WordPress.com



The Nevada State Library: Beginnings 1861-1935A Note Submitted To LHRT News and NotesByJoshua OwensBased on a class paper for Info 280 at San Jose State University5-3-2017A picture featuring the current Nevada State Library and Archives at the bottom of the picture, the Annex in the middle, and the Capital Building?at the top. Picture courtesy of Nevada State Library, Archives and Public Records ().The Nevada State Library has had a very successful transition from its earliest beginnings to what it has become today. Numerous factors have affected the library over the years. The various silver/gold rushes had a major influence on the library. During these times of bounty,many changes and improvements were made to the library, and as soon as the boom faded cuts to the library quickly followed. A majority of the libraries in the US did not have to deal with this economic fluctuation in their early years, which could have crushed many institutions. The Nevada State Library has stood strong on its original purpose of serving State Officials and Attorneys, and many of the legislative moves made during this time of 1861 to 1935 are still in place today. A few examples include: loaning of books to the public, distribution of materials, and the process of State Agencies sending their documents to the library. The Nevada State Library has a great history and it is importantthat people learn about its history because that will help shape where the library goes in the future, and because the library has such a unique storythat other institutions might not have.November 29, 1861 marked the beginnings of what would become the Nevada State Library. At this time in history Nevada was still a territory and not yet a State. Governor James W. Nye and the Legislative Assembly of the Territory of Nevada met to discuss and vote on different issues that were on the agenda. On this day, the council passed the following resolution, “Resolved, by the council, (the House concurring) that Isaac Roop and others be requested to collect as many of the old records connected with the early history, and also with the Provisional Government of Nevada Territory, as possible, and that the same be handed to the Governor for filing in the archives of the territory”.W.H. Barstow, Assistant Secretary of the Council, signed the document.By unanimous consent, the resolution was considered and adopted. One of the offices that it created, from the territorial legislation was the Office of the Territorial Auditor, who was also named the ex-officio Librarian. The very first library was housed in the Territorial Auditor’s office. However, the location of the Auditor’s office has been lost over time, and cannot be clearly established. This act of creating offices comes from the Laws of the Territory section 1. It states “there shall be elected or appointed, as herein after declared, the following officers, to wit; First, one Territorial Treasurer, second, one Territorial Auditor, who shall be ex officio Librarian”. Once the library was firmly established the issue of what materials to send them arose. Along with the older territorial records sent to the library in 1862, the Secretary of the Territory of Nevada took before the legislature An Act in relation to the Records of the Probate Courts of Carson and other counties of the Territory of Nevada. This bill stated that, “the State Library would retain the probate court records of Carson County, Utah Territory and Carson County, Nevada Territory”. So the first “state” agency (even though Nevadawas still a territory), was required to send its documents to the library. This charge goes hand in hand with the retention schedule that we have today. All state agencies send us their documents according to our states retention schedule.In 1863,the Federal government also sent documents to the library and thus started a 150-year history of the Nevada State Library serving as a Federal depository.Percy G. Childs served as Territorial Auditor and ex officio Librarian from 1861-1863, followed by William W. Ross in 1864. On October 31, 1864 Nevada became a State and the library officially became the State Library. February 14, 1865 the Senate and Assembly of the State of Nevada enacted a law in regards to the Nevada State Library that made the Secretary of State the new ex officio Librarian. C.M. Noteware became the first ex officio Librarian of the Nevada State Library as Mr. Childs was the ex officio Librarian of the Territorial Library, and a board of directors was created next. The ex officio State Librarian, Governor, State Controller, and the Attorney General all acted as board members. The library moved at this time from the Auditors office to the Secretary of State’s office located in the State Courthouse. The State Library was created in statute as a responsibility of the Secretary of State, the ex-officio State Librarian. “Funds for the State Library came from all fees that were collected by the Secretary of State’s office, and one could not practice law in Nevada without paying a fee to the State Library Fund. The Library was to be used by the Legislature during session and at any time by the Governor, the Executive Officers, and the Justices of the Supreme Court”.The fee schedule was set up because the Legislative session in 1865 forgot to allocate funds for the Nevada State Libraries maintenance. The Secretary of State had the responsibility of keeping “proceedings and all papers of the two Constitutional Conventions; manuscripts containing the enrolled Acts and joint resolutions and journals of the Legislature of this state and the Territory of Nevada; the records, papers, and documents of Carson County, Utah Territory; and all other books, records and documents which are required to be deposited and