New-York tribune., 1905-11-23
NIGHT OPENING OF LIBRARIES.

1t is encouraging as an indication Of progress
that ew-Yorkers are at last awaklng 10 the
fact that unlike almost all other large cities OF
the United States, they have few public library
privileges at night AT present the great central
libraries of Manhattan-the Astor and the Lenox
open their doors at a. m. and close them
promptly mt 6 D. III. The branch libraries in
both Manhattan and Brooklyn keep open until
D. m while. so far as we are aware, the Monta-
que and Livingston branches of the Brooklyn
Public Library are the only ones in New-York
that keep open until 10 p. NJ All that class or
citiZens-and needless to say It is by far the
largest class-who employed between the
hours of a. m. and D. ~ are thus practlcally
without access to the treasure laden shelves of
the Astor and the LenOX. and are even shut out Of
the Carnegie branch libraries at p. m.
Happily the librarians themselves have now
been won over, partly, at least, to the peoples
side in this matter DR.. John S. Billings, direc-
tor of the New-York Public Library, finds only
one obstacle to the opening Of the Astor and the
Lenox at night and the keeping open of the
branch libraries until II p. m. and that is the
expense He estimates the additional expense
at $4,000 a year, but as he includes in this the
keeping of the AstOr and the Lenox open until
II o. m-for which there is almost no demand =
his figures would be proportionately diminished
were all the libraries to be kept open only until
10 D. H. the almost universal hour for closing
public libraries in other cities. DR.. Billings
thinks however, that it would be well to make
at least Il six months experiment in keeping the
libraries open at night Personally. he says he
is not convinced that the attendance would war
rant the expense.
In reply to this 1t may be said that the open
ing of libraries Mt night years ago passed the ex-
detrimental stage in Boston, Washington Chi
cago Philadelphia and other large cities; but. of
course 1t is possible that conditions may be diff
ferent in New York. and therefore his plan of
making night opening experimental may be COM
mended As to the matter Of expense, however,
certainly New-York is wealthy enough TO furnish
its citizens library privileges equal to those that
have for years been enjoyed by Boston Chicago
and other cities; while as TO the presence Of
of it an argument for night opening there can
be little doubt. It is only necessary to go to the
present branch libraries in Manhattan or 70 the
Brooklyn Public Library Mt night 10 be convinced
of the need Of similar privileges Mt the AstOr
and the Lenox At present the great libraries
of New-York minister chiefly to the leisure or
literary ciasses-thOse who are not employed in
the ordinary vocatiOns of life during business
hours. This is precisely the class most likely to
have least need of public libraries, far as the
purposes of good and intelligent citizenship are
concerned. In fact, that argument would carry
us further and lead to the closing of the libraries
morning hours and opening them, say at i p. m.
and closing them at 10 p. NJ, thereby giving each
class of readers an equal opportunity