I believe it has been a couple of weeks since a member of the list inquired about public libraries in Virginia and when they began. I came across this article from the October, 1891 issue of LIBRARY JOURNAL in the scanned books project being done on Google Books. Sad to say, the speaker didn't think that in that year the idea of public libraries were held in very high regard in Richmond, Virginia. There is a report from the State Librarian in the Google Book Project that provides interesting insights in the early history of libraries in the rural areas of Virginia. These are refered to as "station libraries" in the 1907-08 report. When I look at some of the communities named, I infer that these were railroad stations that were receiving books from Richmond for communities such as Abilene in Charlotte County, Dillwyn in Buckingham County, and Farmville in Prince Edward County. Public libraries have apparently had a variety of manifestations in this state.
I have copied the text from the Library Journal article below in its text format rather than its scanned appearance. That resulted in paragraph breaks disappearing, so those seen are ones I placed myself.
The 1907-08 State librarian's report comes up as the first search result when the following terms are entered -- station libraries dillwyn buckingham
at http://books.google.com/.
Joyce Nelson
THIRD SESSION. ( pp. 88-91 [gap in text between p.89 and 91])
Library Journal
Vol. 16 (JANUARY—DECEMBER, 1891) Editors: 1876-79, M. Dewey, R. R. Bowker; 1880, F. Leypoldt, M. Dewey; 1881-93, C. A. Cutter and others; 1894-Nov. 15, 1933, R. R. Bowker; Dec. 1, 1933-Feb. 15, 1943, B. E. Weston; Mar. 1, 1943-May 15, 1951, K. Brown; June...
TUESDAY EVENING, OCT. 13.
IMPORTANCE OF PUBLIC LIBRARIES.
The PRESIDENT called the meeting to order at 8 o'clock, and said that it would be addressed by visiting and California librarians on the subject of the value of public libraries, and the importance of providing facilities needful in order that good work may be done in them. Dr. POOLE.— If this meeting had been held at Richmond, Virginia, or at Mobile, Alabama, or even in Louisville, Kentucky, the subject which has been given us tonight — "The Value of Public Libraries to Communities" — would be a ttry simple one to treat; for in those communities they do not exist, and I have never heard that they were wanted there. But on the Pacific Coast, and in the communities represented гиге by delegates from the Eastern States, the discussion of this subject seems a good deal like the treatment of an axiom. We all cordially admit, without discussion, that the whole of a thing is greater than a part. It was also ascertained in New England 250 years ago, and has
since been regarded as an axiom, that public schools and general education were good for communities, and more economical than general ignorance. It was further discovered by New England people more than forty years ago that public libraries, maintained by municipal taxation, supplemented the work of the public schools, and were also good for communities. It was my fortune to take up library work in a college society library of 10,000 volumes forty-five years ago, before the principle of public libraries was discovered. I have been in library work ever since, and have been conversant with the progress since made. There was in 1847 little or no interest in libraries. It was not known how many libraries there were in the country, or how many books the larger libraries had. In fact, there were no statistics on the subject; no treatises on library management; no practical works on bibliography; and there was no one who had studied library administration scientifically and
could impart information to learners. It might be called the pre-historic age of libraries. The average librarian then was usually a keeper of books — that is, one who did not allow them to get away, and kept as many persons as possible from using them. He was commonly a college professor who could not teach, a minister who could not preach, or a physician who had no patients. The salaries paid were very small. Being a college student I took the position for the purpose of being in contact with books, and not for the pay, which the first year was thirty dollars. The second year I was promoted to be full librarian, and I think my salary was raised to fifty dollars. They were the two most profitable years I have spent in libraries ; for I had the opportunity to work out alone the main problems of library administration, with no books on the subject to read, and no person about me to whom I could go for advice or information.
The year 1848 is a sort of era in the history of American libraries. John Jacob Astor then died in New York city, and by his will founded the Astor Library, the first free reference library in the United States. He gave it £400,000, which was then thought to be an immense sum, and for that time it was so. George Peabody, Walter L. Newberry, John Crerar, and Andrew Carnegie have since given their millions. In the splendid gift of Mr. Sutro, San Francisco will have a noble reference library during the lifetime of the donor. It would be well if all public-spirited men of wealth, who intend to make such gifts in their wills, would follow Mr. Sutro's example and do it while living.
