for the children and the novels contained in
a library. There are many parents who feel instinctively the truth of
the words of F.W. Robertson, that "a man's character and mind are
moulded for good or evil far more by the forms of imagination which
surround his childhood than by any subsequent scientific training." Many
an anxious but ignorant parent who sees in her boys and girls a craving
for books, at which she rejoices with trembling, would turn with
heart-felt gratitude--I speak with the fullest confidence, because I
speak from experience--to one who would give them advice as to the books
which their children might safely read and those which they should shun.

It is only by some such means as this that the public library can be
made a real educating power for the masses. In far too many places, now,
it is simply a place where children can get story-books at the public
expense. This cannot long continue, and I believe that the greater part
of the libraries which continue to do this work without an effort to
fulfil their higher mission, will surely and inevitably die, as the
District School and Agricultural libraries died fifty years ago. The
responsibility rests with the people of each place where there is a
public library, as to which of two ends shall be reached. It may be
merely a means for furnishing amusement for an hour, or it may be a
central beacon from whence the rays of light shall stream into every
house.

ADAPTATION OF LIBRARIES TO CONSTITUENCIES

Prepared by Samuel S. Green, then librarian of the
Worcester, Mass. Public Library and a member of the State
Library Commission, for the World's Library Congress held at
the Columbian Exposition (Chicago, 1893) and printed in the
government report thereon. The "adaptation" favored by Mr.
Green consists in weeding out unfitting books. Melvil Dewey,
as editor of this volume of papers, tells us in a foot-note
that in the discussion of Mr. Green's paper, this process
was not generally approved except as the first step in a
transfer to other libraries. President Eliot's suggestion of
reservoir libraries for storage is a later stage, in the
same line of thought. A sketch of Mr. Green appears in Vol.
I. of this series.

NOTE.--With this paper should be read those pages of the
Chicago discussions in which it was pointed out by leading
librarians that to weed out safely would require much costl