Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1900-01-03
LIBR Try CON MISSIONS
in OTHER STATES.

OuSllt Iowa TO nave library COM
mission? Four years ago the library
section of the Iowa state teachers as
ISOLATION asked for the enactment of Il
law creating library commission, and
appointed committee, With the late
Hon. G. 81. Catch, of Des Moines, as
chairman, to urge its passage.
\ bill was introduced and sent to the
committee on libraries. but Was never
reported. A similar bill two years
later was killed in the house. II Is only
fair To state that the strong claims of
the library commission were not as ap-l
parent then as they are now.
The benefits OF library commission
to Iowa can best be shown by EXAMINE
Ting the practical workings of library
commissions in other states.
Massachusetts, the first state to feel
the need of such a body and the first
70 create one. comes first for review
Here the free public library had its
| first and is having its fullest develops
ment. 1t began in 1850 and in 1890, PAS
towns We're enjoying the benefits of
free public Libraries. The libraries in
these towns contained 1865 900 volumes.
There We're only lob towns having a
population Of l3l,102, less than SIX per
cent Of the population of the state that
had not the benefits OF free public Ii
braries. In 1890 a law WAS enacted ere
atine q library commission for the pur-
pose OF improving the work already es-
tabiished. and extending Is influence
TO he lo3 towns still without them. The
work that has been accomplished by
that commission cannot be better told
than by The following extract from its
ninth annual report:
The Year of 1898 closes with but
eight towns in the state without free
library privileges. These have a popu-
atlen of 12,4sS or less than e-half OF
one per cenI of the states inhabitants
by the census of 1895. The number of
books in the free Libraries Of tllescom-
nonweath is s.75ooop which is about
one and one-half volumes To each in
habitant. The circulation for home
use IN twelve months is over seven and
two-thirds millions. The gifts and be-
quests of money, not including the
value OF books. articles Of furniture,
paintings and sculptures for library or
library Buildings in Massachusetts
amount TO nearly sso0o.ooo. Since the
first report Of the free public library
commission in January, 1891. forty
~ = "a ~ posssss.'n ~
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ths 9looil ~ y ~ = $50 y =
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IS nessNl fo aiiu, ast I, ~
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In lsi2 through 'ns irii'ieilee ~ .isisii
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ainensea that s-2'V''Y o1lt q siie ai'i''p-
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