Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-02-09
STATUS Of DRIVE FOR
HIGH SCHOOL LIBRARY
Principal Coke Issues a State
mont, Showing What Has
Been Done.


Principal Charles A. Coke Of the
High School has issued . statement
concerning the High School Library
drive. showing what has been done
and how the movement was helped.
The statement follows:
Our campaign for books and funds
with which to buy books for refer
ence library for the High School was
based on = recognition OF long-fel
want. For years everyone connected
with the school. pupils and teachers,
and also patrons Of tho school, who
were In touch with It's work and in
sympathy with its aims. had felt the
need. the almost desperate need OF an
adequate reference library immediate
ly available In tho High School. With
out 1t the work OF the school has been
seriously handicapped; and there had
seemed. until recently no means avail
able by which TO relieve the situation.
1t is no reflection upon the quality
or scope OF the work done by our
splendid Public Library to say that It
could not, In the nature OF the case,
supply the wants OF the High School.
a library much larger even than the
Wilmington Institute Free Library
must need be a general lending and
reference library: whereas the work
of the High School requires a partlcu
larized library. Usually It is ncces-
sary that the larger library have only
one copy OF any book or ono set OF
any general reference work; whereas
it Ia frequently necessary, II the work
OF the High School be done efficiently
that there should be Immediately
available dozen or a score Of copies
OF the same book In reference work
In organizing the campaign To pro-
cure a library for the High School It
was necessary to secure the aid, the
enthusiastic support of the press. and
of public spirited citizens, and OF
course, to stir the High School itself
to keen appreciation OF It's need,
and a strong determination to have
1t supplied. Too much praise cannot
he bestowed upon the responsible
citizens who supported the movement.
As chairman OF the general COM
mittee Mayor Leroy Harvey gave his
time and invaluable advice. and con-
tributed In a positive way 10 make
the campaign a success. David A.
Ward. superintendent of schools, was
at all times actively interested and
helped materially TO secure the CO.
, operation Of the elementary and gram
mar school teachers and pupils. The
, Board of Education at once authorized
the appointment of an experienced
and competent librarian. Mrs. James
n. Glnns, president OF the Council OF
Jewish Women, and Mrs. A. ID. War
ner, chairman of the committee ot
: women's clubs, lent valuable assis.
tance throughout the campaign. The
members OF the Lions Club, newl,
formed luncheon club OF young bust
ness men. helped admirably In sc.
curing cash contributions.
The High School, teachers an,
! pupils alike, accepted the task as pc
culiarly their own from the very be
: ginning, and did everything in thei
Dower to raise funds and collect book
g for their library. About every con
ceivable method was attempted n,
Z the various desk room groups, or b,
: classes, departments. or sections Il
= the High School. Candy sales, ath
letic games, benefit performances a
: the theatres. with the kind co-opera
z ton OF the management. especially c
= the Parkway. the Queen and tn
Playhouse; about every resource wa
: tapped and the result was truly mag
e nificent.
u 1t would be ungracious in the eS
r. treme not TO mention the tremendou
d value Of the support given by III
press of the city. Under the chair
e nianship of George Carter, editor {
J. the Evening journal. the publicit
e committee. composed OF represents
II tives of all of the papers o. the city
Every Evening. Morning News. LabC
II Herald. Sunday Star and Evenin
q journal. rendered absolutely invall
:, able help. The school owes the pre-:
v of the city debt OF gratitude, n,
!, only because Of the aid given in SUI
- port of its library drive; but, becau,
I, through the medium OF the press II
High School has been brought d
rectly before the public whom 1t ain
:. to serve. 1t was almost inconcei'
- able to the managers OF the can
- paign. at the outset, that an instit-
ton having srtcent enrolment
80 approximately two thousand, with
4 faculty of about eighty member
T" should be 30 little recognized for Il
. force which II is in the community.
sa order 10 serve the community in Il
le best and biggest sense the communi
De must know the school; the nature, e
l. tent and value OF the WORK which
ie does; and some OF the problems whi
II meets. 1t Is hoped that the inte
est which the community has TAX.
in the High School as a result OF 4
Library Day drive. will be but 4
A beginning Of wider and more e
tended interest in its work and a
tivities.
AS result of the drive we have $
" cured ABOUT $500 books and abo
ne $4,000 in cash; making a very r