The Columbus dispatch. (Columbus, Miss.) 19??-1922, 1922-02-12

for reading drives out lower lasles,
Thus, realizing the value OF PUBIC
Libraries, he has not hesltateu "
spend hundreds OF thousands OF DOL
lars each year for their maintenance
I A good library would receive giits
/ from wealthy citizens. No other pub
lie institution offers so fitting an OPP
portunity for a public-splrlted clVizeii
to win the approval and esteem OF
his neighbors. II is means OF sell,
education and an influence for COCA
every day in the week. There IS
movement on foot now in the larger
cities to do away with the trashy
and light literature sold by many
bookstands. A library would nm
imize the sale and reading OF such
literature and help much in the sup
preston of this evil in our own COM
munity. J.,
1t is the mission Of the public nd
rary to make good and loyal citizens
of everyone; citizens loyal rot only
to their own community but to the
great national government as well--a
form of patriotism made imperative
for the millions of foreigners coming
yearly to our shores. The ideal pub
lie library embraces the true spirit
Of democracy. There are no social
lines, no creeds, and the rich and poor
meet together with the same privll-
eyes.
But the question will arise, How
will these Libraries be maintained !!
What about the expense? We should
not even think Of the expense IN an
instance of this kind. We know that
a great part, at any rate, OF what
we spend on Libraries will be saved
in prisons and police. The crime and
wickedness in this country caused
from ignorance will prove in the
long run more costly than the knowl-
edge which we can obtain from
books. There are two means OF
meeting this expense, however
donations and taxes. In my opinion,
the more plausible method is tax
alton 1t will put the library on the
basis Of a public institution. The pur-
pose Of the library is the same as the
school public educaton-and should,
therefore, be supported by the same
method as the school. Then every
one can have a common pride and IN
terest in it and the respect in which
it is held will be increased. With
an income that is certain, it will be
able to plan efficiently for the future
and to administer the affairs Of the
library in an economical manner. AS
William Jennings Bryan expressed it,
1.-The library is a center from which
radiates an ever widening influence
for the enlightenment, the uplift, the
advancement Of the community.
Now, let us think Of the high school
library and its work. This is near
az to US still, and concerns us more
than the public library. At present,
we have a nucleus for a good library
ourselves and every day observe its
workings and realize the benefits
derived from it.
The high school library differs from
the public library in that its general
function is to supply books for class
work and cultural reading, and to
give the pupils a knowledge of the
use of books and Libraries. It's first
purpose is educational and its read
ers are mainly students and teachers;
its books mainly for reference and
supplementary reading.
The library may derive its support
from number of sources. In some
states, the law provides for the aid
Of school Libraries. In many instances
the city appropriates certain amounts
for their maintenance. The. library
should be represented in the budget
on the same basis as other depart
ments of the school. Money may also
be raised from voluntary contribu-
lions, proceeds of entertainments and
fines, as is done in our school.
There has been much discussion of
the fiction that some of our high
school Libraries contain. Some of the
fiction is all right, but we have to be
very guarded and cautious as to its
style and content, for fear that stud
ents will become so interested and
infatuated with it that they will not
want to read literature of more
substantial nature. The best ltera-
ture appeals to the mind and heart,
and we should eliminate the remain
der. OF course, in a high school lib
rary there should be some fiction to
create an interest and delight in read
ing for those who have never found
enjoyment in reading books. Any
one viii certainly be safe in reading
the fiction Of Dickens, Thackeray,
Scott, Elliott and others Of that type
for they always write literature Of
the purest nature.
Magazines on current events,
domestic art, domestic science, pop
ular science and the ike are also
helpful in class work or for general
information and recreation.
The high school library should have
cordial relation with the public lib
rary, and cooperate with it in book
buying whenever possible. The pub
lie library can aid the school library
by lending it books, magazines and
other material which it does not pos
SEES. In some instances the high