The third report of the present secretary and the fourth since the establishment of a headquarters office is here submitted to the association. The material conditions of headquarters are practically identical with those reported a year ago; we are still the recipients of the generosity of the board of directors of the Chicago public library, the large room furnished free by them being more and more appreciated as we compare our commodious quarters with those greatly inferior where a rent is charged which would be prohibitive to the funds of the A. L. A. For the continued courtesy and unfailing kindness of the librarian of the Chicago public library and his able staff I cannot find adequate words. It is unquestionably a decided advantage for the executive office of the A. L. A. to be in close proximity to a large reference collection and to a competent corps of library experts. In these respects we are fortunate not only in the Chicago public library, but also in the John Crerar and Newberry libraries which so admirably supplement each other in forming reference facilities of a high order.

The routine work of the year has much of it so closely resembled in kind that of last year that the secretary feels it unnecessary to rehearse it again in detail, but respectfully refers inquiry on this point to his report at the Ottawa conference. In quantity it is rapidly increasing; there are more letters to write; there is more proof to read; more personal calls from librarians and others as the establishment of the office becomes known; there are more arrangements to be made for the many-sided interests of the Association. The Publishing Board's work is likewise increasing, and with the removal of the Booklist office from Madison to Chicago headquarters, which will be made in the near future, additional duties will devolve on the general office, even though that periodical has its own special staff. These things, however, are as we desire they should be and we are pleased to see indications that the funds of the Association are going to permit the enlargement of the work as this is found advisable.

The Office as an Information Bureau—In no way is this growth quite so noticeable as in the increased correspondence through which the executive office is used as an information bureau on library economy. For a time after the establishment of the office this correspondence was naturally almost entirely with librarians. The letters of the past year, however, have shown that our existence is becoming known to others. We are being told the problems of the library committees of women's clubs; of manufacturers who wish to get their workmen interested in a business library; of business men who are thinking of establishing such a library; of young men and women who are considering librarianship as a vocation and do not know the proper steps to take to get the necessary training and experience; and of publishers and of booksellers who are referring various matters to our office. These things in addition to the steady daily stream of correspondence with librarians in every state of the union. Last year we recorded that our actual correspondence averaged 67 letters a day for a period covering several months. It has been considerably greater the past year. This includes, of course, all correspondence relative to publications, membership matters, and business routine. Several months ago the secretary printed 10,000 little leaflets mentioning some of the ways in which the A. L. A. can assist in library informational lines. About half of these have been distributed, mainly in channels outside of regular library work and among those who perhaps had not previously learned of headquarters and of our publications.

Membership—Last year it was the privilege of the secretary to report that the membership was larger than ever before in the history of the Association. We are now glad to be able to say that there is a substantial increase in membership over last year. In January, the secretary mailed with the annual membership bills an appeal to members to help again this year as they did last in securing new members. This appeal has been very effectual; many have been instrumental in securing one or more new members and the secretary desires here to thank all those who have so kindly assisted in this campaign. During the late winter and early spring many personal letters were written to librarians and library boards asking them to have their libraries become institutional members of the A. L. A., and many have responded favorably. Several hundred personal letters were also addressed to those who had recently, according to the news columns in the library periodicals, changed their positions, presumably for the better financially.

When the last handbook was printed, in October, 1912, there were 2,365 members of the A. L. A. Since then to June 1st, 1913, 192 new individual members and 40 new institutional members have joined, a total of 232. On the other hand, the association has lost 11 members by death, 35 have resigned, and judging by the experience of previous years about 160 members will probably fail this year to renew their membership and will consequently be dropped from the rolls. It is likely that enough new members will join at the Kaaterskill Conference to offset in numbers those whose membership lapses and that the net membership in the 1913 handbook will probably be about 2,550 or a gain of about 185 over 1912.

The income from membership dues is in consequence steadily increasing. For the calendar year 1911 the total amount from this source was $5,325.46 (including exchange on checks); in 1912, $6,236.18; and for 1913 we hope the total amount will not be far short of $7,000.

Publicity—The usual methods to secure as much publicity as possible have been followed. The library periodicals have, of course, been kept informed of what the office was doing that would interest the library public. We have sent news notes from time to time to the Dial, Nation, New York Times Review of Books, Bookman, Education Review, American City, and other magazines, and to about 180 of the prominent newspapers of the country. Several articles regarding the conference were given to the Associated Press, and to news syndicates. Before the Ottawa Conference, the Associated Press sent to all their subscribers a multi-graphed portion of the president's address. The Association needs more money for this publicity work and more time should be spent on it than the secretary has been able to spend. Its results at present are far from satisfactory and we hope that with growth of income a more systematic publicity department can be organized, perhaps modelled somewhat after the excellent methods employed by Prof. J. W. Searson, who conducts the publicity work of the National Education Association.

Registration for library position—The executive office has from its inception been something of a free employment bureau for librarians and library assistants, who for proper and sufficient reasons desire to change their positions. This year the work has been somewhat more systematized by the use of a printed registration blank, which is sent on request to any member of the association. The questions asked on this blank are as follows:

Forty-two librarians have thus far registered on these blanks and five or six of these have been helped to new positions. The secretary has helped in the filling of some fifteen library positions aside from those using the registration blank.

If, however, the service to those seeking positions, and to those seeking capable librarians and assistants is to be as important and far-reaching as we wish to make it, the office must have knowledge of vacancies as well as of persons wanting positions. Library boards and librarians are cordially invited to correspond with the secretary when in need of library workers.

Library Plans—During the year a number of valuable additions have been made to our collection of architects' plans of library buildings. We want more, particularly good plans of buildings costing from $25,000 to $75,000, as these are most in demand. Will librarians and boards who have recently acquired new buildings bear our needs in mind? These plans have from the beginning proved useful, and if a fair number of the latest type of plans could be added the collection would be increasingly useful and used.

