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Indexing Local Newspapers

Indexing Local Newspapers image Indexing Local Newspapers image Indexing Local Newspapers image
Parent Issue
Day
27
Month
December
Year
1895
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

The following paper waa read at the fifth annual meeting of the Miehigan Library Asscciatiou.held atKalamazoo, by Mr. B. A. Finney, assistant librarían of the University of Miehigan : Indexing, whioh has become a scienoe j at the same time with the development of library soience, may be called the great labor-saver of research. There are those who object to labor - savers, to be snro, especially in some of the manual industries. Their objections have been met by the necessities of pro! gress, and by their own beiterment as a ! part oí' the general welfare. I Even in the scholar's field are to be found some who object to the use of improved machinery. A distinguished college president once remarked in the Univevsity of Miehigan library, that he tbojght the student would be better off without a subject catalogue. It seemed to iiim that subject indexes took away i'rom the student a oertain incentive to research, fettered bis spirit of investigation, and even lessened hia ability to look up a subject for himself. To do that. truly, is valuable discipline, but the opportunity for it can hardly be said to be growing less. The feld of science. and perhaps. especially of history, is growing larger every day. lts paths are getting to be so numerous and so devious, so many important landmarks are situated at the ends of inconspicuous anH unmarked by-roads, that the student can nolonger afford to travel in this growing niaze without guide boards at the corners. The more of them th better; but, with all the assistancewe can render in this respect, there will still be untraveled ground for the primal f ootstep. Whilo thua it beoomes our duty to render what assistance we can for the information aud guidance of those following, the furtherfact stares us in the face, that if we do not leave the result of our kuowledge in such shape that it may be readily used by others, much of it will surely be lost forevor. The ;y ancient history is lost, for want of a reconl. Much uf niediaeval history is lost for waut of a reliable record. Tae history of today will be loat if we fail to make that record while we oan. In America we have the great opportunity of sbowing the growth and development of a nation f rom the begin - uing, because it is n 3t so very far back (ui fbe beginning, and it is all comprisB(l vithin the time sinee mn has boen makiug soine records, nieaer as they may be, of his progress and experience. Our own state of Miehigan is so vouug that tbe development of most of it from the wilderness to the present is within the ruemory of some who are vet living. There have been some wort.by efforts to preserve the action and formúlate the philosophy of this history. Mrs. Sheldon, Mr. Lanman, Mr. Farmer, Judge Campbell, Judge Cooley and others in their histories. Bela Hubbard and C. M. Burton, of Detroit, in tLeir reminiscences and collections, and Prof. A. C. MacLauglüin, of the UniversÜ.y of Miehigan, in hia üfe of Cass, and his History of Higher Educatiou in Michigan, havo done noble work toward this end. The a: chives of the Canadian government and the researches of the Ruyal Society of Canada are doing considerable for oor early history. More than all else, the Pioneer Society of Miehigan, foreseeiug tbe value of the living but ephemeral recorc1, bas, for the last twenty years been making heroio efforts to preserve it. And with suc0688. lts twenty-two volumes already published contain more that is valuable toward tbe proper history of the people of Miehigan than oan be found anywhere else. In aildition to the regular indexes in sach of these volumes there was publishecl in the Tth volume a general index to the first six, and the first twelve volumes have beon indexed by A. P. C. Griffiu in a volume entitled "Index of Articles rpou American Looal History" in tbe historical oolleetions in the Boston Public Library, and published by that library in 1889. The legislativa journals and other records of the state of Miehigan, howBver complete tbey may be as to the history of its political action, must tiecessarily fail to pioture the life of the people. What is wanted is contemporary description, ratber than the ruemory of fifty years, or the suppositions of a ceutury. And this description we have at band, although an almost unused material. It is the local newspaper. The newspapers ara contempoary history, aud however one may be inclined to distrust them i'i matters where the sensational reporter may have opportunity to "scoop tbe other paper, "in the tnain they are to be relied on as chronislers of eveuts - much more to be relied an than those scribes of ante-typographioal days, whose pages are too well BUed with storias little worthy of sredeuce. These local newspapers collect and set forth each week, and in the larger oities each day, as full