Evening star., 1932-10-14

Perhaps every one who loves books
has dreamed at some time or other Of
being librarian.
To be the big boss of thousands Of
books. perhaps millions Of books-that
would be something. eh?
But there is seamy side to the pic
ture, too.
In conversation with one Of the city's
most prominent librarians the other
day we learned that this unpleasant
side of the picture lies in the mistreat-
ment OF the institutions volumes.
This Is the bitter fact which makes
the real librarian vince, Just as 1t Is the
one which strikes woe to the heart and
mind Of the private loaner.
The individual book lover can SYM
pathize with the professional librarian.
In fact, the private owner bemoan.
| his own mishandled books at times, just
as the official librarian feels anger stiI
his heart at the sight Of the abuse oi
some volume under his care.
There Is a difference there.
| Ones personal books are ones per.
sonal books. Library books can never
be quite the same, even to librarian.
No doubt the custodian of the largest
library in the world would have hii
own choice of volumes at home anc
find in them Just touch Of something
different.
We would not 60 so far as to say
that he would cherish his home book,
more, for duty would demand that hi
reverse that wholesome respect anc
feel more interest in his official books
than in his own personal selections.
He would indeed, combine the two, sc
| that for him there would be no differ
ence at all between "own books" and
library books perhaps. Books would bt
books.
! The private owner of Q small library
necessarily must make his own collec-
ton the literary apple Of his eye"
| These are his books, and for him
they assume all the Importance of the
grand collections Of the Library of Con-
sress or the British Museum.
Books can never be lust books" te
the man who is limited to a compare.
tive few out of the millions published
and who has been many years of hi,
life collecting several hundreds OF
thousands.
II he loans one Of these precious vol
tunes and never receives 1t back OF
finds it returned to him in a damaged
Ilc uIWdIuIy IdkCc.
1t MY be said that real book loveri
are never book damagers.
A man who has a sincere respect fol
his own books will have the same re-
spect for the book property of others
q respect for property.
| Modern methods of education. both
in and out Of school, are somewhat al
fault here. 1t would seem. since all toe
many persons, juvenile and adult, lack
a sense Of respect for property.
a book Is q property. no less than ar
automobile, and one which often pos
sesses sentiment and other value far
beyond that had by any automobile In
the world.
Yet many a reader who borrows q
book from a friend fails to recognize
this and thus permits himself to handle
carelessly or indifferently a preciou,
volume.
This unhappy state Of affairs (ant
Of mind comes about because of q
Grass utilitarian regard for books. They
are something to be enjoyed, rs sc
many entertainment hours" or ar
easy way Of attaining some particular
knowledge.
The wholesome respect which goe,
with actual fondness for books in them
selves and for themselves Is lacking.
The home loaner seldom meets the
real destructive tactics sometimes pur-
sued by those who mutilate library
books. Wet strings are used TO remove
pictures and pages from books. Knives
come iato play for the same purpose.
Such destruction often puts q library
in position where 1t finds itself un-
able to replace the missing section The
Indifferent user has not considered that
perhaps the book which he Is privileged
to borrow was printed abroad or may
be out Of print.
The carelessness Of selfishneSs Is re-
sponsible for great deal of misery ir
this world Now the misery Of an in
jured book lover Is real. It is not Q
fancied disease. but q true heartache