The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-12-02

conditions here so as to be able to give
out details as to how such is to be ac-
complished.
Wants to Interest the Men
"One of the principal steps toward the
general goal is to get the men into the
library. OF course we haven't got the
women and children interested yet as
they ought to be, but we intend to keep
on after them and lay especial stress
on efforts to interest the men. The in
dustrial activities of this city cause the
need here for a large technical depart
ment and such department we will en-
deavor to establish and interest the men
of the community in it.
Our aim is going to be more to supply
the needs of the community, rather than
anticipate them We are here to give
the readers and students and business
and professional men what they want
and that's what We'll try to do rather
than attempt to educate them into some
thing we think they should want The
library should fill the needs of the COM
munity. To illustrate, man came up
here this afternoon and wanted a picture
for an advertising layout. Although it
is the rule not to allow books to be taken
out until a card is filled out and signed
by a second person, this man was given
the book he wanted and a magazine,
both of which was against our rules We
never let the magazines go out and the
library card should have been signed by
someone else beside the man. But he
wanted the picture and the magazine at
once. He had to have it for the adver-
tisement he was then getting up. He
got 1t. Although | never saw him before
in my life, he looked to me like a re-
spectacle and honest citizen. We want
to do away with some of this red tape,
not that there has been more here than
anywhere else. But we want to make
the library serve the people and if neces-
sary we will not hesitate to strain a point
to do so.''
To Buy New Books
Within the near future the library
board, composed of citizens of Birming-
ham, will purchase some new books. They
ask that anyone interested who wants to
recommend a book as needed in the Ii
brary, bring or send the recommendation
to the librarians. About $500 worth of
books will be purchased and while it is
not promised that all books recommend
ed will be bought, at the same time Mr.
Milan and the board desire very much
to secure these suggestions.
Mr.. Milan is young, vigorous looking
man. His appearance is attractive and
he has ease of manner and friendli-
ness that makes him easy of approach
To sum up the general impression he
makes on the stranger he looks and acts
lfn ynf hos antl, III 4. "A
knows how to do it.
His connection with the local library
system places him in much the same
relation to the libraries as the superin-
tendent of eduaction is to the schools
He is the executive head of the library
system of Birmingham and is RESPONSE
BILE to the library board which was es-
tablished some few months ago by the
city commission and which is composed
of citizens of the city who are serving
without pay.
Milan Is Native of Kansas
Mr.. Milan is married and Mrs Milan
is expected in the city within a few days.
where she will make her home. He is
a native of Kansas is a graduate of the
University of Oklahoma, and of the State
Library school, Albany, N. Y, one of
the oldest library schools in the country
He has had much experience in his line
of work. having been connected with the
university library at the University of
Oklahoma. secretary of the Indiana Ii
brary commission in which capacity he
supervised all the public libraries In the
state, and has been connected with the
John Crerar library at Chicago. one of
the largest technical Libraries in the coun-
try. He was assistant librarian at Per-
due University, Indiana. Mrs. MiarQ
is a native of Texas and Mr.. Milan states
they feel like real southerners
Asked to compare Birmingham's IL
brary system with other cities of similar
size and age. Mr.. Milan stated he knew
of no other city of similar size as young
as Birmingham. lie said that the system
here very good considering the enor-
nous growth of the city and it's youth
but that there was much room for i'm
provement and that he hoped such could
be done, although he felt that those who
had made of the present library what 1t
is had accomplished wonders. consider
ing conditions and circumstances.