Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-10-30
MISS RoslNsoN's ADDRESS.
State Library Worker Tells Of Proper
Books For Charitable institutions.

State Library Worker Tells OF Proper
! Books For Charitable institutions.
Miss Julia Robinson, OF Des Moines
secretary and organizer of the Iowa
+ library commission gave the address
before the Woman's Club a the Red
Mems hall Wednesday afternoon. The
! program was in charge OF the home
and education department, Of which
Mrs. G. w. Darling is chairman.
! Miss Robinson spoke to the largest
audience of the year. and took as her
subject. THE Libraries of Our Flee
mosynarv Institutions" Miss Robin
F., son. until she was chosen secretary Of
the commission, has held the position
I of librarian of the state institutions
and spoke from knowledge cleaned
from her personal experiences in this
work She gave an explicit account of
the growth and building up of this
work in the institutions Of the state.
The inmates of these institutions num-
7 Der 5000. and at present there are 49,
! 900 volumns of books at their disposal.
! Miss Robinson said that undoubtedly
! the foundation of these libraries, was
/ laid by the donations of books from the
/ housewives and philanthropically in
/ clined persons. These books proved
/ such a source Of pleasure and recrea-
| ton to the inmates that Miss Tyler
! thought it would be good movement
| to have libraries managed under a reg
! ular system. and in October 1905, Miss
! Marian Cary was appointed by the
board of control, as librarian Of the
state institutions.
After three years of hard work in
getting the work systematized Miss
Cary resigned and for next three years
the work became sadly denoralized for
lack of proper direction. Since then
the work has been taken up properly
by others. including Miss Robinson.
One of the greatest problems to cope
with is the lack of room at the various
institutions for separate room for the
library. These places need plain,
simple room, with shelves for the
books, table. and a few chairs. Most
of the inmates are employed at work
a i day or are in school, and have only
Sunday and a few spare moments in
the evening. for their reading. In some
Of the institutions the books are
shelved in the office. and in order to
receive the book desired the number
or name of the book Is written on a
slip and returned with the book just
finished. In most places the books are
|
Then comes the problem of selecting
the books, which must be stimulating
both in culture and influence. The
books are chosen for the three classes
Of the inmates. the morally defective
mentally defective. and physically de.
fective. The children of the orphan
homes are not allowed the privilege OF
the library. and enjoy books Of outdoor
life; for the soldiers home civil wal
stories and fiction are in the creates;
demand: for the schools for the deal
and dumb only the elementary books
are required, as the inmates have little
Imagination, while the feeble minded
children require the picture books.
Books to be avoided in the state hos.
pitfalls for the insane deal on insanity
and suicide, and have morbid plot:
which excite the mind. The book.
should be wholesome and cheerful. a.
the inmates are often intelligent read
ers. and in some instances have reat
all the books in the library. The in
mates of the insane asylums read mucf
poetry In the reforma tories, the book.
should be wholesome food for thought
With high Ideals Of manhood and ar,
used as recreation to the inmates. IL
the prisons. nothing should be allowed
III tHe libraries Which EXCUSES !3"
breaking, which criticizes the govern
ment. or the prison rules. Books OF
socialism often lead to deeds Of VIC
lence; detective stories should also b.
barred. The books should be clean an,
manly to hold the interest Of the read
er. In the Industrial schools, stories o
school pranks should be barred ant
, stories Of happy home life supplied
hn hut n
the books among the inmates and 70
this purpose librarian should be ap
pointed who understands the perso,
desiring the book and can devote he
time to the readers, which would be tn
only way to accomplish the end de
sired.
The. talk was unusually interesting
and Miss Robinson held the closes