El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1915-01-09
WAR ADDS To
BOOK READERS
Public Library Records
Show 5025 More Books
Read than in 1913.

FL Pasoans read 5O25 more books
during the year 1914 than they did dur
ing the year preceding.
More books were added to the FL
Paso library during that year h Ia
ever before, 1854 new volumes being
placed upon the library shelves.
Also 1454 new borrowers were added
to the list of those using the library
books. Ell PasOans are Of a more
b~Ookwormy nature than cities in the
eastern portion Of the state, for Ell
PasO leads in the number Of books
read during the year by each borrow
er and also in the number of times
each book in the library is circulated
among those seeking wisdom or
amusement, or thrills
Each FL Paso borrower read eight
books during the year. is Of
course an average, as many read that
many books in a month. San Antonio
is the only city in the state that can
equal this record. Houston comes sec
Ond, with seven books to a borrower
for the year, and Dallas is third with
six, while Fort Worth has five only.
Then take the travels the books
make. Each book in the FL IL
brary has been borrowed six times
during the year.. San Antonio and
Houston library books were used only
three times each during the year, while
in Dallas and Fort Worth each book
left the library only twice during the
whole Il months. While the Libraries
in these cities are very much larger in
the number of books, there is an
equally larger number Of borrowers, so
it balances the proportion in 81 Paso's
favor.
There are now 1883 books in the FL
PasO library and the circulation of
these was 64,4s4 books. Fiction leads
in being most in emand. In the other
classes Of books, literature, poetry and
dTamas hold first place; travel and
history come second; biography has
third place; sociology fourth, and use
rul arts trOts al the tag END FAIRY
stories hold undisputed sway as the
headliner in the juvenile literature.
Everyone is studying up on history
and geography on account OF the Euro
pean war, and these books are in
greater demand than ever before. Ac-
cOrding to the Librarians, the books
return to the library with partisan
comments written on the margins. A
partisan Of the kaiser, reading some
authors theory on the superiority OF
methods other h a the German, will
return the book literally sprinkled
with False" Not true" and some
times stronger remarks On the other
hand if one who favors the allies comes
across a strong endorsement OF the
German army, or an article recounting
the valOr Of the German troops, the
book will return with his caustic COM
meuts upon the veracity Of the writer
penciled beside the offending para
graph.
The library has two of the most poWs~
erful partisan magazines, The Faith
erland," which presents the German
side Of the present conflict, and The
Spectator" published in London. which
is one of the best magazines giving
the allies side of the European war.
If one magazine beats the other in ar
irving at the library, much wrath and
Indignation is caused amOng the adj
herents of the other side.
Of all the hooks m Er1r0DnqU history
and wars and also upon modern condi-
ttOns B~ernhardfs Germany and the
Next War. is universally considered
the most comprehensive. Mrs. Edith
Graham Coyne, the librarian, says,
This is really the book of the war,
and is so considered in Libraries all
over the country"
The demand for historical novels has
greatly increased since the outbreak OF
the war in Europe, many people prefer
ing to have their facts made more in
teresting in this way.
A special library Of 400 books for
school children was purchased this
year and has been started on the
composed OF books on history, travel.
geography and literature, graded so as
to supplement the school work of each
of the school grades, The school teach
ers in each room act as the Librarians
and record the books used.
Lamar school had the honor OF being
the first school to receive the library
and in the five weeks the books were
at this school, 1899 books were read.
The library is now at the Bailey school.
This library has already accomplished
a great deal in awakening interest
among the parents Of the school pupils
in the library books and a number OF
library cards in the down town library
have been taken out as a result. The
Lamar school children seemed to be
particularly appreciative Of the library
and in aim )st every grade a number Of
the pupils wrote letters of thanks to
librarian for the use of the books.
In groups of so all the High school
pupils hav been taken through the A.,
library by the librarian and helped in
the use of the index card system and
other methods used in the library
encourage the school students in a
nnra .anaraL ne Of III ill., 49,