The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-12-12
The Best Assets OF the Public Library of Birmingham
AS Seen by the New Director, Mr. Cqrl H. Milan1L
By DOLLY pALRyMpLE

Tt is refreshing to see young men
make study of a business which
reaches as many people and means as
much to whole community as the
public library
And
1t Is pleasure to see worthy young
men occupy responsible positions and
make good"
Among the army of loyal, talented
high-minded, progressive citizens that
Birmingham claims as her own, one of
the latest recruits is Mr. Carl H.
Milan, the new director of the public
library
Coming from far away Oklahoma
where he began the study of library
work, and more recently being en-
ployed as secretary of the public
commission of Indiana, where he did
tremendously successful work in the
upbuilding. and amelioration of condi-
tions concerning the libraries of that
state, Mr. Milan has been received
most cordially here. and everybody has
held out a helping hand to him in the
work he has assumed.
Mr. Milan impresses you as man
of ideas--a man of brains--a man who
means to do things"
Not laggard he--but with muscle
come to give his best efforts to the
library system of this district and as
he very cleverly and modestly says:
Even If don't win, at least / will
have the satisfaction of knowing that
I'VE made good fight"
After a couple of weeks residence
here" suggested to Mr.. Milan as we
chatted in his office few days ago,
what do you find In favor of the
library2"
Mr. Milan replied thoughtfully:
The assets are good, but there are
not enough of them. Conditions are
really far better though than I'd been
led to expect Particularly in the CEN
trail library do l find things moving
along smoothly I would say that L have
been impressed with two features es-
pecially, one of which is the collection
of books, which, while not as up to
date as l would wish, still 1t Is quite
complete In way. The second asset,
should say, is a fine, conscientious,
hard working staff which is considera-
bly, more to be desired than good col
lection OF books"
THE facilities" I suggested
Are not bad" said Mr. Milan.
Things hadn't been pictured over
darkly as to the status of library work
here. may say, but at the same time
optimism wasn't dominant. The rooms
where we are now located on the
fourth floor of the city hall to be sure
are not adequate, neither are they es-
pecially attractive to look at; they are
not well arranged for library purposes,
in fact rather an unfavorable impress
sion is created upon the casual visitor"
which emphasizes the necessity for
a splendid library building, which
would be an ornament to Birmin CHAM
in its growth and prosperity" l sug-
gested.
"A building of course is imporatant,"
was the reply, but not nearly so i'm
portant as a good collection of books,
and complete library staff. We ought
to have fine building down town,
convenient to every one, but as long as
we haven't 1t we are going to make
things more attractive with the foun-
dation we have by improving the sur
roundings and making conditions gem
orally more comfortable and proposes
sing"
What particularly Will you turn
your attention to first?" / asked.
1.-TWO things are of vast Importance, 81