a record as possible of the happenings of that week or tbat day in the commnnity. Important as well as unimportnnt evonts [Continuad on 6th page.] 1 lndexing Local Newspapers. (Contlnued f rom pase 1.) are there, aiid for many of these cveuts ' there is absolulely no other record. N o other record? It is trne. Exoept in mattere that become a part of the ooarc records, or go into the town or conuty registrie8, there is nothing ro preserve the greater portioú üí tho j eveiits of the peopie.aside froui the fallible ruemory ot' the partio'pants and the pages of the local paper. Even the diariee aui letters of the meinbers of the commnnity, which j might be snpposed to contain umoh of this bi.story.aotuallv oontaiu very little, and that littlo numediately becomes inaocessible. It would seein, then, that tbese uewspapers, with their uniqua photographs of the cnrrent life of the eominnnity, would be zealously guarded aDd pre8erved as treasures more valuable thau sheets of gold. And are they? Far f rom it. If there is anytbiug that maybe regardod as apparently of less valuethau a newspaper, after its couteuts havo been skimmedby the reader, I am unable tonameit. Eveu without an indox, a flle of the newspaper would be valuable if properly preserved in any household, but it goes for wrapping paper and to waste, and since the reducción of so many papeistoquarto size, it has lost its ancieut qualifïcatious for the pantry shelves. Even the newspaper offices themselvos fail to preserve complete files of their own papers. Most of thom aim to do so, but it is doubtful if half of the newspapers of Michigan conld show complete files of their owe issues. Tbose tbat could would probably be the later or yonnger papers. Outside of the offies of the newspapers themselves, it is difficult to flnd a file of auy of the newspapers any where. There are some notable exceptions. The Detroit Public Library has been nnderstood to have a complete file of the Detroit Free Press, but I find by its catalogue that there is a gap in the file for the latter half of the year 1875. The Free Press Co. lost its own file by fire, but I have heard that there is au old Frenchmau living near Detroit who has preserved a complete file of that paper. The Detroit Public Library bas not a complete file of the Tribune, but I believe it has complete files of the News and the present. Journal. In our library at the University we have not a complete file of any news paper. We have a good many scattered years - during the civil war and before and since, of valuable papers - and for the last ten or fifteeu years have preserved complete files of some local papers as well as of some others, as the Detroit Free Press, N. Y. Herald, Chicago Tribune and others. Of uewspapers published in Michigan, we reoeive at the nniversity library. Dailies: Detroit Free Press, conti ibuted by one of the professors. Grand Eapids Democrat, contribnted by publishers. Lansing State Republican eontributed by publishers. V eeklies: Aun ArbGr Argus, contributed b? pub. " " Courier " " ' Democrafc " " " " " Register " Big Rapids Herald, contributed by the publishers. Flint Globe, coutributed by the publishers. Kalaraazoo Telegraph, contributed by the publishers. Lansing Journal, contributed by the pnblishers. At the meeting of the Women's Press Association of Michigan, held in Ann Arbor iu 1894, a resolntion was adopted to the effect, that files of the papers pub-' lished in the state sbould be sent to the xmiversity for preservation in the vanlts of the library. I tbink that two or three of the above papers have come as the result of that resoluiion. I have visited the offices of several of the Ann Arbor papers, and fiud that the Aun Arbor Argus, continuation of the Michigan Argus, whioh bas been issued as a weekly, and latteriy a semi-weekly. since 1846, bas uot a complete file. The issues for the years 1854 - 1878 were dpposited with the univergity library. The earlier years of the Michigan Argus, established Feb. 5,1835 and published every Thursday, were depositad with the collection of the Wushtenaw Pioneer Society, in their rooms in the Connty Court House of Ann Arbor. Of the first volume, the very first num1)er and some others ate mising. The Weekly Courier (1861) claims to have a complete file. The Aun Arbor Democrat, published now for 17 years, bas a complete file. Tbe Register, another weekly, now in its 21st volume, claims a complete file. The Washtenaw Evening Times, daily, now in its 5th year, allows several numbers to be missing, but knows of two complete files in private hands. None of these journals index their own columns in any way, and if tbe editor wishes to look up any matter he must guess at the date and con snit " the files. And wbat have they in the state library at Lansiag? We know what they onght to have. They ougbt to have complete files of every paper ever published in tho state of Michigan - whether it bo newspaper, political or social, religious weekly, literary or edncational magazine, I do not oars what it may be - of everything published in Michigan