The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1912-04-09
SERVICES OF THE
MODERN
fians for Enlargement OF Libraries
ShoW Increasing Interest On
the Part of the Public.

IN Address Before the State Library
Association by MILES 9. SHEER
RlLL, State Librarian.
lEultors note: Captain Miles q.
Sheriff.. State Librarian Of North
Carolina. who lived through some OF
The most stirring scenes Of the Ciyi!
War but had to limp home, has
embedded in this paper, written some
time ago, his observations of library
progress IN North Carolina. Captain
Sheriff. was unable to attend the
meeting at which he was to have
made this address: but as il has never
been published, it is to all intents
and purposes a fresh piece Of work
Mr.. President and Fellow Librarians,
Ladies and Gentlemen:
l confess to YOU that when | re-
celNed 2 letter from Miss Johnson,
our efficient secretary, notifying me
that | had been selected to present
the subject of The Public Library as
q Civic Investment" my surprise was
very great indeed; for it does seem
to me that the President and his
cabinet would have selected some
older person han myself to present
-<-' - Nv AK l"tt
is. Miss johnson addressed me at
Greensboro. n. c., which would indi-
cate that some one at Greensboro was
intended. or else Miss johnson is go
ing to ignore Raleigh. Now if | make
4 failure. we will let it go to the
credit of our friends at Greensboro.
There is another consolation in this
matter to me. / see that my friend
Mr.. VIM. Harden, OF Savannah,
Georgia. is to lead the discussion, II
he is competent to do SO; and there
fore my duty is to present the case,
and let him and others discuss it. By
n word civic or clNlcs we under
stand to mean the science of civil gov
eminent. the principles Of govern
ment in their application to society.
A civic crown among the Romans
was a crown made Of a leave as
a military reward for preserving the
life Of a citizen in battle. He who
was rescued offered it, at the com
mand Of his leader, to his preserver,
whom he was bound to honor after
ward as a father. Now in our day q
library means more in civil govern
ment than a crown Of oak caves
The library Of course is a term useo
to designate q collection OF books
archives. and manuscripts for reading
and preservation. We are told tina
49, ~ 49,
Of archives, which were preserved il
the sacred temples" The oldest Ii.
brary is said to have been founded II
Memphis (not Ternessee) by tn
| Egyptian king Osymandyas in tn
> twelfth dynasty. 1t was housed in (
division of the palace; at the entrance
I were inscribed the words, THE Heal
beautiful sentiment? Was it not {
2 high compliment to the library? Nov
5 I do not agree with writers as to tn,
oldest library Of which we have an,
! record, who do not agree that Coo
established the first library on tn
2 Mount, and appointed Moses as Ii
l brarian amidst the fire and smoke Q
mount Sinai" Moses had, in tina
original library, the best code Of law
4 the world has ever had. The trutl
is it was "multum In parvo.' Nose
= was carrying the whole library on hi
shoulders; l would like to see hin
carry Of our public libraries Q
y Moses got disguised with the con
f duct of his people and threw the Ii
e brary down and DESTROYED it. How
many time have you librarians beel
8 a.s badly disguised as Moses (our frs
librarian) at the reception Of the mos
9 outlandish letters Of inquiry? A
State Librarian, ] have received let
tiers from Dan to Beersheba," an
n some of them I wish l had KEEP
S to read before you here today an6
as one Of our colored statesmen sal
in 1868 and 1869, handed 'em dow
e to the arkibes Of Grabity." Tn
voluminous correspondence of tn
librarians Of public libraries show
that libraries as a civic investmen
are a success. The people want in
formations: where can the find it
not in the "Dub1ic Hbraries?' Their
is no telling the wonderful effect. tn
great uplift tina public and private Ii
d braries have had on the people, an
on our civil government. If we Ia
= the time to show in figures the grea
increase in libraries from the first i
d brary organized up to the present, "
e all would be aSonished! And coul
e we show What a wonderful infuene
J. libraries have had on the govern
It ments Of the world, the people woul
sA