Show r THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE SUNDAY MORNING' JUNE 28 1938 4 Status of Utah’s Library Service - - r— — — —— — ‘ Full Report on Public Libraries — — —- ! — t ' —— " of-Gities Counties Compiled by Association Uncovers Dismaying Conditions By E probable It' la E HOLLIS that no other publlo institution in tbe State of Utah as undoubtedly in many other states has life history to parallel that of the ' Public Library Its importance to the community and particularly within the schools has Ion been recognized One has only to aik for the opinion of any educator as to Its value to learn what the Public Library means to the people of a state In a democracy the welfare of the state depends upon the education of Its citizens and the diffusion bf knowl- edge The fundamental tools 'for this education are books they are the uni versal medium for the spread of knowl edge No field in learning travel his tory science inventions philosophy etc but can be found in books They furnlBh the facts behind the news reels and the broadcasts books explain tbe economic picture the political world changes There are books to fit us for jobs to help ns find the job to keep' us sane when there are no jobs books for our children and for enjoyment The libraries free public libraries are the containers of these treasures the ages have been accumulating for our education here Is the matter the best minds have contributed to the culture of the world here the records of the past by which the world may profit Culture grows where the public libraries exist— the child" who early learns to select his reading carefully will be an asset to his community his state his nation Wherever it exists the public library carries on and gives permanent value to the work of the school A library established within the school is an enormous asset to educa tlon In fact as our educators admit It would be Impossible for the larger Institutions to function advantageously without their private libraries of tech nlcal reference books A public library affords probably the greatest benefit to the most people for the least money Its value equal the value of its books multiplied by the number of its readers for each reader owns in a sense all the books they are ail free to him Yet this important public Institution has too often been treated as a sort of step-chiexpected to keep pace With the aivic developments of city county and state while frequently be ing woefully undernourished as to funds and generally as to buildings mere essential equipment shelves for books and even the books to fill them d At the same time it is this of whom much service is expected frequently demanded even when the pro visions for It are far from sufficient for ordinary sustenance to say nothing of flourishing health Today out of 3100 counties in the ' United States 300 counties are without any publlo libraries within their boun darles Out of every three persons according to compiled statistics one ' has a good library available the second has an inadequate one the third has none at all In America today there are 40000000 children young people and adults who do not have and never have had access to books reading and study material and reading guidance such as libraries furnish Utah has Its share of these people who are without books and service in any way With a population of some 520000 ’ people scattered in approximately 425 hamlets towns and cities Utah has 59 public and county libraries ' The expenditures are 3206688 per year for these libraries instead of 1 per capita which in library work is considered necessary to furnish adequate library service There are 22 buildings for which Andrew Carnegie funds provide part or all of the money for building with an agreement that the city annually provide on a percentage basis an amount in keeping with this contri- s? Y “at Section of library at Milford I Beaver county Indicates crowded 'and - generally unsatisfactory condition needed The St George public library converted into Washington County li- brary in 1920 gives service to 14 communities county circulation being chiefly through the schools Improve- -' ment of roads and automobile service in later years have made service to the outlying communities more satisfac-tor- y St George has a building and property valued at 320000 its great need now is books Little Enterprise one of the served in Washington county has lately set up a small library of its own its accomplishment making a uniquely interesting illustration of the Newawakening el Frei high school principal was leader in the project the funds being raised through contributions of vegetables by the citizens which were shipped or trucked and sold to obtain the money for purchase of books Today there are 1867 volumes in the library to which the county service adds with 200 books sometimes in circulation and the novel method of acquiring funds continues One of the youngest libraries of the state is at Hurricane which itt 1934 com-munlt- library-consciousne- ss Above Miss Joanna H Sprague librarian of Free Public Library of Salt Lake City who has seen the longest service of any librarian In the state She has held the position since the building was opened in 1905 "f j ll tax by the counfrom! the county fund for the establishment of a library within its own confines With a collection of books ' from homes the library was opened and from the small tax fund books have been purchased each year so that the small institution now has several hundred volumes for lending and is handicapped for space Report from Cache county where the Logan public library serves both city and county shows a not unsatisfactory condition although facilities for circulation to suburban communities are inadequate JSmithfield's library building meets community needs its lack being funds for purchase of books Progress at Lewiston whose library Is still in embryonic state is hampered also by insufficient book supply encyclopedias and agricultural works being a pressing demand The library at Richmond with adequate building provisions is unable to keep its service available for more than two hours daily in the summer months and on an approximate operating fund of requested its one-mi- ty withheld ’ 