Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1898-01-21

cause of transportation difficulties j 900
people in the class draw but 5000 books
IN a year. And a plan was devised for
reaching them which is described thus;
The first move was to buy 500 of the
most "wholcsome popular" books
standard and contemporary novels.
books of travel and biography, and of
popular history and science. The list
ranged from Che "Merchant of Venice"
to Mrs. Lincoln's "Boston Cook Book"
from Dickens "Christmas Carol" to
"IIeen's Babies"
The books were divided into - small
libraries, each containing 30 volumes.
Each library was put up in strong
book case with "shelf, double doors, lock
and key, a record book for loans. printed
copies of feW simpler rules, borrowers
blanks, etc, so that it could be set up
anywhere on shelf or table and man
aged as an Independent library. Then
they were distributed among the small
hamlets of the county, some of the houses
OF isolated farmers and put in charge of
intelligent persons. At such distributing
point a local association was formed
which paid fee of 81. At certain inter-
walls the libraries were moved from one
station to another until each had received
in turn all of the - boxes, one at time.
This plan was put into operation in May,
1896. The advantages were so highly
appreciated that within a year it was
necessary to increase the original - to
81. As it was found that there was
great demand for chldren's books, the
number of books in each case was in
creased to Il, of which about one-half
were children's books.
"Of the 81 stations Il are in farm
houses, nine in pOstof1ices, two in coun-
try stores and one in a railway station.
Two of the postoflices are in small stores
and the others are in farm houses.
Twenty-siX, then, Cor about two-thlrds,
are in farm houses, but nearly all are in
or near postofiices and therefore con-
venient for the people of their neighbour
hoods.
1.-The average time of a trip for each
library is between six and seven months,
and the average circulation 1872. At the
first visit of library to a station its
books were taken out l72 times, but on
its second trip the number was increased
to 2l0. The average number of borrow
ers to Il library on the first trip was 3G
and on the second trip Is, very crafty
ing proof that the Libraries are growing
in usefulness and popularity"
This is certainly am interesting and
suggestive statement. A circulating
library is Liable to do work that is worth
less or worse than worthless. but surely
the opportunity for it to do work worth
doing is nowhere greater Than on farms.
The books break the monotOnv, and the
demand in Wisconsin for children
books tells its own story. Ii goes with
out saying that for such circulation
books should be selected with the great
est care Nasty newspapers themselves
tile worst of them-are no worse than
a myriad of books which tend TO con-
stantly creep into every public library
because there are calls for them. With
all the world of hooks that now exists to
choose from there is no excuse for put
ting rotten volumes upon the shelves of
any public library. There are plenty Of
books thar will give something to the
reader, and it is the business of people
who spend public money for books Il
see that no other kind IS ever bought tC
poison young and all other readers. 49,
Rutland Herald.