TITE OMATIA DAILY BEE: SUNDAY, MARCH 27, 1904.
23
USES OF A PUBLIC LIBRARY
How tL People Are Benefited fcy Such
i Institution!,
WHAT THE LIBRARY SHOULD BE LIKE
Job Cotta !) nf Krwark Tell of
CerteJa library" aires
Some Details of Ita
Workings.
John Cotton Dana, llbrnrlnn of the publlo
library at Neevnrk. N. J., read a paper
before the Joint resnion of the Nebraska
library association and the Nebraska Fed
eration of Women's Clubs at Fremont,
uelua; the title, "A Certain Library." While
Mr. Dana's paper gave a particular de
scription of ttie Newark library, his ad
dress made such an Impression that It has
been deemed good to give it to the people
In full. Ilia consent to Its publication was
only recently obtained. Mr. Dana said:
"I do not c laim originality for the things
I am to tell you about. I do not select
Newark because It Is the best library. But
I know it best. And It Illustrates by1 the
things It Is doing, and ths things It hopes
to do, and the things It would like to try,
the field of work which lies before, every
library In the country.
"Newark has a population of about 300,
000. It la seven miles from New Tork. It
is a manufacturing suburb of that city.
But It la more. It has art Identity, a clvlo
consciousness, of Its own. Founded by
Connecticut Yankees In 1666, further estab
lished by the Dutch, It hold to conservative
ways for nearly two centuries. Germans
brought to It a touch of their liberalism
. after their revolution In '4S. As the In
dustrial development of the last thirty
years came on men found Newark had
cheap aftes, good land and water trans
portation, moderate taxation and a fair
municipal administration, and they came
and built factories and made things. They
are still making things of every kind. To
the factories cams many workers from for
eign countries.
"Newark outgrew Its own conception of
Itself. It felt, to the older folks, like the
quiet, conservative residence village It once
wu. It was, In fact, a great city. Hardly
more than a doxen years ago It woke to
a realisation of this. It equipped Itself
with a superior water supply. It was fore
most In acquiring great tracts of land for
a system of parks for the county. It built
an adequate high school. It establlahed a
free publlo library.
"Soon the library needed a building, and
the building came. It cost, with the land.
$43,0m. It Is lnrge enough for twenty-five
years to come, without considering econ
omy of space. It Is light in every corner
It is simple and dignified In Its exterior.
Within It Is Impressive, and given the
taxpHjer that pride of possession which
perhaps every ruhllc building should pro
duce. The presence of this fair and
worthy structure on their mnln treet has
helped the people to wish for .theM like
It, and a court house and a rlty hall hp
propriato to a (treat municipality are now
'under way.
Content with the Batldlngt.
"I have sold our building Is large enough
and well lighted. Perhaps that la aufflclent
praise. Of few library buildings can these
things bo said. It la also conveniently ar
ranged. The floor plans tell you of this.
Notice the rooms not at present needed
by ths library proper, on all four floors,
They are Important In my story.
"I feel free to praise this building highly,
aa 1 had nothing to do with the planning,
Mr. Hill and his directors put It up, not
on theory or precedent, but on a careful
study of their needs. I can .apeak more
freely, also, of the work of the library.
lUelf than I could, were It not, primarily,
Mr. Hill's organization which I am carrying
on, his plana, In great measure, which I
am trying; to carry out.
'"Newark Is a manufacturing city, con
sequently It has a very large proportion of
laborers and mechanics, skilled and un
skilled, In Ita population. It la thirty
minutes and 10 cents from New York; con
sequently most of Its artistic, literary,
scientific and musical, and much of Its
financial and social Interest centers there.
The result Is that It has, relatively to other
large cities which are remote from the
greatest centers of wealth, population and
gtnifal human attraction, a rather slight
educational, recreational and generally
self-centered Ufa of Its own. Not that the
lawyers, doctors, preachers, manufacturers
business men, teachers and women may
be considered slow, apathetic or uninter
ested. Hut they have th habit In matters
such as those I have named of looking else
where.
Ths city has no art gallery, no museum
of natural history, no music hall worthy of
Itself, no adequate art school, no sufficient
technical school iind Joins with the state
In permitting the historical library to lan
guish for lack of funds.
