Comments on: Reference Question of the Week - 5/4/08 http://www.swissarmylibrarian.net/2008/05/10/reference-question-of-the-week-5408 or, The Hitchhiker's Guide to Fear and Loathing at a Public Library Reference Desk Thu, 28 Aug 2008 23:59:40 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Brian Herzog http://www.swissarmylibrarian.net/2008/05/10/reference-question-of-the-week-5408#comment-50020 Brian Herzog Wed, 21 May 2008 00:25:18 +0000 http://www.swissarmylibrarian.net/2008/05/10/reference-question-of-the-week-5408#comment-50020 I'm not sure how many libraries this student contacted, but it looks like sh does serious research. @Connie: I like the idea of putting these archives on display - I'm going remember that on our next anniversary. I’m not sure how many libraries this student contacted, but it looks like sh does serious research.

@Connie: I like the idea of putting these archives on display - I’m going remember that on our next anniversary.

]]> By: Connie Harrison http://www.swissarmylibrarian.net/2008/05/10/reference-question-of-the-week-5408#comment-50015 Connie Harrison Tue, 20 May 2008 16:18:35 +0000 http://www.swissarmylibrarian.net/2008/05/10/reference-question-of-the-week-5408#comment-50015 We, too, received the same request. We have the original accession books from 1833 when the library was founded. They are in remarkably good shape and the handwriting in them is wonderful. We found 20 items by Clements added to the collection during his lifetime. If you did the math from the 1833 date, we are celebrating the library's 125th birthday this year. Among the things that will be displayed (in a locked glass case) will be a couple of the old accession books. We, too, received the same request. We have the original accession books from 1833 when the library was founded. They are in remarkably good shape and the handwriting in them is wonderful. We found 20 items by Clements added to the collection during his lifetime. If you did the math from the 1833 date, we are celebrating the library’s 125th birthday this year. Among the things that will be displayed (in a locked glass case) will be a couple of the old accession books.

]]> By: Martha Patten http://www.swissarmylibrarian.net/2008/05/10/reference-question-of-the-week-5408#comment-49984 Martha Patten Wed, 14 May 2008 17:50:47 +0000 http://www.swissarmylibrarian.net/2008/05/10/reference-question-of-the-week-5408#comment-49984 Oh, that's interesting - I work in Carlisle and we received the same inquiry here. We have a printed catalogue of the library's collection as of 1896, when the current building first opened. The books were listed alphabetically by title within each class (similar to the sections in yours) - the only Twain title I found was <em>Life on the Mississippi</em>, classified under "Humorous" with only a handful of other books. There were some children's books listed with the regular fiction, but the town report for that year mentions that, with the opening of the new building, the librarians discarded some books that weren't worth keeping, while "many of a childish nature, hardly worth cataloguing, but too good to be thrown away" were kept on a shelf where "children have the pleasure of reading them." It was definitely fun looking at the records, though (in 1896, the library was open 2 hours a week, on Saturdays, with a limit of 3 books per family; anyone who was disorderly one week could be banned for the following week.) Oh, that’s interesting - I work in Carlisle and we received the same inquiry here.

We have a printed catalogue of the library’s collection as of 1896, when the current building first opened. The books were listed alphabetically by title within each class (similar to the sections in yours) - the only Twain title I found was Life on the Mississippi, classified under “Humorous” with only a handful of other books.

There were some children’s books listed with the regular fiction, but the town report for that year mentions that, with the opening of the new building, the librarians discarded some books that weren’t worth keeping, while “many of a childish nature, hardly worth cataloguing, but too good to be thrown away” were kept on a shelf where “children have the pleasure of reading them.”

It was definitely fun looking at the records, though (in 1896, the library was open 2 hours a week, on Saturdays, with a limit of 3 books per family; anyone who was disorderly one week could be banned for the following week.)

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