3800 annually cannot meet the brary needs but li- Destroyed by fire In 1937 the Wasatch county library is struggling against odds to rebuild with but 500 books saved from its former supply of 10000 Being the one library to serve the county some 32300 has been spent for new books this past year but the supply Is still wholly insufficient to meet the- - demand JLot for a new building has been purchased and while the anticipated W P A aid failed they are still hopeful that a new building may ' be possible With but on6 library located at Kanab Kane county’s population is almost without access to service This struggling library open but three days a week has no resources except the meager local tax is handicapped by poor housing facilities and equipment Beaver City’s library having branches at Milford and Minersville supplies the entire county and reports the fund available for book purchases in no way sufficient to supply its public The Milford branch Is very much overcrowded and Its ambition for a children’s story hour— much desired because of the large proportion of children in its patronage-must go unrealized because of ld step-chil- bution These buildings are a credit to Carnegie and the service they render in the book world a credit to the communities where they are established Utah is richer in courtesy character and culture because of these contributions but Utah needs more libraries and more books Many states are becoming more conscious of the great benefits derived from the public libraries and that greater consideration must be given them to sustain these benefits The governor of Michigan has signed an act appropriating 3600000 annually in addition to the regular tax for state library aid and other states are making added appropriations In Arkansas 3100000 for county and regional libraries 3150000 for the bien-nufor aid to qualified public libraries Vermont 325000 for develop- o m ment of regional library service and to set up a library commission Tennessee 3100000 appropriated for school libraries— these are a few of the indications of the new consciousness of the values of library service In a statewide survey of library conditions in Utah made by the Utah Library association Mrs Roxey S Romney St George state president some very interesting and in many instances distressing facts have been elicited That many of the public libraries in the state are in sad plight while a discouraglngly large part have no servlee whatever is clearly shown in the reports Here is a general'picture of the situation: libraries Utah has 42 with annual appropriations ranging from 3350 to 385000 Ten of these are county libraries functioning largely in connection with the schools City libraries have service in proportion to the financial support available In the rural districts the appropriation is often insufficient even for the 1brarian’s salary let alone costs of heating lighting and the purchase of books —the library’s purpose of existence The survey has disclosed the following pertinent data 357 per cent of the rural communities have library service 1- How Is Utah’s Library Problem to Be Solved? Without question any solution of the problems of the small libraries and the needs of the remote districts of t the state where no service is available as ’described in the reports given elsewhere lies in state aid is the opinion voiced by members of the Utah Library association A great responsibility too it is agreed rests on each community The American Library association slogan "A minimum annual appropriation of 31 per capita” does not sound large ' and viewed from the ultimate returns in educational and recreational service is a mere trifle "Today librarians are continually embarrassed" says Mrs Roxey S Romney president of the state association "because of lack of funds to present satisfactory service to the public The increased demand for books from a public with more time to read when but a small amount of material or no material is available because of small appropriations or none at all creates a problem that no librarian can cope with t "One dollar per person per year is the generally accepted minimum cost of public library service In the United States in 1935 only 37 cents per capita was spent for libraries Some states spend as little as 9 cents some spend as high as 3108 Utah spends 31 cents per capita annually The small community is bound to find it a struggle to supply books and trained workers on what it has to spend One way to cope with the difficulties is to secure county or regional service The regional plan is moving west and would soon kelp to supply adequate service ' if state funds were provided” The University- - of Utah the Utah State Agricultural college Brigham Young university have independent library facilities However from each institution comes the urge that more communities be supplied with library service since community life is elevated according to thq privileges ex tended through this avenue of selfdevelopment Two features of the excellent service offered Salt Lake City patrons! At left tent library In community sumtaer camp and right library hospital book truck which serves four hospitals 643 per cent are without service Piute county is without libraries entirely and it is doubtful if any exist in Daggett county Out of the state’s 29 counties but 11 have county library service — Beaver at Beaver City Cache at Logan Grand Moab Iron Cedar City Morgan Morgan San Juan Monticeilo Tooele Tooele City Uin- Heber City Washington St George Wayne Loa In most of these the small appropriations make adequate service impossible A county library is in process of organization for Salt Lake county at the present time But there is definite urgent heed of an enlargement of county service to reach the remote districts throifghout the state and all counties need the regional library service to draw upon In the larger towns of several counties without this service there are of course city libraries serving a part of the lnterurban population From Mato S Bandley librarian at Provo comes a disheartening report of library work in five counties— Utah Carbon Emery Uintah and Daggett—which shows a and wide divergence in library set-u- p general conditions with only Utah