Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1895-02-28

in year or two. For two Of these
| libraries, as their names indicate, the
city Of Chicago is indebted to liberal
minded men. w. L. Newberry left an
estate, now valued at $30O0,OOO for
the building and endowment OF q
library; and John Creiger left by will
$3,50O,O00 for another free public
library. In like manner Baltimore
has been enriched by the generosity of
Enoch Pratt; Pittsburgh, by Andrew
Carnegie; and New York may yet see
a partial realization Of the Tilden ideal.
Such benefactions are always sugges-
tive in the making Of wills. In every
community there are public spirited
citizens who only need some such ex
amples to suggest to them to make
some kind Of provision for local and
public library in their wills Men like
to be remembered with grateful and
kindly feeling, and if they have the
wealth more than is really good for
their heirs, what better disposition
of money eau they make than by
doing in this way something for Il
public library in their town. Here Is
something fixed and definite. The
library comes to stay; and it will
always be doing its silent and beauti-
ful work, in bringing sunshine into
some sad and dark life, long after the
benefactor's day. such bcnelactions
have dotted New England states with
splendid buildings filed with books,
and which In turn have filled the
hearts Of lis people with pardonablc
pride. But this is not all. This grow
ing interest in public libraries has led
up TO the formation of the American
Library association, which has. SO far
rs we can Judge, the same position
among American libraries that the
French Academy has among French
scholars And we understand our
state association of Librarians, which
lately met ut Madison, has about the
same object and purpose in view.
And what splendid field opens to
these workers We hail such asSo-
Citations, because they mean the deyel-
opement of pubic sentiment in the
interest of public libraries; and fur
thcr, because they will have wide
influence upon the reading public in
its selection, not only Of good, but
useful books. The facilities for the
proper distribution of useful books,
in our Judgment, have been very i'm
perfect, ut least, up to date. The
book canya8scr, whose prime motive Is
not to raise intelligence, or to furnish
you with u useful book. but to sell his
work and get his commission, is the
one from whom the average man and
woman get their knowledge of books.
In some communities they are at their
mercy. Their whole idea of poetry,
for example, comes from these " col
I lrctcd,' or "selectcd editions, whose
chief merit, in many cases, is in the
| binding. In II town where the book
sellers do not find it paying job to
| place on their counters Il full line of
books that are Published from time to
time, where can we get the needed in
formation in regard to certain books
book, or u book notice, is not alto
gether satisfactory, OF is it always a
safe guide for the buyer. We cannot
always trust them. Sometimes the
title of Il book is misleading, and per
sonal inspection brings only disap.
ment Sometimes the subject as
announced, we find treated in thought
and arrangement in 4 different way
from which we had been led to ex-
pect by the rose colored review in
the interests of the publisher We
like TO have personal knowledge OF
idea Of Il book before buying, If We
have only little money to spend ir
this way This knowledge may not
only save our money, but our shelves
from works which are no earthly use tc
, MS. Where can we obtain this knuwl
edge If not through public hbrar,
and its associations Here we caI
: get some idea of u book. Here il
these library experts, WE have not onl,
an exchange of thoughts, but they N,
, the thoughts of those who make il
business Of their life to buy and sclcc