News Letter of the Los Angeles County Public Library May 1952

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NEWS LETTER
Los Angeles County Public Library
luued Monthly by the County Librarian
322 South Broadway Post Office Box 111 Los Angeles 53, California
Vol. 5 No. 11 May 1952
ANNUAL REPORT Branch Librarians will receive with this issue of the News Letter a
1951-52 mimeographed comnunication outlining items to cover in their Branch
Annual Report for the fiscal year ending June .'.30. Although the
conunent has a bromidial flavor it is hard to realize that the time has again come
upon us when we must get our thoughts in order for the fiscal year soon to conclude
It was an extemely eventful and productive year for the County Library, and with
the month of June still to go we can expect a healthy report in regard to circula­tion
and all related activities,
BUDGE!' Growing directly out of the increased current year's work is sound suppori
1952-53' budget-wise for fiscal 1952-53 according to all present indications.
Although official action has not yet been taken approving our appropria­tion
request we do feel optimistic about the outcome and we face the approaching
year with confidence that we will have the means to carry forward our program with
a strengthened organization and book collection. A summary of the chief provisions
of the new budget will be presented in the June News Letter.
ELECTION Announcements regarding branch closing on elect.ion holidays were sent
HOLIDAYS out recently in conformance with instructions from the Boa.rd of Super-visors
directing us to close our service outlets to conform with holi­days
obeerved by the Los Angeles City Library. Since days on which State elections
are held are legal holidays and City and County offices are closed it is felt that
our branches should not be or en. for service in the interests of a uniform policy.
HERITAGE Plans are afoot to present a TV program on the American Heritage Project
PROJECT in June and an announcement giving the date, time, station, and further
details will soon be forthcoming.
At the annual meeting of the alumni of the u.s.c. Library School a demonstration of
a Heritage discussion group in action was presented by Dr. M.K.W. Heicher and Mrs.
Hobert Barnes, co-leaders of the Altadena project.
MISS CHRISTESON Librarians participating in the Heritage Project demonstration met
AND MRS. WRIGHT in Chicago May 27-30 to review the program in their respective
TO CHICAGO libraries. With the demonstration about to be concluded in the
six libraries selected for the Project, Director Stevenson has
called a conference for a review and summary of. the experience, problems, a.nd
recommendations for a future program by the librarians taking part in the pilot run
Representing the Los Angeles County Public Library were Chief Branch Librarian
Helen O. Wright a.nd Chief Reference Librarian Frances Christeson. As reported
earlier, the other ]J,braries taking part are: Vermont State, New York Public, .
La Crosse Wisconsin, Athens Georgia Tri-County, Denver Public, and Los Angeles
County Public.
WE ARE The Director of the American Heritage Project, Mrs. · Grace Stevenson,
INSPECTED was here to observe the program in this County for the week beginning
April 28. Arriving in Los Angeles at 5 p.m. by plane from New York
~rs. Stevenson Wa.s here in plenty of time to visit the La Canada discussion group
that evening. On Tuesday evening she was taken to the Lennox meeting by Mrs •
.Wright, and on the following morning llrs. Stevenson was interviewed in· the
,Librarian's Office by News Reporter Ed Wilson. Following this Mr. Henderson took
. h~r to the Antelope Valley to inspect our mobilibrary at the Little Rock School
an.ct to see our branches at Palmdale and Lancaster. Pictures were taken of her at
the Hall of Records on Thursday morning which appeared in the 1os Angeles Times
the following Stinday. In the afternoon a trip was scheduled to the Huntington
Library to give Mrs. Stevenson an opportunity to view the American Heritage
exhibit. Having received reports of the Huntington Library's cooperation with our
Project in setting up a special display of 29 of their priceless documents and
publications connected with our heritage Mrs. Stevenson was particularly glad to
see the exhibit and to talk with the Library's Director, Dr. Pomfret, and Mr. Schad
Curator of Rare Books, who were of such great assistance to us. · Another picture
was taken for the local press, the story appearing later in the week in the
Pasadena Star News. Mrs. Stevenson visited the Altadena discussion group Thursday
evening. She returned to Chicago Friday morning after a brief review with Mrs.
Wright and Miss Christeson and Mr. Henderson of the progress of the program
ex.pressing great satisfaction in all she observed here and elsewhere and feeling
optimistic over the prospects for the renewal of the Ford Foundation grant.
LIBRARY
SCHOOL
U.C.L.A.?
In connection with a survey being sponsored by the State University to
determine the adequacy of library education facilities in California
Dr. Robert Leigh, Director "The Public Library Inquiry", conferred
with the County Librarian and other Librarians in the area on May 27.
