A Library Primer Part 7

Complete volumes of the magazines are in great demand with the borrowing public. The magazine indexes now available will make useful to the student the smallest library's supply of periodical literature.

In small reading rooms the periodicals that are supplied should be placed on tables where readers can consult them without application to the attendants. Files and racks for newspapers, special devices for holding ill.u.s.trated journals, and other things of like nature, are to be found in great variety.

Post up in the reading room a list of the periodicals regularly received; also a list of those in the bound files.

A careful record should be kept of each magazine ordered, of the date when ordered, the date when the subscription begins and expires, the price paid, the agency from which it is ordered, and the date of that agency's receipted bill. If the list of journals taken is small this record can be kept very conveniently in a blank book. If it is large and constantly growing or changing, it is best kept on cards, a card to each journal, and all alphabetically arranged. It saves much trouble when dealing with an agency to have subscriptions coincide with the calendar year, disregarding the volume arrangements of the publishers.

CHAPTER XV

List of periodicals for a small library

[See also chapter List of things needed in beginning work.]

Century magazine (monthly), illus. N.Y. Century Co. Ed. by R.W.

Gilder, $4.

Harper's new monthly magazine, illus. N.Y. Harper. Ed. by H.M. Alden, $4.

Harper's round table (monthly), illus. N.Y. Harper, $1.

St Nicholas (monthly), illus. N.Y. Century Co. Ed. by Mary Mapes Dodge, $3.

Forum (monthly), N.Y. Forum Co., $3.

Harper's weekly, illus. N.Y. Harper, $4.

Youth's companion (weekly). Boston. Perry Mason Co., $1.75.

McClure's magazine (monthly), illus. N.Y. Doubleday & McClure, $1.

Ladies' home journal (monthly), illus. Phila. Curtis Pub. Co., $1.

Independent (weekly). N.Y. $2.

Outlook (weekly), illus. N.Y. $3.

Engineering magazine (monthly). N.Y. $3.

Life (weekly), illus. N.Y. $5.

Nineteenth century (monthly). N.Y. Leonard Scott Co., $4.50.

Review of reviews (monthly), illus. N.Y. Ed. by Albert Shaw, $2.50.

Contemporary review (monthly). N.Y. Leonard Scott Co., $4.50.

Critic (monthly), illus. N.Y. Critic Co., $2.

Nation (weekly). N.Y. Evening Post Co., $3.

Educational review (monthly), N.Y. Holt, $3.

Kindergarten magazine (monthly), illus. Chicago Kindergarten Literature Co., $2.

Appleton's popular science monthly, illus. N.Y. Appleton, $5.

Scientific American (weekly), illus. N.Y. Munn, $3. With supplement, $7.

Scientific American supplement (weekly), illus. N.Y. Munn, $5.

Art amateur (monthly), illus. N.Y. Montague Marks. $4.

Outing (monthly), illus. N.Y. Outing Co., $3.

CHAPTER XVI

Buying books

A good book for a library, speaking of the book as to its wearing qualities and as to the comfort of its users, is printed on paper which is thin and pliable, but tough and opaque. Its type is not necessarily large, but is clear-cut and uniform, and set forth with ink that is black, not muddy. It is well bound, the book opening easily at any point. The threads in the back are strong and generously put in. The strings or tapes onto which it is sewn are stout, and are laced into the inside edges of the covers, or are strong enough to admit of a secure fastening with paste and paper. In ordering books of which several editions are on the market, specify the edition you wish. When you have found a good edition of a popular author like Scott or d.i.c.kens, make a note of it on the shelf-list.

In giving your orders, always try your local dealer first. If he cannot give you good terms, or, as is very likely to be the case, has not the information or the facilities which enable him to serve you well, submit a copy of the list to several large book dealers, choosing those nearest your town, and ask for their discounts. It is economical, generally, to purchase all your books through one dealer, thus saving letter writing, misunderstandings, freight, express, and general discomfort.

Keep a record of all books ordered. The best form of record is on slips, using a separate slip for each book. These order slips should have on them the author's surname, brief t.i.tle, number of volumes, abbreviated note of place, publisher, year, publisher's price if known, name of dealer of whom ordered, date when ordered, and if its purchase has been requested by anyone that person's name and address.

For transmitting the order to the book dealer, a list on sheets should be made from the order slips, arranged either by publishers or alphabetically by authors. This list may be written on one side of the paper only, with copying ink, and a letter-press copy taken; or, make a carbon copy of the sheet sent to the dealer. The carbon copy has the advantage of being easier to handle and better to write on. The books as received should be checked by this copy, or by the order cards. The cards for books received should be put by themselves, alphabetically, and kept until the books they represent have been cataloged and the cards for them have been properly entered in the card catalog. You thus will have lists 1) of books ordered and not received; 2) of books received and not cataloged; 3) of books cataloged. If few books are bought this work is unnecessary.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Simple form of order slip on plain paper. (Reduced; actual size, 7-1/2 x 12-1/2 cm.)

Sent 27 Aug '93 Fiske, J Discovery of America Houghton Miff. '93 2v. 4.00

Notify J. Winson 1247 Arapahoe]

Books will often be ordered at the request of interested persons.

In such cases the name and address of the person asking for the book should be entered on the bottom of the order slip for that book. When the book comes, and has been made ready for use, send a note to this person, notifying him of the fact of its arrival.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Order slip. (Reduced; actual size, 7-1/2 x 12-1/2 cm.)

Library No. 10 Order No. 21 Ordered 6F96 Of McC Received 9 Mr Cost $1.75 Approved 7 Not now ordered [Checkmark]

Not in library [Checkmark]