The Washington herald., 1908-06-25

American Library Association. which
Will assemble tomorrow at Mnnetonka
Mlnn., this being the thirtleth annual
meeting OF that progressive body. The
convention will last until July ?. and the
discussions. led by men and women who
have mace life work of library keeping
library building. and education in gen
eral. as exemplned in library work. will
touch on every branch OF the work-worb
that grows btoader and more comprehen.
sive every year. To secure the full
realization OF this aim, fits activities IN
clude State library commissions. library
schools and training classes, library ad-
vertising, rooms for children and for the
blind. cooperation with teachers. inter
library loans. library architecture, and
various other Ike interests pertaining 10
the development Of the work.
Affiliated with the association I'm its
active life are tho League Of Library
Commissions, the National Association OF
state Libraries, and the American As
sociation OF Law Libraries. Two otbe-
associations that the association hopes
10 have affiliated with IL soon are the
Blbllographical Society OF America and
The American Association Of Medical Il
braries. Membership is open to library
workers and 10 others interested IN the
work the latest roster OF members show
ing little over 1900. OF whom twenty
three are not connected directly with
libraries in any way. Permanent head
quarters for the association were estab-
Hshed in Boston In September. 1906
Public libraries have become one OF the
most important factors in the general
educational movement Of the country.
Prof William p. Trent, OF Columbia, re-
Gently 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 Association has done much TO
raise the educational standard OF the na-
ton. The association was one OF the
many progressive movements that found
Its beginning in the Philadelphia Cen
tennial in 1S76. 1t came as a result OF a
three days conference OF Librarians. II
stated its purpose TO be the promotion
or library interests, the interchange OF
experience and opinion. the obtaining
OF best results with the least expendi-
ture OF money and labor. and the ad-
vancement Of the profession Of librarian.
since the Centennial the association has.
with the exception Of two years. held an
nual meetings in various cities.
The earliest libraries were those con-
nected with educational institutions. Hor-
ward establishing the first in 1913 Charles
ton mad public library in 100 II was
not long after the opening Of this one
mat public library began It's existence
IN North Carolina. The North Carolina
general assembly, sitting in biennial sAs
sion at the home OF Capt Richard Saun-
ders, at Little River. in the winter Of
!ho-lnS. passed an act for securing the
public library belonging 20 ST. Thomas
farlsh' IN Pamtico.' The first Harvard
library was not especially rich in books.
The number In the Pamtico library or
the Charleston one i8 unknown. These
were the small beginnings. but from such
and from the private libraries OF early
Americans has grown up the compre-
hensive free library OF to-day.
There are now about 1000 public. So
ciety, and school libraries Of I.COO volumes
and over. These have over 550OO.OOO
volumes. This allows a library to about
1900 people, even when the village and
travelling Libraries are not included. and
every group Of eighteen people may have
free eleven books TO read as they please.
In the North Atlantic States there are
i26 books TO every 100 persons. and the
proportion varies Elth the population. the
wealth. or the standard Of llteracy in
each State. In the District Of Columbia
there are 925 books to every 100 persons;
IN Massachusetts, 25S: in California. l37, |
and In Florida and West Virginia only Is
The number Of Libraries shows as great
q dlVArgitv- ~ Foffvae CT.
led by New York, which has nearly 600 !
libraries one-seventh OF all I'm the United |
States. and about 100000 volumes. over |
a NTH Of all the library books Massa- /
chusetts ranks next, with approximately /
$50 libraries and 100000 volumes
There were State libraries in New
Hampshire and Pennsylvania In III but 1
u was not until after the Revolution that 1
there was any general tendency 20 have /
of1cial Libraries connected with State gov
ernments. Every State and Territory has !
now long had its own library. the support /
coming from appropriations By the re- /
specuve legislatures. Subscription libra
ries date we'll back into the eighteenth |
century. and Benjamin Franklin was one /
OF the pioneers IN this work. being re-
sponsible for the founding OF the PhiIa-
d7lphia Library in 173l. one hundred and |
sixty years later free libraries were or
dered 10 be established throughout Phila-
delphia al public expense and under the
direction Of the board Of education Now
the Free Library alone distributes some
thing Ike 100000 volumes a year.
The free public library as a municipaI
building in the South owes its beginning
10 Andrew Carnegie. There is no insur-
ance Of nations so cheap as the enllghten-
ment Of the people" he said once. and re-
memberiag the days when he read IN the
y. Anderson Library Institute of Al
legheny City" an institution established
primarily for mill men far back In 1850
Carnegie decided 20 insure the nation by
putting books in easy reach. In 1899 he
gave his first library to the American
people. and since then has donated mill
mons 10 this work. the benefactions rang
ing from a few thousand given some
smaN, struggling town to s350O0O given
washington. The conditions attending
sucn requests are that the city which Is
the beneficiary furnish the site and guar s
antee the library an annual income of AT !
least 10 per cent Of the gift. The majority I
OF the Carnegie libraries 90 to newly set. ,
tleo districts and many have found place ,
IL the South
In the North. where public schools
were almost contemporaneous with set {
tement. public libraries soon became a {
necessity. In the South the public library a
came twenty-five years after the public {
school. AID the movement is traceabio 7
10 the influence of the press. OF the {
woaen's clubs, the Southern Library AS v
and the Southern Educational n
Association. In olden DAYS, when so,t {
Of feudal system was IN vogue. and the / 5
southern man the best read OF his times I
each planter had his own private libra Z
ries his tutors, and governesses. and Fl
here was no need for public provision
II these Col William Byrd OF West g,
hnl O., Ia n-lr. nir.l.A