Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-10-18

| municipal affairs, is best, but do mos,
earnestly request each one Of you Il
| collect every thing pertaining to tn,
early history OF Maine that comes
| under your notice. Should you not
desire these for the use of your patrons
the State Library will gladly give you
new books in exchange for them. As
Chaucer mas APPLY said:
Out of old fields as men saith
| Cometh all this new corn from year t.
Fecv
| And out of old books in good faith
| Cometh all this new science that mer
lere.
The State Library and the larger
free libraries of the State must en-
| courage constructive work. 1t is said
that man will turn over half IA IL
brary to make one new book. one good
work. Out Of the mass of documents
contained in our larger libraries, mer
| and women are constantly gathering
material for new books, new essays
| new arguments and new ideas, fitted tC
the exigencics OF the times in which
we live. In the smaller libraries the
club woman, the farmer. mechanic
| and high school pupils should be able
to find books and documents from
which they may obtain facts and sug
gestions fitted to aid their modest and
less pretentious efforts and wants.
know that the possession of books that
will prove interesting to the commu-
nifty is the first care of the manager
of a small library.
There is another class of books
however. whose intrinsic worth is
| much greater. but in which the patrons
Of the library may not take a lively
interest. unless instructed and en-
outraged by the librarian. These
books are usually called reference
books. To this class belong the pub
lie documents of our State. They are
almost purely educational i'm their pur-
pose and character. In the larger
communities of the country the COM
parative study of these documents has
become a necessary part Of education
At the present time no course OF po-
litical economy or of sociology can be
successfully pursued without the com
parative study of the reports emanat-
ing from the departments of the states
while in noting the industrial and
moral growth Of the people Of a state
they have become the original sources
OF authority. The humanitarian who
seeks to render less rigorous the bur-
derls and sins of man, can find in the
statistics Of our reports of the reform
school. State prison, and other re-
formatory and benevolent institutions
inspiration and hope for the future OF
the human race. The great masters OF
| industry and men Of financial affairs
are carefully collecting the industrial
reports Of each state as valuable and
indispensable tools Of their trade.
The farmer needs the reports of tbs
board of agriculture. Of the cattle
commissioners. and of the experiment
station. The great libraries OF tht
country. universities, and scientific as.
sociations, cannot boast complete col.
lecti0ns without full sets Of all State
publications. Even the long column.
1 Of figures in the treasurer's report. ant
Of the trial balances of the auditor
have become exceedingly useful to thu
| student Of political economy. pursuing
| his post graduate studies at Harvard
Yale. or in any of the great state uni
| versities.
| Aside from the general matter con
tanned in State publications. there ar
many special items Of interest to tn
general reader hidden away in tn