for public circulation, whether it be book, periodical or pampblet, there shonld be a copy in the library at Lanting. And what do we find there? Only the following complete files of Michigan newspapers, as reported from the library : Detroit Daily Free Pross, Detroit. Daily Tribune, Marahr.il Statesraan, Saginaw Courier-Herald, Grand Bapids Herald, Manistique Weekly Pioneer, Mamstee Tiüies-SoLtir.el.Ypsílunti Sentinel. This Ypsüanti Seutinel is oue of uur oldust papers, aud I áni very glad tu learu that there in a complete file oí thií as well as oí tbe Detroit freePresB ; íiiid Tribune in lúe State Library. This shows thíic liiey iiuvu boen. "Batlieiing in," for the catalogue, which ib their lutest general catalogue, does j nor give them as complete. But they ave bardly doue as well as i they shonl.i ,'iavo rionc. lu the j uunucemeut of the Pioneer Society iu 187S, tbe oJrculár fnr.n the State ■ rary requested oon.tributions trom all the papers of the state, and u is ful il the resul t of twenty y( ars wiïl , show oiie-tenth of the present 700 or 800 papers of the state reauhing the State Library. I have noc beej uble to get exact figures, and hope I am mistaken id this, uut, at all events it is , inauifestly the dnty of every library n ; the state to assist the State Library as much as possible with materials fir.i geueral state histury. The newspapers we have with ns - and they have come to stay. They did uot corae so very lotgago. It took more than a ceutury and a half after the types of Guteuberg (whose semi-millennial is soou to bo celebrated) and Schoeffer were set, to produce the first periodical, that with any propriety inigbt be called a newspaper. Begiuning with the Frankfurter Journal ia 1015, aud traveÜDg by the way of the London Weekly Ñews (1622) aud the Gazette deFrance (1631) to the Boston News-Letter of 1704, we do not yet reach the actual era of newspapers until the present century and the electric telegraph. Iu Michigan the first paper was iasned in Detroit, Aug. 81, 1809, by Jas. M. Miller. It was called the Michigan Essay, and is supposed to have been edited by Father Richard. Not more than one number is positively known to have been issued. The second paper was the Detroit Gazette, a weekly, publisbd by Sheldon aud Reed. It appeared in 1817 and continued until 1830. In 1825 appeared the Michigan Hearld at Detrois followed in the same year by the Michigan Sentinel at Monroe; in 1829 the Northwestern Journal (Detroit) ; aud the Western Emigrant (Ann Arbor) ; in 1830 the Oakland Chronicle (Pontiac) and the Detroit Courier; and in the following year (May 5, 1831) the Democratie Free Press and Michigan Inteiligence weekly, was started in Detroit, rising f rom the ashes of the Gazette and tbe presses of the Oakland County Chronicle. On' Sept. 28, 1835, itwas issued as the Daily Free Press, and has preserved a continuous existence to the present time. This would point to it as the oldest paper pnblishing in Michigan today. In the Grand Rapids Democrat of a recent Sunday (Sept.22) appeared the following f rom Niles. Sept. 21 : "Aftera life of 53 years the Niles Recorder, formerly the Democrat, bas suspended publication. "The paper was the oldest in the state and for years was the most influetial , democratie paper in western Micbigau, at oue time beiug the property of A. T. Shakespeare, now editor of the Kalaruazoo Gazette. W. F. Ross. lately of Portland, has been editing the paper or tüe past few months. " The item was headed: "Lack of support. Oldest newspapor in Michigan torced to suspeud at Nües. " The Gazette and Advertiser, predecessor of the Niles Democrat, wbich in turn becarne the Recorder, was established Sept 5, 1835. Of course we honor the age of the Recorder, but in view of the uubroken existence of the Free Press since 1831 we could hardly cali the Recorder the oldest newspaper in Michigan. Ir' changes of title do not in7alidate the succession, there might be other claimants to be considered. Tbe Ann Arbor Argus is headed "Vol. 61" today, and traces direct linieage to the Michigan Argus, established in Jannary, 1835. The Adriau Times looks to the Watchtower of 1835. and the "Lenawee County Republicau and Adrián Gazette" of 1834 for is ancestry - and even theMouroe Commen ial may perhaps claim descent from the Michigan Seutinel of 1825. It is a sad fact that files of so few of these early papers have been preserved intaot. Their scarcity euhances thoir valne, and the difficulty conuected with findiDg the iuformation contained iu them shows most clearly the iieed of some practical index to their contents. Here is an instance of the valué placed upon this work: Mr. C. M. Burtou, of Detroit, in reply to my request for nis views uud experience in this matter, .writes : "Persoually I have always feit the great need of an index to our local ne-wspapers for local matter." And then he adds the astonisliing information that some years ago, haviug temporary possessiou of a uearly complete file of the Detroit Gazette, from 1817 I to 1830, he made a copy of the entire work, advertí