THE LIBRARY LOG

THE LIBRARY LOG
Published for the citzens of Milwaukee, at the end
of each month, except July and August, by the staff af
the Milwaukee Public Library.
SYLVESTER J. CARTER, Editor.
JOSEPHINE KULZICK, Associate Editor.
/Iny citizen of Milwaukee County may have the
Library Log sent to his home for a year by paying
the postage, / 0 cents. Send name and address to the
editor, Milwaukee Public Library.
The Library Log will gladly publish criticisms of
the library service, and suggestions for making it better.
Kindly give name and address with all communications.
Names will not be used for publication without express
permission.
Beginning July 1st, Mr. Cargill, Assistant
Librarian of the Milwaukee Public Library,
will assume the duties of Camp Librarian at
Camp Grant, Rockford, Illinois. This is one
of the oldest and best equipped of the camp
libraries. It contains more than 15,000 vol-
umes of well selected literature, being espe-
cially well provided with books on military
science and related technical subjects such
as radiotelegraphy and aviation. There is
also a large collection of "war" books. Ad-
ditions are being made rapidly. Mr. Cargill
will remain at Camp Grant for two months.
The August C. Beck Co. has generously
contributed twenty boxes for shipping books
to camp libraries. Any other manufactur-
ers able to assist in this way will find the
library in a receptive attitude.
Mr. Asa Don Dickinson, Dispatch Agent
of A. L. A. War Service, writes as follows:
"Received for shipment to our soldiers and
sailors overseas, 42 boxes of books. A fine
lot of books-very well prepared."
PREPAREDNESS FOR RECON-
STRUCTION
Already, the necessity of preparing for
the immense problems which will arise after
the war is evident. Every one will have to
share in solving these problems. The in-
dividual, city, state and nation will be af-
fected. England has already a branch of
the government which is dealing only with

reconstruction. The Municpal Reference
Library is making a special effort to make
available governmental reports and investi-
gations and any other information which
may offer a solution of the many difficul-
ties which will be encountered.
WAR HOUSING
Milwaukee is feeling the lack of proper
housing facilities to care for the numerous
workers employed on government work.
Many complaints have been made regarding
high rentals and actual lack of rooms.
Mayor Hoan has appointed a committee
which is to investigate and propose remedies
for the difficulty. If you are interested in
what has been done you will find in the
Municipal Reference Library many plans
and reports of English cities, and what the
cities in this country are proposing to do.
THE TRAINING CLASS
The first class in the new course of in-
struction for the Public Library Service
has completed its work and has taken the
civil service examination. Even at this early
(lay, before any members of this class have
been tried by a temporary appointment, it is
clear that systematic instruction in the li-
brary work is a great gain to the institution.
The Civil Service Commission has permitted
the library to employ these young people
in practice work while they were taking
their instruction, and their adaptability to
any position that they were called on to fill
temporarily was very evident. It is not
strange that this is found to be so. We are
always preaching the benefits of education.
Anyone who expresses a doubt of that prop-
osition will immediately feel the heavy hand
of public opinion upon him. No one would
be given a position as teacher without pre-
liminary instruction in his business. No
lawyer or doctor would be permitted to
practice without preliminary instruction in
his business; and by the same reasoning,
it must be evident that any one who would
do special or technical work, such as is done
in the library, is a better public servant in
consequence of preliminary training in his
work. This is made plain in the Milwaukee
Public Library not only as a matter of
theory, but as a matter demonstrated by ex-
perience. Civil Service Commissions have
no divinely inspired wisdom to pick out
public servants who are well qualified with-
out training for their duties. Therefore,
the Board of Library Trustees wisely deter-
mined to offer special training free of cost
to those who sought to do library work.
Our Civil Service law, however, goes fur-
ther. It makes it necessary for those who
would win promotion in library work, to