Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1901-04-19
IRA YELLING LIBRARY
SUPPLIES BOOKS TO SPARSELY
SETTLED COMMUNITIES.

Country Public Schools and Clubs
Benefit by This Excellent Institu-
tion-How the Plan Originated.
work of Women.
Mrs. Annie L. Diggs, state librarian
of Kansas, describes the operation of
the system of travelling libraries in
vogue in the state. She says:
This beautiful impulse to share our
good gifts found expression i'm our own
time and country in an enterprise
which in the last few years has taken
on the name of the travelling library.
The story of its genesis is this: In 1892
Mr.. Melville Dewey, librarian of the
New York State library, inaugurated
the system in that state. Following
New York, Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio
and several other states took up the
work as state enterprise. In a ma
jority of the states there are now more
or less largely developed plans being
carried out by the womens clubs
whereby books are sent to neighbor-
hoods which need or want them.
Our own travelling library system,
which the Kansas legislature two
years ago made a part of the state Ii
brary service was built up to fine pro-
portions by the clubwomen of this
state. In 1897 the State Federation of
Womens Clubs undertook the collec-
ton of books by donation and carried
on the work of sending them over the
state for nearly two years. At the time
the legislature adopted the travelling IL
brary the federation turned over 1900
books and "a cases.
The clubwomen had paved the way
for legislative adoption by tireless
work in acquainting the legislators of
the merits of the system and of the
high appreciation of communities
which had been able to secure the
books. a law was passed in 1899 es-
tablishing the travelling libraries COM
mission and appropriating 1000
year for two years for the purchase of
books and cases. The work of caring
for these and serving the public was
turned over to the state library.
The judges of the supreme court be-
came under this law the directors, with
power to name members Of the COM
mission aside from the state librarian
and the president of the Women's Fed
Grated Clubs. These were specified in
the law. The commission as organized
in July, 1899, consisted of Mrs. Annie
L. Diggs, chairman; Mrs. Mary V.
Humphreys, Mrs. Lucy B. Johnson,
Mr.. Edward Wilder, Mr.. II. G. Lari-
mer, with Mr. James l.. King secreta-
In, th,
travelling libraries. One hundred and
nine libraries are now out in various
parts of the state. There are on file
more applications than can be filled I'M
til some of the libraries are returned.
The method of obtaining a case Of
books is to address either the state Ii
brarian or secretary of travelling libra
res commission asking for the printed
blanks to be filled out by the applicant.
The requirements are very simple,
the only guarantee being the signature
of one or more citizens who will an
swer for the care and safe return of the
library. There are 80 books in each
case. A fee of 50 is asked to cover cost
of transportation. This is the sole ex-
pense for the use of the 80 books for
six months time. The various tastes
and needs of various communities have
been thus far ascertained by asking
the parties sending for books to name a
list of books desired, and as nearly as
possible the request is granted
/ The best literature of the world is
sent out. books of travel biography,
history, poetry, popular science and tic-
ton. y large percentage of the libra
ries goes to the public schools in the
country places. Some go to village
stores or pOstoflices. others to study
clubs and some to farmers houses. The
prime purpose of the enterprise is to
take the books to sparsely settled COM
munities where the thirst for reading
cannot otherwise be met. 1t is my very
earnest desire that the outcome of my
talk tonight may be the means of send
ing to many a Kansas farmers home
and fireside the books which will bless
and brighten the lives of both the old
and the young people of our state.
| have been told that the one great
reason for the dissatisfaction of young
people with farm life is the monotony
and lack of social pleasure. | can think
of no greater remedy for this than the
reading of entertaining and instructive
books, and, oh, there is such world of
good literature! There is no ailment of
soul or hardly of body but that some
good book holds the message and mis-
sion of cure. Through books of travel
the reader may go around the world
and never stir from his lain" fireside
Books of biography tell the stories OF
the lives of the good and the great, the
men and women who have struggled
and succeeded. These lessons Of other
lives carry great inspiration and serve