Dr. Leigh, who is also Director, the Cormnunications Study, of the Russell Sage
Foundation, has been engaged by President Sproul to make an analysis of the
educational program carried on by the two library schools in the State to determine
whether additional facilities are needed. He has made extensive contacts with the
librarians and educators in California and his findings will be based on his
direct observations plus th3 returns that are now being analyzed from a question""'
naire which was submitted t o all persons holding professional positions in Cali­fornia
libraries. In the afternoon Dr. Leigh discussed "The Public Library
Inquiry" at a meeting of the Public Library a ecuti ves Association at the Los
Angeles Public Library in which problems of r ecruitment and library education were
covered, based on the findings of the comprehensive library survey which he
directed.
BOY CO.
LIB'N
The Annual Boys' Day in Government was observed April 29, and the County
Librarian for the day was Brent H. Gossage, Senior at the Woodrow Wilson
High School. Brent was shown the Central ·Library and was taken on an
inspection tour which included several stops of the Malibu Mobilibrary and our San ·
Vicente Branch. He expressed a real interest in what he observed and showed a
fine appreciation of the public library problems and objectives. His comments on
library service in general were pe rc eptiv~ and informing to the County Librarian
who was particularly interested in knowing wh~t High School students think of the'
library facilities and service that are available to them. Brent is a borrower
at the .El Serreno Branch of the Los Angeles Public Librar:Y; he is serious student
and expects to major in chemistry when be goes to t he University in the fall.
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GOOD Contacts of this kind are often extremely rewarding in the administration
LUCK, of a public service. Incidentally, growing out of a Boys' Day experience
JOHN four years ago our guest, a Senior at the San Pedro High School, was John
Jolly. It will be recalled (or will it?) that his visit was reported in
the News Letter, Vol. I, No. 11, May 1948, p. 1. · A few weeks ago a letter was
received from John in which he asked the County Librarian to serve as a reference
in connection with his application to attend library school, and this it was a
pleasure to do. It .was by no means realized that John's interest in what he
observed during his County Library visit was so deep as to influence him in the
choice of a career. It has long been said that if the youngsters in school could
appreciate the enthusiasm which librarians feel for their work and the satisfaction
they derive from it, despite the low salaries, more young people would be intereste•
in librarianship as a career.
STAFF PICTURE The staff bulletin board features a photograph which was taken earl~
C E N T R A L this month of the personnel at Central. It was four years ago when
the last group picture was taken and it has been felt for some time
that it would be appropriate to have another group picture, Host of the Central
staff members were in the group and all agree that the picture is an exceedingly
good one.
STAFF A few weeks ago the Staff Association conducted a noon hour carnival in
CARNIVAL the third floor assembly room with .the end in view of providing good
food and high level entertainment at a nominal charge and of raising
money - more particularly the latter. The talents of Madalene Otteson were evident
in the decorations, costumes, and character and figure drawings which adorned the
room. All preparations were made during off hours and under the direction of the
Staff Association President, Nellie Frost, and the Social Committee the carnival
featured a number of concessions revealing staff talent, rare, wonderful and
diversified. There was fortune telling by Elton Terry, portrait photography by ·
Ruby Hori with Helen Kohler's kodak, kisses (candy) by Gloria Tatz and Henry
Dedeaux, ball throwing for prizes by Rocky Ficara, Little Egypt (marionette) by
Dilla Ludlow, strangest animal in captivity (a mirror for you to gaze into), wild
animals in cages (miniatures), the smallest midget (Zella Sharpe's head through a
hole in a canvas with a midget's body painted be.low). The following persons con­tributed
food: Spaghetti by Nellie Frost (her mother made the d~licious sauce);
potato §alad b_y Beulah Wadl_eigh, Luigi Castiello and Pearl Lee; cakes by Helen
Kohler, Pearl La Motte, Leota Wright and Jessie Boswell. Hot dogs, ice-cream and
coffee were also served. The food and festivities will be remembered with pleasure
and profi t - that is, profit to the Staff Association, the amount raised being
$87.62 which was the means of obtaining a new stove for the staff quarters .
. WE ARE On May 23 the new State Librarian, Mrs. Carma R. Zimmerman, and her
HONORED Editorial Librarian, Grace Murray, discussed State Library problems,
particularly the scope and contents of the Annual Reports and the State
Library publication News Notes of California Libraries. Division Heads partici­pated
in the discussion at an informal luncheon at which we were joined by Dr.
Lawrence Clark Powell, Librarian, U. C.L.A. · Mrs. Zimmerman, who came to this part
of the State to attend the Southern District C.L •. A. meeting at Redlands on the
24th, scheduled an extra day for the trip to allow some time for the visit and
confer ence with the County Librarian and Division Chiefs.
