Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1912-01-23
THE COUNTY LIBRARY. n CLEARING
.~. HOUSE or BOOKS
FROM THE UNITED STATES BUREAU OF EDUCATION

Every inhabitant of the United
States, no matter how far from the
centers Of population, will have prac-
tically as good library facilities as
are now enjoyed by the average city
dweller, IL plans for the establishment
Of a new type Of Notwithstanding
agency work out according to the
anticipation OF the United States Com
mission Of Education, DR.. P. P. Clax-
ton, who is personally interested in
their development. las the rural
population of the United States mum
bers about SIS per cent of the total
population, the new library plan may
have the effect of doubling the
effectiveness of libraries, and of rails
ing the standard of culture in this
country to a corresponding degree.
The basis of the new scheme OF
book distribution is the establishment
Of libraries supported not by the
State, city, or town, as at present,
but by the country, with central
clearing house and branches at every
post office, town hall, school, or other
center of community life. Under this
plan, many sections OF the country
which at present have no libraries
will ba enabled to establish them. II
a given county has no community
large enough to support a library,
unaided. the county library plan Will
enable all the communities to club
their resources by levying a county
tax for library purposes, free use
of thu books so obtained being in
sured by a system of branches main
tanned at common meeting places.
Thus every time a rural resident goes
to the nearest store, or every time
his child goes to school, he will ma
weI-equiped library at his elbow.
Like the travelling libraries main
tanned by a number OF states, tire
country library aims TO find "a book
for every man, and man for every
book" Although the two institutions
have much in common, the more res
tricted territory covered by the coun.
ty librarys allows it to adopt ITSELF
more closely to local needs than IS
possible for the State book-distribut'
ing agency.
The country.library plan has al
ready been put into successful opera
ton in Van Vert county, Ohio, where
main depository and fifteen
branches are maintained at an ex-
penditure of between Sc 900 and 1000
a year, this sum being raised by levy
ing a half+miN county tax. The same
appropriation also covered the cost
last year of placing 80 additional
branch libraries in the public schools.
Fourteen counties in Wisconsin are
now enjoying similar facilities.
The city library Of Nashville, Tenn,
has already adopted some Of the feat
ures Of the county library plan, while
a number Of Carnegie liraries all over
the country are also considering the
same extension Of their activities.
Maryland, likewise, has made pro-
vision for county libreries, which are
operated with state support.
Il consider the library plan
an important step in the educational
development of this country" said
DR.. Claxton yesterday. "As well
known the schooling Of most persons
is of such short duration that their
cultural development must be Oh
tanned principally by their own efforts
from books, and any plan which will
increase the number and availability
of the books at their command will
naturally be an important factor IN
raising the standard Of the average
persons education.
Generally speaking, the cities OF
the United States are well supplied
with library facilities. However;
there still remains the great problem
of giving the rural citizen the same
opportunities of contact with the
world of books as are enjoyed by his
city brother Personally, l believe
that the inhabitants of rural districts
profit even more from reading than
do those who live in our centers OF
My own experience, as
we'll as that Of other educators, has