The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-07-21

1, 1912, as still third branch of Birming- ham. Under the terms of the Carnegie contract the city contributes yearly 5000 each for the support of these two subur- ban libraries
 Duplicate records for each member of every branch are kept at the Central Library; also a membership card at any branch will be honored when presented for books at any other branch system. This plan brings with 1t all the ad- vantages of cooperation.
 | Opening of the Central Library at night and on Sunday afternoons was founJ necessary in March of the present year. and an extra assistant was installed for | this work.
 1 As now operating there are in the main library in addition 10 the librarian. two assistants for the day and one at night, together with one assistant at each of the | three branches.
 About 95,0Oo volumes in all are now the property of the library system, ts,O0O of these being housed in tne Central library.
 Sixteen thousand members are enrolled. and there is n monthly circulation of about 13,000 books. well as an average Of 3o00 readers in the buildings for maga- zines and newspapers
 The main library has no direct appro priation whatsoever from the city Sal aries are handled by the Board of Edu- cation, and the finest from over due books pay the running expenses and provide for periodicals and the binding of worn books. A small duplicate rent collection of the most popular books renting at 1 cent per day averages s55 per mouth This is the only regular book fund avail .. able, though donations from outside friends continue to he Of great assistance The Birmingham Medical Association has transferred to the dbrarv as a loan. it's collection of 2oeo medical books and all the current medical me gazines
 The Blind Association of the city has also placed in the Central library severa | hundred books in raised letters for the use of the blind readers Of Jefferson county. These books gre sent by the li- .brary to the blind readers free Of post age through the mails.
 Approximately D of the leading period ioals are to be found on the tables of the reading room of the main library and 30 or more in each of the three ranches. These magazines are bound into book form at the end of each year. and be- come with the assistance of periodicals
 indexes, of inestimabe value for refer ence.
 The Central library now has on it's shelves the largest collection of bound magazines of any public library fin Ala bama.
 Great need is felt in each of the libra ries for additional childrens books. espe- ciaily is there this ueec m the West End branch, where the children form so large a part of the library membership.
 A story about the Public Library would be incomplete without mention Of Dr. Thamas D. Parte and the magnificent support and loyal interest he has at al. times manifested In it's growth.
 man of deeply intellectual proclivities. a scholar and man of letters pre-eminent in his profession and identified with all that pertains to culture and rehnemeut. outside of Dr. Phillips and the Board of Education. including Mr. Ben NJ Jacobs. Dr. F. P. Hogan. Mr. John L. Parker, Mir. George R. Ryrom and Col Sam Will John who have done yoeman service for the library. no other ore individual has accomplished more. give more generous ly of his time and means. than Dr. Psrke.
 It would be q great day for Birmingham if her citizens would ..get together and give us a fine Public Library-the kind that Birmingham ought to have and the kind that would be an ornament and a pride to her in the years to come.