4r Mtr igan tal
SUNDAY MAGAZINE
ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN, SUNDAY, MARCH 19, 1922
An International Center of Learning
at Brussels
(By Virginia Tryeo) be catalogued and distributed to the the development of such things as the work was divided into two parts-one
In these days of the development of world. The main idea with which the railroad and telegraph-all these dealing with the formation of a sub-
a spirit of internationalism, which be- center has been organized lies in the things and many more like them are ject index, the other with an author
fore the great war was scarcely felt tact that the advancement of knowl- studied in their relation to the devel- index. The author index is by far the
ore t wedge has been so rapid and so broad opment of the civilization of the most complete. They have listed not
among the nations of the world, per- that some center of organization world. - only the more important books which
haps the greatest actual accomplish- where it can be recorded is necessary. The museum began its work in 1910 an author has written, but even maga-
ment has been made in the itstatla- There are now established and and was fully organized on its tic zinc articles which he has produced.
tion at Brussels, Belgium, of "Le working directly in the Palais Mondial ent basis in 1920. It now occupies The works listed are mainly those pro-
Centre International," a great world several organizations. The interna- forty rooms in the Palais Mondial It duced since 1900.
center of learning tional museum, the international Ii- contains approximately fourteen thou- Their work was begun on the basis
brary. the international institute of sand pieces and documents. Its work of the great catalogue of the British
The city of Brussels has long been bibliography, and the international is that of study, classification, instrue- Museum, and later was augmented by
the seat of mary international or- university are the most important, of tion, and research. The international the use of the catalogue of the na-
ganizations having as their aim the these. university will, in time, find great help tional library of France. A great im-
collection and distribution of learning The international museum has its in its work from the abundance of ma- petus was given to it when, in 1899, the
in its varied phases, each one acting work separated into several main di- terial which the museum can supply Library of Congress at Washington
as a world clearing-house for its liar- visions, some of them national in as 't. began to print cards of its books.
ticular branch of knowledge. pert, others iitein-tiOna. Thst is, it Aouser division of h teitre Soon other libraries began to do the
Now they are all united into one aims to assemble all the characteris- ternational which is doing, perhaps, saie thing, which greatly helped the
great world center. In 1920, under the tics -geographical, physical, and intel~ the most important work of all, comes institute at Brussels. There are now
direction of the Union of inter na lectual of, a certain nation, and the under the general classification of "la almost six million author cards in
tional associations, there was estab- actual history of its civilization. It documentation universelle." In this their co etion, occupying sbout seven
lished, in a large building in the Pare records in what that nation has ex- is the international library. the nter ogue is ytea.ticly arranged by
Cinquantenaire on the outskirts of celled, and what has been its great national institute of bibliography, atd
( the decimial system of classification,
Brussels, the headquarters of ILe contribution to human knowledge. the documentary encyclopedia. , which, it is interesting to note, was
Centre International," the newly The political, economic. and social or- The international library was insti- adopted in imitation of the American
formed international center which aiganzation of that country, its cul- tuted in 1907. It desires to make a phn. n There are also approximsately
combined all the hitherto separate in- tiure its natural and artistic re- vast collection of books of all coun- six milhion uh ect cards. The w-hole
terests into one. The building itself sources are looked into. - This work tries, atd of national periodicals. As soxlection is about three times as large
has been christened the "Palais Mon- of classifying each nation is to be yet, however, the book collection is as any other of its kind in the world.
dial.' done by that state itself, with the aid small, but there are more than seventy
The aim of this world organization cOf its government and administration. thousand specimens of periodicals. The theory on which recorders work
is primarily to offer to the various in- The international divisions take the representing as many different types is that people will write in for infor-
ternational associations inder its information. which has been gathered of papers, though no attempt has been nation regarding a certain subject,
guidance the greatest facility for rea- by those just described, and by- com- made to gather files of each one. The and by means of the photostat, cheap
lizing their ambition of a world con- pi arison and classification make a collection of works is based on the and accurate copies of the desired
gress and a permanent union. The 1 world record of what has been accom- donations by the various international material may be made and sent out.
