The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1893-11-24
Public Library.

| 1875.
| |. How was the library Instituted,
! QuuaGlOu or tax and what ola IL
cost?
IL. How maintained, donation or tax?
ILL. How mauy volumes does The lib
rary contain? How many periodi-
| Gals and papers are taken?
". How many persons are employed
in caring for che library?
| v Is the library catalogued by sub
jecGs (card catalOgued)?
vi. IOJal expense OF running the IL
brary one year including librarian,
cusU of papers an / periodicals., re-
binding, rent, etc. but not that paid
for new books?
VII. How much is invested in new
books each year?
VIII. How many volumes are with
drawn Yearly?
ANY other informant ton will be glad
ly received.
1t will be seen from the above STA
tistcs that out of the u Libraries le-
ported l6 have been established by
donation and by tax or fines % are
supported either wholly or partially
| by TAX two by interest on endowment
| and two by assessments on members.
| The latter, however, would not be a
free public library. The expense OF
maintaining these libraries varies
from Sl25 to several thousand dollars
depending of the size and efficiency
of the library. A library to be useful
must be properly catalogued and
cared for.
Since it seems the custom for libra
ries to be establishe1 by donation, is
there anyone in Mankato or any num-
Der of persons who would be willing
to assist in such matter provided
the city would take hold Of it, furnish
rooms. fuel and lights, and assess a
small tax for the support of such an
institution?
Since the public library can be made
very important factor in the educa-
| tiOn of clty'S people, since the
| money thus expended may lessen ex-
penses in another direction, since in
| places where public libraries have
| been established they have continual
| ly grown in favor, since they are
among the things boasted of by cities
possessing them, is it not wise that
the people of MankatO should endeav-
or to establish such an institution
| lust as soon as possible? Can not we,
members of the Social Science Club,
set the ball rolling and keep it rolling
until MankatO can boast OF as good a
library as can any of her neighbOr
cities? Would it not be wise for the
president of our society to appoint a
committee Of three whose duty shall
be to investigate the matter more
thoroughly and report at a later meet
ing upon some definite plans.
The discussion of this paper was
opened by E. w. Martin. He added {
number of interesting facts in regard
to the value of libraries, and gave
, illustrations showing wherein if thu
full value of library is to be re
!, ceived by the people, it must be abso
: lutely free with no fee whatever at
r tached. The discussion NATURAL
turned to the local situation, and tn
, /, need of the city, and how to supply i
: was discussed at considerable length
a 1t was shown that after once estab
!. lished the expense would be compare
! lively small, and it was believed tina
/, the city would willingly take charg
e Of it if once established. The state
e ment was made that the city coul
|. not do this as there is no authority i,
the charter authorizing tax for sue
n a purpose, and as no change can
: made in the charter until the legisla
L ture meets year from this comin
f winter, and then it could only be OF
e tanned througha general provi sion 70
J all the cities of the state, to whic
there would probabl be no objection
!. raised.
Rev. A., r.. Taylor read a letter iron
) a friend in Winona, stating how tn
! public library of that city was started
q which was through moneys raised b
a subscriptions and other means, unit
q finally it was taken charge of by tn
! city. The table above also show
/ that the major part of the librarie
| there reported were started by dona
t tions or subscriptions.