Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-05-03

sary that the library should contain con-
siderable number of histories, local and
general, which cross and recross each
other. Some of them are in effect dupli-
Gates, but are valuable because they pre-
sent the same subject from differing
standpoints
The student who has become familiar
with them knows what to read them for.
in what order they should be read, ard
more or less accurately what value to set
upon them. The yoarg or inexperienced
reader has nothing TO guide him save the
names on the hacks of The books. Ii left
to himself he viii probably struggle
through some ancient history whose name
has been familiar 20 him because it is the
source from which later historians have
dawn the materials for their works, but
which is OF far less value to the mere
reader than later publications He will
read the work of preiudieed or unreliable
author with nothing To warn him to take
an antidote that may be on the same shelf.
What is true OF history is true also of
other branches of literature. Almost all
books have value of some kind that en-
titles them TO place on the shelves OF a
public library, but they are as various in
their values as they are numerous. l,
would be impossible, perhaps, to get entire
agreement among literary men as to these
values, but any scholar disposed to be inn
partial could prepare a guide to a special
line of books that would be of the highest
service to the inexperienced. He could
tell in q few lines that some great work in
half dozen volumes, though OF curious
interest to the close student, had been
superseded by modern publication that
this, in turn. had been corrected by other
books treating special topics, and that an
other work presented view OF the same
subject representing different bias on the
part OF the author. He could suggest the
! reading on this topic of certain books in
certain order, and indicate where further
information on branches of the subject
could be found.
Such a guide, if in itself imperfect,
would be of great value to the reader,
economizing his time and giving broader
knowledge of his subject than he would be
likely to get if unaided. The preparation
of such guides would be equivalent to the
| founding of public library, for it would
make available to the general public
/, treasures that are now as hidden from
them as the rich ores to the pioneer who
does not know how to recognize or use
them. Even desuitory reading may be of
considerable value, SO that the time given
TO reading can hardly be said to be wasted
under any circumstances. But the amount
of good to be obtained from reading de-
ponds upon the selection OF matter, the
order in which a subject is followed and
the thought given TO the information OBJ
tanned from books. Il, therefore, public
library, by providing the means for self
culture, is good for communicated no
one is likely to dispute that proposition
the public library that has printed guides
showing its readers how to use the means
of culture must be of higher value. The
books are but tools, and readers should be
taught how to use them, or helped in
their efforts at self-instruction. The need
of such help grows with the multiplied
ton of books and other forms of literature