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received $600 per year. In the new building (1901) the hours
were strenuous. The librarian and her assistant arrived at nine
in the morning to prepare for the ten o'clock opening and stayed
until nine, sometimes nine-thirty when there were things to clear
up, six days a week. There was one hour off for lunch and
another for supper. About 1909 when another assistant was added
each of the workers had one free afternoon a week. The catalog
was hand written by Miss Van Keuren. She worked at a small desk
adjacent to the catalog, again according to Archibald Vail's
recollections. Grace Bennett added that there were still a few
catalog cards in the present catalog which were written in her
fine careful script, called "librarian's hand. **
Mr. Vail mentioned several other anecdotes about Miss Van
Keuren that were not to be used, this according to Grace
Bennett's typewritten interview of Mr. Vail. I showed this
information to Ann Vail, his daughter, when I interviewed her.
She just laughed and said that of course I could use anything in
my paper and that she was sure her Dad wouldn't mind. Besides,
she said, "it was all true."49
Mr. Vall reported that "absolute silence" prevailed even
though children's books were off in one corner of the main floor.
Miss Van Keuren was a great disciplinarian both to the staff and