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Page 53
Section 1. Amendments hereto shall only be made at a regular meeting
of the board, and must be proposed at least one month previous to
final action on the same.
CHAPTER XLIII
Reports
As far as the welfare of the library is concerned, the money spent in
publishing an elaborate annual report can often be better invested in
a few popular books, or, better still, in a few attractively printed
statements of progress and of needs, distributed through the community
on special occasions. If there must be an annual report for the
general public--which will not read it--it should be brief and
interesting, without many figures and without many complaints. Do not
think it necessary, in making up your report, to adopt the form or
the list of contents usually followed by libraries. Give the necessary
figures as briefly as may be, and adapt the rest of the report to the
library and its community.
CHAPTER XLIV
Library legislation
Prank C. Patten, librarian Helena (Mont.) public library
The modern library movement is embodying ideas that are yet to
make public libraries about as common as public schools, and
correspondingly important in educational value. After a generation
of most remarkable growth of public libraries in number, size, and
recognized usefulness, experience can now enlighten us in regard to
plans of library support and organization. The best interests of the
movement are served by embodying the results of this experience
in law. Such a law, by setting forth a good plan, encourages the
establishment and promotes the growth of these popular educational
institutions.
Outline of a good law
The following outline (with explanatory notes) embraces the important
provisions of a good state library law:
1 _Establishment and maintenance._--Authorize the governing body in
connection with the voters of any city, town, county, school district,
or other political body that has power to levy and collect taxes,
to establish and maintain a public library for the free use of the
people. Provide also for joint establishment and maintenance, for
aiding a free library with public money, and for contract with some
existing library for general or special library privileges. Provide
for maintenance by regular annual rate of tax. Authorize special
tax or bonds to provide rooms, land, or buildings. Provide that on
petition of 25 or 50 taxpayers the questions of establishment, rate of
tax, and bonds shall first be decided by vote of the people at general
or special election, to be changed only by another vote.
Note.--It is believed that there need be no limit of rate placed in
the state law, as a community is not at all likely to vote to tax
itself too high for library support. The people of a small place will,
in fact, often fail to realize that in order to raise money enough to
accomplish their object the tax rate must be higher than in a large
place. It is not impossible that communities will, by and by, spend
about as much in support of their public libraries as in support of
their public schools.
2 _Management._--Establish an independent board of trustees and place
the management wholly in its hands. Constitute the library a public
corporation, with power to acquire, hold, transfer, and lease
property, and to receive donations and bequests. Secure a permanent
board with gradual change of membership, the number of members to be
not less than three, and the term of office certainly to be not less
than three years.
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