The San Francisco call., 1904-06-15
LIBRARIES HELP
TO SELL BOOKS
Interesting Question Is Dis
cussed at a Meeting of
Experts in New York City
NEVADA CITY HAS A SITE
Virginia Follows Example
Set by CalifOrnia-Marked
Advance by Cedar Rapids

Advance by Cedar Rapids
The oft raised question. DO public
( libraries help or hinder the sale Of
books?" was discussed az a late meet
/ ing Of the Booksellers League Of New
York City. Fifteen leading Librarians
OF the country gave their opinions.
/ which were practically unanimous.
! II was shown that the Libraries OF
the country yearly purchase an i'm
mense number of books, that Libraries
are great educators OF readers and that
any institution which is constantly
+ bringing books 70 the attention OF peo-
pie must increase the sales. Many per-
sons first notice certain volumes at a
( library. Librarians are frequently con-
suited concerning the choice OF works
( of literature. art, history and science
: by those who buy for their own use
/ and for presents TO friends. especially
at Christmas time. No opposing evil
dence vas given from booksellers; on
I the contrary. a leading bookseller was
quoted as saying that the public
library helped. him sell books"
! ISSUES A PAMPHLET.
! State Librarian ellis has issued an
+ interesting pamphlet OF 134 pages en-
! titled Libraries OF California" The
I description embraces the sixty-fve
/ public circulating Libraries which are
supported by taxation, the fifty mem
I bership. technical and college libraries
/ in the State. besides a full account OF
/ the different departments OF the State
/ Library. a score Of beautiful illustra-
tions of buildings give pleasing evil
hdence Of the growth Of library interest
+ in California The monograph was prS-
pared specially for use in the State
+ Library display at the St. Louis Ex-
I position.
Nevada City obtains site for its
+ Carnegie $4,000 building by purchase Of
land owned by the county. The lot has
100 feet on Pine street fronting the
( Court House. with a depth OF over 20
feet. The price paid was $500
The experiment OF allowing books to
be ordered by telephone and delivered
at any home for a fee OF cents is to be
tried by the Napa Public Library.
/ San Jose Public Library is to re-
/ ceive the gift of an oil painting OF Gen
eraI L. s. Grant by Mrs. Brown Of San
jose.
Action has been taken under the gen
I eral library law by the citizens Of
: Selma, Fresno County. in presenting a
+ petition 10 the city authorities for the
establishment OF public library.
FOLLOWS OUR EXAMPLE
The example set by California and
Z IN Xii hn of
resources of its State Library available
/ to the whole State has lately been fol-
i lowed by the State of West Virginia
( The Virginia State Library contains
T 100, 900 books and pamphlets. These are
I 10 be classified and catalogued- The
interIibrary loan system, allowing loans
/ Of books throughout the State. has been
/ Established and travelling libraries are
I 10 be sent out.
BenefactiOns TO Eastern libraries are
not confined to millionaIres. In the
little mountain village OF Pine Hill,
/ y. J., the summer home OF the late
President Morton of the Stevens In
/ stitute Of Technology. a memorial lib
rary to their parents has been pre-
sented. and viii be maintained. by
Henry S. and Quincy Morton. The
.
& A gift that is unique in its source
and its purpose has just been made 10
the Forbes Public Library of North
ampton, Mass Mrs Charles a. Cutter.
widow Of the late librarian. long prom
inent in library circles, has given
fund OF 5000, the income from which
/ is TO be devoted to the increase Of the
librarians salary. This gift is con-
ditioned upon the yearly appropriation
by the City Council Of a sum equal TO
I the income OF this fund. that the sal
{ ary may be raised from $500 TO $500.
This donation made it possible for the
4 library to secure the services of VIII
liam P. Cutter, late Of the Library of
] Congress, for its new librarian
] In the year preceding the erection OF
I a $4,000 Carnegie library building the
/ Cedar Rapids. Iowa, Public Library
/ shows marked advance. Some
/ changes have been made in the circu-
I Iating department for readers Of IA
years of age and over. No guarantor
/ is now required. only a satisfactory
/ reference. Neither is a limit placed
upon the number Of non-fction books
/ issued TO a patron. A trained children's
/ librarian is in charge OF the chiIdren's
( department, who. with her assistants.
I also has charge OF the work with the
/ schools. A story hour has been estab-
/ lished in some evenings to draw the
/ bows from the streets and has been
| eminently successful. At Christmas
: time story hour was given each aft
/ ernoon, attended by boys. girls and
I older friends. A bird exhibit has been
made a continuous feature for the
/ year. Beginning with early spring the
/ stuffed and mounted birds were
placed by seasons in q case. all labeled
with their common names. Not more
K than ten birds were shown at a time
/ that the children might not be con-
/ fused. This exhibit has proved re-
markably attractive. The bird books
i placed on top OF the case were in con-
slant demand.
Big Cost TO ireland.