried  the  story 
of  the  student  picketing  of  the  Reading 
Public  Library.  About  75  boys,  mainly 
from  the  senior  class,  paraded  around 
the  building  on  February  2,  in  protest 
against  a  ban  on  junior  and  senior  high 
students  studying  in  the  library  after 
7  p.m.,  which  went  into  effect  on  Dec- 
ember 7. 

it 

Girl's  Latin  junior  class  (about  200) 
are  assigned  a  l500  word  paper  on  a 
phase  of  American  literature.  They  have 
had  some  instruction  on  librar;^/-  use. 

Weymouth  High  School  senior  class 
term  paper  on  subject  of  individual's 
choice.  Approximately  600  students  are 
involved.   200  source  cards  are  required 
of  each  student.  Prior  library  instruc- 
tion is  apparent. 

Another  group  from  Weymouth  High  is 
working  on  United  Nations  material.  This 
group  made  advance  arrangements  and  were 
accompanied  by  a  teacher  familiar  with 
library  materials. 

Revere  High  has  assigned  a  paper  in 
Problems  of  Democracy. 

Beverly  High  is  also  with  us  doing  a 
term  paper  on  a  subject  of  the  student's 
own  choosing. 

"/«■ 

Last  Saturday  six  classes  of  30  boys 
each  (school  unidentified)  descended  on 
Bates  Hall.  Each  boy  had  a  different 
subject  but  each  was  a  specific  aspect 
of  the  Elizabethan  era;  Handwriting, 
Alchemy,  •'Agriculture,  Shipping  etc. 


-5- 


BOOKS  ADDED  TO  STAFF  LIBRARY  -  I960 


CUPID'S  DARTS 


American  Library  Association 

Basic  book  collection  for  nunior  high 

schools j  3rd  edition,   I960 
Basic  book  collection  for  elementary 

gradesj   7th  edition,   I96O 
Costs  of  Public  Library  Service  in  1959,' 

i960 
Let's  read  together,   I96O 
Young  adult  services  in  the  public  lib- 
rary,  i960 
Studying  the  community,   I96O 
Children's  books   too  good  to  miss   (re- 
vised edition)     Cleveland,  Western  ' 
Reserve  University,  1959 
Downs,   Robert  B,                                                        • 

The  first  freedom.    Chicago,  ALA,  I96O 
Doras,   Keith  and  Howard  Rovelstad,   editors 
Guidelines  for  library  planners 
Chicago,   ALA,   I96O 
Eakin,  Mary  K, ,    editor  ' 

Good  books  for  children.   Chicago,  ALA,     j 

i960  ; 

Eaton,    .4iine  T 

Treasure  for  the  taking   (revised  edition) 

New  York,   Viking,   1957  ■ 

Great  Britain  Ministry  of  Education 

The  structure  of  the  public  library 

service  in  England  and  Wales.      New  York, 

British  Infonnation  Center,   1958 
Josette,   Frank  ' 

Your  child's  reading  today  (revised 

edition).      New  York,   Doubleday,    I96O 
Larrick,   Nancy  ; 

A  parent's  guide  to  children's  reading 

New  York,   Doubleday,   1958 
Loiseaux,  Marie 

Publicity  primerj  i^th  edition     New  York,; 

H.W.   Wilson,   1959 
Lydenberg,   Harry  h.  | 

The  care  and  repair  of  books   (revised      ; 

by  John  E.  Alden)      New  York,    Bowker,196d 
Mevissen,  Werner  I 

Btichereibau  -  public  library  building       , 

Essen,  Verlag  Ernst  Heyer,   1958  i 

North  Carolina  Library  Association  i 

North  Carolina  public  library  personnel  1 

manual.      Chapel  Hill,   N.C,   Institute 

of  Government,   1959 
Schick,   Frank 

The  paper-bound  book  in  America.      New 

York,    Bowker,   1958 
Vinchell,    Constance  M.,    editor  I 

Guide  to  reference  books j   7th  edition; 

Third  supniement,   1956-58.    Chicago, 

ALA,  i960 


Engagements  Announced 

Joan  11.  Sughrue,  Office  HR  and  CS,  to 
Lawrence  M,  Savignano  of  Northeast  Air- 
lines. To  be  married  June  10. 

Esther  S.  Chute,  Periodical  and  News- 
paper, to  Lt.  (j.g.)  Strafford  Morss 
of  the  United  States  Navy.   To  be  married 
in  I'lay. 

Harold  A.  Brackett,  Office  HR  and  CS, 
to  Mary  M.  Cronin  who  teaches  business 
subjects  at  Burlington  High  School.  To 
be  married  August  12. 

Hearts  and  arrows 

appeared  in  chalk  on  the  bulletin 
board  of  the  Book  Selection  room  on 
Valentines  day  with  unusual  names: 
Oedipus  loves  Electra.  The  literary 
influence  no  doubtj 

IN  THE  PREdS 

Jane  Manthorne,   Readers  Adviser  (YA), 
has  an  article  "ilassn-^husetts  Authors 
Mary  Stolz"  on  pages  I3-I6  of  the  Winter 
edition  of  the  HAY  STATE  LIBRARIAN. 

In  the  same  issue  is  an  account  of  the 
BPLSA  Institute,   page  23. 

Henry  Bowditch  Jones,   Book  Stack  Service, 
and  his  steam  train  whistle^  was  written 
up  in  the  GLOBE  of  January  18,   page  20. 

The  cartoon  on  page  325  of  the  January 
15  LIBRARY  JOURNAL  will  entertain  all 
those  who  have  been  dealing  with  the 
student  problem.     It  is  evidence  that 
they  can  come  still  younger.' 

ANOTHER  COMMENT 

BRRRS  are  in  the  air. 

And  all  the  world  is  coldj 

And  streets  are  peopled  only 
With  just  the  very  bold. 

I  huddle  in  ny  corner. 

And  read  of  dthers •    deeds  j 

And  every  shaking  rafter 
Sends  me  to  my  beads, 

Alas,  I  am  no  hero. 

In  any  scale  weighedj 
And  seek  no  other  status 

In  world  I  never  made. 

BAYiRY   ANDREWS 


can  speak  out  provides  an  excellent  cat- 
alysis. 

Among  the  many  stalf  qualities  hroi:sht 
to  our  attention  in  Soap  3cx,  one  has  been 
too  long  neglected,  or  at  least  not  high- 
lighted -  the  generosity  of  our  staff. 
I  wager  there  could  not  be  found  in  these 
United  States  a  group  more  willing  to  give 
of  itself.   Irrespective  of  the  need  - 
CARE,  Community  Fund,  Christmas  Tea,  re- 
tirement gift,  personal  illness  or  mis- 
fortune -  there  is  always  the  query  "what 
can  w  e  do?",  and  someone  ready  to  spear- 
head a  donation,  which  within  a  remark- 
ably short  time  and  with  no  pressure 
exerted,  more  than  meets  the  need.  This 
is  a  quality  of  which  we  all  can  be  justly 
proud.   iJe  may  be  many  things  to  many 
people,  but  it  can  never  be  said  by  any- 
one that  the  BPL  staff  is  not  one  of  the 
most  generous  groups  to  be  found  in  any 
institution,  public  or  private. 


Any  contribution  to  the  Soap  Box  must 
be  accompanied  by  the  full  name  of  the 
Association  member  submitting  it,  to- 
gether with  the  name  of  the  Branch  Li- 
brary, Department  or  Office  in  which  he 
or  she  is  employed.  The  name  is  with- 
held from  publication,  or  a  van   name  used^acquired  through  staff  generosity)  such 


;  EDM  G.  PECK 

'  PS  -  Since  writing  the  above  some  three 
'weeks  ago,  I  have  been  the  recipient  of 
i  very  tangible  evidence  of  this  generosity. 
To  all  who  made  my   "^lack  eye"  (not 


if  the  contributor  so  requests.  Anony- 
mous contributions  are  not  given  consid- 
eration.  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  er- 


a  happy  experience,  I  can  only  say  "hany, 
many  thanks", 

E.G.  P. 


I  Dear  Editor: 

I      In  view  of  the  unhappiness  caused  by 
pressed  by  individual  Association  members j previous  storms,    I  think  a  vote  of   thanks 
and  their  appearance  does  not  necessarily. should  be  given  the  Administration  for 
indicate  that  the  Publications .Committee   ' its   timely  action  on  January  20.      Between 
and  the  Association  are  in  agreement  with, radio  and  TV  announcements  and  personal 
the  views  expressed.     Only  those  contri-    'notification,  everyone  learned  at  an 
butions  containing  not  more  than  3OO  i early  hour  that  the  Library  was  closed. 


words  will  bs  accepted. 


The  whole  procedure  was  most  admirable. 

GRATEFUL 


To  the  Soap  Box: 

Since  the  inception  of  Soap  Box,   we 
have  had  a  mediuiti  through  which  we  can 
freely  express  our  ideas  on  topics  per- 
tinent to  our  welfare.     For  the  most  part 
we  have  not  been  reticent  in  saying  what 
we  think,   nor  hesitated  to  point  out  de- 
ficiencies irrespective  of  where  they  .'. 
may  have  occurred.      This  opportunity  "to    ' 
let  off  steam"  has  had  a  beneficial  ef- 
fect.    At  times   the  comments  have  made 
some  of  us  squirmj    at  ti.mes   the  remedies 
for  deficiencies  or  mistakes  have  not  i 

been  as  expedient  as  we  might  wish,   but      ' 
just  to  know  there  is  a  place  where  we 


ACCIDEiMT  RECOiffl 

Joe  O'Neil,   Periodical  and  I'Jewspaper, 
out  with  an  injured  back  received  in  a 
three  car  skidding  accident.      He  was  NOT 
riding  the  Cannonball  express. 

Jack  Tuley,    Fire  Control,   has  stitches 
in  his  forehead  and  other  painful  face 
and  head  injuries.     He  was  pushed  into 
an  oncoming  street-car  by  a  group  of 
students  just  out  of  school,    attempting 
to  board  the  car. 


IS 


Th 


D 


NV/ 


c 


To  Attend 


th 


0 


ERWIN   D.   CANHA 


peaker 


Fn.    Mar.  3^^   196 
at  8pnn 

Lecture    Hall 


Refreshments 


Come  and  Bring   a    Friend 


THE     QUESTION     liARK 
Published  by  the  Boston  Public  Library  Staff  Association 

Volume  XVI     Number  3 March  I96I 

Publications  Committee:  Arthur  V.   Curley,  A.    Kay  Decker,   James  J.   -f^ord,  Rose 

Moorachian,   Caroline  R.   Stanwood,   I.   Roger  Stevens, 
Cartoonist,   Dorothy  P.   Shaw,   Chairman 

Publication  Date:                                                       Deadline  for  submitting  material: 
The  fifteenth  of  each  month  The   tenth  of  each  month 

We  are  pleased,   in  reading  the  Restatement  of  Service  to  Young  Adults, 
dated  February  16,    to  see  that  tJie  policy  for  use  of  the  facilities  of  the 
Library  by  Young  Adults  has  been  broadened  to  include  more  advanced  mater- 
ials when  the  needs  or  interests  of  the  individual  require  it. 

In  these  days  of  rapidly  changing  educational  needs,    trends  are  growing 
toward  encouraging  the  student  to  proceed  at  his  own  pace^.rather  than  by 
limitations  of  age  or  class.     Since  books  are  the  basis  of  study,   it  is  well 
for  the  library  to  be  aware  of  these  trends,   and  of  the  needs  of  the  student, 
to  encourage  his  advancement  at  his  own  speed  in  his  own  areas. 

The  gifted  child,   in  particular,   has  been  hampered  in  the  past  by 
restrictions  imposed  by  the  gearing  of  classes   in  many  schools   to  the  pace 
of  the  slower  children,    and  by  library  practices  in  permitting  use  of 
materials  only  on  a  lower  level  than  he  often  is  capable  of  handling.     The 
new  plan  will  aid  the  gifted,    the  inquiring  reader,    and  yet  will  not  hinder 
in  any  way,   the  slower  child,   or  make  him  feel  "left  behind". 

It  is  important  to   the  personal  development  of  the  student,   and  to  his 
acquisition  of  a  good  future  "reading  climate"  that  the  right  materials  be 
available  at  the  time  his  stage  of  growth  readies  him  to  understand  their 
content.      Is  it  not  the  role  of  the  library  to  bring  student  and  materials 
together  as  needed? 

Lillian  Batchelor  has  written  a  challenging  article  in  the  January  l5 
LIBRARY  JOURNAL  -   "Setting  a  Reading  Climate  for  the  Gifted"  in  which  she 
shows  their  needs,   and  discusses  what  can  be  done  for  them.     She  urges 
that  free  rein  should  be  given  a  child's   compulsion  to  read,    tiiat  his  habit 
of  reading  for  intellectual  delight  be  encouraged,  that  he  be  urged  to  read 
for  the  values  he  can  derive  for  himself.     She  advises   that  his  current 
interests,  which  are  apt  to  be  many  and  varied,   be  capitalized  upon  to  give 
him  further  development  and  states   that  the  authoritarian  approach  must  be 
avoided  at  all  costs  lest  creativity  be  stifled  and  the  habit  of  independent 
thinking  be  discouraged.      And  she  emphasizes  that  our  attitude  must  be  per- 
missive and  understanding  if  our  reading  guidance  is  to  amount  to  anything, 

THE  PUBLICATIONS  COiiiilTTEE 


-2- 


PRESIDEMT'S  NOTES 

This  has  been  a  busy  month,     ^'e  have 
been  in  process  of  organizing  committees 
and  should  have  them  completed  and  ready 
for  publication  in  the  next  issue  of  the     , 
QffiSTION  MRK. 

vie  were  pleased  to  s  ee  so  many  of  you  at 
the  Hartzell  ilemorial  Lecture.     To  those 
of  you  -who  missed  it,  we  can  only  say  we 
are  sorry  you  could  not  be  there  to  hear 
our  distinguished  speaker.     Mr.   Canliam's 
talk  on  the  problems  and  trends  of  the 
great  metropolitan  areas  was   thought  pro- 
voking,   and  we  might  well  consider  the         ! 
effects  on  the  library  service  of  tomorrow. 

March  3  was  also   the  date  of  the  latest  : 
"open  meeting"  of  the  Library  Trustees,       ] 
The  Staff  Association  President  attended. 
It  was  an  interesting  meeting  at  which 
was  discussed  various  contracts,    the 
giving  of  an  increment  to  those  11  years 
in  a  grade  (not  having  reached  their  maxi-( 
mum),   as  well  as  discussion  on  methods  of  ; 
attracting  new  staff  members  to   the  Boston, 
Public  Library,  < 

This  didcussion  was  carried  over  to  the  ' 
Executive  Board  meeting  of  the  10th  of 
March,    and  will  be  the  subject  of  several  • 
special  meetings  of  your  Executive  Board    j 
in  the  w  eeks  ahead.  : 

Lir.   Rabb,   president  of  the  Library  Board 
of  Trustees; was  most  laudatory  and  appre- 
ciative of  the  work  being  done  in  the  i 
various  departinents.     The  Chiefs  of  each 
Division  w  ere  commended  for  their  work         i 
and  the  work  of  their  departments.     We 
are  pleased  to  close  the  column  on  such       ■ 
a  happy  note.  ; 

RUTH  M.    MIES  ! 

I 

TOMAN  OF  THE  V.EEK  j 

-  ■  ^ 

The  Boston  TRAVELER  on  i"larch  7,   named  ' 
our  I'luriel  Javelin  as  VJoman  of  the  Week, 
giving  interesting  bits  of  her  career  at 

the  BPL.     But  there  was  also  mentioned  :' 
something  new  -   to   the  majority  of  our 

staff  -   the  fact  that  Mrs.    Javelin  this  i 

week  received  one  of  the  Annual  Awards  i 

of  Merit  from  the  New  England  Council  of  ! 

Optometrists,   at  their  39th  post  graduate  i 

educational  congress,   for  her  work  "in  \ 

furthering  the  cause  of  books  for  people  j 
with  reading  disabilities," 


kTO  DON'T  ^E. ..? 

Send  mimeographed  elementary  ground 
rules  to  every  school  within  a  30  m^e 
radius  of  Boston,   which  is  known  to  be 
using  the  Library  regularly?     A  few 
simple  rules  would  make  seats  and  mater- 
ials more  readily  available  on  busy  days. 
These  ground  rules  should  include  re- 
quests  that  books   and  materials  be  return- 
ed to  open  shelves,   or  the  desk  from  which 
they  were  obtained  as  s  oon  as  one  has  fin- 
ished with   themj   that  seats  not  be  held  in 
two  or  three  different  departments  by  one 
person  at  the  same  time   (this  is  common 
practice  now  and  accounts  for  serious 
seat  shortages  on  busy  days)   -  rather, 
that  personal  belongings  should  be  taken 
with  the  s  tudent  as  he  goes  from  one  de- 
partment to   another;    that  seats  should 
not  be  held  in  any  department  while  the 
student  goes  out  to  lunch,   or  to  another 
room  for  more  than  five  minutes;    that  a 
student  use  only  one  periodical  index 
volume,   or  recent  bound  volume  of  a  per- 
iodical or  one  volume  of  an  encyclopedia 
or  set  of  books   at  a  time  to  avoid  tying 
up  several  volumes  needed  by  others,   etc. 

Offer  comments  to  be  published  in  the 
QUESTION  MARK  on  those  items  which  appear 
in  this  column?     Comments  would  show  evi- 
dence of  interest  and/or  need,   and  might 
lead  to  action. 

Devise  a  system  of  limiting  the  number 
of  items   to  be  borrowed  on  a  temporary 
non-resident  library  card?     Such  a  system 
should  serve  to  prevent  some  of  the  abuses 
of  this  privilege.' 

* 

Make  time  and  personnel  available  to 
dust  the  books  and  shelves  in  Bates  Hall 
and  other  public  areas?     Dirty  books  and 
shelves  are  not  the  best  advertisement 
for  our  wares i 

V.IAS  DARWIN  RIGHT? 

Recently,    a  boy  came   to   Center  Desk 
asking  for  the  Geology  Department.     Seems 
he  wanted  to  look  up  his  ancestry.      Try- 
ing to  reach  behind  William  tiie  Conqueror 
or  CharlemsLgne  to  trace  his  descent  from 
the  paleolithic  fossil  familes  no  doubt. 


-3- 


PERSONNEL  NOTES 

Mew  Employees 

Mrs  Marcia  J.  Battaglia,  Fine  Arts 

Paul  D.  Cronin,  Memorial 

James  E,  Devin,  Kirstein 

Edward  J.  Diffley,  Cataloging  and  Classi- 
fication, HR  and  CS 

Brenda  H.  Hemingway,  Uphams  Corner 

Mrs.  Delia  M.  Jones,  South  End 

J.  Edward  Keefe  III,  Central  Charging 
Records 

Clara  Koretsky,  Cataloging  and  Classifi- 
cation, R  and  RS 

Transferred 

James  il.  lIcNiff,  Shipping  to  Cataloging 

and  Classification,  R  and  RS 
i^'iartin  J.  Qualters,  Book  Stack  Service  to 

Cataloging  and  Classification,  R  and  RS 
i'lrs  Christine  J.  Lftnano,  North  End  to     ; 

Science  and  Technology 
Veronica  Yotts,  Open  Shelf  to  Personnel, 

teinporarily 

Terminated 

^bert  Allen,  Kirstein  ' 

Resigned 

Mrs  Elaine  A.  Comegys,  Business  Office, 

to  return  to  Baltimore 
Gale  M.  Helft,  South  Boston,  illness  at 

home 
Martin  Segal,  Music,  to  return  to  school 
Anne  V,  Webb,  Mattapan,  to  remain  at  home  , 

WHO'S  imn 

Donald  Chickering,  Book  Stack  Service, 
is  studying  Education  at  Northeastern  and 
is  a  member  of  the  Massachusetts  chapter 
of  the  National  Teachers'  Association. 
Don  may  combine  a  career  teaching  Piistory 
and  Social  Science  with  coaching  athlet- 
ics, but  he  has  some  other  possibilities 
up  his  sleevei  Don  is  from  North  Quincy 
and  graduated  from  North  Quincy  High  where 
he  played  basketball  and  three  years  of 
varsity  baseball, 

I  * 

Robert  A.  Fantasa  has  come  to  Book  Stack 

Service  after  a  previous  co-op  term  as  an 
orderly  in  the  Maternity  Ward  of  St.  Mar-  ■ 
garet's  Hospital]  Bob  is  a  Modern  Lan- 
guage major  at  Northeastern  and  he  would  ; 
like  to  go  into  teaching  or  government 
work.  His  non-academic  interests  include 
sports  -  particularly  baseball. 


Patricia  J.  Fradsham,  Cataloging  (R  St.  RS} 
is  not  new  to  library  work  for  she  has 
worked  at  the  Stoneham  Public  Library, 
Pat  comes  from  wedford  and  is  a  sophomore 
at  Northeastern.  She  is  majoring  in  Eng- 
lish and  considering  teaching  as  a  career. 

,   Government  Documents'  John  A.  Gilmore 
I  has  completed . two  years  at  the  University 
,  of  Maine  and  is  now  taking  three  courses 
at  B.U. 's  night  school,  working  towards 
a  degree  in  public  relations.  John  lives 
in  Somerville  and  prepared  for  college 
at  Tilton.  His  interests  definitely 
!  include  sports  -  especially  skiing, 

Thomas  J,  Zazulak,  Central  Charging 
'  Records,  lives  in  South  Boston  and  is  a 
Sophomore  at  Northeastern.  Tom  is  study- 
ing Electrical  Engineering.  He  is  also 
a  staanp  collector  and  a  member  of  the 
Boston  Polish  Philatelical  Society. 

Margaret  Glynn  is  working  in  Cataloging 
and  Classification  (R  &  RS)  as  a  Pre- 
Professional  while  she  is  studying  at 
Simmons.  She  graduated  from  Lawrence 
College  as  an  American  Literature  major 
in  1959  and  has  worked  in  the  Columbia 
University  Library  and  for  Dr.  Vlhite  at 
the  Harvard  Medical  School  Library,  com- 
piling bibliographies  for  his  papers. 
Margaret  lives  in  Boston  and  is  finding 
time  to  take  some  extension  courses  along 
with  her  course  in  reference  work. 

Branch  Issue's  Thomas  J.  Henshon  is  an 
Economics  major  at  Northeastern.  His  ma- 
jor interest  just  now  is  in  golf,  and  he 
is  hoping  to  become  a  pro.  He  started 
out  caddying  around  Boston,  has  worked  in 
Florida,  and  now  tries  to  play  as  much  of 
the  year  as  possible.  Tom  lives  in  Boston 
and  in  addition  to  his  job  at  the  BPL  he 
is  working  at  night  at  the  Harvard  Fac- 
ulty Club, 

-it 

After  8  months  in  Alaska  where  he  com- 
pleted his  Army  duty  as  a  security  guard 
at  a  guided  missile  emplacement,  Barry  D. 
Latta  has  come  to  Book  Stack  Service.  He 
has  not  entirely  renounced  a  military 
frame  of  mind  as  his  hobbies  include  col- 
lecting weapons.   i\mong  others  he  owns  an 
old,  never  finished  Japanese  ceremonial 
sword.   Barry  is  hoping  to  study  elect- 
rical engineering. 


-k- 


Before  coming  to  our  Music  Department, 
Peter  T,  Lewis  had  a  teaching  fellowship 
in  Music  at  Brandeis.  He  is  still  com- 
posing and  having  some  of  his  works  per- 
formed at  Brandeis.  Peter  has  s  tudied  at  ; 
Westminster  Choir  College  and  the  Univer-  ' 
sity  of  California,  where  he  earned  both 
a  B.A.  and  an  M.A.  in  Music.  He  and  his 
wife  live  in  Waltham. 

-*  ■: 

Joan  R.   Merchant,   Cataloging  and  Classi- 
fication (R  &  RS) ,   comes  from  Cambridge 
and  is  a  Middler  at  Northeastern.     She  is 
majoring  in  English  and  her  main  interests 
include  literature  and  writing.     She  is 
Corresponding  Secretary  of  her  sorority       ' 
and  so,  in  a  lighter  vein,  must  put  her       \ 
writing  to  work  on  >lixer  invitations!  i 

Robert  M.  Murphy  is  doing  his  first  ; 
co-op  in  Book  Stack  Service,      He  comes 

from  Dorchester  and  went  to  Boston  Tech-  ; 

nical  High  before  entering  Northeastern  ' 

where  he  is  studying  Electrical  Engineer-  l 
ing.     Bob  is  also  interested  in  sports  andi 

has  played  basketball  for  Northeastern.  ; 

Janice  L.   Purington,   Personnel,   graduat-, 
ed  from  Holliston  High  and  worked  as  a         \ 
Dental  Receptionist  before  entering  North-' 
eastern,  where  she  is  an  English  Journal- 
ism major.     In  a  previous  co-op  term,   she 
worked  for  the  Herald-Traveler,   and  when     ' 
she  leaves  Northeastern,   she  hopes  to 
write,   perhaps  by  working  on  a  magazine,     i 
Janice's  interests   also  include  Ifodern-       ! 
Dance. 

*  i 

After  a  varied  list  of  co-op  jobs, 
which  includes  working  as  a  long  shoreman,! 
Daniel  C.   Sears  Jr.   has  come  to  Book  Pur-  ; 
chasing.     He  has  an  ILA  card,   and  when  he  j 
is  not  exercising  his  boxer,  Mark,   he  j 

spends  some  spare  time  longshoring.  Dan  ' 
is  majoring  in  Education  at  Northeastern  j 
and  is  a  member  of  the  football  team.     He 


about  Northeastern  doings, 

James  L,   luliite,   Book  Stack  Service, 
lives  in  Dorchester  and  graduated  from 
Dora  Bosco,  where  he  played  football  and 
basketball.     Jim  has  studied  drafting, 
but  his  main  interest  just  now  is  in 
swimming.     He  spent  a  sum-ier  as  a  life 
guard  on  Nantucket  beach  and  is   a  swim-ning 
instructor  at  the  Quincy  Y"MCA.     Jim  would 
like  to  work  with  his  interest  in  athlet- 
ics,  perhaps  as  a  coach, 

Adrienne  de  Vergie  has  joined  the  staff 
at  Charlestown  to  work  with  Adults  and 
Young  Adults.  A  graduate  of  Boston  Univ- 
ersity with  a  major  in  Romance  Languages, 
Adrienne  also  studied  at  Aix- en- Provence, 
France.  Justly  proud  of  being  both  Phi 
Beta  Kappa  and  Phi  Sigma  Iota,  she  is  now 
continuing  studies  at  Simmons  College, 

* 

Pittsfield  is  the  home  town  of  Sandra 
M,  Plank  who  recently  increased  the  staff 
of  Codraan  Square.  Sandra  is  a  graduate 
of  the  University  of  Massachusetts  and  a 
former  teacher.  She  says  she  chose  Boston 
as  a  place  to  work  because  she  yearned  for 
the  hustle  of  a  big  city  but  she  loves 
New  England,  too. 

Grandmothers  of  the  BPL  can  now  add 
another  to  their  ranks  and  be  prepared 
to  compare  pictures,  sayings  and  stories. 
Mrs.  Frieda  Beitchman,  Brighton,  will 
match  her  granddaughter  with  the  best. 
Formerly  with  the  New  York  Public  Lib- 
rary, and  a  native  of  that  city,  Mrs. 
Beitchman  has  put  aside  her  crocheting  to 
return  to  the  work  she  likes  best,   ••■e're 
glad  she  didj 

BRANCH  ISSUE  NOTE 


Mrs.  Claire  0' Toole  has  returned  home 
after  a  two  week  sojourn  in  the  hospital 
plans  to  teach,  perhaps  Business  Educatioij'  and  she  is  improving  every  day  in  every 
and  coach,  \  -way.  She  wishes  to  thank  all  her  friends 

who  sent  cards  and  other  tokens  while  she 
was  too  weak  to  defend  herself.  See  you 
in  May,  Claire? 


I 


Open  Shelf's  Paul  Toomey  is  an  English 
Journalism  major  in  his  fourth  year  at 
Northeastern,     Paul  is  headed  towards 
publishing  or  newspaper  work  and  his  ac- 
tivities at  Northeastern  certainly  point 
that  way.     He  writes  for  the  Northeastern 
News  and  is  just  now  a  copy  editor.     He 
is  also  a  member  of  the  Husky  Hi-Liters, 
the  staff  of  a  closed  radio  station  which 
broadcasts  entertainment  and  information 


REi-IEiiBER 
CARE 
during 
Holy  Vi'eek 

and 
Passover] 


-5- 


MLA  MIDWINTER  INSTITUTE 

Lawrence  E,  IJikander  presided  at  the  j 

busnnP5!s  mooting  of  I^ILA  at  the  Sheraton  J 

Plaza,  on  Thursday  February  16.  The  re-  j 

mainder  of  the  day  was  devoted  to  an  in-  ' 

stitute  on  state  aid  problems  with  the  ! 

theme  "State  Aid  and  You".  j 

Orientation  and  Panel  Discussion     ' 

lirs.  Muriel  Javelin  opened  the  morning 
session  of  the  conference,  commenting  that 
this  marked  the  first  time  that  librarians', 
and  library  trustees  had  joined  in  co-sporf 
soring  an  MLA  conference.  Librarians  fromj 
small,  medium  and  large  libraries,  library! 
trustees  and  lawyers  were  represented  on  I 
the  panel,  including  our  own  John  11,  Car- 
roll. The  panelists  concerned  themselves 
largely  with  the  phraseology  of  the  state  | 
aid  law,  the  interpretation  of  the  law  as  j 
it  now  stands,  and  with  the  effect  of  the  \ 
law  on  state  grants  to  libraries,        ! 

In  the  course  of  the  discussion  the  j 
panelists  pointed  out  that  the  prime  pur-  ' 
pose  of  the  law  is  to  promote  and  improve  \ 
library  service  in  the  Commonwealth.  Cit-J 
ies  and  towns  to  be  eligible  for  grants  i 
must  apply  annually  and  must  meet  the  • 
standards  set  up  by  the  Board  of  Library  ' 
Commissioners.  The  standards  are  not  part' 
of  the  law  itself.  They  are  subject  to  | 
change  at  the  discretion  of  the  Beard.  At; 
present  the  standards  are  high,  as  the  i 
Board  is  anxious  to  upgrade  library  ser-  j 
vice.  There  are  no  strings  attached  to  ( 
the  grants  and  libraries  are  not  bound  to 
honor  the  library  cards  of  other  commun-  [ 
ities.  They  are  also  free  to  charge  non-  \ 
residents  a  fee,  i 

Funds  for  library  aid  are  derived  from 
state  income  taxes.  This  money  has  always 
been  allocated  to  the  cities  and  towns,  ■.  ' 
and  in  some  instances,  there  will  be  no   i 
additional  revenue  coming  into  a  comiaunityi 

The  panelists  sounded  a  disturbing  note  t 
when  they  indicated  that  the  grants  were 
given  to  the  municipalities  and  not  to  the| 
libraries  directly.  There  is  no  provisim \ 
in  tile  law  to  guarantee  that  the  money 
apportioned  for  library  aid  will  be  used  : 
for  such  by  the  cities  and  towns.  There-  ', 
fore  it  will  be  up  to  librarians  to  con-  \ 
vince  local  authorities  of  the  library's  ] 
importance  in  the  community  as  ah  adjunct  , 
to  the  schools'  in  the  education,  of  the  i 
children,  and,  in  many  cases,, as  the  sole  ' 


educational  medium  for  adults. 


MARIE  R.  KE^JiMEDY 
Luncheon  Meeting 

Following  the  luncheon,  special  recog- 
nition was  given  to  Sumner  Z.  Kaplan,  god- 
father of  the  Massachusetts  state  aid  to 
libraries  bill.  Representative  Kaplan 
said  that  the  intent  of  the  bill  was  to 
give  additional  financial  aid  to  libraries 
Any  failure  to  meet  this  goal  will  be 
corrected  by  future  legislation. 

Mrs.  Raymond  Young,  President,  American 
Library  Trustees  Association,  spoke  on 
"State  Aid:  Its  Impact  on  Your  Library, 
Your  Public,  and  You."  Mrs.  Young  views 
state  aid  to  libraries  as  a  massive  dose 
of  vitamins  to  supplement  nutrition.  It 
does  not  replace  the  meat  and  potatoes  of 
local  tax  support. 

The  small  library  has  a  severe  struggle 
to  keep  going  for  lack  of  adequate  funds. 
The  child  or  the  adult  in  a  community  of 
500  is  entitled  to  the  same  materials  as 
one  living  in  a  community  of  500,000,  The 
law  signed  on  November  3,  I96O  shows  that 
Massachusetts  recognizes  its  responsibili- 
ty to  give  adequate  library  service. 

At  present  four  communities  in  Massachu- 
setts lack  a  library.  Sixty- three  per- 
cent of  the  population  in  cities  receive 
sub- standard  library  service.  The  state 
standards  are  not  excessive  or  punitive. 
Many  cities  and  towns  already  meet  six  of 
the  standards.   The  challenge  is  to  meet 
all  of  them. 

State  aid  does  not  mean  the  loss  of 
local  control  or  local  identity.  Commun- 
ities of  under  25,000  population  will 
benefit  most  from  being  part  of  a  region- 
al system.  They  will  receive  books  and 
services  from  the  regional  libraries,  in 
addition  to  sharing  in  regional  planning 
as  members  of  the  a dvisory  commission. 
The  small  public  library  will  have  a  feast 
of  previously  unobtainable  services. 

The  law  is  perfectly  balanced  between 
grants-in-aid  and  the  organization  of  re- 
gional libraries.  The  large  library,  al- 
ready furnishing  reference  and  research 
services,  will  also  benefit.  State  aid 
will  help  to  meet  rising  costs  so  that 
these  services  may  be  continued.   This 
existing  force  should  be  strengthened, 
not  weakened. 

Cooperation  is  the  key  word  in  the  state 
aid  to  libraries  program.  Smaller  lib- 


-6- 


raries  benefit  by  services  from  large  re- 
gional library  centers.   The  large  region- 
al libraries  benefit  by  the  financial  aid 
received,  i 

A  brief  question  and  answer  period  con-  , 
eluded  this  part  of  the  program,         ! 

I 

MILDRED  C.  O'CONNOR 
Group  Discussion 

The  afternoon  Group  Discussions  gave 
the  first  real  opportunity  to  ask  ques-  ' 
tions.  Resource  People  for  Area  Four,  ■ 
Metropolitan  Boston,  were  Elizabeth  Butch-' 
er.  Librarian  of  the  Brookline  Public  Lib-, 
rary,  and  Mrs.  V.  Genevieve  Galick,  Dir-  j 
ector  of  the  Division  of  Library  Extension* 

The  topic  that  seemed  to  be  on  the  minds 
of  most  people  was  Item  Six  of  Section    ; 
I9B  of  the  State  Aid  law  which  reads 
",.,lend  books  to  other  libraries  in  the  \ 
comjaonwealth  and  extend  privileges  to  the  { 
holders  of  cards  issued  by  other  public   ; 
libraries  in  the  commonwealth  on  a  re- 
ciprocal basis,"  i'iany   librarians  and    ' 
trustees  interpreted  this  to  mean  that 
those  libraries  accepting  state  aid  must  ' 
extend  borrowing  privileges  to  all  resi- 
dents of  Massachusetts, 

After  many  questions  from  the  floor  and  ■ 
a  great  deal  of  explanation  by  Mrs,  Ga-  ; 
lick,  the  issue  was  clarified. 

Many  people  were  confused  because  they 
did  not  realize  that  the  State  Aid  law,   , 
Chapter  76O,  Acts  of  I96O,  provides  for 
two  separate  types  of  state  aid.  The 
first,  provided  for  in  Section  I9A  of  the  ' 
law,  gives  each  public  library  certified 
by  the  Board  of  Library  Cornxnissioners  a 
sum  of  money  based  on  the  population  of  , 
the  town.  This  money  is  paid  to  the  mu-  j 
nicipal  treasury,  not  directly  to  the 
library.   (There  is  nothing  in  the  law  to  ' 
compel  a  municipality  to  spend  this  money 
for  the  library  in  addition  to  appropria- 
tions already  made.   This  point,  made 
first  at  the  morning  session,  was  brought 
up  again,)  Libraries  qualifying  for  and 
receiving  state  aid  money  under  Section 
I9A  are  not  required  to  extend  borrowing  , 
privileges  to  residents  outside  their 
own  towns. 

Section  I9B,  Item  Six  which  was  causing  ! 
apprehension  on  the  part  of  so  many  li- 
brarians and  trustees  applies  only  to  the 
second  part  of  the  State  Aid  law.  Secticn' 
19c  of  the  law  provides  for  the  establish-j 
ment  of  five  regional  library  systems 


throughout  the  state.  Only  if  a  libraiy 
elects  to  join  a  regional  program  will  it 
be  required  to  extend  borrowing  privi- 
leges outside  its  own  comiaunity.  This 
second  plan  setting  up  regional  library 
service  has  not  yet  been  implemented.  In 
any  case,  no  library  receiving  state  aid 
under  Section  I9A  is  obligated  in  any  way 
to  join  a  regional  library  system. 

Most  of  the  discussion  period  was  need- 
ed to  straighten  out  these  points,  i'irs. 
Galick  remarked  that  perhaps  one  of  the 
most  important  outcomes  of  this  meeting 
was  her  realization  that  the  law  was  not 
as  clear  as  had  been  supposed,  to  libra- 
rians and  trustees. 

Certainly  those  of  us  who  attended  this 
session  had  many  doubtful  points  clarified 
by  the  discussion. 

ROSE  MOORACHIAN 

"State  Aid;  Its  Responsibilities, 
Its  Problems,  Its  Rewards" 

..Was  the  topic  of  the  talk  by  Mrs,  Lil- 
lian C,  Van  Mater,  Director,  Nassau  Lib- 
rary System,  Hempstead,  New  York. 

Ebcperience  in  New  York  has  shown  that 
the  change  in  concept  of  adequate  public 
library  service  and  the  increased  educa- 
tional demands  require  larger  units  of 
library  service  to  extend  and  improve  the 
over-all  quality  of  the  service. 

Following  state  aid  legislation  in  1950 
and  a  revised  law  in  1958,  three  types  of 
systems  were  set  up  in  New  York:  -  the 
consolidated,  the  federated  and  the  coop- 
erative, to  allow  for  differences  in  ex- 
isting patterns. 

The  membership  in  a  systera  is  completely 
voluntary,  by  vote  of  the  local  library 
board. 

In  Nassau,  the  largest  County  idth 
1,300,000  population,  the  cooperative 
system  is  financed  wholly  by  state  aid 
money.   In  October  1959  a  director  was 
hired  and  the  project  was  underway  with 
32  full-time  members  of  the  headquarters 
staff,  38  out  of  the  [(.6  libraries  in  the 
County  belong  to  the  system. 

The  Members  of  the  Board  of  Trustees  of 
the  Cooperative  System  are  elected  in  a 
democratic  fashion  that  insures  represen* • 
tation  from  all  units  and  from  all  geo- 
graphic sections. 

The  state  aid  has  been  applied  accord- 
ing to  the  1950  census  and  with  the  rapid 
growth  of  the  coimnunity  it  is  expected 


-7- 


the  budget  will  be  almost  doubled  next 
year  on  the  basis  of  the  I96Q  census. 

The  cooperative  services  include  refer- 
ence,  inter-library  loan,   audio-visual 
aids,   consultant  services,   and  in  Septem- 
ber of  this  year,   central  processing  of 
all  materials  will  be  started. 

The  five  largest  libraries  in  the  system 
are  each  designated  as  a  subject  center 
specializing  in  art,   business,  etc., 
based  on  their  holdings  and  geographical 
location.     The  headquarters  office  and 
center  house   the  reference  collection. 


HARTZELL  MiHiOFJAL  LECTURE 

!      At  the  eighth  Hartzell  Memorial  Lecture, 
I  on  March  3,   Erwin  D.    Canham  directed  our 
I  attention  to   the  future  of  libraries  in 
'  the  setting  of  urban  society,   and,    to  the 
1  future  of  cities   tiiemselves. 

Our  speaker's  first  prediction  is  one 
that  is  of  great  concern  to   the  library 
world—  that  the  relation  between  individu- 
al man  and  the  printed  word  will  change 
more  in  the  next  quarter-century  than  it 
has  in  the  last  millenium.     But,   at  least 


The  system  has  a  total  of  100,000  volumes. |  for  the  present,   the  book  is  not  losing 
Teletype  and  telephone  are  used  in  sending  the  race  with  electronics;   in  fact,   Mr. 
needed  reference  material  and  frequent        ',  Canham  asserts,  vhile  television  and  other 
deliveries  insure  fast  service.     The  State!  visual  devices  have  provided,   for  some,   a 
Library  at  Albany  is   an  additional  source     more  passive  substitute  for  reading,   on 
drawn  upon  for  material  not  in  the  system!^  the  whole,   electronic  media  have  stiraula- 
collection.  j  ted  interest  in  the  printed  word  and  in 

Mrs.   Van  Mater  summed  up  the  responsi- 


bilities of  the  larger  unit  as  follows; 
At  the  local  level 


1  knowledge  in  general, 
I      The  printed  word  is  not  the  only  concern 
I  of  the  library,  however.     As  our  society 
j  grows  increasingly  complex,   and  the  data 
I  of  civilization  proliferates  at  a  fantas- 


1.  To  see  that  local  support  is  not 
reduced 

2.  Resources   available  for  interlibrary  \  tic  rate,    the  library  must  preserve  and 
loan  i  make  available  the  records  of  man's  ex- 

3.  Cooperate  with  system  in  all  servicesj  panding  knowledge.     It  is  significant 


At  the  regional  level 


j  that  within  a  few  hundred  yards  from  the 


2. 


3. 


1.  Keep  lines  of  communication  open  for  j  BPL  there  is  now  an  organization  devoted 
good  public  relations  ;  to  the  coding  and  programming  of  data. 

2.  Seek  cooperation  and  advise  in  form-  \  if  libraries  are  to  keep  pace  with  the 
ing  and  operating  plans  and  in  eval-  j  growth  of  knowledge  and  materials,  we  must 
uating  services  and  projected  law    .  take  advantage  of  new  techniques  for  the 

3.  Within  the  law  seek  to  give  priority  j mechanical  storage  and  retrieval  of  inr 

formation.  Mr.  Canham  forsees  the  student 
or  layman  pressing  buttons  on  a  keyboard 
and  seeing  information  produced  instan- 
taneously on  a  reading  platform;  the  pro- 
gramming of  this  material  is  the  resoon- 

j  sibility  of  the  librarian. 
I   The  increasing  complexity  of  society 
I  creates  problems  not  only  for  the  library, 
I  but  for  the  whole  framework  of  our  cities. 
I  The  US  has  developed  a  predominantly  urban 
';  society;  to  such  an  extent,  indeed,  that 
,  for  every  loO  persons  added  to  the  popu- 
I lation,  during  the  next  decade,  97  will  be 
added  to  our  urban  areas.  In  the  next  few 
years  the  American  economy,  and  particu- 
i larly  the  cities,  will  have  to  generate 
; 25,000  new  jobs  every  week.  By  1975s 
. there  will  be  50  million  more  people  in 
{American  cities,  2o   million  added  to  the 
, commuter  rush,  and  hundreds  of  thousands 
^more  vehicles  jockeying  for  oositions  on 
j  the  highways.  Also,  by  1975,  a  vast  ne-t>- 
;Work  of  freeways  will  have  consolidated 
the  East  coast  into  one  megalopolis  of 


to  services  placed  first  by  local 
libraries 
The  problems  were  summed  up  as  follows : 
1.  Fear  of  loss  of  autonomy  and  politi- 
cal domination 

Resentment  to  change  especially  in 
standardizing  procedures 
Desire  to  transfer  local  responsi- 
bility to  headquarters  staff 
The  rewards,  which  Mrs.  Van  Water  felt 
far  outweigh ted  the  problems  are: 

1.  Expansion  and  improvement  of  total 
services 

Savings  on  the  tax  dollar 
Released  staff  time  for  individual 
attention  to  public 
Available  consultant  services 
The  documentary  film  shown  at  the  con- 
clusion of  the  talk  was  produced  in  the 
belief  that  it  is  the  most  effective 
public  relations  tool,  to  explain  the 
Horkings  and  benefits  of  state  aid  as  ex- 
perienced in  Nassau  County. 

PAULINE  A.  VALKER 


2. 

3. 


-8- 

[j.0  million  people,   stretching  from  north       leadership  of  the  economic  connuraty.     In- 
of  Boston  to  Washington-Baltimore.  centive  forms  of  taxation  will  provide 

To  meet  this  inevitable  problem,   how-         rnore  revenue  in  the  long  run:   excise,   sale, 
ever,  we  are  engaging  in  improvisation,        ^use,   occupation,   and  various   types  of  in- 
whon  fundamental  change  is  required,-  we         come  taxes  must  be  considered;   and  espec- 
j^re  deceived  by  the  image  of  progress  pre-  ially,   private  enterprise  must,   and  will 
se-ited  by  the  shining  new  buildings  and        [^f  incentive  is  not  crushed,   do  most  to 
magnificent  highways.     As  soon  as  the  high-j^e-yitalize  our  urban  centers.     Finally, 
ways  are  completed  they  are  inadequate  -      l^^e  people  themselves  must  realize  that 
by  the  time  Boston's  "inner  belt"  is  fin-    jpoijtical  decisions  will  deter.nine  the 
ished,   it  would  need  16  lanes  to  carry  the  ..fg^e  of  our  cities  and  our  nation.     Strong 
traffic  smoothly.     Moreover,   expressway        .public  interest  in  the  political  profes- 
plannmg  has  ignored  the  effects  on  the        ^sion  and  in  the  political  orocetjs  is   essen- 
related  problem  of  rapid  transit  commuter    ;tial  to  the  solution  of  our  urban  oroblems. 
transportation.     If  more  and  more  freeways  iToday,  when  our  whole  Western  way  of  life 
finally  smother  the  remaining  rapid  tran-    jig  challenged,   when  the  world  is  looking 
sit  system,   no  less   than  l\.^o  of  downtown      _to  the  US  to  see  whether  people  really  can 
Boston  would  have  to  be  converted  into  'learn  to  live  together,    there  is  no  more 

multi-level  parking  lots   to  compensate  for ^appropriate  olace  to  start  showing  what  we 
its  loss.      (Ironically  enough,   $1  invested  .can  do   than  right  in  our  own  cities, 
in  our  rapid  transit  system  does   the  work    i 

of  I'l?  invested  in  the  highway).      Not  only  |  ARTHUR  V.    CURLEY 

are  the  measures  so  far  enacted  proving  in-i 

adequate,   but  they  have  not  been  developed!  Why  a  Hartzell  Lecture? 

within  the  complex  of  the  city,   nor  re-        j 
lated  to  the  lives  of  the  people.  '     So  many  of  our  new-comers  have  asked 

Expansion  is  necessary,  certainly,   but       "For  whom  is   the  Hartzell  lecture  a  mem- 
it  must  be  accompanied  by  plans  for  slum      jorial?"  that  we  feel  an  explanation  is 
clearance,   housing,  better  schools,   im-        |necessary.     Mrs.    Bertha  V.   Hartzell  was 
proved  comrauter  transportation,   reduction    'our  much- loved  Supervisor  of  Training 
of  densities,   recreation  facilities,   and      .from  192?  to  19i|.6.     ^-hen  she  died  in  19^0, 
eventually  the  breakup  of  the  central  city 'members  of  the  staff  who  had  been  in  her 
into  neighborhoods  of  manageable  size.  classes,   with  other  friends  and  associates. 

Cities  and  suburbs  both  face  the  same  pro-  made  contributions   to  be  used  for  a  menor- 
blems,   as  the  latter  will  soon  appreciate,  jial  in  her  name.      This  lecture  series  was 
when  the  effects  of  uneven  development  and  decided  upon  as  a  tribute  to  her  character, 
insufficient  tax  bases  are  fully  realized,   aims,   and  sense  of  values.      Her  colleague, 

Another  problem  is   the  level  at  which        ; Alice  M.   Jordan,   wrote  of  her,    "It  would 
urban  and  suburban  planning  should  evolve -'be  difficult  to  measure  Bertha  Hartzell 's 
16,000  separate,   local  units  of  government 'influence  upon  the  library  service."     We 
can  never  effectively  carry  out  such  far-    ihope  through  these  lectures   to  maintain  her 
reaching  schemes;   moreover,    attempting  to    (influence  in  a  small  way. 
pay  for  regeneration  with  purely  local 

funds,   drawn  almost  exclusively  from  that  APPOINTMENT 

already  overburdened  source  -   the  real-        .■ 

estate  tax,    is  self-defeating.      Yet,    re-      '.     Leonard  J.    Macmillan,   Book  Purchasing, 
liance  on  the  Federal  government  is  not        ^has  been  appointed  Vice-chairman   (and 
the  answer  either. -in  some  areas,  Massa-       Chairman  Elect)    of  the  national  Business 
chusetts  would  send  twice  as  much  revenue     and  Finance  Division  of  the  Special  Libra- 
to    vashington  as  it  would  receive  back;         .ries  Association.      578  members  comprise 
also,   federal  financing  entails  federal        ithis  Division,  making  it  one  of  the  largest 
control,  in  the  Association.     He  will  edit  the 

New  forms  of  government  and  new  sources    .Division  bulletin  during  the  1961-62 
of  revenue  are  needed.     Regional,   feder-      .season, 
a ted  units  of  government  can  solve   the 
metropolitan  problems  more  economically, 
progressively,   and  honestly;    there  must 
be  co-operation  between  the  government  of 
the  city,    the  state  legislature,   and  the 


-10- 


CATHQLIC  BOOK  V-^EK 

The  Forum  and  Fair  observed  annually, 
in  Boston,  in  honor  of  Catholic  Book  Weel^' 
was  held  at  i^evj  England  Mutual  Hall,  Sat- 
urday afternoon,  February  25. 

The  prograra,  sponsored  jointly  by  the 
League  of  Catholic  Women  and  the  New 
England  Unit  of  the  Catholic  Library 
Association,  had  been  arrangedby  the 
local  Catholic  Book  Week  Director,  Marthaj 
C.  Engler,  South  Boston.  , 

Authors  Joseph  F.  Dineen,  Sara  VJeeks,   i 
Elizabeth  Yates,  and  the  Rev.  Jude  Mead,  ■' 
C.F.  each  discussed  several  of  his  or 
her  own  books. 

Rev.  John  J.  Mowatt,  Administrator,  Our, 
Lady  of  Kazan  Russian  Greek  Catholic  . 
Church,  South  Boston,  reviewed  in  a  inost  '■ 
timely  manner  SAINTS  OF  RUSSIA  by  Con-  * 
stantin  de  Grunwald.  Father  Mowatt,  a 
recognized  authority  on  the  religious  j 
heritage  of  Russia,  oointed  up  the  fact  ;■ 
that  the  spiritual  strength  of  Russian  ■ 
Christianity  is  not  dead  and  is  a  source 
of  solace  to  the  people  in  their  present  > 
difficulties, 

Rt.  Rev.  Msgr.  Timothy  F.  O'Leary,     \ 
Superintendent  of  Schools,  Archdiocese 
of  Boston,  presented  prizes  to  the  win-  ; 
ners  of  ihe   Catholic  Book  Week  Essay 
contest  for  parochial  school  children, 
sponsored  bv  the  New  England  Unit  of  the  j 
Catholic  Library  Association. 

BPL  staff  meinbers,  prominent  in  the    ' 
execution  of  a  very  successful  program,   ; 
were 5  i/'illian  T.  Casey,  Connolly;  Diane 
Farrell,  Codman  Squarej  Patricia  Feeney,  : 
Audio-Visualj  Harry  Fletcher,  Cataloging 
and  Classification,  R  &  RSj  James  Ford,   , 
Educationi  Mrs.  Anne  Kearney,  Lower  Mill^' 
Mary  Alice  Rea,  Book  Purchasing!  Richard  j 
Sullivan,  Book  Purchasing;  Mrs.  Helen    , 
O'Leary,  Faneuil;  retired  staff  members:  ' 
Mrs.  Gertrude  Bergen  and  Anna  Planning; 
as  well  as  former  BPL  staff  members:     ; 
Alice  Marie  Buckley,  Paul  Moynihan  and   i 
Jeannette  Pepin.  i 

MARTHA  C.  ENGLER       [ 

BUCKMAM  RETIREMEtJT  \ 

On  March  1,  Anna  M.  Buckmann,  Central  , 
Charging  Records,  worked  her  last  day  I 
before  retiring  after  25  years  of  service; 
Anna  and  her  mother  soon  will  be  leaving  ■ 
Boston  for  Sacramento,  California,  where 
they  will  make  their  home.  They  vaca-   ' 


tioned  there  last  summer  and  apparently 
enjoyed  it  even  more  than  they  told  us. 

On  February  28,  a  farewell  luncheon  was 
held  in  her  honor  at  the  Red  Coach  Grille. 
Ower  sixty  of  her  friends  were  in  atten- 
dance. Miss  Buckmann's  appearance  was 
complemented  by  a  corsage  of  yellow  tea- 
roses.  Anna's  mother  won  the  attention 
and  praise  of  all  by  looking  and  acting 
so  youthful, 

John  M,  Carroll  expressed  our  mixed 
feelings :  confident  that  Inna  and  her 
mother  would  be  happy  in  their  soon- to-be- 
adopted  city,  but  realizing  that  Anna's 
absence  -  both  official  and  personal  - 
would  be  felt  throughout  the  library, 

Charles  J.  Gillis  presented  Anna  with  a 
gift  on  behalf  of  her  friends  -  a  trans- 
istor radio  and  an  aruount  of  grsen,  cash- 
type  money.  The  one,  Mr;  Gillis  explained, 
was  for  the  two  to  hear  all  the  news  -  all 
the  good  news  -  from  Boston,  the  other  was 
to  help  them  bolster  their  courage  on  the 
cross-country  flight  (tourist  flights  do  . 
not  fet  free  cocktails j . 

The  luncheon  ended  with  an  obviously 
sincere  thank  you  and  farewell  from  Miss 
and  Mrs.  Bucki.iann.   But  Mr.  Carroll 
couldn't  let  Anna  just  walk  away.  He 
wanted  to  make  sure  he'd  be  remembered. 
He  tried  twice  -  the  first  one  went  wild 
and  landed  on  her  nose,  the  second  made 
it  to  her  cheek, 

HiiEN  G.  SCOLLINS  and  FRANCIS  X.  COX 


CHINESE  DOLL  EXHIBIT 

To  continue  the  interest  aroused  by  the 
Chinese  New  Year  celebration  in  February, 
South  End  is  exhibiting  a  selection  of 
Chinese  dolls  from  the  collection  of  the 
Misses  Grace  and  ilarie  Turner,  The  exhib- 
it will  continue  through  March. 

There  is  a  gay  family  group  out  for  an 
airing,  and  ttiey   come  upon  what  was  a 
common  scene  in  old  China:  a  barber  whose 
shop  is  the  wide  outdoors.'   His  customer 
is  a  little  boy  whose  head  has  just  been 
shaved  while  little  sister  looked  on.   No 
one  else  heeds  them;  the  Buddhist  woman 
lumbers  by,  and  the  Taoist  priest  contin- 
ues his  way,  scowling  over  some  problem 
that  confronts  him.   The  barber  seems  to 
be  reluctant  to  release  the  boy  from  the 
bench.   He  stands  poi,sed  over  the  boy, 
razor  in  hand;  his  stand  with  basin,  tow- 
els, scissors,  brush,  and  mirror  are  be- 
side hirri.   Perhaps  the  boy  will  get  the 
hot  towel  treatment. 


-11- 


An  itinerant  tea  and  confectionery  vendor 
comes  into  view.      Over  his   shoulder  is  a 
long  bamboo  pole  from  which  hang  the  cases 
in  which  he  carries   the  wares  he  hawks 
through  the  streets.     Does  he  scent  cus- 
tomers among  the  family  and  barber  groups? 
(Do  the  street  barber  and  the  wandering      ; 
tea  vendor  still  make  their  way  through 
Chinese  streets,   or  do   they  represent  a      ; 
way  of  life  that  is  past?)  ' 

To  complete  the  exhibit  there  are  three 
larger  dolls.     One  is  a  baby  resplendant 
in  silken  cape  with  a  high  collar  to  ward 
off  the  drafts,    and  a  cap  topped  with  his 
pigtail.     The  other  is  a  beautifully  clad 
mother  whose  chubby  baby  rides  comfortabify' 
on  mother's  back,   a  fine  place  to  view        ' 
the  town, 

VJe  are  most  grateful  to   the  Turner 
sisters  for  their  generosity  in  lending 
us   their  dolls   to  exhibit  now,   as  well  as ; 
for  many  years  in  the  past. 

Aim.  M  CONNELLY  : 

WITH  TiiE  STUDENTS       '  ' 

English  High     11th  grade     70  students. 
Must  all  read  Irving' s  Devil  and  Tom 
^''alker  and  Hawthorne's  David  Swann.      Ther^ 
are  not  sufficient  copies  in  the  library. 

Vc 

Meadowbrook  School,  Newton.  9th  grade 
Assignment:  to  compare  a  particular 
Asiatic  or  Latin  American  country  with 
the  US,  with  respect  to  one  of  the  follow-, 
ing  aspects?  transportation,  communica- 
tions, language  and  culture,  medicine, 
machine  progress,  oostal  sei^ice.   Each 
student  must  obtain  a  minimum  of  6  pam- 
phlets and  i|  books. 

Boston  J^atin  8th  grade.  120  students 
must  obtain  material  on  the  techniques 
of  poetry. 

Beverly  High  3 80  seniors  doing  term 
paper  on  various  authors 

State  College,  Boston  Sophomore  class  of 
60  students.  Term  paper  is  a  book  review 
of  HERE  IS  YOUR  1;AR.  ■ 

Boston  tJniversity,  College  of  Basic  Stud- 
ies.  English  and  humanities  course. 
More  than  100  assigned  to  write  a  critical 
analysis  of  various  authors 


Catherine  Laboure  School  of  Nursing 
Freshmen,  50-60  in  class,  t'aper  on 
Youth  abroad  in  different  countries. 

Girls  Latin  Class  of  29  students  assign- 
ed term  paper  in  19th  and  20th  century 
literature 

■«• 
Needham  High  lA/hole  school  has  project 
but  length  of  paper  varies  according  to 
the  class,  ihst   of  the  juniors  and  sen- 
iors will  come  to  the  BPL,  300  in  senior 
class.  Subject:  American  or  English 
novelist  must  be  selected,  and  the  paper 
is  an  analysis  of  his  novels 

Reading  Hemorial  High  Senior  and  Junior 
class,  advanced  placement  history  class 
of  10  pupils.  They  are  doing  a  iS   page 
history  paper 

■it 
St.  Sebastian  Senior  class.  Science 
project  for  science  fair 

Boston  Latin  9th  grade.  Each  student 
must  locate  an  article  on  goats  in  tiie 
1937-1939  AQRICULTURAL  Ii\lDEX.  Mo  other 
year  will  do.  Apparently  the  teacher 
found  an  article  that  year  and  has  not 
visited  the  library  since  then. 

Sacred  Heart  High,  Newton  37  Juniors. 
History  term  paper 
-/t 
On  the  last  two  Saturdays  there  has 
been  almost  no  seating  capacity  at  all 
by  afternoon.  And  with  s  tudents  wanting 
the  same  materials  at  the  same  time, 
the  library  is  unable  to  care  for  the 
needs  of  the  numbers  arriving, 

MUSIC  HATH  CIJAKIS 

A  young  lady  went  to  the  recordings 
desk  in  Audio-visual  recently  to  ask  if 
they  had  any  Italian  records.  The  assist- 
ant struggled  to  pin  her  down  -  was  it 
music  by  Italians  or  in  Italian  style? 
■"^id  she  wish  vocal  or  instrumental?  Con- 
certos, operas,  or  what?  After  some 
discussion,  the  facts  emerged.  The  lady 
had  been  given  a  pizza  pie  and  wanted 
records  to  playwhile  eating  it. 


Dear  Editor, 

In  Recruiting  and  Retention  the  empha'- 
sis  is  far  too  often  on  Recruiting.  lAihen 
an  employee  is  lost  through  early  retire- 
ment or  for  other  employrftent,  a  large 
investment  is  lost.  The  period  of  train- 
ing to  bring  this  person  to  full  produc- 
tive capacity,  the  time  spent  by  other 
employees  in  helping  to  train  this  per- 
son, the  reduced  efficiency  of  a  group 
when  a  trained  member  is  lost,  all  of 
these  factors  and  others  represent  a 
large  cash  investinent  loss  when  we  lose 
S'rsc      'P  ^  ^   trained  emplo;'"ee  we  might  have  retained. 

— ^   P         ■LJ^'^  Emphasis  on  Recruiting  at  the  expense  of 

Any  contribution  to  the  Soap  Box  must    Retention  is  uneconomic  even  when  your 
be  accompanied  by  the  full  name  of  the    j  trained  employee  does  not  leave,  since 
Association  member  submitting  it,  to-     loss  of  morale  may  cause  lack  of  desire 
gether  with  the  name  of  the  Branch  Library  to  do  a  superior  job.  Feet  dragging 
Department  or  Office  in  which  he  or  she   |  has  a  way  of  being  contagious, 
is  employed.  The  name  is  withheld  from   ;   The  "bonus  baby"  rookie  in  baseball 
publication,  or  a  pen  name  is  used,  if  thei  is  resented  by  the  veteran  player  who 


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  necessarily  indicate 
that  the  Publications  Committee  and  the 
Association  are  in  agreement  with  the 
views  expressed.   Only  those  contribu- 
tions containing  not  more  than  3OO  words 
will  be  accepted. 


