Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1900-06-16
The TRAVELLING
LIBRARY.

Address delivered by state Librarian
Johnson Brigham at the recent inter
national meeting held under the aus
pices Of the American Library Associa-
ton at Montreal, Canada.
After a few preliminary remarks Mr..
Brigham spoke as follows:
Just what is the travelling library?
"Singly 1t Is case of books. usually
twenty-five or fifty in number, selected
and cataloged for use in small COM
munities and clubs.
COLLECTIVELY the term is applied to a
system of circulating these books.
sending them from some central library
to individuals clubs and associate IL
3braries in communities roundabout.
I'm the distinctively library states.
without exception the service rendered
by the state is free: the charge for the
travelling libraries sent is nowhere In
excess OF the bare cost of Transports
ton, and the library commissioners as
such draw no salary and make no
charge for their services or for those OF
their representatives.
Fifteen states have some form of
library commission and in every one OF
these the commission either operates
or promotes the travelling library.
These free circulating libraries are
operated in some form in thirty-three
states of the union and in eight of these.
they are operated by the state librarian!
or state library commission. most
by commission.
IAN this in seven years! During the
last three years Of the travelling library
n %
libraries established by the state have
public libraries and hundreds more are
fast moving. toward that goal.
ILLUSTRATIONS
II like To think of travelling library
workers as bearing to new fields the
inspiring message: Make straight
your path, prepare your ways. for the
oncoming of greater movement of
which ! am but the forerunner
The mission of the travelling library
may be likened in some respects to that
OF the breaking pillow on the prairie,
loosening the rich soil and turning IT
over. that life giving light and warmth
may prepare the ground for the seed
corn with its sure promise Of the har-
vest.
Permit me another figure. drawn
Hike the last. from orr western prairies
which have come to mean so much to
me- Have YOU ever looked out upon
the gray dawn of an early morning on
the prairie? Every dwelling and cross
read settlement seems to be enveloped
In the lingering gloom of night. The
sun rises-no. it does not rise as in the
more deliberate east. it fairly leaps
from behind the fringe Of the brush
along the horizon line. The change is
wonderful as it is sudden. The light
pierces and dispels the gloom. Every
window pane is richly bejeweled. the
reelected glory of the sun Transforming
the most unsightly shack into a pail
ace of light. The shadow-wraptv village
is gone. and in its stead appears mass
of golden glory suchsas Bunyan saw in
Imagination as his pilgrim neared the
celestial city. &
rs this picture fanciful as applied TO
the advent Of the travelling library in a
community? Yes-and no. To the
| many. yes: to a few waiting souls, no.
4 There is no community however small
and unimportant. but has at least a
few to whom the coming of q library
is a veritable miracle of light. piercing
1.-THE deepest gloom and making the
plainest surroundings glorious. II
were calvinist would take delight
lin thinking Of these elect souls for
wherever you find them these
lilumined ones may be relied on to re-
I fleet the light which has come into
| their lives and slori1ed them. This
4 everywhere discoverable love OF books
present strength of the travelling
promise of the larger library move
l.ment which should follow.
Thus much to convey to you by
mental suggestion the point / would
make. that the travelling library move
jment is not an end sufficient unto itself
4 but is rather means to an end-ar
Invaluable means to a most desirable
i Tend.
WHY IS THE STATE BEHIND IT.
4 &.Why should the state take on this
4 burden of+circulating books among the
people and Of aiding communities ii
! the founding and upbuilding of public
libraries?
4 "A general answer may be given II
i 1.-THE words Of our Emerson: The small.
est acquisition of truth or energy, ii
i 5any quarter, is so much good to The
d commonwealth of souls
4 II need not stop to prove to this au.
Idience that the smallest free public
4 library. whether temporarily or perma
nently housed, is a large acquisition O
both trnthand energy and therefor,
clearly for the highest good Of the com
& monwealth.
i The reasoning by which the stat,
was induced to foster and supervise gu
4 public schools. and to own and contro
4 our normal schools, state colleges AM
h state universities has prepared TIL
public mind for the claims OF the publi
library.
4 Librarians like to recall the familia
4 words of Carlyle. the true university o
these days is collection of books Blu
d Carlyle's saying is only a half-truth
In actual fact. the true university o
I the people, using the term in the Car
lylean sense, is not mere collection
books, but a collection OF books acces
sible to ALTO the poor as well as to TIL
rich, to the small community as well a
y the great city.
The mission of the travelling librar,
Is the planting Of such universitie
where they are most needed-in on
small communities
How pitifully small lie the percent
q