, 1875-01-29
THE PUBLIC LIBRARY.
Shall II Have the Money Necessary
for lis Existcnce3
The Gentlemen Who Met Last Night
Say It Must.
Committees to Canvass Tor Funds.


Ameeting ofh,4ihcss anil p,ofcssi7nal men was
hold In tho ciuh-room or tho Sciuan llo,ao last
evening to tleriae 1nea,is for r,itIng money to
purchaye books for tho 1uhi; Library, tle do.
nand for reading mattor haring INCREASED no
rapidly that tho present supply Of volumes Is
entirely inadequate to meet tho wants uf boF-
rowurs Among lhoHo present wcrn Z. II. Fargo,
A. G. talsng, Ur. II. n. Powers, afr. Korne,
AID. Hchaifncr Aad Dixon, Thomas 11ovno, D. j..
Shorcy, ". J. Onatan, John Lyio Hing Prof.
Matthew'S, Prof. Hsing, Philip Ipyns. J. u.
ltlnnion. Prof. Fiake. j. 6. 1ticlherg. Obediah
Jackson. nnd be. II. 4. johnson
Uu moson Of Nr. Culver. &. IT, Fargo waA
called to tie chair, tho former being elected
Bael etarY.
THE Nr1:ps pr TIE ttL,sAEY.
The Chairman invited alE. 1oolc. thu Libra
fiafl to IinAe ntAternaHt ~ to the UceAH VI tie
Library, and he did ~, al follows:
Mr.. CHAIRMAN: In rr*ppnto to your Invitation
will briefly giyn hnnln information IN Ills Irescu&
condition and wantH If The Public Library.
Tie embarrassment unItr With The Piillc Library
nlnrs his arisen from two calIses--ie insriec anil
Sudden demand made pn it by tic realin, puIlfr,
alul tho insufficient arroprla,in ,naie fos a le,cAt
by tho t:v Cn1,llrit in Jnnr lAB. Tic result II hat,
with 19,Ou0 Registered h"ak-I"rrowrrs twlrtl in
crcarln TT te r;lse Of ninety PER day, tie HnarE Of
Directors hayn found Il ncrr4.ary to ssrnd The rur.
rhaBe Of bouk', having pniy saircnt ,usGns to ray
tlr running c incidental o1lnnHca to ths cioe Of the
ttng year ngn tls collection Of hoots mt then opcn
to tbs puhilr, aanls;'1 9.:52 volumes: rtsse latks
mostly rutercnce book, ,at nut n1aptl to crcu-
stinn Tie collection now nnnh'rs -, Az y''rmra;
ncarty I'LL havo bton purclasr1 with the public l.nla
At tEo dispoHs of ths 1'url. Tl,cre r::tsH now
cxhaated. md the wants Ut the public era ahiy par
Tle e1bericncs Of The Chicago Ilbrary h.. been 'f
tersa frp % has Of sa7 ' I'll m1r, IN - oet
selnling demand uFon tlsir resources which
has Iesu throwu upoa .hs Chicago Library in
pnblie nl'' jabrary, s&' At tho cni Of " it. % dfh
year, Will a5.osj volumes. Lad ,Iay average c'fet-
i .y avrrngo of bs5 III Its fifth wotk tn average
daily circulation to-dsy, wlet II llas bc' IL operation
tcss t,n nins months H. more an lToo s>!1Hes.
.on twenty yons .e1rs. sllows datly nyvraRa Of s2
with rollecsinn Ut books nnsnsering IT,. .Vt and Of
4a,stO Luok-borrowera. The Cincinnati Library, at
tho r,l1 OF its fn'rth year. with IA oo volumes. 1d
tlay average circulation of 377. lts as PRINTED To-
rori aI1ws 5000 volumes anil tly cirsulrtlm II
TN. Tho New Ynrk Mercantile Library. which has
tic large,t crenatlr r., "f any, Eaty r ~ Ssw l",k Cy
last year. with 14D volumes i1 The library, an aytr
aye circulation If Gil. .... ......
tho Chicago Library oenetl to thu public lit l.s
than riho months s circulation has riasn to he ,i"ihla
attention 10 the ratio Of ucrcaza In thia circulation
n,m!h by noth The daily average of tooss sIsrn
out y AK ;s M IN J"n, m m IL In 5niy s y
in S"senier, 1,6i7 III Dtcen,ler list. The largest
nnnl'cr given nut in one tay wa- 5a9 showlna '!"t
circulation went ont In tingIo day. II is nnw effnt
that 'efnro the time for tho next annnst nrp9t-
% o. he sessrsS Y anf ny s0 viii M t"
sreaser than tbs ulnser Of ercniain: bnk. aud MT
book IL the mcanti'no VIII b. n'agt MnieFH M Tug ut
| Mhic, arn necdcl Tho immediate want 81 the IL.
brary for tho purchase of bnss s Ut least S90. an
coufd ba judtciousls expended III strethenin!
tho reference department. 1t tn expressly understood
that every dollar ra.od hy lutle HailHrtou Elaall
expended for heoks aud nons for salaFiSa aud III.
