ENQUÊTE SUR LES BIBLIOTHÈQUES PUBLIQUES
« Report from the sélect commitlee on public libraries ; together with the proceedings of the commiltee, minute „ of évidence. Ordered, by the House of communs, to be printed, 23 july 1849.
(Extrait.)
« Q. Do you think it désirable that the bcst and
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highest style of books should form the basis of a library, though frcquented only principally by tlie working classes? » R. I should positively say, on principle, that the first rate books ought to be put in the hands of the people, instead of the inferior publications prepared for them. They generally object to books being manufactured for them, and they enjoy and feel the beauties of the higher class of literature, I should say as deeply as any literary man. The same can be witnessed in the theatrical représentations, when the people are admitted gratis; if a farce is given to them, they hiss it; if the best plays of Corneille or Racine are represented before them , they applaud , and applaud those very passages which "a literary man most admires. »
(Suivent de nombreux détails sur les bibliothèques de la Belgique , leur administration, l'admission des lecteurs, le prêt des livres, les achats, etc., etc.)
« One of the great errors commilted every where, as far as my own expérience goes, is that no sufficient importance lias been altached to the locality in which the library is to be siluated. Therc are books of universal interest that no library can be without, but at the same time, in order to make a library perfectly useful, the wants of the population ought to be consulted. You could not establish a library of the same nature at Manchester as at Oxford : provincial libraries ought to be so collected, that ail the natural, industrial and manufactring interests should be consulted , and that any man, in applying to that library, could find the materials for improving the natural riches, which he lias before his eyes. I should say that the same rules would apply
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to a historical library in a provincial town. The success of a library very much dépends on the nature of the collection ; and there is a great moral advantage in collecting every thing that is connected wilh the town, or province, its history, its biography, books relative to its manufactering and agricultural interest. Ail that lias been too much neglected
Q. Is it not very désirable that provincial libraries should be topographical libraries?
R. Topographical in the most gênerai sensé, its natural riches, its manufacturing interests, etc., etc.
Q. Its past history?
R. Justso : its past history, its présent ressources, and so on.
Q. Its aneient monuments, its remains ofantiquity, and every thing which is topographical?
R. Exactly.
Q. You staled that you altached considérable importance to that; is the tendency of that kind of works to create a topographical feeling?
R. I believe that the population is more attached to its own town, to its historical souvenirs and that there is a slronger local patriotism when there is a library where the past can be sludied and where the future can be prepared.
Q. You would call ont the genius loci, as it were?
R. I should say that those means of acting upon the moral and political feeling of the population hâve been too much neglected
Q. You are understood to hâve staled, that, in your opinion, there should also be some distinction belween libraries such as the royal libraries at Brussels, the British Muséum
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hère, and Ihe Bibliothèque royale at Paris, which are to be the great dépôts for ail sorts of literature, and a public library for the ordinary use of a provincial town ?
R. Exaclly : a great library ought to be the réceptacle of books thaï arc found no where elsc but there ; it is for that purpose that money is granted to them for paying books which may add comparativcly liltlo value to the collection. There ought to be in every country a great réceptacle for such books where every thing is of value. But in provincial libraries one should only take whal is of universal or local interest.
Q. Many works wich in thecyes of contemporaries appear trifling, may be very useful, as clucidaling the history, manners and progress of socicty for future times?
R. Exactly : and for that reason no great library ought to despisc any publication. The very contemptible nature of the publication is an indication of the signs of the times, and ought to be collected in a large library, but not in a provincial library.
(P.-iîîc 104.)
