ABOUT BOOKS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 328, 15 October 1908, Page 7

ABOUT BOOKS.

SOME AMERICAN LIBRARIES. IMMORAL NOVELS. INTERVIEW WITH MR, H. BAILLIE. Mr. H. Baillio, City Librarian, returned yesterday ftftcr visiting all the best American libraries, and attending the annual meeting of, the American Library Association, held at Minnetouka, tho' summer resort of Minneapolis. Ho has como back full of information about library methods, and with some good stories to tell on other subjects. Ho admits that after visiting tho institutions of' Cleveland, Pittsburg, Springfield (Mass.), Buffalo, Now York, Newark, Washington, Boston, and many othors ho grow slightly tired of libraries. No other visitor had come so far to attend the Minnetonka conference, and tho Americans considered it u great honour that Mr. Baillio had chosen their country for his investigations', instead of England. Everywhere ho was well treated. Library Censorship. The conference,'which lasted for five days, was attended by representatives from all tho States and from Canada. There was also a delegate present' from Manila. In addition to the general sessions, sectional conferences wore .held for tho consideration of questions affecting children's libraries, State libraries, and other special branches. Dr. Arthur E. Bostwiek, Chief of tho Circulation Department o% the New York Public Library, was the-,president of the congress. In view of recent New Zealand prosecutions, it is interestiiig to know the opinion of this , .'on the subject of library censorship, ,\{'hich' ho dealt with in an interesting 'address ."I ■> believe^'.• he said, "that the chief jnena'ce;ito4hei use of the public library lies, not,:as/Eohj£./believe, in tho reading of false fictionjiiutjin tho use of falsa science, and art. • "Immorality should'always bar a book," said Dr.-Bostwiek, "but the rub comes in' tr.Vips/'to define _ what is immoral. Many reject a book," he explained, I p. l W ,c £° ull t of the mere mention of sometJ"PS inorally objectionable, while, on the some would a.dmit books full of j-Hf*vi- ' nla tter if only they do not fii_) ectiy praise what is evil. Both these extremes' are' to be avoided. It would be roohsii to insist that the existence of evil bo '.concealed, from readers of fiction, but it is certainly fair to object to a book that dwells upon evil phases in life so exclusively as to give a fajlse impression.".. The difficulty of determining the morality ot a book or its lack was illustrated}, by a reference to French literature and the different canons of propriety in literature pretries m nnd English-speaking coun- _ Triviality, which might bar, a book, Dr. Bostwiek called'a "relative term," a.nd "objectionable only when it masquerades as importance. -Who shall say whether the passing ot an idle hour is or is not more important than the addition of a few facts to one s store of knowledge?"-

''Bait the Public with 'Three Weeks."" 'A moro startling view on this vexed question, was expressed by Mr. J. 0. Gillis, of the at Sacramento, Cal., whom riiin'l "r lO -j. ?£ ms a , very . "breezy" individual. Bait the people with 'Three Weeks' and books of that sort," was his remarkablo advice. The public library/' he said, "has as its solo object the furnishing of reading matter to all the people, and tho educating ot all the people to read—not alone to the lew who can imbibe freely from the world's rare and fine bookish brow, but even to the many who enjoy the 'small beer, of the ephemeral novel . <•,I; Jor„ ones to. bait people with;' Three Weeks,' or sometliingjOf the sort;,.to.get them into coming to the library, than to offer them only the cold satisfaction of: tho .classics/ which - would give tnera no pleasure—in the beginning—because such works are out of their ranee of application." , • . . , Mr v P- Pearson, librarian of the war department at Washington, defended the dime •novel, or "penny dreadful," which no is often made a scapegoat when tho urpL ho 7 * s Eiore deep-seated, Iho small boy, said Mr. Pearson, "is the onJy honest reader we have. Let the boys enjoy books, and let them read story books. vo not have the story book chocolate drop accompanied by its cod liver oil of instruction. ; A Reasonable Compromise. Generally speaking, Mr Baillie says, the American libraries are very careful to guard against immoral literature. He does not think that "Three Weeks" jvould bo found American library, but then Victoria Cross s books, apparently, have no i a . rg< ? . s ? 10 !? America. Books like; Upton Sinclair s "Jungle," which combine a moral motive with extremely plain' speaking, are Kept,on special shelves, and only given out o.i special application. They would not bo given to children or young girls, and maiden ladies would not take them homo in ignorance of the nature of their contents. papers state, that Mr. Baillie's address at the conference aroused intense inwrest. Tho American Librarv Association which has a membership of 2000, and funds in hand to the amount of nearly three million ■ dollars, has -been for some years past a foster-mother to the Wellington library, inasmuch as Mr. Raillie has been in correspondence constantly , with two of the American librarians, Haines, of New York, and Miss, Mary Ahem, of Chicago. Many of the new methods in the Wellington libraries have been .introduced upon tho suggestion of the two Americans.

One of the_ greatest library authorities, whom Mr. Baillie was delighted to meet, is Mr. J. C. Dana ? of tho Newark library, New Jersey. This is tho only library in tho btatcs which, does not admit newspapers to its reading room. Mr. Dana claims that ho is giving the public something better in their iplace. "I don't agree with him altogether, said . Mr. Baillie. "I think that total exclusion of newspapers is a fad." .Thorough_ Methods. _ The: thoroughness with which tho librariei in America cater for the public is most remarkably. Tho Pittsburg Library, for instanfle,,'haj numerous fine branch establishments^,and distributes books in half a dozen languages to suit tho mixture of foreigners who'/form part of the population. Boxes of books, will bo sent to a certain house, which serves as a distributing centre, and onco a week members of the library staff go round and r,ead to the women in the slums. Children's libraries have been brought to a high pitch of perfection. The Wisconsin State Library, at Maddison, is quick to seiKo almost every new work published which throws light on tho, political and social movements of the world. The new library buildings in New Vork, noiv in course of erection, and oxpccU-d to be-finished in about two years, will cost several million dollars. There are a great number of branch libraries in New Vork, all founded by -Mr. Carnegie, and numerous church and school libraries have, been taken over, with his assistance, and converted into modern specialised institutions for the exclusive use of Roman Catholics, .Jews, and other classes. There -aro twentv-six branch libraries in Brooklyn, and a great central institution is now in contemplation. The Washington Congress Library, which llr. Ilaillie thinks is tlio finest in the States, and one of tho host organised in the world, contains several million bonks, yet, so perfect is the system followed that the visitor' can bo supplied will; any volume ho requires in two or three tniimlc:!. It is not certain what alterations will be made in the Wellington and Newton libraries as the result of .\fr. 11-iillie's special investigations. That will depend upon pounds, shillings, and pence, and the judgment of the libravy committee. It is probable, however, that a number of small "wrinkles," which will add to the 'convenience of tho public, will bo introduced soon. As an example of those, Mr. Baillio mentions tho bringing forward, into a prominent position, of books dealing with questions that happen to be looming large in tho newspaper*,