The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1909-04-20

AAAS
the work Of the North Carolina Libra
ry Association has been received from
Louis r. Wilson, secretary of that as
ISOLATION, at Chapel Hill:
By an enactment Of the recent Leg
islature there was created on April
1st a special commission to be known
as the North Carolina Library. Com
mission. for the purpose Of extending
library influences and fostering libra
ry growth in North Carolina. This
action of the Legislature was the re-
suit of a conviction on it's part that
the next step to be taken in the gen
eral educational advancement of the
State Should be in the way of stlmu-
lating all forms Of library activity, as
is recognized in the modern library an
educational force second only to that
of the school itself. 1t proposed, there.
fore, by the establishment of the Lii
brary Commission, to place at the
States service a thoroughly equipped
Office which should sustain to the pub
lie in all matters concerning libraries
a relation similar to thatsof the office.
of superintendent of PUBLIC InStruc-
ton in all matters concerning the
schools of the State.
In North Carolina there are one
hundred and fifty towns having a pop
ulation Of n thousand inhabitants
or more, of which only a very few
have any special form of library In
many of the graded schools and. high
schools but slight attention has been
paid to the collection and use of books,
other than those used by the classes
as texts. Of the $500 rural school
libraries it is quite probable that some
are not being used to the best dVant
age possible. The Importance Of tie
library to the child, to the high school
pupil, and to the grown up citizen has
not been brought sharply to the. at
-tention Of the State. 1t is to help in
bringing this matter to the States at
tention and to aid the State in work
ing out a comprehensive, useful libra
ry sytem. that this bureau of library
information has been established.
Shall Give Assistance.
Stated more in detail, the act pro
vides that the commission shall give
assistance, advice, n counsel to all
libraries in the State, to all
ties which may propose to establish
libraries, and to all persons. interested,
as to the best means of establishing
and administering such libraries, as
to the selection of books, cataloging,
maintenance, and other details OF Ii
brary anagemen as may be practi-
liable 1t may aid in organizing new
libraries, or in improving those al
ready organized. It's sole object is to
help on a movement, which, in thirty
four of the states of the Union, has
bC1L oo oiiN III WV NJ
est forces making for general educa-
tional advancement and as such has
been placed by those States nder the
direction of those who are deeply in
terested in its progress. 1t has been
established by the State of North Car
DINA for the use of the public, and
it's desire is that the public will use
it freely.
In accordance with the provisions
Of the act the following persons have
been appointed members Of the com
mission: Hon.. j. Y. Joyner, Superin-
tendent of Public Instruction.; Hon.
NJ. O.. Sheriff., State Librarian: DR..
Charles Lee Smith, of the firm Of
Edwards & Broughton; Mrs. Annie
Smith Ross. Librarian of the Carnegie
Library of Charlotte; and Louis r..
Wilson, librarian of the University Of
North Carolina. At it's meeting Of
organization in Raleigh On the 9Th,
the following officers were elected for
the year: Louis r. Wilson,, Chapel
Hill, n. c., chairman; Mrs. Annie
Smith Ross, Charlotte, n. c., secre-
tary; and Charles Lee Smith, Raleigh,
N. c., treasurer. It was decided to es-
tablish headquarters in the State Lii
brary building at Raleigh and to en-
ploy a field secretary to have charge,
of the same and to carry on the work
render n service possible to those
making requests for it's aid.
Text of the Act.
In order that the of the
act may be. brought definitely, to the
attention of the public it follows here
in it's entirety:
A Bill to be entitled "An Act to
Establish a Library Comm ssion."
The Genera Assembly of North Car
Dina do enact:
Section 1. There is hereby created
a Library Commission that shalt be
known as the Library Commission of
North Carolina, and hat shall con-
sist Of the superintendent of Public
instruction, the State Librarian, two
other persons, who shall be appoint
ed by the North Carolina Library As