Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1883-08-10
CLOSING HOUR OF CITY LIBRARY.

EDs. RECORD. UNION I observe with re-
gret that the Trustees of the City Library
have passed an order to close the Library at
9 p. NJ. on and after September LIST, stating as
a reason that it is seldom that anyone is
present after that hour" I respectfully beg
to dissent from the conclusion arrived at, as
well as the alleged reason. The establish
ment of the Free Library as necessity was
chiefly to provide such facilities for young
men and others who are mostly employed sll
day and have no homes but their boardisg-
house saloon, or some other saloons. It is
true that Acknowledgment, as a rule, are too
tired 10 avail themselves Of the privilege of
the reading-room and library after days
work, but there are a large number Of clerks
employed and unemployed who, while the
rooms are kept open until $3.50 or 10 P. NJ, as
they were in the first place, were thereby Of
fered opportunity snd evening homes, SO to
speak, for improving themselves which will be
seriously discounted by closing the rooms at 8
PM. Most of them will regard il as too soon
to 90 to bed, so that they are at once driven
to spend the hour from 9 to 10 P. " at some
ealoon or ether undesirable place; and this
will be especially the case in the autumn and
winter.
At present the evenings are 80 enjoyable
that some go to swim in the river. Others at
the swimming baths, or for walk somewhere,
and especially twice q weel, to hear the music
in the Plaza or State Park, but probably
August viii conclude the public musical en-.
tertainmsnts. While they last, however. it
cannot be expected that there would be so
many readers in warm, gss-lighted rooms.
And If hundreds of those who can afford it
are glad to get out of the city TO the country
or aaai1a bcra %la -
be unnstural for the young men and others
who have to remain not TO avail themselves
OF the parks, or the river, or the baths. But
when the rich will be glad to return TO their
comfortable homes, and nearly double the
number OF demands made upon the Librarian
for books to read at home, SO cur young bus
mess class and others should have the oppor-
tunity OF free reading-Tooms until the usual
time for retiring, $50 or 10 P. NJ. $50 P. NJ.
is indeed quite early for those who do not
leave their stores until P. NJ.
As people advance in life, dimness of sight
or other ailment may compel them to retire
at an early hour, but when I was young
man in London similar institutions were kept
open until II P. NJ. Chess and chequers were
quite attractions there also, besides lectures
weekly for six months in the year. The
lecture-soom, library and reading-foom were
all distinct, and the latter was always kept
open the Latest the duty Of closing it simply
falling upon the Janitor-not the Librarian
or deputy. who had long since closed the
library. The book-borrowers here of course
have their own homes as rule, and but few
of them are readers Of magazines or news.
papers, unless during the business hours,
when young men or clerks cannot attend. The
tins Of the latter for reading the magazines,
or using the library as q reference library, to
assist their studies, viii be curtailed nearly
one.hslf by the proposed closing at N.
which ought rather to be extended to 10
P. NJ. as ia the beginning. The State Library
nj hit be tenfold more advantageous if
opsned for reference readers evenings from
P. N. until 10P NJ. OCCASIONAL READER.
Sacramento. August s, 1888.