Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-06-21

The custom SO generally followed In
public libraries, of separating fiction
from other literature and treating 1t as
though it bore no relation tc the rest OF
the library, is of late receiving much
criticism, both at home and abroad.
The fact that this arrangement adds to
the convenience of the fiction reading
public. which is the larger part or the
library clientele, has been taken as
sufficient justification for II, but tha-
it tends to produce two unfortunate
results can hardly Ire denied; 1t en-
courages the fiction habit. and 1t shuts
away from the serious student a large
part of the literature Of his subject
On certain subjects, the most valuable
and helpful material that Il library mas,
will be found on its fiction shelves. 10
remedy these evils. proposal Is maze
In the Library World for May, for a
thoroughgoing reform in library prac-
tice by boldly attacking the subject
and demOlishing at one stroke the arti-
fetal barriers which at present smut OFT
the imaginative side Of literature from
its logical place in scheme OF DOCK
classification. A poem or a novel on
any subject has just as much right TO
be catalOgued or classified under such
subject as an essay. or single treatise.
When this is even partially done, it
will add enormously to the resources of
ordinary libraries"
AS to the relative importance of a
good classification Of books on the
shelves and in the catalogue. writer
in the Zentralblatr fur BibliOthek-
swesen expresses q judgment which
will sound strange in American ears.
and throws much light on German
usage. Classification on the shelves he
pronounces Of little use save to uni
vcrsity teachers and specialists, and rs
it makes close storage of books 1mpos-
sible it is pronounced at best, a ques-
tiOnable good, while the catalogue.
with it's compactness and its facility
for bringing together by subjects all
the material of the library, can render
far more service to the reader than
can any arrangement OF the books
themselves. IF the alternatives Of a
good subject catalogue and a fine sub
iect arrangement be offered" he says,
1.-The f6rmer should be chosen without
hesitation" Ten years Of experience
with open shelves in this country has
shown that when these two alternatives
are presented to the reading public. as
they are in almost all our libraries
now, the great majority choose to
make use Of the shelf arrangement
rather than the catalogue.
John Fox, Jr.. who returned from the
East only a little while ago. has just
said in an interview, some very inter-
esting things about story writing and
his own theories. or rather lack OF
them, in regard to. that art. Il don
believe in writing 4 sociological pur-
pose story. No body really cares any
thing about the authors convictions. or
sympathics, or literary intentions. OF
course, the keen reader will get on to
the personality Of the author. he can't
hope to conceal himself entirely; but I
don't believe in exploiting the authors
ego in novel. Personally. I believe
the best theory is to have none. l
don't believe in problems IN fiction, and
I don't believe in theories in art. Let
the man who thinks he can write a
story do it if he can. If he can't get
it accepted let him write It over again,
or attack it from another point and do
it in another way. Just get down and
dig till you find out whether you can
write or not