New York State Library 89th ANNUAL REPORT 1906 VOLUME 1 (No Pictures)
TRANSMITTED TO THE LEGISLATURE APRIL 29, 1907
ALBANY : NEW YORK STATE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT, 1907
REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR 1906
To the Regents of the University and the Commissioner of Education of the State of New York
I have the honor to submit the following report on the work of the New York State Library for the fiscal year ending September 30, 1906. The present Director came into office January 1, 1906, and his administration therefore covers only the last nine months of the fiscal year. This report also summarizes the work of the Library School and the Division of Educational Extension, though their full reports are published separately. The work of the Division of Educational Extension, however, was not under the supervision of the Director of the State Library during the period covered by this report.
Summary
Important facts about the State Library, Library School and Educational Extension are summarized below. Fuller details may be found on later pages.
Total number of volumes, September 30, 1906 417,804
“pamphlets " about 136,789
“manuscripts " about 265,000
Books added to collections during the year 22m103
Books bound during the year 6 170
Books lent from general, medical and law libraries. 32,460
Library for the Blind 6,936
Books sent out from traveling libraries 34,528
Applicants to whom traveling libraries were sent 660
Active study clubs 635
Students in Library School 44
Employees on staff 89
Appropriations $136 488 . .
Expenditures
Salaries $73,269 42
Books, pictures, serials and binding. ... 29,480 43
Grants to libraries 27,000 18 $129,750 03
Public libraries in New York State
Number of libraries inspected during the year 363
Total number of chartered or registered libraries . . . 395
Total number of libraries reporting (including school and college libraries) 1 266
Number of free lending libraries reporting 678
Volumes in " 3 645 662
Circulation of " 13 835 639
Number of libraries receiving cash grants 298
New library buildings occupied during the year. … 14
New Education Building
Chapter 678 of the laws of 1906, relating to the erection of a new State Education building, reads as follows :
An act providing for the acquisition of a site and for the erection of a State Education Building, providing for the State Library, State Museum, and making an appropriation therefor.
Became a law, May 31, 1906, with the approval of the Governor.
Passed, by a two thirds vote.
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
§ 1 The trustees of public buildings are hereby empowered to determine upon a suitable site near the Capitol for a building for the use of the State Education Department, including the State Library, the State Museum of Natural History, and to acquire the same either by condemnation under the power of eminent domain through proceedings instituted by the Attorney General, or by negotiation and agreement with the present owner or owners as to the just value thereof, and also to proceed to the erection of a suitable building thereon for the purposes provided herein.
§ 2 The State Architect under the direction of the trustees of public buildings, a member of the Board of Regents of the University of the State of New York to be selected by the Board, and the Commissioner of Education, shall prepare floor plans of the building showing in a general way the present requirements of the various departments to be housed therein and so designed as to permit of future additions thereto and providing accommodations for the officers and employees of the Education Department with suitable accommodations for the safe and proper care of the collections of every description belonging to the State Library and the State Museum, suitable rooms for the Board of Regents as well as for an assembly hall.
§ 3 When such plans as provided for in section 2 shall have been prepared the trustees of public buildings shall give notice by advertisement in at least two and not more than five daily newspapers published in the State that the furnishing of designs, plans and specifications for the construction of such building, which shall be of modern fireproof construction and not to cost in the aggregate more than three million, five hundred thousand dollars, and intended to meet the requirements as indicated in section 2, is open to public competition. Said trustees shall make such rules and regulations governing such competition as in their judgment are necessary.
§ 4 The trustees of public buildings, the designated member of the Board of Regents of the University of the State of New York, the Commissioner of Education and the State Architect shall constitute a board to which all plans shall be submitted. No plan shall bear the name or any distinguishing mark of the architect but shall be accompanied with a sealed envelope containing the name and post-office address of the architect. Plans and sealed envelopes so received shall be numbered in duplicate and in the numerical order in which they are received. The said board shall examine all plans submitted to them and shall select therefrom their first, second and third choice and so designate by number. When such selection is made the envelope number corresponding to the number of the plans shall be opened and the board shall notify the designer that he has been awarded first, second or third place as the case might be. The plans so selected shall be the absolute property of the State.
§ 5 When such plans and specifications have been made and approved as herein provided, the trustees of public buildings shall advertise in not less than five nor more than ten daily newspapers of the State for tenders from contractors and builders setting forth the terms upon which they will undertake the erection of said building according to said plans and specifications. Said tenders shall be accompanied by such guaranty bond or cash deposit as shall be required by said trustees of public buildings and shall satisfy said trustees that the person, firm, or corporation proposing to erect the whole or some part of said building will enter into contract and complete the work proposed to be done according to the terms of the propositions presented. Said trustees may, in their discretion, call for tenders upon the erection of the whole of -said building by one contracting party, or for the performance of different parts of the work by different parties.
§ 6 The said trustees of public buildings shall, on or before January fifteenth, nineteen hundred and seven, transmit to the Legislature all plans, specifications and bids for the construction of said building together with such recommendations in the premises as they see fit to make in relation to the construction of said building.
§ 7 The sum of four hundred thousand dollars is hereby appropriated out of any moneys in the treasury not otherwise appropriated, for the purchase of the site for said Education Building and for any expenses incidental thereto and also for the awards to be made by said board under the provisions of section 4. which amount shall not exceed in the aggregate twenty thousand dollars or for any other expenses approved by the Governor. The money shall be paid by the Treasurer upon the warrant of the Comptroller upon the certificate of approval by the Governor.
§ 8 This act shall take effect immediately.
Acting under the authority and directions of this act the Trustees of Public Buildings have determined upon the two blocks in the city of Albany bounded by Washington avenue, Hawk, Elk and Swan streets, with the exception of so much of the more northern block as is occupied by the State heating station and the Cathedral of All Saints, as a suitable site for the State Education Building.
A printed outline of the requirements for the first architectural competition was published August 30, 1906. From this competition, which closes November 30, 1906, ten architects will be selected for the final competition.
