LIBRARIES LEND BOOK GUIDANCE TO IMMIGRANTS

Shannon News, 19 July 1929, Page 3

LIBRARIES LEND BOOK GUIDANCE TO IMMIGRANTS

Braille Development Also Studied in Field of Catalogue Work

WASHINGTON

The best methods for making the rio-ht books available to the underprivileged—the blind and the foreignborn, were discussed by group mectiiigc at the American Library Association at its fifty-first annual convention. In order to establish inter-racial understanding, one should go back beyond books of travel and biography to books that "tell the story of man as one storv showing our common heritage in the past and our common hopes for the future," Miss Florence Boeckel, education director, of the' National Council for the Prevention of War, told h roun'd tabfe. meeting studying work with immigrants. f Miss Edna Phillips, library adviser in work with the foreign-born Massachusetts Division of Public Libraries, explained how that division is_ co-oper-ating with individual libraries in working toward a "civilisation in which libraries to ah ever-gcrater degree disseminate a reading knowledge of world literature . and' toward inter-racial knowledge of international affaire."

Touch Reading Increasing. While blindness is diminishing, touch reading is steadily increasing, a conference on work with the blind learned from /Miss Amelia Hoyt, acting director of Braille, American Red Cross. Better library service, an increase in supplv of Braille books and the development of two-side printing are responsible for the increase in reading, she said. The next progressive step, according to Miss Hoyt, should be ; the development of Braille catalogues and book reviews to facilitate wise selection.

The third general session of the convention heard Mr Herman Hagedorn, author of "A Boy's Life of Theodore ■Roosevelt;" describe the Roosevelt memorial in New York City, which houses a large collection of books, ar tides,' pictures and documents* bearing on the former President. If there were more memorials similar to this, biographers and historians of the future would find it difficult to damage or to distort the public's conception of great men, Mr Hagedorn told the librarians. .

Keeping History Accurate. Mr Charles Moore, author of "The Family Life of George Washington," after discussing do tails of Washington's family life before the convention, urged the members to submit any original documents they may have in theiir charge, for use in connection with the observance of Washington's two hundredth anniversary, to be celebrated in 1932. ' ,

Instead of adding more miles of shelves to central libraries, build storage houses for books not earing their places on the shelves, Mr. Clarence Sherman, 'of the Public Library, providence. R.L. urged a section studying library,building problems. A comparison of library facilities in small high schools of 20 years ago, and those of the present, was drawn before the school libraries section by Mis? Edith Lathrop, United States Bureau of Education. "Now, rooms for libiaides are as necessary as rooms for laboratories, auditoriums and gymna siuius and librarians are as important as teachers," she said. Envoys Advise Book Exchange.

Constant and systematic exchange of books between North and SouU America will prove one of the most efficacious mediums of bringing nation* af tli6 two continents together, diplo mafic representatives of the south en continent and members of the Amen cail Library Association agreed. ■■ The committee on Co-operation Witl the Hispanic Peoples of the association alter hearing the speaker, decided to recommend that the secretary of tin A.L.A. discuss with representatives o 1 La Nueva Deonochacia of New Yorl< ai.d the World Peace Foundation o Boston, plans' for assisting their organ isations for the purpose of distributing books to Latin-American countries -hrough the former organisation and tt the United States through the latter. Five diplomatists from Latin coun tries were present at the meeting, Dr.Alejandro; Padilla, Ambassador, from Spain, >Senor don Carlos G. "Davila. Ambassador from Chile, Dr. Enrique, Olaya, Minister from Colombia, Dr. Orestes Ferrara of Cuba, Br. Gonzale Zaldumbidc of Ecuador, Dr. Carlos F. Grisanti of Venezuela.

Proving Valuable Guides. The discussion was led by Dr. John T Vance, chairman of the committee and librarian of the Law Library of Congress. Sonor Davila, who is chairman of the Permanent Committee of the Pan-Am-erican Union of Bibliography, commended the establishment of a depository of government publications at the Pan-American Union and pointed out that good bibliographical guides are invaluable to men '' who wish to study the spiritual development of their fel low men abroad.'' The United States is destined to bo come the book centre for- the southerrcontinent, Dr. Olaya believes. " ! "Publishers in this country can sc cure a market for many millions oj readers," he said, "rendering at the same time a service of great value bj spreading a mutual knowledge of oui i nations." • | Foundations of Solidarity. It is through the knowledge of books • which reflect the trend of national thought that prejudices can be dissipated and the foundations of the solid-

arity between men can be laid, he declared. Mr H. W. Wilson, president of the H, W. Wilson Company, of New York,, stressed the need of proper reference tools and made ( a plea for national bibliographies that give all books pub» dished in that language. At the headquarters of the English language and commercial technical group of Special Libraries Association, Mr. George Lee declared that a clearing house for correct use of language is needed. As librarian for Stone and Webster of Boston, Mass., he said that he was the target for questions on English usage.