The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-06-18
HOT CAMPAIGN IS
 ON FUR LIBRARY Membership Committee Issues
 Ringing Address SEEK GENERAL INTEREST Contributions Can Be for Any Amount and Contributor Thus Becomes
 Member of the Library
 Association.
SEEK GENERAL INTEREST

Feeling that the time is ripe for action, the membership committee of the Pub lie Library association of Birmingham yesterday issued an appeal to the public setting forth the plans of the association and asking the hearty cooperation of every one interested in the movement to establish an institution here which shall be the pride of the city and a general benefaction.
 Dr. T. D. Parke, chairman of the mem bership committee, said yesterday that the campaign has been carefully planned and that with this appeal the matter is fully launched before the public and no grass will be allowed to grow beneath the feet of the promoters of the library movement who are pledged to carry out the plans to successful completion.
 "A membership committee from the ex- ecutive board of the Public Library asso- eiation has been named said Dr. Parke yesterday, and will actively conduct campaign for members and for interest in the movement. The people are to be kept acquainted with the fact that the library movement is on foot-that the library movement is a fact and not fic- tion."
 Relative to the membership canvass, Dr. Parke said that the committee will be- gin at once to solicit names and every one will be asked to become member of the Birmingham Public Library asso- citation and to subscribe to article 8 of the constitution, as follows;
 Membership shall consist of such per- sons as shall manifest their interest in Of ba enrolling their names as members, and by making a voluntary contribution for the purposes contemplated in the organization
 The appeal to the public Is as follows: An Appeal For Workers in the Public
 Library Movement by the Committee on
 Membership.
 ''The executive board of the Public Library association has placed itself on record as being in entire sympathy with the sentiment expressed in the meeting al the Majestic theatre. that the library movement should be a popular movement a peoples movement, and that the H. brary should be furnished by our own people without asking charity from with out.
 "A library representing something of the time or interest or money of ten thousand of our citizens will be more effective--a hundred fold-from the day of it's opening, than one given through outside charity.
 ''Our people have not asked charity to erect the many and costly churches in ! our midst they have not asked it to build our grammar and high schools. There can be no question of the ability of our people to build library.
 ''The library association offers the means of concentrating the existing pub lie sentiment; it offers the means of ere ating and viyifying sentiment where this is lacking. Above all, it offers the means of cooperation. Capital has long since grasped the power of cooperation and demonstrated it's possibilities. Labor has grasped it's power. It remains for this people to recognize through action, it's tremendous power. When the people shall have co-operated in this library movement, we can have a great library that will be an enduring monument to our collective intelligence.
 Education does not cease with school life; it only begins. Every boy and girl leaving our schools, every young man or woman coming among us, should, as a. public asset, be given the opportunity to educate himself or herself in the real sense of that term Adult education through the medium of stored knowledge in the library, is the slogan of this cam paign.
 This library movement, altruistic in it's. nature, one in which the spirit of in- divNdua! advantage is eliminated, appeals not alone to the patriotism of our citi- zens, but gives rein to all the nobler sentiments.
 "The movement Is above sect. It Is above class. It is a. movement of a whole people in which sect or class has no place, no recognition.
 ''1ne membership committee recognizes | that the executive board cannot build or equip this library, The association must build it. and the association should be a live working institution with & policy to l be cared out by it's executive board. Its meeting should be a form for the discus sion and formulation of association poll | cies and plans
 '"rhe committee is convinced that there | are men and women all over our city as 1 much interested in the success of the | library as are they themselves It here | with calls on these to make offer of | their services for the immediate work before us. namely, to enlist interest, to secure members to furnish large au- dlences at the meetings of the assocla- tion.
 Names of volunteer workers should be forwarded to the secretary of the library association when work will be apportioned by the committee in charge. MT. w. II. Manly at the Birmingham Trust and Savings company has consent ed to receive membership cards with the aceomrsnying voluntary contribution and give receipt for same as a convenience to those in the business district. The sec retary of the association, Dr. J. Fl. Phillips. will continue to receive member ship cards at his office in the high school. T. D. PARKE SAMUEL ULLMAN. A. J. DICKINSON. c. c. HOUSTON.