The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1897-03-23
FREE PUBLIC LIBRARIES.
The Opinion of an Experienced
Observer as to the Benefits to be
hnniUel

Observer as to the Benefits to be
Derived.
A. S. Rowell in the Piedmont Sum-
Too much Importance cannot be
attached to the value OF q Free Public
Library in town, and especially in a
cotton mfg town." We are behind
the times in this respect in the Old
Palmetto State. If we want to take @
front rank among the progressive
States, we must move forward. Agri-
culture and manufactures cannot
achieve the best result, with lot of
ignoramuses as employers and employ
ed. The masses must be fairly well
educated in order for any community
to stand abreast with the best 1t is
good moral policy for town to es-
tablish a public library it is good
business policy for manufacturing
company to found free library for
the benefit of its employees. The
youthful minds during tho formative
period will seek in almost any direc-
tion for that which will satiate the
longing felt within. If parents or
friends at this time will wisely direct
the expanding intellect along the line
OF reading good and useful books, the
mind will naturally turn from dissipat-
ing habits and foolish pastimcs into
those channels that will be productive
OF pleasure and profit. Good habits
will be formed instead of bad ones, and
the Individual and community will
be the better for it. OF course the dis
cipline and training OF a good school
will better accomplish the same end.
Let it be understood that we are,direct-
not have all the school privileges de-
sirable. We are fortunate in having
here in Piedmont free public library.
In the very beginning of the history of
the place the dire ctors of the company
made provisions for its establishment
and enlargement, and the original idea
has been earnestly fostered and pro-
noted by the Presidents ever since.
Many OF our young men and women
have passed the school day to take up
the stern realities Of life, but we as
sure them that education need not
stop on that account. In our library
are works OF every class, and if there
he felt need of any particular line of
good useful books, that want will be
met. Fifteen or twenty minutes day
spent in studying or reading up inn
portant subjects, will in the course of
year bring the student vast amount
of valuable information.
we would like to see our young men
and women taking more advantage of
the privilege our library holds out to
them. They would be the gamers
personally and indirectly would benefit
the town. We would also like to see
the State of South Carolina have q
free library in every town.
AS we said in the beginning the i'm
portance of such an institution cannot
be too highly estimated. Let US see
how this subject is looked upon in
other sections of our country. In the
New England States, two libraries,
that of Havard College and the Boston
public library, each contains more
volumes than are contained in all the
libraries combined in the State of Vir-
ginia. In the New England States
there are $50 Libraries of LOCO
volumes. The city of Boston appro.
priated this year $500, 900 to her library.
In Massachusetts,, of the 353 towns and
cities, 1928 have free public libraries.
Comparing the different States the
following interesting statistics are
developed: Massachusetts, has for
every 100 population 257 volumes,
New York "a, Pennsylvania 81, Mary
land 80, Virginia %, Kentucky and
Louisiana each 20, South Carolina IS,
Tennessee and Georgia each Is,
Aidoaiud o, IeSdS 4. In 1871, tnC
libraries in the New England States
had 1919, ia volumes. In the South
ern States 2,250,2l2 volumes.
Here in Piedmont we have library
of nearly $500 volumes, or seventy one
volumes to every one hundred Of our
population. So it will be seen shat our
town is pretty well up in the scale.
All we want to do is to use the books
we'll.