Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1922-01-11
WEDNESDAY. JANUARY II. 1922.
ANNAPOLIS AND THE PUBLIC
LIBRARY

The action OF the City Council
Monday in rejecting the PROPOSE
ton to aid the Annapolis Public
Library comes as a decided disap-
pointmcnt 10 those who believe
this enterprise to be a public ben
cfaction. The able and comprc-
hensive report submitted by
Chairman Fcnton of the Library
Association presents facts which
strongly tend to justify this be
lief, and. accordingly. to Justify a
municipal subsidy.
During the year OF its existence
the number OF books has been in
creased to $3.50: six hundred
readers cards have been issued :
the average daily attendance AT
the Library has been. approxi-
mately. 81; and Approximately
1000 visits have been made 70
the Library by our citizens. This
shows that there has been a pub
lie demand for such an institution
in our community, and that it is
supplying a real want here.
The figures submitted further
show. however. that in order to
continue its growth during this
formative period. the Library
must have not only recognition
but also substantial aid and en-
couragement as a public institu-
ton. and it was in quest of this
that the City Council was appeal
ed TO. The amount embodied in
Counselor Riley's order $4,000 4
month for six months.-is surely
4 modest sam. but the issue was
much more vital than that. 1t
was whether this worthy commu-
nifty enterprise should be aided or
handicapped by 4 favorable or an
uniavorable attitude on the part
of the City Government. The
flat rejection of the only PROPOSE
ton that came before the Council
can leave but one impression. that
of encouragement; and il will
make the way OF the pioneers OF
this movement proportionatelv
harder to travel on that account.
The members of the City Council
who opposed the proposition are,
of course. entitled to full credit for
a conscientious adherence to their
convictions on the. subject. but at
the same time the attitude
amounts TO 4 step backward.
There can scarcely be any
doubt as to the advantageS5of hay
ing a free public library in the
community. and at the time of its
foundation about a wear ago. it
was welcomed and applauded as
a splendid enterprise. 1t IS con
sidered So particularly because.
outside of the Naval Academy and
the State Libraries. which ma
Jority Of the citizens do not feel
free 10 use. there Is no other 81
any Kind in the community. and
the free public library was CON
sidercd worthy of every encour-
agement from the municipal au-
thorities. The progress made
during the past year has shown
how we'll it has filled this public
need.
The benefits which accrue from
a free public library are 50 self
evident that it is useless 10 recite
them. Practically all the cities OF
any Importance in the country
subsidize their Libraries and rec
ognize them as a vital unit of their
educational system. \ city should
follow the same line of reasoning
III extending financial aid TO its
libraries as states and counties
do in substituting colleges and
schools. The money spent in
furthering education in a republic
Is never wasted. but pays tremen-
dous dividends by the higher
ideals and enlarged capacity for
better citizenship which it engen-
ders. A reading public is an en-
lightened and educated public.
and an educated public in its turn.