Tic beneficial nsston of the Library, supplying
heulhful reading to young men aud others iI their
employ, Is now fully appreciated atll acknowledged Ey
tac pro- orctora of nur large business sud na,iufnc
turing sso1Fcs rarcna hn hstr children ars more
trnrtlt!ous of tho rtrcets snl nucs,
tionahlo a,nusement~. Eml'o,ora fna ttsri.
ho1cs. into WHICH buakn seldom 70, are tcrrrd and
euvuned by tho entertaining stnry. the iustruetife
Ih hpse os ar" Su Ia 1T
taste far reading. In tt'nrg 1,s' M Information III
developing rtn,Hs habits, sud III keeping tho young
especially from hnrsiui associations. csn hardly
Tv nreaant want os Chiraeo il mt simply Pi''lic
Library. hut largo and well Furnished Public Library
where ec,nlara, wui! Us ths ,n,e,l.cated mid
wo,als tllsl tho Looks hnrte.!ted to their neels
fnsy x ser ssa ] cos es "f ucs sisy II l. M
measure of thu intelligence, enterprise. aad genera
| culture OF community.
stated that there wero sometimes thousand
pcrsnuH IN tho Library, as it VA. tho only plasu
where bookH could 10 Lad without pay. Every
one ought to appreciate tho blessings OF s.lct
| All 1nstItutiun, but unfortunately tho city all
tlloritIos had not graApod ,ts Importance or sa-
tilre, lIe DID not Nisl to baIne my ono for re-
fusing the s25 900 askel for last year, but the
problem tho Directors had anticipated Wlon they
munity, and it was to be determined whether
tho s1oors should bo cosel or not. Was this
great educator of the rising genera.
tion to bp neEloetelf Tlis Hoard had
tloliars, while tl,e expenses were $50, ,0oo. IT
Ind been suggested That committees ho appoint.
cd to canyasa the different business interests, aud
rslso tho funds needed to brly naure books.
| MIR. L. Z. LETTER
thought nj! Appreciated tic Importance OF sns'
taiuiIlE the Library, and moved taat committee
OF hvs ba appointed to aosisnato canyasslna
| committees.
rRor EWING
said tho library lad tohl that no other form ol
boueyolehco oecnpiod, aud was wnrthy OF all lhc
money tic CITY or private individuals could pu
into 1t. A wonderful passion for reading hat
boou developed In Chicago, and lso Aecountee
for II by the incroaHod publication OF nov
mud good books. It seemed cioar to his minc
that money Should Ia ratnod and whllo the,
waited for the city to coma forward with its
taxos, donations should ba givon to help tho In
Htilntion alolg during tic coming year. lie
would 10 lls part, ~ far as lso WIS able.
| DE. pOWEnH
had been surprised ut tho development Of tht
Library. A rirhncsh md power Of mind In
boon Shown which he lAd not supposed would DC
1uauiffated for some years to comn. MultittHlet
| Worp gtt craving for books tho Library wRB hl
waya crowled; and it would be shame and .
disgrace to the city II The mon who bad tht
means did not contribute.
| THDF, F1SK
also made 4 few Remarks, refarTihg to tho ucces
eity for sustaining tile Library.
| AID. ulxON .-.....,
sad the Connc had not appropriated $50 00(
last yonr because tlsore WAS MI hnDxrendea bal
anco OF 100 to tho Library Fund. lIo be
heyed IL tue Directors purchased the books noca
I'd, tho bills would be paid By tile Comptroller.
| AID. BC1IAfFHEn
fclt confident that the Finance Committee Woult
not recommend tho making Of III appropriation
Ut this time ot tue year, because it was Inhibited
by the charter.
| MR. nICHEEIH
did not believe the Library would 60 down &c
io.g a. tho law under which It WAS organ!zad ex'
listed and tho tax leyy Wan made. Tho HtMplt
| nuextiot wRs wleth0r tho Council would appro.