In the absence of Mr. John Thomson Miss Neisser read Mr. Thomson's paper on
HOW TO SECURE A STATE LIBRARY COMMISSION.
I am asked "How to secure a state library commission?" I answer:
Ask for it.
Urge it on the legislature.
Strive persistently.
Without these three methods, there is little hope of getting a library commission or the passage of good library legislation.
Pennsylvania has been behind every other state in the Union in the matter of library legislation and principally because hardly any effort was made to procure the assistance of the legislature. Outside of a dog-tax paid over for [the support and maintenance of public libraries], under an act approved in May, 1887, no real step was taken in this state to secure the benefits of the public library movement until 1895. In that year, it was sought to pass an act to authorize all cities and boroughs of the commonwealth to levy taxes and make appropriations for the establishment and maintenance of free libraries. Unfortunately, this bill was stoutly opposed and was finally amended so as to affect only cities of the first class. The most important subsequent legislation was the approval by the governor in May, 1899, of a bill providing for the appointment of a free library commission and defining its powers and duties. Under this act, the governor had power to appoint five persons, who with the state librarian, constitute the free library commission—the state librarian being ex officio secretary of that body. The commission has power to give advice and counsel to all free libraries in the state and to all communities which may propose to establish them, as to the best means of establishing and administering such libraries, the selection of books, cataloging, and other details of library management; and the commission has certain powers of general supervision and inspection. The section closes with the following words:
"The commission shall also establish and maintain out of such sums as shall come into their hands, by appropriation or otherwise, a system of travelling libraries as far as possible throughout the commonwealth."
Legislature adjourned without making any appropriation and the commission found itself in the position described by Dickens when Mr. Pickwick and his friends were authorized to travel where they liked, make such investigations as they thought good, and generally to promote science at their own expense. The commission was authorized under the powers conferred upon it to purchase books, provide book-cases, print whatever matter seemed good to it, and generally develop a travelling libraries system throughout Pennsylvania at its own expense. Nothing daunted, the members of the commission met in the state library on April 25, 1900 and organized, and being absolutely without funds, efforts were made to secure contributions from benevolent friends of the movement and $2800 were raised from 29 persons who generously placed in the hands of the commission sufficient funds to enable it to start the work. In a recent circular issued by the commission, the secretary calls attention to the fact that Ohio already had more than 800 travelling libraries and an appropriation of $5000 per year with which to carry on the work. Michigan has many libraries and an appropriation of from three to five thousand dollars per year. Wisconsin has six or seven hundred travelling libraries, and New York nearly one thousand. Every state of any importance in the Union has established and is maintaining travelling libraries on from three to five thousand dollars per annum. A few travelling libraries only at present have been sent out in Pennsylvania. These are now in use, but the commission was afraid to undertake much work, as it did not know how soon its funds might be exhausted, and it might find itself unable to grant the applications for travelling libraries which are steadily coming in.