REPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE
To the American Library Association: Ladies and Gentlemen:—
In accordance with the provisions of the constitution, the Finance Committee submit the following report:—
They have duly considered the probable income of the Association for the current year and have estimated it at $21,915.00, and have approved appropriations made by the Executive Board to that amount. The details of the estimated income and of the appropriations are given in the January number of the Bulletin. The committee have also approved the appropriation to the use of the Publishing Board of any excess of sales over the amount estimated.
On behalf of the committee, the chairman has audited the accounts of the treasurer and of the secretary as assistant treasurer. He has found that the receipts as stated by the treasurer agree with the transfer checks from the assistant treasurer, and with the cash accounts of the latter. The expenditures as stated are accounted for by properly approved vouchers. The bank balance and petty cash, as stated, agree with the bank books and petty cash balances. The accounts of the assistant treasurer have been found correct as cash accounts.
On behalf of the committee, Mr. E. H. Anderson has checked the securities now in the custody of the trustees, and certifies that their figures in regard to the securities on hand are correct. He finds that at par value the bonds and other securities amount to $102,500.00 for the Carnegie fund, and $7,000.00 for the principal account. He certifies that to the best of his knowledge and belief the accounts submitted are correct.
All of which is respectively submitted for the committee.
CLEMENT W. ANDREWS,
Chairman.
With the completion of the ninth volume of the A. L. A. Booklist Miss Elva L. Bascom severs her connection as editor and as head of the editorial department of the Publishing Board. For five years Miss Bascom has carried on this work with signal ability and with devoted industry, and it is with sincere regret that the members of the Board have accepted her resignation. During this period of editorial activity Miss Bascom has maintained the excellent standards established by her predecessors, Miss Caroline Garland and Mrs. Katharine MacDonald Jones, and has given to the publication a standard of judgment in selection and critical appreciation that has made the A. L. A. Booklist invaluable to thousands of librarians and as many library trustees in the selection of current books for their respective institutions. The A. L. A. Booklist is everywhere recognized as a publication wholly untrammeled by commercial consideration in the listing of books and the recommendation which these are given.
Miss May Massee has been elected as Miss Bascom's successor and will enter upon the work early in August. Her experience as a member of the staff of the Buffalo public library and her training prior thereto commends her for the position.
Concerning the A. L. A. Booklist there are no new facts to report, comments noted in previous reports being applicable as well at this time. While renewed representations have come to the members of the Board, suggesting a change of size, form, and character, and the arguments in behalf thereof have been given due weight, it has not seemed wise to alter the policy which has been continued for a period of nine years.
With the beginning of the new volume the place of publication and therewith the editorial headquarters will be transferred from Madison, Wis., to Chicago. By consolidating the editorial headquarters of the Publishing Board with the headquarters of the American Library Association both will be materially strengthened and some financial economies can be affected.
Periodical Cards—The Board received word last fall from the Library Bureau that they would have to advance prices for the printing of the analytical periodical cards. The matter was placed in the hands of a committee, and after some negotiation, unexpectedly prolonged by the illness of the representative of the Library Bureau, a rearrangement of the work was made which will enable the Board to continue the service to the present subscribers without change in prices. This has been accomplished by giving an order for sixty-five copies of all titles and thirty-five additional titles of the periodicals most in demand. Hereafter, subscriptions must be made either to the full set of approximately 2500 titles, or to the limited set of 200. A revision of the list is now in progress.
Concerning the periodicals issued during the past year Mr. William Stetson Merrill has submitted the following report as editor:
The sixteen shipments of A. L. A. periodical cards prepared and sent out during the year ending May 31, 1913 have comprised those numbered 284 to 299, which were received by subscribers June 18, 1912 to May 14, 1913. These shipments have included 3459 new titles and 136 reprints, making a total of 3595 titles. The time of preparation has been reduced from thirteen to ten and a half weeks.[2]
[2] By "time of preparation" is here meant the interval between the receipt of copy, and receipt of cards by the subscribers.
In February of the present year the editor took occasion to check up the work currently done, with the titles of periodicals given in the printed list as indexed by the Publishing Board. It was then discovered that in the case of thirty-five periodicals no titles had been indexed during intervals ranging from two to five years to date. These facts were brought to the attention of the collaborating libraries, which later reported upon these arrears as follows: Periodicals for which no issues later than those indexed had been received by the library, 12; discontinued, 3; now indexed by the Library of Congress, 2; overlooked or indexing postponed by the library, 10; dropped, 2; record card wrong, 1; no indexer, 5. The collaborating libraries at once took up the work of bringing their indexing up to date and at the time of writing only three current periodicals are not indexed to date, with the exception of those for which there is at present no indexer.
The preparation of the distribution and charges sheets has been in the hands of Mrs. S. L. Hitz and Miss Jane Burt under the supervision of the editor, who has also attended to all the correspondence connected with the card work.
New Publications—New publications since the last report was submitted include the following:
Aids in library work with foreigners, compiled by Marguerite Reid and John G. Moulton. (2000 copies).
How to choose editions, by William E. Foster. (Handbook 8) (2500 copies).
Buying list of books for small libraries, compiled by Zaidee Brown,—new edition revised by Caroline Webster. (1000 copies).
