New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-11-12
THE GREAT STOREHOUSES.

Small libraries should undoubtedly clear
out their old material TO make room for
the new. but instead OF destroying the old
| they should give the great libraries OF New
York. Boston and Washington a chance to
| pick out what they want. The British Mu-
scum the Bibllotheauc Nationale at Paris
and our great libraries are places where
absolutely everything should be kept. 1t Is
our policy TO preserve everything that
] comes along. We do not buy everything
because we can't afford II, but we will take
! anything printed and much that Is writ
ten. II presented 10 us. Old schoolbooks.
encyclopedias, almanacs. scrapbooks, led
! gers-all that the second hand dealer re-
| jects is thankfully received by us. This is
not because We have reverence for the
written word like that of the Mahometan,
who won't destroy the least scrap OF paper
which has writing on it: he thinks there
might be a text OF the Koran on the scrap
OF paper. Nor do We share the superstition
of the Tibetans who use prayer wheels
operated by wind power; OF the voodo0
men. who ascrbe magical functions TO
writing. or of the unlettered American, TO
whom book is a book and its value Is
determined by its weight
"Our view is more practical. We aim TO
have a worlds storehouse Of knowledge
We cannot have record too complete.
No man can say that this or that printed
trihe may not possess a value in the future.
Science. history. art literature often de-
pend on the tribes OF library. The eX-
pense book of monk OF the Middle Ages.
neglected and despised by king and-court
| historians gave Thorold Rogers the basis
J for much Of his great work on Work and
/ Wages pamphlet resurrected from
some library not long ago enriched the
world with the epoch making biological
! theory of Mendelsm. Here is a ridiculous
! little book of the fifteenth century, full OF
fables and superstitions. but II gives the
date of the appearance of comet and sup
plies astronomers with useful information.
old directories OF New York have their
value for historical. economical, legal and
perhaps other purposes. | suggested to
Columbia University that it would be worth
while for some one up there 10 go over ;he
city directory OF 1900 and Gull out the Sulli-
vans, the Cohens. the Schmidts and so on,
which would indicate the racial population
of that time. An old book not long since
helped TO establish a geological fact-the
rate or recession Ol 4NldSdld II -
/ corded the location OF the crest in the early
part OF the last century. One bit of knowl-
edge depends on another; the little Is con-
nected with the great. We learn from a
book more and otherwise than the author
intended. A poem may contribute unWit-
! tingly to photographic science, and SEMI
| fabulous book of travels may shed light on
the problems of ethnology or the origin OF
marriage.
I'VE have made quite A collection oil
merchants ledgers. Some day they Will be
useful in an economical study OF New York
or otherwise. There is no better historical
record than the newspapers, OF Whlch we
have preserved many. The trouble with
our modern wood pulp newspapers Is that
they will not last. One day OF sunlight
fades them: they turn yellow and eventual
w crumble to pieces. There are only two
English newspapers, The London Times
and The Evening POST of New YORK
which promise to endure physically. These
are printed on paper containing rags. Some
time ago 7 suggested to an editor of d
New York newspaper that he should have
printed twenty-five copies daily on SUI
ner,or rag paper for preservation in IL
braries throughout the country a guar
antee OF $50 annual subscription Tor each
COPY thus printed was made. fhe editor
consulted with his mechanical department
and found the thing was not pracucaple'
! There has been some Improvement in WOOD
nulp paper since it's Introduction MI. Edl-
cong metal paper-thin sheets OF nickel
NAV some dav solve the problem OF en-
durance.