The record-union., 1895-01-24
a NEW USE FOR LIBRARIES.

New York has found new use for it's
great library. Whether the library Of CAL
ifornia could be used in like manner is
matter worthy of consideration, but we
do not propose to consider that now. The
New York system is simple, novel and
promotes in the highest degree the much
reading of good books. 1t will be con-
coded that we could do nothing better, as
an aid to general education, than to pro-
mote the reading of desirable books by
the largest possible mum Der of the peo-
pie. It is a fact that there are tens of
thousands of our people, owing to our
vast territorial area, sparse population to
the mile and the newness of the State,
who are cut off from the benefits of
libraries, and whose chief means of
intellectual recreation is the reading of
newspapers and magazines; and it must
be admitted that this is not the best order
of reading for intellectual training. But
these are matters for concern when some
such scheme as that of New York becomes
feasible in California.
In 1892 the Legislature of New York
authorized the proper authorities to lend
books to the people from the duplicate
department of tie State Library at Al
bany. A sum of money was given them
to procure cheaper editions of books nec-
essary to fill out the programme, which
is carried out with eminent success, as
the following interesting details will
show, and which we CLEAN from paper
by w. r. Eastman in the January Fo-
rum:
A selection of one hundred volumes is
made, inclosed in neat case, with a
drawer tor blanks, cards of instruction,
ETC., and the whole being secured by lock
and key, is sent out to any free library in
the State, or to any group Of twenty-five
citizens who send in a petition for the
same. One of the petitioners must be q
responsible freeholder, and TO him or
her the Trustees of the State Library
look for the care and return of the books.
A fee of s. is required, to cover cost of
case and shipment, catalogues, taking
cards. etc.
When the 100 volumes have been read
by the petitioners the case is repacked
and forwarded to the next group of petit
tioners, where it is unpacked and the
volumes used as in any library, until an
other lot is needed, and then it is sent on
its travels again.
Thus in a short time the trustees had a
large number Of these traveling:Iibr
going about the State into rural and dis
tant parts, and doing no end of good.
The local library, says Mr.. Eastman,
lends one book, the travelling library
lends hundred; the one lends to one
person, the other to community. New
York started her scheme with ten libra
ries, or 1000 volumes, and already the
demand is such that the libraries have
been reduced to fifty volumes each, to Sc
cure more rapid circulation and in order
to respond to the call of the people more
promptly. In year of trial there has
been lost but one book, and that was
promptly paid for. The books have as
good care as those from any other library,
and the reading of them shows strong
appetite among the people for good liter
ature.
When the trustees came to make up
their ffty-volume libraries the fee was re-
duced to So, and special lists were
grouped. For instance, one list would
be wholly scientific, another historical,
another on agriculture, another on litera-
ture, another on natural science, and so
on, that varying tastes might be more
readily accommodated. They also made
up libraries to fit the University exien-
sion courses, and thus aid that commend
able educational system, and registered
extension centers were placed on a level
with other applicants.
In buying books to fill the lists where
duplicates were not in the State Library.
cloth-bound editions were chosen. and
the average cost of the volumes was 81.
So that $1,000 thus invested ought to pro-
ducs at least thirty fifty-volume libraries,