REPORT ON CHARTER PROVISIONS FOR PUBLIC LIBRARIES IN HOME RULE OR COMMISSION GOVERNMENT CITIES
The present chairman took charge of the work about May 1st. The committee found the time remaining so short that it was deemed inadvisable to attempt to prepare material for the League at this meeting. Therefore your committee begs leave to report progress and submit an outline of its plans for criticism and suggestion.
The discussion of the subject seemed to indicate that the difficulties might fall into two classes. Cases involving a satisfactory library law in danger of change, and difficulties occasioned by attempt to better the original law under the Commission government; and a further division including cases where the commission law as passed was inapplicable to the library government, or conflicted with the law. The committee suggests dealing with the matter by statute law rather than by city charter provision, and would suggest as a method, that:
(a) Two provisional sections be drafted, one to insure the continuing in force of the state library law already on the books, to be used in states where such continuance is for the interest of the library; another to provide for the organization and control of the library under commission government by a definite statement in the commission law to override all former statutes, to be used in states where the present law is not satisfactory.
(b) These sections be submitted to the heads of library commissions for criticism, accompanied by a letter of explanation embodying the question, "Would such state law meet the problems of libraries in commission governed cities in your state?"
Another and perhaps better way of securing the result would be to write to library commissions and ask these questions:
(1) What difficulties have arisen in the library administration of commission governed cities in your state?
(2) What remedies would you suggest to meet these difficulties?
(3) Would you incorporate these suggestions in the laws of your state or in the charters of your cities?
The committee also suggests that a letter be written to Mr. Richard S. Childs, stating the main difficulties experienced and requesting an opinion regarding the best method of meeting them. Mr. Child's known interest would no doubt bring an enlightening answer to any communication of reasonable length.