Part 18 (1/2)
CHAPTER x.x.xVI
The librarian as a host
Maude R. Henderson, in Public Libraries, September, 1896
Each librarian needs to have an ideal for society; must have before him an end of which his work will be only a part.
It is the peculiar position of the librarian to be so situated that with the consent of his trustees he may, simply by virtue of his office, be able to draw about him more of the elements of usefulness than almost any other person. Even a librarian who is a stranger is not taking matters unduly into his own hands in immediately availing himself of this privilege, for he is placed in the community where he can bring together those who have something to give and those who wish to receive. His invitation is non-partisan, non-sectarian, and without social distinctions.
The object of this article upon the librarian as a host is to suggest methods of usefulness for the community through the forms of entertainment at the disposal of the librarian. A surprising number of people, not having attractive surroundings, and not having unbounded resources within themselves, lead dull lives. The theater is expensive, sometimes not available, often not attractive, and one of the attractions of a library evening will be that it is ”some place to go,” but does no violence either to their scruples or their ideas of economy. Many who will not identify themselves with clubs, from an aversion to organization, will appreciate the freedom from it here, for there will be no officers, no rules, no fees.
If there is no especial note that the librarian thinks it would be well to sound, he may let it be known that the first of a series of entertainments to be given by the library, at the library, will be, for instance, a talk upon the Child in History, Our American Ill.u.s.trators, or some attractive subject.
There are always a number of specialists, even in small places, who can contribute liberally to these plans, thus relieving the librarian of any real work beyond that of planning, while it accomplishes the double purpose of engaging the interest of the speaker in the work of the library, and of furnis.h.i.+ng the entertainment for others. The following suggestions, which have been prepared for the work of a small library, will give a more definite idea of the plan.
Very often there will be found some one who, having a special fondness for one school of art, has made a collection of reproductions of its famous works in photographs, casts or engravings, who will willingly loan them for the ill.u.s.tration of a talk upon this theme, even if not quite as willingly giving the talk himself.
A beautiful program for a musical evening would consist of the conversation or paper upon a certain musical form, such as the opera, symphony, or perhaps dance music, being ill.u.s.trated and varied by the performance of examples of those forms. The organized musical clubs could here be of the greatest service in taking charge of the whole entertainment.
An enthusiasm for a work or this kind may be somewhat crushed out by the press of regular duties, but the librarian may be greatly helped by the cooperation of organized clubs. Musical societies, Saengerbunds, the Elks, Daughters of the Revolution, and other societies are constantly preparing excellent entertainments, which it is hoped they will be willing to reproduce for those who have either not the leisure or the inclination to study. Such a movement does not in any way divert the energies of the library from their original aims, but is only another means of enhancing their efficacy. The resources of the library upon each of the subjects presented can be made known in many ways familiar to the librarian, such as posted lists, bulletins, and by the mention of them in the talks.
Upon a night which the librarian might consider of interest to them, special invitations may be sent to the different organized societies of working people, such as the retail clerks, labor unions, etc, who might not include themselves readily in a general published invitation.
It has been generally observed that more people are willing to read than know _what_ to read, and are always glad of help in selection.
The originality of the librarian will develop many themes and schemes, and the work itself will doubtless show new veins which may be followed up. It may be that not many will avail themselves of any one invitation, but with a constant change of topic and manner of presentation, there cannot fail to be a great number, eventually, whose attention will be enlisted.
CHAPTER x.x.xVII
Library patrons--Making friends of them
Library patrons may be roughly divided into cla.s.ses, thus: First--The adult student who, on rare occasions, calls to supplement the resources of his own collection of books with the resources of the public inst.i.tution. This cla.s.s is very small. Second--The dilettante, or amateur, who is getting up an essay or a criticism for some club or society, and wishes to verify his impression as to the color of James Russell Lowell's hair, or the exact words d.i.c.kens once used to James T. Fields in speaking of a certain ought-to-be-forgotten poem of Browning's. This cla.s.s is large, and its annual growth in this country is probably an encouraging sign of the times. It indicates interest.
Third--The serious-minded reader who alternately tackles Macaulay, Darwin, and Tom Jones with frequent and prolonged relapses--simply to rest his mind--into Mrs Wistar and Capt. King. This cla.s.s is quite large, and though in too large a measure the victims of misplaced confidence in Sir John Lubbock and Frederick Harrison, they make excellent progress and do much to keep up the reading habit.
Fourth--The ”Oh, just-anything-good-you-know” reader. Her name is legion. She never knows what she has read. Yet the social student who failed to take into account the desultory, pastime reader, would miss a great factor in the spread of ideas. Fifth--The person who does not read. He is commoner than most suppose. He is often young, more often boy than girl, oftener young man than young woman. He commits eternally what Mr Putnam aptly calls the great crime against the library of staying away from it. He is cla.s.sed among the patrons of the library somewhat as the western schoolma'am brought in knowledge of the capital of Ma.s.sachusetts as part of her mental baggage: ”Well, I know I ought to know it.” He ought to be a library patron. How make him one? There are many methods, and all should be tried. The Pears'
soap plan of printers' ink is one of the finest and best.
If a library has or is a good thing for the community let it so be said, early, late, and often, in large, plain type. So doing shall the library's books enter--before too old to be of service--into that state of utter worn-out-ness which is the only known book-heaven.
Another way, and by some found good, is to work the sinfully indifferent first up into a library missionary, and then transform him into a patron. A library is something to which he can give an old book, an old paper, an old magazine, with no loss to himself.