The Butte inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1901-1912, 1901-12-23
SCHOOL TRUSTEES MUST SET
ASIDE LIBRARY FUND.
REFERENCE BOOKS NECESSARY
Mrs. Howey and ]. NJ. Lewis Talk
About the Matter and Congratu-
late Superintendent WEIGH
for His Stand.
Especial to Inter Mountain.)

Helena. Dec. 23.-School boards will be
required to set aside portion of their
annual apportionment received cEom the
state for library purposes.
Superintendent w. w. WEIGH has taken
a firm stand on the question and his poll
icy in the future will be in line with the
opinion given by the attorney general
Tuesday and told of in the Inter Noun
tain.
In the future, school trustees will be
asked to set aside a certain portion of
the state apportionment for a library
fund. Mr.. WEIGH is mailing letters to the
county superintendent and county
treasurers of each county calling their
attention to the recent ruling of the at
torney general and asking that the
law be enforced Copies Of Mr.. Dono-
vans opinion have also been inclosed
to county officials.
In cities having a population Of less
than 1000 the law requires that and not
more than 10 per cent Of the school APP
portionment received from the state be
placed in what is to be known as a
library fund In cities having more than
1000 people the library fund shall consist
of an appropriation Of $50 for each 500
children.
Library Law to Be Enforced.
Letters mailed to county treasurers
ask that the law be enforced and that in
distributing the funds attention of school
trustees be called to the law.
The county superintendent are like
wise requested by the state superintend-
ent to communicate with the trustees of
school districts and advise them of the
existence of the law.
1.-The matter is one that should have
the attention of every school board" said
j. M. Lewis, assistant superintendent Of
public instruction, discussing the matter
today. scarcely any attention has been
paid to the law by many of the school
boards. 1t is not because they have a
desire to disregard the law, but in many
cases, because the library money has
been used to run the school with. Many
of the school districts of Montana have
not in the past received sufficient rev.
enue from the collection of taxes to en-
able them to run their school without
the strictest economy
II believe, however, that the school
library is the most important adjunct to
the school work and it should not be
dispensed with under any circumstances.
II believe in the future that there VIII
be less trouble experienced by school
boards from inadequate school funds.
The school apportionment will be large
this year and under the new law the
school levy is increased.
"In the future there will be but little
excuse for the school boards falling 20
comply with the law requiring them to
establish a library fund"
Mrs. Howie's Interview.
II am very glad to see that the at
torney general has held that school
cards must provide for school libraries
and that the state superintendent Is
calling the boaro to time tor their failure
to comply with the law" said Mrs.
Laura E. Howey, state librarian, dis
GUESSING the matter today.
1.-The value of the school library can
not be over-estimated. 1t is of first i'm
portance to the rural school. Every
school should have good library Of
supplemental and reference books, but
above all the country school should be
well equipped in this respect.
I'm the cities children have no oppor-
tunity of taking books froIi the public
or from their home library. but in the
outlying districts, where I understand
the least attention has been paid to the
law, it is important that the children at
tending school have the advantage of
we'll selected library.
1.-THE law requiring school districts to
provide for school libraries is, believe,
a good one and should be enforced. The
attorney general and the state superin-
tendent are to be congratulated upon the
position they have taken"