The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1895-07-30
LIBRARY HISTORY.
George Watson Cole Talks
About the peoples
University to Phil
..5tl adelphians.'
AMERICA LEADS THE WAY
Growth and Development of the
Free Public Library Scheme
State interchange
AMERICA LEADS THE WAY

Mr.. George Watson Cole, Librarian Oh
the Jersey City Free Library, read De-
fore the Pennsylvania Literary Club at
the Franklin Institute in Philadelphla
some time ago. a most excellent paper
on 1.-The Free Public Library" some ex-
tracts from 1.-The Jersey City News
thinks the public will read with interest;
because. as Mr.. Cole very justly observes,
this is pre-eminenty the age of that m
stitution which Carlyle calls the "peo-
pies university"
In a most interesting manner ne traces
step by step the growth of the library
movement. and pays the Philadelpnlans
the compliment of saying that at the pc
ginning of this century the CITY VI
Brotherly Love contained more horarles
than any other in his country. NO
doubt. since William Penn was the
founder.
Since the society. before whom the pa
per was read. is composed OF literary
people in general and librarians In par
ticular Mr.. Cole devoted some space 10
a delightful sketch of the Old School LII
brarian and his intense love for the
precious family of books entrusted 10
his care. OF him he says
The librarian of the last century, as
we'll as of the first half of this. was
above all a conservator of literature
Like the miser he gathered his treasures
and boarded them from unhalioWea
hands,. His functions. as then unoer-
stood. are admirably summed up IN the
present title of the librarian Oh the
British Museum. who is officially deslg-
mated. The Keeper of the PRINTED
Books or. in that remark of a former
librarian of Harvard College. who wnlle
showing a distinguished visitor through
the library on a summers day informed
him that he never felt so happy as Wnen
he went into the library in vacation time
and knew that every volume was IN MS
uroper place. on the shelves. The library.
To him. was a ~storehouse for preserving
and measuring books. which he carefully
locked I'D and by rendering them mac
cessible to all Corners was enabled to
hand down to us his fortunate success
sors.
TOO PRECIOUS TO HANDLE.
teThere are few of this class of Hbrar-
ians left. The most recent example
with which we are familiar died some
months ago, and his personal library
has since passed under the auctioneers
hammer. 1t is related of him that a
gentleman. well known in this city, While
prosecuting some photographed re-
searches. learned that our old school IL
brarian was the fortunate possessor OF
an extremely rare pamphlet which ne
wished very much to consult. So rare
indeed had 1t become that but few, II
any. other copies We're known to be IN
existence. He paid a visit to our iibrar-
ian. and informed him of our great de-
sire to examine this pamphlet; and of
how he had searched diligently for it but
had never as yet been rewarded with the
sight of the much desired work.
Upon being asked if a copy OF 1t was
in his possession, this librarian, this
,ksep desk OF c 6pefsii u9 pooh the a framef the
Coveted volume and held it up in full
view. but at a safe distance from MS
visitor. After ailowing nm 70 Ieas ari ia
he as carefully returned It to It's resung
place. closed the door and turned the
key upon it. Further, REQUESTS to De per
availing. and our bibliographer went
away a sadder if not a wiser man..
notwithstanding what has Just peer
said. the old-school librarian served a
| good purpose in preserving to us the NJ
erature of his day, much of which but
for his Jealous care and jealous guard
disappeared. He was the collector par
excelfence who, with the funds Of the in
stitution which he served at his com
which. unlike those of the private book;
lover were gathered to be preserved
to US and posterity, and not to be dis
seminated by public sale. He has rescu-
ed many a gem from total destruction
and many a book, which has since be
come a rarity he has purchased as the
last cuT TfBRx xRsk A XVII Il sfSess''
Then Mr.. Cole refers to the library
awakening which began, according to
some librsrians; IN ntr oes soIe cl EAR dis dis
| poses of by saying that the decade from
| ~is5o-1Sso there were 50 new Ibrarle7ss
started, while from asao, .os only ns,,r 70
ate with that of the decade Just named
if increase in population be considered.
From this point Mr.; Cole goes on 10 'ne
"The days of the librarian of the old,
| school were number red. A wiser and
more liberal method Of llsSbhrsar library m m Me-
wiser than their day n generation
| arose. who very naturally inquired of
what value are these fine Collections odns 1,Its %
| by those desiring to do so? These llbrar-
les are not accessible to all because they
| are owned and managed by corporate
tablish libraries al the public expense,
| YES. BY taxation even, and throw them
| open freely to the people
| by. Mr.. George Ticknor Sin a letter to
| Edward Everett. in 1851, In which he
rave his ideal Of the new institution as
| fa1loWs. L would establish a library
| which differs from all free libraries yet
attempted; I mean n in which any
popular books, tending to moral and in
teilectual Improvement, shall be furnish,
persons can be reading the same book
at the same time: in short. that not
| onsy the best books of all sorts, but the
| pleasant literature of the day, shall be
| made accessible to the whole people
when they most care for it; that is,
| when it IS fresh and new. I would
| thus, by following the popular taste
unless it should demand so11ethsng n,
iurious-create a real appetite fol
formed will take care of itself. 1t will,
| in a great majority eff cases, demand bet
| ter .and better books.
"Ahout 1914 the first great imDetus t.
the library movement. was started or
both sides of the Atlantic. The times
not unlikely that men were thinking
/ deeply upon this subject at the same
FITS FnKsT r E Ehgiahf e ESTABLISHED III. 81 ssIfi IN
BOSTON.
Quoting Mr.. Fletcher, author of Pub
lie Libraries in America" Mr. Cole goes
on to state that the Irst step in the
ries seems to a been taken by the
1 Honorable Josiah Quincy, Jr., Mayor Of
l Boston, In October, 1847. He proposed II
the City Council. and they passed {
request to the Legislature that Boston
be allowed to lay z tax to establish :
free library. The Legislature assentef