Accession section
The work of this section comprises the ordering and accessioning of books and the care of gifts, serials, exchanges, duplicates and binding.
Growth of the library 1902-1906
On September 30, 1906 the library contained 417,804 volumes, an increase of 22,103 volumes during the year. The general library contained 253,369 volumes, the Law Library 78,567 volumes, the Library School collection 2,308 volumes, the Library for the Blind 1,685 volumes and the traveling libraries 81,875 volumes. There was also a duplicate collection of 170,822 volumes.
The above figures are taken from the last entries in the accession books at the close of the year, as has been the custom in this library. Heretofore no deductions have been made for lost books, worn out volumes, and other books withdrawn from the collections. These withdrawals are roughly estimated at 6,000 volumes, but no accurate figures can be given since no systematic record of withdrawals has been kept. Withdrawal books should be opened, a careful count of the volumes on the shelves should be made, and shelf lists in some form provided for the unshelflisted portions of the library in order that a complete inventory may be taken periodically. A more accurate statement of the number of volumes in the library will be given in the next report.
Appendix 1 on page 38 shows the number of books, pamphlets and other additions received during the year and the sources from which they came. The number of volumes added in each class is shown in Appendix 2 on page 39.
Growth of special collections. The following table shows the present number of. volumes in a few important subjects and the growth during the past two years.
Important additions. The following is a list of 13 of the most important works added to the general library during the year, the price of none of them being less than $50 and together (exclusive of The Bishop Collection) representing a total value of nearly $2,000. For important additions to the Law Library see page 28.
Ayrshire and Galloway archaeological association. Publications. 18 vol.
Beitrage zur pathologischen Anatomie und zur allgemeinen Pathologic vol. 1, 3, 5-28 and sup. vol. 1-3. 1886-1900 (Completes State Library set.)
Bibliorvm ss. Graecorvm codex vaticanvs 1209 (cod. B). pt 1, vol. 2, p. 395-944
Bishop. Bishop collection ; investigations and studies in jade. 2 vol.
Buel. Louisiana and the fair. 10 vol.
Deutsches Archiv fur klinische Medizin. vol. 1-78. 1866-1903 (Completes State Library set.)
Dioscorides. Dioscurides ; codex Aniciae Iulianae. 2 vol.
Hulbert. Crown collection of photographs of American maps. vol. 2
Journal of anatomy and physiology, vol. 1-8, 10-15, 29, and index to vol. 1-20. 1867-95
New York (province) — Militia. Returns, 1745-60. 39 mss
Nothnagel. Encyclopedia of practical medicine, vol. 1-11
Parker. Legends etc. concerning the Iroquois Indians [manuscript] . 7 instalments
Practitioner, vol. 1-7, 18—55. 1868-95 (Completes State Library set.)
Gifts. The total number of gifts received during the year included 7,765 volumes, 56,680 pamphlets, 129 maps and 2,676 miscellaneous items. In addition to the above, 2,455 of the volumes bound were serials that had been given to the library. A few of the larger gifts received are listed in the following table.
History and genealogy. The history collection, at the end of the year, contained 61,941 volumes, of which 1,863 had been added since the last report. These totals cover ancient and modern, general and local history, travel, genealogy and heraldry. There were 4,553 volumes of United States general history, 5,503 of United States local history and 5,432 volumes of genealogy. Of those on United States local history 1,039 related to New York,
The American history collection, especially local history and genealogy, is perhaps the most notable single collection in the general library. The present book fund, however, does not permit of extensive purchases in this line and the library is forced to depend largely on the generosity of authors and publishers. Many valuable additions have been received from these sources.
Manuscript section
Van Rensselaer Bowier mss. The translation of the van Rensselaer Bowier papers has been completed and the greater part revised, but much work still remains to be done to insure the accuracy of detail so important in the publication of historical sources. These papers abound in legal terms, obsolete weights and measures and allusions to trade regulations, the explanation of which requires much time and study.
Rensselaerswyck mss. In the hope of finding the originals of letters and papers sent by the first patroon, drafts of letters written from the colony or supplementary material throwing light on obscure points in the Bowier manuscripts, considerable time was given to the examination of the Rensselaerswyck papers in the Albany county clerk's office. While very little material was found which had immediate value for the above purpose, the examination has led to the transfer to the State Library of the following books and documents. With the exception of a number of account books, some bundles of receipts and a few packages of land papers which remain in the county clerk's office, they constitute all that could be found of the early papers of the colony of Rensselaerswyck.
Books
Debit and credit accounts with colonists, 1634-38. 56f.
Book of monthly wages (Maentgelt Boeck), 1638-44. 70f.
Account of grain furnished by colonists, 1638-43. 8f.
Ordinances, 1639-58. 31p. (Mutilated.)
Record of contracts -and important events in the colony, kept by Antonio de Hooges and entitled JCopije van eenige acten & andere aenmerckelijcke notiticn, 1643-48. 86p.
Proceedings of the court of Rensselaerswyck, 1648-52. 115f.
Leases and contracts, 1648-52. 22p.
Resolution book, entitled Resolutie boeck vande Gecommitteerde der Colon: Rensselaerswyck, 1652-64. 20 (+250 blank) p.
Defence of Brant van Slichtenhorst, 1653. 23p.
Account book of Robbert Vastrick, Jan van Twiller and J. B. van Rensselaer, 1657-8o, 83p,
Copies of letters of Jeremias van Rensselaer, 1657-59. 16p.
Letter book of Jeremias van Rensselaer, 1660-74. 163p.+ 7p. of accounts
Deeds, powers of attorney, etc. 1660-65. 25p.
Minutes of the General Assembly of the Province of New York, 2d session, 8 Sept. 1691-2 Feb. 1692. I5p.
Assessment roll of the manor of Rensselaerswyck, 8 Dec. 1710. 5p.
List of freeholders of the city and county of Albany, 1741. I7p.
Papers
Bundle marked " Manor papers, 1630-72." 62 papers
Contents: Payments and expenditures of Kiliaen van Rensselaer. 1630-32
Translation in E. B. O'Callaghan's History of New Netherland, 1846-48, 1:429-32.
