Page:The library a magazine of bibliography and library literature, Volume 6.djvu/277

 A New Method of Arranging a Lending Library. 265 To preserve a neat appearance I would make the shelf of two strips of wood instead of one, and have a travelling book support fixed in each shelf. On the removal of a book the sup- port would be pushed up and the books made tight. The staff would be in the centre, and would be at hand wherever the borrower made his appearance. The lower por- tion of the cases would be available for stores of stationery, &c. This method would necessarily mean the adoption of a charging system, and the one I would propose would be this : have a card with a pocket and flap for each book, numbered boldly on both sides. On issuing a book to a reader, the reader's ticket would be placed in the pocket of the book card, and the card placed in a tray containing the day's issues. These would be arranged numerically at the end of the day, and kept together. The date, stamped on the label inside the cover of the book, would lead to the position of the card on the return of the book, and the member's ticket would then be restored to him, the book placed on the shelf, and the card replaced in its order. The advantages of these schemes would be that the books would take the place of the indicator, that readers would have the valuable privilege of selecting books from the shelves a great privilege when all the books on a reader's list are out many excellent books not now read because not known would be taken out, and the reading more evenly distributed over the stock. The public knowledge of books would be widened by the constant sight of the whole of the books of the Library, and the work of the Library would be furthered. THOMAS MASON. [NOTE. This paper was illustrated by diagrams when read at Aber- deen.]