The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-05-08
P UBL|C LIBRARY
EXPENSE is GREAT
Appropriation of Less Than
100000 Would BE made
quate for Richmond.
REOPEN CARNEGIE OFFER?
Question Suggested at Hearing
by Committee Which Is
Seeking Facts.

me need OF free public library
suitably located and equipped with ,ba
! necessary branches for bringing ,bo
| books to the people was well Sc, forth
before special committee of the en-
Council last night BY Representatives
OF the Richmond Education AssocIH
ton and others. Several members ex-
pressed themselves as favoring the
establishment of library. but the
| committee took no action, preferrin.-
! TO await further information before
| formulating report to the Council
+, Thomas j. Todd. whose oifcr TO do
| mate slo.vuv toward the acquisition OF
| site, provided inc city VIII erect
| anu maintain Il Tree public library.
said that ne mad long been Interested
IN sucn project. that the city had
been nampered with other unuertuk.
| inss wnen the supiect was raised
| oe!!eNed the time was opportune, ana
mat the city was financially able To
undertake the work IN proper way.
Behind Southern Cities.
DR.. j. &. Mctcali. OF Richmond Coll
| lcSe, representing the 700 memoirs or
tne Richmond Educational ASSOCIATION
spoke OF Il library as the institution
~ wnicn the city is IN greatest neeu.
tte nau been unable 10 una a single
cry OF kicnInonds size That mas not
licady IN operation :. Tree puDic
.'prary, For purposes of comparison
nc mad gathered STATISTICS from Louis
] Tillc, A,lanta, San Antonio NASHVILLE
ind Norfolk showing general cOnd!-
lions in southern cities. Louisville nLi /
library OF l2s, 500 volumes. with an
annual circulation OF eS0.Vo0 BOOKS
And $4,000 registered borrowers The
.'brary operates six main branches
and many distributing points !. the
public SCHOOLS, and has separate
oranch Tor cUlored people
Inc Atlanta library mas 5000 vol
omes, with an annual circuiat'on OF
$4,000 volumes. and cost Sl5U,O0U. The
cost U; maintenance Is 81 900 Dcr year.
nashville, II city shown by tine last
census 10 ec smaller than Eicnmond.
"!th circulation laSI year o: $4,000,
and an attendance III the reading
room OF :Z5,5so persons. The nor
folk library cost soV,rQl and las more
-han 10000 books.
Or. }. \. {. Chandler. superintendent
OF tho city schools, spoke IN the an
one seventh of the entire populatton-
emphasizing the educational value OF
a horary IN CARRYING on the work al
Ter pupils leave school. L. W Duke,
superlntenden, of the Mecnauics' In.
stltute. told oi the limited WORK done
with the technical library or that ia
stitutiom.
Mrs. 3. B. Muntord spoke earnestly
Tor an adequate library. she saw no
objection to the acceptance OF the Car
neS4c oter, provided IL were sim open.
state Library Not Avnilablc.
Mrs. Kate Peasants Minor spoks
OF the state Library. explaining that
enat was II specialized Institution, not
equipped tor carrying on the work of
general circulating library. The
state Library had not bought 100 nov
els IN nv: years. she explained. and
Heed Tor free circulating library
was very immediate. and one tuat
she met with IN her daily association
with the state Library.
Mrs Minor a. fHplair
the only real public library In Ricn-
mond at present IS the ST. Andrews
i'arish Library, operated by Mis-. Grace
Arentsf and ior when Anew building
Is shortly TO be erected W!th but
3,525 books, this l!brarf mad i.69l bor-
latlon of lh.liU volumes, thus answer
ing once and for all the question
whether Richmond people would use
q library. II they had Mrs Minor
predicted that IL a suitable central
liorary We're established that the ST. |
Andrews Library would soon b, turn
rd over as ncishborhood branch 10
ne operated i'll connection with the
main institution
Wants Nothing Chcnp.
>, Wyndham H. Meredith, president OF
Said THAI that Institution mad done
wnat II could In IL limited way. ana
had really accomplished much. though
| u SUNK INTO insisniticance IN speak'na
of free public library. lie com
mented on the lack OF a !nun!cipal
hbrary--no place where citizens could
study and obtain information needed
10 face the serious municipal problems
relating to the changes in the form
or city government The city could
not keep III the front rank OF prog
tesS by hugging It's ignorance ana
proc!a!minE TO the world that IL diJ
not want Intelligence. Especially. lie
SAID. The citizens did not want any
thing cheap. but an Institution worthy
OF the city. He suggested the Ford
hotel lot as a suitable site, and rec.
"minended acceptinE Mr Carnegie's
oner, or double ii II Il could be 80.
cured, with suitable branches in va
rious localities
DIR. Metcaif presented resolutions %
me Richmond Education Association to
the effect that an appropriation Of
less than 100000 would be inadcdtiatr.
that OF the three methods OF raising
this-by city appropriation. public
| Carnegie offcr--thc latter seemed
preferable; and as a tentative sugres-
ton 1t was proposed that the library
made up of the Mayor. presidents or
the two branches of the Council. ON.
member OF the Administrative Board. |
citizens. OF whom t1o should be w1-
men.
CnrneEies oTer sim Open.
DIR. Metcalf said that he had writ
ten to Mr.. Carnegie's secretary 10
know whether the former offer OF
100000 was still open, and had been
informed that the matter could not
be taken up unless the request came
form duly accredited City official !
He called attention to the Fact that |
Mr.. Carnegie does not insist on the
institution bearing his name the Louis ,
Vile Free Public Library having re-
ceived si53.0Oo from him. Members of
the committee asked II number of oucs-
lions In regard to establishment Of Il
branch for negroes, the suitable loca-
ton OF the central library, and the
policy which seems to be growing III
many cities OF operating small