The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-04-16
Utah's Travelling Libraries Will
Soon Contain 1000 Volumes.
SUCCESS OF THE PLAN
WORK ACCOMPLISHED BY PUB
LIC-SPIRITED WOVEN.
Ten Libraries Will Soon Be Going
the Rounds of Utah Towns-In-
strumental In Organization Of
Clubs-Committee Needs Funds
Description Of the Plan.

Comparatively little has ever been
heard of beneficent work that was
taken up some two years ago by a few
earnest club women of the state. 1t
was at the May meeting of the General
Federation in 1897 that the president
Mrs. William C. Jennings, appointed
Mrs. w. A. Hahn, then resident OF
Salt Lake, and now of Denver, to inVeS-
tigate a plan looking to the establish
ment of a travelling library.
The ideas of the few women who We're
interested in the movement were dis
cussed very thoroughly. and a majority
of the active club women of the state
felt that Utah need not any longer be
behind the many other states where
travelling libraries flourish and are help
full in the remote country districts.
When the Federation met again in
October of the same year, Mrs. Hahn
presented a report to the president thai
was adverse to the plan of the few en-
thusiastic women who had fondly hop
ed that the day for the travelling libra
ry was near at hand. Mrs. Hahn did
not feel that the project was an inn
possible one for all time, but stated in
her findings that she feared that TIE
time had. not come when any plan
could be successfully carried out.
Mrs. Halm's departure from the city
made it necessary to turn over her
work to another. Mrs. Jennings Sc
lected Mrs. NJ. L. Richie, who, after
looking into the many questions iny0lv-
ed, reported to the Federation in a
much more hopeful way. Mrs. Richie
felt very sure that something could be
done, and that the club women of the
state would help. Mrs. Jennings, too,
felt that perhaps Mrs. Hahn had been
unduly discouraged by the difficulties
she encountered, and decided to name a
committee for work
WORK COMMENCED.
Accordingly Miss Emma Mccormick,
Mrs. Charles D. Moore, Mrs. William
NJ. Ferry of Park City, Mrs. Heber Y.
Grant and Mrs. Chester A. Golfer were
appointed and q plan of organization
agreed upon.
Miss Mccormick went abroad almost
Immediately after her appointment and
returned a few months later, only 10 go
again. Consequently, the entire direc-
ton of the work fell to Mrs. Moore, and
it has been through her untiring efforts
that the travelling library is what it is
today.
The question Of money was as usual,
the pressing one that the committee
had to meet. The directory of the State
Federation instructed the committee to
tax each federated club 81. Responses
came from all organizations, the Wo-
mans club donating Sc to the work.
Twenty-four dollars from this source
was not munifcent sum to furnish
encouragement for the little band of
women. But timely donation of 500
from George Foster Peabody of the Rio
Grande Western sent the discouraged
ones to work with a will.
Out of their 1924 the committee fur
nished the three first libraries, which
were exhibited at the October, 1898.
meeting of the Federation, and started
on their beneficent mission through the
state at the close of the Ogden session.
ONE THOUSAND BOOKS.
By october of this year, when the or
ganization will hold it's annual session
in Salt Lake, the committee will have
completed ten libraries, containing
about 1000 books.
The plan adopted by the committee is
similar TO that in vogue in other states.
The books are procured either by do
nation or by purchase, they are placed
in cases which can be securely locked,
and are then sent over the state to any
town or district that desires to have
the use of them. Requests are con-
stantly being received by the commit
tee for the books, which are shipped to
some reliable organization or persons,
in whose care they remain While in the
town. Usually they are allowed to re-
main for two or three months or until
all the books have been read and the
borrowers are asking for others.
The same system of lending for
stated period of time, with fine II the
borrower fails to return the book with
in the two weeks as is employed in the
public library of our city is the plan
ON which the books are given out.
As will be seen, the Libraries are most
often placed in charge of some woman s
club. the members being responsible for
their safe return.
Libraries /, and have all taken
their second trip. Number L made its
debut under the wing of the 5. h. u
club of CoaIville, with Mrs. Alma Ella
redge as it's protector. Number hrst
went to the Nineteenth Century club Of
Provo. whose president is Mrs. Bonhan.
The library has now gone to the Wo-
mans club of SpringVille. The third
case went from Ogden to the Park CITY
Athenaeum, in charge of Mrs. William
M. Ferry, and has just started on an
other trip, with Heber City as its first
stopping place.
No. 1 is now with Sorosis in Provo.
and Miss Ida L. Allen is acting as its
guardian. The Woman's club of Salt
Lake very generously donated No. +,
which goes 10 the Reading club at
Corinne. Park City gave No. 5, which
is almost ready for the road. No. is
being made up by the Ladies' Literary
club, and No Z, whose books came from
the Ogden club women, the case having
been provided by Sorosis and the Nine
teenth Century clubs of Provo has been
started to Park City.
The Cleofan of Salt Lake will have
No. s ready in very few days, and it
is probable that the little Busy Wo-
mans club of Moab will enjoy the IL
brary for the next few months. Re
peated requests have been received
from this remote district, and their de-
sire for entertainment is at last to be
satisfied. Mrs. Moore reports that Ii
braries 9 and 10 are in sight, and the
completion of this work is what the
capable chairman will report to the
state federation at its next meeting.
AIDS CLUB WORK.
One of the results of the establish
ment of the travelling library that IS
especially worthy of note is the impetus
that the work mas given TO me ctuD
movement in the state. The travelling
library has been directly responsible for
the organization of new clubs. In enc
instance, that of the Corinne society
this was especially remarkab BILE, and the
new club enjoys all alone the distinc-
ton of having men on it's roll of asso-
ciate members.
The matter of funds with which to
carry on the work is again becoming