Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1909-03-03
NEW LIBRARY FOR COLLEGE.
Movement is Launched by Students
TO Build Library Building on
the Luther College Campus.

A new library and museum build
ing for Luther College. This is the
next public building likely to be
erected in DEBORAH, after the new
federal post office.
Luther College has long felt the
urgent need of a building to house
its valuable library and museum.
The present quarters are very made
quate and without fire protection
Loss of this property by fire would
be irretrievable. Realizing this
fact, the student body of the college
has taken the matter up with
characteristic college spirit, and in
an article in the current number of
College Chips offer their services
in commendable manner, as fol-
lows:
Alumni, students, and other
friends of the institution have for
years realized the urgent need of a
library and museum building at
Luther College. The quarters at
present occupied by the library,
which contains more than $4,000
volumns, and the museum, with its
large collection of curios and other
valuable objects, are quite made
quate and afford little protection
against fire.
AT a recent meeting of the Alumni
Association, the librarian made an
earnest appeal for better library
accommodations. Attention has at
various times been called to the de-
STABILITY OF adding a library and
museum building to the equipment
OF the college, while on several oc-
casions the Synod has passed reso-
lutions commencing the cause to the
good Will of our people. There is at
present a nucleus of about $4,000
for library building fund, and
other financial assistance has already
been promised in case a building is
to be erected.
I'm 1911 it will be fifty years since
Luther College was founded, and the
dedication of suitable library and
museum building would be fitting
addition to the other festivities
which will no doubt be held in COM
memoration of the event.
In view of these facts, we have
discussed the possibility of our doing
something TO assist the college in
securing such building; and,
aid aside from the funds that we
might be able casually to collect
during our vacations, we have been
informed by competent architectural
authority that We are able to furnish
valuable assistance in the form of
manual labor" and that, by sys-
tematizing the work and using time
that we otherwise would devote to
recreation, such assistance may be
rendered without the least interfer-
ence with our class work and, in
deed, with very little interference
with our school work on the whole.
Therefore, in order that either a
library building, or a library and
museum building, whichever it may
be decided to erect, may soon adorn
our campus, we, the students of
Luther College, unanimously agree
to assist in erecting such a building,
and we hereby offer our services
to the Board of Trustees of the col
lege for that purpose and pledge
ourselves to do whatever work may
be required of us, such as excavat-
ing for the basement; building con-
crete foundations; making concrete
blocks or bricks for walls, parti-
tions, etc.; grading and leveling;
and, in fact, doing anything that can
be done by unskilled labor and that
such requisition on our time as
circumstances permit
X. p. B. Reishus,
Jos. G. Hanson,
Olaf Gaarder,
c. A. Peterson,
Otto Hokaason,
Committee.