PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY At 476 fifth AVENUE, NEW YORK CITY HOURS OF OPENING. - CENTRAL CIRCULATION Open 9 a. m. to 10 p. m. every week day, 2 to 6 p. m. on Sundays. CHILDREN'S ROOM 9 a. m. to 6 p. m. on week days. LIBRARY FOR THE BLIND, TRAVELLING LIBRARIES, and OFFICES Open 9 a. m. to 5 p. m. on week days. Branches, 9 a. m. to 9 p. m. on week days. Exceptions as follows: CENTRAL CIRCULATION and branches in Carnegie buildings open full hours on all holidays; other branches closed on January 1, May 30, July 4, December 25, presidential election day, and Thanksgiving; after 6 p. m. on February 22 and Christmas eve; after 5 p. m. on election days when not presidential. PRIVILEGES OF BORROWERS. Adults may borrow at one time six volumes (only one of which shall be a new and popular book), a magazine, and an opera libretto. Books may be retained either two weeks or one week. Any two-week book may be renewed for an additional two weeks if application is made. CATALOGUE. A catalogue of all the books in the department is open to the public on week days from 9 a. m. to 5 p. m. in room 100, Central Building. BRANCH LIBRARY NEWS. - The Branch Library News is given away free of charge at all branches. The arrangement of Branches, with the exception of the Central Building, is from south to north in Manhattan and The Bronx, Occupying Carnegie Buildings. TH BOOKS ON MILITARY EDUCATION HE titles of a few books on military education are printed on the opposite page. This is done at the request of the Committee on Military Education of The American Defense Society. The books named are simple, non-technical works, nearly all of them intended for the reader without previous knowledge or experience of this subject. IN SHAKESPEARIAN EXHIBITIONS N the Central Building of The New York Public Library, there will be, during April and May, a remarkable exhibition of Shakespeariana. Private collectors have lent many books for the exhibition, and these, added to the Library's own possessions, have made a nearly complete collection of early editions of Shakespeare's works. Books about Shakespeare, as well as portraits and views, will also be on exhibition. There are also smaller exhibitions of Shakespearian books and pictures at all the Branch Libraries. NOVELS ARDLY any suggestion about The New York Public Library has ever provoked so much adverse comment as that casual remark of a municipal official, that it might be well to stop buying novels in order to save money. Newspapers in various parts of the country still discuss it from time to time. A short article by the President of Western Reserve University, Dr. Charles F. Thwing, has been reprinted in a number of papers. President Thwing says that the suggestion made to restrict the purchase of novels for The New York Public Library, in order to cut down expenses, "illustrates the tendency of American life to sacrifice the non-material interests of the community to the material." He goes on to point out that however necessary it may be to cut down expenses, the idea of beginning by eliminating novels is a poor one. In his opinion, the influence of imaginative literature is valuable, even if it cannot be instantly translated into dollars and cents. He denounces the theory that only the so-called "practical" books are the ones which the Library can afford to buy and circulate. Books whose effects are indirect are often more valuable than those which pretend to deal only with "fact." President Thwing writes: "The things which are most seen, most heard, most obtrusive, are transient. The things which are not seen give most promise of being eternal. The still small voice of the intellect is to be listened to. It carries meanings significant and precious. Lyman Beecher once said that when he had no ideas he just hollered." MILITARY EDUCATION General Works, Strategy, etc. The modern army in action, an exposition of the conduct of war, by Major General John F. O'Ryan, commanding N. Y. Division and Captain W. D. A. Anderson, Corps of Engineers, U. S. A. McBride, Nast & Co., 1914. Readable and up-to-date. Based on the lessons of the present war in Europe, as well as on earlier wars. Sixteen illustrations. The purpose of the book, in the words of one of the authors, is to indicate "the evolution of each arm of the service, explaining the problems involved in mobilization, concentration, and supply of troops, and the manner in which the modern army is utilized in combat." The principles of war, historically illustrated, by Major-General E. A. Altham. Macmillan, 1914. A study of the larger, strategical considerations. Authoritative and interesting because of its historical narratives. Maps in a separate volume. Modern weapons of war, by Cyril Hall. Blackie and Son, 1915. An illustrated description of modern guns, submarine boats, air-craft, etc. Military Training Self-helps for the citizen-soldier; being a popular explanation of things military, by Capt. James A. Moss and Capt. Merch B. Stewart, U. S. Army. Banta Publishing Co., 1915. Printed, illustrated, and arranged so as to be attractive and interesting. Includes chapters on "The making of a fighting man," "The organized militia," "College student camps," "The business man's camp,' "Rifle clubs for citizen soldiers," "Practical hints for self-preparation." Gives directions for forming a rifle club. One of the best of the non-technical books. Manual of military training, by Capt. James A. Moss, United States Army. Banta Publishing Co., 1915. "Intended, primarily, for use in connection with the instruction and training of Cadets in our military schools, and, of company officers of the Organized Militia, and, secondarily, as a guide to company officers of the Regular Army, the aim being to make efficient fighting companies and to qualify our cadets and Militia officers for the duty and responsibilities of company officers of volunteers." -Author's note. About 700 pages. Index and table of contents. Illustrations, diagrams, maps. Officers' Manuals Officers' manual, by Capt. James A. Moss, 24th U. S. Infantry. U. S. Cavalry Association, 1911. "Being a service manual consisting of a compilation in convenient, handy form, of Customs of the Service,' and other matters of a practical...nature, things of value and assistance to the inexperienced -most of which cannot be found in print..." Author's note. A manual for aspirants for commissions in the United States military service, by Ira L. Reeves, captain, U. S. Army. Franklin Hudson Publishing Company, 1910. Includes chapters on West Point, the promotion of enlisted men, appointments from civil life, mili tary schools and colleges. Gives specimen questions. Noncommissioned officers' manual, by Captain James A. Moss, 24th U. S. Infantry. Banta Publishing Co., 1909. A comprehensive work including information on almost every topic in military service likely to come within the field of a non-commissioned officer. IN 1915 The Branch Libraries lent 10,384,579 books. Purchases of new books amounted to 197,816 volumes. A collection of pictures was formed to lend for home use. The reading rooms for adults served 1,224,526 readers. The Library for the Blind lent 31,528 books, magazines, music scores. The Travelling Libraries Office maintained 952 stations. In all, 4,415,794 children's books were borrowed. There were fifty-five reading clubs for children. Hundreds of meetings were held at the Branch Libraries. The new George Bruce Branch was opened, at 78 Manhattan Street. It is the forty-fourth Branch Library. These facts are in the report of the Library for 1915. You can see a copy of the report at this Branch. |