Notice to private traders entitled Insinuatie, Protestatie, ende Presentatie, 8 Sept. 1643
Translation in E. B. O'Callaghan's History of New Netherlands 1846-48, 1:466-67.
Order to restrain Adriaen van der Donck from buying land at Katskill, 10 Sept. 1643
Translation in E. B. O'Callaghan's History of New Netherland, 1846-48, 1:338-40.
Contract with and instructions to Gerrit Swart as schout of the colony, 24 April-8 May 1652
Contract of Jeremias van Rensselaer with Teunis teunisz van loen and Jan van Gouw, masons, concerning the erection of a dwelling, 8 Sept. 1659
Order of Richard Nicolls, 18 Oct. 1664 (Translated into Dutch.)
Letter from the Duke of York to Richard Nicolls, 8 May 1666 (Translated into Dutch.)
Specifications for a house to be erected at Watervliet, 2 Feb. 1668 (23 Jan. 1667 old style)
Catalogue of books sent to the colony (Translation in E. B. O'Callaghan's History of New Netherland, 1846-48, 1:454.)
Lists of cattle, contracts with farm laborers and other miscellaneous papers
Bundle marked " Miscellaneous Papers, 1637-1743." 26 papers
Contents: Contract with Burger Jorissen, 26 May 1637
Sentence of banishment of Adriaen Willemsen, 13 Aug. 1644
Translation in E. B. O'Callaghan's History of New Netherland, 1846-48, 1:320-21.
Account of supplies sold in 1654-55
Account of provisions furnished by Col. Killiaen Van Renslaar towards expedition to Canada, 171 1
Various bills of sale, notes of hand and accounts
Bundle marked " Public Papers, 1641-99." 73 papers
Contents: Papers relating to Pieter Wyncoop's trouble with the authorities at New Amsterdam respecting the cargo of Het Wapen van Rensselaerswyck, 1644
Papers relating to the question of jurisdiction of the colony, 1652
Warrants from the Duke of York to Governors Lovelace and Andros, and other papers relative to the granting of letters patent to the
colony, 1673-78 (Mostly Dutch translations.)
Settlement of the estate of Oloff Steyensen van Cortlandt, 1684,
Bills of lading, 1655-1749. 19 papers
Accounts of the building of the fort at Albany, 1736. 70 papers
Provincial militia. Another notable addition is the following series of returns of provincial militia, 1745-60, purchased in 1903 by John Skinner, an Albany book dealer, as part of the Glen-Sanders collection and bought by the State from Mr Skinner with an appropriation of $500 included in the last supply bill.
1 Return of the first battalion of Albany county militia under command of Col. William Johnson Gives places of the companies and names of the 63 commissioned officers. Date of latest commission, 5 Dec. 1753.
2 " Memorandum of the Men Rais'd out of the first & Second Batt° of the Albany Regiment of Militia in April 1760" Contains names of the 35 captains, number of men in each company and the quota of the company.
3 " Memorandum." n.d. Contains names of 34 captains of Albany county militia with the number of men in their companies.
4 Albany. Capt. John B. Van Rensselaer's troop. 68 names. 28 April 1760
5 Capt. John B. Van Rensselaer's troop. 70 names, n.d.
6 Canajoharie. Gapt. Peter Wagner's [Waggoner's] company. March 1759 Names of the four commissioned officers only.
7 Capt. Willem Warmoot's [Wormwood's] company. 61 names, n.d.
8 Catskill. Capt. Cornelus Dubois' company. 165 names, n.d.
9 Cherry Valley. Capt. John Wells' company. 32 names, n.d.
10 Claverack. Capt. Johannis Van Hoesen's company. 73 names. 26 March 1759
11 Coxsackie. Capt. Jacob Halenbeck's company. 92 names. 2 April 1759
12 Capt. Marten Halenbeck's company. 83 names. 4 April 1759
13 East Camp. Capt. Frederick Kortz' company. 60 names. 26 March 1759
14 German Flatts. Capt. Marcus Petrie's company. 62 names. n.d.
15 Capt. Thomas Schumacker's company, in names, n.d.
16 Kinderhook. Capt. Jacobus Van Alen's company. 119 names. n.d.
17 Kingsborough. Capt. Peter Servos' company. 45 names, 3 April 1759
18 Livingston, Manor of. Capt. Robert Livingston Jun's company. 465 names. 25 April 1760
19 Mohawk. Capt. Peter Conyn's company. 91 names. 24 April 1758
20 Capt. Nicklaes Hansen's company. 115 names. 24 April I758
21 Rensselaerswyck, Manor of. Capt. Abraham Van Arnam's company, yy names, n.d.
22 ( ?) Capt. Mindert Veeder's company. 178 names, n.d.
23 Schaghticoke and Saratoga. Capt. Harmen Knickerbacker's company. 45 names. April 1759
24 Schenectady. Capt. Daniel Camble's [Campbell's] company. 80 names. 14 Feb. 1758
25 Capt. Daniel Camble's company of militia at the alarm, 2 May 1758. 63 names A return of the names of those who were mustered at Canajoharie, those who went part way and those who stayed at home.
26 Capt. Abraham Glen's company. 59 names, n.d.
27 Capt. Alexander Lansing's company. 59 names. 13 Dec. 1745
28 Capt. Alexander Lansing's company. 79 names. June 1754
29 Capt. Alexander Lansing's company, n.d. List of 8 men who deserted (die weg Gelopen Syn) and 7 who remained at home (die thuys Gebleven Syn).
30 Capt. John Sanders' company. 26 names, n.d.
31 Capt. Heelmes [Wilhelmus in New York colonial mss, 70:71] Veeder's company. 61 names. 16 Dec. 1745
32 Schoharie. Capt. Thomas Ackerson's company. 118 names. 30 March 1759
33 Capt. Jacob Sternbergh's company. 78 names. 25 April 1758
34 Capt. Jacob S wart's company. 86 names. 3 July 1757
35 Stone Arabia. "An Acc f of the Commands Done by Capt Suff rienis Deygert of Stone Raby and the militia Company under His Command On Allarms, By orders of Sir Will™ Johnson Barr* Coll? of the militia for the City and County of Albany." Alarms, Feb. 1758 to July 1759 Document dated " Schonectady Sep r 2 : 1761." No names.
