The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-03-14
Library Manners.

To THE EDITOR OF THE SuS-Str, l have had
great occasion 10 resort to the Aston Library for
various kinds of Information and material, and
my own experiences within its doors have assuredly
not been OF q variety that would promote my good
will toward II. Illustrator admits that during
the past ten years the librarian and his assistant"
have become friends who do all In their power 10
obllgc him. Good enough! But every patron Of
the Aston Library Is not so fortunate as 10 have
the librarian or his assistant" waiting around TO
furnish him with special service. | have often
wondered why they did such a lot OF waiting around.
Now l know. This being the case. the mass OF
humanity that dares TO intrude has TO appeal 10
one OF the common garden variety OF attendants"
to fulAl It's deliberately written pctitions-they
could easily go out to lunch while waiting TO be
told that the book Is In use"
Mark Twain gave a talk TO men al the Majestic
Theatre one week ago Sunday, which I was fortu-
nately able to hear-even after being dubbed.
In reference to the brutalities OF the police on thai
and other occasions. as well as TO the conduct Of
subway employees, he said that We can expect
nothing better when we submit so meckly TO all
the insults offered by public servants. As is the
public, so are It's servants" We have let this con
dItion develop. but now II Is time to object and
TO do things" He also blames the head men"
OF these institutions; for they, he says. could rectify
these faults by a mere nod. Docs he know'
II is to be supposed that libraries, like city gov
ernments. police forces and all other public bodies.
need to clean house once In a while and make lib
eral use of the damp cloth" For instance, Sir
Caspar Purdon Clarke is transforming the Metro
politan Museum into an instrument for practical
public service Just as fast as he can. II is already
losing some of It's former atmosphere OF a soldiers
home, and now you can at least stop and take
down a note OF something OF interest without being
Jumped at and told to move on" Who Is going
to dust of the Aston LIBRARIAN one7 Is there
no one In authority who darcs to even meekly sug-
gest to the attendants there that possibly. after all,
the llbrary. was not founded 10 furrieh them with
jobsf when we meet with insolenoe from the
attendants In the subway and on the Il" roads.
from the police and even from the attendants In a
public library, II looks as II Mark Twain may have
asmall gllmmering OF truc understanding.
In all justice, however. II must be recognized that
none OF the nre OF my wrath falls upon the young
women in charge OF the magazine department OF
the Aston Library. They do everything In their
power to supply the wants OF every one who enters
their domain: no better attention than they give
could be expected or desired OF any one, however
Pttsburgy he might be. Oh, no, my dear illus
TRAITOR" l am not so fortunate as TO know them,
even for ten years. But there are one or two
other people besides you and me who have to 90
to the Astor Library for what they need. and 1
have heard these very matters discussed, long ago.
NEW YORK. March IL. JUEIUs.