The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1911-07-12
LIBRARY BENEFIT
FOR THE FARMERS
Was the Subject Discussed at
the Librarians School
at Earlham.

Prominent librarians OF the country |
assembled at Earlham college 10 at
tend three days session OF the Pub !
lie Library Commission. devoted the
Tuesdays session of the meeting to a
discussion Of rural library extension.
a movement which is now being seri-
ous!y considered by prominent educa-
tors and librarians OF the United
States Important on the program
We're the addresses Of William NJ. Hep
burn, OF Purdue university; Miss Julia
Wrig It Merrill, of Cincinnati: Carl II.
Milan, OF the Public Library Commits
sion, Miss Mamie w Jayne. OF Alex
andria; Miss Mary y. Baxter Of Ell
wood and Mrs. Elva f Garter, OF
Plainfieid. The. purpose OF the dis
cussion is to arouse an interest among
| librarians in order to set an extern
sion OF the library ADVANTAGES among
the farmers SO that persons III the
rural districts will be favored with
the same educational benefits Us are
persC4ns in the cities. l. was pointed
out that throug-. out the land most OF
the cities and towns a"e furnished
with fine libraries.
Tire plan for the Public Library in
the Country Lite Movement" was the
subject Of MI Hepburn 5 talk. He out
lined briefly the charact eristics OF the
movement calling to tle two great
tendencies. one toward better econo-
mic conditions and one toward better
living conditiOns-how the farmer
family may have social and education
al advantages ecuai to those enjoyed
by people in towts and cities. The
library can help in both these tepden-
c!es," declared Mr.. Hepburn, but it
may have to be developed along new
lines. What these new lines are, no
one can exactly tell" He quoted from
great rural life authorities, S. H.
Bailey. of Cornell, and X. Y. Butter
field, of Massachusetts Agricultural;
college, showing these men are sym
pathetic toward the rural library move
ment. Better living conditions in the
country will he the ultimate result OF
the library movement.
Miss Merrill Spoke.
| Following an address by Mr.. Milan,
in which he told how the rural library
movement was being handled all over
the country. Miss Merrill, of Cincin-
natl, gave a short talk on the county
library of Hamilton, Ohio.
Three Indiana libraries represented
were those at Alexandria, Elwood and
Plainfield. These are all libraries
that are supported Jointly by the towns
and townships under the laws of 1903
and 1911 The libraries at Alexan'
dria and Elwood have placed small col,
lections of books in the district schools
of their townships. The Plainfield
library by deposit stations, gives farm
ers the opportunity to have advantag
es of city libraries. At Franklin, a
place of 500 inhabitants, there is a
800 subscribers and an annual clrcu
lation of 5000 volumes.
At todays session of the library com
mission, Mrs. Theresa West Elmen-
dorf vice-librarian of the Buffalo, n
Y, public library, and the president
of the American association, one OF
1.-The best librarians of the United States
lectured on The Children's Right tC
Poetry She lectures on other sub
jects also. Mr.. Hepburn gave a talk
on Agricultural Literature today. To
morrow morning, Mrs Elmendorf will
talk on The Librarians Place and
Power