The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-03-09
MOULD CRIPPLE
STATE LIBRARY.
Dr. McIlwaine Declares That APP
preparation BIZ Does Not Pro.
vide Necessary Funds.
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LETTER TO LEGISLATURE
Shows Value of Departments Which
VIII Have to BE Discontinued
if Measure is Adopted.
LETTER TO LEGISLATURE

The Virginia State Librarian has
written a letter to every member OF
the Legislature declaring that s. the
appropriation oill proposed by the
House is enacted, the result to the IL
brary Will he disastrous. since sew
e~ai of It's most active and valuable
departrnenta will have TO be abol-
sshed.
Following is what the letter sets
forth:
,.lf the House appropriation bill
goes through unamended, the results
10 the library Will I've disastrous. I'm
less the appropriation of $4,000 made
by the last General Assembly Ia main
tanned, the work on our large manu-
script collection between 100000 and
400. 600 loose manuscripts and Llso
bound manuscript volumesl VIII have
to be abandoned. as well as the work
on the photography OF virginia I'm
Guiding the documents gotten out by
the state from the beginningt. Along
szith ihese-p-i the asiitsatieEf- of
the Journals of the House Of Bur
gesses, the series cut in the mtddIe.
been completed. The maintenance of
the travelling library system. the pres
emit stock OF books worn out would
have to be abandoned. notwithstand-
ing the fact that the system is en-
Enthusiastically endorsed by its bencfi-
Charles all over the State.
the work of the serials depart
ment tthat ta, the work OF seeing to
Il that the magazines and newspapers
reach the library regularly, that they
are delivered TO readers when called
for, properly cared for in every way.
and finally bound into volumesl,
head being unproy1ded for by this bill.
would have to be distributed among
the employees Of the library still left,
10 the great retardation Of the cata-
ioguing and the other work of the
library
fnFtitrtlon Is in danger of being sadly
tryypafrec Tie work now done WOULD
be curtaiied. certainly two-iifths, and
* Is work Of the greatest educa'
ticnal value for the whole State
Only the dIrest need would Justify the
bare idea Of curtailment
During the year ending Oct 81,
-isss, - soc books were served 10
readers. according TO the records
records kept, az against 90, ASS the
preceding year 1HlS goes tpt M
clnie the number eff reference books
consulted on the open shelves. 10
which readers have free access. or
the very large number Of books con-
suited by students who are allowed
10 60 into the stack room,
ssThe number of books lent for home
use was s,a22 as against 4,402 the
year before,
THE progress In making the card
catalogue of the library is indicated
by the fact that 2S,625 cards were
added.
"The number of travelling libraries
has increased from ISL 10 1879, all
of which fexccpt one1 have BEEN in
circulation
ssTfe report Of the library for the
year ending Oct 81. 1908, which was
pnt through tho press during the
: earlier nrorr,+rx rf the t,t-t year y
v1surae OF 5EX pages, containing ma
teriai of the greatest value to stu
dents. The Library Bulletin tpub~
sis1lad quarterly consisting Of finding
lists of the books In the various
classes catatoGued In the year, con-
aaias 81 pages. Two volumes of the
Journals of the House of Bnrsesses
f103T ppl have been published
though the work on the FIRST of these
was done very largely the preceding
year. All these publications have
been commended by competent re-
viewers
From Is TO 20 letters have beer
written daiiy giving Information or
the most varied topics"