ern of the American people, and the
states that have done most for their education have been the most
prosperous.

It is the concern of the richest as to what should be done for the
poorest; you should provide free schools and free libraries, or the
failure to do so will react in your own lives. If you say that this
ideal is too high, that the library has important functions, but it does
not take its place as the equal of the schools, it is because you have
not studied this question in all its details. When you do, you will be
forced to the conclusion that while we must say that this is the
inspiration of a dreamer, remember that it is the devotion of noble
minds that never falters, but endures and waits for all it can find, and
what it cannot find, creates.

THE PUBLIC LIBRARY IN AMERICAN LIFE

As the last of this particular group of papers we reproduce
a view of our public library system by a foreigner who had
lived in this country long enough to appreciate it and who
was yet able to contrast it with the library systems of
European countries--Prof. Munsterberg of Harvard.

Hugo Munsterberg was born in Danzig, Germany, June 1, 1863,
educated at Leipzig and Heidelberg, and after serving as
assistant professor at the University of Freiburg, became
professor of psychology at Harvard in 1892, where he served
until his death on Dec. 16, 1916. The subjoined extract is
from his book "The Americans" (New York, 1904).

The American's fondness for reading finds clearest expression in the
growth of libraries, and in few matters of civilization is America so
well fitted to teach the Old World a lesson. Europe has many large and
ancient collections of books, and Germany more than all the rest; but
they serve only one single purpose--that of scientific investigation;
they are the laboratories of research. They are chiefly lodged with the
great universities, and even the large municipal libraries are mostly
used by those who need material for productive labors, or wish to become
conversant with special topics.

Exactly the same type of large library has grown up in America; and
here, too, it is chiefly the universities whose stock of books is at the
service of the scientific world. Besides these, there are special
libraries belonging to learned societies, state law libraries, special
libraries of government bureaus and of museums, and largest of all the
Library of Congress.