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Many Anaconda citizen* had recently expressed the hope that the city council would find Home plan by which the city could accept the magnlflceut gift, of the Hearst Free Library, to generously tendered by Mrs. Phoebe A. Hertrst. The building and its content* have cost Mrs. Hearst not lest than $75,000 and this dots not include tfc »xpeniiture of something more than $7,000 each year for maintenance. T he building was erected by ilrs. IWrst In memory of her husband, United Senator George Hearst, nr.l opened to the public in June, i59S. The 1 irary was first opened in temporary lt;t carters on Cherry street in !8J and in -e that time the total expense of maintaining it, Including the yearly purchase of books that are up to date, has been borne by aJrs. Hearst.Through her ageni Mrs. Hearst has recently offered this splendid present to the city of Anaconda tree. She onlyI asks that the city guarantee to k°epthe library open and tree to the public for all time. At a recent meeting of the city council a res dution was passed thanking Mrs. Hea-at for the giftand accepting it. bu» according to the terms of the resoiut on the lt;iue.«tion ofaccepting it and the levying of a library tax for maintenance must be referred to the people at the next city election, which will be held next April. It was the hope of many cltigens of Anaconda that the library could be accepted at once and that the city council would find some way to Immediately assume full charge and responsibility. This could have been omplish-el without great expense for the reasonthat Mrs. Hearst has already arranged for the payment of a large consignment of new books for the corning year as well as paying the subscription price of all necessary periodicals. She also proposes to make a yearly purchase ofbooks for some years.The library building cost no? less than $50,000, excluding the bocks an i pictures. The collection of pictures, which include oil paintings, etchings and water colors, is said to bj the best and must valuable in any puo’u bulking in the state. Some of th-- oil paintings ate by the most noted of the modern painters. There are also many Braun and Italian photographs andphotogravure?.During the year the building has been thoroughly renovated and it is at the present time a mod»l of neatness and cleanliness. Inside and out it has always been maintained in perfect order. The furniture of each room is of the very best and each piece is in perfect repair.As near as can be estimated by the librarian, the library now contains8,000 volumes. Many of these books are splendidly bound and some of them cost $10 each. Of course, some of books are taken out and never retu ed and others become worn and usel because of the loss of pages, but is claimed that the loss is consid ably less than that reported from otl libraries, where the system of givi out books is much more strict. 1 Hearst library is absolutely free every particular. No penalty is char* for torn books and no plan of enfoi ing the return of or payment for boo lost. The patrons of the library usui ly pay for books that they cannot i turn and it is never necessary to them to do so.It has been the custom of ... Hearst to yearly add about l.K/t hex to the library, in addition to a v large number of periodicals. More U9,000 cards have been lswced by the brarian. and the average yearly eklation is, approximately. ':j7.oo5. M Elizabeth L. Thomson is the librar and she is assisted by Miss M. Livingstone.
Newspaper Details
Anaconda Standard
Anaconda, Montana, US
Sun, Dec 20, 1903
Page 86
Full Page
Clipped by
San F.
CA, USA 14 Oct 2018
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