36 Capt. Soeff rienis Deygert's company. 1 April [year not given] A return of the number only, names not given.
37 Miscellaneous. " Sundry Waggoners employ'd in Carrying Stores to F* Edward in the Winter 1757." 23 names Also indorsed " List of Jacob Vrooman & Compy for the Artillery Stores."
38 " Lyest Van Dan Naamen." 58 names Neither date nor any indication of the meaning of this list.
39 " List of Schenectady company book of John Sanders." 78 names Apparently a purely mercantile account.
Assembly documents.
From the Clerk of the Assembly 227 volumes of the records of that body were received as follows : Assembly bills; introductory book, 1885, 1887-1900. 15 vol.
2d reading book, 1897-1904. 8 vol. 3d " " 8 vol.
2d and 3d reading book, 1904-5. 2 vol. Summary of procedure of Assembly bills, 1897, 1 899-1 901, 1904. 5 vol.
Index to Assembly bills, 1880, 1882-85, 1887, 1889-94, 1899. 13 vol.
Document room [index to] Assembly bills, 1897-1903, 1905. 8 vol.
Subject index, 1896-99, 1901-3. 7 vol.
Numerical book, index clerk, 1897- 1904. 8 vol.
Members' book, 1886-1900. 15 vol.
Receipt book of bills delivered to Senate, 1897-1905. 9 vol.
Governor's receipt book, 1897-1904. 8 vol.
Record of Assembly bills transmitted to mayors of cities, 1896- 1904. 9 vol.
[Index to] Senate bills, 1900. 1 vol.
Document room [index to] Senate bills, 1897-1903, 1905. 8 vol.
Senate bills; reception book, 1883, 1887-89, 1891-1904. 18 vol.
Senators' book, 1890-1900. 11 vol.
Committee books, 1897- 1904. 66 vol.
Committee clerks' receipt books, 1897, 1903, 1905. 3 vol.
Members' warrants, 1903. 1 vol.
Officers' receipts, 1904. 1 vol.
" warrants, 1905. 1 vol.
Printer's receipt book, 1905. 1 vol.
Express book, n.d. 1 vol.
Miscellaneous additions. Other additions during the year were as follows :
Letter book of John Porteous of the firm of Phyn, Ellice & Porteous [of Albany?]. 250 P.F. Detroit 1769-75
Account of the state of the weather, 1830-35. 94p.F.
Order book and letter book kept at headquarters of the 72d regiment of infantry, N. Y. state volunteers (3d reg't, Excelsior brigade), 1861-64. 2 vol.F. (Given by Henri LeF. Brown, secretary 72d regiment, New York volunteers.)
Cornish, Rev. y M. History of the Old Stone Qiurch, Coeymans Patent, Albany Co. N. Y. 2op.Q. Written in 1883. Zeisberger, David & Sensemann, Gottlob. Journey to Onondaga and Cajuga, Oct. 1766. 32f.sq.O.
This and the following journal translated by A. H. Leibert from manuscripts in the Moravian archives at Bethlehem, Pa.
Zeisberger, David & Indian brethren Anton, Johannes, Abraham & Jacob. Account of the message to the Chief in Cajuga, 30 April 1766. 19 f.sq.O.
Papers relating to the transfer to Caleb Brown of Martin Shier's interest in Lispenard Patent, Otsego Co. N. Y. through George Stanton and George Robson, attorneys for Martin Shier, of Halifax, N. S. 1 797-181 2.
5 papers (Given by Dr William Austin Macy.)
Memoir of Col. William Silliman, 26th reg't, U. S. C. T., 1837-64. 139p.sq.O. (Written by his mother.)
Medical Library
The additions to the Medical Library numbered 1,167 volumes, making the total number of volumes at the close of the year 16,340. The collection also contained about 7,750 pamphlets and received regularly 543 serial publications.
Dr Richard M. Pearce, director of the Bender Hygienic Laboratory, has been added to the Medical Library council, which now includes Doctors Albert Vander Veer, Samuel B. Ward, Henry Hun, George E. Gorham, Arthur W. Elting and Richard M. Pearce.
Realizing that the strength of a medical library is in its periodicals, it has been the policy of the council to devote the small sum left from the appropriation, after paying for subscriptions to current serials and for binding, to completing the sets of periodicals, buying only such new books as seemed absolutely necessary. During the year the following sets have been completed.
Association of American physicians. Transactions
Beitrage zur pathologischen Anatomie und zur allgemeinen Pathologie
Charite-annalen
Deutsche medizinische Wochenschrift
Deutsches Archiv fur klinische Medizin
Fortschritte der Medizin
Monatsschrift fur Geburtshiilfe und Gynakologie
Practitioner
A large number of important sets are still incomplete and must continue so until the appropriation is increased.
Copies of the new catalogue of medical periodicals issued during the year were sent to the secretaries of all the county medical societies in the State.
Legislative reference section
The library now contains 50,435 volumes classed in sociology, 2,918. volumes having been added during the year.
Indexes. The revision of the card index covering the legisla- tion of the states from 1890 to date was completed during the year and it is now of the greatest help in legislative reference work. It indexes the general laws of all the states for a period of 16 years and contains references to 52,760 separate enactments.
An index to important recent books on public affairs was begun during the year. .It is made chiefly of printed cards from the Library of Congress and is arranged according to the classification used in the annual Index of Legislation. It will prove a valuable supplement to the existing files and indexes of material relating to state legislation and administration.
Reference lists. Legislative reference lists were published during the year on Corrupt Practices, Life Insurance and Direct
Nominations. Similar lists on current legislative problems are being issued in other states. . Several of the state libraries have recently established distinct legislative reference departments. Owing to the mutual cooperation and assistance of these departments every increase in their number adds to the usefulness and efficiency of those already established.
