The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-04-29
A PUzzLE or THE LIBRARIES.
what In the World IL It that RsGuIates the
Demand for n Book

Demand for n Bookt
What controls and directs the tides OF the
ocean Is not much m ore OF mystery than the
causes OF the tides OF popularity which certain
books and certain classes Of reading have. as
shown In the great libraries. The most ex-
perienced librarians confess their inabil-
ity to do moro than roughly approximate
In this respect A book which they have
every reason to believe will be popular
will be bought In large numbers. will be
bulletined to the subscribers OF the library.
and conspicuously placarded within its
walls. and then remain on the shelves I'M
called for. On the other hand. o book which
has apparently gone out OF date to such an -x-
tent that the librarian deems Its room moro
valuable than Its presence. will be sold. a few
copies only being retained and then suddenly.
unexpectedly. and for some cause which many
times is hunted for In vain. the book will be In
such demand that another purchase OF copies
Is necessary.
Although the greatest causes OF these tides
OF popularity have not been determined. In
many instances the librarians can trace out
the minor causes. few years ago the
African Farm" OF Olive Sohreiner enjoyed Q
rather languid vogue. Calls for It became less
and less. and had almost ended. whom two
books. The Heavenly Twins" and Ships
that Pass In the Night" became very popular.
Following the tremendous demand for these
two books at tho libraries. q revival Of the de-
msnd for the African Farm was observed.
until the popularity OF that book IN it's revival
far exceeded its original vogue. 1t is not
probable that any literary reviewer has
Thought to compare. say. ships that Pass In
rians trace the revival OF interest in the latter
book to the popularity Of the other two men
EoPss d asn lew Isaes s the ,sr success s S.nf
BEN ur." When "Ben-Hur" achieved its
aS Sp Fl. sspp s
r5i1se Of IPsa vac PH"lI'6sd ordered
What causes popai%rty and aapSPai%El,s: Tn:
why. he could paont the secret and sell 4 for
authors in the, land Some OF the librarians
say that i Is simply for the reason that The
They have auite another way of Judging
these things than the reviewers have: 4 big
Is estabIishsd viii sell, PROBABLY as many
copies as author and publisher estimate; but
thne. SEs ths from
written by popular .gtho5 but they vii not
library editions, confesses to something like |
300 pages. When Il WAS first put on the library
eing Il to their bosoms. They returned IL
read. but wholly readI oh. so seldom
hut 1t won't do to go too far on these lines In |
drawing II conclusion. Short stories are very |
seldom called for in libraries A volume OF |
100000 words Will be called for three times |
when a volume OF short stories by the same |
author 10 called for once, These figures do not |
correspond. somehow. with great deal that |
has been written lately on the popularity OF |
the short story. But the people who take |
books out Of libraries: the regular, persistent,
guided in their selection By what is written |
about books They seem to be a class quite |
apart from the ho.s Gnyers, MnsIhe. they
not be considered. although II might be highly |
in teresting.
Library readers will sometimes wear to rags |
TO an epoch. when the booksellers are ob!iyi- |
Gus of the TACT that any one Is interested in
those publications.
these phenomena. but 70 do so they must keen
track OF current theatrical events, and current
politics, and sometimes, even. OF sensational
Brummel," for instance. will Keen the library
clerks busy digging out historical works. BIZ
oGTaphiss, and memoirs relating to the Re-
disturbance. or a prominence given 10
sea soRtrovsrsy. the hawaiian question.
only a. dsmSsd Tor books directly on
law. but for the lives OF states
men and diplomats who have been prominent
in International controversies Library at
tendants very soon get over all surprises at
the apparent lack Of relation between the per-
son calling for n book and the book called lOr.
Of non reIa alton. The mechanic IL always rall-
Ing for somebody's history OF the Geneva Con-
yentlon. or some other hook as distantly re-
sfSd e. hlS fStSSs ana d .as 9asa 81 s,T
As not to stop In At the library on his way up
town and pick out somebody's thesis on the