What Bhonld the library Bet
"Now, In sny community, old or young,
large or small, which for causes peculiar
to Itself has not, or has In poor estate, the
Institutions and Interests which I ha'e
mentioned, what ahould be the attitude of
the free public library which the people
of that community have had the fore
thought to build, equip and provide with
lure income? We have a building which
Is In Itself a stimulus to ths broader Inter
est and the wider view; Ideally arranged
for library work proper and for work out
side of book lending: an annua! Income of
about $50,000, and a community which, with
a business view arUdng naturally In a city
devoted chiefly to business, looks fur a
maximum of results from all Its Invest
rrenta. And whut should we do? I shall
try to tell you.
"One We should make ourselves In ef
fect a part of all the school work of ths
city, publlo and private.
'"On our fourth floor with elevator Is a
large, unaasigned room. Pending the com
pletion of ths new city hall, otfirea were
needed for certain school supervisors. Ws
were glad of an opportunity to glvs them
this room. In other unasslgned rooms
these and other supervisors hold meetings
with their teachers. Naturally the teach
rs come to think of ths library ss part
Hire
.
peciani
Unlhae T.rA.l 1 It. i
WO
"""'f icuu, uy im pcuciraung ana sooining properties,
allays nausea, nervousness, and all unpleasant feelings, and
bo prepares me system ior tne
ordeal that she passes through
the event safely and with but
little suffering, as numbers
have testified and said, "it is
worth its weight in eold."
bottle of druggists. Book containing
vaiuaoie lniormation mailed Iree.
IHE BKJrtflA ftttUlAIOft CO.. AtUaU. .
of their own equipment. They tall en us
for help In many ways. We believe they
feel that we are working with them. We
get from this arrangement far mors than
we give
In the afscmbly room last winter the
teachers held classes In literature and In
peycholotry, under professors from Co
lumbia college. In other rooms they held
meetings of their guild, of the Principals'
association, of the State Principals' as
sociation, of departments of the State
Teachers' association and of any of their
organizations which can be called educa
tional. The pleasant relations already es
tablished between the library and the
schools have been in this way widened
and strcngthei.ed. Thousands of pupi!s
heard of our books through teachere who
freely advertised us. Our little rchoo!
room libraries twenty to forty books In
a case, lent for a term of a year, selected
by the teacher and changed at her re
quest were taken with pleasure and In
terest, and three times ss many as we
had alwiut ninety) would have been gladly
taken could we have purchased them.
"I wish only to shr,w that If a library
building can be a center for teachers' or
ganizations and for all the work which
tends to make their labor more effective,
their tasks easier, their Interests broader,
and their lives happier, tho library Itself
Is greatly advantaged, does better work,
does more work, and does It more easily.
"Two We should aid In such work as
school Toom decoration.
"Newark Is Interested, as are most
cities. In making Its school rooms more
beautiful and more attractive. In furnish
ing our library rooms we have had this fact
In mind. We framed some of the German
lithographs from Teubner, some of the
French lithographs by Riviere, some of
the historical series of Langl and some of
his geographical series; showed the See
man black and white prints; gave an ex
hibition of fine carbon photographs, and
next month we are to have a display of
all the different kinds of pictures suitable
for this purpose that we can discover,
framed, catalogued, described and priced.
This Is not done at random. All decora
tion of school rooms should be under the
direction of a committee, of which the su
pervisor of drawing In the schools should
be the head. And we put forward nothing
that does not approve Itself to the proper
authorities.
Dements In School Room Art.
"The possibilities of work In this direc
tlon are not yet realized. A simple, lnex
pensive, appropriate, attractive furnishing
of our school rooms would train our teach
ers themselves, and then the pupils In the
elements of good taste In decoration and
design, and would hasten the coming of
the day when more of our manufactured
products shall have that final touch, born
of skill in design and cultivated taste,
which so many of them now need.
"That Is tho side of profit. On the side
of plcasut'o we can say that nothing can
give a finer or more abundant pleasure
than an Interest In, and an appreciation
of, beaullful things. And the secret of the
Increasing Interest In art lntlils country
lies not so much In our nrt schools, In lin
ported pictures and In museums of art, as
In the broadening and deepening of the
Interest In the beauty of nature Itself and
In the simple and Inexpensive products of
our factories and shops. There Is more
permanent possibility of pleasure In many
a 10-oent chromo or 6-ccnt tea cup than
In many a $l,noo picture of Jim) vnse; and we
are beginning to sea that this Is so.
