The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1898-04-05

fght for cain.is no more dependent upo
rnral communities for food than for re-
Inducements Of its jaded physique anu
languishing moGal and mental vitality.
III is manifeA1 that the problem Of the
country is largely the problem OF the
CITY also. If we can succeed in imposing
any checks upon the tendency Of country
life to deterioration and Generalization.
we shall at the same time purify the
sources of town Life. This brings me TO
the consideration of the function Of the
library in rural communities.
One function Of the rural library.
would he to occ1py a position OF the
space now improperly filled by the news
napers. 10 recover the wasting strength
Of faculties which have been brought up
on its weak diet. and TO cast out the
love Of life's froth and scum low ideals.
and temporizing policies by cultlvatlng
the taste for the true The great and the
l3Sting.
"A library selected with care will,
moreover. prove Il boon to those who al
ready love books. but who. III the de
LUCE of printers ink WI ich threatens to
~ovprwhelm us. are beWildered and need
il guide to profitable reading.
Again. the library in the country. as
elsewhere. is the means of culture. The
college and the university cannot go to
cyery mans door, but this circulating
library may. and has not Carlyle SAID
that a collection of books is the true
university of today: Mr.. Woodrow VIII
son tells somewhere Of Il youthful ac-
ouaintance of his who. III the Obscurity
Of the country and with no help from
the schools. grew up to Il large and beau
tifully unconscious culture by the in
corporation into himself of a few great
world books. There is, to be sure, a
certain type of culture ~attalnable by
contact with men and affairs. The
Arab, for example, finds In the tent Il
kind of school always open. where. says
Renan. the meeting of wcil-bred peO-
pie gives birth to Il great intellectual and
even literary movement. Dellcacy OF
manners and acuteness of mind have
nothing in common i'll the east with what
We call educatIOn.
But | must add Il concluding word Oh
the library as Il well-sprlng of JOY. Il
sOlace in solitude. Il refuge from carking
cares. refrcshmellt of spirits depressed
by the drudyeries of life. | confess to
You that this view of the little library
in the humble home. where mother and
daughter. father and son, nave little to
break the dull monotOny of labor, and
where the rare visitor is only a
place person like themselveS-the view
Of the library as {; blsscd INVASION of
the good and the great OF all time to
illumine and cheer the home, IS to me
after all the most atfecting.'
This paper was fOllowed by Il report
from the Library committee by Prof. F..
l.. Middleton. Of Cary.
This committee. appointed for the pur-
pose of devisins plans for a circulating
library for Wake county, made the fol
towing report:
L. That the library consist Of sec
tons of 80 volumes each.
80. That these sections circulate
from one community to another semi
annually.
IS. That each section be under the
control of Il local librarian, who shall
keep a record Of all books loaned and
returned.
II. That there shall he a county libra
ian who shall receive semi-annual reports
from the local librarians. and also make
semi-annual reports to this association.
This officer shall also direct the sending
Of the sections to the proper commit
tees.
-. That a set Of library rules be made
setting forth fines. &c, for lost or dam
aged books and for books not returned
promptly.
%. That this association pay neces-
sary expenses for correspondence and
shipping OF sections.
-. That each teacher be urged to
try to arouse sufficient interest in some
community to induce it to furnish funds
to buy one section.
IS. That an effort be made to induce
men Of mean to aid in this effort to
furnish good books for the use of rural
districts.
10. That the cost OF each section will
be SO or more, according to the kind
of literature. binding. &c.
I'll. That this association control the
library. and whenever circulation shall
cease. shall give instructions us to the
disposition of books.
10. That Il committee Of three be ap-
pointed to select and purchase books"
After the reading of this report and
q general discussion of it. the roll was
called. several new members elected and
other business transacted.
The next topic on the programme for
discussion was Local Geography" On.
this subject a valuable paper-"How
Raleigh is taught-a type-waS read
by Miss Mills.
In this connection Il most interesting
talk was made by Superintendent How
ell on the value Of a geographical eX-
change.
At this meeting the following commit
tee We're announced by the president.
Picture Communicable find pictures
suitable for the teaching of history,
geography. and literature-A. X. Flower
and Miss lola Yates.
Apparatus Communicable find or
make simple apparatus for teaching any
subject.-A. +. Sans. Miss Sarah Pen
nington, Miss Lizzie Bellamy.
Magazine COmmittce-To report to the
association the best articles i'll current
literature bearing upon school work
Miss Edith Royster. T.. L. Green.
Teachers Exchange Committee.
7. Canady, Miss Mabel Hale, Miss Binie
Hunter.
The next meeting will be held here
Saturday. June 18th. At that time Il pic
mic will be given by the association on
thu. grounds nf jbn C9utpupi,l rroIoI