The Savannah morning news., 1903-02-13
FREE LIBRARY PLAN
ENDORSED BY GEORGIA HISToRI-
CAL SOCIETY AT ANNUAL
MEETING.
CITY OFFERS $4,000 A YEAR.
MATTER NOW IN HANDS OF COM
MITTEEs OF LIBRARY AND CITY.

uingham. Chairman of Committee
Appointed Year AGO-Mr. Il. j.
Baldwin Gave Details of Proposed
Arrangement-COI.L avtOn's Reso-
luton That Plan he Adopted Was
Carried After Discussion - Presi-
dents Report showed Small Col
lection of Dues and Heavy Deficit
With no Assets.
No further doubt is felt that Sa-
vannah will shortly have a public Ii
brary At the annual meeting of the
Georgia Historical Society last night
plans looking to that end through an
arrangement by which the city con-
tributes a specified sum to support
such an institution were submitted and
a resolution of approval was unani-
mously passed.
The basis of the plan that ii is sought
to carry out is set forth in the follow
ing report submitted by Capt. II. c.
Cunningham chairman of a committee
of five, appointed at the last annual
meeting to consider and present plan
for the benefit of the library.
ne
First. Let the society return to its
original purpose of being purely an
historical society.in which membership
shall be distinguished honor instead of
being simply a library subscription
right Let the society separate its
historical documents and books, wall
liable for the true purposes of the So
ciety. from the ordinary run of books,
turning over the latter with the use
of a portion of the societys building
to a library board jointly selected by
the city and the society to conduct
public library. Let this board of Ii
brary governors be entirely separate
from the Board of Managers of the
Georgia Historical Society.
Second Make the library of current
books free to the white citizens of Sa-
vannah, provided the city will con
tribute annually an adequate sum to-
ward its maintenance, the society con-
tributing it's present current library,
so much of the use of the building as
may be necessary and paying part
of the librarians salary.
Limit Membership.
Third. Raise the membership dues
to $25 per annum. and limit the total
membership strictly to 100 members.
This will provide an ample fund for all
of the true purposes of the society, such
as the purchase, publication or repro
duction of historical publications, books,
valuable documents and other matters
of historical interest.
The society should then issue an an
nual publication of some sort continu-
ing thus its policy of printing it's coll
lections. These should be solely for the
use of it's members, other similar socie-
ties, and Libraries. Each copy should
be numbered and a record kept of the
person to whom it is sent. No charge
should be made for any of these publ
cations. and none of them should be
sold at any price. This would tend to
make membership of value to the sub
scribers, and would place them in
distinct class. into which it would be
an honor to enter.
Fourth. The membership should be
extended over the entire state and to
all persons interested in the society's
purposes wherever residing and such
persons encouraged to join the society,
provided there be vacancies allowing
it. All present members would, of
course. be privileged to remain MEM
bers and all future members should be
carefully selected only from among
those persons interested in the so
ciety's objects.
Its Income Assured.
Fifth. In order that the society
may feel safe in raising it's dues to
$25 per annum twenty-five gentlemen
have given written guarantee that for
five years the annual income of the
society derived from these dues shall
not be less than the $4,000 considered
necessary. With this guarantee, the
society fa ~,
ing its dues, provided it has at the
same time reasonable assurances that
the city will provide the funds neces-
sary to create the proposed free libra
ry and this is one of the conditions of
the guarantee.
Sixth. Owing to the complete re-
organization which this plan would
bring about, whenever the society has
started upon this new basis, all of the
present curators and officers should
dender their designations, and the 100
permanent members of the society
should then organize and elect a board
of curators, who would have charge of
the affairs of the society. Trustees of
the Telfair Academy and governors of
the public library should also be Sc
lected. There would seem to be no
way of bringing about this complete
reorganization without allowing the
society this privilege of a new election.
To Change Constitution.
Seventh. 1t is probable that some
revision of the constitution and by
laws would be needed, especially a pro
vision by which out of own members
of the society would vote by proxy.
The annual meeting of the society.
which takes place on the anniversary
of the founding of the state of Georgia.
Feb. IL, should be made an occasion
which would bring together all of the
100 members of the society, and should
DE emphasized by some definite pro-
ceedings of unusual interest, perhaps
by banquet, to which distinguished
speakers would be invited, in order to
make the occasion sufficiently attrac-
tive to induce out of town members to
attend this annual meeting.
The preliminary draft of the fore
going plan having met with the unarii-
nous approval of the board on Ian.
%, 1903, and a committee having been
appointed by the president to confer
with the city authorities concerning
the public library, also a committee
to propose changes in the constitution
and bylaws of the society, we respect
fully recommend the plan for adoption
by the society. The report was signed
by H. c. Cunningham, chairman;
George ]. Baldwin, w. w. Mackau A.
r. Lawton and ]. F. Minis.
Twenty-Five GuarantOrs.
Capt. Cunningham also read the fol-
lowing paper: 1.-THE undersigned here
by guarantee to the society for five
years from Feb. u, 1903, an annual in
come from dues Of not less than $4,000.
subject only to the following condi-