The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-11-12
BY MARGARET E. sANGsTER.

BY MARGARET E. sANGsTER. Copyright. 1905. by Joseph B. Bowles)
 In these days of magnificent libra ries, splendidly equipped, and spring ing up on every hand. it would almost seem as if there were no place ieIt TOT the modest little book club. EVery town of any size and many small VII lages may at this time point with prioe to building wholly devoted to iitera- ture, with reading rooms, alcoves roodiy shelves properly labeled and classified as to their contents and at tended by a librarian. who has taken her course and gained her diploma ae- cording to the latest methods.
 Yet, there are still good many or us who would like to own our books rather than depend on having them temporarily when our turn comes with the great competing public. Very like- 1y we cannot afford to spend large monthly or annual sum to gratify this expensive personal taste. II, however, eight or ten neighb0rs and friends combine and organize themselves lnto a small informal and congenial group denominated a book club, they may be able in the course of a twelvemonth to read goodly number of the new pup lications, and at the end of the year they wish to their individual collec- they may ad something substantial 1T tion.
 Very little machinery is requisite in the formation of a book club. Ten persons uniting may pay a mem bersip fee of perhaps $2 each. With s20 in hand, taking into account the re- duction made by booksellers to those who are purchasing in a quantity enough books may be obtained to cir culate freely and even rapidly through a neighborhood for the first year.
 Rules should be few and simple. A child will willingly undertake the task of carrying books from one house to another, or one pt sson may be selecteu who shall have the distribution. Prob- ably one of the number will have the supervision of the whole enterprise. This person will naturally be a woman as men are much too busy to be expect ed 10 look out for the small matters of retail connected with little societies and clubs Indeed, the members of village orneighborhood book club are usually women. The idea does not ap- peal to the ordinary man. It is too intimate. too domestic, and belongs too exclusively to the province of mi mute economies to be pleasing to hus- bands and brothers.
 The lady at the head of affairs will make a list of the names and resi- dences of those who belong to the club. This list in duplicate should be placed in every book that goes out. By a predetermined plan. arranged to the satisfaction of all, so that nobody need complain. the books may be sent from house to house and hand to hand either alphabetical rotation or by reference to contiguity of residence.
 Each lady, when she has finished reading a volume, is supposed to cross off her name and then pass the book on to the person whose name is just below hers on the list. Tn case of ill., ness in a family, absence from homo, O rany other occasion that may render it necessary. a member may change places with some one else. The allotted time for keeping a book is as in other libraries, a week or a fortnight. Even very deliberate readers can manage to get through with a book of fiction travel or biography in fourteen days Careless people who detain a book be- yond the proper limit should pay fine of two or three cents day for every day in excess of the allotted time These fines. though small. are the little rills