should save them the trouble of any mental process. And, while
these readers are so much averse to any troublesome efforts toward
improvement on their own part, it would be scarcely reasonable to look
for any very intelligent supervision by them of the reading of their
children, or of the pupils in the schools. Here, again, what the public
wants is "the royal road"--some "short and easy method."

That library, then, which would awaken and develop a lively interest
among its readers in the miscellaneous public, cannot certainly complain
of a lack of methods by which to secure such interest. It may include in
its selection of books a suitable percentage of fiction, and humorous
works. It may infuse "new blood" into the library by frequent and
regular purchase of the latest publications. It may add largely to the
department of voyages and travels, of books copiously illustrated,--of
popular literature, in short. It may place its main building in the
center of population, and establish branches for the accommodation of
outlying localities. It may recognize the desirableness of "the least
red tape" in registering readers, of open book-shelves, of expeditious
serving of readers, and long periods of time for the use of the library
and the retention of books. It may furnish its readers with explanations
and directions for obtaining and using the books which shall require the
least difficulty in understanding and applying them. It may, and it
should, recognize the value of all these principles, and the library
which fails to act on them does so at its peril. Yet these points do not
comprise all that demand attention; and the effectiveness of even these
is due to the limits which are set to them. A certain amount of fiction
is well enough, but to enlarge this department at the expense of all
others would clearly defeat the library's purpose. Diminution of
restrictions in the use of books is certainly agreeable to the public,
but the removal of all restrictions would result in such a loss of books
as would soon work its own cure.

The question, "What does the public want?" is not the only, nor, in
fact, the chief question to be borne in mind in the conduct of a
library. One has only to keep his eyes open to see how suggestive as to
methods is this other question: "Of what service may the library be?"
And it is safe to say that one who has not given the subject attention
will be surprised to find at how many points a collection of