The Washington herald., 1922-01-28

II
the board of library trustees Of the plan
worked out by the superintendent OF schools
and the public librarian, for system OF branch IL
brarieS to be established in the suburban school
buildings to supplement the library service OF the
central library and separate branches, marks ad-
vance toward the eventual development of tho pub
lie library system needed by Washington.
Curiously, the National Capital though its
population is of the highest order of intelligence
a rcIling pcople-has as yet an entirely inadequate
Iua,ic library system. The Congressional Library
and the numerous departmental libraries though
they probably among the finest OF their kinds
IN the world, mean comparatively little the
man, woman, child of Washington. II these
people to have adequate library service the kind
supplied by dozens of other progressive American
cities OF Washington's rank, they must get it from
the public library not at all. Excellent as is
the city library, far it goes, it cannot meet
the reasonable public demands with a congested
central library and only suburban branch Ii
brary
The recent announcement that Southeast Wash
l. gton will shortly have its own branch library in
a handsome building, the gift of the Carnegie Cor
poration, is encouraging, particularly if, following
the precedent of the Southeast branch, Congress
will proceed to supply other sites and the Carnegie
Corporation will carry out Mr.. Carnegie's an
buildings that Washington needs-that is four or
FIVE in addition to those already given.
The plan for branch library development as
Just given out provides that all of the separate
branch libraries be confined to the thickly built up
portions OF the District The other branches needed
to give library service to suburban residents will,
according to the arrangement with the school board
be provided in public school buildings. This plan
should recommend itself to Congress as sound and
economical BY this plan it will not be necessary
to maintain separate library plants in thiny settled
ncighborhoods, each requiring its own heating plant
and janitor. These suburban libraries will be con-
Quoted in cooperation with the schools, in the
smallest necessary space and at a minimum cost for
service 1t is planned to give such service to school
children daytimes and to adults in the afternoons
and evenings.
One feature OF this plan is to include such IL
5rarics in all OF the proposed junior high schools,
several OF which the school board desires to put up
in the future to serve the various sections OF
the city. The junior high schools require libraries
recially for the pupils, but, since they will be
regional in scope, they will be well adapted to
libraries which will also serve the grown up read
OF the sections from which the pupils drawn.
Another good feature of this plan is that in
stead of the erection of branch library buildings in
suburban sections having yet populations too
small to justify them, library service be given
in the schools until such time the populations be-
come more congested. Such growth in population
woul then perhaps crowd the library out OF the
school building and justify the separate library
establishment.
The plan as announced seems farsightcd and
reasonable and the school and library boards should
he given the means to put it into effect to the end
that Washington may have within a reasonably
short time the library service that her intelligent
reading population rightly demands