Indian fables and animal stories, from one of the sacred books of the Buddhists, simply and acceptably retold for children. Silhouette illustrations. Beesley, Lawrence. Loss of the S. S. Ti tanic. Houghton. $1.20 n Authentic, detailed, unexaggerated account of the voyage, disaster and rescue by one of the survivors, giving his own and others' experiences and suggestions for future safeguarding. Bryant, Marguerite. The adjustment. Duffield. $1.35 n Attractive story of a charming and unworldly English woman and her daughter. Author's sincerity, high seriousness and excellent char acterization help to make credible some improbable situations. Buchan, John. Sir Walter Raleigh. Holt. $2 n Spirited biography for boys, relating the story of Raleigh's life in eleven chapters, each written vividly in the first person by a supposed friend or follower. Potraits, map on end papers, and colored drawings. Claudy, C. H. Battle of baseball. Century. $1.50 n Readable and reliable discussion of baseball strategy, with a chapter by Christy Mathewson on How I became a big league pitcher." Written for boys but will be enjoyed by all lovers of the game. Chubb, Percival & others. Festivals and plays in schools and elsewhere. Harper. $2 n Papers by the members of the festival committee of the Ethical culture school of New York discussing the general educational and stimulat ing value of festivals, pageants, plays etc. and the music, art, costuming, dancing and dramati zation involved in the many actual performances directed by the authors. Illustrations from photographs. Goodwin, G. D. Anti-suffrage: ten good reasons. Duffield. 50c Defines the position of antisuffragists in America by stating briefly and clearly their reasons for opposing the unrestricted franchise for women. Jordan, Elizabeth. May Iverson tackles life. Harper. $1.25 n Ten delightfully humorous stories of convent school life as seen by May Iverson, an older pupil, philosopher, reformer, literary artist. Will be more enjoyed by older people than girls themselves. Montessori, Maria. The Montessori method; translated from the Italian by A. E. George. Stokes. $1.75 n Author describes her now famous experimental system of education for children under seven, employed with apparent success in her "Children's houses" in Rome. Ross, E. A. Changing America. Century. $1.20 n Clear-sighted, uncompromising interpretations of modern American tendencies with special attention to the middle West. Full of illustrative material, brilliant and picturesque in style. Schultz, J. W. With the Indians in the Rockies. Houghton. $1.25 n Interesting account of hunting days in the 60's, telling how a boy of seventeen and his Indian friend were cut off by snow and forced to shift for themselves for the winter. Smith, E. Boyd. The seashore book. Houghton. $1.50 n Companion volume to the Farm book, with story text; exists chiefly for the attractive fullpage drawings in color and marginal black and white illustrations which picture rowing, clam ming, a ship's building and launching, good times on the sand, etc. Washington, Booker T. The man farthest down. Doubleday. $1.50 n Describes author's seven weeks' investigation of Europe's lowest laboring classes, and contrasts the more favorable conditions under which the negro lives in America. Webster, Jean. tury. $i n Daddy-Long-Legs. Cen Entertaining story of a girl's college days and love affairs, told in her sprightly letters to an unknown guardian. Wheeler, Post. Russian wonder tales. Century. $2.50 n Twelve well-told fairy tales from Russian folklore each with a charming illustration in color by the Russian artist I. Ă. Bilibin. SOME RECENT BOOKS OF MERIT FOR CHILDREN'S ROOMS AND SCHOOL LIBRARIES LIST SUBMITTED BY MRS ADELAIDE B. MALTBY, NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY Buckley, Elsie F. Children of the dawn. Stokes Shows a truly Greek spirit of beauty and fiery adventure. Most poetically told. Girls of fourteen would do well to read the two charming love stories in this book. Gilbert, Henry. King Arthur's knights. Illustrated by Walter Crane. Stokes Charming selection of King Arthur stories. Plenty of Old English knightly style, without too much detail. Tappan, E. M. When knights were bold. Houghton Tells in clear, straightforward and rather scholarly way, the life, social conditions, arts and education among all classes during the middle ages. Wilmot-Buxton, W. M. Stories of Norse heroes Simple, dignified style, with quite a Saga-like air which makes one feel the strength and sadness of these northern gods and goddesses. Ebbutt, M. I. Hero myths and legends of the British race. Crowell Well-written and interesting collection, containing much useful material which could be found only with difficulty elsewhere. 