[733 UC-NRLF B H EOT 030 OF THE A UNIVERSITY ]) LlBRAKl SCHOOl lStli:fil#iSIS-^^iS;'^^^^ ^xntmB at tlj^ (§ptnm^ of tlie ^tm ICtfararg Imlhittg of the 3^t?]? fit Wtr Htbrarg ^xntxBi^B at tlf^ ©pining of tllP ^tm ICtbrarg Imlbtttg of tlie ^vu Publtr ICtbrarg Sprpmbrr 3fftrat lain 32iB-fiAi^Y SCHOOL LIBRAHIT M6ti2S20 f'^hi^^s^ /M/4IA' t PROGRAMME Prayer. Rev. Matthew C. Julien. Introductory Remarks. Hon. Charles S. Ashley. Address — The Public Library and the Community. Frank P. Hill, Litt. D. Address — The Public Library- and the Public School. Prof. William MacDonald. Address — A Historical Sketch of the New Bedford Library. George H. Tripp. Address — What the Public Library Means to New Bedford. Horace G. Wadlin, Litt. D. Music by Sullivan's Orchestra. ^iXJKj^^^^^ Following the prayer by Rev. Mr. Julien, in opening the dedication exercises. Mayor Ashley addressed the company. MAYOR CHARLES S. ASHLEY It is my privilege to declare this edifice now open to the City of New Bedford. From this hour forward, these halls shall be a capable depository for our priceless volumes, and a fitting place for research and instruction. Here ends a situation whereby a library collection made up of a wealth of material has never- theless been limited in its usefulness, because of the inade- quacy of the structure containing it. Both the building and the books are now worthy of each other, and the public welfare will be distinctly promoted by the change that has been made. For myself, I am conscious of a pardonable sense of pride in the consummation of this undertaking I had the honor to recommend. The end sought to be accomplished has been brought about in a most satisfactory way. I view the finished work with gratification; I am sure public opinion will give enthusiastic approval. All that is here is the re- sult of a union of labors well qualified to produce a library to meet all the requirements that may be exacted of it; that success has crowned those efforts I make no question; pleasurable surprise is the attitude I have noted in most observers and expressions of genuine appreciation reach my ears from every side. A creditable public sentiment demanded that the archi- tectural excellence of our former City Hall should be pre- served; that extensions and enlargements should not mar the harmony of its dignified proportions; and that consid- erations reflecting the refinement of art should govern in everything incorporated in this honorable building. It was a marked instance of civic pride and reverence for local history and tradition. As a City Hall, long before the time of the fire, it had failed to meet the requirements of a muni- cipal business place. Very few departments had quarters in it; the general uses to which it was put were inconsistent with its splendid appearance. Its general arrangements, appropriate for a town, were never, even in a small degree, suitable for a city's uses. The old library building, long outgrown in the quarters from which it took its name, has always been devoted in a great part to city offices. Neither building filled its intended mission and questions of convenience were straightway in evidence when we were confronted with the necessity of treating this interior, ruined by fire, with its noble walls standing and resisting destruction. That it was possible to secure a grand library became apparent, — that no mistake should be made was imperative. Respect for sentiment, judgment in preparation and fidelity in execution, then became the essentials to be ever kept in mind, and my congratulation goes forward to you that there has been no departure from those obligations. That this structure, within and without, is a combination embracing art, luxury, and utility in degrees not often attained is my sincere belief and fixed conviction. I purposely refrain from addressing you upon the his- tory, function, and destiny of libraries in general, but rather content myself with such few words as seem to me to be appropriate to this one in particular. It is eminently proper that these dedication exercises should direct your attention to the thoughts to be expressed by others well qualified to speak from the depth of their knowledge and experience. Of the importance of the work we now engage to continue, it can surely be said that it is as present and pressing as when first entered upon by our pioneer library of eminent fame and fruitful history. I bespeak for it a growing and increasing place in our municipal progress and advancement. Following his own address, Mayor Ashley introduced Dr. Hill. FRANK P. HILL A long, long time ago, at least it seems so to me, my good friend and fellow classmate, and your efiieient and successful librarian, George H. Tripp, exacted from me a promise to be present at the opening of the new building of the New Bed- ford Public Library. The event seemed so far in the future that I readily agreed. But when he wrote me a few days ago that the date was set for December 1st, I was inclined to make excuses. It then occurred to me that if I did "back out" my good friend would no longer be a friend, and that risk I could not afford to take. It has been my privilege from time to time to assist in meetings called to arouse an interest in the establishment of a free public library and to participate in the inauguration of public libraries in new fields. On this occasion, however, it is not necessary to attempt to arouse interest in the library movement or to impress upon you the value of a public library to the community. Your library is already ripe with age, and the people of New Bedford have long appreciated its advantages. It is not a new enterprise. The foundation was firmly laid many years ago by those who constituted the early boards of trustees. Indeed, I cannot congratulate you too highly upon your good fortune in having as sponsors at the very begin- ning such liberal and clear-visioned men. The early reports of the library plainly indicate that not only was New Bed- ford the first municipality to take advantage of the Massa- chusetts law providing for the establishment of a free public library, but they record the earnest efforts of the trustees to make the library a source of pleasure and profit to a very large portion of the citizens. I congratulate you, too, because looking back over your history it is evident that the public library in New Bedford has had a normal and gradual growth. There have been no radical changes in either methods or management, the plan upon which the original work was inaugurated being prac- tically identical with the present