Evening journal., 1902-01-11


readily conceded that the Importance
of providing the books suited to chill
dren of such an age can scarcely be
over estimated. and that to begin at
twelve TO make the selection is to be-
gin too late and we should begin be-
fore he learns to read. by reading to-
him. l hope there are few in this
laudience who cannot look back with
happy remembrance to books and
poetry with which they were familiar
long before they knew their alphabet.
lFor my own part. to lose these memo
ries would be to lose one Of the most
valued possessions of my lifetime.
In town. the problem of selection of
what to read and what to give children
to read is comparatively easy, provid-
ling you are willing to embrace your
opportunities. For instance, mere in
Wilmington you have Mr.. Bowerman.
able and desirous of helping you, and
with all the resources of his great
library ready to your hand. All the
way down through our State the
problem is a very difficult one and this
brings me to my own special library
interest for the time being which is the
truly marvellous and eminently prac-
tical and economical solution Of 1t by
means of travelling libraries.
| "Other States are successfully cop
| ing with this problem by its means and
there is nowhere a field for this work
more ready to be titled than that ex-
listing here in Delaware. The truth of
what | say has been apparent to many
of the women of the State for the last
year or two. and the club travelling
libraries managed by them have simply
demonstrated the necessity of the work
they accomplished being continued,
expanded and improved by the State.
To that end largely the State Library
Commission was appointed, and it may
not be amiss to explain at this juno
lture what the commission consists OF
and what are some of its aims, and to
earnestly invite your generous cooper
alton in the matter of contributions to
its eXchequer. any sums, however
small. that you can spare to enable it
to continue its work. at least until the
next Legislature meets, when it seems
lduite certain that the people of the
State will not withhold their support
and an appropriation can be asked for
in the certainty of getting IT,
"The great success of the several
; lsystems of free travelling Libraries in
lother States and in Australia prove
that this plan of supplying the farmers
lis economical and entirely practicable,
and the people VINO have furnished the
means for these Libraries all agree
that no other philanthropic work of
which they have knowledge does SO
: much undoubted good in proportion to
its cost.
"The travelling library makes good
J literature accessible to all classes In
: small communities where there are few
amusements and no similar educa.
tional forces for any but school chill
3 dren and lure away from less worthy
o occupations and amusements to the IL
limitable pleasure, a love for readini
y gives to its most fortunate pOssessor
e | 1t puts the control of the reading o.
q numbers of people in the hands o
s persons who have the library exper
I fence of the world at their command
- and that. too. while the literary taste
!, of their readers are forming.
og 1T is the sure and least expensive
Il method of providing a library, 70
S taxes. local rent, fuel, light and libra
a rian's salary and library equipment
4 are saved Moreover tho commission
?. buys books at n lesser rate than is pos
r. lsible to private persons.
n ut keeps alive an interest I'm book
z by frequent exchanges, as the mer
n prospect of a change keeps each Dor
s rover aler to learn which are tn
k best books and to get them promptly
Il Each library station becomes a cen
It tire for the up-building of a better so
It cial and intellectual life. and gives a
= abundant supply of wholesome read
It ing to the people who, very possibly
it would otherwise have none. It nc
le only supplies such literature to tn
le people but it confines their reading {
J. that until their tastes are formed, ant
Is leaving no room for bad books, pre-
+ vents their circulation by the mo.
natural wholesome method imaginabl
AZ "The peoples university, in brie
al which closes neither by day nor
y night. meeting on wOrkdays and O
If hOlidays-infOrming inspiring, anus
a ing. as much for old age as for youtl
n for the learned as for the ignorant, Il
m curriculum so broad that it may he
M the child at his play, the teacher
a. citizen in his civic duties. the farm'
X at his plough, the invalid in the sic
IN room-all might be illumined by tn
n lamp which waits lighted by yol
a sympathy with a universal need, an
er by your generosity.
or 1T is very natural for us all to allo
wv our vision to be bounded by our pre-
nv lent horizon and never TO move whe
he we may gaze beyond
81 I'VE become so impressed by gre
nv works to be done for ourselves and +
e- those in our immediate vicinity IN
od We often fail to catch a glimpse
nj what lies outside. but J ask you all
he consider what one thing could any
You do which would bring great
sd good 10 a greater number than to 81
On the means to the commission for t
N purchase and proper equipment Of
,a1 few travelling Libraries
nv Miss Kane announced that Lihrari
be BoWerman has presented a library
an the commission. and added that il