The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-10-25
Library Commission Learns Some In
teresting Facts I'm Sending Ont
Forfy-Book Libraries.
PEOPLE TRY TO FIND OUT HOW THE
CANNY SCOT GOT so RICH.
The Commission Weeds Out Books
That May Have DeIeterious Eff
feet on Thought or Morals.

Mss REYNOLDS frowned severely
l nj ! as she turned a page of the book
she was reading. Scattered on the
k>XEN desk before her was profusion of
literature done up in gayly-col-
ored bindings. Stuck in the back of the
desk. out of sight of the ordinary observer,
was the photograph of the latest literary
idol. At her left was vase of fresh chrys-
anthemums and on the other side the
advertisement of well-known millinery
establishment
I'm just trying To see whether the Love
Letters of Worldly Woman will do for
the travelling library she explained lay
ing the book aside. The staid farmers of
Indiana who get much genuine pleasure
out of these travelling libraries during the
long winter nights probably do not know
that clever young woman who is fond
of the theater and stylish millinery selects
the books that may be acceptable TO them
Miss Georgia Reynolds is chief assistant to
Miss Hoagland. secretary of the Indiana
Library Commission, the organization that
has undertaken the work of furnishing
literature to those districts that otherwise
might not be able to secure good reading.
A FORTY-BOOK LIBRARY.
books which the farmers or residents of
Indiana towns may procure by paying the
express charges both ways The books
are sent to any address the people of
locality may select, and they are allowed
to remain there for three months. If at
the end of that time they have been pretty
thoroughly read, they may be sent back
and another library will be forwarded On
the proper application being made at the
end of three months, the books may be
retained longer. In selecting the books for
these libraries the commission must exer-
else sound judgment For instance, Miss
Reynolds must select ten volumes of what
might be called very substantial reading
These will probably consist of history, biog-
raphy and works on religion. Each library
contains the biography of prominent man.
The life of Andrew Carnegie" is favor
ite. The farmers are fond of reading about
this man and his wealth. Then there must
be ten volumes of good wholesome fiction
and twenty books that the children will
like. 1t is the little folks that the commits
sion especially likes to please, and Miss
Reynolds has found that they never tire of
the Little Colonel series of stories. When
the Libraries are returned it is easy to tell
what books have been most read by the
thumb marks on the pages.
II don't think I'll put in the Love Let
tiers of Worldly Woman" declared Miss
Reynolds. Its clever enough, but doubt
il our people will read 1t with profit
WHERE THEY CO.
These libraries must do much to tighten
the dull hours of village and country life,
incident TO the long Indiana winters. Some
times the library is kept in the country
postoffice, and oftimes one is established in
the village store Now and then a Sunday
school will ask for library to be kept at
the church building. A dozen or more fami-
lies in a nefghborhood will form a club,
make application for library and keep il
at one of the neighboring houses. There
are 21i of these library associations
in the State. The most of the
applicants for libraries have the books
sent I'm the name of some organiza-
ton. There is Beech Grove" association,
Jericho Library Association and an
Arden Grange Association" There is the
'Study Club that goes in for nature study
and for the classics, and there are several
RILEY Reading Clubs in constant COM
munication with the commission. There are
seventeen counties that are not getting these
libraries. There are forty library associa-
tons in towns of less than 1000 and eighty
five in villages of less than 500. Thirty-four
out of the eighty-fve libraries are placed
in villages of less than 80. One library
goes to village of twenty-nine people. The
travelling library is not in this State,
but has been in vogue for four years How
ever until about year ago these libraries
we're kept in the general State Library.
SHE LEARNED SOMETHING.
From November, 1902 until Oct. /, 1908