Law Library
Mr Frank B. Gilbert, who entered upon his duties as law librarian January 1, 1906, submits the following report:
The number of volumes in the Law Library September 30, 1906 was 78,567, showing an increase during the year of 2,789, of which 1,899 were acquired by gift or exchange and 890 by purchase. 2,290 were continuations of sets already on the shelves.
The Law Library owes the completeness and value of its collections largely to the industry and rare judgment of Mr Stephen B. Griswold, who served as law librarian for over 36 years. The administrative methods in vogue in the library were for the most part the result of his ripened experience. The staff of assistants remains the same and the routine work of the Law Library has been continued upon substantially the same lines as before. A few changes have been made and others are under consideration, but it has been deemed advisable to act upon them only after careful thought.
Mr Griswold's long administration has resulted in practically completing the collections for which the Law Library is specially used. It may be considered advisable to make new collections along other lines and to specialize in new fields, but these should be secondary to the more important duty of keeping existing collections up to date.
Availability and use. The Law Library serves the legislative and administrative departments of the State government, the judges of the courts and the lawyers practising therein. The Legislature and those interested in its proceedings may properly seek here for material pertaining to statutory law in all its phases. It is therefore desirable to supplement the work of the legislative reference section by making easily available the session laws of all the states and countries and the compilations, treatises and discussions bearing upon the construction, preparation and effect of legislative action, in every jurisdiction.
It is the purpose of the librarian to comply with the reasonable requests of State officers in respect to the use of law books. All the facilities of the Law Library are placed at their disposal and they are aided in their researches as much as possible. Suggestions are invited from State officers as to law books which will aid them in the performance of their duties.
This library contains a number of collections not found in other law libraries. Perhaps the most important of these are the cases and briefs of counsel in the Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court. The collection of cases in the Court of Appeals is complete, beginning with the first sitting of that court in 1847. The Supreme Court cases include the cases and. briefs of counsel used in arguments in the general term and appellate division of. the Supreme Court from the year 1874. These two collections are of inestimable value because it is practically impossible to duplicate them. By communication with the several bar associations throughout the State, and in other ways, the library has indicated its desire to place these collections at the disposal of practising attorneys. It is often possible to extract from the cases the part desired by attorneys and under certain conditions volumes are lent from the library to be used in open court.
Removal of legislative documents and rearrangement. For a number of years reports of State departments to the Legislature and other legislative documents were accumulated in the Law Library, and the staff had for one of its duties the supervising of the exchange system. Many thousands of documents were sent annually from the Law Library to state and foreign libraries. During the past year all of this work except the sending of law publications to law libraries has been transferred to another section. This transfer made it possible to remove a great mass of duplicate documents to the storehouse, which gives increased shelf space for the law collection. Because of the former crowded condition of the library many series of reports and statutes were badly located and disconnected in arrangement. During the past year all of the collections have been rearranged upon the shelves, resulting in a more logical and convenient classification and a pronounced improvement in administration, although the room for growth is still limited.
Cooperation in legislative reference work. One of the primary purposes of the Law Library is efficient legislative service. For this reason every possible aid has been given to the work of Dr Whitten in the legislative reference section. A large part of the work of this section pertains directly to the law. With a view to increasing the efficiency of this section and of rendering even more available to the Legislature the resources of the Law Library, a room has been specially equipped with New York session laws, statutes, reports and legislative documents for the use of members of the Legislature and those interested in legislation. It is proposed to maintain this room as an adjunct to the legislative reference section.
Rooms and furniture. The business of the Law Library and the law cataloguing had been done for a number of years in room 36. This room was ill adapted for the purpose, and the desks of the law librarian and law cataloguer were moved into room 39A. As a result it is possible to provide for the ever increasing number of law students without hindrance to attorneys and others having a better right to the facilities of the Law Library. The change has also proved convenient from the administrative point of view.
20 sections of metal shelving have been placed in room 39A to provide for the increase in the law reports of the several states; 8 sections of such shelving were also placed in room 38 2 for the special sets of New York law reports and statutes to be used by the legislative reference section. A new card catalogue cabinet of 60 trays has been added, giving ample space for the rapid growth of the subject catalogue.
Purchase of law reports, textbooks and statutes. The number of law publications has materially increased during recent years. The books required to maintain existing collections are increasing in number from year to year with a correspondingly heavy drain upon the library's financial resources. A liberal policy of exchange has helped to keep up the official court reports of the several states. Publishers are constantly adding special series of selected cases on particular subjects, many of them valuable, but all of them of such a character that this library can not afford to be without them. There has been of course the same regular increase in the so called textbook law, some of which has little, except local, value, and need not be considered.
Court-made law, i. e. reported opinions of judges, however published, must be given place on the shelves. The usefulness of a modern law library depends upon its resources in this department. Digests, cyclopedias, textbooks and annotations point the way to the reported cases. Lawyers and judges, public officers and departments may surround themselves with extensive collections of law material of special value to them in their respective fields, but few if any private collections contain all the reported cases. They properly expect this library to supplement what they have ; they should find here the case referred to in digest, cyclopedia or textbook. During the past year the collections of law reports have been enlarged by adding continuations and new series and by supplying omissions when possible to obtain them. A number of volumes of English and Irish law cases were purchased, including Duncan's Mercantile Reports (1885-1886) 2 vol.; Real Property and Conveyancing Cases (1843-1848) 2 vol.; Fawcett's Referee Cases (1865) 1 vol. ; and Dillon & Kehoe's Irish Land Cases, 1 vol. A few other English and Irish reports were on the list for purchase, but either could not be found or were held at excessively high prices.
It was deemed advisable to extend the scope of the collection of English textbook law. Nearly 100 English treatises have therefore been added, bearing upon subjects of practical importance to the legal profession or the State Legislature. The English and Colonial statute law has extended more rapidly into the domain of the common law than has the statute law of this country. There is less reluctance there to codify the common law, and consequently many of the important English, Canadian and Australian textbooks are based upon the statute law. They show the legislative trend and indicate possible fields for legislation in this country. Many of these books should be on the shelves, some of them in all editions.
