The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-12-12
PUBLIC LIBRARY
List Showing Books Taken Out
by Adults.
TASTE OF THE PATRONS
A Comparison With Last Year Shows
Some Surprising Changes-Kipling
and Mauds Wilder Goodwin
Favorites.


print a list Of those drawn by the older
patrons on the same day.
We have before had occasion to oh
serve that u library is peculiar In
occasionally publishing such an exact
and full list of the books which have
been taken. instead of making IL a list
of the books which ought to be drawn.
But after all. the best guide TO a reader
Is what books the generality of peo-
pie are taking. and in our weekly arti-
cles I'm the papers, n in such other
ways as we may be able. We try to
assist our readers in discriminating be-
tween the books. The one serious OBJ
lection to a list of only one day is that
II gives a very incomplete idea of the
books which are In demand. The aver
age book Is retained from two or three
to fourteen days, n as the library
does not possess an unlimited number
of copies of any book. whether or not
any individual book, even though 1t be
of a popular nature. appears on the list
of those drawn on a certain day. Is
quite a matter of accident.
Yet the list. on the whole, will give
a general idea of the taste of the pat
rons OF the library, always bearing this
in mind that on most other days in
any library there is likely TO be a larger
proportion of standard books asked for
than are in demand the day before
Thanksgiving.
But taking the lists as they stand.
there were 332 books drawn on Nov.
"a of this year. OF this number 1872
were drawn by adults and 140 by the
young people. OF the books drawn by
the young people. over a third were
such as would be ordinarily classed as
adult literature. OF those taken by
orally be called juvenile. On the We
lists. leaving out the magazines, for
which there is an increasing demand
at the library. both for the bound vol
umes and for the single numbers, there
were 2O7 different authors represented.
There were eight books of each OF three
authors drawn, five of each of two.
four of two. three of eight authors. W
books of each of 81 authors, while 165
authors were represented by N book
each. Compared with the correspond
ing day of last year., the authors were
very much the same. yet there were
some surprising changes. For instance.
the author represented by the largest
number Of books in last years list did
not appear at all in this list of this
year. This author is Bret Harte, and
while no books by him were X out
on this particular day. we believe that
he is just as much in demand. taking
the season as a whole, as ne ever
was.
But on the other hand. several books
appear on the list this year from the
pen Of Maude Wilder Goodwin and
Rudyard Kipling, who were not repre-
scented last year Indeed. considering
the small number of books they have
written. perhaps these two authors may
be considered the favorites this year.
While the same authors to a great
extent appear I'm the lists both of this
season and of last, the same books are
very seldom to be found. out of GOO
books drawn on the two days consid-
cred. only Is appeared on both lists.
these Is average way above the
general run of either list for literary
merit. The one book, of which two
copies were issued on each Of the days
considered, was Little Women
Taken all I'm all. this is probably the
most permanently popular book in the
library. and at least 10 copies have
actually been worn out since the library
was opened.
II is interesting from time to time
to consider the luctuating demand for
certain looks. A year or two & there
were three novels. of far more than or
binary merit. for which the demand
was particularly active. These were
"On the Face of the Waters" quo
Vadis' and the Honorable Peter Stir
ling" 1t is gratifying to observe that
books of such value are still in active
demand. Yet they are not in the same
demand. "On the Face of the Waters
il still frequently called for. but its
popularity is perceptibly waning. In
another veal or two, unless the demand
is revived by one of those accidents
which revive the interest in a book. II
will take its place with other books
which have seen their day of greatness
among which are ''Trilby" and But
Yet a Woman" excellent books in their
way, but which somehow or other seem
4 - $500
that is-of permanent popularity. But
Of the other two. QUO Vadis'' is called
for nearly as often as ever. and the de-
mand for Honorable Peter Stirling
seems actually to grow as the months
roll on. While they may one day be
books of the past, that day is not yet
in sight, and it would require a wise
prophet to foretell when the day
will be.
But following is the list of books is
sued To adults Nov. "a:
Abbott, Jacob-History Of Nero.
Abbott. John S. C.-History OF Her.
nando Cortez.
Amicis, Edmondo de-Cuore.
Alcott. Louisa M.-Modern Mephisto.
pheles.
Aicott, Louisa M.-Moods.
Aldrich. Thomas B.-Prudence Pal.
frey.
Allen. Willis Boyd-Navy Blue.
Altsheler. Joseph A.-Sun of Saratoga
Atlantic Monthly-Vol 81.
Barr. Mrs. Amelia E.-Border Shep'
herdess.
Barr. Mrs. Amelia Feet Of Clay.
Barr. Mrs. Amelia E.-Jan Vedder's
Wife.
Barr. Mrs. Amelia E.-Remember tn,
Alamo.
Barr. Roberta Woman Intervenes.
Barrett. Wilson-Sign of the Cross.
Basket. James Newton-At You All,
House.
Baylor. FEES. Con Both Sides.
Beringer. G. and j. Text Book OF
Assaying.
Besant. Sir walter-The Changeling.
Black. William-Shandon Bells.
Black. william-That Beautiful Wretch
Blackmore. r. D.-Springhaven.
Bourget. Paul-Outre Mer.
Bracket. William S.-Heroic Free Ma.
sons of Early Montana.
Bronte. Charlotte-Jane Eyre.
Brush. Mrs. Christine C.-The Colonies
Opera Cloak.