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About The Sunday Oregonian. (Portland, Ore.) 1881-current | View Entire Issue (April 23, 1905)
1 DAZZLING ATTRACTIONS SET THEIR CAPS FOR VISITORS Important Session of Librarians In the matter of the use and abuse of (public libraries, the West is going to learn, something from the East this Sum mer. On the other hand, the East is go ing to learn something from the West. The Convention of the American Library Association, to be held in Portland for Jive days, beginning July 2, promises to mark an epoch in library promotion. For the second time In its history of 29 years this National association will meet In the Pacific Coast country. For the first time it will meet In the Pacific Northwest. Fourteen years ago the association held its convention at San Francisco. But many things have happened since that date. In library as well as other lines. The development of libraries throughout the United States since 1831 has been re markable. Since that year the Carnegiza tlon of the bookless public has come about, and where Mr. Carnegie has not thrown the enlightening rays of his book ish benefactions, the library under state or municipal fatherhood has found a footing In hundreds of cities and towns, and even In villages. Twenty years ago, even 15 years ago, a person moving to a town of 10,000 people or less, anywhere in the United States, except perhaps in Massachusetts, might have wagered with more than an even chance of winning that he would not find a public library in the town. Now the chances are largely in favor of his find ing such a library. If the town has 5000 population or more. -For a decade past, with constantly increasing ferver, the people in the smaller cities have clam ored for public libraries. This clamor has been awakened by the knowledge that Mr. Carnegie stands ever ready to go any town half way In the establishment of a library. But the desire for such benefi cial Institutions was merely dormant; It existed, and only a reasonable hope of achieving success was necessary to stlr lt into action. Since 1S31. when S3 mem bers of the American library Association met at San Francisco, thousands of free public libraries ' have been established. At that time the Middle West and the SUNKEN GARDENS AT v THE SUNDAY VIEW OF THE -TRAIL FROit AMERICAN INN Far West were just awakening to the possibility of such institutions,, except in the older and larger cities. New England had almost a monopoly of. the small-town public library. Westward the course of the free library, like that of empire, has taken its way. Until very recent years the American Library Association has been deemed pri marily a New England Institution, inas much as tho majority of Its membership hailed from that section. But now we find that the secretary, a very Important officer in the association, is a Western librarian, Mr. J. I. Wyer. Jr.. of the Uni versity of Nebraska library, and the of ficial reports of the association bear a Lincoln imprint when published. The Western membership has increased large ly within tho past decade. In New England the free library system Is fostered by tho several states. In Massachusetts, for Instance, practically every town has a public library, founded and maintained under a state law which provides that if tho town will maintain the llbraiy and raise a certain specified sum to aid In its establishment the state will do the rest. Connecticut followed Massachusetts closely in the enactment of such a law. The result Is that In both those states the nubile library is an insti THE LEWIS AND CLAJIK. EXPOSITION. OREGONIAN, FORT-LAND, AND THE PLATEAU UPON WHICH THE tution that is considered quite as neces sary and as Important as the town hall or the police court; and, as a rule, the in habitants point with as much pride to their handsome library building as they feel when they point out the house where G-eorge Washington slept when he passed through town to fight the British. The plan of state fatherhood of free libraries is just la its Inception in the Pa cific Northwest. The Oregon Legislature recently passed, an act creating a public library commission and appropriating funds for its maintenance. It is believed that this commission ultimately will for mulate plans for the fostering of free libraries, which will appeal to the people of the state with such force that the Leg Is lature will follow up its good beginning by emulating the example of Massachu setts and Connecticut. Portland already has a free public library, housed In a splendid stone building, with more than 40,000 bound volumes on the shelves and a reading-room where all the standard pe riodicals are on file. Miss Mary Frances Isom, the librarian. Is the local member of the American Library Association. It was tho Library Association of Portland which, in conjunction with the Lewis and Clark Exposition officials, secured the convention of 1905 for the Western World's TO THE LEST IS THE T.TWKR1T. ARTS BUILDING AND IN THE DISTANCE THE GOVERNMENT BUILDINGS. APRIL 23; 1905. ; MAIN EXPOSITION BUILDINGS ARE SITUATED. Fair city. Mr. A. L. Mills, of this asso ciation, is chairman of the committee of arrangements, and the programme of en tertainment will be vivid with Interest. When the librarians from the East come to Portland they will be surprised to find such an excellent public library, and it may surprise them further to learn that the percentage of fiction taken out by readers has been reduced to 60 and is constantly decreasing, thus showing that Portland people read books' of solid Intel lectual nourishment. Salem,. Pendleton and other Oregon cities also have free public libraries. In the State of Wash ington there are several hlgh-cla3s public libraries, notably, those at Seattle, Spo kane and Tacoma. California has a large number of public libraries. Each of the Pacific Coast States has a library asso ciation, and these bodies have planned to meet with the National organization at Portland. The American Library Association was organized at Philadelphia in lti6, arid was a direct outcome of a meeting of 103 libra rians at the Centennial Exposition. Only 68 attended the next convention, held in New York City. In 1ST8 the movement became International for the time being, but the convention held In London was a failure in point of attendance, only twenty-one librarians being registered. Boston, the next meeting place, attract ed 162. The conventions since that date have, gradually increased in attendance. It is believed by the officers of the as sociation that the attendance at Portland will be fully as large as that at St. Louis last year, by reason of the compelling at tractions of a trip to the Pacific North west, the low railroad rates and the Lew is and Clark Centennial Exposition at Portland, which will open its gates June 1. The librarians have in store a grand treat. They are to remain in Portland five days, seeing the Exposition and the sights of the city and its environs, and attending the daily sessions of the asso ciation, to be held In the First Unitarian Church, just across the street from the headquarters at the Portland Hotel. Emi nent librarians will read papers at the meetings, and the discussions. It Is be lieved, will be of great value both to Eastern and Western library workers. A special train carrying the librarians, their families and friends. Is to leave New York about the 24th of June. Dele gates will be picked up at Albany, Buf falo, Pittsburg. Chicago and other points along the route. The train will consist of two sections, aggregating 15 coaches; when It arrives In Portland, via the Ca 27, nadian Pacific Railroad. At Banff, the "great scenic point In the Canadian Rock ies, the train will stop an entire day, thus affording the tourists an opportunity to view some of Nature's grandest works. A side trip to the famous Yellowstone Park Is also one of the features of the librarians' tour. On the homeward trip the delegates may go either by the Union Pacific or the Southern Pacific. Thoss going by the latter route will have the privilege of stopovers at California points. Dr. Herbert Putnam, librarian of Con gress and an ex-president of the associa tion, is one of the distinguished library men who has signified his intention to at tend the Portland convention. Officers of American Library Association are: President Ernest C. Richardson, li brarian of the Princeton University Li brary, Princeton, N. J. First vice-president Frank P. Hill, Pub lic Library, Brooklyn. Second vice-president L. E. Stearns, Public Library, Madison, Wis. Secretary J. I. Wyer, Jr.. University ot Nebraska Library, Lincoln. Neb. Treasurer G. M. Jones. Public Library, Salem, Mass. Recorder Helen E. Haines, Library Journal. New York City. 1 Registrar Nina E. Browne, Boston.