Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1902-07-02

upon which she is to be congratula.
ted. \ few are of current impor-
lance, others make for her future
welfare, and among the latter must
be counted her public library. No
/ city can hope To develop her highest
life. her keenest intellect. her truest
refinement. without the use of books
i'm the fostering care of the many
who have few books of their own.
This need sometimes. perhaps com
monty, comes from lack of means
with which to buy, but often, too.
from lack of earnest desire for their
possession. for it is truth that the
majority of people in this world find
sooner or later in life the means to
crafty the desires that master them.
The man who has an overwhelming
love of money that swallows up his
love of family, friends. and country,
finds the money in his hands before
his days are done. He who, having
come into the possession of wealth,
cares more for boarding than for the
needs of his fellows. even at the sac
ritice of conscience, peace of mind,
and growth of character. win hoard.
Rock Island should he glad that the
converse of this is true, and that
public-spirited men have been
prompted TO set aside ii part of the
wealth that might he selfishly hoard
ed for. the erection of building that
will be not only a pride to the city.
but Il safe deposit for her growing
library.
People who wish TO crafty the
merely material ProPensities will
never suffer from lack of opportunity.
The drinker finds the saloon within
easy reach. the gambler Il betting
table the law-breaker school in
vice. And it is deplorable that these
desires require no fostering. Weeds
grow without cultivation. But the
higher instincts that make for the
life above the material. and survive
the mere bodily existence. these
must he tended and cultured.
Good books are like careful gar
deuers for the growing virtues. Not
only do they cultivate the growth,
but they SOW tile seed of right living,
without which there must he famine.
and want in any city, however great
its resources. y good public library
wheel of progress in any city, and.
a. evil * Always best fought by dis
placing il with good. is a strong ally
for all who seek the highest and ulti-
mate good of the city.
Now that the Rock Island public
library * about To be SO beautifully
and suitably housed. a summary of
what has been accomplished. and the
hopes of those who have identified
themselves with il for its future will
be timely.
One of the first necessities. if a il
brary * to he available, is that it
should be properly housed. but
greater necessity is its proper care
and management, and few realize
what this means. To many not in
active touch with library work, the
position of librarian in n small city
seems sinecure. They think of her
as surrounded by books, with the first
chance always at those much-sought-
after-priZeS. the new ones, with little
to do except To hand over the desk
now and then book called for, al
ter making a simple little exchange
of the card in the pocket of its cover.
ITO he sure they say to themselves,
the very fact of SO much reading
would sometimes pail on an ordinary
person. but librarian il supposed
to love books. Besides. there are
pIeasaut chats with those who come
i'm to relieve the monotony.' They
really imagine the librarian with time
hanging heavily on her hands. and
suggest some trifiing fancy work 10
pass away the hours. This is com
mon picture in the minds of many
who have never thought seriously
about the matter. and few indeed
do. or can. realize how entirely the
opposite * the reality. and how much
careful. painstaking work must be
done in caring for the books.
Fifty years ago. saws a winter
i'm a recent number of the Outlook,
the position of librarian was haven
of refuge for the Incompetent or the
decrepit. Now it calls for the very
highest ability" The merely me-
chanical work of caring for the books
is enough TO appall an uninitiated
person. In the first place. every
book that the library acquires must
he entered in Il ledger, not only by
title. but also by the authors name,
the publisher, the price. the size and
of pages, the date of publ
cation. and the date of its accession.
1t must have the tag pasted on the
back. which is lettered and numbered
i'm such way as to show the shelf
position. author. and class. the card
pocket must he pasted in the cover,
the card. bearing the proper lettering
and numbering. placed in the pocket,
and the book shelved. There are in
the Rock Island public library over
5000 volumes, and any reader who
is of n mathematical turn of mind
can satisfy himself with some tigur-
ing. Then every book that is drawn
n,1t r,1rlst he ,.arefullN checked OIL