kept in his office”. This mandate began the first State Archives as well, even though the state government did not officially establish an Archives until 1965, the Libraryserved as both “library and archives” until 1965. The library in its beginnings had about 1700 volumes on its shelves. As mentioned before, the original function of the State Library consisted of providing legal resources to meet the needs of the founders of the Nevada Territorial and State Government. The materials housed in the State Library were made available to these officers. This function is still in place today, and the Nevada State Library is still the major source of law and government reference information and even employs a Government Publications Librarian and Library Technician. The main item added to the State Library’s mission over the years has been the responsibility of maintaining good relations with public libraries.Business increased for the library and in 1867 the legislature empowered the Secretary of State to hire a part-time clerk, and this became the first official Nevada State Library employee appointed or elected into office. In 1871, the new State Capital building was constructed. The Secretary of State and the State Library offices moved into the west portion of the Capital building.In 1873 changes were in motion. The ex-officio Librarian title switched to the Lieutenant Governor along with being the Adjutant General. This position was paid $3600 to handle all three positions. The Attorney General received $100 a month to serve asPresident of the Board of Directors. J.D. Minor was the ex-officio Librarian from 1871-1878 and was followed by Jaspar Babcock from 1879-1882.With the 1875 legislature session, the Nevada State Library becametied even tighter to the law when the legislature ruled that the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and Associate Justices would now make up the Board of Directors of the library. In 1877, the Board voted to hire a full-time library clerk at $150 a month. It is interesting to note some of the periodicals the Library subscribed to during the years 1877-1878. The periodicals collection covered a broader range than just Nevada topics, so it is possible that the library had a National reputation early on. The 1877 periodicals included American Law Times, Pacific Law Reporter, Chicago Legal News, Southern Law Review, and the Monthly Statistician. The Library spent as much as $8000 on acquisitions during this fiscal year. Rules and regulations had been put in place for some time now, but the Biennial Reports of the Library would often re-iterate these rules. If someone broke the rules, not returning a book for example, the librarians listed their namesin the Biennial Reportfor all to see over time. In the 1878 Biennial Report, it was found that only one book had not been returned that year, and it was Volume 1 of Macaulay’s History of England. Taken from the library June 24, 1878 by General J.R. Kittrell. What a way to be remembered! Not for being a General, but for not returning his library books. In 1881, Nevada’s economic boom resulting from silver and gold mining, started to level off. As with many State Governments today, the first cuts typically made areto the funding for the State Library and other cultural resources. The full-time clerks saw their pay drop to $100 a month. Again in 1883 more cuts were made when the Lieutenant Governor, who was now ex-officio State Librarian, lost part of his income and it dropped to $2700 a month. The newly formed clerks’position was also cut after 6 short years. Chas E. Laughton becameLieutenant Governor and assumed the State Librarianship in 1883 and held that position until he was removed by the Governor in 1885. The Governor then appointed O.H Gallup to fill the position. This move was actually contested in the Supreme Court and was confirmed in October of 1885. O.H. Gallup held the office until 1887. 1883 also brought other changes to the library. The State Library started keeping business hours the same as other State Offices. The Lieutenant Governor also assumed the responsibilities that the Supreme Court Justices held as being part of the Board of Trustees. H.C. Davis, Lieutenant Governor and ex-officio State Librarian held this position until his death in 1889. Davis was succeeded by S.W. Chubbuck who only held the position for two months. Frank Bellstepped in next, and he held the position until the next election found someone to replace him. From the 1887-1888 library report we can get an idea of how the library was growing. Each State Librarian had to give a full account of the goings on at the library and here is an example from the 1887-1888 report by H.C. Davis: “Much inconvenience has attended the placing of books during the past year for want of space, the shelves in both rooms now being filled to their utmost capacity”. As early as 1887 space had become a major issue for the growing library.In 1889 the Library took an important step to remedy this situation by hiring Jennie Fisher to produce “a good, sufficient and complete catalogue of the books, maps, charts, newspaper files, pamphlets and other sources of information contained in the State Library”. Over 200 copies of the catalogue were made. The State Librarian gained authorizationto sell any duplicate copies of materials in the library, after having offered the duplicates to the State University.In 1893 the legislature passed laws tomake the Secretary of State again ex-officio State Librarian, but the move did not actually take place in 1895.New legislation also gave power to the Secretary of State to “appoint a clerk, to act as Librarian at a salary of $720 a year”. Eugene Howell replaced J. Poujarde as librarian. Poujarde had served aslibrarian since 1891. Poujarde