The Leaves of Memory

Abstract

For a man to have spent forty years and more in public library work suggests to the Editor that there must be some reminiscences which ought to be made available to succeeding generations. My way has been of little moment compared with some whose unwritten autobiographies must be full of pioneer efforts, abounding enthusiasms, desperate disappointments and great achievements. Edward Edwards left lots of letters and memoranda, and much—too much perhaps—in print. Yet we know so little of the man that we do not even possess a photograph. There are librarians still living who knew men of great ability, round the turn of the century, about whom we should like to know more: to restrict myself to public librarians, for example: James Duff Brown, whom I never met; Frank Pacy, whose kindness to me personally on all occasions is a happy memory; Stanley Jast, another to whom I owe much, who was not only a great librarian, but whose nursery—Croydon—was the best known British library service for many years, and his progressive ideas there were put into practice elsewhere by the dozens of librarians whom he trained. There are librarians still living who knew these men in their prime and I still hope that Savage and Sayers, for example, will record their memories before it is too late.