Omaha daily bee., 1916-09-13
PUBLIC LIBRARY IS
BY FAR TOO SMALL
People Of Omaha Must Decide
What Will Be Done to
Give More Quarters.
PATRONAGE GROWING FAST
By A. R. GRoH.

yCa iNS ia StNohSi NAhi0ftNt S~-~'
reader, you are one of the 2l7,50O
owners Of the public library.
AS part owner of this property it
is up to you to decide what you want
to do to enlarge it.
1t needs charging. The library
patronage has been growing with
growing Omaha for some years. But
the building hasn't grown a bit.
They have curios slowed away there
in all sorts Of places, interesting
things that ought to be out where the
people can see them and enjoy them
and learn from them.
Our attic is almost full of stuff"
said Miss Edith Tobitt, librarian-in-
chief. I'VE need more room for the
museum part and for temporary ex-
hibitions. A man came in from Weep
ing Water the other day and offered
an interesting collection of things
from Morocco. We had no room to
make an exhibition of them.
No Display Room.
There is great demand for lee
ture rooms. And we have a large
amount OF historic material regarding
Omaha stored away-no room to
show it."
Now, owners, there are three propo-
sitions for charging the library:
First, keep the present library and
enlarge it BY building on adjoining
lots on the south already owned by
the city.
Second, erect branches in the north
ern part of the city, Dundee, and,
maybe, in the southeast section, keep
ing the present building as central
library.
Third, sell the present very valua-
bly, located property and, with the
money, build a large central library
and museum on less valuable ground.
Ground Gift to City.
The last proposition is not seriously
considered. II would be necessary to
secure the consent of the heirs sof
Byron Reed before this could be done,
Mr.. Reed having given the ground on
which the library stands.
But Omaha has arrived at the place
where something must be done.
If branch Libraries were erected it
is likely that Andrew Carnegie-if we
strike him some day when he has a
couple of hundred thousand dollars
in change in his pocket-could be in
duced to build them for us.
Friend Andrew was once "ap-
preached" for money to enlarge the
present library and he wrote back
that he never gave money to enlarge
libraries, only to build them new,
right from the ground up.
Might Give Branch.
He has built many branch libraries.
In Philadelphia he gave $l,500,000
to build fifteen branches. He likes
to do it.
Mayor Dahlman recently told c. N.
Dietz, president of the Library board,
that the city hasn't money to finance
a special election for library bonds.
1t may be necessary to wait until
the spring election of 1918 to find out
from you, Mr.. and Mrs Owner, how
you want to spend the money for de-
veloping the city library.
You can be thinking over what you
want done with this part Of your city
property-whether you want to en-
large the central library or whether
you prefer to build branches and
perhaps call on Andrew for bit of
help.
The city is now operating as a
branch the $4,000 Carnegie library
on the South Side. There are also
nine stations in drug stores and eight
in, school buildings, besides the books
at the Old Peoples home and few
other places.