White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1931-04-09
A HOME NEEDED FOR
WHITE BLUFFS LIBRARY

A little more than seven years ago
at a meeting of the White Bluffs
Womar's Club at the home OF the late
Mrs. F. c. Koppen of Wahluke, the
nine members of the club who were
present voted to accept the charge
Of small number of books that had
been offered by Mrs. ~. S. Agnew, a
club member, as the nucleus Of pub
lie library. At the following meeting
Of the club in November, it was voted
to install these books in one OF the
stores in White Bluffs, where they
might be easily available to the pub
lie. -. ~
Mrs. M. S. Meeks was appointed by
Mrs. Melee, then club president, as
librarian. and she Immediately made
application for a supply Of books
from the state travelling library at
Olvrnpia-an institution that was tor
years wonderful boon to esther
single or associated groups OF readers
in isolated communities of the state,
but the bill for whose continuance
was vetoed by Governor Hartley tour
years ago.
For more than a year, Mrs. Meeks
as librarian, did most OF the work IN
connection with the care and checking
OFT of the books, the number OF
which grew slowly, through small do
nations of used volumes and maya
lines from club members and friends,
until in April, 1924, the first list OF
new books was ordered, funds tor
their purchase having been PROVIDED
through receipts from chicken an
ner.
A visit during this year from Miss
Eleanor Stephens, of the Washington
State Library of Olympia, LETT an
ideal to work for and lent an impetus
to this branch of the club work, that
resulted in another $50 purchase OF
new books the following December.
For the last few years the growth
of the lib airy has been steady, though
slow. through the expenditure OF a
certain amount provided for annually
in the club bud get, regular library
committee being appointed to select
the most desirable books. Occasional
donations through the year nave
helped greatly. The most valuable col
lection to have been added to the
shelves in this way was what is known
as the Koppen collection, which IN.
Guided a very fine illustrated set OF
Burbank's Methods and Discoveries,
the original cost of which was $4,000.
This set is soon to be placed in the
high school to be used by the pupils
in reference work.
The present library contains some
thing less than five hundred volumes,
two hundred of which were gifts OF
friends. It's future growth and use in
the community depend in no small
measure upon it's acquisition OF a
home. 1t long ago outgrew the few
shelves in the rear end OF the store
building that first sheltered it and
is now divided between the grade
school and the First Bank. More than
a hundred books suitable for adult
readers were brought out last Novem-
Der by Mrs. Kincaid, present chairman
of the library committee, to the Bank
as more convenient place for patrons
and the latter's approval may be
Judged by the increased number OF
books that have been checked there
since. Records of the entire number
checked out at both the school and
Bank are necessarily incomplete, as
many of the childrens books at the
grade school are used during school
hours, no record being kept since they
are not taken from the building.
The subject of a convenient per-
manent location for this most i'm
portant center of cunmunity cultural
development has for some time been
under discussion among club members
and it is hoped that way will soon
be opened up to make it a reality.