The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-11-24

church.. State ana soSiSlS' Aii.to1 DE
the woman who can converse nteill-
@antiv nnon any current topic, and
who can also prepare d good dinner.
our colleges realize this and women
are being trained in all arts.
The chief aim of the Woman COL
lege will be to equip young women Tor
service and will impress upon them
the duty of service, so that they may
be capable of any duty-whether 1t De
to carry the light of education ana
truth into the darkest places OF 10 IL
illuminate society with their presence.
1t will make them know what 1t
means, to be a well educated woman
and they will strive for all that is pure
and noble in life. uch college mas
long been the desire of those inter-
ested in the higher education OF Wo-
man and people all over the South
as well as throughout the State, are
watching the development of the Wo-
mans College with the greatest IN
terest and believing in its glorious flu
ture.
Now, secondly, let us notice the lib
rary movement at Trinity which is
the other leading issue of the college
in recent years.
Trinity College Library as a type of
the new library is the best in the
South. The latest step in the build
ing of the new Trinity has been the
presentation by Mr.. James B. Duke
of new library building, costing With
its furnishings over $50 900. 1t will
not be excelled in convenience and
excellence of appointments by any
college Library in the South. He
has added $4,000 for the purchase
of the most necessary books in the
various Departments of study. The
new building has capacity of two
hundred thousand volumes, and it is
the intention of the institution to make
every effort to build uD a great lib
rary. With the growth of Trinitys
Library way will be opened for ad-
Vanced study and investigation in the
South. The development of Trinity
represents a movement from within
to elevate Southern Collegiate educa-
ton TO the level of the best modern
institutions
This library has a most interesting
history. By degrees it has grown to
its greatness. In 1886 the library
consisted of two collections which
We're owned by the Literary societies.
In each collection there were about
1000 volumes. Each society spent
from fifty to seventy-five dollars a year
for books. In 1887 DR.. CroweL be-
came president of the college and in
duced the two societies to place their
collections together in one large room
over which the college took the over
sight. Ills next step was to collect Il
regular library fee of two dollars a
year from each student, the proceeds
of which were to be used i'm buying
books. The library grew slowly. Vari-
Gus friends gave it books. then the
trustees of the college by recommen-
dation of the faculty doubled the an
nual library fee and collected it from
faculty and students alike. At the
same time card catalogue was. in
troduced the books were counted and
and accession book was provided.
When the college was moved to
Durham Il large class room i'm the
Washington Duke building was as
signed it. Shelves were placed
around the wall and they accommo-
dated the books then on hand. BY
1898 the room was more than full.
This condition of affairs was brought
to the attention of Mr.. James Bu-
the spring of 1900. He said at once
that he would give the new building,
as already said above.
The building which has thus been
erected as a handsome rorhanesque
structure, surmounted by a graceful
copper-coVered dome. 1t is built of
the best quality of red-pressed brick
with corners supported by wide bands
of dressed granite. The reading room
presents a striking appearance and on
the north side is the stack-room. The
library is organized according to the
most modern library method. The
decimal system of classification with
the cutter author tables for sub-classi-
ficatiOn are used.
On February L. 1899, the books in
the library We're counted and were
found to be 1900 volumes begin
ming at that date an accession book
was kept and at the present time the
total number is 1857. About thou
sand volumes in addition to those are
ordered. There is no department in
the college curriculum which is not
represented in the library by a supply
of books in adequate for class refer
ence. In some departments there are
extremely valuable collections. The
department of early English litera-
ture contains al the most valuable
books obtainable on that subject. The
Shakespeare aibrary is most ex-
cellent one 1t has recently received
from Miss Annie Roney, of Durham
n. c., a generous gift of one thousand
dollars There will soon be at Trinity
one of the best Shakespeare collections
in America. The most considerable
special collection in the library is
the AN6rd BlDle COl1eCLlOn eSldDHSn6Q
by Mrs. f. 3. McCullers in memory
of Mr.. W. H. Avera, of Johnston coun-
ty, n. c. 1t now contains 5S1 volumes
and is permanently endowed. The
library was formally opened Febru-
airy %. 1903.
This library marks new epoch,
under the management of which we
shall come to the proper interpreta-
ton Of the literature and traditions
of our people. 1t will institute a new
order of things among us and will do
hard service in behalf of Southern
| progress. Colleges in q large sense
are makers of civilization and to do
real service is the high ambition of
Trinity College. 1t means to give to
the world workers in every line Of
works-men of the highest type with
broad, noble, principles. And with
new and larger books will come new
and deeper ideas, which in turn will
bring forth broader and sturdier-
men and women. The opening of this
library should be celebrated as a nota-
BILE on. in the history of Trinity, and
the educational history of North Car
lima and the whole South.