Evening star., 1938-03-17
COLLINS EXPLAINS
LIBRARY MEASURE
District Association Hears
Plan for Five Regional
Depositories for Records.

Provisions of his bill to establish
i've Federal regional libraries in easily
accessible population centers Of the
United States were explained by Rep
resentative Collins Of Mississippi to
the District Library Association in
session at the Archives Building last
night.
District library executives and libra
rians gave Mr. Collins measure a
strongly favorable reception and re-
ferred it to their Federal Relations
Committee for study and a suitable
recommendation Of Endorsement.
THE necessity for developing the
Nations library facilities is becoming
more and more obvious" Mr.. Collins
said. Libraries and their benefits
offer rich returns not only today, but
to generations to come"
He pointed out that five regional
libraries would serve citizens unable
to come to Washington for Govern
ment records and books In the Con-
gressional Library, assure preservation
Of Federal documents in time of war,
especially if Washington's libraries
were menaced or destroyed by an
enemy, and aid scholars and education
generally.
Letters Support Plan.
The regional libraries, under his bill
introduced last year, would be located
at New York City, Memphis, Chicago.
Denver and San Francisco. He said
he had received hundreds of letters
from all over the country in behalf of
the bill and predicted its early indorse-
ment by the American Library Asso-
citation.
The Collins bill would provide also
the deposit of new Government doc
uments In the proposed regional libra
ries and would amend the copyright
laws to require printing of sufficient
copies of each registration for the
libraries.
Despite warlike actions prevailing
in the world today, we still find time
for the nobler things in life," Mr.. COL
Inns declared. I'VE must remember
the younger generation. Let us give
them chance to transmute darkness
into light.
Notes District Plan.
1T gives me great pleasure to tell
you that it will be only a few days
before plans are begun for building q
great District central library in the
block where the National Guard Ar
mory is now located" said Mr.. Collins,
referring tos.an item of 100000 for
the plans contained in the District
appropriation bill.
Miss Adelaide r. Hasse, president
Of the Library Association. paid tribute
to Mr. Collins beneficial interest in
the Public Library of the District and
the Library of Congress" and said
there has been no American States
man as library minded as he since the
days Of John Marshall and Thomas
Jefferson"
1t was through legislation offered by
Mr.. Collins in 1880 that the Govern
ment acquired the Voelbehr Collection
of 1ncunabala, composed of 5000 books
printed in the 18th century, and the
priceless 42-line vellum edition Of the
Gutenberg Bible. all of which are now
In the rare books section Of the Library
Of Congress.
DR.. Bowerman Speaks.
DR.. George F. Bowerman, public
librarian, declared after Mr.. Collins
speech that the association should in
dorse his bill, and in conformance
with its custom, moved the measure be
referred to committee. The motion
was adopted unanimously.
Other speakers were Edward Chap
man, w. P. A. library consultant, and
Ralph Dunbar, director If the Ma
tional Library Service in the United
States ONCE of Education, Interior
Department.
Mr.. Chapman told of the w. P. AS
work In county and rural library sys-
TENS and expansion of the circulating
Libraries carried by trucks to farm pop
ulation.
Mr.. Dunbar outlined the work OF
the new library branch of the Office
of Education, which he said gathered
and interpreted library statistics, con-
Quoted surveys and research, organ
lied material for public forums and
agricultural discussion groups and
sought to coordinate library work and
to cooperate with libraries all over
the country.