The Library and Society: Reprints of Papers and Addresses
History
The Library and Society: Reprints of Papers and Addresses
Libraries and society; Library science -- Social aspects
In some libraries the attempt to reach men has gone still further and
has led to an inclusion of attractions which are ordinarily regarded as
outside the work of a library. They have attempted to combine to some
degree the privileges of a club with that of the public library. The
Stevens Point Library has a club room, equipped with billiard tables,
cards, etc., as well as with technical journals and similar books. This,
the librarian reports, is very successful in attracting boys, many of
whom learn to use the library. Men, however, do not come in large
numbers, as they do not care to use a place frequented by boys, and in
which smoking is not permitted. At Wausaukee a special room with games
and where lunch is served has been established at the library as a means
of furnishing a sort of club room for lumber men who come to the
village, especially on Sunday, and who have no other place of resort,
except the saloon. How far such methods are advisable as a part of
library work is a question which will often be asked during the coming
years and which only experience can answer. At present such enterprises
have not gone beyond the stage of early experiment.
Summing up the result, I would frankly confess that the reports which I
have received are not numerous enough for a positive judgment, yet it is
my impression that where there is an income large enough to provide a
special librarian and a public large enough to warrant the expense, this
movement for special libraries for men is likely to succeed. It seems
also to be true that where the library provides the men with the
opportunity for reading only, and does not furnish guidance for readers,
no very large use is made of technical books and there is no greatly
increased use of the library in general. How to guide the reading seems,
therefore, to be the central factor in the solution of the problem.
In a small town a special librarian is impossible, for financial
reasons, but there, as well as in large cities, lectures can be given
which deal with practical subjects and the aid to their knowledge which
the library affords. Many cities are giving such courses of lectures,
notably perhaps New York, and with considerable effect on the use of the
public library. I have no statistics regarding such lectures from the
various cities, but undoubtedly this method offers the easiest plan for
extending the use of the library in smaller cities and towns. I say the
_easiest_, and it will not be difficult to secure good lectures on
literature, history, or art, but lectures on the practical subjects are
much more difficult to obtain, since it is hard to secure lecturers who
know more about the trades than do the craftsmen who constitute the
audience.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account