El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-02-14

~ , ASHINGTON, D. c., Feb. IA
M Some one has said that the
difference between the pub
lie library and the university library
is chiefly in their objects. The OBJ
ject Of the public library Is the DIS
semination Of knowledge and that Of
the university library is the produc-
ton Of knowledge
The gift Of 100000 by John D.
Rockefeller to the Chicago university
library IS one OF the greatest gifts
ever made to a library and the larg-
est individual gift to a university IL
brary.
The college library to degree. is
both a distributor and a producer OF
knowledge. In the college and uni
versity library the circulation IS sub
ordinate to the reference department
The highest purpose Is TO teach stu
dents 10 use books In such manner that
they will be able to conduct individual
research along any desired line The
scope Of these librabr1es gives the read
ers more freedom than has been
thought practical in. public library
although recent experience with the
open shelves in public Libraries fndi-
! Gates that the public IS TO be trusted
more than has been generally sup
posed.
The well equipped library is now
recognized as the most important ad-
tunct OF the university Post gradu-
ates are more sOlfcitous regarding the
ity OF the faculty. The advantages
to the university life Of a large post
graduate body are so obvious that the
development OF the library Is desirable
for that reason, aside from its value to
those students doing undergraduates
work.
No Limit Upon Demands
Practically no limit Is put upon the
demands on university library; It Is
estimated that there are over 25,0O0,-
600 published works now e1tant IN the
world today and no library board can
decide what Of these are valueless- No
student will find books lacking that
he would like TO consult When Ger
many undertook to build up the uni
versity library Of StraSSburg the gov
eminent put in 10000 volumes, yet
the Strassburg professors grumDleo AT
the inadeQuacy OF the book supply
University Libraries are becoming in
creasingly popular as objects OF be-
quests and there Is no more worthy
cause or one that is more practlcal
in its benefit. The development OF
the university library IN America is in
keeping with that OF the public IL
braries during the past century In
1900 there were eleven college Libraries
containing $4,000 volumes In 1850
there were Al college and university
Libraries with 129, 318 volumes In 1897
the SO largest college and university
Libraries in the country included 15,-
show a Rapid Growth
In 1880 there were nine university
Libraries in the country, which con-
tanned over so, 600 volumes apiece Last
year eight Of these exceeded 1904
volumes each. Five OF them are over
100 years old and three, namely, Mich
igan. Cornell and Chicago. are less than
80 years old. The standing Of these
universities in the order OF the num-
Der Of volumes in their Libraries is,
Harvard, Chicago, Columbia, Yale, Cor
/ nell Pennsylvania, Princeton and
Michigan, respectively.
Rockefeller Has Libary Habit
Chicago university library may be
said TO be almost OF mushroom growth,
having been developed largely during
/ the past 10 years through the gen
crosby Of John .. Rockefeller, who
contributed $500, 600 on condition that
/ 5000, 900 be given by others This mu-
nificence made IL possible to give this
MbrarE better ecniDmsnt than would