to
him trivial; he won't trouble these wise and busy people with it--and
goes out.

A good second rule is: Learn at once just exactly what the inquirer
wishes to know. This is not always easy. Tact and a little patience
will generally effect it.

A good third rule is: Whenever possible show the inquirer how the
answer is found, so that he may next time in some measure help
himself. It is surprising how many, especially of the younger people
in a community, can be taught within one year, on their occasional
visits, to make the proper use of at least a few reference books.

Another rule of very general application is: Go first to a dictionary.
In many cases a question answers itself, or betrays where its answer
may best be found, if it is once plainly stated. And nothing is better
than reference to a few words in a dictionary for the clear statement
of a question. The larger dictionaries, moreover, and notably the
Century, will answer many more inquiries than even great readers often
suppose.

Many questions come up again and again. Of these, and of the
references which answered them, notes should be kept on cards for
future use. In fact it is well to keep an index in this way of the
references looked up for all the more important inquiries.

The following excellent advice is from an article on The use of
periodicals in reference work, by Frederick Winthrop Faxon, in Public
Libraries for June, 1898:

"In all reference work periodicals play a large part. They may be
roughly divided into two great classes, the technical and the popular.
The former are indispensable to the scholar, or the expert, and in the
rapid advancement of science are the only real sources of information.
Text-books or treatises are out of date before published; therefore
for a correct present view, or a complete history of the development
of any science, the technical reviews and society transactions must be
consulted. These will be the principal part of a scientific library,
and should be in the large public and college libraries in order to
cover advanced study.

They have, on the other hand, little place in small libraries--they
would seldom be of use, and are very expensive.

"But the popular periodicals every library needs. In the better class
of these reviews it is possible, if we know where to look, to find
several articles on both sides of almost any subject. Furthermore,
these are often written by the foremost authors or scientists,