Middletown transcript., 1902-04-05
THE STATE LIBRARY


The State Library Commission wishes
to call attention to the Suggestive list
OF books for small library recommended
by the State Library Commissions of
Delaware, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa,
Nebraska and Idaho. The list was COM
piled by the library experts of the Wis
consin library commission and includes
about 1900 titles of which those most
desirable for first purchase are designated
by asterisks. 1t also contains much val
liable advice as to the selection, ORDER
ing receiving and care of books, and will
repay careful study on the part of library
boards, school teachers, Librarians and
all others interested. 1t will be sent
free of charge to any Delaware library,
Book committee or librarian on request.
The State library commissions recog-
nize the great difficulty of the problem
lying before such bodies in the matter
of choice of books for small libraries
(often having even smaller funds) he
they public subscription, school or Sum
day school libraries, and being strongly
desirous of giving all reasonable assist
ance to those who choose our books, and
OF raising the tone of reading throughout
the several states they concluded that
In no way could they give more efficient
help than by providing expert advice
to all those interested. They propose
publishing supplements to this first list
from time TO time and the Delaware
Commission hopes to be able to con-
tinue their free dissemination as ssthe
books for the very small libraries must
be purchased with the utmost care,
With SO few books that it is difficult to
supply the demand, nearly all the books
must be popular with the mass of read
ers, and the average cost must be small.
On the other hand unwholesome books
must be carefully excluded and too
cheap editions must be avoided. In
selecting the books for this list the Off
GERS of the Commissions have been
guided largely by experience. They
have omitted all books of whose whole
someness they have any doubt, and have
accepted those that the experience of
the larger proportion of small libraries
has shown to be popular with most read
ers. The commission holds that each
library must build up its own patronage
by giving unframed readers the best of
the most popular books and then leading
them gradually from good books to bet
ter, and it hopes that the libraries and
librarians of our own State will find the
pleasant task OF doing SO rendered easier
and more successful by reason of the light
thrown upon their work by the COM
bined experience and good will of Della
wares State Library commission and
that of her western sisters.
DR.. J. A. Bayard Kane of Philadel-
phia has made generous gift Of fifty
three new and interesting novels to the
State Library Commission to assist it in
equipping new travelling libraries. DR..
Kane was formerly Wilmingtonian and
is the son of the late DIR. John K. Kane,
of that city.
In order to make his gift available for
the purpose for which it was sent, it will
be necessary that other generously dis
posed people should contribute funds for
the purchase of the childrens' books,
and those of history, biography, travel,
etc., which give the travelling libraries
their educational character and make
them interesting to people of all ages and
classes in the communities to which they
are loaned. Any contributions either of
money or of suitable books will be
thankfully received by the State Library
Commission, Dover, Delaware, of which
Manlove Hayes, Esq, is Chairman and
Treasurer.