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CHAPTER IX.

LIBRARY LEGISLATION IN THE UNITED STATES.1

I.-Legislation for the incorporation of library associations, societies, etc. II. (a) School district libraries; (b) Township libraries; (c) Free public libraries supported by the State; (d) Recent State library laws.

III - Résumé of library legislation.

IV.

State library laws.

I.

LEGISLATION FOR THE INCORPORATION OF LIBRARY ASSOCIATIONS, SOCIETIES, ETC.

The library, like every other institution of organized society, is dependent upon legislation for its existence and development. The progress of library development at first was very slow. It has grown from very small beginnings. It is an outgrowth of a demand of the people. In the beginning, the existence of the library was recognized by legislation. In the next place, the preservation of the library was a special object of legislation. As an example, the library of the Rev. Thomas Bray, D. D., founder of the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts, may be mentioned. The legislative assembly of South Carolina, on November 16, 1700, passed an act in behalf of this library. In 1715 North Carolina passed a similar law for the preservation of a library sent over by Dr. Thomas Bray to the town of Bath, for the use of the inhabitants of the parish of St. Thomas in l'amlico.

In 1731 a movement began which resulted in the formation of the Philadelphia Library Company, called "the mother of all North American subscription libraries." This company was incorporated in 1742, some ten years after its organization. In 1741 the Charleston, S. C., Library Company was organized, but did not receive its charter of incorporation until 1755.

From 1776 to 1826 many libraries were established which, though city institutions or otherwise limited, were in a general way important factors in the library movement, and were necessary and logical steps toward the free public library. The earliest legislation regarding libraries took the form of general laws which provided for the incorporation of cooperative library associations, generally known as proprietary, social, subscription, or even public libraries. There is now in a number of the States a general law providing for the incorporation of such libraries, namely: Colorado, California, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Maine, New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and there may be some others in which similar provisions prevail. These libraries were intended to be free, and in fact many of them were substantially free public libraries. They were not supported by public taxation. As another evidence of the interest that the people manifested in this movement, libraries of a certain size were exempted from taxation. This is an indirect though often an efficient way of legislating for libraries. The libraries of associations, societies, or corporations, together with the buildings owned by such associations, are exempt from taxation in the following States: Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nebraska, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Vermont, Washington, West Virginia, and Wyoming-in all twenty-two. The increased interest in the subject is still further shown by legislative enactment in the following States: District of Columbia, Illinois, Kansas, Massachusetts, New Jersey, West Virginia, Wisconsin, by which private libraries of a certain value are exempt from attachment as well as from taxation. Many libraries began under such encouragement.

Compiled by Henderson Presnell, A. M.

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