The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-02-01

They have the power to give to the truss
tees of any library in any town where
ment OF free- public libraries. the sum OF
500 to be expended for books. If the as
en seSsed i vaina5on ,sn Of the property IN the
must appropriate $50 for the same purposes
annually. :. If the assessed valuation is less
annually must be appropriated, and if up-s
der s25.0o0, SIS. The sum of $500 is set aside
each year Tor the use Of the commission
information, ETC., and in paying for the
transportation of books. The commission
buys the books. and getting 50 large a.
quantity at once. makes much better bar
gains for the small libraries than their
managers. ever hoped TO. 1t is interesting
out of 1853 towns and cities in Massachu-
setts, 247 had free public libraries wholly
under the control of the municipal gov
control There % were We're pbuts but rt thirtytWo sts
towns ts,1 in the entire State without public
mission began its work in 1890 there were
Slxty-six towns without libraries in Mass
achusetts. This last fact alone furnishes
ample proof of the sound value of the
commission.
In other States the duties. of the State
ana rdm % daeb drom dtSsr r.
various details. This is due to variance
in the other laws on the statute books.
aMa must &c framed to agss
with them. In every State except Wis
eonsin SIN. where commissions saa have been
each library with the same stipulations
as a. !, those 9 set down in the Massaohusetts
appointed ius BY the State l Board l'si Of Ednca a.
ton. and in Rhode Island the same body
has control of the matter. In New. York
Commission, but IN other States the Coy
ernor appoints the commissioners. In
Connecticut the Library Commission
ago, but in that time twenty three new
ports from Vermont and New Hamp-1
n That a State as Library fapyfaga Commission is
sadly. needed in New Jersey will readily
be admitted by, all who win consider the;
real efficiency in New Jersey are very
few and m are Of comparatively recent orr
tistfcs are at hand it will surprise most:
people to. see how few libraries really
State If " the I Legslature i eco Consents to The
establishment of commission its great in
fiuence upon education. the. friends Of
will be recognized within six months, and
people will wonder why it was not estab-l
lished before. It is probable the bill will
be framed quite closely after the MaSSa-
chusetts law.
At the meeting of the American Lii
brary, Association held, in Chicago DUR
auested to submit list of what they
considered the, 5000 books best adapted
to the use of libraries for general circula-
tion. Out of the lists thus submitted
5000 were selected by the vote of the as
sociation.
At Thursdays meeting of the New Jer-
sey Association. this resolution in reference
to the list was adopted
Whereas. it has been brought to the no.
tice of the New Jersey Library Associa-
ton, that the catalogue of the 5000 books
recommended by the American Library
Fair in 1893.- is now out of print; and
Whereas, 1t seems desirable that it
should receive the public approval and In
dersement of the CONGRESS Of the Unated
the country. for the use of free public III
braries; g
Resolved. That this Association heartily
approve. the republication, by Congress-,
Of the A. L A. catalogue, and request the
Members of Congress from New jersey to
give to the measure favorable consider
alton.
Resolved That a copy of this preamble
and resolution be printed and sent to
each of the Members of Congress from.
this State.