The Greeley tribune., 1904-12-08
! PUBLIC LIBRARY
+ Its Needs. By Fred E. Smith

'NiiN'D4A N''A $50 ~ O'A '"Ar-NN-s
and literary matters.
The library room has been so
crowded during the last three wears
that the library board has been at a
loss what to do about the handling
of books and bound magazines.
Some four years ago an effort was
made by some to obtain gift from
Mr.. Carnegie for public library
building. and after the petition had
gone forward was requested to
furnish an article on the probability
of our getting the library building
from that source: this was printed
March $. 1900. and covered all mat
ters relating to the library that |
then had in mind, together with such
recommendations as thought would
be for the best good OF the city
During the last year dozens OF per-
SONS have asked me about this article,
and l have finally asked The Greeley
Tribune to republish a small part of
that article in answer to this re-
quest 1t seems now very oppor-
tune time to do something about
library quarters, and for that matter,
about Il city hall, that at present is
far from being in keeping with the
rest of our public improvements.
Our city hall is not bit too large
for such town as Lucerne or Kersey
and for the last two years when
showing strangers about the town
have refrained from driving by the
city hall for fear, somebody would
ask me what it was.
We have in storage, ready for put
ting in the library as soon as we
have larger quarters, some three
hundred volumes of government
books, many of which are frequently
called for, as they contain the latest
reports of geologic, topographic and
irrigation surveys, together with the
latest results and experiments on
plant diseases and other questions
of greatest interest on econmic sub
jects. We have also some one hun
dred volumes of recent bound maga-
zines in storage, which are fire.
quently needed by women's clubs
in preparation of papers.
We have not asked for the repub-
fishing of that part of the article
referring to Mr.. Carnegie's methods,
as the petition turned out exactly as
/ anticipated.
The city council for the last two
years has made our appropriation
$500 per year, and had we larger
quarters we should be able to make
the library much more useful than
at present.
Where most libraries fail, espec-
tally those that are organized upon
the strength of bequest, is in
maintainance. Too much of the
principal is invested in books and
equipment; too little for replacement
and running expenses.
In order to maintain our little
library just about as it is now and
keep books replaced that actually
wear out, we ought to. have one
thousand dollars a year, instead of
five hundred. An annual appropria-
tion of that amount would give us
new books four or five times year,
keep it open daily and make it a
pretty fair little library; but one
thousand dollars would be a large
amount of money, equal to about a
and am sure the taxpayers would
not favor it at present. If we are
willing to tax ourselves, with say,
a mill tax a year it would give us
about the same revenue as from a
$25, 600 investment at four per cent,
and we could with very good grace
ask some philanthropist to make us a
bequest of $25, 600 or $50, 900 for a
building and sinking fund.
Suppose we did all this and that
the answer from the phiIanthropist
was favorable, how much of a
library building and library could
be built and equipped under such
conditions? 1t would take $l5, 900
to put up a good and worthy library
building. even on city property.
Furnishings and equipment another
80, 600, for additional books, $5, 600 j:
for sinking funds in the hands Of
local trustees to earn five per cent
from s25, 900 to $50, 900.
1t will be observed in the above
apportioDment that only very small
amount is invested in books, yet
lie ie. In TO