British Museum Library : interview with a municipal librarian.

Date:
[1912]
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: British Museum Library : interview with a municipal librarian. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    I to increase the available room than in discourag- i ing readers. _ . ‘ ‘ A farther blemish on the administration is the favouritism that, as most readers will agree, unquestionably prevails. A remarkable instance of this occurred to me. I had half a dozen books on my desk and had requisitioned other volumes when, to my surprise, a note was brought saying that I could not have any more books out. My neighbour had on his desk a far larger number, v and the friends to whom I have spoken about the incident are quite unable to account for it. I did not take the matter up to headquarters, and I only quote the case as an illustration of the indifference with which readers are treated. Care should be taken to prevent the very human attitude of the attendants, who give their more ready attention to those readers whom they know and like. “ Lastly, as regards fiction. For very obvious reasons works of fiction are not available until they have been published for two years, and as | a consequence they do not appear in the general catalogue. I agree that the Museum Library is not the place for the novel reader, but he should be excluded, and those who for serious purposes wish to consult recent fiction should not be penalised. “ In making these criticisms of the Museum administration I should like to add, in conclu- sion, that it is the system against which I am directing my attacks. Those of the staff who are the victims of it and who have come to their posts quite unqualified to occupy them have my sincere sympathy, while the few who have triumphantly achieved good work in spite of their system, have my sincere admiration. I contend, however, that by reorganising the Library it could be made far more efficient, to the advantage of the public, and, indeed, to the advantage of the staff. To bring about this result I think that a Royal Commission is essential.” TO THE EDITOR OF THE MORNING POST. Sir,—Though I am sorry to say that I am not qualified to give any opinion as to the excel- lence or otherwise of the Library of the British Museum in its finer points, I have found it practically impossible to make use of the Library on account of its regulations. I have no doubt this has been my fault, and that the regulations may be easily followed if one can spare the necessary time and thought. My experience has been as follows: I wanted to consult a book, wTent to the Museum, ascer- tained the formalities and very humbly sug- gested to the clerk who dealt with me, that it would be a great comfort to me if I might utiliso the Library then and there, that I was myself a householder and a Doctor of Medicine and a Doctor of Laws, and a Fellow of the Royal Society. No, it was impossible for me to use the Library until I had fulfilled the necessary conditions, so I went away. Being
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