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FROM THE REFERENCE DIVISION
SEE In our endeavors to avoid embarrassing the branch librarians, patrons, and
SECTION ourselves, we have been accepting all sorts of substitutes for the patron-
"S" take-out form which should be given to every branch patron who is sent in
to Central for some reason or another. We haven't yet had one on a piece
of old shoe leather but we expect one any day? The proper form is a mimeographed
one dated February 1950:
TO: Fifth floor Loan. Desk Attendant
Los Angeles County Public Library
322 South Broadway
Los Angeles, California
This will introduce
---N~am-e --~---A-d-dr-ess- ----~
who is a patron in good standi ng at the ----- Branch Library.
I recommend that this patron be allowed to take books to fill
her/his subject need from the Central Library. The patron will
return the books to the Branch Library by the date due.
Date Branch Librarian
The reverse side of this form provides a place to list the books charged
to the patron and has also a statement that the patron will return the books to
the branch when due with a place for his or her signature and the date on which
the books were loaned. So it is quite apparent that a P-slip or some other
informal means of introduction for a patron does not fill the bill. PLEASE
requisition a supply of these forms if there are occasions when they are needed.
Their use is of course to take care ONLY of the instance where time is of th.e
essence and the patron can absolutely not wait to receive material on the express
shipment. Section 11S11 in t he Manual of Instructions explains this procedure in
detail.
MONEY,
MONEY,
MONEY!
Yes we are about to have some again? The reference funds for the year
1952-53 will soon be available . We plan this year to do on a wholesale
scale something about replacing many of the old atlases as we have replace
old dictionaries this past year. We would entertain with enthusiasm sug­gestions
which the branch librarians have for reference books they would like to
have, although we cannot guarantee that all requests will be met. We would be. glad
to have shipment suggestions for individual r ef erence titles needed, or if some
particular book is not known but the need is felt for a reference book in a certain
field or on some special subject send it in on a shipment suggestion also. We are
particularly interested in knowir.g what reference titles are missing and need to
be replaced.
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FROM THE CHILDREN'S ·DIVISION
PERSONNEL · This has been anything but a routine month in the Children's Division,
NOTES' With a First Assistant leaving to accept a position with the Washington
. State LibrarY'and a: Senior Assistant returning from an African tour two
weeks before she was expected back. Since these .two events have been commented
upon at some length elsewhere in this ·News Letter they are being mentioned here ·
only because they were so very important to Children's Division members.
A pleasant interlude took place on the afternoon of May 16 when ·Dorothy Talbert
and her four months old son, Keith Norman, dropped in to see us. Mrs. Talbert, who
was formerly Children's Librarian at Compton Branch, is now livirig in West Allis,
Wisconsin. · '
SPRING BOOK "With all the fonnality of a group of light-hearted cronies having
BREAKFAST coffee together around a kitchen table, the 10th Annual Spring Book
. . Breakfast was staged by the Children's Division of the Los Angeles
County Library yesterday." Jean Ward, reporter for the Los Angeles Examiner, in
the May B issue of that pa.per began her article on our 1952 breakfast party with
this colorful and accurate description.
As usual, we all agreed, when it was over and done with, that this had been the
best May breakfast party so far. There is no question about its being the largest.
In the ten years of its existence attendance has grown gradually from SS in 1942
to .this year's 293. The spacious and. attractive banquet room at the Alexandria
Hotel was the most comfortable meeting place we h.ad ever had.
Because it was a 10th anniversary c.elebration only well known authors who had been
our guests on previous occasions were invited. Those present were Conrad and Mary
Buff, Holling C. and Lucille Holling, William 1r.iilcox and lrene 'Robinson, Frank S.
and Miriam Salisbury, Doris Gates ~all, Harriet E. ~untington, Eugenia Stone, Clyde
Robert Bulla, and Leo Politi. ·. ·
SUMMER
READING
PROJECT
All branches have by this time received th~ advance announcement of this
year's I AM AN AW...:.."fli CAN reading plan. Reaction to the idea has been more
enthusiastic than we dared hope it would be. Even at this early date
fifty branches have reqtlested the project.
To compile, mimeograph,. stencil cover.s; arid .assemble seven comprehensive reading
lists within a short 'period of time is proving a Herculean task. Which explains
in part why the other materials, including the poster, to be used in cormection
with carrying on the project are not yet ready for di'stribution. All reading
project supplies .will be sent out via the expre$s routes the week .o.f June 16.
Please do not ask for them before that time as they ~11 not be available.
We suggest that you postpone beginning your .project until the supplies for carrying
it on are received. Because the children will be reading from special lists it wilJ
not be possible for them to do any reading in advance unless they .can select a titlt
from the CALIFORNIA or the COWBOY lists, which are already at your branch. These
two lists are to be included in the summer reading plan. Children below the third
grade may select books from the Easy Book Shelves instead of using the lists.
