The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-01-26
Chr EtIrrariau'h Gnrnrr
CONDUCTED BY
FRANK PARKER STOCKBRIDGE.
LIBRARIES AFTER RUM GOES

as resort for scholars, mainly clergymen,
to the modern idea of the public library, in the
reading rooms of which one may see at any time
a preponderance of persons who can hardly be
cassed as scholars and who obviously not
clergymen The transition from the clustered
seclllson of the Bodlean to such democracy is
manifest at Fifth avenue and Forty-sccond street,
has not, however, been achieved at single bound,
nor has the evolutionary process yet reached It's
final stage
There are still Librarians who prefer to think
Of their institutions repositories of learning for
the convenience of the already cultured, rather
than centres of recreation for those who do do
not affect horn spectacles and the Harvard accent
Offsetting these, however, is the growing host OF
librarians who, having seen the public library
emerge unScahed after passing the first degrees
Of Specialization, are looking forward with interest
not untinged with curiosity to its even more com
plete characterization.
Libraries and the Saloon.
The suggestion of the library a substitute
for the saloon is Of more than academic interest,
with the immnence of Prohibition The practical
working out of the idea doubtless involves some
difficulties, but If accept the theory so manfully
advocated by the late Bishop Potter of the saloon
as the poor man S club, may not raise the ques-
ton whether society has a right to deprive any
class of citizens of its social privileges without
Offering something equally good i'll exchange? The
library may never be perfect substitute for the
club, but it may more nearly approximate the
saloon considering the latter in its purely clublke
aspect. The rigid enforcement of Prohibition of
course will deprive the club Of one Of its chief
advantages over the saloon; a may get
drunk as he pleases in his club, but no respectable
ra1nn he nat
Of intoxicated persons.
By removing the possibility Of this social dis
tincton Prohibition may fairly be considered as
striking a body blow at privilege. The clubman
still retains the advantage, however, of being able
to play poker without police interference; here
again the library compares with the saloon rather
than with the club.
Smoke While You Read?
1t would require but slight extension of the
facilities offered by the up to date library, indeed,
to make it at least attractive TO the socially
inclined as the nOn-alchOc saloon is likely to
become No argument but that of precedent can
be adduced against the installation of soda foun-
tains in public Libraries, for instance The smOk-
ing room is already making insidous eneroach-
ments upon the precincts devoted to the tenets
Of the Pure Air League though not without manful
opposition from librarians, who would rather their
books should go unread than their pages be pol
lnted by the vile aroma of the filthy weed.
Nor are those who maintain like one eminent
librarian whom | recently heard discussing the
subject, that the only proper place for smoking
room is outside the city limits, appeased by the
suggestion that ornamental brass cuspidors such
still adorn the Library of Congress, placed at con-
venient intervals, might at least make their libra
ries more attractive to such tobacco
find contentment in the now questionable pastime
of chewing. One of the ways in which the Ameri-
can Library Association displayed its wisdom in
the operation of its camp libraries during the war
was in the signs that read Smoking Permitted
shown in the reading rooms.
New Name for Library.
Seriously, it is in the direction of club or COM
munity centre development that the public library
is making its longest strides. When committee
of librarians trying to explain to the archi-
tects of the New York Branch Library buildings
exactly what was wanted and met with the usual
medieval misconcepton Of the purposes of libraries
of tba ifn.fc fba ,;faJ