The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-06-14
I'M WlTIUlI m 1HlW WlNIll lIE mlI ETITI


 tfhe following article is published under the auspices of the Committee on Education of the Alabama Fedora fion of womep's Clubs. State papers pleasereopy.)
 The most vitaliy interesting question in Alabama today is education; ana all agencies which make for enhgnt- enment and uplift are welcome. Tno library as one of the educational forces ie assuming a place not heretofore re- cognized. Everywhere there Is an awakening to its importance. Tn some states the proud. boast is made that there is no town of any size that is without this great agency. All or tne states are alive to the necessity for the encouragement of reading ana the use of books. Tn order to aid in the attempt to arouse the people of Ala barna to a deeper appreciation of the subject this paper is prepared. ~
 Is the Library . Necessifyfat
 Have you in your community q: free public library? A subscription library s A library club or study cfrcie7
 If you have not any such institution. is it because you do not need one7 Put the question to yourself, first, and then put it to the powers that be.
 The answer in nine cases out of ten will be that you lack such an ifsti- tuition because as you are disposed to think, you are not able to have one-- and this in the face of the fact that many of the best English classics can be bought for 2s cents a copy. You have other things which you recognize as necessities. Face the need of a H. brary as q real need---a necessity--and you will have one.
 Is the library necessity? To the man who would use the talents left to him as a sacred trust that he may re- turn them with usury at the Masters second coming. 1t most assureIiy is
 James Russell Lowell says, 'the bet ter part vf every nan'H educatIon is that which he gives himseif--it is for this that good library should furnish the opportunity and neans," and car- lyle calls the library "a great uni- versity 6f books" When profound thinkers, such aa these. class reading as the best means to education. and literature as the inexhaustible source of seif-cultnre, can the need of lie brary by any community be ques- rho schools supply us with mental sinew, strengthened and trained for work. and they lay . strong, enduring foundation of our education, but we must buiidSthe efructure for ourselves.
 What a Library Does for Dc.
 Does any man doubt the educative value of the worlds natural wonders? Tnrourh the agency of good books and with the help of an imagination stinn- ulated by them, our narrow horizon may be broadened and broadened till all the great things of nature are in- cluded within the range of our mental vision.
 Is # good for us to know something of the history, the customs. the be- sH kA.~ lNrzaf4 haunDH the festrIs ted limits of our own mar row iives7? The dweller in the far thest Orient with all his peculiar cus- forna. his modes of thought; all the claracteristics of his civilization. may be brought to our humble fireside in the writings of an author who has seen and studied him.
 present or build with any reasonable hope for the future without the lesson cf the past for guidance: The history of the world is ours for the opening of a book.
 Is the wisdom of the great minds in all ages worth while to us2 It Is ours for little real desirtng, little willingness to deny ourseves. a little brewing of discopragenenta, little earnest effort.
 The Beglnning of the Movement.
 The beginning of any movement for general upiift is always with e ven3 few, and that few is often composed largely of women. It Is the history ot all progress that two or three gathered forether in the name of a good pur- pose and pledged to untiring effort for 1t can, in time, change the mental aspect of a whole community toward the cause for which they stand,
 It is undoubtedly best in small community for the movement to orig mate with a society Of choice spirlss who are banded together for one soie nurnoge. that purpose to be the estab- iiehTnent of a public library which shall ultimately be free to all the peope No lesser ideal should be entertained for a moment. The day has passed for the subscription library as a perma- nency It is often necessary to estao- fish one as a first step toward the rree public library, but 1t should De regard ed always as a means to an end.
 For the reason that nothing succeeds ike success, it is nearly always nec- essary to first establish a library, and demonstrate it's helpfulness to q com munity before approaching the powers that be for an appropriation TOT Hs maintenance. This fact generally ne- cessItates the formation of library society or club to give the first impetus ., inc cause and to so far insure it's sncoass that local politicians will be wilj,nE to identify themselves with the ~royement T3ut this same club must TA so unsehshly devoted to the cause that ttey will be ready to turn tue Institution over without any reservation as nnwer whatsoever, to the municipal soyarnrnent as soon as the City Council is ready to assume the responsibility. Srhe preaent Law in Reference To Li'
 braF1es.
 The new municipal code Of Alaoams grants each community the right tc fax itself for the founding and main taining of a library. Section ITS oi the code reads as follows. "Cities anc towns shall have the right to establish and maintain, or aid in establishing anC maintaining. public libraries, eitnel eeDarately or in connection with th' ntibiIc schools" Prior to the adoption Of this provision the law in Alabama was largely prohlbitory of library de veiopment; now, all obstructions haR' been swept away.
 How to Be Obtained,
 livery town of 1000 inhabitanti sho,.1d have a free public library sup norted from the public revenues. Ther' ig no logic in the reasoning that be cause A town is small, 1t Is less ablt fo support library than larger com munity. One thousand people require only ou@-ffth as many books a 5000 A smail collection of books can b. housed--generally free of charge--iI some corner of popular village store and volunteer service for certain hour on certain days can be had, If the com nunIty want books,
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