Dear  Soap  Box? 

I'JHSN  are  the  answprs  to  suggestions 
dropped  into  the  Staff  Suggestion  Box  to 
be  given  to  the  signees?  We  have  hear' 
of  no  answers  being  received  as  yet, 
though  the  box  was  started  several  months 
ago.  And  how  are  the  answers  to  the  anon- 
ymous suggestions  to  reach  the  staff? 

CURIOUS 

Dear  Soap  Box: 

Suggestions  submitted  by  the  public  in 
the  Suggestion  Boxes  are  usually  replied 
to  within  days.   Surely  it  should  not  be 
months  before  signed  suggestions  sub- 
mitted to  the  Staff  Suggestion  Box  are 
at  least  acknowledged, 

WOT  INTERESTED  IN  l.'AITING 


feels  he  is  being  underpaid  to  help  pay 
j  the  rookie's  bonus  and  salary.  Human 
j  nature  doesn't  change.  Eveiyone  wants 
i  fair  treatment  and  resents  unfair  treat- 
}  ment. 

j   Keep  everyone  on  the  team  happy.  Give 
!  Retention  its  proper  importance  in  a 
1  Recruiting  and  Retention  Program.  Re- 
j  ward  the  skilled  veteran  in  at  least  the 
i  same  proportion  as  the  neophyte.  You 
are  sure  of  what  your  veteran  worker  can 
do.  Your  newcomer  may  prove  to  be  a 
bust,  and  is  more  likely  to  jump  to 
another  library.   There  is  no  "reserve" 
clause  in  library  work. 

WILLING  TO  PLAY  BALL 


THE     QUESTION     MARK 
Published  by  the  Boston  Public  Library  Staff  Association 

Volume  XVI     ifamber  1; April  I96I 

Publications  Gommittee;  Arthur  V.    (Jurley,  A.    liay  Uecker,  James  J.   ii'brd,   Kose 

Moorachian,   Caroline  R.   Stanwood,   I.   Roger  btevens.   Cartoon- 
ist, Sarah  M.    Usher,  Indexer,  Dorothy  P.   Shaw,    Chairman 

Publication  Date:  Deadline  for  submitting  material; 

The  fifteenth  of  each  month  The  tenth  of  each  month 


Mith  the  approval  of  the  budget  last  week,   the  long-waited 
return  of  the  Central  Library  to  its  former  hours  and  the  restora- 
tion of  several  other  services  next  week,   staff  morale  should  rise 
a  notch  or  two  -  in  realization  that  the  Library  has  finally  been 
permitted  to  turn  once  more  in  the  direction  of  the  more  adequate 
services  due  the  patrons  of  a  library  of  our  size  and  reputation. 
We  hope  the  flow  of  badly  needed  materials  will  nromptly  follow.' 

The  changes  are  not  viewed  with  unalloyed  delight  by  the 
staff  however.     Those  two   "closed"  mornings  have  proved  invaluable 
in  catching  up  with  or  keeping  abreast  of  routine  tasks,   especially 
in  those  open  departments  lacking  work  rooia  space.     Because  of  this, 
we  are  loathe  to  see  them  disanpear. 

Also,  while  the  re-opening  gives  further  meaning  and  impetus 
to  National  Library  Week  locally,   and  ends  the  full  year  of  re- 
duced service  -   it  also  happens  to  fall  during  school  vacation 
week  -  one  of  the  busiest  of  the  year.     Since  some  departments 
have  insufficient  staffing  as  yet,   to  cope  with  the  increased 
hours,    the  unexpected  resumption  of  service  places  a  further 
strain  on  a  tired  staff,   and  in  some  instances  cannot  fail  to 
result  in  poor  service  during  a  period  of  especially  heavy  use. 

But  we  are  now  on  our  way  to  better  goals.' 

THE  PUBLICATIONS  COiiaTTEE 


-2- 


PRESIDENT'S  NOTES 


ETCHING  BY  HEIi\iTZELi'iAN 


Committees  are  pretty  well  organized  and 
most  of  the  Coimnittees  and  their  members  ' 
will  be  listed  elsewhere  in  this  QUESTION-, 
MARK.  Perhaps  you  are  not  serving  on  a 
committee  but  you  can  support  your  organ- 
ization by  paying  your  dues  promptly  and 
by  attending  meetings.  The  next  business 
meeting  will  be  held  in  May.  You  will  be  . 
notified  of  the  exact  date  -  Plan  to  be 
there. 

The  Executive  Board  has  had  several 
meetings  with  Ervin  Gaines  to  discuss 
ways  and  means  of  attracting  new  staff 
members  to  the  Boston  Public  Library.     | 

As  we  approach  National  Library  Week    j 
1961,  it  is  pleasant  to  know  that  the 
passing  of  the  budget  makes  it  possible 
to  resume  services  which  the  rigors  of  an  j 
austerity  program  had  curtailed.  It  will  . 
be  good  to  be  back  on  normal  schedules.   I 


A  recent  exhibition  at  the  Symphony 
Hall  Gallery  consisted  of  etchings  by 
Arthur  V.   Heintzelman,  Keeper  of  Prints, 
Emeritus,  at  the  3PL.  In  addition  to 
his  more  familiar  works,  the  exhibit 
included  recent  portraits  of  Ben  Gurion, 
Albert  Schweitzer,  and  Charles  Munch. 


RUTH  M.  HAYES 


! 


FOR  1961 
JOIN 
BOSTON  PUBLIC  LIBRARY  STAFF  ASSOCIATION 

NOW 

For  application  form,  contact  your 
Staff  Representative 
or 
Send  yearly  dues  of  "I.SO  to  David  Sheehan 
(General  Reference),  Treasurer  BPLSA 

Upon  becoming  a  member,  you  may  request  a 
Discount  Card  from  the  Personnel  Office. 


WHY  DON'T  ^a'E  ...? 

Experiment  with  using  a  few  grocery- 
type  light  two-wheeled  carts  so   thgt 
more  than  a  dozen  books  can  be  handled 
per  trip  into  the  stacks? 

Open  the  Staff  Library  on  Saturday? 
Staff  library  school  students,   and  often 
other  members  of  the  staff  are  blocked 
during  lunch  hours  from  completing 
assignments  or  surveys. 

Provide  a  box  at  Center  Desk  to  hold 
the   "crossed"  call-slips  as   they  come 
back  fixim  the  indicator,   until  the  boy 
can  deliver  thera  to   the  seats? 

NON  FICTION 

There  was  the  female  patron  putting  in 
call-slips  at  Center  Desk  recently,  who 
told  the  staff  she  would  go  down  to  the 
1  Coffee  Shop  for  a  cup  of  coffee  while  she 
I  was  waiting  for  delivery  of  her  bool<s. 
I  When  told  that  the  Coffee  Shop  was  open 
only  to  staff,  she  replied  promptly  "Oh 
no  it  isn't,  I  go  there  all  the  time J " 


For  further  information,  please  contact 
your  Staff  Representative  -  or  -  Mrs. 
EleSnora  N.  Chaplik  (Codman  Square) 
Chairman,  Membership  and  Hospitality 
Committee. 

CHANGE  OF  DATE 

The  date  of  the  spring  meeting  of  the 
Massachusetts  Library  Association  has 
been  changed  to  Thursday  and  Friday, 
June  8  and  9.  The  place  is  the  same 
as  originally  announced,  the  Hotel 
Belmont  in  West  Harwich. 

MURIEL  C.  JAVELIN 
Vice  President 
Massachusetts  Library 
Association 


CONGRATULATIONS 

J  To  proud  grandad  Lord.'  Also  to  i^Ir.  and 
li'lrs.  John  Van  Dusen  (mother  is  Mary  Lord)] 
Our  latest  recruit  for  future  library 
service  was  born  March  2[j.th.  We  advise 
our  Director  to  start  training  her  young, 
in  the  way  she  should  go,  and  to  enter 
young  Gretchen  in  some  library  school 

■  right  away. 

!  CLOSED  MORNING 

[      Challenged  in  the  BPL  corridors  on  a 
I  closed  morning  recently,   two  girls 
••  admitted  they  had  come  down  from  Maine 
Und  were  just  seeing  the  sights  in  the 

■  library. 


-3- 


PERSOMMEL  NOTES 

New  Employees 

Mrs.  Hazel  A.  McDonald,  Book  Preparation 

James  E.  MacDonald,  Central  Charging 

Records 
Naomi  D.  Manowitz,  Jamaica  Plain 
Edward  T.  O'Donnell,  South  Boston 
i-'irs.  Helen  A.  Rosenberg,  Bookmobiles 

New  Employees  (Northeastern  Cooperative 
Students) 

Mark  Alpert,  Central  Charging  Records 
(formerly  part-time,  Fine  Arts) 

Errol  Baker,  Central  Book  Stock,  Branch 
Issue 

Gerald  Blonder,  Open  Shelf 

Gail  Burns,  Kirstein 

Anne  Cabral,  Book  Preparation 

Carol  Darish,  Cataloging  and  Classificatia 
(R  and  RS) 

Emily  Fagerberg,  Business  Office 

Ernest  Gam,  Book  Stack  Service  (re-entry) 

Frances  Hale,  Personnel, (re-entry) 

Edward  Howell,  Book  Purchasing 

Barbara  LaFlamme,  Fine  Arts 

Delores  E,  Link,  Cataloging  and  Classifi- 
cation, (R  and  RS)  (re-entry) 

Arthur  MacDonald,  Book  Stack  Service 

Agnes  McLaughlin,  Division  Office,  (R  &  R^ 

Elaine  Miller,  Bookmobiles 

Theresa  Ouellet,  Book  Purchasing  (re-entrj^ 

Peter  Ranney,  Book  Stack  Service  (re-entry) 

Martin  F.  Shore,  Records,  Files, -Statistics 

Marcia  Soolman,  Cataloging  and  Classifica- 
tion (R  &  RS) 

Milton  Taylor,  Book  Stack  Sgrvice 

Anthony  Tieuli,  Book  Purchasing  (re-entry) 

Diane  Thompson,  Cataloging  and  Classifica- 
tion (R  &  RS)  (re-entry) 

John  Walsh,  Book  Stack  Service  (re-entry) 

Janice  VJright,  Book  Purchasing 

Transferred 

lirs.  I'xnifred  C.  Frank,  Jamaica  Plain  to 

Division  Office, HR  &CS 
Joan  Sughrue,  Division  Office,  HR  &  CS 

to  Division  Office,  R  &  RS 

Terminated  -  Northeaster  Cooperative 

Students 
M.  David  Allard,  Bookmobiles 
Anthony  Bajdek,  Book  Stack  Service 
Donald  E.  Chickering,  Book  Stack  Sgrvice 
Lawrence  C.  Barrett,  Book  Purchasing 
Stephen  Davis,  Science  and  Technology 
Robert  A.  Fantasa,  Book  Stack  Service 
Patricia  Fradsham,  Cataloging  and  Classi- 
fication, R  and  RS 


Mrs,  Brenda  S.  Franklin,  Book  Purchasing 
Thomas  J.  Henshon,  Branch  Issue 
Neil  J.  Kelly,  Records,  Files,  Statistics 
Clara  Koretsky,  Cataloging  and  Classifica- 
tion, R  and  RS 
Stephen  Kossover,  Book  Stack  Service 
Elizabeth  I.  McLucas,  Cataloging  and 

Classification,  R  &  RS 
Joan  R.  Merchant,  Cataloging  and  Classi- 
fication, R  &  RS 
Robert  M.  Murphy,  Book  Stack  Service 
Janice  L.  Purington,  Business  Office 
Daniel  C.  Sears  Jr,  Book  Purchasing 
Allen  J.  Shapire,  Book  Purchasing 
Paul  Tooraey,  Open  Shelf 
Thomas  J.  Zazulak,  Central  Charging 
Records 

Resigned 

Esther  S.   Chute,    Periodical  and  News- 
paper,   to  be  married 

James  E.   Devin,  Jr,   Kirstein,    to  obtain 
employment  elsewhere 

Margaret  Glynn,   Cataloging  and  Classifi- 
cation,  R  &  RS,    to  move  to  1/est  Coast 

Mrs.  Judith  N.   Kurd,   Uphams  Comer,    to 
remain  at  home 

Mrs.   Mary  Ann  Katsiane,   Central  Charging 
Records,    to  remain  at  home 

Barry  D.   Latta,   Book  Stack  Service,    to 
move  to  Florida 

MHO'S  NEVJ? 

Shirley  Utudjian,  the  new  assistant  in 
the  Children's  Room  at  Mattapan,  hails 
originally  from  Braintree,  but  she  has 
been  going  to  s  chool  and  working  in  Bos- 
ton for  the  past  seven  years. 

After  getting  her  BA  in  Sociology  at 
Northeastern,  Shirley  attended  Boston 
College  School  of  Social  Work  on  a  part 
time  basis,  while  she  was  working  at  the 
Society  for  the  Prevention  of  Cruelty  to 
Children.  However,  she  feels  that  her 
job  in  the  library  more  ideally  combines 
her  long  standing  interest  in  children 
and  her  love  of  books, 

Shirley  keeps  busy  taking  courses  in 
voice  and  music  theory  at  the  New  England 
Conservatory,  singing,  as  soloist,  in 
Newton's  Trinity  Church,  and  participat- 
ing in  the  activities  of  the  Handel  and 
Haydn  Society, 

Fine  ^rt's  Mrs.  Marcia  J,  Battaglia  is 
studying  at  Simmons.  She  majored  in 
French  literature  at  Colby  and  studied 
in  Lyon  on  a  Fulbright  before  going  to 


-h' 


Washington  where  she  first  worked  for  the!Atlanta  University  School  of  Library 
Ctovernment  and  then  joined  the  District's ^Science,   and  will  attend  Simmons  for 


Public  Library  System,     She  is  going  to 
live  in  Cambridge, 

J,   Edward  Keefe  III,   Central  Charging 
Records,   is  commuting  to  the  BPL  from 
Jamaica  Plain.      Ed  is  taking  a  year  off 
from  Harvard,   where  he  is  a  iiath  major, 
and  is  considering  heading  towards  a  PhD 
and  college  teaching,      Ed  does  a  lot  of 


reading  and  is  also  interested  in  hockey. = 


;her  Library  Science  masters  starting 
this  summer. 

Brenda  had  a  long  list  of  activities 
in  college  including  listing  in  VTIO'S  IvHO 
AMONG  STUDENTS  IN  AMERICAl'J   COLLEGES  Al® 

I UNIVERSITIES. 

j      Her  present  hobbies  are  reading,   golf, 

{writing  poetry  and  taking  driving  lessons 

;at  the  Y. 


MICHAEL  DELLO  RUSSO 


Edward  J.  Diffley  has  joined  the  staff  ; 
of  Cataloging  and  Classification  (HR  &CS) |  On  Tuesday,  April  5  at  3  p.m.,  Michael 
until  June  when  he  is  going  into  the  Army^Dello  Russo  went  to  his  final  reward, 
Ed  is  a  native  of  Providence  where  he  at-  Mike  -  as  he  was  familiarly  known  -  enter- 
tended  Providence  College,  majoring  in   ; ed  the  library  service  on  March  28,  1927. 
Classics,  He  got  his  Library  Science    j He  worked  for  six  years  in  the  Buildings 
degree  from  Rutgers  in  January  and  has   j Department  and  it  was  during  this  time 
also  worked  as  a  trainee  in  the  East     ;  that  he  met  Antoinette  Di  Dio,  his  future 
Orange  Public  Library.  Ed  calls  himself  jwife,  who  was  working  in  the  Book  Stack 
an  avid  tennis  player  and  his  last  com-  |  Service. 

i   i^Iike '  s  work  often  had  him  carrying 
I  books  to  and  from  the  Binding  Department 
I  and  on  September  18,  1933  he  became  a 
i  full  time  employee  of  that  department, 
j  And  he  knew  so  much  about  the  work.  When 
j  there  was  some  doubt  about  the  color  of 
material  to  use  in  binding  a  book,  or  the 


raent  was  that  he  is  single.' 

The  smiling  new  face  in  the  Children's 
room  at  South  End  belongs  to  Mrs,  Delia 
M.  Jones.  She  was  bom  in  Oakdale, 
Louisiana,  and  was  graduated  from  South- 
ern University  at  Baton  Rouge.  After 
graduate  work  in  Michigan,  she  married 
and  moved  here.  Her  hobbies  include 
tennis  and  swimming. 

Arthur  M.  Wolman,  Uphams  Corner,  is 
making  good  use  of  his  background  in  the 
study  and  apolication  of  social  work, 
in  his  work  with  Young  Adults,  Art's 


way  a  sample  volume  should  be  bound,  it 
was  Mike's  knowledge  of  the  stacks  that 
served  the  Bindery  in  good  stead.  His 
t  duties  were  varied  -  he  started  the  books 
I  on  the  various  binding  processes  and  he 
also  had  complete  charge  of  the  cutting 
of  stock,  which  was  no  mean  chore. 
We  will  miss  his  even  disposition  and 


hitch  in  the  Army  took  him  through  parts  j  his  eagerness  to  do  a  favor  for  ar^^-one. 
of  the  Orient  and  added  to  his  interest  i  To  his  wife  i'ntoinette,  his  fine  son  and 


in  music,  art,  theatre  and  the  study  of 


social  and  cultural  functions, 
graduate  of  Kenyon  College. 


He  is   a 


The  young  man  whom  YA  borrowers  hover 
about  at  Memorial  is  Paul  D,   Cronin,      He 
received  his  degree  from  Stonehill  and 
did  graduate  work  at  Pittsburgh.      Paul 
likes  sailing  and  swimming.     Equest- 
riennes on  the  staff  will  be  glad  to 
learn  that  he  also  owns  a  few  horses 
and  is  single] 

Brenda  H.   Hemingway,   Uphams  Comer, 
attended  Roxbury  Memorial  High,    then  ; 

went  to  Morgan  State  College,  majoring  j 
in  French  and  minoring  in  Spanish  and  ; 
Education,  graduating  with  honors  in  1960^^ 
Brenda  also  spent  one  semester  the  the       ' 


lovely  daughter  we  extend  our  heartfelt 
sympathy. 

HEiJRY  FAHEY 

CURB  ON  LU1\ICH  HOURS? 

We  learned  recently,   that  Kirs te in  has 
a  most  interesting  problem,   as  yet  un- 
solved -   that  of  the  disappearing  new 
staff  members.     Several  new  employees 
have  been  sent  downtown  to  them  -  one 
after  another.     And  they  have  checked 
out  for  lunch  -  one  after  another  -  and 
have  never  returned] 

OVERHMRD  FROM  MEjIBER,  OF  NEVER- TOO  LATE 

,..but  I  can't  do    that,    it's   too  late." 


-5- 


BOOKS  ADDED  TO  STAFF  LIBRARY  FIRST  QUARTER 

American  Library  Association 
Studying  the  Community 
Chicago,  i960 

Barton,  llary  M 

Reference  books,  l^th   edition         ' 
Baltimore,  Enoch  Pratt  Free  Library, 1959' 

Doms,  Keith  and  Howard  Rovelstad 

Guidelines  for  Library  Planners^  Pro- 
ceedings of  the  Library  Buildings  &     ' 
Equipment  Institute,  ALA  June  1^59 
Chicago.  ALA,  I96O 

Downs,  Robert  B 
The  First  Freedom 
Chicago,  ALrt,  I96O 

Glaister,  Geoffrey  A 

Glossary  of  the  book  | 

London,  George  Allen  &  Unwin,  i960 

Graham,  Clarence 

The  first  book  of  public  libraries     ; 
NY,  Franklin  Watts,  1959  • 

Hoffman,  Hester  R 

Readers  adviser  and  bookman's  manual    i 
9th  edition  I 

NY,  Bowker,  I96O  j 

Marshall,  John  D  : 

Of,  By,  and  For  Librarians  j 

Hamden,  Conn,  ohoe  String  -^Vess,  I96O  . 

Powell,  Lawrence  C  - 

Books  in  my  baggage 
m,   I'orld,  i960  I 

Schick,  Frank 

The  paper-bound  book  in  America 

I!Y,  Bowker,  1958  ' 

University  of  Illinois  Library  School     ' 
Library  Trends.  Vol.  9,  no.  1,  July 
i960  (Issue  devoted  to  State  Aid  to 
Public  Libraries)  ; 

Urbana,  Illinois,  University  of  Illinois; 
Library  School,  July  I96O  i 

Wolf,  Edwin  i 

Rosenbach 
NY,  World,  i960  ; 

MORE  ON  STUDENT  USE 

The  situation  in  Reading  -  where  use  of ' 
the  public  library  was  banned  for  students 
in  the  evenings,  starting  in  December  -   ■ 
is  now  the  subject  of  a  comprehensive 
survey  of  the  high  school  student  body,   ' 
according  to  the  Lawrence  EAGLE  of  March  . 
28.  A  progress  report  of  the  student 
committee  was  submitted  to  the  town  meet- 
ing, recommending  that  the  ban  be  removed  '. 
as  soon  as  possible. 

Questions  included  in  the  survey  are 


these: 
Do  you  have  serious  need  of  the  library 

from  7-9  pm? 
Are  you  unable  to  use  the  liorary  in 

the  afternoon?  If  so,  why? 
Has  it  been  necessary  to  use  libraries 

in  neighboring  towns? 
How  often  is  the  s  chool  library  used? 

When?  ^cr  what  purpose? 
Is  the  s  chool  library  adequa  ie  for 

resource  material? 
What  teachers  assign  material  not 
available  in  the  school  library? 
Teachers  w  ere  also  asked  how  a  few 
questions  such  as  how  often  they  assign 
homework  requiring  library  material,  and 
whether  they  thought  the  school  library 
adequate. 

Results  are  still  being  compiled. 
(Reading  has  made  heavy  use  of  the 
BPL  according  to  comparative  call-slip 
figures  kept  by  the  Periodical  and  News- 
paper Department) 

The  Wilmington  Delaware  EVENING  JOURNAL 
of  April  6  carried  a  front  page  article 
on  theft  of  pages  from  the  materials  of 
the  Wilmington  library  by  students,  es- 
pecially in  the  reference  department. 
Student  use  has  almost  doubled  there  in 
the  past  few  years. 

Florence  Kniffen,  head  of  the  reference 
department  says  the  main  difficulties  in 
student  use  there  is  that  too  many  stu*^ 
dents  are  assigned  to  the  same  books, 
that  there  are  too  many  students  and  not 
enough  staff,  that  the  students  have 
insufficient  knowlede  and  understanding 
of  the  actual  assignment  given. 

Wilmington  handles  about  3OOO  students 
on  a  Saturday. 

According  to  Harland  Carpenter,  Direc- 
tor of  the  Library,  more  money  for  books 
and  librarians  would  help  the  situation, 
even  to  mutilations  (made  because  of 
insufficient  copies  of  materials?).  He 
has  asked  for  an  increase  of  .'^25,000  this 
year  for  materials  and  staffing.  Last 
years  budget  for  City-County  library 
system  was  iioO jUUO. 

A  welcome  "plus"  for  this  column  oc- 
curred this  month.  A  teacher  called  the 
library  to  ask  what  materials  we  had 
available  on  co-education,  Ivhen  some 
members  of  her  class  came  in  to  prepare 
for  a  debate,  we  were  aware  of  their 
needs  and  able  to  find  appropriate 
material. 


-6- 


Another  "plus"  action  was  the  visit  of 
26  sophomores  from  the  Dennis- Yarmouth 
Regional  High  (our  fame  is_  spreading) 
accompanied  by  two  teachers.  Although  we 
had  no  advance  warning,  the  group  was 
split  in  ti'jo  smaller  groups,  and  the 
teachers  made  it  a  point  to  show  the  stu- 
dents HOW  to  use  the  indexes,  catalogs, 
etc,  and  made  certain  they  followed  the 
procedures  desired  by  the  staff,  through 
frequent  consultations, 

A  young  (5th  grade?)  man  at  General 
Reference  blurted,  "I  have  to  find  a  book 
on  the  troubles  of  North  America. "  Furth- 
er questioning  failed  to  reveal  clearly 
whether  this  was  a  bona  fide  assignment 
oi"  whether  this  particular  young  man  had 
simply  slept  through  a  series  of  Current 
Events  classes  in  which  the  "Troubles" 
had  been  discussedl  v 

The  Junior  and  Senior  classes  at  Boston 
English  (about  500)  were  given  an  assign- 
ment on  Greek,  Roman  and  Norse  gods.  They 
were  asked  to  find  the  equivalent  figures 
in  the  different  mythologies, 

•«• 

Another  class  at  Boston  English  came 
into  liie  library  with  an  extra-credit 
project  to  find  an  "event"   (not  further 
defined)   for  every  year  in  Samuel  John- 
son's life.     The  General  Reference  staff, 
searching  for  chronological  lists,   could 
not  help  wonder  what  the  bo5'^  were  learn- 
ing. 

Boston  Latin  too  has  one  instructor 
with  a  fondness  for  the   "bonus"  or  as  he 
designates  it  "the  treaaure  hunt"  question 
which  gives  the  student  extra  credit  if 
found.     Staff  members  in  several  depart- 
ments find  -Uiese  queries  little  help  in 
teaching  use  of  the  library,   or  real 
facts,   to  the  students,  but  they  do  pro- 
vide very  real  nuisance  value  to  the 
staff  in  wasted  time  and  energy.     The 
questions  on  the  whole  are  apt  to  be 
obsure.     Research  methods  could  be  more 
simply  taught, 

■it- 
Some  senior  classes  at  Boston  Latin 
have  a  history  assignment,    each  with  an 
individual  topic.     One  of  these  is  re<- 
search  on  the  Pro-German  organizations 
of  the  1930s. 

■* 
Lowell  State  Teachers  has  an  assignment 

in   vol.     "^0    of    thft    flmp>r-if>an    Ilor-^iir^/- 


We  are  one  of  the  nearer  libraries  which 
has  the  volume. 

A  Boston  College  freshman  English  class 
of  II4.O  students  cannot  complete  their 
assignment  without  using  this  library  as 
the  men  doing  research  on  the  older  plays 
cannot  find  reviews  and  critical  comment 
in  the  periodical  files  at  the  college. 

Boston  Latin  9th  grade  assignment  in- 
volving two  classes  with  a  total  of  60 
students  must  read  Lamb's  HANNIBAL.     A 
period  of  one  month  is  allowed  to  complete 
the  assignment.     No  copies  are  available 
at  the  school, 

>t 

loth  grade  English  High  class  of  [|.0 
students  must  each  read  one  of  the 
three  titles  assigned  written  by  Bruce 
Catton. 

AMONG  OUR  REQUESTS 


Book  titles 

Insulin  Chariots 

No  Manners  in  Ireland 

The  Terrific  Lover 

Joseph  and  His  Buttons 

Anger  of  the  Killers 

Dead  Sea  Scrawls 

Donkey  Oate 

Trundling  into  Maine 

Decayed 

Foods  Without  Fats 

Authors 
Davy  Knee 
Tim  O'Shenko 
Donald  Kehole 


-7- 


^oc^(> 


g^^^^/fe?Tr>^ 


Any  contribution  to  the  Soap  Box  must  \ 

be  accompanied  by  the  full  name  of  the  i 

Association  member  submitting  it,  to-  ! 

gether  with  the  name  of  the  Branch  Lib-  | 

rary,  Department  or  Office  in  which  he  j 

or  she  is  employed.  The  name  is  with-  ' 

held  from  publication,  or  a  pen  name  is  \ 

used,  if  the  contributor  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  aopearing  , 

in  the  Soap  Box  are  personal  opinions  ; 

expressed  by  individual  Association  i 

members  and  their  appearance  does  not  \ 

necessarily  indicate  that  the  Publica-  j 

tions  ComiTiittee  and  the  Association  are  \ 

in  agreement  with  the  views  expressed.  , 

Only  those  contributions  containing  i 
not  more  than  300  words  will  be  accepted, • 


where  the  car  had  been  left,  without  at 
least  being  told. 

TOP  FLOOR 

To  the  Editor  - 

Was  it  necessary  to  pick  one  of  the 
school  vacation  periods  to  open  again  on 
full  schedules?  Could  not  the  opening 
have  been  deferred  until  the  needed  staff 
was  secured  and  given  at  least  a  run- 
through  on  duties  and  locations?  Vaca- 
tion weeks  are  so  busy  that  few  staffs 
can  spare  even  one  member  to  train  or 
even  guide  new  staff.  Who  is  going  to 
run  slips,  shelve  etc.  for  the  hordes 
we  expect  to  use  the  library? 

ON  THE  FIRING  LINE 

To  the  Soap  Box: 

Could  not  we  have  had  more  warning 
that  the  library  was   to  return  to  its 
old  hours?     Some  departments  lack  full 
time  staff  to  cover  the  hours,   some 
lack  part-time  staff,   some  both.     It  is 
impossible  to  recruit,   interview  and 
train  even  part-time  staff  in  so  short 
a  period,   to  provide  adequate  service 
when  we  re-open. 

WORRIED 

Dear  Soap  Box, 

The  library  is  resuming  full  service 
next  week,   and  our  former  shame  over 
our  library's  reduced  hours  is  alleviated. 
But  what  sort  of  renutation  will  we  now 
earn  if  we  are  opening  understaffed  in 
a  week  vjhich  calls  attention  to  libraries 
and  which  is  also  a  week  of  very  constant 
use  by  studnnts  on  vacation? 

CASSAiORA 


Dear  Editor: 

Recently  a  car  belonging  to  a  member 
of  the  staff  was  towed  from  Blagden  : 

Street  while  several  people  who  knew  the  | 
owner  stood  by.  No  one  took  the  time  i 
to  let  him  know  about  this  before,  during, 
or  after.  I  wonder  how  many  of  these 
smug  onlookers  would  themselves  like  to 
pay  a  towing  fee  and  have  added  to  that 
the  total  surprise  of  finding  a  space 


-8-" 


BOSTON  PUBLIC  LIBh.lliY  STAFP   ASSOCIATION 
OFFICiiftS  AND  CQfllTT^J^  -   1961 


PRESIDMT 
VICE  PKIiSID^TJT 
TREASURER 

CORRESPONDinG  S^^CRETARir 
RECORDING  SeCRaTARI 


PHYLLIS  riDAliS 
KATHLEEN  HEGARTY 


EXECUTIVE  BOARD 


RUTH  h.   HAY^ 
LOUIS   RAINS 
DAVID  SHIiiiHAN 
EVELYN  ISAACS 
B.   GERTKUDi^  WADE 


MILORED  PI  CONE 
LOUIS  POLISHOOK 


(Note:     Most  recent  past  president,  Mrs  Sarah  W.   Flanneiy, 
is  a  non-voting  member  of  the  Board.     Dorothy  P. 
Shaw  as   Editor  of  Publications   (or  a  member  of  the 
Publications  Committee)  is   "allowed  to  attend  the 
meetings  of  the  Bcecutive  Boatrd  but  not  to  take 
part  in  the  discussions  or  in  the  voting".) 


STANDING  COMMITTEES 


CONCESSION  CaiMITTEE 


•sh;- 


l;ax  Anapole 

William  Kane 

Mary  McDonald 

Mrs.  Evelyn  Marden 

Frances  O'Hare 

A.  Kay  Decker,  Chairman 


Periodical  and  Newspaper  Dept. 

Buildings  Dept, 

Bookmobiles 

East  Boston  Branch 

Accounting  Dept. 

Branch  Issue  Dept. 


■»  Representative  of  the  Boston  Public  Library  Building  Service 
Qnployees  International  Union,  Local  #ij09  (AFL) 
■»Hi-  Representative  of  other  groups  not  represented  in  the  Association 
or  the  Union. 


CONSTITUTION  CO^JMITTEE 

Charles  Gillis 

B.   Joseph  O'Neil 

Louis  Polishook,   Chairman 

ENTfeRTAIM  oMT   CaTiITT!.  AND  HOSPITALITY 

Mildred  Adelson 

Mary  Bennett 

Mary  Bowker 

Elinor  Conley 

Bertha  Keswick 

Ellen  Peterson 

Mildred  Presente,  Chairman 

HOUSE  COMMITTEE  FOR  ^lEN 

Max  Anapole 

Thomas  MacGlaughlin 

Arthur  Mulloney 

JaEHBS  MacNiff 

Michael  Venezia,  Chairman 


Central  Charging  Records 
Periodical  and  Newspaper  Dept. 
Central  Charging  Records 


Jamaica  Plain  Branch 
East  Boston  Branch 
Washington  Village  Branch 
Dorchester  Branch 
Branch  Issue  Dept. 
Hyde  Park  Branch 
Hyde  Park  Branch 


Periodical  and  Newspaper  Dept, 
Book  Stack  Service 
Statistical  Dept. 
Catalog  and  Classification  D 
Patent  Room 


-y- 


HOUSS  COMMITTEL  FOR  VJOIlfiN 

Barbara  Feeley 
Patricia  Feeney 
Jeanne  Fitzgerald 
Anna  Scanlon 
Mary  Sheehan,    Chairman 

l?sisljitiv"  and  legal  matters 


Information  Office 
Audio  Visual  Dept. 
Science  and  Technology  Dept. 
Book  Preparation  Dept. 
Book  Purchasing  Dept. 


Gerald  Ball 

Louis  Polishook 

Frank  Levine,  Chairman 

FEMBER5HIP  CCmiTTaS 

M.  Dorothy  Ekstrom 

Corrine  Henderson 

Etta  Kessell 

Ruth  Marshall 

Ollie  Partridge 

David  Sheehan 

Norman  Wolman 

Eleanora  Chaplik,  Chairman 

PaRSOmJ  X  CO^iMITTEE 

Harry  Andrews 
Dorothy  Becker 
Frank  Bruono 
Ruth  Conroy 
Ann  mggan 
Doris  Gray 
Edward  J.  Montana 
Mildred  Picone 
Augusta  Rubinstein 
Irene  Tuttle,    Chairman 

PROGRAM   COMiilTTiiE 


Harold  Brackett 
Mary  Hackett 
Sewell  Hayes 
Kathleen  Hegarty 
Lorraine  Hepburn 
Mildred  Kaufman 
Myra  Morse 
Marian  Schmitt 
Edna  G.   Peck,   Chairman 

PUBLICATION  CaiiaTTiLS 

Arthur  Curley 
A.   Kay  Decker 
James  J.    Ford 
Rose  Moorachian 
Caroline  R.   Stanwood 
I .  Roger  Stevens 
Sarah  M.   Usher 
Dorothy  P.   Shaw 


Book  Purchasing  Dept. 
Central  Charging  Records 
North  End  Branch 


Adams  Branch 
Central  Charging  Records 
Lowfer  hills  Branch 
Education   Dept. 
Open  Shelf  Dept. 
General  ixeference  Dept. 
Uphams  Corner  Branch 
Codman  Sq.   Branch 


Branch  Issue   Dept. 

F.?leston  Square  Branch 

Science  and  Technology  Dept. 

Codman  Sq.    Branch 

Bookmobile 

Book  Selection  Dept.,  H.   R.  S. 

Periodical  and  Newspaper  Dept. 

Catalog  and  Classification 

Mattapan  Branch 

South  Boston  Branch 


Division  Office,  H.   R.   S. 
Parker  Hill  Branch 
Periodical  Room 
Division  Oifice,  H.   h.   S. 
Bookmobile 
Memorial  Branch 
Dorchester  Branch 
General  Reference  Dept. 
Book  Selection,   H.   R.   S. 


Open  Shelf  Dept. 

Branch  Issue 

Education  Dept. 

Mattapan  Branch 

General  Reference  Dept. 

Audio  Visual  Dept. 

Records,    Files  and  Statistics 

Periodical  Dept. 


-10- 

SPECIAL  SfiRVICIiS   Ca'il4lTTu.E       (To  be  announced) 

James  J.    Ford,   Chairman  Teacher's   Dept. 

CARE  CO'^lI-ilTTILE 

Margaret  Lewis  South  Boston  Branch 

Mildred  R.  Somes  Book  Preparation  Dept. 

Ollie  Partridge,  Chairman  Open  Shelf  Jept. 

SORT  Committee  ,.    ■■■  f  •  ' 

Mildred  Kaufman  Memorial  Branch 

Margaret  Morgan  Connolly  Branch 

Pauline  Walker,  Chairman  West  koxburj^  Branch 

ASSOCIATIOF  OF  LIBRARY  AID.:S  (To  be  announced) 


THE     QUESTION     MARK 
Published  by  the  Boston  Public  Library  Staff  Association 
Vol-jme  XVI     Number  5 May  I96I 


Publications  Committee:  Arthur  V.   Curley,  A.   Kay  Decker,  James  J.   Ford,   Rose 

Moorachian,   Caroline  R,  Stanwood,   I.   Poger  Stevens,   Cartoon- 
ist, Sarah  M.    Usher,   Indexer,   Boroihy  P.   Shaw,   Chairman 

Publication  Date:  Deadline  for  submitting  material: 

The  fifteen  of  each  month  The  tenth  of  each  month 

Yes,  we  know  the  QUESTION  ifARK  is  out  late  this  month.      However,   it  is  not 
entirely  the  fault  of  the  Publications  Committee.     It  is  the  fault  of  you,   and  you, 
and  perhaps  you  -  all  the  yous  who  either  forgot  or  failed  to  meet  the  deadline  for 
materials,   the  yous  who  refused  to  write  the  brief  reoort  requested  of  you,    the 
other  yous  who  did  not  volunteer  material  or  information  we  might  well  have  used  - 
usually  with  the  plea  that  you  had  no  time. 

The  deadline  for  materials  submitted  for  publication  is  always  the  tenth  of 
the  month.     This  is  necessary  in  order  that  the  Committee  may  meet,   select,   edit, 
and  plan  the  paging  for  the  issue  -  may  obtain  the  ten  lines  needed  to  fill  one 
column,   the  five  lines  for  another.     If  you  think  carefully,   five  days  is  all  too 
little  for  this,   for  the  cutting  of  stencils   (which  takes  THREE  DAYS),   for  mimeo- 
graphing,  assembling,   stapling,   and  delivery,   especially  as  one  or  more  of  these 
intervening  days  between  deadlines  may  be  a  Saturday,   Sunday  or  holiday.     And  your 
Coraraitteoi  has  routines  and  public  desks   to  cover  just  as  you  have.     It  helps  most 
of  all  to  have  materials  in  well  before  the  tenth,   for  some  stencils  may  then  be 
cut  in  advance. 

This  deadline  of  the  tenth  has  been  "slipping"  more  and  more  in  recent  months, 
as  much  of  the  Library  is  operating  with  a  pre-war  staff  serving  a  much  increased 
patronage  and  giving  wider  services.     Since  your  present  editor  must  also   cut  the 
stencils,  missing  this  deadline  means  you  are,   in  effect,  making  your  editor  merely 
a  typist.     And  the  quality  of  the  paper  is  definitely  suffering,   as   there  is  not 
time  to  think,   edit,  write  and  plan  -  only  time  to  do  a  very  h^sty  assembly  and 
typing  30b,  which  in  itself  falls  below  proper  standards.     Changing  the  deadline 
would  serve  no  purpose,   as  each  person  seems   to  feel  that  the  delay  of  his  contri- 
bution for  a  few  hours  or  a  few  days  will  make  little  difference,   for  it  can  easily 
be  placed  on  a  later  page.     Since  most  think  of  it  in  this  fashion,  nothing  comes 
in,   so  NO  page  can  be  completed.     This  month  practically  nothing  was  in  our  hands 
until  late  on  Friday  the  12th  or  iionday  the  l5th.     We  could  not  possibly  meet  our 
deadline. 

This  QUESTION  iiARK  is  yours  as  well  as  ours,  and  only  cooperation  and  interest 
can  make  it  the  paper  it  should  be,  and  representative  of  the  best  of  the  Boston 
Public  Library  and  its  staff.  This  editorial  is  not  in  a  spirit  of  complaint  or 
reproach.  It  is  intended  simply  to  state  the  problems  your  Committee  is  facing  each 
month,  in  the  hope  that  you  regard  your  paper  highly  enough  to  do  your  share,  on 
time,  and  permit  us  to  produce  a  carefully  considered  piece  of  work,  rather  than 
the  present  hasty  attempt  at  scrambling  material  as  it  comes  in  bit  by  bit, 

THE  PUBLICATIONS  COMIITTEE 


-2- 


PRESIDENT'S  NOTES 


Have  sufficient  full-sized  cakes  of 
soap  in  the  staff  washrooms?  Half  size 
cakes  do  not  last  as  long,  slip  down  the 
drain  sooner  and  thus  the  last  fragment 
is  wasted.  Library  work  is  not  clean 
work,  and  we  do  need  to  wash  occasionally. 
If,  as  we  are  told,  soraeones  steals  the 
hand- reddening  stuff,  why  not  install 


There  was  an  interesting  meeting  of  the 
Eicecutive  Board  of  the  Staff  Association 
on  May  9,  at  which  time  there  was  a  con- 
tinuation of  the  discussions  of  the  past 
few  months  with  the  Assistant  Director 
(for  Personnel).  These  discussions  have 
been  primarily  concerned  with  the  ways  anc^  ground  soap- flakes  in  those  hand  machines? 
means  of  attracting  additional  qualified  .  -;«• 

personnel  to  the  ranks  of  BPL  workers.      Limit  the  use  of  staff  facilities  and 
We  have  been  attempting  to  form  an  acceptri  coffee  shop  to  outside  committee  members 
able  program,  one  that  would  be  in  no  way  (Mass.  Library  Association  etc)  and  Never- 
prejudicial  to  the  status  of  present  staff  Too- Laters  to  periods  when  our  own  staff 
members.  We  believe  we  have  such  a  planj  j  is  not  struggling  to  keep  to  a  short 
we  believe  it  is  workable^  we  believe  it 


is  possible  of  achievement.  It  awaits 
now  only  the  aporoval  of  the  Board  of 
Trustees  of  the  BPL.  The  work  of  job 
analysis  goes  on,  and  the  Staff  Associa-  ; 
tion  will  undoubtedly  have  representation  j 
on  any  committee  assisting  in  the  job    i 
classification.  » 

Due  to  the  pressures  of  her  own  job  in  , 
the  Personnel  Office,  lyirs.  Evelyn  Isaacs  \ 
has  felt  obliged  to  resign  her  office  as 
Corresponding  Secretary.  We  regret  that 
she  cannot  continue  as  an  officer  in  the 
■Association,  The  Executive  Board,  as 
empowered  by  the  Constitution,  took  actio rj 


relief  period  or  lunch  hour?  Our  public 
washrooms  are  now  adequate  and  pleasant, 
and  there  are  other  eating  facilities 
nearby. 


CALENDAR  OF  El^ENTS 

June  8-9    MLA  Summer  Meeting 
West  Harwich 


to  fill  the  office  left  vacant  by  Mrs.  j 

Isaacs  resignation.  Emilia  Lange  of  the  i 

Print  Department  has  been  ap-^-ointed  by  ' 

the  Board  to  fill  the  vacancy.  ; 

Remember  the  Business  iieeting  to  be  '; 
held  on  Friday  the  19th  of  MayJ 

Ruth  M.  Hayes 

WHY"  DON'T  VJE  ...? 

Install  a  drinking  fountain  on  the 
second  floor?  The  public  is  usually 
amazed  that  they  have  to  go  downstairs 
for  a  drink,  and  the  staff  would  appre- 
ciate a  closer  source  tool  The  pipes 
could  be  connected  to  the  already  running 
water  in  the  workroom  near  the  elevator. 


May  28-June  1  SLA,  San  Francisco 
July  9-1^    ALA,  Cleveland  Ohio 

RETIREi'ffiNT 


j   James  P,  Kenney  of  the  Buildings  Depart- 
j  ment  is  retiring  on  May  31,  after  more 
j  than  thirty  years  of  faithful  service, 
I  The  many  friends  Jim  made  through  the 

years  by  his  though tfulness  and  willing- 
I  ness  to  help,  presented  him  with  a  purse 
;  at  a  dinner  held  in  his  honor  at  Steuben' s 

Vienna  Room  on  April  26,  Jim  is  not 
r  going  to  take  retirement  seriously,  since 
t  he  has  taken  a  job  as  Steward  at  the 

Quincy  Yacht  Club. 
I   Best  of  luck  in  your  new  endeavor,  Jim] 

t 

I  THOmS  p.    GEOGHEGAN 

t 

■'  mP.T  TIME  IS  IT? 


;  Each  year  the  changing  of  the  hour 
•  Afflicts  our  clocks  with  magic  powerj 
i  Each  one  ticks  on  its  merry  way, 
i  Pointing  to  wrong  hours  of  day, 
I  Three  hours  fast,   or  four  hours  slow, 
■  Confusing  us,   around  they  go. 
(Joining  ■  departments  cannot  answer  queried  Vihen  all  are  synchronized  at  last, 
by  patrons,   and  many  times  the  Exhibits      i  Win   navlipht  Savincr  T-imfi  hp  nast,? 
office  is  closed  at  the  time  of  the 


Label  exhibition  case  books  etc  with 
call-number,   author  and  title  etc.?  One, 
or  more,  of  these  items  usually  does  not 
show  on  the  book  itself.     Department 
location  would  also  be  most  useful.     Ad- 


Will  Daylight  Saving  Time  be  past? 


query. 


KM 


-3- 


PERSONNEL  NOTES 


New  Employees 

John  W.  Bouchea,  Kirstein 

Geraldfne  iiikolajewski,  Division  Office, 

R  &  RS  i 

Sheila  A.  Sinclair,  Kirstein 
Mrs.  Margaret  H,  Zindler,  Dorchester 

Transferred 

VJilliam  T.   Casey,   Connolly  to  Central  . 
Book  Stock-Branch  Issue 

Resigned 

Constance  Broadhurst,  Open  Shelf,  to 

remain  at  home 
Gerald  S.  Coles,  I'Jashington  Village,  to 

accept  another  position 
Audrey  Silva,  Mt.  Bo-wdoin,  to  be  married 

and  move  to  Kansas 

mo^S   NEW? 

Barbara  La^lamme,  Fine  Arts,  is  from 
Cambridge.  On  a  first  co-op^  Barbara  is 
class  of  '65  at  Northeastern.  She  has 
just  moved  away  from  Fort  Devens,  and, 
as  her  father  is  in  the  Army,  has  lived 
most  of  her  life  on  a  host  of  other  Army 
posts] 

-A- 

The  new  "mailboy",  ilartin  Shore,  works 
in  Records,  Files,  Statistics.  North- 
eastern, class  of  '6I.|.,  he  is  a  Government 
major  and  is  also  in  ROTC.  Martin  is  in- 
terested in  light  music,  has  been  a  mem- 
ber of  Northeastern' s  Jazz  Club,  and  has 
played  intra-mural  basketball,  and  enjoys 
fishing. 

* 

Gerald  Blonder,   Open  Shelf,   is  a  Soc- 
iology major,   class  of   '62,   at  North- 
eastern.    This  is  his  first  job  in  the 
Library!   he  has  spent  two  other  co-ops  at 
the  Boston  Traveller  and  the  Boston  State 
Hospital.     One  of  Gerald's  interests  is 
Northeastern' s  Sociology  Club,   which  spon- 
sors talks  on  Friday  afternoons  on  a  var- 
iety of  subjects  -  one  that  sounded  chal- 
lenging was  a  discussion  by  a  British 
psychiatrist  on  the  differences  between 
English  and  American  life. 

One  of  Judaica's  new  assistants  is 
Geraldine  Mikolajewski  from  Chelsea.     She 
has  been  studying  business  management  at 
Northeastern,   but  she  resigned  upon  her 
engagement  to  Arthur  Douglas   (Science  and 
Technology) .     Geraldine  plans  to  work  for 


a  while,    then  she  and  Arthur  plan  to  be 
married  November  26.      Best  wishes   to  them 
both.' 

* 
The  prospective  groom  is  Arthur  Douglas, 
Science  and  Technology.     He  is  enrolled 
in  Northeastern' s  College  of  Education, 
an  English  major  with  a  Science  minor, 
Arthur  is  a  member  of  the  Rifle  Club  and 
a  writer  for  the  Northeastern  iJews,     He 
hopes  to   go  on  for  a  Master's  degree  and 
teach  at  the  high  school  or  college  fresh- 
man level, 

* 

Another  new  face  in  Judaica  belongs  to 
Agnes  McLaughlin,  a  Northeastern  Sopho- 
more majoring  in  Sociology.  From  Walthsm, 
Agnes  plays  the  flute  and  is  a  part  of 
the  university  band.  She  is  also  taking 
part  in  a  volunteer  sociology  project  - 
working  with  orphans. 

James  A,  MacDonsuId  is  an  old  hand  around 
the  BPL;  he  has  worked  as  a  part  time 
assistant  in  both  Periodical  and  Newspaper 
and  in  General  Reference  before  joining 
the  staff  of  Central  Charging  Records. 
Jim  attended  Newman  Prep  this  fall  and 
has  played  football  in  the  Park  Depart- 
ment's leagues.  He  may  continue  his  ed- 
ucation next  year,  and  in  the  meantime 
he  maintains  a  real  interest  in  sports, 

Mark  Alpert  isn't  new  to  the  BPL  either, 
i^iark,  who  has  worked  part  time  in  Fine 
Arts  and  adraits  to  having  spent  some  time 
in  the  Branches,  is  class  of  '65  at  North- 
eastern, and  is  spending  a  co-op  in  Cen- 
tral Charging  Records,  ifeirk  worked  as 
the  business  manager  of  his  school  maga- 
zine and  wants  to  continue  in  a  field 
where  he  will  be  working  with  people  - 
perhaps  Sociology, 

•it- 


Errol  Baker,  Central  Book  Stock,  is 


He 


a  psychology  major.  Northeastern  '6L[.. 
spent  a  previous  co-op  at  the  Boston  '  / 
Psychopathic  hospital.  He  intends  to 
remain  in  the  field,  perhaps  doing  re- 
search. Errol  also  admitted  to  an 
interest  in  chess. 

a- 

Class  of  '65  at  Northeastern,  Janice 
Wright  is  taking  her  first  co-op  in  Book 
Purchasing.  Her  major  is  in  Sociology 
and  she  would  like  to  get  into  government 
work.  Janice  collects  coins,  has  played 
basketball,  and  keep  up  with  football 
through  her  intereat  in  drum  and  bugle,' 


-k' 


History's  llary  Mahan  is  another  iMorth- 
eastern  co-op  student,  nary  is  a  Physics 
.major,  class  of  '61^,,  and  wants  to  go  into 
some  phase  of  the  scientific  world.  She 
has  worked  a  previous  co-op  at  United  Air 
Craft,  but  she  is  now  able  to  live  at 
home,  Holliston,  and  commute  to  the  BPL, 

Emily  Fagerberg,  Business  Office,  is 
also  at  Northeastern,  class  of  '65.  She 
plans  to  major  in  Political  Science  and 
is  interested  in  the  Foreign  Service, 
Emily  has  studied  four  languages,  and,  in 
a  lighter  vein,  should  need  arise  is  pre- 
pared to  defend  herself  through  her  train- 
ing as  a  member  of  Northeas tern's  Rifle 
Club.' 

Carol  Darish,  Cataloging  and  Classifi- 
cation, R  &  RS,  comes  from  iiedford  and  is 
studjrLng  English  at  Northeastern.  Active 
in  Student  Union  and  her  sorority,  Carol's; 
special  likes  include  HiFi  and  jazz. 

Arthur  MacDonald,  Book  Stack  Service, 
is  in  his  third  year  at  Northeastern 
where  he  is  an  Economics  major,  A  member 
of  the  Pershing  Rifles,  he  hopes  to  make 
the  armj'  his  career.  Arthur  coifies  from 
Maiden,  likes  tennis  and  collects  war 
novels  (he  has  about  2uO) , 

Studying  English  at  Northeastern,  i'larcia 
Soolraan,  Cataloging  and  Classification, 
R  &  HS,  would  like  to  make  magazine  writ- 
ing her  career.  She  is  from  Brookline 
and  she  likes  to  dance.  She  enjoys  books 
on  political  science  and  novels. 

Book  Stack  Service's  Hilton  Taylor, 
comes  from  Everett  and  is  a  psvchology 
major  at  Northeastern  where  he  is  active 
in  both  the  psychology  and  sociology 
clubs.  liilton  likes  to  read  and  is  a 
movie  fan. 

NEl^r  CROP 

To  Esther  and  Macy  J.  Iiargolis   (Histoiyj 
a  son,  David  Selraan  at  10.51  p.i'i.   April 
[;.      Fighting  weight  7  lbs,   5  3/h  oz. 

Added  to  our  Director's  roster  of 
grandchildren,   Robena  iiilcoat.     Her  mother 
is  Mrs  Conrad  (Anne  Lord;   Malicoat  of 
New  York. 

Catherine  Ann  O'Halloran  arrived  April 
II4.  and  received  a  warm  welcome  from  papa 


Louis,  Division  Oifice  HR  &  CS,   and  mamma 
Kay  Duffy,   formerly  of  Book    selection, 
HR  &,CS,   and  her  sister  and  brother, 
ilaureen  and  Richard, 

■Si- 
Scott  Anthony  Fitzgerald,   on  March  23, 
to  ilr  and  Mrs  Edward  Fitzgerald.     Mother 
is   the  former  Geraldine  Coyman,   Catalog- 
ing and  Classification,   R  &  RS, 

ADDEIvIDA-^'.TO'S  NE1-7 

Among  the  bachelors  joining  the  staff 
is  Edward  T,  O'Donnell,  South  Boston, 
Ed  lives  in  ^'eymouth  and  graduated  iiagna 
Cum  Laude  from  Harvard  at  the  beginning 
of  the  year.  He  is  a  veteran  of  three 
years  service  in  the  Army.  As  a  YA  work- 
er it  seems  only  right  that  his  interests 
should  include  reading  and  baseball. 

mNT  A  peinI  pal? 

Harry  Andrews,  Central  Book  Stock, 
is  recuperating  from  virus  pnewraonia  in 
Sharon,  and  reportedly  living  the  life 
of  a  country  squire.  His  address  is 
Box  96,  Back  Bay  P.O,  Boston  17.  With 
luck  and  good  behavior,  Harry  should  be 
back  among  us  come  July. 

CATHOLIC  LIBR/'.RY  ASSOCIATION 

The  CLA  met  in  St.  Louis  April  3-7  for 
its  annual  convention.  Anna  Manning 
(alumna  from  Education)  coriducted  an 
Adult  service?  prograin  with  Mary  Alice 
Rea  (Book  Purchasing)  as  one  of  the 
speakers. 

Padraic  Colum  was  the  recipient  of  the 
Regina  Medal,  awarded  each  year  to  one 
who  has  devoted  a  life  time  to  literature 
for  children. 

Other  speakers  included  Rev.  John  Tracy 
Ellis,  Barry  Ulanov,  John  Delaney,  Rev. 
^^alter  J.  Ong,  SJ,  and  Cardinal  Ritter. 

Visits  to  the  3t.  Louis  Public  Library 
and  the  new  Pius  XII  Library  of  the  Univ- 
ersity of  St.  Louis  made  the  trip  worth- 
while. 

One  glance  at  our  Registration  tags  and 
again  we  were  asked,  "Mien  are  we  going 
to  Boston  again?" 

A.L.M. 

DID     YOU     REiffiiiBER     TO     CARE? 


-6- 


WHAT'S  IN  IT  FOR  I  IE? 

This  is  the  first  question  posed  by 
many  new  staff  members  when  they  are  in- 
vited to  join  the  Boston  Public  Library 
Staff  Association.     Since   this  is  a  very 
human,  practical,   if  somewhat  self-seeking 
question,  which  even  older  staff  members 
turn  over  in  their  minds  at  times,    the 
Membership  and  Hospitality  Committee 
thinks  it  deserves  a  considered  answer. 
All  too  often  the  aims  and  objectives  of 
our  Staff  Association  have  been  stated  in 
too  broad,   too  abstract  and  too  altruis- 


cussion. 

iJhen  controversial  personnel  issues  a- 
rise,  the  Executive  Board  often  serves  in 
the  role  of  mediator  betv.-een  staff  and  ad- 
ministration. Thus  the  existence  of  the 
Association  ensures  you  of  having  a  poten- 
tial voice  in  decisions  affecting  the 
bibliothecal  personnel  of  the  library, 
;  VJithout  such  an  organization  for  channel- 
ling staff  opinions,  it  would  be  virtual- 
ly iifipossible  for  Administration,  however 
well-meaning,  to  be  aware  of  how  proposals 
affect  your  morale  and  mine. 

Once  you  are  a  member,  how  can  you  make 


tic  terms  to  have  any  real  meaning  for  thei  direct  use  of  the  Association  in  its  staff 


average  individual.  We  would  like  to 
speak,  therefore,  about  one  of  the  major 
concerns  of  the  Staff  Association,  namely 
the  common  welfare  of  the  bibliothecal 
s  taf f . 

The  term  "welfare"  consists  of  many 
items  including  an  adequate  salary,  op- 
portunity for  advancement,  fringe  benefits 
and  decent  working  conditions,  During 
any  administravtive  discussion  of  these 
matters,  the  Staff  Association,  through 
its  elected  Executive  Board  is  usually 
your  representative.  At  all  times  the 
Executive  Board  seeks  to  keep  the  Admin- 
istration aware  of  the  staff  wants  and  ■ 
needs  in  general. 

Throughout  the  United  States,  among 
members  of  the  Staff  Organizations  Round 
Table  of  the  ALA,  our  staff  organization 
is  highly  regarded  as  a  leading  library 
staff  association.  It  has  achieved  this 
reputation  thanks  to  the  courage  which 
its  officers,  past  and  present,  have 
shown  in  bringing  staff  problems  to  the 
attention  of  the  Administration,  and 
insisting  that  these  problems  be  solved 
wherever  a  solution  is  possible. 

The  administration  of  the  BPL  has  earned 
an  equally  fine,  widespread  reputation  for 
democratic  practices  by  virtue  of  its 
willingness  to  consult  with  the  staff  on 
personnel  policy  decisions.  We  point  with 
pride  to  the  fact  that  our  Assistant  Dir- 
ector for  Personnel,  in  recent  months, 
has  discussed  proposals  for  changes  in 
personnel  practices  with  the  Executive 
Board  before  these  changes  have  become 
established  facts  with  which  we  all  must 
live.  As  you  know,  since  last  winter, 
our  President  has  been  in  attendance,  by 
invitation,  at  open  meetings  of  the  Board 
of  Trustees.  She  represents  all  members 
whenever  the  Trustees  seek  to  learn  what 
the  staff  thinlcs  about  matters  under  dis- 


;  welfare  function?  If  there  are  any  spe- 
cific personnel  issues  you  would  like  to 
see  more  fully  discussed,  for  clarifica- 
tion dr  possible  change  in  policies,  bring 
these  matters  to  the  a  ttention  of  the 
Personnel  Committee,  Broadly  represen- 
tative of  the  bibliothecal  staff,  this 
committee  exists  to  consider  proposals 
or  problems  of  staff  members,  and  to  bring 
to  the  Executive  Board  all  questions  or 
suggestions  with  sufficient  widespread 
interest  or  merit,  to  warrant  possible 
action  on  the  part  of  the  whole  Associa- 
tion.  (Members  may  go  directly  to  the 
Executive  Board,  or  the  body  of  the  Assoc- 
iation if  they  prefer.)  In  the  past  the 
Personnel  Committee  has  made  surveys  of 
salary  schedules  and  various  personnel 
practices  in  other  libraries  which  have 
eventually  served  as  a  basis  for  changes 
in  the  policies  of  our  own  library. 

T'Jhat  you  get,  then,  as  an  Association 
member,  along  with  many  other  benefits, 
is  easy  access  to  one  of  the  most  effect- 
ive means  of  trijo-way  communication  be- 
tween staff  and  administration. 

Send  your  yearly  dues  of  S^i   to  David 
Sheehan,  General  Reference,  Treasurer 
of  the  BPLSA,  so  that  you  will  be  able 
to  participate  actively  in  the  organiza- 
tion most  deeply  concerned  with  your 
well-being. 

ELEANORA  CHAPLIK 

Chairman,  liembership 

and  Hospitality  Committee 

FROM  ILLINOIS 


Anna  Manning  saw  George  Early  in  3t. 
Louis,.. he  is  very  happy  as  Chief  Lib- 
rarian of  the  Alton  Public  Library.   Thqy 
keep  in  touch  through  QM  and  send  regards 
to  all  their  friends  at  the  BPL. 


1  r.  ^•. 


tl^J. 


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1 


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"If  we  set  paid  in  nickels  again  I'm  turning  in  my  bad^e,' 


-  7-- 


\mO   SAYS  RENg.^AL?.. 

Some  of  the  young  people  in  the  South 
End  said  it  through  their  "Beautify  Bost- 
on" posters  exhibited  at  the  South  End 
Library  through  the  cooperation  of  the 
Art  Department  of  the  Boston  Public 
Schools.  At  the  program  held  on  Ilay  8, 
ten  young  people  from  the  seventh  and 
eighth  grades  were  awarded  prizes  of 
water  colors  and  one  book  for  first  prizes 
and  boxes  of  crayons  for  second  and  third 
prizes.  Elizabeth  Gordon,  Deputy  Super- 
visor (^Jork  with  'Children)  made  the  awards 
Uilliam  Croke,  a  local  boy  who  is  a  high 
school  senior,  talked  for  about  five 
minutes  on  his  views  on  Youth  and  the 
Boston  Renewal,  the  talk  being  based  on  a 
paper  he  had  done  for  his  class  in  social 
studies.  The  Boston  Renewal  Authority 
was  represented  by  Richard  Green,  who  was 
the  principal  speaker.  He  spoke  infor- 
mally to  the  children  about  their  part  in 
keeping  Boston  clean.  Samuel  Hessena  of 
the  iiayor's  Citizens'  Relations  Office 
was  among  the  guests  and  spoke  briefly. 

