Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-07-29

| PHILADELPHIA was the first city In Amer
i lea to have a public library Among the
many benefactions for which we must thank
! Benjamin Franklin is that he established the
=. Philadelphia Library in 1884, an institution
| which became the mother Of the subscrip-
tion libraries which quickly sprang UP all
! over the country. To the impetus this library
! gave to good reading may be ascribed the
| fact that the residents OF this city have
| always been noted for their eagerness to
read and to study.
In his autobiography Franklin remarked
upon the intelligence and learning of the
tradesmen and farmers, and was greatly i'm
pressed by the fact that the library system
had Improved the general conversation of
the Americans, made the common tradesmen
and farmers as intelligent as most gentle
men from other countries, and perhaps has
contributed in some degree to the stand so
generally made throughout the colonies in
defense Of their privileges"
Within the period of 1874 years since the
formation of this first library the library
system of this city has expanded and i'm
proved until today, in addition to the sub
scription libraries which this city fosters,
Philadelphia has scores OF university, coll
lege, public and private school and club
libraries, all supplementary to the great Free
Library organized In 1891 by Dr. William
Pepper, then provost of the University of
Pennsylvania This organization now has 25
branch libraries in all sections of the city,
together with a department for the blind and
n travelling branch which sends books to the
police stations and frehouses.
Follow Franklin From Afar
If the progressive Franklin were alive to-
day he would doubtless be impressed by the
character of the books and periodicals which
read by the workingmen and tho trades
men, who in the main are responsible for
this citys leadership in SO many varied
American industries. Not many of them fol-
low the example of the great Franklin, who
early made it a rule of his life to spend at
least one hour day in library study. But
a visit to any of the branch libraries in such |
industrial centres Kensington will reveal |
an unusual number of men-and women, too |
who call for books and periodicals which |
require and induce thought.
The average Philadelphian would never
suspect that next to fiction the Free Library
circulates more books dealing with sociology
than any other subject. Yet that is what
the reports from the branch libraries month
by month show. And, oddly enough, the
greatest interest in books of this nature is
shown in the Industrial districts. In some
of the suburban and residential districts
books on literature and history are more fire.
quently called for. But in those sections OF
the city where the textile and other manu-
industries are located there is a
strong and sustained interest in sociological
reading. 1t is accentuated particularly in the
districts where the skilled worlSingmen live.
In order that the library statistics may be
1t should be explained that the
Free Library uses the Dewey system of cIas-
sl1caton with a few further subdivisions
The Dewey system divides books into the fol-
lowing 10 classes: General works. philosophy
religion, sociology, philology. natural science,
useful arts, fine arts, literature and history
To these the Free Library adds three classes:
Travel and description, biography and fic-
ton.
Popularity of Fiction and Sociology
Philadelphians, like all Americans, are om-
nIvorous readers of fiction Out of a years
which in round numbers
to 100000 Volumes those devoted
to fiction reached a total of a little more
han 1900, 0OO. In other words, 60 per cent.
IF Philadelphlas reading public which de-
oends upon the Free Library and its
branches regale themselves with fiction. This
proportion holds true throughout virtually
the entire. city. It fluctuates in some
branches, but this may be due to a number
IF causes such as insufficient quantity of
oooIs for given branch a district peo-
oled largely by a foreign element.
While sociology as applied to reading is a
general term and contains a good many sub
divisions, all the books grouped under it are
erious reading. Under it are classified the
ollowing subjects: Statistics, political