The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1901-12-24
ITS FIRST YEAR
A GREAT SUCCESS
Trustees Olivia Raney Ii
brary Meet.
EXPENSE OVER INCOME
Decided to Ask Aldermen for not Less
than $3.50 Per Month.
GENEROSITY OF FOUNDER SAVES IT
The Expenses We're Twice as Great as the In
come Last Year, and Over $4,000 Books
Were Taken Out for Home
Reading.
EXPENSE OVER INCOME
Decided to Ask Aldermen for not Less
than $3.50 Per Month.
GENEROSITY OF FOUNDER SAVES IT

trustees of the Olivia Raney Library, TO-
ports of officers were received and the
election of officers for the new year took
place.
The reports of the President, Treasur-
er, Librarian and executive Committee
for the past fiscal year, ending Novem
Der Goth, told of the great work the
library is doing and the favor that it re-
ceives from the general public. These
reports were unanimously approved,
showing most gratifying condition.
A resolution was adopted fixing the
liability of borrowers for books taken
into homes in which contagious diseases
developed.
The executive committee was requested
to make application at an early date to
the Board of Aldermen Of an appropria-
ton of not less than 1925 per month.
committee was appointed to ex-
anime the rules and regulations, and re-
port to a subsequent meeting of the
trustees any change in them which may
be deemed necessary.
was amended SO as to prohibit any one
from taking into the library building any
intoxicating liquors.
The election of officers and committees
resulted as follows: President, R. H.
Battle, ESQ.,; president, Rev. NJ NJ
Marshall. ID. d.; secretary F. P. Hay
wood, ESQ.,; treasurer, H. w. Jackson
ESQ.,; librarian, Miss Jennie H. Coffin;
assistant librarian, Miss Theodore Mar.
shall; executive committee. Messrs.
Moredecai, Brown, Grimes, Jones and
Raney
The president appointed on the Book
Committee Messrs. Rosenthal, Mordecai
and Jones, and on the Administration
Committee Rev DR.. Marshall and
Messrs. Cowper and Grimes.
THE PRESIDENTS REPORT.
The report of the president of the lio
rary, Mr.. r. H. Battle, is given here
with:
The Olivia Raney Library, chartered by
the General Assembly of the State. Feb
ruary 18th, 1899, was organized Novem-
Der 10th, 1899, by the election of officers.
and on the first day of February. 1900
the building with the land on which it is
situated was duly conveyed by it's found
er, Mr. Richard Beverly Raney, by deed
which was duly registered in the office
OF the register of deeds of Wake coun-
ty.
The founder having also presented TO
the corporation over four thousand we'll
selected books, which had been properly
shelved and labelled under the super
vision OF Miss Jane H. Abbott. of Lincoln.
Neb., an expert in the arrangement of
Libraries, and the building being prop
erly furnished, was opened to the public
OF the evening of Thursday, January
24th, 1901, with appropriate exercises.
Since the opening, the Book committee
nave purchased about two hundred books
OF recent publication and other persons
have presented two hundred and fifty,
making total to date of five thousand
four hundred and eleven volumes
/ take pleasure in saying from per
sonal observation and information from
the patrons of the library. that the libra-
rian, Miss Jennie NJ Coffin, and the as
sistant librarian, Miss Theodore Marshall
have discharged their respective duties
with faithfulness and efficiency.
The library has been kept open every
day. except Sunday and holidays, from 10
O'Clock in the morning until 10 in the
well heated in winter and well ventilated
in summer. so that it has been a very
popular place of resort for the reading
white people of Raleigh.
1t is estimated that there has been an
average attendance each day of fifty read
ers OF books and periodicals in the lib
rary, and the librarian reports that from
the opening in January last to December
LIST, thirty-four thousand eight hundred
and twenty nine books have been taken
out for home reading, making an average
issue OF one hundred and thirty five vol
umes daily, which is ratio of circuIa ion
to population which is probably unpar-
alleled in the history of free libraries in
this country.
The income of the corporation is de-
rived from the rent of two stores on the
first floor and the hall on the third floor
of the building. The income from rent
of these stores and the hall amounted
during the past ten months, to $857. The
necessary expenses during that time
amounted to $1,73955, including the Iur-
chase of new books, and the deficiency
has been supplied by the generous found
er.
1t was not contemplated, after the lib :
rary with it's furniture and equipment
were turned over to the corporation for
the use and benefit of the white people
OF the city and township of Raleigh, that
the founder should continue to tax him
self for the support of the library, he hav-
ing reserved to himself no further inter-
est than is possessed by each one of the
beneficiaries of his bounty, and an Act
of the Assembly was procured from he
Legislature of 1901, authorizing the alder
men of the city to appropriate such sums
of money as might be needed to supple
ment the regular income of the corpora
ton
The rpeort of the president here deals
with the request to the board of alder
men to make an appropriation to the lib
rary and the refusal to take the amount