Mrs.  Rosetta  P.  Martin  delighted  both 
children  and  adults  with  her  telling  of 
several  African  legends,  one  of  which  was 
the  Cow- tail  Switch.  Mrs,  Martin,  now 


dren's  Room.  If  this  part  of  the  program 
seems  irrelevant  to  urban  renewal  and  the 
art  posters,  the  audience  did  not  take  it 


with  Boolcnobiles,  was  on  the  staff  at 

South  End  for  over  two  years,  in  the  Chil-{  countries,  she  asks,  have  been  unwitting- 


.  -BOOKS  LEAD  TO  AUTHORS 

The  second  annual  Book  and  Author 
Luncheon,  co-sponsored  by  the  Boston 
Chapter  of  the  l>'omen's  National  Book 
Association  and  the  Boston  tERALD- TRAVEL- 
ER, brought  nearly  1000  booklovers  to  the 
Sheraton  Plaza  on  April  17,  After  a  wit- 
ty introduction  by  Edna  G.  Peck,  chairman 
of  the  Luncheon  Committee,  and  a  well- 
received  announcement,  by  Milton  E.  Lord 
of  the  re-establishment  of  full  services 
at  the  BPL,  the  guest  authors  took  the 
stand. 

Marguerite  Cullman,  authof  of  NINETY 
DOZEN  GLASSES  and  wife  of  the  American 
Commissioner  Gerneral  at  the  Brussels 
World  Fair,  chose  to  comment  on  what 
America  is  not  doing  abroad.   She  pointed 
out  that  while  other  countries  choose 
men  of  the  highest  quality  and  men  with 
special  training  to  fill  diplomatic  posts, 
the  US  rewards  with  ambassadorships  those 
who  have  been  most  useful  to  the  party  in 
power  or  men  who  can  entertain  regally 
at  their  own  expense.  On  visits  to  num- 
erous embassies.  Miss  Cullman  found  only 
other  American£  being  entertained  by  am- 
bassadors who  could  not  even  speak  the 
language  of  the  county  in  which  they  re- 
present the  ijnage  of  the  US,  How  many 


ly  slighted  by  the  appointment  of  an  in- 
competent diplomatic  representative? 
Richard  Tregaskis,  responsible  for 
so.  There  was  certainly  a  bit  of  person-  |  GUADALCANAL  DIARY,  is  this  year  the  author 


al  renewal  for  the  guests  in  listening  to 
the  stories.  On  exhibit  were  African 
dolls  lent  by  the  Misses  Grace  and  i^arie 
Turner,  and  a  number  of  new  books  on 
Africa, 

The  Library  was  indebted  to  the  South 
End  Businessmen's  Association  for  the 
expenses  of  prizes  and  refreshments. 
George  Adams,  the  Vice--President  and  one 
of  the  judges  of  the  posters  in  the   con- 
test, wrote  that  he  was  "impressed  with 
the  posters  and  pleased  to  have  a  part 


grabbed  too  many  cookies  and  demanded  too 
many  cups  of  punch  at  the  refreshment 
table,  the  Association  will  surely  for- 
give themi 

PEARL  SMART 

A  request  was  left  in  Open  Shelf  for 

CATCH  HER  IN  THE  RYE, 


of  two  books:  X-l5  DIARY  and  LAST  TIAUE 
TO  SHANGHAI.  He  asserts,  as  does  the 
latter  book,  that  Comraunist  tactics  in 
Southeast  Asia  have  followed  a  consistent 
pattern  since  the  civil  war  in  China,  and 
that  the  i-^est  has  permitted  a  silent 
takeover  simply  because  a  declaration  of 
war  or  a  "Pearl  Harbor"  has  not  occurred 
to  make  us  aware  of  what  should  be  ob- 
!  vious, 

Sloan  Vaison  (MAN  IN  THE  GRAY  FLAIfNEL 
SUIT,  A  SUItlF.R  PLACE,  and  A  SENSE  OF 
in  the  project".  If  some  of  the  small  frj|^  VALUES)  described  himself  as  a  young  man 


(he  is  31)  still  learning  the  lessons  of 
life.  Commenting  on  the  art  of  writing, 
:  he  remarked  that  a  man  must  write  only  of 
what  he  knows  intimately,  but  that  cyni- 
cism, sophistication,  and  pretenses  must 
i  be  left  m  the  classroom. 
I   The  final  speaker,  F.  Van  llyck  Mason, is 
i  represented  by  twenty-one  titles  in  the 
•  Open  Shelf  Department  catalog,  the  latest 
of  which  is  MNILA  GALLEON.  Although 


-8- 


famous  for  his   "historical  novels",  Mr 
Mason  claimed  that  he  is  now  attempting 
to  write  "readable  histories",   in  which 
a  minimum  amount  of  contrivance  permits 
history  to  carry  the  theme. 

ARTHUR  V.    CURLEY 

STUDENT  USE  CONTINUES 

The  spring  school  vacation  week  was 
so  oven^^helmingly  busy  that  we  were  unabLe 
to  make  notes  on  the  assignments.      But  it 
is  obvious   that  the  number  of  schools 
using  the  library  is  rapidly  growing, 
that  the  students  come  from  further  and 
further  away,   and  that  they  are  not  re- 
ceiving any  training  in  library  use  prior 
to  being  turned  loose  on  the  collections. 
Mutilation  is  mounting,   so  is  unofficial 
"borrowing"  of  materials. 

The  entire  freshman  class  of  Boston 
University's  College  of  Basic  Studies 
had  a  paper  on  careers.     The  Education 
Department,  which  seems   to  be  stuck  with 
the  Arco  pamphlets  and  other  verticle 
file  material  just  now,  was  overrunj 
The  students  also  used  Black's  Law  Dict- 
ionary to  provide  a  legal  definition  of 
their  "career". 

150  boys  from  Boston  Latin  School  were    ; 
assigned  a  paper  on  Jonathan  Swift.      They 
were  told  to  use  a  certain  nximber  of  Pri- 
mary sources,  which  meant  that  they  all 
wanted  to  circulate  l8th  century  books  J 

Each  member  of  a  Boston  University  course 
European  Film,   had  to  do  a  paper  on  films 
in  one  i^uropean  country.      These  proved 
difficult  topics. 

students  are  no  longer  being  informed 
by  their  schools,   as  was  formerly  done 
in  art  and  fashion  courses,    that  they  are  • 
not  permitted  to  trace  from  library  mat-    ' 
erials  without  pyralin  or  a  similar  pro-    ! 
duct  between  the  book  and  the   tracing  j 

paper.  It  is  practically  impossible  to  ; 
be  aware  that  such  'direct"  tracing  is 
being  done  on  days  when  there  is  a  con-  j 
tinuous  waiting  line  for  attention.  Yet  J 
it  does  not  take  long  to  ruin  materials  ; 
traced  from  without  protection.  Nor  does  • 
a  deparbsnent  always  have  sufficient  pyra-  \ 
lin  for  an  entire  class.     I.'e  suggest  ! 

direct  circularization  of  all  art,   fashioii 
and  junior  colleges  with  fashion  and  art 


courses,  before  the  fall  term,  by  the 
Library. 

During  school  vacation  week  a  Needham 
High  student  insisted  that  she  must  list 
publisher's  address  on  each  bibliograph- 
ical item  for  a  periodical  reference. 
The  nuisance  value  of  this  is  consider- 
able,   even  if  it  was  probably  a  mis-under- 
standing of  her  teacher's  words. 

There  are  also  amusing  by-products  of 
student  use  at  times.     Someone  must  drive 
the  student  in  from  the  far-distant  towns. 
Mother  is  usually  elected.     One  busy  aft- 
ernoon,  the  staff  saw  one  such  mother 
busily  engaged  in  hemming  and  otherwise 
sewing  upon  dresses  she  was  making  for 
daughter. 

Then  there  were  the   two  12  year  olds 
who  approached  the  0  in  C  desk  for  per- 
mission to  take  out  non- circulating 
materials.     Unsuccessful,   one  said  to 
the  0  in  C  in  threatening  tones,    "You 
know,   I've  got  connections  down  at  City 
Hall. " 

* 

There  is,  in  the  January  1  LIBRARY 
JOURIIAL  an  interesting  article  on  TV 
Library  Instruction.  It  is  written  from 
the  point  of  view  of  instruction  by  TV 
in  a  classroom.  We  did  wonder,  however, 
if  TV  might  not  be  a  very  helpful  medium 
on  open  circuit,  to  teach  our  patrons 
how  to  use  the  card  catalog,  the  period- 
ical indexes,  how  to  make  out  a  call-slip 
properly,  the  use  of  reference  tools  etc., 
all  of  which  could  be  sold  them  as  a  means 
of  making  maximum  use  of  the  library  fac- 
ilities with  the  least  waste  of  time, 
A  program  might  also  be  useful  on  mutila- 
tions and  why  such  a  practice  prevents 
future  students  from  obtaining  materials 
necessary  to  their  studies. 

We  are  all  for  any  classroom  TV  program 
of  this  sort  too. 

OTHER  USE  OF  THE  LI3RARY; 

General  Reference  answered  the  phone 
recently,  heard  a  dime  dropped  in  a  coin 
phone,  then  came  the  query:  "This  is  a 
strange  question,  I  know,  but  can  you 
tell  me  what  day  of  the  week  this  is?" 
-/(■ 

On  May  I4.  the  Library  received  two  long 
distance  reference  questions.  General 
Reference  was  called  from  Downers,  Ill- 
inois, the  Patent  Room  from  Shreveport,Ind. 


Any  contribution  to  the  Soap  Box  must 
be  accompanied  by  the  full  name  of  the 
Association  member  submitting  it,  to- 
gether -with  the  name  of  the  Branch  Library 
Department  or  Office  in  which  he  or  she  is 
employed.  The  name  is  withheld  from  pub- 
lication, or  a  pen  name  is  used,  if  the 
contributor  so  requests.  Anonymous  con- 
tributions are  not  given  consideration. 
The  author  ox  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  individ- 
ualAssociation  members  and  their  appear- 
ance does  not  necessarily  indicate  that 
the  Publications  Committee  and  the  Assoc- 
iation are  in  agreement  with  the  views 
expressed.  Only  those  contributions  con- 
taining not  more  than  300  words  will  be 
accepted. 


Dear  Soap-box, 

I'm  grateful  for  repairs  to   the  water 
fountain  in  the  Women's  Lunch  Room. 

BIG  DRINKER 


For  the  Soap  Box: 

See  the  oft-fixed  watei'  cooler 
Now  repaired  by  expert  tooler, 
See  it  raise  its  liquid  flow, 
VJonderful,   refreshing  H2O. 
Gone  is  the  disappearing  trickle. 
Sometimes  showing,   always  fickle. 
Of  all  the  teasers   to  one's   thirst. 
This  has  always  been  the  worst. 
No  more  we  emulate  the  clown. 
In  turning  head  around  and  down. 
No  longer  is  it  just  a  troubler. 
We've  got  a  working  water  bubbler. 

mi 

Dear  Soap  Box: 

The  device  of  merit  awards  for  intelli- 
gent suggestions  is  one  that  has  enjoyed 
some  popularity  in  industry,  but  in  a 
service  institution  with  a  supposedly- 
professional  staff,  it  is  of  doubtful 
value.  There  are  some  staff  members 
at  BPL  who  have  offered  serious  suggest- 
ions even  before  the  era  of  suggestion- 
boxes  . 

If  serious  consideration  by  the  "board 
of  editors"  is  part  of  the  new  program, 
I  welcome  uhe  change.  I  fear,  however, 
that  insertion  of  the  profit  motive  may 
actually  discourage  suggestions  from 
those  inspired  by  other  than  monetary 
concerns. 

CONSCIENTIOUS 

Dear  Editor: 

'liat's  all  this  jazz  about  Awards?  A 
few  questions  — 

1)  VJhat  will  be  done  about  ideas  that  are 
kicked  around  by  several  people  and  then 
submitted  by  one?  How  can  one  tell  an 
originator  from  a  retoucher? 

2)  Will  this  really  create  an  interest 
in  improvement  or  just  result  in  a  kind 
of  idea  volley  ball  among  the  efficiency 
experts  on  the  staff? 

3)  How  are  we  to  combat  the  traditional 
policy  of  some  to  regard  certain  classes 
of  personnel  as  incapable  of  constructive 
thought? 

[(.)  What  about  the  poor  fish  who  has  a 
good  idea  and  can't  write  it  out  or 
doesn' t  dare? 

ADAM  ANTI 

Dear  Soapbox: 

Because  someone  is  certain  to  think 
that  I  heard  the  tinkle  of  coins  and  ran 
to  the  nearest  suggestion  box,  I  am 


-10- 


viriting  to  you. 

As  one  isho  feels   tne  loss  of  in-service 
training,    I  see  the  Friedman  Fund  as  a 
chance  to  rectify  the  situation. 

Couldn't  ye  use  part  of  this  Fund  to 
set  up  a  loan  (or  grant)   system  whereby 
members  of  the  staff  could  have  money 
available  to  pay  for  courses   (typing, 
shorthand,    etc.)   which  would  improve  thei 
abilities?     A  list  of  suggested  courses 
and  schools  could  be  comniled  and  a  limit- 
ation imposed,   such  as  one  course  a  year 
and  a  total  of  four  per  person. 

Maybe  there  are  others  who  feel  as  I 
do,  maybe  not.     All  those  in  favor  of 
a  betterment  fund,    please  stand  upj 

GRAGSHOPPER 

Dear  Soap  Box, 

Water  gushes  after  several  years  of 
extremely  low  tide,  in  the  bubbler  of  the 
Women's  Kitchen.  Cries  of  joy  greeted 
the  discovery  that  a  new  top  which  "really 
blew"  like  old  Faithful,  had  been  in- 
stalled. It  is  truly  wonderful  to  be 
able  to  obtain  drinking  water  without 
using  a  suction  pump.'  A  dehydrated  staff, 
now  beginning  to  lose  that  parched  look, 
is  expressing  its  most  heartfelt  gratitude 
to  the  person  or  persons  who  finally  did 
something  about  the  situation  after  all 
those  un-watered  years. 

ONE  I'TiO  THIRSTED  LONG  — 

Dear  Editor : 

Several  "study  councils"  have  been 
instituted  in  the  library  for  some  time. 
lie  hear  rumors  that  at  least  one  of  them 
has  long  since  completed  its  study.  But 
other  than  that,  we  hear  nothing,  '"hy? 

Can  a  staff  left  in  ignorance  of 
tangible  results  attained  by  these 
"councils"  be  expected  to  have  any  faith 
in  future  such  groups? 

PUZZLED 


CAR  POOL? 

If  you  are  going  to  MLA  in  West  Harwich 
June  8-9: 

Do  3''ou  have  space  in  your  car  for 

passengers? 
Do  you  need  a  ride? 
Please  notify  Edna  G.  Peck,  Book 
Selection,  HR  and  CS  ... 


/^ 


TO 


uestion 


THE  BOSTON  PUBLIC  LIBRARY 
STAFF  ASSOCIATION 


MAY      1961 


THE     QU,  ESTION     MARK 
Published  by  the  Boston  Public  Library  Staff  Association 

Volume  XVI     Number  6 ■ June  I96I 

Publications  Committee:  Arthur  V.   Curley,   A.   Kay  Decker,   James  J.   Ford,   Rose 

Moorachian,   Caroline  R,   Stanwood,   I.   Roger  Stevens,   Cartoon- 
ist,  Sarah  M.   Usher,   Indexer,  Dorothy  P.    Shaw,   Chairman 

Publication  Date:  Deadline  for  submitting  material: 

The  fifteenth  of  each  month  The  tenth  of  each  month 

The  recent  General  Administrative  Notice  on  Salary  Changes   to 
attract  qualified  candidates  to  this  Library,   effective  in  July,  with 
its  resultant  necessary  adjustments  in  salaries  and  promotional  pro- 
cedures for  other  staff  members,   is   the  culmination  of  an  excellent 
demonstration  of  what  CAN  be  done  in  Staff -Administration  cooperation 
when  both  desire  to  cooperate, 

^lorking  with  a  premise  and  a  sum  of  money,   the  Executive  Board, 
representing  the  Staff,   and  the  Assistant  Director  for  Personnel, 
representing  the  Administration,   spent  many  long  troubled  hours 
comparing  needs,  basic  pronises,  various  possibilities,   and  causes 
and  effect,   until  some  decision  satisfactoi^'-  to  all  was  finally 
reached.     It  was  a  pleasure  to  follow  from  start  to  finish.     ¥e 
hope  it  will  be  the  first  of  many  such  mutually  satisfying  experiences. 

THE  PUBLICATIONS   C0M11ITTEE 


THE  EDITOR 

will  be 

on  vacation 

in  JULY 

Please   send  material  for  the 

JULY     IS  SUE 

not  later  than  July  10 

to 

Arthur  V.  Curley 

Open  Shelf 


Bon  Voyage  to  all  those  going  to  AUi 


-2- 


PERSOiNliV'EL  NOTES 


PRESIDEi'IT'S  NOTES 

This  has  been  another  busy  period  of 
meetings  -  Executive  Board  Meetings  - 
meetings  with  the  Trustees  and  the  Cirect- 
or  and  with  the  Assistant  Director  (for 
Personnel) ,  as  well  as  our  usual  Spring 
Business  Heeting, 

At  the  Business  iieeting  we  announced 
the  desire  of  many  people  for  an  up  to 
date  discount  list.  We  mentioned  that 
there  was  difficulty  in  getting  people 
to  serve  on  the  Comraittee  and  that  the 
Chairman  had  been  forced  to  resign  be- 
cause of  the  pressure  of  .other  commitnehta|  Hugh  T.  McDonagh,' Government  Documents 
A  comraittee  was  selected  from  the  floor,   '        (formerly  part  tine) 
as  volunteers.  Louis  0' Hallo ran  is  chair- ! Thomas  J.  HcDonough,  Periodical  and  i^ews- 
man  (committee  listed  on  back  page).  If 
you  have  any  information  which  will  make 
easier  their  job  of  listing  shops  offer- 
ing discounts,  get  in  touch  with  any 
member  of  the  committee. 


;  Returned  from  Military  Service 
■  Frank  A.  DeCola,  Audio  Visual 

: New  Employees 

: Judith  E,  Coarr,  Jamaica  Plain  (formerly 

part  time) 
Paul  J,  ■'-'illen.  Book  Preparation 
; Richard  Dumont,  Central  Charging  Records 

(formerly  part  tiiiie) 
; Paul  F,  Grady,  Book  Stack  Service 
•James  J.  Greene,  Book  Stack  Service 
j  Kathleen  H.  Jaime,  ''Jashington  Village 


The  Nominating  Committee  for  this  year 
is  under  the  chairmanship  of  Muriel  C, 
Javelin  (committee  listed  on  back  page). 
If  you  are  willing  to  run  for  office  or 
if  you  know  others  who  would  be  willing 
to  do  so,  get  in  touch  with  this  Committeej Transferred 

By  this  time  you  are  acquainted  with  the* Edward  P.  Stenberg,  Book  Stack  Service 
results  of  the  many  conferences  which  were         to  Exhibits  Office 


paper 

I  Patricia  li,   Murray,  Business  Office 

; Roger  A,  Rainville,  Cataloging  and  Class- 

l  ification  (HR  &  CS) 

Nancy  Ann  Unis,  Ht.  Bowdoin 

I  Susan  J.  Wall,  Bookmobiles 

sElla  P.  IiJhite,  Cataloging  and  Classifica- 

I        tion,  (R  &  RS) ,  Northeastern 

I        Cooperative  s undent 

iThomas-  S.  Moroney,  Book  Stack  Service 


held  to  discuss  the  ways  and  means  (with- 
in a  limited  budget)  to  meet  competitive 
rates  and  to  provide  a  realistic  salary 
scale  for  entering  librarians,  and  to 
complete  the  imolementation  of  salary 
scales  by  bringing  into  proper  step  on 
the  scale  those  employees  who  are  still 
below  their  proper  level. 

Mr.  Lord  and  the  Trustees  indicated 


Naomi  D.  Manowitz,  Jamaica  Plain  to  Cen- 
tral Charging  Records 

j Resigned 

(Theodore  R.  Hargrave,  Central  Charging 
I  Records  (closing  of  cloakroom) 
li'Iartin  Laughlin,  Periodical  and  Newspaper, 
i   to  seek  employment  elsewhere 
Peter  Lewis,  ilusic,  to  study  at  Tanglewood 


their  satisfaction  with  some  of  our  activ-j Carolyn  Rees,  Education,  to  accept  a  pos- 


ities  and  were  pleased  with  the  efforts 
of  our  Publications  Committee  to  bring 
forth  constructive  studies  of  problems 
such  as  the  "student  use  of  the  library". 
Your  Executive  Board  and  Committees  are 
vigilant  and  constantly  expending  their 
efforts  in  your  behalf.   Give  them  your 
support.  Pay  your  dues  now.' 

RUTH  M.  HAYES 
CALEITOAR  OF  EVENTS 

July  9-lS       ALA,  Cleveland  Ohio 
ANY  ONE  INTERESTED  IN  JOII\IING  ALA  CONTACT 
Mary  D,  Farrell 
Cataloging  and  Classification  R  &  RS 


ition  at  the  Holliston  Public  Library 
Brendan  Stafford,  Book  Preparation 
i'larcia  Soolman,  Cataloging  and  Classifi- 
cation, R  and  RS  (Northeastern  Cooper- 
ative student) 

•Retired 

l41betta  P.  Kneeland,  Music 
JJames  P.  Kenney,  Buildings 
! Delia  A.  Leonard,  Buildings 

(Summer  Projects 

I 

•  Book  Stack  Service 

i Lawrence  Ball,    forraerly  part-time  Patent 

Room  and  Central  Charging  Records,   BC 

I     sophomore 

j Kerry  P.  Caramanis,  BU  Sophomore 


-3- 


Thomas  J,  Gosnell,  formerly  part-time 

Memorial,  BC  Junior  , 

Thomas  H.  Glynn,  formerly  part-time  Open 

Shelf  and  Music,  BC  Sophomore 
Warren  K.  Hall,  Harvard  Graduate  School   • 

of  Arts  and  Sciences,  worked  four  years  ' 

in  College  Library  j 

i'lichael  D,  Healey,  formerly  part-time  Wests 

En4  and  Open  Shelf,  Harvard  Junior     • 
Peter  W.  McCallion,  formerly  part-time 

Hyde  ^ark.  State  College,  Boston,  Soph-  ' 

omore 
James  U.  iJcChesney,  BU  School  of  Theology  , 

2d  year  j 

Paul  F.  McDevitt,  formerly  part-time  Book-i 

mobiles  and  Dorchester,  BC  Junior      j 
Ralph  W.  McKinnis,  Harvard  I 

Edmond  K.  iiencey,  BU  College  of  Basic     | 

Studies,  Sophomore  \ 

Walter  C.  iiickevich,  Suffolk,  Junior     | 
David  F.  i'iorrissey,  formerly  part-time    j 

Central  Charging  Records,  Book  Stack    i 

Service,  Branch  Issue,  State  College  of  ; 

Boston,   Sophomore  ; 

John  J.   O'Callaghan,   Suffolk,   Junior  ; 

Charles  F,  Rawdon,   formerly  part-time  ; 

Periodical  and  Newspaper,   BC,   Senior         j 
Henry  D,   Ricupero,   formerly  part-time  ! 

Worth  End,   Northeastern  2d  year  ' 

William  H,    Sexton,   formerly  part-time  ' 

Parker  Hill,   Northeastern  i 

Carl  J.   Stasio,   formsrly  oart-time  East      ■ 

Boston,   BC  Sophomore  ; 

Aaron  G.  Weintraub,   Harvard,  Junior  ! 


Cataloging  and  Classification,   R  &  RS 
Pamela  M.   Calhoun,   formerly  part-time 

Washington  Village,   Suffolk,   Junior 
Rosalind  Ferrante,   formerly  part-time 

Book  Stack  Service,   State  College  of 

Boston,   Senior 
Patricia  ii,   Hennigan,   formerly  part-time 

Lower  idlls,   Emmanuel,   Sophomore 
Patricia  F.   Logan,   formerly  part-time 

Washington  Village,   State  College  of 

Boston,  Senior 
Joan  M.   iNlelson,   formerly  part-time  Book 

Stack  Service,  State  College  of  Boston 

Junior 
Anne  P.   Santino,   formerly  part-time  Book 

Stack  Service,  State  College  of  Boston, 

Sophomore 

Cataloging  and  Classification,   HR  &  CS 
Joseph  T.   Shea,   formerly  part-time  same 
department.  State  College  of  Boston, 
freshman 


Central  Book  Stock  -  Branch  Issue  Section 
Mary  L.   Harrington,   formerly  part-time 

Adams  Street,   State  College  of  Boston 

Junior 
Loretta  Kontrim,   formerly  pari/-tiiTie  Par- 
ker Hill,   Emriianuel,   Junior 
Mary  Anne  O'Hare,   formerly  part-time 

Washington  Village,  State  College  of 

Boston,   Sophomore 
Joseph  Scannell,   formerly  part-time 

Central  Charging  Records,  State  College 

of  Boston,   Freshman 
Lorraine  I'Jhitkens,   formerly  part-time 

South  Boston,   State  College  of  Boston, 

Senior 

POLICY  CHANGE 

We  have  had  recently  a  growing  number 
of  people  coming  into  the  Library  on 
short-term  full-time  erployment,   and  in 
the  light  of  this,   the  QJJESTION  TiARK 
regrets  that  it  is  going  to  have  to  re- 
vise its  policy  in  the  Personnel  Notes 
and  Who's  Hew?  coluiTins.     ITio's  New?  has 
been  growing  to  an  unmanageable  length 
for  the  Qil  staff,   and  we  have  also  felt 
that  because  it  has  become  so  long,   it 
is  hard  to  read  and  is  not  serving  its 
purpose.      I'e  are,    therefore,   going  to 
limit  the  Who '  s  New?   column  to  people 
entering  the  Library  as  permanent  eiroloy- 
ees,   and  to  those  short  term  employees 
who  return  for  a  second  full-time  oeriod. 
We  will  expand  the  Personnel  Motes   to 
give  brief  identification  of  each  new 
Co-op  or  other  short  term  employee.     We 
sincerely  regret  we  do  not  have  time  and 
space  to  continue  our  former  policy. 

TfMO'S  MEl'J? 

i'lrs.   liargaret  H.  Zindler,  torches ter, 
is  a  graduate  of  ELnira  College,  receiving 
her  BA  in  English.  After  a  year  at  Hough- 
ton Mifflin's  Elementary  Education  De- 
partment, she  joins  the  staff  as  a  pre- 
professional  interested  in  Children's 
work.  Her  hobby  is  reading  and  she  will 
have  plenty  of  it  when  she  goes  to  Simmons 
in  the  fall. 

Sheila  A,  Sinclair,  Kirstein,  is 
currently  attending  Si'imons,  She  grad- 
uated from  Emmanuel  with  a  major  in  French. 
.  Sheila  noiii  lives  in  Melrose,  where  she 
•moved  from  Washington.  Her  hobbies  in- 
I  elude  reading,  dancing  and  sports  in 
, season. 


'kr 


Another  new  member  of  the  staff  at  Kir- 
stein  is  John  W.  Bouchea.  Fresh  out  of 
Boston  College  High,  John  is  quite  new  to 
the  field  but  he  likes  it  enough  to  be 
around  for  awhile.  His  sports  interests 
are  mainly  in  baseball  and  football. 

EHGAGEI^'IEMT 

i'lary  Casey,  Book  Stack  Service,  to 
Thomas  KcAlemey  of  Roxbury,  on  llaj'-  26 
(her  birthday) 

NW  BABY 


Alton  Dunlop  arrived  at  the  home  of  the 
Thomas  Hegartys  on  May  10.  Tom  formerly 
worked  in  several  departments  of  the  Lib- 
rary including  Statistical,  Central  Charg- '  in  Maiden,  the  radiant  couple  left  for  a 


LJIJCHEON  ■. 

About,  30   people  attended  a  luncheon  in 
honor  of  Joan  Sughrue,  observing  her 
approaching  marriage,  on  Friday,  June  2, 
■.  at  the  Oxford  Steak  House.  Joan  heard 
;  "best  wishes"  from  many  of  her  friends, 

■  including  the  Officers- in-Charge.  After 
' her  honeymoon,  she  is  planning  to  come 

;  back  to  the  Abbey  Room. 

AMD  ^^TEDDING  BELLS 

On  June  10,  Joan  Sughrue,  Division  of 

■  Reference  and  Research,  married  Lawrence 
jSavignano  at  a  Nuptial  liass  in  St.  John 
JThe  Evangelist  Church,  North  Cambridge. 

Following  their  reception  at  the  Kernwood 


ing  and  Periodical  and  Newspaper. 

'GASTRO  AND  THE  NAVY 

FINALLY  cooperated  with  Esther  Chute's 
(formerly  Periodical  and  Newspaper)  wed- 
ding plans  after  suddenly  cancelling  her 
May  date.  Her  marriage  to  Lt.  (jg) 
Strafford  Morss  USNR  took  place  on  June  8 
at  vhe  First  Parish  Church  in  Brookline, 
with  a  garden  reception  at  her  Brookline 


: Jamaica  Honeymoon,  They  will  make  their 
■(home  in  North  Cambridge  upon  their  return. 

I 

•  WHY  DON'T  WE  ...? 


■  Exercise  a  little  more  supervision  ovLer 
'new  workers,  especially  with  oversize 
1  crews  coming  in  for  the  summer?  The  noise 
iof  teenage  chatter  drifting  out  to  the 
j Courtyard  gives  an  unfavorable  impression 
■of  \-ihat   library  "work"  involves. 


home  following  the  ceremony, 
living  near  Newport  R.I. 

SOKETHlNQ  IN  THE  AIR? 


They  will  be  ' 


There  are  days  when  things  just  happen- 
for  example  May  I7  when  Dave  O'Keefe  fell 
on  the  stairs  and  damaged  his  ankle. 

Shortly  thereafter  a  branch  employee 


arrived  at  City  Hospital  with  . 
foot. 

Third  victim  was  a  Library  Aide  in 
Music,  also  with  an  injured  foot, 

I-IATER  ^'-^ATER 

"•ell,  almost  everywhere.  After  the 
gusher  in  the  women's  kitchen  came  in, 
we  found  a  new  bubbler  being  installed 
in  the  lobby,  with  the  innovation  of  a 
little  children's  level  in  addition  to  the 
higher  bubbler,  which  will  relieve  a  lot 
of  worry  about  the  tiny  ones  falling  off 
the  high  block  (or  being  pushed).  Ue  hear 
that  four  were  to  be  installed  on  the 
various  floors,  but  there  is  still  none 
showing  on  the  second  floor  level  where 
so  many  want  it.  Need  we  write  another 
letter  to  Santa? 


1  Have  soap  or  soap  dispenser  and  towels 
iin  each  of  the  broom  closets  next  to  the 
jfront  elevator?  Many  projects  dirt:/  the 
'hands  of  library  workers  and  much  time 
1  could  be  saved  if  soap,  water  and  towels 
!were  available  without  making  the  long 
jtrip  to  the  staff  lavatories.  Time  may 
!be  of  the  essence  especially  when  a 


a  damage<iminimum  staff  is  on  duty. 


j  Include  in  the  Open  Shelf  catalog,  cards 
jfor  all  "Branch  Issue  only"  books?  Most 
! titles  in  the  Central  Book  Stock  are 
iduplicated  in  the  Open  Shelf  collection, 
;but  when  Open  Shelf  discontinues  its  last 
!Copy  of  a  title  and  removes  the  catalog 
(cards,  there  is  no  longer  any  public 
'record  showing  that  the  Library  still  owns 
ja  copy  in  the  B.I.  collection. 


CREDIT  UNION  HOURS 


Longer  office  hours  have  been  arranged 
which  were  effective  May  8,  at  the  Credit 
iUnion  Office,  Room  37,  City  Hall.  The 
Inew  hours  are  9  to  i|  daily. 


-5- 


RETIRK.SiV'TS 
Alberta  P.  Kneeland 

Miss  Kneeland  retired  from  the  Library 
on  Hay  31  after  nearly  }0   years'  service. 
She  came  to  the  Library  in  1931  and  for 
the  past  l5  years  had  been  in  the  ilusic 
Department.  From  April  195U  until  August 
i960  she  was  Assistant  in  Charge.  Her 
good  spirits,  generosity,  quick  -wit,  and 
ready  repartee  are  a  source  of  delight 
to  all  who  know  her.  Her  Associates  miss 
her  merry  ways,  her  keen  appraisal  of 
people,  and  her  devotion  to  her  work. 

Miss  Kneeland  loves  books  and  music 
and  people.  'Je  know  that  she  will  con- 
tinue to  give  pleasure  and  comfort  to 
others  and  we  wish  for  her  an  abundance 
of  good  reading  and  practising  -  she  is 
a  keen  violinist  -  and  much  happiness  in 
the  years  to  come, 

ROBERT  P.  GIDDINGS 

Mary  Alice  McCarthy 


from  former  staffers,  from  as  far  distant 
as  Texas.  She  also  read  an  original  poem 
which  recalled  some  of  the  high  points  of 
the  library's  history,  and  rranpged  to  men- 
tion all  iv3B  staff  members  who  were  pre- 
sent, and  a  few  who  weren't. 

Our  gift  to  I'iiss  /icCarthy  was  a  com- 
plete breakfast  set  of  blue-and-xiihite 
earthenware  for  her  new  cot+age  at  Kenne- 

[  bunk.  Plus  a  Westinghouse  electric  coffee 
percolator. 

In  her  note  of  thanks,  Miss  McCarthy 
said,  in  part:  "...It  was  a  real  joy  for 
me  to  see  so  many  former  colleagues,  all 

.  of  whom  contributed  to  making  my  years  at 

'  KBB  such  happy  ones. 

■  'J\s  ^•'fLnifred  called  the  roll  in  her 

;  delightful  poem  and  I  saw  each  one  in 

■  memorj"-,  I  realized  how  fortunate  I  have 

.  been  to  have  worked  with  so  many  wonder- 
•  ful  people  through  the  years.  It  has 

■  indeed  been  a  great  privilege. . . " 

;   Miss  I'IcCarthy's  associates  also  feel 
!  that  they  have  been  privileged. 

I 

!  iainifred  f.  root 


Surprise  parties  are  not  always  surpris-j 
es,  but  ilarj'-  Alice  McCarthy  was  truly  sur-  j 
prised  when,  on  May  18,  she  went  to  the  ' 
Smorgasbord  on  Province  Street,  to  join  a  .; 

few  friends  for  dinner.  She  found  thirty-!  service  in  the  Library,  Delia  Leonard, 
three  staff  and  former  staff  members  ga- 


D'eli^  A.  Leonard 
Honoring  her  almost  thirty  years  of 


thered  to  greet  her. 

I'lien  the  Kirstein  Business  Branch  was 
opened  in  1930,  Miss  McCarthy  was  lured 
away  from  Stone  and  Webster  to  organize 


j  Library  Cleaner,  was  given  a  double  sur- 
;  prise  on  ilay  16  by  her  co-workers  and 
1  friends.  On  the  way,  as  she  thought,  to 
I  lunch  at  a  cafeteria,  her  companion  per- 


suaded her  to  stand  a 


treat  at  the  Dar- 
little  coaxing  but 


the  catalog.  Even  before  the  library  was  '  bury  Room.  It  took  a 
opened,  she  had  started  to  catalog  the     they  \ient   in  and  uiss  Leonard  was  quite 
beginning  of  the  collection.  Through  the  ;  overwhelmed  to  find  about  thirty  of  her 
years,  the  catalog  was  prLmarily  the  pro- 
duct of  her  work,  judgment,  and  know-howj 


friends  gathered  to  greet  her  and  present 
her  with  a  lovely  corsage,  A  delicious 
a  catalog  completely  functional,  constant-'  luncheon  was  served  and  for  dessert,  an- 


ly  adapted  to  needs  developed  in  daily 
use.  It  contributed  greatly  to  the  re- 
putation for  efficient  reference  service 
which  the  Business  Branch  soon  earned. 
It  was  especially  gratifying  that  so 


!  other  surprise:  a  huge  birthday  cake,  the 
'work  of  a  master  of  the  art,  which  iliss 
I  Leonard  had  the  honor  of  cutting  and 


!  serving. 
'   John  J, 


Connolly  spoke  and  thanked  idss 


many  staff  members  who  served  in  the  firstj  Leonard  for  her  many  years  of  faithful 
years,  returned  to  greet  iiiss  McCarthy  on  \  service  to  the  Library,''  and  presented  her 


the  occasion  of  her  retirement,  and  to 
enjoy  a  reunion. 


i with  a  Durse  in  appreciation,  iass 
i  Leonard  expressed  her  thanks  briefly 


After  a  dinner  of  smorgasbord,  followed  ,■  with  a  full  heart.  It  was  an  enjoyable 


by  fried  chicken  and  desert,  Bradford  H. 
Hill  gave  a  short  speech,  which  showed 
that  he  had  been  doing  some  homework. 
Miss  McCarthj',  who  had  had  no  opportunity 
for  homework,  responded  with  a  few  im- 
promptu remarks. 

TJinifred  Root  read  greetings  received 


■  party  filled  with  reminiscences  and  good 
wishes  for  Miss  Leonard  in  the  years 
ahead. 

For  the  success  of  this  party,  the 
committee,  headed  by  ilary  Sands,  deserves 
credit  for  a  job  ytall   done. 


-6- 


MARY  U.  NICHOLS  AUARDS    '  ; 

Janet  Nicosia  was  the  "North  Snd  girl" 
and  Salvator  Caruso,  the  "North  End  boy" 
"who  in  their  senior  year  at  a  North  End 
High  School  have  excelled  in  English. " 
As  a  result,  they  were  the  guests  of 
honor  at  the  thirteenth  annual  presenta- 
tion of  the  iiary  U.   Nichols  Book  Prize 
Awards  which  took  place  at  North  End  on 
iiay  eighteenth. 

The  highlight  of  the  evening  for  them 
was  the  presentation  by  Hilton  E.  Lord, 


: to  her  work  as  Branch  Librarian  at  North 
End. 

SARAH  M.  USHKR 

MORE  ON  STUDEl'IT  USE 

The  worst  part  of  the  student  use  prob- 
lem has  doubtless  vanished  temporarily 
with  the  closing  of  schools,  and  we  have 
high  hope  that  the  capable  Council  study- 
ing this  problem  will  provide  some  means 
of  coping  more  simply  x^ith  our  problems 
before  the  school  use  rush  starts  in  the 


Director  of  the  Boston  Public  Libi-ary,  of  fall, 
two  handsomely  bound  volumes  containing     We  had  hoped  there  would  be  some  par- 
special  bookplates,  designed  by  Arthur  ¥.  tial  alleviation  of  conditions  under  waj^, 
Heintselman,  Keeper  of  Prints,  Emeritus,  !  between  the  time  our  "Student  Use"  issue 
to  symbolize  Miss  Nichol's  work  with      was  published  in  ilay  I96O,  and  the  fall 
puppets.  Janet  had  chosen  THE  COMPLETE   I96O  school  opening.  It  is  now  a  year 
1-DRKS  OF  i.ILLIA:;  SHAKESPEARE,  compiled  by"  later  and  school  use  has  increased 
Thomas  Mark  Parrot,  and  Salvator,  BOSTON:  considerably  during  this  school  season, 
A  TOPOGRAPHICAL  HISTORY,  by  l.falter  Muir   If  the  present  ratio  of  increase  contin- 
lohitehill.  ;  ues  during  the  coming  year,  the  situation 

Of  special  interest  this  year  was  the  ;  in  some  departments  will  be  crucial  in- 
coincidence  that  the  author  of  the  history  deed, 
of  Boston  was  also  the  cloief  speaker  of  ;  a- 


the  evening — a  "first"  in  the  history  of  1 
these  awards,  iir.  lihitehill  gave  an     ! 
informative  and  authoritative  account  of 
the  development  of  the  North  End  Section  ' 
of  Boston,  ending  i^jith  an  expression  of  ■ 
hope  that  the  projected  re- development  of!  copy. 
Boston  will  not  destroy  completely  tlie 
unique  atmosphere  of  this  colorful  area. 

For  the  fourth  consecutive  year, 
Robert  Castagnola  presided.  Accordian 
solos  were  ably  rendered  by  Richard  Di 


Six  English  classes  from  Boston  English 
were  assigned  a  map  of  Odysseus'  travels. 
The  boys  seemed  to  have  no  idea  where  to 
look  and  some  begged  the  staffs  of  General 
Reference  and  History  to  give  them  one  to 


I   Man,y  last-minute  book  reviews  were 
J  in  demand  in  Periodical.  In  many  cases, 
;  delivery  of  the  bound  volujnes  brought  an 
:  almost  immediate  complaint  to  the  Desk 


Perna  of  Christopher  Columbus  Pligh  School;  that  "every  book  review  I  send  for  has 
and  the  closing  remarks  were  made  with   [  been  torn  out. " 
compelling  sincerity  by  Fr.  Aengus  Quin- 
lan,  O.F.M.,  of  the  same  school. 

Members  of  the  staff  and  of  the  Young 
Adults  Council  acted  as  hosts  and  host- 
esses throughout  the  evening.  Delicious 
refreshments  were  served  during  the  so- 
cial hour  which  followed  the  program. 
The  punch  bowls  were  presided  over  by 
iirs.  Dario  Caruso,  a  North  End  mother, 
and  Sarah  ii.  Usher,  a  friend  of  Mary  U. 
Nichols.  During  this  period  it  was  pos- 
sible to  chat  with  Iirs.  Geraldine  S. 
Herrick,  the  present  Branch  Librarian, 


■   The  LA'.;IRENCS  EAGLE  of  May  2k,   carried 
j  a  long  account  of  a  meeting  held  between 
school  and  library  oificials,  and  members 
,  of  the  Student  Council  Library  Study  Com- 
'.  raittee  in  Reading,  concerning  the  Decera- 
;  ber  ban  on  all.  student  use  of  the  lib- 
\  rary  for  study  after  7  p.m.  The  ban  re- 
f  mained  unresolved  although  a  solution  is 
'  hoped  for  soon  a  f ter  school  opening  in 
:  September. 

i   An  analysis  of  the  high  s  choal  library 
;  use  questionnaires  submitted  to  the  stud- 
who  had  extended  a  cordial  welcome  at  the'  ent  body  was  included  in  the  account.  Of 
beginning  of  the  evening  and  who  is      :  major  interest  to  our  staff  is  the  state- 
carr^ring  on  ably  and  effectively  in  the  '  ment  of  l5/|-  pupils  that  they  have  had  to 
tradition  of  Mary  U.  Nichols,  who  from   |  use  the  facilities  of  public  libraries 
I9I1I  to  I9I4.9   had  brought  her  own  special  ,  of  other  communities,  including  Boston, 
warmth  ana  friendliness,  combined  with 
strength  of  character  and  high  courage. 


"DID  kmom  EVER  ASK  YDtJ  "mmT  'T'.Tf  TOOKS  TOTT»D  TAKK  ..." 


-8- 


MASSACHUSETTS  LIBRARY  ASSOCIATION 

The  Annual  Meeting  of  the  IILA  took  place 
at  the  Belmont  Hotel,  West  Harwich,  June 
8-9.  Mrs,  Martha  Usher  I'Jhite,  President 
of  the  Cape  Cod  Library  Club  welcomed  the 
members. 

Under  the  very  able  direction  of  Mrs, 
Muriel  Javelin,  the  unusual  program  of 
this  meeting  was  very  productive  and  re- 
warding. 

Instead  of  the  usual  round  of  speakers, 
the  w  hole  conference  was  based  on  the 
case  method  now  being  used  in  library 
science  courses  at  Simmons  College.  With 
the  cooperation  of  Kenneth  Shaffer  (Dir- 
ector of  the  School  of  Library  Science 
and  of  the  College  Libraries,  Simmons) 
several  cases  on  problems  of  book  selec-  ; 
tion  were  made  available  for  use  at  this  [ 
meeting.  ; 

Participants  were  divided  into  small 
groups  according  to  their  interest  areas,  i 
(adult,  young  adult,  children,  hospital,  | 
and  college).  The  case  provided  a  mean-  ; 
ingf ul  device  around  which  principles  and ; 
practices  of  book  selection  were  explored; 
with  profit.  Although  some  groups  were 
larger  than  had  been  expected,  most  people 
participated  actively  in  the  discussion. 

Each  case  was  not  meant  to  be  "solved"  I 
but  to  clarify  the  issues  involved  and  to  | 
show  directions  that  thinking  might  take  | 
should  a  similar  problem  occur  in  actual 
practice, 

RM 

Keynote  Address 

The  Keynote  Address  was  delivered  by 
Mrs.  Grace  T,  Stevenson,  Deputy  Executive 
Director,  ALA. 

Speaking  on  "The  Main  Chance"  Mrs. 
Stevenson  observed  that  the  main  chance 
for  librarians  to  make  their  mark  was  in 
the  field  of  Book  Selection,  She  indica- 
ted that  there  is  a  necessity  for  a  re- 
examination of  our  book  selection  pol- 
icies to  determine  if  these  are  adequate 
to  cope  with  current  needs. 

She  set  forth  certain  specifications 
which  were  vital  to  an  effective  book 
selection  policy; 

1.  A  comprehension  of  what  a  library 
should  be  with  emphasis  on  the  library 
as  a  source  of  education. 

2.  ■'■iho  is  the  library  going  to  serve? 
To  answer  this  requires  a  knowledge  of 
the  community  and  its  needs.  A  vital 


book  collection  should  reflect  our  chang- 
ing times. 

3,  How  is  the  libr'ary  going  to  be  used? 

I4..   The  library  must  stand  ready  to  offer 
any  new  or  unusual  services  that  will  help 
its  citizens  find  a  better  life.  It  has 
an  obligation  to  the  people  who  pay  for 
the  services  to  keep  them  fully  informed 
of  the  facilities  that  are  available  for 
their  use. 

5.  The  development  of  regional  coopera- 
tion among  libr';ries  is  a  necessary  ad- 
junct to  improved  services. 

6.  The  librarian  has  the  responsibility 
of  maintaining  the  freedom  to  read. 

In  concluding  her  remarks,  Mrs.  Stev- 
enson emphasized  the  fact  that  the  dis- 
sipation of  any  unfavorable  image  of  the 
librarian  rests  with  the  librarian. 

WILLIAM  CASET 

As  there  were  far  too  many  discussion 
groups  to  be  adequately  covered  for  this 
paper,  we  give  resumes  of  a  few,  as  ex- 
amples, lie  regret  we  were  unable  to  pro- 
vide full  coverage.  Participating  as 
leaders  or  recorders  were  BPLers :  Ervin 
J.  Gaines,  Virginia  Haviland,  Kathleen  B. 
Hegarty,  M.  Jane  Manthome,  Rose  Moora- 
chian,  Bridie  P.  Stotz,  B.  Gertrude  'lade. 

Young  Adults 

There  were  two  young  adult  groups,  one 
led  by  M.  Jane  Manthome  (Readers  Advisor 
for  Young  Adults)  with  Rose  Hoorachian 
(Mattapan)  recording,  and  the  other  led 
by  Mrs.  Bridie  Stotz  (Adams  Street)  with 
Mrs.  Louise  Newsom  (Brockton  Public  Lib- 
rary) recording. 

The  young  adult  case  concerned  a  mother 
who  , was  quite  disturbed  when  she  discover- 
ed by  accident  that  her  16  year  old  dau- 
ghter had  been  allowed  to  take  John  Stein- 
beck's THE  GRAPES  OF  WRATH  from  the  public 
library.  She  wrote  a  letter  to  the  head 
of  the  Board  of  Trustees  who  sent  it  with 
a  casual  note  to  the  librarian.  Unsatis- 
fied with  the  reply  from  the  librarian 
who  cited  the  library's  policy  of  not 
"censoring"  materials  patrons  wished  to 
borrow,  the  mother  wrote  a  letter  to  the 
local  newspaper  saying  that  she  would  burn 
the  book  publicly  unless  she  was  given  an 
explanation  and  an  apology  from  the  Trus- 
tee. 

Each  group  discussed  many  facets  of 
this  case  for  two  hours  on  Thursday,  Fri- 
day a  joint  discussion  of  both  groups 


-9- 


carried  the  discussion  further.  formulation  of  a  Book  Selection  Policy 

The  main  points  cited  were  that  both   approved  by  the  idrector  and  2o>Trd  of 
the  trustee  and  the  librarian  had  failed  -Trustees,  the  wide  dissemination  of  this 
to  gauge  the  importance  of  the  mother's   policy  so  that  it  is  known  to  all  segments 
original  complaint.  Poor  communication   'of  the  community,  and  so  that  the  reasons 
between  the  librarian  and  the  mother  had  .underlying  it  may  become  known  also.  Pub- 
resulted  in  irritating  her  even  more.     lie  relations  media  such  as  the  Denver 
Most  people  felt  that  the  librarian      'Public  Librar;;-'s  pamphlet  pARTNJS  IN  ED- 
should  have  had  a  personal  talk  with  the  UCATION  might  be  worthy  of  imitation  and 

■distribution  elsewhere. 

ilany  related  problems  such  as  policy  in 
regard  to  series  books,  gifts  to  the  Lib- 
,rary  etc.,  were  also  introduced.  In  each 
.case  the  participants  emphasized  the  need 
for  maintaining  high  standards  in  the 
quality  and  content  of  our  book  collection 
in  order  to  foster  development  of  dis- 
paper  to  present  their  side  of  the  issue,  criminating  readers,  who  read  for  pleasure 
One  group  pointed  out  that  although  the   as  well  as  information,  to  develop  in- 
book  was  on  a  high  school  reading  list  andsights  of  mind  ana  spirit^  thus  enriching 
available  in  the  high  school  library,  the  their  imagination,  forming  taste  and 
mother  was  attacking  only  the  public  lib- '.character  through  exposure  to  these  in- 
rary  and  that  this  might  indicate  a  great-ifluences  in  books  of  artistic  and  liter- 
er  prestige  of  the  teacher  and  the s chool  ary  merit, 

in  the  community.  Parents  responsibility'  ANNE  ARi-iSTROWG 

for  their  children's  reading  was  a nother 

issue  mentioned  in  the  discussion,  al-   ;      Trustee  -  Librarian  Relations 
though  there  was  not  enough  time  for  a  — — 

full  exploration.   The  tangent  issue  of  ;  Under  the  topic.  Trustee  -  Public  lib- 
whether  or  not  the  public  library  should  'rarian  relationships  in  book  selection 


mother  at  that  point,  A  written  book 
selection  policy  that  could  be  cited  in 
cases  like  this  one  would  have  helped 
also.  The  library's  public  relations 
seemed  to  be  at  fault  in  that  the  paper 
did  not  check  with  the  library  before 
publishing  the  mother's  letter  nor  did 
the  library  get  in  touch  with  the  news- 


be  required  to  provide  all  books  on  a 
school  reading  list  provided  some  lively 
moments , 

The  group  felt  as  a  whole  that  even 
though  there  had  been  disagreement  on 
specific  points  and  the  case  vas  not 
really  "solved",  each  participant  had 
learned  a  great  deal, 

ROSE  MOORACHIAN 

Children ' s 


jsituations,    the  case  study  method  used  in 
"evaluating  book  selection  policy  was  the 
."Fisher  ^lethod",   so-called  because  of  an 
i article  by  Dorothy  C.   Fisher  relating  how 
.the  actual  decisions  as  to  what  books 
jwere  to  be  added  to  the  library's  collec- 
1 tion  were  made  by  a  group  of  trustees  in 
•a  town  of  1[|00  in  Vennont.     This  article 
served  as     ammunition  for  one  of  the 
trustees  in  a  community  of  I).7,0^0. 
i      The  varied  and  highly  representative 
I  discussion  group  went  quic  vly  to  the  heart 
,of  the  matter.     Obviously,  book  selection 
,;was  not  being  done  properly.     The  basic 
difficulty  was  the  librarian,   limited,   in- 
adequate,  kow-towing  to  trustees,   and  es- 
pecially to  her  trustee  -  book  committee 
■of  two,   partisan,  parochial,   interested 
The  trustees  were  also 


The  Children's  Librarians,  in  two 
groups,  discussed  the  iiipact  of  school 
assignments  on  their  book  selection  pol- 
icies. Capable  leaders  were  our  Readers 
Advisor,  Virginia  Haviland,  and  a  former 
BPL  member,  Hope  Brown,  now  of  the  i'lass- 
achusetts  Division  of  Library  Extension,    •'in  sociability. 

In  short  order  the  consensios  was  reach-, at  fault  -  for  permitting  the  situation 
ed  that  it  just  is  not  feasible  or  prac-    1  to  continue,   for  no n- enforcement  of  the 
tical  for  the  Public  Library  to  attempt     ; written  book  selection  policy,   for  general 
to  provide  from  its  limited  budget,   an       'misinterpretation  of  their  function, 
increasing  number  of  books  solely  to  sat-       The  group  was  aided  in  possible  solu- 
is'fy  the  demand  for  numerous   (in  one  caseations  by  the  second  part  of  the  case  study 
ten!)   sources  of  information  (exclusive       in  which  a  trained,   forceful,   diplomatic 
of  encyclopedias)   on  a  given  subject.  'young  man  was  favorably  interviewed  by  the 

Solutions   to   this  problem  included  the   ' trustees  for  the  directorship.     How  would 

he  deal  with  the  existing  situation?     He 


-10- 


could  appoint  a  book  committee  from  the 
staffj  have  the  trustees  purely  in  an  ad-    ; 
vxsory  capacity]  have  joint  coraraittee  of 
staff  and  trustees;   present  a  list  and 
stand  one's   ground j  wean  away  the  helpful    j 
citizens   to  another  committee,     riost  im- 
portant of  all,  he  could  educate  his   trus- 
tees -  build  up  confidence  in  the  librarian 

General  conclusions   reached  were  as 
follows:   the  trustees   are  responsible  for    ; 
the  library  and  its  holdings,   its  broad        ' 
concepts  of  policy.     One  of  their  most 
important  functions  is   to  select  a  com- 
petent,  professional  librarian,  who  will      j 
work  with  the  trustees,   not  for  them.     A      ; 
written  book  selection  policy  worked  out 
and  enforced  by  trustees   and  librarian  is    : 
highly  desirable.     In  short,    trustees  \ 

bring  broad     perspectives   to  things,  while; 
the  role  of  the  librarian  is   telescopic.      , 

ENC  i 

Film  Session  j 

Participating  in  the  Thursday  evening  ' 
panel  discussion  on  "The  Library  and  Filras  | 
Selection?  Censorship?"  Tere:  Robert  E.  ; 
oegal,  Executive  Director,  Jewish  Goronun-  | 
ifcy  Council  of  Metropolitan  Boston;  Mrs.  ; 
Grace  T.  Stevenson,  Deputy  Executive  Dir-  i 
ectoj.-,.  ALA;  Dr.  iielvin  Brodshaug,  Dean  of  j 
the  School  of  Public  Relations  and  Coramuni-{ 
catj.ons,  Boston  University,  and  Marshall  , 
Kaplan,  Teacher  of  History,  Milton  Academy^ 
Dr.  Malcolm  S.  Knowles,  Associate  Profess-- 
or  of  Adult  Education,  Boston  University,  ' 
acted  as  moderator.  ' 

Serving  as  a  springboard  for  discussion  ' 
of  general  film  selection  principles  and  , 
representing  an  example  of  controversial  , 
material,  was  the  motion  picture  OPEllATION  ; 
ABOLITION.  This  film  has  aroused  mixed  ! 
reaction  because  of  its  presentation  of 
the  San  Francisco  rioting  which  accompanied 
the  House  Un-American  Activities  hearings  \ 
last  year.  j 

After  viewing  the  film,  the  panel  dis-  j 
cussed  the  responsibility  of  the  library  j 
to  provide  film  material  on  all  points  of  ! 
view,  and  to  indicate  whether  a  film  is 
biased.  Because  films  have  a  special  and  / 
subtle  impact,  it  was  considered  especially 
important  to  determine  their  factual  accur-1 
acy.  Technical  quality  was  emphasized  as  ; 
another  important  criteria.  The  panel  '. 
completed  its  discussion  (which  included 
audience  participation)  with  a  general  ' 
agreement  that  a  film  should  never  be  ; 
censored  out  of  a  collection  merely  because 


of  its  point  of  view. 

Kii-Txa,-EM  3.  HEGAP.Tr 

Installation 

At  the  luncheon  meeting  on  Friday,  Mrs. 
iiuriel  Javelin  was  installed  as  President 
of  the  Massachusetts  Librarj'  Association 
for  the  coming  year.  We  join  all  the 
members  of  MLA  in  wishing  Mrs.  Javelin 
a  distinguished  term  of  office  inarked 
by  the  same  kind  of  constructive,  for- 
ward looking  guidance  that  marked  the 
successful  Meeting  so  many  of  us  enjoyed, 

YOUIC  ADULTS  START  SUl-lnER  READING 

Young  adults  come  to  Open  Shelf  from 
all  parts  of  the  city  and  adjacent  areas 
to  find  books  for  summer  reading.  In 
the  Young  Adult  section  they  will  find, 
shelves  reserved,  where  books  on  their 
lists  have  been  assembled  to  facilitate 
service  and  give  the  prospective  readers 
a  chance  to  look  over  the  books  before 
making  a  choice.   A  few  schools  regularly 
send  copies  of  their  lists  to  the  Young 
Adult  section;  others  are  contributed  - 
sometimes  laboriously  copied  for  us  -  by 
generous  young  patrons.   Books  are  daily 
being  collected  from  all  sections  of  Ooen 
Shelf,  including  the  Children's  Room. 
Even  this  early,  boys  and  girls  from 
Boston  College  High,  both  latin  schools. 
Catholic  Memorial,  Cathedral,  St.  Thomas 
Aquinas,  Roxbuiy  Latin,  Fontbonne,  Brim- 
mer-May, Beaver  Country  Day  and  others 
have  walked  hopefully  into  Open  Shelf, 
the  LIST  in  hand.  Mith  the  whole  staff 
aiding  and  abetting,  it  is  hoped  that 
every  boy  and  girl  will  have  fulfilled 
his  requirements  before  Labor  Day,  with 
some  maybe  more  pleasant  wanderings  in 
other  books  along  the  way. 

HELEN  N.  BIGKFGRD 

MISSING  jflKE 

Something  is  missing  in  the  courtyardj 
The  flowers  are  blooming  brightly  and 
there  are  men  at  work  setting  out  plants 
and  keeping  this  little  rectangle  a 
beauty  spot.  But,  the  familiar  figure  of 
Mike  Sullivan  -  whose  "green  thimib" 
brought  this  one-time  barren  spot  to  life 
a  few  years  ago  -  is  missing.  The  ques- 
tion is  comstantly  asked,  "Viihere's  Mike 
Sullivan  this  year?"  It  is  the  hope  of 
his  many  friends  that  his  health  is  im- 


-11- 


[jioving  so  that  he  will  be  back  in  "his" 
courtyai'd  b^^fore  too  many  more  days  have 
Passed. 


I'-iRS.  MRY 


DIETRICKSON 


she  zealously  developed  in  its  early  days 
,goes  on  -  givj.ng  testinonj'-  to  the  solid 
•work  01  foundation  and  organization  on 
her  part, 

MIiGARET  M.  MCUOVEFd\i 

The  death  of  Mrs.  iiary  V.  Dietrickson  on 
Tuesday,  June  6,  ended  a  career  of  extra-  .  We  were  saddened  to  learn  of  the  death 
ordinary  accomplishment  in  library  service^of  Margaret  n.   PIcGovern  on  May  21.  Many 
We  of  the  Boston  Public  Library  remember  .of  us  remember  her  as  a  cheerful  energetic 
her  as  the  organizer  and  first  librarian   person  who  loved  to  travel  and  had  an  ex- 
of  the  idrstein  Business  Branch,  the  cap-  tensive  collection  of  china  elenhants. 
stone  of  a  long  and  distinguished  career.  !  Miss  McGovern  first  entered  the  library 

She  prepared  for  her  work  at  the  Univer- | service  an  an  extra  at  Charlestown,  She 
sity  of  l^isconsin,  graduating  from  the    'held  degrees  from  Salem  Normal  and  Sii.im.ons 
Library  School  in  19'J9j  was  Public  Librar-  [College. 

ian  at  ^'ausau  Wisconsin  1910;  Assistant   ;  She  began  her  professional  career  in 
Reference  Librarian,  Denver  Public  Library jjl9l6,  serving  at  Charlestown,  Weponset 
1911;  Assistant  Legislative  Reference     -and  then  at  Memorial  from  July  1938  until 
Librarian  of  ^'dsconsin  State  Library,     jher  retirement  in  April  1952. 
I912-I9IL1-I  organized  and  was  the  Librarian' 


of  the  Business  and  Municipal  Branch  of 
the  Minneapolis  Public  Library,  I9II4.-I927. 
ITien  her  husband  was  named  professor  at 
hIT,  they  carae  to  Boston  and  she  was  Ref- 
erence Assistant,  Baker  Library  (Harvard 
Business  School),  1927-28. 

