The library board should be given the power to render library service by contract to communities outside of the city limits, such as towns, townships, or counties. In short, it should be given liberal powers for extending its usefulness into similar or related unoccupied fields.
The library board should be given absolute power and responsibility over its employees, their appointment, promotion, salaries, removal, etc., within the general limitations of the charter. It should provide that all employment should be given on the basis of merit alone, but that a civil service system should not be imposed upon it from the outside any more than a municipal civil service should be imposed upon a board of education in the employment of teachers in the public schools. Your committee has yet to learn of a single American city where a municipal civil service commission, which deals mainly with the employment of clerks in offices, policemen, firemen, etc., has been able satisfactorily to select or promote employees for educational work.
The library board should also have power to draft and enforce regulations governing the reasonable use of the library under the general limitations of the city charter or state law.
And, finally, the charter should provide that the library board should submit annually to the mayor or the legislative or tax levying body of the city a report of its receipts and expenditures together with a general account of its work and trusts.
As stated above, your committee offers all of this to serve as a basis for discussion if it is desired that a model library section for a charter should be drafted.
All of which is,
Respectfully submitted,
ARTHUR E. BOSTWICK, Chairman,
JUDSON T. JENNINGS,
SAMUEL H. RANCK.
The Committee on ventilation and lighting of library buildings, Samuel H. Ranck, chairman, made a verbal report of progress, stating that a lengthy written report covering the investigations and results of correspondence had been prepared. The Committee stated that certain commercial companies proposed to make experiments along the lines of the Committee's investigation and it was taken by consent that the Council express its gratification that these experiments are to be undertaken by the respective companies and that the results will be watched with interest. On motion of Dr. Steiner it was voted that the report be accepted as a report of progress and Committee continued.
Mr. Charles S. Greene informed Council that the California library association had unanimously passed a resolution to invite the A. L. A. to meet in California in 1915. The statement was received as information and ordered transmitted to the Executive board.