The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-07-03
BOOKS NOW
BEING READ
School Children
Use Library
Most.
THE LITERATURE
OF HONOLULU
Miss Burbank, of the Subscription
Library and the Tastes OF
Its Patrons.

terday interviewed by a representative
of the Advertiser.
There are now, according to the cata-
logues, about Il, 500 books on the shelves
and Miss Burbanlz's observation leads
to the conclusion that the school chill
dren and pupils of the High School are
getting the best use of the volumes.
Contrary to what might be expected,
however, Miss Burbank says that since
the closing eff the school the pupils read
less and are visitors to the library less
frequently explaining that they have
other anusenaents and "othef things to
do during vacation. Under the direc-
ton of their teachers, the children have
been Systematically going through the
standard literature which the library
affords them access to, and they nave
outnumbered by far the adult patrons.
Since the first of January about 400 vol
umes have been added to the shelves
and a number of new books have been
ordered. The committees are endeavor-
ing to keep web apace with the times,
and as promptly as the subscription
| funds will permit, the latest literature
is procured and added to the list. There
are only a few books of which the Ii
brary has more than one copy. On ac-
count of the subscription. plan, economy
has to be considered, and the agents
are Instructed to send only one copy at
/ first; if the circulation of the book de-
demands it, other copies are sent for.
During last year an addition of from
1900 to 1000 volumes was made to the
shelves of the library. This addition
falls somewhat short of what it would
have been under other circumstances.
| During the plague in the spring the cir
eulation department was required TO be
closed for two months. and the commit
| tees were prevented from meeting,
| hence books to be sent for were not Sc
lected for some time, and there was de
lay in receiving them. When the Terri
toriar Government was established and
duty was done away with, instead of
facilitating the receipt of books from
the Eastern States it only hindered;
goods were allowed to be brought only
by American vessels, and there were
so few of these that they were much
Iovercrowded. Miss Burbank says that
on this account small boxes of freight
were left over from steamer to steamer,
and the ordered books were left lying
in port at San Francisco for long
time. After these difficulties were re-
moved the books began to come IN
faster but there had been much delay.
:. OF the years addition the larger por-
: ton are old books that were donated
The books are nearly all in the English
Language. those in other languages be-
ing among the donated volumes. There
being no demand for books IN foreign
languages. none have been purchased
The purchasing of books is ATTENDED
to by committees. An auxiliary com
tmittee of members of the Library Asse'
citation make lists of desirable book
and a committee composed of three o
the trustees select the ones to be pur
chased. Books are coming in all tn
time. a few at a time, large consign
ments not being permitted by the limit
ed funds. A number of technical book
on electricity have been recently re
ceived. this being the first consignment
/ of books purchased with a donation O
$500 made by the committee on Labo
I lDav celebration last year; this sum wa
] left over when the expenses of the pa
l rade and exercises had been paid, an
[ IT was decided to donate the money t
] the library for the purchase Of techn1
I cal works, on carpentering, PLUMBING
I electrical and mechanical work, ct
! The money was apportioned to the dif
ferent labor organizations, $40 being tn
| amount apportiened for works on elet
] tricity. The committees from the labc
organizations have been slow in selec'
ing their books, and the only ones thu
I have arrived are those on electricity.
number of books on China hay
1 been added this year and these ha'
! been read with avidity, as have all
/ those on the Boer war. but the pop'
I larity of both is now falling off, Literi
tr1re on the Philippines is also pref
] thoroughly shelved.
Two new books on Hawaii have bef
l added to the list These are Hiwa
] by z. P. Dole. and "Kelea, the Sur
I Rider" by Alexander s. Twombley-
1 Among the readers of novels MAJ
! lCoreni is ever popular. Her late wor
/. 1.-THE Master Christian" has recent
I been added. "The Cardinals SnufboS
| by Henry Harland. is also an additi
/ this year, and has been greatly in
| mand. David Harum" has fail
~ away in popularity, as has also "Wh
~ IKnighthood Was in Flower and 9th
works under the term popular books
although the last two named have ST
a. steady demand Miss Burbank stat
!. that she has noticed that reading
~ this class goes by fads, and with t
=. waning of the critics attention I
more ordinary ones go to the shelf
ST. remain there undisturbed.
II Among the most popular autht
among the school children and stude1
is Stanley J weyman. His clever
- has turned French history into M
II interesting reading. and the teaci
finds weyman's sugar-coating Of
history pill great aid.
Ernest on-Thompson has a laE
share of attention from both the your
er and the older students. His 'Bieg1