Delaware County, Indiana - City Library. ', 1881

City Library. '

'ing from the general diffusion of knowledge, a few citizens, conceived the idea of securing such blessings and privileges to the people of the city of Muncie. Thus inspired, Hamilton S. McRae, taking the initiative steps in that direction, procured a meeting of the' citizens to take place at the court house on the evening of the 30th of May, 1874. To that meeting was submitted the question of the practieability of organizing a public library with free reading-room and museum attached. The citizens present at that meeting, though few, were thoroughly imbued with the importance and value to the people of the enterprise, and proceeded at once to perfect an organization in accordance with the laws upon the subject, and from the small beginning, on the 380th of May, 1874, the public library became one of the city's institutions, which, its founders here express the hope, may be as permanent as time, as flourishing as the young city to which it is an ornament, and a source from which the people may derive such useful information and acquire such practical education as are suited to the wants and needs of those who do the great business of life, and are

"This meeting was composed of those who became the stockholders, organizers and officers of the society. And these names are Hamilton S. McRae, Walter March, William B. Kline, William Brotherton, Carlton E. Shipley, Thomas J. Brady, Erville B. Bishop, James Boyce, Marcus C. Smith, William Glenn, James N. Templer, Stanton Hussey, Frank Ellis, N. F. Ethell, David H. Case and John W. Ryan, from which was chosen H. 8. McRae, President; Erville B. Bishop, Treasurer ; Mrs. Harriet Patterson, Librarian; the Board of Directors being H. 5. McRae, Walter March, E. B. Bishop, William Glenn, William B. Kline, Marcus C. Smith, John W. Ryan - the latter chosen Clerk. The society seeing the impossibility of securing a fund by private subscription sufficient for the necessities of the enterprise, and seeing the inequality

C. Smith and J. W. Ryan- - was appointed to memorialize the city government for such a subscription, to be raised by taxation within the city, as would enable the Board of Directors to make such a purchase of books and fixtures as would insure a respectable, valuable and at once attractive library.

Council, then composed of Asa Hodson, O. M. Todd, M. James, Frank Shafer, Isaac Meeks, E. P. Smith, Benjamin Gift and Wallace Hibbitts, as Councilmen, and secured the passage, by that body, of an ordinance subscribing 1,500 shares of $2 each, to the capital stock of the association. |

"Tn the meantime, through the exertions of the President of the society, the remains of the old county, township, Philalethean and workingmen's libraries, consisting in all of some 2,195 volumes, were gathered together and placed in the rooms of the association and formed, with those purchased, the magnificent array of books with which we~ are surrounded, and to which the members point with pleasure and pride as the finest jqrblic library in Indiana, outside of the cities of the first class, and yet but one year old to night.

of their own country the current events of the time. In the first year of its existence the library has furnished its rooms, provided a readingroom, supplied all that is believed to be necessary to make it perfect, gathered together 2,195 volumes of books, and fifty-nine pamphlets and magazines, and has one-half of its whole stock subscriptions in tact.*" From the Muncie Democrat of January 14, 1875, we glean the following interesting items relating to the opening and success attending the ceremonies of inaugurating the new reading-room, the outgrowth of the public library. "The reading-room of the Muncie library opened Saturday morning, January 9, 1875, at 8 o'clock. * * * * From 1 to 6 P. M. the number of visitors was forty-two, a large majority of

This reference would seem to indicate a very high appreciation of the merits of an institution of such recent growth. The sequel shows that the estimate placed upon the enterprise in the beginning was in no way based upon an uncertainty; indeed, it was scarcely a foreshadowing of the future appreciation of it manifested by the well-established popularity of to-day. 3

Ata meeting of the City Council on the 6th of April, 1876, "An order for the second installment of stock in the Muncie Public Library, for $1,500, was made." Again, at a meeting held on the 4th of June, 1877, "$700 was appropriated for the Muncie Library, as reported by the committee; also, an ordinance was passed taking additional stock." At a subsequent meeting of the Council, held on the 16th of January, 1879, 300 additional shares of stock were subscribed for, the shares to be $2 each. This gives the city a very extensive representation in the association.

sixteen shareholders representing seventy-seven shares of $2 each. The original stockholders were Walter March, H. S. McRae, William B. Kline, William Brotherton, Carlton E. Shipley, Thomas J. Brady, Erville B. Bishop, James Boyce, Marcus C. Smith, John W. Ryan, James N. Templer, William Glenn, Frank Ellis, Stanton J. Hussey and Nathaniel F. Ethell, each five shares, D. H. Case, two shares. On the 21st of July, 1874, at the time the city subscribed the 1,500 shares previously referred to, 375 shares had been subscribed by individuals. According to the report for 1874-75, published in 1876, there were 1,943 shares owned in all. |

Mrs. Harriet I. Patterson, who served as Librarian from the commencement up to January 12, 1881, says, in her final report to the Board of Directors: "At the close of my service as Librarian, I desire to place before you in as concise a manner as possible a full report of the six years' work. You are well aware that when I took charge of the room its contents were one dozen chairs, one table, one news board with six papers. This on the 9th of January, 1875. The first work accomplished was the preparation of a list of periodicals to be recorded as accession to the reading-room during the year. On or about the 11th of February, the month following, the books from the county and township libraries were given in trust and sent to the room.

About the same time, the library committee having effected the purchase, Henry Marsh's then circulating library of over 1,300 books were sent in. Then the library of the workingmen's institute - this by donation. A pencil catalogue was then made of all the books received up to that time, each book being carefully examined. All that were found incomplete were rejected; such as needed repairs were laid aside for that purpose. The cases having been placed in the room, the books were then labeled, classified and each in its own department arranged upon the shelves alphabetically according to authors. On the 20th of February commenced the task of entering the books on the accession catalogue. The first book on the catalogue, No. 1, was presented some time during the year 1874 by Miss Lucy Trueworthy. The first donation in 1875 was by Mr. Thomas Kirby. Many valuable donations have been added since, as the tables will show. On the Ist day of June, the library was opened to circulation. Up.to that. time there had been entered on the accession catalogue 2,190 books." * * * * * Her said report further shows that, on December 31, 1880,

Muncie City held shares of Stock.......see.cessseseecerceceessseeeseconeees 2,215 Number of individual stockholderS.........ccccccccceesereeeccseeceeesvnces 203 Number of individual shares held........ce.ccecccccecessccreccessescccecess 503 Whole number of names registered during first six years of libra-

The present Board of Directors consist of Harry Wysor, President; Mrs. Lida A. Ryan, Secretary; William B. Kline, Treasurer; Mrs. Mary E. Burson, William F. Jones, Hamilton S. McRae, and Walter March. ;

They were elected by the City Council on the evening of January 3, 1881, to serve the ensuing year, and, on the 12th of January following, they appointed the present Librarian, Mrs. Caroline R. Fleming.

Both as public reading-room and library, this institution has been beneficial and successful. It has been extensively patronized, and is continuously growing in popular favor. |

Masonic Hal Rare Asot

Number of books issued during quarter ending March 31, 1881.... 5,970 Number of books issued during quarter ending March 31, 1880... 3,542 Increase last quarter over corresponding quarter of 1880........... 2,428

The reading-room is free to all. The library is also free for all residents of the city. Non-residents may have the privilege of borrowing books on the following terms: For one year, $2; for five years, $5, For transient borrowers a deposit of $3 or more is required on taking a book, and payment of 3 cents per day, or 10 cents per week for the