The White Pine news. [volume] (Ely, Nev.) 1906-1910, 1907-10-15
WORK OF POPULAR
EDUCATION IN GERMANY

The important task of spreading
wholesome literature and useful
knowledge is, as matter of fact, not
sufficiently performed by the splen-
did libraries for which men like Mr..
Carnegie are never tired of provid-
ing the funds. With all due appre-
citation for the generous gifts Of
fered in our days by the wealthy
classes of the old and new world,
we may point out that these libraries
are naturally confined to the larger
towns and the universities The real
want of the first means of self-edu-
cation Is, however, not felt in these
places, but in the villages and the
open country. Here help cannot be
brought by some magnificent founda-
tions, but by the patient, unpreten-
tious and indefatigable work of gen.
erations. 1t is this kind of work for
which the Society for Spreading Pop
ular knowledge has been organized
in Germany.
It's founder was the late member
of parliament, Herr Heinrich Rickert,
and it is now presided over by Prince
Heinrich Schoesaich-C arOlath, a poet
of some distinction. This society has
taken up the program of bringing APP
propriate literary treasures of the
whole world within the reach of the
population in the villages and small
est country towns. For this purpose
it uses either already existing little
libraries of elementary schools and
village clubs or POUNDS libraries of
it's own. Thus, in 1906. altogether,
421 new village libraries, with 22,-
LAT volumes, were started, WINE
1881 already existing libraries were
presented with 96,302 volumes.
Most important for its purpose is
the plan of lending collection of
books to vnlage for year only,
until all persons living there may
have had a chance of reading the
offered books of their liking; then
the whole set is brought to another
village, while a new collection takes
it's place. This travelling collection
interchanged between many villages
consists of $4,000 volumes; so that
there is variety enough for life
time 1t consists of novels, poetic
literature and fiction exclusively.
AS new venture another travel
ing library composed of popular
works on science was set moving in
1906, and it was found out, that at
least in the larger villages and small
towns there is a sufficient demand
for scientific literature to be highly
satisfied with the result. Many
towns that are sufficiently provided
for with circulating library for
works of fiction, apply for the tend
ing of the travelling scientific library,
as their means do not allow them to
include this branch of literature in
the purchases of their own library
For the sake of children the society
has adopted the plan of arranging a
small exhibition of children's and
juvenile literature in the villages
Great care is taken to include only
wholesome books at reasonable
prices.
Moreover, the society arranges
public lectures and literary entertain
ments even in the remotest villages
Lately it has taken up the publica-
ton of little pamphlets treating of
practical questions. The first Install
ment was a treatise, "How to pre-
serve good health and the power OF
making ones own living" by Pro-
lessor Kalle and DR.. Schellenberg.
Up to now $4,000 copies have been
distributed in the open country. In
the list of contributors toward the
expenses of this society we find also
the name of the German emperor.
Other associations of similar
kind try to use the organization of
the German book trade for selling
good reading at the lowest possible
prices. Quite recently the German
fund for the memory of poets" has
inaugurated the plan of providing the
works of living authors at prices
that hardly pay for the printing ex-
penses and binding.-Continen
CORRESPONDENCE.