In addition to the books already referred to, special mention should be made of the following additions to the Law Library during the past year :
Ceylon — Supreme Court. New law reports. 7 vol. Colombo 1896-1904
Georgia — General convention, 1833. Journal. 1 vol. Milledgeville 1833
Great Britain — Parliament. Public , general statutes affecting Scotland, 1 707-1900. 57 vol. Edin. 1848-1900
New Brunswick — General Assembly. Acts, [i786]-i84i. 2 vol. Fredericton 1838-41
Publications and printing
There were printed during the year 47 books, bulletins and hand-books, 109 blank forms (not including stationery) and 35 circulars, a total of 191 different issues. The annual list of more important publications printed during the year is given in Appendix 4 on page 40. The five legislative bulletins in the Yearbook for 1906, and the reports of the Library School and the Division of Educational Extension are included with the following bulletins as supplements to this report.
Bibliography bulletins. The Best Books of 1905, issued as Bibliography bulletin number 40, completes the third volume in this series and follows the plan of earlier years in being limited to 250 titles chosen with reference to the needs of the smaller public libraries of the State. Selections of 20, 50 and 100 titles are indicated to aid libraries of varying resources. For convenience of reference the books are arranged under 23 subject divisions with an author index added. Each title is fully annotated, the note often including a comparison with other good books dealing with the same subject. This bulletin is sent free to all the public libraries in the State, and is in large demand outside.
Bibliography bulletin number 41 is a Reading List on Florence, compiled by Mr Everett Robbins Perry and submitted as a condition for graduation in the Library School. The 200 and more references are classified under history, government and society, description, art, painting, sculpture and architecture, literature, fiction and poetry. An index to authors and subjects of biographies makes reference to a particular book easy. Critical and descriptive notes increase its usefulness, either for the individual reader or for a club desiring a selection of the best books and articles. The list is of particular value as a guide to Florentine art.
Library School bulletins. Library School bulletin number 21, published in March 1906, covers the puzzling and important question of United States Government Documents. The text of this bulletin is practically that of the alumni lectures given to the Library School in 1905 by James Ingersoll Wyer, Jr, now vice director of the Library School, but librarian of Nebraska University at the time these lectures were given. The subject is considered very fully under five main headings: production and nature, acquisition, arrangement and classification, cataloguing, and use, with one appendix outlining the practice work that should be required of a class and another giving a bibliography of the subject. The need for such a manual has been fully proved by the requests for it from library schools, training classes and library workers, and the edition of 2,000 copies is almost exhausted. Favorable reviews of this bulletin were published in the Library Journal and the Dial for May 1906.
Indexes. 35 printed indexes were prepared, including 8 for the State Library, 2 for the Division of Educational Extension, 14 for the State Museum and 11 for other divisions of the Education Department. Aside from these, the card index to the Journal of Regents Meetings was kept to date and a card index to the Official Action of Regents was made, including material not found in the Regents Minutes.
Finances
Appendix 9 on page 46 is a general financial statement showing balances on hand at the beginning of the year, receipts from appropriations, expenditures in various accounts, and balances remaining at the close of the year. The total expenditures amounted to $129,750.03, of which $73,269.42 was for salaries, $29,480.43 for books, pictures, serials and binding, and $27,000.18 for grants to libraries.
This does not include temporary services, transportation charges, printing, office expenses and care of rooms, since these items are included in a general appropriation for the Education Department.
Staff
There were 63 members of the staff in the State Library proper, 5 in the Library School and 21 in the Division of Educational Extension, a total of 89.
Of this staff, 32 had received previous library training or experience, 35 had taken one or more courses in the Library School since they were appointed on the staff and 22 had received no professional library training.
This library was represented by 3 staff members at the bi-state meeting of librarians, held at Atlantic City, X. J. March 9-10, 1906; also by 18 at the conference of the American Library Association at Narragansett Pier, R. I. June 29 to July 6, 1906; and by 12 at the meeting of the New York Library Association at Twilight Park in the Catskills, September 24-29 1906. 4 members of the staff also took part in library round tables held throughout the State in April, May and June 1906.
Library School
The full report of the Library School for 1906 is printed separately as usual, and only a brief summary is given here. The following table shows in a general way the original place of residence of the students attending in 1905 and 1906, and of all students from the beginning of the school. It also shows the number and general location of the positions filled by the students.
Summer school. No session of the summer school was held in 1906. A summer session of six weeks is planned for 1907 covering subjects specially helpful to workers in small libraries in New York State, to whom instruction is free.
Requests for information about a correspondence course in library work are frequently received at this library. There is no correspondence course in connection with the New York State Library School.
Library for the Blind
Growth. During the year 308 volumes were added to the Library for the Blind. On September 30, 1906 the collection contained 1,685 volumes in five different types as follows:
Gifts and exchanges. The following table shows the number of gifts received during the year, most of them from blind readers.
Memoir of Col. William Silliman, 26th reg't, U. S. C. T., 1837-64. 139p.sq.O. (Written by his mother.)
Medical Library
The additions to the Medical Library numbered 1,167 volumes, making the total number of volumes at the close of the year 16,340. The collection also contained about 7,750 pamphlets and received regularly 543 serial publications.
Dr Richard M. Pearce, director of the Bender Hygienic Laboratory, has been added to the Medical Library council, which now includes Doctors Albert Vander Veer, Samuel B. Ward, Henry Hun, George E. Gorham, Arthur W. Elting and Richard M. Pearce.
Realizing that the strength of a medical library is in its periodicals, it has been the policy of the council to devote the small sum left from the appropriation, after paying for subscriptions to current serials and for binding, to completing the sets of periodicals, buying only such new books as seemed absolutely necessary. During the year the following sets have been completed.
Association of American physicians. Transactions
Beitrage zur pathologischen Anatomie und zur allgemeinen Pathologie
Charite-annalen
Deutsche medizinische Wochenschrift
Deutsches Archiv fur klinische Medizin
Fortschritte der Medizin
Monatsschrift fur Geburtshiilfe und Gynakologie
Practitioner
A large number of important sets are still incomplete and must continue so until the appropriation is increased.