"Three Wa should help to establish, a
museum or science.
"On of our vacant rooms Is admirably
adapted to the beginning of such a col
lection, and there are Intimations that a
few small collections, especially suited to
school use, will make this room a center
of arrangement and distribution. Our
building cannot house a museum really
worthy of the name. Hut It can, and
most appropriately, furnish space for Its
beginnings, room for the meetings of
those Interested In It, and needed books
and papers; and the library can materially
help In arousing an Interest In It.
"Four We should help the local must,
cal Interests.
"Newark la a musical city, more so
than what I have said would lead you to
auppoas. A Newark musical society
gained the first prize at a recent national
contest In Baltimore. Possibly our build
Ing cannot accommodate the musical
meetings proper, even of small organiza
tions. But the library can assist In male
Ing a Collection of truslc for general use
and can keep Its collection of- books on
music and musicians well In advance of
Interest In them.
"Flv9 Study clubs, literary, artistic or
musical, it Is, of course, our function
to aid by all the means at hand.
"Those of Newark, many of them,
meet In our unused rooms, are given
light and attendance, and are supplied
with books, papers, lists and pictures to
tho limit of the library's resources. Thl
brings to us the good will and the help
of women's clubs of all kinds.
"Six Wa should help charitable organ
izations of all kinds like those working
for vacation schools, which originated In
Newark many years ago, for summer play,
grounds and kindred organizations.
"These meet In our rooms, day or even'
Ing, without charge. And these and others
are supplied with light for lantern exhibi
tions when needed.
"Seven We should encourage the devel
opment of an Interest In art, both fine and
applied.
Fine Arts Commission.
"We have tried to do thla. Our dlrec
tors have secured tho services of thres
of our leading citizens to serve as a fine
arts commission. This commission, prim
arily appointed to decide If the pictures
and other art objects which are offered
to the library are worthy of a place In It
has been of the greatest assistance In
many ways. Chiefly through the efforts
of Its chairman, Monslgnor Doane. they
furnished our assembly room on the fourth
floor with reflectors for lighting suitably
pictures and other objects. Then, with the
assistance of a local dealer In pictures,
they gathered for us a loan exhibition of
fine paintings, almost the first notable
public display of the kind ever held In ths
city, and followed It with another, brought
together by an expert.
"To the two came 60,000 visitors, tsn times
ss many as most of the older residents of
the city would have said would coma to
Is to love children, and tv
home can be completely
happy without them, yet the
ordeal through which the ex
. "
mother must pass usually
is
so full of suffering, dinger and fear
that she looks forward to the critical
hour with flrmretiensirtn o-Mrl AwaA
'i 1
i.oo
such sn attraction. To ths same room
came the architects of the state for the
first exhlbttlnn ever held of their drawings
and sketches. Here also we held an ad
mirable poster show snd a display of fine
photographs.
'We hve received a few gifts of pictures
and sculpture. Even the beginning of an
art gallery or museum may be a long time
In comlt.g; but our building, so wisely pro
vided with rooms not now needed by ths
library proper, with such exhibitions and
meetings ss our friends secure and arrange
for us. Is sure to raise the thought of a
permanent exhibition and a general desire
for It. We cannot properly house an art
gallery worthy of the name, but we can
provide space for one In Us earlier years,
and are sure to have that pleasure.
"The evening dra'wlng school of the city,
part of our public school system, looks to
us for books, pictures and designs of every
kind. The work of ths day schools In
manual training and sewing has already
been exhibited on the fourth floor. We
shall sorn ha-e a lantern a screen and a
supply of slides for Illustrating talks on
applied art and other topics at the service,
without charge, of all the educational
workers of the city. We are planning for
circulating collection of objects Illustra
tive, of Newark's Industries, a series of
tiny traveling. Industrial museums, which,
whllo arranged In the library, will ba of
value to the manufacturers as lllUBtratlvs
of their work, 'snd while In small sections
In the schools will help the teachers to In
terest their pupils in ths activities of their
own city.
