The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1902-04-23
Many Of the Books May Have
to be Stored Away
in Boxes
DR. PHILLIPS TO MOVE
TO The NEW BUILDING
Superintendent Still Believes New
High School Building viii Be
Erected-Committee to Call
On MIR. Carnegie Soon.

On or about the first of July DIR. ]. H.
Phillips, superintendent of public schools,
will remove his office from the High
School building to the new city hall. At
tho same time the public library will be
removed from the High School to the
city hall.
The board of education will also have
a room in the new building Rooms have
been set apart. on the fourth floor for
these purposes.
DR.. Phillips said yesterday that while
the High School was the proper place
for his office, and for the library, too. for
that matter, the crowded condition of
the building made the change necessary.
There are now 1886 pupils in the High
School, When the library room and the
superintendent office are vacated the
school capacity will be increased to about
400. But this will not quite relieve the
congested condition of the school, yet 1t
is the best that can be done at present.
With Birminghams rapid growth the
portion and the High School problem be-
comes more and more serious. The fact
is, third more space in the High School
would scarcely be sufficient to insure
comfort.
Quarters Not Large Enough.
The library quarters In the city hall
are not large enough to shelve the ten
tafa IN ff,a
public library and allow space for read
ing room. DR.. Phillips is inclined to think
that unless the city authorities can spare
one of the rooms on the third floor for a
reading room many Of the books will
have to be stored away in boxes. Lack
of room is the difficulty in the library at
the high school. A thousand or more vol
umes of government reports that are
needed for reference have never been put
on the shelves. and so 1t will probably be
at the city hall.
A library of 10000 volumes collected
promiscuously would beat no library at
all, but 1t happens In this case that the
books were carefully selected. The refer
ence department Is especially useful and
every day many persons avail themselves
of It. But city of Birmingham's size
and character needs library of thirty or
forty thousand volumes. The reference
part. above everything else, should be
complete.
Thinks II Only Temporary.
DR.. Phillips regards the occupancy of
library quarters In the city hall as tenn
porary, He expects to see new high
school building In course Of construction
within the next two years. II Carnegie
takes UP the question OF presenting Bir-
mingham with a great PSYCHOLOGICAL build
ing to be used as q high school and acts
favorably. the pressing problem would
be quickly solved. Mr. Carnegie has been
approached on the subject and 1t Is un-
derstood that a committee will wait on
him some time during the current year.
But DR.. Phillips says that whether or
not the great philanthropist does any
thing along this line, way will be found
to erect high school building, with
large space for library, commensurate
with Birmingham needs.
The library Ia managed by the Board OF
Education and Is in direct charge of DIR.
Phillips, as Superintendent of public
schools. 1t is maintained without aid
from the city. The fees for teachers GER
tifcates are applied to the library fund
Last year the receipts am ounted to 1864.
Beginning of Library.
In 1885 a number of leading citizens
formed library association. The men,
bership increased to nearly 200 The dues
were 80 cents a month. Library enthus-
| iasm continued for a year. Before the
second year rolled round the membership
dwindled to less than 20. The association
was without funds and owed month s
rent, SIS. The directors made a PROPOSE
| ton that anyone who would settle with
| the rent agent could take the books-sev-
eral hundred In number. DR.. Philips went
| to Mr.. A. o. Lane, who was then Mayor.
| and asked him IL he wouldn't put up the
| money and turn the library over to the
high school. Mr.. Lane cheerfully contrib
| uted the $25 and DR.. Phillips had the
books carried to the high school, Such In
brief is the history of the beginning OF
what Is now known as the public library
There are a few annual subscribers to
the library fund. They pay $3.50 a year,
and in consideration of that amount have
the privilege Of taking books to their
homes. But the reading room is free to