Evening star., 1939-10-15
Library
(Continued From First Page }

Continued From First Page)
program, and is particularly needed,
as no library facilities are available
east of the river; none are nearer
than the Southeastern branch Ii
brary two miles away from the CEN
ter of the Anacostia section.
Along with the growth of new
agencies earlier established ones in
crease in number of borrowers
served, In home use of collections
and In demands upon the advisory
and reference service for material
to meet individual needs. Increases
in personnel are urgently needed.
Many new services should be under
taken, but must wait until substan-
tial increases bring the staff to q
point where 1t meets adequately
even the projects already under
way.
Through the efforts of Mrs. Philip
Sidney Smith, library trustee, q
group of influential women organ
lied a friends of the library"
group to promote, personally and
through the organizations they rep
resent, the new central library un-
dertaking and the development Of
the library service.
Opposition to Original Plan.
BY invitation of the District Com
missioners, the trustees submitted
to them and to the appropriate con-
gressional committees a report upon
the Griffenhagen plan Of District
government reorganization, 50 far as
it affected the free public library.
The Griffenhagen plan as originally
drafted would have made the Board
of Library Trustees merely an ad-
visory committee without power to
act; would have put the librarian
directly under q District admins
traitor or city manager; would have
transferred the personnel to . pro-
posed general department for the
whole municipal service, and the
care and maintenance Of building
with the janitorial and building
stats to a proposed department of
public works.
Since the opinion Of the trustees
had been invited and since this opin-
ion could be given disinterestedly as
the trustees have never received nor
desired compensation for services
which have involved for 43 years in
performance of q civic duty the sac
tiflce in the public interest Of in
dividual time, energy and anxious
thought, the trustees discussed freely
and fully before Congress and the
Commissioners the reasons for their
belief that the substitution Of the
Grif1enhagen plan for the existing
library system, created by act Of
Congress in 1896, would not be in the
public interest.
Changes In Plan.
The trustees are gratif1ed to report
that after hearings on the original
Grif1enhagen plan several important
changes from the original plan were
made by Representative Kennedy in
the bill prepared by him to give leg
islative authorization to the reor-
ganization proposal.
In Mr.. Kennedy's bill (H. r. 7,095)
the free public library system would
be continued under the name of the
Department of Libraries and the
Board of Library Trustees would be
continued as heretofore with no re-
duction of its present powers, ex-
cept as noted below. The name Of
the Board of Library Trustees would
be changed to the Board of Libra
ries" and the title of librarian would
be changed to director of libraries. "
It is explained that such changes
are made in the Interests Of a uni
form terminology." The central
personnel functions Of the Board of
Library Trustees with respect to
their professional stats other than
the classification and compensation
functions would be retained as in
the past; but, as in the original pro-
Sosal, certain library personnel
would be placed under the depart
nent of personnel and the depart
hnent of public works.
Reasons for Opposition.
While the trustees are pleased to
note the response to community
sentiment reflected by the changes
in Mr.. Kennedy's bill, the subject of
municipal reorganization is still be-
fore Congress and the trustees here
repeat, In substance, their reasons
for opposing the original Griffen-
hagen plan.
These reasons are outlined as fol-
lows:
/. The library could not have
come into existence and its record
Of development and expansion could
not have been made without the
persistent and enthusiastic labors
Of Washington citizenry under the
existing public library system.
The Public Library was created
by act of Congress in 1896 as q
"supplement of the public educa-
tional system of said District" The
Commissioners were directed to ap-
point citizens board of trustees
to be in charge of the library. These
trustees were empowered to select
the librarian and the librarian was
authorized to appoint such assist
ants as the trustees deemed neces-
sary to the proper conduct Of the
library.