Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-11-05
National Library Has Been
Organized In This City.
WILL HAVE WIDE FIELD
Books to Be Circulated in Every
State in the Country.
EMPLOYMENT WILL BE GIVEN
Afflicted Persons VIII Be Paid for
Making Copies In 'FDot"
Print.

A National Library for the Blind
which will help to tighten the lives Of
thousands Of blind persons scattered
throughout the country. has been organ
ICED In Washington. The originators OF
the plan believe that within a short time
the library will have At It's command a
very large number Of books for tho blind
which will be circulated through every
state In the Union
DR.. Thomas Nelson Page Is president
OF the Library Association: Miss Eta
Josselyn Ginln. director: Miss Ella Lo-
raine Dorsey. recording secretary: Charles
J. Bell OF the American Security and
Trust Company. treasurer: Mrs. William
f. Clarke. assistant treasurer: Mrs. Err
nest w. Roberts. wife of Representative
Roberts OF Massachusetts,, and president
OF the Congressional CluD. national chair
man OF the publicity committees; Mrs.
Champ Clark. wife of Speaker Clark. ma
tionaI chairman OF the membership COM
mittee.
The objects of this national library
are two-fold: to furnish reading mat
ter to the blind and also to furnish
employment for the blind in the copy
ing of books and music in tangible
print.
Will Have Branches.
1t is planned to have a central library
In Washington, with branches In all
the big centers OF the country. The
books for the blind can be sent
through the mails free Of charge under
the law. Thus 1t will be easy and in
expensive to circulate the books. Be-
ing exchanged periodically, all the
brooks belonging to the national IL
brary would be placed within reach of
every blind reader.
At present 1T is with great difficulty
that blind persons are able to find any
means of making money for their sup
port. The employment of many blind
copyistS for the extension of the ma
tional library will give them remuner-
alive employment. 1t has been estf-
mated that a blind persons can copy
five pages of 16S words an hour. at an
average wage Of $1.60 for six hours
work.
1t is planned to have an executive conf
mittee composed OF the national officers
and the governors of the various states.
The membership in the library associa-
ton is divided into four classes-active,
associate. honorary and life. The initia-
tion fee is 81. and the annual dues, SO.
Associate members Will pay So annually,
and $50 will constitute a life-membership
fee. The initiation and life fees will go
to the national treasury for the purpose
Of buying and printing books in the dot, 4"
or tangible, print.
Dues to Be Divided.
The annual dues will be divided. the To-
cal associations retaining one-half for To-
cal expenses. and the other half being
sent TO the national treasury for current
expenses. such as copying books. packing
and forwarding travelling libraries and
the necessary printing.
The officers and chairmen of commit
tees. under the constitution. will meet
once a month, and the association on the
first Tuesday in December of each year.
Miss Giffir. describing the proposed
work of such library, said:
Although millions of books arc is
sued annually from the free Libraries to
the reading public. the blind citizen has
practically been forgotten. All the blind
are passionately fond of reading. but the
necessity "a eahpioylns d teau.r means
for most OF them an expense difficult. if
not impossible. to meet. and is for all a
state of painful dependence.
The young blind are supplied with
books suitable for their education at the
schools and institutions. but the majority
of the blind are adults. who have read the
standard works before losing their eye
sight. They are sadly in need of inter-
estng books. for there are lamentably
few novels. stories and books of travel In
tangible print.
a few city libraries at present have
small collections of books for the blind,
which, after being read by the local read
ers. stand idle on the shelves. The
libraries that are willing to lend to the
nonresident blind are taxed beyond their
means by the constant demand of the
readers.
Some Foreign Libraries.
"In London is the well known National
Lending Library for the Blind. AT Paris
il the Braille Library OF the Valentin
Hauy Association. and at The Hague at
Hamburg. at Vienna and other foreign
cities are other libraries for the blind.
AS uooks IoI the DiInd admitted to
this country free of duty. IL may be pos
sible for us to arrange an Interchange of
books with these foreign libraries for the
blind"
II has been announced from France
that books for the blind will be very much
cheaper in the near future because of
new method of printing them In France.
A press for printing books for the blind
has been devised by Nj. Ernest Vaughn.
director OF Hospice des Quinze-Vingts.
To place this system on the market he
has founded the Societe Philan.hropique
dlmpression pour les Aveugles. OF which
the celebrated French writer, Anatole
France. is president.