Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1908-06-27

association in it's active life are the
League of Library Commissions, the
National Association of State Libraries
and the American Association of Law
Libraries. Two other associations that
the association hopes to have affiliated
with 1t soon are the Bibliographical
Society of America and the American
Association of Medical Libraries. Mem
bership is open to library workers and
to others interested in the work, the
latest roster of members showing a
little over 1000, of whom twenty-three
are not connected directly with librar-
les in any way. Permanent headquar-
tiers for the association were estab-
lished in Boston In September, 1905.
Public libraries have become one of
the most important factors in the
general educational movement of the
country. Professor William p. Trent
of Columbia recently stated that four
things support the nation--the church,
the court of law, the school and the
library. In the thirty-two years OF its
existence the American Library asso-
citation has done much to raise the
educational standard of the nation.
The association was one of the many
progressive movements that found It's
beginning in the Philadelphia centen-
NAL in 1876. 1t came as a result or a
three days conference of librarians. 1t
stated it's purpose to be the promotion of
library interests, the interchange OF
experience and opinion, the obtaining
of best results with the least expendi-
ture of money and labor, and the adj
vancement of the profession of librar-
ian. Since the centennial the associa-
ton has, with the exception of two
haI1 n
Gus cities.
The earliest libraries were those con-
nected with educational institutions,
Harvard establishing the first in 1878.
Charleston had public library in l70O.
1t was not long after the opening of
this one that public library began its
existence in North Carolina. The North
Carolina general assembly, sitting In
biennial session at the home of Captain
Richard Saunders at Little River in
the winter of 1715-16, passed an act
"for securing the public library be-
longing to st. Thomas parish in PAM
tico." The first Harvard library was
not especially rich in books, the num-
Der in the Pamtico library or the
Charleston one, is unknown. These
were the small beginnings, but from
such and from the private Libraries of
early Americans has grown up the COM
prehensive free library of today.
There are now about 1000 public, So
ciety and school Libraries of 1000 vol
umes and over. These have over 55,000,-
900 volumes. This allows a library to
about $4,000 people, even when the viii
lage and travelling libraries are not in
cluded. and every group of eighteen
people may have free eleven books to
read as they please. In the north At
lantic states there are 1926 books to
every 100 persons, and the proportion
varies with the population, the wealth
or the standard of 'literacy in each
state. In the District Of Columbia there
are 925 books to every 100 persons; In
Massachusetts 256: in California 1877;
and in Florida and West Virginia only
fifteen. The number of libraries shows
as great a diversity of figures, the
states being led by New York, which
has nearly 1000 libraries. one-seventh
of all in the United States, and about
100000 volumes, over fifth of all
the library books. Massachusetts, ranks
next with approximately $50 Libraries
and 100000 volumes.
There were state libraries in New
Hampshire and Pennsylvania in 1777,
but it was not until after the Revolu-
ton that there was any general ten
dency to have OFFICIAL libraries con-
nected with state governments. Every
state and territory has now long had
its own library, the support coming
from appropriations by the respective
legislatures. Subscription Libraries
date we'll back in the eighteenth CEN
fury, and Benjamin Franklin was one
of the pioneers in this work, being re-
sponsible for the founding of the Phila-
delphia library in 1871. One hundred
and sixty years later free libraries
were ordered to be established through
out Philadelphia at public expense and
under the direction of the board of edu-
cation. Now the free library alone
distributes something like 100000 vol
umes a year.
The free public library as municipal
building in the south owes its begin
ming to Andrew Carnegie. There Is
no Insurance of nations so cheap as