_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.
When it is asked how to secure a state library commission the second
question how to secure an appropriation with which to carry on the work
of the commission is necessarily involved. In the case of Pennsylvania
(just brought to a happy issue,) the active interest of many of the
leading newspapers throughout the state was sought and obtained. The
editors of these papers were written to in person and a statement
describing the scope and needs of the library commission and the amount
of the appropriation hoped for was forwarded to each. With one or two
exceptions, the editors printed much of this material as news, and a
considerable number added editorials urging the importance of the
movement. More valuable help could not have been secured. The smaller
papers, which of course draw their material largely from the papers
published in the larger cities, followed suit, and practically reprinted
the same matter. Copies of the papers containing these articles were
secured, and marked copies were sent to the representatives from their
own neighborhoods. In this manner nearly three hundred of the newspapers
throughout the state were communicated with, and their assistance had a
great deal to do with the final granting of the appropriation. In this
way information was laid before thousands of citizens who would
otherwise have been uninformed on the matter. Beyond all this an
explanatory letter fully detailing the position of the commission was
sent by one of the commission to every member of the legislature and the
secretary of the commission issued the excellently prepared circular
(above referred to), several copies of which were sent to every member
of the legislature and to others. The result has been that an
appropriation of $3500 has been passed by both houses, and there is no
reason to doubt that the bill will receive the governor's signature when
the time comes for him to sign the appropriation bills for 1901-1902.
It would be waste of time at a round table meeting like this to dwell
upon the benefits of the travelling libraries movement. The free library
commission of Pennsylvania has determined to do its utmost to develop
the movement throughout the state, and if a practical answer is to be
given to the question, How to secure a state library commission?, I
would say, Recognize the importance of the movement, strive early and
late, through the newspapers, by means of circulars and by personal
interviews, to interest the members of the legislature, and persevere
unintermittingly in impressing your needs upon those who have the power
to grant the necessary legislation and appropriation. Work early and
late and do not stop working until you have secured what you want.