Gratia Countryman

Title: Story of One Woman's Library Experience
Type: Newspaper
Date: February 1923
Source: Community Bookshelf

Description: This story demonstrates some of the problems experienced by local citizens when they tried to obtain books for their families.
Read Transcription

Activities:

1. What problem does the "eager little woman" in the article have?
   
   
   
   
   Answer: She would like to take out books from the Minneapolis library but lives in Richfield, and only people who live or work in the city can borrow books.
2. What reason does that article give for why only citizens of Minneapolis can take books from the library?
   
   
   
   
   Answer: The library was created and supported using tax dollars only from citizens of Minneapolis.
3. Why might the woman want books for her children?
   
   
   
   
   Answer: They could use them for learning or for enjoyment. Consider what kids did and didn't have in the year 1923 to entertain themselves.
4. Why doesn't the "little woman" just go to the Richfield library?
   
   
   
   
   Answer: In 1923 Richfield was mostly farmland and did not have a large enough population to justify having a library yet. The Minneapolis library may have been her only option.