The Maui news. [volume] (Wailuku, Maui, H.I.) 1900-current, 1920-12-10
COUNTY LIBRARY
PLANS EXPLAINED
Method Under Which Maui
May Be Able to Secure ms
titution to Meet Its Literary
Needs Told Woman's Club.

County Libraries, how the county
library law and system operates in
California and how such law might
be adapted to the needs of the Islands
of the Territory, especially to Maui,
was told by Miss Laura Robson,
recently acquired member of the Lib
rary of Hawaii staff, to the Woman's
Club at Kahului on Monday Her
talk was concise and held the deep
interest of all her hearers and she
answered all questions asked her on
the subject, keeping her main dis
course short that she might do so.
In general terms Miss Robson told
of the California law and it's opera
ton much as it was told in the letter
published in Maui News two weeks
ago She was able TO add personal
touch to the subject, however, by
giving some of her own experiences
and she showed that many parts of
California were more sparsely inhabit
ed by prospective readers than is the
case on Maui.
What Plan is
Briefly reviewed, the proposal is to
have an act of the legislature passed
so that counties so desiring can levy
a tax to equip and support library
to be located at the county seat in
charge of a trained libSarian. From
the county library books can be sent
to the various communities and
schools away from the county seat.
There would still be territorial
library upon which the county librar-
les could draw for works not on their
shelves Various details would have
; to be drafted into law to meet Is
land conditions. The matter OF ter
ritorial as well as county support was
one of these, she said. Also, the
libraries would be conducted inde-
pendent of the territorial library or
derng through the latter institution
as matter of economy the works
their readers desired.
Territorial Library Support
Invitations had been issued 10
number of men known to be interest
ed in the subject and among those
who accepted were d. H. Case, II. M.
Wells, d. c. Lindsay and Joseph H.
Gray. Asked to give his views on
the subject Mr.. Case brought up the
points that Maui has been bearing a
share of the support of the Library OF
Hawaii and of the Hilo Library. The
1915 legislature appropriated $24,l9O,
for teh Library of Hawaii and $55OO
for the Hilo institution; the 1917 ses-
sion $36,3 300 for the former and $4,000
for the latter and the 1919 session
S46,230 and $4,000 respectively. He
made the point that if Maui helped
support the other libraries 1t should
have support for it's library. He said
the Library of Hawaii was more OF
"a city than territorial institution,
was primarily designed to meet the
wants of Honolulu. He favored the
county library project but believed IL
the territory was helping to support
. libraries in Honolulu and in Hllo 1t
Fshould do the same here.
d. c. Lindsay kokua-ed what MI
Case said and II. NJ Wells spoke
especially on the subject as it re-
ferred to schools. j. H. Gray advo-
Gated a county library with all other
obtainable support, territorial and
from the Carnegie institution.
Criticisms Answered
Miss Robson replied that if the
county library plan became operative
Honolulu would have a county library
separate from the Library OF Hawaii
which would become the central insti-
tuition. III the law opeIdIeu ds III Sall
fornia each county would support its
own library and all the counties a
central library which would be drawn
upon in turn by all for such books as
they did not purchase for themselves
and the territory did purchase.
Get a working library before ask
ing for Carnegie institution funds
wait year or two after the library
was in operation" was her advice on
that subject.