works of these novelists are indicated. So with poets and essayists. It is desirable, but not always possible, to provide the principal texts of Greek, Latin, French and German classics, but for economical and other reasons, it is not thought advisable to deal with anything but translations in English of such literature. The same must be said as regards scientific, historical and sociological works. Although many representative books on all kinds of subjects exist in foreign languages, and have never been translated, it would be impossible within the limits of this little book to deal with them.
Assuming, then, that only English literature is contemplated in this survey, or works translated into the English language, the first piece of advice which presents itself is that every library should have its foundations laid on the works of the great writers of all times, whose books and lives are described in histories of literature. This is such a reasonable suggestion, that it might almost be thought to be universal in practice and unnecessary to mention, whereas, the reverse is too often the case. As has been already stated in Chapter VI, a tendency persists, in spite of all that can be said, to buy books in cheap lots, irrespective of their contents, or to what extent they strengthen any section of the library. The reasonableness of the proposal stands forth very prominently when it is considered what any student or reader would be entitled to expect to find in such a selection of books as a public library can provide. His
