Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1893-01-19
CLEVELAND AND ITS LIBRARY.
i Great and Growing City--lts Varied
Interests, and the Public Library Which
u. ~. IL..i.I.. -. II..I,I,ln


Interests, and the Public Library which
is the Pride OF Its People.
Special Correspondence Gazette and journal,
CLEVELAND, o., Jan. Flew persons
are aware Of the probability that before
the census of 1900 is taken, the city of
Cleveland will surpass Cincinnati in popu-
latiun, and become the third city of the
middle west with only Chicago and St.
Louis above it. This probability might
almost be called u certainty, for during
the past 90 years Cleveland has gained
hand over hand on Cincinnati in both
population and wealth, until already her
citizens feel that it is an assured fact that
she is TO be the great city between New
York and Chirugo-the great halfway sta
ton between the two greatest cities Of the
continent.
There has been no artificial boom to
bring Cleveland to its present position of
city with observation-disclosures, with Il wealth
of S5u0,UOOUD0. II has all been steady
growth. one cannot stand among bust
ness houses and Office buildings on Superior
street and not feel that he is in the mi lst
of solid prosperity. "And this has not
been built with borrowed funds; Cleveland
is Il money-lcnder rather than borrower"
was the remark which u citizen, with
pardonahle touch Of pride, made to me.
"You Wilmington people are shiphuldcrs,
We build annually six times the value
which you build, and four times the value
of all the vessels builtin the state of Maine.
We construct more iron whalebacks than
all the world beside. The whalcbacli seems
especially adapted for lake navigation, and
is destined to be the great carrier Of our
northern waterways he remarked, SEN
| tentiously.
The same citizen pointed with interest to
| the great iron and steel works in the valley
| of the Cuyahoga, and to the evidences of
| the extensive commerce of his city. But
his speciality was the free public library
| in his opinion the most.pupular public in
| stitutlon in the place. No library in the
country better deserves its popularity. II
contains nearly 10000 volumes, and is
especially rich In history and in books
bearing on the mechanic and industrial
arts. II is reputed to be one Of the best
managed libraries in the country, and one
| who observes its workings cannot fail to
be convinced that there is nothing Spuri-
GUS about this reputation. Its high degree
Of efficiency is secured by no artificial
enthusiasm. The librarian and his assis.
tants are remarkably free from blow and
| gtish, and the whole institution quiet and
orderly to a remarkable degree. The lead
ing idea of the management is to cncour-
age the public to become acquainted with
books. To facilitate this acquaintance all
the shelves, the department OF prose- fic-
ton and the juvenile books excepted, are
accessible to the public. Readers may
enter the alcoves, examine the books at
will, and thus make a selection. This
fact has a direct bearing on One
objection which has been offered
to making the Wilmington Institute fret
library 1t has been said that it would be
necessary TO exclude the public from the
alcoves, and thar thus one of the charms
of the present library would be lost, as the
books could not be examined freely. But
the experience of Cleveland shows thai
this is not necessary. There the plan OF
having tree access meets with public ap
prevail. No greater number Of volumes
are lost than were lost under the previous
arrangement with closed shelves. 1t in
creases the number of books circulated
and improves the quality of the circula
ton few years ago it was decided no
to permit readers to have access to tht
shelves. The circulation dropped from
10000 to 100000 annually. A few year!
later when the books were again mad
accessible, the circulation almost imnedi
ately increased Al per cent. 1t is nov
nearly 1000 annually, and the percent
age of fiction circulated is less than 40
This shows higher quality of reading
than any other large public library in tn,
country. The circulation of fiction in thu
Institute Library is Gs per cent of TIN
whole.
, The Cleveland library has one great dis
, advantage. Its reading room is on tn
: third iloor, and can be reached only b.
climbing two long flights of stairs. Ghl
keeps many persons away, especially man,
women and girls, as may be shown by tn
! following; In Cleveland there are in tn
reading room on the average six nal
, readers to one female; in Toledo they ar
said to be as two to one; in Dayton abou
, two to one; in indianapolis slight pre-
} ponderauce Of women. As the lnstitut
reading room is now, the sexes are ubou
equally divided, ii one takes the day an
evening attendance. Undoubtedly ii Wi
mington is to have a public library, tn
: reading room ought to be made as easil
/ accessible as possible The present librar
+ room at Eighth and Market would be
!. good one, and the hall above might b
taken for the book room.
: The Cleveland library costs about $500
annually-a slight expense when one COT
siiers the wealth and size of the city, anC
i in view Of the results, Il sum well spent.
free public library in Wilmington coul
: probably be carried on efficiently for Ii
Tie more than onc-fourth Of that amoun