Comparison of Service

The Libraries of South Carolina by Mary Frayser Page 15
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Comparison of Service

The data of Table 3 show the libraries which give county-wide service to lead in proportion of population served; in books per capita for the total county population; in hours collections are open; in trained librarian personnel; in remuneration of librarians; and in the cataloguing and classification of book collections. These data constitute an argument for county-wide or larger regional library service and for consolidation of libraries within a county or other larger territorial unit into one system.

Figure 1 illustrates the service of the Greenville Library and is suggestive.

Over 100 points outside the city of Greenville receive some form of library service. The libraries for white and negro people are paid for jointly by city and county in proportion to their use.

By keeping a separate record at the city library of city and county circulation, which is an easy matter with our system of lending records, we can charge to the county its share of the central library's expenses prorated on the basis of circulation. In this way the county is able to provide for itself a more specialized reading service at a minimum cost and in proportion to its use of it. At the same time, the overhead being spread over a larger supporting unit, the city is enabled to give its patrons the benefit of an expanded service. There is a distinct financial advantage to both sides in this piece of cooperative management.*

This public library costs the average tax-payer less per year than the price of one good book or magazine subscription.

*Greenville Public Library Annual Report, 1928.


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