(1) Prompt service. (a) The book, if purchased, might have to come from
a greater distance and so cause delay. (b) The book, if out of print,
would take time to find or might not be possible for an agent to locate
for a very long time, if at all.
(2) Economical service. (a) The library that loans the book. Rather
than have a book, that has cost time and money, stand idle on the
shelves, the library owning it would be better repaid for the
expenditure if the book were used by more people. (b) The library that
borrows the book. Rather than purchase a book which would seldom be
requested, it would be better to borrow it, and use one's funds and
time and shelf room for books that would be in constant demand. For
example: take two special lines of library service here in California
at the present time.
(1) Books for the blind. Aside from a small collection in the San
Francisco reading room and library for the blind for the local blind,
and the small collection for the students in the Berkeley California
institute for the education of the blind and the deaf, the state
library has almost all the books and magazines used by the blind of the
state. It would not be economical for other libraries or individuals
to undertake to carry on this work, so the state library discourages
anyone else buying such books and undertakes to furnish them to
anyone needing them. If many want to read certain periodicals they
are duplicated several times and sent in order to the various blind
borrowers.
(2) Medical books and periodicals. The Lane medical library in San
Francisco and the Barlow medical library in Los Angeles have perhaps
the best medical collections in the state. The state library of course
has and is building up a collection in this line for the use of the
whole state, but it often borrows from the first two mentioned.