Columbia Wakes Up!

MARY A. BENJAMIN
 

IN 1890, my father, Walter R. Benjamin, who was newly
established in his work in autographs, jolted librarians by
commenting in his monthly publication. The Collector, that
"about the deadest thing in this country is the average Historical
Society." Rubbing salt into the wound, he added: "Not one in a
dozen has the slightest sign of life about it." He did not include
in his statement the manuscript divisions of institutional libraries
because in his day these were almost non-existent. When, thirty-
five years later, I joined him in the business, he had found little
reason to change his opinion, and his criticism seemed to me to
apply equally well to most of the institutional manuscript divisions.

The change in attitude that has come about since 1925, marking
an awakening interest in our great manuscript collections, has
been a gradual but steady one. Institutional libraries, laggard in¬
deed in starting, have today in many cases taken the lead in the
field. Whether to attribute the new outlook to more enlightened
librarians, to the loyalty of alerted alumni, or to the efforts of those
groups called Friends of the Library, is difficult to say, but it is
probable that all three factors enter the picture. Whatever the
reason, those responsible for the change have obviously awakened
to the fact that the backbone of any educational institution is the
Library, which must provide books and research manuscripts-
vital intellectual support—for the great student body.

Books and manuscripts do not, of course, appear miraculously
on the shelves of a library. They are added slowly, sometimes
singly, sometimes in bulk, by means of gifts and purchases. Pity
the poor librarian, who today must have administrative talent,
book knowledge, and an attractive personaUty that will woo
donors into swelling the institution's collections, and the additional