Her  association  with  the  3PL  began  in 


THE  SOCIAL  BEi'JEFITS  OF  THE  BFLSA? 

Several  times  a  year  the  members  of  the 
3PLSA  are  invited  to  social  gatherings. 
Along  with  enjoying  a  stimulating  program. 


■we  get  a  chance  to  know  each  other,  leaving 
'aside  the  b?rriers  of  rank,  department, 
x929  when  she  was  named  Chief  of  the  Stat- ; and  division,  to  exchange  ideas,  pro- 
istical  Department,  She  was  assigned  to   :fessional  or  otherwise,  and  to  swap  those 
the  work  of  organizing  the  Kirstein  Busi-  .!diets  we're  starting  to-morrow,  while 
ness  Branch,  the  generous  gift  of  Louis  E.  i relishing  the  delicious  refreshments 
Kirstein,  which  opened  in  I93O.  The  ven-  , served  by  the  Entertainment  Committee, 
ture  was  a  success  from  the  start  and  it  ji^lhy  not  join  the  Staff  Association  and  get 
soon  became  the  busiest  library  of  its    jbetter  acquainted? 
type,  in  terms  of  people  served,  in  the   i  OLLIE  PARTRIDGE 

country-.  As  Business  Branch  Librarian,   j  Member  of  the  Membership 

I"Irs.  Dietrickson  won  the  praise  of  all  \<iho[  and  Hospitality  Coramit- 

used  the  library,  for  she  and  her  staff   !  tee 

never  gave  up  on  a  question.  She  had  an  j 

exceptional  power  of  systematic  organiza-  ,       CHARLES  RIVER  LIBRARY  CLUB 
tion.   "To  be  useful,  the  information  must! 
be  ready  when  it  is  wanted, "  j  An  invitation  has  been  received  for  the 

She  was  proud  of  her  staff  and  the  ef-   jStaff  Association  by  our  President  from 
forts  they  made  to  learn  as  many  business  'Elizabeth  J,  Hodges,  President  of  the 
subjects  as  possible  in  order  to  give     ICharles  River  Library  Club,  inviting  the 
better  service.   Anyone  seriously  seeking  Jstaff  of  the  BPL  to  join  this  regional 
information  was  helped  as  much  as  resourceSlibrary  club, 

allowed.  During  the  depression,  every    j  Present  annual  dues  are  seventy-five 
source  of  employment  was  compiled  by  the   'cents  per  member,  although  a  raise  to 


staff,  and  this  was  much  appreciated  by 
those  seeking  work.  After  VJorld  War  II, 
returning  veterans  were  greatly  aided  in 
their  search  for  business  opportunities. 


jone  dollar  is  to  be  voted  on  at  the  Fall 

^meeting. 

;   The  club  meets  twice  a  year,  fall  and 

jspring.  Its  membership  comes  from  many 


•^n  her  retirement  in  I9I4.8  she  remarked,  ilibraries  in  Greater  Boston.  Our  Director 


"If  I  was  going  to  start  over  again,  I'd 
take  up  the  saiae  kind  of  work,"  For  her 
the  work  was  important  -  and  it  is  a  rare 
tribute  to  her  achievement  that  the  work 


is  already  a  member,  and  the  club  would 
like  to  see  more  of  us  in  its  membership. 


-12- 


THEIR  BRAINS  ARE  SHO'.IMG.'  ■.  Open   Shelf 

June  is   the  month  of  graduates  as  well       Richard  Bowes,   Library  Aide,   Hyde  Park, 
as  brides,   and  with  graduations  go  honors,  won  a  partial  s cholarship  to  3oston  Univ- 
BPL  employees  did  rather  well,   as   this  ersity 

partial  list  will  show.      Next  month  we  -Hr 

will  print  those  we  did  not  hear  about  in  ;-^onald  Griffin,   Library  Aide,   Cathedral, 
tinie  for  this   issue,   if  you  will  notify  us^won  a  full  scholarship  to  Boston  College. 
Congratulations   to  you  all]  ; 

Periodical  and  Newsyiape r 

Hugh  Mci\feil,  Library  Aide,   Boston  College 
,High,   won  a  partical  scholarship  to  Boston 
College, 

Michael  V,    Casper,   Library  Aide,   Boston 
College  High,  member  of  the  Honor  Society, 
won  both  the  Gold  Medal  for  Classics  and 
the  First  Award  in  German. 

David  E.   Costs,   Library  Aide,  x:as  admitted 
to  the  Honor  Society  at  Boston  College 
High. 

Central  Charging  Records 

Arthur  Dii^iattea,    Boston  Latin  and  a  Lib- 
rary Aide,  s'p200  towards  collep:e  costs  at 
the  college  of  his  choice.     He  will  attend 
Boston  College. 

POOL  USE 

Another  courtyard  event  was  added  last 
Thursday  afternoon  to  the  list  of  un- 
expected events  surrounding  the  history 
of  our  fountain- pool.  -  the  furore  created 
by  Mclionniss  Bacchante,  the  shock  of  the 
staff  engendered  by  the  staff  member  who 

lOnce  held  an  after-hours  swiiriiing  and 
drinking  party,  destroying  newly  seeded 

' lawn  in  the  process  (he  was  an  ex  by  9 
a.m. )^  the  surprise  at  the  two  elderly 
ladies  who  removed  shoes  and  stockings 
and  daiigled  their  overheated  feet  to  cool, 
and  the  man  who  w?.shed  his  socks  therein  - 
when  two  small  boys,  aged  5  and  7,  and  a 

: girl  of  8,  decided  it  was  a  swimming  pool. 

i  ^liile  courtyard  readers  watched  in  envy, 

j  the  children  had  a  beautiful  time,  until 
first  a  Custodian,  then  an  Officer,  arriv- 
ed to  w  ring  out  their  clothes  (by  this 
time  the  5  year  old  was  delightfully  naked 
and  prancing  on  the  rim  of  the  pool)  and 
spoil  their  swim.  They  could  not  under- 
stand why  they  could  not  swim  there.  Per- 
haps it  should  be  permitted?  Staff  too? 


Mattapan 

James  Gallivan,  Library  Aide,  Boston  Latin 
has  won  a  five  hundred  dollar  scholarship 
to  Northeatern,  where  he  will  major  in 
chemistry. 

Rena  Fisher,  Jeremiah  Burke,  member  of  the 
National  Honor  Society,  winner  of  TIME 
current  events  contest,  has  won  a  four 
year  scholarship  of  six  hundred  dollars 
a  year  to  Boston  University's  College  of 
Liberal  Arts.  She  too  is  a  Library  Aide. 

Library  Aide  and  also  from  Jeremiah  Burke, 
Ann  Kuperman,  is  going  to  Newton  Junior 
College  where  she  will  major  in  sciences 
before  transferring  to  another  college 
■CO  prepare  for  a  career  in  biology  re- 
search. Ann  was  President  of  the  voca- 
tional Biology  Club,  a  member  of  the 
Senior  Advj.sory  Board,  and  won  Honors  in 
the  Convocation  in  Spanish  this  past  year. 
•it 

Barbara  Lee  Triber,  Library  Aide,  was 
Vice-President  of  the  Honor  Society  at 
Hyde  Park,  a  member  of  the  llattapan  Young 
Adults  Council,  and  won  two  scholarships. 
She  will  attend  Lesley  in  the  fall, 

■«■ 
jyiichael  Berman,  Library  Aide,  also  from 
Hyde  Park,  was  awarded  a  five  hundred 
dollar  scholarship  to  Northeastern. 

i\ 

Jean  Raczko,  Librarj''  Aide  and  Hyde  Park, 
received  a  Home  and  School  scholarship 
and  also  one  from  Emmanuel. 

Information  Office 


Diane  R.  Dondale,  BA  in  Social  Science,  • 
Emmanuel,  won  a  full  scholarship  to  St.  > 
Louis  University,  School  of  Social  Service^ 

a-  : 

Marian  McCarthy,  won  the  Perrin  Award  for  ,' 
excellence  in  German  at  Boston  University,! 
College  of  Liberal  Arts.  i 


using  a  huge  amount  (if  then) 
3.   causes  roughened  skin 
Please  can't  we  have  sorae  soap? 
ALLlGriTOR-SiaN  HAi^IDS 

Dear  Soapbox: 

Nothing  has  been  heard  from  the  Orien- 
tation Council.     Is  it  still  working,  or 

what? 

DISORIENTATED 

Dear  Editor: 

In  c  ase  no  one  has  noticed,  we  need 

more  room  here  and  there.  Since  the 

influx  of  staff,  it  is  getting  so  lunch- 

!  times  are  just  one  mad  scramble  for  seats 

I  in  the  Staff  Library,  lounges  and  Coffee 


:  Shop.  Ilhen  winter  comes,  w 
;  sters)  be  left  behind? 

BRUISED 


ill  we  (old- 


Any  contribution  to  the  Soap  Box  must 
be  accompanied  by  the  full  name  of  the 
Association  member  submitting  it,  to- 
gether with  the  name  of  the  Branch  Library, 
Department  or  Office  in  which  he  or  she   (Dear  Soap  Box: 

is  employed.  The  name  is  withheld  from   ;  T'^ien  the  new  water  bubblers  i;ere  ir-stal- 
publication,  or  a  pen  name  is  used,  if    jled  how  come  one  was  not  installed  on  the 
the  cor^tributor  so  requests.  Anonymous   'second  floor  convenient  to  bates  Hall,  our 
contributions  are  not  given  consideration.jMain  Reading  Room,  and  to  the  Public  Card 
The  author  of  the  article  is  known  only   | Catalog.  There  is  a  water  pipe  available 
to  the  Editor-in-Chief.  The  contents  of  fnear  the  elevator  and  the  bubbler  remo^ted 
the  articles  appearing  in  the  Soap  Box    '.from  the  first  floor  is  still  in  good 
are  oersonal  opinions  expressed  by  indiv-  jWorking  order.  I  am  sure  tiiat  both  public 
iduai  Association  members  and  their      land  staff  would  be  grateful  during  the 
appearance  does  not  necessarily  indicate  -long  hot  summ.er. 
that  the  Publications  Committee  and  the  '  HOT  AlID  DUoTI 

Association  are  in  agreement  with  the    ; 
views  expressed.   Only  those  contributions; Dear  Saopbox: 
containing  not  more  than  300  words  will     The  Personnel  Manual  (Section  313.01) 


be  accepted. 


states  there  are  12  1/2  scheduled  paid 
holidaj^s  annually |  included  in  the  list 

lis  June  17.  Yet,  June  1?  is  not  a  paid 

Dear  Editor:  i holiday  this  year.  If  some  other  Library 

Much  as  we  aporeciate  the  improvement   (rule  governs  this  situation,  then  it  con- 
in  the  Soap  Situation,  let  us  not  forget  jflicts  with  the  hanual. 
that  there  are  some  who  would  like  a  more  !  CONFUSED 

solid  cleanser.  Could  we  not  have  whole  j 
cakes  of  soap  at  the  sinks  that  are  un-  j 
crowned  with  a  liquid  dispenser? 

DIRTY^  ELBOWS 

Dear  Soap  Box: 

The  WHY  DON'T  '"E  ?...  column  last  month 


mentioned  the  lack  of  soap  in  the  staff 
quarters  and  requested  that  ground  soap 

be  dispensed  (in  the  dispensers  already  j 

installed  in  the  ladies'  powder  room  at  j 

least?)  if  full  size  cakes  could  not  be  ' 

supplied,  i-e  now  may  wash  -  which  is  an  [ 

improvement  -  but  the  liquid  soap:  I 

1.  smells  on  hands  for  hours  after  j 

2.  does  not  get  one  clean  without  t 


-,114-- 


ELECTION   CaiMITTUE 


Vera  L.  Cheves 

Mary  Colpas 

Ruth  Conroy 

Elizabeth  Drane 

Harold  Hammond 

Edward  J.  Montana,  Chairman 

WOMIMhTING  COMiTTTKE 

Rhoda  Blacker 

Barbara  Coffey 

Elinor  Conley 

Corinne  Henderson 

Lloyd  Jameson 

Catherine  MacDonald 

Louisa  Metcalf 

Pauline  Murphy 

Mary  Sheehan 

Muriel  C.  Javelin,  Chairman 

SPECIAL  SERVICES  GQi'€-ILTTEE 

Jean  Babcock 

Rutii  Conroy 

Dorothy  Ekstrom 

Louis  0' Hallo ran,  Chairman 


Catalog  and  Classification,  HRS 
Egleston  Square  Branch 
Codman  Square  Branch 
General  Reference  Dept. 
Catalog  and  Classification  RES. 
Periodical  and  Newspaper  Dept. 


Mattapan  Branch 

Catalog  and  Classification,  RRS 

Dorchester  Branch 

Central  Charging  Records 

Government  Documents 

Personnel  Office 

Open  Shelf  Dept. 

Bock  Stack  Service,  h.  R.  S. 

Book  purchasing  Dept. 

Division  Office,  H.  h..  S. 


Division  Office,  R  &  US 

Codman  Square 

Adams  Street 

Division  Office,   HR  ci  CS 


URGENT 


The  Nominating  Committee  is  meeting  on  June  16.  ¥ill  you  please  send  to  any 
of  the  members  any  suggestions  you  have  for  officers  of  the  Association  for 
1962. 

MURIEL  C.  JA'/ELIN 

Chairman,  Nominating  Committee 


BOSTON  PUBLIC  LIBRARY 


Scholarship  Awards 
for  Study  at  Library  Schools 
during  the  twelve  months  dating  from 
July  1.  1951 


$200  each 


Mrs  Vera  L,  Cheves 

Cataloger  and  Classifier 

Cataloging  and  Cl3ssificatlon  Department 

Division  of  Home  Reading  and  Community 

Services 

Joseph  H,  Center  Scholarship 

Arthur  V.  Curley 

Pre-Professional  Library  Assistant 
Open  Shelf  Department 

Daniel  Sharp  Ford  Scholarship 

Irene  M,  Mains 

Children's  Librarian 
North  End  Branch  library 

Alfred  Hemenway  Scholarship 

Mary  W,  Wallace 

Pre-Professional  Library  Assistant 
Music  Department 

Francis  Skinner  Scholarship 


THE     QUESTION     MARK 
Published  by  the  Boston  Public  Library  Staff  Association 

Volume  XVI    Number  ?  July  1961 

Publications  Comnjitteer     Arthur  V,  Curley,  A,  Kay  Decker,   James   J,  Ford,  Rose 

Iloorachian,  Caroline  R.  Stanwood,   lo  Roger  Stevens,  Cartoon- 
ist, Sarah  I'l.  Usher,   Indexer,  Dorothy  P,  Shaw,  Chairman 

Publication  Date;  Deadline  for  submitting  material; 

The  fifteenth  of  each  month  The  tenth  of  each  month 

With  talk  of  inventories,  new  catalogs,   and  even  new  buildings  in  the 
air,   it  seems  that  the  B.P»L,  is  catching  up  with,   and  even  outdistancing, 
many  long-standing  problems  that  have  obstructed  maximuia  service.     To  take 
advantage  of  this  progressive  spirit,  the  Question  Mark  has  undertaken  a 
surface  study  of  one  important  aspect  of  our  service  to  readers  -  the  B.P.L, 
catalogs. 

Many  staff  members,   as  well  as  patrons,  have  voiced  dissatisfaction  with 
parts  of  the  present  situation.     Even  the  staff  does  not  always  Know  the  loca- 
tion of  all  the  catalogs,   or  what  is  or  is  not  included  in  each.     The  patron 
cannot  possibly  know,   and  often  goes  away  believing  that  the  Library  does  not 
own  a  particular  book  i%'hich  may  be  right  on  shelf.     Now  that  we  are  approaching 
a  shift  in  our  thinking,  owing  to  the  impact  of  state  aid  and  regional  con- 
siderations,  should  we  not  pause  and  consider  this  problem,  or  series  of  prob- 
lems,  before  it  becomes  further  involved^ 

The  Q,M.  intends  no  criticism,  but  simply  consideration,  of  the  situation, 
IJhat  do  we  have  to  work  with,  and  what  changes  might  make  our  basic  catalogs 
more  useful  to  all2     VJhat  can  be  done,   perhaps  by  stages,   to  improve  effective- 
ness, taking  into  full  account  staff  shortages,  present  and  future,   in  relation 
to  the  magnitude  of  the  work?    The  sumxTxr  projects  are  a  f ino  beginning,  and 
we  hope  they  will  be  the  first  steps  in  a  long-range  program. 

Remembering  that  our  materials  are  useless  unless  the  catalogs  can  direct 
a  patron  to  what  he  needs  in  the  shortest  possible  time,  with  a  minimum  of 
help  from  an  increasingly  busy  staff,  we  believe  that  a  study  should  be  made 
of  what  each  catalog  does  to  aid  t he  patron  and  where  each  fails  him. 

In  hopes  of  stimulating  discussion,   and  perhaps  eventually  an  official 
study,   the  Publications  Committee  has  inter-</iewed  several  staff  members  in 
departments  dealing  directly  with,  the  public.     And,   on  the  following  pages, 
we  present  these  staff  comments  on  our  catalogs,  in  the  belief  that  it  is  one 
of  the  duties  of  the  Question  Mark  to  raise  questions  on  topics  of  importarce 
to  the  Library, 

-        THE  PUBLICATIONS  GGIMITTEE 


-  z  - 


THE  B.P.L.  CATALOGS 


The  following  comments,  on  the  catalog 
situation,  have  been  offered  by  members 
of  the  staff  in  public  departments. 

In  all  departments  of  the  Reference 
Division,  with  the  exception  of  Music, 
the  catalogs  referred  to  are  basically- 
auxiliary  catalogs  •**  "ths  cards -:are 
duplicates  of  corresponding  entries  in 
the  General  Reference  Catalog. 

History 

Catalog  was  set  up,  along  with  the 
department,  in  1937  -  during  the  period 
of  conversion  to  L.G,  classification. 
The  catalog  today  includes  post-1937 
acquisitions  (L.C.)  plus  older  materials 
that  have  been  reclassified.  There  is  a 
large  body  of  History  materials,  still 
bearing  old  B,P,L,  numbers,  which  is 
not  represented  in  the  History  catalog. 

For  many  topics,  both  History  and 
General  Reference  catalogs  must  be  used 
(e.g..  Communism  as  an  ideology  -  Social 
Sciencej  Communism  in  Russia  -  History) . 

Filing  rules  are  modified  to  suit  the 
subject.  And,  space  is  a  luxury. 

Science  and  Technology 

Catalog  represents  materials  in  the 
fields  of  Technology,  Physics  and 
Chemistry;  students  of  other  branches  of 
science  must  use  the  General  Reference 
catalog. 

The  catalog  is  not  complete,  especially 
for  pre-1920  titles,  and  so,  for  older 
titles,  earlier  editions,  etc.,  the 
official  catalog  must  be  checked  -  a     j 
time-consuming  process.  Space  is  a  big  I 
problem:  an  additional  section  has  had  ! 
to  be  tacked  on  in  home-made  fashion,    ' 
Filing  by  many  different  persons,  without] 
uniform  rules,  has  had  the  expected 
results,  • 

Since  19U0,  an  additional  catalog  (not  I 
public)  has  been  maintained  for  science  i 
materials  put  on  the  L,C,  classification. 

Government  Documents  and  Social  Sciences  , 
This  important  department  draws  many  | 
serious  patrons  to  its  corner  of  the 
courtyard;  but,  those  consulting  the 
catalog  for  material  in  the  Social 
Sciences  other  than  Economics  will  have 
to  go  back  to  Bates  Hall,  The  distance 
from  the  General  Reference  catalog  is 


an  obvious  inconvenience.  An  over- 
crowded catalog  case  has  long  troubled 
an  already  busy  staff. 

Periodical  and  Newspaper 

Planned  as  a  complete  listing  of  serial 
holdings  in  the  BPL  (eventually),  basic 
catalog  was  compiled  from  obvious  subject 
headings  in  Official  Catalog,  augmented 
by  titles  from  UNION  LIST  OF  SERIALS,  now 
added  to  by  selection  of  classes  from 
cards  sent  to  us  by  Catalog  Dept,  Lack 
of  space  limits  classes  to  be  included. 
It  is  impossible  to  be  certain  it  will 
ever  be  truly  complete  owing  to  diffi- 
culty in  locating  all  serial  titles  in 
other  catalogs. 

Does  not  include  at  present  government 
documents  as  such,  United  Nations  publi- 
cations, newspapers,  analytics,  and  many 
titles  for  directories,  yearbooks,  society 
reports,  etc.  Cards  are  also  lacking  for 
many  of  the  reference  books  housed  in  the 
department. 

Filing  system  is  baffling  as  so  many 
have  done  filing,  but  is  no  more  so  than 
the  alphabetizing  found  in  other  catalogs 
in  the  building. 

Ceased  publication  notes,  NEDL  stamps, 
and  late  informational  notes  have  not 
been  added;  closed  system  of  foroier 
serials  cataloging  has  not  been- changed 
in  common  with  most  of  the  departmental 
catalogs. 

Directional  signs  stating  catalog  was 
incomplete  and  referring  patron  to  desk 
have  recently  disappeared. 

Fine  Arts 

The   Fine  Arts  catalog  is  especially 
noteworthy  in  that  it  has  its  own  class- 
ification scheme.     Both  the  old  B.P.Lo 
classification  and  a  system  of  three-part 
numbers   (devised  by  a  former  department 
head)   are  to  be  found  in  this  card  case. 

In  addition  to  Fine  Arts  material,  the 
catalog  includes  portions  of  other  fields 

-  such  as  archeology,   city  planning, 
history,  and  descriptive  material  on 
various  countries   -  which  are  of  supple- 
mentary value. 

Music 

'  Cards  in  this  catalog  vmlike  those  in 
other  departments  are  not  duplicated  in 
the  General  Reference  catalog,  except 
for  some  old  entries. 


-}  - 


Includes  materials  in  the  field  of  mu- 
sic except  new  books  on  the  dance,  which 
LC  classes  in  GV,  The  older  dance  books 
are  in  the  Music  Dept,  under  BPL  mmbers 
along  with  new  books  on  the  dance  which 
emphasize  music,  (e.g.,  folk  dance  music) 
Older  BPL  cards  are  interfiled  with  LC 
c^rds.  As  subject  headjjigs  differ  in  the 
two  systems,  it  is  often  necessary  to 
look  in  two  places  for  the  material  (e.g. 
Chamber  music-BPL  system;  but  string  en- 
sembles, sonatas,  etc,-LC) 

Material  in  the  famous  Brown  collection 
was  easily  distinguished  under  the  BPL 
system,  but  under  LC  the  same  symbol  ap- 
plies to  other  non-circulating  items. 

There  remains  a  large  number  of  tempo- 
rary cards  -  some  twenty  years  old  -  for 
which  regular  cards  were  not  printed 
owing  to  financial  problems  at  the  time, 

i 
General  Reference  Catalog         -     I 
""  This  is  the  core  catalog  for  the  Refer-  j 
ence  &  Research  Division,  but  may  we 
stress,  it  is  not  a  union  catalog  -  nei- 
ther of  the  Division  nor  of  the  Library,  j 
Unfortunately,  its  size  leads  people  to  '] 
assume  that  it  is  so,  (It  will  be  ex-    < 
panded  pO^  during  next  year  in  size  -  but 
:.t  3.S  not  to  become  a  union  catalog.)  It 
includes  no  manuscripts,  newspapers,  or 
music  materials. 

The  General  Reference  Dept,  is  responsi- 
ble for  its  interpretation  and  use  but  not 
for  its  physical  upkeep.  Inaccuracies 
have  resulted  from  variant  filing  rules 
and  from  filing  by  non-professionals.  In 
a  large  catalog,  especially  one  with  two 
different  systems  of  subject  headings, 
a  library  aid  should  not  be  filing. 
Stack  serials  have  not  been  kept  up  to 
date  and  considerable  time  is  spent  fol- 
lowing up  an  open  entry, 

A  long  tine  lag  (sometimes  6-!>8  months) 
occurs  between  the  pvirchase  of  a  book  and 
its  representation  in  the  General  Refer- 
ence Catalog  by  a  full  set  of  cards. 


H.  R.  S,  j 

In  the  Central  Library,  the  Open  Shelf  i 
catalog  is  the  main  public  record  of  HRS  ! 
holdings.  In  addition  to  the  0,3,  collec-j 
tion,  this  catalog  indicates  some  (but  not, 
all)  books  purchased  by  Branch  Issue,  ' 
However,  if  a  title  is  discontinued  by  ! 
Open  Shelf,  but  retained  by  Branch  Issue,  ' 
there  is  no  longer  any  public  indication  ' 
that  the  library  still  crwns  the  book. 


Catalogs  in  the  Branches  are,  of  course 
listings  of  the  holdings  of  that  ^Jnit 
only;  requests  for  titles  not  oT-med  by 
the  Branch  will  be  f  orr-iarded,  if  the  pa- 
tron desires,  to  Branch  Issue  -  but  with 
no  indication  of  whether  the  library 
owns  the  book. 

The  union  catalog,  in  the  Catalog  and 
Classification  Dept.  HRS  is  the  only 
comprehensive  listing  of  HRS  holdings, 
but  it  is  not  available  to  the  rjublico 

We  conclude  with  a  few  samples  of  the 
many  suggestions  offered  by  staff  members 
interviewed: 

In  some  subject  departments,  current, 
up-to-date  catalogs  of  recent  accessions 
(say,  5-10  years)  would  prove  most 
valuable , 

Provide  signs  indicating  that  the 
Open  Shelf  and  General  Reference  catalogs 
represent  different  collections. 

Filing,  especially  in  large  catalogs, 
should  be  done  only  by  trained  pro- 
fessionals, or  by  such  others  as  have 
had  sufficient  training  and  experience, 
but  ne-vsr  by  a  Library  Aide, 

Bring  serial  entries  and  open  entides 
up-to-date o 

Consider,  as  a  future  possibility,  a 
Union  catalog  of  all  B,  P,  L,  holdings. 

Institute  uniform  filing  rules  in  all 
departments , 

Include  in  the  rebuilt  General  Ref- 
erence catalog:  holdings  of  the  Music 
Department  and  perhaps,  at  a  future 
date,  even  Branch  Issue  and  Open  Shelf 
materials. 

Place  conspicuous  signs  on  or  near 
each  departmental  catalog,  stating 
exactly  what  it  contains  and  x:here  to 
go  for  supplementary  material. 

Make  General  Reference  catalog  an 
all-Reference  Pivision  catalog  and  Open 
Shelf  catalog  an  all-Home  Reading  diAn.- 
sion  catalog,  with  conspicuous  direc- 
tions from  one  to  the  other. 


-  h  - 


PRESIDENT'S  NOTES 


PERSON^'EL  NOTES 


The  job  analysis  information  booklet 
just  published  is  one  of  the  first  steps 
in  the  job  evaluation  study  now  in  pro- 
gress in  the  Library,  It  is  a  concise 
statement  of  what  is  meant  by  job  evalu- 
ation and  classification  and  what  is 
hoped  to  be  accomplished.  It  is  an 
attractive  and  informative  booklet  and 
those  concerned  are  to  be  congratulated 
in  getting  the  study  off  to  such  an 
excellent  beginning. 

The  Staff  Association's  Special 
Services  Committee  has  been  hard  at 
work  on  an  up-to-date  discount  list. 
Thanks  to  Mr,  O'Halloran  and  his  com- 
mittee this  list  should  be  ready  in  the 
late  summer. 

In  their  efforts  to  provide  opportuni- 
ties for  Library  officers  to  have  wider  | 
library  contacts  and  experience,  the  i 
Library  Trustees  and  the  Director  have  i 
made  it  possible  for  several  Library  ■ 
officers  to  attend  the  ALA  Conference  \ 
through  grants  that  will  more  or  less  i 
cover  travel  expenses.  The  president  j 
of  the  Staff  Association  was  one  of  i 
those  receiving  grants.  Naturally,  the  ' 
Staff  Organization  Round  Table  Meeting  j 
will  be  included  in  my  program,         j 

RUTH  M.  HAYES       • 

ATTENDED  ALA  j 

Marjorie  A,  BroTrin,  Cat.  &  Class.  -  RES  j 
John  M.  Carroll,  Chief  Librarian  -  HRCS  ] 
G,  Florence  Connolly,  Fine  Arts  I 
Eleanor  F,  Halligan,  Gen.  Reference  j 
Virginia  Haviland,  Readers  Advisor  for    ' 

Children  j 

Ruth.  M.  Hayes,  Branch  Lib'tn,  Adams  St,    j 
Bradford  M.  Hill,  Acting  Chief  Lib;"-  RRS 
Muriel  C,  Javelin,  Dep.  Sup,  -  Adults 
Rosalie  A,  Lang,  Chief,  Gen  Reference 
Catherine  M,  MacDonald,  Personnel  Off, 
Francis  X.  Iloloney,  Asst,  Director 

Information 
Rose  Moorachian,  Mattapan  Branch 
Mildred  G,  O'Connor,  Coordinator  of 

the  Social  Sciences 
Alice  M,  Waters,  Govt,  Documents 
Elizabeth  L,  Wright,  Asst.  to  tVi« 

Director 


New  Employees 

Mrs,  JsneFTT  Anderson,  Adams  Street 

John  P,  Calos,  Book  Stack  Service 

Julie  Chevalier,  Adams  Street 

Ernest  A,  Dil-^attia,  Science  &  Tech, 

Patricia  A,  Ewasco,  Mattapan 

Barbara  Epstein,  Division  Off,  -  RRS 

Elizabeth  N,  Green,  Rare  Book 

Mrs,  Gale  Golden,  Dorchester 

I4rs,  Louise  R,  Goldschmidt,  Parker  Hill 

Barbara  McManus,  Kirstein 

Janice  A,  Maniscalco,  Rare  Book 

Gerald  F,  McDonald,  Fine  Arts 

Janet  R.  Steams,  Education 

Ann  B,  Stein,  Music 

Alice  M.  Wheeler,  Cat.  &  .  Class.  -RRS 

John  P,  Rice,  Book  Stack  Service 

Roxolana  A,  Yarmovych,  Cat,  &  Class-RRS 

Transferred 

Julie  Chevalier,  Adams  Street  to 

Egleston  Square 
Patricia  A.  Ewasco,  Mattapan  to 

North  End 
Jeanne  M.  Fitzgerald,  Science  &  Tech. 

to  Kirstein 

Resi,g?ied 

Joan  Abbe,  West  Roxbury,  to  study  in 

Europe 
William  C,  Callahan,  Central  Charging 

Records,  to  obtain  another  position, 

at  Logan  International  Airport 
John  A,  Gilmore,  Government  Documents 
Adrienne  C,  deVergie,  Charles town,  to 

attend  Simmons  full-time 
Paul  McDevitt,  Book  Stack  Service, 

ill  health 
Thomas  Moroney,  Book  Stack  Service, 

to  go  into  the  service 

Summer  Projects 

Book  Preparation 
Maureen  McDevitt,  formerly  part-time 
Open  Shelf,  State  College  of  Boston, 
Sophomore 


-5  - 


Cataloging  and  Classification,   R&RS  1 

ito senary  Doyle,   formerly  part-time  ' 

Brighton,  Salem  State  College,  \ 

Sophomore 

Pearl  Owens,   graduate  of  State  Teachers  | 

College 

Book  Stack  Service 
Charles  A.  Berkebile,   BU,   grad, 
Lewis  A,  Burleigh,  Harvard,    Junior 
Paul  W.   i^^ost,  U  of  Mass.,   Junior 
Ronald  S,  Gillis,   formerly  part-time  Fine 

Arts,   BU,  Sophomore 
Kevin  M.  McGrath,  Harvard,  Freshman 
Charles  C.  Nickerson,   Harvard,   grad, 
Joseph  J.  Stern,  Harvard,    grad, 
Johh  J,  Vlalsh,   Harvard,   Freshman 


i 


Kenneth  I,  Winston,  Harvard,  Junior 
JohJi  K,  Yost,  Harvard,  grad, 

WHO'S  IMV? 

Paul  F»  Grady  has   joined  the  Book  Stack] 
Service  staff,     Paul  lives  in  Dorchester    , 
and  has   just  graduated  from  Dorchester 
High. 

Richard  Dumont,  who  has  just  graduated 
from  Boston  Latin  School,   is  working  in 
Central  Charging  Records,     Dick  is  from 
Charlestown,     At  school  he  was  particu- 
larly interested  in  track  and  ran  the 
220  and  i;liO  yard  dashes  • 

Hugh  T,  licDonagh  is  an  old  hand  in 
Government  Documents   and  Social  Sciences 
where  he  has  now  joined  the  full  time 
staff,     A  Senior  at  Boston  State  College, 
Hugh  is  preparing  to  teach  History  at 
the  Junior  High  level.     His  interests 
include  music,   historical  novels,  and 
bowling J 

Book  Stack  Service's  Janes  J,  Greene 
is  a  graduate  of  Boston  English,     Jim  is 
from  Dorchester  and  one  of  his  hobbies 
is  a  coin  collection.     He  is   going  to 
attend  the  University  of  New  Mexico 
where  he  plans  to  take  a  pre -law  program. 


Patricia  M,  M-urray,  who  has  just 
graduated  from  St,   Clare's,  is  working  in 
the  Business  Office,     Pat,  who  has  j 

worked  as  a  receptionist-secretary  at  the  i 
Hotel  Avery,  is  now  commuting  from  Rox-  j 
bury  to  the  BPL,     Her  hobbies  include  j 

collecting  records,        '  ! 


Book  Preparation's  Paul  J.  Dillen  is 
from  Dorchester,     Paul  is  a  June 
graduate  of  Dorchester  High,  aid  one  of 
his  main  interests  is  sports.     He  played 
baseball  and  football  at  schooli 

Roger  A,  Rainville  is  the  new  pre- 
professional  in  Cataloging,  HRiCS.     From 
New  Hampshire,  Roger  attended  3t,  Anselm's 
where  he  was  in  a  teacher  preparatory 
program  in  History.     He  is  now  working 
towards  his  Ilk  in  education  at  BU,  and, 
for  one  form  of  relaxation,  he  enjoys 
light  music. 

Periodical  and  Nexjspaper's  Thomas  J, 
McDonough  commutes   from  Dorchester.     Tom 
has   just  graduated  from  Boston  English 
where  he  was  in  a  college  preparatory 
;  program. 

Nancy  Ann  Unis,  Mt.  Bowdoin,   is  midway 
in  the   education  course,  being  currently 
a  Junior  in  BU's  College  of  Liberal  Arts, 
:  Her  interests  include  drawing,  painting, 
;  and  her  major.   Psychology,     Five  years 
i  experience  working  in  the  BU  Library  at 
I  the  School  of  Education  has   given  Nancy 
I  a  foundation  for  her  present  task, 
I 

:       Kathleen  H,   Jaime,  VJashington  Village, 
I  is  a  recent  graduate  of  Jamaica  Plain 
i  High  School  and  will  be  continuing  on  to 
j  college  in  the  fall.     She  is  engaged  and 
i  plans  to  marry  in  another  year.     The 
i  lucky  fellow  is  Raymond  MacWilliam  of  the 
I  Green  Shoe  Co.     Kathleen's  hobbies  are 
!  dancing  and  - —  stock  carsl 
I 
I  WHY  DON'T  Vffi  .,,? 


Purchase  paperbacks,  where  possible, 
to  fill  multiple  requests  for  popular 
titles  of  transient  value.  This  would 
save  money  on  the  purchase  price,  and 
the  duplicates  could  be  discarded  when 
demand  wanes  instead  of  cluttering  the 
shelves. 

Put  more  chairs  in  the  Courtyard. 


You  can  get  more  for  your  pennies 
when  you  give  them  to  CARE, 


-  6  - 


EMIAGEMENT 

Lorraine  F,  Hepburn  ,   Bookmobile,  to 
Joseph  Barnes,  The  wedding  will  take 
place  on  Saturday,  August  5« 

I'lSDDINGS 

On  Friday,  June  30th,  Mrs,  Mar j oris  G, 
Bouquet,  Coordinator  of  the  Arts  and 
Curator  of  the  Picture  Collection,  was 
married  to  John  Webster  Buck  at  the  First 
Church  of  Christ  at  Wethersf ield.  Conn, 
The  wedding  vjas  followed  by  a  reception 
for  members  of  the  tvro  families  at  the 
home  of  Mr,  and  Ilrs.  Carl  Anderson,  the 
sister  and  brother-in-law  of  the  groom. 

Beginning  sometime  in  mid-August,  when 
Mrs,  Buck's  resignation  becomes  effective, 
the  couple  will  live  in  the  home  built  by 
the  groom's  family  in  1776  in  Wethersfield 
a  town  in  which  the  bride's  ancestors  also 
lived  in  the  early  nineteenth  century. 

The  Couple  spent  their  honeymoon  tour- 
ing the  Connecticut  Valley  region. 

May  C,  McDonald,  Bookmobiles,  was 
married  Jitne  20  to  Charles  E,  Burke  at 
St,  Thomas  More  Church  in  Braintree. 

Mr.  Burke  has  been  employed  by  the 
Standard  Oil  Company  for  35  years.  He 
is  (that  is,  was)  a  widower  with  five 
children  and  six  grandchildren.  Both  of 
his  daughters  and  two  of  his  sons  are 
married.  Expectations  are  that  May  vn.ll 
become  a  grandmother  before  her  first 
anniversary.  One  son  is  in  the  Air  Force, 
and  of  the  two  boys  at  home,  one  is  in 
high  school  and  the  other  attends  North- 
eastern, 

The  Burkes  honeymooned  at  Bar  Harbor, 
Maine,  After  ten  days  of  married  life. 
May  went  to  the  hospital  with  an  old  ail- 
ment, Tenosis  synevitis  by  name,  Wcien 
interviewed  Mrs,  Burke  said,  "Jxist  say 
I  got  married  and  I've  been  in  stitches 
ever  since".  So,  we  didl 

STORI{  TALK 

•  Congratulations  to  _the  Peltiers  on  the 
Jvine  17th  arrival  of  Melissa  Jo,  She  has 
made  an  excellent  choice  of  parents  in 
Ed  (Audio-Visual)  and  Felicia  (formerly 
City  Point,  Roslindale,  Audio-Visual,  and 
Open  Shelf) .  Melissa  has  already  been  on 
a  triiimphal  tour  of  the  Library, 


JINGLE  PELLS  IM  JUNE 

Christmas  may  come  once  a  year  to  many, 
but  not  so  at  the  Roslindale  Branch  Lib- 
rary, Beginning  a  new  precedent,  the 
staff  celebrated  with  a  Christmas  Party  - 
on  June  third 1 

The  weather  was  warm  and  delightful,  so 
we  journeyed  to  the  Lord  Fox  to  dine  from 
a  bu-^fet  well-laden  in  the  best  tradition 
of  a  bountiful  holiday  board.  Automobiles^ 
not  sleighs  were  our  means  of  transporta- 
tion. Green  grass  and  red  flowers  all 
around,  not  snavrv  white  was  the  timely 
color  scheme.  Our  dress  was  light  and 
flowerj',  not  intended  to  keep  us  warm. 

Joining  us  in  celebration  were  good 
friends  Louise  McGurk,  Marie  Coleman, 
Ellen  Richwagen,  and  Peggy  Lyons, 

Fu.ll  of  good  food  and  good  cheer,  we 
parted  with  hearty  wishes  for  "A  Happy 
Mew  Year"  and  the  conviction  that  our 
Christmas  Party  had  been  delightful, 

BY  THE  SEA 

On  the  traditional  e;athering  date  of 
June  17,  the  Chowder,  Chatter,  and 
Marching  Society  summoned  members  from 
near  and  f-^^  for  a  gleeful  day  of 
jchowdering,  chattering,  and  marching 
I  at  Duxbury  Beach  Park, 
I  As  usual,  the  picnicers  were  too 
iwarm  for  the  water.  Although,  a  few 
! of  the  more  juvenile  adults  did 
I  venture  into  the  surf  (buddy-system, 
of  course)  amid  cheers  from  the  beach- 
crowd,  only  to  return  blue-faced  to 
the  firesidej  still  others  compromised 
by  a  dip  in  a  nearby  swamp. 

As  an  addition  to  the  scheduled 
frolic,  the  traditionally  unathletic 
library  crowd  engaged,  amid  jeers  of 
"beach-pests",  in  a  clumsy  softball 
hassle.  Other  good-time-for-all  events 
included  toasting  kiddies  dipped  in 
marshmellow  plus  a  demonstration  of 
how  not  to  set  up  a  tent. 

Something  new  was  added  this  year  to 
the  Bunker  Hill  Day  parade  in  Charlestown. 
Bookmobile  III  in  all  its  glory  proudly 
took  part  in  the  celebration.  And  of 

j  course  we  must  extend  thanks  to  our 

jwonderftil  driver  Carl  Pearson. 

I   During  the  week  of  the  ALA  Convention  a 
■  Cleveland  librarian  was  visiting  the  BPL. 


I 

u 
(- 


X 
J 

o 


uJ 


-  8  - 


CONGRATULATIOMS 


CUJik   L.  r^AXViELL,  I87U-I96I 


Congratulations  go  to  Grace  Marvin,       Clara  Louise  Maxwell  was  born  in 
Book  Selection  -  HRS  for  being  a  prize    BrookljTi  on  February  15,  l87i;.  When  her 
winner  on  the  Name  the  Place  program  on    family  moved  to  Boston  she  attended  the 
¥NAC.  Since  "the  place*'  cited  on  the  pro-  then  Girls'  High  and  Normal  School  on 
gram  during  the  week  of  June  19th,  the  dajJ  West  Newton  Street,  just  a  shoi-t  block 


from  her  home.  From  early  childhood  her 
health  had  been  frail,  so  upon  completion 
of  her  school  life  she  remained  at  home 
until  her  father's  death. 

The  first  World  War  saw  many  women 
leave  the  security  of  home  life  to 
join  the  ranks  of  the  employed,  and 
Clara  Maxwell  was  among  them.  On  Oct, 
10,  1916  she  entered  the  service  of 
the  Boston  Public  Library,  a  most 
genteel  occupation  for  a  lady.  Most 
of  her  library  career  was  spent  at  the 
South  End  Branch,  with  a  short  time  at 
Charles town  Branch,  On  July  1,  1930  she 
succeeded  Miss  Margaret  Sheridan  as 
Branch  Librarian, 

The  depression  years  of  the  •30*s 
i^ere  busy  and  trying  ones  for  a  vjoman 
of  great  sensitivity,  but  her  healthy 
sense  of  humor  helped  her  greatly. 
She  often  said  that  she  seemed  to  have 
an  affinity  for  the  dovin<-at-heel  and  the 
unfortunate  of  the  district.  And  no 
matter  how  disreputable  looking  they 
were,  they  were  always  given  a  sweet 
smile  and  a  softly  spoken  greeting. 

At  the  end  of  February,  19Uh,   at  the 
age  of  70,  Clara  Maxwell  retired  from 
the  Library,  She  remair^d  in  the 
distiT-ct  for  several  years,  and  during 
that  time  was  one  of  our  most  faithful 
borrowers  with  an  insatiable  appetite 
for  mystery  stories  and  classical 
poetry,  Afjber  she  moved  to  Roslindale, 
we  continued  to  supply  her  with  books 
which  she  was  able  to  read  and  enjoy 
Adding  to  the  list  published  last  month  until  June  lii,  when  she  didn't  waken  in 


Miss  Marvin  won,  was  the  Boston  Public 
Library,  she  had  little  difficulty  in 
giving  the  ripht  identification.  That, 
however,  was  not  tlie  complete  requirement 
another  was  the  writing  of  an  essay  on  " 
"Why  I  depend  on  IfflAC" .  It  was  the  com- 
bination of  place-identification  and  the 
outstanding  essay  which  Qualified  Miss 
Marvin  as  the  vjinner  of  a  clock-transistor 
radio  valued  at  059.95. 

Chief  Petty  Officer  Jane  Manthome,  on 
her  recent  two  weeks  .of  active  duty,  at- 
tended the  Instructors"  School  at  the 
U,  S,  Naval  Air  Station,  South  Weymouth, 
At  the  graduation  ceremonies,  two  prizes 
were  awarded:   (1)  to  the  best  speaker, 
and  (2)  to  the  enlisted  "man"  with  the 
highest  grades.  From  a  group  of  70  men, 
2  women,  Jane  emerged  as  the  winner  of 
both  awards. 

On  Ifey  12,  Ilr,  and  Mrs,  Max  Anapole  saw 
their  son,  Steven,  named  Freshman  of  the 
Year  at  B,U,'s  College  of  Liberal  Arts' 
annual  "Recognition  and  Installation 
Night",  Steven  was  given  a  gold  key  in 
recognition  of  his  contributions  during 
his  Freshman  year,  which  included  serving 
on  the  Executive  Boards  of  the  Freshman 
Class  and  the  Student  Council.  Steven 
was  also  installed  as  the  Sophomore 
representative  to  the  Student  Council, 

MORE  BRAII^iS  SHOWING 


are :  j 

Joseph  Lucas,  Government  Docuraents  and   i 
Social  Sciences,  has  won,  upon  graduation 
from  Jamaica  Plain  High  School,  h   scholar- 
ships totaling  .;i)ll50,00,  to  the  Univ.  of 
Mass,  (He  has  decided  to  forego  a  $U00,0C 
scholarship  to  the  Univ,  of  Mair^) 

Gerald  Nash,  Science  and  Technology,  and  £ 
Junior  at  B,C,  High:  Gold  medal  - 
Classics,  Second  prize  -  Mathematics, 
First  Prize  -  French,  First  honor  cards 
for  every  marking  period,  and  a  final 
average  of  9^%, 


the  morning. 

Perhaps  the  greatest  accolade  was 
given  by  one  of  her  part-time  extras 
at  South  End  Branch,  He  said,  "There 
is  just  one  thing  wrong  id.th  this 
name  on  the  sign:  it  should  read 
MacSwell"j  the  reaction  of  a  teenager 
of  the  »30's  to  a  real  lady. 


Anne  Connolly 


-  9  - 


AND  SILEMTLY  STEAL  AVJAI 


The  feminine  touch  is  missing  from  the 
Stacks  these  days.  Miss  Coleman  and  "Herjter  than  anticipation. 
Girls"  have  been  departing  one  by  one  and  friends  still  bemoan  the  lack  of  proper 


evidence  that  her  decision  to  tetjjre  was  a 
happy  one.  She  has  switched  the  familiar; 
for  her,  realization  is  proving  to  be  bet- 

VJhile  disappointed 


no  longer  reign  over  the  Stacks  which 
were  their  domain  for  many  years.  The 
climax  came  when,  with  a  suddenness  which 
startled  her  friends,  Beatrice  Coleman 
announced  her  plans  to  retire  (officially 
at  the  end  of  June),  and  quietly  depart- 
ed. No  amount  of  urging  by  her  friends 
could  persuade  her  to  allow  herself  to 
be  honored  at  any  party  —  no  matter  how 
temptingly  it  was  described  -  to  which 
they  were  eager  to  im/ite  her.  She  had 
made  up  her  mind  that  her  last  days  of 
work  would  be  happy  and  quiet  and  that 
the  memories  she  took  away  x-d.th  her  would 
not  include  the  climax  which  her  friends 
thought  ijas  her  rightful  due. 

In  acceding  to  her  wishes,  her  co- 
workers tried  to  indicate  to  her  their 
respect  and  admiration  for  her  as  a  per- 
son. At  the  same  time,  they  wished  to 
show  tangible  evidence  of  their  friend- 
ship. Accordingly,  one  month  after  her 
last  day  of  work,  two  of  her  close 
friends  acted  as  representatives  of  a 
long  list  whose  names  appeared  on  the 
white  satin  ribbon,  and  presented  her 
with  a  purse,  and  the  suggestion  that  a 
portable  TV  had  been  mentioned  and,  in- 
deed, examined.  It  jtist  so  happened  that 
she  was  practically  on  her  iiray  downtown 
to  buy  a  TV  for  herself.  Now  she  will 
choose  one,  knowing  that  it  will  be  hers 
as  a  gift  from  her  many  BPL  friends. 

lliss  Coleman's  work  for  the  library 
spanned  a  long  period  of  tine;  her  offi- 
cial family  of  girls  numbers  hundreds; 
and  she  remembers  other  periods  when  boys 
manned  the  Stacks.  Through  all  the  com- 
ings and  goings  of  personnel;  during  re- 
allocations of  materials  in  the  Stacks 
(especially  when  bookshelves  gave  way  to 
offices);  and  with  changes  in  head- 
quarters. Miss  Coleman  remained  calm. 


sendoff  for  this  faithful  worker,  they 
v;ish  her  every  happiness  in  her  retirement 
and  hope  that  she  comes  in  often  to  say 
"Hello". 

Sarah,  M.  Usher. 

A  gracious  lady  has  quietly  left  the 
Library  for  her  well  earned  retirement. 
VJe  who  started  our  Library  career  in  the 
Issue  Department,   now  the  Book  Stack  Ser- 
vice, will  always   remember  I'iiss  Beatrice 
Coleman  with  love  and  gratitude.     She  gave 
us  our  orientation,   and  the  basic  lessons 
she  taught  us  have  proved  profitable 
throughout  the  years.     To  many  of  us,  our 
first  experience  in  working  was  under  i'dss 
Coleman's  guidance.     Her  gentleness  as  well 
as  her  finnness  impressed  us.     If  a  book 
was   found  on  shelf,   and  tlirough  our  care- 
lessness did  not  reach  the  borrower,   she 
threatened  to,   and  would,  if  it  happened 
again,   take  away  our  "privilege  hours". 
vie  were  useally  more  careful  after  that. 
There  wasn't  a  problem  we  had  that  didn't 
become  her  problem,   too.     She  shared  our 
joys  and  sorrows.     She  advised  us  and  help- 
ed us  with  our  examinations.     A  lady  as 
charming,  dignified,   intelligent,   and  of 
such  integrity  as  Mss  Coleman  would  have 
graced  any  position.     But  to  her  the  hidden 
life  was  a  true  vocation.     Such  a  person 
is  irreplaciable.     We  are  the  richer  for 
having  known  her.     May  she  enjoy  health 
and  happiness  for  many  years  to  come, 

OHie  and  Marie 


Dear  friends. 

It  is  difficult  to  find  words  to  convey 
to  you  my  appreciation  of  your  generosity 
and  kindness  in  presenting  me  with  a  re- 
tirement gift.  I  was  deeply  touched  by 
the  tribute  that  you  paid, me. 

The  beaut if\il  television  set  was  a  sur- 
efficient,  and  always  mindful  of  the  vita] prise,  and  I  assure  you  that  I  will  enjoy 
part  her  staff  played  in  keeping  the  pub-  it  this  Summer  on  my  vacation  and  later  at 
lie  happy.  Her  aim  was  to  get  books  to   home  for  my  personal  use.  It  will  be  a 
those  who  waited  uneasily  in  Bates  Hall   mertiento  of  all  my  friends, 
and  in  other  spots  throughout  the  building  Hay  I  take  this  opportunity  to  tell  you 
with  speed  and  accuracy.  She  did  her  worHhat  my  association  with  you  all  thru 
with  modesty,  understanding,  and  always   these  many  years  has  brought  to  me  deep 
cheerfully,  and  her  presence  is  already   pleasure,  heartwarming  experiences,  and 
missed,  (nuch  happiness. 

It  is  pleasant  to  report  that  Miss  Cole-  Very  sincerely  yotirs, 

man's  visits  to  her  old  haunts  have  shown  Beatrice  Coleman 


-  10  - 


^'^y  3o^ 


n  I 


'^, 


Any  contribution  to  the  Soap  Box  must 
be  accompanied  by  the  full  naine  of  the 
Association  member  submitting  it,  to- 
gether with  the  name  of  the  Branch  Lib- 
rary, Department  or  Office  in  which  he 
or  she  is  employed.  The  name  is  with- 
held from  publication,  or  a  pen  name  is 
used,  if  the  contributor  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 
necessarily  indicate  that  the  Publica- 
tions 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; 

How  about  a  word  of  thanks,  instead  of 
criticism,  for  the  new  water  bubblers? 
A  little  show  of  appreciation  to  the 
people  who  saw  to  the  installation  of  the 
bubblers  is  certainly  in  order, 

GRATIAS  AQUA 

Dear  Editor; 

Why  not  make  the  Off icer-in-Charge  and 
Coordinator  positions  full  time?  Three, 
or  possibly  four,  could  find  plenty  to 
do  at  the  0-in-C  desk  and  in  really  help- 
ing solve  the  problems  and  in  coordina- 


ting the  work  of  their  group  of  depart- 
ments. This  wc^d  put  a  Curator  Bf  each 
department,  which  would  be  far  better 
for  the  individual  departments  than  the 
present  system,  which  takes  a  Curator  FROM 
the  department  much  of  the  time.  Any 
department  which  loses  its  Curator  to  the 
0-in-C  desk  for  a  period  of  five  or  more 
years,  cannot  be  as  well  run  as  those  de- 
partments where  Curators  are  handling  de- 
partment problems  IN  the  department,  and 
from  full,  not  hearsay,  knowledge  of  staff 
and  those  problems.  Too,  it  xjould  be 
fairer  to  the  second-in-cojiunand! 

If  the  number  of  O-in-Cs  needed  for 
ordinary  coverage  is  not  STifficiently 
large  to  cover  all  lunch  hours,  vacation 
periods,  illnesses,  etc,,  why  co\:ild  not  a 
sub-group  of  Assistant  Coordinators  be 
appointed  who  would  act  in  the  absence  of 
their  particular  Coordinator?  This  would 
provide  a  group  of  experienced  personnel 
from  which  to  choose  a  successor  to  any 
Coordinator  who  resigns  or  is  promoted  to 
another  position. 

WONDERING 

To  the  Editor: 

I  see  from  the  latest  material  on  JOB 
EVALUATION  AND  CLASSIFICATION,  that  the 
people  who  ^fliill  be  affected  by  this  study 
includes,  "everyone  who  works  for  the 
library..."  If  this  is  true  why  haven't 
the  pairt-time  employees  been  issued 
questionaires?  The  part-time  worker  is  an 
essential  part  of  the  library j  without 
him/her  many  departments  would  fail  to 
function  properly. 

Let's  give  them  a  basis  to  build  upon 
in  their  work,  let  us  find  out  what  they 
think  they  must  do,  and  what  they  are 
doing  in  their  positions. 

Then  we  id.ll  have  a  complete  classifica- 
tion af  ALL  library  personnel, 

}&J  BUT  OLD 

Dear  Soap  Box; 

The  administration  is  to  be  congratu.- 
lated  on  the  fact  that  at  long  last  ways 
and  means  have  been  found  to  help  defray 
the  expenses  of  a  limited  niomber  of  "lib- 
rary representatives"  at  the  American 
Library  Association's  Annual  Convention, 
For  many  j'ears  the  four  one  hundred  dollar 
grants  have  been  available.  All  of  us  who 
received  one  of  these  grants  were  duly 
appreciative.  These  grants,  however,  were 
limited  by  their  si>ecif  ications  to  those 


-  11 

below  the  supervisory  level.  Several 
people  above  that  level  have  gone  to  ALA 
year  9i"ter  year,  have  served  on  ALA  com- 
mittees, on  the  ALA  council, and  attended 
ALA  Mid-Winter  Meetings,  all  at  their  ovm 
expense.  Now,  representatives  -  or 
delegates  -  from  the  various  levels  of  the 
librsrj'-  service  -  adult,  young  adult, 
children  -  and  from  the  two  bibliothecal 
divisions  -  Reference  and  Research,  Home 
Reading  and  Community  Services  -  irrespec- 
tive of  "level"  status,  may  receive  help 
on  their  coixvenbion  expenses.  Those  of  us 
who  have  attended  ALA  meetings  for  many 
years  have  "sensed"  a  feeling  of  superi- 
ority on  the  part  of  delegates  from  cer- 
tain large  libraries  most  of  whom  were 
there  as  representatives  of  their  library, 
all  expenses  paid.  Now  our  Boston  Public 
Library  delegates  can  feel  fully  as  secure 
and  appreciated  as  delegates  from  other 
large  city  libraries,  and  the  Boston 
Public  Library  no  longer  needs  to  be  "the 
poor  countrj^  cousin,"  This  is  certainly 
a  step  in  the  right  direction,  I  am  sure 
we  are  all  glad  it  has  come  to  passo  Long 
may  the  custom  continue, 

EDNA  G.  PECK 

Dear  Soap  Box: 

It  is  ridiculous  that  only  ONE  of  the 
numerous  ladies,  who  have  for  j.ears  kept 
the  water  in  the  teakettle  in  the  ladies 
kitchen,  has  had  to  "run  to  fill  it  every 
twenty  minutes",  and  so  now  no  one  of  their 
is  supposed  to  do  so. 

Strange  that  for  years  it  has  been  re- 
filled about  3-U  tiraes  during  the  day, 
and  has  managed,  until  now,  to  keep  the 
female  members  of  the  staff  happy  in  tea 
and  coffee  water I 

Silly  that  women,  paid  to  remain  in 
that  area  to  supervise  staff  and  public 
quarters,  should  be  forbidden  to  fill  it 
even  when  sitting  in  that  room. 

How  are  staff  members  on  a  15  minute 
relief,  or  hoping  to  do  an  errand  on  a 
lunch  or  supper  hour,  supposed  to  get 
water  hot  in  time  to  use?  Do  we  fill 
each  time  we  remove  a  cup  of  water,  and 
thereby  lower  the  temperature  for  the 
person  next  in  line?  Does  the  one  who 
takes  the  last  drop  refill  entirely. . . 
and  let  the  next  person  wait  a  long  time? 
Does  the  Women's  House  Committee  plan  to  I 
have  a  list  of  people  whose  duty  it  is  to 
refill  at  the  proper  hours? 

Or  will  the  teakettle  bum  out  and  the 


urn  blow  itself  to  bits  before  the  rule 
is  changed? 

This  has  not  improved  the  morale  of  the 
users  of  the  water  or  of  the  majority  of 
the  housekeeping  staff I 

LISTE:\!ER 

To  the  Editor: 

Just  a  word  of  appreciation  to  the 
women  in  the  Housekeeping  Department  who 
for  many  years  made  life  a  little  pleas- 
anter  by  having  a  kettle  of  hot  water  on 
the  fire,  so  that  we  of  the  staff  who 
liked  a  quiet  Ixuich  period  or  relief  could 
have  a  hot  drink  in  the  "kitchen" .  It  is 
too  bad  that  ^hese  thoughtful  women  have 
been  given  orders  to  discontinue  this 
friendly  gesture,  as  I  am  sure  that  they 
did  not  neglect  their  cleaning  dtities  be- 
cause of  the  few  minutes  reqixired  to  per- 
form this  simple  task  prior  to  the  lunch 
and  relief  periods. 

May  I  ask  why  the  above  practice  was 
abandoned,  and  why  the  VJomen's  House 
Committee  of  the  P.S.A.  issued  instructions 
as  to  the  heating  of  the  hot  water  in  the 
kitchen? 

TEA  TIPPLER 

Editors  Note; 

There  may  have  been  a  misunderstanding 
in  several  areas,  concerning  the  need  for 
hot  water  in  the  women's  kitchen,  the 
scope  of  the  labor  involved,  the  decision 
to  leave  the  re-filling  of  the  kettle  to 
the  ladies  involved  in  the  "drinking". 
Since  the  difference  of  opinion  are  sharp- 
ly defined,  we  hope  a  reconsideration  of 
the  problem  will  follow. 

P,  S.  THE  Q,  M.  IS  VERY  C3RATEFUL  TO  THE  . 
WONDERFUL  PEOPLE  IN  MISS  PECK'S  OFFICE 
WHO  TYPED  THE  STENCILS  FOR  THIS  ISSUE. 


Dear  Soap  Box: 

In  the  future  let's  have  first  aid 
kits  available  at  strategic  locations 
throughout  the  library. 

I.  S. 


™ 


uestion 


^lA 


THE  BOSTON  PUBLIC  LIBRARY 
STAFF  ASSOCIATION 


AUGUST     1961 


THE     QUESTIOi\I     MARK 
Published  by  the  Boston  Public  Library  Staff  Association 
Volume  XVI     Number  8  ^__ August  I96I 


Publications  Committee:  Arthur  V.    Curley,  A,   Kay  Decker,  James  J.   Ford,   Rose 

Moorachian,     Caroline  R,   Stanwood,   I.   Roger  Stevens,   Cartoon- 
ist,  Sarah  M,   Usher,   Indexer,  Dorothy  P.   Shaw,   Chsirman 

Publication  date:  Deadline  for  submitting  material: 

The  fifteenth  of  each  month  The  tenth  of  each  month 

■f  ~  '  1      *"!     1""    '  '  1  ■  I  ^'    "-       I*    I"    ■  I  I      ■     II    11  I  r    ■  I  I  '  '      I     '        '"',''        I      7'  'hi   '1  '  '■■^■■1  ■'  iniii      I  '      '        II    ;  ^      H  ■■    I  ■_   — 

This  month  we  would  like  to  speak  a  little  about  Trustees,  for  without  their 
understanding  of  library  and  community,  their  experience,  and  devoted  though  unpaid 
service,  a  library  would  be  little  more  than  a  collection  of  books.  Trustees  have  a 
considerable  but  often  poorly  acknowledged  part  in  the  cycle  which  brings  patron  and 
materials  happily  together.  Among  the  most  important  tasks  in  the  library,  usually 
legally  reserved  to  the  Trustees,  are  the  responsibilities  for  policy,  selection  of 
the  chief  librarian,  availability  of  funds,  and  representation  of  the  library  to  the 
community.  Only  a  dedicated  and  progressive  board  can  perform  these  duties,  and 
more,  effectively.  Mrs.  D.  D,  Corrigan  in  the  LIBRARY  JOURi^AL  of  February  1,  in  dis- 
cussing Trustees  (she  herself  is  onej  states  that  a  Ti*ustee  must  be  able  to  give 
adequate  time  and  thought  to  library  matters,  be  able  to  contribute  -  through  his 
knowledge  of  community  and  business  problems  -  to  the  discussions,  must  bring  to  his 
position  enthusiasm  and  a  respectful  inquisitiveness,  and  must  also  have  intangible 
qualities  of  being  able  to  combine  dignity  with  responsibility,  cooperation  i;ith 
open  mindedness,  loyalty  with  imagination  and  integrity. 