ideal of what a public li- brary should be. The library has grown in size, to be sure ! It has put out new branches, it has brought forth many blossoms and much fruit ; but the character of the plant has not changed. This library has not been transformed from a mercantile or subscription library; it always has been free to the public. You are therefore fortunate in having been able to develop your resources without being obliged to expend your energies in reorganization. Furthermore the community is exceptionally favored in having had in the 58 years of its library history only two librarians. Those who are in touch with library work in this country can heartily concur in the acknowledgment made by the trustees of their indebted- ness to the ability and devotion of your first librarian, Robert C. Ingraham. The work so well begun and so ad- mirably conducted by him for half a century has fallen into the strong hands of your present librarian and by him been carried forward. So well have the trustees and librarians conducted the affairs of the library that today a new and larger edifice is dedicated to public library uses. You may well be proud of it for you have not depended upon the generosity of any single person but have willingly taxed yourselves to provide money for its erection. It does not bear the name of an individual but will be known for all time as the New Bedford Free Public Library. Architec- turally beautiful it will serve as a landmark for years to como. But this building is only a storehouse. The treasures in it must be accessible to all. In this age we demand of aU our institutions definite and practical results, and the library is not an exception to this general rule. Is the library living up to expectations? 8 During the month of October last an exhibition was held in New York city which was known as the Budget Exhibit. It was planned by the board of estimate and apportionment of the city and was prepared by the heads of departments and institutions receiving money from the city. Its purpose was threefold: (a) — To show how the money provided by the city is spent and to submit for examination the various pleas for increased appropriations. (b) — To afford the citizens of Greater New York the opportunity of making a comparative study of the use of appropriations made to the various departments. (c) — To enable the people to form an opinion of the effectiveness of departmental work. As a participant in this exhibit the public libraries of the city were called upon to show the results of their work. This was done by means of charts, maps, statistics, and photographs showing the increase and improvement in quar- ters, equipment, resources, and use. During the exhibit the library committee realized more forcibly than ever the fact that the work of the library, owing to its intangibility, could not be satisfactorily shown by charts, diagrams, or by any standard yet devised. Through the library's influence the lives of the people are made richer, the conditions under which they live im- proved, and their characters strengthened. Such work can- not be presented in figures. The library also serves the needs of the work-a-day world, enabling the artisan to become more skillful, the me- chanic more proficient, the housewife more capable, and the professional man broader-minded. The practical resources of our libraries are only begin- ning to be appreciated. This was evidenced at the exhibit. Here a small collec- tion of books was placed on shelves as an index to the larger collections which the libraries contained. The list included such books as : Gebhardt's Steam Power Plant Engineering, Hatfield's Modern Accounting, Lowe's Electric Railway Troubles and How to Find Them. Deland's Imagination in Business. The interest shown in the books by the thousands of business men — young and old — who dropped into the exhibit, as well as the surprise many of them expressed when they learned that such books could be procured from a public library made the committee feel the need of a wider adver- tisement of our resources. Most of those men probably con- sidered a library a desirable asset in any community. Many of them undoubtedly thought it of some service to those who had time to enjoy it. Others perhaps looked forward to a time when they would have the leisure to avail them- selves of its treasures ; but none of them had before thought of it as containing anything of practical use. The Budget Exhibit gave us the opportunity of show- ing such men that the library is in a real sense "the people's university," and that hundreds had bettered their condition in life and fitted themselves for higher responsibilities by using the books furnished freely by the library. As an evidence of how the library had helped people a circular entitled "Results not shown by statistics" was pre- pared and distributed. This contained expressions of appre- ciation made by borrowers who had obtained assistance from books in the libraries. One example will serve as an illustration: "It is the greatest place on earth for a poor man to get a good educa- tion." The man who said this had been obliged to leave school early in order to support his family, but he always wanted to be a first class engineer. He studied at Cooper Institute, but did not gain the knowledge he desired. One day at one of our branches he found some easy books on the subject of engineering. After one year's study he returned to Cooper Institute and passed the examinations in which he had failed the year before. He gave it as his opinion that "a lot of fellows failed because they didn't know all the 10 good they could get from the library." Such work is worth while. To be able to help those who earnestly desire to educate themselves and have not the means to buy books is no un- worthy problem, and this is the work our public libraries are trying to solve. No one now need to voice the sentiment contained in Lang's ''Ballad of the Unattainable:" "Prince, hear a hopeless bard's appeal; Reverse the rule of mine and thine ; Make it legitimate to steal The books that never can be mine." The generous bequests which from time to time the New Bedford library has received have placed it in a somewhat unusual position. Here the interest received from endow- ment funds is large enough to purchase such new books and replacements as are added to the library each year. Whether this income is large enough for the purchase of all the books which could be used to advantage in New Bedford is for your trustees and librarian to decide. But from my experience I would