In our century

Library management, organization and services have been a frequent topic of articles in The American City since the magazine’s earliest editions. The November 1916 edition, for example, described the Riverside, Calif., Public Library, the staff of which was committed to “making the library a real force in the community” by contributing time to civic and business groups, maintaining the history of the city’s activities and records, curating a collection of publications of particular interest to residents, and always finding the answers to any question residents asked.

After World War I, demand for public libraries “increased enormously,” according to an article by Anna MacDonald, consulting librarian for the Pennsylvania State Library, published in The American City’s July 1923 edition. The draft for the war, she wrote, revealed the limitations of the country’s public education system in the “alarming percentage of illiteracy and of subnormal intelligence.” “We saw that the public schools can give only the foundation; if we are to have the intelligent citizens needed by a democracy, we must give them the chance to study the things which interest them, whatever the age or condition may be and wherever they may live.” Her article called for the expansion of county libraries, which would have central offices in the county seat, branches throughout the county and book trucks that would visit more isolated residents.

Nearly one year later, an article by Joseph Ernest McAfee was published in the June 1924 edition calling for librarians to be “vigorous” leaders. “A capable head of a worthy community library may become the community’s most useful citizen, the inspirer of its highest idealism, the mobilizer of its moral and intellectual resources, the organizer of its ideas,” he wrote.

McAfee also pointed out the untapped potential of libraries. “Doubtless the library is not the last word in the organization of a community’s ideas, but it is today one of the most hopeful objects on the social landscape. It can furnish at least the nucleus of the people’s university which must develop and expand in every community if democracy is to function efficiently.”

Previous “In our century” Stories

• In our century — September 1918
  Cities build memorials as community buildings instead of obelisks to pay tribute to soldiers in the Great War
• In our century — January 1941
  Cities develop public relations efforts to inform residents about municipal activities and improve customer service
• In our century — December 1930
  Cities do what they can to put residents to work in the early days of the Great Depression
• In our century — October 1915
  Winter weather regularly demands that cities improve practices for clearing snow and ice from streets
• In our century — January 1911
  As aviation takes off, cities make use of the quick mode of transportation and secure their spots on the aerial highways
• In our century — May 1928
  Police departments adopt radio technology to dispatch patrol officers more quickly and catch, deter criminals
• In our century — December 1913
  Cities adopt the city manager form of government to improve administration and bring efficiency to operations
• In our century — October 1913
  Cities take action in the earliest days of motion pictures to regulate content and ensure theater safety
• In our century — July 1935
  Cities install parking meters in business districts to improve traffic flow, reduce car damage and generate revenue
• In our century — April 1910
  Cities organize July Fourth events, regulate fireworks to reduce Independence Day injuries and deaths
• In our century — May 1915
  Cities seize revenue-generating opportunities to provide ice and refrigeration to residents and businesses
• In our century — May 1914
  Officials invest in maps to guide public projects, improve city administration and communicate plans to the public
• In our century — September 1915
  Technology develops to ensure the safe movement of trains, cars and emergency vehicles through city streets
• In our century — July 1914
  Among the early efforts to improve public health, cities invent and seek weapons of mass fly destruction
• In our century — August 1913
  When bond issues fail, cities seek alternative funding for infrastructure improvements and other public projects
• In our century — August 1914
  Cities improve cleanliness and public health by strategically placing public restrooms and encouraging their use
• In our century — December 1914
  Cities begin the tradition of decorating enormous public Christmas trees to celebrate the holidays
• In our century — June 1910
  Government accounting methods and reports mature from vague and incomplete records to standard formats.
• In our century — October 1909
  Investigations into corruption and mismanagement lead to (some) reforms in government policies and operations.
• In our century — January 1913
  Cities experiment with road surfaces and set out methods for funding road construction and maintenance.
• In our century — September 1909
  Limits on outdoor advertising are set through cities’ hard-fought battles over billboard sizes, messages and locations.
• In our century — August 1911
  Fire departments gain authority, modern equipment to prevent and improve response times to structure fires.
• In our century — June 1910
  Street lights become symbols of communities’ economic success, and lighting technology efficiency evolves.
• In our century — September 1909
  With urban growth comes city leaders’ desire to control and direct it for the community’s greatest benefit.
• In our century — September 1909
  Cities embrace playgrounds as valuable public assets for children’s safety, health and social development.
• In our century — September 1909
  Women embrace public causes, work to improve their communities and expand their societal roles.
• In our century — March 1910
  Cities develop methods, mechanisms and regulations for residential solid waste collection and disposal.
• In our century — November 1909
  Occupancy laws and social workers emerge in the early 1900s to clean up inner-city neighborhoods.
• The way we were
  Publisher’s son remembers American City & County‘s roots.