Evening star., 1946-12-06
Meet
On Strategy for
Brown School
Tasks Are Assigned
In Preparation for
Wednesday Hearing

Community Council today started
carrying out the blueprint for action
on the E. v. Brown School drawn up
at a strategy session last night.
Each of the delegates was as
signed some task in preparation for
the hearing before the Commits
sioners next Wednesday on con-
version of the school to combined
library and community recreation
center.
School principals, mothers, stu
dents, merchants and representa-
tives of the Parent-Teacher Asso-
citation, the churches, citizens asso-
citation, businessmen's association,
Boy and Girl Scouts and the Chevy
Chase Women's Club were told by
their chairman, Sam Higger:
"The coming hearing is the focal
point of our whole campaign for
the school, We must show the
Commissioners how much the Ii
brary-recreation center is needed
here"
Calls Plan MOney-Saving.
James E. Schwab, vice chairman
Of the District Recreation Board,
told the delegates, gathered at the
Lafayette School, that I'VE must
face the fact that the District is
in bad financial shape, but what
all of us favor is actually a money
saving plan"
Both the Board of Library Trus-
tees and the Recreation Board, Mr..
Schwab said, would rather have new
buildings, "but both boards realize
that is a matter to be considered
years hence. While this building
is not as adaptable as new build
ings planned specifically for our
purposes, it's place we could have
now and get started 10 years earlier
on something We think iS$ needed
here"
Mr.. Schwab pointed out the costs
of renovating and equipping the
building-approximately $4,000 for
the library and $4,000 for the recre-
aticn center-Were homecoming ex-
penses and could be absorbed in q
few years.
Better Than Expected.
j. M. HsiSer, president Of the
Federation of Businessmen's Asso-
Citations, reporting on the tour OF
the school made earlier in the week
by library and recreation officials
and Chevy Chase residents, said all
members Of the tour were surprised
by the good condition of the build
ing.
1--WE were pleased to find the
building was much more substantial
than we had expected" he said.
"It will be usable for many more
years"
Miss Clara w. Herbert, public
librarian, told the delegates the
school building would provide 7,476
square feet of space for the library
as compared with 3,075 at its pres
ent quarters.
The present home of the library
at 3815 Livingston street NV, she
isaid is mot consistent with the size
and reading requirements OF the
community"
She also pointed out that the
Livingston street site was outside
the section most frequented by
shoppers and a considerable dis
tance from transportation transfer
points. She called attention to the
fact the school is located in the
shopping area, is close to the post
office, banks and movie theater and
is on transportation lines tapping
the whole area.
The school, she said, fulfills the
requirements recommended by the
American Library Association-that
"to insure maximum use at a min
imum cost, branches should be To-
Gated at strategic points, easily ac-
cessible, preferably on main thor
oughfare."
Mrs. Henry Grafton Doyle, presi-
dent of the Board of Education, de-
clared, ''The Chevy Chase commu-
nifty is not willing to sit back and
worry about juvenile delinquency
after it occurs; this community is
trying to attack it before it really
gets going"
Sees Increased Attendance.
When one of the delegates sug-
gested collecting figures on the num-
ber of school children in the area,
Miss Margaret r. Pepper, principal
of Lafayette School, volunteered that
if the library were moved to the
school, it would mean a great deal
to the children at Lafayette.
Miss Pepper said she had to make
arrangements with parents to take
children to the library at Livingston
street, bM that the E. v. Brown
School was within walking distance
of Lafayette and moving the library
to E. v. Brown would double our
library attendance"
Mr.. Higger said the residents Of
Chevy Chase were mot asking for
a luxury or more than our share
when we ask for an adequate branch
library and recreation facilities such
as are already enjoyed elsewhere in
the city"