New-York tribune., 1905-12-02
WY LIBRARY PRIVILEGES ARE DENIED.

WHY LIBRARY PRIVILEGES AXE DENIED.
The movement to have all the Libraries of the
city keep open from a. IN. to 10 p. m. is making
headway as was to have been expected As DR..
j. H. c. Garfield, librarian of the Columbia Uni
yersity Library says, there is no use in collecting
opinions as to the desrability of opening all pub
lie Libraries at night. No man of intelligence
who has given any thought to the matter can
come to any other conclusion than that of DR..
Canfield-'the longer a library is open the
greater the benefits which it can give. Two of
the trustees of the Astor-L Lenox- -Tilden Founda-
ton Mr. Alexander e. Orr and Mr.. Alexander
Maitland. have approved the movement, but they
call attention to the fact that while it would OBJ
yiously be good thing to keep the Astor Library
open until 10 p. m, there are certain uses to
which the money at the command of the trustees
must be put and that with the resources at
present at their disposal they cannot keep the
library open at night without going in debt-a
policy from which they are debarred. Hope is
held out however, that when the new library
building in Bryant Park is completed-and even
at the present rate of progress some of US may
live to see that day-certain economies in ad-
ministration will be possible which may permit
of the opening of the library at night
This is not a cheerful prospect, but we are not
incirfed TO take d pessimistic view. There is
much in the old proverb Where there's will
there's a way" Once the trustees become as
fully converted to the idea Of night opening of
the Astor and LenOX we believe the people to
be- it may appear that means can be found with
out waiting for an opening to be had only as
matter of retrenchment conditioned upon the
two libraries being at last housed under one roof.
In fact we doubt very much whether any econ
omies can be effected in that direction When
the new library in Bryant Park opens it will
have to serve, in all probability, much greater
constituency than it serves at present and there
will presumably be expansion instead of retrench-
ment in its administration. When the trustees
realize that they are practically debarring the
majority of those who might avail themselves Of
the AstOr and Lenox libraries from library privi-
leges, we are inclined to think they will be able
to see way in which to bring about this larger
usefulness of the great collection of books under
their care. But If It has to be admitted that
the case is as the trustees state it, and that at
present they are financially unable to comply
with the public demand for night privileges at
the libraries way should Immediately be sought
by which the necessary funds, amounting to per-
haps $4,000 or 100000 a year additional to the
present expenditure, may be placed at their dis
posal The wealthiest and first city of the United
States and the second city in the world in point
of size surely ought to be able to give to its citi
zens such library privileges granted, even
without asking, by cities OF the second. third and
fourth classes. The plea that $4,000 or even
100000 a year is an insurmountable obstacle to
library usefulness of the fullest character is not
one that New York would care to make. If the
money is not now available for this extension of
library privileges it ought to be made immedi-
ately available. and the trustees by making this
fact known in an authoritative way probably
would soon find their present difficulty over
come IL not by municipal appropriation, then by
private gift.
AS to the branch libraries, however, there is
no lack, or need be no lack, OF funds. They are
supported entirely by the municipality, and no
one has even suggested that the city is unable or
unwilling to keep these libraries. which bring
the books to the people, open until 10 p. M. In
stead of p. m, as at present Let the branch
libraries live up to their opportunities of useful
ness and It will not be long before public opin-