Community Library Built Book by BookBy JUDY RAMSDEN
Post -Times Staff
The accounts of works accom-
plished by small groups of people
in brief periods of time grace the
shelves of libraries across the na-
tion.
A similar account could be
drawn from the efforts of a
group of North Palm Beach
residents who set out to form
a library. They now are finding
that while the job of beginning
a library tabes a great deal of
work, it is also greatly re-
warding.
Their story began two years
agcy, when. the North Palm Beach
Branch of the American Associa-
tion of University Women under-
took a "feasibility study" to deter-
mine how much interest residents
would have in an area library.
An AAUW Library Committee
MEMBERS PROCESS
Beginning the task of cal
r., Mrs. John McDermott,
John Bicknell.
�
NORTH PALM BEACH
New Library Started. Under the
leadership of Mrs. Phillip LaHue, a for-
mer librarian, the North Palm Beach
Branch made a study of the community
library possibilities for the north end of
Palm Beach County. During 1961-1962,
members of the committee attended
meetings on the subject, read up on
library services, boned up on state and
national laws, surveyed' local conditions,
and interviewed librarians and politi-
cians. A report of the committee's find-
ings was made to the membership. Al-
though envisioning the possibilities of
a larger .plan, the committee decided to
concentrate on a municipal library in
the Village of North Palm Beach, where
more than two-thirds of the Branch's
membership resides.
A mimeographed report on the pos-
sibilities, costs, and need for a Village
Library was prepared for the public and
the local government. Mrs. LaHue's
move to California brought a replace-
ment for the committee chairmanship
in Mrs. Thomas Hart. When a munici-
pal -sponsored library did not appear
feasible in the immediate future, letters
enclosing the report were written to all
local organizations asking that a repre-
sentative be sent to a Library Study
meeting. Forty people, representing
several local organizations attended this
meeting and voted to organize a Li-
brary Society for the purpose of promot-
ing a library. One of the co-chaimen
elected to start the organization was
Mrs. Ralph Huls.
The Library Society has embarked
on plans to start a private library in
the Village of North Palm Beach. While
it is still hoped that this library will
become part of a larger library system,
an excellent start has been made. Tem-
porary quarters have been donated by
the Village Government. Annual finan-
cial support of the library was made
an issue in a local election and its
adherents won. The first book collection
drive in this Village of 5000 residents
yielded 1700 volumes, most of them in
proper condition and of appropriate
type. The AAUW, Rotary, and Lions
are holding benefits for the Library in
the near future.
The first official meeting of the new
Library Society, when it adopted by-
laws, was held March 19, 1962.
.AAUW members are represented on the
Board as follows: Mrs. Ralph Huls,
President; Mrs. Herbert Gilden, Treas-
urer; Mrs. J. Edwin Obert, membership
chairman. By no means ready to bow
out of its responsibility until truly ade-
quate facilities are available to all our
members in the North end' of the
county, the North Palm Beach Branch
is happy to have shared in the estab-
lishment of this new facility.
Thelma Obert, President