The record-union., 1898-11-28
Weather Forecast,
THE STATE LIBRARY DEBATE.

gence and the gathering and consulta-
lion must result in good for the library
cause. But like most people devoted
10 single work and to which ali their
energies are directed, they are apt to
run Oft with wrong ideas. That which
developed in the late convention, that
represents that order of thought was
scheme to put the larger portion of the
State Library on wheels and cart it
about the country in small parcels.
But we apprehend that the idea was
pretty well broken down before ad-
Jcurnment. No more uneconomic sug-
gestfon could have been made. The
purpoee Of a State library is to make
1t one of reference, not of reference
books only. that is to say, but a reser-
Voir of books to be used mainly for
reference 1t is collection made and
Kept by the State as in all countries,
for the aug1nenting value it develops
with every passing month Great
States gather these treasures and make
them the source and fountain Of tech
nical Information, historical intelligence
and as representative of the wealth of
literature of the ages.
To distribute these books even under
inter-library plans would be to promote
HJonormally their wear and tear; to in
Nite loss and destruction and to break
up the repository as a collection. More
over, 1t would be very difficult to draw
1ne line between the classes of books
10 be held, and those to be sent upon
itineraries. But above all in a State
OF such vast area as ours, the cost TO
users would be greater in a very short
time than the price of the books.
Above all these objections rises the
greater one that distributing the books
among communities would not insure
Their being read. While the habit of
reading is to be stimulated, nav. in
some sense created, it is to be done nv
gradual educational advance and not
by merely presenting group Of so or
IVO volumes for a few weeks at a time
to a community for reading by its peo-
pie. In addition to all which is the OBJ
lection that such staff leaning destroys
self helpfulness and IL therefore, a
positive evil.
Tne thing to do is to encourage stim-
Mate, nay, aid by public money the
establishment of county Libraries in ev-
cry county in the State in addition to
the city and town libraries. With
good books, desirable books, as cheap
as they now are, there is not a county
IN this State that could not, with very
little difficulty, establish ait the county
seat library under superintendent.
say Of the Superintendent of the
schools, to which all the people of the
county outside of incorporated towns
and cities could have access. The be-
ginning would be small in most cases.
but with reasonable fostering care they
would grow very rapidly.
As to the loaning of books from the
State Library to town and city librar-
les it is even more Objectionable than
the turning Of any part of the State
institution into a travelling library. Tt
would confine the use of books thus
loaned to a few communities compared
10 the whole number of county, town
and village groups in the State. While
The guaranty for return would be
Stronger If the books were handled bv
libraries already established, we cannot
understand how the loans would ap-
preciably aid the local libraries. They
might accommodate a few students and
close readers desiring specific works for
few weeks time. But all such loans
would have to be of books which. as a
rufe, are not without the reach of town
and city libraries, nor of the readers
who desire them. 1t is safe to say that
IN this day of lessened cost of books
every 81, 900 would give any library 500
volumes. The cost is not, therefore, so
great as to render it necessary, in or
der to meet the wants of the people. TO
put into a hazardous position the
States collection.
We repeat, a State collection never is
intended to be circulating library. It
Is made and preserved as a collection
where will be reservoired the collective
knowledge and results of the research
for all time. The very purpose is to
store that which will become more and
more valuable as time rolls on. But
such storehouses are always open, un-
der proper regulations, to all the people
Tor examination and reading on the
premises. Wherever such storehouses
are located there viii be distant COM
uunities TO whom access to the trea-
sure will be matter of inconvenience
But that is a condition due to physical
causes over which man has but COM
parative control. To attempt to defeat
them by distributing the library over
the vast area of the State viii not meet
the need, if need there is. II special
rare or valuable work or set of works
is desired in a certain community; it
VIII invariably develop in naming a
class of books which would have to be
excluded from the circulating scheme.
Only the more Indifferent works would,
therefore, be circulated, and the result
ant BENEFITS would be correspondingly
Sight. We have heard no sufficient rea-