The morning call., 1893-12-19
PUBLIC LIBRARY.
More Complaints of Its
Employees.
IT'S FAiLINGS DISCUSSED.
The Los Angeles Institution a
Model One.
AN EXAMPLE WORTH COPYING.
Attention, interest, AmiabiIity and
Courtesy Desirable Qualities
in Public Employees.
IN EXAMPLE WORTH COPYING.

That there is something very much the
matter is plain to every person who knows
what position library of its size and ex-
cellence should hold in a community like
ours, and how far below this position our
library really stands.
We congratulate ourselves on the fact
that our libraries in San Francisco COL
lecllvely contain more books than do the
similar institutions in any other city of the
United States, save New York and Chi
cago; but it is far from being matter for
congratulation that the circulation of these
books is so limited.
A library should be the rendezvous of
the thinking people Of the eommunity-a
place where the intelligent and cultured
men and women of the city meet on COM
mon ground and enjoy the feast of good
literature there provided
Does our Free Library fulfill this pur-
pose?
In the opinion of large number of our
Interested citizens 1t most decidedly does
not. Why it fails to attain the place it
should occupy is problem, the solution of
which should be folnd without delay. and
whatever the cause of the trouble il
should be removed at once and forever.
Complaints of the service which is rem
dered to the patrons of the library have
been many and are growing more fire.
quent The concensus of opinion among
many of those who visit the place appears
to be that a number of employees therein
look upon those who wish to take ad-
vantage OF its privileges as belonging on a
lower social plane than themselves and are
consequently unpleasantly careless, indif-
feren' ana even contemptuous in their
manner toward them.
The complaint made in yesterdays
CALL concerning the indulgence of the
employees in private conversation, TO the
neglect of the more or less patiently walt
public. is one which is made almost
daily.
Why" said bright little woman to
CALL reporter last night, that happens
so frequently that people are growing ac-
customed to it, aud as for taking any per-
sonal interest in what you want-Well, |
went up there in hurry the other day to
look up something in newspaper of some
years back The secretary was very
courteous - he always is by the way,
but he is only one among maryland
admitted me to the proper room where
L struggled for an hour with different files
OF papers, each almost more than my arms
could lift, and no one OF the employees in
the room or passing through il offered me
the slightest attention or tried to assist me
in any way. During all of that time, too,
a young attaehe of the place. evidently
suffering The agonies of 'calf love- lounged
around the desk of young lady who was
working. or supposed TO be, near by; and
all my search and mental worry were ac-
companied by his laughter and clumsy
boyish attempts at filtration with the
young woman, who made no effort to
silence him or rid herself of his obtrusive
mpanionship. Neither OF them cared
whether visitors we're disturbed or not,
and | finally left in disgust. fully con-
vlnced that as patron l had no rights
Wha tever."
Il went in pursuit of a certain book not
long slnce," said another lady, "and asked
dreary young woman IL ii was in i
don't know she said indifferently, not
even glancing up at me. Will you please
see?' 1 inquired, trifle impatently, and
she looked at me In mild and disapproving
surprise. i don't think il is in she said,
gently but conclusively, and pursued my
search for The volume elsewhere"
j. n. Barrickman OF 439 Stevenson street
volunteered some personal experience at
the Free Library. OF the four delivery
attendants two, be said. are entirely salts
factory and are generally recognized as
consistently civil, alert and obliging. One
of these Is granddaughter of ex-Presi-
dent Tyler and the other is a widow. OF
the remaining two Mr.. Barrickman speaks
in harsh terms. He complains that they
are forever cOnversing on indiffer-
ent subjects. mumbllng the names of
applicants instead OF enuneiating them
clearly, sending back checks to have names
rewritten. contracting petty spites and
trying to make a mash" Through these
means books are sometimes delayed from
fifteen to thirty minutes.
Mr. BarrckmaD also complains of the
loafers, who use the library as a dormitory
and place in which TO chew "cigar snipes
and distract the attention of legitimate
patrons"
A well-known literary lady of this CITY
speaks very plainly regarding the faults OF
our library and its management and con-
trasts 1t very unfavorably with the Free
Library Of Los Angeles, which, under the
care of Mrs. KeiSo. has taken its place
most deservedly in the front rank of such
Institutions.
"The Free Library of Los Angeles" she
says, although a little cramped for room,
is in all other ways just what a library
ought 10 be. The best people in the com
munity are its patrons and its circulation
of books exceeds the circulation of all the
library books in San Francisco taken COL
lectively. In fact, the city of Los Angeles
ranks sixth in the United States as re-
cards the circulation of books within its
borders.
"a special feature Of this library's man.
agement. outside of its working plan and
the arrangement of the volumes, both of
which are excellent. is the manner in
which the public ls treated therein,
There are eighteen assistants. and each
one seems animated with desire to make
herself as pleasantly useful and helpful as
possible while on duty. Civility and
courtesy are shown to every one. and a
personal interest is taken in making the
library serve its purpoee to as high a
degree as possible. During the hours that
they are ON duty the ladies employed seem
to feel that not only their time but their
thoughts belong to their employers-the
public-and inattention. indifference or
private conversation among themselves is
unknown. All of the rooms are well
lighted, none Of them being eye-ruiners. as
are our periodical rooms here, and the
attendants make it their business to find
their visitors the volumes desired as
quickly and quietly as possible. The mas
ter spirits and strong personality of the
librarian pervades the whole, and the re-
suit of her management and supervision is
that the library of which she has charge is
a credit to and the pride of the whole city,"
"Our's isn't" said an interested listener.
sententiously, and, sad to say. all present
agreed with him.