say that while the book fund is always the one which can be increased with the greatest benefit to those who use the library, it is almost always the first item to be cut if a reduction is to be made in the appropriation. There are some libraries that have an adequate fund for the purchase of books and little enough for maintenance and salaries, and there are libraries moving from old to new quarters that are skimped in appropriation and have not enough money to pay actual expenses. I trust that New Bedford is not in either class. The question of support is always a vital one to every institution, public or private, and the appropriation of money sufficient for the actual needs of any branch of the city's work depends too frequently upon other things than the real merits of the case. The time should come in the admin- istration of our municipal affairs when the board charged with appropriating money for conducting city business will consider each department in the city government as a defi- 11 nite part of a whole, and will apportion appropriations according to the importance of each department, and for its proper development. In spite of the long and meritorious past of your library, I think I may venture the opinion that not even in this com- munity, which so early realized the importance and possi- bilities of a free public library, is the function of the library in its relation to other branches of the city's activities fully understood, nor is the appropriation granted the library each year made according to the importance of the work. In New York I am sure this is not the case. As compared with the incomes of other libraries, the financial support in Greater New York may be said to be generous, but when the library appropriation of any city is compared with that made other departments or institutions supported by city money it will be found that the library suffers by com- parison. Some of us may remember the agitation caused by the introduction of "free" schools supported by taxation. Many conscientious men questioned any responsibility for the education and training of their neighbor's child; and those who had no children felt it unjust that they should be obliged to share the cost of the instruction of the children in the community. But when the idea was finally adopted it received such hearty support that the development of the public school system throughout the country was rapid and progressive. The idea of the "public" maintenance of li- braries was introduced later and met with the same opposi- tion in many communities that had manifested itself in the effort to secure money for schools. In the case of the schools the opposition has almost entirely disappeared, and liberal appropriations pass annu- ally without objection, but there is still some objection to library appropriations. There should be no difference of feeling, as both are educational in character, the library con- tinuing the work of the schools with those who have com- pleted its course, and aft'ording opportunity for study to those who have been obliged to leave school at an early age. 12 In the support of our schools each taxpayer must share the expense whether or no he can benefit directly from the school system. In the support of the library each person contributing can receive a direct return. Although the amount contributed by each individual may be insignificant, in the aggregate it makes possible the purchase, care, and preservation of a collection of books larger than any one would find it practicable or possible to accumulate for his own use. What does each person's share of the expense of the library amount to? In New York the cost of maintaining the public libraries in the greater city is slightly under 25 cents per capita, in New Bedford it is 15.7 per capita. For this small expenditure in New Bedford there is placed at your disposal the entire resources of the library, including books, pictures, and the services of the librarian and his assistants. You will readily see that this small amount would not go far in providing the books, magazines, or even news- papers which you personally read during the year. I do not know the facts in New Bedford but I do know that in New York we appropriate 24 times as much for our schools as we do for our libraries, 12 times as much for our police protection, 7 times as much for protection against fire, and more than twice as much for public charities. I do not wish to suggest that any department of the city should receive less than at present, but I do earnestly urge that in this and every community the public library should receive such financial support from the city govern- ment as will enable it to become an efficient part of the edu- cational system of the municipality ; that the services of librarians and assistants should be adequately compensated ; that the book collections inherited from the past should be preserved, enriched, and enlarged for future generations as well as for present use ; that the library being well housed should be adequately maintained, and that the building itself should be kept in good repair. 13 If the city government and the people of New Bedford, having erected this beautiful and spacious building, will con- tinue to provide adequately for its maintenance, this library will always stand in the front rank of library achievement, and those whose duty it is to administer it for your benefit will be encouraged to increase its effectiveness and extend its usefulness. 14 PROFESSOR WILLIAM MacDONALD Of all the many changes which have come about in the theory and practice of library administration in this country^ none is of more far-reaching significance, or likely, appar- ently, to undergo more helpful development, than that by which the public library has come to be regarded as one of the educational agencies of the community. Thanks to the growth of popular education, the demand for intelligence as well as skill in trades and business, and the zeal and self- sacrifice of public-spirited librarians, the library has ceased to be looked upon as a storehouse for books accumulated but not read, or a place to pass an idle hour in desultory reading, or a haven of refuge for benevolent old people with superabundant leisure. On the contrary, it has become, to a remarkable degree, one of the great educational forces of the modern world, employing a staff of trained experts, minis- tering to the needs of all classes and all occupations, and co-operating closely and heartily with every agency, public or private, which has for its object the