Public Speaking - Part 14
Library

Part 14

37. Geographical considerations on which Monroe Doctrine rested still obtain.

38. Systems of morality and philosophy are not transient, because they rest on verities.

39. Monroe Doctrine rests on law of self-preservation.

40. Offers a larger reservation of Monroe Doctrine as third constructive criticism.

SENATOR LODGE

[Sidenote: What a League should provide.]

3. Wants to consider what such a league must contain.

4. Must have provision for obligatory arbitration.

5. Obligation not to resort to war must be compulsory.

6. Compulsion must be such that no nation will venture to incur it.

7. Nation that does not submit to arbitration must be treated as outlaw.

8. If decisions of arbitrations are clear and generally considered just, a nation desiring to wage war should be prevented.

9. Points of contact are not points of friction except when made too infrequent.

10. Travel, intercourse, frequent meetings help amicable adjustments.

11. League should provide councils where men can meet and talk over differences.

12. Penalty for violating agreements should be automatic.

13. All should be obliged to make war on attacking nation.

PRESIDENT LOWELL.

Using the Library. A reader must know how to use libraries. This means he must be able to find books by means of the card catalogs. These are arranged by both authors and subjects. If he knows the author of a book or its t.i.tle he can easily find the cards and have the book handed to him. Very often he will seek information upon topics entirely new to him. In this case he must look under the entry of the topic for all the books bearing upon his. From the t.i.tles, the brief descriptions, and (sometimes) the tables of contents upon the cards he can select intelligently the books he needs. For instance, if he is searching for arguments to support a new kind of city government he could discard at once several books cataloged as follows, while he could pick unerringly the four which might furnish him the material he wants. These books are listed under the general topic "Cities."

_The Spirit of Youth and the City Streets. Old English Towns.

Munic.i.p.al Administration. The Modern City and its Problems.

Personality of American Cities. Historic Towns of the Southern States. Romantic Germany. Cities of Italy. American Munic.i.p.al Progress_.

Cross references are also valuable. In addition to books cataloged under the topic consulted, others grouped under other subjects may contain related information. Here are three actual cross references taken from a library catalog.

Land: Ownership, rights, and rent. See also conservation, production, agriculture.

Laboring cla.s.ses: Morals and habits. See also ethics, amus.e.m.e.nts, Sunday.

Church. See also church and state, persecutions.

The continual use of a library will familiarize a student with certain cla.s.ses of books to which he may turn for information. If he is permitted to handle the books themselves upon the shelves he will soon become skilful in using books. Many a trained speaker can run his eye over t.i.tles, along tables of contents, scan the pages, and unerringly pick the heart out of a volume. Nearly all libraries now are arranged according to one general plan, so a visitor who knows this scheme can easily find the cla.s.s of books he wants in almost any library he uses.

This arrangement is based upon the following decimal numbering and grouping of subject matter.

LIBRARY CLa.s.sIFICATION

000 to 090, _General works_. Bibliography. Library economy.

Cyclopedias. Collections. Periodicals. Societies, museums. Journalism, newspapers. Special libraries, polygraphy. Book rarities.

100 to 190, _Philosophy_. Metaphysics. Special topics. Mind and body.

Philosophic systems. Mental faculties, psychology. Logic, dialectics.

Ethics. Ancient philosophers. Modern.

200 to 290, _Religion_. Natural Theology. Bible. Doctrinal dogmatics, theology. Devotional, practical. Homiletic, pastoral, parochial.

Church, inst.i.tutions, work. Religious history. Christian churches and sects. Ethnic, non-christian.

300 to 390, _Sociology_. Statistics. Political science. Political economy. Law. Administration. a.s.sociations, inst.i.tutions. Education.

Commerce, communication. Customs, costumes, folklore.

400 to 490, _Philology_. Comparative. English. German. French.

Italian. Spanish. Latin. Greek. Minor literatures.

500 to 590, _Natural science_. Mathematics, Astronomy. Physics.

Chemistry. Geology. Paleontology. Biology. Botany. Zoology.

600 to 690, _Useful arts_. Medicine. Engineering. Agriculture.

Domestic economy. Communication, commerce. Chemic technology.

Manufactures. Mechanic trades. Building.

700 to 790, _Fine arts_. Landscape gardening. Architecture. Sculpture.

Drawing, decoration, design. Painting. Engraving. Photography. Music.

Amus.e.m.e.nts.

800 to 890, _Literature_ (same order as under _Philology_, 400).

900 to 990, _History_. Geography and travels. Biography. Ancient history. Modern Europe. Asia. Africa. North America. South America.

Oceanica and polar regions.

M. DEWEY: _Decimal Cla.s.sification_

Using Periodicals. In the section on taking notes the direction was given that in citing legal decisions the latest should be secured.

Why? That same principle applies to citing any kind of information in a speech. Science, history, politics, government, international questions, change so rapidly in these times that the fact of yesterday is the fiction of today, and _vice versa._ A speaker must be up to date in his knowledge. This he can be only by consulting current periodicals. He cannot read them all so he must use the aids provided for him. The best of these is the _Reader's Guide to Periodical Literature_ issued every month and kept in the reference room of all libraries. In it, arranged under both subject and author's name, are listed the articles which have appeared in the various magazines. The December issue contains the entries for the entire year. A group of topics from a recent monthly issue will show its value to the speaker securing material.

Eastern Question. British case in the East. H. Sidebotham, Asia 19:261-1263 Mr '19.--England and her eastern policy. H.

Sidebotham. Asia, 19:158-161. F '19.--Khanates of the Middle East. Ikbal Ali Shah. Contemp. 115:183-187 F '19.--More secret treaties in the Near East. L. Stoddard. Maps. World's Work. 37: 589-591. Mr '19.--Part of the United States in the Near East. R of Rs 59:305-306 Mr '19.--Should America act as trustee of the Near East? Asia, 19:141-144 F'19.

By this time the student speaker will have that mental alertness referred to early in this book. He will be reading regularly some magazine--not to pa.s.s the time pleasantly--but to keep himself posted on current topics and questions of general interest, in which the articles will direct him to other periodicals for fuller treatment of the material he is gathering. The nature of some of these is suggested here.

_The Outlook_, "An ill.u.s.trated weekly journal of current events."