The Utah Library-Gymnasium Movement

.

THE UTAH LIBRARY-GYMNASIUM MOVEMENT. BY HOWARD R. DRIGGS, UNIVERSITY OF UTAH, PRSIDENT STATE LIBRARY-GYMNASIUM COMMISSION

A mighty demand is being made today to do something to turn our misguided youth from the baneful influences of street loaf- ing and the saloon. People are roused to righteous wrath in the matter. Our public con- science has been wakened till it begins to feel keenly the enormity of the waste of hu- man life, the sin, the degra-

dation brought upon us by idleness and intemperance. That the saloon must go, and very soon too, seems certain. The wave of worthy indigna- tion that has been raised will not spend its force till that Eureka Public Library. The First Great Result of the Library-Gymnasium pernicious institution has Movement. been swept forever from our midst. But after the saloon — what?our struggle to end when we Is have enacted forceful laws to stop the liquor traffic? Are we to have merely negative or positive prohibition? Will our misguided youth — the allurements of the saloon being taken away — turn readily and willingly to work and study? Or shall we still have nests of loafers in the streets, the stores, the barns, the shops — hatching up all sorts of mischief and breaking the laws? After all, must we not add substitution to prohibition if our work is to be thorough

a

THE UTAH LIBRARY-GYMNASIUM MOVEMENT. 511

and effective? Must we not also do away with loafing — the breeder of intemperance and every other evil? When we want to turn a stream from its wild native course to saturate a barren field and make it fruitful, we not only put in a dam, but we also dig a good ditch. Common sense urges that we must do the same thing if we are to suc- ceed in turning into nobler courses the stream of mis- guided youth now going to waste in the swamps of idle- ness and intemperance. Close Packard Library, Salt Lake City. the saloon — certainly. But do not stop there. Plant in its place another institution that will cultivate manliness in the thousands of schoolless, careless, but not necessarily bad boys. The crying need of our communities is just such a new edu- cational institution. Every city should establish a public home for its street-boys — place where they can go of an evening to mingle freely in manly sports — to swim, to play wholesome games, to read good books and maga- zines; a place where they can have well-directed physical Ogd^n Carnegie Library. play and enjoyment free from the vice and vulgarity of the saloon. And it is just such an in-

stitution as this that is contemplated in the plan now being urged to plant in all our communities the library- gymnasium. It is not strange that side-by-side with the great work for temperance should come this companion movement. Nor is it to be wondered at that the people should respond heartily to a plan so full of promise to redeem and turn our youth to better ways of life. Quietlv but effectively the sentiments that prompt the move-

ment have been spread among the people of Utah, until now the library-gymnasium is regarded as an absolute educational necessity — as one great means with which to depopularize the saloon and clear our streets of triflers. The plan, in the main, is no new thing; but there are two es- sential features in it that are somewhat original. [n the first place, the combining of the gymnasium with the library is to some extent a new idea. It is be- lieved that this should be done, especially in our smaller cities, because we want to reach, first of all, those boys Provo Carnegie Library. who have not felt greatly the influence of books and other mental pastimes in their lives. A reading room alone, will scarcely attract such boys; but give them a chance for physical fun; let the way to the basket-ball room, or swimming pool lead through a cheery room where good books and magazines invite them, and while the boy waits for his game or turn to swim, he will more than likely pick up an interesting book; and finally discover that mental enjoy- ment is just as entrancing as physical sport. At any rate,

Little Boys on Street Corner. the boy who does come to A bad place for boys. such a place where order and high-minded pleasure prevail, will certainly have his mind turned from cigarettes, smutty yarns, and worse sins. Another new feature, of this movement, and one that appeals strongly to practical people, is the fact that the institution is to be provided for by law just as are our schools. A small tax, enough to meet the current expenses, to employ a director and librarian, may be levied. This assures the permanency of the

