Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1901-04-25
LECTURE AT EEW-eENTURy CLUB.

Thursday afternoon lecture was
delivered before tho club by Mr..
Thomas L. Montgomery on Benefits
apparent in many Of the Modern
Libraries. He said in part: The idea
OF the free library has not vet been
fully adopted by the American people
VINO seem to feel il savors too much of
paternaliem. Several towns ip Penn.
sylvania have even refused the offer of
Mr.. Carnegie to give them a library
building il they would insure 81. OOu
a year for is support. They object to
the increased taxation and, some held
that Carnegie's money is blood money.
Mr.. Montgomery gave short sketch
OF Libraries in America; the oldest one
IN Philadelphia was the Loganian,
founded in 1745 by James Logan, a
Friend, who showed much discretion
in gathering fine collection of books.
The Redwood Of Newport and the
Mercantile of New, York were among
the early ones OF Importance. The
Mercantile of Philadelphia, once SO
important, has deteriorated greatly; it
draws every year on it's principal to
support it. An effort has been made
TO bring about union between il and
the Philadelphia Free Library, when
the latter would replace the old
fashioned depot-like building with a
beautiful new one and commemorate the
original library by calling 1t Mercau-
tile Hall, but the stockholders evil
IDENTITY prefer to realize ON their stock.
The old Philadelphia Library founded
by Benjamin franklin has been wisely
administered and helped through crit.
cal times, but now gets along in a
prosaio kind of way. The archaic
status of the Rush Library may DO
inferred from the remark of the care
taker to a visitor: "You may GOT he
lieVe 1T, but somebody does come here
every day. +" A small branch OF the
free library nearby, does more in one
night than it does in year. The Free
Library itself circulates 1000, 600 Of
books year.
the college libraries are in an un.
satisfactory condition as 1t is impossible
without greater means to keep an IN.
to'date library. and many OF the halls
are badly constructed. That of the
University OF Pennsylvania lacks venti.
iation, and its glass top acts as burn
ing glass ON the book bindings. No
other state is furnished forth like
Massach usetts, where every town, with
Tue exception OF seven, is provided
with its pretty home-lilse little library
IN the midst Of the town, the pivot Of
its intellectual life. These were started
by the State which allowed SIOo year |
to any town that would take care of |
the books and issue them. Then seeing
the interest taken some wealthy mill |
owner or resident would provide the |
building. Pennsylvania averages about
one book to every 1000 inhabitants,
MASSACHUSETTS, several books to each
lnhabitant. The facts speak for ttlsm-
selves. The free library movement
should be extended for the benefit Of
the schools. The Boston Free Library
has magnificent collection especially
Of WORKS for historical reference They
nave been far mora carefully chosen
Than these of the CongI essional
Library, the great accretion Of The
after being due to the copyright law
which provides that two volumes of
each book published shall be sent 10
she library before copyright is given.
The ohildren's room in the Pittsburp
library is especially well managed. II
3 on lower floor aud thus takes the
rustling element out Of the adult
department.; one of the librarians, an
dept at blackboard work, illustrates
he books for them. You should give
% your librarian in Wilmington earnest
upport IN every way, by building up
he line institution you already have
md by manifesting your interest in it
A. s..