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THE MANSFIELD NEWS
Mansfield, Ohio
Sunday, November 30, 1919
Page 10-A, Column 4
 
Trustees Appointed.
 
Major Brunner has appointed Dr. W. E. Loughridge, Judge N. M. Wolfe and R. S. Gibson members of the board of trustees of the municipal library, each for a term of four years.  Dr. Loughridge will serve as president and R. S. Gibson as secretary.

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THE MANSFIELD NEWS
Mansfield, Ohio
Wednesday, April 21, 1920
Page 4, Column 1, Item 2
 
LIBRARY CONFERENCE
__________________
 
Judge N. M. Wolfe Appointed
as One of Ohio Delegates.
 
Mansfield has been honored in the appointments made by the governor of the five men who are to represent this state at the regional conference of the American Library association to be held Thursday at the Hotel Severin, at Indianapolis, Ind., for one of her prominent citizens, Judge N. M. Wolfe, will be among this number. 
 
Carl P. Vitz, vice librarian of Cleveland, will be chairman of the Ohio section, when they meet to make plans to carry on the American Library association's enlarged program to raise two million dollars to provide books for everybody.
 
As a state Ohio does not rank as well in her support of this association as some of the other states, and there is no doubt felt but she will be benefited by this convention.  This organization was successful in its war work and now it is going farther in the program of providing books to make good citizens.

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THE MANSFIELD NEWS
Mansfield, Ohio
Sunday, January 20, 1924
Second Section, Page 1, Column 3
 
 
Precedent Broken When Women Are Named On Library Board
 
Precedent has been broken completely with the appointment of two women members of the muncipal board of the Mansfield public library.
 
With the re-organization of the board by Major Carl Stander subject to the approval of the city council, Mrs. Ben Hurxthal and Miss Stella Arras become the two women who have ever held such positions.  D. F. Shafer has also been appointed as a member of this body and these three will succeed R. S. Gibson, Judge N. M. Wolfe and Dr. W. E. Loughridge, who have served on the board since the building of the present library in 1908.  Holdover members include Dr. E. R. Liffring, Judge Edwin Mansfield and James Herring.  Each of the three members have been appointed for a term of six years.
 
When the Mansfield library was first established in the present building, the state law forbade women belonging to the municipal board.  However, women were and still are at the present time members of the Memorial library association group, which is not a municipal body.  It was not until five or six years ago that a law was passed in the state of Ohio allowing women to be chosen for membership in this municipal board.  This is the first time Mansfield has taken advantage of the law.
 
Mrs. Hurxthal and Miss Arras are both progressive club women, interested in both civic and church affairs and have the best interests of art and literature at heart.  Their appointment is looked upon with approval by every one, particularly the women of Mansfield.
 
Miss Helen Fox, public librarian, probably voiced the opinion of many when she said,
 
"Although I am very sorry to lose Mr. Gibson, Judge Wolfe and Dr. Loughridge from the board, it is like losing old friends, still I think it is a very fine thing that these two women have been appointed.  It seems to me that the library would particularly interest women and that women board members would take a special interest in this sort of work.  The reference room, is used most of all by women, particularly club women, who use the books of the library for their papers.  So that I see no reason why women should not be on the board nor why their appointment should not be a good thing."

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THE MANSFIELD NEWS
Mansfield, Ohio
Page 4, Column 2
 
PEOPLE'S FORUM
 
The News invites communications for this column on any topic of general interest.  The writer's name and address must be signed. Right is reserved to edit all matter.
 
PRAISE FOR SERVICES
 
Dear Editor: - Last Monday afternoon at the Public library, two of the retired members of the Municipal Library board attended their last board meeting in an official capacity.  After their departure from the meeting the new board voted unanimously that a statement be prepared expressing the appreciation of the board for the faithful service of these three men, Judge N. M. Wolfe, Dr. W. E. Loughridge and Robert S. Gibson.
 
Judge Wolfe was appointed a trustee of the Public Library by Major Huntington Brown, November 19, 1903, when the board was first organized Judge Wolfe was made president and served as president until Jan. 26, 1914.  During these years the library site was purchased.  This was a difficult thing to decide as the records show options taken on many sites such as Manuel May, Methodist church.  H. Ditwiler, and Hahn properties.  Judge Wolfe gave of his time and legal advice during all of these strenuous years, always keeping in mind to give the people of Mansfield the best building possible for the money invested.  Judge Wolfe for twenty years has taken an interest in all of the activities of the library.  He probably knows more about the legal phase of library work than any one else in the city.
 
Dr. Loughridge, who retired from the board, was appointed December 9, 1907 to succeed Nr. Reynolds.  Dr. Loughridge was elected president January 26, 1914.  He has had to meet during his administration the difficulties arising from advanced costs during and after the war.  He has always given his time and advice cheerfully and has never been too busy for a conference with the librarian when advice was needed to determine some difficult policy.  Dr. Loughridge served as president for eleven years.
 
Mr. Robert S. Gibson was appointed November 27, 1911.  He succeeded Mr. B. A. Baxter who resigned.  Mr. Gibson has acted as secretary of the board for twelve years.  After Mr. Karl Troll left the board to become a member of the city council, Mr. Gibson acted as secretary and treasurer.  He has always kept his records accurately and has taken care of all clerical duties promptly.  Mr. Gibson has probably shown a keener interest in the work of the juvenile department than any other board member.  This may be accounted for by the fact that he was the junior member of the board.  He has many times deplored the worn-out condition of the books.  It is due to Mr. Gibson's generosity that the young people of Mansfield have access to the finest reference books for children ever published.  He has also given pictures to the juvenile department.
 
The circulation of the library has doubled during the terms of these outgoing members.  Many changes have occurred on the staff.  Free library service has been extended to every citizen of the county.
 
These three men are all busy in their own professions but they have given time and consideration to library affairs without any compensation except that of the feeling of having performed a bit of service for others.
 
Therefore, we, the members of the board and the library staff wish to extend to these men our heartiest appreciation of their long years of faithful serve in the interests of the city of Mansfield.
 
Respectfully submitted,
PUBLIC BOARD AND STAFF,
HELEN J. FOX, Librarian

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