The tidal wave of benefactions for libraries is on, and will rise higher. Such gifts usually come in pairs. Mr. Newberry's gift of three millions to Chicago was followed by Mr. Crerar's with another three millions. Some San Francisco citizen will doubtless duplicate, and perhaps exceed, Mr. Sutro's gift. The endowment of a great public library is now ascertained to be the straight pathway to heaven. Some years ago there always appeared in the will of a rich man or woman, who died in Boston, a legacy to Harvard College, and another to the Massachusetts General Hospital.
Much of this money now goes to libraries and to the erection of memorial library buildings. I was speaking before this digression of what had happened of importance concerning the library interests of the country in 1848. Professor Charles C. Jewett, who had been the librarian of Brown University, was then appointed librarian of the Smithsonian Institution; and his is about the only name, with a reputation as a librarian, which comes down to us from the pre-historic period. Under his guidance the Smithsonian Institution, which has since changed its functions, assumed the same relations to the libraries of the country which the Bureau of Education now holds. He went about collecting and arranging the statistics of the libraries of the United States ; and his valuable report he printed in 1850. It
was then known for the first time what libraries there were in the country, their origin, history, and contents.
The most important event of the year 1848 was the initiatory step taken which led to the establishment of the Boston Public Library, the first free library in the world supported by municipal taxation and administered for the benefit of every class of citizens. Josiah Quincy, Jr., then Mayor of Boston, conceived the idea of petitioning the Legislature to allow the city to raise money by taxation for creating and supporting a public library; and the authority was granted. Subsequent legislation extended the right to all the cities and towns of the State.
Similar legislation followed in other States and in England ; and the public library has become as universal and as beneficent as the public school. The first edition of the Index to Periodical Literature, prepared by a student in Yale College, was printed in 1848, and was the precursor of much voluntary and similar bibliographical contributions done by librarians for the benefit of students.
In Prof. Jewett's report of 1850 on the libraries of the United States, several which are now among the largest do not appear, for they did not exist. The Library of Congress, now with more than 600,000 volumes, then had 50,000; and a few months later a fire occurred in the building and burnt up 30,000 of these. The great library of the country then was that of Harvard College with 84,200 volumes. The Philadelphia Library Company came next with 60,200, then Yale College with 50,481, and Boston Athenaeum with 50,000. Of libraries containing 1,000 volumes or more there were 432, and containing less than t,coo, 271. Excluding public school libraries, the whole number was 694, and the aggregate number of volumes 2,201,632. The last report on libraries by the Bureau of Education, 1885, gives the whole number 5,338, and the aggregate number of volumes 20,622,076.
This brief retrospect shows the enormous development of interest in libraries during the past forty years and growing appreciation of their value in intelligent communities. The intelligence of communities is now measured largely by its libraries and other facilities for popular education.
The large number and the excellent administration of public libraries in California are among the most pleasant and, I must confess, surprising incidents I have met with on the Pacific Coast. We, the visitors from the Eastern States, have little we can tell which will be new to our brethren in California. I understand that one library building is now in process of construction, and that it is proposed to erect others in San Francisco. I am told, also, that the views of.Eastern librarians on this subject are desired, and that tomorrow forenoon the methods of construction will be discussed. I do not, therefore, intend this evening to go into the …….how strangely it looks where it is, and for the purpose of being used as a public library, with those few and small windows in the first story, and in a peaceful community where there are no mobs, and no occasion to fortify libraries !
The first requisite in a public library is light, and all the light that can be had. Nothing in architecture is truly beautiful which is not appropriate, reasonable, and useful. The error has occurred through a mistaken love of art, and ignoring the advice of librarians, one " art crank " will cause you much trouble. If you have one in San Francisco, bottle him up until your plans are made. (Applause.)
Joyce Nelson
Branch Manager
Buckingham County Public Library
1140 Main Street
Dillwyn, VA 23936
tel: 434-983-3848
fax: 434-983-1587
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