The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1907-01-26
BIG POSTAL LIBRARY.
Unique Project Proposed For
University City, Mo.
THE AID OF CARNEGIE SOUGHT.

Mayor Lev, is of University City Guar
nntces to Raise Same Amount of
Money Steel King Might Contribute.
Scheme Made Practicable by Many
Rural Routes and Cheap Mail, He
Says.
Plans are under way for founding a
great postal library in University City,
Mo. In operation 1t would be unlike
every library In existence. The pro-
posed institution would serve the peo-
pie of the farms and villages, all books
to be drawn by mail and delivered to
readers by mail or express, says the
st. Louis Republic.
The installation of the rural free de-
livery makes the idea practicable, it's
promoter believes. There would be no
reading rooms, no taking out books In
person, none of the arrangements of
ordinary libraries.
A proposition has been made by
Mayor E. G. Lewis Of University City
to Andrew Carnegie, asking him to CO.
operate In endowing this unique libra
ry. Mr.. Lewis has written that he will
raise In University City and ST. Louis
an amount equal to any sum Mr.. Car
negie might contribute. If Mr.. CarIe-
gle contributes 100000, the mayor will
raise and contribute that sum- the for
mer steel masters gift to be condition
al upon Mr.. Lewis securing his quota
in a short time. Mr.. Carnegie Is to
give either the building or the library.
The radical departure of this pro
posed library from all existing ones
lies In its working scheme, which Is
based OH the cheap mail and express
rates for printed matter. The volume
of business done Is expected to make
the cost for the individual subscriber
exceedingly small. Mayor Lewis says
that operating expenses would be
much less than in existing libraries,
because no clerks would be needed for
personal attendance upon subscribers.
The new plan would also insure saw
Ing of time and a smaller force Of IL
brarians, he believes.
II the project materializes, the books
will be taken to the express companies
sorted in receptacles for their destina-
tion in the same manner as the output
of large publishing houses. BY this ar
rangement the cost Of sending one vol
ume will be about 2 cents by mail. Mr..
Lewis believes that the express compa-
nies can be induced to make a rate Of
one-half a cent pound within radius
of 500 miles of st. Louis, since most OF
the books will be sent by express.
Mr.. Lewis has designed q mailing
carton into which the books can be
quickly slipped and protected from
damage In transit.
''The books will be specially bound
for the requirements Of the library"
said Mr.. Lewis. '"The customary heavy
binding will be removed and a pliable,
light binding adapted for mailing and
express purposes substituted. The
books will be printed on light, thin pa
per. Adapted for this peculiar system,
the proposed building differs from pre-
vailing library structures. The space
ordinarily taken for reading rooms will
be given to mailing and express apart
ments.
Patrons Of the library will be re-
quired to make small deposit, per-
haps 81, and pay small yearly fee.
This will not be enough to defray the
running expenses Of the institution.
It is expected to endow the library to
meet operating expenses by asking
each Of the hundreds Of thousands Of
subscribers to contribute a small sum.
probably only 10 cents.
'"rhe loss of books is expected to be
less than In the usual library. The pos
tai laws will afford protection for the
library. And farmers and inhabitants
OF villages who are expected to pat
ronize the library most are more per-
manently located than the ordinary
city library patron.