Pine Bluff daily graphic. (Pine Bluff, Ark.) 1893-1942, 1916-04-07
Institution Proving Great
Factor in Mental Up
building of People.
THOUSANDS HAVE
BEEN BENEFITED
Report Shows 5,193 Children at Story
Hour Session. J.i93 Adults Use
Reading Room, and 1884 Books
Leaned Women Conduct Work.

Formal celebrat on Is to be held
today, of the birthday anniversary
of he Pine Bluff library, the celebra-
ton taking the form of big, in
formal reception at tn. present home
of the library, in the assembly hall
os the chamber of commerce, and
adjoining offices.
AS an indication of what can be
done by cooperation and steadily ap-
Piled efforts. the Pine Bluff library
is shining mark. The presen,
library was organized April Il,
1913, as result of movement start
ed by the Pins Bluff chapter of the
Daughters of the American Revolu
ton. Two years the women Of the
D. A. f.. waited with more or less
patience for their efforts to meet with
active cooperation on the part Of the
general public. and finally. on April 1.
1915. thu library was formally opened.
in the assembly hall of the chamber
of commerce. There were then only
two Or three stacks of shelves, with
not enough volumes. good and indf-
ferent, to fiji the shelf space. To-day
there are shelves along all the avail
able wal! space n the assembly hall.
while two adjoining offices likewise
are crowded to their capacity. with
shelves that are filled
The Reference Room.
The reference room of the library
admittedly ranks second in Arkansas
only to the reference department OF
the big Carnegie library a Little
Pock. and IS rapidly becoming recog
llized as of the greatest value to
business men, teachers, preachers,
school children and all other classes
who have occasion to look up facts.
oates or other such data. The refe"-
Snce room is the Charles We'll me-
mortal above of the library. the
greater number of the volumes hav
ing been purchased from the Charles
We'll Memorial fund.
The statistics department is another
articularly valuable section Of the
library. In this section are a collec-
ton OF genealogical looks. most of
which have been contributed by tho
John McAlmont chapter. Daughters Of
thu American Revolution. and the
Pine Bluff chapter. Daughters OF the
American Revolution. as we'll as 0the"
valuable works along the same lines,
notably a copy Of Burke's Peerage,
donated by Mrs. Laura Trulock Cur
tee Of Bridgs port. Conn. Countless
men and women have benefited from
this department, in searching up
quest ons Of ancestry.
Children's story Hour.
The children's story hour, a weekly
session hsld each Satu, day afternoon.
is one of the most successful and
Tost popular features of the librory,
and one which. in the course OF time
it is confidently believed will re-
bound to the greatest benefit OF the
community.
Competent readers and story telIers
have entertained and instructed the
oh ldren each Saturday since the first
story hour was held, add the manner
in which the attendance has increased
indicates plainly the popularity ami
value of the affair.
An aggregate of 1913 children
have attended the story hour sessions
during the year. In this connection.
the anual report Of the library says:
AS comparison, we would like
to say that the annual report OF the
Little Rock Public library shows an
annual attendance at The story hour
there of 1877. as against 5,193 in
Pine Bluff. yet Little Rock oonsid RS
it worth while to maintain a public
library, to have special ch'ldrens
nooms, books and equipment. and to