Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1877-08-03
[Seventh Article.]
Our Free Public Library.

In it's miscellaneous department the
library contains many books which to
readers Of some mental culture will be
found especially interesting. To this
class belong Maunsel B. Fields Mem
cries of Great Men," Jno. w. Forney's
" Anecdotes Of Public Men," James T.
Fields =" Yesterdays with Authors" and
the more recent issues, George Sands
Impressions and "reminiscences and
Bayard Taylor's Echo Club" Then
we have De Tocqueville's Democracy
in America" Emerson's Prose Works,
Huxley's Lay Sermons" Mrs. Ellet's
Woman Artists in All Ages" Olive
Logan's Women and Theatres" Muir
rays "Adirondacks," Barker's "Aryan
Civilization " and Mathews Getting on
in the World" all interesting and profit
able reading OF course in these arti-
cles l have not mentioned a moiety Of
books in the several departments espec-
tally referred to, and in fiction none
whatever except the last additions. Fic-
ton will find readers enough. My object
has been to direct attention to the more
substantial intellectual viands, in the
hope that parents especially may be in
duced to influence their children to make
a wise and elevating use of the means of
mental improvement so fortunately pla-
ced at their command.
From the beginning the Board of Di-
rectors has aimed to avoid hobbies,
narrowness, sectarianism and political
discrimination in its selection of books
for the library and periodicals for the
reading room. No complaint has been
heard from the public on this score. 1t
would be surprising indeed if there were
not occasional criticisms and complaints
OF minor details Of management, but
these are exceptions and result mainly
from misapprehenson. The method Of
drawing books, for instance, has been
recently changed from the hap-hazard,
shiftless habit Of handling over pile
OF books left upon the counter and ask
ing questions of the librarian, to the
more systematic and reasonable arrange
ment OF noting upon piece of paper,
from the catalogues, the names and
numbers Of the books desired. The re-
suit is great saving in the wear and
tear OF books, less noise, crowding and
confusion at the librarians desk, less liza
bility to mistakes in the record, and
better knowledge of the contents of the
library gained by patrons in their exam
nation of the catalogues Thus the best
interests of the public are advanced by
method adopted in the Oldest and most
experienced public libraries elsewhere,
but which was impracticable with us so
long as we were without printed cata-
logues. 1t is astonishing how quickly
books wear out by such constant hand
ling as was formerly practiced in our IL
brary. The change will save the library
great expense in rebinding. Does this
furnish just cause for complaint?
| may as well refer here to the work
OF the librarian, as some misapprehen-
sion exists with regard to it. Aside
from the mechanical work of sweeping
and busting the rooms, filling, trimming
and cleaning the lamps, building the fires
in their season, placing the newspapers
upon the racks, sewing loose-folded peri
odicals, cutting edges, &c, she not only
has to keep an accurate record OF the
books loaned and returned, but an addi-
tional record on the shelf cards, and to
" check up" carefully each day from a
fortnight's business, so as to determine
what books are overdue. This work will
not admit of delay; it must be done ev-
cry day or confusion inevitably follows
L have failed to mention many of the
minor details, but it may be readily in
ferred that the position is no sinecure
1t has been so we'll filled that only two
or three books have been lost altogether,
and complaints have been the rare ex-
ception.
: The rules of the library and reading
room have been cheerfully acquiesced
in, with occasional exceptions resulting
from thoughtlessness rather than vic
iousness. For instance a periodical has
in some instances been taken from the
reading room and subsequently returned
on the sly, articles have been cut from
the papers and magazines distracted,
all undoubtedly the work of parties who
would scorn to enter their neighbor's
house for the same purpose. They
ought to remember that the right to
read does not give the right to deface,
destroy or carry away. There is proba-
bly, no community in the State where
the public would make a more intelli-
gent, creditable and sensible use of such
an institution than is now being done in
this progressive city of Independence.
j. l.. LOOMS.