Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1934-06-08

nlnIn Qay Oh June DIS lag Lay 1oI
the Pocomoke City Library, Incorpor-
ated,-on the eve of celebrating the
fourth year of it's birth, a short his
tory of the library, will give the peo-
pie of Pocomoke City some idea of
what their generous cooperation to-
ward it's establishment, has done DUR
ing this time. The purpose of it's es-
tablishment was to promote educa-
ton, and to strive toward library
at some future time free for all. 1t
is accomplishing both aims, in pro-
noting education along many lines,
and in the past two years it has been
made free to children ID years of age
and under. Of the present member
ship of 100, one hundred are adult,
or paying members, and the other
ninety are juvenile members, and free.
The library first saw light through
the Woman's Club of Pocomoke in the
fall of 1928. A Committee was NAM
ed in the Club to work out this prob
lem. This committee met on numer-
Gus occasions, and finally determined
on a course of action. 1t was decided
to make house-to-house canvass of
Pocomoke City, to have the city zoned
into parts and 2 persons responsible
for each zone. On a gloomy day in
the fall of 1928, amidst a drizzling
rain, this band of earnest workers
started out with the purpose of Sc
curing Charter Members for the lib
rary. The minimum for Charter
Membership was SIS which entitled
the giver to one years membership
in the library. The goal in mind was
$1,000, to be used for the purchase of
books and equipment. Need it be said
that the goal was reached and over,
as $1,O4O.00 was pledged and every
cent collected that had been pledged.
Three generous men of Pocomoke City
on being asked to give small sum to-
ward establishing library gave $25
each. Several other citizens gave
complete sets of the classics.
Just before the canvass was made,
the interest of the Worcester Demo-
crat was solicited and not only CO.
operated with us then, but have I'M
flinchingly stood by the library dur
ing these four years. The Woman's
Club made the first gift to the lib
rary of SAB and So books. Then an
invitation was given the library COM
mittee to present the plan to the Club,
which was done and met with the en-
thusiasm of many of its members.
With these organizations backing US,
the cause was almost won.
After the $1O40 was raised, the
next task was the selection of books
and a suitable room in which to honor
them. For the former task, the help
of the Md. State Library Advisory
Commission was solicited and after
weeks of work and worry, with pride
and pleasure combined 492 new vol
umes of books were placed on the
shelves in the library's present home.
Selected with utmost care and thought
they included Fiction, adult and juve-
nile, History, Psychology, Philosophy,
Religion, Sociology, Travel, Science,
Biography, Poetry and Art, and were
properly listed and catalogued, that
is, in the manner approved and used
by the Md. Public Library Advisory
Commission and by the Enoch Pratt
Free Library of Baltimore.
A town meeting was held in May
of 1880 in the City Hall and the first
officers duly elected, and the library
incorporated. The formal opening of
the library to the public took place
on June II, 1880. At that time there
were 120 Charter Members. During
these four yearssit has had enrolled
$50 different members. At present
the membership is 1870. The number
of books on that date was 492. Today
the total collection is 974. The cir
culation report from May 1888 to May
1884 is 4,685. For the past two years
a Child's Story Hour has been con-
Quoted. Due to the illness of so many
children, it has been dropped for sew
eral months, but will be resumed in
the fall. A regular member of the
Book-of-the-Mont Club, it receives
not only the choice Book-of- the Month
but all book dividends declared during
that year.
The library has since its opening
been entirely run by the officers and
Board of Directors, and librarian
and her assistants. The latter have
entire supervision over charging and
returning of books. For the past two
years, the library has been fortunate