The  BPL  has  been  fortunate  through  the  years  in  the  quality  of  men  selected  to 
serve  on  its  Board  of  Trustees.  Ninety-nine  years  ago,  the  first  Board  of  Trustees 
was  appointed.  Among  the  prominent  members  on  that  first  Board  were  George  Ticknor, 
Edward  Everett,  and  Nathaniel  Shurtleff .  They  were  the  pattern  for  a  continuing 
line  of  distinquished  citizens  so  to  serve,  whose  knowledge  of  the  community  and  of 
the  powers,  duties  and  rights  of  the  library,  have  made  the  Board  a  source  of 
strength  and  vision  to  the  Library. 

For  the  last  third  of  these  ninety-^ine  years,  Frank  W.  Buxton  has  served  the 
BPL  in  the  best  traditions  of  trusteeship.  The  QUESTION  liARK  had  planned  articles 
on  his  career  as  Trustee  for  this  issue,  but  the  STAFF  MEMO,  appearing  well  before 
our  deadline,  scooped  us  on  this.  Therefore,  we  must  be  content  to  express  the 
affection  of  the  staff,  and  its  appreciation  for  long  service,  to  the  Trustee  who 
for  so  many  years  took  our  professional  and  environmental  interests  to  his  heart. 
Though  a  busy  professional  man,  he  nearly  always  found  time  to  attend  and  participate 
in  the  affairs  to  which  not  only  tliis  Association,  but  others  long  since  defunct, 
invited  him.  His  career  has  been  unusual,  not  only  in  its  span  of  time,  but  also 
in  its  concern  with  the  welfare  and  happiness  of  the  staff.  Although  he  has  re- 
signed, we  hope  we  shall  continue  to  see  him  in  the  library I 

In  Mr.  Buxton's  place  we  have  a  new  Trustee,  Augustin  H,  Parker,  Jr«,  whosj  bock- 
ground  plainly  shows  him  to  be  of  the  high  caliber  needed  on  our  Board.  To  llr. 
Parker  we  extend  a  cordial  welcome,  and  we  look  forward  to  meeting  him. 

THE  PUBLICATIONS  COMMITTEE 


-2- 


FRESIDElJT'S  NOTES 

It  is  mentally  stimulating,  phT^sically 
tiring  and  thoroughly  enjoyable  to  attend  ■ 
an  American  Library  Association  Convention; 
Staff  members  could  be  seen  at  early  morn-1 
ing  Committee  Meetings  even  while  they  ; 
breakfasted  and  if  they  seemed  to  sway  a  : 
little  when  they  returned  at  midnight,  it 
was  from  nothing  more  exhilarating  than  a  ; 
long  hard  session  at  a  Board  iieeting.     ' 

There  were  many  and  varied  programs  of 
interest  to  the. various  services,  which 
were  covered  by  representatives  of  the    ; 
staff.  Reports  of  some  of  these  meetings  • 
will  be  found  elsewhere  in  this  issue  of  . 
the  QM.  i 

We  are  most  appreciative  of  the  oppor- 
tunities to  exchange  ideas  and  experiences! 
with  other  members  of  the  profession,  , 
Thanks  are  due  to  the  Director  and  those  j 
staff  members  who  over  the  years  have  beeri 
very  active  in  ALA  affairs  and  whose  wide  ; 
connections  and  generous  introductions  ; 
made  much  of  this  exchange  possible.     | 

Back  on  ttie  job  once  again,  we  attended  ■ 
a  Trustees  meeting  on  July  18,  Jir.  Parker, 
who  has  succeeded  ilr.  Buxton  as  a  member  1 
of  the  Board  of  Trustees,  was  ores en t.  1 
Various  building  contracts  were  dis-  ! 
cussed  as  well  as  the  possibilities  of  j 
re-opening  the  Hospital  Library  and  the  i 
School  Issue  Services,  j 

At  a  meeting  of  the  Executive  Board,  ; 
iir.  Gaines  and  Veronica  Yotts  spoke  of  j 
the  progress  of  the  job  evaluation  study.  : 
In  order  to  get  a  true  picture  it  is  , 
necessary  for  them  to  do  some  work  on  the 
study  of  professional  positions  before  ', 
they  can  complete  the  work  on  the  Library  i 
Assistant  evaluation,  | 

At  a  meeting  of  the  Executive  Board  on  j 
Thursday,  August  3,  '^^   discussed  two 
problems  channeled  to  us  through  Mr  Gainesj 
of  the  Personnel  Office.  The  first,  that  ^ 
of  the  installation  of  soft  drink  vending  i 
machines  in  the  lunch  rooms.  This  re-    \ 
ceived  a  favorable  report  and  soon  may  be  > 
an  actuality.  The  decision  to  install    ' 
vending  machines  was  a  reversal  of  an     { 
earlier  opinion.  The  second  matter  under  ,' 
discussion  was  the  advisability  of  making  i 
constitutional  changes  so  as  to  make     ! 
aviailable  the  Soap  Box  column  in  the     ' 
QUESTION  MARxK  to  civil  service  workers. 
It  was  also  suggested  we  might  care  to    ' 
change  membership  provisions  in  order  to 
admit  this  group  to  membership.  You 
might  keep  this  in  mind  for  discussion  at 


the  November  business  meeting, 

RUTH  H.  m\YES 

PERSONNEL  MOTES 

New  Bnployees 

Catherine  Baxter,  Mount  Bowdoin  (formerly 

part  time) 
i^aurice  Carbonrieau,  Music  (formeily  Science 

and  Technology) 
Anna  Gallivan,  Adams  Street  (formerly 

part  time) 
Francis  J.  Havlin,  Open  Shelf 
Kathryn  F,  Kelley,  Central  Charging  Re- 
cords 
Lawrence  W,  Lamer,  Book  Stack  Sei'vice 
•^ngelo  II.  liamiiiano.  Book  Stack  Service 
Mary  V.  llulrennan.  Information  (formerly 

part  time) 
Malcom  J.  Norton,  Book  Purchasing 
Mrs.  Isabel  A.  Thayer,  Open  Shelf 
Joan  K,  Trygstad,  Codman  Square 

New  lanployees  -Northeastern  Students 

M.  David  Allard,  Boolanobiles  (re-entry) 

Robert  V,  Burns,  Book  Stack  Service, 
Fourth  year.  Journalism 

Antoinette  Calabresi,  Personnel,  Third 
year.  Modern  Language 

Bernard  L.  Cohen,  Book  Stack  Service, 
Second  Year,  Psychology 

Kenneth  L.  George,  Central  Book  Stock, 
Branch  Issue  Section,  Third  year.  Polit- 
ical Science 

Frederick  Gifun,  Book  Stack  Service,  Fourth 
Year,  History 

William  A,  Harting,  Book  Stack  Service, 
Fourth  year,  English 

George  P,  Holster,  Book  Stack  Ser-rice, 
Second  year.  History 

Marius  E.  Johnston,  Book  Stack  Service, 
Second  year,  Psychology 

Robert  F.  Kane,  Book  Stack  Service,  Se- 
cond year.  Accounting 

Neil  Kelly,  Records,  Files,  Statistics, 
(re-entry) 

Robert  Minichiello,  Book  Purchasing, 
Third  year,  English 

Marion  E.  Murphy,  Book  Preparation,  Se- 
cond year,  Elementary  Education 

Elaine  h.    Powers,  Fine  Arts,  Second  year, 
Elementary  Education 

Transferred 

Anna  Brackett,  Central  Charging  Records 

to  Mattapan 
William  Casey,  Branch  Issue  to  Connolly 
Julie  Chevalier,  Egleston  to  Codman  Square 


-3- 


Charlotte  R.  Cooper,  Central  Charging  Re- 
cords to  Mt.  Pleasant 

Mrs.  Listena  Dozier,  Open  Shelf  to  Matta- 
pan 

Gale  Golden,  Dorchester  to  Connolly 

Joel  A.   UoJmbetg,   Connolly  to  South  Boston 

Katharine  A.  Maguire,  Mount  Bowdoin  to 
Roslindale 

Edward  T.   O'Donnell,   South  Boston  to  Egle- 
ston  Square 

Shirley  Utudjian,  Mattapan  to  Bookmobiles 

Military  Leave 

Paul  D.  Cronin,  Memorial 

Resigned 

Mary  E.   Buckley,  Roslindale,   to  accept 
a  position  out-of-state 

Constance  Cheves,  Cataloging  and  Classi- 
fication, R&RS 

Ronald  S.  Gillis,  Book  Inventory  Project, 
Death  in  family 

Elizabeth  Green,  Rare  Book,  to  -work  at 
Harvard 

Naomi  D,  ilano-witz,  Central  Charging  Re- 
cords 

Married 

Martha  Jeppesen,  iJest  Roxbury,  to  Peter 

E.  Meyer,  July  23 
Lorraine  Hepburn,  Bookmobiles,  to  Joseph 

Barse,  July  29 

Retired 

Anna  T,  McGuinness,  Mount  Pleasant 

Abigail  Sweeney,  Buildings 

WHO'S  NEI'J? 


Mrs.  Janet  F,  Anderson,  Young  Adults 
Librarian  at  Adams  Street,  was  born  in  ^ 
India,  where  her  parents  were  Presbyterian; 
missionaries.  She  came  to  this  country  ■ 
in  1956  to  finish  high  school  and  attend  | 
Westminster  College  in  Wilmington  Delaware! 
Janet  was  married  last  September  and  her 
husband  is  attending  Harvard  Law  School.  ? 
Her  interests  are  sports,  reading  and  pre-| 
paring  herself  to  attend  Simmons  this  faHj 

*  I 

.  Mrs.  Gale  Golden,  Young .Adults  worker  » 

at  Connolly,  attended  Syracuse  University  ! 

and  graduated  from  Colby  College,  Water-  ! 

ville,  Maine.  Her  husband  is  doing  re-  j 
search  at  Boston  City  Hospital.  Leisure 
hours  are  spent  on  her  main  hobby,  playing { 
the  piano. 

Mrs,  Louise  Goldschmidt  is  the  new 


Children's  Librarian  at  Parker  Hill.  A 
graduate  of  Colby  College,  with  a  Master's 
degree  f  rom  Simiaons,  Louise  is  interested 
in  reading,  modern  dance  and  hidale  East- 
ern affai^rs.  The  latter  is  to  keep  up 
with  her  husband  and  his  studies  at  Har- 
vard. You  Colby.girls  know  each  other? 

Julie  Chevalier,  who  works  with  Young 
Adults  at  Codman  Square,  graduated  last 
June  from  St.  Lawrence  University.  She 
lives  in  Cambridge,  where  she  moved  from 
New  Jersey.  Julie  keeps  up  to  date  on 
international  relations  and  reads  poetry 
on  the  side.  Also  intends  to  tackle  Har- 
vard and  Simmons  come  fall, 

Judith  E.  Coarr,  Jamaica  Plain,  grad- 
uated from  Hyde  Park  High  this  year  and 
wasted  no  time  embarking  on  a  career, 
July  indulges  in  all  varieties  of  sports 
in  season.  No  ice  fisliing  in  tlie  suminer. 
She  will  be  going  to  college  as  soon  as 
she  decides  on  ti-ie  right  one  for  her. 

Barbara  McManus  is  down  at  I^irstein 
with  nothing  better  to  do  than  work  all 
day.  Haven't  we  all?  She  graduated  from 
St,  Patrick's  High  in  Roxbury  tliis  year. 
Barb  is  a  bowling  bug  and  also  makes  an 
active  hobby  of  staff  entertainment.  We 
could  use  some  here. 

Mrs.  Roxalana  A.  Yarmovych,  Cataloging 
and  Classification  (R&RS) ,  cane  here  from 
her  homeland  in  the  Ukraine  in  19^9,  at^- 
tended  City  College  of  New  York  and  Sim- 
mons, and  is  now  putting  her  lessons  to 
work  in  the  department.   'Lana  loves 
reading,  skiing  and  her  husband,  who  works 
for  AVCO. 

Patricia  A,  Ewasco  is  the  new  YA  Lib- 
rarian at  North  End,  Pat  is  a  Smith  girl, 
class  of  '61,  and  an  all  round  sports- 
woman. She  also  sews  when  she  has  to.  A 
former  resident  of  Albany,  she  plans  to 
be  with  us  for  a  while. 

Alice  M,  VJheeler,  Cataloging  and  Class- 
ification (R&RS),  moved  from  her  home  in 
the  cool  hills  of  New  Hampshire  to  launch 
herself  on  a  future  in  our  hot  city.  She 
is  a  graduate  of  the  University  of  New 
Hampshire,  a  lover  of  music  and  the  writ- 
ten word. 

•      Janet  R.  Steams,  Education,  will  be  a 
I  senior  at  Jackson  next  year.  She  has  had 


-fe,. 


some  library  experience  in  the  Tufts  lib- 
rary and  is  in  the  apjDr'opriate  department 
for  the  Elementary  Education  major.'  From 
Clareraont,  N.H. ,  Janet  likes  skiing  and 
also  enjoys  all  kinds  of  music. 

After  having  been  a  part  time  assistant' 
in  Rare  Book,  Janice  A,  Ilaniscalo  has 
joined  their  full  time  staff.  She  lives  ' 
in  Somerville  and  graduated  this  June  frati. 
Somerville  High,  One  of  Janice's  inter-  ; 
ests  is  athletics :  she  was  on  the  Athlet-  \ 
ics  Board  at  school  and  says  she's  still 
actively  interested  in  bowling]         j 

Ernest  A.  Dii'iattia  Jr.  is  a  June  grad-  , 
uate  of  Boston  College,  Ernie  has  been  | 
in  the  BPL  system  since  February  1957, 
and  has  now  joined  the  full  tine  staff  : 
of  Science  and  Technology  as  a  pre-pro-  ! 
fessional.  A  Mathematics  major,  he  is  j 
hoping  to  get  into  the  technical  libraries^ 
field,  Ernie  was  a  member  of  the  math  an4 
physics  clubs  at  college,  and,  in  verifi-  | 
cation  of  a  lighter  side,  was  also  a  raemb-j 
er  of  the  dance  committee!  j 

Dorchester  High  has  sent  another  June  { 
graduate  with  an  imagination  and  sense  of  \ 
fun  to  Book  Stack  Service,  John  P,  Rice  ! 
(marital  status?)  admitted  to  an  interest 
in  girls  and  sports.  He  also  spoke  of  a  ; 
yen  to  study  languages  at  "Arcadia"  col-  j 
lege.  , 

(Editor's  Note:  Perhaps  more  cons id-  ' 
eration  should  be  given  to  this  yen,  as  « 
Arcadia  was  considered  the  "least  intel-  ; 
lectual  part  of  Greece."  )  | 

Following  her  marriage,  Judaica's  Mrs. 
Michael  Epstein  moved  to  Boston  from  OTC 
where  she  had  graduated  from  Theodore 
Roosevelt  High.  Barbara's  husband  works 
at  IHTj  she  has  had  previous  jobs  includ- 
ing working  as  a  secretary  in  the  clothing 
industry.  They  both  \Jould  like  to  travel  j 
and  they  share  a  stamp  collection,       j 


Ann  B,  Stein  is  another  New  Yorker,  who  : 
studied  at  Julliard  before  joining  the  j 
staff  of  Music,  Ann  got  a  BA  in  Plusic  i 
at  BU  and  went  off  to  study  piano  -  and  j 
have  some  pupils  of  her  own J  In  a  non  -  ; 
musical  vein,  Ann  also  enjoys  reading  and  | 
swimming,  j 

■^  i 

Gerald  F,  McDonald  had  been  a  part-time  1 
assistant  for  2  years  before  joining  the  j 
full  time  staff  in  Fine  Arts.  From 


Jamaica  Plain,  he  is  going  into  his  second 
year  at' Wentworth  Institute  as  an  elect- 
ronics major.  Gerald  calls  himself  an 
ardent  chess  player  and  he  is  also  a 
collector  of  coins, 

John  P.  Calos  has  joined  the  staff  of 
Book  Stack  Service.  He  got  a  certificate 
in  June  from  State  Prep,  and  is  now  at- 
tending Sixffolk  University's  night  school. 
John  likes  to  read  and  is  interested  in 
philosophy  and  poetry. 

IN  CNE  SPOT 

A  friendly  face  T:ill  be  much  missed  at 
Mt.  Pleasant,  where  Mrs.  Anna  T,  McGuin- 
ness  has  worked  for  over  ii.3  years.  To 
many  of  the  area  who  have  known  her  this 
long  time,  she  is  Toby,  who  wo'ild  happily 
search  for  ary  needed  information  be  it 
what  it  may.  Her  many  friends  still  in 
service,  and  those  whom  she  joins  in  re- 
tirement, wish  her  happiness  in  this  de- 
cision to  remain  at  home. 

Because  this  part  of  Roxbury  had  been 
her  hone,  her  unique  Imowledge  has  been 
a  real  and  valuable  asset  in  our  daily 
problems.  Tlien  too,  her  unflagging 
patience  with  tongue-tied  children,  and 
strict  discipline  with  others  will  long 
be  remembered  as  something-  out  of  the 
ordinary. 

We  wish  that  the  years  ahead  may  hold 
much  pleasure  and  happiness,  and  know 
that  the  adjustments  thereto,  will  not 
be  too  difficult.  The  warmth  of  her 
friendship  with  the  libary  and  staff  will 
be  long  treasured, 

ilARJORIE  A.  OBENAUER 
IN  PRINT 

The  July  issue  of  the  BAY  STATE  LIBRA- 
RIAN page  Qf   has  an  article  by  Edna  G. 
Peck:  Book  Selection  -  Fun/Frustration. 

John  Alden,  Rare  Book,  made  the  papers 
widely  when  he  succeeded  in  identifying, 
from  the  pencilled  marginal  notes,  the  , 
Library's  copy  of  Benjamin  Franklin's", 
EXPERIMENTS  AND  OBSERVATIONS  OF  ELECTRI-  ' 
CITY,  as  Franklin's  own  copy  -  the  notes 
in  his  handwriting.  Congratulations 
JohnJ 


I  HE  _  cot^M    IS    AS    UOW  hi   AN     eV-EPMANT'^     Tor." 


-6- 


ALA  CONFERENCE 


Second  General  Session 


"Libraries  for  All"  was  the  theme  of  the   The  Second  General  Session  was  undoubted- 
80th  Annual  Conference,  held  in  Cleveland, -ly  the  most  thought  provoking  of  the  Gen- 
July  9-l5.  eral  Sessions.  It  was  divided  into  two 

Although  the  Cleveland  Public  Auditorium , parts .  The  first  half  was  devoted  to  an 
was  the  official  Conference  headquarters,  : address  by  John  T,  Eastlick,  Denver  Public 
housing  two  huge  floors  of  exhibits  and    Library,  who  spoke  on  the  topic  "This 
providing  the  meeting  hall  for  two  General ; Nation  of  Ours",  He  stressed  the  impor- 
Sessions  and  a  few  smaller  meetings,  most  jtance  of  getting  American  ideas  and  ideals 
of  the  meetings  were  scattered  in  various  jbefore  the  world  in  general  and  conversely, 
hotels,  in  the  Cleveland  Public  Library,   the  necessity  in  America  j?or  our  getting  tb 
and  even  in  Higbee's  Department  Store,    ;know  all  nations,  particularly  those  of 

From  the  First  General  Session  on  Sunday jAsia  and  Africa, 
evening  when  Rumer  Godden  captivated  her  i  ^fr.  Eastlick  took  liie  colleges  and  univ- 
audience,  to  the  foirward  looking  Inaugural  ^ ersities  of  America  to  task  for  not  ad- 
Address  given  by  our  new  President,  Mrs, 
Florrinell  F,  Morton,  it  was  a  week  full 
of  examining  new  ideas,  and  probing  old 
ones,  meeting  and  making  friends,  and 
sharing  experiences. 

First  General  Session 

This  session  was  held  in  the  Music  Hall 
of  the  Public  Auditorium  on  Sunday  even- 
ing. Mrs.  Frances  Lander  Snain,  iBresident 
of  the  Association,  presided.  Official 
greetings  by  the  city  were  most  cordially 
extended  by  Anthony  Celebrezze,  Mayor  of 
Cleveland.  President  John  F.  Kennedy  sentjauthors  and  journalists  of  the  Asian  and 


justing  their  curriculums  to  meet  changing 
world  conditions.  He  said  that  there  were 
ionly  two  fields  that  were  taught  from  the 
world  point  of  view;  namely,  Art  and 
Science.  All  other  fields  of  knowledge, 
he  pointed  out,  were  taught  from  the  point 
of  view  of  Western  civilization.  This  is 
particularly  time  of  the  humanities. 
'  While  libraries  in  the  United  States 
have  made  a  beginning  in  bringing  the 
{countries  of  Asia  and  Africa  to  the  atten- 
Ition  of  the  reading  oublic,  Mr,  Eastlick 
claims  that  we  have  a  long  way  to  go.  We 
Irnust  have  the  writings  of  the  outstanding 


warm  and  appreciative  greetings  to  libra- 
rians. Mrs.  Spain  then  made  the  presen- 
tation of  Trustee  citations.  Raymond  C, 
Lindquist,  Director,  Cleveland  Public 
Library,  welcomed  the  group  of  several 
thousand  people. 

The  speaker  at  this  session  was  Runer 
Godden,  whose  most  recent  books  are 
CHINA  COURT,  a  Book  of  the  Month  Club 


African  nations  (translated,  if  necessary; 
lin  our  libraries  and  displayed  prominently. 
The  second  half  of  the  pir)gram  was  given 
jover  to  a  report  of  the  /unerican  librcirianB 
Iwho  visited  Russian  libraries  recently. 
JThis  cultural  exchange  was  arranged  by  the 
(State  Department,  Seven  American  libra- 
irians,  headed  by  David  H,  Clift,  Executive 


jDirector  of  ALA,  visited  Russia,  while  an 
selection  this  year,  and  a  children's  bookjequal  number  of  Russian  librarians  visited 
raSS  HAPPINESS  AND  MISS  FLOWER,  I'tLss  God-  jsome  of  the  major  libraries  in  the  United 
den,  like  many  people  with  a  talent  for   States, 


the  arts,  is  frequently  approached  by 


people  who  want  to  know  the  how  of  the  art,  ALA,  made  the  opening  remarks  under  the 


She  spoke  of  the  problems  of  drafting, 
writing,  typing,  checking,  and  of  the 
passing  of  time  from  the  germination  of 
the  idea  to  its  fruition.  She  told  of 
being  caught  up  in  a  "mysterious  force" 
which  dictates  the  direction  and  outcome 
of  the  work. 

Later  in  the  evening  she  greeted  her 


Mrs,  Frances  Lander  Spain,  President  of 


topic  ^Libraries  for  All  -  Abroad",  She 
spoke  of  the  project  for  establishing  an 
American  Library  in  Moscow,  after  the 
manner  of  the  American  Library  in  Paris, 
This  seems  essential  since  the  research 
libraries  in  Russia  have  considerable 
material  on  the  East,  especially  on  Asia 
iand  Africa,  but  they  lack  materials  con- 


—  —  _. o o —     ..-._ — , — J 

many  admirers  at  a  reception  tended  by  the  Itaining  the  western  point  of  view,  es- 
Cleveland  Public  Library,  which  was  a  love- pecially  in  modem  times, 
ly  affair  held  in  the  Eastman  Garden,  The   I^s,  Spain  then  introduced  the  other 
decor  was  delightful  and  the  refreahmients  members  of  the  American  delegation:  Mr. 
delicious.  iClift,  Raynard  C,  Swank,  Sallie  Farrell, 

RUTH  M.  HAYES      'Qnerson  Greenaway,  lielviUje  Sogglee,  and 


-7- 


Rutherford  D.  Rogers.  The  great,  research    Clarence "Day  Award  of  $1000  to  V' 
libraries  of  Iioscow  and  Leningrad  were     B.  Ready,  Director  of  the  Marqu^"* 
visited  as  well  as  one  of  the  large  uni-   .versity  Library  for  "outstaxidiji* 
versity  libraries.  encouraging  the  love  of  books  anv 

Mrs.  Spain  concluded  the  prograpi  by  in-    £.  P.  Dutton-John  Macrae  Award  for  ad- 
viting  all  delegates  to  the  ALA  Conference, vanced  study  in  youth  library  work  to 
to  visit  the  exhibit  of  Russian  children's .Elaine  Simpson,  Specialist,  Secondary 
books  on  display  at  the  Cleveland  Public  j Schools,  at  the  New  York  Public  Library, 
Library.  This  travelling  library  was     ;  Grolier  Society,  Inc.  Award  of  $^00   to 
brought  to  Cleveland  to  coincide  with  the  Delia  Louise  MacGrecor,  Uiief,  Youth 
ALA  Conference.  There  were  Russian  guides ; Services,  St.  Paul  Public  Library,  "for 


to  explain  the  exhibit. 


BRADFORD  il.  HILL 


Third. General  Session 


her  enthusiasm  for  good  reading  and  her 
j generous  giving  of  self  to  readers  of 
'all  ages". 

;  Dewey  Award,  an  engraved  medal,  to  Julia 
iC.  Pressey,  Associate  Editor  of  the  DEl'fEY 
I  DECIMAL  CLASSIFICATION  for  creative  pro- 
ifessional  achievement  in  a  field  "in  which 
jMelvil  Dewey  was  actively  interested". 
!  H.W,  Wilson  Library  Periodical  Award  to 


The  third  General  Session  under  the 
guise  of  an  Inaugural  Banquet  brought  to 

a  close  the  80th  Annual  Conference.  Held    

in  the  ballroom  of  the  Sheraton- Cleveland  ,1  the  CALIFORNIA  LIBR.'\RIAN  edited  by  W.  R. 
this  combined  social  and  business  event  saw JEshelman,  Los  Angeles  State  College  Lib- 
the  inauguration  of  Mrs.  Florrinell  F. 
Morton,  Director  of  the  Library  School  at 


irary  for  "outstanding  contribution  to 
jlibrarianship", 

I  All  of  the  recipients  were  present  to 
receive  the  honor  bestowed  upon  them. 


Louisiana  State  University,  as  President 
of  the  American  Library  Association.  ! 
In  her  fine  address,  lirs.  Morton  stated  j 
that  she  hoped  that  her  election  reflected! 
the  vital  interest  on  the  part  of  the  ! 
membership  of  the  Association  in  the  ed-  j 
ucation  of  librarians.  She  noted  that  | 
she  is  the  first  ALA  President  since  I936  |  Programs  for  children's  librarians, at 
whose  professional  responsibility  is  sole-  Cleveland  began  with  a  pre- conference  at 


ELIZABETH  VIKLGHI 


Children's  Librarians 


ly  library  education.      The  development  and 
improvement  of  all  areas  of  library  ser- 
vice,  she  continued,   are  dependent  upon 
the  supply  of  adequately  prepared  libra- 


Western  Reserve  University,   sponsored 
jointly  by  ALA's  Adult  Services  Division 
and  Children's  Services  Division,   together 
<with  members  of  the  library  school  of 


rians.     This  she  believes  can  be  achieved   iifestern  Reserve.     During  the  three  full 


through  the  following: 

(1)  Interesting  young  people  in  the 
profession 

(2)  Being  constructively  critical  of 
library  education 

(3)  Accepting  and  promoting  the  five- 
year  program  of  the  Standards  for  Accred- 
itation 

(if.)     Recognizing  the  continuation  of 
library  education 


idays  of  program,   fourteen  techniques  of 

'group  dynamics  were  used  for  set  talks 

jand  follow-up  group  participation.     Libra- 

! rians  and  community  group  leaders  offered 

la  variety  of  suggestions  for  helping  "The 

iAdult  in  the  Child's  World"   (the  theme  of 

I  the  conference) . 

j  The  opening  general  session  of  the 

; week's  conference  also  entered  the  child's 


world  when  Rumer  Godden  brought  into  her 
(5)  Utilizing  each  staff  member  to  his  j splendid  address  reasons  why  she  believes 

full  potential  lit  to  be  harder  to  write  for  children  than 

Grace  Slocum,  Chairman  of  the  ALA  Com-  ifor  adults. 

mittee  on  Awards,  made  announcement  of  thej  Another  outstanding  speech  of  interest 


following : 

Joseph  W.  Lippincott  Award  of  flOOO  and 
an  engraved  medal  to  Joseph  L.  VJheeler, 
former  Librarian  of  the  Enoch  Pratt  Free 
Library  in  Baltimore  for  more  than  SO 
years  of  distinguished  service  to  the 
library  profession. 


.'to  children's  librarians  was  that  given 
;by  May  Hill  Arbuthnot  (author  of  CHILDREiM 
jAWD  BOOKBj   at  the  annual,  School  Librarian^ 
(Breakfast.  Her  talk  on  The  Heart  of 
["Heroes  became  a  dynamic  exposition  of 
j values  in  picturebooks,  hero  tales  and 
ityths,  stories  of  animals  and  people,  and 


-8- 


biography.  Freshmen.    • Dr.   Taeusch  pointed  out  the 

The  annual  program  meeting,  of  CSD'cbn-'    ilack  of  undex'^s tandirg  that  exists  between 
centrated  on  children's  books  in  the  inter-the  physical  scientists  and  the  intell-- 


national  picture  with  Datus  Smith  (author 
of  THE  LAND  A1\!D  PEOPLE  OF  IND01\rESLA) 
speaking  about  American  books  in  Eastern 
languages;  Margaret  McEIderry  (Children's 
Book  Editor  at  Harcourt,   Brace,  &  World) 
talking  on  the  editor's  problems  and  in- 
terests in  translating  children's  books; 
and  the  Tjriter  of  this  article  speaking 
on  American  children's  books  in  Europe. 
The  highlights  of  the  week  for  child- 
ren's librarians  centered  around  the  New- 
beiy  and  Caldecott  awards.     Papers  from 
winning  author  Scott  O'Dell  (ISLi^.ND  OF 
THE  BLUE  DOLPHIKS)   and  artist  Nicolas  Sid- 


ectuals  of  today  -  a  lack  of  understanding 
resulting  from  the  fragmentization  of 
learning  which  man  devised  for  his  conven- 
ience but  which  is  now  isolating  him  in 
,'his  own  small  niche.     He  described  the 
'course  at  Iwoster  College  which  attempts 
to  teach  freshmen  a  concept  of  the  unity 
of  learning  and  seeks  to  give  both  the 
students  and  the  professors  a  community  of 
common  experience  through  books  they  can 
count  on  in  subsequent  years. 

After  Dr.  Taeusch' s  stimulating  tall^  the 
.discussion  groups  turned  to  the  considera- 
;tion  of  individual  titles  with  these 


jakov  (BABOUSHia  AND  THE  THREE  KINGS)  were , points  in  mind:   to  think  of  the  older 
heard  by  9OO  attenders  at  the  banquet  Tues-'-young  adult  and  his  relationship  to  the 
day  evening.     These  two  in  person  and  jworld  around  him,    to  explore  the  book  for 

Rumer  Godden,   also,  were  present  next  'iideas,  not  plot,    to  consider  the  impact 

afternoon  at  the  CSD  reception  for  editors  ;of  these  ideas  on  the  reader  and  how  thq^^ 
of  books  appearing  on  the  annual  Notable      -might  influence  his  developing  judgment. 
Books  of  ...   lists  of  the  last  eleven  -to  find  small  but  significant  incidents 

years.     The  acceptance  papers  by  the  two      iwhich  support  tiie  author's  ideas,   and  to 
winners  are  available  now  in  the  August        (consider  how  these  books  might  help  young 
issue  of  the  HORN  BOOK  MGAZINE,   together    jadults  find  judgment  and  meaning  in  their 


with  biographical  pieces   about  them. 


VIRGINIA  HAVILAi© 


Young  Adult  Services  Division 
Book  Discussions 


j reading. 

j  The  books  discussed  at  my   table,  M 
iANTONIA  by  Willa  Gather,  RICE  ROOTS  by 
JArthur  Goodfriend,  ALAS,  BABYLON  by  Pat 
(Frank,  and  TfE  STONE  by  i^ligel  Tranter, 
,'were  typical  of  the  titles  used  in  this 
program.  Treatment  of  foreigners,  the 
characters  of  the  mother  and  father,  and 


Do  we  stress  plot  and  incident  too  much  ithe  feeling  for  nature  were  a  few  of  the 
when  we  talk  about  books  to  young  people?  [points  brought  up  about  iiY  AMTONIA.  How 


Do  we  present  ideas  that  will  challenge 
young  people  and  help  them  develop  judg- 
ment and  maturity? 

These  were  the  provocative  thoughts 


we  as  Americans  can  see  ourselves  as 
other  peoples  see  us  and  the  adaptability 
of  children  to  new  ways  came  up  in  the 
discussion  of  RICE  ROOTS.  And  from  ALAS, 


that  opened  the  meeting  of  the  Young  Adults  BABYLON  we  thought  young  people  could 


Services  Division  in  the  Rainbow  Room  of 
the  Pick  Carter  Hotel  on  Tuesday  morning. 
Over  four  hundred  people  had  gathered  to 
analyze  and  discuss  books  that  could  have 
deeper  meanings  for  mature  young  people. 

Discussions  were  held  in  groups  of  ten. 
Each  person  who  registered  in  advance 
received  a  list  of  four  titles  to  read  or 
re-read  with  especial  attention  to  ideas 


learn  that  survival  is  possible  only 
through  cooperation  and  that  material 
things  do  not  matter  as  much  as  we  think 
they  do. 

These  were  only  a  few  of  the  great 
numbers  of  issues  and  ideas  that  came  up 
during  the  hour  long  general  "reporting" 
jthat  followed  the  group  discussions,  led 
•by  Ruth  Warncke,  School  of  Library  Science, 


beyond  incident  and  plot  which  young  peo-  jwestern  Reserve.  Other  groups  had  seen  in 
pie  might  consciously  or  unconsciously    jliADAME  CURIE  the  ability  for  self  disci- 
absorb,  jpline,  in  THE  WASTE  HAI:ERS  the  questioning 

Frances  Grim  of  the  Cuyahoga  County     [not  only  of  our  economy  but  of  the  back- 
Library,  Cleveland,  Chairman  of  -Uie  pro-   iground  and  motives  of  the  author,  and  in 
gram,  introduced  Dr.  '^n^lliam  Taeusch,  DeaaijiTHE  GRi-jT  DECISION  by  Michael  Amrine  how 
College  of  Wooster,  who  spoke  on  An  Ap-   ,  'the  isolation  Jr.  Taeusch  had  spoken  of 
proach  to  Liberal  Studies  for  College     iearlier  resulted  in  two  completely  differ- 


"   -9- 


ent  views  of  the  same  vital  problem. 

Dr.  Taeusch  fittingly  closed  this  excit-^ 
ing  meeting  with  a  short  but  pointed  com.-  , 
ment  on  communication  between  writer  and  . 
reader.  Each  must  go  half  way  to  meet  th^ 
other  across  a  waste  land.  The  author 
must  write  to  be  understood,  although  ' 
today  there  is  a  tendency  for  the writer  i 
to  write  for  himself  alone.  The  reader,  . 
in  turn,  can  respond  to  a  book  only  in  , 
the  measure  to  which  he  is  willing  to 
make,  an  effort  to  understand  what  the  ; 
author  is  trying  to  put  across. 

YASD  Business  Meeting 


! 


for  college  bound  students  and  a  science- 
fiction  list, 

Ray  Frye  closed  this  meeting  by  announc- 
ing the  new  Officers  for  the  coming  year: 
Sara  Siebert,  Assistant  Coordinator  of 
Work  with.  Young  Adults,  Enoch  Pratt,  Pres- 
ident, Lucille  Hatch,  University  of  Denver 
Library  School,  Vice-President  and  Pres- 
ident Elect,  Doris  Watts,  Young  Adult 
Consultant,  ^^ew  York  State  Library,  Second 
Vice-President,  and  M.  Jane  Manthorne, 
Readers  Advisor  for  Young  Adults,  Boston 
Public  Library,  Member  of  the  Board. 

ROSE  MOORACHIAN 
SORT  Meeting 


The  Business  Meeting  of  the  Young  Adultsj 
Services  Division  was  held  on  Tuesday  ] 
afternoon  at  the  Public  ^iuditorium.      i  Henrietta  Rothman,  Public  Library  of 

Although,  like  that  of  all  other  divi-  i Cincinnati  and  Hamilton  County,  was  pre- 
sions,  the  YASD  budget  was  cut  this  year,  j siding  officer  at  a  panel  discussion  meet- 
there  are  many  interesting  projects  afoot.,  ing  of  the  Staff  Organiaation  Round  Table. 

A  sequel  to  BOOK  BAIT  is  being  compiled  .Moderator  of  the  panel  was  Harold  Sander, 
under  the  chairmanship  of  Elinor  Walker,  | Indianapolis  Public  Library.  The  theme 

of  the  discussion  was  "This  is  what  you 
wanted  to  know".  Panel  members  were  Frank 


Carnegie  Library,  Pittsburgh.  Aimed  at 
mature  readers,  it  will  have  one  hundred 
and  fifty  annotated  fiction  and  non- 
fiction  -titles.  It  is  hoped  that  BOOK 
BONUS,  as  it  is  tentatively  titled,  will 
be  ready  by  next  year's  Conference. 
A  committee^  headed  by  Geraldine  Clark, 


t 


JDiodine,  Cincinnati  Public  Library,  Mrs. 
Josephine  Johnson,  Louisville  Public  Lib- 
Irary,  and  Leo  H.  Meirose,  Cincimiati  Pub- 
jlic  Library. 

!  We  made  note  of  some  of  the  facts  brought 
Brooklyn  Public  Library,  is  working  on  the; out  and  points  made  during  the  discussion, 
as  yet  untitled  list  of  books,  films  and  I  A  Staff  Organisation  is  best  when  it  is 
film  strips  on  Africa  south  of  the  Sahara.) organized  under  a  constitution  and  has 
'^he  preliminary  list  has  appeared  in  TOP  (planned  meetings  and  programs.  The  social 
OF  THE  NEWS,  but  when  the  project  is  com-  | aspects  of  the  organization  should  not  be 
plete  it  will  include  magazine  articles,  I  ignored  in  planning  events  for  the  year, 

iThe  Staff  Organization  can  be  of  special 

help  in  planning  special  projects.  One 

iarea  could  be  in  recruiting  for  the  lib- 

j  rary.  One  suggestion  was  to  give  a  tea 

for  part  time  workers  and  to  provide  a 

speaker  on  the  Library  as  a  Career.  Other 


and  group  leader's  materials  comparable 
to  those  used  in  the  RICHER  BY  ASIA 
project. 

The  Magazine  Evaluation  Committee  has 
set  up  criteria  for  evaluating  periodicals 
and  its  policy  statement  is  almost  ready 
to  be  published.  New  projects  for  this 
Committee  are  the  evaluation  of  more  for- 
eign language  periodicals  and  of  state 
historical  periodicals. 

'Aie  new  editor  of  TOP  OF  THE  iffiWS  is 
Doris  Cole,  Library  Service  Department, 
Genessee  College.  TON  reaches  over  ten 
thousand  members  and  is  second  only  to 
the  ALA  BULLETIN  in  circulation. 

A  list.  Adult  Books  for  Slow  Readers 


studies  could  be  made  on  Employer  -  Em- 
ployee relations  -  Fringe  Benefits  - 
Improvement  of  Salary  Scales  (incidentally 
Los  Angeles  has  recently  had  an  11%  in- 
crease according  to  a  member  of  their 
staff).  Other  studies  recomnended:  Orien- 
i  tation  for  new  librarians  -  Opportunities 
i  for  professional  development  -  Studies  of 
I  the  distinction  between  professional  and 
i non-professional  work  (and  recommended 


in  High  School,  is  being  compiled  by  teains  two  clerical  workers  to  each  professional) 
of  one  school  librarian  and  one  public      It  was  also  suggested  that  Staff  Organ- 
librarian  working  together,  in  several    izations  visit  some  of  thoir  neighboring 
areas  of  the  country.  Staff  Organizations, 

Other  lists  that  have  been  recommended  hayps 

for  the  future  are  outstanding  biographies  ^^^"  ^^'   ^^^ 


-lv>- 


Membership  Meeting 

,1 

A  new  and  higher  dues  scale  was  over- 
whelmingly accepted  by  Thursday  niorning's 
Membership  Meeting.  This  meeting,  sched-  ' 
uled  to  follow  the  Council  Meeting  at  10,  ' 
was  about  an  hour  late.  The  Council  had  ' 
referred  all  the  Constitutional  Amendments 
to  this  meeting.  As  the  most  important 
amendments  presented  the  new  dues  struc-  J 
ture,  the  principle  item  on  the  agenda  wasj 
a  discussion  of  its  ratification.  There  i 
was  a  great  deal  of  debate,  and  the  many  ^ 
objections  raised  at  the  beginning  of  the  ; 
discussion  set  a  tone  which  did  not  anti-  ', 
cipate  the  outcome  of  the  vote,         ' 

During  the  initial  debate,  it  was  pro-  ;■ 
posed  that  the  question  of  the  dues  raise  ; 
be  referred  to  a  mail  vote  of  the  member-  i 
ship.  This  proposal  could  have  been  im- 
plemented in  two  ways:  by  direct  mailing  | 
to  every  member,  or  by  including  a  ballot  | 
in  the  BULLETIN.  The  cost  of  the  first  , 
was  prohibitive  -  $1,200.  A  spokesman  for  i 
ALA  stated  that  from  past  experience  they  | 
could  expect  a  response  of  not  more  than  ! 
1000,  out  of  a  membership  of  25,000  to  | 
a  ballot  in  the  BULLETIN.  This  low  pro-  ; 
portion  of  interest  was  reflected  in  the  j 
small  percentage  of  the  5,000  registered  ( 
at  ALA  attending  this  "well  advertised"  j 
Membership  Meeting,  After  consideration, 
the  proposal  for  a  mail  ballot  was  de- 
feated. 

The  debate  on  the  new  dues  schedule 
resumed  with  vigor.  Those  against  the 
increase  were  afraid  ALA  would  lose  some  \ 
of  its  present  members  as  the  dues  would  ! 
become  too  expensive  for  them.  The  par-  ; 
ticular  problem  of  school  librarians,  who  j 
must  belong  to  state  and  national  educa-  i 
tional  associations  and,  therefore,  are  ] 
already  saddled  with  high  dues,  was  dis-  I 
cussed.  Objections  were  also  made  to  the  | 
increase  from  tU  to  ^6  in  the  dues  of  ! 
foreign,  retired  and  unsalaried  librar-  ■ 
ians.  A  representative  for  ALA  stated,  • 
however,  that  it  now  cost  f!)6  to  carry  { 
every  member  -  presumably  this  figure  '  j 
includes  -the  cost  of  mailing  the  BULLETIN.! 

The  inescapable  fact  seemed  to  be  that  j 
salaries  and  expenses  had  risen  for  ALA  j 
along  with  the  general  rise  in  the  cost  j 
of  living.  During  the  past  year,  ALA  has  | 
had  to  cut  the  budgets  of  all  its  divi-   i 


sions,  and  it  was  feared  that  without  the 
increase  in  dues,  activity  would  be  se- 
verely curtailed.  On  the  other  hand, 
librarians'  salaries  have  been  rising, 


and  some  members  felt  the  general  iriiprove- 
ment  in  conditions  for  the  profession  is 
in  large  part  due  to  the  work  of  ALA.  To- 
wards the  end,  many  people  seemed  to  feel 
the  increased  dues  were  just  in  relation- 
ship to  present  salaries  and  the  Member- 
ship owed  ALA  what  it  needed  to  continue 
its  activities. 

This  was  proved  by  the  final  vote. 
During  the  debate  there  had  been  contin- 
ual attempts  to  raise  the  Previous  Ques- 
tion, It  got  later  and  later  and  people 
drifted  out  to  various  other  engagements. 
The  discussion  became  repetitious  and 
the  Parliamentarian  ruled  it  would  be 
legal  to  raise  the  Question  though  there 
were  some  who  still  wished  to  speak.  The 
Constitutional  Amendments  were  brought  to 
a  standing  vote,  and  the  new  dues  struc- 
ture was  overwhelndngly  accepted. 

From  information  provided 
by  MILDRED  0< CONNOR  and 
ROSE  MOORAGHIAN 

Adult  Services  Division 

The  adult  member  of  the  community  pro- 
vides an  elusive  and  less  captive  audience 
than  does  the  child  or  young  adult.  There 
is  need  for  increased  emphasis  on  adult 
services  and  with  this  in  mind  the  Adult 
Services  Division  of  the  AIA  has  produced 
a  handbook  to  assist  library  associations 
in  organizing  adult  services  units  in 
state  or  regional  associations.  This 
handbook  is  available  on  request  to  ALA 
Adult  Services  Division,  5o  E.  Huron 
Street,  Chicago,  Illinois.  There  was  in- 
sufficient time  to  do  much  more  than  state 
the  objective  of  the  handbook  at  the  Mon- 
day luncheon  meeting.  It  was  at  this 
meeting  that  Mrs.  Florence  S.  Craig,  Pres- 
ident elect  of  the  Adult  Services  Division 
gave  a  brief  history  of  reading  guidance 
projects  from  the  old  "Reading  with  a 
Purpose"  guides  to  the  new  "Reading  for 
an  Age  of  Change".  The  Miami  program 
(1962)  will  be  built  around  these  guides 
which  are  intended  for  the  intelligent 
general  reader. 

Katherine  L.  O'Brien,  Coordinator  of 
Adult  Services  in  New  York  city,  talked 
about  developing  policies  and  standards 
for  Adult  Services.  A  manual  of  policies 
and  procedures  was  made  available  to  those 
attending  the  conference.  Here,  again, 
time  permitted  only  brief  outlining  of 
policies  -  the  nianual  itself  is  worth 
studying. 


-11- 


Brooklyn's  Ejq^eriinent  with  Reading  Im-  -;  H.  Rawski,  Chairman  of  the  'Vrt  Subsection 

provement,  presented  by  Richard  L.  Keller  \ and  head  of  the  Fine  Arts  Department.  Fol- 

of  Brooklyn,  was  most  interesting.  Tests  i lowing  the  meeting,  there  was  a  gallery 

and  machines  were  used.   "Giiranick"  minded  ! talk  by  Russell  Hehr,  a  member  of  the 

Americans  liked  the  machines  but  Brooklyn  ! staff  of  the  Fine  Arts  Department,  in  the 

found  they  were  not  absolutely  essential,  j Library  Art  Gallery.  By  arrangement  with 

The  experts  were  able  to  train  library  •  the  Cleveland  iMuseum  of  Art,  materials 

personnel  to  handle  much  of  the  reading  from  their  collections  are  exhibited,  in 

improvement  program  themselves.  {the  gallerj'  at  the  library''.  Since  the 

At  a  panel  discussion  meeting  we  1 earned 1 museum  is  quite  far  from  the  center  of  the 
how  the  Greater  Cleveland  public  lib rarie^j city  where  the  library  is  located,  this 

organizations  and  agencies  work  together,  j service  is  appreciated  by  people  who  do 

Some  programs  originating  within  the  lib-  jnot  have  enough  tl-ae  to  visit  the  museum 


rary  and  others  originating  with  outside 
groups . 

The  panel  members,  all  from  Ohio  lib- 
raries, who  participated,  spoke  from  the 
point  of  view  of  the  type  of  library  they 
represented.  Mrs.  Ilary  Bloom,  ^akewood 
Public-  Library,  represented  a  large  resi- 
dential and  highly  organized  community. 
Mrs.  Florence  S.  Craig,  Librarian,  Cuyaho- 
ga County,  spoke  of  the  half  million  peo- 


j frequently.  Space  for  the  gallery  has 
'.been  available  since  the  library  acquired 
[an  adjacent  building  into  which  some  of 
the  collections  were  moved.  The  space, 
cleanliness  and  good  lighting  in  the  lib- 
rary was  very  impressive  to  those  of  us 
who  are  living  through  the  overcrowded 
days  of  the  BPL. 

The  dinner  meeting  at  Gwinn,  an  estate 
left  by  the  Mather  family  to  the  city  of 


with  terraces 


pie  served  by  the  county  system.  Fern  Lorgjj Cleveland,  was  very  pleasant.  The  house 
Cleveland  Public  Library,  outlined  the 
activities  of  a  large  city  service,  while 
Mrs.  Louise  Ralston,  Chagrin  Falls  Public 
Library,  presented  the  problems  and  activ- 
ities of  a  small  community  library  (3^00 
population) ; , 

The  second  day  of  the  Adult  Services 
Division  program  was  geared  to  an  under- 


is  located  on  Lake  Erie, 
leading  down  to  the  lake,  and  is  surround- 
ed by  beautiful  lawns  and  a  formal  garden. 
The  director  of  the  Aki-on  Art  Institute, 
JLeroy  Flint,  gave  a  talk  before  the  dinner 
'which  was  held  on  the  lawn.  With  the 
dinner  came  a  winged  assault  by  some  vi- 
jcious  flies  who  attacked  the  diners,  rather 
standing  of  the  problems  of  mental  health  "jthah  the  food.  Even  DDT  made  them  pause 
and  the  libraries'  responsibility  for  books  jonly  momentarily,  so  we  ate  with  one  hand 
and  services  to  meet  the  growing  needs  for  on  the  spray  can  of  insecticide,  preferriig 
"prescription  service".  Among  the  facts   the  dangers  of  possible  poisoning  to  the 
brought  out  was  that  the  reader  has  a     ; present  discomforts. 

tremendous  advantage  over  the  non-reader  -|  The  tour  to  the  American  Metals  Society 
he  recovers  more  quickly.  Psychotherapy  jin  Novelty,  Ohio,  provided  an  opportunity 
is  geared  to  .the  educated  person  and  he   -to  see  one  of  Buckminister  Fuller's  geo- 
reacts  better.  idesic  domes.  The  semicircular  building, 

A  panel  discussion  presented  the  pro-   ! designed  by  John  Terrence  Kelly,  lies 
blems  in  selecting  and  using  materials  on  jwithin  the  circumference  of  the  dome  which 
mental  health.  Lists  of  suggested  sourcesjin  this  instance  was  not  designed  for 


for  information  and  literature  in  the 
mental  health  field  were  distributed. 

RUTH  M.  HAYES 

Art  Subsection 


! structural  use,  but  serves  as  the  symbol 
jof  the  American  iietals  Society,  ^'he  final 
meeting  of  the  Art  Subsection  was  held  at 
the  Cleveland  Museum  of  Art,  to  which  we 
1 would  have  preferred  to  devote  more  time, 
',but,  as  is  usual  with  conferences,  there 
(was  no  time. 


FLORENCE  CONNOLLY 
Reference  Services  Divieion 


The  art  librarians,  who  are  now  desig- 
nated in  ALA  parlance  as  the  Art  Subsectiajj 
of  the  Subject  Specialists  Section  of  the  ] 
Association  of  College  and  Reference  Lib-  ; 
rarians,  had  in  spite  of  all  this,  an  in-  ! 

teresting  series  of  meetings.  At  the     ;   The  chief  speaker  at  the  first  session 
Cleveland  Public  Library  there  was  a  brief *  of  the  Reference  Services  Division  was 
business  meeting  and  a  talk  by  Dr.  Conrad  '  N.  R.  Howard,  contributing  editor,  CLEVB- 


-12- 

LAND  PLAIN  DEALER.  His  assigned  topic  was 'ALA  rules  stress  the  official  name  of  a 
"The  Gaiety  of  Library  Life"  with  the  subr- (Corporation,  but  present  tendencies  are 
title  "Reminiscences  of  a  Newspaperman".   :now  to  use  the  name  best  l<nown  or  under- 
Mr.  Howard  announced  that  he  was  chang-  istood.  The  point  of  using  the  name  that 
ing  his  assigned  topic,  but  from  the  talk  appears  on  the  title-page  is  one  of  the 
that  followed,  the  sub- title  was  an  accur- [most  disputed. 

ate  description.  While  his  reminiscences  ■  On  the  other  hand,  cataloging  an  insti- 
had  little  or  nothing  to  do  with  libraries,, tution's  publications  under  its  own  name 
he  covered  important  world  events  and     .directly,  instead  of  the  name  of  the  city 
personages.  He  was  always  at  the  right   ;where  it  is  located,  is  generally  viewed 
place  at  the  right  time,  it  would  seem.    jwith  favor. 

His  comments  were  both  interesting  and      l-fyllis  E,  Wright  presented  a  review  of 
informative.  We  were  given  the  "inside    the  American  position  on  certain  princi- 
story",  as  it  were,  concerning  mary  eventsjiples  to  be  discussed  at  the  IFLA  meeting, 
information  that  does  not  always  find  its  |He  gave  a  rather  thorough  outline  of  the 
way  into  print.  >new  code,  with  the  points  of  change  at 

During  the  course  of  his  talk,  Mr.  How-  issue.  The  function  of  the  main  entry, 
ard  took  several  playful  jibes  at  libra-  jit  has  been  agreed,  is  to  bring  together 
ries  and  librarians.  I  suspect  that  these _all  the  works  of  an  author.  The  general 
were  intended  to  Jolt  us  out  of  our  com-   , principles  of  personal  authorship  remain 
placency,  if  that  were  necessary.        |the  same,  but  the  position  has  now  been 

iadopted  that  more  than  one  form  of  an 
BRADFORD  M.  HILL       jauthor's  name  should  be  accepted  for  the 

jcatalog,  if  he  uses  more;  one  linguistic 
Cataloging  Meetings  Jform,  however,  should  be  adopted,  pre- 

jferably  that  of  his  own  couiitry.  Corpo- 
The  Revised  Cataloging  Code  was  the  main (rate  bodies  are  having  their  headings 
feature  of  the  Cataloging  and  Classifica-  jsimplified,  and  made  as  short  as  practical! 
tion  Section's  share  of  the  Conference!   jsubordinate  bodies  will  be  entered  as  in- 
that,  and  the  coming  IFLA  International   .dependent  entries,  if  self-sufficient,  and 
Conference  on  Cataloging  Principles.      |not  be  preceded  by  their  geographical  lo- 
Wednesday  seemed  to  be  Catalogers'  Day.  jcation,  unless  they  are  part  of  a  govern- 
At  10  a.m.,  in  the  Public  Auditorium  Music jment.  Serials  should  be  entered  under  a 
Hall,  Seymour  Lubetzky  gave  a  summary  and  uniform  title,  but  under  the  new  title  if 
appraisal  of  the  IFLA  papers  relating  to   jit  changes. 

the  concept  of  the  function  of  the  main   ^  One  general  principle  all  involved  in 
entry.  Copies  of  these  papers,  by  Eva    jthe  code  revision  seem  to  agree  on  -  that 
Verona  and  L.  Jolley,  were  available  for  {practices  should  be  as  uniform  as  possible, 
reading  at  the  Resources  and  Technical    j 

Services  Division  booth  in  the  Exhibition  |  MARJORIE  A.  BROM'J 

Hall,  The  authors  are  in  agreement  about  | 

the  primary  importance  of  bringing  all  of  \  Potpourri 

a  writer's  works  together,  and  to  disagree  I 

with  Mr.  Lubetzky  on  the  point  of  using     The  Catalog  Code  Revision  Committee  met 
more  than  one  name  in  the  catalog  if  the  jfor  four  sessions  on  July  7-8,  previous  to 
author  writes  under  several.  Nor  do  they  itlie  ALA  Conference.  The  main  item  on  the 
tend  to  favor  a  "standard"  title,  similar  lagenda  was  the  approval  of  the  position  to 
to  that  used  in  cataloging  music,  for     Ibe  upheld  by  the  American  representative^ 
works  published  in  several  languages;  this  to  the  IFLA  Conference  on  Cataloguing  Prin- 
standard  title  Mr.  Lubetzky  recommends,    ciples  to  be  held  in  Paris  in  October.  Wo- 

Amold  Trotier  summarized  and  discussed  jven  through  all  the  discussions  were  con- 
papers  relating  to  corporate  authorship  -  siderations  of  methods  by  which  the  pro- ^ 


another  point  of  contention  in  the  new 
code.  TOiile  the  principle  of  treating 


posed  new  rules  might  be  implemented. 
There  was  general  agreement  that  "super- 


the  change  of  a  corporation's  name  as  a   jimposition"  (Sumner  Spalding's  term)  was 
change  of  identity  is  established  in  Amer-  jprobably  the  most  practical  solution, 
ican  practice,  other  countries  have  not   «  '*■ 

always  agreed,  although  the  trend  now  is  '     The  Membership  Committee  recommended 
toward  the  American  viewpoint.   Present   ?that  the  American  Library  Trustee  Associa- 


-13- 


tion  be  granted  independent  status  in  the 
administrative  organization.  All  trustee 
membership  representatives  will  be  respon- 
sible directly  to  ALTA  instead  of  to  the 
chairmen  of  the  state  membership  commit- 
tees. 


SUMIiER  CROP 


A  second  son  arrived  at  the  honie  of 
I  the  Dick  Hatches  on  June  17.  The  busy 
mother  is  the  former  Julie  Lenzi  of  the 
Roslindale  Branch, 


At  the  Reference  Services  Division  meeV   Mrs.  Ethel  (O'Brien)  Cullity,  on  mater- 


ing  on  Keeping  Ife  With  Information,  Jesse 
Shera  characterized  documentation  as  a 
pixjfessional  philosophy  that  has  been 
connected  with  science  because  of  the 
tools  and  techniques  used  by  documental-  ■ 
ists.  Historically,  library  classifica- 
tion has  given  access  to  materials.  Now 
the  documentalists  use  equipment  such  as 
that  devised  by  IBM  for  "marking  and 
parking". 

Resources  and  Technical  Services  Divis- 
ion had  an  informal  discussion  of  copying 
techniques  in  acquisition  operations. 
Methods  presented  included  Bibliofax, 
Photo  Clerk,  Photostat  Ejqpediter  and 
Duopage,  Verner  Clapp  recommended  that 
everyone  also  investigate  the  Kalfax  me- 
thod. Bell  and  Howell  is  presently  con- 
structing a  pistol  grip  camera  for  the 
Council  on  Library  Resources, 


nity  leave  from  the  Business  Office,  gavr.. 
.birth  to  a  9  lb.  11  oz.  son  on  Sunday 
iJuly  2[t.,  He  has  been  named  James  Henry. 

"it 

]     Congratulations  to  David  Tapley  Car- 
'bonneau  (born  July  17)   for  selecting  so 
j wisely  his  parents,  Maurice  (Music)   and 
i  Gay  Tapley  Carbonneau, 


i 


AT  HOi'ffi 


,   Charles  D.  Povah,  Periodical  and  News- 
, paper,  is  recuperating  from  his  second 
.operation  this  year.  His  home  address 
.  is  17  Shepard  St. ,  Cambridge,  if  any  one 
i  cares  to  write.  He  will  be  out  until 
'  after  Labor  Day, 


t 


VISITOR 


A  recent  visitor  to  the  Library  was 
',Abe  Kalish,   BPL  alumnus,  looking  up  his 
RTSD  Acquisition  Section  and  the  Serials' old  friends  still  here  and  finding  out 
Section  held  a  joint  meeting  on  the  manage^what  happened  to  those  who  had  left.     His 
raent  of  aquisition  problems.     Members  ;  son,   now  age  18,   is  a  junior  at  Universily 

gathered  ait)und  t ables  to  discuss  particu-jof  Maryland  and  a  mathematics  whizz.     Abe 
lar  aspects  of  the  problem  under  the  lead-'  is  working  for  Central  Intelligence, 
ership  of  experts.     There  was  helpful  ex-     teaching  the  navy.      His  first  executive 
change  of  ideas  and  information,  with  ,  officer  was  John  Hankey,   foimer  BPLer. 

considerable  table  hopping  as  individuals   ,  At  that  time  they  had  quite  a  colony 
found  the  solution  to  one  problem  and  ,  of  ex-BPL  people  together  there, 

changed  to  another  table  to  investigate       _      Abe  himself  has  been  doing  a  bit  of 
another  problem.      Problems  discussed  in-     |  writing  for  the  NATIONAL  REVIEW  recently, 
eluded  the  acquisition  of  domestic  docu- 
ments, foreign  documents,  microforms, 
paperbacks,  out-of-print  books,  piece- by-  ,  ~ 

piece  exchange,   dealer-librarian  relations'^      Distinctly  overheard  in  a  certain  lend- 
budget  control,   economy  bindings  and  hand-i  ing  library: 

ling  of  difficult- to-bind  materials,   publit     Customer:  I  want  a  copy  of  the  RISE  At© 
use  of  serials  records,   recording  and  .  FALL  OF  THE  THIRD  —  ah  —  THE  THIRD  — 

servicing  of  documents,   refusal  of  pub-       ^      Clerk:  RHIi>IE 
lishers   to  sell  to  libraries,   obtaining       j 
back  files  and  missing  issues,  photo-  r 

copies,  simplification  of  checking  records' 
for  serials  and  binding,  and  other  similar' 
and  related  topics. 


