Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-02-08

the time arrived for stocking it with books,
the management would have some difficult
work. Commercial, and technical books, {"
continued Mr.. Reisfar, "seem to me to be the
books wanted. AS for what you call stand
ard works. they ought to be placed in Sec
ondary position. The library is intended for
the working classes and their instruction.
Mr.. William Thaw, when he presented his
books to our teachers library, expressly
stipulated that no work of fiction should be
purchased. In this case the technical
works come first, the other books might be
bought subsequently.
PROF. LUCKEY's VIEWS.
Superintendent Luckey said he preferred
a central location convenient to the cable
roads. He thought the best site was the
Kearns drugstore property, corner Grant
and Fifth avenue, but he understood Mr..
Carnegie was opposed to this location. He
believed the Liberty and Market street tri-
angle at the foot of Fifth avenue would be
a good place, but the shape is not desirable,
and the space is rather limited; in addition
the ground is very costly. Superintendent
Luckey, however, favors location some
where in the Old City. As to the selection
of books, he said that could be discussed
later. What is needed first is the buildings
to put the books in.
When Johh S. Lambie was asked if he
had yet received Mr.. Carnegie's letter to
Councils, he replied that he had not, and he
didn't expect it before to-day, and then it
will not be published before it is presented
to the municipal bodies. He could not see
that much could be added to the full de-
scriptIon of the scheme published in THE
DISPATCH yesterday.
William Witherow, of the Duquesne,
said: 81 admire Mr.. Carnegie's public
spirit and generosity. 1 think it much
better for a man who has money to place it
where it will do some good, rather than
have lawyers fight over it after he is dead,
as in the case of the Stewart estate. Mr..
Carnegie has the right idea, and he will
never regret it. He is doing something
that will perpetuate his name, and always
will stand as a monument to his liberslity."
THE LEEDS LIBRARY.
Mr.. Frank Saver, of E. E. Lewis book
store, on Liberty street, talked in an inter-
esting way of the library system OF Leeds,
England. his native town. He says: "The
central library contains upward of $50, 900
volumes, of which about $4,000 are refer
ence books and the same number fiction.
Then there are four branch Libraries, sit
uated at various parts, which contain from
II, 900 to 25. 1000 volumes. These are located
at points beyond convenient reach of the
people living some distance from the GEN.
tral part of the city. Besides the above
there are at least II or IA smaller libraries,
containing 1000 to 4, 600 bookE- These are
placed in the school buildings, and are ac-
cessible on two, three or four nights week,
according to the size of the collection. In
the main ibrary all books are removable
except those in the reference department.
Anyone can have the books who can show
voucher from a rate payer, or citizen, as he
would be termed here, and on payment of 1
penny per annum. This is found to be suf-
fcient to defray all the expense of main
tanning the institution"
Mr.. Levi also was asked about what effect
it might have on the business of the book
sellers. He most emphaticalSy declares in
favor of it. and cites instances to prove that
the presence of large free libraries, instead
of injuring the book business, adds to it.
Libraries create readers, and readers un-
doubtedly create demand for books said
Mr.. Levi, "for when man learns to value
a book particularly he wants to own it.
Boston is the home of libraries in the United
States, and more books are sold IN that city
than in any other of the same size in the
country"