Frederick J. Teggart, Chairman.
C. W. Andrews: As the third member of the committee, I may supplement this report, and state that the matter of obtaining the consent of the Bureau of Education to undertake the publication of this handbook was left to me, and that I have pleasure in informing the Association that there seems every prospect that at least a portion of this material will be published by the Bureau of Education, and that we may hope to have made available in this way a much-needed tool for practical use and a mass of information which cannot fail to be of value outside of this country.
W. I. Fletcher: The matter of the publication of this handbook was referred to the Publishing Board, but if the plan for its publication by the government is carried out, the Publishing Board understands that will take the publication out of its hands. I move that the executive board be requested to inquire into the matter of the expense incurred by Mr. Teggart, and provide for meeting it, if this is found possible. Voted.
The secretary read the by-laws to the constitution, prepared by special committee and adopted by the Council, as follows:
§1. The annual dues of the Association shall be $2 for individuals and $5 for libraries and other institutions, payable in advance in January. Members who are one year in arrears shall, after proper notification by the treasurer, be dropped from the roll of membership.
§2. Nine members shall constitute a quorum of the Council for the transaction of routine business, but no sections of the Association shall be established and no recommendations relating to library matters shall be promulgated at any meeting at which there are less than 17 members present. The records of the Council, so far as of general interest, shall be printed with the Proceedings of the Association.
§3. In case of a vacancy in any office, except that of president, the Executive Board may designate some person to discharge the duties of the same pro tempore.
§4. No person shall be president, first or second vice-president, or councillor of the Association for two consecutive terms.
§5. The president and secretary, with one other member appointed by the executive board, shall constitute a program committee, which shall, under the supervision of the executive board, arrange the program for each annual meeting and designate persons to prepare papers, open discussions, etc., and shall decide whether any paper which may be offered shall be accepted or rejected, and if accepted, whether it shall be read entire, by abstract or by title. It shall recommend to the executive board printing accepted papers entire, or to such extent as may be considered desirable.
§6. The executive board shall appoint annually a committee of five on library training, which shall investigate the whole subject of library schools and courses of study, and report the results of its investigations, with its recommendations.
§7. The executive board shall appoint annually a committee of three on library administration, to consider and report improvements in any department of library economy, and make recommendations looking to harmony, uniformity, and co-operation, with a view to economical administration.
§8. The executive board shall at each annual meeting of the Association appoint a committee of three on resolutions, which shall prepare and report to the Association suitable resolutions of acknowledgments and thanks. To this committee shall be referred all such resolutions offered in meetings of the Association.
§9. The objects of sections which may be established by the Council under the provisions of section 17 of the constitution, shall be discussion, comparison of views, etc., upon subjects of interest to the members. No authority is granted any section to incur expense on the account of the Association or to commit the Association by any declaration of policy. A member of the Association eligible under the rules of the section may become a member thereof by registering his or her name with the secretary of the section.
§10. Provisions shall be made by the executive board for sessions of the various sections at annual meetings of the Association, and the programs for the same shall be prepared by the officers of sections in consultation with the program committee. Sessions of sections shall be open to any member of the Association, but no person may vote in any section unless registered as a member of the same. The registered members of each section shall, at the final session of each annual meeting, choose a chairman and secretary, to serve until the close of the next annual meeting.
Dr. J. K. Hosmer reported for the committee on
Dr. Hosmer: The committee to whom this matter was referred thought it best to prepare, instead of a formal preamble and resolution, a minute to be entered upon the Proceedings of the convention. That received the approval of the Council. The minute is as follows:
"The news having reached us of the untimely death of John Fiske, once our professional associate, we, the American Library Association, desire to make record of our profound grief at the departure of a writer who was a dominant force in American literature, and to express our sense that in this passing of a great thinker, historian, and spiritual leader, our land and our time have sustained irreparable loss."
President Carr: This minute will be spread upon the record of the Proceedings, having taken the regular course.