The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1910-08-09
LIBRARIES ARE NOT LUXURIES

The committee recently appointed by
the Board OF Trade to go into the
library proposition has been doing
some active work investigating the
benefits which other cities derive from
libraries. DR. Lowry, chairman of the
committee, has written to number of
cities to ascertain facts regarding the
libraries there, and has received the
following interesting replies:
"Csrnegie Library. Chattanooga.
Tenn.-The Chattanooga Public Lii
brary is popular with the people. We
have made an earnest effort to please
all classes. but especial attention has
been given our reference department
and the work with the children Along
these lines We are better able to form
some idea OF the real worth of the Ii
brary to the people.
aside from the help given the
school children and study clubs our
reference work with the individual has
been telling and IT Is this feature that
has brought the people to fuller real
iZation Of the true value Of a public
library.
1T is now considered a necessity
rather than a luxury. and the citizens
would fight to keep the library. II nee
essary.
We have a daily average Of three
hundred borrowers and a monthly av
erage OF 5000 readers. The annual
cost Of maintenance has been $1,000.
This sum Is no longer sufficient. AS
| the library grows the expenses in
! crease and We find that we will need
$4,000 this year IN order to conduct
| the library along the same lines as
| heretofore. In FIVE years have
| grown from 300 volume 10 a $1,000
/ volume library. \ good library Is es-
| sential to every town or city. 1t will
| always give me pleasure to answer any
questions or give any Information that
will be helpful. l wish you success for
| know you will never regret your eff
| forts in this direction. Respectfully.
| Margaret Dunlap, Librarian.
| Carnegie Library. Atlanta, Gave
| consider there is no question OF the
| success Of our library. as we have a
| membership which exceeds the total
| enrolment of students in the public
| schools. and We have daily circula-
ton OF over 1000 volumes, in addition
to about 800 people who are daily serv-
| ed In the reading and reference room.
Jour reference room Is practically the
| work room for the school boys and
girls who work up all their debates.
essays. etc. here. and we have begun
placing depository libraries in the
schools. Very truly yours. Katherine
| WOoten. Assistant Librarian"
| Jacksonville Free Public Library
Jacksonville, Fla.-Your favor was
handed to me to answer in the absence
OF our librarian who Is on his annual
vacation. You ask for his candid opin-
ion Of the worth Of the Carnegie IL
brary to the people. I have no hesita-
| ton in saying 1t is a very great value
to the people Of Jacksonville. The
benefits Of the public library belong &c
| that select class Of benefits that refuse
| to be classified by percentage or dol
lar mark, but any thoughtful person
would have no difficulty in arriving a.
the conclusion that 1t was a very eco
nOmical way OF providing the people
with access to the best books on al
branches Of knOwledge: the extent o.
collecting depending. OF course. upor
the amount to he spent. Yours truly
c. D. Rinehart, OF the law firm OF AK
tell & Observation-Disclosures Tribune.
II good for large cities, why no
good for Ocala?