New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-03-04

HAVE THE FREE ONES CAUSED THISf
SUNDAY NEWSPAPERS. MAGAZINES AND CHEAP
LITERATURE HAVE DONE THEIR PART

SUNDAY NEWSPAPERS, MAGAZINES AND CHEAP
LITERATURE HAVE DONE THEIR PART
What is to be tho future Of proprietary libraries?
Are they TO be replaced entirely by the free In
stitutions or will they yet recover the important
position in the community that they formerly
held?
These questions suggested by letter
that came to THE TRIBUNE the other day from
Philadelphia gentleman, who seemed to DO
greatly disappointed at the way in which the
Mercantile Library of that city is losing ground
This institution lie wrote, has been steadily
running down in membership for several years,
until now with some $4,000 volumes there are
less than half many members as there were
fifteen years ago The directors attempt To eNpaln
the results of their inefficient mana cement by cor
tending that tho day OF proprietary HDrdficS
has gone by consequence of the steadily
growing call for free libraries. | am sure thai
this factor is largely oyer-cstlmated ana that
the Ncw-YcTk Mercantile Library can SHOW DelteI
results
THE MERCANTILE HERE HAS THE SANE TROUBLE.
well. the New-YorlS Mercantile can't do any
such thing" was the candid remark OF hir.
Peoples, the genial librarian of that institution
when this statement was read to him. No, he
continued, your correspondent is wrong III
censuring the directors They are not to blame
The Philadelphia Mercantile is simply sharing the
common experience Of about ali subscription libra
ries throughout the country It's fate is the com
mon fate Of all Let mo show our record" he
continued, opening the last report OF the As-
ISOLATION at the table showing the total ISSUE
of books each year since 500 90, when the number
was only GA 263. From that time it continued TO
increase steadily until lS70-7l. when the max,
imum, 269, 034, was reached Then followed
decline. This was about as rapid as The III
crease had been. Five years ago it was down TO
1880. The next year the Association opened
the Fiith-ave branch. As result the circulation
has clept up again from 2 000 to nearly 90, coo
l.Ar fttt nfhf |
branch and only about half Of this sum IS taken
in This unpleasant fact has been the subject
of much thought on the part of The directors
and some of them are disposed 10 think II might,
after ell. be as well TO close ny the lifthave
department and amply the money expended on IL
TO the main building, fixing this up so as TO
make it to New-YorlS what the Athcnaeum Is TO
Boston The elevated railroads. said Mr. Peoples,
I" make this central as any point IN the city
and it is doubtful if we could find more de-
sirabe site below the mark. OF cours, we could
not 90 above that pleasure ground
ACCOUNTING FOR TIE change.
"How do you account for this decaaencc Of
proprietary libraries?" was asked
oh that is easy to explain; it is perfectly
apparent on a little reflection. First and fore
most, the advent of free Libraries: secondly, the
era of cheap literature, in which may Do Included
the newspapers, especially the Sunday papers.
the magazines and other periodicals. When
one considers the enormous amount or matter OF
every kind furnished to the public in these forms
he viii not wonder at the comparative neglect
shown by many people toward institutions OF this
cha racter. Whether this will continue or whether
the present tendency will be followed by reaction
| in our favor remains to be seen. hold that
| there will always be place for these libraries
! and I think evidence in favor of this belief is
| furnished by the Boston Athenaeum, whose shares
ALWAYS now sell for three times what they did
when the free library was established, which many
thought would take the place OF the Athonaeum
entirely Yet it has not done 50 by any means