"The College and Reference Section, at its recent meeting, appointed the undersigned, a committee to prepare and report to the council the draft of a request with reference to an annual list of American dissertations for the degree of doctor of philosophy or science. We would, therefore, respectfully ask that the approval of the Council be given to the plan outlined herein, viz:
"To send to such institutions of learning in the United States and Canada as confer the degree of doctor of philosophy or science, after residence and examination, the following circular letter:
"To the President and Faculty of ——,
"Gentlemen: The College and Reference Section of the American Library Association, with the approval of the Council of such Association, respectfully requests that your institution publish in its annual catalog, or corresponding publication, a list of the dissertations accepted from persons who have been granted the degree of doctor of philosophy or science during the preceding academic year, and a supplementary list of all dissertations printed since the publication of the last annual catalog. This list should contain the following particulars: The full name and year of graduation of the author; the full title of the dissertation; the year of imprint, and, if a reprint, the title, volume, and pagination of the publication from which it was reprinted.
"We also request your institution to require a title-page for each dissertation, giving, in addition to the full name of author and title of dissertation, the year in which the degree was conferred, and in which the dissertation was printed, and, if a reprint, the title, volume and pagination of the publication where it was first printed.
"A compliance with these requests will be a most valuable service to the college and reference libraries of the country."
The section further instructed us to suggest to the Council the desirability of the compilation and publication of a complete list of such dissertations to July, 1900.
| Bernard C. Steiner Walter M. Smith Clement W. Andrews | } | Committee. |
It was Voted, That the circular letter prepared by the Committee of the College and Reference Section be approved, and that the executive board authorize the necessary slight expense of printing and postage required;
That a committee of the College and Reference Section be appointed to secure the publication of the list of dissertations referred to without expense to the A. L. A.
Prosecution of book thieves. Communications were read from C. K. Bolton, recommending that the Council appropriate, when necessary, from the income of the Endowment Fund, money to be used in the detection or prosecution of book thieves. It was pointed out that "a few men systematically rob libraries, particularly in small poor towns that happen to have some rare books. To gather evidence and rid us of these men requires money, and seems very properly to come within our field of work." No action was taken on the subject.
Minute on John Fiske. The memorial minute on John Fiske, prepared by the special committee, consisting of J. K. Hosmer, George Iles and R. G. Thwaites, was submitted to the Council and recommended for presentation to the Association, to be spread upon the records. (See Proceedings, p. 130.)
TRANSACTIONS OF THE EXECUTIVE BOARD.