New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-12-15
EnNN INLEIEN.

The Ncw-York Library Club has been DIS
cn>,ing question which is of much lmpoI-
tancc 10 all Librarians. and which the multph-
cation Of public lihlaIic, has brought into more
prominence than ever before. Few II IN!
libraries ESCAPE the dcrl,dltionS of thc book
thicyc. entirely. but fee Libraries suffer from
a more vulgar Kind Of larceny than that which
iuiurc. the more exclusive collections oi late
wears public Libraries have been exposed to the
socrilc,iols attacks Of The kind Of l'cror,
tramp who 10 a zeal love of reading adds thII't
So cxigcnt that it leads him to steal books tor
no lofticr purpose than to convert Them mt"
vhiskcy. This class Of book thief can ONLY
be dealt with in the ordinary way Gnt me
old-fa,hioncd bool, thicf-and the type Is SIM
cxt;,nt-wa~ quite different kind OF pIundcrtr'
H.. WAS either a collector or Il poor scholar. II
fine first. his passion for tall copies, prlnccp&
editions. back-lc Gothic or Pasdc'oup
bindings. rare illustrations or any OF the
hundred and one hobbies which bibliomanla
shelters had killed in him the moral sense, 50
far. and 80 far only, a. books were concerned.
IIc might be- and probably was upright and
prnctilious in his business transactions. scrupu-
lously correct in financial affairs, All indu'Scnt
parent and devoted husband, faithful friend
and generally an honorable member 81 society {;
in all thing, conforming to high standards save
where books were concerned.
There thc old Adam fomi,hcd ranl,ly. Put
fine collector in his ncishbor's Library, with no
nryiul, eyes TO watch him, and he would steal
whatever treasures were not put beyond hi
reach by lock and key. The history of book
thieves contains many distinguished names,
., old Ili-tnpli has m hal IN al
in his delightful "Cmositics of Literature"
The temptation in all such eases seems over
whclmng. Even a Cardinal once yielded to
il. aud noblcmrn no: few have lilchcd precious
volumes from one another Your experienced
collector Will open his cases wide to all SORTS
and conditions Of men save and except those
Of his own class. He knows that IN the fierce
strife Of .unas,ing Libraries quarter is neither
given nor received. and that ho must guard
IN, possession, ii Fl 0jmiS. For the genuine
book collector has no bowels in the exercise o
his vocation. He will plcr from his own
brother il occasion Arises and he cannot appai
entity help il. Therefore The great libraries
Of the world keep their most valuable pieces
carefully locked away, and will admit no one
to them save under conditions which absolutely
preclude larccnous proceedings
There j., however, another claSs of book
thieves namely, poor scholars. 1t was shown
in The debate of the Library Club that clergy
men are not free from this weakness nay, that
"A theological library frequcntcd by them alone
had actually lost thousand volumes. This is
one of the results of cultivating intellectual
| tastes and needs IN men, and then condcmnlng
! them to pastorates poorly supported that
they cannot indulge THEN literary nclinations.
Or poor minister is perhaps writing book
which he hopes will bring him into notice, and
he cannot afford to buy the works of reference
necessary. In IN evil hour the library tcmpts
him. and he falls. For such cases there may be
sympathy, but what can be said for the thieves
whose speciality is the mutation of illustrated
books These are the most constituencies
and mischieyous of all the library depredators