sements and all. This he indexed, bnt by names only. relyiug on the ruemory to associate some name with the desiied event or subjeot. Mr. Burton would, however, index subjects also, if time and opportunity rendered it practicable. Iu view of the little iniportance i which has apparently been attached ! to this matter, this work of Mr. Burton's seems reruarkable. There surely has beeu very little of this done. I believe that the Adrián Times pnblishes an annuai chronological index, but, asi?e fio;n that and some deaultory indexing of my own, I really do not know of any indexing of a Michigan local newpaper other than this of Mr. Burton's. There tuay be other work of the kind, and if there are any membera present who havo done any indexing of ' i local oews, I woild be obliged if i they wonld kiudiy rais their hands, i (Out of twhuiy weinbers 'present not one j 1 hand svs raiswl, and as 10 pteserving i any ]ü(jii paper uot more tl.au Üve j spüixU'il aförmafively. i bave nos tuucheri upon the valoe of these historica! niutoTJuls ;md tbeir ; ; great i;abUity lu io.-s umi destruetiou. ' Does nut ihtiir iipcil ui appeal to us strougly? Where htu shonld they so pvoperiy or nsefuily be ' presei . (1 as ::i tbe tublio librarles? Not iu iho oourt houses sureïy. They ; iu f,ht b: preservad, buc would be ' less. And there are mauy local centers 1 with libraries, that are uot oouuty ! .seatt?, as Jonesville, Teeumsph, ' lauti. ' It is f ie library that raust meet the ' wants of thu publio by preserving such materials as shail rnake ihe must nsefnl ' aud viiluable coutribvtion to the history of the counry and of tbe looality. These ruaterials are uot ouly the files '' o' the local newspapers. They include '' ihe books that have been written about that región, or the politica! and other movements of which that región formed a part, articles of local refereuce or descriptiou that have appeared in perioaical publk-ations, biographies f rneu or ' woinen couuected wiih the local ' tory, pamphlets and more or less epherueral literature of the región, and eveu broadsides and handbilis of all description. Iu. short, every scrap of paper tbat eau have a beariiig on the local hiscory, it is desirable and proper to preserve in the public library, This matter of local history collectious has been several times eonsidered by the "A. L. A.," particularly at the Catskill Confereuce, 1888 (Lib. J., 13, 310,) and in the discus.sion on Mr. H. J. Carr's report on the subject at Lake j Placid, last year (Lib. I., Couf. pp. j 67 andl54). Of the 107 responses Mr. Carr received, 122 v?ere in favor of obtainiug and utilizing the miscellaneous materials of local history. Iu the disoussion on on his report there was developed the faot that a number of ibrarians liad done somethiug in the way of making suoh collections, and that in at least two libraries, as by Mr. C. K. Bolton of the reported Brookline, Mass., Pubilc Library and Mr. Williaru Ives of the Buffalo Public Library, something had been done in the matter of indexing newspapers. The general sentiment of the association was favorable to pushing the j lectiou of such material, although there j seemed to be a feelin: that the public, j the community at large, would not appreciate the value of preserving its owu materials. Surely we may be able to assist iu awakening the niembera of our own . communities to this appreoiation. If we get interested in accumulatiug and preserving this "minor literature" methods of making it useful anrt accessible will naturally dernand cousidèration. Such methods will adapt themselves fco tbe circurnstances and character of tbe collection. I will here only speak of the newspaper. It is doubtful if any local newspapor would be unwilling tocontribute a copy of its own paper to the local library, especially if it were for the purpose of preservation and research rather than forcurreni reauing in the readiug room. ., There might, in some cases, be objection to the latter use on the grouud of diminishing its subscription list. They surelywould give the paper if assured that its local features would ba indexed. It wuuld be for tbeir own interest to do so. The local paper might even unciertake to print the index at the end of the j yeai as a part of the paper. It need not occupy more than a page or two, and would be a great eonvemence for those few subscribers who might bind their volumes, as well as for the editors themselves and others who might want to consult it. The publishers of the paper, if they did not print the index, might be willing to bind the volume, or, ■ to assist in the index, they might furnish the cards, and print, as a headng for them, the name of the paper, and the year. In order to preaeivo the newspaper itself they might be induced to print regularly a few copies on good rag paper, which would outlast the present generation of readers. These would, of course be matters for personal cosideration and agreement. Lo. al circuiustances wonld be sure to affect the casej It may fairly be presumed that, iu most cases, although the newspaper