better education of the whole people. I cannot better use the time which has been allotted to me in the programme of this your day of rejoicing, than by calling briefly to your mind the indis- pensable relation between the public library and the public school. We are undertaking in this country the tremendous ex- periment of educating, at public expense, the entire popu- lation. From the kindergarten to the university, in the ma- jority of our states, and through the high school or technical school in all of them, we offer graded courses of instruction either entirely free of cost to the individual student, or at merely nominal expense. Year by year we build more and better schoolhouses, yet even so can hardly keep pace with the numbers who seek admission to them. We are forever 15 overhauling our courses of study to make them more prac- tical and sensible, more genuinely educational and useful. Tn the range of its studies, the skilled preparation of its teachers, the beauty, convenience and healthfulness of its building, the efficiency of its teaching, and the substantial results in the lives of its pupils, the American public school of today is infinitely superior to the school of a generation ago ; and the end of its improvement is not yet. What has really happened, of course, is that our concep- tion of the nature of the school has changed. Instead of the perfunctory learning of lessons out of a book, stimulated by liberal use of the rod and the dunce cap, we have found a better way. Public school pupils today are encouraged to read books, magazines and newspapers, to collect plants and minerals, to study pictures and take photographs, to draw maps and construct diagrams and charts. The drill in grammar is constantly supplemented by the use of litera- ture; mathematical principles are early given some practical application; the chemical laboratory directs attention to problems of good food and proper sanitation ; modern history and current events take their place in the curriculum along with the history of Greece, or Rome, or early England. There are excursions to historic sites, or public buildings, or the homes of famous men; dramatic representations of plays studied in the classrooms ; concerts and memorial exercises ; and moot courts, parliaments, and city councils to illustrate the course in civil government. All of our best schools todaj^ are doing these things, and doing them increasingly; and it is through the doing of them that our schools are being vitalized, and transformed, not into gloomy prisons where tasks are set, but into social centres where children spend their happiest hours. And we are doing this, remem- ber, for everybody at public expense, because popular edu- cation means for us not only social well being, but social safety as well. It is at this point that the public library comes to the aid of the school. While the school must always concern itself chiefly with systematic instruction along certain es- 16 sential lines, the library can supplement and enrich that in- struction and show its wider application and relationship. Its collection of books, for example, will always be many times greater than that of any high or grammar school. We are, to be sure, slowly coming to realize the need of better school libraries, provided with at least the best and newest cyclopedias, dictionaries, reference manuals and standard works of history, biography, and literature ; but the public library, serving as it does the needs of the whole community, will always have the greater number and wider range of books. By loans to the schools, however, by pur- chase of duplicate copies of books much in demand, by the reservation of books specially wanted by particular classes, as well as by systematic purchases in fields where the demand is greatest, it has in its power to supplement and strengthen the work of every teacher, and enhance the interest and value of every study. In its provision of certain classes of books, too, the library can help the school greatly. Such things as atlases, indispensable for the study of geography ; illustrated works in science, or the choice illustrated editions of standard authors ; books of travel and adventure, and accounts of the most recent scientific discoveries or political occurrences, must as a rule be looked for in the public library. The same is true of maps and charts, pictures, and statistical works of all sorts. A modern high school uses all of this sort of material, when it can get it, to supplement its class- room work; but it looks to the library to provide it. The skillful librarian, keeping in touch with the work of the schools, will anticipate their needs by timely purchases ; put out on the shelves, in plain sight, well chosen lists of books relating to topics which a class is studying; display illustra- tive maps and pictures; and stand ready to help the pupil whose interest has been aroused, and who needs guidance in reading further. Every public library, further, ought to have its collec- tion of books specially intended for teachers, and relating to the theory and practice of their profession. We demand 17 greater aud greater efficiency in our teachers, but we do not always remember that one of the strongest aids to efficiency is the reading of the books in M'hich experts of wide expe- rience tell how the work of teaching may best be done. Few teachers, with the miserable pittances which we call salaries, can afford to buy many books; and we owe it to them to provide the books through the agency of the public library. I hope that you possess in this library a good col- lection of the best recent books on such subjects as school management and organization, school sanitation and hygiene, the conduct of classes, and the many other things which a good teacher ought to know. I hope that you are also keeping on file the best educational journals and school reports, not only of this state and of the United States, but also of foreign countries ; for, do as well as we may, we can always learn something of value from our neighbors. What I have said of books holds true also of magazines and newspapers. No school can be expected to provide itself with much of this sort of literature, or to afford the space and assistance needed to keep it in order; but the public library ought to have a good deal of it, and the pupils of all ages ought to learn how to use it. Some of the best work in history and biography, the best narratives of travel or exploration, the best accounts of scientific achieve- ments, and the best discussions of social