The sun., 1919-07-06

-
" ISM was going to say the hotbeJ OF
radea;isn and You don't feel the censorship OF
public opinion as do i'll the conservative West.
Tho speaker was librarian from out Kansas
way; the scene, an eddy in the stream OF human
beings paradiDg up and down the boardwalk at
Asbury Park; the time, the last week of June, 1919;
the occasion, a remark dropped by an assistant
librarian of one of the branches of the New York
Public Library anent the range of reading tastes
displayed by the public of her particular section of
the metropolis She had been telling of two calls in
one week for copies of the Koran and five for
Thomas Paines Age Of Reason.
u wouldn care to ask my trustees to approve
reQusition for the purchase of either Of those
books continued the librarian from out Kansas
way. Not that | personally any reason why
people shouldn't read anything they want to, or
that my trustees would be likely 10 have any per-
sonal feeling about it-except one or two of them.
But ours is small town, the library is supported
by the taxpayers, and the taxpayers mostly 90 to
the Presbyterian church, those that don t go to
the Methodist
What on earth has that got to do with t?'
asked the young woman from New York.
Why, only that the ministers and the elders and
the ladies of the church societies would call it a
scandal and an outrage for their library to be hand
inc out books on Northumberland and Atheism in
IA Christian community. You sec take our re-
ligion seriously in the Middle West"
-
Politics in 1t.
1--WE surely do nterposed another A. L. A.
delegate from still further beyond the Kaw. Now,
there Catholics in our town. Catholic
church with good membership, but do you sup
pose | could get an appropriation to buy a set Of
the Catholic CycOpedid? The trustees SHE'D off
when | even suggested it, Then some of the wcll-to-
do Catholics subscribed for it and presented it to
the library. nearly lost my job by accepting the
gift Two of the trustees resigned afraid of the
political consequences of continuing their connec-
ton with institution that would permit the cir
culatiOn of such book ~
We had funny experience in our library"
said another of the group, the librarian from Of
the Great Lakes towns. Were rather keen on our
collection of local history, so when | had chance
10 get set of the Jesuit Relations at a bargain I
went after it. | had to do lot of explaining, and
prove that il WASH a religious book at all before
could buy it"
What town was it where the trustees wOuldn t
let the librarian take part in the United War Work
campaign last fall because the Knights of Columbus
and the Jewish Welfare Board were going to get
part of the money rased?" asked the young woman
who had come to the convention from Library War
Service headquarters.
at was the Librarian herself who refused . re-
piled one of the War Service men Said she
couldn't get any money in her town if the people
there knew any of il was 10 be used for those or
CARNATIONS There 5 lots of little towns like that
they report Science and Heath and The Ncm Rev.
cldttOn as their best nOn-fction crcuatorS month
after month OF course, the librarian has 10 reflect
the tastes Of her community
Cure for Wars.
GLOW funny said the Young woman from New