Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1908-03-13
HOT SPRINGS SOUTH DAKOTA FRIDAY MARCH Is 1905
ssThe Free Library Project. .

& ! { j.
The Free Library Project"
As has been announced in the local
papers, the city council decided at
their regular monthly meeting in March
to submit the question of the levying
of the tax to the voters of this town
for the purpose of maintaining free
public library and free readiug room
in Hot Springs.
For fear that some of the voters will
not understand how the free library
will be conducted I wish to state for
their information and for any other
person who does not fully understand
the situation, that if this tax is voted
it means that the library willbe es free
to every resident of this city as are
now the public schools. No charge
whatever will be made for membership
or for loaning out the books. The only
requirement will be that if person
is not know to the librarian, he or she
must get some one to guarantee that
the book will be returned and that
the rules of the library will be lived
up to by the borrower. The person
who pays s1.0O tax will have just as
many rights in the library as the per-
son that pays $1,000 tax, if there are
any here paying that amount. In this
manner we will be able to circulate
books among those in town who have
not the means for obtaining q large
number of books or q library Of their
own.
1 noticed from the report of the
librarian at Rapid City that there were
over thousand cards issued during
the year 1907, while with us without q
free library, there were only about 1863
cards issued, SO you can at glance
see the difference between a library
where a charge is made for loaning out
the books and one where the books
are absolutely free. The books are
circulated to more than eight times
as many people. consequently the
library does a great deal more good
where it is run on a free system than
where q charge is made. We have
already accumulated as good library
as Rapid City has. We have more up
to date books and better books of ref
erence. Our merchants and taxpayers
have responded heartily by supporting
this library on public subscriptions
and their patronage of various enter
tainments that have been given for
the ibrary's benefit, but as the library
is now run the non-residents pay moth
ing towards it's support; it is no more
than just that the railroad companies
and the non PRESIDENT people who own
nearly half of the assessed real estate
in our city helpmaintain an enterprise
that does 40 much towards building
up and advertising our city.
The record of last February shows
that more than 1000 people patronized
our city library, either in accepting
the advantages of the reading room or
in taking out hooks from the library.
If there are any persons who do not
understand the method in which the
library is now run or how it will be run
if supported by public tax, should
be very glad indeed to have them come
to see me and I will explain it
thoroughly to them. 1t is question
of such Importance that believe it
the duty of every voter in the city to
vote upon the proposition one way or
the other. If, for any reason the voter
should refuse to levy this tax, it will
be impossible, as 1 now view the sub
ject, to maintain the library longer than
the present year, as the few people who
have so cheerfully given of their time
and money to it's supportfee that they
can no longer maintain library by
this method and that it should be
maintained by public tax
Respectfully,
| ELMER Il. JUCKETT,
President of Library Assn.