The Press., 1885-09-17
ASHFORD,S NEW LIBRARY BUILDING.


 The Babcock Free Public Library of Ashford is soon to be ill possession of quarters exclusively for its own use. Mfr. Peter Patt, the present librarian, who lives beside the road from Warrenville to Westford village at point about central in the town, is now engaged in building an addition to'sthe l. of his house for h. brary purposes. 1t will be one story in height, of ground dimensions IA i1S feet, with shelves sufficient to hold between 5000 and 5000 volumes, and also atfording a cosy library room for the accommoda- tion of patrons. MT. Platt generously erects this new building at his own expense and allows the library the free use of it. It will cost several hundred dollars and probably be ready for occupancy in about u month. =Dt The Babcock Free Public Library has now grown to be quite a tiourishing insti- tuition. AS many know it was founded by the late Archibald Babcock, former resi- dent of Ashford, who went to Charlestown, Mass, and became wealthy brewer. Mr. Babcock's will left the annual income of $6OO0 to the town of Ashford one half for the maintenance of local brass band, 1 or If no band were maintained the income of $3OOO to be used in hiring bands to play for the townspeople and one half for the establishment and maintenance of pub lie library free to all residents of the town. It is needless to say that both the band and library are still maintained The town holds the funds in trust and the in- comes are expended under the direction of proper committees. MT. Babcock di- | rected that the income of the library fund should be used exclusively for the first fifteen years in the purchase of books. The library was opened about 1866 in | the Warrenville store with abont 100 vol umes. There was no regular system in It's management at first and no pay for the care of the books. A few years later, for convenience, one half of the books were taken to the Westford store. The num- Der of books by provision of the will was constantly growing and the care of them increasing. Lack of stnct management also resulted in some losses. Therefore the town, about dozen years ago, finally voted to appoint librarian. MT. Peter Platt, the present incumbent. was then chosen and his compensation fixed mt the nominal sum of $1O per year, the honor attaching to the post of librarian being it's chief reward. The volumes were at once removed to MT. Platt's house and have since been kept there.
 In recent years the number of volumes. now grown to exceed 22OO, have overtaxed the convenience of the room set apart for library use at MT. Platt's. It is for this reason that MT. Platt has finally determin- ed to providelnew and commodious quar- ters at his own expense. The funds avail able nave allowed an average addition of about 100 volumes year. The patrons ot the library send in to the library com mittee lists of books they deem desirable, and from these lists the committee make choices for purchase A glance at the cat alogue shows an excellent and wholesome variety of books on history, travel, biog- raphy, science and standard and current fiction, rejecting equal credit to the good taste of the patrons and good judgment of the committees. To be sure there are to pc found Ill this, as, ln every general li- brary, some books winch are justly denom- mated "trash, and better to be ignored than read by anybody-such alleged nov els as those by Mrs. D. D. N. Southworth, Caroline Ice Hentz, Mary J. Holmes, and the like, being conspicuous examples, and books which it is worse than waste of time to read. But fortunately, and to the great credit of the popular taste of the town, the proportion of volumes of this class in the Babcock library is comparatively small. 1t IS worthy of special note that the recent additions show @ commendable familiarity with the best works in all standard branch es of current literature. The possession of library so large and varied in ite char acter is an unusual advantage for town of no more inhabitants than Ashford, about l0O0-and the people bespeak their appre- clatlon of their superior opportunity by quite general patronage. Messls. Davis A: Baker, Dr. J. H. Simmons and S. B.. lift constitute the present library com mlttee.- WSllinaaaatic Chronicle.