The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-09-20
WILL BE KEPT OPEN
ROOMS FOR JUVENILE READERS
OF THE LIBRARY TO BIZ
CARED FOR
JUST HOW ISN'T DECIDED

The directors of the public library
held a special meeting yesterday aft
ernoon to consider the question OF what
should be done with the Juvenile de-
partment of the library. The discus
sion was participated in by q COM
mittee from the Commercial club, and
at the close of the session the commit
tees on building and administration
from the library board, consisting Of
NJ. Auerbach, Harris Richardson, DR..
Burnside Foster, B. r. Wright and
Edward Feldhauser, were delegated
to confer with the committee on city
development from the Commercial club
at o'clock this afternoon at the club
rooms.
At this conference definite action will
be taken, and it is quite likely that the
offer of the Commercial club to pay
the rent Of room or rooms outside
the city hall in which the Juvenile de-
partment is to be installed will be ac-
cepted.
Present at the meeting were Presi-
dent Ramsey, and Directors Auerbach,
Bean, Foster, Monfort, Peet, Wright
and Feldhauser, of the library board,
and Secretary Slime, II. r. Smith, John
Caulfield, B. F. Beardsley and F. N.
Bergmeier, from the Commercial club.
Vice President AuerbaCh stated that
he had been notified by the committee
on buildings Of the court house and city
hall commission that the room now oc-
Cupied by the juvenile department was
needed for the grand jury room. This,
he said, made it necessary either to
discontinue the department or rent
rooms outside the city hall.
Director Peet inquired as to the right
the board had to any of the rooms oc-
cupied by the library.
President Ramsey was Of the opinion
that the board were occupants Of the
h11il inO nI1lX NV he Of Nn oil xy
and county officers who had charge Of
the building.
Director Peet said the president was
correct in this statement The court
house commission had allowed the
board to use the rooms and had the
power to take them away.
Director Feldhauser was Of the opin-
ion that the room now occupied by the
Juvenile department was not desirable
even could it be retained. One of the
branches of the municipal court had
been removed from the basement Of
the building to a room directly oppo-
site the department, and for this rea-
son the location was not good one.
President Ramsey questioned if the
grand jury needed the room the year
round, and suggested that perhaps the
department could be closed during the
sessions of that body and reopened af-
ter it adjourned.
OWlHS To TIE STdHu JURY DelHS III
session sometimes for three weeks this
plan was not considered advisable.
Director Bean read a statement from
the librarian, Mrs. McCaine to the eff
feet that 1t would be impracticable to
put the juvenile department in the
main library. The children visited the
rooms in such numbers that it prevent
ed entrance to the reference room, and
their visits kept away from the library
| adult patrons.
The suggestion was made that by
| closing the reading room Of the library
| from to p. m. the Juvenile depart
ment could be located there. 1t was
| decided that rather than adopt this
! plan it would be better to abandon
! the juvenile department altogether
! Director Peet said 1t was not the
| grand jury that was responsible for the
| difficulty, but the fire board, which in
sisted on having Offices in the building.
Director Bean said the question was
| not as to the cause of the removal; but
what was to be done in the matter.
Director Auerbach was of the opinion
| that the only solution was to secure
room or rooms outside the building.
Director Foster did not think it was
| practicable to conduct the department
! outside of the city hall, and favored
| closing it up with the idea that this ac-
! ton would make the public come for
| ward and help the board out.
| Director Auerbach said the expense
! would be very light, even If a room
! outside was secured. There would be
| no additional help to be employed, and
| the only expense would be about SIS
| for rent.
7. r. Smith, chairman Of the city de-
velopment committee from the Com
| mercal club, informed the directors
| that the club would raise funds to Sc
cure rooms, if the court house commits
| sion insisted on the department being
removed, and the board saw no other
way out of the difficulty than to aban-
| don the department. The Commercial
| club thought it for the best interests
Of the city that the department be kept
| open. The committee, Of which he was
| chairman, had already looked a rooms
in the Germania Life building, the Ry-
! an annex, and in the old Mannheimer
building on Third street
President Ramsey suggested that an
effort be made to retain possession of
! the room now used by the department,
and if this failed, then the kind offer
Of the Commercial club should be &C
! cepted.
8. F. BeardsIey said the question was
whether the Commercial club could be
Of any assistance to the library board
in the matter Of keeping open the ju-
venile department. He had been in
formed that room could be secured in
| the Central high school building and
IT was possible that this might answer.
A room on the second floor of the Ryan
| annex, 36X50 feet, could be secured
with light, heat and janitor service,
! for $75 per month.
| The directors were of the opinion
that if possible a room or rooms near
the library should be secured.
Director Peet thought the offer Of the
| Commercial club was a most liberal
one, and should be accepted with
| thanks. The committee from the court
! house and city hall commission had or
| dered the department out of the city
hall, and there was nothing to do but
| hire a room outside. This action on
the part Of the committee having
| charge Of the building was not very
| praiSeworthy, but to his mind the thing
was only temporary.
1t was bat a question Of time when
the court house commission would in
| form the board that the other rooms
now occupied by the library must be
| vacated, and then the result would be
| that the Commercial club and the
chamber of commerce and the public
would wake up and see that the library
had suitable quarters. He was sorry
for the children, but glad that the
board had been shut out OF the room
as 1t brought the question of a suita-
| bic place for the library 70 the public
| attention.
Director Foster proposed that the of.
fer of the Commercial club be accepted
and the directors rendered vote OF
thanks to the club.
| Director MOnfOrt cI1ppeSfad +Lo+ A..