Their fullest extension has been reached in such states as New York, Wisconsin, and California. Their functions are outlined by Asa Wynkoop in chapter xvii of this manual as follows: (1) The establishing of local libraries; (2) aiding and improving local libraries; (3) promoting helpful co-operation between libraries; (4) raising the standard and quality of library service; (5) providing aid to school libraries; (6) aid to libraries in state institutions; (7) providing library facilities where no local library exists; (8) selecting and distributing public documents; (9) library for the blind; (10) legislative reference work; (11) establishing standards of library service; (12) issuing certificates of qualifications to librarians.
The size of the political unit used as a basis for library establishment has gradually enlarged from the school district to the city, the town or township, and to the county.
Many of the early western states in copying the New England town-library laws made provision for township libraries. Not many of these were established except in a few states like Michigan, where they were made obligatory in the state constitution of 1835. This compulsory feature has been twice placed on the statute books of that state and twice repealed, the last repeal in 1909. The libraries established under these acts, although free to all residents of the township, were practically school libraries with a history like the school-district libraries of other states. They have finally swung back to the district system because they are controlled by the school organization, which is based on the district unit. Scattered examples of successful township free public libraries may however be found in a number of states.
A fifth stage of evolution brought the county library into prominence. The county has from the first been recognized as a strong political unit for public-school organization. Likewise it has long presented possibilities for furnishing library advantages to people in large and sparsely settled areas.
