Arizona republican., 1920-10-12
LIBRARY IS GIVEN BOOKS WORTH S1,5OO
 BY MRS. A. R. MACKAY

Adding her name to the list of those ~neSe owners hive been friends to the fhceniN public library in a special manner through the donation of oooSs-Mrs. Angus R. Mackay. 1877 Worth Central avenue, has presented TO Inc institution volumes which not oni1 arc worth more than one-auarter oi Inc appropriation for books from tne city for tho year. but which, with others of the same kind. are to form the nucleus of an entirely new depart mcnt in tho library-a department of mining. civil. electric and mechanical enEinccring-which is to have room ty Itself.
 fhe city's appropriation for the rurchaSe of books during the year was ANseee. which is more than has ever noen siven to the library before. and which cannot mean that more books NH ee purchased than before because of their increased cost. Mrs. Mackay's gifi. coming. as it does. to a money value of more than Sl 500. has a higher value even than this when considered in terms of present day cost. When the beauty of their bindings, the years which went to their collecting, and their value to the interested man is considered. they are almost priceless, according to those in charge of the hhrary's affairs and could be duplicat- cd. it is believed. only with the great est difficulty.
 The books given by Mrs. Mackay in- ciode bound sets Of The Transactions of the Institute of American Engin- eers. Proceedings of the American society of Civil Engineers" Mines and Minerals" Mines and Methods. Mining and Engineering World, Mining and Scientific Press" "En- gincering Record" and a complete se CT Weeds Copper Handbook" These volumes represent a lifetime of collect. inr by Mrs. Mackays husband. who before hts death. was among the mos prominent mining men of Arizona
 Other donations along the same sci entific lines are to be joined with Mrs Mackay's donation in forming a sepa rate department. which is to be quar tered in the room now taken at the ii orary by the museum.
 Tn discussing Mrs. Mackay's gif yesterday library officials laid stres upon tho fact that donations of books 10 matter what their condition. ar always acceptable. Those which ar valuable and needed by the library am put in good condition and placed on tn shelves. and others are given away, fl turn. Co institutions where they ar wanted. There is a continual call fo books from various sources, accordin Co tho librarians. and no volume, n matter what its matter or condition i, has not some value for someone. Tn state penitentiary at Florence, the in dustrial school at Fort Grant. the sher ifrs office and other institutions hay ccnefitted much in the past from thes donations, and they are always glad { get more.
 AS an instance of what may be don with books which seemingly may hay outuved their usefulness. or whic their owners no longer wish to keel library officials yesterday told of hay inr rcreived some time ago 9 telephon caii-from a carpenter, who said that h had some old books that he wished { give away. They were sent for imme diately. Many of them had no cover and all were in a bad way general But an were yet serviceable. and going through them the officials n, only found that all could be distribute With good results. but discovered tw which. with new bindings. made aC ceptabic additions to the librarys ow asock
 Officials of the library are willir e go anywhere at any time to look . hoolE which are offered as gifts and take them Co the library without ar expense to their owners.
 Nh fetefence again to Mrs. Ma kavs gift attention was drawn yeste day also to the fact that only a fe years ago there was a general i'm presston throughout the Salt Riv valley that the Phoenix public libra was devoted mainly to works of a fl uonaf nature. The result of this W that patrons of the library went the usually only Co look for fiction so tt at oSr time the patronage of the
 hrarJ was devoted by s5 per cent this class of reading. The library sun buying fiction. of course. but ! also bern building up along non-f tionaN lines with the result that tod oniy e. per cent of tho books on shelves are fictional. and this with rauoDage which is averaging ab foo a dny.
 ADong those now who have beco Spcchr friends to the library throt