List of economical editions, by Le Roy Jeffers. (2nd edition). Revised. (1000 copies).
Periodicals for the small library, by Frank K. Walter. (3000 copies).
A. L. A. Manual of library economy, 5 new chapters.
Chap. V. Proprietary and subscription libraries, by Charles Knowles Bolton. (1000 copies).
Chap. X. The library building, by W. R. Eastman. (2000 copies).
Chap. XIII. Training for librarianship, by Mary W. Plummer. (2000 copies).
Chap. XXVII. Commissions, state aid and state agencies, by Asa Wynkoop. (In press).
Chap. XXXII. Library printing, by Frank K. Walter. (1500 copies).
A normal library budget and its items of expense, by O. R. Howard Thomson. (Handbook 8.) (1500 copies).
Index to library reports, by Katharine T. Moody. (1000 copies).
List of Polish books, compiled by Mrs. Jozefa Kudlicka. (Foreign Booklist 6). (1000 copies).
Forthcoming Publications—How to start a public library, by G. E. Wire, M. D. Second and revised edition. (Tract 2).
Graded list of stories for reading aloud, by Harriot E. Hassler; revised by Carrie E. Scott.
Reprints—During the past year the following publications have been reprinted:
Guide to reference books, by Alice B. Kroeger. (1000 copies).
Cutter's Notes from the art section of a library. (Tract 5). (1000 copies).
Catalog rules, compiled by committees of the American Library Association and the Library Association (of the United Kingdom). 1908 edition (1000 copies).
Essentials in library administration, compiled by Miss L. E. Stearns. (2nd edition). (Handbook 1). (2000 copies). Revised.
Mending and repair of books, by Margaret W. Brown. (Handbook 6). (1000 copies).
U. S. Government documents in small libraries, by J. I. Wyer, Jr. (3rd edition). (Handbook 7). (1000 copies).
A. L. A. Catalog—The success of the A. L. A. Catalog, 1904-11, has been greater in point of sales than the most sanguine of us had expected, 3471 copies having been sold since its publication a year ago. There is still a reasonably steady demand, 321 copies having been sold during the first five months of 1913. The book has been more extensively advertised than any of the Board's other recent publications, special efforts having been made to make it known to high schools, college professors and book lovers generally, but the sales have, nevertheless, been largely confined to libraries, library commissions and library schools.
Manual of Library Economy—Fourteen chapters of the Manual have thus far been printed, each as a separate pamphlet, and one is now in press. The list is as follows:
1. American library history, by C. K. Bolton.
2. The Library of Congress, by W. W. Bishop.
4. The college and university library, by J. I. Wyer, Jr.
5. Proprietary and subscription libraries, by C. K. Bolton.
9. Library legislation, by W. F. Yust.
10. The library building, by W. R. Eastman.
12. Administration of a public library, by A. E. Bostwick.
13. Training for librarianship, by Mary W. Plummer.
15. Branch libraries and other distributing agencies, by Linda A. Eastman.
17. Order and accession department, by F. F. Hopper.
20. Shelf department, by Josephine A. Rathbone.
22. Reference department, by E. C. Richardson.
26. Bookbinding, by A. L. Bailey.
27. Commissions, state aid and state agencies, by Asa Wynkoop. In press.
32. Library printing, by F. K. Walter.
The chairman of the Committee the manual, J. I. Wyer, Jr., reports that seven other chapters are known to be in an advanced state and may be expected soon.
Advertising—The Board's publications have as usual been advertised in Library Journal and Public Libraries and in one or two special numbers of the Dial. Review copies of publications are sent to library periodicals and a number of other papers and magazines, such as the Bookman, American City, Nation, Dial, New York Times Review, Chicago Post (Friday review), Springfield Republican, Boston Transcript, etc. Our best returns, however, continue to come from direct circularization of libraries, library commissions and library schools, about 11,000 pieces of mail advertising our publications having been sent out since the last conference.
No new large publication has appeared since the A. L. A. Catalog, 1904-11, was published a year ago. Although thirteen new publications have been printed and two more are forthcoming they are all, with one exception, small in size and with price ranging from ten to twenty-five cents a copy. Consequently the amounts from sales are but small in the aggregate. Would it not be well for the Board to endeavor to put forth at least one publication each year which shall be of sufficient size, usefulness and importance to make it rank as the "opus major" of the year? There are surely subjects enough within our scope that can be handled to the advantage of the libraries and the profit of the Board.
Foreign lists—The Board has not felt greatly encouraged to undertake the publication of lists of foreign books because of the unfortunate financial experience with those already issued, only one of the five having paid for itself. This spring, however, when the manuscript of the long-expected Polish list was received a new policy was adopted. The secretary circularized those libraries whom he thought would be interested in this list, stating that the publication of the list depended upon the receipt of a sufficient number of subscriptions, requesting those libraries who were able and disposed to do so, to subscribe for at least four copies at 25 cents each. By this means enough subscriptions were readily secured and the Polish list has been printed. If libraries are willing to subsidize the publication of these lists, or putting it another way, to pay for several copies more than they perhaps need, other lists can be undertaken, and the Board will welcome suggestions as to what languages should be taken up. It has been suggested that a Yiddish list would be useful, also Italian, Lithuanian, Finnish and Spanish lists.
HENRY E. LEGLER, Chairman.