Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-01-10
Branch Libraries.

The announcement of Mr.. Carnegie's In
tention to provide the District with all nee
essary branch public libraries has already
stimulated the various outlying sections of
the capi.el which would naturally be re-
garded as fair field for this line of devel-
opment. Several applications have been
filed with the library trustees to make
known the wishes of the neighborhoods, and
one suburb, lexington. has offered spe-
ciffc site free, through the generosity or
Mr.. Truesdell. 1t may be assumed that in
a short time the question of branch libra
ries will become acute and Mr.. Carnegle's
offer will find practical application.
In view of the fact that the Carnegie do
nation in every case provides merely the
housing of library and that the Public
Library itself has only just been placed
upon a plan, Of notable usefulness
through the purchase of sufficient books
from the local revenues to meet the i'm
mediate needs of small number of the
people, special immediate thought must be
given to the matter of the equipment and
development of this central book station,
postponing somewhat the creation, at least
from the public funds, Of semi-independent
branches. 1t is probable that for while
the allotment Of tax money for library pur-
poses will be mainly devoted to the Public
Library itself and that the substations or
branch libraries will evolve and grow large
ly through the enterprise of the sections
in utilizing Mr.. Carnegie's donation.
Take the case of lexington as a good
example of sectional enterprise. With site
specifically provided in a suitable location,
it Is anticipated that the citizens associa-
ton of the section will be able to supply a
sufficient stock of reference books to equip
the branch library. Any branch thus sup
Piled would then have it's local significance
beyond that of mere neighborhood point
of distribution. For these branches, in ad-
dition to their character as substations.
should develop as local culture centers, and
the more thoroughly identified the people
with the branches, through donations to
the book stock as well as to the site, the
better for both people and library institu-
ton.
Such arrangement, with the sections
furnishing the sites and the reference books
and Mr.. Carnegie the buildings, would leave
to the taxpayers and the government only
the task of supplying the maintenance,
which in most cases would include only the
pay Of the assistants in charge and the JAM
tor, the heating and telephone service
IHlS Woulu serve all enOS pest, permitting
Mr.. Carnegie to extend his bounty IN a
practical manner, stimulating the library
enterprise of the neighborhoods and leaving
the central library free to expand itself ac-
cording to its pressing needs. Each section
will be directly benefited by every measure
of central library growth. AS this book
store is increased the branch libraries using
as substations the Mt. Vernon Square books
for circulating purposes will be made the
more useful to their sections
With the lexington example as a type of
what the sections are willing to do it is not
TO be doubted that sufficient public spirit
viii be found in the various neghborhoods
where branches could properly be placed
to guarantee the funds for the starting book
stocks. 1t will be in extension Of Mr. Car
negies dominating thought thus to require
the neighborhoods to contribute in sites and
books to their own branches. He gives the
shell and asks the community to fill it.
what has applied in the large proposition to
the whole District applies with equal force
TO each subdivision Of the District. The
branches can spring up rapidly in all parts
without hampering the growth of the CEN
tral establishment if this course is pursued
and the whole institution will develop there
by along the lines of the greatest public
benefit