Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1896-06-18

MEETING OF ORGANIZE
TON THAT FOSTERS THEM.
OLD OFFICERS REELECTED
Miss Lutte E. Stearns, OF Milwaukee.
Secretary of the Board, Gives a Re
port of Work Done Since Organi-
cation Last December
Libraries Growing in Wisconsin.
Madison. June II

---AOAcOAAs U14S IL.
The board OF the Wisconsin Free Ii
brary commission held it's first annual
meeting Wednesday morning at the Of
flee of Secretary .Thwaites of the State
Historical society. All members were
present, including Charles Kendall
Adams, president of the university;
John Q. Emery, state superintendent:
Reuben Gold Thwaites, secretary OF
the State Historical society; Frank A.
Hutchins, Baraboo: and Miss Lutte E.
Stearns, Milwaukee.
Tn secretary, Miss Stearns present
ed report on the work done since the
organization Of the board in December.
The commission was authorized at the
last regular session of the legislature.
but the board was not created until
Nov. 6, 1895, and organized Dec. s,
1895. The secretaTy's annual report
will not be prepared until July but
general outline Of the advance made
in library work in the state since the
commission was organized was given
The commission has published and
distributed in the state an edition of
1000 copies of a handbook on the or
ganizatiOn of public libraries, and an
edition of 5000 circulars on travelling
libraries.
THE plan of the travelling libraries, -
said Miss Stearns, includes sending
out small libraries of thirty or more
volumes each to various parts Of the
state. These libraries will be put up
in substantial bookcase strong
enough to endure many shipments,
with double doors, lock and key. and
rules ard records so arranged as to be
easily managed. They will go to small
hamlets or isolated farming communi-
ties, where the people will form local
library associations and agree to take
good care of them. Travelling libraries
were established in New York by the
state library three years ago, with
good results"
Very enthusiastic and encouraging
reports were received from various
parts of the state of tile organization
of new libraries and the Improvement
of old ones, showing a great interest
in library development. The board
concluded to foster all it can the ins5i-
tuition CT travelling libraries in the
state, In Dunn county Senator J. II.
Stout has twenty-five Of these circd-
lating under the auspices OF the COM
mission a. lis expense Mr.. J. d.
Witter, of Grand Rapids, encouraged
by the example of Senator Stout, has
asked the board to do the same for
Wood county at his expense. His
plan is to give all the rural and village
residents Of the county a chance to
read the best books without money
and without price. A large library Of
the most wholesome and popular
books will be purchased and this will
be divided into smaller ones and
moved from station to station il the
county, each Of the smaller libraries
to contain thirty volumes and to re-
main from four to six months in
place. The conditions for securing
one OF these libraries are easy Twenty
persons must form az association and
elect a responsible secretary and Ii
brarian. This is about all, Mr. Wit
Enlistment and maintenance
One plan adopted by the board is to
solicit books and magazines for the
travelling libraries to be established
in the plnery regions, where the thirst
for reading is great, but the people are
too poor to buy books or establish IL
braries. The public libraries Of Ash
land and Eau Claire will be used as
centers OF distribution Tor these
The prospects for large attendance
at the summer school Of library sci
ence to be held in Madison during the
summer are very encouraging. It will
be held under the auspices of the Uni
versity of Wisconsin summer school.
beginning July and closing Aug. IA /
The course will be under the direction
of Miss Katharine L. Sharpe Z gradu- /
ate of the Albany, n. Y, library school |
and director Of the department of IL /
bra1y science of the Armour institute !
OF Technology, Chicago. The course !
is intended for librarians Of the small |
er libraries, assistants and teachers.
The instruction will follow the treat
ment CT a book in logical order .
through all processes in the library
from the time 1t is added, until it has
been classified, catalogued, loaned 10
reader, repaired and rebound. IN
5truction will be entirely by lecture,
demonstration and laboratory 1rk.
The library bureau will make an tx
libit Of modern appliances.
The commission is working entirely
without pay in the matter. It's first
biennial report will appear III August
AID will contain much valuable matter
descriptive and instructive for Iibrari-
ms. Since the first meeting of The
BOARD in December last free libraries
nave been instituted in Racine, Keno
'ha, Beloit, Ripon, Rice Lake, and (
'ther places ana many movements are !
II foot to organize more. There is
treat interest and public enthusiasm ]
throughout the state over the lnatte~
nd tie board feels much encouraged.
At tn close Of the meeting, Frank A ,
was re-eIectd chairman of ;
he board and Miss Lutte Z. Stearns :
e-elected secretary. 4 coT1mittee Of
hree. consisting Of tho chairman, sec
etary end Mr.. Thwaites, was appoint
& to prepare lists Of books 10 be rec
mmendod fer small libraries about 10
e started. The lists are TO be fer $50.
100 and $3.50 worth CT books.