Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1877-07-24
NO. 173
FACTS ABOUT CIRCULATING LIDRARIIs,

A writer In the Providence (R. ID Jour-
nal has been looking up the circulating IL
braries Of the city, and thus reports his
conclusions: 1.-The stock In trade of
circulating library consists chiefly Of nov.
els. and Of all novel-writer1. Mrs. Ssush-
worth Is most popular with this class of
readers. Her books are worn out In ser-
vice. replaced and worn out again with
out the least cessation In the demand
Next in popularity are the works Of Mrs.
Holmes, and then rank the highly -colored
novels of Ouida and Miss Evans. There
is considerable demand for Dickens' werks
and occasionally somebody ventures 10
call for Kenilworth or Ivanhos. Boys
generally take course Of Cooper and re-
tire on Jules Verne and Msyns Reid. A
BOOK week is the average among rsgu-
lar customers. There are some Who a.
ways want new books. IT makes no Sii-
ference what the book ID; II It il only just
out they want II. One Of this class frank
" explained her motive mot long ago
She said: 20, no; Idonr read the books,
that would be too tiresoms. just look
over the beginning until / find whe the
characters are, and them read the end 10
see how they came out. Then, " any
body asks me about the book. I sAy, d.
yes, I've seen it, and tell how il endsd,
and so get the credit Of being quite liter
ary." Another hdy In this City takes
books and never opens them, but IL looks
WE'LL she says, to see new books lying
around
There are some voracious readers In the
city. One lady has given up sslsuting
books, and she is now taking the b6oks IN
course-that Is, In regular order, shoif A.
ter shelf. There is . young girl In this
city whose life and health ars precious In
the sight Of the proprietor Of the library
where she takes out books. She has late
ly graduated from school, and the habits
OF application to books there acquired
seem to cling to her. She takes out, I'D.
on an average. II books . week. and has
had ll6 books charged to her since the 1st
OF May. The great difficulty in the man
agement of q circulating library b to eet
just enough and none too many copies OF
popular works. II . book happens 10 be
popular everybody wants II at once, but
after great demand for week or two,
il frequently happens that nobody cails for
that book any more, and unless the hbva-
ry has been cautious in buying, 4 aosn
finds itself with some very useless books
on hand. The libraries have various
methods Of getting rid Of their books.
One is exceedingly simple. People take
the books away and do not bring thsm
back. Another method, practiced s0ccsas-
fully in this city several years ago, was 70
rent books until the income thus obtained
was 10 per cent. above the cost OF the
book. Having received that much, the
book was Immediately sold, and the price,
whatever it might be, WAS thus clear
profit.
OF late years some Of the Libraries have
adopted plan Of letting books for the
summer. Many people who have found
in some secluded farm house the quiet and
rest they needed have been greatly dis.
turbed at finding also The whole lissgsry
resources at hand to consist Of o Bible,
an almanac, and weekly newspapsr.
The circulating libraries now allow reSu-
lar customers to make up . package 81 .
dozen or two dozen Of tie older books 10
take into the country and to kssp . couple
Of months or more at very small cost
Of course, this privilege does not includs
new books, or those In constant demand.
With their present resources, the circulat-
ing libraries are great convenience. but
they do not fill the place OF y FREQ public
library"