New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-11-12
BOOKS THAT PERISH.

"a, things stand at present, the sueges-
,,or ~ destroy books is rather superious'
MANY modern books, like the newspapers
are destroying themselves Ihev are ooii-
Knitting suicide fading and crumbling away.
The ordinary novel, printed on woou pup
paper, cannot live long. we invest III lie"
current novels here. Those when ale
bought for the circulating departments Oh
our branches become pretty well worn out
in few months handling The remains
Of them are given 10 charitable lnsutuuohs'
seamens homes asylums. hospitals ana the
like We do not consider 1t worth Whlle
TO keep. or at least to spend money on
many popular novels. When IT comes 10
the spending Of money. not the reception OF
| gifts. we naturally exercise cholce ana
selection which may or may not be wise
| Librarians differ in their views ana nave
| their individual limitations. In regard 10
| gifts We are often hempered by condltlons'
! Donors want a special room, no division or
| dispersal OF their collections and so on
| We are sometimes obliged 10 refuse eX-
tremely valuable offerings because OF these
| unrea sonable conditions. We are willing 10
rut in a book label In memory Of Jane
! Smith and TO set up tablet and all that.
hut We have no special room to give, and
~. don't care to destroy the unity of our
| system even for the sake of costly gift.
| The criterion Of popularity or demand
docs not apply to the contents Of a great
library Whether a work is asked for daily
ar once In ten years is not essential, ex-
cent for convenience and accessibility.
| ,,ou.ver we have started here the system
which is used in the circulating branches
and which shows precisely how often a
| hook is called for. \ card within the cover
Of each book is stamped with the dates on
| which il leaves the stacks 10 enter .ie
| reading room. At the end Of six months
ue will be in a position to compile data on
tho most called for books. In general, the
books in largest demand reflect current
events and world happenings. a comet. a
coronation or war causes a demand for
hooks on these particular or collateral sub
| ,acts Strange TO say, the italian war has
no, caused much demand for literature on
TrinoI We were recently puzzled by an
extraordinary thirst for geographical knowl-
su,ae on the part OF men, women and little
| o.udran We discovered the reason for this
| 20 no n names Of places contest In news
paper"
To indicate the scant esteem In which
,oodern ection is held in the New York Pub
Ito library. 1t may be stated that that in
stitution does not contain the complete
works Of Kipling.
| Actual and deliberate book destruction is
uo,rx On 10 a considerable extent to-day
Recently the National Club. of London. sent
eight hundred volumes to the pulping mills
university publishing an encyclopedia IS
fostering the destruction of old editions by
oi,.,n, a rebate TO purchasers who own the
old Volumes and VINO will tear out the FIRST
en- ,ases Of each volume. mail them TO us
and DESTROY the rest" Regardless Of the
motive Of the publishers which is evidently
a. save the market from glut Of old vol.
J meg which might compete with the new