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BRANCH ACTIVITY Now that the close of another fiscal year is fast approaching we
REPORT · SHEETS are asking that all of the monthly report sheets recording acti v-i
ties comected with work with children be sent in as promptly as
possible. These are the pink report sheets that were sent out last July. They
should have been coming in month by month as the activities were carried on. If,
however, there are those of you who neglected to report monthly please catch up the
loose ends and send in your reports now so that our annual statistical tables may
be as complete as possible. Additional pink sheets , if needed, may be secured from
the Children's Division.
P E R S 0 N A L S
Appointments and resignations to announce include Irving Honer, Librarian I,
Wayside Honor Rancho, who r esigned to go into school library work; Mrs. Naomi
Anderson appointed Librarian II, temporary, in the Catalog Division; other
appointments Miss Aurilda Jackson, Librarian I, Catalog Division; Robert Seaman,
Truck Driver I, Lancast er Mobilibrary. Transferring to the Ref ei:-ence Division from
the Branches Division was Mrs. Virginia S. Cook, Typist Clerk, to fill the vacancy
created by the resignation of Mrs. Sumi, reported last month. Mrs. Edith Wickham
was appointed Typist Clerk, Branches Division.
OUT-OF-STATE Marian (Micky) Hayes, with her husband, flew to Chicago to pick up a
VACATIONS new car, and from t here they went to New York for a f ew days, then
dowri the coast to Florida to visit with Hr. Hayes' relatives, thence
home via the southern route. Gloria Tatz flew to Kansas City to attend the wedding
of a friend. From there she will go to .Chicago to visit her sister, returning home
the middle of June. Alice Zel l er and her sister are spending a few days in Las
Vegas. Doris Myers is on a trip to Ogden, Utah, with her mother. Elna Burt, of
the Branches Division, enroute to Seattle May 24, stopped at Sacramento to pick up
Mrs. Bernice Gantt who is visiting in Burlingame , to take her on t :o Seattle.
FRANCES
ALEXANVER
RETURNS
Flying home from South Africa in a somewhat abrupt change of plans,
Frances Al exander surprised Central by r eturning a little more than
two weeks ahead of scheduie . Transportation difficulties caused her to
change her plans; it seems that he~ ship is still in the harbor owing
to a delay in docking, and then possible labor trouble. There was more than a
ripple of excitement in the Children's Division when Miss Alexander arrived. She
r eturned with a becoming coat of tan and a number of mElllentos of her trip in the
form of clothing, native jewelry, dolls, and rrj_ _n iature animal wood carvings of
water bucks, rhinoceri and giraffes. Incidentally, while Miss Alexander was in
Po~t Elizabeth, in the English edition of the Red Book Magazine for April, she read
the following item with, we are sure, something of a feeling of nostalgia: 11An
El Monte, California, Librarian reports that an unidentified woman called her,
ask ed to whom she was speaking, then explained that she had found a phone number in
her husband 1 s pocket and was just checking. 11
DINNER FOR Honoring Mrs. Bernice Gantt on her departure for Washington State
MRS. GANTT (reported last month) a dinner was enjoyed at Central by 35 of her
confreres. 'The special guest for the occasion was Leo Politi who
presented Mrs. Gantt with one of his original and charming paintings, the subject
being two sleeping children. Knowing that Mrs. Gantt has long been an admirer of
Mr. Politi' s work it was f elt that one of his paintings wouJ.d be a most appropriate
gift. When Leo learned this he volunteered to give it, insisting that it be not
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paid for. Realizine .that Mrs. Gantt, as field librarian;· will .be on the road a
good part of t:ie t ime, her friend a on t ho staff pres ented her l':ith a l eather
traveling b<ie. 'l'h~ dinner was arranged by : iss Lolte arici her staff and it t·Jas an
occasion that appropri1-1tcly cli0·,1axed pleasant memories of_ Mrs. Gantt's three ysars
as First Assistant in the Children's Division.
Written by a Mnnt ebello borrower, itor;er Cole, a boy
who comes to the library in his vFheel chair.
Did you ever see a boy
Who c ould not walk?
Did you ever see a boy
Who found it hard to talk?
Did you ever pity him?
I don't think you should;
For he can do t hing_s
You never dreamed he could.
True, you do things he can't
But just remember this:
Everyone is equal,
And joy and fun are his.
He may have some wisdom
That money cannot buy:
He may have 1mderstanding
No one can deny.
He . may have a talent
And ability to laugh:
So never think he's got
A life that's cut in half.
From Sarah L. Moody's monthly report on work with children in branches.
t ( . (: J/ I · . IT' / ! '..-.. / /, : -r~L~.A. tA
.. John D. Henderson f
/ County. Librarian
JDH:AW
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