Evening journal., 1912-05-24
HIN DEMONSTRATING
TOWN LIBRARY

Part of the paper read before the
Delaware State Federation of Wo-
mems Clubs by Miss Sarah Askew,
of the New Jersey Library Commits
sion, describing a librarians and an
organizers experience, a true story.
First We begged an empty room,
then got the boys and girls to help
clean it, and bring pictures and
flowers. Then we gave book
party.
I'VE circulated small subscription
blanks and asked people to subscribe
from 25 cents year up, for period
of three years. From this we got
an income of about 500 a year. Twen-
ty women in the town volunteered to
take care of the library, turn about.
We sent in to get travelling library
from the State and started to work.
That little library was like ball
of snow started down hill-it grew
and grew. The villagers used it, and
the school children used II, and the
business men used It, The farmer
folks wanted to use II. so the ltbrar-
ian laughingly told one Of them one
day he coul pay toward its support in
barter. IL he wanted to, and then other
NduknA On anu 1i'N nnN EithA
fun bringing in each something they
were proud of. Some Of the perish
able things the merchants took and
paid for in cash. the other things
they auctioned off twice a year. The
wit of the village did the auctioning
and prices went up absurdly high
Best of all, it brought farmers and
villagers together and made every
body neighborly.
THE library had helped so many
people, the first thing everyone said
was the library must have a room IN
the Town Hall; then the women said
TO the Councilmen, "Yes. and you
must add It to the town budget"
I'm spite of this we had to save,
so the women went to work and fixed
up the room. They got cheap kitch-
en- tables and covered them with
.bergamot, and stained them so they
looked quite handsome. They got
lcheap kitchen chairs and stained
them also: almost all the furniture
is makeshift The furniture now in
the room is a gradual evolution This
library believes in the attitude of
Fgive and take" and so they let their
patrons help. The boys and girls in
the manual training classes made the
charging trays. the magazine racks
and the umbrella stand. The teachers
like for them to have a purpose in
view in their work, so it helps both
and works another way-the children
feel the library belongs to them.
when the farmers come in for sup
plies they get books. and often they
send in the farm hand with note
for a good book for a man." or a
mice love story"
The council room adoins the library
on one side, with folding doors. and
on the other is the freman's room
both of these the library can use dur
ing the day, and the council room al
most every night. The fireman's room
by day serves as a chidrens room.
"The firemen liked the books and
the pictures, and they take books out
and give money for pictures, they get
so interested The council room
everyone thought would be made into
a reading room. but one day an an
nouncement appeared that a CONVEX
sation and meeting room would be
opened in connection with the library
and the farmers and townspeople
were invited to use it. II has been
the greatest boon the town has. We
get all the boys and girls to make pic
ture bulletins and exhibit them, and
Exhibit the girls sewing, and the
manual training work.
Then the mothers come in to see
the work. and we get them interested
lin the library. We get special collec-
tions of books and pictures through
the State Commissioners and inter
library loans. and exhibit them in
there also
THE high school teacher says the
work has improved much since we put
in our good reference books. and we
keep in touch with the work and send
up lists of books on the topics from
time to time. We often give talks to
the boys and girls on how to use
books.
The boys and girls don't hang
around the streets like they used 70,
and they are a great deal more con-
tented TO stay in the country.
I'VE have a great many books on
useful arts. especially on farming,
and they are frequently used Some
of the boys start out on trades in thos
way, and a great many more learn to
know what they like. It's a curious
fact. also. that when they find farm
ing is a scientific thing they are much
more willing to do II. We have or
ganized a nature club among the boys
an girls and some of them are maxi
ing collections for us, which we are
going 10 put in along with our local
collection.
Last winter We had a series of free
lectures through the library. and two
beautiful magic lantern shows. We
furnish teachers with books on peda-
gogy We help the Grange plant fss-
tivals and debates. We have a col
lection provided especially for the
Village improvement Society.
AT Christmas time we borrowed
from the publishers a splendid collec-
tion of childrens books, so that the
mothers could look them over and
choose. We lend pictures to the
schools, and sometimes to the people,
We loaned pictures Of birds and flow
ers to the children last spring, and
got them to identify as many OF
them in the field as they could with
great success.
MAPLE LEAF Social