gives us insight into some of the problems of the library during the years 1893-1894 in his State Library report to the Governor. “A large library has many needs. Two of the most imperative wants of this Library are a complete catalogue and more shelf room”.Poujarde also goes on in his report to enlighten the legislature on the library benefiting more of its patrons by expanding its operating hours. “The Library is required by law to be kept open during the office hours of other State offices, that is two hours in the morning and three in the afternoon, this restricts its usefulness too much”.Poujarde also goes on to report to the legislature that his position alone cannot run the Library to its fullest potential, especially considering he was the Lieutenant Governor as well. After Poujarde, Eugene Howell stayed in the position until 1902, the longest term in the position at the time. During this period, the State Library pushed to affiliate itself with public libraries.The 1895 legislature also provided for the establishment of free public libraries in Nevada. “Whenever a position for the establishment of a free, public library signed by a majority of the tax payers or by tax payers representing a majority of the taxable property shall be presented to the Board of County Commissioners.” It provided for a tax levy to maintain such a library, of not less than, and not more than 5 mills on each $100 dollars of taxable property. The legislation also provided for boards of library trustees, composed of three members. “The tax levy was changed by the 1897 legislation to not less than 10 cents and not more than 50 cents for each $100 valuation of taxable property”. In 1901 this tax was limited to 10 cents and no more.Eugene Howell was a major influence on the Nevada State Library becoming affiliated with the public libraries, and he helped pave the way for the Nevada State Library to start lending books to the public. Near the end of his term in 1898 he writes,“Since I have taken charge of the Library, I have opened it more generally to the public by extending privileges of the institution to a larger class of literary people than has been the custom in the past. I considered that as the responsible public are the tax payers, they should have equal rights with attorneys and others, and I have consequently given the public an opportunity to take advantage of the store of learning that is found on its shelves. The Library is now patronized by twenty persons for everyone in the past. I have on the part of the Library subscribed for all the current literature of the day, in the way of magazines and periodicals. I have put into the main room a large, polished oak table to be used only for magazines, so that anyone can come in during library hours and spend a comfortable hour or two in looking over the articles of the day”.Out of this report comes a revolutionary doctrine. A library that is paid for by the public for the courts and government agencies to use, should also offer its resources to the general public for recreation and information. Howell’s report comes off a little aristocratic, but it is clear he is advocating for the public. “Even the amateur is entitled to leisure reading at an oak table.” By 1890 the library had amassed a large number of miscellaneous books, and in 1895 the legislature provided finances for free public libraries. After struggling for many years off and on, the Nevada State Library and the State of Nevada found themselves in a new vitality in the early twentieth century. This vitality sprung from the discovery of ores at Tonopah and Goldfield and in White Pine County, the development of the federally funded Newlands Reclamation Project on the Carson and Truckee Rivers, the building of a railroad through southern Nevada, and the rebuilding of lines through northern Nevada. The population of the state also doubled during this time which most definitely helped the economic upswing. In 1903, the legislature passed an act that allowed the City of Reno to accept a gift from Andrew Carnegie so they could build a public library.1905 brought another major move for the library when the legislature approved the annex to the State Capitol would be built into the State Library building. The new annex cost $40,000 and also housed the Law Library on the second floor. In the report of the state librarian in 1913 Secretary of State George Brodigan remarked that the Nevada State Library was “the most complete, ‘up-to-date’ library west of the Mississippi River and ranking about sixth best in the United States”. This remark was probably more out of pride, but it did show the growth in the quality of the collection.A few things happened in 1907. First the legislature approved the funding for a building engineer/janitor. Hiring a janitor might not seem like a big deal, but this demonstrates the State’s desire to have a fully functioning library for the citizens of Nevada. Secondly, we can see from state records that the State Library was doing very well because the legislature ordered the State Treasurer to transfer all monies in the Library Fund in excess of $5000 to be split equally between the State’s General Fund of the State Treasury and the General State School Fund of the State Treasury. In 1909 the State Librarian was authorized to appoint an Assistant Librarian with a $1500 a year salary. George Brodigan became ex-officio State Librarian that year and held the position until 1915. Other firsts happened in 1913. A fire apparatus was funded for the State Capitol Building and the State Library. County Law Libraries were also established at this time, and the State Librarian was ordered to distribute duplicate law materials to the county law libraries. The distribution of law materials takes place to this day. The