New-York tribune., 1902-08-04
QUESTIONS ABOUT THE LIBRARY.
CATALOGUE AND OTHER WORK OUTLINED
FOR LIBRARIANS-AS TO THEOLOGI-
CAL. LEGAL AND MEDICAL
COLLECTIONS
To the Editor Of The Tribune.

COLLECTIONS.
To the Editor Of The Tribune.
Sir: Is It true that the New-York Public Library,
Astor. Lenox and Tilden Foundations. has de-
termined make d printed catalogue Of its
million books? Why? 1t has merely a card
index Because. il alleges. a printed catalogue
would cost much money Surely. that IS not the
reason. Money is not Mountains of money are
10 be spent alone for ornamentation OF the walls
Of the librarys main and branch buildings why
then? Because a catalogue would cost much LABOR
Now librarians and their assistants are not look
ing for labor Indeed. they have associations with
the view of saving them from il They prefer to
doze between 10 and o'clock They would nate 10
serve, in eight hour platoon relays between ; IN
the morning and u o'clock at night, because in the
evening when the average citizen, then away from
his business can travel TO and use distant pubic
library they would be driven like lamppost light
ers They would detest the bold citizen who would
suggest that they give a few OF their idle hours
each day to some needful public compilations and
transla tons.
In my humble opinion concurred in by every I'm
portant man have spoken to about it. librarians
and their assistants in each and every public
library which receives any public money should
for all time have imposed upon them by statute.
under the direction and supervision OF me Uni
versity of the State Of New-Iork, the task OF
making in monthly instalments, exhaustive ana
unabridged % indexes. C) digests, CD dictionaries
90 grammars. o. encyclopedias of all learning. 90
museum library. park and other catalogues. Cd
English translations of all foreign classics with
copious notes as questionable words and phrases
and after translated chapters. with explanations.
first historical, then philosophical and fnalIy
psychological, 90 and analogous helps
To coerce and interest them in this regard, pay
ment of their monthly wages should be dependent
upon their fling with the University Of the State
of New-York and upon its approval. proof by
affidavit that the affant had made some substan-
tial compliance with the law during the month
They have all the means at their hands and
abundance Of time on their hands. Who could
compile these helps better? Really, the learning
hurried in libraries and foreign languages must ever
lie confined idle unless some such ready helps
be produced. When, within a few years after such
a law these prepared things would be printed by
the university they would be deposited IN many &C
cassihIe places throughout this city and State.
that the hurried literary digger in seeking Tor his
hidden authority, would not have to travel long
distances during inconvenent specified hours to
card index which would give him then nothing but
the book covers mysterious titles With this re-
form in view, the State Civil Service Commission
should given jurisdiction over all literary as
sistants in all libraries which receive any public
money.
And as to another thing. is it true that all the
trash will be put in the circulation department for
the branches and that all the valuable books Will
be kept in the reference department of the main
building? If so. is the purpose Of the siXty-fiVe
branch buildings to be erected TO save travelling
and trouble or not? No bill giving additional
appropriation OF public money to this public yet
private library should ever again be passed unless
on any day. al any hour before mdnisht al, at @ me
shall be permitted by it, upon his giving reaSonaoIe
not6e not esfea to 6oo so happen at the time to be in
the remote branch building 1t should on fa 1ees
would force the pneumatic tube service to be IN
stalled between each branch budlilg ana lle main
Vow as to the most important thing Of all is it
true as | am told is. that this public library
win not establish and maintain Gepartmebnt bdo OF
of f ega BOOKS If it is how then
can it be complete library, superior to BostonS
the books relating to the three and only learned
pp,ished honorable and disinterested trustees Of
this library, which receives pubic Inohey 10 a2W
whom? BY practising lawyers, clergymen and doc
tors? An artisan faTTr Ie5ox or TiIden in his
youth might possibly have hunger Tor knowledge
in any all of those prohibited departments. & and
Notwithstanding the millions OF money given by
those altruists and aSo ny this CITY ne Wouo
dTe IN tines tG @ not YET SO Old the members Of the
~ the land Of the soul and of the body in dead
Tongue Their trick is now played Their dead
the present members of monopollstlc tendencies
proportion of professional men to all other men in
he population not alone IN n TINS Po6 oo IN name tn@
professional men. But selfish remedy Is easy.
adIr1eson 10 any of the professions very high and
very unusual It does not requlre the exclusion @
Property qualification by way 0n m eedpV i so Iae
stamp upon Of e@fh little aR BUT an qHa
Scstion NAV be made justly almost prohlbitve
kr'vIicapts NAV inherit borrow money which
p-6iiId huy them the stamps, but they cannot
inherit or borrow learning which would pass them
thro,pb the examinations. They who satisfy these
,n,snaI conditions. their university diplomas
counting for nothing except as CONDITION prece-
de1t should then be subjected by the University
or The state of New-York searching, technical
indeed difficult ard extraordinary. examination
from The lowest the highest principles in each
ard II Of the subjects that make up the great ana
Grand circle OF human learning. Ihey VINO pass
etie viii he few acceptable and worthy, because IT
fs opi,t The few acceptable and worthy who apply
tbaneeI,es for wears enough to acquire an educa-
t;or nm to slch a standard. DRIVEN DIGGER.
New-York July 80, 1902
7, yras .xnlained at the library that while do
ing nublic service the Astor Library Is really
private corporation. receiving no puohc money
from State or city 1t is supported by the in
| terest from the Astor. Lenox ana Illden endow-
ments II was also said that an eight volume cata-
| logue had been printed. but as such catalogue
must Of necessity be of date. and as the cost Of
| publication was enormous, it had been discon-
| tinued Bulletins Of library news are regularly
printed and at intervals lists OF an tie DOCKS In
4 the library relating 10 an especiaI SUBJECT are
| issued catalogued by subject and author In re-
ation to the caud index librarians say tnat this
device is used all libraries as II Is 'iie cheapest