union will make for better co-opera plished in all lines of knowledge and associations of complete sets of their There are many scientific and biblio-
tion between them, and each will find thought. It gathers together every- spublications. The establishment of graphical societies which are contrib-
itself better able to accomplish its thing on a certain subject, and inter- the international library will pro- uting to the collection in return for
specific purpose. The results of their prets it in its international aspect, as vide against many dangers of loss and the benefits which they receive, and
work will be the establishment of of henefit to mankind. The conception Jdestruction which national libraries to further the work, It is partly on
large international collections repre- of man himself; the evolution of his are likely to undergo. this account that the material for the
sentative of the intellectual. political, ideas, beliefs, and philosophies; the ( fle international institute of biblio- fields of science and medicine has been
economic, and social activities of all organization of the sciences; the suc- graphy began its work in 1895. It particularly well covered.
nations, so that each may know the cessio of great inentions. of titer- owes its inception and progress to the According to Librarian W. W.
national life, customs, and achieve- ary and artistic masterpieces; the devoted Tabors of Sen. Henri Lafon- tiship. whi had occasion his visit the
ments of the others. They will also methods of the-production, the circu- tine and M. Paul Otlet. It began by insitute on hi re en trip abrod and
develop and perfect a general system lation, and the distribution of the classifying and making card catalogue Iho conferred at egth ivith . Paul
of classification by which it will be great riches of the earth; the means systems of all that was published in Otet secretary of the Union of as-
possible for collected information toi of transportation and communication. I the way of books and magazines. The (Continued on page 4)
What Do PIarks -Tell?
(hy Marion Kerr) Thus another fable is disproved. It cuse of this judgment of marks. signments which, according to Pro-
"The smarter the student is the less is the hare than wins the race and Ninety-ive of them admitted that they fessor Whipple, are often given out
not the tortoise. And included In the did not study enough. Eighty-seven, without regard to the student capac-
he studies," is apparently the amazing Washington report is another fire-' apparently, were worried over their , ity, would be regulated in the new
discovery bothering the minds of the cracker applied to the present regime, ( studies and sat tip long hours of the 'method.
professorial body at large. In fact, one iu that, "Teaching standards are ap- nights consumed with grief over the The theory is a plausible one, and
or two universities are even sending plied to the duller students with the , possibility of poor marks. Many and , in the end may possibly eliminate
rstilt that brtghter students ace not: enlightening were the excuaes for th en osy osiyelmae
out intelligence charts to prove it. We eiresh toat wrkt sptytu are nieng uetere th fxauss , most outstanding evil of the present
required to work to capacity and are their preence there on the fatal lists. regime--that of sentencing the student
quote from the University of Washing- often bored." Athletics, social affairs, rooming con- tody twice a year by a decidedly arbi-
tqn: ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ bd "Inc geea yl thy ma neiel arbsuis iins nufcin le,-ortah
ton "In general th an ho tue, uite evidently something is wrong. ions, sufficient eep, poor teach- irary and artificial system of grading
less gets better marks...... The Illustrating it, there are now on cam- uig. campus activities, inadequate which is vulnerable not only to mis-
highs school preparation, physical de-
brighter the student is the less effort pus more than three hundred students fs fai' making, re an us understanding of ability and effort, but
hue makes and the less he needs to." of varying intelligence who are on the to persoual prejudice; it pays a spe-
blacklist of those who received bad a oial premium to cramming, and in
Coming sown to the vernacular of marks. Of the 335 students who took A possible solution ftor existing con- many cases is not in the least indi-
tie 'specimsens studlied,' it's its beists
hl 'ec Io gets by. One inherit; a ; the probation examinations recently ditions is advanced by Prof. Guy M. cative of the amount of real knowl-
-utiere wo cra my Oehanhits ad ;there were 290 men and 46 women, Whipple, head of the department of, edge the student has carried away
carries it proudly with one into a four ranging in mental capacity from the educational psychology. He suggests from the course. A "D" may be the
years' intelligence track meet. The average intelligence of the seventh that classes be segregated according professorial judgment on a funda-
tendency is that (according to official grade school to an intelligence ap- to individual ability. Thus the duller mental groundwork of real knowledge,
reports) those who spend the least proaching the realms of genius. From students would plod their weary way - and "A" may reward a chimera of de-
time going through the prescribed 142 of the probationers came the wall, in peace, and keener minds would be
academic rituals get the best marks. "I don't know how to study," in ex- made to exert themselves. Class as- (Continued on Page 8)