FLOODTIDE 


SELECT  READING  FOR  SCUBA  DIVERS 
20,000  LEAKS   UNDhR  THE  SEA 


MILDRED  O'CONilOR 


-11- 


3^^f  I)^: 


Ar^  contribution  to  the  Soap  Box  must 
be  accompanied  by  the  full  name  of  the 
Association  member  submitting  it,  to-    > 
gether  with  the  name  of  the  Branch^ Lib-   ! 
raiy.  Department  or  Office  in  which  he  or  [ 
she  is  anployed.  The  name  is  xjithheld 
from  publication,  or  a  pen  name  is  used, 
if  the  contributor  so  requests.  Anony-   ; 
mous  contributions  are  not  given  consid-  j 
eration.  The  author  of  the  article  is    i 
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  thei:^ 
appearance  does  not  necessarily  indicate  '. 
that  the  Publications  Committee  and  the   J 
Association  are  in  agreement  with  the    ' 
views  expressed.  Only  those  contributionsi 
containing  not  more  than  300  words  will 
be  accepted.  ] 


Dear  Soap  Boxs 

Very  recently,  a  visitor  to  the  BPL 
commented  on  our  policy  of  stocking  the 
"latest"  in  trade  publications.  She 
thought  it  unusual  that  tax  money  should 
be  used  to  compete  with  the  local  book- 
stores in  providing  light  reading. 

Couldn't  this  money  be  used  to  better 
advantage  either  in  the  Reference  Divis- 
ion, she  asked,  or  in  building  up  the 
nucleus  of  that  circulating  collection  on 
the  first  floor  -  which  seems  to  be  over- 
stocked with  titles  of  transient  value, 
but  without  sufficient  duplicates  of  many 
titles  basic  to  any  collection? 
HMM'IMMI 

Dear  Editor, 

From  the  HR&-CS  list  of  Novels  not 
recommended  for  purchase,   July  21,   I  quotd 
the  following  statements  in  reference  to 


AFFAIRS  OF  THE  HE/IRT  by  jluggeridge: 
"Present-day  Londpn  is   the  setting 
for  this  witty  arid  entertaining  novel 
which  combines  elements  of  love  and 
mystery.     The  author  however  ridicules 
the  Mass  and  ma^y  Catholic  readers 
would  find  the  book  blasphemous," 
Is   this  sup-^osed  to  be  an  adequate  rea- 
son for  rejecting  a  book  for  a  public 
library? 

SHOCKED 

Dear  Editor: 

Here  we  are  with  a  sumivier  that  equals 
last  winter  as  an  endurance  contest  and 
what  do  we  get?     Ifore  nothing.     We  are  in 
an  old  building  with  half  as  many  fans  as 
are  needed,   constantly  being  told  of  all 
the  people  elsewhere  penritted  to  go  home 
at  noon,  while  we  revive  the  less  rugged 
among  us  and  try  to  win  the  race  toward 
closing  time  sans  collapse, 

I  am  not  asking  for  a  return  to   the 
over-used  heat  relief  idea  of  a  few  years 
ago,  but  how's  about  some  reasonable 
"treatment  of  employees  who  are  trying  veiy 
hard  and  getting  weaker  each  day? 

It  will  take  more  than  salt  tablets  to 
revive  us  in  time  to  face  the  rigors  of 
winter.     We  certainly  have  an  ample  staff 
now,   if  coverage  is   the  problem  that 
keeps  us  sweltering  here  while  manj''  other 
city  and  state  employees  bask  in  the  shacte 
of  "heat  relief". 

MELTED 

Dear  Editor: 

The  accumulated  dust  and  dirt  of  many 
years,   which  was  reputed  to  be  the  only 
thing  that  held  the    Science     and  Tech- 
nology Department  together,   has  finally 
been  removed.     Our  hats,   and  quite  a  bit 
of  our  hair,   are  off  to  the  Buildings 
Deparianent  and  especially  to  George  Gen- 
tile and  his  Green  Gremlins  for  the  splen- 
did job  they  are  doing  in  keeping  our 
areas  of  the  third  floor  in  comparatively 
immaculate  condition.     We  never  had  it 
so  clean, 

LOUIS  RAINS 

To  the  Soap  Box, 

SOS     Urgently'  suggest  restoration  of 
Heat  Relief  policy  or  installation  of  Air 
conditioning,  whichever  is  more  feasible. 

SUFFERING  HUMAN 
Dear  Editor, 

To  those  with  power  to  grant  Heat  Re- 
lief,    Have  you  ever  read  a  story  by 
August  Derlefe  called  AUGUST  HEAT??7 

READERS  ADVISOR   ( UITOFFI  CIAl) 


"ITSTEN,  MI  LITTLE  CHICKADEE^  THIS  TIIE  ^OU 
AND  THE  KIDS  WILL  BE  SENT  TO  THE  FRONT  BEFORE  I  WILL 


TO 


hestion 


THE  BOSTON  PUBLIC  LIBRARY 
STAFF  ASSOCIATION 


SEPTEMBER      1961 


THE     QUESTION     MARK 
Published  by  the  Boston  Public  Library  Staff  Association 
Volume  XVI     Number  9 September  1961 


Publications  Committee:  Arthur  V.   Curiey,  A.   Kay  Decker,  James  J.   Ford,   Kose 

Moorachian,   Caroline  R,   Stanwood,   I,   Roger  Stevens,   Cartoon- 
ist, Sarah  M.   Usher,   Indexer,  Dorothy  P.   Shaw,   Chairman 

Publication  date:  Deadline  for  submitting  material: 

The  fifteenth  of  each  month  The  tenth  of  each  month 


There  have  been  so  many  expressions  of  unhappiness  and  doubt,   so  obvious  a 
feeling  of  insecurity,  over  the  tentative  position  descriptions,   that  it  is  evident 
morale  has  again  taken  a  nose  dive. 

What  we  do,   or  think  we  do,   is  important  to  all  of  us,  not  only  as  a  measure 
of  accomplishment,   but  as  a  part  of  our  prestige.     Therefore,   the  disappearance  of 
our  most  cherished  individual  work  into   the  colorless  anonymity  of  the  jargonistic 
statements  of  job  descriptions,   shocked  and/or  hurt  a  large  part  of  the  staff. 
There  also  seems  to  be  some  feeling  -   (justified  to  a  certain  extent  by  the  terms 
used  in  the  tentative  descriptions,  and  by  the  emphasis  placed  on  the  supposedly 
important  tasks)   -  that,   even  after  examination  of  our  compilation  of  duties  and 
responsibilities  and  a  brief  interview,  persons  without  a  pattern  of  long  experience 
in  the  several  phases  of  library  work  r ight  be  unable  to  understand  sufficiently 
the  specialized  work  of  many  of  our  units,   to  write  truly  accurate  job  descriptions. 

The  semantics  used  added  to  our  distress.     The  same  terms  have  not  been  used 
for  the  same  kinds  of  work  throughout.     There  has,   thus  far,  been  made  little  or  no 
distinction  between  gradations  of  the  same  type  of  work.     For  exajnple,  no  difference 
is  shown  between  directional  queries,   quick  reference,   selective  reference  etc., 
which,   to  reference  workers,  is  very  important.     Nor  are  the  terms  always  in  famil- 
iar    library  language.     We  cannot  be  certain  the  descriptions  adequately  depict 
our  real  duties,  or  what  we  attempted  to  put  doxm  in  our  work  sheet.     Possibly  this 
was  due  to  haste  to  complete  this  phase  of  a  gigantic  task,  in  order  to  start  on 
another  phase,    the  evaluation,     i^any  of  us  would  have  preferred  that  more  tirae  be 
allotted  to  this  most  important  nhase,  upon  which  the  whole  evaluation  depends, 
while  others,   especially  the  LAs,  seem  anxious  for  completion  of  the  whole  evalua- 
tion,  since  consideration  of  LA  inequities  has  been  postponed  until  the  LA  job 
evaluation  is   completed.     ¥e  ARE  invited  to  corranent  on  the  tentative  descriptions 
so  that  equitable  descriptions  may  be  written,  but  too  little  time  has  been  allowed 
for  this.     But,   how  many  of  us  understand  job  description  techniques  sufficiently, 
or  have  tirae  to  devote  to  this  within  the  brief  period  permitted? 

Before  we  take  the  view  that  we  are  being  down-graded,   not  being  given  suffi-  . 
icient  credit  for  our  effort  or  are  totally  misunderstood,  let  us   consider,   ob- 
jectively, what  a  job  description  is.     Isn't  it  a  statement  of  the  duties  and  res- 
ponsibilities the  position  SHOULD  include,  over  a  period  of  time  and  from  one  in- 
cumbent to  another?     It  is  NOT  a  statement  of  what  an  individual  does  within  or 
above  or  below  that  frame  of  reference.     It  is  difficult  to  divorce  the  individual 
from  the  job  performance  and  there  is  the  possible  crux  of  our  feeling,     HAVE  we, 
or  the  analysts,  successfully  done  this  in  all  instances?     Do  we  ALL  understand 
that  job  components  are  shuffled  around  daily  in  most  units,   depending  on  who  is 
available  when  a  task  is  to  be  done,   or  on  the  qualifications  of  the  individuals 
employed  in  the  unit  at  that  particular  time?     Or  has  the  work  performance  of  a 
particular  individual  at  the  period  of  the  duty-listing  been  the  sole  criterion  for 


the  choice  of  terms  used  in  the  job  description? 

Remember  that  the  position  description  is  tlie  correct  frame  of  reference,  in- 
dividuals will  always  do  more  or  less  than  is  called  for  within  this  frame,  de- 
pending on  individual  abilities,  training,  experience,  and  personal  character.  We 
as  individuals,  must  remember  this  as  we  look  objectively  at  the  necessary  require- 
ments of  the  job  and  at  its  relationship  to  other  jobs  in  our  unit,  and  make  the 
attempt  to  separate  the  description  of  the  position  we  hold  from  our  personal  per- 
formance of  it  -  just  as  the  persons  re-writing  the  descriptions  must  attempt  to 
sort,  from  our  versions  of  our  work,  those  items  which  belong  to  the  job,  not  to 
temporary  conditions  or  to  our  individual  abilities. 

To  preserve  the  morale  of  those  who  are  doing  more  than  their  description 
demands,  immediate  assurance  is  needed  that  some  adequate  recognition  of  this  fact, 
can  and  will  be  given,  ^le  hope  too,  that  the  staff  may  soon  be  assured  that  all 
individual  statements  of  duties  as  well  as  the  re-written  job  descriptions,  and 
the  comments  of  the  department  heads,  branch  librarians  etc.,  will  be  given  to  the 
Committee  on  Evaluation,  to  ensure  that  the  committee  really  knows  just  what  it 
is  evaluating. 

The  Publications  Committee  recommends  also,  that  each  member  of  the  staff 
carefully  study  the  excellent  booklet  on  Job  Evaluation  provided  in  June  by  the 
Personnel  Office.  We  are  also  appending  here  references  on  job  descriptions  and 
job  evaluation  -  methods,  use,  and  e>:amples  -  for  those  who  wish  to  better  under- 
stand the  problems  involx^ed,  and  there  are  many] 

Job  evaluation  is  important  to  us,  and  to  the   Library.  If  we  of  the  staff, 
as  individuals,  fail  to  understand  aiiy  rart  of  the  process,  or  are  not  satisfied 
with  results  as  they  occur,  we  should  express  our  needs  quickly  and  lucidly  to  the 
Administration,  our  superior  officers,  the  Executive  Board  of  the  Staff  Association, 
or  the  Soap  Box  section  of  the  QUESTION  MKK.  Job  evaluation  may,  when  completed, 
mean  a  better  understanding  of  our  jobs  and  a  better  apportionment  of  duties  and 
salaries!  relieve  professionally  trained  staff  members  of  those  time  and  energy 
consuming  clerical  and  non-professional  tasks  we  all  do  while  complaining  we  need 
more  time  for  our  professional  workj  provide  better  supporting  staffs j  attract  a 
higher  quality  of  personnel  to  the  Library  at  all  levels;  lead  to  more  transfer  or 
advancement  possibilities;  and  provide  more  efficient  service  to  our  patrons.  But 
the  plan  needs  our  cooperation,  and  belief  in  it,  to  succeed] 

THE  PUBLICATIONS  GOM^ilTTEE 


BRIEF  BIBLIOGRAPHY  ON 

JOB  DESCRIPTION  Ai.D  EVALUATION 


Defines  the  duties,  divides  them  into 
fields  of  activities  grouped  in  pro- 
fessional and  non-professional  within 
the  activity.  This  and  the  US  Civil 


This  bibliography  is  not  intended  to  be 
all-inclusive.  The  references  included   i  Service  Commission  listing  near  the  end 
are  the  pertinent  recent  publications    "  of  this  bibliography  are  the  only  sources 
in  the  field  which  happened  to  be  on  shelf!  for  librar:^^  job  descriptions  we  found, 
and  available  for  examination.  Most  of   ;  -;;- 

the  titles  may  be  found  in  Government    ''  Bennett,  C.L.  Defining  the  managers  job. 
Documents,  Branch  Issue  or  the  Staff  Li-  .  The  AMA  Manual  of  Position  Descriptions, 
brary.  <  American  Management  Association.  1958 

i  Contains  descriptions  for  many  managerial 
ALA  Subcommitte  on  Personnel  Administra-  ■  positions.  Excellent  illustration  of 
tion.  Descriptive  list  of  Professional   :  properly  done  job  descriptions. 
and  Nonprofessional  Duties  in  Libraries,  \ 


-3- 


Carroll,  Phil.  We  need  work  measures. 

Special  Libraries  50:38i;-7  Oct.  <59  i 

Job  specifications,  as  used  in  industry,  ! 

adapted  to  library  needs.  •-       '  '• 

Lanham,  E,  Job  Evaluation,  McGraw-Hill. ' 

1955. 

Excellent  book  on  all  phases  of  job  des-  j 
cription  and  evaluation.  Chapters  on  job; 
analysis,  job  descriptions  and  job  rating' 
particularly  applicable  to  our  problems.  \ 
The  earlier  chapters  lead  to  better  under4 
standing  of  methods.  Contains  methods  } 
and  examples.  Long  bibliography  in-  \ 
eluded,  I 

Loftus,  Helen  E.  ifJhy  work  standards?  ; 

Special  Libraries  50:173-[|.  April  ^^9  \ 

Questions  to  be  considered  in  evaluating  i 

library  activities  and  relating  them  to  j 

total  performance,  ! 

*  I 
Luck,  Thomas  J.  Personnel  Audit  and  Ap*-  j 
praisal.  McGraw-KLll.  1955. 

Chapter  iLj.  on  job  specifications  contains 
several  actual  descriptions. 

*  ! 

I 

Lytle,  Charles  ^J,  Job  Evaluation  Methods! 
2d  edition.  Ronald  Press.  195i| 

Morrissett,  I'Irs.  E.  IT,  No  classification 
for  librarians.  Library  Journal  80:25i!-2 
N  15  'S^  \ 

Classifications  and  standards,  although 
helpful  as  a  planning  guide  hamper  the 
profession's  spirit  of  service,         { 

I 
Patton,  John  and  C,L.  Littlefield.  Job  I 
Evaluation.  Text  and  Cases,  Revised  ' 
edition.  Irwin.  1957.  i 

Chapters  on  Job  evaluation,  job  descrip-  j 
tion  and  job  analysis.  Appendix  gives  , 
several  types  of  sample  job  descriptions. ; 


I 


Methods  explained, 

Rohlf ,  Robert  H,  Library  management  aid. 
Library  Journal  79:1860-2  0  l5'5i;       i 
How  to  measure  jobs  which  are  supervisory,! 
professional,  or  unique.  ! 

*  1 

Smyth,  ^ichard.  Job  Evaluation  and  On-   I 
ployee  Rating.  19l|.6  » 

it- 
Scott,  Clothier  and  Spriegel.  Personnel 
Management.  5th  edition.  McGraw-Hill 

1951^ 

See  chapters  10  and  11  on  job  description! 

and  job  analysis  1 


US  Civil  Service  Commission.   Bureau  of 
Programs  and  Standards.      Positions- 
Classification  St-andards.     GS  li|10  and 

:iifii. 

standard  job  descriptions  for  various 
grades  of  professional  librarians  and 
librarj"-  assistants. 

Wight,  Edxjard  A.  Implications  for  Per^ 
sonnel.  Library  Quarterly  27  005-19 
0  '57 

Analysis  prerequisite  for  proper  dis- 
tribution of  work  load,  separation  of 
clerical  and  professional  duties,  and 
production  of  greater  efficiency  and 
strength. 

Woodruff,  Mrs  Elaine  L.  Tiifork  measure- 
ment applied  to  libraries.  Special  Li- 
braries \\S)'.139-hh  April  «57 
Evaluation  of  performance,  with  proper 
definition  and  measurement  of  activities, 
can  balance  work  load  and  improve  effici- 
ency. 

■»• 
See  also  the  General  Index  (Annual) 
Conference  Board  Publications  for  other 
articles  on  the  subject, 

PROFESSIOilAI,  OR  CLERICAL? 

Is  the  title  of  an  article  by  Eugene  D. 
Hart  and  ^Tilliam  J.  Griffith  in  the  Li- 
brary Journal,  pages  2758-59,  Sept  1  '61, 
which  is  of  timely  interest  to  us  be- 
cause of  our  job  evaluation  program.  The 
authoi'-s  conducted  a  study  of  the  extent 
to  which  professional  librarians  engage 
in  nonprofessional  duties  in  a  normal 
work  assignment,  Uging  the  ALA  Descrip- 
tion List  of  Professional'^ and  Nonpro- 
fessional Duties  in  Libraries,  they 
compiled  a  questionnaire  containing  a 
total  of  100  duties,  equally  divided  be- 
tiiieen  professional  and  non-professional, 
and  arranged  in  irregular  order  with  no 
indication  of  its  professional  or  non- 
professional natur-e.  Professional  staff 
members  in  approximately  20  public  libra- 
ries in  the  Los  Angeles  area  (population 
10,000  to  100,000)  checked  only  the  dut- 
ies regularly  performed  on  a  normal  work 
day,  and  estimated  the  number  of  minutes 
each  required. 

The  results  showed  clearlj'-  that  the 
professional  librarian  performed  a  number 
of  nonprofessional  duties.  Those  below 
branch  librarian  or  department  head  aver- 
aged between  80  to  l60  minutes  a  day 


-L^- 


(17  to  3l\%  of  the  day)  in  nonprofessional  '  being  appointed.  This  raatter  was  referred 
duties.  Department  heads  and  branch  libr*  to  Mr.  Gaines. 

rians  averaged  from  100  to  180  minutes  a  i  Several  other  matters  have  been  brought 
day  on  nonprofessional  duties.  i to  tiie  attention  of  iir.  Gaines  after  con- 

Some  of  our  staff  will  have  great  sym-  'sideration  by  the  Executive  Board.  These 
pa thy,  after  having  tried  to  time  duties,  'include  the  matter  of  anniversary  in- 
for  the  librarian  who  totaled  up  her  work- j creases  being  effective  when  due  rather 
ing  day  to  II4.  hours  though  on  an  8  hour   j  than  waiting  for  the  first  full  week  of 
day  -  and  tried  to  explain  the  discrepancy!  the  following  month.  Also  up  for  consid- 
by  the  fact  that  she  was' usually  doing    i eration  is  the  matter  of  P  I's  qualified 
more  than  one  thing  at  the"  same  time,     |for  promotion  but  who  have  not  been  pro- 
Kesponsibility  for  this  percentage  of   'moted  even  though  new  personnel  with  li- 
nonprofessional  duties  was  credited  to:   jbrary  school  degrees  are  entering  at  a  P  2 
failure  of  administrators  and  supervisors  (level.  Since  promotion  to  this  level  no 
to  recognize  true  nature  of  professional  (longer  waits  upon  a  vacancy  it  is  re- 


duties  j  common  general  disregard  in  the 
assignment  of  nonprofessional  duties  to 
the  professional  staffj  and  general  staff 
shortages  which  cause  assignment  of  both 
professional  and  nonprofessional  staff 
to  duties  without  regard  of  the  nature 
of  the  assignment. 

PRESIDENT'S  NOTES 


I  commended  that  action  be  taken  to  correct 

I  this  situation, 

;  Another  problem  (with  which  Mr.  Gaines 

; is  already  involved)  is  the  job  of  re- 

i classification.  We  have  asked  Mr.  Gaines 

;  to  expedite  matters  as  much  as  is  hur.ianly 

S possible. 

!  RUTH  M.  HAYES 


PERSONxJEL  NOTES 


I 


Hot  and  humid]  The  weather  that  is  - 
hope  you  all  had  a  pleasant  summer.      (New  Qnployees 

Tour  Executive  Board  did  not  take  advo u-iMrs.  Maureen  Banker,  Central  Charging  Re- 
tage  of  the  Constitutional  provision  to   (   corda 

have  a  vacation  from  meetings.  They  have  !J,  Richard  Belanger,  Music 
been  right  on  the  job.  Cur  last  meeting  {Louise  Blanchard,  North  End 
was  held  on  Friday  morning  September  8,   : Joanne  M.  Fischer,  Egleston  Square 
at  which  time  it  was  voted  to  cancel  plans' Paul  Frost,  Central  Charging  Records  (foni- 


for  the  October  meeting  because  of  the 


{ 


erly   Book  Inventory/-  Project) 


lack  of  a  suitable  meeting  place.  We  are  'Jean  T.  Hamrick,  Mattapan 

sorry  to  abandon  what  sounded  like  an  ex-  JMary  Hengstenberg,  Genei-al  Reference 

cellent  program  but  perhaps  we  could  use   " "  "   *  "-'■-'  "  ^- 


it  at  a  future  date. 

The  Spiecial  Services  Committee  has  the 
Discount  List  ready  for  distribution. 
They  have  done  an  excellent  job. 

A  question  was  raised  as  to  whether  or 
not  Northeastern  students,  hired  for  full 


jMargaret  Hoare,  Fine  Arts 
jMrs.  Lucja  Jaeger,  Goverrjnent  Documents 
Arlene  A.  King,  Bookmobiles 
iMrs,  Marj'-a  A.  Knudsen,  Codman  Square 
I Mrs,  Beverly  Lambert,  Cataloging  and 
j  Classification,  R  <2c  R3  (formerly  part- 
5   time) 
i Charles  S.  Longley,  General  Reference 


time  work  on  a  ten  week  basis,  should  be 

eligible  for  membership  in  the  Association  J  Mrs,  Meredith  McCullock,  Dorchester 

It  was  held  that  it  was  not  the  intention  i Daniel  Morrison,  Central  Charging  Records 

of  the  framers  of  the  constitution  to  in-  j   (formerly  part-time  Fine  Arts) 

elude  such  employees  but  that  a  proposal  SDolores  A,  O'Hara,  Cataloging  and  Classi- 

could  be  made  for  constitutional  amend-   I  fication,  R  &  RS 

ment,  JMrs.  Eleanor  S,  Rude,  West  Roxbury 

A  member  of  the  Staff  Association  brou^ 
to  our  attention  a  directive  by  the  Per-  jNew  Bnployees  -  Northeastern  Students 
sonnel  Division  of  the  Administrative  Ser-JMaureen  E.  Dorion,  Cataloging  and  Classifi- 
vices  Department  which  stated  that  ""Sti-   ^  cation,  HR  &  CS.  Political  Science  '65 
ployees  with  25  years'  or  more  of  service,  .Hilary  A,  Wayson,  Bookmobiles 
creditable  under  the  Compensation  Plan    i 
shall  be  compensated  on  promotion  at  a    {Married 
rate  specified  in  column  six,  the  maximum  !Geraldine  Mikolajewski,  Cataloging  and 


salary  of  the  grade  to  which  they  are 


Classification,  R  &  RS,  to  Arthur 


-^ 


Douglas,  August  20. 


Transferred 
Caroline  Stanwood, 
Rare  Book 


General  Reference  to 


Resigned 

Maurice  Carbonneau,  Music,  to  return  to 

teaching 
Mrs,  Ethel  L.  Cullity,  Business  Office, 

to  remain  at  home 
Mrs.  Gale  Golden,  Connolly,  moving  out  of 

state 
^Irs.  Delia  M.  Jones,  South  End,  to  remain 

at  home 
Lawrence  Lamer,  Book  Stack  Service,  to 

attend  college 
Mrs.  Martha  J,  Meyer,  West  Roxbury,  to 

remain  at  home 
Leslie  Pearlman,  Central  Charging  Records 

to  return  to  school 
Cynthia  J.  Sharpe,  Egleston  Square 
Mrs.  Lois  Steinberg,  West  Roxbury,  to 

accept  another  position 
Susan  Wall,  Bookmobiles,  to  attend  grad- 
uate school 


Terminations 

Book  Inventory  Project,  HR  &CS 
Sheila  J,  Doyle,  Book  Preparation 
Mary  L.  Harrington,  Branch  Issue 
Maureen  McDevitt,  Book  Preparation 
Mary  Ann  O'Hare,  Branch  Issue 
Lorraine  Whitkens,  Branch  Issue 

Book  Inventory  Project,  R  &  RS 
Charles  Berkebile 
Lewis  Burleigh 
Thomas  Gosnell 
Warren  Hall 
Peter  McCallion 
James  W.  McChesney 
Charles  Mickerson 
John  O'Callaghan 
Henry  Ricupero  •,   „.  ■■ 
Martin  Rosenfield 
William  Sexton 
Joseph  Stern 
Kenneth  Winston' 

Cataloging  and  Classification, 
Prmela  Calhoun 
Hcsemary  J.  Doyle 
Rosalind  Ferrante 
P&tricia  M,  Hennigan 
Patricia  F.  Logan 
Jean  M.  Nelson 
Pearl  Owens 
Anne  P.  Santino 

Education 
Janet  Stearns 


WHO'S  MEW? 

Mrs.  Catherine  Baxter,  Mt.  Bowdoin,  after 
five  years  of  part  time  work  at  Adams,  has 
now  joined  us  full  time.  In  her  free 
.hours  she  works  with  parents'  clubs  and 
on  many  projects  with  the  Boy  Scouts. 

Joan  K.  Trygstad  started  at  Codman  and 
is  now  an  Adult  worker  at  Adams,  Joan  is 
from  i'linneapolis,  a  graduate  of  the  Univ- 
ersity of  Minnesota  with  a  major  in  Soci- 

,  ology.  Hobbies  include  reading  and  furni- 

,  ture  refinishing. 

Book  Purchasing's  Malcom  J,  Norton  lives 
in  Roxbury.  A  June  graduate  of  flission 
High,  Malcom  was  particularly  interested 
',  in  mathematics  and  hopes  to  study  Engin- 
,i  eering  eventually.  In  the  meantime,  a 
;  music  lover,  he  keeps  busy  with  a  general 
record  collection. 

I   Charles  S.  Longley,  General  Reference, 
has  an  M.A.  in  Library  Science  from  the 
.University  of  Illinois.  Charles,  who  had 
,  graduated  from  Wesleyan  as  a  classics 
major  in  1956  and  survived  a  2  year  stint 
;  in  Korea  with  the  Army,  also  studied  Rus- 
;  sian  and  worked  at  the  University  Library, 
;  A  native  of  i'laine,  he  enjoys  outdoor 
,  sports,  reading,  and  music  -  although  he 
;  says  the  only  instrument  he  ralays  is  the 
'  hi-fi.' 

Leo  Lamer,  Book  Stack  Service,  is  from 
,  Dorchester.  He  w  ill  be  a  freshman  at 
.  B.C.  this  year  in  the  Business  School, 
:  Leo  plans  to  be  an  accountant  and  likes 
f  detective  stories. 


}   Book  Stack  Service's  Angelo  Mammano  is 
}  a  piano  major  at  B.  U.  Graduate  School  of 
j  Music.  An  opera  coach  at  school,  he  also 
;  accompanies  other  singers.  Angelo  also 
comes  from  Dorchester,  and  music  is  his 
'i  life. 

;  * 

R  &RS  t   A  children's  worker  in  the  Open  Shelf 

i  room,  Isabel  Thayer  graduated  last  spring 


^ 


from  Wheaton  where  she  majored  in  Philos- 
ophy and  Religion,  Hrs.  Thayer  comes 
from  Daytona  Beach,  Florida.  She  now 
lives  in  Cambridge,  where  her  husband 
attends  Harvard  Law  School.  We  will  be 
seeing  i'lrs.  Thayer  at  Simmons  this  fall. 

A  welcome  addition  to  the  Open  Shelf  is 
Frank  Havlin,  of  South  Boston  and  Stough- 


-6- 


ton.  He  has  planned  a  busy  schedule  for 
next  year,  when  he  .will, attend  evening    ; 
classes  at  Bentley  Sohool  of  Accounting   • 
&  Finance.  Frank  includes  horseback  ridr  : 
ing  and  hockey  among  his  major  interests.  ■ 

ENGAGlLilENT  '        .,.       ] 

i 

Phyllis  E,  Adams,  Book  Stack  Service,   , 

became  engaged  Labor  Day  to  Robert  E. 

Patrick  of  Revere.  The  -wedding  will  be   • 

on  October  7.  . 


BPL  ALUI^JA  WINS  HONORS 


Of  interest  to  her  friends  in  the  BPL  isj 
information  contained  in  recent  issues  of  j 
the  New  York  Public  Library's  STAFF  NEWS,  j 
Mrs.  Adele  (Sulesky)  Requena,  Senior  Sten-; 
ographer,  Office  of  Children's  Services, 
has  completed  successfully  all  parts  of  | 
the  series  of  examinations  w  hich  leads  j 
to  the  designation  Certified  Professional  | 
Secretary,  a  certification  made  by  the  | 
National  Secretaries  Association  (Inter-  ) 
national).  This  honor  has  been  bestowed  j 
upon  only  eighteen  persons  in  the  State  t 
of  New  York  in  I96I.  i 

Mrs.  Requena  was  one  of  twenty- three  ' 
members  of  the  New  York  Chapter  of  the  | 
Association  who  attended  the  Sixteenth  j 
Annual  Convention  of  the  National  Associ-  ) 
ation  in  Los  Angeles  in  July.  While  therej 
she  and  twenty- eight  other  new  CPSs  were  i 
honored  at  an  invitational  meeting,      \ 

Ilrs.  Requena  began  work  in  the  BPL     ] 
Branch  system  and  immediately  preceding   ■ 
her  moving  to  New  York  was  in  the  Direc- 
tor's Office.  Congratulations  to  a 
deserving  alumnaj 

AS  I  LEAVE  THE  LIBMRY 


How  I  hate  to  leave  these  hallowed  halls, 
The  crumbling  ceilings,  the  decaying 

walls; 
But  I  must  go  where  duty  calls. 
So,  I'm  leaving  the  library. 

The  days  that  I  have  spent  right  here, 
I'll  think  of  them  and  shed  a  tear. 
I'm  leaving  all  my  friends  so  dear. 
As  I  leave  the  library. 

Science  and  Tech,  and  old  Bates  Hall- 
Music  and  Stat,  I  love  them  all,' 
But,  ptnlling  cards  was  quite  a  downfall, 
So,  I'm  leaving  the  library. 


'Correct  call  n'jmbei',  FOESA  or  kill, 
At  times,  I  often  needed  a  pill. 
To  keep  me  goin£.  Ah,  but  still, 
I'm  leaving  the  library. 

Scraping  cards  was  quite  a  chore. 

And  there  always  seemed  to  be  plenty  more 

And  were  they  ever  one  big  bore. 

So,  I'm  leaving  the  library. 

I'm  off  on  another  chapter  of  my  life's 

book. 
But  not  without  a  backward  look 
At  the  fun  and  the  friends  I  made  when  I 

took 
A  job  at  the  library. 

PEARL  }'{.    OI-vENS 
(Pearl  Owens  sent  us  her  "farewell"  in 
this  form  as  she  left  the  R  £c  HS  Catalog- 
ing and  Classification  summer  project.  Vife 
hope  it  entertained  you  as  it  did  us,') 

ALL  LIGHT  MOMEI^ITS? 

Just  in  case  you  think  the  above  is 
a  true  picture  of  the  cataloging  work, 
we  print  the  following  quotation  from 
THE  lOEKING  OF  THE  BOSTON  PUBLIC  LIBRARY 
by  Josiah  H,  Benton  (revised  edition  191^!.) 

"Few  people  probably  realise  the  vast 
amount  of  work  which  is  accomplished  by 
the  Cataloguing  Department,  and  it  is 
possible  that  still  fewer  fully  realize 
how  comparatively  useless  a  large  Library 
would  speedily  become  if  Mxis   department 
were  not  maintained  with  the  highest  de- 
gree of  promptness  and  efficiency.  This 
demands  the  highest  ability,  the  ripest 
experience,  and  most  discriminating  judge- 
ment, a  quick  sense  of  the  scientific 
relations  and  the  relative  values  of 
every  department  of  hmiian  knowledge,  and 
the  most  alert  and  efficient  executive 
administration. " 

AROUiJD  ABOUT 

Even  long-time  staff  members  learned 
new  routes  between  here  and  there  this 
month,  when  the  repairs  to  courtyard, 
and  the  book  conveyor  system  to  Bates 
Hall,  closely  followed  by  re-building 
of  the  Abbey  Room,  office  space  and 
Book  Stack  Service  section  to  house 
other  offices  and  the  public  catalogs, 
were  started.  Dust  and  more  dust  descends 
dailyi 


--7- 


INTERNATIONAL  LIBRARY  IIEETIi^GS 


rians.   held  at  the  University  College  of 


^  North  Staffordshire.     Each  one  had  some 
The  twenty-seventh  annual  meeting  of  the  part  in  tiie  program:  j.n  an  international 
International  Federation  of  Library  Associ-  storytelling  evening,   in  a  norning  session 


devoted  to  the  flow  of  children's  books 
between  countries   (Virginia  Haviland 

'speaking  on  "Books  Without  Boundaries"), 
and  in  a  panel  of  talks  on  children's 

;  library  work  in  Sweden,   Holland,   and  the 

]  USA.     This  meeting  tosether  again  was  a 
happy  experience,  with  some  renewal  of 
acquaintance  with  librarians  met  before 

\  abroad  and  also  in  this  country. 

•  FLOORIMG  SI'IASH 

Page  2762  in  the  September  1  issue  of 
'  the  LIBRARY  JOURMAL  gives  an  account  of 


our  annex  accident  and  warns  other  libra- 
;  ries  with  glass  flooring  of  possible 


danger. 


IT  DID  HAPPEN 


ations  (briefly  called  IFLA)  was  held  in 
Edinburgh  September  l|.-8,  happily  coincid- 
ing with  the  last  week  of  that  city's 
famous  festival. 

The  United  States  was  represented  by  a 
dozen  delegates,  seven  of  whom  were  per- 
sons interested  in  children's  library 
work,  including  Mildred  Batchelder,  Exec- 
utive Secretary  of  the  Children's  Ser- 
vices Division  of  ALA.  Jack  Dslton  of- 
ficially represented  ALA's  International 
Relations  Committee.  Plenary  sessions 
opened  and  closed  the  week  and  in  between 
the  various  sections  held  their  meetings. 
Children's  librarians  held,  in  addition 
to  their  annual  business  session,  a  meet- 
ing on  the  subject  of  translations  of 
children's  books,  for  which  Virginia     ; 
Haviland  was  asked  to  speak  on  the  im-    ; 
portance  of  books  translated  or  republish-j 

ed  in  a  large  country  with  a  big  annual   ,   A  large  dog  was  observed  at  the  lobby 
production  of  books.  Denmark  sent  a     <  drinking  fountain  contentedly  guzzling 
speaker  on  the  same  subject,  for  the  point  nice  cold  water  during  one  of  our  hot 
of  view  of  the  small  country,  and  Swed-  .   spells.  We  do  understand  however,  that 
furnished  a  children's  book  editor  to 
present  the  publisher's  picture  of  needs 
and  problems. 

Between  planned  meetings  of  professional, 
content  many  occasions  were  set  for  in-  \ 
formal  gathering  where  pleasant  and  valu-  j 
able  contacts  were  made  between  opposite  • 
numbers  of  different  countries.  As  Sir   ; 
Charles  P.  Snow,  President  of  the  British  ] 
Library  Association,  pointed  out  at  the   j 
opening  session,  there  is  immense  importr-  j 
ance  [in  such  conferences]  for  under-     \ 
developed  countries  and  for  countries 
with  already  well  developed  differences 
of  techniques  and  stress  who  can  learn 
from  each  other j  and  there  is  "nothing 
but  value  to  be  obtained  through  persons 
meeting.  Contacts  mean  we  love  each 
other  more  when  we  see  each  other  doing 
the  thing  we  are  trying  to  do.  These 


the  dog  did  not  appear  to  be  operating 
the  fountain  himself,  even  though  a  well- 
trained  seeing- eye  dog. 

Also  in  the  lobby  area  there  is  a  large 
";  sign  printed  in  bonfire  red  reading 
I  "Smoking  is  Prohibited",  Nonchalantly 
j  smoking  a  cigarette  directly  beneath  it 
]  was  a  member  of  the  public, 

I         SCHOOL  TliJE  AGAIN 

i 

!   And  before  the  students  cause  us  all  to 

I  lose  our  collective  sense  of  humor  shortlj; 

j  we  may  all  have  a  hearty  chuckle  of  ap- 

\  preciation  while  reading  Gerald  Raftery's 

J  "Confer  with  sages  here",   pages  39-U2  of 

}  the  l-ILSON  LIBRARY  BULLETIN  for  September. 

j      Mr,   Raf tery  deals  in  s  tudents  as  he  is 

i  a  school  librarian.     In  addition  to  learn- 


remind  us  that  we  are  members  of  the  same  i  ing  why  students  visit  his  library,  you 
specie,   trying  to  do  the  same  thing."  *  will  learn  how  to  tell  whether  two  pray- 

Thus  we  enjoyed  each  other  at  receptions,     ing  mantises  are  a  pair,  what  a  school 
at  the  Festival  Tattoo  held  at  the  castle,'  librarian  thinks  of  the  present  curricu- 
and  at  other  social  occasions.  !  lum  trends,   the  use  of  pictorial  sets. 

During  the  week-end  following  the  Edin-  j  and  how  to  best  display  pets  as   "come- 
burgh  meeting,   seven  "foreign"  children's  |  ons".     Who  knows,  we  might  even  contract 
librarians  from  IFLA  were  guests  at  a  j  the  habit  of  "bruising  around"  too] 

meeting  of  the  British  children's  libra-     j  Don't  miss  this  article,' 

1 


-a- 


Any  contribution  to  the  Soap  Box  must 
be  accorapanied  by  the  full  name  of  the 
Association  member  submitting  it,   to- 
gether with  the  name  of  the  Branch  Lib- 
rary, Department  or  Office  in  vhich  he  or 
she  is  employed.     The  name  is  withheld 
from  publication,  or  a  pen  name  is  used, 
if  ttie   contributor  so  requests.     Anony- 
mous contributions  are  not  given  consid- 
eration.    The  author  of  the  article  is 
known  only  to  the  Editor-in-Chief,     The 
contents  of  the  articles  appearing  in  t^ie 
Soap  Box  are  personal  opinions  expressed 
by  individual  Association  members  and 
their  appearance  does  not  necessairLly 
indicate  that  the  Publications  Committee 
and  the  Association  are  in  agreement  with 
the  views  expressed.     Only  those  contri- 
butions containing  not  more  than  300 
words  will  be  accepted. 


To  the  Soap  Box: 

September  is  here  and  with  it  the  be- 
ginning of  another  school  year.  School, 
among  other  things,  means  science  fairs. 
And  where  are  our  science  books?  In  the 
Annex  stacks] 

How  about  book  shelving  in  the  old 
Printing  Department  adjacent  to  the 
Science  and  Technology  Department?  At 
least  this  segment  of  knowledge  would  be 
available, 

ALARilED 

Dear  Editor: 

On  Monday  September  11,  most  of  the 
city  went  home  to  cool  drinks   and  near- 
nakedness,   while  we,   impervious  to  heat, 
remained  at  our  posts  once  agair^  far  too 
well  clothed.  Must  we  approach  the  ACLU 


Son  the  grounds  of.  being  discriminated 

jagainst  before  we  may  associate  on  equal 

'terms  with  other  citj'"  workers? 

i  SIZZLED 

i 

JTo  tiie  Soap  Box: 

*     Since  air  conditioning  is  out  of  the 

^question  to  install  everj'where,   why  can't 

iheat  relief  be  reconsideied?     Psychologi- 

Ically,   it  always  has  been  of  estimable 

lvalue. 

I  SWELTEFIiJG 

iDear  Editor: 

!     I  must  correct  an  error  in  last  month's 
'letter  suggesting  the  arbiters  of  Heat 
'Relief  read  "August  Heat"  by  August  Der- 
"lleth.       The  author  was  W.   F.   Harvey  and  it 
Iwas  in  a  collection  edited  by  August  De3r- 
•leth. 

1     Incidentally,    the  suggestion  still 
; stands]     We  all  appreciated,   I'm  sure, 
ihaving  the  Labor  Day  week-end  but  we  are 


is till  suffering. 

\  LWFFICIAL  READER'S  ADVISOR 

\ 

.'Dear  Editor: 

I'Jhile  it  was  very  nice  to  be  given  the 
skeleton  force  over  Labor  Day  weekend,  in 
jlieu  of  the  heat  relief  the  rest  of  the 
city  had  had,  we  are  all  now  aware  that 
Ithe  city  also  had  the  Labor  Day  weekend 
Iskeleton  force  in  addition  to  the  heat 
'relief  they  enjoyed  while  we  slaved. 
jSupposedlj'-,   they  too  are  expected  to  set 
'an  example  or  consider  the  taxpayers  or 
'whatever  it  is  that  keeps  us  from  having 
jit.   So  too,   the  state  workers,  who  also 
ihad  holiday  weekends  AIID  heat  relief.     If 
jwe  do  not  get  it  because  of  inequitable 
distribution,  why  couldn't  we  who  work  it 
have  the  hour  or  two  added  to  our  vacation 
time  as  the  staff  manual  allows?     1-Jhy 
(shouldn't  we  get  the  same  breaks   the  rest 
|of  the  city  workers  and  the  state  workers 
I have? 
;  OVERHEATED 

iDear  Soap  Box  - 

T'Jhy  are  the  new  employees  given  lockers 
and  told  that  they  must  buy  padlocks  and 
keys  themselves?  Iilhat  is  the  matter  with 
jthe  locks  on  the  lockers?  A  padlock  is  an 
(awkward  item  to  deal  with  in  contrast  with 
la  regular  lock  and  key.'  t'hy  cannot  the 
f library  have  keys  made  for  the  lockers  and 
• rent  them  for,  say  one  dollar,  to  the  em- 
tployee  as  many  schools  do,  returning  the 
■dollar  when  the  key  is  turned  back.   There 


A- 

ehould  be  a  duplicate  key  on  file  in  the 
building  for  emergency  use  ar^rway.  Is  '. 


-9- 

i  ization  of  job  classification  than  the 
■  current  one  of  statements,  which  has  a 


this  a  ne^j  city  custom,  or  just  a  way  out  ;  specific  job  title  heading,  plus  the  fact 

';  that  the  individual  is  acked  to  attach 
i  their  names  to  something  supposed  to  be  a 
.'  job  classification  not  an  individual ' s 
:  specific  job  rating.  An  anonjTnous  survey 
'  of  jobs  performed  in  a  questionnaire  for- 
i  mat  would  be  much  more  appealing,  listing 
i  duties  performed  and  the  person  checking 


of  key  keeping  for  the  library? 

WATCHBIHD 

To  the  Soap  Box: 

Those  job  descriptions  disturb  many  of 
us  due  to  inconsistencies  in  terminology 
ewen  within  the  same  department.  The 

phraseology  does  not  always  correspond  to  '  proper  categories  applicable — not  listing 
the  actual  job  done  ...  possibly  because  '  time,  as  many  can  accomplish  more,  witii 
of  unfamiliariiy  with  the  techniques  of   '  accuracy,  than  others, 
job  description  or  the  work  of  the  various!  "LET'S  BE  FAIR" 

departments  and  processes  involved.  We  \ 
hope  other  people  will  work  on  them  before;  Dear  Soap  Box: 


they  become  finall 


FLOOPIED 


Dear  Soap  Box: 

■■  The  final  boiling  down  of  cur  weekly 
tasks  reminds  me  of  an  old  Hungarian 
dish -Goulash! 

FOOD  ANALYST 

Dear  Editor: 


The  current  job  cladPii? catior  for  LA's 
!  is   too  broad  in  scope,     urroapincs  .-^ail  to 
I  point  out  vhat  the  indiviclual  does  pe:^form 
in  areas  nhere  more  than    owo  L'i  I'o  ax-e 
employed.     It  appears   that  ail  jobs  over- 
!  lap  and  tlierefo^'e  are  considered  LA  1 
1  categoiy,  vherea?  many  are  p'^rfonning  all 
I  and  more  dvties  either  omitted  on  this 
ij  listing  or  combiued  haphazardly, 
j      Ineqnit?.es  ha-"-e  existed  in  the  past, 


We  all  realize  that  the  new  salary  scalei  still  do  and  will,     VJIiy  anj^one  in  LA  ser- 
for  professionals  was  needed  in  order  t.      j vice,    two  years  £go,   could  not  have  been 
attract  recent  College  graduates  but  what  \  givcn  an  artomatr'c  lA  2  status,   after  ten 
about  salary  raises  foi'  the  Pi's  who  have  |  years  of  service  or  better  (there  aren't 

{  that  many  still  anolovcd)  is  still  a  sore 
I  spot  to  mauy^      (I  for  one  lost  pride  in 
i  iiie  BPL  ana  som.e  incentive) ,     Courses  and 


given  25  years,  or  mce  than  25  years 
service  to  BPL.     There  is  about  |lOO 
difference  in  salary  a  year  between  the 
new  assistents  and  the  P  I's.     Is  that 
fair?     i'laybe  this  is   the  way  the  Bn  is 
asking  tlie  P  I's  to  leave?     If  other 
departments  in  the  City  are  covered  by  a 


!  exaiiiinatiors  were  taken  to  receive  incre- 


imenG;-,   noij  passe^   perfoi-ming  all  dutias 
i  willingly  for  some  c:df.?icult  to  plaase 
\  people^   sharing  practical  knox-ledga,   in 

law  which  promotes   employees  to  their  max-',  a  pleasing  manrar  to  mary  new  assistants, 

imum  in  their  next  step  after  25  years  of  |  professional  and  nonprofessioi.al  alike  -- 

faithful  service  why  can' t  the  BPL  do  the 

ScJTie  for  tlieir  employees  and  boost  their 

morale  for  a  change. 

VERY  DISCOURAGED 


I  only  to  find  that  niany  are  receiving  prac- 
I  tically  the  same  salary',   so  that  tDosy  the 


To  the  editor: 

Wny  were  not  a  fevj  sample  job  des- 
cri-utions  furnished  the  staff  \:hen  we  were 
asked  to  note  down  our  duties  and  res- 
ponsibilities? This  would  have  saved 
m.uch  time  and  subsequent  desosir.  We 
would  not  now  be  asked  to  ap-orove  such 
illogical  statements  on  our  duties  as 
have  appeared  on  so  many  of  the  "tenta- 
tive" job  descriptions  J 

DISTURBED 


situation  from  tlie  standpoint  of  morale 
j  has  become  the  "<j.oz  eao  dog"  epproach, 
'      Another  aspect  that  nas  troubled  r:e 

r 

I  particularly  is  the  contribution  to  the 
pension  system  at  the  current  LA  1  cate- 
gory, true^  a  fe\:   pennies  more  now,  seems 
trivial  to  those  not  earnipp  LA  1  salary, 
but  ^uhen  pennies  count  it  is  rhen  re- 
tirement rolls  around  and  do  r.iean  dollars 
'or  existence  and  security,  particularly 


j  for  those  TJho  are  the  s^'l3  support  of  de- 
j  oendents» 


j   Only  tvjice  within  ten  years  have  I  been 
I  urged  by  -ny  convictions  to  use  this  out- 
i  let  to  express  my  opinions,  -ocrhaps  I  ijas 
j  wrong  not  to  take  advantage  mors  than 
The  interview  and  job  survey  in  May  was  i  this,  because  those  who  pretend  loyalty 
more  accurate  and  to  the  point  df  general-;  and  speak  louder,  longer  and  to  more  people 


To  the  Soap  Box, 


-10- 


are  rewarded,  while  others  are  forced  to  . 
seek  new  employment  because  they  cannot   ^ 
be  recognized.  i 

"STILL  WATERS,  ETC." 

To  the  Editor:  ? 

There  are  three  moot  questions  echoing     ' 
through  the  busy  corridors  of  the  BPL.  • 

One — VJhats  mth   this  self  evaluation  > 

routine?  Two— I'JHAT  will  it  get  us?  (if  s 
arQTthing)  Three — There  will  it  get  us?  ' 
(if  anyiijherej 

During  the  past  year  or  so,  we  poor  un-  ■ 
suspecting  LA's  have  been  handed  forms  to  ' 
fill  out,  that  would  make  our  income  tax  i 
returns  look  mere  scratch  paper.  In  utter, 
bewilderment  we  have  chewed  on  our  pencilsj 
torn  at  our  tresses,  and  endeavored  to  the 
best  of  our  ability,  to  judge  ourselves,  ■ 
lest  we  be  judged.  Personally  I  am  of  the; 
old  fashioned  school.  I  like  to  leave  | 
such  ultimata  to  the  boss.  Or  if  not  to  ' 
the  boss,  to  his  assistant,  and  if  not  to  \ 
his  assistant,  to  his  assistant's  assist- 
ant. It  seems  somewhat  like  adding  in- 
sult to  injury,  to  hire  us,  and  let  us  j 
bask  in  the  security  of  a  job.  Then  sud-  i 
denly  come  up  with  our  ownwarrant  to  si.^a,! 
while  we  tremble  lest  eveiything  we  say  ' 
will  be  used  against  us. 

After  all  lets  face  it.     These  quaint       \ 
little  documents  will  be  judged  on  a  very  ■ 
impersonal  basis,  by  people  who  do  not 
even  know  us,  and  who  most  likely  won't      ' 
want  to.     ify  own  damaging  evidence  is  ra- 
ther unique,   inasmuch  as  I  had  a  hard  time' 
finding  arything  that  applied  to  my  odd 
talents,   or  to  the  daily  chores  I  do,     I     : 
can  just  hear  someone  remarking  "Mio  is       ', 
this  nuclear  nincompoop,  we  have  employed 
for  the  past  eight  years?     She  should  be    '< 
selling  apples  in  Copley  Square"  .     Sotto  : 
voce,  she  probably  WILL  be  after  this,         j 

They  tell  me  this  is  not  a  personal  i 

thing,  but  an  evaluation  of  jobs.     0  Tem-  ! 


pora,  0  I  lores 


it  shouldn't  happen  to 


a  dog. 

In  conclusion,  and  be  it  to  by  Biblio- 
thecal  Brother,  or  to  my  Civil  Service 
Sister— Pull  up  a  bufferin,  and  caLm 
yourself.  Bear  in  mind  this  poignant 
profanity  "You'll  be  damned  if  you  DO  and 
damned  if  you  Don't," 

liARJORIE  KNILLIWG 


dicated  by  the  initial  approach  everyone 
cooperated  as  it  was  to  the  advantage  of 
the  staff  that  the  job  descriptions  be 
accurate.  Knowledge  of  the  process  would 
involve  that  preliminary'-  to  job  descrip- 
tions definitions  of  occupations  and  ac- 
tivity terminology'  would  be  issusd  so  that 
there  would  be  conformity  of  interpreta- 
tion. There  is  no  evidence  tliat  this  was 
done.  For  instance  we  have  within  the 
reference  field  activities  which  the 
Librarian  of  Congress  has  stated  "vary 
greatly  in  difference  and  importance"  and 
requiring  different  "levels  of  sld.ll". 
Other  job  desci^iptions  in  the  librarj"- 
field  differentiate  between  quick  or  ready 
reference,  comprehensive  and  select  re- 
ference and  research.  Those  issued  re- 
cently seemingly  ignore  such  recognized 
labels.  Unless  a  job  description  brings 
out  such  factors  it  neither  indicates  work 
performance  or  work  load  and  is  meaning- 
less. This  is  true  in  ever;^-  area  of  li- 
brarianship. 

Whether  a  position  involves  horae  reading 
or  research  it  would  seem  that  it  could 
best  be  defined  by  those  familiar  with  the 
position.  Is  there  ary  real  reason  why 
Branch  Librarians  and  Curators  should  not 
write  the  job  descriptions?  A  person 
reaching  these  levels  does  not  need  to  be 
told  what  a  job  description  is.  What  ■ 
would  be  needed  first  would  be  definitions 
of  terminologies  and  occupational  activ- 
ities. 

ALERT 

Dear  Editor: 

I  wish  it  could  be  made  clear  to  library 
employees  whether  or  not  they  are  actually 
city  employees.  Apparently,  they  are, 
since  they  were  recently  sent  copies  of 
the  code  of  ethics  for  city  workers.  In 
that  case,  why  can't  other  benefits  of 
city  workers  apply  to  them,  such  as  heat 
relief?  If  they  must  follow  rules  for 
city  workers,  why  not  enjoy  the  privileges 
also?  It  is  understood  "ttiat  Library  work- 
ers are  dedicated  to  their  public,  but  if 
the  temperatures  continue  at  their  pre- 
sent level,  the  accent  will  be  on  the 
first  syllable] 

CITY  WORKER 


To  the  Editor:  | 

Tentative  job  descriptions  have  been    ; 

transmitted  and  are  wondrous  indeed,     ;' 

Though  considerable  unfamiliarity  was  in-  ; 


LATE  FLASH 
Lower  Mills  Makes  TV  Newsj 
Anne  Kearney,  Ch,  Lib,,   and  members  of  the 
WONDER  CLOCK  SUM^ER  READING  CLUB  dr§s§ed 
in  costumes  of  their  favorite  book  char- 
acters, were  pictured  on  WBZ-TV  news  on 
August  29« 


THE     QUESTION     .lARK 

Published  by  th     Boston  Public  Library  Staff  Association 

Volume  XVI     Number  10  October  I96I 

Publications  Committee:  Arthur  V.   Curley,  A.    Kay  Decker,   Janes  J. lord,   Rose 

l^toorachian,   Caroline  R.   Stanwood,   I.   Roger  Stevens,   Cartoon- 
ist,  Sarah  H.    Usher,   Indexer,   Dorothy  P.   Shaw,   Chairman 

Publication  date:  Deadline  for  submitting  material: 

The  fifteenth  of  each  month  The  tenth  of  each  month 

As  children,  many  of  us  undoubtedly  read  the  tale  of  the  Ehperor's  Mew 
Clothes  in  some  bewilderment,   for  tc  a  child,    the  fact  that  people  will  jump 
to  unwai rented  conclusions  and  become  convinced  something  is  there  when  it  ob- 
viously is  not,   is  unbelievable,     A  child's  mind  is  inventive  and  imaginative, 
yes,  but  it  sees   facts.     It  takes  a  considerably  older  mind  to  read  something 
into  an  object  or  a  situation  which,  like  the  emperor's  clothes,   is  not  really 
there. 

Librarians  are  apparently  no  exception  to   the  ready  tendency  to  believe 
someone  else's  interpretation.     For,  last  month  we  printed  a  cartoon,  meant 
purely  as  a  gentle  jest  on  job  titles  with  no  real  malice  -  or  lampooning  of 
situations,   departments,  or  individuals  -  intended.     The  job  titles   themselves 
were  a  selected  mixture:  obsolete,   present,  and  invented.     The  site  and  actions 
were  pictured  merely  to  give  the  characters  life. 

To  our  amazement,   few  people  took  this  cartoon  at  face  value  and  enjoyed 
our  dust  collector.     For  the  first  several  days,  we  were  asked  "What  does  the 
cartoon  mean? "     And  we  received  dubious  looks  as  we  tried  to  explain.     Then  we 
began  to  hear  speculation  as   to  which  title  was  supposed  to  represent  which 
actual  person,   which  persons  spent  the  day  playing  cards,  which  persons  had  not 
cleaned  up  in  what  way,  etc.     The  next  step  was  the  development  of  the  specula- 
tive phase  into  malicious  rumor,   until  some  really  injurious  and  unfair  comments, 
disguised  as  facts,  were  spread  from  the  lowest  to  the  highest  sections  of  the 
staff,   and  what  is  more,   believed. 

We  have  written  these  words,   not  as  an  explanation,   but  as  a  warning  to 
those  who  would  have  a  healthy  climate  of  opinion  engendered  in  the  staff.     It 
has  too    long  been  a  sporting  pastime  here,   to  attempt  to  clothe  the  simplest 
facts  as  we  would  prefer  to  see  them,  often  with  deliberate  "malice  aforethought". 
This  practice  has  had  harmful  effects  in  the  past,  and  injustices  have  often 
resulted,  when  administration  has  seen  this  speculative  clothing  of  the  staff 
as  real. 

Let  us  remember  this   cartoon  demonstration  when  in  the  future  we  find 
ourselves  participating  in  any  attempt  to  clothe  bare  facts  in  more  attractive   (?) 
fashions! 

THE  PUBLICATIONS  COMITTEE 


-2- 


PRESIDEMT'S  NOTES  , 

On  September  22  the  Trustees  of  the     > 
Boston  Public  Library  held  their  first 
meeting  of  the  I96I-62  season. 

Acting  in  their  dual  capacity  as  a  Corp-; 
oration  and  as  an  Adminis tr--^ tive  Agency 
they  passed  on  various  ^ifts  and  bequests  . 
and  considered  various  contracts  and  re- 
ports on  buildings  and  equipment  as  well 
as  budget  estimates  for  I962. 

The  Executive  Board  of  the  Staff  Assoc- 
iation met  on  September  28.  Most  of  the 


.    South  End 

Clara  Koretsky,   Rare  Book  to  Godraan  Square 
Margaret  E.   l^wis,   South  Boston  to  Memor- 
ial 
Katharine  A,   ilaguii'e,   Roslindale   to  Hyde 

Parle 
Ruth  IicNamee,   Dorchester  to  Roslindale 
Elaine  Powers,   Fine  Arts   to  Book  Prepara- 
tion 
Mrs.   Laura  H.    Reyes,   Memorial   to  Egleston 
Mrs.   Beryl  Y;  Robinson,   'xi,gleston  to  Ros- 
lindale 
Mrs.   Liga  Z.    Stam,   IJest  Hoxbury  to  Charles- 
town 


meeting  was  given  over  to  a  discussion  of 

a  communication  from  I;r.   Gaines,  Assistant  Mrs,   Bridie  P,   Stotz,   Adaias  otreet  to 


Director  (Personnel)   in  response  to  sever- 
al letters  from  the  Staff  Association 
Executive  Board, 

Regarding  the  payment  of  increases  on 
the  anniversary  date  it  seeas  ¥e  were  in 
error.     Further  investigation  r:---ealed 
that  at  the  present  time  salary  increases 
are  given  in  other  city  departments  on  a 
schedule  identical  with  ours. 

