New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-01-06
EDUCATIONAL AFFAIRS.
NEWS OF THE COLLEGES NOTES OF
INTEREST.
THE LIBRARY IN COLLEGE woRK-GRowTH
IN SIZE AND Y-CoMPARI-
SONS WITH FOREIGN AND BACK
WARD AMERICAN INSTITUTIONS.

significant feature OF modern college work in
America is the part played by the library. The
modern professor, instead Of dronng through a
lifeIess recitation. in which students repeat pas
sages from textbook, is more likely to try TO
interest the part of the students by set
ting them at independent reading for which they
are turned loose in the library. An admirable
course of lectures on the Arhurian legend recently
given at Eastern university consisted almost en-
tirely of an intelligent criticism and summary OF
the most important articles bearing on the legend
the purpose being to enable the students to read
intellgently the subject. The professor OF his
tory no longer attempts TO force his view OF Alex
ander OF Frederick the Great upon his Students he
requires them TO read the various authorities and
then to formulate their own views and justify
them. This they must do by an intelligent use OF
the university library.
Forty years ago this state of things did not exist
Few colleges possessed large libraries. and the
books they had were more likely to be sermons
than biography science. The librarians ONCE
in its modern scope was unknown The books were
usually in charge of professor, who opened the
library little while every day II the
students encouraged 10 spend their leisure In
communion with the great minds Of the past they
received few hints on photography, and had
TO make their own way as best they could. The
number of professors who made any serious at
tempt to guide their students in reading for class
work small, indeed.
The present reliance the library has become
possible through the great growth of college
lsbraries American colleges own nearly
6.750OO0 volumes. Harvard boasts of more than
100000 volumes; Chicago. of $4,000; Columbia, of
275.0O0, and Cornell, of 250oO. Nine institu-
tions have more than 100000 volumes each, and
thirty more have above $4,000 each To manage
these large libraries requires in every case con-
siderable staff the librarian now ranks with the
arisen and the larger libraries at least, are grow
But the growth Of college libraries is itself the
outcome Of clearer % by are ban
twenty years ago Justin winsor wrote: "A collec-
ton Of good books with soul to it in the shape of
the Impulses by which the world goes on to i'm i'm
proyement stdgnant nfa h c6nyeience of an
overworked professor. rather than inyiting every
ere rradaaIIV disappearng Teachers are learning
70 use the s1oTsd e1 iay OF BOOKS as an
In this connection it is interesting to note that
SrsRs ahs as
s e she Of tRe German wen
unless p o6 e Sd ali his Books IN the 80
time each day; books could be used there only
books Wanted siq had already been drawn was at
Gh ha dhe an noW though the policy Of
keeping the library Grculating one continues boues
of opening have been considerably extended Leip-
e dsy ANA The ei Berlin University Library opens it's
doors ten hours day The same holds true
Of paris IS open nine hours daily; The BodIeian
1f9an nyersv Library is open to the
earnest UNDERGRADUATE three hours day; by pre-
senfing letter from his college tutor he may Sc
cure three hours more Many of the colleges OF
Oxford and Cambridge however. have good libra
brary is open six hours daily during the winter.
and five during the summer and fall Besides the
ref books the student may consult two vol
1mes daily from the general library. provided he
before 2 .. M This is somewhat behind Amert-
can practices: few libraries in this country are
thus hampered. The Harvard Library Is open dur
ing term time eight and half hours, and the read
ing room thirteen hours. Pennsylvania opens her
library nine and half hours; Yale opens ner ref
IS open thirteen and half hours daily; Mich
sgan and Princeton. each fourteen hours and
Cornell fifteen hours In many Quarters the opin-
ion is held that library which is TO be of service
20 students cannot be circulating without limit,
consequently several college libraries restrict cir
culation, while some do not extend this privilege
students at all. . -.
These facts seem to indicate progress In the right
direction. Not only teachers not AFRAID TO
allow students to get their ideas from books at
of thought is best developed by encouraging the
widest possible of books. American scholars
have learned much, and have much to learn, from
the Old World but 1t is believed that when libra
ries are compared Americans have the advantage.
Nevertheless, it should be rem embered that the
movement to recognize the library is yet in its
infancy. A large number Of American colleges to-
day have not yet comprehended the importance OF
the library; in many quarters IT is easier TO get
81 appropriations for buildings than for new
books and perhaps easier to secure money FOR the
rDfrchase of books than for efficient library admin
3stration. Such colleges should take lessons from
The success of the more progressive policy or the
institutions cited for without an adequate educaon
an institutions highest success is seriously ham,
pered-