The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1905-12-27
ANOTHER STATEMENT.
II. M. Hitchcock Gives an Impartial
View of Library Question.

View of Library Question.
To THE EDIToR:-A misleading &C
count of a conference between a com
mite from the Library Board and the
Board of Education, published in The
.Reveille last week gives the impression,
either Intentionally or otherwise, that
the library is seriously mismanaged.
The Reveille reporter made no at
tempt to present the views of either the
Board of Education or the Library
Board on the subject preached by the
Library Committee, but occupied con
siderable space in reporting criticisms
of library management introduced to
the discussion by member Of the Board
of Education.
AS the subject is of much interest to
many Reveille readers some further
comment and information may be, at
least, as worthy of space in The Reveille
columns as last weeks fragmentory re-
port of the affair. 1t is well to state
first, that the proposition from the
Library Board was in effect tender of
services from the public library to the
! school,
/ While it was put in the form of re-
quest for the Board of Education to APP
propriate an amount for books to ha
placed in the library, the books them
selves were to be altogether of such
character as to be part of the needed
equipment of the schools and subject to
the selection or approval of the school
faculty. Besides this, the investment
by the School Board would entitle
them to an additional fund from a state
appropriation, made for that purpose,
which would not be the case if the pur-
chase was made by the Library Board.
In passing it might as well be noted
that the state requires as one condition
of granting the annual appropriation of
81 10000 to the district much more
complete school library than could be
well cared for in the old building. Thus
it is especially fortunate and timely
that the offer of the Library Board
should come when it is important that
the School Board should increase the
library facilities of the school.
The request of the committee origi-
mated in frequent applications from the
students for aid from the library and
the wish of the Library Board to give
all possible aid to the students. The
Library Board offers to keep and care
for all books needed in school work.
which are more conveniently available
at the library than at either of the
school buildings, and relieve teachers
from the responsibility of caring for and
distributing the books. A large share
of such books are more immediately
/ available to the student under the care
of competent librarian than they can
be elsewhere.
This is one of the ways in which the
librarian and Library Board cooperate
with the schools and are making the
library an important part of our educ
tionsl system.
An instance along this line is the pur-
chase by the Library Board of the
largest, most complete ard latest en-
cyclopedia to be obtained. 1t is a more
expensive and valuable set of books
than will be placed in any private or
school library in town. This is in fire.
quent use and the Librarian reports that
it is consulted at least fifty times by
school students to once by others.
Our public library is supplying four
different kinds of service to the resi-
dents of this community.
First-comfortable, pleasant, free