42

Says Curtailment of Circulating
Library Means Discouragement to
Aspiration and a Loss to Culture

Mrs. Peattie Who Helped Organize First Circulating Library, Informed
by Club Women That Its Scope Is Threatened--
Makes Appeal for Its Maintenance by State.

Mrs. Elia W. Peattie, writer and
critic, who spent several days in
Omaha last week, expressed concern
over the fact that there is a threatened
curtailment of the activity of
the state circulating library. At the
request of Mrs. F.H. Cole and other
members of the Woman's club, which
Mrs. Peattie helped to organize, she
addressed a plea to the Omaha
Chamber of Commerce asking that
efforts be made to maintain the circulating
library on its present basis.

In calling attention to the fact
that a necessity for economy seems
to prompt the contemplated steps
at curtailment, Mrs. Peattie writes:

"I sympathize with over-taxed
people and with judicious economists.
But I would like to ask if
it is not the excessive development
of material things which has brought
about these conditions?"

Men Most Important.

She goes on to say that material
things are important only as they
serve or benefit men.

Her letter is as follows:
February 20, 1923.
To the Omaha Chamber of Commerce:

Dear Sirs:
May I, who was once an enthusiastic
citizen of Nebraska, take the
liberty of again thinking of myself
as one of you and protesting against
the disposition which has been made
of the circulating library of the
state?

Twenty-nine years ago when the
Omaha Woman's club came into existence
almost its first disinterested
act was to start a state circulating
library. It had but $50 to spare
for this purpose but with this it
trustingly purchased some good
books, which it placed in the charge
of Mary Sherwood Lamberston of
Lincoln, who unselfishly offered to
undertake their circulation.

We gave our young enterprise all
the publicity possible, with the results
that books and money began
to come in to us. Our desire was
to make it possible for every man,
woman, and child in Nebraska to
have the benefit of this library. We
wanted to think that in time the
loneliest farm house in the state
would have contemporary literature
upon its table. To a great degree
this extravagant aspiration was
realized eventually. So admirable
was our scheme and so eagerly did
the people respond to it that in
course of time the legislature of Nebraska
took charge of it. I understand
that the library swelled to
35,000 copies, and I have heard that
several other states followed our example
and created state circulating
libraries.

I am told that three-fifths of the
people of this state relied upon this
library for their reading material.

Blow at Culture.

Now, it appears that this library
has been added to that of the University
of Nebraska, where it will be
accessible only to those who can
visit its shelves. All those many
thousand who relied upon the traveling
boxes of books, receiving from
them inestimable delight and cultivation,
will be deprived of this
source of culture and of happiness.

The regime of economy instituted
at Lincoln as a relief to over-burdened
tax-payers, is the cause I understand,
of the lack of the usual
appropriation for the sustainment of
the traveling library. I sympathize
with over-taxed people and with
judicious economists. But I would
like to ask if it is not the excessive
development of material things
which has brought about these conditions?
Good roads, superb state
houses and other fine public buildings
are excellent things: but they
are made truly significant only when
many admirable and some superlative
citizens follow the roads of
their commonwealth and climb the
steps of their public buildings. It
was not the architectural beauty of
the Roman Forum which made it a
building to be revered. It was the
men who stood in it and who enunciated
their convictions there.

So, I beg you to forgive me for
what may seem to be an intrusion
and to permit me to protest against.

(IMAGE)

Mrs. Crofoot heads goes over the top.
The Ten Dollar club will be the
interesting club of the woman's division
of the drive. It is within the
means of every Omaha woman and
has been received by the public with
enthusiasm.