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ONE or two questions raised by the writer of “Letters on our Affairs” this month are of some urgency. The first, the physical condition of books, is one that is long over‐due for full discussion with a view to complete revision of our method. The increased book fund of post‐war years, and the unexpected success of the twopenny library, have brought us to the point when we should concentrate upon beautiful and clean editions of good books, and encourage the public to use them. “Euripides” is quite right in his contention that there is too much dependence upon the outcasts of the circulating library for replenishing the stocks of public lending libraries. We say this gravely and advisedly. Many librarians depend almost entirely upon the off‐scourings of commercial libraries for their fiction. The result, of course, is contempt of that stock from all readers who are not without knowledge of books. It is the business of the public library now to scrap all books that are stained, unpleasant to the sight, in bad print, and otherwise unattractive. Of old, it was necessary for us to work hard, and by careful conservation of sometimes quite dirty books, in order to get enough books to serve our readers. To‐day this is no longer the case, except in quite backward areas. The average well‐supported public library—and there are many now in that category—should aim at a reduction of stock to proportions which are really useful, which are good and which are ultimately attractive if not beautiful. The time has arrived when a dirty book, or a poorly printed book, or a book which has no artistic appeal, should be regarded as a reproach to the library preserving it.

In many relatively small industrial firms—and sometimes even in larger concerns—there comes a time when the boss looks round at the motley collection of books, periodicals, pamphlets, catalogues, etc., which have accumulated more or less haphazardly in various corners and other situations in his office, and says to himself, usually after he has failed to find some particular item of information which he knows is somewhere in the collection, ‘I think I'll put somebody on to looking after this stuff’. He then sends for his typist and says to her, ‘Miss Smith, I want you to look after all the books we have, and all those journals and pamphlets and things that keep coming in’. And so another small special library is born.

Before I get on with the business for which I am here this morning, there is one preliminary that I would like to voice. That is that any opinions I may express with regard to editorial or technical‐writing conventions—for I believe it is impossible completely to separate the tasks of the writer and the editor—are my own, and may not necessarily be reflected in the guides or house styles of any particular technical‐publishing organization to which I am, or have been, attached. Indeed, some of the concepts to which I hope to draw attention may be reflected nowhere else at all, at least in print, and if in the ensuing discussion I be roasted for some seeming heresy I thus may not be able to quote chapter and verse for my salvation.

Aarhus Kommunes Biblioteker (Teknisk Bibliotek), Ingerslevs Plads 7, Aarhus, Denmark. Representative: V. NEDERGAARD PEDERSEN (Librarian).

Sir Raymond Streat, C.B.E., Director of The Cotton Board, Manchester, accompanied by Lady Streat. A Vice‐President: F. C. Francis, M.A., F.S.A., Keeper of the Department of Printed Books, British Museum. Honorary Treasurer: J.E.Wright. Honorary Secretary: Mrs. J. Lancaster‐Jones, B.Sc., Science Librarian, British Council. Chairman of Council: Miss Barbara Kyle, Research Worker, Social Sciences Documentation. Director: Leslie Wilson, M.A.

REPORTS that reach us do not bear out the assertion we have heard rather frequently of late that the issues from libraries are declining. There is no evidence that this is so with non‐municipal libraries and the circulation from county public libraries grows, it would seem, almost phenomenally; it is even doubtful if they are as yet anywhere near their full possibilities. The centenary announcements brought correspondence in at least one London Sunday newspaper deploring the lack of library facilities in at least three districts, all of them we understand in a county's area. Where, as here appears to be the case, there are such deficiencies, it might be considered if the Library Association could make direct representations of the need to the authorities concerned and not wait until a new Libraries Act has produced the inspection and direction that seem to be wanted. Our charter gives us definite duties—or such are implied—to promote better service. We do not think they have been followed in the way of “direct approach.” In spite of our propaganda, there are still many places where what is good library service is not known or not understood, where those with power might do something if they did know and understand. A candid picture of their shortcomings in comparison with towns or counties, definitely indicated to them, might induce them to overcome them; for the one thing a council member does not like is to learn that his own services are poor compared with those of similar places.

OUR readers need no apology from us for the attention given to Library Training in these pages. The amount of dissatisfaction with the present state of affairs, if it may be judged from the gossip and letters that reach us, is of some proportions. It is not to be supposed that complaints are necessarily justified. They may be made in the natural chagrin of disappointment by candidates who have failed. Alternatively, there may be reasons which have a disinterested origin. The record of passes and failures shows that in December there was a dêbacle in candidates in the subject of cataloguing, which at least merits thought. In earlier issues it has been suggested by our writers that examinations twice yearly encourage experiments in sitting. There has also been the suggestion that librarians place too much stress on qualifications for their juniors and urge them to struggle with subjects for which they cannot be ready. To pass in cataloguing a student must be able to catalogue anything from a novel to an academic thesis in Anglo‐Norman French on Phlogiston, supposing that to be possible!

FROM 5th to 8th October, 1951, Aslib was fortunate in holding its Annual Conference again at Ashorne Hill, near Leamington Spa, and our thanks are due for the third time to Colonel and Mrs. J. H. Alexander and their staff for the excellence of the catering and domestic arrangements. The weather also co‐operated and sunshine displayed all the autumn beauties of the garden and countryside.

Although this profile will attempt to look at various of the activities of this many‐sided man, our first concern will be with his years at Westminster. McColvin was appointed city librarian there in 1938 when he was 42 years of age. For this signally important position he had been well‐grounded. His early years in librarianship had been spent at Croydon under the much respected W. C. Berwick Sayers. After that, his public library experience had been considerably widened by his being successively deputy librarian of Wigan, chief librarian of Ipswich, and chief librarian of Hampstead.

OUR readers are sure to find the New Year, which we hope will be a prosperous one for them and for librarianship,an interesting one in many ways. From the standpoint of the Library Association it will see the attractive experiment of an Annual Conference which for the first time is to be held in June. Margate, the venue of this, can be spartan in that month; on the other hand, she can be delightful, and the crystal, bracing air of the town, unequalled anywhere in our isles, and the long days, which should be sunny, ought to send librarians back invigorated to the common work of libraries. The objection that June cannot be combined with late summer holidays, that it cuts across school and university terms, and so on, is sound enough, but the advantages seem to be equally clear. At any rate we hope that Margate will be a bumper conference.