Hitherto tke, Shanghai Public Library' has made "Its "purchases of books on the ratio of three works of fiction to one " work of non-fection Now, as the result of experience of the. public demands andi Information regarding tre trond of library policy elsewhere, it has adopted a new tatie of two to one. The public ts not necessarily reading fewer novels but it certainly is. more inclined to, include non-Retional" works on" iis library list Whether the libraries can exercise pressure on publishers Is. moot point, For publishers themeclves Aare not free agents, They cannot cope with the vanity of the writer. who Is only concerned to get his effusion nto" print, let she. cost. be. what it may. Mr. St. John Ervine, the other day, advocated a species of book control, "He pointed. out. that 2,000 hovels wore Issued In Great Britain yearly and he argued:
AA large number of them are ecestary from every, point of view {tnd the'majerty of them are never fr rarely reviewed. If the authors of Many of these novel. make as, much en pounds each they are Weky. P'hiue would. be as well fora oncomed if publication were harder fo"ebisin. Wo. could do without fovea by schoolers and schoolboys We cond sise, do without remind ences of adolescents There is much to be said for this argument and perhaps the now policy of public libraries will reinforce it. If some provision could also bbe made to establish a severe standard' of capacity before an author ie
any given subject, te literary mile Dermited Yo publi his epntons 03 Tennitim would be "in sight
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.