Evening journal., 1901-01-04
MANY MAY READ
WITHOUT COST
By MeanS Of the Numerous
Travelling Libraries
They Have Proved a Boon to Hundreds
Of Thousands Of Persons in the
United States
Copyright, 1900, the Christian Herald,
New York.

The sending OF travelling libraries
40 Villages anu towns, which have ~
public library OF their own, has proved
d boon TO hundreds OF thousands OF
people throughout the United States.
BY the Introduction of these itinerant
ell. tions OF onoks, people in the re-
mCtest sections OF the country are
furnished with the best reading with
out individual cost. This system oi
helping rural poulatiOns IN an educa-
tlonal way was started in New York
in 1892
In that year, Melvil Dewey, librarian
Of the New York State Library, Sc
curti an appropriation to inaugurate
a new system of library extension,
which was so simple and practical
that is was Immediately successful, and
has since been followed in thirty
States. Mr.. Dewey bought a number
OF small libraries of one hundred vol
umes each. Stations for them were
made in a number of villages. A IL
brary was sent to a station TO remain
six months, and, at the end Of that
period, it was returned to Albany. to
be sent out to another station Thus
they became known as travelling Ii
braries." To secure the preservation
and safe return of the books, Mr
ieVey demanded certain pledges L.
communities having no public library
or accredited school. he required a
guarantee signed by twenty-five tax
payers. Each library was sent out in
a chest. With it went a library q
charging outfit and a number of small
ani-A .atel catalogues.
The work in New York has been
Esesdily growing and last year the
State library in Albany alone sent out
,4early coo travelling Libraries. There
re now about 500 different kinds OF
libraries for special students and study
classes in many branches Of litera-
ture, science and art, as well as for the
general reader A uniform lee cf So is
charged for the use of a library of 100
volumes. Smaller fees are charged for
smaller Libraries. Not only may any
school cr circle Of readers haze the use
Of a travelling library, but any citizen
may have even a single book sent 10
him in the remOtest corner of the
State.
There are now about $500 travelling
libraries. containing about l15,00O vol
umes, scattered in thirty States. About
1,10O Of these were equipped and mai.l-
tanned by State aid The remainder
were purchased by private individuals
or associations.
influenced by the travelling library
system of New York, the State OF Wis
Consia appointed a free library comms-
sion. with headquarters at the State
capital and with the president of the
State university, the State superintend-
ent of education and the secretary Ot
the State Historical Society as ex-of-
ficio members. Public-spirited indiyil-
uals have purchased large collections
OF wholesome, readable books, and
have divided them into small travel
ing Libraries, each containing thirty
volumes. Catalogues of the thirty
books in each case are sent ont with
the library, together with printed
rules, a record book and borrowers
blanks. For a fee of 81, this travelling
library is sent from some central town
in the country to a local library asso
citation, which employs a secretary for
correspondence with the central man
agement, and a Librarian for the proper
care and circulation of the books. They
are usually placed in some farmhouse
postoffice, country store or railway
station, always in somebody's charge
Dunn county, Wis, I'M which fre'
travelling libraries circulate, has {
population of about $4,000, but most o.
the people live I'M scattered hamlets D
300 or 400 inhabitants each. Man!
are still living in log cabins. One larg'
town, MenOmonie. has 5000 inhab
tants. and beautiful memorial librady
Of which Senator Stout is a trustee
He found by inquiry that the town Ii
brary was of very little use to tn
country people, on account Of the DIM
Guilty of obtaining and returning
books. Accordingly, with the aid o
the Wisconsin Free Library Commits
sion, he instituted the STOUT free tray
cling libraries" to be circulated from
hamlet to hamlet Mr. Stouts libraie
we're first put into circulation in May
1896. The most active worker in thi
field at present in Wisconsin is Fran
A. Hutchins. secretary Of the Free ii
brary Commission. who kindly furnish
cd some Of the facts and figures 70
this article.
In 1895, the Legislatures OF Mich
gan and Iowa made appropriations to
travelling libraries 10 be purchased an
managed by the librarians of the stat
libraries. In Michigan, an annual az
pIopriation of $2500 has been mad
In Iowa the annual appropriation
FlsOUVs III DOln Dldltos INT - aNIAA We
successful from the start. In 1883
the State Library OF Ohio was place
under the charge OF State Libr0
Commission with authority TO use sue
volumes as could be- spared 10 NAL
travelling libraries These smaller
braIies are made up TO suit the nee'
OF the special organizations sendiI
for them. and when returned. the bool
are merged Ia the general library.
1899 the Legislature OF Minnesota 2
tablished a State Library COmmissl1
and gave IL $1,000 annually for "
years to pay Tor books for travelling
braries and to provide for their pu
chase, arrangement. and circulation.
the same year a library cOmmissi'
was established in Maine. and the Le
islature appropriated 50 500 for lis u
ia buying travelling libraries.
TRAVELLING Libraries IN New Jers
were very recently authorized BY I
o--icf a4.rr-. and - T0o 1rac a ars,rt-ir