1 Recommended at book symposium, New York Library Association, September 27, 1912. Quiller-Couch, A. T. Roll call on honor. Nelson Lives of people of varied careers who were in their different ways patriotic and devoid of all self-seeking. Good articles on Pasteur and Gordon. Hill, F. T. On the trail of Grant and Lee. Appleton Very attractive story of the Civil War, presented in a fair, broadminded way, giving clearcut character portrayal. Kipling & Fletcher. History of England. Doubleday Easy narrative style with undercurrent of humor, very much alive history. Used as an inducement to the reading of history rather than as a book for topical reference. Macgregor, Mary. Story of France. Stokes Enough like a story to carry a child through the whole book, and historical enough to make one feel that it is a nation's romance and tragedy that is being depicted. Price, O. W. Land we live in. Small, Maynard Full of interesting information about the natural resources of the United States. Explains the part the Government has in the preservation and improvement of these resources. Gulliver, Lucile. Friendship of nations. Ginn Very comprehensive plea for world peace. Interdependence of nations is shown, horrors of war, and necessity for a world court of arbitration. Simmons, Ralph. All about airships. Cassell Tells of the development of flight from its mythological beginnings, the theories developed by scholars of the middle ages and its progress to the present day. Can be used as a guide in building a raft, a canoe or a small boat of any description. Grinnell, G. B. Harper's camping and scouting. Harper Most used of all camping books; very practical. Bancroft, Jessie H. Games for the playground, home, school and gymnasium. Macmillan Includes games of all descriptions. Has alphabetic and subject indexes. Lady Bell. Singing circle. Longmans Charming collection of action songs and dances. Contains oldest nursery rhymes. Neal, Mary. Esperance Morris book. Curwen, Lond. Two fascinating volumes of old English folk songs and dances; words and music given and practical diagrams of dances and costumes. Tripled Crown. Frowde Different from other collections of poems in that it has a personal touch, making one feel that the poems included were indeed favorites of the three children who selected them. LIST FOR SCHOOL LIBRARIES, SELECTED BY ELEANOR GLEASON, MECHANICS INSTITUTE LIBRARY, ROCHESTER Comstock, Anna. Handbook of nature study for teachers and parents. Ithaca, Comstock Pub. Co. 1911. $3.25 Good introductory matter, while body of book is made up in very interesting form. Animal life attractively pictured. Helpful to teachers having but little scientific knowledge, as well as for parents. Hodson, Fred, ed. Broad lines in science teaching. Macmillan. 1910. $1.50 Inspirational for teachers as well as practically suggestive. Series of articles by various English educators on the different branches of science. Duncan, R. K. Some chemical problems of today. Harper. 1911. $2 Discusses in an untechnical and popular way, chemistry as applied to the industries. Good for pupils who are not getting a broad grasp on the subject. A book pupils seem really to like. Briggs, L. R. Girls and education. Houghton. 1911. $1 Book Author is dean of Radcliffe College. consists of a series of addresses to girls. Vivid in style, sane, well written; will enlarge a girl's views of life. Cooley, Anna M. Domestic art in woman's education. Scribner. 1911. $1.25 Useful book on domestic art as distinguished from the food side of domestic science. Includes also arrangement of the house. Practical. Robbins, E. C. High school debate book. McClurg. 1911. 85c Selects a certain number of live topics and gives briefs and references for them. Foster, W. T. Essentials of exposition and argument. Houghton. 1911. 90c Methods of preparing for debate with general material. Has a few specimen briefs and a long list of topics suitable for debate. Ward, G. O. Practical use of books and libraries. Boston Book Co. 1911. $1; Teaching Outline, 50c A practical guide and textbook for students taking the course in the use of books. TITLES RECOMMENDED BY MARY W. PLUMMER, Colby, June R. Literature and life in Atkinson, Eleanor. Greyfriar's Bobby. Stockton, F. R. Lost dryad. F. C. Bursch. Hillacre. Riverside, Conn. 1912. $1 France, Anatole. Honey bee. Lane. 1911. $1.50 BEST BOOKS FOR SOCIAL WORKERS1 SELECTED BY FREDERICK ALMY, GENERAL SECRETARY OF THE BUFFALO CHARITY ORGANIZATION Warner, A. G. American charities. Crowell. 1894. $1.75 (Rev. ed. 1908. $2) Devine, E. T. Spirit of social work. N. Y. Charities Pub. Com. 1911. $1 Misery and its causes. Macmillan. 1909. $1.25 Brooks, J. G. Social unrest. Macmillan. 1903. $1.50 Mitchell, John. Organized labor. American Book and Bible House. 1903. $1.75 LIBRARY The twenty-second annual meeting of the New York Library Association was held at the International Hotel, Niagara Falls, September 23-28, 1912. The attendance register showed a total of 332 names, the largest number ever enrolled at a State conference. The meeting of the previous year in New York City was no doubt larger in the number of persons attending particular sessions, but many who thus attended did not register and could hardly be considered members of the conference. An analysis of the register of this year's meeting and comparison with that of preceding years show: 1910 1911 1912 Total registered attendance 157 310 332 No. N. Y. State libraries represented. 43 62 75 No. libraries from outside the State. 17 66 Total number of libraries represented. 60 128 No. N. Y. State libraries outside Greater New York No. N. Y. State delegates outside No. N. Y. State libraries never before No. of N. Y. State communities represented.. 25 100 35 46 58 89 69 252 10 25 35 33 44 55 22 13 No. of states or countries represented. 