The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1907-11-13
OUT or TOWN LIBRARY PATRONS.
Why the Library Board Requires Them
to Pay Annual Fee.

The question has been asked sew
eral times why the privileges of the
public library, so far as carrying
books from the building, should be
confined to the residents of the city.
There is some ! misunderstanding
about thisslmatter which the board
are very..willing to explain, so far as
they can.
We are cited to cases where the
library is thrown open to the whole
county or to restricted portions of
it andzsare asked why we do not
follow the same policy. The answer
is quite easy.
In some counties the commissioners
make yearly appropriation on con-
dition that the library shall be free
to the whole county. In other cases
the libraries have been endowed
literally on the same conditions. In
still other counties the ABIDING town
ship boards make yearly appro-
priation on condition that the town.
ships shall be entitled to the benefits
of town readers. We are neither
endowed nor do we get any appro-
priation outside the city. The coun-
ell of this city makes an annual
appropriation Of $1,000 or an average
of approximatelyas3 90 per family
towards supporting the library. Out
of this comes the librarians salary,
janitor's compensation, fuel and
lights, expenses of keeping up ma
gaines and periodicals, repairs, in
surance and the like until the net
income for books is cut down to
very low sum each year. In fact
the proceeds from the lecture courses
has been almost as big an item for
the past three years.
1t will be seen at a glance that the
library board cannot, without a
positive injustice to the tax payers
Of the city, throw open the privilege
of taking books from the building
to outsiders.
The charge for outside yearly SUBJ
scriptions is but Isl per year or less
than the average amount per family
from those outside. 1t is not an
injustice to make this condition
for the use fof our books for home
by those who bear no share
of the expenses of keeping it up.
Let it not be forgotten that we do
give benefit to those outside. Our
library room isssabsolutely free. Any
book on. the shelves or periodical
on the table is free to any one dur
ing the hours the library is open.
In addition we procure volumes from
the state library association, pay all
charges for getting them here,
furnish librarian to care for and
distribute them, and these may be
had by anybody.
When the writer was a country
boy in Michigan he paid 81 per
year tor the privilege of library
eight miles distant. There he learned
that Bertha Clay and Mary ].
Holmes were decidedly inferior to
Dickens and Thackeray and that
Augusta Evans and E. P. Roe were
not as good reading as Scott. After
a little. history and biography were
found to be more helpful than novels
and the habitgof reading for instruc-
ton rather than for excitement was
formed.
1t is true that monthly and week
ly periodicals are more plentiful and
generally better now than then; that
the reading material open in mos
country homes is far better in both
quantity and quality than thirty
five years ago, but somehow the
reading habit was almost as great
then as now.
A subscription list of 100 out of
town readers would enable the board
to give more than value received.
We could add the latest and best
histories to those on our shelves.
We can give the benefit of trained
librarian to those who want to i'm
prove their reading. We can help
in debates and essays. Better than
all, we can put the young people
from outside the town in touch with
the best and most thoughtful inside
of it.