Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-06-29
BOARD TURNS DOWN COMMIT
TEE'E RECOMMENDATION
TO HIRE A MAN.
LIVELY DISCUSSION ON
PURPOSES OF LIBRARY
Mr.. Boardman Declares 1t Was Not
Created For the Club Women, Some
of Whom Object to Man Librarian
Miss Kimberly Becomes Librarian
July 1-Assistants Apply.

the purposes and the nonfulfillment or
whether or not it would be wise to
change the policy and administration
tactics of the library and hire a man
for librarian instead of woman, the
board of trustees at its monthly meet
ing Monday night employed Miss Anna
Maude Kimberly to succeed Mrs
Grace K. Haviland She was employed
for year at a salary of $50 month.
In employing her the board turned
down the report and recommendation
of the employees committee, the indi-
vidual members of which recommend
ed that man be put in charge of the
library. After the majority gained
control of the meeting the board was
unanimous in the selection of Miss
Kimberly.
Four Want to Be Librarian.
The employees committee had appli-
cations from four, one of whom was a
man, for the position of librarian. The
latter was Mr.. Julius Luche. of Brook
Ign, N. Y, whom the committee fav-
ored in the selection. The committees
report was rejected by a vote of five to
three, only the members of the COM
mittee which made it, Drs. n. Merrill
and Cora Williams, c. H. E. Board
man, voting for it.
Questions Library's Purpose.
Whether or not the library was full
filing the purpose for which 1t was
built and maintained was brought up
in the discussion by Mr.. Boardman
"That the library does not reach the
people for whom 1t was erected. 1t was
never intended" Mr. Boardman said,
"for the club women, or for those who
have books, but it was intended for
those who have no books in their
homes, and who are not being reached
by IT.
| The statement was made by board
members that some Of the club women
objected strenuously to the employ
ment of male librarian.
Mr. Boardman said that the evidence
of advanced library work was in the
library reaching out and getting in
touch with the class who should be
supplied with reading matter and who
needed 1t most.
Declares Library Failure.
Mr.. Boardman declared, Our library
is failure in that respect. I do not
know why but it is a fact nevertheless.
To do differently there must be a
change of policy. One of the reasons
why 1 think the library has not full
filled its mission in this respect is be-
cause we have not had librarian who
/ had the initiative and the nerve to run
this library as it should be rum
Mr.. Stone said that an effort had
been made by the establishment of
branch libraries about the city to reach
the class which Mr.. Boardman spoke
of, but that the work was discourage
ingly slow. w. B. Williams tartly
wanted to know why Mr.. Boardman
did not go out and get people to come
to the library, who had not been COM
ing. Boardman replied that he would ii
the library would pay him enough.
Boardman Has Another Complaint.
Mr. Boardman also charged that the
employees committee had reported or
employees that the librarian had want
ed but the board had refused to cleo
them and had chosen persons whom the
librarian did not want to help her
Boardman proposed that the board bt
governed entirely by the wishes of the
librarian in the selection of help.
Miss Kimberly, who has been an as
sistant in the library for several years
becomes librarian on July 1.
Applications were received from Mis-
Maude Miller. to be children's librar
ian; from Miss Maude Clark, to be as
sistant; from Miss Clara Jane Rails
who seeks place in the library. a
does also Mrs. Lillian Lawrence, tn
latter of Belle PLANE.
Following the argument of the EN-
ployment of help, the board decided t
wait a month until any action wa
taken on the appointments, and in tn
meantime the employees committee
to confer with the librarian and ascer
tain her wishes.
BY order of the board, the librar
. will be closed at Z o'clock in the even
ing during the months of July and Au
gust.