New-York tribune., 1902-02-17
DISCUSS ca RNEGLE'S HINT
LIBRARIANS SAY THAT PERCENTAGE
OF FICTION READING IS
DECREASING

Andrew Carnegie's suggestion. at the recep-
tion given for him at the Authors Club on
Thursday evening. that it might be well for pub
lie libraries to buy work of fiction which is
not one year old was discussed with interest
yesterday in library circles. Herbert Putnam,
Librarian of Congress. recently expressed sim
liar opinion when he urged that only works a
year old and of established reputation should
be purchased, and that is practically the rule of
the British Library
In the absence of A. c. Bostwick, chief of the
circulation department of the New-York Public
Library. his assistant said yesterday to q Trib-
une reporter:
If fiction that is published is of an inferior
quality We wait till there is sufficient demand
to make il worth while to get it, and try
10 get we'll known books for which there is a
demand as soon possible AS to reducing
the circulation of fiction. John Cotton Dana,
who went to the Newark Public Library recent
ly reduced the quantity of fiction at the Spring
field Library. some time ago. "a per cent.
In the fourteen branches for the free circula-
tion OF books there is more fiction called for
than any other class of reading. but not more
than all classes put together. The percentage
of fiction is under 30 per cent as to all the
branches collectively In some branches the
percentage of fiction is under 80 per cent, and
there is a greater demand for histories of the
United States and text books. The suggestion
not TO buy a work of fiction until it is a year old
discussed at the last Library Club, but
most of the branches get new books soon
possible, where the authors we'll known.
without question. Where the authors
known we wait till there is a demand for their
works.
DEMANDS FOR FICTION NOT GROWING.
Il do not think however. that the calls for
in he
thing, they a little smaller. The open shelf
system has had that result. Since people have
been able to consult the books on the shelves
and discover how interesting other books are. as
we'll as fiction. they call for them instead of
fiction in many instances. The practice of Civ
ing two books out one card has had that
result, too. In most of the branches two books
may be taken out at one time. With the boys
United States histories have lately been taking
the place of fiction, and many foreigners are
also showing much interest in histories of the
United States. Those who do not read much
fiction now formerly scatter their reading,
and history and science get the benefit of the
change
of course. the question OF buying new fiction
is largely a question of the amount of money
libraries may have in hand. In some out of
town public libraries, where ii is impossible for
the library TO supply the demand for popular
novels, a number of copies provided, for
which a fee of five cents is exacted Those who
are willing 10 pay it are enabled TO read the
the free copies. The fees pay for the extra
copies. and satisfy people who want the books
at once. That has never been tried here, be-
cause il might provoke criticism of an institu-
tion paid for with public money. Our plan is TO
buy two three copies Of new novel, and add
10 the number from time TO time. There are
never more than twelve or fifteen copies of a
novel in a branch, and by the time that num-
ber of copies has been bought some other book
will have succeeded it in favor"
Miss Pauline Leipziger, librarian OF the
Aguilar Free Library, which has four branches,
said the open shelf system there had also led
to the drawing out of works of standard authors
who were not writers of fiction. Since that sys-
tenn was adopted there had been a marked de-
crease in the circulation OF fiction. The library
aimed TO keep only the best novels, and large
percentage of works of that character were
standard The guides in buying fiction were
trustworthy reviews in standard publications
c. H. Cox assistant librarian Of the Mercan-
tile Library subscription library, said: We
buy novels as soon published. We cater to
the people and have to supply what they want
We are catering to trade while the public IL
brary doesn't care whether people come or not
We buy all works Of fiction published by reputa-
BILE houses sometimes 80 copies of one novel
Libraries cannot teach people what they want
TO read. Free libraries can say, You can go
elsewhere if not suited here If any novels are
not fit to read, no library would buy them and
circulate them: but to a books being year
old before it is purchased, that would be I'M
practicable with US
S WEIR MITCHELLS OPINION.
A we'll known library official showed the re-
porter yesterday the following extract from
letter written recently by DR.. s. Weir Mitchell to
tha vounCer members of the Bar Harbor Ii