The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1901-03-24
RURAL LIBRARY ACT
Will Tend to Improve the
Public Schools.
Ten Dollars From Patrons, Ten Dollars From
The County and Ten Dollars From The
State Start Library.

A most important act of the General
Assembly was that which was passed for
the purpose of encouraging the establish
ment of libraries in the public schools of
the rural districts of the State. 1t first
changes the public library law of 1897,
found in chapter 512 of the Laws of 1897
SO that public libraries may be establish
ed by boards of aldermen in towns of less
than. 1, 900 inhabitants, the act of 1897 APP
plying only to towns of 1000 or more in
habitants.
The Rural Library Act' begins as
section of the act of 1897. In this sec
tion it provides that whenever the pa
irons and friends4of any free public school
shall raise $40 towards a library and
tender it to the County Superintendent of
Schools that the County Board of 'Edu-
cation shall give $40 additional from the
money belonging to that district and
shall appoint an intelligent person as
manager of the library, and one person
we'll versed in books to select the books
for such Libraries.
Section provides that as soon as the
County Board has appropriated $40 for
the library the County superintendent
shall inform the Secretary of the State
Board of Education of the fact and
the State Board shall remit $40 of State
money to the County Superintendent
This being received the County Superin-
tendent is to turn over the $50 in hand to
the person appointed to select the books
for the library.
Section provides that the person Sc
lecting the books shall purchase such as
he deems best suited for the purpose in
Dictated and shall file vouchers with the
County superintendent showing how he
has expended the funds, the money to
be used only for books and for transpor-
tation charges.
Section provides that the State Super
intendent of Public Instruction shall make
rules and regulations for the care of the
books, which are to be observed by the
local manager of the library, who shall
see that the books are kept under lock
and key when not in circulation.
Section 10 provides for the exchange
of two or more libraries by the managers,
no exchange to be made oftener than six
months, and the cost of exchange to be at
private expense.
Section IL appropriates $4,000 of the
appropriation for public schools of the
State to put in execution the provision of
the act, while section II limits the num-
Der of schools entitled to the benefit of
the act to six. and provides that no
school district in an Incorporated town
shall receive any moneys under its pro-
visions, while it empowers the County
Board to decide which schools shall be de-
cided upon as library schools.
The act, if it's provisions are wisely
kr.t, will aid materially in public educa-
ton. These small Libraries in the rural
districts will form a nucleus for large
libraries, for in many sections private
citizens will donate books, energetic
teachers will give entertainments to Sc
cure more books, and from various sources
additions will come that will make these
libraries important factors in the educa-
tional development of the State.