Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1877-08-24

a writer in the Providence TX. l.) Jour
nal has been looking up the circulating IL
braries Of the city, and thus reports his con-
clusions The stock in trade Of a circula-
ting library consists chiefly Of novels. and
of all novel writers Mrs. Southworth is most
popular with this class OF readers. Her
books are worn out in service, replaced and
worn out again without 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's works, and occasionally somebody
ventures to call for Kenilworth or lvanhoe
Boys generally take course Of Cooper and
retire to Jules Verne and Msyne Reid. A
book week is the average among regular
customers. There are some who always
want new books. Ii makes no difference
what the book is il it is only just out they
want it. One OF tins class frankly explain
ed her motive not long ago. She said 80,
no, | don't read the books. that would be
tiresomc. Just look over the beginning
until | find who the characters are and then
| read the end to see how they came out.
Then. If anybody asks me about the book,
say, 20, yes, I've seen 1t, and tell how
it ended. and so get the credit OF being quite
literary" Another lady in this city takes
books and never opens them, bat "it looks
well +" "to see new books lying around.
There are some vOraciOus readers in the
city. One lady has given up selecting books.
and she is now taking the books in course
that ~, IN regular order, shelf alter she'll,
There il young girl in the city whose lie
and health are precious in the sight OF the
proprie tpI of the library where she takes
| out books. She has lately graduated from
school, and the habits OF application to
books there acquired seem TO cling to her.
She takes out upon an average IL books
week, and has had ll6 hooks charged to her
| since the 1T Of May The great difficulty
| IN the management of circulating library
is to get lust enough and none too many
| copies of popular works. lfa book hap
pens to be popular everybody wants it ut
once, but alter u great demand Tor week
or two, 1t frequently happens that nobody
calls for that book any more, and, unless the
| library has been cautious IN buying, 1t soon
| finds itself with some very useless books on
hand. The Libraries have various methods
| Of getting rid OF their books. One ls exceed
ingly simple. People take the books away
and do not bring them back. Another
method, practiced successfully in tins city
seyerai years ago, was to rent the books un-
| tai the income thus obtained was 10 per
cent above the cost OF the book. Having
received that much. the book WAS ImmedI-
ately sold, and the price, whatever 1t might
be. was thus clear profit.
OF late years some Of tho Libraries have
adopted new plan OF letting books Tor tho
sumnor. Many people who have louud IN
some secluded farm house the quiet and
rcst they needed have been greatly di-
turhcd ut finding also the whole literary rt
sources Mt hand to consist OF a Bible, an al
mgnac. and a weekly newspaper. The eli
culatIug libraries now allow regular GU,
tomcr~ to make up package Oi a dozen or
two i, zen of the older books to take into
the country and to keep a couple OF months
or more ut very small cost. OF course
th- Irlyilegc does not include new books,
or thu-r in constant demand. With their
present resources, the circulating libraries
are great convenience, but they do not
fill the place of free public library. That
Providence has no public library ~ great
reproach. but one which 1t is hoped will not
! long remain.