The Philadelphia Times - Friday, April 12, 1895

OSCAR WILDE'S WORKS
None of Them in the Board of Education's Libra-
ries - Commissioner Edmunds Says to Advocate
Their Exclusion Would Advertise Them.

The action of the librarians of the public libraries of Newark, New Jersey, and of St. Louis, Missouri, in removing the books of Oscar Wilde from their shelves has caused a good deal of comment here and has naturally led to the question whether the same summary dismissal of the disgraced author’s works will be made by our librarians. United States Commissioner Henry R. Edmunds, chairman of the committee on public libraries of the Board of Education, said yesterday that none of Wilde’s books are upon the shelves of the six libraries under his control.

"I am not at all ashamed to tell you that I have never read any of these books, so that I am scarcely in a position to pass judgment upon those who have thought fit to take them from the shelves of their libraries, except to say that such an action is almost certain to increase the demand for them," he said. "A very good instance of this is the recent controversy concerning ‘Trilby’s’ morals. If Wilde's life is reflected upon the pages that he is written, as I should think more than likely, I should think it well that they be retired from public gaze with him, but if they do not do so it is manifestly unjust that they should be condemned because of his conduct."

Librarian Thomson, of the Free Library of Philadelphia, Chestnut street, below Thirteenth, was out of town yesterday, but it was proudly stated by one of his assistants that none of Wilde's books were upon the shelves, and that as far as could be remembered there had been no inquiries for them.

At the Philadelphia Library eight of his books were found, the latest having been bought six months ago, but even those dated 1881 and 1882 were found to be in a very well preserved condition, that was thoroughly in keeping with the ethics of aestheticism, but which scarcely was an indication of great popularity. Librarian Barnwell was not in a communicated mood, and although evidently not acquainted with the contents of the books, did not seem to consider it in keeping with his official position to say so. He said that he had been too busy to think about the subject, and although there was a meeting of the library committee going on he positively refused to mention the subject to them or to have the reporter do so. He would make no comment upon what has been done in St. Louis and Newark.

Librarian John Edmands, of the Mercantile Library, said that there are but two of Oscar Wilde's books upon the shelves, and that they have grown old by disuse rather than in service. He reiterated what Commissioner Edmunds had said in regard to the probability of increasing the demand for them by announcing their removal from the library, as did also Librarian Lewis, of the Athenaeum Library, who said that they never had any of Wilde's books and have never had any call for them.