The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-11-22
THOMAS M. OWEN AT
 HEAD OF LIBRARY
 ASSOCIATION
tcontlnuea from Page Flve.)

the l.aurehtian at Florence, in tho rich ness and antiquity of their manuscripts stand in the front rank.
 .-rhe first library. in the United States was foundedAt Harvard College in efe3s, and at present Is the largest and most valuable university library in America. Tn 1900 the Harvard Li- brarv contained 1z,0Oo volumes, the PhiIadelphla Library Company, is.ssl volumes. and the Charleston Society Library, 1000 volumes.
 "Iu 1900 there were less than nfty libraries in the United States and less then 100000 volumes in them. In 1ss6 there were fifty-seven libraries and ss0, 201 volumes; in 1875, S,SAS libraries and S,329,s26 volumes; in 1900, T.5OO h- braries and 40,0O0.000 volumes. Among the great libraries are the public libraries of Boston, Chicago and New York, the Congressional Library at Washington and the Library of Har- ward University"
 Miss Laura M. Fillmore of the Car negts Library, Montgomery, next occu- pied the floor and read q studied pa- per on The Organization of a Li- brary."
 MT. Harte of Mobile.
 One of the most interesting discus sions of the whole meeting was that OK A. Gs E1dTAct DA N4ObttCt NtAO cROAS on, What Libraries Can Do for Local HistoryT'
 He set forth the methods that are employed in the '. M. c. A. library in Mobile, explaining the great neces- sity of every one consecrating himself to the public interest in the way of donating to community libraries relics, diaries and other records of 8 locality.
 He made special plea for a pres ervation of newspaper files in every town or city. These should be bound into volumes and shelved in the ale coves of every public library.
 Dr. owen vacated the chair to speak of '~The Duty of the State to Libraries and Library Effort"
 He extoIled the steady advances be- ing made by Alabama in the perform ance of her duties to libraries and the archives Summarizing his speech pr. owen said the duty of the State involves:
 1. Support of a state library at the seat of government, such a library to be general in scope. and also for the use of the Supreme Court of the State.
 ?. Support of a historical reference library as a part Of the activities of the Department of Archives and His tory of the State, or of the State his- torical society where the States his tOrical interests are administered in that way.
 3. Support and administration of free public libraries in counties, cit tes, towns and villages. Authority to support and maintain to be conferred on county commissioners. or boards of revenue, municipal authorities and trustees in villages.
 4. Laws for library development in colleges, city schools and public schools.
 5. Enactment of laws for Fegula- ton of libraries created by private do- nation or grant.
 6. Establishment of a State Library Commission, charged with the ad- ministration of the library interests of the State and the management of travelling libraries.
 Hum2aville's Library.
 A. c. Harts was called to the chair next to hear and put to the meeting a resolution which was introduced by pr. Owen. recording the regret of the Association over the announcement that the Huntsville Library Associa- ton will discontinue it's library. The resolution was as follows:
 '"This body having heard with pro- found regret that the Huntsville Li- brary Association expects to close the library 1t has maintained in that city for the past eleven years, now there fore be 1t
 Resolved by the Alabama Library Association, that a most earnest ap- peal is hereby made to the said Hunts vile Library Association to reconsider it's determination to discontinue it's library, and the hope is expressed that some means may ba devised whereby future support may be obtained"
 The Evening SesBlOn.
 Prof. c. C. Thach, President of the Alabama Polytechnic Institute, present. ed a practical paper on College Li- braries at the evening session of the Association.
 Nothing conduces more, in my opin- ion. to the mental uplift and to the gen. eraI atmosphere of culture and refine ment than a we'll equipped college li- brary," observed Professor Thach early in his discussion.
 'Tt must be stated primarily. and with all emphasis, that the first aim in the administration of a college library should be to secure the readiest and most perfect accessibility to the books. The modern library is not a charmed circle, @ is not sacred ground, but 1t Is a laboratory for the preservation of quaint and curious volumes of forgot ten lore, but 1t Is a laboratory, a work shop. The books are tools and the greatest good ensues from their great est use"
 Professor Thach then proceeded to affirm that. as a general principle, the