Copies of the new catalogue of medical periodicals issued during the year were sent to the secretaries of all the county medical societies in the State.
Legislative reference section
The library now contains 50,435 volumes classed in sociology, 2,918. volumes having been added during the year.
Indexes. The revision of the card index covering the legisla- tion of the states from 1890 to date was completed during the year and it is now of the greatest help in legislative reference work. It indexes the general laws of all the states for a period of 16 years and contains references to 52,760 separate enactments.
An index to important recent books on public affairs was begun during the year. .It is made chiefly of printed cards from the Library of Congress and is arranged according to the classification used in the annual Index of Legislation. It will prove a valuable supplement to the existing files and indexes of material relating to state legislation and administration.
Reference lists. Legislative reference lists were published during the year on Corrupt Practices, Life Insurance and Direct
Nominations. Similar lists on current legislative problems are being issued in other states. . Several of the state libraries have recently established distinct legislative reference departments. Owing to the mutual cooperation and assistance of these departments every increase in their number adds to the usefulness and efficiency of those already established.
Law Library
Mr Frank B. Gilbert, who entered upon his duties as law librarian January 1, 1906, submits the following report:
The number of volumes in the Law Library September 30, 1906 was 78,567, showing an increase during the year of 2,789, of which 1,899 were acquired by gift or exchange and 890 by purchase. 2,290 were continuations of sets already on the shelves.
The Law Library owes the completeness and value of its collections largely to the industry and rare judgment of Mr Stephen B. Griswold, who served as law librarian for over 36 years. The administrative methods in vogue in the library were for the most part the result of his ripened experience. The staff of assistants remains the same and the routine work of the Law Library has been continued upon substantially the same lines as before. A few changes have been made and others are under consideration, but it has been deemed advisable to act upon them only after careful thought.
Mr Griswold's long administration has resulted in practically completing the collections for which the Law Library is specially used. It may be considered advisable to make new collections along other lines and to specialize in new fields, but these should be secondary to the more important duty of keeping existing collections up to date.
Availability and use. The Law Library serves the legislative and administrative departments of the State government, the judges of the courts and the lawyers practising therein. The Legislature and those interested in its proceedings may properly seek here for material pertaining to statutory law in all its phases. It is therefore desirable to supplement the work of the legislative reference section by making easily available the session laws of all the states and countries and the compilations, treatises and discussions bearing upon the construction, preparation and effect of legislative action, in every jurisdiction.
It is the purpose of the librarian to comply with the reasonable requests of State officers in respect to the use of law books. All the facilities of the Law Library are placed at their disposal and they are aided in their researches as much as possible. Suggestions are invited from State officers as to law books which will aid them in the performance of their duties.
This library contains a number of collections not found in other law libraries. Perhaps the most important of these are the cases and briefs of counsel in the Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court. The collection of cases in the Court of Appeals is complete, beginning with the first sitting of that court in 1847. The Supreme Court cases include the cases and. briefs of counsel used in arguments in the general term and appellate division of. the Supreme Court from the year 1874. These two collections are of inestimable value because it is practically impossible to duplicate them. By communication with the several bar associations throughout the State, and in other ways, the library has indicated its desire to place these collections at the disposal of practising attorneys. It is often possible to extract from the cases the part desired by attorneys and under certain conditions volumes are lent from the library to be used in open court.
Removal of legislative documents and rearrangement. For a number of years reports of State departments to the Legislature and other legislative documents were accumulated in the Law Library, and the staff had for one of its duties the supervising of the exchange system. Many thousands of documents were sent annually from the Law Library to state and foreign libraries. During the past year all of this work except the sending of law publications to law libraries has been transferred to another section. This transfer made it possible to remove a great mass of duplicate documents to the storehouse, which gives increased shelf space for the law collection. Because of the former crowded condition of the library many series of reports and statutes were badly located and disconnected in arrangement. During the past year all of the collections have been rearranged upon the shelves, resulting in a more logical and convenient classification and a pronounced improvement in administration, although the room for growth is still limited.
Cooperation in legislative reference work. One of the primary purposes of the Law Library is efficient legislative service. For this reason every possible aid has been given to the work of Dr Whitten in the legislative reference section. A large part of the work of this section pertains directly to the law. With a view to increasing the efficiency of this section and of rendering even more available to the Legislature the resources of the Law Library, a room has been specially equipped with New York session laws, statutes, reports and legislative documents for the use of members of the Legislature and those interested in legislation. It is proposed to maintain this room as an adjunct to the legislative reference section.
Rooms and furniture. The business of the Law Library and the law cataloguing had been done for a number of years in room 36. This room was ill adapted for the purpose, and the desks of the law librarian and law cataloguer were moved into room 39A. As a result it is possible to provide for the ever increasing number of law students without hindrance to attorneys and others having a better right to the facilities of the Law Library. The change has also proved convenient from the administrative point of view.
20 sections of metal shelving have been placed in room 39A to provide for the increase in the law reports of the several states; 8 sections of such shelving were also placed in room 38 2 for the special sets of New York law reports and statutes to be used by the legislative reference section. A new card catalogue cabinet of 60 trays has been added, giving ample space for the rapid growth of the subject catalogue.
Purchase of law reports, textbooks and statutes. The number of law publications has materially increased during recent years. The books required to maintain existing collections are increasing in number from year to year with a correspondingly heavy drain upon the library's financial resources. A liberal policy of exchange has helped to keep up the official court reports of the several states. Publishers are constantly adding special series of selected cases on particular subjects, many of them valuable, but all of them of such a character that this library can not afford to be without them. There has been of course the same regular increase in the so called textbook law, some of which has little, except local, value, and need not be considered.
