Newmark's Dana

In 1889 the Denver Public Library boasted of a fine collection. The librarians worked in peaceful seclusion over its catalogs, browsed undisturbed among the locked shelves. Bolok-seekers seldom dared or had a chance to interrupt them in their solemn labors. But one day the quiet, musty atmosphere of the building was suddenly shattered. John Cotton Dana, a civil engineer, was made Librarian. Declaring the value of a library was not in its collection but circulation, he opened the shelves, removed red-tape, gave Denver citizens a chance to read. When this was accomplished the new Librarian promptly began working on another radical theory, that the library could cooperate with the schools. He soon opened the first children's department in the country, expanded the function of the library with an art exhibit.

When Mr. Dana died last week librarians grieved, paid tribute. Since his Denver days he had gone to Springfield, Mass., for four years (1898-1902) and increased that library's circulation by 47%. Then he had entered the Newark Public Library of which he was still Librarian at the time of his death. The Newark shelves had 78,798 books when he arrived. Last year it had 391,843 volumes and a 5-to-1 turnover. During his 27 years, two outstanding Dana deeds were the installation of the first U. S. Business Man's Library and, in 1918, his refusal to remove "pro-German" books from circulation.

When en art museum was begun in the Newark Library,* Librarian Dana insisted that beauty must be associated with utility. One day museumgoers were shocked by an exhibition of modern open-plumbing. Another day Newark art-lovers trooped to see an exhibit arranged, designed and specially announced by Mr. Dana. In whispers they exclaimed over the beauty of the bowls, the form of the colored vases. Wisely they nodded their arty heads over the placard "Beauty has no relation to age, rarity or price." Then one art-lover gave an exclamation. The others fluttered to the side of the afflicted one, read a little note: "Every article in this room was selected at a Newark store, costs no more than $1."

* Since 1926 the Newark Art Museum has had its own building.