"And so, to the extent of our resources
and abilities, and to the limit of our build
ing, we can help to Increase the Interest In
fine , and industrial art, and especially in
the possibility of Illustrating the two by
objects owned and objects msde In our city.
"The Technical School of Newark Is sn
evening trade school. Its friends wish to
see It develop Into such a general school
of technology as every great manufactur
ing city needs, while retaining Ita present
admirable position as ar. evening school for
young men already at work In shops S'.d
factories. The library can help In thla de
velopment only Indirectly.
"The exhibit of the processes Of man
ufacture shown In the traveling Industrial
museums which I have mentioned wovtlJ
Increase the Interest In and respect for the
workshop and the products" of patience
and skill among the next generation of
young men. Books and Journals on tech
nical education we put before our readers
as much as possible. And to the collection
In our children's room we are adding
books on all trades and Industrial arts
as rapidly as we can afford to get them,
hoping to Interest young people In them,
or at least to make them familiar with
their existence before they leave the
school, nnd for the most part the library,
for a work bench or an office.
Guide to Illastrat Ions.
"We are compiling a dictionary of Illus
trations, a universal Iconographli ency
clopaedia. From all possible sources ws
gather pictures. We mount a few of the
bCBt, these chiefly for special purposes, ss
needed. Most of them are grouped by
kinds In simple folders of Manila paper.
They already numbers about 20,000, and
cover a thousand subjects, though It is
hardly more than a year since we began to
gather them. We lend them to all comers
for many purposes.
"Eight Kvery city Is capable of better
ment In streets, parks, schools, publlo
buildings, monuments, drives, cleanliness
and sanitation.
"Newark, like most cities, has an active
board of trade, civic Improvement socle-
ties and kindred organizations, which give
attention to these matters. Meetings of
some of these organizations are held In ths
lihray, and we try to provide the litera
ture they need. Ths board of trade is
trying to help the schools to Include more
study of Newark, Ita advantages and die
advantages. Its beautiful and Its unsightly
features, Its history and its future in the
curriculum of the first seven years. This
la with the hope of fostering more rap
Idly a proper local clvlo pride in the
thousands of children of foreign parents or
foreign parentage who coma to our school
rooms every year.
"The library tries to keep posted on this
work and to provide appropriate literature
therefor In advance of the call for It. You
can get golden conduct only from golden
Instincts. Every city Is a mirror of Its
citizens. Cleanliness and beauty In a
municipality reflect the manners and taste
of its people, not Its ordinances. Its board
of health and Its street department. Beau
tlfut American cities are taking birth today
In every schoolroom In the land or
ahould be.
"As I told you. all this being by In
heritance and not my creation, I can speak
of It with considerable freedom. If I have
told the story properly, you will have seen
that our library tries to present Itself as
the proper center for so much of the lit
erary, scientific, artistlo. Industrial and gen.
eral social life of our city as finds asso
ciation with it sympathetlo and helpful,
The story, let me assure you, outruns the
reality. Ws try for much; ws can do so
little. But if I have Illustrated clearly the
main point of my paper that a city's free
publlo library Is a city's school without
age limits, rules or masters; a city's tern
pie, without a creed; a city's friend, giving
help without reproof or blame; a city
center of enjoyment and good will then
Is the story .worth the telling, even when Its
anticipations outrun its deeds, when Its
hopes outrun the realities.
Librarians Aim.
Tt me add Just a word. I have written
down a few lanes, summing up very broadly
a librarian's view of ths world, her library
and her work.
"Imagine her, alert, vigorous, cheerful.
standing on the steps of her library and
looking out over her town. She says:
" 'Behind ma Is the diary of humanity,
the autobiography of man, the record of
all that he has done, of all his Imaginings,
of all his experiments failure and success
alike. Here is the knowledge, lacking which
civilisation would paaa lu a day, and here
the wisdom which, applied but for one day,
would change our imperfect society into
one better than we can fashion out of
dreams. And all this is set down In skit
fully chosen words, cunningly put together.
by the wisest and the wittiest and the most
human of our forbears.
" 'Before me is ths world, still strut-
gllng and striving; condemned to strlvs and
struggle for so many ages yet to advance
so little! Here to gain for a time friend
ship, love, mutual aid and that social
effectiveness we call civilisation. There, to
lose all, thus gained, for a day, for gen
erations, through envy, greed, hatred,
strife and all unklndneas.
