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About The courier. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1894-1903 | View Entire Issue (June 5, 1897)
THE COURIER. The Gity Isibrary. Mr. Tcntzer's farewell remarks to the library board, which aro reprinted here from the Xew.t, express distinctly the 19th century library spirit. Krom the time when the krowledge of how to read was confined to a few who wero supposed to have made a trade with the devil for his mysteries in black and white, up to the present time when there is still a vestige of the fueling that books must ba handed to the many by the few, that the many cannot with safety be allowed to make their own se lections from the shelves. In some of the largest libraries of this country the principle that the boobs are the people's has been put into practice. The people go to the shelves, look up the book they wish, being directed thereto by atten dants who replace the books on the shelves after c!o3ing hours. Reports from these libraries show that very few books are stolen in comparison with the in creased number loaned. As Mr. Pentzer saya the idea of a public library is not so much to assist the research of the learned, there are special libraries for them, but to get the poor and ignorant into the reading habit, to accustom them to the sight of books, to the handling of them, till they are as inti mate with books as thoce who have libraries of their own. The city library is a public one, the people are taxed to support it, and the library board should see to it that the people have free access to the books and extra work would be recompensed by the interest in books, which is the only important and final reason; for the librarj's existence. As Mr. Pentzer was about to retire from the board he made a brief address of leave taking, in substance as follows: Mr. Ciiairman On retiring from this board I wish to express my appre ciation of the many courtesies shown me Ly fellow members and for that spirit of fairness that has accorded to me the right of opinion on questions on which I have not agreed with the majority. I wish also to give my tribute of praise to our librarian. 1 have found her at all times patient, kind and faith ful, anxious to make the library help ful to the greatest number of persocs. My work on the board has made it necessary for me to become acquainted with the past history or thislibraiy and I have noted with pleasure the changes that have been made from year to year ip the line of improvement. Even in the short space of three yeais great progress has been made. Our rooms are well adapted and easy of access and our oppottunities for good have been greatly increased. Finm the small beginning of a few volumes donated by philan thropic citizscs, from the little library supported by voluntary contributions, our library has grown into a field of usefulness, where it may become one of the great public libraries of the west. Thcso who supported it in its struggles for existence in a frontier town twenty years ago, deserve great praise. They did a noble work. If they have kept pace with the progress of events and are in touch with the new conditions that the library must meet now their re tention on this board is wise and a just and proper recognition of past eervice. If they have not kept informed of what is being done in the library world and are content with the achievements of the past, their reappointment on the board is very unfortunate. A public library belongs to the people and they should have the largest posti bie use of it. Tne value of a library de pends not on the number of books on its shelves but on the number of rcaaers. A public library is a powerful factor in the education of the people. I do not think the assertion is extrava gant when I say that our library, if judiciously handled, would be a stronger educative forco than our public schools In every progiessive city, the public library is in the closest possible touch with the common schools. Every pro gresrive library, every library that is up to date, seeks the teacher us a means of reaching the pupils under her care and extends to her every privilege she will use. 1 could cite you to the great work done in this line in Omaha, Milwaukee or Denver, but I would at once be met with the statement that these libraries have a large fund to draw on and bra able to do more. The argument h not good, but I wi'l yield to it and beg leave to call your attention to a few items in the report of the librarian of the Mankabi, Minn., pub lic library for the year ending March l6t. 185)7. The little city has a popula tain of about 10,000. The library receiv ed from all sources. 82,513. 81, about h'alf of our fund. Oot of this they spent for book"!, 1,201.31, which, if I am not mistake, is a larger sum than we ever expended in any one year. The library has less than 2,400 volumes and put 33. 141 books in circulation in the year, issuing each volume on an average thir teen times. During the year, as an ex periment, free access was granted to the shelves for the selection of all books other than fiction and the plan has been eo satisfactory in every way that there is no intention of changing it. There has been a marked decrease in the use of fiction and a great increase in the lines of better reading. Grateful ac knowledgement is made for the help re ccived from teachers. I ask your patience while I call your attention to a few plain facts, In the first year of my membership of this board, I was astonished to find that in this city of schools and collrges that the attitude of the public library to ward the public schools was one of ab solute unfriendliness. Tbi3 has been manifested in various ways. Instead of seeking the teachers we have refus ed them the right to use tho library in such a way as to make it helpful to them in their work. A written request from one of our teachers to be allowed to select bcoks for his school was treat ed with contempt, and the member of this board presentirg it with absolute rudenees. When I carried books to my o .en schools, I did itinof.cn violation of the rule of the board. My work is with the children, and much of it has been among the poorer children of the city. I know their needs. The library was established to help just that class. Again and again I have urged with what earnestness I could that some means be provided by which these chil dren would ba helped to select the bet ter books of our library instead of the trash with which the shelves are so well stocked. Our board is composed of nine mem bers with equal duties and equal respon sibilities. We are the servants of the people and they have a right to know what we are doing and also a right to criticise our official acts. No memher can delegate his duties to another, cor should he permit another to assume to discharge his duties for him. I think you will readily admit this, and jet there haB been a disposition mani fcs'ed on the part of at least one mem ber to control the affairs of the library in the interest of one element of our population regardless of the rule3 we have adopted. Not only that, but po litical methods have been introduced to dictate the appointment of membeis and the organization of the board. I ask you in all seriousness, would it not b? better to manage this library in the interest of the people for whom it was established, the people who are not able to buy theii own books, rather than in the interest of a part of the community able to secure what books they need without special assistance? 'The worth of a book ie in its use'" is the motto of the best library in the west. I urge you to adopt it and give the people the largest possible use of their books. The Courier's Great Offerto Subscribers. eooorc THE COURIER has arranged tooffer free of char-re to every one subscribing this, month a year's subscription to the most popular magazine published in this country. To even one sending us two dollars to pav for one year's subscription to THE COURIER we will give a one year's subscription to r ODlMree dollars 0 for- two clollisu y Do not miss this chance. We cannot afford to con- a tinue the offer indefinitely. 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