The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-05-28

There should exist always a continuity of interest from the public generally in the public library movement and partic- ularly should this be the case in town as new as Birmingham. A town is usual ly estimated by it's churches, schools and libraries and where these do not play an important part in municipal affairs the consensus of opinion generally is that the community has more cents in its pockets than sense in it's head.
 With the upward trend of culture and education which Birmingham has en- joyed of late years no more important subject has come before the people than the question of the public library. No community is complete without a first class free library within the reach of every person who lives within it's gates.
 It Is more than that-it is a necessity and it doesn't take people long to de- mand it.
 The Public Library association has been extremely fortunate~in securing the ser vices of Miss Nimmo Greene to re-organ- ize and direct the affairs of this organ ization. A woman of broad culture, a writer of unusual merit, a scholar and a reader acquainted with the best that literature affords-the selection has proved 8 happy one in every sense.
 In speaking with Miss Greene who has done incalculabe good since her direc- torship in the Public Library association, about the work, she said:
 'It isn't a question of more books; it isn't a question of better equipment; It isn't question of building and enlarge ment-all these things are necessary and greatly to be desired. But it is a Ques- tion of cooperation; of interest; of per- sonal contact with the library work, that Birmingham needs above everything else If everybody in the community would just visit the library and take glimpse of it and manifest a personal interest in 1t you would see the greatest amount of improvement. Why, I believe there arc many who do not even know of the existence of the library; where 1t is and what books 1t contains"
 How do you account for such a state of affairs? I asked, greatly interested in the subject.
 Perhaps one reason is that the library has contained few works of interest to the reading public at large. We have splendid books of reference, books of trav- el, essays and all that sort of thing, but the works of fiction are decidedly limited.'
 You mean modern fiction-the light, Interesting, summer reading which just at this season would appeal to most people and which, to popularize library, should be included?"
 Exactly" said Miss Greene And it is the intention of the association to add Q thousand or more volumes to the lib- rary during the summer. In this collec- tion will be included the best works of fiction from modern authors-books which will appeal to every taste and lit- erary appetite.1
 "Of course I am not going to ask you about the reading of women as com- pared to that of men. Somebody face tiously remarked once upon time that woman was one of the greatest stand ing menaces to books-the other by the way was-insects. This, I believe, was instigated by a conversation touching up. on the dangers to. their treasures against which boolSloversl should be on their guard, namely, the irreverent treatment of books and so we womenkind were severely denounced. 1 can't imagine any body treating book badly any more than a friend or pet. l suppose this sort of thing is eliminated by the rules of the library" I suggested.
 ~AWe have arranged now so that peo- pie can keep books out of the library for A month at a time upon the pay ment of 20 cents-which enables one to take one's time in the reading. Our books are kindly treated most of the time, considering the wear and tear upon them," was the reply.
 'sIt is astonishing what sort or ntera- ture women like. A woman told me re- gently of being so interested In one or the new books which had appeared that she held 1t in her hand reading up to the time she was brushing her teeth ready for bed She found the fascinating novel SO entertaining that she took It to ped