Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1896-06-09
A Communication.

To the Editors of the kennebec Journal:
Will YOU kindly grant space in your col
umnS for further brief reference to the
Lithgow library. The public has been
left to conjecture as TO the reason for its
exclusion from the shelves containing the
books: but il is presumed that he OBJ
ject of the trustees, has been to guard
against loss. If this, has been their aim.
then in the light of the experience of
some other libraries it would seem TO be
an unnecessary safeguard. The city Of
Boston with its population OF half a mill
lion has II library of more than six hun
dred thousand volumes. and is said to be
the largest and best library on this con-
tinent. excepting the congressional Ii
brary, and the librarian IN his report for
1885 says:
without THO Intervention of an at
tendant he fthe'visitor) may inspect. take
down and read (as he would in his w
home) some GOO volumes in Bates hall.
some $500 volumes in the patent library.
and some 5000 in the children's room.
With only such formaiity as is involved
in registering his name and address he
may directly inspect and without Il card
or call-slipl have taken down and read
o 9l,A0 volumes on the special libra
ries floor Does any serious trouble
arise from this system? No. On the
contrary. you correspondent is informed
by an official of the library that the trus-
tees contemplate a further enlargement
public library in Pawtueket. r. L.. Mrs.
NJ. 4. Sanders. of many years experience
in library work. writing of that library
where the open shelf system prevails.
says:
'Our library today has 1000 books.
Our population is very nearly If not quite
81. 600. Very few books are lost from the
shelves. The advantages so greatly out
weigh the disadvantages hat We could
not think of returning to the close shelf.
One of my assistants has just been called
to Attleboro. Mass. The trustees in
struct her to make the library as near
lilxa tllDf Of Pm WiUrkPt as nOcSiblp
Now the question suggesting itself to
the minds of many is whether the trus-
tees of Lithgow library find anything in
the people OF this city that should eX-
clude us from the advantages of q sys-
TEN which has been applied with so much
safety and satisfaction in the cities OF
Boston and Pawtucket. If there should
he an exception in the cases OF these
three cities. of Boston. Pawtucket and
Augusta. then for what reason? If our
system is right then Boston and Paw
tucket are wrong. only they do not seem
to have found out their mistake.
There is another consideration that pre-
| sents itself. The trustees have expended
thousands of dollars on the room in
which the books are kept, so that there
is probably nothing in the State surpass,
| ing it in beauty. Beautifully stained
glass windows have been placed m me
| walls. in design speaking TO this and the
| generations to come of the different
| stages in our corporate existence. Tho
alcoves bear the names of departed
friends. surviving relatives of whom
have lone SO much by their generous
financial aid to make the building a
| reality. But from all his the public
| and even the donors are excluded and
one is led to wonder at the expenditure
of his large sum of money and the cree
, ton of these memorial alcoves in a
room used simply for the storage of
books. The privileges have been so re-
| stricted that MANY would gladly welcome
a return to the old and less legant quar-
tors on Water street, where we cheer
fully paid our dollar annually and enjoyed
| the superior advantages afforded by the
less pretentious but simple and effective
| system which prevailed there. A strong
sentiment exists in favor of Il printed
catalogue and the open shelf system and
if there are any good solid reasons why
they cannot be granted, the public should
be informed. f.. A. SMALL.
One of North Anson's ~enterprising
-. caraaaorc ic pLilaplaI