inay regard an index to its own columns as very desirable, when it aotually comes to indexing, the library uearest or most interested will probably have the work. i we have eonsidered the importance of its work The question arises : Is it feasilbe? To the earnest and ambitious all things are feasible. It need not require so very much timp. Not everything iu the paper would be indexed. Iu the way we are looking at this matter we would iuclude only the important local items. At the library of the Wisconsin Historical Society, as Prof. Thwaites report?, the young lady in charge of tl e reading room can look through the papers (they receive ever 300 loc&l weeklies, ) mark the desirable articles, and when duplícate copies have been received, cut out and prepare for the paruphlet or scrap book, and perhaps mount and index them, while on duty at the desk, aud without infrioging on her regular time or work. They do considerable of this scrapcutting there, arranging by subjects in a very systematio ïuanner, but I do not understand that they index any papers in the files or volumes. Of course the amount of time re, quired would depend largely on how i closely the indexing was done.and what matter was inclnderl, but I would say Üjat one couid index, by short oes, ihe inaiB items in oue nuruber of a local uewspaper, while lookiDg. it rürongb fur the uaws interestiug to the j reader, with the ose of perhaps a half j au bonr's extra time. Süinetiu.pfl it couid reqnire m honr, ! and even if il shonld average that, couid nut the hour weiJ be spared i'or the puríteniK tü be nidexed : The items tbat hhouM be iuJexed are öomparatively few. They would bo those tbat in the jwigrueut of the indexei inigbt likely be of future valuo to persous lookiug uu the history and progresa of these now enrrent eveiits. They should Ie entered ouder tbeir subjeit inost sp - ciíio name, ai d a ümted nutuber oí oross-refereucea should be used. FolJowing are sonie of the subjects desirable to index : Public improveinuets. Private iurprrvements of import auce and any un usual general building, to show the growth of the city. Accident: Perhaps uuder that won!, and also, thougb not in all cases, under uame of persou. Public meetings, and electiens and ■ other large gatherings, espeoially ings of pioneer isocieties and speeches on snch occasions. Eleotions ot' oliicers in societies. Chango of residenoe from ur to the town (uuder name;. Amutiements (a list under that word ajjci aay special descriptiou uuder name. ) Personal matters of importanco that might be a serviceable part of biography. Perhaps it would be betrer not to index such items as the following : Real estáte transfeis.uuless of special interest. They rnay be readily found in the conuty records. "Mr. Redd" will go to New York Tuesday on business; "Mr. White" is in Detroit this week on a visit; "Mrs. Biew"entertained about twenty friends Thursday evening, or similar trifling personal matters. Advertisements(unless extraordinary. ) General or national statistics aud iniorniatiiou, even though printed in local columns. Tbis inforination can usually be found elsewhere. Michigan state news. Baoh town should be indexed by its own library, but for general state news it would be a matter of discreüou üne or two of the largor librarles, and espeoially the State library, might index generM Michigan news. Amusements,puff descriptions of traveliug comapnies. Time cards of railways and changes in thein. Editorials (nnless on topics of special local interest, or indicating very peculiar views of paper. ) Mortgage sales and other auction notices. I have not included the births.deaths and marriages in the list of items to be indexed, altbough most hbrarians might ; regard them as djsirable, especially in I towns other Ihau county seats. Since the adoptiou of marriage license law in Michigan tbe reporta of marriages to the county clerk hure been necessarily more prompt and ceitain. The births and ieaths are reported by the supervisors after the close of the year, aud ;ire therefore iikely to be far from up to date. Of course, some of the cards would be nseful only in the jmmediate present. The whole matter of choice of entries would rest largely in the judgment of the librarian, aud might depend somewhat on the interest ho or she rnighttake in the subject. It is best, bowever, to oonsider one's own iuteregt in the matter as little as possible. Tbis index sL ould be made weekly or daily, at the time the paper is reneived. Then the paper is filed after the reoeipt of entry ia made. It should be filed at full size of page, and laid face dovcni ward to bring it in the order in which it is to be bound. Care should be taken to keep it from the sunshine, and the file should not be left long exposed tothe light.as our present wood pulp paper is very liable to deomcposition. It should be boudn up promptly, if possible. One or two years of a weekly would not xnake a large volume, and six montbs, possibly a year, of a small f our or eight page daily. The volumes fhould not be over two or three inehes in