The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-10-09
THE PUBLIC LIBRARY

teacher opportunity to educate the taste
of his pupils. A teacher of tact will at
first give boys and girls what they wish
Optic, Alger or Elsie; confidence won,
Irving. Cooper, Scott and Stevenson will
be recommended. and they will be much
preferred. In Providence tho trashy
nickel story book is no longer ''the thing"
among school boys, and what condemns
ton could be more telling? In Worcester
Mr.. Green estimated that one day last year
1865 volumes from the public library were
in the hands of the pupils of the public
schools. In that city a check Is placed
upon the issue of fiction; q teacher can
take ont on his school card but one story
for mere entertainment. Whatever the
line of books circulated throughout the
schools, . judicious teacher can do
much to show how interest is height
ened when a. months or q win
ter's reading has q definite purpose,
whether it be acquaintance with American
history, with the development of agricult-
ure in italy, or with the folk lore of the
Southern states. It is becoming general
for public libraries to help teachers in yet
another way-in affording rooms where
classes may be assembled for the study
of maps, enEravings, or works of
reference not removable from tho build
ing. These rooms at times serve univer-
sity extension students, whose beginnings
exemption from . charge Of rent.
With relations so varied, relations to the
general public, to special students, to pu-
pills of schools, to the men and women
prosecuting the industries Of . particular
town or city, Guardianship has become q
profession with its formal two years.
course of study, its school planned to form
The library school, founded at Columbia
college, New York, by Mr.. Dewey in 1887,
is now conducted by him at Albany, Miss
M. 8. Cutler, of national fame among Ii
brarians, being vice director. In addition
to thorough instruction in the mechanics
of their art, the students are grounded in
every means of making literature not only
well. Work in the state library gives
them abundant practice, and the leading
librarians of the Union appear in the lee
ture courses. This school owes much Of
its success to the American Library Asso-
citation, which now numbers some $50
members. Through this organization q
great deal has been done to advance
library administrations by bringing out
the best Individual work for general imita-
ton, by adopting uniform methods Of
cataloguing, classification and the like.
At the associations conference in May
at Lakewood, N. J., the growing value Of
periodical literature came up for discus
sion. Founded by William +. Poole, now
librarian of the Newberry library. Chicago,
the index to periodicals has rendered in
calculable service to readers. Its issue,
however, is annual and this seriously
limits its usefulness. 1t was suggested
that weekly there should be sent to every
public library index cards to current
periodicals, each card bearing the title of
an article to be suitably classified under
subject headings in the library cases. A
second proposal discussed at the Lakewood
convention was to place on record in pub
lie libraries. for the behoof of the inquirer,
all that could be briefly told him by an ex-
pert regarding the contents and merits Of
any important book. The scheme as
sumes the use Of q card catalogue-that is.
q catalogue in which each book title is
placed on q card. the cards lying loosely
enough to be readily examined in drawers
arranged in alphabetical order. As mat
tiers now stand in public library there is
no record to assist an inquirer who seeks.
let us say, an introduction to electrical
science. Fifty to 100 titles may be put be-
fore him, but which indicates the work
best fitted for his need? He can have re-
course to the librarian, but let the Ii
brarian be ever SO well informed, his
knowledge may fail here.
Thr ough the sheer growth OF its depart
ments q great university today must, for
the sake of convenience, have special librar-
les connected with its laboratories and
workshops. its observatory. its depart
ments of history and economics, its school
of biology, and SO on. Each of these col
lections of books is familiar to the teaching
staff that uses it, and practical tests have
determined the relative merits Of the
works thus gathered together. Here,
worthy word as to such books, to be put
on record for ready access in every public
library in the land. And let it be remem-
bered that though books are many, 'genu-
inc books are comparatively few; indeed,
the consensus of competent Librarians
places their number at no more than TO-
COO. Were these best books appraised. Is
suggested at the Lakewood conference,
it is fair to say that the value OF pub
lie Libraries would be doubled, for time
would no longer DO wasted in reading
antiouated books of science, unreliable
histories, or, in short, any literature not
the best.
With the public library steadily increas-
ing as it has in its usefulness, and with
promise Of still further usefulness in the
near future, is it any wonder that COM
munities are more and more coming to the
establishment of public Libraries as one OF
their plainest duties? In Massachusetts
out of ISL cities and towns but forty-nine
remain without public libraries, those
without them being places OF small popu-
lation, usually of dwindling prosperity.
But per cent. of the inhabitants Of the
state remain thus unserved. Public enter
prise has often been forestalled or aided
bv private liberaiity, and some 600 memo
rial buildings dot the state in proof that
the sons of Massachusetts justly estim ate
the worth of the peoples university. In
other states public libraries are not held
in so high esteem, simply because they are
less generally known. Men OF wealth and
generosity are, however, elsewhere begin
ming to see that no gift can be more wise
than that of q public library. The mag.
nificent endowments of John Crerar and
Waiter l.. Newberry In Chicago, OF
Enoch Pratt in Baltimore. OF An
drew Carnegie at Braddock, Allegheny
and Pittsburg exemplify new phase In
the art of large giving. When once town
or city knows the refined pleasure sucn
benefaction can give, feels the enlarge
ment of horizon through its lifting, hu-
MANNING influence, sees here ana there
the spark of uncommon talent In young
brain famed into flame through the sum
illus of a suggestive or luminous pook.
there springs To the lips OF the lnteihgent
men of the place, ''Why did not we estan.
lish this library for ourselves long ago
There should be no town or city In Amer
lea destitute of library, adequate TO It's
needs, public and tres. GEORGE la