Evening star., 1923-11-16
Library Abuses Scored.
Privileges at Congressional Held
Great Public Benefit.

To the Editor Of The Star:
| FOR a number Of months ! have
hao the great privilege OF being
participant in the courtesies Of the
Library of Congress. The great read
ing room. with it's ouietude, it's indi-
'idual desks. it's electric light at
arms reach to each desk reader. it's
caro- catalogue and it's book alcoves
iree TO users, it's restrooms and
above all--its staff. The benefits are
80 many and only the one in doing re-
oeaIcn WORK there realizes in full the
made hundred-fo more worthwhile
py the lnVariable and unfailing cour-
tesy or the corps Of desk staff, Junior
| messengers and all who serve the in
iVestigator.
The knowledge one wants some one
Of the staff knows where TO find. The
| Ieiheinprance that one wants GER
| tain pook Is carried over in a staff
man mind and days after that hfth-
elto inuch wanted and misplaced book
s neuu. wnen 1t turns up. for the per-
| so back. ~ =" "oeh VI
1t is such service that makes these
library or Congress people seem Iike
rear friends. warmly interested in
! toSt Wnat each seeker is doing, and
4 >
coined, vast room. they become warm.
| ly held in esteem
! Books disappear.
| ihat Is Just short Of crime. Oncr
] .HeIe was precaution against thievery
I OF these books intrusted to the care
OF the Library of Congress by reuuir-
| ing each borrower of d book to have
| permit 10 take it from the building
\ permit the borrower must show tc
| the door watchman. That was a mos
v
ton. que 10 those people whose lit
erarE works were in the Library
| ne precaution was their honest due
because it Is their books, their brains
| asu thelr. work that make the bod,
| CT books that are the Library
| But congressman objected
he dldn want to be bound by
! Library rules. Rules are only for thu
| common people ruled, not for the per.
| sonases making those rules. And
tnat congressman caused the reyoca-
/ Congress rule
1t Is a further monstrous thing that
! people write all over the pages of
VaIuaole books! Old books of geneal-
ogy, invaluable Of the kind, are hid
eously annotated, interlined. revised
scratched out. commented upon, in
lead pencilings that smudge and sol.
| the opposite leaves. or in ink that
smears and blots. with remarks OF
1 TeSlSGT
shamffully abusing the gracious
privilege of coraulting Library OF
Congress books unhampered by any
supervision or overseer.
1 consider ii an infamy every time
a book thus defaced and soiled comes
to my attention. I've found their
with paragraphs intercalated. An
entire book defaced and literally
ruined.
Then there is the reader who
checks or facts as she finds them
I've seen pages marked up with
| chicken-tracks of an impudent pencil,
checking off and tallying up items
found. like laundry list.
No book, with its rare heraldic pic
turlngs. Is too priceless for these lead
pencil vandals to deface.
The book-lover swears mentally at
the havoc found.
II were in authority there in that
repository of all-America's and much
OF f-ali-earth's brains I'd put a large
'ettered sign fast at front of each
desk in any room where readers are
privfleged-'Do not mark any book
! In any manner whatever. All pen and
pencil marks punishable by law"
Any person has just as much right
TO go into mans house and deface
his books at will as he has to come
| into the peoples book house and de-
face their books.
BERRY LOUDUN.