The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-07-23

the library committee of the Alabama Educational association. He said: Gentlemen of the Alabama Press Asso- ciation:
 I bring you no finely spun theories, nor long drawn arguments in favor of li- braries. Without intending to throw any bouquets at all, I am conscious of the i fact that there is no body of workers in Alabama more capable of appreciating the truth of Carlyles statement that the greatest university is a collection of books, and more sure to indorse the statement that the greatest ambition we may instin into our boys and girls is determination to get this university train- ing. and the greatest help we can give our boys and girls is to make 1t possible for them to obtain this training than the Alabama Press association.
 Everyone will agree, too, that it is im- I possible for all our young people to go l to Tuscaloosa, Auburn or any other col , lege or university. But by placing l collection of good books in every school building and in every home, and with these collections, by persistent efforts, create a desire for, and a habit of. read ing in all our young people. Is it not plain that practically every boy and girl may soon come under the broadening, elevating, refining influence of Sarlyles university. Everyone will agree that text book education is a most excellent thing. It is the means or instrument by which one may educate himself after leaving school. But to stop with this is like teaching pupil the theory of chemical combinations without letting him use the laboratory or the boy the principles of carpentry without letting him so much as see the tools. True education, the kind the state is paying for or at least wants to pay for, is creation, construction, char acter building. Text-booh education con sists largely of facts, instrumental, of course, but mechanical. We want to sup plement this with the books giving the story of the experiences, the successes and failures, the struggles of mankind as individuals and collectively, in the pas sage from barbarian to the present state of culture. It is by learning the experi- ences of others and approaching them, ] or re-experiencing them that one learns l and grows in character. It is the library 1 book, not the textbook, that contains l these experiences. That is why you say l the self-educated, self-made man is so | broad, so practical. His came from read ] ing the books of experience rather than 1 from textbooks only A great educator and statesman has told us that 1t mat ters not so much about what a boy | knows when he leaves school as what he | loves. If he does not come in contact with good books, does not have any to
 read, how can he love to read? If he
 has only textbooks the records show
 that less than 1 per cent ever develop the reading habit, ever become educated. My purpose, therefore, in coming before yol
 IS to beg of you a little more active as-
 sistanee in creating a library sentiment In Alabama, in placing books in reach of
 our people, and in arousing-no, not mere
 ly arousing but compelling-the teachers
 10 do more active work along this line.
 Is this necessary, you ask? Just word
 10 show our position. We had in 1900 onl,
 l2 books to each 100 of our population
 While many of the states not merely
 New England states, but others, hac
 about 20 times as many. While Alabama
 IS doing nothing as a state for 1ibrar,
 support, New York's library taxes last
 year were about the same as Alabama
 entire educational tax.
 Then, as loyal citizens of this great
 state, believing in the ultimate triumph oi
 our plan of government, do you not
 agree with me that it is time we were
 all stirring ourselves nightly to brine
 about better environment for our chil
 dren, the hope of the future? Will yor
 not agree
 First, To use your columns liberally fol
 this cause.
 Second, advocate the passage by oul