The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1899-01-10

The VALUE OF
The LIBRARY.
Interesting Discussion at Meet
ing Of the Unitarian Club.
Mr.. LANE OF HARVARD SPEAKS.
The Book as the Unit Of The Library is the
PTeSeNer Of a Record.
BINDS GENERATION TO GENERATION.
ThG Look Today Is The Great Democratic lnsiiu'
ten Of Literature Remarks by Mr.. KoOpman,
Mr.. Harrison and Others.

The regular monthly banquet Of The
Unitarian club was held last evening
i'm Tillinghast assembly hall. Presi-
Gen, James Shaw presided and sixty
members were gathered about the
board. The post prandial exercises
consisted of addresses upon '"rhe Aims
and Opportunities OF Libraries" made
by William G.. Lane librarian of How
ard University and president of the
American Library association, ii. l..
koopman, librarian of Brown Unver-
sity; j. j.. Harrison, librarian of the
Providence Atheneum, and William T..
Foster. librarian of the Providence
Pubic Library. who were the especial
guests of the occasion.
IL was Just O'Clock when President
Shaw raped the meeting Ia order and
Secretary William IA. Lddy read the
minutes of the last meeting, which
We're approved. President shaw then
offered a few appropriated remarks on
Libraries in general, and on our local
Libraries i'm particular. introducing as
first speaker Mr.. Lane, who spoke in
part as follows:
The city of Providence is well pro-
Vided with libraries. The public library
is inclined to give "A large share Of ad-
vantage to those who have no other
means of securing books. The Athe-
neum library, and the Brown Univer-
sity library and the private library,
whose owner is performing public ser
vice because the books are of priceless
value To the scholar. In the case of
public library Providence is about to
experience a beneficent kind of advant
age. The consideration OF what Ii
brary can do for community is fit
ting. The book, the unit Of a library.
Ii is the means OF preserving a record
of what Is going on. 1t is the source of
inspiration. III is the tie which binds
one generation with those which come
after. and those which have gone be-
fore. Such preservation of continuity
is essential. Books preserve the ideals
and thoughts of generation before
and go on from that point. For GEN.
turies Plato's words were preserved in
a hazardous way, but when i'm the 10th
century the printing press came there
was the means of multiplying those
records indefinitely. but only for the
favored few We had to wait for the
power presses before the records could
be made the property of every one. The
book today is the great democratic in
OF literature. And the library |
is the means. OF providing these books |
for the general use.
oir forefathers got along very well |
without libraries, or with fewer libra
'ies than there are today. The loss Of |
he Harvard library by fire was Il pub
ic calamity. Ii contained about 5000
volumes ut that time and was in eX-
'css or the needs ~ that institution.
but today over Ave times that number
ire contained in that library. As TO
,aching there Is among other agencies
he newspaper, but no newspaper lives
up to the splendid opportunities that
ire possible for II. The library has no
Ii has no party or creed.
{ IS Cper all day To- any race or per-
oE. The public library here in Proei-
l,nce has material enough In IL 20 nm
ift the pcople OF the whole United |
states. The problem is To bTipE it's
,eople and the books together. But IL
loes not live up 90 the opportunities
hat surround IL. But il does do a
treat deal To extend the knowledge il
contains.
There is no class i'm the community,
10 age over condition which the library
oes not reach after and strive to help.
n your present library IL surprised me
o see how well you have Gone with the
inadequate means at your disposal. /
peak OF this knowing of course that
our new library is adequate 90 meet
and am sure that Mr. Fos-
er viii be able 10 increase the work OF |
lis Office in his new ana larger quar-
ers. ! would Ike 10 speak OF the mat
er ot support Of the new public l,brafy. |
or IL does not occur to me that this
natter is fully appreciated. II should
cceivc the cncouragemcnt OF our citi-
ems In the same light that our public
chools our supported.
Mr.. Koopman said substantially: our
hrary Is already an old institution. be-
az over 100 years old. In the olden
avs "A small library was sufficient
We know that education in this coun-
~ has been improved i'm the past 100
ears. our library Is actually crowded
[ some hours Of the day The problem
Z the university library il different
rom that Of the public library The
niversity library IN a tool OF the edu-
alton OF the pupils. VIC have n schol-
RS library FOR the advanced scholars
nj the professors. and the students .
brary Tor the great body Of students
he books of the scholars library are
IRE ree-quarters. perhaps. IN foreign Ian
uages. The professors require tho
ubications OF learned societies The
udents want standard works not too
but enough 20 enlighten TO
le necessary degree. Brown Univer-
~ Is perhaps The FIRST university ~
rary that has open shelves. We have
few hundred of the most attractive 7
Doks I'm art science and literature Y
hich are set aside for students use. !
Fe are making an attempt az distinc- ;
on. Brown University has special ;
'lection ~ pamphlets on American )
story. We have the Harris collection J
American poetry. which is known 10
y students of American literature I'm
le country. This gives us n certain {
iality of our own. '
Nr. Harrison said in part: The free r.
lblic library OF today ~ tho result of u
itional development In 1898 tho need r.
other than individual libraries cree a
ed the more venernl ones In 1874 y
gan new era In the life Of our peo- 4
o. the foundation of the Philhielphia "
orary association. The principle soon q
'fead to Massachusetts, and Middle y
Continued on Page FiYoD q