" 'It is mtne to help to put Into ths hands
of these, my fellows, who have here almost
by merest chance selected ms for the task,
so much of this record of man's strivings,
attaining, hopes, prophecies and fears, of
this library, of thla composite volume, of
this veritable book of books, as they will
take with pleasure; they bop lug with me
that they may learn from the wisdom of
the elders how to live with more Joy, how
to work together more happily. I may aee
no harvest of ths seed their library may
sow. But can I make this many-volumed
work of human history this Book of Books
to be ths every -day book of these, my
friends?
" 'If I can. even In alight degree, I have
earned my hire, I deserve my place, J find
ny labor play, my duty opportunity, and
every day too short.' "
Th expenditure of Kutsia in ths city of
Harbin, Manchuria, fur publlo lmiro
ments IU 115,450.0001
WMA
It took less than
exposition "election."
one of the fifty, or see
vacation.
Ten More Trips To Be Voted
For This Week.
The second "election" started on Friday, the 2th, and ends next Thursday, March 31.
Look over the following list of last week's winners and the number of votes they secured.
They were certainly easy:
John II. Disney, David City 4,S:t2
John Woodworth, Omaha 4.491
George Backus, Omaha H.574
M. A. Martin, South Omaha 3,550
Miss Ruby Spigel, Omaha 3,223
Anna Carlson, Florence 2,t32
Emma Hoskovec, Omaha 2,381
Mrs. E. Teterson, Omaha 2,200
W. S. Robertson, Omaha 1,024
Miss Ruth Cornet t, Nebraska City . 1,723
These ten and fifty more will take a trip to the World's Fair at
please during the exposition. They will go
This road direct to the exposition grounds, and in addition to saving a day for you
either going or coming; to be enjoyed at the exposition instead of starting from the station in St.
Louis, it will save you time, because it is the shortest road between Omaha and St. Louis.
THE DIAGRAM BELOW SHOWS:
WABASH LINE WORLD'S FAIR TERMINAL STATION
LOCATED IN FRONT OF THE MAIN ENTRANCE
.isw pg"'Cygwvtn.t .
C ll Olive T.TOlll LOf J
Oil"! AW. Yv 0
rmiifv ut ion. II '
"me pine
WORLD'S FAIR . L
-V a w
UKUUitUo.
PLAN Or TRACKS
Work en ths Wsbssb World'! Fair terminal Is
now la procrsis sod will bs pushed to comple
tion rapidly aa possible. Thla la sn Important
uodeuakiiif and will call for an outlay of aso.uuO
on ths pan ol Ws Wabaib ooupany (or the ata
tloD atructure alone. President bamaey baa given
much time snd thought to the plan lor Uie ter
minal which la located directly m front of ths
tnalu entrance to the Fair and through which s
very large Tolums (it the aeaaon'a traffic, will
paaa. In the arrangement of the trade due pro
vision baa been marie fur handling the local, tbe
through and tbe excursion business on rapid
schedules, each independently ol the other, and
every precaution will be observed for safety.
The transit company's terminal loop la to be lo
cated north of all the tracks of th Wabash at
the World a Fair terminal, and aa will be eeo by
ths diagram above, atreet car passengers will
reach lbs mala entrance to ths Fair on a broad
plaza passing under the Wabaah tracks and thus
rnlding all the danger of a grade crowing.
'Tbe two tracks nearest Lindeil avenue ar ths
track which will be used for the shuttle or local
trains brtween Cntun station and tbe main en
toaacs tolas World's Fair ground. These two
Rules of the "Election"
The ten persons receiving the largest number of voten at the close of each "election" will.be furnished, at The Dee's expense,
as prizes, each a free trip from Omaha to St. Louis ajid return, to be taken any time during the exposition. '
No restrictions are placed as o where the party lives as a candidate for one of the exposition trips.
Ho votes will be counted for employes or agents of The Omaha Bee.
All votes must be made on coupons which will be published each day in The Bt-e.
Prepayment of subscriptions may be made either direct to The liee Publishing Company or to an authorized fiLCnt of Th
Bee.
No votes sent in by agents will be counted unless sent in In accordance with instructions given them.
