Evening star., 1921-05-22
LIBRARY HEAD RAPS
ED|SON'S QUERIES
DR.. G. F. Bowerman, in Roam
oke Address, Criticises Sci
entist's Mentality Tests.
Correspondence Of The Star.

correspondence OF Ine STAR.
ROANOKE, Va. May 21.-The latest
rap at Thomas "A. Edison's famous list
of questions to test the mentality of
! college graduates was taken today by
DIR. George r. BoWerman librarian OF
; the Public Library at Washington.
| ID. G.. in the course Of an address made
at the formal opening of the public
| library here.
Mr.. Edison apparently thinks that
unless people nave already amassed
and retain in their memories facts on
| a wide range of subjects, not only of
general information. but of some
rather technical subjects. and can
pass an examination on them. they
| cannot claim to be educated" de-
clared DR.. BOWerman.
One cannot deny that the ability
| to answer questions on a wide variety
or subjects is convenient-to be a
walking encyclopedia always on tap,
to use mixed figure; but with the
libraries covering the entire range of
human knowledge readily accessible
and the ability to use books skillfully
and find facts readily in such a
library, why burden the mind by try
ing TO retain in the memory a large
collection of ill-assorted facts?"
| Unfortunately there are still many
people who seem to take it for grant
| ed the librarian stated. that "edu-
cation is a process that is completed
when one leaves school" The new
| library represents the broader view
| OF education, which means carrying
on ones education throughout ones
| life.
| Dr. BoWerman referred to Mr. Edi-
son again in his speech, when he said:
One of your early concerns will be
to supply. if indeed you have not
as possible of general reference
books encyclopedias. dictionaries,
| handbooks on every subject of human
, knowledge. bound and current maga-
! zines, government documents, clippings
and other material for consultation in
| the Ibrary-for use in answering Mr..
Edison's questions. let us say, as we'll
as for more serious purposes"
| DIR. Bowerrnan said that while in
clined to criticise Mr.. Edison for LAY
memory as a test of education and not
| relying sufficiently on books and Ii
| braries." he also would criticise H.
G. Wells, the English author, for fail
lie library has, or should have in any
properly developed system of educa-
| ton" :
F: The speaker emphasized the requi-
brary staff as coming first even be-
fore the books. The position Of pub
lie librarian, he said. is, or should be.
comparable with, that Of the super
| 1ntendent OF schools so far as
possible he said, require your staff
to be college graduates and library
| school graduates or have an equivalent
in culture and experience and excep-
tional native ability
DR.. Bowerman warned the local H.
brary workers against wide open
policy in relation to fiction. saying
that while he himself is committed
to liberal policy with respect to
current fiction. he urged a policy OF
careful selection rather than the poll
cy which would include all the fu-
tile. machine-made trash that some
how inds its way into print"
Our .sick world" DR.. Bowerman
concluded. needs more than any
! thing else education, enlightenment,
sanity" y!Sfs..s