county able to make any real approach to serving the public Yet in this county the per capita cost averages no more than 30 cents rather than the 31 which is the minimum as estimated The crowded conditions which obtain at the Provo library are to be found in others too In addition to Provo Springville Lehi Fayson Spanish Fork Salem and Goshen have small libraries all in need of financial aid Small libraries at Ferron—with but 1393 books 25 added yearly to serve a population of 800 and the library must be closed during the entire sum mer at Greenriver which is a school library only and at Wellington supply (7) the needs of Emery county Price in Carbon county has a fairly adequate library yet is badly in need of reference works and the current material the public requires Kenilworth Wat-t- ls Castlegate and Columbia are strlv-in- g to exist under financial stress Helper is more fortunate for here is a new library sponsored as a civic project by’ the local Business and Profes- sional Women’s club with some assistance from the city and W P A funds This library now has 1725 books to serve 3200 people Various civic clubs also have given financial support to the Uintah county library at Vernal thus improving conditions recently Still a larger building and additional equipment are sorely tah Vernal Wasatch Eminent State Educator’s View of Matter "Libraries are basic in all our preseneducation" declared Dr E G Peterson president of the Utah State Agricultural college when question of the value to the public was put to him “It is conceivable ran elementary school might function with some degree of satisfaction without a library though there are telling arguments against such practice Beyond the first grades however the library becomes as much a part of the school as the faculty and the course of study "Education today is rightly concerned with Its practical aspects Emphasis is placed upon training of the body development of skills manipulation of tools Important as these are books remain the essential tools of education as well as of scholarship We cannot neglect the experience of the past as recorded for us on the printed page Nop can we give less attention to the great works of literature which are the creative products of men and women of magnificent soul and splen- did mind These things are a precious f heritage “Basic in formal education the library is almost equally a necessity in ' a civilized community Parks and playgrounds should never supplant a li- -i brary nor can they possibly substitute successfully Many community libraries must remain small because of limited budgets If the library list has quality— this is always possible no matter how small the library— it will wield a profound and powerful influence for good” Dr Peterson declared also that "libraries would more than justify the t-day expense involved in their establishment and maintenance if they had ao value beyond supplying the ma- activities terials for the leisure-tim- e of thousands of citizens They have a We higher responsibility however recognize that they are necessary instruments in the building of a great ' culture" Inadequate space as well as funds Minersville too has its book and space needs and the Morgan library eery- Ing a whole county has a wide publlo whose demands must be met The Brigham City library apparently the sole building Box Elder county affords is not a county library but serves the surrounding communities Built as a project of the L D S Mutual Improvement association it has doubled its capacity and is housed in a second home given by the Carnegie fund in 1916 'Its serviceability is recognized by the community and its report one of the most satisfactory submitted Readers in the capital city and Ita suburbs enjoy doubtless the best1 li- brary service of the state from the Free Publlo Library of Salt Lake City and its three branches and at the Neighborhood House Yet even this library usefulness is curtailed by lack of space and inadequate finances An enlarged main building is needed its committee rooms being constantly in use and its children’s department expanding while two more branches are a need in outlying parts bf the city The weekly book service to four hospitals the summer distribution to Girl and Boy Scouts’ camps collections in telephone exchanges county jail and penitentiary the readings for the blind and circulation of Braille and "Talking Books" are features of this splendid public service that augmented funds would make possible in other sub-bran- ' Mrs Roxey S Romney president of the Utah Library association who is librarian of the Washington County library St George communities Rotarians Agree on Need for More Public Libraries State aid is an imperative need in the development of library service in the poorer sections of the country is the conclusion at which the American Library association has arrived in its deliberations The state has a responsi-bilit- y for tbe education of ail its people through the library as well as through tbe sphool An Informed citizenry is increasingly important as our national problems become increasingly complex More and more' adults want to continue their education through reading which’ has created a new need for a better library service million people of thie Forty-fiv- e country chiefly in the rural districts according to association statistics are still lacking any public library service And only 37 cents per capita is now being spent on libraries while the mini- - mum national standard is 31 per capita A complete statewide library service through regional district or county library systems or a state library and branches Is the national aim That the citizenry in general agree ’ with 'the A I A view of the value of this service is seen in such a statement as this from Rotary Internatlon- - ' al "NO longer may Jhe public library be classed as a luxury for the benefit of privileged communities The broadening of the problems of modern existence has developed a demand for Information and enlightenment which - has made the public library an indispensable institution Vastly more than 7 a mere collection of books the library is a vital force from which emanates an influence for the uplift? and progress of civilization” ' v ’t-- |