The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-12-21
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS
LINGtlsTNC ATTACHMENTS OF THE
AxTENDANTs THERE.
Character of the Books Most I'm De-
mand-Fiction second to History
I'm Numbers of Readers.
washington Post.


ings than the reading room of the Con-
gressionaI Library. with the entire range
OF the worlds literature at ones com
mand and that Washington people, as
we'll as those who are here from dis
tance, have learned TO take full advantage
OF this. of the greatest blessings OF
life in the Capital. is amply proved by the
large number of readers who may, any
evening. be found I'm this. the finest read
ing room in North America.
Although perhaps 1t is not known to
every one, II is fact of some interest
that every member of the librarians
force is a college man. The person whom
one sees handing out light Juvenile fiction.
has undergone collegiate training, which.
though probably OF little use in this in
stance. may stand him well in hand when
the next reader arrives. asking for direc-
tions for securing a copy of Justus
Frederick Karl Hecker's THE Epidemics
Of the Middle Ages" or some other equally
rare and heavy work. These patient,
faithful obliging librarians. who wait upon
young girl readers seeking Gibson's 1.-The
Passing Show" with the same polite and
thorough attention with which they re-
spond to the applications of students and
of considerable learning and literary ac-
complishments Mr.. Dick Johnson speaks
and reads French quite as we'll as he does
English. and, If a Frenchman unable to
speak or understand a word of English
were to drop into the library reading room.
he would perhaps experience less difficulty
in securing what he desired than II he were
In Paris. The others are also able 10
read French and German, I'm addition TO
4nI. hAfrr ms
under which they hold their places. In
addition TO this, however, Mr.. Johnson is
able to speak French well as a native
OF Paris. Mr.. Frank Reynolds speaks ex-
cellent Spanish. and usually attends TO
the wants of visitors from the republics OF
Latin America.
SPEAKS TEN LANGUAGES.
Mr.. Louis Solyom. however. is perhaps
the most accomplished linguist in the IL
brary. He speaks ten languages and reads
in still larger number. He is one of the
few Americans who are able to read and
speak the Chinese, Japanese, Turkish, Hun
garian and Polish languages. and. among
other duties, attends to the cataloguing of
works in the Chinese Turkish and other
Oriental languages owned by the library.
Mr.. Babine speaks and reads the Rus
sian and Slavic languages as we'll as he
does In English, cataloguing all works
printed In these tongues which come TO
the library, for although the number of
Washington people who read Russian, Chi
nese, etc, is rather limited, still there are
enough of them to render the purchase and
keeping on hand OF a number OF works in
the languages just mentioned. as well as in
Turkish, Japanese, Hungarian and Finnic,
a necessity. Among those who patronize
the library reading room and who read In
Chinese as well as In English may be
and several others who have served in the
navy and diplomatic service. OF the total
number OF patrons who read I'm languages
W
tered French and German are in a decided
ma tority. Time was when the number of
people CAmericans) who could read In Rus
sian. the most difficult of all European lam
guages, amounted to very few, indeed, but
owing to the growing Importance of the
Russian empire and people. interest In this
peculiar tongue Is on the increase, and
the number of those who can read it Is now
greater than formerly, and on the increase.
In the matter OF preference, history has
the greatest number OF devotees among
the readers at the Congressional Library,
fiction coming second.
LOOKING UP FAMILY TREES.
Now. and for some time past, nearly one
half OF the number of readers in the IL
brary reading room come there to read
town histories, genealogies and all that
class OF works which during the past two
years have appeared In such number and
which deal with historic towns, families,
etc. of the different groups of States of the
Union. Such subjects have become i'm
menseiy popular OF late years. and people
who ten years ago probably did not know
the names of their great-grandparents, and
possibly cared less, are to-day porting over
old directories. genealogies. town histories
and the like. in efforts to scratch up a dis
tinguished ancestry. The Sons and Daugh-
tiers Of the American Revolution and kim
dred organizations have been largely re-
sponsible for this, and many of those who
evening after evening. may be seen rum
magfng through literature OF this charac-
ter, are either contemplating joining one
or the other of the organizations above
mentioned and are thus seeking a revoIu-
tionary ancestor upon whom to base their
application, or else they are members of the
said societies looking up the record of those
who are seeking membership.
One would also be surprised at the large
number of people who resort TO the library
reading room TO spend their evenings read
ing works on hypnotisIn, Christian Science
table rapping. theosOphy and kindred sub
Jects- The interest in such matters is in
tense and far-reachfng, and despite the ad-
vanced state of learning and science both
OF which have operated to explode these
fallaeies, II is astonishing TO witness the
large number Of those who every evening
call for works on the subjects aforemen-
toned
HOBBIES OF OLD PATRONS.
The Congressional Library. like all insti-
tutions OF considerable age, has quite a
number of old patrons. persons who have
called regularly every evening for the past
twenty or thirty years. Some of them have
been coming 10 the library for a period
which extends beyond the memory of many
of the oldest employees and librarians. One
man has called every day for the past twen-
~ years to spend several hours daily read
ing poetry. He never reads anything else,
this being his hobby. Another old-timer has
subject OF mushrooms his hobby. and reads
everything printed the subject Those
who come to prime themselves full OF
hasty. ready-made information for papers
speeches, addresses, etc. are always i'm
evidence. Some of the heaviest reading is
done by young Japanese and Chinese stu
dents. who are making the very best of
their opportunities. Next TO works on
spiritualism etc, the number of books
that are read on sociology. social questions
cfimnolOgy, the trust problem, etc Is as
toniShingly great The interest in such
things has been on the increase for the
past several years. and shows no evidences
of waning.
Minors under the age OF sixteen are not
allowed in the reading room, and IL has
long been the policy of the librarian of Con-
gress 10 assist young readers between the
ages OF sixteen and twenty-one 10 a class
OF good reading matter. The librarians do
all I'm their power TO increase the useful
ness OF the library as an educational in
ssitution by giving advice. suggestions and
sire among young readers for the best and
most Instructive class OF solid reading mat
ter.
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