Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-06-02
FIFTY MILLION BOOKS
Con tents of the Public Libra
ries of the Country.
WHO THE READERS ARE
FOR THE MOST PART THEY COME
FROM THE MIDDLE CLASSES.
Effect of Mr.. Carnegie's Generosity
Profession of Lbrarian-Range
of Salaries Paid.
WHO THE READERS ARE
BY WILLIAM E. CURTIS.

BY WILLIAM E. CURTIS
Correspondence Of The Star and the Chicago
Record Herald.
NEW YORK, June l. 1905.
Mr.. ]. L. Wyer, jr., secretary of the
| American Library Association, who is east
| making preparations for the twenty seventh
| annual meeting of that organization at
| Portland, Ore, from the I'd to the 18th of
| July, tells me that while 1t is difficult to
give the exact number of free libraries in
| the country, the latest figures compiled! by
! the United States commissioner of educa-
| ton show a total of $500 that contain at
least 1000 volumes or more each. There are
also from two to -four thousand other VIII
| lage libraries with less than that number
of volumes. many of which in small towns
| are doing good work. The aggregate num-
| Der of volumes in such libraries, and the
| sum total of the work they do. is so i'm
| portant as to be well worth mention. OF
! the $500 libraries mentioned 1922 are free
| TO the public for reading and reference, If
| not in every case for the circulation of
| books. The same report gives only 2,039
| libraries of over 1000 volumes in 1875 and
| only 4-026 In 1896, thus showing an increase
of more than 33 per cent in eight years.
How much has Mr. Carnegie donep' 7
asked
| Up to date between five and six hundred
| lprarles have been not exactly founded by
Mr. Carnegie, said Mr.. Wyer, but fur
nlshed by him with buildings II Is a very
| rare instance that Mr.. Carnegie's gift ac-
tually POUNDS library. Perhaps the no.
table exception to that in this country is
the Louisville, KY, Free Public Library
which had no corporate existence until the
grit of a quarter of a million dollars from
| Mr.. Carnegie for building stimulated an
organization. Mr.. Carnegie has put, on
conservative estimate, from thirty to thirty
two millions of dollars into library build
lngs l cannot tell you how much he has
given for books No figures are available
The sum is inconsiderable however.
as 1t Is unusual for him to offer his money
In that way. Indirectly of course his pifts
nave stimulated immense lot of book
purchasing, because they are usually ac-
colnpanled by the condition that the man
ayers shail annually devote a least 10 per
cent of the cost of the building to adminis
tratlon and maintenance, and of course a
large portion of that is spent for books
Over Fifty Million Books.
How many books are there in public
libraries?"
ne 6,S69 libraries reported by the COM
missioner of education represent a total of
o4'4l9,oo2 volumes, increase of nearly
zen IhilllonS, or y per cent, since 1900
suppose the greater part of the money
Value represented In the purchase of these
DOCKS is spent direct with the publishers or
large Jobbers throughout the country-firms
ike A. {. Mcclure & Co. of Chicago Bur
rows Brothers of Cleveland. Scribners' Sons
ana Putnam & Co. of New York, who make
specially of supplying books to Libraries
Inc single class of books most read and
called for IN public libraries is of course
Notion. Following that In order are books
on history, biography and travel"
What is the most remarkable feature
about library work?'
The reading by children is perhaps the
most remarkable feature in library growth
during the last ten or dozen years" con-
r ",
Libraries of the country children constitute
70 per cent of the entire number of patrons
and they are certainly in many ways the
most hopeful and encoura cling class 10 min
lister to. 1t is impossible TO estimate the
effect which will be noticeable in one or
two generations upon the culture, intelli-
gence and fixed habits of reading In the
people OF this country, due In a great meas
ure, undoubtedly, to the influence of the
work done with children by the public libra
r1es. The libraries, even more directly than
the schools will be responsible for the forma-
ton OF the reading habit and the love of
good books. AS to the predominance of the
reading of fiction over any other class It is
not felt that this is a subject for any re-
greet, either by library workers or by the
taxpayers who support the public Libraries,
provided the quality of the fiction read is
of the best. 1t is commonly agreed that
there is as much instruction and profit,
aside from the very important and legiti-
mate feature of recreation. in good fiction
as may be gotten from any other class of
books. 1t should, however be matter of
pride with every library in the country
that the presence of any work of fiction on
its shelves shall be a guarantee of its
wholesomeness and, to a certain extent of
Its literary qualities.
Middle Glass Furnishes the Readers,
From what class do'library readers large
ly Gomez
1T IS undoubtedly true" said MI Wyer
that the public library patrons over the
country, more than from any other class,
come from the great middle class of our
citizens. There are among library patrons
the people who able to buy books for
themselves, and also there are many who
are absolutely unable to supply themselves;
but l fancy each of these extremes consti-
tutes the minority in estimating the great
total of our public literary patrons. 1t cannot
BIO said that they are chiefly among the well
to do or chiefly among the working people
The reading public of our libraries the coun-
try over is an exceedingly varied one indi-
eating that the library does appeal and that
the present administration of American pub
lie Libraries is appealing to all sorts and con-
ditions of people.
mo judgment can be formed of the Ii
brary public by visit to the central library
or even to a single branch library of any Of
our large municipal systems. 1t is neces-
sary not only to observe the class of read
ers who borrow books from every branch
library, but also to observe the borrowers at
at drug stores. fire departments police sta
lions, factories and other places in our large
towns
THE library movement is still too young
to enable a final verdict to be passed upon
the effect of the establishment of libraries
and the extended reading of books due
thereto upon the American people any
particular class of them. The greater part
Of our large city library systems have been
wholly created or widely extended and per-
fected during the last ten or twelve years.
and the work is constantly going on. There
are unmistakable evidences which justify
this work. not only to library workers, but
to library trustees and to the great public
that supports these Libraries liberally-un-
rnistakable evidences of the fact In the line
Of real culture, education and increased con-
tentment, happiness and pleasure, which
have come into the lives of people reached
by our public libraries.
Effect Of Mr.. Carnegie's Generosity.
Has Mr.. Carnegies generosity stimulat-
ed public enterprise?''
LAS to whether that is true. one might
say Yes and No The reason for saying
yes is obvious, in that it has melted COM
mrnities to meet the conditions imposed by
the gift in the way of maintenance and sup