problems, appear today in the pages of magazines and newspapers ; and if the school is to keep its knowledge up to date, and prevent the moss from growing on the back of our educational system, it must keep in touch with the best that is being thought and said in the world. Especially ought every boy and girl of high school age to be taught how to read the newspaper ; to read it with discrimination and common sense, to pick out from its columns that which is really worth while, and to follow carefully its daily record of events. Only through the public library, however, is this likely to be done, for only there can one find papers and magazines in variety, representing different sections of the country and different points of view. 18 I spoke a moment ago of pictures and illustrated books. Of all the services which it is in the power of the library to render, few surpass in interest that which attends the reg- ular and systematic exhibition of pictures and illustrated material. With the numerous inexpensive photographs and other reproductions now available, it is possible for a library with but very moderate funds to put out, in the course of the year, a series of exhibitions covering a wide range. Castles, cathedrals, harbors, cities, roads, gardens, farms, mines, ships, animals, routes of explorers, battle scenes or plans of campaigns, famous persons, statuary, paintings, in- terior furnishing and decoration — these and a hundred other interests of the great world can be displayed in graphic form, at small cost, to the instruction and delight of old and young. Nothing more surely draws children to the library than a picture show, a popular lecture with lantern slides, or a collection of prints or objects illus- trating some current incident of which every one is talking. Let us not forget that there is an education of the eye, the judgment, and the taste, as well as the education of the printed page. The mind has many doors, some of which may be open while others are shut ; but the library and the school together hold the keys to all of them. I have been speaking thus far mainly of adults, and of those pupils to whom reading is, or ought to be, a matter of no difficulty. But I must not forget two other classes, to whose happiness and welfare the combined work of school and library stand very close. And first, always, the young children. In the great public library of the city of Provi- dence, nothing interests me so much as the children's room. There come by scores and hundreds the little boys and girls, most of them from homes where books are few. They are able to read simple words and sentences, or to understand and enjoy simple narratives and stories, but they are often not yet old enough to know particularly what they want, or wisely to choose one book rather than another. On the open shelves around the room is the children's library; the children may themselves take down the books and look them 19 over, if so be they are old enough to make a choice, or they may go to the kindly, experienced woman at the desk, and let her choose for them. There are little collections of prints on the walls, and more in an adjoining room ; here in front of you, on a bulletin board, is perhaps a list of birds, with the dates and places of first discovery; and yonder some early wild flowers. Surely one cannot but bless an institution which thus, with thoughtful care, shows young children how to find happiness in books, or sends to in- numerable humble homes one strong beam of light. Never mind if the childish fingers are not too clean, or if books and covers soon soil and wear out; it is a good investment that any community is making when it shows its children how and what to read, and makes them welcome in the place where books are kept. And when I say the children, I include the children of the alien as well as of the nation. Whether we like it or not — and it makes absolutely no difference whether we like it or not — it seems to be our destiny, here in New England, to attract to our manufacturing centres peoples of foreign birth and alien speech; and they are here to stay. Ameri- cans they are certainly becoming, day by day, and it is for us to say of what sort their Americanism is to be. I greatly wish that we might go much further than we have common- ly gone in meeting these non-English neighbors on their own ground, so far as education through books is concerned. I was for a year and a half, some time since, the chairman of the school committee in a New England mill town of 6,000 people, one-half of whose population was French-Canadian. Very few of the older people spoke English, or at best could use a few phrases with great difficulty; and almost all the children spoke French. Yet the town could not be induced to provide French-speaking teachers for the entering classes in the lower grades, and the trustees of the town library absolutely refused to purchase so much as one book in French. The result, of course, was that half of the popula- tion of that town, too poor to buy books for itself, had no books to read, just because it didn't happen to know Eng- 20 lish. There were some comfortable homes among those operatives, but there were no books in them. I have always thought that this was a grave mistake. No human power, we may be sure, is strong enough to main- tain for long the use of any but the English tongue in America: the practical conditions of our daily lives compel to uniformity of speech. But we do need very much to form the reading habit as soon and as firmly as possible, as an indispensable means to that universal popular education which is also indispensable. I hope, therefore, that in the scheme of your library you have made provision for books in every language spoken in this city by any appreciable number of persons; so that no man, woman, or child, who can read at all shall have to turn away from the doors which are thrown open today, because in this free public library there is no book in the only language which God has permitted him to speak. We have tried for years in Provi- dence the experiment of providing in our public library good books in foreign languages, and with results which abun- dantly justify it. It is in such ways as these that the public library, co- operating with the public school, contributes to the educa- tion of the community. They are joint educational agencies, working together for a common end, — the enrichment of social life and the increase of social efficiency. They do not duplicate one another, either in the methods which they pursue or in the work in