The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1908-07-31
THE FREE READING ROOM.

Idaho Scimitar: The ladies OF
American Falls are opening free read
| ing rooms for boys and men of their
place and are soliciting books and
| magazines.
The American Falls ladies are to
be highly commended. They are do
ing good work and one that, while
perhaps, not personally beneficial,
will be of great value to their town.
The free library or reading room Is
of almost incalculable value to any
community. Every man, woman and
child is benefited, as they can there
obtain good literature which posi-
bly, may not be obtained at home.
But of most benefit is the free
reading room to the country man or
boy who comes into town with a pillow
to mend or horse to be shod. A con-
siderable interval must elapse be-
fore he can leave town. His trading
is soon done and there is nothing for
him to do during the remainder OF
his stay. Where can he go to pass the
time?
In most of our little Idaho towns
there is absolutely no place but the
streets or saloon for the stranger in
town. Naturally he lounges about on
the street corners, expectorating on
the sidewalks and meeting undesir-
able street characters, or else enters
the saloon where he usually is made
very welcome.
The same thing is true of the la
borer or working man. Sunday es-
pecially is dull day for him, for, as
a rule, he is not welcome in the farm
house and so either lounges about
the barns and out-buildings or, as is
more likely, goes to town for a week.
ly shave and to pass the time away.
After the shave where can he 60!
On the street corner or to the saloon,
If he comes to trouble he is severely
criticised by the citizens who would
neither take him into their homes
nor afford him a suitable place of en-
tertainment. How much better 1t
would be If the town kept free IL
brary or reading room where the
stranger could go and sit quietly In
the company of the worlds best In
literature. The individual would abb
sorb something really worth while
and the town would be taking a de-
cided step toward eliminating it's rep
utation as a tough town"
Now, some may argue that Idaho
towns do have a free circulating IL
brary of books sent to them at GER
tain intervals. This is very true and
the library is very good as far as 1t
goes. But, just take the library that
comes to Blackfoot for example 1t
is kept in the Office of the county
SUPERINTENDENT of education. The
books are circulated among certain
class-one that can afford good
books at home. All this is very
satisfactory, but does not go far
enough.
The people that it is most DESTROYS
to reach are scarcely aware that such
a library is in existence, or knowing
are not DESTROYS of taking advantage
of it. How many boys or men, who
had half an hour to spend, would
walk over to the court house and
hunt up book to read for so short a
time? Given a book, where would
they go to read it? The superin-
to0QPDC s ONCE Is SCdICciy pideC III
free reading room. Or on Sunday
when the superintendent office IS
closed what laborer would search
over the town to find the county SUI
perintendent to go to the court
house and get him book? And
would it be fair to ask such favors
of the superintendent?
The library as it exists Is not
enough. What is needed is room or
rooms centrally located in or near
the business section. The rooms
should be we'll ventilated, heated and
lighted. The furniture should con-
sist of tables, chairs, book shelves
and magazine and paper rack. This
reading room should be supplied with
current magazines, newspapers and
standard literature.
Such a room would cost a town
but little and should be established
and maintained in every settlement.
II town is DESTROYS of more pre-
tentious library and yet is unable to
build one it can obtain the same with
the aid of the Carnegie library fund.
BY the aid of this fund any town
can have a beautiful building. well