Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1888-05-09
THE PUBLIC LIBRARY.

Its Principal Need at the Present Time
An Opportunity to Help 1t at Small
Cost.
A visit was paid to the Public Library
yesterday afternoon to see:how that insti-
tuition raj progressing. Mrs. III. M. Raley.
the librarian, was asked how the library
was patronized. and replied that SO far as
the attendance vent it was satisfactory
enough, but the class OF pay patrons was
smal and growing less. I'VE are greatly in
need OF az assortment OF scientific works"
said she. 'If we had q fair collection Of
them we could get plenty Of subscriptions
from the miners. These will be obtained as
soon as we can collect some funds for the
purpose, but it is difficult to obtain them.
There are plenty OF people in town who
have means to spare who could subscribe
$40 or $50 and never miss it, which would
enable US to send for q collection Of hat
class Of books that would form a nucleus
to such q library as is needed here. II we
could get these books the miners would
join the library and our income would in
crease so that we could go on i'm
proving it and making the library
OF value to the community as
was originally intended, The miners are
the class of pay patrons we hope to obtain,
and in a community like this would ma
turally constitute the bulk OF our patron
age, but we must ave works on such sub
iects as machinery, chemistry and
m~etallurgy to suit their requirements.
There is q strange apathy among the
business people OF Butte about contribut-
ing funds to procure such works. They do
not seem to realize what an Improvement
il would be to the community il the library
were successful. We are well supplied with
general literature OF q very good class
history, travels, fiction and books OF
reference. But when miners come here they
have no time to read that class OF works
and those that have Joined the library
drop of when they find they cannot OBJ
tain the books that are Of interest to them.
Our expenses are light and If the sub
scription list increased in fair proportion it
would not be long ere we would mako a
very creditable showing al all funds above
actual expenses would be devote to
purchasing new books. wish we
could inspire some OF our well.to-do clti-
cent with the same enthusiasm for the
library that's exhibited elsewhere. A good
library is a credit, as well as a benefit, to q
community, and as q matter OF local pride
InOee VINO can auOTO 10 bnOuiU CClho u
ward with subscriptions to put the library
on the footing it should be on. They don't
need to make any heavy subscriptions. Ii
fifteen or twenty gentlemen would give flo
apiece it would give US just tue start we
need. The class OF works we intend to
purchase are not expensive, and even q
hundred dollars would make quite q differ
ence, and enable US to begin the collection
OF such works as are an absolute necessary.
II any people would make the library q
present OF such works as I have mentioned
it would be very thankfully received n
sincerely appreciated by the managers.
At the same time you must not suppose
that I would depreciate the collection OF
books we have. They are all excellent, all
necessary to any public library, and @
to be got the first thing. Only those 9TH
ers l have mentioned are the next thing In
order, and the sooner we ADDING
them to the library the sooner will we be
able to materially increase our income ano
thus become Of the fullest use to the COM
munity."