Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1955-02-24

One reason for this was the
high regard the Founding Fa.
theirs had for the heritage of the
past that is found only in books.
An amazingly high percentage
of the members of the Cont.
mental Congress were able to
quote from the original Greek
and Latin in framing our Repub-
lie. The great debates" of that
period had many references to
ancient history and writing.
In sympathetic appreciation of
the role of good library in an
Cali America" community, the
SENTINEL presents the follow.
ing history of the Rockville Ii.
brary Association as written by
that group-Editor.
Your Rockville Public Library
is a free public library serving
the town of Rockville. 1t receives
a major part of its support from
the town. 1t is not, however, a
political agency of the town. It
is non-profit corporation which
dates legally from 1921 and has
owned and operated the Library
since 1916. You may already be a
member of the corporation, The
Rockville Library Association. If
not, you may become a member
for 81 a year with full eligibility
to vote at the Annual Meeting, to
become a member of the Board,
and to take an active part in
solving problems which the AS
ISOLATION must meet from time to
time.
In 1916, at the suggestion of
the Inquiry Club, a group of
public-spirited women of Rock.
vile, including a number from
the Inquiry Club and the WON.
ans Club, met to establish a Ii.
brary. Pending more formal or
ganiZation, the small group of
books collected were placed un.
der the supervision of a commit.
tee elected by this group and
housed in a room of the Won.
ans Club on West Montgomery
Avenue, near the present post.
office.
A constitution was soon drawn
up for the newly formed "Rock.
vile Library Association, which
had for its purpose the placing
before the public the best avail
able literature" Membership in
the Association cost 81 a year
and members were entitled to
borrow the Library's books. The
Association had trouble heating
the room where it was housed
and it borrowed a room at the
high school. The members OF
the Association collected books
held teas and bake sales, gave
many hours to preparing the
books for circulation and lending
them, and in building up public
interest in a library for the town
of Rockville.
About 1920 the Library moved
into small unused building on
the grounds of the high school,
now the Board of Education
building site. In 1921 the Board
of Education gave the AssOcia-
ton the building, apparently for
as long as the Library needed it,
and the Association set about
doing necessary remOdeling and
repair work for well over $500.
The quarters were small and
the Association. looking to the
future, realized that larger
quarters must eventually be
found. The Association had al
ready appealed without success
to the Carnegie Fund for a Ii.
brary building; SO the Board of
Trustees of the Library AssO-
citation set about considering
the possibility of enlarging the
little building on the high school
grounds.
In 1924 the Association hired
its first paid emplOyee-a JAM
tor for the winter months at So
a month. In 1926 there was seri-
Ous thought of a plan by which
the Board of Education would
deed the Librar a small piece of
land adjoining to the little build.
ing to give room for enlarge.
ment, the ground to revert to
the Board of Education when
munities to do the same. I hope
you find it desirable to support
Il. Il