PUBLISHER: School Library Association, Chicago, 1899
ABOUT: Information specific to this organization has not yet been found. Although unlikely, it may have been a dependent unity of, or otherwise related to, the American Library Association (which, howevew, first moved from Massachusetts to Chicago in 1909) or a precursor of the American Association of School Librarians (1914-1951) or of one of two "groups promoting school library interests [that] existed in two other professional associations during the first quarter of the twentieth century: the Library Department (1896-1924) of the National Education Association and the Library Section (1913-1919) of the National Council of Teachers of English." [Pond, Patricia. "Development of a Professional School Library Association of School Librarians." School Media Quarterly 5:1 (Fall 1970)]. While the name certainly suggests a non-profit interest group, it might have been a commercial company formed specifically to supply a list of vetted titles marketed to school libraries.
Comparing this copy with with other copies of Lucile suggests it was printed from the same set of electroplates used at this time by The Henneberry Company of Chicago, thus likely the printer commissioned by the Association for this edition. The page following the title page, with a brief biography of Lytton suggesting why the book is appropriate for a school library, is NOT in the Henneberry (or any other) editions (but of course easily added).
This entity did not submit a catalog to PTLA; is not found as an imprint in WorldCat; archive.org; HathiTrust.org; National Union Catalog of Pre-1956 Imprints (vol. 529); or Google Books. It's name alone makes it extremely difficult to search! Library historian Wayne Wiegand kindly reported "In researching American Public School Librarianship: A History, 1876-1917 (1986), I do not remember coming across any cite for “The School Library Association," but did point to an amusing incident he had described in the book (pages 112 and 113): "In the fall of 1899 the [American Library] association experienced a humorous episode involving George F. Nason of Franklin, Kentucky, who was marketing a small traveling subscription library under the name of “The American Library Association.” On 10 October [Henry J.] Carr [ALA Secretary 1896-1900] asked about the company he headed, and told him the name “American Library Association” had been incorporated under the laws of Massachusetts in 1879. Nason responded that he was not aware of the other ALA,” and that Carr’s letter was the first indication a rival existed. He asked Carr to explain how use of the name “works an injustice to you,” and promised to change his company’s name to “National Library Association” if Carr’s response was satisfactory. Carr replied replied several weeks later that it was “difficult to understand’ Nason’s ignorance, “considering the long-established and public work that has been carried on by the ALA.” He also pointed out to Nason that his venture was not an association, but a company. Three days later Nason objected to the “high and mighty style” of Carr’s letter, and informed the ALA secretary that he would change the name of his business enterprise to “American Library Company.” He concluded “Should you for any reason wish to continue this correspondence, in which we have no further interest, kindly enclose stamp for reply.” The stationery on which the letter was written had “Association” crossed out and “Company” stamped above it. Carr later thanked Nason for this response, but did not enclose a stamp." Wiegand cites correspondence in the ALA Archives. [Email correspondence August 2024].
The espisode was also described in The Library Journal 24:12 (December 1899), p659: "THE American Library Association officials recently discovered that there were two Richmonds in the field — the double being a private enterprise at Franklin, Kentucky, using the title the American Library Association, George F. Nason, president, and doing a commercial business in travelling libraries. After some correspondence in which the Rev. Mr. Nason stated that he had never heard of the American Library Association as known to most librarians, but wondered that its officials had never heard of his organization, Mr. Nason agreed to change the name of his enterprise to the American Library Company, under which title it continues its business. This should not be confounded with the H. Parmele[e] Library, of Chicago, which has developed a combination of the Mudie idea and the modern travelling library into a private enterprise of considerable proportions, designated by it as the "University of the Travelling Library." It is understood to have built up a business which has been of convenience in many minor places, although it adds a touch of grotesqueness to its work by its grandiose title and by issuing formal diplomas to those who have invested their money and time in its reading courses."
Only one further mention of a company of this name has surfaced: THE INDIANAPOLIS NEWS, Thursday, May 17, 1900, [Column 6], in its daily "Questions and Answers" column responded to a question from an unnamed reader in Bloomington: "'Will you kindly Inform me of the location of the International Library Company (or association.)' A.— We know of no International Library Association or company. There is an American Library Company at Franklin, Ky., which rents traveling libraries. George F. Mason is manager."
"Nason" proves to be a relatively common name but the 1900 U.S Census did not find any person of that name residing in Simpson County (which surrounds the town of Franklin), Kentucky. To further complicate the search, the census found some 260 people with surname "Mason", given name "George", across the country but none of the 30+ who lived in Kentucky were located in Simpson County.
LUCILE’s ISSUED BY School Library Association, 1899 :
Note "SCHOOL LIBRARY" stamped in gold at bottom of spine and imprint on the title page. Following the title page is a page given to a brief biography of Lytton.
Last revised: 31 August 2024