The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1902-11-07
Views Of Laymen.
Is the Aim of Public n.-o..u .u,ro
Library Appreciated! nav" : :" "'---"'

the first chapter sickened all of US. It I
was not grammatical, the language |
was not good English, the plot was
fantastic and we voted the stranger |
an ignoramus and tough. From that |
day onward do not know that one of |
the boys In our gang ever listened to
another selection from his cheap,
dirty literature. We were not angels |
but we did not like the taste of his
books
1t is evident that we'll selected
library, the books of which are Access
sible to the public without charge,
will have much to do with shaping
the opinions and ennobling the char
acter of the people of any community.
Figures compiled by the authorities
of the Indiana reform school land
doubtless every state can duplicate the
figures in kind )show that of 500 persons
studied. &c or 1879 per cent were illit-
crate; 251 or 502 per cent had not
reached the fourth grade in the public
schools and but 26 or 5. 2 per cent had
reached the fourth grade in the public
schools and but 26 or g.. per cent had
reached the high school. If these sta
tistics demonstrate anything it is
that the knowledge of books rescues
the mind from low-fying thoughts
and ideals.
Hamlets and cities all over the
United States believe this to be true.
Enterprising, intelligent citizens who
agree with Mr.. Carnegie in the char
acter of his benefactions, are founding
and endowing libraries in their local
centers. The calling of librarian has
become profession demanding train
ing, acquaintance with ibliobgaphy,
ability to measure and educate the
public mind, SO that young men and
women of rare talents are being at
tracted to the work. At convention
of librarians, held In August this
year, at Madison, Wisconsin, sub
jects such as the following. indicative
of the Importance, difficulties and re-
lationships of the business were dis
eussed: Relations of the Bookseller
to the Librarian" "Relation of the
Library Trustees to the City Govern
ment. Opening City Libraries to the
Surrounding Country, /" Chow to Ex-
tend the Use of Library
The city of Mankato has many
reasons to be proud of the fact that
she has we'll selected collection OF
about 5000 books that Mr.. Carnegie
has been induced to give monev with
which to erect the beautiful building
now in course of construction on
Broad street that the library board
has been and is composed of persons
who, speaking generally, have liberal
ideas respecting the development OF
the institution. Can too great care be
taken in the selecting of individual:
for positions upon this board?
/ the report of Miss NJ A. M Graw, the
agreeable and competent librarian,
made in March, 1909, discIdses mum.
Der Of interesting facts. Among
them are these, that the average daily
circulation of books is 124.5; thai
the number of new patrons in the year
is 643; that the reference library il
used and appreciated by membe oil
} the literary, art, and music clubs oil
the city together with the students OF
the business college. the normal ano
high schools; that the boys and girl:
are furnishing for reading matter of 6
Juvenile characer. More books. AS
, look over the catalogues and compare
them with the shelves arr impressed
with crushing sense of the necessit,
for more books. The children mus
be fed; the minds of growing youth
, must be provided for; the library
must be kept in disable condition,
Now l suspect some old time serving
politician, or musty moss back viii
arise to ask: ''What is the library
, board doing with all it's money!" AL
its money Is less than So 600 suffi.
cient to run such an institutions Car
the library with such sum as this
keep pace with the growing wants oil
city progressing rapidly in materia
afairs3 File upon the questioner fol
stingy, penuriOus. narrow minded
fogyi This city intends to suppor,
it's liberal institutions with some ap
Proclamation of their desert. It does
not believe in that putrefying policy
of retrenchment that when a munich
pal government has misspent money
in experimentation 1t shall economic
by cutting down school apportion.
ments and library grants.
| Under the Andrew Carnegie pIar
somewhat less than 81, 600 will be OBJ.
tainable annually for the expense bud.
get of the public library. This. liz
comparison with past appropriations
will be munifcent. And vet the sum
is not sufficient to give the Nankatn
library a ranking with those in cities
of the same population. What is need
ed here is better appreciation of the
worth of the institution as an educa-
tional agency. A valuable gift of
highly priced BOOKS now and then
from well-to-do individuals will con-
tribute to the library's efficiency, The
city should adopt a liberal policy
toward the establishment. granting
sums yearly to be added to the inter-
est accumulatIons of the Carnegie
fund. If this is done the next seven
years will see the Mankato public
library serving, and serving as it
should, large and intelligent patron
age, reaching the adoIescent mind and
stimulating it to high ideals and hard
work.
"Give me a book, health, and a
June day, exclaimed Emerson, "and
l will make the pomp of kings s'ridicu-
ious - Give the boys and girls of this
or any other city good library and
crime will diminish, superstition will
1 -o-soh choariku orH oha-;kr ILL ~