The Aberdeen weekly. [volume] (Aberdeen, Miss.) 1878-1933, 1908-11-27
Library for Aberdeen.

int PADiic library Is the cdp6DGHt
of the educational fabric OF a COM
munity," 1t is the universal school
house where all are free to attend
through life" '..The man who Is
fond Of books is usually a man of
lofty thought and of elevated opin-
ions" Books are the food of youth,
the delight of old age; the ornament
OF prosperity; refuge and comfort of
adversely; a delight at home and no
hindrance abroad companions at
night, in travelling in the country"
1T is not enough that children be
taught what to read The mind
grows by what it feeds upon. We
introduce this article with the above
grand and true quotations. because
they lay the foundation of the argu-
ment for public library for Aher-
deem. At this time. no adequate
library facilities exist, and the pro-
genv of the cultured citizenry OF this
proud old town are starving for
draughts at the spring from which
their ancestors imbibed the high ideals
OF life. What steps are to be taken
RIGHT NOW to relieve this situa-
ton? Let us see. The school library
is too small for school use. There are
no complete reference works, no line
for complete research into any sub
ject, biography or history. The city
is a literary wilderness so far as pub
lie sources of information are con-
cerned, and her young manhood and
womanhood are perishing for stimu-
lus to those sublime ideals of life
that only the reading of good books
can give. Fellow-citizens of Aber-
deem, what are You going to do about
it? VIII you leave things as they are,
or will you take hold of opportunities,
as other communities have done, and
supply this pressing need. We dem
onstrate this need by citing that not
a few Of our book lovers have organ
lied into circulating library clubs,
renting or buying books and maya
zines, and passing them around
among members until read by all,
then casting them aside, a dead loss
and an unprOducuve investment. Be
sides this, many of the books are ill
chosen and do not inspire with prop
er incentives. We are told that the
number of magazines sold and com
ing to individual addresses to this
place reaches into the thousands.
| These are read by individuals only,
then thrown aside without cOntribut-
| ing to the intellectual growth of the
hundreds who are starving for the
mental food and are too poor to buy
| it.
The public library is the thing for
Aberdeen at this time. She claims
culture, refinement, education and
the highest type of civilization. She
has these, but it is high time for her
| to perpetuate her claims. and provide
food to hold her progeny up to that
standard She can do this only by
doing what other cultured towns have
done-put in a public library.
The District of Columbia has six
books in reach of every person; Mas
sachusetts has two; Mississippi has
one to every fourteen. These figures
are startling and cry against us.
Now, Aberdeen needs a public Ii
brary and must have one. What is
the plan? Why any proper plan to
get one.
We submit, however, the Carnegie
library plan as the most feasible.
Here is the plan: First the city
must provide $1,000 library build
ing, centrally located, and then
pledge itself to pay annually $1,000 for
new books and maintenance there
after, When she has done this, Mr..
Carnegie viii give $50, 900 for the es-
adjustment of a library here.
There are several suitable sites for
a library building. A building any
where on Commerce street would be
ideally located. AS to Aberdeen's
ability to meet the requirements of
Mr.. Carnegie's offer, nobody has any
doubts The SO, 600 to provide the
building is but a bagatelle in COM
parison with the city's resources and
possibilities, and the $1,000 per year
could be more than raised by an addi-
tioual levy of one mill on the taxable
valuation. Now, we understand that
letter is in the hands of an enter
prising gentlemen of Aberdeen from
Mr.. Carnegie himself, asking what
the Mayor and board of Aldermen
viii do to secure a library for Aber-
deem.
We need it. The civilization of
coming generations cries out for it.
Gentlemen of the board, what say
you?