12 In each of these items, except those that include representatives from outside the State, the figures for this year show marked advances over preceding years. Thus in the number of New York libraries in attendance, there is a gain of 13 over last year and of 32 over the preceding year. In the number of different communities represented, there is a gain of 11 over 1911 and 1 List presented at meeting of New York Library Addams, Jane. Spirit of youth and the city streets. Macmillan. 1909. $1.25. New and cheaper ed. 50c A new conscience and an ancient evil. Macmillan. 1912. $1 Richmond, Mary E. The good neighbour. Lippincott. 1908. 8oc Peabody, F. G. Jesus Christ and the social question. Macmillan. 1900. $1.50 (Now available in cheaper edition) Rauschenbusch, Walter. Christianity and the social crisis. Macmillan. 1907. $1.50 (New ed. by Scribner 50c) Wines, F. H. Punishment and reformation. Crowell. 1910. $1.75 The Survey (Monthly magazine) WEEK, 1912 of 22 over 1910. Sixty-nine libraries in the State outside of Greater New York were in attendance this year, compared with 46 in 1911 and 35 in 1910. Delegates from libraries in the State outside of New York City numbered 252 this year compared with 89 last year and 58 the year before. Thirtyfive libraries were represented at the Niagara Falls meeting which had never before been represented at a State meeting, a number itself greater than the total enrolment of libraries at the conference five years ago, the largest gain of this kind made in any year of the association's history. As an index of library progress in the State there is perhaps nothing in recent reports of greater significance than these figures. The conference opened on Monday evening with a reception at the hotel to the members of the association, their visitors and friends, including guests from Niagara Falls. The trustees of the local library assisted the officers of the association in receiving. The address of welcome was given by Mr R. A. Taylor, superintendent of schools of Niagara Falls. Responses were made by Mr William F. Seward, president of the association, Mr Edwin H. Anderson, assistant director New York Public Library, Mr W. O. Cutler of the Niagara Falls Bureau of Conventions, and Dr Frank P. Hill, librarian of the Brooklyn Public Library. Later music was furnished Association, September 25, 1912. by the hotel orchestra, refreshments were served, and the evening was one of pleasant social intercourse. The more serious work of the conference began on Tuesday morning. The session was opened by an address by the president of the association who took as his topic, "Possibilities."1 The address concluded with four definite recommendations for enlarged work by the association, which brought out an animated discussion. Dr Sherman Williams, Chief of the Division of School Libraries, Albany, strongly favored the recommendations, urging particularly the advantage of engaging a field secretary for the purpose of enlisting the interest of library trustees and local committees in the work of the association. "Perhaps," he said, "the thing is not feasible, but it ought to be feasible, and we ought to get ourselves in such shape that it will be feasible. There is always a way to do a thing that ought to be done, if we can only find it.'" Doctor Williams concluded his remarks by reading a stimulating letter from Mr W. F. Yust, librarian of the Rochester Public Library, bearing on the questions raised in the president's address. Mr Eastman, Chief of the Division of Educational Extension, gave a brief historical sketch of the association, pointing out the fact that it was the first state association in the country, citing some of the more important names connected with its early development and showing what unlooked for growth had been realized in recent years. He believed that the president's recommendations pointed out the way to make this meeting one of the most important and fruitful in the whole series. Miss Downey, library organizer for the state of Ohio, spoke of the great progress that the Ohio Library Association had made during the last two years as the result of systematic efforts to inform library workers as to its scope and purpose and to enlist their interest. In one year more than 150 new members were enrolled, and the association now rivals in number of members that of New York State. Miss Perkins of the Ilion Free Library suggested that effective work in building up the association could be done at the library 1 See page 174. See page 180. institutes, that an exposition of the organization, objects and works of the association should be made a special feature of these meetings and appeals made at each for support and membership. Miss Mönchow of the Dunkirk Free Library urged the establishment in the association of a library" membership, similar to that which obtains in the American Library Association, the fee for this membership to be paid from the library treasury. Mr Walter L. Brown, librarian of the Buffalo Public Library, proposed that the associaation give formal recognition to a kind of secondary membership in the association, which already exists, though it does not now show on the rolls, and that all those who attend the annual institutes be included as auxiliary members on the payment of some small fee. This suggestion seemed to meet general approval, and the hope was expressed that it might be worked out as a practical program. On motion of Mr Hill of the Brooklyn Public Library, the recommendations of the president were referred to a committee