which they engage : they supple- ment one another. Their tasks bring them into association, not into competition. In the expenditure of its funds, ac- cordingly, the library will keep prominently in mind the needs of teachers and pupils in all the various grades, equal- izing its facilities, as far as possible, so that all may be helped: while the schools, on their part, will send their pupils and their teachers to the library, draw systematically upon its collections for classroom illustrations and for the further development of good teaching, and cultivate the reading habit in the home. These are public tasks. Less and less, in this country, are we leaving education and social 21 betterment to private individuals or private institutions; more and more is the city as a whole rousing itself to care for its own people, under its own direction and at its own expense ; and it is a happy day for any community where a public library opens its doors, and goes forth to join in this great civic work. In emphasizing as I have the relation of the public library to the public school, I have had no thought, of course, of neglecting or minimizing the work of the library in other directions. The development of the reading habit, that one sure basis of all culture, in adults as well as in children ; the ample provision of magazines and newspapers, through which the thought and ambition, as well as the achievement of the present time are expressed; the building up of special collections of books, especially, in such a city as this, of books on technical, industrial, artistic, and busi- ness subjects; the establishment of branch libraries, however small, wherever the circulation or use of books will be facili- tated thereby; the exhibition of manuscripts, autographs, rare books, or historical objects, illustrating the growth of the printing art or the history of our own or foreign peoples ; the recognition of holidays, festivals, anniversaries, or notable dates by appropriate exercises or exhibits : all these things, too, are worthy and necessary parts of the great field of social service which American public libraries have begun to enter, and in which they seem destined to achieve con- spicuous and permanent success. There is no department of our common life which the library of any community may not touch with vitalizing power, making life more interest- ing, labor more productive, homes more attractive, pleasure more happy and enduring. I bring you congratulations of Brown University upon the new and enlarged facilities which this free public library is henceforth to enjoy. Having ourselves just entered upon the use of a new building, the need of which has long been imperative, we are able to appreciate keenly the pleasure which the occupancy of this attractive and commodious structure brings to you. I congratulate the librarian upon 22 his task and his opportunity. And if, 25 or 50 years from now, another audience gathers to dedicate a still larger and more commodious building, it will be because the library whose new home is opened today has made its influence potent in the higher life of this whole city and brought guidance, inspiration, and happiness to all who dwell among you. 23 GEORGE H. TRIPP In an address by Professor Bliss Perry, at the dedication of the Brookline Library last month, he emphasized the fact that there is in American life a strong undercurrent of idealism under the most striking examples of material ag- grandizement. No better illustration of this could be fur- nished than in the history of this library. It is, indeed, of great significance that at the time when New Bedford was at the height of its fame as the greatest whaling city of the world ; when all the streets were literally running with oil ; when its material prosperity was great; certain public spir- ited citizens should have bestirred themselves to give New Bedford an opportunity to furnish a means for a more liberal culture in the arts of refinement. When the Massachusetts legislature in May, 1851, passed the act enabling municipal libraries to be formed, two or three of the citizens of New Bedford, notably James B. Congdon and Warren Ladd, at once moved to arouse a public sentiment enabling New Bedford to take advan- tage of this act. Warren Ladd at the July, 1851, meeting of the city council introduced a preliminary order, and the ordinance establishing the library was passed on the 16th of August, 1852. The city seal just adopted had declared that the aim of the city was to shed light and knowledge ; the literal was to be made figura- tive, and the lamp of wisdom and learning was to be lighted and tended for the benefit of all the citizens. There had been several private libraries of some impor- tance which ante-dated the establishment of this library. The old Encyclopaedia Society, so-called from the purchase of Dobson's Encyclopaedia as the base of its collection, was one of the earliest of these private libraries. The most notable, however, was the Social Library, which was estab- 24 w '•i 4 lished early in the 19th century, and which continued for many years to serve its purpose as a respectable collection of books for the edification of its proprietors. In time the collection amounted to about 5,000 books. The whole of the Social Library amounting to 5,500 books was transferred to the Free Public Library, which opened its doors on March 3, 1853, with a store of 6,000 volumes in the Perkins building, 139 Union street near Purchase. In the first report, issued after the library had been opened for only a few weeks, the trustees expressed the hope that this "will open to our inhabitants a library rich in the means of intellectual culture, and forming a new and at- tractive feature in the public recreation of the people." It will be noted that thus early in its career the idea was formu- lated that it is a legitimate object of public libraries to furnish recreative reading, a subject which has been dis* cussed with vigor ever since, but our trustees, before the library had been opened two months, expressed themselves without qualifications. One of the first purchases made by the library was the Boydell Shakespeare. Another quotation from the first report reads "A striking and delightful feature in our operations is the large number of females who visit the rooms, both as takers of books and readers of our periodicals. Nearly one-half of the names upon our books are those of females." Again the same report mentions as among the regulations of the library the establishment of a waiting list, another question