The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1912-05-07
pI7BLIC LIBRARY A
CIVIC
4 Veteran Soldier m Librarian
speaks Hopefully Of Library
Progress in the State.

r-ess Of plans for the material en-
.arcement of the Libraries in Reds
,JIa. Kinston. and New Bern whereby
fney will become free circulating Ii
h~raries, emphasize the fact that
%orth Cardinals reading public is
groning. Of the States even one hun
cred towns having, according to the
census of 1910, a population of from
1000 to ga, Oov, thlrty-one have public
ar semi-public libraries. The literary
r.Dascence. of which DR.. Archibald
Henderson spoke SO forcibly in his
recent address before the Won;an's
,lub Of Raleigh, can in part be has
-fned by a more general extension
If the public library work in North
carolina. TO this end the following
article, from New York Libraries"
adopted by DR.. Louis r. Wilson,, Of
the Library of the University of North
carolina, will merit the consideration
of the other Sixty-nine towns as it
presents in q very novel light the serv-
,,es which q modern, progressive pub
Sc library renders a community. It
should be read. in connection with the
public library law Of the State, which
IS appended to this article, and it
should lead to the multiplication Of
libraries and the extension Of library
benefits throughout the State.)
The Library IL Public Investment
3 TAX for the support OF a public Ii
brary is usually regarded merely as q
concession by taxpayers to the intel
le,tual and moral needs Of the com
i~}4uity, a more or less proper Sacri-
nee for the higher life Of the public.
Even the most Jealous friends Of the
Hlrary, in arguing for its support for
nm increased income. are usually con-
!eut TO rest it's claims entirely on such
considerations assuming that they are
worth at least the small sacrifice in
VOWED, That the library tax is amply
justified On these grounds is evident
enough TO all who appreciate moral
and intellectual values, and it is TO
he hoped that the library VIII never
fail 10 make lis appeal 10 these h!ghcr
interests.
But this is only onc-half OF its
legitimate appeal. n even this hall
~ weakened II compr ornised by the
suppression Of the othe: hale--the
failure TO press home 81 sously. clear
y and confidently the fact that the
weiI-eQuipped library means not a fl
nancial sacrifice, not the expenditure
Of tho peoples money for a remote
and higher benefit merely, but a fl,
nancial investment for the colnmu.
nity, a sound business L1opoSitiot
from which the people receive back
dollar for dollar, with interest, tht
money they put into it.
The library is much moro than ;
money making or a moHey-savjng IN
Festment for the community, but j
IS such an investment just as trul,
AS IS d city gas plant or waterwOrk'
plant or a sewage disposal plant, tn
amount Of return from the inveStmen
~ each case depending on the eff
'leicy with which the plant is man
aged When the taxpayer is aske'
i"F an appropriation for a library
he IS not asked to give anything, h
IS not asked to make d sacrifice 70
a good cause. he is asked to put hi
money into an enterprise which qua
"httes him direct material benefit
and from which he cannot help re
trIVlnS even larger indirect return:
Material Profits From the Librar
these may seem like very stron
statements, but they are capable c
near n complete demonstrate
Space here is too limited for any AIDE
aaatc treatment Of the subject, b,
'he following considerations may /
submitted in support Of the positio
taken above:
J.. Large business and manufactul
)h& corporations maintain librari'
ana library experts as a neceSsal
condition Of their continued busine'
standing and growth. They kno
'h"t they must provide for their ma
ayers and workmen the best ar
latest knowledge available in the
department of industry, If they a
70 maintain the necessary degree
BUSINESS efficiency The weH-co.
hhcted city or village library fulh
me same economic function for {
we people as does the private busine
library for the private corporation.
:. Real estate companies or fri
SAJ'loiung special sections of a CT
or It's suburbs for the sake of sellll
lois and house, find that the presen
- u library adds to the selling val
- all their property. They strl
with great zeal to secure the lOcatl
~ q proposed branch library in t
mldst Of their property, or, whe
mis- is impossible, frequently provit
~ Their own expense, the lot a
desired building. They are not dol
thlS for the hiSher life of the comm