The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1911-01-10

W since 1876. Progress
va. has been most marked
I'M " in the United States,
especially in the in
- crease in the number of
public libraries. but there has been a
4 CORRESPONDING development IN
I Canada, England and France. The
library movement in North Carolina
Is coincident with the beginning OF
the country.
At the close Of the year 1900 there
were in North Carolina a few school
and college libraries, the State and
Supreme court libraries. and three
public libraries. n at Asheville, n
at Durham and the other in h little
town of Ledger. The last two were
the only free public libraries in the
State. Trained librarians travelling
libraries, library association n COM
mission. Carnegie buildings children's
rooms. story hours. cooperation with
Schools-al were in North
Carolina in 1900. But there were
! signs of an awakening. Early in
1901 the Olivia Raney library was
dedicated. This. I think. was the
second building erected in North
Carolina for a free public library, the
first having been the public library
building Of Durham, erected in 1897.
In the same yea libraries were started
In Charlotte and Franklin and in
&XO2 the public library OF Greensboro
organized. In 1908, two build
&&fEs were completed, the Trinity Col
library, the gift OF Mr. J. B. Duke.
nd the Carnegie library OF Charlotte.
This, it seems, was the first Carnegie
in the State.
81 The year 1904 was a notable one,
Tor in May the North Carolina Library
Association, an organization which
has done so much for the library in
ferests of the State. was organized
In Greensboro. Annua meetings
have been held in Charlotte, Raleigh,
Asheville, Greensboro, Goldsboro and
Ninston-Salem.
In 1905 another Carnegie building
was erected, the library of the State
Normal and Industrial College at
Greensboro. and libraries were open
ed in W~adesboro and Winston. The
following year. that Is, in 1906, the
Carnegie libraries Of Greensboro and
Winston were completed. In 1909
library buildings were erected in
Aberdeen and McAdenville and the
opened. The new Carnegie library
of the University Of North Carolina
was also completed and its endow-
ment was materially increased. In
1905 the library commission was cree
ated bv act Of the Legislature. and
ahe libraries of Guiiford College, a
Carnegie building, was completed.
Davidson College has just moved into
a Carnegie building and
ment has recently been made hat Mr..
Carnegie has given $4,000 to Biddle
University for a library building, pro-
vided the university raises g. similar
amount.
An impetus was given to the library
movement in North Carolina by the
establishment Of h library commits
sion. Since its organization In April,
1908, the commission has e~ndeavored
to create public sentiment in favor
Of libraries and to bring about a
close cooperation between libraries
and schools: it has assisted In the
establishment of new libraries ana in
the reorganization Of old ones. ana
has. in every way possible, fostered
library growth and development. The
secretary Of the commission visited
twenty-five different libraries during
the past year. some of them several
times. New libraries were started in
Hillsboro. Henderson, Reidsville and
G~reenville. The Greenville library
was burned last February. and All the
books, with the exception OF forty,
destroyed. But in June the library
was started again in a room donated
by the Jason
Special mention should be made OF
the progress Of three Of the largest
free public libraries in the State
During the year the Olivia Raney
library several improve
kments in methods of administration
land granted additional privileges 70
Its patrons. Formerly but one book
*could be borrowed at a time; now the
Sreader may have two, provided only
of them is fiction. This conces-
sion greatly stimulated the reading of
typography, social science, travel. etc.
The library is planning to extend it's
Eprivileges to h children by opening a
Gpeading room for their exclusive use.