The  Job  &raluation  Px-oject  is  moving 
along.      The  Progress  Report  enphasizes 
once  again  that  it  is   the  job  that  is 
being  evaluated  and  not  the  individual, 

RUTH  il.  HAYES 


Roslindale 

Joan  K,  Trygstad,  Godinan  Square  to  Adams 
Street 

Hilary  A.  Wayson,  Bookn^obiles  to  Roslin- 
dale 

Resigned 

Timothea  F,  Allen,  Central  Charging  Iie- 

cords,  to  attend  college 
Dorothy  M.  Brassil,  Gharlestown,  to  attend 

college 
Mrs.  iiarjorie  G.  Buck,  Picture  Collection 
(and  Coordinator  of  the  Arts)  to  live 
in  Connecticut 
'  Edward  J,  Diffley,  Cataloging  and  Classi- 
fication, HR  and  CS,  to  become  a  cata- 
loger  at  University  of  Maryland 
Joseph  P.  Eraser,  Central  Book  Stock 

(Branch  Issue  Section),  to  attend  college 
Annette  Giacobbi,  Bookmobiles,  to  attend 
i   college 

.  Kathryn  T.  Kelley,  Central  Charging  Re- 
cords, to  attend  college 
•I'lrs.  Evelyn  Korninuller,  South  End,  to 

move  out  of  state 
'Mrs.  inn  Marie  Moore,  Codman  Square,  to 

remain  at  home 
■Edward  T.  O'Donnell,  Egleston  Square,  to 

attend  Harvard  Law 
r  John  P.  Rice,  Book  Stack  Service,  granted 
;   military  leave 

:  riarion  Teal,  Codman  Square,  to  attend 
■   college 

j  James  L.  White,  Book  Stack  Service,  to 
,   attend  college 


PERSONNEL  NOTiiS 

New  Employees 

Noel  J,  Bray,  Central  Book  Stock  (Branch 
Issue  Section) 

Johanna  Burke,  Central  Charging  Records 

Victoria  Cogliano,  Cataloging  and  Class- 
ification, R  and  RS 

Jean  M,  Eisenhart,  Periodical  and  News- 
paper 

Mrs.  Julia  B.  Fainsilber,  Connolly 

Mrs.  Marguerite  C.  Franz,  South  Boston 

iiargaret  A.  Howe,  History 

Carol  A.  Seymour,  Cataloging  and  Classi- 
fication, R  and  RS 

Margot  A.  Woodward,  Uphams  Corner 

Transferred 

Jeannette  L.  Alfe,  Hyde  Park  To  South  End 

Stephen  R,  Davis,  Science  and  Technology 

to  Open  Shelf 
Helen  Donovan,  Adams  Street  to  Roslindale 
Carol  A,  Gourley,  History  to  South  End    1  Mr.  and  Mrs.  ^Illiara  Di  Rosario  welcom- 
Mrs.  Jean  T,  Hamrick,  Mattapan  to  ^'ashing-j ed  the  arrival  of  Susan  Jane  on  September 

ton  Village  j 26.  Susan's  daddy  works  in  Fine  Arts 

Francis  J.  Havlin,  Open  Shelf  to  Shipping  j and  says  she's  little  -  6  pounds,  11 

and  Receiving  ounces  -  but  terrific] 

Brenda  H.  Hemingway,  Uphams  Corner  to 


I 


NEVJ  DAUGHTER 


-3- 


Ii^HO'S  NEIa7 


Among  the  "soon  to  be  at  Simmons"  souls 
is  Mrs.  Iieredith  McCullock,  Mt.  Bovjdoin. 
A  graduate  of  ■'lest  Virginia  Wesleyan, 
Mrs.  iicCullock' will  devote  her  "-^ilents 
to  the  YA  field.   Her  husband  is  doing 
graduate  work  at  Boston  University  and 
enjoying  the  products  of  her  hobby  - 
cooking, 

* 
Mary  Hengstenberg  has  joined  the  staff 
of  General  Reference.  Mary  was  a  politi- 
cal Science  major  at  St  Lawrence.  She 
acted  one  year  as  oecretary  General  of 
St.  Lawrence's  model  Security  Council, 
made  up  of  representatives  from  surround- 
ing colleges.   Living  now  in  Cambridge, 
Mary  is  keeping  up  another  interest  -  in 
languages  -  by  studying  Russian  in  the 
Harvard  Extension  Program, 

Dolores  A.  O'Hara,  Cataloging  and  Classi- 
fication (R  &  BS) ,    is  a  graduate  of 
Emmanuel,  where  she  worked  part-time  in 
the  Library,  and  of  Simmons.  Dolores  was 
a  member  of  the  Writing  Club  at  Qramanu  el- 
and on  the  staff  of  the  Year  Book.  She 
is  currently  enjoying  historical  novels, 
theatre,  and  -  in  more  athletic  vein  - 
b  owling,  skiing,  and  skating, 
■>«■ 

David  Morrison  worked  part-time  in  Fine 
Arts  before  he  joined  the  staf"  c-f  Open 
Shelf.  David  xs  from  Brookline  and  grad- 
uated from  Boston  Technical  High.  He 
plans  to  work  for  a  Liberal  Arts  degree 
at  Stonehill  next  year  and  may  get  a 
head-start  by  going  to  Suffolk  at  night 
starting  in  February. 

Mrs.  Maureen  Banker,  Bookmobiles,  had  a 
busy  June.  She  acquired  a  degree  (as  an 
Art  major)  and  a  husband  (he  had  been  in 
History)  from  Taylor  University  in  Uolpnd 
Indiana  I  As  her  husband  is  now  stuu.ying 
for  an  MA  in  History  at  BU  they  have 
moved  to  Chestnut  Hill.  Maureen  hopes  to 
take  some  courses  at  the  Museum  of  Fine 
Arts,  and  she  counts  sewing  and  music 
among  her  other  interests, 

* 
J.  Richard  Belanger  has  come  to  Music  from 
Yale's  Music  Library  and  has  a  degree  from 
Columbia's  Graduate  School  of  Library 
Science,  Dick  has  spent  a  long  time  in 
the  music  world  -  he  has  a  Master's  in 
Music  from  BU  and  studied  a  year  at  the 
University  of  Paris  and  the  Paris  Conser- 


vatory. His  special  instrument  in  Piano 
and  he  plans  to  teach  it  later  this  year 
at  Gordon  Colle'  e. 

Paul  Frost  spent  the  summer  on  the  Book 
Inventory  project  and  has  now  joined  the 
staff  of  Central  Charging  Records.  From 
Brighton,  Paul  said'  that  he  had  spent  twD 
y  ears  at  the  University  of  Massachusetts 
and  that  he  is  going  to  Boston  College  at 
night  to  study  Zoology. 

Margaret  Hoare,  Fine  Arts,  has  gotten  her 
professional  training  in  an  interesting 
way.  She  graduated  from  the  State  Univ- 
ersity of  New  York  at  Genes eo  as  a  Lib- 
rary Science  major  and  then  got  a  Master's 
in  Art  History  at  Cornell,  It  ■  was  a  sum- 
mer job  at  the  Corning  Museum  of  Glass 
Library  which  decided  Margaret  on  this 
combination,  which  she  completed  last 
June.  One  of  ilargaret's  chief  hobbies 
is  taking  photograohs,  especially  colored 
slides.  She  also  enjoys  cooking  and  music. 

Mrs.  Lucja  Jaeger  came  to  this  country  in 
January  19^1,  when  she  left  Sweden,  where 
she  had  been  living  since  quitting  Poland 
in  I9I4.6.     Mrs.  Jaeger  practiced  law  in 
Poland  as  she  has  a  degree  in  Law  and  Pol- 
itical Science,  and  she  studied  further 
at  the  University  of  Upsala.  In  1959  she 
began  working  in  the  New  York  Public  Lib- 
rary. This  year  she  received  a  degree 
in  Library  Science  from  Columbia.  Mrs, 
Jaeger  lives  in  Brookline.  We  know  that 
her  background  will  make  Government  Doc- 
uments and  Social  Sciences  an  exciting 
department, 

■A- 

Mrs.  Jean  T.  Hainrick,  YA  librarian  at 
Washington  Village,  graduated  from  Texas 
Christian  Universitj^  as  a  History  major. 
Now  she's  studying  teenaie  foibles.  She 
likes  horseback  riding,  sewing  and  play- 
ing the  piano.  Her  husband  is  a  graduate 
student  at  Harvard. 

■;«■ 
Winona,  Minnesota  has  sent  us  Joamie  M. 
Fischer,  YA  librarian  at  Egleston.  A 
graduate  of  the  College  of  St.  Teresa 
at  Winona,  Joanne  loves  all  sports  and 
also  cooking, 

Anna  Gallivan  has  joined  the  staff  at 
Adams  and  is  busy  learning  the  ropes. 
A  rare  LA  who  e:ctends  her  love  of  people 
and  books  into  volunteer  hospital  work, 
Anna  also  finds  time  to  do  knitting  and 


i 


crocheting. 


A  native  of  Pennsylvania,  Louise  BlancharCj 
Children's  assistant  at  North  End,  is  a 
graduate  of  the  University  of  ''''isconsin. 
Louise  enjoys  swimming  jmd  is  learning 
Puopeteering  -  a  fringe  benefit  at  North 
End. 

a- 
The  red  haired  Adult  worker  at  Codman  is 
Mrs.  Marya  A.  Knudsen,  A  graduate  of  the 
University  of  California  at  Berkelev, 
Marya  is  interested  in  people,  rea-.ing 
and  getting  her  husband  off  to  Tufts 
Medical  School  in  time. 


iirs,   Eleanor  S.   Rude,   Children's  assist- 
ant at  West  Roxbury,   graduated  from 
Cornell  University  this  j'^ear.     Her  husband' 
is  attending  Harvard  Business.      Eleanor 
likes  to  spend  free  time  in  and  out  of 
the  water,   swirmiing  and  boating. 


came  to  wish  her  well. 
Congratulations] 


We  add  our  own 


ANTIQUE  LIVIHG 


Mrs.  iiarloile  (Bouquet)  Buck  retired 
from  the  library  September  30.  hrs.  Buck 
began  her  career  in  the  BPL  in  1937,  with 
i assignment  to  the  director's  Office,  and 
{  later  moved  to  the  Reference  Division 
!  Office.  She  became  a  Deputy  Supervisor 
in  1957  atid  two  years  later  was  named 
Coordinator  of  the  Arts  and  Curator  of 
the  Picture  Collection, 
Recently  married,  Mrs.  Buck  leaves  to 


I  live  in  Weathersf ield.  Conn. ,  to  devote 


HONORED 

On  a  lovely  Friday  afternoon  in  Septem- 
ber, the  staff  at  Mattapan  invited  Mrs. 
Anna  H.  Brackett  into  the  staff  quarters. 
To  her  great  surprise  and  deli  .it  it  was 
a  party  with  cake  and  ice  crean  to  say 
goodbye  and  wish  her  luck  at  her  new 
branch.  This  was  the  crowning  touch  to 
a  very  hapjy  two  months  at  Mattapan. 
■a- 

Mrs.  Margaret  E.  Lewis  was  the  guest  of 
honor  at  a  dinner  party  at  the  Captain's 
Room  of  Dorgan's  overlooking  City  Point 
Beach  on  Wednesday  evening,  September  27. 
The  occasion  was  Mrs.  Lewis'  promotion  to 
the  position  of  Children's  Assistant  at 
Memorial,  and  her  hostesses  were  i  rs. 
Irene  H.  Tuttle  and  the  staff  of  South 
Boston,  from  which  place  "Maggie"  will 
definitely  be  missed,  urs.  Lewis  was 
presented  w  ith  a  long- eared  Spaniel  hand 
puppet  with  which  to  delight  her  patrons 
at  Memorial.  The  good  wishes  of  her 
friends  at  South  Boston  go  with  "Maggie" 
on  her  new  assignment, 
-a 

Phyllis  E.  Adams,  Book  Stack  Service 
was  married  October  7  to  Robert  E.  Pat- 
rick of  Revere  at  a  Nuptial  Mass  in  St. 
Clement's  Church,  Somerville.  The  couple 
will  horeymoon  on  the  Cape  and  return  to 
live  in  Revere. 

Phyllis  was  given  a  surprise  s'lox-jer  in 
the  Women's  Lounge  September  27  by  her 
friends  on  the  staff,  and  many  Alumni 


■'  her  time  to  maintaining  a  twenty  room  OLD 
J  house  she  dearly  loves. 

This  home,  built  in  1765  by  Daniel  Buck, 
\  has  been  in  the  f --mily  all  its  long  life. 
i  Located  in  a  section  dominated  by  old 
i  houses,  it  contains  antiques  throughout 
f  and  the  usual  Treasures.  Our  ancient 
I  settlers  never  threw  anything  out.  The 
;  house  has  apparently  been  expanded  from 
I  its  original  size  since  the  present  mast- 
i  er  bedroom  was  found  to  contain  a  dutch 
oven  and  other  evidence  of  its  once  hav- 
ing been  a  kitchen.  Many  of  us  might 
think  of  it  as  living  in  a  museum,  but 
history  and  antiques  lovers  regard  it  as 
a  kind  of  paradise.  Mi-s.  Buck  is  obvious- 
ly in  the  latter  group, 

ALUi^A  DIES 

Mrs.  /\nne  Sewall  Vinnicombe,  formerly 
of  Book  Purchasing,  died  at  her  home  on 
Gainsboro  Street,  on  October  8. 

EXCELSIOR.' 
(OR  A  LOT  DC^a^T- PLAINT) 

I  fear  there  is  a  curse  on  me 

From  w  hich  I  never  shall  be  free 

When  seeking  books  upon  the  shelf 

I  cannot  reconcile  myself 

To  this:  that  every  time  I've  sought  'era 

They're  always  always  at  the  bottom. 

I  think  it's  asking  very  little 

To  sometimes  wish  them  in  the  middle 

It  might  alleviate  this  fret 

That  puts  me  in  a  constant  pet 

But  if  I've  looked  in  vain  -  or  got  'em 

Their  place  is  always  at  the  bottom 

CLAIRE  0' TOOLE 


-^ 


INSTITUTE  ON  ADULT  BOOK  SELECTION! 


day,  High  School  education  is  universal  - 
'college  attendance  is  2  1/2  to  3  1/2  time 


Even  before  the  three-day  Book  Selectioijmore  common  and  on  the  increase. 
Institute  took  place  at  Simmons  College 
on  September  13- l5,  it  had  the  exhilerat- 
ing  air  of  success.  Stimulating  speakers 
— pertjnent  topics  —  an  exciting  new 
setting  —  had  attracted  so  maqy  libra- 
rians that  long  before  the  August  dead- 
line, the  maximum  number  of  registrants 
of  110,  had  been  reached  and  over  75  had 
to  be  turned  away. 

The  Institute,  sponsored  by  Simmons 
College  School  of  Library  Science  in 
cooperation  with  the  I'lass.  Division  of 
Library  Extension  and  the  Kass,  Library 
Association,  certainly  fulfil?,  d  its 
promise. 

The  Library  with  its  modern  color  decor 
and  the  latest  in  equipment  and  furnish- 
ings offered  the  perfect  setting  for  a 
fresh  look  at  book  selection  policy.  The 
speakers  —  Dan  Lacy  and  Lester  Asheira, 
accenting  anew  the  unique  educational 
role  of  the  Library,  offered  a  stimulus 
to  a  re- thinking  of  Library  policies  and 
a  reaffirmation  of  belief  in  the  import- 
ance of  the  Library's  role. 

The  sessions  also  provided  practical 
assistance  with  book  selection  In  such 
fields  as  science  and  technology,  busi- 
ness, medicine,  mental  health,  and  nu- 
trition. And  in  a  workshop  on  book 
selection  policy,  participants  had  an 
opportunity  to  look  at  specific  written 
policies,  analyze  them,  and  revise  them 
as  they  wished.  Finally  in  an  effective 
book  talk,  ilrs.  Florence  Craig  illustrat- 
ed how  the  librarian  can  stimulate  use 
of  books  once  they  are  selected. 

All  methods  of  presentation  were  used: 
lecture,  panel,  discussion  group,  work- 
shop, question  and  answer,  and  filmj  and 
this  variety  of  presentation  contributed 
much  to  the  total  impact  of  f'  -;■  Confer- 
ence, 

KH 

Public  Libraries 
in  a  Changing  Society 


times 
Educa- 
tion no  longer  ends  with  graduation;  self- 
training  and  improvement  is  essential  in  a 
world  that  has  so  changed  and  grown  small- 
er tlirough  mass  media.  Taste  has  improved, 
become  more  discriminating  and  sophistica- 
ted. Reading  has  increased  but  not  lib- 
rary users.  Mi\  Lacy  believes  this  is  due 
to  prolific  and  inexpensive  paper-backs  as 
well  as  television,  radio  and  numerous 
popular  periodicals.   He  also  affirms 
that  the  library  is  the  only  source  de- 
signed for  the  individual,  all  other  media 
digests  and  over-simplifies  for  the  masses. 
Public  awareness  of  current  issues,  need 
for  specialized  skills  and  desire  for 
knowledge  should  direct  our  buying  to  a 
higher  level,  ^e  suggests  we  up-grade 
our  libraries  to  attract  adults  who  have 
, accepted  the  idea  that  we  are  of  service 
to  the  student  and  the  retired  but  offer 
nothing  to  the  in-between  group. 

Our  image  of  ourselves  as  the  "People's 
jUniversity"  is  false  because  we  do  not 
'fight  for  our  rightful  place  in  the  field 
'of  education;  we  are  too  timid  to  experi- 
jraent  and  fail  to  provide  the  s  timuli  for 
the  higher  level  audience.  If  we  do  not 
change  drastically  to  improve  this  con- 
jdition  Mr.  Lacy  predicts  we  will  serve  , 
jonly  High  Schools  and  Colleges, 
i  DJF 

I 
> 

:  Censorship 

\     Due  to  an  unfortunate  misunderstanding, 
jwe  are  unable  to  print  a  summary  of  Dr. 
iLester  Asheim's  excellent  presentation  of 
("The  Problem  of  Censorship  in  Book  Select- 
jion, "  We  understand  it  will  appear  in 
(THE  BAY  STATE  LIBRARIAN. 

;        Formulating  a  Policy 

j  Miriam  Putnam,  Librarian,  Memorial 
jHall  Library,  Andover,  spoke  on  the  topic 
j "Formulating  a  Book  Selection  Policy  for 
|a  Changing  Society".  The  need  for  a 
jwritten  book  selection  policy  is  one  that 
(librarians  have  long  recognized.  But  in 
•addition,  states  Miss  Putnam,  the  written 
policy  must  be  more  than  just  a  prestige 


product  of  the  depression  and  low  birth 
rate.  The  postr-war  children,  now  oui 


Mr.  Dan  Lacy's  topic  stressed  the  need 
for  change  in  the  library,  its  attitude, 
collection  and  purpose.  The  adults  now 
being  served  are  few  because  they  are  thejjstatement  paying  lip-service  to  iofty  aims. 


ialized  and  intellectual  materials,  To- 


jThe  library  in  today's  changing  society 
jneeds  a  dynamic,   flexible  policy,   for  ttie 


Young  Adults,   will  soon  demand  more  spec-jiselection  of  book  and  non-book  materials, 


aimed  at  the  "potential"  reader.     A  double 


-6 


challenge  is  implied  here.  The  library- 
must  meet  the  reading  demands  of  a  rapid- 
ly increasing  college-bred  adult  public j 
but  also,  the  library  must  recognize  its 
obligation  to  those  readers  who  have 
stopped  using  the  library  because  it  does 
not  reflect  his  tastes. 

Evaluation 

In  place  of  the  usual  post-meeting 
check  sheet,  the  evaluation  of  the  Insti- 
tute was  done  orally,  with  the  entire 
group  participating.  Small  groars  of  six 
or  eight  first  considered  the  effective- 
ness of  the  Institute,  new  ideas  which 
had  come  from  it,  ways  it  night  have  been 
improved,  and  the  "next  steps".   Then  in 
general  session,  with  the  assistance  of 
roving  reporters  (who  had  interviewed 
particip?.nts  throughout  the  Institute) 
and  work  group  reporters,  a  lively  dis- 
cussion brought  out  unanimous  agreement 
that  "more  time  had  been  needed  for  dis- 
cussion sessions,  for  questions  to  speak- 
ers, and  for  working  oub  a  look  selection 
policy."  There  might  h^ve  besn  a  second 
evening  session,  partic^i pants  agreed. 

Many  points  were  brought  cut  in  this 
last  session  -  but  to  sum  them  all  up  - 
The  Institute  re- emphasized  to  every  one 
the  need  for  a  written  book  selection  po- 
licy, and  the  unique  responsibility  of 
the  library  and  the  librarian  in  encour- 
aging and  ;5.ssisting  the  adult  in  life- 
long learning. 

To  most,  the  idea  of  the  image  of  the 
library  as  essential  to  every  community, 
together  with  the  church  and  the  school, 
was  not  new.  However,  some  librarians 
were  disturbed  to  hear  that  tne  image  of 
the  librarian  was  not  as  posit:.  '3  as  that 
of  the  library. 

The  Institute,  to  quote  from  those  who 
attended,  was  "well-paced,  the  discussions 
were  lively,  the  presentations  were  un- 
usually effective,  the  diversity  in  me- 
thods of  presentation  was  interesting, 
and  the  over-all  effect  was  stimulating 
and  provocative. " 

There  was  unanimous  agreement  that  ther^i 
should  be  future  institutes  in  adult  book 
selection  and  in  other  subjects  as  well. 
Administration,  reference  work,  and  young 
adult  work  were  mentioned  as  other  possib- 
ilities. 

That  Simmons  College  Library  was  the 
perfect  spot  for  an  Institute  was  without 
question,  liCJ 


B-PLers  on  Program 

Alumna  Evelyn  Levy,  now  of  Enoch  Pratt, 
and  Edna  Peck  were  both  on  the  Wednesday 
afternoon  Reactor  Panel.  Muriel  Javelin 
presided  at  the  Friday  afternoon  session 
and  was  in  charge  of  the  Evaluation  Re- 
port, 

AiJOTHER  SIDE  TO  BOOK  SELECTION 

HUMAi\!  EVENTS  of  September  8,  carries  a 
four  page  article  ^Aihy  You  Can't  Find  Con- 
servative Books  in  Public  Libraries, 
written  by  Rosalie  H.  Gordon. 

Chiefly,  it  chides  the  book  selection 
media  for  biased  reviewing,  and  the 
librarian  for  not  using  conservative 
sources  for  book  reviews  as  well  as  the 
"liberal"  standard  sources. 


BPLCSEA 

The  QI^  wises  to  extend  its  best  wishes 
to  the  newly  formed  Boston  Public  Library 
Civil  Service  Enpj.oyees  Association,  which 
now  represents  apDroximately  9^  staff  mem- 
bers.  Organization  is  progresding  well, 
and  the  Association  has  elected  these 
members  to  its  Ej^ecutive  Board:  John  V, 
McManus,  President,  Joseph  Sarro,  rilliam 
Hurray,  Matthew  O'Brien,  Louise  Borghette, 
Joseph  Naples,  and  Alfred  Lundgren. 

BkMES   SLIDES 

Kenneth  C.  Barnes  of  the  Periodical  and 
Newspaper  staff  will  show  colored  slides 
of  Canada,  at  the  Little  Theatre,  Oct.  19 
and  26,  from  1,20  to  l,5o  in  the  afternoon. 
Anyone  interested  invited  to  attend. 
Oct.  19  -  Quebec  City,  Gaspe,  New  Bruns- 
wick. 

Oct.  26  -  Nova  Scotia,  Niagara  Falls,  Ot- 
tawa (Queen's  visit), 

TICKLERS 

Telephone  rings  in  General  Reference: 
"May  I  help  you?" 

"Would  you  please  tell  me  how  to  dispose 
of  a  wer-wolf? 

Overheard  at  a  Branch  in  answer  to  a 
patron's  question  about  HAI-JAII :    "Oh,   I've 
no  idea.     I  don't  understand  how  anyone 
finds  time  to  readj "     ^'^e  know  her  to  well 
to  add  that  she  was  only  kidding. . . . 


-7- 


NELA  COi\IFEREi\lCE 


The  various  associations  comprising  the 
New  England  Library  Association  met  at  the 
New  Ocean  House,   Swampscott,   on  October  I4.- 
7.     We  print  the  highlights  from  a  few 
of  the  sessions, 

YA  Round  Table 

Rev.   Kenneth  B.   Murphy,    the  founder  of 
"Rescue,   Inc.",   was  the  speaker  for  the 
meeting  of  the  Round  Table  of  Librarians 
for  Young  Adults  on  Friday  afternoon. 
Father  Murphy  spoke  of  the  importance  of 
reading  from  the  earliest  years   through 
college.      He  felt  that  books  gave  young 
people  something  to  respond  to  and  that 
it  made  them  alert  to   "the  troubles  of  our 
times.     Father  Murphy  cautioned  librarians 
about  disregarding  the  troublesome,   non- 
reading  young  adult  who  is  quite  often  the 
one  who  needs  and  will  benefit  most  from 
help. 

Rose  Moorachian 

New  England  Children's  Book  Clinic 

rditor  and  author  Jean  Poindexter  Colby 
a^ly  presided  at  the  Friday  morning  sessioi 
introducing  first  Hetty  Burlingame  Beatty 
of  the  Folly  Cove  Designers,  who   told  of 
her  recent  visit  to  Devon  and  Dartmoor, 
where  she  encountered  the  subject  of  her 
latest  book  KOORLAiffi  PONY.      Lee  Kingman  of 
Rockport  emphasized  the  important  part 
that  reading  aloud  played  in  her  family, 
and  spoke  of  some  of  the  tangible  by- 
products of  writing  for  children  -  such  as 
the  adventure  in  international  friendship 
and  understanding  resulting  from  a  corres- 


too. 


mentioned  the 


,    a  high  degree  of  humor, 
double  pleasure  which  comes   to   an  author  - 
re-entry  into  a  child's  world  and  the  de- 
light of  creating  pleasure  for  a  child. 

Barbara  Cooney,   already  known  to   this 
audience  as  winner  of  a  Caldecott  Award, 
again  demonstrated  her  skill  as  an  artist, 
drawing  characters  from  her  latest  books, 
THE  LITTLE  JUGGLER  (for  which  she  studied 
the  original  manuscript  at  N.Y.    Public 
Library  and  documents  at  Chartres)   and 
L'HIBOU  ET  LE  POUSoIQUETTE". 

Altogether  it  was  one  of  the  best  pro- 
grams  this  group  has  presented,   and  was 
enthusiastically  received. 

Anne  Armstrong 

Hewins  Lecture 

The  Caroline  M.   Hewins  Lecture  under  the 
auspices  of  the  Round  Table  of  Children's 
Librarians  was  given  on  Thursday  after- 
noon by  Siri  M.   Andrews,   formerly  Librarian 
of  the  Public  Library  in  Concord,   N. H. 
The  subject  was   "New  England  Folklore" 
which  the  speaker  presented  in  an  able 
and  entertaining  manner. 

It  was  interesting  to  learn  that  ihe 
earliest  folklore  of  New  England  shows   the 
iiffluence  of  the  Norser.en  upon  the  lore  of 
the  Indians.     In  the  Algonquin  Legends  one 
sees  evidence  of  some  connection  with  the 
Norse  EDDA.     During  the  17th  century, 
witch  power  in  league  with  the  devil  began 
to  predominate  in  storytelling,     iiany 
stories   told  as  truth  later  became  wonder 
stories  and  then  during  the  18 th  and  19th 
centuries   they  were  known  as  humorous  folk 
(Stories.      The  OLD  FARllEit'S  ALI'IANAC  helped 
to  perpetuate  old  superstitions.     The 
"Tall  Tale"  is  an  indigenous  American  in- 
pondence  undertaken  in  search  for  knowledgdjvention,   a  fact  brought  out  by  the  speaker. 


of  a  foreign  background  of  a  contemplated 
book.     She  urged  adults   to  go  back  to 
children's  books  if  they  would  find  the 
moral  values  and  virtues  often  lacking  in 
adult  fiction,  and  proclaimed  her  pride 
in  working  in  a  medium  not  afraid  of  up- 
holding them. 


Press,   amused  her  audience  in  telling  of 
how  she  received  the  inspiration  for  her 
counting  book  ONE  SNAIL  AND  ME  and  donon- 
strated  how  much  attention  a  writer  gives 
to  producing  a  story  to  read  aloud,  when 
she  confessed  that  she  makes  use  of  a  tape 
recorder  in  order  to  evaluate  just  how  her 
story  will  sound. 


Trickster  stories  began  in   the  1820' s. 
Folklore  has  been  preserved  in  the  works 
of  Hawthorne,   Longfellow,    Holraan  Day,    and 
Robert  T.   Coffin, 

Among  the  many  books  mentioned  in  this 
very  inclusive  study  of  New  England  Folk- 
lore was  NEl-J  ENGLAND  BEAN  POT  by  M,    Jagen- 


Einilie  IJarren  MacLeod  of  Atlantic  Month^  dorf,   which  may  be  found  in  many  libraries. 


Beatrice  il.   Frederick 

N,E.   Technical  Services  Librarians 

lirs.   Mary  D,   Farrell,   chief  of  Catalog- 
ing and  Classification  (R  d  RS) ,   intro- 
duced the  speaker.    Dr.    Donald  B.   Sands, 
Boston  College,   whose  subject,    "The  Bib- 
Mary  Nash,  whose  books  of  fantasy  possesaJ.iograt)her  looks  at  the  catalog",  was 


-8- 


approached  from  the  point  of  view  of  the 
college  and  graduate  research  s  tudent,  for 
whom  the  gathering  of  material  is -not  a 
matter  of  "luck",  but  depends  on  a  know- 
ledge of  sources  .i.n  his  field  and  the  imgg- 
ination  to  find  new  and  unused  source  ma- 
terials, since  his  research  requires  him 
to  frequently  use  information  not  suffic- 
iently analyzed  in  library  card  cata^'.-^gs 
and  periodical  indexes. 

Esther  Jalonen 

Honored 

On  October  5,   the  Priscilla  Room  of  the 
New  Ocean  House,  was  the  scene  of  an 
"author's  party".     The  event  was  sponsored 
by  Little,   Brown  and  Co.,  with  children's 
editor  Helen  Jones  as  hostess,   in  honor  of 
Virginia  Haviland,   BPL's  Readers  Advisor 
for  Children,   on  the  occasion  of  publica- 
tion of  her  three  new  books :  FAVORITE 
FAIRY  TALES,    TOLD  IN  NORVAYi   TOLD  IN  IRE- 
LAND;  and,   TOLD  IN  RUSSIA. 

liLA  Business  Meeting 

The  Business  Meeting  was  held  Friday 
morning  Octdber  6  with  the  President,  Mrs. 
Muiiel  Javelin,   presiding. 

Mrs.  Javelin  presented  an  award  to  Rep- 
resentative Sumner  Kaplan  in  recognition 
of  his  work  on  the  State  Aid  bill„     Rep. 
Kaplan  framed  the  bill  and  was  instrument- 
al in  having  it  passed  into  law. 

Marie  Sullivan,   Chairman,  MLA  Adult 
Education  Committee,   reported  on  the  ''Bocli^ 
for  Tired  Elyes"  list.     This  list  hss   three 
hundred  fiction  and  non- fiction  titles, 
mainly  books  of  the  last  two  years.     It 
will  be  printed  by  MLA  and  although  the 
optometrists  will  pay  for  the  printing  and 
will  help  distribute  it,    their  name  will 
not  appear  on  the  list, 

Ervin  Gaines,   Chairman,   Intellectual 
Freedom  Committee,    reported  on  the  progresi 
of  the  TROPIC  OF  CANCER  case  through  the 
courts.     A  committee  of  three,   Laurence 
Wikander,   Sigrid  Edge,   and  Pauline  ¥innick[i 
is  now  studying  the  Intellectual  Freedom 
Comiriittee  and  will  make  recommendations 
on  its  future  status. 

An  annotated  list  of  books  on  nutrition 
has  been  completed  and  plans  foi-  its  dis- 
tribution are  being  considered.     Librarian^, 
and  nutritionists  worked  on  this  list  to- 
gether. 

The  By-Laws  Committee  is  studying  rlLA 
voting  procedures  since  mar^r  members  have 


questioned  spending  money  for  a  post  card 
in  order  to  vote  for  a  single  slate  on 
which  there  is  no  choice. 

Lucille  V.'ickershai.i,  Chairman,  Education 
Committee,  asked  if  members  would  be  in- 
terested in  having  her  Committee  look  in- 
to possibilities  for  training  programs 
on  various  levels.  Many  members  showed 
great  interest  in  such  prograras  and  sev- 
eral suggestions  were  made  including  one 
for  having  accredited  library  school 
courses  available  some  place  in  Massa- 
chusetts other  than  at  Simmons  College, 
A  report  on  basic  training  for  librarian- 
ship  including  in-serT;-ice  training  will 
be  made  at  the  ("lid- Winter  lELA  meeting. 

Rose  Moorachian 

Circulation  Control  Systems 

The  Library  Technology  Project  of  ALA, 
on  which  Forrest  F,   Carhart  Jr.   aadressed 
the  assembly,   sought  to  detenaine  the 
simplest  and  most  economical  circulation 
system  that  would  provide  for  libraries, 
both  adequate  control,  a^nd  flexibility. 
In  many  libraries  across   the  country,   so 
the  study  discovered,    tlie  conflict  be- 
tween desire  for  service  and  financial 
limitations  has   caused  the  librarian  to 
become  personally  involved  in  circulation 
routines!   and,   in  this  wayj    the  librarian 
is  often  neglecting  other  essential 
phases  of  service.      The  s  tudy  recomi.iends, 
for  most  small-   and  medium-sized  public 
libraries,   such  eificiencey  moves   as: 
greater  borrower  participation,   elimina- 
tion of  borrowers'   cards,   and  the  use  of 
transaction  cards.     Especially  applicable 
to  such  libraries  is  the  Newark  system, 
whereby  the  borrower  writes  his  own  name 
and  address  on  the  book- card,   and  this 
card  is  then  retained  as   the  record  of 
the   transaction.     The  use  of  Wayne  County 
slips  is  another  possibility. 

Since  90/o  of  the  non-branch  public  lib- 
raries in  the  iJ,  S.   have  an  annual  circu- 
lation under  100,000  (20|^  have  under  5,0Ul); 
and  since  these  small-  and  medium-sized 
libraries  are  well  in  the  majority  of 
public  library  outlets,  it  is  chiefly  to 
them  that  the  recommendations  of  the 
Library  Technology  Project  are  addressed. 

Large  public  libraries,  with  much  great- 
er circulation  figures,   higher  percentage 
of  overdues,    and  borrowers  mos.tly  unknown 
by  the  circulation  attendant,  must  usually 
consider  procedures  other  than  those 
suited  to  smaller  institutions..     The  study 


-9- 


recomraends,  as  especially  economical  for 
large  public  libraries,  the  Recordak 
Junior  system,  (used  in  the  BPL,  which 
relies  on  electric  microfilming  and  tran- 
saction cards  for  circulation  control. 

Adult  Services 


Service  to  "older  citizens"  was  dis- 
cussed by  a  panel  at  the  first  meeting  on 
Thursday,  October  5.  Harriet  F.  Parker, 
Consultant,  Age  Center  of  New  England, 
claimed  that  older  citizens  do  not  want 
to  be  treated  as  a  separate  group,  fliss 
Parker's  remarks  were  based  on  interviews 
with  individuals  who  come  voluntarily  to 
the  Center,  as  recorded  in  the  book  YOU 
CAN'T  COUNT  ON  DYING  by  Mrs.  Natalie 
Cabot,  Assistant  Director  of  the  Center, 

Kathleen  Hegarty,  gave  a  concise  and 
stimulating  account  of  her  highly  success- 
ful work  with  Boston  Public  Library's 
Never  Too  Latp  Group.  Miss  He^fi'ty  point-j  page, 
ed  out  that  the  attendance  and  partici- 
pation were  excellent,  that  the  group 
preferred  intellectual  programs  and  spurn- 
ed the  purely  recreational  activity, 

Lawrence  E.  Wikander,  Librarian,  Forbes 
Library,  Northampton,  discussed  in  his 
usua]  amusing  manner  the  article  in  LIB- 
RARY QUARTERLY  on  library  service  to  old- 
er age  groups.   It  was  apparent  that  Mr, 
Vikander  was  not  enthusiastic  about  his 
assigned  role  of  criticizing  spec!  rZ.  ser- 
vice to  this  group.  It  was  also  apparent 
that  the  moderator,  John  C.  Frantz,  Lib- 
rary Extension  Specialist  for  the  New  Eng- 
land States,  Library  Services  Branch,  U.S. 
Office  of  Education  was  much  in.  sympatiy 
with  iiiss  Hegarty' s  point  of  view  and  her 
warm  understanding  of  the  group  with  which 
she  works. 

Mildred  O'Connor 


CHANiIEL  TWO 

It  has  been  suggested  by  an  Association 
member  that,  as  members  of  an  educational 
institution,  we  might  like  to  know  that 
it  is  possible  to  make  individual  con- 
tributions toward  the  re-building  of  the 
recently  bumed-out  Television  station 
of  Channel  2. 


ALA  BULLETIN 

The  October  issue  has  several  columns 
of  particular  or  timely  interest  to  our 
staff: 

William  B.   Scott,  Worcester  County 
Law  Library,   has  written  an  interesting 
letter  on  the  reverse  side  of  Censor- 
ship -  today's  habit  of  Compulsory  Read- 
ing -  page  767.      Everett  T.   Moore 
comraents  on  the  letter  on  the  following 


Mr.  Moore's  Intellectual  Freedom 
column  on  pages  779-80,   are  devoted  to 
a  discussion  of  the  TROPIC  OF  CANCER'S 
travels  in  and  out  of  courts  and  censor- 
ship proceedings,   including  the  Massa- 
chusetts action, 

;«• 

There  is  another  column  about  our 
Annex  glass  flooring  situation  on  page 
827. 

HEARD  IN  THE  CORRIDOR 

They  may  have  taken  all  the  Fiction 
out  of  the  Staff  Library  but  they've 
certainly  moved  Romance  inj 

REi"iIi\roER 


Third  General  Session 

The  concluding  meeting  of  the  Confer- 
ence, at  luncheon  on  Saturday,  offered 
a  lightly  humorous  and  thoroughly  pleas- 
ing talk  by  Mrs,  Louise  Hall  '^narp, 
author  of  THE  PEABODY  SISTERE  C?  SAL^'4, 
ADVENTUROUS  ALLIANCE,  and  the  recent 
biographc^for  ^oys  and  girls  entitled 
LOUIS  AGASSIZ:  ADVENTUROUS  SCIENTIST. 
Mrs.  Tharp  told  interesting  anecdotes 
about  her  sons  and  their  reading  (and 
non-reading)  and  of  their  effect  on  what 
she  has  written, 

Virginia  Haviland 


Did  you  forget  that  the  Credit  Union 
has  authorized  the  purchase  of  ten  shares 
(.f^SO)  between  August  l5  and  Oct  3I?  And 
don't  forget  your  pass  bookj 

For  the  benefit  of  new  employees  - 
membership  in  the  Credit  Union  is  not 
only  a  method  of  saving,  but  it  permits 
one  to  borrow  at  low  rates  in  emergency. 
Interest  payments  on  your  shares  is  goodj 
Now  is  the  opportunity  to  go  down  to 
City  Hall  and  join  -  you  need  not  pur- 
chase ten  shares  at  this  time,  but  do 
buy  in. 

CARE  CARES  -  DID  YOU? 


Arxy  contribution  to  the  Soap  Box  must 
be  accompanied  by  the  full  name  or  the 
Association  meir.ber  submitting  it,   togethei  Dear  Soap  Box 


home)   and  nothing  of  great  imporianc^ 
could  be  done  in  such  ?   --^yt  +     c-     ^'^'^®' 
body  was  not  on  the    jBuI,,      Let's  go, 
Administration! 

ONE  OF  THE  TEAM 

!  To  the  '^.ditor-  . 

Are  we  never  going  to  have  a  sutiole  and 
uniform  systeia  of  notification  about  Lib- 
rary closing   (and  opening)   during  emergen- 
cies?    Some  were  called,   some  were  not. 
Some  came  in,   uncalled,   only  to  be  called 
at  home  again  in  the  afternoon  and  t^ld  to 
come  on  back.     Radio  stations  do  not  coop- 
erate on  the  whole,   unless  an  extremely 
early  notification  is  received,   so  why 
not  an  area  and/or  departmental  phone 
-  chain?     And  why  not,   above  all,   a  clear 
!  understanding  in  advance  of  who  shall 
i  report  in  if  the  library  is  reported  open 
;  again?     This   tixfie  there  was  no  rhyme  nor 

^®^^°''*  AGAIN   LTWiTOTIFIED 


I 


with  the  name  of  the  Branch  Library,  De- 
partnent  or  Office  in  which  he  or  she  is 
employed.     The  name  is  withheld  from  pub- 
lication,  or  a  pen  name  is  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  ind_- 
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. 


How  are  we  supposed  to  know  T;hether  or 
'not  the  Library  is   to  oren  when  there  is 
;  a  forecast  of  a  hurricane  or  a  blizzard? 
:      One  station  did  not  have  news  of  the 
i Library's  closing  until  1030  a.m.   during 
;  the  recent  hurricane.     This  would  have 
'been  helpful  if  you  were  scheduled  to 
'come  in  at  1  o'clock   (although  misleading 
,  since  the  Library  did  reopen  later) . _ 
:      Should  we  risk  pneumonia  and/or  injury 
;  to  get  to   the  Library  only  to  find  it 
,  closed,  make  our  way  home  again  to  find 
'  out  that  we  have  to  make  the   ti-ip  over 

again  because  the  Library  which  was  not 

open  will,   in  fact,   open? 

Frustrating,   Confusing,  Disheartening. 
IN-AGAIN  OUT-AGaIN  FINNEGAW 


To  the  editor 


Dear  Soapbox: 

If  the  library  plans  a  tx)ssible  re-opei- 


Z'CT;..  las.  -.icane  .as  a_™^,  j,.  *e„  U  re^ai^  ^^^^J^^ 


up  in  more  ways  than  one.     The  staff  of 
several  departments  was  not  notified  of 
'the  library's   closing,   and  a  few  even 
came  all  the  way  in,  only  to  be  told  to 
go  home  again.      Tempers  exploded  when 


■  hurricane,    could  it  not  be  announced  tnat 

.  the  staff  is  expected  to  stand  by?     ^ince 

'  we  have  never  been  called  in  prior  to  this 

on  a  "closed"  day,   it  was  most  unexpected. 

Had  we  been  inforir-d  that  ye  might  be  call- 


go  home  again.      Tempers  expioaea  >.n«x.  .i^-     V  ..h^n  +nld  we  w-re  not  to  come  in, 

Lter  in  the  da^  they  --  h^ax^ea  .ac.  in,   ed  oack     wh  n  told  we  w^re  not^  ^^^^  ^^^, 


some  to  stay  for  only  two  hours,  or  less. 
For  the  people  who  worked  at  night  and 
those  who   covered  the  supner  hours,   there 
was  some  reason  for  this.     But  what  about 
the  others?     There  was  no  sudden  rush  of 
public  to  serve  (this  must  have  been  the 
idea,   as  the  closed  deparfenents  stayed 


(those  of  us  who  were  told),  we  would  not 
have  done  what  comes  naturally  to  busy 
people,   and  washed  our  hair,   failed  to 
shave,   pulled  the  contents  of  closets  or 
drawers  into   the  middle  of  our  rooms,   or 
been  otherwise  in  the  midst  of  a  task  it 
was  almost  impossible  to  leave  when  the 


I 


-11- 


"come  back"  call  c  ame  in. 

And  speaking  of  being  told  the  library 
was  to  remain  closed  that  day,  many  of  us 
heard  of  it  only  through  a  friend  ...  some 
were  not  told  at  all.  Since  we  cannot 
depend  on  radio  announcement  early  enough, 
should  not  a  more  nearly  fool  proof  system 
be  arranged  for  phone  calling  or  other 
notification? 

WET  HAIR 

Dear  Soap  Box, 

May  a  mere  worm  ask  why  it  was  deemed 
unnecessary  to  call  in  office  or  closed 
department  personnel  for  a  brief  two  hours 
on  the  day  Esther  failed  to  arrive,  but, 
was  considered  desireable  to  bring  in'^open 


[To  the  Soap  Box  - 

We  have  no  quarrel  with  the  fact  that  we 
were  called  in  again  after  the  library  was 
officially  closed  on  the  day  of  the  hurri- 
cane. But  we  do  object  to  the  way  it  was 
done  and  the  total  unexpectedness  of  it. 
When  one  does  not  expect  to  go  to  work, 
one  has  no  clothes  laid  out,  no  suoper 
packed,  is  completely  unready.  With  an 
hour's  warning  (less  in  some  cases)  and 
poor  mid-day  transportation  facilities, 
we  were  expected  to  drop  whatever  we  were 
doing  and  dash  madly  in  —  to  serve  a 
public  which  for  the  most  part,  was  not 
there.  Did  we  get  a  medal  for  speed  or 
resourcefulness?  Or  even  a  warm  thank- 
you?  Even  though  some  came  in  for  a  min- 


department  people?  These  were  not  actual]^  imum  of  two  hours?  No  ~  all  we  got  was 


needed  to  cover,  and  had  long  travel  time 
coming  in,  as  MTA  and  trains  do  not  run 
very  often  at  off  hours,  but  they  received 
but  two  hours  time  off  for  this. 

ONE  mo   CAM 


Dear  Soap  Box  Editor, 

Must  we  have  a  change  in  policy  every 
time  we  have  a  major  storm?  Never  before 
has  the  Library  reopened  the  same  day  afte:^o  the  Editor: 
notifying  the  staff  and  the  public  that 
the  Library  was  not  to  open. 

Staff  in  the  offices  and  closed  depart- 
ments were  not  asked  to  come  in  since  it 
would  only  be  for  a  few  hours,  but  the 
staff  in  the  open  departments  were  noti- 
fied to  come  in  whether  it  was  for  a  two- 
hour  period  or  less. 

Those  who  were  allowed  to  stay  at  home 
had  their  absences  excused,  but  xhose  in 
the  open  departments  who  were  required  to 
work  were  given  extra  compensation  in  a 
less  than  generous  fashion.  Some  came 
long  distances  by  uncertain  transportation 
but  were ^compensated  on  a  strict  "one  hour 
off  for  one  tiour  worked"  basis.  This  time 
had  to  be  spent  (or  rather  dissipated)  at 
the  earliest  convenience  of  the  staff 
member, 

TREATED  SHABBILY 


a  minute  by  minute  credit  to  be  used  as 
soon  as  possible — not  when  WE  might  like 
it  (we  had  earned  this  at  great  inconven- 
ience) and  a  horse  laugh  from  the  closed 
departments  and  office  workers  whom  it 
was  found  not  feasible  to  summons  for 
such  a  brief  period] 

TRACi.  oTAR 


Why  have  the  f  rent  doors  remained  closed 
twice  recently  when  we  have  had  sudden 
showers?  Patrons  waiting  to  enter  have 
been  wet,  and  so  have  staff,  running  on 
slippery  pav^ements,  in  danger  of  a  bad 
fall,  incidentally.  Sudden  showers  need 
quick  entrance  to  the  library,  even  more 
than  weather  in  which  all  come  prepared. 
Who  decides  when  weather  is  "inclement"? 

SOAKED 

Dear  Soapbox: 

Is  it  a  fair  shake  when  you  are  deemed 
too  unimportant  to  notify  that  the  library 
is  not  to  open  but  are  promptly  called  to 
come  in  when  it  is  decided  to  reopen? 

HALF  &  HALF 


Dear  Soap  Box: 

If  it  is  ever  necessary  to  open  the  lib- 
rary suddenly  again,  as  with  the  last 
hurricane,  could  we  not  have  advance  warn- 
ing? Occupied  with  "free  day"  tasks,  not 
expecting  the  call,  we  were  told  to  be  in 
by  three  when  we  were  not  notified  over  an 
hour  before  that.  All  of  us  do  not  have 
cars  available  . . .  and  all  of  us  were  not 
fed,  dressed,  etc,  to  go  o^   SCRAMBLE 


Dear  Editor: 

How  about  some  spot  in  the  building 
where  those  who  crave  a  little  peace  and 
quiet  on  reliefs  and  lunch  hours  can  re- 
lax without  noise  and  chatter  from  teen 
age  part-timers  who  ought  to  have  a  place 
of  their  own, 

OLD  Tliim 


-12- 


"Young  man,  where 's  the  old  stamp  machine  used  to  be  around  the  place?" 


THEQUESTION     MARK 
Published  by  the  Boston  Public  Library  Staff  Association 

Volume  Xyi  Number  11 ■ November  1961 

Publications  Coirmi ttee :  Arthur  V.   Curley,   A,   Kay  Decker,  James  J,   Ford,   FuDse 

Mooracl  ian,   Caroline  H.   Stanvjood,   I.   Roger  Stevens,   Cartoon- 
ist,  Sc.raxi  M,    Jsher,   Indexer,  Dorothy  P.   Shaw,   Chairman 

Publication  date:  Deadline  for  subniitting  material: 

The  fifteenth  of  each  month  The  tenth  of  each  month 


There'll  be  some  changes  made  -  and  there  have  been J     liany  of  us  have 
been  pleased  to  see  the  "new  look"  in  the  Abbey  Room  where  the  Public  Catalogue 
is  now  installed.     The  murals  are  s  till  visible,   and  when  proper  lighting  and 
other  finishing  touches  are  completed,   the  room  should  be  a  handsome  center 
for  the  Division  of  Reference  and  Research  Services.     In  addition  to  this,   with 
the  new  book  delivery  system  and  t'  3  .eiiovations  in  Bates  Hall,   we  are  indeed 
taking  a  big  step  forward. 

The  changes  have  not  been  effected  without  careful  planning  -  and  real 
cooperation  from  all  those  who  have  either  been  displaced  or  forced  to  work 
under  very  difficult  conditions.     Not  only  have  hazards  been  nobly  borne, 
but  borne  irdth  cheerful  attitudes  which  have  given  birth  to  phrases  like  "the 
all  grej'-  crew",    "working  miast  the  fall  out",   and  "speaking  by  semiphores." 
We  have  heard  stories  that  the  dust  has   caused  eyeglass  wearers  to  think 
the  days  have  been  terribly  overcast  lately,   that  lunches  seem  to  bear  an 
overtone  of  sawdust,   and,   even,   that  a  few  people  are  beginning  to  stammer  in 
tempo   to   the  drillingj.  but  we  discount  these  tales  as  somewhat  exaggerated. 

We  salute  all  harassed  members  of  the  staff  for  their  fortitude  and  good 
humoured  endurance  - 'and:  the  public  for  its  faith  in  better  things  to  come. 
It  may  be  truly  said  that  whole  you  may  not  always  be  in  the  building,   a  part 
of  the  Library  will  forever  be  in  you, 

THE  PUBLICATIONS  C0i4]  JTTEE 


-2- 


PRESIDEMT'S  NOTES 

Executive  Board  meetings,  may  be  lengthy  ': 
but  they  are  never  dull.  Sometimes  it  is  j 
necessary  to  go  over  and  over  some  issues  | 
to  be  sure  that  fair  representation  is  ^ 
given  to  all  points  of  view.  i 

At  our  meeting  on  November  1st,  we  had  ] 
lively  discussion  on  some  new  and  some  old 
problems .  ; 

In  the  matter  of  the  candy  display  shelij 
in  the  Coffee  Shop,  a  new  one  was  re-  j 
quisitioned  to  replace  the  one  removed,  j 
As  to  the  manner  in  which  the  last  hurri-  ' 
cane  was  handled,  there  was  a  general  -j 
feeling  that  Division  Heads  should  take 
the  responsibility  of  letting  their  staff  \ 
know  when  the  Library  is  to  be  closed  and  | 
when  re-opened.  Some  areas  of  the  staff  j 
did  receive  adequate  notification.       : 

Mr.  Gaines  joined  the  E>:ecutive  Board  | 
for  a  discussion  of  other  oroblcms.  It  j 
was  pointed  out  that  in  1955  t^d  policy  : 
of  automatically  allowing  two  steps  in 
any  new  grade  to  people  who  had  already 
completed  eleven  years  of  service  was  < 
temporarily  set  aside,  apparently  for  \ 
budgetary  reasons.  Under  this  policy,  j 
whenever  a  person  advanced  to  a  new  grade  j 
level,  he  did  not  have  to  wait  for  the  ! 
last  two  steps  in  grade  a  second  time,  if  I 
he  had  already  served  eleven  years  in  the  j 
library.  Since  this  procedure  has  been  in| 
abeyance,  one  does  not  get  the  benefit  ; 
of  the  s  even  and  eleven  years  of  service.  } 
The  Board  feels  that  anyone  with  eleven  j 
years  of  service  should  start  out  in  any  1 
new  grade  at  least  at  the  third  level. 

Another  matter  of  years  of  service     j 
which  was  brought  up,  was  that  of  placing  j 
those  with  25  years  of  service  at  their 
maximum  which  was  put  into  practice  in  the" 
City  because  of  the  pension  requirement 
that  one  must  spend  five  years  at  a  par- 
ticular salary  level  in  order  to  retire 
with  the  salary  of  that  level.  I'ir,  Gaines 
agreed  to  review  these  matters. 

Once  again  we  spoke  of  adjustments  for 
those  P  Is  who  have  passed  requirements 
to  be  admitted  to  the  P  2  levels  The 
Board  pointed  out  that  at  preseiit  three 
people  with  long  years  of  service  have 
prepared  themselves  by  the  old  system  and 
are  disturbed  to  find  new  personnel  entei> 
ing  at  the  P  2  level  while  they  remain  at 
P  1.  It  is  believed  that  one  of  these 
people,  at  least,  has  received  the  re- 
commendation of  his  Department  Head.  It  i 
was  recommended  that,  if  valid  reasons 


exist  for  failure  to  make  these  adjust- 
ments, the  individuals  concerned  should 
be  so  notified. 

Promotional  system  questions  verified 
that  a  general  state  of  flux  esists.  As 
an  experiment  one  person  was  permitted 
to  present  a  written  paper. 

Mr.  Gaines  was  questioned  regarding  the 
notice  and  filling  of  several  positions. 
It  was  pointed  out  that  in  the  past,  it 
was  a  custom  to  send  out  a  list  once  a 
year  of  vacancies  existing  within  the 
Library,  with  indication  of  which  ones 
were  to  be  filled.  It  was  also  a  policy 
that  no  position  would  be  filled  without 
prior  notification  to  the  staff  that  said 
position  was  to  be  filled,  wr,  Gaines 
agreed  to  reinstate  this  annual  notice  of 
openings  and  notification  when  a  particu- 
lar job  was  to  be  filled. 

In  the  event  of  an  overall  raise  for 
city  employees  in  1962,  the  Staff  Assoc- 
iation asked  to  be  consulted  prior  to  the 
distribution  vjithin  the  Library. 

We  -Uien  proceeded  to  other  matters  Mr. 
Gaines  wished  to  discuss. 

First  was  the  possibility  of  having  the 
Soap  Box  on  a  separate  page  or  pages  in 
order  that  it  might  be  deleted  from  copies 
going  outside  the  Library.  His  arguments 
were: 

1.  If  venting  of  gripes  were  designed 
to  bring  corrective  action,  only  the  Ad- 
ministration, not  outsiders,  can  initiate 
desired  changes. 

2.  It  is  a  form  of  disloyalty  to  the  in- 
stitution to  air  internal  quarrels  to  the 
outside  world. 

3.  The  good  will  among  us,  not  the 
grievances  should  go  abroad. 

l\..   The  attempt  to  open  doors  of  comn.uni- 
cation  between  Staff  and  Administration 
(witness  Staff  Association  President 
attendance  at  Trustees  meetings)  so  that 
differences  of  opinion  may  be  talked  out 
openly, 

5.  Articles  in  Soap  Box  given  no  added 
weight  by  Administration  simply  because 
they  go  to  people  outside  Boston. 

6.  Association  has  already  drawn  a  line 
prohibiting  some  kinds  of  material  (li- 
bellous etc.)  from  the  Soap  Box  so  why 
not  draw  the  line  a  little  tighter. 

i'ir.  Gaines  again  suggested  that  Civil 
Service  Employees  (who  now  have  a  new 
association  of  their  own)  be  admitted  to 
the  Boston  Public  Library  Staff  Associa- 
tion. If  this  is  not  possible,  he  re- 
quested they  be  allowed  to  use  the 


-3- 


QUESTION  MARK  for  expression  of  their  op- 
inion either  through  the  Soap  Box  or  a 
page  of  their  own.     It  was  suggested  that 
we  speak  to  John  Mclfenus,   president  of  "tte 
Civil  Service  Employees   Associa%ion  to  find 
out  whether  or  not  thej'  '.'i.sh  to  afiiliate. 
The  whole  matter  may  be  presented  at  the 
November  Business  Meeting. 


; Married 

Carol  Rothwell,  Cataloging  and  Classifica- 
tion, R  &  RS,  to  Richard  Aldrich,  on 
October  9th. 


rao's  riEW 


Noel  Bray,  Central  Book  Stock,  is  the 
Job  descriptions  are  now  in  the  hands  of  latest  addition  to  the  staff  of  3.1.  Noel 


the  Division  Heads  who  must  iron  out  any 
misunderstandings  with  Deparljnent  Heads 
and  individual  employees,  I^Ir.  Gaines 
hopes  the  evaluation  process  will  begin 
within  the  next  few  weeks. 

The  Association  president  attended  a 
meeting  of  the  Board  of  Trustees  on 
November  3d. 

Much  of  the  action  of  the  Truste-js  as  s 
Corporation  had  to  do  with  the  General 


,is  attending  Boston  College  evening  classes 
majoring  in  English.  Therefore  his  chief 
hobby  is  studying,  although  he  sometimes 

.finds  time  to  listen  to  his  jazz  favorites.. 

Johanna  Burke,  from  Central  Charging 
Records,  graduated  from  Julie  Brilliart 
.High  in  June  with  two  years  of  a  Commer- 
cial and  two  years  of  a  College  course. 
She  worked  this  smruner  with  an  IBM  machine 


Investment  Account,  In  their  capacity  of  -for  an  insurance  company.  Johanna  is  the 
an  Administrative  Agency  there  were  reporisj oldest  of  two  sisters  and  a  brother,  and 
of  the  various  standing  committees  and  re- :when  she  is  not  busy  taking  care  of  them, 
ports  on  tiie  budget.  !she  enjoys  bowling,  among  other  hobbies. 

There  was  discussion  of  our  position  un- •  * 


der  State  Aid  and  the  reduction  of  ex- 
pected allotments. 

In  discussion  with  the  city  fathers  on 
the  matter  of  1962  budget,   the  Trustees 
took  the  position  that  any  reductions  in 
budget  would  have  to  be  in  areas  of  ser- 
vice and  not  in  the  salaries  of  staff 
members, 

RUTH  A.    Ua/E^ 


.     ilargaret  Howe,   History,   is  from  Gardner, 
•but  she  got  her  BA  as  a  History  and  Polit- 
,ical  Science  major  after  adventuring  all 
'the  way  to   the  University  of  Colorado, 
jMargaret  has  lots  of  interests:  she  has 
-summered  at  the  Cape  and  also  likes  mount- 
:ains  for  rock-climlDing  and  skiing.     As  her 
■Boston  apartoent  makes  these  activities 
{somewhat  difficult,  Ilargaret  also  admits 
to  liking  the  theatre.' 

I     Victoria  Cogliano,   Cataloging  and  Class- 
;ification(R  cl  RS) ,   graduated  in  June  from 
jSilver  Lake  Regional  High  in  Pembroke. 
|Vicky  worked  part-time  in  the  school  lib- 
i'rary  and  had  a  job  tliis  summer  -  starting 
ias  a  clerk  and  ending  as  a  Secretary  to 
(the  Superintendent.     Vicky  is  an  avid 
i reader j   just  now  she  is  interested  in 
■books  on  Sorcery. 


PERSONNEL  NOTES 

New  Employees 

Susanna  M.  Gill,  Bookmobiles,  formerly 

part-time  at  East  Boston 
Mary  T,   Kelley,   Central  Charging  Records, 

formerly  part-time  at  Brighton 
Ernest  L.   Matthias,   Business  Office 

Transferred  i  -it 

Mrs.   Listena  Dozier,  Mattapan  to  Egleston   j     New  in  the  same  department  is  Carol  A. 
Square  (Seymour,  Wellesley   '61,  who  has   just  begun 

{to  study  at  Simraons.     She-'was  a  History 
Resigned  .major,   and  has  worked  in  libraries  since 

J,    Edward  Keefe,   Central  Charging  Records,  Jher  high  school  days.      In   addition  to  her 


to  work  at  Polaroid 
Mrs,   Hazel  McDonald,   Book  Preparation,   to 
stay  at  home 

Retired 

Grace  Chippendale,   Parker  Hill 

Ethel  Kimball,  Allston 


^Reference  course,   Carol  keeps  busy  learn- 

jing  the  baritone  ukelele  and  singing  in 

ja  Cambridge  choir. 

i  >s- 

;     Arlene  A,    King,    Bookmobiles,    came  down 

jfrom  the  Granite  State  after  graduating 

ifrom  the  University  of  New  Hampshire  wilh 

.a  major  in  Romance  languages,  and  now 

■lives  in  Aubumdale.     She  likes  to  knit. 


Mrs.  Julia  B.   Fainsilber,   Connolly,   is  /telephoning  and  visiting  the  firms  to  see 

from  Philadelphia  and  a  graduate  of  Welles-fif  they  would  agree  to  be  listed, 
ley.     She  is  a  pre-professional  and  works    i     In  what  seemed  no  time  at  all  we  received 
in  the  Children's  room.     Julie  met  her  hus-tthe  new  list  and  just  a  cursory  glance  re- 
band    while    ■  studying  at  the  University  o^vealed  the  long  oatient  work  entailed, 
Paris  in  her  junior  year.     They  both  enjoy SWhile  enjoying  the  result  of  their  work, 
art  and  take  lots  of  auto   trips   to  acquaintlet  us  not  forget  our  gratitude  and  thanks 
her  architect  husband  with  his  new  country,] to  the  Committee:   Jean  Babcock,  Ruth  Con- 

*  .roy,   Dorothy  Eckstrom,   and  the  Chairman, 

Mrs.  Marguerite  C.    Franz,   South  Boston,    jLou  O'Halloran.     IT  COULD  BE  DONE  AND  THQ' 
is  another  pre-professional  working  as  jDID  IT. 

Children's  assistant.     Her  husband  is  a 
student  at  M  I  T.     I'iarguerite  got  her 
degree  from  the  University  of  Cincinnati 
in  Sociology.      ^  Magna  Ciun  Laudt  gridua^e, 
she  is  also  a  member  of  Phi  Beta  Kappa. 
Hobbies  include  swimming,  sketching  and 
learning   to  cook. 


TAX  DEDUCTIONS  ANYOl^IE? 


YE  BPL 

We  thought  the  staff  might  be  interested 
in  reading  at  once,   the  verses  about  our 
Library  which  appear  in  Irving  Zieman's 
new  book  FOUNDERS  TO  B0U1\DERS:   BOSTON  IN 
RHYME.     So  we  called  him,,  and  sought  nis 
permission  to  quote  their.,  which  he  most 
jgraciously  gave. 
There  is  still  a  little  time  left  this 

year  in  which  to  increase  our  tax  deduct-    i"The  granite  Public  Library,   a  classic  ad- 
ions  if  we  try.      And  the  United  Fund  con-    i     eptation, 

tribution  will  be  deductible  in  I96I  if    .  ..(From  Huntington  to  Boyle  ton  extends  invi- 

you  give  in  cash  right  n^j  ...   or  m?"  ^s      i     tation. 

delay-id  until  I962  if  you  prefer  to  con-      jFour  bronze  lantern-clusters  sweep  over 

tribute  through  the  payroll  deduction  plan,      triple  portals; 

You  can  make  your  contribution  in  the  way    (Enthroned  in  bronze.   Science  and  Art  reign 

which  will  most  benefit  ycu.  j     as  immortals. 

