The herald., 1893-10-16
SHE WAS NAUGHTY.
A Womun's Opinion About One OF tn
City Librarians.

1t1E WA9 flnOG14 4.
A Woman's Opinion About One OF the
City Librarians.
Speaking about the public library"
ssid lady who is noted for her common
sense as well as social position. L don't t
think the public, and especially women,
are served as we'll as they should be in
that institution"
''In what way ?"
"Well, it will take some explanation
to enable you TO see just what l mean.
In word, by way of a starting point.
the young women who make up the
corps OF assistants are not as obliging as
they should be. With as large num-
Der OF assistants as they have in the
library, everyone should be waited upon
promptly and courteouslY. But they
are not.
II will give. you an illustration OF
what | mean, and all women will under
stand how easily another woman can
make it uncomfortable for her.
"Mrs. NJ and | called at the library
Saturday afternoon to get some books.
There wac quite crowd of other ladies,
girls and gentlemen intent on the same
purpose. They were being waited upon
in leisurely enough and somewhat
Hupercilious manner by half a dozen
young lady attendants. We took UP
our position in front of the counter,
where no onsr else was standing, and
Itfied to catch the eye of one attendant,
( a naughty looking, girl. She was appa-
|afently doing nothing, watching the
|crush. Once in a wfiiieehe condescend-
ed to take card from gentleman, but
the ladies' waiting around including nv
friend and myself, vainly tried to attract
her attention.
'She avoided our glances and en-.
tirely overlooked the cards we held out
to her as she passed US several times.
"For fully 20 minutes we stood there
and this girl could have waited on us 20
times. Finally my friend attracted her
attention and handed her our cards. In
a kind of contemptuous manner as if
she wondered why she was obliged to
speak to us, che remarked:
why don't you go to the other end.
That is the place for you."
!" My friend actually gaeped, at the
way this was said. 1t made US feel as if
we were interlopers, and had no busi-
ness trying to get books in the library.
Probacly gentleman would not have
noticed anything very peculiar. except
that the young woman was somewhat
indifferent, but we women knew that
that girl felt she was superior to us,
that che proposed to show US that she
ielt 80, and that we need not expect her
TO wait on us until she got ready"
IF that is the way the librarian trains
her assistants it is time she should take
lessons herself in the business OF con-
ducting great educational institution
like our public library.
II asked the young woman, when she
had taken my book, what new books
were in that ahe could name in the way
OF fiction. She barely repressed a yawn
and said:
"'Nothing OF any consequence; you
will have to consult the list
u felt like taking hold of that girls
shoulders and shaking her, but, tired
with waiting and out OF patience with
myself and every one else, left the
library without having secured book,
and it had been quite q little trouble for
me to go to the library that afternoon.
"Now, that girl could have attended
to both my friend and myself in about
two minutes. She could have done so
intelligently and pleasantly, as it was
her duty to do, and, instead OF tired
and impatient middle-aged woman. who
had counted on a nice book to look over
during her few moments of rest, there
was very different picture.
''If the expenditure OF the liberal
amount of funds provided for the
library does not secure better atten-
tion to the public than that which 7
have noticed, not only in my case. .but
in others that have seen and have
been told about, very decided reform
is necessary, and should be undertaken
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