Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1899-08-09
THE IOWA LIBRARIES
Monthly Report of President John
ston Of the Iowa State
Library Society.
Kendall Young Library at Web.
ster City Shows the Best
Years Record.
A Number of New Buildings Con-
templated by Iowa Towns
Library Notes.
Special to Times Republican.


has just issued his regular monthly bull
letin of library news of Iowa. 1t fol-
lows:
The Library Journal, of July, has a
full account of the meeting of the
American Library Association at At
lanta In May. Johnson Brigham, state
librarian, was the only representative
of the library work from Iowa; he was
chairman OF the state librarians Sec
ton and read paper on the State LII
brarians' outlook" in which he sketch
ed the work that was being done to
open up the library treasures gathered
in the state libraries and make them ac-
cessible to the people of the state at
large. He took a broad view of what
might be expected of the library In the
twentieth century.
A 1.-THE library meeting at Atlanta
johnson Brigham. chairman of the pro-
gram committee of the Iowa Library
Association, succeeded in getting a
promise from Melville Dewey, state Ii
brarian of the state of New York. and
secretary of the board of regents of that
state, TO attend the annual meeting of
the Iowa Library Association to be held
at Cedar Rapids this fall. Because OF
previous engagements of Mr.. Dewey
the time of the meeting will be changed
from the middle OF October to the fore
part OF November Cline not yet def
nitely tiSedD.
The presence OF Mr.. Dewey and other
library workers from abroad. whom,
the program committee assure us, Will
be present. ought to make this meeting
t,f
most interesting yet held
W.. have received the ninth repor, of
the Massachusetts Library Commission,
book OF 465 pages, containing brief
history and q short report for 1885 of the
344 libraries in that state. The follow
ing brief extract will show the advance
made by that state since the organiza-
ton of the commission:
: In 1880 there We're so municipalities
in the commonwealth, of which 24s had
established libraries in which the peo-
pie had free privileges. These libraries
contained 2,46s,0C0 volumes. The 103
Towns without free libraries had only
13blog inhabitants by the census OF
1890, little less than per cent OF the
total population of the state. The year
1855 closes with but eight towns in the
state without free library privileges.
| These have i poulation 81 1856, or less
4 than cne-half of / per cent OF the state :
/ inhabitants by the census OF 1886 The
/ number OF books III the free libraries OF
tlla commonwealth is 3750.00o The cir
culation for home use in twelve months
i IS ..656,0o0 or little over three volumes
! 10 each inhabitant The gifts and be-
! quests Of money amount TO nearly IS.
! Que, geo, and Since the publication of the
first report, January 1891, forty towns
| have come into the possession of build
ings especially designaS. for library use.
| costing in the aggregata s1,sSS, GOO One
| hundred and fortE-eiaht Illustrations OF
/ library buildings adorn the report.
/ "A few days ago we had the pleasure
iof Visiting the Mason City library and
found the entire force, including the
president Of the board OF trustees. at
| work under the superintendent Of Miss
/ Clara a. Dreaming. of the Galena public
library. making card catalogue for
| the same. Mason City is largely In
/ eebted to the Ladies Library Associa-
! ton Of that place for their library Fol-
| the past ten years they have main
! tanned free reading room, but they
charge cents for each book taker
home TO read. The city gives them "a l.
4 mill tax for the support of the library
| Iheir last report showed 1000 volumes
in the library and circulation of T..
/ 0s4 and 10000 using the readina room
I Mary a. Hurlburt. who had been the ii.
1 brarian for the past ten years, died las
April, and has been succeeded by hel
sister, Mrs. Chaplin. as librarian W,
4 never had the pleasure of meeting hel.
4 but in the correspondence had with hel
in securing reports from the library. sh.
ever showed keen and intelligent in,
4 terest in her work and a glance through
the library would Indicate that she hae
a wise and discriminating taste in ia.
:. choice of books.
i We have received a brief report of tn,
4 Kendall Young Library. of webste
Il City, for the first twelve months. u,
u this report the Kendall Young librar,
takes its place at the head of the lis
of Iowa libraries for the number o
books issued in proportion to the mum
Der of inhabitants
Their report is as follows:
Aolal income ...-...... :. 81, 534 o
Amount paid for books. IN.
Amount paid for periodicals 20
Amount paid for expenses. go
Number of volumes added by
purchase. -. 1877
Number of volumes added by
binding periodicals is
Number of volumes added by GIFT
Miscellaneous books 40
Bound periodicals 9
Public documents -. "a
Total number of volumes in Ii
brary ;. Or
Number of books issued during
seii 1890 t.s....'s.-.... ..... 49,. &c, 90
Des Moines has commenced work o,
the foundation of their new librar,
building that it is expected will cos
sioo'eoo Fort Dodge is looking u
plans for library building 10 cos
from $4,000 to $4,000. Nevada is pre-
pairing to build a library building L
cost $1,000 Marshalltown is hoping t
get $4,000 library building.
THE TAn6A nEhSocn