Pike County press. (Milford, Pa.) 1895-1925, 1904-04-29
FUNCTIONS OF LIBRAR1Es
Should Improve and Elevate the
Literary Taste Of Readers

Should Improve and Elevate the
Literary Taste Of Readers
A library is an educational institu-
tion. It's chief function should be to
elevate public taste in reading and to
afford a means of gratifying a desire
for a high standard Of literature. 1t is
one thing TO read voraciously and quite
another to read benefcially. A novel
may possess all the elementsofromance,
combined with elegant style and
literary finish, but if read simply with
the object Of following the love tale
without being impressed with the
different characters portrayed the read
ing is not in any sense ofa education
al nature. of the making Of books
there is no end, and the young readers
particularly devour many of them, if
accessible, which have no present or
lasting merit
The following touches on the question
and treats the subject Of the kind of
reading which a public library should
primarily furnish with Judgment and
intelligence:
BOston's Public Library has adopted
a policy regarding the purchase of
new books that differs widely from
that of many other public Libraries of
the country. The tendency is to rele-
gate fiction to a secondary place when
making additions to the library's
shelves. Chief Librarian Horace G.
Wadlin, in speaking of the relative
Importance that fiction should have on
the shelves of a great free library, said
recently.
"Out Of one thousand volumes in
last years list of fiction, how many
can be found that rise. above the level
of what some one has called 'promis-
cuous mediocrity'? Radicalism in the
restriction Of new books means conser-
vatism in selection, and public
library ought to be conservative be-
cause it is public. A public library
should be a necessary and vital part of
the social organism, not a vermiform
appendix.
81 ask that the novel you want me
to buy shall possess at least some
elements Of novelty; that the romance
you demand shall be at least mildly
romantic; that an author shall at least
have had twelve months reputation,
or his books at least twelve months
vogue-and this, under present CON
ditions, means radical restrictions in
the purchases of current fiction"
This is the keynote Of the Boston
library's policy. No matter how great
a demand there is for book, no
matter how widely advertised or dis
cussed, until it has been examined and
approved it is not allowed on the
shelves. This does not mean, how
ever, that the public must wait year
before it can get book from the
library that is being widely read. But
no ephemeral works that are likely to
be forgotten in a few weeks when
another book is pushed to the front can
be found there. All books are sub
mitted on approval by publishers, as is
customary with other great libraries,
but unless the author has something
more than mere temporary vogue to
recommend his works they are not
purchased.
That very many librarians differ
from the Boston Library authorities is
a fact. AT several meetings recently
there seemed to be a tendency among
the Librarians present to buy more
fiction-in other words, to give the
people just what they want, within
well defined moral limits.
"But" asks Mr.. Waldin, edo the
people want all this lighter fiction?
Are there not more people who want
serious works, who want to educate
themselves and to improve their
mental condition? These people must
be regarded and their needs looked
after. The public library is, after all
a part Of the educational system Of
community and should not descend to
the level Of penny newsstand.
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