The History of Thrall

Middletown Thrall Library, 1901 - 1996

A Historical Study of a Small City Public Library


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that such books were no longer hidden from the public. Rental
fiction was added by the library to meet popular demand for that
type of reading.
Regular scheduling of school classes to visit the 11brary
began in place of all classes only coming during Book Week. Debate clubs were allowed the use of the Children's Room in the
evenings and books were loaned to the junior high school and
senior high school libraries.
Rockwell wrote that technical, occupational, and
agricultural collections had been "almost entirely neglected."
He sought to weed out old editions and buy new titles, including new editions of the Encyclopedia Britannica, Compton's, and the World Book. He also weeded the entire fiction collection that
had not been done for ten years. Interlibrary loans were made to
nearby libraries including the State Homeopathic Hospital. The
catalog room was reorganized, as he put it, "orderliness
substituted for confusion." Re-registration of all adult
borrowers took place before installing a Gaylord charging
machine, and he began the use of borrower's cards. 70
Staff meetings were begun in 1940 (by implication for the
first time ?). Later in 1942 11brary positions were reclassified
and a salary scale was set up under civil Service. Two "girls"