Arizona republican., 1908-02-15
AN OCCASION
 10 REMEMBER
Opening of the New Car
 negie Library
With Song and Address a Pleased People Engaged In Fitting Ceremony.

The new Carnegie library building
 was formally opened last night by a ceremony that was notable both for it's
 simplicity and it's impressiveness. Ev-
 cry person present will long remember
 the event as one fraught with future
 importance rather than of present
 glory, for it is the first great beginning
 of an institution that will no doubt be
 an honor to the city and the pride of
 its inhabitants years after the present
 general ton has passed from the stage
 Of action. It may sometime be added
 to, enlarged or succeeded by some greater and grander structure, the out
 growth of the necessities of later generation, but it's present provisions will not be outgrown for a long time and if they ever are it's successor will
 be but a greater monument to the work of today and the preliminaries of preceding days. In any event the pub llc library as a municipal institution will survive and grow in importance until civilization shall evolve beyond any present conception and this is Phoenix first public library building.
 All honor is paid to the generosity of that public spirited man. Andrew Carnegie, who has made this hand some and most eXcellently appointed structure possible. No less in remem- brance of the present citizenship of Phoenix. however, are the Iabors of the Friday club to which belongs the cred it for the embryonic idea or. and early steps toward securing a public library: the later efforts of the Woman's club d channels that appealed to the gener- Osity of the chief benefactor. MT. Car negie; the ceaseless zeal of E. A Fow- Ter who nurtured the seed of philan- thropy planted in the heart of Mr. Carnegie; the work of the public spir- tied men as members of the library board, city councils and others, aided all movements leading toward the proud achievement of today: and the untiring devotion to duty of the four librarians who have had charge of the books of the institution, particularly the present librarian, Mrs. N. A Nor ford, who for several years past has given it her undivided attention and the benefit of her most capable talents in that important office.
 Mir. Fowler's address. read last night was a paper devoted almost exclusively to the history Of the library movement from its first conception in 1897 to this good day and date. l. Was necessarily quite long and recounted facts that until memory was refreshed last night had no doubt passed from the minds Of his hearers. There was Just enough mention of the popular side of the question. the need of such an institu- ton. and the value of it's influence, en- livcned by some poetical allusions. to rob it of the dryness of a merely sta tistical relation. That document should be sacredly preserved in the archives of the library. where it can never be destroyed and may at the same time be always available for perhaps no other occasion may ever arise that will demand such a thorough compilation of the historical facts in connection with the library.
 The building last night was bril- liantly lighted and all the rooms on the library floor proper were thrown open and filled with an appreciative people to their full capacity. There is no op- portunity at this time for a dcscrip- tion of the building and it will be as sumed that the reader is familiar with it. If he is not and he be a local res ident. duty to himself demands that he early become so. The ceremonies were held in the center of the main floor, just in front of the librarians desk, beyond which one entering the build ing b6hOlds the big stacks in the book rooms. The desk was tastefully dec Oratcd with bouquets and over it was two large American flags draped with greenery. The speaker stood on an improvised carpet covered platform in front of the desk.
 Henry C. YaeSer president of the board of library trustees presided. Rev. Dr. F. C. Douglass offered an invoca- tion which was followed by the sing ing of "Springtime.,-Pins a a quartet. Next followed the address of MT. Fowler above mentioned, when Mrs. Arthur c. Hulett sang most sweetly Annie Laurie" the popular Scotch song. selected no doubt in hon or of MT. Carnegie that famous Scot