Evening star., 1902-03-01
THE PUBLIC LIBRARY
Report on Books to Be Pur-
chased.
CHILDREN'S READING
PUPILS OF THE PUBLIC SCHOOL
TO BE CONSIDERED.
Library to Be an Aid to Education
Donations Expected in Addi-
ton to Appropriations.

|
| books that should be purchased for the
public library with the $4,000 recently ap'
| proprated by Congress. 1t indicates what
| is necessary for such a library, and sug-
| gests dangers from the selection of unde-
| sirable publications that should be avoided
either because they are not of KIND to
| circulate or because of lack of merit.
The trustees Of the library have endeav-
| ored. both last winter and during the pres
| ent session of Congress- to secure an ap-
| preparation for books which would be avail
| able for expenditure any time. SO that they
might secure the books and have them cat
| alogued and placed on the shelves of the Ii.
| brary prior to the opening to the public OF
the new building on Mt. Vernon square
| Last winter the effort was unsuccessful
though the appropriation committees then
| indicated their willingness to provide for
| the needs of the library during this session
of Congress. The only bill upon which an
| item for the library could be placed which
would supply the money in time to pur-
chase the books and get them on the
| shelves by July l was the urgent deficiency
| bill. Mr.. Cannon and the House committee
| on appropriations placed in that bill an
| Item of 10000 for books and 81 $50 for
| three temporary cataloguers, which provis-
| ion has become a law.
Work Has Begun.
The work of purchasing the books and
| cataloguing them has begun. The reserve
| list of books of the library first to be
| drawn upon and the copmittee on books,
acting with the librarian, Mr.. Weston Flint,
is rapidly preparing supplementary lists.
| The temporary cataloguers will be ap-
| pointed and will begin work within very
| few days. The committee on books con-
| ssting of A. r. Spofford. chairman: r. H
| Thayer, S. w. Woodward and Theodore W.
| Noyes, president of the board of trustees
| and eX-offlcio member of the committee
| has through Mr. Spofford submitted its re-
| port upon the general principles which
should prevail in the selection of the new
books.
Report on Books for the Library.
The Importance of careful and proper Sc
| lection for library of wide circulation
| among the people cannot be overrated.
| Upon this depends to a large degree the
| formation of character and taste in the
community. While the trustees can rarely
| make all selections Of books by personal
examination, there is no doubt that they
will be held responsible both for their quail
| ity and their deficiencies
In entering upon the selection of so wide
field of books, both in literature and in
| science, as now come to be chosen by our
board the question naturally presents
| itself under two heads:
First-What we do not want, and
| Second-What we do want
| Our public library already possesses a
| goodly share of the books which may be
| called standard literature, both old and new
| The select catalogue published by the
American Library Association in 1893 has
| been largely availed Of, and most
books contained in it have been
added to the library. AS this selection,
| made by the highest intelligence and ex-
perience of body Of expert librarians,
| contains nothing which we should not have
| for popular circulation, it is recommended
that all books catalogued in 1t not already
| found in the library be at once purchased
| Since this catalogue, however, embraces
| only 5000 volumes, the collection is mani
testify by no means sufficiently extensive for
| the library Of a great city. In fact It was
| designed for libraries of comparatiyeIv
small extent. While we want all these
DOCKS we want a great deal more.
Various Glasses of Books.
| There are many degrees of relative I'M
| portance in the various classes of books to
be selected. We may begin by defining
what we do not want. And first in view of
/ the fact that Washington has other large
| collections of books. in libraries accessible
| to the people, it will he wise in the intere ST
| OF economy Of the public money not to du-
| p!1cate certain special classes of books 1t
| is manifest that We cannot properly 90 into
| any large expenditure for medical hooks
| since the library at the Army Medical Mu-
| scum is the largest in the world in that
| specially. A few books on domestic medi-
| cine. with selection of the best hygienic
| treatises and books of reference. should
| suffice
| In the department of law books also we
| snail pest consult the public interest bv re-
| strlctlng our selection within narrow linn.
IT'S including only the latest and best text
! books In commercial and international law
| q 6 az, ard -r:t
| getting the best law dictionary In theolo-
| sy. again. no wide range of books should he
| attempted, although we cannot fail tn see
| the importance of possessing selection of
| the best writer's on church history and
| theology, with biblical commentaries cyclo-
pa aediaS and Il selection of the best modern
| books on practical religion
| Next. in the wide range Of science and
| literature, the fact CT the existence of the
| great reference library of the government
| suggests that We Go not need. like that in
| stltutlon. to make Of public library a
| universal one. We should rather aim to
| make ii library for home reading since
| 1t Is the only library from which books "a n
| be drawn. Hence there are multitudes
| not only of technical works but of classical
and scientific books. which we need not ac
| cumulate. because they are always accessi
| BILE both day and evening (and prospective-
! ly on Sundays) at the great library on Can
| itol Hill.
What People Wish to Read.
Why should we spend our money upon q
| collection of genealogies and local or town
| histories (works which cannot be books of
/ OH y tntnA