The news & observer., 1901-01-25

compensation. Their officers are presi-
dent, vice president secretary and
treasurer. They have elected from their
own number an Executive Committee. a
Committee on Books and a Committee on
Administration to whom with the Librar-
ian, the practical management of the Lib
rary is largely committed. set of by
laws has been adopted and is now, ! be-
| Iieve, in process of printing for the in
formation of the public.
! The Board of Trustees has been chosen
| from representatives of different religious
bodies, and they desire to emphasize the
tact that the Olivia Raney Library is alb
solutely non-sectarian, non n-partizan and
without socitl distinctions among our
own race-
| A librarian has been selected, whose de-
votion to the memoir of her departed
| friend and companion (who was TO her as
La sister, will make her duties a labor of
| love; and whose well known affability and
| kindness of heart will secure for all who
come here cordial welcome and courte-
Gus attention.
| On it's letter headings are the words
| free and circulating and so it is meant
| TO make it. 1t belongs to the public and
| its trustees as such, are only the SER
} wants of the public The public have ac-
i cess TO it's privileges of their own right
and not by anybodyS permission. The
poorest child in the community may here
participate in all the privileges and ad-
vantages of the richest in having access
| to the latest works on all Subiects-fOr
his culture and betterment or even for
his diversion. One only condition is i'm
posed on all alike and that is that they
shall conform to the few simple rules COM
mon TO all libraries and necessary for the
preservation of the books and the COM
fort and quiet of those who use them.
1t has been ascertained that the neces-
sary expenses for keeping the Library
open, including such items as the small
salary Of the Librarian and of her as
sistant the wages of ianitor and the
cost of insurance, fuel, lights, inciden-
tails and especially the regular purchase
of new books in small installments- which
is absolutely necessary if the library is
to be kept IN to date-are about 5000 a
month
In the absence OF any endowment and in
the present state of affairs our only in
come to meet these necessary expenses
is dt rived from the rent of the two choice
and ccmmodious rooms favorably sit
uated on the ground floor and Salisbury
street and at present occupied as drug
store and music store respectively. To-
eether thev rent for $65 a month.
TO this IS to be added the necessarily
variable income derived from the use of
this hall, which, while primarily designed,
by means of lectures, addresses, &c, to
further the educational and literary work
Of the library, may also. when not thus
occupied, very properly be used for pub
lie entertainments Of proper character and
for innocent amusements. There is also
. desirable room near those occupied BY
the librarian and at present vacant which
ought to bring in small rental.
Perhaps i is safe TO count on S35
month additional as the average rent to
be derived from these sourcesthe Lib
rary Hall, this now vacant room and the
Trustees room, when not in use by them.
This amount added TO the $50 already
assured would make 800 as the sum to-
tai of our monthly income, and would
leave 800 month yet to be provided for.
The bare statement of these facts, be-
lieve to be all that is necessary to insure
the making of such provision.
Then why should We not still further
aid this good work by voluntary eontribu-
tions Of valuable books? Not such as are
obsolete as to their subject matter or
worthless as 10 the condition from wear
and tear, but works of standard authority
or OF acknowledged interest and value,
and in good condition. | apprehend that
in most private libraries there are dupll-
cate copies of good books of no special
value there, and yet such as might do
good service here. But above all. ven
ture to think may we promote the good
work of the Library-iust being lnau-
gurated-by doing all we can TO induce
the public and especially the young TO
participate in it's privileges and paTtakc
of it's benefits.
Next to the free public school as a
factor in the education and enlighten-
ment of the young, stands the free public
library, whose highest and best influence
may be summed up in the single word
culture.
Many of our young men who are soon
to take our places in the world and who
are temporarily sojourning in our
midst are removed from home restraints
and privileges and joys OF the home
cicle. The public library with its free
reading room may be made powerful
agent for counteracting the attractions of
questionable resorts and associate; and
the young men may be Ied by our in
fuence and example TO, find in reading
and in intellectual pursuits and literary
culture far higher and only wholesome
enjoyment.
There is nothing says late au-
thority now living, there is nothing ex
cept human love from which you can
derive greater happiness than the love
of reading Books prove companions in
sorrow and solitude. They assuage the
pangs of physical pain. They enable you
to commune with all the masterminds OF
by-gone ages. The light of intellect
flashes across the printed page. The re-
corded thoughts of literature live on for
ever Books are the "legacies of genius.
We are all heirs to the magic realm OF
fancy, the republic of letters, the glor
Gus domai nof immortal thought. The
pyramids of Nubia and Egypt. the palaces
and sculptured slabs of Nneyeh. the
cyclopean walls of Italy and Greco, the
teples OF India-none have escaped the
rayage of time. The beautiful statues Of
antiquity-the Venus of Melos, the
sculptures of the Parthenon-will sooner
Or later vanish from the face OF the
earth But the poetry of Homer, Dante
and Shakespeare, the philosophy of Plato