Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-02-17
LIBRARIES AND THEIR WORK.
X-TRAVELING LIBRARIES.
By Frederic J. Haskin.

The Van Vert county library has an ex-
tension system which Is being widely
copied. Several years ago it undertook
the problem OF serving $4,000 persons
with books on an income not exceeding
$1,000 per year. An area Of All square
miles was to be covered. The central
library was at Van Vert, a town of 5000
population. Another town had 25.0OO
population and the rest of the people
served lived in small villages or on farms
clubs and churches in collections Of from
50 to 100 volumes each. The persons TAX
ing charge Of these collections are paid
the small salary Of $50 per year
While the credit Of the first county
library system is usually given to Ohio,
which passed the law providing for it in
1901, the first law providing for a county
library Was adopted in Wyoming as
early as 1886. This law provided that
the county commissioners should levy a
tax Of from one-eighth to one-half mill
for public library purposes and the loca-
ton OF a library in each county seat OF
that state resulted. While all Of these
county library centers do not provide for
travelling libraries, most Of them do SO,
because this seems to be the best means
of complying with the law urging the
best possible provision for the reading
of books by Out-of-town people"
has done much to forward the work OF
travelling libraries in the rural districts
and has issued several bulletins referring
to this subject. The farmers Institutes
Of many states have become interested in
the travelling library movement and have
given it a prominent place in their work.
The Illinois farmers institute began the
travelling library work In 1901 with an
appropriation Of $4,000 made by the
state. The institute selected, equipped
sent out for six months to any community
on a request signed by five citizens. the
only expense being the express charges.
This work has increased so much that
which last year circulated almost 100000
volumes, reaching 10000 readers.
4
In a number Of states book wagon is
a vehicle frequently seen along country
Use of most mos successfully lily
Book Wagons. o oDs ,n th BOOK country was
circulates through Washington county,
Nd. from the Hagerstown public library.
ally interested in the work. He knows
every farmers wife along the route and
always remembers individual tastes IN
books. In some localities these book
wagons go out weekly from some central
library and leave single books or small
collections as requested. In other towns
they leave collections Of books. which re-
main for month or more with q person
responsible for their care.
The question OF the selection Of books
enters largely into the success Of the
travelling library. 1t is the opinion of
most library commissions that these COL
lections should be as flexible as possible
to meet individual needs. The privilege
Of choosing the books one wants to read
is as old as the free library. a patron
at a central library goes to the desk and
asks for what he wants. and so far as
possible the travelling libraries try to per-
init the same thing.
The travelling library movement owes
much to the Federated Womans Clubs
in the various states. For ten years the
Kentucky Federation Of Woman's Clubs
maintained a travelling library system in
the mountain regions of that state. Since
the organization OF the state library COM
libraries have been turned over to the
commission.
In Pennsylvania the development of the
travelling library system is due almost
entirely to the activity Of the club
women.
The War and Navy departments Of the
United States government now operate
extensive travelling IL
Libraries on bragy systems. Every
No., cl:~ ship flying the Amer
NAVAL onlPs' lean fiag now carries
a well selected library. The religious
books and fiction which originally COM