Library Pension Systems—During the year the secretary has been making efforts to collect information about pension systems in operation in libraries or plans being made for pensions. No great progress has been made, due perhaps to the fact that not many libraries are as yet contemplating a pension system. The secretary will be glad to receive information from any librarian or board who has not yet written him on this subject.

A. L. A. Representatives at State Meetings—President Legler was the official representative at the Ohio meeting, Newark, October 21-24; at the Illinois-Missouri joint meeting, St. Louis, October 24-26; and South Dakota conference, Mitchell, November 25-27. He also addressed the Long Island Library Club on the work of the A. L. A. on October 17th.

Mr. T. W. Koch, member of the Executive Board, was the official representative to the Indiana state meeting, Terre Haute, October 17-19.

Dr. Arthur E. Bostwick, ex-president of the A. L. A., represented the Association at the North Dakota conference, Mayville, October 1-2; Minnesota meeting, Faribault, October 2-4; and Iowa meeting at Nevada, October 8-10.

Secretary Utley represented the A. L. A. at the Illinois-Missouri meeting, St. Louis, October 24-26; Oklahoma meeting, Muskogee, May 14-15; and was present unofficially at Niagara Falls, "New York library week," September 23-28. The secretary has also lectured before the New York state library school, the Training school for children's librarians of the Pittsburgh Carnegie library, and the University of Illinois library school.

Necrology. The Association has lost by death eleven members since the conference of a year ago. The list includes an ex-president of the A. L. A., and one of the most prominent librarians of the country; a business man who had for years taken a deep interest in library progress; an eminent churchman who has for many years maintained his connection with the national association; the librarian of a large university; the librarian of a well known public library; and several others who at their several posts have faithfully performed their duties and rendered their contributions to the work in which they were engaged.

The list follows:

Clarence W. Ayer, librarian of the Cambridge (Mass.) public library, died April 12, 1913. He was previously connected with Western Reserve University, but had been engaged in library work in Massachusetts for a number of years. He had been a member of the A. L. A. since 1900 (No. 1984) and had attended four conferences.

Dr. John Shaw Billings, director of the New York public library, died March 11, 1913. Successful as an army surgeon during the war between the states, he later assumed charge of the Surgeon-General's library and brought it to recognition as one of the most celebrated medical libraries in the world, and compiled an index catalog that has taken a place among the permanent monuments of bibliography. Coming to New York in 1895, he began the stupendous work of bringing the various libraries of that city under one great system, releasing funds tied by legal complications, and superintending the erection of a central building costing nearly ten millions of dollars. These tasks he lived to accomplish and they remain as his lasting monument. He was president of the A. L. A. for the year 1901-02, and presided at its Magnolia conference. He joined the association in 1881 (No. 404) and attended six of its conferences. See Public Libraries, 18: 148-9; Library Journal, 38, 212-14.

Bertha Coit, assistant in the New York public library, died July 22, 1912. She joined the Association in 1904 (No. 3167), and attended the conferences of 1904 and 1907.

Right Rev. William Croswell Doane, Bishop of Albany, and for many years vice-chancellor of the University of the State of New York, died May 16, 1913. He joined the A. L. A. in 1893 (No. 1125) and although he attended none of the conferences had steadily maintained his interest in library work and retained his membership in the Association.

Jennie S. Irwin, first assistant in the Mt. Vernon (N. Y.) public library, died Nov. 8, 1912. She joined the Association in 1902 (No. 2437) and attended the conferences of 1906 and 1908.

Walter Kendall Jewett, librarian of the University of Nebraska, since 1906, died March 3, 1913. He was previously librarian of the medical department of the John Crerar library, and had been notably successful in his library work. He joined the Association in 1904 (No. 3109) and attended four conferences.

Charles A. Larson, editor of publications of the Chicago public library, died August 19, 1912. He had been connected with the Chicago library for many years and was highly valued. His able work in the reference department will be long remembered. He joined the Association in 1901 (No. 2373) and after lapsing membership rejoined in 1910. He attended the Mackinac conference.

Rev. William Ladd Ropes, librarian-emeritus of the Andover Theological Seminary, at Andover, Massachusetts, died December 24, 1912. He was well known to the librarians of an earlier generation. He joined the A. L. A. in 1877 (No. 106) and attended three A. L. A. conferences, and the London international conference of 1877.

Charles Carroll Soule, of Boston, long identified with the book publishing business and interested in library work, died Jan. 7, 1913. He was trustee of the Brookline (Mass.) public library from 1889-1899, member of the A. L. A. Publishing Board from 1890-1908, second vice-president of the A. L. A. in 1890; and a member of the Council 1893-96 and 1900-05. Mr. Soule was an expert on library planning, having written a book, and numerous articles on this subject. A pamphlet on "Library rooms and buildings" was issued by the A. L. A. Publishing Board as one of its tracts. He joined the A. L. A. in 1879 (No. 216) and had attended 18 conferences. No librarian was better known to librarians than this interested layman. See Library Journal, 38:89; Public Libraries, 18:57.

Nelson Taylor, bookseller of New York, of the firm of Baker & Taylor, died June 26, 1912. He had been a member of the A. L. A. since 1906 (No. 3531).

Bertha S. Wildman, secretary to the librarian of the Carnegie library of Pittsburgh and a member of the faculty of the Training school for children's librarians, died February 19, 1913. She was a graduate of Pratt Institute library school and previous to her connection with the Pittsburgh library had been the organizer and first librarian of the Madison (N. J.) public library. She joined the A. L. A. in 1900 (No. 1945) and attended four conferences.

GEORGE B. UTLEY,
Secretary.

AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION