The Indianapolis journal., 1895-11-19
SCORED THE LIBRARY
DIR. MILBURN's STATEMENTS CRITI-
CIsED BY MISS BROWNING.
Extracts from the Papers Referred to
by DIR. MiIburn I'm His Ser
mon Sunday.

Considerable discussion has followed DIR.
Milburn's sermon last Sunday. during the
course of which he denounced the public
library for disseminating pernicious l!tera-
ture among the youths OF the city. As
authorities for his statements. Dr. Milburn
quoted a paper read by John L. CleIand
before the Century Club last spring and
also a paper read by George C. Hit last
year before the indianapolis Literary Club.
Part of Mr.. Cleland's paper reads: "But
paper and print do not necessarily make a
good book, nor quantities of books a great
library. Into the free circulating library
are apt to be dumped all manner of things
in the sacred name ofSliterature 1 do not
mean that much that is positively vicious
passes the censors, but much that is mega
tive, trifing, transient unnatural, weak
and weakening goes on the shelf and into
our homes. The free library has come TO
be largely a supplement- to the theater. cir
Gus and variety show. Probably 80 per
cent. Of the books taken from the library
may be cassed as fiction. Probably as
large a per cent. Of the borrowers never
take anything else" In Mr.. Hits paper
he said: ''The indianapolis public library
is we'll managed, is a credit to the city,
but like all good things, 1t has it's dangers,
likely to do by giving young children the
unrestricted use OF books. There are chill
dren without restraint of any kind at home
who 60 to the library and take away story
books without let or hindrance. Parents
who have the welfare of their children at
heart VIII see to it that too much of this
useless literature Is not permitted to reach
their children, and for such children as
have parents who take no interest in their
reading. the library should provide a, check.
a NJ LII
should be to restrict children to a reason
able amount of story-reading and exercise
tss oyer y !. !hs % that abs.
say something of that Kind has been at
tempted here. The catalogue shows that
with with such titles as these The Rassed Dick
Series. the Tattered Tom Series, etc.
Twenty-four. hundred of the twenty-five
Grafton would be the better for it,
Miss Browning, the librarian, takes ex-
ceptions, to DR.. Mtlburn's statements, and
ssad BY nat the Srars Of s books
Browning said: "He says what is the use
for our little children, to. go to kindergar-
and snen thsy grow %p 20 to
meretricious literature that purveys to
their lusts, their bad desires and their cor
ope ms ,bnarv M Mno1rn A. says
am here, and l know the character of the
books issued to children, and he does not.
The lot of literature he denoumces is the
kind only his kind Of people-cultured peo-
ple-will read. The other people do not
read II because they do not understand II.
These books are not read by children, but
by old offenders. There is careful censor
ship over books of this character in our
library. and they are not issued to children.
While much of the fiction issued to chill
dren is not of high order, 1t is pure
at least there is nothing vicious about it.
1 have written to Mr.. Milburn asking his
source of information, and he replied he
had his information from a paper read by
John F.. Cleland before the Century Club.
Mr.. Milbdr1f also took occasion to de-
nounce what he termed the theaters of the
worst SORT" and said they should be
suppressed.