Ex Libris. Paris : American Library in Paris, 1923-[1925]
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Ex libris. Paris : American Library in Paris, 1923-[1925] https://hdl.handle.net/2027/mdp.39015078848903 Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives http://www.hathitrust.org/access_use#cc-by-nc-nd-4.0 This work is protected by copyright law (which includes certain exceptions to the rights of the copyright holder that users may make, such as fair use where applicable under U.S. law), but made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives license. You must attribute this work in the manner specified by the author or licensor (but not in any way that suggests that they endorse you or your use of the work). Only verbatim copies of this work may be made, distributed, displayed, and performed, not derivative works based upon it. Copies that are made may only be used for non-commercial purposes. Please check the terms of the specific Creative Commons license as indicated at the item level. For details, see the full license deed at http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0. - DEC 1 3 °m SEPTEMBER 1923 Volume 1 Number 3 Price : 2 Franca Library Prop-ess in France W. DAWSON JOHNSTON The Jarves Collection Book Reviews Book Notes Current Magazines AMERICAN LIBRARY IN PARIS * iO RUE DE LELYSEE ,/ THE LECPRERAM has MOVED to LARGER PREMISES 3 41 RUE DES BORNES Phone : Roquette : 36-87 THE TRIBUNE IS THE ONLY NEWSPAPER IN EUROPE EDITED BY AMERICANS AND IT HAS BY FAR THE LARGEST CIRCULATION AMONG AMERICANS Practically every American in Europe reads the TRIBUNE regularly, as do many British residents and travellers on the continent. Its success is due to the quality and interest of its news and features, among the most important of which is the MONDAY BOOK PAGE including "Notes on New Books", edited by Dr. W. DAWSON JOHNSTON, Director of the American Library in Paris. DAILY NEWSlMSfNEW YORK / 5, Rue Lamartine / <*• PARIS // . Bureau : 1, Rue Scribe Information / ? tf^vr Subscribe to secure all copies. / & «•*'*> SUBSCRIPTION RATES • oV" 7 *& France Foreign Ss &r / / ' Twelve Months. 75 Irs. 125 frs. ... / j^, ^ Six Monthi 40 ft.. 65 fr.. /j& V&* Three Monthi 20 fr.. 33 fr.. /ft IT 6 0« M«tJi 7 fr,. 12 fr.. Xc^ /" Vif * >/ Descriptive leaflets of EX LIBRIS advertisers may be obtained at Its Information Bureau, rez-de-chauuie, 10 rue de VElysie. The (Balunmm Library 224, Rue de Rivoli Oldest English and American bookstore on the continent Have always largest selection of the best current literature. Scarce and out of print books sought and reported free of charge. AUTOMOBILES 12 &c 18 HP • 154 = AVENUE = DES CHAMPS ELYSÉE S = o* PAR I £> = La voiture construite avec la même precision *' que la célèbre mitrailleuse. l'Arme de la Victoire. Descriptive leaflets of EX LIBRIS advertisers may be obtained at its Information Bureau, rez-de-chaussée, 10 rue de l'Elysée. Volume I ^X SEPTEMBER Number 3 LIBRIS _ 1923 — Library Progress in France W. DAWSON JOHNSTON. Litt. D. Author of the "History of the Library of Congress, 1800-1865", "Special Collections In the Libraries of the United States" former secretary of the Bibliographical Society of America, European Representative of the American Library Association. average citizen of France, like the Library of the League, and argue that the appro average citizen of the United States, priation for the former should be made equal to THEknows very little about public libraries. that for. the latter. Probably as much can be But unlike the latter, he makes no use of them, said for increasing the expenditures for the former and as he knows nothing of them, is unwilling to as for decreasing the expenditures for the latter, spend anything for them, at least anything more and perhaps more. There is as much difference than he is already spending. in the expenditures necessary for different libra ries as there is in the expenditures necessary for LIBRARY NIHILISM different individuals. This attitude is well illustrated by the report This negative attitude on the part of men of on the budget of the League of Nations, recently affairs toward public libraries does not, it is true, them, made to the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the lead them to do away with their library character; Chamber of Deputies. The salary roll of the nihilism is of an academic they are Library of the League, this report said, includes satisfied to leave them impotent. Their needs as a Librarian at 24,000 gold francs, an assistant individuals are in some cases met by private cases, however, librarian at 15,900, two typists at 9,580, eleven libraries. In the majority of assistants at 10,500, two copyists at 7,000, one their needs are not felt. at 4,325, two messengers at 1,900; a total of twenty persons, and this, it added, for a library LIBRARY CONSERVATISM was contrast to this, which just starting. In it Those who believe in library progress may be went on to observe, is the library of the Arsenal, divided into two classes, those to whom the 1755, 