which has been the shuttle-cock of opinion in library circles for many years. Article 16 says "Any book may be re- taken, provided no application has been made for the same by another person, and the librarian requested to make a record of application." During the first year 22,607 books were circulated. In the second report, a motto was announced as a proper guidance in the use of the library, and which was repeated through successive reports for many years: "Use 25 carefully, return promptly. These are the two fundamental rules upon which the prosperity of the library must rest." In the third year, covering the year 1854, the prudent and careful custodians of the library began to feel the necessity of a larger building, and incidentally the search for a Carnegie, who should bestow upon the city a new building and receive the plaudits of the citizens. They say, "Are we mistaken in supposing that there are those among us, who, desirous of devoting a portion of the wealth which Providence has bestowed upon them, to the public good, and prompted by a laudable ambition to give such a direction to their munificence as will secure to them the gratitude of their fellow-citizens and the regard of posterity, will erect a monument so noble in its purpose, so elevating in its results? No doubtful or limited benefit would attend upon the consummation of such an undertaking. AVithout restric- tion or qualification will be accorded to him the title of pub- lic benefactor, who shall thus generously and benevolently allow his name to designate the structure which shall be reared for the purpose of our free public library." But as if feeling that perhaps they were asking too much, their attention was drawn to the City Hall, and the suggestion is made that the "accommodation of the library in the lower story of that safe, central, and beautiful building" would be an ideal location for the library. This city hall which was looked at with such envious eyes nearly sixty years ago is the building which has now been devoted entirely to library purposes. At that time the basement of the hall was used for a market, and the trustees waxed eloquent in advis- ing that books supplant beef and that poultry be displaced by poetry. But better times were in store for the library: it was not necessary to dispossess the dealers in beef and cabbages of their chosen quarters, for the city fathers, stirred by the eloquence of James B. Congdon and his asso- ciates, aroused themselves and secured the erection of a library building, which they thought would be ample for very many years to house the library on the top floor, and to accommodate the public offices on the floors below. 26 The corner stone of the Library building was laid with imposing ceremony on the 28th of August, 1856, the archi- tect was Solomon K. Eaton, and Henry Pierce was the builder. When the corner stone was laid a procession was formed on Market Square, south of this building, headed by the assistant marshal and a brass band; next came the marshal, the ex-mayors of the city, clergy, and the city officials, who moved in procession around the block and to the site of the library across the street. George Howland, Jr., was mayor of the city at the time, and presided at the exercises. A characteristic address was made by James B. Congdon, Esq., who might be called the Father of the Library, and a poem by Charles T. Congdon, who after- wards acquired some note as a newspaper man. I quote a few lines from this poem of Mr. Congdon 's which will be sufficient to give an idea of the metre and the general char- acter of the verse. "How few of all who now its portals seek, Went to the library but once a week! You every day receive its liberal boon; We went at three, on seventh day afternoon; Unchecked you banquet on the general fare; We took a single volume on each share; Kept it a week; might keep it three weeks more; Were fined just nine-pence if we kept it o'er." The poem ended with these lines : "There was a time when if one simply said: — 'Lend me this book?' the owner shook his head. And smelling thieves in that preposterous call. Padlocked the book, and chained it to the wall; You, in the spirit of the time's great gain. Have taken off the padlock and the chain; For this still look, in all the time to be, For youth aspiring, and for manhood free." One of the first donations made to the library was the gift of George Howland, Jr., who gave his salary for two 27 years as mayor of the city to establish a fund which is still in existence as the George Rowland, Jr. fund, "the in- come to be devoted for the purchase of valuable works of science of a more expensive character than we should feel authorized to purchase by the money appropriated by the municipal grovernment. ' ' In 1859 the library was made the custodian of con- gressional documents. The building was opened to the public on Nov. 9, 1857. During a term of years the establishment of funds for book purchases became quite a feature. The Charles W. Morgan fund was established in 1865, and the Sylvia Ann Rowland fund of $50,000 became available the same year. The most valuable gift of a single book was that by James Arnold, the founder of the Arnold Arboretum, and a resident of New Bedford, who gave to the library an original folio edition of Audubon's Birds. The James B. Congdon fund was given to the library in 1877. Other gifts were made by Oliver Crocker in 1878, George 0. Crocker in 1888, Charles L. Wood in 1892. which furnished book funds providing ample means for supplying the library with all the books which its cramped quarters could possibly accommodate. In 1904 the will of Mrs. Sarah E. Potter gave the library a bequest of $250,000, "the income to be used for the pur- chase of books, pictures, and other articles suitable for the equipment and maintenance of the library. ' ' This munificent gift has enabled the library to make large purchases of books and pictures which otherwise would have been beyond our means, and to promise a satisfactory income for the future. Again, to show how the management of the library an- ticipated many of the problems which confront present day library workers, in the 26th annual report covering the year 1877, the trustees "are happy to mention the interest- ing fact that a large part of the visitors to the library consists of pupils from the schools * * * * the state- ment is as creditable to the schools as to the library; for 28 no better evidence could be had that the instruction given by the teachers who encourage this kind of intellectual in- quiry is of the most