thiokness, aud should be bound, or backed at least, in cloth or canvas, which is durable. Not in sheepskin, which is not durable. They sbould be kept on shelves, a separate shelf for eacb volume, if possible, lying on their sides, face or front oover up. Then if lettered leugthwise on the back, beginning at the top, the title will be j readable as the volume lies on the [Concluded on page 8.1 Indexing Local Newspapers. [Concluded from page 6. shelf. The Public Lihrary of Detroit has a very convenient arrangement of its newspapers, soinewhat in this manDer. I have considered the indexing of local newspapers only, confining myself to that which wonld b9 easiest as well as most important fox ns to do. The matter of indexing the larger dailies for political or general news, is receiving sorue attenton, and is an inevitable necessity of the near future, but it may be carried out on some co-operative plan. The New York Tribune is a pioneer in this field, and is the only daily, as f ar as 1 know, that makes, or at least that publishes, an index co its bwn columns. This is an annual duodécimo in the paper and is sold for fifty cents. It answers toierably as an index to other papers, for general and Dolitical evonts. In the State Library of Massachusetts t Boston, Mr. Tillinghast began in June, 1892, to index several of the arge dailies in Boston and other ceners of the United States, and soine of the Massachusetts local papers. The result of the underfakiug is said to be very satisfactory. If our legislature would make an appropriation for the purpose, as was done in Massachusetts, perhaps indexng of this kind might be done in out state library. The legislators themselves would be most apt to appreciate t. There is one matter tbat might be rnentioned in connection witb this subect, and tnat is that sucli an index is more likely than any otber to suffer from tainpering at the hands of tbe public. They have had experienoe of this kind ia the Massachusetts State Library. There will naturally be cards of a personal nature referring to incidents which some, who are interested, may desire to keep as much as possible from the public knowledge. On tbis account, if kept where it eau be done without observation, certain roost important cards may be torn from the case. It might be well then for this reason, and if an index is to be printed from the cards, to keep them separate from the rest of the catalogue and where they will be nu der observation. BIBLIOGBAPHY. We have so far considerad the indexing of these papers particularly with reference to the collectioa of materials for local history. There is another and a very important relation in which the I usefulness of this work will stand pw inent, and tbat is as a contribution the bibliography of the country. The gathering of the materials i American Bibliography, and especij local bibliography, has been recogni, for some time as deserving, and reqt ing immediate attention from reaa very similar to those whiuh urge n, preserve these looal history mater-'ali They are in túe same dpnger of reparable loss and destruction. Since the sóbeme proposed by Mr R. Bowker, in the last two volumes the American Catalogue for a publii tiou of a general oatalogue of ül Am( ican publications of tfie nineteen centnry, the attention of librariesh been called more directly to the rapii diminishing opportnnities for makii such a bibliography complete. The prospects and plan for snob a wo have been well expressed in a paper 1 Mr. G. W. Colé, Librarían of the Jéis City Public Library, read beíoic ti library school at Albany, May 8, 189 a porti on of which may be found in ti Library Journal for January, 1894 v 19, p. 5. In this article Mr. Colé shows qui clearly tbeir meagerness as well as ti valué of what has already been done American bibliography and makes mai good suggestions as to making snch tn terials as may be at hand, or can found servicable to the work. It is toward this end particularly th I would urge the assistauce of each ai every librarían. Whoever of us may become interestf in preserving and indexing the facts i our local history, will also do the san for all the publications of the regioi and of the men and women of the n gion.and thus contribute to that genen bibliography which can only be accon plished by sueh help. J?or our own state, though it wou have úeen expected before some othen no bibliograp'ay has yet bn writtei although I understand the pres dent of this association.Mr. Utley.of tl Detroit Public Library, whose necessat absence from this meeting preohides m from certain informatioi on this puin ñas done something toward this en Certainly no one is better sitnated the matter of facilities for snch a pu pose, nor better ütted for its suooessf execution. If, in the different libraries of t state we can accumulate the jnateri belonging to our own local seotions, may be able to contribute in a oo-ope: tive way to the bibliography and t history of the State of Michigan, an proportionately, to the proposed Amer oan catalogue.

Article

Subjects
Ann Arbor Argus
Old News