The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-06-30
LIBRARY FOLK MEET
Breezy Account Of the American Lii
brary Associations Gathering
at Niagara.
Our Own DR.. Hosmer Presided and
Minneapolis Was Trebly
Honored.
Correspondence Of The Journal.

i Correspondence of The Journal.
Niagara Falls, N. Y, June 27.-It was
| a curious juxtoposition OF art with nature,
| that Of holding the twenty fifth annual
conference Of the American Library as
4 ISOLATION in the hall of great pure food
company on the banks of the Niagara
river. The words of wisdom that fell
from the lips of this learned body We're.
1 accompanied by the ceaseless roar of the
great cataract and the vibrations OF Its
fall by the appetizing odor of pure food.
4 Altho the conference was entertained
on Monday evening by delightful re-
1 ception and Tuesday morning held an i'm I
i pOrtant session, the first meeting OF gen.
eral interest was that Of Tuesday even
j ing, when the association was welcomed
to Niagara by Peter A. Porter, from
whose family the government purchased,
the water front of this mighty river. For
i three generations they held this property,
refusing offers to convert the stream to
commercial uses, which would have
! dotted it's banks with milling interests of
all kinds. Attic it cost the governru ent
millions of dollars, 1t is fitting that the
fortune should come into the hands of
this family Of brave men. The original
4 owner was veteran general of the war
of 1872. whose son later gave up his life
on a southern battlefield in the civil war.
lit was a bright daughter of this race
who, upon being asked by an English earl
in his own country if she, coming from
America had ever seen Niagara Falls,
replied with true American directness,
"Oh, yes, my lord, own them.'
The Ideal Librarian
Mr.. Porter gave a most interesting
resume of the Niagara literature, which
occupies no small place in the history of
America. The president responded APP
propriately, continuing the address by
giving his idea of things that up
Il n1oi af s.
with the dead books" the novel, the
right of the librarian to attempt to direct
9 the reading OF the public, and the ideal
librarian. summing him up as follows:
Hail to the librarian who shall so far
utilize the X-rays as to be able thru
them to detect the innermost cravings OF
-. the public whom he serves; who then can
; manage to transmit by wireless teleg-
, raphy the message to his issue desk and
afterward deliver by swiftest automobile
the right book to- the right reader! But
IN our ideal librarian there should be a
union of all. In him must be combined
+ the administrator, the scholar the sym
! pathetic familiar Of all spirits wise and
4 Deep
: Libraries and Publishers.
: The vital question of Wednesday morn.
: ing was Libraries and the Book Trade. ;
: A bookseller and publisher from Chicago
e had been imported for the occasion
FROM the platform he ably presented his
SIDE OF the controversy, and with quaint
!. humor replied to the questions and de.
= nunc1ations that were fired at him from
every quarter. He stated that libraries
a decrease the sale of books while increas s.
ing the reading of them; that between the
libraries, who are the largest class OF
y buyers, and who as custodians of public
! funds demand large per cents of reduc.
: ZION, and the publishers, who exact the
hlshest market price for their wares, the
!, bookseller is liable to be throttled -ir
$ many cities has been crowded out of bust
h ness, which explains the lanentab BILE fact
e Books cost II per cent more to publish
IMAM formerly and in this business com
petition instead Of being the soul Of trade
: IS the death of the trader. AS libraries
Q are compelled to pay 20 per cent more
: Tor books than ten years ago, the librarian
IS confronted with the problem of reduc.
il ing the purchasing capacity of his an.
h preparations or depriving his readers Of
the new and current literature which the
public properly demands. Following &
: discussion OF the net price system com
: mittee, properly financed, was appointed
If to look after this vital matter.
It. Dr.. Hosmer's Dull"
e The patrons of the Minneapolis librar,
= who know the shortness of the vision O
~ Its librarian will enjoy an incident OF thi
" morning when an obnoxious resol,1tio,
was presented, without second. Finally
!. from a distant corner of the large audi
Il ence-room, female voice called out a sec
e ond. DR.. Hosmer peered into the corne
for moment and in pleasant voic
il said: will the lady please give her name
% recognize her, but I do not see her,
= which relieved the strained situation b,
$. peals of laughter.
y Goodwin Smith a Figure.
Perhaps the most interesting incident Q
IN the conference was the first appearance O
az Professor Goodwin Smith, who, during a.
1T evening session of the. council strolle
I'd thru the corridor. The president, step
h. ping out, shook hands with him, and aske
!, Mr. Smith to say a few words to then
-, =. AS this erect, slender figure entered tn
til doorway, the company with one accor
+ rose and greeted him. Standing there
ie fully six feet In height, his gaunt clear
=. cut features crowned by iron-gray hail
Z. ne greeted them in few simple words
I'll much as Abraham Lincoln, our own "apos
IT. tie of freedom" would have done. TIL
same genial smile lighted up the sad, rug