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. Our object in making- it
4 now is to secure an immediate response which a less
CT liberal offer might fail to attract.
Go to
PWKlS Zl SYEiD0H
For
1129 0 Street, :-: bircolr Neb
,7
Kue & Moirri8 (?ompan7
1 1 18 to 1 126 N street, Lincoln. Neb.
LASG-EST STOCK
NEWEST STOCK
Furniture, Carpets nnd Hardware
A FEW OF 0UK NEW ROCKERS
fW
r fl QA
Quartered oak or Manogany back, up- Antique or mahog--mahojranv
finish bolstered seat and anv finish leather
saddle seat $6.
back S8.50
seat onlv $2.50
Finest display of fine art furni
ture ever displayed in the west.
Call and see our stock, get our
prices, We want your business
Sole agents for Garland stoves
Leonard Refrigerators,
Rrndg-a ss MdDinris GQ
