Area residents accept project (community library built book by book (PBP) 4-21-63Area Residents Accept Project
Community Library
Built Book ByB,00,k
By 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 takes a great deal of
work, it is also greatly re.
warding.
Their story began two years
ago, 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 (ommittPP
was formed. Later the North
National Library Week, the group
Palm Beach Library Committee
is working on plans for renova-
was founded. Organizations in the
tions needed at the library's tem-
area were invited to send repre-
.porary quarters in the North
sentatives to the organizational
Palm Beach Country Club.
meeting, and attendance by inter-
Following completion of the
ested persons was welcomed.
construction work, scheduled to
In mid -February the group
take several months, the society
officially became the North
will begin to function as a com-
Palm Beach Library Society,
munity library. The North Palm
Inc. Its aims were stated as the
Beach Village government has
promotion and maintenance of
sanctioned the operation and pro -
the library.
vided a room at the country club.
Mrs. Ralph Huls is serving as
But while the planning and the
society president unt_, the elec-
construction are underway, mem-
tions next March.
bers of the society have plenty to
Working with her are: Dr.
keep them busy.
Donald Bicknell, vice - president;
To date, the library has ap.
Mrs. Herbert Gildan, treasurer;
proximately 2,000 books. Proc-
Mrs. William Abbott, secretary;
essing these, which are present -
Mrs. Gale Stranigan, correspond-
ly stored at the local fire house,
ing secretary; and Herbert Gil.
is a big job.
dan, director -at -large.
"We estimate that it takes 451
As of today, the beginning of
minutes to process each book,"
t
said Mrs. Huls. She explained that
each book must be shellacked and
be stamped with the library's
fi
name. Other jobs to be performed
on each volume include pasting
in the book's card pocket, making
out the four file cards and classi-
fying the book as to shelf location.
The books already on hand were
collected during a drive in the
North Palm Beach area and in-
clude duplicate editions donated
by other libraries.
The Lantana library has do.
nated approximately 400 books,
the Lake Park Library, 80 books
;-
and the Riviera Beach Library,
100 books. The North Palm
Beach Library Society, Inc, is j
also on the Society of the Four
Arts' duplicate book list.
In the process of planning an
event to benefit the library is the
North Palm Beach Lions Club.
Members of the special gifts
committee, Mrs. Barry Bock.
man, chairman, Carl Cassell
and Mrs. Roy Blackburn, have
collected approximately $500 in
personal donations.
Beginning the task of cataloguing books are 1. to
r., Mrs. John McDermott, Mrs. Ralph Huls and Dr.
John Bicknell
The society's plans for the
future, when the library is open,
include meetings four times each
year in place of the current
monthly meetings and eventually
a library building.
"Our aim is not a big library,
but a good one," said Mrs. Huls.