The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1921-02-04
STUDENTS CLUB
LIBRARY WILL Be
OPEN TO PUBLIC
HEREAFTER THIS SPLENDID IN.
STlTUTloN WILL BE oPER.
ATED WITHOUT CHARGE.
MEMBERS MAKE ANNOUNCEMENT
James Wooten Memorial Junior Lib.
rary Has Always Been Free to the
Public and Will Continue to Be-
Small Charge in Certain Cases.
(From Fridays Daily Herald.)

lFIoiH FTludy Duily Ilcldiu'j
AT the last meeting of the Students
Club, the members made an important
decision, which was, to make Their
Circulating Library free to the public.
The club has always. had desire to
DO this but lacked the funds. Now,
they find that they can secure several
hundred books, yearly, as loan from
the state library and with this free
source of reading matter, supplement
ed by the dues of the club which have
always been applied to the expense
Of running the. library, they can throw
it open to the public without charge.
The only exception to this will be the
newest books and magazines for
which, small weekly Zee will be
charged.
The James Wooten Memorial Lib
rary for children, branch Circulat-
ing Library, has been free since lis
inception, three years ago. =
The history of the Students Club
Library is interesting and shows the
determination and tenacity of purpose
Of this philosophical band of women,
whose organization has, for many
years, meant much to Columbia.
In 1902, they started public read
ing room by giving donation party.
A few chairs, bookcase, table and
fifty books were the contributions. A
little later, a public reception. was
held, when number of other books
were given, and with these as nue.
leus, the circulating library was open
ed. Thus for nineteen years the lib
rary has been in active operation The
hope and desire of the club during ali
these years have been to make their
collection of books the nucleus of a
large public library, properly housed
in building owned by the town. In
1906, it seemed that their ambition
was about to be realized for they sec
ured promise from Mr.. Andrew Car
negie to donate to the town $4,000
for a library building provided the
usual conditions such a gift imposed
were complied with. The club went
to work with great zeal and after
much effort were ready to meet Car
negie's conditions; viz, building
site, and an annual appropriation OF
$1,000 for tine city council for the
maintenance of the library. They sec,
ured $1,400 to buy lot and succeeded
in getting progressive city council
to pass an ordinance to provide the
maintenance fund. But alas! for their
hopes. The incoming council rescenG.
ed the library ordinance and the Car.
negie Library was dead Not daunted,
however, they continued to enlarge
their library and sought ever to serve
the public the best they could with"
cut any definite income. The annual
membership fee of one dollar and a
half charged the readers, was never
sufficient to cover the cost of the lib
rary and the Students Club expend-
cd the entire fund from their dues for
its up-keep, thus making their own
ROC inc of nr ncf fxxy'o hot 1e II
scribers. During most of the time,
the members served as librarians,
Several years after the organiza
ton of the library, the Maury Dry
Goods Company generously offered
the club home for their books in
their building.
When the Maury Dry Goods build
ng was destroyed by fire, the library
was burned-without cent of insur-
ance, it seemed to the Club that they
could never replace their hundreds of
lost volumes but they started to work
again and today they have thousand
books on their shelves besides four
hundred belonging to the children's
In the collection of books in addition
to fiction there are many valuable
works of reference books on art, liter
airy, art, criticism, etc.
The children's library, which'was or
sanized three years ago as a memorial
to James Wooten, has an excellen.l y |
selected list of books and the club is |
highly gratifed that it is being well
patronized by the young people of the |
community.
To keep the library up to its past |
the Students Club may |
have to call. OH the public for assist |
lnce, at times.
The library will be thrown open to
the public Wednesday afternoon, Feb.
second Miss Afford has been engag
ed as regular librarian.
1t is the life desire of every Moham-
nedan to journey to the holy city