The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1912-01-11
STATE LIBRARY
BOARD Meeting

Bismarck, N. ID. Jan. 1.-THE regu-
lar semi-annuai meeting of the library
commission was held at the capitol.
There were present A. Il. Sheets, e. j.
Taylor, r. A. Nestos and the secretary,
Mrs. Budlong.
Word was received that DR.. Libby
was on the delayed train which would
be in about 4 o'clock. Until the ar
rival Of the president the time was
passed in listening to a report of tho
years progress and in thorough dis
cussion OF conditions and qualified for
ex~officio membership on the commits
sion, was elected chairman, pro TEN.
It was found that conditions in the
field were so satisfactory and
full Of promise. The travelling libra
ries are gaining In favor SO rapidly
that the supply Is far short Of the de-
nland. Jan. 1, 1912, forty-nine stations
were waiting for libraries, some of
them having had their applications
on file for several months. The IL
braries made up of Second hand books
given the commission by the depart
ment of public instruction in 1907 are
wearing out and an appropriation for
the purchase of books will be neces-
sary to keep an adequate number Of
Libraries in circulation.
The growth OF the education ref
erence work has been especially
marked as shown by the circulation
of reference books and mounted
clippings. The legislative reference
department has been gathering ma
terial fer use of the next legislature
and has prepared several digests OF
North Dakota laws for which there
was a special demand, among them,
Laws Pertaining to Women and Chill
dren, Boar Of Control Bill and Juve-
nile Courts. Mr.. Acker is now at work
on a digest of legislators.
A very interesting feature is the
number of reading rooms and libra
ries that are being established in the
state. A number of these have asked
the commission for help in organizing,
and in accordance with section 6,
chapter 243, session laws 1907, a linn
tied sum was set aside for use Of the
secretary in 1912 to visit for this pur-
pose especially the small towns that
cannot afford to employ a trained IL
sbrarian.
Requests that the commission CO.
EOPNAat0 Win SAALAAAiCA SNAAOStS ~ SO1-
busting short terms in library sci
ence' were considered and while the
need of such instruction in the state
was fully realized and also the fact
that such WORK is a legitimate field
of commission activity, still its flnan-
cial condition makes it impossible to
incur expense for that line Of work
during 1912.
Mrs. barrow of Fargo was unable
to attend the meeting as she is out Of
the state, and DR.. Bait, whose term
has expired, was greatly missed, his
good work on the publicity committee
for the past three years having been
Of great value particularly in the de-
velopment of the farmers libraries.
The commission remained in SEES
sion until all accumulated business
had been dispatched Unless a called
meeting should be necessary, it will
not convene again until June.
A summary of the work of the com
missions department here for the year
1911 is as follows:
Travelling Libraries sent, 159.
New stations established, 10S.
Farmers libraries sent, 81.
New stations established, 81.
Educational reference books, 2,515.
Pamphlets and clippings, 1913.
Travelling library applications on file
Jan. i, 1912, 40.