The vote from day to day will be published in all editions of The Bee.
The "elections" will close each Thursday at 5 p. m.
Votes may be deposited at the business office of The Bee or sent by mail. No votes sent by mail will be counted which are
not in the Omaha postoffice or delivery at 4:30 p. m. on the day of Hosing.
Address, "Exposition Department," Omaha Bee, Omaha, Neb.
A
four yearly prepaid subscriptions to win a trip
There are fifty more trips to be voted for, and you might as well be
that one of your friends is one of the people who gets an inexpensive
Via. tke
r
FOR LOCAL, THROUGH AND EXCURSION TRAIN SfRVICE-SHUTTLC EQUIPMENT TO CARE TOR
25,000 PASSENGERS PER HOUR. ,
traekt lead Into th through main tracks just
west of Union avenue and these main tracks
bave automailo electric, block signals every IJUU
feet from Page avenue to tbe t uioo station. The
cars for U.U shuttle train aervlee will be espe
cially cooxtracted for the purpoae, having ateel
uuderframea and with aeata arranged across tho
car. similar to the summer cars In at reel car aerv
lee. and will bave a capacity pf Uu persuus to
each oar. They will be run la trains of eight or
ten cars, and President Ramsey estimates that It
will be poealble to handle about 25,003 paaaeugura
per hour with these trains.
Tbe shuttle traina can b unloaded very
auickly, aa they will have no steps Tbe floor of
th cars will be on the same level aa the plat
forma along tbe tracks. Pa.sengcrs will he un
losded on the platforms ouiside-of the two tracks,
and will be loaded from tbo platform between
tbe two track., tbe entraace to this center plat
form being between the turnstiles, where passen
gers will be required to deposit their tickets at
the turnstiles before being admitted to I bo plat
forms. ' -
The tracka Immediately north nf the Khtie
trains will b used for Coring shuttle trains dur
COUPONS
SNAP
' ,
WeJsh
LIMOCLL
AV.
ing tbo dull hours of tba day, and also for storing
any aueclal trains or private cars. Tbe flvo main
or through tracka will bo used for the through
and excursion trains. Platforms aro also be
tween tbeso tracks, and passengers getting off
tbe through or excursion traina will nut have to
cross any tracks, but will dew-cud from the plat
form by a abort night of stairs to theeubwsy
under the tracks at be liallvlero avcuue. and It
Is but a lew steps across the plaza to tbo mala
entrance to tbe World a Fair gruuuds.
If it should be decided to run any local tre'ns
over U tbrougb tracks to page avenue, an t
thence vie tiie Termluul belt road, s lame num
ber of pasaeugera per hourcould bo handled that
way. It is the Intention to run exruraluu truins
from the Kast via the Merchauts' bride and the
Terminal belt to Page avenue, and thence to th
Fair grounds, aud also via the Fads bridge uu1
Mill Creek valley, and, as staled above, all such
traina will unload or load ou tba platform be
tueen tbe main tracka.
Immediately south of tbe main tracka and
frour.tig on tbe plnca will be the Weha-u
terminal station This will be a comrnoili
ous depot and will concitt of a tnalu tiHU'i j
ON PAGE 2.
to St. Louis in the first
'
St. Louis any time they
room 100 feet square, wtth an fofnmatirmta!
la tbe center, and all the usual toilet rooms,
ticket offices, parcel room sod a baggage roosa,
where baggage will be received for paaeengws
going to tbe near-by hotels, also an sgpree
office. On the north side of tbe statlos and as-
Joining the malu waltlug mom will be lect4
our classification compartments, which will I
quite a unique feature. For Instance, St S l
tulubour there will be scheduled a wet-bus4
through or excursion train. A sign will be dis
; viayeu over tne entrancs to en Ol these coav
partment indicating ths track from which the
train will depart, and passengers holding tickets
lor that train will be admitted to thai oomparV
I merit, and any passengers Intending to tske
oiuer iraine win not oe permmea to enter IBM
compartment. When the train Is announced to
gate from that compartment will be opened and
passcngera will proceed to th,e platform, and
thence to their train. Thus It will be seen thai
crowding will be avoided, and passenger will
not be allowed to have admission to any train
except tbe one they are b lake and for rbkas
they bold tickets.
l"" ' 'saw' )
