Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1882-03-25
Educational.
A Word or Two About Libraries.

vi tiic way ouoScitptiOH duu pupic IL
braries hold a forward place in the
leading sources of general benefit !;
their visitors and subscribers especi.
ally partaking largely of their advan-
tages. And if any improvement real
ly be wanting in their management,
that possibly might be found III adopt
ing more thorough preventive
against the circulation of any publica-
ton of doubtful tendency toyouth-
full minds,
The natural fondness of novelty,
common to youth, especially where
it has not been guarded with watch
full care against inroads upon inno-
cency, finds at least some scope for
indulgence; and thoughtlessly Ii
brarian may occasionally have been
blamed for the supposed neglect of
a proper discrimination being OBJ
served in the distribution or delivery
of books to youthful applicants. But
it is manifest that to prevent such oc-
casional mishaps the library should
have the cooperative aid of parents,
as it is chiefly through their discard
ance of duty that any such mishap
may be allowed to occur. Surely
parents should give attention to see
ing what books are asked for by the
youthful members of their families,
as it is not expected that the ibrar-
ian can form acquaintance with the
contents of each book having place
in the library. Nor would it he con-
sidered privileged question for him
to ask who was to be the reader of
a book delivered. Moreover the sub
scribers usually make their own Sc
lection of books, having done so, the
book is merely shown to the ibrar-
ian who may consider his duty done
by making record of the delivery
thereof.
Without parental cooperation with
the library, however, young miss,
for example, in her teens, may OBJ
tain through the presentation of her
own, brothers. or sisters's ticket of
membership, any book she may ask
for, and the book may be read with
out the slightest knowledge be had
of its contents by her parents, at
least that is a just conclusion to ar
rive at, for it's well-known that the ex-
ercise of parental control, parental
influence, especially in large cities, is
no longer as it was in by gone days.
Indeed it may almost be said that
many parents scarcely spare time
from office duties, visiting and other
outdoor engagements to allow suf-
ficient acquaintance being had with
the manner of pastime or the habits
that are being formed by the young
er members of their own families.
The writer, without arrogating to
himself much acquaintance with IL
bTaPy matters, is tempted, ignorant
iy it may be, to ask if it would not
be well as further precaution in
behalf ofyouthful readers having free
or too free access to the books of
those institutions, for fixed number,
say two or three, of the regular at !
tending officials whose duty it would |
be to classify the books of the entire
library, and one Of each of those to
make himself as well acquainted as
possible with the books, and especi-
ally all nOrels, of the particular class
or classes assigned to his supervision,
and that they, with the librarian,
would see that proper discrimination
be made by appropriating particular
books for youthful reading; and that
they also exert controlling infu-
ence in making selections for pur.
chases of all books required for the
library.
1t may be said that some of those
institutions, in order to be selfsus-
tanning, have not enough of revenue
or material aid for efficiently correct
ing the defects that may pertain to
the mode of present management.
Educated aids, whose attainments
fit THEM for a proper discharge of the
duties of such situations, can, if desir-
ed,command remuneration for the re-
quired services of the institution
greater than the means thereof will
admit. And hence it may be not SO
much matter of choice with respect
to the desired correction by those
having charge as it is Of necessity,
restricted as the outlay probably is to
the means at command. Should this
indeed prove to be the case might
not an appeal to the wealthy of our
citizens freely meet with a satisfac-
tory result And while the means
thus obtained would not only serve
to relieve those whose lively interest
and generous hearts have already
led them to devote much of their
time and most literally of their
means to those institutions, butsuch
material aid would also prove cheer
ing to many earnest wishers for the