Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1919-04-06

those of the rural districts are avail ii',g themselves of the advantages o the Pine Bluff Public Library an. how well that institution is serving thc pabiic, was shown by the reports of Mrs. C. w. Pettigrew, president and Mrs. C. F. Rathbun, librarian, at the annual meeting Thursday evening
 The library association has ac. quired the property on the northeast corner of Fifth avenue and Chestnut street, but there is debt of $11 ,50C on the place. With the return of men who have served in the army, where they became patrons of the camp and Y. M. c. A. libraries it is anticipated that the Pine Bluff institution will be enabled to play even greater part in the future of the city and county than it has in the pastf With the de- | termination to meet this and future needs, plans are being considered i for erecing a suitable building, for adding books and for the employment 1 of a trained librarian who will be able to give all of his or her time to the service, and offer patrons advice and information.
 i Because there are to many interest ed in the activities of the library, the reports of Mrs. Pettigrew and 1 Mrs. Rathbun, appended hereto, will prove enlightening:
 Mrs. Pettigrew's Report.
 Ladies and gentlemen: In making to you my annual re- port, of the condition, and activities of the Library, do not think it necessary to present extensive statis- tics. As shown by the reports sub- mitted to you at this meeting, the library is steadily growing, and the work of the past year is very gratify- ing. To no one is this steady growth more evident than to those in charge who realize beyond a doubt. the i'm portant place the library is filling in ] the community.
 | More and better service has been rendered, the number of users largely increased, and the library has been brought closer to the various classes of our citizenship, and their patron age, and interest enlisted as never before.
 In some measure this is duo to the fact that the library has established it's individuality, by moving into it's own home, which they purchased the first of last year, and upon which a payment of $3,500O0 was made, this purchase was made possible by the generosity of our esteemed board of directors and others in advance of a campaign. It is hoped that before an- other annual meeting the good citi- zens of Pine Bluff will have come to the aid of the association, and that the last of the purchase price will be paid.
 Our new quarters are much larger than the ones formerly occupied, and by this means the library has been en. abled to widen it's usefulness. We are now using all of the lower floor o1 the building, for library purposes having very lately opened, and furn' ished another room which is known as the study room, in this room will be kept the histories, biographies, stat istics, genealogies, etc. magazine file, clipping file, and picture files which is under way, and bids fair tt become a very valuable part of thu library's possessions.
 In the excellent reports of the lib rarian, treasurer, and secretary, wil be shown the actual work of the lib
 rary, and the receipts and disburse
 ments, and condition of our funds
 had it not been for the help receive'
 from the city council, and from tn
 quorum court, the work of the librar,
 would have been most seriously ham
 pered.
 Since, and curing the war, the de
 mands for books, has been for clas
 of reading different from that form
 erly used, especially books on history
 travel, foreign countries, militar
 studies and subjects, these calls hay
 come from all classes, and from stud
 ents and teachers, and now that ou
 boys are coming home there is an urg ent demand for books along vocation
 al lines, in the purchase of thes
 books we are very much restricted because the maintenance of the lib
 rary has not increased in proportio to the demands made on us. ii Only library staff, and the pull lie school teachers know how muc
 library contributes to the useful ness of the schools, and how absolute ly indispensable is the service of tn
 library to every school, where the lit rary and the school cooperate. Tn library is not rival of the schools, is a branch of their service, and W are anxious to do every thing in ou power to work with the school boar in giving these added advantages t
 all libraries are school for old an young. 35 scrap books have been made an placed upon the shelves, these cor tain the lists and service, of Jeffer son county boys, registrants, Ark ansas, state and local, history, Pin Bluff, Jefferson county, local obitua ries, biographies, foreign biographies foreign women, biographies, Amer can men and women, war poetry an others.
 } Some very fine additions wer