The herald., 1894-10-06
COMP ABOUT THE LIBRARY
The Board Of Directors Asked
to Retract.
They Said Chautauqua Circles Read
BOccacciO's Decameron.
Omcsrs of tn. Local Society Make
Strong Obj actions TO tho Re-
port of the Book
Committee.

The directors of the public library had
a little advertisement yesterday alter
noon. They listened to some remarks
by the president and the secretary OF
the Chautauqua reading circle bearing
on portion of the report of the book
committee presented at former meet
ing.
The book committee. in the course OF
long report. signed by Messrs. Howard
and Dobinson, on general lines had re-
ferred to the fact that it was hard to de-
termine what to do with such book as
Boccaccio's Decameron. when literary
students and others desired the book,
and when Chautauqua atudents called
for 1t, and when it is a part OF the Chau-
tSuqua reading courue and the Chcutau-
qua society is under the wing oil the
Methodist church, or words to that
effect. This report was in consequences
OF the exposure by tbs HERALD of the
presence in the library of an obacene
book.
The two gentlemen. s. H. Weller,
president of tho circle. and George r.
Crow. secretary, presented the follow
ing:
GENTLEMEN:-In what purports to be the re-
port of the DoJk committee OF the city library
board there occur two important errors, viz: :
/, that Boccaccio's DecameIon, book whose
moral trend is questioned, appears in the Cha-
tauqua course of reading of last year; 2, that
the tihauiauqua Reading association Ia an or
ganizstion under the auspices of he M thodlst
cnnrch; These two statements are not sus-
tanned by the facts In justice to that popular
10 consider the matter and make the necessary
correction. s. III. WELLKR, President
GEO. R. CROW, Secretary.
The gentlemen we're then heard, in
turn, on the subject, stating the grounds
of the objections to be that they did not
wish the Chautauqua socially msrepre-
sented and positively stating that the
Chautauqua is not a Methodist nor even
a denominational concern.
MIR. Howard, OF the book COMMITTEES,
defended his report by saying tnst he
derived his information from the librar.
ian. Miss Kelso stated her source OF
information and the outcome OF it all
was that the book committee was in
strucled to investigate the matter and
If the report wae not based on facts, to
publish the real facts.
Another side issue that came before
the meeting was presented BY Ii. o.
Collins, who began by saying that the
library ia very deficient in the geneologi-
cal. Biographical and local historical
works. He spoke of the organizations
known as the Soma of the Revolution,
the Colonial Danes and Colonial Wars.
For three years Mr.. Collins has been
endeavoring to introduce into the libra
ry of this city works on the geneology,
biographies and history of colonial days.
He recommends the bound volumes OF
tbs New England Genealogical aud His
torical Register, the New York Bio
graphical and Genealogical Record, and
Savage's Genealogical Dictionary. This
matter was also referred to the book
committee.
The report of the city librarian
showed total circulation Of 40, 756
books for the month. For home use
2S,0l0 were taken out, and for library
use $3.50. Reference books to the ex-
tent OF ASA were taken out. The total
mem berehip for August was l6 6Sl I;
September additions were 39l, renewals
l2 and Withdrawals SO, making the
total membership at the present time
17,025. During September 1874 books
were added.