New-York tribune., 1922-11-05
Circulating High Glass Music
Among Masses of the Public
The Work Doing AT Branch Of the New York Public
Library; Miss Leipziger's Good Work Con-
tinued; New Funds and Fresh Acquisitions
By Dorothy I-awson
Music Librarian, Fsfty-eighth Street
Brn1cA Eibrary

: 4
To any one wishing to read some Of
Miss Amy Lowell's poems or those Of
Edmund Blunden, who recently won the
Hawthornden prize, or TO one investi-
eating the Einstein theory of reIa-
tisity" or the latest points on psyche
analysis, the New York Public Library
offers happy hunting ground, either
for reference or home reading. Until
lately, however, the idea Of asking in a
circulating library for examples of Ar
thur Biiss's songs or those of John AL
den Carpenter. or for illustrations of
the orchestration of Stravinsky or the
radical development Of Sch6nberg's
harmony, would never have occurred to
the average New York music lover.
Why should this be? Why should the
eccentricities of Freud or the eroti-
cisms of D. H. Lawrence be more ac-
cessibie than the mysticism of Scriabin
or the grotesqueries of Satie? Briefly,
in an institution designed and claim
ing to keep abreast of the times in all
phases of intellectual thought and
criticism, why exclude that art which
above all others evidences the races
growth?
Progress is ever to the westward.
This year marks the centenary Of the
ssrst free circulating library--tfe one
established in Peterborough, N. H..
where Edward MacDowell had his home
and where the MacDowelI Colony is
nowadays fostering much that is ad-
mirable in American art. AS America
led the world in free libraries, the West
has led America in the matter Of music
circulation. For many years New York
has been shamefully behind the West
ern cities in this respect. Chicago, st.
Louis, Kansas City, San Francisco, Los
Angeles--all have large collections of
music for home use. Smaller cities
like Detroit and Rochester have i'm
portant collections. In Boston the Pub
lie Library has fine circulating divi-
sion in addition to the Allen Brown
reference collection, and the Harvard
Musical Association has it's own library.
Special Collections In
New York's Branch Libraries
1t was originally the intention OF the
New York Public Library to have music
collections in all of it's branch build
ings. The foundations of such collec-
tions will be seen there still, but. ex-
cept in the matter OF operas--which
will be found fairly complete so far as
the current repertoires are concerned
the library funds have not been suffl-
ciently liberal to maintain music on a
par with other subjects. In several of
the branches, however, the music is
very interesting; the Webster branch
has specialized in Czech music the
i35th Street branch, in Harlem, has a
fine lot of negro music, Washington
Heights recently has acquired certain
modern works and st. George. s. l..
owes It's collection to the George Will
liam Curtis family.
But for many years it has been
known to students that the largest and
most generally comprehensive collec-
tion was to be found at the Fifty-eighth
Street branch, and borrowers have come
there from all over the city, the utter.
most Bronx and from remotest Brook.
lyn, from the furthest confines oi
greater New York. For, this reason
Fifty-eighth Street has been made the
headquarters of the cisy's music circu.
lation. Two years ago special IL
brarian was appointed in its charge
and to act in supervisory scapacity
| over the music collections of tn,
branch system. The credit for havin,
made so good foundation on whicl
to build q contemporary collection il
due to Miss Pauline Leipziger, for sew
eral years chief librarian at thi,
branch. Miss Leipziger, herself love
Of music, built up fine music depart
ment, which is admirable in the matte,
Of classical and standard composers
She had the foresight to acquire tn,
complete sets which Schirmer used &
compile under the intelligent direction
of DR.. Theodor Baker. Thus Fifty
eighth Street has not only the entir,
vocal and piano works Of such com
posers as Brahms, Chopin, Iiszt
Tschaikowsky. Grieg, Dvorak, etc.. II
the Schirmer sets, but so far as the.
went at the time Of their preparation
che complete sets Of more modern men
like Strauss, Hugo Wolf, Faur6 ans
Debussy.
The city has reduced the library ap
propriation until the funds allotted u
the branches are not enough to suppl!
the demanded fiction. Knowing th'
hopelessness of the situation and thu
Importance Of music for home use fo
the always growing student clientele
which must depend on the library Il
furuish the music they are too poor q
buy, just IA it does their books, an ct
fort was made to get contributions
from few of the generous patrons o.
music here in New York. This effor
was started about two years ago will
gift Of $500 from Miss L. T Bliss
This sum was divided, hall being spen
here for works Of native composers
the other half intrusted 10 friend o.
the cause who spent II in London, Paris
and Madrid for the works OF contem
49,, ~~~rnNoarx Tsho now,