The daily morning journal and courier., 1902-05-15
LIBRARIANS SPRING MEET.
CONNECTICUT ASSOCIATIONS DO-
 INGS HERE YEST'ERDAY
pers Road and Addresses NIado-Pnper by Anna G. Rockweii-The Closing Features of the Sessiom

by w. A. Borden, librarian of the insti ute, and made welcome, | The programme for the session was a! 1 follows. MORNING SESSION. l0;30 a. m. Business.
 Fiction again; Where shall we draw the line of exclusion? Miss Anna G. Rockwell, New Britain Institute. Practical color printing.
 MT. Charles P. Everitt,
 Doubleday, Page & Co.,, New York. Charging system in use at the institute,
 w. A. Borden.
 The Institute Library, New Haven.
 AFTERNOON SESSION.
 9. m.
 Development of the historical novel
 Professor Wilbur L. Cross,
 Yale university.
 Address, Professor Albert s. Cook,
 of Yale university.
 After the meeting the delegates visi- ted several of the libraries of this city.
 The paper by Miss Anna c. Rockwell of the New Britain institute, on "Fic- ton Again: Where Shall We Draw the Line of Exclusion?" was very interest ing. Some extracts from the paper are given below;
 'I might preface my opinion regard ing the position of the line with a dis cussion of the question whether there should be any line at all, but for the small library, which occupies the place fo the average man in economic discus sions, a line of a tangible sort is gene- rally provided, namely, the purse string. The small library must select, however liberal or lax, the views of it's book committee may be-
 But, first, why is the fiction ques-, tion of such interest to the librarian? our readers care for little else. Their activities are without the world of let ters to which they come merely for re- taxation.
 "The standard in juvenile fiction may be kept higher because the children are now learning to read good literature in the public schools. There is the light moved which society does not read. How gladly would we substitute for half the aimless novel reading. hard thinking, or the study of public ques- lions. outdoor athletics, or walking, cooking or sewing, the study of birds, flowers, insects and rocks, or the com of little children, but can 1idly, are not the more probable sub stitutes, day dreaming, or gossip, vel low journals or cheap melodrama, ugly IT sight destroying fancy work and the athletics which consist in sitting down % watch professionals hit "a ball--when hey are not hitting each other But after all our real library consists not of he books we buy-the best of them nay stand on the shelves year in and year out. of no use except to gather lust and to feed the vanity of trustees ,nd librarians but of the books we cir 'ulate. and in spite of the Wsest selec- | ion the library is seldom a guide or eacher for men and women, 1t is main Y an index of the soundness of public | aste The children it may guide, as veil as entertain, form while 1t un- orms If we neglect or belittle this | ,ranch of our work, we miss our great st opportunity for godd, not to speak f mllstones.
 In summarizing, Miss Rockwell de- ided that the reading of fiction must ,e left much to the individual taste. n manufacturing towns, there was emand for the lighter fiction. It all epended very much upon Ue sur Her aim seemed to be to rge selection of the higher and more levating books of fiction for reading The officers of the association are as blows.
 President, Henry M. Whitney, Bran- ord; vice presidents, George s. God I'd, Hartford, Mary E. Lyman, Mid lefield; George M. Darlington, Wins ad. Alena owen, Suffield; Alvarado toward, Stafford Springs; secretary, ma Hadley, Ansonia; treasurer, Jen- ie P. Peck Waterbury.
 As Professor Cook had class recita~ on to preside over at the hour set for is address he exchanged places on the -ogramme with Professor Cross. de- vering his address first It was a ,ry pithy, admirable address. treat
  he same is true of Professor Cross ad- 'ess which sava evidence of most reful thought and preparation and /. as greatly enjoyed. Miss Rockwells ldress, a small part of which is given l ,ove. abounded in witty, telling para aphs. There were a bout sixty librarians esent, about five-sixths of whom were dies. I There was no election of officers at is time. Nothing was said concern E the gifts of MT, Carnegie for libra as and how best they can he made Q of. This subject will be thorough r discussed in the national meeting of rarians 10 be held in Boston a few Dnths hence. BOUGHT LAND IN ORANGE