Gratia Countryman

Title: Story of One Woman's Library Experience
Type: Newspaper
Date: February 1923
Source: Community Bookshelf

Description: This story demonstrates some of the problems experienced by local citizens when they tried to obtain books for their families.

Transcription:

"May I draw books from this library?" asked an eager little woman.

"Certainly, if you live in Minneapolis," was the hospitable reply.

"Well, I live only a little way beyond the city limits."

"Perhaps your husband is employed in the city?"

"No, we have just moved into Richfield from a town where we had a library. We cannot afford to buy books so we miss the library. I hoped I could borrow some books for the children."

"I'm sorry, but we cannot loan books outside of city limits."

So the disappointed little mother turned away and the library assistant who had gone through this same experience many times was thoughtful. "Why shouldn't this big library be opened to the county?" she thought. And the only answer was that it was supported by city residents. Paid for by Minneapolis taxpayers. The answer didn't seem sufficient. The city was encouraging trade with county residents, all roads through the country led into Minneapolis; why shouldn't the educational roads lead in that direction?

But the Minneapolis Library wasn't the only one which had this county problem. Other libraries in the state wanted to extend their privileges to their neighbors in the county.