, 1874-05-14
THE FREE LIBRARY.

THE FREE LIBIsAIsY.
Hooks Called for apt, Thc,r cl,uraq,
tor-The oatp1nguc,
When March came with its tempostuous blasts.
tho Public Library, whIch Aad long slopt, scoure
from fro and general accoss by tho people, in
tho Tank surrounded by tho City-nall building,
moved from theHe dismal precincts to tho corner
Of Wabaah aronuo and Madison street. Hitherto
lta usefulness had beop merely transitory. A
respectable person In arrcars at Lis boarding.
house, and too aocdy 10 venture into flrst-olaBa
hotel to warm himself, could sit at ono Of tho
tables In tho old building, Improve hls mind with
InE CHICAGO TnrnuSE. and feast his eyea
on the lady Clerks, Dut while, as a
hhelteF from tho wintry hlpst8 of Apsll,
tho old reaatng-room WIS pronounced
succcas, tt was wanting In certain essentials.
one OF thRae was remotonoss from all euggos.
ton Of evil, aud that could not bo obtained In
Tie neighborhood Of tho City-Hall. 30 TINT tha
removal OF tho roadlng-room WAS quito desIr.
able.
Tho Library, which had bcon gradually dovclop.
Ing during tho paas year, would huve bcen
duarfod in curly infancy In tho Tank. To eljov
It to expand according to tho gonlus Of tho clty.
It was moved to ita new Quarters for birth. Aud
tnere the evont occurred. greatly to tho Ratlsfao,
t1qa n9.,r ot Mr. roolo and other gentlemen.
days tho public can judge for itself. Dooks woro
tirat Issued on May !. There aro now 2O.Q0O
yoiumestn the library Bhelvod away with great caro-
They comprise all tho donations from abroad,
ana maSe a;. vo1y imposing appearance On the
but will probably blossom In tims.
THE REGULATIONS
OF the library arc very simple. Anybody can
make On application for booka who so desires.
Al a 10 or sho has to do ia to notify tho hend OF
tho department, mako - deposit Of a3,-or moro
N speclal cases obtain a certificate or reagoet-
ability Blgned by anybody aa security, md ret q
book: Books will bo purchased to moot tho do
ma1tla Of tho people, aH long as the treasury
Of becoming their own Burotios on tho certiacatss.
aud request Mr. WickotAham to look at it Ia tho
Same light. But that obligipg gentleman cannot
conveniently do 30. It does not matter who tho
surely is, 50 long aa ho IL respectable. aud
writes IeEiblo autograph. Tho lattor Ia cssou.
ttal, for What roason iB not apparont.
BOOKS ISSUED.
These slmplo regulations have thus fur been
observed by 800 pafsonB, whose names arc regs-
people. Tho majority Is mado up Of very Young
mon from u to 16, and ladiea Of mat,ite ace
Young girls do not road. They might but tlioy
60 g., not as :r yet got boohs from the Public
saey woaen bTo MSa0 e very Gang men and na masa
volumes each up to date. Tho total number of
volumes circulated Ia 1,d0s, 20 thak Il takos 891
people twolye days to read ! ,40S yo!umos This
shows with what earnest attention the procioua
pagoa arc conncd, or it shows the labor required
to maHtor them.
THEIR NATURE.
It might be gratifying to find that 60 much
time waB apcnt in illus reading, marking leara-
ing, and fnTardly dsgosting thaBo books, It they
tor. A consultation Of Tho record SLOWS that
this is not oxaotly the case. Fiction lends tho
list. About Is per cent Of tho books issued
,',el' were works OF fiction. History and biogra.
' fare anu aboa 9ih's equas pssashe' rSs =,
latest novela, Eggloston'a The Circuit Ridor,5
Victor Hugos last work. and some Of Dickens.
are perpetually inquired for. 80 that, however
much care may bo hoatoNod upon tho reading, 1t
Rultehavo been aohioyod for education during tLs
past twelve days.
As tho pntrous Of tho Freo Library are bows.
md tho boy who roads Ia personage Of compar
atively regular il not exemplary. habits it is to
DO supposed that there is fixed time for h;B m
pearance. Between noon aud o'clock tue boy
comes for his work OF fiction. No matter what
doft of weathes Isl what opora COMPANY or
hoy comes for lis Ittiee Ie'' dose
OF fiction, as regularly as thai miserable
creature. the groeerj sonds in hia bill. Tho
tAC4sk AAfhutABt LuNk 4AFs NlCKErEuA[Q anu LIE
lady assistants enjoy ia this: They can put Cd
their applicant with stalo inventions cash alono
satisfies tho creditor. Some of tho boys follow
Madison street from the High School, aud land
!aa1. H. font Of IT, the Library door changing thoir
O'Clock, too, whom the storos disgorgo tLcir
cloriiR and olerkesseB, there ia Tush to tho
Library. How 800 people can be continually
rushing to the Library without drawing more
q In mn f1rHtr hub
away to tea without them.
suSDAys.
The reading-roo,u is open Sundays, and tho
daily. papers are on io. Books arc not issued
who aro not at church, rowing on the like. or
flirting In tho parks and Sunday schools. may
Hlt and rend tho advertising columns OF Tun
tribune and zee how many housss there are
still to ront because landlords persfst in robblng
possible figure. II they are automatically In
clined they will say TINT 4 house ronted for
twelve months at $40 will pay landlord better
than tho name house occupied for ten muuths at
s45, after dotluoting tho cost Of advertising for
reading-room Sunday, and thoughtful!y look
over that fatal column, they will feel happier in
church that ovoniug, with tho consciousness Of
good resolves.
BOOKS OF REFERENCE.
The books Of reference ln the Library are not
allowed to DO taken away. How maly people
have ayn!led themselves during tho past ton
days Of books of reference Mr. Wickorsham doea
not know. Perhaps it ie Us we'll he does not.
The figures or figure would be ludicrouHy in.
Significant
THE CATALOGUE,
The work Of cataloguing tho 10000 volumcs
now oil hand ia proceeding worry quietly, and
with groat dispatch. Patrons Of tho Library
suffer the disadvantages Of not knowing what ia
on tho hhelyes. Dns II they belong to that olasa
which knows what it wants. tile employees OF tha
department have no difficulty IN lind:
Ing it. The namo of every book ia written On
slip OF paper, thus:
....s...'s.....s-... .....,........t..s..-..s....
: q, %.