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YELLOW SPRINGS.

PUBLIC LIBRARY.

In her report of January 14, 1901, Mrs. H. E. Tucker, Librarian, says:

I have been unable to find out the exact date of the Book Social, at which the Public Library came into existence. However on March 21, 1899, when I assumed the duties of librarian, it was a good sized child, with 77 volumes waiting to be placed upon the shelves. 20 of these had no names with them, so due credit could not be given to the donors. There were also a few old magazines and papers, at this time. From this small beginning, less than two years ago, we have grown to 860 volumes, and about 4,000 magazines and papers. Of these about 100 volumes are books kindly loaned us by Prof. J. E. Collins, comprising Scott's Waverly novels, Dickens' complete works, and Wilkie Collins' complete works. During the summer of this first year 1899, we subscribed for six magazines to give the reading table a taste of current literature. On July 21st, through the kindness of Mr. Sizer, who gave us his discount, we purchased our first installment of books, 19 in all, costing $3.46; this together with the $4.00 paid for magazines, making a total of $7.46, was taken from money donated for such purposes, by Miss Annie Lehow, and other friends. Near this time, the Club voted to use the penny rentals and fines in buying new books. It was during this first summer that we sent to the Ohio State Library at Columbus, for an installment of the popular Traveling Libraries. We have had three of these, keeping each six months then exchanging it for another, the only cost being 50 cents expressage each way. In this way we have had the reading of one hundred books, many of them among the best in the English language. Of the 860 volumes now in the library, 42 are the remains of the old Ohio School Library, and had been stored in Mr. Haner's attic over 20 years. These books were published between 1850 and 1860. Fifty-two volumes belonged to the "100 volume library" once kept in Mr. Van Mater's store.

We had 300 books given us before we commenced purchasing and altogether we have bought 120 volumes. The three donors to our library whose number of books given exceed 20 volumes each, are not Club members; one giving 28 books, one 29, and the third 44 volumes. The magazines and papers we are now taking are, St. Nicholas, Harper's Bazar, Ladies' Home Journal, Saturday Evening Post, Book World, Munsey's, McClure's, Success, Cosmopolitan, Review of Reviews, Scientific American, Woman's Home Companion, Critic, Bookman and Cassell's Little Folks, 15 in all. Besides these the publishers have kindly given us Yellow Springs News, Gentle Woman, and the Springfield Daily Press-Republic. Among the files of old magazines we have 36 complete years.

In summing up the work done for the library in the last two years, I would like to thank every one who has helped us, especially those outside the Club. Prominent among these are Mr. George Drake who supplied all the wood burned so far, and Mr. Theodore Neff who gave us one load of wood to be sold for our benefit; also the draymen who have kindly hauled our Columbus boxes.

It is distinctly a woman's undertaking, and the Social Culture Club of Yellow Springs are doing a work they may well be proud of. Many people concede it to be the very best work done in any place, of course, outside the churches and schools.

YOUNGSTOWN.

REUBEN M'MILLAN FREE PUBLIC LIBRARY.

In 1872 there were 168 books in what was called the "Ohio School Library," the books being furnished by the State. No additions were made after 1860 up to 1872, when some of the teachers, feeling the need of books for their pupils, decided to give some entertainments of various kinds to raise money to buy books. In 1876 the Board of Education made its first appropriation ($50) to buy books. About that time the teachers and a few interested friends formed themselves into a Library Association, each gentleman paying an annual fee of $1 and ladies paying 50 cents. In 1880, November 3d, the Association became incorporated, the charter members being: R. McMillan, Dr. J. S. Cunningham, Dr. F. S. Whitslar, Sarah E. Pearson and Julia A. Hitchcock. For the next ten years the library struggled along with its yearly income of $300 appropriated by the Board of Education and the annual dues of the members, together with the proceeds of an occasional concert or entertainment.

Through the efforts of a few of our public-spirited citizens in 1890 and 1891 the library has been placed on a firmer basis and is looked upon as one of the necessary institutions of this city. In February, 1892, there are about 4,800 books in the library.

A library building has since been purchased by subscription. On the 23d of February, 1899, the library was opened in the new quarters. (From Printed Report.)

