Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1904-04-14
Secretary Wisconsin
Free Library Com
mission
Able Officer Forced
by Failing Health
to Resign
Much Work Done by
Commission in
Nine Years

The annual meeting of the Wiscon-
sin Free Library commission was held
yesterday afternoon in the Office of
Commissioner Thwaites, in the State
Historical library building. All mem,
bers were present-Chairman j. H.
Stout OF Menomonie, Vice Chairman
h. G. Thwaites, DR.. Charles r. Van
Hise, president of the state university;
Prof. G. P. Cary, state superintendent
OF public instruction, and Mrs. Charles
NJ. Morris of Berlin.
A number of interesting reports
We've read, from the several heads of
departments-Miss l.. E. Stearns, IL
brary visitor; Miss Cordelia Marvin,
library instructor; DR.. Charles McCar.
thy, in charge of the legislative refer
ence library, and Miss K. l. Mcdonald,
assistant secretary. All of these show
ed that the commission is carrying out
very important work throughout the
state, with its travelling libraries, Ii.
orary Institutes, bulletins of informa.
ton, library training school, clearing
mouse department, legislative reference
library and other departments.
From these reports it appeared that
when the commission was organized
IN 1895 there were but %
public libraries in, Wisconsin:
there are now 1872. In 1895
there were but libraries housed in
their own buildings; there are now 81
library buildings erected or provided
for. Since 1895, the sum of 81 ,061, 500
has been given by individuals for IL
brary buildings in Wisconsin: of this.
Andrew Carnegie has provided 1884,
800. When the commission was es-
tablished, but one Wisconsin municipal
public library (not counting the state.
supported libraries, of course) employ
ed any Observation-Disclosures service:
there are now 20 librarians in this state
who are graduates of library schools.
and IS librarians, and assist.
ants who have attended the
commissions summer training
school. There were in 1895 no
travelling Libraries, whereas now there
are 349, not including those circulated
by women's clubs. Of the several
county systems of travelling libraries
81 are maintained by private funds, and
II by county tax.
F.A. Hutchins Resiqns,
Perhaps the most interesting bus
mess transacted, so far as the general
public is concerned, was the receipts
and acceptance of the resignation OF
Secretary Frank A. Hutchins, and the
election of Henry E. Legler, secretary
OF the Milwaukee school board. as his
successor. Mr.. Hutchins has been I'm.
able through nervous exhaustion, to be
at his desk for the past IA months. and
after having stayed at the sanitariums
of Battle Creek and Palmyra, and in the
Adirondacks, is at present near Ashe
vile, North Carolina Mr.. Hutchins.
health does not return to him, as ex.
pected, hence his determination to re.
sign. This decision the board was dis
inclined to accept, still hoping that the
beloved secretary might return: bu,
this seeming impracticable for a long
time to come, action was finally taken
with the above result The name of
Mr.. Legler, as well as those of several
others. have for some time been con-
sidered by committee of the board
and he was chosen as being by all
means the best qualified.
1t should be understood, however,
that Mr.. Legler has not in any sense
been candidate for the office. He al
nEeady occupies an important position,
ich is more remunerative than the
TO which he has just been elected;
has only been within the past
that he has consented to &C.
bis he does because he consid.
ost, although bearing a small
one that will bring him into
ations with the people of the
whole; because he has a !
interest in the library
and because he believes
re him better opportunity
Srite upon matters in
cularly interested. Mr. |
1move to Madison and
me to the new work,
Till previous to that
out from Milwau- |
ke commissions in
himself as to de. /!
retary.
as born June %, |.
&c. at Palermo,
cation was re-
IS at Luzerne,