The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1895-05-07
ONE YEARS WORK.


Missoula. May 6.-Below are given
| the annual reports of the board of d.
rectors of the Missoula public library
and OF Chief Mentrum OF the fire de-
partment. presented to the retiring
mayor and the city council at the meet
| ing tonight: .e.~s
| To the Honorable Mayor and City
Council, Missoula, Montana:
In pursuance with the provisions OF
section 4, Of ordinance IS, the board of
directors of the Missoula public library
beg leave to submit the following re-
1895:
II is with no small degree of satisfac-
ton that we call your attention to the
fact that the public library has become
an established feature of the literary
and educational life of the city, and
also that, from the time the present
rooms were thrown open to the public.
the patronage of the institution has
steadily increased, and borrowers of
books have been mainly from the class
for whose benefit the library is chiefly
intended-the young people. The regu-
larity and promptness with which pu-
pills of our city schools have availed
themselves of the advantages of the
public library are encouraging, and
furnish ample recompense for the slight
outlay which has been made for the
support of that institution.
The history of the public library
movement is an interesting one, and
dates from 1S4S, when the Massachu-
sets legislature empowered the city OF
Boston to levy taxes to maintain a
library, which should be free to citi-
zens Of that city. This was the first
instance of such legislation. The idea
was popular one. and was adopted
with remarkable rapidity. many states
passing laws similar to the Massa-
chusetts act during the following two
years. When the movement began
there were in this country only about
100 public libraries which had more
than 5000 volumes each, and these
were not free. The aggregate number
of volumes in these libraries was about
a million. In 1890 there were more than
1000 public libraries, and the number
of books had reached 31,000,000.
The need of a public library In Mis-
soula has been realized for many years,
and numerous attempts have been
made to establish such an institution
here which should be free. or of which
the membership fees should be as
small as possible. The earliest attempt
in this direction dates back as far as
the winter of 1929, when ladies'
reading circle was formed, having
among it's members Mesdames Lom-
Dickinson, Eddy, Hammond, Cave,
Woody, Weeks, Fisk and Stew
art. and Misses Landers and
Armstrong. This circle accumu-
lated a few books, which were
not distributed when the circle dis
banded. but were left intact with the
understanding that when public
library should be organized, the entire
collection should be donated.
In 1885 the Chatauqua wave reached
Missoula, and the reading circle was
succeeded by local circle of that
-. n. Ill
pei Chatauqua circle, and the members
were: Mesdames Armstrong, Eddy.
Hammond, Cave, Stewart, Reinhard
and Baker; Misses Longstaff, Pearson.
and Worden, and Messrs. Ryman and
Kennedy. Entertainments Were given
to raise funds. and books were pur-
chased which were TO form the nucleus
of a public library The circle was
maintained for four years, and then
was discontinued.
In January, 1890, a movement was in
augurated which resulted in the or
ganization and equipment of a good
library. This was maintained by the
fees of members and by donations
from business men. Higgins brothers
gave the use of two rooms. and others
contributed generously. w. NJ. Bick-
ford was chosen president and w. ID.
Crawford secretary of the association.
An excellent selection of books was
mace, anu the nDTdIy WIS well pdlIOH-
lied until the passage of the Montana
law authorizing cities to levy a library
tax.
Missoula awaited herself of the OPP
portunity by this law, and in 1898 a tax
of one-half mill was levied. In the
early fall of 1894 Mayor Mclaughlin
appointed six directors. and the work
of organizing the library was begun.
The books that were left from the col
lection of the subscription library were
recatalogued and added to those pur-
chased. and on Nov. 10 the library was
opened to the public. The patronage
has been far more liberal than was
anticipated. and the library is doing
excellent work as an educational me-
dunn. BY far the largest part of the
patrons of the library is made up of