Central High School - Mirror Yearbook (Birmingham, AL)

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A History of the Public Library HERE is a very important birth recorded in the annals of Birmingham opposite the year 1886. It reads: Born: To Birmingham. One Library. Nationality: Cosmopolitan. Address: The High School. And it should have been a day of rejoicing when the little three hundred volumes were snugly tucked away in the reception room of the Birmingham High School (we think of the High School then, as the second floor of the Wright Building on the corner of Nineteenth street and I lord avenue), and here it remained a library for only the teachers and students of the school for four years. Entertainments were held and the only price of admission was books, books, any kind of hooks, and soon the three hundred volumes were doubled. The number was further increased by personal contributions. Judge Lane, our Judge Lane of today, bears the distinction of making the first of these which was used very effectively in the purchasing of tables and chairs. Public interest became greatly stirred. This interest was followed by a wave of enthusiasm and the enthusiasm brought forth several personal collections which have since proven very valuable to the library. • Bv the year i8 jo. the infant had outgrown its swaddling clothes, the little room became crowded to overflowing. Meanwhile the school had taken a typical Birmingham stride and soon found its quarters entirely too small to he practicable. We all remember the next home as the old Enslcn Building on the corner of Park avenue and Twenty-first street. 1 he accommodations were much better, the library being acorded some 1.800 square feet of floor space. It was in this new year. 1801. that in glaring headlines. Birmingham was heralded as 011c among many Southern cities possessing a circulating library. 'The public was enthusiastically admitted with membership at $2.00 a year, and about 150 memberships were taken the first year. More entertainments were held, more hooks were brought. Cultured people were given more educational literature, the younger sets were tempted by a much larger supply of magazines and other periodicals. The followers of the cause felt considerable pride when editorial comment placed these 2.000 volumes as the largest circulating library in the State of Alabama. But never for a moment was the work allowed to lag. Books was the topic of conversation. 'The organizations of the city, especially the women's clubs, are to he commended for the many hooks they have placed upon the shelves. In 1902 the library was ousted from its quarters t«» relieve the crowded condition in the High School. During this year our new City 11 all Building % 19

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echoing of the thoughts of others. How often have you waited ti hear the opinion of someone else upon a subject before daring to assert vour own? If Columbus had winced and weakened under the scoffing and derision of his countrymen, would he ever have discovered the new world? If Franklin had become discouraged by the public's ridicule of the “mad scientist,” would be have presented electricity to the world? Although your throughts may not be as brilliant or as penetrative as those of Columbus or Frankln. still, no matter how insignificant they mav seem to von. they are valuable, and as individual expressions of the mind, are worthy of being voiced. If your school training has not created in you this confidence in the power of self-expression. it has failed to educate you in the true sense of the word. Next to self-confidence, enthusiasm is the most desirable of all qualities. Be enthusiastic, not gushing—but truly enthusiastic, whether it he over a ball game, a new dress, or an ancient ruin. '’Years wrinkle the skin, but to give up enthusiasm, wrinkles the soul.” A A « W e wish to express . ur appreciation fot the valuable services rendered the Mirror by Mr. Charles A. Brown, our principal. He has alwavs encouraged the editors when disheartened. This issue of the Mirror was made possible by Mr. Brown. When the Business Manager became sick and the finances rati low, Mr. Brown refused to allow us to give up. but urged the members of the Senior class to volunteer to get the advertisements. His firmness gave assurance to the volunteers, who secured enough advertisements to defray the expenses of this issue. His interest in the Utcran Societies was shown In his plan to allow the societies to conduct the exercises in the auditorium. These programs have proved interesting and instructive to the student bodv and have given thechib members practice in public speaking. These are only a few instances of Mr. Browns willingness to aid the pupils or organizations of High School, whenever it is possible for him to do so.

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was completed and a part of the fourth floor set aside for the library. In the present day home we arc all well acquainted with it. YVe know it has been turned over to a library board, a skilled librarian employed, and the membership fee eliminated. In the twenty-eight years the three hundred volumes have doubled and redoubled until today, as we glance over the statistics 25.927 greets us as the number of volumes catalogued by the public library of greater Birming-bam. But this is not all—the immediate need for books is to be supplied by a $20,000 subscription fn m the citizens of our city. nd dimly outlined in the future we can see a wonderful library building for Birmingham, al most a skyscraper. Look, it shows plainly, it opens and we see hooks from top to bottom—nothing but books. Yes. there is a portrait, a portrait of some one we know, and the inscription. In Honor of Dr. J. II. Philips, bon ndcr.” BIRDS IN SPRINGTIME. A cuckoo rattles in an oak. grecnlet in a maple, A jenny-wren now sings a song. An oriole voices April. A hummingbird before the vine With his long and slender bill Just sips the nectar sweet and strong. Then flits on o’er the hill. A wood thrush trills in upland woods. In dripping rains of Spring: His notes come clear and high and shrill. hells on Sunday ring. The red-wing flutes his VKalec. I pon a bending reed. His mate is nowhere to be seen. She’s nesting on the mead. A white-throat sparrow hunts for food: A thrasher sings a lay. For he is in a chcen mo. d. All will he bright and gay. 20 WIU.I M W Lf.ACE. ‘lb.