800,000 established in which has printed development of libraries means primarily addi books, 20,000 manuscripts and engravings, and tions to their resources, and those to whom i' 20,000 is visited by readers a year, and has a means first and foremost, the promotion of their staff consisting of a librarian, an assistant librar use. ian, and thirteen assistants, whose salaries are The best traditions of French librarians, their very different from those in the Library of the interest in rare and beautiful books, and in the League ; the author of the report spares us the sad service of scholars, are well represented by the details, but leads us to infer that they are not discussions in the Association des Bibliothecaires only lower but very very much lower. Francais, and by its publications. In addition to The only criticism which could equal this in its Bulletin, containing the more important papers simplicity would be to compare the expenditure presented at its meetings, it has published the of the Library of the Arsenal with that of the rules for cataloguing observed in the principal 67 libraries of Paris, and the program of examina one recommending the enactment of a law similar tions for admission to the service of the libraries to the Czechoslovak library law of 1919, and the of the state, of the university, and of the city. Belgian library law of 1921. The membership of the organization consists Notable features of the Congress were the largely of the librarians of Paris and its neigh exhibitions of medieval manuscripts, illustrated borhood, but two national meetings have been books, and book bindings. The most impressive held under its auspices, one in 1917 and another of these was the exhibit installed in the Pavilion in 1921, and an international congress was con de Marsan at the Louvre, devoted to books it, vened by in co-operation with the Societe des printed before I860; the second, displayed at the Amis de la Bibliotheque Nationale et des Galerie Demotte, consisted of books subsequent a ; Grandes Bibliotheques de France, on April 3 to to that date third, at the Petit Palais, consisted 9 of this year. of choice specimens from the Duthuit collection ; and a fourth, at the Conservatoire National de The President of the Association, who was Musique, was devoted to early French music and President of the Congress, as he had been Secre musical literature. tary of the International Congresses of 1 900 and The accompanying illustrations will give some 1910, was M. Henry Martin, director of the idea of the extraordinary character of these Bibliotheque de i Arsenal, editor of "Le Boc- exhibits.* cace de Jean sans Pew", and author of "La Miniature Francaise du XIII* au XV0 Steele". About five hundred delegates attended the meetings of the Congress including bibliogra phical or diplomatic representatives of Great Britain, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, Spain, Esthonia, Finland, Latvia, Poland, Roumania, Czecho-Slovakia, the United States, Bolivia, Costa-Rica, Nicaragua, Peru, and Venezuela. In addition to the general sessions of the Con gress, which were largely of formal character, there were sectional devoted to meetings (1) administration, the use libraries, library (2) of and (3) the history of printing. the different in Of sixty-five papers presented M. Ernest Coyecque the meetings of sections and (2), the majority (I) Still more substantial evidence of the im related to library progress in the various countries portance of the library in France at the present or in individual libraries represented at the Con is time to be found in such measures of reorganiz gress, or to the collection of books and the com ation as that effected by the decrees of the pilation of the bibliographical tools needed to Minister of Public Instruction dated Septem a facilitate their use by scholars, but few related ber 8, uniting to the Bibliotheque Nationale, the also to the popularization of the library and its * Theie illustrations are published here by couttesy of Illustration, which relation to national education ; and of the thirty 4 1 od April 7 and published two articles on the Congress by its secretary M F. Mazerolle. Conatroattur de la Blbllothique de la a resolutions by the passed Congress, number Monnale. There are two good articles on the Congress, by M. 2 in and 16. second the related to the Clavie the Revue Bleue. June The includes latter subject. Among these was texts of the more important resolutions passed by the Congress. 68 Bibliotheque de V Arsenal, the Bibliotheque prepared under the auspices of the Faculty of Mazarine, and the Bibliotheque Sainte-Gene- Law of the University of Paris, in collaboration cieve, in the establishment of the Bibliotheque with the Office de Legislation Etrangere (Minis de la Guerre, and in the efforts which have been tere de la Justice), Bureau de Statistique et de made to compile catalogues of the collections Legislation Comparee (Ministere des Finances), available in the more important libraries of the Ministere du Commerce, Chambre des Deputes, city.