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About The Hesperian / (Lincoln, Neb.) 1885-1899 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 10, 1894)
THE HESPERIAN. book. On one of these cards will be found considerable useful information about the book, its size, paging, date of publication, etc. The cards arc arranged alphabetically, under author's surnames, all the letters in a name or word being considered if necessary. "Ballades" comes before "Ballads,""Abbott, Edwin," before "Abbott, Jacob," etc., and under each author his separate works are arranged alphabetically by their titles. In order to find a book on the shelves after finding it in the catalog, the class and book number on the upper left hand corner in blue ink should be noted. The book will be found, if in its proper place, under the shelf bearing the first three or more figures of the class number, that is the number containing the decimal point. Upon the shelves the books are properly arranged alphabetically accord ing to the letters on the back. These few facts kept in mind will enable one to find a book very readily. And doubtless many have discovered that it is quite useless to look for any book bearing the class number goo among the literature books, or for any bearing any other numbers than 100-200 in the philosophy corner. A few facts like this noted and con-noted will not only enable one to use the library easily but may convince him that the machine he is handling is very neat ly and firmly constructed. The subject catalog is built up similarly, only here, the books are grouped alphabetical ly according to subjects. The cards contain the same information as to the books. The main subjects are divided into many sub divisions, and one may have to do a little brain work himself in using this to think what subdivision a book will appear under. The guide cards also show many cross refer ences, so that one who is looking up a sub ject thoroughly can find all the material in the library bearing on the topic, so far as the material is cataloged. On certain subjects the catalog is com plete to date. American hiatory, Literature, Philosophy, Historical Biography, and Sociology are some of the subjects on which the catalog is of most lelp at present. The work is perhaps a littlo over half done, for the old part of the library. When one con siders that every book requires from two to six cards, that some, treating of many sub jects require more, the magnitude of the work becomes evident. Miss Robbins tells us of one book in another library, a collection of sermons of different preachers, which re quired fifty cards. This was unusual, but is an illustration of the new library idea, which requires that all possible helps should be given a reader for finding information on any subject. The librarian and her assistants wish es pecially that the students would not be afraid to ask questions. They are willing to give assistance at any time, and are anxious to see the students learn to use the library with ease and dispatch. Flora Bullock. The Final Local Debate., gOjHE "attendance at the debate Satur rQ day evening indicated that we are recovering from the financial depress ion consequent upon the demonstration in the gymnasium the other morning. The debate upon the question, "Resolved: "That Canada should be annexed to the Unit ed States" was opened by Mr. Sherman, up on the affirmative. Mr. Sherman argued that Nature had never intended the Great Lakes to be the sole property of the United States, and that the two nations suited to one another in race and language should share their re spective blessings in common. Mr. Clint Barr replied that the time when a nation could conquer a people and call them citizens was no more, and emphasized the danger of sacrificing American love of freedom, for land. Mr. E. O. Barr pointed out the influence of geography upon history and declared that the United States must follow out the destiny fixed by Nature and the destiny of mankind. Mr. Skiles showed the danger in a further complication of the immigration question and in the addition of eight new states with sixteen senators who might hold the balance of power. Mr. Weaver replied that instead of intro- J m-i m m 11 1 )o