ZANESVILLE.

BUCKINGHAM LIBRARY.

Mrs. Anna Buckingham, the founder of Putnam Seminary, left by will ten thousand dollars as an "Educational Fund" the income of which was used in founding and furnishing the Buckingham Library in 1845, which occupied a room in the Seminary Building.

At present, the library is at a standstill, the income being used to assist in the education of the grandchildren of the donor.

Many of the books have been lost. It is the librarian's duty to take charge of those remaining and hold them together, waiting for something to develop. It would form a fine nucleus for a public library.

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GREENVILLE.

*CARNEGIE LIBRARY.

The city of Greenville has, under the control of its Board of Education, a library which in February, 1901, amounted to 7,000 volumes, and the use of the library in the city had increased from a few hundred volumes, in 1895, to 25,000 withdrawals in 1900. Desiring larger facilities for accommodation of the increasing library and the city being unable to provide a suitable building for such purpose, Mr. D. L. Gaskill, representing the Board of Education, wrote to Mr. Andrew Carnegie at New York, giving the number of volumes which the city library possessed

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CARNEGIE LIBRARY OF GREENVILLE, O. 1901.

and what the city would be willing to do, provided that he would make a donation toward the erection of a library building. Mr. Carnegie replied to this request by stating that if the city would procure a suitable site and would expend the sum of $2,000 per year for the maintenance of the library he would be glad to give $15,000 for the construction of a building. The Board of Education, together with the City Council,, at once accepted Mr. Carnegie's proposition and passed the necessary reso

Note This sketch was received after the preceeding pages were in press.

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lutions for the annual support, and the Building Committee, consisting of Mr. D. L. Gaskill, as Chairman; Dr. L. C. Anderson and Capt. A. H. Brandon, went to the city of Pittsburg to investigate library construction and find out what plan would be best adapted to the needs and wants of the City of Greenville. The committee soon found that in order to provide for the books which the library already possessed and meet the growth that must necessarily come in the future, and, at the same time, take care of the Reference Library so kindly donated by Mr. Henry St. Clair, a prominent citizen of the city, that a larger building would be required than $15,000 would properly construct, and Mr. Gaskill again appealed to Mr. Carnegie to increase his donation to the city of Greenville to $25,000. Mr. Carnegie replied that he would be glad to increase. the amount to $25,000, provided that the City of Greenville would appropriate the sum of $2,500 each year for the support of the library. The Board of Education and the City Council immediately took the necessary steps to make such appropriation for the support of the library and Mr. Carnegie made his gift absolute by setting apart that sum for the City. of Greenville.

Of the many plans for library construction which have been designed within the past two or three years, possibly none contain greater advantages than that selected for the City of Greenville. The building is eighty-nine (89) feet in length and sixty-nine (69) feet in width. The outside construction being first of Bedford stone with the second story of buff pressed brick, trimmed in Olitic stone. The library is entered by wide steps under a portico. A doorway leads from this portico into a vestibule finished in marble. A rise of ten steps leads to the lobby, finished in quartered oak and encaustic Mosaic tile. The librarian's desk is placed midway in the lobby and is octagonal in form. The children's reading room, 25x30 feet, is situated on the right of the lobby; the adult's reading room of the same size on the left. The S. Clair reference room is in the rear of the adults' reading room, and the stack room in the rear of the children's reading room. Large plate glass panels separate these rooms from the lobby, but give perfect vision from the librarian's desk over the whole of the library. Cases are arranged around the wall with alcoves in stack room. In the rear of the lobby is the cataloguing room with entrance to storeroom above.

The first story, or basement, consists of an assembly room, holding two hundred people, located under the children's reading room, and a museum and art department located under the adult's reading room and the St. Clair reference room. The remaining portion of the first story is used for a storage and heating apparatus. Toilet rooms, finished in marble and tile are on both floors. The contract for the library complete aggregates $25,000. The architect is Mr. W. S. Kaufman, of Richmond, Indiana; the contractor, Mr. Dennis Dwyer, of Greenville, Ohio. Building committee in charge of the building, Mr. D. L. Gaskill, Chairman; Dr. L. C. Anderson and Capt. A. H. Brandon:

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