The Library Assistant's Manual. A rural visitor at the Philadelphia Library Company after gazing with open mouth at the well filled shelves turned to the reference assistant and said in a confidential tone, Now, isnt there some book that has it all in He was referred to the bulky and voluminous encyclopedias. No, he demurred, I mean some small book. Librarians are frequently asked many questions as to the nature of their work, not only by outsiders but by people in authority who ought to know at least the rudiments of librarianship. A library is a place where people seem to be doing the greatest amount of useless work, is a remark probably spurious attributed to one visitor to Harvard University Library. Others seem to think that library assistants have infinite leisure to read all the books under their charge. There is apparently a need for some small book on the general subject of library work. It is hoped that the free distribution of the present booklet by the Michigan State Board of Library Commissioners will get it into the hands of untrained assistants and library apprentices who are in need of a brief introduction to library work. The sections devoted to classification, cataloging and library work with children are based on lectures before the University of Michigan Summer Library School by Mr. F. P. Jordan, Miss Esther A. Smith and Miss Edna Whiteman respectively.