The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1913-04-03
DAKOTA'S
NEW LIBRARY LAW
PROF. w. H. POWERS EXPLAINS
PROVISIONS OF NEW LAW
JUST PASSED
LAW INCLUDES WHOLE LIBRARY FIELD
And Is the Result of the Work of the
State Library Association-State
Commission to Meet April II

The Register has requested Prof. w.
II. Powers, librarian at the State Col
lege and recently appointed by Cover
nor Byrne as a member Of the state
library commission. to explain some
of the workings of the new library
law. Prof. Powers kindly consented
and his article is as follows:
| have been urged to make some
comment upon the new library law.
The law has been characterized by
Doane Robinson, our state historian
and statistician, as the best law in the
United States. It's preparation en-
gagged the interests Of the State Ii
brary Association for several years,
and, though in its final form, it re-
ceived some additions from other
hands, it is essentially as 1t was dis
cussed at the meeting of the associa-
ton.
The aim was to make a law com
prehensive enough to include the
whole library field and naturally the
law is very comprehensive. The re-
suit has been simplification as may
be noted in the way by which a public
library may be established. Formerly
there were several ways provided.
These have been reduced to one, to be
followed alike in village or city. Diff
ferent forms Of governing boards were
formerly provided for; nov uniformity
is to exist in all public libraries.
To Brookings the provision govern
ing the establishment Of a public
library Is so important, that the ar
ticle prescribing the method is here
transcribed.
Whenever five per cent Of the legal
voters of any city, town or township,
as shown by the vote at the last gen.
eral election therein, shall petition the
city council. city commission, town
board OF trustees, or township board
OF supervisors so to do, the said coun-
Gil, commission, board OF trustees, or
board Of supervisors as the case may
be, shall at the next city, town or
township election submit to a vote the
question Of the establishment of a
Free Public Library in such city, town
or township, and If a majority Of the
votes cast Upon such a question at
such election shall be In favor of the
establishment of such a Free Public
Library. h mayor OF such city, or
the president Of such town board Of
trustees, or the chairman Of such
township board OF supervisors shall
forthwith appoint a board Of public
library trustees and the said public
library trustees shall exercise such
powers in establishing, regulating, and
maintaining a Free Public Libary as
are given to them by this chapter"
The board Of trustees so established
Is then much upon the same footing as
the board of education. OF course
Brookings has a free public library,
but it Is so simply through the will of
the voluntary band who established 1t,
not in the sense in which the term Is
used in this law.
A petition signed by twice the num-
Der required was presented to the
council several weeks ago and the
question will be submitted to vote at
the coming election. This Is the only
proper procedure. The library is for
the whole people, the patronage Is so
large that 1T is clear the people wish
to make sure that it's support shall be
certain and it's growth guaranteed. 1t
would be unfair not to throw open its
support to general vote. That Is what
is done at the coming election.
Unifying the provisions that govern
the establishment of public libraries
was but incidental to the main aim of
the library association in urging the
bill. The main aim was to establish
travelling Libraries. This measure will
be speedily put into effect. The COM
mission expects to organize April IL
and 1t Is hoped can at that time for
mulate its policy and the rules govern
Ing the establishment of the libraries.
Further comment on this feature of
the law Is reserved until after that