Our Library and What It Has Been to The Community

By Louise Van Ness Clapp.

The subject assigned to me is "Our Library and what it has been to the community." So I go back to the beginning and bring it up to now.

As the years march by no one can know the changes that are to take place and it is well that we do not, for would view life with alarm.

The women earnest in their purpose who over twenty years ago founded our Woman's Club and Library did not realize that our library would now stand as a monument to their efforts, grow into one that we may be proud of and both it and our club are real factors in the community life of our people.

Five women, by name, Mrs. House, Mrs. Hansel, Mrs. Kone, Mrs. F. H. Jones and Mrs. Hurd collected seventeen books and lo, our library was a living thing, which has grown since 1912 until the books now number approximately fifteen hundred.

For several years there was no settled place in which to house them and many were the moves made. But good fortune smiled on us and a permanent building was procured which is now the home of the precious books and headquarters of our civic organizations.

As our library was the first one in Matagorda County so was our club the first to join the State Federation and these facts are well worth remembering. First again were we in contributing regularly to the new, at that time Federation paper and when the first issue was received a letter of congratulation was immediately sent to the editor who featured it in an editorial in the next number.

Of course the county fell in line and kept pace with others in the club work. Clubs came into being and it was not long until the county federation was formed, for the women interested in doing things saw clearly the good that would result. Other towns are much larger in size and the wonder of how we ever managed to have such a charming little building and the fine collection of books, is expressed in words by those who visit it.

The answer is--the earnestness and loyalty of the club members during all these years, who have worked unceasingly with this end in view.

An outstanding example of the club loyalty and devotion is that of the late Mrs. Minnie L. Corse and much of the good we have accomplished has been due to her efforts. Other than the loaning of books the fact of our having a library and giving its full privileges to the school has resulted in bringing hundreds of dollars of state aid money to the school treasury which is a material help to the boys and girls of our community.

It goes without saying that we will always continue that help in compliance with the rules of the state educational board for our bit may do vastly more than we now realize.

There is such a thing as tone in speaking of places, things or people and may we not tune in and make our club one harmonious melody?

Visualize, if you will, what a blank there would be in Collegeport were it not for our library and what it represents.

As a present member of the library committee I ask you earnestly to join hands with that committee who ever they may be in the future so that we as a club may carry on in an unbroken line the march of progress that began too many years ago. Visit our library, become familiar with the books, and remember that the three members of the committee are your servants and act under direction of the club with loyalty and earnestness of purpose.

"Who hath a book

Hath but to read,

And he may be a King indeed.

His kingdom is his inglenook,

Who hath a book."

                             --W. D. Nesbit.

Note: the above was delivered by Mrs. Clapp at the October meeting of the Collegeport Woman's Club held at the home of Mrs. Franzen October 12 1932.

Matagorda County Tribune, October 20?, 1932, Harry Austin Clapp Scrapbook 3, p. 5

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