Court-made law, i. e. reported opinions of judges, however published, must be given place on the shelves. The usefulness of a modern law library depends upon its resources in this department. Digests, cyclopedias, textbooks and annotations point the way to the reported cases. Lawyers and judges, public officers and departments may surround themselves with extensive collections of law material of special value to them in their respective fields, but few if any private collections contain all the reported cases. They properly expect this library to supplement what they have ; they should find here the case referred to in digest, cyclopedia or textbook. During the past year the collections of law reports have been enlarged by adding continuations and new series and by supplying omissions when possible to obtain them. A number of volumes of English and Irish law cases were purchased, including Duncan's Mercantile Reports (1885-1886) 2 vol.; Real Property and Conveyancing Cases (1843-1848) 2 vol.; Fawcett's Referee Cases (1865) 1 vol. ; and Dillon & Kehoe's Irish Land Cases, 1 vol. A few other English and Irish reports were on the list for purchase, but either could not be found or were held at excessively high prices.
It was deemed advisable to extend the scope of the collection of English textbook law. Nearly 100 English treatises have therefore been added, bearing upon subjects of practical importance to the legal profession or the State Legislature. The English and Colonial statute law has extended more rapidly into the domain of the common law than has the statute law of this country. There is less reluctance there to codify the common law, and consequently many of the important English, Canadian and Australian textbooks are based upon the statute law. They show the legislative trend and indicate possible fields for legislation in this country. Many of these books should be on the shelves, some of them in all editions.
In addition to the books already referred to, special mention should be made of the following additions to the Law Library during the past year :
Ceylon — Supreme Court. New law reports. 7 vol. Colombo 1896-1904
Georgia — General convention, 1833. Journal. 1 vol. Milledgeville 1833
Great Britain — Parliament. Public , general statutes affecting Scotland, 1 707-1900. 57 vol. Edin. 1848-1900
New Brunswick — General Assembly. Acts, [i786]-i84i. 2 vol. Fredericton 1838-41
Publications and printing
There were printed during the year 47 books, bulletins and hand-books, 109 blank forms (not including stationery) and 35 circulars, a total of 191 different issues. The annual list of more important publications printed during the year is given in Appendix 4 on page 40. The five legislative bulletins in the Yearbook for 1906, and the reports of the Library School and the Division of Educational Extension are included with the following bulletins as supplements to this report.
Bibliography bulletins. The Best Books of 1905, issued as Bibliography bulletin number 40, completes the third volume in this series and follows the plan of earlier years in being limited to 250 titles chosen with reference to the needs of the smaller public libraries of the State. Selections of 20, 50 and 100 titles are indicated to aid libraries of varying resources. For convenience of reference the books are arranged under 23 subject divisions with an author index added. Each title is fully annotated, the note often including a comparison with other good books dealing with the same subject. This bulletin is sent free to all the public libraries in the State, and is in large demand outside.
Bibliography bulletin number 41 is a Reading List on Florence, compiled by Mr Everett Robbins Perry and submitted as a condition for graduation in the Library School. The 200 and more references are classified under history, government and society, description, art, painting, sculpture and architecture, literature, fiction and poetry. An index to authors and subjects of biographies makes reference to a particular book easy. Critical and descriptive notes increase its usefulness, either for the individual reader or for a club desiring a selection of the best books and articles. The list is of particular value as a guide to Florentine art.
Library School bulletins. Library School bulletin number 21, published in March 1906, covers the puzzling and important question of United States Government Documents. The text of this bulletin is practically that of the alumni lectures given to the Library School in 1905 by James Ingersoll Wyer, Jr, now vice director of the Library School, but librarian of Nebraska University at the time these lectures were given. The subject is considered very fully under five main headings: production and nature, acquisition, arrangement and classification, cataloguing, and use, with one appendix outlining the practice work that should be required of a class and another giving a bibliography of the subject. The need for such a manual has been fully proved by the requests for it from library schools, training classes and library workers, and the edition of 2,000 copies is almost exhausted. Favorable reviews of this bulletin were published in the Library Journal and the Dial for May 1906.
Indexes. 35 printed indexes were prepared, including 8 for the State Library, 2 for the Division of Educational Extension, 14 for the State Museum and 11 for other divisions of the Education Department. Aside from these, the card index to the Journal of Regents Meetings was kept to date and a card index to the Official Action of Regents was made, including material not found in the Regents Minutes.
Finances
Appendix 9 on page 46 is a general financial statement showing balances on hand at the beginning of the year, receipts from appropriations, expenditures in various accounts, and balances remaining at the close of the year. The total expenditures amounted to $129,750.03, of which $73,269.42 was for salaries, $29,480.43 for books, pictures, serials and binding, and $27,000.18 for grants to libraries.
This does not include temporary services, transportation charges, printing, office expenses and care of rooms, since these items are included in a general appropriation for the Education Department.
Staff
There were 63 members of the staff in the State Library proper, 5 in the Library School and 21 in the Division of Educational Extension, a total of 89.
Of this staff, 32 had received previous library training or experience, 35 had taken one or more courses in the Library School since they were appointed on the staff and 22 had received no professional library training.
This library was represented by 3 staff members at the bi-state meeting of librarians, held at Atlantic City, X. J. March 9-10, 1906; also by 18 at the conference of the American Library Association at Narragansett Pier, R. I. June 29 to July 6, 1906; and by 12 at the meeting of the New York Library Association at Twilight Park in the Catskills, September 24-29 1906. 4 members of the staff also took part in library round tables held throughout the State in April, May and June 1906.
Library School
The full report of the Library School for 1906 is printed separately as usual, and only a brief summary is given here. The following table shows in a general way the original place of residence of the students attending in 1905 and 1906, and of all students from the beginning of the school. It also shows the number and general location of the positions filled by the students.
Summer school. No session of the summer school was held in 1906. A summer session of six weeks is planned for 1907 covering subjects specially helpful to workers in small libraries in New York State, to whom instruction is free.
Requests for information about a correspondence course in library work are frequently received at this library. There is no correspondence course in connection with the New York State Library School.
Library for the Blind
Growth. During the year 308 volumes were added to the Library for the Blind. On September 30, 1906 the collection contained 1,685 volumes in five different types as follows:
Gifts and exchanges. The following table shows the number of gifts received during the year, most of them from blind readers.
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