University Missourian. [volume] (Columbia, Mo.) 1908-1916, 1911-11-24
A Library in a Jury Room

Corridors jOstling with the crowd
attracted by a circuit court trial
idle and curious hangers-on rubbing
elbows with children who are thread.
ing their way through to the public
library for bOoks-that is the condi.
tiOn of things on the way to Colum.
bia Public Library, slowed away as
it is in small jury room in the
county courthouse. just off the court
room where the evil that men do is
aired. Boys and girls of susceptible
age who would read good literature
must run the gauntlet of such in
fluences to get it,
For eighteen years the public IL
brary has struggled for existence,
barely kept alive by a small band
o: progressive women in the face of
public Indifference. 1t now boasts
OF 1900 volumes collected by the
Tuesday Club, about one-fourth of
which are children's books, for it's
largest patronage is from young
people and children. The jury room
is used because of lack of funds
necessary to acquire more suitable
quarters. When the room is needed
for court uses the library is closed.
But in spite of all these handicaps
the library fills a popular demand.
1t is a meeting place for working
girls at noon, who bring their lunch
es and read during their hour off.
Old people whose period of activity is
over love to browse among its his
tories and biographies-th is, the
men do. Old ladies live over again
the love stories of their youth in
Mary ]. Holmes and Augusta Evans.
To the student of humanity the
public library is a laboratory of hu-
man nature. Here character and
social conditions may be read by the
choice of book. Men and women
are usually sincere when they read.
They may pose in daily life, but they
follow their inner desires in what
they read. And the stories to be
gathered by the keen observerq a.
he watches the reader make his
selection are sentimental or morbid
Oh pathetic as the case may be.
Little working girls pore most
over stories of girls at boarding
schools and colleges, the librarian
says. Little boys. required to add a
pittance to the family's
slender purse. delight in Alger and
stories of boys who
reach fame and fortune through their
own efforts. Young girls ask Mrs.
f w. Magill, the librarian, for love
stories most. and these she deals
out to them with careful selection.
She never says no, when 4 book
beyond the years of q child Is asked
for. That would make the child all
the more determined to read it.
The book is either not in, or it is
given and the mother informed as to
its nature over the telephone. All
problem novels have been carefully
veeded out. she says.
Duplicate books are given the ne
s'o school, and magazines to the
Jail. The wOman's rest room at the |
courthouse is kept supplied with |
as well. but the women |
who make most use of the place
eem to care very. little for them.
They enjoy the luxury of just sitting
md rocking the attendant says.
About $50 new books have just
'een received at the library, fiction
or the most part, but many of them
re bOy-scOut books waiting for Co.
umbia boys to become interested in
hem. The library is open each Sat
lrday and Monday morning. Child
en- come in droves on these days
or something to read" If it is
murder or divorce day as Mrs.
lagill says, her watchful care sees
hat the janitOr steers them as safely
s possible past the inviting doors
I the court room and through the
forbid crowd to the wholesome out
1. doors again NJ