of five, to be named by the chairman. This committee was constituted as follows: Mr Hill of Brooklyn, Mr Anderson of the New York Public Library, Mr Wynkoop of the State Library, Mr Brown of the Buffalo Public Library and Mr Mundy of the Syracuse Public Library. Other committees named at this session were: On nominations, Miss Emily S. Coit of the Buffalo Public Library, Mr Hill of Brooklyn and Mrs Kate D. Andrew of Elmira; Resolutions, Mary W. Plummer of the New York Public Library School, Mary A. Summers, librarian of the Moore Memorial Library, Greene, and Carrie M. Mönchow, of the Dunkirk Free Library; Audit, C. L. Jellinghaus, New York City, W. D. McNeil, Saranac Lake Free Library and H. J. Carr of the Scranton (Pa.) Public Library. The treasurer's report showed a balance of $236 remaining after the payment of the year's expenses. The Tuesday afternoon session opened with the report of the standing committee on reading in rural communities,2 presented by the chairman, Kate S. Peck, of the Binghamton Public Library. A reference in the report to the failure of the new county library law to render any aid in the problem of library extension, brought from Mr Brown, Mr Seward and Mr Eastman an agreement in the opinion that if the law is to be made effective and practical, it must be amended so as to exclude from the county tax, where such exclusion is desired, municipalities which are already supporting public libraries. The discussion of this report was followed by the address of Dr Philander P. Claxton, United States Commissioner of Education, on "Books and those who need them most." The large audience which listened to this address was made up in part of teachers in the Niagara Falls and neighboring schools which closed early for the purpose of giving them this privilege. Doctor Claxton spoke eloquently and strongly on many vital issues. He considers the chief function of modern democracy that of education, and the library and the librarian a part of the great educational system of the country, as much a part of it as the public schools. Fifty-four per cent of the people live in the open country and in small villages and towns under 2500 population; sixty-five per cent of the children live there. But few towns of 2500 have an adequate library, and the school libraries usually have no collections for adults. Country people will read better books and make better use of them than city people; yet in their homes very few books are found. The Doctor Claxton believes ideal library conditions may be brought about through a combined state and county system. He believes each county should have a library buliding at the county seat, and in the most populous counties, buildings in the larger towns, but all associated. The special book could be supplied from the state library. county library would provide directly the books most called for by the people. There would also be depositories within the county. Local people could be found to act as librarians, and a parcels post system would facilitate sending outside. He thinks this scheme for the whole United States would cost about $100,000,000, and said, “It seems that this is not a visionary but a practical program, if the states would bind themselves to the upkeep of the library." For Tuesday evening a special searchlight excursion was arranged on the Gorge road, which was enjoyed by many. Both sessions of Wednesday were devoted to the consideration of the conditions, functions and needs of the State's penal and reformatory institutions, the program being arranged by the standing committee of the association on prison libraries At the morning session Dr O. F. Lewis, general secretary of the Prison Association of New York, gave an address on in "Prison libraries State." New York He declared that 200,000 enter the reformatories of the State every year, and told what effect on their minds and habits the reformatory libraries may have. He believes that what the State does for criminals is done at least fairly well, but what the county does is generally badly done. Some of the more important recommendations of Doctor Lewis's address are as follows: Reduction of the causes of crime through various forms of social betterment; betterment of our criminal law and our criminal procedure in order that crime may be quickly and justly dealt with in the courts; substitution wherever proper of probation for imprisonment; a proper classification whereby first offenders will be separated from hardened offenders, the young from the old; the development of the principle of the indeterminate sentence; development of industrial education within the prison; development of school education, of physical and moral education; and finally, development of the education of the public, whereby those on the outside shall have a much clearer conception of what imprisonment is for, and what their duty is in the great task of making over the prisoner. Mr Lewis's paper was followed by the report on prison libraries, prepared by Mr F. C. Hicks, chairman of the committee, and read by Elizabeth P. Clarke, librarian of the Seymour Library, Auburn. The report noted an awakening on the part of the prison authorities to the importance of the library, evidenced especially by the space given to it in the annual reports; but the committee is of the opinion that no great advance can be made without better organ |