The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1910-03-24

before these were needed and i
is question for a city to decid,
as ito the wisdom of accepting
money from Mr.. Carnegie or any
one else, for a building, but i
may be mentioned that Mr.. Car
negie makes but two require
ments when the gift is wished
First, that a site for a building
be provided, and second, that Z
financial support for library, be
equal to ten per cent of his gifts
be provided annually by the city
There may be little adverse crit
icism as to the amount OF money
which n.ust be pledged in the IL
brarieS annual support, Ior IL pei
cent is none too much for the
libraries work.
In considering whether Carne-
gle libraries in Indiana are src-
cessful institutions or not, it must
be realized that a library
building is of small importance
to Library's success, OF
failure as compared to the i'm
portance of the librarian.
Specially erected buildings,
if well planned, contribute to a
llbrary's success, however, and
the attitude of a public in Indi-
ana cities supporting library work
in Carnegie buildings can be as
certained.
Several months ago the city
OF Kendallville in Noble county
was considering the advisability
of accepting Mr.. Carnegie's
money for building and 36 let
tiers were written to Indiana
cities. One copy of the letter was
sent TO a member OF the library
boani or to some respective citi-
zen and Il second copy was sent
to the city treasurer.
Some OF the permanent ques-
tions asked were: Are objections
made to the cost of maintenance
of the library; do your citizens
consider the expense money well
spent; from your present expert
ence would you again establish
library if without one?
The answers received were in
teresting and every letter from a
member OF the library board or
representative citizen was enthu-
siastic in praise of what the IL
brary had done for the people and
and the high appreciation in
which it was held. Extracts from
some of these letters are as fol-
lows:
Would say most emphatical-
ly we would not do without our
public library. We have found it
the most potent influence to be
exerted for the good OF young
and old"
"Wotrld not have it taken
away anv more than our public
school"
"Any man can get his moneys
worth if he encourages his family
to make use Of the library"
''The burden of taxation should
not be considered; it is SO little
compared with THE possible bene-
fits"
Delphi citizens consider the
library a paying invetment, as
necessary as our pubic schools,
whose work it supplements. Our
tax is not high enough to burden
anyone and | know of no one,
who would be willing to give up
our new library.
"The library is more than JUS
tilted its existence. AS in most
places where a library is first es-
tablished we had some strong op-
/ position from two or three large
taxpayers, on the ground that the
tax would be burdensome and not
necessity, but the oppositions
rapidly disappeared and today
everyone has words of praise for
| it."
OF the thirty-six copies OF the
letter sent to city treasurer, re-
plies were somewhat different.
Twenty-eight answertl that the
benefits of the library justified its
expense, that the library tax was
not burden on the people and
that the library would not be
given UP it this could be done.
OF the remaining eight letters,
four were from city treasurers,
who were either doubtful OF IL
brary success or who srated they
had no way of Judging public
opinion and four reply that the
libraries were burdens rather
than blessing and they were not
generally patron;zed. AS two of
these four opposing city treas
urers lived in cities where two
OF the most active libraries were
located, inquiry was made and
was learned that neither OF the
obiectors had ever been in the
library during its existence.
INDIANA LIBRARY LAW.
(Acts 1901. p. 81, approved and
inforced March 4, 1901. Acts
%, p. 301; Amendments Apprc-
ed March 9, 1909.
Section / Pc II enacted hr