Page:The library a magazine of bibliography and library literature, Volume 6.djvu/249

 New Ways of Keeping Down the Issues of Fiction. 237 asks for, and gets Macaulay, the next twenty applicants, or more, have to go away unsatisfied, or probably take with them a novel to fill up the time, until they get the book they really desire to read. But not only the first applicant, but the second, and up to the twentieth or more, go away rejoicing in the possession of copies of the same sensation novel. I would like to ask practical librarians whether it would not be worth trying, in a limited way, to reverse this order of things. I have not been able to make an exhaustive collation of cata- logues and issues, but I fancy that the issues of fiction bear a very close relation to the number of volumes of fiction upon the shelves, as compared with other literature. Would it not be possible in some libraries, particularly the newer ones, to try the experiment of getting half-a-dozen copies of the more popular non-fictional works, and only one copy of each of the novels chosen by the committee ? It seems to me certain that if this were done, the issues of fiction would go down rapidly, and moreover, in a perfectly legitimate way. I would further suggest as an encouragement to the more serious readers (and surely in these dreary days of struggle for existence, they do deserve some encouragement) that each reader on application should receive a second ticket, which could be used solely for non-fictional works. I think you would then find that the average novel-reader, on applying for his favourite novel, and finding it out, would very often be tempted to avail himself of his second ticket, and take with him something that might perhaps, do him no more good than a good novel, but would tend to bring down the exaggerated percentages which are made such baleful use of by adverse newspapers, and would indirectly help forward the movement we all have at heart, that is, the extension of Public Libraries throughout the land. J. Y. W. MACALISTER.