Ei;.t  whether  or  not  we  heXp  ourselves  Under  the  cornice,   carved  names   ...    a  roll 

through  tax  deductions,  we  CAN  help  others  \     of  fame — 

through  the  contribution.     Deadline  for 

return  of  payroll  d eduction  requests  or 

present  payments  is  Friday,   November  17, 


IT  CAN  BE  DONE 


Prove  that  any  nation  can  claim  such  a 
name. 

{"Founder  of  Boston  Library  was  a  Frenchman, 

j     Vattemare. 

lA  surgeon,  he  gave  books  a  great  deal  of 
Some  months  after  the  other  committees      I     care, 
of  the  Staff  Association  had  been  set  up      j^t  a  momentous  meeting  in  eighteen-forty- 
and  rolling,    the  Special  Services  Coramitteei     one 

still  went  begging  for  voluntee?'s.     Some      JThe  support  of  a  unanimous  Boston  he  won, 
offered  and  then  withdrew,   ard  '.x,  T.'asn't      j 

until  late  Spring  thatti^e  comjnittee  for      ("Architect  of  the  Library,   Stanford  White, 
1961  was  established  and  began  operations.  jBy  Harry  Thaw's  bullet  dropped  out  of 

The  main  task  was  right  there  waiting        i     sight, 
for  them:   to  update  the  rather  obsolete        jon  the  grand  staircase,    two  marble  lions 
discount  list  so  it  would  be  of  use  to  i     face  east,  murals  are  misty  blue, 

members  of  the  Association.     Working  first  kbove,   Sargent's  threatening  "Prophets" 
from  the  old  list,    the  finns  were  divided    j     recall  the  spiritual  in  the  Jew. 
among  the  committee,  who  checked  each  name  JThe  second- floor  Grail  pictures,   under 
to  see  if  the  firms  were  still  in  business  ,i    oak-beam  ceiling  and  gold, 
of  what  their  line  of  products  now  consist-jin  the  dim  room,   spotlighted,   show  bold 
ed,   and  to  check  the  discount  rate  allouea.j     knights  of  old." 
Next,  branches  and  Central  were  contacted    1  p^  35 

to  see  if  anyone  knew  of  new  businesses   to 

be  considered  as  additions.     These  names      |"The  Public  Library's  Kirstein  Branch 
in  turn  were  divided  among  the  comiTiittee      iHolds  information  for  business  and  Bench, 
who  spent  many  hours  of  their  free  time        jA  great  benefactor  in  the  Boston  scene. 


-5- 


Kirstein  got  rich,  with  3torrox.  and  Filene,  how  the  status  symbols  may  be  made  to 


And  was  loved  bj--  all  the  races  for  his 

heart  and  knowledge; 
Got  a  Harvard  doctorate  though  he  attended^ 

business  college. " 

D.    266 


work  for  the  library.     His  definition  of 
a  "better"  book  as  one  which  meets  his 
mind  where  it  is  and  stimulates  it  to 
greater  activity  is  tj^pical  of  the  chal- 
lenge in  this  article. 


RETIREi-ffiNTS 


Ethel  Kimball 


* 


On  October  31,  Ethel  Kimball  retiic'l 
from  the  Library  service,  and  the  Institu-, 
tion  lost  one  of  its  best-known  and  most 
faithful  staff -members.  During  her  term  ' 
of  service,  she  has  worked  at  such  diverse^ 
Branches  as  Memorial,  Connolly  and  Brigh-  ; 
ton,  ending  her  career  at  jUlston.  At  , 
each  of  these  places,   she  made  many  ■ 

friends  among  her  f ellow-wo rkers  and  the  ■ 
public,  and  all  of  us  will  miss  her  ser-  ; 
ene  good-humor  and  pleasant  co-operation,  j 
Now  she  is  free  to  devote  her  time  to  her  j 
many  interests,  among  which  are  art,  the  j 
theatre  and  travel.  V^'herever  she  goes,  j 
ve  are  sure  she  will  be  followed  by  the  , 
best  wishes  of  those  of  us  who  have  been  j 
privileged  to  work  with  her  at  jne  time  j 
or  another.  | 

CHRISTIANA   P.    JORDAN         j 

i 
Grace  Chippendale 

On  May  10,   1923,  'Grace  Chippendale 
entered  the  service  of  the  BPL,   on  a 
part-time  basis  at  Lower  Mills,     The  next 
year  she  became  a  full-time  staff  member, 
and  has  since  served  adult  readers  at 
a  variety  of  branches :  Roxbury  Crossing, 
Mattapan,   Boylston,   North  End,  i-iemori::!, 
Tyler  Street,   South  Boston,   Fellovd  Ath- 
eneum,   Hyde  Park,    South  End,   and  -barker 
Hill.     Her  resignation  became  effective 
on  October  31.     We  wish  Grace  all  the  I 

best  in  her  new  life  of  freedom  from  j 

the  desk,  j 

i 
BROVSING  ABOUT  j 

An  English  Professor,  F.  Allen  Briggs,  ! 
pokes  gentle  fun  at  the  library  status  | 
symbols  of  special  titles,  new  fumishinga 
charging  machines,  glass  masses,  and  art-  j 
icles  or  books  published  by  staff  members,; 
in  the  I'JILSON  LIBRARY  BULLETIN  of  November- 
-  pages  231-33  -  while  he  clair."?  the  real  i 
senrice  of  bringing  the  patron  ana  the  ; 
books  he  needs  (and  which  are  suitable  • 
to  him)    together,   suffers.     He  then  shows  • 


Our  own  Ervin  Gaines  has  an  article  in 
the  BAY  STATE  LIBRARIAN  for  October  on 
pages  5-3,   with  the  title  Boston's  Re- 
cruiting Program.     It  details  our  partic- 
ular problems  and  the  steps  taken  to 
solve  them;  shortages,   salary  scales, 
the  library  as  a  training  ground  for 
other  libraries,    the  pre-professional 
program,    and  r  ecruiting  in  colleges  and 
library  schools.   If  you  have  only  heard 
bits  and  pieces  01  this  story,   here  it 
is  for  you  to  read. 


This  article  is  followed  by  another  on 
recruiting  by  Louis  Schrieber  of  Brandeis 
in  which  he  takes  librarians  to  task, 
both  in  public  and  in  school  libraries, 
for  trying  to  exclude  youngsters  from  the 
library,   as  nuisances,   just  when  they  are 
trying  to  decide  upon  a  career.     And  this 
turns  away  many  future  recruits  for  the 
library  field.     An  interesting  angle, 
which  we  should  perhaps   take  into  con- 
sideration in  our  future  planning  and  in 
solving  the  student  use  problem. 


The  November  WILSON  LIBRARY  BULLETIN  on 
pages  231^.-36  has  an  article  about  issuing 
a  faculty  handbook  on  the  library.     It  is 
written  by  Robert  11.   Lightfoot  Jr.,   Dir- 
ector of  the  Librar"-  at  Bradley  Universitj'. 
He  takes  the  premise  that  too  many  college 
administration  and  faculty  members  know 
too  little  about  library  functions  -  what 
a  library  can  or  can't  do  for  them  in 
their  teaching.      And  mentions  what  he  did 
to  improve  the  situation.     Since  we  have 
a  somewhat  similar  probl era  on  a  far  larg- 
er scale,   since  we  a  re  concerned  with 
many  schools  and  colleges,    rather  than 
one,   there  may  be  wide  staff  interest  in 
this  article. 


'(y- 


CALLIMG  ALL  STAF.^^  MElffiKuS 

The  Executive  Board  of  the  BPLSA  has 
made  it  possible  for  the  Association  to 
make  a  tangible  contribution  to  one  of 
Boston's  outstanding  educational  projects. 
When  the  news  was  flashed  over  the  air  on  • 
October  1]+,  that  VGBH-TV  Channel  2  had    . 
been  swept  by  fire  and  almost  totally  de-  ! 
stroyed,  the  citizens  of  Boston  were  stun-  ; 
ned.  WGBH  is  not  only  a  local  Ff4-TV  sta- 
tion, it  is  nationally  recognized  as  one   ; 
of  the  major  educational  television  sta- 
tions in  this  country.  It  has  received   ' 
several  awards  to  attest  to  this  fact.  We 
recognize  that  Channel  2's  contribution  to' 
the  educational  and  cultural  life  of  Bos-  ' 
ton  has  been  outstanding.  BPLSA  members   , 
h-ive  had  some  small  part  in  this :  the     \ 
Classroom  project  on  which  Beryl  Robinson  \ 
did  such  a  magnificent  job,  and  currently  '; 
the  "Dynamics  of  Leadership"  on  which     ' 
Muriel  Javelin  is  "starring."  Now,  all  of, 
us,  you  and  me,  have  the  opportunity  to    i 
make  a  contribution  to  this  fellow- ins ti-  ' 
tution  in  the  educational  field.         I 

The  Executive  Board  has  invited  me  to  ' 
accept  contributions  for  the  WGtH-TV  Chan-  ' 
nel  2,  building  and  reviialization  fund.  \ 
This  is  our  opportunity  to  really  do  some-  \ 
thing  for  the  community.  We  read  and  hear  j 
so  much  about  what  is  wrong  with  Boston  ardj 
the  Commonwealth.  WGBH  is  something  that  I 
is  good,  very  good,  in  our  comiiiunity.  ; 
Let's  "give  until  it  hurts"  and  learn  the  j 
great  truth,  that  it  never  hurts  to  give,  } 
for  a  good  cause. 

All  contributions,  large  or  small,  may  \ 
be  put  in  an  envelope,  with  your  name  in-  ' 
eluded,  and  left  in  Book  Selection,  YixZ,  \ 
any  time  between  9  a.m. -5  p.m.  between  now  j 
and  November  30.  Think  how  much  we  could  | 
send  to  VTiBH  if  every  staff  member  gave  j 
at  least  one  dollar.  (Several  have  alreac^J 
given  far  more  than  this ) .  As  our  Pres-  j 
ident,  Ruth  Hayes,  pointed  out  in  announc-  j 
ing  this  project,  gifts  are  not  limited  to  ; 
staff  members  but  may  include  "friends"  I 
also.  You  may  have  friends  or  relatives  ' 
who  have  not  yet  made  a  contribution.  In-  i 
vite  them  to  join  us.  Some  staff  members  | 
may  have  made  individual  contributions  | 
previous  to  Miss  Hayes'  announcement.  In  i 
such  cases  why  not  add  one  more  dollar,  to  \ 
help  swell  the  BPLSA  fund?  Amounts  given  1 
will  be  known  only  by  the  person  giving  andl 
the  person  collecting.  Ho never,  the  names  \ 
and  addresses  of  all  staff  members,  or  j 
friends  or  relatives,  who  give  ten  dollars  ' 


or  more,  will  be  forwarded  to  WGBH  in 
order  that  their  gift  may  be  recorded 
and  they  will  be  eligible  to  receive  .the 
monthly  program  bulletin  issued  by  WGBH, 

We  are  "off  in  a  cloud  of  smoke"  (no 
pun  intended.)  The  line  forms  at  the 
right.  Let's  put  BPLSA  on  the  local  map, 

EDM  G.  PECK 
Collector  for 
Funds  for  WGBH- TV  Fund 

WHY  DON'T  \m   ...? 

Provide  a  list  of  the  books  that  are 
placed  in  the  exhibition  cases?  The 
public  are  always  interested  and  want  to 
reserve  them. 

■»■ 

Place  a  limited  number  of  exceptional 
professional  or  pre- professional  candi- 
dates on  the  payroll  when  we  find  them, 
even  though  there  are  no  current  vacan- 
cies? A  vacancy  is  sure  to  turn  up,  with 
no  candidates,  within  a  very  short  time. 
In  the  meanwhile,  they  might  be  sent 
rotating  for  a  week  or  two  at  a  time  in 
typical  branches,  or  special  departments, 
to  learn  the  collections  and  "the  ropes". 
This  would  make  them  very  valuable  to 
the  Library  when  they  find  a  permanent 
spot.  They  might  also  be  used  in  es- 
pecially busy  areas,  or  to  cover  a  leave 
of  absence,  illness,  or  other  emergency. 

it 

Re-name  the  "temporary"  conference 
room?  Surely  it  deserves  some  better  des- 
ignation after  all  these  years  of  usei 
Or  does  a  thing  become  UN- temporary  only 
after  fifty  years? 

Iv'EDDING 

Carol  Rothwell,   Cataloging  and  Classi- 
fication (R  &  RS)   was  married  October  9 
at  St,   Peter's   Church  to  Richard  E.   Al- 
drich,  who  works  for  the  Boston  Hose  and 
Rubber  Company.     The  couple  honeymooned 
in  Maine,   and  live  in  Dorchester. 

BOOKIARKS 

Concord  N.H.   put  on  a  display  of  book- 
marks collected  ftom  returned  volumes  re- 
cently.    Included  were  grocery  and  other 
lists,   a  tag  from  a  foundation  garment, 
a  thank  you  letter  "I  don't  know  what  this 
present  is  but  thank  you  anyway",   buttons, 
etc.     Can  these  compete  with  ours? 


-7- 


LUNCHEON  -  'JTH  MUSIC  many  of  you  again  gave  me  the   greatest 

pleasure. 

The  sunny,  brisk  weather  of  November  1st   Being  Queen  for  a  day  is  not  a  familiar 
could  not  have  made  a  more  appropriate  da>j  role  for  me,  but  sitting  in  a  seat  of 
on  which  to  honor  Alberta  P.  Kneeland  at 
the  Red  Coach  Grill.  Forty-srx  friends 
gathered  there  to  wish  her  warmly  well 
after  her  nearly  thirty  years'  ^"r'ric'^  in 
the  Library,  first  in  l\'c   branches,  and, 
for  the  last  fifteen  years,  in  the  Music 
Department,  ^^/here  she  was  acting-Chief 
for  six  years. 

According  to  her  wishes,  she  retired 
without  fanfare,  although  a  brief  tribute 
could  not  escape  these  columns.  However, 
there  were  several  people,  including 
former  members  of  the  Departm.ent,  who 
were  not  willing  to  let  her  trot  away 
without  a  chance  to  express  their  good 
wishes,  and  so,  after  biding  their  time, 
persuaded  Miss  Kneeland  to  sally  forth 
once  again  to  the  marble  halls  of  Vene- 
tian grandeur,  and  on  (through  the  still 
be-pumpkined  aisles)  to  a  festive  meal. 

"Coach"  and  pumpkins  not  withstanding, 
t.hir.  was  no  dull  Cinderella  that  delight- 
ed^ -hose  around  her  with  her  sharp  humor; 
ric?  Kneeland  needs  no  fairy  god-mother 
T  •  j-ise  to  any  occasior,  including  her 
!.->-. 'as  of  sober  gratitude  following  a 
■.  'iito"  musical  presentation  speech  by 
?•■■.  Hill: 

■'...If  I  may  use  an  analogy  and  compare 


honor,  and  wearing  your  beautiful  flowers 

j  made  me  feel  like  one, 

j   Mr.  Hill's  eulogy,  couched  by  kun  in 
the  finest  musical  idiom,  took  me  comf 

i  pletely  by  surprise.  To  say  that  it  was 
terse,  adequate,  and  amusing,  is  to  put 
it  mildly. 

What  followed  left  me  nearly  speechless. 
A  gift  of  that  dimension  has  tantalizing 
possibilities.  The  fact  that  it  was 
given  to  me  in  a  true  spirit  of  friendli- 
ness will  always  mean  a  great  deal  to  me. 
A   wonderf'il  party;  a  wonderful  memory.' 

i  How  can  I  ever  thankyou  all  enough? 

],\...  Most  sincerely, 

ALBERTA  P.    &IEELAI€) 

SERVICE  ASiCED 

Seen  on  a  call-slip  -"latest  addition 

of  HARPERS." 

* 

And  a  phone  call  to  General  Reference: 
Hello.     What  was  the  name  of  the  son  in 
the  book  SON  OF  TiREISEAS? 
Fould  you  repeat  that  title  please? 
Oh  you  know.     The  book  by  Hemingway-  THE 
SON  OF  TIREISEAS. 


We  don't  find  that  title  ...   Could  you 
the  Music  Department  to  a  small  orchestra^ mean  THE  SUN  ALSO  RISES? 
'r-^n  the  position  of  a  violinist  you  sud-  jOh  yes.     I'liat  was  the  name  of  the  son? 
6.-':.i.y  found  yourself  in  the  role  of  Ccn-    jThis  is  sun     s-u-n. 
cvL'TLor.     To  add  to  your  difficulties   the     Well,  didn't  it  have  a  name? 
Kusicians  were  changed  frequently  during    j  * 

the  performance.  .     Then  there  was   the  college  student  who 

"At  times  the  mood  was  lento,   and  even  j  called  the  Periodical  room  at  six  one  eve- 
threatened  to  become  mcrendo.     Then  presto) ning  and  said  he'd  be  coning  to  the  lib- 
there  was  an  accelerando  which  often  irary  later,   after  dinner,   and  would  we 

rrached  a  furioso.  A  little  pizzicato  wa^ arrange  to  have  a  long  list  of  bound  pei^ 
tl.roxijn  in  just  to  make  things  interesting]  iodicals  sent  to  the  general  reading  room 
I  am  sure  at  times  you  reached  the  -stage  jso  they'd  be  ready  for  him  when  he  came  - 
when  you  felt  it  was  almost  troppo. "  jand  was  quite  put  out  to  find  they'd  all 

Miss  Kneeland  received  a  generous  r>ur^■;^2,be  found  on  the  walls   in  the  Periodical 


which  is,   however,   a  mere  token  of  our 
warm  memories  of  her  own  generosity  in  so 
many  ways. 

We  wish  her  well,   and  shall  miss  her. 

MARY  W.   WALLACE 

Dear  Library  ^riends : 

That  was  a  very  grand  party  that  was 
given  me  at  the  Red  Coach  Grill  on  Novem- j 
ber  first.  j 

The  opportunity  to  see  and  gieet  so 


rooms   and  he  would  have  to  actually  lift 
them  down  to  the  tables. 

CALEfEIAR  OF  EVEL^TS 

November  17     BPLSA  Business  Meeting 
Temporary  Confeirence  Room 
9,l5  a.m. 


n  I'.    'I'll/ 


"Without  all  that  padding  you  really  look  sick." 


ladies  quarters  but  none  is  available  in 
the  men's.     Only  one  piece  of  furniture 
where  men  may  rest,   a  rather  best  up  soxa 
as  ccinpared  with  two  sofas   and  several  up- 
holstered chairs  in  the  xTOii^en's  lounge, 

COi'iFOSEE 

(Committee  for  Sexual  Equality 

To  the  Soap  Box: 

QI'I  has  performed  a  disservice  to  public 
libraries  and  to  the  book  selection  pro- 
fession, with  Dublication  in  the  October 
issue  of  the  item  "Another  Side  to  Book 
Selection".  This  is  accomplished  by 
failure  to  identify  the  author  of  the 
article. 

The  BPL  has  practically  ever^)-  book  writ- 
ten by  Barry  Goldwater,  "illiam  F.  Buck- 
;  ley,  John  T.  Flynn,  Paul  Harvey,  Ralph 
Any  contribution  to  the  Soap  Box  must  be.  DeToledano,  James  Burnhara,  kTiittaker  Cham- 
accompanied  by  the  full  rarae  of  the  Assoc- j  bers,  to  name  a  few;  in  fact  look  up  any 
iation  member  submitting  it,  together  r\t'^/  conservative  author  in  the  catalog  of  any 
the  name  of  the  Branch  Library,  Department!  large  public  library  and  you  are  quite 
or  Office  in  which  he  or  she  is  employed.  (  certain  to  find  hira  listed.  This  library 
The  name  is  withheld  from  publication,  or  i  also  subscribes  to  NATIONAL  uE\^I5?-',  IN- 
a  pen  narde  is  used,  if  the  contributor  so  j  TELLIGENCE  DIGEST,  COUNTERATTACK,  Htl'IAN 
requests.  Anonymous  contributions  are  not;  EVENTS,  COI'iiMIST  LINE  BULLr.TIN,  Ai^IERICAN 

■ERCURY,  AMERICAN  OPINION,  MODERN  AGE,  and 


i  i' 


given  consideration.      The  author  of  the 

article  is  known  only  to  the  Editor-in-        |  other  conservative  journals  and  news- 
Chief.     The  contents  of  the  articles  ap-      i  letters. 

pearing  in  the  Soap  Box  are  personal  opin-  j  Rosalie  /i.  Gordon,  autlior  of  "'' hy  You 
ions  expressed  by  individual  Association  I  Can't  Find  Conservative  Books  in  Public 
members  and  their  appearance  does  not  j  Libraries",   is  also   the  author  of  NIWE 

necessarily  indicate  that  the  Publications  j  iIEi'l  AGAINST  AMERICA,   published  by  Devin- 
Committee  and  the  Association  are  in  agree-!  Adair  and  later  reprinted  in  Ai'ffiRICAN  OP- 
ment  with  the  views  expressed.     Only  those  j  INION,   of  which  John  Birch  Society  foun- 
contributions  containing  not  more  than  3OO  j  der  Robert  Welch  is  editor,     Mr.   Welch 
words  will  be  accepted.  1  has  based  his  move  to  impeach  Chief  Jus- 

I   tice  Warren  on  this  book. 

j       What  the  conservatives,   as  represented 
Dear  Soap  Box:  |  by  Rosalie  Gordon,   really  desire  is  book 

I-Tiy  is  there  such  a  disparity  between        j  s'election  dedicated  only  to  the  selection 
the  facilities  in  the  men's  lunch  and  restj  ol  conservative  books.     Vfe  call  your  at- 
areas  and  those  in  -tile  women's  areas?     Is    j  tention  to   "Texans  For  America",   PUBLISH-' 
it  that  the  men  do  not  desire  more  adequatel  ERS'   VKEKLY,  Volume  130,   #lli.,   October  2. 
facilities  or  that  their  requests  for  im-    1  Let  the  Publications   Committee  read  this 
provements  have  met  with  little  response?    j  and  then  tell  us  whether  or  not  this  is 

Perhaps  "integration"  of  these  facilities  their  concept  of  book  selection, 
is  not  feasible  immediately,   but  might  notj       The  QUESTION  MARp;  would  have  contributed 
"equal  but  separate"  facilities  be  a  r^^-       a  far  greater  service  to  librarianship  by 
sonable  step  towards  the  elimination  of 
any  appearance  of  any  discriiaination  to- 
wards the  male  minority? 

The  contrast  in  furnishings  is  quite 
striking.     The  bare  electric  light  bulbs 
in  ceiling  fixtures  as  against  indirect 
lighting  from  table  lamps,      A  hot  plate 
for  making  hot  water  for  instant  coffee  or 
tea  or  for  soup  is  a  popular  item  in  the 


j  challenging  the  truth  of  the  statement, 
j  or  was  the  omission  deliberate? 
i  LEONARD  J.    FACMILLAN 

i   (Ed.   Note  -  For  well  over  a  year,  we  have 
I  published  annotations  on  articles  which 
currently  relate  to  a  phase  of  library 
work  or  interest,  without  identifying  the 
author  politically,   or,   many  times,    in 
!  any  fashion.      The  Publications  Committee 


-10- 


had  no  intent  to  inject  politics  into  the  MORE  BRDV^SING 

QM  -  it  is  the  author  of  this  letter  who 

has  done  this.  Neither  the  Birch  Society    Teacher- Librarian  relationships  and  co- 
or  Hosalie  Gordon's  book  has  any  bearing  \  operation  between  teacher  and  library  on 
on  the  content  of  the  article  in  question  '  assignment  making  is  condensed  in  lively 
nor  has  the  PW  article  -  concerning  pro-  I  form  on  page  237  of  the  November  V.TLSON 
tests  against  some  text  books  in  use  in 
Texas  schools.  Mr.  MacMillan  might  find 
a  grain  or  two  of  truth  worth  staff  con- 
sideration, even  in  an  article  by  a  con- 
servative, should  he  re-read  the  Gordon 
article  -  which  incidentally  has  not  yet 
been  received  in  the  Library,  although 
claimed  several  times.  His  hasty  con- 
clusion that  all  members  to  the  poltical 
right  think' alike  is  not  only  erroneous, 
but  in  no  way  affects  the  fact  that  per- 
haps librarians  dealing  with  book  select- 
ion might  wish  to  have  the  article  called 
to  their  attention.) 


!  LIBRARY  BULLETIN  from  a  longer  article  in 
i  the  WEA  JOURNAL  for  September  (pages  I4.O- 
.  56)  in  its  special  guide  to  assignment 
'  maldng.  We  will  easily  recognize  the 
I  teachers  who  give  too  many  pupils  the 
I  same  assignment,  too  indefinite  and  not 
j  wholly  understood  assigiaaehts.  It  is 

a  little  comforting  to  know  that  NEA  is 

also  attacking  the  problem. 


* 


Are  librarians  worth  more  to  any  insti- 
tution than  its  football  coach?  If  you 
have  any  doubts,  see  the  November  l5 
Dear  Editor:  LIBRARY  JOURNAL,  page  3868. 

Could  something  be  done  about  raising 
the  temperature  in  the  building?  (Central! 
that  is)  On  the  Stack  two  level,  at  leaslj 
it  is  far  from  warm  these  days,  the  heat 

goes  on  for  a  little  while  and  then  van-  |  behind  the  times,  you  will  have  quite  a 
ishes,  so  that  one  really  needs  a  fur  coa b shock  if  you  read  that  November  l5  LJi 
to  be  comfortable  sometimes.  This  build-  j  If  you  have  no  time  to  read  it,  the  pic- 
ing  has  always  been  warm  until  the  past   | tures  of  their  new  library  buildings  will 
year  or  so  and  let's  hope  it  will  be  agairj  tell  you  a  bit  of  the  story^ 
soonj 


I  And  if  you  still  consider  Latin  America 


I 


FROZEN 


Dear  Soap  Box: 

VJhy  is  rr^r  chest  wheezing? 
Why  all  this  darned  sneezing? 
Because  the  temp-er-a-ture 
Equals  the  pure 
Ozone  outside. 

Typing  with  stiff  fingers 
I'Jhile  still  the  hope  lingers 
Maybe  the  heat  will  arise. 
I'lhat  a  surprise 
T' would  be  to  me. 

I.  CYCLE 

Dear  Soap  Box, 

On   the  day  of  Hurricane  Esther,    the 
members  of  my  departrnent  were  notified 
of  the  Library's  closing  by  our  chief. 

One  gets  the  impression  from  reading 
the  October  Soap  Box  that  the  complaints 
were  Library  wide.     I  don't  belifero  this 
is  so, 

I.R.S, 


Page  3918  even  suggests  we  solve  some 
I  of  our  recruiting  problems  by  using  Latin 
I  American  librarians.'  Does  that  sound 
jas  though  we  might  find  ourselves  as 
j likely  to  be  in  the  position  of  an  "under- 
i developed  country"  needing  trained  library 
I  help  from  Latin  America?  Perhaps  you 
j should  read  the  article  on  this  angle 
jas  soon  as  you  come  out  of  shock,.. 


BOSTON  PUBLIC  UBRARY  STAFF  ASSOCIhTION 


liff  yli 


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.-'z, 


's     .--""- 


1 )    ■'  "Tn  '' 


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hare  uour  blessings 
uuith  those  in  need 


overseas 
through 


Cy  V^  2^ 


USA 


COMMITTEE  FOR  C;JIE 
Ollie  Partridge  -  Oren  Shelf  Department 
Margaret  Lewis  -  South  Boston  Branch  Library- 
Mildred  Soiri<>s  -  Book  Preparation  Department 


Nevember  19 6l 


TU 


uestion 


THE  BOSTON  PUBLIC  LIBRARY 
STAFF  ASSOCIATION 


NOVEMBER     1961 


™ 


uestion 


fc^A^ 


Tffi  BOSTON  PUBLIC  LIBRARY 
STAFF  ASSOCIATION 


DECEMBER     1961 


THE     QUESTION     MARK 
Published  by  the  Boston  Public  Library  Staff  Association 

Volume  XVI     Number  12 December  I96I 

Publications  Coriimittee:  A.    Kay  Decker,   James  J,   Ford,   Rose  Moorachian,   Caroline  R. 

Stanwood,  I.  Roger  Stevens,  Cartoonist,  Sarah  M.  Usher, 
-  Indexer,  Dorothy  P,  Shaw,  Chairman 

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

vath  Hanukkah  candles  recently  lighted  and  Christmas  candles  yet  to  come, 
we  find  our  thoughts  constantly  turning  to  the  symbolism  of  these  lights,  and 
the  freedoms  we  of  the  western  world  still  enjoy,  to  light  our  candles  in  our 
own  xjays,  and  at  our  own  times,  and  to  spread  the  light  of  their  meaning  un- 
hindered, as  far  as  the  light  may  shine, 

Edith  IJharton  once  ^^;rote  some  lovely  lines  on  light: 
"There  are  two  ways  of  spreading  light:  to  be 
The  candle,  or  the  mirror  that  reflects  it. " 

All  of  us  constantly  act  as  either  candle  or  mirror  at  will,  as  we  take  a 
stand  on  a  principle,  momentarily  assume  the  lead  in  some  cause,  or  reflect 
willingly  the  light  from  some  one  else's  candle  for  a  period,   '.ae  light  may  be- 
come a  blaze,  seen  afar,  when  the  candle-wicks  are  properly  trimmed,  the  candle 
upright,  and  joined  by  other  sirailar  candles,  then  mirrored  by  numbers  of  support- 
ing reflecting  surfaces,  shining  and  well  arranged  -  or  -  the  light  may  carry  only 
a  few  paces  if  the  candle  is  awry  or  unreflected.  In  all  our  relationships  we 
must  remember  that  no  mirror  may  reflect  more  than  the  image  it  receives. 

The  strength  of  our  light  as  a  staff,  an  administration,  an  institution, 
a  com-nunity,  or  a  nation,  depends  both  on  the  candles  lighted,  and  the  mirrors 
which  choose  to  reflect  that  light,  and  on  the  constant  changing  from  candle  to 
mirror  aiiiong  the  elements  which  comoose  the  whole. 

Let  us  then,  at  this  season,  re-dedicate  ourselves  to  being  a  true  and 
shining  candle  for  the  best  vje  believe,  and  a  clear  and  balanced  mirror  when 
we  wish  to  enlarge  the  light  of  others! 

THE  PUBLICATIONS  COiiHTTEE 


-2- 


PR.TSIDENT'S  NOTES 

The  regular  November  Business  ileeting 
of  the  Staff  Association  was  held  on     ! 
November  17  in  the  Temporary  Conference   ' 
Room.   This  was  a  lively  meeting  and  much  - 
interest  and  discussion  was  evoked  on  the  , 
proposal  that  the  Soap  Box  not  be  included 
in  those  copies  of  the  QIIESTIOM  I4ARK     j 
going  to  other  than  the  BPL  group.  A    : 
committee  was  appointed  to  study  this    ; 
issue  and  instructed  to  bring  recommenda- 
tions on  this  matter  to  the  Executive 
Board  in  time  to  be  brcught  to  a  vote  in 
the  January  meeting.  At  the  same  time 
a  committee  was  appointed  to  study  the 
problem  of  admitting  the  civil  service 
employees  to  membership  in  the  Staff 
Association, 

iliss  Peck  reports  ''|i350  collected  from 
the  staff  as  a  contribution  to  Station 
WGBH-TV  for  help  in  rebuilding  this  sta- 
tion because  of  its  educational  programs,  | 
I'e  offer  our  congratulations  to  her  on   j 
her  good  work  in  acting  as  collection    \ 
chairman,  and  to  our  staff  who  cooperated  j 
so  well  in  their  giving,  i 

The  Executive  Board  held  their  December  1 
meeting  on  Tuesday  December  5.  ^'^   this   ' 
time  we  were  primarily  concerned  with  un- 
finished business.  Several  letters  were 
written  and  we  hope  to  see  a  satisfactory 
solution  to  several  problems. 

May  I  extend  sincere  good  wishes  for 
a   Hapoy  Holiday  Season  to  all  — 


Book  Stack  Service 
Thomas  Del  Visco,  History  1^65 
Ernest  I,  Gam,  (re-entry) 
Jordan  M.  Gold  (re-entry) 
John  J,  Kelly,  (re-entry) 
Robert  B,  MacDonald,  Education  1965 
Alvin  Parven,  Pre-law  I963 
Thomas  A.  Sgroi,  History- Government  1965 

Cataloging  &  Classification,  R  &  RS 
Barbara  LaFlamme,  (re-entry) 
Beverly  R.  Shapiro,  Elementary  Education 

1965 

Sylvia  Sullivan,  Modern  languages,  1965 
Diane  B.  Thompson,  (re-entry) 


Transferred 

Mrs.  Marguerite  C.  Franz,  South  Boston 

to  Periodical  and  Newspaper 
Susanna  M.  Gill,  Bookmobiles  to  Charles- 
town 
Mrs.  Marya  Knudsen,  Codman  Square  to 

Washington  Village 
Mrs,  Mary  G,  Langton,  Adams  Street  to 

Division  Office,  HR  &  CS 
Mrs,  Agnes  HcDevitt,  Lower  Mills  to 

Adams  Street 
Thomas  T,  McLaughlin,  Book  Stack  Service 

to  Accounting 
Mary  Shea,  Jamaica  Plain  to  South  Boston 
Joan  K,  Trygstad,  Adams  Street  to  Lower 

Mils 
Mrs.  Margaret  R.  Zindler,  Dorchester  to 
i   Bookmobiles 


RUTH  M  HAYES 
PERSONNEL  NOTES 

New  Employees 

Sinclair  H.  Hitchings,  Print 

Davida  A,  Sherwood,  Jamaica  Plain 

New  Employees  -  Northeastern  students 
Gerald  A.  Blonder,  Open  Shelf  (re-entry) 
Mrs.  Catherine  T,  Coggan,  Book  Preparat- 
ion, Education  196i|. 
Frances  A,  Hale,  Personnel  (re-entry) 
Joan  Z.  Harrington,  Codman  Square, 

Modem  Languages  1965 
Stephen  M.  Gro chows ki.  Records,  Files, 

Statistics,  English  2d  year 
Elaine  Miller,  South  End  (re-entry) 

Book  Purchasing 
Edward  J.  Howell  (re-entry) 
Anthony  F.  Tieuli  (re-entrjO 
Janice  E,  I'right  (re-entry) 


!  Married 

!  Katharine  Maguire,  Hyde  Park,  to  Frank 

j   Lavine,  Memorial,  December  2. 

I 
I 

j  Resigned 

Helen  Donovan,  Parker  Hill,  to  work  at 
State  College 

wrs.  Listena  Dozier,  Egieston  Square 

Mrs,  Jean  Hamrick,  i/ashington  Village,  to 
work  at  Harvard 

Martin  Qualters,  Cataloging  and  Classifi- 
cation, R&RS,  to  return  to  Northeastern 


I  iS 


Itortheastern  students  returning  to  school 
Robert  V.  Burns,  Book  Stack  Service 
Bernard  Cohen 
Filliam  Harting 
Marius  Johnston 
Arthur  MacDonald 
Robert  Kane 

Patricia  Fradsham,  Cataloging  and  Class- 
ification, R  &  RS 
Joan  Merchant        "       "     " 


-3- 


Elizabeth  McLucas,    Cataloging  and  Classi- 
fication,  R  &  RS 

Ella  VJhite  "  "  " 

Stephen  Davis,  Open  Shelf 

Kenneth  L.  George,  Central  Book  Stock  - 
Branch  Issue 

Carol  A,  Gourley,  South  End 


SPECIAL  AVIARD 

The  National  Conference  of  Christians 
,and  Jews  honored  Pearl  Smart,  South  End, 
'•with  one  of  its  Neighborhood  Awards,  during 
the  annual  luncheon  meeting  at  Hampshire 


: House  on  November  29.  The  award  was  made 
Maureen  Dorion,  Cataloging  and  Class  if  ica-»in  recognition  of  Mss  Smart's  notable 

tion,  HR  A:  CS  jservice  in  promoting  understanding  among 

Clara  Koretsky,  Codman  Square  jgroups  and  individuals  of  diverse  back- 


Hilary  A,  Wayson,  Roslindale 
Marion  Murphy,  Book  Preparation, 
Elaine  Powers   "      " 
Brenda  Franklin,  Book  Purchasing 
Robert  Hinichiello,  "     '• 


Neil  J.  Kelly,  Records,  Files,  Statistics 
/Vntoinette  Calabresi,  Personnel 

Retired 

Mrs.    Cecilia  McOamthy,    Charles town 

VHO'S  NEl-,7 

After  two  years  as  a  part  time  worker 
at  East  Boston,  Susanna  M.  Gill  is  now  a 


grounds  in  the  South  End. 

The  Branch,  under  Miss  Smart's  sponsor- 
ship, has  offered  classes  in  English  for 
Puerto  Rican  newcomers  to  the  area  and 
library  space  has  been  made  available  for 
the  tutoring  of  young  people  from  the 
South  End  housing  project  in  need  of  such 
ihelp.  Programs  have  been  presented  to  piD- 
jmote  better  understanding  of  other  peoples 
land  cultures,  with  speakers  from  Nigeria, 
'Indonesia  and  other  far-  off  countries.  A 
jYoung  Adults  council  was  organized  to 
Ibring  young  people  of  various  cultures  to- 
igether  and  this  group  has  produced  many 
jneighborhood  programs, 
full  timer  at  Charles town.  Susanna  grad- j  Miss  Smart  is  an  active  participant  in 
uated  from  Fitton  and  is  interested  in   jthe  South  End  Inter-Agency  Association, 
continuing  studies  toward  her  degree  soonjthe  South  End  Planning  Council,  The  Black- 
She  plays  the  piano  and  likes  to  sing.    'stone  Park  Neighborhood  Association,  and 
^'  ihas  had  a  special  interest  in  the  Inter- 

Margot  A.  Uoodward  is  a  pre-profess ion- [national  Fellowships  Program  of  the  Araer- 
al  Children's  Assistant  at  Upham's  Cornerjican  Association  of  University  VJomen, 
Margot  is  a  graduate  of  i^Iiddlebury  who   jwhich  has  led  to  her  showing  hospitality  . 
majored  in  biology.  She  professes  a     }to  students  from  India,  Belgium  and  Hong- 
great  liking  for  sports,  especially  horsejkong. 
back  riding  and  ice  skating,  and  she  also  |  A  large  group  of  Miss  Smart's  friends 


draws . 

Jordan  M.  Gold,  Book  tack  Service,  is 
a  returnee  from  Northeastern.  Jordan 
hails  from  Chelsea  and  spends  his  spare 
time  with  autos  and  sports.   He  is  maj- 


! attended  the  luncheon  and  were  there  to 
jsee  the  award  presented  by  Dr.  Robert 
jMunce,  Chancellor  of  Suffolk  University. 
I  Among  the  guests  from  the  library  were 
j  the  Director,  the  Chief  Librarian  and 
( Supervisors  of  the  Home  Reading  Division, 


oring  in  Business  Administration  and  is   jand  old  friends  and  alumnae,  Mrs.  Helen 


now  a  sophomore, 

■it- 
Ernest  L.  Matthias,  Business  Office, 
graduated  from  Cronwall  'Jollegiate  and 
Vocational  Institute  in  Canada,  and  ser- 
ved seven  years  in  the  U.S.  Coast  Guard. 


(Berkowich  (Mt.  Bowdoin  and  Mattapan)  and 
(Mrs.  Minerva  Elliott  (Music). 

j  UkMSZII   OPEN  HOUSE 

,   An  invitation  showing  a  medieval  scribe 
j copying  an  old  manuscript  appropriately 
'brought  Library  staff  members  to  the 


He  has  olayed  seiiii-pro  basketball  and  ice; 

-. -^  ...i  _•  _  _-„j. J.-J  j„  _m i_   'Treasure  Room  on  Thursday  afternoon,  Nov- 


hockey,  and  is  interested  in  all  sports, 

•i'c 

Mary  T.  Kelley,  Central  Charging  Re- 
cords, graduated  from  St.  Columbkille 
and  worked  part  time  at  Brighton,   She 
likes  to  paint  -  portraits,  not  houses  - 
and  we  also  hear  she  is  an  accomplished 
"twister". 


';  ember  30.  The  Treasure  Room  was  decked  in 
I  two- fold  splendor.   In  its  glass  cases 
; could  be  seen  a  spectacular  display  of 
, the  Library' s  rarities  w  hile  on  the  cen- 
; tral  desk  was  a  gleaming  punchbowl,  home- 
made goodies,  and  glittering  candles. 
Both  the  feasts  -  for  the  eyes  and  for  the 
stomach  -  were  in  honor  of  the  approaching 


■  'k- 


retirement,   after  38  years  of  service,   <?f   ,  OVER  THE  TOP 

Zoltan  Haraszti,   Keeper  of  Rare  Books  and    ; 

Editor  of  Publications.  \     Of  course  there  was  no   "top"  but  we 

Nearly  one  hundred  members  of  the  Library;went  over  it  ,1ust  the  samel     Once  again 
staff,   past  and  present,   attended  the  Open; the  staff  has  proved  the  words  said  in 
House  to  wish  Mr,    Haraszti  luck  and  happi-ithe  QM  (February  I96I)    "...it  can  never 
ness  in  his  days  of  well-earned  leisure        :be  said  by  anyone  that  the  BPL  staff  is 
(already  filled  with  enthusiastic  plans  of ; not  one  of  the  most  generous  groups  to  be 
travelling  and  writing).     Former  members      'found  in  any  institution,   public  or 
of  the  Rare  Book  staff  who  were  present         private".     V/hen  the  Executive  Board  in- 
included  i'lary  i'lalany,   Julie  Gurnett,   Louis  ;vited  me  to  be  on  the  receiving  end  for  a 


Jgalde,   and  Emily  Keitmann. 

Earlier  in  the  day  Mr.    Haraszti  was 
entertained  at  lunch  at  the  Harvard  Club 
by  the  Director  and  the  Division  Heads. 

BURKE   PARTY 


, drive  to  give  a  helping  hand  to  our  sister 
educational  function,  T\^BH-TV  charnel  2, 
; following  its  tragic  fire  on  October  lit, 
■I  did  so  with  the  complete  knowledge  that 
the  staff  would  be  fully  cooperative  in 
jSuch  a  worthy  venture.  This  was  not 
;Wrong.  Although  all  contributions  were 


A  Good  Luck  party  was  given  for  Mrs.  May  voluntary,  and  no  special  objective  was 


McDonald  Burke,  Tuesday,  November  25,  at 
the  Red  Coach  Grill.  The  party  was  at- 
tended by  the  Bookmobile  staff  and  in- 
cluded some  former  members,  among  whom 
were  Garth  Henzler,  Mrs.  i^Iary  Burns,  and 
Mrs.  Mary  Jackson.  Mrs.  Burke  was  pre- 
sented with  an  orchid  and  a  string  of 
cultured  pearls.  May  will  officially 


;Set,  when  the  final  day  arrived,  we  had 
;given  $350,  This  amount  was  sent  forward 
!to  ¥GBH  on  December  Ij..  Over  l50  staff 

meriibers  and  their  friends  contributed. 
;  It  was  a  rexi;arding  experience  to  make 

this  collection  not  only  for  the  amount 
{received  but  for  the  spirit  which  was 
; evidenced  by  those  who  gave.  Each  and 


retire  at  the  end  of  the  year  after  thiriyj every  one  who  made  a  contribution  gave 


years  service  -  and  the  current  vacation 
we  all  hope  she  is  enjoying. 

a:.in  m.  dqggan 
soum  FAMILLIR? 


"It  seemed  to  rae  that  half  the  intell- 
igence and  freedom  of  the  world  was  al- 
ready being  choked  by  the  fog  arising 
from  committees,    conventions,    conferences 
and  convocations,   parochial,   national,    and 
international,   that  kept  everybody's  nerve:; 


not  only  their  dollars  but  gave  as  well 
, sincere  expressions  of  interest  and  good 
j wishes  that  the  work  of  this  outstanding 
j educational  television  station  might  rise 
I from  the  ashes  to  go  forward  to  even 
(greater  achievements   than  were  possible 
: before  the  fire.     With  our  ^350  went  the 
igood  wishes  of  the  BPLSA  for  the  future 
jof  this  outstanding  community  project, 
i  E.G. PECK  for  the 

Executive  Board 


CHRISTMAS  TEA 


exacerbated,   and  that  there  would  be  a 

better  chance  of  tranquillity  if  all  those! 

people,   dashing  about  ...   saw  less  of  one   jvjhen  a  report  of  the  I96O  annual  staff 

another's  ugly  faces.      Now  we  can't  catch   ichristmas   tea  was  given  in  the  January 

a  fish  or  grow  a  tomato  or  take  an  egg         |i96l  QM,   the  suggestion  was  made  that 

from  under  a  hen  without  a  committee  to       '"next  year  the  ^oung  folks'  pick  up  the 

tell  us  how   to  do   it."      (From  I  11ET  A  LADYJball  and  infuse  some  new  ideas  into  this 


by  Howard  Spring) 

DOOM  FOR  PARKERS 

The  Library  is  now  surrounded  by  signs 
reading  8-9.30  a.m.   no  parking  -   tow 
area.     Watch  your  stepi     Cars  actually 
have  been  towed  awayj 

THAT  E^ITRA  CHRISTi'IAS  GIFT! 


jbest  of  all  BPL  Christmas   traditions." 
■Ve  are  happy  to  note  that  this  suggestion 
'has  been  a c ted  upon  with  gusto.     As  the 
lyoung  people  organize  -  and  carry  out  - 
jthis  mammoth  project,   let's  give   them  our 
.full  support.      Those  who  over  the  years 
[have  served  their  turns  on  the  tea  com- 
finittee  know  only  too  well  that  such  a 
^project  doesn't  "just  happen,"  -   it  takes 

,much  planning,  much  hard  tjork  and  the  full 

for  CARE  of  coursel      It  is  not  too  latej      ^cooperation  of  every  staff  member.     Let's 

make   this  year's  tea  the  best  everl 


J^p) 


« — i 


-6- 


CECELIA  MCCARTHY 


R'JTK  .iICHELSON  Atll>   SDITHA  EilNG  RExlQlBJiE 


The  week   of  December  l\.  may  well  have  beeni  On  ivlovember  twenty- ninth,  the  RECORD- 
called  Cecelia  McCarthy  Week  at  Charles townAMERI CAN  carried  the  following  item: 


At  the  meeting  of  The  Friends  of  the  Lib- 
rary on  December  5,  more  than  two  hundred 
people  came  to  pay  their  respects  to  Mrs, 
McCarthy  on  her  retirement,  including  John 
M.  Carroll,  Chief  Librarian  of  the  Home 
Reading  Services ,  Gerard  Doherty,  State 
Representative,  and  Frederick  R,  Sullivan, 
Sheriff  of  Suffolk  County,  A  congratula- 
tory letter,  sent  by  Milton  E.  Lord,  Dir- 
ector, was  read  by  Wargaret  L.  Murphy, 
Chairman  of  the  Testimonial  Committee. 

For  Cecelia  it  was  a  night  to  remember: 
a  standing  ovation  from  the  crowd  ... 
speeches  of  praise  from  patrons  who  over 
the  period  of  forty  years  have  enjoyed  the 
warm,  personal  attention  that  was  hrs. 


i'lcCarthy's  forte.  She  seemed  to  be  a  con-  from  Hrs.  Hartzell's  assistant 


stant  and  unchanging  link  of  service  and 
friendship  in  this  all  too  automatic,  im- 
personal age.  ' 

At  the  meeting  a  purse  of  money  was  also 
presented  -  in  the  form  of  an  old-fashion- 
ed flower  bouquet.   Later,  to  the  lusty 
chorus  of  "For  She's  a  Jolly  Good  Fellow", 
Cecelia  accepted  a  large  book-shaped  de- 
corative cake  which  bore  the  inscription: 
"To  Dear  Cecelia  -  Good  Luck  on  your 
Retirement, " 

As  a  contrast  to  the  overwhelming  testi- 
monial of  the  "Friends",  the  staff  decided 
to  take  Cecelia  to  a  more  intimate  dinner 
party  where  she  could  quietly  enjoy  fond 
farewells  with  her  closer  friends  and 
associates.  On  Friday  evening,  December 
8,  Mrs.  McCarthy  and  a  retinue  of  21  en- 
joyed a  sumptuous  repast  at  the  Colonial 
Inn  in  Lynnfield.  In  addition  to  Mary  K. 
Harris 


"Artur  Rubinstein,  speaking  at  the  BU  din- 
ler  for  Aaron  Richmond,  said  he  was  espec- 
ially fond  of  Boston  because  in  Berlin, 
at  the  age  of  10,  he  fell  in  love  with  a 
young  lady  from  Boston  who  was  just  twice 
lis  age, 

"She  was  a  librarian  at  the  Boston  Public 
Library  and  he  visited  her  until  her  death 
a  few  years  ago.   The  great  pianist  will 
be  73  in  January. " 

To  Ruth  Michelson,  Book  Selection,  R  & 
RS,  this  rang  a  bell.  She  thought  she 
knew  the  "young  lady"  referred  to  and  that 
another  former  BPLer  would  be  able  to  veri- 
fy her  guess,.  The  note  was  sent  to  Editha 
Ewing  in  Newton,  and  here  is  the  answer 


"Mrs.  Hartzell  was  very  definitely  the 
'young  lady  from  Boston'  Artur  Rubinstein 
knew  as  a  boy  in  Germany.  She  had  many 
pictures  of  him  and  was  more  than  thrilled 
when  he  came  into  public  view.  She  knew 
he  had  talent  way  back  then,  or  that  was 
what  she  told  me,  but  of  course  he  wasn't 
recognized  here  for  a  long  time.  He  came 
out  to  dinner  at  the  house  where  she  last 
lived  in  Newton,  and  what  an  evening  th^ 
hadj  Pity  s he  couldn't  have  lived  to  see 
and  hear  the  acclaim  he  is  now  getting, 
I  don't  know  what  happened  to  all  the 
pictures  she  had.  Some  old  letters  and 
papers  and  such  were  given  to  him  that 
night. " 

For  those  who  do  not  remember  Training 
Class  days,  Mrs.  Bertha  V.  Hartzell  was 
the  first  Supervisor  of  Training  -  and. 


members,  some  alumnae  of  Charles town  were 
on  hand  also:  Mrs.  Marion  Dubrawski,  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  V.illiam  Casey,  nrs.  and  Mrs,  Dan- 
iel Kelly,  and  Mrs.  Agnes  McDevitt. 

"Celia"  beamed  over  her  baked  stuffed 
lobster  at  us  all;  seemed  more  than  pleas- 
ed with  her  new  transistor  radio j  and 
graciously  and  silently  folded  the  cloak 
of  her  retirement  about  her  and  s  tole  away 
into  the  dawn  of  new  leisure  time  activi- 
ties and  fun, 

LI  f IDA  M.  I  VERS 

CHRISTl'lAS  TEA 

Thursday,  December  21-3  to  [|_.30 
VJomen's  Lounge 


incidentally,   a  devotee  of  the  Boston 
Branch  Librarian,   and  regular  staf^S^miphony  Orchestra  and  an  enthusiastic 

supporter  of  the  Boston  Red  Sox  -  and  is 
the  lady  in  whose  honor  the  Hartzell 
Lectures  are  given. 


SARAH  M.    USHER 

SUGAR  AND  SPICE 

Sheila  Stevens  and  her  husband,   Roger, 
took  Miss   Peck's  advice,    and  on  December 
5  had  another  girl  babj^.      Lucy  Eileen 
weighed  six  pounds  and  six  and  one  half 
ounces. 

MEl\f'S  OPEN  HOUSE 

Friday  December  22  -  10-12.30,     Smoking 
Room 


'7' 


STUDENT  USE  STILL  A  LARGE  PKOBLEJ"! 

Nineteen  months  ago  in  May  I960,  the 
QUESTION  MRK  requested  that  something  be 
done  to  alleviate  the  mounting  problems 
of  student  use  in  the  Library,  so  that 
by  the  time  school  should  open  that  fall 
some  of  the  pressures  might  be  removed. 

A  staff  improvement  council  was  appoint- 
ed and  announced  in  an  Administrative 
Notice  of  February  3,  I96I,  and  has  been 
meeting  ever  since.  Yet  our  problems 
remain  with  us  and  are  actually  increas- 
ing. IiJhile  the  staff  does  realize  that 
a  thorough  study  is  necessary  to  reach 
the  roots  of  the  problems,  and  that  the 


when  worn,  but  some  cannot.  This  is  true 
;of  many  periodical  sets.   Call  slips  count 
: for  November  for  example : 
1  Bound 

'  Readers  Digest 


Science  Digest 

Science  Newsletter 

,  Consiomers  Bulletin 

)        "     Report 

JTime 


111 
138 
299 

61 

99 
(walluse) 


Unbound 


35 

81 
188 
120 


jThe  major  part  of  these  were  on  student 
. assignments  and  the  bound  volume  use  was 
i chiefly  within  a  period  of  the  last  five 
.years.  December  use  is  rising  -  70  bound 
.volumes  of  Science  newletter  were  used 
on  one  December  Friday. 


BPL  problems  are  complicated  by  its  larger)   Ehierson  has  another  sort  of 


"nuisance' 


collections  and  great  areas  served,  we 
would  appreciate  any  small  things  which 
can  be  done  to  lessen  any  part  of  these 
pressures. 

Even  a  progress  report  released  for 
staff  information  should  help  the  morale 
of  that  portion  of  the  staff  serving  on 
the  actual  "firing  line",  in  inadequate 


assignment  which  could  be  the  fault  of  the 
j  instructor.  A  class  was  to  write  a  paper 


,on  the  editorial  policy  of  certain  maga- 
jzines  and  newspapers,  with  no  apparent 
i  instructions  as  to  how  to  go  about  it.  As 
i  little  appears  in  writing,  they  could  have 
I  been  instructed  to  examine  the  actual  title 
;  and  draw  conclusions, 
numbers  and  with  rapidly' failing  materials'   There  has  been  a  brief  epidemic  of  false 
(due  to  over  use,  mutilation,  and  theft).  ^ names  and  addresses  on  call-slips  -  the^ 

Multiple  assignments  cause  many  of  our  (student  then  walking  jfi  with  the  material 
problems,  especially  if  the  same  assign-  i uncharged  which  does  not  circulate,  effec- 
ment  is  given  in  more  than  one  school.    j  tively  removing  it  from  use,  often  per- 
Here  is  where  the  wear  and  tear  (literal-^.imanently. 

ly)  comes.  For  instance,  class  assignments-   Northeastern  made  an  assignment  on 
in  works  of  any   one  author,  and  this  is   ;  honor  systems  in  s chools  recently,  and 
a  perennial,  eliminates  many  of  the  books  j  thereby  proved  there  is  very  little  honor 
on  that  author  as  well  as  mutilation  or   j among  thieves  at  least,  as  the  articles 
disappearance  of  entire  pages  of  period-  ;  are  being  torn  out. 

-  ""     ■    I   An  assignment  on  wolf  children  renoved 
i  an  interesting  research  article  from 

the  Education  Departinent.   Replacement 
icost  of  that  periodical  is  a  mere  |7.50 
!   Avid  and  somehow  hungry  English  teachers 
Bpctce  dii^  ocxvx^<=  cx^.                 lor  students  necessitates  the  removal  of 
English  high  class  -  reviews  of  MOBY  DICK  \  any  book  on  teaching  high  school  English 
Simmons  Library  School  -  heavy  traffic  in  j f rom  open  shelves. . .whole  chapters  go. 
books  on  selection  of  magazines  and  the   1   Then  there  are  the  students  who  thought- 
examination  of  many  periodical  titles,  allj lessly  return  "hall  use"  materials  of  the 
.  .,  .      _i J. _-p  +-;r.,=         I «--; -,T  ■.n^rQT.o-n/-.Q  (-ic.-nay+mpnt..=!  tn  tlie  main 


ical  reviews  on  his  works.  Faulkner  is 
a  good  example  of  missing  and  mutilation 
carnage. 

Examples  of  multiuse  assignments  this 
fall  causing  difficulties  in  materials, 
space  and  service  arer 


within  a  very  short  space  of  time. 
Suffolk  University  -  current  issues  of 
AMERICAN  ANTHROPOLOGIST 
Northeastern,  entire  Electrical  Engineer- 


\  special  reference  departments  to  the  main 
I  return  desk  -  thus  removing  them  from  use 
I  by  other  classmates  for  several  days, 

i.ox-ux«=.oo.x..,  ......^  ^^^^ -o ;   Certain  textbooks  and  psychology  (and 

ing  class  using  May  AliER.  JOURNAL  PHYSICS  I  other)  volumes  have  a  strange  habit  of 
Boston  University  class  -  three  particular! vanishing  from  the  shelves  of  various 
1961  issues  of  ATLANTIC  1  departments  early  in  the  semester,  year 

Emerson  class  in  English  -  ESQUIRE  Nov,   i after  year,  and  sometimes  coming  home  to 
ATLANTIC  and  HARPERS  September.  i roost  at  the  end  of  the  term. 

Science  projects  in  public  and  parochial  '   The  careless  habit  of  checking  or  under- 
schools,  and  in  a  number  of  colleges,  puts,  lining  passages  and  references  with  both 
heavy  usage  on  encyclopedias,  books  and   i pencil  and  PEN  is  becoming  more  universal, 
periodicals,  some  of  which  can  be  replaced^ 


-  3  - 


5oaP     J'ox 


Any  contribution  to  the  Soap  Box  must  bei 
accompanied  by  the  full  name  of  the  Assoc-: 
iation  member  submitting  it,  together  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  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  AsSocia-  1 
tion  members  and  their  appearance  does  • 
not  necessarily  indicate  that  the  Publi-  , 
cations  Committee  and  the  Association  | 

are  in  agreement  with  the  views  expressed,' 
Only  those  contributions  containing  not  ; 
more  than  3^0  words  will  be  accepted. 


All  over  the  countr;^  this  newest  type  of 
mover  and  shaker  is  acting   as  if  the  stat- 
istic was  more  important  than  the  sale. 
Our  Library  is   an  organization,    and  an 
organization  needs  Organization  Men,   but 
we  are  developing  more  than  our  share  of 
rule-minded  people  who  do  not  seem  to 
know  what  a  library  is   for.      These  POUi^iD- 
OF- FLESH- LIBRi\RIAMS,   he^nafter  referred 
to  as   POFL,   stand  between  our  rich  stores 
of  books  and  the  citizen  who  needs   them 
for  spiritual  life,   liberty,   and  pursuit 
of  happiness  like  ogres  of  old,   keeping 
them  apart,   sometimes  for  hours,   soiae- 
times  for  good.      One  POFL  prevents  books 
from  being  put  on  open  shelves  because  of 
a  word.     Another  insists  on  wasteful  re- 
cord-making before  a  book  is  brought  to 
the  reader,   and  a  third  has  still  useful 
books  destroyed  because  of  its  physical 
condition  though  we  have  all  seen  what 
remarkable  transformations  such  books 
receive  from  our  Bindery  both  as  to  dura- 
bility and  looks, 

I  hope  that  BPL'rs  who  run  into  such 
librarians  will  not  whisper  about  them 
in  corridor  or  lunchroom  but  accost  them 
in  their  fastnesses  an-,  say  POFL. 

HArHY  Ai'IDREl'S 


Dear  Soap  Box:  f 

I  was  browsing  in  a  large  charity- type     I 
bookstore  and  overheard  an  altercation         '• 
between  the  woman  clerk  and  one  of  those     t 
floating  supervisors  who  unexpectedly  drop; 
in,     A  special  sale  was  on,   and  in  columns i 
under  the  original  prices  the  woman  was 
supposed  to  list  the  number  of  books  sold  [ 
at  the  new  price.      It  was   quite  busy, 
people  were  standing  in  line,  and  the 
harried  attendant  was  beginning  to  skip       , 
some  of  the  listings,   and  this  supervisor 
had  caught  her  at  it.     He  chewed  her  out 
ungently  and  loudly  and  spoke  these  winged- 
words:    "KEEPING  THAT  RECORD  IS  MORE  IM- 
PORTAInIT  THAU  :IAKING  THE  SALE",   and  a  Soap   ' 
Subject  was  born,  ' 


roSTCN  PUBLIC   LIBRARY  STAFF  ASSOC KTION 


.<Nv 


n 


.^  riot  "uer  q  w^n  to  CAR  E        .^^^^^^ 

tdo; 


osea'ho  need  ucroit  ^^^iifix^^^ 


K^ 


RiS^l^^ 


CGI.5;IITTEE  Fl^R  CARE 


OlliP.  rc.rtr:.<4ge-0per.  Shelf  r-firartment 


Ifergaret  Le-i,^s-  Ifenxrlal  Brar.ch  Library 


Jlildred  Somes-  Bo^.k  Preparation  ^iepai'tir£nt 


GHPJoTMI'-S  TEA  GCMCTTEE 


Patricia  Ashe 
Mary  Casey 
Ann  Connolly 
Geraldine  Louglas 
Diane  Stolpner 


Joan  Stolpner 
Edward  otenberg 
Richard  Sullivan 
Charles  Tyner 
Barbara  Whit ledge 


Marilyn  Cunningham,  Chairman 


BOSTON  PUBLIQ  LTBWJIY 


4 


BOSTON 


PUBLIC  LIBBARJ 


3  9999  06314  ow