Conclusion
Muncie readers were informed of and part of the book market in the United States. Some of the recently released best sellers in the country were also Muncie’s most popular books in 1900. However, patrons read other books that seemed to have lasting popularity, like The Planter’s Northern Bride or books by Louisa May Alcott. Popular fiction was indeed the most popular, showing that readers read less of what are today considered some of the classics of nineteenth-century literature. They also cared less for some of the successful non-fiction of the time, which is clearly seen in the pie chart of book genres checked out. I have not looked into the accession information for all of these books, and it would be worth seeing if some of these books were donated or purchased.
Similar to the larger patron data, most of the readers of the most popular books were female and younger. Some books were predominantly read by those under twenty years old, though even for books like Richard Carvel mainly read by those in their twenties, older and younger also read it. While females often read greater amounts of most of the books on the list, Horatio Alger books as the exception, most books were also not exclusively read by one gender or the other. However, it does appear that especially for children’s books, some were targeted towards girls and some towards boys. Though fitting into national trends of emerging children’s literature, Muncie patrons also continued to read books written to appeal to many.
How did Muncie Public Library compare to other libraries at the time? The Sage Library in Osage, Iowa, whose transaction data was analyzed by Christine Pawley, shows a similar user profile, with most patrons under thirty and female. Gendered reading was also present, but many books also overlapped in audience, as the numbers in Muncie suggest. Though the books themselves vary (Osage’s data also comes from 1890-1895), some similarities appear in genre and authors (E.P. Roe) in both Osage and Muncie lists. However, since many of the books in Muncie had already been published by 1890, it suggests tastes developed within the town itself.
I can offer no firm answers of why readers in Muncie chose the books they did. However, I would like to encourage future research to place Muncie’s library within a larger social context of reading. As explored by Christine Pawley, reading was a social act, and it could well be that friends and family members influenced reading choices, as well as other institutions like schools and churches. It is worth noting, though, that even though popular fiction was not always looked on fondly by some of the more “moral” authorities, the Muncie Public Library did not exclude some authors (including Horatio Alger, Elijah Kellogg, and Mary Jane Holmes) that other libraries did. Muncie library patrons freely chose what they read.
While I have looked at some of the trends based on demographics and reading data, my project opens up many new questions. I have mainly focused on the “big data.” However, it would be worth looking at some more specific case studies based on specific patrons. Finding more information on literacy, the work of the library board, and social institutions in Muncie could all enrich future studies using the valuable data found in the Muncie Public Library circulation records.
Similar to the larger patron data, most of the readers of the most popular books were female and younger. Some books were predominantly read by those under twenty years old, though even for books like Richard Carvel mainly read by those in their twenties, older and younger also read it. While females often read greater amounts of most of the books on the list, Horatio Alger books as the exception, most books were also not exclusively read by one gender or the other. However, it does appear that especially for children’s books, some were targeted towards girls and some towards boys. Though fitting into national trends of emerging children’s literature, Muncie patrons also continued to read books written to appeal to many.
How did Muncie Public Library compare to other libraries at the time? The Sage Library in Osage, Iowa, whose transaction data was analyzed by Christine Pawley, shows a similar user profile, with most patrons under thirty and female. Gendered reading was also present, but many books also overlapped in audience, as the numbers in Muncie suggest. Though the books themselves vary (Osage’s data also comes from 1890-1895), some similarities appear in genre and authors (E.P. Roe) in both Osage and Muncie lists. However, since many of the books in Muncie had already been published by 1890, it suggests tastes developed within the town itself.
I can offer no firm answers of why readers in Muncie chose the books they did. However, I would like to encourage future research to place Muncie’s library within a larger social context of reading. As explored by Christine Pawley, reading was a social act, and it could well be that friends and family members influenced reading choices, as well as other institutions like schools and churches. It is worth noting, though, that even though popular fiction was not always looked on fondly by some of the more “moral” authorities, the Muncie Public Library did not exclude some authors (including Horatio Alger, Elijah Kellogg, and Mary Jane Holmes) that other libraries did. Muncie library patrons freely chose what they read.
While I have looked at some of the trends based on demographics and reading data, my project opens up many new questions. I have mainly focused on the “big data.” However, it would be worth looking at some more specific case studies based on specific patrons. Finding more information on literacy, the work of the library board, and social institutions in Muncie could all enrich future studies using the valuable data found in the Muncie Public Library circulation records.
Source:
Pawley, Christine. “What to Read and How to Read: The Social Infrastructure of Young People's Reading, Osage, Iowa, 1870 to 1900.” The Library Quarterly 68 (1998): 276-297.
Pawley, Christine. “What to Read and How to Read: The Social Infrastructure of Young People's Reading, Osage, Iowa, 1870 to 1900.” The Library Quarterly 68 (1998): 276-297.