The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-12-17
The Reading Habit.

II FONE undertakes to scan the catalogs Of the pub
fishers or spends ahalf hour in sampling the con-
tents of the booksellers shelves, he is almost certain
to be impressed perhaps depressed-by the vast
amount Of eight literature" coming from the print
ing presses. The volume Of books Of fiction from
unknown authors increases like rising tide. Every
successive publishing season seems to throw upon
the shelves higher pile Of miscellaneous literature
Of an exceedingly miscellaneous character. It is diff
ficult to avoid the conclusion that the American
public is becoming and more careless about
what it reads and less and less inclined to select its
literature critically and with reference to its value
If book be entertaining, it sells. Books which do
not require on the part Of the reader any mental
effort find ready market. u z,.z 5;
The author Of the present day who can expect
to be remembered and read ten twenty years from
now is not often met WITH and yet, while confronted
by the fact that so much Of the current literature il
Of the lighter trashy kind there is comfort in the
deliberate statement of Mr.. Poole, long time
librarian Of the Chicago public library and originator
Of the invaluable Poole Index that the tendency
among people who read is to read upward. Mr..
Poole once made the remark that while undoubtedly
fiction constituted very much the larger part OF the
reading matter Of the general public and much OF
that fiction Of very inferior character the fact
did not disturb him seriously because his sobserva-
ton thru long years Of as q librarian had
led him to believe that the first thing to do is to es
tablish the reading habit; and among people who.
have no literary standards who are not searching
for information and who read simply to be enter
tained it cannot be expected that books OF high
literary quality or.profound wisdom will be popular
in the beginning They will first read what is easiest
to read, but once the reading habit is established
taste is generated for better things and capacity to
enjoy them. 2%,s% - = ,> %o.'' = *~s% " ~
The testimony Of SO experienced a man as Mr.
Poole is valuable. It is equally interesting to dis
cover the same opinion in the views OF numbers OF
publishers who are quoted in recent number OF
Public Opinion For example, Mr. Stoddard OF
Frederick A. Stokes Co. says: 81 do not agree
with those who deplore the advent Of cheap books
and magazines On the contrary, believe that
they tend to make readers Of better books and higher
class magazines Those who began few years ago
reading the blood and thunder style Of historical
novels are many Of them now reading much better
class Of fiction In other words, their literary taste
and power Of discrimination have been cultivated
to higher point. i am firmly convinced in the light
of my own experience that not only do people read
more now than ever BEFORE but that what they read
is better calculated to improve them in every way
The testimony Of experience like this is reassur-
ing and may give encouragement to many who are
either unable to direct the reading Of their children
inteIigently or who are inclined to despair in view
of the accessibility Of much reading matter that is
not literature It does not, however, justify any
lack Of vigilance against that which is vicious and
harmful in moral tone. The wounds inflicted upon
a correct literary taste may be much more easily
healed than those suffered by contact with book
of denrayed morals.