The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1895-12-12
TRILBY A BACKNUnBH
"prisoner of Zenda' Now the
Most Popular Book IN
the Public Library.
yAGARIEs OF THE READERS
Influence Of Clubs, Glasses and
Schools on the Demand
for Books.
VAGARIES OF THE READERS
MORE PATRONS NOW THAN EVER

III
The employees of the Jersey City
Library are very busy at the present
time preparing the annual report, the
fifth since the opening, May Is. 1889. The
report will show, when 1t appears, some
entertaining statistics as to the number
and nature of books distributed during
the year.
1t will make it apparent. for instance,
that the high water mark of interest has
not yet been reached. On the contrary
there is a marked increase in the num-
Der of books used in all departments over
that of the previous year, and as the last
annual report showed a similar eondition
of affairs with regard to 1893, the scope
is evidently charging.
Since the resignation of Librarian
George Watson Cole, the bulk of the
work about the library has devolved upon
Miss Burdick. Busy as that lady was yes
terday, she still had time to provide me
with some data regarding the recent
doings of the library. some of which will
appear in the annual report, while a
great deal more will not.
Miss Burdick thinks Jersey City quite
literary in it's tastes; literary in the higher
sense of the word. For she places the
QumD6F OIL pllllOSOpAlCd WINS, -
cal authors n of historical volumes
called for proportionately high with
those of mere fiction. yet Trilby." said
she, was AXE out over 700 times by
the progressive portion of our members
At one time we had 10 less than 400 re-
serve notices for this work. of which we
have about a dozen copies circulating.
.aThis was the most popular book of
IL. -.z1u r SOW srr-a n1xricadlU for fhn
entire battery now remains uncalled for
on the library shelves. The Prisoner of
Zenda, has succeeded it in part. Though
not nearly so popular, it is in great de-
mand.
"Of those steady authors of fiction
whose works are always in demand. r.
wing has probably the largest circulation.
His pure style is in great demand among
school children and essayists of our
higher schools and Institutes, whose
model of style he is. De Quincy is in de-
mand only among the latter of these,
though SO similar. Dickens is very popu-
lar always. Thackeray is not to SO great
an extent.
'aThe readers of light fiction read The
Duchess of course, and novels of that
class. Mrs. Holmes and Mrs. South
worth are much read. E.. p. Roe IS a
favorite with this class. So too is John
Strange Winter. There IS a eonstant de1
Weymann, Hall Caine and Anthony
Hope are among the most popular latter
day noveliStS.
aFor histories there is a steady call.
They are read by two classes, l think,
of students. Those at school and the
member OF our many 2 c il.eraT X ci Ameri can
History, John Fiske is the most popular
but Prescott is Of all the most read. On
aof the poets our American Longfellow
]! Tsn my; fsi ss%haSEsspsars s rad s aSa
receives considerable attention. Milton,
Dryden, Spenser and Chaucer are studied
by a few. All the poets are moderately
I'VE follow very closely the courses Of
of the city. We feel immediately hthi the
Courses lead them among the less popu-
Slightly saE a1sss' eripp dedl0t 81 the the esn on one
is covered BY a number of writer's. This
| causes one work to appear more popular
than another for a short period. But
to to- coSer the general run for the year.
.The change of the season y percept-
ible in a like change both in the number
of books circulated and in the number
| of people using the reference and reading
rooms. In the winter months there are
| about twice as many people in the read
ing room daily as there are in summer
| The reference room has ten times as
many in cold weather as in the warmer
season.
ssThe increase in the number of works
circulated during the month Of October
for the third, fifth, sixth and seventh
years of the 1ibrary's existence give an
| excellent idea of the growth in that de-
| partment. IN 1891, there were %, 4S3 vol
unnes circulated, in 1893 there were e, 2OS,
in 1894 there were 31,201. in 1896 there were
% 71e For this entire wear the increase
is some is. 600 Volumes over last year.
.sThe reference room shows a smaller
| increase in the number of its patrons.
In the former, 200 more persons have
| consulted books thar in the previous
year. In the reading room the increase
Is about 49, 900 patrons.