discriminating and improving quality. ' ' Again, on the question of the circulation of fiction, the con- clusion of the trustees of that time is expressed as follows: "To exclude works of fiction from the library, there- fore, would be to curtail its positive advantages. At the same time, we recognize the necessity of a judicious care in the supply of works of this description, and we have added to our list of novels only those which we believe to be wholesome and useful, and which may stimulate to some- thing better and higher, "The sensational element occupies a very small space in our circulation, yet even that has it advantages. For, were we to exclude it wholly, we should drive away a class of readers who most need to be brought within reach of the improving influences of the library. While they find enough of the sensational to encourage their visits, they often fail to obtain the books of which they are in search, and are led to take those of a more improving character. We are happy to record a marked ad vau cement in this connection, the works of fiction now oftenest called for being the best of their class, ' ' As a growing child finds that his clothes are soon out- grown, in 1878 the trustees asked "for the use of the whole of the Library building, since their quarters are becoming very much croAvded." It was not, however, until 1886 that the old building was enlarged by an addition on the north which entirely changed the arrangement of the floor plan of the building, and added largely to the stack capacity. In 1884 in the 32nd report a proposal was made that the city government publish the records of Old Dartmouth, but this suggestion was not acted upon until the present ample funds of the library have allowed the trustees to engage in the work, which is now being carried oq as a contribution to the vital records of the state. The whole expense of copying these records is borne by the library, and the work has been carried on for over a year and is not yet completed, but 29 when finished will be an extremely important document in the history of this section. On i\Iarch 3, 1901, the library met with a most serious loss in the death of Robert C. Ingraham, who had served the library as its chief librarian for nearly 50 years. No more faithful servant of the public ever held office. His in- terests were centered in the library he loved so weU, and his enthusiasm and devotion communicated itself to others until all who came in contact with his charming person- ality were imbued somewhat with his spirit. He finished a great work to which he had devoted his life, and it is deemed fitting that in this building should be set apart the main reading room to be called forever Ingraham Hall in memory of his noble service. As the editor of The Standard said in his tribute to Mr. Ingraham. "By his simple devo- tion to the one duty of his long life service, Robert C. Ingraham has made this community his permanent debtor." In spite of the enlargement of the old building in 1886, the need of an entirely new building for the library ■was deemed urgent enough to embody in the report of the trustees for 1891. From that time nearly every succeeding report emphasized this need, until in 1906 the fire in the old City Hall afforded the prospect of securing our new building. The fire which occurred in December, 1906, proved to be a blessing in disguise. If Mr. Congdon, the historian of the library who wrote all the earlier reports, could have lived to express his sentiments upon the occasion, he certainly would have penned an eloquent description of the Prome- thean torch which was brought from heaven to bring about the consummation so devoutly wished for. Surely the result has proved most beneficial. The building plans were put into the hands of Mr. Nat C. Smith, the architect, who remodeled the old structure, preserving the old lines and carrying out most admirably the spirit of the original builders, until the result has given us a building more beautiful than the old, and yet express- ing the same severe outlines in its exterior. To single out any individuals for credit in pushing the building forward 30 to completion would be an invidious task, but it certainly is not out of place to give a great deal of credit to the fore- sight and intense interest shown by the mayor, Charles S. Ashley, in helping to formulate and carry out the plans of the building committee. The earnestness and zeal with which he has forwarded and seconded every move has been no small feature in accomplishing the result which we are enjoying today for the first time. In opening this building for the use of the city, everyone connected with the library feels with a deep sense of responsibility a wonderful quick- ening and a strong incentive for better work. The material is at hand; the surroundings are ample for many years; the library has great resources for filling its shelves; it is for us who are in charge so to administer the trust that the greatest benefit shall reach the greatest number, and I feel that, with a due sense of the seriousness of the words, I can thoroughly pledge the co-operation and willing labors of everyone connected with the library to further that purpose. To this end the library from time to time must expand the range of its activities, so that the civilizing influence of such an institution shall be felt by every one in the city. 31 HORACE G. WADLIN The city of New Bedford exemplifies the energy and material progress of the modern world. With a history of which it may well be proud, and a Puritan ancestry, whose hardy descendants braved the dangers of the sea that light might be diffused in dark places, it has readily conformed to changed conditions and the era of machinery, until it has become a leader in the great textile industry, its exten- sive factories representing millions of capital and giving employment to thousands of operatives. Its population, slightly more than 20,000 when this library became a muni- cipal institution, less than 30,000 even as late as 1880, is now 96,652. Once largely of Anglo-Saxon lineage, it now in- cludes many lines of descent, Latin as well as Anglo-Saxon, focussed here, and, under the influence of the democratic spirit, here to be woven into the fabric of American life. It is a city composed of various elements held together by the modern organization of industry, of which the supreme type is one of your factories, equipped to intensify human effort by means of the co-ordinated operation of a series of power- ful and ingenious steam-driven machines, but it is also a