Nevada State Libraries Government Publications Librarian will distribute any extra copies of State documents to the other County, and Law Libraries. During the period of 1913-1914 in the Biennial Library report the mention of the quality and value of the State Libraries collections are mentioned by Ex Officio State Librarian George Brodigan, “In the alcoves of the law department can be found most of the rarest volumes of statutes laws in the original print extending through Colonial days down to date”. Brodigan then mentions that “some of these laws are quoted by publishing companies at prices ranging from $400 to $1000 per volume”. In the early twentieth century $400 to $1000 is an extreme amount of money for a book and this showsthe value of the State Libraries collection is growing at an equal pace with everything else within the library.Brodigan’s report revealed the beginnings of a juvenile department. In 1913-1914 the juvenile department had over 1500 volumes and was the library’sbusiest department.The first full time State Librarian was Frank J. Pyne and he held the position from 1915-1929. The Supreme Court Justices and the recently appointed full-time State Librarian formed the new Library commission. Changes with the public came in 1917. The legislature authorized the State Library to loan books to any resident or school district of the State. A system of fines or penalties was set up for borrowers and the fines and penalties went into the States Library Fund. This marksthe beginning of public library service to Nevada citizens by the Nevada State Library. The next big step was to create an author and a subject catalog, and the State Printer printed this catalog for the library. This catalog is different than the one previously mentioned. The earlier catalogue was an inventory of what was in the library at the time. The new catalog was an up- to-date version and more of an index for research. In 1921, the library reliedon fees charged to certain commissioned officers andappropriations from the State’s General Fund for its funding. By 1925 the State Library was funded entirely from appropriations from the General Fund, and fees from commissioned officers was repealed. The legislature of 1927 created another commission that included the Governor, State Controller, and the Secretary of State to govern the State Library. The Governor now had the power to appoint a State Librarian, and rules and regulations became the duty of the commission. V.M. Henderson succeeded Frank Pyne in 1929 and held office until 1935. Mr. Charles D. Marriage became State Librarian in 1935. Land for a new State Library and Supreme Court building was procured through Ormsby County in 1931. This was done by issuing negotiable coupon bonds to purchase land and then deed the land back to the State of Nevada.In 1935, the legislature authorizes funds to build a new building, and appropriates funds to repair the Annex. The money approved to repair the Annex was around $2500 and was designed to help repair the building to keep it structurally sound. The construction of the new building would cost $125,000 and $37,500 of that money came from Federal Grants. The structure was three stories and was officially occupied in 1937 by the Supreme Court, Attorney General’s Office and the State Library.The Nevada State Library has gone through many different changes in its history. The leader of the library became one of the biggest issues the library faced. The State Librarian’s job went from the Secretary of State to the Lieutenant Governor to the Attorney General and back again before finally the legislature appointed a true State Librarian. Rules and regulations along with the simple location of the library has also been a factor during the beginnings of the Nevada State Library. The constantly changing location of the library resulted from the growth of the library’s collection. Consequently, new buildings were constantly being built to keep up with the growth. The library functioning as an entity of the State Government creates many unique qualities that a normal public library would not have. I believe this uniqueness stems from the legislature. They have the power to dictate what happens with the library and the Library Director can only suggest and hope the legislature considers some of the library’s needs. The Nevada State Library is a wonderful library and is a must see if visiting Carson City, NV.ResourcesBiennial Report of the State Library 1913-1914, A.L. Bancroft & Co. San Francisco 1915Biennial Report of the State Library 1915-1916, A.L. Bancroft & Co. San Francisco 1917Catalogue of the Nevada State Library 1872, Carson City, NV 1872Hulse, James W. Oasis of Culture: A History of Public and Academic Libraries in Nevada University of Nevada Press Reno, NV 2003Journal of the Legislative Assembly of the Territory of Nevada 1861Laws of the Territory of Nevada, 1861Laws of the Territory of Nevada, 1862Nevada Secretary of State Reports 1897-1898 Nevada State Library Reports 1877-1878, A.L. Bancroft & Co. San Francisco 187910. Report of the State Librarian of Nevada 1887-1888, A.L. Bancroft & Co. San Francisco 1889 11. Report of the State Librarian 1893-1894, A.L. Bancroft & Co. San Francisco 189512. Statutes of the State of Nevada 1864-186513. Statutes of the State Of Nevada 187714. Statutes of the State Of Nevada 188115. Statutes of the State Of Nevada 188316. Statutes of the State Of Nevada 188917. Statutes of the State Of Nevada 189318. Statutes of the State Of Nevada 189519. Statutes of the State Of Nevada 190520. Statutes of the State of Nevada 190721. Statutes of the State of Nevada 191322. Statutes of the State Of Nevada 191723. Statutes of the State Of Nevada 1931 ................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download