—

THE UTAH LIBRARY-GYMNASIUM MOVEMENT. 513

library- gymnasium. In the past, our reading rooms, relying upon charity alone for their support, have not been able to survive peri- ods of depression. Such an institution should not have to depend entirely uptn the zeal and generosity of public-spirited individ- uals or organizations to keep it going. Its benefits reach to everyone : it reinforces the schools, the home, the church; it belongs to all the organiza- tions and all the citizens; and it should be generously sup- ported by the whole people. One of the main motives Boys on Railroad Track. back of this new educational Better keep them off. movement has been fully sug- gested in the opening paragraphs. It aims to take care of the

misguided youth, those that are not reached today by the uplifting educational forces about them : and this is a work to tax the re- sources of any institution. But the field of usefulness for the library - gymnasium is far greater even than turning boys from the evil of their ways. A second great purpose that backs it is the giving of educational advantages to those who would go to school but cannot. Every community

Livery Stable Loafers and Idlers. has scores of such people young and old, children and parents who have had too little chance at school.. They have been forced by this or that condition to cut short their education often before they finished even the grades. What institution of learning ministers to their education? Where can they go to get a good book to fill a winter's evening with pleasure and profit? In these days when choice and interesting books are so many and so cheap, is it not a sin and shame that young and old should not have all they want to read? Any town that can afford a saloon can certainly

— .

.-,] I IMPROVEMENT. ERA.

afford a library. The ordinary saloon license will easily build up a splendid collection of excellent books and pay the cost of keep- ing open a free reading room with a librarian to attend it. Our cities can certainly bring forth no ample excuse for not providing every boy and girl and parent a chance through good books to fill out their lack in education. Nor does the field of use- fulness of the library end here The institution will reinforce greatly the schools, especially the young struggling high schools, which are now spring- ing up in every part of the state.They need library and gymnasium facilities at the very outset: this public insti- tution, while ministering to m^ ': the needs of the whole com- munity, can easily lend aid to *3T? ' all other educational forces. Teachers, pupils, parents, all Boys Playing Cards at Haystack. can get from such a center Bad for Character. of refinement, the help, the

pleasure, the culture that will enrich their whole lives. The library-gymnasium, then, is to be thought of As a home for the street boys. As a social center for wholesome fun for all, where even par- ents can mingle with their children in play. As a new institution that aims to school the schoolless. As a supplement to the schools. A3 a place to which the worthy stranger within our gates may go to read and rest. For where can he go now but to the hotel, or station, or saloon? As a headquarters for the literary and athletic activities of the community. As a help to the home and the Church in all their efforts to young and old.

. —

THE UTAH LIBRARY-GYMNASIUM MOVEMENT. 515

As a new center of refining influences for the betterment and blessing of the community that maintains it. Let it gather about it everything to attract and cultivate and inspire the mind and soul. Add a museum and preserve the relics of Pioneer days. Make it an art gallery adorn its walls and halls with pictures ;

and statuary. Let it be, in brief, a monument that bespeaks good sense and cultivated taste, where all may find delight and culture. Can we afford such an educational institution? This is not the vital question, but rather this:

Can we afford to do without it?

Already in many cities of the state the plan is being seized upon as a happy solution to our bad boy problem. Various cities have already adopted it. During the past two years, a number of libraries and reading rooms have been established. The financial slump coming just after the plan was first set forth, put a damper upon the zeal of the people for the time being, but now that the skies seem clear again, the work is to be pushed vigorously. The year 1809 promises to be rich in results for the great movement. Already the measure creating a library-gymnasium commission for the state, has been passed by the legislature. Two other bills amending for the better the library-gymnasium laws have also been passed. The movement thus has been given official endorsement by the state, which now stands responsible for its progress Considerable activity is also being manifested in the matter

in various enterprising cities throughout the state. Tooele City by agreeing to maintain the free library, is to receive $5,000 from Andrew Carnegie. Sandy, Murray, Manti, Coalville, Huntsville, Cedar City, Garland, Vernal, Forest Dale, St. George, Eureka, and others have begun earnestly to work to realize the institution in their midst. Some of these cities have the library even now in operation. In others there have been committees appointed and various steps have been taken. Certain citizens in Manti recently incorporated an organization to build a $20,000 gymnasium and musement hall. The citizens there are also planning to establish