Goldsboro semi-weekly argus., 1909-12-08

/ true sense a guide. 1t becomes the
custodian of our educational hopes. AS
| the guardian of our treasure-trove OF
/ art and culture and learning, it De-
I comes the trustee of our ideals. And
| from the continuity of it's existence it
ever holds the beacon above us and
| ahead of US. It is our intellectual
pillar of cloud and of fire. The roots
of the future lie deep in the past, and
the library is that delicate vase
wherein is found the fertile soil that
nourishes the growing flower of civil
| ization.
AS the Dissemination of the Book.
But, ladies and gentlemen, after ali
our discussion of the problems of cata-
| Logging and selecting and circulating
| books, our trials with trustees, and
our successes with clubs, and the va
rious characteristics and functions OF
the institution, let US come and touch
the very heart of the whole thing
and that is a book. In spite of all
your newspapers and your magazines.
your shelves upon shelves of volumes.
your daily visiting list and your clubs,
the great service of the library is tc
be as the disseminator of books.
I fain would pay q worthy tribute
to the book. But it is too great a
theme. One should speak with the
throat of the whirlwind, or write with
the pen of an arch-angel. II feel as
though endeavoring to grasp @ globe
hold. He who would speak worth1ly
Of them should be inspired by mus
of fire that should ascend the bright
est heaven Of invention-he should
have kingdom for stage and mon
archs to behold the swelling scene"
Men from time to time have endeay
pred to classify books from the ser
vice they have rendered-to catalo2
them, so to speak, and assign them Jc
certain shelves and alcoves. And above
one alcoye they have written in bold
type, "Beoks of Power" By these
they mean those books that have a
5utilitarian value, those books that are
stored with many facts that are val
liable to men as means of accom-
plishing an end. Here are books of
law, of medicine, of science, of the
arts, of politics, of mathematics, of
commerce. Here the workman comes
to sharpen his tools. Here the fighter
comes for weapons and for ammunt
tion.
Above another a1cove they have
written, Books of Culture. By these
they mean those books of knowledge
and information and experience that
enrsch the mind of man, that make
him a citizen of the world, that make
him learned, that soften his heart and
chasten his spirit, that train him in
the delicate consideration OF the
rights of others, and in all those fine
and discriminative instincts Of what
we are pleased to call a gentleman or
a gentlewoman.
And above another a1cove in letters
of pure gold let US write, Books Of In
spiration.
By these, mean all those books of
biography, of history, of poetry, of
romance and fiction that with magic
touch have transformed the lives OF
spairing souls, light to those who sat
in darkness, courage to those who
have become timid, strength to the
weak and fainting-that have given
that touch divine Of noble natures
gone" that has opened to us sven the
very windows of heaven. These are
the books whose praises I would sing,
these are the books that I would Plead
for with you librarians. These arc
the books that must go to every town
village, hamlet and home in orr good
State. For these are the books that
will set on fire the souls of men.
We have all prayed with genuine
feryor that blessings may be upon him
who first invented books. Let us pray
another fervent prayer this evening
that rich blessings may be upon those
who disseminate books-who shall put
books in the hands of every boy and
girl in our beloved land. For We
know not on whom the gift of the
Gods has been bestowed We know
not where in our midst is some vii
lage Hampden, some Cromwell, some
raute inglorious Milton" whose lives
may be unlocked by the magic of the
book. Let us see to it, let us
see to it that it shall not be our
fault if knowledge to their eyes her
ample page, rich with the spells OF
time, did neer unroI1'' Dissen. mate
the book. Send it to every nook and
Granny. Put it into the hands of every
child. And yolr labor stall bear
fruit thousan6-feld. through tae
Took, men may eome to know ttis
truth, and the tt ,th shall MAKE tLeai
free.
What a profound pleasure and sat
isfaction it must bring to you ladies Of
| Goldsboro, who have been so diligent
| in the dissemination Of the book in
your community, to contemplate the
work of your hands. Verify you have
your reward in the happiness that you
| have oh 70 ho y or;rT -