A history of school libraries in the south

Abstract

During the late nineties while the Southern states were very much preoccupied with establishing the principle of universal education at public expense, little attention was given to the matter of library service for schools. Nevertheless, in most states a hazy notion prevailed that in every school there should be a collection of books accessible to the students. In other sections of the country attention was being given to libraries and especially to rural school libraries. It is evident that this interest penetrated into the Southern states, for the rural elementary school library began to occupy the attention of Southern educators after the turn of the century, and the school library development became a movement within the great educational movement.