The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-05-08
RenI Circulating Library.

As most book lovers of Washington
are aware. there has been within the
last year a movement toward the es-
tablistment in this country of some
thing like the famous Nude travelling
library in England. It is proposed that
from a central Office. located probably
in New York, all the new books shall
be sent to patrons at sub-stations
throughout the country, at the rate of
one a week IL desired. The substations
as now arranged include all the large
cities and numerous small cities and
towns in the East. and the larger cities
of the West. The chances are that most
OF the custom Of this travelling library
viii be among the jewellers in small
towns or villages, which have no circu
lating library. The result will probably
be to increase the sale of good books
in these towns. and for that reason
the enterprise has great advantage
over local booksellers and libraries,
since publishers will be glad to offer
reduced rates for the advertisement
which the circulation of their books
will give them For instance, il there
are ten subscriptions to the library in
the town of Masquash, and one of the
subscribers reeds David Harum." the
other nine will also want the book, and
they are likely to want it at once,
hence ten copies will be needed to
supply the public of that town, in place
of the one which wo.ld serve if The
medium Of circulation were the town
library Moreover. there may be ten
more people in the town who. when
they see the book in the hands of their
neighbors, will buy it, because they
wang it. though they do not subscribe
to the library. The publisher can there
fore afford 10 give the travelling library
corpora ticn, which may be the means
of selling twenty copies of one book
IN a town. advantages over the town
library, which buys one copy of the
book. or the local bookseller. who may
perhaps sell FIVE copies. 1t will be an
other obstacle in the path, already
thorny and hard. of the man who has
been in the bookseIling business all his
life, and is still retailer. The de-
partment stores have already crowded
him out in many places, and the travel
iiiS iIbA al VIII w iiibAt III NilcAl III c.
tion. for it will have no rent TO pay,
no clerks to hire, and no expenses ex-
cept those Of its big central and branch
houses and its express hire.
From the point Of view of the book
lover. however, the innovation is a good
one. There has been for the last fifty
years a steady movement toward max
ing good literature plentiful and cheap
and accessible in this country. At pres
ent the quantity is perhaps more III
evidence than the quality. II is not at
all hard to get something to read: but
good deal of what is offered is trash
1t is important 70 educate the people
along such lines that they will desire
and demand good reading; and the
travelling library will do this. The de-
partment stores take up the last new
book and sell 1t cheaply, whether il be
good or bad, IL the price is somewhere
in the neighborhood Of a dollar; but
they do not touch the valuable seien-
tific. biographical. and esthetic litera-
ture which runs higher in price and
does not appeal to a large public. Such
books as the recent biography OF Hux-
ley, for example, can only be bought of
IA regular bookseller, and he does not
advertise them because he has few GUS
toners The travelling library. however.
having patrons all over the country
who would read and enjoy the book,
since they may obtain It without pay
ing any extra charge, will advertise Il,
and thus increase its popularity and its
sale. 1t will pay the travelling library