“Free Libraries” by J.P. Quincy

When I first saw that the piece was written in 1876, I expected to find something quaint and a bit blasé concerning libraries. What most struck me about the piece was that even though the wording was rather antiquated, the same questions about libraries exist and do not seem to have been solved. There are still people who despise, as taxpayers, the funding of public goods like libraries. I thought that Quincy was quite right and clever in addressing this at the outset and in a skillful way. The comparison of the fruits of the market (the tavern) and the fruits of taxpayer money (the library) was both classic of the temperance movement as well as simply a valid point.

I was still not prepared for the morally righteous tone that appeared later, however, concerning “novels” that destroy the moral character of the young people. I was even more astounded that the example of a young man who read immoral novels and then committed crimes was so similar to the argument over violent video games. The author, amongst a group of people who would rather deny what the consumer demands than provide it, as always appealed to some larger violent consequences (whether causal or not) as proof that such a pieces should be banned. Such arguments, as well as tidbits about the immorality of romantic novels reminded me that the older generation will probably always balk at the younger generation’s interests, whether it is Elvis Presley’s gyrations or gory video games.

I was also astounded at the not-so-veiled appeal to male readers’ affection for women as a reason for going to a library. That the author reminds readers that in the barroom there are no women, while in the library they add to the charm as workers behind the desk, seems blatantly appealing to men’s less virtuous tendencies. It seems rather hypocritical to me that while Quincy touts against morally depraved novels, he has no problem plying young men with visions of ladies just waiting at a free library to serve them.